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WESTWORDS AUGUST 2021

I AM

I AM RYAN REED I AM HONEST I AM COMMUNICATIVE I AM DETAIL-ORIENTED I AM HELPFUL I AM PROACTIVE I AM WEST USA

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING Ryan spent over 6 months working with us. He helped us with the decision to refinance so we could remodel before we sold our house. He helped me keep my expectations in reality about what the process was going to look like. We went into this process with a very specific house in mind. Ryan helped us work towards our goal while keeping a backup plan in place. I honestly don't know how we could have done this without him. It feels like he helped make a distant dream become a reality and made the impossible possible. We wouldn't have our dream home now if we went with anyone else. Refi, remodel, sell and purchase, Ryan was a rockstar with all of it! From the first meeting with Ryan’s Reed, I had utter confidence in the sale of my house. His totally professional attitude instilled confidence and calm over the entire process. As a widow, I was a bit overwhelmed but he made any questions not only seem relevant but answered fully and in a timely manner. I really felt he understood and took care of any needs I expressed. His communication skills are exceptional. Ryan guided me every step of the way to a very satisfying completion of the sale right down to the start of my next chapter. I can never thank him enough for his help and guidance through what can be an emotional process. I would recommend him to anyone I could and if needed would not hesitate in the slightest of collaborating again. He is a treasure indeed. Ryan is amazing! He was helpful from the very beginning. Very informed, honest and hard working. We were first time buyers and he connected us with the right team to help us reach our dream. He explained every step of the process along the way, we never felt like we were in the dark at any time. He truly wants the best for his clients and I highly recommend Ryan as your next REALTOR®. I will be referring him to all my friends and family.

BROKER BLOG WITH BOB STEPHENS FAMILY MATTERS MOST As I watched the 2021 TOKYO OLYMPICS qualifying, I paid special attention to the interviews of all the contestants. One point stands out more than any others, and that is the support of the families of all the contestants. It is a major contributing factor as to why they do this and how much the support of their dads, moms, grandparents and brothers and sisters mean and the extended drive the players will go to, to become a winner. On Sunday the 20th of June, we watched the Olympic Track and Field qualifying. We saw a young lady of 21 named Sha’Carri Richardson, put together the winning run in the 100 meter race for women. She was sensational in more ways than one but the defining moment for me was when she went up into the stands to hug her grandmother, “Big Momma”. Also many of the winners and other contestants went into the stands to be with their families after they had competed. I love almost all sports, but track & field is probably my favorite as well as individual sports such as tennis, swimming, ice skating, gymnastics, pool, bowling, golf etc. This same premise exists in a family-owned business such as West USA Realty! We have so very many families that work here selling

real estate and are, very successful. Even some of the employees have their families working here, when they grew up and needed a job. The corporate office uses June as their awards month for production and have been giving many awards of Tenure and many in excess of 20 years and many at 30 years. But although the agents, compete with each other for business, they also cheer each other on to attain their goals. They give each other advice as to what works and bolster each one’s confidence with chat gatherings and lunches and become Facebook friends with pictures of families and pets, plus prayer requests etc. Birthday gatherings are commonplace along with salutations for many other matters. As I was writing these thoughts, I am the Broker on call. I just got a call from Frank Boyd about an issue and after we discussed it to conclusion, I asked him what year it was that he started here. He believed it was 1990 when we opened the Scottsdale office and he is still here after about 31 years. AND, as a matter of fact, I could continue on speaking of our agents that have many, many, years of Tenure here at West USA Realty!

QUESTIONS, CONTACT: Managing Broker, Bob Stephens 602-942-4200

5 SUBJECT LINE BEST PRACTICES FOR BETTER OPEN RATES BY WISE AGENT A successful real estate email marketing campaign starts with an attention-grabbing subject line. Considering the average person sends and receives over 100 emails per day shows you how essential subject lines genuinely are.

There is no sweet spot for subject line character count, but typically experts say to keep email subject lines under 50 characters. Subject lines with 50 characters or less result in 12% higher open rates and 75% higher click-through rates than emails with longer subject lines. Less is more, but It’s no surprise that your clients spend plenty of time checking and writing emails during the day. Engaging them make sure you are giving them enough information to be intrigued. Likewise, try to keep your audience in mind and with a well-crafted subject line will be beneficial when get to the point. opening and reading your content. Utilize this and gain more leads by using these five best practices for increasing Use Digits real estate email open rates. Incorporate numbers into subject lines to increase open rates. Our brains naturally are drawn to numbers and Test Delivery Times figures. That is why you always see lists on the cover of Are you having trouble receiving a response from emails? magazines and in blog posts. Lists are more manageable Time to switch it up when it comes to sending emails to for our brains to process information and spark curiosity. your prospects. Having a grasp for when your prospects are at their email will help you with email efficiency. Testing Placing numbers in your email subject line will help your different delivery times will allow you to see when you gain email stand out from the others in your recipients’ inboxes. the highest open rates and click-through rates. Perhaps sending your real estate emails at noon is less effective than when you send them around 8 am. Keep in mind that people are usually going through their email at the start of each day. Cut Out Spam Words After drafting up and sending multiple emails, the last spot you want your email to land is in a spam folder. You will want to avoid certain words that automatically get flagged, sending your emails directly there. Using Exclamation points and words like “free” and “winning” are some of the most common mistakes made that can land your email in the spam folder. Be sure to carefully craft and proofread your emails before sending them out to your prospects. Count Characters People are now checking their email on their phones rather than on a computer more than ever. That is why having long subject lines won’t be as effective when sending emails.

Engage with Questions Implementing a question in the subject line is another tool that can be beneficial to open rates when it comes to emails. It encourages your reader to open the email to find the answer. The nature of posing a direct question to your audience will pique the recipient’s curiosity. Therefore, urging them to dig deeper into finding out what the answer is. Another excellent tool for seeing what works best for your audience is the A/B test: a simple but effective method of understanding the performance of your email campaigns. For more information on our best practices, visit our website and contact us to get started using our CRM.

MAKING GOOD DECISIONS SHOULD I SUGGEST AN INSPECTION FOR MY CLIENT'S NEW BUILD CONSTRUCTION? BY ANTHONY CUCCI New Builds are on the rise. It's not breaking news and in this crazy market we find ourselves in, it is easy to understand why. Supported by a historic shortage of inventory; causing an influx of competing offers, low interest rates, the advantages and appeal of new tech homes, RV Garages, resort style backyards and master planned communities buyers are deciding to stretch their dollar and build what they otherwise could not find...eliminating the guess work and emotional roller coaster of a non accepted offer. But since everything is brand new, is there even a need for a new construction home inspection? New Construction Can Have Imperfections As reputable as some of the local and national builders are, mistakes happen, flaws exist and workmanship is not consistent among the many subcontractors that are brought in to complete your clients new home. Sometimes a crew that starts a project isn't the same that finishes it. That's true among all subcontractors including, electricians, plumbers, framers, painters, flooring installers and the many other vendors that go into constructing your clients dream home. An independent inspector will look at items thoroughly and evaluate not only functionality but workmanship and quality as well. But the City Inspects All New Construction doesn't it? Yes. Any new construction requires a municipal code inspection. But a code inspection is only checking for basic building code requirement compliance and permitting, almost just going through a checklist. You should not rely on a municipal code inspection as a full independent view or assessment of your clients homes functionality. Can't they just request repairs to be done through warranty after move in? While new home construction generally comes with a home warranty, scheduling repairs can be painful and is definitely time consuming and disruptive. For your final walk through, everything is shiny and new and looks great! But nothing has really been used or run in the house. The appliances

still have plastic on them, the HVAC hasn't really run a full cycle and nobody has seen the roof since the roofer put on the tile. An independent inspection allows you to start the engine of your new house so to speak. Let it run for awhile, make sure there are no weird sounds or smells. And yes while many needed repairs after move in are covered, having your buyer request those repairs to be completed prior to closing holds the builder accountable to perform these repairs in a timely manner and allows your client to move in to a home that is ready to be lived in. Is the inspection process the same and when should you request it? While the basic core of the inspection is the same most new build inspections will also include cosmetic defects that may not normally make a "standard" home inspection report. The house is new, there should not be overpaint, chips, pulled carpet, damaged grout lines or any other cosmetic deficiencies. Everything should be in new working condition and a good inspector will point those cosmetic items out so that your client is truly moving into a brand new home. As for scheduling, we recommend scheduling it a day or so before your final walk through. By then, the home should be near ready for completion with minimal final touches. Too far in advance and you risk incomplete or missing items that have no relevance at your walk through. Scheduling can be tricky and most new build companies require inspectors to be insured beyond the state minimum. Getting your inspector involved early will ensure that all the paperwork the builder requires is filled out and delays do not occur. For additional peace of mind and detail, a phase inspection can be requested and coordinated between your inspector and the new build construction manager. There are many different versions and ways to accomplish this, including our highly recommended frame walk, but many of the phase portions are dictated by the individual builder and what they will allow. This is another reason to involve your inspector early and let them be an advocate for your client.

DANGERS INCORRECT MLS DATA

CAUSES IN TODAY’S MARKET RECENT MLS CHANGES WITH TODD MENARD

DATA INTEGRITY Imagine you have a prospective seller who wants to list their home. In preparation of your listing presentation, you have a fiduciary duty to advise the prospective seller of the properties comparative value. To accomplish this you must create a Comparative Market Analysis “CMA” of the home to identify the homes comparative value based upon like properties sold within the most recent 6-month period. ARMLS, RPR, or Maricopa.gov sites can be used to produce CMA data however no matter the source, the agent’s required skill and care remains the same.

RECENT ARMLS RULES AND REGULATION CHANGES (https://armls.com/docs/ARMLS-Rules-2021-03-25-redline.pdf) 10.7. STATUS CHANGES AND REPORTING THE SALE/LEASE OF A LISTED PROPERTY. Status changes for Coming Soon, Active, Temporarily Off Market, Expired, and Canceled listings shall be reported to the multiple listing service by the Listing Subscriber within (2) Days after they have occurred. Within three (3) Days (or 4 Days when legal holidays fall adjacent to a weekend) after all parties to the transaction have executed an agreement to purchase and sell, or lease, a property that is FWA, So what’s the big issue with preparing CMA’s? You enter the subject property the status of the Listing must be changed to a Sale Pending or Leased status by the information and the system queries like properties in ‘sold’, ‘pending’ and ‘active” Listing Subscriber, subject to Section 10.8. Likewise, within two (2) Days after the close status. The results display and there you have your Comparative Market Analysis, of escrow or completion of the transaction, a property that is FWA must be changed right? Taking a deeper dive, we see that the comparative value is based upon the to a Sold or Leased status as appropriate, with the final closing sales price, subject separate average dollar per square foot of those Active, Pending and Sold properties. to Section 10.8. Note: In disclosure states such as Arizona, if the sale price of a listed Since appraisers like to see comparable ‘sold’ values and look to comparable ‘pending’ property is recorded, the reporting of the sale price may be required by the MLS. The values to identify the market trend, should an MLS participant fails to properly identify requirement of this Section 10.7 shall not apply to Vacation Ready Rental listings in the Sale Price “SP” the reported SP will be inaccurate. This omission would cause the Residential Rental property class, which listings shall have only the following statuses incorrect dollar per square foot “$/SqFt” to display. If this is inaccurate, the resulting applied: Coming Soon, Active, Temporarily Off Market, Expired, or Canceled. CMA value displayed will be inaccurate. In this example, if the sales price of a 2000 14. COMPLIANCE WITH RULES – AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE DISCIPLINE. By becoming sqft property is incorrectly entered as $350,000 when in fact the SP was $375,000 this and remaining a Participant or Subscriber, each Participant and Subscriber agrees $25,000 difference causes the Avg $/SqFt to be $12.50/sqft too low. If a prospective to be subject to these Rules and any other ARMLS governance provisions. ARMLS seller is looking to sell a 2200sqft home in the same neighborhood, then the CMA may, through the administrative and hearing procedures established in these Value would be $12.50 x 2200 sqft prospective listing or $27,500 under valued. That’s Rules, impose discipline for violations of these Rules and/or any other ARMLS a lot of money for a real estate practitioner to be off. governance provisions. Discipline that may be imposed may only consist of one What about today’s market? Should we be suggesting consumers pay more than or more of the following: (d) required attendance to a hearing after reaching three (3) violations within a comparable market value? Per our legal resources, absolutely not! The comparable calendar year each at a $200 fine or more, the Subscriber’s Participant must attend market analysis, anticipating that the listing agents properly enter the accurate sales the Subscriber’s hearing prices, will clearly represent all sales prices paid for a like property. Including those where the seller and buyer came to a meeting of the minds to pay above list price. So, INTERNET DATA EXCHANGE (IDX) RULES properly entered, the sales price including the blue sky will be calculated into the CMA 23.3. DISPLAY value of the current subject property. Therefore, the CMA already includes the current 23.3.7. The Participant’s brokerage name must be visible on the front page of market adjustments. To advise a client or customer to pay more would be considered the online display and each subsequent page of the online display, without the incorrect advice based on comparable values. It does not mean that the seller and necessity of scrolling down, regardless of the screen size of the display. buyer cannot agree to a SP in excess of the LP (meeting of the minds), it’s simply 23.3.8. When advertising a “team” name it must be clear that the team is a part of not advised for buyer’s agent to recommend it to their buyers since the CMA already the Participant’s brokerage. For example, placing “The (Team Name) Team” at the addresses ALL active, pending and sold values. top of the page in large letters with a much smaller brokerage symbol somewhere below is not sufficient. Note: ARMLS is not in the business of collecting violation fees. Rather, it is in the 23.3.9. The Participant’s brokerage name must be spelled out in its entirety. business of procuring accurate real estate listing and transaction data. However, For example, if an employing broker’s legal or dba name on a license includes when participant wide efforts to correct data issues results in incorrect data, ARMLS is “Southeast Valley,” that is what must appear in the online display; simply saying forced to implement standards of care to protect the accuracy of the data entered by “SE” is not sufficient. agents. This includes penalties. 23.3.10. If the brokerage is an office of a franchise, the office must be identified; More important, if we as REALTORS®, and the MLS as a data collection servicer fail simply displaying the franchise name alone is not sufficient. to provide accurate information and data calculations, the industry will be perceived inept and a REALTORS® services diminished. The benefits of data integrity promotes our industry and our data as a valued professional service. One which requires all of us to monitor and self-police ourselves and our fellow practitioners. Make sure the information you enter into the MLS is accurate.

JULY MARKET STATS

SCHOOL SUPPLY

DRIVE

THANK YOU! FOR SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY

KIERLAND OFFICE Scottsdale Community Partners

AHWATUKEE OFFICE Kyrene Family Resource Center

GOODYEAR OFFICE Natalie’s House

CHANDLER OFFICE Scottsdale Community Partners

MESA OFFICE Towne Meadows Elementary School

NORTH PHOENIX OFFICE Tools for Tots

M O N DAY

T U E S DAY

W E D N E S DAY

West USA Weekly Webinar 9:00am - 10:00am / Webinar

Broker Round Table w/ Dean Becker 10:00am - 11:00am / Zoom

West USA Agent Orientation 10:30am - 12:00pm

Tuesday at Tukee’s 5:00pm - 6:30pm @ Tukee’s Sports Grille

Don’t Do Dat w/Broker Bob Stephens 2:00pm - 2:30pm / Webinar

West USA Weekly Webinar 9:00am - 10:00am / Webinar

Company Wide Office Meeting 10:00am - 11:00am / Zoom

Don’t Do Dat w/Broker Bob Stephens 2:00pm - 2:30pm / Webinar

Prostart Training Session 1 9:00am - 4:00pm / Zoom

West USA Weekly Webinar 9:00am - 10:00am / Webinar Don’t Do Dat w/Broker Bob Stephens 2:00pm - 2:30pm / Webinar

Prostart Training Session 2 9:00am - 4:00pm / Zoom

Prostart Training Session 1 9:00am - 4:00pm / Zoom

Broker Round Table w/ Susan Herber 10:00am - 11:00am / Zoom Let’s Talk About Biz - Open Discussion to Create & Motivate your Real Estate Business 2:00pm - 3:00pm @ Arrowhead Bullpen

Prostart Training Session 2 9:00am - 4:00pm / Zoom

West USA Weekly Webinar 9:00am - 10:00am / Webinar

04 FREE REMOTE CE CLASS Agency and Industry Related Issues 3Hrs Agency Law 9:00am - 12:00pm / Zoom

FREE REMOTE CE CLASS Advanced Contract Writing 3Hrs Contract Law 9:00am - 12:00pm / Zoom

FREE REMOTE CE CLASS The NAR Code and the AZ Law 3Hrs RE Legal Issues 9:00am - 12:00pm / Zoom

AUGUST 2021

T H U R S DAY

F R I DAY

Maximizing Your Social Media Presence with Facebook Buisness Suite w/ Keith Flynn 10:00am - 11:30am - Webinar

Maximizing Your Social Media Presence with Youtube w/ Keith Flynn 10:00am - 11:00am / Webinar

Maximizing Your Real Estate Brand w/ Keith Flynn 10:00am - 11:00am / Webinar

Coffee with Justin 10:00am - 11:00am / Zoom

Prostart Training Session 1 9:00am - 4:00pm / Zoom ARMLS Training - Searching & Mapping 1:00pm - 2:00pm / Webinar West USA Realty Surprise Happy Hour 5:00pm - 7:00pm

FREE REMOTE CE CLASS Duties to Clients and Customers 3Hrs Commissioner Standards 9:00am - 12:00pm / Zoom

Smartphone Real Estate Photography w/ Keith Flynn 10:00am - 11:00am / Webinar

Don’t Do Dat w/Broker Bob Stephens 2:00pm - 2:30pm / Webinar

30 Prostart Training Session 3 9:00am - 4:00pm / Zoom

31 Prostart Training Session 3 9:00am - 4:00pm / Zoom

West USA Weekly Webinar 9:00am - 10:00am / Webinar Don’t Do Dat w/Broker Bob Stephens 2:00pm - 2:30pm / Webinar

• CE- Continuing Education Renewal Training • Luxury Division Event

• Commercial Division Event • Office Meetings