Sign At The Holden Beach, NC Beach Mart
The sign says it all!
How To Make Yourself Smarter By Buying A Phone
I finally did it. I got a Blackberry from Alltel. They say it’s a smart phone. I’m not sure how smart it is yet, but I love gadgets. I knew the day would come sooner or later and I was always hoping sooner. If you don’t have a phone that will make coffee nowadays you are either falling way behind or you at least feel as if you are behind the rest of the world. My son Jake had pleaded to me a few months ago that he needed a smart phone. I questioned this need of his. He promised that it would help him in college and be able to keep up with his schedule and study better, thus good grades would be the result. He talked a good game, so his Mother and I bought him a Palm phone for his birthday. Lo and behold, his grades were outstanding and I’m talking physics and microeconomics.
Will it help me compete in the world of Real Estate? I think so or at least I certainly hope so. The reason I got a Blackberry was for business. Specifically, email. Over the last few months I have attempted to convert everything I possibly could over to my new MacBookPro from Apple. Unfortunately, my real estate email services is Internet Explorer based. The only way I can check my email is to get to a Windows PC. In such a competitive line of work, I need to respond very quickly to email. To the rescue came the Blackberry.
Einstein certainly got by ok without a smart phone but one has to wonder how much smarter he would have been if he had been using a Blackberry? Hmmm….
I could not believe how easy the email set up on the Blackberry was. I really figured I would have to bury myself in a manual to figure it out. I just knew that I would have to configure POP servers and SMTP servers and go through a lot of aggravation. Boy, was I wrong and very happy about being wrong.
How To Build A House, Video Series.
I’m very excited to announce a new feature here on brunswickbroker.com. I am going to produce a series of videos that will take you inside the homebuilding process from start to finish. How to build a house from the Brunswick Broker. I’ll also discuss & shoot video of all aspects of a new homebuilding project of ours, including the actual construction, project management and real estate marketing. As a Broker with Martha Lee Realty in Holden Beach, NC., I’ll show you the ins and outs through my eyes as a real estate agent. This will be a complete, and professional project and I’m very excited for you to join me. D & S Building Contractors, our New Home Construction business, is breaking ground on a new home in Brunswick Landing in Holden Beach, NC. This is your classic beach house on pilings. The “Brunswick Islander” will be around 1344 sq. ft. on pilings with an elevator! Without a doubt, this is the most affordable house/lot package with an elevator to be offered in the entire Brunswick County, NC. Have you ever considered building your own home? Have you ever wondered about the life of a contractor and developer? I hope I can give you insight into this business and what it takes through the lens of my video camera. I may even have some good information for those seeking information about shooting and making high definition videos. I’ll be shooting video with a Canon XH A1 and editing with Apple Final Cut Express. I hope to learn a lot more about my camera and really get in depth on the editing process Final Cut Express. I hope you will join me and ask questions as I take you on the inside of life as a Developer, Homebuilder and Real Estate Agent.
Wake Up In Oregon, Go To Bed In North Carolina
The ability to travel across this entire country in a single day, still amazes me.
I’ve done it a few times but the wonder of it still gets me.
We have been traveling for the last week in Oregon. Luanne had a conference in Portland. I went out for a few days of rest and relaxation. I’ve been there before and just fell in love with the beauty of the state.
Video As A Business Tool And A Hobby
I certainly believe in the power of video as a business tool but for most people who shoot video, I think it all starts as a hobby.
I like to shoot fun stuff too.
Here is a video I shot one very cold day at the Holden Beach Fishing Pier.
How To View A Property When You Are Far, Far Away
Here is the scenario:
You are out of town and you are very interested in viewing a property.
You have 2 choices.
1. Pack up, travel and take a chance.
2. Enlist me as your buyers agent and sometimes I can save you a trip.
You decide.
Here is an example of a property video I shot for someone out of town but interested in a particular property.
The Inside Guts of a Real Estate Listing
Ok, you decided to sell your property and you call me to list it. I say great, and then I show up and place a “For Sale” sign on your property. Is that all there is to it? Not hardly. When you hire me to market your property professionally, I go to work for you. Behind the scenes, here is what is going on…
FORMS…FORMS…FORMS
Here is where my work begins. I must fill out 2 copies of each.
- Working with Real Estate Agents form
- Confirmation of agency form
- Dual Agency addendum
- POA Addendum form
- Property disclosure form
- Professional Services disclosure form
- Copies of any leases on property
- Listing Agreement form
Add about 4 more in-house forms that is required by the individual brokerage. Read more
How To Get Your Real Estate Broker License Video
Here is a fun little video I made a while back after I passed my state exam for my Broker License with my previous company.
If They Can’t Find You, They Can’t Buy You
How Do I Find You?
You decide to sell your property. Ok, great. What next? Well, you could do a For Sale By Owner. A lot of folks do. A lot of folks try it, and you drive by that “For Sale” sign tacked to a garden stake in the front yard for months. Sometimes it works but more often than not, it doesn’t.
How will your buyers find you? The quick answer to that is, they will drive by and see your sign. That’s not good enough for me.
I saw a FSBO myself the other day and the writing was so small that I couldn’t read what it said. I just happened to be riding my bike, so I turned around and rode up to the telephone pole it was nailed to, and had to really squint and focus to read what it said. I thought it might be a yard sale or something. It was their home for sale! 3 Bedroom with a pool. I figured they didn’t really want to sell it that bad, especially if a $1.25 sign is their marketing plan.
Selling a property is difficult. It takes patience and hard work. Some FSBO’s give off a bad vibe to potential homebuyers. A prospective homebuyer may think the property is distressed or it’s a bargain sale. A seller who lists an FSBO may attract unqualified bargain hunters. This is a pure waste of your time. A professional Real Estate Broker can weed out these individuals and only bring well qualified prospects to view your property. I found it hard to believe that this was their marketing plan. Had I been in my car, I would have never turned around. I could not even read the phone number.
Employ the services of a licensed professional. At Martha Lee Realty, we are in business to sell your property. Take advantage of the resources of a professional Real Estate Company. Most Real Estate companies have a wide and varied network in which to attract buyers. The MLS (multiple listing service) alone is worth the price of a commission.
If they can’t find you, they can’t buy you.
Call me and let me find your buyer.
Steve Sherron
Martha Lee Realty
