Monday Links – 11 May 2009

Primarily for Realtors, this post is one that all who use the internet as part of their business to to read, and then act (no longer available). The NAR is at it again, and our respective businesses may be at risk.

If you have any questions, please ask me.

Jonathan hits on something about which I feel strongly – from a personal policy perspective and as a reflection on the human condition, if you will. He’s now working with Buyer Broker agreements with all clients. I’ve experienced this recently, and fell his pain.

I’ve always believed a handshake ought to mean something … though yesterday it was made clear to me once again that not everyone feels this way.

…

Truthfully, I wish such a step wasn’t necessary. A handshake should be guarantee enough that I’m not spending time, money, gas and cell phone minutes on someone who will select an agent based on a phone number on a sign later down the line. But it’s not. And that’s a very, very sad thing.

Market report for Charlottesville, Albemarle and all of Central Virginia coming Wednesday.

Water Rights and Rain – basically, out West, if you want to collect rain in a rain barrel, don’t tell the government.

Pretty much.

From the WSJ:

The Federal Reserve significantly scaled back the size of the capital hole facing some of the nation’s biggest banks shortly before concluding its stress tests, following two weeks of intense bargaining.

In all that I do, I want to offer more:

Value = benefit/price. That means that one way to make value go up is to lower price, right?

The thing is, there’s another way to make the value go up. Increase what you give. Increase quality and quantity and the unmeasurable pieces that bring confidence and joy to an interaction.

When all of your competitors are busy increasing value by cutting prices, you can actually increase market share by increasing value and raising benefits.