How the Internet Serves Clients

The internet is a great asset to all real estate clients. By being able to take the time to look around on their own, many people find that they do in fact have the time to look for a new home than if they hadn’t been able to use the internet. Online real estate listings allow people to go through and eliminate options that don’t work for them with ease. Instead of having to look at 50 homes and weed out the ones that don’t work, clients will often be left with a handful of homes that do suit their needs, which they can then schedule appointments to look at in a much easier fashion than if they had to look at every home that might work for them.

In regards to how the internet serves clients, it can also help them to make a better decision about the realtor or mortgage broker that they choose. Many people are timid about calling a mortgage lender or a real estate agent that they know nothing about. By allowing them to browse websites that offer information on each different person, they’ll feel more confident in their decision of what real estate agent or mortgage broker to work with. This is why it is important for these agents to have a website that paints an adequate picture of what their business is like, and how they operate. This will give clients a much better feel for what they want and what they can get in the real estate market.

The internet has essentially created a whole new world for clients, including the ways that they can see and learn about homes for sale and different things that have to do with real estate. While nothing will ever match the personal interaction that people get from dealing with a real estate agent or mortgage broker one-on-one, there are still many benefits to the internet for clients who are looking to buy a home or get a mortgage.

Everyone needs to save all the time that they can. By having access to the internet, where they can review homes for sale, mortgage information, and real estate agents and mortgage lenders in their local area, people are able to be as completely prepared as they want to be when it comes to buying a home. Then, they can spend less time looking at homes that aren’t right for them, and much less time dealing with lenders or realtors that don’t suit their needs.

Real Estate Tips and Tricks

Staying afloat and keeping your job in an economic recession can prove to be tough. Everyone in the real estate industry, from agents to appraisers and even title companies, is affected by the declining economy and the lack of home sales. By taking the time to do a few small things, you can easily make sure that you have work at all times, even when things are on the slow side. For example, if you’re an appraiser, take the time to advertise to people who are looking to sell or refinance their homes. This is almost the only business going on since home sales are so slow right now, and you can actually benefit greatly from these people. Let people know how important your services are, no matter what you do, so that they feel the need to acquire your services for their real estate ventures.

Agents, title insurance companies, inspectors, mortgage companies, and appraisers alike all need to do the same thing. Find the business that is going on, and do everything in your power to convince people to work with you. Build a reputation for yourself, or use the one that you have previously built, to help people feel secure in working with you. Reassure those people who are uncertain about buying a home that now IS a good time to buy a home, as long as they can afford it. In these declining and uncertain economic times, people need someone and something that they can trust. For those who are looking to get involved in real estate, that trust comes from real estate professionals like you.

Buyers are skeptical about buying right now. Banks are crumbling and foreclosures are growing exponentially, almost overnight. All people hear on the news is about the mortgage crisis and how bad the economy is. They don’t hear about how they can get a great deal on a home that will be worth much more once the economy bounces back. Tell people this stuff, because they won’t hear it anywhere else. For every five or ten people that are selling or being foreclosed on, there is someone out there bravely considering buying a home. As a professional, it is your job to make them feel secure enough to decide to go through with it, or to at least procure your specific services.

You shouldn’t lie to consumers, by any means. However, reassuring them that they are doing the right thing, if they are, is not lying. When all people hear on the news is bad things, it’s hard for them to believe that there is anything good left in the real estate industry. Find the good, and show it to these people. This can keep your real estate business going, even when things aren’t looking so good nationwide.

Where is the Housing Market Still Booming and How?

Many people are concerned about the housing market in general, with the recent fluctuations, bubbles, and rampant foreclosures across the country. If you are one such concerned person, you may be looking for areas of the housing market that are still stable, even flourishing. In this brief article, we’ll take a look at what is causing this recent boom in certain areas of the market, as well as what these areas are and where you can find them.

Quite possibly the part of the housing market that actually benefited from this financial crisis and housing bubble is the college off-campus housing market. Off-campus housing is great for students that can’t afford to live in dorms, and need to scrimp and save to be able to go to college at all. Why, you ask? Due to the recent financial turbulence throughout the country, many people have been going back to school to finish their education, especially those that realized they were in financial trouble if they didn’t. So now, more than ever, there are lots and lots of low-income students attending colleges across the country, so anywhere you find colleges, you find flourishing off-campus housing.

Another housing market that is managing to stay afloat fairly easily is that in ethnic districts of large cities, such as Chinatown in San Francisco. Many immigrants have been flowing in to take advantage of American housing that is now cheaper than ever. Urban housing has seen a drastic drop in price nationwide, but districts like Chinatown have been hit significantly less hard due to the increased number of renters and buyers. Unfortunately, this increased immigration has lent support to complaints about immigrants taking work away from American citizens, especially now that jobs are being lost across the country.

There are plenty of other pockets of real estate that are springing to life, as there is always some sort of silver lining. It can be hard to gauge how some places do so well while others a few streets down do so poorly, but there are certain generalizations that work. Learning to keep an eye on certain types of property, rather than necessarily certain areas of property, can help you make predictions about what will and will not be stable in the event of economic disaster. Learning to differentiate between these types of properties will soon prove to be a useful skill for the potentially hard times ahead.

Where ISN’T Real Estate hurting?

I always hear of the elusive cities where real estate seems to be an “untouchable”-the caste system of such things being quite opposite than Indian society. Untouchable is described as the cost not dropping, going as far as even saying the costs for certain homes or areas are rising! How can this be? Is Real Estate even an area that people want to work in, let alone invest in? Well, the answer is, yes actually.

Although there are areas that have stunted growth or actually reverse growth, there are cities doing incredibly well. For example, in a list created by Forbes for the 10 best cities to buy a home in, unsurprisingly, four Texas cities make the cut. To top the list is Houston, TX with home sales prices with a 6.6% increase.

The list is as follows:

1.Houston, TX
2.Austin, TX
3.St. Louis, MO
4.Philadelphia, PA
5.San Antonio, TX
6.Dallas, TX
7.Charlotte, NC
8.San Francisco, CA
9.Jacksonville, FL
10.Atlanta, GA

If you are thinking of a career change but live in these cities, think again! And with Agentcampus.com’s MCE in Texas, this is a perfect time to excel in your career in the Lone Star State.

Need a new career?

AgentCampus.com also offers pre-licensing courses for Real Estate.

Six new Courses to our extensive catalog

AgentCampus.com, the leader in online continuing education for the real estate industry, is proud to announce the addition of six new courses to our extensive catalog of real estate CE courses, real estate pre license courses, real estate post license courses, exam preps, and Mortgage CE courses!

In addition to our existing course catalog, we now offer mortgage CE courses ONLINE in the states of Massachusetts, Florida, Iowa, and Nevada!
In the area of Real Estate Pre License, we have brand new courses for the states of Colorado and Nebraska!

Need CE or Pre License credit, exam prep or post license, but aren’t a resident of one of those states? Check out agentcampus.com to see if we offer ONLINE courses where you live!

And don’t forget, AgentCampus.com also offers ONLINE courses in Title Insurance, Appraisal, and Home Inspection!

Fingerprinting: Safety or Invasion?

There have been a number of Real Estate Commissions across the US that have added, or are adding fingerprinting as a requirement to getting/renewing your license. Once it's done, you don't have to do it again, they just want everyone on record for the public's safety.

But many real estate agents think it's not only just an added cost to getting/keeping a license, but also an invasion of privacy. It's just another way to keep "big brother" in the middle of our lives.

I've asked a few friends what they think, and it most of them seem to think what I do. It is another annoying cost (about $50 in Texas I think), but if you don't have anything to hide, why not? It can be used as a marketing tool for RE agents - adding trust back into those relationships.

I am all about keeping real estate licensing costs down, but I am also in favor of keeping the public safe. From a marketing standpoint at AgentCampus, how many of you would like to see us offer a voucher for a free fingerprinting after passing the classes you take with us?

I'm not saying this is possible, I'm just thinking out loud. I am just a simple marketer thinking about how I can make my student's lives easier. :)

Down Market Isn't Everywhere

With reports like California Licensees dropping for the first time in over 10 years, it's hard to imagine things being good in Real Estate anywhere. But there is hope. As with the price of a house, the market is different depending on where you are.

Just to the north, Washington Realtors are talking to their Legislature about their housing market, which seems to be on the up and up.

There are markets in Texas (I'm biased because that is where I am) that are still doing well (Austin) and some not (Dallas). Don't automatically assume that because the nation on average is down that your area is too. Remember those lemons.

What should it cost to become a Realtor?

I came across this posting from a prospective real estate agent in Texas. He is asking a pretty straight forward question, but is still hard to answer.

At AgentCampus, we offer real estate licensing courses in all states that will let us. But that is just the first step. I have been talking to many new agents in Texas recently, and they all say the same thing: it costs a lot of money to be a real estate agent in your first year. The training is the easy part.

The fees for local associations, exams, and that 60 hours in your first year is what really gets you. To be a real estate agent requires training and exams. To be a REALTOR and have access to the MLS, that's a more. But it is what is required to be a serious agent.

Just like I said about Home Inspection becoming more regulated, this is most likely a good thing. It keeps the people who are only "so so" about becoming an agent out. It's the barrier to entry. If you want to do this, you have to be serious. But when it is just ridiculous? Are other states the same way?

Don't get me wrong, I am not slamming the MLS, NAR, or anyone else. Truthfully I don't know enough about that subject to really do it justice. I am just posing that question. What should it cost to become a Realtor? Does anyone really tell you in the beginning what the investment really is? How important do you think it'd be to tell prospective agents this?

On a side note: We are developing Prospective Agent kits for people who want to become agents in the states we offer training. Keeps your eyes out for them. I might even post some of the knowledge I find on here and see what you all think. I'd love input on what you would have liked to know BEFORE becoming an agent.

The Maze of Marketing

Being in the internet marketing industry for the past 5 years has taught me one thing. Marketing is only effective when used in it's entirety. You cannot rely on one piece alone.

• Print advertisements are a necessity because it builds awareness, the beginning of relationships.


• Sponsorships are a necessity because it also begins Word of Mouth. Want people to know who you are, tell them.


• Calling prospects is a necessity - you are talking to people who are actively in the market!


• Networking is a definite necessity. If you need to know why, ummm ...


• Search Engine Marketing is a necessity because it builds your brand and reaches the next generation of buyers.

Online advertising leads are fresh, active, and hot. They are looking for you and WANT you to contact them. But they aren't the entire market. Having a blog, linking, website development - that's all a part of that one area of marketing. So many blogs out there spout to have the best tips and tricks for marketing on the internet. Some can be confusing, some can be full of great advice, most have both.

But in the end, it's only one part of your business. Build your business as a whole business. Use all the tools available to you, not just one. You wouldn't try to do your hair for a night out with only hairspray right?

Kickstarting the Real Estate Market

This week I heard something really funny. After all of this mortgage and foreclosure talk, the real estate market was not looking fun for anyone. Just because of some spending and lending gone bad.

To make up for it, every real estate agent has been pushing on the fact that its a buyers market. Short sales are happening, and on that day, the National Association of Realtors got into it. They launched a national ad campaign to boost the buying of homes and using certified Realtors to do so.

Then today happened. The Fed cut rates by 0.75%, the largest cut since the 1990s. Shailesh Ghimire of AgentGenius commented on the situation well. What are we missing? What is the government not telling us?

As a marketer to the real estate industry I am happy about these two developments. As a possible home buyer, I am highly ecstatic. I hope the jumpstart works to counter act what the media created in talking about some missed opportunities.

Let's go real estate agents. Time to make some lemonade!