Improving Your Business

Stories, articles and advice aimed at improving your business

Preparing Your Listing For the Fall Market

With summer ending and the fall weather upon us, now is the time to speak to your sellers about getting a jump on preparing their upcoming listing for the fall/winter market. As many of you know, the way a

Short Sale Road Rules: Getting Buyer and Seller on Same Page

One of the most neglected, and yet, most important part of a successful short sale is getting both buyer and seller on the same page. This may stem from the traditional way of thinking on a traditional “retail” sale:

5 Myths about New Construction Homes De-Bunked

By Brian Brunhofer If you’re working with a client who is considering a new construction home, but they – or you – have some reservations, allow me to clear up several common misconceptions about new construction homes and

Best Practices With Email Marketing

By Matthew Collis Some self-proclaimed “experts” have said that email marketing is dead. Others swear by it. But at the end of the day, email marketing can be highly effective if it’s done right. In our business, IXACT Contact,

5 Things Real Estate Offices Need to Know About Health Reform

By Sean O’Connor Real estate offices have so many things to worry about, from managing staff, to keeping pace with new listings, to marketing to attract new customers, and finally, to making a profit in today’s challenging economies. And

Four Tips For REO Open Houses That Can Pay Big

By Bubba Mills In today’s real estate market, if you know what you’re doing in the real estate owned (REO) arena, times can be better than good, even excellent – and definitely

5 Basic Business Tips for Startup Brokerages

By Deborah Sweeney You’ve logged the hours, sat in class or on your computer for however long your particular state has deemed necessary to become a licensed Realtor, and done the required work. You’ve attained a license and have

3 Things You Can Do to Help Renters Become Homeowners

By Valerie Byrd Unfortunately, in our current economy, many have become jaded about what used to be enthusiastically called “the American Dream.” Until recently, it was just assumed that homeownership was a life goal that all Americans should strive

How to Become a Chicago Neighborhood Expert, Part 2

In my last article, Part 1 of How to Become a Chicago Neighborhood Expert, we talked about setting up a blog as your online “hub,” and starting to create content to share on your blog and social media sites.

Make This Your Red-Hot Summer Selling Season

By Bob Corcoran Have you been outside to check your thermometer? Trust me, the temperature is rising. Summer is shaping up to be a hot one – not just literally, but also for the traditional real estate market. Finally,

How Do Clients Perceive You? The Importance of Feedback in Business

By Matthew Collis for AGBeat Many business professionals underestimate the importance of feedback and the value that it can bring to their business. No one likes receiving criticism, but feedback, both the positive and negative variety, can teach us

Social Media and Video – Are You Thinking Big Enough?

I watched a video today about a nine-year-old boy in Los Angeles named Caine Monroy. Take a moment to watch the video yourself and get a full understanding of the story before reading the rest of this. Done? Ok.

Manipulating vs. Negotiating: One Can Kill Your Business

By Bob Corcoran Every day all across the country, many real estate agents are dying a slow death. What’s worse, they’re sticking the stake through their own hearts one millimeter at a time. A long, slow, painful death. And

Negotiation Know-How: 6 Keys to Masterful Deal Making

By Arthur Wylie Whether in your business or personal life, making deals – from the biggest ones that take months to finalize and involve teams of lawyers, to the nominal ones that are sealed with a handshake after a

FHA Verification – A Tale of Shakespearian Proportions

FHA-approved or not FHA-approved? That is the question. You’ve been there – looking up condo listings for a client who is FHA-approved, only to find out the overzealous list agent just marked every available sales option on the MLS.

How to Become a Chicago Neighborhood Expert

With almost 90 percent of all potential clients starting their home search online, most of us understand the power of being found in Google and other search engines when potential clients are looking for a Chicago broker. But have

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