Naples Florida Real Estate: December 2007

Of course on days like today, I love almost all buyers but especially level headed ones!  I am amidst a little Naples condo deal that was built before you know who.  Ok, maybe it was a few years after that....regardless, it's old and nearly everything in it is original.  Oh boy!  The inspections were ordered before I left town and my "always fabulous" property inspector handled the inspection and emailed it to all of us while I was away. 

After reviewing the 3,000 page inspection report.  Ok, it wasn't all that long but it is the kind of inspection report that sets off the "butt head" alarm.  Do you know what I'm talking about?  It's the sound that only "butt heads" can hear.  It makes them do and say crazy things like...tell them to fix everything or I'm taking a walk!  Or maybe, all that stuffs gonna cost three trillion to fix, tell the seller to take that off the price and THEN I'll close. It's much like a dog whistle that only dogs can hear but it's a "butt head" alarm that only "butt heads" hear.

So me being out of town for the holidays (before the actual holiday) thinks...hmmm. I'm going to have to handle this as soon as I get back.  Because my list of stuff to do today was long and since I've already celebrated Christmas 12 times, I did the silly thing and sent an email update to my client Christmas night. Knowing full well that he is one of those guys who handles business during business hours and does not let business interfere with his personal time...yes, I sent it...on Christmas night.  Besides, he also told me he wasn't connected at home and I knew he wouldn't be in the office til today.

Well, it is a fact!  The buyer who has blessed me with his presence is not a "butt head".  I know this because he did not hear the butt head alarm and he did not react accordingly.  Fortunately for everyone, he told me the things on the inspection that mattered to him the most, I gave him his options, he listened and gave me my marching orders.  I called the other agent and received another great response.

Now for those of you who are superstitious out there who are spinning out of control over the fact that I am talking so highly about a deal I have not closed, make no mistake.  I realize that there are plenty of other things that can go crazy.  I am not spending my check before I get it but it is really A BREATH OF FRESH AIR to be working with a smart and honorable buyer. 

I love it when buyers do what they say they're going to do. 

I love it when buyers listen to what I have to say and make their decisions based off the advice they've been given. 

I love it when buyers are smart! 

John R. Wood Realtors Inc. agreed to ring the Salvation Army Bell at the Neapolitan Publix in Park Shore during the past two days.  Although I do various things to give back throughout each year, I never have been the one to "ring the bell".  I have been the one to put the money in the can but me...never the ringer. 

So after about 6 emails out to all the offices and still a few blank spaces on the calendar, I called up a fellow colleague of mine and told him we were going to be ringing the bell this evening between 6pm and 7pm.  It's an hour....we can do anything for an hour right? 

Did you get a chance to check out the video "The Bagger"?  If you haven't seen it...please don't forget because it really is an absolutely AWESOME story.  *** http://www.simpletruths.com/simpletruths/a.aspx?af=219&mo=stsr 

For those of you who are too tired to check out the link it's basically a customer service story about how somebody went out of there way to make the experience of the grocery shopper a little better.  Since I was going to be standing in front of a grocery store for an hour watching my buddy ring the bell, I thought I would try to do something along the same line...sort of.  I bought 120 candy canes today, tied my business card to them and brought them to give out to everybody.  Not just to the people dropping money in the bucket but to everyone.  How often does that happen right?

I was actually surprised out how hard it was to give them away.  Now I wasn't dressed like a bum.  In fact I in my typical Shannon Lefevre fashion was dressed in a hot pink shirt, black foofy bottom pants, pink socks, snowman shoes and a zebra jacket.  I looked REALLY SCARY AND MEAN...NOT!!!!   Watching people make wide circles around the tinkling bell was almost funny at times but when I said, "Happy Holidays".  With arm stretched wide out with candy cane in hand people almost broke out into a full on run.  Do you know how many people "can't" eat candy?  I'd say about 40% based off my experience tonight....how has Hershey's stayed in business???  Then I'd say, you don't know anybody you can give a candy cane to?  Believe it or not...some still said no.

So then I went to "Merry Christmas"...it's sad when you don't know how to give a holiday greeting anymore...don't cha think?  Anyway I tried that for a few minutes and after saying it the first time, I looked at my buddy and said, "Is there a rule against saying that"?  (Since I had missed the bell ringing instructions).  The lady who I had said that to heard me even though she was now across the street of the parking lot and she said loudly, there is NO rule against saying Merry Christmas, I liked to hear it and I'm glad you said it!...Ok...whew.  So we said, Merry Christmas for a few more minutes but ultimately...I might as well had been saying...I'm going to kill your kids.  People wouldn't look my direction, they waved their hands in front of their bodies as if to say they didn't want any...it was interesting.  One guy even argued by saying...no, everybody wants something from me...every time I turn around somebody wants something from me.  I replied, I know...that's why I'm giving this to you and I don't want anything from you.  You would've thought I had punched him in the mouth. He did take my candy cane and said thanks and even Merry Christmas and walked dumbfounded off into the parking lot somewhere.

So then I started saying, "Hi, this is for you".  Same results. I don't want it, I gave at the office, I kept saying...I don't want your money, this is really for you.  NOPE.  So let's see I tried, Happy Holiday's, Merry Christmas, This is for you, Here you go....all losers.  You want to know what worked.

Ta Da!

No, that's what worked...those two words...Ta Da!  All of a sudden, people were nice again.  Even smiles and people who willingly accepting my candy canes.  Not every time but I think positive results DOUBLED.

I even ran into a guy who I did a deal with a couple of years ago.  After looking at my card he said, hey I know you...we spoke for awhile, it was great.  I had another guy look at my card and say, hey, I've seen your advertising.  COOL!

So if you are going to be ringing any bells anytime soon, may I suggest bringing something you can give...say a candy cane and a business card.  It just might be the sweetest thing they received all day long and for you...well the cards travel...who knows!

As always, if you're thinking Naples, Florida real estate, Think Pink, Shannon Lefevre - Smart Girl Great Results!

*** Who originally posted the video about "The Bagger"?  I thought Rob Baldwin had posted the video but when I went back to his blog, it wasn't there.  Then I thought it may have been on Danny Thornton's blog but it wasn't there either.  I ran a search and of course nothing...so whoever did it, I'd love to give you credit if you'll let me know who you are! 

Saturday morning we awoke to the sound of our doorbell.  Ding dong.....ding dong....ding dong....ding dong.  WOW!  Jerry, someone's at the door, hurry!  Jerry stumbles out of bed and walks to the other end of the house to find out what's going on at such an early hour.  I hear words and then the door shut.  I got up, brushed my teeth, looked out the window...nobody...checked my web-stats, reviewed the latest happenings on Active Rain and still no sign of his return.  I thought to myself he's gotta be foolin with the dogs.

About 45 minutes had passed since he had answered the door and finally he came back in.  He walked into the office and said.  Tuffy's gone.  What do you mean he's gone?  I drove the whole neighborhood with Fergie our next door neighbor and we can't find him.  We found Dually (who's blind) but Tuffy (who's deaf) is nowhere in site.  UGH!  Tuffy's hearing has gotten significantly worse over the last year and we've never been faced with having to find a deaf dog.  Not to mention he's a bit of a water nut being the half Labrador that he is and there's a pretty big lake at the other end of our street...which I'm sure is inhabited by alligators...yeah, they really do exist here in Naples. 

I ran to my closet and put on a pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt and hopped in the car wondering just how you get the attention of a dog who can't hear you.  Knowing that he couldn't have gotten far ( I don't think) since this is a new neighborhood for him, I started driving the streets.  Within a short minute or so I came upon a guy walking briskly talking on his cel phone.  (Isn't it funny how people exercise while they're on the phone these days?) I hated to interrupt his conversation but...excuse me sir...have you seen a dog?  He replied, yep he's about 4 streets down by the lake...BINGO!  I thanked him did a u-turn with every sophistication of a tenured Realtor and hauled bootie down a few streets, parked the car and me without shoes, ran towards the lake. 

I came across another walker...have you seen a dog?  This sweet lady replied no, what's he look like?  I gave a fast description, she said she'd keep an eye out and then I hurried along in front of her.  2 seconds later, 2 more walkers...have you seen a dog?  Yep, he's up the walk just about 3 houses up.  COOL! Still running on the "walking" path and hoping I made it to him before hearing him diving head first into the alligator infested lake, I met 2 more walkers who said, if you're looking for your dog he's in the backyard of the house right there, as they pointed.  THANKS....as I hurried towards that direction.

By the time I got to the backyard I heard Jerry say in a stern voice, "TUFFY...GET OVER HERE"  I couldn't see him but from the sound of it...I felt like Jerry was within "catching" distance.  By the time I walked back to the car, I had stepped on 3 stickers and was completely soaked due to the dew on the shrubs I had cut through. 

When I got back to the house, Jerry was standing in the driveway, arms crossed staring at a wet, smelly, breathless dog who was holding a "sit down" in the back of the Hummer.  I said, you better get him out of the car before he stinks it up....Jerry's response...too late...and he won't come out anyway (because he knew he'd get a spankin if he got out before mom got home...I suppose).

So after a few minutes and a few pats on the head, he finally gave in and with a little assistance got out of the car.  Without even a proper plan of attack, Tuffy had introduced me to 6 neighbors that day. 

Later that morning Jerry shared a story about the neighbor who's yard Tuffy had broken into.  The man said...I've been calling your dog for about 30 minutes but he just wouldn't come...Jerry just embarrassingly replied.  I'm sorry sir, he's deaf.

Moral of this story...get out!  Walk your dog...you just might even bump into a future client! :)

This is Tuffy...he LOVES the water.  He also likes fishing at the dog beach.

This is Dually...he actually has caught a fish before but it's not his favorite past time...besides he's almost completely blind now so he couldn't see one if he wanted to.  He prefers his football that makes a farting noise when he bites it...that's what you get when the "dad" shops for chew toys.

This is Trouble...aka Fatty since his Dr. last year officially tagged him as OBESE!  Fatty likes to eat, sleep and make me laugh!

I attended a Broker's Open over the weekend at a luxury development in Naples, Florida.  This event was geared up to be one super high class extravaganza.  I learned about the event through a colleague of mine.   Because there were 10 homes open that day we thought it was important to check them out even though there were other business generating activities we could be doing. 

So I agreed to meet my colleague at the development's clubhouse.  When I approached the gate I was greeted by a cheerful security guard who without proof of identification was happy to open the gate when I told him I was there for the Realtor's open house.  Cool for me, not so cool for the homeowners paying for security.

When I got to the clubhouse I was curious to know what big deal was going on.  There were 4 or 5 limousines parked outside and I wondered if they were hosting some VIP event at the same time.  I also noticed tables full of goody bags and wondered if maybe there was some high powered charity golf tournament going on. 

I went inside and noticed the dining room was set up beautifully.  There was a fabulous buffet with plenty of tables set and a long table of Tiffany's bags with empty fish bowls in front of each blue box.  Sadly many of the tables were empty and I counted only about 7 people in the room.  We had arrived about an hour after the start so maybe everybody else had rushed in right at the beginning. 

The food was magnificent.  Salmon, fresh fruit, some sort of really good egg dish, fresh made to order omelets....absolutely outstanding.  The wait staff was friendly and efficient and then...it was time to go on the big tour.

We walked out and were a little surprised to learn that the limousines were for us.  So were the goody bags by the way.  The bags were filled with community information so we could be at the very top of our game when discussing this obviously "right on the ball" community. 

Once inside the limousine, we were greeted by the lady who "does the paperwork".  She wasn't a "sales person" so she couldn't "tell us very much" but she was our hostess for our tour to the first house.....uhm ok....interesting.  The tour to the first house was short (at least when you're in a car).  So she didn't have to talk long anyway.  Once at the first place we were told there was a furnished, hosted model an unfurnished model and a furnished un-hosted model and when we were done looking at those, someone else would be back to pick us up to take us to the next street. 

We looked at the three houses, picked up our first raffle ticket of ten that we were allowed to drop in the bowls in front of the Tiffany bags when we got back to the clubhouse (WHOOPIE) and waited for the limo to come get us. 

we waited

and waited

and waited

and walked

and walked

and walked

we walked for awhile.  Me in my 3 inch heels and he in his long sleeved shirt with temperatures pushing 85 degrees.  WOW!

Finally we spotted one of the limousines driving down the street towards the clubhouse...the closest place back to civilization...we think.  Being funny I told my colleague to stick his thumb out.  The chauffeur was nice enough to pull over.  My friend opened the door and was greeted by a fat lady sitting on the seat who said, "could you go to the other door...I don't want to scoot over" uhm ok...so we walked to the back of the limo and opened the second door and low and behold, we were greeted by another fat lady who couldn't be bothered AGAIN.  She said, no go to the other door!  I said, no that's ok you guys go ahead. 

I know this sounds so little but I did NOT want to ride with a bunch of lazy, self serving people.  I would've rather walked, which we did....about a half mile back to the clubhouse.  By the way...those women didn't work for the community and the community shouldn't realize any back lash for their actions but where was the limousine driver?  Wasn't he hired by the community that day?  Shouldn't he have gotten his lazy butt out of his chair and opened the ding dang door for us?  Wasn't he a reflection on the community?  My stuffy theory is YES. 

Needless to say I was disappointed.  When we got back to the clubhouse out of courtesy I approached the "Director of Sales" to let her know that we had to walk back.  She argued by saying, no there's limos all over picking people up everywhere. A.  There were alot of limos driving around. B. There wasn't hardly anybody there. C.  There wasn't anybody driving down the end of the street we were on. It took three times to tell her what had happened.  When it finally sunk in..she walked past us and walked out the door.  No apology, no attempt to make sure we had a ride to the next house...nada.

Needless to say, we left.  No need to put my raffle ticket in the bowl, I don't want you to know I was there.  I don't want you to call me in the future.  I don't need to educate myself on a neighborhood that is run by a bunch of morons because I don't want to hear from my clients they were treated the same way or are ultimately disappointed with their real estate selections I helped them purchase.

Funny enough, I was just at a party in the same neighborhood last week.  The home was owned by colleagues of mine who have lived there for a short period of time and have learned they don't like the neighborhood.    INTERESTING!

Developers:  We don't need limousines and Tiffany gifts or even breakfast in my book.  We do need great service and the sense that your neighborhood is managed professionally and the feeling that our clients are going to be well taken care of should we encourage them to buy in your neighborhood. 

Now for those inquiring minds wanting to know what community it is that I'm referring to...someone said all publicity is good publicity right? 

I have been asked quite a few times recently if my move to John R. Wood Realtors (I've been there just over a year now) was a good one.  Mostly these inquiries are coming from other agents who don't work for John R. Wood Realtors although I've had a few past customers and consumers ask similar questions.  It's an easy question to answer because I made a good move.  It's nice to know looking back that you made a right choice and let's face it hindsight is always 20/20.

My affiliation with John R. Wood Realtors did not come easy for me.  I had to prove myself in the Naples, Florida marketplace before having the opportunity but with a lot of hard and smart work, I got my chance.  Here are a few factors that make me know I'm in the right place and why I strive to be the best Naples Realtor I can be for myself and as a representative for my company.

Having a great Broker was imperative.  Someone with excellent character, superior business and market intelligence and the interest to be available is why I wanted Spencer Haynes to be my Broker.  I interviewed two companies.  It isn't necessary to disclose the name of the other company but the major turn off for me regarding the other company was based on the answer to this question that I posed to a Broker working for company "x":

With the current market the way it is, what do you think is your company's biggest challenge? (We were amidst a downturn when I interviewed)  The Broker's response was this:

Well, our company doesn't have any challenges but the biggest challenge our agents have is adjusting their spending patterns so I have had several conversations with my agents in this office on how to cut their spending because they're not making as much money as they used to. 

I was dumbfounded at the lack of respect displayed towards his current agents in his office and even more baffled at how he thought the best way to resolve "his agent's problem" was to teach them how to budget instead of assisting them with their business plan to insure they wouldn't have to worry about cutting their expenses. 

First two points:  Respect and Assistance.  My current Broker and staff offer both of these attributes in such an outstanding abundance.  I am SO thankful for that!  I'm not breaking any sales records this year, much to my dismay but I have never had my Broker or any representative from the company disrespect me or display any doubt in my ability to be a great Naples agent. Ironically, this makes me work harder and smarter to insure they'll be equally happy with having me on their team.

The next thing I LOVE about working for John R. Wood Realtors is their openness to suggestions and their network they utilize to get the assistance they need to be the best real estate company they can be.  There's never a response that sounds like, "we can't do that" or "I don't know".  They do the best they can for me every time.

The other agents I work with are really smart.  It is really an honor to work with colleagues who know what they're doing and have answers to my difficult questions.  Just as it is also an honor to be considered a valuable information resource for them.   We have some amazing superstars in our office and throughout our company.  This is why 3 of the 5 agents I chose for the Naples Area Board Of REALTORS 2007 Superstar Panel work for John R. Wood.  

The inspiration provoking me to write this post has to do with support and confidence.  It's one thing when a Broker tells you they're proud of you or gives you a pat on the back but it was truly an extraordinary experience when I received a call a few months ago from a magazine reporter who was referred to me by Phil Wood, our President and CEO of John R. Wood Realtors, Inc.  He had over 300 agents to choose from and he picked me because he thought I was the best resource to represent the company for the article.  WHAT AN HONOR!  Today I received another call from one of the talented ladies in our marketing department.  She had been asked to write an article about Naples real estate in a new publication and was directed to review my website and blog by my Broker, Spencer Haynes.  When she called she said, "now Shannon, this is probably going to sound kind of weird but I was asked to read your website and your blog because if I wanted to know what was going on in Naples real estate, it would be found there".  She asked a few questions, we spoke for a few minutes and later this afternoon she forwarded the article she'll be submitting for a release in January (one of our busiest months).  She wasn't required or even asked but she used my name in the article five times!

I am completely blessed and honored to be affiliated and supported by a company who offers such an outstanding display of support and confidence. 

Who Wouldn't Want To Be A Superstar For A Company Like That?

If you are a Naples real estate agent and are interested in interviewing with John R. Wood Realtors Inc., contact Spencer Haynes shaynes@johnrwood.com or 239-434-0101  You'll be glad you did!

Planning on hitting one of the beaches on the Gulf anytime soon?  Water temperatures around our Naples beaches are still in the 70's thanks to La Niña effects which makes for BEAUTIFUL NAPLES BEACH DAYS.  If you go in the water, remember to do the "Sting Ray Shuffle".  No, it's not one of the latest dance crazes you'll find people doing in one of the night clubs at South Beach, Miami. 

It's when you shuffle your feet through the sand without actually picking them up to avoid stepping on one of our little creatures.

Just like you, they get mad if you try to squish them and chances are they're little stinger will pack a mean little punch.  So if you shuffle your feet through the sand, chances are you won't step on them but you'll scare them away instead, making for a happier beach experience for everyone involved. 

Because they find our Naples beaches as inviting as most of us, they like to take advantage of the warmer waters as well. It's not uncommon to see them resting in the shallow waters on the beach but sometimes they're sneaky enough to bury themselves making them harder to see.  I've only seen one or two since I've lived here and they were almost the same color of our powder white sand...super sneaky!

Now for those of you who wish to sensationalize drama,  There are a few things to point out.  First and foremost, they're not that prevalent and they're typically not aggressive creatures unless you're a crocodile hunter and well...16 other people who met their fate the same way in the last 11 years.  (Read More Here)

Will it hurt if you get zapped?  Yeah!!!...so do your shuffle and you should be fine....unless you lied to your Naples Realtor...and then well...you just might have had it coming to ya! :)