My broker, Matt Beall (PB), posted an article that asked the question, are real estate agents overpaid and overrated? To summarize his article, "yes" and "no".
Matt argues that: more...
- Realtors who justify their high commissions by the value of their "network" and "closing skills" have no right to charge what they do.
- Agents investing huge sums of money on Internet marketing, putting their client's properties in front of buyers, deserve a return on their investment.
In just weeks - Over 16,000 agents have spoken out and signed an online petition asking for the recall of the HVCC legislation.
HVCC legislation requires a third party to control the appriasal process. It was designed to eliminate "influence" from lenders and real estate agents who might pressure for a higher value.
Since this legislation was designed by politicians and not actual business people - It causes undue stress and frustration for home buyers and refinance candidates - While not solving any of the issues mentioned. more...
According to Google Adwords there were 1.2 Billion real estate related searches in 2008. No-one doubts the growing power of the Internet and the increasing number of consumers searching for properties online.
So now, more than 2,600 geo-targeted domains names, the self-proclaimed largest real estate listing domain portfolio in the world, is for sale. more...
Many of you have heard about how the IRS has been targeting Real Estate Agents, and challenging the status of a "real estate professional" for an Agent.
To give you a brief background without getting into the details - a "Real Estate Professional" is someone who "materially participates" in their real estate activity. As a result, they are able to deduct real estate losses from other income that is not related to real estate.
The IRS had been challenging the "real estate professional" status for agents - stating that Brokers qualify, but Agents do not. And they were winning... more...
A recent sign order resulted in our supplier mistakenly printing over 30 extra sign riders.
Acknowledging the mistake, our supplier offered to dispose of them at no charge, a courteous gesture...
...but in today's economic and environmental climate...
...how could we just throw away 30ish perfectly good signs? Instead, we returned the signs, and asked our provider to simply re-label them when the time comes for the next order. more...
Real estate investors are the most active buyer in the current markets. They account for more than 1 out of every 5 real estate transactions,and 75% of their purchases are single family homes, condos, and townhouses.
What are you doing NOW to grow your business with investor clients, and what actions can real estate professionals take to make investor clients want to do business with them? more...
It seems today that many vendors are enticed by the perceived ’sexiness’ of mobile applications.
“A mini-program I can access on-the-go, and it only costs $4.00? Sign me up!”
Or perhaps vendors are lured not by the app’s sexiness, instead drawn to the mobile platform after hearing consumer raves like the one above. Sadly, while the ‘quote’ may indeed reflect the way most Americans approach their cell phone, the facts don’t lie; and the facts are telling us that mobile apps have a market reach of 13%. more...
The recent Earth Day gave the green revolution another shot up the arm. When Earth Day started in 1970 a large number of people (20 million people one country) had already committed to celebrate it. Since then that number has exploded to 500 million (175 countries); about 7% of the world’s population. more...
How do you make $1,050 a month cash flow on a $30k rehab deal?
By "BEING THE BANK" of course!!
How do you make $2,275 a month cash flow on a $65K rehab home?
By "BEING THE BANK" of course!!
How do Private Hard Money Investors make 11% - 42% ROI Annually?
Private Financial Club, Inc. will share their secrets with YOU!
Hedge Funds and Money Managers won't tell you because obviously, they don't make money by sharing the secrets that Wall Street doesn't want YOU to know! more...
In speaking with many of my fellow Realtors, I am amazed how many of them have a website yet never receive a lead or phone call from that website. It's the whole "if a tree falls in the forest" thing. If you have a website and nobody ever visits it, does it really exist? The answer is probably NO because they are visiting your competitors website instead. These figures have recently come out and it speaks volumes as to the future of Real Estate and the internet. more...
Engel & Völkers has just assigned its 555th license with the signing of the license region for Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Westwood by Michael Giorgio. He plans to open his first Engel and Volkers residential real estate shop in July 2009. more...
“It is impossible to predict the future.” That’s a statement I have made hundreds of times, both from the stage as well as in print.
Yet considering the most likely scenarios and then preparing for them lessens the shock when some variation of any prediction does materialize. Being caught off guard is just foolish. Why would you fight the future? The future is coming, no matter what. " more...
Below is Part 2 of “Tips for Brokers”. Part 1 offered up some golden nuggets of brain food by covering Who to Recruit and How to Recruit Them. We pick up where we left off below by discussing the all-important interview process. The interview is a face-to-face interaction that can be handled several different ways to achieve successful results. Unfortunately, the process on the whole is oftentimes overlooked and/or poorly conducted. Read on to learn how to make the most out of your next series of interviews.
What to Do Once You’ve Recruited… more...
Before we begin with the final result, let’s quickly summarized where it started. more...
Starting March 1, investors can once again own and finance up to 10 individual properties and get Fannie Mae backed loans. Previously, an investor with 5 properties, great credit, and documented income could not finance an investment property without bringing in a partner or resorting to creative financing methods.
Undoubtedly, investors who had been halted by the limit are in a position to buy now.
In lieu of this, we started March Marketing Madness (a stimulus aimed at helping agents with these emerging investors). In alphabetical order, here are some tips we have: more...
Whether you own a small real estate office or a franchise with multiple offices, real estate brokers have much in common with other small business owners during these difficult economic conditions. This economy affects all businesses and it doesn’t really matter if you are the local hair salon or the major department store, current market conditions are tough. more...
TIME Magazine published last week their list of people they think should carry blame for the financial crisis. It's a great article and if you have time you should read it in it's entirety (http://www.time.com) as it cover the top 25 people they think are to blame for the financial crisis.
As controversial as one expect any such list to be, it is saturated with ‘the usual suspects. Here they are their Top 10 in order. more...
In just a few days (3/1), Fannie will start allowing investors to hold up to 10 mortgages and get Fannie Mae backed loans. The limit had been previously reduced to 4.
It's a good move - investors account for at least 22% of the market, and 75% of their purchases are single family homes, condos, and townhouses - so they can clear up some of the inventory.
There will be an increase in activity from investors who had been halted by the 4 property limit, and it's certainly a good time to market to them. more...
There's been a loud hullabaloo in the industry lately concerning IDX feeds. Unfortunately, the staggering amount of people who are unreasonably excited about IDX is equaled and possibly even surpassed by the amount of folks who couldn't tell IDX from their own left hand. I myself was included in the ranks of the un-knowledgeable until I received enlightenment not twenty minutes ago. Now, verily do I pass unto you: more...
Our current economic crisis is forcing innovative minds to engineer new ways in creating personal "stimulus packages" for 2009.
Private Financial Club, Inc. is one of those companies who with a stroke of genius have made their mark trailblazing new adventures in Real Estate Investing with their unique formula and strategies for each Financier who joins their club.
Club members have 5 levels to choose from; and Financiers can jump in at any level from the novice to the experienced. more...
Imagine answering the doorbell some Saturday morning only to be met by a process server who is prepared to deliver a blow that has the potential to wipe out your life savings and create havoc and stress for months or even years to come. more...
Last week's webinar rocked! By popular demand, we're doing it again tomorrow, Friday 2/13 @ 2PM EST/ 11AM PST for those who missed it. The discussion will be broken down into the following:
* Why are RE Investors important to me?
* How can I be successful with RE Investors
* What does TReXGlobal do to help me?
You might spend hours blogging, on social networking sites, SEO, etc...
Spending 30 minutes to learn if you are marketing to investors correctly is well worth the investment. more...
It’s the first week of February and the time my annual Swanepoel TRENDS Report is released. The 160-page annual publication announces the official list of Top 10 trends, strategies, innovations and changes shaping and changing the business of real estate.
For the last several years we have been summarizing the events of every year and forecasting the most likely shifts in the industry that could impact our industry. We have discussed topics such as the sub prime and housing meltdown (detailed back in December 2005), the growth in global real estate sales and activities and even non-U.S. based companies expanding to the U.S., mortgage fraud, identity theft, the growth of online education, the growth of social media and blogs, and many more.
Here are some of the top 10 Trends included in this year’s Report: more...
It is common knowledge that REO and foreclosure properties are selling like hotcakes, and that new home sales are lower than they’ve been since 1995. That’s all well and good, but how are we supposed to get a cut of the action? Those of you who are interested in buying decent properties at highly discounted rates: step into my office. more...
When the Baby Boomers were younger (1960-90), families with children made up more than 50% of all households. By the time we got to 2000 this figure had declined to 33% and by 2025 it is estimated to be around 25%.
As a result the suburban boom in housing prices that we experienced will in all likelihood slow down considerably and shift to a more urban environment. No one is predicting that suburban life is dying nor will it be replaced, but as less families continue to prefer bigger houses and car-based lifestyles, a shift will occur. more...
Happy mid-January, from Sunny San Diego! Unfortunately, the Inland Empire’s falling median home price is a harsh antithesis to the joyous sunshine that is causing the glare on my computer screen. A major headline in NBC-LA’s evening newscast last night, DataQuick statistics highlight a 35% drop in SoCal home prices since December of last year. The San Diego-based research company reported an MHP (Median Home Price) of $278,000 last month for the six-county region of Southern California. This figure contrasts harshly with December, 2007’s MHP, a dazzling $425,000. more...
To everyone at Inman:
I am not dead or dying.
But zero hour is here.
Very soon, there will be a new face for Obeo here at Inman. Please welcome the new guy as you did me.
And of course, it would be my pleasure to rejoin you as myself-if you can stand me as that and will have me back!
My hew contact information is below.
Hope to see you here, there and everywhere!
Steve
Steven Stearns
Social Network Building
Anyone.Anywhere.Anything.
Content Creation Consulting For Commerce, Creatives and Citizens
shsworks@sbcglobal.net
920-691-6030
Join me at: more...
As we reflect and get ready for the Year-End and look forward to the Year-Ahead,
we at The Real Estate Investor Network(REINclub)
wish you a NEW YEAR 2009 filled with the best of
health,peace,prosperity,full of hope,abundance,and
resolution to make this the best year ever (in profitable
investing especially in real estate).
Happy New Year!
Susan Ordona
http://susan.reinclub.com
http://www.reinclub.com/susan/warondebt.html
I received a few emails indicating surprise that I included micro blogging (Twitter) on my Top 10 Events impacting Real Estate in 2008 so I thought I would provide a little more information for those that are not that familiar with the concept of short text-based 140 character posts. more...
When I began plotting out this week’s post, the topic I had in my sights was a how-to on home staging. But then I remembered, “Hey, it’s Christmas tomorrow. Nobody wants to hear about something that might resemble work.” Sadly, by the time I had this realization an hour of research had been logged and I had a full page sitting before me of transcribed brainstorming. Well, “waste not, want not,” Mom used to say. more...
A clear message from online consumers is “show me what I want, when I want it, and with the least amount of clicks possible”. Real estate agents can capitalize on this online trend by shifting their web strategy from “all-inclusive” property sites to "Single Niche Property Sites". more...
As part of the annual Swanepoel TRENDS Report that is published every year during the first week of February, the research team wraps their four month study of the real estate industry by announcing the top 10 Newsmakers, Events and Trendsetters for the year.
The second list to be released is the top 10 events that during 2008 had the largest impact and influence on the real estate brokerage industry. more...
As part of the research for the annual 180-page Swanepoel TRENDS Report, we also identify the Top 10 Newsmakers, Events and Trendsetters for the year.
The first list of these 3 lists to be released is the Newsmakers. Newsmakers are defined as those people that during the year made headlines as individuals, as a result of their actions and leadership of the companies or associations they are involved with in the real estate industry.
Our Top 10 Newsmakers in Real Estate for 2008 are: more...
Originally launched in 1977 as Engel & Cie., the company changed its name in 1987 to Engel & Völkers. It operated pretty much as a traditional real estate franchise until the mid 1990’s when its owner and Managing Director, Christian Volkers, decided to completely change the direction of the company.
The concept was to create a Real Estate Shop Concept. Similar to most franchise businesses where the design, layout, system and brand of the franchise is more uniform. Volkers felt that if you wanted to maintain high quality then you need more consistency and there was no reason that real estate franchises should be any different than other service industry franchises.
The first Real Estate Shop in 1995 and the company never looked back. more...
Hi All, I thought a positive message going into the holidays was needed. May everyone take time to recharge and plan and execute towards a successful 2009 season. Austin Smith is an active blogger on our team and I loved his most recent post and felt inclined to syndicate it here - Happy Holidays!
----
By Austin Smith, Product Specialist - Goomzee.com more...
Keeping it real-and being grateful for my friends and associates at Inman:
FREE Obeo StyleDesigner ($40 value) on any new Obeo photography package.
StyleDesigner lets you redecorate digitally -on line!
To redeem, use promo code 'PC955689' Ends Nov. 30th, 2008.
Call 800-729-6236!
Thanks to all for your thoughts and comments-(;-])
...Blog ON!
Steve
Obeoman
Real estate professionals need to think differently about the future. They need to do more and they need to move faster. It has now been more than 10 years since my first book on trends, Real Estate confronts Reality, and many of the changes that we have been writing and speaking about are now coming to fruition. Things are definitely changing, and on a large scale. Within the next five years the real estate brokerage industry will significantly have changed and brokers and agents that don’t adapt now will not enjoy the benefits of the next economic upswing. more...
Change seems to be the buzz word this year, with Barack Obama touting “Change We Need,” John McCain promoting “Real Change” and even Hillary Clinton saying “Change you can count on.”
Every year the Swanepoel TRENDS Report identifies, analyzes and then details out the imminent changes that are expected to impact the real estate industry over the coming 12 – 18 months. The 2009 Report is currently in the final 60 days of research and writing and obviously with all the recent financial disasters, the energy crisis, the housing collapse and foreclosure catastrophe this has made 2008 the worst year in real estate and financial history. more...
Hi Folks
Buying a property is simple, as long as you do follow a checklist. It is really difficult to spend time in researching property overseas, but if someone found the property exhibition in a desired region would help them a lot in relation to meet the developers and real estate agents, and get first hand knowledge of about their properties and locations. more...
You know it just hit me, I'm looking forward to 2009!!! We are three years into this pain in the stomach / pocket detour and I have survived. Now that doesn't mean I have sold much yet it does mean I haven't lost my thrill for walking in that stranger's house and trying to figure out whether it can be the home my few and frightened active clients might choose. more...
How, in this market, do you effectively market yourself as a Buyers Agent or Broker to potential buyers and how do you educate the often paranoid listing agent and seller as to your value?
Hi Folks
Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) is cracking down on speculators at the Cityscape
Exhibition. According to Rera top official no memorandums of understandings, sale agreements or property contracts will be legally acceptable if they are not registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD). Even real estate developers who are not registered with Rera or any of the unregistered projects would not permit to sell their properties. more...
Despite congressional passage of the historic $700 billion bailout legislation, which was signed by President Bush on Saturday, Oct. 4, the Dow Jones Index tumbled 22% last week; the worst week in its 118 year history.
Some calculations indicate that since the beginning of the year U.S. corporations have declined about $8 trillion in value ($20 trillion to $12 trillion) and we have seen giants stumble and fade like Countrywide, Washington Mutual, Indy Mac Bank, Lehman Brothers, AIG Insurance and Wachovia. more...
As real estate professionals, nationwide, search for sales and marketing tools to better advertise their listings to consumers, talk of mobile advertising capabilities continues to rise to the top of discussion.
We've seen MLS and Associations swarming around the idea of mobile MLS search, in attempt to meet real estate consumer demands and provide easy access to listing information from mobile phones. The only question is, are we ready to start marketing campaigns via mobile web search? If you are trying to reach a large audience, wireless user reports point to "No". more...
Nine months ago when the 2008 edition of the Swanepoel Trends Report was published, the demographics that included women, youth and minorities were identified as key drivers in the future of the residential real estate brokerage industry. In the Trend titled “Shattered Glass” it was detailed how many women had reached leadership positions at national levels.
My subsequent blog on ActiveRain lit the match to initiate a nationwide flame in search of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in leadership roles in the Real Estate Industry. more...
What started as Trend #10 in my annual Swanepoel TRENDS Report 2008 nine months ago, has evolved into one of the best example of how viral a story can become on the Internet.
Originally titled “Shattered Glass” in his Trends Report, I discussed how the impact of Women, the Youth and Minorities were shaping the real estate brokerage industry. In the section about women I listed numerous examples of high-powered women that have moved into the #1 or #2 positions at many of the country’s largest real estate companies. more...
