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Real Estate Best Practices

Coaches, books, classes and seminars aim to capture real estate agents dollars with promises to teach them any number of ways to improve their business. From sales skills to how to close more deals to how to win with expireds (expired listings) and more, everyone has something to teach you.


There's nothing wrong with continuing education, whether it's keeping on top of new laws and regulations or learning how to be more productive. But before you spend an arm and a leg on any of those things, pull up a chair, put on your glasses and peruse the pages in this section of ActiveRain.


It is only here that you can tap into the world's largest online real estate community and actively engage with your peers. Find out what works and what doesn't from those that actually put into practice what others merely teach. Read how-to articles, advice on designations, certifications and continuing education classes. You never know where you will find the inspiration to take your business to the next level. So, pull up a chair and dig in!

Recent blogs on Real Estate Best Practices
By Doug Rogers, Your Real Estate Resource!
(RE/MAX Coastal Properties)
Destin Florida Real Estate Market Report- Oct 2024Getting ready to purchase a home around Destin Florida? Or perhaps 2024 is the year you cash in your equity and move from the Emerald Coast. Either way, local market knowledge is key. Let's see how the Destin Florida real estate market is performing as we get closer to Halloween. Homes For Sale In Greater Destin Florida Note-- For data purposes, the numbers reflect a span from Fort Walton Beach to Inlet Beach. Prices will vary depending on actual location.Single Family Properties-- As of Mid October 2024, there were 1750 homes for sale. With an average sales price of 1,244,677 dollars Destin Florida home buyers have a wide range of housing options to consider. Not wanting to invest so much? The home pictured can be had for only 329k! Con...
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By Michael Elliott, Burlington, New Jersey Residential Sales
(Fathom Realty)
                     It takes some rain to be more appreciative of the sunshine. For anyone who has been in this business for more than a few months, we have experienced both.The sweet, patient, kind, good communicating clients.   And the manipulative, not so forthright selfish ones who have an agenda.While people don't always fit exactly into either category, in the last 12 hours I have experienced both.I am proud to say that I work hard for both,  and have no troubles honoring my fiduciary responsibilities.  I draw the line at illegal.  I draw the line at lying.  I draw the line at BSing people.  Sometimes, it is okay to walk away from a client.  If you want great, experienced forward thinking and pragmatic real estate service, please contact me.(609) 864-8164 https://michaelelliott.f...
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By Michael Elliott, Burlington, New Jersey Residential Sales
(Fathom Realty)
I have been doing open houses steadily with success for decades.   With online websites, planning ahead is a must, you can't just throw a few signs out at "go time".My last 3 open houses have brought my seller clients seven offers, and as important, they "put the pressure on" other buyers, who know that an open house was conducted.Why open houses don't work (for others):1.  They choose to tell their sellers that they don't work.  And for them, they are right.2.  Agents fail to plan, and fail to strategize.  When done timely and strategically, they bring amazing results.3.  Agents have a bad attitude about them, likely since they may have not been trained properly.  In certain price points, sellers are reluctant to have their house held open.  I guess I get that, somewhat.For more info, ...
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By Michael Elliott, Burlington, New Jersey Residential Sales
(Fathom Realty)
I am going o get right at it: 1.  You are in the hospital, having surgery.2.  You are in mourning of a loss.  3.  You are dead.  As in 6 feet under.  Or ashes.When I say not answering your phone, I mean never.  And then not returning the call.  Want to respond with text?  Ok.  That works.  I'd rather talk, but at least you gave me the courtesy of a response.  Every once in a blue moon, when I am on my phone, a call will come in and go to voicemail.  And sometimes for a day, I do not return the call, unaware of the call. But when I realize it,  I call them back, when I am required or asked.  As a professional, we owe that to our peers, our clients and our vendors.Common courtesy.Most people do this in our business,   About 10% (rough guesstimate)  consider answering and returning calls o...
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By Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!, The best agent in Southern Utah!
(Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374)
Oh, Didn't You Know? My Agent Has a Sunday Pass. Phone rings, I answer. On the other end of the call, a woman immediately starts asking questions about listings in a particular neighborhood. Apparently, she saw my brokerage sign and took down my number. Being mindful of ethical practices, I asked if she was represented. She admitted to having an agent but did not want to bother him on a Sunday but apparently thought it was perfectly okay to call and waste my time! We are in the people business. That means working weekends at times and must accommodate our clients, not other agent's clients! Some people will attempt to get what they want from those available though.  But alas, her agent's time and resources must be more valuable than my own! When someone takes on clients, whether buyers ...
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By Dr. Paula McDonald, Granbury, TX 936-203-0279
(Beam & Branch Realty)
I was out block-walking today to help a friend with her school board re-election campaign. As we approached each home, I viewed the homes with the eye of a seasoned real estate agent. Some homes were pristine, clean, and tidy. Others didn't have a great first impression.It occurred to me that putting your home on the market should be thought of like you do with a first date. Well, for many of us, that first date may have been many years ago. But, the preparation for a first date is a great analogy for those who want to sell their home.PREPARATION - As with a first date, first impressions are everything. You fix your hair, brush your teeth, wear clean clothes, smile, and of course, put forth your best effort. With your home, you also need to do some prep work. Fix the eyesores, clean up ...
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By Dana (Lerner) Sparks, Satisfying You with Service Innovation & Education
(Maximum One Realty - Managing Broker)
In an Amendment to Address Concerns, the Buyer included a provision that if Seller fails to make repairs Buyer may terminate or have Seller pay for repairs from proceeds AND include a Survival Clause.... are these contract provisions mutually exclusive? Thank you to Amee Davis, Closing Attorney & Managing Partner of Davis & Associates, Attorneys at Law - ADavis@DavisLawGA.com for answering this very specific question!Dana Sparks - Broker, Maximum One Greater Atlanta
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By Michael Elliott, Burlington, New Jersey Residential Sales
(Fathom Realty)
  It is a good question to ponder,  as my friend Michael Jacobs may say.   The answer is likely different with each brokerage, and with each agent.   On some occasions, poorly trained agents take a few conversations to flush out.  With a seasonal pro, it is typically obvious from the onset.  I have had some jaw-dropping experiences in the last few weeks / months with the following:1.  Getting a return courtesy call back from another agent.  As in none.2.  Having agents at an open house discuss specific seller commissions on their listings.3.  Poorly prepared / assumed  /  incorrect contracts which were not signable by my seller client.4.  Agents "show me their clients hand".   Maybe my least favorite.5.  Obviously unprepared agents--too many examples to cite.My point of this post is sim...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
I always appreciate it when clients are willing to write a great review and publish it on the internet. Endre Barath was a pleasure to work with and greatly helped us to close on our first acquisition in the Malibu area. We look forward to working with him to make offers and close on other properties in the Malibu/Santa Monica area.  (review by Jim M.)Source: Realtor.com Thank you Jim & Ana and I look forward in helping you to close on other properties in the Malibu/Santa Monica area.                  3101 Decker Canyon Road, Malibu, Los Angeles County, CA, 90265                We are very pleased having Endre Barath as our agent.             My wife and I just acquired nine acres in Malibu with Endre Barath as our agent. He was very helpful during every step of the process including lo...
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By Michael Elliott, Burlington, New Jersey Residential Sales
(Fathom Realty)
Disclaimer:   See a tax pro or accountant In my home desk, there is a current enveloped marked  October 2024 Business Receipts.   Any receipt which may become a tax deduction goes in there.  Each month has an envelope.  At the end of the month, the envelope goes into my 2024 Banker's Box near my desk,  hopefully along with closed files and all of my Daily Action Plans, which is a daily to-do checklist with notes.In early January, I take out each envelope and add the up by category.  For example:1.  Entertainment2.  Tech fees (Supra,  Vulcan 7, MLS,  Google )3.  Car repairs4.  Office and home repairs / enhancements5.  Printing and mailing and postageYou get the idea.When I was young and dumb, I didn't do this.  Every receipt, every deduction counts.  Better in my pocket than theirs.  I s...
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By Bill Salvatore - East Valley, Realtor - 602-999-0952 / em: golfArizona@cox.net
(Arizona Elite Properties )
There is a lot of truth in today's comic strip and it's easy to apply to Real Estate. When a house is listed as "Open" it means for viewing NOT for "Take what ever you want" open. That may seem like a no brainer but regretfully even some (bad) Real Estate agents think they have license to take what they want. Those kind of agents need to be drummed out of the business and charged with theft of property. If you are Selling or thinking of selling your home ask your agent what precautions you can take to keep visitors from having sticky fingers while touring your home. My number one tip is to place signage through out your home stating that you use cameras through out your home. When I was an active Real Estate Broker I required visitors to sign a release stating that they knew that camer...
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By Bob "RealMan" Timm, Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker
(Ward County Notary Services)
There is a lot of truth in today's comic strip and it's easy to apply to Real Estate. When a house is listed as "Open" it means for viewing NOT for "Take what ever you want" open. That may seem like a no brainer but regretfully even some (bad) Real Estate agents think they have license to take what they want. Those kind of agents need to be drummed out of the business and charged with theft of property.If you are Selling or thinking of selling your home ask your agent what precautions you can take to keep visitors from having sticky fingers while touring your home. My number one tip is to place signage through out your home stating that you use cameras through out your home. When I was an active Real Estate Broker I required visitors to sign a release stating that they knew that cameras...
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By Denise Lones, CSP, MIRM, CDEI - Real Estate Coaching & Branding
(The Lones Group, Inc.)
Are You Buying Real Estate Leads? I get it. It has been a tough couple of years for real estate agents. Transactions are down, which has impacted most real estate agents. But what I hate to see during this time is agents abandoning their lead generation strategies because they aren't getting the results they want. They are blaming the lead generation method when the real culprit is currently the real estate market. If a lead generation method has otherwise been proven - because it has worked for others, worked in that market, and should very well work again when transactions tick up, then why abandon the ship completely? It is a perfectly good ship, but it just isn't going to get you where you need to go right now. You might need to employ something smaller and more-agile for the curre...
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By Bob "RealMan" Timm, Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker
(Ward County Notary Services)
Confession is not only good for the soul, it's good to keep oneself financially sound and out of court for fraud.Dressing up the truth is lying.Buyers count on a Seller to tell the truth. Most States require a seller's property condition statement, also known as a seller's disclosure, is a legal document that informs buyers about the condition of a property. It's required by most states as part of the home buying process. Telling the truth about a property does NOT pertain only to this form, it also pertains to statements made to a Real Estate by a Seller.When you tell your Real Estate agent something "in confidence" it's not like you are talking to your lawyer of to a priest. A Real Estate agent MUST disclose if they are aware of flaws in a home.Regretfully not all Real Estate agents a...
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By Doug Rogers, Your Real Estate Resource!
(RE/MAX Coastal Properties)
Real  Estate Sales Advice-Fair Housing Words To AvoidAs a regulated industry under increased scrutiny, it's important from time to time to review the rules of the road. Let's review some words or phrases we should steer clear of when advertising. 1) Home is located in a quiet, safe neighborhood-- This one is tough, after all what buyer doesn't seek a peaceful place to live? Seems like this would be marketing gold? We cannot define what "safe" means. About the best you can do is refer to local law enforcement for updated statistics (beware of info posted online, go straight to the source!)2) Perfect home for State University Students--Again, proximity to a local college/university can be a major selling point. But what if as a potential buyer I was rejected by State U? In my opinion (not...
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By Richie Alan Naggar, agent & author
(people first...then business Ran Right Realty )
I speak Real Estate fluently. I don't dabble in it. It is not a hobby and I don't use it to boost my ego. I do it for a living and answer accordingly when asked. Over the years, I have systems, tools, procedures and savvy that when activated can put you into a house or help you sell one. A big part of my success is the team of professionals I work with such as escrow, title, inspectors, termite, repair crews and loan sources etc...THIS REAL ESTATEWhen I am speaking to someone about listing ,while  they may be talking to me eye to eye but unknown to them is my whole team standing behind me ready to go into action when summoned. I respect people who are sincere, intelligent and responsible who take something on and have a degree of success with it. But I am not in that casual category. Th...
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By Doug Rogers, Your Real Estate Resource!
(RE/MAX Coastal Properties)
Places To Eat In Destin Florida- Thai DelightsSearching for something other than seafood while visiting Destin Florida? If you enjoy something spicy, Thai Delight should be on your must visit list. For a modest price, Destin Florida Area guests can select from a wide assortment of Thai dishes. Sometimes the best food comes from a modest space. Located in a shopping center near SuperTarget, this is an easy restaurant to drive right by. Let's take a look at why that would be a culinary mistake...Cruising the appetizer section finds a host of options. I normally go for the dumplings and they are served with this dark sauce. Locals will often select one of the soups as an appetizer. Speaking of which, go during the workweek and Thai Delights is FULL of regulars. In my experience that's gene...
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By Leanne Smith, The Grit and Gratitude Agent
(Dirt Road Real Estate)
Much is written about work life balance. The earliest know reference to balance in our lives was by Buddha who created a wheel to capture different areas of one’s life. Since then a second wheel has been added to identify areas of work.Having been employed in the corporate world, in public education and as an executive leadership consultant and a small business sales coach,  I can honestly state in real estate work life balance has been the most difficult to achieve."Balance is not something you find; it’s something you create.” Jana KingfordFirst, building a real estate practice from the ground up in a new geographic area is a major undertaking. Thankfully for me, this was not my first rodeo as it has been said. I knew the first couple of years would be demanding of my time.What I lear...
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By Mike Tolj, Commercial Real Estate Without the Stress!
(Tolj Commercial Real Estate )
Empty offices staring you down like sad puppies? It’s time to turn those vacant spaces into money-making machines. As a seasoned commercial real estate pro, I’ve seen firsthand how adaptive reuse and flexible workspace solutions can breathe new life into underutilized properties. From coworking hotspots to mixed-use marvels, we’re about to explore innovative strategies that’ll have your real estate working overtime. Ready to unlock hidden value and stay ahead of the curve? Let’s dive into the world of monetizing underutilized commercial space!Understanding the LandscapeBefore we start swinging sledgehammers and rearranging furniture, let’s take a bird’s eye view of the current commercial real estate scene. It’s like a game of Monopoly, but with real money and fewer chances to collect $2...
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By Peter Mohylsky, Beach Broker, Call me at 850-517-7098
(PMI. Destin)
Don't fall for the myth that you don't need a home inspection!I am not sure if this is a myth or a mistake.  It all depends on your risk tolerance.  🏡✨A thorough inspection is crucial to ensure you're making a sound investment.Ready to start your homebuying journey with confidence?Contact me today to find your perfect home!.#thehelpfulagent #home #houseexpert #house #listreports #househunting #homeowner #a100324 #themoreyouknow #icanhelp #realestate #realestateagent #happyhome #happyhomeowners
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