Property Management
Real estate agents can get very identified with their personal web sites, and with good reason. While you won"t be up at 2AM changing its diapers, you will be bringing a unique form of marketing into life; one that anyone in the world can see, at anytime, day or night. Even at 2AM.
Wouldn"t it be terrific if you could get together for an hour or so every few weeks with a group of top sales associates from around the country, sales associates who, like you, want to increase their effectiveness in using technology to capture market share? You can, and at no cost to you!
Sometimes to get great search engine placement so consumers can find
Why is IBM, a company traditionally regarded as a business enabler and technology provider of Fortune 500 companies targeting small brokerages and individual Realtors? It all has to do with IBM"s Global Small Business division which believes that Big Blue can leverage its blue-chip bartering power into better technology equipment and connectivity deals for the world"s largest mobile sales force - Realtors.
With Congress in recess, all the housing action in Washington is centering around the Obama administration"s massive relief package for 8 million-plus financially-troubled home owners.
Your web site is finally online. Congratulations! And your webmaster confirms that your site was submitted to the search engines. Excellent. The next day you check a few search engines, and you can"t find your site. A week later, and you are still nowhere. "Something must be wrong!" you exclaim.
Dear Mr. Internet:I"ve had a Web site for several years now but I"m frustrated in trying to make it stand out from allthe thousands of other real estate sites out there --what do you suggest I do?
As important as utilizing a notebook computer is to the real estate professional, it doesn"t solve all of your portable information needs. While it"s easy to take a notebook to an Open House or a listing presentation, it"s just not small enough to carry with you to the supermarket, the monthly Chamber of Commerce meeting or on social events.
If you have a web site, I"ll bet that one of the most common spam (unsolicited) e-mails that you receive is for "guaranteed search engine results". Many, many agents have forwarded me e-mails they"ve received like this over the last few years. Recently it seems like there has been an increase.
[Note: To follow is an excerpt of an interview with Charles A. "Mac" McClure, the 2009 President of the CCIM Institute, and Chairman of the Board of McClure Partners, a full service real estate brokerage and development company. To listen to the show archive or download an MP3, go to www.IncomePropertyInvestmentTalk.com/012809.]
A computer virus dubbed the "Love Bug"" caused havoc with computer systems worldwide on Thursday (5/4/00), shutting down email servers at major companies and penetrating the Pentagon and Britain"s parliament.
If you are a real estate agent with a personal web site, I know you"ve pulled your hair out about search engines. Every time you do a search, you aren"t coming up as well as you want to. Or in every search engine you check, you get different results. Or it seems like some people (competitors!) come up better than you, and you can"t understand why. Or one day you are doing great in a search engine - and then the next day or moment you are nowhere!
When Realtor.com recently announced that its i-LEAD Realtors could purchase school reports
How do you build an online following for your realty business? According to Jim Lee, a Knoxville Realtor with Realty Executives Associates, at least part of the answer lies in maximizing online exposure through multiple sites and listings.
In my never-ending quest to make client web sites found by customers, I deal with dozens of corporations in hundreds of different markets. Each market consists of many different audiences and it is necessary to be highly visible in each one. The hard part is to know where on the Internet those audiences go to find the kind of products and services being offered.
Dear Mr. Internet:As my business grows I seem to have less time to devote to developing and implementing new marketing strategies. Is there some way the Internet can help me with this?
Words on a computer screen look different than on paper, and usually people find it harder to read things on a screen than on paper. (I know several people who even print out their email to read it.) The screen"s resolution is not as good as paper"s, there is sometimes flicker, the font may be smaller, and/or the font may be ugly. Your recipient"s email reader may also impose some constraints upon the formatting of the mail, and may not have the same capabilities as your email software. This means that good email page layout is different from good paper document page layout.
The underlying rules governing email transmission are highly standardized,
LoansDirect is launching its Internet site today with some paradigm-shifting points of difference. The direct lender is the first to launch an online loan center where consumers can obtain a live, custom-rate quote, gain loan approval, and lock-in a guaranteed interest rate and closing costs within minutes - at no cost and with no obligation. An approved loan is immediately processed and can be closed in as little as four days. Not only is Loan Direct boasting the fastest loan application to date - 15 minutes - but the real news is that their business model represents the first loan application offered online with no money required up front by the consumer.
As the first company to offer online listing customization nation-wide, OnlineVisit.com is jockeying for REALTOR® loyalty along with Free Web page and listing aggregators HomeSeekers and HomeAdvisor. The difference is that OnlineVisit.com isn"t offering free Web pages, or asking permission to download your listings from your MLS, - it"s offering free, customizable listing uploads directly to the site. And you don"t have to be a techie to do it.
A new computer virus "Thursday" has been identified that infects Microsoft Word documents and even those who don"t use Word, but attempt to open an infected Word file.
REALTORS® are no longer judged solely on their productivity by consumers.
Once you have a Web site, you can"t just sit back and wait for prospects to
It seems that many Realtors® are at this place regarding their web
Question: A unit owner asked for permission to enclose his carport space like a garage. Is that okay?
If you can"t beat "em, it"s time to join "em. The Internet is fast moving into
Yet another survey has been performed that proves what many of us already
The Zip format for compressing files has been around for so long,
The next time you load software, maybe you"ll profit from my experience of
[Note: To follow is an excerpt of a radio show interview conducted by Peter L. Mosca, host of Income Property Investment Talk dot com, with Jason A. Kotar, President of Kotar Associates, an education and consulting firm focusing on the real estate and home building industries, and the co-author of “Homes Buyers and Mortgages: A Guide to Purchasing Real Estate in Today’s Market.” To listen to the show archive or download an MP3, go to www.IncomePropertyInvestmentTalk.com/120909.]
Oklahoma City real estate expert, Faith Thomason, reports that its good news for the region. She says, "As the rest of the country sees huge declines in home values, the metro is still holding as one of the strongest housing markets in the entire United States. With record low interest rates and local lending institutions lending freely to those who qualify, Oklahoma City should ride out the economic storm beautifully."
When it comes to technology, in life as well as in our real estate business,
Imagine taking every piece of paper that comes to you and just throwing it
As you already know, it"s of critical importance to allow visitors to your Web
When you are considering getting a web site on the Internet,
Capitol Hill has been dominated by time-consuming debates over bailouts and stimulus packages. But one controversial subject that could directly affect hundreds of thousands of home owners appears to be on a fast track to passage.
Technology and the use of "tech toys" only mean one thing. Tools. They are
I have an observation when it comes to what the market leaders in real
When you conduct an open house, is everything neatly in its place? Are the furnishings arranged in an attractive fashion that leads the buyer in an organized path?
Too Many Choices
One of the most beneficial characteristics of browsers is to provide a
Why is it that 85% to 90% of REALTORS® don"t make money from their Web sites?
The National Association of Realtors reported this week that there have been pending home sale gains in the South and Midwest. The other regions saw slight declines.
What is the Year 2000 bug (or, Y2K as we call it in Geek Land) and how does it affect the real estate industry? Is the sky really falling, or is Chicken Little simply pumping up the hype? Should you delay your flight home or take all of your money out of the bank? Will everything come to a stop - or worse - on January 1, 2000?
Internet sites may be reaping better results than industry figures would indicate.
Now you can search the Internet for properties, email your client, and edit your next listing presentation while other family members play games or surf other areas of the Internet...all at the same time.
Strategic planning creates an advantage for you by utilizing the model of attraction marketing. It is a smart way of reaching your goals with the least amount of wasted time. When you are focused on providing value based on consumer needs, people come to you. In the old days, hard work, commitment, effort and self-discipline were taught as the way to produce results. They did, but there was a high physical, emotional and spiritual cost. Burnout usually followed. Glib scripts and manipulative techniques no longer produce results. One-to-one marketing and a relationship based referral business are the 21st century way to connect with prospects.
What keeps you from prospecting regularly? A student in one of my classes once answered that question with “just about everything” and there was a loud laughter of recognition from the rest of the agents in the class. I mean, they said things like laundry or dishes might even come first. If prospecting is something you’d rather not do, then you must not be having fun with it.
As the new president takes office, he"ll be moving into the middle of one of the country"s real estate markets that"s in full throttle recovery.
If you want to pound a nail into a piece of wood, you don"t reach for a pair of pliers. You choose a hammer, which is designed, weighted and balanced to strike the nail and drive it home with a minimum of exertion on your part. If you want to reach more than 50 percent of homebuying consumers, you choose the Web.
Many successful Realtors are already "geographical niche specialists" - i.e. (they "farm"). If you"re ready to take your business to the next level, developing new "niches" just may be the most fun and profitable way to increase your listings and sales. When considering different niches, remember this simple guideline: If you don"t love it, don"t choose it! Once you identify a niche, use your cards, web page, e-mail newsletter, and other advertising to market the fact that you are an expert in this area.
The value of a home is an elusive quantity. As the recent upswing in the market testifies, homes are a commodity that are subject to the laws of supply and demand. Fortunately for the industry, homes are currently very much in demand. But as prices escalate, it becomes more critical than ever that you price your sellers" home as accurately as possible, without going over the top.
Houston real estate expert, Jan Jackson, is reporting that sales fell 16 percent last month, though this was an improvement from November figures.
[Note: To follow is an excerpt of an interview with Anthony J. Buonicore, Chairman and CEO of Buonicore Partners, LLC, publisher of the daily newsletter, Building Energy Performance News and a nationally recognized expert on energy and environmental issues as they impact property. To listen to the show archive or download an MP3, go to www.IncomePropertyInvestmentTalk.com/011409.]
There"s a lot of competition out there for agents. How can you set yourself apart from the crowd so that you are noticed? Take heart, there are some simple things that you can do that will have great impact! Read on.
Being a successful producer in any aspect of life is more than having high production. Production or money or wealth is only one measuring stick. There are many other measures in life: family life; relationships; spouse; children; physical health; spiritual well being; mental state. One who is fulfilled in these ways and is also a financial success has great abundance. I know a lot of people who trade it all for money. Is that really the measure of success? I am far more impressed with people who craft a fabulous lifestyle and are also financially successful. These people share three common traits.
We all want an office in which the phone rings continually with offers of referral business. Does having this type of office sound like a dream? It need not be such a far fetched reality, though it requires diligent work with clients. There are a few key steps to creating a great referral business.
Do less…achieve more. Sounds good doesn"t it? But how in the world could it be possible when you are overwhelmed just trying to keep up? Wouldn"t doing less just get you further behind? After all,you"ve got buyers to do research for, the sellers whose houses haven"t sold wants to know what you are doing and are calling frequently, you got problems with some escrows….and where is that piece of paper you need ?
You wake up with intentions to spend the morning calling past customers and clients. Today you are going to make 25 calls! Then when you get into the office, you have a message about a problem with the inspection of the First Street property you just put into escrow. You begin to make the calls to speak with all the parties involved and a call comes in on one of your listings from a buyer who is only in town today and wants to see it know.
You can put a positive spin on anything, and more often than not, you have
One of the most important time savers when qualifying a prospective buyer is
Many Internet users choose other means besides the large real estate sites
People are bombarded with literally thousand of advertisements and
To achieve success in 1999 people need to learn from 1998, then invest that
As a REALTOR®, you have a terrific promotional tool and more importantly are perceived as an expert in your field. You could have what it takes to be a good speaker, and promote yourself and your business at the same time. Does that sound like a good head start over your competition? If you think so, read on.
The real estate industry is acknowledging the latest trend in demographics - that the Hispanic population of the nation is growing faster than any other ethnic group. With lower interest rates, more affordable housing being built, and other economic factors that favor the first time homebuyer and move-up buyer, the Hispanic customer is becoming increasingly important to the industry.
It"s easy to appeal to the nuclear family who is shopping for a home. Just show them you have community ties to the neighborhood and schools they want to live near, and you are a shoo-in. But is basing your business marketing plan on the nuclear family a good idea? What if you are young and single? Would you be as effective with this demographic as an agent who has a family and knows schools and services related to children?
The Internet is here to stay.
If you have potential sellers who are on the fence about whether to list their homes with you or to stay put and remodel, some startling new figures could help you swing the vote in your favor (and also in theirs!)
What is personal marketing? It is the means by which you get your name, your specialties and your reputation known. It is how you become the go-to expert in your particular sphere of influence.
The tight market in many areas is giving amateurs the impression that they can market and sell their homes more effectively and more cheaply than they can through a REALTOR.
If you are a new agent, it is a great way to jump start your career. If you are a seasoned pro, it is a great way to capitalize on the "equity" of your name and experience.
Editor"s note: The following information is adapted from this week"s script for Realty Times TV. See Realty Times TV every Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time on channel 223 (Dish Network) and on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time on channel 227 (DirecTV).
Homes.com and Realty Times have signed a multi-year agreement designating Homes.com as a preferred distributor of Realty Times" lead generation and customer contact/lead retention products for real estate professionals.
Advanced Access and Realty Times have signed a multiple-year contract in which Advanced Access will become a distributor of Realty Times products and services for real estate professionals.
Blanche Evans, publisher of Agent News and associate editor of Realty Times has been named to REALTOR Magazine"s list of the Top 25 Most Influential People in the real estate industry for 2000.
Blanche Evans, publisher of Agent
Real Times is introducing a service that will make the lives of
Homestore CEO Mike Long has a short-term nasty job with a long-term bright outlook. Sort of like inheriting a money pit of a house, Long was overwhelmed by the mess left behind by former management, but he also has the vision to see what a gem of a company he can build with his remodeling skills.
Another well known MLS vendor is merging into another high-tech Internet
Getting listings to the Internet in a timely fashion is a process with many bottlenecks along the way. The problem often begins with agents who are either stumped by technology or don"t have the right to post their own listings. MLSs compound the problem with outdated technology, or by being too relaxed in their requirements, such as allowing 10 days or more for agents to post new listings. Some MLSs hold listings in batches before forwarding them to national partners. Then, some national partners post listings only during the week or only once a week. One or more bottlenecks means excessive delays for consumers. How successful would online listing services be if consumers knew how outdated the information really is?
There are a lot of delays that keep listings from being timely. Theoretically, real estate licensees are supposed to post their listings to their MLS organizations within 24 hours of getting the listing agreement signed. After that, the MLS is supposed to post the listing data to national listing partners the same day. Therefore, new listings should be online for buyers within 24-48 hours. The trouble is, they aren"t. Between the agent, the MLS and the national listing partners, there is a lot of room for error, and new or updated listings can be delayed by weeks.
In case you haven"t noticed, the listings war is heating up again. Back in the fall/winter of 1998, MLS
The Athens Board of REALTORS® has merged its MLS into the
to a national housing market outlook for 2003 released today by
What will the new year bring for housing and real estate? It"s easy to look at all the negative economic news in the headlines and say - there"s no sign that 2009 is going to be any better than 2008.
The company generated net income from operations totaling a record $584 thousand during the quarter ended September 30, 2002. Similarly, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ("EBITDA") of just under $1.1 million recognized during the nine-months ended September 30, 2002, set another record for the company.
Ozonian was appointed president of REALTOR.com®, the official Internet site of the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), in May 2000. He previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, where he helped revolutionize the real estate sales and relocation industry through the creation of innovative computer systems and software, and the design and implementation of groundbreaking marketing tactics. Among his many accomplishments was the launch of the eCertification program, which trains and certifies real estate professionals to use emerging technologies to better serve online consumers. Prior to Prudential, the MBA graduate from Loyola University served as senior vice president for Coldwell Banker, building its residential real estate and relocation business. He also was associated with Chicago Title from 1977 to 1984 as director of real estate services.
Homestore (Nasdaq: HOMS)
American Home Shield (AHS), a provider of real estate risk management services and a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company (NYSE: SVM), America"s Home Service Company, is pleased to announce Arch Insurance Group (Arch) as the new insurance carrier for its Errors & Omissions (E&O) Liability Program, replacing Fireman"s Fund.
The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF - news), the nation"s leading, diversified provider of business information and related products and services, today announced it has acquired an equity ownership interest in MarketLinx Solutions, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based multiple listing service (MLS) software company.
GMAC Real Estate announced today that it has made an initial
Ken Galpin, President of MarketU Inc. is pleased to report that effective immediately, MarketU Inc. (OTCBB:MKTU) has changed its name to Most Home Corp. (OTCBB:MHME). The name change reflects the company"s recent developments and focus on its core competency of lead generation, lead qualification and lead management technology solutions for the real estate industry. The company"s new products will provide the opportunity for the company to expand its products and services to the entire real estate industry.
Cendant Mobility announced today that it has been named to the 2002 Training Top 100 by Training magazine for its investment in the development of its workforce and its focus on the continued growth and productivity of its employees.
Century 21 Real Estate Corporation announced today that it has aligned with HotJobs.com, a leading Internet recruiting solutions company, to help its franchisees recruit the highest quality real estate and business professionals.
Anybody who"s accumulated a significant amount of real estate, stocks or other assets over the years could be affected by a stalemate playing out on Capitol Hill.
An SEC 13G filing dated February 11, 2002 for Homestore indicates that an investment company has purchased a large number of shares of Homestore stock. The filing included a seemingly innocuous reference to "HotJobs.Com, Ltd".
Stuart Siegel, the original founder of eNeighborhoods, Inc., has
designed to align the company more tightly with its core real estate, builder
On Dec. 21, Nasdaq halted trading of shares in Homestore.com, the operator
Milberg Weiss
The first and still the only
to the company, Shew joined Homestore in 1998 as a comptroller, and was
There are an estimated 11 million real estate investors in the U.S., according to IRS data. However, not all of them chose to be a real estate investor. Some accidentally became investors due to market conditions.
The RELO® network has launched a new initiative that allows RELO®
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has issued an
Jacelyn L. Botti, senior vice president, announced that Jo-Ellen Ashby has
MonsterDaata, Inc.
Interealty Corp. has introduced a comprehensive
Prudential Fox & Roach
An opinion issued today by the National Association of Realtors® Legal
Ultraprise Loan Technologies,
Real estate companies affiliated with the RELO® network produced
FIRETAP Communications, Inc., a leading
today that its flagship site REALTOR.com®, the official site of the National
tour service provider will post listings enhanced with virtual tours on
Can"t wait "til this guy becomes a homeowner.
Foxton’s Real Estate, a leading London provider of real estate services,
Sales of new single-family homes fell to a seasonally
LoopNet, Inc., and
[Note: To follow is an excerpt of an interview with Adrian Arriaga, CCIM, Certified Commercial Investment Member. He’s Broker/Owner of AAA Real Estate & Investments in McClelland, Texas and Jose Luis Pascual, SVP/Director of International Markets and Alternative Delivery Channels and Nathaniel Karp, SVP/Economic Research with BBVA Compass Bank or Banko Bilboa Vizcaya Argenta. To listen to the show archive or download an MP3, go to www.IncomePropertyInvestmentTalk.com/112608.]
The Prudential
Pinnacle Financial Corporation, one of the
National Association of Realtor leaders say that waning consumer confidence
Results of the latest home buyer preference surveys, unveiled at the
The Weichert Family of Companies posted $25 billion in total company volume,
instead of the new virus that is spreading among computers with her name on it.
Realty Plus Online, Inc., provider of CloseYourDeal.com(tm) transaction
NewHomesDirect.com and hotpalm.com are teaming to provide real estate
An iconoclastic Web site with an unprintable URL has published the following internal memo, allegedly sent to about 60 employees at Homebuilder.com. The lay-off date is April 1, 2001.
Due to new scientific data, it has been decided that the three-man RE/MAX team, due to launch a record-setting global circumnavigational balloon ride this week, will be reduced to two men.
Home buyers and investors are making their way south again to the Sunshine State. The third quarter sales statistics demonstrate sales increases across the board with a 5 percent increase in sales for the quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago.
The ads will target the 25 to 54 age group, and will utilize humor and unusual settings, according to creative director David Rea.
The company attributes its success in the local market to providing branch offices with managers who are also underwriters whith the authority to approve home loans locally.
agreement with Hersing Realty, Ltd., one of Singapore’s largest real estate holding companies
Investors looking to diversify their portfolios into land or rental properties -- that are still gaining in market value -- ought to look south of the border.
country on the sixth continent to host the RE/MAX real estate franchise. Two Spaniards, Juan and Ivonne Barrichina are converting their independent office to RE/MAX Isla Margarita on the vacation "mecca" -- Margarita Island, just off the north coast of Venezuela. The official opening is slated for mid-January. The two also expect to open a RE/MAX office by Feb. 1, in Caracas, Venezuela"s capital and largest city, with a population of two million.
On-site staff at Prudential Real Estate Affiliates" Cyber Cafū will work one-on-one with participants, giving them the opportunity to surf the Internet and explore electronic commerce options such as e-mail, virtual home tours and PREA CENTER, Prudential Real Estate"s private extranet site which features business marketing and communication tools. There will also be a special booth presenting Prudential Real Estate"s new eCertified designation, which is exclusively granted to Prudential Real Estate Network members who demonstrate that they are highly trained in technology and prove that they use their skills to create a more efficient and effective real estate transaction for their customers. In addition, top industry vendors, including IPIX, Intel, Microsoft Sidewalk, Top ProduceerIBM and CompUSA, will display their technology and educate attendees on the business application of technology.
It sure looks tempting, doesn"t it. A mortgage rate of 4.00%. You"re just licking your chops over that one, aren"t you? Think of all the money you"d save with a rate like that. Sure, it"s an adjustable rate mortgage, but ARMs have been quite stable over the past few months so why not take the plunge? Because ARMs are going nowhere but up, that"s why.
Q: We purchased our home in May of 2001, and our mortgage was sold approximately three months after closing to a company located in Texas. Here is the scenario each month. We mail our mortgage payment on time. On or after the 16th day of each month, we receive a call advising us that the payment has not yet been received. We are advised to put a stop payment on our check, which costs us approximately $25 each month. Then the Texas lender asks us for permission to debit our account for the amount of the mortgage payment plus a late fee of $60. They then mail me a copy of my stopped check, which clearly indicates that they have had it for at least a week before the 15th of the month.
You know that your credit is good. You certainly make enough money and it"s obvious that you can afford the new mortgage. So why did the lender suggest a "Portfolio" loan when you didn"t qualify for a conventional mortgage? Good question. Why indeed?
Don"t refinance your home mortgage--with all the attendant hassles and closing fees. Instead, “modify” it at minimal cost.
The biggest financial fear about so-called "1031 TIC" real estate investment deals appears to be turning into reality: One of the largest "tenants in common" or "TIC" firms -- with 8,300 individual investors and office and retail properties valued at $2.4 billion -- has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Making good on a pledge from his election campaign, President Bush"s budget for fiscal year 2003 will include $200 million in grants to help would-be home owners with downpayments and closing costs.
The recessionary economy is causing financial stress among a growing
Question: We purchased a home a year ago for $285,000. Since that time, we have invested about $50,000 in remodeling and landscaping. Since rates are so low right now, we decided to retrieve the cash we have put in and obtain a $50,000 home equity line of credit. After we applied for the loan, we were shocked that the lender"s appraisal came in at only $300,000. Luckily, we still qualify for the loan, but we are wondering how a $50,000 cash investment can only increase our home value by $15,000. I think this appraiser ignored all the nice things we did to our house. Any comments?
AGOURA HILLS, CA -- Most mortgage borrowers aren"t loyal to their lender and if their lender sells their loan, lender loyalty takes an even bigger hit.
McGraw-Hill Construction, a part of The McGraw-Hill Companies, in partnership with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Program, released the full update to its 2006 study with 2008 green home building data. The new SmartMarket® Report, The Green Home Builder: Navigating for Success in a Down Economy, covers market opportunities, key triggers and obstacles, and trends in green home building practices from 2001 to 2007, such as the impact of the down market on this sector.
Question: My wife and I are