"Singing in the Rain!"

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This photo was taken just down the road from my stunning view property listing at 3072 NE DeWatto Road in Tahuya WA.

Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.

In our last episode, Bill and Betty Buyer were sitting down with their trusty Agent, Realtor Ron, to draft an offer on their dream home. They had spent the past 3 weekends touring dozens of potential properties, when they finally found just the perfect place!

When it came time to discuss the offer price, Bill proudly asserted, “We’re going to offer them $50K below the Listing price, and ask them to pay closing costs too!”

Pulling his jaw off the floor, Realtor Ron looked down on the MLS data-sheet for the subject property.

“Their home has only been on the market for less than two weeks,” Realtor Ron stated.

Pulling up statistics for  several comparable properties in the same neighborhood that had sold in the past month, Realtor Ron showed the Buyers how the property was actually priced very aggressively, below many of the most recent sales. In addition, a quick check on the County Website revealed that the home was priced just below the property tax assessed valuation as well.

“But it’s a ‘Buyer’s Market,” responded Betty Buyer, “Aren’t all Sellers desperate?”

Will Realtor Ron write up the low offer? Or Will Bill and Betty Buyer realize the err of their ways? To discover the outcome to this dilemma, tune in to SOUNDBITEBLOG.

For Part One of this Series, go HERE.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.

Just about everyone enjoys finding a bargain. We love to find stuff on clearance or discover a really sweet deal!

There is this tendency when the market softens and slows down for Buyers to expect greater bargaining leverage when it comes to home sales prices.

Typically, when a market shift takes place that favors the Buyer (commonly referred to as a ‘Buyer’s Market), there is high level of inventory of homes available for purchase. At the same time, as ‘Days on Market’ increase (the number of days on average that it takes for a house to sell/close), Sellers begin to reduce or discount their listing price. Add to that the number of recent short sales and foreclosures that have occurred due to our current economic conditions, and you have the potential for finding  some really excellent bargains for today’s Buyers.

So what is the effective Buyer strategy for making an offer for less than the asking price?

To discover the answer, just click on over to SOUNDBITEBLOG!

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.

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This picture shows the day's catch of Dungeness Crab from Hood Canal WA.

Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.

Dear Agent 'No-Show'

"How to Demonstrate Basic Professional Courtesy"

Okay, so I've got these really awesome Sellers with a really nice view property out on Hood Canal WA. Their home had been listed previously with another agent for over 8 months, but with only 4 showings as a result. It's not a matter of pricing. I think the home is being offered at an attractively fair market value. The problem has been two-fold:

1.   The previous agent did very little to effectively market the property, other than placement in the local MLS.

2.   The home is located in a fairly remote area, narrowing the amount of prospective buyers.

My folks have done a wonderfully admirable job of keeping their home clean and presentable for showings. As you can imagine, they're extremely anxious to gain some exposure and generate activity.

As is typical with my listings, I have created a very strong Internet presence for their home. In addition to the MLS, it is currently uploaded to over 12 high-traffic listing aggregation sites and numerous real estate related domains. I am using vFlyer.com and Real Estate Shows for my virtual media presentations. I also have it featured on my own website and local blog.

This past weekend, my Sellers received a phone call from an agent in the adjoining county, requesting an appointment to show their home between 11am and 1pm. My folks called me giddy as teenagers in love, and notified me of the showing.

At 3pm my Seller called Agent 'No-Show' to find out if they were still coming. Agent 'No-Show' then informed them that his Buyers had determined that the property was "too far out."

So I'm wondering just exactly at what time in the process was it determined that my client's home was "too far out?" And why the most basic and common courtesy of a phone call to that effect wasn't made?

I emailed my Sellers back and apologized for the inconvenience and lack of professional courtesy.

Can you imagine how disturbing and disheartening something like this must be for a Seller? Especially one who has been patiently waiting so long for someone to show their home? No wonder the public perception of our profession is just slightly above lawyers and used car salesmen!

Every one of our actions, regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem, has an effect, for good or bad. Something as simple and basic as a phone call, or the lack thereof, can have a huge impact.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 29th, I will be participating in a panel discussion at the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors in Bellevue WA. The event is being put on by Claudia Wicks, the guiding force behind the Real Estate Base Camp.

Claudia had provided me with some questions in preparation for the panel, and I thought I would post the answers here for those of you who won't be able to attend:

What made you decide to blog?

Blogging really wasn't an intentional decision for me. I kind of 'fell' into it actually. My broker at the time was playing around on Blogger.com, and it intrigued me, so I followed his lead. But I quickly became tired of talking to myself and lost interest.

When did you start to blog?

As I recall, my first post was on MySpace, but I don't think that really counts, does it? I created my Blogger.com account back in September 2005, but never really developed it very far. It wasn't until I joined ActiveRain that the blogging bug bit me and hard!

Did you start with ActiveRain? Do you blog anywhere else?

I first heard about ActiveRain through a message that Brian Brady sent me on MySpace. But I officially joined in July 2006 at the constant nagging of Mark Flanders, a local mortgage lender and husband to one of the agents at the Windermere office here in Silverdale. At the time, Mark held the top scoring position here in Washington State. However, the gloves quickly came off and soon we were both trading the title back and forth. Those early days of ActiveRain were an absolute blast!

About a year after joining ActiveRain, Mark and I decided to create SOUNDBITEBLOG, a local real estate blog for our area. It's been a great blogging tag team ever since. Mark is the 'scary good' code monkey genius who created the site, and I provide much of the content. I recently launched another more playful site about one of my favorite pastimes, CrabbingInTheHood. And, for a short time, I was afforded the pleasure of contributing to AgentGenius.

How often do you blog? How do you schedule time to blog?

Well, I guess I'm one of those blogging purists who refuses to impose schedules for fear of adversely affecting the creative juices. I tend to blog better from inspiration, rather than a sense of planning. However, having said that, since consistency is one of the keys to blogging, I think there's value in creating regular repeatable features on your blog - monthly market reports, local business profiles, neighborhood reviews, etc., to keep you on task. You can plug these into your calendar and do them to provide 'filler' around your more personally inspired writing.

What do you blog about? Tell us about Localism?

One thing to remember is that 'One Size doesn't Fit All.' Each of us is completely unique and different. Each of us has our own distinct voice to add. One of the wonderful things about conversational blogging is that it allows us to convey our own individual personalities, perspectives, and passions. Personally, I try to balance the content of what I publish to my blog(s). Foremost in my mind is sharing stuff that I think my readers will find interesting, informative, engaging, and practical. Most of the time, I'm writing for consumers - potential real estate clients. Other times, I'm sharing something specifically for my fellow business colleagues. And then, once in a while, it's simply a 'romp' in the proverbial blog hay for the joy of writing and self-expression.

Ah yes, Localism. I still think one of the best definitions of 'What is Localism?' is one that I wrote for the 'About' section of the Localism Home page. Localism was another brilliant stroke of genius for the guys at ActiveRain. It's vision was to become a hyper-local consumer-oriented destination where people in very specific niche geographical areas could interact and share information about where they live, work, and play. For most ActiveRain members, much of the consumer content we generate gets pushed over to Localism, where it shows up on the various State, County, City, and Community pages. At some point in time (notice the intentional vagueness), Localism is supposed to be launched out of private BETA form, and made accessible to the general public. Once that occurs, then anyone with a computer will have the ability to join the platform and contribute content. Creating Localism has been a HUGE undertaking, more than I think anyone had imagined. And unfortunately, it's launch has been delayed on several occasions for various reasons. If and when it is finally finished, Localism has some truly amazing potential for people to connect in very specific geo-targeted locations.

How has blogging helped you to grow your business?

Blogging, and my involvement on ActiveRain in particular, has had a significant impact in my life and professional career. It has revolutionized the way I do business. Social media can be used very effectively to expand your SOI (Sphere of Influence) digitally, allowing you to connect with more people much more quickly. It also helps to enhance/increase your web presence.

Do you receive referral business from ActiveRain?

One of the primary benefits of participating on ActiveRain are the valuable networking relationships that develop over time. For agents like myself, who are affiliated with regional brokerages, we don't have the national referral networks like some of the national chains. But even then, most times you're referring in the blind. You typically don't know much about the agent on the other end except from what you find in a corporate referral directory or on their website. With ActiveRain I have developed deep meaningful relationships with literally hundreds of agents across the US and Canada. These are fellow professionals that I know personally and can entrust my valued clients to.

Have you linked your blog to Facebook, Twitter, etc.?

One of the great things about social media is the way that so many platforms are easily connected and interact effectively with each other. It makes the distribution of content quick and seamless, and allows you to connect with more people over multiple sites.

What % of your business comes from blogging?

The first thing I normally tell people is that blogging and social media are not the purple pill that will solve all your income-generation woes. It's not something that should replace the traditional marketing methods you've been using, although it could be argued that SMO (Social Media Optimization) is more effective and time/cost effective than many types of traditional marketing efforts. Utilizing the tools of social media should augment your current strategies. They should simply provide one more weapon in your marketing arsenal, and a very powerful one at that. My goal early on in my business model was to achieve as close to 100% referral-based business as possible. I think one year I actually achieved about 90%. As more and more consumers are accessing the Internet for their home buying and selling needs (over 85% of Buyers start their home search process on-line), it has become increasingly critical for real estate professionals to dominate the Internet and rank well with the search engines for key relevant search terms in their respective target markets. A greater percentage of my business is coming now as a result of my on-line marketing efforts, and I fully anticipate that segment to grow even more significantly in the next couple of years. Given our current economic conditions, we must diversify and expand the ways that we generate new business.

What is your role as a Community Builder for ActiveRain?

Well, unfortunately, we'll have to speak in the 'past' tense as it relates to my tenure with ActiveRain. For just over a year, I was afforded the amazing opportunity of being a Community Builder with ActiveRain and worked alongside some of the smartest and most creative people in our industry. It was a wonderfully wild ride and one that I will never forget. I especially enjoyed the interaction I had with members of the ActiveRain community, many who have become like extended family to me. However, back in March, it was determined that my efforts and contributions were lacking, and that my performance didn't warrant my continued employment, so I was let go. I want to go on record as saying that I am especially grateful to Jonathan Washburn for extending me every possible kindness and consideration along the way. I have returned to full-time real estate sales with Windermere in Silverdale, and face the future with renewed energy and excitement!

How has online marketing changed your business?

Blogging allows you to engage potential clients much earlier into the process. It offers them the opportunity of becoming better acquainted with you - understanding how you operate, the way you think, the knowledge and expertise you possess. Then, as a result, a rapport or connection is established. A comfort level is achieved. You become their agent of choice. And you've never even met them yet!

What advice do you have for agents new to blogging?

First, don't abandon the basics or what works for you now. Whatever marketing methods you employ now, do them well and do them consistently. Blogging isn't for everyone, but there's no excuse for you not to take advantage of the many social media tools at your disposal today. Find someone you know who has been successful at implementing social media or blogging into their business, and start having coffee with them once a week. Find out what they're doing and what works for them. Take small steps, biting off little pieces at a time. Be disciplined in your use of time for social media/networking. Remember that it's just one more additional method f0r generating potential business.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.

If you're in the Seattle area Wednesday April 29th, swing on by the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors office in Bellevue WA for a nice continental breakfast and what should be some very engaging conversations....thanks, Claudia!

I was recently chased down on Twitter by Stacey Harmon, Social Media Director for Cochella Valley Escrow down in La Quinta CA, and also a licensed agent with Surterre Properties in Newport Beach CA. She was attempting to politely inform me that I had been mentioned in one of her recent blog articles.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Stacey at a number of industry-related events. She is a very knowledgeable and gifted social mediaist who not only understands and deftly navigates social media, but more importantly, knows how it can be effectively and practically implemented into everyday business.

And as such, I was truly honored and humbled to be given mention in one of her recent articles she contributed to 'CV Escrow Blog' entitled:

"Realtors doing it right - Agents who effectively use Web 2.0 in their business."

Stacey mentions 5 other fellow real estate professionals in her post:

Mike Lefebvre, The Uncommon Agent, with Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty in Boston MA for his use of Video.

Kris & Steve Berg of San Diego Castles Realty in San Diego CA for Listing Information.

Andy Kaufman, MyEastBayAgent.com, of Keller Williams in Berkeley CA for Networking & Niche Marketing.

Teresa Boardman, StPaulPhotos.com, of Saint Paul Home Realty in St. Paul MN for her use of Photos.

Kristal Kraft, KristralSellsDenver.com, of Berkshire Group Realtors in Denver CO for being Consumer Focused.

All of these successful people are highly accomplished and skilled heavy-weights in the use of social media, which causes me to be even more humbled that I was mentioned among such truly distinguished colleagues.

Stacey will be presenting a session at REBarCamp Phoenix next week entitled "Nuts & Bolts" - How to get started in Social Media. You can subscribe to her ActiveRain blog, follow her on Twitter @staceyharmon or subscribe to her Real Estate & Lifestyle Blog for Coastal Orange County.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.

Okay, so I did something for the very first time the other day.

I sent a letter to an elected official. Actually, I sent it to several of our elected officials here in Washington State.

Although I have always been a very faithful voter and take that privilege quite seriously, I’ve never felt overly passionate about a particular issue enough to warrant penning any correspondence.

Until now.....

To find out what issue prompted such a response, go to SOUNDBITEBLOG.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.

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This picture is from a live webcam that I have linked to my website, KitsapLife.com, and shows Hood Canal WA and the Olympic Moutain Range in the background.

Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood.