Maybe I have gotten a bit astray, maybe I haven’t but re-focusing can’t be a bad thing.

(transcript after the break)

That being said … I have been writing and sharing at Posterous a fair amount lately. What is Posterous, you ask?

Not only is writing/posting at Posterous dead simple – you can post anything there – PDF, text, video, mp3, etc. etc. – and they take care of the rest, but it posts everywhere I want it to – Flickr, Twitter, Facebook …

Why have I been writing there recently?

- Writing there gives me the ability to post while I’m mobile (being a Realtor I’m mobile quite a lot),

- Sharing pictures taken with my Blackberry is simple, and the sharing can be ubiquitous.

- Real Estate industry stuff that doesn’t fit at or isn’t developed enough for AgentGenius (the national real estate magazine where I write) goes to Posterous.

- I can post about personal stuff occasionally (I went hiking at Humpback Rock the other day) and not feel like I am detracting from the focus of RealCentralVA

- The ability to share others’ writing is ridiculously simple.

- It can be a more varied place to share information. For example, over the past week I have noted the recent survey about "prestigious careers," Redfin’s philosophy about open data, having a beer Blue Mountain Brewery after hiking Humpback (their new Pilsner is fantastic) and livestreaming of the Charlottesville real estate market update with Barry Merchant.

I started RealCentralVA as a place to share information about the Charlottesville real estate market, and I intend for that focus to remain. There just happens to be more to life than real estate, and Posterous provides the best forum I have found for sharing.

* To the person who emailed me, I responded but your email got kicked back.

Hey Jim Duncan with Nest Realty and RealCentralVA.com here in Charlottesville. I got an e-mail from a reader the other day and he had a simple question for me. He was wanting to know a good local surveyor. He had some land he was looking at. So I’m going to respond to him with a few local surveyors I’ve used in the past.

It’s nice to be thought of as somebody who might know the answer to something. I might be better than Google. But he ended it with – he’s a long time reader, long time commenter – and I noticed he hadn’t been commenting recently and he said something at the end, he said: “I still check in on your blog sometimes, but not so much since you’ve shifted away from being a local real estate blog to more industry focused.”

And it really kind of hit me like a ton of bricks because I never intended for my blog to be anything other than a local real estate blog focusing on Charlottesville and surrounding areas, land use, politics, real estate, growth, water, etc., etc. market trends. So I don’t really want my blog to be a real estate industry blog. I think it kind of reflects what I’ve been doing in recent years, but I’ve got something that I’m trying out that I think is going to relieve some of the stress that I feel to post industry thoughts on www.realcentralva.com and you’ll be seeing and hearing about that in the next couple of weeks. I’ve got a new tool that I’ve been playing with that I think is mighty, mighty cool!

So my apologies if any of you folks think my focus has shifted. I have not intended it, but here is my recommitment to trending back to focusing on Charlottesville real estate and growth, politics, land use, etc., etc. So thanks for listening, thanks for watching.

Please call or e-mail me anytime with comments: 434-242-7140 or Jim@realcentralva.com or hit me up anytime at jimduncancville on any of your instant messengers. Thanks.

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First in an ongoing series explaining the why, when, where and whatfor …

Introducing Nest Realty Group.

What are we doing differently?

Everything and nothing.

This is a new direction for me. Since the start of my career as a Realtor, I have always been narrowly focused on my clients and their needs, but I have always also, by necessity been focused on myself – my career, brand, success. This move represents a monumental shift in philosophy, one of collective responsibility, goals and values. I hope I’m ready.

Firmly believing that the Agent is the brand consumers trust, this is a Realtor-Centric brand. We have shared beliefs, values and goals but recognize that the value provided to customers and clients rests firmly with the quality and value offering of the individual Realtor.

No Dual Agency. To my knowledge, we are the only real estate brokerage in the Charlottesville area stating definitively and publicly “No Dual Agency.”

The Status Quo, in the form of the established political “leaders” refuses to eliminate Single Agent Dual agency, so we are choosing to lead by example. We believe that this is something the consumers want and need.

I have lobbied against Single-Agent Dual Agency (where the only beneficiary is the Realtor) for years. And I have been consistent in my belief:

Q: Dual Agency – Who Benefits?

A: The Realtor.

Real Estate Consulting – hourly fees, fee-for-service, flat fees. Everything is negotiable. We recognize that today’s consumer is far more qualified, educated, market aware and knowledgeable than the consumer of the previous decade. The internet has changed everything; we embrace this rather than try to put the rabbit back in the hat.

Accountability to you, the consumer/client/public and to each other.

Our brand is the collective “us” – we intend to push each other, help each other and make each other and the brand the best in the market.

Technology

Brokerage-wide, we intend to do things better, or as we and consumers think, the way things should be done. Look at the website, my search page,

Who am I? I’m Jim Duncan and we’re the Nest Real Estate Group and I intend to change the world.

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If I don’t write them down, it’s almost like I don’t make them …

- Relish fear and failure. I have experienced failure several times recently. One of these was in competing for a listing, another agent won (it was for a 35% referral fee, so it wasn’t that great of a loss, but …). From both failures, I learned something, and there is the value in failing.

- Work to systematize my business.

- Dramatically change something about how I work. Maybe implement Daylite. Maybe change companies.

- Grow my business by 15%.

- Fix my Archives page.

- Start working in the $500k+ price range.

- Write every day. Learn something new every day. Establish new business relationships/friendships and maintain existing ones.

- Bring passion, dedication and desire to the table each and every day.

- Say “No” more often. Between the local, state and national committees and Boards on which I serve, time to actually sell real estate is often scarce.

- Spend as much time as possible with my family and work every day on my marriage.

Next up … my predictions for 2007.

Update: This post is part of the 2006 Real estate goals group writing project.

Technorati Tags: albemarle, charlalbemarle, charlottesville, goals, real estate, realtor, realtor.com

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Realtors are self-employed. What we earn depends on our efforts, our dedication and the occasional spate of luck.

I ran into an old friend yesterday in the grocery store and part of the “haven’t seen you in a while” chit-chat was asking how our respective careers were going. His response was anathema to me; “It’s great – I’m there for 7 1/2 hours a day and then I’m done.”

Where’s the excitement? The growth? The challenge? The fear that is vital to success?

Technorati Tags: real estate, real-estate, realtor

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1) The love and support of my family.
2) Wireless internet
3) Skype: jimduncancville/Cell phone
4) Support in the office (thanks, Mom)
5) The patience of my family dealing with my sometimes-workaholic-ness

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This is why I do what I do. A client from about four years ago just emailed me:

Always wanted to say that you are the agent I use to compare all others to.. it seems that as we talk to more folks about buying/selling, we find that your business integrity is a hard find.  Not too many folks out there are honest, intelligent, know the business well and have a sense of humor as you do.  I only wish I could pass along more business to you but the “you’re the best agent ever!” compliment will have to do for today!

PS: Thanks for keeping up with the newsletter – enjoy reading and always love the Calvin (& Hobbes) snippets!  Found your other web site today… looks great as well!

After having just gone through a very rough transaction (the second one in five years), I really needed this. Thank you. Words like this help to make what I do worthwhile.

Technorati Tags: charlalbemarle

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I will be attending the third retreat of the VAR Leadership Academy. Juggling a family, a business and trying to grow and develop is no easy task! Next year, Sorensen?

Technorati Tags: leadership

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I am going to be on WNRN’s Sunday Morning wake-up call this Sunday, 21 May at 1100. Listen live or go to church or UVA’s graduation … and then listen to the podcast (or subscribe to their feed).

Listen for an honest dialogue on the local real estate market. Call with questions or comments.

Technorati Tags: albemarle, charlalbemarle, podcast, real estate

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I traveled to Chicago Monday afternoon and returned late last evening. The meeting was informative and enlightening with regards to the future of the real estate industry as a whole. More on this later. For now, back to blogging.

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One of the greatest challenges in real estate or any other business is maintaining the elusive balance between work and family. Getting to the following point has taken me quite a long time – formed in part by my parents coming to my soccer games when I was the kid while they were the Realtors (they still are).

I do not negotiate my attendance at my daughter’s soccer games. She is going to be eleven only once; – that I am the coach is secondary. When I have clients on Saturdays, I tell them that I have an existing appointment that I will not negotiate – and then I tell them that it is my daughter’s soccer game. To a person, every single one of my clients has understood and said things such as “we wouldn’t want it any other way,” “absolutely,” and so on.

What’s the mini-revelation? Those who do not understand my commitment to my family may not want to work with me; most importantly, I don’t necessarily want to work with them. This is a powerful revelation for me and for my family. Hopefully it will work out.

Technorati Tags: real estate, soccer

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Whoever decided to put Spring Break in the middle of the spring market was certainly not a Realtor. The juggling act continues will be more interesting this week.

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I am going to be gone next week, Tuesday through Thursday, attending the VAR Leadership Academy. This is a year-long program that is comprised of three retreats and is designed to – you guessed it – shape and develop better leaders. Our first assignment has been to read The Timeless Leader, a fascinating conglomeration of leaders throughout history and the corporate correlations and applications.

Entering this first retreat I am excited to learn and grow, remiss about being away from my family (a good argument can be made here for a new MacBookPro for me and an iSight for the family) and a bit skeptical and wary as I have hear countless graduates from last year’s class refer to it as a “life-changing” experience. We’ll see.

I am setting my expectations at a reasonable level so that I will hopefully have them far exceeded. I’ll let you know.

This year the Leadership Academy; next year I hope to attend the Sorenson Institute.

Technorati Tags: leadership

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I read this at UrbanDigs, thanks to Curbed, and thought it worth republishing (with permission, and a few edits to make it applicable to the Central Va market) -

My Definition of a Buyer Broker: A broker who represents the buyer and has a fiduciary responsibility to the buyer in finding a property that meets their needs on all levels (price, location, size, condition, style, and living quality). A buyer broker should look to find the best value for their client and negotiate on their behalf during the bidding process to get the lowest possible purchase price from the seller. In times of bidding wars, the buyer broker should advise their client on how high over ask the buyer should bid without overvaluing the property or putting their client in financial risk.

In addition to these services a Buyer Broker will prepare the client for the real estate transaction in a number of ways:

1. Assist the buyer in finding a mortgage broker if one is needed. A good buyer broker will ask their client what their strategy is with their investment and advise their client on possible mortgage products that could be used. Ultimately, the mortgage broker is the professional you should rely on for the final product to use.

2. Co-ordinate visits to the property for contractors as needed and accompany the client on the final walk-through prior to closing to fully inspect the property based on the contract of sale’s terms and conditions. All electrical, plumbing, and appliances should be in working order (or not, per contract – JD).

Most buyer brokers, also known as Real Estate Salespersons or Agents, are in real estate as their full time profession which does not mean they know what they are doing. It is up to the buyer to determine whether or not their buyer broker is responsible, knowledgeable, and privy to the current housing market prices and developments.

I can tell you that as a broker (aka, Real Estate Salesperson) there is a ton of competition out there and very little loyalty. The more experienced brokers understand the need to ’set themselves apart’ by offering their clients exceptional service in the most professional manner possible. My thinking is:

I am going to find you the highest quality property that meets your needs for the lowest possible price, and do it in a way that makes this transaction a positive experience for you that you will refer my services to all of your friends and family when they need to satisfy their real estate needs. (I have referred to this in the past as Raving Fan service – JD)

As a buyer you should be especially vigilant that your buyer broker is really out there to assist you, and is not just trying to make another sale. Is your broker showing you properties in your price range? Is your broker going out of their way to accommodate your schedule? Is your broker constantly showing you properties that are away from your desired neighborhood? These are the things you should ask yourself when analyzing your broker.

In the end its not about the deal, its about finding you the best home possible and making you happy with your new home and investment!

What he said.

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Today is my birthday – #30, so the wife has scheduled a little trip to New York for the weekend. Leaving is hard to do – the kids, the business … bah. You only turn 30 once.

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Maybe not “the” things leaders do, but certainly some very good ones.

I like them all; these stand out to me:

Stay disciplined and detailed.
“Good leaders are never afraid to intervene personally on things that are important.

Leaders learn constantly and also have to learn how to teach.
“A leader’s primary role is to teach. People who work with you don’t have to agree with you, but they have to feel you’re willing to share what you’ve learned.”

Stay true to your own style.
“Leadership is an intense journey into yourself. You can use your own style to get anything done. It’s about being self-aware. Every morning, I look in the mirror and say, ‘I could have done three things better yesterday.’ “

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I would have to say that I’m a combination of  “meme du jour” and the “local blogger” category. This is an excellent analysis of the 7 types of blogging style. Link via InstaPundit.

If you blog, can you be classified under one of these themes?

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op-por-tu-ni-ty |ˌäpərˈt(y)oōnitē| |ˌˈɑpərˌˈt(j)unədi| |ɒpəˌtjuːnɪti|
noun ( pl. -ties)
a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something : we may see increased opportunities for export | the collection gives students the opportunity of reading works by well-known authors.
• a chance for employment or promotion : career opportunities in our New York headquarters.

Yesterday evening I had the opportunity to give an unexpected marketing presentation. I did as well as I could, and frankly think I did quite well, especially given the short amount of preparation (thanks to my assistant ) and that I had just come off of four hours of showing properties.

I am thankful and grateful that I had the opportunity. The property is 1) beautiful and 2) in Crozet, (which would be a fantastic commute for me). Not taking this business for granted is something I have learned throughout my life. Each day is new and presents new and different opportunities to shine and excel. I get excited at the prospect of earning new business and clients – as soon as the excitement begins to ebb, I think I will look for a new career. Making the most out of each and every opportunity …

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It is soccer season again. I am coaching my daughter’s U-12 team again and playing as often as possible myself. Our area is truly lucky to have such wonderful soccer fields all around Charlottesville and Albemarle.

Coaching takes up an awful lot of time – more than many people realize. Proper preparation for practices takes a great deal of time. Being unprepared in the face of thirteen 11 and 12-year-olds is a recipe for frustration and disaster. My kids will be young once, and this is my opportunity to influence them.

Technorati Tags: charlottesville

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I met a nice pair of buyers yesterday and spent my morning with them today. They are retired Army. At the end of the day, his wife asked if my college ring was a VMI ring. When I replied in the affirmative, he said that he went to the Citadel, class of 1950, if I recall. We commiserated for a few minutes about our mutual experiences, and soon after said our goodbyes. He ended it by saying, “I am glad we are going to be working with someone who has been braced.” For those who aren’t familiar with this term, suffice it to say it is something that a relative few have experienced and it represents the toils, triumph and mutual respect that could only be achieved through hard work, integrity, dedication and sheer stubborn persistence. The VMI/Citadel experience may be no longer, but their tradition and respect persists.

Little things like that are constant reminders of why I suffered for so long at VMI, and why I continue to strive to achieve in all that I do.

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Integrity, prompt response time and commitment are among the most important factors consumers consider when choosing a real estate agent, according to a new survey.

It’s a darn shame that integrity is something that is such a rarity, rather than a simple expectation. Maybe if the market slows a hair, some of those Realtors lacking integrity may choose another profession. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to know about one’s integrity until it’s too late.

Most survey participants agreed that the integrity of an agent is the single-most important factor in their choice. Nearly 90 percent said that prompt and responsive behavior is very important, as well as the real estate agent’s commitment to helping the consumer buy or sell a home.

From Inman News (paid subscription required, email me for a copy of the article)

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