The Honda Service Story - and how it compares to floor duty

I was about to get on the highway a few days ago for one of a billion trips back and forth to my alma mater. I had stopped for gas and ended up at a full service station (who knew they still existed in PA?) where someone else had put my gas cap back on. Just imagine my frustration when the "replace gas cap" light started flashing in my car. So I pulled over, checked the gas cap (which was just fine) and started back on my way. Light still flashing. Not wanting to get stranded on the interstate, I call my dealership and ask for the service area. After waiting a few minutes on hold I get the service receptionist who tells me the technician can't take my call. Fair enough, right? After all they are dealing with cars who actually scheduled appointments. She then asks me what the problem with my car is - and I tell her about the flashing light and my impending 125 mile trip. Confidently she tells me - "oh, sometimes that takes a few days to go away...don't worry about it". So I kept driving (and the light kept flashing). Let me tell you it was rather annoying.

About 20 minutes later I decided I was going to push the button next to the flashing light, just to see what would happen. Imagine that....light went out. What about the "takes a few days answer?" apparently it was just a polite guess from someone stuck on the phone who needed to take the next call.

Does this sound like your last floor shift? Did you get a sign call from someone who wanted to know something about a property you hadn't seen on caravan? Worse yet, had that impatient caller chimed in just as you had picked up the phone to call another client or the co-op you needed to reach to put a different deal together?

The point of this story is that we often guess at real estate questions when we don't know the answer. Don't. I would have been far happier if hte woman would have just told me she didn't know (or needed time to find out) and called me with the answer. I would have even been OK if she had told me she had put me back on hold, managed the other call, and then come back to my request. In today's real estate market, customers believe they have the right to get all the data nowadays - they don't mind being told you don't know the answer and will wait for a call back (or better yet, an email) with the answer.

So why do we learn all this technology?

Here is a great survey from Business Week that shows the interest GenY (people aged 18-30) have in real estate right now:

http://is.gd/s9G2

Trust me, these guys aren't reading the newspaper or care about how big your picture is in Gallery.

Some of Jim's Numbers from the Awards

Many of you have asked about Jim's speech at the Awards Breakfast.

http://www.viddler.com/explore/martinmillner/videos/1/

If you want to see it - Marty Millner captured it with his FlipCam - click the link above to watch the whole video.

If you are just interested in some of the bullet points, here they are:

Coldwell Banker and its parent company, Realogy, are not in the sort of financial trouble that has been reported in some misleading press reports. In fact, Realogy's EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Ammoritization) was $411 Million. Free cash flow is $109 Million. Those both show that Coldwell Banker has the money it needs to do business.

If that wasn't enough, Jim shared that Apollo Management (the company that owns Realogy) has provided Realogy a credit line of $750 Millon. This means the "rainy day fund" is still in place should the company ever need it.

2009 Awards Breakfast Photostream

Agents, once again I have loaded all the images from the awards breakfast to a Flickr photostream so you can download your own photo should you like.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25996316@N07/

If you are looking for a place to load one of these photos, consider your "About Me" page on your Agent Microsite. If you need help, ask Stefanie during one of her office visits!

A great (free for some) seminar

For those of you who are members of the BUCKS Association of Realtors, note this seminar that is being offered for FREE

How Top Agents are Making Money Using No-Cost Social Media Networks
How Top Agents are Making Money Using No- Cost Social Media Networks Featuring Amy Chorew leading Technology Expert in the real estate industry and the secret behind some of the most successful agents marketing online today, will share with you how today's top agents are attracting clients and closing transactions with today's social media tools .
Date: June 10
Time: 9am to 12 pm
Location: Spring Mill Manor, 171 Jacksonville Road, Ivyland, PA 18974
Cost: Free to BCAR Members Only. Registration: To register go to ims.bucksrealtor.com or call 215.956.9176

Amy Chorew is a great presenter IMO and this is a great opportunity to educate yourself. If you have been working with Stefanie already, this is a chance for you to hear another point of view and also to focus on the "how do I make money with this stuff" end of things.

Plus, the more of us who show up means fewer seats in the room for our colleauges from other brokerages...not that I want to deny them the education but since we are ahead of the curve already perhaps we should leverage what is available to us.

An interesting post for women in real estate - actually for everyone in real estate

Inman News ran this article following up on the Awesome Females in Real Estate conference - but I think the tips apply to everyone.

http://tinyurl.com/c3z6ll

Another Great Post from AdAge and Coldwell CMO Mike Fischer

http://adage.com/brightcove/lineup.php?lineup=1266084202

If you have ever questioned the "Founders" TV campaign (and I hear all the time from agents who love it or hate it) watch this video with Coldwell Banker Chief Marketing Officer Michael Fischer for some insight on its imact and intent.

Learn the term he mentions - FutureBuilders - it is going to be critical to the success of your business...and our business...in the days and months ahead.