DO NOT RELY ON ZILLOW ZESTIMATE! Even your PETS know not to trust the reliability of the internet. So . . . Why would you even fathom trusting the internet to determine the “Market Value” of your house? Through the years, internet information has misguided MANY house buyers and sellers resulting in MANY MILLIONS of dollars of financial harm. Sellers risk selling their house and “leaving many thousand dollars on the table” (Pricing WAY below market value) or enduring excruciatingly frustrating experiences with difficulty getting prospective buyers to show up . . . or MANY showings and no offers. Sadly, many Buyers are unwittingly paying too much and/or missing out on opportunities to buy fantastic houses and aren’t pulling the trigger because the internet “advises” them they’ll be overpa... 11/15/2019

How much time, energy, and money has denial cost you in 2019? I know you know what this is. It’s that thing you know you should be doing but aren’t. This might be something you’re telling other people you are doing, but you aren’t. Or maybe it’s that thing you just can’t seem to find the time to implement. Let’s be transparent and brutally Honest! I’m not ask you for a list of things that you could do to increase your efficiency and/or productivity. Dig DEEP! Acknowledge that HUGE elephant in that brain of yours. What is this ONE thing that has the most potential to position you blow the doors off 2020? This isn’t about the money . . . It’s about your quality of life! All Goals must be SMART (Specific – Measurable – Achievable – TimeBound) I hereby DARE you to do this before Thanksgivin... 11/14/2019

I begin this post with a short story The Drowning Man A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help. Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.” The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.” So the rowboat went on. Then a motorboat came by. “The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.” To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.” So the motorboat went on. Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.” To this the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.” S... 11/13/2019

Everyone has standards . . . What are yours? Is your business Niche oriented? Perhaps you’ve chosen a particular subdivision, zip code, type of residence (House/Condo), or school zone, or theme (Waterfront or Golf or equestrian), Style (Mid-Century – Victorian – Contemporary) . . . or maybe you most enjoy working with 1st time buyers or luxury homes? Odds are decent that, if you have great passion for serving this particular niche, you have learned everything there is to know about that particular niche. You’ve studied that market extensively and know all of the important issues and/or opportunities relating to this niche. You know the good, bad, and ugly. You know all the right questions to ask and research. In short, YOU are THE expert in your niche. You’ve made yourself FAMOUS as bei... 11/08/2019

Why the pouty face? Who stole your sunny disposition? Has it rained on your parade? I have good news for you . . . As soon as you give yourself permission to move past this, it’ll be over. Your life work craves your sunny disposition . . . and so do we 🙂 Chin UP! Published by Barry Owen Strategist-CEO of Pareto Realty Real estate sales Professional Inviter-Facilitator-Practicer of Open Space Technology Opening safe space for people & organizations to self-organize around issues & opportunities BarryOwen.US Invite-Listen-Love View more posts 11/07/2019

Every query you pose on Facebook will yield multiple “Expert Responses.” Yep! Pretty much everyone on Facebook is an expert who is eager to bestow upon questioners great wisdom from the trenches . . . or impart compelling opinions about what “conversation starters” should do given the described circumstances. Some of this “knowledge” is relevant and worthy . . . and some, while eloquently crafted, is nothing short of DANGEROUS and ill-informed. From my perspective as a Principal Broker, my most important role is as a consultant, coach, trouble-shooter, sounding board who is quintessentially available for my agents to consider strategy and legal and/or ethical courses of action. Our livelihood is what’s at stake because our burden of responsibility is to serve and protect from harm our h... 11/06/2019

I think it’s safe to say that all of us have a desire for gaining more “traction” in our careers. “Traction” includes having a steady flow over time of the “RIGHT” Clients/Customers for your business? Every business owner faces this challenge each and every day. Where’s that delicate balance of persistent consistent lead generation and serving the leads that come? As with any pursuit, having in mind a clear vision (description) of who these “right” prospects is “Job ONE”. Who are these people you wish to serve? Why? Where are they? When they work with you, what is the issue or opportunity you help them resolve? How clearly are you “broadcasting” your desire to serve these people who NEED what you have to offer? How frequently do you remind them how you can serve them and other people (f... 11/05/2019

Of course, the herd MUST be heading the right direction, right? Maybe not! What happens when the lead cow starts heading towards a 1000′ cliff? Well . . . odds are good (without question) that most, if not all, of the herd will follow and perish. There’s an inherent tendency for folks to trust the herd . . . It’s a “safety in numbers” comfort zone thing. To some degree, we ALL go the way of “the mass of men (who) lead lives of quiet desperation.”  (Henry David Thoreau) We love “crowdthink” especially when the herd is going the direction we wish to go – in alignment with our goals and aspirations. We yearn for validation and “belongingness” and join the natural flow of this herd because it feels good . . . that wonderful feeling of travelling with others whose ideas resonate with our des... 11/04/2019

Everyone is a squirrel looking for a nut. or . . . a Hammer looking for a nail. For a sales-human, the pursuit is for that “Convertable Lead” who, with proper and diligent cultivation (follow-up), will ultimately become a “Customer” by agreeing to an appointment and become a CLIENT through earning their respect and trust by way of an empathic “Listening Consultation.” One thing I’ve learned throughout my 25+ years as a Real Estate Sales Professional and Principal Broker is that people take trusted action faster when they are well informed about how this process works. Many REALTORS miss the mark in this respect because they assume that the Home Buyers and Sellers know things that they don’t. I’m not sure why this is . . . perhaps, with more experience, there’s a tendency to get a little... 10/08/2019

Yesterday, I was exposed to a most amazing “workspace for makers and artists” My friend Roger Conner randomly sent me a text last week. He and I have not connected in a while, and I always enjoy spinning ideas with him, so I accepted his invitation without having any inkling of the purpose of the meeting. We agreed to meet at 2:00 yesterday, and he suggested we meet at “The Loading Dock“. I had no clue what that was, but WAZE knows where it is, so I embarked on this journey into the unknown. When I turned in to the gravel driveway, I saw a very random collection of interesting looking buildings. It was not easy for me to even hazard a guess as to what this place was about. I couldn’t help but notice the Billboard in the sky above the main building . . . It said “Throw Axes & Drink Beer”... 10/03/2019

You’re going to encounter just the person I’m looking for! I know this may be eerie and even a tad uncomfortable for you. After all, how could I possibly predict this happening with any possibility of accuracy? I understand your skepticism, but please indulge me for a moment. You, too, possess this “power” to create the conditions in your life such that I encounter just the person YOU are looking for within the next 21 days. I’ll scratch your back, if you’ll scratch my back . . . OK? Here’s how this works. I’m going to describe to you precisely this person I am hoping you will find for me: I’m actually looking for 2 people: Person 1 is a Real Estate Sales Professional licensed in the state of Tennessee. S/He has sold and closed between 6-15 Home Sale transactions in the past 12 months. ... 10/01/2019

Even from otherwise seemingly pleasant and even-keeled people, there’s seldom a shortage of naysayers. Much of my life is driven by “ideation”. New and interesting (to me) ideas flow through my overly active brain throughout every waking moment and likely also the unawake moments. My way is to unashamably “throw these ideas against the wall (post to the bulletin board) to see if they’ll stick” and invite other people to join me in whatever pursuit might ensue. With much practice and myriad experiences, the one thing I’ve learned multiple (most) times is for me not to be attached to outcomes. When I have a particularly BRILLIANT idea (my opinion), I sometimes cannot throttle my enthusiasm thereby creating high expectations that THIS will be a “GAME CHANGER” . . . until the Debbie Downers... 09/26/2019

Who’s to blame? We seem to be in a world of judgement and casting blame. Every day, we encounter circumstances failing to happen according to our well-intentioned plans. Critics salivate at the first whiff of disarray, and they POUNCE! Who will take responsibility for this train wreck? I believe it’s situations like this which bare the strength and integrity of all of us. Some folks are quick to point fingers. Others will instantly claim . . . “not my fault because that’s not in my job description!” This is a human condition that’s not new or recent, and the best Leaders understand the value of these “learning opportunities”. Yes! Leaders appreciate these emotionally charged times because it is when under extreme pressure they are able to witness who their team members are. The efficien... 09/25/2019

and there’s always a but . . . These days, it’s easy to brag on Nashville. For sure, there are myriad impressive things we hear daily about Nashville’s propulsion to the top. There are just as many things we don’t hear about Nashville’s race to the bottom. Our newly elected John Cooper seems to have a “healthier” perspective than the outgoing Mayor. Our public employees are over-worked and underpaid (Teachers, Police, 1st Responders, etc) Inside the downtown core, we’re veritable whores for any companies that let it be known that they may be leaning towards establishing offices here. Never mind the minor detail that the city is swimming in debt even as we offer these large incentives. Absent are any visible signs that “preservation of the heart and soul of Nashville’s communities” matte... 09/23/2019

I am a certifiable invitaholic! Every day, I invite folks to engage . . . with me and others. My why boils down to indefatigable curiosity. This is a life-long pursuit to learn and experience things that are new to me. Each of us has a circle of family, friends, work associates, acquaintances AKA a SOR (Sphere of Relationships). These are our “peeps”, and our total resource is our membership. Our respective circles overlap-intersect in myriad ways, and the more we interact with each other, the richer our lives will be. Every person and relationship has its own unique breath over time. Our connections strengthen as we discover mutual passion and take “personal ownership” of this passion through appropriate action. The most powerful appropriate action is an invitation to a gathering of pe... 09/19/2019

The 1 Star Review Reality CheckThis morning, I posted this message on Facebook: “Thinking about taking my F150 to a West Nashville Mechanic for service and repairs rather than driving to Franklin dealership . . . any recommendations? I was considering Terry’s but am a little concerned about some of the reviews” I knew about Terry’s Service Center because I drive by it every time I go to COSTCO. It looks like a popular and clean operation . . . I checked the reviews and most were VERY positive 5 Star reviews . . . What troubled me was the visceral nature of the (very few) 1 Star reviews. After reading these stories of negative experiences, I couldn’t help but think there had to be some merit to them, so I published the post. Within minutes, 2 of of my Facebook friends (who I actually kno... 09/18/2019

Yesterday, I facilitated a meeting with the theme “All Things Digital” This meeting is the bi-monthly rendition called “Small Broker Roundtable” at Greater Nashville REALTORS. The mission is to provide a safe place for Principal Brokers/Owners with 50 or fewer Affiliate agent members to gather, connect, and explore issues and opportunities we are facing in our market. I decided to have some fun and lean towards the “Firehose to the mouth” tactic with full intent to overwhelm even the most tech savvy Real Estate Professionals. So . . . I hit the internet and found over 140 “useful” websites and/or apps. We began with 2 questions: What’s your favorite Digital Tool? What’s your largest frustration with Technology? “Too Much – Too fast” “Too many options” “Sometimes technology creates more ... 09/17/2019

What are your favorite Digital Tools? Every time I think I’ve found the BEST Tech Tools, someone tells me about others. For sure, we could all make a full time pursuit of staying on the bleeding edge of technology. Of course, as with all things, there is a line of demarcation over which the benefits of adopting new technology provides diminishing returns. Just ask any economist you know. Where’s that fine line? Most folks have settled on the tech tools they’ve used for years without much thought as to what better tools might be out there waiting to be discovered. After all, it’s oh-so-comfortable and safe not to rock the boat . . . if it ain’t broken, why fix it, eh? Yeah! We don’t like change, and the “learning curve” of installing new technology represents pain that we most often choo... 09/16/2019

Every day, each and every person on this planet encounters myriad issues and opportunities as we tumble through this thing called life. Even those with the most steadfast commitment to moving forward on a well defined path can easily “lose their way” (or momentum) when confronted with distractions and obstacles. In this, our hyper-connected environment, our path is a veritable gauntlet of temptation and unforeseen complexity . . . As the difficulty of moving forward increases, our proclivity towards the siren call of all the bright, shiny objects/new opportunities also increases. What’s at stake is our ability to FINISH . . . ANYTHING. It’s as if the whole Universe is conspiring to obstruct our path to completion such that our frustration level requires us to abandon the mission. Are yo... 09/11/2019

Exuberance is contagious! Exciting stuff (and people) are fun! Fun is infectious . . . attractive and even beautiful. We want to be all that, and we crave hanging out with with people who are lovers of life. Where do we sign up for this exclusive club? This part is the most difficult yet easiest of all . . . Membership is automatic in the instant that we choose to celebrate – well – everything and everyone for what and who they are. This is acceptance – warts and all! The only rule in the book is to practice the fine art of letting go. Non-attachment to the outcomes . . . Truth without judgement . . . Here’s the whopper . . . all of this can – POOF – disappear into the thin ether instantly upon an alternative choice. It IS this simple! Happiness IS a choice that can, in a micro-second, ... 09/10/2019