Tom Ferry

Marketing never stops, according to Tom Ferry, founder and CEO of TomFerry-your coach. “The key to marketing is making sure you’re driving traffic, getting it to the places you want to go and ultimately allowing it to generate money,” said Ferry, a trainer, motivator and personal coach for real estate professionals.  He added, “Now more than ever it’s about attracting buyers but you need a marketing strategy.”

Duration: 3:16

REALTORS® can get assistance from EasyStreet Insurance Services, a licensed insurance agency that was created especially for professionals who work in the real estate industry.

“We understand the challenges of the real estate professional and provide them the solutions for their insurance needs,” said Dan Reed, PAR’s director of insurance services.

EasyStreet Insurance Services is a service of the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® and its for-profit subsidiary BSRE (Business Services for Real Estate).

Duration: 2:26

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A housing trust fund provides a dedicated source of revenue for the housing market, according to Liz Hersh, executive director of the Housing Alliance of PA. “Investing in housing helps the local economy as well as those individuals who can get a home that they can afford and sustain,” Hersh added. Pennsylvania stands to receive nearly $40 million in funding from the federal stimulus program. The PA Association of REALTORS® supports the Housing Alliance’s efforts to create a statewide housing trust fund. Currently, HB 60 is up for consideration in the state legislature. If enacted, Pennsylvania will join 38 other states that have created housing trust funds.

Duration: 2:50

Austin Jaffe, Ph.D.

PAR’s consulting economist Dr. Austin Jaffe says the economy and the unemployment rate need to rebound in order for the real estate market to get stronger.  Jaffe says when prices stop declining it will be a bright spot for the industry. “That will be a signal to the rest of the market that buying homes and investing in housing as a consumer good will be less risky,” he added.

Duration: 2:23

PAR’s consulting economist Dr. Austin Jaffe says price stability and reduced foreclosures are contributing factors needed to stabilize the economy. Jaffe says it’s time to get back to basics. Although home prices won’t increase, they will stabilize in time. Jaffe believes we will be heading toward a time of low rates of appreciation and moderate borrowing, “View housing as a place to live instead of a place to trade up to,” Jaffe said. “That may be the concept of the housing market in the next decade.”

Duration: 2:58

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Robb Heering, who founded the first nationwide Hispanic real estate franchise, says he opened Casa Latino because there was a tremendous need for understanding diverse cultures in real estate. Heering tells REALTORS® that understanding another culture is sometimes more important than learning the language. “Learn something about the Hispanic culture, the Asian culture and learn something about other minority cultures in this country,” Heering said. “Open your doors, open your arms and you’ll do great.”  Since opening in 2005, his company has experienced triple-digit growth with more than 80 locations nationwide.

Robb Heering (Photo credit: Stuart Leask)

Duration: 2:58

Heering recently moderated a panel at the PAR January Business Meetings. He recommended reading the books in the Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands series to learn more about different cultures.

REALTOR® Kim Wood

Social media helps REALTORS® establish relationships. Kim Wood, PAR member and social media trainer, has used her social media connections to create “tweet-ups” and “meet-ups” to get to know potential clients and other REALTORS® in person. “You can’t forget the basics, getting face-to-face with our clients or potential clients and developing that relationship further,” Wood said.

Duration: 2:40

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Pennsylvania homebuyers can once again benefit from additional funds being made available by the PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). The Tax Credit Advance Loan Program (TCA) allows loans of up to $6,000 for first-time homebuyers and homebuyers who want to upgrade. Kate Newton, PHFA’s director of homeownership programs, says homebuyers will get a zero percent interest loan if they repay the loan by June 2011.

Duration – 2:30

Building an instant rapport is essential for REALTORS® who meet different types of clients every day. Rossi, a professional speaker and trainer from North Carolina who spoke at Triple Play REALTOR® Convention and Trade Expo in December said, “The REALTOR® who listens to people’s needs has a better chance of building that instant rapport than one who doesn’t. They are also held in a higher esteem with buyers and sellers.”

Rossi (Picture from RossiSpeaks.com)

The new version of the PAR Agreement for the Sale of Real Estate (ASR) is set for release in mid-to-late January. REALTORS® who have reviewed the document are pleased with the revisions, according to Mike Barth, PAR’s standard forms specialist. In part two of our series, Barth discusses the changes to the form regarding inspections and deposits.