Array

Going 'green' boosts bottom line

By Bernice Ross, Monday, April 20, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/sbrown/369256816/" target=blank>SimonBrown</a>.

Would you like to help your clients save money and "go green" at the same time? If so, today's column will show you how.

Karen Storey of EcoGreenRE.com is a co-author and trainer for the National Association of Realtors' green designation. Storey recently spoke at the AFIRE (Awesome Females in Real Estate) conference and shared a wealth of ways to improve your bottom line by going green. more...

Zap negativity, tap distribution

By Bernice Ross, Sunday, April 12, 2009.

Need help building your online business? Check out what real estate's leading women had to share at the recent AFIRE (Awesome Females in Real Estate) conference in Savannah, Ga.

1. Distribution trumps destination
Jennifer Anderson of Point2Agent explained how "distribution trumps destination." In other words, it is more important to have your listings appear on multiple sites rather than two or three sites with high traffic. Since consumers search on multiple Web portals, it's imperative that your listings appear in as many places as possible more...

Tech tips from women in real estate

By Bernice Ross, Monday, April 6, 2009.

Technology was the hot topic at the recent AFIRE (Awesome Females in Real Estate) conference held in Savannah, Ga. Here's what some of real estate's most talented women had to say that can help you build your online business.

1. Coordinate your Web marketing with your other marketing efforts
Deborah Falcone of the Wall Street Journal explained the importance of using print publications to reach local as well as national and international audiences. While the print version of the Journal reaches fewer than 2 million readers, the Web version of the Journal reaches 35.4 million readers. more...

Beating the recession

By Bernice Ross, Monday, March 30, 2009.

Is your real estate business suffering from too many expenses and a lack of closed sales? If so, today's column gives you four ways to put your business back on track no matter what the market does.

1. Invest in training and education
The number one mistake that both agents and companies make in a slowing market is to cut back on their training and education budgets. When money is tight, it's easy to justify diverting funds to other areas. The agents and companies who are currently investing in training are picking up market share now and will be well positioned to dominate players as the market improves. more...

Commission rates up, but agents earn less

By Bernice Ross, Sunday, March 29, 2009.

Are commissions going up or are they going down? New data from America's top real estate firms holds some interesting answers to this often-contentious debate.

Recently there has been a spirited debate among Inman News readers about the future of agent compensation. What few people are discussing, however, is a pattern that has been consistent for the 30-plus years I have been in the business. Commission rates are primarily contingent upon whether an area is experiencing a buyer's or seller's market. more...

Keep your eyes on the prize

By Bernice Ross, Monday, March 23, 2009.

Flickr image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumaxart/2136953043/in/set-72157603545124242/" target=blank>lumaxart</a>.

Making eye contact with your clients is a good thing -- right? Not necessarily. As the U.S. continues to attract more global customers, it's important to know when to look your client in the eye and when to look the other way.

American culture places a high value on looking people in the eye, provided you were born prior to 1965. Individuals who fail to look you in the eye can't be trusted. On the other hand, Gen X (born 1965-1976), due to high computer use and a reliance on text messaging, almost never looks other individuals in the eye. more...

Protecting your online reputation

By Bernice Ross, Monday, March 16, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laszlo-photo/133014799/" target=blank>laszlo-photo</a>.

Like it or not, you have a reputation as a real estate professional both online and offline. Are you taking the necessary steps to protect that reputation?

The majority of real estate agents have an e-mail account and a Web site. A much smaller number are actively engaged in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and/or MySpace. An even smaller number are blogging. Given that the median age of today's Realtor is over 50, it's not surprising that a vast majority don't understand why participating in these sites is good for their business. Their attitude is, "Why should I care that you are on your fourth cup of coffee today?" more...

Cashing in on FSBOs

By Bernice Ross, Monday, March 9, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetruthabout/2669562570/">TheTruthAbout...</a>.

In today's market, expired listings and distressed properties seem to dominate the scene. Nevertheless, there's another source of right-now business that you can't afford to miss: for-sale-by-owners (FSBOs).

I was chatting with Curtis Fenn of RedX about what is working with their customers in today's market. Fenn's company provides lists of both expired and for-sale-by-owner listings scrubbed against the "Do Not Call List." more...

It's time to take up 'tweeting'

By Bernice Ross, Monday, March 2, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/416901865/" target=blank>kevindooley</a>.

Don't want to blog? Would you like an innovative way to reach the next generation of buyers and sellers? If so, it may be time to take up "tweeting" on Twitter.

In case you haven't visited Twitter.com, it would be smart to take a hard look at what this seemingly simple tool can do for your business. On the surface, Twitter looks like a series of unrelated text messages known as "tweets." more...

Local MLS, ads pay off for agents

By Bernice Ross, Monday, February 23, 2009.

Where should you concentrate your marketing efforts in 2009? What strategies work with today's consumers and which ones should be discarded? The NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers for 2008 provides some important clues that you cannot afford to ignore.

1. Increase your online advertising budget. If you're throwing your money into newspaper advertising, magazines or buying guides, you may want to shift some of those print advertising dollars to online advertising. According to the survey, only 1 percent of consumers found their agent through the newspaper, Yellow Pages, direct mail, or specialty advertising such as calendars and magnets. more...

Gen X, Gen Y buyers rule market

By Bernice Ross, Monday, February 16, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/oskay/2673683232/" target=blank>oskay</a>.

The NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers for 2008 reveals some important secrets Realtors can't afford to ignore. Here's the inside scoop.

1. Gen X and Gen Y Rule the Buyer Market
If you're working with buyers, you can no longer ignore the fact that 60 percent of today's buyers were born after 1964 (i.e. are members of Gen X and Gen Y). In fact, 54 percent of first-time buyers are in the 25-to-34 age group. For Gen X and Gen Y, the primary motivations for buying ... more...

Tech tools for real estate survival

By Bernice Ross, Monday, February 9, 2009.

Last week's column looked at two major real estate trends for 2009: going global and using video for both personal and business communication. Here are eight additional tips from Real Estate Connect to build your business in 2009.

1. Use Facebook and LinkedIn to reduce spam and build your referral network
Using social media is one of the best ways to eliminate spam. Only people you approve can send you messages. Furthermore, when you meet a potential buyer or seller, invite them to join ...
more...

Think global, think video

By Bernice Ross, Monday, February 2, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/18967167@N00/2381055837/" target=blank>VideoVillain</a>.

Direct from Real Estate Connect in New York City, here's what the real estate industry's most talented leaders had to say about two of the most important trends that will reshape your business in 2009.

1. Put it local but take it global
Most real estate agents distribute their listings to as many local sources as possible. The latest trend, however, is to "put it local, but take it global." On average, agents who have international clients make 50 percent more than other agents do. Furthermore, if you have an international client, there is a 50 percent chance they will actually close a transaction. more...

Real estate tech to-do list

By Bernice Ross, Monday, January 26, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/edans/499730630/" target=blank>edans</a>.

Regardless of what type of hardware you are using, it's important to keep it running in tip-top shape. Here are four key ways to achieve maximum performance from your hardware in 2009.

1. Make sure you're using a cell phone with a full computer-style keyboard.
At Triple Play last month, I did a seminar called "Why Didn't You Just Text Me?" more...

Recipe for a powerful business plan

By Bernice Ross, Monday, January 19, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/billhr/3189167473/" target=blank>Bill HR</a>.

More than 90 percent of all real estate agents operate without a business plan. If you want to increase your profitability in 2009, you must address how to increase your revenue as well as how to decrease your costs.

There are numerous ways to create a great business plan. The most important step is to write your goals down and share them with someone else. If you do nothing else from today's column, taking this one step improves the probability more...

Columnists