broker: Pop-Up Brokerages
- 08/29/18 01:29 PM
Pop-Up Brokerages This past year I have seen some interesting changes and trends in the real estate industry. One is a rise in what I call pop-up brokerages. I define these as a real estate brokerage that has decided to open multiple locations in an entirely new market area in a very short period of time. Many of these new companies try to offer a new take or twist on the traditional real estate brokerage. Some are offering turn-key technology solutions in hopes of luring the agent who is overwhelmed and looking for a quick fix to their poor … (5 comments)
broker: The Right Way to Move Brokerages
- 06/29/18 10:31 AM
The Right Way to Move Brokerages There isn't a week that goes by that one of my clients doesn't email me to ask for a call to discuss moving brokerages. Real estate brokers are always intrigued when a new company comes to town or they hear about a colleague that recently moved. Is the grass really greener at another brokerage or is the grass greenest where you water it? That is an expression that I have always lived my life by, both personally and professionally. When things seem too good to be true, they probably are. When your business or personal … (4 comments)
broker: Documentation: A Critical Element in Real Estate Transactions
- 08/16/13 07:06 AM
Documentation: A Critical Element in Real Estate Transactions Contracts are written for a very important reason: to protect all parties in a real estate transaction in the event that something should go wrong. While it is never the intent of any real estate agent to end up on the wrong end of conflict in a real estate transaction, things can go wrong and buyers and/or sellers may bring forth legal action to right those wrongs. In many real estate transactions there is a lot of communication between the real estate agent and the buyers or sellers that may not … (2 comments)
broker: HOW TO GET REFERRALS – NEVER ASK FOR THEM!
- 11/06/08 07:11 AM
HOW TO GET REFERRALS – NEVER ASK FOR THEM! Many real estate trainers, speakers, and ‘gurus’ preach the same gospel : “If you want referrals, you better ask for them.” I say just the opposite. All the gurus that tell you to ask for referrals after every sale are missing one big point. Think about it. How do your potential buyers, sellers and past clients FEEL when you ask for a referral? It’s an uncomfortable moment. They know you want something from them and it tarnishes the trust you’ve built together. Instead of a confidant, you become a typical salesperson. And … (16 comments)
broker: FOLLOW-UP AND FOLLOW-THROUGH…WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECT IT!
- 11/06/08 07:04 AM
FOLLOW-UP AND FOLLOW-THROUGH…WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECT IT! Almost five years ago I first met her. Her name was Jill. (No, this isn’t a cheap romance novel. Stick with me here.) Jill is a happy, bubbly lady who works at the cosmetics counter at Nordstrom’s—selling a very expensive line of cosmetics. I was shocked to find out that a simple little jar of cream for your face could cost $200. With excitement and a deep concern for what I was looking for, Jill patiently explained to me what each bottle does and how it works. Before I knew it, I was … (5 comments)
broker: A SHOCKING PHONE CALL—DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!
- 11/06/08 06:58 AM
A SHOCKING PHONE CALL—DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU! You know something is very wrong with our industry when a top producing agent—and I’m talking a major player here—calls to inform me that she’s going to be getting out of the market. Background: She’s been in the business twenty years. She’s consistently made a quarter of a million commission dollars for the past ten years. She is well-respected in her community and in the industry. But now her attitude is so out of alignment that she wants to throw in the towel. I could have believed it from almost anyone … (3 comments)
broker: WIDE-ANGLE LENSES ARE OUT… ‘ZOOM’ IS IN!
- 10/30/08 09:20 AM
WIDE-ANGLE LENSES ARE OUT… ‘ZOOM’ IS IN! I was speaking at a marketing conference last weekend in Costa Mesa, CA and I was struck by how many business owners were unable to tell me exactly what it is they do. Many of these people have wonderful business ideas but are having problems bringing them to market. Why? They are too “wide angle.” They’re trying to solve everybody’s problems and be everything to everyone. It’s like they’re afraid of losing business by leaving somebody out so they try to appeal to the widest demographic possible. In marketing—whether you’re selling real estate or … (0 comments)
broker: BE THE CALM VOICE OF REASON DURING A CRISIS
- 10/30/08 09:15 AM
BE THE CALM VOICE OF REASON DURING A CRISIS Real estate agents have a hard time talking to their clients about negative events in the media such as natural disasters like the one we recently witnessed. The past couple of weeks, there has been a media frenzy…and rightfully so. Lives have been devastated and we all mourn the losses of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. You can’t sit in your living room without being emotionally affected by the raw power of the images of suffering on your television. New Orleans’ loss is our loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with … (0 comments)
broker: “WIN-WIN NEGOTIATION -- IS IT STILL EFFECTIVE?”
- 10/23/08 08:23 AM
“WIN-WIN NEGOTIATION -- IS IT STILL EFFECTIVE?” In a world of push-and-shove real estate transactions, is it a wonder that the term “win-win” negotiations is getting rusty? Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of “me-me-me.” Well, I have a newsflash for you: Effective negotiation is always “win-win.” Your clients always win when you help them get what they want. The question is “How do I go about negotiating the correct way so that all parties win?” Is there such a thing, well of course there is. It isn’t win-win negotiating if someone gets gouged! For example, let’s say you have … (1 comments)
broker: TECHNOLOGY—FRIEND OR FOE?
- 10/23/08 08:19 AM
TECHNOLOGY—FRIEND OR FOE? Have you ever wondered why some real estate agents who have never embraced technology are out there dominating their marketplaces? Meanwhile, you have every “gidget and gadget” out there, but you’re still not selling as much as they are. Have all these gadgets really helped you to make more money? The answer depends on how you use them. For example, do you really think your client cares if you have a Palm Pilot? Or a fancy laptop? Actually, most sellers will tell you that they don’t prefer a listing presentation done on a laptop. Are your gadgets … (0 comments)
broker: GET WITH THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY
- 10/23/08 08:15 AM
GET WITH THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY Now—more than ever before—we live in a visual society. From the “MTV Generation” to today’s Internet obsession, getting noticed is all about visuals—graphics, colors, designs, images, fonts, and pictures. Surprisingly, one industry is particularly resistant to this trend. Most of the people involved in this industry look exactly the same – essentially carbon copies of each other, dull and boring. Who are these behind-the-times cave-dwellers? Yep, you guessed it—our own real estate industry. There isn’t a week that goes by that a real estate agent doesn’t challenge me on the topic of whether or … (1 comments)
broker: PAST MARKETING EFFORTS REAP BIG BENEFITS
- 10/23/08 08:12 AM
PAST MARKETING EFFORTS REAP BIG BENEFITS Do you sometimes feel like you’re spinning your wheels and going nowhere? You’ve been doing everything you’re supposed to do to market your business but no matter how hard you work at getting your name out there, the phone is just NOT ringing. I was thinking about this the other day while I was in the hospital. A back injury I suffered in an accident a few years ago flared up last week while I was on the way to teach a class and I drove myself to the nearest emergency room. As part … (0 comments)
broker: The Three Most Important Words In Real Estate Marketing
- 10/23/08 08:02 AM
The Three Most Important Words In Real Estate Marketing We’ve all heard the tired old saying “The three most important words in real estate are location, location, location.” But if you truly want to make a six-figure real estate income, the words “database, database, database” are synonymous with your success. Your database is your own personal goldmine. The average real estate agent meets over five hundred new people per month. Of those five hundred, they add only five of those people to their database. That’s right…only five! I hope this doesn’t describe you. If so, it’s time to get serious and … (2 comments)
Join Denise Lones each week as she looks at the world of real estate and the world at large from customer service to the importance of listing presentations in a one-on-one style. Denise has more than 20 years of experience as a successful agent, broker, trainer and coach. Denise is someone in the know when it comes to real estate.
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