I was going to take the easy way out and just post a link this week, but then thought better of it. I realized how lucky I was to be employed at a job I enjoy, in a market that was not the pits, among people that have some of the best work ethics I’ve ever witnessed. And being a farmer’s daughter, I’ve seen some pretty good efforts.

I watch you, my friends and colleagues, show up early, work late and weekends. Go out of your way to be kind and generous (with both your time and money) just to make sure folks get in the home they love. That of course, in turn, makes you successful, some might even say lucky. I say you’re determined. Determined to do your best and be your best.

The realtors have had to find creative ways to connect with a public that is more elusive every day. You put yourself out there on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, Twillow, ActiveRain and heaven only knows what others. You’ve learned to be faster, smarter and more knowledgeable than ever. The lenders have had to endure more rule changes, mortgage mergers and underwriting snags than ever before in your industry. Yet, every day, I see a smile, hear a kind word or a suggestion of another program that might get that young couple into a home. Or a better way for the fella to get his home sold so he can take that new job he just got….that’s somewhere else. Or sell her the perfect home, in a great neighborhood that she had no idea was there because she just got transferred here from out of state.

The changes we’ve seen since Hurricane Katrina, and the boom that followed, I think lulled us into a momentary sense of plenty. It may seem like hell now, in comparison, but remember….

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill

We’ll eventually come out the other side and most will be the better for it.

Louisiana is gaining ground on many fronts and our area is gaining more than most. We have plant expansions, NuCor, port expansion and more construction than we’ve seen in a while. Keep up the great work my friends and great success will follow. Aren’t we “lucky”??

Mitzi Anthony is the Marketing Rep for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact her directly mitzi@choicetitle.com  

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 Her weekly Blog can be found here.

            Between 2007 and 2008 LAR membership showed a 10% reduction in membership, between 2008 and 2009 a 7% reduction in membership was recorded, and as of October LAR membership has seen a 2% loss in it’s rank and file*. So what does that mean, well if you’re a realtor who is just waiting around for the market “To Turn”, absolutely nothing. But if you’re a Professional Expert Realtor who is willing to take the time to gain knowledge, who isn’t afraid to get back to basics while still looking toward new ways to give better service, than you must be feeling pretty good about 2011, because there is less competition and more opportunity this year than in the last few years. For Lenders the challenge is different, how to stay competitive with unknown changes come April (or maybe not),  and for the rest of us in the real estate industry the goal looks like doing more with less. The good news is Louisiana is showing growth (gradual, but growth still the same) in employment, consumer confidence is increasing and if I was one of those people who tried to forecast where to work in the real estate industry, Louisiana would be one of those places that showed the most promise.

            So you ask, “If I work in the real estate industry, how do I take advantage of 2011?”, Well over the next few weeks we will outline what to do, where to go, who to know and how to make it all work together to make 2011 a successful year for all of us. Welcome to the second decade of the new Millennium, one thing is for sure it will be different than the last. 

*Sourced from National Association of Realtors

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

The new guidelines set a standard for appraisal independence. Lenders can exchange information with appraisers, but they cannot “directly or indirectly coerce, influence, or otherwise encourage an appraiser or a person who performs an evaluation to misstate or misrepresent the value of the property.”

Among other rules:

· Banks cannot tell the appraiser of any expected or qualifying estimate of value.
· Banks cannot specify a minimum value requirement for the property that is needed to approve the loan or as a condition of ordering the valuation.
· Banks cannot tie an appraiser’s compensation to loan approval.
· Banks can’t blacklist an appraiser if his valuations fail to meet expected thresholds.

The agencies also clarified that broker price opinions (BPOs) don’t comply with the minimum appraisal standards.

Source: Housing Wire, Jon Prior (12/02/2010)

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

Recently I found myself in a Fast Food Establishment, This particular restaurant (I know it was technically one because it said so on the sign) has 12 pre-established meals. It has been the same 12 meals since I was in High School some Twenty years ago, minus the occasional rib burger thingy or kids movie character sandwich. So you can imagine my frustration when the couple in front of me couldn’t decide between a # 3 and # 6, to say they where undecided would be an insult to people who have no cognitive activity at all. Apart from my general aggravation at this particular chain a # 3 and # 6 are no where near similar at all, “I can’t decide between buying a hamburger or a Parakeet”. So I started thinking how these people make it through a day, we all have to make choices, some lead to prosperity and some don’t”. But if you are one of these non-decision makers, think of the opportunities that you didn’t get (or actually never had a chance of getting). Whether it’s a hiring issue, or a customer service issue or one of the hundred other decisions you have to make each day, your ability to move forward will impact your short term business more than anything else.

To be honest, your ability to make these decisions have already impacted the business you currently have. These decisions you have made (or more importantly avoided making) have consequences. Are you missing out on opportunities, or advantages over competitors by simply NOT.

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

In Business problems occur, it is how the problem is handled that separates companies, good companies will fix the problem so the transaction moves forward. Great companies will fix the experience so that the transactions move forward with happy and content clients. Is your business a Transaction company or a Service company?

Here are two examples, the first happened a few years ago, while ordering materials from a printing/ promotional company for an expo. All products were delivered on time, looked fantastic, high quality, crisp logo and print quality, and had vivid colors… Unfortunately they were the wrong vivid colors!! A frantic phone call was made, the printer accepted fault, quickly reprinted materials and delivered over night. The client ended up getting exactly what they paid for, But was it enough? Was the client’s experience what they expected? The answer is Yes, but not because the problem ended up being corrected, it was the experience that occurred after that really made the difference. A card was received apologizing for the inconvenience, along with a small gift basket for the office. Also a small credit was added to the account, that was used along with more orders for more expensive products. Did the printer loose money? Well Yes, That order might have been less profitable, but the relationship was strengthened and many more orders occurred from it.

This next example occurred last week at Sullivan’s Restaurant in Baton Rouge. My wife and I went out for dinner, With NO KIDS. Getting out is a rare occasion but without children happens less than lunar eclipses. Dressed up, a bottle of wine, great service, but my wife’s steak came under cooked. Amanda the waitress was called over, she apologized and quickly took the steak back, it was re-fired cooked to perfection and placed on a new plate with new garnish. Then delivered by a manager with another apology. The waitress then really stepped up her game, checked frequently to refill wine, but never was overbearing. As we were leaving my wife made a comment to the manager that even after the mistake, Amanda made sure we had a great time and we really appreciated it. We got what we expected, great food, great service, and a great time. It was what happened after that made the difference, a few days later we received a card from Amanda, again thanking us for coming and looking forward to serving us again. Which we most certainly take her up on, (My Birthday is coming up, Hint Hint) No food coupons or free drinks offered, just that little bit of extra attention turned a problem into a loyal client. I have an associate who says, “if you go the extra mile, there is very little traffic”. How true, plus you never know someone might mention you in a Blog, and Blast it all over Facebook. Happy Fourth of July.

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

What is a Fan?

Well it seems silly to ask this question in South Louisiana right now, because we see evidence of it every day. Whether it is the Saints Flags fluttering above car windows or LSU decals on every single car’s back glass (My European relatives thought that all the cars came like that from the factory). Baton Rouge is the only city I have been in, where it is perfectly natural to see grown men wearing bright Purple and Gold from head to toe on a daily basis. Fans by definition are supporters, enthusiasts even, in some aspect of your business or company. There is something about the way your company works or a specific employee that is essential to that fans business. Identify what that trait is, or why your current fans became fans in the first place.

Products don’t make fans, service does.

While I agree with about 90% of the above statement, there are some people who this does not apply too. MAC heads come to mind, not the guy who has the Ipad and the Iphone, but the guy who has the pad, the phone, 9 different Ipods, a Mac top and an Apple Tattoo. If you sell PC’s, don’t talk to this guy. But for the “normal” people service is where it starts, and in today’s economic outlook, it is a good place to concentrate on as well. But you will need to expand your search from just “customer service”.

Service doesn’t make Fans, Individual Service does!

We tend to group people, especially in business. It makes life tidy and easy to organize. This is something I am trying to break from in my own work day. Realtors, Brokers, Lenders, Agents, Bankers, Developers, FSBO’s, these are all groups that are made of individuals, who want and require different things. It is impossible to look at that list and imagine making Fan’s out of them. Does every Lender want 24/7 access into our online GFE calculator. I doubt it, there are some Lenders that I could say, “if you use the GFE calculator I will give you a Buick,” (which I wouldn’t because that would be a RESPA Violation) and they still wouldn’t trust the computer to give them accurate numbers. And that is Okay, we have processors to give that information as well. Don’t force the Fan into the Process, adapt your process to the Fan. Then educate Fans on why your company uses that process. A Fan will trust you, and allow you to serve in his/ her best interests. Make sure as your business grows, you don’t leave out the Fans who got you there.

Fans Can Be Profiled.

Profiling has gotten a bad rap here recently, but when it comes to gaining Fandom, it is essential. You might know a client likes coffee, but a fan will know where the pot is, and know how you take your cup as well. As a sales rep, it is a good idea to share your fan’s profile. Whether you store it in the company contacts database or just tell others in the office, the important thing is to let everyone know when a Fan is coming in. It is an opportunity to share a fan, it is a lot of work to maintain a client let alone a Fan, so share the load with the office. The more relationships the Fan has, the less likely that Fan is to stray.

Fan Tracking.

If it sounds like Fans are a commodity or an asset, well lets be honest they are. Keep them YOUR commodity. I promise you the competition is eyeing your fans, and why wouldn’t they? If a Builder only uses one realtor for all of his properties, there are several other agents waiting for a mistake to be made. Track your fans happiness, and give some appreciation when needed. If your fans start using the competition, find out why, IMMEDIATELY. Don’t wait 6 months, and then wonder why you didn’t get invited to the Christmas party. When a fan makes a switch, they tend to get very vocal about it, they want everyone they know to use their “NEW GUY”, they need to know they made the right decision, and will work to prove it. This is great if you’re the “NEW GUY”, not so much if you’re the one without the Christmas Card.   

Internal Fans!

Make sure your sales force has internal Fans, those people in the office who work hard to actually deliver the product or service on time and correctly. This isn’t always easy, communication, respect and appreciation is Key. If the sales force doesn’t have fans in the office, it is difficult to develop new ones outside the office. Just as No one wants ME processing closing documents, most processors have no desire to give a presentation to a room full of agents. But we can’t deliver the service fans require without the trust that our fans are being taken care of.

Treat office/ admin employees well. Those fellow employees are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. It sounds silly, but I used to walk into each office and give a small round of applause, what started as silliness turned into me just letting the people who made my paycheck know I was thinking about them. Treat them with respect and chances are they will have a higher regard for your fans. Appreciation stems from the Outside In and from the Top to the Bottom. Treating customers and employees well is equally important.

Next: Turning New Clients into Fans!

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

A few weeks ago, the Senate left town for the Easter recess without voting on extending the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program), thereby resulting in the program’s expiration. The House had previously approved, by unanimous consent, a $9 billion measure containing one-month extensions of several programs including unemployment insurance, COBRA subsidies for health benefits and flood insurance. Senate leaders of both parties hoped to have their chamber approve the same bill before the Easter break, but Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) objected to the House bill saying it was not funded. A similar scenario occurred in early March. Congress approved legislation last night that reinstated the National Flood Insurance Program. President Obama signed the measure into law within an hour after the House passed the measure.

The provision is effective until May 31. It is retroactive from March 28, when the fourth temporary extension since the program’s authorization originally ran out on Sept. 30, 2008. This will rectify and lapse in coverage and allow people living in flood prone areas to move on with their lives.

Officials of the American Insurance Association said the goal of congressional leadership is to finish work by May 31 on a so-called tax extender’s bill, H.R. 4213, “thus precluding the need for another short-term extension of the NFIP.” This Bill will extend and fund NFIP thru Dec 31, 2010.

According to officials of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, “in theory, the NFIP will now return to normal operations and since the extension is also retroactive, any new policy applications or renewals that were signed and submitted during the hiatus will be effective from the date of application (or in the case of waiting periods, the waiting period will start from the date of application).”

At the same time, the House Financial Services Committee plans to unveil legislation today providing long-term reauthorization and reforming of the program.

Understandably agents are “frustrated by these repeated one-month extensions and the periods of expiration that sometimes result from them.” The NFIP is meant to provide a level of stability and protection “for homeowners and businesses against dangerously unpredictable and costly flooding events, not to be an unpredictable ‘here one minute-gone the next’ program subject to monthly congressional action. The IIABA strongly urges Congress to pass a long term extension of this critical program,” Charles Symington, IIABA senior vice president of government affairs said.

As a professional you have to separate yourself from everyone else. You need to determine what YOUR focus is going to be…YOUR niche. By targeting your business to a few markets you not only protect yourself from the competition, but you shield yourself from the state of the economy. If you do this successfully, your clients won’t now what they did without you. I know of an agent in our area that was/ is the “short sale expert”. Even when times are good you will get referrals for your specific market. In an arena of generalists, people in need will seek out the specialist.

What is your Niche? First ask yourself, what is the competition NOT doing? Is there a Niche they have failed to fill? It is very easy to become the expert of something no one else is doing. Then determine if what you are currently doing relates to this “prospective niche”, you can’t be an expert in one area one day and a completely different area the next. Then ask yourself, how can I differentiate my business from others? How can I create the perception that my market simply cannot live without me. What do I have to offer?

Time to Focus…Decide what your client looks like, define who they are, and more importantly where do you find them. Too many times people stop focusing before they reach their client. “First Time Home Buyers” is not a niche…”Young, Married, plant workers in the Ascension Parish Area” is a niche. You know who they are, you know where to find them, and better yet, it is easy to ask other people to market your niche.  Make sure your niche is different, and make sure your niche is viable. No point going after “Young, Married, plant workers in the Ascension Parish Area” if all the plants are laying off workers.

The Unpaid Sales Rep… Ask yourself where is you client? Does your niche have an association? Where do they gather? How do you get to as many of them as you can, efficiently? I know a Disability Insurance sales rep whose niche is dentists, at the end of each graduating class guess who is making presentations at the state school of dentistry? As you position yourself as THE expert, the leaders of these groups will seek you out.

The only constant is change… Re-evaluate your niche, when it gets old go through the process again. Look where you market has been, how it evolved (and it will) and where it is going. Develop new products and services to add to your Business, competitors will respond to your success and you will need to grow to stay ahead. The secret to niche marketing is being able to evolve with time.

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

“It’s Just a Football Game, is it really going to change your life”, That’s what was being said to me as I kneeled on my hands and knees hoping that the football Gods would somehow speed up the fabric of time and end the Super Bowl with the Saints leading. It got me thinking this morning, would the New Super Bowl Champs change my life? Well maybe it would change my life in a 6 degrees of separation kind of way. Stick with me because this could get messy.

I am sure everyone noticed the roadside Saints merchandise tents popping up all over town. Well there is a reason that they are there, people are spending money. I myself spent $112.00 on new hats for the kids, a more feminine jersey for my wife, the NFC championship hat (the Super Bowl hat is notoriously ugly, and once again they didn’t disappoint) and some sort of car flag that lets everyone know I am a card carrying member of the “Who Dat Nation”, and please don’t steal my car. All this before the Saints even won “The Game”. Who knows what I will be purchasing now, Reggie Bush Bobble Head, Lock of Drew Brees’ hair in a super dome locket, Colts toilet Paper?

So if I’m typical of the middle class, mid thirties, balding, chubby (in a good kind of way) family man, and I’d like to think that I am, then we all went out spent some money on frivolous Black and Gold Stuff. Why is this out of the norm? Well for the last 8 months to a year I, like my chubby brethren have been hording our dimes and nickels like the Monopoly Banker holds on to blue 50’s. I’m talking meatloaf instead of New York Strip, hitting the 89 button instead of 93 button at Shell, the whole nine yards. Heck I re-gifted kids Christmas presents. Not that I made any less money, but I watch Television and by the looks of things I thought by now we would be half-way to Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome type living (if you haven’t seen it, you should). Now before you do something crazy like eating your one year emergency food supply, I am no expert on world economy. But it felt good, putting the brand new Saints cap on my son’s head, and I went one step further this week and booked a weekend to take my wife to a Mardi Gras Ball. The Saints Winning the Super Bowl, makes us feel good. Maybe good enough and for long enough, that some people who have been too petrified to buy a house, actually pull the trigger and purchase that house that they are qualified to buy. Even if it was previously owned by Tina Turner’s hair dresser (Ubiquitous Mad Max reference).

I don’t really care what tax credits, or incentives the federal government gives. If purchasing a home doesn’t FEEL right, people aren’t going to do it. And lets be honest things haven’t FELT right for a while around Southern Louisiana. Maybe all that talk about Normalcy that politicians and pundits were talking about isn’t what we needed at all. Maybe what we all needed is a good ‘ol shot of feel good Saints the whole time. I can give no guarantees that the real estate business will go into hyper drive, or even that in 6 months we all won’t be eating dog food out of unmarked cans, driving cars with chicken wire across the windshield, and running from Mohawk clad renegades (really go rent the movie). But driving around town today, no one was complaining about the New HUD-1, or the Chaotic nature of the new Good Faith Estimate, everyone was just happy to be living in area blessed to be part of the “Who Dat Nation”.

Oh and getting back to the original question, how will this all change my life…well I DO work on commission. “BLESS YOU BOYS”