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Finding opportunity in foreclosures

By Bernice Ross, Friday, January 16, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/respres/2539334956/" target=blank>respres</a>.

Many people are predicting that 2009 will be even worse than 2008 in terms of foreclosures. The real issue is not how many people end up facing foreclosure, but how many work out their issues and are able to stay in their homes.

While the headlines continue to highlight the volume of foreclosure filings and substantial price declines in many markets, Hope Now released a fascinating report outlining how many people they have helped stay in their homes. more...

Reconstructing the listing presentation

By Bernice Ross, Friday, January 9, 2009.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumaxart/2136953043/" target=blank>lumaxart</a>.

Are you still working with an old, outdated listing presentation from the 20th century? If so, there's no better time than now to make the shift from doing listing presentations to doing "listening consultations."

Recently I was conducting a new agent training class. During the lunch break, the parent company did a webinar featuring four very successful new agents. Here's what one of the new agents advised the listeners on the call: more...

Welcome advice for open houses

By Bernice Ross, Monday, December 29, 2008.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/71217725@N00/126070445/">scubadive67</a>.

Are you interested in having open houses that actually appeal to potential buyers?

Steve Kantor of BestAgentBusiness.com has been conducting regular studies of what consumers want from their real estate buying and/or selling experience. His past consumer surveys show that agents should dump their pictures from their mailers (Who do agents think they are -- movie stars?) and that virtually everyone detests receiving cold calls. more...

A real estate 12-step plan

By Bernice Ross, Monday, December 22, 2008.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/kyknoord/1442045860/" target=blank>kyknoord</a>.

Gary Keller, author of the new book "Shift" and founder of Keller Williams Realty, is no stranger to market downturns. He started his real estate career in the 1980s recession and started his franchising operation during the recession in the 1990s. In his recent seminar at NAR, Keller recommended 12 different ways to put your business on the road to recovery.

1. You can run towards or you can run away from the market
Agents who are succeeding in today's market are embracing short sales, foreclosures and REOs rather than running from them. more...

Don't hate the real estate optimist

By Bernice Ross, Monday, December 15, 2008.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/62327186@N00/2550698529/" target=blank>crabchick</a>.

"Pollyanna!" "Inman should fire you!" "You give the business a bad name!" What have I done to merit these comments? I've had the audacity to say that the real estate market might actually be better in 2009 than many people anticipate.

In 2008, I've seen many good friends lose their jobs, their offices, and/or their companies. Everyone has scaled back. Companies are scrambling to weather the storm. Many agents are being forced out of the business or into second jobs to make ends meet. Our clients are scared to buy or unable to sell. The stock market is in a shambles. There's no reason for optimism -- right? more...

4 tips for lead-generation success

By Bernice Ross, Monday, December 8, 2008.

Real estate comes down to a very simple job description: generate leads and convert them into closed business. If you want to generate more leads in your business, here are four of the best ways to do it.

1. Best strategy for locating a virtually untapped source of repeat buyers
Prospect "for rent" expireds. This strategy has several components. For example, if a single-family residence is available for lease, track when it was leased and then contact both the lessee and the lessor about nine months later. more...

Get ready for real estate rebound

By Bernice Ross, Monday, December 1, 2008.

Will 2009 boom or will it be more doom and gloom?

Now you're probably thinking: "A real estate boom in 2009? You've got to be kidding!" While the market may not exactly boom in 2009, there are a number of factors that may signal a dramatic improvement over the next 12 months. Here's what's happening that could make 2009 better than anyone anticipates. more...

Wrapping up work during holidays

By Bernice Ross, Monday, November 24, 2008.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/80546354@N00/82238906/" target=blank>H Dickins</a>.

Have you ever noticed how many people are sick around the holidays? Illness results when we become overly stressed from trying to squeeze too many activities into our already hectic schedules. What is supposed to be a joyful, spiritually based time of year gives way to stress-related illness, short tempers, frantic activities and overeating. If you want to have the best holiday season ever, follow the tips below. more...

Nine ways to dump your slump

By Bernice Ross, Monday, November 17, 2008.

What does it take to dump your slump? Surprisingly, it may be easier than you realize.

1. View change as adding to rather than taking away
One of the most powerful barriers to success is a fear of change. Many people fear change because they believe change requires giving up something they value. A more effective way to look at change is to view it as "adding to" what you already have or do. For example, if you upgrade your computer and cell phone, you will have to spend time learning new functions. While this can be frustrating, it's important to remember that 90 percent of the skills you have already acquired will still be applicable. more...

Why some full-time agents fall short

By Bernice Ross, Friday, November 7, 2008.

Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/seabamirum/2881655545/" target=blank>Seabamirum.</a>

What do owners of expired listings really want to know about you and your real estate services? The answer may surprise you.

Barb Van Stensel, an agent for Keller Williams in Chicago, shared an interesting piece of data about what she is hearing from the owners of expired listings these days. The first question is not, "Why didn't my house sell?" or "What are you going to do that will get my house sold?" Instead, the question that Barb is hearing repeatedly is, "Do you have a second job?" more...

Don't leave your Web leads hangin'

By Bernice Ross, Thursday, October 30, 2008.

(This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Read Part 1, "Sure-fire ways to boost Web leads.")

Does your Web site consistently generate leads that turn into closed business? If not, today's column explains how you can take your Web leads and turn more of them into closed business. more...

Sure-fire ways to boost Web leads

By Bernice Ross, Thursday, October 23, 2008.

Agents spend millions of dollars each year on Web sites. Many generate no leads. If you want to turn your Web site into a lead-generation machine, here are four tried and true ways to do it.

1. Identify a "sliver" market
To create an effective Web site, you must actually begin the process offline. The first and most important step is to determine a specific niche your Web site will serve. While traditional marketers often try to be all things to all people, Web marketing succeeds best when it is highly targeted. more...

Web marketing 2.0

By Bernice Ross, Thursday, October 16, 2008.

Image by <a href="http://www.lumaxart.com" target=blank>Lumaxart.com</a>

Are you stuck applying traditional marketing strategies to Web 2.0? If so, here's how to shift gears and do more business with today's Web-savvy consumer.

Former Realtor.com President Allan Dalton once observed, "The real estate industry has no trouble generating leads. Instead, the issue is converting those leads into closed business." more...

Mindset matters in real estate

By Bernice Ross, Thursday, October 9, 2008.

Are you tired of the constant onslaught of negative news? If you're ready to tune out the bad news and prosper no matter what the market does, readjusting your mindset is the key.

Maintaining a positive mindset in today's turbulent economic environment is more challenging than ever. What will happen if the financial bailout doesn't work? How will people buy homes when lenders have limited funds? How many more people will lose their jobs? more...

Seller 'gift' may disguise problem

By Bernice Ross, Thursday, October 2, 2008.

It's common for buyers to ask for appliances or other personal items when they purchase a property, but what about the seller who voluntarily leaves personal items as part of the sale?

There are numerous pitfalls when it comes to dealing with personal property included in a real estate sale. The lender can deduct the value of the personal items from the appraised value of the property, which results in a reduction in the loan amount. Furthermore, many states require sellers to transfer personal items with a "bill of sale" calculated and reported separately from the real estate sale. more...

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