When I was growing,one of my favorite games at night was playing Simon Says...

My grandparents had a lake house on Ky.Lake which we spent a lot of times at during the summer months. Most of the lake houses around us all had kids from different states that we only saw during the summer.

At night we all loved to play Simon Says...

If you are young and dont' remember the game, one person is Simon and Simon tells you what to do, ie...Simon says jump on one foot, Simon says put your hands on your heads, Simon says do jumping jacks. The next Simon is the one who didn't get eliminated by messing up.It is a game of follow the leader.

So what does this have to do with Real Estate?

Everything and nothing.

With all the Coaches, Top Bloggers, SEO Experts, Social Media guru's out there...be careful which Simon you are following.

There are excellent people you can follow in all these area's of expertise. But, be sure to check out their track record or references.

I like to follow and learn from Realtors that have a good track record, meaning they sell Real Estate and a lot of it. Why would I want to play Simon Says...with someone who blogs a lot, uses Social Media a lot who isn't selling houses.

I want to know that what they are teaching me to do...comes from a good track record or business.

When I was first married, my husband and I bought a game called Simon Says, we use to play in bed at night...silly I know but we had a ton of fun.

Simon Says is a fun game but be careful who you follow.

Maybe it is just me, but what do you think?

Consistency in blogging pays off, but it doesn't mean it has to be done everyday.  One thing I learned early on in my blogging from Broker Bryant was you don't have to blog everyday, just be consistent.

Blogging consistently allows you to set expectations for your readers.

Can they expect a post from you everyday, once a week, three times a week?

It doesn't really matter how much we do it but that we do it consistently. The point being is that we set expectations for our readers.

I like variety in my life and while I want blogging to be a part of it, I can't allow it to be the only thing I do.

When I first started blogging here on Activerain....I was addicted, obsessed. I would rather have been here than prospecting, marketing or talking to my sellers. At some point I came to the realization that I needed balance and my clients had to come first.

Very few times have I put up 10 or more posts a week, I think maybe the week localism was launched and I bought all those neighborhoods. I was anxious to get some content up on all those subdivisions.

Time management is a huge challenge to most Realtors. We have all been given the same amount of hours in a day to work and we must use it effectively. For some it may take 30 minutes to throw up write a post and others it may take an hour.

Consistency also applies to your lead generation, marketing, and communication with your clients.

Flickr Photo Credit

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Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com

Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.

• Free Home Evaluation

• Search the Ann Arbor Area MLS.

• Google Profile

• Market Reports in Real Time Updated Weekly

• Profit from Technology for Realtors and Lenders

I've been wanting to post this for sometime, but last week something happened that made it more urgent for me.

Last week, I had two different past clients contact me. They contacted me usiing my same phone number and same email address.

I had switched companies back in January 08, and yes I had sent out a notice to my sphere. But, it is just noise to them until they are ready to move.

I have had the same cell phone number since 1995.

I have had the same email address since 1995, my own name. Missy@MissyCaulk.com

I don't understand and am cautioning you to get a email that you can take with you wherever you go.

I see many agents use the domain of their company  Me@kw.com, Me@remax.com, me@localcompany.com.

When and if you move there goes your steady, consistent way for past clients to contact you.

I can't tell you the amount of notifications I get from agents or friends saying, "I have changed my email address."

Would these two past clients have found me, if I had not had the same number or email address? Maybe but.....maybe not.

I know many folks have names that are not easy to snag a email or domain name in their name...but pick one and stick with it.

It was a happy day when we could transfer our phone numbers to other carriers and I know most folks do.

Building a business, planning to stay in for the long haul it is critical that our past clients be able to find us. I always love to pick up the phone and hear a familiar voice on the other end, "Hi Missy, do you remember me?'

One of these I sold a condo to over 9 years ago. One I sold a home too 6 years ago.

We should make it easy for those past clients to find us.

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Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com

Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.

• Free Home Evaluation 

• Search the Ann Arbor Area MLS.

• Google Profile

• Market Reports in Real Time Updated Weekly

• Profit from Technology for Realtors and Lenders

The Art of Negotiating… The Power of Negotiating… whatever you want to call it. 

All successful Realtors must be good negotiators.

What makes a good negotiator?

•    Know you sellers or buyers goals

What are their needs? how much are they willing to sell for? How much are they not willing to go over in the purchase of a home? What is important to them? Timing, price, move date?  If we don’t have heart to hearts with them at the beginning we will be negotiating blindly.

•    Negotiating is give and take

When you negotiate (in my experience), both sides need to be satisfied with the outcome. 

•    Offer…Counter-Offer…Counter offer…Counter offer….

An offer is never finished until both people have come to a meeting of the minds.  Along the way, you can add or change things in the contract to make it more acceptable to both sides.  If you didn’t add that tractor in the first go round and the sellers want more money, then ask for the tractor.

•    Trust is important in negotiating

We all have a reputation to other Realtors whether we like it or not.  Over the years many agents have said to me, that they enjoy working with me on an offer. I work hard in representing my buyer or seller but it does not have to be arrogant, mean or hostile. I am sure if you think about it there are agents in your area they you love to work with and agents you say, "never again."

•    Never give up, Never give up, Never give up

As I tell agents when I get a low offer, "I will negotiate the heck out of it until there is nothing left to negotiate." Sometimes offers come together and sometimes not. But, keep working at it.  In Michigan there is no such thing as a low ball offer the first offer. We are thrilled to get an offer.

•    Leave your ego at the door

There is no room for ego’s in real estate negotiating.  It is not about us, it is about them. We are hired to sell the home, we are hired to be professional and get the best terms for our clients.  To act high and mighty will not win friends or get the best deal for your client. 

•    Each party has valid concerns, put the shoe on the other foot.

Many times since I work with buyers and sellers (mostly sellers) I point out to them but yourself their shoes.  I play devils advocate to get them to see how they would feel if they were on the other side.

Negotiating is an art. As you grow in your Real Estate career, you will grow in experience.  Learning scripts and then making them your own is one way to do it.

Hopefully these few tips will help.

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If you live in the Ann Arbor Area and need an experienced negotiator give us a call.

Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com

Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.

• Free Home Evaluation

• Search the Ann Arbor Area MLS.

• Google Profile

• Market Reports in Real Time Updated Weekly

• Profit from Technology for Realtors and Lenders

Remember how in high school and beyond you would hear a song on the radio, sing it at the top of your lungs? Then years later you will hear that song on the radio and every word comes back?

I do as I'm sure you do.

So I heard this rapper, that raps about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Site design. His name is Chuck Lewis, and I first heard him on a blog where he did a a song on SEO and I was impressed. It was everything all the SEO Specialists on Activerain talk about but set to a rap.

Here are two of my favorites. The first one is long but well worth the listen as he is interviewed at the WordPress Camp by Matt Mullenwig, the creater of WordPress. 

You can find his videos on YouTube.