Salt Lake Realtor – March 2018

Salt Lake

REALTOR ÂŽ

Magazine March 2018

2017

Awards Edition For outstanding commitment and contribution to the real estate industry.

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Check out the Best of 2017 Realtor® Award Winners p. 12-13

Table of Contents Features 12 Best of 2017 Award Winners

Is Salt Lake City the next Denver? p. 22 Do you act like a top producer? p. 26

14 The Best of 2017 Realtor® Awards 16 Does Your Brand Really Matter?

Brandon Doyle 22 Is Salt Lake City the Next Denver?

Realtor.com 26 Do You Act Like a Top Producer?

Melissa Dittmann Tracey 32 Attention, Brokers! Signing Up a New Agent? Remember to Complete These Five Steps Ashley Mordwinow

36 What the 20 Most Popular Home

Renovations Are Really Worth in 2018 Judy Dutton

40 8 Ways to Make Yourself a More Likable Agent

Melissa Dittmann Tracey

Columns 7 The Best of 2017 Adam Kirkham – President’s Message

Departments 8 Happenings 8 In the News 42 Housing Watch 44 Realtor® Connections 44 On the Move

On the Cover: Illustration: Kelley Anderson Photo left: Kent Shelton

This Magazine is Self-Supporting Salt Lake Realtor® Magazine is self-supporting.

The advertisers in this magazine pay for all production and distribution costs. Help support this magazine by advertising. For advertising rates, please contact Mills Publishing at 801.467.9419.

The paper used in Salt Lake Realtor® Magazine comes from trees in managed timberlands.

These trees are planted and grown specifically to make paper and do not come from parks or wilderness areas. In addition, a portion of this magazine is printed from recycled paper.

Salt Lake

REALTOR slrealtors.com

®

Maga zine

March 2018 volume 78 number 3

slrealtors.com

The Salt Lake REALTOR® (ISSN 2153 2141) is published monthly by Mills Publishing, located at 772 E. 3300 South, Suite 200 Salt Lake City, Utah 84106. Periodicals Postage Paid at Salt Lake City, UT. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Salt Lake REALTOR,® 772 E. 3300 South, Suite 200 Salt Lake City, Utah 84106-4618.

rikki curtis

Award

Pr e m ie r

FOR OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

PRE SIDE N TI AL Award

FOR OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

taylor keys

Award

PINNACLE

FOR OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

real estate source

chrisanne sueltz

dawn stevens

mckensie bayer

elda palacios

julie holmes

regina morrill

rebecca hudson

RISING STAR

AMY VOLCIC

tiffany dominguez

laurie anderson

grand design properties

kyrsten st john

donna rudzik

SALESPERSON OF THE YEAR

Joan Pok

luke mann

carlye webb

Shelly vardakis

2017 AWARD RECIPIENTS

Congratulations

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6900 South 900 East, Suite 150 Midvale, UT 84047 Julia G. Borst NMLS ID:275440, LO ID# UT - 5495305 - 7495184 • NMLS ID #2611 (Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) • Utah - Licensed in UT: Utah-DRE Mortgage Entity License #7495184 & Utah-DFI Residential First Mortgage Notification – Utah Department of Financial Institutions Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. Appraisal required for eligibility and subject to conditions. Applicant subject to credit and underwriting approval. Not all applicants will be approved for financing. Receipt of application does not represent an approval for financing or interest rate guarantee. Restrictions may apply, contact Guaranteed Rate for current rates and visit www.guaranteedrate.com/restrictions for more information.

Salt Lake

REALTOR

® ®

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slrealtors.com slrealtors.com

President Adam Kirkham Summit Sotheby’s International First Vice President Scott Robbins Coldwell Banker Residential

Scott Colemere Colemere Realty Associates Kimberly Farber IMPOWER Real Estate Brian Gottfredson Coldwell Banker Residential Tony Ketterling Equity Real Estate

Second Vice President Alicia Holdaway Equity Real Estate

Mike Morgan Realtypath

Treasurer Matthew Ulrich Ulrich Realtors®

Mary Olsen Utah Key Real Estate Jodie Osofsky Utah Key Real Estate

Past President Troy Peterson Equity Real Estate

Steve A. Perry Realtypath Sophie Reece Berkshire Hathaway

Directors Cheryl Acker Utah Key Real Estate

Michael Rowe Berkshire Hathaway

Advertising information may be obtained by calling (801) 467-9419 or by visiting www.millspub.com

Managing Editor Dave Anderton Publisher Mills Publishing, Inc. www.millspub.com

Sales Staff Paula Bell Karen Malan Paul Nicholas

I

would like to congratulate each of this year’s Best of 2017 Realtor Award winners. The annual event was held at the Realtor® Campus on Feb. 23 and honored Salt Lake’s top real estate professionals based on sales volume and service. The awards event has been around for 72 years.

Cheryl Acker was awarded the Realtor® of the Year award. Cheryl was the 2016 president of the Salt Lake Board of Realtors® and is an associate broker with Utah Key Real Estate.

Other award winners included: Salesperson of the Year: Steven Johnson, RE/MAX Associates Managing Broker of the Year: Brian Gottfredson, Coldwell Banker Residential Rookie of the Year: Lance Gummersall, Century 21 Everest Large Sales Team of the Year: Josh Johnson Team, Century 21 Everest Medium Sales Team of the Year: Cameron Burnside Team, Keller Williams Small Sales Team of the Year: Jessica & Jennifer Terry, Century 21 Everest Good Neighbor Award: Robert Adams & Kris Bowen, Keller Williams

President Dan Miller Art Director Jackie Medina Graphic Design Ken Magleby Patrick Witmer

The Best of 2017

Affiliate of the Year: Terrie Lund, Sutherland Title Co. President’s Award: Marcus Jessop, Salt Lake Board of Realtors®

Office Administrator Cynthia Bell Snow Office Assistant Jessica Snow Administrative Assistant KellieAnn Halvorsen

Salt Lake Board: (801) 542-8840 e-mail: dave@saltlakeboard.com Web Site: www.slrealtors.com The Salt Lake Board of REALTORS® is pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support the affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

The Salt Lake REALTOR® is the monthly magazine of the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS®. Opinions expressed by writers and persons quoted in articles are their own and do not necessarily reflect positions of the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS®.

Permission will be granted in most cases, upon written request, to reprint or reproduce articles and photographs in this issue, provided proper credit is given to The Salt Lake REALTOR®, as well as to any writers and photographers whose names appear with the articles and photographs.

While unsolicited original manuscripts and photographs related to the real estate profession are welcome, no payment is made for their use in the publication.

Special Recognition Award: Constance Richan, Alpine Home Warranty In addition to the above award winners, more than 100 Realtors® were recognized for exceptional service and/or achieving exceptional sales volume milestones of $5 million and $10 million. These awards included the Platinum Hall of Fame, Gold Hall of Fame and the Distinguished Service categories.

Award recipients were chosen by judging committees made up of past award winners and members of the Executive Committee. Awards are given based on objective criteria such as sales volume, transactions, and service.

All of the award winners were featured in a two-page spread in the Deseret News and The Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday, Feb. 25. If you missed the paper, contact the Salt Lake Board of Realtors® at 801.542.8854 for a PDF copy of the award winners.

Again, congratulations to these remarkable individuals.

Adam Kirkham President

Views and opinions expressed in the editorial and advertising content of the The Salt Lake REALTOR® are not necessarily endorsed by the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS®. However, advertisers do make publication of this magazine possible, so consideration of products and services listed is greatly appreciated.

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SALT LAKE BOARD OF REALTORS ® REALTOR® is a registered mark which identifies a professional in real estate who subscribes to a strict Code of Ethics as a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

October 2005

March 2018 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | 7

Happenings

In the News

William Bailey

Miriam McFadden

Sandy Straley

Joan Taylor

Realtors® Recognized for 40 Years of Membership

William Bailey (Miller & Company), Miriam McFadden (Miriam K. McFadden Real Estate), Sandy Straley (Rindlesbach Homes), and Joan Taylor (Joan L Taylor Realty) were honored at the Best of 2017 Realtor® awards luncheon for achieving Realtor® Emeritus status. A Realtor® member who has held membership in the National Association as a Realtor®, Realtor-Associate®, or both, for a cumulative period of 40 years is eligible for Realtor® Emeritus status. Upon approval of an application, no further payment of dues to the National Association is necessary by the member association of which the Realtor® Emeritus is a member.

Pictured: Front Row: Sophie Reece, left, Laura Fidler, Julie Krushensky, Sandy Day, Linda Geer, Mary Olsen, Art Gayler, and Merilee Rowley. Back Row: Brian Summers, left, Ravath Pok, Broch Lassig, Terrie Lund, Scott Robbins, Steve Perry, and Jodie Osofsky.

Committees Begin 2018 Committee leadership and director liaisons recently met to review goals for the new year. The Salt Lake Board of Realtors® has seven different committees that focus on everything from government affairs and professional standards to education and commercial real estate.

8 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

Utah is One of the Best States

©Chris Hinkley / Adobe Stock

Utah is the No. 3 Best State in the Nation when it comes to how well states are performing for their citizens, according to a new report

by U.S. News. A number of factors determined the rankings including health care and education, which were weighted most heavily. Then came state economies, which tracked GDP growth, migration into the state, patents, new businesses and unemployment. Crime and corrections followed closely in weighting, followed by measures of government fiscal stability and people’s quality of life.

Utah ranked No. 1 in the report’s fiscal stability category. The report gave the Beehive state a No. 1 grade for its government credit rating score and a No. 2 rank for budget balancing. It scored well in transportation (No. 2) and Internet access (No. 4). However, Utah scored lower in the Quality of Life category, earning a national rank of No. 22. The state scored poor in drinking water quality (No. 36) and urban air quality (No. 46).

“At a time when the federal government is attempting to hand more responsibility for spending and policymaking to the states, these rankings offer the first comprehensive view, state by state, of how some states already are performing best,” the report said. “The report’s highly interactive platform enables users to explore thousands of important benchmarks and easily draw state-tostate comparisons.”

Iowa was the best overall ranked state. Louisiana was the worst state.

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2017

Wasatch Front Top Performers

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE — DIAMOND

#1 TEAM

#2 TEAM

THE LINDA SECRIST TEAM

#3 TEAM

UTAH CRIBS

Linda Secrist, Lisa Herron-McKinney, Brett Butler, Jim Thomas

THE GREG & BROCK TEAM

Jake Breen, Spencer Janke, Peter Smith, George Reade, David Desso, Chris Breen

Greg Call, Brock Andersen, Natalie Gines, Jenni Barber, Nate Fairbanks, Kevin Sanders, Marty Christensen

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE — PLATINUM

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE —

#1 INDIVIDUAL

THE JOAN PATE TEAM Joan Pate, Nikole Anderson, Trudy Fegel, Natalie Wagner, Marci Alexander

JAY DEHER TEAM Jay Deher, Whitney Vanderhouven, Bettina Katz, Adrian Hicks

JOE HOLDEN

CRAIG VOEGELI AND DALLAS EICHERS

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE — GOLD

#3 INDIVIDUAL JOHN BAQUE STEPHANIE TEAM POULOS-ARRASI

KEVIN JENSEN

MONIQUE KEETCH

CANDICE KUNZ

TEAM REECE UTAH Tony Reece, Sophie Reece, Tiffany Kennard

DJ JONES

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

ASHLEE LANE

DEBBIE NISSON

JULIE MATHEWS

MICHAEL ROWE

LEADING EDGE SOCIETY

KURT LARSEN

DANTZ TO DANTZ Nan Dantz, Blair Dantz

GARY HOWARD

SHELLY ROVIRA

ALAN ARBUCKLE

KIM CHAD DARREN GEMPELER CHRISTENSEN LUM

HONOR SOCIETY

STEVEN FEDER

MIKE JENSEN

ERIK JENSEN

HEIDI INGHAM

MARY HURLBURT

PHIL RICHARDSON

JUNE AND DENNIS MARCHANT

STEVE POORMAN

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© 2018 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.

—

TRIDESTIN GROUP

THE DIXON-FELIS TEAM

Lance May, Cindy White, Mike Stark, Swen Howard, Holly Elliott, Corbin White, Bry Thomas, Briana Hunt

Kim Dixon Peter Felis

MUNFORD MARKETING GROUP

Dave Munford, John Thornton, Tammy Cooper, Tammy Swain, Lindsey Eggett, Ben Bartling, Travis Tolman, Lisa Jerome

GOLD

SMOOT TEAM Shandell Smoot, Erik Higley, Julie Hales, Denise Smoot, Shelly Russell

#2 INDIVIDUAL GALE FRANDSEN

THE GRANT TEAM Dave Grant, Valeri Simpson, Kathryn Mcfarland, Aimee Cluff

BRANDI STRONG TEAM

THE JUDY ALLEN TEAM Judy Allen, Monique Draper, Amanda Allen-Jorgensen

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

TONY HAMBY

HEATHER HIGGS

MCKEAN NICHOLS TEAM Sally Mckean, Trish Nichols

JOHN WAYNE MIKE SHUPE KRAUSE

LORI GEE

PEARCE TEAM Judy, Travis, Tom, Jamie, Melissa

BILL SPANGLER

Salt Lake City South Jordan South Ogden Bountiful

THE POZZUOLI TEAM Donna Pozzuoli, Sandy Carver

JAMES QUINN

801-990-0400 801-512-0499 801-781-2223 801-383-1000

BHHSUTAH.COM

HAMILTON MEAD TEAM Sheri Hamilton, Annette Mead

ASKERLUND TEAM Julie And Jon Askerlund

THE JODY NIELSON & DEBBIE HARVEST TEAM

DONNA PASALANO

ANITA OLIVERI

KATHY COLLINGS

SARAH BURNS

UTAH’S A TEAM Todd Porter, Leilani Porter, Cliff Porter, Denise Pettley

HONOR SOCIETY

MARLEY BRAMBLE

STAN BOOTH

RANDY EAGER

CINDY URIONA

DANIEL FOCHS

HONOR SOCIETY

KEN TURNER

NICHOLE GUNTHER

JANET ANDERSON

PAGE SIGLIN

EMILY COX

Best of 2017 Award Winners Realtor® of the Year

Managing Broker of the Year

Salesperson of the Year

Affiliate of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Cheryl Acker Brian Gottfredson Steven C. Johnson Lance Gummersall UTAH KEY REAL ESTATE

COLDWELL BANKER

Good Neighbor Award

President’s Award

Robert Adams & Kris Bowen

Marcus Jessop

SL BOARD OF REALTORS

KELLER WILLIAMS

Medium Sales Team

Cameron Burnside Team KELLER WILLIAMS 12 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

RE/MAX ASSOCIATES

CENTURY 21 EVEREST

Terrie Lund

SUTHERLAND TITLE CO.

Special Recognition

Small Sales Team

Constance Richan

Jessica & Jennifer Terry Team RE

ALPINE HOME WARRANTY

CENTURY 21 EVEREST

Large Sales Team

PLATINUM HALL OF FAME Brock Andersen

Bradley Hansen

Linda Secrist

Windermere Real Estate, Sterling R

Berkshire Hathaway, Sterling R

Berkshire Hathaway, Sterling R

Action Team, $25K+ HOF, Golden R

Summit Sotheby’s, Sterling R

CBC Intermountain, Sterling R

Windermere Real Estate

Berkshire Hathaway, Sterling R

John Baque

Craig Hawker

Jared Booth

Lori Hendry

Jim Bringhurst

Dawn Houghton

Debra Sjoblom

Summit Sotheby’s, Sterling R

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Berkshire Hathaway, Crystal R

Ryan Kirkham

Cannon & Co, Golden R, 50K HOF

Summit Sotheby’s, Sterling R

Chapman Richards, Sterling R

Carolyn Kirkham

Gary Cannon

Laurel Simmons

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Windermere Real Estate, $50K+ HOF, Golden R, PC

Greg Call

Jeff Sidwell

Summit Sotheby’s, Crystal R

Janet Lowe

Janice Smith

Scott Steadman Windermere Real Estate

Sean Steinman

Peter Clark

Windermere Real Estate, Sterling R

Windermere Real Estate, Sterling R

Bryan Colemere

RE/MAX Masters

Keller Williams SLC, Sterling R

Ricky Martinez

Keller Williams SLC, Sterling R

Carolee Mecham

RealtyONE Group Signature, Sterling R

Angie Nelden

Keller Williams SLC, Sterling R

Dan Nix

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Windermere Real Estate

Colemere Realty Assoc., Sterling R

Dana Conway Utah Key Real Estate

Rikki Curtis

RealtyONE Group, Sterling R

Brian De Haan Ulrich Realtors, Sterling R

Susie Martindale RE/MAX Masters Real Estate

Cannon & Company, Sterling R Summit Sotheby’s, Sterling R

Michael Egan

Coldwell Banker Station Park

James Ellis

Equity Real Estate, 25K HOF

Keller Williams, Sterling R

RE/MAX Masters, Sterling R

Kelly Favero

Keller Williams SLC, Sterling R

Amy Gibbons

Selling Salt Lake, Crystal R

Richard Grow Ensign Investments

Joel Hair

Ulrich Realtors®, Sterling R

Kenny Parcell Joan Pate

Berkshire Hathaway, Sterling R

Joshua Stern Lee Stern

Dawn Stevens Mona Stevens

Vicki Fulkerson

Mike Ulrich

David Frederickson

Ulrich Realtors, Sterling R

Berkshire Hathaway Salt Lake

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Stacy Wissman

Lana Ames

Shirley Jacobson

Dave Aughey

Kyrsten St John

ShirLee McGarry

Lisa Woodbury

Realtypath LLC South Valley, Sterling R

Summit Sotheby’s, 25K HOF

RealtyONE Group Signature Windermere Real Estate

Donna Pozzuoli

Berkshire Hathaway, Crystal R

Seth Roth

goBE Realty, Sterling R

Bryson Real Estate, Sterling R

Windermere Real Estate, Crystal R

Summit Sotheby’s, Sterling R

Utah Key Real Estate

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Summit Sotheby’s

Tammy Casper goBE Realty, Sterling R

Cody Chamberlain

Windermere Real Estate, Sterling R

Kimberly Chatterton Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Darlene Dipo Windermere Real Estate

Sally Domichel Coldwell Banker

Marsha Elmore Coldwell Banker

Laura Fidler

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Jennifer Gilchrist Utah Key Real Estate

Kris Hudson

Lisa Jungemann Lori Khodadad Grady Kohler

Windermere, Golden R, 25K HOF

Adam Kirkham

Summit Sotheby’s, Crystal R

Jennifer Kikel-Lynn

Scott Simpson Randy Smith

Equity Real Estate, Sterling R

Cathy Sneyd

The Muve Group, Sterling R

RealtyONE Group Signature, Sterling R

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Ulrich Realtors, Sterling R

Miriam K. McFadden Real Estate

RealtyONE Group Signature

Miriam McFadden

Jodie Osofsky

E. Lee White

Heather Pappas

Durven Wilson

Century 21

Joan Pok RealtyOne Group Signature

Utah Key Real Estate

Rosanne Terry

Coldwell Banker Union Heights

Paul Wiseman

Summit Sotheby’s International Parley’s

Elaine Zambos

Utah Key Real Estate, Sterling R

Carlye Webb

Wendy Wheeler

Utah Key Real Estate, Sterling R

Coldwell Banker

Matt Ulrich

Joseph L. Olschewski Ulrich Realtors, Sterling R

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Chrisanne Sueltz

K Real Estate, Sterling R

Cheryl Lyon

Lisa Radke

RE/MAX Results South Jordan, Sterling R

Terry Simmons

RealtyONE Group Signature, Sterling R

Brenda Lee Jones

Steve Perry

Realtypath LLC Prestige, Sterling R

Chris Sidwell

Century 21 Everest, Sterling R

Keller Williams SLC, Sterling R

Utah Key Real Estate

Jamie Sacks

Berkshire Hathaway

Linda Burtch

Heather Nelson

Donna Rudzik

Berkshire Hathaway, Sterling R

Robyn Buckwalter

Mike Morgan

DeAnna Robbins

RealtyONE Group Signature, Sterling R

Jared Bryson

Realtypath LLC, Sterling R

Michael Rowe

goBE Realty, Sterling R

Jennifer Barber

John Lucky

Coldwell Banker Union Heights

Utah Key Real Estate, Sterling R

Rebecca Hudson

Windermere Real Estate, Sterling R

Vann Larson

Village Real Estate, Bronze R

Mary Olsen

Judy Allen

Berkshire Hathaway, Sterling R

Linda Itami

Thomas Wright Windermere Real Estate

GOLD HALL OF FAME

Bill Heiner

Craig Whiting Summit Sotheby’s

Coldwell Banker, Sterling R

Keller Williams, Sterling R

Cannon & Company, Sterling R

Dave Robison Scott Robbins

Hidden Valley Real Estate

Tricia VanderKooi Rock Real Estate Group, Sterling R

goBE Realty, Platinum R/50K HOF

Cheryl Acker Utah Key Real Estate, Sterling R

Shelly Tripp

Maura Powers Summit Sotheby’s

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

Summit Sotheby’s Summit Sotheby’s

goBE Realty, Sterling R

Margene Wrigley Wrigley Realty, Bronze R

Ulrich Realtors, Sterling R

March 2018 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | 13

Front row: Lance Gummersall, Josh Johnson, Cheryl Acker, Robert Adams, Troy Peterson. Back row: Adam Kirkham, Marcus Jessop, Constance Richan, Terrie Lund, Kris Bowen.

Best of 2017 Awards

R

ealtors速 and affiliate members were recognized at the Best of 2017 Awards luncheon held in February at the Realtor速 Campus. Awards were given in 11 major categories. In addition, more than 100 Realtors速 were recognized in three different award categories for exceptional service and/or achieving sales volume milestones of $5 million and $10 million.

Photos: Kent Shelton, Dave Anderton

Terrie Lund

Brian Gottfredson and Troy Peterson

Curtis Bullock, Adam Kirkham, Matt Dulle Lesa Beuchert and Julie Krushensky

14 | Salt Lake Realtor 速 | March 2018

Special Recognition Constance Richan

The Cameron Burnside Team

Michael Rowe, Dave Fredrickson, Kim Farber, Bob Goodson

Troy Peterson, Adam Kirkham, Ryan Kirkham

Heather Nelson and Cheryl Acker, Realtor® of the Year

Good Neighbor Award winners

Brock Andersen The Daniel Cabrera Team (Real Team Realty)

March 2018 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | 15

©Tierney / Adobe Stock

Does Your Brand Really Matter?

Would an agent achieve fewer closings if he or she worked with a lesser-known company? Or do the agent’s relationships have the biggest impact on sales performance?

By Brandon Doyle

I

often hear agents compare the merits of different real estate brands, and it makes me wonder how much a brokerage’s brand matters. Would an agent achieve fewer closings if he or she worked with a lesser-known company? Or do the agent’s relationships have the biggest impact on sales performance?

To answer this question, we need to have something quantifiable to measure. For this article, I’ve chosen average agent productivity in my market of Minneapolis-St. Paul. This allows us to compare companies of all sizes, whereas overall volume or transaction sides would favor large companies.

I could have used brand awareness, but that would have required a very large sample size.

Plus, as others in the industry have pointed out, there is no correlation between awareness and reputation. For example, I’m very aware of my local cable provider, but it’s certainly not known for its customer service.

16 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

It’s not uncommon for companies to cite only the statistics that support their narrative. I can think of three local companies that all claim to be number one in our market. Technically, they’re all correct. But they each base their claim on metrics according to specific geographical boundaries and classification of franchised offices. Combining sales numbers across each of a national brand’s franchises in a specific area will give you a very different result than going by the individual broker of record. I could make the argument that consumers do not differentiate between independently owned offices any more than they know the difference between the McDonald’s franchises.

To determine per-agent productivity in my market, I manually divided the number of transaction sides reported in our local MLS (Northstar MLS) for 2016 by the number of agents that had one or more sales per company. I found that agents at the 10 brokerages with the highest

CONGRATULATIONS to Our Award Winning Agents SCOTT HODGES

MICHELLE TODD

#1 in GCI #2 in Listings

#1 in Closed Sides #3 in GCI

SCOTT MILLER

STEPHANIE DICKSON

#1 in Listings #2 in GCI #3 in Closed Sides

#2 in Closed Sides #3 in Listings Top Sponsoring

TOP

SPONSORING

CHRISTIN PARKS Rookie of the Year

TOP TEAMS PAT KIEL

STEVE ARMSTRONG

COLLEEN FISHER

AMIE LARSEN

THE COTTLE TEAM

THE LAR TEAM

#1 IN GCI #1 IN LISTINGS #1 IN CLOSED SIDES

#2 IN GCI #2 IN LISTINGS #2 IN CLOSED SIDES

©Tierney / Adobe Stock

agent count in the Twin Cities did 30 percent more transactions than average. Additionally, all except one of the companies had close to double the average annual sales volume per agent.

But smaller offices with fewer agents who are affiliated with national franchise brands also had higher-than-average transaction sides per active agent. This would suggest that they’re receiving the benefit of brand awareness, systems, and processes.

Yet, there are plenty of great examples of independent brokerages that are considerably outpacing the market in sales per agent.

Downtown Resource Group, which specializes in downtown Minneapolis condo sales, had an average of 25.7 sides per agent and $9 million average volume in 2016, based on information from the Regional Multiple Listing Service of Minnesota Inc.

“What has separated DRG from others over the years is all about focus. We’re not trying to

18 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

be everything to everyone, and, in fact, customers deserve to be working with experts,” said Joe Grunnet, broker-owner and founder of DRG. Claire Killen, independent broker-owner of Emerald Real Estate in Minneapolis, did 28 sides totaling more than $8 million in sales volume in 2016. She attributes her success to focusing on building referral and networking opportunities.

Killen is the National Association of Realtors®’ President’s Liaison to Ireland and has her CIPS designation. In 2016, she led a trade mission to Ireland, and helped organize a CIPS event in Ireland in 2017.

Brands with a strong local presence also had higher-than-average per-agent productivity and overall market share, including Hometown Realty in Hutchinson, Minn., and RedWingHomesForSale. com in Red Wing, Minn.

Each brand’s market presence varies greatly by region. For example, Century 21 claims every year to be the most recognized national real estate brand. But all the company’s franchises combined only have 2 percent market share in the Twin Cities, based on 2016 sales data. Meanwhile, just four brands, including Edina Realty (a local brand owned by Home Services of America), RE/MAX, Keller Williams Realty, and Coldwell Banker have claimed 64 percent of all sales. Brand awareness is really just a result of agent count, market share, and advertising dollars spent in a market area.

Each listing sign and every agent’s individual marketing adds to a brokerage, boosting consumer awareness.

It’s not possible to say that one brand is better than another. Agents choose brokerages that meet their individual needs. And agents tend to stick with a brokerage when the company’s vision and culture aligns with their own. They feel they’re receiving a fair value in exchange for the portion of commission they’re giving up.

Brokers should focus on providing systems and support in order to make their agents successful and allow them to focus on building relationships, which will, in turn, help the company thrive. According to NAR’s annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, about 60 percent of an agent’s business will come from their sphere of influence—friends, family, referrals, and repeat customers. These are people who already know, like, and trust their agent, regardless of the brokerage. Any broker who provides agent websites, a CRM, transaction management systems, automated marketing for listings, monthly e-newsletters, and training opportunities will give agents the opportunity to flourish.

Reprinted from Realtor® Magazine Online, February 2018, with permission of the National Association of Realtors®. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

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Is Salt Lake City the Next Denver?

The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is projected to have one of the strongest housing markets in the country in 2018.

By Realtor.com

S

alt Lake City and Denver have more in common than the fact they are big cities, near big mountains. According to new realtor.com data, Salt Lake City’s housing market is seeing the same rapid growth patterns that occurred in Denver in early 2015 and 2016 and that drove the city to the top of the nation’s hot housing markets.

The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is projected to have one of the strongest housing markets in the country in 2018, with home prices and sales expected to reach 4.5 percent and 4.6 percent growth, respectively, over last year. Just like Denver, the factors driving its strength are a growing economy, relative affordability and an increasing millennial population. In fact, with home prices growing three times faster and supply moving a full week faster in the span of a year, Salt Lake City resembles Denver at the beginning of its boom.

“In just a handful of years, an influx of jobs and millennials drove Denver’s housing market from strong and stable to rising like the Rockies,” said Javier Vivas, director of economic research for realtor.com®. “If Salt Lake City is able to continue generating jobs and attracting well-educated young people, the market has the potential to continue to climb to ‘Mile HighCity’-type heights.”

A primary cause of Salt Lake City’s momentum is its robust economic picture and growing

22 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

population. The local Salt Lake City economy is growing at 9 percent year-over-year, more than two times faster than the national average. The city is also adding jobs at nearly three times the overall U.S. pace, with employment growing at 3.6 percent year-over-year. Household incomes in the area are growing at 5.4 percent year-over-year, nearly twice the rate for the country as a whole.

Last year, population topped 3 million for the first time, which has contributed to an uptick in demand in the market.

Despite its strong economy, Salt Lake City remains relatively affordable, particularly in comparison to other hot mid-to-large cities. The median sales price in Salt Lake City at the end of 2017 was $273,000, which is $20,000, $70,000 and $90,000 lower than other growing markets of Austin, Texas; Portland, Ore., and Denver, respectively. A median income household in Salt Lake City can buy a median-priced home with 32 percent of its annual income, roughly in-line with the generally accepted maximum.

Market dynamics in Salt Lake City are being driven by its larger-than-average, and growing, proportion of millennials. In fact, its millennial population is 1.3 times higher than the U.S. average and made up 46 percent of its mortgages in 2017, beating the U.S. average by 9 percent.

Looking at realtor.com® search activity, Salt Lake

City has been drawing interest from Los Angeles, Denver, Las Vegas and San Francisco, showing that it is likely absorbing unquenched millennial demand from these hot markets.

Although realtor.com® predicts that demand will be strong and constant in Salt Lake City over the next few years, the longer-term outlook for

the city’s housing market depends on its ability to continue to create jobs for young professionals and drive housing market demand. If it’s successful at doing so – as Denver so far has been – then the Denver market’s current conditions provide a reasonable snapshot of what is in store for Salt Lake City.

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Do You Act Like a Top Producer?

Decades of research shows that high-performing salespeople consistently do these seven things to build more business.

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey

R

esearchers from many different institutions have discovered that the most productive sales professionals have certain personality traits and work habits. We’ve highlighted some of the pertinent findings from multiple studies applicable to real estate. Though not all these studies are scientific, they provide a good base for determining items that are important to your sales success.

1. Showcase the technology you use in your marketing Without boasting, you want your clients to know that you’re ahead of the technology curve and better equipped than your competition.

Putting your tech tools on display subtly suggests that other agents are behind the times and can give you a sales edge, according to the 2016 Real Estate Tech Trends report by Properties Online Inc. It’s not just about what you use but how you use it. Enabling faster response times, paperless transactions, and more fluid showings are reasons why 55 percent of consumers say they want an agent who uses technology, according to the

26 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

National Association of REALTORS®’ 2017 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report.

Therefore, making technology a bigger line item in your budget is advisable. For example, agents who spend $1,000 or more annually to maintain and upgrade their website generate an average of three times more leads than those who spend $500 or less, according to the Properties Online report.

Further, the highest-performing salespeople are 24 percent more likely to attribute their success to technology tools that better track leads or prioritize and automate follow-ups, according to LinkedIn’s State of Sales in 2016 survey.

2. Stop multitasking Checking email and text messages while performing other duties makes you less productive. A Stanford University study found that people who multitask can’t maintain focus, recall information, or seamlessly switch from one activity to the next as well as those who complete one task at a time. On top of that, it takes a person an average of 23 minutes to regain focus once they’re (continued on page 31)

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Top Producer (continued from page 26) interrupted, according to a separate study by the University of California, Irvine. Multitasking leads to higher stress, heavier workloads, and ineffective time management, researchers found.

To work smarter, block out time during your day for special tasks such as prospecting, social media management, and showings. Learn how to create a time-blocking template.

3. Keep improving your response time

Many practitioners blame follow-up failures on technology overload and disparate software systems, as 40 percent of prospective buyers report not receiving a response from an agent after submitting a form online, according to a survey realtor.com® presented at last month’s Realtors® Conference & Expo in Chicago. But don’t forget the pervasive stat from InsideSales. com’s Lead Response Management Study that leads who receive a response within five minutes are 100 times more likely to convert. “Personalized responses are more important and directly impact customer satisfaction and the likelihood consumers will use you as their agent,” realtor. com® Senior Vice President Suzanne Mueller said at the conference. To improve your response time, consider hiring an assistant or taking a more critical look at the systems you’re using for lead capture and follow-up. Several programs offer automation, including a “lead concierge service” from Homes.com, which provides a personalized call center that will respond to consumer inquiries and even qualify buyers. The operators will transfer hot leads to you immediately. Get other ideas for possible solutions.

4. Have the ability to feel what your client is feeling.

Empathy is a key sales trait, according to the landmark 1964 study “What Makes a Good Salesman,” which was originally published in the Harvard Business Review. The study was conducted over a seven-year period, using 7,000 salespeople as subjects. The study concluded that showing sympathy for a client was not as powerful as being empathetic. You don’t have to agree with your client, but you’ll build rapport faster if you help him or her feel understood. If you sense a customer’s dissatisfaction with a contract item, for example, be proactive in addressing it. Being empathetic is the ability to identify your clients’ frustrations and react appropriately, according to the study.

by money is what sets top salespeople apart.

Allow each sale to boost your ego, and in turn, the failures will be motivators to work harder.

Salespeople with a healthy ego also tend to crave competitiveness and are constantly comparing themselves to their peers. This doesn’t mean having a “win at all costs” attitude, researchers note. Empathy and ego go hand-in-hand; a salesperson who displays empathy but lacks ego won’t close deals effectively, according to the study. In other words, such a person may fall into the “nice guy” rut, not being assertive enough to close the sale.

6. Maintain a conscientious attitude.

Salespeople who feel a noble purpose in their work and want to make a difference in their customers’ lives tend to close more sales, according to a 1993 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. The study found that sales associates who conform to such a belief were more likely to set and stick to their goals—and they received higher-rated reviews. Salespeople who truly care about their customer’s needs are able to be more assertive during negotiations, according to sales consultant Lisa Earle McLeod, author of Selling With Noble Purpose: How to Drive Revenue and Do Work That Makes You Proud. You might show this attitude in your marketing by changing your tagline from “we sell houses” to “we help you sell your house.” It puts the emphasis not on what you do but what you do for the client.

7. Make others feel grateful.

A giving mindset can help you reap bigger rewards. Givers are quick to recommend contractors and other professionals who can help a client reach a goal, and they’re not selfish with their time. Salespeople with a giving approach bring in 68 percent more revenue than those with a taking approach—who put their own ambitions first—according to research documented in Adam Grant’s best-selling book, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. Givers tend to earn more respect and trust from others—an essential element of building client relationships— due to their generosity. But they are also at risk of being exploited for their time and energy, so a careful balance must be achieved between giving and taking, Grant notes. But in the end, “givers end up delivering something better suited to what their clients are looking for,” Grant writes. “They see more of an increase in referrals and repeat business, too.”

5. Let your ego drive you.

A need to conquer is healthy in business, according to the 1964 study. But a more personal desire to succeed rather than being driven

Reprinted from Realtor® Magazine Online, December 2017, with permission of the National Association of Realtors®. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

March 2018 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | 31

© fotoscool / Adobe Stock

Attention, Brokers! Signing Up a New Agent? Remember to Complete These Five Steps

By Ashley Mordwinow Education Director, Salt Lake Board of Realtors®

W

e understand that new agents have a lot to keep track of when they first join the real estate profession. The process can be a little confusing. We’d like to help you educate your new agents on the different organizations and requirements they need to know about. When a new agent joins your brokerage, please use this checklist to make sure they understand what to expect when they get started. As a reminder, if new a new agent does not sign up with the Board within 30 days of activating their license, brokers may be subject to a “non-member” fee for that agent.

32 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

1. Verify with the Utah Division of Real Estate that license is active and listed with the correct brokerage

Utah Division of Real Estate: 801-530-6747; www.RealEstate.Utah.gov 160 E. 300 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84114 License renewals go through the Division. You renew your license every two years (from the date it was issued). You must have 18 CE hours (at least 9 must be CORE) to renew, and the “New Agent Course” is required for your first renewal.

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2. Turn in a Realtor® Application to the Salt Lake Board of Realtors® (SLBR) online or in person Salt Lake Board of Realtors®: 801-542-8840; www.slrealtors.com 230 W. Towne Ridge Parkway, Ste. 100 Sandy, UT, 84070 Application process can take one to two business days. Payment information must be provided for the application to be processed.

In addition to dues (prorated by month), all new members pay a one-time $350 entry fee when they join (unless they are transferring an active membership from another board).

Annual renewals are $775 and are due no later than July 31 st.

3. Join the Multiple Listing Service (MLS – also referred to as the WFR or UtahRealEstate. com)

Multiple Listing Service: 801-646-5400; www.UtahRealEstate.com 230 W. Towne Ridge Parkway, Ste. 400 Sandy, UT, 84070 4. Take required classes

*Code of Ethics (Take within 60 days of joining

the Board; required for getting Supra key)

*SLBR Orientation: Realtor® Essentials (Take within 60 days of joining the Board) *12-Hour New Agent Course (Take within 2 years of getting licensed; required by the Division for first renewal) 5. Get your Supra Key *To get your key set up, you must first complete the Code of Ethics course. You must also come into the Salt Lake Board of Realtors® Membership & Education Center to sign a Key Agreement in person.

Regardless of your original joint date, SLBR annual dues are billed between April and May, and must be paid no later than July 31st. Our billing cycle is July 1st through June 30th, making the entire month of July a “grace period” for dues payments.

Memberships that are not renewed (paid for) by July 31st are considered expired, and members are subject to a $350 New Member Entry Fee when they rejoin. Brokers have 30 days after the July 31st deadline to reconcile their agent roster and make sure that all agents in their office have either paid the dues or inactivated their licenses (or moved to a referral or other non-member broker) at the Division of Real Estate.

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What the 20 Most Popular Home Renovations Are Really Worth in 2018 Curb appeal projects tend to have high paybacks than inside-the-house projects.

By Judy Dutton

P

lanning to remodel your kitchen, add a master suite, or undertake some other pricey home renovation in 2018? Watch out—not all of these home improvements pay off like they did in the past, according to Remodeling magazine’s latest Cost vs. Value Report.

For this much-referenced annual report, now in its 31st year, researchers pinpointed the average return on investment of 20 popular home renovations by canvassing contractors nationwide on how much these upgrades cost to complete, then compared that with how much real estate agents estimated these features would boost a home’s market price (in other words, their value).

And the news isn’t so good for homeowners looking to remodel on a massive scale: The report found that in 2018, Americans should expect to

36 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

make back only about 56% of the money they spend on renovations. That’s down from 64% the previous two years.

What gives?

“This year, the most expensive projects didn’t have much of a gain,” said Craig Webb, editor of Remodeling and manager of the report. “I think it’s because real estate professionals think we’re getting close to a peak in market prices. So consequently, spending a lot of money does not automatically mean your house will just ride the escalator up and be worth a lot more.”

Current events could also play a role. New tax laws curtailing the deductibility of mortgage interest and local property taxes might be dampening real estate agents’ confidence that piling on the improvements will pay off. Plus, recent

ŠCoralimages / Adobe Stock

Top 20 remodeling projects and their ROI National Averages Project Description

Job Cost

Value at Sale

Cost Recouped

Garage door replacement

$3,470

$3,411

98.30%

Manufactured stone veneer

$8,221

$7,986

97.10%

Deck addition (wood)

$10,950

$9,065

82.80%

Minor kitchen (remodel)

$21,198

$17,193

81.10%

Siding replacement

$15,072

$11,554

76.70%

Window replacement (vinyl)

$15,955

$11,855

74.30%

Universal design bathroom

$16,393

$11,581

70.60%

Bathroom remodel

$19,134

$13,422

70.10%

Window replacement (wood)

$19,391

$13,468

69.50%

Roofing replacement

$20,939

$14,320

68.40%

Grand entrance (fiberglass)

$8,591

$5,809

67.60%

Deck addition (composite)

$17,668

$11,239

63.60%

Bathroom addition (upscale)

$44,717

$26,769

59.60%

Major kitchen remodel (midrange)

$63,829

$37,637

59.00%

Master suite addition

$123,420

$69,807

56.60%

Bathroom remodel

$61,662

$34,633

56.20%

Bathroom addition (midrange)

$83,869

$45,752

54.60%

Major kitchen remodel (upscale)

$125,721

$67,212

53.50%

Master suite addition

$256,229

$123,797

48.30%

Backyard patio

$54,130

$25,769

47.60%

38 | Salt Lake Realtor ÂŽ | March 2018

wildfires, mudslides, and other natural disasters have created what Webb calls “a freight train of extraordinary demand” on materials and labor that is bound to jack up renovation costs all round, leading to thinner margins on their return.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. As usual, this year’s report found that the ROI varied widely by project. A new garage door, for instance, essentially pays for itself, earning you a whopping 98.3 percent of your money back, making this the best value of the whole bunch. And the worst? Installing a back patio, which will recoup only 48 percent of your expenses.

Check the chart on page 38 for a full rundown of the top renovations, including how much they cost, their value at resale, and the percentage you’ll recoup. And if you’re looking for some general pointers, here’s one: If you’re going to shell out money, do it where everyone will notice—on the front of your house.

“Curb appeal projects tend to have high paybacks than inside-the-house projects,” Webb continued. “Any real estate professional will tell you curb appeal matters a lot, and these numbers prove it.”

This explains why garage doors top this list, followed closely by manufactured stone veneer (which offers a 97 percent ROI) and wood decks (83 percent).

Another golden rule of renovation? “It’s better to replace or repair than add and remodel,” said Webb. In other words, go ahead and fix that frayed siding or replace the roof before you add a master suite or overhaul the kitchen.

Mostly, keep in mind that if your tastes are, ahem, unique, that could lead to trouble if you’re expecting home buyers to swoon over the same things.

“You may spend gobs of money on what you think is the perfect kitchen remodel,” Webb said. “But if your idea is to have something from the 1970s with avocado ovens, the next person could walk in and say, ‘That’s ugly. I don’t care that you spent $75,000 on that—let’s tear it out anyway.’”

Judy Dutton is a senior editor at realtor.com covering news and advice about home buying, selling, decorating, and everything in between (judy. dutton@move.com).

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March 2018 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | 39

Emotional intelligence—comprising skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—is not only innate but can, in fact, be taught and developed, according to research by Travis Bradberry, coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0. Bradberry has developed an emotional intelligence test, which reveals specific areas users need to work on. “Becoming cognizant of your gestures, expressions, and tone of voice— and making certain they’re positive—will draw people to you like ants to a picnic,” Bradberry said. “Our research shows that people who possess these skills outperform those who don’t by a large margin.”

You know that watching your body language and being aware of your facial expressions will have an impact on the quality of the connection you strive to make with new clients. Go deeper to truly become more likable with these eight tips on emotional validation (which are backed up by scientific research).

1. Say the prospect’s name repeatedly throughout the conversation. “A person’s name is, to him or her, the sweetest and most important sound in any language,” writes author Dale Carnegie in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People. Make a habit of starting and ending conversations using a potential client’s name, such as: “It’s nice to see you, Jane,” or “It was nice talking with you, Jane.” When you say a person’s name, you demonstrate both interest and respect for them.

elnariz © / Adobe Stock

8 Ways to Make Yourself a More Likable Agent Master these behaviors to endear yourself to your clients in a deeper manner.

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey

B

eing a nice person certainly helps when cultivating business relationships, but it takes more than a warm smile to curry the favor of prospects. Likable people possess certain traits you can adopt to make yourself more endearing to those you hope will become your next client.

But don’t underestimate others’ ability to pick up on feigned sincerity and genuineness.

40 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

2. Give them the floor to speak first.

Encourage your prospects to tell you about themselves and their situation before you tell them about yourself. Research has shown that when people talk about themselves, it creates neurological changes in the brain that can make them more receptive to your message. “Once those feel-good neurotransmitters are flowing and people start feeling connected to you, they’re much more likely to take you and your contributions seriously,” Bradberry said.

3. Mirror their body language. It’s often done unconsciously, but try to subtly adopt the posture, gestures, or vocal qualities of the person you’re speaking with. When two people mirror each other’s body language, it often means a bond has been formed. For example, if your prospect leans her head to the side as she’s talking, try doing the same. “It’s a sign that the conversation is going well and that the other party is receptive to your message,” Bradberry said. “This can be especially useful when you’re negotiating because it shows you what the other person is really thinking about the deal.” But don’t make it

obvious you’re copying other’s body language; it can make them suspicious, researchers say.

4. Don’t focus on proving your competence. You may think gaining trust is about showing people your knowledge of the market and that you “know your stuff” as a real estate professional. The truth is that smarts and talent often are secondary to emotional cues in clients’ eyes. Others can perceive you as manipulative if you stress your competence before establishing warmth and trustworthiness, according to a study by a Harvard Business School researcher. Instead, make time for chitchat, and focus on finding something you have in common with a prospect. When two people find common ground, they begin to like each other by gut instinct, researchers note. You’re drawn to those who share similar interests to you, and those similarities help you build a powerful bond with one another.

5. Offer a favor that won’t immediately increase your bottom line. Listen carefully for the problems your prospects need solutions

to—whether it’s related to real estate or not— and think of a quick favor you could do for them (that doesn’t require anything in exchange) to help them and add value to your relationship, says Adam Grant, author of Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success. Perhaps you could recommend or get an estimate from a handyman or painter for a prospect who’s struggling with a renovation. Though it’s related to real estate, such a favor is not linked to an immediate business need of yours, so it appears more good-natured. Salespeople who use this giving approach earn 68 percent more revenue than those who take, i.e. put their own ambitions first, according to research in Grant’s book. (Find out more about how the power of giving is good for your business.)

6. Ask questions that require a longer, thoughtful response. Open-ended questions or questions asking for clarification show the prospect that you’re listening and you care about their responses. If you mostly ask simple “yes” or “no” questions, on the other hand, it shows you’re (continued on page 46)

March 2018 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | 41

Housing Watch Salt Lake Home Sales Spike in January, but Sales are Down Across the Country

S

Salt Lake County home sales started the housing market’s glaring inventory off the year with a bang. Total sales (all shortage to start 2018. “The utter lack of housing types) increased 9 percent to 1,044 sufficient housing supply and its influence units sold, up from 956 units sold in January on higher home prices muted overall sales 2017. In neighboring Davis County, home activity in much of the U.S. last month,” he sales increased 7 percent year-over-year. said. “While the good news is that Realtors®

The median price of homes sold in January in most areas are saying buyer traffic is even in Salt Lake County increased to $295,629, up stronger than the beginning of last year, 8 percent year-over-year. In Davis County, sales failed to follow course and far lagged home prices climbed 7 percent to a median last January’s pace. It’s very clear that too price of $275,000. Nationally, home sales in many markets right now are becoming less January were down 5 percent compared to affordable and desperately need more new a year ago. The median cumulative days a listings to calm the speedy price growth.” house was on the market in January in Salt Nationally, the median existing-home Lake County was 29 days, the same number price for all housing types in January was $240,500, up 6 percent from January 2017 of days compared to January 2017.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, ($227,300). January’s price increase marks the said January’s retreat in closings highlights 71st straight month of year-over-year gains.

6

3

Salt Lake County Sales (all housing types) Year-Over-Year (Up 9%)

956 42 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

1,044

Salt Lake County Median Price (all housing types) Year-Over-Year (Up 8%)

$273,022

$295,629

2 - C OLOR

1

Salt Lake County

Median Days on Market (all housing types) Year-Over-Year (Same) 29

2

5

Davis County

Median Price (all housing types) Year-Over-Year (Up 7%)

$258,000

Pending Sales (Up 14%)

1,378

1,213

29

Sales $

Salt Lake County

4 $275,000

Sales

Davis County Sales (all housing types) Year-Over-Year (Up 7%)

290

271

March 2018 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | 43

REALTOR® Connections

Best State Capitals

On the Move

© andreykr / Adobe Stock

Salt Lake City ranks as one of the Top 20 Best State Capitals to Live in America, according to a study by WalletHub. The Beehive state capital came in at No. 8. To identify the most livable seats of state government, WalletHub compared all 50 state capitals across 51 key metrics, ranging from cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to number of attractions.

Austin, Texas ranked as the best capital to take up residence. Trenton, N.J., was the worst.

Red Ledges Sets New Record Red Ledges—a private golf and active lifestyle community in Heber City—announced it finished 2017 having established numerous sales records. Tallying up the closings of homes, homesites, club cabins, cottages and villas across the 2,000-acre community, Red Ledges sold 115 properties with a total value of almost $64 million – the highest dollar sales total in Red Ledges’ 10-year history. That total represents a 30 percent increase over 2016 – which was the previous record year. And another Red Ledges record was broken in 2017 when a home on Explorer Peak Drive sold more for more than $3 million. Not only is that the highest price ever paid in the community, but the full-price offer came after the home had been listed by Red Ledges Realty for less than one week.

44 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

Aubrey and Associates Realty is proud to announce the opening of its Park City office.

The Park City broker is Barbara Kelley-DeLuca, Kelley-DeLuca bringing more than 30 years of experience. KelleyDeLuca and Aubrey have been friends for close to 20 years. Both are happy and excited about working together. In addition, Aubrey and Associates Realty announced the following new agents to their office: Janette Corn, Shane Jackson, Tanner Morrill, Cynthia Meyers, Anthony Cannon, Darcy Cannon, Heather Lommatzsch, Marlene Mauer, Gabriela Orona, Manuel Gallegos Jr, Marie Morgan, Tammy Hansen, Gabe Garcia, Richard Raddatz, Ambry Fisco.

Utah Key Real Estate, LLC proudly announces Mary Olsen, CRS, as branch broker of its new Holladay office, The Utah Key—M.O.R.E. Mary Olsen Professionals branch. Mary has been a Realtor® since 2002 and licensed as a broker since 2007. She is currently serving as a director for the Salt Lake Board of Realtors®. Mary has strong leadership skills, is results-oriented, has great negotiations skills and is excited about building a highly productive branch. “I’m looking forward to building an organization of agents that love helping people, knowing that we can create a win-win business,” Olsen said. “In addition, I want to have fun in this great industry. If you are looking for better support, a better split and better environment, then call me to see if we are a match. You will be appreciated for what you bring to the table.”

Likable Agent (continued from page 41) only interested in need-to-know information that will lead to a sale quickly. “People like to know you’re listening,” Bradberry said. “You’ll be surprised how much respect and appreciation you gain just by asking questions.”

7. Show you have interests outside of real estate. Being absorbed with one topic area can make you appear uninteresting. “Likable people balance their passion for their work with their ability to have fun,” Bradberry said. “At work, they are serious yet friendly. They still get things done because they are socially effective in short amounts of time, and they capitalize on valuable social moments. They focus on having meaningful interactions with their coworkers, remembering what people said to them yesterday or last week, which shows people that they are just as important to them as their work is.”

8. Validate people’s complaints. You don’t have to agree with everything another person says, but making others feel heard and

understood will make you more approachable.

If a prospect or coworker complains, say, “I’m sorry—I can only imagine how you feel.”

Such validation is a powerful way to build a connection, Bradberry said. It gives the other person a sense of empowerment and tells them you’re a nonjudgmental person they can work with. “Having an open mind is crucial in the workplace, where approachability means access to new ideas and help,” he said.

Take a critical look at your interactions. How do others really perceive you? “Most of us are putting the blinders on and not taking a look at the things we need to change because we think it isn’t going to do us any good,” Bradberry said. “The trick is to practice self-awareness to the point where you recognize your insincerity in a conversation. Then you’ll be able to adjust accordingly.”

Reprinted from Realtor® Magazine Online, June 2017, with permission of the National Association of Realtors®. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

Friday, April 6th | 11am-1pm 920 Jordan River Pkwy| Midvale, UT

Lunch Provided | Register www.slrealtors.com

46 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | March 2018

$65

i

MY WHY? i I believe symbols are powerful. Take the RE/MAX balloon.

It represents ambition that moves like a freight train. And when people see it, they see me. Telling them I go nonstop.

Because I do.

Why RE/MAX? The brand is my why. Š2018 RE/MAX, LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated. 18_255103

Find your why at joinremax.com

WINDERMERE REAL ESTATE IS PROUD TO SAY

CONGRATULATIONS!

TO OUR BEST OF 2017 WINNERS & MAJOR INVESTORS

JIM BRINGHURST

GR ADY KOHLER

RPAC $50k Lifetime Investment

RPAC $25k Lifetime Investment

2017 PLATINUM HALL OF FAME

JIM BRINGHURST

PETER CLARK

JAN LOWE

BRAD HANSEN

SEAN STEINMAN

LORI HENDRY

LISA WOODBURY

2017 GOLD HALL OF FAME

LANA AMES

CODY CHAMBERLAIN

LISA JUNGEMANN

CATHY SNEYD

DARLENE DIPO

SHIRLEY JACOBSON

SCOTT STEADMAN

SUGAR HOUSE | UNION PARK | LAYTON | 9TH & 9TH HARVARD/YALE | WEST VALLEY | PARK CITY | COALVILLE For more information about Windermere, contact our principal broker, Grady Kohler, at (801) 815-4663 for more information.