As our industry becomes more and more competitive, it is often tempting to focus on what everyone else is doing bigger, better, and faster. You can spend a lot of energy chasing your competition, when in fact your strategy should always be to find ways to pave new paths. As an example, the Continue Reading
Apr
22
2011
Week in Review: What We Liked From the Week That Was
by 0
One year ago this week, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the Gulf of Mexico region. Today, tourism is starting to return, a welcome sign that the area ’s fragile economy is starting to recover. Another welcome sign came last month, in the real estate market’s own March Madness of Continue Reading
Dec
22
2010
Confidence
by 2
Confidence (high or low) is one of the largest factors that impact our ability to achieve. No matter your vocation or discipline, it has been long held that “your attitude determines your altitude.” For years, I have been fortunate to work with some of the greatest achievers in our industry; Continue Reading
Nov
17
2010
Lifestyle Branding-In, Traditional Branding-Out
by 5
There has been a shift in branding strategies in our industry over the last 12-24 months. Clever real estate professionals have finally figured out that the traditional branding approaches our industry has been using don't apply in today's market place, and have developed more customer friendly Continue Reading
Nov
15
2010
Things to Consider Before Renewing Your Lease
by 1
At the end of each lease renewal, ask yourself whether or not you would open up a new office in this location, if you had to do it again. Depending on the strength of the local commercial real estate market, inquire about subletting rates to see if it’s worth staying or if there are better Continue Reading
Sep
17
2010
Week in Review: Things We Liked from the Week That Was
by 1
This week marked the second anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, an event which changed the way people thought of Wall Street and added terms to our lexicon like Too Big to Fail. I can’t help but think back on the economic roller coaster we have been on and how it is still affecting Continue Reading
Aug
27
2010
Week in Review: Things We Liked from the Week That Was
by 1
The midterm election season is officially underway with many states holding their primaries – some of them out-and-out nail biters. No matter which side of the aisle you fall, elections are certainly an interesting spectator sport as the candidates pull out their boxing gloves. In a standoff of Continue Reading
Aug
12
2010
Ten Considerations in Creating a Succession Plan
by 1
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 Continue Reading
Jul
30
2010
Week in Review: Things We Liked from the Week That Was
by 1
There was a lot to digest this week, and I’m not just talking about the half-size “Super Sub" President Obama ordered in Edison, New Jersey as part of his tour supporting a small business plan. Food for thought in our industry came in the form of mortgage-to-income ratios at the lowest in more Continue Reading
Jun
28
2010
Tax Credit Extension or Not
by 6
We prospect diligently to find qualified buyers. We work with them tireless to find the perfect home. We negotiate expertly on their behalf to get an accepted offer. But then the real work begins these days. As we try to hold it all together and actually get to a successful closing. NAR estimates Continue Reading
Week in Review: What We Liked From the Week That Was
As the Mississippi River flooded many cities along its banks and citizens downstream braced for the worst, the harsh realities of the real estate market in the past few years were made abundantly clear by a new report from Zillow. Home prices in 10 U.S. cities -- all in Florida and California, save Continue Reading