Posts Tagged ‘real estate career’
June 27, 2011
Who has $200 to $1,000 to spare these days? The Georgia Real Estate Commission is cracking down on a variety of “falsifications”, and you could receive a fine of thousands of dollars for committing only ONE of the following:
- Fill in your company and the amount of earnest money in Par. 4, but don’t actually collect the personal check, money order or certified funds from the buyer yet. Did the buyer fax you a copy of the check he intends to mail to you? Sorry, but that won’t be accepted for deposit by the bank. Oh, and be ready to pony up the amount of the earnest money, too, just in case the buyer doesn’t provide it to you later.
- Check “IS representing the Buyer” in Par. 13.A.3 but don’t get the Buyer to actually sign an Exclusive Buyer Brokerage Agreement first. Hey, they’re your friend and been riding in your car; that’s enough to establish an agency relationship, isn’t it? (more…)
Tags:ann bone, atlanta, atlanta real estate, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, Buyers, falsifications, fines, georgia, grec, listing, Metro Brokers, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate career, Realtor, success, Tips
Posted in Agents | 4 Comments »
June 20, 2011
We all know that over the past few years, sellers have had a very hard time coming to grips with the fact that their home has probably lost considerable value. But what are buyer’s expectations like in our current market? Do they really think that they will find a luxury estate in a posh neighborhood for $50K? The answer is YES.
However, while they’re going to get a better deal than 3-5 years ago, there are limits as to what your dollar will buy you. The old adage “you get what you pay for” still applies.
What can agents do to better prepare and educate their buyers about the housing market in metro Atlanta? (more…)
Tags:atlanta, atlanta real estate, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, home price, Metro Brokers, pricing, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate career, Realtor, sales price, success, Tips
Posted in Agents | 5 Comments »
April 11, 2011
So much of our daily communication is by email. We email friends and coworkers, customers and clients as a regular part of our day. Sometimes we can forget that our written words can be easily taken in unintended ways. What may be acceptably casual and friendly with friends at the tennis club may appear lazy and poorly written to a client. Quick responses may seem efficient to us, but may come across as terse. And when we get angry and commit those thoughts to email, they can come back to haunt us well after the emotion has passed.
I searched the web for some email etiquette pointers and thought I’d share some of the best ones with you.
A few well placed words like “please” and “thank you” go a long way to make your requests polite. Make sure your email includes a courteous greeting and closing. Greetings and closings help your email seem less demanding and terse. Are you stuck on how to close an email? Here are some suggestions: (more…)
Tags:ann bone, atlanta, atlanta real estate, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, email, email etiquette, georgia, Metro Brokers, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate career, Realtor, success, Tips
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 6 Comments »
January 24, 2011
Congratulations. You got a real estate license some time ago and became the CEO of your own “small business”. How’s business been lately? Bad? Worse than bad? Did you make enough money in 2010? Have you taken a “real job” to make ends meet?
What’s your plan to succeed in 2011?
The CEO of any business is in charge of hiring the right people to perform the services necessary to generate income. As the CEO of your own business, you “hired” yourself, didn’t you? Have you as CEO analyzed yourself as the sole provider of income to the company? Would you hire yourself again? (more…)
Tags:2011, ann bone, atlanta, atlanta real estate, average sales price, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, business, business planning, CEO, closings, commission, georgia, Metro Brokers, prospecting, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate career, Realtor, small business, success, Tips
Posted in Agents, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »
December 6, 2010
Have you seen the new Windows Phone 7 commercial (view it on YouTube) where a person is texting while ignoring someone who is right there trying to get their attention? They ask “REALLY… REALLY?” Children, spouses and friends are truly disgusted. I especially love the sexy wife whose husband is oblivious. It does seem like everybody is off in their own little universe and unaware of life happening just beyond their bubble. Am I the only person to notice or have you noticed it, too?
I think I saw the ultimate case of life in the bubble. Last night, when I was at the store the Christmas Bell Ringer for Salvation Army was ringing his bell while texting. (more…)
Tags:atlanta, atlanta real estate, Bell Ringer, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, Christmas, Cisco, dana eskridge, georgia, human network, Metro Brokers Financial, mobile phone, networking, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate career, Realtor, Salvation Army, Santa, success, texting, Tips, Windows Phone 7, Xmas
Posted in Agents, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
November 15, 2010
Everyone knows that it costs more money to acquire new customers (5 to 7 percent more on average) than to stay in touch with existing customers. Yet so many sales associates don’t have follow up programs in place.
It’s shocking because it’s easier than ever to stay in touch with customers now because of technology as well as companies that do the work for you.
The problem is that sales associates think of marketing as a cost, something they have to spend money on and can cut during tough times. However, the reality is that you spend more money to get a new customer. Think of how much more business you could have if you spent a little time and money on follow up.
Customer follow up should really be seen as an investment. Use some of today’s money to generate a future income stream. Look at the lifetime value of a customer versus the cost to acquire a customer.
Here are a few ideas for sales for following up with customers after a closing and retaining them for life: (more…)
Tags:atlanta, atlanta real estate, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, customers, Facebook, follow up, georgia, Lowe's Realtor Program, marketing, Metro Brokers, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate career, Realtor, Social Networking, success, Thank You, Tips, Tisha Gay
Posted in Agents, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
October 11, 2010
We all grew up with our mothers telling us certain little ditties that have become as familiar as Shakespeare quotes. Much of what we were told as children has great application for how we conduct ourselves as real estate professionals.
A great example I heard yesterday was “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?” and I thought, you mean like if every other agent took overpriced listings, why shouldn’t I? Taking overpriced listings is not good for anyone. It’s bad for the agent, because it costs them marketing dollars. It’s bad for the homeowner who will not attract the most eligible homebuyer and it’s not good for buyers who might get a contract on a house that will not appraise. (more…)
Tags:atlanta, atlanta real estate, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, dana eskridge, georgia, Metro Brokers, momisms, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate career, success, Tips
Posted in Agents, Uncategorized | 18 Comments »
July 2, 2010
Many people know that I host a show on BlogTalkRadio for The Real Estate Insider. On a recent show, we spoke about 5 simple steps that you can implement into your business, to make it simple and a bit more fun.
- Exposure – Remember the saying “the right place at the right time”, today it needs to be “being in enough places, more than enough times”. that’s what it that’s today. Social media is taking over the world, which allows us to be in enough places. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs (like the one your reading now) allows you to be in those places. Take advantage and get your EXPOSURE on!
- Staging – Know the difference between “selling condition” and “living condition”. We all know that when a home is priced correctly, many people will “look” at the home. And when a home is in “living condition”, the offers will come in. Most buyers want to see themselves moving in the home asap, but if they can’t envision it, they’ll keep looking until they find a home in “living condition”. (more…)
Tags:atlanta, atlanta real estate, Blog Talk Radio, business, georgia, Metro Brokers, Michael McFadden, RE Insider, Real Estate, real estate agent, real estate career, Real Estate Insider, Social Networking
Posted in Agents, Uncategorized | 17 Comments »
July 24, 2009
The title and lyrics from an old Crosby Stills Nash And Young song (Love the One You’re With) depicts the mood at a recent agent recognition and appreciation dinner hosted by Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate for agents that had successfully closed eight transactions early in their real estate careers at our company. I was lucky enough to be in attendance and was privileged to hear their comments as Kevin invited them to comment on why they had chosen Metro Brokers to start their career in real estate.
Their impromptu responses were endorsements of the importance they place on broker provided services. Of course the residual benefit to the broker in rendering these services is agent loyalty.
(more…)
Tags:Brenda Waters, broker, Metro Brokers, real estate career
Posted in Agents, Sellers | 6 Comments »
July 1, 2009
Whether you specialize in commercial or residential real estate you face significant challenges and obstacles every day. How can you meet the challenges head-on and overcome the obstacles to get what you want?
First of all, let’s agree that it isn’t easy. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the difficulty of time management, prospecting and follow-up. However, it can be done. You can take control of your real estate career and achieve the very goals that brought you to real estate. The formula for success can be divided into three basic parts.
(more…)
Tags:business plan, Dan Hinson, formula for success, goals, Metro Brokers, Real Estate, real estate career
Posted in Agents | 6 Comments »
June 24, 2009
Believe me, it’s an exciting time to start a real estate career. If you’re in the process of obtaining a real estate license or if you’ve been licensed only a short time, and you’re asking yourself, “what was I thinking?” – I encourage you to stay the course.
Based on my personal experience, there is no better time to start a real estate career than in a challenging market. A challenging market creates opportunities – opportunities translate to a successful career path – a successful career path translates to financial independence.
(more…)
Tags:atlanta real estate, Brenda Waters, challenging market, first year, Metro Brokers, new career choice, real estate agent, real estate career, real estate license, Realtor, starting a new career
Posted in Agents | 8 Comments »
Who has $200 to $1,000 to spare these days? The Georgia Real Estate Commission is cracking down on a variety of “falsifications”, and you could receive a fine of thousands of dollars for committing only ONE of the following:
