The Happy Home Seller

By Ross Wilson

For Sale By Owner Guide

The Happy Home Seller is a must-read for anyone contemplating a private or brokerage-facilitated sale of their city, suburban or rural home or condo. An insightful resource for consumers curious about the ins and outs of selling real property, this book is your personal expert guide through a risky and what can sometimes be a complex process.

Though written by a veteran Canadian real estate broker, the fundamental principles described are applicable virtually anywhere in the civilized world. It's all about human relationships.  

The author has created an easy-read digest of the extensive knowledge and experience that blessed him with a rewarding 44-year career in an industry that notably decries a very high attrition rate.

Whether you plan a private sale, completely alone or with a FSBO service, or you prefer to find and hire a skilled and reliable agent, the advice you'll find within could make the difference between a great sale and no sale.

Get answers to popular questions such as:

• What's the best way to market my home?
• Should I go private or hire a brokerage?
• What expenses and fees should I expect?
• How can I find and hire a good agent?
• How do I determine market value?
• How should I prepare my home?
• What's the best listing strategy?
• How should I advertise?
• How do I hold a great open house?
• How do I show my own home?
• How do I close a buyer, and when?
• How do I negotiate an offer?
• How do I create a bidding war?
• And much more.

Designed as a guiding compass for homeowners wanting to maximize their sale price, minimize their expenses and obtain a sale in the shortest period of time – with or without an agent, The Happy Home Seller may also nudge you down a new path of self-discovery towards the achievement of an enriched, harmonious life of love, joy and abundance.

About the Author

After a brief stint in the new home sales industry, Ross Wilson entered the resale realty business. Now retired, he can boast an extraordinary career as a sales rep, broker/owner, manager, trainer and mentor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ross Wilson
• Release date: Feb 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9780993600937

Book preview

Title

The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS®, MLS® and Multiple Listing Service®

are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) in Canada and owned by the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) in the USA, and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA or NAR. Used under license.

Cover by Rena Hoberman, Cover Quill Book Cover Design

Interior Design by Indie Publishing Group

ISBN 978-0-9936009-2-0 (p-book)

ISBN 978-0-993600-3-7 (e-book)

Digital and Paperback Editions

Copyright© 2019 by Ross W Wilson

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without specific written permission from the author.

Significant excerpts contained herein are used with specific authorised permission.

Disclaimer

While every attempt has been made to provide accurate and current information, due to the constantly changing nature of our industry, I cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of any information provided.

All information offered is not to be construed as legal, financial, medical or psychological advice. Since all editorial comments herein are merely my personal opinion, seek skilled guidance from an appropriate professional.

I mean no offence to any particular person, group or association and apologize if they happen to find any of my comments offensive.

Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others, for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received. Albert Einstein

Gratitude

This book is dedicated to all the sales people, brokers, managers and trainers who, wittingly or otherwise,

helped throughout my career by showing me both the better way and the worse way of practicing real estate and living life.

I especially wish to express my gratitude to all those agents with whom I’ve

shared a warm, cordial and mutually respectful relationship over the years;

you know who you are. I shall be forever grateful for your kind friendship,

and to

The countless wonderful homeowners who, over the decades, entrusted

their real estate needs, along with those of their friends, family and

business associates, to me again and again. For without that trust,

I would not have enjoyed such a long and fruitful realty career,

and to

Melanie and Joanna Wilson (https://wilsonsisters.com/),

both successful Toronto to Hamilton, Ontario agents, who picked up

my torch many years ago to become highly successful and ethical Realtors®.

I am grateful for their love and continuing enthusiastic encouragement,

and to

Marian Irene Lucy Therese Gain, a warm-hearted former realty agent who

magically transformed into my best friend and true love of my life,

with whose support and guidance I have achieved much joy, happiness and learning.

She is one of the kindest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.

Contents

Preface

Section I - Clues and Views

Chapter One - The Way We Were

Chapter Two - People or Pecuniary?

Chapter Three - One Agent: Loyalty

Section II - Nuts and Bolts

Chapter Four - Fizzbo

Chapter Five - Home Evaluation

Chapter Six - The Gist of List

Chapter Seven - Preparing For Market

Chapter Eight - Callers, Clients and Prospects – Oh My!

Chapter Nine - Espousing Open Housing

Chapter Ten - A Manner of Closing

Chapter Eleven - Contract Cruxes

Chapter Twelve - Proffer an Offer: Techniques and Methodology

Chapter Thirteen - Big Decision: Buy or Sell First?

Chapter Fourteen - Bidding Wars: Love ‘em or Hate ‘em?

Chapter Fifteen - The Tough Sale

Chapter Sixteen - Fees, Commissions and Discounting

Chapter Seventeen - The Art of Conversation

Chapter Eighteen - The Lingo

Section III - Realty Reality Manifesting Success

Chapter Nineteen - Who Are You? Who, Who?

Chapter Twenty - Happy Faces

Chapter Twenty-One - Believing is Seeing

Chapter Twenty-Two - Thoughts are Things

Chapter Twenty-Three - Evolutionary Changes

Chapter Twenty-Four - Awareness

Chapter Twenty-Five - Relief in Belief

Quotation References

Further Reading

About the Author

Man is the religious animal. He is the only religious animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion – several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbour as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn’t straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother’s path to happiness and heaven. Mark Twain

Preface

Convergence and Emergence

When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. John Ruskin

Conceived to be a convergence of two streams of thought – material and spiritual – the advice, information and personal anecdotes herein are the compilation of a lifetime of experience, study, observation and critical independent thought. The subtle merging of these streams has richly contributed to my life in ways I never fully anticipated when more than two score years ago, I obtained my government real estate salesman registration. And from this merging has emerged a lovely pool of accomplishments in both areas of my life.

The first and largest stream, elaborated in the first two sections of the book, includes a practical approach to selling your home – the nuts and bolts, so to speak. Thankfully, my peers taught me – advertently and inadvertently – various techniques, skills and philosophies that resonated with me, which I adopted into my professional tool kit. I’ve learned what I felt were the best practices, and the worst. I also grew to understand why, aside from a lack of exposure, an exceedingly small percentage of private sale attempts achieve a successful sale. (Actually, a lot of homes listed with brokerages fail to sell too, often for the same reasons.) And why a huge majority of agents fail within the first five years of their career. And why more than half of the industry’s members generate zero or only one transaction annually.

To improve the odds of achieving a successful private sale, you’ll discover a collection of ethical sales techniques, step-by-step methodologies and principled smart tools. All are immediately implementable into your sales and marketing efforts. Along with valuable and commonly misunderstood industry information, you’ll also find practical advice on how to confidently communicate with your prospective buyers. Or if you choose to hire a brokerage, how to select and hire a listing agent. And there’s info to help with your choices – at the appropriate moment during the home selling process.

The second smaller, but no less significant stream described in the third section, introduces a more esoteric approach to life. The ideas touched upon – supported by popular, credible forward-thinking leaders in their respective fields – may shake your world a little and nudge you down a new path of self-discovery.

By offering this information, I hope to help you harmonize the two chief components of your life – personal and professional – and to understand the source of true happiness. Think of it as a build it and they will come sort of thing; find personal happiness and watch your material dreams, including your realty goals, materialize.

Since it’s not an exhaustive treatise on any theoretical aspects of life, I’m not promising the ultimate answers to all your life dreams. It’s designed simply as an overture, a whetting of your appetite, if you will, to delve further into the examination of self and to appreciate the wonderful mysteries of life.

Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. John Kenneth Galbraith

If your goals continue to elude you, and if your mind’s door is ajar, get ready for at least a sliver of light to penetrate that crack. To change your life, you must think, feel and behave differently. You possess the power of choice to go beyond the self-imposed and perpetually rationalized limiting boundaries of your personal no-grow comfort zone. I invite you to empower yourself to attract more positive people into your life, and through your front door.

Unbolt your mind and open your heart. For if you glean just one new idea from this book, your choice to invest both a pittance of your money and time will have been a judicious one. If you’re not a seeker of knowledge while in the stream of life, you’re just treading water. And we all know what eventually happens with no or slow progress – exhaustion and unhappiness. What’s the solution? Learn how to swim in your life stream and float happily down Victory River, and with an Agreement of Purchase and Sale in your pocket.

We work to live – not live to work. (we live to love, but I’ll get to that later.) By being the best you can be, the most skilful in your endeavour and by loving yourself and your life, you’ll begin every new day with a spring in your step. It’s my hope that you achieve a successful home sale, but more important, realize your life dreams. I hope you undergo a life paradigm shift in the process, a delicate and gradual metamorphosis where your attitude about life rallies to the point at which you become a people magnet. I pray you join the ranks of an exponentially growing body of happy people who share the belief in a more kind, loving and compassionate world.

Do you believe in serendipity? Was finding this book coincidental? They say the appropriate teacher arrives when the student is ready. Are you ready for change? It’s my sincere wish that our quality time together brings something good and loving into your life and the lives of those around you. May you live long and prosper.

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. Lao Tzu

SECTION I

CLUES and VIEWS

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt

Chapter One

The Way We Were

Until the great mass of people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained. Helen Keller

Before I get into the practicalities of selling your home in Section II – with or without the assistance of a real estate agent – allow me to provide some historical background about the real estate industry. Understanding how the business works can help with the decisions associated with selling your home, including the big one of whether to go private or hire a reliable real estate brokerage.

Evolution or Devolution?

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, wealthy principal brokers ruled supreme. Friendly salespeople toiled in homogenous, brightly illuminated bullpens painted utilitarian beige, and diligently plied their trade. They sat atop spartan chairs at rudimentary tin desks equipped with black dial telephones. Sounds like a description of a museum exhibit, doesn’t it? Well, that’s where it all began for me.

Patiently prospecting for listings and answering ad calls generated by company-paid newspaper advertisements and lawn signs were a pleasant part of my daily routine. Most homeowners courteously answered my polite inquiries because, unlike today, their privacy wasn’t invaded by every Thomas, Richard and Harriet telemarketer. And the bane of homeowners – automated telemarketing – had yet to be spawned in the swampy brain of some Machiavellian mind. Salesmen and associate brokers, as we were generically registered in those days, regardless of gender, didn’t advertise 24/7availability. However, many still earned a decent living, a few more than most, while providing personal, attentive service. As is mostly now the case, incomes were often directly related to personal attitude and the number of hours invested.

Maybe I’m deluding myself, but I seem to recall the business being gentler in those days when we shared respectful friendship with others of our ilk. Then again, paraphrasing famed American editor and novelist, Peter De Vries, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. I recollect occasionally happening upon consumers already established with an agent of my own or even a competing firm. Out of respect for my peer, I ordinarily extricated myself from the situation while endorsing the service of their chosen representative and wishing the prospects well. For the most part, this attitude appears to have gone the same way as electric typewriters and carbon paper. During the last decade of my career, I lost a few valuable prospects to competitors because unethical agents dishonestly misspoke of me.

Then along came a major categorical transition. Employees began to transform into independent contractors. Formerly obscure and autonomous brokerages signed up with expensive international franchises. Accompanying the onslaught of this revolutionary new model was the maximum commission concept wherein sales reps were paid almost all of the earned commission. However, in lieu of sharing commissions with the brokerage owner, agents had to pay large fixed monthly desk fees. Our industry morphed virtually overnight.

Along with this change came greater stress levels for the now non-coddled agents. As their sales reps joined the evolution, many traditional full service independent brokerages and large multi-branch corporations began to suffer shrinking market share. As companies commenced competing more for each other’s agents than for sellers and buyers, commission plans became increasingly more generous for agents. For all practical purposes, salespeople had essentially become the clients to the emerging agent service-provider companies, both franchised and independent. Agents began to more aggressively compete directly with each other – within and without their own office – and that practice continues to this day. Times have certainly changed.

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. Albert Einstein

In the old days, all we needed was a desk, phone, secretary, transportation, MLS® book (or tear sheets, dare I regress further) and the steadfast will to perform an honest day’s work. Nowadays, instead of agents working together as a team, autonomous independent contractors indemnify their brokerages, manage and pay their own expenses and work their personal businesses, essentially self-employed. They acquire the newest technological wonders (which soon follow the 8-track stereo into the re-cycle bins of the world) and some have licensed teams and unlicensed assistants. Such agents seem oblivious to the fact that large overheads and small fortunes invested in sophisticated equipment in their private home offices or personal store-front spaces doesn’t do much for cost leveraging.

Now, understand this; I’m not saying we were totally better off in those days, for today’s technologies offer advantages we hadn’t even dreamed about. In some respects, though, I believe we were indeed happier. But then again, don’t we tend to look back through rose-coloured glasses?

Men have become the tools of their tools. Henry David Thoreau

Technology has integrated itself so thoroughly into everyday life that we seem to have developed a desperate dependence on gizmos. We demand more sophisticated software, superior hardware and faster Internet speed. Mobile connectivity now assures constant and immediate access to the world or unfortunately, to your friend across the table. Where’s it headed? Once defined as physically joining social and charitable associations for personal interaction, mutual entertainment and camaraderie, the term social networking has assumed an entirely new meaning. Even the word friend now carries a different connotation. How much technology is enough?

Belly to Belly

Skill is fine and genius is splendid, but the right contacts are more valuable than either. Sir Archibald McIndoe

Many real estate sales people seem to have lost sight of the fact that they work in a belly-to-belly business. As a home seller, you may be impressed by the apparent benefits of technological wonders. And there’s little doubt that you appreciate the improved service it supports. But I believe that personal, trustful relationships still form the cornerstone of this vital service industry.

Apparently having overlooked the fact that it’s often the follow-up that gets the business, some industrious agents simply continue to play the numbers game. They deliver a deluge of resource-destroying flyers or fridge magnets, blanketing the town and expecting homeowners to actually read and respond before the blue box beckons. (Our species is by far the worst offender when it comes to destroying a natural resource – trees – to manufacture another resource – paper – only to quickly waste it.)

When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible. Mahatma Gandhi

Many agents seem to have forgotten (or never knew) that personal relationships, regular courteous contact, competent timely advice and skilled, dependable, honest guidance are still the industry’s gold standards. Yes, technology can enhance efficiency, but it’s merely background support for an agent’s true purpose.

What has happened to professional courtesy and friendly, mutually respectful competition? It appears that s/he who has the most money wins. Get more listings. Win more ludicrous, ego-boosting awards that mean nothing to consumers. Have bigger advertising campaigns. Get more information onto already busy business cards. Race through the neighbourhood to beat a competitor to the prospect. And even though expenses are sky-rocketing, when the sales rep arrives at your door, they often readily agree to cut their fee! They make whatever concessions at whatever the cost and however many toes are crunched in the process; just get the sign on the lawn.

Is there something wrong with this picture? Rules and codes of ethics dictate that agents refrain from making disparaging remarks about competitors. I wonder how often this fundamental golden rule is violated – naively or with guile. For the industry to sustain a professional reputation into the future, it must maintain a mutually respectful level of professional courtesy and, no less vitally, with the public. After all, if it doesn’t, why should members of this industry expect different treatment from you?

Technology will continue to grow exponentially, hopefully fulfilling its continuing mandate of increasing efficiency while decreasing manual labour. After all, everyone should want to continue to grow and improve (though in my experience, many don’t). But remember that it’s just a support tool to enhance service and care for clients. Agents shouldn’t hide behind it. Their mandate is to fulfill, with fiduciary responsibility, the dreams and expectations of those who place their trust in them – you, the consumer. Make sure your agent commits to performing an honest day’s work – every day – and not simply try to impress you with the latest gizmo.

Now, here’s my point. If you choose to try a private sale, be prepared to meet belly-to-belly with prospective buyers. To get the call or email contact, advertising on the Internet and in print is fine. But what really counts is what happens when you meet your prospect. Provided your home meets the buyer’s wants, needs and financial ability (which must be determined early), it’s the relationship, though brief, that could make the difference between just showing your home and negotiating a successful sale.

If you choose to hire an agency, it’s the same thing; is the agent applying for the job worthy of your trust? Is s/he dependable? Socially and technically killed? Familiar with your area? Experienced? A good communicator?

We’re each allotted just so much time on this Earth. Each moment is irreplaceable. Before deciding on how to market your home, whether to go it alone or hire a brokerage, think about how much of your time and effort will be consumed by the private route. Though the vast majority of realty sales are handled through brokerages, you might succeed privately, thus saving some money in fees. But what other price might you pay? High stress? Frustration? Higher marketing expenses than anticipated? Or both because of litigation due to a legal error? Hey – it happens.

Personal growth and family time are essential, for a life devoid of love and laughter is a life wasted. How do you prefer to spend the most valuable commodity – your time? Doing it yourself with all that entails, as you’ll begin to realize after you’ve read this book. Or hiring an honest, intelligent professional? It’s your time. And it’s obviously your choice.

Intelligence and courtesy not always are combined; often in a wooden house, a golden room we find. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Chapter Two

People or Pecuniary?

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle. Benjamin Franklin

Moving Motivation

Considering that you’re thinking about changing homes, before you make the big decision to begin what is sometimes a long and stressful process, I suggest that you consider your moving motivation. Why do you want to move?

Do you need more or less space? Another bedroom? Or with no kids, fewer bedrooms? Do you want to shorten the daily commute to work? Does a smaller stair-free abode beckon for your approaching retirement years? Are you attracted to the simpler lifestyle and lower maintenance of a condominium apartment? Do you prefer to escape the city for rural or small town tranquility? Or with an approaching mortgage renewal date and an inevitable higher interest rate, maybe your move is one of affordability? We are indeed leaving behind the era of excessively low loan rates.

Good reasons all; if your proposed move is practical, go for it. But if your wish to change to a fancier home is ego-inspired, before assuming more financial and physical responsibility, along with the associated stress, I ask you to consider the following thoughts.

In your perpetual hunt for happiness, are you driven to acquire ever more stuff? Do you often think about what you don’t have? Are you envious of someone who seems to have it all? Do you covet another’s lifestyle, including their fancy car and monster home? Such thoughts and behaviour not only demonstrate a life of ingratitude, but have a tendency to attract more scarcity. Is it wise to believe you’ll be happy after you finally acquire them? Do you believe you’ll be happy when you move into that grand ostentatious house? If so, I can guarantee you that after the initial honeymoon phase winds down, the novelty will soon wear out just like the soles of a pair of expensive Italian loafers.

If you consider that we’re all just temporary custodians of our physical possessions, is it wise to attach your happiness to owning things that can disappear anytime – along with that attached happiness? Since true wealth is what you have left after all your material possessions have disappeared, would it not be more prudent to be in the world and not of the world? Wouldn’t it be wiser to adopt the belief that less is more? Wouldn’t this lead to feelings of gratitude for whatever you have in every moment – all the time? An attitude of appreciation for all your blessings, as meagre as they may be, can manifest in you a sense of innate happiness. When you show appreciation, you attract positive energy. Why? Because you’re in higher spirits.

Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance. Eckhart Tolle

Life is short. And no one normally knows their expiry date. If you were told you had only a week to live, what would you change about your life? What would you do differently? I’d wager that you’d not spend your final days mowing the lawn of your luxury home. If you have good health, a loving family, a warm hearth and secure roof with food on the table, then you have much more than the vast majority of our fellow Earthlings. Be grateful for everything in your life – and your attitude will soar.

Now, after digesting all this, you’re still motivated to change homes, I encourage you to read on. Learn how the sale of your current abode might best be accomplished, and unless you plan to try a private sale, what type of real estate agent to hire to make it a reality.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. Winston Churchill

Real Real Estate Agents

Imagine this hypothetical scenario. Your growing family forces you to consider relocating to a more spacious home. Many people tend to begin their quest by opening the paper’s real estate section, or start the tedious process of surfing the dizzying array of realty websites. Dozens, if not hundreds of hungry smiling faces in the newspaper and on a mind-numbing number of websites stare out at them over bold headings: Number One Agent, I Never Sleep, Member of President’s Club, I’m the Best, Voted Most Popular or Awarded Reader’s Choice.

Would you believe all those brashly immodest claims? Would you even care? Does it really matter how many sales someone had last year? Do you care if they’re number one in the country? After all, you’re interested in only one small neighbourhood. How many number ones are possible – or believable for that matter? Don’t all the witty watchwords start to blend together into a flat frieze?

Would you find it more pleasant – not to mention more effective – if all that analog or digital ink offered images and information on available properties instead of legions of slick slogans and unfamiliar faces? To a certain degree, self-promotion can be productive, but don’t you feel it has reached a saturation point or beyond? How can a full page of little agent photos or a newspaper full of screaming headlines and inane catchphrases accomplish anything meaningful? Can hundreds of thousands of realty websites or mailboxes stuffed with junk-mail bring tangible results? Maybe all those agents are regularly blowing their advertising budget because their hungry competitors are doing it too.

According to The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), there are well over 125,000 registered sales representatives and brokers in Canada – a 25% increase just in the past few years. The number of registrants in Ontario alone now exceeds 70,000 – a whopping 40% increase in the same period! The American National Association of Realtors (NAR) boasts over 1.3 million members. Is this a competitive situation? You bet! However, while numerous optimistic beginners join the ranks every year, a deluge of the disappointed regularly fail and abandon their brief careers.

In spite of the commonly held belief that real estate agents are all over-paid, statistically speaking, the vast majority earn a meagre living. In fact, a sizable portion generate little to no business whatsoever. Unfortunately, such low production often results in personal and family misfortune. In spite of what all the newcomers think, not to mention naive homeowners, it’s really a tough business.

But with all this aside, the best way to begin your home search is not to peruse advertising media for listings, or for an agent with the best ads. In my opinion, the best first step is to seek a trustworthy and qualified real estate representative to handle both your sale and purchase. Do your best to separate the wheat from the abundant chaff. Not only is this the rational way to start the moving process, but you might also benefit from a lower sale commission rate by working through the same agent for both your purchase and sale.

Consistency and Persistency

If you decide to hire a professional to market your property, as you can now see, there’s a large realty agent population from which to choose. To help with your choice, allow me to delve a little deeper into sales style. What kind of agent will be best-suited to serve your needs? With what style will you feel most comfortable, most compatible? I’m afraid my bias may show a little. But after a very long and successful career as a staunch member of one group, I just can’t help myself.

To stimulate new business, as I described earlier, some agents indulge in bombastic self-promotion with colossal photos and boastful, self-congratulatory slogans plastered everywhere. On the other hand, to encourage referrals and repeat clients, others network their warm sphere of influence, including former clients, and might systematically canvas a particular neighbourhood. Professional style clearly depends on personality type and belief system. Nevertheless, if effectively organized and executed, both methods – mass advertising and personal prospecting – can be productive.

Unlike the agent who provides personal periodic attention, the bombastic type would likely contact you only when your home is first listed, when a price reduction is advised, and when an offer is presented. As part of their business formula, this type usually depends on continually generating brand new clients rather than on trusting repeat clients and their referrals.

Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships. Stephen Covey

Homeowners who choose an agent who spends more money promoting themselves than their listings sometimes find that such choices guarantee neither individual attention nor personal compatibility. Nor, for that matter, are they necessarily rewarded with a successful outcome. Industry giants usually can’t afford the time necessary to establish personal relationships with each of their numerous clients. It’s just not part of their success formula. Once the deal is done, the self-proclaimed celebrity agent is often onward and upward, leaving their assistant or team member to finish the file.

This system works, but at the cost of missing an opportunity to deliver the personal touches. Such agents seem oblivious to the fact that warm, respectful relationships can lead to referrals and future business. Wouldn’t you, as a homeowner, feel more comfortable recommending an agent with whom you’d enjoyed a warm, trusting relationship?

Some big production agents work to obtain as many listings as possible, with a clear expectation that a certain percentage will not sell. To them, a few expired listings represent an acceptable loss. Other agents work to increase their sales-to-listings ratio, and aim to ensure the sale of every one of their listings. A superstar’s voluminous business is a commendable goal, particularly in a hot market. But in my view, even one disappointed homeowner, who had entrusted the sale of their home to that so-called superstar agent, is unacceptable.

While we’re on the topic of big budget promotion, allow me to digress a little with