Property Management
Technical details are a pain in the arse, I know, but these details
Buyer"s agent, Ernest Berkheimer, hasn"t had much luck on the Internet. One ISP after another has changed hands, including his IBM.net e-mail to AT& T. So he felt he needed his own domain and e-mail addresses. Then he found Homes.com. Problem solved - until yesterday, when he received the following e-mail from Homes.com CEO Tom Orsi, reassuring him that although the company is filing bankruptcy, he should not be affected as a customer.
Of all roofing designs used in homeowner associations, flat roofs are the most problematic, particularly in rain, wind or snow prone areas. The need for consistent and quality maintenance is extremely important for maximum performance and longest life. Recoating built-up flat roofs is a fundamental preventive maintenance which should be performed at least every five years and included in the reserve plan.
I was really excited to hear that Yahoo! Internet Life would be repeating its "Buying a Home Online" feature as an annual event. I knew from reading his other work that feature writer Alan Cohen, would try to do the category justice. For a guy that has to cover the entire Web, Cohen does a good job of getting a quick handle on deep categories like shopping for homes and cars, or getting help with the stock market or health issues, any of which could be career niches in journalism.
When 26-year real estate veteran Tom Conway first started to use the Internet, he was impressed by how efficiently the new medium produced leads via e-mail. But, it wasn"t until he attended a National Association of Realtors convention last year, that he realized that e-mail, as a prospecting and nurturing tool, could be raised to an art form.
It may not be the traditional way of unveiling new loft condos in an urban setting, but a Chicago developer hosted a warehouse fete complete with svelte models, tight fitting promotional t-shirts on a runway, and strobe-highlighted music. The promotional center piece? Eco-friendly loft condos in Chicago"s trendy community of Bucktown.
One of the most frustrating problems facing the AOL user is the inability to use professional level email software to send and receive their email, but now help is on the way.
As 2000 begins to wind down, many agents I am coaching right now are designing their 2001 Business Plans and Strategies. Traditional business planning is no longer sufficient. The normal way an agent has been taught to formulate their goals for the coming year has been to set them a certain percentage higher than this year and then to focus just on the numbers and actions necessary to provide the increase. This is a mistake is because it creates a “more, harder, faster” mindset that eventually leads to exhaustion and burnout.
Realtors® are always asking me, “How can I get the search engines to rank my Web site higher.”
Take the following quiz to determine how well your personal web site measures up. Answer each of the items "True" or "False."
Many agents are cheering the National Association of REALTORS® for its Internet Data Display policy which insists that MLS organizations allow individual Realtor members the ability to access listings databases for downloading and posting on their personal Web sites. The cheering may stop when agents realize just how expensive being their own Realtor.com really is.
When your web site is built, you or your Webmaster should submit it to the search engines. Preferably the person doing this is a search engine specialist. Submitting simply means telling the search engines that your web site is out there and you would like them to include it in their system, in the hopes that it will come up when people do searches. You do this by filling out a form at each search engine"s web site.
A new company, Q-PC.com is offering the chance to turn your Cadillac into a Hummer with the first in-car computer, giving you the competitive edge over other Realtors who aren"t so magnificently equipped.
Dear Mr. Internet:
Advertisements like this are plastered all over the web: "Submit your web site to 400 search engines for $59!" (Even Microsoft plays this game.) Sounds great, doesn"t it? But it is another web myth.
You hear so much today on the web about "branding"*. While that "buzzword" usually deals with a tangible product, understanding how it applies to a Realtor® is critical to effective marketing.
Not all the large listings sites offer Web pages or Web sites to Realtors, but the ones who do provide a special advantage for agents with listings and for those who wish to be linked to the listing site"s databases. That"s where the consumers are, and being close to listings can be a real marketing advantage for any agent.
Over the years, newsletters have become an integral part of a well-rounded marketing campaign. Sending out a monthly newsletter is a simple, yet effective way to build name recognition. By offering useful information and tips for buyers, sellers, and prospects, you show consumers that you are there to help them…that you care about their business. Have you changed from a hard-copy newsletter to an e-mail newsletter? At the very least, are you incorporating both while you build your e-mail databases?
There"s been a lot of talk in the press lately about the security
You can make your web site get more visitors by knowing what key words people enter into search engines to find sites like yours. For example, the majority of people search for real estate-related sites using key word phrases that include the name of the county, or city, with "real estate" such as in "Orange County Real Estate" or "Santa Ana Real Estate."
It was 7:00 in the evening. Like many REALTORS® who use direct mail, Sharon Marsh, a Plano, Texas agent, was doing her mailers after supper when she found she had run out of that most common and most maddening of business necessities - postage stamps.
Do you know what it means to Target Your Market on the Internet?
If you have found the learning curve steep and expensive to become and remain a Realtor, you will like the latest announcement from Real Estate University.com, a service of University.com. Starting November 8th, the company offers free real estate classes online at its Web site, www.realestate.university.com.
It"s interesting. Technology is often heralded as a servant for
As the first company to offer online listing customization nation-wide, OnlineVisit.com is jockeying for REALTOR® loyalty along with Free Web page and listing aggregators HomeSeekers and HomeAdvisor. The difference is that OnlineVisit.com isn"t offering free Web pages, or asking permission to download your listings from your MLS, - it"s offering free, customizable listing uploads directly to the site. And you don"t have to be a techie to do it.
If you don"t have your own domain name, it"s time you made a name for yourself. The Internet Crusade, a technology and training company devoted to helping agents migrate to the Web, is introducing a new program called the Digital Deal to help you market yourself more effectively and inexpensively.
Promising the most comprehensive real estate training, education and information resource available on the Internet, University.com, a Minneapolis, MN-based learning services provider has announced the launch of Real Estate University.com.
If you are a broker, an association officer or an MLS executive, you want to
It seems that many Realtors® are at this place regarding their web
Question: A unit owner asked for permission to enclose his carport space like a garage. Is that okay?
For many brokers and agents, taking the time to upload listings is a chore.
We live in an exciting time. It"s a time full of technological advances of
Michael Russer is an internationally known Internet speaker, strategic
If you are an experienced web REALTOR®, you may have noticed that it is not
While most agents are not even on the web yet, the ones already there
You may already be an experienced real estate Internet marketer. Anyone with
Dear Mr. Internet:What"s the best way
Editor"s Note: This is the follow-up to "The Web is No
When you think of using the Internet, does the word molasses come to mind?
E-mail is a powerful marketing tool, and it can be even more powerful if you
According to information compiled by REALTOR® Magazine, the official
Researchers, engineers, architects and experts from the international building sector recently gathered in Copenhagen for the first international Active Housing roundtable discussion. The group focused on the concerns associated with climate changes, energy consumption and indoor living conditions. The event, hosted by VELUX, highlights the challenges of how to combine energy design and liveability factor considerations in new and existing housing stock, or "Active Housing."
People don"t just buy houses. They buy the neighborhood, the community, and
Why is it that 85% to 90% of REALTORS® don"t make money from their Web sites?
The National Association of Realtors reported this week that there have been pending home sale gains in the South and Midwest. The other regions saw slight declines.
Internet sites may be reaping better results than industry figures would indicate.
Stephen M. CanaleOne of the most frustrating aspects of doing a lot of web surfing occurs when you spend an inordinate amount of time following links, and then using the "back" button when you need to reload the original page.
Thankfully the tide has turned from the egotistical self promotion that was touted as necessary for building name recognition in the last century to a more customer-centric thinking. The public is interested in how you can help them, understand them and give them the information they need. They are left unimpressed by the hype around how great you are, how much you have sold or even your education. They tune into WIIFM--“What’s In It For Me?”
The secret to successful marketing in any field is standing out from the crowd. Unfortunately, many Realtors have failed to learn this lesson. Read any Sunday classified ad or look in any real estate magazine and you’ll see what I mean. The same terms are used over and over. The same front shot of a house appears. The same abbreviations for bedrooms, baths, etc. In fact many times it takes a codebook to determine what an ad is saying. How boring! Let’s be creative.
It"s not a high-glamour, high profile niche in real estate investing, but it could be one of the safer, cash-flow producers in tough economic times: We"re talking about self-storage facilities for small-scale investors.
Editor"s Note: View From the Top is a weekly series devoted to bringing Realty Times and Agent News readers the concerns, opinions, and tips for success from the real estate industry"s most influential minds.
The value of a home is an elusive quantity. As the recent upswing in the market testifies, homes are a commodity that are subject to the laws of supply and demand. Fortunately for the industry, homes are currently very much in demand. But as prices escalate, it becomes more critical than ever that you price your sellers" home as accurately as possible, without going over the top.
Guerrilla marketing is a phrase coined by Conrad Levinson, author and former advertising agency executive, who wrote the million-copy bestseller Guerrilla Marketing in 1984. Levinson has expanded the Guerrilla Marketing concept into an ongoing empire featuring additional books, lecture tours, and more. Guerrilla marketing means going against conventional wisdom and making the marketing choices that make sense for you and your company as opposed to what works for others. It means investing time, energy and imagination instead of a great deal of money into marketing.
You need confidence in the beginning, but what does that mean? You came into this business confident that you would make a sale immediately and have tons of money coming in. Then reality set in. It was much harder than you thought—people weren’t calling you; people were asking questions that you were not sure of the answers; you didn’t know what to do with your time; you didn’t completely understand the sales contract and so couldn’t get people comfortable to sign it; and so on.
Mortgage originators and Realtors need to work in concert to achieve the beautiful music of satisfied customers. There is nothing more pleasing than a phone call from a satisfied client, except maybe a referral from a satisfied client. If you desire to create the symphonic music of referrals from your clients, you need to have synchronized efforts with your mortgage partner.
The latest report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) indicates that existing homes sales have risen, due to a jump in sales in the Western region of the United States.
Hardly anyone sends thank you notes anymore and when was the last time you gave a party that anyone bothered to RSVP? Poor manners are also invading the world of real estate, especially when it comes to agents and some relocation companies putting their hands out for referral fees without having been properly referred.
For Sale By Owner"s can be uncomfortable for real estate agents to work with. They can often be extremely rude and inconsiderate. They also can be a great source of income if handled in the appropriate manner. The reality is you do not have to look for them, they are out there. They are advertising in the newspaper saying, "Come list me."
The e-PRO is the first new certification to be offered by the National Association of REALTORS® in years. And according to the e-PRO course architect, Michael Russer, it will be among the most challenging to earn. The very visibility of the e-PRO will mean the polarization of the real estate industry separating those who can cut it on the Internet and those who can"t.
The ability to focus is crucial to achieving success in any endeavors we try. Why do some agents work 70 hours per week while others can work 40 hours for the same results? From personal experience, I know I would not have been able to work a four-day work week without intense focus. How well do you focus? How well do you stay singly concentrated on the task in front of you?
Part I can be found here: Stalking the FSBO - Part I: Identifying the FSBO
Part II of Overpricing the Listing, posted yesterday.
I recently had lunch with a successful agent who had just undergone an IRS
Recent statistics indicate 75% of home buyers and sellers were satisfied with
Open houses are more than just a one-time event. They are an opportunity to
Being a top producer in life is more than having high sales. Money or
To: All agents, offices or small companies who want to be publicized in
Everywhere you turn, there are fresh demographics about seniors. They are
It"s easy to appeal to the nuclear family who is shopping for a home. Just show them you have community ties to the neighborhood and schools they want to live near, and you are a shoo-in. But is basing your business marketing plan on the nuclear family a good idea? What if you are young and single? Would you be as effective with this demographic as an agent who has a family and knows schools and services related to children?
How do the most successful agents negotiate with impossible sellers? Do you know when to fold or when to hold your ground? And do nice guys really finish last?
America is certainly a melting pot of other countries, but the pot has developed a culture of its own. The American has a national image - we are go-getters, entrepreneurs who make our own fortunes. We"re confident, brash, loud and aggressive. We"re casual - we cut through formalities to the chase. But to the rest of the world, the same characteristics that we hold in high esteem can be construed as arrogant and disrespectful. Especially when we visit abroad, we are blissfully unaware of how and when we trample on other nations" traditions, protocols, and identities.
As a listing agent, you must walk a fine line with your client when it comes to telling them the "awful truth" about their home"s shortcomings. You know that overcoming these "objectionables" will position the home to compete with others on the market, but your seller may view your suggestions as overly critical. You want to tell them what absolutely must be fixed and what has to be hidden out of sight. And all or most of the work needs to be done as soon as you get the listing agreement signed before you put the home in the MLS system.
Tax filing season is just weeks away, but real estate investors, commercial property owners and developers still have tax-saving options they may not have considered.
Would you like to try something different in the way of a business card? You can design and print your own card and other kinds of cards that can help you in your business.
The tight market in many areas is giving amateurs the impression that they can market and sell their homes more effectively and more cheaply than they can through a REALTOR.
Realty Times, the premier consumer and industry real estate news service online, as recognized by Yahoo! Internet Life, announces a new site design. With new features for its content partners that spell more lead generation opportunities for its members, Realty Times is putting its unique Market Conditions Reports(tm) front and center.
It started about two months ago. Realty Times quietly informed the thousands of brokers who subscribe to its monthly Real Estate Update newsletter that they can now participate in a new service, our iMarketing Program™.
Homes.com and Realty Times have signed a multi-year agreement designating Homes.com as a preferred distributor of Realty Times" lead generation and customer contact/lead retention products for real estate professionals.
After weeks of turbulent news capped by the announcement that revenues may have been overstated by as much as $95 million in a nine-month period, Homestore is making a fresh start.
When it comes to real estate salespeople there"s a lot of movement. Like the rest of us, real estate licensees are a mobile group both in terms of communities and jobs. Salespeople move and when they relocate they routinely work for a new brokers. And even when they stay in the same community it"s not unusual for a salesperson to switch brokerages from time to time.
Another real estate technology company,
The NAR believes it is heading full steam toward the electronic transaction.
Of all the things a broker does to limit her firm"s professional liability, perhaps the most important is also one of the most difficult and uncertain: hiring newly minted agents.
According to Dr. Jonathan Cutler, President of SettlementRoom The alliance with REcyber.com is a perfect fit for us since the Society shares our vision for using technology as a tool to maximize efficiency and organize the hundreds of communications and documents that bog down every real estate transaction. REcyber.com and its thousands of Society members clearly understand the technology and marketing needs of real estate professionals. We are very proud that REcyber.com has chosen our system for their members.
In full settlement of the lawsuit, CBS has agreed to change the sign to remove any likeness to the RE/MAX yard sign in future broadcasts of the episode. CBS said any similarities to the RE/MAX sign were inadvertent and any negative reflection on RE/MAX was unintentional.
Homestore reported third quarter revenue from continuing operations of $63.8 million, down three percent from revenue of $65.9 million for the second quarter of 2002. The decline in revenue of $2.1 million from the second quarter is a result of a change in the Company"s sales and fulfillment strategy of virtual tour products and a decline in online advertising revenue from non-recurring contracts. Even with the decline in revenue, the gross profit margin improved to 72 percent in the third quarter compared to 68 percent in the second quarter.
What will the new year bring for housing and real estate? It"s easy to look at all the negative economic news in the headlines and say - there"s no sign that 2009 is going to be any better than 2008.
Fidelity National Information Solutions (Nasdaq: FNIS), a real estate-related information services and
The Weichert Family of Companies shattered its all-time annual dollar volume
Want to know the latest rules and case law affecting real estate?
According to third quarter institutional research released this week by Real
Apartments.com and Match.com have created a co-branded site that
Homestore.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:
The Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers (CRB) announces the following
The Prudential Real
agents with an on-line marketplace to sell and lease residential real estate.
Organizations and individuals interested
Sure you can lose weight, get in shape, launch a business or find a new job.
An opinion issued today by the National Association of Realtors® Legal
Real estate companies affiliated with the RELO® network produced
Prudential Referral
Prudential Real
HomeSeekers.com has entered an agreement with Newport Capital Holdings of
tour service provider will post listings enhanced with virtual tours on
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is spearheading Fix Housing First, one of the largest coalitions of housing advocates ever assembled in the United States, to push for a housing recovery plan that will revive the economy.
According to employee reports to an Internet company with an unmentionable
Homestore.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOMS), operator of Realtor.com®, the official
Results of the latest home buyer preference surveys, unveiled at the
Prudential California Realty (PCR) today announced its expansion in the
The Golden Hammer Awards will be presented at the 1999 COLDWELL BANKER International Business Conference during a General Session. These new awards celebrate the company"s relationship with and support of Habitat for Humanity. Alex Perriello, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation will present the Golden Hammer Awards with conference emcee and daytime television personality, Leeza Gibbons. The company anticipates that approximately 10,000 COLDWELL BANKER sales associates, brokers, managers and employees will attend the annual conference, to be held March 7-9 in San
On-site staff at Prudential Real Estate Affiliates" Cyber Cafû will work one-on-one with participants, giving them the opportunity to surf the Internet and explore electronic commerce options such as e-mail, virtual home tours and PREA CENTER, Prudential Real Estate"s private extranet site which features business marketing and communication tools. There will also be a special booth presenting Prudential Real Estate"s new eCertified designation, which is exclusively granted to Prudential Real Estate Network members who demonstrate that they are highly trained in technology and prove that they use their skills to create a more efficient and effective real estate transaction for their customers. In addition, top industry vendors, including IPIX, Intel, Microsoft Sidewalk, Top ProduceerIBM and CompUSA, will display their technology and educate attendees on the business application of technology.
The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. (PREA) announced superior results from its Affiliate Assistance Hotline (AAH), during its first eight months of service. Designed as a primary source for information and service, the call center augments the specialized service teams supporting more than 37,000 members of the Prudential Real Estate Network.
Century 21 Real Estate Corporation announced today an exclusive agreement with an Atlanta-based software firm, CompuTaught*, to provide online training to CENTURY 21 member brokers/agents who are interested in specializing in relocation services.
Windermere Real Estate, the largest brokerage firm in the Northwest, is now showcasing luxury real estate online.
NAR has recently added a new certification program for REALTORS to help them better serve the increasingly diverse minority market. Entitled "At Home With Diversity: One America," the course aims to equip real estate professionals with information and marketing skills needed to offer home ownership opportunities to the growing number of multicultural and minority buyers.
Question: If the governing documents state that maintenance of the common area is the responsibility of the homeowner association, can the Board enact a policy that allows homeowners to plant flowers around their unit and mandate that homeowners maintain that area?
Question: I earn $140,000 a year and am renting in Connecticut. We had saved a lot of money for a down payment on a home but we lost most of the value when the stock market tanked. I have been looking into loans with very little money down and was surprised to find that there are lots of lenders who will give me a large loan with a huge monthly payment. Property values keep rising and time is running out. I have two questions. First, is the recommended debt-to-income ratio of 36 percent outdated? When I apply myself to this rule, I have no money left. I have two car payments, child care expenses, and other household expenses just like most normal American families. I don"t think my expenses are outlandish even though they seem to add up. Second, why do property values keep going up even though people can"t afford the homes? I believe the banks are lending too much money and this is what"s causing property values to skyrocket.
According to the latest report from the U.S. Commerce Department, sales of new single-family homes were down in October.
Hindsight is indeed a wonderful gift. Practically everyone sees much more clearly looking into the past than they do when peering into the future. But it"s a luxury few of us enjoy.
Top federal housing officials are promising a “consumer-friendly” overhaul by this summer of the current rules on disclosures of mortgage-related fees and closing costs. In an interview, HUD Secretary Mel R. Martinez said the reforms will touch virtually every new loan transaction in the U.S., and will bring “far greater clarity and transparency than ever before” to home purchases and mortgage refinancings.
Freddie Mac--the second biggest source of American home mortgage money--has begun using a new creditworthiness yardstick to evaluate all new mortgage applications.
Fair, Isaac and Co. (FICO), which once bitterly fought to protect credit scores from public gaming is now offering to sell you your score with information on how to improve it.
You hate it, don"t you? You found, without a doubt, the absolute lowest interest rate on the planet. Not just that, but the loan company had no fees whatsoever. You could hardly lose, right? Except for the fact that now the loan papers you"re looking at appear nothing like what you agreed to. Your interest rate is higher than what you locked, and your closing fees are about $3,000 higher than your Good Faith Estimate. What do you do? You have to close on your house, right? Don"t loan companies have to follow certain laws?
I financed a home for a couple a few years ago in an area near San Antonio, TX. Yesterday I received a call from them asking about a mortgage to buy some land near a lake where they would one day build a cabin. I told them they didn"t want my money, and sent them on their way.
Could your credit score come in artificially low in your next mortgage application because your lender is using an outdated credit score software model? And could that, in turn, potentially disqualify you for the lowest possible mortgage rates and fees?
Question: My wife and I are
You"ve heard the term "conventional" financing, but what does this expression really mean to mortgage borrowers?
While conflict is inevitable in homeowner associations, we do have choices about how we are going to deal with it. When handled in a constructive manner conflict can be a catalyst for new awareness, new understanding, creative solutions and enhanced relationships.