Pocket Hours

Jennifer Nelson, founder of Scout Real Estate, gets to welcome her own mentor, Denise Lones, as a guest on Pocket Hours today. Denise is founder of The Lones Group where she supports agents and helps them build their business based on their needs and personality type.

Denise shares how to build a three-part foundation which includes honesty, client care, and self-discipline. Each part of the foundation requires having a plan and implementing systems to fill in the missing pieces in your business.

Denise has her own practical strategies, including starting her day with an "Hour of Power"––time for organizing her calendar and making her to-dos for the day—and using Trello to track and stay in touch with clients.

Denise has words of wisdom for both new agents and agents who are trying to level up. Moving forward and finding success comes with staying authentic, taking care of people, and being consistent in how you show up.

Find out more about working with Denise and The Lones Group at her website, thelonesgroup.com.

Visit scoutrealestate.com to learn more about Jennifer Nelson and Scout Real Estate.

Finding success is about connecting with the right people at the right time. You don't have to say yes to every listing. This is the message that Jennifer Nelson, founder of Scout Real Estate, talks with Cherie Hasson about on this episode of Pocket Hours.

Cherie is in the top 3% of brokers in Washington State, making her someone new brokers should sit up and listen to! Cherie emphasizes the importance of making time for yourself; you will be better at your job and your clients will respect you for it.

Real estate is a great fit for Cherie because she says it fills all the sides of her personality. She loves to be the hero, to jump in and save the day for her clients. She also knows that success comes when you're willing to get down and dirty. This could mean mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges, and moving in her own inventory of furniture for staging.

Cherie has so many great tips and words of wisdom for fellow agents, no matter how many years of experience you have in the real estate industry. When she says "leave nothing to chance" she means be yourself, treat real estate as a job, and provide legendary service.

Connect with Cherie Hasson at her website: homesbycherie.com.

Find more about Jennifer Nelson and Scout Real Estate at scoutrealestate.com.

If you're ready to start your real estate career, or jump it up to the next level, this is the episode that may just help you make the leap. Jennifer Nelson, founder of Scout Real Estate, talks with Kristine Milkovich in this episode of Pocket Hours.

Kristine is co-creator of the Milkovich team and the Director of PR and Communications at John L. Scott Real Estate. She has worked in the real estate industry for 10 years, bringing her background as a salon stylist, salon owner, and director of field education for L'Oreal into her experience as an agent.

Kristine shares great advice for people who are in the beginning stages of their careers. She talks about finding what lights you up, making space for the aspects of the job that don't light you up, the importance of a great mentor, and why it is crucial to create structure for yourself within your daily routines.

Connect with Kristine and the Milkovich Team at themilkovichteam.com. You can also find more about her role with John L. Scott at johnlscott.com.

If you would like to connect with Jennifer Nelson you can find her at scoutrealestate.com.

Founder of Scout Real Estate Jennifer Nelson talks to thirteen-year real estate veteran Denise Christofferson on this episode of Pocket Hours. Denise has found success by approaching her work as more than just a job. Finding the right mindset and paying attention to what clients are really asking for are the main keys to serving her clients.

Denise also shares the benefit of NOT knowing all the answers but putting more emphasis on knowing where to find the answers you need. Her advice to newbies is to talk to as many people as you can, put yourself into proximity of people who are succeeding in what you want to do, and ask questions.

Denise also emphasizes the importance of working with the right people. Not every client is a good fit, she says, and it's okay to put your own values above working with just anybody who seeks you out. Your time is your asset, so protect it to build your business and work with people who are the right fit.

Find Denise Christofferson at denisechristofferson.com. You can find out about Scout Real Estate and connect with Jennifer at scoutrealestate.com.

Scout Real Estate founder Jennifer Nelson welcomes the team from Everywhere Northwest on Pocket Hours today. This team is Carmin Russell, Hattie McMann, and Logan Tice and together they have 70+ years of real estate experience.

The Everywhere Northwest team gives tips on building success within their team. They attribute success as beginners to joining social clubs, putting yourself out there, being authentic when you are talking about what you do, doing MANY open houses, and learning from a mentor.

They also talk about learning from each other and the power that comes from being part of a team. It's important to find your tribe though. Surround yourself with people who support you and it will help you get into the real estate mindset and grow your business.

The unique approach of Everywhere Northwest is that they partner with Zillow for online leads. Carmin shares how this works for them and why Zillow leads have the best turnover for them. She says that if you can turn over an online lead, you can turn over any lead!

To find out more about Carmin, Hattie, and Logan visit their website: everywherenw.com.

You can find out about Scout Real Estate and connect with Jennifer at scoutrealestate.com.

Mentioned:

Ninja Selling ninjaselling.com

Staying informed and educated on Fair Housing practices is now a requirement for keeping your real estate license up-to-date. Understanding terms like "redlining" and "blockbusting" is just the beginning. There are a lot more subtle discriminatory practices that exist and continue to marginalize people in minority groups.

SCOUT Real Estate Founder Jennifer Nelson chats with Maggie Karshner today on Pocket Hours. Maggie is a self-employment coach who is doing work in the real estate industry, educating agents on fair housing practices and ensuring equity within the real estate industry.

Maggie reminds us that this work is ongoing. It is our responsibility to address what we see and stay open to learning to keep making forward progress. She also brings to light how simple habits, like the way agents describe neighborhoods, can be rooted in discrimination.

Maggie gives us advice on how to notice these biases, dig deeper into why assumptions might be made, and interrogate our own assumptions to ensure we are doing our part. Not only do we want to ensure equity and fairness for clients, we should take time to evaluate our own business relationships and partnerships. Can we find ways to lift up businesses that have historically been marginalized?

Maggie Karshner's work is to support solo-preneuers as they build up their businesses in a variety of fields. Find out more about her work at maggiekarshner.com.

Connect with Jennifer and learn more about SCOUT Real Estate at scoutrealestate.com.

Have you had a client who wants to turn a property (newly purchased or already owned) into a rental property? Kaitlyn Jackson joins Jennifer Nelson on Pocket Hours to help us navigate how to walk through this with our clients through the lens of Landlord-Tenant Law. Kaitlyn is a Senior Associate Attorney with Dimension Law Group in the Seattle area, and her practice focuses on Business Law, Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Landlord-Tenant matters, and Estate Planning.

Landlord-Tenant Law can be messy because cities often implement their own ordinances in addition to state and federal laws. It's generally considered the responsibility of the landlord to stay apprised of the laws and ensure they're not violating tenant rights.

If a client is thinking about purchasing a rental property, there are some considerations they'll need to be aware of:

• The overlap of city, state, and federal laws
• Lease agreements that are already in place (get copies!)
• The Rent Ledger –– the paper trail of rent paid and when
• Stipulations for increasing rent –– timeline and possible payment of relocation fees for the tenant
• Estoppel Agreements –– to protect yourself from oral agreements made between tenant and previous landlord
• First-in-Time Laws
• Evictions (Unlawful Detainer) –– when and how you can/cannot evict a tenant and the right-to-counsel for all evictions

Landlord-Tenant Law is constantly changing! So if you have clients who express interest in stepping into that landlord role, make sure they tap into resources for how to stay ahead of changes and protect themselves.

If you have more questions or could use help with Landlord-Tenant matters, connect with Kaitlyn Jackson at dimensionlaw.com/about/kaitlyn-jackson.

Learn more about SCOUT Real Estate and connect with Jennifer at scoutrealestate.com.

Appraiser-Realtor relationships can be really valuable, but as with any relationship, it's important that there's trust and transparency on both sides. The goal is the same: to get buyers into their dream homes, affordably. Working together can make that outcome even easier to accomplish.

In this episode, founder of Scout Real Estate Jennifer Nelson is chatting with appraiser Andrew Gallaugher of Pacific Heritage Appraisal.

In his more than 20 years in the business, Andrew's seen it all, boom to crash and back again. He's dealt with the annual cycle of crazy busy springs to uber-quiet autumns and winters, with swings of low interest rates and sales going for literally hundreds of thousands of dollars over asking, to significant drops as interest rates rise. So he's a great resource for realtors who want to develop a good relationship with appraisers.

So what do appraisers want from realtors?

• Current data on the market is helpful, so please share the offers you're getting.
• It's not necessary for realtors to be present at inspection.
• Sharing comps (comparisons) is helpful, especially when facing a tricky appraisal.
• List the upgrades and how much the seller has spent (particularly if upgrades are "invisible" like sewer lines).
• Add the concessions report if it's "yes."

Other questions Jennifer and Andrew discuss include….

• DADUs and ADUs - how do you appraise those?
• What's the best way to deal with outlier issues like a pool, a 3- or 4-car garage?
• What about VA appraisals?
• How do you appraise super high-end homes if there aren't comps available?
• What do you do if an appraisal seems "off"?

To hear the answers and more tips, please check out the episode and share with others. You can find more about Andrew at phappraisal.wixsite.com/pacheritage and you can find Jennifer at scoutrealestate.com.

In this episode, Natalie English joins Jennifer Nelson on Pocket Hours. Natalie is a veteran agent and owner of House of Style, Seattle's premier staging company. Natlie shares how her background in interior design and her experience as a waitress contributed to her great success both as an agent and with House of Style.

Tips on how she's managed to be so successful:

1. Thick skin. Natalie's "thick skin" comes from her diverse background. She doesn't get bothered by the little things, and this helps her develop trusting relationships with her clients. If you've ever waited tables, you'll know how necessary this skill is!
2. Honesty. Natalie emphasizes how honesty with her clients makes her stand apart; telling the truth builds trust, and she has learned not to tell clients simply what they want to hear.
3. Understanding staging. She also shares how important the staging process is to both buyers and sellers. It's an important step — don't let your clients skip it without all the information.

Natalie challenges people who are ready to level up in their business to set goals, delegate, keep a positive attitude, and roll up their sleeves to get things done (including weeding a client's garden in formal dress, but maybe that's just her).

Connect with Natalie at natalieenglishhomes.com and learn more about House of Style at houseofstyleseattle.com.

Find more about Jennifer Nelson and Scout Real Estate scoutrealestate.com.

On this episode of Pocket Hours, SCOUT Real Estate Founder Jennifer Nelson chats with Jeanne Sickel, Branch Manager and Loan Officer at CMG Home Loans in the Seattle area.

Jeanne has been in mortgage banking since 2005, so she has worked with a lot of agents and even more buyers/lenders. She is here to share her experience in building her business and all the knowledge she has gained from her professional background.

One area of growth are D.A.D.U.s or (Detached Accessory Dwelling Units), which are becoming popular in many areas of the country. Jeanne shares the ins-and-outs of creating mortgages for homes with a D.A.D.U. which is often just a fancy way of saying the property also has a backyard cottage or tiny home.

There are actually ways to make a higher mortgage work in the buyer's favor by tapping into the passive income that can be provided by a D.A.D.U., and Jeanne takes us through how it works.

Learn more and connect with Jeanne through her CMG Home Loans site: Jeanne Sickel - CMG Home Loans.

If you want to connect with Jennifer, you can find her at scoutrealestate.com.