What Features Do Home Buyers Want Most?

Do you know what features home buyers want most? If you have your real estate agent license, grab a pen and take notes. According to the NAR 2007 Profile of Buyer's Home Feature Preferences, these are the top ten features desired by all home buyers:

1. Central Air Conditioning
2. Garage (2 or more spaces)
3. Walk-in closet in master bedroom
4. Backyard/play area
5. Cable/Satellite TV-ready
6. High-speed Internet Access
7. Separate shower enclosure in master/main bath
8. Patio
9. Fencing
10. Home less than 10 years old

By Danielle Macklin, Allied Schools, www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: Home Buyers, Real Estate Agent License, real estate agent training

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Budget Friendly Marketing Tool

Once you obtain your real estate agent license, you'll evaluate new ways to market client properties to the masses. Get savvy and save money with this new, pocket-sized marketing tool.

Pocket Promoters, launched by The Personal Marketing Company in June 2008, are about the size of a business card and look like mini-property brochures. According to the company's website, an agent can order 100 Pocket Promoters for under $25. This price includes printing, delivery, a full-color property photo, a property description plus an agent photo and contact information.

Pocket Promoters can be left on the counters of local coffee shops, dining spots, dry cleaners or any place where your target audience frequents. Plus, they fit neatly into a wallet as opposed to an 8.5x11 flyer, which is likely to get folded in half and forgotten about.

In addition to local hangouts, agents can hand out their Pocket Promoters at open houses and place them in for sale sign brochure baskets.

If your marketing plan needs revamping, Pocket Promoters may be your economical alternative to other advertising tools. Constantly evaluate and improve your marketing efforts - it's an effective way to defy market challenges.

By Danielle Macklin, Allied Real Estate School

Labels: Accredited Real Estate School, Real Estate Agent License

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6 Competitive Selling Tips

Get a real estate agent license and you'll quickly learn the art of competition - especially in a market where inventory is a smorgasbord of choices for picky buyers. Get creative and make your listings stand out with these six competitive tactics.

1. Pump up your online presence.

You completely filled out the MLS data for your new listing plus you posted a few extra photos and spent time describing features. Great, now it's time to get down to business. Get your client's home on as many websites and real estate blogs as possible with a personal Real Simple Syndication (RSS) content feed. Companies like www.myrealtyfeed.com offer an easy way to start showcasing listings and open houses via news readers all over the Internet.

2. Stage to impress.

Fresh paint, mold-free bathrooms, clean windows and spotless carpeting - your listing must have all this and more. Don't be shy when it comes to advising clients on the virtues of staging. Small changes can make the difference between months on the market and a full price offer.

3. Lure buyers with stellar photos.

With a staggering amount of buyers beginning their home search on the Internet, why wouldn't you post an array of quality photos? Quality photos are clear and capture features that matter most to buyers - that doesn't include a cute family pet, a pretty rose bush or the front view of your listing blocked by a car in the driveway.

4. Attract buyers and agents with incentives.

Once you're satisfied your seller's staged home is ready to impress, invite other agents to take a look. Lure them with food, drinks and a gift certificate raffle. The main objective is to get your client's home on the radar of as many local agents as possible. To lure buyers, see what your sellers are willing to include in their price. A flat screen television for the living room, new appliances for the kitchen or even a year of paid association dues can make a fickle buyer take notice.

5. Set a price that reaches your target demographic.

When setting a price for your listing, consider more than just nearby comparable home sales. Who's your target audience and what can they afford? If you set the price even $5,000 to high, some multiple listing services will place your listing in a higher bracket than where your target audience is looking.

6. Advertise to your target demographic.

Find out how your listing's target demographic prefers to receive information. For example, if you specialize in 55+ communities, door knocking with flyers may be more effective than the Internet. Also, if your listing is in a community that caters to foreign language speakers, seek out websites and/or local media that will specifically reach them.


By Danielle Macklin, Allied Schools, www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: How to sell your house, Real Estate Agent License

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How to Choose an Online Real Estate School

Whether you're looking to renew your real estate agent license, or interested in starting a real estate appraisal course, an online real estate school offers a convenient way to quickly meet your goals.

Not all online real estate schools are equal. So when selecting the right online school, make sure they offer the following:

Accreditation

If your online real estate school is not accredited by a qualified accrediting agency, find another school. Why? Accreditation means the school operates on a sound financial basis, has an approved study program, has qualified instructors, approved recruitment and admissions policies and advertises its courses in a factual manner. Accreditation is your assurance that the course you're taking will lead to a viable certificate or diploma.

Student Support

What if you need assistance in selecting your online real estate course? A student support department helps your online experience run smoothly. Make sure your online school's support department is staffed by more than one person. Also, you should have multiple contact options including email, phone and fax.

Educational Support

With an educational support department, you're never alone during your studies. So if you don't understand the escrow process discussed in chapter six, an online school's educational support department will walk you through the steps.

Tech Support

The last thing you want to deal with while pursing a real estate license is technical problems. That's why your online school should offer a tech support department that quickly answers your questions and remedies your computer frustrations via phone, email or fax.

Guarantees

You did your research, but how do you know if the course you purchased is really worth it? Your online school should have a money-back guarantee that allows you to return the course materials within a specific timeframe. Make sure to inquire about your online school's guarantees and take the time to understand how they work.

An online real estate school is an ideal choice for those who like to manage their own time, enjoy learning from home or must attend to other responsibilities while pursuing their education. Choose your online school carefully and you'll be on your way to a rewarding career in real estate in no time.


By Danielle Macklin, Allied Schools, www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: Accredited Real Estate School, Online Real Estate School, Real Estate Agent License, Real Estate School

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Visit the New Real Estate Wiki

Once you obtain a real estate agent license, home sellers and seekers will look to you for guidance. So, beef up your trusty list of resources and visit the latest Real Estate Wiki.

Like Wikipedia.com, RealEstateWiki.com is an extensive, user-generated, online encyclopedia - except Real Estate Wiki is everything real estate.

RealSure, a real estate consulting and publishing services company, launched the site earlier this year with approximately 3,000 real estate terms, 1,000 Q & A's, 500 real estate acronyms, 400 biography pages and more. Around the beginning of June, there were over 19,000 entries on the site. This latest Real Estate Wiki follows the likes of wikis on Zillow.com and Inman.com.

RealEstateWiki.com has approxiamtely 70 user friendly categories that cater to a variety of interests. For example, if you're an agent who needs to renew your real estate license online, simply check out the Government, Associations and Organizations section and click on Real Estate Schools and Colleges. If your buyers need a certified home inspector or want to work with a licensed real estate appraiser, check out the Real Estate Companies section.

Other perks include a glossary of terms, local market reports, blogs, social networks, marketing services and so much more.

Real estate professionals, and anyone interested in real estate, is encouraged to sign up and contribute relevant data to the free site. Log on, check it out and maybe even add your own entry.

By Danielle Macklin, Allied Schools, www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: Real Estate Agent License, real estate agent training, Real Estate Wiki

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Check out the New Realtor.com Beta Release

Do you have a real estate agent license? Check out the new Realtor.com beta release. It's packed with exciting, new features that promise to enhance the visibility of your listings.

The Realtor.com phased transformation started with the "Alpha" release in December of 2007. The beta release will be followed by the "General Audience" release in July of 2008. The beta release includes improvements to the home page, search results page and listing details page.

Here's just a few of the ways agents can benefit:

- All listings now include helpful neighborhood and school information
- A map is integrated into the listing page layout
- Lure buyers with stellar photos-basic listings show four photos
- Showcase listings display agent contact info in a business card format
- Showcase listings can show up to five open houses in the Realtor.com control panel
- Listing details are updated several time a day
- A new video tab on the listing detail page can be viewed full screen
- New listings will be posted with a "new" or "new this week" notation

According to Realtor.com, extensive testing confirms the new changes greatly improve the consumer experience and enhance the effectiveness of the real estate agent's advertising.

Take a peek for yourself and see how your real estate career can benefit by visiting www.beta.realtor.com.

By Danielle Macklin, Allied Schools, www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: Florida Association of Realtors, Real Estate Agent License

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Online Real Estate Agent Reviews

Obtain a real estate agent license and you become a guide to clients who rely on your expertise. So why not get clients to document your hard work on an agent ranking site?

Websites like AgentRank.com, HomeThinking.com, IncredibleAgents.com and RealtyRators.com allow consumers to rate their real estate agents. Criteria can include knowledge, courtesy, communication, website usefulness and/or effectiveness. Clients can also leave a personal testimony.

So how does it work? Each site is different, but overall, you create a profile, add a short bio and upload your photo. Next, add a link to your profile and drive potential clients to your personal website. Not only are these agent ranking sites cool lead generation tools, but they can also help your personal website's search engine ranking.

Did you help a buyer avoid closing mistakes or provide advice on how to choose the best lender? It's nice to receive letters of gratitude from appreciative clients; however, asking them to share those thoughts on a ranking site is a strategic move that could enhance your business with little effort.

According to the National Association of Realtors, over 50% of consumers are beginning their buying/selling process online - this includes searching for the right real estate agent. Personal testimonials from satisfied clients will speak for themselves, can give you credibility as an area expert and make you accessible to potential clients across the country.

Some ranking sites even reward agents. For example, RealtyRators.com conducts spotlight interviews with agents who have an overall rating of 90% or higher. The interview is posted on their main page under the news area. Now who doesn't mind a little free PR for a job well done?

On HomeThinking.com, a user-friendly tool allows consumers to contact you via email with a click of a button. The contact tool is non-intrusive and includes optional information fields, so consumers are invited to contact you with a no obligation.

Now here's the key - you must always be on top of your game or a negative comment just might pop up on your profile. Wait until the very end of a transaction, and if you feel all parties involved are completely satisfied, ask them to post a comment.

By Danielle Macklin, Allied Schools,www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: How to get real estate license, Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Agent License

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5 Buyer Pitfalls Real Estate Agents Help You Avoid

Purchasing a home is an exhilarating and overwhelming experience. Challenges may pop up, but certain mistakes can be avoided with the help of an agent on top of their real estate agent license.

1) Not knowing how much house you can afford.

Most agents advise clients to get pre-approved before beginning a home search. Why? Because buyers need to be realistic and look for homes in a price range they can comfortably afford.

Liz Pullman Wagner, author of 8 Big Mortgage Mistakes and How to Avoid Them recommends, "Limiting your housing costs, which include mortgage, property taxes and homeowner's insurance, to 25% of your gross income."

2) Messing around with your credit.

Agents will warn you - never close a credit card, especially if you plan on applying for a home loan within six months. "The credit score looks at the amount of available credit you've used on each card, but the more important number is the total across all of your cards," says Kimberly Lankford, a writer with www.kiplinger.com. "This ratio goes up whenever you close any accounts." According to Lankford, the lower your ratio, the better shape you're in.

Keeping an old card open shows a good history of managing credit. You can't erase bad credit history by closing an old credit card account, but it can hurt your good history.

3) Buying when you're not ready.

Do you have a crystal ball to predict a change in your job status or unforeseen health problems? Probably not. That's why a real estate salesperson will advise a buyer to have a financial cushion to ensure the mortgage is always covered. Additionally, if you're planning on having kids soon, getting a divorce, moving in the next few years or have a low credit score, you may also want to hold off on buying.

4) Not knowing the neighborhood well enough.

Work with an agent who thoroughly knows the community you're interested in - it's even better if they live there! Talk to neighbors, drop by the area at different times of the day to see what it's like and enlist the services of a real estate appraiser that's on top of their appraisal license courses. What if the college kids down the street throw loud parties, the street is a favorite commuter short-cut or the empty lot behind you is the future home of a night club? Find out!

5) Not researching licensed home inspectors.

A licensed home inspector is there to represent YOUR best interests. Talk to your real estate agent about recommendations and do your own research too. That way, one of the biggest investments of your life won't turn out to be sliding down a hill, infested with mold or something worse.

Yahoo! Real Estate columnist Ilyce Glink encourages buyers to make sure their inspector is licensed, bonded and insured. She also suggests accompanying the inspector to see the issues first hand, if any, yourself.

By Danielle Macklin, Allied Schools,www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Agent License, real estate agent training

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5 Things a Productive Real Estate Agent Avoids

From making your own schedule to unlimited earning potential, there are so many advantages to obtaining a real estate license. Yet, with the good comes the challenging. Time is money, especially when you're an entrepreneur looking to turn your next lead into a prosperous sale. In order to maintain your productivity, or even increase it, there are certain red flags the lead-focused real estate salesperson should avoid.

1) Wasting time with a fickle buyer.

Have you shown a potential buyer multiple homes that meet their requirements exactly, yet their still not sure? Or even worse, you're getting the feeling your potential buyer is just curious and not serious about purchasing a home? If you're going to use your time wisely, make sure your potential buyers signs a Buyer-Broker Agreement first. Once this is in place, you can feel more confident that your hard work may lead to a sale.

2) Wasting time with a fickler seller.

If you recommend making repairs or suggest a price that is highly competitive for the area, your sellers should consider your advice. If your sellers aren't open to making the necessary adjustments, why waste your time convincing potential buyers to overlook them?

3) Working with problematic clients.

Your relationship with your buyer or seller should be a professional one. If you find that your personalities are conflicting, you may lose their trust, they may dismiss your advice and the possibility of closing a sale could diminish.

4) Wasting money on inaffective advertising or marketing.

Advertising and marketing is expensive. Monitor your efforts and measure how many leads come in, if any. If your advertising and/or marketing plans don't at least pay for themselves, try something different. It just isn't smart to waste your hard-earned money that way.

5) Spending time with a negative naysayer.

Negative people kill morale, so avoid these types at all costs. Maybe the market is more challenging than in recent years, but consider periods like the 1980's or early 1990's. Agents still made a living and persevered onto the next market phase and so can you. You're better off focusing on the positive and brainstorming solutions to your challenges with other positive-minded peers.

By Danielle Macklin, Allied Schools,www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: Real Estate Agent License

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Match Yourself with a Good Real Estate Agent

When choosing a licensed real estate salesperson, do you want a soft-spoken, polite agent on your side or an outspoken go-getter? A real estate agent that has sold 200 homes this year or one that has sold 25? It can be confusing to buyers and sellers as to how to select the right agent for their needs. The Yellow Pages or Internet list hundreds of real estate salespeople available in your area and there are more with their names on signs all over town. How do you choose?

The first step is to talk to your friends and neighbors and get a few referrals; attend local open houses; track neighborhood "For Sale" signs to see what homes sell fast; look at real estate ads for agents that specialize in your area; and source the Internet and phone book for names.

Once you have a handful of candidates, you need to conduct an interview with the real estate agents to determine who is the best fit. This is the most important part of the process -- it is through the interviews that you will learn who will best represent your interests. Be prepared with a list of questions to ask each real estate salesperson and take notes. Some questions that you might want to include are:

1) How long have you had your real estate license?
2) How would you market my property?
3) What separates you from the competition?
4) How many properties have you sold in the past five years? What is the average time they were on the market?
5) What is your success rate as a licensed real estate salesperson?
6) What happens once we buy (or sell) our house? Do you help find a home inspector, lender, appraiser, etc.?
7) What is your commission percentage?
8) Do you have references?

Remember what one person seeks in a real estate agent, might not be important or relevant to another. It is a very subjective process. By doing your research, talking to other people and conducting a thorough interview, you can determine the best real estate salesperson for you. Buying or selling your house is a major decision -- make sure you partner with the right real estate agent.

Labels: Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Agent License, Real Estate School

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The Right Broker for the Right Agent

You're a newly licensed real estate agent. You aced the state exam and now it's time to join a broker and start making some money. Everybody knows that most real estate brokers take on real estate agents as independent contractors and not as employees, so it doesn't matter whom you work for, right? Wrong! Just like any new graduate looking for a job, you must choose carefully and ask as many questions as possible.

The first rule of thumb is to interview with several brokerage houses. Notice which broker has the most signage in your city; look over local real estate publications and note the brokers with a strong presence. Talking with local real estate agents about area brokers is also important research.

The job interview process is your chance to ask the broker some important questions about how they run their business. For convenience sake, we'll just assume that the broker offers the standard commission split. A key area for inquiry is training and mentorship. A solid broker should provide some level of training for new agents, as well as an experienced agent who will mentor your progress.

Although you will be in business for yourself, some offices will provide computers, software, photocopiers and other support for their agents. Ask about a broker's policy. Some firms may expect you to bring your own computer equipment and pay for all expenses yourself. Get clarity on this!

Then we arrive at advertising. Like any business owner, you will learn that advertising is an expensive part of your operation. Ask the broker if the company pays for standard agency ads or whether you have to pay for your own individual listings. Also inquire about a bulk mail permit: many firms will pay the yearly fee for you, but others won't.

In the end, it's important to remember that when you interview at a broker's office, you need to have the attitude of a cautious home buyer. Your success as a real estate agent will depend partly on the level of cooperation, support and training you receive from a broker.

You didn't cut corners when it came to researching a real estate school, so don't shortchange yourself when it's time to find your first base in this exciting industry.

Labels: Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Agent License, real estate broker

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