Working Around Your Buyer’s Unusual Schedule

By Phillip MacArthur

This year, while attending the 2016 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Summit Conference in Palm Springs, CA, I heard a reoccurring theme from my colleagues: How do you work with a buyer whose hours aren’t the typical 9-5?

In my experience, these buyers tend to be entrepreneurs, police officers, financiers, small business owners and healthcare professionals, whose jobs mandate they work early in the morning or late into the night. As their trusted real estate agents, we must adjust. But how?

Here are a few tips that have helped me manage these atypical clients. My advice:

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Thoughts on Leadership: Be Thankful

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Northern California where on Monday afternoon I had the opportunity to have lunch with my good friend, Dwight Clark, former All-Pro wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers and five-time Super Bowl champion. We were joined by another friend of mine, best-selling author Carmine Gallo, who wrote some of my all-time favorite business books, including: Talk Like Ted, The Storyteller’s Secret and The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs. Together, we spoke about the challenges and rewards of business, sports and life in general.

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An Architecture of Change: 3 Basic Home Features to Be Thankful For

By Crescent Seward

On my ninth birthday I received an oddly mature, mid-century architecture coloring book full of 1960s homes and their intricate landscaping. (This was in the late 1980s well before adult coloring books became all the rage.) I poured over those pages with my colored pencils and imagined what it would be like to live in each one, play in those various backyards – and became thankful for my own sprawling front porch – which hosted many nights of capturing fireflies and laughing with my little brother.

Like most Americans approaching the Thanksgiving holiday, I’m reminded of what I’m thankful for and thought back to those simple days of childhood. While my nine-year-old self thought a big front porch to play on was pretty important, today I value a few other things in a home (walk-in closets, anyone?). I started thinking about how many different types of homes there are and how far we’ve come in architecture and technology. From drafty Victorians, electricity and indoor plumbing, tract housing, double-wide trailers, McMansions and quaint Craftsmans, to the future of smart homes – we actually have a lot for which to be thankful.

We’ve also been changing and evolving our homes well before 1989. Here are a few things I’m sure you’re thankful for, in no particular order:

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Augmented Reality in Real Estate

By Kyle Rank

Watch this video to discover how real estate professionals are using augmented reality to enhance the home buying experience!

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Thoughts on Leadership: Scout Law and Leaders

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Northern California, Arizona, Southern California and then back to Northern California. While in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to attend an event honoring recently retired Chairman, president and CEO of Edison International Theodore “Ted” F. Craver, Jr. with the 2016 Western Los Angeles County Council, Boy Scouts of America Americanism Award.

According to WLACC-BSA president Mark D. Carlson, the award “is conferred on individuals who personify the traditions of our country and the Boy Scouts of America.” Other notable recipients include: General Jimmy Doolittle, Gerald R. Ford and Bob Hope.

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Thoughts on Leadership: Stronger Together to Make America Great

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Northern California, working from my home office, and on Tuesday afternoon in Los Altos at the Montclaire Elementary School, exercising my right as an American citizen to vote in the 2016 election.

For those reading my words now, holding your breath, don’t worry. This isn’t a political post … per se. I know far better than to talk politics or espouse one person’s opinion as more sound than the next. But my weekly messages are all about leaders and I’d be remiss not to mention that one has just been elected to lead the United States of America as our 45th president.

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The Revelation of Finding Your HOME

By Erin Heider

I’ve had many buyers ask this question: How will I know when a home is the one?

Here’s my answer: It may take viewing 10 or 100 houses (hopefully the number is closer to 10), but when you know, you’ll know. And I, as the real estate agent, will pick up on signs that let me know you’re certain about a certain property. It’s one of my favorite moments in the home-buying transaction; the special day when I’m able to help find someone a HOME.

What are the clues I pick up on that you’ve found the house that will be your home? Here are three …

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Thoughts on Leadership: Connecting and Networking for Success

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels find me in Orlando for the National Association of REALTORS® Conference & Expo, a yearly event that brings together real estate professionals from across the country … and the globe. Our HSF Affiliates brands will be proudly represented on the Expo floor—come say hello to our team at Booth No. 1565—as thousands of attendees connect, learn and ultimately build relationships that will help grow their businesses.

In this post, though, I want to focus on the value of connection because I firmly believe it lays the groundwork for all we do, is a major determinant of future success and in many ways, can define who we are. Without real connection we have next to nothing; no authenticity, no substance, no trust and no foundation upon which to build lasting relationships that will propel us forward.

The question often comes up: How do you best connect at large events like the NAR Conference & Expo, when the crowd can sometimes be overwhelming and the opportunities so vast? Here’s my answer (or my five answers), about how to foster meaningful connections at your next meeting—whether it’s at the upcoming NAR convention, an office networking event or holiday party:

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