in this issue…
Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995™
• HBA MAX Awards • WCR Celebrity Bake-Off • Spanish Oaks Grand Opening • AMBA Golf Tournament and much, much more!
Associates in Progress page 23
TM
JUNE 2011 • VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2
Upcoming Events Tuesday, June 21 NARPM Monthly Meeting Balcones Country Club - 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. HBA Georgetown Chapter Meeting Bob’s Catfish ‘N More - 12 to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 23 WCR Business Resource Meeting Cool River Café - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, June 24 WCAoR Mid-Year Economic Update WCAoR Office - 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 5 HBA Lakeway/Bee Cave Chapter Rough Hollow Grill - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 7 HBA Mid-Year Housing Forecast HBA Office - 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 NAPMW Monthly Meeting Norris Conf. Center - 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. More at www.myRealtyLine.com
Austin Energy Audit Results Now Due During Option Period Details on page 29
Great First Impressions Count by Linda McNabb
R
eal estate professionals can attract clients with a proven track record that shouts reliability and expertise. But long before clients even get interested enough to check out award-winning stats or other accolades, many have made up their minds based solely on first impressions. “In this challenging market you must understand that people sell to people,” says Stacey Hanke, president of 1st Impression Consulting, Inc. based in Chicago with clients ranging from Coca Cola to the U.S. Army. “Perceptions are reality.” That means it matters how industry professionals present themselves through photos, punctuality, dress, what car they drive, how they talk, how they
displayed on your site
shake hands and level of confidence.
if planning to use a photo. REALTORS
Making a Great First Impression Online
are professionals and it’s important
REALTORS know that most new contacts start online. So making a great first impression in the virtual world is essential. Here are a handful of tips that can help open the door to a long-term business relationship: • Sport a professionally designed, easy to navigate website with meaningful content. Add in IDX listing feeds from the MLS to give the user what they are looking for… homes! • Have a professional head shot
to
present
oneself as such. Using informal, non-professional head shots conveys unprofessionalism, plain and simple. • Always write e-mails in a professional manner. Marilaura Fox of Keller Williams Realty says she studies hers to ensure they are free of any unintended emotion. “You may not realize what kind of mood you are in when you write it and you don’t want it to come across as bossy or demanding,” she says. “You want to appear positive and show why they should want to work with you.”
Phone Etiquette is Essential First impressions can also be made over the phone, mostly by vocal quality and attitude.
Front Page: Continued on pg. 8
To Fight or Not to Fight Your Property Tax Appraisal, that is the Question by Naomi Bludworth
W
ith all the recent news about how dismal the real estate market is performing, most of us wonder, why the heck did the appraisal district raise my value so much, most of the time in the doubledigit percentage point range? And yes, it’s tempting to fight it tooth and nail. So how do you know if it’s worth the time and effort to protest your tax appraisal? Unfortunately, it’s not a simple process. But, after taking a class hosted by the Austin Board of REALTORS called “How to Fight the Texas Tax Appraisal System and Win” taught by Gordon Gorychka, I felt much more at ease knowing the details of which can make or break my effort to fight the system.
It was comforting to know that Gorychka spent four years on the Travis County Appraisal District Board. During the class, Gorychka went into extensive detail on which factors of valuation matter. For example, I was certain the overall quality of a home compared to a neighbor’s would surely result in a substantial difference in valuation…NOT. I quickly found out from Gorychka that only major defects such as a foundation crack would matter. But comps do indeed make a difference, just not in the way that I thought. Comparable square footage, including extras (i.e. garage, covered porch areas, etc.), lot price valuation, number of stories, etc. do count. Besides gathering comparable details between homes within your neighborhood, presentation is everything according to
Gorychka. A well prepared presentation with objective details will impress the district and more likely result in a positive outcome. After all, district appraisal employees are trained to believe they are right, so you better come well prepared to illustrate why they are not — according to their rules, not yours!
RL austin
TM
Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995
P. O. Box 81366, Austin, Texas 78708 Visit us online 24/7 at www.myRealtyLine.com
Taking this class was a real eye-opener for me. It helped me figure out the how to protest a tax appraisal appropriately. I not only learned how I might do so, I also figured out why I might not. I would highly recommend this class to anyone who’s interested in learning the truth behind protesting a Texas tax appraisal. RL Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Austin, Texas Paid Permit #715