Monday, December 24, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
Ball Homes is proud to have a group of Realtors who specialize in making the Ball Homes experience one that is smooth and worry-free. Each month, we will be highlighting one of our top real estate agents in the Lexington, Louisville, or Knoxville areas; recognizing the hard work they do for our company and the people we serve.
Realtor Greg Back was the top producing real estate agent for the Lexington area for November 2012. Greg is a Ball Homes Specialist for the Lexington area and has extensive experience with new construction and existing residential properties. We were able to talk to Greg about his successes in his real estate career as well as other areas in his life.
Having a 26 year track record, Greg attributes much of his success to listening to his client’s needs and wants, then formulating a plan to help them achieve their goals. He feels that the more you know, the better connection you have with your client and the trust grows from there. It is a nuts-and-bolts formula that has served him well. He has grown his network from this basic concept and has become known locally as “the Hard Working Nice Guy”. Helping his clients achieve their goals is paramount to Greg. “Their success is my success.” He also says that he continually strives to improve and stay on top of the cutting edge with trending issues and topics through training classes offered by LBAR (Lexington Bluegrass Association of Realtors)
Goals are something that Greg uses, not only for his clients, but also himself. “I start each year with a road map and results plan. I review them every two weeks to make sure I’m on-course. If I need to make changes or revisions, I can do that easily because I know what I’m working toward.” He also gives credit for his successes to his wife, Deborah. She is also a local Realtor with Milestone Realty Consultants. “My wife and I talk a lot about how we can better serve our clients by working smarter and using time management. We collaborate on many issues to better serve our clients, but as with most married couples, we also edit each other. Deborah is a little more creative with her ‘why not?’ mindset and I have a little more ‘if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it’ mentality. I think other married couples can relate, especially our clients!”
Motivation is something that is hard to maintain in the real estate business, but Greg has a secret for keeping his sights high while the market is still recovering. “I’ve always played sports, so I definitely like to win, but I’ve come to realize that it’s okay to be #2 every once in a while. I try to find people that are very good at what they do and I try to shadow them. I want to be the best I can be, so I try to ‘chase the rabbits’ and emulate the skills and procedures that work best.”
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The holidays are a time for friends and family to get together, which means schedules can fill up quickly with overnight guests in your Ball home. Take a few hours to prepare for your visitors and create an environment that tells them, “I’m glad you’re here”.
First, you’ll want to look around the room that they’ll be staying in. Try to de-clutter the room as much as possible. You’ll want to ensure that your guests have enough room to relax without having to step over paperwork or boxes. Clear off the dresser top and provide a tray or dish where your guests can put their jewelry, change and other small items. Clear some space in the closet for their hanging items and don’t forget to leave a few extra hangers.
Do you have a guest bed they will be sleeping on? Make sure the bed is as comfortable as it can be. If you’re using an inflatable mattress, pump it up and check for any leaks. You don’t want to find that you have a busted air mattress just as your guests are turning in for the night. Run the pillows through the air-only cycle on your dryer with a fabric softener sheet to give them a fresh scent. If you’re using new bed linens or towels, run them through a laundry cycle to keep them from feeling stiff.
Next, check the guest bathroom to make sure everything is cleaned and organized. Restock the toilet paper and tissues, if necessary. Set out fresh towels for each of your guests. If you have time, assemble a small basket of toiletries, just in case your guest has forgotten something. You can find travel sizes of many items like shampoo, soap, razor, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and lotions at the local store.This makes your guest feel welcome, takes away any awkwardness they may feel in asking you for something they need or forgot, and makes it easier on you to have everything prepared.
Do you have any other tips or tricks you do to ensure your guests are comfortable? Share them with us on our Facebook page!
Monday, December 17, 2012
The Chilesburg neighborhood of Lexington, Kentucky features tree-lined boulevards, signature plank and stone entrances, walking trail access, open spaces and preserved mature trees, pocket parks, and a planned neighborhood association. Chilesburg is a well-located neighborhood with good access to nearby Jacobson Park, Interstate 75, and a very short distance from shopping, dining, and entertainment at Andover Place or Hamburg Place.
Split into different sections, Chilesburg offers everything from Cottages to Villas to Luxury Townhomes. Floor plans available include the Coventry II plan all the way up to the popular McCormick II floor plan. With many homesites and floor plans to choose from, Chilesburg is a popular location for whatever meets your needs.
For more information on this subdivision, visit our East Lexington Information Center Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm-5pm.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
This blog post comes to us from our Lexington Sales Team Leader Mike Wheatley. He invited a very special guest to the monthly Lexington area sales meeting this morning.
For our monthly sales meeting this week, I invited Brady Lane and his driver, Meredith Lane to demonstrate, in person, the value of a positive attitude and how it can impact everyone around us. Brady is a 10 month old yellow lab with enthusiasm and energy to burn. As I was preparing for our meeting, and trying to think of someone who always demonstrated a positive attitude, dogs-rather than people-came to mind for some reason, so I shot Brady a text to see if would be available to join us.
When I think of Brady’s life, he has many reasons not to rejoice daily: he eats off the floor; he has to go outside to use the bathroom; he bathes with his tongue; he is unwelcome in virtually every business in Lexington; if Meredith doesn’t fill his water bowl, he drinks from the toilet. Despite all this, he wakes up every day with a dog smile, wagging his tail, and bursting with enthusiasm thinking about what the day might bring.
When I sent Brady the invitation text, he didn’t say the meeting was too early, or complain that he hates office meetings, didn’t ask if it pays (although he did ask if there would be snacks). Brady was simply jumping with excitement at the prospect of meeting a room full of strangers and getting to spend time with them.
Why is Brady a great role model for us, as salespeople? Number one is his positive attitude and non-stop enthusiasm, and his firm belief that everyone he meets is a serious buyer for what he is selling. He doesn’t pre-judge the “prospects” he meets based on the car they are driving, the clothes they are wearing, or any other superficial issues. He simply delivers the same great service to everyone he meets.
One of the few things we control each and every day is our attitude. That is a conscious decision we all make and control every single day, and despite all of the outside factors that we allow to impact our attitudes, it really is in our control. The power of positive thinking is well documented in many different situations and case studies…it really does work, but we can easily dismiss it because it’s so simple. My goal for 2013 is simply to be more like Brady.