Search results matching tags 'Real Estate', 'jeff kennedy', and 'janine gregor'

Websites Hits are UP! This Could be a Good Sign of Things to Come!

189123 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:24:00 GMT

Website hits are up! The Kennedy Team's website, www.BestofHotSprings.com expects more than a 33% increase in site hits by the end of January. Historically, this website averages 35,000 hits per month. As of today, with one week remaining in the month, 42,500 hits have been calculated with an average of 1,635 hit per day! That's 470 more hits per day than the usual 1,166! If this increase in web activity continues, and it is expected that it will, The Kennedy Team should have 52,300 hits by the end of January 2009. What a great way to begin the New Year!

The Broker at the main office at Trademark Real Estate, Inc. also reports a swell in activity with increased showings on all of the office listings.

I asked Paulia Kennedy, real estate marketing guru, if she was advertising her listings any differently. Paulia's reply was, "I recently changed our print ads and focused on a professionally designed general print ad in the homes magazines which is different from the other agents' ads showing just little pictures of houses."

Paulia continued to explain, "Another reason for good hits on the site has been the attention paid to our holiday gifts that we sent out in December. We received lots of thank you's along with good referrals." The gift that keeps on giving!

Paulia and the Kennedy Team have a number of new listings this month. I've been posting virtual tours nearly every week. As a result, there are many more Kennedy Team lawn signs out there as well. Paulia said, "We're also getting more people say they see our signs everywhere... (and we've got more signs out there now)."

Along with these results Paulia is confident that the market is changing for the better. She has seen an increase in buyer confidence, and the Kennedy Team is preparing for a booming real estate market in 2009!

Janine Gregor
Virtual Assistant to Paulia Kennedy

Tough-Love Real Estate Marketing Part 2

189123 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:10:00 GMT

After posting my initial Tough-Love Real Estate Marketing entry, a number of people asked me to clarify the details of a Paulia Kennedy's 'honesty talk' and what the criteria was for 'being choosey'.

Paulia explained that, "We first determine how motivated they are (if they really want and NEED to sell). If they say, 'We don't really have to sell' -- then we really do not want their listing. If the need is there, then we spend a lot of time during the interview process explaining the complete process. We want to make sure they are ready to work with us - which means we need their full involvement and participation in order for us to be successful. We consider the seller the No. 1 person on our marketing team."

Paulia continues, "In order to sell a home, there are 3 things that the seller has control of -- the home must be priced right, it must be in good condition, it must be easy to show. If the seller sticks their head in the mud and ignores our advice along with all of the ongoing information that we send them after we enter into a listing agreement, such as the showing feedback reports, the ongoing market reports and the competition home reports then we try to amicably exit our listing agreement. It then becomes only a waste of our time and their own. We also consider the other factors of the property (which are out of our control) -- location, the actual property, etc. -- and determine if we think it has a chance of selling."

Resulting in continued, steady sales, Paulia exclaims that many agents are sending their listings to The Kennedy Team knowing that this Tough-Love approach means that the property has a better chance of selling.

I asked Paulia why outside agents would give up their listings to The Kennedy Team. She explained, "Actually, I think the referring agents' biggest problem is that they do not have good follow-up systems with their sellers. The agents do not keep their sellers involved - which then causes the seller to be disgruntled. At that point, the agent has totally lost the relationship which we work so hard to develop and nurture between agent and seller. So by referring the property to us, I think it is the other agents' way to try to hold on to the deal somewhat and at least earn a referral fee. We also hear from those sellers we take on that they are seeing our homes all over the internet, with virtual tours, etc., and they wonder why their agent is not doing the same marketing for them. All of the internet work is standard marketing for us."

Paulia concludes that, "The Realtors have to work much harder now, and it takes a full team to handle all the work involved with a listing. And it seems to be a survival of the fittest mode now. The Kennedy Team saw this coming and we have been fully prepared."

Janine Gregor
Real Estate Virtual Assistant to Paulia Kennedy

The Kennedy Team REALLY Does Handle Every Last Real Estate Detail!

189123 — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:05:00 GMT

As I mentioned in prior blog entries, I often peruse other agent sites to read what services he or she offers for potential buyers and sellers. Many agent sites tout that he/she will not only find the perfect home for their buyers but will handle every last detail up to the purchasing process. What does that really mean; to 'handle every last detail up to the purchasing process'? How far do these services really go?

I see that many agents offer more now in the way of resources such as the downloading of reports but that service seems to be the 'norm' and no longer the exception. What is it that you offer that sets you apart from the rest?

Now granted, I work with Paulia Kennedy of 'The Kennedy Team' also consisting of Jeff Kennedy and Debi Jones but I have worked with many agents in the past so I can honestly state here that this Team offers clients so much more value for the money than many I have met.

The Photographs

have previously blogged about the many professional photographs Paulia personally takes for every listing; no matter what the selling price is for a particular home. No one that I have ever worked with since I've been a real estate virtual assistant takes 50-100 photos of each listing, hires an aerial photographer for some listings and has me update these listing with new and fresh photos to rejuvenate the visuals. As I mentioned, Paulia keeps me busy.

Even the actual Kennedy Team member photos are also updated a few times a year in keeping with the changing seasons and backgrounds. The same holds true for sellers. If a seller paints a room, Paulia is out there with her camera taking new pictures of the updated space. She believes in keeping the listings updated at all times.

The Professional Handyman

Recently, I learned that The Kennedy Team also offers an extra-special marketing service for both buyers and sellers as the Kennedy's have a professional handyman on staff whose name is John Watson.

John is the man behind the infamous one-of-a-kind custom 'Kennedy Team signs'. As part of their comprehensive marketing package, John custom builds each sign from scratch in their workshop. He has drafted templates for each
roof, which helps him to build each sign to perfect scale.

John Watson customizes each sign matching the roof tiles with each property sign and the home itself. He has even used clay tiles on one luxury home property sign, which perfectly matched the same clay tiles on a particular Mediterranean home.

John's work does not end there. He also uses the weed-eater & repellent around their signs on vacant land and occasionally gets the chain-saw out to cut down small trees blocking those signs. His work is meticulous!

A hard-working and trusted Kennedy Team member, John often helps with preparing the luxury homes for showings. He makes a trip to the home about 30 minutes before the tour and turns on all the lights, adjusts the thermostats, sweeps the front entrance area, blows the leaves off the driveways, decks & pool areas. He also returns after the showing to double-check every lock and make sure all the lights are turned off and that the home is secure. John assists with keeping the flyer boxes filled at the homes and makes regular checks to make sure our signs are straight, clean and neat.

John is the ultimate professional handyman for small repairs for our clients. It is extremely hard to find workers for small jobs, so they always count on John to get the small items repaired ... especially when The Kennedys are 'under the gun' to meet the small repairs item list from buyers.

It is important to note that John's services are exclusive to The Kennedy Team. His custom signs are not for sale either.

The Real Estate Virtual Assistant

Primarily, I assist Paulia with her listing photographs. She advises when a listing has been signed and uploads photographs which need to be stitched and edited. I spend practically every day creating virtual tours, updating photograph files, assisting in Point 2, blogging and host of other assorted tasks. Quite frankly, I cannot see how she managed to handle all of this work in the past in addition to her regular marketing and buyer and seller support responsibilities. With the addition of a virtual assistant, Paulia spends more time personally working with buyers and sellers to expertly market their homes.

The Kennedy Team really does offer to 'handle every last detail up to the purchasing process' from contract signing to custom sign development, to photographic and high-end brochure creation. They even offer a small repair service for their clients so that the home passes final inspection on time and at no extra cost to the buyer and sellers. Oh, and if you are looking for reports, The Kennedys offer those too!

Janine Gregor
Real Estate Virtual Assistant to Paulia Kennedy

Easy access to everywhere could really mean that the home backs up to an expressway

189123 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:51:00 GMT

Hello,

This is Janine Gregor, Paulia Kennedy's Real Estate Virtual Assistant reporting today...

I am always looking at agent listings to see how properties are described. Although I have conferred with Paulia Kennedy on only a handful of her listing descriptions, when the task has been offered to me, it is something I tackle with pleasure. Paulia makes it easy for me though, (as I have mentioned in prior blog entries) because her listing photographs are really 'so good' and so very detailed that, I can describe a property quite well without even stepping foot on the lot.

When Paulia has asked me to write a listing description, I begin by scouting the competition's listings for good words and often have a chuckle knowing that some descriptions really require 'reading between the lines'.

It isn't always what agents describe them to be.

Most agents want to accentuate the positive and downplay the negative. It's all part of getting the buyer into seeing the home. However, it is important to use the right lingo so as not to mislead a buyer into thinking, for example, that 'easy access to everywhere' could really mean that the home backs up to an expressway.

In researching this blog post, I came across a great booklet by an organization called National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents. This organization published a report entitled "Home buyer Report 2008 Report on Home Buying Euphemisms and Lingo or, How to Read Between the Lines When You're Shopping for a Home". It's a great read here which catalogs several euphemisms from their members and the 'real' meanings of these descriptions compiled from listings throughout the country.

I've summarized a few:

Galley Kitchen - Can mean a hallway with cupboards and appliances that two people could not occupy at the same time. Deep South.

Waterfront - Sometimes means a man-made pond or lake instead of gulf access. Deep South. (I see this often living here in Florida, particularly in areas with subdivisions boasting 'waterfront' a.k.a., man-made lakes. When water levels drop, these lakes are more like dry beds or mud pits.)

Water View - Sometimes used even when you have to stand on the roof with binoculars and it must be an extremely clear day to see the water. Northeast.

Very Bright Sunny Home - Can mean there is not a tree in sight. Used everywhere.

Unique Design - Sometimes means you have to walk through a bedroom to get to a bonus room or to the exterior. This is most likely a defect in the floor plan. Southeast.

Turnkey - Can mean they want to sell the home with the 80's furniture that they (seller) doesn't want to haul away. Mountain.

Subject to Third Party Approval - Often indicates a short sale or sometimes indicates a relocation company is involved. In all cases, this means you will be negotiating with two different parties on the seller's side. Expect some additional frustrations and delays. Most areas.

Renovated Kitchen - Can mean new faucets and new knobs on the old cabinets. Midwest.

Quaint Cottage - Can mean a wood frame house from the 50's and less than 600 sq. ft. Deep South.

Period Home - Could mean a 1700's home in original condition with a summer kitchen in the basement. Northeast.

Newer Furnace and A/C - In one case they were 25 years old each (also confirmed by a home inspector). When the listing agent was asked why she was stating they were newer she stated, "Because each one of them had received a new part within the last year." Midwest.

Mechanic's Dream - It is often a real dump, but it typically has a big garage. Midwest.

Mature Landscaping - There was a 40-year old cottonwood tree that needed to be cut down before it fell on the house. Midwest.

Light and Bright - Everything was white. White ceramic tile flooring and bright white paint everywhere. It looked like a hospital. Midwest.

Grandma's house - Hasn't been improved since she moved in and it still smells like her. Midwest.

Janine Gregor
Virtual Assistant to Paulia Kennedy

Press Release - Outstanding Month of June, 2008 for Trademark Real Estate, Inc., of Hot Springs, Arkansas

189123 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:48:00 GMT

(Hot Springs, AR, August 2008) - The Kennedy Team - Jeff & Paulia Kennedy & Debi Jones, REALTORS with Trademark Real Estate, Inc. are pleased to mention that their sales for the month of June of this year broke several records. The Kennedy Team sold a little over $10 million in real estate transactions in June, 2008 in spite of the "slowing economy" that seems to make the headlines on a continuous basis these days. Not only did the Kennedy Team excel in sales during this month, Trademark Real Estate was very pleased to have several top performers during this month, which resulted in $23.5 million in total sales for the month of June ... breaking many records for the leading real estate firm in Hot Springs.

There's no denial that the real estate market today is much tougher than ever before, however, the Kennedy Team and Trademark Real Estate, Inc. are full-proof that it's possible to get things done.

The Kennedy Team contributes their success to a combination of factors. They are true believers in continuous education in the real estate market, and they have earned over a dozen awards and designations for their specialized training in the real estate market. They also believe in good old-fashioned "hard work". This belief is what lead them to expanding their team to a total of five members that they have today ... Jeff & Debi are the licensed Sales Consultants who are always on the ground working in person with their clients, while Paulia is also a licensed agent and does all the "behind the scenes" work with all the marketing and working with their internet clients. They have also added two other part-time non-licensed assistants to their team, who help with all the other many details of marketing the clients' homes from custom sign building to preparing virtual tours.

Not only is hard work and education key ingredients to a successful team, the Kennedy Team believes that working for the best real estate firm in Hot Springs is mandatory! Trademark Real Estate, Inc. continues to be the leader in the real estate industry year after year in Hot Springs, and also ranked Number 9 in Arkansas last year. Lorna Nobles, Broker/Owner of Trademark Real Estate seems to focus on all the right things. She made one of the best decisions a few years ago when she made the decision to purchase the ground where Trademark now sits. She chose a high-profile location right smack in the middle of the popular "7 South" area on the highly-traveled Central Avenue. She then built an upscale Mediterranean-style commercial building. Lorna has a few other philosophies that are always visible in her beliefs. She believes, "It's extremely important to give back to the community that gives to us." Lorna leads her whole team by participating in many community philanthropies and expects all of her agents to help. Trademark earned the "Small Business of the Year" award from the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce in 2004 & 2006 for their continuous involvement with community philanthropies. Lorna makes no exceptions to another rule - "Trademark only accepts experienced top performers who work full-time or more". She also believes strongly in "hard work", and believes it's absolutely necessary to give it your all, with no distractions.

As the marketplace becomes increasingly competitive, the leading edge approach is proving vital to achieve the sales results clients expect. Always introducing innovative ways to increase the effectiveness of their service, Trademark Real Estate, Inc. is definitely your choice. For information, call 501.318.3200 or visit their website at www.TrademarkRealEstate.com

CONTACT:

Paulia Kennedy
Trademark Real Estate
Ph: 501.655.6247
Fax: 501.318-3201
Paulia@bestofhotsprings.com
www.BestofHotSprings.com

-End-

Being a Realtor Occasionally Involves a Few Needle Pricks for Charity

189123 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:44:00 GMT

September 2, 2008 - Today, Trademark Real Estate, Inc. of Hot Springs, AR welcomed the United Blood Services mobile unit to its parking lot to assist in a blood drive. Many of the Trademark Realtors and associates from the surrounding businesses stepped up and donated blood today.

There is always an urgent need for blood in our local area, with our hospitals going through about 1,000 pints of blood every month. With the area filled with the hurricane evacuees this week, the hospitals have an increased need at this time.

I was happy to be one of those participants early this morning -- even though I believe I may have been one of their select few that almost passed-out afterwards. Every time that I donate blood, it seems that my energy is zapped for the whole day after I recover from the dizzy spell immediately afterwards ... but I'll continue to do it as long as I can. I'm so glad to be a qualified candidate that is able to give. It's absolutely worth the minor pain from the needle sticks, and the short period of feeling ill - when you know that your blood may have helped saved someone else's life.

Paulia Kennedy