Richmond Hill Ga Homes - Why we Blog

Why We Blog

Richmond Hill GA Real Estate

For many of us the idea of blogging is a very new concept, one of which we may not be or may not have been very comfortable with. For most of us the reasons why we blog range from maybe we heard a top producer in real estate tell us we must blog for SEO organic placement for our website, we might have heard someone tell us we need to blog to be known as the community expert, maybe we’re blogging just to gather information from other regions of the country, or we might blog because we just like doing it.

Funny thing happened on the way to building my Active Rain blog points. I came in to Active Rain with selfish motives of creating a perfectly structured blog post with the proper title, key words, and back links. I was looking for organic placement on the search engines. Search engines and directories love new content for websites and strong back links to relevant or useful information. I made it my mission to try to post a blog every day with the proper structure to help me get free traffic to my website.

As you become a part of the Active Rain community you begin to realize that you see trends before other Realtors. You get a feel for how the national real estate market is doing by reading blog posts every day. You’ll see a great condo in Los Angeles, beautifully priced and see it sell in a short period of time. You see a New York City row house listed and sold at an incredible number. You notice that the vacation homes in Destin, Florida are selling better than they have in years. You can see all of these positive changes in the way the real estate agents are conducting business. More importantly, you see how they feel about their market.

In reality, thinking about it, Active Rain is a case study for the day-to-day activities in Real Estate. We are privy to look in to the lives and business of thousands of people around the country. At least once a week I read a blog post and say to myself, “Wow, that’s another way of looking at it!”, or “That’s a clever idea, I think I’ll try it!”

For anyone new, just entering the real estate business and considering what they should do to generate business, they should look at Active Rain and realize it’s not coincidental that the top producers or top 10% earners in real estate are posting blogs to Active Rain.

Richmond Hill Ga Real Estate

Richmond Hill Ga Real Estate - The Monday Blues

Richmond Hill GA Real Estate

The Monday Blues

I vaguely remember my life before real estate, but I do remember one thing – The Sunday night dread that the next day is Monday, the start of a new work week. For the last 15 years I haven’t felt that dread. I read somewhere that when you find your passion that your profession will not feel like a job. I ask people all the time that are in other professions; do you have the Sunday night dread starting the new work week Monday morning? The overwhelming response to that is “Yes, I hate Mondays!”

When I am in the process of counseling or mentoring a new real estate agent; or working with a seasoned Realtor that is in a little bit of a funk and needs to get the spark back for their business, I always ask them that question “Do you have or feel that Sunday night dread that it’s Monday and the weekend is over?” It will tell you a lot about a person and their profession if they answer the question truthfully.

I am quite often surprised that I get paid for what I do because of that passion I have for real estate. I love helping buyers find homes, I love negotiating contracts for sellers. I love to drive through a neighborhood and see my signs. Even on the days when I hear “Oh, we bought a for sale by owner over the weekend.”, “We’ve decided to take the home off the market and sell it next year.”, or “I was thinking $200.00 would be enough earnest money.”

For me even what would be considered a bad day for most real estate agents is a small bump in the road of life. I have learned a lot in the last 15 years. I am past the phase where I wanted to be the #1 Realtor in my market. I’m past the phase where I want to see my name on billboards and in print ads. I’m in a great place of wanting to do a great job all the time and help make people happy. Never think about the money and it will come. Never count the listings and they will grow. Never guess on the number of buyers that you will have and they will double.

I do realize that a positive attitude can make the best of any situation. If you love what you do and where you are, a positive attitude is easy. I guess it is possible to fake passion or treat real estate as a job, a source to make an income but I bet that if you took this approach you would still have the Sunday night dread.

What inspired my blog this morning is a bumper sticker that said “Follow your bliss.”

Richmond Hill Ga Real Estate

Richmond Hill Ga home for sale

Fire me Please!!!!! Richmond Hill Ga Real Estate.

Every one of us has had the listing that would not sell!. It is priced right (ok now it’s finally priced right) it’s clean. It’s in a good community. It’s in a great price range. The school district is good. WHY WON”T THIS HOME SELL?????? I have come to believe that sometimes it’s about luck and timing more than logic. Did we miss our window for selling the home when we were overpriced? Did the home become stale on the MLS? At this point I have to ask if some crime was committed in the home that I wasn’t aware of. I know that every home will sell eventually. If I hear the seller tell me one more time that the house down the street with the 50 cats sold in a month for more than our list price, I will scream!!!. How many updates can I give the seller with the same feedback? ‘ the home was nice. Just not for my clients’. At this point I think that if I drop the home to one dollar, someone would tell me it was overpriced. May be the home needs a new Realtor? Hey, I know that I am good, okay maybe great but this home is a weight around my neck. I know I know what you are thinking, take it out of the MLS and start over as if it was a new listing. Done that. Hey I know , Re-take the pictures and video. Done that . What about an Open house of the Realtors to give feed back to the seller on why the home is not selling? Done that too. Is this home is just an unlucky home with me? I know that as soon as a new Realtor gets this home it will sell. That is how it goes with situations like this. You know it’s bad when you see the sellers number come up on your phone and you say out loud before you answer it, FIRE ME PLEASE!! No such Luck, Just wanted to tell me that the flyer box is empty. Homes like these remind us to appreciate the ones that sell on a “Normal” time frame. I have to go, I need to plan the 10^th open house !!!

Fire Me please!! Richmond Hill Ga home for sale.

Richmond Hill Ga- Most Common Realtor Illnesses

Most Common Realtor Illnesses - Savannah Area Real Estate

Most Common Realtor Illnesses - Savannah Area Real Estate. I often wonder to myself what might be the death of me. Texting and driving? Phoning and driving? Eating chicken wings and driving? Maybe all of the above. The good news is, I don't practice any of the above. (As far as you know). Or will I die of some other more common affliction?

With some other Realtors, I've noticed other afflictions/illnesses that have very serious and dire consequences. Most of these afflictions and illnesses are curable and preventable if caught early. Let's examine some of the most common illnesses now.

Don'tcallyoubackeveritis: this one is rampant in the Real Estate industry. We all experience this, usually when you need something the most, the other Realtor refuses to call you back. Ever.

Neverreturnanemailaphobia: I have to believe this illness is due to a fear of something. Maybe if someone doesn't return your calls (see don'tcallyoubackitis) I guess maybe they just don't want to hear your voice, but with email they don't have to hear your voice. Just send me a dang email!

Showingfeedbackilirium: if you have a particularly tough client's home listed, you will inevitably never get feedback from the agents showing that home.

Forgetstoleaveabusinesscardinosis: this agent is also prone to Noshowinosis.

Multiple personality disorder: this is quite common. As there are highs and lows in Real Estate, the Agent suffering from this disease may display extreme happiness, extreme sadness, manic behavior and they may talk to themselves as well as imaginary friends. Unfortunately, this usually occurs at the closing table.

Speaking of closing table, can'tshutupinitis aka diarrhea of the mouth: this illness most often rears its ugly head when pretentious agents want to tell the whole world about their many extravagant vacations. Clients don't want to hear about any of this. The only known treatment for this disease is ostracism, cause these people sure can't take a hint.

Oldlistingnecrosis: an agent leaves a listing on the Internet or on their website for nine years after it sold. Give it up! Stop bragging and go get another listing for Pete's sake!

Whatever the illness, rest assured, you will most likely see it if you stay in the business for any amount of time. What are some of your least favorite Real Estate Afflictions?

In any case call The Randy Bocook Team for therapy or treatment and in some extreme cases Euthanasia. We sell Real Estate in The Savannah GA and Richmond Hill GA area. And we don't suffer from any of these afflictions.

By: Mark Douglas, Lead Agent
The Randy Bocook Team


Mark A Douglas, Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Richmond Hill
(912) 659-0096

Richmond Hill- Representing The New Construction Buyer

Richmond Hill GA Real Estate

Representing the New Construction Buyer

As a Realtor, our job can be complex or simple. We can represent the seller, a buyer, we can be a transaction agent only, and we can give advice. It’s understood there are certain times that a real estate agent’s knowledge and expertise comes in to play, such as representing a first time home buyer on their very first purchase. One valuable representation is representing a buyer through the purchase of a new construction home, whether you are buying a spec home on the ground, completed or near complete, or representing a buyer on a custom build from start to finish. Most of the time even a seasoned buyer may have purchased only one or two homes in their lifetime so the process of building a home probably will be foreign to them and your knowledge and expertise will be much needed.

Things that you should consider when representing a buyer for a new construction home –

· How financially strong is the builder?

· Does he or she pay their bills on time?

· How long have they been in business?

· What about their follow through? Do they come back and finish punch list items on a home?

· Who will we be dealing with during the construction of the home? The builder themselves or a superintendant?

· What are the builder’s walk-through policies?

· Is the builder open to independent home inspections prior to closing?

· Does the builder have references? Other homeowners that he’s built for that we can go see their homes and ask their opinion on their experience with the builder?

Let’s don’t forget a very important one –

· How much will the builder pay you, as a real estate agent, for representing a buyer? Does the builder have his own representation?

A couple things to think about to make the transaction go by smoother – A lot of times the builder and the buyer in what I call “the honeymoon phase” when they’re meeting, discussing and planning out the start of construction. The relationship could not be any better early on but one person’s vision might not be the other person’s expectations. So as a real estate agent, being present at all meetings and being that extra set of eyes and ears, taking good notes, is critical in buyer representation of a new construction home. Trust me, you’re going to get a question similar during the process “What kind of mailbox are we going to have?”, or “Is the builder going to plant any trees in the yard?”, I counsel my buyers who I represent during the build of a new construction home that most builders are ego driven (in a good way), if we kill them with kindness when that surprise pops up such as the wall is in the wrong place, or that’s not the hardwoods we picked out they are more apt to come in and help us to try to make us happy.

The process can be very rewarding and very challenging. It will make you a better real estate agent by being part of the process.

Representing The New Construction Buyer

Richmond Hill Georgia Real Estate- Ebb and Flow

Ebb and Flow of Real Estate

I can’t think of another profession where you have peaks and valleys as drastic as Real Estate. The good is great and the bad is horrible. One weekend you have 5 buyers at the same time, and then three weekends in a row you don’t have a single appointment. Trying to figure out this mystery is one of the toughest things in the world to do. The person who can come up with the answer to this riddle will be RICH!

It’s not like these buyers know each other and that they all conspire to come in on the same weekend. They usually are in unrelated professions, have unrelated circumstances; yet they are all brought in to town to buy a home. Sometimes the logic is as simple as a holiday giving them a long weekend granting them time to come in to town to shop for homes. How do you explain the random weekend in April or May with no holidays of any significance on any particular weekend and your schedule is full? Is it the luck of the draw or coincidence? Maybe.

Real Estate success is based on the effectiveness of the systems you have in place. What you do today that may seem insignificant will directly affect your pay down the road. Forgetting to blog, post craigslist, return emails, return phone calls and other small details may happen with no immediate repercussions. Forgetting these small things build in to having a nonproductive week or weekend.

Trust what you’re doing is productive and right, and realize that real estate is a business of small victories, small details and it adds up to a big result. When you have a weekend with no buyers in place – that’s the time that you need to turn it on, ramp it up, and send your hand written notes, canvas neighborhoods, knock on doors, attend open houses, call those “for sale by owners” and get your organization and structure disciplined.

Think of a non-appointment weekend as your chance to replenish the shelves after a really busy shopping day. Get your displays in order and get your product looking good for the next wave of shoppers coming in for home buying!

Richmond Hill A Real Estate

To Doo or Not To Doo- Richmond Hill Ga Real Estate

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To doo or not to doo - Richmond Hill, Ga Real Estate (edit/delete)

To doo or not to doo - Richmond Hill, Ga Real Estate

My kids are always asking for things they "need". I hear they need iPads and I hear they need new clothes or shoes. As humans, there are a few basic necessities that we actually "need". Food, shelter, coffee and... a bathroom.

As the lead agent on a successful Real Estate Team, The Randy Bocook Team, I probably get to show more homes than the very vast majority of agents in the Savannah, GA suburb town, Richmond Hill. Basically, I help people find shelter. Thankfully, the majority of these shelters have bathrooms as well! I often find myself showing homes to families with children of all ages. I've learned there is a phenomenon that most children are afflicted with when looking at homes. The phenomenon involves the need to use the restroom of what seems like every home they set foot in!

There is no harsher laxative to a child than the absolute absence of toilet tissue. Kids have bladders like camels until they smell the freshly cleaned restroom of a newly listed home. One of my Richmond Hill colleagues recently had to carry her young son along with her to show homes. The young lad, well into his potty-training and quite proud of this fact, let his mom know he had to go "number one". So he did... In a foreclosure home... which had been winterized. Luckily, there was just enough water in the tank to flush. However, unluckily for mom and client, after the child finished, he was struck... with the need to go... "number two". No child who is the potty-training age can hold it either.

The remedy to this situation involved neighbors, borrowed paper, a bucket of water and a very understanding client.

Be honest. It's happened to all of us. When a person or persons come into town to look at homes, they are off their game so to speak. They eat out at restaurants, they are sleeping at a hotel in a strange bed and it's just not their routine. So I find it happens quite often that someone will ask if I think the homeowner will mind if they used the restroom. Sometimes they are quite embarrassed. Even more so when they fail to notice the lack of toilet tissue in new construction homes.

My "Real Estate Survival Kit" includes toilet tissue for just that reason. I learned long ago that clients appreciate me keeping handy these few things: a tape measure, a flashlight and a roll of toilet paper.

Come to Richmond Hill, Ga! I'm prepared! To doo or not to doo - Richmond Hill, Ga Real Estate

By Mark Douglas of The Randy Bocook Team


Mark A Douglas, Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Richmond Hill