Sometimes I wonder why I chose the sluggish market of real estate as my profession but, in the end, we all know the answer to this “WHY”. Real estate is a powerful path to increase net worth and wealth. I have been a real estate agent for quiet sometime and have made my fair share of mistakes during my initial stage of learning.

Please, I don’t want to discourage my fresh fellow realtors pointing out their blunders, but I bring this article to point out such mistakes which can turn your real estate venture into a flop, after all we all make mistakes.

#1: Missing a definite business strategy

New-fangled realtors mistakenly believe that getting into the real estate business is like getting a new job. They don’t understand that they are beginning with a new business and need to plan a definite strategy to achieve their targeted goals. A definite business plan helps you find the right path to make your real estate business a success.

#2: Don’t know the targeted market

You should be much focused towards your audience because I hope you don’t want to be the “jack of all trades & master of none” - choose residential or commercial, buyers/sellers/renters, and know what areas you want to specialize in so you can target your customers.

#3: Lacking an efficient team

It is believed that a smart team around you can make your business flourish vastly. It takes a big team to close a transaction - Buyer’s Agent, Listing Agent, Lender, Insurance Agent, Title Officer, Inspector, Appraiser, and sometimes more. You need to surround yourself with people that are smarter than you are.

#4: Not arming your team with required tools

I know, getting started with a new real estate business is expensive but it goes for all other businesses as well. Don’t fool yourself and your team members by avoiding necessary tools of the trade because they are important and your competitors must be definitely using them.

#5: Refusing to spend money on marketing

After shelling big amount money on the license and board dues, the last thing a real estate agent wants to do is to spend more money. They neglect the fact that marketing yourself to your sphere of influence will bring in more business.

#6: Putting marketing efforts in wrong areas

Real estate agents stop spending money on marketing when they don’t get enough response. But they don’t realize they are spending money in the wrong place. The easiest place, where it is fruitful for the Real Estate agents to spend money, is the conventional print marketing - the newspaper, real estate magazines, etc… Large offices spend a good part of their money here because this is the most visible place to see real estate advertising.

A career in Real Estate can be very exciting but dawdling at the same time. However, if you avoid these mistakes, you will be definitely far ahead of competition.

Wish you a thriving real estate career!

Every time when I introduce myself as a realtor, always find the other person telling me how keen he is about getting into real estate or know dozen of people who are associated with the profession.

Surprisingly, we still do not come across many successful real estate agents because a license and awareness about few rules can’t do much. Research figures suggest that 90% of realtors give up this profession after 3 years, therefore to keep you motivated I bring you few tips, which will help you avoid becoming a part of these statistics.

•Think Big and Positive
•Set End Goals
•Keep patience to achieve targets
•Never Think You Know everything
•Don’t let the competition demotivate you
•Learn to enjoy your work
•Face the fluctuations of the market
•Efficient Market Planning
•Make the best possible closing team
•Be your own brand
•Never opt for the second best
•Take risks to learn more
•Arm yourself with necessary tools

These success tips can turn your real estate business into a money making machine, as it is said, “Invest in real estate because it is the best investment there is.”

As an aspiring realtor, recently when I decided of revamping my business card, I scored a bunch of cards, but there were only few from that batch that left an impact on me. I noticed, a bit of sensibility while designing real estate business cards can really do well for our industry.
Meeting a person for the first time, you just have 30 seconds to impress him flatly and what better you can think of then handing over your business card to him. A good design business card has the power to get you noticed and bring potential customers to your doorstep.

An impressive business card is the first printed advertisement of the new business – therefore I bring you some do’s and don’ts for highlighting your real estate business.

DO’s:

1. If you do not have a proper office, please, don’t add your home address, it makes the customer take you for granted. Email, cell phone and a website are usually enough to get in touch.

2. Use both sides of the card, all the space belongs to you. Use the backside of the card with a closer description about your real estate services.

3. Adding texture with modern digital printing will make your real estate business sound more appealing and stable.

4. Use premium paper, which is sturdy, glossy and thick, so your card is safe with the customers for a longer period.

5. Try hi-tech business cards. Leave a CD or USB business card with your important clients.

DON’Ts:

1. Don’t go for the “for free” cards that print their website on the back, you should be using all the space on your card.

2. Avoid using funny, illegible fonts will do no good to your business. Such fonts are hard to read and reduce the faking value of the card.

3. Don’t cram in too much of information otherwise your real message won’t be conveyed to your targeted audience.

4. Putting your real estate information on a unique shaped business card will make it difficult to fit in the regular business card holder and they will lose it.

5. However, experts recommend experimenting with the layout but it is better to stick with the traditional size of a business card.

If you think, I lacked on any aspect, your recommendations will be highly appreciated, after all the wonders that small 3.5 x 2 inch card can do for real estate agents, are irrefutable.

Lately, importance of branding in real estate business has been talk of the town, but still many brokers refuse to jump on the branding bandwagon, maybe they find branding irrelevant for their business. A mortgage broker provides services to consumers, they require for buying or refinancing a home. A simple statement about your business or brand-just a quick, clear sentence or two at most-tells your prospects how you are the only choice for them.

For all the real estate agents out there, I recommend checking out this great slideshow. It will make you agree how strong branding links your business with the outside world and sets your company apart from the competition.

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Few days back I stumbled across an interesting short post which unveils some bitter but true rules of real estate business. The post goes for everyone involved in real estate business, a loan officer, real estate agent, investor, appraiser, title officer but a must read for all prospective real estate agents.

Keep your hopes high:

During your low times, you need to believe firmly that you have great profits coming up your way. The way sun rises after every dark night, similarly ups and downs is a part of every profession.

Don’t get carried away by good times:

Nothing remains the same with the passing time. During your good phase in business, do not assume the journey will remain smooth through out the way. You need to be prepared for low times as well, which can come your way anytime.

Reward yourself!!

Real estate business drains a person mentally and physically. It is not wrong to save your hard-earned money, but spending some bucks to make yourself feel better and being rewarded, is not a bad idea.

Don’t let your family and friends suffer:

Real estate is a time consuming business, which can make you ignore your family and friends. Bad distribution of time will make one thing suffer, your business or personal life.

Remember why you chose this business:

To keep yourself motivated towards this business you need to keep on telling yourself, “It is a money making business”. Although you do not make big profits through out the year but whenever your luck stars up you get to make good money.

Real estate is a business where momentum is easy to lose and tougher to gain. I know it is one of the business kinds, which demand a lot of patience and determination to keep you motivated. The above-discussed aspects will give you a reason to celebrate for being in this business and a goal to shoot for.

If these points have made any of the exhausting realtors feel better, then my job is done, but still your thoughts on this are more than welcome.

With the growing popularity of blogging, it is quiet reasonable to expect real estate blogs to evolve as well. Undeniably, it is an effective and inexpensive internet-marketing tool for real estate agents and brokers.

Before choosing a blog platform, check out on these effective tips, which will definitely help your blog stand out from the crowd, earn subscribing readers and impress search engines.

Prove yourself an area expert:

Proving that you ‘re the expert on this community is how you set yourself apart from the competition that merely states it, blogs always help proving this.

Do not make it boring:

Hardly anyone is interested in reading typical real estate blogs but if you post schedules for the soccer league, local theater, etc, it will gain you multiple audience. If you create an interesting place to visit, readers will follow suite.

Bring it altogether:

The key to build a successful blog is mixing lead generation, business referrals and enthusiastic readers into one big marketing monster. There is simply no reason to leave half the upside a blog can offer at the table while chasing search results that will probably come to you anyway.

Make your blog your newsletter:

Search engines prefer the blogs and sites with links, which helps to deliver content to email subscribers as well. Delivering regular reports of sold property statistics via email with a link in the post will build traffic and subscribers for you.

Killer Content:

When someone comes to your blog, you have five seconds to capture their attention and make them stay. Good content makes up about 50 percent of a successful blog. The prospects do not read the pages, they skim and within few minutes, if they do not find something of their interest they continue with their search.

Invite guest authors:

Since a blog gives progressive results if the content is refreshed regularly. You can invite guest authors or realtors to have login access and post to your blog. This will bring variety to the content on your blog and earn authentic prospects.

Recently “Global Research Center” published findings that 68% of real estate agents are going to be focusing on blogging as a marketing tool in 2008; the statistics are unbelievable. This proves that a real estate blog is an immediate source of providing an exposure to the vast web audience regarding local information of building codes, restrictions, subdivisions, property sale statistics and more.

Hi All!

Welcome to my real estate blog. Hold on… don’t think I am bringing you the same typical boring stuff regarding market updates for investing in properties. You will find it more like a regular column in your local newspaper, giving an immediate guidance to the real estate agents for making their business a real success.

I cannot wait to post ample of fresh content on my blog pages, to help realtors with authentic real estate information. Our goal is to promote and preserve public confidence in the profession by sharing an insight about the current real estate trends and news. It will definitely turn out to be an effective discussing platform for the buying and selling agents of real estate.
I am also an ardent Realtor and love interacting with other contemporaries for further learning. So, jump in…let us chat about the ins and outs of real estate business.