Lansing, Michigan
I am prepared to employ the latest techniques and services for your benefit, just like you've grown to expect from a professional. Real estate transactions are complex, involve large assets and demand competent representation. Marketing properties, home selection and financing are just a few of the skills today's consumer looks for when they select a real estate professional. I am prepared to offer my clients the knowledge and expertise to counsel them in relocating, buying, investing or selling the family home.
In today's market, you need someone who knows what they're doing and will work hard to get the job done. My knowledge of the real estate market, negotiating skills, and ability to listen to clients' needs and desires keep me ahead of my competition.
"Expect the Best"
Agents Visit: http://mikebowler.net
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Sep. 3, 2008
Categorized in: Education
85% plus, of all buyers are shopping the Internet for real estate prior to ever contacting a Realtor. Here are some questions to ponder: 1. Is it our duty, based on Article 11 of the Realtor Code of Ethics to provide our sellers with the adequate information on the quality and quantity of tools made available to expose the sellers home to the marketplace? 2. Are we competent in marketing real estate to today’s e-consumer? 3. Are we demonstrating the skill and the knowledge that is needed to be competent?
Here’s what Article 11 says: (Please note: I am referring to service only. Property type is yet another issue.)
The services which REALTORS® provide to their clients and customers shall conform to the standards of practice and competence which are reasonably expected in the specific real estate disciplines in which they engage; specifically, residential real estate brokerage, real property management, commercial and industrial real estate brokerage, real estate appraisal, real estate counseling, real estate syndication, real estate auction, and international real estate. REALTORS® shall not undertake to provide specialized professional services concerning a type of property or service that is outside their field of competence unless they engage the assistance of one who is competent on such types of property or service, or unless the facts are fully disclosed to the client. Any persons engaged to provide such assistance shall be so identified to the client and their contribution to the assignment should be set forth. (Amended 1/95)
Here’s what Article 12 says in part:
REALTORS® shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations.
What stage do we as Realtors fall into when it comes to marketing homes in today’s market?
Here’s what Wikipedia Encyclopedia says about Competence.
Competence is the ability to perform a specific task, action or function successfully.
Competence a standardized requirement for an individual to properly perform a specific job
In psychology the four stages of competence relate to the psychological states involved in the process of progressing from incompetence to competence in a skill:
- Unconscious incompetence
The individual neither understands or knows how to do something, nor recognizes the deficit or has a desire to address it.
- Conscious incompetence
Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, he or she does recognize the deficit, without yet addressing it.
- Conscious competence
The individual understands or knows how to do something. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires a great deal of consciousness or concentration.
- Unconscious competence
The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it becomes "second nature" and can be performed easily (often without concentrating too deeply). He or she can also teach it to others.
My point in asking these questions is to make a point, that we can never stop learning in real estate. There are many wonderful opportunities for each of us as practitioners to continue our education. What do you think?
"Expect the Best" Mike
Mike Bowler Sr. ePRO, CRB, GRI, SRES
Cetified ePRO Trainer
email: mike@mikebowler.com
Visit: MikeBowler.net
As a real estate trainer and consultant, I’m 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.
Apr. 19, 2008
I had the honor and privilege to be part of a 3 day training program sponsored by NAR in Chicago this  last week on Mediator/ Mediation Training. All I can say is WOW! what an eye opener, what an experience, and what great instructors and coach's we had for this program of dispute resolution process that will be sweeping the nation for Realtor Boards in the coming months and years ahead. Unlike arbitration, and litigation, mediation is a voluntary process in which a neutral party (Mediator) helps people resolve conflicts. The heart of mediation is getting two or more people with a problem to talk to each other.
Mediation is a confidential settlement process that honors the principle of self determination from the parties involved. This is something that as a broker-owner over the years I can relate with through settling disputes between agents, buyers and sellers and mediating last minute closing disputes. Most Realtors with experience in listing and selling homes, have the natural genes to become good mediators if they understand the process. However, I must admit, although I have nearly thirty years of handling almost everything you could think of, there is more to the mediation process than meets the eye.
My goal here is to bring your attention to the idea that has came to life and will be very beneficial to our industry for years to come. I encourage you as a Realtor to learn what you can about the process, attend the training provided by NAR, and get behind the campaign for mediation to be an alternative to arbitration at your local board for agent to agent disputes.
Watch for more on this subject in the near future.
"Expect the Best"
Mike
Apr. 14, 2008
I real an article a few days back that just blows me away with the stats and numbers we are seeing with the Internet, technology and social networking for business. As of September there were over 106 million registered accounts with myspace.com About 230,000 people per day are signing up, according to Walt Baczkowski, President of MCAR who wrote a nice perspective about Getting on the Technology Bus.
We're seeing hundreds of articles almost daily about the above topics and more. With over 90% of the buyers searching homes on the Internet prior to ever contacting a Realtor, I would suggest more Realtors hop on the Bus also. Just like the song, Hop on the bus, Gus. or slip out the back, Jack. (Leave the business) make a new plan, Stan.(Learn technology, Internet marketing, Blogging and how to network socially).
Here are a few places you can start FREE, and/or cheap, and/or reasonable. It's amazing how many people said during the busiest 4-5 years in the history of NAR, that they did not have time to learn this stuff. Now, the same ones are saying I don't have the money to invest into that stuff. The consumers are light years ahead of most business owners when it comes to search engine marketing, optimization and permission marketing in the real estate industry.
Active Rain is a FREE Blog and great networking site for Realtors to learn, share and build community with each other. I use it in two fashions: One for the public, by posting Local articles about the real estate market and using the Localism section and the other for Professionals only to network with my peers. I also use RealTownBlogs.com because it is ranked high on the search engines, has plenty to offer agents, brokers, and ancillary businesses. Need a FREE website to promote your IDX listings or your community. Point2Agent offers a 6 month FREE trial and the Professional version is also well worth the cost once you try it out for a spell.
OK, now I am going to encourage you to investigate the ePRO course online, and I challenge you Brokers and Managers to set the example by taking this course online right away. The above link will provide you some basic information about this NAR Certified course. As a certified ePRO Trainer, I would not be doing my job if I ignored the fact that you need this course. As Saint Nike says, Just do it!
The REWTM Certification is the premier real estate technology certification; your competitive edge in today's web-based consumer-centric environment. REW stands for Real Estate Webographer, which is a Real Estate Certification for Agents, Brokers and Assistants. The above link is well worth the visit.
The last FREE item I am pointing out is the PRETEC invitation to subscribe RSS. It will give you the experience of using a reader that will provide time saving convienence and also start you onto building a list of educational blogs geared toward training, education and consulting. Remember, Professionals need help in their business to become great. This Blog also has a RSS opportunity for you to signup.
"Expect the Best" Mike
Lansing Michigan 48917
Nov. 14, 2006
Wow! I can't believe we had 65-degree temperatures here Thursday (November 9 th) in Lansing, Michigan. It makes you want to go sell a house. The front page of today's paper showed a man out on the golf course enjoying the opportunity and it made me think of how Golf and Real Estate are so much alike. I use to play a lot of golf prior to my knees acting up, that's like an agent who use to sell a lot of real estate until they burnt out. In golf, if you want score well you have to have the right equipment. In real estate today the right equipment means being on top of the best technology to provide great pictures, websites, and communication.
In golf, if a golfer wants to score well, he or she needs to know the course. Do we know your market? The inventory of what's available, schools, amenities, tax rates, transportation etc.
In golf, they say your score depends on 75% mental attitude; you have to have a vision of how the shot is going to turn out or feel the swing. In real estate, we have to believe the results are going to be that new listing or sale. We have to picture the results. "Those who believe they can, and those who believe they can't, are both right.
In golf, you should always play the course, not your opponent. Sometimes we in real estate worry too much about our competition instead of focusing on the services we can provide each buyer or seller.
In golf, we have the drive, the approach, the chip and the putt. We call that activities in real estate, like leads, prospects, open houses, FSBO's, expired listings, relationships, and presentations.
In golf, sometimes the hazards like sand, woods and water can challenge our game. We in real estate experience that with slumps along the way, problem files, challenging sellers, buyers, co-op agents and vendors. However, by chipping out and getting back on course we keep our focus on the end results.
In golf, I know most pros have coaches who may assist the golfer on mental attitude, stroke improvements, and various segments of their game. It's also important in real estate that an agent has that support system. We have managers; staff, systems, tools and many agents today even hire a coach to boost their income and accountability.
In golf, most golf pros practice, drill and rehearse daily to perfect their game. Realtors who want to be pros are also subject to practicing their presentations, scripts and staying on top of marketing techniques to survive in today's world. How can we expect to win customers and clients over to our side if we don't practice, drill and rehearse?
In golf, they call it good edict to replace divots, fix ball marks, treat every player with respect, count all your strokes and use the proper amount of clubs. We in real estate have a great code of ethics provided by NAR that gives us the guidelines and rules to follow. The golden rule goes along ways when working with other Realtors to compliment, communicate and look at them as true peers of our industry vs. just competition.
In golf, they keep score and have a handicap. Are you keeping score of your real estate career? What's your handicap? Vision, goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics are what Realtors need to succeed.
If a golfer wants to hit a great shot, they have to keep their head down. Realtors, I say keep your head up.
Some practical things to think about as we prepare for another exciting year in real estate, what do you think?
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