Podcasts about vyral

This week on the show we are joined by Chris Jurgens, founder of the Shopify store, Vyral. Chris shares his story and insights into starting Vyral, how great customer service has helped grow the business and created unique selling points, how you can harness great customer service for marketing, and much, much more!Vyral - https://www.vyralteq.com/If you want to give Tidio a go, all Winning With Shopify listeners can give Tidio a try for FREE or get a 20% discount on all the premium features here - https://www.tidio.com/wwsWebsite: https://winningwithshopify.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winning_with_shopify/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@winningwithshopifyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@winningwithshopifySpec: https://spec.digital/Support the show

OneMoreGame! Podcast is back with another installment of weekly gaming news, commentary, and a little fighter pilot chat. This week theStroke, Swiftmida, and ImPickleMatt complain about the current state of gaming demos, early releases, and betas. Also, get ready for God of War Ragnarok with a little look at the upcoming release! Follow us on Twitter @OMG_PodcastGG and answer the trivia questions in this episode to win a Vyral XXL Gaming Mousepad! Be one of the first ten subscribers at twitch.tv/omgpodcast to collect your limited 3D printed gamertag as a thank you from OMG! Thank you for listening! Share if you enjoyed this episode of OneMoreGame. Just because you have to grow up, doesn't mean you have to stop playing! Game on Gamers! Use code omgpod10 at vyralteq.com for a discount on the gaming PC build of your dreams and many other gaming accessories! Reach us at: Live recording every Wednesday night 9:00 pm CDT on our Twitch OMGpodcastGG@gmail.com @OMG_podcastGG on Twitter and Instagram

In today's episode, we're rejoined by Vyral Marketing founder, real estate investor and our good friend, Frank Klesitz. To many people Frank is just a marketing guy, but when you get around him, you'll find out just how impressive his mind is. He brings a ton of high-level value to the real estate community, and not only do you want to be a Vyral customer for their amazing service, you want to be in Frank's world and benefit from how he thinks.    Frank is the CEO and founder of Vyral Marketing, and an intellectually curious artist with experience in business, entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, and real estate. He started Vyral Marketing in 2009 after successfully implementing their marketing plan for a real estate agent in Omaha, NE. Frank also runs Katy and Frank Home Buyers with his wife. It's an acquisition and property management business buying houses in Nebraska, Iowa, Texas and Oklahoma.    The truth about real estate (and any business for that matter) is that there's more value in marketing what we do than in actually doing what we do. Becoming better sales and marketing practitioners is the key to becoming more profitable, but the problem is, most of us go about marketing to get clients the wrong way - we take the rookie approach when there's a sure-fire way to win customers.    Guest Info   Frank is the CEO and founder of Vyral Marketing, and an intellectually curious artist with experience in business, entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, and real estate. He started Vyral Marketing in 2009 after successfully implementing their marketing plan for a real estate agent in Omaha, NE. Frank also runs Katy and Frank Home Buyers with his wife. It's an acquisition and property management business buying houses in Nebraska, Iowa, Texas and Oklahoma.    Resources   https://www.getvyral.com/   https://www.getvyral.com/recruiting https://thegaryhalbertletter.com/   https://www.whosmailingwhat.com/   CTA   ​​Please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/nla  

En este episodio tuvimos un debate con mi amigo spynal Vyral sobre la serie que está teniendo alto revuelo en Netflix "Cobra Kai", defendemos nuestros ideales, sobre las enseñanzas de los cobra kai y de la corriente de pensamiento de miyagi-do karate, espero que les agrade.

Here’s how Vyral Marketing helped improve my marketing and business. In this edition of “Your Journey With Jennie,” I'm joined by my friend Frank Klesitz of Vyral Marketing. Frank and I go way back and have been working together for years. Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch it in its entirety, or use these timestamps to browse specific points at your leisure: 1:00 — Frank discusses his background in real estate, marketing, and what led him to the founding of Vyral Marketing 4:30 — How Vyral has helped me get more business from my database, and how to track your return on investment with Vyral Marketing 7:35 — How I measure my return on investment and overall success with Vyral's program 9:55 — What are the best types of videos to make and share with your database? 13:40 — How to use Facebook advertising to your advantage 15:25 — Are enough agents using video in their marketing? 18:50 — Why you shouldn't overthink or be nervous about being on video 20:20 — Wrapping things up If you have any questions for Frank about Vyral Marketing or what they do, visit their website or attend one of their weekly training sessions. If you have any other questions for me, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

En este podcast hablé con mi amigo Marco (spynal Vyral) sobre algunos de sus mejores momentos relacionados al cine, experiencias, preguntas sobre todo ese rubro, Marvel, DC, etc. Espero que les guste.

Your understanding of these three market factors will play a major role in your home sale success. Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationYou’ve decided to put your home on the market. Congratulations! As you strategize your sale, there are a few factors you’ll want to take into account. First, get to know your competition. You’ll need to understand how comparable properties in your neighborhood, area, or school district stack up against yours. Second, find out what inventory is doing. Are homes selling quickly? What is the average days on market? The answers to these questions are important to your home’s ability to sell quickly and for the highest possible price. Lastly, be sure to price your home according to how soon you need to move. If you need to sell in a hurry, price your home aggressively. If you have a little time to work with, your pricing strategy should be based on your desired timeline.If you have any questions or you’d like to know what your home is worth in today’s market, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’d be more than happy to help. As always, stay classy, Albuquerque!

Homeowners have a fantastic opportunity right now in our real estate market. Here’s what you need to know.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationWhy should you consider selling your home in 2019? For starters, we have extremely low inventory right now. We’re also seeing the highest average sale price ($250,000) that we’ve ever had. There are a lot of new employment opportunities here in Albuquerque at growing companies such as Intel, Netflix, and more, which will continue to bring more buyers to the area. Additionally, interest rates are at historic lows below 4%.If you have any other questions or would like more information about how our team can help you achieve your real estate goals, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

If you don’t want your deal to fall apart following the inspection, then you need to understand how to handle repair requests. Let’s discuss this critical topic today.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationRepair requests are one of the most common reasons a real estate deal can fall apart. So, how should this common sticking point be handled? First, you need to understand what kind of requests are reasonable. Repair requests should, for the most part, be limited to health and safety hazards. These hazards might manifest in the form of a leaky roof, mold, faulty electrical wiring, or any number of other problems. Cosmetic issues, on the other hand, should generally be left out of negotiations. Things like paint, flooring, and any other aspect of the home that concerns aesthetics over functionality are best left to be handled after closing.Repair requests should, for the most part, be limited to health and safety hazards.Of course, issues related to repair requests can easily be tackled before the home ever hits the market. Our team always recommends that sellers who list with us order a pre-inspection, as this will help them to identify and resolve any problems the home may have before opening it up to buyers. Ordering a pre-inspection not only allows sellers to make repairs on their own terms, but it also gives them greater leverage when negotiating with buyers—who will be happy to see that the home has a clean bill of health. If you have any other questions or would like more information about how our team can help you achieve your real estate goals, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

The kind of closing costs you can expect to pay depends on whether you’re a buyer or a seller.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationWhat kind of closings costs should buyers and sellers expect to pay once a home sale nears completion?If you’re a buyer, there are loan-related costs (i.e., processing fees and underwriting fees), appraisal fees, tax service fees, and flood zone certification fees to consider. You also have to deal with prepaid expenses in order to establish your escrow account. This includes homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, taxes, etc. On the title side, you have very few expenses to deal with, but some negotiable items to consider are the title company closing fee, survey fee, and closing fee.If you’re currently in the process of closing on a home and you’d like an estimate of what you’ll pay in total closing costs, give me a call and I’d be happy to give you one. If you’re a seller, things are a lot different. You’ll pay a broker’s commission (usually 6%), title fees, legal document preparation fees, special assessment fees, survey fees, HOA fees, and homeowner transfer document fees. If you’re currently in the process of closing on a home and you’d like an estimate of what you’ll pay in total closing costs, give me a call and I’d be happy to give you one. Your lender can also provide you with a good-faith estimate of your loan fees. If you’re getting ready to sell, I’d be happy to give you an estimate as well. If you have any more questions about this topic or you have any other real estate needs I can assist you with, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you.

Theracords presents Straight from the Hard // Full download / tracklist: http://thrcrds.co/SFTHpodcast  

Next Level Podcast Kevin Kauffman & Frank Klesitz Frank Klesitz has been an innovative thinker from a very young age. He has learned the art of niching down and focusing on client customer service. Stay in Better Touch with Your Database Kevin: Welcome Frank. Tell me about your business and what it is today? Frank: We are coming up on our 10 year anniversary with Vyral Marketing. I started with one client after graduating college in Omaha, Nebraska. (Describes the in-depth services provided now to his many clients by creating an online presence with video and follows up call from his call center to potential customers who have clicked and watched the videos). I learned Lead Generation through following the MREA model. (In depth discussion on Lead Generation, 33 Touch, and building a database.) In developing my own database and 33 Touch as a personal trainer, I found real estate agents who were not following the model – so I created a system for them and that essentially is the business. I read lots of sales books and learned that you must identify people's needs first by following the Trust, Need, Help, and Hurry model. I learned people in sales skip the Trust and Need parts so I doubled down on the Trust and Need and grew my business that way. Kevin: You niched down and literally created a mega team as a teenage personal trainer. As Realtors, we think our job is to sell real estate but essentially our job is to get employed; find someone to hire us to sell or buy real estate. You got very clear on who the hungry crowd was in the personal training profession. Frank: I learned to scale a professional service at 18 years old. I fell in love with the database concept of 33 Touch and the idea of attracting not chasing. Those concepts were very strong to me and that's how Vyral was born solving the very specific need of staying in touch with the database. Kevin: I love that you have an actual experience of what it is like to have a real estate team. You have your own real estate agents as clients and getting us to make calls is sometimes be ‘a LARGE task'. Frank: There are 3 types of calls: Outbound, Inbound, and Customer Service. The Outbound calls are your Rainmakers: FSBOs, Expireds, Withdrawns. Inbound calls are Buyer Lead Generation and Lead Conversion calls. The last one, Customer Service calls, are ones hardly anyone does. Kevin: Weekly Customer Service calls will change the game; I have heard this twice in the last 24 hours. Frank: The trend is towards Customer Service, calling your database. The contact rates we are experiencing are at 26% of people who answer the phone and one in nine (3%) who call back. Kevin: That's phenomenal. It shows how many appts I need a month to convert to business. (Vyral sends videos of you to your clients, then follows up with calls. Discussion on how important video is as it builds a relationship with the viewer. It creates a psychological connection with people because the brain cannot know if the face is real or on a computer.) Kevin: Let's talk about your lab of high performing Realtors. What have you noticed that most agents are not aware of? Frank: Never lose focus on how many people you speak to every week. Get into an environment where you are comfortable making calls, it's the most important activity you can do, agents need the engine of the database. Ask for subscribers – permission to get the email address. Kevin: It's about the follow-up, which is the wealth builder. How is it that you don't have a cellphone??? Frank: Personally, for me – I hate social media. And I love reading books. I got married 4 years ago and my life was literally on the phone from the minute I woke up until I went to bed. Checking calls, emails, texts and answering all in real time. My entire day was spent in reading an electronic screen. One day, I flipped out and said I can't live like this anymore. I got rid of all technology – TV, wifi, games, and cellphone. Eventually, they crept back into my life except the cellphone. It forces me to be an exceptional manager. Kevin: I want to take a minute to thank you for the gifts (3 books) you sent me because it's important to note that it elevated you in my mind even though we had never met. In closing, what are 3 pieces of advice you can give our listeners for kicking more ass and making a better life? Frank: You can't do it all by yourself. You get it done through people so you must hire good people. I have a very structured week. Every morning for 30 minutes we have an office huddle on zoom – this cuts down on the office chatter. I meet with my team every Thursday for 5 hours; it's a time to relax and brainstorm. I have career night where I invite potential hires who want to apprentice and learn marketing. Kevin: That's great. How can people find you? Frank: Go to our website where your can download the Marketing Plan or call for a strategy session. https://www.getvyral.com/   Book Recommendations: Permission Marketing by Seth Godin No BS Sales Success in the New Economy by Dan Kennedy Youtility by Jay Baer – Why Smart Marketing is About Help not Hype BIO In college I started an in-home fitness training service I ran until the market imploded in 2008 and we lost all of our clients. Didn't really know what I was doing, but I tried!Then, after I discovered I enjoyed the marketing side of the business more than the exercise itself, I decided to start a marketing firm. Well, about 7 years and many mistakes, failures, and "learning opportunities" later we have a healthy company! Check us out and watch a few of my videos. I have learned a lot along the way and I'm happy to share how to build a profitable service company that helps your clients, employees, and your family with predictable, stable income. I'm on LinkedIn because I want to do business with people I like and enjoy being with; so if you think we can work together and create something meaningful, hit me up.

I just got back from an awesome mastermind in beautiful San Diego, California where I got to spend time with Frank Klesitz, the CEO of Vyral Marketing, and a handful of other top agents across the country. Each of us has different things going on with our businesses, but there was a lot of commonality among us, and we’re all focused on being the best we can be when it comes to marketing our business.  That being said, I’ve been a Vyral Marketing client for a long time now, and today I want to talk about the value of doing business with them and what that business entails. Before I was their client, I knew that I wanted to implement video in my business, but I’m no “techie,” and I was spending so much time spinning my wheels trying to edit videos. Once I found Vyral, it changed my life.  People ask me all the time, “How do you measure your return on investment with Vyral Marketing?” Their service costs about $500 per month, and in return, I shoot two videos per month that get sent out to my database. The numbers and statistics of these videos are tracked, so I get a report afterward of who clicked on what. This gives me a rundown of who to call and what to say when I call them. They also provide coaching and accountability. I know I have to get those videos done on time or they’ll be asking me where they are.  There are a couple other things included in the subscription that I didn’t even realize until recently. “Once I found Vyral, it changed my life.” First, we know our business is all about our database, and you’ll already have a database of your “mets.” These are your past clients, friends, family, or any buyer or seller leads you’ve had past conversations with. Categorize your “mets” and make a list of your centers of influence. Once you’ve categorized your “mets,” you’ll send them two videos a month.  For our database videos, I like to mix them up. For example, first I’ll send a market report. Then, because I’ve noticed that my database really likes videos about their community, I’ll send a video where I spotlight a local business or nonprofit. I want to provide my audience with content I know they’ll care about, and I can tell how many people click and share these videos.  They also send monthly postcards to your database which is a snapshot of you and a video you’ve made. You pay for the postage and the printing, but they’ll help create the postcard.  If you’re like I once was and you’re perhaps struggling to figure out a way to increase the touches to your database, this is the answer. After you make a video, you can send them a postcard that shows the picture of the video and offers them a way to subscribe to your videos and your website.  Lastly, you have to call your mets, and having a fun way to call them is especially important. Adding events to your business is the easiest way to do this. Make your phone calls ways of being a connector and adding value to them. They’re the ones who help our business grow, and referred business is the best kind of business.  If you have any more questions about working with Vyral Marketing or you’d like to connect with them, give me a call. I’d be happy to help.

When listing your home, there are 10 mistakes you need to avoid that can prevent your home from getting sold.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationHere are the top 10 mistakes you need to avoid when listing your home on the market:1. Excess damage. Make sure you complete any necessary repairs and take care of any deferred maintenance so your home shows its best. 2. Carpet in the bathrooms. This is a big turnoff for buyers, so if you have one or more bathrooms that have carpet, I’d consider replacing it with a hard surface like tile. This way your home appeals to a broader spectrum of buyers. 3. Stains on the carpet. If you have noticeable stains on your carpet, whether they be from pets or a high level of foot traffic, you should consider laying down new carpet. 4. Pet odors. People who own pets often don’t notice the odor their animals produce after a while. So if you’re a pet owner, give your home a deep clean and deodorize it.5. Dogs that bark. If you own one or more dogs and you’re planning an open house, it might be a good idea to speak to your neighbors and see if they can dog-sit for you. You don’t want buyers’ first impressions of your property to be a barking dog.6. A dead lawn. Spruce up your lawn so that it looks its absolute best. It’s usually a safe bet that smaller upgrades—like neutralizing your home’s interior paint color—will appeal to buyers. 7. A bad agent. Nothing can sour a potential buyer’s attitude faster than a selling broker who’s rude, unreasonable, and/or hard to communicate with. The broker who’s representing you needs to cooperate with any buyer who’s interested in your house. 8. Sloppiness. You need to make sure the beds are made and the dishes are done each and every day. You should also clean and declutter your closets so that your storage spaces show as well as possible. Buyers should be able to visualize themselves living in your property, and an unkempt house is always unattractive. 9. Being unreasonable as a seller. If your property has potential deal-killers (repairs, upgrades, etc.), it’s helpful to try to overcome those obstacles in advance so that when a prospective buyer comes around, you’re not seen as unreasonable. 10. Bad taste. It always helps to follow current homeowner trends when trying to sell your own home. You can watch HGTV for some quick tips on what’s appealing to buyers in today’s market, but it’s usually a safe bet that smaller upgrades—like neutralizing your home’s interior paint color—will appeal to buyers. If you have any more questions about the mistakes you need to avoid when listing your home or you’re thinking of buying a home in our Albuquerque market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.

There are five reasons why now may be the time for you to move up.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationAre you thinking about moving up into a newer or better home? Here are five reasons that now may be the time to do so:1. Renovations may not be feasible. If cost is an issue as far as renovations go, you might be better off upgrading to a home that already has a remodeled kitchen or that pool you’ve been wanting. 2. You’re running out of room. Perhaps your family is growing and you need extra living space.If you’re running out of room, it may be time to move up. 3. Your neighborhood may be changing. For example, there may be a lot of renters moving into your area, and now may be a good time to maximize your home’s value. 4. Your neighborhood’s already changed. 5. You finally have enough equity to buy your dream home. If the home you are living in now was the first one you ever bought, now may be the time to take all the equity you’ve built into it and upgrade to the kind of home you perhaps initially wanted. If you would like to know what your home’s worth in today’s market or are thinking about buying a home, please feel free to reach out to us. We would love to help you. As always, stay classy, Albuquerque!

What can set you apart as a buyer in competitive market? Start with this list of four tips.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationToday we’re going to discuss four different ways to beat the competition in today’s market. The home buying market is very competitive these days, so here are a few ways that you can stand out:1. Get pre-approved. This is different than a pre-qualification, which is just a basic letter. A pre-approval requires you to sit down with a lender and requires them to verify your financial documentation. Once you’re pre-approved for a loan, all you need to do is find your home. This will help you separate yourself from the competition when making an offer on a home.2. Go after properties that need a bit of work. If you’re looking for a house that’s move-in ready and all teed up, you’ll pay for it. If you find a property that has been on the market a little bit longer or needs a bit of TLC, you can get it for a great price and the market won’t be as competitive.A pre-approval will help you separate yourself from other buyers. 3. Prepare a personal letter. Including a family photo or video with your offer can help you establish a personal connection with the seller, and will also make you stand out against other buyers.4. Choose an experienced agent or team. We have a great, unique home selling system to help you beat out the competition and get the best deal.If you have any questions for us in the meantime or want our help with buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Avoid making these nine silly mistakes when you sell and your home will look amazing. Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereToday I have a list of nine silly things that can sabotage your home sale. Are you doing any of these?1. Visible cords. Mounted flat screen televisions sometimes have cords hanging behind them. When the television is flushed and you cannot see the cords, your home will show much better. 2. Unkempt yards. Always have your yard properly maintained. 3. A dingy front door. Since it is the first thing that potential buyers see when they walk up, make sure that your front door is clean and freshly painted. 4. Pets. You may want to send your animals to stay with someone, or at least crate them, while you are showing your home. Either way, you must keep them away and address potential odors they may have left in your home. 5. Cobwebs. Knock out all the old cobwebs and clean any filters. This shows that you are properly maintaining your home. Since it is the first thing that potential buyers see when they walk up, make sure that your door is clean and freshly painted. 6. Furniture arrangement. Use your furniture the right way and stage it properly. We are really good at helping with this. 7. Junk drawers. When you are showing your house, a lot of people will be looking into your drawers and cabinets. Make sure that they are clean and tidy. 8. Closets. Clean and organize your closets and having nothing on the floors. This makes them look big, which is important because people care a lot about closet space. 9. Countertops. Remove the clutter from your countertops to make it fresh and open. This makes a kitchen seem a lot bigger. If you have any additional questions about this or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

The latest May 2018 numbers indicate that Albuquerque is in a seller’s market. Despite this, it is still a great time to buy too.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationWe are into June, and our Albuquerque market is starting to heat up. When we look at the numbers from last May, we see many of the great trends we saw in May 2017 happen now at an accelerated pace. For one thing, inventory continues to shrink. There were 4,800 closed sales, which is up 4% from May 2017. At the same time, there were 7,300 new listings that hit the market, which was just a 1% growth compared to May 2017. Our total number of homes on the market at the end of the month was just over 3,000, which is a 17% drop compared to May 2017 when there were about 3,700 homes available. Our average days on market was 50 days, which was another 17% drop compared to May 2017. The average sale price reached $235,000, which was a 4% increase over May 2017. Finally, our median sale price rose 5% to $200,000.We are seeing many of the great trends we saw in May 2017 happen now at an accelerated pace. If you are a buyer, these numbers mean it is very important that you work with an experienced agent who can help you find the right home at the right price. Interest rates are still below 5%, so it is still a great time to buy. If you are a seller, these numbers bring great news. Homes are selling quickly, and in the last 10 years, there has never been a better time to get the most money possible from your home sale. If you have any more questions about our market or you are thinking of buying or selling a home, please feel free to reach out to me. My team and I would love to help you. As always, stay classy Albuquerque!

If you’ve noticed any of the five following signs occurring throughout your home search process, it might be an indication that you won’t be able to afford that home. Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereDuring the home buying process, there are five signs to watch out for that indicate you’re about to purchase a home you won’t be able to afford.1. The lender tries to get you to agree to creative financing terms. This could mean getting you into a balloon mortgage or adding a second mortgage—both are red flags.2. You agree to a down payment assistance program without a true down payment saved up. This is a big mistake I’ve seen people make. Now, if you’re using a VA loan, that’s really good because you’re basically getting free money to borrow for no down payment. But often, down payment assistance programs can be a bad sign.3. Due to an unfortunate incident, your savings have been diminished. In the event of a catastrophe like extreme car/home damage or loss of a job, you probably won’t be able to afford home payments in addition to getting those issues taken care of.In the event of a catastrophe like extreme car/home damage or loss of a job, you probably won’t be able to afford home payments in addition to getting those issues taken care of. 4. Financing your down payment by borrowing from your 401(k), retirement account, Roth IRA, etc. These are signs you shouldn’t be purchasing a home yet.5. You don’t have a good feeling about buying a new home. If you’re out looking for houses, you want to have a good feeling when you walk in. Make sure you’re buying the right house for you—don’t take advice from other people.If you have any questions about affording a home or buying one in general, you can give us a call or send an email. We’d love to help you out.

There are so many forces competing for the real estate agent’s commission, and the challenge is how to stay ahead. Why is your database the key to hedging yourself against the competition? How can we use technology to our advantage and develop a relationship with our sphere of influence? What metric has the highest probability to bring you real business? On this episode, Vyral Marketing co-founder and CEO, Frank Klesitz gives insights on outpacing the competition by building a database and attracting business instead of chasing it.   A database is a list of people you know-- but with technology, it’s a list of people who know you. -Frank Klesitz   Three Things We Learned From This Episode   As you level up, you need to have a communication strategy that is scalable As you transition from chasing to attracting business, you have to make sure you’re using your time wisely. As you start moving from tier 1 in real estate (0-25 transactions) into tier 2 or higher, you’re not going to have much time for things like pop-bys. That’s why you need a strategy that allows you to communicate from one-to-one to one-to-many.     Minutes consumed = a higher chance for closings and commissions If there was a key performance indicator or a certain metric that actually leads to people calling you, hiring you and giving you referrals, it’s not clicks, likes, open rates or views.  The number 1 most important metric is minutes consumed and how long someone spends with you online.   Your content needs to educate and connect You want to create content that educates people about real estate and connects the community. Help people make smart real estate decisions. You have to start thinking of yourself at a higher level as the journalist of the community.     A person who works on building a database over time is going to outpace a person chasing shiny objects because they don’t get distracted. If you want to beat out your competition in the long-term, the answer is a relationship with a list of homeowners that know you, like you and trust you. This is a relationship you can manufacture through content online. When you start publishing content, you can build an audience of a lot of people who know who you are, and maximize on the amount of time they spend with you online. This is what leads to a higher level of success in your business. If you want your business to stand the test of time and hedge yourself against the competitive pressures of being in real estate, a database is what’s going to do it. Guest BioFrank Klesitz is an entrepreneur and CEO of Vyral marketing who isn’t afraid to admit he learned “the hard way.” After years of struggle and marketing experiments he finally learned what it takes to build a successful service company. You can find out more about how he uses video marketing to help businesses grow at http://www.getvyral.com/

Recruiting the right people on your team is crucial for the success of your business. But how do you reach the right people and filter out the wrong people? What are the mindset changes that need to take place for you to become an agent magnet? How can you provide real value to your potential hires? In this episode, Vyral Marketing CEO, Frank Klesitz shares how you can recruit agents the DIY way. The main pillars of growth are recruiting talent, retaining by offering value, and training. -Jeff Cohn Takeaways + Tactics   You don’t need a recruiting agent as long as you have systems in place that show the benefits of joining your team to the right people. Start building a platform where you make the switch from being a rainmaker to a leader that shares their journey and knowledge with others. Relationships can’t be scaled, but messages can. When you do well on a sale presentation, make sure you record it and publish it to get more traffic by working only once.   At the beginning of the show, Frank shared the importance of making a switch between being an exhausted rainmaker to a team leader and a coach. He also spoke about how content that can be distributed online and events bring more people in and increase the credibility of a team leader. We also shared insights on: The minimum amount of houses you should sell before you start coaching others How to use ads to get people interested in your offer The effectiveness of online seminars vs live events   The mistake many team leaders make is hiding their knowledge from others and not presenting themselves as a source of growth for their team members. When you want to recruit more agents to your team, you’ve got to make the switch from being a top agent to someone who can help his or her team grow. It’s not about you. It’s what about you can do for them. Write down an offer of what you can do for your potential hires, and run ads to get agents to sign up and get to know you better via your newsletter, live events, and ultimately a one-on-one meeting.   Guest Bio- Frank Klesitz is an entrepreneur and CEO of Vyral marketing who isn’t afraid to admit he learned “the hard way.” After years of struggle and marketing experiments he finally learned what it takes to build a successful service company. You can find out more about how he uses video marketing to help businesses grow at http://www.getvyral.com/  

Here are a few things you can do to increase your odds of winning the home of your dream in this competitive market.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationToday we’re going to be talking about six ways to up the chances of buying your first home:1. Hire a seasoned agent. You need someone who truly understands the market and has the experience necessary to help you save money on your home purchase. Make sure they are a full-time agent.2. Get pre-approved by a lender. We have a great preferred lender you can meet with. It’s important to understand the different loan programs available to you and to have a budget and know what your buying power is in today’s market.3. Consider a home that may need work. There are some great loan programs out there to take advantage of here, such as the 203(k) renovation loan. It allows you to buy a home for a great price and roll the costs of the necessary improvements into the loan.“There are some great loan programs out there. ”4. Consider buying in a transitioning neighborhood. This allows you to get a good value now and have some great appreciation down the road as the neighborhood improves. There are a few areas in Albuquerque just like this that we can show you.5. Think about raising your budget. If you raise it by just $50 or $100 per month, you will have much more homes to look at and it might lead you to the prefect one.6. Go back to your lender.Thanks for joining us once again. If you have any questions or know somebody who is thinking about buying, selling, or investing in real estate, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Stay classy, Albuquerque!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } There are eight costly mistakes many homeowners make in their first year of ownership. Today, I’ll discuss them and why you should avoid making them.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationToday we’ll be discussing eight mishaps that homeowners make within their first year of owning a home.1. Going with the cheapest bid. Whenever you decide to do some remodeling projects, hiring the contractor with the cheapest bid isn’t always going to be the best course for you. You’ll definitely get what you pay for. Do your due diligence on price and be sure that whomever you select is reputable and skilled.2. Submitting small insurance claims. I discourage people from filing claims on issues that amount to less than their deductible. For major damages, however, filing a claim is definitely worth it.3. Making home improvements without understanding ROI. A lot of people spend a lot of money making improvements to their home without considering how much it adds to or detracts from the value of the home should they want to sell it later on. Give me a call; I can give you a list of home improvement projects that will bring you the most value.4. Going on a furniture shopping spree. Avoid those no-interest financing credit card opportunities when you go to look for furniture for your home. Set a budget for yourself and don’t overspend because if it comes to you having to sell, you’ll have racked up a bunch of expenses on items you can’t afford.Avoid those no-interest financing credit card opportunities when you go to look for furniture for your home. 5. Don’t throw away paperwork or receipts. This is definitely important if you decide to sell your house in the future. Keep receipts from contractors for any repairs or upgrades that you make so that you can thoroughly convey that information to the next homeowner.6. Ignoring small items on the inspection report. You need to do certain maintenance items every year, so by fixing or improving those small items on the report, you can prevent them from becoming larger problems down the road.7. Don’t do home improvements without doing research. This is related to No. 3 on this list. You need to understand what’s the best type of improvement for your home and what will give you the biggest bang for your buck.8. Don’t buy cheap tools. Be sure to invest in a good set of tools since you’ll be using them a lot. You don’t want to have to replace them after a single use.If you have any questions about this or other topics relating to real estate, feel free to reach out to us. We’d love to help you out.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } The market is doing great right now. Here’s why so many people are considering making a move in 2018.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationThere are a lot of great things going to be happening in Albuquerque in 2018. Here are five good reasons to consider buying or selling in today’s market:1. Inventory is at an all-time low. This is the lowest level of inventory that we’ve had in the last decade. Almost every neighborhood is in a seller’s market and some neighborhoods barely have any inventory at all. If you want to know what inventory levels are like in your specific area, don’t hesitate to reach out.2. Most sales since 2006. The 13,000 real estate transactions that we saw in the market last year are the most we’ve seen since 2006 and the second-most home sales in the history of Albuquerque.3. Highest average sale price since 2006. Not only is there a higher probability that your home will sell, but there is also a high probability that it will sell for the most amount of money possible.Rates are still extremely low when compared to the past. 4. Interest rates are still historically low. We’re seeing some slight movement upwards, but rates are still extremely low when compared to 30, 20, or even 10 years ago. If you are curious about what kind of rate you could see, let us know and we’ll get you in touch with our preferred lender.5. Average days on market. Homes are now selling in less than 50 days on average. Transactions happen a lot faster in today’s market than they ever have before.We are very optimistic about the Albuquerque real estate market in 2018. If you have any questions for us in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Happy holidays! If you know anyone who is looking to sell their home or would like to join our awesome team, we’ve got a couple opportunities for you.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereI hope you had an amazing 2017 and that you hit all your goals for 2018. I just wanted to take some time to talk about the great year we’ve had, let you know about a couple opportunities we have available to you, and give you our sincerest gratitude for your support this year.We have a brand-new inside salesperson in training today, and I’m really excited about the year we’ve had in 2017. Last month alone, we set over 100 buyer appointments for our agents, meaning we had 700 people register on our website. If you know anyone who is thinking about selling their home, we might have a buyer for them right now. We’d love to help them out.If you know anyone who is thinking about selling their home, we might have a buyer for them right now. I recently had an amazing trip to Seattle. I was invited by Zillow to come check out their headquarters. I got to see their operation, learn some of the great things they’re doing, and also learn about recruiting new people. We’re always looking for talented agents, admins, ISAs, cold callers, and more. If you or anyone you know is looking for a great team to join, please contact us.Finally, I want to thank each and every one of you for working with us in 2017 and for the referrals you sent us. I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.I hope that you have a merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and that you crush all of your 2018 goals. Feel free to shoot me a message; I’d love to take you out to Starbucks, catch up, and see how things are going. Happy Holidays!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } When it comes to real estate, experience matters. That why I recommend working with a team of agents instead of just one. Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationWhat’s the difference between hiring an experienced agent and hiring an inexperienced one?Right now, 30% of agents in our market have been in the business for less than two years. Within five years, 80% of active agents will have quit working in real estate. Becoming a Realtor is easy in today’s marketplace, but real estate itself is actually very complex. So when choosing an agent, it’s best to work with professionals who truly understand what they’re doing.Because real estate is so complex, I actually recommend working with a team. A team structure allows for agents to focus in on the areas they know best while collaborating with other agents who have different skills. Groups of agents make it easier to cover all the variables that may arise in any transaction.For any of your real estate needs, I highly recommend working with an experienced team. Teams have bigger marketing budgets as well. They also have greater purchasing power than individual agents. This benefits you because you get maximum exposure to the market. Whether you are a buyer or seller, this will help obtain great results. Teams also tend to communicate more thoroughly with their clients. Even if one agent happens to be busy, you can be sure another will always be there to answer your phone call. Teams also have a wider base of knowledge and experience to draw from when they advise you. For any of your real estate needs, I highly recommend working with an experienced team. If you have any other questions or would like more information about my team, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } As Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to take some time today to let you know how much we appreciate the support you’ve shown us this past year. Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationHappy Thanksgiving to everyone out there. My team and I greatly appreciate our friends, family, and also all of you. We couldn’t have had the successful year we did without your business, support, and referrals. Even those of you who may not have worked with us but have enjoyed the content from our video blog are an important part of what we do. Thank you for all the ways you support my team and me.Thank you for all the ways you support my team and me. We hope you have a great time with your friends and family this Thanksgiving.If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } A real estate transaction isn’t all smooth sailing. Here are a couple of areas where you may run into trouble.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationWhether you are a buyer or a seller, there are plenty of traps you can fall into during a real estate transaction. Today I’d like to talk about two of the biggest potential pitfalls that affect buyers and sellers alike.The first is financing. If you’re a buyer, it’s really important that you have a pre-approval with a local lender who has in-house processing and underwriting. Not doing this could be detrimental to your transaction. If you’re a seller, you want to make sure that the buyer who makes an offer on your home is pre-approved with a lender like this. Inspections are essential as a buyer.The second potential pitfall has to do with inspections. When you’re a buyer, inspections are essential. They alert you to any major issues with a home. You need to understand that no matter what home you look at, any resale home is going to have its imperfections. The important thing is identifying any major flaws that could be costly down the road. Both of these obstacles can be overcome from the get-go by hiring a strong agent. If you have any questions for us or want any recommendations for a local lender or inspector, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Today, I’d like to take a look back at some statistics from the month of September. Some great things have been happening in our market. Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationA lot of great things are continuing to go on in our market. Right now, I’d like to take a look back at some statistics from the month of September. Our Albuquerque real estate market has been very strong. New listing inventory is down 6% from last year, but the number of pending sales is up 15%. Our Albuquerque real estate market has been very strong. There are a lot of buyers in the market right now, even though inventory is continuing to shrink. Year to date, closed sales are up by about 7%. More homes are selling right now than there were a year ago. Values have also been very positive this year. Our median sales price has increased about 4%, and our average sales price has increased about 5% to $233,000. This is great news for sellers.Overall, our total inventory has decreased by 18% year to date. We’re down to 3,521 active listings on the market. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Stay classy, Albuquerque.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } We have a gift for our friends, family, clients, and those who have referred clients to us.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationAs a thank you to all of our friends, family, past clients, and those who have referred clients to us, we have a gift.We have two 2017 and 2018 calendar year tram passes that we can give to you any day of the year, just as a token of our appreciation for you.If you would like to claim those passes, feel free to reach out to me by phone call or email, and we can get you set up for those free tram passes.Thanks for all your support over the years. Your video comments and referrals are greatly appreciated. As always, stay classy, Albuquerque.

Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleThe cleanup effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey is ongoing here in Katy, Texas, where I’ve joined Keller Williams’ relief initiative with many others to lending a helping hand to those in need.As you can see in the video above, it’s a nightmare of a mess. Many folks are unloading everything from inside their houses onto wheelbarrows and dumping the clutter onto the street. The house we’re cleaning out now had a water line that reached four feet up the wall. The whole experience has brought a couple of points to my mind that I want to share with you. “Donations are still very much needed for the folks down here in Texas. ”First, if you live in an area in Middletown that’s had its flood lines remapped, you should seriously consider getting flood insurance. There are definitely some areas that have been remapped, and not all mortgage companies know about it. Second, remember that any donations are still very much needed for the folks down here in Texas. Whether that’s food, supplies, or money, every little bit helps. If you have any questions about how to donate or how to obtain flood insurance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I’d love to help you.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Are home warranties really worth it? I believe they are, and I’ll explain why today.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationAre home warranties worth it? Have you ever played The Game of Life? Maybe you had the option of taking life insurance but decided not to. Of course, you eventually needed it and wished you would have taken the opportunity to purchase life insurance. A home warranty is no different.A home warranty gives you one year of coverage for the major items in your home. It’s good to have a guarantee just in case something happens within the first year of living in the home. A home warranty gives you one year of coverage for the major items in your home. Home warranties cover plumbing, electrical, heating, air conditioning, and garage openers. You can even opt for the first-class upgrade to cover appliances and more. If you would like more details, we can send you a Home Warranty Guide from our preferred company, First American Home Warranty. As your real estate agent, we will negotiate a warranty for you. The warranty is about $400. If you go for the upgrade, then it’s $495. If something does break during your first year in the home, you just pay a $60 fee to repair or replace that item.If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!If you would like more details, just give us a call.

What can you expect from our real estate market over the next few months? We’re here to let you know.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleToday we’re going to talk all about the summer market: what happened, what it means for you, and what you can expect as we transition into fall.There are five long-term indicators that show how our market is doing, along with one short-term indicator. The long-term indicators include:Inventory is down from last year.The rate at which inventory is accumulating is down.The number of closed transactions is up.The median price point is up.The list-to-sale price ratio is up.All long-term indicators point to a strong seller’s market.All these long-term indicators point to us being in a strong seller’s market, but the short-term indicator is different. Over the last seven days, we’ve started to see the number of new listings outpace the number of pending transactions. We’ll keep an eye on this trend to see if it continues. You should keep an eye on it as well.If you have any questions for us about the market or anything else about real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Which renovation projects will get you the best return on investment? I’ll go over the top four today.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationWhether you’re thinking of selling your home or you just bought your first home and want to make some improvements, there are some renovations you can do that will get you a great return on investment. These are the top four renovation projects that will get you the best possible return on investment: 1. Upgrade your landscaping. Boost your curb appeal by adding flowers, shrubs, and trees. Spruce up the grass. Make sure that great landscaping carries through to your backyard. Buyers want a really neat backyard, and a good backyard shows very well. Landscaping projects typically cost around $4,700 and you can get a 105% return on investment. 2. Get a new roof. If your roof is getting up there in age and you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, a new roof will get you the best return on investment. Pitched roofs are especially popular in Albuquerque. If you just bought a home and you’re looking to save energy, it can also be very beneficial in the long run to invest in a new roof. A new roof costs about $7,600 on average and you can get a 105% return on investment. A new roof will save energy and add value to your home. 3. Refurbishing or installing hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are a classic, popular finish for flooring. If you have hardwood floors already, resurfacing them is a great way to make them look good as new. If you’re thinking of installing hardwood floors in your new home, you will enjoy them and they will be a great selling point when the time comes. Resurfacing costs about $2,500 for a 102% return, while installing hardwood floors costs about $5,500 (depending on the size of the home) for a 95% return. 4. Adding a patio or deck in your backyard. This goes along with the landscaping. Here in New Mexico, patios are very popular. You get a lot of use out of them and they will increase your home’s value. Patios cost about $6,400 for a 100% return while adding a deck costs about $5,000 with a 91%. If you have any other questions about improvements for your home or you’re curious about what’s happening in the market, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Which renovation projects will get you the best return on investment? I’ll go over the top four today.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation Whether you’re thinking of selling your home or you just bought your first home and want to make some improvements, there are some renovations you can do that will get you a great return on investment. These are the top four renovation projects that will get you the best possible return on investment: 1. Upgrade your landscaping. Boost your curb appeal by adding flowers, shrubs, and trees. Spruce up the grass. Make sure that great landscaping carries through to your backyard. Buyers want a really neat backyard, and a good backyard shows very well. Landscaping projects typically cost around $4,700 and you can get a 105% return on investment. A new roof will save energy and add value to your home. 2. Get a new roof. If your roof is getting up there in age and you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, a new roof will get you the best return on investment. Pitched roofs are especially popular in Albuquerque. If you just bought a home and you’re looking to save energy, it can also be very beneficial in the long run to invest in a new roof. A new roof costs about $7,600 on average and you can get a 105% return on investment. 3. Refurbishing or installing hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are a classic, popular finish for flooring. If you have hardwood floors already, resurfacing them is a great way to make them look good as new. If you’re thinking of installing hardwood floors in your new home, you will enjoy them and they will be a great selling point when the time comes. Resurfacing costs about $2,500 for a 102% return, while installing hardwood floors costs about $5,500 (depending on the size of the home) for a 95% return. 4. Adding a patio or deck in your backyard. This goes along with the landscaping. Here in New Mexico, patios are very popular. You get a lot of use out of them and they will increase your home’s value. Patios cost about $6,400 for a 100% return while adding a deck costs about $5,000 with a 91%. If you have any other questions about improvements for your home or you’re curious about what’s happening in the market, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

It’s time for a look at some market statistics. Let’s find out how last year’s numbers compare to what we see today.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereToday I want to take a look at a few market statistics and see how things today compare to where we were at last year.In Prince William County, the average sales price this time last year was $337,000. This year, that number has gone up to $350,000. In 2016, Fairfax County saw an average sales price of $480,000 compared to this year’s $500,000. Stafford County’s average sales price in 2016 was $310,000. Now in 2017, the average has gone up by $20,000—now sitting at $330,000. Loudon County saw the same amount of growth, going from $440,000 in 2016 to $460,000 in 2017. In Culpeper County, the average sales price was $261,000 last year. In 2017 the average is now $275,000. Warren County has also gone up slightly. The average in 2016 was $212,000 and in 2017 is now $216,000.While this growth in average sales price has been consistent across the board in our local areas, the growth in Fauquier County specifically is impressive. There, the average sales price has gone from $358,000 in 2016 to $389,000 today. As you can see from these numbers, we’re experiencing a steady growth of about 3% a year. This points to a healthy market, which is always a great thing.We’re experiencing a steady growth of about 3% a year. Lastly, I wanted to announce that our team is growing, too. If you or anyone you know has been thinking about a career in real estate, we ask that you visit our website: www.JoinTheColganTeam.com. We’re seeking talented, motivated individuals who have what it takes to become a part of our family. Last year alone we had 800 people register on our website to help with their real estate needs. Additionally, we are always happy to take referrals. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, we want to help you succeed in your real estate goals.If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Join us on the next Keeping it Real "8 to 250 Deals in 2-years" with Lisa Chinatti of Westford, MA. We dive deep into Lisa’s journey to find out how she will close 250 deals this year! In 2015, Lisa was a part-time agent, full-time mother and sold 8 homes. The following year, in 2016, she hired an assistant and got serious with her business and sold 82 homes, and $700k in GCI. As of today, she has over 150 homes with approximately $1.3M in GCI closed and pending. She is well on her way to hitting her goal of selling $2M in GCI by the end of the year. She will share all the ways she’s generating business from follow-up, to team structure, and much more! Join us for the live, 100% educational Keeping it Real event with myself and my co-host Frank Klesitz with Vyral  Marketing. It will be a great show.

Join us on the next Keeping it Real "8 to 250 Deals in 2-years" with Lisa Chinatti of Westford, MA. We dive deep into Lisa’s journey to find out how she will close 250 deals this year! In 2015, Lisa was a part-time agent, full-time mother and sold 8 homes. The following year, in 2016, she hired an assistant and got serious with her business and sold 82 homes, and $700k in GCI. As of today, she has over 150 homes with approximately $1.3M in GCI closed and pending. She is well on her way to hitting her goal of selling $2M in GCI by the end of the year. She will share all the ways she’s generating business from follow-up, to team structure, and much more! Join us for the live, 100% educational Keeping it Real event with myself and my co-host Frank Klesitz with Vyral  Marketing. It will be a great show.

Join us on the next Keeping it Real "8 to 250 Deals in 2-years" with Lisa Chinatti of Westford, MA. We dive deep into Lisa’s journey to find out how she will close 250 deals this year! In 2015, Lisa was a part-time agent, full-time mother and sold 8 homes. The following year, in 2016, she hired an assistant and got serious with her business and sold 82 homes, and $700k in GCI. As of today, she has over 150 homes with approximately $1.3M in GCI closed and pending. She is well on her way to hitting her goal of selling $2M in GCI by the end of the year. She will share all the ways she’s generating business from follow-up, to team structure, and much more! Join us for the live, 100% educational Keeping it Real event with myself and my co-host Frank Klesitz with Vyral  Marketing. It will be a great show.

Join us on the next Keeping it Real "8 to 250 Deals in 2-years" with Lisa Chinatti of Westford, MA. We dive deep into Lisa’s journey to find out how she will close 250 deals this year! In 2015, Lisa was a part-time agent, full-time mother and sold 8 homes. The following year, in 2016, she hired an assistant and got serious with her business and sold 82 homes, and $700k in GCI. As of today, she has over 150 homes with approximately $1.3M in GCI closed and pending. She is well on her way to hitting her goal of selling $2M in GCI by the end of the year. She will share all the ways she’s generating business from follow-up, to team structure, and much more! Join us for the live, 100% educational Keeping it Real event with myself and my co-host Frank Klesitz with Vyral  Marketing. It will be a great show.

When pricing your home, it’s important that you stay within the negotiation gap. If you don’t, you could lose out on a lot of money.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleWhat effect does low inventory and high demand have on pricing in our market? The short answer is it allows you to get a higher sale price for your house than you would’ve been able to last year.There’s something I want to caution you about, though. Every single time I sit down with a homeowner and ask how much they want to pad the price of their house to leave room for negotiation, I get the same answer—10%. In this market, the reality is that you only need to pad the price by a little less than 3%. If you overshoot your home’s market value by 10% and your margin of error is 3%, that means you’re 7% over the mark. 3% goes into 7% a little more than two times, meaning you’re more than twice your allowable margin of error. If you remember your grade school math when it comes to calculating percentages, you’ll know that twice of what you need translates to 200%.In other words, you’re more than 200% in excess of your margin of error, or what I call “the negotiation gap.”“If you price your home over the negotiation gap, you’ll likely lose money on its sale. ”When you come in with numbers this high, it drives your home’s time on the market way up because you have to keep reducing the price until it’s back within that 3% margin. On top of that, buyers will assume there’s something wrong with your house because it’s been on the market for so long, so you’re bound to get less money for it than if you priced it within the 3% margin to begin with.If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, you won’t be able to draw the competition for your house you need to get a good price if you’re 200% over the margin of error. Even if your house looks like a million bucks, it’ll be too far outside of what buyers expect in terms of price.You can save yourself this trouble by working with an agent who can figure out the numbers and help you step into the market intelligently. If you’d like to know the math on your home, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I’d be happy to help you.

While the agent opens the lock box, buyers have plenty of time to take in every detail of your entryway.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleStatistics show that your front door is actually one of the few places in your home where you can spend money on an update and get a positive return on your cash when you sell. Why is this?Most homeowners don't even use their front door, preferring the garage door or a side door that's closest to where you park. It's there for show, but it actually gets less attention thanks to how little most homeowners use them. Bugs get into the lamps by your entryway and the glass gets dirty from fingerprints.When you sell your house though, the agent will usually bring buyers through the front door. Why? Most homes being shown have an electronic lock box on their front door so that these buyers can enter the home in the most picturesque way. They come in the front door that might open to a foyer with the light flowing in and a view to the kitchen.It's just the best way to enter a home.“While the agent opens the lock box, buyers have plenty of time to take in every detail of your entryway. ”Keep in mind that that lock box takes a moment to access. That means the buyer will just be standing there waiting for the Realtor to open the lock box, giving them plenty of time to look at the whole entryway. They'll see all the dead bugs piled up in your lights, the cobwebs around the door, and the dog's nose prints on the glass next to the door. You want buyers to come in through the front of the house and form a great first impression, and the best way to do that is by making the entryway look brand new.If you have any other questions about preparing your home for the market, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'd be glad to help.

Buying and selling a home at the same time can get tricky. Here’s how you can make the situation easier.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleA lot of people have been asking lately how they can buy and sell a home at the same time. How can you get those two transactions to hook together?Inventory is low right now, so there isn’t much to choose from on the market. This is good news for sellers, but they are still hesitant to put their homes on the market because they aren't sure what they will do when their home sells more quickly than they can buy. There are a few different ways you can manage it.The first option is buying a home with no contingency. This involves either paying for two mortgages at once, paying cash for your new home, or taking out a home equity line of credit to buy. If you make an offer that isn’t contingent on the sale of your home, those are the offers that sellers will take most seriously.If that option isn’t feasible for you, the second best option is to have your home already under contract by the time you make an offer. This way, the seller knows that you are a serious buyer, and you already have a buyer for your home. Then you need to develop a plan B.It could be finding a flexible seller who will allow you to take your time selling your own home. It could also be finding a flexible buyer who will wait for you to make a purchase or let you out of the sale if you can’t. Either way, you should have a temporarily living plan in place as well. Whether it’s living with a family member or in a furnished apartment, it’s good to have a backup situation for every possible scenario.“You always need a plan B. ”Another option is to assume you will use temporary living and go into it right away as soon as your house is sold. This will let you buy on your own time and you’ll also be able to buy without that pesky home sale contingency. You can shop at your leisure and there aren't as many logistical concerns.As a last ditch effort, you could attempt to find a seller who is willing to work with you and be patient. There aren’t many of those in this market, however, because most buyers aren’t asking sellers to do this.If you don’t fit into any of these scenarios, it will be tough for you to balance things. At the very least, you should get your home on the market before you start looking at homes to buy so you can show sellers that you are serious. Remember, you can always say no to a deal that doesn’t work for you, but you can’t always get a seller to work with you if you don’t have a definite timeline to sell your home.If you have any questions for us or want us to help you work through the logistics of buying and selling a home, give us a call or send us an email and we would be glad to help. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Every year, our spring/summer market goes through two rushes of buyer activity. Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleWhen exactly does the spring/summer market start? When is the best time to enter the spring/summer market?Houses sell all year long, but what happens in the spring and summer is a large influx of buyers come from a specific demographic: folks who have school-age children. This subsection of buyers produces two rushes of market activity. The first rush starts about 45 days before school is out for the summer. Why 45 days? It takes the average buyer about 45 days to get through the underwriting cycle because that’s how long banks usually take to approve a loan. Buyers who want to get their kids settled in at the start of summer will start their home search around mid-April or early May.“The second rush happens 45 days before the first day of school. ”The second rush starts about 45 days before school gets back in session. This rush comes from folks who want to spend one last summer in their current home and settle into a new home by the time their kids get back in school.The spring rush started a couple weeks ago, so we’re still in it right now, and it should climb all the way into July. Other categories of buyers will be here all year long, though, so don’t make the assumption that houses only sell during spring and summer.If you have any questions about timing the market or are looking to buy or sell a home, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help.

Pocket listings have both pros and cons to them, but they typically don’t give you the best chance to get a great price on your home.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleWhat is a pocket listing?Basically, a pocket listing is when you have an agent who tries to sell a home before it hits the market. The agent tries to market that property to their internal list of buyers so they can get both halves of the commission. If you’re a seller, there are both pros and cons to this type of listing.On the pro side, it’s a much quieter sale. You can avoid having a lot of showings or walkthroughs and your agent can sell the property directly to one of the few buyers who come to your house.On the con side, not exposing the listing to the public market means not generating any competition. Less competition means the buyer who’s bidding on your house has no incentive to get aggressive on their offer price. Therefore, you won’t have the best chance to get a great price on your house.“Pocket listings don’t always allow you to get the best possible price for your home. ”We’re seeing record-low inventory in our market right now, so there is fierce competition and multiple bids happening for many listed homes that end up selling over their asking price. Before you let an agent sell your home as a pocket listing, stop and consider what your aim is. The buyer doesn’t have to compete against other buyers and the agent gets both sides of the commission without the extra work, but what about you?On our team, even if we have a buyer that’s perfect for one of our seller’s properties, we still suggest to that seller that it might be a good idea to expose that property to the public market before allowing the buyer to make an offer on it. By widening the number of potential buyers, you increase your odds of getting the best possible price for your home.If you have any questions about this topic or have a topic in mind you’d like to see me discuss in a future video, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you.

Buying a home is oftentimes cheaper than renting one. There are a ton of other benefits to buying, too.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereThere are many benefits homeowners get that renters simply can’t. Here are 10 advantages of buying a home over renting one:1. Predictable monthly house payments. Your landlord can change your rent each time your lease is up. With a mortgage, your payments are fixed for a period of usually 15 or 30 years.2. Appreciation. Real estate appreciates about 3% per year on average.3. Tax benefits. You can write off your mortgage interest on your taxes, which you’ll be paying down a lot in the first few years you own the home.Real estate appreciates about 3% per year.4. The freedom to make modifications to the home as you see fit.5. Buying is typically cheaper than renting, especially in the northern Virginia area. 6. Increased privacy. You can find a great property around here on a one- or two-acre lot. A lot of rentals end up being apartments.7. You can build up a lot of equity in your house. If you ever need it, you can tap into the equity of your house to either make another purchase or sell for a big profit.8. Community ties. There are a lot of active communities to get involved with as a homeowner. If you’re going to be in the area for a couple decades, meeting the neighbors isn’t a bad idea.9. Secure retirement. By the time the mortgage is paid off, the payment is gone and you can sell to make retirement a lot easier.10. You are the owner. This kind of goes back to No. 4, but there is a lot you can do to modify and personalize your home to your tastes that you wouldn’t be able to get away with if you were renting.If you have any questions for us or you’re looking to buy or sell a home in northern Virginia, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you plan on selling your home in the near future, here are the four biggest factors that can add value to it.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report Here If you plan on selling your home in the next couple years, what can you do to build equity in it? There are four factors that contribute the most when it comes to adding value to your home.The first factor is the condition of your kitchen and bathrooms. If these two areas are outdated, most buyers nowadays won’t want to put in the work to update them. They want to see newer kitchens and bathrooms. I just recently remodeled my kitchen, and I think it added some great value to my house. The second factor is whether you can add square footage to the home. Coming from an appraisal standpoint, adding square footage is one of the best things you can do. That’s what appraisers look at the most. Pay attention to these four factors when it comes to adding value to your home. The third factor is curb appeal. What’s the outside of the home look like? Are you getting the exterior power-washed? Does the landscaping looking good? The final factor is the overall condition of the house. Are there a lot of dings in the drywall? Does the paint show well? Does the staging look good? I recommend having a handyman pay a visit a couple times a year to perform the random knickknack tasks that you either don’t want to do or don’t have time to do and make sure the condition of the home stays in good shape. If you have any questions about this topic, use the question box at the top of this blog to shoot me a message. I’d be happy to help! 

Today, I’m flying over the 301 bypass to give you a bird’s-eye view of the progress that has been made so far.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleToday I am broadcasting from 3,000 feet over Middletown to show you footage of the 301 bypass project.This project has been in the works for such a long time that many of us here in Middletown (including myself) doubted that it would ever make it from the drawing board to the groundbreaking ceremony. However, construction is underway. Believe it or not, there are actually plans to start placing concrete this summer! Click here to read the Delaware Business Times articleNow that I have seen the 301 bypass from the ground and the air, I want to tip my hat to the men and women responsible for planning it. They have done an admirable job of tucking this massive project away in copses of trees and farmland.Of course, some people will have to adjust to additional traffic noise and may see their home values impacted while people get used to the change. The city planners did plan ahead, as most areas close to the bypass are already close to fairly heavy traffic. “Flying over it, I just thought, ‘Wow!’ ”My hope is that the uptick in volume will be offset by the easing of traffic build-up in key areas. I also hope that people who purchased property close to the project knew about the bypass and negotiated prices accordingly. Although creating this bypass is a perfectly logical move, something like this springing up behind your home can be quite a surprise. A good Realtor can help you do some additional due diligence if you are planning on buying or selling in this area.Flying over this project, though, I was mostly impressed by the progress that has been made. To get a complete bird’s-eye view, check out the video.In the meantime, if you have any real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

I'm back at another remodel site to show you a cool example of how you can add some serious value to your home without hiring a contractor. In this case, the homeowner paneled their ceiling and added decorative trim and beams for just $1,400.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleWe're going informal again today as we're shooting from another remodel job to talk about making your own ceiling.The ceiling you see in the video above needed a facelift really badly—it was what I call a cake frosting ceiling. It also had a couple big ceiling fans that just weren't very flattering. The whole ceiling needed to come down, so most of the work was just demo work to rip down the old drywall.“This job was done by a homeowner, not a contractor. ”From there, we had a choice of going with drywall again for the ceiling or to do something that really grabbed the imagination. We ended up choosing a cedar ceiling for this house. It's just tongue and groove cedar strips that you can find at Home Depot or Lowes along with some pre-finished white trim. The white beams you see are actually just white two-by-fours that are bracketed to the ceiling and boxed in with more pre-finished trim.Of course, this was detailed work that took a lot of effort working overhead with a nail gun and other tools. However, this was done by a homeowner, not a contractor. If you're thinking about doing some work in your house and you have just a little bit of skill, there's no limit to what you can do. Since this ceiling was a homeowner job, the cedar, the trim, and the beams were only about a $1,400 DIY job.If you have any questions about these kinds of projects to lift the value of a home, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to hear from you!

Today we’re doing things a little bit informally as I’m on the job to show you how to repair creaky stairs. Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleToday we’re discussing how to get rid of creaky stairs. I’m on the job so I can walk you through this process.Creaky steps have been a plague on this particular house for years and years. In fact, if someone goes up and down these stairs, you can hear it throughout the entire home.We’re using a retread kit to fix this issue. The original stairs were stripped, in this case stripped of carpeting, so we could work with the bare treads. In the video above, you can see where the riser went up to on the original tread, but the creaking was coming from an old pressboard tread. So, the wood needed to be secured down to prevent squeaking. It also needed to be screwed in from the back and secured with a heavy liquid nail glue both under the face and on the back of the tread.“This isn't an expensive repair.”That process really tightened things up. As you can see in the video, I’m going up and down the stairs and it’s nice and quiet. After things are screwed, glued, and made very tight, all that’s left is putting on the top piece and the face piece.The tread and riser kits are really pretty cool, and I have been able to find them online for as low as $39, but the total cost will depend on how much tightening work you have to do, how high-end you want your finishes to be, and how many stairs you have.Take a look at the video to see the materials we used for our tread kit.If you have any other questions about getting rid of creaky stairs or any other real estate-related questions, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

How long will it take your house to sell? It depends on these six factors.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereHow long does it actually take to sell a house?According to Realtor.com, the average number of days on market throughout the United States is about 65 right now. However, there are some different factors I usually tell people about that will determine this number:Location is the biggest factor in determining how long it takes a home to sell.Location: How close you are to a main street in your town or a major transportation hub like the metro system will play a huge role.Price: You obviously don’t want to overprice your house because there will be a smaller buyer pool looking at it. You could also run into appraisal issues down the road.Season: The market can change with the season, like if we get slammed with snow over the holidays or it gets very hot in the summer.Inventory: What’s it like in your neighborhood? I’ve seen neighborhoods with no houses for sale (which is great) up to neighborhoods with so many houses for sale that I’ve had to tell sellers to wait it out a bit.School districts: A lot of people go on school rating websites to see about schools in the area and how they rank.Walkability: Is the house somewhere where you can walk to Starbucks or Trader Joe’s? Some neighborhoods have much better walkability than others, but some buyers also don’t care as much about this.These are typically the factors that determine how long a home will take to sell in the northern Virginia market. If you have any questions for me or you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in the area, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be glad to help.

Despite some initial concern, the presidential election shouldn’t have any long-term major impact on our housing market. Here’s why.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleI’ve been through several elections in my lifetime, and the one thing you can always count on after a controversial election such as the one we just had is everybody getting riled up over it. For a short period of time, there’s usually a great deal of concern from the half of the population who didn’t get their preferred candidate. However, eventually everyone slides back into their normal routines.“In the long term, the power of habit usually takes over. ”This is because supply and demand are what determine the housing market—not who is president. Folks buy and sell homes based on life motivators and their respective financial capability. While an election may rattle consumer confidence in the short term, in the long term, you’ll find that the power of habit usually takes over. Houses will continue to be bought and sold based on familiar motivators determined by supply and demand.Based on the initial impact of the election, not much has changed in our market. My office has still been selling homes at a rapid pace, and I think we will see a strong housing market going into the spring. We still have fairly high demand and a low level of inventory. Not only that, but interest rates are still very low.If you have any questions or are thinking of buying or selling a home in today’s market, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help!

We are hiring! There are three positions available on our team: buyer’s agents, telemarketers, and an administrative assistant.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereHappy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday season. Today, I’m reaching out to you because we are currently hiring for three positions. We would love to have you aboard. First of all, we are looking for buyer’s agents. On the first Tuesday of every month, we have a career night so you can learn more about our team and our systems. If you would like to learn more about the buyer’s agent position, you can sign up for the seminar here. We are also looking for outbound prospectors to call potential clients and set appointments on the phone. We are hiring! Finally, we are also looking for an administrative assistant to help us with paperwork and all of the behind-the-scenes tasks that happen during a real estate transaction. This past year, we did $45 million in sales and we are looking to hit $100 million in the next couple of years. Join our team and help us reach that goal. Since we are at the start of a new year, I also wanted to give you a bit of advice. Studies show that it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. If you are looking for a great way to stick with your New Year’s resolutions, start off with the goal of hitting that resolution every day for 21 days. If you or anyone you know is interested in joining my team, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. 

The year is finally winding down, so I wanted to give you a quick update on the market. Inventory is still low, giving sellers a great chance to get a great price for their house.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleThe fall market looks to be wrapping up for the year, so today I wanted to give you a closer look.When you compare this year to last year, we're essentially looking about the same. Inventory is down slightly from 2,505 units to 2,437, indicating that homes are selling faster than they're being listed.This is a good sign for sellers.Inventory this year is still hovering around five months of supply, which is basically a balanced market. Settle volume is down slightly from 501 units to 493, which indicates that buyers might not be getting homes as quickly as they have in the past. “ The market needs inventory, making now a great time for sellers. ”When settle volume goes down, it's a good sign for prices. It means that there's still demand for inventory. This will continue to drive the price increase, which we've already seen go up from $226,000 to $228,000 on average.List-to-sales price ratio is exactly the same, with sellers getting 94.7% of asking price. You should expect a few points to come off your list price, but that's been commonplace forever.Simply put, the market is still strong this year and not many things have changed. It looks like we'll still be strong heading into the spring, too. The market needs sellers, so if you've had any thoughts about selling, don't let the weather or the season deter you. Thanks to low inventory, now is an excellent time to get a great price for your home. You have motivated buyers in the market slogging through the cold, sloppy conditions outside because they so badly need to buy a home.If you've got any questions or you're interested in talking about selling your house, give me a call or send me an email today. I'd love to hear from you!

This has been a great year for our real estate market. However, next year could be even better.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereThe new year will be here before you know it. We wanted to take a quick moment today to give you a forecast for what to expect from our real estate market in 2017. The outlook for 2017 is looking good, according to The Mortgage Banker’s Association. We have sold about 5.8 million homes so far this year, and The National Association of Realtors is predicting six million homes will sell in 2017. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both predict we will sell around 6.2 million next year.We look forward to a great year in 2017. The reason for this quick uptick in sales is that millennials are finally buying homes instead of renting them. Many of these buyers are starting to purchase homes after paying off their student loan debt, so that’s what’s going to be drive the uptick in home sales. 2017 is projected to be a really good year, and we’re certainly excited about that.We have had a great year so far in 2016 and we look forward to an even better one next year. If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

One important aspect of home staging is removing your family photos. Why? We’ll explore a few reasons why family photos can cause home buyers to pass on your property. Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleYou have probably heard about the importance of staging your home before you put it on the market. Today, I want to focus on one specific aspect of staging: removing your family photos.Everybody sets up their homes to be attractive and comfortable to live in, but the way we live in a home and the way we sell a home are very different. Of course, you love your family and take pride in your family photos. However, in the eyes of a buyer, family photos are actually a territory marker. Like cave paintings, family photos send a subtle message to people. To buyers, that message is, “If you don’t see yourself in these photos, then you don’t belong here.”It’s very interesting to go through a home with buyers when family photos are out. At the beginning of the showing, everyone is excited and chatting in their normal voices. As we go through the house more and more, they start to bring their voices down and whisper. Why? They feel like they’re in someone else’s den. “ Buyers need to be able to envision themselves in your home. ”That is not what you want when you are trying to sell your home. You want potential buyers to feel welcome, but family photos make them feel “other.” That is the anthropological psychology behind family photos.So, box up your family photos before home showings. If you have photos that are hanging up and you think you still need a picture on the wall, here’s a quick tip: slide some kind of neutral magazine clipping or landscape between the glass and the family photo, and then you can leave the frame on the wall.If you have any other questions about staging your home in order to sell for top dollar, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

In our current market, inventory is down and prices are up. As the weather turns colder, we’ll probably see this trend intensify.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleWhat’s going on right now in the fall market? Let’s take a look at the numbers from the month of September and see how they stack up against September of last year: Inventory has decreased from 2,587 homes to 2,450. Inventory accumulation—the number of months it would take to sell through the existing inventory—has also decreased from 5.6 months to 4.9 months.The number of settled properties has increased from 524 to 538. The median sales price has increased from $220,000 to $224,000. The sales-to-list price ratio has decreased from 94.6% to 94%.Overall, this information indicates that there is currently more demand than supply. Why is the sales-to-list price ratio going down? Sellers are starting to realize that the market is favoring them, and they’re increasing their asking prices accordingly; however, they may be getting too aggressive, resulting in them giving a little bit more away in negotiations than what they may have originally thought.“The market is favoring sellers. ”As we start to enter the colder weather months and we lose time off the daylight clock, you’ll start to see the majority of the home searching activity shift over to the weekends. You should also see fewer homes on the market, which could mean an increase in prices due to the low inventory.If you have any questions about what’s going on in the market right now, please feel free to email me or give me a call. I look forward to hearing from you!

Should you put your home on the market this fall or wait until spring? There are five reasons why fall is actually a great time to sell your home.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereShould you sell your home now or wait until next spring? There are a few points I want to share with you about that, but I briefly want to mention this great book I am reading by John Maxwell called Leadership Promises for Every Day, which is about how to be a great leader. Now, should you wait until spring to sell? I would say no. There are a few reasons why fall is actually a great time to sell your home: 1. You will face less competition now than you will in the spring. Since everyone waits for spring to list their property, there is low housing inventory during the winter. Typically in Northern Virginia, we don’t get very harsh winters, so listing your home now is actually a great way to get ahead of all the competition that will come on the market in the spring. 2. Interest rates may rise soon. The Fed has been talking about raising interest rates in the coming months. They will meet again sometime before the end of the year to discuss just that. Now is a good time to get your home on the market because rates are so low for buyers. Any time interest rates go up, buyers’ purchasing power decreases, which ultimately limits the number of people who can afford to purchase your home. Homes actually sell faster in the fall and winter than they do in the spring. 3. You will capture the job transfer market by listing in the fall. People who are getting transferred need to buy a home before January 1st. In order to capture that market, you need to list now. 4. Statistics show that homes actually sell faster in the winter than they do in the spring.  5. There are more serious buyers in the fall and winter. There are a lot of buyers out there during the spring, but many of them are just looking around and exploring the market. People who look at properties during the winter are very serious about purchasing a home. Think of it this way: they want to buy a home before the holidays just as much as you want to sell your home before the holidays. As you can see, there are many reasons why fall is actually a good reason to put your home on the market. If you have any questions about preparing your home for the market, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you! 

If you’re planning on selling your house, it’s important that you find the right agent to help you sell it.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleIf you’re selling your house and an agent is trying to buy your listing, they’re simply over-guaranteeing on the sale price in order to convince you to list with them.This typically happens when multiple agents are competing for the same listing. Sellers have every right to interview multiple agents, but keep in mind that one single agent can’t make the market move. A house will sell for what it’s going to sell for. What’s more, agents who become aware that there is competition for the listing also have a tendency to slant the figures and promise you more of a net payout on the house than what can actually be obtained. They do this knowing that they can always talk you into a price reduction later on.“Don’t listen to the agent’s promises—look at the results. ”The question then becomes, how do you avoid this scenario when interviewing multiple agents?The easiest way is to look at the results. It’s simple enough to look up an agent’s track record and their customer reviews on a site like Zillow. Once you’ve done your research and have begun the interviewing process, be wary of them telling you what you want to hear and trying to buy your listing. Remember—overpriced houses don’t sell.You can also just choose to withhold the fact that you’re interviewing multiple agents from the agents you’re interviewing. What they don’t know won’t hurt them, and it won’t hurt you, either.If you have any questions or topics in mind you’d me to address, don’t hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

With the election taking hold of the public’s focus, many have forgotten about the real estate market. We haven’t, and we’re answering a question about it today.Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a Full Home Search HereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a Free Home Value Report HereEveryone seems to be so focused on the election these days that they have forgotten about the real estate market. We haven’t, so we want to answer a common question we’ve been getting lately.During the market crash, a lot of homeowners had to go through the unfortunate situations of a foreclosure or short sale. While these things did prevent them from buying in the immediate aftermath, most of them are able to purchase now. So, how long do you have to wait to buy after a short sale or foreclosure?A lot of it depends on the type of financing you had. For those who had a short sale with a conventional loan, they have to wait four years to buy a home. The waiting period for those with FHA financing is three years, and you only have to wait one year after a short sale to buy if you had VA financing.Keep an eye on your credit card debt. As for foreclosures, those waiting periods are a little longer on average. If you had a foreclosure and conventional financing, you will have to wait seven years. With FHA financing, you only have to wait three years. With a VA loan, you would only have to wait two years.One big piece of advice I have for those of you trying to get qualified again after a short sale or foreclosure is to keep your credit card debt low. Don’t charge more than 30% of your debt to your card. Lenders don’t view those who max out their credit cards as reliable people to lend large sums of money to.If you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

If you tried to sell your home once already and failed, how long should you wait before trying again?Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleIf you tried to sell your home and were unsuccessful, how long should you keep it off the market before resetting and trying again?The official reset time period for the MLS is 60 to 90 days, but buyers tend to be active on the market for anywhere between six and 18 months. This means the MLS will reset your house’s number of days on market back to zero, but the buyers won’t be fooled. They’ve been watching homes roll through for much longer to see what kind of deals they can get. What does this mean for you? You can either wait an extremely long time to try again and do it the same way in the hope of introducing yourself to some new buyers, or you can jump right back in and correct all the problems that caused your home sale to fail in the first place.Generally, these problems are limited to two areas: price and condition. The two of them almost go hand in hand; you can offset condition issues by price, and vice versa. The tendency is to assume your failure had more to do with poor marketing on behalf of your agent. While that can certainly be true, more often than not, it boils down to factors that you control yourself.“If your home is overpriced, you will compete in the wrong market & draw the wrong buyers.”If you’re overpriced, that dictates who you’re competing with, meaning you’re competing with the wrong houses and have the wrong buyers looking at your house. You’re doomed to fail right before you start. If you’re under-conditioned, nobody will want to buy your house. They’ll consider it all the way up until another home comes along offering them a better value or better condition for the same price.At the end of the day, you’re better off hiring a new agent, making a rapid course correction, and jumping right back into the fray.If you’d like an evaluation or some assistance with trying to resell your home with a different agent, we’d be happy to help. If you have any other questions, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Summer is nearly over, but the summer real estate market isn’t. We’ve got an update for you today complete with the latest numbers for the Middletown market.Selling a home? Get a free home value reportBuying a home? Search all homes for saleWe’ve got a quick summer market update to share with you about how the housing market is doing right now in the Middletown area. To look at how the market is doing, we look at the numbers and figures for the most recent months vs. the numbers we saw at the same time last year. Here’s what we found:Available homes are down by 9% from this time last year. Inventory is getting thinner.The median price for homes has increased by $7,000 since last year.The list-to-sales ratio has improved by ⅓ of a percent. Sellers are getting more for their homes.“You can get top dollar for your home now. ”We are shifting more towards a seller’s market, which is great news if you’ve been thinking about listing. If you have any questions for us or you’re interested in getting your home on the market, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a full home search hereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a free home value report hereThere are six main ways that you can add value to your current home:Update the kitchen. This is one thing home buyers are always looking for. You don’t have to go crazy, but touching up the little things like new appliances and countertops can go a long way because the kitchen is the first room that most people look at.Improve the landscaping and curb appeal. There are plenty of things you can do here, from trimming the bushes, to planting new trees, or hiring a company to make your lawn look nice and green. Remodel any half bathrooms. Since this usually only costs anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000, it makes it one of the cheaper ways to add value to your home.Remove any wood paneling or popcorn ceilings. These simply aren’t in style anymore, and buyers like to see that it’s already been taken care of so they don’t have to worry about removing it themselves.Allow as much natural light in as possible. Look for new blinds and shades that can make the rooms more open and airy. If the basement is unfinished, finish it! When appraisers are out doing their thing appraising property, they’re mainly looking for bedrooms, bathrooms, and finished square feet. Naturally, finishing what hasn’t been finished yet will add value to your property in their eyes. “Appraisers are looking for bedrooms, bathrooms, and finished square feet. ”If you have any questions regarding any of this, shoot me an email or give me a call. I’d be more than happy to give you advice, even if you’re not selling your home and just want to add some value to it.

Buying in Northern Virginia?  Get a full home search hereSelling in Northern Virginia? Get a free home value report hereThere are three different programs that exist to help you buy a house with no money down.The first is a USDA loan. This is mainly for rural areas, and if you happen to live in one, you can have the Agriculture Department give you a loan for your down payment so you don’t have to come up with any money. What we also typically do is ask the seller during negotiations to pay all your closing costs, so aside from a few inspections, you’re saving a lot of money.Another option, if you are or were once in the military, is a VA loan. With this, you don’t put any money down. It’s 100% financing, so you don’t have to bring any cash to the table. And again, any closing costs you might incur would be something we’d ask the seller to pay.“Along with using these loans, we ask the seller to pay all your closing costs. ”Finally, there is the Virginia Housing Department 2nd Trust Program, wherein the Virginia Housing Department loans you a second trust for your down payment. This program does run out of money occasionally, but we still have plenty of lenders who use it.As you can see, there are ways out there to buy a house with no money down and no cash being lifted from your pocket. If you have any questions about any of these programs, or you know anybody else buying or selling a home, give me a call. We’d love to help, and we hope you have a great summer.

On this episode of Rhodes to Success, I interview Frank Klesitz, who is an entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Vyral Marketing. The video marketing firm helps entrepreneurial professionals in all industries increase client generation and retention with education-based video marketing. Viral marketing helps hundreds of professional clients worldwide publish over 800 client videos a month and 4 million client emails per year. Frank's methods are directly responsible for generating more than $10M of additional client revenue, commission, and billable hours since 2009. During the show, we discuss the 33 Touch Concept, balancing new clients and client retention, weekly client phone calls and getting people to sign up, and setting clear expectations.   Main Questions Asked: Talk about your wealth expertise. How do record via webcam and help people with lighting? How did you take your business from zero to 60 employees? How do you balance brining in new clients with client retention? How are you getting people to sign up to your service? How do you handle setting clear expectations?   Key Lessons Learned: Reconnect with Your Database by Using Content The 33 touch concept is touching your database 33 times per year with something of value, which works out to be every 10 days. It's important to be the marketer of what you do and not just the doer of what you do.   Vyral Videos Vyral Skypes clients and does interviews on a webcam in order to create two videos per month. The video quality you get on a webcam looks pretty great. The only issue is the audio, but it can be fixed with an external microphone. Vyral is able to see the client by doing a Join Me session so they can see the screen. The best topics are 2-3 minutes and are Q&A's based on the most common questions people have been asking you.   Growing the Vyral Business The concept of custom work is difficult to scale, so Frank created one system and one plan with a one-time, up-front fee and ongoing monthly fee. Retaining a client is more profitable than bringing in new clients.   New Clients New client generation is your retention.  This needs to be number one on your list as a business owner. You can't control what clients are supposed to do, such as if they pay on time or want to continue the service. You can never take your eye off the ball when it comes to searching for new clients.   Client Retention The number one thing you can do for client retention is to make sure your clients get a phone call every single week. If you focus on weekly communication, it tends to fix most problems from a retention standpoint. When you start getting things done through others, you have to start leveraging yourself.   Meetings The only way to ensure the quality of the communication is by training and meeting with your people to go over the issues of communication on what you are dealing with. Fonality allows Frank to listen to any live calls.   Getting People to Sign Up Frank attends top conferences, and finds the people in the profession who are being put on stage and marketed as the most successful people in the profession. The goal is to get the influencers of the profession as clients by doing whatever it takes. Once they have the influencer on board, they market it back to everyone in the profession. In order to get creditability, you have to get clients that people want to become.   Setting Clear Expectations The most important call is the ‘expectations call.' There are 40-50 things that are said in this call, which is a step-by-step recorded call.   Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio! The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic    Links to Resources Mentioned Vyral Maarketing The Rockefeller Habits Fonality

Matthew specializes in helping agents have major break-thru’s in their business and their life challenges.

Learn how Bill sets a listing appointment with 3 out 10 people he contacts.

Learn how to convert more home evaluation leads into listings and leverage them to get referrals..

Jeff who set the all time sales record in Nebraska for number of units sold in 2014 - $72.7 million in volume at an average sales price of $180,000 - earning him the award of #1 top selling real estate team in Nebraska.

We're EXCITED to interview Brad Korn, a top agent from Kansas City, MO. He has been in real estate for over 25 years. Last year his team, consisting of Brad, his wife, and an assistant, did over 100 transactions.

Mark Martin has been a real estate agent in Austin, TX since 2000. He and his partner spend about $3,500 a month on Zillow & Trulia leads and earn over $22,000 a month from them (not bad, eh?). This is a 600% ROI.

In this hangout:* You’ll learn exactly what Greg teaches his agents to do DAY ONE when they start.* Where to get phone numbers and what scripts to use to make calls.* How to build your database when you don’t know anyone in your market* The proven plan to build your business from NOTHING to $200,000 GCI.* How to do all this without spending a DIME buying leads.

* The biggest MISCONCEPTIONS about internet buyer & seller lead generation* How to overcome the biggest challenge converting leads to appointments* The 4 core strategies you must use for every buyer & seller lead* How to set up a long term sales strategy to maximize every lead* Mistakes agents commonly make in their goals, objectives, and approach

Lars is on track to sell Over $80 Million in Volume in 2014. He shares how he shifted away from buyers to mastering sellers and systemized everything to grow his business.

Jeff runs the #1 real estate team in South New Jersey (Jersey Shore Area) and has been selling real estate for over 22 years. He started at 18 years old calling people in the phone book asking if they wanted to buy or sell a home.

Ben is a professional speaker, real estate trainer & author. He also owns multiple Keller Williams Realty Franchises that includes 800+ agents in seven locations.

Las Vegas real estate agent and Tom Ferry coach, Bill Jenkins shares "How to Hired & Train a Virtual Assistant to Set 40+ Appointments a Month" with FSBO's, Expired's, Just Listed, and buyer leads for a low flat hourly rate.

Brand new real estate agent Tom Nickley shares how he is going to sell 60 properties his first year in the business. He will also share how he had 4 escrows, 1 closing, took 2 listings and was working with 12 buyers his first 7 weeks in the business.

Todd Tramonte shares how he gets 7.5% commissions by offering world class service and getting higher prices for his sellers. This is a must watch if you want to learn how to give better service and get higher commissions.

Greg Harrelson shares how to get more business working your database by getting them to engage in your content. Greg's Team closes over 1400 transactions a year & they attribute over 600 of them due to their content marketing to their database.