Phoenix Real Estate, and More...

Charles Richey Needs Help

2008-06-24T22:26:00Z

Hey folks, boy have I been remiss about posting on Relib!

I come here with sad news.

Charles Richey is in the ICU in a Vegas hospital with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

If you've been around Point2 for awhile, you may remember Charles and his wife Jacqui -- they had a wonderful Point2 site and Charles was very giving of information on the Point2 forums.

Now he needs some help. He's probably going to be OK, but days in the ICU are **expensive** and like many agents, they have no health insurance.

You can read more about Charles and his situation on my blog, which includes a link to make a donation.

I know times are rough for a lot of agents right now, but even a few dollars can really help...

I know this isn't really the kind of post that belongs on Relib, but I hope the mods can at least leave it up for a little while....

Please keep Charles and Jacqui in your thoughts and prayers.

My New Baby!!

2008-02-27T20:54:00Z

Please pardon the shameless self-promotion, but I can't help myself. I'm excited!

Birth of a Brokerage: Thompson's Realty

Maybe now that the ridiculous volume of paperwork is done and the brokerage is off to the races I'll be able to spend some more quality time with my Relib buds.

Point2 Changes Pricing Model on Standard Sites

2008-02-21T20:11:00Z

I'm surprised there is no post here about Point2 changing their pricing model on Standard sites.

Mike Farmer Joins the Bloodhound Pack

2008-02-05T18:10:00Z

If you've read RELiberation for, oh more than a day, then you know Mike Farmer.

I suspect Mikey won't "toot his own horn", so I'm going to do it for him whether he likes it or not.

Mike has been invited to contribute to Bloodhound Blog, a nationally recognized real estate blog. He joins a cadre of some of the finest writers on the "RE.net".

You may think it's an honor to join Bloodhound Mike, but I assure you, the honor is ours.

Welcome to the pack.

Mike's intro from Greg Swann, Chief Hound:

Introducing Mike Farmer: Thinker, writer, buyer’s advocate

Real Estate Connect

2008-01-07T16:57:00Z

Anyone headed to NYC for Inman's Real Estate Connect 08? If so, be sure to find me and we'll chat it up. Best way is to probably call or text me at 480-235-4447. I'll be speaking at the Bloggers Connect Workshop on Tuesday afternoon -- stop by and lob tomatoes!

Drop by "Beer with Bloggers" too on Tuesday evening. I hear Zillow is buying!

It's Getting Rough Out There...

2007-12-26T22:21:00Z

RE/MAX 2000 closes 13 offices in Phoenix. 2 days before Christmas....

More here if you are interested.

Brendan King on InmanBlog

2007-12-13T01:03:00Z

Glenn Roberts of Inman News posted this today on InmanBlog:

Point2 and beyond ...

Brendan King, the outgoing chief operating officer of Point2 Realty who resigned from the company last week along with a group of other managers at the company (see Inman News story), said in a statement today that he would like to work again with the "Dream Team" that had been assembled at the company but offered no specifics about his future in the industry.

"I had the fortune of traveling with some of the best and brightest. Some of those people remain at Point2 and some have left. I am sure that Point2 will continue to be a great product developed by a company of great people," he stated. "Much of the near term vision and planning is in place and I wish the best to all the remaining staff. There have been a lot of rumors and speculation about the resignations, particularly the who and why." He referred to the formal company announcement for some of those details.

"I think I can speak for the bulk group when I say that the why is now unimportant. What is important is that all our great customers and friends in the industry can expect, at the very least, that Point2 will remain reliably and dependably what it is; a leader in technology and innovation. I can't say for sure what the future holds for those of us that resigned. I can say there are many wonderful opportunities. I can say that I personally consider the group of individuals who resigned a 'Dream Team.' I can tell you that I would love to continue working with these guys. I can also say that we have a lot of great ideas and opportunities. I can tell you that many of these are in the real estate industry (but not all :) ). I just can't tell you anything specific -- yet. Stay tuned."

Inman News on Point2 Resignations

2007-12-11T12:58:00Z

This will slip behind Inman's pay wall later today, so read it quick if you are not a Inman subscriber.

It reads, in part:

Point2 Technologies confirms group of resignations

Outgoing COO says departure relates to disagreement

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Inman News

The chief operating officer, chief technology officer and five other leaders at real estate technology and marketing company Point2 Technologies announced their resignations last week, a Point2 spokesman and its former chief operating officer confirmed Monday.

A team of employees, including COO Brendan King, vice president of systems development Jason Collins, and software product manager Jeff Tomlin were among the departing group. Jay Thompson, who authors the Phoenix Real Estate Guy blog, suggested in a Friday blog post that something was perhaps askew at Point2. And a related blog posting at the RELiberation site drew scores of comments.

King said he left for personal reasons including a fundamental disagreement with the company's future plans. "I disagreed with the strategy and direction going forward, so I decided to move onto different opportunities," King said. He did not reveal his career plans. He said that the group of employees at Point2 "was a dream team."

"I, as did everyone else, gave a very long resignation period," King said, adding, "I haven't been back to the office as of last Monday. I've been helping over the phone and via e-mail."

Noujeim said that the company planned to formally announce the employee departures in a Dec. 11 press release. The group of departing employees included Jon Levesque, John Fothergill, Greg Miller, Allan Wolinski -- who all worked in the company's real estate division. Chester Hagen, chief operating officer for Point2's heavy equipment division, has also left, Noujeim said.

It has been a challenge to fill the roles of the departing employees, said Noujeim. "People are getting figured out -- who's going to assume what role." But he said there will be "no change whatsoever to our customer business or the systems." (my emphasis)
================

Veterans Day

2007-11-11T17:22:00Z

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

There are two holidays that mean more to me than any other. Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

These are days to set aside whatever thoughts and opinions you may have on the current war in the Middle East and honor and respect all those that have served and especially those that paid the ultimate price.

It was almost 40 years ago that my Father served a 13 month tour in Vietnam. I remember watching the news almost daily wondering if my Dad was OK, and my Mom assuring me he was and that he'd be home soon. It was tough on an 8 year old kid (and his Mother). But it was tougher on my Father.

Thanks Dad, and to all the others that have ever served. Your sacrifices are appreciated.

Here are a few short video clips that express my feelings better than I can write them:

A soldier comes home from Iraq and surprises his 6 year old son. If this doesn't make you weepy, something isn't right.

The best commercial ever.

Visit AmericaSupportsYou.mil to send a message of support to our troops.

Melanie Dekker’s "Fall in / Wounded Soldier". Some images may be disturbing, but should be watched.

God Bless all those that have ever served.

Point2 Users Meeting

2007-11-07T19:22:00Z

Just a reminder that the Phoenix Point2 users group meeting is TODAY at 4:00.

Brendan King, Point2 COO is in our fair city and ready to talk all things Point2.

Be there.

Details are here

Meet the Bloggers at NAR!

2007-10-26T17:55:00Z

Planning on attending the NAR Conference in Vegas in a couple of weeks?

Want to meet some of the "A-List" real estate bloggers? Here's a chance to get insight to their experiences with blogging as well as question and answer sessions.

Damon Pace at Incredible Agent is hosting the event at their booth. Stop by, meet some bloggers, get some answers and a shot at some cool prizes!

More information, and the current schedule can be found here.

Schedule For Wednesday, Nov 14:

10:00 A.M. Damon Pace - IncredibleAgent Blog

11:00 A.M. Michael Price - MLBroadcast Blog, Mike's Corner

12:00 P.M. Jay Thompson - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

1:00 P.M. Lani Anglin - RERevealed Blog

2:00 P.M. Joel Burslem - The Future of Real Estate Marketing (Inman News)

3:00 P.M. Benn Rosales - AgentGenius.Com

4:00 P.M. Pat Kitano - Transparent Real Estate

5:00 P.M. Kevin Boer - 3 Oceans Real Estate

Schedule For Thursday, Nov 15

10:00 A.M. Daniel Rothamel - The Real Estate Zebra

11:00 A.M. David Gibbons - ZillowBlog

12:00 P.M. Kristal Kraft - Denver Real Estate Blog

1:00 P.M. Roberta Murpy - Luxury Home Digest

2:00 P.M. Jim Duncan - Real Central VA

More TBA!

I am not really sure where to begin or what to say half the time. Any Blogging secrets out there?

2007-10-23T04:51:00Z

"I am not really sure where to begin or what to say half the time. Any Blogging secrets out there?"

Joe Schutt said that in a previous post. He asked me to respond, so I will. This is just one person's opinion, other's will differ...

There is no single "secret" to blogging. Here's some of what I've learned in the past 2.5 years I've been blogging:

Make posts consistently -- post at least once a week. Twice a week is better, daily even better. (more than that can actually be a detriment, especially if your blog is new and hasn't established a readership).
Be honest -- if you make a mistake, say so. Try to hide it, or deny it, and your "blog rep" will be ruined.
Link liberally to other blogs -- this may be the single hardest thing for new bloggers to do. It goes contrary to your natural inclination of "I finally got them to my blog, if I link to someone else, they will leave." You've got to get over that.
Get a very thick skin -- it's easy to get hurt. People may call you names, you may get pummeled by "bubble bloggers". Get used to it. Ignoring them is the easiest way to handle it. If you chose to take them on, do so with dignity and grace.
Read as many different blogs as you can. Every single day. This will give you an idea of what works, and what doesn't. It will give you things to link to. It will also give you ideas for your own posts, which leads to....
Never, ever, ever copy someone else's words. You can certainly quote "snippets" (with proper attribution -- a link back to the source). If you need to copy more than 3, maybe 4 sentences, you probably need to re-think your writing.
Comment (with some substance) on other people's blogs. Don't just say things like, "Nice post!". If you can add something to the discussion, do it. Other readers will follow your comment to your blog.
Don't obsess over "great writing". You are not Faulkner or Shakespeare. Just write like you talk. Don't try to impress readers with fancy words or deep metaphors. Blog readers are a bright bunch, they will see right through you.
Be incredibly patient. It takes a LONG time to build up a "blog presence". I blogged on Phoenix Real Estate Guy for over a year before it really started taking off. Most blogs (real estate and everything else) die in weeks or a few months because the blogger gets discourged.
Blog to learn, to improve your writing and communication skills. Blog to educate your readers. Blog for fun. If you try to play salesman, if you "self-promote", it's an immediate turn-off for 99.9% of blog readers. Stick with it, and eventually clients will come. If your sole reason for blogging is to get clients, it's highly probable that you will fail.

There is a great site at http://www.realestateweblogging101.com. It contains a *wealth* of information.

Really stuck on blog ideas? Here is a great list of 106 things a real estate blogger can write about.

Dustin Luther is the real estate "blogfather" in my opinion. I'd read everything he's ever written. Especially:

http://www.raincityguide.com/2005/12/13/linkation-linkation-linkation/

http://www.raincityguide.com/2006/02/27/8-common-mistakes-made-by-real-estate-bloggers/

http://www.raincityguide.com/2005/12/15/7-tips-on-marketing-your-real-estate-blog/

http://www.raincityguide.com/2007/09/11/rules-for-rain-city-guide-contributors/

http://www.raincityguide.com/2007/08/20/presentation-using-blogs-to-build-an-online-brand/

Phoenix Point2 Users Meetup!!

2007-10-12T15:28:00Z

If you are in (or around) the Phoenix area, you should come to this! Hear Brendan King talk about Point2.

Think of the possibilities...

Meet other Point2 users.
Get tips and ideas.
Network with others.
Bring a sack of tomatoes and lob them at Brendan while he talks!

Here are the details..... (Original source)

Point2 Technology User Group Meetup

Brendan King / COO of Point2 (and identified by Inman as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders in 2007) will be at this meeting of Point2 users. Come hear Brendan talk about where Point2 is today and where they are headed with their technology.

This is the first time we're gathering Phoenix P2A users together - if you like it, let us know and we'll see how we might do it again!

Refreshments Provided Courtesy of Point2!

When: Wednesday, November 7. 4:00 - 6:00pm

Where: Jobbing.com Community Meeting Room (map)
4747 N 22nd St.
Phoenix, AZ 85016

How: Register online here. Cost is ZERO!

Thanks to Steven Groves for coordinating!

The following day you can hear Brendan speak on a panel with Joel Burslem / InmanTV and David Miller / Chicago Title on 'RealEstate2.x - The Future of Real Estate' moderated by Steven Groves / Executive Conversations in Real Estate at the 2nd Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference! (separate registration required)

Tragedy in the Real Estate Blog World

2007-09-25T05:26:00Z

A very sad thing happened yesterday. Aaron Anglin, 24, was killed in an automobile accident. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters, age six weeks and one year.

Aaron was the brother of Lani Anglin, a very popular real estate blogger out of Austin, and one of my true "cyper pals". He had just "starred" days before in a real estate video spoof that was spreading across the Internet.

I hate asking people for money, but if there is anything you can do, even a dollar, there is a donation link set up on my blog. They had no life insurance, and Aaron's wife and both his daughters were in the car when he was killed (they are going to be OK, but there will be medical and funeral expenses).

My blog post about it:

Tragedy Begets Triumph: Why I Love this Community

Life is short. Live every day with gusto. And to the people you love, tell them so every day.

The Sacrosanct 6% Commission -- How about 12%?!

2007-08-29T16:23:00Z

I recently posted this on my blog, and it's generated some great discussion. I'd love to hear what the RELib community thinks about it... are increased buyer agent co-brokes and incentives an effective way to sell a home?
-------------------------------
From the somewhat infamous 60 Minutes / Redfin infomercial came these words:

For realtors, the six percent commission is sacrosanct. It's remained in place, even as the price of homes has quadrupled over the past 25 years.

Yeah, whatever. Commissions are not "sacrosanct" nor are they set at some mythical level. Commissions are negotiable. Period, end of story.

Yesterday I received an email from a local Phoenix real estate agent. It was one of countless streams of marketing blather I receive on a daily basis from my fellow agents. The title of this one caught my attention. It read:

12% Co-broke for the next 12 days

Interesting… for those not aware, or for agents from different parts of the country that may call it something else, a "co-broke" is the portion of the total commission offered to the buyer's agent (technically the broker for the buyer's agent). Many, including 60 Minutes own Lesley Stahl, seem to think the "sacrosanct" commission is 6%. What these folks always seem to fail to realize/accept is the commission is split between the listing agent and the buyer's agent. So with a 6% commission, usually 3% goes the listing agent and 3% goes to the buyer's agent. (Like the total commission, the "commission split" is also NOT sacrosanct. Typically it's split 50/50, but certainly not always.)

So here is a seller who, presumably under the advice of his agent, has increased the commission to the buyer's agent to 12% — for a limited time. If there isn't an accepted offer in escrow by August 31, the co-broke reverts to 4%.

Increasing the co-broke to attract buyer agents isn't anything new or innovative. It's been done since time immemorial. Phoenix area builders have been doing exactly this for quite some time as they struggle to bleed off excess spec home inventory. (Interestingly, many of these are the same builders who cut co-brokes to zero during the boom of two years ago. But that's another story.)

This is the most extreme example I've seen on a residential resale. Increasing the co-broke on this home from 4 to 12% would amount to an increase in the buyers agent commission from $17,996 to $52,998 (assuming a full price offer of $449,900).

Fifty three grand for selling a $450K house is ridiculous. To be blunt, I'd be embarrassed to take that much — and I'd feel like I was ripping my buyers off. In my opinion, the sellers would be much better off reducing the price by that extra $36,000. A brief look shows the house currently priced near the mid-range of comparables. A 36K reduction could place it very well – and provide BUYERS with an incentive to view the home and make offers, as well as provide the SELLERS with a more competitive listing, possibly even inducing a multiple offer situation (which does still happen).

To hell with incentivising the AGENT.

We should be keeping our clients best interests in mind. In an agency relationship, we have a fiduciary duty to our clients. How does accepting a commission check of 12% of the offer price even remotely resemble proper service to the client??

I suspect some slime-ball agent is out there right now, salivating over a 53 grand commission check. It will be interesting to see if this listing agent's tactic results in an accepted offer. I'll be watching and reporting….