Mike Browning

Tag: marketing

  • If They Knew, They’d Be on a Boat

    If They Knew, They’d Be on a Boat

    Take predictions with a grain of salt, no matter how convincing

    Even if you don’t watch them regularly, I’m sure you’ve seen the financial news channels—the ones with talking heads predicting where this stock, that stock, or the whole market is headed.

    And I’ll admit, some of them sound pretty sharp. Convincing, even.

    But here’s the thing:

    If they really knew what was going to happen, they wouldn’t be on TV. They’d be retired on a yacht somewhere. So let’s be honest—they’re at least a little bit full of it.

    Same goes for real estate. There are plenty of people out there ready to tell you exactly what the market will look like six months or a year from now. And they can sound pretty slick while doing it. But be careful. Even if they end up being right, that doesn’t mean they actually knew anything.

    Anyone who claims to know the future—or promises specific results in selling real estate—is either lying or fooling themselves. And like I’ve said before, either way, that’s not someone you want working for you.

    You can ask me what I think is going to happen, and I’ll tell you: I don’t know. Historically, land values tend to go up. But it’s not a straight line, and it depends on a lot of factors. What I can do is show you what’s happened recently and give you a sense of today’s market—assuming things stay reasonably steady.

    Am I ever wrong? Sure. Just ask my wife. Or my kids.

    But I’ll never just tell you something I don’t know, just because it sounds good.

    As always, no pressure. Ever. But you can get me here anytime if you’re thinking about selling.

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • You Get What You Pay For – And I’m Worth It

    You Get What You Pay For – And I’m Worth It

    Discount rates could get you discount results

    When someone talks to me about listing their land, one of the first questions is:


    “What’s your commission rate?”


    Fair question.

    The next one is usually:


    “Can you give me a discount?”


    The answer? No.

    Here’s why:

    Running this business isn’t cheap. Licensing, marketing platforms, land-specific advertising, professional photography, and more — it all adds up.

    More importantly, every hour I spend working on a discounted listing is time I’m not spending on full-rate clients. I take on a limited number of listings so I can give each piece of land the time and attention it deserves.

    But the real reason is simple:


    I’m worth it.

    Sure, you could find someone who charges less. But they’ll almost certainly bring less experience, fewer resources, and a weaker network. And when it comes to land, those things make a big difference.

    And remember:


    You don’t pay anything upfront. My commission comes out of the proceeds when your land sells. If I don’t get results, I don’t get paid.

    So ask yourself:

    Would you rather save a little on commission and risk leaving money on the table?


    Or pay a full rate at closing and have someone who knows land, works hard to get you top dollar, and negotiates the best deal for you?

    If you walk away from the title company with more in your pocket, wasn’t it worth it?

    I think so.

    No, I’m not cheap.


    But I’m absolutely worth it.

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

    Just a glutton for punishment?
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