We've started making copies of all our listing paperwork and closing paperwork and burning them onto CDs as backups for each transaction. I was thinking this might be a nice closing gift for our listings, since then they would have all their paperwork conveniently located on a CD. I know there are some programs out there that make nice labels, etc. for CDs to make them more professional looking. Is there any program that anyone would recommend?

Hi, just looking for some opinions. Out broker is trying to get us involved in sending out a monthly newsletter, it's a "newspaper" type, about 11 pages long. There will be quite a bit of cost, but he will subsidize part of it if we do the customizing of the layout, pick the content etc. The plus is that it will go out to a LOT of people, which is a good thing. The bad thing is that it features ALL the agents in our office. Another negative, I personally think though, is that if I got something like that in the mail, I wouldn't really have time to read it, even if it looks like it has good content.

On the other hand, we would like to start doing a personal monthly e-newsletter , just not sure where to start on that. We don't have THAT many e-mails in our address book yet, still a collection we're working on. I'd say we have maybe 100 at the most. But, I think that an e-mail newsletter would definately be cheaper, and I think that it being smaller and in someone's e-mail box they'd be more likely to read it.

 What are your thoughts? Have you had any experience with either of these methods, and which do you find more effective (both in cost and response).  Have you had any success with any of these e-newsletter companies, any that you would recommend, or is that something that you've designed on your own, and if so, with what program???

 Thanks for you input! :)

I've sent myself a couple e-mails from the Point2 system, just so I can see how they REALLY look in your various e-mail programs. Anyway, both times I've done it, it's ended up in my spam folder, which worries me that the customers I'm sending them to ever even receive them. Have you had these issues? Is there a way around it? Does it have something to do with the subject line, or is it because it's coming through Point 2? Is this something we can remedy, or do you think I need to contact Point 2 support???

Thanks,

Sarah

Okay people, we need some help!!! Our Point2 website is doing much better than we hoped, and we need some advice on what to do with all these new e-mail addresses we're capturing. What do you do with them? Do you have a specific drip e-mail set up so that they're contacted every so many days? How long do you do that? Do you have a newsletter that comes out periodically that they're added to? Do you personally e-mail each one? What have you found to be most time-conscious and most effective? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 Brian & Sarah

I haven't had this happen to me yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time until it does, so I'd like to have a contingency plan. From the stories I've been hearing it seems like kids are getting more rambunctious and disrespectful on showings, and parents are getting less and less aware (or just don't care) about what's going on.

There was a showing on one of my listings last week where the agent was 1 1/2 hours late for the showing, so the sellers were home when they came. The agent didn't supervise, and the buyers had monster children. They were running though the house, jumping on beds, opening and going thru dresser drawers and cabinets, etc. My sellers were horrified to say the least, and the agent and the parents never said anything to the kids.

An agent in my office had something  similar happen, only she was the showing agent and it was her buyers that had the hyperactive kids. She had no idea what to do and sounds like they were just left to run wild.

Any experience or horror stories to share? Do you have any advice on how to nicely rein the kids in when the parents won't?

Is it just me, or is the business getting dirtier and dirtier by the day? I need some input on a situation. I live in a small town (population about 15,000) where the average listing is about $60,000. Welll..... about 3 weeks ago I listed a beautiful waterfront property for $475,000. Yesterday an agent from another office called our seller (this agent has never had any contact with our seller before ) and told them that she had a buyer who was being transferred into the area and she would like to sign a one-party contract with them. My seller told her that they had listed their home with us. The agent told them that didn't matter and they could just work something out between them. She asked if they would be home this weekend so her buyers could come look at the house. My seller didn't know what to say (this is the first house she's sold, so she's not familiar with "normal" procedure) so she told her that Saturday afternoon would work. The agent said she'd let her know if that would work. We called our seller for another reason, and she told us this story and asked if she was supposed to be home or not. We told her that we hadn't been notified by the agent at all that she wanted to show the house. A little while later our seller called back and said that the agent had called her back and tentatively set up the showing appointment for 2:30 on Saturday, and would call on Saturday to confirm that time, in case her buyers are running late, etc. 

So....... what should I do? At this point my seller is going to phone me when the agent calls to confirm, and I plan on being at the house for the showing. (Our instructions are for the listing agent to be present for showings.) But then what??? I've never had someone be this blatent. Any advice???