Blog… What’s Brewing
T’was the week before Christmas when all over the place,
Realtors were stirring to cover their face,
With masks that they use to work they are going,
The virus wouldn’t prevent Christmas from coming.
Covid it struck while all snug in their beds,
While visions of clients danced in their heads!
Protection we need from a virus so bad,
Everything changed and it was so sad.
When out in the field there arose such a clatter,
Quarantine is the thing that will certainly matter,
When dealing with people and homes and the process,
Remotely is how to be safe nonetheless.
Offices were closed for safety you know,
Adapting was key and from this we will grow!
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a way to continue to do business this year!
With an independent company so nimble and quick,
I knew all the while there would be an uptick.
More rapid than eagles the solutions they came,
Thinking of our children we called them by name:
Now Chase, now Ellie now Andon and Teagan,
On Jaelyn on Monty on Maylene and Kalynn!
On them that we focus and their future secure,
Now stay home and stay safe for this we assure
Will help us to stop the spread that is near,
And calm in our heads the things that we fear.
Their futures are bright and for certain they’ll thrive,
While many are grasping for ways to survive.
A bundle of services went quickly remote,
As a company retooled and pivoted take note.
Presentations how clever and messages so merry,
Like an ice cream dessert topped with a cherry!
The agents have patience, resilience and strength,
Coordinating transactions mostly arms length.
Their mindsets are set to serve you sincere,
Especially at Christmas and all through the year!
With tactics and strategy second to none,
And follow up response to please everyone.
From sellers and buyers and investors alike,
We acknowledge that covid inspections could spike.
The precautions we take and never for granted,
Real estate has never been so demanded!
The market we watch so diligent and focused,
And nothing we do will go unnoticed.
For a company that’s independent and local and small,
Is the best choice we profess and it is for all!
When you are thinking of making your move,
It’s Café Realty that makes all things go smooth.
A stress free experience is all that you need,
We guide you, connect you and it’s guaranteed!
You’ll love the attention that you will receive,
And in this small company we hope you believe.
That higher standards, integrity and trust we profess,
In all that we do education is best!
Sharing our knowledge with you is our gift,
As we navigate through and dance with the shift.
A year like no other, unprecedented they say
We made it through this one so what can we say?
Onward and upward to a brand new year,
We wish for this season some holiday cheer!
I heard some exclaim as we carried on with delight,
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Elisa is a Co-Founder and Creative Director for Cafe Realty, a local, independent, community-focused real estate brokerage. https://instacard.co/Elisa-BrunoMidili
2020 has not been kind but there were lessons learned. We were hurled into covid lockdown in mid March and life was very different from that point forward. A new normal, the next normal, it was not so normal. We learned how to wrap our arms around the world and appreciate life. We learned many things about ourselves. We learned how to be resilient, to persevere and how empathy works. We learned that kindness has new meaning.
We adopted this new normal and a new perspective. Learning and working remotely. Dining outdoors or with curbside pickup. Everything delivered right to our door! We stayed home and the concept of home became so much more than a place, it became a feeling, a safe haven, our comfort zone.
We also acknowledge the struggle and strife of many. The psychological toil this pandemic has created, a roller coaster of emotion. Many were unable to adapt to such isolating and demanding measures. The loss of work and lack of income were catalysts for the remarkable programs and outreach groups developed to provide aid to all.
The love of humanity evident in the work of those who gave and gave and gave prevailed. We fed others, donated our time and money to worthy causes to give relief. We cared for our families, neighbors, friends and local businesses. Some prospered, some not, but we connected and stayed strong.
We learned how to deal with anxiety, stress and overwhelming doom and gloom. The education about life and how we take those lemons and make lemonade now a routine. Adapting was a daily practice and it was difficult…we are always in school!
The lemonade is where we found the joy. We have never experienced anything like this before so we had to adapt. Zoom is now a household word and we communicated as often as possible without having to drive. We saved time and money and sacrificed human contact for safety. Social channels chatter flooded our day. Our reading and writing skills improved as we reflected on what was happening. Perhaps this was a call for creativity and you found your inner writer, artist, gardener or chef?
This was the year to discover hidden talent, recognize vulnerability and unlock potential. We have so much to be grateful for that a virus cannot remove. The innate goodness of humankind triumphs over all.
Elisa Bruno-Midili is an Associate Broker and co-owner of a local, independent, community-focused real estate company www.CafeRealtyNY.com
CRAP happens and information is fluid! COVID is real and we apart now to be together later. This simple set of actions will help to guide you.
CRAP is the Cafe Realty Action Plan for Disaster Relief and Economic Injury Recovery.
What we do in times like these will prove who we are and what we are capable of!
1. Shift your mindset – it will be a long haul, it will be OK. It’s normal and acceptable to feel anxious and stressed. Good tactics and strategy now will help to pull everyone through. Be optimistic.
2. Maintain a good routine – set your mood, attitude and infinite mindset. Get up early, breathe, stretch, block your time. Time for work, education, exercise, time for you, time to share, time to cook/eat, time to laugh.
3. Analyze your business plan – where are you now, how will you move forward, what are your goals, how will they be shifted?
4. Check your systems and tools – do you need to pivot to something new? Re-engineer your process.
5. The market will be different, so determine the language to use. Advise buyers of new opportunities in a buyer’s market. Prepare sellers for new values and pricing.
6. Enhance your emotional connections with your audiences. Offer guidance, offer service, offer items of value.
7. Find humor in everyday activities – necessity is the mother of invention and creativity is intelligence having fun. (Albert Einstein)
8. Take a break – stay connected to the media but don’t overwhelm with news and opinions 24/7. There is a lot of fake news out there. Know the truth, share the facts from reliable sources.
9. Stay educated – time block for business and personal development. Webinars, zoom meetings and Facebook live have made it simple to improve your knowledge base and to stay connected. Education is all around us, increase awareness.
10. Check the messages you post and share on social channels. Does it speak to the real you? It is your life line to the world…your new world. Take this time to manage your profiles. Your target audience will notice who you are, what you do and why you do it. Your message is your voice.
11. Be inspired – listen to music, dance, sing, write, paint, draw, knit, create to release tension through expression. Go inward and self-discover.
12. Stay healthy in Mind | Body | Spirit. Hydrate, eat well, exercise, walk, meditate, do yoga, stretch and get plenty of sleep. Cleanse the air with sage bundles, Palo Santo sticks, essential oils, beeswax candles. Support your immune system with vitamin C rich foods, honey, ginger, green tea, elderberry, mushrooms, echinacea, garlic, licorice, zinc.
13. Reflect on what we have and what we can do for the greater good.
Remember we are human and it’s OK to not be OK sometimes. We will emerge stronger, more resilient, more knowledgeable with courage and determination. Things will not go back to normal because there will be a new normal. PREPARE NOW.
Cafe Realty is a local, independent, community-focused, real estate brokerage. Our company offers personal service, guidance and resources. Our brand stands for people and the communities where we live, work and play.
Elisa Bruno Midili is an industry leader specializing in mindset, new business development and marketing strategies.
914.912.1355 mobile | Elisa@CafeRealtyNY.com
This article was originally written on March 29 and things have changed again! Stay tuned for additional updates.
Re-inventing roles as we embark on week 2 of the executive order to reduce workforce by 100%. This is the second article in the series about the effect of coronavirus on real estate. Updates are coming in fast and furious!
Real estate is not an essential business in New York! To stay safe and healthy and to stop the spread we are staying home and not coming in contact with sellers, buyers or any of our core service providers. Essential related businesses include title services, banking/lending, inspectors, photographers and movers to name a few. We have managed to close some of the transaction already pending in no less than 2 days. Communication and response time being the key element and the willingness on the part of all parties to participate. There are plenty of restrictions and we are abiding by the governor’s mandate.
What happens when the pipeline from the Realtors to our core service providers is dry? How will the essential services survive without our non-essential real estate service?
Time is our only consideration as we cannot determine what timeline this virus will follow. Some optimistically predict May, probability in July, possible to not get resolved until the fall? Will a scientific/medical breakthrough create more positivity in the financial sector? We may have another 4-8 weeks until the curve is flattened. Buckle up buttercup we are in for a bumpy ride but don’t despair, it is a temporary situation with a lasting effect. Business as we know will forever change so mindset must change along with it.
Our vocabulary has increased to include many new words and terms such as pandemic, social distancing, flatten the curve, PPE/personal protection equipment, Zoom, COVID-19, working remotely, essential and non-essential business. And some familiar ones that have resurfaced: distance learning, online learning, fear of the unknown, anxiety, social media, electronic delivery of documents and the ever present wash your hands. Much can be learned from this moment in history when everything seems to be in flux. Take this opportunity to reinvent yourself and your business.
The real estate industry is adapting to the use of electronic delivery of documents and other web related resources. We are sharing and following, liking and giving the thumbs up👍 and a heart ❤ to connect with our audiences. It’s a time not to sell but to serve, to be apart of the community with our physical and emotional support to those in need. We are reliant on the internet and how it is used to keep social distance without social isolation. Show that you care, your voice matters.
The National Association of Realtors and the New York State Association of Realtors have our backs and are advocating on our behalf to support the 1.4 million Realtors in this country, an industry representing 17% of the US economy. Click here to read the article.
Our quest is to realize that while our jobs may be the same after COVID-19, the way we perform them will be different. Embrace this time as precedented because being able to adapt and recognize opportunity is as difficult as trying to understand what just happened. I follow Simon Sinek to keep my mindset in check, here is a recent video of his team meeting called These Are Not Unprecedented Times. We need more leaders to adopt this mindset because leaders are inundated with news, information and sometimes too much noise in the form of opinion and interpretation of information.
Stay connected my friends, Cafe Realty is prepared to update you continuously on our social channels. We have also put up a resource page on our resource site and have all of our featured listings and searches on our regular site. We are conducting remote consultations and have the technology necessary to serve you through this crisis.
Stay safe. Be well.
Elisa
Cafe Realty is a local, independent, community-focused real estate brokerage. Our company offers personal service, guidance and resources. Our brand stands for people and the communities that we live, work and play in.
CONTACT: Elisa Bruno Midili | 914.912.1355 mobile | Elisa@CafeRealtyNY.com
The effect of the coronavirus on real estate has many facets. We are learning to adapt to a new way of doing business. Any disruption will cause change and to be ready, mindset is the first thing to focus on to have a clear focus on how to adapt quickly and effectively. This is the first in a series of articles on what to expect during this time of social distancing.
The ability to interact with people in person is no longer possible, a key in the real estate business. Our greatest asset is to be face to face with people when helping them to sell, buy or invest in real estate. It is our rapport building and emotional connection that fosters a relationship of KNOW | LIKE | TRUST. In person meetings are now suspended indefinitely and we are keeping in touch through phone calls, video chats, texts and social media. Email is the contact method for the communication, transmission and recording of data.
The importance of staying in touch to answer questions, calm fears, reduce anxiety and offer information is what we will do to keep open and clear communication. We cannot predict what will happen but we sure can report the truth and keep clients informed and updated!
The ability to transact business electronically will need to be carefully analyzed and orchestrated. Document transmission has become the norm and we all will need to learn this system if not already doing so. Video conferencing is critical to stay connected with your team, current clients and prospects. Closings in NY will be a challenge and we are prepared to collaborate with attorneys, title companies and lenders to facilitate as best as possible. The Realtor is often the one who coordinates all correspondence and collects all documents for the transaction. This process is one that needs utmost attention now more than ever.
We will not stand idly by during this crisis, we will continue to press onward to further promote the American dream…home-ownership.
Today’s new norm relies on a different perspective, connected devices, excellent time management and a strategy to operate under adverse conditions. As a nonessential business we are under mandate to stop showing homes and conducting open houses. We are compliant however must look to future business to keep us afloat.
The real estate industry has survived through depressions, recessions, crashes and meltdowns. We are tackling something new, different and potentially industry and life changing. We will boldly navigate stormy waters until the high tide raises all boats once again. The journey will take patience, calmness and critical thinking.
Home has a new meaning, it is now your place of business, your personal community, your sanctuary for internal thought, the central nervous system for everyday life.
Stay Safe. Be Well.
Elisa
Cafe Realty is a local, independent, community-focused real estate brokerage. Our company offers personal service, guidance and resources. Our brand stands for people and the communities that we live, work and play in.
CONTACT: Elisa Bruno Midili | 914.912.1355 mobile | Elisa@CafeRealtyNY.com | www.CafeRealtyNY.com/contact
September 12 was Café Realty’s first panel helping consumers navigate through the daunting process of preparing to make a move. We spoke about how preparation is a threefold process, step 1 preparing your mind and establish a detached mindset, step 2 get your financial and legal house in order and step 3 prepare the home.
This event provided resources for all the steps but most importantly addressed the question where do I go from here? Start with an end in mind and find happiness in your next (maybe final?) move. Is it NYC life, over 55 community, upstate cabin life, water view, golf, nearby family, transportation, airport, highway? More social life, recreation, culture, art, music, farms, food? A property with a view? 2 properties…1 north, 1 south? All things to consider since this may be your “forever home”.
During this event I heard this phrase for the first time “orphan elders” and thought…wow that is a reality. Willful seniors hanging on to their homes who have no caregivers or family to handle their affairs. “How can we help people with a problem they may not know they have?”. It takes a team and Cafe Realty has vetted many of the resources necessary as options when making a move.
The feeling in the room was mutual, the topic where do I from here is something that needs attention. There are many decisions that need to be addressed. Assistance from the right professionals is available. Financial planner, elder law attorney, real estate broker, organizer, mover and many more!
For a private consultation and presentation of resources and options contact Elisa Bruno-Midili, 914-230-0650 direct or Elisa@CafeRealtyNY.com.