"REAL" Estate w/Joanna @joannawilliams - Tumblr Blog

COVID vs FLU & PNEUMONIA

Has the flu been cured in 2020 since all we hear about is Covid?

It’s a legitimate question.

How would we feel as a society if they ran a flu tracker, case by case, like the ones we’ve been seeing for Covid19? It would seem just as scary, right? Ohhhh, the flu isn’t as scary as Covid19 or as deadly.

Wait. Did you hear that, read that or assume that?

I wish I could find a side-by-side tracker for…

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Serving the Newbies

As you know, real estate is a service industry, but who serves the servers?

I’ve been helping new and experienced agents in this business for 18 years as of last weekend. Yes, minor milestone there, yay me. My yearly work anniversary always falls right near Bosses Day.

It’s hilarious when my agents come into the office and wish me a happy bosses day. We both have a giggle because I see myself as…

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Obligatory Back Scratching

I scratch your back and then you…wait…I should scratch yours again? Okay, now. Time to…what, you want something else? Grrr. Listen up. I’m not under any obligation to give anyone, or promote anyone’s, business. If you’re amazing at what you do and you consistently deliver stellar service, you will be in my circle. Being in my circle means that I’m going to be your cheerleader. Whether you need a…

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Where are your Manners?

Good gravy, have our manners all but disappeared under the force of the almighty dollar? There is so much greed in this world and I can’t help but notice it more and more these days. Friends, I use the term loosely, will easily turn on you just to make another buck. Some companies are making more than ever, but they’re squirreling it away instead of using it to better their service to the…

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Compliment Much?

Compliment Much? #loveyourpeople #bhgre

I’ve been on the receiving end of an overly noticeable amount of compliments this week. Several people have expressed their gratitude for my attention and overall work ethic and I’m left feeling amazed. It’s always bit embarrassing to sit and receive compliments and it’s also incredibly difficult to keep from saying things like “I’m really not that great.” It’s so important to the…

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Goals and Accountability

In meeting with my agents, many of them set goals with me for the coming year. We always discuss the goal, the why and the how. Then, it’s up to me and them to follow up to create accountability. There’s something that has to be crystal clear before you enter into a situation like this with someone you’re coaching…Whose Goal Is It? If it’s my goal for them, it just doesn’t hold as much weight.…

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#accountability #coaching #goals #real estate #success

Real Estate Isn't Uber

Real Estate Isn’t Uber

Whew. I’ve said this line more than I should have needed to over the last few weeks. Yes, the real estate market has been great for the last couple of years. Lots of agents hitting goals, humble bragging on social media, taking luxurious (well-deserved) vacations and enjoying the fruits of their labor. It’s easy to see this and think, ‘hey, I’m going to jump into real estate and make a few quick…

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As my anniversary of the beginning of my career in real estate passes by quietly this month, I reflect on how I’ve grown in the past year. Sweet #16

There’s a lot to be said for stopping to assess yourself and take a look at what’s gone right and what hasn’t. This year, I’m happy to have learned more about my strengths as well as my weaknesses. I used to fear my weaknesses, but for some reason, I’ve been able to look at them this year and challenge them. Questions I’ve asked myself have been:

What do you really love about your work?

If you were an employer, why would you hire you?

If you could overcome that one thing, what would happen?

What kind of income are you looking for? Why?

What habits make you have your best day?

Is there something in your personality/mindset that needs adjustment?

What do you love about yourself?

Is there something you feel like you’re the BEST at doing?

After really digging deep and answering these, it was easy to find out several things that could really help me become a better version of myself. Now, I’ll admit, there’s still a long way to go and always will be. Continued assessment and improvement are necessary for anyone looking to grow.

I’ve happily decided there’s a lot of things I can let go of and really just forget about. For instance, being the most proper person in the room. This is a tough one for me. I’ve always tried to keep Miss Manners top of mind in every social situation. What I’ve found as I have allowed myself to slip a little bit, is that nobody cares. Hear me? Nobody Cares. If you decline the dessert or leave early. It just doesn’t matter as much as one would think. There is no longer a need for me to feel like I have to be absolutely perfect 100% of the time. And, if someone does take issue with that, are they a friend or foe? Do I really need to impress that person?

One of my newest, favorite discoveries is Audible. In my opinion, it’s worth every penny to be able to listen to books in the car. Now that I’m running two offices (Liberty and Lee’s Summit), I have a ton of time to listen to books in the car. It’s a great way to get through that stack of business books I’ve been wanting to read for inspiration, but haven’t gotten around to.

Another great thing is realizing that being authentic or genuine is now more widely accepted and appreciated than “fake” ever was. I truly love being a broker to some of the most professional, knowledgeable agents in the area. It’s okay for me to love my people and tell them regularly. It’s what makes me…me.

My 16th Year in Real Estate As my anniversary of the beginning of my career in real estate passes by quietly this month, I reflect on how I've grown in the past year.

Ahh, Oregon. The land where the mountains meet the sea, hazelnuts can be seen for miles, and everything grows abundantly, including grass seed.

How could I possibly learn more after last year? Wasn’t it all just a repeat of the same facts? I can tell you, I was worried about being bored with the information this trip. I was so glad I jumped at the opportunity to help Josh represent Williams Lawn Seed, because, once again, I was blown away.

After a slight error in judgement at the rental car counter (who knew a Mazda 5 would be a minivan?), Josh and I were on our way to Corvallis, Oregon. We spent a few days there and got in a trip to the coast (Yaquina Head, Newport, Foulweather, South Beach), a visit with our son, and an incredible field day with Dr. Leah Brilman, a leader in seed research, and the team at PickSeed.

Dr. Leah showed us around her research farm. This was the first of many times on the trip where the phrase “genetic purity” came up. All the researchers in Oregon have chosen to strategically locate in areas where there’s less chance of pollination from other types of grasses. This helps ensure the data is true and helps the researchers guarantee genetic purity throughout.

Dr. Leah also showed us a plot of tall fescue where the endophytes actually repel geese at a certain height. This tall fescue is part of a worldwide initiative called Clear Sky, to be planted near airports. Another research plot contained Bracco, which is a high nitrogen green manure that helps with nematode and weed suppression. What? Basically, it looks like a big weed with yellow flowers. It can grow in about 3 weeks then be tilled into the soil, where it will ‘clean’ the field. So, let’s take a sod farmer for example. He has a field where he’s been having trouble with weeds for a while. No matter how many chemicals he treats it with, the weeds just won’t clear away. Enter the new Bracco tilling. Plant the seeds, let them grow to the right height, till into the soil, cover with water and, presto, the field can be replanted and will/should be weed free. It’s only a five week commitment altogether for the farmer, which makes this a very desirable new treatment. Plus, it’s totally green. Who doesn’t love that?

Last year, we took a look at the DIA (digital imaging analysis) machine used to study turf plots. This year, drones are being studied as a more efficient way to collect those digital images to be studied. The images are being examined against the current DIA, so it can be perfected for regular use at the farms and facilities. Researchers study 811,000 data points to compare turf. So, when the bag says “low maintenance or draught tolerant” you can rest assured that wasn’t haphazardly stamped on the bag.

Bioprime is also a new vitamin pack that’s being tested for turf. It’s a fine dust/mist that’s hydrostatically applied to seeds to help overall performance. I’m sure everyone has seen the coated seeds that have been out for a number of years. The difference between the two is basically size and weight. If you coat something, it becomes twice or three times the original size, which means you’re getting less actual seed in the bag for your money. Sure, it’s supposed to guarantee better performance, but at the end of the day, you’ll likely need two bags of seed to cover the area. Bioprime is able to offer much of the same benefit while giving the consumer more seed in the bag, since it only takes up .0016% of the space. Incredible!

As a side note, Corvallis is a beautiful city, home to the stately University of Oregon campus, a restaurant and entertainment area along the river and a magnificent park with a colorful rose garden and hiking/biking trails. I’m so glad we got to see it and I’m happy that Mary’s Peak beckoned us to come visit on Friday. What a view!

Wednesday took us to the TWCA (turfgrass water conservation alliance) conference at NexGen. Much like last year, so much important work is going into making turf more draught tolerant and resistant. Water, or the lack of it, is a huge topic on the west coast, especially in California. Most Californians have resorted to hardscaping their yards with rock instead of turf. What’s the big deal? Well, let’s consider how much cool air and oxygen is created from one city lawn. Rock hardscapes actually make the air hotter by 20+ degrees. If everyone in the world stopped having lawns and went to rock, we’d really be talking about global warming. So, the researchers at NexGen are putting their cultivars under a lot of draught stress and heat stress to test them. I know I wasn’t going to survive learning about it in that hot greenhouse for another minute, let alone weeks. Hopefully, the future will bring more green lawns to areas of north America under stress.

How do you limit how much water the plots of grass are getting out in the field? Check out this watering box. Measure, box and pour. So simple, but genius at the same time. I always love being barefoot on NexGen’s lawn. So soft!

By this point, we were tired and hot, but worked in a visit with one of the smartest, most down to earth farmers in the valley. Not only did he take the time to show us around his research area, he insisted we visit his favorite spot to take a break by the river. Oh my. I’d never get any work done. This was so relaxing and enjoyable after a long day of learning, we could’ve stayed much, much longer, but it was time to move forward with more plans.

Thursday morning was freezing cold and rainy, but I did manage to gather a few bits of info while my teeth were chattering. Finally, I experienced the weird Oregon weather everyone always talks about. One day we’re sweating in a field and the next we’re freezing in long sleeves like a Midwest October. I’m ever grateful to the gentleman that passed me his hooded sweatshirt.

Today’s research facility was Peak Plant Genetics. I found fascinating the differences in the way the researchers mark their plots and study them. For instance, look at the ‘yellow’ lines between these plots. It made them so easy to see and compare. Here the cultivars are in the ground instead of tubes in the greenhouse. They sort of looked like green spaceships all over the field to me. And, do you see those guys around the table? They’re testing a piece of sod for strength. How many psi does it take before it rips apart? Strength is of utmost importance for sod farmers, as you can imagine.

We talked again about genetic purity. These cultivars are being tested and studied in a makeshift room of cereal rye. Do you see the walls around the outer perimeter? That keeps the pollen from other grasses from contaminating the cultivars. I laughed out loud at this quote from Peak’s Director of Research, Steve Johnson, about finding the best, strongest cultivars and breeding them, “We discriminate for a living out here.”

While at Peak, we got to hear about the Rose Bowl field from Will Schnell, the head groundskeeper. What an honor to be able to learn more about what it takes to manage a professional field where a few events take place each week. From commercials, to corporate events, to games, to concerts, this man’s job keeps him on his toes. The grass on the field now is provided by Mountain View Seed, one of our many friends in the biz.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at Pure Seed where Crystal, Lucas and their crew are testing shade tolerance and salt tolerance, among many other things. They’re really making great strides with both and it was cool to compare some of last year’s subjects to this year. We also heard from one of their researchers that’s been working on growing grass in Dubai, a monumental task.

Friday, we made a stop to check on some wildflowers and then we were off to knock some bucket list items. First, we just had to hike/walk to the top of Mary’s Peak. We were totally unprepared for the 45 degree temp at 4000 feet, but we powered through anyway. We were so glad we took the time.

From there, we took the most winding and scenic mountain drive to the coast. Check out the covered bridge and river we discovered along the way.

Once we hit the coast, it was up a ways to see Seal Rock. Guess what? It was sunny and 80 degrees there. No jackets needed! Just beautiful! We continued to follow Hwy 101 south and stop at points of interest. We found some great beaches and lookouts and eventually found Cape Perpetua, home to Thor’s Well. (Actually it’s called several other things, but I read about it as Thor’s Well, so we’re going with it.)

Our exploring came to an end in Eugene, Oregon, where we got to visit with our son again and check out this interesting city. If you ever are in the area, you MUST spend some time at their Saturday market. The produce was unbelievable and the entertainment was varied and fun with lots of street performers doing what they do best.

Our brains were totally full and we were exhausted after about 70,000 steps for the week. Whew! Thanks for another enjoyable time, Oregon. I still heart you.

Toe deep in the lawn seed biz Ahh, Oregon. The land where the mountains meet the sea, hazelnuts can be seen for miles, and everything grows abundantly, including grass seed.

Millennials--Have We Been Wrong All Along?

Millennials–Have We Been Wrong All Along?

I’ve done it. I’ve read every single article I could get my hands on about millennials. Frankly, I’m really tired of calling them millennials and putting them under a microscope. But, the truth is, we have to. They are a huge generation of young consumers that’s hit the world by storm. I’ve had the privilege to raise 2 of them and have hired a few of them as real estate agents in my office.…

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That Thing On Your Wrist

Fitness trackers. Everywhere you look these days, it seems like someone is wearing a fitness tracker of some sort. From the less advanced pedometer to the highly functional Apple Watch, the masses have spoken and they love keeping track. I’ll admit, I wanted one for a while before I finally made the jump. I didn’t want to have that bulky thing on my wrist all the time. Gosh, it just doesn’t match…

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What's in a name?

What’s in a name?

Wow, this really is the era of pushing the limits. Every single day it seems I see another agent’s email signature, flyer, Facebook page, YouTube video or other media clearly showing their name, their team name, their cell phone number and little else. I’m here to warn you, this cannot last. The Kansas Real Estate Commission and the Missouri Real Estate Commission have a set of rules we all…

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So You Want to Run a Real Estate Office

Several times a week, an agent or friend tells me how they’d love to have a job like mine. In their minds, I receive the benefit of the fun of real estate sales without having to get into the nitty gritty part of showing or listing homes. I get to sit at my desk all day and check contracts, talk and laugh with the agents and walk through beautiful properties whenever I want. All for a salary!!!…

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Kicking Puppies and 1000 RAKs

Let’s consider, for a moment, someone special in your life. Is it a spouse, co-worker, friend, family member or child? It’s the employee that always says ‘yes’ to social projects. It’s the daughter that always draws the picture for your fridge. It’s the spouse that picks up your favorite bottle of wine to relax you after a long day. As you think about this person that you deeply care about,…

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2015 World Series from a Non-Baseball Fan

2015 World Series from a Non-Baseball Fan #crowned @Royals

In an incredible display of heart, drive, athleticism, teamwork and sheer will; the good guys won. I’m not a baseball fan. The heat and the time commitment involved in loving baseball just aren’t for me. However, for the second October in a row, I found myself dressing in blue, rearranging plans for games and screaming at the television wherever I could find one during the games. (I even had a…

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Exercise and Sparkles

It’s no secret that exercise plays an important role in the lives of the most successful people. When I lost my sparkle last year, part of the problem stemmed from my loss of motivation to work out. I’ve worked out consistently for most of my life. It makes me feel good and gives me time just to be alone with my thoughts. Sweat and the treadmill create a great problem solving environment.…

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The Magic in Listing Preparation If you're thinking about putting your home on the market, you're likely to interview more than one agent.

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"REAL" Estate w/Joanna