Sales person? No! Real Estate Counselor? Yes!

My background was not in sales, so when I decided to go into real estate few years ago, I took a big gamble. I knew I was a people person, I knew I cared about people. I knew I was honest. I knew I worked hard to achieve a goal.

I look at others and I think I'm doing it all wrong, but my team and I are getting amazing results!

Although I am in the top of my market, I don't consider myself a "sales-person", and I don't do any of the things sales people are supposed to do. I don't have a script, I don't bother people, I don't knock on doors, I don't have a cute saying on the back of my card, I don't have a magnet on my car, I don't ask for referrals, I don't network, I don't push a product, I don't even carry business cards most of the time (I know I should). It's not about me, it's about them...

Instead, I focus 100% of my attention to each and every client. I ask a lot of questions. I find out exactly where they are in their lives, and why they need to buy or sell. I find out all the intricate details and then I counsel them. We devise a plan together and we work together to implement it. They have 100% of my attention, dedication, loyalty and focus.

I get the job done, because I want it done as badly as they do. For the time we work together, their goal is my goal, their pain is my pain, their concern is my concern. There is no you and I in that equation, it's "us, we, ours"... I express that in every sentence. I get that from my corporate training, it was never "I", but always "we".

We at J.P. & Associates believe in clients for life... we may lose the deal, but we don't lose the client! Tell the Truth! Always look out for your client's best interest! Don't let your buyer clients purchase anything you wouldn't buy yourself. Put yourself in the shoes of your seller clients, that way you'll work harder!

Sales Person? No! real estate counselor? Yes!

Feds Cut Rate again..good news for us..

Well, you have to say this about our government, they do try. You can't help to hear all the doom and gloom news these days surrounding real estate and how terrible things are in the economy as a result. Well that's good news for us here in the greater Columbia area. No, I am not crazy. This is all great news for us. We are not the rest of the Country. We are this bullet proof market that inches up every year at a snail pace. Cozy, relaxed Southern style! However, no reason why we can't take advantage of all the benefits everyone else is reaping to try to get back up. There are some many new incentives out there for both buyers and sellers like record low rates, new Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae programs, great National builder's incentives, etc...

While the rest of the Country unfortunately is correcting their markets, we continue to move full steam ahead. We have some small issues mainly surrounding high end homes, and new construction inventory, but for the most part our market is on a record setting year again...yes...we are kicking butt and taking names down here. For the greater Lexington area this year we have OUTSOLD (Volume and Units), and OUTLISTED 2006 - a record year.

So in the end all this hype will definately continue to fuel our market, buyers will reap the benefits of low interest rates and sellers will find them selves in a great situation to upgrade to a bigger home. Sure we can't expect to stick a sign in the front yard and get three offers (ah...how I longer for those days...), but with the right marketing, the right agent and the right price your home will still sell. If you are buying, you can take advantage of discount with names such as "Five Finger Discount". Seriously, there's one out there with that name!

Enjoy the holidays my friends, words of wisdom...dont believe all that you read, and ask the expert for some FREE real estate advise. You could gain thousands!