Newsletter Archives

Join our Mailing List!

  • 7/6/2011 Pareto's Principle and Mom's Singing
  • A couple of weeks ago when I wrote about the Five Minute Rule, I also brought up the concept of the last 20 Percent. While cleaning up around the house the other day and right before the temptation to succumb to laziness towards the end of my spree, I was reminded that I had not finished telling you about this concept. I know for sure that I first learned the concept of the last 20 percent as a child. My mother still sings a little song - "Be the labor great or small do it well or don't do it at all." And you've heard it said many different ways. "The icing on the cake" is just one of them, referring to adding the best little bit or, "It's all in the details". Of course it is. As you know, learning and even knowing something and continuing to apply it are two completely different things. You may know all about the last 20 percent or maybe you learned it as the last 10 percent, but either way it's really important
  • 6/29/2011 The Back Door is for Friends
  • Every time I sit down to write this column, I am thrilled that you are out there willing to take time to read it. I haven't worked with that many of you and you probably don't see me as your tech or process coach, efficiency advisor or paid consultant, but I hope you see me as a real person. I hope you see me as someone who really cares that you are successful in whatever you do. And I really appreciate that you take time to read this because it brings you some value. After years and years of email being a huge part of our business lives, the stats are pretty clear; we pretty much hate it and love it at the same time. And I place newsletters into the same category. It's in this vein that I thought I'd share a tip or two.
  • 6/23/2011 DataComp Newsletter
  • And In This Corner
    A local broker sent a broadcast e-mail to the majority of commercial appraisers in my market area, indicating that their appraisals are too high due to reliance on dated comps. That is something I haven't seen before.
  • 6/22/2011 You Only Need to Do Five Minutes
  • I learned two things yesterday. Hundreds of important concepts, ideas, suggestions and near directives entered my realm yesterday, yet, for whatever reason, only two of them seemed really important and applicable to me. It happens to us all, doesn't it? We're exposed to a lot in our business life every day that we have the opportunity to learn from. Some of it sticks and some of it doesn't. I sometimes wonder why. Was it how it was presented? Was it who presented it? I don't know. But I do wonder. It's my nature to ask "why" a lot. But I shouldn't wander off pondering or else I'll never finish this.
  • 6/15/2011 Congratulations on the New Arrival
  • And In This Corner
    A local broker sent a broadcast e-mail to the majority of commercial appraisers in my market area, indicating that their appraisals are too high due to reliance on dated comps. That is something I haven't seen before.
  • 6/9/2011 DataComp Newsletter
  • I learned two things yesterday. Hundreds of important concepts, ideas, suggestions and near directives entered my realm yesterday, yet, for whatever reason, only two of them seemed really important and applicable to me. It happens to us all, doesn't it? We're exposed to a lot in our business life every day that we have the opportunity to learn from. Some of it sticks and some of it doesn't. I sometimes wonder why. Was it how it was presented? Was it who presented it? I don't know. But I do wonder. It's my nature to ask "why" a lot. But I shouldn't wander off pondering or else I'll never finish this.
  • 6/08/2011 Do I Really Need to Talk About This?
  • There has been a birth of sorts. Everyone is proud to show off their new member of the family. It's the iPad. I have not seen such a surge in population for a long, long time. Commercial real estate professionals have "adopted" the iPad in a big way.
  • 6/1/2011 Too Many Choices of Orange Juice
  • What Are You Worth?
    What's your fee for a typical summary format appraisal? Is it on the lean side of $1,200 or healthier $3,900? While these fees are anecdotal, based on my numerous conversations with DataComp customers across the US; it's a huge dollar and percentage spread, especially when you calculate your net profit.
  • 5/25/2011 Stretched Like Gumby
  • Yes. Apparently I do. Do you still have a Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo or Go Daddy e-mail address that you use in your professional life? If so, it's time to upgrade to a professional e-mail address. Please get over the, "Gmail is the standard of the industry and it's free!" mentality. If you want to be taken seriously, you must set up your business e-mail address on a website domain that you own. And guess what, it's ok to have more than one. If you have a specialty it's something you might want to look into to. You can have various domain names point to specific pages on your primary web site which can help maximize your site traffic and enhance your ranking on the various search engines.
  • 5/24/2011 DataComp Newsletter
  • I had a long conversation the other day with one of our clients. She was lamenting about the fact that software for business has become overcomplicated. She felt that there are just too many options within the various programs that are fairly irrelevant, or at least appear that way to an individual user. And let's not get into the whole "there's an app for that" discussion. I understand that Apple has applied for trademark protection of the phrase, so there may be reason to have some fun with the phrase. If I say it quick enough, "there's an app for that," it sounds like the AFLAC commercial. Go ahead, say it fast and with a bit of a nasal tone .. an app for that and it becomes "anappferthat". While I digress, the point of bringing this to your attention, and why it's worthy of being part of this discussion, is because I think we're all wondering if there are more "apps" than we'll ever be able to handle. I'm wondering how we'll keep track of them all. Word has it that there are over 300,000 iPhone apps and 60,000 iPad apps. The Android app market is growing exponentially, currently sitting with about 150,000. Some analysts say that if the rate of growth for both continues, the Android apps will outpace Apple's by mid 2012. We will then need an app to manage all of our apps!
  • 5/18/2011 Mazes in the Workplace
  • It seems that while Gumby is a classic show and toy character once popular in years past, it started to become popular again after the death of its creator on January 11, 2010. Although I am making a reference to something from my childhood, it seems that those of you that are much younger than me will know what I'm talking about. Although Gumby stretched and stretched 100's of times, there was a breaking point.
  • 5/11/2011 What If You Could "Get" It?
  • Worry Your Way to Success
    "Pessimism" and "success" both have three s's. Are you a pessimist, optimist or just pragmatic? If it's the latter then you are a pessimist. Pragmatic is a code word for somewhat disengaged from the process, much less being passionate.
  • 5/18/2011 Mazes in the Workplace
  • It's not a typo. The word I'm using and intended to use is "respondable". I'm using it as an adjective and I suggest you adopt it that way too. Here's what I'm suggesting. If you are communicating, particularly in the world of social media, you have a responsibility to make what you put out there respondable. Hint: If you are going to adopt what I suggest, you better add "respondable" to your processor's dictionary, because I assure you it's not there and that alone will drive you nuts.
  • 5/11/2011 What If You Could "Get" It?
  • Analyze This
    What cap rate would you apply to your spouse? A hotel property owner asked me this question. As a commercial appraiser, I was confused. His question came up after I asked him why in the world would he buy a hotel in the middle of nowhere. The only nearby economic driver was a nuclear power plant. I told him I thought it was risky. He told me that getting married was a bigger risk and a leap of faith, much more than real estate.
  • 5/18/2011 Mazes in the Workplace
  • A couple of weeks ago my column was weighted on customer service. Because of the number of responses I received, I know it struck a nerve. Some of those responses spoke about how the folks who deliver customer service are paid which got me thinking. It got me thinking about the slow job recovery we're having and how much the low rate of job creation has been affected by the efficiencies many companies, large and small put in place to survive the recession. It got me thinking about where compensation levels are and it even got me thinking about how we pay; salary, hourly and the many programs of commission.
  • 5/11/2011 What If You Could "Get" It?
  • I've had my iPad for a couple of months now and because I'm over 50, I am still in the learning phase, although everyone tells me that even if I was 20 years younger I'd probably still be in the learning curve. If you recall, when I first purchased it I told you that I bought it for a specific reason...a client relationship. It really is an incredible device and I find I'm using it every day for business and pleasure. It's clear that many brokers have been buying tablets. Of course, with an iPad there's a big "cool" factor that is appealing, but the real reason is portability and, frankly, to view property. Google Earth on the iPad is a "must have" if you're in the business of commercial real estate! Of course, being able to show photos of various properties is important too.
  • 5/4/2011 You Need to be "Respondable"
  • Hurry Up
    "Drinkers with a running problem" is the tag line of a local running group I belong to. We run every Tuesday and meet after at an Irish pub. Good times. One thing I've noticed though...what started out as a fun run has turned into a competitive environment between folks of different ages and gender. So while we enjoy the Irish Smithwick beer after the run, our collective performances have improved significantly over the past few months. We keep "one up-ing" each other for different race distances and challenges, but in a supportive environment.
  • 5/3/2011 DataComp Newsletter
  • You know how you don't know what you don't know? It was with that in mind, together with my thoughts on prioritization and its importance, which made me write what I did last week. And believe me, from your responses I learned a little bit more about what I don't know.
  • 4/27/2011 Pay = Performance?
  • I've got a couple of questions for you that I hope you'll answer. I love to measure stuff because it's efficient. It's the best way to figure out what to do at any given time, why others do what they do and most importantly and most frequently overlooked, measuring helps you decide when to stop doing stuff. There's a saying that you must prioritize yourself, otherwise other people will do it for you. I find prioritization really hard, but I keep working on it. It's hard because for years as we were all growing up, someone else always took care of our prioritization. Even as adults we have others who set priorities for us. But we do have an awful lot of leeway in this area and so trying to set one's own priorities is the way to go.
  • 4/20/2011 It's Not Perfect, But It's Close
  • A Different Perspective
    I visited the new Dali museum in St. Petersburg the other day. I couldn't tell if the man was brilliant, insane or some combination. Dali's early work was fairly traditional keeping within the lines of the artistic community at the time. Later on, he cut loose on all inhibitions and let his imagination go free. The museum guide provided numerous levels of interpretation of his art. My inability to discern some of his artwork and its confusing effect on my brain suggests I need to expand my perception skills.
  • DataComp Newsletter - April 14, 2011
  • "Someday I'll be able to implement a new and better way to do...whatever." No one really says this out loud, but most of us say it internally a lot. Someday is a really dangerous term in the business world. It is great for laying on the beach, drinking something mildly mind altering and refreshing and dreaming. We all need dreams. They help propel us into action or they simply make us feel better. They are vital. But someday has little value to us in the work environment. It's vague. It's squishy. It lacks purpose and unless we like to work more than we need to because we like work more than other more pleasant things, we have to keep "someday" at bay.
  • 4/13/2011 Simply Thanks
  • Last week, I had a rare opportunity to hear two mayors from two different cities on two separate occasions tell how they created significant change. Those of you who read me regularly know that I tend to be a realist about how quickly the commercial real estate industry reacts to change. At least the kind of change that comes along with doing things differently as a result of technology and processes. And since these meetings were full of commercial real estate professionals, I left each of these meetings with a pretty big smile on my face even though the change being talked about had nothing to do with technology.
  • 4/6/2011 A Couple of Direct Questions
  • A while back, I wrote about a reliable survey which indicated that 80% of companies surveyed said they offered great customer service, yet customers said they only get great customer service 8% of the time. Hmm, seems to me a zero is missing. That's a big, big disconnect. So it got me thinking that maybe I'm just getting old and cranky and no one really cares about customer service these days. Do we have a lack of humbleness that is brought about by our culture (not blanket behavior) of rugged individualism? Has it led to a lack of service and politeness to those we interact with?
  • DataComp Newsletter - April 2011
  • It's time to take the next step. I think it's time for all of us in commercial real estate to think bigger...about how to give our customers, as well as our employees, what they want and need, even if they haven't told us what that is yet. Here's an interesting statistic. It seems that because of the two-year average annual turnover in mobile phone contracts, smart phones now account for nearly a third of the mobile devices that we use. And most estimate this percentage reaching 50% by the end of 2011. As a result, I know we'll be really surprised at the mobile applications that retailers around us are going to have out by the end of the year. Big Picture.
  • 3/30/2011 The Urgency of Now
  • Invest in Yourself
    "I would rather have you hate me for who I am than love me for someone I'm not." Wise words from a blues song I heard the other day. What does that have to do with commercial appraising you may ask? Probably not much. But stay with me for a second.
  • 3/23/2011 A Rare Opportunity
  • Today I was reading something written by David Allen, one of my favorite productivity gurus and he used the phrase "Maximally Productive". I started to gasp for breath, thinking I was getting comments from an appraisal continuing education forum that I wasn't even aware I was supposed to be a part of. Once my brain engaged with what I was "reading", I realized that David was using a term that, while it has been imprinted in my brain from years of appraisal theory, had nothing to do with real estate principals. He was talking about humans being maximally productive, not land or buildings. So I kept reading.
  • 3/16/2011 A Lesson from Japan
  • Knowing when to implement some type of collaboration software is really, really tough. That's unfortunate. I sure wish it wasn't true. For most, it's a fine line between collaboration and aggravation. I can't say that I'm surprised.
  • 3/9/2011 Put Your Big Picture Hat On
  • It's not a trick. There really is only one tech tool you can't do without. It's your brain. Why is your brain the most important tool? Because it's the only tool that can make sense of pertinent incoming data about how you do your best work to serve your clients and then enable you to use that data to create and automate meaningful processes. Nothing works like the brain when it comes to specifically handling your world. Nothing.
  • DataComp Newsletter - March 2011
  • A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste
    "A journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step". I don't think Lao-tzu's statement is entirely accurate. I think the very first step is to prepare your mind. If you're not mentally prepared for a 1,000 mile journey, taking the first step will likely end with serious leg cramps shortly thereafter.
  • 3/2/2011 Maximally Productive = Most Profitable
  • I had an opportunity to do some traveling last week. Not for business this time, but for pure pleasure. Those of you that are long time readers of this column know that one of my favorite places to be is on a sailboat somewhere in the Caribbean. I didn't have an opportunity to spend much time on a sailboat for this trip, but it was, after all, the Caribbean and one of my favorite spots, the Virgin Islands.
  • 2/23/2011 Can't Live With It...Can't Live Without It
  • If I listen, I hear it almost daily...someone is objecting to using social media in business settings. It gets tiring hearing people say social media isn't worthy of their attention and that real businesses simply don't market that way. The fact is, nothing could be further from the truth. But in our business world, doing it right can seem like an additional burden. We're rightfully concerned when we want to know what the harvest will be. I think it's good to be skeptical, but just skeptical, not negative. For me it's easy, because as you know, I like everything technical and I'm passionate about my lifelong career in commercial real estate. So when the two collide, it's kind of like that Reese's commercial where the two pieces collide and create a beautiful thing - the Reese's peanut butter cup.
  • 2/16/2011 The Most Important Tech Tool, Now and Forever
  • Here we are at the end of January. So how are those resolutions holding out for you? Hopefully, you're still doing pretty well. I'm sorry to admit that a few I made have fallen by the wayside already. I guess if they didn't have enough staying power to make it through the first month, they weren't that good to begin with. I'm okay with that. Sometimes it's knowing when to stop doing something that really matters.
  • DataComp Newsletter - February 2011
  • Let Me Get Back With You
    There is current concern for the younger generation that for every hour spent "tweeting" or on Facebook, they are "substituting" an hour of true education and knowledge. Then again, my generation's version of mind numbing atrophy activity was reruns of Mork & Mindy and I Dream of Jeannie.
  • 2/9/2011 At the Core of It All
  • The other day I learned that a Harvard University professor has invented a product that allows users to enjoy a cup of coffee without having to drink it. The product, called Le Whif, is an inhaler containing coffee which has been distilled into a breathable powder and gives the same dose of caffeine as a double shot of espresso. Taken to market last year, flavors include chocolate, raspberry, mint and coffee. Apparently, you can also get vitamins (not sure how they'd smell). "Experiencing" coffee and chocolate like this leaves something to be desired. Enough so that this might not really take off. I suggest you watch the Le Whif video and decide if you'd spend $3 for an inhaler tube of nine whiffs.
  • 2/2/2011 Social Media Commercial Real Estate 2011
  • I know you might be surprised to hear this from me, but I just got my first iPad. Well, guess what? This admission of purchase this late in the game surprises me too because, as you know, I love technology and I love gadgets. But I also value return on investment and the value is having "gadgets" in my personal life, but only "tools" in my professional world. That is why I have only had the iPad for about a week. And I can tell you, it has been a good week.
  • 1/26/2011 It's the End of January
  • At the beginning of the year, I decided my signature tag line was going to be "Truth is the New Currency." There are a lot of reasons why I have been feeling this way. It is not so much that there are a lot of non-truths, it is just that there is so much information it is hard to know what is true and what is not. There is so much sorting that needs to be done. No time before in history have we had this much information coming at us so rapidly. And we have so few ways and limited time to verify it.
  • 1/19/2011 Cup of Joe
  • As 2010 comes to a close and we have memories of the lovely Christmas and holiday time we have had, our thoughts begin to turn to 2011. For myself and many of you, that means looking back at what you did right in 2010, what you did wrong and now what you want to do differently to make 2011 a year to be proud of.
  • 1/12/2011 The iPad Might Get You
  • At a breakfast meeting the other day, I enjoyed a brief discussion with a colleague who, after running several successful businesses, is embarking on a new one. That is not at all unusual for anyone in this group, but what is different is that he is starting a company focused on helping companies understand and take advantage of EQ - Emotional Intelligence Quotient. EQ measures an individual's ability to recognize the emotions in themselves and others and the ability to cope in dynamic environments. Think about the people who could use his help; the genius with absolutely zero people skills, the pathetically dry boss or the ridiculously boring teacher. They all have low EQ, which some say is the single biggest predictor of an individual's success in life.
  • 1/5/2011 Truth is the New Currency
  • I love the word perspective. I'm not so sure about the word perception. To me perspective describes a future indication, something upcoming that others might not see. Perception on the other hand seems to generally reflect how someone sees or considers something, and it may have little basis. Perspective seems wise. To me, perception is about the process of how sensory information is received and interpreted by the brain. It is often used to explain how two people see the same events differently. And boy, we all see things very differently much of the time.
  • 12/29/2010 The Day After and Beyond
  • You Don't Know What You Don't Know
    Your goals are worthless, your aspirations are fleeting and your ultimate success is of no value unless followed up by action. In the commercial appraisal profession, you are not provided a road map of how to navigate your career successfully, whether you are a fee appraiser or the owner of the firm.
  • 12/22/2010 Merry Christmas...A Time of Sharing
  • It is that time of year. That time when many of us try to, as my granny would say, "Put 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound bag". Over the years I added, "Hey, what's wrong with that, if you don't mind mashed potatoes!" I fool myself a bit...you probably do as well.

    Many of us find ourselves unable to slow down enough to enjoy the holidays, while others seem to really enjoy them at various and usually heightened levels of activity. In the years I've spent working on process flow and efficiencies, I've learned and so have my clients, that we find ourselves "wasted" and "burned out" only when we have been expecting results not matched by reality.
  • 12/15/2010 The Year is Almost Over
  • If you could change one thing, what would the future look like? This isn't some big philosophical question. It's a question that we ought to ask ourselves or those we interact with over and over and over again. It's a great way to make some sort of incremental change for the better.
  • DataComp Newsletter - December, 2010
  • Gratitude. It's not a word we hear that often these days. A simple definition is "The quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful". It's on our minds this week. For most of us, the Thanksgiving holiday reminds us that despite the ups and downs of daily life, even with the economic problems over the last year, we all have a lot to be grateful for. And while I find that it is easy to express gratitude toward our family and friends, how do you apply gratitude to your business and your business colleagues, employees and professional relationships and vendors?
  • 12/8/2010 Pushing Water Upstream
  • LARGE PEPPERONI PIE
    I have a favorite pizza place nearby my house that I love to go to. Two old Italian, somewhat cranky but funny, guys run the business. They take orders the "old-school" way...scribble on a piece of paper then yell the order out to their sons. They did not seem particularly motivated by money or working a lot. However, they have two younger sons that wanted to take the business up a few notches. Prior to this change, the pace of restaurant was low-key with good pizza pie and somewhat slow, but steady service.
  • 12/1/2010 If You Could...
  • I overheard it at breakfast this morning. We, as service companies, need to communicate and communicate often. It was interesting because the conversation was coming from an attorney who was speaking about national service firms, so certainly, that's about you and me. What he was talking about was that he was going take the four days over the Thanksgiving holiday to revamp his website. While I didn't partake a lot in the conversation, it generally revealed that not only does this attorney take responsibility and control for his website, and this from a sizable firm, but he also recognizes that it's really, really important to have worthwhile content on the site. Something that someone wants to find when they're in need, but also something that will be picked up by search engines and crawlers. How does that happen? It happens by frequency. It happens when enough people see the content that is put out there and start to see this firm as a resource.
  • 11/24/2010 A Simple, Heartfelt Concept of Gratitude
  • BUSINESS IS PERSONAL
    Contrary to what many commercial appraisers think, appraising is a business. "Just hang out your shingle" is what appraisers used to say when starting their firms. No mention of business development, cold calls and the pressure to make it successful.
  • DataComp Newsletter - November 18, 2010
  • As long ago as 1931, the distinguished American economist, William Edwards Deming said, "If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing!" We know this to be true, but dang it's hard. I eat, sleep and breathe process and yet most days, I kick and scream along the way, knowing it's the only way I can run a successful company and have a life.
  • 11/17/2010 You've Heard it Once. You've Heard it Twice. You've Heard it a Lot.
  • Let's be a little technical this week. How many years have we used PDF documents because we didn't want them to be editable? Well conspiracy theorists, the seriously paranoid, and those with dark secrets already know that they, PDFs, have always been editable documents. The rest of you normal types might not be so sure. The right answer is that anything electronic can generally be manipulated, but then again so can printed documents with a little Whiteout and a copy machine. The key comes down to what's easy and practical as much as anything else. Of course password protected documents of all kinds help with the non-edit ability and security issues, but let's not go there today.
  • DataComp Newsletter - October 28, 2010
  • How many times do we hear it? "Don't take it personally." "It's business, not personal." "Leave your personal life at home." Truth is each of those lines is impossible to do, and none would be a smart to thing to do if we could. It's our personal self that helps us achieve things in our careers because, well, it's personal. If something doesn't matter to us personally, we just don't have the same enthusiasm and without enthusiasm, work is just that...work.
  • 11/10/2010 You Don't Know What You're Doing
  • GAME IN OVERTIME
    by: Adam Thomas, Consultant, realwired!©
    Sunday evening I was talking to an appraiser friend of mine. I began to talk about the Alabama vs. South Carolina football game that took place this past Saturday. I am a neutral fan, but it was a pretty big upset and I had just assumed that my friend had watched the game. Instead, he was kind of irritated because everyone he knows was talking about the game, but he had to miss it because he was stuck in the office trying to work on a report that had a deadline for the early part of the week.
  • 11/3/2010 Format and Sharing...It's Not for the Seriously Paranoid
  • It's that time again. I'm off to CREW's National Convention in San Francisco. This will be the last real estate conference for me for 2010. You know the drill in this industry...Once Thanksgiving comes along, it's all downhill until the world cranks up again after the holidays. I love this about our industry.
    It's been a good year at the conferences I've attended. I've met so many smart commercial real estate professionals. This week with my fellow CREW members is a nice finish.
  • 10/27/2010 It's All Personal
  • You need more sleep. Really. But you already know that, don't you. You know that as a nation, we are sleep deprived and we're basically OK with it. But studies show that we would think deeper and work more efficiently if we were more rested. So how do we do it? We have to get more hours into the day. We multitask which helps in some ways and hurts in others. But if we put that aside as a "given", there are a couple of things I've learned from the smart companies I work with. Here's the hardest one first...turning off technology during your highest energy time.
  • By: Jeff Hicks, President, The Dohring Group

    Did you understand that movie with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, two lonely, out-of-place Americans in Tokyo? If you didn't see it, both were searching for meaning in their lives and the movie dragged on forever, never going anywhere. That's how I feel about the huge negative fallout from Amendment 4, sweetly coined "Florida Hometown Democracy". With such a feel-good moniker, how could you be against it, even if you don't know its impact? Other names considered, "Make Florida Perfect", "Florida for Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen", "Florida for More Rainbows and Unicorns"...you get the idea.
  • Have you noticed a lack of email "responses" lately? I know you probably send "forget-me-not" and "here's some info you might like to see" messages and you may be thinking that no one likes you. Just kidding. But you may be questioning the quality of your marketing or the value of the information you're sending. While it's possible that all three of the things I just mentioned, and yes it is "possible" that you send things too often and people have set up auto deletes or worse yet put a spam filter on you, my guess is that isn't the case.
  • FLOW LIKE WATER
    I like kicking people in the head. As a martial artist first starting out in my mid-30's (late-bloomer) with Lugo's Shuri-Ryu Karate, I thought the singular point was to punch, kick and knee your opponents. Don't get me wrong, it's fun to attack. Problem is they attack back.
  • Sometimes when I sit down to write this I wish that instead of sitting at this computer by myself, I was in a room where I could look around and see all of you. It would help me do my job better. It would help me better assess who you are and what you likely care to read, learn and think about. With a visual, or the fact that I self screened by physically being somewhere which would give me clues, I might do a better job for you. I was reminded of this small fact about communicating again yesterday, as I sat in a lunch listening to one of our area's most respected business persons address a crowd of more than 150 CEO's. For 40+ years this man has worked within his Fortune 500 Company and he's a real leader.
  • The last thing I want to do when I sit down each week to start a conversation with you is waste your time. Given that, I really work hard between columns to take physical and mental notes about things that interest me and, hopefully, interest you. But I'm never sure.
  • I started a new exercise regimen about two months ago and while it is one of the hardest ones I've done, I'm addicted. I have known about this particular trainer for about four years and have clearly seen the benefit of what working with him has done for a friend of mine during that time. Every so often, she suggested that I might want to meet with the guy and see if the program was for me. I brushed her (and him) off, mostly with the excuse that I did not have time and it was too expensive. Frankly, it was not the "too expensive" part that really kept me from checking into it. I just did not want to make the time and agree to a regimen, even when the results were something I could see for myself and I would benefit from, based on the transformation of my friend. Sound familiar?
  • Don't Be Ordinary
    Two months ago, a prominent MAI passed away suddenly. His name was George Cuddeback. He was a very sharp and knowledgeable appraiser that loved to share his knowledge with others.
  • For years I've heard that 60% of what we do in commercial real estate is managing paper. OK, to be fair, we probably spend 60% of our time managing data. That's a lot. I was reminded of this the other day when I was chatting with a couple of attorneys during a deposition. Chatting really isn't the right word. I was sharing with them that I detest how much paper it takes to work one's way through a lawsuit and they remarked that only commercial real estate was more paper/data intensive. I'm not sure I agree with them, but I do know managing a transaction's "paperwork" takes up a huge part of our working hours. I wonder why we can't seem to get out from under it all.
  • It's what we want to know every time we think of buying new software, computers and printers. It's also the hardest thing to calculate. And it's 'not just hard to do it when you're a large company; it's really tough to do in a small company or individual department. So I say, why do it at all? What I mean is, why do it with a calculator alone. You can't really "calculate" very easily anyway, but you can use your gut and know that you're making an improvement over how you were doing things. And by using your gut, please, please just accept that you don't have to find the "perfect solution", you just have to make things much better. That's a big piece of the payoff. Make incremental improvements.
  • DataComp Newsletter - September 2, 2010
  • Traveling this week, I was both pleasantly surprised to get free wifi in a couple of the airports, and highly disappointed that the hotel I stayed in charged for internet access, something less expensive hotels generally don't which, trust me, I really don't understand. So, while I was pleased that my smart phone kept me connected, it got a bigger workout than normal. What I noticed and what really let me down, was the lack of available electrical outlets. Let's face it; all of our devices have batteries that need charging and sometimes finding a simple outlet is like being on a scavenger hunt with big prize money. I ask, is it that hard to add a few extra outlets?
  • 9/1/2010 If it Takes That Much Time...
  • Since last week's article on CRM brought up some questions and some good comments from readers, it makes sense to address them in a short follow up. And, while I must admit I wish the discussion would/could take place in the blog so that more people could weigh in and help each other, it seems that you, my wonderful, loyal readers generally prefer to send comments directly to me and that's just fine!
  • 8/25/2010 Where's the Payoff?
  • Ethics - The New Currency
    As my high school coach used to say, "Give me 110% or don't show up". Oftentimes, this sage advice came with 90-decibel drill sergeant screaming (and spitting)...an effective training technique for skinny teenagers.
    Obviously, Coach was talking about giving maximum effort, but at the core, he was also talking about character. All Coach cared about was that you gave your maximum all the time, no matter what. A true coach and leader wants to see all athletes progress, no matter what their level.
  • 8/18/2010 Outlets and Eye-Fi's?
  • Few business tools are still as unwieldy as CRM - Customer Relationship Management. I'm not sure why, either. Boiled down, CRM systems are fairly simple things. They are Rolodexes on steroids. The best way to describe them is to know that every customer or important name and phone number you add can offer up an entire customized history of your relationship with that person, or it can give you just the kind of basic contact information you very well may have kept in your Rolodex. It goes without saying that you can, and will access your CRM from anywhere you can get to the internet and that you can slice and dice the information to create reports and bulk correspondence easily. Calendar events and "to do's", sometimes described as tasks, round out the basics.
  • 8/11/2010 The Art of Choosing
  • Full disclosure: I have a hard time remembering things I don't make notes about. I've been known to hide in a corner or go to the restroom to scribble notes on the back of a business card or whatever sliver of "something" I can find to write on. I really, really care to make good connections and be diligent in my follow-ups and I think I've used just about every trick in the book to figure out how to discreetly take the notes that I need to do the job I believe I need to do. Yes, I'll admit I've even written on my hand or my wrist. Nowhere else, though.
  • DataComp Newsletter - August 4, 2010
  • The other day I had the opportunity to sit for a couple of hours and do some exploration into the business brains of a group of CEOs and Presidents of companies. It seems to me we're all working on pretty much the same things as 12 months ago but some of the desperation and, therefore, the intensity is less. No one disagrees that 2009 was one of the worst years that many have experienced, but now that it's behind us, it's just that...behind us. Everyone started 2010 with almost a euphoric feeling that seemed to hold until summer hit. I don't think it's just the heat...although it's been really, really hot! I think it's more like finding out after it's too late that you stood in the wrong line, or went the wrong way and the 15k race you and everyone else signed up for and started, is a half marathon.
  • 8/4/2010 How Well Do You "CRM"?
  • Step off the Treadmill
    While reading Og Mandino's best seller, The Greatest Salesman in the World, I was struck by this strong passage. "Experience teaches thoroughly yet devours men's years so the value of the lessons diminishes with time necessary to acquire special wisdom. The end finds it wasted on dead men."
  • 7/28/2010 Listen Well & Use Pen and Paper
  • Does Twitter have a place in getting things done? Can tweets influence City Hall? Are professionals really paying attention? It seems so. More and more I'm hearing that Twitter has value in creating awareness and even getting people to respond to calls to action. I can't tell you I've personally had success, but I can point you in the direction of a couple of stories. And I'm not here to tell you that I think the way Twitter might be used is right or wrong. I just want to let you know, it's something we should all keep an eye on.
  • 7/21/2010 Is it Just Me?
  • Dag nab it. Gosh darn it. Confound it. Or better yet, Compound It! The first three slang terms remind me of being a kid and watching old cartoons where the character would like to swear, but of course it wouldn't be appropriate. The last term is usually associated with complex financial calculations, but is certainly applicable in a variety of situations and has a good lesson for us all in this time when frugality seems to be more popular than in years past.
  • DataComp Newsletter - July 15, 2010
  • Freedom!!!
    Independence Day, more commonly known as 4th of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

    John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail (write letters to your wife - early tweet?) - "The day ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more". Wow - Party like its 1776.

    In the spirit of freedom, I thought this list might be helpful for commercial appraisers as we approach this holiday.

    Free yourself from:

    * Working 50+ hours/week + weekends
    * Cutting and pasting your life away
    * Lengthy editing of your reports
    * Tunnel carpal pain from typing
    * Unorganized appraisal assignments
    * Missing appraisal deadlines
    * Time management traps
    * Prioritization paralysis

    The solutions to achieve these freedoms can be found at our Commercial Appraisal Productivity Seminar and of course by using our in-house comp management software, DataComp and commercial report writing software, EDGE.

    Our impactful seminar is not free, but then again neither is Freedom. Happy 4th!

  • 7/14/2010 What a Tweet
  • The 4th is upon us! It's one of my favorite holidays and not just because I love fireworks and parades, but because it's so "American". I have not traveled as much as I would like, but I have traveled enough to know I love to explore and appreciate other countries, but I am one lucky person to have been born in the United States. There are plenty of things that I wish were different about our country, but that doesn't mean that I'd want to live anywhere else, and I certainly wouldn't want to try and have the business I have here anywhere else.
  • 7/7/2010 Compound It!
  • Ok, I'm not talking about the fact that some people are a little off like that crazy aunt you have to visit once a year. I'm talking about why it's important to be "on track" with your processes. I'm a sailor. I've done a lot of it. Or I've done enough to call myself a sailor, but not enough to say I'm great. That part doesn't matter because I like it so much and I do it for fun.
  • DataComp Newsletter - July 1, 2010
  • Are you using an e-book yet? A local school near here just announced that they plan to buy Amazon's Kindle for all 2,100 students next year. From a technology standpoint, I couldn't be more excited. I really do think that it makes good sense and that we will see more of this to come. Don't get me wrong, there are certainly issues at stake including the fact that most colleges and universities make a decent profit from textbook sales. And if they don't make those profits, it could cause class hours to cost more. But stepping away from the issues of which device is going to be the most adopted one for education and what the cost will be, let's take a minute to think about how people learn. There's so much more to learning than the type of device the information is presented on.
  • 6/30/2010 Profits are Patriotic
  • Are you able to listen or are you too busy waiting to talk? Answer this question...most people are good at listening. Yes or no? You already know the answer. The problem is what to do about it. We are all starving to be heard. In this world of constant distractions and interruptions, people who truly listen stand out. They make others feel valued, important, and heard! Try listening with all of your senses, and watch for the meaning or intent behind the speaker's words. Listening includes being accessible, encouraging people to express themselves, listening with mindfulness, not speaking too much, and using verbal and non verbal language to convey genuine interest in the other person. That said, where does taking notes and particularly electronic notes in meetings fit in? Is there a protocol?
  • 6/23/2010 Off by a Little?
  • Pep Talk
    In talking to numerous appraisal firms (I refuse to say the word "appraisal shop" - you don't sell flowers), I hear tales of woe. Here are some popular laments and grumblings:
  • 6/16/2010 E-Books and Things
  • Ahhhhhhhh, the three-day Memorial weekend is now behind us. I hope you had as much fun as I did remembering why we celebrate this great holiday and making certain that you spent some time with family and friends.
    In preparing for an upcoming presentation, I was reminded once again that when I speak to people or show people processes and a way to add technology to make things easier, I really have to be careful about the words I choose.
  • 6/9/2010 You've Got Two Ears
  • I don't watch much television for a variety of reasons. It's not that I don't like a lot of what it has to offer... there are a lot of shows that could keep me occupied. There is just so much more I want to do with my time, so watching television falls pretty low on my priority list. To manage, I only select and watch things that I have recorded...it makes my world a lot more enjoyable. I get to pick and choose on my own timetable. If you think about it, it's the way we like everything in our lives. We want to do what we want, when we want to do it and how we want to do it. And then we change our minds and do it completely different, should we choose to.
  • DataComp Newsletter - June 8, 2010
  • There are lots of ways to find most anything these days, but one of the things I find a bit frustrating is the small print on my smart phone and having to search and then select from the results. So I look for ways to work within the search field. Here are some examples:
    * Convert measurements - Enter: how many feet in an acre
    * Currency conversions - Enter: 10 dollars in euros
    * Calculations - Type: how much is an 18% tip on dinner? Enter: 58.33x.18 Answer: $10.50
    * Listen to music - Enter title of a song and the artist, if you know it. The first result will be a playable file.
  • 6/2/2010 Abracadabra and Hallmark Memories
  • That Which Does Not Kill You Only Leaves a Scar
    In marathons the 18th mile is known as "the wall". Those of you that have challenged yourself to this ancient Greek tradition know what I'm talking about. It's when your body breaks down...extensive cramping and omnipresent spike in pain. This mile marker certainly is an obstacle both psychologically and physically.
  • 5/26/2010 Test Your Volume
  • Someone suggested to me the other day that Craigslist shouldn't be overlooked as a place to market commercial real estate. This person was someone that a lot of people look up to for their expertise, and so I was a bit surprised. Probably most of you already know, but just in case you don't, I thought it might be of interest to remind everybody that craigslist doesn't really welcome the kind of marketing that I think most of you do for your commercial real estate services and/or properties. The short of it is from what I can tell, craigslist users don't want to have anything to do with commercialization.
  • 5/19/2010 Follow Where Others Have Gone
  • Forget what you've heard or read before, and certainly don't think I'm talking about immigration. Profiling is everything, and it's good practice. It's where social media starts. It's the essence of the minimum you do. You need to give it some attention. The most important part of your profile for those you want to see it, is the photo. If you want people to connect to you, you have to look like someone that others want to connect to. Take time to think about who you want to connect with and make sure that your photo conveys you as they expect to see you. Yep, the way they expect to see you.
  • DataComp Newsletter - May 18, 2010
  • I love to research. It's because I'm curious. I've always been curious. As a kid, I loved libraries. The problem was there were so many books, it was difficult to choose. I would get my limit each week - only 5 could be checked out at a time, and at the time, I didn't realize the time I spent looking for and then consuming the books would bring me so much value. I just loved stories.
  • 5/12/2010 The Wrong Sandbox
  • Information about a client, prospect, employee, tenant, property owner, anything or any one is always hard to keep current. It's the holy grail of good records for communication and just plain good business. But boy, it sure is hard. Oh, and by the way, no one that is assigned to do it will see any value in the job. That's because it's tedious and monotonous. So what to do? Do it anyway.
  • 5/5/2010 Profiling is Really Important
  • The 3 R's
    It used to be reading, writing and arithmetic. Now it refers to Jack Johnson's lyrics "Reduce Reuse Recycle". I am into recycling at home and attempt to be at the office, although I find the apathy of Tampa's waste management recycling artisans to be recalcitrant.
  • 5/5/2010 Profiling is Really Important
  • It's a tough choice....money or time? You have to spend one or the other and there never seems to be enough of either one. But it sure seems people spend their time a lot more wastefully than they spend their money. In today's economy, which is actually really good for us, it seems we continue to waste time. Somehow it seems "free", when nothing is farther from the truth.
  • 4/28/2010 The Perfect Mix
  • As a small company, we look at every opportunity to keep expenses down and quality up. So one of our mottos is ..."If it's Broken, Fix it." That goes for processes that no longer work, equipment that isn't working the way it should, people that don't fit our company culture, (really), clients that don't make us money, et al. Along with that mentality is the philosophy that we give things time to be sure they are really "broke" and cannot benefit from a "fix", and then quickly find the right replacement. Sounds just how you do things too, right? Of course it is, but here's where you and I probably fall short...the "quickly find a repacement" part. Why? Because when we do a replacement, we sometimes spend too much time trying to get the "perfect" replacement when we need to get a good replacement and move on. Now I will tell you this plan of action works well even on the people part, if you keep the focus to what I identified above....company culture. Cultures are fairly easy to recognize and very, very difficult to change.
  • 4/21/2010 Great Idea, A Single View of "Something"
  • We hear it several times a day..."Your call is very important to me", or some other rendition of a voice mail greeting, but of course no one believes it. I know it's impossible to expect to get to talk to the person or company you're calling...or is it? The "Your call is very important to us/me", is easy to pick on. Frankly, the message could just as easily be "Your call is blah, blah, blah, blah", and no one would notice. While we can push it off by saying it's just like asking someone "How's your day", knowing you don't really want the truth, it's not good practice if you are really being everything you want to be.
  • DataComp Newsletter - April 20, 2010
  • I am always thrilled and privileged to be asked to give presentations about commercial real estate on a fairly frequent basis. Whether it's a significantly large audience or a small group, I remain honored that people invite me to speak about how to improve the business of commercial real estate. Being paid to do this is like having my favorite desert without the calories... it seems too good to be true. Yet, it is not. Unlike the indulgence and calorie example!
  • 4/14/2010 Give Me Money or Give Me Time
  • Don't hate me because I'm busy and certainly don't hate me because I'm not distraught about the economy...I'm actually enthusiastic. Of course I wish things were better for everyone. I wish that our industry didn't have so many that are out of work. I helped create an organization that I've talked to you about before called Real Estate Lives. This volunteer based start up organization helped put almost 200 people back to work over the past 12 to 18 months.
  • 4/7/2010 If It's Broken, Fix It
  • I used to think that communicating to the largest audience possible ensured success. Now I know better...so do you. Communicating to the largest targeted audience that cares about what we are communicating is key and is now also very much within our reach. That makes everyone a lot happier. Believe it or not, as all the "over-communicating" which occurs as we muddle through social networking matures, we are all going to speak to and learn about things that matter without incurring all the clutter.
  • 3/31/2010 We Hear It, But Don't Believe It
  • Your Compass is More Important than Your Clock
    That's something that Master Po might tell his "grasshopper" kung fu student. If Master Po was talking to a commercial real estate appraiser, he might be referring to your goals.
    I am guilty of being a strong tactical businessman rather than strategic. It is always a struggle for me. Nonetheless, I recognize that in order to achieve "retirement" zen, both financially and mentally, a gut check on the direction of my appraisal business is important.
    That being said, for the strategically impaired, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
  • 3/24/2010 Everything Google with Better Results
  • Yep, I was fortunate to be invited to participate in a meeting over the past couple of days with a group of brokerage principals that are really smart. As you might expect, they were both Visionaries and Cost Containers - profiles of successful business people. Each of you has these two traits, but you have a dominant one and as a result, you process information very differently. They gave us all a tip, "Now is the time to focus on the visionary side because we need to see what's going to happen next". Most of the important work of cost containment is behind us. So if "cost containment" is dominate for you, push that trait to the back a bit and give your visionary trait a big push to the front. If your visionary trait is more dominate ,you've got a little less work to do, but work nevertheless.
  • 3/17/2010 Don't Hate Me Because I'm Enthusiastic
  • Now don't get mad, but I see it every day...someone has a great idea, (heck, I get 100's daily), and nothing comes of it. Hence the saying, "Ideas are a dime a dozen, but the people who act on them are priceless!"
  • 3/10/2010 Success Equals Communicating to Largest Audience
  • Do you have what it takes right now to feel good about what you're doing to earn your living in commercial real estate? I'm betting you do. Those of us in commercial real estate are comfortable in a really competitive arena. Thank goodness, because today it's vital given the changing landscape and a myriad of predictions of where we'll be over the next few months and into the next couple of years.
  • DataComp Newsletter - March 8, 2010
  • "There's No Traffic Jam on the Extra Mile"
    I love this quote since it applies to running and to appraising. I find in sports, particularly as some of us mosey into our "golden" years, that few people are willing to maintain a workout regimen. We do not get too old to play, we get old because we stop playing.
  • 3/3/2010 A Few Days with Smart "Visionaries" and "Cost Containers"
  • I talk to a lot of people who use technology to be the best they can be. So, I got to thinking...I should showcase some of them and what they do that makes them great. So I need your help. To get it, I'm going to hold an Awards Event. Nominate yourself or someone you know. I'll post the winners here for a month, in our sister newsletters for The Dohring Group and DataComp, I'll Twitter the award list and put it onto our web sites
  • 2/24/2010 Ideas are a Dime a Dozen
  • Sometimes, I don't think we stop and think how fast information moves, but yesterday I was quickly reminded as I saw it in action. I was moderator for a discussion in front of a hundred plus commercial real estate professionals. My two guests were esteemed leaders in the southeast commercial real estate arena. Their candid and timely discussion was very well received by the audience, who actively participated in the discussion.
  • 2/17/2009 Competition, Change, Self Focus and Guilt
  • I saw this line in a management type book the other day and while I found it interesting, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it so I thought I'd throw it out to you for discussion.
    "It's human nature not to take responsibility for one's own shortcomings, so when working with others you've got to try and see the whole picture and not be reactionary."
  • DataComp Newsletter - February 15, 2010
  • What an awful thought, but you know it's true! I was once told that even in a marriage or committed relationship, he/she who controls the money is "in control". I'd like to think that there's a different kind of currency that works, but it doesn't seem so...at least not when it comes to business. This is really a problem when people use (make that "misuse") the power of budget control inappropriately and it gets in the way of otherwise sound decision making. Ok, I know it's hard for you to believe that happens in our world of commercial real estate. Just for a moment or two, let's say it does. What can we do about it? I say ignore it.
  • 2/10/2010 Take This Test...Are You on the Path to Being Great at What You Do?
  • Just One Thing
    I think Americans are trained to view a great meal in terms of how many pounds of food they get rather than taste. I might be over-generalizing somewhat, but I just got back from Rome and I can tell you smaller portions with lots of taste is where it's at. It also leaves plenty of room for tasty red wine.
  • 2/3/2010 Traveling at the Speed of Words
  • We're two weeks into 2010 and it's still hard for me to believe it. Everywhere I turn there's optimism. It's cautious, but clearly there. Hooray! But what does that really mean for those of us in commercial real estate who continue to have it a little tougher than some other industries might? What did we learn about the "how" we did our business and the "how" we will do it this year?
  • 1/6/2010 What's Gone Away? What's Coming?
  • Just One Thing
    I think Americans are trained to view a great meal in terms of how many pounds of food they get rather than taste. I might be over-generalizing somewhat, but I just got back from Rome and I can tell you smaller portions with lots of taste is where it's at. It also leaves plenty of room for tasty red wine.
  • 12/30/2009 Remember 2002. Move into Twenty Ten.
  • We're two weeks into 2010 and it's still hard for me to believe it. Everywhere I turn there's optimism. It's cautious, but clearly there. Hooray! But what does that really mean for those of us in commercial real estate who continue to have it a little tougher than some other industries might? What did we learn about the "how" we did our business and the "how" we will do it this year?
  • 12/23/2009 People Give Wonderful Gifts
  • Just One Thing
    I think Americans are trained to view a great meal in terms of how many pounds of food they get rather than taste. I might be over-generalizing somewhat, but I just got back from Rome and I can tell you smaller portions with lots of taste is where it's at. It also leaves plenty of room for tasty red wine.
  • 12/16/2009 A Time of Connections - Make Them Count
  • We're two weeks into 2010 and it's still hard for me to believe it. Everywhere I turn there's optimism. It's cautious, but clearly there. Hooray! But what does that really mean for those of us in commercial real estate who continue to have it a little tougher than some other industries might? What did we learn about the "how" we did our business and the "how" we will do it this year?
  • DataComp Newsletter - December 8, 2009
  • As we start Twenty Ten and might be feeling a little nostalgic, I thought it might be fun to look at some of the things that have became obsolete over the past decade. Things that we probably thought we couldn't live without:
  • 12/2/2009 Has "Who, Who, Who" Replaced "Location, Location, Location"?
  • The title doesn't have a typo. I didn't mean to say "Remember 2009. Move into Twenty Ten". Nope. As we move into 2010 with hopes for a better year, particularly in our field of commercial real estate, it really will be most helpful to remember what it felt like to move into 2002. The recession of that time period lasted about 8 months. It was one of the shorter ones, but it was plenty deep
  • 11/25/2009 Turn Your Head Another Way
  • This holiday is shaping up very nicely for me...I hope you're experiencing the same. This time last year, we were all filled with much more uncertainty.
    This year has been a challenging one. For many that has been a good thing...for many it hasn't. What I mean is, for some the challenges of last year were opportunities for them to get better, stronger, etc, etc. and they recognized it. For some, it was just really, really tough, and they haven't seen the benefits yet, but they will. What I know for sure is that people are incredible. They are naturally resourceful and have a lot of love and caring for each other. So when challenges occur, people step up.
  • 11/18/2009 People Love a Rhyme
  • We're officially in the holiday season. I think it's really important to use this time to make meaningful connections through such things as old-fashioned Christmas cards, personal visits, parties and even e-mail. Twitter is also something that can add to both the professional and personal side of the holiday season. For those of you who haven't embraced Twitter because maybe you're put off by its seemingly excessive popularity or you're concerned that it is just one more thing to clutter up your life, take a minute and check out this Quick Start Guide from my friends at CNet.com.
  • 11/11/2009 Over Thinking the "Awards"
  • Don't Be Sad
    Depression is often defined as "anger without enthusiasm". I am not saying commercial real estate appraisers are depressed, but in many instances their value estimates tend to gravitate unnecessarily to the South Pole. "Coming in low" is easy - being more accurate takes more guts and quite frankly, experience.
  • DataComp Newsletter - November 5, 2009
  • I saw this the other day on a commercial real estate news site..."Then: Location, Location, Location. Now: Who. Who. Who." For sure location remains at the top of the pile, but it is clear that relationships are in a closer second place than they seemed to have been in recent years. When things are going smooth, the "who" sometimes gets taken for granted, but when the going gets tough...that is when the best of the best are the only thing that matters.
  • 11/4/2009 Misplaced Fear & Greed?
  • I have a problem. I really like to try to stay in shape, but the only way I can do it is by putting a race out in front of me. Otherwise, I turn into a giant slug. And it's that time again - the St. Anthony's Triathlon sign up deadline. While I pondered whether I was really going to do it again, I started to think about the swim. It's just over a mile and if the waves are low, I'll be fine with my one sided breathing, but if they're high I'm definitely at a disadvantage. What to do? What to do? Jump in the pool.
  • 10/28/2009 A Laboratory of a Different Kind
  • Did it start with - "If it fits, you must acquit?" I'm sure it didn't, but that is certainly one of the more well known recent rhyming quips. People love rhymes and stories because they are easy to remember. Remember how we all learned them as children because they were effective for learning basic information? And many of the same rhymes remain useful in adulthood. I know "i before 'e' except after c" is one of my favorites. I also use others to remember or reinforce information, such as "When in doubt, leave it out" or "Don't be a clown, write it down". And this from my mom, "Do it well or don't do it at all". Thanks, mom!
  • 10/21/2009 On the Road to Twitterville
  • While commercial real estate probably doesn't require the travel that it did a year or two ago, it's still part of most of our lives. I have a confession...I'm terrible at tracking miles and rewards. I've asked my assistants over the years to help and, frankly, that hasn't worked so well either. I never gave it too much attention since as a small business owner I, and others in the company, fly based on price and convenience. (which I learned in my research is the way most big companies advise and think they're employees do it too.) But since everyone I know today has at least one story about the cutbacks at their company over travel expenses, I thought I'd do some research and see if I couldn't solve this for you and I.
  • DataComp Newsletter - October 15, 2009
  • Now is Good
    I attended an Appraisal Institute seminar recently for bank reviewers. The instructor, George Mann, MAI, did a great job drilling down to meaningful issues that in-house bank appraisers deal with every day. The underlying theme was how to estimate market value with limited sales data and in some cases, abundance of distressed sales. Many of the transactions are sold notes from banks rather than fee-simple sales. Some appraisers include distressed sales while others just discuss them as antidotal data. Some argue that these sales do not pass a market value definition litmus test.
  • 10/14/2009 There's a Zero Missing
  • You know the line...fear and greed move EVERYTHING. I'm not sure who should take credit for that line, but I like to credit Adam Smith and his book, The Money Game, He describes greed and fear as "the strongest emotions in the marketplace." We probably all agree that extreme "tops" are caused by greed and extreme "bottoms" are caused by fear, so what's this stuff in the middle?
  • 10/7/2009 Surprise, Surprise
  • With Halloween coming up this weekend, I feel it appropriate to share my recent exploration of the laboratory at MIT's Center for Real Estate. As I wandered down the halls, my mind raced with visions of experiments gone bad, things that go bump and the creation of things that make my skin crawl. Far from creepy and spooky is the reputation of the work that comes out of the Center for Real Estate.
  • 9/30/2009 I Keep Folks Out of Jail
  • By now, you know how I feel about social media. Some of you might even remember that I wrote about the dangers of thinking that social media is free just a few months ago. That article also proved that sometimes the best benefit of using social media is to reconnect, or as I say "back connect", with people you might not otherwise "touch" very often. I use back connect in the context that it is a quick, casual "touch", not a reconnect which implies something more. As an example, this is a response I got from a friend and business peer from that column back in August...
  • 9/23/2009 What's Your Problem?
  • Keep Your Shoes On
    Many in the real estate industry anticipate a substantial precipitous fall in valuations and subsequently foreclosures in the commercial sector. The crystal ball soothsayers identify the large property segment as taking a huge hit. Generally speaking these properties would have values north of $5.0 million, the REIT and pension fund crowd.
  • DataComp Newsletter - September 17, 2009
  • I learned the other day that in a reliable survey, 80% of the companies surveyed said they offered great customer service. As part of a similar survey, customers said they get great customer service 8% of the time.
  • 9/16/2009 Freedom and Control
  • I attended the CREW - Commercial Real Estate Woman's Convention in Boston last week and, as expected, it was outstanding. But the surprise for me was the Keynote Speaker, 27 year old Ivanka Trump. As a Wharton School of Business graduate with honors, she took the stage with a casual poise and proceeded to take the audience through an inside look at the Trump organization and the role she plays. She was a breath of fresh air and an inspiration. Unwittingly, it would be easy to dismiss her as a girl born with a silver spoon, but that would be a mistake.
  • 9/9/2009 A Bunch of Cool Women...a Few Smart Men...and Deal Connections
  • Like many of you, I attend association meetings, business events and networking opportunities where I'm often asked what I do. My general response is "I keep folks out of jail". Now since most of these events find me dressed in a suit or business attire, I usually get a nod and a "Oh, so you're an attorney". To which I smile and say..."No, I'm a commercial real estate consultant", and then turn the conversation back to focus on what they do and why they are attending this particular event or meeting.
  • DataComp Newsletter - September 2, 2009
  • We love problems. Without them, there would be no need for any of us to get out of bed in the morning and certainly no reason for us to work. Ok, nothing new there. But I had an experience last week that really drove it home. We were working with a particularly challenging client to get a lease deal signed that has been moving slowly since last February. Things finally kicked into high gear because the lease termination period is now less than 3 months away. It was "do or die" time. Managing everyone's expectations was difficult.
  • 9/2/2009 Can You Break the Habit?
  • Hurry Up and Don't Make Any Decisions
    In the book Blink, the writer Malcolm Gladwell states that "Decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately". In other words, snap judgments or first impressions can offer a much better means of making sense of things than an extensive analysis.
  • DataComp Newsletter - August 17, 2009
  • There really is no easy way to do this other than to just do it. I'm going to ask your permission to use this week's column to show you the new www.realwired.com site in an effort to share with you an opportunity you have to take advantage some tools that Microsoft has to solve the problem of outdated web sites or runaway information and the need to share it via the web. Most people still think about a website as a marketing tool with some interaction such as blogging, links to Twitter, Facebook etc. and maybe some document storage and delivery. In many ways Web 2.0, which by definition takes us into a more collaborative environment, hasn't had a big impact.
  • 8/26/2009 Health Care? KPI's?
  • It's that time again. I just can't help but take a little space this week suggesting you might want to think about joining some of the best in commercial real estate for the 2009 CREW Network Convention & Marketplace - Opportunities Rising: Revival of the Fittest scheduled for September 30 thru October 3 in Boston.
  • 8/19/2009 Are You a Do-It-Yourselfer?
  • Customer Amnesia
    Quick, without looking it up, who are your top three appraisal customers? When I say "top" I mean who gives you the most money. I thought I knew without actually referring to my web-based appraisal tracking system called QuickConnect. I guessed only one out of the three correctly. Why didn't I know all three?
  • 8/12/2009 Drowning? Grab the Life Preserver
  • I admit it...it's hard. Breaking the email habit for internal and external communication about a single topic or project. There you have it. I admitted it. Why, because I believe in the 1st step in the 12 Step Program as defined by Alcoholics Anonymous way back in 1935. I hope anyone won't fault me when I say that I tend to pick and choose which 12 to use, but I never ignore these when it comes to trying to make a change regarding email.
  • 8/5/2009 Myths of Social Media
  • Do You Want Fries with That?
    It seems like the hourly rate of commercial real estate appraisers has dropped precipitously lately. Lower fees, more difficult assignments and in, some instances, more reviews have converged to lower appraisers' worth. Why do we still have reviews anyway? That function always confused me. If you want a second opinion, hire another appraiser, don't critique the first one.
  • DataComp Newsletter - July 2009
  • Okay, now that I got your attention by mentioning health care, can we talk about something much more important than government provided health care? Let's focus on how you can track things today that you never could before and focus on making more money and spending it the way you like.
  • 7/29/2009 In the Clouds
  • Are you a Do-it-Yourselfer? Do you love Home Depot, HGTV or DIY? You know you save money when you do it yourself, right? Maybe...Maybe not. But it sure should be your option. You need to have software and other technology solutions that matter and work just for you.
  • 7/22/2009 Incrementally Speaking
  • In our industry, I hear two things these days. "There's no use in trying, there's no business to be had," and, "There's a lot to do, but we're paid less to do it.". I can't say that either is true universally, but I do know that the commercial real estate industry is in a rough sea and it may make sense to prepare for the hurricane.
  • 7/15/2009 Back Up to the Summit
  • The biggest myth is that social media is free. No, it's not. And you know it. Let's face it, we still can't resist the word "free". We try. Or at least I do and so do most of the people I know. So while social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the multitude of others are indeed useful for business, if not only for marketing, they are for connective, quick communications.
  • 7/8/2009 Have You Cleaned Your Litter Box Lately?
  • All or Nothing
    You would think "all or nothing" would be limited to Las Vegas. Too often I find commercial appraisers approach their business in this fashion. When it comes to increasing office efficiencies, many believe the following:
    When appraisers are busy...
    "I'm swamped. I don't have time to implement new software tools and processes".
    When appraisers are slow...
    "I can't afford to implement new software tools and processes".
    This all or nothing attitude is not super productive. Think more in terms of slow incremental improvement. If you are a student of martial arts, the best practitioners of the art always think as a beginner..."empty the cup" so to speak.
  • 7/1/2009 Are You Happy Yet?
  • We have a funny saying in our office..."it goes through the air". And air is pronounced drawing out the letters so it sounds like aaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Whenever we don't want to explain how technology works and how we email, upload documents, communicate with others over the net or even from office to office, we say "It went through the air". There is always lots of laughter accompanying the exchange, but truth is, "in the air" isn't such a bad analogy.
  • DataComp Newsletter - June 2009
  • I had an opportunity to speak last week as part of a panel on sustainable development sponsored by the US Green Building Council in Central Florida. I'm not telling you this to let you know that I think it's important that our industry take a leadership role in sustainable development. I tell you this because it drives home something I recently learned from a good friend the week before which has the applicability to the sustainable/green movement and to all of us.
  • 6/24/2009 Communication = Trust; Trust = Efficiencies
  • Let's take a minute at this mid point in 2009 and reflect. As we look back 2009 it will no doubt be seen as one of the toughest economic years many of us has every experienced. But many of you will take pride in knowing that you used this year to not only help sharpen your skills, but you've helped your clients and your community sharpen theirs, so everyone is best positioned as we climb up the "recovery hill" which most predict is the long haul of 2010.
  • 6/17/2009 Workflow or BPM - Super Freak, Super Freak
  • Yesterday was a great day. I had an opportunity to attend a meeting sponsored by CREW Tampa Bay with collaborative support from a number of other commercial real estate associations. With over 250 people in the room, my new friend, Dr. Mark Dotzour, PHD, Chief Economist and Director of Research for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University gave a poignant, yet at times, very humorous presentation and used one of the best analogies I've heard when describing the current financial situation in the banking industry.
  • 6/10/2009 It Had to be Outlook
  • Far less than 1% of the global population has the wealth, health, political and cultural freedoms, family support and free time that makes up our lifestyle. Simply put, happiness lies in ones ability to recognize it. I hear a lot of talk lately, and so do you, that no one is happy. This economy has everyone feeling rather grumpy. So I thought with the celebration of the 4th of July this week, you'd indulge me a bit.
  • 6/3/2009 Task Masters at Work
  • The "Duh" Principle
    Is it possible to be so analytical that obvious appraisal issues get missed in your reports? I thought I would share some "real life" stories from appraisers as to avoid the embarrassing "duh" feeling. For example, an appraiser on the second page of his report just after the cover page, presented a picture of the subject property with a big banner saying "for sale". However there is no mention of the subject being for sale in the report..."duh".
  • DataComp Newsletter - May 2009
  • The world of commercial real estate lending is really weird these days. No one is happy and no one is talking. Oh, there's lots of words flying around, but it seems everyone is so uncertain of where the financial markets are or where commercial real estate investments are heading, there's very little useful dialog.
  • 5/27/2009 The World Has Changed...and How! (Part Two)
  • Say Workflow or BPM - Business Process Management, or anything else that has to do with process and most people are going to run in another direction. Unfortunately, not me. To be truthful, I dig it, but I don't typically find its good cocktail talk. What I really dig about workflow stuff is the people part. I love figuring out why people do things the way they do and I even enjoy the challenge and frustration of trying to get people to do something different.
  • 5/20/2009 The World Has Changed...and How!
  • Outlook is a great tool, but if I ever thought that it wasn't or that it didn't have us all completely under its spell, I was certainly reminded of its power by attending an incredible seminar last week.
  • 5/13/2009 Stress Test Results
  • Why does assigning tasks work? Asking someone to do something even if it's yourself is, of course, useful. We operate by "doing" things all the time. I find that while everyone tasks, it's the assigning of tasks and the follow up to tasks that is a huge problem. Having a "system" or software that automates can really help.
  • 5/6/2009 Watch Your Mouth
  • Appraisers Rock
    What? I bet you've never seen those two words together. But think about it, who comes to mind as the most knowledgeable commercial real estate professionals? You probably think of top-tier brokers, mortgage bankers, REIT managers, lenders, etc.


    Appraisers are probably the most knowledgeable of anyone in this vertical market, yet often times they are not in the spot light. Arguably, most appraisers do not capture headlines or close big deals. Some get quoted in trade journals or newspapers, but that's a minority.
  • DataComp Newsletter - April 2009
  • Last week I told you about the NAIOP seminar I participated in using Skype. I gave you some reasons why I love Skype and why you should too. So as promised, this week is a bit about the other two leading roles from that session...Go to Webinar and Go to Meeting.
  • 4/29/2009 The Swim is Cancelled
  • This past week, I was a participant in a ½ day educational program called "The World has Changed..and How!" put together by the New Mexico Chapter of NAIOP in Albuquerque. I was part of a panel brought "virtually" to the 140+ audience using some inexpensive communication tools that all of you should know about and find ways to incorporate in your businesses.
  • 4/22/2009 I'm Considering Ear Plugs
  • Generally, we get Stress Test Results after a grueling run on a treadmill. There's a nurse standing beside you insisting you go faster and longer while you try to make sure you don't fall off or hook one of the monitoring wires on the machine and rip the patches off, adding to your pain and possibly requiring a "do over". But in today's world, we anxiously awaited the outcome of the top 19 banks in this country receiving the results of their stress tests - SCAP, Supervisory Capital Assessment Program. Heavens!
  • 4/15/2009 Calculate Everything
  • Article contributed by:
    Jeff Hicks, President, The Dohring Group

    Did your mother teach you to always watch what you say? Then why do business people refer almost total strangers? Let's say I've met a commercial real estate attorney at a random Chamber of Commerce event. The assumption is we met, we talked for perhaps two minutes, and as such, provided the basis of a sound referral.
    The good news is he probably is not a serial killer. However, the reality is you have no clue as to the competency of this person.
  • 4/8/2009 Stop SaaSing Me
  • Culture Shock?
    There's an old saying, "you don't have 20 years experience, you have one year of experience and you repeated it 19 times". This somewhat cynical statement is aimed to highlight the issue that doing the same thing over and over might not be the best way to run your business.
  • 4/1/2009 Did You Get My Fax?
  • The swim is cancelled. As we awoke to that statement booming loudly from the speakers set up for the St. Anthony's triathlon, there was a moment of confusion, followed by a moment of relief, followed by either disappointment or elation. So let me back up. The St. Anthony's triathlon this past weekend attracted the 4,500 participants or so from around the US and farther as usual, and the tension of that many folks preparing to race is always thick.
  • DataComp Newsletter - March 2009
  • I don't want to be the "girl in the bubble", but I'm considering wearing ear plugs when I'm around anyone in the commercial real estate industry. It's getting harder and harder to smile and nod, or worse yet join in the gloom and doom talk without having it seep into my Chi. I heard the other day that there is genetic evidence that we are born with "positive" or "negative" genes. The study was done on worms, so I'm not sure how much value I want to place on it, but heck who am I to fight good science.
  • 3/25/2009 Stop Networking! - Socially, That Is.
  • I thought I'd share one of the reasons I love being connected to the internet all the time - On-line Calculators. I am very curious and, therefore, I love to analyze. So the fact that you can find and use a calculator for most any problem you want to solve on-line is really useful; particularly in light of the belt tightening many of us are looking at in our business and personal lives.
  • 3/18/2009 Outlook Avalanche
  • Ok, first things first. SaaS stands for Software-as-a-Service. Sure, most of you know that already but I learned a long time ago, even if I don't always manage to remember it, that using acronyms can be downright rude. So in honor of my mother's 80th birthday this past week, I'm minding my P's and Q's, which I only recently learned means, mind your "pints" and "quarts". (It seems barkeeps in England said this to patrons when they were getting a bit "rowdy"). So mind your P's and Q's is a nice way of saying, watch your manners.
  • 3/11/2009 Is it Natural Selection?
  • We have a guest writer this week. Thanks, Jeff!
    How many times do we hear about or read ideas that we know could be useful, tell ourselves we'll implement something and then blow it off. The problem is many tips are tiny and incremental. Nonetheless, collectively they ultimately add up to some serious production increases and hopefully $$$.
  • 3/4/2009 Funny and Sad at the Same Time-One Size Fits All
  • Head Down, Work Hard
    "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work" - Thomas Edison. I really love this quote. It's comparable to, "Do or do not...there is no try" - Yoda from the original Star Wars.


    But what does that have to do with appraising? Well, if you are an appraiser, it means doing the basics. Complete your assignments timely and don't get into the lazy habit of letting your due date set your schedule. This is especially important if your workflow is slow or sporadic. You are probably working the same amount of hours, and "feel" that you're giving the same amount of effort for much less take-home money.
  • 02/25/2009 The Switch is On - Old & Gray is Important
  • This past week I crossed the line. I lost it. I wasn't just asking myself, "now, where did I put my whatever it was I tend to lose", I lost my social network. I lost it sort of on purpose. It happened right in the middle of the same week I read that researchers have found that social "networks" have a self imposed limit to how many people we can "connect" to. I think it's 150. Whew! That's when I think I mentally lost it...my social network that is.
  • 2/18/2009 Confessions of an Appraiser
  • I think I jinxed things with my column last week...talking about old coats and it being it cold. What was I thinking? Local news said it might snow here. Really? Snow in Tampa, Florida? It happened before in the late 1970s. As I recall, there was just enough snow to make a height-impaired snowman (snow-dwarf). It wasn't an avalanche for sure, but my daily email sure is.
  • 2/11/2009 Categorize Contacts into Priorities
  • I live in Florida. It doesn't get really cold here. When I first moved here 30 years ago from Michigan, I found it really odd that it didn't get cold at night in the summers. I now think summer nights are cold. I threw away all my winter things when I came here from the cold, cold north. But now I have a couple of really warm coats, some gloves, and scarves and hats. I feel I need these things. I look forward to using them. I really get cold. But no, this isn't a column about global warming or climate shifting; it is about how we shift our thinking and how long it takes.
  • 2/4/2009 The Secret of Real Estate Connections
  • We can't go anywhere these days without hearing that retail is having significant issues globally, as well as locally in the United States. Over the last 20 years, big-box retail has become the most popular form of merchandising and, in many ways, it's easy enough to see that its popularity is directly related to the systems and economies of scale that they have been able to provide.
  • 1/28/2009 Broker Incentives are Back or Are They?
  • If you don't want to hear a couple of "mature" folks this week, stop reading now. But for those of us who have passed over into the land of gray, listen up. Gray matters. And I guess you could include the gray matter we call brains. Gray matter is the cortex of the brain which contains nerve cell bodies. This is the real working part of the brain - the nerve bodies. I don't have to tell you our brains are a bit cautious these days. You can read the traditional press for that. I'm here to tell you that it's cool to be gray.
  • 1/21/2009 More Than One Identity
  • If the title of this article doesn't catch you, I don't know what will. I was recently sent a story from an appraiser that has been using our collaboration software and it speaks volumes to resistance to change. Here it is verbatim.
  • 1/14/2009 2009 Will be a Year of Connections
  • Last week I spoke with you about connecting and it centered a lot on having a great contact database. Those of you who read this column know that I'm a huge proponent of CRM, Customer Relationship Management, and you also know that it's a significant component of the software that my company builds and sells. You also know that when you ask me about what contact tracking tool you should use, I don't simply refer you to our suite of products. Why? Well first of all, it's not the reason I do this column each week.
  • 1/7/2009 We Choose Not to Participate
  • As we enter the second month in 2009 we can't turn anywhere without being reminded that this is not going to be one of our best years...or is it? As many of you know, I belong to CREW - Commercial Real Estate Women. I not only belong, I actively belong. Once again, as I attended one of their national leadership meetings this past week and a local meeting just yesterday, I was not just impressed but blown away by how they connect to do business.