By Anand Patel We’ve all been there before: You’re at an important meeting and asked a question that you just can’t seem to formulate the perfect answer to on the spot. But, 30 minutes later, on your way home as you replay the meeting in your mind you come up with numerous things you wish you had said earlier. Now …
How to Communicate by Actually Having a Conversation
By Jared James I was thinking about our culture recently in this time of voicemails, emails, and social media, and it appears that everyone has a greater desire to communicate, but a lesser desire to actually have conversation.Believe it or not, communication and conversation are two completely different things. The actual definition of the word “communicate” is the activity of …
A Real Inspiration
By Hilary Hale Brown I had the pleasure of spending most of a recent afternoon with Avis Wukasch. For those of you unfamiliar with this vivacious woman, Texas Real Estate Commissioner, and 2012 Texas REALTOR® of the Year, I highly recommend spending a few moments to read her bio online. She reminds us all of what we can accomplish in …
Start Building Your Referral Network
By Scott Newman I often encounter other REALTORS® who see little to no value in developing relationships with their fellow agents, and it just baffles me every time! We are in one of the most challenging real estate markets in U.S. history, not to mention we’re in an environment where rules and regulations change daily, which is only adding barriers …
Take Note!
By Anand Patel One of the most helpful pieces of advice I received several years ago that I continually advise my agents to do today is to recap, in writing, your conversations with clients, attorneys, title companies, appraisers, fellow agents – any and all parties involved in your transactions. These details will help clarify the conversation you have, leaving no …
Picking Up the Pieces
By Brittney A. Bissett As REALTORS®, we are discouraged from discussing the quality of a school system when helping buyers find a home. Unfortunately for REALTORS® in Northeast Ohio this week, that discussion will be a rough one to handle. I work in an office that is located 15 minutes away from Chardon High School. Chardon is part of the …
Changes to YPN Online Communities
By Rob Reuter, YPN Manager Beginning January 1, 2012, YPN will be shutting down its online community feature narypn.memberfuse.com due to a lack of activity, competition with a successful YPN group on Facebook, and the cost to maintain the site. As a result, we have been looking at a product known as the REALTORS® Association Management Cooperative (RAMCO). The primary …
Be Careful of Real Estate ‘Blah, Blah, Blah’
By Toby Boyce The question on my local NPR station was simple enough: “Why do symphonies sound different when they are made up of the same parts?” The response was very eloquent and educated — I assume. It made as much sense as Pig Latin to me. “Well each one focuses on different things…” I’m sure that musicians in the …
Is Your Customer Service Best for You or Your Clients?
By David Krichmar Is your customer service best for you or your clients? Think about that question for a moment. Obviously, great customer service is not what is easiest for you. In most situations, it is about going above and beyond. Maybe even inconveniencing you. I recently read a great article by Rebekah Radice, “The Simple Truth Behind Customer Service,” …
5 Ways to Keep in Touch with Past, Current, and Future Clients
By David Krichmar Any time you come in contact someone who needs a REALTOR®, you should add them to your database. Trust me, I know this idea in itself is not brilliant. Once you have a database, how do you keep in touch with those clients? The key to having a database is to stay in touch with past clients, …