Archive for February, 2008

Did your Real Estate Broker Mislead You?

Friday, February 15th, 2008

Do you currently have time to:

  • Do open houses

  • Attend a REALTOR Luncheons

photo

  • Attend weekly office meetings

  • Go on home tours

  • Cold call people that didn’t inquire about your services

  • Door knock

  • Spend$1,000s on ineffective marketing campaigns

  • Waste time on tasks that do not produce income

Then I regret to inform you that you may have been mislead. Many new agents flock to large brokerages assuming the the company name will produce them business, however in most instances that is not the case. So why would you give up 30% – 50%- of your commission, plus pay a monthly office fee?

Question So where does the Broker Commission go? Do you think it goes back out to market the agents? The majority of the time No! Most brokerage firms’ commissions are used to recruit more agents. Why do you think some or most real estate brokerages have 200-300 agents, because they have an overflow of business that they cannot handle. No, not at all. Most of those 200-300 agents are most likely closing about 4-8 deals per year. We realized that large real estate brokerages with their fancy images are all about themselves and not the agent. Branding is extremely important for any company; this is what these large Real Estate brokerages spend their money on, branding the name of the brokerage firm, NOT THEIR REALTORS.

You gave your brokerage 30%-50% to help them brand their name and what did you get in return? OH, that’s right. You get to put their logo on your business cards & for sale signs

Residential Development in Houston, Texas

Friday, February 15th, 2008

General Electric has announced their agreement with Land Tejas Cos., a Houston-based developer, to create the first community to utilize the ecomagination program, of GE. Land Tejas is best known for developing the Houston Canyon Gate Community.

This is a huge announcement that will affect the Houston Texas real estate market. It seems that everyone is going green, including the newly constructed Houston homes for sale. The ecomagination program will be launched at Discovery at Spring Trails, a community of Land Tejas.

The new program, of GE, is designed to create a cost-effective living environment. The principles of conservation and efficiency will be applied to the design of the entire community. Also, the community will promote the conservation of both water and energy technologies used in all of the common living areas.

Al Brende, a co-founder of Land Tejas said,

Dallas Mortgage Interest Rates – Great News

Thursday, February 14th, 2008

Dallas Realtors and lending professionals have been celebrating the good news about mortgage interest rates. Mike Fratantoni, an economist with the Mortgage Bankers Association commented,

San Antonio Texas Commercial Real Estate

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

Just this week there was news that Land Design Partners, a well-known landscape architecture firm based in Austin, is expanding into the sunny city of San Antonio. This is terrific news for San Antonio commercial real estate, since Land Design Partners is one of the top landscape architecture firms in Texas.

The president of Land Design Partners, Daryl Benkendorfer commented,

Greatest real estate agent in the world

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World

Greatest real estate agent in the world

The title above ( Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World ) is the name of a friendly competition that Eric B and REW came up with. Since Morgan is being unbelievably generous to the winner, I decided to throw my hat in the ring.

The competition is based on who has the highest ranking for the keyword, Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World

May the so called “Greatest real estate agent in the world” win :)

Down Payment Tips for Purchasers of a Home

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Whether a buyer is purchasing a residential or commercial property, there are certain down payment tips that they should be aware of. A purchaser wants to have the largest down payment possible. A large down payment decreases the risk and amount of the mortgage. For example, with a piece of Dallas commercial real estate or a residential piece of prime Fort Worth Texas real estate, the same down payment principles apply.

Here are seven ways to come up with a suitable down payment on a residential or commercial property.

1) Pay off all of your credit card debt. A buyer can dramatically improve their credit score by paying off their

How a Homebuyer can choose the Right Real Estate Agent

Monday, February 11th, 2008

There is an easy way for first-time homebuyers to choose the right real estate agent to work with. There are numerous experienced, professional Dallas Realtors that will be able to handle all of your needs.

When searching for the perfect home or piece of Dallas Texas real estate, it is important to have a real estate agent that is responsible for working on your behalf.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you to find just the right real estate agent:

1) Before choosing a real estate agent, a home buyer should look into the track record of the Realtor in question. A home buyer should determine the realtor

Home Buyers: Know Which Type of Mortgage is Best for You

Saturday, February 9th, 2008

When you are searching for your dream home, you need to know what type of home loan is best suited to meet all of your financial needs and requirements. Experienced Dallas Realtors can give you more in-depth information on the four most popular types of mortgages that are currently available.

The Four Types of Mortgages

1) Fixed-Rate Mortgage

Dallas & Fort Worth Flat Fee MLS Listing – The WIRE

Friday, February 8th, 2008

Todays WIRE (week in real estate) video will discuss how a typical Flat Fee MLS Listing usually works. A few (very few) agents throughout the country have began to implement listing services that enable home sellers to save thousands when selling. Most home sellers are aware that the MLS is the main reason why homes sell, not because of a particular agent nor their amazing marketing plan. :)

The video below is from a similar company who provides Flat Fee MLS Listing Programs in Atlanta, Georgia. The company’s name is Total Choice Realty. They’ve done an excellent job with their video so we decided to share it with our blog subscribers and clients.

If you’d like to read in compete detail about our listing options click here or read about how the program works by clicking here.

Tips for Sellers After a Purchase Offer Has Been Made

Thursday, February 7th, 2008

Dallas Realtors have noticed that home sellers have a tendency to relax after a purchase offer has been made on their home. This can be a dangerous time for relaxation. When a purchase offer has been made on a home and the closing date is approaching there are six things that a seller needs to do.

No matter what type of Dallas Texas real estate is sold, from a gorgeous home to expansive acreage, sellers need to take the following actions:

1) After the buyer signs a seller