The real estate market is influx, and we’ve got the five most important trends to look for as the market continues to recover. Last week, the National Association of Realtors released its latest Realtor Confidence Index, which reported that

Procrastination is the eternal villain of productivity and success, but we’ve got three straightforward methods for conquering it. Procrastination. Even the word has a negative sound to it, doesn’t it? And really, there are few concepts more damaging to

Real estate portals are gaining popularity, but the role of a broker is still extremely important. Many brokers believe portals such as Homefinder.com and Homes.com are pricing Realtors out of the market, fearing one day those portals will sell

Condo financing problems can create considerable problems for you and your clients; Anna Mayer-Huls explains how to avoid them. How many times have your buyers or buyers for your listings run into problems with their financing? This can be

How can you succeed in a real estate market as nuanced and competitive as Chicago’s? Jason Shapiro of Rising Realty has three suggestions. There are many areas in real estate that Realtors can succeed in if they focus their

Networking is an essential trait in real estate, and there are universal strengths that all networkers share. Good networking skills are, to put it mildly, essential in the world of real estate. Active, agressive networking with fellow real estate

Are you where you belong? Do you have the necessary tools to succeed? Craig Witt addresses those questions in his latest blog. Please allow me to ask you a question: why do you work where you do? Really, what

Jack Welch, the former head of General Electric, has said, “The role of business is to get and keep customers.”  I like that quote for a couple of reasons: one, it’s as true as statements come; and two, it’s

Short sales are riddled with possible pitfalls for agents, especially at the pricing stage; Joseph C. Alfe explains what agents should do. From what I’ve seen, not having a pricing strategy, or mis-pricing short sale listings, is a major

Though we’d like to think that everyone is real estate is wonderful, there are undeniably some bad apples out there; here’s how you can deal with them. Real estate is a buzzing, active industry with a wonderfully diverse group

The benefits of good communication are obvious, but how can you ensure that your message is being communicated effectively? Effective communication is among the most important qualities for a successful career in real estate. From initial consultations, to listing presentations,

Inevitably, there will be some aspect of one’s living arrangements to regret, but how do the regrets of owners and renters compare? It’s the most unfortunate of situations – a consumer spends the time researching a home purchase or

What principles should you keep in mind when negotiating for your clients? Christine Groves of Coldwell Banker in Wheaton explains. With a busy market with multiple offers and low inventory, it is our job as agents to present our

When you own a bookstore, you want your shelves to be filled with good books – just like agents should always have good listings, explains Craig Witt of EXIT Realty. I want you to pretend you are in small

Keeping your focus can be a Herculean task sometimes, but we’ve got three tips to help you lead a clear-minded, centered business. Imagine, if you will, a most common of scenarios in the real estate life: you’re browsing the

Bidding wars are normally the ultimate sign of a hot real estate market, that demand for real estate is so stratospheric that prospective homebuyers are nearly falling over themselves with offers for the homes. Bidding wars had been in