BEYOND THE SALES PITCH

Beyond The Sales Pitch

Well, 2007 wasn’t the greatest year for Real Estate, but for some reason, it was my personal best year since I started in 2003. I’m incredibly grateful that 2007 ended well, especially with all the bad news, markets shifting, talk of recession and everything else. But as I look back, I attribute the good news to three things. Referrals, referrals, and referrals. Which really means, I owe a huge Thank You to all of you!

I run my real estate practice 100% on referrals from customers, friends, and family. And the fact that my clients trust me enough to take care of their friends and family is truly what drives me forward everyday. I’ve learned that Upper Arlington and Columbus are both very small towns and whether it’s good news or bad news, it all gets around. So my goal is to give people the very best counsel and service that I possibly can.

Which brings me to my real point. What do people really want these days, in terms of real estate services? I strongly believe that the real estate industry is going through a huge transformation and, like most other industries, it will be primarily driven by the needs and desires of customers. The change is from Realtors who are seen as slick sales people to Real Estate Agents who are true counselors and purveyors of sound advice and useful knowledge. After all, we are counseling people on the biggest investment in their lives, both financially and emotionally!

That’s why I tell people, “There’s no sales pitch here”. Nobody wants a sales pitch anymore. They want solid information, advice they can trust, legal counsel that protects, ideas and strategies that work, skill and care when handling transactions, experienced negotiating tactics, and more. But above all, I believe what people really seek is honesty. Honesty that cuts through all the bull crap and plethora of mis-information about real estate out there. We are bombarded by so much information these days that separating the truth from fantasy can be really tough.

So please keep those referrals coming, as 2008 is shaping up to be a challenging year. But one thing you can count on is that I will treat your friends and family like family and they won’t get a sales pitch from me. Let’s make this a great year together and as always, if you have any questions about real estate, you know who to call.

Real Estate and Technology

When my father-in-law started in Real Estate 40 years ago, clients would review houses on a 3 x 5 index cards, similar to the card catalogue at your local library.

Years later, the MLS began to publish a book that Realtors would spend hours searching for the perfect home for their clients.

In the early 90's the MLS went electronic and now with a few typed words and a click of a mouse, I have access to over 28,000 listings available in the MLS in the Columbus area.

Real Living went a step further and created Real Living 2.0, an automated search engine that lets people search for their dream home while they sleep. Gone are the days of waiting for the Sunday newspaper to review the Real Estate ads, because those ads are available 24/7 via the world wide web.

Statistics show that 90% of all Internet users search for real estate. That number astounded me, and quite frankly I doubted it's validity, but when I asked a few people if they looked at Real Estate on the Internet, they all responded with an astounding, Yes!

So if you want to search for homes while you cook, clean, or do the vacuuming, just click here to access Real Living's 2.0. Now we just need a robot to do the vacuuming and we'll really be in business!

2007

2007 was not the best year for Real Estate; however, ironically, it was my best year since I began my Real Estate career.


Among the 2007 highlights include:

• Generating multiple offers on NINE different sales in a "slow" market.
• Selling a German Village house that 3 other agents tried but failed.
• Helping a single woman sell an Upper Arlington Condo that 2 other agents tried but failed.
• Getting multiple offers for an estate sale.
• Selling a 5000 SF home in Upper Arlington in less than 30 days.
• Helping a relocating family from Indianapolis find a beautiful new home.
• Helping a law firm negotiate a downtown condo purchase and build out.
• Helping a widow purchase a surprise home for her daughter 2 weeks before Thanksgiving.
• Selling a 4 unit apartment building for a repeat client.

One of the ways that I know I am doing a good job is when clients refer their friends, family, and co-workers to me.

If you know someone who is interested in buying or selling real estate, please call me at 614-273-7796 or email me at chip.bruss@realliving.com .

I wish everyone a great 2008!

Commerical Real Estate

As a real estate professional I deal mostly with residential and investment properties, but a few times a year, I'll have a commercial project as well.

Last week, I had a client who closed on a very interesting commercial space downtown. The client, a lawyer, wanted to be near the courthouse and was looking for something different than the usual cookie-cutter law firm office - all on a budget, of course! So, after an extensive search, I found him a property that was a modern loft-style office condo within his targeted area.

Whenever a commercial client relocates, they have to ask themselves a lot of questions. Here are a few to start:

• Where do you want to be located?
• How much space do I need?
• How much parking will I need?
• What kind of image do you want your building to portray?
• How will the building affect the marketing of my company?
• What type of interior space do you want?
• What price range are you looking for?

The space is being built out now and should be finished in the next few months, and I am looking forward to seeing it completed.