Not really a vacation, of course

So I am back from the Jewish Sunshine State. Not as much sunshine as I would have liked (my grandma kept apologizing for the weather) and certainly not as much relaxation. But I did get in a good night of bingo. Her boyfriend from Philly who has been there for 10 or 12 weeks was there Staying in the apartment) and doing his best to get on my nerves. I was thrust on him and her other pushy friend from Brighton Beach a couple of times without her, since she needed to stay home and rest after her accident last weekend. Oy vey!

My second deal is hitting some snags and so I made a decision to actually go to work tomorrow morning, rather than have my traditional Wednesday morning of pilates, breakfast and healing appointment. It sounds like an easy decision, but I am attempting to think differently, energetically, about the situation and not run around in the same circles I've been running around in for years. Here's the snag. Reluctantly, the client has done each thing I have asked of her, including getting her father's tax return, coming up with an extra month of security and delivering paperwork on Friday when she was supposed to be packing, even when she found it unfair. The latest is that the landlord wants her father (the guarantor) at the lease signing. I find this outrageous and unnecessary, but then again, I am not the property owner. I will personally pay for the FedEx and notarizing of his signature if it means he doesn't have to come down, because according to my colleague and the president of my company, he has already declined this instruction. In any case, I don't know if my sparkling personality or unique insight will make one iota of difference, but I suspect my energy might. So that's why I am choosing to go in.

While I was away I had some thoughts about family and caregiving and my own recent past that I'll share another time. Now it is time to get tired and go to bed!

All according to plan

I think I am becoming an awesome real estate agent. Sorry for saying awesome. In the last couple of days, week or so, I kinda feel like I know what I am doing. It seems I have the right answers to questions, feel like I know the property and am getting MUCH better at qualifying who is a good customer and who isn't. I say all this because I just did TWO deals in ONE week. I had to leave the second deal in the capable hands of my co-worker and friend, so I could come back to Brooklyn and leave for my long weekend to Florida to see grandma. This is my first vacation away from my newborn career (don't worry people, I'll have my cell phone!) and I think it will be fine. God I feel like a jerk even writing that, but I have some clients right that could be good.

I definitely had a shift in how I think about the clients. I have stopped thinking of every one as a potential close. This may seem backwards, but really the dating/marriage comparison holds true for this too. Just think of it as going out on blind date after blind date, asking each one to marry you. If I really expect everyone to say yes, I am constantly disappointed. If I am always trying to please the date, then I am not being myself, right? But, if I take each date to the same restaurant (each client to the same property) and give them the same schpiel, if I am any good, if I am real (if my property inventory is good and I know it) eventually someone will marry me. Am I losing the thread? Probably.

Anyway, I'll have to explain later, I have to get on a plane and see grandma now. Stay tuned for the $8000 update, lessons in ad world and bonding with the boss.

At home and Away

I am going away this weekend, something I haven't done since I started in real estate. Right now, I feel on top of things, I have a bunch of clients, my ads are good (I forced myself to work on them myself and change my attitude and they got a lot easier!) and I am getting responses. More than ever, I am realizing the importance of doing one search, taking the client out once and if they don't pull the trigger...As Neil would say, "Drop 'em!"

I started trying to tell people what to do next, like, "Ok then, let's go fill out an application!" It almost worked yesterday. I took out a doctor who seemed pretty on top of things herself, meaning, she'd seen many of the properties I pulled together for her. I think I garnered some of her respect when I mentioned a property on East 18th street. She knew there was an application on the apartment, but I knew about the identical apartment coming available in a month, not yet on the market. That is an example of what a good broker can do for a client, and why you'd pay someone to help you find a place. Relationships. Not my own personal ones, but the ones my company has with landlords, so they tell us before they run an ad or otherwise let the general know. We are supposed to meet this afternoon to see a couple more places. I have no expectation that she'll turn into money, but I do get surprised sometimes.

Anyway, my cheapy deal is going along beautifully. We are signing leases tonight. Fingers crossed.

In a terrible turn of events, my preppy dudes' apartment got robbed. I don't remember if I wrote that in the previous entry or what, but I feel horrible for them but not responsible.

Over the weekend, I am only bringing my cell phone. No computer since I think internet access is too complicated to arrange for myself. I hope I get the chance to just relax, though my grandma always feels responsible for my "having a good time." It almost feels like a family business trip since I know her car probably and her health both need attention. She fell last weekend, and in addition to some broken parts in needs of surgery, there is a broken family alert system. She took four days to call and tell me something had happened, which for me is not really okay. So, I have to find a gentle way to deal with that. At least I will have no choice but to let go of all the real estate stuff for the time being...

Wooooo Hooooo!!!

So. I didn't write this when it happened, but I can be a little superstitious sometimes and strangely calm and reaction-less when something exciting is happening.

Saturday I made a deal.

I thought this girl was going to be a real drip. The first thing is that her budget for a studio in a good part of downtown was $1200-1800. I just ignored the $1200 right off the bat. MAYBE you can live on the upper east side for that or definitely in Harlem, but you ain't getting no halfway decent studio in the West Village for $1200. You can barely get one for $1800. But I lined up some things to show for a sunny and blustery Saturday afternoon. The first apartment kinda sucked, I'll admit that. It was a dark but decent sized pre-war studio in a landmark doorman building on Washington Square park. She said, "It isn't quite what I am looking for." I wanted to kill her, but I wouldn't have taken the apartment either.

Next we were meeting another broker to see some cheapy junior 1BR's on MacDougal Street. I had low expectations, as I am sure she did too. He had explained to me on the phone that one apartment was seven flights up, the second only six. We hiked all the way up to the top. She loved both apartments, the sunnier, higher up, Southern exposure one had an application on it already. I convinced her to put in an application in on the other one, so she'd be guaranteed something if the other one indeed turned out not to be available. She went for it.

Fast forward to today. I had a rough start this morning, involving an angry/bitchy email to the snotty agents representing this property on Fifth Avenue I am scoping out for $8000, parking my car twice, getting gas, arriving at the office just as the morning meeting was ending. I had on my mind the customer from Friday who had such a positive attitude. I had wanted to show her an open listing in the West Village Monday for which my company would pay me 65% of the collected fee. A nice payoff. She canceled. Haven't heard from her since.

I am in touch with Ms. MacDougal, who is faxing everything in on schedule. I go see some great properties in the Central Village, new stuff. Back at the office I make some calls, send some emails, have some back and forth with Mac and the other agent. Everything is fine, but they want some kind of more recent job letter. That's a bit of a problem, but eventually we get it all straightened out via some website her company uses to verify employment and salary. Weird middle step but whatever--big corporation.

Around 3 pm I go see a loft on 14th Street for $8000. It has some major pros and some major cons. Price is okay, maybe a bit high, location is okay, not great, move-in date is not great (mid-May), space is very nice and gets lots of light. The agent was nice enough, owns in the building herself. Allowed me to bring $8000's "assistant," who is actually my partner in this client's case, so we could screen the apartment for her. Following the appointment I wrote the client a detailed email describing the apartment and gently asking her HOW she would like to compromise. She has been looking for at least a month, maybe more, and it is time to introduce this idea, rather than lose her to some other living circumstances. Haven't heard back yet.

I forced myself to place ads on the new apartments I saw today. Did a bunch of searches, made more phone calls and wrote more emails in the late afternoon. I did a little look on craigslist at the end of the day too. Usually I look in "by owner" for places from $6000 to $10,000. This time I lowered it to $5000 and found something on Lexington Ave in the 30's. J and I are going to see it tomorrow. Sounds good and would be a full fee for us. NO CO-BROKE! When you are talking about $5000-8000 that's a big difference! While I was on the phone with the owner of the Lex place, the MacDougal agent called and left a message saying the top floor girl's application fell apart and did my client want it? I left her a message to decide ASAP since he is going to have an open house tomorrow to get the place rented and he needs to know which one is rented, which is available. She's going to be thrilled!

One of the emails I wrote today was to some former clients. They had talked about getting a house in the Hamptons this summer and I wanted to help with that for two reasons. The first, of course, being money. The second is that I knew I'd have to give them to another agent for a referral fee, since I hear no one will co-broke out there. The other agent I know out there is my estranged (now ex) boyfriend's stepmom, whom I used to work for in the Hamptons. I am a little curious and would like to reach out to this lady, but since her son and I broke up, obviously I haven't felt like I could do that. But now I have the perfect excuse...Business!!

Anyway, I get an email back from one of these guys. It seems they have been ROBBED TODAY!! I find this shocking and just don't know what to say, but I find some simple, sorry words and fire back an email. I bet I'll never hear from them again. Oh well. On to the next one.

And the next one responded to one of the ads I posted today. $4500 2BR/2BA!

Princess of Tides

Sorry, everyone (all three of you who read this with any regularity), for referring to myself as Barbra Streisand, but if the tiara fits, I must wear it. I met a great customer yesterday. Hence the turning of the tide/I am in control of it kinda reference...Get it?

Back to the customer. Simple. She wanted immediate attention, which I gave her. She had a realistic budget and expectation of what she could get for it. She understands paying the full fee. Most importantly, she was nice and positive about the things I showed her, actually talked like she liked all three apartments! Even if I don't close her for some reason, I still appreciate her as, I hope, the beginning of a shift in fortune, in attitude, in circumstance and energy.

I have been doing my administrative work myself, trying to take the sting and drudgery out of it by breaking it up into smaller pieces and changing my attitude. So far it is working! It sounds dumb, but youth really is wasted on the young. Ten years ago, I had such a bad attitude toward my life...Why me? I wondered constantly while getting underpaid for another 11 hour day of chopping vegetables, coming home to find another credit card bill I couldn't pay. Truly, so much is about attitude. And nothing has tested me more than Manhattan real estate. Maybe I'll try to learn this lesson the universe has been thrusting at me for years now...

Create

There are a lot of lessons for me in real estate. I don't know if I am committed to real estate as a life path or anything like that but I am committed to sticking around as long as the lessons are forthcoming and useful. And there is some ego involved in wanting to kick ass at something I find to be really hard.

What I was working on today was creating. Some kinds of creating has to come from the void, from nothing, from loss and emptiness and zero. I have been trying for many months now, to get rid of everything, to let everything go, to find zero and to be okay hanging out there. In order to have something--rich clients, lots of deals, money, comfort, confidence, knowledge--I have to be okay having nothing. It's easy to have nothing in real estate. I should know. I am there. Now I am working on being okay being there.

It's also easy in real estate, to create money from a miracle. It seems that so little of this job has to do with intelligence or diligence. I could go in to work tomorrow and make $5000 before noon. Without doing much or any different than I did today or yesterday or the day before. I could also pass five or six weeks without making a cent. A lot of it is luck and timing and, I think, belief.

Of course I can do things to increase my odds of creating a miracle. Is that even possible? Is that an oxymoronic statement? I can place more and better ads, with increasing specificity in an area and/or type of apartment. Lofts in SOHO and Tribeca for instance. $4000-10,000. I could do this. I am still working on becoming a specialist in an area. I could also, get faster at weeding out the people who are simply not ready to rent. This is more complicated than it seems, since most people looking for apartments don't know they aren't ready. But when it comes to forking over about $8000 to rent a $2200 apartment that is most likely one room, many people hedge their bets and try to find a better deal. And I don't blame them. I would too. But I would also never want to work with someone like me, because I am still of the group that values my money more than I value my time. I was to create customers who are the opposite. Time over money. People who will pay me for the service I provide. Still working on that too.

Any thoughts?

Practice

Yesterday the much-fabled and two months late snowstorm arrived. I was all set to stay home and enjoy some pajama and TV time. In the middle of the afternoon I received a call from someone who wants to look NOW! She works until 6pm and doesn't get a lunch break, so now is the time. I took a deep breath and said, "Let me make some calls and I'll call you back with our plan." For a few minutes, I ran around in a tizzy, trying to figure out how I can make this girl happy. I made my calls. Listings manager didn't answer his phone right off the bat. I expected him to be a little distracted since his family just expanded, but no, he was right on target when I did speak to him a few moments later. Fortunately/unfortunately, the apartment I was calling about was gone. This meant I wouldn't have to leave my house, but I might not have what this girl needs either. I also called the brokers for two co-op sublet apartments I had shown to other clients. Both great places. But lots of extra charges. And of course the board package. I did get both of them on the phone and OK'd showing the apartments for tonight after 6pm. All I need to do is get a couple of great kick-ass rental properties into the mix and I think I could close her. In case you don't get it, the practice was to take a breath, take a moment, think about the property and make a match, not to scramble and see her asap. The practice was to get her to trust and believe in me because of my knowledge and experience and calm energy. Now I just have to do that again today.

I got some more practice with an email I received last night. This guy had responded to a doorman studio ad for $1900 or so. This does exist, and even in the building the ad is from. But there isn't anything right now. So I wrote him a short email telling him a little about two places I have that are doorman and cheap. Good apartments too. Anyway, he writes back last night wanting to know the prices and telling me he is "flexible but wants to move sooner rather than later." What I read was "I am picky and looking for the perfect place. I need to look at a lot of apartments because I have time to pick the RIGHT one." So I wrote in my email that one of the two places is already gone, the other was $1750 and was great but lacks a lot of light--we can see it tomorrow--and when other things come up I will contact him since he is flexible with his move date. I tried to make it sound like a positive that his move date is flexible but I was really saying "I am not going to give you much attention because I don't think you are serious about moving." Practice. I am trying to get better at identifying the people who spin my wheels and waste my time.

And of course I have the people who want to live in this one particular Flatiron building. When what they wanted came up I telephoned the straightaway. In fact now there are three of what they want. Seems great right? Well they're out of the country until Tuesday, so they say. I am ready to pounce, but each phone conversation I have had with them is a little fishy. I'll just have to see what happens on Tuesday.

Honesty, persistence, and the pursuit of perfection

I was honest with $8000 when she asked me how long I have been a real estate agent. I also told her about grandma and cooking, since she asked. She asked me about the commission split between me and my partner in her case. I was honest about that too. Feels a little naked.

I was not so honest with another client. I led her to believe she could get an apartment she could not get, but I ended up losing her anyway. I did not like her, since she was the kind of customer who thinks she knows more than I do. As though people who look for an apartment for two weeks know more than someone who does everyday for months and months. It's frustrating.

But I persist. I bought a mouse yesterday because I felt myself getting stuck in that idea that I have to have someone else to my computer work, that it is just too tedious and messy for me to do myself. Not so. One of the reasons I haven't wanted to do it is that I have a laptop with a track pad at home. Not great for repetitive cutting and pasting. At the office I am distracted by running searches for clients (since finding the perfect place is a very satisfying feeling, even though it rarely leads to a close) and all the conversations going on around me. Also my ipod is busted. Again. More frustration.

But I persist.

I am trying not to waste time on clients anymore. They really do get in the way of getting things done. I had my wheels spun yesterday a little bit by some fellow agents and their clients. I thought this friend's client was going to put in an application on one of the apartments for which I brought in the (open) listing and would get 5% off the top of the commission. By the end of the day nothing had happened. The other showing by an agent in my office seemed promising, but I think the client thought the place was too small, which it is for many people. Oh well. I persist.

I am going to use this mouse this morning on my home computer and finish what I need to do with my G** D*** ads.

Doors and windows

You know the old saying about one door closes... My almost exclusive turned into two open listings, for which I will get 5% if anyone in my company rents either apartment. Less pressure, less reward. But it looks good for me to be participating in the business in this way. My next door desk neighbor left for another agency, which makes me sad, but he's right; he's gotta go where he can make money. He is a very businessy dude, wears suits and knows what to say to clients, likes sports and gambling and taking his girlfriend out on Saturday night. But he has an unlikely soft and hilariously sensitive side. We sort of had a brother sister thing going, which I always enjoy in a friendship. I hope we'll have coffee or something next week. Other people I like may be on their way out too. I will have to see what happens in the next month or two. Of course I have to make some money, and I don't like the idea of jumping ship, but I don't want to be stupid. I think, as usual, I have to re-focus my head and do what is important--preview and place ads, preview and place ads.

Still looking for a very part time assistant...

Dead deals

Not quite yet. But $8000's boyfriend didn't like the apartment. Not enough character. Jeez! Lots of other drama ensued in the last couple of days but I only heard about it second hand. For now I am off that case. I have an appointment with Mr. 1 University tomorrow (he should have taken 11B over there, it was a stunning apartment. And I never think that. Incidentally, I heard that it had been rented, but not before a bidding war between some agent in my company and Phillip Seymour Hoffman--and he lost!) Anyway, I have decided that even if he does not take this apartment, this will be my last showing with him. I don't believe he will move until something changes in his living situation. I don't think it has anything at all to do with finding the perfect place. But he doesn't know that. No customer does. Anyway, I think the apartment is great. Huge and with a view of the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, eastern city views too.

Tomorrow afternoon I am showing that $2.5 million property on Gramercy Park. My colleague told me if we close on it he'll split the commission with me, but I'll have to do some work. Shit, I'll work for $17,000.

Anyone out there?

Does anyone out there have any suggestions for me for getting administrative support for my real estate work? I think it is about 6 hours a week, give or take, maybe even less. The problem is that right now, I can only pay someone on commissions I make. If anyone has an idea, lemme know.

Someone said to me a few weeks ago, "Customers really get in the way of making money." So true. I was on track to preview and work on ads yesterday but I got some calls. No one real, mind you, but they sufficiently derailed me from what I was doing so that by the time I finished with them, it was more or less time to go home and I was exhausted from walking around all day. Well, today is a new day, as far as I know I have no commitments so far and I hope to get at least 25% of my ads reworked.

Up, down, up, down

1. $8000 lady and her boyfriend can't come to agreement with the listing agent on times for him to see apartment. There is a difference of fifteen minutes. It has now been pushed to Sunday. I will be upset if this falls through due to these little stupidities.

2. The morning meeting was full of good stuff but also mostly newer people who asked a bunch of stupid questions over and over again. Two of the people in the meeting are hard of hearing. So it all took a while. When I was new I just wrote as fast as I could, looked at other people's notes, looked things up in the computer. I didn't bog down the meeting shouting out questions like, "What's the address at the Milan?" Jeez.

3. Did some previewing with a co-worker, that went well. I don't think we saw anything that wowed, but some decent things.

4. I got a call on a craigslist ad I placed when I thought I would still have that guy's furnished rental exclusive, which by the way, fell through but I am going to get a moving company commission when he moves his stuff. Anyway, I got a call from a guy named Gideon from San Francisco, living in the W Hotel right now (on vacation) with his girlfriend, looking for a 1-2 month furnished sublet, ok with the one month fee, can look this afternoon. Will spend up to $5000. Sounds great, right? Not really. He sounded fishy right off the bat. I made some calls on his behalf when I got back to the office, then called him to say let's meet tomorrow instead of today. I got his voicemail. Left a message. I expect never to hear from him again. I'm not doing anymore work for him until I hear back from him. Plus the dummys at Furnished Rentals didn't answer their phone or call me back. Not cool.

5. I got another call from some freaky lady whom I met at a showing of another apartment months and months ago. She wanted to do an illegal sublet without her landlord knowing. Having just dealt with this situation, I was able to tell her with confidence that I could not put a tenant in her apartment and collect a fee without the landlord's knowledge and approval of the situation. She went on and on for about 11 minutes, asking me if I could help her in any way. I offered meager solutions to her dilemma. She also told me my company should go after the contract to place thousands of relocated Macy's employees. Thanks dude.

6. Another co-worker asked me to show his $2.5 Classic Six on Gramercy Park (open listing) on Saturday since he'll be in Las Vegas with his pack of dudes for Superbowl Weekend. I said sure. We went over to the property and he gave me a tour, told me what to tell the clients, etc. Kinda cool apartment.

7. $2000 studio kid is on hold "for a while.." How long? "Months." Ok.

8. Someone who answered my ad for a cool building in a crap neighborhood hasn't returned my calls or email.

I think there were more things that happened today, but I can't remember and don't care right now...

What is up..

Seems to come down and what is down seems to go up. Remember how I was talking about the emotional roller coaster of the job? Well $8000 lady is in a good spot with us. My partner (in real estate) came back from her trip and took back the $8000 client, which was hers to begin with. I was just keeping her afloat during J's trip. So it turns out a place on 21st street in the Flatiron district that I found and J took her to is good. She likes it. Too bad the rent is only $6400. Ha ha ha. Anyway, right now it looks like she is going to put in paperwork. Never thought this day would come, the way things were going with her.

Meanwhile, my $2000 studio from Long Island is stalled due to his parents non-cooperation. I feel a little bad for getting so far into negotiation with the other agent on the cond-op, but I just want to make the deal. So I am showing him something new tonight. ?? I have no idea how ready or able he is to move forward. To make a deal, you need three things from your customer; he or she needs to be ready, willing and able. Any one of those three is missing and you're wasting time. I am just starting to learn this. In other words, if I hear the word flexible come out of their mouths, I am trying not to spend any time with them.

What else is going on? I have my side business of referring clients to a mover. In fact, remember the exclusive I was going to get? Well that came crashing down, and frankly I am a little relieved. It seemed like a situation that was somewhat unwinnable. Anyway, the guy found out from his landlord that he wasn't aloud to sublet (there goes the furnished rental) but he was going to investigate doing a lease break and letting me handle that. In the mean time, I sent him info about our moving company. I got a call this morning from the rep there I usually deal with and Mr. Self is going to be using the services of the moving and storage parts of the company. I should get a decent payoff from them. Easy money! I think I am going to mention this avenue of generating income in the Thursday meeting.

Also, I am reworking my ads myself. I would love to have someone else do it because it is extremely tedious and requires not skill but attention. I am trying a new way of identifying the property in the ad ID #. For example, if it is a Chelsea one bedroom, my ID will be something like e (eve) c (Chelsea) 1 (1BR) 08 (the number of the ad). EC108. So when I get phone call about it I will know exactly what people are calling about. Although I do usually, because I remember my silly headlines...Modern EV 2BR, Pets OK!, Sleek, Contemporary Chelsea Luxury! Executive Quality 1BR! Height of Elegance!

Cheesy, right?