Despite my adamant protest, many Rain City Guide contributors have gone off and created their own blogs. (what are they thinking???). However, as each and every one of these people have been very good to me, I thought I’d let you know where you can find more of their writings:
- Russ Cofano — Realty Objectives [link removed]. While Russ is a real estate lawyer, I can tell you from our many conversations that his true love is innovation. His blog is a reflection of his interest in understanding real estate technology. (Check out his Speaking Opportunities [link removed] section to see something I might blog about soon…)
- Ardell DellaLoggia — Ask Ardell. I don’t know about you, but I could NEVER get enough of Ardell’s writing… Where does she find the time???
- Craig Blackmon — Real Estate Law Blog. He’s been keeping up a great real estate blog mainly geared to FSBOs.
- Robert Gray Smith — Lake Sammamish Living. All kinds of good stuff about life on the Eastside.
- Galen Ward— ShackBlog. He’s been out of town for a while, but when he’s around, he’s always sharing interesting stuff.
- Marian Crkon — It’s a Feature. This might sound a little like it is coming out of left-field, but if you’re interested in Oracle applications, this blog is as good as they get!
As I often enjoy following the comments on RCG more than the posts, š I thought it also might be fun to highlight some of the great contributors (via comments) that regularly appear on Rain City Guide:
- Giles Stevens of Developing Atlanta fame, recently started blogging. I also have neglected to mention a search tool he has developed that gives a ton of interesting information on developable land available in the Atlanta-area.
- Marlow Harris of, well, Marlow Harris. Her 360digest has become a must read for me as it almost always provides a fun take on real estate.
Wow, how cool is that! I love everyone’s blogs, they’re great. Reading the comments and responding, even if just in my head, helps me to articulate and clarify my thoughts in relations to real estate, the economy, politics and how this all relates to the zeitgeist of the popular culture. Scarlett knew the value of Tara, as should we… As Gerald O’Hara said in Gone With The Wind, “Do you mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O’Hara, that Tara, that land doesn’t mean anything to you? Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin’ for, worth fightin’ for, worth dyin’ for, because it’s the only thing that lasts.”
Indeed.
Marlow, your Tara comments reminded me of the below, for some reason. It’s something I remind myself of every day, for soon to be 16 years.
“Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization…the interests of the nation and its citizens require the highest and best use of the land and the widest distribution of land ownership…
Such interests impose obligations beyond those of ordinary commerce. They impose grave social responsibility and a patriotic duty…for which (those who make their living in it) should be diligent in preparing themselves for it …(be) zealous to maintain and improve the standards of their calling and share…a common responsibility for its integrity and honor.
In recognition and appreciation of their obligations to clients, customers, the public, and each other…strive to become and remain informed on issues affecting real estate and, as knowledgeable professionals, they willingly share the fruit of their experience and study with others. They identify and take steps…to eliminate practices which may damage the public or which might discredit or bring dishonor to the real estate profession.
…competency, fairness, and high integrity resulting from adherence to a lofty ideal of moral conduct in business relations. No inducement of profit and no instruction from clients ever can justify departure from this ideal.”
I completely agree, Ardell. Open houses seem to be such an underutilized marketing technique, but they can offer valuable opportunities for both homebuyers and real estate agents.
The perception that ‘open houses do not sell homes’ is a direct result of failing to properly promote the open house event. How can anyone expect to have people show up to an event if no one knows about it? It is good to know you have that covered with the signs and big flags!
That is great news you were able to attract multiple offers for your client after a single open house. Nice job!
Wendy,
It is always fun to hear about another Seattle real estate blog… Thanks for letting us know. And definitely consider joining us on Thursday evening for the first RCG meetup!
Wendy,
I like the “crisp” style of both your blog and your site. Your personality really comes through…I feel like I’ve met you through your blog. To me, that’s what a blog is all about. When you read the blog and feel like you’ve just visited with the writer in person…it’s a winner!
Loved your co-op post.
ah the open house–where neighbors come to see what you have inside,
where people come to get decorating tips between yard sales and flea markets BUT also where serious buyers come –maybe not to buy that house but still buyers who are looking. Open houses attract LEADS just like a newspaper ad except you meet the OH lead face to face and not just hear their voice. Invaluable to an agent who knows what to do. Plus it’s good practice for your people skills and let’s face it, everyone could use the practice.
Open houses DO sell houses if not the one being showcased. Nice post Ardell.
One of the reasons the statistics are lower than actual sales from Open Houses, is they only count the times the listing agent sold a house at an Open House. Many, many houses sell at Open Houses (at least in my experience), but the buyer has an agent who writes the offer. For some reason, the statistics do not count the many times a buyer came to an Open House, with or without their Buyer’s Agent, and the offer was submitted by a Buyer’s Agent. They only count the ones where the agent in the Open House sold it without the participation of a second agent. That skews the figures.
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Top producing agents are either meeting with sellers or taking the Sunday off because they have effectively organized and run their business as a business should be run. I have been a broker or 22 years, list over 150 homes each year, and to be honest, I could never imagine just sitting in a seller’s home for 4 hours…just waiting for anyone to walk in. Time has a huge value to it, and that seems to me as such an ineffective way to make use of it.
You are absolutely correct Larry, if the objective of time spent is self oriented.
The weekend is the best time to catch potential home buyers, especially on a Sunday. Everybody is typically off that day. It’s almost like pepole having a yard sale- the early birds show up early, if it’s a good bite. And having a back to back open house the first 2 weeks the house is on the market sounds like a great idea. If the marketing helps sell a house, why not try everything?