Wednesday, December 11, 2019

How And When To Throw A Housewarming Party:

Moving into a new home, especially if you own it, is a big deal. After all the packing, hauling, and unpacking, it’s time to throw yourself a party! What’s the purpose of a housewarming party, though? How does one even start, and how long after moving in?

A Brief History of Housewarming Parties

Housewarming parties have been around for centuries. In the medieval times, the tradition was to give new homeowners wood to warm the home, or hot soups, to warm bellies. Some believed that heating a home could ward off evil spirits.
Today, you’re far more likely to get a plant than wood, but food is still a common housewarming gift, as are other things designed to turn a house into a home.

When to Throw a Housewarming Party

If you’re waiting for your friends to throw you a housewarming party, you’ll probably wait a very long time. This is one party you have to throw yourself, which means you can make it exactly what you want. It’s usually best to throw the party after you are finished unpacking, and after pictures are hung on the walls. Waiting more than a year makes it seem more like just another party, which is fine, but don’t expect as many gifts.

How to Throw a Housewarming Party

Decide whether you want to throw a BYOB potluck or a more sophisticated party, where you provide the food and the alcohol. To make it both simple and sophisticated, have the party catered and serve a signature cocktail.
About three weeks before the party, email invitations to your friends. It’s a great idea to hand deliver some invitations to your neighbors. Ask everyone to RSVP, so you can plan accordingly.
Clean your house from top to bottom. Remember that people are there to get the grand tour. Keeping them out of your bedroom or bonus room just seems weird.
If your home is small, or if you have some friends who prefer day to night (or vice versa), consider an open house format. Let your friends and neighbors come and go as they please.
If you’re serious about gifts, you could consider registering at a department store, or even a home improvement store. Choose items at all price points, and if your friends don’t fulfill all your wishes, make some new friends. Kidding, of course, but at least it’s a list for your own benefit.
If you want to give your friends a bit more leeway, throw a theme party. Are you a cook, and want to stock your kitchen? Perhaps you’re a gardener; gardening tools, seeds, and seedlings, are always appropriate. Maybe you simply want to stock your bar. Ask your guests to bring liquor or bar glasses (who doesn’t need a set of Moscow mule mugs or martini glasses?)
Plan games and music. It is still a party, after all.
Featured image via Pixabay

Monday, January 14, 2019

Estate Sales and Online Auctions

Stress-Free, Timely Liquidation.
Losing a loved one can be emotional, overwhelming and sometimes unexpected. In the midst of a loss, families often find themselves in a position where personal belongings need to be sold or liquidated in a timely manner. This can not only be an emotional process, but also can consume a lot of time and energy on the part of family members.
Caring Transitions Silicon Valley keeps your family’s best interests at heart by acting as your on-site advocate, coordinating the liquidation of your loved one’s estate. We carefully manage the items in the home, treating them like our own, to ensure they’re sold or liquidated in a timely manner. As your family’s trusted partner, we manage the process efficiently and maximize returns. We give families peace of mind by minimizing the stress of estate sale planning.
Estate Sale Services:
  • Professionally manage estate sale auctions or online auctions
  • Appraise items to be sold
  • Clean out and prepare the house for sale (including attics, garages, storage sheds, etc.)
  • Arrange for painters or repairs
  • Recycle and donate unwanted items
  • Ship items to other family members
  • Junk/trash removal
  • Interview real estate agents for the sale of the property

Saturday, January 5, 2019

11 Impressive Realtor Bios That Win Clients [Examples & Templates Included]

First impressions matter, and when potential clients find your real estate website, they'll be looking for information about you and your expertise. The best way to share these details is with a bio that provides background on your real estate experience.
Why is a bio so important? A study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found that 51% of home buyers found their home on the internet. And before they reach out about a listing, they'll want to know the qualifications and background of the realtor.
Let's take a look at the steps to create an excellent realtor bio and look at bio examples from realtors.

Unlock inspiring professional bio examples and free templates here.


Here are a few key items to include in your realtor bio:
  • Your real estate experience
  • Connection to the area you're selling in
  • Sales statistics
  • Awards you've won
  • Personal information
  • The value you provide to customers
Below are some real estate agent bio examples that are truly outstanding.

11 Excellent Real Estate Agent Bio Examples

1. Rene Rodriguez

Rene Rodriguez Real Estate Agent Bio
Rene's bio is comprehensive, and it provides detail about the value he provides to customers. He also includes impressive sales statistics to boost his credibility.
Favorite line: A high-touch broker known for his extensive market knowledge and his unmatched devotion to clients, Rene's success is based almost exclusively on positive referrals. He earns the respect of his clients by working tirelessly on their behalf and by always offering them candid advice.

2. Danielle Lazier

Danielle Lazier Real Estate Agent Bio
Danielle Lazier's bio is detailed and includes a high-quality photo of herself. She highlights her success as a real estate agent and keeps things light-hearted by including a few personal details about herself.
Favorite line: Reared in the Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) and Dallas, Texas, I have an effective combination of Southern charm and Northeastern tenacity. I like to win (for my clients) but do so with a calm demeanor and a smile.

3. Brendan Bartic

Brendan Bartic Real Estate Agent Bio
This bio is brief, but it includes all of the key information about this realtor. Not only does Brendan include an impressive sales statistic, he includes details about his prior experience in the army and about how he gives back to his community.
Favorite line: As a Colorado native, and a seasoned real estate professional, I recognize and value the trust my clients place in me and I strive every day to exceed their expectations. I have been a leading top producer for over 18 years. My sales consistently rank in the top 1% of all Keller Williams Teams Internationally.

4. Missy Stagers

Missy Stagers Real Estate Agent Bio
Missy provides a quick overview of her experience and includes a link to a full bio page. The full bio page lists her accreditations, education, and memberships. And it goes more in-depth into her experiences.
Favorite line: She has dedicated over two decades helping clients buy and sell property with over 3400 transactions and $550 million in sales. In addition, she has served her industry by being San Antonio Board of Realtors Chairman, Women's Council of Realtors Chairman, and various chairman positions on committees at the Texas Associate of Realtors.

5. Paul Burrowes

Paul Burrowes Real Estate Agent Bio
His bio uses numbered points to emphasize key details. In this case, these points are the promises Paul makes to his clients and the important things he does for them.
Favorite line: Paul Burrowes brings fourteen years of experience in real estate, excellent customer service and a commitment to work hard, listen and follow through. He provides quality service to build relationships with clients and more importantly, maintain those relationships by communicating effectively.

6. Cyndie Gawain

Cyndie Gawain Real Estate Agent Bio
Cyndie's bio is short and sweet. She details her experience and emphasizes the high-quality service she provides to clients. This excellent service results in repeat customers and referrals.
Favorite line: Her business is based on more than 80 percent referrals from satisfied clients. Most important to Gawain is providing the most excellent service to buyers and sellers in order to earn their trust, referrals, and repeat business.

7. Kaukaha "K" Watanabe

K Watanabe Real Estate Agent Bio
This agent bio is a longer example, and it lays out a timeline of K's personal and professional experience. And it highlights the awards that he and his partners have earned.
Favorite line: K has an extensive professional background in Sales and Management. He began his career in real estate in late 2007 and since then his real estate team has helped over 1,000 families purchase and sell their properties here in Tucson, Arizona.

8. Elizabeth Bain

Elizabeth Bain Real Estate Agent Bio
Elizabeth tells a personal story in her bio that highlights her passion for real estate. She provides detail on her real estate background and personal interests. And Elizabeth makes it clear she's passionate about the customer.
Favorite line: As a Realtor, my first priority is to make my clients happy. I listen to my clients wants and needs to achieve the best outcome in every transaction and I strive to ensure that the home buying or selling process is fun, easy and stress-free. My clients can count on me any time of day when they have a question or concern.

9. Dionelle (Don) Davis

Don Davis Real Estate Agent Bio
In Don's bio, he mentions the areas of real estate that he works in and the number of clients he's assisted. He includes a section to highlight how he trained and helped new realtors in his region, and this emphasizes his real estate expertise.
Favorite line: Throughout his real estate career, Don has trained and helped over 10 Texas Licensed Real Estate Agents to embrace real estate as a full-time career, experience ranging from six months to 35 years. Two of these agents have successfully started their own real estate companies. Don has owned and managed a real estate company and has a great appreciation for the work that it takes to be successful in the real estate industry.

10. Elizabeth Putnam

Elizabeth Putnam Real Estate Agent Bio
Elizabeth's bio builds credibility by emphasizing her experience as a native resident of the region she's working in. She tells a story that will grab prospects' attention.
Favorite line: As an Asheville native, I witnessed its great transformation – from a boarded up and desolate downtown into a bustling metropolitan city that retains its small-town feel. My intimate knowledge of this region, and my experiences of having lived here all of my life give me enthusiasm and a desire to make my home, your home.

11. Kevin Spina

Kevin Spina Real Estate Agent Bio
Kevin's bio demonstrates the key traits he possesses that make him an excellent realtor. And he writes extensively about his community involvement and philanthropy.
Favorite line: Kevin Spina is conscientious Realtor who exudes credibility, commitment, and determination. Kevin's passion for real estate is apparent through his excellent communication skills and a warm and friendly approach.

Real Estate Agent Bio Templates

Whether you're an experienced agent or new to real estate, a bio can help set you apart from other realtors. Here are real estate bio templates you can use to create your own.

Experienced Real Estate Agent Bio

[Your name] has a passion for real estate, and helping clients achieve [X goals]. [He/she/they] have been a licensed realtor for [number of years] and a top-performing agent at [your agency].[Your name] has dedicated [number of years] helping clients buy and sell property with [insert sales statistics]. [He/she/they] have extensive knowledge and experience in [your region/market].
In [his/her/their] free time, [your name] participates in [club, society, volunteer group] and enjoys [your hobbies].

New Real Estate Agent Bio

I am [city/region] real estate agent who works with home [buyers/sellers]. After graduating from [your college], I had [X experience] and took [X courses] that inspired my passion for real estate. My enthusiasm for helping others and [your skills/characteristics] help me connect with clients and provide them with the best service possible.
When I'm not assisting my real estate clients, I enjoy [spending time with family, volunteering, participating in X hobby, etc.].

Creative Real Estate Agent Bio

Since the age of [your age at the time], I began to develop my love for real estate. I'd build homes out of Legos and practice my selling techniques with my Lego people. This passion has stuck with me from childhood through adulthood.
After graduating from [your college], I got my [realtor license or certification]. For the past [X years], I've assisted [number of clients]. I strive to provide high-quality, personalized service to each and every person I work with.
In my spare time, I enjoy [your hobbies]. And I participate in [volunteer group, club, etc.].
Feel free to elaborate on certain elements of each template. Is there an intriguing story you can tell? Or is there an interesting fact you can share?
With a well-written bio, clients will be eager to work with you. And if you're looking for more ways to improve your real estate business, check out these real estate marketing ideas next.