Inman Real Estate Connect, San Francisco 2010; Mr. Guest on how technology has changed the face of the real estate work flow and experience. We need to get back to the business of actually showing properties and selling real estate.

Tom Guest: My thoughts are in the old days we used to have a real state book we would open up, we go and show properties and everybody were dependent on us. What I see now is that there is so much technology out there that I am just absolutely amazed its almost like you could do a full time job with just technology and do nothing else we wouldnt have time for real estate but you would have a lot of fun going through all these applications all these programs and all those research and you go through all these broker matrixes and you will not be an expert on everything real estate because you dont have the time. So my thought is, is that...

Mark Eibner: Get an assistant?

Tom Guest: You have to have an assistant but you have to take time to actually do the business of showing properties listing properties and going out there and doing the nuts and bolts and I guess you could supplement that with transaction broker have somebody be there for you getting assistant do that for you, you have somebody who is a lead assistant have somebody who does your Internet for you but there is so much more to doing nowadays that used to be really easy the old days where you would just go out so properties everybody was dependent upon but now they are not dependent on you so its a whole new world that I am just amazed not to be kept we could do it, we would have to do in the course of the day everyone in the US like with all the technology thats available

Mark Eibner: Absolutely great.

Tom Guest: Im amazed.

Mark Eibner: Thanks Tom. Tom Guest President Elect 2011 Metro Brokers, chow.

Tom Guest: Chow

Posted in Industry Events, Technology And You, Marketing, Press Room, Movers and Shakers, Industry Leadership, Giving Back, MBI News, Online Education, Metro Brokers Offices, Metro Brokers Agents, Metro Brokers Staff

Inman Real Estate Connect, San Francisco 2010; Mr. Shields discusses apps at the Inman Real Estate Connect as well as the increase of interaction from attendees.

Mark Eibner: Scott Shield Metro Brokers so what can you add to what Joe had to say?

Scott Shields: Continuing on it was all about apps and I want to say what was that one company thats going to put out the other company when their when their apps releases next week.

Second Person: Oh I dont know they were saying its going to be another Twitter thing like there is going to be a Twitter run for their money.

Third Person: Its going to replace Pulse.

Second Person: Announce whats his name Scoburg didnt.

Third Person: Yeah Scolburge didnt..

Second Person: He said Pulse is done.

Scott Shields: Yeah Pulse is done so find out next week at whats to be done?

Mark Eibner: So Scott did it change from the last time you were here, you were here about a couple of years ago?

Scott Shields: Two years ago.

Mark Eibner: And so you feel what do you feel thats different?

Scott Shields: More booths.

Mark Eibner: Smaller booths.

Scott Shields: More food.

Mark Eibner: More food I agree.

Scott Shields: Hey that was true.

Mark Eibner: More heaters too here.

Scott Shields: Yeah more involvement by the participants more attendees interaction yeah, acts through.

Mark Eibner: So most its the most questions I have ever seen asked, thats true.

Posted in Industry Events, Marketing, Press Room, Movers and Shakers, Giving Back, MBI News, Metro Brokers Offices, Metro Brokers Agents, Metro Brokers Staff

Metro Brokers partners with The Colorado Eagles to show strong roots and ties with the community and people along the Front Range.

Bob Luna: Hi this is Bob Luna, 2010 President of Metro Brokers Inc. and I am very excited to be here at the Budweiser event center in Loveland, Colorado. We are very pleased to announce partnership with the Colorado Eagles. So we want people to know we are not just Denver based company, we are throughout Colorado and very excited to partner up with Colorado Eagles.

Ike Isenhart: At this point we feel like we need to increase our branding and let all the potential customers up here know that this is the viable brand, it's been in business since 1976 and one of the best ways to do that is with the Colorado Eagles.

Doug Lindstrom: As I come to so many of these games and I see just the excitement that the Eagles bring to Northern Colorado and thought you know this is just a fantastic affiliation with the Eagles,

Tom Guest:  This is a group of young men who come out every year work hard on the ice and produce and this is a championship organization and this is why we are aligning ourselves in a partnership.

Ike Isenhart: The more that we demonstrate that we are along the proper engine we are on the western slope we will become an incredibly viable brand for not only the consumer end, but for the recruitment end as well.

Ike Isenhart: How does it benefit us, it's an extension of our brand?

Tom Guest: This is a very strong message to Northern Colorado that Metro Brokers is as successful and flying high as the Eagles.

Posted in Industry Events, Marketing, Press Room, Movers and Shakers, Giving Back, MBI News, GenX GenY

photo credit: SimplySchmoopie

Americans are known for their ambition and resourcefulness. Its always good to hear of a company breaking into a market thats tough to get into. Lake Oswego, Ore., based WFG National Title Insurance Co. aims to join the ranks of the big four title insurers before the end of the decade. WFG has grown by leaps and bounds by acquiring other companies and is now the home of nearly 200 employees. We need this type of ambition in our current market.

Speaking of ambition, WFG was licensed to do business in 33 states six months after they launched. They plan to be in more than 40 states by the end of the year.

Patrick Stone, president and CEO of WFG stated "The market is very underserved in the sense that the industry has not changed or adapted to market-driven changes that Realtors and lenders have had to adapt to. There's an opportunity for a new player to come in and be client oriented and use technology to replace hierarchical management structures. I think there's tremendous potential to be a fairly significant player in a five- to seven-year window."

We have all heard the rhetoric of this administration and their cronies talk about capitalism being such a bad thing, but capitalism is nothing more than people taking responsibility for them selves and taking action, versus waiting for the government to take care of them. We still like to hear about people taking action and doing well, epically in todays market.

Read the full story from Inman News

Posted in Industry Events, Education And Training, Press Room, Giving Back, GenX GenY

photo credit: ALA - The American Library Association

There have been many discussions and debates by economists as to how to get the housing market back on track. Many say that the government hasnt done enough and that they should spend even more money in the form of another stimulus. Still others believe that it is the private sector that will get the housing market back on track this time.

The latter believes that the government needs to back off of business owners a bit and lift some the taxes imposed on business owners and help people start businesses and succeed in business.

There are others already in business that agree with the private sector theory and are moving ahead with plans to help the economy and housing market get back in the black. There is a new contest in town. SCVNGR has teamed up with real estate companies nationwide to hold a nation wide contest for home buying. SCVNGR is a game that holds challenges at various places.

SCVNGR is backed by Google Ventures and has created a game to help home buyers cross the finish line. Given the name, "Race for the Home," the contest is simple, participants must visit locations, including for sales listings from local real estate brokers, learning something unique from the broker to help them complete a challenge and finish the game.

This will be played in 10 cities and will enlist 1,000 players in each city. The first game will be played in Atlanta on Saturday, Sept. 18th. The winner will receive $10,000 to $30,000 as a down payment on their new home.

Its no wonder private industry always does everything quicker and more cost efficient than the government. Remember the X-Prize, which inspired the first private company to travel into outer space? Pushed by private backing, things get done!

Read the full story from ratetake

Posted in Industry Events, Education And Training, Giving Back, Buyer Resources