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Calling All Developers and New Construction Sales Agents!

If you have a new construction property, let us know! We would love to include it in our New Construction Status Chart in our Fall New Construction issue. Help agents show your new construction property to their clients by

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Can You Handle It: Manage Your Own Brokerage?

By Amber Statler-Matthews There comes a point in every agent’s life when they look at their managing broker or team leader and think to themselves, “I can do that.” But can you, really? What does it take to start

Franchise vs. Start-up: Five Points You Should Know

By Stephanie Sims If the entrepreneur bug bit you and you’re thinking about branching out on your own in this industry, remember these important

Are You Ready To Own Your Own Brokerage?

Sure, the idea of branching out on your own and being the one in charge is glamorous, but are you really ready for everything that managing your own brokerage entails? Find out by taking our

Launching a Franchise in the Recession

By Shannon O’Brien In the best of times, striking out on one’s own to open a brokerage is challenging. Doing so in 2007, on the edge of the housing market collapse, would seem like a recipe for disaster, both

Buyer Agreement Fees: The Future of Real Estate?

When news broke on a rainy, overcast Wednesday in March that Koenig & Strey would be requiring its buyer clients to sign an exclusive buyer-broker agreement – and that a $250 fee would be attached to the document, upon

Different Strokes for Different Brokerages

The Traditional Broker/Agent Commission Split The vast majority of agents are compensated by a broker via sharing the gross commission amount that the broker collects. The client isn’t charged to pay the agent in this model; the broker and

Roots of Real Estate Models

1847 Brokers begin hosting informal meetings (the first one was in New York) to exchange information about properties for sale and establish standards of practice, typically held once a week. Throughout the 19th century, lawyers and businessmen served as

Constant Contact: Marketing with @properties

By Peter Ricci According to data from REAL Trends, @properties was the only large brokerage in Chicago to increase its sale volume in 2011, and it was one of only two to increase its number of transactions as well.

Real Estate Models Around the World

By Stephanie Sims How do real estate models and mortgage processes can differ from country to country? Canada Some brokerages in Canada charge a buyer agreement fee and some do not; according to Ross Kay with RE/MAX Garden City

Who’s Who in Chicagoland Real Estate 2012

Who is making headway in the real estate industry in 2012? Who are the people whose names you should know, because they are making names for themselves this year? We’ve got the names of movers, shakers and powerful industry

Striking The Deal

By Megan Oster For savvy agents, negotiations begin long before an offer is made. Possessing sharp negotiating skills is not merely one important aspect of developing a successful real estate business –this skill set can literally make or break an

Quiz: Are You Sabotaging Your Negotiations?

Do you really have top-notch negotiating skills, or just think you do? Take our quiz to find

Top 6 Negotiating Tips

The one who is willing to walk away has the power. It’s true, whether haggling at markets for an overpriced item or negotiating real estate deals – if the other side will just not meet your demand, don’t give

What Happened to My Managing Broker? Mergers, Acquisitions and the Managing Broker

By: Christian J. Barron and Stephanie Sims More often than not, managing brokers do not stay with a company after a merger. Every company has its own culture of business and day-to-day operation, and, typically, there’s only one managing

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