A quick sweep of this week as I know I have only seconds to catch your attention during these summer weeks! I sure enjoyed the “return of the sparkles & smiles” over the July 4th holiday. SUP boards back in the water, tried something new – an open water swim at 6am and finally cleaned up my “work” that had completely overtaken every corner of my house, car…and now all back tidy in my office. For me, almost felt like the beginnings of a new year. Welcome to the 2nd half of 2021 all – happy that!

This week, sharing Dan Given’s updated spreadsheet filled with lots of #’s – yet done right, pulls the micro stories you need to get specific with your clients. Residential & Condo broken apart. Save this tab, download the spreadsheets and manipulate to your hearts delight! All right here. Dan’s general quick take in commentary…

“It look like the 5 straight months of every higher offers has come to an end. The offers are still sky high but they are slightly down from May numbers for most areas. We all know pendings are reflecting a slight cooling and I expect that the closed sales reports will reflect that in coming months” – Dan Givens, WWA Windermere Services

Seattle tops list of major cities for growth in 2020

Seattle’s population grew by about 16,400 from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, hitting a total of 769,700. That equals a growth rate of 2.2%, ranking Seattle as last year’s fastest-growing city among the 50 most populous in the U.S. This isn’t hot off the press news this week yet I’d seen a few articles recently around our city’s growth so I’m re-sharing this one. While I have had some friends reshuffle their lives away from the city I’ve certainly encountered new friends too attracted to Seattle. Full article here.

Ok, back to your Friday, that morning cup of coffee (or 2) and another fabulous summer weekend! Off to a wedding – can’t hardly wait! Getting all dressed up and celebrating the good in love. Love wins, right? And oh, this week too – a new & fresh cut. If you haven’t seen me in awhile – here I am. See you soon – I sure hope.

All in, for you. All in, for us. – Laura

Sparkle & Smile

Here comes the long Fourth of July holiday weekend and one that I hope brings the return of the sparkle, the sparklers & smiles! This week Washington State re-opened, the holiday falls on a Sunday – meaning Monday is regarded as a legal holiday.

What do these things mean for real estate?

Another conversation with your sellers…

Brokers and their clients must adhere to any requirements or restrictions imposed by the seller of a property, including required appointments, mandatory face coverings, capacity limitations, or other instructions.  Listing brokers should detail any requirements in the listing and post signs at the property regarding any specific instructions (e.g. face covering required to enter). Yup, seller is more so calling the shots. Get clear with the seller and please honor your comfort level too!

…and, when computing time for purchase and sale agreements, regard Monday, July 5th as a legal holiday. Whenever any legal holiday falls upon a Sunday, the following Monday shall be a legal holiday under Washington law.

…now to share one of my favorite things I read this week – speaks direct to the superpower we all have within us!

“Whenever I smile, I make someone’s day better. What a cool way to buy happiness for free! I will remember what an awesome power I hold, and I’ll take joy in improving lives simply by giving away grins like crazy!” – Thank you Jeannette Ault for this share – from our Eastlake office!

Sparkle & smile on! All in, for you. All in, for us. – Laura

Sunday evening is rolling in – preparing for a new week! Started this morning at 4 stores and gas stations prior to 8am to grab ice to fill a cooler for a basketball tournament – to no avail though! Geez. A few things in “well-being” to try to cool it down the next couple of days…

Architecture of Resurgence | 5 areas of focus “made visible” continued…

Well-being.

While apparently Seattle is still the least air conditioned major city in America and proper AC units are hard to come by in the immediate, a fun & quick video on making your own cooling zone – right here. My husband took this advice to heart (yes, we are without AC) – with hopes we find a cooler sleep tonight – six ways to sleep cooler.

…and, I do NOT know if this is true, yet the PSA is circulating some neighborhood chats (and I’ve seen many Seattle City Light trucks out working today)…

Tools.

I’ve accessed the CW Title & Escrow “resources” tab several times of recent – no need to keep this handy tab a secret! My most recent views were – “Let’s talk Title – how do we sign?” and “Power of Attorney.” These “go to” tools and more…all right here.

Excellence. Storytelling.

Often we might hear this question – “what wrong?” How about flipping that script with “what’s right?” I heard that script flip on a Peloton ride this week. It got me thinking – how can I continue to make “what is right” made visible. I need your help! Ready for the challenge?

When you see a Windermere peer, a staff member, a manager &/or an owner doing something right – I ask that you share that with me or at a minimum, them. Doing what is right, doing what is fair and doing things well is often our superpower yet can often go unseen unless it is acknowledge and shared. Imagine what could happen by making the “good, right & well” more visible each week?

I hope you will become another set of eyes & ears for me in this endeavor – to help me highlight more people for their unique contributions, connect us further, support our daily work and amplify the pride around our values and purpose at Windermere. Doubling down on our superpowers.

Community.

The Wedgwood community received a surprise this week! To wrap this post ending on a light note – sharing what happens at our Wedgwood office if you lose in fantasy football. Even on a smokin’ hot day in Seattle you too would be in a chicken suit waiving at cars up and down 35th Ave NE. Thanks for the entertainment Kelland Lindsey – always a good sport! And, Blake Budden shows us what winning looks like. Nice belt!

As we start a new week, hopeful ice will reappear! What you focus on expands, right?!?

And oh, here is the HUB post last week around the launch of Windermere’s new sponsorship on KIRO news – weekly “On Home Ice” segments designed to help us get up to speed on the NHL and prepare for the Kraken. Our brand will be all over this – opening, graphics and commercials will air during breaks as well.

We can catch “On Home Ice” twice every Sunday on KIRO news (5:30 pm & 11pm) through the end of the year. 

Take good care these next couple of days. Check in on your people & each other. I will be serving Frosted Flakes for dinner tonight – not kidding! And, starting a new week with a SUP paddles at 6am tomorrow and ready for all things real estate.

All IN, for cooler days. – Laura

Welcome to Friday! Back to my “architecture or resurgence” focus in blog writing over the next fews weeks. It’s happening – resurgence in so many areas of our life that we had to put on hold. I am making well-being, tools, excellence, storytelling & community as the key ingredients to keeping this focus up!

Architecture of Resurgence | 5 areas of focus “made visible”

Well-being.

I share the above selfie of Piper & I from this week as I begin to see your faces and connect beyond the eyes – I love that! It sure is an ingredient to my well-being! Another little something happening for this week – whether consciously aware of it or not (yet) – this is a time of transition – a transition into summer. And with respect to our work a key activity this time of year is looking at my calendar and making adjustments to be more aligned with summer. I share this habit with you being it makes a world of a difference for me. This is what this activity looks like for me – hope it might stir intentional inspiration for you. The art of time blocking.

Take 1 hour next week and pull up each day in your calendar – one at a time. What are the vital activities that must continue over the summer to keep your business running – schedule those – recurring. What is recurring now in your calendar that is not necessary in summer – delete those. Is there one extra day day or an extra 1/2 day during the week you can put a recurring HOLD on your time for PLAY – schedule that – recurring. Summer is short – you can come back to some things that are currently in your calendar in the fall. Let the summer season fill us up in new & different ways! These small calendar changes can help protect your time and for me – takes “shoulds” (I should be…) in my life to very intentional & efficiencies in my time. For me, this all leads to more joy!

Tools.

Coming Soon is a new Moxi Impress Homepage – you’ll begin to see communication around this on the HUB on June 21st. More importantly however to me is making sure you are aware of the single-property websites available to you within the Moxi Impress toolbox. And better yet, it is another marketing touch for your Sellers – share in marketing plan, share in launch of listing (they might want to share it too!) etc… I’ve seen brokers spend a ton of time & money in designing single-property websites. Within Moxi Impress it takes minutes (literally) and already part of your toolbox as a Windermere broker – aka, doesn’t cost you anything further.

I shared a sample of this in a weekly training recently & I’m now seeing greater adoption. Click here for an example!

Excellence.

I’m going to drop a book recommendation within the “excellence – made visible” blurb this week. I’m currently reading it for a second time (ok, truth be told – listening to it while walking the dog!) – “Never Split the Difference – Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” – Chris Voss. Link here. Chris Voss was a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI. He takes each chapter in real high-stakes negotiations and offers the reader field-tested approaches to negotiations in all things – “whether in the boardroom or at home.” So good!

Storytelling.

Let’s talk market. What is the story this week? Answer is: A mixed bag. Certainly still heated in demand yet also seeing offer review dates in some instances pass. Seeing 20 offers, 10 offers, 1 offer (on offer review. date) to an offer the day after review date. It all exists right now. This is a moment to double down on setting Seller expectations. Pre-launch of a new listing – a good question to ask your Seller – “If you were to receive one offer at this price, will you be ok with that?” Their answer will reveal where you are in currently setting Seller expectations.

Community.

A picture is worth a thousand words – right? Last Friday we filled our collective “do good” buckets as our network set out on Community Service Day 2021 yet something also happened – we filled an internal bucket in gathering safely. Our social connectivity is a real thing at Windermere. This too is in the midst of resurgence and I could not be more happy to be a part. Next week, I’ll be writing about the science behind social connectivity – it’s a thing – a key ingredient to our happiness.

It’s Friday, it’s beautiful, let’s get after it! And oh, before I go – back to the top of this blog post in resetting an ideal week within our calendars – this too gets into what we are stacking for fun! A great friend of mine shared with me this week her summer stack of fun reads – sharing with all of you as I sign off for today! I get to go catch a ferry with the family for some PLAY – Be well, be kind – Laura

Ps, as always, give me a shout if you need anything – here to help – the ultimate goal. 206.227.7133

This Friday, please do include the hashtag #WindermereCSD on your social posts!

All IN, for community. – Laura

Did you know? On Memorial Day, the red poppy is a symbol of remembrance for those who died defending our freedom. Behind each poppy is a story of a life that was lived.

Welcome to Friday of Memorial Day weekend! No sweep of this week or prep for next; instead – a nod in remembrance to those we remember & honor this weekend. I enjoyed reading about the history of Memorial Day here this morning while I had my first sips of coffee. Wherever you may roam this weekend – which appears to be brewing something gorgeous in our PNW – I hope you too find a moment to pause & remember and maybe even discover a red poppy in remembrance.

In remembrance. – Laura

Hello on a Sunday. Catching up on reading et all from last week and preparing for the week ahead. Before I jump back into my “architecture of resurgence” series in content – an interesting read & perspective from Susanna Ryan, the author of the Seattle Walk Report who put together a viral Instagram post composed of real quotes from Seattleites complaining about Seattle, as featured in news articles and letters to the editor from the last 130 years. *Thank you Sol for the share!

Ps. Seattle wrapped up last week with 75.2% of Seattle residents 12 or older already having received at least one vaccine dose. We are doing our part I’d say! More to come from your offices on what masking looks like inside of the office. We all received the updated Real Estate Covid FAQ Friday afternoon and are putting next plans into place.

Architecture of Resurgence | 5 areas of focus “made visible”

Well-being

This week I wrapped week #6 of “The Science of Well-Being” class via Coursera.org. From my class content I picked up on a subtly that was an ah-ha. The ah-ha concept is called WOOP. What is WOOP? Answer is: a science-based mental strategy that people can use to find and fulfill their wishes (wish, want, need, goal etc…), set preferences, and change their habits. Wish > Outcome > Obstacle > Plan.

Why did is peak my interest so much? Because this strategy brings to light a conscious effort to acknowledge the obstacle(s) in mapping out a plan around a desired outcome. This step (obstacle) I think – in my humble opinion – is missing in many strategies taught. If this peaks your interest – more right here.

Tools

I’m running a 10 week series within my offices around tools & marketing – to make a conscious effort to make what we have “more visible” and digestible. Last week’s hour was focused on Moxi Engage. I’m sharing this with you being that “flow” really does start with an organized database. If Moxi Engage is your tool – this hour is for you. I learned a few things too. 55 minute video with “Tuesday with Todd” and me – right here.

Excellence

When thinking of excellence this week – I have a question for each of us to ponder. Where can we anticipate one more thing when helping a buyer or seller thru their process. I was reminded this week of the power of anticipation – it really is what makes someone great vs good. I’ll leave that right there to ponder.

And oh, here is a first that occurred for me last week in 23 years in real estate! Friday night I received a call from a broker at 8:43pm. She (listing broker) shared with me that at 8:34pm both a withdrawal of offer was delivered (to her) and mutual acceptance was delivered (from her to buyer) = both at 8:34pm! Imagine that! Excellence in that moment was her ability to stay calm (neutral) and realize quickly that it wasn’t so much about – are we in contract? More so, it became the art of identifying how to put the right buyer in contract who really wanted that home. Fortunately there were multiple offers. Well done, Isabelle Dowling! Well done.

Storytelling

Short of drop shipping each of you a crystal ball from my Amazon Prime account – a few possible optics from Windermere Insights: Are There Opportunities Ahead for Beleaguered Buyers?

Windermere Insights: Are There Opportunities Ahead for Beleaguered Buyers?

Community

This week: Tuesday, May 25th 12-1:30pm – LIVE lunch & learn (via zoom) with Dr. Quintard Taylor. We’ll be discussing The History of Housing Discrimination in Washington State: What Every Realtor Should Know. We hope to build upon the launch of this initial speaker series. If you don’t yet have the link – text me – I’ll send it to you. 206.227.7133.

Back to my prep for the week to come. Final round of the PGA on in the background – should be an interesting finish! The game of golf is fascinating to me at this level. My money is on Phil Mickelson becoming the oldest player to win a major.

All in, for you. All in, for us. – Be well, be kind – Laura

Architecture of Resurgence | 5 areas of focus “made visible”

Well-being

This week I had several opportunities to provide one of my all-time favorite videos on success; specifically “How Incredibly Successful People Think” – six minutes right here for you when you are ready.

Tools

Moxi Present – specifically a nod to the Buyer Tour template and suggested uses!

Buyer Tour – This template in Present is a perfect way to provide value in many ways – a few key points:

Interactive with buyers by having a ratings system and directions from one place to the next.

Set up an Open House Tour for buyer if you aren’t able to show them homes on a weekend – set up a buyer tour, they are able to rate each house and give feedback (that goes straight to your inbox), and get directions from each listing to the next. A little tip: in each listing you can edit the comments and put in what you think about the house to show you have already been through it, and your feedback…utilize video by creating a quick YouTube video at the start of the tour saying  “hello, and tell them about your favorite café between house 2 and 3 and you threw 10 bucks in their Venmo for a coffee on you”  — it’s a great way for buyers to know you are thinking of them and doing leg work for them without having to “physically be with them” if you have more than 1 buyer (and they will never know that they are not your only clients!)!

Create virtual tours with out-of-town buyers so they can be interactive while you are taking them through the house, or send over prior to going on a tour with your buyers so they know the plan, and have directions to each place.

Excellence/Storytelling

Broker hosts an open house. Broker has prepared for the open house including use of her tools; specifically her Present tool (yup, the one from above!). Had Buyer Tour prepped (with local sales, open houses, etc…), visual on laptop and available for conversation with visitors. A couple engaged in said conversation – leaves open house – calls broker two hours later and says “we aren’t buyers, we actually need to sell our home and we were impressed with you, your prep, your set up, use of technology and are wondering if you’d be interested in selling our home?”

Drumroll please…yes, she said yes to the listing! Yet more to my point here, this is an example of both excellence in prep and a reminder (storytelling) that often those visiting open houses are too sellers. Prepare to engage in both conversations! People notice.

Community

SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, May 25th 12-1:30pm – LIVE lunch & learn (via zoom) with Dr. Quintard Taylor. We’ll be discussing The History of Housing Discrimination in Washington State: What Every Realtor Should Know. We hope to build upon the launch of this initial speaker series. Participating offices will receive zoom link soon…

Ok, everyone – I’m no dummy, the sun is out and setting the stage for an incredible looking PNW weekend. Let’s wrap this up and get after it!

All in, for you. All in, for us. All in, for 70+ degree weather!

Over the next 10 weeks you will notice consistency in my vernacular wherever I roam; office meetings, blog writing, quick videos, zoom & trainings. I have been building out 10 weeks of content. You will hear the phrase “Architecture of Resurgence” from me often. What is it? Glad you ask…

I was hired over 20 years ago to Windermere as an agent with these 3 foundational pillars: 1.”hire the best people”2. “give them the best tools” and 3.”get out of their way”. While these 3 pillars have been steadfast in my time here, the environment to which the pandemic gave us to work within, naturally siloed us from each other – making parts of where we are great together – unseen. Yes, we zoomed (a lot). Yes, we pumped out content like no other on places like the HUB and your local marketing teams. Yes, we remained consistent with office meetings. Yes, we checked in on each other where we could. As I look back on the last year, that was indeed a phase of resilience. My focus is now keenly focused on what our resurgence (together) will look like. To do this, I have 5 areas of focus with you over the next 10 weeks.

Architecture of Resurgence | 5 areas of focus “made visible”

Well-being. Tools. Excellence. Community. Storytelling. All “made visible”…

Well-being “made visible”

Much of my “well-being” content will derive from a class I’ve been taking – The Science of Well-Being. The New York Times did a write up on this class as “Yale’s Most Popular Class Ever: Happiness.” Read about it – here. Yup, I’ve enrolled and am 5 weeks into the 10 week class. Lectures, rewirement weekly assignments, quizzes and geez – even a peer reviewed project that will be 50% of my grade. For those of you who don’t know – my undergraduate degree is in psychology. Naturally, I’d been keen to understand the science behind happiness.

This week, I share with you an exercise we did in week #1 of curriculum. We identified our individual “signature strengths” – with the idea behind doing so to spend more time that week in using them (and in life, in general). Curious to find out what yours are? The assessment we used in class to do so is right here!

Challenge: do more of what your signature strengths are (do less of what they are not) and this too will promote more overall well-being. Sharing with you my top 5 signature strengths > 1. perspective (wisdom) 2. honesty (courage) 3. love of learning (wisdom) 4. appreciation of beauty & excellence and 5. social intelligence (humanity). Discover your strengths and if willing, share with me!

Tools “made visible”

Launched this week on windermere.com and your agent website, consumers are now able to connect with you directly to schedule a showing. Check it out so that you are aware of this new tool. Go to your agent website – do a search, pull up a home and you’ll see the new Schedule a Showing form link on listing detail pages. On windermere.com – if a consumer wants to “schedule a showing” on your listing – that inquiry will go to you.

Excellence (sop, legal etc…) “made visible” 

The In-City Standards of Practice committee is having a Demco attorney as a guest speaker later this month. Are there any questions (not time sensitive) that you’ve been dying to ask our attorneys? Let your SOP rep know & on May 12th he/she will ask your question!

Community (with DEI lens) “made visible”

SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, May 25th 12-1:30pm – LIVE lunch & learn (via zoom) with Dr. Quintard Taylor. Participating offices will receive details next week. We’ll be discussing The History of Housing Discrimination in Washington State: What Every Realtor Should Know.

SAVE THE DATE: Friday, June 11th – offices are working to figure out what our Community Service Day will look like in 2021. If you can get involved in ideas & planning – I’m certain your office will appreciate it. Our commitment to building better communities is what we do. In the immediate, schedule around this day so that we may roll up our sleeves together and see/feel the power of us.

Storytelling (market chatter, wins, ideas worth spreading) “made visible” 

Windermere Eastlake broker received a buyer inquiry.

Followed up and after a few calls learns the couple (moving here from another state) are going to rent for a year.

Broker asked if she could help with renting a home.

She committed to making a few connections, one of which was to send an inquiry internal to our offices. Within the inquiry, broker noted that the husband is going to be starting a residency at Children’s Hospital.

Within minutes of her email, a fellow broker responded with a home within blocks of Children’s Hospital.

The couple is visiting this week and called to say they are signing a lease for this house….and that the “other broker they talked to blew them off because he helps clients buy and sell homes, not rent“.

Within this interaction, this client had 3 touches with Windermere and were all positive and yes, maybe it nets a transaction in a year when they think they’ll be ready to buy.

Going that extra one degree to find a solution can make the difference in relationship & trust.

The Eastlake broker who shared this story with me entitled her email subject to me: “How we roll...”

…you are right Bonnie Cech, this is how we roll!

All in, for you. All in, for us.

And oh yes, Mother’s Day is upon us! How about a quick read on what Stephen Curry says the best advice he ever got came from his mom when he was 13 years old – article here. Thank you Tammy Heldridge for sending this to me this week – indeed, we do “write our own story.”

The next 10 weeks I will write a story of resurgence – join me!

When I say peanut butter, what do you think of? By chance, did jelly come into your conciousness? Probably. Why? Because this is “ordinary mental functioning – how the mind works” – if you will. I’m taking another moment today to bring to the table the role of “love letters” – being that they are commonplace in the “now” market. To set this blog conversation up – a 2 minute video on “Peanut Butter, Jelly and Racism.” Watch here.

Now, put on your Listing Broker hat on firmly for the remainder of this blog post conversation. Last week one of our esteemed Windermere brokers shared with our Standards of Practice Committee (SOP) a letter she sends to her Sellers on offer review day. I share this with you all as an example of getting ahead of conversations that can be much harder later.

Hello (seller(s) name).

Today is an exciting day! I’m looking forward to seeing you on Zoom at 2pm on Wednesday (meeting information is down below my signature). Offers are due to be turned in to me by 12pm so I will have had time to review each one and vet the most promising before we discuss. If we have more than one offer, I’ll prepare a summary/comparison spreadsheet of all offer terms and send that to you ahead of our meeting. My standard process for presenting offers to you is as follows:

1. I will first send you the spreadsheet, with all offer terms in summary form. There will be no buyer names or identifying information on this spreadsheet. This is intended to help you choose an offer based purely on the terms, without emotion or unconscious bias.

2. After we meet, and you’ve chosen an offer, or narrowed it down to a couple, I will send over all offers in their entirety.

I recommend that you do not read any “love letters” from buyers, at least until after you’ve chosen an offer. Buyers wisely send these letters with the intent of using emotion or personal information to make their offer stand out. Reading them may make it difficult for you to make an unbiased “all about the terms” choice.

I’ve attached an important pamphlet about fair housing. You are within your rights to choose an offer for any reason except those which would be deemed discrimination under the Fair Housing Act, including race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability and the presence of children. That said, the best way to avoid any appearance of discrimination is to make a decision based strictly on the buyers’ terms. This is a win-win, as it also means you’ve chosen the strongest offer with the best chance of closing without any hiccups.

We will discuss all of this again when we meet. I CANNOT WAIT!

Warmly,

(broker name)

Where do you have Fair Housing conversations with your Sellers? How early in the process? Where do you reinforce it? How do you help guide them to make a decision based on – “the four corners of an offer” (ps, that is my favorite Demco Law Firm phrase when I’ve asked for their wise counsel. Curious to listen in on more of this conversation with attorney David Daniel & I? Skip ahead to minutes 2-12 from my podcast episode well over one-year ago – right here.

This is a big topic. I’m going to leave it at that for today. Thank you to our Standards of Practice committees, to our Windermere owners, to our Windermere managers and to our brokers for keeping these conversations happening with thoughtful actions. When I say peanut butter, what do you think of?

Welcome to Friday and a reminder to ABK – remember ABK that from last week?

People first, business second – Laura