Marketingreal estateSelect
January 3, 2015

Heather Elias: ‘It’s the quality of the connections that matters’

Age: 41 Years in real estate: 10 Job title: Vice president of industry engagement at Century 21 Redwood Realty Location: Northern Virginia Hours per week spent on social media: Not as many as when I was with NAR! Social media accounts: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest (in order of time spent)…
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Agent advicementor qualitiesnetworkreal estateSelect
December 31, 2014

6 qualities your mentor should have

Real estate is an ever-changing, innovative and competitive industry — one that is filled with much uncertainty yet can lead to a wildly successful and exciting future. For me, navigating these waters as one of the youngest Realtors in Kansas City would not be possible without the help and guidance of…
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economylou barnesMarkets & Economymortgage ratesSelectunemploymentwages
December 31, 2014

Economic growth will accelerate home sales, but not just yet

Each look outward into a new year in this space begins with Peter Drucker’s dictum: “Nobody can predict the future. The idea is to have a firm grasp of the present.” 2015 is the least predictable year ahead in my memory. Humility whispers: Unpredictability may mean anything from exciting to…
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Lorelei TaylorOpinionreal estateSelectsenior agentTechnologytraining
December 31, 2014

How should we manage senior agents and technology?

The brokerage for whom I work comprises people of a wide variety of ages and levels of experience. Among the 100-plus agents on the roster are several “senior” agents who have been in the business 30 or more years and have seen the business of real estate change enormously. They bring…
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Agent adviceMarkets & EconomyReal Estate MarketSelect
December 31, 2014

Charlie Young: ‘We are a completely transformed brand’

Charlie Young is the president and CEO of ERA Franchise Systems. Are you optimistic about 2015? Yes, I am quite optimistic for the year ahead. Our team has been re-energized by the rebranding process we rolled out in 2014. I believe that momentum, coupled with positive economic forecasts, will translate…
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Agent adviceMarketingQuick Tipsreal estateReal Estate Agentsreal estate marketingreal-estate-brokerageSelectThe Reputation Shop
December 31, 2014

Discovering and marketing to your niche

Although a select few Realtors know that real estate is their calling from day one, most have tried at least one other career before starting in real estate. Consequently, they are well-acquainted with one type of service career or another. Maybe that one service spanned multiple industry verticals, but the…
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listing alertsMLS & AssociationsSelectw&r studios
December 30, 2014

MLS listing alert tool aims to give agents an edge over top portals

Tools offered by multiple listing services are not generally known for their slick interfaces. MLSs are great at compiling accurate, comprehensive listing data, but the tools to access that data are often clunky and, well, unattractive. Real estate software firm W&R Studios hopes to change that with its MLS listing…
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dronesreal estate dronesSelectTechnology
December 30, 2014

Presales of easy-to-fly, $375 drone through the roof

Strong presales of the “Ghost Drone” — a one-pound unmanned aircraft that can be mounted with a camera and easily controlled with a smartphone app — have helped its maker land $10 million in funding. EHANG, which is preselling the Ghost Drone until Jan. 9 on its Indiegogo page, touts the…
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Brokerageinterview questionsLeighton Deesreal estateSelect
December 30, 2014

Want to hire top talent? 5 interview questions to ask

As the modern-day real estate brokerage evolves, intelligent growth is crucial if you want to stay relevant. To sustain smart growth, brokers need to make sure they hire agents who possess the right mindset. Asking the right questions when you first meet with a prospective agent is a great spot…
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