Agent advicefhalending standardsmortgageproperty conditionreal estate disclosuresSelectseller repairs
January 12, 2015

Since when do lenders get to dictate property repairs?

Historically, one of the most onerous aspects of dealing with Federal Housing Administration loans was the inspection process. Fortunately, conventional lenders have never required much more than termite repairs. Sadly, this is all changing — to the detriment of both consumers and agents. A disturbing new trend is emerging where…
Read More
Agent adviceintrovertspersonality typereal estatereal estate successSelect
January 11, 2015

4 tips for real estate introverts

Real estate, it’s been said, is no place for introverts. It’s a people-driven business. Some brokerages even engage in personality testing designed to uncover how agents handle various situations and where their strengths lie. Conventional wisdom says that introverts don’t succeed in sales, but the truth is far more nuanced.…
Read More
Agent adviceMarketingreal estateSelect
January 9, 2015

5 sure-fire tactics for stronger content marketing

Content marketing is nothing new, but content marketing that works well is something everyone still struggles with. There are two parts to a great content marketing strategy: distribution (spreading around the content) and return on investment, or ROI (producing results through the content after people read it). Today, we’re focusing on…
Read More
Agent adviceMarkets & Economyoutlookpete flintprofilereal estateReal Estate & Personal FinanceSelecttrulia
January 8, 2015

Pete Flint: ‘With Zillow, we can unlock even more innovation’

Pete Flint is the co-founder and CEO of Trulia. Are you optimistic about 2015? The 2015 housing market has a lot going for it. The market has emerged from the worst pains of the housing crisis. Foreclosures have declined sharply, as has negative equity. Even though the recovery remains unfinished,…
Read More
Agent adviceBuyers & SellersleadsMarkets & Economyportalsreal estateSelectTechnologythird-party websites
January 8, 2015

Are you thriving or suffering due to third-party websites?

If you work in real estate, you have likely heard or spoken this sentence: “Zillow is killing the industry.” Well, here’s a controversial opinion: In spite of the prevailing opinion, our industry is actually thriving in the age of consumer-driven, third-party real estate websites — and I can prove it. According to…
Read More
Agent adviceLorelei Taylorreal estateSelect
January 7, 2015

How to spread hate and discontent through social media

Using social media is a great way to build relationships with current and potential clients. Using social media is also a great way to insult and alienate those with whom you work or would like to work. And you might not even realize you are doing that! Recently, a title…
Read More