Active Rain - New Service

ActiveRain launched a new service called 'Listing Router'.

 

For a visitor, it's a new header that will permanently reside at the top of every page within the ActiveRain network.

It will feature search box preceded with phrase "Find Homes for Sale in: _________".

 

Once a user completes the search box and hits enter, "Listing Router" will send the user directly to an

ActiveRain members existing IDX (or other property listing) site.

 

 

Positive Signs in the Real Estate Market

Real Estate Numbers Looking Better … This Week

 

Ø  Resales of existing homes jumped by 5.5 percent last week -- that was the largest monthly increase since July 2003, in the middle of the housing boom. In the western states, sales were up a record 34.4 percent!

 

Ø  Sales of newly constructed homes also were higher in the latest month, according to the Census Bureau -- up by 2.7 percent on average nationwide, but by an impressive 22.7 percent in the West.

 

Ø  A quarterly survey by the Wall Street Journal released last week found inventories down in a majority of the 18 markets studied.

 

Ø  Across the country, the backlog of unsold but listed houses dropped 1.2 percent to a 9.4 month supply last month, according to the National Association of Realtors^® -- that was down from an 11 month supply the previous month.

 

Ø  One week of good news does not mean we're officially in turnaround mode … But you've got to start connecting the dots. Week after week, month after month, housing and real estate numbers are starting to look better and better.

 

For Sale By Owner

Who's the Best Person to Sell My House by Bernice Ross, Ph.D., is a powerful little book that gives FSBOs a list of 29 key decisions they must make in the home selling process. It also a great book to use with Expireds. My advice: Order 100 of these books, read one yourself, and put it to work to build an impressive inventory of listings that are priced right and sell fast! CAUTION: Real estate agents who READ this book and embrace the tools, technologies, and marketing approaches described within its 50 pages may suffer incurably high levels of market mastery and attract bountiful, saleable listings.

House Trading

For some time now, I've been talking and writing about a trend I believe is coming and possibly even upon us: House Trading.

Clearly, the baby boomer's life is changing. Many are looking to simplify and downsize. They desire to pass their assets to the next generation with the least amount of tax consequence and while still able to see the transfer. Right here in Rancho Santa Fe, CA about 3 months ago one of the largest house swaps took place; a home in Rancho Santa Fe for a home in Carlsbad.

Century 21 agents Suzy Sheppard and Doug Coward of Auckland's Albany (New Zealand) have recently 'swapped' over 20 homes for their clients. Sheppard said it was all about "matching people" who want to trade up or down and in particular areas. Read: Trading Places Article

Real Estate Market Exaggeration

A recent study by three professors from Columbia and Wichita State Universities has concluded that the housing crisis has been greatly overblown. The professors say that most Americans have not experienced any major decline in the value of their homes - and aren't likely to. Read more at: The Case of Exaggeration.

Behold the Accountability Meeting

By Tara Scholl

This is just one duty of Agent Development. Having a private office and the title Manager are wonderful perks of the position but do you really understand what you signed up for? Engage, plan, align and achieve are your real responsibilities.

man·ag·er [man-i-jer] –noun

1. a person who has control or direction of an institution business, etc., or of a part, division, or phase of it.

2. a person who manages: the manager of our track team

*Resource: Dictionary.com

Accountability is a huge part of your management responsibilities. It is probably the least liked from my experience with managers. For some it comes naturally and for some it's like a trip to the dentist chair. It is critical that you embrace it as part of your daily routine. Believe it or not, your agents appreciate your efforts to hold them accountable whether they tell you so or not. I guarantee you will see production results not to mention the loyalty factor that naturally follows.

Century 21 has several tools that can assist you in your efforts put an accountability plan in place. PEP, a Production Enhancement Program. This FREE program has the forms, instructions and Q&A to execute an accountability plan. MAP, Massive Action Planning. A little less stringent on a managers time table because you have the assistance of a coach but this program is sure to boost your agent's production and gets you involved in process.

Managing is not an easy task. You wear many hats but remember what your true focus is and make the time to fit it in.

20 Skills to be a Great Coach

A look at the psychology of sports performance offers great insight into the science of coaching agents to becoming top performers. Resource: Doc's Head Games

1. Ability to instill belief/trust/confidence - self-efficacy
2. Big Vision, balanced by ability to set and adjust goals - goal setting and extrinsic motivation
3. Care about others more than self - cohesion
4. Perseverance and a sense of humor - personality
5. Attention to skills development of agents; tailored to agents needs - attentional zones
6. Precise training techniques and coaching on a daily basis - attentional zones and flow
7. Ability to filter - attentional zones
8. Problem solving orientation - decision making
9. Ability to observe without judgment - perspective taking

More Skills >>>>>