Pigeonholed

First Things First

White Sox now 33-115 and 6 losses away from becoming the worst team in the modern era. You can see what being traded by the Sox does for a guy! (Eloy Jimenez)

5 Tips when Decorating or Selling

The combover involved growing out the hair on the side of the head and then swoosh – combing it over the top to cover the thinning crown. Donald J Smith and his father, Frank J Smith, right here in Florida even patented it! My Dad was a master of the combover at a very early age. Hair started to shed during his college years. By the time I was a toddler, I remember the scent of “The Dry Look”, hair spray by Gillette in plentiful fashion with its masculine woodsy outdoor aroma. Dad worked hard to make sure whatever follicles were left turned into some sort of 70’s fashion statement.

The end of this futile project came crashing down after a sales meeting my dad had with JC Penny in the late 1970’s in New York City. Western Textile always had an in with Montgomery Ward whose headquarters were walking distance from our downtown office in Chicago. So, getting a meeting with Penny’s to sell his drapery product was quite the triumph. Dad was always early for his appointments and super well prepared. Then out of nowhere, it rained. Except it was sunny. It wasn’t raining. It was a pigeon. Dad was bombed!

White splatter on his suit and the combover was now a sticky glob of pale mess. Cary frantically went to the Men’s room to fix his doo (pun intended). The pigeon had now pigeonholed him in. Either look unpresentable or be a few minutes late? Dad did the best he could and ended up a reasonable ten minutes late. The Penny’s buyer said sorry Charlie. Cary groveled that he flew in from Chicago and talked about the pigeon and his hair. The Buyer never came out of her office and poor Dad was whisked away. Maybe she was an a****le? Maybe the receptionist saw the crazed hair and smelled the musky aroma turned into a combo of WD-40 and, well, s**t. The moral of the story is if being prompt is the most important thing to the client, don’t pigeonhole yourself in by being late. Plus, whoever thinks that getting bombed by a bird is good luck, needs their head including the doo examined.

This week I was interviewed on a story that reminded me of the pigeon. One major publication interviewed me about a home in West Palm Beach that has this super specific over the top contemporary home right in West Palm Beach.

“Is this a bonus to bring more money in for the homeowner?” Since many of you are always decorating, buying or selling, I’ll give some answers……

The ad reads…. Unique, modern, and professionally designed DUPLEX property in prime location. The property is adorned with original artwork and installations throughout. The main house spans 1342 square feet and features 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The home’s striking B&W theme has been thoughtfully curated to provide a one-of-a-kind living experience.

The reporter asked me if I thought that given the area, if this was an advantage. That’s when I sent her a photo of a pigeon. “First, you must find someone who likes this type of specific black and white contemporary look. People typically buy artwork to hang on the wall, not have the entire home like the artwork. The house has all the same theme as well. Basically, they are pigeonholing themselves into just this type of buyer. Second, even if you find a buyer (often a couple are the buyers and both have different tastes), how about resale? Style has already changed to have much more color so it’s very specific. What if the market switches to traditional?” The reporter exclaimed, “can’t they just paint the house?” “Upon examination, you’d have to change out the backsplash and the stairs for starters. People just move on to the next house and the “retail buyer” who pays top dollar will pass as they have no vision of how to change it.”

Homes can get pigeonholed in. If you are purchasing or selling, here are some tips so this doesn’t happen.

When remodeling or purchasing you must always give thought to exit strategy. Keep it neutral.
If you want to go wild, use paint. You can always paint over this which isn’t too expensive.
Use color as accents. Don’t go crazy with specific-colored countertops or accents.
Black can be a dangerous color and generally does not do well on resell.
Avoid wallpaper as it’s a mess and expensive to take down. If you want to have it, the powder room is the best place to try.

As for Cary, he eventually broke into JC Penny when they moved to Dallas. Dad learned to embrace that bald is beautiful.

And if you are selling the house, keep the birdbath in the back. It’s not good luck to have the Buyer get bombed!

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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.