photo credit: erichhh

There is a big perception that if you dont actually see someone working, they arent working. People expect to see someone slaving away at their task and they expect to see measurable results from that work. If youre not hitting something with a hammer, youre not working.  Most of the time the work that is done is not something that the average person can measure and track, its a lot of investigation, phone calls, networking, and contracts.

A lot of people think real estate agents arent working hard to help them find that perfect deal, when in most cases the exact opposite is true. Its perception! There are of course, things real estate agents can do to counter that perception. Many times, its just about making a client feel comfortable, thats it. We want them to work with us, not be underfoot and constantly panicking, Im sure weve all had clients like that.

Here are some tips from Franklynews that may help put your clients at ease.

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Posted in Education And Training, Movers and Shakers, Industry Leadership, Giving Back, Online Education, Metro Brokers Offices, Metro Brokers Agents

photo credit: williamcho

Some people who walk away from their mortgage have no money to pay anything, let alone their mortgage. Others on the other hand have money, but still decide to walk away from their home loan and let the bank foreclose on the property. A deficiency judgment, as most of you know, is when the bank comes after the homeowner for the remaining amount on the loan that they tried to walk away from. Most people feel safe doing this because they have no assets to claim or money for the bank to take.

This is not the case for the segment of people who have money. Dont be sure the bank wont come after you after you walk away from your mortgage. They have a duty to their stock holders to collect all moneys owed them. They have no loyalty to you and I. There are some states that wont allow banks to come after people who walk away form their mortgages, but not all states have this law. Make sure you know what the laws are in your area before you make such a big and potentially far reaching decision.

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Posted in Education And Training, Movers and Shakers, Giving Back, GenX GenY, Online Education

photo credit: Mystery in the mail

It is predicted that housing prices will drop a startling 30% by 2014. When the appraised values are so much lower than the market rates, it lowers the housing prices, and it will continue to lower prices. If you are in an area where there are a lot of short sales and foreclosures, it is likely that your property has lost value, and will continue to lose value in the coming years.

Before you sell, go to the county property appraisals office and make sure you know what your property is really worth, and make sure you know the prices your area. You may be able to forecast where your market is heading.

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Posted in Education And Training, Press Room, Movers and Shakers, Giving Back, Online Education, Metro Brokers Agents

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