How Social Media Saved My Real Estate Career

By Jonathan Osman

I’m awestruck at those who have totally disregarded blogging and other forms of social media as a medium for generating business for themselves.  For me, it’s thanks to social media that I’m still in the real estate business today.

Rewind four years ago: I hatched a great plan to move from Annapolis Md. to Charlotte N.C. OK, it wasn’t much of a plan.  During a long holiday road trip I decided to sell to sell our house, asked my wife to find a new job, and to move to Charlotte — all in eight hours (Yes I’m impulsive).  Four months later, mission accomplished.

In Annapolis, I had built my real estate business around helping friends and family. In Charlotte, I only knew other real estate agents and they didn’t need my help. To say I fell complete flat on my face in my first eight months in the Queen City is an understatement. The market was shifting, sales were slowing, and I was going broke faster than Gary Coleman. Add to that, I had entered a market totally new to me and I was desperately trying to build business in a new city.  It was at that point I started blogging about real estate. A couple  months later, buyers and sellers were seeking me out to help them.

Fast-forward to today: I have a small real estate group built from the business I continue to generate through blogging.  In 2009, my group closed 28 transactions with clients who found us through our social media efforts.  Almost all of them admitted that they knew of other agents but that the blog authenticated us as the real estate experts.

So I guess you can say I’m an unabashed social media cheerleader, and rightly so.  After all, if it can save my real estate career, imagine what it can do for you.

Jonathan Osman is a broker and team leader of the Charlotte House Hunter Group with Keller Williams Realty in Charlotte, N.C. Connect with Jonathan via Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter or his Web site CharlotteHouseHunter.com.

Three Steps to Overcoming Life Obstacles

By Brandon Rodriguez

In real estate we always talk about the best technology, the social networking, the closing of a sale.  We sometimes forget we are not super heroes, we are human.  Our livelihood is dependent on our personalities and how we deal with stress.  We all know real estate can be stressful.  So how does one move on?  The same determination, ambition and will-power that got you in the business will get you over the obstacle.

I see this day in, day out, practitioners give up because life placed a mountain in front of them that seems impossible to climb and overcome. That agent that was moving forward has now decided to get out of the business because of financial or personal issues.  It does not have to be that way.

Why am I talking about overcoming life obstacles?  I want practitioners to know they are not alone and to stay in the business.  In December my grandmother was placed in ICU.  She raised me from birth and I called her mom.  My business was doing great, I won a national award, and then tragedy happens.  I placed everything on hold to be by her side.  She was bad and we had to make tough life changing decisions.  Mid January she passed away.  My heart was torn, and my mind confused.  I could of fallen into a deep depression, and given up on my company, agents, and business.  This was not something I was expecting, nor ready to deal with.  This obstacle could have ended my career.  Read more

2010… One Down, Eleven to Go!

By Dawn Miller

I didn’t think I would be that excited to get “rid of the old and in with the new!” It’s a new year with a renewal of focus. How was your first month of 2010?

I am fortunate to be a REALTOR® in a real estate company that is consistently on the NAR’s top private brokerage firms, as seen in REALTOR® Magazine annual issue. The company is committed to its agents and to top-notch training.

Mike Staver visited our company at the beginning of the January and his seminar stuck with me!

I want to share some of my notes from the seminar. I have embraced this philosophy. I am more openly accepting new challenges and creating new opportunities for myself.

Let’s ATTACK this new year with the following focus:

A

Accept circumstances

Accept circumstances as they actually are. Don’t make things better than they are. In real estate business, this means generating more leads, making more appointments until I meet a seller or a buyer that has the right criteria in place to sell or buy successfully. Most importantly–have courage to face reality. Read more

Watch for the Signs: Look into Your Crystal Ball

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 house if I wait a year to sell it?”   Practitioners need a new core course to renew our licenses titled, “Gypsy 101,” or “Palm Reading 201.”   Or you can just read this blog entry and you can become pretty good at being psychic.  There are two parts in being psychic right now to know what is happening with the market: know how to price listings, and to know what to tell your clients.

First, you must follow the rules.  In 2006 when the market was booming in Utah, there were numerous people that came to me and asked, “Should I buy this home? All I have to do is use my credit and flip it the next day.”

Many of you now are thinking, that’s common sense.  But then it wasn’t. It was very enticing, someone’s friend just made $100,000 doing one flip supposedly.  I asked 2 questions.  Read more

2010…It’s Waiting For You!

By Brooke Wolford

It’s a new year, a new decade.  As I look back at the past year, I reflect on all of the hard times.  As REALTORS®, we faced some of the most difficult challenges in 2009. The bad media coverage, constantly having to defend ourselves, and insults on TV shows like “Cougar Town” and “Modern Family.” (These shows both feature characters who are real estate practitioners… and honestly, these shows are hilarious.) But nonetheless, its been a tough year.

I have chosen to look back at 2009 and learn from the rough times and the mistakes I have made. All you can really do is try to learn from them. Also, try to consider the flawless transactions you had. In those cases, ask yourself, “What did you do right?”

The market is beginning to turn around, so now it’s our time to shine.  It’s time to improve ourselves and make 2010 our best year ever! On days when things get me down, I always think, “Real estate makes the world go round.” I can say that I am so proud to be part of it!

Brooke Wolford is a REALTOR® with Edina Realty, Hastings, Minn.  Follow her blog at strugglingrookierealtor.blogspot.com.

Lead the Way With Positivity and Appreciation Will Soon Follow

By Lincoln Crum

I recently closed a transaction that I had listed for 10 months.  There were all kinds of difficulties with the transaction but we worked through them, one by one.  My seller was out of state and was really good to work with, but towards the end was growing impatient. To say the least… as was I.

Once we got a month away from closing we ran into more challenges and I was afraid the deal would be dead more than once. Both my seller and I agreed to be relentless in our pursuit to get to the closing table.  We spent quite a bit of time on the phone trying to make sure we were always on the same page.  At the height of our frustration about three weeks before the closing, I was talking to the seller on the phone and we both hit our breaking point with the transaction. We took a brief pause, both realized that we were “over-analyzing” the situation and stopped thinking too much.  Needless to say, the transaction became a lot more smooth after that realization.

I believe that we can “over-think” our real estate business sometimes.  We’ve probably all been guilty of worrying about things that won’t happen.  I’m a student from the school of thought that if you worry about something enough you may just make it come true.  So, I practice the art every single day in my business of not driving myself crazy about things that are out of my control.

This specific transaction took longer than it should to get to the closing table because of market circumstance way beyond anyone’s control.  My patience was tested more than once, but I didn’t let up.  I made sure I was always positive in my approach with the seller and other agents involved.  I take great pride in setting the tone from the beginning.

It all paid off for me last night when I opened an envelope from my seller.  Inside the card was the sweetest note coupled with a $50 gift card to Outback.  I don’t know how my seller knew that Outback is my favorite restaurant, let alone a bottle of Greg Norman Merlot and the Rockhampton Ribeye, but she did.  Her note and the gift card meant as much to me as the commission, it’s nice to be appreciated.

Remember that we as agents have the opportunity along with the challenge of always setting the tone.  If you approach every transaction with a good solid foundation of positivity, I’m convinced that you’ll lead the way and gain tons of respect from others in the real estate community, along with your own clients. You’ll be glad you did.

Lincoln Crum is REALTOR®, auctioneer, and entrepreneur based out of the Louisville, Ky. area. Lincoln can be found at www.ReachLincoln.com.

Live From San Diego: YPN’s Biggest 2010 Challenge

By Brian Copeland, 2009 NAR Conference Blogger

This week in San Diego, I had an opportunity to interview three YPNers about the biggest challenge they face going into 2010. Here are the results:

Agree or disagree? Answer in the Web poll below. What is YOUR biggest challenge?

What’s Wrong with the Real Estate Industry?

By Drew Burks

Very few REALTORS® are following their true passion!

Make your own rules, be authentic, transparent and have fun …

Real Estate can be a challenging business and the majority of licensed REALTORS® struggle to succeed, but it doesn’t need to be this way.  In fact, real estate can be a great deal of fun and rewarding when you are following your passion.

Yet when I speak with REALTOR®S, I find that most are frustrated and tend to share the below problems.

• the inability to generate leads consistently
• inconsistent income
• keeping up with technology
• knowing what daily activities to do to get real results

It’s  no wonder that so many are struggling to succeed as a REALTOR®.

After reading the book, Crush It, I realize why so many are having these problems…

Why you ask? Read more

Obstacles I Have Overcome as a Young Professional

By Kenneth Culbertson

“Who are you to tell me that I need to bring $10,000 to the closing table? You’re just a kid!” ~ Seller

These are the types of words I would hear when I was first selling real estate back in 1995 at 23 years of age. How would I overcome such critique? FACTS and STATISTICS!

The numbers don’t lie – I would look at things as objectively as possible and show my customers the numbers as sincerely as possible. I figured that what I lacked in “experience” I  could make up in both fact-finding and delivery. I would have to offer more knowledge, more enthusiasm, and more effort.

Over time, these qualities would lead to referrals and repeat client transactions.  My key to success as a young REALTOR®, as well as a seasoned agent now (38 years old, 15 years experience) has been to surround myself with top notch professionals so I can be a quality resource for all things real estate.  Clients gain confidence and trust – two of the leading reasons buyers and sellers choose their REALTOR® – when I provide the resources needed to structure a smooth flowing transaction.

Ken Culbertson, known as “The HOME Coach,” is a broker-associate with Keller Williams Realty in Cherry Hill, N.J. Visit his Web site: www.kwhomecoach.com.

Working With Short Sales: Too Much Junk in the Trunk! Try These Navigation Techniques

By Dave Robison

A short sale would have you think it’s going to be a quick and short closing. The problem is they all have too much Junk in the Trunk. In a race, their tail end is dragging along the ground, which makes the vehicle go about as slow as my kid in a wagon.

Here are two examples of what is going wrong and what you can do about it.

First case involves Aurora. We submit an offer in to the bank on our listing from a buyer. It goes 60 days or so before we get a negotiator from the bank. In the meantime a couple comes in with an offer for higher than what the current offer is. Aurora approves a sale price and we should be good to go right? Wrong!

The bank will only take the offer they reviewed. You can’t switch it out for a higher offer. If you do, you have to cancel the offer, resubmit another offer and guess what …. wait another 60 days for a negotiator.   Too much junk in the trunk! All of these policies in their trunk are making the banks lose even more money.

Second case involves Fannie Mae. Banks appraisal at $230,000. FannieMae wouldn’t accept less than $270,000. Really? That’s right, Fannie Mae won’t take anything less than $270,000 when the purchaser owes $255,000. That is just plain silly that they think a buyer is going to come up with $40,000 more than what it appraises for.

This home got foreclosed on. Today, it is on the market for the same price it could have sold for 8 months ago. They could have cut their losses 8 months ago but now their cut is getting deeper and deeper.

Third case from various lenders. They approve the short sale but want the seller to sign a note for the difference. The sellers are going into bankruptcy. This doesn’t make any sense. If they could make payments for the difference, they would rent it out and make payments for the difference.

I have three deals right now with different banks that the banks want a note and the buyer won’t sign.  The buyers attorney said don’t do it. We are doing bankruptcy.

Read more