In Part 1 with Brent Lancaster, we started the conversation about the Buyer Agreement and it’s a timely conversation. We recorded this before the proposed settlement from NAR was released. While the settlement is still proposed, and it’s not final, one of the key points in it is the importance of a signed agreement with our buyers. There are details to be clarified but it seems this topic is even more relevant than before we recorded it.   This agreement with buyers to work together and get...

Please Note: Effective August 17, 2024, all MLS Participants working with a buyer are required to obtain a written buyer agreement before touring a home. For details about this and other practice changes, please visit facts.realtor. This is our 100th episode — 100 great episodes with so many amazing people who volunteered their time to help you be the best agent you can be! So many helpful topics for your business! Who has been with me on the whole journey, even if you missed a few? If...

Please Note: Since the recording of this episode, NAR entered into a proposed settlement agreement that would end litigation of claims brought on behalf of home sellers related to broker commissions. To learn more, and to prepare for the practice changes taking effect August 17, 2024, go to facts.realtor.   Welcome to Part 2 of my conversation with Lynn Madison! Today we are talking about different business models. As you refresh your presentation of what you do and what you charge, we...

Welcome back, Friends! Our podcast has received another award from AVA Digital Awards, an international competition that recognizes excellence by creative professionals in the area of digital communication. We received a Gold Award for Podcast and Audio Production!  We have another amazing award-winning guest today! She has been recognized as an amazing instructor, having received the ABR® Hall of Fame Award, the REBI Distinguished Educator Award, REALTOR® of the Year, and Educator of the...

We’re back with our second episode of the month to talk about connecting with people so that you will have clients throughout 2024. We call it filling your pipeline. Many of us focus on getting business. If we can spend time connecting with people with purpose, there generally will be a more steady flow of clients throughout the year. Did you apply anything you’ve learned from the first episode already? We would love to hear what worked for you! Our email address is in the show notes.   In...

How is your business growing and flowing right now? I hope you have a pipeline full of clients who are looking right now or planning to buy or sell in the next few months. We know, though, that hope is not a strategy. We need better tools than just hope to get our buyer pipelines filled. We know that a whole lot is happening in the real estate industry right now. We will be having several months of focusing on tools you can use to communicate more clearly, to set better expectations, and to...

We are so glad you joined us to help you start your new year! This episode’s guest is Matthew Rathbun. Matthew discusses business suggestions, strategies, and ideas to help you make your plans for success this year. This is Part 2 of the interview with Matthew on Business Planning. The first part was launched earlier this month. In this part 2 episode, Matthew leads us into a conversation about the people you’re partnering with in your business and gives some great suggestions when you...

We are so glad you joined us to help you start your new year! This episode’s guest is Matthew Rathbun. Matthew will be discussing business suggestions, strategies, and ideas to help you make your plans for success in 2024. This is the first part of a series on Business Planning with Matthew this month. The second part will launch later this month.   [2:55] Matthew is the EVP of a Coldwell Banker company with 10 or 11 offices in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area.   [3:40] Matthew started...

This episode’s guest is John LeTourneau. Our topic is real estate investing. The Center for REALTOR® Development has a course that teaches this: Real Estate Investing: Building Wealth: Representing Investors and Becoming One Yourself. There is so much opportunity for you, our listeners, in this area. John is just opening the door of what’s possible. Let’s find out more.   [2:42] John became a broker and a REALTOR® in 2005.   [4:11] John started in residential but preferred B2B, so he...

We are in a market that is now topsy-turvy. We are part of the major movements in the economy of our country and there are benefits and challenges in the flow of economics and of buying a home. Today, we are going to talk about a group of people who have had some tough times buying in recent years. We’re talking about our active-duty military and our veterans who use VA Loans to purchase a home. Working with VA borrowers right now could be just what your business needs.  Jimmy Vercellino is...

Today we are talking about a topic that we all need to pay attention to. Many of us don’t like this part of our business. Our guest, Holly Mabery, is going to break it down to a simple plan for us to follow. What’s the topic? Marketing! Holly brings this huge concept to a manageable part of your business. She is also one of the subject matter experts for NAR’s Marketing Strategy and Lead Generation course. Let’s join Holly for some great information on marketing and a few laughs about this...

Do you want to know about AI, and specifically, ChatGPT? Alex is here to tell you all about it! Alex is a true tech person with a teacher’s heart. He will explain some of the inner workings of Natural Language Programming, which is what ChatGPT is: language. There are layers to this, and more changes are coming; changes that will make using ChatGPT even easier. So, let’s get some tips and some education from Alex Camelio! [2:36] Alex looks for technologies that change the way we do...

September is Safety Month at the NAR. We have a great episode with Andy Tolbert to help you stay aware and keep yourself safe as you do your job. I am so glad to have Andy Tolbert in this episode with me today. Andy lives in Florida, where she’s a speaker, real estate investor, and safety professional! So, join us for this episode about safety while selling!   [1:17] September is NAR Safety Month. The dangers to real estate professionals seem to be increasing — or are we just knowing more...

In this episode, we are talking about emerging technology. Dan Weisman and Dave Conroy work at NAR and are sharing with us their knowledge about technology in the real estate industry. We’re talking AI — yes, we all love ChatGPT — Chatbots, Fractional real estate, and what they see for the future of cryptocurrency. They have some software suggestions and usage tips for us as well. So, join us for this informative episode! [2:31] Dan Weisman and Dave Conroy are the Directors of Emerging...

Everyone is adapting to the technology they need, in their work and life. We want you to have the best tools that will benefit you and your clients. In this episode, Ali Whitley discusses working with our mature clients. The Seniors Real Estate Specialist® Designation (SRES®) is an amazing class that the Center for REALTOR® Development offers. This class discusses things you need to know. We discuss the technicalities of senior living, reverse mortgages, estates, taxes, and more. We also...

In this bonus episode, we are joined by a member of the NAR staff, Alexia Smokler, a staff executive to NAR’s Fair Housing Policy Committee. That description does not begin to convey all the work that she does on our behalf and on behalf of the clients we serve. She has been key in developing the Bias Override class and Fairhaven.realtor. We are excited to discuss the programs she manages as well as learn what agents are doing in the marketplace, in this bonus episode!   [1:40] Monica...

In this episode, we are joined by Mandy Neat who is going to discuss commonalities in homebuying trends with Generation Y (Millennials) and Generation Z. With significant cultural changes happening at increasingly fast speeds, we see notable differences in these generations. While we never want to generalize, there are some markers with these generations that can help us understand our clients better. In this episode, we learn more about these generations and how we can manage their...

Our guest for this episode is a long-time REALTOR®, trainer, and world traveler. Do you have a dream to travel somewhere? Is there a place that you already love in the world? For example, have you been to Cabo San Lucas eight times? Wouldn’t it be great if you could be a connector with buyers and sellers with agents in Mexico? In the Caribbean? In Europe? In Asia? You can do that with your favorite areas in the U.S. and the world! In this podcast, Ginni Field talks about selling real estate...

In this episode we welcome Matt Difanis and Robert Morris. April is Fair Housing Month, as people know, and we gratefully, as an organization, are getting more education and more awareness on the need for us to be more systemic, and more attentive, in order to provide excellent care to all who come to us. Matt Difanis and Robert Morris have been instrumental at the national level with course materials, ethics reconsiderations, and other conversations that are helping us pay more attention....

Dr. Jessica Lautz is the Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS®. In this episode, she is going to share national data with us from NAR and discuss what she sees coming in the future. All of our crystal balls may be broken, but there are definitely patterns that can be seen. The core of Jessica’s research focuses on analyzing trends for both NAR members and housing consumers. Through the management of surveys, focus groups, and data...

With interest rates rising, we are seeing changes in the mortgage industry. Not all lenders, though, are created equal. They have various levels of education and experience, just as real estate agents do. They need to be the expert in the loan department for our clients. Like so many areas of our work, we need to have some knowledge of the process to help our clients, and be on top of the process. In this episode, our guest, Debra Killian, has been in the mortgage business for over 25 years....

This episode discusses important ways of working with buyers, including understanding what buyers want, expressing the value that REALTORS® bring to the table, and how to get compensated in a changing environment. We take a closer look at how REALTORS® can improve their systems with buyers. How do we best serve our buyers, and what does that look like moving forward? Lynn Madison is an ongoing contributor and instructor for the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation. She will be...

When you talk to some serial entrepreneurs you need to put on your seatbelt! Lots of us, as REALTORS®, have that entrepreneurial bent, starting and running our own businesses. Imran Poladi started young selling real estate.  He served as Vice President of NextHome Real Estate since the launch of the company in 2014 until July 2022. He has mentored brokerage owners and as a speaker, he’s taught thousands of agents concepts of business, real estate, and living life.   In this episode, we are...