August - About

adult children make the process asstraightforward as possible.“It’s never easy,” she says.Laura grew up in Middleburg,Virginia and graduated from theUniversity of Virginia (UVa.) inCharlottesville. “[That’s] where Imet my husband,” Laura says. “Weboth attended UVa. He’s originallyfrom Williamsburg, and that’s howwe ended up here. We have livedhere for all but two years since wemarried in 1998.”She began her career working inrecruiting and human resources atNewport News Shipbuilding, andthen moved to the InformationTechnology area of the company.Laura earned her Masters of BusinessAdministration at the Collegeof William and Mary.“Then I left the shipyard andstarted working for a consultingfirm for a few years,” she explains.“I became a mom in 2005. Myoldest went to kindergarten thispast year, and a little bit of timewas freed up. My thought wasthat when my second one goes tokindergarten, I’d have my businessup and running full-time. Well,the idea jumped and [it] took mytime faster than I expected. I havea growing business, but still try tobe a stay-at-home mom. It’s a littlecrazy.”Laura realizes that she does morethan coordinate moves and estatesales for seniors. The psychologicalimpact of leaving the family homefor a new adventure is complicatedfor both parents and children.“Although, by the time I getcalled, the decision has been madeto move,” she says, “I know it’s reallytough.”She has worked with senior coupleswhere one has had more troublewith the transition than theother. “Give it time,” she advises.“Especially when one spouse hastransitioned well and the other stillhas trouble. You have to let themgo through their own process.”The new home must still feellike home even though not all thepossessions will move to the newplace.What are some ways Realtors®build relationships withbuyers and sellers?PILAND:It’s still all about relationships...those bonds based on trust, confidenceand knowledge will alwaysbe how homes are boughtand sold. There are many wayswe build relationships with thepublic, clients, fellow agents, supportteams and service providers.How do we find and build relationshipsthat ultimately will sellyour home?To start, let’s understand someterms. The word “media” is oftenoverused or perhaps misused.One definition of media is merelythe means of disseminating information.We often associatethe word “media” with the newspapers,magazines or news channelson the television, Internet orradio. We associate the words “socialmedia” with web based siteslike Facebook, Twitter, LinkedInor Plaxo. These permission basedsites allow for interaction on adirect basis. But what is it really?Marketing.Social media is only one marketingactivity that is a portal tothe start of a relationship or simplya relationship builder. It allowsindividuals to relate to youthrough your conversations. Theyallow you to locate, attract andconnect with amass of peoplewith similar interests,opinionsand thought processes.Some socialmedia sites allow you to do bothpersonal and specific marketing.“Posting” a listing on Facebookor on Craigslist might just catcha buyer’s eye.With sites like Homes.com,Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillowyou can look for homes to buy orrent, compare your home to thoseon the market, ask questions ofRealtors® and research the qualificationsof a Realtor®.However, caution should alwaysbe applied when relying onInternet information. Automated-Value-Models (AVM’s) are notbased on human intellect and perspective.They do not allow forlocation, condition or plan designin their “pricing”. That is howyour local Realtor® brings value toyou. And, those are the benefitsthat your local Realtor® offers you.Their knowledge of the marketand their ability to convey the informationto you will solidify thatimportant trusting relationship.Print media is a tool that is usedto attract consumers to a businessor organization visually. Often anadvertisement evokes an emotionor memory. It can be a “branding”vehicle as consumers searchfor that Realtor® relationship...theone that will help them buy or sella home.The yard sign remains a popularmarketing tool and has experienceda metamorphosis ofinformation. In addition to theQ & AAn Interview with Nan PilandPRESIDENT OF WILLIAMSBURG AREA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ®Email Nan at info@waarealtor.comRealtor’s® name and contact information,signs may now displaywebsites that buyers can visit toget detailed information about theproperty and information boxescontaining printed details aboutthe property.Another feature on signs that’sgrowing in popularity is QuickResponse codes (QR). QR codesare square barcodes that can beread by camera telephones orbarcode readers that take you toa website which contains detailsabout the property. All of this isdone to help you learn more abouta particular property and the Realtor®- building a relationship thatwill serve you.The traditional open house isalso an opportunity to build a relationship.One-on-one conversationis important. If you are visitingan open house, you may ormay not find your dream home.But what you might find is theright Realtor® to help you throughthe process of buying or selling ahome.What all of this comes downto is relationships - trusting theadvice of your Realtor®. Whileexcellent marketing is crucial forbuying and selling homes, all ofthe best marketing in every venuepossible will not, by itself, sell ahome. That continues to be theprice, position, location and thecondition.Your Realtor® can guide you tohomes that fit your needs and desires.This can save you the timeand energy of scouring throughhundreds of real estate websites onyour own.Real estate is local.Williamsburg Area Association of Realtors ®757-253-00285000 New Point Road, Suite 1101 Williamsburg, VA 23188-9418www.waarealtor.comNEXT DOOR NEIGHBORSAUGUST2011 43