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Blogging on Trulia

Trulia Blogs

One way to set up a blog is on a site such as Trulia. Trulia is similar to other MLS aggregators that put together the property listings for the public ot search. You can start your blog once you set up your account on Trulia. Here is a short video on seting up your blog.

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Trulia has other features like trulia voices where consumers can  ask questions about real estate and realtors who have signed up for trulia voices can answer these questions. Just another  way to make contact with the consumer !

 

Home Buyer Tax Credit Expanded & Extended

Great Information for Your Homebuyers!

The $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, will be extended for contracts signed before May 1, 2010 and that close before July 1, 2010. First-time buyers, who are in the process of closing now, no longer have to worry about qualifying for the $8,000 tax credit if they do end up closing after the Nov. 30 deadline. The new legislation also increases the income limit for couples with income up to $225,000, a nearly $55,000 increase above the current level.

Buyers who already own a home are also now eligible for a tax credit and the purchase of a home. The $6,500 maximum credit will be available to existing homeowners who have lived in their current residence for five of the prior eight years. The legislation does set forth several provisions including, limiting eligibility for existing homeowners to homes worth $800,000 or less, as well as making both credits available only for primary residences, not second homes or investment properties. ( Information obtained from Keller Williams website )

Here is a chart that may help with the information:

	Current	New
Effective Date	·        January 1, 2009	·        November 7, 2009
Deadline	·        Close on or before  November 30, 2009	·       Contract signed before May 1, 2010, must close before July 1, 2010·       Members of the uniformed services, foreign services, and intelligence employees who served an extended service of 90 days will have until April 30, 2011 and June 30, 2011.
Amount	·        First-Timers: maximum of $8,000  or 10% of sales price ·        Prior Owners: $0	·        First-Timers: Unchanged·        Prior Owners: $6,500 if lived in prior home for at least 5 consecutive years of past 8 years.
Income Limit	·        Individual: $75,000·        Couple: $150,000	·        Individual: $125,000 ·        Couple: $225,000
Other   Restrictions	·       Home must be primary residence for at least 3 years. If home is sold or buyer moves before 3 years, must re-pay full amount of credit.	·       Buyer must be at least 18 years old and not classified as a dependent for tax purposes·        Home must cost less than $800,000·       New Home must be primary residence for at least 3 years following purchase. If home is sold or buyer moves, before 3 years, must re-pay full amount of credit. Exception for military, foreign services, or intelligence with extended 90 days service overseas.
How to claim	·       If purchased in 2009, by amending 2009 tax return or claiming on 2010 tax return	·       If purchased in 2010, by amending 2010 tax return or claiming on 2011 tax return

The Mind is a Powerful Tool

From Dianna Kokoszka’s Journal

Dianna Kokoszka is the president of MAPS Coaching for Keller Williams Realty. I was at a BOLD training and came across this statement from Dianna.

• When you want it means you lack. The brain hears you want & helps keep you in the wanting.
• Want = lack
• When you want money the brain says give them what they ask for-They ask for wanting money so keep them wanting money.
• Want control – never get it.
• Wanting control means you are lacking control & you’ll always lack.
• We cannot stand up & sit down at the same time
• You cannot want & have at the same time. 
• Release the want & you’ll receive it.

We must change the way we speak to ourselves in order to change our circumstances. This is the start of changing our limiting beliefs.

Why Look at Zappo’s Core Values ?

What are your Core Values ?

Zappos is an online store that sells shoes and other items. They have a huge selection and are very efficient. I heard Alfred Lin speak at the Real Estate Connect Conference in San Francisco in August of this year and I was very impressed. He talked about what his company sells, which one would imagine was shoes but instead he said that Zappo’s sells happiness. Zappo’s mission is for their customers to be happy. So everything they do is with this in mind!

This led me to think of the real estate business and what we sell . One might think it is property but I would say we sell the experience. Think about what your customers experience with you. What sets their experience with you apart from the rest?

These are Zappos 10 Core Values. We can use them for our business as well. I encourage you to take a look at them and think about how you can utilize them to better attend to your own business. or better yet come up with your own.

Send me a list of YOUR values.

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

The Value of Blogging

 Are you Part of the Conversation ?

In the video below Seth Godin & Tom Peters talk about the value of blogging. Never before has it been so easy to reach the masses and get your message out. Are you sitting on the sidelines or contributing to your profession, community and the greater good?

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Is Social Networking Important to your Business ?

Seth Godin on Social Networking

I read Seth Godin’s blog everyday. He is a true inspiration to me and I love to share his wisdom! The video below is an interview from AMEX’s Open Forum where Seth Godin talks about the value or lack thereof, of social networking for business.

 

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Seth says , “Networking is always important when it’s real and it’s always a useless distraction when it’s fake. What the internet has allowed is an enormous amount of fake networking to take place.” 

Using social media as a marketing tool in your business works when it is real and authentic. Yhose people out there that are constantly trying to sell some thing are quite annoying. Networking is about building relationships. People  work with people theylike and feel comfortable with and trust. If you are constantly pushing your products or services that will be a turnoff.

Those that are using social media correctly are responding to others comments, answering emails promptly, answering phone calls & responding to status updates. In other words they are developing relationships.

Neuro-Linguistic Psychology & your Business

Pathway to Success in Self Development, Business & Leadership

Facilitator: Janet Konefal, Ph.D Assistant Dean of Complementary & Integrative Medicine UMMSM

This course is designed for those who want to produce change in their lives. The course is open to business professionals, lawyers, educators and those interested in self-development.

You Will Learn How to :

• Communicate effectively
• Provide leadership
• Achieve desired behavior changes
• Enhance realtionships
• Understand other’s model of the world

The course begins October 10 and will end on January 17. It is held  two weekends per month at:

 University of Miami / Clinical Research Building

Medical Wellness center 1120 NW 14 St

Miami , Fl 33136

call for more information 305-243-4751 or email jkonefal@med.miami.edu

or visit the website www.cam.med.miami.edu

Realtors Think Like a Business & Become One

Do you Know your Numbers?

We get into the real estate business with little business training. All businesses must have goals and a plan delineating how they will achieve their goals. In other words, you must know the steps to take to achieve the goal.

To achieve the income you desire you need to know:

• How many leads you need to generate
• How much money you need to generate those leads
• How much support staff you will need to service your business
• How many contacts it takes to get an appointment
• Your average sales price / commission earned

You must have appointments with buyers & sellers and you must convert these appointments to listings and then to sales. There are a set of skills you must master to be successful in real estate; the skills to convert leads to appointments & appointments to listings.

 Lead Generation is Key

Here are some ways to begin lead generation:

• Call your sphere of influence
• Call expired listings in your farm area
• Contact past clients
• Meet with banks
• Develop relationships with allied businesses
• Walk neighborhoods
• Attend community & social events
• Hold seminars

Most importantly talk about your business. Listen to the people you are talking with and ask for the business. So many times we do everything right but then never ask for the business!

 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs & your Real Estate Business

Looking at Transforming your Business ?

Wow ! I had totally forgotten about Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs until I read Peak by Chip Conley. The way he relates it to the business world, especially for someone like me who is intrigued by human behavior, is fantastic! I was a psych major and have a Masters in social work. My journey has taken me through sales & management, specifically in the real estate business and my successes & failures have been due in great part to my observation & understanding of people & their behavior as well as my own behavior.

So back to Maslow. Here is his Pyramid

•  At the bottom of the pyramid is survival – meeting a customers expectations. Here you are focusing on the basics … such as finding them a property.  Do you think that customer will be referring you if you just meet his/her expectations?
• At the middle of the pyramid is success in our social relationships and within ourselves. This is where we feel a sense of accomplishment as a business person. This is also where we create loyalty.Think who are you ad what are you Selling ? It is probably not what you think !
• At the top of the pyramid is transformation; meeting the unrecognized needs of your customers. This is where you create customers for life.

What are You Selling  to Whom?

Just focusing on the base needs will  never allow you to transform the relationship with customers to its greatest potential. Imagine the progression from survival to success to transformation.

Creating customer satisfaction will not ensure that your customers will be loyal to you and not wander, in an increasingly  promiscuous marketplace. Tapping into the desires of your customers may be the one and only thing that creates the differentiation between you and others. When a customers desires are met they are more likely to stick with you, and refer you to friends, family & colleagues.

 

 Chip Conley describes a parallel phenomenon  with the three levels of the employee pyramid above.

• Money is at the base of the pyramid it creates a base motivation
• Recognition/success creates commitment
• Transformation at the top creates inspiration & meaning

How many companies are actually looking at these things? Most are so busy at the bottom of the pyramid they cannot get out of their own way.  I highly suggest they read the book, Peak by Chip Conley. He took his company in a down market, to the top by focusing on aspects of this pyramid.

I challenge you all to focus on your customers and to start listening to what they are telling you. There is alot of information between the lines!

 

 

 

 

Worrier or Warrior Which are You?

So many people are so very enthusiastic as they launch their  real estate careers, then comes the reality that it takes alot of learning & hard work.

As a Managing Broker I have seen so many different types of people enter the field.

The Worrier : they have done the same thing over so many times and still do not think they know what they are doing. They continually doubt themselves and thus, their customers may doubt them due to the fact that they are always doubting themselves.

Don’t get me wrong I think what we do as realtors is very important & serious business. We deal, in most cases, with the largest purchase & investment a person will make in their lifetime.  My only observation is that the continual doubting and worrying by the agent makes the customer nervous. So I ask you when does the doubting end?

When do you know you know what you are doing? How would you feel going to a doctor that was worried about what he was doing? I don’t think you would go to that doctor. So the same goes for the customer who feels their agent is insecure and not able to fully support them through their transaction.

Now on the other hand….

 The Warrior :  Their attitude is I don’t care what I don’t know just let me out of here so I can work with customers!The Warriors are those agents that don’t know what they don’t know ! Many times they don’t care either ! (Which is pretty scary!)

They are so eager to work with the customers that they skip the training and hit the streets customers in tow !  The customers don’t know, they don’t know, they trust them because their confidence and their ability to work with them is their greatest skill.

If those agents just take some time to learn the technicalities they will be super stars! Instead many times they run themselves ragged and figure they’ll deal with the important details later !

My hope for them is that  they have a strong manager that will slow them down just a bit and assist them in learning the basics, so, that they can  assure that all those deals will close with the least amount of complications possible !