By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Need a laugh or a little amusement to add to your day? Check out this month’s wackiest real estate news at REALTOR® Magazine online. Among this month’s headlines:
- Police Tase Lawn-Mowing Neighbor
- Australian Agents Bet on Lingerie Models to Sell Luxury Home
- Trump Says Gotcha to Gadhafi
- Wheee! Man Uses Slide to Connect Two Penthouses
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, contributing editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Do you ever tell others that you are “showing a foreclosure?” If so, you’re not using the word “foreclosure” correctly.
Some real estate professionals use the term to refer to all distressed properties, Kathy Mehringer, director of risk management with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Southern California companies, told attendees at a session last week during the California Association of REALTORS® Expo.
Here are the definitions Mehringer provided to set the record straight:
Foreclosure is a legal process by which a defaulting borrower is deprived of their interest in the property.
Real estate owned (or REO), on the other hand, is a real estate asset owned by the lender that is taken back during the foreclosure process.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
QR codes are being hyped as the “next big thing” for connecting prospects to your marketing, according to several tech experts during the California Association of REALTORS® Expo in Anaheim this week.
So what are they and what can you do with them? QR codes, which resemble a store’s barcode, can be added into your marketing materials, such as on your flyers, brochures, or signs. Others can then scan and snap a photo of the code using their smartphone’s QR code reader app, which is basically available on any phone. The code reader transcribes the code and then instantly sends the encoded materials and information to that person’s phone.
For example, say you had a QR code on your business card that contains all of your contact information. When a person takes a photo of that QR code using the app, she will instantly receive all of your contact information on her smartphone, never having to input a thing. Your contact information would automatically be added to her address book.
Admittedly, it’s hardly a must-have tool, but if you’re looking for a way to spice up your marketing, particularly among your more tech savvy prospects, you might try it out. It’s easy to make your own QR code too. Just Google “QR code generator,” and you’ll find plenty of vendors. You just plug in your URL or text and then you’ll instantly receive a code to use in your marketing. Or you can just go straight to Clikbrix to access a solution designed especially for real estate purposes.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Take a deep breath. Relax.
You’re stressed out, according to a recent survey from CareerCast. In fact, working as a real estate agent is considered one of the most stressful occupations you can have, according to its 2010 Jobs Rated report. So you’re not just a little stressed — you’re REALLY stressed!
Real estate agent came in No. 10 as most stressed occupations on a list of 100 jobs. The survey took into account such factors as work environment, competitiveness, and job risk.
Complex transactions, demanding clients, a sagging housing market, and steep competition — who couldn’t blame you for feeling a little over edge these days? It’s not easy to work in real estate!
So since the survey says you’re stressed, see how stressed you really are. Take our job stress quiz.
You’ll learn if your stress levels are beginning to spiral out of control and what you can do to start de-stressing.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
REALTOR® Safety Month is a reminder to real estate professionals that safety needs to be a priority. Everyday situations can be potentially dangerous: You’re meeting with strangers all of the time and often in vacant homes — extra precautions need to be taken.
Have you ever felt your safety at risk while working in real estate? If so, do you carry a safety device with you as added protection? Take our poll below.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Contributing Editor REALTOR® Magazine
We’re in the middle of REALTOR® Safety Month, and it’s a good reminder to those working in real estate that, if you’re not careful, it can be a risky business when it comes to your personal safety. I recently asked real estate professionals to share with me situations where they’ve felt their safety at risk and the lessons they’ve learned.
I was amazed at the response! The Real Estate Marketer on Facebook also carried our inquiry and several responses were posted there as well. Numerous real estate professionals revealed dangerous situations they found themselves in, from encountering squatters and thieves at open houses to even being held hostage in a home. (You can read some of the submissions here.)
Whether you’re meeting with new clients, chauffeuring strangers in your car, holding open houses to the public, you can’t afford to take your safety for granted. You need to stay on guard, and make safety a priority.
Read: Real Estate’s 6 Most Dangerous Everyday Situations
It’ll only take you about five minutes to read the article, but if you’re ever faced in one of these situations where you feel at risk, you’ll know what to do.
Also, I invite you to add to our list. What other everyday dangerous situations have you faced that should be added to our list? You can help your peers protect themselves by sharing the safety lessons you’ve learned.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Good customer service supposedly starts with the old saying that the customer is always right. However, the suddenly infamous JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater thought a customer was wrong, and he decided to tell her that. His telling-off session has captured headlines across the U.S., thanks to a video of the incident that’s gone viral.
You’ve probably heard the story by now: Slater became so outraged at a customer that he cursed to her on the airplane’s public address system and then grabbed a beer from the galley and did a so-long by using the plane’s exit slide to slide off into the sunset … well, sort of.
He now faces charges of criminal mischief, trespassing, and reckless endangerment, which could land him in jail. But his “I’ve-had-enough” attitude — complete with the dramatic exit — has turned him into an Internet sensation.
Moreover, he’s gained widespread support, with a Free Steven Slater movement starting up on Facebook. Apparently, a lot of people can relate to his frustration.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Expectant parents eager to buy a home for their growing family may be surprised to find that they’re a credit risk when it comes to obtaining a mortgage to purchase their new home — even if they have jobs to make their payments.
According to a recent New York Times article (Need a Mortgage? Don’t Get Pregnant, by Tara Siegel Bernard), pregnant women increasingly are being denied home loans as lenders factor in the decrease in salary from when they’re away on maternity leave. The same applies to fathers taking paternity leave — even if the parent plans to return to work.
The disability payments that new mothers receive do not count as qualifying income toward the mortgage. So new mothers who plan to return to work may have to wait and reapply for a mortgage to buy the home after they’ve returned to their job.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
A few stories that appeared in REALTOR® Magazine’s Daily News struck me as unusual this week. I’m curious to hear your thoughts!
Buyer Sues Agent Over Secondhand Smoke
A buyer is suing her real estate agent, claiming the agent never told her that secondhand smoke was seeping into her $405,000 condo from the unit next door. The buyer claims her broker assured her when she smelled smoke during their initial visit that it was because the owner smoked, and that the smell would be gone by the time she moved in.
However, once she moved in, the buyer — who has asthma — discovered the smoke was actually coming from her next-door neighbor. In court filings, the real estate agent says the buyer never questioned him about the smoke.
Depending on how it plays out, the case could pave the way for whether disclosing smoke smells to prospective buyers will be required of real estate professionals. So you might want to start giving your listings an extra whiff.
Paying Home Owners to Pay Their Mortgage
Loan Value Group LLC wants to stop borrowers from defaulting on their mortgage so they came up with an idea: Let’s pay the home owners to pay their mortgage. Continue reading »
Recent Comments