The National Association of Realtors for years has reported that the number one point of client dissatisfaction with their real estate agent is communication.

Clients' dissatisfaction with communication is usually lack of communication or communication that is not timely.

Realtors often feel caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to communication. More and more people expect an immediate call back. Some Realtors set specific hours for call back so they aren’t always interrupting other things that need to get done to answer the phone.

Many people think Realtors spend too much time on the phone. A difficult thing to get away from when clients, like so many people today seem addicted to incessant cell phone activity.

But, these days communication isn’t just about the phone. It’s about text messaging, instant messaging and email as well. More and more clients buying and selling real estate are communication multi-taskers who expect their agents to communicate via their communication channel of choice – an expectation that creates difficulties for some technologically challenged Realtors.

This is one of the strengths of working the real estate business with a team. Each of us can rely on our other team members to fill an immediate communication need if we are busy.

Keeping the communication flowing is not only important, it is a necessity these days with all of the challenges in getting transaction through the escrow process. The escrow process, which use to be a fairly smooth process, is now fraught with daily hiccups due to all the changes happening in the mortgage and real estate industries.

Great communication is one of our primary goals and continual challenges.

There are a lot of hungry real estate agents in Danville and San Ramon – and – I’m not talking about the competition for real estate business in the TriValley area.

Real Estate agents eat, too – and not just at the Realtors Marketing Association meeting on Thursdays in San Ramon which includes breakfast.

Katy’s Korner at 2550 San Ramon Valley Blvd. in San Ramon is an establishment popular with local Realtors. Me? I like Katy’s because I like poached eggs and they know how to poach egg right. They also serve you three for breakfast which is enough to almost get a real estate agent through their afternoon open house.

I was having the Santa Fe Benedict when Ernie DeCoite from Financial Mortgage Bankers walked in with a group of guys. I guess Katy’s is popular with the lending crowd also.

Seems like if you need a home and breakfast, you could accomplish everything with one stop at Katy’s Korner. Give them a try.

Beginning May 12 the cost of mailing a letter (1 oz weight) will increase by a cent to 42 cents. The previous increase was in May 2007, when it increased by two cents. Local Real estate agents tell us business will continue as usual despite this latest increase.

Other increases will be as follows:

• The cost to mail a post card will also go up a penny, to 27 cents
• Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.
• Money Orders up to $500, $1.05, unchanged.
• Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.
• First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.
• First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.

Sources: usps.com & digitaljournal.com