HOUSTON HOME SALES SHOW CONTINUED STRENGTH IN SEPTEMBER

HOUSTON — (October 14, 2015) — After a relatively flat performance in August, the Houston housing market kept pace with last year's record sales volume and prices throughout September. Just as in August, homes priced between $150,000 and $500,000 saw moderate gains, while the low and high ends of the market declined.

According to the latest monthly report prepared by the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), September single-family home sales totaled 6,691 units compared to 6,463 a year earlier, an increase of 3.5 percent. It took 49 days for the average home to sell versus 48 days in 2014.

Months of inventory, the estimated time it would take to deplete the current active housing inventory based on sales over the previous 12 months, grew from a 2.9-months supply last September to a 3.5-months supply. Inventory has held at a 3.5-months supply for the past three months, but remains below the current national housing supply of 5.2 months of inventory.

Home prices reached September highs, with the average price of a single-family home up 0.5 percent year-over-year to $270,901. The median price—the figure at which half the homes sold for more and half for less—jumped 4.5 percent to $208,000.

Sales of all property types totaled 8,024 units, up 2.2 percent compared to September of last year. Total dollar volume rose 3.8 percent to $2.1 billion.

"September showed a bit more vitality than August, and considering that we are comparing to a record 2014 sales year and remain in a climate of energy-related layoffs, I'd say that the Houston real estate market is truly holding its own," said HAR Chair Nancy Furst with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Anderson Properties. "Sales inventory has been stable for the past three months and we expect it to grow in the last quarter of 2015."

September Monthly Market Comparison

The Houston housing market saw across-the-board gains in the September 2015 versus 2014 analysis, with single-family home sales, total property sales and total dollar volume all up, while prices reached record highs for a September.

Month-end pending sales for single-family homes totaled 6,602, a 3.7 percent decline from a year earlier, which might suggest slower sales when the October numbers are tallied. Active listings, or the number of available properties, at the end of September rose 17.6 percent to 34,041.

Houston’s housing inventory has held at a 3.5-months supply since July of this year, but is up from the 2.9-months supply recorded in September 2014. That still remains below the current 5.2-months national supply of homes reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

CATEGORIES	SEPTEMBER 2014	SEPTEMBER 2015	CHANGE
Total property sales	7,848	8,024	2.2%
Total dollar volume	$2,002,031,499	$2,078,301,152	3.8%
Total active listings	28,946	34,041	17.6%
Single-family home sales	6,463	6,691	3.5%
Single-family average sales price	$269,629	$270,901	0.5%
Single-family median sales price	$199,000	$208,000	4.5%
Single-family months inventory*	2.9	3.5	20.7%
Single-family pending sales**	6,854	6,602	-3.7%

* Months inventory estimates the number of months it will take to deplete current active inventory based on the prior 12 months sales activity. This figure is representative of the single-family homes market.
** Effective May 2015, in an effort to be consistent with industry standards, the Houston MLS is now including all categories of pending sales in its reporting. Previously, the Houston MLS did not include “option pending” and “pending continue to show” listings in its reporting of pending sales. The new methodology is now all-inclusive for listings that went under contract during the month.

Single-Family Homes Update

Single-family home sales totaled 6,691 in September, up 3.5 percent from September 2014. Home prices reached the highest levels ever for a September in Houston. The single-family average price rose 0.5 percent from last year to $270,901 and the median price jumped 4.5 percent year-over-year to $208,000. The average number of days it took to sell a home, or Days on Market (DOM), was 49 in September versus 48 days a year earlier.

Single-family home sales tracked on a year-to-date basis were flat in September at 57,302.

Broken out by housing segment, September sales performed as follows:

$1 - $79,999: decreased 23.0 percent

$80,000 - $149,999: decreased 16.5 percent

$150,000 - $249,999: increased 15.6 percent

$250,000 - $499,999: increased 16.0 percent

$500,000 and above: decreased 10.4 percent

HAR also breaks out the sales figures for existing single-family homes. Existing home sales totaled 5,726 in September, up 2.7 percent versus the same month last year. The average sales price was unchanged year-over-year at $250,404 while the median sales price rose 5.2 percent to $192,000.

Townhouse/Condominium Update

Sales of townhouses and condominiums fell 4.5 percent in September. A total of 599 units sold compared to 627 properties in September 2014. The average price, however, rose 4.5 percent to $207,119 and the median price edged up 1.3 percent to $155,000. Inventory grew from a 2.5-months supply to 3.2 months.

Lease Property Update

Demand for single-family lease homes and townhomes/condominiums were flat in September. The average rent for single-family homes rose 2.3 percent to $1,792, while the average rent for townhomes/condominiums was unchanged at $1,533.

Houston Real Estate Milestones in September

• Single-family home sales rose 3.5 percent compared to September 2014;
• Total property sales were up 2.2 percent (8,024 units);
• Total dollar volume increased 3.8 percent to $2.1 billion;
• At $270,901, the single-family home average price reached a record high for a September;
• At $208,000, the single-family home median price also achieved a record September high;
• Single-family homes months of inventory climbed to a 3.5-months supply versus 2.9 months a year earlier.

HOW TO TAKE YOURSELF TO THE TOP

Got a call from an old friend Floyd Wickman last week, and of course, had to ask, “While I have you on the phone, can I interview you for next week’s column?”  He graciously agreed and shared some terrific insights for agents eager to take themselves to the top of their game—and stay there!  Thanks Floyd!

Q:  Floyd, it’s great to see our industry come surging back.  Some agents are jetting all the way to the top in this market.   What do you think are the top common denominators of top producers? 

A:  It is terrific to see the resurgence isn’t it?  I guess if I had to say what I see as some of the top traits of the superstars are I’d say I think it first starts with a healthy respect for establishing balance between business and personal.  So many transactions these day come with lots of drama and stress, and the agents that have found the ways to stay focused and balanced are the ones who will successfully navigate their career path long term and avoid burnout.

Next, I’d say they are always in skill-building mode.  That hasn’t changed in all these years.  The goal is always to get voice to voice and face to face with people.  Top producers understand that selling involves as much emotion as facts and are always fine-tuning their skills and ability to turn inquiries into a voice to voice or face to face transaction.

Third, I’d say that most have a mentor or coach that they turn to when they want to take themselves to the top of their game – or when they are at the end of their rope and they need someone to help them “tie the knot” and hang on.

Q:  I agree.  You’ve always been a champion for mentoring and integrity partnerships.  Can you expand on that a little more?

A: Sure. Many years ago I wrote a book, MENTORING with Terri Sjodin.  In it we shared our firm believe that having a person in your life that is objective, knowledgeable and understands pain and gain – that you can reach out to is a vital component to taking your career and life to the next level.  As you know Zig Ziglar and others were that for me.  I know for a fact that I would not have had the successes I had or accomplished the things I have if it weren’t for them.  I’m living proof of the value in mentor/protégé relationships.  You know it’s not always your best friend of spouse that will tell you what you need to hear.  A mentor or coach is someone who will be that person to tell it like it is – even when that’s not the easiest thing to hear.

Q:  As we had into the last part of the year, a lot of wise agents are starting to put their plans in place to finish this year strong and hit the next running.  Do you have any wise words to share as they start that process?

A:  You know Julie, every business has a common denominator element of success.  In real estate it’s listings. I would say whatever plan you are putting in place you need to start by answering the question, “How many listing do I need to earn the dollar volume I need to realize my goals?” From there, you can break it down further. To get that many listings, how many appointments to you need?  To get those how many contacts do you need to make? How many people in your sphere?  How many in your farm?  How will you go about reaching those numbers?  Next, I always ask my coaching partners when they set a goal to find their WHY.  Why is that their goal? What’s behind that? What is their real purpose?  Because that underlying purpose is what drives them even more than the goal. Keep digging until you get to your real WHY and that will help fuel your plan – and your success.

Q:  One thing that hasn’t changed in our business is that, to succeed, agents have to be willing to put in the time and overcome the fear of prospecting.  What’s your best advice for that?

A:  I’ve found that joining or creating prospecting groups have been a great way for many agents to successfully commit to prospecting.  When we are left to our own devices sometimes, it’s easy to find the thousand reasons why now is not a good time to prospect right?  But when you have someone to answer to – a group, an integrity partner, or a coach, you’ll do it.  I know for me, with Zig as my coach, there is no way in the world I could live with myself NOT doing what I said I was going to do.  That’s where that coaching relationship can be vital.  You are held accountable for the commitment you make.  And the good coaches will ALWAYS ask for that commitment.  For my coaching members, and every member of my team for every organization I’ve ever been part of a core value has been to “Always do what you say you’re going to do, sometimes more – but NEVER any less.”  That’s powerful.  Integrity counts. So I’d say if prospecting is a problem for you – get an integrity partner or coach to hold you to your commitment to your career — one that can help keep you on track.

Secondly, I’d say have good tools and processes in place.  You guys sure make that easy for agents. Marketing is a vital component for agents.  It’s a whole lot easier to pick up that phone or knock on that door when you’ve got a marketing plan in place to “touch” those prospects on a consistent basis.  It’s often the difference between a warm call and a frigid one.  So thanks for what you guys do for agents all over North America. I know it makes a difference.

Q:  Awesome.  In your one-on-one coaching what do you think is the number one reason agents hire a coach? 

A:  First, as we just spoke of – they want or need that accountability.  That’s the first kind of coaching.  An accountability partnership.  Someone that can hold them to the things they need to do to realize the goals they’ve set.  Someone who will help them crunch the numbers to know exactly at any given time where they are in relationship to those numbers.  They also are looking for answers and strategies to be more skillful, more purpose-driven, and help them craft and keep the mindsets that will help them stay on track.  The second kind of coaching is what I like to call entrepreneurial. In other words, they just want someone they can bounce ideas off of, turn to with questions or problems – almost like a sounding board.  For example, I have a broker who I’ve worked with for two years who has both years doubled the production in his office.  He appreciates the ability to pick up the phone and say “Hey Floyd….” and strategize about the next idea or means to take his team to the next level.

Q:  Thanks so much Floyd for your time.  I understand you recently launched a new site where agents can learn more about your coaching, can you share that?

A:  Sure. One-on-one coaching is one of the most gratifying parts of what I do.  I carefully limit the number of coaching partners that I take on so that I can commit the time necessary to helping those individuals truly build their careers in the ways that make sense for them.  In my coaching partnerships we both have the same goal – theirs.  I am currently taking on just six new coaching members. If that’s something one of your readers are interested in have them head over to my site www.floydwickmanlive.com and contact me today. Before we ever get started, we’ll get on the phone and spend 45 minutes to an hour just discussing what is important to them, what they want from coaching and whether we are a good fit. If that sounds like something you’d like to do, let’s talk!  Thanks Julie.

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I sold two companies for millions. Here's how i prioritize.

Determining what the hell to focus on. 

For entrepreneurs, every day is different. One day I'll be signing partnership agreements. The next day I'm interviewing job applicants. And the following day I'm pitching investors. All the while, praying my brain doesn't deactivate after last night's three hours of sleep.  

Yet if I can count on one thing, remaining steady, despite the day ... is that there will be distractions.  

"Hey Brian, can you send me that partnership agreement?" 

"Hello Brian, will you shoot over this month's revenue report?"

"Umm ... Brian ... the server just crashed. What should we do?" 

Constantly distracted by external requests (let alone internal thoughts or ideas, which can be the most distracting), it's easy to forget long-term goals. However, there's a systematic approach I use to stay focused.   

A template that forces me to consciously think about a task's importance before doing it.  

It functions in three easy steps. 

Step 1: Copy the Blank Time Management Matrix Template. 

First, make a copy of the Blank Time Management Matrix Template by clicking File > Make a Copy. You can use this blank template to follow along, inserting your own tasks, as I quickly explain how I use the template to prioritize.

However, you must be signed into your Google account in order to make a copy!

Step 2: Write new task, label by quadrant.

Step two is simple. On the sheet 'My To-Do List', write a new task in Column A, then label the task by priority (1, 2, 3, or 4) in Column B. 

It will now magically appear in the sheet 'My Prioritized To-Do List', automatically organized for you.  

The task prioritization system I use is Dwight Eisenhower's strategic time management matrix (diagram visualized below), which organizes tasks into four quadrants. 

Before I used Eisenhower's prioritization system, my to-do list was a never-ending nightmare:

All tasks merged together, leaving me with the perplexing question ... what should I do first???

Now, rather than randomly completing unprioritized tasks, I put them into the template. This forces me to question a task's importance. 

I take a few seconds. Stop. Take a breath. Think...

"Do I specialize in this?"

"Does it contribute to my long-term goals?"

"Could someone else do this? Should I focus on something else?"  

Through these questions, I'm building a system that will drive business forward. Particularly, one guided by my personal G.P.S. system, where I define my Goals, Priorities, and Specialties. 

• Goals. Achieve 500,000 weekly active Sidekick users, grow team to 15 intelligent people, and exercise three times per week.
• Priorities. Spend time with family and friends, exercise regularly, hire smart people, and educate current team members.
• Specialties. Training team members, analyzing growth experiments (whether product features or marketing), and customer/competitive analysis.

My personal G.P.S. system is the ultimate roadmap (pun intended) for focusing on important tasks, both professionally and personally. It helps me stay focused, but more functionally, it's now easier to label tasks into the appropriate quadrant in Column B.

I encourage you to write down your own G.P.S. system, which is available in the blank template: 

For a full glimpse into my to-do list, an example of a completed time management matrix template, access it here.  

Not only will you gain access to all my to-do list tasks, but I'll explain the logic behind why I labeled tasks into that specific quadrant.

For a preview, here are a few Q1 tasks and the logic behind why I label them as Q1. 

Q1: Important/Urgent Tasks (Do Now)	Why I labeled Q1
Prepare Q1 growth metric results for team meeting tonight	Leading our team and hitting 500k WAU is agoal. Urgent because it's due tonight.
Review persona research questions before customer interviews today	Customer analysis is a specialty. Urgent because interviews are today.
Send video chat dial-in information to job candidate for final interview tomorrow	Hiring smart people is a priority. Plus, I can quickly check this off my list by scheduling an email to her, so she gets it 10 minutes before the interview.
Coordinate time with friends for fiance's surprise birthday party tomorrow night	Time with family and friends is a priority. Urgent because it's tomorrow night(!)
Review latest retention experiment and have front-end developer implement before tomorrow.	Analyzing growth experiments is a specialty. Urgent because meeting is today.

 

Similarly, here are a few Q3 tasks and whether I'll delegate, automate, or decline them.

Q3: Not Important/Urgent Tasks	Whether I'll delegate, automate or decline
Coffee request for tomorrow from small-business podcaster I met at networking event	Politely decline request, as it detracts from my personal G.P.S. system. Also, I work mostly with SaaS products, not small business, so this doesn't make sense.
Pay Internet and gas bill due tomorrow	I can automate this, eliminating tasks from future to-do lists, through automatic billing from my checking account.
Schedule haircut and doctor appointment	I can delegate this to a personal or virtual assistant.
Promote today's blog post on Twitter and to email list	I can automate this with automatic social-media and email publishing
Pickup party supplies for fiance's surprise birthday party tomorrow night	I can delegate this is to an errand-running program, such as TaskRabbit.

 

Access my entire to-do list (over 35 tasks), along with the logic behind each decision, by grabbing the Google Spreadsheet called Brian's Time Management Matrix Template [example].   

Step 3: Complete task, then delete it. 

Finally, once a task is completed, delete the task on the 'My To-Do List' sheet. Do not delete tasks on the 'My Prioritized To-Do List' sheet. Doing so will erase the formula used to visually sort the tasks. 

That's it. It's incredibly simple, yet surprisingly powerful.

Simply write in your new task, label it by quadrant, then delete the task once you're finished. However, you may be asking, "What if I don't have personal assistants?"

Great news. I'm covering that exact subject in a few days. 

I'll explain how I find the right personal assistant, including the exact websites to use and precisely how much it costs. Yes, even solo-entrepreneurs will benefit from this information. 

In addition, I'll explain how I save time using automated email templates to outsource tasks, which you can easily copy and paste. Everything will be available, completely free, to all email subscribers (subscribe below). 

Until then, I'm happy to answer specific questions about how to use the time management matrix template in the comments. 

 

Done! But why stop now? Learn more time management tips by reading the next post in this series.   

•  
  I Sold Two Companies For Millions. Here's How I Prioritize.
•  
  20 Lessons From 20 Women Worth Over $20 Million [SlideShare]
•  
  Why This Millionaire CEO Quit His Job (And What He Taught Me About Priorities)

19 SUBJECT LINE STATS IMPACTING OUR EMAIL OPEN RATES

We all invest time in perfecting our email copy, hyperlinking the right words, and placing the right call-to-action.

But what's the point of all that work if no one is even opening our emails?

That's where subject line comes in. Whether we're trying to connect with an executive, sell a prospect, or simply get a friend's attention, our subject lines influence whether or not those emails get opened. 

Clickthrough the presentation below to uncover 19 subject line stats. Each stat gives insight into our subject line strategy - from word choice to character count and beyond. 

Prefer to just scroll through the stats in non-visual form? Here you go -

1.33% of email recipients open email based on subject line alone.
[Source: Convince&Convert]

2. 69% of email recipients report email as based solely on the subject line.
[Source: Convince&Convert]

3. 40% of emails are opened on mobile first – where the average mobile screen can only fit 4-7 words max.
[Source: ContactMonkey]

4. Emails with “You” in the subject line were opened 5% less than those without.
[Source: Sidekick]

5. Emails with “Free” in the subject line were opened 10% more than those without.
[Source:Sidekick]

6. Emails with "Quick" in the subject line were opened 17% less than those without.
[Source:Sidekick]

 

7. Emails with "Tomorrow" in the subject line were opened 10% more than those without.
[Source:Sidekick]

8. Emails with "Meeting" in the subject line were opened 7% less than those without.
[Source:Sidekick]

 

9. Emails with no subject all together were opened 8% more than those with a subject line.
[Source: Sidekick]

10. Emails with “fw:” in the subject line were opened 17% less than those without.
[Source: Convince&Convert]

11. 18.7% decrease in open rates when the word “newsletter” is used in subject lines. 
[Source: Adestra]

12. 61.8% increase in opens when using the word “alert” in subject lines.
[Source:Adestra]

13. Using the words “Sale,” “New,” or “Video” in subject lines boost open rates.
[Source: Adestra]

14. Using “Daily” or “Weekly” in subject lines boosts open rates whereas “Monthly” hurts them.
[Source: Adestra]

15. The top five subject lines in a recent study all included “Re:”. 
[Source: ContactMonkey]

16. Subject lines with 30 or fewer characters have an above average open rate. 
[Source: Adestra]
17. Subject lines with 3 or more words are opened 15% less than those with 1-2.
[Source: ContactMonkey]

18. Personalized subject lines are 22.2% more likely to be opened.
[Source:Adestra]

19. 
Subject lines that create a sense of urgency and exclusivity can give a 22% higher open rate. 
[Source: Email Institute]