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Unemployment and other factors have caused many homeowners to involuntarily default on their mortgages. At the same time, falling home prices, the possibility of being underwater for many years and advice from certain influencers, or "mavens," may have encouraged others to simply stop paying, with deleterious consequences in some markets, according to a study released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The study titled "Strategic Default in the Context of a Social Network: An Epidemiological Approach," conducted by Michael J. Seiler of Old Dominion University, Andrew J. Collins of the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center and Nina H. Fefferman of Rutgers University and sponsored by MBA's Research Institute for Housing America (RIHA),

The Center for American Progress recently released a first-of-its-kind study that projects today’s immigrants’ integration patterns through the year 2030. The report, “Assimilation Tomorrow: How America’s Immigrants Will Integrate by 2030,” is authored by Dowell Myers, professor in the School of Policy, Planning, and Development at the University of Southern California, and John Pitkin, senior research associate in the USC Population Dynamics Research Group. Myers's report finds that at astonishingly high levels, immigrants are projected to learn English, buy homes, acquire citizenship, and attain solid economic footing in the United States.

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.

There are so many different ways of generating leads today that brokers and agents struggle to determine where they should spend their limited marketing dollars. In poll after poll, as we survey audiences and coaching clients, we have found that a majority of agents want more high-quality leads. Yet in the same polls, we find most do not track the conversion ratio from the leads they do generate, so they have no way to measure whether a lead source is valid.

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.

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

Although we’ve been hearing over and over that distressed property sales are a huge part of today’s real estate market, pursuing short sales as a viable business option has been avoided by over 90% of real estate agents. Less than 2% of those who venture into the short sale arena are successful. Yet, over the next five years, it is predicted that 40-60% of all sales will be distressed, i.e., REO/short sales.

Give me a salesperson who's struggling to fill his or her calendar with client appointments, and I'll show you a sales rep without a phone script. Unfortunately, many salespeople labor under the false belief that they're too experienced to use a phone script and as a result, sabotage their phone calling effectiveness and income. A well-designed and properly rehearsed script is a powerful tool for projecting a confident and competent professional image. In addition, a script guarantees that every call is delivered in a consistent and concise manner.

Editor's Note: Headed to NAR? Darryl Davis will host two sessions, "Make 2012 Your Breakthrough Year," Saturday, November 12 from 9-10:30 a.m. and "Create Standing Room Only Events," on Saturday, November 13 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Check event program for room numbers. Motivational humorist Darryl Davis has been making real estate audiences laugh, think and improve their listing and sales skills for more than a decade. In this exclusive interview with Real Estate magazine, he shares his thoughts on how brokers and agents can minimize stress and take their game to the next level in 2012.

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.

This intriguing question will be answered this week by a panel of industry experts at RISMedia’s 16th Annual Power Broker Forum, being held from 2:30-4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, during the annual NAR Conference in Room 201A. Speakers for “The One Thing Power Brokers Can’t Live Without,” will include: • John Featherston, President & CEO, RISMedia (moderator) • Ed Krafchow, Chairman of the Board, Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate (moderator) • Margaret Kelly, CEO, RE/MAX, LLC • Sherry Chris, President & CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC

You see them all the time when searching the MLS: listings with no photos, just one exterior shot, or photos that are so poorly taken they’re (almost) comical. In an age where buyers lack the attention span to read text, the pictures are more important than ever. Yet many agents don’t seem to have a handle on taking attractive photos. In today’s real estate marketing environment, the photos of the property are the foundation of all other advertising, including: • The MLS Listing • All the websites that are fed from the MLS listing

Motivational humorist Darryl Davis has been making real estate audiences laugh, think and improve their listing and sales skills for more than a decade. In this exclusive interview with Real Estate magazine, he shares his thoughts on how brokers and agents can minimize stress and take their game to the next level in 2012. Jake Poinier: What is the biggest challenge brokers and agents are facing in today’s market? Darryl Davis: I would say the high level of stress everyone is feeling. And I think a big part of the stress is caused by the steady drumbeat of negative news over the past few years—foreclosures, short sales, the unemployment rate, etc. It’s taken a considerable toll on everyone.

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.

In building our Blueprint for 100 Deals, the Team is undoubtedly the most critical architecture to put into place. Each team member will play their role as a vital cog in the machinery of your real estate business. The administrational members of your team will act as the backbone, and the sales agents will be the life blood, which – when working together as a strong cohesive unit – will take you and your ‘Dream Team’ to the top.