By Peter Ricci Client testimonials, as any good agent knows, are the lifeblood of a successful real estate career, but in today’s technological age, they are shrouded in ambiguity. Where should clients submit testimonials? How can you ensure that

By Sissy Lappin Houston, or Texas for that matter, is like a private island in the world of real estate. We are not only surviving the recession; we are thriving! But on occasion, real estate deals do fall

By Sissy Lappin So, after you have negotiated your buyers into their new home, the last thing you want is for them to catch a little twinge of buyer’s remorse. Let’s talk a little bit about this phenomenon and

By Gary Bisha Those darn flat-fee FSBO’s. They want you to do all the work and not pay any commission, right? Well, that may not always be the case. In fact, many times these FSBO’s are good for agents

By Keith Rodgers Think about a company that delights you, a place of doing business where you feel confident in the product, the service and the experience. Are you loyal to that company? Now compare that with a company

As I wrote about in my last blog, social media is only icing on the cake, and cannot be your sole source for making contacts and generating new clients. Here’s a story I hope makes you want to put

By Jason Forrest  “Nothing frustrates me more than sloppy football.” —Bill Walsh The mark of an x factor is the belief that you are in control of your future – the captain of your ship. The determining factor in

By Alan Bryan Managing a company’s online reputation isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do. It involves a savvy mix of online relationship building, core online business tools and consistent attention to what’s being said about your

One of the things we want to accomplish with our real estate blogs is a low bounce rate. A “bounce,” in blog terms, is when visitors come to your blog, take a quick a look, and leave. A bounce,

By Stephanie Sims A managing broker or team leader is only as good as his or her team of agents. How can you make sure you’re hiring the cream of the crop? How can you assemble a team of

“Beyond the finish line, I’d heard from so many people [that] maintenance is the hardest thing. [I used to think], ‘Try losing 200 pounds.’ But maintenance really is a lifetime.” –Erik Chopin, Biggest Loser Like many brokers, you may

Is your content sticky? If you don’t know what that is, then chances are it isn’t. There is a lot of value in sticky content, so it pays to know what it is and what it can do for

By Sean O’Connor Real estate offices have so many things to worry about, from managing staff, to keeping pace with new listings, to marketing to attract new customers, and finally, to making a profit in today’s challenging economies. And

Social media is a inexpensive and great way to market to your circle of influence. Agents looking for a cost effective way to market themselves must utilize social media, but it’s not a substitute for hard work and feet-to-ground

By Valerie Byrd Unfortunately, in our current economy, many have become jaded about what used to be enthusiastically called “the American Dream.” Until recently, it was just assumed that homeownership was a life goal that all Americans should strive

Social media, they say, is all the rage, and it is now being used by businesses and professionals to get the word out on a professional level. In other words, social media goes far beyond the social aspect for