Skip ‘em. Unless you want to join the top 4% of the wage earners in real estate, that is. Unless you want to be part of a group that averages $106,500 closed gross commission per year as opposed to the non CRS designee average income of only $38,500 according to NAR statistics.
Skip ‘em. After all, you know for sure that the public doesn't care about designations, right?. You've heard that before, and you believe it. Never mind that the goal of the courses and designation is improving you and your business so that you can reach more of today's consumers and do more business.
Skip ‘em. After all, you have better things to do with your time than to sit in a 2-day CRS core course and spend all that money to do so, right? You have a business to run. You can't waste time taking the best in-depth course taught by the best real estate instructors in the real estate industry, right?
Skip ‘em. After all, you're doing fine, aren't you? Even though you're doing it all yourself, working too hard for the money you make, losing too many prospects and listings (read "money") and too often ignoring what is truly important in life (family, friends, personal growth) because you're working too much. Here's a secret: the CRS core courses are designed to prevent all of that! More income + more time = a better life!
Skip ‘em. After all, you probably don't need to know:
- How to design a business plan that insures your business grows (CRS 200)
- The latest techniques and strategies used by top agents to get more listings in less time (CRS 201)
- How top agents sell more buyers in less time and don't waste time in their cars showing so many houses to "buyers" who aren't buyers (CRS 202)
- How to build your personal wealth (CRS 204)
- Financing and tax strategies (CRS 205)
- What really works when it comes to Web sites, social networking, digital imaging, automatic followup systems, how VA's can double your income and more (CRS 206)
- How to generate more referrals...and not just from a "geographic farm" but from all over the US and the world (CRS 210)
Before I make my pitch, a disclaimer: I have the CRS designation, and I am a Senior Instructor for the CRS 206 technology course and proud to be one of the 19 best real estate instructors the real estate industry has to offer. That said, here's my pitch: if you are serious about building a profitable real estate business, you would be foolish not to take the 2 day CRS core courses and not to apply for your CRS designation when eligible.
As for my course, the CRS 206 Technology Course? Here are only some of the "best ideas" as reported by some of the students in my last two CRS 206 courses in Waltham, MA, and Bryan, TX. Take a moment....look through all 35 of them. If you utilize all 35 of these ideas in your business, maybe you don't need the course after all.
- A workable, profitable Web strategy
- Reworking my Web site to provide complete consumer information
- Different Web site types and providers, pro and con
- The value & uses of stealth sites
- Spending one hour a day on my technology....it works!
- How & why to add video to my site
- How easy it is to use the Flip Video Digital camera and upload to YouTube...simple!
- Snagit for screen capturing, annotating and emailing to prospects inside the email message
- Marketing uses for Microsoft Publisher....love kid business cards!
- Have purchased 5 new (good) domain names & have hired a VA!
- Picasa for photo editing and "sexy" shows
- Information on Virtual Assistants...not only how to but the specific recommendations
- I am contacting a VA to design my web site and implement a drip followup campaign with all my prospects.
- Sven Andersen's discussion of his use of the virtual assistants
- Specific resources successful agents use in their day to day business and some of the first hand sharing of this information in class.
- Just start small and do a couple of things to change and move your business forward.
- I learned that you don't have to do it all yourself and if you try to, you probably won't be as successful as you really can be!
- Using the mail merge function in Top Producer more effectively
- Eliminating unnecessary expenses (I've saved $140 p/mo so far!)
- Using technology to save time so that I can spend more time with my family
- Purchased a new Smart Phone
- Uses for Bluetooth and wireless router at home
- The need to get my CRS designation
- Using Google Groups for agent networking and working with my clients...and it's free!
- Using Google Earth to market my clients
- Marketing with AtomSmasher signs and billboards
- Loaning out the "pre-loaded" GPS to buying clients
- Photo editing: using canvas paper to produce an "oil painting" of listing prospect's home
- Three top automatic lead management systems and what they can do for me
- Advantages of using a real estate specific database instead of Outlook
- Using free eBooks from Issuu for my CMA's and listing presentations....cool eBook format, and easy!
- Microsoft Publisher for my presentations and TinyURL.com
- Using the right domain name...I've already purchased 5 based on my area
- Creating a network of other top agents using technology
- The variety of multimedia presentations that can help my business w/both buyers and sellers
On the other hand, maybe you do need to take the CRS 206 and the other CRS core courses. Think about it....they will change your life!
It's a great day here on the lake in Reston....hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!
Check out Allen's latest eBook, "Digital Essentials for Today's Agents," at http,://CyberStarTips.com
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There is no doubt in my mind, and many other CRS members I know, that the CRS courses are the best. I loved the tech course and plan to take it again, or at least monitor it for our local Chapter. It's essential in this market to have this foundation.