The Consulting Times Times Community Blog

The Game of Life

2012-01-04T17:49:02Z

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:

Each morning your bank will deposit $86,400.00 in your private account
for your use. However, this prize comes with rules just like any game has certain rules.

]]> The first set of rules would be:
1. The money that you do not spend during each day would be taken away
from you.
2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
3. You may only spend it.

Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another
$86,400.00 for that day.

The second set of rules:

1. The bank can end the game without warning. At any time it can say,
“It’s over, the game is over!”
2. It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right?

Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love and your friends
as well, right?

Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it
all on yourself, right?

You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?

ACTUALLY, THIS GAME IS LIFE!!

Each of us is in possession of such a “magical” bank.

We just can’t seem to see it.

THE MAGICAL BANK IS TIME!

Each awakening morning we receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and
when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.

What we haven’t lived up to that day is forever lost.

Yesterday is forever gone.

Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your
account at any time…….

WITHOUT WARNING.

WELL, what would you do with your 86,400 seconds?

Aren’t they worth so much more than the same amount in dollars?

Think about that, and always think of this:

Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker
than you think.

So take care of yourself, and enjoy life with your loved ones & friends
as well!

Feel Like a Light at the end of the Tunnel!

2011-12-28T18:55:21Z

I just wanted write to say I am proud to be a an ACRE and I feel like there is light at the end of a dark tuneel! I've already got my frst real estate consulting job next week and I am so happy to not only sell real estate but I can add this to my business to generate a steadier income and provide a viable service. Great to be here!

Is anyone going to Inman Connect in January?

2011-12-20T14:33:37Z

The price is pretty steep, but the sessions look pretty good. I may consider going if other ACREs will be there. We should plan a meetup!

A New Beginning for ACRE®

2011-11-09T19:25:07Z

Instead of issuing a formal Press Release, reprinted here is the communication sent out to ACRE®s today:

***********************************************

"When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge." -Tuli Kupferburg

Dear ACRE®s:

Of all the industries that are susceptible to complacency, real estate is probably tops. When things are sort of "working" we get into our comfort zone. And folks, yours truly is no different. ACRE® has experienced tremendous growth since it was founded five years ago and while we could continue to do what we've been doing, I believe that in order for ACRE® to not just grow, but rather flourish and become a major force of change in real estate, it's time for a new beginning.

Therefore, after months of contemplation and soul-searching, I've made the difficult, but I believe, right decision to hand the baton of CBW - Chief Bottle Washer, (or for you more formal types, CEO) of ACRE® over to Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn.

I'm very excited about this change. Jennifer's SWS organization aligns and complements the consulting mindset beautifully. As I'm sure that she will detail more, Jennifer has great plans to enlarge the scope and reach of the merged companies while keeping the integrity of ACRE® intact.

]]>

I will continue to be involved with special projects such as teaching the live course, presenting the consulting model to real estate groups when needed, as well as adding my 2 cents on the Exchange, so please know that I'm not abandoning ACRE® but rather stepping back so that I can pursue other dreams of my own that I've been putting off for a long time.

If you're surprised by this announcement, I'd like to share with you a piece by Michael Josephson entitled What Will Matter that I've re-printed below. It conveys my thoughts better than anything I could write.

ACRE® has been my heart and soul for many years, and I'm so very proud of all of you that have seen the future, stepped out of the box, and become the pioneers that will lead to a future of greater professionalism, integrity and value for our industry.

Best Wishes,

Mollie
Founder: Accredited Consultant in Real Estate® (but no longer Chief Bottle Washer!)

***********************************************

Dear ACRE®s:

So, I guess you've heard by now ;-] that ACRE® is under new management! I hope you're as excited as we are about the possibilities - or, at the very least, that you'll keep an open mind and reserve judgment until you see what the new year under new management will bring.

When Mollie approached me a few weeks ago about taking over the ACRE® empire, I was startled, to say the least. But once I got past the shock of the unexpected offer, I started to get excited. The wheels began spinning, the ideas started flowing and after much soul-searching of my own, I accepted the position as CEO/CBW of ACRE®. I'm flattered... and humbled by the opportunity.

For those of you who don't know much about me, I have a dream very similar to Mollie's of a real estate industry inhabited by professionals. Of an industry where we are respected members of society, rather than the punch lines to bad jokes. Where our clients don't balk at our fees because they recognize and appreciate the value we bring to the table. But I don't believe we create this utopian real estate society with expensive national advertising or defensive protestations as to the value of our service, but by EARNING it, by BEING competent, caring, client-centered professionals who know how to get the job done.

And that's the mindset from which my Sell with Soul philosophy was created and it's the mindset I bring to ACRE®.

You'll be hearing much more from me in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime, feel free to contact me privately with any ideas, comments or feedback you'd like to share about how YOU see the future of ACRE®. All suggestions and ideas will be welcomed, appreciated and very likely, acted upon!

To Our Success!
Jennifer

P.S. If you've received your renewal notice for access to the Exchange, please disregard it for now as we reorganize and restructure; just continue to enjoy the Exchange at no cost until further notice!

***********************************************

What Will Matter

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built;
Not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

- Michael Josephson

AR Post about charging a retainer fee

2011-10-20T14:46:53Z

I think you all will find this post very interesting and I hope our voices will be heard loud and clear in support of the retainer. Please comment.

How the 99 Cent Song Saved the Music Industry and What Real Estate Can Learn

2011-10-15T14:25:34Z

With the death of Steve Jobs, much has been written about the incredible contributions he made to the computer industry. Much less noted was the fact that he also revolutionized five other industries: animated movies, music, phones, table computing, and digital publishing.

There are so many lessons to be learned from the genius of Mr. Jobs but for now, let’s focus on just ONE of the industries he transformed by climbing into the old time machine to remember the music industry prior to iTunes.

]]> The music industry in 2001 was at a crossroads. Consumers were restless and increasingly unwilling to continue to buy entire albums when all they (initially) wanted was a song or two. The record labels resisted the growing clamor for years, fearing that if consumers were able to buy individual songs rather than being forced to buy entire albums, their bottom line would suffer. But, as is true with all consumer needs, ignoring them doesn’t make them go away - it just sends the consumer elsewhere. The industry’s refusal to answer this need for choice only served to drive the internet-empowered consumer to ripping their own music off friends CD’s, and illegally “sharing” tracks on sites such as Kazaa, and Limewire.

This development was the worst of all worlds: with record labels rigidly refusing to change their business structure, musicians were not only deprived of the royalties due them when consumers used illegal ripping sites, but at the same time, the consumer discovered that using these sites was less than ideal: they not only introduced pesky viruses onto their computers and ripped music of a much lower quality, but many consumers were also bothered by the ethics factor: overwhelmingly, the average consumer didn’t want to deprive the artist of the royalties that they were due and would have gladly paid for the music they consumed if only they could have some choices in how they could buy it.

It took Steve Jobs to grasp the need for a simple, legal source of digital music with choices in how it was sold and his art of persuasion to talk the famously recalcitrant record labels into letting him sell their songs online all the while talking consumers into paying for what they could get (albeit with problems) for free.

The rest of the story, as they say, is history. Steve Jobs beat free by providing the consumer what they wanted. Consumers bought a million songs in the very first week and by 2008, they had purchased 5 billion of them. In fact, five years after Apple entered the music business, it became the U.S.’s largest music retailer. Even more fascinating was that contrary to the music industry’s fears, allowing consumers the option to buy songs individually ironically served to greatly increase album sales and concert tickets. The ability to buy just one song introduced the consumer to an artist and got them wanting more. In short, the 99 cent song saved the music industry.

Real estate is at a similar crossroads today. Many brokers and managers refuse to consider offering the consumer anything other than the one-size-doesn’t-fit-all package of services payable only by commission, while they watch their profits decline. When it’s suggested that the real estate professional give the consumer choices in obtaining real estate services and fiduciary counsel, they dismiss it as “discounting”. The industry is consumed with the fear that if we give the consumer options, the consumer will opt for the cheapest way out.

Those of us “renegades” who think different, who dare to offer the consumer quality, transparent choices in the services they can receive as well as how those services can be paid for, have found something quite amazing. By offering an hour or two of counsel if that’s all the consumer needs now, a flat fee for a specific service or package of services, while continuing to offer traditional commissions for those who want them, we have found that our incomes haven’t declined, but in fact have risen because we’re no longer dependent on a property selling in order to earn income.

By offering quality, transparent choices, not cheap gimmicks, we open up all kinds of new opportunities to earn revenue because we’re no longer dependent on a property selling in order to be compensated. We can be paid to help homeowners who are not necessarily buying or selling or not doing so right now and are facing decisions such whether to remodel, refinance, or seek a tax abatement. The consulting model of choices provides a way that we can be paid for what we’re now giving away for free, as well as an introduction to our services that leads to more listings and sales down the road.

Like the music industry found a decade ago, ignoring the consumer’s need for choices doesn’t make it go away, it simply drives them elsewhere. With the growth of sites such as eBay and Craig’s List, buyers and sellers are finding each other more and more and they’re doing so without an agent. When they need help in negotiating an offer or managing and troubleshooting a transaction, they’re turning to lawyers or going it alone. They’re turning to cheap, bargain basement outfits to get functionary-type services, leaving themselves without the vital fiduciary counsel and care that a professional could provide. Real estate has forfeited a fortune over the years because we didn’t have the structure to provide services for folks that didn’t fit the mold and the consumer as well as the professional are all the worse for it.

The 99 cent song saved the music industry. And to save the real estate industry, we simply need to think out of the box. As Apple said in their 1998 ad “Think Different”:

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Some Day We'll Look Back at This and It Will All Seem Funny

2011-10-12T20:12:42Z

Bruce Springsteen's' Rosalita was just playing on the radio, the line, "Some Day We'll Look Back on This and It Will All Seem Funny" resonated to me as a question for real estate professionals. What about real estate today would you think will seem funny 5, 10 or maybe 20 years from now?

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Will future generations, the ones that are the "now" generation think it was funny that it took close to 1 million people to sell 5 million homes? Will they incorporate that in their sales models? Will they learn that if an industry will sell 5 million widgets the first thing it better have is 1 million sales people? Would anyone go into a business with a partner that felt they needed 1 million sales people to sell 5 million of anything? Will smiles cross the faces of the future when they research the idea that Realtors, on average, worked for free 75% of the time?

What will be the thoughts, funny or sad, that Real Estate Brokers that could not withstand the pressure of turning a profit in their own business model, evolved into a character that more resembles Mr. Haney from Petticoat Junction; selling not only homes but home warranties, title insurance, mortgages, pest inspection, homeowners insurance and anything that could boost their bottom line. Result = Many small vendors that handled all the transactional work were ostensibly cut out of the equation as the Realtors "controlled" the buyer and seller therefore they had a hand in what vendors were selected. Funny, yes for the large 800 pound Gorillas that got to profit at the demise of all the independent companies, sad for the consumer who lost choice and competition that breeds excellence and sad for the vendors that join the ranks of the unemployed. Bruce has always sang for the common guy, the regular working class, me and you.

How will consumers feel, in hindsight, that they were never offered a "real" choice in the way they paid for their Realtors services? Will they think it was funny that an entire population of home buyers allowed the negotiator that was working for them to be paid by the opposing negotiator?

Will they question why a home bought for instance at $400,000 dollars that had a 6% commission ($24,000) was recorded at the full price, without any allowable deductions prior to paying transfer tax? In other words why are we paying transfer tax on someone else's income that will be taxed again as income?

What will be the next be advancement? It has been 15 years since buyers agency and nothing really earth shattering since! What are you thinking? What are you working on? How will you help to create the future so it's easier to predict?

What Does It Take? New VAR Article

2011-10-12T14:01:37Z

I'm so excited to share with our readers the cover article in this month's Virginia Association of Realtors® magazine "What Does It Take? - The Skills Brokers Want, The Training Realtors Need" featuring ACRE® Industry Partner Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn and me!

It's an insightful article and a must-read for forward looking professionals. Let us know your thoughts!

VARArticleWhatDoesItTake10-2011.pdf

Being Jewish, A funny Friday Happy New Year Look

2011-10-07T20:49:41Z

As a general principle, Jewish holidays are divided between days on which you must starve and days on which you must overeat. Many Jews observe no fewer than 16 fasts throughout the Jewish year, based on the time-honored principle that even if you are sure that you are ritually purified, you definitely aren't.

Though there are many feasts and fasts, there are no holidays requiring light snacking. Note: Unlike Christians, who simply attend church on special days (e.g. Ash Wednesday), on Jewish holidays most Jews take the whole day off. This is because Jews, for historical and personal reasons, are more stressed out.

]]> The Diet Guide to the Jewish Holidays:

Rosh Hashanah .......... Feast

Tzom Gedalia ............ Fast

Yom Kippur .......... More fasting

Sukkot .......... Feast for a week +

Hashanah Rabbah .......... More feasting

Simchat Torah .......... Keep right on feasting

Month of Heshvan .......... No feasts or fasts for a whole month. Get a grip on yourself.

Hanukkah .......... Eat potato pancakes

Tenth of Tevet .......... Do not eat potato pancakes

Tu B'Shevat .......... Feast

Fast of Esther .......... Fast

Purim .......... Eat pastry

Passover .......... Do not eat pastry for a week

Shavuot .......... Dairy feast (cheesecake, blintzes, etc.)

17th of Tammuz .......... Fast (definitely no cheesecake or blintzes)

Tish B'Av ......... Serious fast (don't even think about cheesecake or blintzes)

Month of Elul ......... End of cycle. Enroll in Center for Eating Disorders before High Holidays arrive again.

There are many forms of Judaism:

Cardiac Judaism ......... in my heart I am a Jew.

Gastronomic Judaism .......... we eat Jewish foods.

Pocketbook Judaism .......... I give to Jewish causes.

Drop-off Judaism .......... drop the kids off at Sunday School; go out to breakfast.

Twice a Year Judaism .......... attend service Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

You know you grew up Jewish when:

You spent your entire childhood thinking that everyone calls roast beef "brisket."

Your family dog responds to complaints uttered in Yiddish.

Every Sunday afternoon of your childhood was spent visiting your grandparents.

You thought pasta was the stuff used exclusively for kugel and kasha with bowties.

You were as tall as your grandmother by age seven.

You never knew anyone whose last name didn't end in one of 6 standard suffixes (-man,-witz, -berg, -stein, -blatt or -baum).

You grew up and were surprised to find out that wine doesn't always taste like year-old cranberry sauce.

You grew up thinking there was a fish called lox.

You can understand some Yiddish but you can't speak it.

You know how to pronounce numerous Yiddish words and use them correctly in context, yet you don't exactly know what they mean.

Is that Kenahurra or is that kaninehurra?

You grew up thinking it was normal for someone to shout "Are you okay? Are you okay?" through the bathroom door if you were in there for longer than 3 minutes.

You have at least six male relatives named Michael or David.

This Month's FAQ: Won't I Make Less Money Charging By Fee?

2011-10-07T09:20:39Z

Each month we will answer a frequently asked question about real estate consulting.

This Month's FAQ:

If you're paid a fee for the services you provide or paid by the hour, don't you make less money than by commission?

]]> Actually, the experience of our ACRE® agents is the just the opposite. The consumer is looking for choice, not cheap. What we've found in talking with consumers is that the reason they went with discounters is because they've had no other choices. What the consumer seems to want more than anything is transparency. Most consumers have no problem paying for quality services if they could just understand what they are paying for.

We need to look the consumer in they eye and tell them the truth - commissions are high - they have to be if the consumer wants the agent to shoulder all the risk. When consumers understand what their various options are, if they choose commissions, and many still do, they understand the risk-reward proposition and don't try to pull a commission-ectomy.

The other reason that you make more money, not less, by offering options is that having different ways of charging for your services opens up whole new markets and streams of income that become available when you offer different ways to be compensated. You're no longer limited to just buyers and sellers.

Just a few examples are homeowners, investors, relocation companies, loss mitigation departments of mortgage companies that are foreclosing on homes, and of course, for sale by owners. Some of these niches have needs that don't even involve buying or selling but they still need counsel and they're willing to pay for it, just like they pay for a CPA, financial planners or other services. Our industry has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in unearned income over the years because we didn't offer some responsible choices that provide the consumer with badly needed expertise while paying us well for the time and years of experience that we bring to the table.

Think about this...

One of the most common "push backs" regarding activity based pricing is something along the lines of "Well, with a commission, I'd get paid $12k and with fees, I'll only be paid $6k. I'm not leaving $6k on the table..."

To this I could respond in a variety of ways:

IF the transaction closed
IF the client didn't walk away
IF I were putting in the same number of hours (NOT!)
IF I were blond, blue eyed and 20 pounds lighter...

We continue to get into the same argument of comparing apples and oranges. Commissions and fees are different because one is contingent and one is not. When I first started developing fees years ago, I got into the same argument with myself. When involved with the sale of a high priced property (whether representing the buyer or seller), I would often feel the twinge of leaving money on the table. But, with lower priced properties, I came face to face with the fact that if I were paid fairly for my time and services, it would often greatly exceed what the comparable commission would pay me.

We need to shine some light on this question we all have when coming from the commission only world and dipping our toes into pricing ourselves based on the time, services, expertise, and experience we bring to the table: in other words, our VALUE.

Here is the conclusion that I came to: when evaluating what to charge with non-contingent renumeration, it is vital that you pretend tht real estate services were never paid by commission. Wipe it out of your mind and start from scratch. ACRE® Graduates, using the tools in the Business Practices Workbook or Merv's SmartPlan, or others, calculate what they should charge for a set of tasks, taking into consideration what their time is worth times how much time will be spent, plus out-of-pocket costs.

Then, once they have calculated what they would charge a consumer for your services, they ask themselves a very simple question: "Am I being paid fairly (and in fact well) for the services, expertise, and experience that I'm providing?" If the answer is YES, then be happy. If the answer is NO, then go back to the drawing board and re-calculate what you're charging.

Don't get into the "coulda-shoulda-wouldas". If the consumer wants to pay for the services themselves, then give them a fair price for a finite collection of tasks and time based on what you are worth and know that if they go this route, you'll be paid very well for the job. If they want to pay by contingent commission, then make sure that you're charging enough to cover the high risks and infinite amount of time that you're agreeing to.

Doctors, accountants, and house painters charge what they're worth and the market will bear. Since they never had a precedent of charging contingent commissions, they don't beat themselves up with what they "could have earned" otherwise. Successful professionals get paid well for the services and time they devote to the job at hand.

ACRE® Consulting doesn't require that you abandon your commission-based income. Commissions can still be offered as one of the options you offer. By doing so, you will not only capture new business that you never would have had, but you avoid the commission-ectomy that plays such havoc with our bottom line.

Why I Became an ACRE® - October 2011

2011-10-06T20:39:10Z

Our continuing feature about what attracted some of our newer ACRE®s to consulting...

Nicole Beauchamp - New York, NY

I actually read about the program in Inman News a few weeks ago, and decided I would take it all in. Before starting in real estate in the early 2000s I actually had a consulting background (software architecture, business planning), so the ideas aren't new to me, but trying to determine how to apply them in a real estate practice and this fit perfectly. I look forward to connecting and participating on the forums here and learning more that I can apply to continue to enhance my business.

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Demetrios Koutsokostas - Carlisle, PA

Glad to finally be on board! I actually stumbled upon ACRE® a couple years ago and subscribed to the newsletter. I had just started in the business in the summer of 2007 and it wasn't long after that when I became disillusioned with the industry. I started with a big franchise and quickly found myself at odds with policies. I have been a business owner since I was 23 so I thrived on the rush of getting deals done but what I didn't like was the contradicting policies of "take care of the client" and "make sure they use our affiliated businesses". To me this was bad business due to the conflict of interest.

The training supported the old guard services and commissions with no wiggle room or it came out of your pocket. I then left for a small independent firm and am now the broker of record for that firm. We focus on the client and customizing solutions for them, however, don't have a real structure for everyone to use as a guide to enable them to build their business with this model. As we open our second office, I plan to really take this model to the next level and begin to promote our range of services. ACRE® has become a guide as I pull everything together. I established my business in a horrible market, with bad sales skills, but a commitment to protecting and helping every client. I never cold-called, door-knocked, or sent "Hire Me because I'm a gazillion dollar producer!" postcards. My business is strictly referral-based now from clients, friends, family, and industry partners who feel comfortable about the services I provide. It's really not rocket science! Thanks for bringing it to the mainstream:)

Phyllis Herrington - Spokane Valley, WA

I started selling mobile homes in 1996 in Moses Lake, Wa. We moved to Spokane in 1998 and I decided to get my RE license and sell homes. I have enjoyed the business the ups and the downs, but my passion is helping people with their situations. I studied for my Brokers license and received it and then the state changed us to Managing Brokers.

I am so excited about consulting and believe with all my heart that this is a positive and beneficial change. That we can consult people and show them they have options and to show them what would work best for them and to get paid for it. I have already started this process and its just wonderful. Its a perfect fit for me. I am so glad I took the course and recommend it to all Realtors. Lets start Consulting!

Harry Smith - Livonia, MI

I am very excited to learn more about how to apply the consulting concept of real estate to my real estate career. I am a fairly new Realtor here in southeastern Michigan. In these tough economic times I want to do more than "just sell houses", I want to be equipped with knowledge and tools to help consumers make the best decision possible.

Jacqueline Lovest - Upland, CA

I am excited to be joining ACRE® and look forward in putting this style to work. It is funny, I have been in the business for about 6 years and I was trying to tackle the FSBO business. I put together a package with fees, however, due to the FSBO being such a tough market I did not continue to pursue it, not knowing if I was on the right track.

Now that I am viewing this consulting style I am like a dry sponge ready to soak up and apply what I am learning. I just recently put in place a service fee. In between me selling property, I work with a lot of prospective applicants looking for rentals. After being burned soooo many times, I decided to add a service fee and if the applicant decided to walk or locate their own property, at least I made some money. Anyway, I like this concept and looking forward to working it.

Antonio McGriff - Spring Lake, NC

I am so glad that I came across this unique and timely approach to real estate. As the owner of a real estate firm servicing the Fayetteville / Fort Bragg, this way of doing business is greatly needed and I am confident that it will be a very valuable addition to the area I serve.

Mark Hawkins - Long Beach, CA

Congratulations on a business model that makes a lot of sense. Although I have my real estate license, I am not practicing at the present time. The reason I quit practicing is because the conflict of interest in the traditional business model was too great to be able to continue so I left the industry. I am presently doing research and gathering info to re-enter the industry on a consulting basis. I am deciding whether it would be easier to get by broker's license or find a broker who would understand this model. I don't know which would be easier. But on the administrative side, I think I would rather find a broker willing to work with a sensible per-transaction fee.

Why offer respectful choice when you can make more money from forced compliance and social pressure?

2011-10-06T19:02:36Z

Is it any wonder that market-leading organizations fear the "A-Typical"? The defining idea of the twentieth century, more than any other was mass.

Mass gave us efficiency and productivity, making us (some people) rich. Mass gave us huge nations, giving us (some people) power. Mass allowed powerful people to influence millions, giving us (some people) control.

And now Mass is dying!

]]> We see it fighting back, clawing to control conversations and commerce and politics. But it will fail, it must. The tide has turned, and mass as the engine of our culture is gone forever.

That idea may make you uncomfortable. If your work revolves around finding the masses, creating for the masses, or selling to the masses, this change is very threatening. Some of us, though, view it as the opportunity of a lifetime. The end of mass is not the end of the world, but it is a massive change. I hope that Nucazza will help you think through the opportunity it represents.

My ulterior motive for starting Nucazza has little to do with helping you sell more stuff and more to do with allowing us (all of us) to embrace the freedom we have. The freedom to offer and receive choice. The freedom to be A-Typical!

We're coming to the end of a century of industrialism, a century when manufacturing, marketing, politics, and social systems were all in alignment, all organized to push us towards the center. The way the world is now more information, more choice, more freedom, and more interaction.

And yes... More A-Typical.

Are you on the top of the Mass Heap? Everything that is not normal is strange, and right now there is more strangeness than ever before! Is that a bad thing? The strange aren't loners and we are no longer strangers either. We are strange because we have foregone the comfort and efficiency of mass and instead we are forming smaller groups, groups where "strange" is actually accepted.

The key element of being strange or A-Typical is this: You insist on making and giving a choice. So if you find yourself between "A Rock and 2 Hard Places" think about offering more choice to your current sales book, think about offering prepaid or pay as they go buyers representation. When the buyer puts up his money to remove your risk, you never work for free!

Real estate agents' dirty tricks revealed

2011-10-06T18:56:31Z

THEY may seem like they chasing the best deal for home buyers and sellers but many real estate agents play property like Monopoly and love to cheat.

From preying on your grief to using cunning scare tactics to close a deal, real estate agents can be as cunning as the meanest in any commission-based business.

While most agents act professionally, there are many ways agents charge an "idiots tax" on those who don't know what they are doing.

Potential buyers are usually canny enough to recognize that "cozy" is shorthand for "tiny", that "close to public transport" actually means beside the train line and that "bathroom with views" may mean the toilet is outside the back door.

]]> But its home sellers rather than buyers who are more likely fall prey to real estate agents dubious tricks, experts says.

Disillusioned former estate agent Pav Sheen has blown the whistle on underhand tricks of the trade.

Mr Sheen was so outraged by what went on behind the scenes that he dished up the dirt in his book Tips, Tricks And Traps.

He initially intended it as advice for relatives who were buying a house but what began as a series of pointers soon grew to more than 100 pages.

During his time as an estate agent, Mr Sheen says he witnessed dozens of dubious tactics, including colleagues undervaluing properties to sell them to each other at a lower price.

Other tricks included arranging two viewings at the same time and, after one potential buyer had left, getting the office to call pretending to be that buyer putting in an offer.

He also warns that some agents are quick to betray the confidence of a vendor.

If the home seller is ill, going through a divorce or has financial problems, agents often pass this sensitive information on to buyers.

He says some real estate trainer openly boasts that they "love divorces" and encourage other agents to exploit a vendor's emotional trauma.

Buyers beware

When it comes to purchasing, the most vulnerable people are buyers at the lower end of the market because they're really in the hands of the estate agent.

Former real estate agent Neil Jenman offers advice to avoid being duped in his booklet The 13 Worst Mistakes Made by Home-Buyers

He says one of the common tricks an agent uses is underquoting the price of a house.

You know how it works, you ask the agent what the ballpark is for the property to sell at auction and they quote you a figure. You spend money getting inspections and legal work done, only to turn up at the auction and find the house goes for a much higher price.

“One of the most unethical tricks in real estate is advertising a home a price well below its real price,” says Mr Jenman says.

“Advertisements which say "price range" or "offers above" or "bidding to start from’ are usually misleading.”

The key to avoiding this one (and many others) is to do your own research. Get to know the market well, go to auctions, visit properties, get a feel for what people are paying properties such as the one in which you’re interested. That way, if an agent quotes you a price that sounds too good to be true, you’ll will know that it probably s.

Mr Jenman also recommends ensuring any building inspections or legal advice that you obtain on a potential property are independent.

“Be careful about using anyone recommended by the agent,” he says.

“Some agents receive kickbacks from advisors that they recommend.”

10 ways agents cheat

1. Gazumping. When a deal has been agreed to, some agents still show people around the property hoping for a better offer.

2. Value a property at a low price - and then sell it to a friend or colleague.

3. Use scare tactics such as pretending to receive offers to get people to make a higher offer.

4. Neglect to pass on all offers to vendor in hope of achieving a higher one later on.

5. Revealing a vendor's confidentail information to buyers

6. Overvaluing houses to secure business from sellers.

7. Dummy bidding - enlist friends to cast fake bids that push prices up.

8. Make up a very low offer. This shocks the seller into accepting a genuine offer which is far lower than the original valuation.

9. Fake evidence that other properties in the area have sold for an overly high price.

10. Erect for sale/sold signs at homes the agent had nothing to do with to give a false impression.

If you are guilty of any of the above, please DON"T contact Nucazza, we have no interest in having any association with you, all others please visit us or call us at 866-NUCAZZA.

Think Different - The Best Tribute to Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T12:17:43Z

WIth the passing of Steve Jobs, there will be many tributes but in my humble opinion, there will be none as encompassing, nor one as important to the challenges we face in our industry as the simple recitation of his 1998 ad "Think Different":

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.

]]> You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify and vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

With the real estate industry in turmoil, isn't it time that we stop with the old mantras that are carted out to argue against the change that is inevitable? Rather than look at the changes that are needed as the demise of our industry, how about seeing the changes as an opportunity to flourish?

Think Different.

Thank you Mr. Jobs. You will be missed.

Buyers Will Pay a Fee

2011-09-28T19:34:31Z

Please check out my post on ActiveRain titled: Who Says Buyers Won't Pay For Their Services?