Karin Elliott

Today after I dropped the kiddies off at school I happened across a cold wandering brindled puppy with a black button nose and socks. "Screech" went the brakes and out I jumped to save that puppy from certain doom! So he runs to me in a pitiful manner and lets me pick him up. At some point I found myself driving down the road with this warm sleeping pup on the passenger seat and the sale was made, JUST LIKE THAT. I worried about what I'd do with him when I got home!

I live in Big Canoe, Georgia (and sell Big Canoe real estate) where they have a very active Animal Rescue. I called the director, met her in her driveway, and  she followed me over to the Big Canoe Animal Shelter where she gave the little fella some Front-line for his fleas, dewormed him, gave him a collar, leash, and some food.  My only part in this is to foster him until he gets adopted or until a space opens in the shelter. He is NEXT on the list. Please note this is yet another UNPLANNED event in the series that is my life! Why did I do it? BECAUSE he was IRRESISTIBLE! Then the light bulb went off over my head!

As a former "philosophy major" (see Mom, my education is useful!) I feel comfortable tying two completely different concepts together and proposing a whole new approach to increasing sales. It could almost be foolproof if we can bring the theory to reality and try it our in the real estate field. Please read the following general puppy questions    

Why are puppies so irresistible? Puppy breath, floppy ears, cute clumsy paws,

Where are you most likely to come across a puppy? A grocery store parking lot, the paper, side of the road.

Of the puppies you may have acquired over the years, how many of them were adopted on the spur  of  the moment? How many were planned? Personally, I have done both, but more of them were spur of the moment.

Thank you for getting this far. Hopefully you agree with many of the sample answers I have written and you may have a few of your own. Now apply these to your customers. See questions below:

What homes do your customers find irresistible? Some homes are just plain cuter than others and beckon buyers! But to be honest beauty is in the eye of the beholder and every house is attractive to someone.

Where do your customers find these homes?The paper, Internet, drive-by signs, and visiting friends in their neighborhoods. Who out there has never pulled a flyer out of a 4-Sale box in a friend's neighborhood?

Of the homes that your customers have bought, How many were spontaneous? How many were planned?This is not exactly the market for spontaneity but I had a sale this month that was, BECAUSE the house was so irresistible!

OK Obviously the first question is related to desirability; puppies are cute, and they just make you feel good. When your customers are in a home that makes them all giddy, remember it and step off to the side to check your voice mail or something to give them time to bond with the house. If possible spray some "PUPPY BREATH" air freshener too!

The second question is advertising. Like puppies, your listings are irresistible to someone, but they won't know it until they SEE IT. Check your exposure and think of at least 3 more places you can post that home.

The third question ties in to the first. It's the "tail end" of your meeting with the customers. Most of my customers come to me with plans to buy a home. Some want to wait a few years, until they retire. Others are considering moving and shopping around at neighborhoods. This is the part where the puppies have the advantage. Most of the time puppies are "FREE" to good homes. Rarely do you see a sign that says "Free Home" to good Buyers! The whole point is to try to convert the "Someday's" into right now"Right Now's" by making the home irresistible!

Please take this all with a grain of salt I'm suffering from a case of Puppy-Love!!!

~Karin Elliott 
Featured Big Canoe Real Estate
Living in Big Canoe

It's very embarassing talking to your customers and asking them if they have gas!!

Here in the North Georgia Mountains we are breaking out the Appalacian Survival Guides. There really are no chapters regarding how to take customers around if you dont have any gas! We have all the information we need on how to make moonshine and I'm wondering if that's still illegal anymore? Any lawyers out there?

The Jeep Trail in Big Canoe has an old monsine still. As an free thinking community I propose that we get the still running again and ration out the gas for the hungry Big Canoe real estate agents! I've also proposed on my real estate blog that all the Atlanta residents that are interested in a second home to sneak up here and purposly run out of gas. I'd rather be out of gas in a Vacation resort community than stuck in an Atlanta Gas Line. If my moonshine proposal works then The real estate agents will have plenty of gas for showing homes. I'm willing to bet that Moonshine would be a whole lot cheaper than gas. We just have to keep our cars from exploding!

Cheers!

Karin Elliott-IBA Mountain Homes

I'm starting to see some listings with the term "Price Firm". I agree that everyone should have a bottom line. Look at CarMax. I have not personally bought any vehicles from CarMax but after all the "No-Haggle Price" ads it truly discourages me from wanting to haggle. I guess the "agent" in me makes me want to haggle just for the heck of it since it's in my nature. It makes me want to haggle in the grocery store, or the gas station, still, all I get is "No, this is the price, and that's that". Of course this doesn't  work in the real estate world because our inventory is so high....but what if there were a "No-Haggle" movement where we got our sellers to their bottom lines? Would this help my little community of Big Canoe to sell their real estate faster if they threw it out there for everyone to see? I used to tell my sellers to give themselves a cushion because the offers fall hard! Should I just say, "Give me your bottom line", and be done with it?"

Please advise!!

Karin Elliott
Big Canoe Real Estate
North Georgia Real Estate Blog

Hi Everyone-

OK I know that I may be stretching it a little but I have been working with a client from Boca Raton for a while and we exchange many emails and pictures. I tell her about how wonderful it is to have a mild 4 season climate and manageable snowfalls. Last week my husband, who works from home noticed these two fuzzy, button nosed twins out in our back yard. Surprisingly enough the camera was CHARGED, and right by his side! We FINALLY have pictures to send to our customers! Hooray!

After I emailed the twin fawn pics to my Boca client, she sent me a picture of her local wildlife! Boca is gorgeous, but I'll stick with the fawns!! Actually I think they are pretty cute, but not in a "run up and hug it" kind of way. It's cute in a "Budweiser Commercial" way! She told me they really aren't too much of a problem and everyone there is used to them. She named that one Ignatious.

I'd LOVE to see any other critters from across the country that REALTORS pray are not lurking around when showing homes!!!

~Karin Elliott
Big Canoe Homes for Sale
Life in Big Canoe, Real Estate in the Mountains

Today at the Big Canoe bus stop I ran into a neighbor that I have never met, Ellen. She had flyers posted all over her car regarding her lost dog, Sweet Georgia Brown. I recognized the posters because they were in and around Big Canoe. When I first saw Georgia's picture I instantly wanted to help find her. Big Canoe is a perfect place for a dog to explore, but the hardest place to find a lost dog. Tonight I am devoting my blog to Georgia the lost pup. I'm encouraging all agents in the vicinity of Big Canoe to keep a leash in your car in case you run across her. After all, we do a lot of driving!! She was last spotted 2 days ago in the Wildcat Recreation Area. She has a chip and it's easy to tell that she has been loved. The sad part is that many of her signs have been removed and Ellen even advertised this on Craigs List but received nothing but threatening reward emails.

I have personally lost my dog Lady up here and it sure was scary. I even drove around with my other dog and made her bark out the window! Luckily I found her but it could have easily gone the other way.

Please keep your eyes open for Georgia. A printable flyer and the original blog article is posted here:

Lost Dog in Big Canoe. Please Help Georgia Find Her Way Home!

Sincerely,

Karin Elliott