Commercial Real Estate

It’s hardly unusual to hear about real estate brokers who are also active volunteers in their community. Both roles encompass a common mission: serving the needs of people to build a stronger society. But is it wise to make charitable activities a central part of your company strategy?

We live in a litigious society, and real estate agents and brokers are sued all the time — even if they don’t think they did anything wrong.

After a property closes, issues can come to light that make the new owners or the sellers upset and want to place blame on their agents. The best thing brokers can do is educate themselves and their agents on all the potential situations that could bring about a lawsuit, and, of course, by carrying errors & omissions insurance.

With real estate sales still slow in many parts of the country, you can bet consumers are scrutinizing deals like never before. So if your internal policies and record keeping were a bit loose during the go-go market, it’s time you took steps to protect your brokerage. Make sure your written procedures lay out the key dos and don’ts that associates need to follow.

Agent recruitment and retention is at the forefront of brokerages’ goals for business growth, even nudging out profitability or agent productivity, according to a new survey of 150 brokers and owners across the U.S. conducted by Contactually, a relationship marketing software firm.

Do you value your time? Well, if the consumer is more in control of it than you are, then you don’t. Learn to take control back from the consumer and start valuing your own time more. 

For some, it takes years to decide whether they’re ready to make a move, but what are you supposed to do until then? Take a deep breath and consider these four ways to work with clients who are on the fence.

In some instances, people act difficult because they are placed in a difficult situation. In many others, they behave in a difficult fashion for the same reason that a 3-year-old child cries: Last time it got the results they wanted, so they are going to do it again.

Define and embrace your company culture, power brokers say, then recruit agents who fit that niche.

Real estate has been slow to attract young professionals, but forward-thinking brokers are overcoming common barriers to entry.