Succession Planning Part 2: Nine Keys Areas of Focus

Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by Robert Albanese.

1. Include it in your strategic plan. How many years prior to retirement should there be a plan? Right now is as good a time as any! There is no reason you can’t start preparation now with a series of plans at any point in the life of the business or even before the business [...]

Continue Reading

How Do You Know What Your Customers Really Think (Part 2)?

Posted on 18. Aug, 2010 by Jeff Lefkowitz.

In my last blog I opened a discussion on customer exit surveys.  In this edition, I would like to start discussing how to find out what your clients think about you and your firm. It isn’t as obvious as it may seem.  For example: An agent trying to measure how he can improve referral business [...]

Continue Reading

Ten Considerations in Creating a Succession Plan

Posted on 12. Aug, 2010 by Robert Albanese.

A succession plan is as important as life insurance. Please consider your options as early as possible in your tenure. If Buffet were to retire today, would his company find the talent to lead them? Are you certain that your company would continue on as you had hoped? Thinking ahead is a cardinal rule of [...]

Continue Reading

Beta Brokerage Unveiled at Inman 2010 (#icsf)

Posted on 10. Aug, 2010 by Wendy Forsythe.

Each summer for the last several years I’ve packed my bags and headed to San Francisco for the annual Inman Connect conference. This is one of my favorite work trips of the year not only because I’m a big fan of San Francisco, but because I always leave this event with a bunch of ideas [...]

Continue Reading

BHGRE at Real Estate Connect San Francisco

Posted on 09. Jul, 2010 by Sherry Chris.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is happy to once again participate as the diamond sponsor of this year’s Real Estate Connect San Francisco Conference July 13-15th ,  where you’ll discover the latest technology trends and get advice from the leaders in the industry on the future of real estate. Here’s a list of all [...]

Continue Reading

The Week Before Inman

Posted on 07. Jul, 2010 by Wendy Forsythe.

This is the third ‘week before’ Inman Connect that the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate team has prepared for.The 2008 week before Inman was also the week before the official launch of the brand, and the week before welcoming our first franchisee to the network. That was a week I will never forget. I don’t [...]

Continue Reading

Practice What You Preach

Posted on 30. Jun, 2010 by Paulette Costa.

We tell our agents the number one thing they must do to get more business is prospect, prospect, and then prospect some more.

Continue Reading

Operational and Compensational Implications of Reducing Office Size

Posted on 22. Jun, 2010 by Robert Albanese.

As is true with everything in business, the issue of reducing office size cannot be viewed in a vacuum. If you decide that reducing office size is an important initiative for your company, first consider all operational attributes that are impacted by changes to the physical plant. Keep in mind that both business and culture [...]

Continue Reading

What’s in Your Toolbox?

Posted on 15. Jun, 2010 by Paulette Costa.

Several years ago I was asked to participate in a Habitat for Humanity project. It was a day when only women were to work on a home that was being built for a single mother in Hartford, CT, and I was proud to participate.

I participated with several agents from my office and upon arrival we were met by the local builder who provided each of us with a carpenter’s apron, a hammer, nails, a tape measure and our assignments. Mine was to hammer floor boards. The builder barked out instructions, demonstrated with a few swings of his hammer and left me to my work which I took on with feverish excitement.

Continue Reading

The Love Triangle Between Broker, Agent and Consumer

Posted on 09. Jun, 2010 by Wendy Forsythe.

I often find myself in conversations about the dynamics between real estate agents, brokerage owners/managers and the consumer. Frequently I’m asked to debate whether our industry should be consumer centric, broker centric or agent centric. I love a good debate, but picking sides on this issue is a no win proposition. Picking a side would imply [...]

Continue Reading

Got Attitude?

Posted on 08. Jun, 2010 by Rick Gregory.

Economic forecasts are an interesting thing to consider.  Exactly 3 weeks ago, I read several forecasts that stated that the market was indeed recovering and that the total annualized home sales volume was going to exceed approximately 5.7 million units.  Today, I’ve read that May was down 25 – 30% in some markets and that, [...]

Continue Reading