Professionalism – What Should Your REALTOR Do?

Well, Christmas has passed and now is the to get busy with putting your house on the market and hunting for the new one. Yes, you usually do that during the spring and summer months, but with the election and the economy and all, you just didn't get around to it. That is exactly the sediment of many sellers who will start to get their homes on the market and it can't happen a day too soon.

So, since you are going to be in the market for a REALTOR, we thought we would spend a few minutes and discuss one of the key things you need to look for - Professionalism! Opps- we're not going to make to many friends with some in my profession - oh well. Yes, marketing is important, but in our opinion it all starts with Professionalism. As you begin your search, let's look at a few key ingredients to help you make you decision:

1. Dress: Coats and ties are not necessary and we understand that pantyhose are over rated. However, your REALTOR should dress professionally. Blue jeans and shorts are great for around the house - they are totally inappropriate for your REALTOR to be wearing when they meet you or any potential seller or buyer.
   
2. Work Hours: In our opinion this is a huge one. No one needs to be in the office 80 hours a week - but you want to hire a full-time professional REALTOR. Not someone who plays at real estate kind of like they do with their golf game. Truthfully, if they have another job outside of the real estate professional that "they earn their living at" then they are truly just playing with real estate. You need a professional - not someone who doesn't believe enough in their own real estate skills to support their family.
   
3. Communication: Wow! This is a huge issue with many clients I speak to. It always goes something like this - when they came out to interview for the job (the listing presentation) they seemed so put together. But once I hired them I never, ever heard from them again. And if I wanted to talk to the agent, I called their office and all I could ever get was an assistant. If the agent can't guarantee you that you can talk to them the same day - and not one of their assistants - then DO NOT hire them.
   
4. Monday we will look at some basics for Marketing that you need to ensure your REALTOR can do - until then, good luck and happy selling!
   

The Bill & Ann Team Christmas Letter

During this last year Ann and Bill have been extremely blessed by our Friends, Family, Clients and Customers.  We were able to help over 95 families achieve their buying and selling goals.  Reflecting on the year, a lot has happened and we could not be happier. 

 
 

Our daughter LeAnne is now a senior at Midlothian High School.  She is heavily involved in the Music Department and sings in several choirs including the Show Choir – Almost Broadway.  LeAnne has had a GREAT year.  This year, she did something different – she took part of her summer and went to Japan on a Mission Trip with Super Summer Global.  Many people in our church donated money so that LeAnne could attend and LeAnne did several things to raise money.  Ann and I were quite proud of our daughter for wanting to go on this trip and we have seen her grow significantly in all areas of her life since coming back from the trip.  Other highlights of her year was the decision to attend University of North Texas for college, making the Show Choir, singing in numerous concerts throughout Midlothian and even one at UTA.  We are truly blessed and are very proud parents.

 
 

Personally, we have continued to grow our Adult Bible Fellowship at FBC Midlothian where we attend church.  We have a GREAT group of folks who make up our class.  Ann grew one of the biggest gardens in the State of Texas and then canned literally hundreds of jars of vegetables.  By the way, if you want some of the best pickles in the world simply let us know and we'll send you a jar – they are very, very good.  Bill still managed to get in several rounds of golf and has actually had time to work on improving his game.  He'll never make it on the professional tour, but he does enjoy chasing that ball around.

 
 

Business wise, Ann has continued to excel in her Real Estate career.  Early in the year she was recognized on stage at the CENTURY 21 International Convention in Orlando, Florida for being one of the Top Agents in the CENTURY 21 System for her customer service.  Shortly after, she earned all Top Producer and Agent awards for her office performance in 2007 and because of her performance, she also earned an All-Expense paid trip through CENTURY 21 Judge Fite.  We were able to take that trip with over 50 other agents from our company in April.  A week long cruise that was absolutely wonderful (they are much nicer when you don't have to pay for them.)

 
 

April saw many changes in our life.  For years, Bill has been managing offices for CENTURY 21 Judge Fite and for the last five years had managed their largest office and the Number 21 Office in the World for Closed Unit Production in the CENTURY 21 System.  While that was challenging and exciting, we always wanted to sell together again.  So, in April Bill resigned his position and joined Ann again in sales as The Bill & Ann Team.  We have had a ton of fun selling together again.  Yes, some people might question our wisdom at going back into sales during the worse real estate market in years.  However, we simply stayed focused and have had a great year. 

 
 

No one knows for sure what 2009 will bring, but our goal is to build relationships with our friends and customers and continue to help 100s of families achieve their real estate goals. 

 
 

In closing, Ann, Bill and LeAnne wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year. 

 
 

God Bless.

Now is the Time!

As 2008 rapidly and thankfully comes to an end, we welcome in 2009. If the last three weeks are any indication, we can expect a huge jump in Real Estate activity in 2009 in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Yes, it is true, 2008 was a very slow year compared to some of our most recent years of activity – however, we still helped over 90 families achieve their real estate goals of selling their houses and buying new homes.

If you were considering placing your home on the market in 2008 but were afraid to do so because of all of the bad press – now is the time to get it done. Let me explain a few reasons why:

1. 
   There is a lot of penned up demand for homes. Buyers have been holding off on making new purchases, in part because of the media, in part because of the economy and in part because 2008 was an election year. We have seen an increase in buyer activity recently in our area and we know of several buyers who are now or will be making offers. You don't want to miss this opportunity.
   
2. Interest Rates are at all time lows. Believe it or not, interest rates can be found for 30 year fixed, FHA loans for under 4.5%. Buyers know they will not go lower – I mean, how much lower can the Fed Rate go – zero is zero right? Buyers are buying.
   
3. Incentives Abound. First time home buyers can receive a Tax Credit of up to $7,500, but the Tax Credit is only good for the next three months. How does it work, a first time home buyer or a person who has not owned a home in three years can purchase a home and receive a credit of up to $7,500 on their taxes. This amounts to a check in the amount of $7,500 added to their tax refund for the buyer. Yes, they have to pay it back - $500.00 a year – but it is interest free. There is also talk in Congress of removing the payback requirement. Buyers know about the credit and they know it disappears in three months.
   

So what does this mean to you? Iit means you need to get your home on the market today in order to be there for the buyers who are going to buy. The Bill & Ann Team believe 2009 will be a GREAT year for everyone who decides to sell and buy real estate!