jonathan's Blog

I have another blogging project that focuses on negotiations. Everyone negotiates! Whether it is a parent with their children or a couple deciding were to go out to dinner, everyone is involved in negotiations on a daily basis. And yet most Americans have a negative connotation of negotiation. It...

Do you use magnets? We have all heard stories about agents landing listings through mailing recipe cards, newsletters, and of course by blogging about a neighborhood. Some agents pass out pumpkins around Halloween or seed packets in the spring. I have had clients call off the postcard that was ma...

After my last post here is a comment I received from a Realtor. I like to think that it's less about the area that I know but the fact that I know negotiation and contracts very well.  On top of it, my clients are usually tech savvy and want someone that communicates in the way that they do.  Hav...

Ok so just how is this going to work? Part of the reason I am phasing out of full time Real Estate is that I don't want to work with unscrupulous people. No not all agents and lenders are unscrupulous! But, unfortunately,I think there are more that are than not. Just look at what attracts most pe...

I love sales!  No not the Sleazy Used Car type. Sales, helping clients find what they are looking for. That is what a real estate salesman does. What are your needs and how can my experience and training help you? I read and attend tons of Sales Training, some good some not.I just came across thi...

After reading a great post by Charles over at Portland Real Estate Blog,  a little could be added to our discussion about real estate negotiations. Is it always a Zero Sum Game?One of the first principles learned when studying negotiation tactics, is to make sure to leave your opponent feeling li...

While I was in college, being a real estate agent was the last career on my mind. I knew that I was headed into business, preferably one that I could own myself. I have always had the entrepreneurial spirit. I wanted to be of service to others. In fact I have a well defined life purpose: To be of...

Moving into a town home in Seattle can be challenging. Tight corners and stairwells coupled with a three or four story layout. As the density of our city increases, the number of town homes will inevitably increase, for several reasons to be discussed later. My wife and I live in a 1200sqft town ...

Figuratively, of course. When receiving an offer that is too low, and they all are these days, it is important to use everything you can to get an edge on your competition. Negotiation tactics are an edge that all top producing agents have. This post is the second in a series on Negotiation tacti...

The market is changing, but I mean that the confidence bottom has dropped out of some real estate agents. I have always been a student of the human condition. How people react when their ego is hurt, what they do when they are in a position of power, or do they go on the defensive when threatened...