Business Outlook | RISMedia

Adjustable Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows

Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates changing little and remaining near their historic lows while adjustable-rate mortgages averaged new record lows.

Pending Home Sales Jump in October

Pending home sales rose strongly in October and remain above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, surged 10.4 percent to 93.3 in October

Back in Action: Consumer Confidence on the Rise?

Consumer confidence improved in November, rising 15 points and reaching its highest level since July. With consumers’ view of business conditions perking up, and their opinion on job conditions brightening, positivity seeps into what has been a fairly negative past few months. The Index now stands at 56.0, up from 40.9 in October. The Present Situation Index increased to 38.3 from 27.1. The Expectations Index rose to 67.8 from 50.0. The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was November 15th.

As the New Year Approaches, Define Success in Your Terms

I love answering questions from agents, and they tend to take on a different tone in the fall months. People become more apt to ask big-picture questions because they’re thinking about a fresh start in the New Year. “What can I do to be more successful?” is a question I hear a lot.

A Client-Based Sales Approach for Agents

Today’s real estate agent faces daunting challenges. It’s more important than ever that real estate agents deliver value to consumers who have a negative view of real estate due to the real estate bust and are also empowered with a range of real estate information available on the World Wide Web.

Blueprint for 100 Deals Part 5: Social (& Not So Social) Marketing

The marketing tools available to REALTORS® have changed considerably since the early days of door-knocking, open houses, sending out flyers, even delivering pumpkins in October. We’re now in the era of Web 2.0 and beyond, with Internet and social marketing tools, which are more cost-and-time-effective than anything that we’ve ever tried before. As long as you’re using them in the right way, and efficiently, there are many advantages to blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other websites for connecting with your consumers.

NAR Pulse: This Week’s Top Stories from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

This week’s headlines from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® include: zipLogix celebrating 20 years of innovation; free direct marketing tools from Lowe’s; and the ability to customize any of 11 brochures.

Planning Counts: Be Prepared

It's been said that salespeople don't plan to fail, they simply fail to plan. How much time do you currently spend preparing for your client appointments? If you're honest with yourself, the answer is probably not enough. In my opinion, the single most common characteristic shared among all successful salespeople is the value they place on pre-appointment preparation, research, and planning. I believe that when W. D. Boyce founded the Boy Scouts of America in 1910 he selected "Be Prepared" as the organization's motto, because he understood that preparation was the key to unlock the door of opportunity.

Quality Reigns Supreme: The No-Compromise REALTOR®

In need of a new television stand, I recently made a sojourn to a popular discount store for an inexpensive, viable piece that would do the job. After making the purchase ($49.95) and lugging the flat, 3 ft. x 2 ft. box back to the house, assembly was the next task. Once all the parts were removed from the box and laid out on the floor, it was easy to examine exactly what the product was made from: particle board (not even very good particle board at that), a black plastic veneer, and formed plastic wheels. During assembly, it was not even possible to

Monday Morning Mobile: Live from Ad Tech

Last week I had the opportunity to attend Ad Tech, the number one event for digital marketing here in New York City. Not only did I have full access to the event, but I was one of the few that got to sit in on the press briefing; 10 companies ...

NAR, Policy Leaders Propose Five-Point Housing Solutions Plan to Fed, Congress, Obama

NAR recently worked with two well-respected policy think tanks – the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) and the Economic Policies for the 21st Century (e21) – that organized and conducted a policy meeting on October 4. New Solutions for America’s Housing Crisis brought together policy leaders, industry representatives, Members of Congress, thought leaders and the media to present ideas and make actionable recommendations intended to stimulate the growth necessary for a sustained recovery in housing and extend an ensuing positive effect on job creation and the broader economy.

Where Is Your Spend? Marketing in 2012

The research confirms it. It’s all about being mobile. With smartphones always online and always available, you’ve got to be ready to serve 24/7 and that includes serving customers and clients on the run.

Marketing Strategies: 7 Ways ‘Perfectionism’ Stops You from Success

Are you a perfectionist? Do you know someone who is? Have you ever wondered if perfectionism is a help or hindrance on the road to success? In my 15+ years of coaching real estate agents to be at the top of their game, I have seen that perfectionism does more harm than good. In fact there are at least seven ways that perfectionism stops you from success. 1. Perfectionism causes procrastination. Have you ever had a project that you really wanted to get done, but never could quite complete it? If you look carefully at what was going on in your mindset, you probably see that you wanted the project to be completed perfectly.

How to Get a Derailed Executive Career Back on Track

Executive recruiter Colleen Aylward wanted to figure out how many executives had been displaced by the poor economy over the last few years, but before she got her numbers, she discovered something else even more troubling. “No one actually keeps track of those stats,” says Aylward, president of recruiting firm Devon James and author of Bedlam to Boardroom: How To Get a Derailed Executive Career Back on Track (www.devonjames.com). “When I tried to look it up with the Bureau of Labor Statistics and even talk to some of the bureau’s staff, I couldn’t get a straight answer.”

Former Fed Economist to Reveal ‘State of Real Estate’ at RISMedia Economic Summit

As economic conditions continue to challenge and stymie real estate professionals and their consumers, RISMedia and Citi have come together to host a by-invitation-only event during next month’s REALTORS® Conference & Expo: The Power Broker Economic Summit. Taking place on Saturday, November 12, from 9 – 11 a.m. at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California, the Economic Summit will feature in-depth analysis from prominent economist, David Stockton.

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