pending sales: Paperless Files for a Real Estate Office Class-May 21st - 03/13/14 08:33 AM
I'll be teaching my popular Paperless File class at the Inland Gateway Association of REALTORS in Corona on Wednesday May 21st. from 1-3 pm. 
CREATING PAPERLESS FILES FOR A REAL ESTATE OFFICE
More and more real estate professionals and their clients are using internet technology to communicate and deliver information. Faster and more efficient than phone calls, FAXING or hand delivery you will appear more professional and be able to provide high-quality customer service.
Printing out and storing files is not only time consuming, but the excessive cost in paper, toner and storing the file is unnecessary with today's amazing technology.
In only … (1 comments)

pending sales: 30 second test to determine if you are an efficient agent - 09/16/13 05:17 AM
1-Do you spend more time working on paperwork then marketing/prospecting to clients?
2-Are you exhausted from trying to keep up with work/family/personal time?
3-Do you print out and store your files and paperwork as hard copies?
4-Are you spending too much time preparing files for your broker's review?
5-Are you wasting time trying to locate documents you "thought" you received?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you might want to consider changing a key part of your business operations to create an office that requires no paperwork, is accessible from most portable devices, and saves you time and … (1 comments)

pending sales: Good Morning Real Estate Team-You are AWESOME! - 08/22/13 01:04 AM
Just sent this to my sons Brian and Brad who are 26 and 23. Thought you might enjoy it...
YOU are... Awesome!
YOU are... Incredible!
YOU.... Rock!
I AM proud of YOU!
Stay EXTREME and LOVE life! YOU ARE A LEGEND!
Now Go Out There and Sell Some Real Estate!

… (1 comments)

pending sales: The 10% Crap Quota - 08/07/13 04:12 AM
I recently commented on a post of Thom Abbots You're a Real Estate Agent, Right? Why Don't You Work For Free?
It reminded me of the 10% Crap Quota I used to teach new agents we hired for our office.
It's similar to the old wives tale, "Things Always Break in Threes" (This was so true when I worked as an ICU nurse years ago!).
No matter how successful you are in the business, there will always be a 10% quota per year where the transaction or clients will appear to be spawned from the devil himself. You will work your … (9 comments)

pending sales: Stuff Your Broker Never Told You! - 08/07/13 03:22 AM
I wrote this post in 2009 and it's still great information. I've added a couple of more rules....
Truth be told, it doesn't matter how many transactions you have, but how many you successfully close and are paid (It Ain't Over Till It's Over, Baby!).
Remember, transactions you are paid on but come back later to bite you in the you-know-what as lawsuits or if you have to come out of pocket to pay for something later...
DO NOT COUNT as successful closes!
Brokers are great at teaching agents how to create a pipeline of business, but are sometimes challenged … (0 comments)

pending sales: Stuff Your Broker Never Told You! - 07/22/10 05:29 AM
Brokers are great at teaching agents how to create a pipeline of business, but have difficulty breaking down the complex aspects of the pending sale into a clear, understandable format.
Throw in the fact every transaction is different and may require a different set of rules makes it even more challenging to offer advice.
Truth be told, it doesn't matter how many transactions you have, but how many you successfully close and are paid (It Ain't Over Till It's Over, Baby!).
Remember, closed transactions you are paid on but come back later to bite you in the you-know-what as lawsuits, or … (6 comments)

pending sales: What's YOUR Red Flags of Potential Deal Killers? - 05/12/10 05:17 AM
I read a fellow AR member's post regarding an issue that came up and killed a deal while under contract.
After 13 years in the biz, I've got a radar sense when a transaction is in trouble. Identifying these problems can help avoid delays and wasting everyone's time. Believe me, it's rare when I DON'T have some sort of problem associated with it.
So for the agent who has not closed a lot of transactions, I'm going to share with you my Top 5 Red Flags of Potential Problems. I welcome you to add your red flags as well!
1-Loan officer doesn't call you … (4 comments)

pending sales: You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours - 12/22/09 03:17 AM
There are some agents who think that the real estate business is still run like "old school".
Oh come on, you know what I'm talking about! "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours". If you brought a lot of business to a loan officer, they might go out of their way to get a loan funded earlier on your transaction. Same deal with the banks. If a loan officer brought in a lot of business, he/she might have carte blanc and get their files placed ahead of someone else's.
Agents loved being able to tell their clients "I have a great … (51 comments)

pending sales: What you need to know about becoming a Top Producer - 06/11/08 07:10 AM
  Yesterday, I was invited to train a NEW transaction coordinator for an agent. In meeting the agent, I could tell she was a little rattled. She told me, "I'm really stressed and overwhelmed with everything right now. I've got 4 pending sales and 6 more coming in!"
Ah, I remember those days when my hubby and I first made it to the illusive "Top Producer" circle. "Overwhelming" and "Stressful" are perfect descriptions of how we were also feeling at that time! 
With a sympathetic ear I responded to the agent; "Take a deep breath. You're doing all the right things. … (6 comments)

pending sales: Psychology 101 for Real Estate Agents - 11/13/07 03:55 AM
I wanted to include this comment I made to another AR member on my blog because I think the concept here is important!
Real estate is an EMOTIONAL business. You know that list of top 10 most stressful things in a persons life? One of them is MOVING! For most folks the biggest investment of their life is purchasing a home and frequently it's scary! You cannot ignore this aspect of real estate. Some people respond to stress inappropriately through poor coping skills. My suggestion is to have good control of your clients. How do you do this? Through education. Well educated clients are less … (7 comments)

pending sales: Stop with the pity party already and get to work! - 10/30/07 11:22 AM
Come on People!
After being in the real estate business for nearly 23 years with my husband, I've been through crappy markets, gloom and doom forecasts, etc. Let me share the advise I give agents and officers in my office. When the market is down, get educated and look for opportunities to use your real estate skills! Get your business organized with good systems and products so that you'll be ready when the market turns! Of course you should continue to stay in touch with clients and keep your name out there. But for heavens sake, stop beating the dead horse! Most people are … (8 comments)

pending sales: Working together to close the transaction - 10/30/07 07:53 AM
I just received an angry message from another team member on a sales transaction. She had emailed a disclosure for our client to sign several times during the course of the sale and we never followed through! She assumed we were ignoring her requests, when in reality, we never received the request! Here is a rule I have with paperwork. Always send requests in writing. If you don't get a response after the second time, then CALL the team member to verify they received the request! It corrects communication problems early and prevents frustration! Welcome to my World!-Diana … (2 comments)

pending sales: Do you use Transaction Coordinators in your state? - 10/22/07 05:33 AM
In Northern California, Transaction Coordinators are hired by brokerage offices to help agents coordinate their sales transactions. Coordinators manage paperwork, remind team members of upcoming events and help solve problems. I have had the opportunity to work with other real estate professionals in the Ohio, Nevada and Texas areas. Each state manages transactions differently. So I'm sending a shout out to find out if agents in your area use a coordinator? Your feedback will help me with a survey I'm conducting-Thanks-Diana  … (5 comments)

pending sales: Careful when you number addendums - 10/19/07 12:28 PM
As a Transaction Coordinator, I review a lot of contracts before applying them to my systems. I've noticed lately buyers and sellers are negotiating more and agents are using a number of addendums to counter terms. Remember to be consistent wih numbering or lettering! I've had addendums with no numbers identifying them or use of the same number or letter. It becomes difficult to track the addendums not to mention understand which addendum supercedes or counters the previous! Welcome to my world!- Diana
… (9 comments)