Posts made by author 'Annette Oden, Managing Broker - Mobile'

When I first came to Bellator as an agent, our Mobile broker was Don Jones. On the glass wall of his office was a sign, "WHAT'S YOUR 68?" I was curious. What did that mean?  Did I need a 68? Did I have a 68? I had questions.

Don, in his quiet, firm way, had answers. He told the story about a hockey player named Jaromir Jagr, who is a legend in his field. On his jersey, he has always worn the number "68" to honor his grandfather and his country. Jaromir's grandfather was killed in the Russian Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, so he wore the number "68" to honor his family and country every time he took the ice.

He was a great player, but he wasn't motivated to greatness by the money he made. His motivation came from love of family and country. I decided to google Jaromir and find out what he's doing now. Guess what? This former NHL star is STILL p...

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Here we are! At the top of our spring selling-season and chomping at the bit to go, am I right? The past couple years have not given us much opportunity to flex our acquired muscle or to use the knowledge we've accumulated over time, but hey – more normal times are back! Let's get to it!

OPEN HOUSE opportunities are proliferating, but it's not enough to mark it in the MLS and put out a sign in the yard. Remember? If we want highly successful open house experiences, we have to go all out in preparation and in execution. Let's run through it, shall we?

(I can hear some of you now…"I don't do open houses…" All right. You do you, boo. But these principles will apply no matter the application. Hear me out.)

• Check the calendar. Avoid scheduling your open house on a weekend with a major event in your town. I like scheduling an open house on the first week...

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Feeling a fresh breeze blowing through your life and your business these days? You're not alone! Lots of us are anticipating an amazing spring selling season peopled by more skilled agents. We're looking forward to building relationships with real estate related professionals we haven't known well. Until now. I'm flat-out excited for what's in front of us! Let's think it through…

We talk about the fact that the best REALTORS are relationship-based instead of transactional. Guess what? That extends to the REALTOR community we work with as well! That's right. Your interactions with other agents in your community are GOLD…or not. Do others look forward to working with you when they see your name on a listing or purchase agreement? Or do they collectively groan and sigh? Do they commiserate with their agent-friends over the fact that they are in a transaction with you or are...

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Christmas 2022 – it's the culmination of a year of glories and graces, of wins and losses. It's LIFE! The Bible says rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous, the just and the unjust. There's no way around it. It may not be "fair" (don't get me started) but LIFE is happening all around us. I have never looked forward to all that is before us more than I do right now. The question of this year is not, "What happened to me?", the question is, "What did I do with what happened to me?" It's really even deeper than that: it boils down to, "What was my part in the good, the bad and the unfortunate? Did I help me WIN? Or was I in my own way?" It is a worthy effort to jot down a few things. Full disclosure, I've been working through my own business plan for 2023, discussing with agents their plans and realizing again, a goal with no plan is just a wish. "If ifs and buts were candy...

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It is possible to "know" someone for years and never actually know them; to miss entirely what makes them tick and to think they must have had some kind of magical life that you have not enjoyed. It's almost never true. If you know Monica Alidor, Mobile's Admin., you may have wondered about her happy heart! She's one of the funniest people I've ever met, and her spirit reverberates throughout our office. I can tell you, on a personal level, as I've walked through the grief of my son's passing in March 2021, Monica's spirit has often lightened my heart. She's helped me laugh and live! She is my teammate and my friend in every way, and I've often said that if she decides to retire, I'm going to need a minimum of a 24-month notice...so I can figure out how to retire with her! This invaluable gift she shares so freely came at a price to her...read on for a small part of Monica's story...

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