Helen Adams Realty Sales Meeting

CRRA Presentation, January 10, 2012

Slide #1

Good Morning Everyone.  Welcome to our first in a series of company-wide sales meetings this year.  Over the past 3 months, I have met with most of you together with Laurie, Donna, or Bob to discuss your business plans for this year.  The great majority of your plans conveyed a sense of gratitude for what you have and the opportunities before you.

Slide #2-4

Since this sense of gratitude was a common theme among our most successful business planners, I thought I would leave with you today three essays which convey a sense of self-worth and gratitude toward others.  A positive mindset and a desire to help others are key ingredients to a successful sales program.  Before we move forward with our meeting, lets take just 5 seconds to reflect on who or what we have to be thankful for… ok.  Raise your hand if you were as thankful for Patty Adams as I am?

Slide #4 – Cunningham Slide

Other people I am thankful for are Rebecca Madej, Chris Tilley, David Gulledge, and Hang Cunningham for their outstanding mortgage partnership with us.  I am very pleased to introduce Hank Cunningham to you.  Hank is President of Cunningham and Company.  He has more than 37 years of professional mortgage experience.  He currently serves as chairman of the Residential Board of Directors of the Mortgage Bankers of America.  Hank is also chairman of the Legislative Committee for the Mortgage Bankers of the Carolinas and holds the designation of Certified Mortgage Banker.  Please join me in welcoming Hank Cunningham.

Slides…

Scott’s changes in technology, Bryan Perkins, Holly Hester slides & printed material, Donna Hall & printed material, Laurie Knudsen & printed material.

Slide #5

Charlotte Metro Report: (FYI) Most of these charts will be published on our website later this week.  This report was created and published by Moody’s Analytics in July 2011.  They are forecasting that:

• The unemployment state will steadily improve over the next for years.
• Our population will continue to grow 1.5-2% per year.
• Our single family permits will more than double in 2012.
• Our existing home prices will slide 1.5% in 2012 and increase an aggregate of 11.5% by 2015.
• Net migration in Charlotte has been positive for as long as I can remember.  Cities which are big contributors to Charlotte population include: New York, Washington, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Miami.

Slide #6

The Annual Home Price Appreciation Chart is published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.  In 2011 they depict price depreciation of 4.4%, which is in line with Moody’s and the stats published by our association.

Slide #7

Mecklenburg Single Family by permits were about the same in 2011 as 2010.  For 2012, we are forecasting that double the number of permits will be issued as builders sell of their existing inventory and begin to build their pipelines; this is in line with Moody’s forecast as well.

Slide #8

The average sales price in Charlotte dropped 4% from $208,924 to $200,656.  We forecast a 1% price decline in 2012.

Slide #9

The number of units sold in our MLS system rose 2.3% to 22,529 units.  We forecast that the number of units closed in 2012 will be 23,205, which is an increase of 3%.

Slide #10

This slide shows the number of sales by price range in our MLS system.  We believe we saw a big increase in sales in the 251-350 price range because this is the price range for buyers who are moving up from their first home and have gained some confidence in the market.  In 2012, we will see continued strength in this mid-range price point.  Homes priced up to $150,000 will continue to share a large part of the market as homes in this price range are released by the banks, which will turn into attractive 3^rd party investment opportunities.

Slide #11

This slide is a history of total sales volume and total units sold since 2000.  The dollar volume change from 2006 to 2011 dropped 53%.  The # of units sold in 2011 is 22,529 units – a drop of 48% from 2006 levels.

Slide #12 – “The Trouble with #s, or why you Need a Realtor”

The Charlotte Observer did some pretty good research, which serves as the basis of this story “Housing Glut Looms”.  However, they didn’t tell all sides to the story, which can create misunderstanding and confusion.  Following are a few quotes from this article:

• “For every home listed for sale in Mecklenburg County, at least two more are poised to come on the market.”
• “It’s an epidemic”, said attorney Rick Mitchell, who sees a growing number of clients who have stopped making mortgage payments but have not been foreclosed on.
• “The mere thought of shadow inventory makes potential buyers wary of investing in a new home”
• When shadow inventory comes on the market, it typically sells at a steep discount, depressing neighborhood values.
• “Shadow inventory is probably the most critical part of the equation in terms of getting a recovery going.  It has a chilling effect”, said Mike Vitmer, Chief Economist at Wells Fargo.

But let me ask you to raise your hands?  How many of you in this room have been involved in a multi-offer situation in the last 12 months?  This article suggests that bank owned sales are an epidemic and they are pervasive… that bank sales are happening throughout the market.

Slide #13

In all MLS, the number of closed sales for bank owned properties is at a rate that is 70% higher than in areas 4-1, 5-1, and 6-1.  In all MLS, the number of bank owned properties that are bank owned is 106% higher as a percent of listings than bank owned properties in areas 4-1, 5-1, and 6—1.  Finally, the sold median price for the entire MLS for foreclosures and short sales is $70,000 and $130,000 respectively, vs. $161,950 for traditional sales in all MLS.

Slide #14

And if the Observer had gathered opinions from other sources like Zelman’s quote that “inventories of homes coming down, showing healthy declines or…

Slide #15

…from Nick Timivaos, who said, “Prices can stabilize as long as the “distressed” sort of home sales remains about one-third of all sales.”  Also, if the Observer has shared these prices, then it would have been clear that the majority of bank owned business is in the lower price range of our marketplace.

Slide #16-23

Slides 16-23 just represent the back-up data for the Bank Owned Activity Summary, so I won’t spend any more time on them, but they do show a constant level of bank owned business over the past 24 months.

Slide #31

Briefly, here’s a few of the descriptions of a Ninja: self-improvement, knows the market better than their competition, great customer satisfaction, sales systems with proven consistent results, focused on what works.  For those of you who have been involved with Ninja Selling over the past 4 years, you will recognize this description of courses which Zan Monroe has taught us.

Slide #32

And how do we reinforce our business strategy and coach and advise you, our business partners, to execute on these “Ninja Systems”?  The answer is our team of managers and staff who all engage with you on many, many levels on a daily basis… as coach, as educator, as advisor, as friend.

Slide #33

We have the correct business strategy.  We have the best systems and processes, and the managers and staff to help you execute.  How will we sell real estate in the future?  Active Web, our website provider, asked each of our 23 Enterprise Partners to try and answer this question.  At your seat is my essay, and I would like to highlight some key insights as to how I think we will sell real estate in 2030.  First, we must become masters of the real estate process.  Our business becomes more and more complicated each day, and only the full time professionals will survive into the next decade.  Here are a few excerpts…

• This idea of sharing knowledge is the essence of Eric Thompson’s statement that “we will become masters of the real estate sales process.” We strive to become masters of the process by being informed about ALL issues effecting real estate.
• So what is a REALTOR?  A professional, full-time, fully engaged REALTOR is someone who, as Eric Thompson says, “is sort of like a hybrid REALTOR-Attorney, but much more.”  A full-time professional agent has the knowledge and experience to provide choices or advice and/or guidance in the areas of contract negotiations, design, education, mortgages, appraisals, inspections, remodeling, taxes, investment strategies, market history, market trends, marriage, and family, and on and on and on.  The nature of real estate and its transaction is heterogeneous in the extreme.

Slide #34

The internet has unleashed the information genie from the bottle and she will not return.  This free-flow of information gives consumers the ability to make better, more informed decisions which will drive the real estate market to greater and greater efficiency.  Ignorance cripples market efficiency, while sound data lets buyers and sellers make smart choices.  In a choice-driven market, the consumers take the central roll and become drivers of change… So how will we sell real estate in 2030?  In the end our clients and customers will shape this answer through their quest for richer and more timely information, greater transparency and well-defined service and performance standards.  As REALTORS we recognize these interests of our clients and customers, and we will adapt and join them in their quest.

Conclusion

We are looking forward to an extremely, highly successful year this year.  We will continue to focus on things we can control: the kind of people we hire and work with, the way we treat our customers, the quality of our service, our integrity, and our attitudes.  Here’s to a fabulous 2012, and thank you for joining us today.

Melissa Brown

As an introduction, my name is Jerry Rudolph and I recently moved to the Charlotte area from New Jersey. Melissa Brown was my agent when I purchased my home in Fort Mill, SC (7001 Roxburgh) and I would like to tell you about my experience with her.  

It started when my wife had read some good things about Melissa and asked her to show us some homes when we first visited Charlotte back in October.  We were only in town for a weekend and spent almost an entire day with Melissa looking at homes. Despite the great interaction my wife and I had with Melissa over the phone and through email prior to meeting her, I was extremely guarded that day because of some terrible experiences I had with real estate agents in the past.

Many things happened between that first meeting and my eventual purchase, including me backing out of a contract due to some inspection concerns on another home.  Throughout the entire process Melissa was absolutely amazing.  She was always helpful by giving advice when we wanted it, and almost more importantly she was always patient and never pushed my wife and I to do anything we weren’t sure about. My greatest experience with Melissa came during the most stressful point in my purchase.  My mortgage company had some last minute issues supplying the proper documentation and almost delayed my closing.  This might not sound that horrible but when you consider I had long distant movers scheduled and I was leaving the next morning for a business trip, it was a surprise I was not ready for. I was beyond stressed and it was Melissa that was able to keep things moving and kept assuring me that regardless of what happened everything would be ok.  We spent about 7 hours at the closing attorney’s office waiting for the closing documents to arrive.  Melissa went above and beyond and never once made me feel like she didn’t want to be there.

Melissa is a true asset to Helen Adams Realty and I will continue to let everyone know what a wonderful experience I had. I will certainly recommend her to anyone I know that is looking for a home.  If anyone ever requests a reference I would be more than happy for you to give them my email and/or phone number.

I would like to close by thanking you and Helen Adams Realty for employing such a wonderful individual.

Kind Regards,

 Gerard (Jerry) Rudolph

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Molly Collins

I just wanted to reach out to you and let you know what a great asset Molly Collins is to your company. I recently purchased my first house in December of 2011 and Molly was nothing short of awesome throughout the whole process. Like most people purchasing their first house, I was skeptical and even nervous about taking the big plunge but Molly alleviated everyone of those fears. She was not only professional and extremely knowledgeable about the whole process, but she had a calming, personable demeanor that was able to put my mind at rest whenever there were concerns. I can’t tell you how many times she went out of her way to set up appointments on my behalf (i.e. inspections, glass repair, etc.). All in all, Molly was a pleasure to work with and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. I tell everyone I know who’s even remotely thinking of purchasing to at least give her a call. In fact, I recently told one of my good friends about her and she is now working with Molly, and they actually just put an offer on their first house. She also couldn’t be happier with her decision to work with Molly.

 Working with Molly, I’m sure you can attest to everything that I’ve said in this letter. Too many times, people write letters or call companies to complain, but rarely do they take the time to point out great customer interactions. Well this was definitely on of those times. The kind of people a company hires speaks volume about the company itself, and Helen Adams has a winner in Molly. So thank you for having such great people work for you. You have earned a loyal customer, and I will continue to share your name with anyone I know who’s in the market.

 Sincerely,

Mike Mooneyham

2726 Gannett Dr

This beautiful, spacious home at 2726 Gannett Drive in Mt. Isle Harbor sits on a .50 acre corner lot in the desirable waterfront community of Mt. Isle Harbor.  Mt. Isle Harbor is a waterfront community located on Mountain Island Lake, featuring luxurious 4 & 5 bedroom ranch and 2-story homes with open, bright interiors. Mt. Isle Harbor offers lake living that is only 12 miles from uptown Charlotte! Most homes are situated on a home site at least one-half acre in size.

This well-maintained home features neutral colors and crown molding throughout. It has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a huge bonus room that is perfect for entertaining and recreation. The transitional, open floor plan includes a spacious kitchen with a ceramic tile floor and custom ceramic tile backsplash, a large great room, with a gas log fireplace, that opens out onto the deck. Dining room and foyer feature picture frame molding. The large master bedroom has a tray ceiling, and the master bath features dual vanities, ceramic tile floor, shower & garden tub separate, and his & her closets. Living here has all the advantages and amenities of a waterfront neighborhood including lake access, a pool, clubhouse, playground, tennis courts, and boat storage. Also, by living here, you are conveniently located near I-77, I-85, I-485, and only 15 minutes from Uptown Charlotte! Don’t miss out on all of the advantages that living in Mt. Isle Harbor offers!  CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUAL TOUR.

Rebecca Madej

I just recently had a closing with Rebecca Madej with Cunningham and it was a great experience for all parties in the transaction.  Rebecca is intelligent, efficient and professional.  Her weekly Friday updates were just fantastic!  The updates let all parties know where we were in the loan process to show the progress of the transaction.

 I would highly recommend Rebecca and her services.   - Jody Munn

Sasha Levons

About Sasha T. Levons

Selling or buying real estate is a stepping stone for many people throughout their lifetime of success whether it’s settling down and starting a family, relocating for a new job or simply investing your money wisely. Simply getting the job done is not enough. What it ultimately comes down to is impeccable customer service, great results and most importantly building strong relationships.

“I am a trusted advisor to many family and friends. Reason being, I assess everyone’s needs individually and personalize our approach accordingly. I use very unique tools in assessing my clients and their personal preferences. I make a commitment to my clients to provide them with the best service in meeting their needs, desires and goals.”

Educational Background

Sasha Levons attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Cognitive Science.

Sasha held many leadership positions which allowed her the opportunity to become a true trusted advisor. She received numerous accolades during her time at UNCC including the Outstanding Student Organization Leader Excellence Award, the Leadership Medal Award, and NAN Women in Leadership Sponsorship.

Hobbies

Sasha, a native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands has immersed herself in the charming southern metropolis of Charlotte, NC. She is a member of the Levine Museum of the New South as well as the UNC Charlotte Alumni Chapter. During her spare time, she loves to read, travel, scuba dive, play volleyball and go to the gym.

What People Say About Sasha

“Sasha Levons is a polished young woman, and a principled individual. I can say that I am most impressed with her work ethic. Sasha has never been interested in maintaining the ‘status quo’. She carefully thinks through her projects and sets out to accomplish her charge with a high degree of excellence; you see, with Sasha, there are no insignificant undertakings. If she is involved, you can be assured the task will be completed with merit.”

- Terre Lucas

“Sasha Levons is one of the most motivated, hardworking and organized people I have ever met. When there is a task to be done, Sasha always takes initiative and steps up to the plate before she is asked. She is a kind person with a good heart. It is in this spirit that she has won the respect of many. People know very quickly that Sasha can be trusted and she works very well with others.”

- Kristen Galloway

We’re pleased to announce that mobile-enabled Individual Property Websites (IPWs) are now available on The Enterprise Platform! With over 53 million SmartPhones in use in the United States, having your website enhanced for mobile viewing is important in order to provide potential buyers with detailed property information on-the-go. Designed with usability in mind, our mobile IPWs give customers the ability to navigate a property website with ease anytime, anywhere.

Customers will be able to scan a QR code or enter the property’s URL on their mobile device to be directed to the mobile version. Once a customer lands on the IPW, they are given the option to request additional information about the property or click-through to the photo gallery, property details, map view, agent information and more.

Feature highlights include:

Photo Gallery
Because one of the biggest factors in determining your next home is the aesthetics of the property, providing customers with quicker access to property photos was an important factor in the development of this product. As a result, mobile IPWs give users the ability to view the full set of property images in an easy-to-view format.

Property Details
In order to provide customers the same detailed property information available online, mobile-enabled IPWs give customers access to a wealth of information including the number of beds and baths, price and square footage, as well as the unique interior and exterior characteristics of a particular home.

Location
When searching for your next home, it’s all about location, location, location – which is why our mobile-enabled IPW displays the property’s address along with a map or satellite view of the location (including street view where available).

Docs & Links
Through this feature, customers can easily download any document or view links relevant to that specific property including floorplans, neighborhood information and more.

Call-to-Action
With several call-to-action items accessible on mobile IPWs, customers can easily request additional information about the property or contact the listing agent to schedule a showing directly from their mobile device.

Chris Tilley

I just wanted to send a quick testimonial to let you know that my first transactions at Helen Adams went as smooth as possible due to the excellent customer service that Chris Tilley provided my client.

I had a client who was as nervous as they come and went to a big bank to try and get a loan.  They would not give him the attention and customer service that he was wanting and I almost lost the deal.  I recommended Chris to him and FINALLY he agreed to meet with Chris.  Chris went out of his way to meet with him in person during a lunch hour and assured him that he could help him move in to a new home.  Chris was always available to me when I called or emailed.  He truly eased my client as well as my mind during the entire process.  I will recommend Chris to any of my clients in the future.  His customer service and professionalism are a true asset that I can share to all of my future clients.  I feel fortunate to be part of a company that has such a team environment.  I look forward to a bright 2012!

Thanks,

Libby Gonyea, HAR Agent

Eric Layne

Nancy and I need to let you know what an asset Eric is to Helen Adams.

Eric made us feel more like family than clients. We think that is a rare quality in a real estate agent. And he really earned his pay. He put in so many hours showing us properties. We were a tough sell, but his patients paid off for both us and Helen Adams. We got the house we wanted, at the price we wanted.

You can rest assured that Helen Adams Realty is much the better for having Eric Layne.

Nancy & Richard Hickey