Wanna see what it’s like to live with the Zebra?
July 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Well, then check out this article in the local C-Ville weekly.
It was a lot of fun to be interviewed, but it couldn’t have happened without the help of our wonderful designer, Andrea Phillips. She receives well-deserved mention in the article, but what it doesn’t say is that she was able to pull together a design for our house in less than a week.
How it started
Phone rings. . . voice answers:
“Hello, this is Erika.”
“Hi Erika, this is Daniel Rothamel, you called me about featuring me in your “A Room of Their Own” series.”
“Oh, hi Daniel, thanks for getting back to me.”
“No problem. I listened to your voice mail, and the first thing I thought of was my car. I mean really, my car is the place I relate to the most. See, my wife and I recently moved into our house, and we really haven’t gotten around to decorating all that much. It’s kinda spartan.”
“Hmmm. . .that’s a little far afield for this type of story. I’m sure we can do something on your house. It doesn’t have to be extravagant.”
“Well, I guess I could figure something out, when do you want to do the interview?”
“How about next Wednesday?”
“WEDNESDAY! Today is Thursday.”
“I know, but we had someone else cancel.”
Moment of terror. Then an instinctual response.
“Sure, I guess that will work. Come on over.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, Kari and I looked at each other and said, “oh, crap. We are going to need some help.”
Luckily, Help Came Fast
Kari called Andrea next. Andrea lives in our neighborhood, and we had already talked with her about helping us out with our interior decorating. In fact, we had talked with her weeks before the interview, but we hadn’t really committed the way that we should have. We desperately wanted to have a home that reflected our style, but we just couldn’t find the time to make it happen. We work so much that we need our home to be a sanctuary, we just needed some help getting there. This interview provided the perfect occasion and motivation to get it done.
That is where Andrea came it. Kari and I are very good at helping people buy and sell homes, not so good at decorating them. For Andrea, however, It is something that she loves doing, and had done before for friends and family. We love her and her sister Laura, who is our fabulous real estate assistant). We also know a dynamic duo when we see one ;-). Andrea told us that she and Laura could get it done, so we told her to go for it, and that she had less than a week.
“No problem.” she said.
Boy, was she ever right. She met with us and asked us what type of style we were looking for, things that we liked, things that we already owned that we wanted to use, all of those types of questions. We told her. She asked how much we wanted to spend. We told her. She did the rest.
What she was able to pull together over the next few days was nothing short of a miracle. She decorated our entire main living area. The only pieces we provided were the couch, chair, tv, entertainment stand, dining room table, some shells, pictures and shell postcards we had bought in Florida. She did all the rest. She did it on time, and under budget (and that budget was not large by any means).
The result was magnificent.
She took us from having a house, to having a place where we feel at home. As I said in the article, every day we say, “man, I love this house.” It is all beautiful, and we couldn’t have gotten there without Andrea.
Help us thank Andrea
We can’t thank Andrea enough. What we can do, hopefully, is help her do what she loves, designing rooms and decorating them for people like us. So, if you are in the Charlottesville area, and you need help with your interior decorating (admit it, most of us do), then call me or send me an email. I’ll get you in touch with Andrea. You’ll be glad you did it. I know we are.
If You Want to Learn More About Blogging, a Little Participation is Required
July 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
One of the things I have heard from bloggers is that they wish they knew more about other blogs. They wish they knew if what they were doing was working, or if others are working better. There is little to no data about blogging as far as how they relate to each other.
Enter the first CREST Blogging Survey.
This survey is intended to gather data about real estate blogs so that hopefully, we can all learn something about blogging and use it to blog more efficiently. It’s only a few questions long, only takes a few minutes, and all of the data is completely confidential. What have you got to lose?
If you want more information about it, you can see the discussion generated at AgentGenius, or listen to an interview with Ben Martin by Mike Price of MLBroacast.
I took the survey, so what are you waiting for? In order to have good data, it is going to have to come from somewhere, right?
On Becoming the Inman News Community Mangager
June 9, 2008 | 27 Comments
Today, I embark upon what I expect will be a very interesting, enriching, and exciting endeavor. Today, I begin in my position as Community Manager for Inman News.
What does this mean? Well first of all, it means that I will still be blogging and creating the best possible content I can right here (did you really think otherwise?); and I will still be doing the samefor Agent Genius, as well. I will, of course, still be selling real estate. So I guess, in some ways, things don’t really change all that much for me.
In other ways, things will never be the same. Now, all that social media and Web 2.0 research that I do will have an additional purpose. I will be able to direct my efforts towards building, enriching, and expanding the already strong community at Inman.com. The Inman.com Community site is up and running, and one of my responsibilities will be doing everything I can to make sure that community is a vibrant one.
I want to thank all of the folks at Inman, Joel and Don especially, for being willing to give me this opportunity, and I want to thank all of you here who have supported my efforts at RealEstateZebra.com. Without you, there would be no community. Together, I know that we can spread the word and grow the community to include everyone who could benefit from the knowledge and experience we have all gained.
I am excited to have this opportunity, I am excited to be able to share it with you. But right now, an opportunity is all it is. I want to grow this opportunity into an experience that the industry and its professionals will look upon not as a high point, but as a foundation for how the real estate industry can innovate and revolutionize the profession.
It’s gonna be an exciting and interesting ride, so come along!
Catch the Zebra on Real Estate Radio USA Tomorrow at 4:30 EST
April 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tomorrow is May Day. I don’t think I’ve actually celebrated May Day since the 5th grade. Tomorrow, however I’ll be bringing in the month of May with the Barry’s over on Real Estate Radio USA.
I’ll be on at 4:00 EST, but the show gets rolling at 4:00pm. You can listen in, or if you miss it, there will be an archive version as well.
Oh, and if you were wondering where they got that great bio for me, it is part of the Zebra Manifesto. 
Wanna Know How You Can do Irrevocable Damage to Your Brand and Your Reputation?
April 22, 2008 | 10 Comments
Read this post by The Phoenix Real Estate Guy addressing a recent Redfin blog post.
Pay very close attention to the comments on the Redfin blog post. Not because of what the other real estate professionals had to say, but because of what “Jon” a real estate consumer had to say:
I am not a real estate agent, as most commenters here appear to be. I’m just a soon to be homeowner interested in real estate in San Diego.
But I do find this post not only childish, but insulting.
“Everyone ends up with a bad taste, longing for a barf bag and mouthwash.”
You’re right. That describes me to a T after reading this drivel.I am considering using Redfin as my agency, but I wouldn’t ever consider using Ms. Hian as my agent.
“Biting back” at Ms. Berg is one thing, but you bit back at everyone that contributed to that food drive. How is that appropriate?
This is just one comment from a consumer who happened to leave a comment. How many more consumers read this post and didn’t leave one? My guess is that it is more than one. Now, how many more will read Jay Thompson’s post? How many more might read this post?
Are you beginning to get the picture?
So for you, dear reader, be reminded that the internet NEVER forgets, and the rate at which information travels is swift, and the depths to which it reaches are almost infinite. Perhaps Carol Hian should have considered that before she sat down at her keyboard. I can only hope that what I hope are the good folks at Redfin will give her a gentle reminder.
UPDATE: Glenn Kelman, President and CEO of Redfin, apologized for the post in the comments section. I would imagine something even more significant might be coming. Now THAT’S reputation management. We await the apology of Ms. Hian. . .
You Can Also Catch The Zebra on the REALTOR Magazine Blog
April 17, 2008 | 3 Comments
Just this week, I started a series of posts over on VARBuzz that will focus on the history of the National Association of REALTORS. Specifically, I’ll be writing posts as I make my way through the new Centennial book that was published by NAR.
When I first pitched this idea to the good folks at VARBuzz, they were very receptive. Around that same time, I attended the VAR BloggerCon 2.0, where I happened to meet Pamela Geurds Kabati, the Editorial Director of REALTOR Magazine, and NAR Vice President. We had a very good discussion about the magazine as a result of what I had written over on AgentGenius. One of the things I said at the BloggerCon was that I really want to like REALTOR Magazine, but I just don’t. Pamela asked me for some feedback, and we had a very good conversation.
During that conversation, I mentioned to her my idea of writing posts about the book for VARBuzz. She thought that was a great idea, and wondered if I would mind posting them on the REALTOR Magazine Blog. First of all, I was surprised to find REALTOR Magazine had a blog (I had no idea); second of all, I was honored.
Later the next week, I received a call from Stacey Moncrieff, the Editor-in-Chief of REALTOR Magazine. She also asked me for some feedback about the book and the magazine, and we worked out some logistics of getting my posts on the blog.
So, today was the first appearance of the Zebra on the REALTOR Magazine “Speaking of Real Estate” blog. So if you are not a Virginian, or you don’t happen to check VARBuzz very often (why not?), or you know others who might like to read the posts at REALTOR Magazine instead, there you go.
There are some little formatting issues that we will have to work out to get the posts in both places exactly right, and I think the good folks at REALTOR Mag are going to look into setting up a separate category to archive the posts. That would be cool.
Oh, the comments on the posts are OPEN in both places, so if you see something interesting, or want to make your voice heard– do it! The REALTOR Magazine blogs are pretty cool, but they are definitely lacking in the conversation department.
While I’ve got your attention, what questions do YOU have about REALTOR history? I would love to be able to answer them with future posts in the series. . .
Dr. Lawrence Yun Is A Zebra
April 3, 2008 | 11 Comments
Last week, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist of the National Association of REALTORS. Of course, it wasn’t just me and him, the group was made up of myself and fellow bloggers Jim Duncan, Matthew Rathbun, Danilo Bogdanovic, Scott Rogers, Ben Martin and the CEO of the Virginia Association of REALTORS, R. Scott Brunner.
Sitting down for lunch with Dr. Yun was a unique opportunity. Sitting down for conversation with a group of insightful and intelligent REALTORS made the opportunity all the more valuable. We will be sharing our experiences today. Make sure to read all of the posts, since you are sure to get very different perspectives from everyone. Here’s mine. . .
Looking at Lawrence Yun Through a Zebra’s Eyes
When I have meetings like this, ones in which I am meeting someone for the very first time, and especially someone who has a popular perception that precedes him, I always rely on my experiences and training as a referee.
Why do I do this? Simple– as a referee, I am constantly interacting with coaches on a professional level in highly charged, emotional and potentially confrontational situations. When I meet coaches for the first time, I have a very short period of time (sometimes, literally a handshake) to establish credibility and try to discern from them how a game will go. I have to be very observant, learn as quickly as I can what makes them tick, how they react in certain situations, what will set them off, what will calm them down, etc.
I approached the lunch with Dr. Yun the same way. I approached him as I would a coach. Sure, I’ve heard all of the criticism of Dr. Yun, but I wanted to meet the man for myself. I wanted to find out what makes him tick and how he really feels about certain issues. These are the things beyond his title as Chief Economist of NAR. These are important things.
Dr. Yun Doesn’t Shrink from Criticism
All of us at the lunch knew that this wasn’t an interrogation. It wasn’t even an interview, really. It was a discussion. Of course, we all came prepared with our questions, and he was very ready to answer them. In I guess what you could call an attempt to address the elephant in the room the very first issue addressed was the vehement criticism of Dr. Yun from the blogosphere. We wanted to know if he reads the criticism, and what he thinks about it.
He didn’t flinch. His response was that he doesn’t seek out the criticism, but that his colleagues occasionally make him aware of it. He knows that criticism is an important part of a free society. What impressed me about his response was that he actually appreciates the criticism, when it brings up valid points and arguments. He wants to know when people have a problem with the forecasts and analysis of the NAR research group. His answer had no hint of hubris, or conceit. He didn’t brush the criticism aside, even if he doesn’t always agree with it.
The Data is Sacred
Going into this lunch, I was very interested in the process that goes into NAR economic forecasts and analysis. My contention has always been that since economists are scientists, you can say whatever you want about them personally, but the thing that really matters is the method behind what they do. You might night like the personality of an economist, but if his method is sound, then you can’t call him a hack, or accuse him of any malevolence.
The thing that Dr. Yun mentioned more than once when we talked about the forecasting process is that, “the data is sacred.” He has a deep understanding and appreciation for the fact that great care must be taken to ensure that the data upon which forecasts are based must be the best data available, and that it must be trustworthy. Without that, the whole process fails. This is one reason why he doesn’t personally compile the data. He has a staff of economists that independently gather the data and then share it with him. He merely applies his forecasting models to the collected data. This data is gathered from various sources, some through NAR research, and some through the research of various government agencies.
When talking about the forecasting and research process, it was very apparent that Dr. Yun has a very high regard for the method used. There was no equivocation, no wavering, no disclaimers, “the data is sacred.” It was important to hear him say that.
When it Rolls Down Hill, Guess Who Stands at the Bottom?
While we were talking about the processes behind what comes out of NAR, Dr. Yun mentioned that he is involved in the NAR meetings about national messaging. You know, these are the meetings that are partially responsible for all those TV and radio ads that we just love.
Knowing this prompted me to ask him a very pointed question, “since you are involved in the messaging meetings, are the other executives at NAR involved in the forecasting process?” To me, this is important. Dr. Yun’s answer was simple:
“No. The buck stops with me.”
When it comes to releasing the forecasting and research reports, Dr. Yun lives on an island. He alone is responsible for the releases. He alone is responsible for making the tough calls. There is no one adding input, no one telling him what to say. He gets all the glory (when there is any to be had), and he definitely bears the brunt of all the criticism.
What surprised me was that I had no idea how dependent upon NAR data our entire economy is. We discovered that Dr. Yun is in constant contact with government agencies and economic powers. Whenever the government needs housing market data, guess who they call? When foreign governments and financial institutions have questions about the American housing market, guess who they call?
This revelation gave me an interesting perspective on housing market questions. Having a client stop me in the grocery store and ask me, “how’s the market?” is quite a bit different than receiving the same question from the Department of Commerce.
Lawrence Yun Is a Zebra
Now having met Dr. Yun in person, sitting next to him, breaking bread with him, listening to him, observing him, digesting his answers, it became apparent to me that Dr. Yun would probably make one heck of a basketball referee. Here’s why:
He can take criticism (he surely gets plenty of it). This is one of the most basic things that a basketball referee needs to learn. People are going to scream and yell at you, people are going to hate you sometimes. The trick is knowing which voices are valid, and which ones are just yelling. Sometimes it’s about ignoring the way in which someone criticizes in order to figure out if their criticism is valid.
He respects the fundamentals of his work. For referees, it all starts with the rules. If you don’t know the rules, you can’t possibly do a good job. Mistakes in judgement will be made, rules mistakes are unacceptable. For Dr. Yun, it all starts with the data and preserving the integrity of the data and the process by which it is gathered and interpreted.
He embraces the finality of his responsibility. When the whistle blows, everyone stops and looks at you. Basketball referees live and die by every call. Every referee knows this and doesn’t shy away from the tough calls that must be made. Dr. Yun knows that the nature of his position is such that he leads with his chin. In the end, he knows he can’t pass off his responsibilities to some one else. The forecast models are his, the reports are his, and he can’t point the finger at someone else. He is not only aware of this fact, but seems to embrace it.
What I Learned
Coming into this lunch, I didn’t really have any expectations. I just wanted to try and gain a better understanding of Dr. Yun and try to see his job through his eyes. Plenty of other people have offered their opinion as to what he does, so it was interesting to me to hear how he interprets his work and his responsibilities.
One of the things that was quite refreshing was the candidness of Dr. Yun. He didn’t dodge any of the questions. That’s not to say his answers weren’t diplomatic, but he didn’t dismiss any of them. He also is very open to interaction with the membership. It seems to me that he genuinely cares not only about his job, but about the job that REALTORS do on a daily basis. There was much discussion about how his department could help REALTORS on the ground in their daily interactions with the public. I almost got the sense that he wishes he could have more interaction, but that he understands the line that must exist. He never specifically said that, but that was just my impression. To his credit, the research department seems more available and willing to engage now than ever before.
This lunch was a very valuable experience. It gave me a new way of looking at some of the criticism that is sure to come when the next market forecast is released. I got to see things from another perspective, and a very important one, at that. More than anything, I got to shake the man’s hand, look into his eyes, and make a determination for myself how I felt about him. The verdict–
somebody give that guy a whistle and some stripes
UPDATE:
Here are the links to the posts of the other attendees:
Danilo Bogdanovic
Jim Duncan
Scott Rogers @ VARBuzz
Matthew Rathbun @ AgentGenius
Ben Martin, blogger and VAR Staff/Social Media guru
Catch ZebraTalk LIVE from the VAR BloggerCon This Friday!
April 3, 2008 | 3 Comments
This Friday, April 4th, will be a very special episode of ZebraTalk. It will be special because I will be broadcasting the show LIVE from the Virginia Association of REALTORS BloggerCon.
The show will air LIVE at 3:15 pm EST. My live studio audience for the show will be made up of the VAR BloggerCon attendees.
On the show, I’ll be sharing what we learned during the all-day BloggerCon, and I’ll be doing interviews of the BloggerCon attendees.
Mark your calendars for 3:15 pm EST on April 4th. Then head to the ZebraTalk homepage and don’t just listen, but join in the conversation!
Check Out REtech South
March 22, 2008 | 3 Comments
There is a new conference, or un-conference as the case may be, out there for the real estate industry. I’m excited about this one because it was organized from the ground up by a really nice guy that I had the pleasure of meeting at InmanConnect NYC.
His name is Matt Fagioli. I did an interview of Matt at InmanConnect NYC. Unfortunately, the video didn’t download properly, and I lost it. At that time, Matt mentioned to me that he wanted to get an event together in his area for people interested in technology and the real estate industry. Just a few weeks later, REtech South was born.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend, but if you are in the Atlanta area (or even if you’re not), RETech South is something you might want to consider. It is a one-day event, March 27th. The cost for registration is $99. Check out the website for more info. For a video intro to the what REtech South is all about, check it out:
Lunch With NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun
March 18, 2008 | 3 Comments
It might not be lunch with the Queen, but I am nonetheless excited. The Virginia Association of REALTORS has provided myself and some fellow Virginia real estate bloggers an opportunity to have lunch with NAR’s Chief economist, Lawrence Yun.
Yun was recently named one of America’s Top 10 Economic Forecasters by USAToday. There has been some discussion over on VARBuzz about what questions you would ask Mr. Yun, given the chance.
So I’m curious, what would you like to know from NAR’s Chief Economist?
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Disclaimer
My name is Daniel Rothamel. I am a licensed real estate agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the National Association of REALTORS. As such, I adhere to a strict code of ethics and all laws with regard to equal housing, which is reflected in the content of this blog. My broker is Strong Team REALTORS, 86 Joshua Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963; (434) 589-5800. My VA Real Estate License number is 0225 077325. All of the opinions in this blog are mine, unless otherwise noted.
