3 Minutes on a Park Bench with local Real Estate Agent Juli Clifford

Juli Clifford from Juli Clifford and Crew Realty tells the Patch about her morning routine and offers a few simple tips to help relieve the anxiety of the home buying/selling process.

Patch: What’s the best piece of sales advice you’ve ever been given and who gave it to you?

Juli: Don’t sell – just listen! Once you understand what the client wants, the sale will come..

Patch: What is your morning routine?

Juli: Wake up early. Walk our rescue pups. Have breakfast while watching and reading the news – then get to work. I follow up on emails and address anything that came up overnight. I’m usually on the phone by 9am making calls to find buyers for my listings and sellers for my buyers, calling past clients. Then lather, rinse, repeat the next morning.

Patch: If you had to recommend someone three books what would they be and why?

Juli: 1) The One Thing – written by Gary Keller. The book poses the question, “What’s the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” This “ONE Thing” can be applied to every aspect of your life. Forget multi-tasking and focus on the things that are going to make you a better person so you can have a better life for you and your family. It’s about identifying the ONE Thing so you’ll achieve extraordinary results in every situation.

2) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C Maxwell. As a member of our market center’s Agent Leadership Council (ALC – essentially the board of directors in every Keller Williams Realty office) it’s important to work on my leadership skills. This book is foundational training for leadership development. It’s about how many people you influence, not how much organizational power you can wield from your position or office. Recommended reading for anyone looking to up their leadership game.

3) A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving. This is my all-time favorite book. I first read it in 1989 when it was released. It’s a very spiritual book but not preachy or religious. The ending is unforgettable. It’s hard to describe – you just have to read it for yourself.

Patch: How did you originally get involved in the real estate industry?

Juli: I had a friend in Real Estate who always thought I would make a great Realtor©. Timing was perfect since we had just sold our successful restaurant and catering business. I was ready for the next phase in my life so I got my license and the rest as they say is history.

Patch: What’s the best thing about selling homes in your area?

Juli: I’ve had the pleasure of working with some fantastic people and families. I love the diverse population – you get to meet interesting people from around the nation and the world and learn about different cultures. From first time home buyers to families moving up or folks downsizing to smaller homes, we love helping our clients move closer to the people and places they love.

Patch: What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you when showing a home?

Juli: Most recently, I was showing a home to a family and walked into a bedroom that had a full sized stuffed bear that took up most of the room. The kids ran screaming down the hall so we had to stop for ice cream afterwards. Sometimes you just don’t know what’s going to meet you on the other side of the doorknob.

Patch: How’s the market in town these days?

Juli: It’s a great market and a unique time for us as sellers are often getting great prices for their homes and low rates are helping buyers afford to purchase more. It’s my job to help my sellers price their homes so they receive the best offers to net them the best price and terms. We consult with our buyer clients and get them prepared for the purchasing process from start to finish so they feel comfortable with all the steps involved in purchasing a home in today’s market.

Patch: What sets one real estate broker apart from another? And how are you unique?

Juli: Great question! Experience, knowing the market, and how well we listen to our client’s needs are so important to us. We are able to work one-on-one with our clients so they feel like they’re the only client we are working with. The volume of business we handle allows us to give away some very attractive free incentives.

Juli: Get your finances in order! Get pre approved by a local lender who knows the market. We work with several great lenders. It’s important because this is a fast-paced market where properties sell like hot potatoes (again, if they’re priced right and look good – you may be looking at a multiple offer situation). We know that most buyers begin their search on the internet. Finding a home is the easy part – what happens after is where we as professionals help our clients navigate through the myriad of details associated with purchasing a home. Many buyers try to “go it alone”, and my question is always, why would you want to leave the most important and costly purchase you’ll ever make to chance? When we represent our buyers, there is absolutely no cost to use our services and we help our buyers save money on their purchase with our expert negotiating skills.

Patch: What advice would you give to someone trying to sell his or her house?

Juli: 1st step – consult a Realtor©!!! We help our clients understand the market and the importance of pricing. We help avoid the common mistakes which result in longer time on the market usually resulting in a lower sales price. A Realtor© will help you understand what improvements buyers are willing to pay for as well as staging and curb appeal. Over 90% of homes in our area are sold by agents, so for sale by owners attract less than 10% buyers. Why wouldn’t you want to expose your home to the biggest number of buyers possible? Hey, even the founder of “For Sale By Owner” hired a Realtor© to sell his own property!

Patch: How can readers contact you?

Juli: Call or text 703-980-0243. Email: juli@julicliffor.com. Visit our websites: www.julicliffordandcrew.com and www.movewithjuli.com. Find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, You Tube, Pinterest.