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RISMEDIA, April 15, 2011—Starting each day with enthusiasm comes easily to most agents when the housing market is booming. But when times are tough, even the most experienced CRSs can struggle to maintain their drive. “It’s hard to get motivated when you’ve been hitting

RISMEDIA, April 14, 2011—"I don't know why I'm sabotaging myself.” I hear this statement every day from clients and prospective clients. This sentiment is extremely common amongst both seasoned and new entrepreneurs. I hear many examples of self-sabotage in my coaching practice and many pleas for help to reverse self-sabotage. Let's look at some problems and some solutions. The first example of self-sabotage that comes to mind is carrying around the belief, "I am not good enough." It is a very common self-limiting belief and it will sabotage your success because it doesn't allow you to "shine."

RISMEDIA, April 14, 2011—This big inventory of homes—90 days or more delinquent on their mortgage payments, currently in foreclosure or now REOs—at last count was 2.1 million. It’s enough to make you plop, plop, fizz, fizz, worrying everyone from the banks to the sellers

RISMEDIA, April 8, 2011—The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) hosted a media teleconference recently, along with other industry and consumer groups and finance experts, to discuss the negative impact that overly restrictive lending rules recently proposed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. would have on the housing market and larger economic recovery. The plan unveiled by the FDIC would require a minimum 20 percent down payment for “qualified residential mortgages,” or QRMs, that would exempt lenders from forthcoming risk retention rules under the Dodd-Frank financial reform law passed last year.

RISMEDIA, April 6, 2011—While growing your real estate business may be a daunting task in today’s real estate market, it is important that real estate professionals take advantage of referrals that come from past clients. Here, Lisa Monti, director of REALTOR® Sales, Stewart Title

RISMEDIA, April 6, 2011—The Real Estate Investment Securities Association (REISA) recently hosted its 2011 Spring Symposium, which drew more than 400 attendees to hear the latest FINRA updates. More than 400 industry professionals, including 100 broker-dealer and RIA

RISMEDIA, April 5, 2011—Kodak’s new PlayTouch camcorder makes an ideal pocket-size companion for today’s real estate professional. Whether you’re recording a home video tour, a client testimonial or a quick look around the neighborhood, the PlayTouch offers a host

RISMEDIA, April 4, 2011—As the cold temperatures become a distant memory, and the spring selling season gains momentum, consumers have come to agree on one thing—now’s a good time to get off the fence and into the real estate market. This is the overall theme in the latest American Express Spending and Saving Tracker survey, a monthly survey that tracks the spending and saving habits of consumers in order to get an indication of what’s happening in the market. “This month’s Spending and Saving Tracker provided an up-to-date look at various consumer trends and gave us the opportunity to assess how consumers are feeling about the current market in addition to gauging homeowner confidence,” says Leah Gerstner, vice president of public affairs at American Express.

RISMEDIA, April 2, 2011—Today’s consumers are seeking two things. The first is social proof—in other words, that you are who you say you are and you do what you say you’ll do. The second is social ranking. Forget about how many awards you’ve won or your latest sales figures; tell me instead how the public rates you. In today’s economic climate, the consumer rules, and consumer ratings will have a greater and greater influence on the decisions people make, including which real estate agent they choose.

RISMEDIA, April 2, 2011—Every year about this time, I get a powerful recharge during the annual RE/MAX Convention. Real estate professionals around the world get together to celebrate successes, share best practices, explore solutions to challenges and, of course, let loose a bit.

RISMEDIA, April 2, 2011—The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recognizes the need for an orderly transition from the current form of the secondary mortgage market to a new structure that removes some of the pitfalls under the old GSE structure. The Obama Administration recently released a white paper with many options for changing the mortgage market. NAR appreciates the Administration’s desire to engage stakeholders in any final plan and is seeking to serve on any advisory panel that will study the consolidation of federal incentives for housing. REALTORS® want to help design a secondary mortgage model that will serve homeowners today, and in the future, and ensure a strong housing market and full economic recovery.

RISMEDIA, April 1, 2011—Developing relationships with new clients is a huge priority in real estate. Most of you will undoubtedly agree, but as many home buyers and sellers look progressively more to the Internet to answer questions and search for products, an increase in Internet based leads would be expected, right? Online factors will determine how successful or unsuccessful your web presence will be in capturing new business. Let’s take a look at some of the major issues that may be impacting your ability to capture quality leads from the web.

RISMEDIA, April 1, 2011—You've heard the statement many times: "There is no national real estate market.” Meaning all real estate, like politics, is local. There is, however, a national real estate marketplace. With a wide array of "products" on the shelf, there is literally something

RISMEDIA, April 1, 2011—Extreme temperatures across the nation contributed to a record-breaking year for home warranty claims, and now with a glut of homes for sale across the country, home warranties to cover major systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical) and built-in appliances are even more appealing to sellers and prospective buyers. Home warranty provider American Home Shield, with 1.4 million customers, said it responded to nearly three million service requests in 2010, approximately half related to HVAC malfunctions.

RISMEDIA, April 1, 2011—The market share of vacation- and investment-home sales held steady in 2010, although the sales volume declined with the overall market, according to the National Association of Realtors®. NAR's 2011 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey