For team leaders and brokerages, there’s one important choice regarding business exposure that is often at the forefront of decision-making in the marketing realm: Should we be promoting individual agents or the larger brand? In some ways, Bridge International is the perfect case study for this question.

Artificial intelligence has moved past its initial hype phase and chatbots have not only managed to survive beyond this first phase but are thriving because of their tangible benefits. With more and more people looking to ensure customer engagement and loyalty in a space where potential clients are flooded with options, chatbots are increasingly being implemented.

It’s critical that agents looking to add short-term rentals to their repertoire do their due diligence by researching regulations and putting in the time to determine which locations and types of units will perform best in a competitive market. But learning from seasoned professionals with experience at successfully brokering deals involving STRs and a track record of success is the perfect start.

In Chicago, STRs are governed by a hulking, 58-page ordinance, and there are other restrictions layered on by city regulators and condo boards. So, if you or one of your clients are looking to buy an investment property with an eye toward listing it on a platform such as Airbnb, where do you start?

Christine Carr​, residential consultant with Dream Town, explains how to create a balance between being there for clients and others without burning out or feeling pulled in a thousand directions when the market is busy.

Every real estate professional can benefit from a regular re-evaluation of their business goals to understand how they align with their personal sense of worth. The balance of maintaining business health and personal happiness require an extraordinary amount of diligence.

In real estate, networking can be the catalyst to getting more involved in the community, building lasting relationships and hopefully increasing your referrals. Learn how to capitalize on events to move your business forward.

Many agents and brokers are already using predictive analytics to determine homebuyer patterns and behaviors, and the trend lines point to more adoption of this technology as it matures.

Though @properties is one of very few independent shops that develops technology in-house, co-founder Thad Wong said they didn’t initially set out with any particular focus on technology.

Learn how one Dream Town agent rolled up his sleeves and got to work employing his limited programming skills to create a site for his business that uses a custom-built search function.

Keeping up with the latest tools requires not just deciding to use technology, but ensuring everyone on the team is able to take full advantage of it.

Our tech survey reveals many readers believe real estate pros are best at predicting who is going to move in a given neighborhood. Also: what agents want in a tech partner, the big data companies they’re using and more.

There are a few technologies that are poised to make significant leaps in the next year or so. How will they affect how you
do business?

Many of the challenges a managing broker faces can be met head-on by recruiting the best talent available. But recruiting agents isn’t always about finding those with the best sales numbers or those who bring in the most money.

Agents share the best advice they’ve received from leaders at their companies.

Many homebuyers want the same thing — a house in a community they love where they can watch their family grow. But some people are looking for something extra, whether that’s a prestigious neighborhood, exquisite amenities or a home