Cleveland Real Estate And More

One Question That You Absolutely Must Ask Your Clients

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman are agents with Howard Hanna, the area's largest real estate company. They live in Solon Ohio and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.

LET'S CONNECT:

Is Your Customer Service Really That Good is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©February 2012

Solon Ohio Home On Land - Chagrin Highlands

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:58:50 -0500

Solon Ohio Home For Sale - 38735 Gaelic Glen, Solon, OH 44139

JUST LISTED - CHAGRIN HIGHLANDS

PRIVACY AND ELEGANCE!

OFFERED AT $500,000

Driving through the picturesque Chagrin Highlands neighborhood will leave a lasting impression on you. Once you pull up to this stately colonial, you will want this to be your next home. Located on one of the finest cul-de-sac lots around, you will be overwhelmed by the peace and serenity this home has to offer. The warmth and elegance of the interior is equally as impressive. Between the gourmet kitchen with stunning granite counters and elegant over sized dining room, you can entertain in grand fashion. The second floor bonus room offers limitless possibilities and is currently being used as an enormous play area. The walk-out lower level has a 5th bedroom, full bath, craft room, and rec room. The back yard makes a great play area yet also offers privacy. Solon was recently rated the 3rd best place to live in America and this fine home at 38735 Gaelic Glen is the best buy in town. Schedule your tour today!

MAP

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman specialize in Solon Oh Luxury Homes and both have designations pertaining to their expertise in selling luxury homes. Dan is an Accredited Luxury Home Specialist and Amy holds the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist designation.

For Ohio and Solon Oh real estate and luxury homes see Solon OH Real Estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

Solon Ohio Home On Land - Chagrin Highlands is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©January, 2012

Solon Ohio Luxury Home For Sale - Thornbury Estates

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:41:21 -0500

Solon Ohio Home For Sale - 6678 Winston Lane, Solon, OH 44139

JUST LISTED - THORNBURY ESTATES

COME HOME TO LUXURY!

OFFERED AT $644,900

The excitement builds as you drive through this premiere luxury home subdivision and arrive at one of Thornbury Estates finest homes. This picture perfect home will exceed your expectations. Impressive in every way with all the upscale amenities you deserve along with a highly functional floor plan. Tucked away from the center of the home on the first floor is a 5th bedroom with adjoining full bath perfect for an in-law suite or out of town guests. It is currently being used as a private office. The expansive finished lower level and spacious back yard are perfect play areas for both kids and adults. Thornbury's community playground and walking path top off this truly special neighborhood, a place anyone would be proud to call home. Schedule an appointment today to see your new dream home.

MAP

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About The Authors:

For Ohio and Solon Oh real estate and luxury homes see Solon OH Real Estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

Solon Ohio Luxury Home For Sale - Thornbury Estates is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©January, 2012

Mayfield Heights Oh Home For Sale

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:37:25 -0500

Mayfield Heights Home For Sale - 1228 E. Miner, Mayfield Heights OH 44124

JUST LISTED

CUTE AND UPDATED!

OFFERED AT $128,000

This is a warm and inviting bungalow that you'll love to call home! May major updates have already been done, such as the newer roof and windows. The wood cabinets look great with the included stainless steel appliances. There is a stylish full bath on the first floor and bonus half bath upstairs. This wonderful home boasts plenty of closet space including a large cedar closet. The back yard offers a little privacy within this desirable neighborhood. There is an extra parking pad in back. This fine home is located in close proximity to shopping, the highway, and Mayfield Community Playground.

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman live in Cleveland Ohio and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.

For Ohio and Cleveland Oh real estate and homes see Cleveland OH real estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

Mayfield Heights Oh Home For Sale is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©January 2012.

Pepper Pike OH Real Estate - Year In Review 2011

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:49:28 -0500

Pepper Pike OH Real Estate Year In Review 2011

Here is our official 2011 year in review for Pepper Pike Oh real estate, complete with a comparison to 2010. We will provide commentary after giving statistics on the Pepper Pike housing market.

Year # of Homes Ave. Sales Price Sales Price/List Price Ave. Days on Market

2011 89 $402,418 88.22% 194

2010 85 $435,535 91.99% 159

Here are all 2011 home sales in Pepper Pike broken down by price points:

Source: NEOHREX

COMMENTARY

A great year in 2010 was followed by even higher sales in 2011. However, as opposed to last year when we saw an increase in both sales AND average sales price, the average sales price of a home in Pepper Pike decreased from last year. The activity in the luxury home market ( those priced over $500,000) was decent with 25 sales. Although not as strong as 2010, it was much better than the 14 luxury homes that sold in 2009.

In addition to looking at Pepper Pike statistics, we also think it's important to note real estate activity in the other two suburbs that are also part of the Orange School District ( Moreland Hills and Orange ). Both Moreland Hills and Orange saw an increase in the average price of a home in 2011. Moreland Hills saw an increase in sales compared to 2010 while Orange saw sales numbers decrease.

Overall, the numbers indicate that the worst is behind us although the local real estate market is still moving along very slowly. There have been some positive signs in the economy which will hopefully help the local housing market.

There are some fantastic deals on homes in Pepper Pike right now, and continued low rates make this a great time to buy.

Pepper Pike is a very small community on the east side of Cleveland. It is in close proximity to the airport and downtown Cleveland, making it a popular destination for people relocating to Cleveland.

View Pepper Pike Ohio in a larger map

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman live on the East side of Cleveland and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.

For Ohio and Pepper Pike Oh real estate and homes see Pepper Pike OH real estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

Pepper Pike OH Real Estate Year In Review 2011 is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©January, 2012

A LinkedIn Tip Sure To Wow

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:06:55 -0500

A LinkedIn Tip Sure To Wow

While it is often overlooked compared to Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn can be quite effective. For those of you on LinkedIn, we will be sharing a special tip that can have a huge impact on your sphere and perhaps your business as well.

We'll start out giving you our tip and explaining how it can be good for you.

*** RECOMMEND SOMEONE ***

On Linked In, there is a function that allows you to recommend one of your contacts. It is on the right hand side of your contact's main page and looks like this:

Why Recommend Someone?

It helps build their profile
It may help them obtain business or get a job
The recommendation gets announced to their contacts
A way to show appreciation to someone that has been good to you
It will make their day and they will remember you for it

Who should You Recommend?

Co-Workers
Former Colleagues or Co-workers
Affiliates such as inspectors, lenders or anyone else you do business with
Current Or Past Clients
Fellow board members or people that network with you
Someone with less than 3 recommendations, as this may significantly build their LI profile

All you have to do is click on the "recommend" link as shown above and you can write a recommendation for someone in about 2 minutes, it's that easy and the impact can be huge.

So, go log into your LinkedIn account, look through your contacts, and recommend a few of them. They will be notified that you did this as well, so don't be surprised if you get a thank you phone call or lunch invitation from a very grateful contact.

We hope you find this little tip to be helpful, and that paying it forward will be a win-win for you and your Linked In contacts.

If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. We always appreciate having new readers and more importantly, enjoy making new friends.

Also, if you think your readers would enjoy this article, please feel free to re-blog by hitting the green button at the top of the post.

Here are some of our others posts that may interest you as well:

One Question That You Absolutely Must Ask Your Clients

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About The Authors:

For Ohio and Cleveland Oh real estate and homes see Cleveland OH real estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

A Linked In Tip Sure To Wow is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©November 2011

Stop Negotiating Like A 5 Year Old

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:24:08 -0400

Stop Negotiating Like A 5 Year Old - Originally Posted at Cleveland Real Estate Blog

Bringing buyers and sellers together is more difficult today than ever before. Buyers want it all and sellers are sick and tired of seeing their equity disappear. Negotiating in this market can be especially challenging when one of the parties or even the other agent negotiates like a child.

Don't get me wrong, children can be great negotiators, especially when it comes to wanting an extra dessert or staying up past their bedtime. However, when adults start acting illogical and downright child-like, well, it's just not good.

THE PROBLEM WHEN EMOTIONS RULE

At the end of the day, negotiations are about money and to some extent winning. This alone can make even the most level headed person become emotional. When you let your emotions and ego overtake your logic and decision making ability, that's when you get into trouble.

I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen someone let their emotions get the best of them. They become so wrapped up in the personal side of the transaction that they lose sight of what they are really trying to accomplish. They end up spending more time and energy discussing the other party than the actual transaction itself.

Some folks get so emotional that their behavoir actually becomes child-like, minus the kicking and screaming ( well sometimes they do scream ). If I could record their conversations and play them back to them, I'm convinced they would be quite ashamed at their behavior.

STAY CALM AND GET WHAT YOU WANT

No matter how riled up someone gets, we believe that camler heads prevail. Professionals need to detach themselves emotionally so they can help bring people together.

I realize that our clients want us to fight hard for them, but that doesn't mean we have to take on their emotions to accomplish their goals.

Making demands of the other party or idle threats that "we want this or else" just aren't effective. Those tactics may have worked in the past, but there is no place for them in today's business environment.

If you want to be angry because the buyer or seller isn't cooperating, take it out on punching bag, but not other people. In the end, take a step back, look at the big picture and stop acting like a child. If you don't, you'll end up doing more harm than good.

After all, winning the battle but losing the war is not an effective strategy for home negotiations.

Have you had a client who acted like a child? Please share your experience as we'd love to hear from you.

If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. We always appreciate having new readers and more importantly, enjoy making new friends.

Also, if you think your readers would enjoy this article, please feel free to re-blog by hitting the green button at the top of the post.

Here are some others that may interest you as well:

Home Sellers, Don't Let This Happen To You

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman live in Cleveland Ohio and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.

For Ohio and Cleveland Oh real estate and homes see Cleveland OH real estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

Stop Negotiating Like A 5 Year Old is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©November 2011

5 Reasons Why Using A Local Agent Is Better

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:38:40 -0400

5 Reasons Why Using A Local Agent Is Better

Local agents know their towns better than anyone else. We firmly believe that using a local Realtor® is in your best interests and in this post we will give you reasons why local is the only way to go.

5 REASONS WHY USING A LOCAL AGENT IS BETTER

1. Superior Market Knowledge - A good local agent knows the inventory inside and out and will be able to more easily pick out homes that are a good fit for you.

2. They Know The Schools - A local agent will have personal experience with the school system and be able to share valuable information with you.

3. Neighborhood Experts - A local agent not only knows all the specific neighborhoods, but often has friends and clients in each one that can be made available to you if needed. Our clients always appreciate hearing from people who live in the neighborhoods in which they are considering.

4. Strong Relationships With Other Agents - A good local agent will network with other local agents to get information that you will never find on line. We will know about homes that may be coming on the market in the future or learn about a seller who has suddenly become "highly motivated" and is open to offers.

5. In The Know - Real estate gossip gets discussed in small circles in every community, like at PTA meetings and at the local softball field. While most agents will never learn this "insider information", a local agent hears these things and will share them with their clients.

LOCAL IS SAFER

If you are ever looking to buy or sell a home, remember that a real estate transaction is very complicated, involving a lot of money and risk. A local agent is always the safest choice.

If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. We always appreciate having new readers and more importantly, enjoy making new friends.

Here are some others that may interest you as well:

Is Your Message Being Tuned Out?

One Question That You Absolutely Must Ask Your Clients

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman live in Solon Ohio and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.

For Ohio and Solon Oh real estate and homes see Solon OH real estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

5 Reasons Why Using A Local Agent Is Better is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©July, 2011

Letters Mean Nothing, You Need To SPELL It Out

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:00:39 -0400

Letters Mean Nothing, You Need To SPELL It Out

Many of us have designations we have earned, as indicated by letters next to our names. They are a great thing to have, but the problem is that besides people in our industry, no one knows what the heck they mean.

Does anyone besides a real estate agent know what an ABR is? How about a CRS, or GRI? That's why we should all go out of our way and spell things out whenever possible. And for those of you who want to learn more about the benefits of earning a designation, I wrote a post a few years ago that should be helpful.

WHICH IS BETTER?

Dan Schuman, AHLS or Dan Schuman, Accredited Luxury Home Specialist

Dan Schuman, E-Pro or Dan Schuman, E-Pro - Certified Internet Professional

Amy Schuman, ASP or Amy Schuman, Accredited Staging Professional

Think about it, these letters mean nothing unless the person reading understands their significance. When used properly, they can be an effective way to promote yourself and can be put in a ton of places, such as:

1. Our personal email signature

2. AR Signature / footer at bottom of the post

3. Signature when listings are sent to clients from our local MLS

4. Website

5. Business cards

Basically, wherever your name appears, you have an opportunity to highlight your designation.

In addition to spelling things out, many designations offer their own logo as well. Consider getting a copy and using it, especially in places where you have a lot of space, like on your website.

Showcasing our specializations is a good thing. It shows our commitment to education and may also be important to a consumer who is searching for an agent with a specific niche. We worked hard to earn our designations, so there's no reason to be shy about advertising them.

Overall, agents are great marketers, but when it comes to promoting ourselves we sometimes miss the boat. If you want people to know about your area of specialty and differentiate yourself from your competition at the same time, all you have to do is spell it out.

If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. We always appreciate having new readers and more importantly, enjoy making new friends.

Also, if you think your readers would enjoy this article, please feel free to re-blog by hitting the green button at the top of the post.

Here are some others that may interest you as well:

One Question That You Absolutely Must Ask Your Clients

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman live in Cleveland Ohio and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.

For Ohio and Cleveland Oh real estate and homes see Cleveland OH real estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

Letters Mean Nothing, You Need To Spell It Out is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©October 2011

It's Not The Market, It's Your Agent

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:58:53 -0400

It's Not The Market, It's Your Agent

All agents are not created equal. Selling real estate is more than just marketing a home and showing people houses. It takes an agent with a specific skill set to get the job done right, especially in today's challenging market.

The wrong agent will cause havoc throughout the entire process. They give bad advice, alienate other agents, and can end up becoming a major liability. Sometimes they are the main cause for a deal to fail.

While there are a lot of great agents in every market, there are a few bad apples that can make things difficult for everybody. Consumers need to choose wisely.

IS YOUR AGENT AN ASSET OR A LIABILITY

An agent who gets along well with others can greatly increase your probability of success. This type of agent is often well respected amongst their peers and has an innate ability to put aside their ego for the best interests of everyone involved. Some agents simply are more diplomatic than others.

An agent who "doesn't play nice in the sandbox" can do just the opposite and ruin a transaction. They may have the reputation locally of being a "bulldog", or "ruthless negotiator", a trait you think is important, but that doesn't mean other agents enjoy working with them. This type of agent can actually alienate others and end up being a huge liability.

A GOOD AGENT IS PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM

A successful agent provides valuable guidance throughout the entire transaction. They are the rudder of the boat, keeping things focused and on course at all times. They communicate well with everyone and bring solutions to problems. Failure is not an option to these folks.

On the flip side, some agents are truly the problem. They are combative, poor communicators, and can be highly emotional as well. These are traits that perhaps only others will experience while working with your agent, as you may never see this side of them.

Overall, some agents get in their own way, yet don't realize they are doing it. Maybe these tactics served them well in the past when the market was good, but this style isn't best suited for today's challenging market

It'S NOT ALWAYS THE MARKET

While the market is tough, opportunities still exist to achieve your real estate goals, but you need the right agent by your side to make this happen.

When interviewing agents, understand that a good agent brings a lot more to the table than just the basics. They are market experts, have excellent leadership and communication skills, and have good relationships within the local real estate community.

Remember, buying and selling real estate is a large financial transaction and should not be taken lightly. Make sure you hire an agent who will be a tremendous asset and not a liability to you. It's a rough market out there and you need all the help you can get.

If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. We always appreciate having new readers and more importantly, enjoy making new friends.

Also, if you think your readers would enjoy this article, please feel free to re-blog by hitting the green button at the top of the post.

Here are some others that may interest you as well:

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman live in Cleveland Ohio and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.

For Ohio and Cleveland Oh real estate and homes see Cleveland OH real estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

Is Your Agent An Asset Or Liability is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©September 2011

One Question That You Absolutely Must Ask Your Clients

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:21:57 -0400

One Question That You Absolutely Must Ask Your Clients

We all ask our clients a lot of questions. The more questions we ask, the better we can hone in on what they want and how we can make that happen. One specific question we ask actually has nothing to do with real estate but is sure to make your life easier and help elevate your levels of service.

Today, I'm going to share it with you in hopes that it will make a difference in your business. Here it is:

"WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED METHOD OF COMMUNICATION?"

Let's face it. what you say, when you say it, and the method in which you communicate are all important. Knowing how your clients want to communicate can be incredibly helpful.

MORE OPTIONS TODAY

In today's high-tech world, there are a lot more options in which to communicate than there were 10 - 20 years ago. Everyone has their personal preference too and we acknowledge and respect that. Some people love email, while others rather text. There are also many folks that still prefer speaking by phone. And if your clients are real old school, face to face interaction still has its place.

With all these ways to interact, we feel that it's important to find out which methods our clients prefer and act accordingly. If our hip tech savvy clients prefer texting, then we text. The ones that prefer to talk on the phone, we call them. We have notes in our files and know how everyone wants us to communicate to them.

Remember, this isn't YOUR preferred method, it's about what YOUR CLIENTS want. By asking this one simple question, it could really make a difference in helping you communicate more effectively and in the end, lead to happier clients.

If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. We always appreciate having new readers and more importantly, enjoy making new friends.

Here are some others that may interest you as well:

When In Doubt, Do You Refer Out?

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About The Authors:

Dan and Amy Schuman live in Solon Ohio and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.

For Ohio and Solon Oh real estate and homes see Solon OH real estate

For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.

LET'S CONNECT:

One Question That You Absolutely Must Ask Your Clients is the property of The Schuman Team and may not be duplicated or used without their written consent. ©September 2011

When In Doubt, Do You Refer Out?

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:19:50 -0400

When In Doubt, Do You Refer Out? - Originally posted at Cleveland Real Estate Blog

Most business professionals, especially those of us in sales, are faced with this dilemma at some point. Do we take on a client that we may not be able to properly service, or refer it to another professional?

Sometimes it's very cut and dry, while other times it can be an agonizing decision. After all, business is tougher than ever, plus people in sales are competitive by nature and don't like to give things up. Given the state of today's economy it can be especially tough to pass up on a nice piece of business. So, what should you do?

KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS

The key thing here is to know what your strengths are, understand what you cannot do and be consistent. No one can be everything to everyone. A foot doctor won't do open heart surgery, a real estate attorney won't represent someone in a criminal case and a real estate agent shouldn't take on a client they can't properly service either. While these examples are fairly simple, the scenarios do get tougher.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT SIMPLE

Referring a $100,000 buyer is one thing, but would you be so quick to turn your back on a $1,000,0000 buyer that wants to buy in an area you don't service? Many people struggle with these types of decisions, especially when money becomes part of the equation. I do see a lot of agents take business that perhaps they shouldn't.

People will take any business, for a variety of reasons. Some are simply very competitive and want all the business they can get their hands on. Others really need the business, especially in today's tough economy, and then there are those that feel obligated and don't like to say "no".

A RECENT STORY

A friend of ours referred someone to us who wanted to buy a home in an area that we didn't service. With the buyer's permission, we referred them to a great agent who knew that area like the back of her hand. They ended up finding a home in just a few weeks and are thrilled. The person who referred the buyer to us was happy too, because we took care of her friend. Although we didn't personally work with the buyers, we did put them in very good hands, and everyone ended up winning.

At the end of the day, every business professional has to make their own decisions and I'm certainly not here to tell you what to do. However, I will say this, if you ever come across someone who wants to buy in an area that you don't even know how to pronounce, or you can't locate on a map, do everyone a favor and refer it out. As for the more difficult choices, I'll leave that up to you to decide.

If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. We always appreciate having new readers and more importantly, enjoy making new friends.

Here are some others that may interest you as well:

Is Your Message Being Tuned Out?