Trey's Blog: April 2008

Our statistics for residential sales in our local MLS service area were rolled out this week  and the actual numbers revealed what we suspected. The number of units sold for our area for the first quarter of 2008 was almost identical to the prior year's first quarter. Naturally that is good for the community! Does that spell "stable economy" .  I think it does. Now if You are a naysayer you might refer to it as "stagnant." And if the units sold were down, it could be labeled a "declining real estate market."  Now I calculated based on the number of agents in our market ( which is up about 20% in one year), that the average dollars sold by each agent equals about $47,000 in one month of the first quarter.   Whoah partners! That is just about poverty level isn't it?  Well I am not so sure that everything isn't just normal here in College Station , Texas. Remember the old saying about how 20% do 80% of the business in sales?  What's new?   

Have a Prosperous Week!

Trey

Even though I would never do it, someone once told me that a Labrador Retreiver is so forgiving, that if you popped one in the head with a 2x4, it wouldn't think twice about still loving you to death.. ...Simply put .....Labs could possibly be the most forgiving mammal on the planet. They just love life so much, and  usually their owners. 

I honestly believe that if I streatched my daily routine of  throwing 50 or so tennis balls for my lab Honey to retrieive, to say 500 or so tennis balls  at a session, well Honey would probably doi it!  I think Labs just live for that one moment of hitting the water in a huge splash and  grabbing a hold of whatever it is they are retreiving. Stck, balls, real ducks, or dummies...doesn't matter to them.  Just put it out there and they want it!

Have a prosperous week!

Trey

www.treythurmond.com

I haven't had any time off in a good while so last Sunday my dad and one of my brothers and I decided to attend a local estate auction in downtown Bryan, Texas . We are avid Indian arrowhead collectors and that is what this auction was all about.  An old gentleman had passed and left an estate with about 15,000 pieces all together. It was an amazing collection to behold and the actual sale took almost 6 hours to complete. During the preliminary viewing period before the auction, I had several folks come up to me, and I assumed they wanted to talk hobby talk, that is, visit a while about the collections and arrowheads. Well they wanted to talk real estate. Well I did. AND hopefullywe will see a little business out of those brief conversations. I noticed one of my competitors was present but they didn't talk to those prospects that approach me. I have just about gotten to where I can discuss real estate in my sleep after so many years. ( I wonder if my wife hears me talking in my sleep about real estate?) So even though this was supposed to be a Vacation day.... it turned into a fun  and hopefully profitable day all at once.  Just goes to show.... it pays to keep a few business cards handy at all times, because you never know who will show up and need help.

Have a prosperous week!

Trey

www.treythurmond.com

What has college sports got to do with real estate. Well in our area ..plenty. Aggies, Aggie Parent, and Former students all buy a considerable portion of the total real estate sold in our area each year.  And one of the most common denominators in this community is Aggie sports. Without them,  College Station and Bryan, Texas might be pretty sleepy places to live.  It is a driving force behind our economy and the total he impact is phenomenal!  I doubt that many former students would retire here if they didn't have a weekly sporting event to choose from!

The Aggie baseball team took Missouri 3 to 2 on Sunday after defeating them 15-0 on Sunday .  No doubt they are leading the Big 12!  The powers that be, that happen to set national rankings , have really underestimated the Aggie men this season. Let's keep our fingers crossed.... cause things are really looking good! This is one of the best all around baseball teams A&M has seen in a good while.

AND.... just as importantly if not more so The lady Aggie softball team clinched the Big 12 title, by beating Nebraska 6-3 and are rated #5 Nationally! Wow lady Ags are truly the best!

Have a prosperous week!

Our firm was recently nominated for an award. We didn't win, but from what I have been told just being nominated for the Better Business Bureau Torch Award was an honor in itself.  This is an annual award bestowed on local businesses for integrity and ethics in the workplace. There are three awards given out. One each for large, medium, and small businesses. 

Our local BBB covers a pretty substantial area in our part of Texas and to be chosen from thousands of businesses to be considered is truly a privaledge. This is especially so given the real estate industry's generally bottom of the barrel rating by the public. 

Once nominated there is a pretty detailed application required to help the BBB narrow down the field of candidates' . As I said we did not win that day, but just going through the application made be proud as I read through our list of achievements through the years and all that let up to our 30 years of successful business in seving the public in Bryan and College Station , Texas.

The BBB does a great job and I encourage you to join if you are not a member already!      

Have a prosperous week!

Trey

www.classicgmac.com

I often have to make myself get up and just do something when nothing is the menu for the day. I received an email this morning from a friend, that had this great little saying attached.  It really got me to thinking about motivating myself, or  motivating others in a down period in business or life:

        This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it. But Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Author Unknown

We all have to pitch in and cooperate in this business and that includes a responsibility to one another to help keep each other motivated, and especially so when we see an associate who just doesn't seem to be going anywhere.  Give them something to help pick them up . A kind word of encouragement from even just you can make all the difference in the world! Don't wait around for others to act ...take the lead and be a friend.

Have a Prosperous Week!

Trey

www.treythurmond.com

You know I love quality clothes. The problem is in my position, and given our weather in this area, wearing a suit to work just isn't practical. Ever showed a home in Central Texas on an August afternoon when it is 98 degrees and 98% humidity? Not a very nice position to be in  when you are in a suit.

Now I firmly believe in dressing acceptably  and comfortably but I refuse to be dripping sweat to appear professional. I feel men should wear a pressed shirt and nice pants. And I feel they should wear nice shoes or attractive boots. Floyn Wickman used to say "Look Sharp."

Most of the bankers I know now don't wear a suit and tie anymore except on certain occasions. I see very few agents doing so either.  What do you feel is appropriate attire for agents? 

Have a prosperous week!

Trey
www.treythurmond.com

While showing a property recently I tried to practice what I preach... about paying close attention to the signals customers are sending. Sometimes these signals are obvious and other times they are suttle.  I am a little slow myself so I naturally prefer the Very Obvious  or better yet...... the Blatently Obvious.

So when they say things like:

• This Place is great!
• I love it!
• This is really cool!
• This has really good possibilities!
• I might...... could make this work
• I want this place!

Well let's just say those are the kind of comments I personally respond to well and understand and tend to get positively goofy about and really really know deep down inside I shoud start begin asking for the close as soon as possible .

And then there are those signals that are a little less ovious, yet we should read like:

•   They look at their watch every 2 minutes.
•   Within 2 minutesThey ask about some one else's listing down the street.
•   They say "what is the odor in this home?"
•   Thay ask if they can step outside for a smoke.

Seriously, learn to listen to and watch your customers and clients.  You will learn a great deal.

Have a prosperous week!

Trey

www.researchvalley.com

I want to personnally recomend to the citizens of Bryan, Texas.. that they please support the Bryan Independent School District Bond on the ballot in May . This bond will make about $37,000,000 available for improvements. About 22 million will  be for new /and or renevation construction at both Kemp and Carter schools. Kemp is about 50 years old. The kids deserve better.  The balance of the funds will go to other improvements in the district. Please support the future of the kids and education in Bryan , Tx. by coming out in favor of the bond.

Have a prosperous week

www.treythurmond.com

www.classicgmac.com

Double success is great at A&M this spring. As of this week ,the men's basebsall team is rated 6th nationally and is first in the Big 12 conference. The ladies softball team is 5th nationally and 1st in the Big 12 conference. It is ironic how they both did so well in bassketball, and now softball and baseball are going well too. Maybe this will be the decade the Aggies finally get the recognition they have strived for for so many years! Way to go Aggies!

Have a prosperous week!

http://www.treythurmond.com/