Features

 

COVER STORY: 2010 List Issue: Your Best Ideas 

This year we reached out like never before to the real experts—you, our readers—for smart business tips, creative prospecting strategies, and great ways to improve customer service.

 

Sales & Marketing

• 4 Marketing Strategies in the Age of 'Do Not Call'
• First-Time Buyers: What Research Tells Us
• 5 Customer Brochures You Can Download
• Too Busy for the Gym? Get Fit on the Go
• Tips for Successful One-on-One Meetings
• Your Most Creative Marketing Ideas
• What Customers Like About You
• 5 People You Need to Know for Referrals
• Professionalism in Tough Times

 

Technology

• Take Great Photos With Your Phone
• 6 Mobile Apps to Download Now
• Finding the Right Contact Management System
• 6 Tips & Tricks for Using a Mac
• Social Networking Dos and Don'ts
• Find More Fans on Facebook

 

Home & Design

• 5 Ways to Add Condo Curb Appeal
• How to Spot Common Energy Leaks
• A Home's Good Smells, Bad Smells
• How Do You Create Scent Appeal?
• Showing Tips for Sellers
• 7 Ways to Get Your Home Office in Order
• 6 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Stager
• More Home & Design Articles

 

Law & Ethics

• Short Sales Ethics: 6 Temptations to Avoid
• 5 Risks of Social Media
• 5 Ways to Keep Your Clients Data Secure
• Know Your Slip-and-Fall Liability
• How to Handle Unethical Behavior

 

Commercial

• Best Opportunities in Commercial Real Estate
• Hot Niches Worth Exploring
• Why You'll Welcome Inflation
• Getting a Commercial Loan: What Borrowers Need to Know
• 6 Steps to Becoming a Better Negotiator
• Property Management: 9 Essential Qualities
• 5 Creative Solutions for Empty Spaces

 

For Brokers

• How to Let Go of Weak Sales Associates
• Tips for Taking Your Career to the Next Level
• 9 Ways to Lower the Stress in Your Office
• 4 Ways to Keep Top Performers Happy
• Is Training Better In Person or Online?
• 7 Budgeting Mistakes to Avoid
• 7 Tips for Negotiating a Better Office Lease
• Qualities of a Successful Salesperson
• A Broker's Story: My Quest to be Paperless

 

 

Voices

NAR President: Ensuring a Steady Flow of Capital

Letters From Readers

Editor's Note: The Magazine REALTORS® Built

 

 

Real Life

Clearly Independent

The government says many workers are wrongly classified as independent contractors—but not to worry.

 

5 to Watch

News and trends that we’re keeping an eye on this month.

 

Economy

Market fluctuations are the norm, but the real estate business has staying power.

• Marketplace: Existing-Home Sales for January

 

Cool Tools

A handheld photo scanner, customized packing checklists, and a green closing gift.

 

Your NAR

The Realtors Property Resource™ will hold information on more than 140 million properties throughout the country.

 

Columns

Commentary: Fred Carach: It’s Pure Speculation

Today’s housing market troubles were spawned by the same conditions that created the Florida land boom of the 1920s.

 

Last Word: Tom Rath: Grow Your Strengths

You’ll be happier and more successful if you improve upon your strengths rather than fix your weaknesses, says Gallup research guru Tom Rath.

 

 

At the Web Site: REALTOR.org/realtormag

Buyer's Guide: Smartphones

With everything from business apps to mobile Web access, the smartphone is one device that every real estate pro needs. In this month’s Buyer’s Guide, find out what’s available.

 

SALES & MARKETING

Keeping the Deal Together

Losing a deal hurts, and these days it seems that there are more factors than ever before that can derail transactions. The key is to focus on what you can control.

 

How I Sold It: Relationship-Based Marketing

The sellers wanted to move closer to their son in Florida. To get it sold, the practitioner utilized the power of personal relationships.

 

My First Sale: Prepared for Opportunity

During her first sale, Colorado broker-owner Wendi Roudybush learned the importance of being in the right place at the right time.

 

FOR BROKERS

Social Media Balancing Act

Online social networks present some great opportunities to connect with consumers, but use them for appropriate communication and balance them with other media.

 

HOME & DESIGN

Design That Sets Boundaries

Shared living spaces are on the rise. Learn how the right layout can bring family members of multiple generations blissfully together under one roof.

 

TECHNOLOGY

Refining Your Web Site for Greater Profits

Your Web site isn't a 'set it and forget it' business tool. It's a marketing experience, one that has to be reviewed and updated regularly based on visitors' perceptions and preferences.

 

More Blogs:

• Speaking of Real Estate: Timely insights and observations from REALTOR® magazine editors.
• Styled, Staged & Sold: Design trends, staging secrets, and everything "green."
• YPN Lounge: Sales tips and marketing ideas from young real estate pros.
• The Weekly Book Scan: New posts and author chats that highlight key ideas from the hottest titles.

 

Webinars: Hot Topics, Every Month

Tune into free webinars on timely topics, ranging from short sales to mortgage finance. Register for upcoming webinars or listen to on-demand recordings of previous sessions.

 

 

Plus, learn about your association’s new Right Tools, Right Now campaign, offering you hundreds of free and at-cost products, services, and programs to help you through these tough times.