Mission Vision Values…WHAT?

What is your mission? Great question right??? I have been a licensed Realtor for 9 years, been with Keller Williams for 7. When I left my full time corporate position 8 years ago I was woefully unprepared for what being a full time Realtor actually meant! I knew I needed a change…so I decided to get my license and just jump in! Keller Williams, specifically the KW Metro North East office and their leadership has provided the home I didn’t know I needed and the structure and balance to help me make my life work.

One of the recurring themes for small business owners which is what Realtors are, is “Why”…why what you may ask, the full question is Why do you do what you do? I struggle with this and have come to the conclusion with the help of my coach, a “why” can be fluid and change over time…that took some pressure off! I truly am not certain why I do this crazy job, just that I love it!

Our office has such great leadership and they are always encouraging and supporting us to identify and reach OUR goals…you got that right? MY goals, not theirs!

I finally got a few things down on paper and they feel like who I am and who my team is becoming…as a teaser, here is our Mission Statement: Our mission is to inspire a positive, lasting impact by turning the dream of home ownership into an address.

Tune in next week for our Value Statement!

A day in the life…

So Friday was a little insane! Many think the life of a real estate agent is showing homes and collecting a big check…I thought you might enjoy hearing about how crazy our days get sometimes!

Friday was closing day for a wonderful young couple for whom I sold their first home earlier this year and they built their “forever” home. We had final walk through at 9:45 and closing at 10:30 in Franklin (45 minute drive south of my home thanks to traffic), from there I went to my office… on the NORTH side of Indy to turn in paperwork and thanks to traffic, another 50 minutes of windshield time!  While on my way to the office, I received the Seller’s inspection response for a listing and a call for a listing appointment on Saturday and please oh please could I work them in…OF COURSE I could!  Great option for a buyer hit the market, can we see it today…OF COURSE we can!  Get to the office and prepare the inspection response, send off to the seller to sign, then send to the Buyer’s agent, pull reports and prepare my listing presentation for Saturday, schedule the showing for my buyer, then meet the movers for clients at 3:00 in the Fountain Square area,then as I start to head to the WEST SIDE to show my buyer the house, Buyer had driven by the house and decided she didn’t like the area so I was able to cancel, however in the mean time I am also working on inspection issues for 2 other listings, talking to vendors and agents, lenders and title companies,  I was fortunate to be headed to a friends on the West side to go to a play in Greencastle.  Finally got home around midnight I think!

Long day…totally worth it!  I love what I do and the insane days are fun to me!  Who do you know that I can help buy, sell or invest in Real Estate…I’m here for you!

Vicki

Do you dine alone?

Back in the day when I traveled for my job, I often dined alone in other cities however I rarely did when I was home – for some reason I was too self conscience to do it in my home city!

With my career change to a Realtor, I have found it is often necessary or even more relaxing to eat alone, mostly during “off” hours – breakfast between 9 and 10 is a lot less crowded as is lunch between 2 and 3. I love my flexible schedule!

I read ALOT and generally use this time to read – I always have a book with me or in the car. So tell me…what do you do to pass the time while dining alone? Do you have restaurants that are more comfortable than others? Or do you not do it all? Would love to hear!

Vicki

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2017 Indianapolis Home Show!

It’s that time of year again and last night was the Fischer Homes Preview Night Party for real estate industry professionals and as a REALTOR®,  I was one of the attendees!  This year, the home is a ranch on a full basement…yes, they successfully built a basement in the Expo Hall!

Fischer Homes is showcasing its Rookwood design as this year’s Centerpiece Home, and for the first time it is featuring a ranch design rather than a two-story construction. The Rookwood features a Coastal Acadian elevation with nearly 6,000 square feet of finished living space — the largest home ever built at the Indianapolis Home Show.

Boasting casual yet sophisticated spaces that evoke the feeling of a beachfront home, the Rookwood at the Home Show features a spacious kitchen opening into the adjoining living and dining rooms, a refined study, four bedrooms, 3½ baths and three built-in fireplaces.

It is a beautiful home, casual yet elegant…personally, I don’t need that much square footage, however, I would love to have the master suite and closet!  If you are looking for something to do, you should check out this great home and all the home show vendors, visit the Indianapolis Home Show website for more information and tickets!

And remember, if you are interested in building with Fischers Homes or any other builder, you should remember to work with a REALTOR® to have someone looking out for your best interests!

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Vicki Reed, REALTOR®

 

 

How long is the Christmas Season?????

Today we are one week away from Thanksgiving!  My family will be celebrating on Saturday as is our custom with lots of family and friends, made even better by the addition of 2 new husbands, 1 step son and 1 little baby girl!  It’s been quite the year for our family!

There was a time that the Christmas season started AFTER Thanksgiving now the commercials start in October, the Hallmark Channels started running nothing but Christmas movies the weekend BEFORE Halloween, and stores have been advertising “black Friday” deals all month!

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t Christmas shop all through-out the year, but let’s be real…time is passing too fast as it is, let’s take one holiday at a time and focus on enjoying each as it comes and stop rushing through the years…enjoy each season as it comes.  Let’s enjoy Thanksgiving for now!  Me?  I’m looking forward to celebrating THANKSGIVING!

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Vicki Reed

 

Get out and VOTE!

It is finally ELECTION DAY!  I’m sure that, like me, you are not only grateful for the RIGHT TO VOTE, but that the television commercials, yard signs, news reports about who will win…are going to be over today!  It seems this has been the longest election ever!  I’m tired of the bashing, the Facebook posts and the sponsored Facebook election posts…I have Election Exhaustion!

I don’t care who you voted for, only that you exercised your right to VOTE.  Today is going to be a very long day…at the end, we will have a new President…and the next round of media will commence through the inaguation before the next President can get down to work.  I suspect this will be the most scrutinized President in history…I, for one, will live with the decision of the people…and pray for our Country.

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Vicki Reed

Spotlight…Speedway!

Speedway is more than just the Indy 500, looking for something fun to do with the family?  Spring break is almost over, next is college graduations, then high schools graduations…but what else is going on???  The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is gearing up for the 100th running, and of course there are a lot of related events in the month of May, including time trials, practice, the mini-marathon, Carb day…and of course, the big race with Josh Kaufman singing back home again in Indiana to start the big day.

Live in Indy and want to check out Speedway BEFORE May???  April is a great month to visit a few spots before everyone else arrives, just think, you can tell your friends coming in for the race what other fun things there are to do, check out these places…

IndyCar Factory.com by Main Street Events

Open Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and reasonably priced admission of $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children under 12 – Children 4 and under FREE!

.The Dallara IndyCar Factory is a joint venture between the IndyCar Experience and Dallara Automobili. It is located just 1/3 of a mile southwest of the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway – home of the Indianapolis 500 – and just 5 miles from Downtown Indianapolis – the Dallara IndyCar Factory is the destination for race-enthusiasts, and those who are brand new to the sport, to get their fill of all things IndyCar!  Click here to visit their website and learn more.

 

There are plenty of great places to eat near IMS as well.  Check out these great places…

Daredevil Brewing Company  

Dawsons on Main

Barbecue and Bourbon

Check it out, I would love to hear what you think!

Vicki Reed

 

Women’s Big 10 Basketball Tourney Starts TODAY…

The Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments returns to Indianapolis and Bankers Life Fieldhouse starting today! This marks the 10th time that both tournaments have been hosted in Indy.

Indianapolis was the first city to host both tournaments in the same year. The 2016 edition serves as the 19th time the women’s tournament will be held in Indianapolis, while the men tip off in Indy for the tenth time.

The agreement between the Big Ten Conference and Indiana Sports Corp has Indianapolis as the host of future Big Ten Basketball events with the Men’s Tournament returning again in 2020 and 2022 and the Women’s Tournament returning from 2017 through 2022.

How great is it to live in a city where we regularly host great NCAA sporting events like the Womens and Mens Big 10 Tournaments  Today the Women’s Tourney kicks off with Wisconsin and Northwestern tipping off at 1:30.
Indy relies heavily on community volunteers for these events…I’m working community hospitality at a couple of downtown hotels…want to know how?  Contact  me, it’s such a great opportunity to showcase our city and make a great impression on visitors.  Click on the link for the bracket for the Women’s tourney, who do you think will win????  2016WBBTourneyBracket
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Vicki Reed

100 Days…

It’s 100 days until the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and if the celebration doesn’t reach most corners of this community, it won’t be for a lack of effort. Or events, it seems.

The fun started Thursday night at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where fans were invited to a community celebration that began at 9:30 p.m. in the IMS pavilion. Just before midnight, attendees gathered at the Yard of Bricks for a special countdown moment.  And the fun continues today…IMS President Doug Boles, Verizon IndyCar Series drivers Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden, Ed Carpenter and Matthew Brabham will join Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson for a proclamation ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse.

This afternoon kicks off with a media event celebrating 50 years of Team Penske in racing and the opening of a special exhibit running through November at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum. Four-time Indy 500 champion Rick Mears will be on hand with fellow Team Penske driver and three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves to mark the occasion.

At 4 p.m., attention will shift to the financial capital of the world, with a special countdown event at the New York Stock Exchange. Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles and BorgWarner CEO James Verrier will take part in closing bell ceremonies alongside the iconic Borg-Warner Trophy.

Celebrations will come to a close Friday evening at the Crane Bay in downtown Indianapolis with a gathering celebrating the “Pursuit of Progress.” The event will be hosted by ESPN SportsCenter anchor Lindsay Czarniak and will feature four-time Indy 500 champion Rick Mears, Verizon IndyCar Series Driver Marco Andretti and a full roster of guests from the wider sporting world and beyond.

There is a lot more to come in the next 100 days…

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Vicki Reed

The Plan…

Hello class, today’s BOLD Law is…Focus on the Plan, not the Problem…What do you think when you hear this?

We all have plans, not just for our careers, but for our lives…for entreprenuer’s those plans likely look different than for most of the population.  What are your plans?  Your dreams?  Is your plan to change jobs in 2016?  Follow your passion into something new?  Take the family on an amazing vacation?  Do something just for you?

For a REALTOR® like myself, I create and follow a detailed business plan every year and I am fortunate to have a business coach to keep me on track.  2014…I hit my goal and basically stopped following my plan and 2015, while good, did not culminate in my reaching my goal and I learned…that I am the problem!  I know what to do, I know what it takes, I just didn’t do it!

My biggest issue is keeping my energy level high enough to continue to work as hard as I do for my clients – I forgot about myself.  I know I need time off…to spend with my family, my friends and frankly, myself, to read and relax.  I built that time off into my plan for this year and it will be amazing!  (Bonus, read the book The Power of Full Engagement to understand a little more)

2016 is about following my plan…things are a little behind, but I fully expect to catch up in the next 3 months.  I need only 1 listing or 1 buyer appointment each week – that doesn’t seem so difficult does it?  So remember me when if 2016 is about buying or selling a home for you!

What are your 2016 plans…remember, focus on that plan and the problems you feel are in the way will not be insurmountable.

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Vicki Reed