WELCOME

Hello! Oh, my stars and stripes, I am so glad to be back home for a minute. I have been on more planes than a Delta pilot these past few weeks. I’ve been crisscrossing the country, meeting folks, speaking at events, and probably earning enough SkyMiles to get myself a free Diet Coke and a bag of peanuts. But there is nothing like sliding back into my own kitchen and feeling that warm Georgia sunshine through my windows. Home just hits different, you know?

Today, we’re talking about something that we should all feel in our bones. That’s the difference between what you see online and what’s actually going on in real life. Zillow will show clients square footage, bedroom counts, and that one photo angle that makes the backyard look like Versailles when in reality it’s closer to “a scrubby patch of grass where the dog might pee.” But we’re the ones who know the truth. We know why one street in the same neighborhood sells like hotcakes, while another lingers. We know the builder’s reputation, the HOA’s energy, and the neighbor with the rooster who crows at 4:45 AM.

There is what’s on paper… and then there’s what’s really happening. And today, we’re going to talk about why that difference matters to your clients.

@glenndabaker

Let’s face it @Zillow is the @Tinder of house shopping. You can’t believe what you see or read on either! #GlenndaBaker #RealEstate #Atlan… See more

GLENNDA X TURBOTENANT

Now y’all know I love a good system that makes life faster and easier. TurboTenant is absolutely giving that energy. We are officially in the thick of leasing’s high season, where renters are scrolling, comparing, and making decisions. If you’ve got a property sitting empty during this window, that is money walking right out your front door.

Marketing is where it all starts. I’m talking the top of the funnel, the first impression, the “come look at me, I’m real pretty” moment. My friends at TurboTenant make that moment happen in under 10 minutes. Yes, ma’am. You build your listing once, and they push it out to all the heavy-hitting rental sites, like Apartments.com, Redfin, Craigslist, you name it. And they do it for free! Unlimited listings, zero fees. No gatekeeping, just eyeballs on your property.

Here’s the secret a lot of new investors miss: it’s not just about getting any leads. It’s about getting the right leads. Over 50% of renters now start their home search online, so showing up well in that digital space matters. I’m talking about a clear description, photos that stop the scroll, and the right platform exposure. I’m talking about the difference between attracting a dream tenant who waters the hydrangea bushes and pays early every month… and someone who treats your home like a double-dog dare.

So if y’all need help crafting that perfect listing, TurboTenant even has AI tools that’ll help you write it so it sounds polished, inviting, and professional. You want your property leased fast, leased smoothly, and leased to someone who respects your investment? This is how we do it.

STORYTIME WITH GLENNDA

They Hate Us Because They Ain’t Us

Let’s have a talk about Zillow, because I see an awful lot of very smart people doing something that makes me want to gently (but firmly) slap that phone right out of their hands. Listen, I love that buyers are researching, especially if that’s what gets them off the fence about buying. I want them to look. We want them to look. We want them to compare. We want them to send us screenshots at 11:47 PM of listings with captions like, “Thoughts????” That’s all part of the excitement.

But somewhere along the line, folks started acting as if Zillow could replace the real estate agent. Now that is like saying because they Googled their symptoms, they don’t need the doctor anymore. Let’s be clear: Zillow has information. We have interpretation.

Those are not the same thing.

Zillow can tell buyers square footage, bedroom count, year built, tax data. Wonderful. Very thorough. However, Zillow does not know that the house at 123 Banana Street and the house at 126 Banana Street, even though they are the same model with the same layout and the same elevation, are living two very different lives. Zillow sees them as identical. I see that one backs up to quiet woods where the buyers will sip coffee in peace, and the other backs directly up to 285, where the lullaby is eighteen-wheelers downshifting at 2 A.M.

Zillow thinks those are the same house. Meanwhile, I am thinking: No ma’am, no sir, not even close.

This is where nuance matters, and we understand nuance in spades. A cul-de-sac means everything to a young family with kids who play outside; it means very little to the empty nesters who are just happy to not be shoveling mulch anymore. Zillow doesn’t know anyone’s stage of life, their daily rhythms, their must-haves, their “I can’t live with that,” or their “I didn’t even realize this mattered to me until I saw it.” But we do because we listen and dissect.

Now let me share a story, because this is where it gets good. I had a couple recently who crossed a house off the list because the photos were bad and the staging was downright terrible. They said, “Glennda, we just don’t think it’s going to work for us.” And I said, “We are going to see it anyway.” They didn’t want to waste time, but I knew that house. Plus, we had the serendipity of another plan falling through. I knew what was true about the home they’d written off because of what they’d seen on paper.

The moment we stepped inside, the husband just stood there, mouth open. I started going through their wish list right there in the living room, and item after item lined up perfectly. They are now under contract for $2.2 million on a home they very nearly rejected because Zillow told them a story that wasn’t accurate.

Here’s what Zillow will never understand, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Zillow does not know the emotional or situational context of a sale. I walk into a house, and I can tell within thirty seconds whether it’s a divorce, a relocation, or a “this was the final straw and somebody just wants out” situation. Zillow is not checking county divorce filings like I do. Zillow is not noticing that the husband’s clothes are in the basement and the wife’s clothes are still in the primary bedroom. Zillow does not see overgrown grass and think, That’s not deferred maintenance; that’s upheaval.

But I see it. We see it. And that insider info matters when we negotiate.

Buyers can absolutely begin their search online. Search engines can be great tools. But buying a home is not just a transaction. It is about choosing how they are going to live. It is choosing morning light over road noise. It is choosing whether they’re buying something that will feel good today and sell well in five years. And no website can do that for our clients.

That is why they need us.

glenndabaker

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GLENNDAISM

Today’s Words of Wisdom

GLENNDA BAKER & ASSOCIATES

An Absolute Gem

Now let me tell y’all why this home is special. Indian Hills is already one of East Cobb’s crown jewels, but this one right here at 1164 Fairfield Drive in Marietta, GA? This place is such a gem that if she’d have been in the Louvre, she’d have been stolen!

This home has got that rare blend of classic character and thoughtful updates that just make living easy. You’ve got those rich hardwoods that say “welcome home” and a kitchen that flows like it actually understands how people live. This backyard begs for Sunday cookouts and gossip. The renovated primary suite feels like you just checked into a boutique hotel, and the bonus room gives you space to dream. What do you need? An office, a playroom, a teen lounge? We’ve got you covered. And being zoned for Walton and Dickerson is the cherry on top. This isn’t just a house; it’s the lifestyle people move to East Cobb for.