TEXAS EDITION
BY THE NUMBERS: Understanding the True Value of Square Footage ADDING VALUE TO LISTINGS & the Advantage of Identifying Neighborhood Amenities Top 4 Ways to JUICE UP YOUR OPEN HOUSE STRATEGY COVER STORY
LILY MOORE
5 Fresh New Approaches to CONTENT MARKETING
TEXAS EDITION
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LILY MOORE
CONTENTS 4) ADDING VALUE TO LISTINGS & THE ADVANTAGE OF IDENTIFYING NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES 6) 5 FRESH NEW APPROACHES TO CONTENT MARKETING
15) BY THE NUMBERS: UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE VALUE OF SQUARE FOOTAGE 20) TOP 4 WAYS TO JUICE UP YOUR OPEN HOUSE STRATEGY
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Adding Value to Listings & the Advantage of Identifying Neighborhood Amenities Everyone knows the famous real estate phrase: location, location, location. In fact, it is hard to underestimate the pivotal role that a region can play when it comes to determining a home’s value. In today’s competitive market, the littlest things can truly add up—especially when it comes to neighborhood amenities. While most savvy agents know the figures regarding school 4
district ranking and local property taxes, have you ever considered the under-the-radar amenities that drive buyers and bidding wars? To derive the highest value from a listed home, you need to paint a complete picture of the area in which you’re selling. With that guiding principle in mind, let’s consider a few modern amenities and how they add drastically to your bottom line.
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Walking a fifteen-minute radius of the area or performing a deep-dive into customer review sites or food blogs can help you identify hidden gems or local favorites. A little can go a long way: restaurants, coffee shops, and entertainment
Know thy history: creating a narrative of the neighborhood
Everyone has a favorite take-out spot, coffee shop, or neighborhood watering hole. Identifying the key players in an area—such as restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment hotspots—will create a livable picture that prospective buyers can latch onto. Walking a fifteen-minute radius of the area or performing a deep-dive into customer review sites or food blogs can help you identify hidden gems or local favorites. While a cute coffee shop down the street may seem like a bonus instead of a foundational amenity, you never know what kind of homebuyer you might net if you include the cozy characteristics that make a house a home.
As humans, we’re drawn to narratives. Sales pitches and marketing campaigns hinge on an alluring storyline. That’s why understanding a neighborhood’s history can frame and contextualize a property to great effect. After all, buyers aren’t just drawn to sturdy foundations and bedroom counts; they like to imagine their lives unfolding inside those four walls. Get a sense of the area’s historical timeline, architectural style, noteworthy community members, and the like. Conveying this intriguing information to buyers helps them connect more personally with a property, while understanding the holistic picture of their potential new home.
From here to there: public transportation and commuter access While this rule may not apply to all properties, considering access to public transportation is a major draw for today’s buyers. Especially amidst the more eco-conscious Millennial segment eager to buy within city limits—knowing public transportation access points and schedules can add serious value to listed properties. Also, think outside the box: do nearby thoroughfares boast dedicated bike lanes? Are there plans to expand rail lines to the area in the future? Deliver a confidant picture of the area’s public transportation access and prospective buyers will trust your expertise. Top Agent Magazine
While it is always good to cover the basics of school districts and property values, it is even more useful to expand your knowledge base and bring a warm, human element to locational knowledge. Not only will you appeal to a younger demographic of homebuyers who values this strategic information, but you will also broaden your understanding of your service area at large. Think of it this way: a neighborhood is far more than a collection of homes on a block. A neighborhood is about atmosphere, access, and a sense of community. If you authentically appeal to this guiding truth, and buyers will surely rise to the occasion.
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5 Fresh New Approaches to Content Marketing A couple of weeks ago we were conducting a workshop when we were asked two excellent questions about content marketing:
• People
don’t want to hear from a roofing company every day. So how do you produce fresh and interesting content for social media that goes beyond your core services and yet ties back to your business?
• Can
you extend your social media presence and content to include personal things (like your hobbies) and how does that affect your overall business image?
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The workshop attendee who asked the first question was right. Almost no one wants to hear from any company every day… especially if all the content is about products and services…and yes, even if they’re giving helpful tips and information. Does that mean you should stop producing excellent daily content related to your business? No, of course not! Content is created for two reasons. First, to provide knowledge, expertise and even entertainment to your ideal customers in order to achieve top of mind awareness as an authority in your industry. And second, to produce SEO-rich results that keep you at the top of search engines. You must strike a
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balance between the two, and try to include content that draws people in by being super interesting and entertaining….and yes, sometimes personal. To help answer those content questions above, here are five different types of content (beyond the traditional stuff) that can give your brand a fresh, unique and balanced approach:
1. PHILANTHROPIC Your community efforts say a lot about who you are, and people will make an extra effort to do business with you as a result of this connection. We’ve consulted business owners who are very hesitant to promote these efforts because they don’t want it to seem as though they are exploiting the charities and organizations—and most especially because they don’t do it for the promotional aspects. They do it to give back. I ask you to keep this in mind. Nonprofit and charitable organizations very often have small marketing budgets. Not only do they rely on outside marketing forces to promote their initiatives, they would likely be forced to close their doors without that support. That means that when someone with a strong brand and presence promotes them, it’s a highly trusted and personal connection, and you can’t buy that kind of support. In other words, they not only need you to promote them, they want you to promote them. But your instincts are correct. It’s not about you. So just make sure your entire content focuses on the organization you’re helping, what they do for the community and how Top Agent Magazine
others can join in the cause. Then it becomes a huge win for all.
2. HOBBIES You bungee jumped from four of the tallest bridges in the U.S. In your spare time, you go fly fishing. You love playing chef and use only locally grown, organic foods. Your friends are always begging you to go to Vegas with your card shark talents. You’ve done mission work in Africa and would like to start your own group. You almost played professional baseball. You have an insane talent for gardening design or bass guitar. Your family works at a soup kitchen once a month. Ok…you get the picture. And two more words. Reality TV. People are interesting…and people are interested in interesting people. We remember others based on these unique traits. And most of all, people love the story behind the face. Don’t be afraid to share your hobbies. Quite often, it’s the first thing that will personally connect you to a prospect.
3. CREATIVE CONNECTION This one is perhaps our favorite. While we can’t imagine seeing something come across our news feed from a landscaping company every day, imagine this for a moment. What are we always told to remember in this hectic world? Stop and smell the roses, right? So what if…a landscaping company posted a beautiful flower each day, just to remind you to ‘stop and smell the roses’. And at the bottom of that photo (small print), you included
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the type of flower and type of environment needed to make it flourish (moist soil, full sun, etc.). And then, of course, watermarked it with your logo….and a title like, “Sam’s Daily Reminder: It’s Time to Stop & Smell the Roses”. You could even include some great, thought-provoking quotes. It has the personal connection (Sam), the business connection (flowers & logo watermark) and a cool creative connector (pause the meetings and paperwork to take a moment and appreciate life by noticing this beautiful flower). This is a great idea for staying ‘top of mind’ and connecting business with the kind of creative messaging people wouldn’t mind seeing every day.
4. EXPERIENCES This one is similar to hobbies from the personal aspect, but instead of something that identifies us like our hobbies, our experiences are random happenings that can have great interest and meaning to our audience. Whether you have a unique experience buying a new car or a fateful conversation with a stranger in the airport, if you feel it ties into a life lesson or business lesson you’d like to share, by all means do. The lesson is to keep your radar up 24/7. Any experiences you have which relate to your
ideal customer are an opportunity to connect beyond the business world. And when we do that, we become a part of the family.
5. INFLUENCERS “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. You’ve probably heard that saying, and the same is true whether you are a teenager or a business owner. Maybe you’ve learned a lot of your business knowledge from Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Warren Buffet…or you like to quote Benjamin Franklin. Perhaps you have some mentors you’d like to recognize and tell why they’re important to you. Sharing the people and things that influence us is what makes us human. No matter how successful your business, you didn’t get there alone. People and circumstances shaped you along the way. Recognizing others for their contribution in our lives, large or small, is important in staying connected and grounded. We hope these five types of content help you to put a fresh spin on what you share with your audience, whether personal or professional. We believe you must have the combination of both to build an incredible brand.
Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder of BrandFace®, LLC. Michael Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace® partner. Together, they focus on personal branding and marketing designed to help real estate professionals become the face of their business & a star in their market. BrandFace® for Real Estate Professionals is a book, professional speaking series and an exclusive workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com. 8
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LILY MOORE Top Agent Magazine
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Lily Moore
Top Agent Lily Moore is the Broker and Owner of Lily Moore Realty, a brokerage that ranks among the top in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Top Agent Lily Moore, Broker and Owner of Lily Moore Realty, possesses a combination of authenticity and fierce determination to drive her to the top of her profession in The Lone Star State. Lily builds strong relationships and uses unmatched digital marketing tactics to deliver exceptional results. In fact, Lily’s brokerage 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
ranks among the very top in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Lily’s personal story is one that is illustrative of the American Dream. Arriving to the United States at the age of twenty, alone, pregnant and speaking no English, she forged her way to Top Agent Magazine
success against what many might consider insurmountable odds. Through hard work and a drive to succeed, she ultimately landed a job in corporate America where she worked for one of the nation’s premier entertainment brands. “My time in corporate America enabled me to become fluent in English, become a problem solver, and ultimately provided me the confidence to know I could achieve whatever my heart set out to do.” In 2015, Lily decided to follow her passion and inner-voice into the real estate industry where her success was almost instantaneous. Now the co-owner of her own business (alongside her husband, Chad), she Top Agent Magazine
oversees a talented and dedicated team of agents who share her commitment to excellence and serving people. With nearly eighty percent of her business based on repeat and referral clients, Lily has made a mark as a Realtor who inspires serious loyalty among her many customers. When asked why this is, she grows thoughtful for a moment before replying, “It’s because I truly care about my clients and all the people I’ve worked with. I treat them as family and take my commitment to make their real estate dreams come true very seriously.” Lily’s work ethic 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
also plays a large role in her continued success. “What sets me apart from other agents is that I’m constantly working,” she explains. “I don’t ever really stop, so I’m always on top of every situation, making sure my clients have what they need to be successful.” Lily has a perfect five-star rating on Zillow, comprised (at the time of this writing) of seventy perfect, glowing reviews. Among the many raves for her services is this one, which perfectly encapsulates the extraordinary care she demonstrates towards her clients: “Lily did an awesome job with helping us find our home. She was very expeCopyright Top Agent Magazine Copyright 12
rienced, fast and responsive and the whole process was very smooth. She was always there to help out even after we closed on the house. She’s the best in the business, and I look forward to working with her in the future on our next purchase.” Lily’s passion for what she does becomes even more evident when she is asked what she enjoys most about what she does for a living. “Talking to people,” she says, her sincerity obvious. “Every person is different, and every person has their own story, and to be a part of that story is really special.” Lily is also passionate about giving back to the community that has supported her business so Top Agent Magazine
“Lily did an awesome job with helping us find our home. She was very experienced, fast and responsive and the whole process was very smooth. She was always there to help out even after we closed on the house. She’s the best in the business, and I look forward to working with her in the future on our next purchase.” —Zillow Testimonial
generously. Sponsorships and donations are among the many ways she gives back, and she is constantly looking for new ways to become involved. She also gives back to the real estate community and is currently the Vice President of the National Hispanic Association of Real Estate Professionals. Top Agent Magazine
When she’s not working, Lily enjoys spending time with her husband and their five children. “I love staying active with the family, pool fun, walking trails, playing sports…just anything with them and I am happy.” Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13
Lily’s future plans include growing her business and her team, while sacrificing none of the incredible customer service that has become synonymous with Lily Moore Realty. She is also looking forward to continuing to mentor up-and-coming talent who share her passion. Sharing her own success story with them could
perhaps be the most motivating thing she could do. “I came here under a less than ideal set of circumstances to say the least. I have faith that if I can live my best life and achieve my dreams, anyone can do it.”
For more information about Lily Moore, please call 817-715-3771 or email lily@lilymoorerealty.com https://www.facebook.com/kimsuttonadairrealtor/
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By the Numbers:
Understanding the True Value of Square Footage Measuring the square footage of a property may seem like an objective and straightforward task, but you’d be surprised at how many agents and homebuyers misunderstand this pivotal figure. True square footage provides homebuyers a concrete understanding of their prospective domain, but here’s the problem: the rules to determine a home’s square footage are not always uniform across the board. What’s more, much of Top Agent Magazine
a home’s value is determined by its size, so accuracy is certainly important. While many real estate agents have their own systems for determining or confirming a home’s true square footage, it doesn’t hurt to update your practices and become an expert on the subject. After all, you may learn a few techniques that could add value to a listing, or better prepare you in guiding house-hunters on the lookout.
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1. Do your due diligence Most towns and cities have a local records department where floorplans and blueprints are kept on file. It’s worth noting that these records don’t typically include any subsequent additions or remodels on a property, but they still give archive hunters a legal baseline when outlining a property’s square footage. Oftentimes, a straightforward online search of a city or county’s records office can pull the information necessary, or else agents can poke around in person to uncover informative blueprints at the records office. Either way, access to original blueprints or floorplans is a great tool for determining livable square footage. As a bonus,
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original blueprints and floorplans—especially in historic properties—can be intriguing visual aids for prospective buyers, as well.
2. Know the rules While there aren’t universal standards when it comes to measuring square footage, there are general guidelines that can help determine square footage in an authentic way. Per the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), here are the official recommendations for measuring a home’s real square footage: n
Called “below grade spaces,” basements and sunrooms beyond a home’s typical
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living quarters do not count toward a home’s true square footage. According to ANSI, even big draws like finished basements don’t count toward a property’s Gross Living Area. Of course, even below grade spaces have their own desirable value and should be outlined as such on listings. n
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Did you know the space inside closets and on stairways counts toward a home’s square footage? Even if these areas are relatively small, they still add to a property’s calculable square footage. When recording square footage, ANSI actually suggests performing measurements from a property’s exterior—though this method does not account for the
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thickness of exterior walls, which could skew square footage numbers. n
Just like below grade spaces, a garage, a pool house, or even a guest house should not be included in a property’s Gross Living Area. The rationale at work here is this: if you must go outside to access additional living areas, then they are beyond the square footage scope of the primary dwelling and should not be included in a home’s Gross Living Area.
3. Double-check by doing the dirty work Buyers and sellers have or will make a sizable investment in a property, so isn’t it fair to double-check all the relevant facts and figures
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when it comes to true square footage? If you want to take on the endeavor yourself, here are a few helpful steps to take. n
First, you’ll need a few things to get started, including a tape measure that can measure at least 100 ft., graph paper, and a pencil.
n
Next, choose a room to start measuring wall-by-wall. Measure Wall 1, then proceed to assign each square on the gridded paper a corresponding measurement, rounding to the nearest tenth of a foot for the sake of clarity.
n
From there, draw out the wall you measured and measure the remaining walls in the
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room. Once you’ve completed the room’s measurements, multiply the room’s length and width to determine its square footage. n
As you go measure throughout the home, using your own system to scale, you will construct a failsafe floorplan.
Mastering your craft is everything, and the real estate industry is no different. Every now and again, it’s worthwhile to update your well of information, take matters into your own hands, and continue to innovate with the industry. While square footage may not seem like the juiciest starting off point for such a venture, never forget: mastery of technical knowledge is a sure sign of expertise.
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Top 4 Ways to Juice Up Your Open House Strategy by Rob Flitton
I go to open houses, but not just because of my profession or interest in architecture and interior design. I go to open houses to see how effective real estate agents are at selling. It has been rather eyeopening because there is very little selling going on—the average open house strategy needs work.
1.Build a Dynamic Open House Booklet After they leave, open house visitors will discard a one-page for-sale info sheet naming a home’s features. But they will keep, and possibly use, a 6 or 8 page booklet loaded with interesting items that directly solve problems for them.
Perhaps “selling” is considered an outdated skill, or that it feels socially awkward for agents to be regarded as a salesperson. But if you’re a real estate agent, you are a salesperson. At most of the open houses I go, I see money floating out the door every time a visitor leaves because of the agent’s inability or refusal to sell.
It will require some strategic thought to nail the content and design, but perhaps include: (i) descriptives about the benefits of buying the property you’re showing, and not just data, (ii) compelling reasons why they should consider working with you along with a web link to search for listings on your website, (iii) a web link telling them how to get a prompt, written estimate on the value of their home, or to find out what other homes in their neighborhood sold for, (iv) possible discounts on real estate related services—maybe a reduction in fees from your preferred lender, or a reduced home inspection price, (v) possible discounts on non real estate related items.
An open house is a lucrative opportunity to find buyer or seller clients –selling the listing itself may also be the goal, but an agent should not pass up this chance. There are 4 distinct strategies an agent can immediately employ to juice up their open houses and get awesome leads. 20
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If you combine this dynamic booklet data—and they are void of interesting If youproperly combinetrained this dynamic they are void of interesting with closingbooklet lan- ordata—and problem-solving information. with properly trained closingit lan guage, as touched upon below, is - or problem-solving information. guage, as touched uponperson below,will it is 2.Work The Neighborhood something the average something the use average few days The priorNeighborhood to your open house, either keep and or passperson along will to A2.Work A few your open house, either keep use Aorwell passdesigned along to find the days namesprior andtoaddresses (from someone theyand know. the names and addresses someone know. designed taxfind records—or elsewhere) of, say, (from 20 booklet canthey bring you aA lotwell of business. tax records—or elsewhere) of, say, booklet can bring you a lot of business. homes in each direction from the 20 homes in each direction from the Pre-internet, both open houses for open house. Pre-internet, open homes housesforfor open house. resale listings, both and model resale listings, and model for For the cost of postage and some new construction, relied on homes strategic mailofa postcard these collateral materials relied (handouts). Vis- sweat-equity, For the cost postage to and some new construction, on strategic looking at sev - - 80sweat-equity, homeownersmail inviting them totothe itors were ostensibly a postcard these collateral materials (handouts). Vis eral at the looking same time, so - open house and offering at sev 80 homeowners invitingsomething them to the itorscompetitors were ostensibly collateral materials had same to have theso unique and compelling—perhaps a eral competitors at the time, open house and offering something giveaway for those willing a power to bring themhad back your collateral materials to to have the drawing uniqueorand compelling—perhaps provide their opinion for on the asking site—a great callthem to action, those willing power to bring back toeyeyour todrawing or giveaway of the home the entry catching color, identification of the to provide their (and opinion on thecard, asking site—a great call to action, eye- price of course, will net you their email benefits of buying your product. catching color, identification of the price of the home (and the entry card, address and phone number). People of course, will net you their email benefits of buying your product. generally nosy and like to be Yet at open houses today, I primarily areaddress and phone number). People validated, so asking for and their like opinion see bland information sheets dis nosy to be Yet at open houses today, I primarily are generally on something hap pening in their own cussing features—the listing price, see bland information sheets dis- validated, so asking for their opinion the square footage, and the standard neighborhood is very appealing. cussing features—the listing price, on something happening in their own the square footage, and the standard neighborhood is very appealing. Top Agent Magazine
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And, it is best to mail them again right after the open house to talk about what happened. “From our Saturday open house, we discovered 3 qualified and eager buyers that are now looking for a home in this neighborhood—if you would like to know what your home is worth for these buyers to consider, please give me a call.”
dynamic booklet and say: “Please enjoy our open house, and am hoping you’ll do me a favor. This booklet is loaded with great information about, and if you become interested at some point in buying or selling, would you please call and give me the opportunity to earn your business? Or if you happen to know someone now who is looking now, would you kindly pass this booklet onto them?”
Also, adding on door-knocking or If they reply with a “don’t know” type flyer-hanging to your mailings boosts of answer this usually means they are your neighborhood equity even more. indeed looking but are just not ready yet to reveal this to you, so you will 3.Close and Qualify need to work to make a connection. Engage every single visitor in closing Good consultative sales connections dialogue, because every single visitor are made when you can make them feel you’re not pushy and are able to is there for a reason. directly resolve their problem. While smiling, with shoulders erect, and maintaining suitable distance, A “yes” type of response is great, but look them in the eye and offer your you should take the qualifying step of handshake while stating your full asking them if they’re working with another agent. If they are, the dyname and company—and then ask: namic booklet comes in handy again: “Are you out looking to buy a home “If for any reason your agent is today?” unavailable to show you homes, I can be reached at the phone number in There are 4 categories of answers, this booklet. Plus, it contains fantastic and any answer they provide is an resources for searching online and a opportunity to get to the marrow of discount on financing.” what they need. There are “nos”, “don’t knows,” “yeses,” and “other.” If you can’t get a sandwich, get a bite. If they are definitive about looking, If they reply with a “no” variety of and don’t have an agent, then they are answer, then you can hand them your available for you to work with and 22
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here again you need the right type of closing and qualifying dialogue. The goal here is to evoke from them their home-buying goals so that you can match and narrow down to a single opportunity. It’s a mistake to present multiple listings to a buyer at once. Ask broad questions and then narrowing questions followed up by “if-then” questions. Example: “What types of functions do you want in your new home, or activities near your neighborhood?” Followed by something like, “is the number or size of bedrooms important to you?” Followed by, “so if I can show you the kind of home we just described, are you ready to go see it and possibly make an offer?”
4.Have Interactive Tech Tools Onsite It is the worst feeling to engage someone as a potential client at an open house and then have no tools available to solve their problem— don’t assume they aren’t going to want to do business right away. If you’re engaging a potential buyer, you better be able to instantly gratify their desire to see viable homes online so internet access and an easily view-able screen are necessary. They may ask you to go see other homes in-person, so you need to have a coagent available to either show them those homes, or spell you off as host while you do. You may be asked to write up an offer for them so you will need the tools and ability to create and e-sign documents.
Naturally, any objections or “nos” you receive in this process are just fan- When a potential listing client is in tastic opportunities to learn about their front of you, you need to be able to needs and earn a connected trust. show them recent comparable sales and may even be asked to list their The “other” thing they might tell you home and will need the tools and is that they’re not a buyer at all, but a ability to create and e-sign documents potential seller. Potential sellers often for taking that listing. go to open houses to find out how their home stacks up, but are you It happens sometimes—but it never aware what the number one reason happens if you’re not ready. they attend open houses is? Potential sellers go to open houses to Rob Flitton is a Seattle Real Estate Mardirectly or indirectly interview you, a keting specialist helping independent agents to increase their income. Email Rob potential listing agent. And they hire robflitton@gmail.com at any time or call/ confident, prepared professionals. text him at 206-612-2314. Top Agent Magazine
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