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Blog entries tagged with "competition":
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Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers
and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and
blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to
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Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members
of this community.
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Microsoft provides free software tools to develop video games...but not everyone can do it. Well, 2 groups from Cal State Fullerton took Microsoft up on its offer and then they entered their games into a contest called the "Imagine Cup" which is a student technology competition developed by Microsoft.
In an interesting twist on an oft-emphasized subject, size really does matter - but in this case not the large size but the smaller variety.
This was a question that someone asked me when I told them I staged houses and did interior redesign. They were referring to redesign. He couldn't believe that people would actually pay to have someone rearrange their rooms. He then said the people were stupid. I was wondering if maybe offering … (9 comments)
As often times happens here on AR, I read a post and it has inspired me to write a post on that or a similar subject. This is the case here. I read a post this morning by Jennifer Allan about a potential buyer calling her on a Sunday mourning to … (15 comments)
I woke up this morning more fired up than I have been in months.
Effective April 1st, 2008, Personal Auto insurance began being issued on a competitive basis. No longer are the rates the same for each policy based on identical criteria. The 21 insurance carriers licensed to writer personal auto in the State of Massachusetts can now compete for the consumer's business. Braley & … (0 comments)
An article from RISMedia.com, reports that in today's market that is overloaded with agents, it's a challenge to stand out from the crowd. The best way to stand out from the competition and be known in a market as the real estate expert is to create and maintain a personal brand that captures … (2 comments)
I co-host a radio show in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday mornings called "The Real Estate Reality Hour". This morning's guest was Walt Slobotski, current President of the Metro Omaha Builder's Association, MOBA. Walt asked me an interesting question while we were on air; he was wondering what is the best color … (1 comments)
The niche should be your ultimate goal...not what you can do with it...it's ultimate because it is perfect, well defined and unquestionable...when you have it, the rest will fall into place and be automatic... It's like marketing...you define your target area (prospects) and you systematically set up an automatic, timely way of … (5 comments)
Hello From The Northland,The best you car ever looked is the day you bought it and the day you decide to sell. Once you buy your car you drive it all over town, fill the ash tray with wrappers, clutter the trunk with stuff, you find items in the front seats, … (5 comments)
I just posted a recording of the latest real estate teleseminar; please feel free to visit http://www.joecooke.com/ and then go to the link marked "For Real Estate Agents."This free teleseminar covers how to create and use a customized marketing plan to make your listing presentations more powerful and effective.There is also … (1 comments)
With thousands of Real Estate listings in the Edmonton area it's more than likely there's a bit of competition on your street. Properly preparing your home for sale will bring it to a level playing field, if not a step above its competitors. 
I have come across sellers who feel that with a sluggish market right now, an overstock of inventory and an inevitable economic cash crunch staring us in the face, they shouldn't have to remodel or stage their homes for sale... 
When I was 3 or 4 I experienced my first "public" Easter egg hunt at my pre-school. From what I remember...all of the other kids were beaming with excitement and seemed to be bouncing off the walls which in turn made it difficult for me to contain myself although I don't think I really … (11 comments)
So Here is a question for everyone, We have to stay competitive, but family should always be more important than the work we do, right?So, what about taking vacations? How do you handle vacations with your family - Would you restrict yourself to domestic travel?Do you work while you are away and … (3 comments)
OK here it is, let's have some fun!Can I please have your nominees for Miss ActiveRain 2008.We can do State competitions followed by the National finals!Who would like to enter, and who would like to be a judge?We'd also need some organizers... who's in?Swimsuits not necessary but they may give you … (23 comments)
I think most home inspectors that are on the fence about whether or not to buy a thermal camera seem to lean towards the argument of it being a liability. In my opinion of this is, "... sour grapes," (if you can't reach them they must be bad).Home inspections as an … (2 comments)
Coming Soon! 48 Straight. The final venue in this exciting Ski/Snowboard Event will be in Sun Valley from March 14th-16th. Here is a link to the website for a calendar of events.
www.48straight.com
Hope to see you here. … (0 comments)
If you're in the commercial real estate field, at some point you've questioned why a client didn't choose you to handle their real estate transaction. Here are ten possible reasons. 
There's a great article that just came out in the Feb. 25th edition of Time in conjunction with CNN. It's something to send to your buyer clients who may have been or continue to be on the sidelines interms of moving forward with purchasing a home. Essentially it outlines that any … (8 comments)
For several months now you have heard me mention again and again how many home sellers were asking for more money per square foot than the developers were. It made little sense to me that a buyer would pay $134/sq ft when a developer would sell them a brand new … (0 comments)
The phone calls, leads and contacts we have coming-in are amazing! Thanks to the training system we have in place, we are closing a high percentage of our contacts, and, we are getting busier and busier every day. We are looking for experienced agents that know how to make the most … (0 comments)
I was speaking with a friend of mine yesterday about the piece I wrote the other day on my main blog site regarding the other reverse mortgage guy who was trying to convince my client to not meet with me. During the conversation with my friend, who is also in the … (0 comments)
On the City of Coopersville website, Cindy Timmerman proudly proclaims, 
My Mom probably won't approve. 
At least once a year I think it's important to assess your strengths and weaknesses as they pertain to your business. We all want our businesses to improve. What are some things we need to look at?Here's a place to start:Who are your two biggest competitors?What do they do well?What do … (6 comments)
I thought this needed to be posted because it may affect some people in our area. I know I have seen a lot of incentives offered by some builders as of late. Most of the offers make it hard for anyone trying to sell against them. It's hard to believe that … (3 comments)
A tip to making "Life-long clients": BE EXCEPTIONAL. A client's concerns always take precedence over our own. Always put your clients first. Go ahead, be exceptional. It's that simple. You know, it feels greater-than-great seeing a client's face light up immediately following a closing. I'll never get tired of it. But … (8 comments)
Whenever you feel like there is too much competition - too many other designers or realtors in your area, too many do-it-yourself shows on tv, other professionals getting the big jobs that you want, etc. - you have to remember that you are coming from a place of "lack." The truth is: there … (10 comments)
What sellers are often told is more true right now than ever. Price your house to sell. Review the prices of the homes in the area. Get your agent to help you review:
I had previously posted a blog titled Brokerage in Omaha not Paying Agents what they Advertise in the MLS. I received a call from my broker today informing me that the company that had this policy has decided to change their ways. They are now going to pay all co-operating agents … (0 comments)
I was reading a post here today on AR and someone commented on a it (can't remember who) and made mention of doing this. It wasn't in reference to that particular post, it was just something kind of thrown out there that they do. They take their sellers out to tour the competition in the … (43 comments)
If you are in business you know that often the competition can be quite dishonest and often they will go to lengths to hurt your business. In fact, in all my years in business I have seen just about every single trick that can possibly be played against me. Every single … (9 comments)
GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME? I WAS BLOCKED. WHAT A SHOCK! I CALLED MY "FRIEND & ASSOCIATE" LAST NIGHT TO ASK WHY IN THE WORLD SHE WOULD BLOCK ME?!!! WELL GUESS WHAT? SHE DID NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT LINKING HER WEBSITE TO ACTIVE RAIN, PROVIDES INFORMATION, ABOUT OTHER REALTORS. MAYBE, … (1 comments)
How We Can All Learn From McDonalds Some may have heard, some may have noticed, but for those who haven't, I'm going to show you how we can learn from McDonalds. Throughout the country recently, McDonalds has been remodeling their locations to favor the style of Starbucks, upscale restaurants and … (18 comments)
The mirror is the center of one of my favorite movies, "Snow White". When the Queen is mirrored in a way she does not like she becomes filled with rage and jealousy. Which leads me to my point...
"We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship."~ General Omar Bradley
The Competition Bureau has released its report studying self-regulated professions in Canada, i.e., accountants, lawyers, optometrists, pharmacists and real estate agents.
Among the many recommendations, the Bureau suggested:
More uniform education and experience for broker registration, across the various provincial/territorial jurisdictions.
Increasing mobility between jurisdictions.
Limiting advertising restrictions to protecting consumers … (1 comments)
Homeowners who are preparing to sell realize there's quite a bit of competition out there. While presenting your home in model condition is one of the best ways to win the attention of potential buyers, be careful to avoid the pitfalls of improvements that may not produce the full-price offer you … (0 comments)
Then Bring us Some Figgy Pudding! Here it comes, a superbly fun event for your holiday season!People from all over the Puget Sound look forward to this musical competition full of a tongue-in-cheek spunkiness! It may be too late to pull your caroling team together, but dont miss the crazy fun, costumes, silliness, … (1 comments)
Nationally today the National Association of Realtors NAR issued some new statistics regarding home sales. (keep in mind that these numbers are a national average, and do not apply across the board!) What the numbers do reveal are trends. Nationally of course home sales are off, but they are off 20.7% from … (34 comments)
Recently, I went to a stager's liquidation sale. They were getting out of the prop rental side and going to focus on purely redesign. Initially, I didn't want to let on I was also a stager; I thought they might either mark up the pricing or be snide and negative. Of … (37 comments)
Ok, by now all of you should know I'm not a run in fear kind of girl so it is going to be the latter of the two choices. I would like to give you a heads up on something that is going on in my area. I think we'll start … (16 comments)
I cannot stress enough the importance of getting your buyers to commit to dealing with you exclusively.
When you're selling your home, one of the biggest competitors is the new home development in the area. Visit these developments to size up your competition and get ideas on how to beat them at their own game! Help your home to have the same appeal as the new homes by … (0 comments)
Last night (yup, Sunday - and it was my birthday! - but the referring Realtor has been great to me!), I did a pre-listing Staging Consultation for a delightful couple who are still in the midst of newly-wed bliss. This was fairly last-minute, but I did have time to do some … (8 comments)
I have been reading a lot of AR posts this week that reminded me how much we need each other now more than ever before. From our friends and associates who were in the path of the California Wildfires to the members that are either facing cancer or have family that are facing some … (10 comments)
It's easy to look at the top agents and think you get "how" they do it - but usually there are specific steps and marketing processes you do not see at first glance. 
1.Self-Belief - We have to always set goals, believe that we will achieve them and take action to make our dreams a reality. For example, if business becomes slow and you are not getting any clients, think about different strategies that will increase your business. The thing about real estate is … (0 comments)
Excerpt From CAR 
I just had a great thought as I was conversing with a colleague of mine in the office today. She was commenting on how shoddy a particular listing was coming up in the MLS. There were typos, a reference to a bonus to be paid for a contract by July (it's … (0 comments)
As a newby to this community it is fun to see that when there is motion in one account others who are marginally engaged in the process seem to liven up and chase in a few instances. It think this is the point of the system I remember seeing an interview … (3 comments)
The Solar Decathlon has come to Washington, D.C. 
There is a lot of competition in real estate. Personally I love competition. Competition makes me work harder and provide my clients with the most satifying experience I can. Competition is in itself a good thing.Helping other real estate agents is also a good thing. The company I represent strives … (11 comments)
Setting a realistic market price for a property is most important if we plan to move it in a reasonable amount of time. Sometimes coming up with a CMA from our local MLS system info is a challenge when there has not been a lot of activity in a given area … (1 comments)
Think being priced $10,000 under the similar house up the street will gain interest in your listing?WRONG!Your real competition when it comes to selling resale listings are the new home builders.Builders currently have so much surplus inventory, they are almost giving homes away at or below cost just to get their … (0 comments)
We Can All Use A Kickstart To Success 
Hello Acitve Rain community....I am so happy and I just had to share. There is another agent in my homewtown (try 5000 people.) I have lost lots of listings over the years. He is a fast talker....He actually told someone that I could not sell houses because I was too busy … (12 comments)
New business models....we are afraid!!! Are we? Don't consumers deserve choices? Some consumers are very knowledgeable about the real estate process and commission structures and different models and yet others have no idea how it works. Believe it or not, some agents don't know how they work - perhaps because they are … (37 comments)
While working in the real estate industry, I've seen the competition going on between realtors. I like comparing competiting with other realtors like the video game Mortal Kombat. The object of the video game is to destroy your opponent. While in the video game you can see everything happening to you … (4 comments)
This business is funny because everyone working it is fending for themselves, working tirelessly for thier meeger portion of the pie. They feel alone, and like it is every man/woman for themself; when in reality there is more than enough transactions for everyone, and we do not need to cut down … (3 comments)
In any competitive business, and admit it, real estate is competitive, you need something that sets you apart. You need something that brings the consumers to you and not to the other guy. Thus, it makes sense that we take steps to promote our unique skills. But face it, most of us possess … (5 comments)
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The Arabian Youth Nationals Horse Show was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico during the week of July 28th-August 4th of this year. The show featured 124 different classes of competition, and drew 32,000 spectators to watch these wonderful horse and rider teams compete. This is the Arabian Horse Association premier youth event … (1 comments)
Today, at our loan officer meeting, we had a great visit from Megan Burns. She is a principal and CEO of Offer Angels. She is on AR. I never knew her, spoke with her, or met her until she came to our office today. She has a program that is free … (18 comments)
I recently took a listing for someone that I've known both professionally and personally. They own a beautiful home and when it was built had all the bells and whistles included.In marketing their home, I felt the best way was to build up the best feature of the home, the backyard. It is … (17 comments)
Do you remember a time when NO ONE knew what HOME STAGING was? I do! I remember in the early days of my business I found it difficult to market because I had to come up with words that described what I could accomplish in a home to help it to sell, … (5 comments)
Months ago, I told my real estate coach, Joeann Fossland, that I really wanted to learn how to blog effectively for real estate. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for! Seriously, I could not be happier. By hook and by crook, Joeann introduced me to Frances Flynn Thorsen. … (16 comments)
We as Real Estate Agents have a very interesting relationship within our field. If you are a listing agent you want buyer's agents showing your listings. Even though we may be competing to get the same listing we must also not burn the bridges with agents in our own communities … (5 comments)
I am just writing a mindless blog to express my frustration with a relocation situation that I have recently experienced. I met a customer, potential client, at one of my listings not too long ago. I showed my listing, a lovely home situated perfectly on a 5 acre lot in Souther … (2 comments)
Stop Focusing on your Competition, Focus on YOU!
Jim Rohn said it best when he said, “Don’t wish for things to be easier, wish for YOU to be better!” This is advice I think a lot of us could use more in our lives. If you study the law of … (9 comments)
Wikipedia provides a reasonably robust definition of: A Request for Proposal (referred to as RFP) is an invitation for suppliers, through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific product or service. An RFP typically involves more than the price. RFPs often include specifications of the item, project or service … (8 comments)
Wondering if it's too hot to go look at houses in Central Minnesota during the summer? Does the heat and humidity have you saying, "We'll just look next week, when it gets cooler?" If this is the case, think also about the money that you could save as a buyer in … (0 comments)
I got a call from a seasoned notary/signing agent who's telling me about an "odd" signing she had today. Seems as though the Mrs. was named first on title and all the docs of course, and her spouse (Mr) was only on the legals. Okay, yeah, so.....The signer proceeds to tell me … (0 comments)
Your real competition is across the street, down the block; each and every home in your subdivision that is actively for sale. Additional competition consists of similar neighborhoods a few blocks away or any competitively priced neighborhood in your town.For years, agents have been taught to pull up the "solds" to … (0 comments)
The problem we are seeing and/or having is that sellers are either not realistic with the market. They still think they can get last years prices, or they bought in the last two years and have to get so much or they will lose. This makes them try to make more, … (9 comments)
Innovative real estate brokers and websites offer American home buyers and sellers an opportunity to substantially reduce the $60 billion they collectively spend each year on real estate brokerage commission fees. REAL ESTATE, REAL COMPETITION & THE LAW™ chronicles what one lawyer believes to be a variety of anticompetitive practices … (1 comments)
This morning I read an article in the Inman news about Tennessee House of Representatives Amendment that would prohibit brokers from paying "cash rebates, cash gifts, or cash prizes" to home buyers or home sellers in real estate transactions.
The 12th Annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Is Coming! For Five Years Running The Race In Houlton Was The Largest In The Country With Close To 200 Racers! Youth From Around Northern Maine Learn "The Thrill Of The Hill"! Visit http://samhahockey.tripod.com/nmsbd For The Full Scoop On This Competitive Family … (0 comments)