If you are in real estate, you probably know that the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 is due to expire at the end of this year. Regardless of whether you do a lot of short sales or just

At my last consulting job, I had a lengthy and memorable conversation with an agent in my office, a veteran of the local market. Eventually, the topic turned to

The U.S. real estate market is finally rebounding after years in decline. As an agent who’s getting busier with increasingly more business, it’s critical that you have the right tools and systems in place. Otherwise, staying organized and proactive

“The only way to know how customers see your business is to look at it through their eyes.” Daniel Scoggin Consider this question: how well do you know your customers? I mean, really know them? Take your time, because

This holiday season, as I look toward a new year, I have to reflect on the past and analyze what I did well, what I need to improve, and what I want to accomplish next year. Positive growth is

Client testimonials, as any good agent knows, are the lifeblood of a successful real estate career, but in today’s technological age, they are shrouded in ambiguity. Where should clients submit testimonials? How can you ensure that future clients read

By Mitch Levinson In my last post, I talked about what Chicago real estate agents and homebuilders should be incorporating into their social media program. Today, I’m going to share more on the foundation to this program – your

Most doctors firmly believe that certain types of regular screening tests and checkups are essential and help save lives. And most of us, no matter how much we despise devoting an hour or more to getting poked and prodded,

By Christine Groves Whether you are a new agent or a seasoned agent, there are some key items to building and sustaining your business. We must always keep learning and developing in order to succeed – and making sure

By John Michael Grafft The 2012 Real Estate Forum, which brings in the “Who’s Who” of local real estate, was one of the better events I attended this year. I was told attendance was approximately 64 percent higher this year with

This article is about planning for your 2013 year in real estate – starting now. That’s right,

By Jason Abrams Choosing one’s business partners and employees wisely is the single greatest challenge of a real estate “mega-team” owner. Those of us who own mega-teams know how to generate leads at a blistering pace. In fact, the

By Jennifer Mills Klatt Over the last few years in real estate, websites such as Realtor.com, Chicago Block Shopper and Zillow have given consumers information they didn’t previously have in their hands, and it has undoubtedly impacted the way

Did you know that the guy behind the deli counter at your grocery store voted for the other guy? Want to know why it matters? It doesn’t. There are a lot of places where politics don’t matter. The deli

By Bob Corcoran This past summer, my son was looking to buy a home in St. Louis, not far from my office. I intentionally watched as he sat down at the computer and turned the occasion into my own

By Carrie Gable  We hear it all the time: one of the best ways to have an effective and thriving online presence is to monitor who is looking at your content and which elements of your marketing are seeing