Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
*OK, I was at the midnight premiere of the Muppet Movie—alone—because no one else would go with me. But the movie did serve as inspiration for the title of this post.
I am not a hemp-wearing tree hugger, but I do care for the environment. I’m not environmentally-friendly for business reasons, I do it for myself. It’s like a game to see how much “trash” I can keep out of the garage can or how I can reduce my monthly expenses.
Here are some of my tips to help make you green and save you green:
Print your showing information to PDF and use PDF Expert to view it (and write on it) on your iPad while showing buyers. You can even go a step further — do the same for your clients; hand them an iPad with all the MLS printouts, allow them to take notes and then email the document to them after showings.
Quit buying bottled water. Invest the $5 in a water bottle (without the straw please, that’s yucky) and fill it with water from your Brita Pitcher. Wash it and use it again! I bought some BPA-free, recycled, compostable water bottles with my logo. I fill them with distilled water (that I “brew” myself, I don’t buy it) and let them take the bottle at the end of our first showing. The second showing I have another set of bottles there, but I ask they leave the bottle so I can reuse it the next time. When they close on their home they get their bottles, and a Brita pitcher, as part of their closing gift.
Buy recycled, compostable, or reused promotional products. Continue reading »
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
DISCLAIMER: Please read this as a challenge; a challenge to use our predecessors as a spring board to do bigger and better.
In case you aren’t aware, we’re in a heat wave – it’s REALLY hot. My car thermostat has said at least 100 degrees for the past 2 weeks straight, and that’s not even with the heat index or adding the Kansas City humidity. But, I have to ‘TCB’ for my clients (take care of business). I suck it up, take eight showers a day, and wear as few clothes as possible without getting arrested.
I recently had to request the same addendum from a “more seasoned” agent eight days straight. She wasn’t able to get me the paperwork because she was afraid she had heat stroke. Once I finally received the information it was dated 12 days prior (as well as the email she forwarded it from). REALLY lady?!? Your heat stroke kept you from forwarding an email in the comfort of your own air conditioned home; even after I bothered you every day for over a week?
Later that same week I received a resolution from unacceptable conditions from a buyer’s agent. Items needing to be fixed? “Anything that the Kansas City Dream Program wants.” REALLY!?! Can you please be a little more specific? After calls to the buyer’s loan officer, the city, county, state, both brokers and BEGGING a city inspector to come out (in the thousand degree heat) I finally finished up her job and found out exactly what needed to be completed for the home to qualify for the program. Continue reading »
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
The Get Motivated seminar series recently came to Kansas City and I was pretty excited to go! On top of tickets being about $5; Bill Cosby, Joe Montana, Laura Bush, Gen. Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Forbes, John Walsh (the list goes on and on) were speaking.
I had some difficult closings happening that week, but aren’t all closing difficult these days? So I decided to take the day to “get motivated.” I walked in the door of the arena to about 20,000 others looking for some mojo too. It felt like a huge rock concert (at 7 a.m.) with people everywhere just excited to be there. We stocked up on our $50 worth of snacks for the morning (it’s still in a concert hall so we got concert pricing…) and went to find our general admission seats.
Wow, just wow. Seeing these people–in real, technicolor life–was pretty powerful. To think, these people were once at the very tippy-top of their industries…
However, the message was not that powerful, nor motivating. There was a lot of, “Remember the time I did this? Yea, I’m awesome.” And this: “I overcame adversity and become the biggest name in ______. I rule.”
I was expecting (or at least was hoping for) some helpful hints about getting ahead, staying organized and motivated, and maybe a little creativity. Instead, I seemed to get a big pat on the back fest. Oh, with a couple of infomercials for investment products thrown in to make up for the fact that the tickets were only $5.
By the end of day I just wanted to take a nap (and, really, get the last 8 hours of my life back). So my recommendation, if you get the itch to go to the get motivated seminar, is to instead buy their autobiographies, burn a $20 bill, and read one of those Dale Carnegie books that’s collecting dust on your bookshelf.
Crystal Webster is a REALTOR® in the Kansas City area. Visit her at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com and www.theheritagehometeam.com.
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
I’ve been to a national office supply store what seems to be about every day this month in an attempt to get ready for the spring and summer months. Occasionally, I purchase the wrong item and it takes me a little bit to return it to the store.
I returned a day planner the other day because it just wasn’t going to work for me. I present the cashier with my item and my receipt and she immediately tells me that I purchased the planner 32 days ago so the receipt was no longer valid, BUT she could do the return without the receipt and just put it on a gift card. Seeing as that’s how I paid for it in the first place, and the fact that I’d just turn around and spend it, I had no problem.
After about 10 minutes of fumbling with the computer system she tells me that I’m getting a refund of about $35. “That’s great! But, I only spent $25. See, here’s my receipt.” I was politely reminded that my receipt was no longer valid because it was more than 30 days old and I would just have to accept the return as is, or keep the item.
Well, of course, I took the cash and went about my day.
This got me thinking about how I run my business and if there are things that I do “just because that’s how they’re done” or “because that’s how I’ve always done them.” I realized just the other day I spent three visits with a seller trying to get all the paperwork put together when it would have been more convenient for everyone if we just did it through Docusign.com. I realized I can be way too eager and accommodating when it comes to meeting people places (friends and business acquaintances alike).
Are there things you do in your business that might not be the most productive or profitable?
Crystal Webster is a REALTOR® in the Kansas City area. Visit her at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com and www.theheritagehometeam.com.
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
Let me tell you a little story of what actually happened to me just the other day:
I met with a new client just out of college. We met through one of my networking groups and he seemed like a very nice guy. At the end of our meeting he suggested I come and “check out what he does.” I always like to learn more about what others do and help other KCYoungProfessionals.com members.
Fast forward a couple weeks. The day before our appointment I get a LinkedIn.com request from him. Cool, I accept.
The next day at our appointment, I’m taken into a room with him and his “mentor” and I’m grilled for an hour and a half. I don’t learn what he does and how he’s different from all the others– what I discovered was they’re trying to sell me something! At the end of our meeting he opens up his folder and scoots across the table a four page list of my LinkedIn.com contacts. “My assistant pulled this list of names of people she thinks I should know from your profile. I plan on contacting all of these people and just wanted to let you know.”
Um, I don’t think so. But I was so flabbergasted that I just stared at the list until they escorted me out of the office. Continue reading »
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
Do you ever feel like you’re back in high school and trying to get your college application all put together? At least for me, during the final push for college grades didn’t matter, classes were out the window, and books were only for propping open your door.
The extracurricular section of the application got 100 percent of my attention the last semester of high school (even though it was probably too late at that point to matter)…
Anyway, sometimes that’s how I feel – as though all the “extras” are more important than the grades and classes. Especially going into the “slow time” it seems like everyone wants to know: “What else do you do?”
I DO do lots of other things: volunteer my time, sit on boards, blog, administer a networking website, manage residential property, spend time with my friends and family, help old ladies across the street, nurse stray dogs back to health…but don’t you want to know about my grades? Don’t you want to see my stats and just how good I am at what I actually do?
Come on, it’s not like every time you go to your doctor you ask them about their “second job.” (in fact, I think I’d be a little scared if they had a second job).
Do you get this question often? Do you steer clear of answering it or how do you answer it? What do you WANT to be known for?
Crystal Webster is a REALTOR® in the Kansas City area. Visit her networking site at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com and her Web site and blog at www.theheritagehometeam.com.
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
…And REALTORS® make the worst clients. Has anyone else had the “privilege” of working with another REALTOR® – or even purchasing a home for themselves? I use the word privilege very loosely. 
Some of you may remember, I began looking for my new personal residence back in September. I am pleased to inform you that I closed about a month ago (seven month after I started looking, mind you…).
Between my husband (the human computer), who is also an inactive REALTOR®, and I, there was always something that “wasn’t quite right” or “if we wait then maybe we’ll find…” We found plenty of good, decent homes that would have worked just great – but we just weren’t able to remove the emotion and focus on just the pros and cons of the bones of the property.
In the end, we have a great home that we will be very happy with for many years to come. I got lots of great practice on working with “difficult” clients, and I even worked on a few of my overcoming objections scripts (some multiple times).
If you haven’t worked with someone you have a personal interest in (maybe not yourself but a family member or close friend), do it! It reminded me why I got into the business to begin with and it feels so good to help better the lives of people you really care about.
Crystal Webster is a REALTOR® in the Kansas City area. Visit her networking site at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com and her Web site and blog at www.theheritagehometeam.com.
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
Insert the popular 60’s song here.
My mentor reminds me of this on a regular basis. What’s the use of being in real estate (or insurance, or sales, or anything for that matter) if no one knows? You’re not a super spy, you’re not doing covert ops, and you’re not incognito.
Be proud of what you do, carry business cards with you (and don’t be afraid to give them out!), talk about the industry and provide advice (Although, I HAVE found there’s a fine line between being an attention hoarder and being helpful – and not many people like attention hoarders so don’t be ‘that person’…)
People want “easy” and that’s exactly what you do for them; you make the home buying/selling process easier. There’s no reason to keep that a secret. Get out there and don’t be so James Bond about it!
Now, I COULD sell you a house, but then I’d have to kill you
Crystal Webster is a REALTOR® in the Kansas City area. Visit her networking site at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com and her Web site and blog at www.theheritagehometeam.com.
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
At my former corporate job, “work/life balance” seemed to be the catch phrase of the month. I worked in a very demanding job (90+ hours a week most weeks demanding), but as long as the façade of work/life balance was there, it was all good.
Fast forward a few years to now; and I’m working for myself. Yes, the THOUGHT of work/life balance, and the illusion of work life balance is there. Theoretically, I could take off a day to, say, go to the beach – but honestly, how many of us actually take off a Tuesday because we want to spend the day in the park?
Several weeks ago I suffered some life changing and devastating news. Over the course of five days there were two strokes in the family, three close family deaths, and some personal health issues. Probably needless to say, at first, I was in a tailspin and really didn’t know which way was up. Now, I’ve been able to get my head above water and have been working…kind of. I’ve been doing what HAS to be done. I’ll ask myself “What MUST be done today?”– then I’ll do that, and really only that.
I don’t bring up my personal life so that you can feel sorry for me – please don’t, I am very blessed in so many ways. I brought this up to ask for your help: How do you handle yourself when you fall into “personal crisis mode?” What gets you moving again when all you want to do is sleep through the day? How do you pick yourself up off the floor and kick yourself in the butt again?
Crystal Webster is a REALTOR® in the Kansas City area. Visit her networking site at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com and her Web site and blog at www.theheritagehometeam.com.
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
When I first got into the business I thought I knew it all – rookie mistake. I knew everything there was to know about Kansas City (yes, the whole GIANT city). My business was the perfect model. My processes were the best to be had. And my broker was the best broker anywhere in the world – for everyone. Pair that with a couple bad transactions early on with another one of the larger brokers in the area and I started running my mouth off – mostly to friends and family, but to a few potential clients as well.
Bad news: I lost credibility in their eyes, and it’s A LOT of work to try to rebuild that credibility. I’m still not sure it can ever be fully restored. Early on, it’s easy to forget how important it is to “save face” and not tick people off – especially in the age of social media. The lesson I learned was to keep my big mouth shut! I still have plenty of opinions but I don’t share them with just anyone.
So learn from my mistakes. It’s very important to censor yourself – probably even more then you think you should. You never know who you will offend someone because they live in that area that you hate, know a guy that works for the company that is “run by idiots,” or they have a brother that works for that lender… But don’t worry; I still do think that my business model, processes, knowledge, and broker are the best – for me.
Crystal Webster is a REALTOR® in the Kansas City area. Visit her networking site at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com and her Web site and blog at www.theheritagehometeam.com.
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