Real Estate Update

Archive for April, 2010

If you are planning to sell your house, you had better find realtors. Realtors are licensed to sell any real estate property as an agent or broker. However, they are unlike licensed real estate agents. Realtors are affiliated real estate professionals who are members of the National Association of Realtors or NAR. You can find realtors anywhere in the world. Realtors are more than just real estate agents who are licensed by their state. Realtors are bound by the code of ethics as part of being a member of NAR. They are knowledgeable about the local money market; real estate values, taxes, utility costs, municipal services and facilities, and local zoning changes that could affect your decision to buy or sell a house. The tasks of realtors are many; however, the most common are to help people to find a home they are looking for, and to help them sell their home. If you are looking for a home to buy, a realtor is the person to look for. He can find the home property based on your specifications. He can also help in determining a fair price according to the sales of similar neighboring homes. He can also help prepare and submit the contract to the seller agent. Now, if you are selling your home, realtors can help you determine a fair price, and advertise your home property so interested buyers can see it. They can also help the seller negotiate a contract from an interested buyer, and manage the contract. There are a few ways to find realtors. One of them is by referral. Many real estate realtors stay in business not only for the money. They also stay in the real estate business because they get a sense of fulfillment whenever they satisfy a client. Your co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family members may have known a realtor who has helped them one way or another. They can be a good source of information to find a good realtor. Another way to find realtors is on the internet. The internet contains millions of valuable information on almost everything your mind can imagine. When it comes to real estate business, there are many listings on the internet about realtors, real estate brokers, and real estate agents. The sites may even provide contact details and other means to reach them. Open houses can also be a good place to find a home realtor. Open houses offer a friendly opportunity to interact with different professionals involved in the real estate business. So if you are selling your home, pay attention to the manner and details that the agent is using to sell the houses to the guests present. Observe his traits, characters and style. If you are impressed, you can approach him and ask for his business card. Among the obvious approaches to find realtors is the use of neighborhood signs. Take note of the day that they go up to show the house and the day that the SOLD sign appears. An agent or realtor who sells a home property faster may be efficient for you. If you are new to selling your home, it is best to find realtors. They can help you through the process and can even give you the fair market value for your home property. Reduce your stress of selling your home, by allowing us to find realtors for you at http://www.winnlist.com/ . This will not cost you anything. We filter the agents we refer to you. They go through a list of high standards before we recommend them to you. After all, we want you to refer us to your friends when they are ready to sell. Go to Finding a realtor and get all the details.

The real estate community in your service area represents a huge opportunity for you.  Realtors can help you acquire new accounts, defend your existing customer base and position yourself as the energy expert in your community.  I just spent a week at the Triple Play Realtor Convention in Atlantic City as a representative for the NORA-funded Partnership for Realty and Oilheat Success (PRO$ ) program for FMANJ, and I saw first-hand just how much opportunity there is for dealers who can cultivate Realtors and turn them into supporters of not only oilheat, but of their individual companies.

I’ve spent the better part of my career working on oilheat outreach programs targeted at Realtors.  I’ve also been on the other side, developing marketing and communications support from the corporate office of one of the largest real estate chains, and I’ve seen an awful lot about how Realtors act and think.  Read on for some insights about how you can get the Realtors in your community on your side.

Why Focus on Realtors?

The real estate office is the place where the rubber meets the road when it comes to prospective home buyers making big decisions about oilheat.  The right relationships within your real estate community will earn you referrals and will give you first crack at new home buyers.  Having no relationships will keep you on the outside of the deal and won’t allow you to positively influence the outcome.  Conversions often occur at the point of the home transaction, and you want to make sure you’re a part of the conversation.

And it’s not just the fear of doing nothing that should drive you to launch outreach efforts.  It’s that Realtors are a largely untapped resource in our industry.  They are a potential source of new business for you and they keep you connected to your greatest vulnerability – losing an oil-heated home to another fuel – and they directly influence homeowners, who are your ultimate targets.  Plus, they are open to your message and your information  –  but only if you treat them right and give them the tools they need to do their job.

Know your Audience

Here’s what I’ve learned about spearheading Realtor outreach efforts across the country:

Many Realtors have worse perceptions about oilheat than homeowners – Realtors deal with more homes each year than a typical homeowner, which means they’re much more likely to come across a problem with an oil-heated home.  One experience with an oil tank leak can cloud judgment very quickly and have long-term ramifications.
Realtors aren’t anti-oil, they’re pro-”sell the home quickly” – Realtors don’t care much about the heat source unless it causes a problem for them.  They care about selling the home as quickly as they can for as much money as they can.  And that’s where your interests overlap.  You can help Realtors sell oil-heated homes easier, faster and for more money.  And for that, you’ll stand a much better chance of keeping that home heated with oil.
Realtors act differently depending on the Real Estate Market – Boom markets like we saw in the early 2000s had lots of Realtors and a lot of activity.  There is good opportunity in a booming market, but Realtors are less hungry for information when business is good.  Today’s slow real estate market is the perfect time to launch an outreach effort.  A slow market allows the true real estate professionals to shine and weeds out the “fringe players,” those part-timers who can sell during boom times but aren’t experts in the business.  A slow market means you’ll find Realtors hungry for information and for any advantage to get ahead.  They want a local dealer in their back pocket to offer a new homeowner special move-in services or special pricing.

How to develop an effective program

Make your outreach a priority – This may seem like a no-brainer, but rarely do dealers make a commitment to Realtors as they would to other projects.  To really generate long-lasting impact, you’ve got to give your outreach due priority.  That’s not to say it should take the place of your marketing and communications efforts to acquire new customers, but it shouldn’t be relegated to a “when I have time” activity either.
Align your sales team – If you don’t have someone internal to serve as the point person for all of your Realtor efforts (most dealers don’t), it makes the best sense to use your sales team to be the primary points of contact with Realtors.  Provide your team with the key points of information, Realtor specials, product focuses that you want, so they are working with Realtors with a consistent message.  Ask yourself questions such as what is my primary message, what three things do I want Realtors to know about my company, and what is the advantage for a Realtor to work with my company instead of someone else? Once you’ve determined what your answers are, align your sales team around them.
Not all offices are created equal, so identify priority targets – You will be targeting anywhere from 25 offices to upwards of 1,000 offices, depending on the size and reach of your company.  Not all offices are equal in value to you, and you’ll want to figure out which offices are worth your time and effort.  Focus on offices that a) do the highest sales volume, b) are in target areas where you either want to grow or are most vulnerable from competition and c) are known office chains.  This is a good starting place, and as you get deeper into the market, you’ll learn more about which offices are worth focusing on and turning into “preferred Realtors” for your company.
Get involved with your associations – This can be a great way to reach a lot of Realtors at once and to position your company as the energy expert of choice in your market area.  Virtually all Realtors are members of their local real estate association, and you would do well to become a member.  Associations offer their affiliate members a variety of networking and relationship-building opportunities.  Get to know association leadership, and go from there.  Consider pitching association leadership on an oilheat class for Realtors or get them to publish an article in their newsletter such as “Make Your Listings More Energy-Efficient” that positions you as the energy expert for the realty community. You’ll also want to explore trade show and networking event opportunities with the association.
The broker is the key to unlocking the office - The broker sets the tone for the entire office.  If you get the broker to support/endorse you, you can really “own” the office.  Individual Realtors should be cultivated, but getting the broker on your side gives you a good chance to cultivate all the Realtors in the office instead of just one.  That’s why we focus on getting brokers to endorse our program and have them invite us in to speak with all of the agents instead of targeting individual agents with our message.  It’s also how to create lasting impact.  In an industry with high turnover, brokers are more stable and are more likely to run an office for years.
Focus on what Realtors want, not what you want to tell them – Realtors won’t be interested in everything you have to offer, so don’t try to sell them on all your products.  Keep the focus of your Realtor outreach efforts tied to issues related to real estate.  When you are invited to speak to an office, talk about the things Realtors would find helpful.  For instance, you might talk about the special services you provide to homeowners getting their home ready to sell.  If you’re a certified energy auditor, you might want to talk about how energy audits can increase the value of a home.  Focus on what’s relevant to the Realtor, so you’ll earn their trust, gain their referrals and defend against move-outs.

This should provide you with some good food for thought as you decide your pathway to growth in 2010.  I would be happy to talk with any dealer who is looking for additional guidance and support in launching a program this year.

Now a day’s people are investing more in commercial properties as they see more scope of ROI in commercial property investments. But just investing on these commercial properties is enough to get the desired profit. If you are investing your money on commercial properties then you are also supposed to get it sold in future to get your investment back with good profit too.

Thus, only investing in commercial properties is not enough, you need to understand the real estate market scenario and make good sales too. Here are some points that should be kept in mind while investing in commercial properties.

1. Build strong personal relation ship with your potential buyers as well as the sellers.

One should have heard from most professional sales persons around that people like to buy from friends. The same principle implies for commercial property sales too. If you desire to make good profit in the commercial real estate market then you should have the ability to make both the buyer and the seller your friend. Making them friends will give you a closer idea about their requirements and there by you can present your deal accordingly.

2. Don’t hesitate to advertise your Commercial Property for Sale Online.

Now advertising your commercial properties for sale is the most important aspect of your Commercial Real Estate Business. The success of making good profit in your commercial property investment is how you will advertise your commercial property for sale. First of all you need to understand the commercial real estate market very well. The scope of real estate market has reached every corner of the world. Thus online commercial real estate property listings plays very important role to get a wider range of buyers through internet from different parts of the world. Once listed on some highly recognized property listing websites will assure good number of customers that are exactly interested in what you offer.

3. Create a List of the Features and Benefits of all The Commercial Properties for Sale.

I have always observed that many commercial real estate brokers list their commercial property online simply without mentioning its unique or important features. People looking for commercial properties for sale online always review its features and specialties before making buying decisions. The main question that comes in every individual buyer’s mind is “what’s in there for me? To answer certain questions one can write a creating advertising copy that features almost everything about the commercial properties which would attract good amount of interest for your commercial property.

4. Keep a close watch on your Competitors to find out What Makes Them Successful Realty Investors.

The best way to be successful in commercial real estate market is learning for experience and more successful realtors in the commercial property market who are also your competitors. Try to find out the reason why do they generate more commercial property sales than you when you are doing exactly the same job as they do. Try to find out their best practices though in a legal way and implement them into your business. The easiest way to find out is to pose as a prospective customer/ buyer looking to make some commercial property purchase and observe how exactly you as a customer are treated by your competitors. Even if you found out that your competitors are using some bad practices then it can be a good lesson in learning what not to do. These bad practices could be used in a positive way by including statements such as “we will never…” in your commercial property listings online.

Commercial Properties for Sale in Texas and Ohio are the hot markets for investment in commercial real estate in the United States.

Usually, when you want fast private property sales, you tend to employ sales agents. They are tasked to dispose the property fast and within the terms in the contract. However, the major disadvantage when you let your private house pass through sales agents is that they can be expensive. You need to get considerable amount of money to the budget for sales commission. Depending on the type of sales agent, you need to slash a percentage from the private property sales. There are different kinds of sales agents and they are:

With a sole selling agent, he is entrusted to sell the property. He has the full right to selling. Even you as the owner were able to close a sale, you will still be obliged to pay the agent.
With a sole agency, he is entrusted to sell the property. However, if you as a buyer sell the property, you are not obliged to pay him for the sale.
With multi agency, you will have several exposures to the private property sales. However, you will be obliged to pay the agent who was able to close the sale.
With the ready, willing, and able buyer, it’s paying a commission to the estate agent who can find you a buyer.

When you have the last three sales agents, you can readily sell house privately. It is possible when some of your contacts bought the house directly from you. This is also possible when a friend of yours has a friend whom you have closed the deal with.

However, you don’t have to be limited with your friends or contacts if you want fast exposure of your private property sales. Except for sole selling agent, you can still sell house privately. After all, it is your property and you have all the right to help you agents sell the property fairly.

Also, just remember that the role of sales agents is purely for private property sales. They are not tasked to deal with legalities of the sale, as it is still the solicitor’s role. In which case, it would even be more beneficial for you when you sell house privately as this will save you on the commission for the agent.

Importance of Advertising Your Property 

On top of the efforts of the sales agent, you can add exposure to the private property sales by online advertisement. By doing so, you will expand your prospect. This will be good for you especially if you are under time pressure to dispose your sales. Also, this is important so you can have full control on advertising the private property sales. This is true when you advertise through Big Move Online. This is because advertisement to this site is customized to your need.

If you sell house privately, you need to have enough exposure. With Big Move Online, the private property sales will be exposed to several websites and publications. They can even be the one who will provide you the needed For Sale signage for the passers by. All these are made possible with just limited amount compared to paying commission to the sales agent. Surely with enough exposure that you have, there would be higher chances of closing sales from someone who possibly seen your advertisement. Surely, with so many surfers and consumer crossing the Internet everyday, there would be one person who will be interested to buy your property whatever description you placed about your property.

Real estate is all about “Location, Location, and Location”. Once you are sure of what you want you can easily get investors to help you with investing in real estate. Investing is real estate is at low risk unlike in other fields like share market etc. Once you are you of what you want and the quality of what you want, you can always expect positive returns. You can get take the help of mortgage loans, etc and make an investment into real estate. With a short fall in demand and growing incomes, there is a boom in the real estate sector because of which the private real estate investment firms are coming forth to invest in real estate.

The private real estate investment firms will benefit with the exponential rise in the demand for real estate funds. The main investment objective of these firms is to produce long term capital appreciation for those who are investing in real estate’s by providing them with the required capital. If you want you invest in real estate and you do not have the required funds for it then you can opt for a private real estate investment firm which will help you out. They provide investment for investing in real estate at affordable interests.

Now whether you are rich or poor, you can invest into real estate and experience the benefits with the help of private real estate firms. But before you step further it is necessary you consider few things first. Start saving some money so that you will be able to pay the interests on time without any problem, check your credit reports and credit scores which you can easily get from AnnualCreditReport.com & some bureaus and make sure they are not below the required level, and finally establish your monthly budget so you will be clear of what you can afford.

The private real estate investment firms will carefully study your case to make sure whether they can invest money on you or not. They will check your credit scores, debit levels (current), and the down payment that you can make and will sanction you the right amount to invest into the real estate. It sometime so happens that when all these things are not properly checked in advance, you might be unnecessarily qualified for a large amount of loan which you cannot afford to pay back. This will put you in a disaster, so it is very important that you realize what amount of loan you qualify for. Most of these things will be taken care of by the private real estate investment firms themselves.

There are many private investment firms who are looking forward to capitalize your investment into real estate. Most of the private real estate investment firms work as non profitable organizations trying to help people out with their services. While some take real estate as a serious business and work to get you the best deals. While some private organizations invest in real estate just to escape the corporate income tax that they have to pay. By investing in the real estate they can help the people who are looking for capital to invest into the real estate and at the same time escape the corporate taxes.

Whatever the reason may be you can always get the required loan from the private real estate investment firms. They come at reasonable interest rates and they can be easily repayable. The real estate investment firms are angels who will help you when you are thinking of investing into real estate. With no problems finding funds for investment, you can easily get into the real estate business and enjoy the long term benefits.