I've videoblogged about this before but STILL I walk into open homes and am flabbergasted by what the Realtor is wearing! One gal had on nothing more than 2 band-aids held together by some string, and mini-skirt so short it might as well have been a belt. Seriously, how do you politely ask "Are you hockin' homes or hockin' hooters!?" If clients can't tell whether the house or you is for sale, you're in big trouble. Here is my new video for eHow.com on how real estate agents ought to dress. (However, if you are selling a house to Hugh Hefner, then go for the daisy dukes & halter tops. Know your clientele!)
I caught this Agent Genius post entitled "Shocking British Mockumentary – comedy, art, or just plain offensive?" I think it is all the above. Love it! It's like the real estate version of "The Office." This UK Brokerage produces videos starring their own agents. It's probably not for everyone (slightly NSFW at end) and the British humor is sure to be lost on some, but it is certainly memorable. I'm unclear whether this is going to procure more biz for them, but hey, it certainly makes a great reality show pitch! Cheerio!
I saw an ad for Pumpkin Spice Latte, so you know it's official. Autumn is here! As we dive into Q4, one of the most commonly asked questions I get is "Should I list my house in the winter, or wait til spring?" Some agents think it is suicide to list in the winter because many buyers have checked out. Vacation, holidays, and money gets diverted to gift shopping instead of house shopping. For the most part, the market does slow down a bit this time of year, but sometimes that can work to a seller's advantage. In fact, some of my most productive quarters have been Q4. Watch why in this vintage clip! I think I need a slice of pumpkin pie to go along with my pumpkin spice latte. Yum!
 SOLD Magazine features Hermanity in an article by Samantha McLean called Video Marketing: Herman Chan Makes it Simple. If you happen to be in Australia, pick up a copy for me. (And while you're at it, pick me up an Aussie man too!) Australia has churned out many break out real estate videos. Who can forget the salacious video vixens used to hock property? Or Chris Gilmour's glossy high production videos that help him sell/list a property every 26 hours? Our friends down under certainly have a flair for the visual! It certainly helps that these women are centerfolds incarnate and that Chris Gilmour is a walking Ken Doll! Eye candy never hurts . I'm not as pretty as these folks. Honestly, if I did video down there, I would be totally hit by the ugly stick. Nevertheless, I can't wait to go back there again. Someone send me an invite!
 This may ruffle some feathers in realtor circles, but hey, that's never stopped me before! How many times have you heard an agent proclaim to much fanfare that they are an Area Specialist? When I hear that, I can't help but roll my eyes. Read why in my latest column for Agent Genius
Local expertise is good, right?
There is something to be said about local knowledge, but honestly folks, isn’t the term “Area Specialist” just a marketing angle for some agents? These self-anointed neighborhood experts brand themselves out the wazoo to their farm. To drum up business, they talk up how they know this zip code like the back of their hand, how they know every nook & cranny within a five block radius, how they are the go-to agent for all the locals, blah blah blah. They live, breath & reproduce in that neighborhood! OK, I get it. For some agents, that is their hook, which is fine and dandy. Everyone’s got their schtick.
But, how many times have you seen a self-dubbed “Area Specialist” get riled up for you taking a listing in “their” farm? They get possessive about anyone stepping onto “their” turf. (Excuse me, I don’t see your name on street sign!) And yet despite their PR about the importance of working with an Area Specialist, they’ll snap up a listing across town without batting an eyelash. It just comes off to me as a sales gimmick, a mere marketing ploy. Because if they practiced what they preached, then they wouldn’t take that listing outside their area. You can’t have it both ways, folks!
The inherent problem
Ergo, that’s the inherent problem with labeling yourself an “Area Specialist.” You convince a buyer to work with you because you know the area the best. But what if their search ends up in a neighborhood clear across town? Your cred is shot. Based on your logic, they should no longer work with you. Are you really going to give up the last six months of work you put in? Doubt it. On the listing side, I don’t know a single Area Specialist who’d turn down a million dollar property because it is outside their geographic bubble (all of a sudden they aren’t an “Area Specialist,” they’re a “Luxury Specialist”).
My point is that agents who flagrantly label themselves as Area Specialists run the danger of painting themselves into a corner. They end up looking like hypocrites the second they do business outside their area. Am I wrong?
If you can stomach anymore, my other articles for Agent Genius can be found here. Enjoy!
 This building in the Shanxi Province of China was built under a freeway 15 yrs ago. How that happens, I dunno! How did it bypass permits, assessment, appraisals, building codes, liability,...oh, wait, it's China. Minor details! On the bright side, the government now has deemed it unsafe & will demolish it. The current denizens are being re-located somewhere hopefully less precarious. Perhaps by a railroad station, airport runway or military firing range? Anything is a step up from this disaster waiting to happen! Read more here at M.I.C.
Now, just for kicks, how would a real estate agent market a place like this? - Unique location!
- Easy freeway access
- Convenient for commuters. Just hop off the roof
- Can't hear any street level noise
- Keep cool under the shade.
- Ideal for smog aficionados
- Great for buyers who do not believe in earthquakes
Share any suggestions you have! I'm trembling with anticipation
 Alvin in San Francisco has a staging dilemma. Mom wants to decorate it for families....but it is a modern sleek loft!? My response may be caustic, but I say it with love. Really I do! EXCERPT:And if you don’t mind me saying Alvin, it’s time to stop being a mama’s boy! This is your property. You bought it. You own it. You’re selling it. You are a grown ass man who can stick up for himself. Say, “Mom, I love you but your staging advice, albeit well intentioned, is without taste.” Go ahead, stab her in the heart!Read the rest here.
Traditional agents advise their clients to list their property during the high season of real estate (spring/summer). However, there are definitely good reasons why listing in winter may be better!
Nowadays, in this economy, to sell a listing you've got to be a pornographer. Sell that fantasy! Buyers are visual creatures! As my fellow agent & real estate TV Host of 365 Realtor Nicole Martin loves to joke: "Real estate is the finest form of prostitution." LOL! Am I being salacious to just get more web hits? Hell yeah. Hey, if the revered Inman News can do it, so can I! Here is their article published yesterday titled " Selling House Porn to Gen X & Y" by Candy Evans. Selling homes is like selling sex, indeed...not that I would know. XXX...er, i mean, xoxo,Herman
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