Many articles and comments have been made in reference to Saul Klein’s recent White Paper on the MLS 5.0 concept. It is very well detailed and comprehensive when it comes to presenting a vision of what we as Realtors need to prepare for in the future.

Danilo Bogdanovic made some great points in his post today on Agent Genius that challenges some of the content of Saul’s White Paper. I think this is healthy and the purpose of throwing this out to the visionaries of our industry.

Some may criticize Saul’s points, not understanding that the purpose of this presentation is to open up the dialogue for developing a plan vs. being reactive like we have with the whole mortgage fiasco, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the foreclosure boom we seem to be stuck with for the next couple of years. The unfortunate part is that the broker/owners who need to be smack dab in the middle of these kinds of conversations are struggling to cut costs, deplete inventory, and keep their doors open.

The other unfortunate fact is that most real estate brokers and agents are not spending the time and effort, when it comes to grasping web2, blogging, portals or the future of MLS changes, let alone decide what we need for the future.  We are a changing industry, that needs to be re-educated, starting at the top it needs to be fully supported by the broker/owners.  Let’s hope they’re not cutting their training and education budgets, if anything, right now would be a good time to throw out the newspaper print and put it all back into educating your assets. (Agents) We have many people to learn from including the two gentleman above. Have you started your Future plan yet?

“Expect the Best” Mike

Mike Bowler Sr ePRO, GRI, CRB, SRES
Direct Line: 517-492-3400
Fax: 888-832-6203
email: Mike@MikeBowler.com 
Website for Agents: MikeBowler.net
Website for Clients: MikeBowler.com
Take the ePRO Class: http://mikebowler.certifiedeprotrainer.com

The current Real Estate market conditions in Lansing are challenging (to say the least) with nearly 6300 properties on the market. But, there has never been a better time to buy. Interest rates are low, there are more homes to choose from than ever before, prices have become more realistic for home buyers and the greater Lansing area has tons to offer.

If You're thinking of selling your home in the current real estate market in Holt, Michigan, Delhi Township, it's important to have a real estate professional that has a positive attitude, has experienced tough times (Early 80's), knows your market, Internet technology, real estate law, negotiation skills and someone who is ready to go to work for you.

Your home's value depends on many factors, including its style and size, amenities, condition and, of course, location, location, location. In addition, the value of your real estate investment can be affected by market conditions: interest rates, supply and demand and the overall strength of the economy. My Home Sellers Kit is packed with information to assist you in your decision making process. 

 You can also order your FREE Internet Marketing Seller Presentation here to discover the various syndicated websites your property will be exposed to when marketing your home with me. Not only will your listing get serious advertising on my website and on the websites of all of my network partners . . . I will also push it out all over the web, to the busiest real estate marketplaces online.

With the housing industry experiencing both economic changes and technology changes, I thought a few blurbs on each would be benificial to all concerned. It's time for all Realtors, mortgage brokers and other ancillary businesses to get educated to the facts, share them with their contacts and become more aware of how the industry is being over-hauled. Here's a nice commentary by Dennis Kneale who tells it like it should be told vs. what you read in the media.

Realtor.org is another location for Realtors to stay abreast to the latest press releases, market stats and educational pieces that can passed on to your clients, customers, and the general public.

Another area to stay on top of the financial news that I recomend is the Bloomberg report.

Education:

Take the ePRO Class: e-PRO Certification is not only about technology. The e-PRO Certification Program will establish a baseline of online competence, and it will also introduce its students and graduates to the best aspects of Online Community.

The Webographers Course is an Exhaustive Training for Online Business Strategy, Agent Websites, Single-property Websites, Virtual Tours, Neighborhood Search, Lead Generation, Electronic Forms, Online Transaction Management, Mobile Technologies, Virtual Assistants and Blogs.

As a real estate trainer and consultant, I am available to assist you in all your marketing plans, technology, and taking your real estate career to the next level. Contact me if you’re interested in hiring a personal coach and consultant to help develop your business.
"Expect the Best" Mike