Apparently not everyone is reading their news solely online as newspaper readership is increasing in many cities across the country. While circulation in the U.S. may be down nationally on average, real estate is local and national averages may not apply in your specific market. If you were predicting the demise of the printed newspaper you are not alone. But, …
Negotiating to Win
Real estate professionals with finely tuned negotiating skills are able to deliver the best offers for their clients in the shortest amount of time. In return, they earn higher real estate commissions for their efforts. Real estate negotiations can often feel like a pressure cooker so it is important to have an effective strategy in order to win. Negotiating for …
Staying Current in a Dynamically Changing Real Estate Market to Maximize Career Growth
The number of individuals seeking a career in real estate is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years resulting in increased competition, especially for those who recently joined the industry. In order to remain competitive, real estate agents must adapt to changing market conditions. As the housing market continues to grow and expand across the country, the number …
Is your Personal Brand Attracting More Clients?
As a real estate agent, you have access to a variety of marketing tools and real estate agent programs. They are an important asset of any real estate business and they help you serve the needs of your clients. But, the one distinguishing factor that sets one agent apart from another is their reputation, identity or in other words their …
Existing Home Sales Gains in Midwest, Chicago Outperforming Other Real Estate Markets
In a sign that the housing market is continuing to recover existing home sales prices in the Midwest increased by 9.4% in the second quarter of 2014. Although, they are still about 6.1% lower compared to the previous year, according to the National Association of Realtors®, the gains in the Midwest outperformed other markets around the country. The average existing …
How Realtors® Can Use the New .REALTOR Domain to Their Advantage
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) recently launched the REALTOR top-level domain. Members of the Canadian Real Estate Association and NAR will have access to this domain from October, 2014. Since the majority of homebuyers begin their search online, the REALTOR domain will help real estate agents and brokers stand-out in search results among other websites. This represents one of …
Training to be a Top Producing Real Estate Agent in Chicago
On-going training is an important part of any real estate career and having a goal to being the top producing agent in your market can become reality when empowered with the right skills. The key to success will depend to a large extent on the ability to adapt to changing market conditions. While all real estate agents have access to …
Good News for Leasing Agents: Rental Demand to Continue for Years to Come
Demand for apartments is on the rise here in Chicago and in other parts of the United States. This is welcome news for individuals who are interested in a career in real estate leasing. Although new apartment construction has picked up over the years, it is not expected to fill demand in the near term. Rental demand has been rising …
Why Some Realtors® are becoming Certified International Property Specialists (CIPS)
The U.S. real estate market has been attracting foreign buyers to major cities across the country. It’s not just the lower home prices that drive foreign demand; it’s the fact that the U.S. is one of the safest places to invest on the planet. Also, potential home buyers relocate here from cities around the world every year. In fact, sales …
How Real Estate Agents can attract More Qualified Buyers to Open Houses
The key to a successful open house is simply attracting qualified buyers that would be most interested in the property rather than a stream of curious neighbors. While that may seem easy enough, hosting open houses require some thought and preparation to be successful. You can’t just announce an open house and place a sign in the yard any longer. …