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DID YOU KNOW?
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officially approved spot bitcoin ETFs for the first time. The 11 exchange-traded funds will let old-school investors and bitcoin enthusiasts alike access the world’s biggest cryptocurrency without having to keep a long password for a crypto wallet. The move makes it even easier for your mom to become a crypto bro. (Morning Brew)

DID YOU KNOW? 
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate with conforming loan balances increased to 6.81% from 6.76%, for loans with a 20% down payment. Refinancing loan applications jumped 19% from the previous week, 30% higher than the same week a year ago. Mortgage applications to buy a home rose 6%, still 16% lower than a year ago. (CNBC)
 
DID YOU KNOW?
More POWER needed! Vantage Data Centers plans to use a recent $6.4 billion capital infusion to add more than 3 gigawatts of capacity globally...... enough to power more than 2.5 million homes. Vantage already has 32 data-center campuses on 5 continents. The expansion is in response to growing AI demand from tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, Oracle and Amazon Web Services. The new capacity will cost about $30 billion, including debt. Electricity shortages have surfaced in some of the most desirable locations. (WSJ)
 
DID YOU KNOW?
Most say your prime 'earning years' are in your 40's-50's.....Director Steven Spielberg - age 77 years old - is another example of people continuing to work much later in life, even though they don't need the money. His net worth has more than DOUBLED in the past 8 years. About 26% of people between 65 - 74 are continuing to work, and that number shrinks to about 7.3% for people over 75, according to census data. 

DID YOU KNOW?
Web traffic matters when people try to learn about a brokerage, search for listings and research agents. How does COMPASS compare to other luxury national brokerages? Here are some WEB TRAFFIC numbers of total visits, October - December 2023. (Similarweb)

COMPASS.com: 19.93 million
Coldwellbankerhomes.com: 14.65 million
Sothebyshome.com: 9.23 million
Corcoran.com: 2.35 million
Elliman.com: 1.51 million

 

Seven Seconds

 
Many researchers estimate that people frame their first impression of you within the first 7 seconds upon being introduced to you, mostly in person, but also through other communications...an email, text, ZOOM call, mailing, phone call, etc. Princeton University studied this and suggested it's LESS THAN 7 seconds! Yes, we are that judgemental.
 
What exactly is the message you can convey in the first 7 seconds of your first impression:
1. Engages others?
2. Makes others want to know and listen more?
3. Makes others like/respect you?
 
These insights provide invaluable advice. While I'd love to believe humans would take more time to get to know me better, it's best to be aware of these insights and address them proactively and practically. At first, I was in disbelief, but then my observations confirmed this was indeed true! Most introductions allow you to message LOTS visually; yes, visuals matter and work faster than words, allowing you more 'content'...but remember, everything you say, write, or convey via other visuals - including your personal appearance, mannerisms, tone, choice of words, etc - counts.

Try to remember this 7-second rule with all your communications around first impressions.

One...Two...Three...Four...Five...Six...Seven...that's fast!