By Mariwyn Evans, Commercial Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
By the end of the 21st century, the real estate where we work, shop, and play will look more like the Starship Enterprise’s holodeck than bricks and drywall we know today, says Marcel Bulling, futurist and author of Welcome to the Future Cloud—2025 in 100 Predictions. “Commercial space will be physical and virtual world in one, sort of a gaming zone. Tap a wall and you see new fashions, tap again to make a purchase, tap again and communicate with your colleagues,” he says.
What are the best types of structures to meet those future uses? Multifunction buildings that can shift from office to hotel to entertainment center almost instantly. “Stop seeing a building as a combination of walls. See it as a combination of apps that can be updated continuously and can change the functionality of the building according to day-to-day needs,” Bullinga says. Another trend: self-supporting mega-cities that no longer depend on the transport of goods but obtain most goods and services locally. “Globalization is out; walk and bike around cities with offices, farms, and homes, are in,” Bullinga says.
Interested? Read the full interview with Bullinga:
What trends do you see in the way and manner people work in the next decade?
Learning and working turns into a game. The virtual and physical world is one. The quality of a virtual meeting will equal the quality of a physical meeting, and we will turn more and more into virtual meetings for learning, working, and shopping. Our buildings will start to look like a holodeck: a sort of gaming zone with gaming walls. Tap the wall and pay, tap the wall and shop, tap the wall and fit new clothes, tap the wall and do your homework, tap the wall and sell to your clients, tap the wall and communicate with your colleagues.
The strict difference between office buildings, warehouses, apartments, and retail space will disappear. The new workplace is mobile. The new workplaces are surprising places: Starbucks, an old petrol station, your own attic, your self-driving car. And, oh yes, sometimes you will also visit your physical office to meet your colleague for a coffee. You tap into the cloud around you for all your information and contacts.
Local is the trend; DIY is the trend. Continue reading »
Deadline to Enter: March 15, 2012
Did you publish a real estate-related book in 2011? This competition is for you!
The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) is now accepting entries for the fifth annual Robert Bruss Real Estate Book Awards Competition.
Authors of books published in 2011 in the broad field of real estate — including finance, mortgage lending, foreclosures, investing, green building and sustainable design, as well as home buying and selling and commercial real estate — are invited to enter. NAREE, a non-profit association founded in 1929, will name gold, silver and bronze award-winners. In addition, NAREE will give a special award to a first-time author.
The awards, which include $2,000 in cash prizes, will be presented at the NAREE Real Estate Journalism Conference in Denver, Colo. in June. The Bruss Awards presentation will be a highlight of the 46th Annual NAREE spring conference, June 20-23, headquartered at the historic Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver.
The deadline to enter NAREE’s Bruss Book Awards Competition is March 15, 2012. Entrants should submit three copies of their book and a 5,000-word excerpt (many authors pick a key chapter or two).
Download a Bruss Call for Entries brochure (PDF)
NAREE also has a separate journalism competition for news and feature articles published in newspapers, magazines, and online. The Journalism Awards Call for Entries brochure is available in a PDF format — www.NAREE.org under the Journalism Contest tab.
NAREE’s book awards are named for the late Bob Bruss, syndicated real estate columnist, prolific writer and NAREE leader. Bruss frequently wrote reviews of realty books.
For more information: Mary Doyle-Kimball, NAREE Executive Director 561-391-3599 MADKimba@aol.com
NAREE DATES TO REMEMBER
FEBRUARY 9 – ORLANDO, NAREE Media Reception at IBS - 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9, Room: W202C at Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. Building Products Editor Jean Dimeo will speak on: “What’s the Real Scoop on New Products at the Show? Are the Headline-Grabbers Green or Over the Top?” RVSP for this complimentary networking event by e-mailing Mary Doyle-Kimball at madkimba@aol.com.
MARCH 1 - 62nd Annual NAREE Real Estate Journalism Competition Entry Deadline (Entry must be postmarked by March 1 and received by March 6)
MARCH 15 – 5th Annual Bruss Book Competition Entry Deadline (Entry must be postmarked by March 15 and received by March 25)
APRIL 15 – 10th Annual Bivins Fellowships Application Deadline
JUNE 20-23 – 46th Annual Real Estate Journalism Conference, “Covering Real Estate with Altitude,” June 20-23, 2012 - Brown Palace Hotel, Denver, Colo. Early Bird Registration on www.naree.org under the Spring Conference Tab until Feb. 15.
Last month we asked readers to share their favorite real estate book. The responses were overwhelmingly in favor of three books in particular: Rich Buyer, Rich Seller!, (7L) The Seven Levels of Communication, and Underwater Home. Although we couldn’t reprint all the recommendations, here’s a few of the lively comments real estate pros wrote about these three books. Find out why they’re worth putting on your must-read list in 2012.
Rich Buyer, Rich Seller! The Real Estate Agents’ Guide to Luxury Marketing Luxury Homes by Laurie Moore-Moore
Gretchen Lambeth
“
Fabulous insight into how the luxury market works! A must read for all agents who want to work in this niche.” — Gretchen L. Lambeth, Hawaiian Isle Real Estate, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
“Hands down, it’s the best written, most comprehensive yet concise real estate book I have read. It provides unparalleled insight and value to all luxury real estate professionals, from novices to the most experienced.” — Darren Weiner, Antigen Realty, Miami Beach, Fla.
Petra Fahey
“I was one of the early members of the LHMS designation and have attended two of Laura’s classes over the years. This book is the most successful tool I have and the information has allowed me to become and remain a strong presence in the luxury home market for my area. The most important insight was learning the housing market at the various price points. Many of the homes I list are custom homes, so this pricing strategy is paramount in helping me get the price point across to my sellers. I use this strategy when pricing all my luxury homes and homes that are in other price ranges as well. After years of following the steps in Laura’s book, I am now regularly interviewed by the local paper when they are working on a real estate specific story. I can’t thank Laura enough for her efforts that have resulted in my success.” — Petra Fahey, Real Living Country Ranch, Bullhead City, Ariz. Continue reading »
By Agnes Masnik, Freelance Writer for REALTOR® Magazine
For real estate professionals, the bottom line is business. While some people become complacent in their job, others seek opportunities to create more business prospects.
To avoid complacency, think of one personal life change to focus on. It could be attending a networking event each month, brushing up on social media and technology-based marketing tools, or cracking open that book you have been meaning to read.
Making a small, imperceptible life change can be the secret to achieving your personal goal, says Darren Hardy, publisher and editorial director of SUCCESS Magazine.
In his new book, The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success (Vanguard Press; November 2011), Hardy reveals why small, consistent changes and smart choices on a daily basis can equal big rewards in the future.
With 17 years experience studying personal development and achievement, Hardy covers many of life’s bases and he helps readers explore options for creating good business habits, a healthier lifestyle, and a more fulfilling personal life. This book is not real estate specific, but it does capture the essence of Hardy’s passion for success.
Hardy got into real estate when he was 20 years old. He remembers entering an office of 44 veteran agents with thick Rolodexes full of clients. During a meeting, one of them even called him “a naive snot nosed kid.” That encounter, he says, was a turning point in his career. Three months later, he was outselling the entire office. Continue reading »
By Meg White, REALTOR® Magazine
It’s hard to imagine someone with business interests ranging from Hollywood to wine-making to wedding dress sales being worried about becoming the proverbial cog in the machine, but Wayne Rogers avoids this fate at all costs.
Rogers, known for his role as Trapper John on the TV series M*A*S*H, recently wrote a book with co-writer Josh Young that helps translate the success he’s had in performing as well as investing. The result is an entrepreneurial self-help book for people who can’t stand entrepreneurial self-help books.
“I have no interest in telling you what you should or should not do or in giving you lessons about how to get involved in a business, start a business, or run a business. I have no step-by-step plan for success or surefire tips to becoming a millionaire,” Rogers writes in his introduction. If readers have a problem with that, he boldly suggests “there is always the trash can,” and moves on to chapter one.
Instead of following the usual self-help script, Make Your Own Rules: A Renegade Guide to Unconventional Success (AMACOM Books, 2011) uses case studies to illustrate the impact creativity, research, and careful partnership can have on the timely seizure of opportunity. Rogers’ emphasis on turning distressed assets into successful ventures takes special note of today’s market volatility, as does his advice to buck trends and disregard the status quo. His new spin on tired business clichés such as “the customer is always right,” gives readers reason to dust off these old paradigms and repurpose them for a new generation. Along with his many property development and acquisition case studies, real estate professionals will especially appreciate Rogers’ innovative ideas, self-reliance, and independence.
Rogers recently spoke with REALTOR® Magazine about his new book and his unconventional path to entrepreneurial success.
In your book, you say you devote the same amount of energy to a $10,000 investment as you would a $100,000 investment. Real estate practitioners often work just as hard to sell a $200,000 house as they might for a house two or three times that much. How do you stay focused and motivated to do your best in those situations? Continue reading »
By Agnes Masnik, Freelance Writer for REALTOR® Magazine
More than 10,000 Baby Boomers a day are turning 65 starting this year, according to the Pew Research Center. And home owners are responding to changes in the economy by exploring the option of turning a single-family house into two homes.
Commonly known as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), these dual housing arrangements were quite common up until the end of World War II and the boom of suburbanization. ADUs are now making a comeback. The “New Urbanism” planning trend includes ADUs in a wide range of affordable housing choices, particularly for the elderly, disabled, empty-nesters and young workers.
Michael Litchfield, author of In-laws, Outlaws, and Granny Flats: Your Guide to Turning One House into Two Homes (Taunton Press, 2011) helps answers the question if an ADU is right for your clients.
From the book: 3 Key Points for REALTORS®
1. Get to know the various types of Accessory Dwelling Units.
2. Understand common zoning standards for ADUs to better advise your clients.
3. Gain an understanding of the family dynamic surrounding a life change and how to best meet clients’ housing needs.
Litchfield walks the reader through the decision-making process from the details of popular designs to tips on how to choose appliances and materials for energy and space saving products, as well as navigating plans and permits. He chronicles 30 in-law units and personal stories in the U.S. and Canada. Litchfield offers a richly-illustrated and informative guide to transforming a single-family house into a property with independent living spaces.
From the book: 7 Take-Aways For Home Owners
1. An ADU allows for family to live close by. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and, of course, the Grateful Dead. Classic bands that transcend time and genre; beloved far and wide by many.
How did they do it? How did they achieve and maintain such an inspiring level of success? There are many lessons these bands can teach real estate professionals and other entrepreneurs.
In the same vein and a great piggy-back to our video interview with “Come Together” author Richard Courtney, this short documentary features David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan at the Gathering of the Vibes Festival last year. It offers a captivating (and musically delicious) inside look at their recent book “Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead.”
The Dead knew how to get in front of people, as is pointed out in the book and this short film. They toured nonstop throughout their career, reaching out to their fans, creating personal connections and lasting relationships. Plus, they had a recognizable brand that they stuck with. Sounds like key elements real estate practitioners can implement in their careers.
Check out the book, check out this video, and share your thoughts: How can you be more like the Grateful Dead of real estate?
Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead mini-documentary from David Meerman Scott on Vimeo.
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
“
Honesty is the best policy.” — An old saying that rings truer today in real estate than ever before.
REALTOR® and author Mario Jannatpour, a sales associate with RE/MAX Alliance in Louisville, Colo., is making honesty his mission in his recently-released second book, “The Honest Real Estate Agent: A Training Guide for a Successful First Year and Beyond as a Real Estate Agent.”
“Honesty is what our clients want today from us as REALTORS®,” says Jannatpour. “Combine honesty with knowledge, expertise and skills — this completes the profile.”
Jannatpour spoke with REALTOR® Magazine about his new book and the power of honesty in business:
Can you talk about the importance of honesty in agent-client relationships?
Jannatpour: In preparing to write this book, I did research on Twitter and Facebook. I spoke with people who were never my clients, asking them what they believed was most important when working with a REALTOR®. “Honesty” just kept coming up as an answer. It’s honesty in that you’re always doing the right thing for your clients, even maybe at the expense of killing a deal. You should always have the mindset, regardless of the deal, that you tell the truth because that’s what your clients need to know. Let them make the decision based on the information you present.
I’ve been in sales all my life and I’ve experienced situations where the sales professional holds back information. In real estate, you can’t do that. The house that people live in is the most important purchase of their lives.
How can real estate professionals break the stereotype of dishonesty?
Jannatpour: I actually have a chapter titled “I Hate Real Estate Agents.” That’s a thing we all deal with as REALTORS®, especially throughout the past decade in light of foreclosures, short sales, and the mortgage industry meltdown. Some real estate agents played a part in that, unfortunately. And we have an industry that includes a lot of people – over 1 million members of NAR – so there are going to be a few bad eggs. I think the way you counteract it as a real estate agent is by simply doing the opposite of the stereotype. Focus on the needs of your clients, be honest to them, and be honest to yourself. Some of my best clients are people who had bad experiences with other real estate agents in the past. When you show them you can do a good job and be honest, they really appreciate that.
What are some of the biggest mistakes new agents make? Continue reading »
The most popular marketing-related books this week from Amazon.com.
1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Kindle Edition (MacMay, Apr 25, 2009) Originally published by The Ralston Society, 1937.
“Think and Grow Rich is a motivational book written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by a suggestion by Scottish-American billionaire Andrew Carnegie. It was published in 1937 during the Great Depression. At Andrew Carnegie’s bidding, Hill studied the characteristics of the high achievers from past and of his day and developed 15 “laws” of success intended to be applied by anybody to achieve success. Think and Grow Rich! condenses these laws further and provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement.”
2. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell, Paperback (Back Bay Books, Jan 7, 2002)
“The premise of this facile piece of pop sociology has built-in appeal: little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or “tipping point” is reached, changing the world. Gladwell’s thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors “spread just like viruses do” remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of “word-of-mouth epidemics” triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened. (Paul Revere, for example, was a Maven and a Connector). ” –Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information Inc. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
The only way you’ll be winning the real estate game is if your clients are. Industry veteran Richard Steinhoff wants to help you help them. With more than 30 years under his belt, Steinhoff drew from his plethora of client-centric experiences to write his new book, Turning Myths into Money: An Insider’s Guide to Winning the Real Estate Game. He’s blowing open misconceptions and busting myths that may be tripping-up your clients’ real estate process.
Q&A with Richard Steinhoff:
How did you get your start in real estate?
Steinhoff: I had a friend who just got their real estate license and they needed some help getting a house sold. I already had a college education and I decided to get my broker license. We opened our own office and that’s how I got started. My specialty was in commercial, but our office dealt with both residential and commercial real estate and we grew to have about 40 agents.
I’ve wanted to write a book for years and my daughter always encouraged me. When the market took a turn and I started to see all this bad information out there, it became apparent that this was the right time to write a book that helps people by giving them good advice from someone inside the real estate industry.
You include 90 real estate myths in your book. Which ones, in your opinion, are the most important to understand?
Steinhoff: I originally write more than 100 myths, but we cut them down to 90. There’s a whole section on how to find a good agent. Also, the section on short sales and foreclosures are must-reads for people.
What do you cover in the short sale section of your book? Continue reading »
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