The Residential Specialist, May/June 2014

residential

may + june

B US I N E S S I N TELL IGE N CE FOR THE CR S PROFE S S IONA L

2014

THE

SPECIALIST ALSO IN THIS

ISSUE

the CRS young guns the state of the market how useful is an open house?

the power of a postcard building up a referral network mobile-friendly websites

FULL HOUSE The growing trend in multigenerational housing

CRS-001

CharaCter and

Commitment

Your reputation is everything to you, and it means everything to us. When you refer your clients to Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, you are trusting us with your good name, and we’ll always deliver on our promise of professionalism, character, and integrity.

pillartopost.com

1-800-294-5591

Choice of exclusive Home Inspection Packages E&O insurance to protect the referring agent Report delivered on site at the time of inspection

contents FAMILY REUNION

18

More and more families, from grandma to junior, are choosing to live together. What’s driving this trend and how can you best serve this growing market?

May 20 June 14

features

By Daniel Rome Levine

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Several past 30 Under 30 honorees reflect on the growth of their career and the role that CRS education has played in their success.

22

By Regina Ludes

is a whole new magazine Welcome to the first redesigned issue of The Residential Specialist, available online at trsmag.com. We hope that the updated look-and-feel will allow us to deliver the information, analysis and insight you need in a more modern and dynamic way.

ROOM TO BREATHE

OPEN-DOOR POLICY

REALTORS® have different perspectives on the value of open houses.

26

Here’s a local look at how 2013 went for four CRSs.

30

By Gayle Bennett

By Mary Ellen Collins

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The Council of Residential Specialists

crs.com

1

May June

contents

departments

May 20 June 14

9

4 VANTAGE POINT

By Ron Canning, CRS

5 SHORT LIST

Best downtown areas and where first-time homebuyers go

9 COOL STUFF

Home security products to keep your home safe

10 INSIDE TRACK

Reaping rewards with paper-based marketing

By Steve Bergsman

12 WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY Building a referral-based business

By Regina Ludes

14 SMART SOLUTIONS

34

Make your website mobile-friendly

inside CRS

By James Cappio

16 PEER TO PEER

Joan M. Pratt, CRS, RE/MAX Professionals, Castle Pines, Colo.

36 NEWS FROM THE COUNCIL

CRS introduces three new CRS One-Day Essential courses focused on core skills

34 WORK + LIFE

To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, by Daniel H. Pink Review by Allan Fallow

16

40 CRS CONNECT 48 ASK A CRS

Advice from the country’s top agents

36 TR S MAG. C OM New

FIND THE RESIDENTIAL SPECIALIST ONLINE

A dedicated website now provides easy and convenient access to the content of the current issue of The Residential Specialist.

Visit trsmag.com to access a digital version of The Residential Specialist. The new website makes it easy to search for articles or keywords, and to share content with colleagues. Previous issues of The Residential Specialist will be available in the Archives section of the website.

Coming Next Issue ...

B US I N E S S I N TE L L I GE N C E F OR TH E CR S PR OFE S S I O NA L

Roles and Responsibilities It used to be to show houses, but now REALTORS® do so much more.

The Market for High-Rise Condos Learn where the market is located and effective tactics for selling a lifestyle.

EDITOR Michael Fenner mfenner@crs.com Tel: 800.462.8841 2014 COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY PANEL Moderator: Clark Niblock, CRS Co-Moderator: Lois Cox, CRS 2014 COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY PANEL MEMBERS Darlene Price Bailey, CRS Richard Bradford, CRS Gretchen Conley, CRS Clyde Cooper, CRS John Cotton, CRS Geri Kenyon, CRS Michael Maher, CRS Colleen McKean, CRS Michelle Rosenkoff, CRS Patricia Tasker, CRS John Stark, CRS Darlene Stouder, CRS Marylea Todd, CRS Kristin Triolo, CRS Beverlee Vidoli, CRS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gayle Bennett Steve Bergsman Jim Cappio Mary Ellen Collins Daniel Rome Levine Regina Ludes OFFICERS: 2014 President Ron Canning, CRS Chief Executive Officer Lana Vukovljak 2014 President-Elect Dale Carlton, CRS 2014 First Vice President Janelle Pfleiger, CRS 2014 Immediate Past President Mary McCall, CRS

PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT 847.205.3000 www.glcdelivers.com Publishing Manager Phil Malkinson Art Directors Scott Oldham Ivette Cortes Advertising Manager Michael J. Mrvica M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc. 856.768.9360 mjmrvica@mrvica.com The Residential Specialist is published for Certified Residential Specialists, General Members and Subscribers by the Council of Residential Specialists.

The magazine’s mission is: To be a superior educational resource for CRS Designees and Members, providing the information and tools they need to be exceptionally successful in selling residential real estate.

The Residential Specialist is published bimonthly by the Council of Residential Specialists, 430 North Michigan Ave., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611-4092.

Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices.

Change of address? Email requests to crshelp@crs.com, call Customer Service at 800.462.8841 or mail to CRS at the above address.

The Residential Specialist (USPS-0021699, ISSN 1539-7572) is distributed to members of the Council as part of their membership dues. Non-members may purchase subscriptions for $29.95 per year in the U.S., $44.95 in Canada and $89.95 in other international countries.

All articles and paid advertising represent the opinions of the authors and advertisers, not the Council.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: The Residential Specialist, c/o Council of Residential Specialists, 430 North Michigan Ave., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611-4092.

COPYRIGHT 2014 by the Council of Residential Specialists. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

crs.com

State of the New Construction Market Is new construction keeping pace with demand, and what are buyers looking for in new homes?

Agile Selling, by Jill Konrath Adopt powerful strategies for sales proficiency in rapidly changing situations.

PLUS: Social media’s intangible ROI

Would you like to be a source for a future story in The Residential Specialist? Send an email to mfenner@crs.com

to be added to our potential source list. To see a list of the topics we’ll be covering, check out the magazine’s 2014 editorial calendar online at crs.com.

Who on your team could benefit by receiving a personal copy of The Residential Specialist?

STAY INFORMED The Council of Residential Specialists provides superior education, exceptional networking opportunities and critical resources.

The Council’s flagship magazine, The Residential Specialist, delivers the latest industry trends, success stories and proven strategies to grow your business.

To subscribe for yourself or a colleague, call 800.462.8841.

Note: Members of the Council of Residential Specialists receive the magazine as part of their member benefits.

[vantage point]

from the desk of Ron Canning, CRS, 2014 president

STRATEGIC

transformation



Have you looked out of your window today? If so, you’ve probably noticed the trees sprouting their new leaves and the landscape settling into the rhythm of the growing season. The Council is following a similar cycle of growth — many of the initiatives that have been incubating for the past few months are beginning to take shape.

One of the most exciting programs to launch this season is CRS’s One-Day EssentialsTM. This is a series of new classroom courses that cover three of the essential skills that benefit REALTORS® at every stage of their careers: negotiation, team-building and lead conversion.

These three courses will be held in 30 locations across the country. Be sure to review the course descriptions, dates and locations on the website at crs.com/essentials to see which will be most convenient and applicable to you. CRS

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has long been commit- “ Together, we ve ted to providing the been working to highest-quality, most address the relevant education. I’m sure you’ll agree that challenges that the these new courses are industry and CRS indeed, “essential.”

This is just one of face in the short the many programs and long term.” and initiatives the Council is launching — others include the all-new Leadership Training Program, two new videos from the CRS Legends series and a whole host of new webinars that cover the most relevant hot topics in the industry today.

At the same time these programs are rolling out, we’re building the foundation for upcoming initiatives such as CRS Week, Sell-a-bration® and a national member recruitment and retention campaign.

All of these efforts have grown out of the new strategic planning process that CRS leadership has undertaken. Together, we’ve been working to address the challenges that the industry and CRS face in the short and long term. We’re building our strategic goals and tactical priorities to allow the Council to better meet the evolving needs of our members.

It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Council! I’m thrilled to be able to help lead the organization through this period of transformation and to help envision a future where we, our members and our industry can thrive.

Wishing you much success this year!

[short list]

+ industry headlines + statistics + trends

GOING downtown

10 BEST DOWNTOWNS IN SMALL- TO MID-SIZE CITIES 1. Fort Worth, Texas 2. Providence, R.I. 3. Indianapolis, Ind. 4. Provo, Utah 5. Alexandria, Va.

6. Frederick, Md. 7. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 8. Bellingham, Wash.

9. Eugene, Ore. 10. Birmingham, Ala.

5

ALEXANDRIA, VA

START YOUR ENGINES Shoppers will perform an average of 11 searches prior to taking action on a real estate site.

52 percent of actions on a real estate brand site come directly from a local search on a search engine.

Home shoppers using search engines are 9 percent more likely to take an action on a real estate brand website than those who do not search.

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69 percent of home shoppers who take action on a real estate brand website begin their research with a local term, e.g., “Houston homes for sale,” on a search engine.

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Source: Google & Compete Home Shopper Study, 2011; Google & Compete New Home Shopper Study, 2012

Source: Livability.com; photo: R Kennedy/ Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association



A recent study by Livability.com ranks the best downtowns in small- to mid-size cities in the United States, and Fort Worth, Texas, tops the list. The report ranks downtowns that maintain a high level of energy and give all city residents a reason to visit, such as diverse local architecture, art, lifestyles and things to do.

The list was also based on data collected about retail and office vacancy rates, the number of people moving into the area, income growth, unemployment, the ratio of people who live and work in the downtown area, and the overall livability of the city. Considerable weight was given to population growth and the ratio of residents to jobs in a downtown area.

May June

green

SOME LIKE IT HOT

[short list]

HOUSES ďƒ˜

Warm-weather cities seem to be the best fit for many first-time homebuyers, according to a report by Realtor.com. The study analyzed several factors to rank U.S. cities’ popularity with first-time homebuyers, including location (market popularity), prices, inventory, time on market and unemployment rates.

+ industry headlines + statistics + trends

A growing number of homebuilders are including energy-efficient features in their homes, according to a recent study from the National Association of Homebuilders. Energy-Star rated appliances, programmable thermostats and Energy-Star rated windows have become very popular, the study says. Such amenities offer consumers a two-for-one benefit: comfort and convenience now, and big savings on utility costs in the long term.

On a median per-square-foot basis, all homeowners spent 78 cents per square foot per year on electricity, compared to owners of new homes, who spent 65 cents per square foot per year, according to data from the 2009 American Housing Survey (AHS).

Builders also say features such as granite countertops, a double sink and a central island are in-demand elements in new-home kitchens, in addition to a linen closet and a private toilet in the master bathroom. Additional features likely to be included throughout the home include: high (9-foot) first-floor ceilings; a front porch; outdoor lighting and a patio; walk-in closets in the master bedroom; a laundry room; and a great room.

TOP 10 MARKETS FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS Metro Area

Median Listing Price

Total Listings

Median Age of Inventory*

Unemployment rate

Pittsburgh, Penn.

$

135,000

11,026

128

5.70%

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.

$

169,900

21,062

88

5.90%

Philadelphia, Penn.-N.J. (N.J.)

$

174,900

10,656

141

6.40%

Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas

$

175,000

8,433

67

5.40%

Orlando, Fla.

$

191,900

13,425

81

5.50%

Jacksonville, Fla.

$

198,000

9,787

95

5.60%

Philadelphia, Penn.-N.J. (Penn.)

$

219,000

21,909

121

6.40%

Dallas, Texas

$

224,900

15,887

57

5.40%

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.

$

227,500

9,435

98

4.90%

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.

$

244,900

23,654

59

6.20%

Source: Realtor.com

* days

Source: NAR 2013 Profile of Homebuyers and Home Sellers

FSBO trends

May June

40

%

9

%of home

sellers sold their home without the assistance of a real estate agent (for-sale-by-owner).

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of FSBO sellers knew the buyer prior to home purchase. of sellers chose to sell their home without the assistance of a real estate agent to a buyer they did not know in order to avoid paying a fee or commission.

%

$ $

The typical FSBO home sold for

184,000 compared to

230,000 for agent-assisted home sales.

MARKET checkup 

Housing markets in 96 percent of the U.S. counties tracked by RealtyTrac are better off today than they were in 2010, but just 8 percent are better off than they were in 2006 at the height of the housing boom.

The RealtyTrac study analyzed four key categories of housing market health: home price appreciation, affordability, percentage of bankowned (REO) sales and the unemployment rate.

The 410 counties analyzed in the report account for 63 percent of the U.S. population.

“Home prices in three-fourths of the counties analyzed are still below 2006 levels, but low inventory has helped home prices accelerate past pre-recession levels in some markets like Seattle, San Francisco, Denver and Oklahoma City,” says Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac.

“Those rapid home price gains are causing a concerning drop in affordability rates in some cities, but homebuilders and homeowners with regained equity should help provide more supply to balance out many of those markets in 2014.”

REGULATIONS FOR AMCs?

3. R equire that appraisals comply with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.

4. E nsure the selection of a competent and independent appraiser.

5. E stablish and comply with processes designed to ensure that appraisals comply with

Six U.S. government agencies have proposed a new rule to implement minimum requirements for registration and supervision of appraisal management companies (AMCs). The minimum requirements in the proposed

rule would require AMCs in the participating states to: 1. R egister in the state and be subject to supervision.

2. Use only state-certified, licensed appraisers for federally related transactions.

the appraisal independence standards established under the Truth in Lending Act. Find more details at 1.usa.gov /PAuXJD.

DESTINATION: AMERICA A recent study by UniGroup Relocation found that there were more people from international locations who moved to the U.S. in 2013 than American citizens who moved abroad. Here’s a breakdown of where international people came from, and where Americans went last year.

2013 Top Origin Countries to the U.S. 1. United Kingdom 2. Germany 3. China 4. Australia 5. France 6. India 7. Singapore 8. Canada 9. Switzerland 2013 Top Destination Countries from the U.S. 10. Japan 1. Germany  2. United Kingdom  3. Australia  4. China  5. France  6. Switzerland  7. Japan  8. India  9. The Netherlands  10. Singapore

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[short list]

+ industry headlines + statistics + trends

THE LANDSCAPE FOR LANDSCAPING When it comes to outdoor home landscapes, today’s homeowners look for designs that allow for entertaining and relaxation, according to a recent study from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The most popular outdoor features are: gardens and landscapes (94.2 percent); outdoor living spaces, such as kitchen and entertainment areas (92.0 percent); and recreation areas (75.8 percent).

“Homeowners know that designed landscapes add value to their lives as well as their property values,” ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville says. “They’re interested in livable, open spaces that are both stylish and earth friendly.”

COMING UP FOR AIR  As home prices have risen in recent months, the number of homeowners who find themselves “underwater” on their mortgages is shrinking, according to the latest CoreLogic Equity Report.

While 6.5 million residential property owners with a mortgage owe more on the loan than their home is worth, 4 million properties regained equity last year.

Homes that have negative equity account for 13.3 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage, which

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equals approximately 6.5 million homes. The aggregate value of negative equity was $398.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2013, down 2.9 percent from $401.3 billion in the third quarter.

“We still have a long way to go to eliminate the negative equity overhang, but significant progress is being made every day across most of the country,” says Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic.

RENTAL REVERSAL

Reversing a long uptrend in homeownership, a growing number of American households are looking to the rental market for their housing needs, according to a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University.

The share of all U.S. households that rent a home rose from 31 percent in 2004 to 35 percent in 2012. That represents 43 million households.

The study attributes the rise in rentals to the foreclosure wave that caused millions of homeowners to lose their homes. The recession also played a role, as sustained high unemployment rates strained household budgets and kept many skittish would-be homebuyers on the sidelines.

[cool stuff]

acquisitions on a theme

SAFE &

secure

ALL-IN-ONE

While our homes may be modern-day castles, that doesn’t mean they’re surrounded by moats, and being away from home for an extended period of time — whether for work or play — is now a common occurrence. If you find yourself worrying about your abode when you’re not around, these home security products can help you regain your peace of mind.

SEEING EYE

Most home security systems require a fairly large upfront installation commitment. With Blacksumac’s Piper home security system, you can do all the installation yourself.

Piper’s system sets itself apart by including motion detection, camera monitoring and siren capability all in one device, which simplifies the installation procedure. Piper even connects with Z-Wave devices like door or window sensors to allow for even more security detection. $ 00

You may already have the technology in your home to set up remote camera monitoring without even knowing it. If you have webcams, the iCam app by SKJM, LLC will help you turn them into a DIY home security system. With the iCam app, you can monitor 12–16 live webcam feeds on your smartphone, either over $ 99 4.

Wi-Fi or cell networks. The system’s software works on just about any computer or device that has a webcam or other video feed.

getpiper.com

skjm.com/icam

239.

SMARTER LOCK

Getting in and out of your house has never been as easy — or as cool — as it is with the Kwikset Kevo smart lock. The lock communicates with your smartphone via Bluetooth. After installing a free app, it recognizes when you’re close and with a tap on the lock, it opens automatically.

The app not only lets you give friends and family remote access, but it also lets you know when they’re coming and going.

219.00

$

kwikset.com/kevo

APP SECURITY

If you have recently upgraded your iPhone or iPad and aren’t sure what to do with your old device, tech company People Power has a solution for you in its Presence app. Presence takes an iOS device and turns it into a security camera, complete with motion detection capability. It’s as simple as installing the app on your old device and setting it up as a camera, and then installing the app on your current device free for monitoring. presencepro.com

PLUG-N-SEE

If simplicity and elegance are what you’re looking for in home security, then Dropcam may be the answer. While it’s not a comprehensive security system, Dropcam provides useful remote monitoring in an aesthetically pleasing package. Beyond its sleek look, the Dropcam offers features like the ability to zoom your video feed, night vision and even two-way talking so it can also function as a baby monitor. Set-up $ 149.00 is simple, and according to Dropcam, it only takes minutes. dropcam.com

PERSONALIZED PROTECTION

Every home is different, and every home has different security needs. The people behind SimpliSafe know that fact, and their self-installed home security system offers many different sensors that can be customized for a specific home. In addition to traditional motion detection, SimpliSafe offers sensors that alert you to glass breaking, flooding and even frozen pipes, among other hazards. The system also includes an app $ 96 229. that lets you monitor the status of your sensors from anywhere. & up simplisafe.com

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[inside track]

[inside

LOOKS GOOD ON

track]

what’s trending in real estate

paper

Old-school paper mailings still can be an effective marketing tool.

By Steve Bergsman



From mobile-phone app technology to the Internet to various social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest, there has been a revolution in digital marketing for agents representing residential properties.

A couple of touches on your smartphone, iPad or home computer and, voila! — you’re a marketing genius.

Or not.

As it turns out there is a small counterrevolution going on among some highly successful agents who have turned back, or never left, old-school “paper” marketing, from mailed newsletters to the informative postcard. The difference today is that it is all done smarter and more targeted.

After a long, tough recession, Sarah Toppins, CRS, an associate broker for Long & Foster REALTORS® in its Bethesda, Md., office, Source: Direct Marketing Association eliminated most of

% 79 of consumers

will act on direct mail immediately compared to only 45 percent who say they deal with email straightaway.

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her mailed marketing materials, including “just listed” postcards.

Recently, however, she took a listing for a condominium where the seller asked Toppins if she sent out postcards to renters in the building (best prospective buyers) and when Toppins said no, he asked if she would. The reasoning: That’s how the owner originally came to buy the unit. When he was a renter, he got a postcard indicating that a condo in the building was for sale and decided to acquire it. Toppins investigated, found there were 89 renters in the building and target-marketed all of them with postcards.

In another condominium where Toppins had a listing, one of the prospective buyers at an open house said she liked the building, but preferred a corner unit with two exposures. That remark spurred Toppins to send out “sold” postcards to only those who had two exposures. Someone responded and said they might be interested in selling. Toppins arranged for the prospective buyer and seller to meet.

Says Toppins, “I still do social media and emails, but for these condo communities, postcard marketing is more effective.”

Big Island News You Can Use

Two years ago, Gretchen Lambeth, CRS, a REALTOR® and principal broker at Hawaiian Isle Real Estate LLC on the Big Island of Hawaii, won the Creative Advertising Award from her local real estate association. In addition to her digital marketing efforts, Lambeth has mailed a newsletter ever since she started selling homes a decade ago.

“People still like the old-fashioned way of receiving news,” Lambeth observes. “They want to read at their convenience as opposed to being on Facebook, for example, where news gets buried by new items after five minutes.”

Lambeth’s newsletter doesn’t include recipes or anything generic.

She specializes in Kona-area real estate data, which interests her readers. “The newsletter is always about something that will help,” she asserts.

Asked how she knows the newsletter has been effective, Lambeth responds, “People call me all the time and say, ‘I got your newsletter and I’m calling about selling my house.’”

She also produces an electronic version of the newsletter. Lately, she’s offered readers an incentive

to switch to the electronic version.

In addition to the newsletter, Lambeth also does postcards, which she sends in very targeted mailings, usually to the subdivision where a particular home is listed.

“My postcards are different,” Lambeth says. “There are so many cookie-cutter houses and condos out here, there is nothing I can say about a unit that would make it different from the one they own, so I typically write something like, ‘You love your neighborhood, so help us find your new neighbor.

We’ve got this great unit ….’ — it has produced good results.”

is being built and where. We’ll describe a new restaurant that is opening in June or a local business that is closing.”

She adds, “I’ve gone into people’s homes and they have stacks of my newsletters that were saved over the years. I also get calls from people thanking me for the newsletter.

We have a homeowners association in Stonegate that produces its own newsletter. No one even looks at it because it’s full of ads, but my newsletter is read because it has information owners find interesting.

I’m expanding to other neighborhoods that don’t have newsletters.”

Recently, Mistrot decided to add “just listed” and “just sold” postStonegate Cuneiforms cards to her marketing arsenal.

Over in Colorado, Karen Mistrot, These mailings are targeted to CRS, managing broker and owner certain neighborhoods. “I decided of Karen & Company Realty in Parker, has mailed a monthly news- to use the postcard approach because no one else was doing it,” letter for nine years to residents says Mistrot. of a community called Stonegate Perhaps the most unique mailVillage. She’s about to expand the circulation to other neighborhoods. ing has been a 6 x 9-inch postcard letting people know they can “I found out early on that people get a free home-value estimate didn’t want canned information, recipes or the schedule for the by going to a section of Mistrot’s Colorado Rockies,” says Mistrot. corporate website.

“I customize the information to the When individuals go to this neighborhood. For example, I have website and input their physical a section called ‘Scoop’ about what and email addresses, they get an estimate of their home value and an email from Mistrot with a video of her thanking them for signing up and letting them know about How effective is a well-done, informative her services.

“This marketing program is really newsletter delivered via regular mail? going well,” says Mistrot. “I’ve Last year, newsletter author Gretchen received numerous listing appointLambeth was the No. 1 agent by transaction ments from it since the beginning volume in her West Hawaii market. Anyof the year.” where from 50 to 60 percent of her business Although many REALTORS® comes from the newsletter. have dialed back their investment In Colorado, newsletter proponent in paper-based marketing camKaren Mistrot was the No. 1 agent in her paigns, those who have found a hometown of Parker, and for seven straight way to use them wisely are reaping years, she was the No. 1 agent in Stonegate the rewards.

Village. In 2013, she could attribute about 55 percent of her new business to the Steve Bergsman is a freelance writer based in newsletter.

Mesa, Ariz.

GOING POSTAL

the media mix

In 2012, newspapers captured 27.7% of real estate advertising spending ($563 million), edging out online advertising, which came in at 23.9% ($487 million), according to Media Ad View Plus from BIA/Kelsey. Media Ad View Plus estimates that by 2017, online real estate advertising spending will grow to almost 41% while newspaper’s share will decline to less than 7%.

REAL ESTATE AD SPENDING BY MEDIA CABLE TV TELEVISION

8.1

RADIO

5.0

%

3.3 %

DIRECT MAIL

13.2%

%

INTERNET YP

PRINT YP

2.1

OOH

9.0

ERPM

2.4 % 1.0%

%

MAGAZINES

%

3.1 %

2012

MOBILE

1.0 %

NEWSPAPER

ONLINE

27.7 %

23.9% CABLE TV TELEVISION

8.3

RADIO

4.3 %

3.3 %

%

DIRECT MAIL

4.3 % INTERNET YP

2.8 %

PRINT YP

0.4

ERPM

7.9%

%

MAGAZINES

OOH

1.1 %

2017

7.5 %

MOBILE

[Projected]

ONLINE

40.8

%

12.6 %

NEWSPAPER

6.9%

Source: BIA Kelsey

For direct links to the websites of the members interviewed for this article, access the article at trsmag.com.

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May June

connecting THE DOTS

[window of opportunity]

strategies to grow your business

Building a lucrative referral-based business does not happen overnight, but many CRSs say their CRS network paved the path to success.

By Regina Ludes



“Participation is the key to building any kind of network,” says Marilyn Messenger, CRS, with Andrew Mitchell and Company in Concord, Mass. An active member of the Massachusetts CRS chapter, Messenger served on the board of directors for four years and regularly participates in discussion groups on Council and chapter-sponsored pages on Facebook and LinkedIn. “Getting involved is a great way to get to know a lot of people, contribute to the community and increase your visibility,” Messenger says.

According to the NAR® 2013 Member Profile, the typical REALTOR® in 2012 earned 21 percent of his or her business from repeat clients and consumers, and 21 percent from referrals from past clients and consumers.

Many CRSs say the best referrals they have given or received were to or from CRS colleagues. The key to building an effective referral network, they add, is to get yourself

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known, and that means jumping into CRS activities, not standing on the sidelines. Whether by attending CRS classes, getting involved in local chapter events or participating in social media discussions, REALTORS® who regularly engage with other CRSs can create the career visibility they need to attract referrals down the road.

Network Connections

Messenger recently closed a transaction from a referral she received from Peggy Fichera, CRS, with RE/MAX Leading Edge in Arlington, Mass., whom Messenger met through the local CRS chapter. The client couple sold their house in South Boston so they could move to a larger home closer to their families. After looking at homes in several neighboring communities from Wayland to Carlisle, the couple settled on a colonial-style home The CRS Membership Referral Directory with a large provides great kitchen and exposure for CRS unique contemDesignees looking porary features to build a reliable in Lincoln, Mass. referral base.

Messenger says if she has a referral to give, the CRS Referral Membership Directory is her go-to source to find an agent, and the Find A CRS Mobile App (available on iTunes) can help agents search for a referral while on the go. She also suggests that CRS agents include a photo with their CRS Directory Profile and keep it updated.

“People join CRS for the designation and courses, but for me, the network and relationship building

Download the Find a CRS Mobile App from iTunes to locate a CRS from your Apple mobile device. An Android version will be available soon.

is what it’s all about. The sharing of information lets us help each other build our businesses,” Messenger says.

Myrt Bauer, CRS, a 43-year real estate veteran with Sereno Group Real Estate in Los Altos, Calif., says her CRS connections were especially beneficial when she moved her business to the Silicon Valley in 1998 from another part of Northern California. Bauer says while her business was already fairly well-established, she used the referrals and contacts she made over the years to get herself known in a new market.

“By the time I moved to San Jose, I was involved with the chapter and served as chapter president in 2005.

I also traveled to national meetings and Sell-a-bration® as a representative of the chapter, which further expanded my network,” Bauer says.

She recently completed a deal from a referral she received from Judy Rose, CRS, with Prudential California Realty, whom she met through their local CRS chapter.

“She had a few buyers interested in a listing she had in the Silicon Valley, but she did not want to act as a dual agent. She asked if she could pass them along to me,” recalls Bauer. “It turned out that Rose wanted the property for her daughter. We were able to come up with the best bid and she got the house.”

“Rose and I knew and trusted each other. She knew I would deal fairly with her because of all the previous experience we had in the chapter,” Bauer says.

a large CRS Membership Directory ad with a photo can draw the attention of fellow CRS agents. “You can see what the person looks like in the directory ad,” says Lee, who added her photo to her directory listing only in the past year or two. “I avoided it for years, but I definitely see a difference as more agents recognize me,” Lee says.

A prominent directory listing enticed Lee to contact Debbie Brand, CRS, with Coldwell Banker Valley in Corvallis, Ore., when she had a referral for a client who was relocating to Oregon last fall. “I had sold their property in Hawaii, but they were having a difficult time finding a replacement ‘dream home’ on the islands. They started searching the Internet for homes in Oregon where one of their children lives, and they called to ask my advice,” Lee recalls. “I told them that it was important to work with an accredited agent, and CRS is the standard because it requires a high

level of experience and education in the industry.”

Lee says she chose Brand because she was an experienced broker and was one of a few CRS agents located in Corvallis. On the first visit with the client, Brand identified several properties that met their criteria, and the client immediately found their “dream home.” “The property had more than one offer, but ours prevailed thanks to Debbie’s diligence and hard work,” Lee says.

Whether by participating in local chapter activities, attending CRS courses or using the CRS Referral Membership Directory, agents who take advantage of the CRS network can build a lucrative referral-based business anywhere they live.

Regina Ludes is a freelance writer based in Chicago, Ill. To connect with a CRS to pass along a referral, go to the Find a CRS Online Directory at crs.com.

SOCIAL GATHERING

Connect with CRS on social media and interact with colleagues on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Use the social media links on the trsmag.com home page.

Directory Assistance

Dannette Lee, CRS, with Lee Realty in Waimanalo, Hawaii, says having

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[smart solutions]

streamlining your business through technology

GOIN’

mobile

With 99 percent of new home shoppers using mobile websites in their search, REALTORS® must make their sites mobile-friendly to stay competitive.

By James Cappio



Top five activities of new home shoppers on mobile devices

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g t in y l is t or h a v en a r c in Se y’s es p an t ur c om fea ar e mp Co ce s pr i ar e mp Co to s on m e c t i ho ir e a t d isi t G e v r al e n gen a t io ad m Re in f o r me

May June

BY THE NUMBER S

ho

Source: The Digital House Hunt: Consumer and Market Trends in Real Estate, A Joint Study from The National Association of REALTORS® and Google

Going mobile is no longer optional for REALTORS®.

Consider the following: ÄThe Ä National Association of REALTORS® and Google’s 2013 Digital House Hunt study found that 99 percent of new home shoppers used a mobile website at some point in their research. ÄAccording Ä to the same survey, 87 percent used a mobile app. ÄThe Ä survey also disclosed that 21 percent of home shoppers used a mobile device to find a listing agent and 46 percent used one to make contact with an agent. ÄÄA study by Realtor.com found that in the second quarter of 2013, more than half of all page views of listings

55 % 48 % 44% 35 % 35 % The Residential Specialist trsmag.com

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nationwide were made on mobile devices — 58 percent in the most expensive market in the country, Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York.

People shopping for homes today are tech-savvy, especially in affluent markets. As Sarah Reed, a Seattle-area CRS, puts it: “I’m right between Google and Microsoft, and Amazon is on the other side of the lake. I have to stay cutting-edge for my clients.”

In a city like Portland, Ore., where the two biggest employers are Intel and Nike, “people travel and work overseas,” says Rob Levy, CRS, and they are on the go even when they search for a home. As Ken Jansen, a CRS in Kansas City, Kan., explains, they probably got to the REALTOR®’s website by Googling the address of the house they like on their phone, while sitting in their car.

Janine Warner, author and founder of digitalfamily.com, a Web design and training company, puts it succinctly: “Everybody who has a website needs to make it mobile-friendly.” Here is what REALTORS® should keep in mind as they optimize their websites for mobile devices.

If You Shrink It, Will They Come?

Warner explains two strategies to shrink down a site to be effective on a mobile device (a third, “adaptive design,” is suitable only for very large companies): ÄÄCreate a separate mobile version of the site, as Levy has done. This allows him to offer special features. Tapping “Search” on his mobile site brings up an interactive map of the properties he currently lists.

Tap on a property’s icon and a pop-up appears that leads to pictures, descriptions and other information about the house.

But Warner cautions against making the mobile site too stripped down; at the very least, she advises, include a link to the main site. ÄÄResponsive design involves creating a single version of the website to display across all platforms by adapting to the different display sizes. One drawback is that the design can’t be completely changed for the smaller platforms. But Warner insists this is really an advantage.

“Responsive design isn’t just a technical matter; it’s a content

strategy. You need to begin thinking about content in bite-size pieces that are easy to rearrange.”

That means breaking text up with pictures and bulleted lists and using flexible pages with minimum and maximum widths, among other things.

Jansen agrees that content rules.

“Write for the consumer, not for other agents. Avoid jargon, abbreviations and the like. Try to identify what the consumer is looking for — and make sure the page meets that need.”

To App or Not to App

Do REALTORS® need apps they can distribute to their customers to be truly mobile-friendly? Rob Levy is skeptical. “Who wants to download [another] app these days?” he asks.

“Besides, the listings available on an

app come from all the agents who have paid to advertise on it. You don’t stand out.” Instead, Levy funnels everything through the mobile version of his website. This allows him to push an integrated branding drive; he also includes a QR code on his flyers that links to the website.

Janine Warner cautions: “Apps are great, but not everybody needs one. The priority for any mobile strategy should be to make the website mobile-friendly.”

On the other hand, Sarah Reed swears by an app called Agent Tapp, customized with her branding, logo, contact information, listings and virtual business card.

It has brought in new business. A program manager who wanted to refer a client to Reed had the client download the app. A little over a

month later, Reed was assisting with the closing.

Take the Plunge

Reed, Levy and Jansen are only three of the many agents who are winning more clients and closing more deals by optimizing their online presence for mobile devices.

As more potential clients spend more of their time on such devices, REALTORS® must follow suit.

Agents who are not comfortable with the technology should not let that hold them back. Plenty of help is available. Even Jansen, a self-described geek who does his own Web design and analytics, counsels, “If you don’t find it fun, hire somebody who does.”

James Cappio is a freelance writer based in Toronto.

GADGET INSPECTOR

THE MINI 5 HOVER CAM SCANS DOCUMENTS ON THE GO

For information, visit thehovercam.com.

The list price is $249.

The Mini 5 Hover Cam is a portable USB document camera for scanning documents with any laptop or USB-enabled device. When not in use, it folds up to fit into a purse or pocket; when plugged into a USB port, the camera folds out, giving it an overhead view of your desk. From there, you scan documents with the Mini 5’s 5-megapixel camera. You can scan up to 30 documents a minute.

It also includes convenient features like memo and contact software that integrates with the scanner and a snapshot button for instant scans.

BLUEQUB APP DOES IT ALL The blueQub app, available through iTunes, gives REALTORS® access to lead and contact management, IDX searches, real estate mapping, file sharing and a transaction dashboard. When visiting a property, agents can create house-specific notes. The app connects REALTORS® with their clients for sharing transaction documents, and the app automatically connects with sites like Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com.

SEAGATE BACKUP PLUS FAST STORES A LOT OF DATA QUICKLY

The Seagate Backup Plus Fast external hard drive is exactly that: a way to backup your data rapidly. It offers a huge 4TB of storage and takes advantage of USB 3.0 technology to transfer data quickly from your computer or device to the drive.

For information, visit seagate.com. The list price is $269.99.

For information, visit bluequb.com. The service costs $29/month for one user; group pricing is available.

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RE/MAX Professionals, Castle Pines, Colo.

JOAN M. PRATT, CRS

[peer to peer]

profiles of people to watch

What does “thinking creatively” mean?

You specialize in You have to profile the perfect selling luxury homes. buyer for each listing and How is this niche appeal to that buyer’s interdifferent from other ests through your marketing home markets? materials. I have a listing with Luxury homes and estates a detached 15-car garage. take more effort and thought Whoever buys this home will to sell. These aren’t blue-light see the value in that garage specials, and you cannot cut that cost $250,000 to build, corners with your time or so we placed an ad in a marketing materials. It’s also Porsche magazine. more challenging to win a Creativity is also important luxury listing because these for my indoor brochure. I’m people have bought and sold right there beside the photoghomes before; they know how rapher for every new listing’s it goes. So you really have to photo shoot, and together prove yourself to get those we create a story about What else do you do luxury listings. You also have that home — without any to win listings? to think more creatively. To numbers, like taxes or price.

I started the J. Pratt Group with better serve this niche and Once I hand the indoor piece a concierge attitude in that the complement my work with to a prospective buyer, they focus is not only to sell a home, RE/MAX, I created the J. Pratt already know that information. but to also elevate the selling Group, LLC in 2012, which We creatively elevate the process. If anything in the home today has five employees plus outdoor presentation, too. The needs to be repaired or updated, myself, all solely focused front yard signage is more like I provide a short list of tried and on luxury homebuyers and a plaque, gently lit at night by proven contractors. If necessary, sellers. solar lighting. we even find a safe place for the family pet so we can have a showing. It’s always about “ Luxury homes and estates making sure the seller has take more effort and as little as possible to worry thought to sell. These aren t about. And I tell every seller that this concierge service blue-light specials, and you isn’t an “extra.” It’s the way I do business and what they can cannot cut corners with expect from me, which is largely your time or marketing why 75 percent of my business materials.” is either repeat or referral.

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How did you get started selling luxury homes?

I started with a geographic farm, and then I attended social events in the neighborhood so I could become a friendly, known face. I wanted to get in front of potential sellers, shake their hands, make eye contact and be remembered as someone they feel comfortable around.

I’m sure you have heard you have to “list to last.” Get the listing and the buyers will come!

Remember, sellers are paying you to market, so everything you create should be picture perfect — including your business card. Do something different! My calendars aren’t fridge magnets. They’re 5.5 x 8-inch spiral-bound desk calendars. There’s a photo of me with my family on the front cover and inside scenic photos from family trips around the world. It makes me a real person. I’ve won

buyers because they related to one of my pictures and they call me to say they’ve vacationed in the same spot or grew up in that city. After sharing our stories, a relationship evolves and pretty soon, we’re working together.

On the listing side, I recently won a luxury home because the wife saw my twins in the calendar’s family photo. She has triplets. We share the multiple-birth experience, so she related to me — and she called me immediately.

Has your CRS training helped accomplish any of your winning ways?

Absolutely. I can’t say enough about CRS training! The training is real-world, practical information. It’s germane to what’s going on today, and the instructors are doing and using all the information they’re teaching, which means I can apply the training the very next day.

Joan has been a REALTOR® since 2007 and achieved her CRS designation in 2010.

You can reach her at 720.506.3001 (O), 303.704.8224 (M) or Joan@JoanPratt. com. Visit her website at JoanPratt.com.

Photo: McCory James

What are these indoor pieces like?

An indoor brochure for luxury homes is like a storybook, with beautiful photographs and a lot of romance. These pieces can cost as much as $15 each, but the money’s well spent since they serve three purposes. For potential buyers, it’s something they take with them so they feel the home’s emotional aura after the appointment ends. For the seller, it’s a memory piece. For me, these are showpieces that I present to win listings. When I spread these storybooks on a table to represent the luxury homes I’ve sold, it’s impressive. It’s a preponderance of evidence that proves how well I understand this market; I’ve done this before and I’m good at my job.

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R

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dwelling

points

[feature]

family REUNION More and more families, from grandma to junior, are choosing to live together. What’s driving this trend and how can you best serve this growing market?



For Manuel Vargas, CRS, space can get a little tight in his office during client meetings. That’s because Vargas, a broker associate with Keller Williams Realty Landmark in Queens, N.Y., specializes in working with families in which multiple generations are looking to live together under one roof.

Vargas recently helped three generations of one family, 15 people in all, who pooled their savings and paid $950,000 for a house in which the parents, their three married sons and their son’s children could all live together. The home was specially designed for such families and was divided into four separate units, each ranging in size from 700 to 1,100 square feet.

The family bought the home using a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan. They pooled their resources equally in order to come up with a 5 percent down payment, or $47,500, and the balance was covered by the loan. Vargas says, in general, up to five people can co-sign on an FHA loan, which makes it possible to secure a loan even though each individual alone may not earn enough to qualify for a loan.

“This is a huge trend right now,” says Vargas.

Indeed, the number of multigenerational families living together is on the rise in New York

and across the country — up over 30 percent to 5.1 million households between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S Census Bureau.

A 2010 Pew Research Center study found a record 49 million Americans, or 16.1 percent of the total U.S. population, living in households that contained at least two adult generations or a grandparent and at least one other generation.

BY THE NUMBER S U.S. Population Living in Multigenerational Family Households, 1940–2008, in Millions

When Money’s Tight, Families Unite

The trend is being driven by economics and immigration, say experts. In tough economic times, many families find it makes sense to pool resources and live together, says Generations United, a public policy group focused on intergenerational issues. A 2011 survey it conducted found that for 66 percent of people living in multigenerational households, economic conditions were the primary motivation for coming together.

The down economy is also forcing many young people, especially recent college graduates, to move back home with their parents if they fail to find well-paying jobs, or any jobs at all. At the same time, many of these homeowners’ elderly parents are looking to move in with them in order to have the care and support of family members, as well as to avoid the high cost of assisted living.

In addition, increased immigration over the last 40 years, primarily among Latinos and

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1940

32

1950

32 1960

27

1970

1980

26

28

1990

35 2000

42

2008

49

crs.com

Source: Pew Research Center analysis of the U.S. Decennial census data, 1940-2000, and 2006, 2007 and 2008 American Community surveys, based on Integrated Public Use Microdata Series samples

By Daniel Rome Levine

19 May June

[feature]

dwelling points

“ THE IDEA REALLY IS TO GET MORE PEOPLE INTO A HOME WITHOUT HAVING THEM ALL BE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.”

Asians, has contributed to the trend, according to the Pew Center. “Like their European counterparts from earlier centuries, these modern immigrants are far more inclined than nativeborn Americans to live in multigenerational family households,” says the Pew study.

One House, Many Needs

Whatever the circumstances motivating families to come together in one household, REALTORS® can play a key role in helping them realize their dream. No doubt, challenges abound. From simply finding housing that fits the unique requirements of such families, to trying to accommodate different family members’ divergent needs, it takes a special set of skills to work with this — Stephen Melman, National Association of group of clients. “The idea really is to get more Home Builders people into a home without having them all be on top of each other,” says Stephen Melman of the National Association of Home Builders.

One key to ensuring a successful outcome, says Vargas, is understanding upfront the family dynamic and how interactive they want their lives to be. “You have to understand a family’s priorities and how they plan to live together from the get-go,” says Vargas. “Kitchens are often the most difficult space, especially for two women who are homemakers. Even though they are in the same family, they may not be willing to share a kitchen.”

The best way to uncover these answers, says Vargas, is to try to meet in a group with as many of the family members as possible. This allows you to get everybody’s input at the start of the process and limits the likelihood of surprise relatives coming in at the last minute making new, unexpected demands. These group meetings also help Vargas determine who the key decision-makers are in the family, something that is not always obvious.

BY THE NUMBER S “You really have to make an effort to acknowledge and include everyone in these meetings,” he says.

WHERE ARE “Sometimes teenagers can make a big deal in the MULTIGENERATIONAL decision-making process even though they are FAMILIES LIVING? not putting in any money.”

Percentage of multigenerational households by region:

WEST

6.7 May June

20

SOUTH

6.0

%

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%

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Finding a house that fits a family’s unique requirements is easier for Vargas than for many REALTORS® around the country. Because of the large concentration of Hispanic and Asian immigrants in the borough of Queens, builders have designed homes in the area specifically tailored to multigenerational families.

Real-Life Advice

In Longmont, Colo., outside Boulder, Diane Stow, CRS, with RE/MAX Traditions, wishes builders were doing the same in her community. “There is a growing need for this type of housing and it just isn’t there,” she says. “It is a huge void.”

Because of the shortage of homes in her area that work for such families, Stow typically helps these clients find homes that can be remodeled to fit their needs. She accompanies her clients to meetings with builders and architects and provides advice on design and other key modifications. In many cases, design changes, such as adding a second kitchen, require a zoning variance, and Stow guides her clients through that process as well.

Stow is uniquely qualified to advise multi­ generational homebuyers because she was once one herself. In the late 1990s, she and her husband designed and built a 5,000-squarefoot house to share with her elderly parents, and made sure there was also room to accommodate extended return visits from her four grown children.

On the home’s ground level, her parents had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen and their own entrance to the house.

Spread across two levels above them, Stow and her husband had three bedrooms, a study, three baths, a living room, family room, rec room, dining room and an eat-in kitchen, as well as their own front entrance.

“Having experienced designing and living in such a home, I learned what will work and what doesn’t,” says Stow. “Most important, everyone needs their own private space, for the

NORTHEAST

5.5 %

MIDWEST

4.2%

dwelling points

under one roof As the number of multigenerational households increases, some homebuilders are responding. PulteGroup Inc., one of the nation’s largest builders, expects the trend to increase sharply in coming years. “It’s important that homebuilders understand how to best meet the demand of multigenerational households,” says Scott Thomas, Pulte’s national director of product development.

Features that Pulte and other homebuilders are incorporating into their new homes for multigenerational families are shown here.

[feature]

1 1

3

Separate master bedroom suites

3 4

2

5

2

4

5

6

Additional bathrooms

7 Larger great rooms

7

8

8 6

10

9

11

9

Separate entrances to home/mudrooms

10 11 Separate laundry rooms Sources: PulteGroup Inc., Stephen Melman, National Association of Home Builders.

dignity of the elderly parents and the sanity of into a family room. She pointed out the importhe younger members.” tance of wide doorways to accommodate walkers Dyan Nelson Blass, CRS, with Keller Williams and wheelchairs. Nelson Blass also suggested they Real Estate, agrees. For the last eight years, she create what she calls a “minimalist” kitchen for and her husband have shared a house in Philathe mother with a small cook top, mini fridge and delphia with his 93-year-old father and, for much microwave, similar to what she has in her own of that time, with one of their grown daughters basement space for her father-in-law. “Two kitchas well. She agrees with Stow that clients benefit ens are absolutely imperative,” says Nelson Blass. most when you have lived through it yourself.

“There are no two ways about it.”

Last summer, she helped a couple, their two Seeing how happy all three generations of the teenage children and the wife’s elderly mother find family were with their new home was incredibly a 2,700-square-foot home to share. Nelson Blass’s gratifying, says Nelson Blass. “I get great joy advice was key to making the situation work. from helping families be able to come together.

For instance, because the family room had a full It is a powerfully good feeling.” bathroom next to it and was on the first floor, she counseled them to turn that into the mother’s bed- Daniel Rome Levine is a writer based in Wilmette, Ill., and is a room, and then convert the traditional living room frequent contributor to The Residential Specialist.

696,401

TEXAS

432,509

NEW YORK

302,534 FLORIDA

268,641

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau

States with the highest number of multigenerational households:

CALIFORNIA

The CRS course “Bridging the Generation Gap” teaches you how to market to different generations.

Learn more at www.crs.com/ education/ courses/ bridginggenerationgap.

21 May June

THE

KID Several past 30 Under 30 honorees reflect on the growth of their careers and the role that CRS education has played in their success.

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generation

next

[feature]

By Regina Ludes



According to the 2013 National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile, the average age of a REALTOR® is 57, while only 2 percent of REALTORS® are under the age of 30, and 4 percent are between the ages of 30 and 34.

While the next generation of REALTORS® isn’t entering the business in droves, those who have are proving that with knowledge, determination and hard work, they can achieve success, even in the toughest markets. These bright, enthusiastic professionals are passionate about their work, and their energy and fresh ideas have

made a difference in their local markets.

Since 2000, REALTOR® Magazine has published its 30 Under 30 List, which features the top rising stars in the real estate industry. To determine who makes the annual 30 Under 30 List, REALTOR® Magazine looks for candidates who are successful in the business and have

are all

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[feature]

generation next

demonstrated skill, professionalism, creativity and leadership in their careers.

The Residential Specialist caught up with several past honorees who are CRS Designees to find out what the 30 Under 30 recognition has meant to them, where they are in their careers and how CRS education has helped their careers progress. They also discuss some of the challenges they faced when they first entered the industry, and share their tips for success.

Smart Moves, Better Results

In the three years since DelRae Zimmerman, CRS,

was named to REALTOR® Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List in 2011, much has changed both personally and professionally. Zimmerman is now a president and managing broker at her company, Brokers 12 Inc., in Minot, N.D. She is now married and expecting her second child later this year. Since taking on a business partner, Zimmerman leverages her time better, which has improved results. “With my partner’s help, I cut back on hours and have more family time, yet our production has increased from $30.1 million in 2011 to $38 million in 2013,” Zimmerman says.

EARLY success

She attributes her success to keeping up with her CRS education, particularly the annual education conference Sell-a-bration®, which she has attended three times. “I’ve been to other conferences, but Sella-bration® is the best education an agent can take. The speakers aren’t paid professionals, but actual practitioners who are willing to share their tips and secrets for success.”

Zimmerman says she still cannot believe that she was nominated for the 30 Under 30 List. “There are so many great REALTORS® across the country. That NAR would recognize that I am one of the top 30 in the country still blows my mind,” Zimmerman says.

A Different Mindset

When Sasha Farmer, CRS, was named to the 30 Under 30 List in 2012, she was a one-person shop in Charlottesville, Va., with a part-time assistant.

Two years later, Farmer is a vice president of her company, Montague Miller & Company, and her team has expanded to five people, including two assistants and two buyers’ agents.

Farmer spent her first two years in real estate focusing on education, earning the CRS Designation, and getting her systems in place for her business. She

attended CRS classes in other cities so she could develop referral relationships with agents there, and she continually looks for referral and business-building opportunities wherever she goes.

She says the Building an Exceptional Customer Service Referral Business course (CRS 210) was an eye-opener for her. “It helped me understand the importance of providing first-class customer service.

The instructor helped me realize that the product we are “selling” is not houses, but our expertise, reputation and service. It was an “aha” moment, and it changed how I set up our systems and how our staff responds to our clients,” Farmer says.

Recently, she has become more involved with the CRS community, speaking at Council events, such as Sell-a-bration®. “If I had not joined CRS, it’s kind of scary to think how different my business could have been.”

CRS Education Is Key

John Morley, CRS, with John

Morley Real Estate Group in Huntsville, Ala., says being named to the 30 Under 30 List in 2009 was an important and timely development. “A week or two before I learned about the honor, I found out that the brokerage I was working for was closing and

Age

20 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 22 • • • • • • • • • • •• •• •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Seeing the 30 Under 30 honorees may have you wondering about young professionals who have been successful in other fields. There have always been young people pushing innovation and achieving commercial success. Here are some major milestones achieved by individuals who had yet to celebrate their 30th birthday.

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In 1818, at age 20, Mary Shelley saw the publication of her novel Frankenstein; she was only 18 when she began writing it.

In 1927, Philo Farnsworth debuted the first operational television at the age of 21.

In 1972, Mark Spitz won seven gold medals in swimming when he was 22, a record that was surpassed 36 years later by another young swimmer, Michael Phelps, at 23 years old.

generation next

I had four weeks to figure out what to do next. I had been considering starting my own business, but the honor gave me an extra confidence boost to get started,” Morley says.

Since starting his business, Morley’s team has grown to 11 people, and he recently moved into new office space. His agency completed 138 transactions in 2013 and is on pace to surpass that mark in 2014.

Morley says CRS has been instrumental in his success. “CRS has put me in touch with some amazing mentors and agents. Sell-a-bration® has been the most useful for networking, and I learned from other agents about what works for them and what doesn’t.”

He advises young agents to keep up with their education and to stay active within their network of fellow professionals. “Education does not happen one time. Things happen so quickly, so you have to be constantly re-educated and networking with other agents to stay on top of changes in this industry,” Morley says.

The Challenge to Prove Yourself

Luke Bouman, CRS, was only 22 when he entered the real estate business, and he is proud to be named to the 30 Under 30 List in 2013. “People

[feature]

notice what I’m doing, that she was encouraged by several I’m successful, that I’m REALTORS® in her area to pursue doing things the right way,” the CRS Designation. “CRS educasays Bouman, who is with tion courses taught me to run my @HomeRealty Lakeshore business like a business,” Becker says. “CRS helped me to think in Holland, Mich. about business planning issues that “The recognition has helped most agents don’t think about, such me connect with other agents to as setting up a database, keeping exchange ideas about best practrack of expenses and following up tices and obtain referrals. With with clients.” clients, it’s been a conversation Today, Becker focuses on growstarter and it has helped me differentiate myself in my marketing,” ing her company by hiring highly qualified agents and helping them Bouman says. improve their service to clients.

The biggest challenge he faced She adds that an optimistic outlook in his young career was convincand the ability to look at issues ing clients that he could get the from the other person’s perspective job done. “It’s difficult to break have helped her achieve success. into the industry at a young age.

“There are a lot of changes and [When I first started], I had to obstacles in this industry, and if prove myself by providing excepyou can’t deal with that, this is not tional service and coming up with the industry for you. If you bring the best marketing solutions to optimism to the table, you can help clients sell their home. After overcome many of these issues,” getting a few testimonials and Becker says. referrals and staying in touch with While the 30 Under 30 nompeople, business has gotten easier,” ination has opened doors, past he says. honorees recognize that continuing A Positive Perspective their CRS education and nurturing Mandy Becker, CRS, brotheir professional network are keys ker-owner with RE/MAX to future success.

Southern Shores in Myrtle Beach, S.C., says it was Regina Ludes is a freelance writer based a special honor to be in Chicago. chosen as one of the top CRS education helped these young 30 in the country when she REALTORS® launch successful careers.

Visit crs.com/education for information was selected in 2012. Shortly after about upcoming courses and events. entering the real estate business,

• • • • • • • • • 25 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 27 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 28 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 29 At age 25, Charles A. Lindbergh became the first person in history to be in New York one day and Paris the next day as a result of his 1927 prize-winning, non-stop solo flight in a single-seat, single-engine monoplane called the Spirit of St. Louis.

Albert Einstein wrote a paper proposing his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905 when he was a 26-year-old employee working six days a week at a Swiss Patent office. While balancing work and family life, Einstein found time to work on his scientific theories.

Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor known for his pioneering work on longdistance radio transmission, was 28 years old when a transmission sent on Dec. 17, 1902, from the Marconi station in Nova Scotia became the world’s first radio message to cross the Atlantic from North America.

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In 1876, at the age of 29, Alexander Graham Bell spoke the first ever words on his invention, the telephone: “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”

The Council of Residential Specialists

crs.com

25 May June

“ When you meet people and make the face-to-face connection, it s worth more than the six or seven times you send them a marketing flyer.”

—Cheree Griffith, CRS, ABR

opendoor policy May June

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trade

winds

[feature]

It’s a black-and-white issue to many REALTORS®, but opinions about the value of open houses are divided.

By Mary Ellen Collins



open houses are dead or viable. Opinions remain split, with CRSs able to make a case for why they do — or don’t — take this traditional path to matching buyers with the homes of their dreams.

“Open houses are a pain in the butt, but we do them because they work,” says Dan Griffith, CRS, with Realty World All Stars in Rancho Cucamonga, Personal Connection Calif. He and his wife, Cheree Griffith, Open-house proponents believe that the “ I d rather CRS, ABR, employ a labor-intensive benefits of face-to-face interaction are show five process that includes placing up to worth the time and effort, says Melissa 30 signs within a two-mile radius of Lundgren, CRS, ABR, with Village Real houses to the house, distributing flyers in the Estate Services in Nashville, Tenn. She someone neighborhood, holding a neighbors’ reports that about 22 percent of her who s prepreview open house an hour prior business is generated by selling homes to the official open house and perfeatured at open houses and picking approved sonally baking cookies throughout up clients or referrals from her open and ready the event. They attribute about house efforts.

17 percent of their income to this “I look at an open house as a ‘friend to write traditional home-selling strategy. with benefits,’” says Lundgren. “You can an offer In contrast, Guy Gimenez, actually sell the home. You can meet than stand CRS, GRI, broker/owner of the unrepresented buyers who might become Powerhouse Real Estate Group new clients. And it’s an ‘audition’ to get around at an in Austin, Texas, stopped doing another listing in the neighborhood open house.” open houses more than a decade since lots of neighbors come.” ago. “When I started She enjoys the marketing —Jody Zink, CRS my real estate career, I preparation, from distribheld open houses because uting signs and balloons to I was told by seasoned agents setting the stage with lighting, that this was the way to succeed,” baked goods, music and water says Gimenez. “Once I understood bottles labeled with a photo of the the value of both money and time, I house. She also previews nearby homes recognized I needed to get a return on the for sale so she can speak knowledgeably investment of each. The data clearly shows that about what makes her house special and why in the geographic region in which I work, open it’s priced correctly. houses have a greater than 95 percent probability of “I think it’s fun, but it’s not for every agent not succeeding.” because it takes extra work,” says Lundgren. “You Most sellers expect their agent to do an open house, can’t just stick a sign in the ground, go in with a stack but in 2012, 65 percent of REALTORS® reported that of business cards and listing sheets, cross your open houses generated no business, according to fingers — and expect great, lasting results.” the NAR 2013 Member Profile. The advent of Cheree Griffith echoes that sentiment. real estate websites that enable clients to “Open houses are more tiring than anyexplore housing options on their own thing else we do. When people has ratcheted up the conversee Dan putting up signs at sation about whether 6:30 a.m. and picking

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The Council of Residential Specialists

crs.com

27 May June

[feature]

trade winds

BY THE NUMBER S

HOW MUCH OF YOUR BUSINESS IS GENERATED THROUGH OPEN HOUSES? (2012)

UP TO 25% LESS THAN 10%

24

7

2

%

%

MORE THAN 50%

1%

%

NONE

65

%

UP TO 25% LESS THAN 10%

28

8%

UP TO 50%

2%

1%

%

NONE

60 %

ALL RESIDENTIAL SPECIALISTS

ALL REALTORS® them up at 5:30 p.m., they say, “ [Open houses are] not ‘You guys are hard workers!’ for every agent because Eleven percent of our busiit takes extra work. You ness that comes from open houses comes from neighbor can t just stick a sign referrals — that’s why we give special attention to the in the ground, go in neighbors. When with a stack of business people meet you, it’s worth cards and listing more than the six or seven times you send them a marsheets, cross your keting flyer.” fingers — and expect Updating Tradition great, lasting results.”

For Jerry Cibulski, CRS, ABR, with Century 21 Albertson Realty in Southold, N.Y., open houses generate about 20 percent of his business, most of which comes from buyers who are looking for a second home. He recently revamped his strategy by setting up a computer connected to a monitor in the house prior to the

—Melissa Lundgren, CRS, ABR

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MORE THAN 50%

Source: National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile 2013

UP TO 50%

event. Century 21 videos run in the background as guests walk through, but the technology is particularly helpful when buyers mention that the house doesn’t work for them.

“They might say ‘I like this house, but I’m looking for a different layout,’” says Cibulski. “Then I’m able to say, ‘Let me show you the other listings we have.’ Instead of asking people to crowd around a computer, they can stand back and see the details of other listings on the flat screen.

“It used to be that you went to the house, and the agent gave you a listing sheet and tried to get your name and address on a sign-in sheet. We tried to maximize the value of the experience for people. Instead of walking out with my business card, they can hear about other properties that are available and leave with a plan to reconvene at another time to see some other houses.”

Internet Impact

Contrary to the idea that open house attendance has suffered because more people are looking

trade winds

Offer Incentives

Extra perks sometimes draw people in, and Gimenez has found that advertising his real estate investment and redevelopment company is a helpful marketing tool.

“My sellers often request that I also put up a yard sign for my investment company that tells prospective buyers I will buy their home if they purchase my listing,” says Gimenez. “Use of the secondary sign is simply a marketing strategy that is designed to generate phone calls from prospective purchasers who seek more information about my purchase program.”

He has sold and purchased homes using this strategy. And like Zink, Gimenez also relies on Internet marketing with top-quality photographs. “Using Trulia and numerous other online sites yields more solid buyer leads for a specific property than an open house ever has, and with a much lower investment of time and money,” says Gimenez.

Incentives can also be effective in drumming up attendance for agent/broker open houses. Some CRSs don’t do those events unless they have a particularly interesting high-end home or recently completed new construction, but Cibulski does them regularly, using a strategy he started during the difficult market.

“When gas prices were up and the market was down, people tended to stay in their offices and we lost that valuable networking opportunity,” says Cibulski. “We had to incentivize. We try to feature one town and show all the listings we have there; and we do a drawing for a gift basket or gift certificates. You have to keep it exciting for the agents, not just the buyers and sellers.”

As with any real estate strategy, agents will continue to assess the approaches that work most effectively for them, their clients and their markets. And the openhouse debate will continue with no consensus in sight.

BY THE NUMBER S In 2012, open houses generated a higher percentage of business for REALTORS® with less experience compared to those with the most experience. But overall, experience does not play a consistent role in whether the member had business from an open house.

EXPERIENCE 2 years or less

16 years or more

None

63 %

67 %

Less than 10%

20

25

Up to 25%

7

5

Up to 50%

6

2

More than 50%

3

1

Mary Ellen Collins is a writer based in St. Petersburg, Fla.

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The Council of Residential Specialists

Source: National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile 2013

online, Cibulski has experienced just the opposite. “I see more people coming after seeing a house on the Internet. If they can’t come to the open house, they’ll call and make an appointment. We have an increase in showings during the week of the open house.”

Jody Zink, CRS, with RE/MAX Preferred Associates, is among those agents who give open houses a thumbs down. “I try not to do them unless a client insists,” she says. “Early in my career I did an open house every Sunday for more than six months, and it did not result in a sale.”

Instead, she focuses on Internet marketing and uses a stager and a professional photographer, which sets her apart from most agents in her area. The majority of her business comes from people who’ve looked online, and she closed 80 transaction sides in 2013.

“The first showing is online, and photos sell homes. My job is to best position your house and make it look the best it can look,” says Zink. “I’d rather spend money on photography, staging and marketing online; and I’d rather show five houses to someone who’s pre-approved and ready to write an offer than stand around at an open house.” She also mentions the safety issue, referencing a person in her area who became known for attending open houses and stealing prescription drugs: “Do sellers really want people coming into their home who haven’t been vetted by a REALTOR®?”

Apart from the security concerns, some sellers are reluctant to do open houses because they view them as an unnecessary hassle that probably won’t result in a sale.

Others believe an open house is merely an opportunity for their listing agent to market themselves to other prospective clients.

Although agents acknowledge that open houses can result in additional business, they agree that their seller is always their priority. “Our intent is to sell that house,” says Dan Griffith.

“We’re there only to represent our client.”

[feature]

Share your thoughts about the effectiveness of open houses on the CRS Member Blog: crs.com/ community/ member-blogs.

crs.com

29 May June

ROOM

A local look at how 2013 went for four CRSs.

U.S. HOUSING DATA FOR 2013

By Gayle Bennett

Sources: National Association of REALTORS®, RealtyTrac and U.S. Department of Commerce.

Ø Number of Sales 2013

% Change from 2012

5.09 M

+9.1 %

Median Existing-Home Price $

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30

2013

% Change from 2012

197,100

+11.5 %

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The data don’t lie. Last year, many potential buyers and sellers who had been sitting on the fence jumped into the market. Sales, median price and new-home construction were all up, while distressed properties were moving through the pipeline and foreclosures were falling off.

This isn’t to say all was perfect. By the end of the year, interest rates were inching up and sales were slowing, a serious lack of inventory plagued many markets and new construction was slow to return in some areas.

But that’s the macro report. For a more micro look at last year, The Residential Specialist talked to four CRSs in different parts of the country. Some markets did better than others, but the prevailing sentiment was, “In 2013, I could breathe again.”

regional

report

[feature]

TO

Building Permits 2013

% Change from 2012

974,700

+17.5 %

REO Sales 2013

% Change from 2012

9.3 [all sales]

+0.2%

%

Housing Starts Short Sales 2013

% Change from 2012

5.8 [all sales]

+0.9%

%

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2013

% Change from 2012

923,400

+18.3 %

The Council of Residential Specialists

crs.com

31 May June

[feature]

regional report

S ELdeE SrthA, CRNS,G LO Realty in o Ro th wi ndy Fu

We y good year. That must Encino, Calif., had a ver of agents in the Los have been true for a lot 2013 median sales Angeles area because the ,580 — a 23.9 percent price increased to $405 increase from 2012. of sales decreased Meanwhile, the number in 2013, but that wasn’t by 4.2 percent to 43,082 ugh there were more such bad news. “Even tho lower sales and many sales in 2012, they were says. Distressed sales were distressed,” Furth total sales in 2012 and made up 35 percent of only 18 percent in 2013. that Los Angeles The real bad news was t a 30-day housing supended the year with jus into 2014, Furth says. ply, and that’s continuing rt to investors scooping She attributes this in pa ordable inventor y over up much of the more aff the last few years. surmises, is that many Another reason, Furth upside-down on their potential sellers are still es, homeowners who mortgages. “In many cas come satisfied to stay were underwater have be hopes that the market where they are with the ich it is,” she says. will continue to rise, wh t helped the supply New construction hasn’ s hough in 2013, there wa crunch much so far, alt ild bu for s : Application finally some good news percent, from 10,706 51 sed ing permits increa 3. in 2012 to 16,175 in 201 doesn’t think inventor y rth Fu Unfortunately, vestors are buying and will increase in 2014. “In tting their normal people aren’t pu t.” rke houses on the ma

NORTHERN COLORADO

Dave Pettigrew, CRS, with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Rocky Mountain REALTORS®, works in Northern Colorado. The triangle made up of Fort Collins, Greely and Loveland offers a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas.

This area didn’t see a bust nearly as bad as many other parts of the country, says Pettigrew. “We bottomed out in 2009, and we had a little recovery through 2010 and 2011. But in 2012 and 2013 it shot up pretty good.” Record-breaking good, in fact.

Closed sales for 2013 hit 10,923, a 17.4 percent increase over 2012 and just north of the previous record of 10,845 set in 2004. The average sales price of $254,509 was a 7.1 percent increase over 2012 and also the highest ever.

Why the banner year? “It was a whole lot of pent-up demand,” says Pettigrew. Like elsewhere, the recession led to unemployment, decreased consumer confidence and more difficulty getting loans.

In 2012, all of those things started to turn around, and Closed Sales [Northern Colorado] by 2013 more people than 2013 % Change from 2012 ever were ready to buy in Northern Colorado.

10,923 +17.4 % The problem in 2013 was supply. “For most of the year, buyers faced a two-month supply, well short of the six months that is considered a balanced market,” Pettigrew says. And new construction isn’t keeping pace. In 2013, 1,721 newly built homes sold in the area, which represented 15.8 percent of total sales. From 2001 to 2006, new construction annually accounted for 25 to 30 percent of all sales, says Pettigrew.

Pettigrew stresses that prices in Northern Colorado have always been pretty stable, even in 2009, when markets in many parts of the country were still heading down. “A lot of places got hammered and people lost all their equity and foreclosures were a big problem.

Around here we had a more orderly, stable market.” He hopes that price increases stay in the single digits to avoid a bubble.

regional report

[feature]

CHICAGO

Chicago was hit ha rd by the forecloAs with other mar sure crisis, and in kets, inventor y 2013, there was a wa s tight. “Our invent light at the end of or y was low that tunnel. for most of 2013 — While year-over-y lower than ear distressed normal,” Thomps sales increased by on says. “In 8 percent to Ch icago, there's abou 115,088 in 2013, th t four months at appears to of inventor y right be the peak. Distre no w. ” ssed sales grew Not all areas of Ch larger almost ever icago and its y month in 2012, surrounding subu but the opposite wa rbs are booms true in 2013, in g, however. “Our po according to Mid pulation west Real Estate has moved from on Data. And that do e pl ace to wnward trend is another — some continuing into 20 areas are shrink14. ing and others ar According to Lisa e expanding,” Thompson, Th ompson says.

CRS, with Centur y 21 S.G.R. Inc., One area that is gr 31,270 homes close owing — and d in 2013 in the gr ow ing vertically — is city of Chicago, a the Loop 20.2 percent and West Loop. Th increase over 2012 e construc. The median tion cranes are ba price increased by ck and the 13.8 percent condo towers are to $156,500. going up, Thompson sa ys.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Two of Northwest Arkansas’s major cities are Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas, and Bentonville, where Walmart is headquartered. As Judy Luna, CRS, with Keller Williams in Fayetteville, puts it: Northwest Arkansas is “basically a two-county area with a series of small towns that has rapidly been urbanizing in the past 15 to 20 years or so.”

That rapid urbanization created a major housing construction boom that busted during the recession. “There was a point in time when there was a 55-month supply of homes [in Bentonville] because the builders went crazy [before the recession],” says Luna. By last year, most of those properties had been absorbed, Luna says.

In 2013, according to the NW Arkansas MLS, the total number of sales was 1,089 in Bentonville, a 20 percent jump over 2012, and 1,358 in Fayetteville, also a 20 percent increase. The median sales price in Bentonville decreased slightly from $204,000 in 2012 to $200,000 in 2013, but it increased from $165,000 to $175,000 in Fayetteville.

Foreclosures in the area increased in 2013, but that was partially due to a state law and subsequent court battle that had artificially kept houses from moving through the foreclosure process. That’s settled now, and foreclosures are moving along. According to RealtyTrac, Benton County

Overall, sales of ne w construction increased by 50 pe rcent over 2012 to 7,540 in 2013.

Thompson thinks 2014 will be another strong ye ar and inventory will loosen up . “The waters are receding som ewhat” for those still underwater, sh e says, due to increasing prices . “That will open the market for so me resale. I see that happening.”

Median Price [Chicago] $

2013

% Change from 2012

156,500

+13.8 %

(home of Bentonville) reported 1,173 foreclosure filings, up 45.9 percent from 2012. Washington County (home of Fayetteville) saw 524 foreclosure filings, a 7.16 percent increase.

Lack of inventory wasn’t a big issue in Northwest Arkansas, though Luna says houses below the median price were in shorter supply. “There was a lot of investor activity in the really low end,” she says. The mid-to-high range — which she defines as $200,000 to $350,000 — was steady.

And new construction is revving up again. According to data from the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas’ Walton College of Business, in 2013 Benton County issued 1,488 residential permits, a 5.8 percent increase from 2012. In Washington County, 755 residential permits were issued in 2013, an 11 percent jump.

Luna is optimistic about 2014.

“With the improvement in the economy, more people are actually taking Gayle Bennett is a writer and that step of buying a house.” editor based in Washington, D.C.

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The Council of Residential Specialists

crs.com

33 May June

resources for learning & leisure

GOOD READS

YOU’RE IN THE

moving BUSINESS

It’s a mad, mad, digital world, says motivation maven Dan Pink — but you’d be ‘woefully mistaken’ to announce the death of the salesman.

Reviewed by Allen Fallow



Daniel Pink’s latest exercise in clear thinking is the essential read for salespeople, from naïve newbies to jaded veterans. He’s all TO SELL IS HUMAN: about simplifying your The Surprising Truth sales message, so let about Moving Others me simplify his: “The

by Daniel H. Pink capacity to sell isn’t Riverhead Books some unnatural adap253 pages tation to the merciless $16 world of commerce. It is part of who we are.”

That’s some high­ falutin language, but Pink harbors no delusions about how society looks on sales: “Think of all the movies, plays and television programs that depict salespeople as one part greedy conniver, another part lunkheaded loser.” Yet that’s a laughably dated caricature, Pink observes, because more and more of us are being called upon to hone

May June

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our powers of persuasion. In a 9,000-respondent survey commissioned by Pink, he discovered that people now spend “about 40 percent of their time at work engaged in non-sales selling — persuading, influencing and convincing others in ways that don’t involve anyone making a purchase.”

Even when you discount the influx of homegrown entrepreneurs brought about by websites such as Etsy (where 875,000 online shops sell more than $400 million of goods annually) and Kickstarter (where 1.8 million people have funded 20,000 projects to the tune of $200 million since 2009), traditional sales jobs are alive and thriving: 1 out of every 9 Americans makes his or her living “by trying to convince someone else to make a purchase.” And according to predictions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. will add nearly 2 million new sales jobs in the next six years alone. So the

time seems ripe for this thoughtful analysis of the deeper forces motivating the purpose-driven salesperson (my phrase): “To sell well,” writes Pink, “is to convince someone else to part with resources — not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end.”

Get Your Act Together

I could happily blather on about Pink’s sprightly diagnoses of social trends. (Especially keen are his takes on the growing elasticity of job skills and the declining “information asymmetry” in modern sales transactions.) But that would sell short the book’s extreme practicality. For example, have you ever considered taking a class in improvisational theater as a way to sharpen your interactions with buyers and sellers? In a selling environment that no longer prizes “overcoming objections” or “turning [reluctant] customers around,”

Pink suggests, that’s not such a farfetched idea. Indeed, Pink quotes New Zealand scholar Zazli Wisker: Salespeople who become adept at improv “can generate ideas, incorporate changes quickly and easily, and communicate effectively and convincingly during sales presentations.”

Oh, and could your listening skills use a brush-up? If you’re like most of us, you’ve become adept at appearing to listen when what you’re really doing is waiting — that is, thinking about what you’re going to say once the speaker shuts up. Think how your client interactions might improve if you trained yourself to listen without listening for anything: “Once we listen in this new, more intimate way,” writes Pink, “we begin hearing things we might have missed. And if we listen this way during our efforts to move others, we quickly realize that what seem outwardly like objections are often offers in disguise.”

Make a Pitch

Equally useful to REALTORS® will be Pink’s discussion of “the six successors to the elevator pitch”: 1. The one-word pitch. The ultimate come-on for our attention-deprived era, says the author, “begins with a single word — and doesn’t go any further.” Hear the word “search” and you likely think of Google; hear “priceless” and MasterCard comes to mind.

What’s your one-word equity?

2. The question pitch. If you learned that question pitches make people likelier to act on their beliefs, how fast could you capture a value proposition in the form of a query?

3. The rhyming pitch. A proposal rendered in verse improves the “processing fluency” of those who hear it, says social scientist

Pink. It may take time, but a rhyme is sublime.

4. The subject-line pitch. People are likeliest to open emails that promise to 1) be useful or 2) satisfy the recipient’s curiosity.

So learn to encapsulate your pitch in a subject line that does one of those two things: For example: “4 tips to improve your golf swing this afternoon,” or “Some weird things I just learned about email.”

5. The “twitpitch.” A great way to hone your spiel is to reduce it to a micro-message of tweet length: 140 characters (including spaces) or fewer. As a bonus, consider teeing it up in what Pink calls an “experience frame”: “It’s not just the soft Corinthian leather — the Cordoba lets you see new places, visit old friends and add to your life’s trove of memories.”

6. The Pixar pitch. This format invites you to package your appeal in the same six-sentence format that can be used to summarize any feature film (such as Finding Nemo) produced by Pixar Animation Studios: “Once upon a time, .

Every day, .

One day, .

Because of that, .

And because of that, .

Until finally, .”

I’ll spare you the Pixar pitch for To Sell Is Human, which Pink includes in its entirety. But you won’t be surprised to learn that it ends this way: “Until finally we learned that selling isn’t some grim accommodation to a brutal marketplace culture. It’s part of who we are — and therefore something we can do better by being more human.”

Allan Fallow is a magazine writer and book editor in Alexandria, Va.

YO U M I G H T A L S O L I K E …

CREATIVITY, INC.,

by Ed Catmull (Random House) 368 pages $ 21.54/hardcover

One of Pixar’s co-founders shows how fostering workplace creativity leads to better results.

PITCH PERFECT,

by Bill McGowan & Alisa Bowman (HarperBusiness) 288 pages $ 20.51/hardcover Perfect your persuasion skills by changing how you communicate.

THE RISE OF SUPERMAN by Steven Kotler (New Harvest) 256 pages $ 17.72/hardcover

Lessons learned from studying high-performance athletes.

MINDWISE,

by Nicholas Epley (Knopf) 272 pages $ 17.04/hardcover Why knowing what others are thinking is harder than you expect.

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The Council of Residential Specialists

crs.com

35 May June

inside

CRS NEW: news from the council

CRS “One-Day Essentials”

Essential learning at any stage of your career.



The Council of Residential Specialists has introduced a new educational program to help you learn essentials at any stage of your career. Three new CRS One-Day Essentials courses focus on the core skills REALTORS® need to take their business to the next level.

“Our goal was to create a program that would deliver education focused on skills and strategies critical for a real estate agent in their day-to-day business,” says Mary Beth Ciukaj, vice president of professional development at CRS. “The tactics and strategies taught in these courses deliver an immediate benefit to any agent, whether they are new to the business or a veteran CRS.” Three different courses. One day each. Held in 30 locations across the country from June through December 2014.

Please check crs.com/essentials for course locations, dates and registration information.

May June

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� Course 1: Converting Leads into Closings Learn traditional and digital strategies for finding more potential customers and closing more leads.

Course content covers all aspects of a successful customer interaction experience — attraction, first contact, needs analysis, incubation, conversion, closing and beyond. � Course 2: Win-Win Negotiation Techniques Interactive role-playing activities will help agents develop and practice successful scripts for negotiating with clients, agents and service providers. Learn key strategies to help you identify the interests of another party in a negotiation, prepare for negotiations and create a game plan, and respond to any issues that may arise during a transaction. � Course 3: Building a Team to Grow Your Business Learn strategies for delegating and outsourcing tasks to help agents focus on activities that make them the most money. Course instruction and workshops will help you: Recognize when you need to hire help; assess the available options; use proven techniques to find and interview candidates; determine job titles, compensation, licensing and responsibilities; and implement effective management practices, accountability and work flow.

Register Today

CRS Designees pay just $130 per course, while non-members pay $160. And bundled course pricing discounts can also save registrants 10 percent off two courses or 20 percent off three courses.

Each course is eligible for eight CRS Education Course credits toward the CRS Designation. These eight-hour One-Day Essentials courses will run from approximately 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. (Lunch is not provided.) Exams will be administered on-site during the course.

Register online at crs.com/essentials or call 800.462.8841. Space is limited, so register today.

S AV E T H E D AT E

SELL-A-BRATION® HEADS TO VEGAS REALTORS® who attended Sell-a-bration® 2014 speak out about their experiences:

“ I LOVED the referral workshop. I had almost an entire notebook filled with notes from the event. I just need to prioritize and get started.”

— Dawn Kent, CRS, Coldwell Banker TREG, Greenville, Wis.

“ I love coming to Sell-abration® because of the camaraderie of the attendees and the speakers’ willingness to talk with you.”

— Donna Pudenz, CRS, Mid Iowa Real Estate, Carroll, Iowa

Make early plans today to join the Council of Residential Specialists and hundreds of your real estate peers for Sell-a-bration® 2015 at the Paris Las Vegas, Feb. 16-17, 2015. Since its inception 27 years ago, the Council’s annual education event has attracted thousands of top-producing REALTORS® who gather together to attend leading-edge educational sessions, learn from each other and build their professional referral networks.

Whether you are a first-time attendee or a Sell-a-bration® veteran, this two-day event offers educational excellence and professional camaraderie. Attendees will walk away armed with fresh ideas, new contacts and a renewed commitment to their business.

Agents can also earn 16 credits toward the CRS Designation by attending Sell-a-bration® 2015.

For information about Sell-a-bration® 2015 and to register, visit crs.com/events/sell-a-bration, or call customer service at 800.462.8841.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EARLY-BIRD PRICING

Register early for some big discounts!

CRS DESIGNEES/MEMBERS Early Bird Rate I Early Bird Rate II Standard Rate: $599 $549 $575 (ends Aug. 1, 2014) (ends Nov. 10, 2014) NON-MEMBERS Early Bird Rate I Early Bird Rate II Standard Rate: $649 $599 $625 (ends Aug. 1, 2014) (ends Nov. 10, 2014) Group Rates are also available.

CRS will hold a one-day, pre-event educational program on Feb. 15.

Pricing for the eight-hour course is: CRS MEMBERS NON-MEMBERS $130 $160

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37 May June

inside

CRS

CONVENIENT

news from the council

Learning 

CRSs make their living by staying ahead of the market. Learning about emerging industry trends and brushing up on triedand-true business tactics is not optional for agents who strive to get to the next level. One quick and easy way for REALTORS® to learn the tricks of the trade is by taking a CRS webinar or eLearning course.

CRS webinars are in a convenient one-hour format and cover timely and critical topics in real estate. Sample topics include online marketing, working with FSBOs and expired listings, cloud computing, staging techniques, building a referral business, real estate photography, creative real estate financing, social media and team building, among many others.

And even if you miss a particular webinar, recordings of dozens of previous sessions are available for purchase at crs.com/education.

They provide a one-hour infusion of ideas and information that may give you the knowledge you need to reach the next level.

Self Study

Online courses are another popular and convenient

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option for busy agents to get information about relevant topics from the comfort of their home or office. CRS eLearning courses use learnby-doing and

CRS webinars have drawn more than 34,000 participants since early 2010.

Online learning offers flexibility and convenience.

role-playing approaches to find solutions to the challenges that agents face on the job every day.

CRS eLearning Courses include: � Navigating the Social Media Maze � Managing Your Online Presence � Video Marketing to Enhance Your Business � Putting Technology to Work for Your Clients �C reating Value for Your Clients �S hort Sales and Foreclosures: Protecting Your Clients’ Interests � Keep it Simple with LowCost Online Marketing �C lient Negotiations: Unlocking Hearts vs. Locking Horns There are several course bundles available, in addition to video recordings from the CRS Legends series. These sessions are led by some of the best in the business as they share their strategies for working with buyers and sellers.

All CRS online courses are available at REALTOR® University, which makes it easy to purchase and track courses, and makes it simple for CRS members and other REALTORS® to access a wealth of educational offerings in a one-stop shop. Go to learninglibrary.com/ realtoruniversity for details.

Find out how to purchase eLearning courses at crs.com/education.

Whole-in-One Watch leading experts share industry insights from your home or office.



If you were unable to attend THE SPECIAL PRICE the CRS Listing Legends and Buyer Legends events, you can see CRS MEMBERS NON-MEMBERS what you missed by purchasing the $176 $216 Legends Video Bundle. Learn from 20% off with combined purchase. leading real estate practitioners and industry experts in the comfort of your home or office.

When you purchase both the Listing Legends and Buyer Legends videos, you receive a 20 percent discount. Viewing the entire Legends video series can also earn you 12 CRS education credits toward the CRS Designation.

The Listing Legends videos give you access to recordings of sessions that feature valuable ways to get the lead, prepare for the appointment, deliver killer listing presentations, get the listing sold and close the deal.

The Buyer Legends includes sessions such as: Oh Buyer, Where Art Thou?; Converting Leads into Prospects and Prospects into Clients; Negotiating Magic; and Trouble-free Closings.

The video bundle also includes supporting materials from each session, such as sample documents, handouts and links to resources mentioned in the presentation.

To learn more and to purchase the video bundles, visit crs.com/education/courses/ listing-buyer-legends-video-bundle.

REFERRAL DIRECTORY UPDATE If you miss the deadline for updating your information in the print edition of the upcoming 2015 Membership Referral Directory, don’t fret: You can still update your online listing, including your mailing address, phone numbers, email addresses, website and blog addresses, social networking sites and photo.

Log into crs.com with your email address and password to update your online directory information on your Profile page.

If you do not want to receive the print edition of the 2015 CRS Membership Referral Directory, log into the CRS website and follow the opt-out instructions located on the preferences tab in your logged-in profile.

If you have any questions about the directory update process, please call CRS Customer Service at 800.462.8841.

And don’t forget to download the “Find a CRS” mobile app, which is available now for iPhone and iPad at the iTunes App store at bit.ly/1bEUE3L . An Android version of the app will be released soon.

S AV E T H E D AT E

BACK TO NEW ORLEANS This year’s REALTORS® Conference & Expo returns to New Orleans Nov. 7-10, 2014.

The event will feature: � 100 education sessions � 400 industry vendors

� Special events and networking opportunities � Niche industry areas on the show floor

And don’t forget to visit the CRS booth at the expo. We’d love to meet you!

Get the latest information about this year’s event by visiting: facebook.com/narannual twitter.com/narannual

linkd.in/1ewiygg

Find registration details at realtor.org/convention.nsf.

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CRS

connect expand your network



YOUR CRS

network

Referrals are the lifeblood of the real estate business. Building and maintaining referral relationships with other top agents should be a priority for every REALTOR®.

In a profession built on personal relationships, the smallest gestures can make a big impression. Every professional connection is a potential link in a referral network, and ideally, a referral network evolves as an agent grows the business.

Go to crs.com/ Rather than employing one specific strategy, CRSs find-a-crs to with the widest networks use a tactical, multifaceted use our Find a CRS feature. approach that includes marketing, active participation Or download in the profession and the community, and building a the Find A CRS Mobile App for reputation for being a helpful, supportive resource for iOS. clients, fellow REALTORS® and vendors.

SOUTH

NORTHEAST Your referral source for the greater

Pittsburgh

area

I help clients make the Wright move Nancy Wright, ABR, CRS, GRI

RE/MAX Realty Brokers 5608 Wilkins Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 OFS: 412-521-1000 x170 CELL: 412-508-0040 nancywright@remax.net

SOUTH

CRS CLASSROOM COURSES CRS 111 — Short Sales and Foreclosures: Protecting Your Clients’ Interests JUNE 12 — STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. [New York State Association of REALTORS®] 800.239.4432 x219

Instructor: Gee Dunsten, CRS CRS 120 — Converting Leads Into Closings

SOUTH

SOUTH

JUNE 11 — CHICAGO [CRS] 800.462.8841

NAPLES, BONITA SPRINGS, ESTERO, FT MYERS—FLORIDA

Marie Pimm,

Instructor: Michael Selvaggio, CRS JUNE 18 — RALEIGH, N.C. [CRS] ABR, CRS, SRES, GRI, CDPE

P.A.

Realtor—CRS, CIPS, e-PRO, GRI

Instructor: Michael Selvaggio, CRS

(239) 770-3383

Marie@MariePimm.com www.MariePimm.com

www.NaplesBonitaEsteroHomefinder.com

Serving Northern Virginia and the Dulles Tech corridor Re/Max Premier offices in

Ashburn, Fairfax and Purcellville Direct: 703-999-6535 Office: 703-318-0067

lisacromwell@remax.net www.LisaCromwell.com

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800.462.8841

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JUNE 24 — SEATTLE [CRS] 800.462.8841

Instructor: Lee Barrett, CRS JUNE 26 — MINNEAPOLIS [CRS] 800.462.8841

Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS

WEST

WEST

CANADA

CRS classroom courses earn either eight credits (for 100-level, one-day courses) or 16 credits (for 200-level, two-day courses) toward the CRS Designation. CRS courses listed below take place from June 9, 2014 – September 30, 2014. For more up-to-date listings, visit crs.com.

CRS 121 — Win-Win Negotiation Techniques JULY 7 — DENVER [CRS] 800.462.8841

Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS CRS 122 — Growing Your Business

by Building a Team

CRS 202 — Effective Buyer Sales Strategies JUNE 11–12 — CHERRY HILL, N.J. [New Jersey/Delaware CRS Chapter]

800.462.8841

808.733.7060 x105

Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS CRS 204 — Buying and Selling Income Properties

JUNE 10–11 — STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. [New York State Association of REALTORS® and New York State CRS Chapter]

JUNE 16–17 — TROY, MICH. [Michigan CRS Chapter]

800.239.4432 x219

Instructor: Dale Carlton, CRS

Instructor: Gee Dunsten, CRS AUG. 8–9 — AUBURN, ALA. [Lee County Association of REALTORS®]

No Bull Selling

Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS AUG. 8-9 — HONOLULU [Hawaii Aloha CRS Chapter]

CRS 201 — Listing Strategies for the Residential Specialist

Elective courses vary in length and credits earned toward the CRS Designation.

Please visit the CRS website for details at crs.com.

855.696.5277

JULY 23 — ROSEMONT, IL [CRS] Instructor: Lee Barrett, CRS

Elective Courses

248.877.2337

JUNE 26 — FARMINGTON, MICH. [Greater Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®] 248.478.1700

Instructor: Frank Serio, CRS Real Estate Social Marketing: Strategies for Success Both Online and Offline AUG. 4 — FARMINGTON, MICH. [Greater Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®] 248.478.1700

Instructor: Gee Dunsten, CRS

334.321.0606

Instructor: Ed Hatch, CRS

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CRS ONE-DAY ESSENTIALS TM 1 2 3

CONVERTING LEADS INTO CLOSINGS WIN-WIN NEGOTIATION TECHNIQUES BUILDING A TEAM TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

NEW ONE-DAY COURSES FROM CRS THREE NEW COURSES. ONE DAY EACH. OFFERED IN 30 LOCATIONS.

The One-Day Essentials series from CRS covers three essential skills needed to build a solid, successful real estate practice—whether you’re a one-person shop or part of a multi-agent firm.

Each course is eligible for 8 hours of CRS Education Course credit toward designation and will provide you with practical skills and takeaways to grow your business and increase market share.

CRS MEMBER PRICE: $130 PER COURSE NON-MEMBER PRICE: $160 PER COURSE REGISTER FOR MORE THAN ONE COURSE AT A TIME, AND SAVE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL 20%.

CALL 800.462.8841 OR VISIT

COURSE 1: CONVERTING LEADS INTO CLOSINGS Covering a mix of traditional and digital approaches, this course will show you how to develop systems for tracking the lifecycle of leads and tools for efficiently managing the communications process.

Key takeaways will include tactics that can be tailored to your business and sample scripts that can improve your customer communications, and more!

6/11 6/18 6/24 6/26 7/24 8/6 9/24 9/30 11/13 11/19

Chicago, IL Raleigh, NC Seattle, WA St. Paul, MN Boston, MA Ft. Lauderdale, FL Phoenix, AZ Las Vegas, NV Orlando, FL Madison, WI

COURSE 2: WIN-WIN NEGOTIATION TECHNIQUES 7/23 8/7 8/20 9/18 10/15 10/24 10/29 11/12 11/18 12/4

Are negotiation skills important for real estate agents? According to 87% of buyers, they are! With some practice and some specific tactics, you can further develop your negotiations skills and leave every transaction with all parties satisfied.

This course uses interactive role-playing to drive the messages home, and you’ll leave with some sample scripts and new strategies to put into practice immediately.

Rosemont, IL Columbus, OH Reno, NV New York, NY Des Moines, IA Baton Rouge, LA Nashville, TN Dallas, TX Atlantic City, NJ San Diego, CA

COURSE 3: BUILDING A TEAM TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS Even the most talented agents have limits to what they can accomplish alone. There comes a time when you need to expand your team to grow your business. But just hiring the right person will not guarantee your success…you must also learn when to delegate and outsource tasks—and to whom—so that you can focus on activities that will generate revenue.

This course will help you learn strategies for making smart hires, managing your office and building a high-performance team.

You’ll leave with examples of effective business models and customizable forms that can be used in your practice right away.

7/9 8/12 8/26 9/25 10/2 10/8 10/16 10/22 11/20 12/2

CRS.COM/ESSENTIALS TO REGISTER

Denver, CO Omaha, NE Nashville, TN Pittsburgh, PA Miami, FL San Francisco, CA Virginia Beach, VA Portland, OR Houston, TX San Antonio, TX

SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE [resources]

reach out to the experts who made this issue happen

Would you like to be a source for a future story in The Residential Specialist? Send an email to mfenner@crs.com to be added to our potential source list. To see a list of topics we’ll be covering, check out the magazine’s 2014 editorial calendar online at crs.com.

PERSONALIZE, REPRODUCE AND MAIL THIS NEWSLETTER TO YOUR CLIENTS

EDIT The Kids Are All Right

Family Reunion

John@morleygroup.com

mvargasny@gmail.com

MandyBecker@Remax.net

dyan@nelsonblass.com

delrae@teamrockstars.com

diane@dianestow.com

John Morley, CRS Coldwell Banker Premier

Manuel Vargas, CRS Keller Williams Realty Landmark

Mandy Becker, CRS RE/MAX Southern Shores

Dyan Nelson Blass, CRS Keller Williams Real Estate

DelRae Zimmerman, CRS Brokers 12 Inc., Team Rock Stars

Diane Stow, CRS RE/MAX Traditions

Sasha Cannon Farmer, CRS Montague Miller & Co.

Do it yourself with your office copier, or take the newsletter or electronic file (in addition to your photograph and any information you want inserted) to a printer who can prepare and reproduce the newsletter for you.

Luke Bouman, CRS @HomeRealty Lakeshore

luke@lukeboumanteam.com

Open Door Policy Melissa Lundgren, CRS Village Real Estate Services

melissa@melissalundgren.com

Jerry Cibulski, CRS Century 21 Albertson Realty

Room to Breathe

Dave Pettigrew, CRS Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Rocky Mountain REALTORS® Judy Luna, CRS Keller Williams

Dan and Cheree Griffith, CRS Realty All Stars

info@gforceteam.com

Guy@phgbrokers.com

Judy Zink, CRS RE/MAX Preferred Associates

judyluna1@gmail.com

Lisa Thompson, CRS Century 21 S.G.R. Inc.

jody@jodyzink.com

Lisa@LisaAThompson.com

Wendy Furth, CRS Rodeo Realty

wendyf@rodeore.com

44

jcibulski@albertsonrealty.com

Guy Gimenez, CRS Powerhouse Real Estate Group

fcrealtor@msn.com

The Residential Specialist trsmag.com

PLEASE NOTE: The images featured in the YOUR HOME newsletter may only be used within the PDF version of the newsletter. These images may not be reproduced or republished elsewhere outside of this newsletter format. CRS members are free to re-use the text of the articles contained in the newsletter, however.

REPRODUCE

sasha@sashafarmer.com

May June

Leave YOUR HOME as is, or personalize the newsletter by adding your photo, logo, address and phone number to the mailing panel.* You can also substitute any article in the newsletter with one of your own.

Edit the newsletter e­ lectronically by downloading the Microsoft Word version at crs.com/ yourhomenewsletter.

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DISTRIBUTE

MAIL. If you photocopy YOUR HOME or use it “as is,” please note that it is designed to be folded in a Z fold with the words YOUR HOME facing out on one side and the mailing panel facing out on the other side. Postal regulations require that Z folds have three closures (tabs or tape) — one on top in the center and two on the bottom. For your convenience, we have placed asterisks (*) where the closures should be. Be sure to check with your local mailer or post office to make sure you have prepared your mailings properly.

ELECTRONIC FILE. Attach the customized newsletter file to an email to your clients or create a Web link to the file on your website.

Consult your webmaster or technician to make sure the file is prepared correctly for these purposes, since these basic instructions will vary by person and system. * This newsletter is for the exclusive use of CRS members.

your *

home M AY/J U N E 2 014

Tips and tre nd s for homeow ners, buyers and sellers

POWER

balance

CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION



It may be tempting to shut the doors and blast your air conditioning once summer kicks into full gear, but if you can avoid that impulse, you can actually save money as well as help the environment. Find out what you can do to save energy this summer with the following advice from the U.S. Department of Energy.

One easy way to take advantage of natural cooling is to turn off your air conditioning at night and open your windows instead. This will let cool air into your house that you can trap by closing the windows when you wake up in the morning. Making sure your windows have a tight seal will also prevent cold air from escaping, and it will help you save energy in the winter.

Turning off appliances that emit heat is another simple way to save on energy and keep your house cool.

Using items such as your oven, lamps and dishwasher will cause your house to heat up, requiring your air conditioner to do more heavy lifting. You can avoid building up excessive heat in the house by cooking outside or doing the dishes at night when it is easier to keep the house cool.

Learning how to program your thermostat will also pay dividends. If your house is unoccupied for periods throughout the day, set your thermostat so the air conditioning isn’t operating during those times.

Summer is here, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a cool drink at an outdoor party with your friends and family. If throwing your own celebration is part of your summer plan, these tips from RealSimple.com will help make your party seem effortless.

Get help: While you may want to give the impression

that you pulled off the perfect party all by yourself, if you really want to ensure everyone has a great time — including yourself — ask one of your friends to help you with simple day-of tasks, such as making sure the garbage isn’t full or restarting the music when the playlist ends.

Eat right: Pick smart choices for your party. This means if it’s outdoors, try and find things that are easy to eat without making a mess. Finger foods like bruschetta or small sandwiches are always a big hit. If you’re making a salad, try using hardier greens like cabbage that won’t wither in the heat as easily; lightly dressed coleslaw is great for this.

Banish bugs: Citronella candles at

the edges of your party will help drive away annoying insects. You can also leave bowls of juice (cherry is one that works well) farther away to attract insects so they don’t bother your guests.

BROUGH T T O Y OU B Y Y OUR A GEN T, A MEMBER OF T HE C OUNCIL OF RE SIDEN T I A L SPECI A L IS T S

Tips and trends for homeowners, buyers and sellers

HOME AWAY

from home



Renting a vacation house offers a lot that hotels or other accommodations often don’t provide: keeping your large group together, cooking out and eating family style, and unique amenities such as a private pool or hot tub. Finding the right rental for your group isn’t always easy, however. Here are some tips from The New York Times and Frommers.com to help you make a decision on a rental this summer.

DO YOUR RESEARCH: These days, there is no shortage of information about available rentals. Sites like VRBO.com, FlipKey (which is run by TripAdvisor), and HomeAway.com list thousands of rental homes in North America and across the world. Once you’ve located a few rentals you like, make sure what you see is accurate. Check the owner’s website, online reviews and comments from past users on sites like Yelp or Facebook.

IDENTIFY WHAT YOU WANT: Determine your priorities before you start looking. A beachfront place may be more

OV

E REFER RA LS!

IL

SAY YES TO CRS EQUAL HOUSING

expensive, but if your family loves the water, it may be worth it. If you know your group is more likely to be out and about and just use the house as a place to sleep, you probably want to go for a less expensive option.

DECIDE EARLY … OR DON’T: Good rental properties are tough to find, and that is doubly true if you’re heading somewhere during popular vacation times such as Christmas or spring break. So if you locate a place you’re particularly fond of, book it as soon as you can finalize your plans. However, if you’re the spontaneous type, you can sometimes find big discounts by waiting until the last minute because discounted renters are better than no renters at all for property owners.

Buying or selling a home can seem like an overwhelming task. But the right REALTOR® can make the process easier — and more profitable.

A Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), with years of experience and success, will help you make smart decisions in a fast-paced, complex and competitive marketplace.

To earn the CRS Designation, REALTORS® must demonstrate outstanding professional achievements — including high-volume sales — and pursue advanced training in areas such as finance, marketing and technology. They must also maintain membership in the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and abide by its Code of Ethics.

Work with a REALTOR® who belongs in the top 3 percent in the nation. Contact a CRS today.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT BUYING OR SELLING A HOME? PLEASE MENTION MY NAME. This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be substituted for legal or financial advice.

If you are currently working with another real estate agent or broker, it is not a solicitation for business.

OPPORTUNITY

*

*

DON'T GAMBLE WITH YOUR SUCCESS ATTEND Sell-a-bration 2015 gives you two full days of the freshest content from leading industry experts – don’t miss this chance to network, learn and exchange with the best. ®

EARLY BI SPECIALRD

REGISTER NOW AND SAVE! CRS members . . . . . . . $599 $549 Non-members . . . . . . . $649 $599 Price increases on August 1, 2014.

Register at crs.com/sellabration Additional discounts for groups of 5 or more!

Call 800.462.8841 for special pricing.

FEBRUARY 16 - 17, 2015

.

PARIS LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

ask a

CRS advice from your peers

Q:

WEB SOLUTIONS

I am shopping for a new website.

Any feedback on who to use or who not to use?

“ I just had mine re-done at the end of last year. I’m using AgentFire and have been very happy with it so far. I still have some work to do on my end, but I’ve been pleased with the results to date.”

Karen Crowson  Alain Pinel REALTORS®  Pleasanton, Calif.  karen@karencrowsonhomes.com

“ I have been using a la mode for four years now: very happy with service, updates, etc. They have lots of things you can do to optimize your site, and tech support is very good.”

Penny Miller  Gold Star Realty  Elizabethtown, Ky.  Penny.miller.ky@gmail.com

“ Check out WebsiteBox.com. It’s $99 one time and is just as good as the others that charge ridiculous prices every month!”

John Hendrick  John Hendrick Realty Associates  La Quinta, Calif.  John@JohnHendrick.com

Participate in active discussions like this at the Council of Residential Specialists’ LinkedIn page at linkd. in/1o0H9zN.

May June

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LEARN FROM THE BEST

TWO CRS LEGENDS VIDEOS JUST RELEASED!

Developing A Team and Keeping In Touch With Your Sphere are now available to purchase and watch online. Each recording is worth 6 hours of CRS education credit. It's a convenient way to gain credit toward your designation, while learning best practices for growing your team and keeping in touch with your sphere of influence.

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SPHERE

DEVELOPING A TEAM

RECORDED JANUARY 30, 2014

RECORDED DECEMBER 13, 2013 Tom Ferry moderates top residential real estate producers as they cover the entire hiring process from determining when to seek help all the way to training and managing someone once they are hired.

Dale Carlton, CRS moderates cutting-edge panel sessions that give you the latest innovative systems for generating repeat and referral business, as well as practical ideas for staying in touch with your sphere of influence.

• • • •

• • • •

Knowing When it’s Time to Hire Help Preparing to Hire Some Help Finding and Hiring the Right People Getting the Most Out of the Help You Hire

Managing Your Sphere Agent Systems and Methods Developing Systems for Staying In Touch Pestering vs. Impressing Your Sphere

CRS LEGENDS RECORDED PRICING CRS Members: $110

Non-members: $160

EACH SET OF RECORDINGS IS WORTH 6 CRS EDUCATION CREDITS TOWARD THE CRS DESIGNATION.

EXPAND YOUR REFERRAL OPPORTUNITIES PLACE YOUR ONLINE DIRECTORY ORDER TODAY!

Purchase additional city listings and banner ads to increase your exposure in the number one place where CRS Designees find their referrals — the FIND A CRS Directory at CRS.com.

ADDITIONAL CITY LISTINGS – $25 As a CRS Designee, you get one complimentary listing in your office city, but you can dramatically increase your odds of being found in the online directory by ordering additional city listings for $25 each.

BANNER ADS – $250 Be a featured agent for a specific city search with a banner ad that links to your website.

Create and upload your own banner for $250 or choose from a number of pre-designed ads for an additional $50. If more than one designee purchases a banner ad in the same city, the ads will rotate, so each designee receives equal exposure.

SECURE YOUR SPACE NOW! Log into your CRS account at crs.com and select the blue “Membership” tab. In the right sidebar, select the link to “Place Your Online Directory Order Today.”

For questions, call Customer Service at 800.462.8841 or email us at crshelp@crs.com.

All online directory listings and banner ads will run for one year from the date they are posted.

You will receive a reminder email when your additional city listing or banner ad is ready for renewal.