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Zero Percent Chance of Rain, But Needing an Umbrella

Blog Contributor Business Challenges, Professional Development 2 Comments

By Jeremy Williams It’s raining around here, but not raindrops.  The sounds of complaining and worry are always in earshot when working in a real estate market that has softened and seen some additional challenges as a direct result of government policy and tightening financial markets.  Sometimes it is a drizzles and other times it is a down pour.  The …

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The Power of Positive Thinking

Blog Contributor Helpful Tools, Personal Fulfillment, Professional Development, Sales & Marketing 2 Comments

By Kelly Reark Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with some other real estate agents within our local association’s Board of REALTORS®. I noted something while I was talking to each of them that I want to pass along to all of you. There’s no question that this real estate market is challenging and unique.  There are agents out …

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Saving My Business, My Community, and Our Industry

Blog Contributor Business Challenges, Sales & Marketing, Short Sales & Foreclosures 1 Comment

By Jonathan Osman If you ever want to start a heated discussion among agents in my area, ask them their opinion of short sales.  What will pour forth is the most draw-dropping tales of sheer lunacy; always ending with “I’ll never show or sell another short sale again.” This presents a problem for me on a number of levels.  First, …

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Market Does Not Matter

Blog Contributor Business Challenges, Marketing 1 Comment

By Jeremy Williams I encourage you today to fit in your schedule a time to drive to a parking lot of one of the most trafficked places in your community.  Park your car.  Turn off your cell phone.  Clear your mind from your daily activities.  This is an activity where the requirements are simple.  Open your eyes and watch. What …

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Watch for the Signs: Look into Your Crystal Ball

Melissa Tracey Sales & Marketing, Seller Financing, Working with Clients Leave a Comment

By Dave Robison How many times have your clients or friends asked you about your crystal ball?  My clients ask me all the time.  It’s almost daily you hear, “If I buy this house, how much do you think it will appreciate in the next 2 years, or 5 years?”  or “How much more money will I make on my …

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Practitioner Rating Systems Are Here to Stay

Blog Contributor Being a REALTOR®, Business Challenges, Professional Development, Technology & Social Media, YPN Events 3 Comments

By Nobu Hata, 2009 NAR Conference Blogger It’s been an interesting couple days home! Your thoughts, Joe-Six-Pack? We’ve got a site for that. Lost amid the cocktails of the YPN get together, and the hubbub of HouseLogic/RPR/NAR Second Century Initiative babble, was the Houston Association of REALTORS®’ win of NAR’s Visionary Award. Taqi Rizvi, CTO of HAR, “created one of …

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Tricks and Treats for the Real Estate Market

Blog Contributor Business Challenges, Mortgage Financing, Sales & Marketing 1 Comment

By Heather Soldonia More scary than mummies, black cats, or cobwebs is the looming question: Has the real estate market bottomed out? We REALTORS® have been asking Congress “Trick or Treat? … Please come up with some creative ways to revive the real estate market. Pretty please?” When Forbes reported the 10 worst real estate markets of 2009, eight were …