The Business of Real Estate

Homeway, Inc. a website went public yesterday and the stock soars.  George Lucas tears down a $20MM dollar estate to build a new home with new technolgies.  Home and property prices have been cut in half (in some markets).  Brokerage firms are empty and the traditional business model is running o...

We knew that targeting and developing business within a niche helped to separate us from our competitors but NAR says it's even better to "find a niche within a niche".  They say the niche should be “large enough to supply a strong pipeline of business, but small enough for us to be a big fish i...

Just read a rather interesting article about the surge in activity and valuation of Silicon Valley real estate.  In May, the article states, homes prices are up 20% from a year earlier – wow!  It seems that when funds/money/capital loosens up people still gravitate towards buying a home.  Big ho...

I heard an agent say this morning, “I’m finally feeling that the business may be coming back”? At our brokerage, we have had that feeling for a few months now. IMHO, many markets are finally working through price discovery, and as real estate professionals, our job is to help facilitate the clea...

If about 70% of people move within 15 miles of their existing residence, doesn’t that favor some kind of “for sale buy owner” marketing strategy?  Sure, a “fsbo” sign in the yard or ad in the local newspaper won’t likely reach the out-of-town buyer – but the odds do favor a local buyer.   Are an...

This should be an easy question for all of us licensed real estate pro’s to answer. If you (we) had to write down the unique services that only you or your brokerage offered customers – what would you write down? “Better service” shouldn’t count.   If this is a tough question - the business is i...

    This should be an easy question for all of us licensed real estate pro’s to answer.   If you (we) had to write down the unique services that only you or your brokerage offered customers – what would you write down? “Better service” shouldn’t count.     If this is a tough question - the busine...

As soon as buyers get hip to how commissions work and property information becomes even more abundant online - won't taking listings be the only reliable and dependable revenue stream and model for an ongoing sustainable brokerage?HP doesn't need Apple and Papa John's would love to see Domino's ...

Let's say your in a market where homes are being redeveloped.  Could be inner-city Detroit or Beverly Hills - the point is:  who do buyers and sellers contact when its time to transact?  It could be you.  The infill new construction cycle will never end - good economy or bad. New technologies and...