Believe it or not, business started picking up at the end of August. My lender sent me a lead for a couple (first-time homebuyers) looking in San Benito County, an hour plus south of here. I wasn’t too thrilled about them looking that far away, but as I’ve learned in some of our training, you have to reward the behavior. A referral is always a good thing, and I was certainly very grateful. The lender told me the couple would be interviewing with other agents, so I jumped on it as soon as I could and set up a buyer consult.

At first, they were looking in Hollister. Considering I had just closed a deal in Gilroy and Hollister was maybe another 20 minutes away, I figured I would suck it up and do it. After I met the family, they seemed so lovely AND their timeline was two short months so I why not? They signed on to work with me, and I was so thrilled. A few weeks in, I realized, they were actually looking in THREE different counties– none of them mine. Long story short, I made many visits south– as far as Salinas, which is 90-120 minutes away. Then, they were focused on new construction, then old construction, then back and forth again. You have no idea. On some weekends, I just couldn’t do an open house, tour with an existing client, and then tour with these new clients… I had to enlist the help of my mentor, who took them out twice.

It’s now October, and after three offers (one other one getting into contract), we’re in contract again. And you know me: I never get an easy file. Not only is the home far away, but their loan is not the easiest AND with the first home where we got into contract, I uncovered about $700/year in special taxes and assessments that the seller and disclosure reports never disclosed. Now, we’re in contract on another home and this time, there’s a 20-year solar agreement that the sellers didn’t know they were in. I’m telling you: I am reading so many contracts that John is lamenting I should have just gone to law school bc at least I would be getting paid (instead of working for free– at least until a deal closes). I can’t believe it but shit man, all those years helping my dad with his real estate transactions trained me up for reading this tedious and annoying fine print. Shit, I know the agreement better than the fucking solar company, I tell you!

Anyway, I’m hoping this deal will progress and I can get it through until closing day at the end of October. Meanwhile, I also signed on a new client through one of my open houses. The family has a healthy budget and is seasoned with home buying BUT the family is currently living in separate cities (way out of town) and they have a home for sale. Needless to say, for the last month and a half, it’s been a beotch coordinating two clients, both from out of town and searching for homes out of town. The logistics are a serious headache. The second family is nice but there’s also been a lot of flip flopping, so I’m getting pretty worn out.

I try to explain it to my friends: I’m super stoked and excited for the business. Both clients have signed me up as their exclusive agent. But both cases are very challenging, from the logistical standpoint trying to schedule showings and meetups as well as from the client navigation/guidance/management perspective. Their needs/wants are constantly changing, so things are hot one minute then cold the next.

Last weekend, I was out in Hollister all day long. Then both clients wanted to submit offers at the same time but on different homes. This shit happens in such a flash, that I ended up copping a squat at the local Safeway and using my mifi hotspot to review all the disclosures, run comps/analysis, make calls, prep the docs. Four hours later, I get an offer submitted. The second one is nearly good to go. On the drive home, the second family changes their mind on the home. All that work for nothing. Back to the drawing board… And that’s how this shit rolls. Up and down, on and off, hot and cold, stop and go.

But I realized yesterday that, despite the frustrations, once I get my people into contract, I like what I do. Especially with the first-time homebuyers, the work is very rewarding and I actually put two and two together last night. Real estate works for me bc it combines education with advocacy and care. I care about understanding the docs. I care about knowing the process and knowing all the ins and outs. And I want my clients to know what the hell they are signing with all these legal documents. Ultimately, I advocate for them and protect them even if it means the deal falls through and I don’t get paid.

Interestingly, remember my listing that imploded in April? Even though everyone around me and my co-listing agent insisted that my clients had no case (they signed what they signed), six months later, we got the City to work out a deal with a partnering housing nonprofit. We’re still getting the paperwork tied down, but at the end of October, my client will get almost $150k more than she would have gotten had we just acquiesced and accepted going by the book. Sure, it’s still not the market price we originally thought we’d get, but given the deed restrictions and her acquiring the home through an affordable housing program, this is a wonderful outcome. And I’m glad that we persisted– that we reached out to the City departments, made repeated appeals, scheduled repeated meetings, and thankfully, multiple agencies came together to create a better solution: synergy at it’s best.

So work is definitely picking up. I’m doing far more activities– I’m just hoping these activities will lead to results soon, bc I would really love to end the year off on a high note.

My coach ended up leaving KW entirely after several offices told his students they were no longer obligated to pay him for services rendered, bc he was not the official office coach. First off, he is an independent contractor, like all agents. They don’t pay him a salary. Second, what kind of management encourages their agents to evade payment for services rendered? He helped multiple agents on their deals, sometimes even writing, negotiating, presenting, AND winning the transaction, and they thought it was ok not to pay him anything just bc the office said he was no longer with the brokerage? Total bullshit and utterly lacking in honesty and integrity.

Needless to say, my coach was distracted one day during our biweekly session and all this drama finally came out. He was concerned that my office would treat him the same way. I mean, my office is def run by people who have their shit together. They are organized and files are reviewed with a fine-toothed comb. I’m telling you, this place is not Mickey Mouse at. all. Still, I wanted to make sure. So I flat out called up the office CEO. I said I didn’t know the details of what was happening at the other offices, but my understanding was that he rendered services and he got cut out of his split. I told her this was very important to me that no matter where he was, I wanted him paid. We are in a professional business, and if our culture is as transparent and as caring as we claim, then our actions must show that we value honesty, fairness, and integrity. I have learned so much from him and it’s not right that he NOT be compensated. So she gave me her word and said if there was any problem, I could call her.

So this month I get into contract on TWO deals. When I’m reviewing the disbursement breakdown, I see my coach listed with his former KW office. The administrator tells me she contacted that office and they said there was no obligation to pay since he was no longer employed there. Oh hell no! I said that I specifically talked to our CEO about this, and I didn’t care who decided there was or was not an “obligation”. I absolutely used his services. I got value from his coaching, and I’m insisting that he get paid. Jesus Christ. People will try to get away with what they can get away with, you know? I got all his W9 info updated and he’s set to get paid next week. But it just goes to show, you have to push back. You have to resist and make shit right.

So yeah, the big news is that yes, I’m on track to close two deals this month! Woohoo. I am beyond over the moon. It’s an interesting story though, bc remember last month how I was telling you I was feeling something coming? Well at the time, I thought that my one family (to whom I’d shown 33 homes since Memorial Day) was going to get into a house. Boy was I wrong. After they saw an amazing, beautiful home right in the neighborhood they wanted and at a price point BELOW their max (and BELOW list price), I reached out to the list agent and spent all this time getting the deets. We arrived at a fair number. I tell them, they seem keen, I send the docs for e-sign to submit an offer the next morning. What happens? The next morning, they are ready to proceed but ask me to knock the offer down $50k. What?!?! I go into a whole spiel: the comps don’t support that number, and this is not appropriate. They refuse to listen and I stupidly submit the lowball offer. The agent basically ignores me all day and then when we talk, he says the offer was extremely disappointing. I try to explain that there may be cultural elements at play bc my buyers are from a negotiating culture. He says, well now they need 1.325 to win. Yep, a day ago, the number was 1.3. Now, the seller is insulted and doesn’t want to sell to you so you have to work harder to win. See how that works? They come up right away to 1.3. The guy says don’t bother. We want the $25k more. So just like that, over a 2% difference, another one slips away. And the pattern I started to realize is that, every time I negotiate a good price, they take off 50k the last minute to make sure they get a deal. Well, good luck with that strategy. Needless to say, I have not worked with that family since.

And incidentally, one home for which I’m currently under contract was a different house they rejected for some other reason. It was a freaking nice and spacious house for a really good price point. After they gave the thumbs down, I was determined to find a buyer for it. So I pinged my database. Yup, texted about 25 people one by one. A Chinese couple (I met the hubby at an open house a year ago and kept him on my drip campaign) replied to my text, I showed it to them that night, we submitted an offer the next day and we got it accepted. Wham, Bam, Done.

One of the biggest things I’m learning is that client fit matters. With the family, there were other factors too. And I just overlooked them, bc I figured beggars can’t be choosers. And I wanted to make it work so badly. I was convinced that surely, they would be ready to buy after having been on the market for over a year (during which prices went up 25-30%) and after having seen more than 30 properties in the last two months. In the end, I had invested all this time working with the wife, but the husband was ultimately the decision maker. He was always the one asking for the last minute price cut.

I do have to give them some credit though: bc I saw so many homes in Santa Clara, I really learned the inventory, pricing, and market… and that allowed me to identify unique opportunities for my other buyers. That right, I’m working all the angles now.

What can I say, Silicon Valley is a unique place. Yes, my perspective comes mostly from the real estate angle. I mean, where else is a dumpy home built in the 1950s with less than 1,100 sf valued at $2.2 million?!?! Even for someone who lives/works/breathes real estate and who witnesses the regular exchange of this “play money,” I STILL suffer from sticker shock. And shit, if you’re hunkering down in your current scrappy abode trying to make things more comfortable with minor updates here and there? Good fricking luck. ALL the contractors and handypeople are booked solid. We just needed the front arbor/beams replaced, sanded, and painted. Guess how many contractors I had to ask before 1) someone actually bid on the job 2) someone accepted the task. Seven. In the end, only two parties were interested enough to bid and accept. I’m telling you: I’ve been itching to get this done since April. And it won’t be done until mid August. So what does this mean? Contractors are busy as hell (if you’re looking for a job/skill that’s high in demand, consider contractor school!!), and if your project is too small, prepare to wait or prepare to shell out some dough.

The good news is that our beams were replaced last week, and next week we’re getting a new roof. Yup, we’re splurging on a foam roof to replace our old tar and gravel. With global warming and all, we have been burning up in this little houseboat. A few years ago, we got a mini-split A/C system in the bedroom. At the time, we were convinced we swore we ONLY needed it in one room. Boy were we wrong. Every damn day, I’m telling Bubs that I must be undergoing perimenopause. I’m known for running cold ALL THE DAMN TIME. Not anymore. That roof, man (which we signed on the dotted line for back in early April), can not coming fucking fast enough. At this rate, Bubs is practically spending every waking hour in the “cold room” with our Yeti doggie. Fuck, it’s been hot. Thankfully, the evenings cool off considerably.

Other than the home projects, I’m dealing with a doggie diarrhea problem. Yup, twice now in the last month, I have come home to find serious explosions in John’s office. Honestly, I think the new batch of dog food was contaminated or something. I put Bentley on a chicken-rice diet, and still, we’re a week in and the situation remains precarious. I called my girl N for advice. She suggested a med and my vet prescribed it today. I’m hoping for a big change within 24 hours. Man, that stuff is hard to clean, even with the amazing power of OxyClean. It’s a mess, I tell you.

What else. I have been working my ass off. Maybe this is nothing new, but I’ve hit a new level of fatigue. The good news is that I am getting closer… I can feel it. And today, I showed my clients two properties (they’ve seen 28 now) and they like them both. I feel like we’re finally in the sweet spot– in terms of finding properties that are suitable to them AND within striking range. Wish me luck, bc I need to get these people into a home. Seriously, I’ve only been working with them since Memorial Day, but they have been on the hunt for over a year. Yes, please tell me we’re getting close.

I’m also getting better about voicing my advice. I’ve learned so much in the last few months. And at this new office, I am observing a lot of the big dogs… I mean, one lady closed $14m in ONE MONTH. It’s true: you are the company that you keep. Being around top producers pushes you in new ways. Speaking of which, I started making calls again. And guess what, I scored a listing appointment for early August. I met this guy at an open house; he talked with my lender; she guided him to me, and he wants to buy up. That might require him to sell his existing home to purchase the next one. Changes are coming around the corner!

Well it’s been another rollercoaster ride over here on the #RealtorLife. Last week I partnered with an out-of-town agent who had clients looking to buy in my area. From Friday through the following Wednesday, I went on one heck of a rollercoaster ride.

I know it was only a brief period of 4-5 days, but boy, did I bust my ass working on this. For example, on Monday, I was on the phone all day. I had 40 phone conversations, part of my due diligence tracking down answers and doing extensive research on behalf of the clients. In the end, we lost out. The lesson learned? This market is still a seller’s market, so despite recent shifts, it still moves FAST. Homes continue to go into contract without contingencies in less than a week.

As a former engineer, I understand that homebuyers want to be thorough and careful. I identify strongly with wanting to comb through every page if disclosures. After all, this is a monster purchase. But at the same time, ours is a unique market. The seller expectation on hot properties is to have the offer come clean, come strong, and come fast, i.e. hit the number, remove all contingencies, and get the offer in pronto. I think the realization here is that if buyers cannot accept the unknown or feel comfortable enough with taking a leap of faith and/or taking that risk, they need to focus on languishing properties with longer days on market. Alternatively, they might even need to consider bowing out of the market entirely for now. I’m not trying to be rude or harsh. I’m just saying candidly: we know what it takes to win.

The other lesson? Homebuying is a lot like dating. All the stuff along the way matters. Presentation and impression are super important. The sellers and list agents are watching you the entire time, observing every interaction with them and with the vendors: what questions, what deliberations, what requests, what demands, how are you communicating with them? All of these behaviors are indicators and clues for the transaction. Will it be rocky or will it be seamless?

Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out by the turn of events. And then I started stressing out, worrying about completing more transactions before my June office anniversary. When I get discouraged, I always lose some amount of time wallowing in self pity. And then I get sick of my complaining and climb out of that bullshit and try to reflect and think strategically… you know, like really think about what I’m doing wrong and where I can improve…

That’s where Bubbey’s worldclass emotional intelligence comes in. I mean, he always has pointers, but some are def more helpful than others. :). Thankfully, since he chaperoned me last Sunday, he witnessed my interactions and gave me feedback on how I could respond to people’s common excuses. Like if they say they are early in the process, I used to respect that and tell them, it’s helpful to be prepared early but whenever they’re ready, let’s talk. Instead, Bubbey says I need to give more push back: tell them a story about how I see a lot of people who think they are early on. But then they suddenly see something they really like and bc they aren’t prepared, they’re scrambling around trying to submit an offer. That strategy is fine for other markets, but not for this one, where properties go in 7-10 days. It’s never too early to get organized. There’s a lot involved– not only with getting a vetted preapproval, but also in organizing your proof of funds, drafting your letters to the seller, and just being focused and serious with your search. I can help, blah, blah.

I know, Bubbey’s got valid points, right? So this week, I busted out my script books again and I spent some time writing out more detailed responses to these scenarios. Luckily, last weekend’s list agent reached out and offered me the Sunday open house, saying the seller was reducing the price. I agreed.

While I was setting up a half hour before open time, a couple came early… argh, I hate when that happens but like I said, I never turn people away. They looked and then I practiced my new spiel. They said they were early, I explained it’s never too early to get organized, we talked for a while, and then at the end of ten minutes, I said, call me when you’re ready. I had been concentrating so hard on doing my talk and capturing their data (where they are looking, how long, specs, etc.) that I was all thrilled to get that far…  but then at the end, I didn’t make the ask for the appointment or the strong ask to work together. So John gave me those tips today. If the conversation is going well, make the ask again and maybe they’ll be more inclined since there was good rapport. He also said I should focus less on matching them with a lender to get preapproval and more on how I am going to help them save time and money with the homebuying process. See? He’s so damn good.

So the next couple that came in, Bubbey went out for an errand and I tried again. Did the whole dialog and really built rapport, but the lady was preggers and due this Wednesday. She did seem convinced that they needed to get serious about the process and that they’d work with me. I followed up afterwards via email and the hubby replied positively so… I took that as an improvement in my execution even if the baby is mucking up my timeline. 🙂

All in all, I got three solid leads today. All Stanford doctors (two hubby-wife physician couples!) and I talked with them for a good 10-15 minutes. I told stories and gave examples… it was really interesting bc afterwards, I realized that my conversations with visitors are very similar to all the shit I prepared when I was participating in ProMatch and training up for job interviews. I had to develop all these answers to questions– and the responses had to be concise yet illustrative to demonstrate my capabilities. It was such a weird epiphany but it made me really excited just seeing the common thred.

After the open house wrapped, I had a meeting with another lady whom I had met back in January at an open house in MV. You see, I recently discovered this new tool. For the longest while, I’d been following up with people via email and phone calls. My emails would get opened but no response. The calls rarely went through to a live person and if I left a message, no one ever called me back. Then, I was thinking so many people have an iPhone. What if I input either their number or email, and see if they have iMessage?

With my Chinese speaking leads, I was thinking that maybe my English emails and vm were a turn off. Or oftentimes, I wasn’t even able to leave a vm. So somehow I got this idea in my head that I could use iMessage to record an audio message and send it. Then I could see the delivery/read receipt. I started recording messages in Chinese but the problem with that was I had to record a new message every time. I needed something more cut/paste friendly. So then I transitioned into sending them text messages in English but I added a line in Chinese saying that I speak Mandarin. And coupled with the QPush tool, I was cranking those babies out. Then, I kicked things up yet another level.

When I send out my eblasts (2-3x/month), the software tracks the opens and clicks. The thing is, people always say they aren’t seriously looking or they aren’t interested and YET the tracking data shows that they are still CURIOUS about the market. I get a really good open rate for my monthly updates (stats on home sales and median prices)!! Same for my open house announcements. So now what I do is look at who has opened, and then within an hour or day or whatever, I send a text via iMessage that basically says, “Hey, thanks for reading my real estate emails. The market is moving fast. My buyers just got a house in XYZ. I can help you win too in this competitive market… let’s talk. Btw, I speak Mandarin (in Chinese characters).” And let me tell you: I am actually getting responses!?!?! Sometimes even from people whom I had previously been pinging via email for MONTHS! Sometimes they tell me they already bought. Other times they are not currently looking to buy but they admit they like the emails. And sometimes THEY AGREE TO MEET.

Yeah baby, Brenda the Bulldog is tenacious like a mother fucker. And this iMessage thing is useful, bc now I know these people are reading my stuff. And it’s a way to remind them of who I am so they get another imprint that VG is a realtor. And when they share tidbits, I get a sense for how warm the lead is and I update my database accordingly. See, I am made for keeping tabs on peeps!! You might as well call me Facebook or Cambridge Analytica, beotches! Just kidding. I do no evil. 🙂

But let’s be honest. Out of LOTS of texts, I only got like five responses. Still, two of those five ended up meeting with me in person. And I figure once I start texting people every time they read my emails, they will either unsubscribe from my email (which helps me shed the bloat anyway) or respond in some way to either meet me or get me off their back. That’s my latest strategy anyway, and I’m thrilled from the results this week. More innovations and work hacks to come. Stay tuned! Muhahahaha.