Have you heard about Doorsteps? Maybe not because up until very recently it was an online tool only for first time homebuyers. From their blog: “Our mission is simple: turn every curious buyer into a confident buyer. And when the time is right, every confident buyer into a committed one.” (There is a very well done video on the site that explains the…
Well, it’s here. The The 2012 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers that is released every year on the last day of the NAR conference was released today. This is one of those documents that I believe EVERY real estate professional should own. NAR sells this document as a printed soft cover book for…
If you have been reading my writings for any length of time you will undoubtedly know that I am solidly in the Apple camp. Although I hold 3 Microsoft certifications, I do almost all of my computer work on Apple products. At home I have a 3 year old iMac. I also have a 3…
You may know that I teach a course for the California Graduate Realtor Institute entitled “Money Making Strategies for Success” (I co-authored the most recent revision). I also teach a course entitled “Technology Applications in Real Estate” for the same program, and I was the sole author of the most recent version. Invariably in each…
One of my “secret” prospecting tools as an agent was to send thank you notes to people that I had met. My wrinkle was that I kept a box of thank you notes and a roll of stamps in my car so that I could write that note, address it and mail it immediately. Depending…
I spent 3 and a half days last week in San Francisco attending Agent Reboot and Inman Connect. Although I could write volumes about my experiences at both events, I won’t do that now as I want to zero in on one particular thing that I learned that can have a major positive impact on…
Some years ago I heard Saul Klein of Internet Crusade say that real estate was a “me too” business. He went on to explain that most real estate agents do the same things to attract clients and to service them. Here is a article published by NAR that contains that remark and his further explanation…
Ever wondered what happens to those business cards that you pass out to people that you meet? My hopes were that the person would take the card and sooner, rather than later, use it to contact me! Of course, the reality is much different. Unless someone has an immediate need to get back to me,…
I am constantly amazed by the iPhone apps that keep appearing. The brilliance of the designers and the versatility of the iPhone just blow me away sometimes. Case in point, I just ran across a FREE iPhone/iPad app (MagicPlan) that will allow me to to create floor plans by just using the iPhone camera. The…
I have heard a few tales of woe lately from agents around the Bay Area about homes that have sold only to fall out of escrow due to what was found during the inspection process. Many of the homes that appeared to be in excellent condition had thousands of dollars worth of deferred maintenance that…
