JtR Goes Retail

The Compass office at the La Costa Resort began as a P.S. Platinum office, and then Julie and her team were there until a few months ago. The Klinge Realty Group is next!

It’s only worth being there if you can find ways to take advantage of the location and opportunity – and I have some ideas. Stay tuned!

We should be up and running there within the next 30 days. Stop in and say hello.

One-Year Anniversary @ Compass

We’ve been at Compass for one year!

How’s it been, and where are we going?

I was the 160th agent hired in the region.  Now there are 565 Compass agents in San Diego County!

In the beginning, we thought that Klinge-Realty-Powered-By-Compass had a nice ring to it, but it proved to be a mouthful, so we changed to the Klinge Realty Group for ease of use.

We’ve hired Brittnie Dixon to be our licensed assistant.  She has been doing a wonderful job with marketing and special projects!

We’ve joined the company’s sponsorship of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, which means you will see Donna and I in the race program this weekend.

We are also contemplating a move to the office at the La Costa Resort.

We have a new website being developed that should launch in the next few weeks.  I was hoping to combine it with bubbleinfo.com but formatting them together is still being explored.  There will be a blog!

Most of all, I’m glad Compass has a strategy to dominate the real estate universe.  It’s not perfect, but at least we have a strategy!  I’ll get into our Coming Soon program in more detail as time goes on, but consider how the entire industry has rushed to Coming Soons as a primary marketing device.

Want a sample of how the public perception has changed about selling homes?

A consumer (not an agent) said this month, “If you don’t sell your home off-market, and have to put it on the MLS, then people think something is wrong with it…..or the price.”

Compass Culture Champions

Going to work at Compass came with expectations of high-tech, big-game, etc. on my part, but underneath it all has been a quiet and humble fit for us among the family of experienced agents who appreciate being on the right team.

All three recipients today (Donna on our behalf) mentioned how it felt like we are in the right place, at the right time with a brokerage who cares.

In one of the most curious things I have ever seen in my career as a realtor, Compass doesn’t award agents based on production. In truth, it kind of bugs me because competition is what drives me.

Instead, what is rewarded is those who champion the culture of being a team player, which is commendable.

You can probably guess that Donna had everything to do with this recognition, and it’s true.  She is the ultimate team player, and deserves to be recognized by the staff of Compass for this honor.  Thank you team!

Doc Film San Diego Premiere!

IT’S OFFICIAL!

The San Diego premiere of Owned, A Tale of Two Americas is scheduled for a matinee showing on Saturday, March 23rd at the La Costa Cinepolis!

The producer, Giorgio Angelini, will be here and we’ll do a Q&A session after the film.  I’m hoping to talk him into bringing an outakes/blooper reel too.  There will also be a reception/party afterwards onsite. Our two daughters, Kayla and Natalie will also attend!

This will be a private event, with no tickets sold.  Seating is limited.

If you’d like to come, email Donna at donna.klinge@compass.com

Here is a link to previous blog posts and the five-year history of the project:

Link to Previous Blog Posts



Here is the trailer:

Gary Thompson, RIP

Yesterday, we celebrated the life of Gary Thompson, the greatest salesman I’ve ever known.  Gary and I worked at ReMax by-the-Sea together for a couple of years, and then he was with us at Klinge Realty for 10+ years.

Gary honed his craft by selling cookware door-to-door back in the 1960s, and became the company’s #1 salesman nationwide.  He trained dozens of others, and his impact was evident – more than 100 people showed up yesterday, and twenty rooms were booked at the Carlsbad Inn by old friends who flew in from across the country to pay their respects.

He started selling real estate for Re/Max in Colorado, and eventually made his way to Carlsbad 20+ years ago.  He joined the local Rotary Club, where he was a very active member, and was an Oceanside Senior Angler – Gary loved to fish!

Locals will remember his toothpicks (his anti-smoking device), and his love for Carlsbad.  He used to walk the beach every day, and was a regular around downtown – you may have seen us having breakfast at Don’s Country Kitchen!  Gary took pride in having sold the proprietor his first house, and he may have ate enough breakfasts there to pay it off!

I loved seeing him at his open houses, where he would be conducting a clinic on salesmanship.  Nobody worked an open house like Gary; because not only did he know the right things to say, but he also delivered them in a way that caused people to appreciate his expertise, and want his help.

Gary was a fan of the blog, and described it being the new-age way to educate clients.  He loved talking real estate with people, and helping them become better consumers – which we agreed is an agent’s primary responsibility.

In our new era of flashy advertising and teams hustling buyers into homes, Gary’s old-fashioned style of caring about his clients will be sorely missed.

Good-bye my friend – we will carry on!

Bubbleinfo 2018

What a year – thanks for being here!

We had twice as many unique users back in the REO days, so I’m glad the 2018 count was fairly steady compared to last year:

2017

2018

Bubbleinfo 2018 blog posts: 974

Bubbleinfo TV JimtheRealtor YouTube videos: 110

Bubbleinfo Plans for 2019:

  • New look for the blog
  • More listings
  • More contests
  • More interviews
  • Documentary-film premiere

I appreciate you being here – stay tuned!

Compass San Diego

Today we attended the soft opening of the new Compass office at 1953 San Elijo Ave., Suite 101 in Cardiff By-the-Sea (next door to Cicciotti’s).  More than 100 Compass agents will occupy both floors eventually (63 now).

Other offices being built include a 22,000sf, ground-level office in One Paseo in Carmel Valley, which will be the central hub for San Diego.  Compass will be the exclusive residential real estate office in One Paseo, and have the valet parking right in front, along with 100 parking spaces.

The downtown Encinitas office on Coast Highway 101 will probably be the next to open early next year, plus there is another 11,000sf office being built out at the Equinox center in La Costa, which will be the new HQ for the Klinge Realty Group.

Compass started in San Diego in January, and we joined in July when there was 160 agents.  By the end of this week, there will be 320 Compass realtors in the San Diego area!

Wow!

Donna and I with our manager Steve Salinas

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