real estate class: Make Tomorrow Better - 05/05/17 12:16 PM
Ralph Marston once said, “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.”  I have not found any better advice for someone contemplating a career in real estate.  Becoming successful as a REALTOR® or real estate agent takes time and effort.  It’s not the type of career one steps into and immediately realizes gain.  There is the occasional sale or listing that initially comes from a family member or a friend, but for the most part, it takes time to plant the seeds necessary to develop a consistent and successful career practicing real estate.
 
You can make tomorrow better by beginning today.  … (2 comments)

real estate class: When Things Aren’t Right - 05/05/17 09:30 AM
Each one of us, no matter our age, has been here long enough to have experienced a time in life when things aren’t right.  Practicing real estate, like teaching real estate, can be a roller coaster from month to month.  Emotions can run rampant if goals aren’t met, worry can set in, frustrations can mount.  So, what is a person to do when things aren’t right?
 
Some of us hide within ourselves while we put on the emotional face the world expects of us.  We smile, laugh at anecdotes, carry on lively conversations, and then we go home exhausted from all the … (2 comments)

real estate class: Recruiting Agents - 05/02/17 04:05 AM
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School serves one primary purpose.  We teach students how to get a real estate license.  We are not in the business of recruiting agents for any real estate firm.  With that said, we listen to our students when they voice concerns about placing their license with different firms, and when they ask for advice, we give it to them.
 
Recruiting agents has long been a standard for real estate companies.  Brokers and managers understand the practice of real estate always has been and always will be a numbers game.  Hopefully, some of the agents recruited will turn out … (1 comments)

real estate class: It’s Already April! - 04/01/17 04:06 AM
Wasn’t Christmas just a few weeks ago?  I’m pretty sure the holidays zipped by so quickly that January came out of nowhere.  Valentine’s Day passed us by and then March blew in and out.  Now, it’s already April!  Why is the time passing by so quickly?  Did someone shorten the number of hours in a day?
 
We were concentrating on goals a few weeks ago, and it’s already April.  The first quarter has closed out, and there are only three quarters left.  Only 39 weeks remain until we see the year change.  That means we have roughly 9 months left to do … (3 comments)

real estate class: When Someone Needs You - 03/22/17 08:37 AM
This week I am in Illinois helping my younger daughter who recently had surgery.  Sarah has two little girls, and her husband is on a business trip for about three weeks.  Sarah can’t get around too well, and with a 2-story house, it made sense for me to come up and help.  Besides, it made for a great excuse to visit!
 
Every time I am up here, I tend to draw a blank about blogging.  It’s difficult to take off the Nana hat and put back on the real estate instructor hat.  When drawing that blank, I turn to Sarah for inspiration.  … (1 comments)

real estate class: Spring is Coming - 03/18/17 06:04 AM
Cold weather is soon on its way out and hopefully, spring is coming soon.  For many of us, spring means all things new, a revitalization of the way we’ve been doing business, and a chance to make changes.  Year-end is always a great time to assess goals, but when spring is coming, it seems to be the time to reassess those goals.
 
I don’t know about you, but I always feel more energetic in the spring, having come out of the dreary doldrums of winter.  When my body senses spring is coming, an excitement follows and I’m like a kid anticipating a … (2 comments)

real estate class: Smile! They Can Hear You! - 03/14/17 02:15 PM
Basic real estate training includes teaching agents how to respond to phone inquiries from complete strangers.  I remember one of my trainers telling us to smile!  They can hear you!  That bit of advice stuck with me over the years, and as a former paralegal who had to deal with lots of people over the phone, the advice was priceless.
 
Have you ever checked out at a cash register with a cashier who was absolutely just shy of being rude?  The indifference that some cashiers exhibit in their careers is almost intolerable.  I always assumed unhappy store employees were working in a … (4 comments)

real estate class: What I Know - 03/12/17 06:20 PM
Lots of agents have been licensed longer than I have, but what I know is plenty enough to devote a lifetime to transferring knowledge, wisdom and experience to others.  I know what I know, and that’s all I know.  So why do you think students from all walks of life, representative of all ages, and having all kinds of reasons to come to a real estate school pick us?  I ponder this question because, quite frankly, I like pondering.
 
What I know is that expectations run high each time a student chooses TEAM Hughes Real Estate School.  What I know is that … (1 comments)

real estate class: Why Do We Need Post Licensing? - 02/04/17 07:28 AM
You did it!  You passed the state exam and got your real estate license!  Pat yourself on the back because you are among some incredible people.  Did you wonder if you’d pass?  Did you have to try several times?  All that is behind you now and finally, you have your real estate license.  Someone told you the truth, though, right?  More education is needed!  Why do we need post licensing? 
 
Many real estate agents complain because they must get additional education after they get their real estate license.  In Florida, the time within which to take the post licensing depends on … (4 comments)

real estate class: Practicing Real Estate Never Gets Boring - 01/17/17 05:00 PM
When I first graduated from high school, I took a job in DC with a government agency because I thought it would be exciting.  After a while, though, boredom set in, I left the agency and found myself working with attorneys, which is where I stayed for over 15 years.  Working as an administrative assistant and then as a paralegal was a challenge at first, but over the years it became pretty boring, and being relegated to an office all day just wasn’t fun.
 
What I discovered when I got my real estate license in 1983 was that every day was different.  … (2 comments)

real estate class: If You Want a Real Estate License - 01/03/17 07:41 PM
The holidays are over, the tree is down, the kids are back in school, and now it’s time to get down to business.  If you have a real estate license, STOP!  This blog is not for you!  If you want a real estate license, continue on.  This blog is especially for you!
 
I was first licensed in 1983, so I know stuff.  Some of the stuff is good and some of the stuff is worthless.  What I do know is that if you want a real estate license, you need to kick off 2017 by enrolling in a real estate course with … (3 comments)

real estate class: Define Your Objectives - 12/03/16 05:03 AM
This is the time of year when we begin preparing for the upcoming new year.  One of the first things I ask a student needing help is to, “Define your objectives.”  How can you possibly prepare a map showing how to get somewhere without first knowing where you want to go? 
 
Many real estate agents get their license, get trained and start working.  They take floor time, they sit on model homes, they talk to everyone they know and they wear their name badge wherever they go.  Yet, if you ask them to define their objectives, they would most likely say … (2 comments)

real estate class: Is an Online Course Better For You? - 09/19/16 08:12 PM
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School instructors regularly get asked our opinion as to which is better, a classroom or online course.  Each type of course has its own advantages and disadvantages, and some are below.
 
Obviously, an online course is less expensive because instructor time is not built into it.  An instructor is on standby for student calls during business hours, but what happens if a student has a question and the school is closed?  Unfortunately, that student must stop at that point or come back to the concept after the question is answered during normal hours.  This is a distraction for … (4 comments)

real estate class: Back to School - 09/06/16 08:20 PM
Labor Day has passed, the days are slightly cooler, clearance sales abound, and Autumn feels like it’s right around the corner.  That can only mean one thing – it is back to school time!  Yaaay! 
 
We are empty nesters and are more in our “golden age,” so back to school has a different meaning to Bob and me.  This is the time of year when some parents realize their jobs are boring or they’ve reached the limit in pay grades or they just need a change.  For many parents, when the kids go back to school, the parents go back to … (2 comments)

real estate class: A Tortoise or a Hare? - 08/23/16 05:28 AM
Many brokers disagree with my philosophies in training new agents.  For me, it’s about slow and steady winning the race.  I tried to teach my new agents to be a tortoise rather than a hare when it came to getting their feet wet.  Lots of brokers believe in the sink or swim mentality, and others want new agents to come out of the gate running.
 
Are you a tortoise or a hare?  Because the market is busy right now, many new agents are impatient; they don’t want to take time to learn properly and to plant seeds that will grow … (3 comments)

real estate class: Is Title Insurance Really Necessary? - 08/16/16 07:13 AM
Being an instructor, we get asked all kinds of interesting questions.  One question that is pretty popular among students happens to deal with a subject near and dear to my heart, i.e., “Is title insurance really necessary?”  Coming from a paralegal background, I had an opportunity to witness all kinds of peculiar lawsuits.  One I recall vividly was back many years, and I happened to have been a REALTOR® at the time, rather than a paralegal. 
 
A Mr. and Mrs. Buyer purchased a house and closed on their new home after having paid cash for it.  Mr. Buyer appeared … (0 comments)

real estate class: The Olympics of Real Estate - 08/13/16 10:54 PM
The U.S. has done outstanding during these Summer Olympics and we should be proud of all of the athletes involved. Watching some of them has been a real pleasure and they have reminded me that you real estate agents have your own Olympics of Real Estate.
 
Sometimes practicing real estate can feel like a never-ending marathon, and sometimes it can feel like a quick sprint.  The Olympics of Real Estate exist daily in our lives as we start with a customer and, hopefully, will finish with a closing.  The in-between time will determine whether the meet is a long one … (1 comments)

real estate class: How Can My Granddaughters Remind Me of Real Estate? - 08/11/16 10:27 PM
My younger daughter, Sarah, and two granddaughters have been visiting us from Illinois.  Grace is 5 and Anna is 3.  We have been having the most wonderful time ever because this is the first time Sarah has been here without her husband, Marc.  We love Marc, but this has been a time I can have Sarah and the kids all to myself.  So, how can my granddaughters remind me of real estate?  They are so cute at that age, and doting on them is just part of the plan as you other grandparents already know.
 
We have a 16’ above-ground … (0 comments)

real estate class: A Look Into One of Our Classes - 07/27/16 11:44 PM
I would love to let you take a look into one of our classes.  TEAM Hughes is a unique type of real estate school in that we have a history of serving others.  Bob and I were blessed to have had an opportunity to serve in an RV ministry for about 9 years, and through that ministry, we came into contact with many people.  Our classes are kind of an extension of that heart service that he and I both share.
 
Let’s take a look into one of our classes.  We’ll go into the One-Week Fast Track Class and I’ll … (1 comments)

real estate class: REALTOR® or Real Estate Agent - 07/25/16 09:53 PM
In my line of work, I have a great opportunity to explain to my students the difference between the terms REALTOR® and Real Estate Agent.  Then I explain that each student will make the choice of becoming a REALTOR® or Real Estate Agent.  The brokerage firm where they “hang” their license will either be a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) or not, and that membership dictates the student’s official status of REALTOR® or Real Estate Agent.
 
I am a licensed Real Estate Broker in South Carolina, as well as Florida.  I am no longer a REALTOR® because … (1 comments)