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In Every Issue of RE category.

Realtor Lifestyles - A League of Their Own

By Kayla O’Brien
There’s no typical day at the office for Tanya Marchiol. Whether it’s attending spring training and the NFL draft, hosting “The Real Deal,” or writing a new book, this self-made real estate and finance professional lets her success story speak for itself as she makes and maintains solid relationships. Marchiol’s clients are in […]

RE: Real Estate–100 Years in Celebration of the American Dream

In May 1908, 120 men gathered at a YMCA hall in Chicago with the goal to “unite the real estate men of America” and turn the fledgling real estate business into a profession. What emerged from that meeting was the National Association of Real Estate Exchanges, which today thrives as the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® […]

Letters to the Editor: May 2008

A Little Bit of Understanding. Staging Sells. Demographics and Affordability.“Growing Market Share through Customer Segmentation”
RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine, April 2008
Be More Specific
Cultural diversity seems to come up a lot more lately-even in the more rural areas of Oregon in which I do business.
Growing up near Vienna, Austria, I was exposed to a multitude of cultures. […]

NAR Power Broker Roundtable: Recruiting in Today’s Market

Recruiting in Today’s Market: Cut Back or Step Up Efforts?
Moderator:
Alex Perriello, Special Liaison for Large Firm Relations, NAR
Participants:
Jim Rose, Chairman & CEO, Rose & Womble Realty Co.- Virginia Beach, Virginia
Jim Fite, Century 21 Judge Fite Co.-Dallas, Texas
The Power Broker Roundtable is brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS® and Alex Perriello, NAR’s Special […]

Publisher’s Desk: Surviving the Market

As we continue to persevere through the market downturn, we’ve learned that there are aspects of our business that need to be adjusted in order to stay successful.
We all know we should be changing our business practices, but what exactly is it that we should be changing?
To that end, we at RISMedia are focusing our […]

Op-ed: The Power of Pricing

Commentary by Howard Brinton
The other day, a young, female Realtor shared a story with me about one of her previous listings. An “empty nest” couple decided to downsize and were putting their beloved family home on the market.
Despite the advice and admonishment of the Realtor, they insisted on following their beliefs about what the home […]

Publisher’s Desk: Best in Class

I must admit, I wasn’t quite expecting to receive the largest-ever response to our Annual Power Broker Survey this year-of all years. Part of me figured brokers would hesitate to publicly post their 2007 numbers, which were somewhat-to-significantly down from years past.
But Power Brokers are smarter than that. These firms know that the RISMedia Power […]

Letters to the Editor: April 2008

Steps Toward Solving the Problem
“Your Rights-Appraising Real Estate Appraisers and Appraisals”
www.rismedia.com
February 18, 2008
An Honest Effort
Curtis (Seltzer) has hit a few nails right on the head and yet ignored several that would clean up these problems in the lending industry as well as the appraisal industry. For quite some time, my dealings with loan officers showed […]

How Power Brokers Maintain Profitability in a Tough Market

RISMEDIA, April 1, 2008-The tools and techniques used by real estate firms to stay afloat and maintain profitability in today’s tough market vary. But whether the focus is on recruiting, training, lead generation or ancillary businesses, attention never strays too far from the customer, whose increasing knowledge and demands require more sophisticated input from brokers and […]

NAR Power Broker Roundtable: Tapping into Web 2.0

RISMEDIA, March 4, 2008-In a move to enhance their online positions and drive more business to their overall offerings, an increasing number of brokerages are signing on to Web 2.0, the second generation of Web-based communities and hosted services, such as social networking.

Op-ed: How to Fight Back Against Fraud

By Ralph R. Roberts
Over the past decade, I have seen fraud rot the very foundation of our industry, but what upsets me most is that 80% of fraud involves industry insiders-professionals who earn their living from this great industry. Every day, I see cases in which real estate agents, loan originators, mortgage brokers, appraisers, and […]

Letters to the Editor: March 2008

Pay Attention to Consumers. Fraud Leads to Foreclosure. When ‘Cash Back’ is OK.
“Learn to Talk the Talk of Consumers”
www.rismedia.com,
February 5, 2008
Just Listen
This article is brilliant! I couldn’t agree more with the statements and philosophy of Scott Einbinder. I can only hope that more agents will print this out and reread it at least twice a […]

Publisher’s Desk: Sharpening Our Focus for the Future

Sharpening Our Focus for the Future
If there’s one thing today’s market has forced real estate professionals to do, it’s to take a good, hard look at where they’re focusing their efforts. Tougher times are pressing both brokers and agents to figure out what it is they do best, start doing it even better, and thereby […]

Letters to the Editor: February 2008

Local Market Truths. Accentuating the Negative. A Needed Change.
“Where the Truth about Today’s Market Really Lies”

RISMedia’s Power Broker Network Report,

January 2008

www.rismedia.com,
January 3, 2008

Media Misguides Consumers
I, too, have been alarmed at the national news media seemingly controlling and driving the market with mostly negative spins. When Jim Cramer made his infamous statements, one of my buyers […]

Op-Ed: Opportunity Knocks in 2008

Commentary by Lawrence Yun
There is no doubt that the great uncertainty currently facing the housing market is attributable, in large part, to a lack of confidence among potential home buyers. Statistics clearly suggest a sizable pent-up demand in the marketplace. Yet home sales have remained soft. What psychological factors explain the slowdown in home purchases? […]

The NAR Power Broker Roundtable: Withstanding Negative Media Coverage of Housing

Moderator: Alex Perriello, Special Liaison for Large Firm Relations, NAR
Participants: Ron Peltier, president and chief executive officer, HomeServices of America - Minneapolis, Minnesota
James Estes, broker-owner, Gaslight Properties, GMAC Real Estate - Columbia, Missouri
Judy Reeves, chief operating officer and executive vice president, NRT LLC - Parsippany, New Jersey
The U.S. housing market has taken a beating in […]

Change is Good: How 3 Industry Insiders Plan to Thrive in Today’s Market

RISMEDIA, Jan. 25, 2008-With the New Year’s hype subsiding, the end of January seems like the perfect opportunity to evaluate how you set out to reach your goals for 2008. What’s working? What’s not? What should you be concentrating on more? Here, we take a look at what three industry leaders feel are necessary to […]

READER FEEDBACK: Social Networking Doesn’t Sell Houses

Dear RISMedia:
Regarding “Real Estate Social Networking Really Takes Off“published on RISMedia.com on Jan. 24, 2008
I took note that one of the goals Active Rain will now seek to achieve is to “achieve profitability.” Ah, that’s the rub with these efforts: where is the money? Everyone tries to follow in Google’s role model, where you give […]

From the Publisher’s Desk: January 2008

Shining a LightWhile we usually start the New Year with a fresh perspective and renewed optimism, many of us are heading into 2008 burdened by concerns about where the industry and the overall economy are headed.
Clearly, while there are plenty of external circumstances to warrant a bleak start to the year, there are even more […]

Op/Ed: One Billion Hits Can’t Be Wrong

Op-Ed: One Billion Hits Can’t Be Wrong
By Bob Hale
Public MLS Web sites that promote broker listings to consumers are being hotly debated across the country. What I cannot understand is why. In Houston, Realtors have created HAR.com, which is averaging almost 1 billion (yes, billion, with a “B”) hits from more than 900,000 (yes, 900,000) […]

Letters to the Editor: January 2008

At Fault? Right on the Money. Inspiring Individuals.
RISMedia’s Power Broker Dinner
Held November 13, 2007 at the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas
A Powerful Evening
I wanted to write while it is fresh in my mind to thank you for the Power Broker Reception & Dinner [held in November during the Annual NAR Conference & Expo]. I had not […]

Realtor Lifestyles: Spreading HOPE One Home at a Time

Las Vegas broker/owner educates consumers with her own brand of home-buying assistance
Dawn Lane, HOPE Program Founder and Professional Realty Group broker/owner, has been spreading hope across Las Vegas for the past five years. What began as a program built from scratch in 2002 (with Lane as the only employee) has evolved into a statewide program […]

Op/Ed: Hallelujah! A Great Time in Real Estate

The media has recently been having a field day with the real estate market. There are endless reports that as a result of the mortgage crisis, inventory levels will increase from foreclosures, while purchases will decrease since regulations on financing are more restrictive. Many service providers respond to this news like Chicken Little in the […]

Letters to the Editor: December

“Mortgage Meltdown Quiz”
www.rismedia.com 
October 18, 2007
Look at Lenders, Not Brokers
I have been in the mortgage banking industry for over 20 years. I am a Certified Mortgage Specialist and card-carrying member of the local and National Association of Mortgage Brokers.
Although there are rotten apples in every profession, including real estate, Roberts’ (Ralph Roberts, the story’s author) article […]

RE: REAL ESTATE Legislative and Regulatory Recap

Commentary and current events from the National Association of Realtors®
The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (NAR) Government Affairs and Regulatory and Industry Relations staff are the brokers’ advocate regarding legislative and regulatory issues. Their efforts drove the following important accomplishments in 2007:
Banks in Real Estate
The House passed the FY2008 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, […]

READER Feedback: Your Thoughts on How We’re Doing

Casual observation leads me to the assumption that the NAR contribution dollars being given to the MLK monument could probably fund and build several hundred single family homes for

RE: Real Estate: April is Fair Housing Month

Commentary and current events from the National Association of Realtors®
REALTORS® are ardent supporters of fair housing, working every day on the front lines with buyers and sellers in providing equal and affordable housing for all Americans.

Letters to the Editor

"The $6,000 Needle in the Haystack: Three Reasons Why Agents Don't Maximize Internet Leads"

The 5 C’s of Team Success

By Paul Rutter
Whether you work in a large company with thousands of employees or

Ten Ways to Follow up Seven Times

By Joe Cooke
Conventional wisdom and industry experience indicate that we have to

The Nuts and Bolts of Building a Team

By Cliff Baird, PhD
By any standard of measurement or comparison these amazing

Power Team Profile: Always Available

Principal: Mario Greco
Team: The Mario Greco Group

The Self-Directed Real Estate Professional

By Jennifer D. Meacham
Power team coach and real estate investor/developer Loral Langemeier first learned about self-directing

Power Team Profile: Talented Core Key to Success

Principals: Kurt & Darla Buehler
Team: The Buehlers and Associates of Keller Williams

A Core Services Think Tank

Real Estate Services Forum Will Launch New Large Broker Community Initiatives
By Virginia Cook
During next month's NAR Midyear Conference & Expo, a special day will be dedicated to

The Root Causes of Challenges?Part 2

By Jeff Mandel and Steve Hamner
Last month, we began our discussion on the root causes of challenges by addressing personnel. This month, we will tackle accountability and objectives.

A Time to Lead

A tougher marketplace dictates direction from the top
By Desiree French
Following a very long and fruitful period of booming home sales, many brokers have reassessed the type of leadership

Builders Will Build, Buyers Will Buy

Will You Get in the Game?
By Dennis Walsh
Here's an interesting question for brokers, managers and sales professionals:

Are You Really Reaching Consumers?

New generations mandate new strategies
By Eugene L. Meyer
Do you speak boomer? If that's your only generational language, you are in big trouble. Gen X and Gen Y consumers don't speak your language, and, 120 million strong, they now constitute the largest demographic in the real estate market.

Letters to the Editor

"The $6,000 Needle in the Haystack: Three Reasons Why Agents Don't Maximize Internet Leads"
RISMedia's Real Estate magazine,
February, 2007
In your recent article about agents not responding and converting Internet leads, I noticed some very disturbing statistics. We, as a team, recognized this same problem last year when I found an article stating the following:
• 20% of […]