real estate agent: A Different Approach to A Real Estate Career in 2012!
- 02/08/12 09:33 AM
The first month of 2012 is already over. Wow, it's hard to believe. Time flew by! For some agents in West Michigan, the year roared into focus with sales and business. For others, the past 40 days have been fraught with worry about the future and if they will survive another year. Many agents left the business when the dues billing for the local MLS came in January. However, for those who have chosen to stay, you have a choice... The choice to simply exist in limbo without a sense of purpose or direction OR the choice to do things differently … (8 comments)
Almost 16 years ago, I obtained my real estate Salesperson's license. So much has changed! I can still remember buying my first laptop computer. I couldn't access the Internet and the dial up connection to the real estate MLS system was at best a hit or miss proposition when I connected via a land line. The listing agreement back then was two pages of text...today it is six! The leading real estate companies all advertised in the paper. Hardly anyone had a website. No one had heard about a blog. But in spite of the dramatic shifts in the business, I … (25 comments)
real estate agent: Standing Out From the Crowd! 3 Secrets of the Irreplaceable Real Estate Agent!
- 03/06/10 11:50 AM
If you're just stepping into the real estate business today, you may be wondering how you will make it through the challenge of the current real estate crisis. If you've been in the business awhile..you many be wondering the same thing! One of the keys to surviving the challenge of a crisis is to understand what's important and then figure out how to give what is actually needed. In the age of Abundance Differentiation becomes the King! in some ways, the rise of Blogging is a direct response to the need for differentiation. Today, on-line consumers are indicating: I don’t just want to … (21 comments)
real estate agent: Healing in our Backyard...How one local Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate Agent is Making a Difference with HIS!
- 12/04/09 06:18 AM
You never know just where a real estate deal will take you! When the agent contacted me about a pre-view request for my listing, I thought it would be simply a routine home showing request. But as the conversation proceeded, I learned that Marcia Vander Woude who is also an Adjunct Professor at Grand Valley State University was involved in much more than a part-time real estate career. Marcia began to share her passion about Health Intervention Services and invited me to come by and take a tour. Prior to our connection through a showing request, I had never heard of Health Intervention Services … (8 comments)
real estate agent: Coming out of the Pocket...Profitability & Pretense
- 05/30/09 03:20 PM
The latest issue of the Michigan Realtor magazine has an interesting article written by Walter Sanford which opens with the following quote: "It's time to address something that's really a closet issue in our industry. It is so rarely mentioned in mixed circles and looked upon with such fearful consideration that you might not immediately recognize the word: Profitability." It's the dirty little secret in our industry that most of us would rather not air. Huge commission checks and tons of leads for buyers and sellers does not necessarily guarantee living above the poverty line when the balance sheet tabulates the bottom … (31 comments)
real estate agent: Will Your Online Activity Be the Topic of Your Next HR Review Sheet?
- 11/16/08 07:33 AM
When the news about the new vetting application form for a job in the Obama administration broke this past week, it raised a lot of uncomfortable questions about what is an individuals' private business. The 63 page questionnaire is regarded as one of the most comprehensive application forms ever requested by an administration. Some of the issues which have raised some ire in various quarters refer to questions about online activity including on-line aliases, e-mail communications and blogs. The Washington Post reporting on the story indicates that every administration adds items to the job application to reflect changes in society, but also notes that this … (61 comments)
real estate agent: How To Sell A Home in 31 Days During a Tough Market...Lessons from a Rookie!
- 09/01/08 08:09 PM
I've been around the block a time or two. With over 13 years in the business, I've seen some of the best years for the real estate industry. These were times in which homes sold simply because a sign was placed in the yard and financing options were plentiful even for the minimally qualified. This post is the story of what a Rookie taught me and a message to all the 'old timers' out there who say it can't be done. It can. And it's not just about beginners luck. When Lorrae Danzig took on the assignment for the sale of … (80 comments)
real estate agent: Minding Your Realty P's & Q's...3 Secrets For Continued Success!
- 07/30/08 09:49 AM
A familiar ritual at the dining table as a youngster involved being reminded time and time and again to mind my P's and Q's. What was commonly referred to as Table Manners were a set a rules that adults felt we needed to know to avoid embarrassing them in polite company. Thank God their persistence helped to ensure that we didn't become little hellions. Rules of engagement are a necessary part of social interaction as well as business. As real estate professionals explore the online world, it is often difficult to clearly understand what the rules are because the context changes so … (55 comments)
real estate agent: Audu Real Estate Congratulates Ed Vogt on Successful Mentor Taining Program Completion!
- 07/18/08 06:36 AM
Audu Real Estate is pleased to announce that Ed Vogt, a licensed Real Estate Agent and Residential Property Specialist has successfully completed the 'On Track For Success' Mentor Training Program. Ed Vogt graduates from the Mentor Training Program after 2 years of enrollment in which she has successfully completed over 24 Transactions and received more than 200 hours of Formal Classroom instruction and training. This was in addition to the mandatory 6 hours of Continuing Education per year for real estate agents required by the State of Michigan. The Mentor Training Program offered through Audu Real Estate is a unique, one of a kind experience that … (12 comments)
real estate agent: 8 Great Ways to Reinvent the Old Pre-View Home Tour!
- 06/23/08 05:10 PM
Late last week, I posted a blog post about how one might re-imagine the Home Pre-View tour that has been a Tuesday Morning Tradition for agents across the Grand Rapids area for decades. I admitted that it had been over a decade since I had been on a Broker New Listing Pre-View Tour as this activity fell into disuse for a number of reasons...notably, more Independent agents working out of their homes, Virtual tours and the price of gas.
Since we have new agents in our office, they wanted to have this experience, so we arranged to tour some of our home … (47 comments)
real estate agent: Real Estate Agents: A Species "At Risk"...
- 03/12/08 11:08 AM
We're in the midst of the most significant paradigm shift in the history of the real estate profession. We're also re-defining our concepts of what we will become. Last year, hundreds of thousands of real estate agents left the business. The trend is expected to continue in 2008. Real Estate boards across the country took proactive steps to deal with the implications of fewer agents in the industry. Is it possible to minimize the risk factors for a species in decline? Let's review some defining characteristics... OLD WISDOM A) NEWBIE: Defined as: Green & lacking in experience Traits & Characteristics: Limited skills and barely functional knowledge of the real estate industry Risk … (17 comments)
real estate agent: How To Show & Sell Vacant Land
- 03/08/08 05:52 AM
When most people think of the glamour and excitement of a real estate career, the prospect of showing beautiful homes is the only picture they can perceive through their rose tinted spectacles. However, there are a number of different types of properties and each one should be shown and promoted in a way that provides the highest possible benefit and exposure possible to the owner of the property. Showing and Selling a property without a structure on it requires that the agent be creative, well informed and prepared. The skill set required to show vacant property appropriately is different than showing … (23 comments)
real estate agent: In Demise...A Requiem for the Weekly Real Estate Broker Office Meeting
- 03/06/08 04:22 AM
Your time came...and went. For many of us, you were our main source of interaction with our fellow agents or broker. Although we maligned you often, complaining miserably over the fact that attendance was mandatory; you served your purpose well. You forced us to jam ourselves into over crowded cars for trips across town to view every big and little house, farm, cottage and piece of vacant land that had been listed that week. We learned about the community because we toured it frequently at your insistence. It was within your recesses that we discovered the ins and outs, nitty gritty of real estate. It was here that … (125 comments)
real estate agent: Becoming Armed & Dangerous...The Antidote to the Slippery Slope of Recession Anxieties!
- 02/05/08 04:21 AM
Within the past 24 hours, I came across two very interesting bits of information. The first was an informal survey conducted by Ramit Sethi, a recent graduate of Stanford University and co-founder of a Silicon Valley Start-Up. He was asking people what they were doing to respond to the looming "threat" of an economic recession. It was fascinating window of insight to the various coping mechanisms for belt tightening when times get tough. Here's the Slideshare show. Update: Unfortunately, the link is not working properly for the embeded show, so here are links to watch it on a different site: My Real Estate … (51 comments)
real estate agent: Part 3 ~ Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies...To Speak Or Not To Speak!
- 01/18/08 09:40 AM
Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies Part 2 ~ Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies In this series, we've explored some of the pros and cons of blogging and it's implications for Real Estate brokers. We've been reviewing a number of issues highlighted in the book, "The New Influencer's" in which the focus is primarily on corporate blogging. In this last post in the series, we will look at the final three Rules of Engagement that the author Paul Gillin discusses and briefly comment on some applications … (23 comments)
real estate agent: Keeping Your Eyes on the Right Ball (Pt 3)...Engaging The Correct Play!
- 01/14/08 10:29 AM
Sports can teach us a lot of about life and business. In this short series about the game of soccer, we have examined some of the most important skills in the game. So far we have discussed Keeping Your Eyes on the Right Ball and (Part 2) The Anatomy of a Pass. In this final section of this series, we will look at Engaging the Correct Play. In high-school, I played Touch Football. It was a big deal because prior to this, girls were banned from being anything other than cheerleaders at football games. I had never watched an American football game. Living … (8 comments)
real estate agent: Is It Really ALL About Me? Or Do YOU Matter?
- 01/04/08 01:05 PM
I just finished watching a video that Missy Caulk posted on her blog which is taking the on line world by storm right now. There's an interesting discussion going on all over the blogosphere about service. The video seems particularly aimed at the perceived "lack of service" in the real estate community. According to the video...Consumers are loudly proclaiming..."It's ALL About Me! Well, I beg to differ. Is it ever really that simple in the real world? In our increasingly avid desire to be listened to pampered, engaged and entertained, we seem to be ignoring all manner of major and minor irritations which we ALL … (32 comments)
real estate agent: Office Diggs...Re-Working A New Approach To Office Culture
- 12/28/07 10:11 AM
A recent story in the latest edition of the Realtor magazine had an interesting story about Ronald Stewart, broker-owner of 1st Choice Real Estate in New Hartford, New York. Stewart is pioneering an emerging New dynamic in which forward thinking Real Estate Brokers are making office space in their brokerages not only inviting place to meet & greet but also resource "hot spots" for their communities! It makes so much sense. Real Estate purchases impact affect everything! They channel new business into area stores and businesses. A home sale impact the schools and places of worship. Why not invite the community to meet at your place instead of somewhere … (75 comments)
real estate agent: 5 Secrets Tips For Avoiding the Wrong Choice in Your 2008 Real Estate Career!
- 12/12/07 11:11 AM
It's getting to be that time of year again. You know when the shopping starts and we begin to get the itch to preview the latest offerings. We start researching to get the best deals. Sometimes, it's on-line, but more frequently, it's a visit. NO, I'm not talking about Christmas, I'm referring to the time of the year between Christmas and Spring in which agents begin shopping around for a New company! Every year, agents jump ship around the New Year, hoping for greener pastures. I meet agents all the time who have been in a different company approximately every 12-18 months! And they wonder … (26 comments)
real estate agent: How Developing a Higher Cultural IQ Will Increase Prosperity for Real Estate Agents!
- 11/19/07 01:33 PM
Picture this. It's the first day of kindergarten. You arrive at school with little Jenny tightly clutching your hand. She's been talking about this for months. You're both a little apprehensive. The teacher spots you in the doorway...hesitating about venturing in. She warmly crosses the room and introduces herself to you and Jenny...in Spanish! Yes, you're in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but this is not a neighborhood of predominantly Spanish speaking people. In fact most of the students in the classroom look Anglos...they're very white. But this is a Spanish speaking classroom. All the students will be speaking Spanish for the next 8 years … (28 comments)
Grand Rapids, Michigan real estate information including houses for sale, rent and home buyer/seller tips. Also includes wisdom and insights from Lola Audu, CRS Associate Broker.
Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate
Grand Rapids Real Estate
West Michigan Real Estate
Buying A home in Grand Rapids, Mi
Selling Your Grand Rapids, Mi Home
Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grandville, Michigan Real Estate
Relocating to Grand Rapids, Michigan
The first month of 2012 is already over. Wow, it's hard to believe. Time flew by! For some agents in West Michigan, the year roared into focus with sales and business. For others, the past 40 days have been fraught with worry about the future and if they will survive another year. Many agents left the business when the dues billing for the local MLS came in January. However, for those who have chosen to stay, you have a choice...
;)
;)
;)
