The Voice for Real Estate™in the Youngstown Columbiana Area
April
2009 Newsletter Vol 10 Issue 04
It is the mission of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® to serve its members by protecting and enhancing
the members' rights and capabilities to conduct their real estate business and
increase their profit opportunities; by monitoring
compliance with professional
standards thus enabling members to serve the public in a
competent and ethical manner; by
expanding legislative influence
to promote and protect private property rights for the benefit of the real
estate marketplace.
MVR Editors: Tom Coppola
Leon Turek
Legal Counsel: Attorney Donald Leone
Officers:
Eric Caspary President
David Klacik
President-Elect
Joan Zarlenga Treasurer
Kathy Carroll Immediate Past President
Board of Directors: Sandi Bates
Paul Bevilacqua
John Burgan
Jim Grantz
Jennifer Hanigosky
Dawn Kuhn
Debbie Parisi
Dom Vechiarelli
Dave Walker
Bob Weily
CRIS Directors: Terri Hoon, Past President
Judy Whittenberger
Ray Knight
CRIS Alternates:
Funmi Olarewaju
Brenda Palmer
OAR
Directors: Sharyn Braunstein, CEO
Kathy Carroll
Eric Caspary
David Klacik
Tom Williams, OAR DVP
Joan Zarlenga
OAR Alternates: Betty Belding
Terri Hoon
Dawn Kuhn
Debbie Parisi
Carole A. Sharkey
Bob Weily
TheOfficial
Newsletter of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS®
President’s View by
Eric Caspary, President - Youngstown Columbiana Association of
REALTORS®
Enhancing
Customer Service
Once
you’ve spent the time and money promoting yourself,
don’t let poor customer service undo all your hard
work. Remember, happy customers tell 10 other people,
unhappy ones tell 20.
Reasons Customer Service Matters
1.
Service is Your Business. Unlike many businesses, you don’t manufacture anything. You market your
services to buyers and sellers.
2.
Repeat Business. It’s easier to attract referral and repeat business from people who have had a pleasant experience with you.
3.
New Business. It’s easier to attract new business if consumers feel your level of service is higher than
that of your competition.
Ways that Customers Assess Service
Customers consider these factors when evaluating
service
1.
Reliability—the ability to perform the service reliably and accurately
2.
Responsiveness—the willingness to help and provide prompt service
3.
Tangibles—the appearance of the office, sales associates, and marketing materials
4.
Assurance—the ability of associates to convey trust and confidence as demonstrated by their knowledge and courtesy
5.
Empathy—the provision of caring, individualized
service
Skills for Good Customer Service
Skills that are crucial to good customer service:
1.
See your job from the customer’s standpoint.
Empathy is a valuable skill in all aspects of life.
2.
Listen to your customers. If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we would be born with two
mouths.
3.
Try to exceed your customer’s expectations. Go the extra mile to earn a “wow” reaction.
4.
Recover gracefully from your mistakes. Instead of getting defensive, focus on your customers and how you can regain their loyalty.
Customer Service Standards
One way to help ensure that your clients have a positive real estate experience is to establish
service standards and make a four one one two two
three commitment to follow them.
Among service standards to consider are:
1.
Return all phone calls within six hours, never longer than 24 hours.
2.
Respond to all e-mails within six hours.
3.
Contact all open-house attendees the day of the event.
4.
Add all new listings to MLS and company Web site within two business days.
5.
Delete sold listings from the MLS within two business days.
6.
Remove and return all yard signs within three days of closing.
Statements of fact and opinion are
the opinions of the authors and do not imply an endorsement on the
part of the association, the “Mahoning Valley REALTOR®” or
its editorial staff.
Support
Your Affiliates Who Support Your Local
REALTOR® Association or It's Gonna Cost YOU!
Seated (L-R) DVP Tom Williams, Sharyn Braunstein, Dawn Kuhn, Jerri Florio
Back (L-R) State Senator Jason Wilson, State Rep. Bob Hagan, Joe Zidian, State Rep. Ron Gerberry, Doug Chandler
Almost 300 REALTORS® across the State of Ohio, including five members of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® gathered for the Ohio Association of
REALTORS® Legislative Conference to discuss legislative issues affecting Ohio's property owners and to meet with legislators to review issues of local concern. The Conference was March 3-4 in Columbus.
The Honorable Lee Fisher, Lt. Governor, State of Ohio, served as the Conference's opening keynote speaker.
Rich Levin, Director, Ohio Department of Taxation; Pari Sabety, Director, Office of Budget and Management; the Honorable Ron Amstutz, Ohio House of
Representatives, and the Honorable John Carey, Ohio Senate, held an overview of the state budget and eduation funding session.
The Honorable Kevin DeWine, Chairman, Ohio Republican Party and the Honorable Chris Redfern, Chairman, Ohio Democratic Party, presented a review of the 2008 national and state elections.
Additionally, the Honorable Armond Budish, Speaker, Ohio House of Representatives and the Honorable Tom Niehaus, President Pro-Tempore, Ohio Senate, conducted
two four eight nine zero two an overview of the issues being considered during the 128 General Assembly.
A special reception was held during the Conference to acquaint local board/association REALTOR® leaders with their State Senators and Representatives.
Those who attended the two-day conference from YCAR were Tom Williams, OAR DVP and YCAR Legislative Committee Chairman, Jerri Florio, RPAC Committee Chairman, Dawn Kuhn, Joe
Zidian, OAR RPAC Trustee and CEO Sharyn
Braunstein.
The
airwaves are buzzing with real estate advice! NAR in
February launched the weekly radio show "Real Estate
Today," which opens doors for buyers and sellers by
providing timely, credible information on the real estate market.
It’s fast-paced and fact-packed with experts, interviews,
call-ins, field reports, and news on market conditions.
During each two-hour broadcast, host Gil Gross—an award-winning
radio journalist from San Francisco’s legendary 810 KGO-AM
radio—interviews real estate industry experts and leaders on hot
topics and takes calls from listeners.
"Real Estate Today" can be heard around the
country:
Beginning April 1st through May 31, 2009 NEW SUPRA KeyBoxes will be on sale at
the Association
office for $50.00 per KeyBox.
Each member office of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® is
entitled to purchase 6 SUPRA KeyBoxes during this 2 month sale.
On June 1, 2009 any SUPRA KeyBoxes remaining in YCAR's inventory will be sold for
$50.00 per KeyBox on a first-come, first-serve basis to Member offices
and agents until the inventory is depleated.
Please contact Tracy Moracco at 330-788-7026 to place your KeyBox order.
Thanks go out to speaker Alec Hagerty of Knowledge Sponge Seminars for conducting his class Ethics "The Promise of Professionalism" on Friday, March 13, 2009 in McMahon Hall at Metro Park Farms.
L-R: Speaker Alec Hagerty, Patty McFall of Associated Federal Abstract & Escrow,
President Eric Caspary and Lisa Dickson from
Decorating In A Day.
The Directors of the Association took the following actions during
the month of March 2009:
NOTE: Absence from three (3) regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors without
an excuse deemed valid by the Directors shall be construed as resignation from the Board of
Directors. You must call the Association office ahead of the scheduled meeting to request to be
excused.
In Attendance: President Elect Eric Caspary, President-Elect Davie Klacik, Treasurer
Joan Zarlenga, Immediate Past President Kathy Carroll, Dom Vechiarelli, Dawn Kuhn,
Debbie Parisi, Bob Weily, Sandi Bates, Paul Bevilacqua, Jim Grantz, Dave Walker,
Affiliate Member Jennifer Hanigosky of Home Savings
Excused: John Burgan
Approved the minutes of the February 12, 2009 Directors meeting as written.
Filed the association's Financial Statement for February 2009 for review.
Approved a Pig Roast fundraising event for RPAC on Friday, June 26, 2009 at the home
of REALTOR® Betty Belding.
Approved a traveling Chinese Auction as an RPAC fundraising event in 2009.
Approved to cash in five CDs earmarked for a new association headquarters building as
they mature; put the cash in a money market account with Butler Wick said account
earmarked as funds for a future association headquarters building; when all CDs have
been cashed the Investment Committee will determine the investment vehicle for this
money.
Approved to incorporate the new earnest money language approved by the Ohio Division
of Real Estate and Professional Licensing that satisfies the new law into the purchase
agreement voluntarily used by members of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of
REALTORS® and the Warren Area Board of REALTORS®.
Reported on the actions of the CRIS Board of Directors taken at their February 26, 2009
meeting.
A group of members will be formed who can address in writing the problems the
membership is having with the new NEOHREX system to submit to
CRIS.
Reported on the OAR Legislative Conference, March 3-4, 2009 in Columbus.
Reported on Tom Williams' campaign for 2010 OAR Treasurer and provided an
accounting of Tom's campaign expenses to date.
Defeated a motion to donate $10,000 from the Association's reserves to the Youngstown
Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce's 360 Project.
Approved to send a letter to the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce
stating that due to the REALTOR® Association's experiencing an economic crisis in the
real estate industry, the Association is not in a position to donate any money to the 360
Project at this time.
Approved the provisional REALTOR® membership of one applicant; the reinstatement
of REALTOR® membership of one applicant and the Affiliate Membership of one
applicant.
Approved a new document retention policy as recommended by the NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.
Approved to sell the current inventory of SUPRA KeyBoxes for $50.00 per KeyBox to
YCAR members at 6 KeyBoxes per company for the next 60 days beginning April 1st; in
the month of June any remaining KeyBox inventory would be sold for $50.00 per KeyBox
on a first-come, first-serve basis; as of July 1st any remaining KeyBoxes will revert back
to the normal KeyBox price of $97.76 per KeyBox.
The Youngstown Columbiana
Association of REALTORS® offers their condolences to:
Affiliate Member Warren Drescher of Drescher & Associates on the passing of his father Warren Drescher, Sr. who passed away on March 7, 2009.
Mr. Drescher was also brother-in-law to Carole McTigue of
Mayo & Associates
Congratulations to Mary Sims and Ron Liptak, our 1st and 2nd winners,
who found their 2001000227 file numbers in the February 2009 issue of the Mahoning Valley REALTOR®.
Continuing our free dues contest in 2009, each monthly on-line issue of the MVR will continue to contain
three file numbers hidden in the articles.
If you find your
file number while reading your association's monthly REALTOR®
publication, call Joanna Freiberg at 330-788-7026 and your name will be placed in the "HAT" for the free dues drawing
(local portion $247) to be held on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at
the Association office.
Now when you read the MVR Newsletter, not only do you reap the
benefits of increased knowledge of your profession and your
association, but you may also receive your 2010 YCAR local
membership dues free!
In order to be eligible for the drawing, you must call in your
found file number by the 15th of each publication month.
The following number are no longer eligible: Renee Zuzan #2003014294
REALTORS®: Place Your "FREE" Classified Ad Here.
Call Joanna at 330-788-7026
Lift Chair used 1 week!
XL
$600
For Sale XL Lift Chair used 1 week, neutral beige material. Paid 1200.00 from BMS will take 600.00 call Mary Bodnar @ 330-507-1447
Your "FREE" Classified Ad
Featured Here...
FREE!
--
Call Joanna
Freiberg at 330-788-7026 and place your item
for sale in the new FREE Classifieds ad
section of the Mahoning Valley REALTOR®
online newsletter.
REALTORS®: Place Your "FREE" Classified Ad Here.
Call Joanna at 330-788-7026
The
airwaves are buzzing with real estate advice! NAR in
February launched the weekly radio show "Real Estate
Today," which opens doors for buyers and sellers by
providing timely, credible information on the real estate market.
It’s fast-paced and fact-packed with experts, interviews,
call-ins, field reports, and news on market conditions.
During each two-hour broadcast, host Gil Gross—an award-winning
radio journalist from San Francisco’s legendary 810 KGO-AM
radio—interviews real estate industry experts and leaders on hot
topics and takes calls from listeners. 
Beginning April 1st through May 31, 2009 NEW SUPRA KeyBoxes will be on sale at
the Association 
