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: 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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Thoughts on Leadership: Think Tanks

This week my travels found me in Las Vegas for the 2016 National Convention of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). From Vegas, it was off to Minneapolis for the monthly board meeting with our HomeServices of America, Inc. team—it’s always great to spend time with Greg Abel, chairman, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Finally, I finished the week in Park City, Utah for a Mavericks meeting.

What is Mavericks? It’s a small think-tank group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CEOs who meet every six months to exchange ideas and help members grow. Each meeting is hosted by a different company; this one was at the offices of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Utah Properties, led by Broker/Owner Steve Roney. Every Mavericks meeting proves even more productive than the last and at the end of our time together, I always walk away with actionable ideas to help our affiliates improve, grow and succeed.

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Thoughts on Leadership: The 2016 NAGLREP Conference

This week my travels found me in Ft. Lauderdale, FL for the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals Conference. This meeting is the premiere forum for the LGBT real estate market and highlights issues that affect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender homebuyers and sellers. As an example, at the 2016 conference, NAGLREP released the results of its latest Member Survey, which found 20% of LGBT real estate agents surveyed thought the historic Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling positively affected their clients’ decision to buy or sell a home. (Read more results from the survey here.)

Each year, industry leaders gather to celebrate accomplishments, discuss pressing topics and brainstorm ways to make a real difference for an influential, important and impactful area of the real estate industry.  This year’s meeting was exactly that.

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Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Moving Families Initiative

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Pittsburgh to meet with the team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty and owner/CEO Ron Croushore. Attendance at the meeting topped more than 450 agents, managers and staff, and I spent five hours—one with managers and four with the agents—talking time management, principles for success, operating a brokerage and more. What an incredible experience and what an energized group! As I stood on stage addressing the crowd, a thought came to mind: This, like all our Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices members, is more than a brokerage. It’s a family, a community of like-minded individuals who understand the importance of learning and growing together for the benefit of all.

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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.

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Thoughts on Leadership: Storytelling and Connecting at Summit Conference

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels find me in Rancho Mirage, CA for our 2016 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Summit Conference. The theme for this year’s event is “storytelling and connecting,” and the two ideas couldn’t have been more central to every activity, networking opportunity, presentation and gathering that together encompassed our Summit meeting. 

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