Mike Browning

Tag: Real Estate Transparency

  • The Opposite of a Car Dealer

    The Opposite of a Car Dealer

    Upfront beats clever. Every time.

    A couple of years ago I bought my daughter a car. Used car prices were so inflated it actually made more sense to buy new. Not long after that, I bought my wife a car too.

    If you’ve done this recently, you already know what comes next.

    The advertised price pulls you in.
    You get interested.
    You drive over.

    And suddenly the price is $3,000 to $5,000 higher than you expected.

    Floor mats. Window tint. Paint protection. Nitrogen in the tires. Perfectly fine products, already installed, presented as non-negotiable. Sometimes you can get them removed or avoid the cost. Sometimes you can’t.

    I usually do fine in those situations. That is not the point.

    The aggravating part is not the add-ons.

    It’s the surprise.

    When I bought my wife’s car, I asked before I ever showed up:
    What add-ons are going on this vehicle?
    What do they cost?
    What is my out-the-door number?

    That is the number you need before you step foot on the lot.

    In real estate, I operate the opposite way.

    If you are selling through me, I prepare a Seller’s Estimated Net Proceeds sheet early in the process. It is an estimate. At that stage it cannot be exact. Some costs are negotiable. Some may shift depending on the structure of the deal.

    But on the first pass, I show everything as if it is being charged to you.

    Not because that is what I want to happen.

    Because I do not want you surprised.

    When an offer comes in, I prepare a new net sheet based on that specific offer as written, or based on how we are countering it. That version is not perfect either, but it is much closer to reality.

    You see the numbers before you sign anything.

    You know what you are walking away with.

    You stay in control.

    If you do not like the deal, you do not sign it. Even if someone offers exactly what you asked for, it is still your property. Circumstances change. You can change your mind.

    I might not love it. I will not be mad.

    What I will not do is lure you in with one number and quietly move the goalposts later.

    There are enough surprises in a transaction already.

    The pricing should not be one of them.

    P.S. You may not be ready to sell today, but does it hurt to know where you stand? Request a MBR Land Reality Check below.

    No cost. No obligation. Just clarity before decisions.

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    PPS – If you have ever felt the “add-on” effect in a big transaction, feel free to forward this to someone who might appreciate a different approach.

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  • Ask Agents How They’re Different, and They’ll All Say the Same Things

    Ask Agents How They’re Different, and They’ll All Say the Same Things

    Want to hear something that’s actually different? Keep reading.

    One question every agent hears—and every seller asks at some point—is some version of:

    “How are you different?”

    Why should I list with you instead of one of the thousands of agents who can technically do the same things?

    The usual answers tend to sound the same.
    Integrity. Effort. Diligence.

    All fine. All true. And all basically intangible. And unprovable until after the fact.

    Here’s the reality. I do some things most other agents don’t. And they’re designed to help you, not mainly serve as lead-generation tools for me.

    That doesn’t mean they never generate a lead. Sometimes they do. But that’s not the point.

    What I do is built to answer one question early—and quickly:

    Is anyone even looking for what you have, at anything close to where we’re pricing it?

    That matters more than most people realize.

    Secondarily, it can surface high-intent buyers who aren’t using the same portals every agent has access to, largely because agents are forced to pay to be there. (I’m there too, just like everyone else.)

    I can’t say no one else does something similar. But in practice, I’ve never had a serious conversation with another agent using a system like mine.

    Probably for two reasons.

    First, it’s extra work.

    Second—and more importantly—it requires spending more marketing dollars up front with no guarantee of success.

    Most agents can’t do that. Or won’t.

    When markets soften and commissions start drying up, the first thing most people cut is marketing. In reality, that’s usually the exact moment when spending more, not less, makes sense.

    Is that different? I’d say so.

    I’m not going to lay out the mechanics here. This isn’t the place for it.

    But if you want to know what I’m talking about, click below and leave your name and email.

    (If you’re already on my list, you won’t get duplicate emails—I’ll just show you what I mean.)

    Click Here To Find Out!

  • Perfect Raises Questions, Not Trust

    Perfect Raises Questions, Not Trust

    Remember what people say about something that sounds too good to be true.

    We all want to make a good impression. That’s normal. But push it too far, and it starts working against you.

    Think about it: whenever you meet someone who seems a little too polished, too smooth, or too good at talking, it sets off alarms. You might not know why, but something feels off.

    Same thing happens with salespeople. Picture test-driving a car.

    The salesman’s in the passenger seat pointing out every “amazing” feature. No matter what the car does or doesn’t have, he claims it’s exactly what everyone wants.

    He won’t mention any downsides—and if he does, he’ll spin them into “hidden benefits.”

    It doesn’t work. You know he’s lying. Even if you’ve done zero research, you can feel it.

    When it comes to dealing with people, you usually get the best results when you let the other person feel like the more important one. A little more “okay.” Where they feel like they measure up, like you’re not looking down on them.

    There’s only room for one person to feel truly “okay” in any negotiation, and that person should be your counterpart.

    Same idea applies when you’re selling land. No matter how perfect you think your property is, there’s always a little “hair” somewhere. Something minor at least.

    It doesn’t pay to work with someone who hides those things or glosses them over. If your buyer—or their agent—has any sophistication at all, they’re going to find whatever’s there during due diligence.

    And when they do, even if it isn’t a deal-breaker, you’ve planted doubt. Now they’re wondering what else you’ve hidden, and that doubt can cost you the sale.

    And that’s the best-case scenario.

    Worst case, they don’t catch it before closing. Later, they find out. And if it’s something you should have disclosed, you’ve opened yourself up to a lawsuit. Maybe it never comes up. But you’ll always be worried it could.

    That’s no way to live.

    Much better to just be honest. That doesn’t mean you lead with every single flaw or put the baggage on the table first thing. Sometimes that’s the right move, but most of the time it just means doing things the right way and being transparent.

    I’m not perfect. I don’t drive an expensive car or wear designer clothes. If we meet, you’ll see that right away. But you’ll also see that I do my best, I’m real, and I tell you the truth. I expect the same from you. And I listen—even if your answer’s “no.”

    Actually, no is better most of the time.

    I try to be the kind of person I’d want to work with. I think you’ll like that approach too.

    There’s never a perfect time to act in real estate, but is there ever a bad time to understand what’s really happening in the market?

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