MarketingTechnology
July 25, 2014

Rumors Abound of Possible Zillow / Trulia Merger

Speculation has been swirling this week over a possible merger of Zillow and Trulia, the two largest consumer real estate websites, with a combined monthly visitor count of about 70 million. A group of six investors currently owns 42% of Zillow and 52% of Trulia, leading some experts to wonder…
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Compliance
July 24, 2014

The CFPB is Not Kidding Around About RESPA

The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau recently levied a $500,000 fine against a real estate company for failing to comply with RESPA disclosure law. The bold move was meant to demonstrate that the law is serious, and that punishment is real for those in violation. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act…
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Compliance
July 23, 2014

CFPB Wants Consumers to Publicly Voice Complaints About Financial Companies

The CFPB is looking to expand its ability to process complaints from individual consumers regarding financial institutions. It currently accepts complaints on many consumer financial products, including credit cards, mortgages, bank accounts, private student loans, vehicle and other consumer loans, credit reporting, money transfers, debt collection, and payday loans. “By…
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Uncategorized
July 22, 2014

WFG’s Kelly Elected to TIRSA

Five elected to board charged with setting New York title insurance rates New York, NY July 9, 2014    Michael Kelly of WFG National Title Insurance Company (WFG National Title) has been elected to the New York Title Insurance Rate Service Association (TIRSA). Working with the New York Department of Financial…
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Technology
July 21, 2014

Facebook Adding ‘Save’ Feature

If you’re like me, you see all sorts of articles, songs, videos, etc. on your Facebook timeline that you don’t have time to read or watch. However, with the way Facebook’s timeline is setup, if you don’t get to it right away, you’ll never get back to it and it may…
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Uncategorized
July 17, 2014

ZipRealty Purchased for $166 Million

Realogy, owner of such industry-leading real estate brands as Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, and Sotheby’s, has reached an agreement to purchase ZipRealty’s residential brokerage operations, including its technology platforms. The acquisition will push Realogy’s aggregate size to almost 250,000 real estate brokers and sales…
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economic recoveryinterest ratesnational economyPat StonePatrick Stonepresidential electionReal Estate MarketrecessionWFGWFG National TitleWFG National Title InsuranceWFG National Title Insurance CompanyWilliston FinancialWilliston Financial Groupworld economy
July 14, 2014

News Radio Interview with Patrick F. Stone: Brian Bushlach’s Business Briefing on FM News 101 KXL Portland and 770-AM KTTH in Seattle

Patrick Stone, President and CEO of Williston Financial Group (WFG) and WFG Title Insurance Company, and Brian Bushlach discuss employment, confidence levels, and the state of the housing market. Listen Now! http://wfgnationaltitle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BRIEF2_A_20140714.mp3   <!-- #Title News Radio Interview with Patrick F. Stone: Brian Bushlach’s Business Briefing on FM News 101…
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TechnologyUseful Apps
July 10, 2014

LinkedIn Connected: The smart way to strengthen your professional relationships

It’s been a while since I’ve been “active” on LinkedIn, but they’re doing some pretty cool stuff these days that’s been catching my attention. For example, they just relaunched their “Contacts” app today with the rebranded name of “Connected” (iTunes link here). It’s a new look and feel, more user…
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Skill DevelopmentTechnology
July 3, 2014

Work in the Blue Ocean

If you’re looking to succeed in the real estate market, you need to figure out how to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Most agents I talk to are trying to play the exact same game that every other agent is playing. It’s hard to win a game when there are…
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Skill DevelopmentTechnology
July 3, 2014

Building a Personal Brand With Social Media

 If you are looking to build your personal brand through social media, Gary Vaynerchuck is the guy to emulate. For those of you who don’t know Gary Vaynerchuk, he wrote the books ‘Crush it’, ‘The Thank You Economy’, as well as ‘Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook’. He is also renowned for his ‘Wine…
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