Misconceptions of Millennial Communication

By Melissa Kandel

A friend asked me yesterday if it was possible to sprain her thumbs from excessive text messaging.

“Of course you can’t,” I told her confidently, even though I had no idea. She shrugged, satisfied, and returned to her phone. We had met for a late afternoon coffee and these were our first words exchanged. For the better part of an hour, we sat in the corner of an almost-empty café, untouched lattes between us, phones in hand, silent except for the soft taps of fingertips on glass screens. Was this really the portrait of modern friendship?

Posted by HomeServices of America

A First-Time Homebuyers’ Dilemma: When Getting it Right Doesn’t Work

By Chuck MacPhee

In my last post, I detailed all the ways to help secure your dream home as a first-time buyer.

But what happens when you do everything right—work with a competent agent, get your preapproval and go through the full mortgage underwriting process—and still don’t get your dream house?

I’d like to say this scenario will never happen but the reality is that it’s actually very common and often no one’s fault beyond the market. A lot of places across the country are experiencing strong seller markets, with homes often receiving multiple offers within the first few days (or hours) they are listed.

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REthinking Your Marketing Plan

By Lynn Minnick

If there’s one thing you take away from my post today, let it be this: Change is good. No, change is great. How do I know? Well, I recently made some changes to my business practices and I can already see the positive results. Let me explain …

I write a marketing plan each year as part of my strategic business planning but it’s a good idea every once in a while to revisit it and see what improvements I can make. I recently took a hard look at my goals and decided to make some much-needed changes. Here they are:

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The Great Debate: Old vs. New Homes

By Jessica Botkin

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to the question of old vs. new in real estate.

Ask yourself, do you enjoy a home with character and timeless style? Or, are you a fan of the starting-from-scratch approach, which begins from the ground up—literally—and creates something new, modern, sleek and, energy efficient?

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The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Weekend in One Minute

By Sean Cawley

I may be a West Coast resident now, but I was born and raised in Omaha, NE.

Home to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. headquarters, Omaha is also home to me and I make it a point to return each year to attend the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting with my brother, Brian Cawley.

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The Power of the Past Client

By Adam Briley

To maintain a successful real estate business, it’s critically important to look back in order to move forward; a majority of my business over the last few years has come from past client referrals.

So, how do you connect with clients long after a transaction is through?

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For Success in Real Estate, It’s About the Little Things

By Todd Waller

[phone rings]

Me: Hey, Kristin! What’s happening today? Do you and Brian have any questions about the listing docs I sent you for review?
Kristin: (laughing) Geez, Todd! That’s impressive, answering the phone by addressing me by name.
Me: Really? It’s an old habit of mine.
Kristin: Habit?
Me: Yeah! Any time I talk with a client or customer on the phone, I capture their number and add their name to my contact list. That way, when my peeps call, I know who I’m talking with and likely what they want to talk about.
Kristin: That is really impressive! That makes me feel even more important and comfortable working with you. Nice touch.
Me: Thanks! Now, how’s the house coming along?

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Did the Internet Kill the Real Estate Star?

By Carrie Foley

The other day, I received a call from clients looking for a new home.

Like so many conversations I have these days with my buyers, they had a list of homes they had sought out on the Internet that they wanted to see. Each home had been found, researched and carefully selected based on information gleaned from Google Maps, peer reviews of the neighborhoods or schools, and other detailed listing information found online. Much of their research was conducted either through my website, which links with the MLS or on popular real estate listing sites.

Today, there’s a limitless amount of information instantly accessible to the technology-savvy home shopper. It appears—on the surface, at least—that the role of the real estate agent is diminishing, especially for the younger generations of buyers. In fact, as millennials embrace every emerging social platform and application from Vine to SnapChat, expanding their ability to access an incredible wealth of real estate information and opinions generated by their peers and friends, what will become of agents?

We’ll stay right here. Why?

Because we bring to the table these three invaluable assets:

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How to Win Business: Be the First

By Mark Brace

In my first-ever video for REthink Report, I’ll explain how to “Be the First.” Why is this practice so important for all real estate agents to understand? According to the National Association of REATLORS®’ latest profile of Homebuyers and Sellers, 66% of buyers and sellers worked with the first agent they interview.

But how can you be that first agent to get in front of potential clients? I’ve got some helpful tips and insight, so watch this video to find out more!

MARK BRACE is an agent with Grand Rapids, MI-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Michigan Real Estate. He is also a member of the REthink Council. To contact Mark, visit his website www.markbrace.com, find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarkBraceRealEstate or follow him on Twitter, @GRRealtor.

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Harmonizing Hashtags: Thoughts on a Social Media Icon

By Nicolle Davis

You know what the hashtag is, right?

It’s this thing: #

I always knew it as a musical symbol, a tic-tac-toe or the pound sign on a phone. But over the past few years, this familiar symbol has taken on an entirely new significance in an entirely new space ─ online media.

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