http://activerain.com/blogs/corcoran Real estate, real estate coaching, real estate consulting, database management, real estate systems, buyer follow up systems, follow up systems, lead follow up, lead follow up systems, lead generation, real estate training, accountability, advertising follow up, advertising effectiveness, performance coaching, scripts, goal setting en-us http://activerain.com/blogsview/1385307/tap-the-pent-up-demand-from-repeat-buyers <p>As agents, you know that many clients who would have liked to move within the last year or so have been hampered by a bad sales climate for sellers.&nbsp; As housing prices fell, you could encourage some people to take less for the home because of the deal they would get on their new home.&nbsp; Many others held back from entering the market out of fear their homes might be on the market for too long or because they just couldn't deal with the price cut. <strong>They have a pent up demand for homes.</strong></p> <p>The $6,500 credit for repeat buyers has injected new life into the market.&nbsp; It can also put new life into your business if you work some potential avenues:<img title="Work those repeat buyers!" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/4/2/0/5/ar126084812650245.jpg" height="160" alt="house" width="154" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; float: right;" /></p> <p><strong>1. Think two words: past clients.</strong> Far too many Realtors lose touch with their past clients. I suspect now that many of them realize (I hope at least) that they simply can't afford to do that anymore. Clearly one reason Realtors stop connecting is because they don't think they have a good reason to stay in touch. Well, if $6,500 isn't a good reason, I don't know what is. And I bet they'll appreciate the information. If you can't find your past clients, search the MLS for those who bought more than five years ago (that's the stipulation in the law, they must have been in their home for at least five years).</p> <p><strong>2. Tap direct marketing.</strong> To take full advantage of this incentive and to maximize your returns, I suggest direct mail to your farm area that screams $6,500 (nothing like cash to get people's attention). And not just one mailing, do at least five. Remember, frequency beats reach when it comes to marketing. Then follow up with a phone call, especially to your past clients.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>3. Refurbish your advertising to promote the incentive.</strong> If there was ever a time to give your advertising a makeover, it's now. Hit the $6,500 hard and heavy in all your advertising. Remember the keys here: message, medium and market. The message is clear - get your $6,500 while it's still here. Choose the medium that lands in front of the eyeballs of your market (repeat homebuyers). If you're finding success with newspapers, by all means continue and even expand into other sections outside the real estate section to stand out from the crowd. And while you're at it, give your scripts a good rescrubbing, too.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>4. Don't forget the empty nesters.</strong> You might be thinking of repeat buyers who are growing a new family and that's fine. Certainly an attractive market. But few demographic groups have made a larger impact on the economy than baby-boomers - millions of which are reaching retirement age as you read this. And now they're beginning to impact real estate market. They're looking around their house and finding ... space. Lots of space. Space they don't need anymore. And they're thinking: "Why not sell and use the cash for a smaller place and use the surplus to live it up a little in our golden years - a little travel, some golf and fine dining at our favorite restaurants?"</p> <p><strong>Commitment: I will focus my attentions on tapping the market of the $6,500 credit.</strong></p> <p><strong>Deadline:&nbsp; ____________</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:38:37 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1385307/tap-the-pent-up-demand-from-repeat-buyers http://activerain.com/blogsview/1381904/ho-ho-holiday-strategies <p><strong><img title="Holiday strategies from Bob Corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/8/7/0/9/ar126066542290785.jpg" height="282" alt="tree, christmas" width="276" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" />The holidays are a time that calls for great sensitivity on the part of agents.</strong>&nbsp; For many sellers, even if they are under great pressure to sell, the last Christmas in the old house might be bittersweet.&nbsp; Maybe they know that at the next major holiday, they will be in another city or maybe they know their family will no longer be together.&nbsp; They know that they may occasionally see their current neighbors even if they've moved across town, but it won't the same.</p> <p><strong>The desire to have one last holiday in the old place may push some sellers to take the home off the market during the holidays.</strong> If they have had the home on the market for any length of time, they are already sick of keeping the place in great shape so strangers can drop in at any time.&nbsp; During the holidays when there's baking and preparation to be done, there are holiday visits planned, and the kids are home and enjoying their new toys, the seller might want to drop the pressure of keeping it neat. They may ask you to put them under the radar till the new year.</p> <p><strong>So do you react to a request to take the home off the market? Here are a few tips you might use that may motivate sellers to leave their listings undisturbed:</strong></p> <p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; This year there is new interest in homes created by the tax credit, home prices, and interest rates, so sellers have an increased chance of moving their property, either now or early next year.</p> <p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Buyers are busy too, so those who house hunt during this time are seriously looking for a place.</p> <p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some sellers do withdraw their listings, so those that are available might see more traffic.</p> <p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To respect the seller's holiday plans, showings can be arranged only with notice and only if it convenient for the seller.</p> <p>&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They can still decorate for the holiday, but should just keep things more low key so that the features of the house&nbsp; stand out.</p> <p><strong>If you present the scenario clearly, most sellers will stay in place. I'm betting that if a seller get an offer, this would be a great holiday gift!</strong></p> <p><em>P.S. This article was written with Christmas as the example. Be sure to know the demographics of your area and of your sellers. Some families celebrate different holidays.&nbsp;For example,&nbsp;Jewish clients who are celebrating Hanukkah now may be vacationing or available later in the month.</em></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:52:24 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1381904/ho-ho-holiday-strategies http://activerain.com/blogsview/1377641/leave-2009-prepared-for-2010 <p><strong>A couple weeks before the holidays - Christmas, Hannakuh, whatever you might celebrate - there is the tendency to slack off a bit.</strong>&nbsp; There's parties to attend, shopping to do, - well, maybe you're even planning for a winter vacation.</p> <p>Despite the new tax credit, business is likely to be down bit, partly because of the holidays and for two other reasons.&nbsp; People who wanted to apply for the old homeowner's credit slowed down their shopping when they thought they'd run out of time to get it.&nbsp; Repeat buyers who qualify under the next credit have hardly made it through the <strong>"Ten Steps to Make Your House Sell"</strong> yet to get it ready for sale.</p> <p>That means there is a bit of time before clients are making a lot of demands on your time but that does not mean there is nothing to do.&nbsp; Here's your <strong>"To-Do List"</strong> for the rest of December:</p> <ul> <li>&nbsp;<strong>Touch base with those clients</strong> you worked with earlier in 2009 who didn't buy (or list) and schedule them for some holiday coffee to discuss their next step in view of the home buyer credits.&nbsp;</li> <li><strong>Write your goals for 2010.</strong>&nbsp; Written goals aid success.&nbsp; If 2010 does get off to a busy start, you will be ready with a clear focus.</li> <li><strong>Read up on your real estate news.</strong>&nbsp; There are big changes on the way for FHA, short sales, credit law, etc.&nbsp; Your knowledge can make the difference for your clients.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Make a Commitment: I will leave 2009 prepared for 2010</strong></p> <p><strong>Deadline:&nbsp; ________________</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:11:07 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1377641/leave-2009-prepared-for-2010 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1373922/stay-out-of-the-woods <p><strong><img title="Stay out fo the woods" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/7/1/1/ar126025342111789.jpg" height="386" alt="golf" width="300" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />Off and on in this blog, we have discussed the subject of agents and other who want to be professional (or even have a ahred of privacy) telling too much on social networks.</strong></p> <p>A week or so ago, Tiger Woods backed out of his driveway into a fire hydrant, demolishing the hydrant and a nearby tree. &nbsp;His wife claimed she bashed in the window of his Escalade to free him.&nbsp; There were lots of questions, but Tiger had little to say to the police who filed no serious charges.&nbsp; He got four points on his license - pretty extreme &nbsp;since Woods probably wrote a big check to cover the damages.&nbsp; More recent revelations indication Woods might have been drinking while on medication but no sobriety test was taken at the time, so it is too late to file any charges for this.</p> <p><strong>From the start, the media was unrelenting.</strong> Of course, the charge was led by the tabloids - after all, "inquiring minds want to know."&nbsp; Before long, Tiger was apologizing for "transgressions," while wanting to keep matters private. &nbsp;Now, it has become apparent Tiger was not reading <strong><em>Golf Digest</em></strong> in the evening when he was on the road, but the revelations did not come from him.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Previously, Tiger was viewed as squeaky clean and news worthy only for his athletic prowess.</strong>&nbsp; He was not a braggard even about his golf.&nbsp; As a result, he managed to maintain a private life under the radar for years.<em><strong>&nbsp; Imagine if he had spent part of his evening Twittering or Facebooking his exploits?&nbsp; Or posed with miscellaneous pretty blondes and tagged the pictures?</strong></em></p> <p>Even if Tiger was more of a techie than he apparently is, he (or anyone with any sense) may not have been so stupid as to tell his whole story but the point is if he had opened up much of his personal life on a social network, finding his secret life might have been easier.</p> <p>Everyday we hear of examples of people who are not so discrete. They lose jobs and other things because employers and clients don't like the image they present.&nbsp; <strong><em>We've said it&nbsp; here before - if you want to use social networks, stay out of the woods!</em></strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:22:30 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1373922/stay-out-of-the-woods http://activerain.com/blogsview/1365633/at-last-fan-this-page-www-facebook-com-corcorancoaching <p><img title="Fan us at www.facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/4/6/4/7/ar125980795374643.jpg" height="329" alt="fan, cow" width="330" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />Just as the shoemaker's children are often the last to get shoes and the mechanic's wife the last to get brakes, <a href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/">Corcoran Consulting and Coaching</a> finally set up a business page on Facebook.&nbsp; We've suggested that others get business pages, but up to now we haven't...</p> <p>As you know, Facebook frowns on mixing flagrant business dealings with personal matters on its pages and has turned off some accounts, though somewhat randomly.&nbsp; <strong><em>Just talking about business</em></strong> does not seem to cross the line but <strong><em>soliciting business</em></strong> does.&nbsp; Smart agents put their listings on their business pages but talk about the <strong><em>real estate market</em></strong> and <strong><em>Joe's Fish Market </em></strong>and oh, by the way, <strong><em>did you know I'm a real estate agent? </em></strong>on their personal pages.&nbsp;</p> <p>For a coach like myself, since I am not in the habit of saying <strong><em>"Sign up for my $999 coaching special,"</em></strong> I might technically be okay with just a personal page.&nbsp; But think of what Facebook is supposed to do - <strong><em>attract friends who become part of one's sphere of influence.</em></strong>&nbsp; I have over 4,000 friends who contribute their well wishes, their real estate tips, their family news, their invitations, their Mafia War requests, their blogs, their favorite videos.&nbsp; My contributions to the conversation stand out on my profile page but only last on my wall or that of my friends for a few minutes. &nbsp;If I offer a coaching tip to being a billion dollar agent, it will be quickly pushed out of view by agent Tom Tucker's quest for a platypus for his estate in Farmville or Veronika's request for a Playful Heart.</p> <p>This is why I was delighted when my <a href="http://www.bestagentbusiness.com/">virtual assistant</a> was able to direct my blogs to my business page, where they are prominently displayed along with other actual business news I choose to direct there. What's great is that my last few blog topics are still noted on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/bob.corcoran1?ref=profile">Profile page</a> as Notes. &nbsp;&nbsp;A Facebook business page makes my business stand out!&nbsp; I can still enjoy the camaraderie of friends and share my photos of dynamic coaching sessions without fear that the messages I really want to remain available will survive the friendly noise of the wall.</p> <p>Without further ado, please visit us at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching">www.facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching</a> and become a fan!</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:29:30 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1365633/at-last-fan-this-page-www-facebook-com-corcorancoaching http://activerain.com/blogsview/1360416/invading-boundaries-no-big-deal- <p><img title="Invading Boundaries are a Big Deal!" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/1/9/3/ar125955355439191.jpg" height="130" alt="money" width="165" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />A recent 20/20 revealed that Deal or No Deal star, comic, and actor Howie Mandel suffers from obsessive compulsive disease (OCD.)&nbsp; For years he hid his fear of touching, while managing to have a successful career.&nbsp; On occasions where someone succeeded in shaking his hand or otherwise invaded his boundaries, he receded into a frenzy of hand washing to make himself feel clean.&nbsp;</p> <p>For most people, simple touching does not provoke such an extreme reaction, yet we all feel irritated with our boundaries are invaded.&nbsp; It can be physical invasion when people stand too close or make themselves too much at home in our office, missing appointments, or wasting our time when we have made it clear we were in a hurry.&nbsp; Sometimes, the boundary invasion is very clear. Other forms are subtle enough that we may not recognize them for what they are and wonder why we feel irritated when they occur, or if we even have the right to feel irritated. All of the seemingly harmless activities that are listed in the PDF document involve boundary invasion, if they happen habitually.</p> <p>&nbsp;For additional information and guidance on this topic we have posted an article on our website entitled "<a href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/pdfs/CCTOTW/Ways_That_People_Invade_Your_Boundaries.pdf" target="_blank">Ways That People Invade Your Boundaries</a>" for you to review. Incidentally, you may want to use this list to check on yourself, too. Many boundary invaders are quite unaware of what they are doing.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:03:31 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1360416/invading-boundaries-no-big-deal- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1359974/real-estate-bloody-fantastic- <p><img title="http://i673.photobucket.com/albums" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/8/7/3/9/ar125953686693782.jpg" height="182" alt="susan boyle" width="218" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />A few months ago, an unknown dowdy Scottish woman named Susan Boyle was received with a lot of eye rolling on the United Kingdom's Britain's Got Talent until she opened her mouth.&nbsp; Her beautiful rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream," stunned the judges and audience, and though she did not win the competition, she got a record deal.</p> <p>It is easy to jump on this part of the Susan Boyle story to lead into a pep talk about how appearances are deceiving or about how it's never too late to pursue a dream.&nbsp; Either of those tangents would be true.&nbsp; She went from a life of obscurity taking care of her ailing mother to a chart-<img title="http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv91/solidoak_2009/susan_boyle_dmail_ken_airport_23nov.jpg" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/3/5/1/7/ar125953709471539.jpg" height="160" alt="ssan boyle" width="122" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" />topping album in the UK that has also topped Amazon.com's list of pre-orders.</p> <p>Along her rise to fame, Susan Boyle has been continuously scrutinized as if people are looking for proof that a person who is not a raving beauty is "unstable" and maybe even "retarded."&nbsp; The public may love her as the record sales attest, but the press is quick to apply labels every time she gets emotional after a performance.&nbsp; She is reportedly getting annoyed by the press but when asked about the past six months, her response "Bloody fantastic!"</p> <p>There are a few obvious parallels to real estate here.&nbsp; Regardless of how the market has fared over the past couple years, certain segments of it could emerge "bloody fantastic" due to the dynamic combination of lower housing prices, low interest rates, and the tax credit.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:25:59 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1359974/real-estate-bloody-fantastic- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1357861/season-s-greetings-agents-everywhere <p><img title="Home Tax Credit can be a gift to agents, buyers, &amp; sellers" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/3/7/0/8/ar12593837280736.jpg" height="243" alt="gift, house" width="229" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" /><strong>Every year, real estate falls off when kids go back to school.</strong>&nbsp; Families prefer to keep their children in the same school all year.&nbsp; With the onset of the holidays, people get busy. &nbsp;When it gets colder and then snowier in some parts of the country, people prefer not to move until it gets warmer.&nbsp; The majority of people who move in the fall and winter are those who are transferred or have some financial or other pressure to brave the elements or the upset involved with having the kids change schools mid year.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>This year, things are different, as the tax credit is expected to liven things up and keep sales brisk and Realtors&reg; busy.</strong>&nbsp; Since the credit will last till spring, when sales traditionally pick up, this means that agents may have a more constant flow of business than usual.&nbsp; To take advantage of a credit up to $8,000 for first time homeowners or $6,500 for repeaters, people will brave the elements and decide their kids will live if they change schools.</p> <p>A month after the tax credit extension was announced, it has been written about continuously, to the extent you may be sick of hearing about it.&nbsp; It's true that the credit will not be a gift to current or future generations of taxpayers who will pick up an approximate $11 billion from the extension. For many agents, however, this is a wonderful gift after a couple lean years that will benefit many agents.&nbsp; <strong>Let's hope it helps many agents get stable as it help many Americans either realize their dream of&nbsp; homeownership or come closer to their dream homes.</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:52:40 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1357861/season-s-greetings-agents-everywhere http://activerain.com/blogsview/1352749/don-t-let-it-all-hang-out-on-facebook <p>Recently, a Canadian woman who was on disability due to depression lost her disability payment when an insurance adjuster noticed pictures of her on vacation and out with friends on Facebook. &nbsp;He noticed she looked so happy that he cut off her check.&nbsp; She protested that the pictures did not reflect her usual state of mind and is suing the company, but not before she lost her house.</p> <p><img title="What does your Facebook page say about you?" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/2/7/0/0/ar125903752000729.jpg" height="94" alt="facebook" width="250" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />This story points out the need to be careful about you post or say on social networks, a familiar warning that many people ignore. &nbsp;Facebook posts or Tweets may quickly move out of view from the wall but they can be found in a search.&nbsp; Photos on the wall stay there until they are removed.</p> <p>In the Canadian case, the insurance company said they wouldn't make a decision based just on Facebook, but the case brings up an interesting question for agents who post their personal and business news on one page.&nbsp; &nbsp;Will clients note when you're on Facebook and then wonder if you are working hard enough for them?</p> <p>One way to protect yourself&nbsp;is by setting up a business page separate from your personal page.&nbsp; Think twice about play the games some people find addictive - the Mafia Wars, the Farmvilles, etc.&nbsp; If you do play, don't bug your business associates for animals!&nbsp; If you are serious about developing your business clientele, restrain the impulse to share every passing thought.&nbsp;</p> <p>It's not right that people make judgments based on a photo or an offhand comment, but it can happen.&nbsp; If Facebook &nbsp;and other social networks are part of your strategic plan, treat them like you would any other type of promotional material and make sure they show off your best side.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:43:31 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1352749/don-t-let-it-all-hang-out-on-facebook http://activerain.com/blogsview/1350566/would-home-buyers-who-got-the-credit-have-bought-anyway- <p><img title="Home Buyer Tax Credit - the cherry on hte icing on the cake" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/4/7/8/7/ar125894019378744.jpg" height="224" alt="cherry, cake" width="250" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />A recent NAR survey indicated only 6% of first time homebuyers took the plunge because of the credit, but claimed that interest rates and falling home prices were what made them buy.&nbsp; Analyst Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com poo-pooed the credit indicating that we are rewarding people for doing what it take issue with they have done anyway.&nbsp;</p> <p>I take issue with this reaction.&nbsp; Owning a home is an important part of fulfilling the American Dream for many people.&nbsp; It's just a matter of time for those who see this in the best interest of themselves and their families. So, of course, they would have eventually bought!</p> <p>Only a fool would buy a home he was not prepared to buy just to get $8,000.&nbsp; This amount would mean little if home prices and interest rates were sky high.&nbsp; A combination of factors whetted buyers' interested; I'm betting that the credit was the cherry on the icing on the cake that encouraged those who were waiting to become homebuyers.&nbsp; That made them think of buying now and probably pushed up their time table.&nbsp; The credit was not the sole reason they bought but when packaged together with the other things was too good to pass up.</p> <p>As I have said many times, a responsible agent would not encourage an unqualified person to buy a home just because of the credit; in fact, I bet many agents have told those with credit problems, for example, to wait.&nbsp; On the other hand, if the people were prepared to buy, a smart agent would stress the value of the credit and give a nudge where appropriate!</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:39:52 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1350566/would-home-buyers-who-got-the-credit-have-bought-anyway- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1345530/cookies-and-clients <p><img title="Do your client perceive value from you?" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/9/4/7/4/ar125864520147496.jpg" height="203" alt="cookie" width="250" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" /></p> <p><strong>I recently got a survey from a cookie company that sells some delicious cookies and brownies by mail.</strong>&nbsp; They are each individually wrapped so they are nice for business giving, plus are great portion controlled snacks that stay fresh.&nbsp; I have been buying them regularly over the last couple years but in the last six months, I have noticed that the prices have gone up, the number of cookies in the assortments have decreased, and the number of items with free shipping have decreased too - <strong>a triple assault on my pocketbook.&nbsp; This makes the cookies more expensive and has made me think twice if they are a good value except for occasional gifts.</strong></p> <p>The survey I got asked questions that made it sound like the company is trying to position itself as a more upscale gourmet food company.&nbsp; <strong>There were no questions that asked about perceived value or whether recent changes might influence any future purchases.&nbsp; In this economy, their survey was irrelevant.</strong></p> <p>As a matter of fact, I was annoyed that they didn't ask these questions, which to me where like elephants in cyberspace.&nbsp; The company doesn't think a regular customer would notice a 25-35% increase?&nbsp; Even if they want to reposition their company, wouldn't it be smart to ask if their company base would follow their new direction?</p> <p>There&lsquo;s a lesson for everyone here.&nbsp; <strong>We need to be in tune with our clients and what they want and need</strong>.&nbsp; If we attempt to measure client perceptions of our service, we must measure the right things and ask the right things.&nbsp; We can make changes to the niceties of our business, but if we don't satisfy what customers want, we are kidding ourselves about the outcome.</p> <p>We can move to a new building, put in a new phone system, or send calendars at Christmas, but none of that will phase the client if we don't return calls or make him feel like we are his zealous advocate.&nbsp;<strong> We can reinvent ourselves as "consultants" or develop new specialties, but if the client has concerns about us, our service, or the value we offer, our attempts to reinvent ourselves won't necessarily overcome these reservations.</strong></p> <p>If I don't order many more cookies, the cookie company won't crumble.&nbsp; If many customers feel the same though, and start assessing whether they are a good value, there could be trouble ahead.&nbsp; For those of us in business, the dynamics are the same.</p> <p><strong>Commitment:&nbsp; I will examine my service approach to my clients.</strong></p> <p><strong>Deadline:&nbsp; _________________</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:44:36 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1345530/cookies-and-clients http://activerain.com/blogsview/1340870/survey-says-2-economic-worries-cool-homebuying-will-the-credit-help- <p><img title="Turn worried prospects into Clients" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/8/1/2/7/ar125841773372186.jpg" height="300" alt="woman, client" width="300" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" /></p> <p>The recent survey by move.com revealed some interesting results about how Americans view what's happening in housing.&nbsp; As noted in a previous blog, <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1340477/survey-says-only-1-in-20-respondents-say-they-will-buy-next-year">Survey Says: Only 1 in 20 Respondents Say They Will Buy Next Year</a>, at a time when the unemployment rate is over 10% nationwide,<strong> potential home buyers are concerned about the economy.&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>&bull;&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;48% felt the government wasn't doing enough to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure, while 42% thought there was enough government action</p> <p>&bull;&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;45% worry that they or someone they know will face foreclosure in the next year.</p> <p>&bull;&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;38% had contacted their lender within the past year to reduce their payments.</p> <p>&bull;&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;25% of those who refinanced used the freed-up money for living expenses or debt reduction</p> <p>&bull;&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;9% are putting the savings towards investments or retirement</p> <p>The survey group was comprised of 2/3 homeowners and 1/3 renters.&nbsp; Will the credit be enough to stir up the market and&nbsp;encourage people to by their first home or their move-up home?&nbsp;<strong>The new housing credit will undoubtedly awaken interest in some potential buyers who were not qualified to use the last credit</strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Many people like to consider themselves real estate consultants these days.&nbsp;Our job as agents is to help good candidates look past economic news and buy affordable homes if it makes sense. <strong>The next few months, we can expect to be busy with sales that close and with consultants with clients who need an assessment&nbsp;of their readiness, and if they're ready - a tiny&nbsp;push.</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:30:30 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1340870/survey-says-2-economic-worries-cool-homebuying-will-the-credit-help- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1340477/survey-says-only-1-in-20-respondents-say-they-will-buy-next-year <p><img title="Can you beat the survey odds with your buyers?" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/3/2/0/5/ar125840470850235.jpg" height="240" alt="survey" width="200" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />Before the home buyers tax credit was extended through April, 2010 and expanded to include more buyers, a survey by move.com indicated that<strong> only 1 in 20 people surveyed said they would buy a house next year</strong>.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; The top reason was that they felt that home prices had hit bottom.&nbsp; This was more important than bargain priced foreclosures, concerns about interest rates, and the pool of available homes.</p> <p>This revelation feeds into our ongoing discussion of glass half empty/glass half full approach to real estate.&nbsp; Of course, the number of people who might say they are planning to buy might increase in view of the credit, the responses indicate people are concerned about economic stability in our recession-prone world.&nbsp; <strong>It remains our challenge to seek out qualified buyers who might be in a position to buy in the right circumstances.</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>Some people with credit problems might be interested but will not qualify for the best rates.&nbsp; We can increase our sales among this group by encouraging them to clean up their credit report, directing them to an affordable home, and directing them to a lender who can help them.</p> <p>Some of us focus more on the credit-stable buyer who can afford a pricey house, but millions of solid Americans with "issues" need our services too.</p> <p><strong>Commitment:&nbsp; I will look for ways to beat the 1 in 20 statistic and increase my business.</strong></p> <p><strong>Deadline: _________________</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:54:10 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1340477/survey-says-only-1-in-20-respondents-say-they-will-buy-next-year http://activerain.com/blogsview/1336827/homeowner-credit-great-for-buyers-and-agents <p><img title="The tax credit is good for real estate agents &amp; clients!" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/6/0/9/ar125816848790691.jpg" height="147" alt="house" width="211" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" /></p> <p>There may have been debate over whether homebuyers who wanted to take advantage of the tax credit could use it as a down payment but it is unquestionable that the credit will mean a payout for real estate agents everywhere.</p> <p>Due to lobbying efforts by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and other groups, lawmakers have extended the homebuyer tax credit to April 30, 2010. And they've sweetened the deal: the law increases the limit for couples to $225,000 in annual income, roughly $55,000 more than the existing law.</p> <p>Plus, it adds a nice $6,500 carrot for those who've lived in their homes for five of the prior eight years to buy up or buy elsewhere. I believe this will move houses at both the lower and higher ends as well.</p> <p>This news is a perfect opportunity for Realtors to capitalize on several levels:</p> <p><strong>1. Stand out from the crowd</strong> - Many Realtors take a break near the end of the year. If you choose to keep working, you'll not only stand out from the crowd, you'll be able to get the most out of the extension and improve your bottom line.</p> <p><strong>2. Enjoy a faster "slow season"</strong> - I have little doubt that the typical "slow season" between November and February will be much livelier than in years past because of the tax deduction being extended. It's beginning to sink in with home buyers that this incentive is something they can't afford to ignore. NAR says two million people benefitted from the first go-around of the tax credit.</p> <p><strong>3. Get busy with past customers</strong> - Pull up your database of past customers who've been in their homes for five years and send direct mail (followed up with the all-important phone calls) to them explaining this new $6,500 expansion of the deduction and how you can help them.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>4. Continue your online social networking </strong>- Remember, typical first-time home buyers are younger and participate in this online social beast that's taken over the way they get their news, communicate with friends and learn about goods and services they're interested in.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>5. Become the expert with seminars</strong> - Anytime change happens, consumers develop an appetite to learn about those changes. Develop short seminars for first-time buyers and current home owners for five years to position yourself as the authority.</p> <p><strong>6. Energize your buyer presentation </strong>- The name of the game is urgency, so give your buyer presentation more zip by adding a strong sense of urgency to it. Right now I'm giving my clients a buyer's guide and they use it to create their own customized buyer's presentation. It usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes - just like a listing presentation, but scripted specifically to make buyers realize they need to act and act now to profit from this extension - and it's working great.</p> <p><strong>7. Unearth additional motivations to buy - </strong>Yes, this tax break is an obvious reason to buy now, but don't forget to ask questions to learn other factors that may be motivating them to buy. The more you know about your buyers, and specifically why they want to buy, the better you'll be at meeting their needs.</p> <p>Now is the time to act because we don't know if Congress will extend the deduction a third time. My guess is no. I believe lawmakers and economists expect natural market forces to take over in the busy season in the spring of 2010 without the incentives.</p> <p>So get moving. Shoot me an e-mail for more ways to continue to make this extension work for you -- <a href="mailto:Bob@CorcoranCoaching.com" title="mailto:Bob@CorcoranCoaching.com">Bob@CorcoranCoaching.com</a>.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:22:33 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1336827/homeowner-credit-great-for-buyers-and-agents http://activerain.com/blogsview/1332208/i-m-packing-hope-to-see-you-at-nar <p><img title="Hoe ot see you at NAR, Booth 2809!" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/9/1/9/ar125796147991919.jpg" height="219" alt="suitcase, luggage" width="250" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" /></p> <p>As you read this, I am busily packing for <strong>National Association of Realtors</strong> (NAR) Conference in San Diego.&nbsp; On Friday, November 13, I'll be speaking at 2:30, so please look me up.&nbsp; My topic will focus on Becoming <strong>The CEO of your Real Estate Company, a timely topic for anyone on the move in real estate.</strong>&nbsp; Once you discover the<strong> </strong>functions of a Real Estate CEO are and how&nbsp;you can implement these into your existing practice, you will notice your business take off if you put them into play.&nbsp; Becoming a CEO is more a state of mind than a title on your door.&nbsp; It is akin to mastering your destiny, taking &nbsp;charge of your life - plus doing some things differently in how you organize you time &nbsp;and approach your job.</p> <p>I love going to NAR as speaker, since as a coach, I am on a mission to help agents unleash the power within themselves to be better managers, more confident sales people, and more efficient time planners.&nbsp; More than that, I love meeting fellow travelers on this real estate road.&nbsp; Even if you can't make my talk, please stop by Booth 2809 to get acquainted.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:51:29 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1332208/i-m-packing-hope-to-see-you-at-nar http://activerain.com/blogsview/1331325/face-the-facts-facebook-is-in-your-future <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/bob.corcoran1" title="Bob Corcoran's on Facebook!" target="_blank"><img title="Visit me on Facebook" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/6/2/5/7/ar125791169975269.jpg" height="56" alt="facebook, logo" width="150" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" /></a></p> <p>For those of you who have shied away from Facebook and other social media because you don't see the connection between spending time chatting and ringing up sales on the real estate cash register, be forewarned:&nbsp;<strong> it may be Facebook that delivers your website traffic, not Google searches</strong>.&nbsp; According to a recent article in <a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/" title="Copywriting Tips for Online" target="_blank">Copyblogger</a>, <strong>Facebook is on the road to becoming a major source of information that may eliminate the need to be concerned with SEO.&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>Rather that people searching Google to find information, they may ask a question on Facebook and get recommendations of people that their friends or others in the Facebook community have used.&nbsp; In other words, rather than searching for real estate agents in Omaha, someone may ask the Facebook community if anyone knows a good agent there. They are likely to get comments on their wall (and perhaps some private messages) that say "Use Dick Whitman, he sold my home in 2 weeks!" or "Avoid Tom Cruiser, he is a fast talker who didn't do anything for us."</p> <p>I am not saying you should lessen your efforts to pull up your Google ranking but there is big shift coming as to what's the best way to connect with people.&nbsp; <strong>Now is the time to see what Facebook and other social media is all about.</strong></p> <p><strong>Commitment: I will take the plunge and start learning about social media.</strong></p> <p><strong>Deadline:______________</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:00:20 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1331325/face-the-facts-facebook-is-in-your-future http://activerain.com/blogsview/1327436/not-too-light-not-too-heavy-client-response <p>Have you seen the Bud Light commercials?&nbsp; They are all along the theme of not too heavy/ not too light, which, of course, the taste that beer is supposed to embody. Realtors should take heed of the message.</p> <p><strong>Scenario One:</strong>&nbsp; Girl breaking up with her boyfriend</p> <p><strong><em>Too light:</em></strong>&nbsp; She tries to sugar coat the break, he misses the point</p> <p><strong><em>Too heavy:</em></strong>&nbsp; She tells him the news and then pushes him out of her speeding car. He stil doesn't get it and hopes they'll still be Facebook friends</p> <p><strong>Scenario Two:</strong>&nbsp; Man is trying to show off his amazing wonder dog</p> <p><strong><em>Too light:</em></strong>&nbsp; The dog barks, after some prodding</p> <p><strong><em>Too heavy:</em></strong>&nbsp; The man lets the dog drive a few blocks, with a few lawns fortunately the only casualties</p> <p><strong>Scenario Three:</strong>&nbsp; Woman tries to get waiter's attention in a restaurant</p> <p><strong><em>Too light:</em></strong> &nbsp;&nbsp;"Excuse me, when you get a minute," politely uttered</p> <p><strong><em>Too heavy:</em></strong>&nbsp; "Excuse me, when you get a minute," woman trips the waiter who flies through a plate glass window</p> <p><strong>Scenario Four:</strong>&nbsp; Woman tries to pin a boutonniere on her husband</p> <p><strong><em>Too light:</em></strong>&nbsp; She sticks it trough the buttonhole; it falls out</p> <p><strong><em>Too heavy:</em></strong>&nbsp; Woman attaches boutonniere to husband's chest with a nail gun, then offers to fix his zipper. He passes.</p> <p>Real estate agents have to pay close attention to their client's needs and wants when responding to Internet marketing forms.&nbsp; A lead may sign up to receive information about a listing.&nbsp; We may get a phone number as well as an email address, so we may make a phone call and certainly will put the lead on a drip mail campaign.&nbsp;</p> <p>Our quick response may impress the lead, but if he says he does not want to buy for six months or he's just looking, we want to find that happy medium between stalking him and ignoring him during that time. &nbsp;If you don't call him for six months, that response is too light.&nbsp; Frequent calls and daily emails would definitely be a response that is too heavy.&nbsp;</p> <p>If he says "just looking, you don't need to call me," anything more than an occasional call and monthly emails are responses that are too heavy.&nbsp; If he says "DO NOT CALL me, I am on the DO NOT CALL list," we'd better listen as our zeal could get us into trouble.&nbsp;</p> <p>If's he interested, a whole new set of rules about what's too heavy/what's too light come into play.&nbsp; By listening to the client, we will know how to find the balance.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:32:44 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1327436/not-too-light-not-too-heavy-client-response http://activerain.com/blogsview/1322733/joy-in-mudville <p><img title="Will housing hit a home run with renewed housing credit?" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/2/0/2/1/ar125748542412025.jpg" height="148" alt="baseball" width="171" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />If you're a New Yorker, there's joy in Mudville, so to speak, as the Yankees win another World Series. If you're a Realtor, you are rejoicing that the home buyer's credit was extended and expanded.&nbsp; Now, even current homeowners have incentives <strong><em>to buy up or buy elsewhere</em></strong>.&nbsp; This should help move housing stock not only at the lower end of the spectrum but higher price ranges as well.</p> <p>If you follow me, you know that I maintain that good Realtors always find ways to sell houses even without a credit.&nbsp; However, if NAR statistics are correct, 2 million people were helped by the current credit, while the economy has been stimulated to the tune of $22 million. &nbsp;Extending the credit can only continue to &nbsp;help general economic recovery, as well as that in housing.</p> <p><strong>There is definitely joy in Mudville for Americans on the move and those who'd like to be.</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:52:49 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1322733/joy-in-mudville http://activerain.com/blogsview/1315882/the-company-you-keep <p>There are a lot of sayings that come to mind when thinking about the people around us.<img title="Only flock with positive birds!" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/2/9/2/1/ar125718918412929.jpg" height="294" alt="birds, flock, tree" width="300" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" /></p> <p><strong>A man is known by the company he keeps...</strong></p> <p><strong>Birds of a feather flock together...</strong></p> <p><strong>One bad apple spoils the bunch...</strong></p> <p>We are not bound in our life by proverbs, but it is easy to pick up the attitudes&nbsp;od those around you.</p> <p>Take a look at who is around you in your daily life. Are they positive or negative? Helpful or hurtful? Toxic or healthy? It's been said - via another &nbsp;proverb - that <strong><em>you should fear an evil friend more than a beast because a beast can wound your body, but an evil friend can wound your mind</em></strong>. &nbsp;Keep positive people near you at all times and purge the rest.</p> <p>This does not mean that all your friends are Pollyannas or that you block out the bad news.&nbsp; There is a lot of bad news in real estate today; if you don't see if, you will miss the opportunity to react and respond to it.&nbsp; What you must to be successful in this market is turn any challenges you see in the news and turn them into opportunities and surround yourself with people willing to do the same.&nbsp;</p> <p>Imagine the impact of a group of positive people collectively working together. The synergy that comes from that group can change the world - or a least the real estate market in your neck of the woods.</p> <p><strong>Make A Commitment</strong>: I will stay positive and choose to be happy!</p> <p><strong>Deadline:&nbsp;&nbsp; _________</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:23:55 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1315882/the-company-you-keep http://activerain.com/blogsview/1314542/4-steps-to-success <p><img title="4 Steps to Success" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/5/0/5/6/ar12571078165058.jpg" height="261" alt="businessman, success" width="250" style="margin: 4px; float: right;" /></p> <p>I've been in the real estate consulting game now for 15 years and it still amazes me that many agents simply don't operate like a business.&nbsp; I often see starry-eyed agents who set grandiose goals only to trip on them and fall into a big pile of discouragement.</p> <p>Many people have only a vague idea of what their goals are and have even less clue about how to reach them.&nbsp;&nbsp; Few people stumble unto success; man who do are often "flash in the pan" successes because they don't really know what made then successful and, therefore, can't replicate it.</p> <p><strong>I offer four suggestions to make your business a success:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong><strong>Write your personal goals -&nbsp; </strong>Even if you are &nbsp;still formulating your goals, it is easier to figure out how to operationalize them if you have a starting point.</p> <p><strong>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Get a plan - </strong>The first item every business should have is a business plan. Without one, you're sailing rudderless.</p> <p><strong>3.</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Set small goals - </strong>No doubt, part of your business plan will have goals. Make sure they're realistic and small enough so that you can actually make headway with them.</p> <p><strong>4.</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Get an accountability partner - </strong>This may be a neighbor, a coworker, a broker or a personal coach. No matter whom it is, this person is charged with making sure you're striving for and reaching your goals. An outside perspective is essential.</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;Commitment:&nbsp; I will gormulate my goals todya.</strong></p> <p><strong>Deadline:&nbsp; _____</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:39:48 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1314542/4-steps-to-success http://activerain.com/blogsview/1314503/make-yourself-more-positive <p><img title="You are on charge of your attitude!" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/8/7/3/9/ar125710638193783.jpg" height="267" alt="woman, positive,phone" width="219" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" />Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner recently said that he is optimistic about the state of the U.S. economy, though recovery has been uneven. &nbsp;Of course, the same page of the MSN homepage featured a story about why the U.S. is in decline.&nbsp; Read both stories and you'll realize you have to make a choice.&nbsp; <strong>You can accept things going on in our society as "proof" things are on the downslide or you can accentuate the positive.</strong></p> <p>You may be thinking, <strong>"Oh, that's what Bob always says."</strong> &nbsp;If so, you are right. You choose how you feel. &nbsp;I have built my coaching career on this premise. &nbsp;A traditional market doesn't make you feel any way; <strong>you make yourself feel the way you do</strong>. &nbsp;No one else, no event, nothing makes you feel that way. It is all your doing, period.</p> <p>This is not saying that things in our economy (or any segment of life) are perfect.&nbsp; If you dwell on the imperfect, you can fall not thinking that things are hopeless and opportunities are limited.</p> <p>If you like books, grab a copy of <strong><em>The Traveler's Gift</em></strong> by Andy Andrews. He is a big fan of personal responsibility and is as motivating as they come. You can also visit my website for a document I wrote titled, <a href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/Commitment.php">"Fear or Confidence: Which Are You Choosing</a>?" that may help you discover bad choices you might be making.</p> <p><strong>Commitment:</strong> I will train myself to see life in a more positive manner.</p> <p><strong>Deadline:&nbsp; ________</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:15:22 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1314503/make-yourself-more-positive http://activerain.com/blogsview/1307224/30-touches-to-aid-housing-recovery <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Touch your clients 30 times in 2010" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/7/0/3/0/ar125673364103078.jpg" height="208" alt="touch, sunflower" width="510" style="margin: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /></p> <p>To take full advantage of the upcoming housing recovery, I recommend getting back to the basics of building relationships with past clients. Remember, <strong>it's cheaper to keep the old clients than to find new ones</strong>. Revisit them with <strong>30 touches during 2010</strong>.</p> <p><strong><em>Whoa, Bob, that's a lot of touches.</em></strong> Not really. Not when you break it down. Let me explain - first, you snail mail to them once a month - that's 12. E-mail them once a month, so we're up to 24 now. Then send a quarterly market update - 28 touches. Then send a birthday card and a card marking the anniversary of when they bought their home - and that makes 30. See, it doesn't sound so overwhelming now. &nbsp;</p> <p>I also recommend on top of these personal touches to increase advertising because most Realtors actually cut back in lean times so you will stand out from your competition. My rule of thumb for ad budgets is anywhere from six to 15 percent of your commission income.</p> <p>The fundamental fact is<strong><em> people need to see you. To know you're there, still in business and ready to help.</em></strong></p> <p>It's easy to forget the basics -- simple things like a personal handwritten note or a quick phone call to show care and concern. These things don't take a lot money - <em><strong>often, the personal touches never do. yet these are the type of things that peopel remember.</strong></em></p> <p>Let me know what you think about the real estate market's future. Send me an e-mail at <a href="mailto:bob@corcorancoaching.com">bob@corcorancoaching.com</a>.</p> <p><em>We look forward to hearing from you.&nbsp; Sign up TODAY for your complimentary business consultation. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.CorcoranCoaching.com/bpw.php</span></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:42:12 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1307224/30-touches-to-aid-housing-recovery http://activerain.com/blogsview/1306962/housing-recovery-up-or-down- <p><img title="Housing recovery - glass half empy or half full?" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/9/7/5/2/ar125670068225799.jpg" height="254" alt="glass" width="164" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" />If you have read more than a blog or two of mind, you know I am an optimist.&nbsp; That's why when Moody's Investors Service, a financial research firm, shared what some believe to be somber news in September, predicting it could take 10 years to get back to boom-level housing prices, I was not upset.</p> <p>When I first saw the news about this slow return of a housing peak my first thought was, &lsquo;Great, we've got 10 years of steady growth in real estate ahead of us.' I immediately saw the beauty in the news. The bright side. I suppose that's the way I look at most things.</p> <p>I'm sure some who heard the exact same news might have sighed and said, &lsquo;Gee, this market is never going to recover.'&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>The fact is, like the quote, we often see what we're looking for. And when people can't rid themselves of negative thinking, it sometimes ends up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. You think bad and sure enough, bad happens. Take a minute and think about how you felt when you read about this 10-year return to peak housing. Be honest. Was the cup half full or half empty?</p> <p>Well, even if you're a half empty kind of Realtor; let me brighten your day a little. First, in the same news report about the slow return, we learned home-builder stocks have rallied. In fact, the sector has doubled from the March lows.&nbsp;This tells me investors are hopeful the worst is over.</p> <p>And Moody's also reports housing prices will begin to even out with fewer fluctuations and "behave in a much more moderate manner during the recovery."&nbsp;</p> <p>Plus, consider historic low interest rates and low prices to boot. It's no wonder we're beginning to see positive signs of a recovery. Frankly, I'm looking forward to the next 10 years - I think they'll be the most stable we've seen in many years, and I believe we'll all begin to prosper as the market corrects itself</p> <p><strong>Commitment:</strong>&nbsp; I will look from the positive side of&nbsp;real estate statistics.</p> <p><strong>Deadline:</strong>&nbsp; _____________________</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:32:44 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1306962/housing-recovery-up-or-down- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1304993/tips-for-staying-in-touch-without-spending-a-fortune <p><img title="Keep your old clients!" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/3/7/5/ar125661056957376.jpg" height="215" alt="business, brief case" width="200" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" /></p> <p>In America, we have a fascination with the new.&nbsp; Ask anyone who works for a city trash collection department.&nbsp; Tree lawns, especially in wealthier suburbs, are covered with usable furniture and working appliances in need of a new knob or some other small repair.&nbsp; In some cases, it's becomes cheaper to buy new small electrics than repair them.</p> <p>There's one area where it is definitely not cheaper to go for the new rather than salvage the old.</p> <p>In a document entitled "Keep Those Customers Coming Back!," the Better Business Bureau stated businesses will spend roughly five times more to obtain a new customer than they would to keep an existing one. And yet when many small business owners think of customer communication, they are thinking of reaching new customers and potential clients. They are wondering how to increase traffic to their website, or how to make the phone ring with new business.</p> <p>Here is a statistic to think about: according to Businesstown.com, if you currently retain 70% of your customers and begin a program to improve that to 80%, you will add an additional 10% to your growth rate. By taking care of the clients you already have, you increase the chances of repeat business, add-on sales and referrals.</p> <p>As a real estate agent and small business owner, chances are you do not have a huge promotion budget. That's why &nbsp;newsletters, brochures, thank-you notes and satisfaction questionnaires remain a great way to keep in touch with past clients ( a potential source of referrals), and past contacts who aren't quit ready to buy. &nbsp;</p> <p>For additional information and guidance on this topic we have posted an article on our website entitled "<a href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/images/pics/tip_183.pdf" target="_blank">Tips for Staying in Touch without Spending a Fortune</a>" for you to review.</p> <p>Show us your commitment by commenting with your thoughts, plan and deadline below!</p> <p><strong>Make A Commitment:</strong> I will implement at least one of these ideas and track my results.</p> <p><strong>Deadline:</strong> _____________</p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:31:54 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1304993/tips-for-staying-in-touch-without-spending-a-fortune http://activerain.com/blogsview/1301716/tips-for-working-with-buyer-financing-issues <p><img title="Working with buyers with financing issues" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/5/6/6/1/ar125643205716657.jpg" height="259" alt="cash, buyer" width="223" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" /></p> <p>In the current housing market, eager buyers may have their wings clipped when they go to the bank.&nbsp; Interest rates are low but requirements for getting a mortgage loan are tougher these days.&nbsp;</p> <p>Here's where you as an agent can really earn your commission.&nbsp; Most of us portray ourselves as <strong>"real estate consultants."</strong> So what can you do to help clients?&nbsp;</p> <p>We all know that days of encouraging clients to get pre-qualified by a bank are long gone; pre-approval is what's needed now.&nbsp; If, after talking to the client, you know he might have some credit issues, <strong>encourage him to get that pre-approval letter sooner rather than later</strong>.&nbsp; If you know of some lenders who are particularly good at dealing with borrowers with lower scores or certain financial circumstances, <strong>make sure you share you expertise with the client</strong>.</p> <p>When he gets the word back from the bank(s), the client may have some loan choices available to him as well as being informed of the maximum loan amount.&nbsp; With several loan choices, the potential buyer may be able to buy more home for a certain payment level.&nbsp; If he is not quite sure what the lender was talking about, <strong>make sure you help him understand all his options</strong>.</p> <p>Once you know the maximum loan the client can get, <strong>make sure you steer him to properties in his price range.</strong>&nbsp; If a client on a beer budget falls in love with a champagne-priced house, it will be hard to get financing unless he has more cash available.&nbsp; Maybe you can exceed the limit a bit if you think a seller will take a low ball offer, but this will end up wasting everyone's time if you don't gear your efforts toward great properties the client can afford.</p> <p>Once the deal is in process, the buyer may be very enthusiatic about getting new furnture, new carpet,new drapes, etc.&nbsp; Not that you want to squelch his joy, but make sure you mention that <strong>charging a major purchase may affect his ability to get hhe loan.&nbsp;</strong>it's very important for buyes to maintina the same debt to income ratio they had when the loan was approved.</p> <p><strong>If the client can't get financing, obviously you do not want to waste his time or yours when there are no more options</strong>, but if you have treated him with respect and been clear about his options, he'll be willing to work with you when the time is right for him to buy.&nbsp; Just make sure to check in with him occasionally until that time comes where you can turn a lead into a <strong>SALE.</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p><a title="Bob's website" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Corcoran</span></a></p> <p><strong>To begin receiving our Tip Of The Week please go to </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/tip_week.php"><strong><em>Awesome Tips!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>To learn what Coaching can do for you, click here: </strong><a title="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php blocked::http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php" href="http://www.corcorancoaching.com/testimonials.php"><strong><em>The Power of Coaching!</em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Quality Tested by CRS, </strong><a title="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html" href="http://www.crsstore.com/cococo.html"><strong>click here for the CRS Store</strong></a></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="corcoran" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/9/0/9/ar12507050590991.jpg" alt="logo" width="200" height="88" /></p></div> Bob Corcoran (Corcoran Consulting & Coaching) Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:59:31 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1301716/tips-for-working-with-buyer-financing-issues