How to succeed long term in real estate with marcia dunkin

Justin asks, “What has kept you going in this industry? There’s been so many ups and so many downs and you’re still doing it.”

To which Marcia responds, “Ups, downs, sideways. I’d like to say that I’ve seen it all, but honestly after 25 years, what keeps me going is that I haven’t seen it all. There’s always something to learn, there’s always something to do. Every transaction is different. Homes are different. Technology is changing at warp speed while I love some of the structure of the forms and processes. The change is what keeps me engaged. The change is what I love. It doesn’t get old. I absolutely love what I do.”

Folks that love this business are like Marcia in that they love the fact that all of their days are different. They love the fact that there’s always a new challenge and a new shift. When talking about all the shifts that have happened over the years, inevitably there are processes and habits that will need to be dropped to make way for the new. Technology has been really beneficial in the real estate industry in terms of streamlining things which also means that old processes now move at warp speed making it hard for agents to sustain that pace. Missing the old days before even the Northwest MLS was online. Moving at a slower pace allowed agents to truly connect with all people, clients and vendors alike. Now everyone wants to complete everything online, losing that bit of connection. That’s the way of the world so all we can do is embrace the change and adapt accordingly.

Justin: “As a veteran agent, how do you help your clients feel like they are in control of the wild beast that is selling or buying a house?”

Marcia: “It’s kind of a cliche, control is an illusion. It doesn’t really exist. To that extent, you have to focus on what you do have control over. What I really encourage my clients to do is to prepare and plan. Educating them about where the market it, what the processes are, what the normal steps are, and then what the stumbling blocks around those things are. The more you are prepared, the more you’ve talked about and planned for certain contingencies. The more control you will feel in a situation that is beyond anyones control. We don’t control the market or the interest rates. We don’t control the inventory to some extent. Focusing on what you do have control over will set you up for a better experience in that process.”

We almost never have control over what the buyer or the seller is doing, though we do have control over how we’re reacting to them or being proactive with them. People really want to exert control over everything around them, and with an unbalanced market the less control there really is. Sellers are in a situation currently where they are selling a home without knowing where they are going next, leaving a lot of fear of the unknown. Many clients have chosen not to sell because they’re getting priced out of their current neighborhoods, so if they decided to sell they could never afford to buy back. Buyers currently have a lot of stress in terms of competing with other would-be buyers. They are being asked to stretch financially for something that they don’t love, and will most likely want to renovate in some way as soon as they buy. Lack of inventory, lack of choice.

Marcia: ”One of the biggest lessons I have learned lately is that I can’t want it more than my clients.”

Justin: “Give me an example of what that looks like.”

Marcia: “I have to be able to educate and guide and let them decide. Once they’ve made their decision, it is my job to do it the way they want to the best of my ability all while being professional. If it’s deciding on how to price their home, or how much money they’re willing to offer over asking, they will always have the final say. I want to do it in a caring, compassionate way that makes them feel comfortable.”

Another aspect of control that an agent has, is the type of clients that they choose to work with which is a very powerful position to be in. Not every client is a good client and you can say no, and that will free you up to say yes to something that’s beneficial for everybody. You don’t have to stick with somebody who’s unrealistic, who is going to waste your time and not be successful. If you feel like you can fire a client and move on, it’s the best thing that you can do for yourself and for the would-be buyer or would-be seller. Lastly, it is much better to do it sooner rather than later, because later you’ll have more time, effort, emotion and energy invested into it. If something feels off and that it’s not a good fit in the beginning, it is okay to say, “I don’t think this is going to work out for us” and give them a referral of someone who might if you can.

Red flags can be your best friend. When you’re in your third or fourth transaction they can be hard to spot and easy to ignore, though when you’re on your hundredth transaction you’ll start to recognize those patterns. We can be warned in advance, but in the end we end up having to learn that lesson ourselves.

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Around the World with Alexandra Kerr

Alexandra Kerr is a real estate agent with Compass in the greater Los Angeles area. She was born in New Hampshire. Her mother and father met in New York, her mother immigrated from Germany back in the early sixties. She was working for believe it or not Ferrari in the sixties. She had a lot of famous people come in to the store, from Miles Davis to Steve McQueen. One of the rules in the company was you can never date any of the clients. They're all going to ask you out for coffee or drinks and you’re not allowed to accept. Relentless request after request, she just said, “Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope, can't do it.” When her dad came in, this salt-of-the-earth guy who just happened to have a little thing for cars. He occasionally would buy a car as they weren't expensive at the time. He said, “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?” And she said, “Absolutely.”

That was the beginning of her parents' relationship. Sadly, it didn't last, after a few years they divorced and Alexandra and her mother then moved to Boston for a short time. While her mom was at work, Alexandra then became the quasi ninth child of a family that lived on the first level of their triple-apartment home. This family of eight lived in a two bedroom apartment were some of the happiest people she could ever possibly describe, nothing ever phased them. Alexandra became the ninth O'Brien. That was a very pivotal chapter in her life because there was a lot of very positive influence from that family, very Irish Catholic, also salt of the earth, really, really wonderful people. 

At nine years old, Alexandra and her mother moved back to her mother’s home country of Germany and enrolled her into a boarding school. This was an extremely positive experience in an idyllic setting on a lake. They had den mothers as they were called that took the best care of the children. Alexandra’s mom was working full-time, and without the boarding school would have otherwise made her a latchkey kid. Two years into boarding school, Alexandra’s mother married a CEO of a major Fortune 500 company based in Connecticut, though the company moved both him and her mom to Paris which Alexandra would visit during vacation time from school.

After boarding school, Alexandra went to Columbia University in New York and really developed a passion for filmmaking and thought she would be the next great film producer. After attending grad school at Syracuse, she was lucky enough to get a job in Germany with a company to work alongside European filmmakers and a consortium of three producers, one French, one German and one British. 

Working in Munich in the early nineties was a really incredible time because there was just a whole new movement for, towards independent filmmaking, both in Europe and in the United States. She was able to work with a lot of amazing film directors, including Louis Malle, a very famous French film director. As time went on, they asked Alexandra to move to Los Angeles as they were setting up a company there. Mystified by the prospect of moving to LA because it was almost like moving to Mars in terms of how different the culture was. Her then boyfriend, now husband, was the one who said, "Let's give it a shot. Why not?” After landing in LA and setting up that branch of the company, she ended up producing a number of indie films including the Usual Suspects, which was really such an incredible experience on so many levels. They went on to do a couple of other great films such as Paul Thomas Anderson's first movie called Hard Eight. After that the burnout started to set in and Alexandra decided to go off and be an independent producer, which was much different than her mother’s preferred career for her - real estate.

After a while, the burnout set in again and she was looking for more flexibility and not continuing the grind that she had been so accustomed to. Rather than going into real estate at this point, she became a relocation consultant for a really wonderful boutique company in LA called Quest Relocation that was founded, started, and still to this day operated all by women. They welcomed her with open arms and began an incredible journey. All the while, she had her mother gently whispering in her ear, “You know, you really should get into real estate”. Which is when that career transition began. 

Alexandra then started off with Berkshire Hathaway where she worked on a team that she admired, beginning with assisting their lease clients. She states this was a perfect way to not only grow her business, but to become more savvy in the trade. Leasers become buyers there are a lot of real estate agents don't touch the idea of a lease because they don’t look past the commission to see the amount of good that it will bring. With all of these different chapters in her life, they have all served her very well when it comes to her business. In the context of flexibility and always having the need and desire to meet people from all walks of life.

Alexandra then started off with Berkshire Hathaway where she worked on a team that she admired, beginning with assisting their lease clients. She states this was a perfect way to not only grow her business, but to become more savvy in the trade. Leasers become buyers there are a lot of real estate agents don't touch the idea of a lease because they don’t look past the commission to see the amount of good that it will bring.

After being sought out multiple times from the recruiters at Compass asking to sit down for coffee, and Alexandra replying that she was happy where she was currently at with no interest in leaving, Compass finally won her over with their culture. It resonated with her because of her own similar values and her own professional approach on how she conducts business. She signed a contract within a matter of days and has not looked back since.

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No Fakery

Plastic fruit has come a long way and Grandma’s long derided basket of apples is no longer the punchline it used to be. There are fairly convincing fake plants these days, and from 50 paces, you’ll never clock it. However, more often than not you will intrinsically know when you look at plastic replicas of real things that they are not the authentic item. That subconscious is telling you something ain’t right. That’s one of the many reasons Spade and Archer does not use any fakery in our home staging.

Home buying is an exercise in fantasy. Buyers go into an empty house and pretend it is their own, suspending reality long enough to imagine themselves living in that space.  If a buyer, lost in their dinner party dreams, stumbles upon a bowl of fake grapes and is ripped from their reverie, they’re not likely to keep fantasizing about the rest of the place. Studies have shown that the longer a buyer stays in a home the more likely they are to buy it. We want the potential buyer to picture themselves in the home and form an emotional attachment to it and have a complete experience where it’s all about them without any interruptions. The last thing they want is to be distracted by tomfoolery posing as plastic plants which is why the subliminal nature of home staging is one of its greatest benefits. 

Believability is an important aspect and one of the reasons we don’t use any fake accessories throughout our stages. Items such as fake televisions and fake computers photograph quite poorly and the importance of designing a home for beautiful listing photos is extremely high as that is the home’s first line of attraction to buyers. Televisions are a fact of modern life though admittedly they are not all that attractive.  In photos, a television looks like a big black hole in the wall, distracts from the architecture of the home, and forces the buyer to see only that particular arrangement of items. We like to give a gentle guide to those walking through the house, showing them what furniture will fit without forcing them to place their stuff exactly the same. Instead of a big TV that only takes up space, we will place beautiful art over a piece of furniture to give the metaphor of a television without scripting it so definitively. It looks better in pictures and gives the buyer freedom of creativity.

Integrity is a major tenet of the Spade and Archer philosophy and the third reason we don’t use anything fake in our staging. We believe that if a king bed is in a room then it proved to also actually fit up the stairs, down the hall, around the corner and into the room.  Many stagers will use inflatable mattresses in their staging to save cost and labor. The problem is it tricks the buyer into believing something that may not be true.  Imagine the surprise on move-in day when their real box spring won’t make the turn on the stairwell to get up to the room. Would you be happy buying something as expensive as a house and thinking all your stuff would fit only to find out it’s impossible?

Real things make a real impact. It’s important to know what you’re looking at without having to second-guess authenticity. Pictures are important and your first impression, especially in a time where digital content is ruling the world. Truth is important in all aspects, even if it’s just a mattress.

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SPADE STORIES: MEET PORTLAND DESIGNER KEYNA

After working at an architectural firm for six years and feeling burnt out from the pandemic, I was looking for a change from the traditional desk job. Wanting to utilize my design skills, work on my feet and be creative, home staging seemed like a perfect fit. The stars aligned when I came across the job posting for Spade and Archer! Two interviews and one trial day later, I am the new Junior Designer for Spade and Archer’s Portland office!  

I owe my creative side to my mother. As kids, my siblings and I were always encouraged to get messy and have fun. If we weren’t outside making “potions,” climbing our big tree, or drawing with sidewalk chalk, we were inside getting creative. Whether it was embossing, painting, or (my favorite!) decorating gingerbread houses, my mom always provided the space and materials that allowed us to be innovative and explore. 

I have always had a strong love for interior design. As a kid I spent many a nights rearranging my room, proud to show my new digs off to my parents. I often drew floor plans, imagining what my next room “remodel” would look like. As I got older, my love extended into textiles and materials. I still remember how excited I was when I got my first sewing machine and begging my mom to take me to JoAnn Fabrics yet again. From then on, I always had an ongoing art project. . 

What started as a hobby turned into a degree in Interior Design from Iowa State University. Upon graduation I moved to the East Coast to be closer to my family, however, an internship in Seattle the summer of my junior year fueled my love for the Pacific Northwest, and I knew that is where I truly wanted to put down my roots.  After two years of saving I took the plunge and moved to Portland, Oregon. It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made!

What I have enjoyed most about my time with Spade and Archer has been working with a supportive and energetic team that shares a common goal. With each new project we have the ability to transform empty spaces into beautiful homes. Each home has a new palette and personality, and we get to bring it to life. My time at Spade and Archer thus far has been incredibly rewarding. Knowing that our work is helping someone envision their dream home is a gratifying experience.

In my free time I enjoy reading and spending time outdoors. You can always find me strolling through the neighborhood with my partner in crime, my Miniature Australian Shepherd, Maisey.

The Benefits of Vacant Staging

Vacant houses sell better. That’s a fact. Vacant, staged houses sell the best. That is also a fact. Putting those two factors together will definitely help sell your house the quickest and for the most money. 

In Portland and Seattle we have found that some people are unwilling to leave their home while it’s listed due to a number of reasons, and with the current state of the pandemic it may feel impossible to move out while you sell with so many obstacles. Fact of the matter is buyers don’t gravitate towards homes that are occupied. Now more than ever, buyers are less motivated to visit an occupied property because of safety concerns for themselves and their families. 

Snohomish home fully staged by Spade and Archer

Emotionally speaking, walking through someone else’s home while they are living in it is confusing. It makes the buyer feel like a house guest and not a house owner, even if it’s clean (but especially if it’s not!). They see all the current homeowner’s furnishings and subconsciously feel like an intruder, making the experience neither welcoming nor exciting. This is why so many realtors opt for home staging. The goal is to have their clients be able to envision themselves in the home without compartmentalizing current furnishings. With occupied listings, the  emotional disconnection between the buyer and the home results in less interest and less momentum for the sale. 

With a professional home staging, Spade and Archer give a blueprint of what a space can look like, how it can function and what furniture will actually fit. A buyer is able to “mentally imprint” their furnishings on top of ours and know immediately if this space will work for them. Professional staging installed by designers provides scale and dimension unlike homeowner furnishings, home staging isn’t mired down with a personal agenda. A buyer isn’t interested in collections, memories or travel knickknacks. When shopping for a home, buyers want to see only themselves living there, the longer they fantasize about their future the more likely they are to buy the home.

When a home is staged, every last detail is designed specifically for the demographic we have determined to be the most likely buyer. It is designed top to bottom with one consistent design philosophy and we create a space that is cohesive and relatable to all types of people. If the house remains occupied by the seller, we must make concession after concession to assure that the home meets the seller’s needs while living there. With every concession there is a reduction in appeal to the potential buyer. Moving out of your home before putting it up for sale not only removes the stress of having to live in a staged home, but it allows the entire listing team to focus on their number one goal of selling your home. 

Vacant staging in Snohomish by our talented team in Seattle

Vacant, staged homes provide the perfect atmosphere for a potential buyer to see all the possibilities of a space. Without having to think about who lives there now, a buyer is free to imagine and dream about their life and not yours. There’s a reason vacant homes -- and especially vacant, staged homes -- sell faster than occupied ones. It is a space that is cleared from someone else's mental clutter and is a fresh start in which to create. Give yourself and your home permission to move on.

Concerned about staging and want to talk about it? We'd love to offer insight and discuss your needs. Give us a call, and feel free to give our Instant Pricing a test spin online to see what our staging options are for your project.