activerain contests: The Perks of Living in My Community – March 2020 ActiveRain Challenge
- 02/29/20 08:35 AM
The Perks of Living in My Community
~ ActiveRain Challenge for March 2020 ~
I bet most, if not all, of us really like where we live and find it easy to talk about why that’s so, especially when asked by buyers.
We know buyers are not just searching for the right house, but for the neighborhood that fits their particular lifestyle and needs. Buyers search for homes, but also areas that appeal to them and the amenities they offer.
It’s clear that posts about larger communities and individual neighborhoods typically get a lot of traffic, and are of interest to prospective buyers, and perhaps … (137 comments)
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activerain contests: Reminder - The ActiveRain Challenge for October 2019
- 10/21/19 08:25 AM
A Reminder About the ActiveRain Challenge for October 2019
Halloween is coming up quickly, and you don’t want to be haunted by the fact that you didn’t participate in the October Challenge about your past life before real estate. And missed out on those 1000 bonus points for your reflections.
This is a friendly reminder the deadline is 10 days from now, on October 31st, at 11:59 PM PST. Since that IS Halloween and you could be busy with other things that evening, don’t put on writing your post til the last minute and miss out.
It’s been great fun to read the posts … (10 comments)
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activerain contests: An ActiveRain Challenge for October 2019 - In My Past Life I…
- 09/19/19 07:23 AM
An ActiveRain Challenge for October 2019 - In My Past Life I…
Some here on ActiveRain may have moved into their full-time role as a REALTOR, or mortgage officer, or some other real-estate related position as their first “real” career. But most of us had one or more prior careers before transitioning into the real estate business.
THE CHALLENGE:
Tell us about your previous career, and your path to becoming a licensed real estate professional, staging professional, home inspector, mortgage officer, title or escrow officer, real estate consultant, and so on.
Our gallery - MARK GALLERY - in Cambridge 2002 - 2005
Here are some … (272 comments)
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activerain contests: What a Difference a Decade Makes – A Reminder about the Challenge!
- 07/26/19 12:12 AM
What a Difference a Decade Makes!!
A July Challenge Reminder!
This is a friendly reminder, for those who are up to the challenge and want to earn some additional points, that the deadline for the “What a Difference a Decade Makes” challenge is coming up fast.
Entries for the challenge are due by the end of the month, July 31st at 11:59 pm PST, which is next Wednesday!
Some of you luckty ones can stretch it into the very wee hours of Thursday am!
In case you missed the challenge, it’s about reflecting back on the last 10 years and what’s happened in your … (33 comments)
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activerain contests: An Absentee Seller, Breakfast Sandwiches, and an Out-of-Tune Piano
- 02/28/18 11:43 AM
An Absentee Seller, Breakfast Sandwiches, and a Piano
One of my first transactions with RE/MAX when I moved to Carlsbad several months after getting licensed, was a listing I shared with my broker of a house in Cardiff – I was the official listing agent. It was a great experience overall as a way to start learning the paperwork and process, vastly different from how we did things in Massachusetts.
From the beginning it was clear the seller trusted us to do what needed to be done to prepare the home for sale and hopefully sell it quickly, following only a phone … (22 comments)
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activerain contests: I Loved, Loved, Loved This Transaction
- 02/27/18 04:27 PM
I Loved, Loved, Loved This Transaction
For her February challenge Lisa Von Domek encouraged us to write about 1, 2 or 3 transactions that we really loved, and to share our reasons, and learnings. There have been so many it’s hard to choose. This transaction stood out for several reasons.
We were on our flight to Kauai for an 8-day vacation, and upon landing I had a voice mail from an agent wanting to refer a buyer couple to me. They are interested in buying a beach home, and had a pretty good idea of what they wanted and needed, including an ocean view. … (10 comments)
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activerain contests: Marketing Winners, Losers and the Future Challenge is Almost Over
- 02/25/18 08:14 AM
Marketing Winners, Losers & the Future Challenge
Will We Hear from You?
The marketing challenge for February will come to an end on Wednesday the 28th…remember it’s a shorter month…but there is still plenty of time to get your entry in for all of us to enjoy.
Just a friendly reminder that the deadline is the 28th at midnight ActiveRain (Pacific Standard) time.
We have lots of great posts about the marketing strategies that did not work well for one reason or another, but more importantly about many successes that people have had.
And there are some different perspectives on what success, or … (9 comments)
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activerain contests: Harvard Square Condo Conversion & Multiple Sales – A Favorite Client
- 02/16/18 08:03 AM
A Harvard Square Condo Conversion Led to Multiple Sales A Favorite Client in the Early Years
I’ve written before about my successes with floor time when I first started in the business – here’s another.
I started with RE/MAX Destiny in the Harvard Square area of Cambridge (photo is of Harvard Yard), across the river from Boston, when I was first licensed.
There was terrific walk-in traffic in this store-front style brokerage, and I took on floor time almost immediately. It paid off in spades!!
In 2004, about a year and a half after getting licensed, a gentleman walked in and being on … (9 comments)
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activerain contests: Do You See What I See? A Transaction with Fond Memories
- 02/02/18 10:37 AM
Do You See What I See?
Lisa Von Domek encouraged us to write about as many as 3 transactions we loved for her Love is in the Air challenge this month. It’s an appropriate theme given the approaching Valentine’s Day, but what a wonderful way to reflect on our business and the many positive experiences we have, and the significant impact and involvement we have in people’s lives.
It’s hard to limit my reflections to just 3 – there are many, indeed most, that are memorable in very positive ways. But a choice must be made, and this transaction was such a pleasure, … (17 comments)
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activerain contests: Marketing Winners, Losers, and the Future: Challenge for February 2018
- 02/01/18 08:08 AM
Marketing Winners, Losers, and the Future:
Your February 2018 Challenge
We all know how essential marketing is for success in our business, whether its lead generation, or marketing ourselves, our services, or our listings. Some things we do work well and yield results we want and expect…hopefully most of them.
But sometimes our marketing efforts are a bust for some reason, with money and/or time spent with limited or no results. It’s a good learning experience, but a tough one, and maybe costly.
There are 3 parts to this marketing challenge, with 2000 points as your reward for sharing your experiences.
PART 1 - … (144 comments)
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activerain contests: 2018 January Blog Jumpstart Challenge - Full Details On January 5th
- 12/26/17 01:55 PM
It's that time again...for Lynn Friedman's January Blog Jumpstart Challenge, now for the 7th year in a row.
If you have participated before you know what fun, and a challenge, it can be. There are a varuety of topics to write about and different levels depending on how inspired you are or how much time you have. What a great way to kick off the new year!
2018 January Blog Jumpstart Challenge -
Full Details On January 5th
Take this opportunity to learn ---
bump your Blogging Skills to a higher level.
PLUS ..........
MAXIMUM BONUS … (14 comments)
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activerain contests: I’m Thankful for What I've Learned from Other Agents
- 11/22/17 01:11 PM
I’m Thankful to Learn from Other Agents
There’s no doubt we have the opportunity to learn a lot in our business – from each transaction, from the classes and webinars we take, from training provided by our brokerages, from our clients, and from other agents.
Whether the agents are terrific, average, or incompetent, there is something to learn. First, the positives:
Communication – I’ve learned how important it is, no matter what form it takes, and the timing is key. Some agents are very impressive with how they communicate, what , and where, and this is helpful to keep in mind for my own … (29 comments)
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activerain contests: Tuscany in the Mist - AR Photography 2017 Contest
- 10/29/17 08:56 PM
Tuscany in the Mist
We last were in Italy in 2014, staying at a very charming 2-bedroom condo at a villa in the small Tuscan town of Montagnana, about 45 minutes from Florence, in the Chianti region. The views were incredible, looking out over hills, valleys, vineyards and hill towns.
I was up very early one morning soon after our arrival and was captivated by this view from the patio of our condo. We enjoyed many lunches and evenings on this patio with the ever-changing views, but the mist this one particular morning was especially magical, although it hides so much of … (27 comments)
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activerain contests: Habits: A Good One, A Bad One, and a Change!
- 09/03/17 09:28 AM
My Habits: Good Ones, Bad Ones, and Needing to Make Changes
Debbie Reynolds has invited us to hang out the laundry in her challenge for September: Habits, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. We all have them…good habits that help in so many ways; bad ones, that may be minor but perhaps are better if we got rid of them; and those ugly habits we have successfully ditched, or perhaps still need to – Yay!! Please don’t judge me…here goes.
I decided to turn things around a little and end on a more positive note!
THE UGLINESS - SMOKING
Yep, I was a smoker … (21 comments)
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activerain contests: What I Do Well and Where I Can Improve!
- 05/07/17 12:27 PM
What I Do Well and Where I Can Improve!
Carol Williams invites us to discuss our strengths and weaknesses in her May challenge. Part of the task is to discuss our strengths and how they help us in our business, but to also share our weaknesses and how we overcome, or manage, them.
Having grown up in corporate Human Resources a formal performance review of employees was part of the annual process. As a Manager, Director, and then VP my role each year was to share my thoughts with my employees regarding the areas where they excelled, as well as where they needed … (25 comments)
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activerain contests: The Challenges of Work-Life Balance – Your Personal Story
- 04/30/17 05:08 PM
The Challenges of Work-Life Balance – Your Personal Story
We all know striking a balancing between personal and work life is a challenge. It’s true in any industry, but certainly can be a struggle in the real estate business.
The very nature of the real estate business presents hurdles that can make it tough to balance with a desired personal life:
Demands stemming from how we work with buyers and sellers\
Needing to work with a variety of vendors outside our control, such as lenders, home inspectors, title officers, attorneys, escrow officers
The ease of communication via email and texting which means it … (170 comments)
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activerain contests: 3 Strategies for a Winning Offer
- 04/10/17 10:17 PM
3 Strategies for a Winning Offer
Debbie Reynolds has encouraged us to share 3 strategies to compete effectively in a hot market, and increase the buyer’s chances of the offer being noticed and accepted, in her contest Hot Market Strategies – An ActiveRain Contest. Entries are due by the end of the day April 30 so don’t delay!
Many buyers today are competing for the same property, and formulating a great strategy is essential. That’s where we come in. Sometimes you know, when submitting an offer, that there are others, but yours could be the first. You certainly don’t want to risk your … (38 comments)
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activerain contests: Please Fix Those Errors in the MLS
- 04/05/17 11:45 AM
Please Fix Those Errors in the MLS
One of the challenges for April, from Kathleen Daniels, is to share one of our pet peeves in our business for her No Fooling Around April 2017 Let’s Get Real Contest. No doubt you have something that irks you so let’s hear about it by the end of April!
When I consider what irks me in our business a number of things immediately came to mind – people in the business not doing their job, and lack of communication for example.
I decided, however, to write about mistakes in the MLS listings, which of course includes typos. … (28 comments)
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activerain contests: The 3 Brands I Trust
- 03/30/17 08:37 PM
The 3 Brands I Trust
Ron and Alexandra Seigel have invited us to share our top 3 brands and why. Tomorrow is the deadline for this challenge, and some extra points, so if you haven’t shared yours time is running out.
I thought this would be easy but it really wasn’t, at least not for me. And perhaps that makes this more of a meaningful challenge, which is all good!
It was kinda fun to think back about brands I have used, some of which have fallen by the wayside because of product or service issues. I’ve had several vendors related to home maintenance … (33 comments)
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activerain contests: I Don’t Get Paid for Spring Cleaning so I Did it for Free Anyway!
- 03/23/17 01:40 PM
ActiveRain Spring Cleaning Challenge for March 2017
Debbie Laity issued quite a lofty task to ActiveRain members in her It’s Time for Some Spring Cleaning with the Spring Cleanup Challenge for March 2017. The extra points are a nice incentive to get going on cleaning up some old posts, but truthfully it’s something we should probably be working on year-round to fix those dirty older posts.
The challenge of Spring Cleaning, and with cleaning up some of my old posts, is getting started, as it is with many tasks which aren’t necessarily fun despite being important.
I admit to a bit of procrastinating, … (17 comments)
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The Perks of Living in My Community
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