Professional One Franchising

Over the course of the 20 years I’ve been in real estate, and in particular in the 14 months I’ve been immersed in Twitter, I’ve heard Realtors say something over and over and over. And every time I hear this thing being said, it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Really? REALLY? Really… Every [...]

The new issue of Realtor Magazine came to our office today. On page 4, a graphic appears detailing the results of a Reader Poll that was conducted by the magazine. A simple question was asked: “Should real estate brokerage have a higher bar for entry?” A whopping 64% said, “Yes, much higher.” The next highest [...]

Sometime in September of 2009, before I ever saw or heard of the #RTB hashtag on Twitter, I had a lengthy Twitter exchange with Stefan Swanepoel (@Swanepoel). We were talking about the need for an increase in the level of professionalism in real estate. Here’s my best recollection of the conclusion of our dialogue: Swanepoel: “I [...]

PREFACE: Social Media superstar Chris Brogan (@ChrisBrogan) wrote a great book called “Trust Agents.” The main point Brogan makes is that Social Media can be used to create relationships, and that relationships can translate into business…and that all this hangs on a single, fundamental factor: TRUST. Inherent in this concept is the flip side of [...]

If you’re representing a buyer and you are doing so as a buyer’s agent, it is my opinion that you are violating the National Association of Realtor’s Code of Ethics if you are not aggressively advising your clients to have the home they end up buying tested for radon. See excerpt of the applicable Articles [...]

With all apologies to Morrissey and the Smiths… There’s too much caffeine in your bloodstream… Recently, my lovely bride relayed a story about a family at our kids’ school.  This family (I’ll call them the Smiths – ha!) has successfully sold their home and was endeavoring to purchase a new home in the same community. [...]

I recently read with great interest the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) “2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.” One thing that really stood out as I read the NAR Profile is that, when it comes to the factors people emphasize when selecting a Realtor, brand/company is not very important. Let me say that again: [...]

I read something on Twitter recently that made my jaw hit the floor. It was written by leading real estate author, visionary, observer and commentator Stefan Swanepoel, and it said this: “Only 27% of Realtors surveyed by 56 local Realtors Assocn listed RE as their primary source of income…illustrates problem we have.” Wow. Unbelievable. I [...]

…A Deadly Combination For Some… Dear Reader… There is only one thing that could force me to make the statement you see in the Tweet above.  And that is bad use of technology. I am a HUGE advocate of utilizing the latest technology in the transaction of real estate.  Done correctly, it can streamline a [...]