By Barry Hurd RISMEDIA, Nov. 20, 2007-Do you remember a professional situation where you found out through a friend of a friend that some nasty rumor was floating around? What about the time you found out six months afterwards - or the time it seemed like everyone but you knew the rumor?

By Renwick Congdon RISMEDIA, Nov. 19, 2007-As we discussed last month, sharing information within a group or company is often referred to as "tribal knowledge." By de-centralizing the workplace, tribal knowledge-and with it, one of the most effective methods for continuing education-is lost.

By Ralph Roberts RISMEDIA, Nov. 16, 2007-Martha Stewart, The Donald, Oprah, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton. As soon as you hear one of these names, a face pops into your mind. You probably can describe what each person does. You may even react emotionally. That's because these people have brand presence

By John Voket RISMEDIA, Nov. 15, 2007-In the midst of NAR excitement in Las Vegas, John Featherston, President and CEO of RISMedia and Ralph Roberts announced the publication of Power Teams-The Complete Guide to Building and Managing a Winning Real Estate Agent Team, early next month. The co-authors expect the book to serve as the definitive text on the increasing popular concept of agent teams.

By Bill Miles, EVP Connecting Neighbors RISMEDIA, Nov. 14, 2007-A strategic, focused and well-executed marketing plan can carry you through any market. In a down market, as we are experiencing now

Commentary By John Fuhrman RISMEDIA, Nov. 13, 2007-Don't get me wrong, the value of the courses in the continuing ed program provide valuable information about compliance, practices, and much more

By Barry Hurd RISMEDIA, Nov. 12, 2007-In the beginning, it all starts with a few simple words. What phrase will prospective customers think of when they find you? With the correct answer to that question, you may have the opportunity to deliver a message to someone looking for your skills. Yet there are other questions that must be answered along the way.

By Christian Walsh RISMEDIA, Nov. 9, 2007-Although many eyes focus on statistics, the viewpoint of those who are actually in the trenches is another valuable perspective. Certified New Home SpecialistTM reached out across the nation to learn how those in the field are dealing with the changing marketplace.

By John Voket RISMEDIA, Nov. 8, 2007-By 7:30 a.m. November 5, most of the energy being devoted to the recent southern California wildfires had turned from suppression to recovery. Firefighters who had been flown

RISMEDIA, Nov. 7, 2007-The Swanepoel TRENDS Report, a publication detailing the Top 10 trends shaping the real estate industry every year, is once again nearing its final stages of research. This year, The 2008 Swanepoel TRENDS Report is expected to exceed last year's 159 pages and should weigh in around 170 pages, according to a spokesperson for The Report.

By Barry Hurd RISMEDIA, Nov. 10, 2007-The most repeated lie in business has always been "if you build it, they will come." In the world of online marketing and real estate, the most commonly spread falsehood is, "If your company shows up on the search engines for city, state, real estate keywords that the market will stampede through your doors and money will fall from the sky."

And it's not foreclosures and short sales Commentary by Dennis Walsh RISMEDIA, April 28, 2008-While many real estate professionals look to foreclosures as a source of business, another easier, more lucrative opportunity can be found from coast-to-coast.

By Stefan Swanepoel RISMEDIA, Nov. 2, 2007-A large number of meetings held are a waste of time. Many people believe that asking a group to do the job of one will expedite a project and/or remove their accountability. I disagree. Avoid unnecessary meetings at all cost.

Nationally recognized standup comedian will serve as this year's featured entertainer at 12th annual event RISMEDIA, Nov. 1, 2007-Las Vegas will serve as the perfect backdrop for this year's Power Broker Dinner when nationally known standup comedian John Pinette-famous for his "You Go Now!" routine-serves up his brand of comedy as the featured entertainer for the 12th annual event.

By Allen Wright ...