By Marsha Kotlyar
This summer I had the honor of participating in a panel discussion at the INMAN CONNECT Real Estate Conference in San Francisco.
The topic of the panel was “Winning the Listing: What Sellers Expect” and I was one of three professionals speaking to the large group of real estate agents. I enjoyed the experience and our panel shared a lot of insight, and so I thought I would share my 10 takeaways from the discussion.
By Gino Blefari
It’s been a terrific few days in New Jersey.
I was honored to speak to agents and managers of Bill Keleher’s Somerset-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New Jersey Properties; then sprinted over to Secaucus to address attendees of Tom Ferry’s 2014 Blueprint Conference. I loved both experiences and am in awe of the talent, passion and experience I observed in the professionals I met.
By Lisa Schultz
There’s no denying that technology has changed the face of the real estate industry.
However, the business of referrals is still a tried-and-true method for creating a successful book of business. In a sea of websites, blogs and social media that provide an endless – and oftentimes overwhelming – barrage of information, it can be difficult for a real estate professional to stand out from the competition, or even to get noticed. Content marketing has become an increasingly useful tool for agents looking to separate themselves from the pack.
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?”
By Mark Brace
In today’s real estate market, Facebook is an absolute necessity for any successful marketing strategy. For real estate offices, it’s important to create office-specific pages. In this video, I’ll explain the importance of an office Facebook page, highlighting its benefits as a source of information and news. I’ll also detail the action steps involved to make your page a success.
By Carrie Foley
With summer in full swing, I like to spend my time off at the pool.
Recently, I was watching a timid child try to swim. I could only imagine how the depth and the vastness of the pool probably seemed frightening and overwhelming to a beginner. The child clung to the edge of the pool watching the others swim about. She spent more time sitting on the side than in the water.
She eventually got up the courage to jump in.
By Carl Guild
Want to succeed in real estate?
I’ve got two words for you: client retention.
Some of you may say that we don’t want to retain our clients. We want them in and out. Well, the truth is you want to retain your clients FOREVER. You want their inventory in and out, but the relationship must remain so you can represent them for every deal, every real estate milestone, and receive those all-important referrals. Don’t believe me? All right, have it your way.
Here are five surefire ways to make sure your client relationship doesn’t last:
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?
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:
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?
Thoughts on Leadership 