Highland Beach Condos, Boca Raton Homes, Boca Raton Real Estate Advice and Opinions

It is the first thing many of us were taught in the real estate business.  I can hear my mentor 10 years ago say now "You Can't Want the Deal to Close More than your Buyer or Seller". 

We all know this, but why don't we always practice this?

1. We need the deal to close because we need the lights on.  We must pay the electric bill on the day of closing.
2. We have such a vested interest in the deal closing because in our mind we already cashed the check.
3. We need the deal to close because the last day to pay for private school is the day of closing. 
4. We need the deal to close so we can continue to take showers.  We all know the water companies are ruthless and if we do not pay the water bill than it is going to be a little harder to sell real estate without taking a shower for a week or two.
5. We need the deal to close because we do not want to continue to eat maccaroni and cheese and roman noodles for dinner.  The kids are getting tired of jelly sandwiches too.
6. We need the deal to close so when the ice cream truck comes around we can afford to buy our kids a Chipwich.
7. We need the deal to close so we can pay back thee family and friends you borrowed from last month citing this deal would close on this date and I will pay you back then.  I promise.
8. We need the deal to close so we can stay in this business and continue to provide for the family.  We love the real estate business so we do not want to leave it.
9. We need the deal to close because our dog has cancer and needs surgery.
10. We need the deal to close so we can go on a vacation as we have not been on a vacation since last Thursday.

We all want to take care of our clients, and sometimes our fear of losing the deal dictates how we react to our client, and perhaps is not in the best interest of our client.  The amazing thing here is that if you truly take care of your client, and do not fear losing the deal it comes back 10 fold. 

Buyers are very sophisticated now.  Even the retired school teacher from the midwest will try and steal a home in South Florida.  They will have all the statistics and information about the market. Buyers are very sophisticated.

Since Buyers are so sophisticated you must make sure you have their best interest or not only will you lose that buyer, but you will also lose your reputation.  In order to stay in the business and be successful take care of your clients, and do not push deals on your buyers because you need to pay your electric bill.  Push deals on your buyers because you believe it is the best thing for them. 

With many of the realtors having problems staying in their career they love, maybe realtors should turn to taking steroids. It worked for Mark Mcgwire who all of a sudden starting hitting 70 home runs.  It worked for Barry Bonds who broke the home run record.  Maybe it will work for you too.  Maybe we can partner with a lab.  Possibly Balco as they are looking for some more clients. 

• We have to make sure that the steroids make us stronger so we can keep the buyers in our car until they write the check.
• We have to make sure that the steroids make us faster so we can out run our competing realtors to the expired listings.
• We have to make sure that the steroids make us bulkier so we can lift the sellers out of their house when they are being uncooperative.
• We have to make sure the steroids make us scarier so we can scare our buyers into closing on a home rather than just making offers. 
• We have to make sure the steroids don't shrink our brain so we can still satisfy the needs of our clients.
• We have to make sure that no one finds out about the steroids or everyone will start doing it.
• We have to make sure that if the National Association of Realtors finds out about it that we all deny it.  "We knowingly did not take any steroids".
• We must make sure that we just don't deny that we took steroids, but we have to write a book about not taking steroids.

I believe if we resort to steroids the market will be better, and we as realtors will continue to make lots of money.  Like Latrell Sprewell said "We have to feed our family, I can't do it on this salary". 

In my local real estate market in Boca Raton, and Highland Beach FL it is very seasonal.  Many of the Highland Beach condos or Boca Raton Country Club Homes sell from December till April, and single family homes in Boca Raton sell in April through August.  . We are definitely gearing up for a great season.  While the rest of the country went through a horrible and cold winter it was a very pleasant one in South Florida.  I look at the pending sales and they have increased over the last couple months, and I am noticing a sort of new found feverish perception of the Boca Raton real estate market.  

• In January Barack Obama became our new President.  
• The media and the so called experts are starting to talk more positively about the real estate landscape.
• The stock market is so volatile that many investors are starting to invest in long term real estate.
• The builders are realizing it less expensive to build and finish the properties then to have their contractors sit around and do nothing.

So with new construction gaining, a spike in consumer confidence, a new President, and the media talking positively about the real estate market we should see a little spike in our season.  How is your local market doing?  I am interested in seeing what other markets are doing around the country.

**It is All About the Consumer, New Website Brings Technology and Information to the forefront of South Florida Real Estate.**

With all these major real estate websites like Zillow.com, Realtor.com, and MSN Real Estate  we may be missing the point of what the consumer really wants.  How can you justify what you do for a consumer when you tell the consumer that the way I value your home and the price I give you may be as much as 10%-30% off one way or the other.  Instead of trying to give the consumer a number why don't we try and give them what they want, all the information.  When browsing the many different real estate websites there is so much information at your fingertips. 

A real estate agents obligation is to educate and protect the public.  Information is key.  An agent must give the client all the information, and let the client make the decision.  The 2000-2005 real estate boom in South Florida flooded the market with new real estate agents looking to make a bundle.  Some of these agents are primed for success and some well not so much. The belief is although the real estate boom has been wonderful for the pockets of real estate agents, it has been bad for the consumer.  The consumer in 2005 was programmed by the media and real estate agent that if you were looking to purchase a home you better do this now before that home you were looking at will be 10% higher in the coming weeks.  There was a sense of urgency to increasing proportions.  This was bad for the consumer, great for the real estate agent.  Now that the market has softened, real estate agents have forgotten how to work.  With the downtime, realtors are turning to the internet and spending a tremendous amount of money on internet and less on traditional marketing.  Have you seen the amount of real estate websites that are on the internet, millions.  By just having a website is not good enough. If you do not market your website how will the consumer find you. 

There is a significant difference between a good real estate website and a great website.  The good real estate website is promotional in nature and tends to be less about information and resources, and more like an advertisement of the realtor.  A great real estate website is one that encompasses some promotion with more emphasis on information and content.  The new internet consumer wants relevant information in easy to understand terms in as little clicks as possible.  The more specific and relevant, the better.  www.SearchPalmBeachHomes.com not only gives you all the information about Boca Raton and Palm Beach, but it also gives you information about specific communities, allows you to search for the most current listings, obtain local school information, provides resources and helpful links, and  is updated daily.    www.SearchPalmBeachHomes.com provides all the resources and is designed for the client.  "I am on the internet all day and have looked at quite a few real estate websites, and SearchPalmBeachHomes.com is by far the best for my needs.  It is easy to navigate and the property search feature has been integrated in this website.  I am now David Serle's client for life and I would highly recommend this website , Paul Rand, Boca Raton, FL.
With the everchanging South Florida Market, you need someone you trust and receive loyalty from, Samantha Kaplan, Wellington, FL** 

The internet is a powerful tool, and we have to process all the information we find on the internet.  In a time of instant gratification, the consumer wants all this information at their fingertips.  SearchPalmBeachHomes.com gives it to them.  It is all about the consumer.

Real estate is about helping others succeed as well as you. 

How many of you have given business to a pool guy, inspector, mortgage broker or contractor who does not seem to appreciate you?  We all have.  When you continue to give business to these people they expect that you want money or a kickback.  Obviously most of us do not accept money as it is illegal in most cases.  I do not look for money.  I am looking for a thank you.  We all need to be appreciated.

If you do not take the time to say thank you then I do not take the time to give you business.  You know what the great thing about being in the Real Estate Business is?

We get to choose who we want to work with.  If I do not like working with you then I don't continue to.  If I find you difficult.  Then I am not working with you.

I want to surround myself with people who appreciate the efforts I make to help everyone succeed.  Real Estate is not about you or I

• It is about the consumer. 
• It is about the succession of your small businesses.
• It is about keeping the momentum of the market.

Have you ever thought of how many people actually get paid in one single real estate transaction?

1. The Real Estate Agent.
2. The Seller (Most of the time, and maybe not nearly as much in this market)
3. The Appraiser
4. The Surveyor
5. The Inspector
6. The Title Company
7. The Mortgage Broker
8. The Real Estate Company
9. The Lender
10. The Credit Report Company
11. The Real Estate Sign Company
12. The Attorney
13. The Flood Certification Company
14. The Document Preparation Company
15. The Government
16. The Scanning Company
17. The Storage Company
18. The Association

That is all in one single real estate transaction.  Do they all say Thank You?  Not many of them.  Why are we not doing more to spearhead the real estate market?  1 single deal pays 17 small deals not to mention afterwards

1. The Pool Company
2. The Lawn Company
3. The Handyman
4. The Contractor
5. The Alarm Company
6. The Painter

That is just a few off of the top of my head.  We need to be doing more to help increase the number of transaction sides.  The stimulus bill does very little in terms of real estate.  I hope they do more not just because I am in the real estate business, but because most of my friends are owners of small businesses.  If we do not do anything for these small businesses then we have failed and we may be looking at a state of Depression.  My answer is to stop the foreclosures, and to keep people in their homes to lessen the inventory which in turn will increase the demand.  We have to do something now and definitely not later. 

 I want people to say Thank You More!!

"Optimism is the one Quality more Associated with Success and Happiness than any other"

• It is so much easier to frown.
• It is so much easier to get down on yourself and your business.
• It is so much easier to look back at what was.
• It is so much easier to be distracted.
• It is so much easier to be depressed.
• It is so much easier to go to work late.
• It is so much easier to leave work early.
• It is so much easier to get caught up in not doing the right thing.
• It is so much easier to get out of the Real Estate business.
• It is so much easier not to fight for the business you have been in for your adult life.
• It is so much easier to wave the white flag.
• It is so much easier to work at Starbucks.

Did we get into this business because it was easy or because it is what we love to do?  If you answered easy then get out of the business.  If you answered because you love it then you must fight for what you love.  You must work harder than everyone else.  You must knock on doors, and talk to people.  People are no longer coming to you.  You need to come to them. 

We are very fortunate to be in the real estate business.  A busineess that we love, and if you find yourself no longer loving it then my advice is GET OUT.  We do not need you nor do the customers.  You are doing a disservice to your customers.  Let someone who loves what they are doing handle your customers. 

In this difficult market you have to love the real estate business.  You have to have passion in the business or again Get Out!!.

Here is wishing everyone who stays in to be passionate, and prosperous in 2009!!

I do not know if many of you have heard, but a crazy thing happened in my city Boca Raton, FL.  Boca Raton is famous for its snowbirds (people from the northeast coming down seasonally to get away from the snow), its celebrities, and its beaches, but now we are famous for something else.  The first cloned dog in the United States.  That is right a couple had a labrador named Lancelot who passed away from cancer.  They decided to freeze his DNA 5 years ago, and now they just spent $155,000 to clone Lancelot who was born about 10 weeks ago.  They had it perfomed in South Korea, and his name you guessed it Lancelot Encore.  As you can see he is very cute, but come on that is just  a little nuts. 

I guess the economy is not so bad for some people or their priorities are a little backwards.  I love dogs.  I l love people a little less, but I really do not love people who get media attention for doing something that many of us just thinks is pretty stupid.  I do believe they should be able to do what they want with their money.  The real issue I have is if we do not allow for cloning of dogs in the United States then why can you bring back a cloned dog into the United States.  I wonder if there were tests done to make sure it was not bringing back diseases.  As clonging is in its infancy stage, shouldn't there be more research before allowing something like a dog to be cloned in a country on the other side of the world.  How do we know it there are not side effects to clonging?  I like many think it is a stupid decision to spend $155,000 for a cloned dog, but I believe it is there decision.  However it is the government's job to make sure that there are no ill effects from allowing this to happen.  When are we going to be able to bring back Abraham Lincoln or Grandma Esther?  Where does this end?

I grew up and currently reside in Boca Raton, FL, and I never really got the idea of living in the bitter cold.  Since, I am a native Floridian I do not have a point of reference when it comes to why people like the cold.  I do visit New York quite a lot, and it is kind of nice to see the seasons, and a little snow, but for short periods of time.  This is why I visit and do not live in the Northeast or the Midwest.  I heard on the News that Minnesota has a windchill of 30 degrees below.  Ouch.  That is not cold that is like eskimo cold.  My question to you is Why live in the Cold when you can live in a more tropical environment with beautiful parks & beaches.  Yes it definitely gets hot here, and we do have our Hurricanes, but I cannot imagine living anywhere else.  This is not a post about bragging on how great Florida is.  I genuinely want to know why many of you either love the cold or stay in the cold, and if so have you ever thought of relocation to a warmer environment? 

As in most markets our MLS membership has decreased quite a bit in the last year or so.  Our MLS membership went from 16,000 agents to 11,000, and it expected to go down to about 8,000 members after the first of the year.  We have lost a little over 50% of its members in just about 2 years.  So why am I so happy.

Well less competition first, but many of the agents that left were not cut out to be in real estate.  The few brought down the many, and we have to strive everyday to contradict the perception of a real estate agent.  If you ever read the book "Freakanomics" you know what I mean.  In the book of "Freakanomics" they compare the secret realtor's society to the Klu Klux Klan.  Ouch.  Their theory is because we have tried to withhold information from the consumers for so long that we act like a cult.  However, the authors also predicted that the traditional brokerage would collapse, and everyone would be a discount 1% broker.  That definitely has not happened.  The reason why this has not happened is that even though consumers can basically search the MLS and can access as much information as realtors can the consumer still sees value in a realtor:

• Negotiating on their behalf.
• Knowing the stories of the many communities.
• Advising consumers on their financing options.
• Setting up Appraisers, Inspectors, and Handymen.
• Advising consumers on what costs they may incur.
• Setting up appointments for homes that the consumer may not know about.
• Most importantly, the value of a realtor besides being the professional is that a good real estate agent will know the ins and outs of specific properties.  We will be able to tell a consumer the story of the home.  We may have some inside scoop on why the seller wants to sell, and maybe even what price and terms they are looking for.

There obviously are many more behind the scenes jobs that we as realtors do, but I think you get the gist of it.

Getting back to my point however, we are so fortunate to be in a business that we genuinely love.  A business that allows us the freedom within reason to spend time with our family, and take vacations while working very hard on a day to day basis.  We are fortunate that we are very good at what we do.  We sell real estate and we love it.  I have never dreaded even one day of work.  I get up in the morning, and cannot wait to go to work.  How many people can say that?  Lets be Fine in 2009!!! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy Chanukah