Highlights
All Eyes & Ears
Big Brother
Big Brother is watching you… Yeah, you’re going to come across this article and think I’m talking about an employer looking into what you are saying on Social Media – nope!
Your potential clients are watching you. They are watching and listening to you just like Big Brother – with eyes and ears all over the place.
The Overheard Phone Conversation
You say you keep confidentiality and you are professional, but what about when you take a phone call like these?
Real Estate Agent calls for feedback…
“Sure. It needs a complete cleaning of all of that clutter. Oh, and it stunk like dog – bad.” (Think of this if you were considering selling your house, but you had a lot of clutter – and a pet dog)
Agent calls inquiring about a listing…
“I suggest you bring an offer. Of course they don’t expect to get full price on the house, yes, they are in the process of a divorce, at least I only have to talk to the attorney in the deal – otherwise it would be like a cat fight with everything.” (If you heard this and you were in the middle of divorce thinking of selling?)
Facebook & Twitter Shout outs
How are your Wall Posts and/or Tweets? Think about the interpretation from a possible buyer/seller:
- Can’t believe the car these buyers drive!
- These sellers are nuts thinking they are going to sell at this price!
- Taking off for the weekend – screw the phone calls.
- So glad I don’t have any buyers to take out today – it’s pouring cats & dogs out there!
- This home inspector is picking apart everything in the house – acting like a deal breaker is his job.
Who do you Follow on Twitter or Facebook?
Do you think it doesn’t matter? Different people look at different things when they chose who to follow or not on Social Networks. If you are being looked at to represent them in a purchase – what do the people you follow say about you? Take a look at the profile pictures of your follows, make sure the exhibit the type of person you are proud to be associated with.
Just smile
Have you attended a Conference or Bar Camp lately? Just plaster a smile on your face, because there probably is a camera around. Some are even videoing, so don’t get caught talking about your co-workers, past clients/experiences, competition, or anything unprofessional that you wouldn’t mind the world hearing – cause it just might show up on @Twitter or Facebook!
Watch what you say… All the time.
The year is starting a march toward its natural ending, friends…and it seems a few real estate careers may be also. This week I found some real head-scratchers in local real estate ads and the MLS. However, I get submissions from all over the U.S., so no one is safe from the eyes of the Blooper Scooper. Check out these blunders:
Do You Smell Smoke?
“House has spark” (Apparently your real estate career isn’t the only thing going up in smoke.)
“Big pep area in kitchen” (Is that the cookie jar where Mommy Dearest stashes her uppers?)
“Dull Viking ovens” (Methinks there’s something in the cookie jar that will perk up those dull Vikings.)
“Large greenhose in back” (Large, naked Jolly Green Giant in yard.)
“Mush added to this house” (Was that the overflow from between your ears?)
I Think I See Flames
“Beautifully remolded guest” (Another cosmetically-altered Barbie hits the Hollywood party circuit.)
“Enjoy a drink poolslide” ( Hell, if the pool is sliding, I’ll need a whole pint of Jack.)
“Each bedroom has own bedrooom” (Hello-o-o, Alice, how are things down there in the rabbit hole?)
“Separate pod to build GH” (That should please my pea-sized buyers.)
“Play room for the kiss” (Something tells me this is the back seat of a ’67 Chevy.)
Still Smoldering…
“Ideal for gusts” (That’s great…if you want to live in a wind sock.)
“Impaccably detailed” (Incredibly challenged)
“Stylish pewder room” (Try burning a match.)
“Stone pillars flake driveway” (Flakey agent got stoned in driveway.)
Nothing But Embers (This Week’s Fave):
“From a bygone error” (You have just written your own epitaph.)
I have two things to say this week: 1. When you drink, you can’t think. 2. When you drink you can’t- … uh, what was I saying? Oh, yes – the MLS. It was so full of bloopers this week that I am led to conclude that happy hour started Monday and never stopped. Read these and tell me if it is any wonder I was driven to throw back a few martinis myself:
Booze ‘N’ Fools
“Free membership to gin inc” (It seems someone else beat us to it, Martini Mary.)
“Grab now use imagination” (That’s what Arnold said to his housekeeper.)
“House has new edition” (Agent lacks erudition.)
“Babblying broke runs in back” (Bumbling buffoon runs amuck.)
“Drop by for cocktail ho” (Oh, is the Sunset Strip for sale?)
Puff ‘N’ Stuff
“Near Sacramento airpot” (I believe his name is Jerry Brown.)
“Claw me for selling” (I’m too busy clawing my eyes out over your spelling.)
“Reduction on mid-century ner Holywod” (Another mid-sixties porn star is looking for work.)
“We can sake your home” (Can I get fried rice with my sake?)
Proof or Goof
“Nice streem” (Said Grandma to Grandpa after his diaper exploded.)
“Nice for dog kids” (Uh, they’re called ‘puppies,” pal.)
“New bd pans included” (Thank you, Nurse Nancy – can you warm those first?)
“Good stable in neighborhood.” (Have you contacted Mary and Joseph?)
“Drawing for plasma” (Is this a blood-bank?)
And This Week’s Winner Is:
“Good school in areola” (Thanks for keeping me abreast of things.)
PROOF OR GOOF, FRIENDS – I’M WATCHING EWE 🙂
Highlights
My secret office organization tip – Sharpies and tape
If you’re still practicing to be OCD, here is a secret I don’t typically share with anyone, but I’m willing to share with you today…
Keeping organized
I used to be obsessed with the P-touch machine. I labeled everything. Drawers, shelves, folders, canisters, and anything that I could think of putting a label on.
But the label makers weren’t as pretty as my own handwriting and didn’t come in every color a Sharpie does, so I got the brilliant idea one day to write in light blue sharpie in my beautiful handwriting on clear tape, placed neatly on the shelves in the pantry. Visitors thought I had written on the cabinets, “what if you have to move things?” they asked. “It’s just tape, look!” I said as if I was performing a complicated magic trick.
Not just shelves!
It’s great to use this tip on files and folders so you can reuse them (especially if you have custom files or designer files), on drawers at the bottom of each section where pens and tape goes, and especially in the break room.
No more label maker, no more refill cartridges and no more mess, especially someone else’s mess! Trust me, this is an OCD person’s dream organizing tip!
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Monika
February 11, 2009 at 9:35 pm
How very true Kim. Once you hit send/post …it’s out there. So watch what you type!
Chad A. Johnson
February 11, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Great point about being careful as to who you are associated in social networks.
I have had to disassociate myself from a few people who used colorful language or made offensive statements.
I wouldn’t want to be seen in public with someone like that and the same goes for online.
Brian Block
February 12, 2009 at 6:24 am
Kim, I’ve always felt that you should never say anything on the internet that you wouldn’t want made public, or repeated in court!
Chuck G
February 12, 2009 at 10:39 am
Kim,
That’s precisely why I changed the way I use Twitter, and the reason I don’t use Facebook for my business. You become immediately associated with the nonsense that somebody tweets on their site or posts on their wall. Talk about an immediate credibility killer…
Twitter for me is now a micro-blog…I use it to broadcast my blog posts, and as an effective way to blast out a few quick updates that wouldn’t warrant a “full” blog post (pictures, price reductions, etc..)
But after I had to embarrassingly explain some f*bombs that were full view on my site via somebody else’s twitter feed, that was enough for me. It’s now…
Following: 0
Chuck
Missy Caulk
February 12, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Kim, if you only know how many times I want to yak about something going on in Congress with that so called stimulus bill.
I don’t do it because it is “out there” every where.
Right now in Word I have 2 posts going, and will probably never post them but it is a good vent for me.
…or maybe I will. 🙂
Jason Farris
February 12, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Good stuff Kim. Reminds me of that site I came across today https://cursebird.com
Danilo Bogdanovic
February 16, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I’m going to echo what Brian said and your post hits the nail on the head with what’s going on online these days.
But I respectfully disagree with your first example (you as the agent giving feedback about clutter and the dog). Here’s why…
If someone can’t hear the truth about their house and, in your example, would rather not get their feelings hurt nor listen to their agent and leave it messy (which will hinder the sale), then I don’t want them as clients in the first place.
And yes, I know that someone may read this, but I don’t mind and here’s why…
The clients I work with are typically very honest, blunt and don’t want/need BS – just like me. That’s why they hire me and why we get along.
If they want someone to lie to them or beat around the bush in order to not hurt their feelings while hindering the sale of their house or a purchase of one, that’s fine – go hire someone else that doesn’t understand their true purpose as a Realtor nor how important little details such as clutter are and how much $ it can cost their clients.