The Residential Specialist, January/February 2013

January/Februa ry 2013

THE RESIDENTIAL SPECIALIST

How to Prepare for a Recovering Market Pros and Cons of Listing Aggregation Sites What It Takes to Get Clients Off the Fence

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

Taking

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Meet Mary McCall, CRS, the 2013 Council president

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residential The

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January/February 2013 VOL. 12, NO. 1

24

20 features

20 At Your Service

By Michael Fenner Former teacher and 2013 CRS President Mary McCall knows that education and relationships can help CRSs provide superior service.

24 Bouncing Back

By Daniel Rome Levine Indicators across the country suggest that the real estate market is starting to recover. CRSs should plan accordingly.

28 Finding the Upside

By Gwen Moran Although some REALTORSÂŽ loathe listing aggregation websites, others have found a way to incorporate them into their marketing strategies.

32 Sticking Points w w w . c r s . c o m

By Regina Ludes Getting clients off the fence on a housing decision requires asking a lot of questions — and listening carefully to the answers.

Cover photo by Jensen Larson Photography

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departments 4 President ’s Message 6 Q uick Takes

inside CRS FROM 38 NEWS THE COUNCIL NAR Conference & Expo Recap Chapters With a Heart CRS REALTORS® of the Year Your Home newsletter

By Mary McCall, CRS

Strategic defaults; Gen Y buyers; foreclosure scams; rentals; and more

10 Great Finds 12 Technolo gy Moving-day helpers

l 47 Referra Marketplace 48 Ask a CRS

Advice from the country’s top agents

By Dan Tynan Must-have tech tools

14 Trends

By Mary Ellen Collins Risk-taking for REALTORS®

16 Pi p eline

By Rebecca Scherr The paperless office

18 Up Close

Jack Woodcock, CRS Prudential Americana Group REALTORS® Las Vegas

36 Good Read

Reviewed by Allan Fallow Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories

By John Golden

2 | January/February 2013

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residential The

Coming In The Next Issue ...

■

Fond Farewell

After a long and successful career, Council CEO Nina Cottrell prepares to retire.

■

State of the Market

An up-close look at real estate markets around the country.

■

Short Cuts

Strategies for overcoming challenges to get short sales done and preparing clients for the process.

■

Estate of the Union

A comprehensive guide to family trusts, estates and real estate sales.

Would you like to be considered as 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 2013 Editorial Calendar online at www.crs.com.

Specia li s t

EDITOR Michael Fenner Email: mfenner@crs.com Tel: 800.462.8841, ext. 4428 Fax: 312.329.8882 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Regina Ludes Email: rludes@crs.com Tel: 800.462.8841, ext. 4404 Fax: 312.329.8882 2013 COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY PANEL Moderator: John W. Goede, CRS Co-Moderator: Clark Niblock, CRS 2013 COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY PANEL MEMBERS Israel Ameijeiras, CRS; Cathy Armstrong, CRS; Jan Brito, CRS; Alexis Bolin, CRS; Shelly Campbell, CRS; DeDe Carney, CRS; Gretchen Conley, CRS; Bobbi Howe, CRS; Colleen McKean, CRS; Nancy Metcalf, CRS; Vince Price, CRS; John Stark, CRS; Marylea Todd, CRS; Beverlee Vidoli, CRS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mary Ellen Collins, Daniel Rome Levine, Gwen Moran OFFICERS: 2013 President Mary McCall, CRS

PLUS: Making Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Chief Executive Officer Nina J. Cottrell 2013 President-Elect Ron Canning, CRS 2013 First Vice President Dale Carlton, CRS 2013 Immediate Past President Mark Minchew, CRS

PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT

Tel: 202.331.7700 Fax: 202.331.2043 Publishing Manager Andrea Gabrick Email: agabrick@tmgcustommedia.com Advertising Manager Andrea Katz Email: akatz@tmgcustommedia.com Tel: 202.721.1482 Project Manager Katie Mason Art Director Josh Coleman Production Artist Tommy Dingus 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-0021-699, ISSN 15397572) 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 2013 by the Council of Residential Specialists.

All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Jan uary /Feb

ruar y 2013

e for a How to PreparMa rket Recovering

DENT THE RESI

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Pros and Cons ofs Aggregation Site

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to Get What It Takes Fen ce Clients Off the

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Taking

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President’s Message | News from Mary McCall, CRS

Jensen Larson Photography

The Six E’s of Success

By showing enthusiasm for your career, you can earn clients’ business — they’ll recognize that you are passionate about your job.

As I took office as the Council’s 2013 president, I was reminded of something important.

About three years ago, I heard several CRSs discuss their basic tenets of success. I realized then that I had been following six success strategies during my real estate career without really knowing it. These strategies revolve around the six E’s: education, experience, ethics, energy, enthusiasm and empathy.

Education. To succeed you must continuously hone your skills, whether you’re taking courses in international real estate, technology or marketing. A great place to start is your local board, state association or CRS chapter, which offer abundant and affordable educational opportunities.

Experience. Accompanying a veteran agent on the job or working with a mentor can help new agents gain experience quickly. That experience will help you become a more confident, knowledgeable agent who can answer customer questions, manage difficult situations and complete challenging deals.

Ethics. Honesty and integrity are the cornerstones of the real estate business. NAR’s Code of Ethics, which dates back to 1913, serves as a blueprint for REALTOR® behavior. Agents who emphasize ethical business practices will gain and retain clients.

Energy. Whether REALTORS® work part time or on a 24/7 basis, they need lots of energy to prosper. To re-energize, take a walk, read a good book or meditate. Take care of your health, and balance your workday with enough personal enjoyment to stoke your fires for selling real estate.

Enthusiasm. If you want to make money in real estate, you have to love your job. By showing enthusiasm for your career, you can earn clients’ business — they’ll recognize that you are passionate about your job.

Empathy. Empathetic REALTORS® can detect clients’ wants and needs, which may be related to big life changes such as divorce, death or the birth of a child. Listen carefully to your clients, put yourself in their shoes, and provide whatever assistance they need to get through the home sale or purchase process.

By putting these six success strategies to work, you can plant the seeds for a growing business for years to come.

As we embrace a new year, I’m wishing you an energetic 2013 filled with enhanced education, ethical experiences, and more enthusiasm and empathy than you can possibly exhibit!

4 | January/February 2013

CRS

MEMBERSHIP ADVANTAGES

Take advantage of your CRS Membership in 2013!

Take a look at all the benefits that you may be missing out on below: INFORMATION • Read The Residential Specialist bi-monthly magazine • Browse the CRS Community with tips, trends and topics of interest • Webinars on hot, timely topics; live or recorded (4 FREE Members-Only webinar scheduled throughout 2013) LIFELONG EDUCATION • Classroom training taught by top industry instructors • 24/7 online courses from your home or office • Continuing Education (CE) credit-approved course options • Sell-a-bration® education conference • CRS Legend Series CRS-TO-CRS REFERRALS • Place your photo in the online “Find a CRS” referral directory* • Update all your information for the CRS Membership Referral directory* • Update your member profile online through your CRS Account (don’t forget your bio) • Find a CRS to refer your transaction to online with new search capabilities USE THE CRS MARKETING AND BUSINESS RESOURCES • Customize the monthly Your Home newsletter for your buyers and sellers • Advertise your CRS Designation with template ad slicks, postcards, flyers, brochures and more* • Read and distribute the latest news releases JOIN YOUR GRASSROOTS NETWORKING • Find a CRS Chapter near you (57 CRS Chapters nationwide and internationally managed by local members) • Get information on local education, programs, events • Learn about community service opportunities • Promote the CRS brand in your market CONNECT WITH CRS • LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=39291 • Facebook www.facebook.com/CRSConnect • Twitter www.twitter.com/CRSConnect • YouTube www.youtube.com/CRSConnect • Google + www.plus.google.com/105819001251935930596posts • Find out what’s new in the CRS Community on www.crs.com/Community *Exclusive for Designees

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CRS MEMBERSHIP AND DESIGNATION THIS YEAR. Can’t find the above resources or need more information on how to utilize them?

Contact customer service at 1.800.462.8841 or email us at CRSHelp@crs.com.

QuickTakes | Industry headlines, statistics and trends Defaulting, Strategically Many Americans believe it is acceptable for homeowners to walk away from their mortgages, according to a survey by JZ Analytics on behalf of consumer risk management firm ID Analytics. Nearly one-third of American adults believe homeowners should be able to strategically default on their mortgages without suffering any consequences. About 13 percent say they would strategically default on a mortgage, and 17 percent know someone who has walked away from a mortgage.

But not everyone feels that strategic defaults are necessary.

According to research by YouWalkAway.com, many baby boomers are reluctant to walk away from an underwater home, unlike younger borrowers who see it as a strategic business decision.

Older adults tend to be more concerned with the negative stigma associated with defaulting on a mortgage contract. Some older adults have chosen to deplete their savings and retirement accounts to continue to make payments on the home, the study finds. Many of these individuals had never missed a mortgage payment. However, by tapping into their retirement and savings accounts, some baby boomers have cut holes in their personal financial safety net.

Reports of suspicious activity regarding foreclosure rescue scams continued to grow in the first half of 2012, even as the total number of reports indicating mortgage loan fraud declined, according to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). In the first six months of 2012, financial institutions filed 2,360 reports on suspicious foreclosure rescue plans, which seems likely to exceed the 2,782 reports filed in 2011 if the pace of reporting at press time continues. Meanwhile, 17,476 mortgage loan fraud cases were reported in the second quarter, down 41 percent from the previous year. Most of the reported cases of foreclosure rescue scams were in California.

Foreclosure rescue scams typically target homeowners facing foreclosure by offering services or advice promising to stop or delay the foreclosure process. Some of these scams require homeowners to transfer their home’s title or make monthly mortgage payments to the purported “rescuer.” FinCEN attributes the increase in reported cases of foreclosure rescue scams to growing public awareness of the problem along with current real estate market conditions.

WheRe hOMeBUYeRS

13%

LOOK

13%

It’s no secret that homebuyers use various Web-based services to find homes. Here are the most popular destinations.

19% 27%

Source: 2012 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

39% 47% 51% 54% 6 | January/February 2013

Real estate company websites Other websites with real estate listings Search engines such as Yahoo or MSN Real Estate For-sale-by-owner sites Mobile and tablet apps Real estate agent websites Realtor.com Local multiple listing service website

Chess set: Cico/Veer; sign: Backyard Productions/Veer

SCaMS

RETIREMENT The Next Generation Young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 believe they are more knowledgeable about the housing market than their parents were at the same age, and they have taken steps to be better prepared financially to purchase a home, according to a survey by Better Homes and Garden Real Estate.

Many young adults have made lifestyle changes to save money: * 62 percent are eating out less. * 40 percent are working a second job. * 23 percent moved back home with their parents.

Before purchasing a home, many buyers are doing their homework: * 58 percent researched interest rates. * 59 percent looked up home prices in desired neighborhoods. * 51 percent researched how to secure a mortgage loan.

FEARS

More Americans are concerned about their retirement finances today than in 2009, according to the Pew Research Center. Nearly four in 10 adults (38 percent) say they are not confident that they will have enough income and assets for their retirement, up from 25 percent in a similar Pew Research survey from March 2009.

While baby boomers were the most concerned about their retirement nest eggs in 2009, those in their late 30s were more concerned about their retirement funds in 2012.

2012

2009

71% 38% 25%

Very/somewhat confident 60% Not very confident/ not at all

Cold Call

Three-fourths of young adults believe homeownership is a better indicator of success than: * Taking extravagant vacations: 12 percent. * Owning an expensive car: 9 percent. * Owning designer clothes: 5 percent.

In today’s social media age, many agents might scoff at the idea of making cold calls, but new research by the Keller Center at Baylor University suggests that cold calling can generate good leads with prospective clients — if agents are willing to put in the time and effort.

In the study, 10 teams of agents made 6,264 cold calls collectively over a two-week period. Of those calls, 1,774 calls, or 28 percent, were answered, 55 percent were not answered, and 17 percent were nonworking numbers. For every 209 calls that were answered, agents were able to set up one appointment

or received a referral. Further, researchers found it would take an estimated 7.5 hours per week to complete those 209 calls, or 1.5 hours of cold calling per day in a five-day workweek.

The study also found that calls made between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. were the most productive, accounting for 31 percent of all calls made and resulting in 53 percent of all appointments or referrals generated.

The least productive time period for cold calling was after 5 p.m., which accounted for 42 percent of all calls made but resulted in only 21 percent of all appointments or referrals.

www.crs.com | 7

QuickTakes | Industry headlines, statistics and trends

The Rental Option

A Cloudy Recovery?

While the housing recovery may be under way, fiscal uncertainty and other challenges could delay a sustained recovery, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ construction and economic forecast. Single-family starts were expected to rise 21 percent in 2012 to 528,000 units and rise another 26 percent in 2013 to 665,000 units. The report says several factors will help carry housing momentum forward in the coming months, including pent-up household formations, rising consumer confidence, increased builder confidence and growing rental demand.

But other issues may cause further uncertainty in the market, such as builders’ difficulty in obtaining credit to construct new housing, qualified buyers who are unable to obtain mortgage loans, inaccurate appraisals, mortgages that are at least 90 days late or in foreclosure, and a limited inventory of developed lots in certain markets.

Skepticism With Age

Nearly one out of four renters (24 percent) say they plan to rent for the rest of their lives, even as apartment rents continue to rise, according to a survey by apartment search engine ApartmentList.com. Nearly half (47 percent) of renters surveyed believe renting is smarter than buying a home in today’s economy, while 37 percent say homeownership is not an important life goal. Of the 24 percent who say they do not want to be a homeowner, 39 percent cite the expense of homeownership as a deterrent, and 31 percent believe homeownership is too risky financially.

Nearly six out of 10 renters who wish to own a home say the economy has delayed their ability to buy one. Only 4 percent of renters who plan to purchase a home indicate they would do so in the next year, while 41 percent say they plan to rent for another one to three years, and 20 percent plan to rent for another four to five years.

“The fact that a quarter of renters plan to never own a home indicates to us that the definition of the American Dream is changing,” says John Kobs, CEO of ApartmentList.com.

“While the resale market slowly recovers, it seems that more Americans are embracing renting for the long term.”

Younger Americans are more likely to think owning a home is attainable but not necessarily a good investment, while older Americans believe the opposite, according to a Country Financial Security Index survey.

Think owning a home is attainable for a typical middle-income family Think buying a home is the best investment families can make

8 | January/February 2013

Age 30–39

49% 50% 37% 37%

Age 40–49

Age 50–64

Age 65 and older

45% 43% 36% 44% 48% 51%

Cloud: PzAxe/Veer

Age 18–29

NEIGHBORHOOD

WATCH

These factors prove to be the most important in influencing homebuyers’ decisions.

61% Quality of neighborhood 43% Convenience to jobs 39% Affordability of homes 35% Convenience to family and friends 26% Neighborhood design and convenience to shopping 25% Quality of school district 22% Convenience to schools 19% Convenience to entertainment and leisure activities Source: 2012 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

Alexander Stratiychuk/Veer

PRE-FORECLOSURES HIT

Homebuyers can now search for data on 1.8 million pre-foreclosure and foreclosed properties on Zillow, the company announced recently. These properties are not yet listed for sale, and they cannot be found on any Multiple Listing Service or on other real estate websites. In addition to providing details about the property, such as number of beds and baths, square footage, historical sales data and listing history, the pre-foreclosure listings will include foreclosure details, such as timeline of the foreclosure process, foreclosing loan amount, unpaid balance, the lender’s name and trustee and/or attorney information. Buyers also can contact a real estate agent to learn more about these properties and the foreclosure process. Zillow has also launched the Zillow Foreclosure Center, which provides how-to guides and a Q&A section to help consumers navigate the foreclosure process.

Housing Gets HEALTHIER

The housing market recovery is expected to gain momentum through 2014, assuming there are no further limitations on available mortgage credit or other major economic problems, according to a forecast presented at the 2012 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) Conference Expo in Orlando, Fla., in November.

NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun says the housing market clearly turned the corner in 2012. “Existing-home sales, new-home sales and housing starts are all recording notable gains [in 2012] in contrast with suppressed activity in the previous four years, and all of the major home price measures are showing sustained increases,” Yun says.

Increased demand for housing and declining inventory will push home prices up this year. NAR projected that the national median existing-home price would rise 6 percent to $176,100 by the end of 2012, and another 5.1 percent in 2013 to $185,200. Meanwhile, existing-home sales were forecast to rise 9 percent in 2012 to 4.64 million, followed by an 8.7 percent increase to 5.05 million in 2013 and 5.3 million in 2014.

Distressed sales are expected to decline from about 25 percent market share in 2012 to 8 percent in 2014.

New-home sales were expected to increase to 368,000 in 2012 from a record low of 301,000 in 2011, and they will grow to 575,000 in 2013.

Housing starts were forecast to rise to 776,000 in 2012 from 612,000 in 2011 and will reach 1.13 million in 2013. Yun cautions that while growth in new construction is promising, the anticipated volume remains well below long-term underlying demand. “Unless building activity returns to normal levels in the next couple of years, housing shortages could cause home prices to accelerate, and the movement of home prices will be closely tied to the level of housing starts,” Yun says.

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Great Finds | Tools of the trade

smooth moves The closing documents have been signed, but there’s just one more hurdle to clear before your clients can make that house their home: moving day. You can help them ensure a smooth transition — and leave a lasting impression — by recommending or giving them these useful items.

in a bind www.movers-edge.com Even the most organized of clients can forget something in the chaos that comes with moving. Help them prepare with the comprehensive Moving.kit. This threering binder, divided into six sections that include a countdown to the Big Day, contains checklists, pre-formatted estimate forms for moving companies, changeof-address tracking forms and more. The kit also includes dozens of valuable tips on how to save time, money and energy during the moving process.

24.95

roll with it www.uhaul.com Moving can be time-consuming, but even the smallest of time-saving strategies can add up. Speed up the packing process with color-coded Smart Move Tape. These color-coded rolls are preprinted with room names — bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and so on — as well as such messages as “open first,” and “fragile.” The rolls are available in kits based on the number of bedrooms in the house and individual rolls.

2.95 for individual rolls; $7.95–$23.95 for kits

lift off www.asseenontv.com Nothing can replace movers or an extra set of hands, but Forearm Forklift moving straps can help the job go a little smoother. The adjustable straps reduce the weight of heavy items, such as cabinets or couches, by 66 percent and can hold up to 600 pounds per pair. Loop the strap around each forearm and form an “X” underneath whatever heavy object needs moving. The webbed nylon material prevents scratching. cord control www.dotzshop.com It’s tempting to throw all those wayward TV and computer cables in a box and call it a day, but when it comes to unpacking, you’ll likely wish you hadn’t. Prevent a jumbled mess and keep cables neat and organized with Dotz Reusable Cord Straps. The colorful, fully adjustable straps feature a quick-release function and slots to insert a preprinted or customized identifying label.

3.99 10 | January/February 2013

17.95

Technology | Streamlining your business

tech check

A roundup of the tech tools REALTORS ® rely on every day to keep their business on track.

35 percent of REALTORS® use an Android smartphone for their business, compared with 28 percent who use an Apple iPhone and 18 percent who use a BlackBerry.

Source: 2011 REALTOR® Technology Survey

12 | January/February 2013

B

atman has his utility belt. James Bond has Q and his bag of spy gear.

Today’s REALTORS® have their own toolkit of high-tech gadgets they rely on to save the day.

There’s no question that advances in technology have fundamentally changed the real estate business and the way agents conduct their daily business. While desktop computers and laptops have long been part of a REALTOR’S® tech arsenal, smartphones, tablets, scanners and a host of apps now supplement — perhaps even have supplanted — that arsenal. These tools not only help agents do their jobs more efficiently, but have become so indispensable that agents can’t leave the house without them.

1: Smartphone Kimberly Cameron, CRS, with RE/MAX in St. Louis, cannot be without her 4G smartphone that features wireless hotspot capability. The device lets her — and her clients — access the Internet from virtually any location, without hauling any extra gear. “I am always connected,” she says.

“The smartphone is great for when showing houses, as buyers can use my hot spot for their Wi-Fi use as well.”

Despite carrying an iPhone, Nick Jabbour, CRS, senior vice president of Nest Seekers International in New York City, still relies on his BlackBerry for keeping in touch with clients in and around the Big Apple. “For instantaneous email communication, there’s none better,” he says,

Mipan/Veer

By Dan Tynan

noting that BlackBerry messages show up immediately. “In New York City, where email is considered as good as a phone call for a last-minute cancellation or change, I consider it a vital tool.”

In addition, smartphones’ built-in GPS capabilities keep agents on the right track no matter where they find themselves.

“Even in New York, we will occasionally have to drive clients, and a 10-minute walk can sometimes take 20 minutes to drive in traffic,” he says. “Knowing how to take the best route without missing a beat with your customer is vital to keeping time and conversation flowing.”

prelisting paperwork, after-closing docs — I scan them all into PDF files and email [them] to the clients in our CRM [customer relationship management system].”

CRS certified instructor Michael Selvaggio, CRS, a broker/owner with Delaware Homes in Townsend, Del., relies on a 16-page-per-minute Fujitsu SnapScan to kill clutter and keep himself organized.

“When I’m cleaning my desk off, I just pick up each piece of paper, scan it and shred it,” he says. “The SnapScan lets me save it as a JPEG or PDF file and send it directly into Evernote or Dropbox.”

2: Tablet PC

Ira Serkes, CRS, a broker with Pacific Union International/Christie’s Real Estate in Berkeley, Calif., uses three different kinds of cameras. When he wants to snap photos of local attractions and post them to FourSquare or Facebook, he uses the camera built into his iPhone. If he wants a higher-quality image or video of a property for his website, he uses a higher-resolution pocket camera. For listings and printed materials, Serkes uses a high-end 35mm camera, though he doesn’t recommend it for everyone.

Unless you’re willing to invest thousands of dollars in lenses and other gear, Serkes recommends going with a lowerend digital SLR from Canon or Nikon.

Along with a smartphone, a tablet PC — often an Apple iPad — has become an increasingly indispensable tool for many top-producing REALTORS®.

Ken Jansen, CRS, with Keller Williams in Overland Park, Kan., uses his iPad to access data on average sales prices or the percentage of homes that have sold in any neighborhood he visits, which he can then share with clients. Cameron uses her iPad to keep track of documents, meetings, conversations, training sessions and seminars, as well as keep her clients’ younger children entertained with games while the parents decide which home to purchase.

Jabbour has a stylus for his iPad so he can sign documents and instantly transmit them to cloud-based storage services or email them to colleagues.

“The iPad and stylus have replaced my briefcase,” he says. “I can use them to access any file or document I need inside [cloud-based storage services] Evernote and Dropbox. I’m also able to collaborate remotely and edit to-do lists for my assistant at the office or members of my group.”

3: Desktop Scanner Desktop scanners are essential for turning paper into bits and bytes, allowing transactions to flow at Internet speeds. Cameron uses an HP Digital Sender scanner that handles a wide range of paper sizes and types, including photos, and lets her email them to multiple contacts at once. “I love my scanner,” she says. “Settlement statements,

4: Digital Camera

Which of the following items do agents plan on purchasing or replacing in the next 12 months?

Smartphone: 38%

iPad: 29%

Digital camera: 17%

Windows laptop: 16%

Video camera: 8%

GPS device: 8%

Mac laptop: 7%

Windows desktop: 6%

Samsung Galaxy tablet: 5% Source: 2011 REALTOR® Technology Survey

“You can get one of these for less than $1,000,” he says. “You’d do better to spend your money on a photography class that teaches you how to take better pictures, and on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software so you can learn how to get the best quality from each image.”

5: Apps All this sophisticated gear is virtually useless without the software that makes it go.

And while there are hundreds of thousands of applications, there are a handful that are truly game changers for agents.

Many REALTORS® rely on Adobe Acrobat to generate PDF copies of paper documents; Dropbox to store those documents in the cloud and share them with others; and Evernote to organize meeting notes, photos and other media across multiple devices. And they use DocuSign to transmit digitally signed documents that are legally acceptable to local realty boards and most banks.

Beyond that, though, the sky’s the limit — literally. Serkes relies on his iPad’s built-in mapping app to give clients the “helicopter tour,” showing them what each neighborhood looks like from 1,000 feet and how close their dream home is to shops and restaurants.

Cameron gives presentations on her iPad using applications such as Prezi and Slideshare, while Selvaggio relies on a number of mobile apps to stay in touch with clients. He frequently uses Contactually, which integrates with his Gmail address book to organize his client contacts and remind him when it’s time to reach out to them again, as well as LinkedIn’s CardMunch. This app allows Selvaggio to snap a photo of a business card with his phone; the picture is uploaded to people who transcribe the data and send it back to his address book, along with additional info from their LinkedIn profiles.

And while the best tech tools may not be the equivalent of Batman’s utility belt, they definitely can help agents get the job done.

Dan Tynan is a writer based in Wilmington, N.C.

www.crs.com | 1 3

Trends | Today and tomorrow

risky business

By Mary Ellen Collins

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

—T.S. Eliot

14 | January/February 2013

W

ho would leave an established real estate office in a national firm to start another company in 2009, right in the middle of the worst market in 60 years?

In a move that left many of her colleagues shaking their heads, Julie Fugate, CRS, owner of Premiere Property Group in Lake Oswego, Ore., did just that.

“People did think we were insane,” she says, laughing. But in three years, she’s gone from having six agents in one office to 140 agents in four offices, with a sales volume of more than $100 million in 2012, up from approximately $17 million in 2010. “I don’t think anyone anticipated the level of success we would achieve in such a short time.”

Risks don’t have to be as big as the one Fugate took — any untested venture

involves risk since there’s no guarantee of success. But risk-taking isn’t just the province of the daring — it’s simply a part of doing business. “Risk-taking is an integral part of every business for the simple reason that it provides competitive advantage,” says Doug Sundheim, president of New York–based Clarity Consulting, which offers executive coaching and organizational development. “When something isn’t at all risky, everyone does it — then growth opportunities dwindle fast and you can’t differentiate yourself. Success requires you to take some risks to separate yourself from the pack.”

In this season of making resolutions and turning over new leaves, REALTORS® would do well to consider what kinds of risk might give their business a boost. Dissolving a partnership and going

Steve Wisbauer/Getty Images

REALTORS ® must weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks that may result from taking big risks in their careers.

solo? Focusing on a new market? Switching to a new office? Whatever the risk, the best rewards may exist outside an agent’s comfort zone.

Overcome Fears Fugate describes herself as a risk-taker in life as well as business, explaining that she and her husband once moved across the country “on a whim,” and back across the country three years later “on an equal whim.” Things worked out well both times.

A person’s comfort level with risk partly depends on personality, says Sundheim, author of Taking Smart Risks: How Sharp Leaders Win When Stakes Are High. But even those who think they lack the risktaking gene can overcome risk aversion.

“Find something you can get excited about. It’s very hard to take a risk if your heart isn’t in what you’re doing,” he says.

“REALTORS®, for example, might have a particular interest in a type of property, location or buyer. Learn everything you can about it and become an expert. This lowers your fear of taking risks because it increases your confidence.”

Agents can also assess their comfort level with risk-taking by reflecting on what experience has taught them about the value and the challenges of risk. “Jot down a list of things you will lose by not taking risks.

These might be long-term financial success, learning and growth opportunities or a sense of accomplishment. This list reminds you that playing it safe is also dangerous.”

Assess and Plan Even REALTORS® who fully embrace risk should do their homework before taking the leap.

“Figure out the return on investment,” says Laddie Blaskowski, president of Colorado Springs–based BusinessTruths Consulting Inc. and co-author of The Step Dynamic: A Powerful Strategy for Successfully Growing Your Business. “Ask, ‘How much could I make, and how likely is it that I will make that much? Is the investment worth the potential reward?’ I tell clients to come up with an acceptable number that if you lost it, you wouldn’t be happy about it, but you could still say, ‘I’m OK.’ ”

Taking Stock “Smart risk-takers are honest with themselves about what did or didn’t work,” says Doug Sundheim, president of Clarity Consulting. “They don’t let their ego get in the way of learning. They seek out others to help provide feedback.” He recommends using the answers to these questions to devise a more effective strategy moving forward: • What were we trying to accomplish?

• Where did we hit our objectives and where did we miss our objectives?

• What caused our results?

• What should we start, stop or continue doing?

Regardless of the level of risk involved, it’s also wise for agents to have a trusted sounding board. “Talk to people who’ve done what you’re thinking of doing.

Make sure you have a decent attorney and an accountant who can help you think things through,” Blaskowski says. “And it doesn’t hurt to have a plan B if plan A doesn’t work.”

Fugate, a self-described rapid decision maker, immediately decided to start her own company when she heard that her office was planning to merge with another office, but her partner took two weeks to decide to join her. They planned to create a brokerage model that would give 60 percent of revenues to the owners and 40 percent to the agents, provide passive income for the agents and offer an environment in which agents saw each other as allies instead of competitors.

“My background is in business planning and budgeting — I can put those things together really quickly,” Fugate says. “I did a tremendous amount of financial analysis to determine that this model would be

sustainable and would work. We had a business plan, we had a budget, we had a meeting to set goals and then we broke the goals down into action steps. We knew if we did it right, the business would grow.”

Avoid Red Flags Although no one can predict what risks are worth taking, there are some reliable warning signs that no REALTOR® should ignore. Blaskowski advises agents to proceed with extreme caution if they’re having trouble getting necessary background information, if people are trying to rush them into a decision or if an opportunity seems to have disproportionately little risk and huge rewards. “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” he says.

And when it comes to intuition, Blaskowski says, “if your gut is the only thing telling you to do something, don’t do it. But if your gut tells you not to do it, listen to that. I can’t think of a single time when a client has said, ‘My gut told me not to do it, but I did it anyway’ and the situation worked out. In banking we used to say, ‘It doesn’t matter what the financial statement says or how much you like the person, if your gut tells you not to make the loan, don’t make the loan.”

Similarly, Sundheim advises steering clear of any opportunity if “you’re scared out of your mind. Smart risk-taking should feel like a stretch, not a panic attack.”

Learn From Mistakes According to Sundheim, two things that separate smart risk-takers from others are preparation and planning before taking the risk and focused learning afterward. Even promising ventures sometimes fail, but the lessons learned can set the stage for future success.

The best recipe for risk-taking includes equal parts preparation and an ability to roll with the punches. And a perspective like Fugate’s doesn’t hurt. “For me, the worst that can ever happen is that you have to start over,” she says, “and I just don’t think that’s the end of the world.”

Mary Ellen Collins is a writer based in St. Petersburg, Fla., and is a frequent contributor to The Residential Specialist.

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Pipeline | Strategies to grow your business

cloud control The notoriously paper-heavy real estate business is changing.

By Rebecca Scherr

16 | January/February 2013

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uying a house can be stressful enough for married couples, but when the husband is in Paris, the wife in Germany, and the house in New Jersey, getting all the transaction documents completed and signed can seem virtually impossible. But Trish Giassa, CRS, GRI, of Keller Williams Realty in Summit, N.J., recently helped such a couple buy a $1,250,000 home in Chatham, and virtually all of the documents were accessed online and signed electronically.

Completing any real estate contract can present big challenges, especially when it comes to managing paper transaction

documents and contracts. In an effort to reduce their reliance on paper, many agents are moving to electronic documentmanagement systems that enable them to share — and sign — transaction documents securely. And while the idea of running a paperless office may rankle some veteran REALTORS®, others are proving that they can use technology to save time and money while providing superior customer service to their clients.

Less Is More On average, more than 100 pieces of paper are used in the typical closing,

Marish/Veer

“What the world really needs is more love and less paper work.”

—Pearl Bailey

says Cary Sylvester, executive director of IT product strategy for Keller Williams Realty International, acknowledging that this number can vary. “You’re less paper or you’re paperless. To really be paperless,” she says, “agents use online systems from the first point of interaction, when they take a contact, all the way through to the final transaction.”

For Giassa, a concern for the environment plays a role in her effort to use less paper. “Before paperless, there were 10-page contracts, addendums and disclosures. We would print pages of pictures. We could be using up a forest in no time at all — and I’m sure that we did,” Giassa says.

Another reason she chose to move toward paperless was to provide better customer service and offer clients more convenience. Over the past two years, she has introduced her clients to a proprietary transaction workflow platform provided by Keller Williams (eEdge), and online file-storage services such as Dropbox and Google Drive. These enable all parties involved in a transaction — her clients and staff — to access information whenever and wherever.

A paperless approach can also bring significant time and cost savings. Sylvester says Keller Williams research has found that going paperless saves agents about four hours per transaction, and it’s a $9,000 savings a year for an average size brokerage in paper and toner alone.

Sylvester says one of the most valuable — and most overlooked — reasons to go paperless is to take advantage of a convenient way to store client information.

After all, “In about seven years, clients will be looking to buy their next home,” and agents will be able to access their information quickly and easily. That also helps agents serve clients who may need a document from a previous transaction.

Pam Gebhardt, CRS, of RE/MAX Around Atlanta, who began using digital documents in 2007, agrees. “If someone calls me, and asks, ‘Do you have a statement from when I closed?,’ I just click on an icon on my desktop, and there it is.”

Tool Time There are several paperless document management and transaction workflow products for agents to choose from, such as Settlement Room, SureClose and TransactionPoint. Sylvester advises REALTORS® to examine the main problem they’re trying to solve before settling on a solution.

“If you need more [digital] file space, see what companies can do it. If you want to add e-signatures, look at the options.

What [tools] does your broker, association or MLS already have?”

“Some agents aren’t tech-savvy, and [they] just like paper. You have to work with them and understand that you can’t make them embrace it.”

For example, DotLoop offers a way for agents to manage leads, contacts, marketing and transactions across one platform.

Clients can review, approve and sign documents virtually. The free DotLoop plan includes unlimited transactions and e-signature technology, and it allows document collaboration as well as communication between agents and clients. For $20 per month, agents can upgrade to get help with task and business management, document templates, document sets, unlimited phone support and document storage.

Another tool, Paperless Pipeline, streamlines transactions and lets users access, organize and share documents

from any computer. The company says more than 22,861 agents use the product, more than 3,519,156 contracts have been submitted, and more than 208,415 deals have been closed.

DocuSign is an extremely popular tool agents use to get a secure signature anytime, anywhere and on any device that is connected to the Internet. Beginning at $20 per month, plans allow multiple users, unlimited documents, PDF file conversion, reminders and more.

For storage space in the cloud, Dropbox and Google Drive offer up to 18 gigabytes (GB) and 5 GB free, respectively. Agents can set up folders on their computers that synchronize with the files stored in the cloud, while clients who have access to those files can access them anytime, anywhere.

More Is Less?

Giassa says the major — and maybe only — drawback of being paperless is that some agents and clients haven’t yet made the transition. “Some aren’t tech-savvy, and [they] just like paper. You have to work with them and understand that you can’t make them embrace it.”

Gebhardt says about 30 percent of agents she knows in Atlanta are now paperless, and clients — specifically the younger set — expect agents to share documents online and offer the option to sign contracts electronically. And while most clients are computer savvy, some aren’t. REALTORS® must know their audience. For example, Gebhardt says, elderly clients may be more comfortable reviewing documents on paper, but that’s not always the case.

The fear of the unknown is what holds back some agents and concerns some clients, Sylvester says. “Instead of thinking about going paperless as a change that is burdensome, look at why agents are jumping in. Look at it as another part of your marketing plan and keeping in touch with your clients.”

Rebecca Scherr is a writer and editor based in Washington, D.C.

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Up Close | Profiles of people to watch

jack woodcock,

CRS

Prudential Americana Group REALTORS ®, Las Vegas

REALTOR® since: 1973 CRS since: 1979 Contact: 702.362.8700; jack@ jackwoodcock. com

Did you ever sell the King of Rock ’n’ Roll a home?

No. But my very first sale was to a country singer named Bobbie Gentry, the one that sang “Ode to Billy Joe.” It’s funny, really, because one of our objectives as a REALTOR® is to try to use the unique and interesting things that we’ve done and try to translate that into a connection or conversation with our clients. The variety of experience agents have, whether it’s in the military or the Rotary Club or previous professions, all of that can be used in a conversation with someone to develop a rapport.

How has your military background helped in real estate?

I think military training provides the discipline necessary to deal with changing market conditions. I came to real estate after being stationed in Vietnam for three years. We had to be solution-oriented not only for survival, but also to accomplish our mission.

I’ve adopted that solution-oriented approach to my real estate work. Client relations have to do with not only a dialogue, but also your attitude toward whatever you’re trying to find a solution for. When pricing houses, for example, it can help when dealing with sellers who think their property is much better than anybody else’s in the neighborhood. My job is to convince them to be reasonable about the price and help them recognize that there are things other than their personal beliefs that factor into pricing. [I also] provide them with statistics and insight into why we must price things properly, how the appraisal process works, etc.

What are some of the greatest lessons you’ve learned over the years?

One, that your demeanor plays a very important role when you’re trying to arrive at a meeting of the minds.

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Your ability to sense what a potential client’s hot buttons might be, and [how to] avoid them, for example. But we need to keep our ego in check. At some point, when REALTORS® develop a body of knowledge, sometimes we get a little too full of ourselves. And that can creep into a conversation rather quickly if you’re not aware of it and of the consequences. Humility is a great thing. I think remaining humble, no matter how much you know, is part of what’s absolutely critical in real estate.

Being convinced that you’re always right can stand in the way of someone enjoying this profession for the long term. To survive long term we have to look at things in a very different way. There has to be willingness to accept what you can’t change and [a willingness] to compromise, sometimes even a little quicker than your ego allows you to.

It kind of goes back to one of the things I often tell people: You only really need two important things to be successful in the real estate business. First, you need to come to the table with a good work ethic. Second, you have to have good human relations skills. We can teach you everything else.

So what’s left to learn after nearly four decades in real estate?

One thing that I’m striving to be better at is keeping that constant connection with clients. Keeping everyone aware that you’re still involved in the business after being in it for so long is always a challenge. Oftentimes people just don’t think that someone like me is still actively involved in the business. You have to constantly educate them by saying “Oh yes, we’re still selling real estate.” Most people think that after this much time you’re playing golf or you’re traveling or you’re going to the wine country, or whatever your passion is. We do all that but we’re still at the office every day too.

Is there any plan to hang up your real estate hat in the near future?

I’m going to do this until I check out. Retirement has no appeal. I’ve seen too many people go into sort of a retirement mode; they get bored and very quickly find that it’s not at all what it was cracked up to be. They like coming in and having the challenge that this business provides us every day. So I’m in it for as long as I’m around, as long as I maintain my health.

Jared McMillen

How long have you been in real estate?

I’m approaching my 40th year in real estate. I came to Las Vegas in 1971 while I was still in the military and stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. I wanted to make sure I had a career after the military, and the idea of sales interested me. I just wanted to sell something more interesting than refrigerators. I’ve had a lot of different odd jobs — I was a stagehand for a while in some of the [Las Vegas strip] hotels, a bodyguard for Elvis Presley for a while, and I managed an alarm company. But I left all that behind when I became a full-time real estate agent in 1975.

“Being convinced that you’re always right can stand in the way of someone enjoying this profession for the long term.”

Jack Woodcock, CRS

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20 | January/February 2013

Former teacher and 2013 CRS President Mary McCall knows that education and relationships can help CRSs provide superior service.

By Michael Fenner

Jensen Larson Photography

A

background in education gave 2013 Council President Mary McCall, CRS, some valuable perspective. As a 20-year-old high school teacher in Florida, she sometimes found herself face-to-face with students who were nearly as old as she was. By dealing with those challenges head-on, McCall learned to trust her instincts — a trait that would serve her well later in life as a successful REALTOR® and Council leader.

McCall has long been a champion of serving both CRS and local REALTOR® organizations. She has served the Greater

Tampa Association of REALTORS® in just about every capacity, including as its 2001 president. In addition to other leadership positions with WCR (Women’s Council of REALTORS®) and the Florida Association of REALTORS®, McCall was the CRS Florida Chapter president in 2003 and later served as a regional vice president (RVP).

The Residential Specialist caught up with McCall shortly after she was installed as the 2013 CRS president to discuss her background, her commitment to education, and her vision of what lies ahead for the Council this year. www.crs.com | 2 1

Get to Know…

Mary McCall, CRS, GRI, PMN, e-Pro

What was your background before you got into the real estate business?

Broker/Associate at RE/MAX ACR Elite Group REALTOR® Since: 1988 CRS Since: 1993 Florida Association of REALTORS® Director: 1997–2013 CRS Florida Chapter President: 2003 CRS Regional Vice President: 2004–2007 CRS Medallion Award: 2009 Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS® President: 2001 Florida REALTOR® Associate of the Year: 2005 RE/MAX Hall of Fame

I always wanted to become a teacher, and after my schooling I taught high school for four years before starting a family, then worked for eight years as a substitute.

I was barely 20 years old when I began teaching Latin and English to senior high school students, so my students and I were practically the same age. I learned pretty quickly that you need to be able to communicate well if you want to succeed in a tough environment like that.

After we began a family I was basically a homemaker, PTA president and fulltime volunteer. I served as the executive secretary of the Tampa Rotary club for 14 years beginning in 1981, and as time went on, I began to get interested in the real estate profession.

What attracted you to the real estate business?

As newlyweds, we built our first home in 1967. In the years following, I became friends with several REALTORS® who always told me that I would be a good fit for the real estate business. Back then I thought REALTORS® were just salespeople, like used car salesmen image-wise.

I didn’t want to be a salesperson, but one in particular told me, “It’s not a sales industry, it’s a service industry. And if you don’t help these people, somebody else who isn’t as ethical as you might try to.”

In the spring of 1987 I started working in a real estate office answering phones, writing ads and doing whatever else they needed. That’s when I noticed that the agents who were the most successful were those who were not in the office very often. They were out working with clients!

Since I got my real estate license in 1988 I have always looked at it as a service industry. I want to help people through the scary process of making one of the biggest investments of their lives.

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As REALTORS®, we’re often called to help people through some very difficult life situations. Divorce, death, financial hardship: These factors can play a big role in the emotions of homebuyers and sellers, and as agents we can help them work through these issues.

When did you start getting involved as a volunteer leader for the Council, and what kind of difference did your training as a CRS make in your career?

In 1996 I got a call from Tim Kinzler, CRS, who was president-elect of the Florida CRS chapter. He was planning

a leadership retreat and called me to ask if I wanted to be a committee chair and attend. Unfortunately, I was too busy, but I contacted him the following year to ask if there was still an opening. That started me down the road of chapter leadership.

In 2004 I attended the CRS Town Hall meeting at the national convention.

Incoming CRS President Ingrid Glancy, CRS, complimented me on something I said at the meeting, which led us into an in-depth discussion of the Council’s role and goals. I was eventually selected to fill an opening on the nominating committee, and I have been involved in CRS national leadership ever since.

Everybody who has the privilege to serve in CRS leadership has achieved success in large part due to the education and professional connections that this organization provides. The key thing for CRS leaders to do today is to pay it forward, and local chapter involvement will play a huge role in helping spread the word about the value of CRS education and the Designation.

What have your years in leadership taught you?

It is imperative to be a consensus builder, but a leader cannot be afraid to take a stand. No leader is going to be loved by everyone, but you can hope to be respected, at least, by most. Good leaders recognize that they may need to make decisions that won’t be popular with everyone.

Good leaders always take the initiative.

When you are an agent working with sellers and buyers, you want to call them before they call you — by the time they call you, you’re on the defensive. Good REALTORS® know that even if there’s nothing to report, you should call your clients and let them know that you are thinking of them and working on their behalf. Being proactive helps strengthen and solidify your relationship with them.

If you initiate action, clients tend to be more patient.

The same approach works in the Council. I believe leadership needs to be proactive by reaching out to membership in new ways. Where there is member dissatisfaction, we need to let them know that we hear them and that we are striving to do something about it. I’d like to be a mentor and a role model to inspire other CRSs to get involved in leadership themselves.

You have a background in education, and a long career in real estate. What kind of insight does that give you into

“Like it or not, this market is the ‘new normal,’ and agents need to realize that, even as sales and home prices recover. In order to be competitive in the decade to come, CRS has an obligation to be out in front, delivering cuttingedge education and tools to help our members succeed.” what CRS members are going through on a daily basis?

In many communities, despite what you might hear from the Pollyannas, it’s still very tough. The reality is that many people are still in the throes of a recession.

The challenge for us is to determine how we, as highly trained real estate professionals and CRSs, can help people overcome these housing challenges.

Like it or not, this market is the “new normal,” and agents need to realize that, even as sales and home prices recover. In order to be competitive in the decade to come, CRS has an obligation to be out in front, delivering cutting-edge education and tools to help our members succeed. We have to equip our members to earn a good living, be competitive in the marketplace, and let them know that their CRS Designation and ongoing

involvement with the organization will help them succeed down the road. After all, referral business is the lifeblood of the real estate industry.

Where do you see the business heading in the coming year and beyond? What are the big issues and challenges REALTORS® must face?

Nobody has a crystal ball, but I foresee greater acceptance of these experiences that we’re calling the new normal. It’s likely that short sales will be around for years to come in some markets, as will foreclosures. We need to accept this and respond by providing our members with the education they need to serve today’s market.

The public will slowly begin to realize that real estate is still a good investment. But we also know that housing is tightly integrated with the economy as a whole, and unemployment plays a big role in which direction the housing market is headed. After all, people can’t get loans if they don’t have job stability.

But it’s clear the market is recovering, and I believe most industry experts are expecting continued slow growth.

What kind of legacy would you like to leave with the Council?

I’d like people to remember that I gave 110 percent to improving the Council, and that I considered it an honor to be their 2013 president. I may have to make some unpopular decisions, but I will always do what I believe is in the best interest of the Council. I want to try to convey my respect for the Designation and everything it represents, as well as share what this organization has done for me personally and professionally. I want Designees to wear that CRS pin and use those initials after their name with pride.

Micheal Fenner is the editor of The Residential Specialist.

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By Daniel Rome Levine

Having conducted high-risk rescue missions as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard for 23 years, Dean Kessler, CRS, knows all about shifting strategies in the face of changing situations. Kessler, who leads The Kessler Real Estate Team in Eureka, Calif., has relied on that same skill since entering the real estate profession in 1994.

Whether maneuvering a small rescue boat in heavy surf or plotting a strategy shift to stay abreast of a changing market, “you have to always be thinking ahead to, ‘Where are we going next?,’ and then make a decision to move in that direction,” Kessler says.

Real estate markets, like the churning seas off the Northern California coast, are constantly shifting, and REALTORS® have to be ready to adapt to those swirling currents — or risk drowning. Never has that been more true than in today’s housing market, which in Kessler’s area, as well as in many other parts of the country, is showing signs of recovery after years of depressed prices and sluggish sales.

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Plinghoo/Veer

Indicators across the country suggest that the real estate market is starting to recover.

CRSs should plan accordingly.

At press time, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® projected that the national median existing-home price would rise 6 percent to $176,100 by the end of 2012 and another 5.1 percent in 2013 to $185,200. Meanwhile, existinghome sales were forecast to rise 9 percent in 2012 to 4.64 million, followed by an 8.7 percent increase to 5.05 million in 2013.

Distressed sales are expected to decline from about a 25 percent market share in 2012 to 8 percent in 2014.

New-home sales were expected to increase to 368,000 in 2012 from a record low of 301,000 in 2011, and then grow to 575,000 in 2013. Housing starts were forecast to rise to 776,000 in 2012 from 612,000 in 2011 and reach 1.13 million in 2013.

For Kessler and agents around the country who have been toiling in down markets, preparing for a recovery now will put them in a good position to succeed when the storm clouds clear. To achieve that, REALTORS® would do well to re-examine their business strategies and obtain additional training and education to help them meet the market’s needs.

Strategic Switch Kessler began noticing the first signs of improvement in his market last summer.

The number of houses for sale was decreasing dramatically, and sales prices, which had been down 35 percent since the market peak in 2006, were stabilizing.

With the market picking up, homeowners

NAR projects* a national median existing-home price increase of 6 percent in 2012, to $176,100, and another 5.1 percent in 2013 to $185,200.

Existing-home sales were forecast to rise 9 percent in 2012 to 4.64 million, followed by an 8.7 percent increase to 5.05 million in 2013.

Distressed sales were expected to decline from a 25 percent market share in 2012 to 8 percent in 2014.

New-home sales were expected to increase to 368,000 in 2012 from a record low of 301,000 in 2011, then grow to 575,000 in 2013.

Housing starts were forecast to rise to 776,000 in 2012 from 612,000 in 2011 and reach 1.13 million in 2013. *This data was available at press time.

26 | January/February 2013

who may have been thinking of selling were now staying put in hopes that their home values would keep rising. After spending the last six years trying to convince potential buyers to look at the plethora of homes on the market, Kessler now faced the opposite challenge: trying to convince intransigent homeowners that they should sign up with him to sell their home. “I shifted my lead-generation techniques, systems and dollars to focus more on seller leads while trying to keep my buyer leads intact,” he says.

Dollars he had been spending on Internet marketing to find scarce buyers are now going toward a postcard marketing campaign aimed at convincing recalcitrant sellers that prices have never been

so affordable and that the time is right to move up to a larger home. He is aiming his postcards at the ZIP codes that market data show have had a consistent turnover of homes, such as areas close to a university, and at people who own rental homes.

“The market is flush with buyers, and they are picking through available inventory of homes for sale, which is at historical lows,” his postcard reads. “Sellers who have shied away from yesterday’s market should reconsider testing this market.”

The postcard touts his team’s local experience, its marketing prowess and credentials, such as Kessler’s CRS Designation. He says people place an especially high premium on knowledge and experience during uncertain times, such as in the midst of a shifting market. “As sellers are now deciding whether to put their homes up for sale, it’s really important to them to be with someone who is an expert, [who] can be trusted and has a strong presence in the community,” Kessler says.

Getting Schooled Gee Dunsten, a CRS certified instructor for nearly 20 years, and president of Gee Dunsten Seminars, in Salisbury, Md., couldn’t agree more.

And because people value knowledgeable professionals so highly during uncertain times, he says the best step CRSs can take to prepare themselves for a recovering market is to make sure they are the best-educated agent in their community. “ ‘People want to deal with someone who has the heart of an educator, not the heart of a salesperson,’ ” says Dunsten, quoting personal finance expert and author Dave Ramsey.

“By getting informed and being knowledgeable about what is happening in real estate nationally, regionally and in your local area, you will position yourself as a leader who is far out in front of the competition,” Dunsten says.

Agents who want to ensure they’re as knowledgeable as possible going into a recovery should access as many sources of relevant information as possible, Dunsten says. He relies on information from Keeping Current Matters, a monthly audio/visual report by residential real estate expert Steve Harney, and the Home Price Expectations Survey, a quarterly report summarizing the views of more than 100 economists, housing experts and investment strategists published by MacroMarkets, a financial technology company.

In addition to regularly checking news and market updates from CRS and NAR, Dunsten says agents should keep tabs on the regular reports from Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, RealtyTrac, HousingWire, CoreLogic, Zillow, MarketWatch and Google.

“By providing clients with a wealth of factual information, you’re proving to them that you are genuinely concerned about helping to make them bettereducated decision makers,” says Dunsten.

“By doing this you win their trust and end up with a long line of people singing your praises to their family, friends and peers.”

Shifting Priorities In Fort Myers, Fla., Denny Grimes, CRS, of Denny Grimes & Company at Royal Shell Real Estate, has been shifting course since mid-2011 to position his company to benefit from a gradual recovery in his local market. The twin cities of Fort Myers and Naples were among the hardest hit in the housing downturn, he says, with home values plummeting some 65 percent from the 2006 peak. “It’s been a slow shift, but we’re definitely operating in a different environment now,” says Grimes.

The environment in Fort Myers and Naples is the opposite of what it was six years ago when “sellers were throwing themselves at us asking for help and buyers were being fickle,” Grimes says.

Now, homeowners who may be thinking of selling are sitting on their hands hoping for prices to continue rising.

“You can’t move them with dynamite,” he says. “This downward pressure on inventory means fewer sellers and agents having to employ strategies to gain more market share.”

One of Grimes’ strategies to build his client base has been to go after these reluctant sellers in his core market of Fort Myers, as well as in nearby Naples using radio advertising. Radio, he says, reaches both markets and is less expensive than print. Grimes’ radio spots make what he calls a “bodacious” offer to homeowners: Sign up with him to sell their home at an agreed upon price, or higher, and if he can’t sell it he will buy the home himself.

Grimes says this kind of bold offer is necessary to get today’s potential sellers to move. “I’m reaching every ear in Naples and it’s making the phone ring,” he says, adding that he is getting about 15 calls a month based on the radio ads, and most of these result in listings that he ends up selling. He hasn’t had to buy a single house yet.

Grimes is also expanding his reach into Naples by hiring agents there who have strong local experience. “I have market knowledge and name recognition in Naples, but I don’t have boots-on-theground experience,” he says. “I’m adding team members there who have inroads into the local community, and I’m going to leverage their names and databases.”

Within a month of hiring one of these agents last October, Grimes says he landed a listing for a $6 million house.

By being prepared with a plan of action and implementing new strategies, Grimes has been able to take advantage of the shift in his local market to add clients. As real estate markets recover across the country, agents who are prepared, knowledgeable and have the foresight to implement new strategies will be in a prime position to benefit from the upturn.

Daniel Rome Levine is a writer based in Wilmette, Ill., and is a frequent contributor to The Residential Specialist.

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Although some REALTORS® loathe listing aggregation websites, others have found a way to incorporate them into their marketing strategies.

By Gwen Moran

In September 2012, Christine Williams, CRS, got a call from a buyer with whom she’d been working. The woman contacted Williams, a broker-associate with Edgewater Companies Inc. in Jacksonville, Fla., to ask about a property she’d discovered on her own. Williams was alarmed: After all, she considered herself a meticulous professional. How could she have missed a listing?

As it turned out, she hadn’t. The buyer had been searching Zillow and discovered a listing that had expired five months earlier, but was still listed on the site. Williams contacted the listing agent, who sent her an email confirming the expired listing, which Williams shared with her buyer. It’s a story that exasperates her.

“That’s completely false advertising,” she says. “That makes us look inexperienced, and, as REALTORS®, we aren’t allowed to do the baitand-switch and falsely advertise, so why are these public sites allowed to take information and do [that]?”

Every month, tens of millions of buyers, sellers and renters visit the major real estate listing aggregate sites, such as Trulia, Zillow, Realtor. com, HotPads.com, HouseFinder and Homes.com. Today’s home seekers

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and sellers, savvy about Web and mobileapp use, prefer to do their real estate business online — at least at first — scanning these sites to educate themselves about numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms, prices, property taxes, sales histories and neighborhood info, often well before they meet with an agent.

Once universally reviled by agents, listing aggregation sites continue to provoke heated debate among real estate professionals. But whether they are viewed as a blessing or curse, many REALTORS® have decided that the days of “I would never use those sites” are over. Some agents have even shifted their marketing strategies in an effort to reach consumers who log on to Zillow or Trulia before they ever call a REALTOR®. Regardless of their accuracy, listing aggregation sites may represent a good opportunity for REALTORS® to market themselves directly to potential clients.

How They Work For aggregators, the goal is simple: Make as much real estate data as possible available in one easy-to-use interface. They get listing information through agreements with multiple listing services as well as

through syndication services like ListHub, SyndaFeed and others. Brokers can opt out of these MLS agreements, choosing not to syndicate their listings to aggregate sites.

Larger sites update their data regularly, but REALTORS® complain there is often a lag — as little as several days or as much as several months — between the time when the information is updated by the listing agent and when it is updated on the aggregate sites. And with smaller sites cropping up regularly, manually finding and updating all of the locations where the listing appears can be challenging and time-consuming. The sites also offer enhanced listing options for a separate fee that varies by site and location, which allow greater visibility and access to leads.

Go Where the Customers Are It didn’t take long for aggregation sites to take off. Zillow launched in 2005. As of the company’s July 2011 initial public offering (IPO), its market value was roughly $1 billion. Also launched in 2005, Trulia’s September 2012 IPO was estimated to have raised roughly $102 million for shareholders on its first day. Such financial power and widespread consumer awareness has made them the first stop for

many consumers when they begin a home search or want to get a sense of what their homes are worth before they sell them.

“The reality is that this is where the consumers, buyers and sellers are. They are not driving by my sign, not looking at my or my company’s website, not looking at newspapers or Homes magazines in great numbers. They are online at these thirdparty sites,” says Bruce Ailion, CRS, with RE/MAX Greater Atlanta.

Ailion spends $2,000 to $2,500 a month on syndication and enhanced listing fees on Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Homes.com and HomeFinder, which generate roughly 10 to 15 leads each month. He has found that users typically pick one they like and use it instead of checking various aggregate sites, so he opts to have a broad presence, while other REALTORS® find that a particular site works best for them and focus their efforts there. For the past year, Ailion has been spending roughly $500 to $600 per month on Realtor.com alone, purchasing showcase listings, which include a contact box next to the listing for more information, on properties in his market where the listing agent chose not to do so. These have generated about six closings so far, he says.

Ailion doesn’t like the fees or the diffi-

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culty in updating his listings — many sites don’t update with new information quickly, so REALTORS® have to log on manually to each site to correct, update or remove listings, which can be time-consuming — but he says the bottom line is that these sites are where customers are looking, so he wants to be there. A recent Zillow lead he received resulted in an offer on a condo for 10 percent more than the asking price.

Ailion says MLS systems and brokerage websites have not provided the kind of user experience consumers want, including area demographics, maps, information about whether residents can walk to amenities or if a car is necessary. Third-party sites give consumers that kind of data in a clean, user-friendly, searchable format and have captured the market, he says.

“This information, in some form or another, is available to the public. They don’t need to come to us, so the idea that we own the listings is outdated. But, as REALTORS®, we interpret the data,” says Ailion. “We provide the context — you need someone who knows the community, who knows the schools. That’s something these sites can’t provide.”

Brian Copeland, CRS, with Village Real Estate Services in Nashville, Tenn., has also embraced listing aggregators, using ListHub — which has both free and premium options starting at $39 per month — to syndicate his listings. Consumers expect listings to be on these sites, he says. He says that some sites work better in certain markets than others, noting that Zillow in particular hasn’t been effective for him, but he has closed at least one lead a month from Trulia. One month he closed eight. As a result, he invests in advertisements on Trulia that appear when users search for properties in his area.

He also uses a Trulia Pro account, which allows him to track which calls come from Trulia. Pro accounts on Trulia range from $39.99 per month to $199.99 per month, and setup is done via a login-based online dashboard.

Due Diligence Clark Niblock, CRS, founder of Niblock Company REALTORS® in San Antonio, Texas, was initially optimistic about the opportunities aggregation sites

“This infor ma tion, in some for m or another, is a vailable to the public. They don’t need to come to us, so the idea tha t we o wn the listings is outda ted. But, as REALTORS ® , we inter pr et the da ta.”

might provide, but ultimately, they just haven’t delivered leads for him, so he stopped spending money on them. In his San Antonio market, some brokers are pushing for the MLS to renegotiate syndication contracts to ensure that data is updated more frequently and meets higher standards of accuracy. Another of his criticisms is that well-funded sites can create marketing blitzes that increase their search engine rankings, making it difficult to find local REALTORS® among all of those results.

“Agents rushed right in to get involved without really doing the due diligence that we needed to as REALTORS®. Now, I think we’re paying some of the consequences for that,” he says.

Niblock also echoes the criticism that aggregate site listings are notoriously out of date. However, since consumers don’t know the nuances of how data is updated, incorrect listings could reflect poorly on the REALTOR® and not the site, he says. In addition, property valuation often doesn’t take into account the nuances of hyperlocal real estate markets.

Jon Karlen, CRS, co-founder of Finish Line Realty in Louisville, Ky., opts out of syndicating his listings and doesn’t believe the traffic numbers some of the major sites report. He also questions the viability of many leads from the site, especially when they are generated from outdated data. “If a customer makes an inquiry about a property and the property is [already] sold, well, they’re not going to be mad at Zillow or Trulia,” he says. “A lot of the consumers I see are frustrated because they don’t understand how it could still be listed on the site.”

Karlen says that puts agents at an immediate disadvantage with leads and creates a playing field that isn’t level.

Because these companies are typically not licensed to sell real estate, nor are they members of REALTOR® boards, they do not have to comply with NAR’s professional standards, such as data accuracy and removing sold listings immediately.

On the other hand, Niblock says that inaccurate data and outdated listings are among the very reasons why these sites offer REALTORS® an advantage. The professional real estate agent becomes more of an expert and curator of information, helping clients navigate the process.

“That is why today’s CRS will never be replaced by a computer,” he says. “I can tell you the difference between Maxwell and Lockland Springs [neighborhoods].

They are within a quarter of a mile of each other, but have significant differences in value.” As someone well-versed in those neighborhoods, Niblock says he can tell the difference while an aggregate site may report inaccurate value in one or the other community.

Regardless of the complicated relationships and attitudes many REALTORS® have about listing aggregation sites, most agree that the sites aren’t going away. Given that reality, top agents must come to terms with aggregation sites, either by figuring out a strategic way to make them pay off or by developing a strategy to succeed without them.

Gwen Moran is a writer based in Wall Township, N.J., and is a frequent contributor to The Residential Specialist.

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uring a recent listing presentation, Betty Kerr, CRS, learned that the prospective client couple she was meeting with was all too willing to wait until the beginning of 2013 to list their existing home and then shop for a new one. The couple explained that two real estate agents advised them to wait until January when they could get more for the property while home prices were still rising.

But Kerr, with Keller Williams Realty in La Quinta, Calif., saw things differently. The clients were considering a move to a bigger home in one of three communities so their mother could move in with them. “I told them prices are going up in these other neighborhoods, too. If you wait, the house you want in those areas may be priced out of the range that the lender qualified you for.

Then you may need to look at different neighborhoods, which may not have what you’re looking for,” Kerr says. She won the listing, and she is currently helping the couple shop for a home.

The recent recession hurt many consumers, both in their wallets and in their confidence. Consequently, many of them are hesitant to make any major housing

What’s Important?

In today’s tough economy, buyers and sellers are scared of making mistakes that could cost them money, says CRS certified instructor Jackie Leavenworth, CRS. “Many buyers feel they have to look at a lot of homes before making a decision. In those situations, agents can ask, ‘If we found a home that fit all your wants and needs on the first day, what would you do?’ By asking that question, you can find out where their head is,” Leavenworth says.

Karen Keller, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and executive coach (www. karen-keller.com), says agents can help their clients “access their inner wisdom” so they make smart decisions by engag-

ing in conversation and asking questions.

“Asking questions gets clients to think or look at the situation from a different perspective, or discover other long-term goals they may have that could be affected by short-term decisions,” Keller says.

Start by asking a series of benefit questions, advises Keller. “Ask, ‘What is the benefit of waiting to sell your home?’ … [and] ‘What is the benefit of finding the right buyer?’ Keep asking these benefit questions to dig deeper for their true motivation,” Keller says.

If necessary, give the client choices.

“Tell them, ‘You can have this or that.’

Then explain the consequences of each.

When they’re stuck, this will get their mind moving,” Keller says. Agents also can prompt action by making one option look more appealing than the other. For example, agents can say, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have only one household to manage and not have two sets of bills to pay?” If clients can focus on future possibilities, they’re more likely to start moving toward them, Keller says. “Once you change their mindset, movement happens quickly,” she says.

By zeroing in on her clients’ motivation and time frame for moving, Kerr

Reasons for Moving 30 percent Desire for larger home: 11 percent Job-related: 9 percent

Desire to own their own home:

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helped give them a sense of urgency. “I asked them, ‘What’s important to you?

When do you want your mother to move in with you?’ ” When the couple replied that they wanted to move their mother right away, Kerr proceeded to show them that days on market in the Palm Springs area averaged 62 to 90 days.

“I told them, ‘If you put your home on the market now, it will likely sell in two to three months. But if you wait until January to list your home, you will lose time. By the time you purchase a new home and sell in January, your mother may not move in until at least March.’ ” By presenting concrete facts while appealing to their emotional connection to their mother, Kerr convinced the couple that getting their home sold now rather than later was in the family’s best interests.

Show and Tell Leavenworth shares several sources of data with buyers and sellers to guide them toward a decision on their own.

For example, Forecast-Chart.com, which shows the history of home price appreciation in 500 metro areas and all 50 states, helps home sellers see how much

Change in family situation:

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decisions. Sellers are waiting longer to list their homes in the hopes that the market will improve, while buyers are delaying a home purchase for fear they will lose money on their investment. With consumer confidence lagging, agents have the tough task of convincing clients that now is a good time to buy or sell. By appealing to clients’ emotional needs and sharing hard facts about the market, agents can get clients off the fence.

8 percent Affordability of homes:

7 percent

Source: 2012 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Survey of Home Buyers and Sellers

Owners’ Plans their home is worth now, how much it has appreciated since they bought it and when real estate prices in their area may rebound. “I direct sellers to this website, have them do their homework and see for themselves that some housing markets may not turn around right away,” Leavenworth says.

While owners who bought within the last five or six years have taken a loss, Leavenworth says, those who purchased before the housing downturn have earned significant gains in equity, despite losses over the past few years. For example, a home purchased 10 years ago appreciated 21 percent over that time, while a home purchased 20 years ago gained 86 percent in value, says Leavenworth, quoting data from Forecast-Chart.com. To get these sellers off the fence, Leavenworth advises agents to focus the discussion on what they gained over the total years of ownership.

For buyers, Leavenworth highlights the historically low current interest rates to illustrate how waiting can cost them on their eventual monthly payment if rates rise. For example, if a buyer wants to pay principal and interest of $1,500 per month, then at the current interest rate, they can obtain a mortgage loan of $356,000. But if they wait six months and the rate increases to 5 percent, the same buyer may only get a mortgage of $250,000, which means they’ll have to look at homes in a different price bracket, explains Leavenworth. “When they take advantage of current interest rates, it helps their buying power.” And that may be enough to convince them to stop stalling and start looking.

To Move or Not to Move?

Katherine Ambrose, CRS, with Keller Williams Realty in Wichita, Kan., tells

15 percent of homeowners currently own two homes.

12 percent of sellers do not plan to sell their previous home.

6 percent of sellers say their home has not sold and is being rented.

Source: 2012 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Survey of Home Buyers and Sellers

hesitant sellers that now is the time to sell because buyers shopping for a home during the winter are usually more serious about buying. She also points out that low interest rates can help attract the right buyer for their property. “I tell them, ‘How long do you think it will be before interest rates go up? None of us know. What we do know is that rates are unbelievably fantastic now. The [buyers] that are determined to move now are going to do it, and they could have your home as one of their choices. Might as well let them know it’s available,’ ” Ambrose says.

Buyers and sellers give myriad reasons why they cannot buy or sell, she says.

One client couple Ambrose worked with recently has already bought a home, but they are still debating whether to sell their first home, which is sitting vacant.

“They say, ‘Well, we don’t owe anything on it, so we don’t have to sell it now,’ ” says Ambrose, who quickly points out that they are still paying taxes, insurance and maintenance costs on the property.

“They may not know why they need to sell their vacant house, but I can see the urgency to act before they do. Agents need to help clients process everything so they can come to the same conclusion on their own,” Ambrose says. That means asking questions, listening carefully to their responses and providing

Persuade: To move by argument,

entreaty or expostulation to a belief, position or course of action.

Source: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition

the resources they need to help them make a decision. “No one wants to be sold, but they do want to be helped,” Ambrose says.

Stalling for Time When working with anxious clients, scripts and dialogues don’t work as effectively as they did several years ago, says Julie Beall, CRS, with Irongate REALTORS® in Springboro, Ohio. “When a client is fearful, my best ammo is to address the fear first before discussing how to market their home,” says Beall.

Some reasons that stall a client’s decision to move may be surprising, and it rarely has to do with REALTOR® commissions, she adds. Some clients worry about what to do with their dog during the move, while others don’t want their neighbors to know that they’re selling.

Beall recalls one client who was afraid of getting the house ready by herself and didn’t want to do it alone. She reassured the client, “I will come over to help you get it ready. I can stage the property myself or hire someone to help you.”

Sometimes the decision is, “We’re not ready,” or “We need more time.” “If that’s the case, I don’t push it,” Beall says.

“Some people come back in a week or less, others come back in a few months.”

For one client, it took seven years to get off the fence. When Beall met with the couple the first time in 2005, their home was a mess and needed work. The couple quickly realized they weren’t ready to commit to the work involved to get it ready for the market and decided not to sell. When they called Beall again in November 2012, they told her, “We’ve never forgotten how you helped us. We just weren’t ready then.”

Whether working with buyers who have delayed a home purchase as they watched home prices fall, or sellers who are holding out for a bigger payday when they sell, agents can prove themselves as trusted and knowledgeable advisers and help clients make smart decisions about their next move.

Regina Ludes is the associate editor of The Residential Specialist.

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Good Read | Resources in print

selling as a martial art The CEO of Huthwaite marches through military history in search of the triumphs and tragedies that characterize the world of selling.

Reviewed by Allan Fallow

A

Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories

by John Golden with illustrations by David M. Connaughton, McGraw-Hill, 249 pages, $26

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s a high school sophomore in 1971, I wrote a term paper comparing the travails of Odysseus to those of Heinrich Sc hliemann, the German amateur archaeologist who dug up Troy in the 1870s.

I was proud of the comparison until my English teacher, Mr. McKee, handed it back with a red scribble at the top: “Odysseus and Schliemann? You must be joking! Anyway, for the giggle: B+.”

Mr. McKee, I now know precisely how you felt, for I’ve spent the last few weeks watching John Golden, the CEO of salesperformance consultancy Huthwaite, try to pull off similarly tortured comparisons in Winning the Battle for Sales. Golden does explain at the outset the distinction between commerce and military campaigns: “I do not mean to suggest that there is an analogy between war and selling,” he writes in the book’s introduction. “War is about zero sum. Selling is about win-win.”

Rather, he explains, his motivation for writing the book grew out of his conviction that “being able to remember and apply

good selling skills, strategies, and tactics in an increasingly complex and fast-moving selling environment is becoming more, not less, of a challenge.”

Golden’s overarching aim, he says, is to lay out what he sees as “some of the fundamental skills, strategies, and tactics of high-performing salespeople and reinforce them through association with military events from history that illustrate the point being made.” Has he succeeded?

I’ll leave that to sharper business brains than my own, but Golden has chosen his battles wisely: Each nicely showcases the “gamut of human psychology, emotion, and reaction.” And, as he points out, selling does the same.

Lessons of War Take the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, for example, where the British Royal Navy’s Admiral Nelson attacked a FrenchSpanish flotilla in an unorthodox naval formation that cut enemy forces into three disorganized fragments. In a template the author follows throughout the book, Golden first describes “What Happened,” then explains “What It Meant” (its historical significance) and finally draws the “Sales Lesson” he sees in the episode.

The Battle of Trafalgar, he believes, can be seen as an allegory to opening a sales call effectively. Likewise, Golden claims, his company’s research into call preliminaries

has revealed insights that should calm the jitters of salespeople in every profession: “First impressions, unless for some reason notably disastrous, don’t make or break a call. There’s evidence to suggest that people notice far less in the early stages of an interaction than we may imagine.”

Indeed, writes Golden, your main objective in opening a sales call should be nothing more than to secure the potential buyer’s assent that it’s legitimate for you to ask questions. You can tell you’ve handled the preliminaries effectively if your customer indicates a willingness to move ahead and answer your queries. “Don’t worry about appearing smooth and polished,” Golden reassures the reader. Instead, concern yourself with these three steps: 1) Get down to business quickly.

2) Don’t talk about solutions too soon.

3) Concentrate on questions.

One of the easiest allegories to swallow is the one Golden draws between a battle in 217 B.C. and the imperative that a salesperson wait for the appropriate time to present his or her offerings. The Roman consul and general Fabius Maximus had been assigned the crucial task of defending Rome against the invading Carthaginian general Hannibal. Fabius knew that the latter’s superior soldiers — to say nothing of his dreaded battle elephants — would beat the Romans in a pitched fight. Fabius therefore waged a war of harassment, attrition and scorchedearth tactics instead, all of which ultimately sent Hannibal packing.

From this incident Golden draws an object lesson about “one of the biggest traps inexperienced sellers fall into,” namely prematurely announcing a solution to what they assume to be the buyer’s business problem. “The fundamental job of a salesperson early in the sales cycle with a potential customer,” observes Golden, “is to generate an explicit need for his or her product or service. ... [T]he idea is to move the customer from complacency to urgency by asking pointed questions — and then listening carefully to the answers.” The author uses evidence from current affairs, not just ancient history, to bolster this

The economic downturn, combined with the “explosive growth of competition in all industries,” has yielded a “whole new breed of buyer” — one whose expectations have changed radically almost overnight. contention: In a Huthwaite survey of more than 600 Fortune 500 sales managers, he reports, 72 percent admitted that their salespeople rush to suggest a solution before the customer has even perceived the need for one — “a grave error,” in Golden’s view.

Sales Improvement That little mutiny “issue” on the HMS Bounty in 1789? Golden examines it through his sales-improvement lens and concludes that “[t]he salesperson who can help the customer to discover an unrecognized problem will be amply rewarded.”

That dustup at the OK Corral in 1881?

Golden mines that story for the desirability of preventing objections — heading them off at the pass, so to speak — over merely handling them.

Before consultative selling became fashionable, it was widely believed and widely taught that objections were a good thing — they proved interest and even skin in the game. Salespeople were taught to applaud objections and handle them with aplomb. As it turns out, that was poor judgment and bad policy. Truly great selling in fact prevents objections in the first place so that there is nothing to handle.

And in Pickett’s charge on the third and climactic day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Golden discovers plenty of ammunition for his argument that you must recognize when it’s time to cut your losses on an unwinnable deal and move on. Walking away from a potentially big sale is one of the hardest things a salesperson must do, he concedes — and it’s “particularly galling” when a REALTOR®, for example, has already invested a good deal of time and effort working on the sale.

Golden’s explanation of why this is so makes his Gettysburg chapter worth a quick read the next time you’re in a bookstore: The economic downturn, he reasons, combined with the “explosive growth of competition in all industries,” has yielded “a whole new breed of buyer” — one whose expectations have changed radically almost overnight. The upshot? Consumers who are “both more gun-shy and more demanding,” not to mention sales prospects who have begun “acting like customers long before they sign on the dotted line.”

Whether or not you buy some of the author’s more tortured allusions — can the 1864 Siege of Petersburg truly be said to embody the urgency of coming up with “a previously unimagined solution to the customer’s problem”? — there’s a strong chance that Winning the Battle for Sales will help you see your own struggles in the field as something approaching the heroic.

Allan Fallow is a magazine writer and book editor in Alexandria, Va. You can follow him on Twitter @TheFallow.

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New Online Course

Chapters With a Heart

Course Listings

p. 40

p. 41

p. 45

inside CRS N E W S

F R O M

T H E

C O U N C I L

2012 NAR Conference Recap CRS; PresidentElect Ron Canning, CRS; and First Vice President Dale Carlton, CRS. All were sworn into office during the Council’s inaugural dinner and awards ceremony Nov. 10.

New CRS President Mary McCall became a REALTOR® in 1988 and served as president of the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors® (GTAR) and the Florida CRS chapter (see cover story, page 20). She has served on numerous committees and the board of directors for CRS, the Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS®, Florida Association of REALTORS® and NAR. She served two terms as a CRS regional vice president and is a CRS Medallion Award winner. McCall is a brokerassociate with RE/MAX ACR Elite Group in Tampa, Fla. CRS President-Elect Ron Canning has served the Council in multiple capacities over the years, including several national committees and the board of directors. He was a two-time

2013 CRS President Mary McCall, CRS, at her inaugural dinner

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he NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) Conference & Expo drew thousands of real estate professionals to Orlando, Fla., in November, where attendees gathered to learn and share strategies for success. Amid the festivities, the annual CRS meetings were held Nov. 7 – 10 and concluded with the inauguration of 2013 Council President Mary McCall,

38 | January/February 2013

president of the Ohio CRS chapter, and he served as a regional vice president for six years. He is a Medallion Award winner and has taught real estate pre-licensing classes for the past 30 years.

Canning is a broker-associate for Comey & Shepherd REALTORS® in Cincinnati.

CRS First Vice President Dale Carlton has been in real estate since the mid-1990s, and he became a CRS Designee in 2005. Since joining the Council, he has served on the CRS board of directors and several Council committees, including education, strategic planning and international. As a CRS certified instructor, Carlton teaches several CRS courses, including Business Planning and Marketing (CRS 200), Income Properties (CRS 204) and Financing (CRS 205), and he has taught at real estate conferences throughout the U.S. He is a professor for REALTOR® University, a licensed attorney and broker-owner of Carlton Realty in Fayetteville, Ark.

Celebrating Achievement During the ceremony, the Council’s 2012 president, Mark Minchew, CRS, announced the winners of the Medallion Award, which recognizes CRS Designees who have excelled in their real estate careers and committed time and energy to serve the Council and its members. To

be eligible for this award, nominees must have 15 years of continuous membership with the Council and tangible volunteer service for the Council at the state and local levels.

The 10 award winners honored truly embody these values. They are: David Anderson, CRS, brokerassociate with RE/MAX Pueblo West in Pueblo West, Colo.; CRS certified instructor Chuck Bode, CRS, with NP Dodge Real Estate Company in Omaha, Neb.; Sharon Ellsworth, CRS, with RE/MAX Catalina Foothills Real Estate in Tucson, Ariz.; Joanne Fraser, CRS, with Coldwell Banker in Los Altos, Calif.; Ingrid Glancy, CRS, Denver Fine Properties in Denver; Shirley Matlock, CRS, with RE/MAX Advantage Realty in Columbia, Md.; Chip Morrison, CRS, of Team Realty Group in Atlanta; Clark Niblock, CRS, broker-owner of Niblock Co. REALTORS® in San Antonio; Christel Silver, CRS, with Silver International Realty in Delray Beach, Fla.; and Wendell Wong, CRS, with Aloha Pacific Properties, in Aiea, Hawaii.

Minchew also presented the President’s Award to Michael Duncan, CRS, with The Duncan Group in La Quinta, Calif., and the 2012 president of the Southern California CRS chapter; Brian Copeland, CRS, with Village Real Estate Services in Nashville, Tenn.; Rachel Tristano, the Council’s director of chapter and regional programs; and Michael Fenner, the Council’s communications director and the editor of The Residential Specialist. The President’s Award recognizes individuals who provide exceptional support to the Council and its members; consistently demonstrate a high level of service; go beyond what is expected; always show respect for others; and foster trust by always acting with integrity.

Chapter Recognition The Wyoming, Iowa and Hawaii Aloha chapters were named the 2012 CRS Chapters of the Year, an award given annually to CRS chapters in three categories — small, medium and large — in recognition of their outstanding effort to advance the Council’s mission and further the organization’s goals and objectives at the chapter level.

The Wyoming CRS chapter grabbed top honors in the small chapter category. Under the leadership of chapter president Karen Valentine-Pond, CRS, the chapter increased membership from 116 to 150 during 2012. It created an alliance with the Wyoming Association of REALTORS® to promote CRS classes and activities to reach agents statewide, coproduced a regional membership directory for REALTORS® in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, and raised more than $1,000 in its Chapter with a Heart fundraiser to purchase GPS systems for the Weston County Sheriff ’s Search and Rescue Department.

The Iowa CRS chapter claimed the top honor in the medium chapter category. Chapter president Tammy

Stuart, CRS, worked closely with the Iowa Association of REALTORS® to publicize chapter events and news to agents statewide, and the chapter sponsored a CRS Day during the state association’s annual convention.

To boost interest in CRS educational courses and membership, the 150-member chapter offered discounts to existing members for CRS educational classes, introduced the CRS Pro-Program to veteran agents in the area, and offered nonmembers a discounted trial membership.

The Hawaii Aloha CRS chapter won top honors in the large chapter category. With more than 535 members residing on the islands, chapter president Grant “Kapono” Kanoho found ways to connect with existing CRS members and REALTORS® throughout the state, including assigning a director from each island to represent CRS at real estate meetings and trade shows. The chapter raised more than $11,000 to benefit Honolulu’s Shriner’s Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, the Kauai Marathon and the Wailuku homeless shelter. It also co-hosted its first Industry Night event with the Young Professionals Network and hosted an education conference.

Mark Minchew, CRS Left: Dale Carlton, CRS, and Ron Canning, CRS Lower Left: Mary McCall, CRS, and RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly

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inside CRS

CRSs Honored by NAR

T

wo CRSs are among REALTOR® magazine’s Good Neighbor Award winners, which were recently announced by NAR. Michael Campbell, CRS, with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Tucson, Ariz., and Sally Rudloff, CRS, with Kane & Associates in Alameda, Calif., were honored during a special ceremony at the 2012 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. Nominees were judged on their contributions of time, financial resources and supplies for their cause.

Campbell is president of The Hearth Foundation, which provides transitional housing for low-income families, typically women with young Michael Campbell, children. He is CRS credited with reorganizing and stabilizing the organization, strengthening the board and creating effective partnerships with other organizations to provide services to the residents. Under Campbell’s leadership, the foundation recently won a $720,000 grant, which will allow the organization to make much-needed renovations to its apartments.

“I was honored and humbled to receive this award. The national recognition for the Hearth Foundation has been overwhelming, and the financial award will be used to further develop the organization,” says Campbell.

Rudloff, former president of the Alameda Boys & Girls Club,

40 | January/February 2013

is credited with the club’s incredible growth, which allowed it to expand from serving 1,200 children to a capacity of 3,000.

Sally Rudloff, CRS Rudloff led a campaign to raise $10 million, which was used to build a new 25,000-square-foot youth center. She also launched a dental clinic for uninsured children, recruited math teachers for a new tutoring program and created partnerships with several local organizations to provide family counseling.

Charlene Brennan, CRS, with Strano & Assocates in Fairview Heights, Ill., received an honorable mention for her work with Rotary District 6510’s Belizean children’s program.

NAR also presented Paula Savard, CRS, with the 2012 Distinguished Service Award. A REALTOR® since 1968, Savard, of Paula K. Aberman Associates in Lancaster, Mass., has been involved with REALTOR® organizations at the national and local levels.

Notably, Savard was a regional vice president for NAR in 1997 and most recently, immediate past chair of the Legal Action Committee. She has chaired numerous committees and task forces, including the MLS Policy and Professional Standards committees. She is a past president of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® and was the 2003 Massachusetts REALTOR® of the Year.

New CRS Online Course: Negotiations

T

he Council has launched a new online course, Client Negotiations: Unlocking Hearts vs. Locking Horns, which provides agents with the skills they need to identify and address clients’ underlying interests and motivations.

In today’s customer-driven environment, successful REALTORS® must position themselves as trusted advisers who can provide outstanding service to their clients. But when those client interactions reach a stalemate, using a strategy such as interest-based negotiation can help agents solve clients’ problems, earn their trust, and increase customer satisfaction. That can lead to repeat and referral business.

“Negotiations can easily turn into arguments if both parties are entrenched in particular positions and are only willing to consider particular options,” explains Melinda Turnley, the Council’s instructional designer who assisted in developing the course. “Interest-based negotiation can help agents prevent this sort of negative client interaction because this approach emphasizes understanding the other party’s needs and exploring alternative solutions to achieve a win-win outcome.”

Through real-world scenarios and exercises, agents will learn how to uncover clients’ interests during interviews, adapt to clients’ evolving interests during the transaction process and maintain connections with past clients. The course includes sample scripts and other resources that agents can use in their business immediately to help them navigate the negotiation process.

The two-hour module is available through REALTOR® University and will earn two credits toward the CRS Designation. The cost is $30 for CRS Designees, $40 for members and $50 for nonmembers. For more details, visit crs. com/education.

CRS Chapters Show Their Heart

Minnesota $8,091.59 for Ascension Place, Hunger Solution Minnesota and Children’s Hospital Montana More than 2,400 donated toiletries and supplies for Camp Mak-a-Dream

C

RS chapters not only offer educational and networking activities for members, they also do their part to help their communities. The Council’s annual CRS Chapter With a Heart awards recognize these chapters for their humanitarian and charitable efforts.

To qualify, CRS chapters must have donated at least $100 in cash or goods to a local charity between Sept. 1, 2011, and Aug. 31, 2012. This year, 43 chapters and their members collectively donated more than $87,410 plus food and supplies. They also have devoted extensive time and energy to help others in their respective communities.

Congratulations to the following Chapter With a Heart award winners for their admirable efforts.

Alabama $300 for Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge Alaska $2,578 for Kid’s Kitchen Austin Area $11,556 for Any Baby Can Colorado $450 for Operation Smile Connecticut $250 for Martha’s Place, $250 for Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Research Central Virginia $150 plus 150 volunteer hours for Central Virginia Food Bank Dakotas $251 and toiletries for Red Cross, Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center Florida $2,516.52 for R.O.C.K. Camp/American Cancer Society Georgia $1,400 for Fisher House, Ronald McDonald House and Georgia Association of REALTORS® scholarship GREATER HOUSTON Donations of toys and cash for U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign

Nebraska $278.50 to benefit Nebraska Children’s Home North Alabama $1,935 for Home Instead Senior Care North Carolina $1,805 for Komen for the Cure and NAMI North Florida $2,500 for Early Learning Coalition Hawaii $11,535 for Aloha Shriners Idaho $644 for Habitat for Humanity Illinois $1,500 for Habitat of Humanity of Illinois

Northern California $2,547 for local food banks New Jersey/Delaware $500 for Kids Alley

Indiana $2,200 for Riley Children’s Hospital

Sierra Nevada $6,415 to Susan G. Komen Foundation and toys for Toys for Tots

Iowa 500+ volunteer hours for Habitat for Humanity

Ohio $500 for Operation Buckeye

Kansas $500 to benefit Wichita Habitat for Humanity Kentucky $3,000 for Warrior Transition Battalion Family Readiness Group at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, REALTORS® Hope for Homeless Louisiana $837 for Northwest Louisiana Food Bank and The Wellspring (formerly YMCA) Maine $300 plus donations of food for Bread of Life Ministries Maryland/DC $485 plus 350 pairs of shoes and five bags of clothing donations for Soles4Souls Inc., Diakonia Shelter and the American Heart Association Massachusetts $545 for Angel Flight Northeast, Operation American Soldier and The Greater Boston Food Bank Michigan $101 for Alzheimer’s Association Mid South $250 plus toys and volunteer hours for Youth Villages

Oklahoma $2,000 for Lawton, Okla., Armed Services and YMCA Pennsylvania $745 for American Heart Association South Carolina $534 for Hope for the Warriors Southern California $3,000 for Habitat for Humanity Tennessee $5,000 for Susan G. Komen Foundation TEXAS LONE STAR $6,110 for Scottish Rite Hospital, CASA and Presbyterian Night Shelter Virginia $802.50 for Central Virginia Food Bank Washington $438 for Habitat for Humanity Wisconsin $1,110 for Camp Hozhoni Wyoming $1,000 for GPS systems for Weston County Sheriff ’s Search and Rescue www.crs.com | 4 1

2012 REALTORS® OF THE YEAR

C

ongratulations to the 15 CRS Designees who were named REALTORS® of the Year by their respective state REALTOR® associations. Their names were announced during the annual NAR Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. ALASKA Helen Jarratt, CRS COLORADO Kit Cowperthwaite, CRS GEORGIA Linda Hardin Jackson, CRS HAWAII John R. Connelley, CRS IDAHO Tiffanie Mai-Ganske, CRS ILLINOIS Kay M. Wirth, CRS IOWA Robert M. Hackney, CRS KANSAS Judith L. Nusser, CRS MAINE Carroll Fernald, CRS MASSACHUSETTS Kurt O. Thompson, CRS NORTH DAKOTA Vicki L. Roller, CRS OKLAHOMA Hope White, CRS

Danny Hooks/Veer

PUERTO RICO Ivan R. Zavala, CRS SOUTH CAROLINA Nell G. Postell, CRS UTAH Lori Chapman, CRS

2012

Referral Story: Where the Buffalo Roam

A

memorable connection during Sell-a-bration® 2009 led to a valuable business opportunity, thanks to a small squeeze toy Kitty Stockton, CRS, received from Kitty Stockton, Michael Olear, CRS CRS, of MJ Peterson Real Estate in Buffalo, N.Y., during the event. “I always remembered him because he gave me a small buffalo as a squeeze/tension-relief toy, which still sits on my desk today,” recalls Stockton, who is with RE/MAX Winning Edge in Chapel Hill, N.C. After they met at Sell-a-bration®, the two stayed in touch via email and Facebook until March 2012, when Olear called Stockton to refer a client couple from North Carolina who was transferring to Buffalo for new jobs and had not yet listed their home in Chapel Hill. “They were both scientists and asked a lot of questions, especially about statistical things like days on market,” Stockton says.

After several months of preparation, their home finally went on the market in June and sold 14 days later, says Stockton. Meanwhile, Olear helped the couple find a new house in Buffalo, and both deals closed in August. “Michael and I were able to coordinate the dates of both closings to meet the timing needs of the client,” Stockton says. “This deal would not have happened had we not met at Sell-a-bration®.”

Personalize, Reproduce and Mail This Newsletter to Your Clients

Edit

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 electronically by downloading the Microsoft Word version at www.crs.com/ magazine/your_home_newsletter.shtml.

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

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.

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.

42 | January/February 2013

For a complete step-by-step guide to personalizing and reproducing the YOUR HOME newsletter, visit www.crs.com/ magazine/your_home_newsletter.shtml.

HOME *

YOUR T I P S

A N D

T R E N D S

F O R

A FRESH START

M

H O M E O W N E R S ,

ost New Year’s resolutions involve promises to fit into last year’s suit and to avoid the fast-food lane.

But don’t let your self-improvement list end there.

These home improvement tips, suggested by About.com, can help make your home safer and healthier in the new year.

Safety first. Make this the year to be truly prepared by creating a household emergency kit. Pack it with first aid supplies, a working flashlight, batteries, extra blankets, a can opener and some nonperishable food. Also take the time each month to make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Purify the air in the home by swapping out furnace filters every month, and burn real firewood rather than mass-produced logs to avoid potentially harmful chemicals.

Throw it away. De-clutter your life one room at a time.

Start with the kitchen: Toss and recycle containers that have long since lost their matching lids, and pare down small appliances to the ones you use most often. Then head to the bathroom and dump half-used bottles of shampoo or face wash that have gone unused in the past six months to clear up space. Finish in the living room by consolidating or recycling old magazines or newspapers.

Invest wisely. Is your refrigerator on its last legs? Saving money to update or replace aging appliances should be on every homeowner’s mind. By saving a small amount each week — say $10 or $20 — homeowners can work toward a specific goal, such as purchasing a more energy-efficient washer and dryer set. When deciding what to buy, be sure to research any potential cost-saving tax benefits, too.

B U Y E R S

A N D

JA N UA RY

2013

S E L L E R S

Maid for You

K

eeping up with house cleaning can be a real challenge — and a task that most of us are happy to overlook.

If you want to hand that chore over to someone else, consider this advice from eHow.com and Smartmoney. com before hiring a cleaning service.

First, decide how often you need help: just once for a deep clean, or would a biweekly schedule better suit your needs? Then consider the cost. According to HomeAdvisor, the average price of a cleaning service is between $160 – $200 a month. Use the Web to find local cleaning companies, or search a website like Care.com, which provides pre-screening and notes if the caretaker has a background check on file.

If you’re considering hiring an individual not affiliated with a company, bear in mind that depending on how much an individual is paid, you may also have to pay his or her Social Security and Medicare taxes, too.

Insist on a background check (professionals should also be able to provide good references), and be sure to ask the company or individual what kind of liability or theft insurance they have, including workers’ compensation in case someone gets injured on the job. Treat a cleaning service just like any other employee and ensure that a contract that outlines all responsibilities is signed before the service is performed.

fast fact »

»»»»»»»»»»»

180 million: The number of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged annually.

B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y Y O U R A G E N T, A M E M B E R O F T H E C O U N C I L O F R E S I D E N T I A L S P E C I A L I S T S

Control Room Image Source/Getty Images

I

t used to be that there was a separate remote control for each electronic device in your living room. Then universal remotes took over, with one device controlling multiple gadgets. The next evolution of the remote control might just be your smartphone.

Missing your favorite show will no longer be an issue with a DVR app from the iTunes or Android store. The DVR Remote app ($2.99) works with TiVo to set up recordings of shows and allows you to watch them via your phone.

Say Yes to CRS

DID YOU KNOW?

s! al

I Lo

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 4 percent in the nation. Contact a CRS today.

referr ve

*

Do you know someone who is thinking about buying or selling a home?

Access and control your computer from afar with apps such as Remote HD ($7.99), which enables you to access your desktop and files remotely, stream audio or video files or monitor the computer while you’re out of town.

You can also access your home security system from afar. Many alarm companies, such as Schlage, offer apps that allow you to keep an eye on your doors via video, lock and unlock doors remotely, turn the lights off and on, program thermostats, or adjust the air conditioning and heat.

January is National Thank You Month.

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.

*

inside CRS » » » » » » »

S E A R C H C O U R S E O F F E R I N G S B Y C I T Y A N D S TAT E AT W W W. C R S . C O M

CRS Classroom Courses 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 are from Jan. 15, 2013, to April 30, 2013. For more upto-date listings, visit www.crs.com.

APRIL 24 – 25 HONOLULU

Elective Courses

Hawaii Aloha Chapter of CRS 808.733.7060, ext. 105 Instructor: Jackie Leavenworth, CRS

Elective courses vary in length and credits earned toward the CRS Designation. Please visit the CRS website for details.

CRS 202 — Buyer Sales Course APRIL 25 – 26 AUSTIN, TEXAS

CRS 200 — Business Planning and Marketing FEB. 12 – 13 CUPERTINO, CALIF. Northern California CRS Chapter 800.277.6003 Instructor: Mark Given, CRS

APRIL 22 – 23 AUSTIN, TEXAS Austin Board of REALTORS® 512.454.7636 Instructor: Dale Carlton, CRS

CRS 201 — Listing Course JAN. 17 – 18 SHOREWOOD, MINN. Minnesota CRS Chapter 952.912.2664 Instructor: Jackie Leavenworth, CRS

FEB. 12 – 13 JACKSONVILLE, N.C. Jacksonville Board of REALTORS 910.347.6556 Instructor: Gee Dunsten, CRS

®

FEB. 13 – 14 BELLEVUE, WASH. Washington CRS Chapter 425.974.1011 Instructor: Jackie Leavenworth, CRS

FEB. 26 – 27 OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma CRS Chapter 405.354.6233 Instructor: Jackie Leavenworth, CRS

MARCH 12 – 13 MADISON, WIS. Wisconsin REALTORS® Association 608.241.2047 Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS

Austin Board of REALTORS® 512.454.7636 Instructor: Michael Selvaggio, CRS, CCIM

FEB. 25 WICHITA, KAN. Wichita Area Association of REALTORS® 316.263.3167 Instructor: Jackie Leavenworth, CRS

CRS 204 — Income Properties

Ninja Selling

FEB. 21 – 22 TROY, MICH.

FEB. 7 RENO, NEV.

Michigan CRS Chapter 248.877.2337 Instructor: Tina Daniel, CRS

Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter 775.622.3881 Instructor: Terri Johnson, CRS

MARCH 13 – 14 ORLANDO, FLA.

No Bull Selling

Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association 407.513.7268 Instructor: Frank Kowalski, CRS

MARCH 27 – 28 CLIVE, IOWA Iowa Association of REALTORS® 800.532.1515, ext. 1 Instructor: Chris Bird

CRS 206 — Technology Course MARCH 14 – 15 MERRILLVILLE, IND. Indiana CRS Chapter 800.681.8056 Instructor: Mark Porter, CRS

CRS 210 — Referral Course FEB. 21 – 22 MEMPHIS, TENN.

FEB. 7 RICHMOND, VA. Central Virginia CRS Chapter 804.422.5000 Instructor: Leroy Houser, CRS Rich Buyer, Rich Seller, Part 1: Positioning and Branding Yourself as a Luxury Market Expert

FEB. 6 DANIA BEACH, FLA. Miami Association of REALTORS® 214.485.3000 Instructor: Laurie Moore-Moore

MARCH 19 SARASOTA, FLA. Sarasota Association of REALTORS® 214.485.3000 Instructor: Laurie Moore-Moore

Memphis Area Association of REALTORS® 901.685.2100 Instructor: Gee Dunsten, CRS

Rich Buyer, Rich Seller, Part 2: A Luxury Marketing Idea Blitz

FEB. 27 – 28 CINCINNATI

Miami Association of REALTORS® 214.485.3000 Instructor: Laurie Moore-Moore

Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS® 513.842.3011 Instructor: Frank Serio, CRS, CRB

MARCH 20 – 21 SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Arizona CRS Chapter 866.440.9804 Instructor: Frank Serio, CRS, CRB

Negotiations: The Games People Play

Note: Instructors listed on all courses are subject to change.

FEB. 7 DANIA BEACH, FLA.

MARCH 20 SARASOTA, FLA. Sarasota Association of REALTORS® 214.485.3000 Instructor: Laurie Moore-Moore

www.crs.com | 4 5

Your referral source for the greater

Boca Raton, Florida

Pittsburgh

Lance Jason

area

CRS, GRI, e-Pro, SRES Phone: 561-290-9866 lance@lancejason.com

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

Serving the real estate needs of the baby boomer community

NAPLES, BONITA SPRINGS, ESTERO, FT MYERS—FLORIDA

Marie Pimm,

P.A.

Realtor—CRS, CIPS, e-PRO, GRI

(239) 770-3383

Marie@MariePimm.com www.MariePimm.com

www.NaplesBonitaEsteroHomefinder.com

Southwest

SOUTH FLORIDA

AUSTIN, TEXAS Kent Redding

Serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, & The Palm Beaches!

Debra Pitell –Hauge Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker

SARASOTA FLORIDA

RAY SINGHAL

R

R

Cell: 954-770-8083 Fax:

888-371-9218

R

941.356.0437 dpestates@aol.com SarasotaHomes4Sale.com

WEst coast

BROKER, GRI, CRS, ABR

The Kent Redding Group Prudential Texas Realty 512.306.1001 800.647.4711 kent@callkent.com www.CallKent.com

Ph.D., CRS, CDPE

“Dr. Short Sale” Ray@RaySinghal.com www.SinghalFlorida.com www.SinghalShortSales.com

30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE Broker/REALTOR , CRS, SRES , GRI, e-Pro

,

“Unmatched REPRESENTATION and NEGOTIATION”

1750 N. Federal Hwy. Pompano Beach, FL, 33062

H AWA I I

Canada

www.crs.com | 4 7

CRS REFERRAL MARKETPLACE

SO U T H

East Coast

Ask a CRS | Advice from the country’s top Certified Residential Specialists

get smart Q U ESTIO N : What do you think is the best smartphone for busy REALTORS®?

IN OUR EXPERIEN C E . . .

“APPLE iPhone. Solid platform, way more quality app options, easy to use, and all operating system software updates are specific to your iPhone hardware. The iPhone is the standard of smartphones when it comes to hardware add-ons and accessories as well.”

Sam Miller, CRS RE/MAX Stars Realty

“SAMSUNG Galaxy III has all the apps I need. It works with our Supra lock boxes without the needed accessory and cable. I can receive and send emails and texts, take photos and send them immediately to clients, and remind myself of appointments. It also has a version of Siri (I know it is an Apple product), but I find I don’t use it like I thought I would.”

Mount Vernon, Ohio

samsells@sammiller.com

“AFTER numerous BlackBerries — which I still think is the best workhorse for all I need to do on a daily basis — I tried both the iPhone and the Droid. I went back to the BlackBerry, and I’m looking forward to the new one when it’s released in January.”

Marion Jewell, CRS Keller Williams Realty Clarksville, Tenn.

Tim Burroughs, CRS

marionjewell@yahoo.com

Keller Williams Realty Boise Boise, Idaho

Tim@TimBurroughsGroup.com

»»»»»

Please submit real estate questions for “Ask a CRS” to Mike Fenner at mfenner@crs.com.

48 | January/February 2013

CRS WEBINARS REAL ESTATE BUSINESS

MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA

Missed any of these webinars in 2012?

Purchase the recording today.

Staging, Selling, Sold! with Julie Beall, CRS and Amy Broghamer, CRS recorded February 15 Increase Your Business by Working with Seniors with Debbie Rodgers recorded March 27 Reducing Liability and Risk When Referring Service Providers with Dale Carlton, CRS recorded April 5 The Global Financial Crisis: What does the future hold? with Dale Carlton, CRS recorded July 17 How to Price a Listing and Sell it Every Time with Amy Broghamer, CRS recorded July 24 Open Houses that Rock with David Burke recorded August 1 Break into and Succeed in the Luxury Real Estate Market with Jack Cotton, CRS recorded August 7 Luxury Real Estate Buyers: Who Are They and 12 Ways to Find Them with Jack Cotton, CRS recorded October 16 What to Say and When to Say It: Winning Scripts and Dialouges for Real Estate Agents with Leigh Brown, CRS recorded October 24 The Dangers of an Improving Real Estate Market: How a rising market can lower an agent’s income with Denny Grimes, CRS recorded October 31 The Art of Real Estate Negotiating: Create More Sales, Close Them More Gracefully and Live With Less Stress with Tim Burrell, CRS recorded November 15 Become a Referral Generating Machine in 2013 with Michael Maher, CRS recorded December 12 How to Dominate Your Local Market with Linda Davis, CRS recorded May 30 7 Ways to Stand Out and Build Your Brand with John Michael Morgan recorded September 12 Marketing and Growth Strategies of the World’s Top Agents with Travis Robertson recorded September 27 T ansform Your Tr Y Business Using a Facebook Business Page with Maura Neill, CRS recorded January 25 Transform Boost Your Business with Pinterest with Julie Beall, CRS recorded April 11 Twitter: From Start-Up to Superstar--Why Twitter Works and How with Maya Paveza recorded April 19 Selling Homes with Facebook Ads with Jason O’Neil, CRS recorded May 23

TECHNOLOGY

Must-Have Apps and How to Maneuver the Android Marketplace with Tara Jordan Tallon recorded January 12 What Makes a Great Blog Post: Tips for Creating a Real Estate Blog with Maura Neill, CRS recorded June 14 Master the iPad for Your Real Estate Business with Greg Gorman, CRS recorded June 13 Generate Fresh Leads Every Day Using Craigslist with Josh Schoenly recorded August 21 Bridging the Gap: Combining yesterday’s principles with today’s mobile world with Jared James recorded September 20

FREE WEBINARS

Maximize Your CRS Membership to Generate Referrals* with Lois Cox, CRS, Waylon Chavez, CRS, and Bill Kuhlman, CRS recorded February 28 How to Build Your Marketing Program* with Chris Brogan recorded August 14

*FREE FOR EVERYONE **FREE FOR MEMEBERS-ONLY

Reach for the Cloud! 7 Steps to Move Your Business to the Cloud** with John Morley, CRS and Seth Dailey, CRS recorded May 2 Tax Talk 2013** with Chris Bird recorded October 2 Thrive Mastery** with James Nellis, CRS recorded November 14

RECORDED WEBINAR PRICING: • CRS Designees: $10 • CRS General Members and all other registrants: $15

Webinars are scheduled throughout the year.

View upcoming live webinars and recorded webinars at www.crs.com/education.