Dear Manager of the Property Next Door

Please talk to your tenants. You're a real estate agent; you should understand this is undermining my agent's attempt to sell my house.
And had you been more helpful to me when I've asked for your assistance previously, I would have given the listing to YOU. But you weren't, so I didn't.

These are photos of what my neighbors did when I was trying to sell my house to get away from them.
1. Blocking my windows with a moving van the tenant parked daily. (It was his job.)
2. Blocking visibility of my agent's sign by encouraging visitors to park in front.
3. Creating a fire hazard and an unsightly yard to discourage buyers.


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My Guest Bedroom window... where I hosted AirBnB guests as my sole source of income.

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My office window blocked by a full-size moving van for weeks at a time.



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This is my broker's sign. Now you see it...

BlockingFORSALESIGN
Now you don't. The neighbor's guest's parked their vehicles in front of the sign.

more-junk
Illegal fire pit. This means the future owner will have to endure smoke.

I'm looking for an extraordinary realtor....

Updated: January 2017.
Originally posted Sept. 12, 2015


I have two houses for sale. If you can quickly sell one of them at an acceptable price, you are invited to sell the other one as well.

I made this list because I've already dealt with each of these situations with realtors who have let me down and I refuse to retain another realtor who disappoints. If you're an exceptional realtor, get in touch with me and tell me how you'll earn your commission.

Here's what I expect from you:

I expect to be treated like a human and not have a robot email me with appointment info. If you can't contact me yourself, we should not be doing business.

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An agent who represents my interests, not the buyers', and involves me in the negotiation process, not one who works for the buyer on my dime.

An agent who catches mistakes in listings, not one who missed catching a Nigerian scammer who put my house on Craigslist and was asking $1500 a month in rent payments.

An agent who brings me only prospective buyers who actually want the type of house I am selling and not people who want a bigger house in a different area. That wastes my time and shows me you don't respect me or value my time.

An agent who brings me only prospective buyers who need a house in a few weeks, not in a few years. I'm not paying anyone to waste my time.

An agent who brings me a family who can afford the house and have already had mortgage approval, not a family who homeschool their kids and just want a free field trip for the bored kids.

An agent who actively watches the buyers who are in my house so they don't go through my underwear drawer or go through my checkbook. It has already happened.

An agent who lets me know who is coming through my house, and doesn't let my nosy neighbors roam around in my house and play with my computer. That has also happened.

An agent who doesn't make me do all the work AND pay him/her 5-6% for the privilege of working for him.

An agent who doesn't tell me what work the house needs that I am already aware of and struggling to do on my own without any help.

An agent who doesn't come up with a list of expensive things I should buy that I don't have money for, like new flooring, a garage, or even a storage unit rental to hide everything I own including items I need to sell and equipment I need to generate an income, while I wait for a signed contract.

An agent who doesn't insist on a 12-month listing contract because he/sh intends to put my home on the back burner as he attends to more lucrative listings or take multiple vacations.

An agent who presents me with a list of creative marketing methods that don't follow the same dull script all other agents use which is post photos, put a sign in the front yard, and wait.


This is customer service?

Originally posted on Facebook, Dec. 30, 2016. I repost here with the writer's permission.

I just wanted to share my friends' experience at Fred's Furniture.

Looking for chairs and small dining table for nursing home at
Fred's Furniture in Erie. Came through the door pushing Mom in a transport chair and two men at the back of the store watched us without moving. (No one else in the store.)

Long story short, they didn't want to work with us and one made some type of comment to the other that caused them to look at us and laugh. I didn't catch it but Mom did and was hurt by their behavior. So we left (again while they watched us struggle through the door from the back of the store).

A big thanks to John V. Schultz in Erie who welcomed us, helped us, was patient and kind and eventually sold Mom one lift chair (Siegfried's, her boyfriend), one rocker recliner (Mom's) and a small dining table with two chairs. All at a discount and delivered directly to their rooms at the nursing home in Kingsville, Ohio for the same cost of delivery within the city of Erie.

Customer service must include kindness, patience and a non-judgmental attitude toward appearance. Where has this type of customer service gone?

- - - - - - - -
Fred's Furniture responded:

Hi Andrea,

I just became aware of the event that happened on Dec 30th. I am sorry I personally did not reply sooner. I would like to personally apologize to the customer.

I am disappointed that anyone from my staff would make a person feel unwelcome and/or embarrassed. I reviewed the tape and sat down with the employee scolded him. In addition, I have talked to each employee about the event and made them aware this absolutely unacceptable.

We pride ourselves with our loyal customer base and don't like bad reviews of any kind. I hope that there was some sort of misunderstanding in the event. Someone definitely should have been there to help the women in the door. Period.

As my employee wrote earlier we do like to give our customer time to look around. We haven't received any negative feed back on for "lack of customer service". We do a lot of work with different youth, family and behavioral services and judgment is definitely something we try very hard not to do. Because everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

You do have some really good points and I appreciate your feedback.




Self-Defeating Behaviors



These are not past clients of mine, but they would be smart to hire me or book me to speak to their organization or meeting:

Please note: I give everyone at least one opportunity, sometimes several opportunities, to make things right. I'm always astonished at how many professionals, when confronted with the evidence, choose to do nothing... or get angry.

1. A
real estate agent who tinkled in the toilet, and flushed, during her return phone call. I could hear it all. (Erie PA)

2. A
bank manager who refused to let me open an account because she felt anyone from out of town must be a drug dealer. (Girard PA)

3. A
physician who left for lunch while I was left waiting in the reception area. He walked out right in front of me. (Toronto)

4. A
physician who charged me $45 to take my blood pressure and when I asked for an explanation of the charge, he added another $25 charge to my bill... twice. (Girard PA)

5. A
lawyer I retained who failed to show up in court and instead sent his administrative assistant who had never been in a courtroom and who had to ask opposing counsel what she should do next. (Toronto)

6. An
RV dealer who refused to show me the inside of any RV - 3 different attempts - despite the $10,000 check in my pocket I expected to offer as a deposit. (Erie PA)

7. A
dentist who was more interested in providing expensive cosmetic dentistry than finding the cause of my severe mouth pain. (Fairview PA)

8. A
veterinarian who required that I sign a full page release absolving the practice of all blame if anything went wrong with their treatment, but wouldn't let me have a copy of it. (Fairview PA)

9. Eight out of 9
lawyers who never returned my phone call when I tried to hire each one. One of the firms advertised his services on television to generate new business. That advertising was a waste of his money. (Erie PA)

10. A
cashier at a doctor's office made me pay an additional 66% over the doctor's handwritten invoice amount before she would allow me to leave the office. (Erie PA)

11. A
real estate agent who showed me only $40,000 homes – many were damaged and in dangerous neighborhoods - when I said I had $40,000 cash for a down payment. (Erie PA)

12. A
landlord who refused to provide an affordable, non-toxic solution for a wet basement floor, but had money to put into new flooring in the empty unit next door. (Erie PA)

There are more... If you want to know the details, order my future book or
hire me to speak to your organization... I'll spill the beans.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Why do I post my experiences? It's not to vent so much as it is to teach professionals what is acceptable and what is not. I want future clients to be aware that not all people they hire have maturity and integrity.... and to stay away from this kind of "professional."

For a list of proper behavior, have a look at my own
Code of Conduct on this site.


A Leadership Problem

Guest Post by Stu McLaren (reprinted with his permission)
at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

If I owned a bricks and mortar business and my staff were tucked away avoiding potential customers, I'd be ticked. We were in the airport waiting and the staff person was no where to be found… and we were there for over 90 minutes.

This is clearly a leadership problem. If your team don't know how to attract potential customers, explain the benefits of what you're selling and make sales, then it's a leadership problem. If they are tucked away avoiding people, it's a leadership problem.

I wonder how much is lost everyday because the business owner has no idea what's happening in their store day in and day out?

#EntrepreneurLife #BusinessOwner #Leadership

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Photos © Stu McLaren

#EntrepreneurLife #BusinessOwner #Leadership

To the Doctor Who Made Me Feel Powerless as a Patient

Guest post by Olga Lucia Torres

To the doctor who cut our appointment short,

I went to see you because my body was failing me, and I didn’t know what it was. As a trained professional, I thought you had the answer to what was wrong with my health. I had a story to tell about my symptoms, my concerns, my fears — it was my illness narrative. I was eager to share it with you.


As a professional patient, I came prepared with my “medical resume.” My name, date of birth and address appeared across the top with my medical conditions listed below:
asthma, pituitary adenoma, diabetes insipidus, lupusSjogren’s syndromeRaynaud’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. And as a result of a traumatic iatrogenic brain injury, I also included seizure disorder, dyskinesia and physical balance problems. I wanted you to know I was a responsible and fully informed patient.

When you read my medical history, you became apprehensive, doubtful and cold. You seemed to question my understanding of what I was doing in your office, and by your tone, you questioned my intelligence.You gave me a cursory examination and were quick to end my consultation.
I was left speechless by your behavior.

I am a litigator and a former public defender in Manhattan and the Bronx. And as the only English-speaking person in my family, I have advocated for countless people in a myriad of settings, including doctors’ offices, but I couldn’t manage to advocate for myself. The minute I walk into any doctor’s office, something happens to my strong, loud mouthpiece, and I become a marshmallow. It’s like a gag is put on me. If I were a superwoman, the doctor’s office would be my Kryptonite. In part, that’s why I created the medical resume in the first place; I get so flustered around doctors I forget to mention important information.

This experience left me powerless. In the examination room, I believe doctors wield the power while patients sit, wait and obey. I lost my power to speak and voice my discontent when I saw the white lab coat with the embroidered “MD.” At first, I thought I was at fault. Maybe doctors don’t know how to see and hear patients like me. Maybe they’re afraid of the potential medical risks we represent. But then I realized it’s not just me. I’m within the expected range of patients you see and to whom you provide medical care.

I’m not asking anyone for a miracle or a cure;
I’m asking you to be my ally. My exceptional health profile does, inevitably, alter the patient-doctor dynamic. Doctors have to be more attuned to my care and ask more questions, but that doesn’t mean they get to treat me in an insensitive manner.

By not being interested in my illness, you failed to form any kind of relationship, let alone a doctor-patient one. As an ally, you were supposed to listen empathetically, act accountably and together, we could’ve diagnosed my medical problem. Instead, you had your own agenda and ignored me, the patient.

A partnership between doctor and patient leads to better medical care.
The doctor needs to hear the patient’s narrative in order to properly diagnose. If the doctor doesn’t invite an open dialogue, I don’t believe they’re practicing humane medicine.

We need to put a stop to these cold, detached patient examinations, and forge open communication between doctor and patient. Both sides will get better results.


© Olga Lucia Torres 2015-2016

"Don't paint the door," I said.

Posted May 3, 2014


Red everywhere

"It's the wrong color of red," I said. The three men, who I was paying but hadn't agreed to hire as a group, were about to spray paint the door. They argued with me.

"It is the same color," they said.

"No, it isn't," I said.

One of them said, strongly, "We don't take orders from you. We take orders from J----. He's the one who pays us."

I thought, silently,
Who do you think pays your boss so he can pay you? And anyway, I'm the Project Manager on this renovation. He takes orders from me. He doesn't overrule me.

They called their boss, the man I did hire originally, and he told them to leave. It was 1:30 on Thursday.

Their boss showed up at 4:30 and said one of the men will return the next day to mud and stomp the kitchen ceiling. I paid for all the man-hours worked up to 1:30 plus an additional 8 hours for the kitchen work on Friday.

When I returned to the house on the weekend I was stunned to discover the storm door was painted a garish red, different from the toned-down red I used on the porch light and mailbox. The empty spray paint cans used were Flaming Red. The one I used was Regal Red.

The door was one of the last things that I wanted to be done on the house. It was not a priority on my project sequence list. Getting the bathroom drywall and plumbing done, and kitchen cabinets, plumbing and countertops were my priority.

But the worst of it was the red spray everywhere: on the floor, on the newly sanded and primed walls, on my box fans, on my clean, beige utility table, on my coffeemaker (coffee for the workers) and on my white, three-drawer, plastic file cabinet. The floor would be covered by new flooring later, but the walls are a different matter. Red is difficult to cover, and I would have to prime the walls again, which requires more time and more paint.

There's more.

Ten feet from the red painted door was a huge piece of vinyl sheeting crumpled up. Why wasn't this used as a drop cloth to confine the spray? Why wasn't the spraying done outside on the ground instead of the living room?

drop cloth


Then I noticed the painter had, with his red fingers, touched the newly mudded and primed kitchen walls in about 20 places, leaving red finger prints. These walls too, would have to be primed again.

I realized then that this was
sabotage... payback for my telling 4 much younger men not to paint the door, not to use the wrong color. This was their immature way of telling me, a woman with a design background, that they didn't have to take orders from a woman.

On Monday morning, I was stunned to see the three men showed up for work! I told them to leave, that I couldn't afford to pay for 4 men, only one. They had been costing me money with their make-work projects like landscaping when, for me, that was budgeted for two to three months down the road. Maybe, if there was any money left.

My Canadian politeness kept me from telling them I was disgusted by their behavior. It's my nature to help others save face. Perhaps that was wrong of me not to say how I felt. Perhaps it was to protect myself from further intimidation by them. Two of the four men were a foot taller than I, they were all stronger than I, they all carried guns, I had witnessed one of the men lose his temper and rage at the other men. And I was outnumbered, four to one.

Then, within an hour they were back to load up all the materials, equipment and tools they had stored in the house. What I realized by this is that their boss, the solo man I originally hired, was also quitting!

That's when I realized I was simply a money source for his unemployed pals. This wasn't a company who cared about their client's priorities; this was a company whose intention was to milk an older woman - a smart, kind woman - out of as much money as possible.

All four are gone now and I've received no apology. While a lot of their work was done well, they did a lot of work that I felt was unnecessary. I also felt they had no concerns for my budget limitations.

I'm wiser now, less trusting, and will find one person at a time to assist me with the work (electric, plumbing, drywall) that I'm unaccustomed and unqualified to do. I will do the painting, which I enjoy. And which, by the way, I was doing professionally before these men were born.


Post script: Today (5-22-14) a different carpenter remarked that this act was intentional vandalism. I think so, too. What do you think?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Why do I post my experiences? It's not to vent so much as it is to teach professionals what is acceptable and what is not. I want future clients to be aware that not all people they hire have maturity and integrity.... and to stay away from this kind of "professional."

For a list of proper behavior, have a look at my own
Code of Conduct on this site.

Why I'm not a real estate agent

Posted July 4, 2013


I originally wrote this on November 9, 2009. It will be in my future book, and I decided it might make a good blog post as well. It's typical of what I experience far too often. (Don't you love that I don't have to go digging for stories for my book? They just keep showing up in my life.)

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In 2009 I took the two Pennsylvania real estate courses in order to educate myself before I did battle with a real estate firm in Canada. One Friday I saw an ad on my local CraigsList from a real estate broker in Erie looking for new agents. I decided to see how good my chances were of associating myself with the agency either as a home stager to help her agents sell properties faster, or a licensed agent.

We met and I shared with her some of my own property selling experience that I could bring to her agency: hosting a real estate radio show, writing a
book on selling homes, working with an author on a book about buying condos, owning a real estate advertising service (which I later sold); selling 3 homes, raw land of my own and a timeshare of my Dad's; studying housing construction, and being a home stager. I not only have a degree in Family and Consumer Science, but also a degree in Business and Marketing and owned my own successful public relations and marketing consulting firm for 30 years. I hoped all this would demonstrate my business skills, what a go-getter I am and how much I could bring to her agency and her company's bank account.

She went on and on about the benefits of
home staging - Great, I thought! She'll ask me to stage her listed homes for bigger profits - and I asked if she would refer me so I could help her agents sell their listed homes faster so I could increase her revenues and at the same time earn enough to cover my licensing exam fees and professional real estate fees (about $2,000).

She said NO.

Huh?

Did you get that?
She wasn't willing to let me bring her income faster that would also allow me to cover the expenses required to work for her and earn her even more income.

Instead she told me I should stop writing, consulting, speaking, selling books, and home staging, and go get a $7 an hour retail job working full-time as a
shop girl for a florist or department store.

What?, I thought to myself, Is she insane? I was speechless. I simply looked at her and smiled, a frozen smile, but a smile nonetheless. In a store I would earn in one day ($45 after deductions) less than I can earn in 15 minutes as a consultant or in a day as a home stager ($450). I was incredulous.

I suspected that her intention was to crush my spirit, but for what purpose I couldn't guess. I haven't worked for that low a wage since I worked to put myself through 6 years of university. That was 4 decades ago. I do far better as an entrepreneur and consultant than as an employee.

Why anyone would want to demean or demoralize a person willing to work hard to share half her (my) earnings is incomprehensible to me. (Real estate agents get 25% of their commissions, as do their brokers.) I can't work for anyone who enjoys crushing the spirit of any human, and certainly not for someone who is blind to the prospect of additional income I could bring her agency.

I didn't tell her - and she obviously didn't take any time to check my former web site as I had suggested - that my PR firm had created high profiles for realtors, among other professionals and specialists, so listings and home buyers would come in faster and in greater volume. So, I may yet decide to re-open the
Personal Public Relations firm I closed a few years ago, and see if any of her competitors would like me to bring them tons of business.

(I understand the highest paid realtors in Erie are earning about $100,000 a year. My clients were earning $500,000 and more as a result of my marketing efforts.)

Here's a little more insight: That day was a warm, sunny Saturday, perfect for prospective buyers to see homes for sale. The agency's phones should have been ringing off the hook, but they were silent; there was no staff working at 11 AM, the lights were off throughout the office, and the large parking lot was empty of all cars but mine and my interviewer. What does that tell you? Nobody was signing contracts. And what does it tell you when a firm advertises for new sales people on Craigslist.org? Desperation, maybe? I just don't understand why that broker was working against her own best interests.

What would have a been better scenario? The broker could have given me a trial staging assignment on one of her agency's most shockingly ugly and hard-to-sell homes. No cost to anyone but me. If I helped the agent and broker sell the home fast and for a better-than-asking-price, then I could have expected future referrals and payment until I could afford the fees to become an agent.

Sure, an agent could stage a home herself, but is that wise? Let's say an agent gets a gross commission (before expenses) of $1250 on a $100,000 home. Net might be closer to $850 after paying for office costs, materials and advertising, not to mention auto expenses. Is she really going to provide additional labor (staging/painting, furniture storage, etc.) of $1000 or more to earn that $850 commission? She'd be a fool; that's not profitable. It would have been better to have hired me to do the work, have the seller pay me at the closing, and let the agent enjoy the benefits of my expertise and effort.

I just don't understand why Erie realtors don't get that homes I've worked on sell within no more than 3 weeks at about $10,000 more than expected. Why would any realtor or broker say no? Ironically, I now have the money to become an agent, but can't imagine why I'd want to.

Andrea
Today's blog post is brought to you by my booklet,
Sell Your Mobile Home in 60 Days. (In 2000 I sold mine in 6 days without an agent.)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Why do I post my experiences? It's not to vent so much as it is to teach professionals what is acceptable and what is not. I want future clients to be aware that not all people they hire have maturity and integrity.... and to stay away from this kind of "professional."

For a list of proper behavior, have a look at my own
Code of Conduct on this site.