Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Business Planning for 2017

This week my travels found me first in San Diego, where I was invited by Sam Guillen and John Stenberg of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties to speak to the team. From there, I went to Irvine, CA and end my week in San Jose, CA, where Robert Cruz will be installed as president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP) Silicon Valley. This week I also took the opportunity to finish my business plan for 2017 and will have my entire year mapped out by Saturday, Oct. 1.

Some might ask, a business plan in October? Yes, you read that right. Because over the decades I’ve worked in real estate, I’ve learned most real estate agents—and most companies—have a cash flow problem during January and February. The perennial issue makes sense when you understand that real estate works on a 90 day cycle; what you do today will pay off three months from now and concurrently, what you don’t do today will cause suffering and headache three months down the road.

Continue Reading

Open Houses: Best Practice or Not?

By Todd Waller

The decision to sell your home, the place you have lived for years and where you created memories, is no easy decision.

Still, the process of selling your home should be as smooth as possible. Proper research, pricing and marketing will produce a sale in the shortest amount of time possible, for the highest price, and the least amount of inconvenience.

Continue Reading

Real Estate Inspiration from Parks and Rec’s Leslie Knope

By Lynn Minnick

A few years ago, after binge-watching 30 Rock on Netflix, I reflected upon the lessons Tina Fey taught me that applied to my real estate career. Today, it’s Amy Poehler’s turn, through her unforgettable Parks and Recreation character, Leslie Knope.

Leslie helps to inspire my business in several ways:

Continue Reading

Innovative Marketing Ideas

By Adam Briley

Are you looking for new and different ways to market to potential clients? Watch this video by Adam Briley of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate for more!

ADAM BRILEY is a real estate innovator and agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate. He is also a member of the REthink Council. Visit his website www.brileyhomes.com, find him on www.facebook.com/BrileyHomes or tweet him @BrileyHomes.

Confessions of a Workaholic: How Teams Saved the Day

By Carrie Foley

I have a confession to make: I am a workaholic. How do I know? I’m never able to take my mind off my work and I’m always thinking about where my next buyer or seller will come from. Just one is never enough.

Continue Reading

Moving an Office from Here to There: How to Prepare Your Agents

By Player Murray

The office of the future is a reality these days, and many are embracing the new look, feel and atmosphere of today’s work spaces. But how do you get from where you currently are—the traditional office space you’ve been in for years—to that shiny, new space that’s so different in many ways?

I’m going to be honest (because I just went through it), there are a lot of moving parts. A lot.

Continue Reading

Build Relationships By Getting to Know Your Clients

By Lisa Schultz

As a real estate agent, acquiring clients is a large portion of your workload.

However, once you’ve found your prospects, obtaining and maintaining those relationships becomes one of your primary responsibilities. Many agents lose clients because they aren’t fully meeting their clients’ needs or expectations. For example, the clients may expect to hear from their agent more frequently than they are being contacted. If they are dissatisfied with the service received or expectations are miscommunicated, the client may choose to do business with someone else.

Continue Reading

Staging: How to Make a Home Irresistible

By Jill Griffin

Over the past few years, staging a home for sale has become standard practice, rather than an option.

Sellers are incredibly receptive to the idea and often ask me what they need to do to get top dollar for their home long before I can even bring staging up.

Buyers now get confused if they walk into a home that hasn’t been staged or prepped for the market. Often, they ask, “Is this house in pre-foreclosure?” Or, “Is this a rental property?”

Continue Reading

REthinking Your Marketing Plan

Headshot Lynn Minnick

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:

Continue Reading

No more posts.