Luxury Clues

The $20,000 Dessert Plates--What's in Your Closet?

We spent this Christmas at my in-laws--always a great treat filled with too much food and lots of laughter. This year, my mother-in-law decided to serve dessert on her "porno plates." When I looked at the plates, they were adorned with dancing water nymphs a la Isadora Duncan. I asked her about where she got them. She said they were her mother's and that they were probably were Lalique plates. The work on each plate was exquisite.

I headed immediately to my computer to check out their value. They date back to 1921 and were valued at a cool $1,640 per plate. She had 12 of them and I had the pleasure (I should say terror) of washing them after Christmas dinner. It made me wonder what else our parents and grandparents have in their homes that they take for granted and that is extremely valuable. Rather than asking, "What's in your wallet--the real question should be, "What's in your closet?"

Posted by Bernice Ross, author of Waging War on Real Estate's Discounters--don't discount your commissions--earn the full commissions you deserve

Photo by BobMacinnes

Start Your 2009 Real Estate Business with a Clean Slate

Happy New Year! Are you setting goals for 2009? Before you begin, the most important decision you may make is determining which goals from 2008 to keep and which ones to dump.

Have you ever set a goal and not completed it? If so, are you still hanging on to that goal or have you let it go? If you would like to achieve what is really important to you as well as creating more space and time in your life, now is an ideal time to begin by cleaning your slate of your old goals.

There are many reasons for letting go of goals you haven't yet achieved. For example, you may have had the goal of losing ten pounds. This goal may be something you carried for the last five years. The energy you spent feeling guilty about the foods you eat, discussing how you need to go on a diet, and condemning yourself for not taking action, could be diverted into achieving other important goals. Letting go of unachieved goals allows new energy and new opportunities to come into your life. It also makes it easier to take action because the energy wasted on old goals is now free to be used elsewhere.

As you select your goals for 2009, identifying what matters is critical. After cleaning your slate, identify the three or four most important aspects of your life as well as what gives your life meaning. What can you not live without? The answers to these questions represent your core needs and values. Thus, when you write your goals for 2009, do so with the idea of bringing your goals into alignment with your core needs and values. Be creative and focus on activities that feel right for you.

Here are six additional strategies to help you set and achieve your goals for 2009.

1.  Clean out your goal list completely
List each of the goals that you had for 2008. No matter how much you have done to reach the goal, declare each goal to be complete. Next, clean the slate by burning your goal list in the fireplace, burying it in the back yard, or ripping up the list and tossing it in the trash. Be creative. Cleaning out your list of goals opens the door for new things to come into your life. 

2. Reduce the size of your goal list
How many goals did you declare “complete” from 2008? When you set your goals for 2008, reduce the size of your goal list by at least 50 percent. If you find yourself resisting this strategy, determine the percentage of goals that you actually set and achieved. Setting too many goals reduces your overall success since your energy is scattered in too many directions. In contrast, keeping your energy focused on achieving two or three core goals increases your probability of success. Once you reach or discard your current goals, add new ones.

3.  Identify the top five activities that worked for you in 2008
Be specific. Continue these activities in 2009 because they work. They also form the foundation upon which to create your new goals for the upcoming year.

4. Eliminate at least one activity that doesn’t support you to feel great
Whether it’s eating a chocolate bar when you’re depressed or running late for an appointment, these short term behaviors have long term consequences, the most serious of which is guilt. The way to eliminate detrimental short term behaviors is to ask, “Does this choice support me in the long term?” If not, choose differently.

5.  Focus on process rather than outcome
Rather than focusing on the end goal, focus on what you need to accomplish at a given moment in time or in a specific day. This greatly increases your likelihood of success. Also, if you miss hitting your goal for today, you can start with a clean slate tomorrow.

6. Baby steps over time result in major changes
Lao Tzu said, “A journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step.” The behaviors you engage in today are a result of consistent steps over time. Thus, the way to achieve new goals is to apply the same strategy. Take small steps over a period of time. For example, instead of setting a goal to save $10,000, identify small steps you can take to reach that goal. In this case, you could use coupons at the grocery store. Place the money you save into your bank account. The same thing is true for eliminating negative behaviors. Rather than tackling everything you want to change at once, choose one positive goal to implement and one behavior you would like to eliminate. Complete these two goals before working on anything else on your list. This will reduce your stress as well as making it easier to create long term, sustainable change.

Posted by Bernice Ross, CEO of www.RealEstateCoach.com. Do you and your family enjoy playing games. If so, get the most exciting new card game ever invented for the real estate industry, Real Estate Dough Negotiation--the 21st Century answer to Monopoly(R) and way more fun!

Mystery Santa--a Tale of Belief and Disbelief

On Friday, some very dear friends of ours invited Byron to be their six year old son's "Mystery Reader." Apparently, their first grade class has a special guest of one student each week come in and read a story to the children. Our friends had purchased a Santa suit, so Byron went completely into role and had a great time reading The Polar Express to the kids. At first, our friend's son thought that it was his dad dressed as Santa. Then he didn't know.

The first graders, however, we're quick to say, "You're not the real Santa Claus!" He couldn't possibly be with tennis shoes and a Lance Armstrong bracelet on his arm. Byron was tempted to say, "If you don't believe, no gifts for you." Of course he didn't. After the story, our friends took Byron over to pick up their 4 year old daughter from nursery school. The nursery school children knew it was the real Santa and were so excited and thrilled.

It strikes me that there is a lesson here. As we get older, we lose the joy that comes from our childhood beliefs. We find out that the world is not as magical as we used to believe. How wonderful to dream about Santa coming down the chimney or about a reindeer with a nose that glows at night.  Sadly, those simple joys are tempered by harsh realities.

My holiday wish for each of you is that you experience the simple joys of childhood. Let go of the adult, even if it is for just a day. If you don't have a family to be with, visit someone who is alone who would welcome the company. Visit your place of worship. Say thanks for all the good things in your life.

May the spirit of the holidays with you throughout 2009. Blessings to you and thank you for your readership.

Bernice Ross and Byron Van Arsdale

Free Legal Advice from Attorneys about Real Estate, General Litigation Issues, & Our Chance to Rate Them!

I just came across a really cool social media site that provides free legal advice from licensed attorneys. Real estate professionals are constantly bombarded with questions about foreclosure, bankruptcy, and a host of other issues. Unless you have a license to practice law, many of the questions clients ask are inappropriate for us to answer. This new site. www.Avvo.com is a tremendous resource for finding good attorneys in your area. Like many of the sites that are now starting to rate real estate professionals, this site provides strong feedback about the competency of attorneys in your area based upon a variety of sources of feedback.

Since this was started by the folks who started Expedia, it has a number of the same functions that would see on Expedia or Trip Advisor. Candid feedback is the name of the game.

Even more importantly, however, both you and your clients can pose questions to the attorneys. Those participating often have dialogues about the answers to sticky legal questions. While not every question gets answered, the site had a wealth of information regarding legal matters, especially in the areas of foreclosure, bankruptcy, divorce, and other real estate related issues.

What I liked most of all is that we finally get to rate attorneys--finally, you get to be the judge!

Posted by Bernice Ross, CEO of www.RealEstateCoach.com and author of the #1 Selling Book at this Year's National Association of Realtors--Real Estate Dough, Your Recipe for Real Estate Success. 

Secrets to Obtaining Your Real Estate Sales Goals in 2009

(Special thanks to Marilyn Naylor and Jerry Rossi whose work was the basis of today's column).

Looking back on 2008, did you achieve the goals you set in January? Did you write down your goals, put them away somewhere, and forget about them? If you're not hitting the goals you set, perhaps it's time to try a completely different approach to goal setting.

Numerous research studies have demonstrated the power of putting your goals in writing. Some people believe visualizing your goals will help make them a reality. While each of these approaches has merit, perhaps what you really need is to set your goals in a completely different way.

Normally, when you set a goal, you say it out loud and perhaps you write it down. We seldom use our sense of taste or smell. The challenge for most of us is that our goals tend to be strictly a mental activity. Most of us think about what we would like to achieve, but few people use all five senses as part of their goal setting process. Some people paste up pictures of a new car or picture themselves cashing a huge commission check. In each case, because the goal only involves one or two senses, it often does not become a reality.

Our society bombards our visual and auditory senses while depriving our touch, taste, and smell. To illustrate this point, have you ever walked out of a movie and felt completely drained? After working on your computer or watching TV for a long period of time, were you drawn right back in front it even though you were completely exhausted? This common experience is an important sign that you are experiencing sensory deprivation.

A constant stream of visual and auditory images on our computers, at the movies, and on our big screen televisions bombards us daily. At the same time, our touch, taste, and smell are experiencing sensory deprivation. The result is we compensate by buying popcorn, eating candy, and gulping down hot and cold drinks. While the food and drink stimulate our three other senses, our experience is still incomplete. Even though our seats for the Super Bowl are better at home, the television experience doesn't begin to approach the feelings of excitement, the roar of the crowd, the aroma of the hot dogs, and a myriad of other sensations we experience when we are physically present for the event.

Thus, the first step in setting goals that will become a reality is to make it incorporates all five senses. The second step is to turn on your imagination. Many of us munch at the movies or in front of the television. In contrast, when we're reading a good book, few of us feel need the popcorn and candy to keep us entertained. The reason for this is our imaginations are engaged.

To put the power of your imagination and all five of your senses to work in achieving your goals, begin by imagining a complete sensory experience. The next step is to make that experience as concrete as possible. For example, rather than just pasting a picture of the new car at your desk, go to the dealership and drive the car. Before you sit down, run your hands over the buttery leather seats. As you slide into the seat, notice how cool the wood-grained steering wheel feels in your hands. Breathe in the wonderful new car smell. Close your eyes and enjoy the sweet music pouring over you as you relax in the seat. Now see yourself driving to work stopping to pick up the perfect cup of coffee to celebrate reaching the goal you set. Have a friend take a picture of you in the car and make it the screensaver on your computer.

To see if this approach to goal setting works for you, identify two goals you would like to achieve before the end of 2009. For the first goal, write it down as you would normally. For the second goal, make it a "complete" goal that you write using all five senses. Imagine yourself having the complete sensory experience of achieving the goal. Keep both goals posted where you can see them. Each time you look at the complete goal, remember the full sensory experience. Next, track which goal you achieve first. Don't be surprised if your complete goals become a sweet reality.

Posted by Bernice Ross, author of the best real estate sales training book and program in the business--Real Estate Dough, Your Recipe for Real Estate Success.

Seven Ways to Increase Your Luxury Real Estate Listing Market Share

Regardless of what the market does, listings have always been the name of the game. There are actually signs that certain parts of the national luxury market are in recovery. Investors from China, concerned about the instability of their own market, are looking to park funds in West Coast luxury properties. The new wealth from other places in the world considers a U.S. luxury property to be one of the world's ultimate status symbols. The question is how can you have a larger market share of these highly desirable listings. Here are seven strategies to consider.

1.  Get rich in a niche
The NAR study showed that 88 percent of all REALTORS® earn more than 50 percent of their real estate income for their primary real estate specialty. Top producing agents normally niche their businesses to a specific neighborhood, a specific type of property such as relocation or resorts, or to a specific market segment such as first time buyers. Serving a specific luxury niche is a great way to build your business in 2009. To determine where to spend your money and your time, review your income figures from 2008. Identify the primary areas that produced the most revenue. Expanding these areas is the best way to produce more profits in 2008.

2.  Don’t rely exclusively on referral strategies
For individual agents, only 25 percent of their business is based upon referrals as opposed to 29 percent for residential brokers. These numbers increase with the agent’s longevity. For those with 16 or more years in the business, 41 percent report that more than 50 percent of their business comes from referrals. The bottom line is that if you want to increase your business in 2008, on average you can expect 25 percent of your business to come from your referral database. The other 75 percent must come from other sources. To keep your business strong, utilize referral strategies, web based strategies, as well as working with the tried and true fundamental lead generation strategies.

3.  Respond immediately to consumer inquiries
Consumers today expect immediate response to their inquiries. The younger they are, the greater this expectation is. Given that the median age for agents is 51 vs. 32 for the median age of first time buyers, there is a considerable gap between how each group communicates. Only 23 percent of the brokers surveyed reported having wireless email. This means that 77 percent of the agents are unable to respond to their emails while they are out in the field. An even smaller number know how to text message. If you haven’t upgraded to one of the new smart phones and learned how to text, now is the time to take the leap. Text messaging is actually quite simple. Type a message on your phone and then hit the send message button. Unlike email where the receiver has to go on-line and open their email program, a text message appears automatically on the recipient’s telephone.

4.  Customize your personal website—don’t rely on your broker’s site
Surprisingly, only 35 percent of all REALTORS® have a website that they developed and maintain. Thirty-nine percent lack a website and 27 percent rely exclusively on their broker’s website. Furthermore, there is a direct correlation between the amount of money agents spend to maintain their website and how much they earn from their site: the more money they spend, the more money they earn. To gain a competitive edge, expand your personal website. You may also want to consider providing each one of your sellers with their own personal website that uses the property address as the URL. An excellent resource is www.AgentToolboxPro.com. This is the best bargain in the business at only $49.95 per month.

5.  Earn a NAR designation
For the most part the public doesn’t understand the alphabet soup of REALTOR® designations. Nevertheless, additional training increases your professionalism and differentiates your services from those provided by competitors. Also, since 70 percent of all REALTORS® lack designations, the time and effort is worthwhile to help you stand out professionally. Those who hold designations are among the best in the business. When they make referrals, they normally refer to someone who shares the same designations that they have. The latest numbers show that 18 percent hold GRI designations, 8 percent hold the CRS designation, and 9 percent have an e-Pro designation.

6.  Blogging
Of all the opportunities to distinguish your services from those provided by other brokers in 2008, blogging is probably the best with the least amount of competition at this time. Only two percent of the agents “frequently use blogs” vs. 88 percent who “rarely or never use blogs.” Four percent of the survey respondents had blogs. The younger the agents, the more likely they are to have a blog. 2008 is an excellent time to start blogging because of the limited competition. If you can establish your blog as the one with market dominance in your area this year, it can generate leads for you for years to come.

7.  Podcasting
This is one of the hottest trends among Gen X and Gen Y, yet very few agents have recognized the potential that podcasting (computer audio broadcasting) has for growing their business. Only one percent of the agents report that they regularly use podcasts vs. 94 percent who rarely or never use podcasts. Implementing a weekly podcast to your referral database with information about the local market as well as good luxury property buys in the area is an excellent way to build your credibility as well as to acquire more clients.

Posted by Bernice Ross--Would you like $1,000,000 in Real Estate Dough(TM)? Order Real Estate Dough Your Recipe for Real Estate Success, the best selling real estate book at the National Association of Realtors Conference in 2008, and get your million bucks of dough.

Are You at Risk for a Heart Attack or Other Major Illness--Take this Quiz to find out

According to Dr. Pearsall's research, there are two behavior patterns that contribute to major illness. He's termed these two patterns, "Hot Reactors" and "Cold Reactors."  To determine if either of these patterns fits you, answer the following items as "True" or "False." (Scoring is at the end of Part 2)

Part 1

1.  I never seem to have enough time. Consequently I've gotten quite good at multitasking.

2.  People sometimes tell me I'm too quick to anger.

3.  I'm extremely competitive

4.  I have absolutely no patience for long lines or for stupid people.

5.  I tend to be very restless—sitting still is simply not my style.

6.  I don't have as much power as I really need and deserve.

7.  I don't let people get too close to me—you never know when they're going to double cross you.

8.  I tend to hold my tension in my necks and shoulders.

9.  When I look in the mirror, there are brown circles under my eyes.

10.  I have a vertical crease where my earlobe joins my face.

Pattern 2

1.  When things go wrong, it's generally my fault.

2.  I like to check and double check my work.

3.  My life is pretty dismal—there's not much to be happy about.

4.  I usually give in, even when I know I'm right.

5.  I have a tough time deciding what to do—it's hard for me to make up my mind.

6.  I often feel inadequate—it seems like everything I do is simply not good enough.

7.  I pretty much view the world as being black and white—What's right is right and what's wrong is wrong.

8.  I worry constantly about being separated from those I love.

9.  I keep my emotions to myself.

10. I spend a great deal of my time and effort on nurturing others.

Scoring:  Count up the number of "Trues" for each section.  If you have five or more "Trues" in Section 1, you are what is called a "Hot Reactor." This is the behavior pattern associated with, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, Arthritis, Allergy, and Asthma. Of special concern in Section 1 are the last 2 items—the brown circles under the eyes and the vertical crease at the base of the earlobe where it joins the face. Research has repeatedly shown that these two features are physical markers for heart disease. Their presence, according to Dr. Pearsall, is an immediate call to action to change your lifestyle now.

If you answered with five or more "Trues" in Section 2, you are what is called a "Cold Reactor." This is the behavior pattern associated with an underactive immune system resulting in increased viral and bacteriological infections and cell disease, i.e. cancer.

If you had less than four or less "Trues" in both sections, you are probably living a life that puts you at much less risk for serious illness. 

 

Posted by Bernice Ross, the home of Real Estate Dough, the best new real estate sales training book at NAR 2008

Cool Gift for the Person Who Has Everything--Chumby

 Do you know what a Chumby is? It looks like a digital alarm clock, but it is so much more.  A “Chumby” can function as a dashboard for your computer or you can purchase a “Chumby clock.” The clock is a little larger than a coffee cup and connects to your wireless network. Once you download the applications you want, you can personalize your selections. Wake up to your favorite music, podcasts, or television shows. Chumby provides you with the weather forecast, a live video feed of traffic in many areas, sports scores in real time, up-to-the minute news reports, as well as favorite radio and television shows. It also allows you to view your pictures, play online games, manage your MySpace and Facebook accounts, track auctions on Ebay, search classified sites such as Craigslist, play games, and send e-cards.

If you’re still tethered to your desk for computing functions, a Chumby can help you break away for a minimal cost. Use your Chumby to experience all web-based functions when and how you want them. Chumby can play an important role in making your environment as supportive as possible. It would also make a great closing or hoilday client for the person who seems to have everything. 

 

Posted by Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com

Do you an/or family enjoy playing games? If so, get the most exciting new card game ever invented for the real estate industry--Real Estate Dough the Negotiation Game. Those who have played have said, "It's the 21st Century version of Monopoly(R) and way more fun!"

Thinking About a New Computer for Your Real Estate Business? Some Issues to Consider

Upgrading your computer today means that you will probably have to learn a whole new operating system. The question is doing the upgrade and learning a new system worth the effort. In almost every case, an upgrade will take you time to learn, however, it will save you time in the long run.

From my perspective, the three primary options are these:

1.  Upgrade to a new PC with Windows Vista

2.  Upgrade to a tablet PC with XP or Vista

3.  Upgrade to the new Apple Power Book

Before making the decision, you also must consider what cell phone technology that you will be using. Whatever you select, should be totally integrated into computer system.

Since I'm in the market currently for a new machine, here are some of the pros and cons of each choice.

1. Upgrade to a new PC with Windows Vista--bad choice in my opinion. Rather than inventing a new platform, the folks at Microsoft elected to take the XP platform, which is a good, stable system, and load it up with a bunch of new applications. This now causes regular crashes and slows the system down substantially in many respects. Furthermore, the system is not "backward compatible" with previous Microsoft applications. Since Windows does not allow easy integration with other systems, you're pretty much stuck using Internet Explorer and Outlook.

2.  Upgrade to a Tablet PC, preferably with Windows XP. From what I understand, you can still obtain Windows Tablet PC programs. This is a great choice for active agents since it allows you to be completely mobile. Clients sign on your tablet and you can literally keep all of your files digitally. Tablets convert your handwriting into a Word Document plus providing an excellent digital record of every aspect of your transaction including when clients opened your email communications to them.

If you're considering a tablet PC, the question is whether you get one from Motion Computer, the only manufacturer who provides a detachable keyboard, or do you go with an attached keyboard from one of the other major manufacturers. The beauty of the detachable keyboard is that when you use the hand writing function, the weight of the machine is about 3 pounds. he portable keyboards aren't as durable and adding the keyboard makes it significantly heavier. (I'm on my 4th keyboard in 3 years and need to replace my current one since it lost a key.) A different challenge is that with the free standing tablet is that you have to plug in your CD-DVD as an external drive. The Motion docking station is cool for when you're at your desk. Just drop your machine in and go. For a review of the various tablets and to get your tablet software visit www.VREO.com. My tablet has functioned well with my Palm--easy synching and calendaring using the Palm software. It would probably be a poor choice if you want an iPhone. The Google Android would probably work well, but these phones are still so new it's hard to tell which manufacturer will have the best application.

3. Upgrade to the Mac Book Pro. I have really enjoyed my tablet, but I'm not actively using my handwriting function on a regular basis. I use the snipping function regularly and this is now available on both the MAC and PC. For me, I'll probably make the move to Apple. Apple has just recently released their latest software upgrade The system is stable like XP, but provides more functionality. Bootcamp is included (it lets you run Windows faster and more efficiently than any of the PC software.) It also integrates nicely with the iPhone.

My big objection to the iPhone was the inability to cut and paste links. Apple just released a new application that allows you to "share this." This is a simple way to share videos, podcasts, blog posts, etc. without having to cut and paste. I've watched my husband with his iPhone and it does some very cool things. The photos are almost as good as our regular digital camera. You also have the benefit of having an iPod as well. What appeals to me is that the system updates your hard disk, updates their backup system, and your iPhone simultaneously. Everything is in synch. The primary challenge you would experience relying on the iPhone would be potential lack of compatibility with your MLS lockbox functions.

It's probably tempting not to change if everything in your system is stable. Nevertheless, if your machine is more than 3 years old, it may be time to upgrade to something faster that can handle the video and social networking applications of tomorrow.

Posted by Bernice Ross, CEO, RealEstateCoach.com, the home of the most innovative and comprehenseive real estate sales coaching and real estate sales training in the world. Visit www.RealEstateDough.com to view what's new for 2009!

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