Taking a Real Estate Career from Agent through a Large Brokerage Operation
By James Kimmons, About.com Guide to Real Estate Business
Grow your real estate practice from a one person show through a large brokerage with branches using these resources for management and marketing.
- Serving Sellers
- Serving Buyers
- Print, Phone and Relationship Marketing
- Websites, Email and E-Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC)
- Blogs, Blogging and How to Be Successful At It
- Technology for Real Estate
- Professional Development & Ethics
- Commercial Real Estate
- Brokerage Office Management
- Brokerage Liability and Risk
- Property Management for Investors and Real Estate Professionals
Serving Sellers
Learn what sellers want and need from us and how to deliver superior client service.
- What Sellers Want from Their Real Estate Agent
- Clear the New Agent Listing Hurdle in the Listing Presentation
- Before You List It, Make Sure They Can Sell It
- A Different Approach to Marketing to Expired Listings
- No Listing Yet? Don't Leave Your CMA
- Preparation for a Listing Presentation
- Elements of a Good Comparative Market Analysis
- Turning Around the Listing Interview for Success
- Top Hotsheet Items to Watch for Your Sellers
- Things to Tell Your Listing Clients for a Smooth Process
- Offering a Warranty to Your Listing Clients
- Explaining Your Marketing to Your New Listing Client
- Home Staging Basics
- Before the Open House - Take Some Precautions
- How to Plan and Hold an Open House
- Addressing Concerns of Your Listing Clients
Serving Buyers
Buyers can make you rich in today's Internet world. Learn how to make that happen.
- Real Estate Buyers Aren't Really Liars
- What Buyers Want from Their Real Estate Agents
- Things to Tell Your Buyer Client Early On
- Planning Successful Property Showings
- Property Showings Step by Step
- Things to Tell Your Buyer Clients Before The Offer
- Making Buyer Agency a Profitable Enterprise
- Second Home and Vacation Home Buyers on the Web
Print, Phone and Relationship Marketing
While you're building an effective Web presence, don't forget the tried and true marketing practices that still work.
- Top Real Estate Marketing Niches
- Real Estate Success is About Repeat Business and Recommendations
- Marketing Listings to Other Agents
- Know the Law Before You Make That First Prospecting Phone Call
- Postcard Real Estate Marketing
- New World Business Card Design
- A Flyer for Expired Listings
- What Home Buyers Say They Want From Us
Websites, Email and E-Marketing
How to develop an Internet presence that isn't just a billboard. Your website and email practices can bring you huge amounts of business.
- Real Estate Web Site Myths & Truths
- Domain Name Choice Considerations
- Types of Content That Make Up a Successful Real Estate Site?
- Statistics are Your Best Lead Lures
- Practices That Will Drive Visitors Away
- Are Multiple Sites Better Than One?
- Basic Lead Generation Techniques for Your Website
- Should You Require Registration to Search Listings?
- Top Real Estate Email Mistakes
- Step by Step Guide to Effective Drip Email
- All About Real Estate Listing Syndication
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC)
Search Engine Optimization does not need to be your focus in website design and content. Learn what will work long term and how to do it naturally.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on a Budget
- Step by Step Site Layout for the Search Engines
- Keyword Research Tools for SEO & PPC
- Using the Google Keyword Tool Step by Step
- Using the Yahoo Keyword Tool Step by Step
- Should You Worry About Click Fraud in PPC Advertising?
- Ranking Higher with Less Money by Good Ad Writing in PPC
- Strategies for Effective PPC Ad Writing
- What is "Content Match" & Why Turn it Off?
- When Business is Bad - PPC is Better
- Setting Up a Google® PPC Account Step by Step
Blogs, Blogging and How to Be Successful At It
Master real estate blogging and seal your future real estate business success.
- A Real Estate Blog - What is It and Do You Need One?
- What is a Blog RSS Feed?
- Real Estate Blogging Involves Commitment
- Effective Blogging is Inexpensive, But Not Free
- Blogging Can Supercharge Your Real Estate Business
- The Great Debate - Community Coverage or Mostly Real Estate?
- A Review of the Book "Realty Blogging"
- Ideas for Blog Posts - Simple Yet Effective
- Blog Post Help Plus Good Will
- The Hotsheet Report Post Adds Value
- The Single Property Blog for Listings
- The Website/Blog Combo for Listings
- Using Wordpress for Your Entire Web Presence
- Automatic E-Newsletters from Your Blog
- The Ultimate Email Newsletter Strategy
- Make It Easy for Your Readers to Share Your Posts
- Step-by-Step How-to for Building Your WordPress Real Estate Blog
Technology for Real Estate
Technology tools that are useful for communication, management and marketing....and many are FREE!
- If You Fear Technology, Hire an Assistant Who Doesn't
- The Virtual Assistant - What They Do & Should You Use One?
- Text Messaging for Listing Drive-bys
- Step by Step for Free Listing Info to Cell Phone Text
- Getting Control of Phone Messages & Keeping Records
- A Free Upgraded Way to Handle Cell Phone Messages
- Special Answering Messages for Special Callers
- From Your Website to Your Phone - Direct and Fast
- Using Email to Anyone's Cell Phone as a Text Message
- MS Outlook Might be All You Need for Your Business
- Using GPS for Client Service in Rural Areas
- Going Totally Online to Manage Your Business
- Click to Call Technology to Get Personal From the Web
Professional Development & Ethics
Long term referral and repeat business are your goal. Develop your professionalism and ethical practices to make it happen.
- Using Technology to Keep Up With Current Events
- Understanding the Department of Justice Suit Against NAR
- The Must-Read Annual Real Estate Trends Report
- Reasons to Get Professional Certifications & Designations
- The Quality Service Certification
- The Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®)
- The Accredited Land Consultant®
- The Accredited Consultant in Real Estate ACRE®
- True Story - Broker's Sister Fronts for Him
- True Story - The New Roof Strategy
- True Story - Conniving Agent or Greedy Sellers?
- True Story - A Realtor® Most Foul
Commercial Real Estate
Commercial real estate practice has been a profitable and satisfying niche for many over the years. See if it's for you, and how to get it going.
- Should You Begin Your Career as a Commercial Agent?
- The Smaller Commercial Broker Group Means More Interaction
- Areas of Specialization for Commercial Brokers
- Multi-family Property Due Diligence
- Commercial Real Estate Lease Types
- Commercial Lease Calculation Tools
- Book Review - "The Peebles Principles"
Brokerage Office Management
Don't go from little to big and back to little again because of poor business practices. Tools and knowledge are here to operate a real estate brokerage.
- General Brokerage Management Considerations
- Using Technology for Better and More Profitable Brokerage Management
- A Review - The Create-A-Plan® Brokerage Business Planning System
- As an Independent Broker, Do You Need an Office?
- Broker Management of Agent Email Procedures
- The Basics of a Brokerage Quality Improvement Process
- Profiles of the Largest Real Estate Franchises
Brokerage Liability and Risk
Real estate transactions are complex, and complexity brings risk. Learn how to manage risk for success.
- RESPA in Depth - Plus AfBA's
- People Types That Make Great Plaintiffs
- Book Review - "The Digital Paper Trail"
- Effective Ways to Improve Document Retention Procedures
- Serve Clients & Reduce Liability with the C.L.U.E. Report
- What You Need to Know About Lead Base Paint Disclosure
- Know the Risks of Deleting Emails
- The Federal Government Can Demand Your Emails
- Know the Risks of Transacting for Your Own Account
- Avoiding Federal Anti-trust Behavior
- "Fair Use" as a Copyright Infringement Defense
- Protect Your Brokerage from Agent Copyright Infringement
- Is Your MLS Property Listing Protected by Copyright?
Property Management for Investors and Real Estate Professionals
Whether you're a real estate investor with rental properties, or a real estate agent or broker, the business of property management requires a great deal of knowledge of legal issues, landlord-tenant relations, property maintenance and construction and more. Use this section as a resource for property management information.
