Because a significant percentage of my business is by referral, virtually every one of my clients provides a service to others and it’s my job to match the service they provide their clients with the service I provide them. The bar is continually raised. The buzzword these days is “Value Add” or “Value Added”. Walmart has a concept in place for its suppliers to add 10% more value each year. My understanding is they want 10% more product for the same amount of money or to pay 10% less for the same amount of product. I was told this by a client who made t-shirts for Walmart.

On a side note, he sold his T-shirt business and got a real estate license. He tried it for a few months and quit “stating “There just isn’t any loyalty”.  I am not sure if I have the details of their program completely accurate, but it’s the concept of year over year performance gains and providing more value each year that I am talking about.

At first thought, it seems more logical that a vendor should raise their prices or decrease product levels annually because there is a perception that prices are always going up.

Perhaps Walmart’s idea is the better you know your product or service the more value you can add. I am sure it’s challenging to be a Walmart vendor, but I may understand their thinking.

My tag line is “When Experience Counts”. When you have experience you can add value in ways your clients will benefit the most. Many of us had teachers who would tell us, “Once you learn all the rules then you can break them.”  If you have proficiency or expertise, you have the option to make your specialty better. Service to our clients is a perfect example.

Because most of the properties I have sold were Real Estate Owned (REO), I am accustomed to doing more than slapping my listings in the MLS and waiting for offers.

In my business the value ads are:

  1. Always being available no matter what. No matter what!
  2. One stop shop for all real estate needs.
  3. Supervising renovation/rehabs.
  4. Open Houses.
  5. Occasionally laying out the money for renovation when an estate has no money.
  6. Property management for assets that will eventually be sold.
  7. De-trash and De-clutter.
  8. Staging.
  9. Court Appearances.
  10. Sheriffs Lockouts.
  11. Re-Key.
  12. Alternative Financing Options.
  13. Internet and print advertising.
  14. Independent and flexible.
  15. Virtually anything I am asked to do.
  16. This is not a complete list!

Don’t forget to check out last month’s post “Are We In Another Housing Bubble?”  I have received positive feedback because it is a completely handcrafted and from scratch unique look at the subject.  You can access all my Blog Posts here. Please feel free to leave a comment or respond with a video.

Your business is very much appreciated and if you know anyone who is preparing to Sell or Buy a home or an apartment building, I would appreciate your referral.

Best –

David Silverstein