By Kelly Quigley, REALTOR® Magazine
Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details That Bring a House to Life by Sarah Susanka and Marc Vassallo (Taunton Press, 2005)
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Small homes have been getting a lot of positive attention these days, and with good reason. Rising energy bills, soaring home prices, and a trend towards urban living have made compact properties an attractive option for buyers. This book, the latest in a series of “Not So Big House” titles by Sara Susanka, proves that owners of small homes aren’t missing out on anything. Pages are brought to life with colorful photographs of built-in features — such as breakfast nooks, secret storage spots, and window seats — that make smart use of space and add architectural character. Through the vast array of images and descriptions of how each detail came to be, the book provides helpful tips and tricks for making the most of a compact living space. “My hope is that all the creative details in this book will inspire you to turn your home into your own creative playground,” Susanka writes in the book.
Tips From the Book:
- Consider nontraditional doors. When space is tight, think about getting rid of the traditional door that swings open in favor of a sliding door for bathrooms, a decorative curtain for closets, a pull-down shade to conceal the washer and dryer, or pocket doors that can separate rooms when needed.
- Add visual interest with varied ceilings. By changing the height, material, and angle of the ceiling in different areas of the home, you can create visual excitement and clearly separate one living area from another. You don’t have to have tall ceilings to make this trick work; simply add wood paneling or use a couple of inches in the hallway to create an arch.
- Don’t skimp on quality details. To keep construction costs down, many buyers of new homes funnel all of their money into square footage, leaving no money for high-quality details that give the home its character. They’d be better off reducing planned square footage by about a third and funneling that money into personalizing the home with architectural detailing such as wainscoting, wall niches, and door frames.
By Kelly Quigley, REALTOR® Magazine
Broker to Broker: Management Lessons From America’s Most Successful Real Estate Companies by Robert Freedman (John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2006)
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What can I do to get my brokerage into the news more often? How should I respond to limited-service competitors? Am I providing incentives that keep my sales associates motivated? As a broker, your ability to find the best answers to questions like these will determine the success of your business. Luckily, other brokerages around the country have dealt with similar issues and have found innovative solutions. This book, a collection of articles and columns from REALTOR® Magazine, aims to give you an edge by bringing you real-life examples of how other brokers have responded to obstacles and opportunities. The book’s three main sections — Managing Operations, Managing People, and Managing Risk — include articles and how-to guides for growing business, keeping associates motivated, and staying out of legal trouble. By reading about what other brokerages have done, you’ll spur ideas that will work in your market.
Tips From the Book:
- Boost your visibility in the community. To boost foot traffic into your brokerage office, choose a location in a high-traffic retail strip and make the space look warm and inviting so people will feel welcome to walk in and ask questions. When there is a local event, such as a parade or street fair, make your presence known by placing a booth outside of your office. Ask sales associates to staff the booth in shifts so they can chat with passersby about real estate.
- Add a staging service to set your firm apart. With competition among brokerages so heated, you should always be looking for new services that will set your company apart from the rest. One great example is home staging, which can help the home sell quicker and for a higher price. Sales associates can work with a professional home stager to make aesthetic changes to the home.
- Plan for ‘what ifs’ in your market. Improve your brokerage’s ability to respond quickly to change by developing a plan you would follow in the event of certain scenarios, such as major layoffs by a local employer, a natural disaster, or a major new competitor. Start by listing your company’s areas of strength and vulnerability and then identify probable future events. Finally, plan your response. This strategy will keep unpleasant surprises at bay.
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