thelonesgroup

[thelonesgroup]

ISSUE #3 of our new ⭐ADUs and Middle Housing Report⭐ NOW AVAILABLE: A Juicy Middle Housing Q & A on a Middle Housing Listing! PLUS HB 1110 Takes One Step Forward in Edmonds While Other Development Restrictions Linger 👇👇👇👇 https://www.middlehousinghelp.com/newsletters/adus-and-middle-housing-report/posts/June132025

[thelonesgroup]

Get Plugged-In to Your Local Housing Movement

If you are not plugged-in to your local, regional, or national housing information centers, you need to be! In other words, where do you get your information to give to your clients about what is happening in real estate, nationally and regionally?

For example, here in Washington State, we recently passed legislation that increased access for building more middle housing. This is creating a big shift in our housing markets. It matters because our market here has become overpriced - our kids can't afford to buy homes because home prices are so ridiculous - making this one space where it is important to be aware of legislation that is changing your housing market.

I am fortunate, I get to represent both our local and Washington State builders when I go to Washington D.C. later this month. While there I will have the honor of talking to senators and congress members, specifically about housing. This is something I've been building a track towards for years.

It started with going to local council meetings, and saying, "What's not right here in our local market?" Then it developed into me needing to develop relationships with a trade group that had an interest in addressing market issues and I started working with my local builder association, then my state builder association, then I became part of a legislative group, and part of the government affairs group. That is important because, I have an opportunity because I not only have an opportunity to hear what is going on, but an opportunity to speak on these issues too.

This month I'm also going to Spokane, WA, where I'll be meeting with other leaders in the Builders Industry Association of Washington gathering there. The issues that we are dealing with are issues that will ultimately help your clients. Issues like how we can make housing more affordable by looking at how government impacts housing.

For example, government impacts housing by making it more difficult to build, the permitting process takes longer, or rules and restrictions are more complicated, or energy efficiency standards are maybe too widespread in their application or requirement. There is a track for simplifying the housing process through government to make it more affordable. So, that's one huge and important thing I'll be involved in this June.

Another example is Middle housing - and it is here to stay. I have never seen more legislative bills come forward for housing than in the last two years, and 2026 is looking just as busy as your leaders continue their work on solving housing issues. Everybody now sees that housing and affordability are crisis issues. But the point I want to make here is that these national, regional, and local housing groups are the ones driving this change - your own local realtor and builder groups. These are housing groups that care about housing and you should become involved in them.

Get Started Learning Middle Housing

Once a week the ADU and Middle Housing Report provides you with middle housing updates and news throughout Washington State and tackles your questions about middle housing. Join for free

It is important for you as an agent to get plugged-in. Start by going to your local realtor association meetings. Get on their legislative or government affairs committee. Start going to your local city council meetings and become familiar with who is there and start getting involved. Learn what the issues are and don't be afraid to stand up as a local professional and local real estate market expert. You have an important and distinct voice because you are working in the real estate field. Use that voice for the long term benefit of your clients, your market, and your future clients.

This is critical! Do you know that the average age of a first time homebuyer used to be 25 years old? This year, that age is thirty-four! That's a dramatic increase of 9 years because of affordability, not because of a lack of desire. We need to make it possible for our kids, seniors, and buyers who do not have a high-income to afford a place to live.

Get plugged-in! Get involved! I will let you know how things went in Washington D.C. and at BIAW in Spokane when I get back.

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

Have You Boarded the Middle Housing Train?

I know it sounds like I have been harping on middle housing, and you know, I am! Here's why. Today I am in California and what am I doing? I am researching middle housing everywhere in California just like I have in Nevada, in Oregon, and Washington State.

If you are not up-to-date on middle housing, you need to start building your knowledge of what is going on. If not, you are going to be left behind.

You can no longer go to a home and do a traditional comprehensive market analysis. You need to also understand what middle housing solutions may be available for that property. You should know what kinds of costs buyers and sellers may be faced with to build that type of solution. You should be aware of height restrictions in that community. Finally, you need to be able to sit down with a seller and be able to say, "Your house (or land) actually qualifies for middle housing product. Here's what that means for you and because of that we are no longer just selling a home, we're selling a property with investment potential."

In essence, the way that we used to price real estate is changing – and you need to change with it.

I've been spending a lot of time understanding middle housing, what kind of design works in different communities, and how middle housing is built in a way that keeps those communities cohesive. If you are looking for a way to get all of this knowledge in one place, I cover basic knowledge, pricing, marketing, identifying land potential, working with investors, and so much more at our new Middle Housing Resource Center (MiddleHousingHelp.com). If you have a seller, you need to understand these things.

More importantly, if you have a buyer, then middle housing is a fantastic option for buyers. You need to understand the language, law, and how zoning and easements may affect your buyer's options for purchasing a property with middle housing potential.

Get Started Learning Middle Housing

Washington State needs to build an astonishing 1.1 million housing units by 2044 in order to catch up on the housing we have not been able to build over the last 15 years AND plan for our future population growth. After this course, you will have a thorough understanding of the mechanics involved in creating our Housing Supply Gap. You will have talking points and resources for explaining this issue to clients, friends, and family.

We're not going back. We do not have enough housing and I want agents to be at the forefront of understanding how middle housing is one of the vehicles that will help correct our housing shortage. It won't solve availability and affordability problems right away, but the impact of middle housing is already being seen and felt in communities all over.

This train is coming whether you are going to get on it or not and I highly recommend you get on it today and be at the forefront of agents who understand this kind of property.

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

Stressed About Tariffs? Time to Fix Your Focus

I cannot let this week go by without addressing what everybody is seeing in the news and that is tariffs. Although tariffs on Canadian lumber have not increased further at this time, the reality is that the impact of expansive, across-the-board tariffs is starting to be felt both in our economy and on the housing market.

Now tariffs aren't anything new, but the aggressive push for tariffs and the widespread application of them has greatly increased global awareness of them into overdrive and freaked-out some of our financial institutions like the stock market. That means you may have some clients that say, "I can't buy right now, I've lost a lot of money!" They should be very careful how they approach that and remember that stock markets go up-and-down; unless they turn their stocks into money, they haven't truly lost anything yet.

What is Next?

So, what's going to happen next? Some of these tariffs are so high that I think this is a negotiating tool to get us to an overall 10% tariff increase. Regardless, your clients may be worried about tariffs and buying (or building) a home. In response, I'm starting to see the renovation market go up.

This isn't just because of tariffs, it's also because a huge amount of housing product out there - about 40% - is of an age where they need to be renovated. Furthermore, we've created this perfect storm where people don't want to sell their older homes because they have great mortgage rates. Add to that today's tariff wars putting upward pressure on the price of goods and the Federal Reserve isn't going to be lowering rates any time soon. Borrowing costs will remain high and continue to make it harder for mortgage businesses to competitively reduce their own rates. The end result is homeowners sitting on property unless they have a reason they have to move.

The Language of Opportunity

The market is going to be a little interesting. You're going to have some of your clients asking you about whether they should be renovating instead of selling. Watch for that to come your way. Yet, this too will pass, so try to be the calm and reasonable voice in the room and focus on the moment of the market and the opportunities that are out there. Not a lot of sellers? The opportunity is less competition. Not a lot of buyers? That means the opportunity is we can prepare the home right for top dollar and we'll know those buyers are more serious buyers. Interest rates not down enough? Learn to compare the cost of staying against the cost of being somewhere the owner would rather be. Learn how to speak the language of opportunity.

People need to buy and sell real estate every day and you should be positioning yourself to help them solve the problems that are getting in their way.

Learn Middle Housing

Middle housing is causing change throughout our industry. Learn its many forms, how to price, where it can be built, rental value, design, condoization, investment aspects, and much more at the new Middle Housing Resource Center!

One of the challenges that we have with housing, and why I'm so sure this tariff war will settle down soon, is that we don't have the ability to build manufacturing plants as quickly as some people think. It takes years. The other issue is, we already have a severe shortage of labor in new construction. We're not just going to be able to build manufacturing plants and bring our global product manufacturing to life here in the United States in the next year. That puts the pressure back on tariffs to come down again. Yes, we are in this tariff war, but I do think it is a negotiating tactic and that it will settle down.

Keep It Local

So, be aware that this is what some of your clients are seeing and thinking about – and they need you to keep it local. Stop thinking globally. Let the countries worry about the tariffs and focus on your local market and how you can help your clients. Real estate is local and you have clients that need to buy and sell. If all the talk about tariffs is stressing you out, maybe watch the news just a little bit less and focus on navigating your local market.

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

Sellers Who Think They Can Build the Empire State Building on their Property

Sellers usually have an inflated idea of the potential of their property, especially when it comes to price. Couple that with zoning changes brought on by comprehensive plan updates and middle housing initiatives introduced by Washington State House Bill 1110 and what we have are thousands of homeowners who have no idea what their property is worth now, what it may be worth when these changes are implemented locally, but they are sure that the new highest and best use of their property means they can retire and move to the Bahamas.

How do you as a real estate agent navigate these changes? It was bad enough having to discuss price with an unrealistic seller, but it wasn’t too difficult to show a seller where their home fit in with the market. We can easily provide examples of comparable properties that only need a few adjustments to determine a reasonable listing price – perhaps the comparable property had an updated kitchen, and the subject property was on a larger lot. Although our comparable properties over the last few years have been more difficult to come by due to lack of listing inventory, they could still be found. Comparing existing structures to existing structures is something we as real estate agents are comfortable with. Creating a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) for that type of product using tried-and-true methods is not a challenge.

Today's Market Has Changed

Fast-forward to today and we are about to have a much-more-challenging situation on our hands in Washington State. There are 77 cities in Washington that fall under HB 1110’s new definition of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 cities based on population. Depending on the Tier and location, we will have the potential to build duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, or even sixplexes, townhomes, cottages, etc on most residential lots. Of course, there may also be requirements for parking (or not), pervious surface requirements, setbacks, height requirements, and more which will dictate just how much structure can be added to a property, so not all properties will support all those quantities.

However, as a real estate agent, if you are called by a potential seller to list a property, how are you going to approach solving this problem? The property may have a livable structure on it which would appeal to a potential buyer. But what if the property has an older structure on it, it is in an area with many older homes in various stages of repair, and is in an area that is starting to see some redevelopment? How are you even going to start to approach determining value?

What Should You Do?

The key is you will need to provide two different CMAs – a standard CMA for a typical buyer and one that evaluates building potential value based on potential volume – not just square footage, but how many stories will the height limit allow.

We have an entire video in our Middle Housing Resource Center that addresses valuing properties with this type of potential. There are a few resources YOU are going to need at the ready to begin to dive in and we suggest beginning to get those together now:

What cities in your area fall into the HB 1110 umbrella and what tier?

What are those cities doing to implement HB 1110 into their building codes?

What changes are proposed to zoning maps?

When are those changes likely to be implemented?

How can you determine the potential building volume of a property?

The cities and counties in Washington State that are planning under the Growth Management Act are updating their Comprehensive Plans while updating these codes. These changes will be affecting our market, our valuations, our inventory, our housing densities, will provide a wider range of available housing to your buyers and sellers, and agents need to be at the forefront of this information for their local housing industries.

Learn Middle Housing

Middle housing is causing change throughout our industry. Learn its many forms, how to price, where it can be built, rental value, design, condoization, investment aspects, and much more at the new Middle Housing Resource Center!

A Challenge... and an Opportunity

These new changes will be challenging you as real estate agents, but this is absolutely an opportunity for real estate agents who know the information and can explain how a property’s potential will affect price.

Unless you are representing a seller with a property in a populous downtown area with no building height requirement, you won’t likely have a seller with a property that can house the equivalent of the Empire State Building. However, you will need to have pricing tools at the ready to address a sellers’ lofty pricing goals based on their perceived property’s potential.

Get ready. Change is coming.

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

Tariffs, Real Estate, and You

Tariffs are back in the public consciousness in a big way since our newly elected President Trump has begun using them to drive policy. For my longtime viewers, you know I am not for the left- politician or the right- politician. I am for smart government decision making. However, today I am leaving politics off the table and I just want to focus on tariffs, how they affect the housing market, and a timeline for how quickly they may impact home buyers.

So, I first want to explain why we should be concerned about tariffs in the housing industry. The reality is that the four "Big L's" that affect everything to do with housing are Lumber, Labor, Lending, and Land - and anytime one of those are impacted in any way, we have to pay attention to how that will affect housing.

As we know, there was a recent 25% tariff put on Canadian lumber. Then, shortly later, that tariff was postponed from going into effect for a month. The reason why this tariff is so problematic in certain states is because certain states like Washington, Oregon, and other states bordering Canada, rely on Canadian lumber to build homes. About 30% of the lumber that the United States consumes each year comes from Canada. So, we don't want a twenty-five percent tariff on lumber and for the moment we can breathe a sign of relief that there isn't one.

The minute that Lumber category is affected by tariffs, that will be a big issue for our real estate industry. Now we've also seen tariffs put on steel and aluminum this week (effective February 10th). These are also important imports that affect construction, but they do not affect residential construction on the scale of lumber.

Let's talk about timing and imagine a tariff on lumber were to go into effect in 30 days. It takes time for that tariff to trickle down to the end product market where home buyers are impacted. In reality, it will probably take about a year to impact the consumer part of the housing market. This is because it takes 7- to 12-months to get a home built, because homes being built now are being built with lumber that is already purchased. Add to that the time it takes to develop land and create infrastructure. Now, for builds that have gone through the development process, that time is going to be shortened before it hits the consumer.

Tariffs are just one of many issues shaping the real estate market in 2025. Get the full picture of threats and opportunities to your real estate business, carefully researched predictions, and powerful talking points for your clients, by watching this year's State of the Market presentation! Don't be caught reacting to this year's market - get the knowledge to plan for it! Get Access Now

However, the reality is that we don't want tariffs on Canadian lumber, we don't want tariffs on steel, we don't want tariffs on construction materials because we already have a pricing affordability crisis and cannot afford the homes that we have already. The cost of building has gone up as the cost of materials, lending, land, and labor have all gone up. Between the labor shortage, land shortages in places, and challenges in lending due to the cost of money today – all these things push our home prices up and make it harder for regular families to afford housing.

So, when you hear talk of tariffs, just understand that they ultimately will end up on the final price tag of any house that uses the product that has its cost increased by the tariff.

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

A Conversation with John Wilson, King County Assessor

This week, instead of my usual Zebra Report, I'd like to share with you an important interview that I recently held with Washington State King County Assessor, and long-time friend, John Wilson. John and I go back many, many years and I've had the honor of getting to know him and witnessing the work that he has done.

Here in the State of Washington right now we are experiencing a crisis in housing. We have never before seen the challenges that we are seeing today. Homelessness has been on the rise, safety in our cities has declined, we don't have enough housing, and we need to make sure that people who are underserved are being taken care of. Today, John and I will be discussing the work he has been doing and some of the issues that face our state like economic homelessness, rent control, tax exemptions, commercial real estate, and more.

Now, I've said this many times, but I'll say it again. I don't care which political party someone supports, what I support is smart decision making in government. And John has made some very smart decisions over the years. I have watched him develop programs to modernize the Department of Assessments, to create tools for taxpayer transparency that allow residents to see the real dollar impacts of what their taxes are doing. Closest to my own heart, I've seen him more than double our state's Senior Property Tax Exemption from $40k to $84k. That lets real money stay in seniors' hands, allowing them to stay in their homes without being taxed out of them once their income becomes fixed.

John has spoken at past events that I have held, like our Real Estate Success Summit in years past. Every time I have reached out to him about anything, he has been the first person to respond with, "“What do you need? I am here to help," and I love that. John gets himself into the community, that's just the kind of person that he is and I think that this is really important for anyone in government.

This interview with John was held for members of our Club Zebra subscription, but I think the information here is just too important for the public good to be kept behind our paywall. I really want you to carefully listen to this discussion and John's thoughtful approach.

In Club Zebra we cover a lot of incredible training content drawn from my decades of experience in the field and as a coach, including interviews with other industry leaders, mailing content, tools and templates, checklists and letters, and so many other things. I encourage you to become a member and try it out for a month.

Join Club Zebra

Elect John Wilson

If you would like to support John Wilson's incredible work and see more of it, make a donation to https://electjohnwilson.com for his campaign to become the next King County Executive.

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

You Need an Edge

I get asked this same question every year, "Denise, why are you so passionate about doing an entire analysis of everything: real estate, housing legislation, new construction, jobs, transportation, migration, infrastructure, and more?"

The answer is simple. When you know more, you are able to share more. When you are educated about things related to our occupation - and real estate affects and is affected by nearly everything - you have an edge. That's why I do it.

I do it so you and my clients can have an edge over the competition and serve your clients better.

I'll give you a couple great examples.

Residential Resale

There's a lot going on in residential resale real estate right now. A lot! A lot is going on with compensation in this market segment, inventory shifts, and big businesses that want to cut-in on traditional real estate agents for a piece of the market-pie. So, what I like to do is a real deep-dive and research where those threats really are happening and what kinds of opportunities might they be creating? When you take the time to get in touch with your market, tracking listings, weekly pendings, and stopping by the permitting office every couple months to see what new inventory and changes are happening, you will be ahead of the game.

Housing Legislation

Housing legislation is also a huge one. You need to be in the know about what is happening because once you know about what's going on it allows you to prepare. For example, here in the State of Washington, I knew that legislators were realizing they had to do something about the lack of inventory and that housing is too expensive. I knew there was going to be a house bill that would allow us to build ADU/DADUs. I saw it coming. That gave me an edge and it allowed me to teach my clients about it. That meant my coaching clients had an edge when they went on a listing presentation, they could talk about it too. It meant I could help them get certified on doing a market analysis on property potential with this as a factor.

Inventory Trends

Knowing what's going on around your industry gives you a crystal ball into what is in the future. Market knowledge helps you to foresee where the market trends are and where they are going. For example, different types of inventory that used to perform really well (or not so well) are starting to shift. If you know what that shift is and where it is happening in your market, you have an edge over your competition and will be better positioned as an agent when you are listing those properties.

Honing Your Edge

Every year I do my State of the Market presentation. Agents who attend know more and are better prepared. They are able to take that information, apply it to their business, and be ahead of the game.

REGISTER NOW

I want everybody to have the best 2025 possible and that means that I hope you will take the time to develop your edge. Build your business knowledge. Learn what is happening at your town halls and in your local legislature. Find out what's being built and planned for in your area at your local permitting office.

And - if you need help catching up on this year's market and want the insight of someone who has been studying markets both here and all over our country for decades, from someone who is active in government and has the inside scoop on upcoming legislation, then come to my State of the Market. Registration closes this Tuesday the 21st at 4 PM Pacific and showtime is Wednesday the 22nd from 9 AM to Noon. You will not regret coming and your business will be better for it. See you there!

REGISTER ONLINE

REGISTER BY PHONE 360-527-8904

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

🌟 Hey! The Lones Group is now on Blue Sky too. https://bsky.app/profile/thelonesgroup.com See you there 🦓

[thelonesgroup]

A Different Perspective on Business Planning for 2025

It is the beginning of 2025! Hopefully, you have done some business planning and have some things you want to achieve by the end of the year. Most real estate agents focus their business plans on some sort of growth - growth in transactions, growth in commission dollars, and growth in the amount of free time they have due to more-efficient processes.

However, when was the last time you focused on quality and your "why"? It is natural to want more, but sometimes having more in one area means having less in another. This is especially true when we are just focused on growth without taking care to think about what type of growth we want.

Tick Tick...

Each one of us has a ticking clock that represents the amount of time we have left in the business. If we are in our 20s and have a full career ahead of us, that might be 30-40 years and it is time to get our processes in line from the start. However, if you are in your 50s, the time left on your career might be measured in weeks. Planning on retiring in 5 years? You have 260 weeks left. 10 years? Just over 500 weeks.

January 1st was just a little over a week ago. Can you believe how fast that week went? What if you only have 260 of those left? 5 years sounds like a long time, but it really isn't. Think about a year ago. How long ago does that seem?

I use this little shock exercise to get the point across that you have a finite amount of time to get your business right. It is so easy to get distracted from the big picture. Our transactions, continuing education, new laws and regulations, doing our laundry, following social media, and more all suck our energy away from where we really should be spending our time.

Your True Core

Each one of us has a true core of our business, the point at which our passion intersects with our talents and knowledge.

You Don't Have to Do It Alone Get closer to your core faster and have a professional run your campaigns for you! Don't have the time to manage a marketing campaign on your own? Need it to work right from the start? We can help! Let's Talk

Think about your business right now. How close are you to your core? If your core is over there, but your business is over here, then your focus on 2025 shouldn't be to just grow haphazardly - it should be to help you grow to get closer to your core.

What will it take for you to grow closer to your core this year? Additional education? Better connections with people in that vertical? A solid lead generation method to connect with potential clients? An additional layer to your lead generation plan that targets your market? A connection strategy?

I'm giving you a wake-up call: Unless you take action to get closer to your core, you could very well get to the end of your career unhappy and unsatisfied because you missed your calling.

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

We approach the end of the year with a grateful heart for our Club Zebra members and clients that trust us with their branding, coaching, mailing campaigns, and so much more. We hope that each of you have built new strengths this year, grown from experience, and found new successes in real estate. This holiday our wish is for you to find moments for balance and peace, for joy and company among friends, for both rest and anticipation of a successful new year. We look forward to sharing that journey with you throughout 2025 and beyond. Have a success to share that we helped with or a word for our staff? Share your story with us below.

[thelonesgroup]

2025 State of the Market Preview

Today I'm really excited because I get to talk about some more details about my upcoming 2025 State of the Market event, which takes place online this coming January 22 from 9:00 AM to noon. You've got to be there! Let me tell you why this year is so important.

At my 2023 State of the Market, we had never seen so many housing bills proposed in the legislature, but this year we have even more headed our way. I've never seen so many passed and so many new housing bills presented at the state level over the last few years. Our state – and many others – are finally recognizing the we are in the middle of a housing crisis and things we never thought would happen are now occurring.

For example, the mayor of a city close to me, Bellingham, just passed an interim ordinance to eliminate some parking requirements in new construction, because it's hard to build when there are too many parking restrictions. We need more housing. Cities and counties are faced with these needs and the result will be changes that we see over the next few years. We are going to be talking about resale, new construction, and middle-housing.

For the last year I have had the opportunity to work at the local, regional, and state level in legislative affairs around Washington State's housing industry. Boy, do I have the inside scoop for you this year!

What's ahead for mortgage rates and what can impact them?

Four policies that the Trump administration may enact that will impact the housing market. Will it be in a positive way? A negative way? You'll need to come and find out.

Whether resale prices are going to continue to rise or if we will see a correction ahead. And they have been rising even in an interest rate driven market that doubled in just under a year. We have really seen interest rates go up, but that hasn't resulted in prices going down. We'll be talking about what's going to happen with that across our economy and how it affects housing.

How generational needs will impact your future business. There are some things every agent should know about generational shifts, attitudes, and buying power are definitely going to impact our industry over the coming years and you need to be ready!

And finally, I'll be discussing ten innovations and trends that could provide opportunities for agents that are in-the-know. This is information that has the potential to transform your business over the coming years and position you to be at the forefront of your market.

Join us, January 22nd from 9:00 AM to noon for this incredible online event. Just go to our website and you can register there or give us a call at our office at 360-527-8904 and make sure you save the date because this is going to be an epic State of the Market.

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

Enjoy the 2025 State of the Market in the company of your fellow professionals! This is an awesome way to get more out of this year's online event. We support State of the Market watch parties for groups of 10 or more with a 30% discount on event tickets, and Washington brokers can still receive CE credit. Contact us today and learn how at solutions@thelonesgroup.com!

[thelonesgroup]

It's Real Estate Business Planning Season

This time of year, I can hear the rustle of new business planners, the click of gel pens getting ready to jot down long to-do lists, and the mouse clicks of shoppers on Amazon finding new organization systems.

Planning for a new year is exciting! Essentially, we get to wipe the slate clean and begin again - for agents who didn't have a great 2024, this is a welcome thought.

But I have another perspective to consider - the real estate agent who needs to do a minimum of business planning every year. Why? Because they have their systems dialed in. While they may need to tweak their systems and processes as their business goes on, they don't have this need to reinvent the wheel every 12 months because their systems work.

Why don't most agents commit to their systems? There are two big reasons:

They don't have faith that their systems are working.

Agents are naturally predisposed to FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out. They see things that other agents are doing that they perceive as easier or cheaper ways to do business, and they move their boat before they even determine whether there are fish in the water.

Here is the Hard Truth

The truth is, 99% of the real estate agents who are not where they should be in their careers and who are preparing to do a lot of writing in their 2025 business planners can point to the two points above as a strong cause.

When I was a top-producing agent (remember, I was closing more than 100 transactions per year), I didn't do a lot of business planning - I did one-time planning and then employed a set-it-and-forget-it mindset.

Wouldn't that be a relief to have systems that you can rely on like that in your business?

If so, I invite you to do a little business planning exercise that has you focus on your campaigns only.

Download our Free Campaign Planner

Campaign Power

Your campaigns are the lifeblood of your business. If you did little else but run your campaigns effectively each month, I could almost guarantee that you would have a steady stream of business for each and every year to come. Of course, I can't make interest rates come down or make sure that the economy stays on track, but remember, my campaigns delivered when interest rates were sky-high and during the tech recession in the 90s. They also delivered when I was no longer even actively selling real estate and was just sending out referrals (these campaigns provided a six-figure referral income for five years).

I have talked about the power of campaigns many times, but for those of you who need a refresher, here are the four campaigns that I recommend every agent run. Get these up and running and these may truly be all you need to do to maintain a healthy business.

Your Database Campaign

Your database consists of your current, past, and potential clients, sphere, vendors, connections, and everyone who needs to hear from you on a regular basis. You should strive to earn 36 points per year per person in your database using my following 36 Point System formula:

Email - 1 pt

Social Media - 1 pt

ENewsletter - 1 pt

Text - 1 pt

Phone -3 pts

Branded Mail - 3 pts

Live Meeting - 6 pts

Zoom Meeting - 6 pts

Custom Report - 6 pts

Custom Research - 6 pts

To develop your campaign, just choose the activity you want to do each month and then note the number of points and arrange until you reach 36 points per year.

I kept this campaign easy, earning my 36 points by sending a newsletter each month. However, this newsletter needs to have content relevant to their area (a general area such as a county or regional area is fine), stats, and your voice. General "what's your home value" cards do not earn 3 points! Those are so general that they only earn one point. These need to provide good and relevant content.

Getting your database campaign up and running is important as it is the core campaign upon which your Past Client and Potential Clients are built.

Past Clients Campaign

Your past clients will already be receiving your Database campaign, but they need something personal and special from you. It could be something like a custom property report, a one-on-one consultation, or a live visit via a client appreciation event of some sort. You can earn as little as 6 additional points per past client or up to 16.

Watch at Club Zebra

Potential Clients Campaign

Your active potential clients will hear from you on a regular basis, but what about those further away from a purchase or list? I recommend simply creating a campaign in which you follow up with custom research based on their particular situation every two months. That earns 36 points plus the 36 points already earned with the Database campaign.

Lead Generation Campaign

Not every agent needs a lead generation campaign. After all, if you are getting plenty of business from your database and referrals, you can forgo this. However, most agents prefer to be doing some type of lead generation for extra security.

If you are doing some sort of lead generation, the goal is to earn 36 points per year with the new leads. That may mean you meet someone at an open house that goes into your database or it may mean that you are running a campaign for a geographical farm area and earn 36 points via a specific neighborhood campaign, perhaps mail mixed with live classes or events.

Watch at Club Zebra

Put it to Work!

Campaigns work, but only if you work them consistently - for the rest of your real estate career. They work!

This time next year, if you are working your campaigns as planned, you may find yourself with extra time on your hands! Not having to worry about business planning regarding your follow-up means extra time for friends and family…or even some down time at the spa!

You Don't Have to Do It Alone

Ready to surrender and have a professional run your campaigns? Don't have the time to manage it on your own? Need it to work right from the start? We can help!

Let's Talk

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

We are thankful to you, our wonderful readers, incredible clients, and professionals everywhere who make our real estate industry and what we do so amazing. Thank you!

[thelonesgroup]

The Most Important Trait Real Estate Agents Need to Succeed

The single most important trait a real estate agent has to master isn't great selling skills, it's not being able to show a house, and it's not being able to do a great listing presentation. Don't get me wrong, all these things are useful skills that will improve your business. The single most important trait is personal self-discipline.

We get in our own way, preventing our own business from growing. We don't have systems that are working because we are missing the personal self-discipline to create them, engage with them, delegate them, and more.

Personal self-discipline is something I had to learn how to master 30 years ago and what I did - as many of you that regularly listen to me already know - is I started my daily Hour of Power. I do it first thing, every day, because I know that's the best time for me to not be interrupted. I do this because it helps me to make sure that the systems that I have and want in my business actually get executed and implemented.

The biggest problem agents have is a lack of consistency and this too starts with personal self-discipline. You must have the personal self-discipline to:

Make sure you are staying top-of-mind with your past clients.

Doing your geographical farming (or other marketing) even when it's not sprouting dollar bills.

Show up to work each day for yourself and your business.

Self-discipline can be hard when the business of the business is keeping you busy. Meaning, the phone rings and you are the fire fighter. You are off and running, “OK, I gotta put that fire out!” While you are out there fighting fires, it's the things that you neglect that require discipline. That means that you have a system and you follow it on a regular basis - whether you are fighting fires or not.

For many real estate professionals, that means having some kind of accountability in place. No, not the “I need a paycheck accountability.” By the time that accountability rears its ugly head it is getting too late! This is a business that can be pretty lonely. Most agents don't have someone that keeps them accountable - an accountability partner, a coach, a managing broker, a spouse. If you're in that boat without a partner, that means that if your business is suffering and isn't successful, then chances are you are not doing those things that you need to do to produce success and there is something that you are neglecting.

How do you do it? First, figure out what are those tasks that require personal self-discipline. For me those tasks include past client care, making sure I'm doing great with my current clients, and all that follow-up with people who are on my radar, my future clients. Set aside a regular time every day where you can consistently focus on those tasks for a limited period of time. For me that's my Hour of Power in the morning. Then do it. Set an alarm. Put it on your calendar. Build the habit of tackling that essential part of your business each day.

Essential knowledge for all real estate agents! Including predictions by industry expert Denise Lones and insights into: changing inventory • buyer demand • city comprehensive plans to watch • elections impact • upcoming housing legislation • mortgage rates • rental market trends • second home markets • generational housing • updated middle-housing strategies • opportunities for agents and brokers • and MUCH MORE! Plus 3.0 CE for Washington State attendees!

REGISTER NOW

By Denise Lones CSP, CMP, M.I.R.M. The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones has over three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development and more, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[thelonesgroup]

We need your help - The Whatcom Housing Alliance put out the call for Middle Housing Designs and we delivered! Our housing concept focuses on housing for seniors - cottage communities and townhome communities equipped with...elevators! Please click the link below and vote for your favorite. All 18 submitted concepts are included - ours are the Maple Glen Cottages, Cedarwood Village Townhomes, and the Cypress Crossing Cottages. Thank you for taking a moment to check out the incredible middle housing design-work being done and sharing your vote. https://whatcomhousingalliance.org/middle-housing-design-competition-voting/