real estate agents: Which is the most Recognizable Real Estate Franchise brand in the nation? ---------------------------------------------------VOTE NOW - 12/03/09 10:04 AM
Six months ago I wrote a blog post about The Changing Face of Real Estate Franchise Brands that garnished a lot of attention because I dared to compare and even more list in order the top 10 franchise brands in my opinion.
Then last month my blog post Merge Creates One of the Largest Real Estate Franchises in Northern America exploded with over 155 comments as the debate continued about brands when a significant number of agents had never even heard of the brands mentioned.
Well now I have created an opportunity to see what the industry really thinks.

Starting … (27 comments)

real estate agents: Realtors What Are You Doing About Green? - 05/06/09 06:01 AM
The recent Earth Day gave the green revolution another shot up the arm.  When Earth Day started in 1970 a large number of people (20 million people one country) had already committed to celebrate it. Since then that number has exploded to 500 million (175 countries); about 7% of the world's population.
But even prior to 2000 "building green" still remained outside mainstream awareness - but has that changed, and for many good reasons. Elevating the profile of "Green" has been added to the agenda of movie celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, music stars like Radiohead and of … (10 comments)

real estate agents: The Wise Realtor. Are Ready for Tomorrow? - 03/30/09 03:45 PM
"It is impossible to predict the future." That's a statement I have made hundreds of times, both from the stage as well as in print.
 
Yet considering the most likely scenarios and then preparing for them lessens the shock when some variation of any prediction does materialize. Being caught off guard is just foolish. Why would you fight the future? The future is coming, no matter what. And for it to arrive, time will change.
We have all heard the saying that everything changes and that nothing is certain but change itself.
A wise Realtor® with open arms would embrace … (82 comments)

real estate agents: 2009 Trends Now Mobile - 03/25/09 06:37 AM
After literally hundreds and hundreds of requests to make the annual Swanepoel TRENDS Report available in an audio format this has finally happened with the new edition of the Report.

Just released this week is the first ever CD set of the 160-page 2009 Trends Report published last month. The entire unabridged 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report is contained in a 5 CD set and offers over 4 hours of information. The report is read by Mel Aclaro, an instructional designer, trainer and the New Media Director at RealtyU, one the largest educational and training companies in the real estate industry.
… (0 comments)

real estate agents: Survival Tips: If You Wish To Succeed In 2010, Here Are 10 Golden Rules - 03/06/09 08:07 AM
Whether you own a small real estate office or a franchise with multiple offices, real estate brokers have much in common with other small business owners during these difficult economic conditions.  This economy affects all businesses and it doesn't really matter if you are the local hair salon or the major department store, current market conditions are tough. 

For real estate brokers, owners and managers the focus revolves around how to recruit quality agents, how to retain quality and productive agents and how to increase overall profitability.  This is analogous to the farmer who must plant, fertilize and water before … (5 comments)

real estate agents: TOP 10 TRENDSETTERS FOR 2008 - 01/06/09 10:04 AM
As part of the annual Swanepoel TRENDS Report we also every year include a look back at the year that just passed and list the Top 10 Newsmakers, Top 10 Events and Top 10 Trendsetters for 2008. 
This week I am discussing the Trendsetters. Trendsetters are defined as those companies that during 2008 set forth actions that were different and memorable and could potentially have a far reaching impact on the real estate industry in the years to come.

The Top 10 Trendsetters in Real Estate for 2008 are:
1. Brookfield Real Estate Services
The acquisition of a Top … (7 comments)

real estate agents: Top 10 NEWSMAKERS of the YEAR 2008 - 12/09/08 06:12 AM
As part of the annual Swanepoel TRENDS Report that is published every year during the first week of February, the research team wraps their four month study of the real estate industry by announcing the top 10 Newsmakers, Events and Trendsetters for the year.
The first list to be released is the Newsmakers. Newsmakers are defined as those people that during the year made headlines as individuals, as a result of their actions and leadership of the companies or associations they are involved with in the real estate industry.
The Top 10 Newsmakers in Real Estate for 2008 are:
… (8 comments)

real estate agents: 5 Factors that will Shape the your Future - 11/12/08 02:22 PM
Real estate professionals need to think differently about the future. They need to do more and they need to move faster.
It has now been more than 10 years since my first book on trends, Real Estate confronts Reality, and many of the changes that we have been writing and speaking about are now coming to fruition. Things are definitely changing, and on a large scale. Within the next five years the real estate brokerage industry will significantly have changed and brokers and agents that don't adapt now will not enjoy the benefits of the next economic upswing.
Many of the … (21 comments)

real estate agents: Information You Can Count On - 2009 Trends Report Opens for Contributions - 11/03/08 11:30 AM
Change seems to be the buzz word this year, with Barack Obama touting "Change We Need," John McCain promoting "Real Change" and even Hillary Clinton saying "Change you can count on." 
Every year the Swanepoel TRENDS Report identifies, analyzes and then details out the imminent changes that are expected to impact the real estate industry over the coming 12 - 18 months. The 2009 Report is currently in the final 60 days of research and writing and obviously with all the recent financial disasters, the energy crisis, the housing collapse and foreclosure catastrophe this has made 2008 the worst year in … (12 comments)

real estate agents: Women are the Best !! - 09/14/08 09:22 AM
Women have not only reached the top of the real estate leadership pyramid, they are proving themselves to be great leaders. Bold words, coming for a man, but my research shows that in the last couple of years women have moved into the #1 or #2 positions at many of the country's largest real estate companies.

When compared to many other professions and industries, real estate has long been one where women can more easily achieve success and equality with men.  The National Association of Realtors profile even put the number of all sales agents at 65% female. But that's … (50 comments)

real estate agents: 10 Clever One-Liners that Put a Smile on Your Face - 09/14/08 06:45 AM
1. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.2. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption. 3. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital.  When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.' 4.  A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.5. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.6. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.7. A sign on the … (6 comments)

real estate agents: Real Estate Trends: 5 Solutions to Increase Productivity in a Down Market - 09/12/08 05:22 AM
Although a cold chill has blown on the real estate market and sales are down across the country there are still many opportunities for quality real estate professionals. When the market was hot, every Tom, Dick and Harry wanted in - now we actually have an opportunity to separate the good from the bad and the ugly.

Here are five proposed strategies that will not only keep Realtors afloat until the next upswing but could actually place them in a better position for when the market does return...and return it will. 
1.  Maximizing Technology and the Internet
Google should be … (55 comments)

real estate agents: 7 Steps to Save Your Hide of Going to Jail. - 09/11/08 08:37 AM
"Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the nation - especially in the suburbs," says Congresswoman Melissa Bean. The FTC receives over 250,000 reports of identity theft every year and USA Today reported that in 2007 an estimated 260 million records were stolen - that amounts to 8 records stolen every second of every day. One of the largest breaches to date occurred last year when TJ Maxx reported 45 million records stolen.

What are you doing Mr. Realtor® to prevent this from happening to you?
The critical important trend impacting everyone in real estate is the central … (12 comments)