It’s spring, the height of the selling season, and agents are ‘very busy’. Yet they’re also hungry because for all their work and effort there have been very few closed escrows. (For example, the topic at another marketing group was how to price the $1M plus home in San Rafael since there are 96 for sale and thus far this year only three have closed escrow.)

One of the six by-invitation-only Realtor marketing groups I attend meets at Tamalpais Bank in Corte Madera. (Each group is 10 to 30 agents from different companies who gather to help each other succeed). By presenting property and analyzing sales these groups help us create successful sales. From the Tamalpais Bank meeting:

“Tell us about the closing Willow. I heard it was tough.”

“After 28 years in the business and 100s of escrows, the closing was tough but manageable. The first lender changed underwriting standards after two weeks. Because the communications were clear nobody panicked as the buyer switched lenders. The second lender presented their own challenges including a last minute demand that included two review appraisals.

“Congratulations on your Ross listing, rumor has it that it’s a beauty. But it won’t be on for another week, right?”

“Yes, but I can get you in to see it. Hey, another rumor, two more sales and you’ll move to #1. So when’s your next sushi feed?” (A reference to my famous brokers’ open houses where I serve sushi).

“Soon.”

“You’re so involved and full of energy. How do you stay up and energized all the time?”

“I make like an energizer bunny with an on/off switch … right now the level of energy that it takes to get things done is quite high … but I’m not sizzling all the time. Wednesday evening, in the midst of the closing of Willow, I was so embarrassingly flat on a referral that was completely in my niche – a couple wanting to sell a beautifully crafted, water view home blocks from my office in order to purchase a smaller home in west Marin.”

“I may have somebody for that property. How many bedrooms and what’s the price?”

“There’s no price set. They asked for a price and since it was a pre-planning meeting I used the network formula – I took the price that ‘seems right’ based on experience, then knocked off 15% for market conditions.”

“What is the most important factor in today’s market?”

“Buyers are in no great rush unless they perceive a bargain so the missing factor is energy. It is imperative that the agent and the sellers ‘energize’ the property.”

Posted By: Tom Verkozen