Replies (57)
- Dan, "the_country_hick"
- Contributions:4827
On a personal note, please do not repeat NAR nonsense. It makes you sound like a mindless parrot who can only repeat what it has heard. Buyers want someone who can truly understand the market not just repeated talking points someone else made up.
I have heard and seen there has never been a better time to buy. Low interest rates make it a great time to buy and so on. Since this was said over a few years of falling prices why not just give real data instead?
I have heard and seen there has never been a better time to buy. Low interest rates make it a great time to buy and so on. Since this was said over a few years of falling prices why not just give real data instead?
- Houston Metro Pro
- Contributions:2489
May I add three more?
- Don't give legal advice unless you are an attorney.
- Don't act like you know everything; you don't.
- Proofread your advice. An incorrect word, a misspelled word, and incorrect/lack of punctuation can change the meaning of what you are saying.
- Don't give legal advice unless you are an attorney.
- Don't act like you know everything; you don't.
- Proofread your advice. An incorrect word, a misspelled word, and incorrect/lack of punctuation can change the meaning of what you are saying.
- Debra (Debbie) Rose, "Livingston NJ"
- Contributions:3297
Cindy - may I add to your list?
Do not give tax or accounting advice (especially any specifc advice that may only apply to certain people) unless you are an accountant or tax attorney.....ie - tax "expert"
Do not give tax or accounting advice (especially any specifc advice that may only apply to certain people) unless you are an accountant or tax attorney.....ie - tax "expert"
- Houston Metro Pro
- Contributions:2489
@Debbie - forgot that one! Thanks.
@Jon - if you have a license to wear that other hat, go for it I suppose.
@Jon - if you have a license to wear that other hat, go for it I suppose.
- Debra (Debbie) Rose, "Livingston NJ"
- Contributions:3297
Cindy - tsk tsk - why should someone let a little thing like expertise (or, more specficially, lack thereof) get in the way of giving advice! :)
- Houston Metro Pro
- Contributions:2489
True. I have a drivers license so I'd be happy to give advice on good driving (or lack of since I've hit a train!) But you usually have to drive to view real properties, so I am an expert! The time we took a boat, I kept my mouth shut b/c I don't have any kind of license to operate a boat.
- Joan Braunschweiger, "Morris County NJ"
- Contributions:1589
Alright Cindy, you can't just mention that you hit a train and leave it at that.
Come on, tell!
Come on, tell!
- Houston Metro Pro
- Contributions:2489
Okay... it pulled out in front of me! Seriously!!
Short version -
I was the designated driver (no drinking allowed). I was living in IA and needless to say, there are a lot of grain factoies in this town. I had been out w/friends. The weather was bad - a blizzard. I had my friend's new car b/c my headlight was out and I didn't want to get pulled over. The route we took home had a big grain factory from which trains pulled out of all the time. The edge of building that the train was behind is only 18 ft to the street and the tracks are right after a curve in the road. B/c of the weather, it was hard to see beyond the hood and the ice under the snow made driving pretty treacherous. The signals for the trains had to be tripped manually b/c they would have gone off all the time b/c the train sat so close to the road when it was behind the building loading up. So.... it was a combination of a lot of things. I came around the curve, no signals (the conductor said otherwise), train was pulling out, roads were horribly slick, I saw it too late, slammed on the brakes (big mistake on ice I know), we slid into the engine of the train. Pretty banged up but no one was seriously injured. Had I tried to beat the train, we would have been hit from the side. Had the train already been in the intersection and I just didn't see it, we would have hit a regular car and slid under it and the top of the car and a few body parts probably would have been removed. I hit the front part of the side of the engine, so it pulled out in front of me! I might have been able to stop if the roads hadn't been so bad, but who knows. That was years ago and I'm glad I'm here to tell the tale! On a side note, my boyfriend sued me for mega bucks b/c he said he was disabled. Funny thing is that I had pics of him barefooting behind a ski boat. He settled out of court for a much smaller amount.
- Joan Braunschweiger, "Morris County NJ"
- Contributions:1589
Wow.
Amazingly and perhaps disturbingly, the part of your story that stands out the most to me is that your boyfriend sued you.
Bum!
I too am glad that you are here to tell the tale.
I would imagine not too many people can make that claim.
Amazingly and perhaps disturbingly, the part of your story that stands out the most to me is that your boyfriend sued you.
Bum!
I too am glad that you are here to tell the tale.
I would imagine not too many people can make that claim.
- Debra (Debbie) Rose, "Livingston NJ"
- Contributions:3297
emphasis on........... EX boyfriend! (love that you caught him barefooting behind a ski boat!)
Someone was watching over you that night! I am also glad you are here to tell your story!
Someone was watching over you that night! I am also glad you are here to tell your story!
- Thomas McEachern, "Remax Tom"
- Contributions:10
Howdy y'all I am new to Zillow and learning my ways around to get contribution points. Any advice?
- broker_GRI
- Contributions:3454
Sorry Dan, pretty sure it's too late for me:-)
Cindy, EX ,good for you and glad you're safe!
Hi Thomas,
Welcome to Zillow!
Answer questions, be helpful to consumers and read some of the Zillow guidelines.
Sunnyview will likely provide you with many helpful links on how to optimize the Zillow experience, follow them and you will be off to a splendid start:-)
Cindy, EX ,good for you and glad you're safe!
Hi Thomas,
Welcome to Zillow!
Answer questions, be helpful to consumers and read some of the Zillow guidelines.
Sunnyview will likely provide you with many helpful links on how to optimize the Zillow experience, follow them and you will be off to a splendid start:-)
- Debra (Debbie) Rose, "Livingston NJ"
- Contributions:3297
Howdy Thomas
My advice is to search out questions for which you think you can provide useful answers - and, answer away!
Just know that on zillow, you cannot overtly ask for business, or leave contact information in the body of your answer - that is seen a spam and it's a no no!
Good luck and welcome aboard!
Have some fun............ and share some knowledge!
My advice is to search out questions for which you think you can provide useful answers - and, answer away!
Just know that on zillow, you cannot overtly ask for business, or leave contact information in the body of your answer - that is seen a spam and it's a no no!
Good luck and welcome aboard!
Have some fun............ and share some knowledge!
- Thomas McEachern, "Remax Tom"
- Contributions:10
Thank you very much for some advice you two. =-)
- Vince Curtis, "SoCal Appraiser"
- Contributions:5541
Dan - Great advice!
- sunnyview
- Contributions:26922
Hello Mr. McEachern. contributions are listings, photos or comments in Advice. As you participate on Zillow, you can also get badges too. I noticed that you're new and there are some links that might be helpful. Commonly used links for agents are here. And the Pro to Pro forum is a great place to get feedback/advice from other professionals. You may also be interested in the All Star Badge here and the local expert badge here. Hope the links help and I hope you post again soon. Welcome to Zillow :)
- Dan, "the_country_hick"
- Contributions:4827
Most on this site seem to follow these ideas. Overall this is a good site with good people on it.
- David Jones, "drjonesy"
- Contributions:2
Thanks for the advice,Dan.It seems as if there are others interested in this,that's great.
- Willie Craig Jr, "WillieCraigJr"
- Contributions:38
Thanks for the post. Dan. this might have reduced a lot of heartache on my first post. (rent vs buy). Thanks for testing me on my post. I realize that I am new to this forum. And though I say 'seek a professional' which many of those are words that must (lawfully) accompany speaking about certain items. Please understand that I believe help can come from anywhere. Though you can help guide me to where I need to be I would not have anything less than a licensed and proven attorney on my side in a court of law. Your knowledge and the professional together can make a powerful difference. This is a place where this can happen for any person. Pro, non-pro, and especially those seeking answers. I am passionate about items and will try to tone it down.
Be Blessed.
Be Blessed.
- Derek Shaw, "shawderek"
- Contributions:40
This is great information! Thank you!
- wetdawgs
- Contributions:40808
Yes, I know this is an old post but I'm dredging it up because I wish it were a stickie and/or FAQ. Does anyone know if the Zillow academy addresses such items in "how to be successful on Zillow?"
- Dunes ..
- Contributions:3798
- wetdawgs
- Contributions:40808
I'd be tossed out on my tokus for infiltration of the elite academy.
- sudha hariharan, "sudha4"
- Contributions:2
Thank you so much for all your pro points. I find it very useful.
- Mack McCoy, "Mack McCoy"
- Contributions:2141
That means answering questions that . . . always be professional?
How about a rule that when you make over 4000 contributions you write like a professional?
How about a rule that when you make over 4000 contributions you write like a professional?
- wetdawgs
- Contributions:40808
This is a useful post to elevate from time to time.
I was looking at Dan's recommendation to "always be professional" and watching behavior over the years was wondering why this one isn't obvious.
Is name calling professional? Of course, posts with such behavior do stick with the profile for years (and, carry more weight than 100 five star reviews).
Is saying thanks professional? IMHO, yes. It is done so rarely. (Selecting a post as "best answer" is one of many ways to do so.)
I was looking at Dan's recommendation to "always be professional" and watching behavior over the years was wondering why this one isn't obvious.
Is name calling professional? Of course, posts with such behavior do stick with the profile for years (and, carry more weight than 100 five star reviews).
Is saying thanks professional? IMHO, yes. It is done so rarely. (Selecting a post as "best answer" is one of many ways to do so.)
- Mack McCoy, "Mack McCoy"
- Contributions:2141
Saying thanks. Poor communication is the most common complaint from the real estate consumer. That includes a lack of courtesy, a lack of acknowledgement, a lack of the social graces that prevent so many interactions from turning into shoving matches.
And even though it may seem like a stretch: thanks, Dan, for bringing this topic up for discussion, even though it is going to seem as if I am whaling on you over it.
Name calling and resorting to cliches just shows a shallowness of thought. However, there's a difference between telling someone to stop acting like a jerk and calling them a jerk; one indicates that the behavior is an aberration and the other indicates that the behavior is their personal norm.
Most importantly, our primary duty to the public as licensees is to be honest. Dan may not approve of those of us who are optimistic about the market, or who agree with NAR on market predictions, or who are looking for more business, or who do not want to sift through 150 replies before interjecting our own answer. C'est la vie.
And even though it may seem like a stretch: thanks, Dan, for bringing this topic up for discussion, even though it is going to seem as if I am whaling on you over it.
Name calling and resorting to cliches just shows a shallowness of thought. However, there's a difference between telling someone to stop acting like a jerk and calling them a jerk; one indicates that the behavior is an aberration and the other indicates that the behavior is their personal norm.
Most importantly, our primary duty to the public as licensees is to be honest. Dan may not approve of those of us who are optimistic about the market, or who agree with NAR on market predictions, or who are looking for more business, or who do not want to sift through 150 replies before interjecting our own answer. C'est la vie.
- Dan, "the_country_hick"
- Contributions:4827
Mack, do a copy of parts 4 to part 7 then search for that on the other site. You will see where this came from. After finding 2 copies you will realize the first was a reply trying to help a new to the site RE pro and the second was a blog simply repeating the same exact things already said so others could get also get solid ideas. Judging by the replies from both staff and pro's on that site (and this one) the ideas must have been on target.
This thread and these ideas were never posted to offend anyone. It was posted simply to try to improve the quality of postings made on a site so that everyone pro and non-pro alike could have a better quality experience.
As I stated in the original post "10 say you disagree with a different reply if you do. But do not argue about it." Give the thought and then the reasons behind those thoughts. I have tried to do this with numbers, links, and reasonable ideas. I have reasons for certain things I believe. I try to explain those reasons. If we disagree that does not mean I am against you gaining more business. It means I wish people would consider everything well before making a choice whatever choice they make.
I bought a truck that I paid to much for compared to what others were selling for and I knew it. But I thought the extra cost was worth paying for the much lower miles that it had accumulated. I knew the market for that vehicle and made a choice. If someone had told me I could buy a similar truck for a certain amount less I would have replied yes I can, but only with a lot more miles on it and I want a lower mileage vehicle. Others have said the same thing about buying a house. They know that prices are likely to fall more but just want to buy a house now.
Choices made with an understanding of the market are better than choices made without knowing the market at all (whatever market it may be).
This thread and these ideas were never posted to offend anyone. It was posted simply to try to improve the quality of postings made on a site so that everyone pro and non-pro alike could have a better quality experience.
As I stated in the original post "10 say you disagree with a different reply if you do. But do not argue about it." Give the thought and then the reasons behind those thoughts. I have tried to do this with numbers, links, and reasonable ideas. I have reasons for certain things I believe. I try to explain those reasons. If we disagree that does not mean I am against you gaining more business. It means I wish people would consider everything well before making a choice whatever choice they make.
I bought a truck that I paid to much for compared to what others were selling for and I knew it. But I thought the extra cost was worth paying for the much lower miles that it had accumulated. I knew the market for that vehicle and made a choice. If someone had told me I could buy a similar truck for a certain amount less I would have replied yes I can, but only with a lot more miles on it and I want a lower mileage vehicle. Others have said the same thing about buying a house. They know that prices are likely to fall more but just want to buy a house now.
Choices made with an understanding of the market are better than choices made without knowing the market at all (whatever market it may be).
- Mack McCoy, "Mack McCoy"
- Contributions:2141
Thanks for the explanation, Dan; I trust you and do not need to do a search to verify what you've said. I don't agree with you very much, but I do trust you.
Simple ideas every realtor and other professionals on zillow should follow to get a great reputation
Build up a good reputation.
That means answering questions that
1 are not old (look at the posting date)
2 have not already had the answer given 18 times before
3 that you can help with
4 or show someone else who could help with it
5 do not say contact me I can help.
6 you give the help. People will look at your profile and ask you for help through email if they like your replies.
7 always be professional
8 leave your resume for your profile. It is not needed in a reply
9 If a question is asked provide links that show pertinent information. Mortgage calculators and the IRS site for assistance in certain areas comes to mind.
10 say you disagree with a different reply if you do. But do not argue about it.
11 read the whole question. Look at the replies. Before to long you will see that there are some realtors who give great advice. There are even a few non-pro's here (myself included) who give decent replies and try to help. Do not think a non-pro lacks the ability to help. Do not think a pro always gives the best reply. Look for those who give good advice. Understand how they work, then emulate them. In that way you will do well.
12 do not consider the allstar badges as worthwhile. They can be as much a sign of posts a lot as posting good replies.
In the end nothing you do will make you stand out above the crowd in a good way. But everything you do could make it happen. Giving good decent replies without asking the person to be a client will pay off with respect, and likely some calls to you for help from a buyer.
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