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As a successful real estate broker who made the transition from the broker side of the business to the affiliate side of the business, I have gained a unique and objective perspective as to what really helps agents do more business and what really helps agents waste time. In my role as Chief Communications Officer at HSA Home Warranty, I have had the pleasure of traveling around the country speaking to and

While short sales continue to be a lucrative avenue for real estate professionals, they can still take up to three times longer than a traditional transaction and often fall apart. By avoiding these top dozen short sale barriers, however, you will be pleasantly surprised at how profitable short sales can be. 1. Poor short sale candidate. Establish objective criteria up front, conduct an extensive interview with the buyer, and make sure the seller is motivated and cooperative.

According to Wikipedia, SEO is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s “natural,” or un-paid, search results. In other words, free lead generation. If you can get your company to show up at the top of a search results page you’ll generate more leads. With over 88 percent of homebuyers searching online for their dream home, SEO is crucial. But are there really thieves stealing your traffic and hurting your search ranking? Yes there are, and they might even be your marketing partners. However, most of these so-called thieves don't even know what they are doing. Below are two ways

The Beta Brokerage concept shares case studies of entrepreneurial unaffiliated brokers that are breaking the rules of tradition. Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate works with these companies’ leaders to understand and share their strategies through the brand’s Beta Brokerage Directory. “Our brand values the entrepreneurial spirit and idea sharing that will drive our industry into the future,” says Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. “We salute these Beta Brokerages who challenge the status quo of real estate and value their

In this month’s NAR Power Broker Roundtable, panelists from the Young Professionals Network discuss how they are conducting the business of real estate in today’s tech-savvy world—and what we can learn from them. Moderator: Jeff Barnett, Special Liaison for Large Firm Relations, NAR Participants: Tamara Suminski, Keller Williams Beach Cities Realty, Hermosa Beach, Calif.; Imran Poladi, Harcourts USA Realty, Aliso Viejo, Calif.; Sara Jacobson, Red Baron Real Estate, Boise Idaho; and Erin Mandel, @properties, Chicago, Ill.

Try this quick and easy way to calculate how many new prospects you will need to acquire to reach your business goals. No spread sheets or calculations are required; this free tool will do the work for you. Simply enter your desired new commission level. You will be prompted to answer a few questions. Within five minutes you will see a breakdown of how many listing and sales contracts you have to close to reach your desired number. It then projects the prospects you will need to acquire, and the number of follow-up calls you likely will have to make, Knowing what work is required is just the beginning. Goal setting needs to be combined with actions that are attainable and available. To help with this, the system breaks down annual objectives to more manageable monthly targets.

Leading real estate firms from across the country are quickly completing RISMedia’s 25th Annual Power Broker Survey, securing their opportunity to be ranked among the nation’s Power Brokers. The survey deadline is February 27, 2013. If you have not completed the survey yet, please click here to do so. By participating in the Power Broker Survey, brokers are given the unique opportunity to document their success, especially important in today’s highly competitive, recovering real estate market. Firms who meet the criteria will appear in RISMedia’s preeminent ranking of real estate’s top firms, The Power Broker Report. This year’s Power Broker Report is sponsored by Move, Inc. and HSA Home Warranty.

“God said I need somebody willing to mow a lawn that isn't her own. And to make a bed that doesn't belong to her. And someone who is ready and willing to receive text messages about crown molding at 2 a.m. “So God made a REALTOR®.” Parodied from the recent “God Made a Farmer” commercial that gained popularity during this year’s Super Bowl, a new real estate marketing video made by Whitney Pannell, a REALTOR®

With an estimated 90 percent of homebuyers conducting home searches online, you’d be smart to use the beginning of 2013 to beef up your Web presence. Take a minute to discover the six things you absolutely must include on your real estate website (and which three things to avoid). Is your site up to snuff? 6 Must-Haves Contact Information: Your name, phone number, email or contact form, and links to your social media accounts should be visible on every page. Left or right margins are great for this.

From homes to cabins to dormitories—and everything in between—re-purposed shipping containers, or ISBUs (Intermodal Steel Building Units) are making their mark on the residential real estate sector, blurring the lines between two very distinct industries as one’s trash becomes the other’s treasure. Originally built to transport goods, the average life of a shipping container is now being extended, thanks to environmentally conscious consumers, builders, designers and a host of other real estate professionals who see their potential when it comes to building homes.

With inventories down and prices up, sellers are ending the costly incentives they have been forced to offer buyers during the six-year long buyers’ market. Concession-free transactions make deal-making simple on both sides of the table. There’s no better gauge of the onset of a seller’s market than the demise of concessions that were considered essential to attract buyer interest just a few months ago.

CoreLogic®, a leading residential property information, analytics and services provider, recently released its December CoreLogic HPI® report. Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased on a year-over-year basis by 8.3 percent in December 2012 compared to December 2011. This change represents the biggest increase since May 2006 and the 10th consecutive monthly increase in home prices nationally. On a month-over-month basis, including distressed sales, home prices increased by 0.4 percent in December 2012 compared to November 2012. The HPI analysis shows that all but four states are experiencing year-over-year price gains. Excluding distressed sales, home prices increased on a

As the real estate market quickens its pace toward recovery, brokerage firms from around the country are reporting increasingly positive numbers. Brokers will document their organization’s success by participating in RISMedia’s 25th Annual Power Broker Report & Survey, the industry’s preeminent report ranking the nation’s top real estate firms. Sponsored by Move, Inc. and HSA Home Warranty, the 2013 Power Broker Survey has long served as a competitive differentiator for firms of all sizes. To complete the survey now, please click here. The survey deadline is February 27, 2013.

I recently held our first training call with our new virtual coaching platform, and noticed that the one topic that drew the most interest was when I covered the topic of “the three questions to ask yourself every single morning.” By simply asking these three questions, you will find that you can be more productive and have better direction for your day. Here are the three questions: 1. What - The first question to ask yourself every day is, “What do I want to accomplish today?” It is such a direct question that forces you to focus on a specific direction for the day. Most of us wake up most mornings and do whatever shows up on our desk or in our inbox.

With many areas of the country being considered a seller’s market, it is it important to hone your skills and show sellers why they should specifically list with you above going FSBO or choosing another agent. Many sellers think that in a seller’s market they can sell their home without using a REALTOR in the process. Here are 5 strategies to generate seller leads as well as show them why hiring you would be the best decision while getting the most out of their home sale. 1. Feature neighborhoods in your website for where you want to attract sellers. Perception is reality and this gives the seller the vision that you know their market and