Roy Kelley Sells Maryland Homes : Roy Kelley, Montgomery County, MD Homes For Sale (Roy Kelley and RE/MAX Realty Group)

 

This weeks Roundup of All Things Real Estate offers  a mix of my favorite posts, tweets, tips and tools stumbled upon across the web this icluding your secret sauce to marketing awesomeness!

With everything from industry news to sales, blooging tips and business development; you are sure to find what you are looking for.  So sit back, relax and enjoy some of the best of the best from across the web!

 

Industry News

First -time Home Buyers Scared Off?-

Home prices have fallen to 2002 levels and mortgage rates are at record lows — so why are the number of first-time home buyers decreasing instead of increasing?

Mortgage Rates Hold Near Record Lows-

In case you missed this great news...the 30-year fixed rate dipped to 3.99 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending December 8, down from last week when it averaged 4.00 percent.

Your New Destination for All Things Real Estate - 

If you have found yourself spinning on the marketing treadmill with less than stellar results, now is the time to take action!  Join us on our new Facebook page for All Things Real Estate.

Real Estate Market

Common Sense Isn't Common Practice-  

There used to be logic used within our industry, but today it seems that gone is common sense.

The Quality of Real Estate is the Quality of Life -

What means most to your clients when they talk about a home purchase?  Is it where they live and where their children will grow up or is it just a "grab a good deal while you can" mentality?

Top 10 Methods Home Sellers Use to Find an Agent - 

There are a lot of tools in a Realtor’s tool box for lead generation, but home buyers and sellers over the years cite the top way they connect with a Realtor is through the trusted word of a friend.

Buyers and Sellers 

Being a Coach for Your Client - Our clients need our support, encouragement and direction now more then ever.

Survey: Holidays are "Good Time to Sell" - According to a recent survey from Realtor.com, most real estate professionals advise sellers to list their homes during the holiday season rather than waiting stating that more serious buyers are out looking and there is less competition among properties.  Would you agree with this advice?

Business Development

The Edge: Why the Top 20 Percent Are Most Coachable- There is a belief that sales people succeeding at a high level are not coachable.  The truth is they want your input, feedback and suggestions.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Real Estate Agents- Do you practice the 7 habits that all highly effective and successful real estate agents follow?  This should be required reading for all sales people!

10 Simple Ways to Find Balance and Get Your Life Back- Finding balance in our lives is a battle we all wage on a daily basis.  There is no magic pill, but there are new habits that can be formed creating a higher awareness of what it takes to stay "in balance" allowing you to maintain a healthy lifestyle while achieving a higher level of productivity.

Blogging and Social Media

8 Small Business Social Media Tips From the Pros - Are you looking for some social media tips to grow your small business?  This is the place to find them!

29 Reasons You Should Be Blogging and Not Watching Television- As an avid blogger I want to simply say 'enough said' based on the tile.  However, if you still find that the value in blogging evades you  then this is one compelling read!

How to Be a Social Media Power Influencer (And Why!) - An excellent article shining a spotlight on several of today's social media power houses.  Discover when and how they each knew "getting social" was a major goal.

Sales and Marketing

Marketing's Problem Isn't Leads.  It's Relationships. -  Do you focus so heavily on generating leads that you forget to build or maintain relationships with new and current clients?  Don't forget that building the relationship is vital to your continued success.

The 6 Step Secret Sauce for Awesome Email Subject Lines- With the barrage of email we receive on a daily basis, how can you set your email message apart?  An awesome, attention grabbing headline is the key!  Learn how to craft yours in 6 easy steps!

Just for Fun

Holiday Tips for How to be Your Happiest - It's the Holidays...who doesn't need to inject a little cheer into their hectic day?  Smile and Get Happy!

Real-Life "Up" House Sells to Disney Fanatics - You might have loved the movie "Up," but I doubt you loved it as much as these self proclaimed Disney fanatics.

Don't forget to find us at our new location on Facebook for All Things Real Estate every day of the week.  Join the discussion exclusive to Real Estate Professionals where you can learn, share and get inspired by others!

 

 

All Things Real Estate Weekly Roundup: Your Secret Sauce to Awesomeness was written by Rebekah Radice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate | Manager of Industry Engagement

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Secret Recipe Revealed - Santa's Favorite Cookies

At the special request of Roy Kelley, a Montgomery County, Maryland, Broker and fabulous photographer, I am revealing the recipe that brings Santa to our house first on Christmas--he just can't resist the taste of these delicacies that are really miniature cakes disguised as cookies!  This is very important this year as we just moved, so Santa is checking his radar for our house at this moment!

You cut these cookies with cookie cutters into your favorite shapes, and then when they are nice and cool you frost them with butter cream frosting and sprinkle them with "Decorating Decors" (nonpareils).  They look very pretty the first day you make them, but then the nonpareils soak up some moisture from the frosting and they don't look quite as nice, but they taste even better!! 

Santa's Favorite Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour milk (put 2 tsp. of vinegar in 1/2 measure before adding milk)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

5 cups flour

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.  Chill (this is NOT an important step--my wife usually skips it).  Roll 1/4" thick.  Cut into desired shapes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.  When completely cooled, frost and decorate.

Butter Cream Frosting

1 cup butter (room temperature)

1/2 Tbsp. vanilla

5 cups confectioner's sugar

Milk to make of spreading consistency.

Cream butter and vanilla until smooth,  Add sugar one cup at a time beating well after each addition.  Add milk in small amounts until desired consistency.

Chris K. Canfield

REALTOR®, ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GREEN, SRES

 

AnyHomes.com

 

 

I know what you're thinking, "Not another article about taking photos!"  It seems like photo-advice blogs abound here in AR.  And based on the plentiful advice regarding photo-taking tips, you would THINK that all the MLS photos would be perfect by now... but far from it!  So in the hopes that some of the bad MLS photos will get replaced with great eye-catching snapshots, here's a recap of the 10 most important photo-taking tips.

10 Photo Tips to Get Buyers Calling You

About your Real Estate Listings

Now that photos are digital, instead of printed, the rules of photo-taking have changed!You can edit the photos in software, you can lighten and enhance, and adjust coloring.

Take lots and lots of photos, you never know which will turn out the best and you’ll have a large selection from which to choose just the right shot.With a digital camera, you won’t “waste” photo paper and a digital shot doesn’t cost any extra!

Get a super-duper camera and if you can, hire a professional house photographer. Find a photographer who is a member of your local Realtor® Association.  The photo above captures beautiful colors, a sharp crisp image, and the natural light that's "just right" both inside and outside the room.  This photo is one of the thousands taken by Don Anderson at Insight Photos in the San Diego area, using his professional quality camera and software.  View his other photos here:  www.insightphotos.net

My top 10 tips for fool-proof photos are:

1. Make sure the weather is good for exterior photos.  It’s important to have some sunlight, but not shadows.  So depending on what direction the front of the house faces, take the photo at Noon when the sun is highest, or when the sun is facing the house (not behind it).  It’s okay to take photos on overcast days; in fact, sometimes the lighting is better when it’s slightly cloudy.  But make sure it’s not dark outside.
   
   
2. Take several shots of the front from different angles.  Diagonal angles are best, it’s more interesting when it’s off-center instead of directly centered.  To make the house appear spacious, squat down and look up at the house.  Remember it’s better to get “sky” in the photo than “street”.  Before taking your exterior photos, make sure the cars are not in front of the house, and ask the seller to remove the cars from the driveway too.  And of course, make sure that it’s not trash day, since you don’t want garbage cans in the foreground.  And lastly, be sure to include some greenery, such as a tree to “frame” the side of the photo, or a nice green lawn with a flower bed in front.
   
   
3. Get the cooperation of the resident (seller or tenant) to clean up the inside.  Suggest that they hire a professional house cleaner to make it stress-free.  The inside needs to be clean and clutter-free.  It’s hard for prospective buyers to see the rooms if all they see are knick-knacks and other distractions.
   
   
4. When taking photos of the interior, open the blinds to get as much natural sunlight as possible, and turn on the lights. Use the flash also, force the flash to stay on. You will need this to combat the rooms which are dark and have a lot of sunlight coming in the windows; otherwise, you’ll end up with a photo of a bright window. In some instances you may have to close the blinds; but with the right type of camera, you won’t.
   
   
5. Step back as far as possible to get the entire room in the shots. Make sure to get the flooring as well as the ceiling. Take shots of each room from several different angles so you’ll have plenty of choices when selecting your advertising pics. Make sure to get the kitchen and the appliances from every possible angle, as these are the most important photos. Take the photos in a logical sequence as you move throughout the house. It will help you remember which room is which when you see the photos later on, and also it will assist you in compiling a virtual tour with the photos.
   
   
6. Remember the rule of thirds. Frame the shots, divided between 2 objects, with a secondary object taking up 1/3 of the visual field and the primary object taking up 2/3 of the field.  Here's a link to the "rule of thirds": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds.  Jeff Gray from AR says, "Most digital cameras have a "grid" feature that overlays the rule of thirds on your screen to help you with composition.  You might want to look through your camera's menu to see if you have that option."
   
   
7. Get the resident’s permission before taking interior photos.  If it’s tenant-occupied, make sure the tenant is aware of your photo-taking session.  Early in my real estate career, I went to take photos of home that was occupied by tenants.  Only the husband was at home, and he said I could take photos.  But the next day, his wife called and said that her husband did not have authority to give me permission to take photos.  There were photos of her antique collectibles and she demanded that I bring the negatives to her so she could destroy them (that was before digital photos).  Lesson learned!  Avoid taking photos of personal possessions, such as valuable collections, electronics, or other items that could be targeted by thieves viewing your photos.  And do not take photos of people or pets.
   
   
8. For goodness sakes, put the toilet seat down before photographing the bathroom!  It’s okay to take unflattering photos.  Take photos of the good items as well as “repairs needed” items in order to fully document everything.  However, you’re not going to post the unflattering photos on the MLS.  Unless this house is being advertised as a fixer-upper handyman special – in that case, the buyer will already be forewarned to expect some repairs needed.  So don’t post bad house photos on the MLS unless it is being advertised as a true “fixer” for investors only.
   
   
9. If the home is in a community, such as PUD, condo, or mobile home park, or on a golf course, take photos of the common areas.  The gate/entrance, the greenbelt, the pool, the recreation room, the tennis court, the pond, and any other amenities that will attract buyers.
   
   
10. Take photos of the property during each season. For example, spring with flowers blooming, summer sunshine, autumn with trees changing colors, and winter with snow (depending upon your climate). This assumes you have the listing over a period of time, or that the seller supplies you with photos taken previously. For example, a seller called me about a prospective listing in December. I drove by the house and snapped a few photos, it had recently rained the front yard slope was covered with green grass and moss. She did not decide to list the house until June, and when she called me again to list it, I went by to take photos again. By this time, we had a California drought for several months and the front yard was dead and yellow/brown weeds. Gee was I happy that I had taken those green-grass photos! I used those colorful photos in the MLS and on the flyers, which helped attract buyers’ attention and get it sold.

A few more tips:

• Never, ever, copy photos from another agent which he/she has posted on the MLS. Those are copyrighted photos and you do NOT have permission to copy & paste from their previous MLS listing.
• Send your photos to the seller for approval before sharing with the public, just in case.
• Don’t photoshop out or change any elements that you don’t like. For example, don’t remove the telephone that blocks the view.  I know it's tempting, but resist that urge to make the house "perfect" through photo software manipulation.  It is what it is so let the photos be beautiful but honest.

And finally, I recommend using Kodak EasyShare software to upload and catalog your photos. It's free and you can download it at http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/welcome.jsp.

ENJOY!

Regina P. Brown
California Coast & Country Homes, Inc.
Real estate Broker, Realtor(R), e-Pro

Regina P. Brown
Broker, Realtor®, e-Pro
California DRE # 00983670
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Text copyright © 2011 R.P. Brown, All Rights Reserved