TRAIN ME - REAL ESTATE COACHING TIPS

Seller's Disclosure Statements - Tips for Managing Risk and Limiting Potential Liability

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:40:40 -0700

Over 70% of claims asserted against real estate agents arise regarding disputes regarding defects in or physical conditions of the property sold that impact the value, desirability or use of the property. Seller's disclosure statements, if handled correctly (as explained below), are an effective means to reduce and manage the risks associated with misrepresentation and non-disclosure claims.

The reason that seller's disclosure statements are effective is because they require sellers to make affirmative representations regarding the condition of the property and because they put the purchaser on notice of potential defects or physical conditions of the subject property thereby placing the purchaser on notice and requiring the purchaser, after being placed on notice, to independently investigate the conditions of the property prior to the purchase. These two simple facts serve as strong defenses to claims asserted against listing agents predicated on negligence, intentional misrepresentation and fraud.

What Must Be Disclosed to Purchasers - Evolution from Caveat Emptor to Full Disclosure

The general rule in the sale of residential real estate was "caveat emptor" - that is, buyer beware. However, since then, the trend has been to impose on the seller and/or the listing agent the duty to disclose "materially adverse facts" regarding the property to purchasers. Initially, these disclosures were limited to defects in the property or physical conditions of the property and included such items as the condition of such items as:

•· Heating, Cooling and Ventilation

•· Fireplaces

•· Plumbing System, Fixture and Equipment

•· Appliances

•· Electrical Systems

•· Roof, Gutters and Downspouts

•· Water and Sewerage

•· Construction Methods

•· Basements and Crawl Spaces

•· Termites/Wood Destroying Insects

•· Soil and Drainage

Subsequently, the scope of the disclosures was expanded to include items relating to hazardous or potentially hazardous substances and other environmental and health concerns existing in or located within the property such as:

•· Lead Paint

•· Asbestos Materials

•· Mold

•· Radon

•· PCBs

•· Underground Fuel Tanks

•· Unused Septic or Other Storage Tanks

Again, the scope of disclosures evolved to include items that were not within the four corners but had an impact or potential impact on value, desirability or use of the property, including off-site conditions such as:

•· Electro-magnetic Fields from Overhead Lines

•· Highway Noise

•· Airport Noise

•· Off-Site Groundwater Contamination

•· Natural Disaster Hazards such as Flooding, Hurricane Zones, Mudslides, and Fires

•· Proximity to Off-Site Landfills and Hazardous Waste Sites

In addition, finally, the most recent trend has been to expand the scope of the disclosures to require the disclosure of "status" issues associated with the property or the current and prior occupants of the property and include such items as:

•· Disclosure of Methamphetamine Production on Property or Conviction of Current or Prior Occupant for Drug-Related Offenses

•· Megan's Law Disclosures regarding Proximity to Known Sexual Offenders or Notice of the Availability of Statewide Database.

•· Existence of Insurance Claims or Other Issues relating to the Insurability of the Property

Although some states have comprehensive mandatory disclosure requirements, other states provide little guidance and address the issue of what must be disclosed by the owner and/or listing agent on an ad hoc basis, including periodic statutory enactments and case law involving judicial interpretation of these statutes.

In Missouri, there are few mandatory disclosure requirements - except the federally mandated lead paint disclosures and disclosures regarding methamphetamine production[i] and the location of solid waste and construction landfills.[ii] Occasionally, often in response to judicial decisions, state legislatures may enact legislation that specifically exempts certain items from mandatory disclosure such as psychologically impacted property due to infamous crimes, HIV infection or death.[iii]

Who Must Make the Mandatory Disclosures

The issue of who must make the disclosure depends on the law that imposed the disclosure requirement. Disclosure requirements vary from state to state and even from county to county or city to city within a state. Each real estate professional should carefully review federal and state laws, rules and regulations and county or municipal ordinances, rules and regulations to determine what disclosures are required and who is responsible for making the disclosures.

Notwithstanding the source of the requirement for specific mandatory disclosures, licensing statutes often impose upon the listing agent to disclose "adverse material facts" relating to the property. All too often, this phrase is not defined or, equally as bad, simply refers to items required to be disclosed by law. Because of these general "catch-all" provisions, state and local associations often have drafted and provided to their members standardized disclosure forms. In addition, real estate brokerages often require sellers to provide a seller's disclosure statement - whether the owner has a duty to disclose these items or not - as a condition of taking the listing.

However, some licensing statutes provide a "safe harbor" that clearly provide that the listing agents have no affirmative duty obligation to either conduct an independent investigation relating to the items disclosed by the owner/seller or verify the accuracy or completeness of the information provided or otherwise disclosed by the owner/seller.[iv]

How Listing Agents Can Avoid Potential Liability

Seller's disclosures are an effective tool for limiting liability - when handled properly. Here are some suggested best practices to avoid potential liability for the non-disclosure or misrepresentation of "adverse material facts" relating to a property listed for sale, to wit:

•· Review all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations to identify what must be disclosed to potential purchasers.

•· Provide specific instructions to the owner/seller to fully and accurately disclose any physical defect or condition, on-site or off-site, which may adversely impact the value, desirability or use of the property or which may pose a health or safety issues to future occupants of the home. Explain to the owner/seller the importance of making full and complete disclosures as well as the potential liability that may arise because of incomplete, inaccurate or misleading statements in the seller's disclosure statement.

•· Provide a cautionary statement to the owner/seller that the standardized disclosure form is intended to assist the owner/seller in meeting their disclosure obligations and that the owner/seller should disclose any other or additional item that they believe may adversely impact the value, desirability or use of the property or which may pose a health or safety issues to future occupants of the home. When in doubt as to whether disclosure is required or not, err on the side of making the disclosure.

•· Do not prepare the seller's disclosure statement. Have your client's hand write the answers or otherwise provide the requested information. Retain a copy of the handwritten form in your files. Revise the seller's disclosure statement to condition or explain the disclosure such as "Owner/Seller has not previously occupied the residence" or "During their occupancy of the residence, Owner/Seller has not observed..." Review the specific language with the owner/seller.

•· When transmitting the disclosure statement for execution, provide a cautionary statement to the owner/seller that the accurate and complete disclosure of physical defects and conditions is important to minimize and defend against possible future claims made or asserted by the purchaser.

•· Before you disseminate the disclosure statement to a prospective purchaser, inspect the property. Look for telltale signs or red flags of prior problems such as water stains, freshly painted areas, obstructed areas, etc. Examples of red flags provided by the National Association of Realtors website include:

Defect	Red Flag
1. Roof leak	Water spots or discolorations on ceilings; mold or mildew in closets near roofline
2. Termites	Weakened or grooved wood, especially near ground level
3. Water seepage in the basement	Water marks on the floor, loose or cracked plaster or tile
4. Poor foundations	Large cracks or shifts in the foundation
5. Plumbing problems	Extremely low water pressure; clanking or banging when water is turned
6. Asbestos	Granulated, cement-like coating on pipes or supports; cotton-candy-like material sprayed on ceilings or walls
7. Underground storage tanks	Vent pipes visible above ground; oil sheens in wet areas
8. Soil instability/mud slides	Gullies in the soil; netting placed to hold soil in place; soil stains higher on exterior walls

•· If you see any telltale signs or red flags indicating prior problems, make specific inquiries to the owner/seller regarding the potential or perceived problem. Document the owner/seller's response by sending a confirming e-mail summarizing the conversation. Retain a copy of the e-mail or other correspondence in your file.

•· If a prior repair is disclosed on seller's disclosure statement, request supporting documentation regarding the repair or any warranty associated with the repair from the owner/seller.

•· Where appropriate, suggest to the owner/seller that they retain a building inspector to conduct a building inspection prior to the listing of the property for sale so that the potential problems can be repaired before the property is listed for sale. Verify that pre-listing repairs are documented and accurately disclosed to the prospective purchaser. The resolution of problems prior to listing can lead to a quicker sale at a higher price.

•· If the property was previously listed for sale (either by the current or former owner), request a copy of the prior seller's disclosure statement from the owner/seller or from the prior listing agent. Often, you can locate a copy of prior seller's disclosure statement by reviewing the prior listing in the local MLS. If an offer was previously accepted and the sale did not close, request a copy of the building inspection report or municipal occupancy inspection report. Compare the prior seller's disclosure statement and/or the prior building inspection to identify inconsistencies.

•· Stay within your area of expertise. Although you are expected to recognize problems or conditions by the exercise of your professional judgment, you are not a home inspector and do not have the expertise to assess the scope of the problem or provide information on suggested repairs or costs.

•· Do not make any statements regarding the condition of the property that prospective purchasers will rely upon in making their decision to purchase. If you do make such a statement, make sure that the statement is factually accurate and complete.

•· If you do not know an answer with certainty, simply state that "you don't know", make the appropriate inquiry to the seller, and transmit the owner/seller's response to the prospective purchaser. Where appropriate, send a confirming e-mail to the prospective purchaser containing limiting or cautionary language such as the "The owner/seller reports that... I am not a building inspector and would strongly suggest that you conduct a building inspection of the property to verify..."

•· Do not offer opinions on soundness of components (e.g. "roof is in great shape), the quality or adequcey of repairs (e.g. "roof was recently repared and there are no problems") or predictions on future events such as "The roof was replaced last fall and should last 20 years."

•· Document your file regarding conversations or discussions with the owner/seller or prospective purchaser regarding the condition of the property. Where appropriate, document your file by sending a confirming e-mail summarizing the conversation or reinforcing cautionary statements made in person. When a dispute arises, you may have a different recollection of the events.

•· If you are a buyer's agent or a dual agent, recommend in writing to the purchaser that they retain and employ a building inspector or other expert to inspect, review and evaluate the condition of the property. If the purchaser declines to make an inspection, send a confirming e-mail explaining that seller's disclosure statement simply reports known conditions reported by the owner/seller and is not a warranty that the condition does not exist or will not occur in the future. Explain the risks associated with purchasing a home without a building inspection. Specifically explain that other inspections are conducted for different purposes and should not be relied upon by the purchaser. For example, the occupancy or municipal inspection or appraisal inspection are performed for different purposes and may not be as rigorous as a building inspection. In addition, the building inspection may not cover specific components like the roof or sewer laterals.

•· Recommend that the owner/seller offer or, in the alternative, that the purchaser purchase a home warranty. If the seller refuses to provide or a purchaser declines to purchase a home warranty, send a confirming e-mail explaining that seller's disclosure statement simply reports known conditions reported by the owner/seller and is not a warranty that the condition does not exist or will not occur in the future. Explain the risks associated with purchasing a home without a home warranty. Also, explain the limitations on what is covered by the warranty.

Conclusion

Seller's disclosure statements provide an important tool for limiting potential liability. However, you can't turn a blind eye and ignore known problems or defects. When in doubt disclose. Stay within your field of expertise. Always document your file. By following these simple rules, you can avoid the costly defense associated with non-disclosure claims.

Note: The opinions and statements contained herein represent my personal opinions and observations. These blog entries are not reviewed, endorsed or approved for publication by Gilded Age Sales, LLC.

Disclaimer: The author is a licensed attorney. However, the opinions and statements contained herein are for informational and discussion purposes only and shall not constitute the provision of legal advice. Nothing contained herein shall establish an attorney-client relationship. Readers are cautioned to seek legal counsel in their state before using or relying upon any of the information contained herein.

[i] Section 442.606 R.S.Mo. (2008) provides, in toto, as follows: "1. In the event that any parcel of real property to be sold, exchanged or transferred is or was used as a site for methamphetamine production, the seller or transferor shall disclose in writing to the buyer or transferee the fact that methamphetamine was produced on the premises, provided that the seller or transferor had knowledge of such prior methamphetamine production. The seller or transferor shall disclose any prior knowledge of methamphetamine production, regardless of whether the persons involved in the production were convicted for such production. 2. A seller or transferor of any parcel of real property shall disclose in writing the fact that any premises to be sold or transferred either was the place of residence of a person convicted of any of the following crimes, or was the storage site or laboratory for any of the substances for which a person was convicted of any of the following crimes, provided that the seller or transferor knew or should have known of such convictions: (1) Creation of a controlled substance in violation of section 195.420, RSMo; (2) Possession of ephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine in violation of section 195.246, RSMo; (3) Unlawful use of drug paraphernalia with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine in violation of subsection 2 of section 195.233, RSMo; (4) Endangering the welfare of a child by any of the means described in subdivision (4) or (5) of subsection 1 of section 568.045, RSMo; or (5) Any other crime related to methamphetamine, its salts, optical isomers and salts of its optical isomers either in chapter 195, RSMo, or in any other provision of law.

[ii]Section 260.213 R.S.Mo. (2008) states, in pertinent part, that "No person may knowingly sell, convey or transfer title to any property that contains a permitted or unpermitted solid waste disposal site or demolition landfill, without disclosing to the buyer early in the negotiation process the existence and location of the site. The seller shall also notify the buyer that he may be assuming liability to the state for any remedial action at the site, except that the sale, conveyance or transfer of property shall not absolve any person responsible for the illegal disposition of solid waste, including the seller, of liability for any remedial action at the site."

[iii] Section 442.600 R.S.Mo. (2008) states, in toto, as follows: 1. The fact that a parcel of real property, or any building or structure thereon, may be a psychologically impacted real property, or may be in close proximity to a psychologically impacted real property shall not be a material or substantial fact that is required to be disclosed in a sale, exchange or other transfer of real estate. 2. "Psychologically impacted real property" is defined to include: (1) Real property in which an occupant is, or was at any time, infected with human immunodeficiency virus or diagnosed with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or with any other disease which has been determined by medical evidence to be highly unlikely to be transmitted through the occupancy of a dwelling place; or (2) Real property which was the site of a homicide or other felony, or of a suicide. 3. No cause of action shall arise nor may any action be brought against any real estate agent or broker for the failure to disclose to a buyer or other transferee of real estate that the transferred real property was a psychologically impacted real property.

[iv] Section 339.190 R.S.Mo. (2008) states, in toto, as follows: 1. A real estate licensee shall be immune from liability for statements made by engineers, land surveyors, geologists, environmental hazard experts, wood-destroying inspection and control experts, termite inspectors, mortgage brokers, home inspectors, or other home inspection experts unless: (1) The statement was made by a person employed by the licensee or the broker with whom the licensee is associated; (2) The person making the statement was selected by and engaged by the licensee; or (3) The licensee knew prior to closing that the statement was false or the licensee acted in reckless disregard as to whether the statement was true or false. 2. A real estate licensee shall not be the subject of any action and no action shall be instituted against a real estate licensee for any information contained in a seller's disclosure for residential, commercial, industrial, farm, or vacant real estate furnished to a buyer, unless the real estate licensee is a signatory to such or the licensee knew prior to closing that the statement was false or the licensee acted in reckless disregard as to whether the statement was true or false. 3. A real estate licensee acting as a courier of documents referenced in this section shall not be considered to be making the statements contained in such documents.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

PREA Signature Realty is a full service brokerage located at 1709 Park Avenue in the Lafayette Square neighborhood of the City of St. Louis. PREA Signature proudly serves the following city neighborhoods: Lafayette Square, Soulard, Benton Park, Benton Park West, Downtown Loft District, Forest Park Southwest, Central West End, Tower Grove East, Tower Grove South, Compton Heights, Shaw, The Hill, Dogtown, Carondelet, Holly Hills, St. Louis Hills, Dutchtown, and the Other Historic Neighborhoods of the City of Saint Louis, Missouri.

The opinions expressed herein represent the opinions of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of PREA Signature Realty. All photos and written content were produced by PREA Signature Realty. All Rights Reserved - PREA Signature Realty (2009). This content may not be reproduced or reprinted, except for Active Rain re-blogging, without express written permission of PREA Signature Realty.

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

You are a professional, right? So stop texting... stop hiding... and pick-up the telephone.

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 13:48:21 -0700

As someone who lives and breathes in a digital world, I regularly text, e-mail and use social media to communicate with friends, family and colleagues. However, I use traditional, commonly accepted modes of communication when it comes to substantive business correspondence such as:

Telephone Call with Confirming E-Mail
E-Mail
Business Letter Sent via Facsimile
Business Letter Sent via U.S. Mail

Usually, I try to mimic the method of transmission of the message used by the other person. If you send me an e-mail inquiry, I typically will respond via e-mail to the e-mail address that you used to send the original message to me. However, I draw the line at texting and social media as a communication tool for agent-to-agent business communication. Here are a few reasons:

Papertrail: Texting doesn't create a papertrail that can be easily accessed or easily archived. There are programs and systems for doing so. However, only the real tech savvy do so. Whereas a copy of e-mails and letters are placed in the file and archived on my computer, text message aren't - except I do type out a written summary of substantive texts for the file.
Security: Social media messages travel through unknown servers. I simply don't trust that the messages will be received, that the messages won't be intentionally or inadvertently sent to the wrong location (e.g. Facebook wall versus personal message), or broadcast to unintended recipients.
Professional Content: Text and social media messages often have limited number of characters. It is difficult to fully communicate a position on a substantive issue in 140 characters or less.

More importantly, although I use multiple e-mail addresses for specific purposes, I only use a single e-mail address for business communication. I don't use a separate e-mail address for MLS, for my website, for my business card, etc.

Here are some simple examples of the poor use of technology tools to communicate with other agents:

Example #1: Scanned counteroffer is sent to listing agent with cover sheet via e-mail. Telephone call is placed to listing agent to confirm receipt of offer. No response to voicemail mesage. No response to e-mail. Deadline passes for counteroffer. Additional telephone calls are placed to listing agent. Again, no response. After deadline has passed, listing agent sends reply to counteroffer via text message. At this point, deal is dead.
Example #2: Agent sends inquiry regarding contract via e-mail. Listing agent replies via e-mail to the e-mail address used by the first agent. No reply. Telephone calls are placed to agent inquiring regarding status. Agent, after claiming that amendment wasn't received, finds the e-mail and states e-mail account where the e-mail was sent is his bulk e-mail account and he doesn't check it regularly. E-mail address is the e-mail address listed on the local association roster and on his MLS bio or profile.
Example #3: Broker sends text message regarding dispute. Listing agent replies "too lengthy to discuss via text... call me." Broker doesn't respond. Listing agent then places call and leaves voicemail message. No response.

My point is pretty simple. Stop texting... stop using social media... and pick-up gosh darn telephone for business communication. Send a confirming business letter or e-mail summarizing the conversation where appropriate.

The rise in instant communication has resulted in some circumstances in poor communication and lazy transmission of important contractual responses. While instaneous communication may have some benefits in timing, it certainly has some major drawbacks in terms of substance. If the tone of message is lost in e-mail, then it is even worse via text.

So... stop hiding, pick up the telephone and act like a professional. By the way, if you think "LOL" and a "smiley face" make you look and sound like a professional, I suspect that you are dead wrong.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Attorney Transaction Killers Series - Standard Lease Terms - Commons Issues for Attorney Review

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:00:58 -0700

Unlike the jointly drafted real estate sales contract approved by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and St. Louis Association of Realtors, the model lease provided by the St. Louis Association of Realtors has not received similar treatment and is not uniformly used. The reasons for the lack of wide spread use and acceptance of model lease form include:

Owners often have their own leasing staff and have relied on attorneys and commercially available forms instead of Realtors for the source of their leases and lease terms.
Owners often draft their leases to address issues that have occurred in the past. In many cases, there are overreactions to the prior issue that result in one-sided or onerous terms.
In the leasing context, Owners have greater bargaining strength than tenants and there is less pressure to approve unfavorable or even balanced terms.
Model forms often are ill-equipped to reflect the specific leasing practices and requirements of the owner or the specific issues that arise due to the nature or condition of the property.
Model forms often do not take into consideration municipal ordinances and local practices that modify or govern leasing practices and customs in a particular jurisdiction.

Although there is no uniform acceptance of the model lease form provided by the St. Louis Association of Realtors, the provisions contained in the model lease form represent in my opinion balanced terms that can be used as the basis for developing a good, well-written lease that is fair while still adequately protecting the interests of the landlord.

In the table below, I set forth the individual terms of the model lease form in the first column. The second column sets forth a brief description of the lease term as well as a short comment on areas that may be appropriate for review by the attorney reviewing the model lease form.

LEASE TERMS COMMONLY USED IN ST. LOUIS	COMMON ISSUES FOR ATTORNEY REIVEW
PARTIES AND PROPERTY. Tenant, agrees to lease from the undersigned Landlord the following real property located in the City/County of [Insert City/County Name], Missouri, known as and described as follows: [Insert Street Address & Unit No.]	Describes Leased Premises. Specify parking and storage area assignments.
TERMS Tenant agrees to pay a total of $[Insert Annual Rent] to Landlord for the rental period of [Insert Period] beginning [Insert Start Date] and ending on [Insert End Date]. Tenant covenants and agrees to pay a monthly rental fee of $[Insert Rent Rate] in advance on the [Insert Payment Date] day of each month during the term of this lease. The first month's rent shall be paid on [Insert First Payment Date]. If Tenant takes possession of the property in advance of the term, all conditions of this lease shall prevail and rent shall be paid pro rata to the beginning of the month. In the event the Landlord receives the rental payment on or before the due date each month, a $[Insert Discount] discount shall be applied to the monthly payment.	Sets forth Rental Rate. Use of discount encourages timely payment of rent by creating incentive for early payment.
ADDITIONAL RENT All monthly rent payments shall be paid on or before the due date without a grace period and if not received by Landlord when due, then in addition to other remedies which are contained herein or as may be provided by law, Tenant agrees to pay additional rent of $[Insert Late Fee] per day for each day such rent or partial rent is overdue as liquidated damages, actual damages being impossible to ascertain. An insufficient check shall incur the same additional rent until such time as the check is made good. All rental payments shall be paid to [Insert Property Manager] and delivered to: [Insert Payment Address] or to such other place as the Landlord may, from time to time, direct.	Sets forth late fee described as liquidated damages and not penalty and identifies where rent payment should be delivered. Make sure late fee is reasonable.
SECURITY DEPOSIT The security deposit of $[Insert Earnest Money] payable upon execution of this lease, shall be held by [Insert Party Holding Security Deposit], without interest to Tenant for the term of this lease, in part, as a guarantee of the performance by the Tenant of the agreements contained herein. Landlord is hereby authorized to expend from this deposit, such sums necessary to clean the premises and correct or repair damage done by the Tenant or Tenant's guests or invitees. Within thirty (30) days after the termination of the tenancy or recovery of possession by Landlord (whichever is later), Landlord shall either return to the Tenant the full security deposit or furnish a written itemized list and cost or estimated cost of any such damages or reasons for which the security deposit or any portion thereof is being withheld along with the balance of the security deposit, if any. In the event the security deposit is not sufficient to correct or repair the damage or restore the loss due to Tenant's non performance, then Tenant agrees to pay such additional amount upon notification of the dollar amount. The security deposit is not to be construed by the Tenant as a payment of any installment of rent due under the terms of this lease. The security deposit refund may be in one check, jointly payable to all Tenants and such refund check and itemization of deduction may be mailed to one Tenant only. NOTE: IN NO EVENT SHALL SECURITY DEPOSIT BE USED BY TENANT AS ANY PART OF RENT. Missouri Landlord and Tenant Act Chapter 441 and 535 RsMo states that a tenant may not apply or deduct any portion of the security deposit in payment of rent.	Review amount of security deposit for statutory compliance. Security deposit cannot exceed 2x the monthly rent. Review return of security deposit provision for statutory compliance. Requirements for notice, inspection, and deadline for return set forth in statute.
RETURNED CHECK There shall immediately accrue a charge of $[Insert Return Check Fee] as additional rent, for each event of any check delivered to the Landlord, which upon presentation to the designated depository thereon, is dishonored for reason of insufficient funds, account closed, payment stopped or otherwise. At any time after such an occurrence, Landlord may require all subsequent amounts payable under this lease to be paid by Tenant in the form of cash, cashiers check or money order.	Sets forth return check fee policy. Statutory provision may allow collection of 2x face value up to $500 plus attorney's fees.
USE OF PROPERTY Tenant agrees that the property shall be occupied by no more than [Insert Number of Occupants] person(s), as a residence for Tenant and Tenant's immediate family or other such persons identified on Tenant's application or otherwise identified herein, and shall not be used for any other purpose whatsoever, however, Tenant shall be permitted to entertain guests for limited periods of time, not to exceed two weeks. Tenant shall comply with all applicable laws regulating the use of the property. Failure to comply will cause a default of this agreement.	Identifies occupants and is intended to prohibit change in true occupants while permitting guests as well as to prohibit transient uses.
GOVERNMENTAL INSPECTIONS AND OCCUPANCY PERMIT Before possession and if required by any applicable governmental authority, Landlord shall comply with occupancy code requirements. Tenant shall obtain an occupancy permit.	Occupancy inspection required for most (not all) City properties. Review statutory penalty for failing to obtain occupancy permit. Local ordinance may make it illegal to collect rent without an occupancy permit. Review provision for statutory compliance regarding who is responsible for obtaining and paying for occupancy inspection and permit. Local ordinance may make this non-delegable duty of landlord.
POSSESSION Landlord will permit Tenant to quietly and peaceably hold, occupy and enjoy said property during the term hereof without interference by the Landlord provided that Tenant observes and performs all of the agreements contained herein. Landlord's liability for failure to deliver possession on the specified date shall be limited to the abatement of rent due from Tenant until possession is delivered.	Sets forth standard quiet enjoyment provision. Review abatement provision as it may not be suitable for tenant's requiring to move on set date.
ILLEGAL DRUGWARNING Illegal drug trafficking, manufacturing or use is a violation of law and this lease, subjecting Tenant to all applicable penalties. In the event Tenant or any member of Tenant's family or any of Tenant's guests, invitees, agents or employees uses or is involved in the use, distribution or manufacture of illegal drugs while on Landlord's property, it shall be just cause for the termination of this lease and the eviction of the Tenant.	Provision is intended to avoid forfeiture provisions for illegal drug trafficking and manufacture from leased premises. Review for statutory compliance with seizure and forfeiture provisions of statute and disclosure requirements regarding meth production, storage and sale from leased premises. For landlords, emphasize use of criminal records checks of tenants.
ACCESS BY LANDLORD Tenant shall assume all responsibility for the terms and conditions of this lease at the time of occupancy but no later than the first day of the term hereof. Landlord shall be entitled and shall have the right, at all reasonable times, to inspect said property for any damage or destruction or to determine whether or not Tenant is performing and observing all of the agreements contained herein, and for the purpose of making any necessary repairs. For a period of 60 days prior to the expiration or termination of this lease, Landlord shall have the right of access to the property at all reasonable times for the purpose of showing to prospective tenants, buyers, appraisers, lenders and inspectors. Landlord shall not be liable to Tenant or any member of Tenant's family or any of Tenant's guests, invitees, agents or employees for any loss, injury or damage to them or their personal property from any cause whatsoever, except Landlord's gross and willful negligence.	Sets forth landlord's right to enter and inspect property. Creates a 60 day window for showings at end of lease term. Disclaims liability for personal injury or property damage. Review case law to verify whether language use is effective disclaimer of liability.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF LANDLORD In addition to other responsibilities set forth elsewhere in this lease, Landlord shall be responsible for the cost to maintain the residence in good and habitable condition including costs associated with reasonable wear and tear of the tenant, except as provided for damages caused by Tenant's neglect and except as provided herein. Landlord has disclosed to Tenant, in writing, any facts known to Landlord as regards to any prior use of the property as a site for production, distribution or the use of methamphetamine in the property.	Sets forth warranty of habitability which cannot be disclaimed and allocates responsibility for maintenance. Review to determine whether re-allocation of maintenance requirements between landlord and tenant is appropriate. Provides for meth disclosures required by statute. Review for statutory compliance.
LIABILITY AND INDEMNITY Landlord shall not be liable to Tenant, Tenant's guests or other occupants or persons on the premises for personal injury, property damage or other losses to such persons or their property caused by theft, burglary, assault, other crimes, fire, water, ice, wind, rain, smoke, or any other cause. Furthermore, Tenant agrees to indemnify and hold Landlord free and harmless from any and all liability for injury to or death of any person, or for damage of property arising from the use and occupancy of the premises by Tenant or from the act or omission of any person or persons, including Tenant in or about the leased premises with the express or implied consent of Tenant. Landlord requires Tenant to obtain personal household contents and personal liability insurance. Landlord shall have no duty to furnish smoke detectors, except as required by law, however, if furnished, Tenant is responsible for keeping them operational by furnishing batteries.	Disclaimer of liability by landlord. Review case law regarding effectiveness of disclaimer. Requires indemnification of landlord by tenant and requires liability insurance. Confirm amount and coverage requirements for tenant required insurance. Review effectiveness of attempts to disclaim duty to provide working smoke detectors. Local ordinance may impose duty to provide working smoke detectors.
MULTIPLE TENANTS: Each Tenant is jointly and individually liable for all obligations and sums due under this lease agreement. A lease violation by one Tenant is a violation by all Tenants. Notice by Landlord to any adult Tenant is notice to all Tenants.	Provides for joint and several liability for obligations under lease including payment of rent and property damage.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF TENANT: In addition to other responsibilities set forth in the lease, Tenant shall: • Pay all utilities when due including, if applicable, electric, gas, water, and trash removal. Tenant shall make arrangements for such services prior to occupancy and shall maintain such services (and, when necessary, provide heat for the building) throughout the term of the lease. • Obtain personal liability insurance and, if desired, personal household contents insurance. • Inspect smoke alarms monthly, if applicable, and replace batteries when needed. • Change furnace filter regularly (at least every three months) if residence has a forced air system. • Keep air conditioner compressor clean and free of debris, leaves, grass clippings, etc. • Keep garbage, trash, waste and debris in proper containers and dispose of same at least weekly. • Comply with subdivision/condominium rules and regulations, a copy of which, if applicable, is attached. Except where the following exterior maintenance items are provided for by the subdivision/condominium, Tenant shall also: •1. Keep sidewalks and driveways free from snow, ice and anything that may present a danger to Tenant or others. •2. Keep grass cut, watered and trimmed and reasonably free of leaves and debris. •3. Provide the necessary and proper care for shrubs and trees. •4. Maintain gutters and downspouts so as to be clean and operable. It is further understood, acknowledged and agreed that Tenant shall: • Be responsible for the cost of repair of glass, screens and doors if damaged by accident or neglect of Tenant or anyone else. • Be responsible for the cost of pest/insect control, except for wood destroying insects/pests, first reported to landlord 30 days or later after possession. • Be responsible for the cost of repairs to bath, tub/shower enclosures, tile, walls and floors if grout or caulk is not intact and properly sealed so as to prevent water penetration behind such seals when such condition was not reported, in writing, to Landlord before damage occurred. • Be responsible for the cost of repairs to garbage disposal (if any), bathtub, toilets or drains, if caused by rags, excessive grease, glass, metal, plastic, etc. or any accident or neglect of Tenant or anyone else. • Be responsible for any other cost incurred by Landlord (repairs or otherwise) resulting from accident or negligence of Tenant or Tenant's invitees or guests. • Be responsible to immediately notify Landlord, in writing, of any repairs needed that, if left unattended, would result in damage to the residence. In addition, it is understood, acknowledged and agreed that Tenant: • Shall keep no pets on the property without the express written consent of Landlord. • Shall not paint, or install or remove wallpaper, or otherwise alter the residence in any manner without the written consent of Landlord. • Shall not alter, replace or add door or window locks and shall return all keys to Landlord upon termination of this lease. Landlord agrees to change locks upon request of Tenant and receipt of payment for the applicable locksmith or other contractor service fee. • Shall not park or allow guests to park anywhere on the property except in regular spaces provided for such vehicle parking. • Shall not park or store any recreational vehicle, trailer or commercial vehicle on the property without the written consent of Landlord • Shall not store flammable or hazardous materials, except nominal amounts of gasoline, which is to be stored in proper containers. • Shall refrain from activities of any kind that would interfere with any neighbors' peaceful enjoyment of the property they occupy. • Shall not assign this lease or sublease or rent any portion of the property to anyone else. • Shall keep Landlord informed at all times of Tenant's current phone numbers (residence, work and cell). • Shall, upon vacating, remove all personal property belonging to Tenant and shall thoroughly clean the property and shall pay Landlord's cost of professional carpet cleaning to be done after vacating. • Shall pay all attorneys fees and court costs in the event legal proceedings are instituted by Landlord for non-payment of rent or late charges or any other breach of this lease by Tenant, including eviction cost.	Review to insure it meets specific requirements of landlord or tenant and/or is consistent with type or condition of property. Review for inconsistent maintenance obligations. Review reasonableness of restrictions on use. Review attorney's fees provisions.
HOLDOVER. If Tenant holds over and fails to vacate on or before the agreed upon move-out date (end of lease term, or any renewal or extension period, or the move-out date agreed to by the parties), Tenant shall be liable to pay double rent for the holdover period and shall indemnify Landlord and/or prospective tenants or buyers for damages (i.e., lost rent or profits of sale, lodging expenses and attorney's fees).	Describes statutory provision for double rent penalty for holdover tenants after expiration or termination of lease.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. In the event the property is rendered partially uninhabitable by fire or other casualty, rent shall be reduced proportionally until such time as property is habitable. Landlord shall proceed immediately to render the property habitable and if repairs are not completed within 30 days after the date of the damage or loss, then Tenant shall have the option of terminating this lease immediately thereafter by giving Landlord written notice of termination. If the property is totally destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by reason of fire or other casualty, the lease shall immediately terminate.	Provides for abatement of rent, cancellation or termination of lease due to property damage rendering leased premises uninhabitable.
CONDEMNATION. In the event of condemnation under governmental right of eminent domain or otherwise or in the event of a sale of the property under threat of such condemnation, Landlord may terminate this lease but not without written notice to Tenant not less than sixty (60) days in advance of the rent due date.	Provides for termination due to transfer or sale of property due to eminent domain.
DEFAULT BY TENANT. In the event of a default by Tenant of any rent payment or in the performance of or compliance with any agreements contained herein, Landlord shall, without demand, be entitled to possession of the property. Tenant shall, upon written demand by Landlord, quit and surrender said property to Landlord. Tenant's obligation to pay rent for the full term shall not be terminated, provided however, that Tenant shall be entitled to credit for any rent thereafter collected by the Landlord for re-renting said property during any part of the balance of the term hereof, less any expenses in connection therewith. The remedies provided for in this paragraph shall be in addition to the other remedies provided for herein or as provided by law. Failure by Landlord to enforce or demand performance of any obligation of Tenant, or to seek remedy for breach thereof shall not waive or excuse defaults of other obligations nor further defaults of the same obligation.	Sets forth landlord remedies upon breach of lease by tenant. Allows for renting of leased premises to mitigate damages.
ABANDONMENT. If Tenant is absent from the premises for five (5) consecutive days following notice of default of this lease, or if Tenant leaves personal property at the premises after the termination of the lease, all personal property found in or on the premises may be deemed by Landlord to be abandoned. Landlord may peaceably enter, remove and dispose of such personal property as Landlord sees fit without any liability or duty to account for such personal property to Tenant. Cost of removal of personal property shall be paid by Tenant.	Defines abandonment and authorize re-entry and disposal of tenant personal property. Review for statutory compliance regarding abandonment.
INSPECTION OF PROPERTY Tenant acknowledges having inspected said property prior to the execution of this lease and finds the same to be in good, safe, and clean condition and repair except as may be otherwise noted. Tenant further agrees to keep said property in as good and clean condition and repair as when so inspected and when first occupied, and will keep said property free from any debris, trash and filth, and will not do anything to create a danger of fire or cause an increase in insurance rates or to cause a cancellation of insurance. Upon the expiration of this lease or its termination, Tenant will surrender possession of the leased property (including any Landlord owned personal property) in as good, clean and safe condition and repair as on the date of this lease except for reasonable wear and tear. Tenant agrees that no representation as to condition has been made and that no promise to decorate, alter, repair or improve the property has been made except what has been set forth herein. Before executing this agreement, Tenant should contact law enforcement officials for information pertaining to whether registered sex offenders or other convicted criminals reside in the area. If Tenant is not satisfied with such information, Tenant should not lease this property.	Requires inspection and acceptance of condition of leased premises. Sets forth maintenance and repair duties of tenant. Requires all pre-leasing promises of repairs to be made in writing. Requires tenant to make sex offender related inquiries.
21. CHECK ONE ___ This lease agreement is part of a Lease/Purchase agreement, Sale Contract is attached. ___ This lease agreement is for lease only, attach Form #2161 for Relationship Disclosure and Form #2119 for Lead Based Paint Disclosure.	Provides for addendum of lease purchase, lead paint disclosure, and relationship disclosure for agency relationship.

If you are interested in professional representation regarding the drafting and negotiation of leases or if you are interested in learning more about our leasing services, please contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com. Or, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com.

Attorney Review Series

Attorney Review Series - Residential Leases

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PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Real Estate Tech Gadget - Tired of Monkeying Around with E-Mails - Use MailChimp.com to Send E-Blasts of Newsletters to Customers

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:58:36 -0800

Tired of monkeying around with e-mail templates, try www.MailChimp.com. This little chimp sure delivers gorilla-like results. MailChimp.com allows you to generate professional looking newsletters, advertorials and other touch-type marketing materials.

Here are a few of its features:

Easy interface is so easy that even a monkey could do it.
Step 1 - Upload or enter your mailing list. The free service is limited to 100 subscribers for your newsletter.
Step 2 - Design your newsletter on-line.
Step 3 - Send your newsletter and then review the statistical tracking reports or better use Google Analytics to track your campaigns.
CAN-SPAM Act compliant with several forms and tools for opt-in permission based e-mail marketing.
Don't go ape over the price - It's FREE if you limit your mailing list to 100 recipients and send newsletters less than 6x per month.

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PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Real Estate Sales Training - The Words and Philosophy of Yogi Berra - Importance of Role Players

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:29:26 -0700

Words and Wisdom of Yogi Berra

Over the next month, I will be taking a brief look at the words and philosophy of Yogi Berra as it relates to real estate sales training. Prior installments of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series included:

Installment No. 1 - When you come to a fork in the road, take it - The Art of Making a Decision. This installment focused on the need for decisive action and the need for making informed decisions.
Installment No. 2 - It's never happened in world series history, and it hasn't happened since - The Art of Learning from One's Mistakes. This installment focused on constructive criticism and the need to learn from our mistakes.
Installment No. 3 - Nobody did nothin to nobody - The Importance of Teamwork. This installment focused on the need to make a personal commitment to your brokerage and the attributes of being a team player.
Installment No. 4 - Slump? I ain't in no slump... I just ain't hitting - Dealing with Sales Slumps. This installment focused on how to handle sales slumps by focusing on the fundamentals of sales, by adopting the right mindset, and by refusing to blame the market for sales slumps.
Installment No. 5 - I don't know, I'm not in shape yet - The Importance of Physical and Mental Conditioning in Real Estate Sales. This installment focused on the need for a positive attitude in real estate sales and how physical and mental conditioning is important to maintain a positive attitude.
Installment No. 6 - Public speaking is one of the best things I hate - The Art of Public Speaking. This installment focused on tips for improving the effectiveness of one's public speeches and presentations by focusing on simple tips to captivate and inspire your target audience.
Installment No. 7 - He's learning me all his experience - Learning Sales Skills. This installment focused on the various stages of learning and the importance of mentoring for developing sales skills.

The eighth installment of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series will start with the quotation "If you don't have a bullpen, you got nothing." Yogi Berra recognized that every team needs and depends on its role players. He understood the need for a bullpen to close out a game. Although recognizing the need for a strong bullpen, Yogi Berra didn't believe in "pigeonholing" pitchers into specific roles. Rather, he subscribed to Casey Stengel's views that players should have multiple roles and that versatility can be as valuable or more valuable as specialists.

Real Estate Sales Training

So, how does this Yogi Berra quotation relate to real estate sales training? Well, Yogi Berra understood the need for specialists as well as the need for role players. He also understood the importance of cross-training. Here are some thoughts on how these concepts relate to real estate sales:

Building your Team. In real estate sales, you have to build a strong team. It starts with managing a team that will include all-stars, regular players, platoon players and bench players. The important part is building a team that has chemistry with each player having a defined role that contributes in some way to the success of the team.
Role Players. Similar to the bullpen, it is important to have team players on your real estate team who are dependable, who can perform a specific role, and who have the toughness and grit to come back each day and perform their role again. These players aren't the all-stars - but they play an important day-to-day role. These are the personal assistants, the marketing assistants, and the new agents who perform supporting roles such as holding open houses for more experienced agents. Or, these role players might be your title agent or preferred lender. In any event, these are the unsung heroes who assist the real estate agent to insure a error free closing for the customer. The difference between a win or loss in the eyes of the customer may just depend on these supporting role players.
Cross-Training. In today's world, it is important to have specialists available to play a specific role. However, specialists have limited opportunities. A lefty or righty specialist pitches to one or two batters. A set-up man comes in the seventh or eighth inning. A closer pitches in the ninth inning. They have limited roles and limited opportunities. In contrast, a bench player who can play the outfield, first base and third base, can pinch hit or run, or act as the dreaded designated hitter will see more playing time. A real estate agent who is versatile and can play multiple roles will have greater opportunities and may be a greater value to the brokerage.

For the unfiltered words and philosophy of Yogi Berra, take a look at When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! : Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes by Yogi Berra and Dave Kaplan. It is quick read and mixes baseball, business and Yogi-isms in a great little package.

Interested in real estate sales training? Or, better yet, purchasing a home in Yogi Berra's childhood neighborhood known as The Hill? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381.

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PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Real Estate Sales Training - The Words and Philosophy of Yogi Berra - Success is No Accident

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:22:04 -0700

Words and Wisdom of Yogi Berra

Installment No. 1 - When you come to a fork in the road, take it - The Art of Making a Decision. This installment focused on the need for decisive action and the need for making informed decisions.
Installment No. 2 - It's never happened in world series history, and it hasn't happened since - The Art of Learning from One's Mistakes. This installment focused on constructive criticism and the need to learn from our mistakes.
Installment No. 3 - Nobody did nothin to nobody - The Importance of Teamwork. This installment focused on the need to make a personal commitment to your brokerage and the attributes of being a team player.
Installment No. 4 - Slump? I ain't in no slump... I just ain't hitting - Dealing with Sales Slumps. This installment focused on how to handle sales slumps by focusing on the fundamentals of sales, by adopting the right mindset, and by refusing to blame the market for sales slumps.
Installment No. 5 - I don't know, I'm not in shape yet - The Importance of Physical and Mental Conditioning in Real Estate Sales. This installment focused on the need for a positive attitude in real estate sales and how physical and mental conditioning is important to maintain a positive attitude.
Installment No. 6 - Public speaking is one of the best things I hate - The Art of Public Speaking. This installment focused on tips for improving the effectiveness of one's public speeches and presentations by focusing on simple tips to captivate and inspire your target audience.
Installment No. 7 - He's learning me all his experience - Learning Sales Skills. This installment focused on the various stages of learning and the importance of mentoring for developing sales skills.
Installment No. 8 - If you don't have a bullpen, you got nothing - The Importance of Role Players. This installment focused on the need to build a team that includes role players as well as bench players who can perform multiple roles.
Installment No. 9 - If people don't want to come out to the park, nobody's going to stop them - Gimmicks Don't Work. This installment commented on the use of gimmicks as a substitute for natural talent and building sales skills through training.
Installment No. 10 - You can't win all the time. There are guys out there who are better than you - Healthy Competition is a Good Thing. This installment discussed the importance of healthy competition in real estate sales and the dangers of unhealthy competition that lead to uncivil behavior and a lack of professionalism.
Installment No. 11 - Don't get me right. I'm just asking - Communication is the Key. This installment discussed communication as the core skill for real estate professionals from building rapport to closing deals to customer service to managing teams.

The twelfth installment of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series starts with the quotation "If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there." Yogi Berra had a simple goal. He wanted to be a baseball player. So, from the age of 14, he set out to satisfy the goal. He knew he needed to play hard and improve his skills.

Real Estate Sales Training

So, how does this Yogi Berra quotation relate to real estate sales training? Well, Yogi Berra understood that life was unpredictable. He described it as a road that twists and turns and has hidden exits. However, Yogi Berra knew that you could arrive at your destination by setting goals, by having the appropriate desire, and confidence in your own abilities, and by having a plan.

Here are some thoughts on how these concepts relate to real estate sales:

Create a List of Daily Affirmations. Everyone needs some inspiration. By simply creating a list of daily affirmations, you have reminders that change is possible. Here are some daily affirmations: I can and will take control my daily life; I can and will effectuate change in my daily life; I acknowledge that there are things in my daily life that I will not be able to control or change; I will strive for progress, not perfection, in reaching my goals; I understand that it is insane to continue with the same activities and expect different results. These affirmations are simple reminders that no plan is perfect. In real life, our goals and plans to reach them must be fluid and must change with our personal circumstances. We cannot and won't be able to change everything. The affirmations can be used to refocus one's thoughts. Instead of thinking in absolute terms such "I will always..." or "I will never...", resolutions and personal goals must be approached with the simple recognition that we are simply looking for progress towards our goals. Whether it is a weight loss goal or a sales goal, it is gradual and steady progress or change, not immediate perfection, that we should seek..
Take Personal Inventory of Core Values. After writing down daily affirmations, it is important to take a personal inventory of one's core values. By the term "core values", I mean those unifying principles and beliefs that guide one's conduct and bring one personal satisfaction. By reducing one's core values to writing, the list serves as a reminder of what is and isn't important to us. When you take the time to think through your fundamental values, and then commit yourself to living your life consistent with them, you feel a surge of mental strength and well-being. You feel stronger and more capable. You feel more centered in the universe and more competent of accomplishing the goals you set for yourself.
Create Visionary Statements with Long-Term Goals: Woody Allen once was asked "How can you make God laugh?" He responded "Tell God your future plans." Although I don't remember the context in which the line was uttered, I do remember what it meant to me. To me, it is important to set visionary goals. These visionary statements are lofty goals. When they are first made, they can and should appear to be impractical, unrealistic or even impossible to attain.
Break Visionary Statements into a Series of Milestone Goals: After re-reading one's affirmations, it is important that permanent changes or the achievement of the goals in one's visionary statements doesn't usually occur overnight or even in a matter of weeks. When one looks at the goals, they can seem overwhelming. However, for each long-term goal in each visionary statement, one should set a series of milestone goals with one new goal to be met each month. By breaking one's visionary statements into milestone goals, we set realistic targets, see progress and build confidence.
Announce Your Milestone Goals to Your Partner: It is difficult to make life-altering changes unless you have the support and encouragement of colleagues, friends and family. For Yogi Berra, he had his brothers who supported his dream to play professional baseball. For each goal, one should select a partner or colleague to act as one's mentor, coach and/or sounding board for change. Too often, we don't share our goals. Instead, we attempt to pursue our goals in isolation. When we commit to a goal, write the goal down, and announce the goal to others, it strengthens our commitment to reach the goal. With the support and encouragement of others, we are more likely to accept short term set backs in pursuit of our long-term goals.
Track Your Success: It is much easier to achieve a goal when you have a sense of personal satisfaction. When you pursue a goal, develop a plan and monitor progress toward achieving the goal, you generate a feeling of success within yourself when each small step in the plan is accomplished. You tend to feel more in control and more motivated to proceed with the next step to reach the lofty goal. When you track your progress and generate the feeling of success, it becomes easy to do the "hard" or "necessary" things. When you clear the first few hurdles, you then develop a psychological momentum that enables you to address and handle adversity that would otherwise be setbacks to achieving your goal.
Take Action: After you have set your goals, take action. Each day review your milestone goals and your long-term goal and take some small step to reach the goal today.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Real Estate Sales Training - The Words and Philosophy of Yogi Berra - Communication is the Key

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:24:52 -0700

Words and Wisdom of Yogi Berra

Installment No. 1 - When you come to a fork in the road, take it - The Art of Making a Decision. This installment focused on the need for decisive action and the need for making informed decisions.
Installment No. 2 - It's never happened in world series history, and it hasn't happened since - The Art of Learning from One's Mistakes. This installment focused on constructive criticism and the need to learn from our mistakes.
Installment No. 3 - Nobody did nothin to nobody - The Importance of Teamwork. This installment focused on the need to make a personal commitment to your brokerage and the attributes of being a team player.
Installment No. 4 - Slump? I ain't in no slump... I just ain't hitting - Dealing with Sales Slumps. This installment focused on how to handle sales slumps by focusing on the fundamentals of sales, by adopting the right mindset, and by refusing to blame the market for sales slumps.
Installment No. 5 - I don't know, I'm not in shape yet - The Importance of Physical and Mental Conditioning in Real Estate Sales. This installment focused on the need for a positive attitude in real estate sales and how physical and mental conditioning is important to maintain a positive attitude.
Installment No. 6 - Public speaking is one of the best things I hate - The Art of Public Speaking. This installment focused on tips for improving the effectiveness of one's public speeches and presentations by focusing on simple tips to captivate and inspire your target audience.
Installment No. 7 - He's learning me all his experience - Learning Sales Skills. This installment focused on the various stages of learning and the importance of mentoring for developing sales skills.
Installment No. 8 - If you don't have a bullpen, you got nothing - The Importance of Role Players. This installment focused on the need to build a team that includes role players as well as bench players who can perform multiple roles.
Installment No. 9 - If people don't want to come out to the park, nobody's going to stop them - Gimmicks Don't Work. This installment commented on the use of gimmicks as a substitute for natural talent and building sales skills through training.
Installment No. 10 - You can't win all the time. There are guys out there who are better than you - Healthy Competition is a Good Thing. This installment discussed the importance of healthy competition in real estate sales and the dangers of unhealthy competition that lead to uncivil behavior and a lack of professionalism.

The eleventh installment of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series starts with the quotation "Don't get me right. I'm just asking." Yogi Berra had one endearing quality to players, fans and umpires alike - the ability to make small talk. He had the innate ability to make small talk. He wasn't being unsportsmanlike when he talked to batters and umpires alike. He never talked during the pitches. However, he did talk before and after the pitches. Yogi Berra would often get comments like "Yogi, don't talk to me" to which he would respond "If you don't want me to, I'll never talk to you again" which would then prompt a conversation. Yogi Berra believed that communication was an important part of the game and used it most to discuss situations with his pitchers.

Real Estate Sales Training

So, how does this Yogi Berra quotation relate to real estate sales training? Well, Yogi Berra understood that communication is the key to business. It can range from small talk with other players to discussing situations with his pitchers to setting the right tone as a manager. Here are some thoughts on how these concepts relate to real estate sales:

Break the Ice with Small Talk and Humor. Yogi Berra mastered the art of small talk and used it to his advantage. He also used humor to break the ice. In real estate sales, humor and small talk can be extremely useful tools to develop rapport. It is amazing how often deals aren't reached because the parties become antagonistic and negotiations just stop.
Customers Crave Communication. In today's age, communication takes various forms from in-person discussions to telephone calls to e-mail and more. Customers want to be informed. Even if they don't respond, they sincerely appreciate being kept apprised of each step taken in a transaction. Often, customer complaints center more on a lack of good communication than a lack of action by the real estate agent.
Marketing Starts and Ends with Good Communication. Marketing doesn't have to be expensive. It can be simple as a handwritten note, periodic e-mails or even a simple telephone call. If you want to have customers, you have to talk to them.
Anticipating Issues. Yogi Berra was a great catcher because he knew batters and discussed situations with his pitchers. Good teamwork starts with good communication. In real estate sales, it is important to identify issues and discuss situations. There is nothing wrong with a reminder note sent to a title company or lender or even another agent. We may not be responsible for solving a problem. However, it is our responsibility to anticipate problems. It all starts with gppd communication.
Communicating Expectations. As a team leader or manager, it is important to set the right tone and create realistic expectations and goals. To do so, it is important to communicate what is expected from each agent or team member. When the communication stops between managers and players or brokers and agents, it's time to switch teams.

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PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

LinkedIn Pro Series - Adjusting Your Privacy and Account Settings

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:29:41 -0700

Introduction to the LinkedIn Pro Series: Over the next month, I will be doing a series of articles on LinkedIn.com and how to effectively set up and use LinkedIn as a tool for generating new leads, developing new business opportunities, and keeping in regular contact with contacts, prospects, current and former customers, and members of your sphere of influence.

This Week's Installments... The posts during the first week will focus on setting up a basic profile. In today's installment, we discuss:

Adjusting Account and Privacy Settings
Overcoming Fear and Adopting Transparency as Your Social Medial Philosophy
Settings for Photograph
Settings for Public Profile
Settings for Status Updates
Settings for Profile Updates
Settings for Contacts, E-Mail and Invitations
Settings for Viewing Connections
General Discussion on Hiding Connections
Settings for Group Visibility
General Discussion on Group Visibility

Feedback, Questions and Comments are Encouraged: Despite the title, this is a "back to basics" series unrelated to the LinkedIn Pro product and is intended to expose real estate professionals to the power of LinkedIn based on simple, easy to understand instructions and tips. Feel free to leave questions, suggestions, etc. in the comments section. For more advanced users of LinkedIn, please share your tips, comments, examples, war stories, etc. in the comments section.

When it comes to account and privacy settings, it is a matter of personal preference. However, social networking is based, in part, on relationships and transparency. The more restrictive your account and privacy setting are the less success that you will likely obtain from using LinkedIn.

For real estate professionals in St. Louis. Missouri, the materials for the LinkedIn Pro Series will be used in a live quarterly training session on real estate technology jointly hosted by PREA Signature Realty, New Castle Home Loans, and Assured Title (formerly Landamerica). Reservations are required and seating is limited to 30 persons per session.

For more information on the real estate technology sessions, please contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or by e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

LinkedIn Pro Series - Setting Up Your Profile

LinkedIn Pro Series - Adding Content

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PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

LinkedIn Pro Series - Adding Content to Your Profile Using Status Updates and LinkedIn Applications

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:44:43 -0700

This Week's Installments... The posts during the first week will focus on setting up a basic profile. In today's installment, we discuss:

How to Add Content
The Importance of Regularly Updating Your Status
How to Effectively Write an Update for Your Status
Using Ping.fm to Update Statuses across Networking Sites
Using Box.net to Upload Files to Your Profile for Download by Customers
Using Slideshare.net to Upload Slide Show, Power Point, and Other Presentations to Your Profile
Using BlogLink to Add Your Blog Posts to Your Profile
Using Reading List from Amazon to Start Conversations
Using My Travel to Start Conversation and Obtain Invites in the Cities that You are Visiting
Using LinkedIn Polls for Market Research and Other Purposes

The installation steps for setting up LinkedIn Applications are simple. Step 1 - Go to home page. Step 2 - Click on applications in the left column. Step 3 - Select the application to install by clicking on its logo or icon. It will open up with a description of application. Step 4 - Click on "show on profile" then click on "add application." Step 5 - Register for account if applicable. Step 6 - Upload files or enter information like the current book that you are reading. The steps vary from application to application but these are the basic steps. If you have questions on how to install a particular application, post the question in the comments section. You can also see the application in place by visiting my profile on LinkedIn.

For more information on the real estate technology sessions, please contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or by e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

LinkedIn Pro Series - Setting Up Your Profile

LinkedIn Pro Series - Adding Content

________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Lafayette Square Housing Report - 2009 Condominium and Loft Sales

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:38:25 -0700

LAFAYETTE SQUARE HOUSING REPORT - 2009 CONDO SALES

Interested in purchasing or selling a condominium in Lafayette Square? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com. Or, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or our blog at www.LafayetteReport.com.

HISTORICAL TRENDS

The Lafayette Square housing market as a whole continues to outperform compared to trends in the St. Louis City and St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. Despite this good news, condominium sales in Lafayette Square remain flat compared to 2009. Here are some general comments about trends in the Lafayette Square housing market relating to condominium sales:

Condominium sales in Lafayette Square remain flat with 2009 condominium sales to be slightly above the sales volume for 2008 condominium sales.
The average sales price for condominiums in Lafayette Square in 2009 fell 12% in year to date figures compared to 2008.
The average per square foot price for condominiums sold in Lafayette Square remained flat from at $125 per square foot compared to $128 per square foot.
The sales price to list price ratio for condo sold in Lafayette Square remained constant at historical levels of approximately 96% of list price.
The average number of days on market for condominium sales in Lafayette Square spiked from 182 days in 2008 to 289 days in 2009.
It is unclear what impact new construction sales in Lafayette Square has had on the overall condo statistics. The bulk of the new construction sales at Vail Place, Lafayette Walk, 1801 Park Avenue, Eden Lofts, and the Abbey on the Park occurred in 2005 and 2006. Developers in Lafayette Square report new construction sales in different manners with some sales not listed in MLS and other sales included in MLS but reported as withdrawn as opposed to sold.

2009 MARKET DATA

Pricing - Key to Sales and Days on Market

The current 2009 market data for sales of condominiums in Lafayette Square reinforces the importance of pricing. Key statistics show that well-priced homes sell at 95% of list price in 60 days or less. Improperly priced condominiums tend to languish selling at a 13-21% discount off of the original list price.

Days on Market	0-30 Days	31-60 Days	61-90 Days	91-120 Days	120+ Days
Sold Listings	3	1	2	1	6
Percentage of Sales	23.08	7.69	15.38	7.69	46.15
Sales Price -List Price Ratio	97.52	96.64	91.96	87.71	79.45

Average Sales Prices - $150,000 to $200,000 Market Shows Strength

The current 2009 market data for sales of condominiums in Lafayette Square show that the great number of sales in the $150,000 to $200,000 range with the average price at $158,000 and the median price at $155,000.

Summary Price Information
Minimum	$84,000	Maximum	$252,350
Average	$157,573	Median	$155,000

Sold
#Units	13
Dollar Value	$2,048,450
Average List Price	$164,399
Average Sold Price	$157,573
Average Market Time	228
Average Square Feet	1054
% of List Price	95.85

Selling Price Range	Quantity	Average DOM
$80,000 thru $89,999	1	329
$90,000 thru $99,999	1	89
$100,000 thru $119,999	1	74
$120,000 thru $139,999	1	641
$140,000 thru $159,999	4	197
$160,000 thru $179,999	3	60
$200,000 thru $249,999	1	149
$250,000 thru $299,999	1	714
	13	228

Cooperating Brokers

The current 2009 market data for condominium sales in Lafayette Square suggests that the majority of condominium sales in Lafayette Square are procured through cooperating brokers.

Cooperative Sales 12 Sales $1,923,450 92%
In House Sales 1 Sale $125,000 8%

Brokerage Rankings - By Sales Dollar Volume

Brokerage Rankings - By Transactions

CONDOS AND LOFTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN LAFAYETTE SQUARE

Currently, there are 29 condominiums listed for sale in Lafayette Square totaling $6.63 million dollars. The average sales price is $229,000.00. To view a list of condominiums currently for sale in Lafayette Square, click on View Listings - Lafayette Square Condominiums for Sale.

EDEN LOFTS - 1720 Chouteau

Lease Option and Lease Purchase Available

Unit	Address	Current Price	HOA Fees	Sq.Ft.	# BR	# BA
ED102	1720 Chouteau	$179,000	$180	1215	2	2
ED307	1720 Chouteau	$180,000	$165	1129	2	2
ED505	1720 Chouteau	$175,000	$155	1036	2	2
ED404	1720 Chouteau	$166,000	$160	1093	2	2
ED405	1720 Chouteau	$166,000	$155	1036	2	2
ED504	1720 Chouteau	$175,000	$160	1093	2	2
ED310	1720 Chouteau	$176,000	$160	1091	2	2
ED105	1720 Chouteau	$193,000	$185	1268	2	2
ED107	1720 Chouteau	$200,000	$205	1386	2	2
ED207	1720 Chouteau	$200,000	$205	1394	2	2
ED204	1720 Chouteau	$200,000	$205	1396	2	2
ED109	1720 Chouteau	$200,000	$245	1631	1	1.5

UNION CLUB - 2340 Lafayette

Lease Option and Lease Purchase Available

Unit	Address	Current Price	HOA Fees	Sq.Ft.	# BR	# BA
1A	2340 Lafayette	$200,000	$185.25	1235	2	2
1B	2340 Lafayette	$200,000	$176.70	1178	2	2
1C	2340 Lafayette	$223,011	$187.20	1248	2	2
1D	2340 Lafayette	$200,000	$191.70	1278	2	2
1E	2340 Lafayette	$263,867	$200.40	1336	2	2
1F	2340 Lafayette	$240,166	$182.40	1216	2	2
1G	2340 Lafayette	$260,312	$197.70	1318	2	2
1H	2340 Lafayette	$259,127	$196.80	1312	2	2
1I	2340 Lafayette	$257,349	$195.45	1303	2	2
1J	2340 Lafayette	$200,000	$183.30	1222	2	2
1K	2340 Lafayette	$223,011	$187.20	1248	2	2
1L	2340 Lafayette	$200,000	$176.70	1178	2	2
1M	2340 Lafayette	$200,000	$179.40	1196	2	2
2A	2340 Lafayette	$244,530	$185.25	1235	2	2
2B	2340 Lafayette	$221,582	$176.70	1178	2	2
2C	2340 Lafayette	$234,749	$187.20	1248	2	2
2D	2340 Lafayette	$253,044	$191.70	1278	2	2
2E	2340 Lafayette	$277,754	$200.40	1336	2	2
2F	2340 Lafayette	$252,806	$182.40	1216	2	2
2G	2340 Lafayette	$274,012	$197.70	1318	2	2
2H	2340 Lafayette	$272,765	$196.80	1312	2	2
2I	2340 Lafayette	$270,894	$195.45	1303	2	2
2J	2340 Lafayette	$241,956	$183.30	1222	2	2
2K	2340 Lafayette	$234,749	$187.20	1248	2	2
2L	2340 Lafayette	$221,582	$176.70	1178	2	2
2M	2340 Lafayette	$236,808	$179.40	1196	2	2
3A	2340 Lafayette	$256,757	$185.25	1235	2	2
3B	2340 Lafayette	$232,661	$176.70	1178	2	2
3C	2340 Lafayette	$246,486	$187.20	1248	2	2
3D	2340 Lafayette	$265,696	$191.70	1278	2	2
3E	2340 Lafayette	$291,642	$200.40	1336	2	2
3F	2340 Lafayette	$265,447	$182.40	1216	2	2
3G	2340 Lafayette	$287,713	$197.70	1318	2	2
3H	2340 Lafayette	$286,403	$196.80	1312	2	2
3I	2340 Lafayette	$284,438	$195.45	1303	2	2
3J	2340 Lafayette	$254,054	$183.30	1222	2	2
3K	2340 Lafayette	$246,486	$187.20	1248	2	2
3L	2340 Lafayette	$232,661	$176.70	1178	2	2
3M	2340 Lafayette	$248,648	$179.40	1196	2	2

MISSISSIPPI PLACE - 1618 Mississippi

Unit	Address	Model	Current Price	HOA Fees	Sq.Ft.	# BR	# BA
MP-1906K	1906 Kennett	Carriage House 1	$249,500	$150	1237	1	1.5
MP-1907L	1907 Lafayette	Carriage House 2	$380,000	$150	1627	1	1

THE GEORGIAN - 1515 Lafayette

Condo Fee includes insurance, sewer, water, gas, HVAC electric, and trash.

Unit	Address	Model	Wing	Current Price	HOA Fees	Sq.Ft.	# BR	# BA
GA111	1515 Lafayette	Buckingham III	East	$233,000	$415.65	1553	2	2
GA204	1515 Lafayette	Kensington	West	$200,000	$346.38	1356	2	2
GA307	1515 Lafayette	Walpole	West	$200,000	$346.38	1340	2	2
GA404	1515 Lafayette	Kensington	West	$200,000	$346.38	1373	2	2
GA407	1515 Lafayette	Walpole	West	$200,000	$346.38	1359	2	2
GA419	1515 Lafayette	Cambridge	Center	$185,000	$357.93	1266	2	2
GA501	1515 Lafayette	Cornwall	Center	$243,000	$357.93	1620	2	2
GA519	1515 Lafayette	Cambridge	Center	$185,000	$357.93	1266	2	2
GA607	1515 Lafayette	Walpole II	West	$217,000	$357.93	1442	2	2
GA609	1515 Lafayette	Hanover	Center	$170,000	$305.97	1112	2	2
GA618	1515 Lafayette	Repton	Center	$200,000	$334.83	1246	2	2
GA619	1515 Lafayette	Cambridge	Center	$195,000	$357.93	1266	2	2

SALES BROCHURES - NEW CONDOMINIUMS IN LAFAYETTE SQUARE

________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Real Estate Sales Training - The Words and Philosophy of Yogi Berra - Dealing with Sales Slumps

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:42:01 -0700

Words and Wisdom of Yogi Berra

Installment No. 1 - When you come to a fork in the road, take it - The Art of Making a Decision. This installment focused on the need for decisive action and the need for making informed decisions.
Installment No. 2 - It's never happened in world series history, and it hasn't happened since - The Art of Learning from One's Mistakes. This installment focused on constructive criticism and the need to learn from our mistakes.
Installment No. 3 - Nobody did nothin to nobody - The Importance of Teamwork. This installment focused on the need to make a personal commitment to your brokerage and the attributes of being a team player.

The fourth installment of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series will start with the now famous quotation "Slump? I ain't in no slump... I just ain't hitting." When this statement was made, Yogi Berra was in the midst of his 1957 hitting slump. After the season, Yankees even sent Yogi Berra to the Mayo Clinic for eye and reflex tests.

As it often true with Yogi-isms, it is less about the words of Yogi Berra and more about his philosophythat matters in this installment. Whether it is hitting by baseball players or selling by real estate agent, everyone has slumps where they struggle. Sometimes it is mechanical; sometimes it psychological; and sometimes it just happens.

Real Estate Sales Training

So, how does this Yogi Berra quotation relate to real estate sales training? Well, Yogi Berra like all hitters struggled at the plate and had slumps. This is equally true for real estate agents. We often struggle. Yogi Berra approached slumps with a system that focused on practice and repetition of the fundamentals as opposed to experimentation with wholesale changes.

Stop Thinking and Focus on the Mechanics

When he was struggling at the plate, Yogi Berra would receive tips from fans, the general manager and others. Although Yogi Berra appreciated the advice, Yogi Berra subscribed to a simple philosophy that was "you can't think and hit at the same time." So, instead of thinking and theorizing about why the slump occurred, Yogi Berra focused on the mechanics, which he described as "humdrum repetition" or, alternately, "developing good habits through practice." In any profession, it is important to practice your skills. You can't just show up on game day and expect to be an all-star. The same is true in real estate sales. Role playing, use of scripts, planning responses to objections, etc. are all a part of preparing for the sale and being sales ready at all times.

Change Your Attitude- Stay Positive and Change Your Routine

Yogi Berra understood the psychology of hitting. He understood that slumps happen and that you can't afford to take a negative approach. Rather, you need to stay positive, keep the faith, and work hard. Yogi Berra didn't believe in making wholesale changes. He opined that listening to too many people, experimenting too much, and over thinking the problem could make things worse, not better. Yogi Berra also understood that maintaining focus and concentrating on the fundamentals was more important than theorizing on what went wrong. Often, bad habits are caused by the psychological aspect of sales - fatigue, worry, depression, etc.

Don't Blame the Bat (or Market) for the Slump

Yogi Berra was human. Like real estate agents who tend to blame the market, Yogi Berra blamed his bat when he struggled and often tried a new one explaining "If I'm not hitting, I don't blame me. I blame the bat. I try a new one." Too often, real estate agents like to externalize the reasons for the slump. It is the market. It is my broker. It is the lack of training. It is... Well, sometimes it is and sometimes it is just you. However, even in the recent market, I saw pending sales hit the MLS almost daily. So, it may be the market or it may just be that we took ourselves mentally out of the game.

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PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

Real Estate Sales Training - The Words and Philosophy of Yogi Berra - There is No Such Thing as a Perfect Game - The Art of Learning from your Mistakes

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:32:28 -0700

Words and Wisdom of Yogi Berra

Over the next month, I will be taking a brief look at the words and philosophy of Yogi Berra as it relates to real estate sales training. Prior installments of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series included:

Installment No. 1 - When you come to a fork in the road, take it - The Art of Making a Decision. This installment focused on the need for decisive action and the need for making informed decisions.

The second installment of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series will start with the now famous quotation "It's never happened in world series history, and it hasn't happened since." When this statement was made, Yogi Berra was talking about the perfect game pitched by Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series. Unlike the first installment, it is less about the words of Yogi Berra and more about his philosophy that matters in this installment. In baseball like real estate sales, there are few perfect games. It is how we approach the game and how we improve our game by learning from our mistakes that matters the most.

Real Estate Sales Training

So, how does this Yogi Berra quotation relate to real estate sales training? Well, Yogi Berra didn't start as an All-Star catcher. In his rookie season, Yogi Berra had the good fortune to play in the 1947 Subway Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodges. In the 1947 Subway Series. Yogi Berra made some "rookie" mistakes and faced intense scrutiny, criticism and pressure for his play. With his usual self-deprecating humor, Yogi Berra described his play in the series as "the Dodgers ran ragged on me that Series, stealing everything except my glove." However, Yogi Berra wasn't crushed by the criticism and didn't wallow in self-pity. Instead, Yogi Berra set out to improve his skills in the off-season and developed a very simple system for managing pressure, negative news, and criticism. Or, more importantly, Yogi Berra recognized that there was no such thing as the "perfect game."

Learn from Your Mistakes - Focus on the Fundamentals

The first step in the Yogi Berrasystem is to focus on your job. Criticism, scrutiny and pressure aren't necessarily bad things. It is how you handle pressure and criticism that is important. So, instead of being crushed by the criticism of his play in the 1947 World Series or worse denying that the criticism had any merit, Yogi Berra viewed it as a part of the learning process. Real estate agents have to listen to criticism and channel it in a positive manner. It is easy to rationalize, deny and deflect criticism. Instead, we should welcome the scrutiny and channel the criticism in a constructive manner. For Yogi Berra, the scruting combined with his competitive spirit caused him to focus on the basics or fundamentals.

Yogi Berra could have become distracted and crushed by the criticism of his play in the 1947 World Series. Instead, although disappointed with his play, Yogi Berra set out to improve his catching skills in the off-season and made improvements that were the building blocks for a long and successful career. Yogi Berra didn't ignore or deny the criticism. Instead, Yogi Berra learned from his mistakes and rose to the challenge. Each day, real estate agents need to take a look back at their performance, figure out what went right and wrong, and be ready to take the field for the next game. In baseball, there will always be a next pitch, next inning, next game and even next season. The same is true for real estate agents. It is how we prepare for the next pitch that is important to building a long and successful career.

Stay Positive - Measure Your Success One Sale at a Time

The second step in the Yogi Berra system is simply to stay positive and to develop self-confidence. Yogi Berra understood that he couldn't be afraid of making a mistake. Fear of making mistakes created hesitation. Hesitation allowed base runner to get the jump on him and ended up hurting his team.

Despite the hysteria and pressure surrounding playing for the Yankees in the 1947 Subway Series, Yogi Berra knew that he had to block out and channel the pressure. In today's market, real estate agent can't dwell on negative market conditions. Real estate sales like playing baseball requires a certain mindset. You have to have confidence, you have to remain positive, and you have to get beyond the fear of making mistakes. When you reach this plateau, you come to the realization that you are in real estate sales because you are good at it and because you have fun doing it.

Yogi Berra and the Yankees won the 1947 World Series. However,Yogi Berra approached his rookie season one game and even one pitch at a time. Similarly, real estate rookies have to measure their success with some metric other than commissions earned. While winning the World Series is important to baseball players and earning commission is important to real estate rookies, it is important to learn the fundamentals. The fundamentals - more than any single game (or sale) - are what build a career.

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PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

GOOGLE TOOLS FOR REALTORS SERIES - GOOGLE WAVE FOR COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION AND INTEGRATION

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:01:14 -0800

GOOGLE TOOLS FOR REALTORS SERIES

In this Google Tools for Realtors Series, we will cover, review and provide how-to tips and strategies for Google's suite of productivity tools including such tools as:

Google Calendar
Google Alerts
Google Wave
Google Documents
Google Maps
Google Earth
Google Local Business Center
Google Adwords / G-Mail Ads
Google Blogger
FeedBurner
Google Analytics
Google Groups
Google Sites
G-Mail
Picassa
YouTube
Google Talk
Google Voice
Google Search
Google Toolbar

GOOGLE WAVE

In the third installment of the Google Tools for Realtors Series, we will take a look at how Realtors can effectively use Google Wave in their real estate practice including such topics as:

What is Google Wave
Google Wave 101 - Terminology
Google Wave 102 - Basic Features
Suggested Uses for Google Wave
Google Wave Tools

WHAT IS GOOGLE WAVE?

Google Wave is currently available by invitation only. It is an interesting tool for communication, collaboration and the transfer and sharing of media. It is a hybrid product that looks and feels like e-mail, text messaging, forum threads, wikis, social media and more. However, the best may be yet to come. Google Wave is built on an open source platform which means that there will be competing products and a large amount of extensions/tools/applications built around this new platform.

GOOGLE WAVE 101 - TERMINOLOGY

What is a "wave"? A "wave" can best be described as a hybrid between conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with text, photos, videos, maps and more. A "wave" is shared. meaning that any invited participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. The playback feature creates accountability and lets anyone rewind the wave to see who contributed what and when. A wave is live. As a live document, can have faster conversations, see edits and interact in real-time.

GOOGLE WAVE 102 - BASIC FEATURES

Google Wave has some interesting features as a communication and collaboration tool. Here are some of the highlights:

SPLIT CONVERSATION INTO THREADS: E-mails are static and linear. That is, you send an e-mail. You then receive a reply. When you are "replying" to a wave (e.g. message), you can reply in the message itself creating a thread within the message or after the message similar to e-mail. For example, someone sends an agenda. Instead of replying at the end, you can actually interlineate your comments within the agenda itself. The arrows below show where new threads can be inserted. It is similar to when you include the original e-mail and interlineate in the original e-mail questions, comments or responses.

INSTANTANEOUS/SIMULTANEOUS CONVERSATIONS: Communication via Google Wave is in real-time. Althought it looks and feels like e-mail in some respects, it is more like text messaging. Two or more people can reply to the wave at the same time. The communication is live and can change even as your are reading the screen.
HIDE REPLIES: When the "wave" or replies generated by the "wave" are done, you can hide and/or delete replies to clean-up the conversation. You can also copy the completed "wave" into a new wave.

INVITE OTHERS TO THE COMMUNICATION: Communication via Google Wave can be 1-on-1 or you can invite a group to participate. Even after the conversation has started, you can add additional parties to the conversation. For example, the comments drift into another person's area of expertise or responsibility. You can add the additional person to the conversation by simply clicking a button or by dragging and dropping from the contact section of the Google Wave platform.

PLAYBACK FEATURE: Since you can add a person at any time, the new participant can replay the entire communication sequence by sequence from the creation of the wave through each contribution. You can see who wrote or added what and when. Here is a simple example showing the progression . There was an initial wave containing an invitation to speak. The second action was to add Don Rogers as a participant. The third action was Don Rogers' acceptance of the invitation.

PRIVATE REPLIES: Within a "wave", you can reply to the wave which is visible to all participants or can reply privately to one or more participants. When you reply privately, the reply only appears on the "wave" of the parties to the private reply and not on the "wave" viewed by all participants.

DRAG & DROP FEATURE: You can drag and drop other waves, photos, videos, links etc. into the wave.
ATTACHMENTS: You can add attachments with a click of a button.

DOWNLOAD IMAGES: For photo sharing, Google Wave permits each participant to add photos, edit titles, and download all of the photos. It is a nice and easy way to share photos. You no longer have to worry about e-mails being hung up or bounced back due to the size or resolution of the photos.

GOOGLE SEARCH FEATURE: You can search within the Wave using Google and ad links. Click on G+ icon. Enter search terms. Add to wave. Here is an example including a resource link into the invite to Don Rogers.

SMART FEATURES: Google Wave has a series of built-in smart features. For example, you include a video link in the wave. It shows a light bulb. By clicking on the light bulb, you will then be given options such as show the video as a link or embed.

LIVE CONCURRENT ONLINE EDITING: Google Wave allows users to edit each others messages, contents and even replies. This allows for online editing and collaboration.
GADGETS: You can use Google Wave's gadgets or import gadgets into your wave. Here are a few examples:
- You can insert a Yes/No/Maybe feature for approvals, RSVPs, votes, etc.
- You can insert a map. You can place pins for locations and can draw on the map.

SUGGESTED USES FOR GOOGLE WAVE

Google Wave has great potential. However, converting the potential to actual use will require an expansion in the number of users, the addition of more extensions or applications and a learning curve as users adopt this tool for communication and collaboration. Here are just a few anticipated uses:

SINGLE COMMUNICATION: Consolidate information into a single living document. Use with customers to define housing criteria, map tours, transmit and store documents, provide instructions, review closing documents and more. Instead of searching through dozens of e-mails, you have a single communication thread which can be accessed by all members of your team - agent, transaction coordinator and clients.
TEAM COLLABORATION/EDITING: For teams, groups and organizations, you can take a single document and allow multiple parties to collaborate on a project in real-time. You can draft content, discuss items and solicit feedback all in one place. It eliminates the need for creating multiple copies that get out of sync. For example in the context of an organization, you could set a meeting and outline the agenda. Each participant could then add additional information, action items or documents to the agenda such as place, map to location, parking instructions, documents to be reviewed prior to the meeting and more. After the meeting, meeting notes or action items can be added and tasks disseminated to others.
SHARE PHOTOS: Instead of e-mail photos back and forth, each participant can upload and share the photos. Each participant can then download all of the photos. You can create a photo album easily online.
BRAINSTORMING: You can present an idea, concept or problem to a group. You can use Google Wave to brainstorm ideas. You can add rich content like video, images, URLs, etc. to provide examples or to clarify ideas and concepts. Google Wave can be used a virtual white board.

GOOGLE WAVE TOOLS

Google Wave has great potential as a collaboration tool and as a communication tool. However, the gadgets and applications developed using the platform offer an interesting glimpse as its possible use as an integration tool. Although Google previewed a number of extensions, gadgets and applications (see video below), the most intriguing use of Google Wave is the ability to embed a wave in your website or blog. After a wave is embedded, people can communicate with you in real time within the embedded in a blog - but directly to you via the Google Wave. That is, a post could be included in a wave and posted on multiple sites. The replies or comments received would then be aggregated. This tool would give you a single access point to engage others in discussions. Here is an example from Google using their Bloggy prototype application showing a wave and then the embedded wave in a blog post:

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW TO USE GOOGLE TOOLS IN THE MARKETING AND SALE OF REAL ESTATE? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

GOOGLE TOOLS FOR REALTORS SERIES - USING GOOGLE ALERTS TO MANAGE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION AND MORE

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:21:14 -0800

GOOGLE TOOLS FOR REALTORS SERIES

In this Google Tools for Realtors Series, we will cover, review and provide how-to tips and strategies for Google's suite of productivity tools including such tools as:

Google Calendar
Google Alerts
Google Wave
Google Documents
Google Maps
Google Earth
Google Local Business Center
Google Adwords / G-Mail Ads
Google Blogger
FeedBurner
Google Analytics
Google Groups
Google Sites
G-Mail
Picassa
YouTube
Google Talk
Google Voice
Google Search
Google Toolbar

GOOGLE ALERTS

In the second installment of the Google Tools for Realtors Series, we will take a look at how Realtors can effectively use Google Alerts in their real estate practice including such topics as:

Why Use Google Alerts
Setting Up Google Alerts
Google Alert Success Stories
Non-Google Reputation Management Tools

WHY USE GOOGLE ALERTS?

Google Alerts allows you to create automated searches of diverse media such as blogs, images, video, groups, news and the Internet based on simple keywords. The tool has many benefits:

Monitor Real Estate Trends (e.g. St. Louis Market Reports)
Competitor Research (e.g. Name of Agent or Brokerage)
Tracking Upcoming Real Estate Events (e.g St. Louis REBar Camp)
Manage Online Reputation (e.g. Ryan Shaughnessy or PREA Signature Realty)
Identify Misuse of Your Listings (1515 Lafayette or the Georgian)
Monitor Past Clients (e.g. Client A)
Use as Customer Service / Testimonial Tool (e.g. Ryan Shaughnessy or PREA Signature Realty)
Track Technology (e.g. Google Tools)
Track Government Information and Announcements (e.g. Missouri Real Estate Commission)
SEO Management (e.g. www.LafayetteReport.com)
Catch Copyright Infringement (e.g. Blog Titles)

HOW TO SET UP GOOGLE ALERTS

Step 1 - Log into Google account. Go to: www.google.com/alerts.

Step 2 - Enter the search information.

Search Terms: Use Narrow Keywords to Limit Search to Relevant Items
Type: Select the type of search - comprehensive, image, video, blog, groups, news, internet or comprehensive.
How Often: Select period - immediate, daily, or weekly,
E-Mail Length: # of returned search items - 20 mentions or 50 mentions.
Deliver to: Your preferred e-mail address.

Step 3 - Review e-mailed alerts.

Step 4 - Manage alerts. If you are receiving too many or too few alerts, change your search terms for the alerts.

KEYWORD SEARCH OPERATORS

Use standard Google search operands to narrow or refine your search:

Inclusive Search: AND - "Real Estate" AND Technology
Alternate Search: OR - "Second Empire" or "Federal"
Wild Card Search: "* with a mountain view"
Specific Site Search: site:http://www.PREASignatureRealty.com
Link: link:http://activerain.com/blogsview/1507292/google-tools-for-realtors-series-google-calendar

GOOGLE ALERT SUCCESS STORIES

Over the past 18 months, Google Alerts has been an invaluable tool. Here are some of the success stories:

Identified Competitor Copying and Pasting Market Report.
Discovered Long Forgotten Media Video Clip of One of Our Agents.
Discovered Misuse of Craigslist Posting by Unlicensed Real Agent and by Rental Scam Artist.
Discovered Problem with Trulia Feed Directing Leads to Competitor's Website.
Found Article on Past Client regarding New Development Project.
Identified Buyer for Commercial Property.
Found Negative Comments regarding a Development in Area.
Identified End-User Subscribing to RSS Blog Feed.

NON-GOOGLE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Oddly, different alert services focus on different media and yield different search results. Here are some other services:

www.Trackle.com
www.SocialMention.com
www.SocialOomph.com
www.steprep.com

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW TO USE GOOGLE TOOLS IN THE MARKETING AND SALE OF REAL ESTATE? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

GOOGLE TOOLS FOR REALTORS SERIES - GOOGLE CALENDAR

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:31:25 -0800

GOOGLE TOOLS FOR REALTORS SERIES

In this Google Tools for Realtors Series, we will cover, review and provide how-to tips and strategies for Google's suite of productivity tools including such tools as:

Google Calendar
Google Alerts
Google Wave
Google Documents
Google Maps
Google Earth
Google Local Business Center
Google Adwords / G-Mail Ads
Google Blogger
FeedBurner
Google Analytics
Google Groups
Google Sites
G-Mail
Picassa
YouTube
Google Talk
Google Voice
Google Search
Google Toolbar

GOOGLE CALENDAR

In this first installment of the Google Tools for Realtors Series, we will take a look at how Realtors can effectively use Google Calendar in their real estate practice including such topics as:

Getting Started with Google Calendar
Working with Calendars
Using/Syncing Google Calendar with Other Calendar Programs
Mobile Google Calendar
Embed Calendar
Strategies for Using Google Calendar

GETTING STARTED WITH GOOGLE CALENDAR

WHY USE GOOGLE CALENDAR?

Google Calendar is a great tool for organizing your business meetings, marketing efforts and more. The benefits to Google Calendar include:

Online Access - Available Anywhere at Anytime
Multiple Calendars - Ability to Create Multiple Calendars that Can Be Viewed Individually or as an Integrated Calendar
Sharing - Easy to Share and Coordinate Schedule with Others including Making the Calendar Public, Embedding in Website or Blog, or Allowing Others to Subscribe to Updates via RSS Feeds
Scheduling - Easy to Schedule Meeting, Events and More
Synchronize - Easy to Synchronize with BlackBerry's Calendar, Microsoft Outlook and More.

CREATING A GOOGLE CALENDAR

Step 1 - Create a Google account. Then go to http://calendar.google.com.

Step 2 - Click on Create.

Step 3 - Using the Create New Calendar input screen include:

Calender Title - Use a short distinctive name. The calendar name should be short so that it can easily be viewed under the My Calendars section. It should also be distinctive so that the title can be recognized by others with whom you may share the calender.
Calendar Description - Google calendar makes it easy to create public calendars and to share calendars with others. The description of the calendar should be keyword rich so that others can find your calendar - especially if it is used by an organization.
Location - Similar to Calendar Description, the Location simply assists others to find your calendar.
Time Zone - Google Calendar allows you to share calendars across the world and syncs events on calendars in other time zones to the time zone for your account.
Public Calendar - If your calendar is for an organization or if you want it searchable by the public generally, click on Make this Calendar Public. For organizations advertising their group events, this is recommended.
Sharing - If you want to share the calendar with a specific group of individual, enter their e-mail addresses. Then set their permission settings such as view only, edit, etc.

TYPES OF CALENDARS

Google Calendars allow you to create multiple calendars. The benefit is that you can create calendars for specific purposes and specific groups. Once created, you can view the calendars individually or can integrate the calendars as a single calendar. Events can be color coded based on the assigned calendar.

We recommend creating calendars for specific purposes. Here are some examples of the calendars that I have created for my use, the use of team members, and groups:

Personal
Business
Marketing
Prospecting
Blogging
Listing Tracking/Showings
Training
Closings
Women's Council of Realtors - Events

CALENDAR VIEWS

Google Calendars can be integrated showing all Google Calendars, can be viewed individually or can be viewed as groups by hiding selected calendars (either by highlighting only the calendars to be shown or by clicking on hide calendar if already shown).

Google Calendars can also be viewed by day, month, custom setting (set in your general calendar setting screen) or by using an agenda showing a list of events in chronological order without the calendar.

WORKING WITH GOOGLE CALENDARS

ADDING EVENTS - VIA GOOGLE CALENDAR

After you have created a Google Calendar, add an event to your calendar.

Step 1 - Click on Create Event.

Step 2 - Using the Add Event input screen include:

What - Enter the name of the event or action.
When - Enter the start date/time and end date/time
Where - Enter the location by general description or address.
Calendar - Before hitting save, make sure that the event is being added to the correct calendar.
Description - Include a description of the event or task. For example, for a meeting, include the agenda or action items to be discussed.
Attachment - Upload and attach a Google document (e.g. agenda) to the Event. People viewing the Event can then download the document. The document can be in any format supported by Google Documents such as Word, Excel Spreadsheet, PowerPoint, PDF and others.
Repeats - If this is a reoccurring event, you can make a single entry and create a reoccurring event selecting daily, weekly, monthly or annually. If you have a repeating event with different topics, you can create the event and then go back clicking edit on the edit shown on the calendar. This will allow you to edit all of the reoccurring events, the future reoccurring events, or the specific event only. This is helpful where you have reoccurring events with different topics, speakers or action items.
Reminders - See below.
Privacy - Privacy determines who can view the event. Whether your calendar is public or private, there are times when you want other to see some or not all of the events. For example, if you have a public calendar, you may want the event to be shown (e.g. meeting). However, you may want to hide the items or deadlines that you entered on the calendar associated with event (e.g. send out invites/agenda).
- Default allows you to set the event's privacy to the same setting as the calendar's privacy setting.
- Private allows the event to be viewed by you and anyone else with whom you have shared the calendar and have the permission setting to make changes to the events. For example, if a private event is placed on a public calendar, it can only be viewed by you and the other people who have an administrative setting allowing them to edit events.
- Public allows anyone to see the event - even if the calendar itself is private.

Step 3 - Editing Events. If you need to edit an event, simply double click on the event to open and edit the event.

ADDING EVENT - VIA G-MAIL

You can also add events to your calendar via G-Mail.

Step 1 - Open E-Mail.

Step 2 - Click on More Action Tab.

Step 3 - Click on Create Event.

Step 4 - Repeat actions described in Add Event - Via Google Calendar above.

SET GENERAL GOOGLE CALENDAR SETTINGS

For Google Calendar, there are four general settings:

General - The general settings relate to time zone, format and related items. Set "Automatically add invitations to my calendar:" to "No, only show invitations to which I have responded."
Calendar - The calendar settings include a list of calendars, notification settings and sharing for each of your calendars covered below.
Mobile - The mobile settings allow you to enable texting of daily agendas, reminders, etc. Enter your cell number. Receive text. Enter code to enable texting.
Lab - The lab settings allow you to include add-on items to your calendar. Click enable or disable.

SET INDIVIDUAL CALENDAR SETTINGS

For individual Google Calendars, there are three general settings:

Calendar Details- Change "Auto-accept Invitations" to "Do not show invitations."
Share Calendar - Allows you to share calendar with specific group of individuals. Set permissions to approved level.
Notifications - Set when you want to be notified. If you select Daily Agenda, you receive a daily e-mail with a list of the day's scheduled events.

CREATING REMINDERS/DAILY AGENDA FOR A CALENDAR

To create reminders for an entire calendar, click on the Notifications tab. You can set up reminders (one or multiple) to send you an e-mail or pop-up at a designated interval prior to an event. You can create a daily agenda of all of the day's events to be sent to you via e-mail. If you have opted to receive a daily agenda from more than one calendar, it will be sent in a single e-mail received at 5:00 a.m. each morning.

Here is an example of a Daily Agenda received via e-mail:

CREATING REMINDERS FOR AN EVENT

In addition to setting default reminders for a calendar, you can override the default reminder for a specific event by clicking on Options when creating an Event. The setting for the reminder for the Event will override the default setting for the Calendar.

USING/SYNCING GOOGLE CALENDAR WITH OTHER CALENDAR PROGRAMS

IMPORTING OTHER CALENDARS INTO A GOOGLE CALENDAR

Step 1 - Open calendar in Microsoft Outlook or other calendar program. Save file in an iCal format. Same approach can be used for importing Facebook event to your Google Calendar.

Step 2 - Under Other Calendar / My Calendar list, click on Add. Select import Browse to located saved iCal file. Select the Google Calendar where the events are to be imported. Click Import.

EXPORT GOOGLE CALENDAR EVENT TO OTHER CALENDAR

Step 1 - Go to Google Calendar Settings. Click on Calendar Details Tab. Scroll down to Private Address. Click on iCal.

Step 2 - Click on URL.

Step 3 - Click open with Microsoft Outlook.

SYNC MICROSOFT OUTLOOK (Default File) AND GOOGLE CALENDARS (Primary File)

Step 1 - Download Google Sync Calendar file from http://dl.google.com/googlecalendarsync/GoogleCalendarSync_Installation.exe.

Step 2 - Run file.

Step 3 - Enter Google e-mail and password. Select 1-way or 2-way sync. Select time intervals for updates.

Note: Only the primary Google Google Calendars will sync. Secondard Google Calendars will not sync.

MOBILE GOOGLE CALENDAR

CONNECT TO GOOGLE CALENDAR VIA CELL PHONE

Step 1- Open browser on cell phone to www.google.com/Calendar.

Step 2 - Sign into Google Calendar.

RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS VIA TEXT MESSAGING

Step 1 - Go to general Google Calendar Settings. Go to Mobile SetUp tab.

Step 2 - Enter cell telephone number to receive text message. Enter Google code from text message.

Step 3 - Go to specific Google Calendar's Notification page. Click on SMS to receive Daily Agenda. Repeat for each Google Calendar.

CHECK YOUR GOOGLE CALENDAR VIA TEXT MESSAGING

Step 1 - Enable texting messaging as described in Step 1 above.

Step 2 - Send command to GVENT (48368):

nest - for next calendar event
day - for all event's today
nday - for all event's within next 24 hours

SYNC GOOGLE CALENDAR WITH YOUR BLACKBERRY

Step 1 - Point Blackberry browser to http://m.google.com/sync. Download Google Sync.

Step 2 - Click menu button and select Get Link. Click download.

Step 3 - On Blackberry Home Screen, click on Google Sync icon. Sign into Google. Click on Sync Now button.

EMBED CALENDAR

To embed a calendar on your website or blog, take the following steps:

Step 1 - Go to Google Calendar Setting Page. Click on Calendar Details Tab. Go to Embed this Calendar section.

Step 2 - Click on "Customize the color, size, and other options". Then select options such as calendars to include, size, color, etc. Click on Update HTML.

Step 3 - Cut HTML code and paste into your website or blog.

STRATEGIES FOR USING CALENDAR

Strategy 1 - Google Calender is a great calendar for creating a dynamic calendar for your website, blog or Facebook Fan Page. Change your Google Calendar and it automatically updates your website and blog.

Strategy 2 - Google Calendar is a great collaboration tool for groups or teams. The calendar is live with data automatically updated. There is no need to sync or e-mail calendars.

Strategy 3 - Google Calendar is a great tool for time blocking. Plan your sales calls, your prospecting activities, your marketing activities and other reoccurring events in a single spot.

Strategy 4 - Google Calendar isn't a CRM product. However, it can be used to track things like listing tasks, closing tasks, etc.

Strategy 5 - Google Calendar is a good back-up system for proprietary calendar platforms.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW TO USE GOOGLE TOOLS IN THE MARKETING AND SALE OF REAL ESTATE? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREA SIGNATURE REALTY

For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.