Foreign Investors — Is Your Real Estate Company Up for the Challenge?

Real estate is and always will be a prime investment. It is and always will be one of the most important and biggest investments most people will make in their lifetime. More and more, foreign buyers are realizing the value of prime real estate in the United States. The number of foreign buyers that are investing in our country’s real estate is growing rapidly. The Washington... Read More

Role Models in the Real Estate Industry

Gary Keller PART ONE OF A SERIES Whatever profession we choose, we often aspire to and take cues from those who have paved the way and “graduated to greatness.” These individuals not only achieve financial success but are passionate about life, sometimes come from humble beginnings and never give up, despite the odds. They go through lean times and never let the word “no”... Read More

Keller Williams’ Associate Leadership Counsel (ALC)

The Top 20% Producers Inspire, Motivate, Participate and Listen In 1986, Gary Keller and his first team of top producers, the Associate Leadership Council (ALC) lost seven of their agents. These agents didn’t have any particular beef with KW, they just wanted “better deals” and thought that other brokerages could give them better opportunities. Keller didn’t look at the... Read More

Manage Your Work Life to Co-Exist Peacefully with your Personal Life

One of the main reasons why Keller Williams’® business model appeals to me is their core philosophy of doing the right thing and “having a life worth living.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defining what a life worth living is; everyone has their own interpretation of that. To me personally, it’s about integrity and working toward something that enhances those things... Read More

Leads, Leads and More Leads!

Since we returned from Keller Williams’ Family Reunion last month, I’ve shared the excitement and energy from that week and what we learned while there in a few of my blogs. Here’s some other great news–from that one week, we’ve garnered several leads just from following up with the Keller Williams agents we met at Family Reunion. There’s a true benefit to being... Read More

NEW YORK REAL ESTATE QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How do I jumpstart my business when starting a new venture?

Each week I plan to answer a New York real estate question. The above question has come up during conversations with colleagues lately and I thought it was a good one (and very apropos) to begin the series with–I invite your comments and questions. From inquiries about condos to co-ops, when to buy, how important it is to choose the right agent for you and your needs, to... Read More

New York Mortgage Banker, Steve Hartstein Gives Some Insight into What’s Going on in Lending

I had the opportunity to talk to my friend and colleague, Steve Hartstein of First Meridian Mortgage, a residential Manhattan-based mortgage company, about the current climate of lending. I asked Steve if he’s noticed any significant changes and what we can expect in 2011. The Fourth Quarter of 2010 “Since the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, I’ve witnessed a major push... Read More

Social Media Versus “Old-School” Methods–Which is Better?

With everything we have at our disposal as real estate professionals today, those of us who remember the days of buying and selling without all the social media tools are rethinking how we go about generating leads, contacting potential clients and ultimately, doing what our main goals is: To sell real estate. Which is more important–your social skills or your social media... Read More

The Demand is Up for Manhattan Luxury Apartments

In my late January blog, I told you about how the Manhattan market was in for an upsurge this year and now there’s even more promising news. According to a recent Real Deal article investors are once again looking at Manhattan as a solid investment. Rental prices are going up as well. WNBC New York News reported yesterday that rentals for a two-bedroom condo in New York City... Read More

New York Real Estate Question of the Week: What tools can I use to entice potential customers?

I was having lunch with a colleague last week and we started discussing various ways in which to increase business. I thought this was a perfect topic for this week’s real estate question. Five years ago, most of us had a website in which our listings would appear. Today, it’s not just an option to use social networking sites in order to compete in the marketplace, it’s... Read More