LEGOS and Real Estate Organization

Some people fancy the “Movie Theater Room”. Others yearn “Home Gym”. Me, I crave a “LEGO Room”.

The worst toy ever invented was the LEGO. I would support a federal ban to outlaw this cherished childhood favorite. “What’s wrong with you”, you say?!? LEGO’s are basically an American institution. It helps with creativity, problem solving, motor skills, patience, stress reduction, and imagination according to the LEGO official website. LEGO amusement parks have been built. They offer elaborate designs with Seinfeld Sets (custom Jerry & George pieces), Police Prison Garden sets, the Florida Gator Campus with a bazillion individual unique pieces. Grown adults now play and collect them like baseball cards.

There are even LEGOS that look like you. My son got a knockoff piece of me in the suit next to Jerry Seinfeld. You can see in the photo below. Some people I know get enraged or all vain when seeing their LEGO self. My Mom wanted her hair a bit more blonde. Others thought their LEGO self looked too boxy.  See no good vibes come from this.

The reason why this marvelous and ingenious toy should be banished is it creates a mess. There is no, “put that shambling clutter in the basement!” in Florida. That is why LEGO Rooms are needed. Parents step on them creating dangerous bloody wounds on their soft barefoot feet and then holler for little Joey to put them away. The divorce rate is probably what it is from grownup collector hobbyists and adolescents creating even more chaos all over the house. There are so many fragments that it’s impossible to organize.  You are better off just getting little Sally a nice expensive bicycle. Even a Pony. There is just one to take care of and the mental health and sanity of savings are worth the peace of mind. And don’t even get into the real estate agent’s nightmare to stage the house with this insidious plaything.

Real Estate salespeople are also like LEGOS.  That is why we have “Iron” Blake Tyson at Echo Fine Properties. Blake is our in-house Real Estate Administrator & Closing Coordinator. Realtors excel at doing “sales things”. “Sales things” are talking to people, handing other people’s emotions, strategy, presentation, marketing, and negotiating. Organization – not so much.  If they are not organized, they aren’t going to sell your home and could cause a goof up.  Here are 6 keys that your agent better have support in to assist them (and ultimately YOU) to make for a good transaction and a silky smooth closing…..

The 6 Keys of Organization

Echo is basically a Teamerage. A combination of sales agents with the support of a team behind them. If you as the lay person got your Real Estate license tomorrow, you’d find you are responsible for paying for everything from photos to lead generation to postage stamps to balloons. At Echo, we have deep support staff to take much of the paperwork off the agents hands to free them up for selling, accuracy, and competency. We do it all to take off the agent’s expense and free them up.  It’s part of our 57-promise, Home ECHOnomics Guarantee. Blake and our team assist agents and our customers by handling much of the paperwork. This is vitally important in our 24-7 business because it ensures the listing is entered properly, paperwork is completed correctly, due dates are followed, and mistakes don’t occur.

1. Training and Backstop

New agents and even experienced ones rely on Blake for training and keeping up to date with new procedures. He is also a backstop if they need something drawn up if they are in the field and can’t get to it. I don’t know how many times an agent is out showing property or at dinner, and Blake facilities a deal when time is of the essence.

2. Entering the listing

Rather than the agent entering the listing in MLS, we do this internally. The MLS is littered with mistakes. Mismarked subdivisions and areas are the most serious as the listing won’t even show up in a search. This happens over 25% of the time. Misspellings occur. Having photos in proper order (we usually lead with aerials as they tell the whole story.) Seller disclosures. MLS input sheets. HOA fees. Furniture addendums. All of this we want to make certain is correct and in place. Even details like entering the room size as a 15×12 versus a 12×15. 15x 12 seems larger so we always use the bigger number first.  Little things add up to sales and closings.

3. Attachments

Amendments and attachments that are needed both in MLS and as part of contracts. We load them up in MLS so the Buyers agent can see them. Blake overlooks our contracts as well.

4. Correction to the listing

If we have a price change, those are handled internally by Blake as well as other changes like new HOA fees.

3. Importance of dates

Too many of these to remember. HOA and POA application dates. Inspection dates. Escrow dates. Loan commitment dates. Wire transfer dates. Keeping track of the dates and assisting the agents to keep things organized.

4. Help desk for agents.

When we have questions on contracts or how to do something, Blake is there. “Blake, I don’t want to bother you, but…”  It’s never a bother! Again, time is of the essence and getting help when needed is key for our agents and clients.

5. Help desk for writing up offers!

Agents always need help with situations and paperwork, and at times sending things out for signatures.

6. Closing coordination

Keeping track of dates is the most important part of this but also last-minute things that the title company needs, Blake assists with.

Look, your home transaction is often the largest financial transaction one will handle. Lots of money is at stake. It shouldn’t be child’s play!

Jeff Lichtenstein, originally from Chicago, got his start in the home furnishings textile business where he traveled over 35 weeks a year selling fabrics. After the family business was sold, Jeff moved to Florida and became a real estate agent. Today he is the owner and broker of Echo Fine Properties, a luxury residential brokerage voted best brokerage of the year. Jeff manages a non-traditional model of real estate that mimics a traditional business model. Echo has 80 agents, an average of one million dollars per transaction and over 500 million in annual sales. Between traveling for work and annual family trips to national parks with his wife and 2 now adult children, Jeff has visited 49 states. He is also one of the few Chicago White Sox fans you’ll ever meet.  Some publications he has been quoted in.

Author of business & leadership book How Making a Sandwich Can Change Your World –  The Amazing Success of the PB&J Strategy – Available to Buy Now!

Feel free to ask him a question directly at [email protected] including a complementary  valuation of your home.

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About the author

Jeff Lichtenstein, originally from Chicago, got his start in the home furnishings textile business where he traveled over 35 weeks a year selling fabrics. After the family business was sold, Jeff moved to Florida and became a real estate agent. Today he is the owner and broker of Echo Fine Properties, a luxury residential brokerage voted best brokerage of the year. Jeff manages a non-traditional model of real estate that mimics a traditional business model. Echo has 100 agents, an average of one million dollars per transaction and over 500 million in annual sales. Between traveling for work and annual family trips to national parks with his wife and 2 now adult children, Jeff has visited 49 states. He is also one of the few Chicago White Sox fans you’ll ever meet. Some publications he has been quoted in.

Author of business & leadership book How Making a Sandwich Can Change Your World – The Amazing Success of the PB&J Strategy – Available to Buy Now!

Feel free to ask him a question directly at [email protected] including a complementary valuation of your home.

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