Yesterday we gave tips for Real Estate Agents Beginners, we today we are offering tips to those in search of property and those trying to get their property sold. If you read the article we published yesterday then you should know what it is all like in the world of the Real Estate Agent, then today you will know what you should look for when selecting the Right Real Estate Agent.

People normally use a real estate agent to sell their house rather than when they are buying one, because its not really necessary when buying. Before hiring a Real Estate Agent, keep in mind that there are good Real Estate Agents and there are Agents who are only interested in collecting money. Here are a few tips you can follow to choose the right agent: Read more »

Probably you are planning to do a career change and the Real Estate Market may look real interesting to you right now. Well becoming a Real Estate Agent is not just about telling people/clients about a property and then turn up on the closing day to collect money, there are other valuable stuff you should know before going forward with this career change. Our staff of Real Estate Agents has complied four valuable tips that you should keep in mind as a Real Estate Agent.

• A Real Estate Agent should be Flexible: After starting off in this new career, if this will be your only source of income, then expect to be working some real hectic hours when starting out, hours including evening and weekends. You will have to be as Flexible as possible if you want to make an income. Most clients have full time jobs and will only be able to look at houses during time convenient to them, such as their days off and even in the evening after their jobs has ended.  If you’re really dedicated to your work, you can allow people to contact you at home, but be sure to set a time limit.    Read more »

CWCapital, a full-service national lender to the multifamily and healthcare real estate industries, today announced it is expanding its national multifamily lending platform through the hiring of Trevor Fase, Senior Vice President, and the establishment of a new lending office in Los Angeles. Fase is one of the industry’s top originators of multifamily loans on the west coast and will report to Bryan Frazier, Managing Director for CW.

The new office will be staffed by Fase, as well as Tammi Warner, Senior Underwriter, who joined CW in February. Plans are to add additional staff to the team, including a junior originator, production analyst and underwriting analyst, in the coming weeks. This is the second California office opened by CW in the past 8 months. The firm acquired the assets of Sierra Capital Partners in July of 2009 and, in doing so, added 12 employees and an established lending team based in Irvine. With other recent hires, including the addition of loan officer and Vice President Thomas Meunier in November, the CW Agency lending platform now employs 115 professionals in 11 locations across the nation.

Only a few weeks into the spring market, one Boston real estate firm is seeing tremendous success. Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty recorded 80 Under Agreements and over 100 sales transactions in January and February (source: MLS). The firm is ranked #5 in the state and has the #1 office in Boston’s Back Bay for 2010 sales-to-date. But their recent success is not just measured in sales figures. The firm has made some strategic moves over the last few years, making them the top-ranked Boston-based firm in the state. They expanded with office acquisitions in the Waterfront, Charlestown and Westwood areas.

All the improvements have attracted highly successful sales associates. Once again, Gibson Sotheby’s recognized Beth Dickerson as their top agent in 2009, having sold the highest volume of sales. Dickerson’s average sale price was more than $3 million last year and she recorded the most expensive sale in Boston, a condominium on Beacon Street in the Back Bay that sold for $9.25 million. Co-Owner, Paul McGann, meets regularly with agents who are considering the firm. “Most often, agents who join us are already successful – but they are looking to go to the next level; to grow their business.” It is that growth potential that brought agents like Tammy DeWolfe to the company. After years in the business, she joined Gibson Sotheby’s Westwood office last month, citing the company’s support as a major motivating factor.

1. Inconspicuously green: A very traditional home can become energy- and resource-efficient. When this house in Washington, D.C. was built in the 1950s, most of its windows got direct sun. But then it was remodeled to better suit D.C.’s steamy summers. The porch columns are not chemically treated to repel rot or harvested from some far-off rain forest. Instead, they’re made from the naturally rot-resistant trunks of Eastern Red Cedar trees grown nearby.

2. The Eaves: A roof should overhang walls by at least one foot. That keeps the sun off windows and exteriors, which helps the house stay cool in summer. It also protects siding from the weather, meaning you may be able to go twice as long between repaintings or re-sidings.

3. Reuse and remodel: The house you fix up will probably be much greener than anything you build in its place, no matter how cutting edge the new design or how much recycled material you use. Sure, some old houses just can’t be saved. But even a building with serious problems can give you plenty to work with.

4. Size Matters: Fight the urge to go big and high. Not only is a smaller, well-proportioned house easier to heat and to cool, but you’ll need to buy less furniture to feel at home in it.

5. Use renewable energy: Let’s just say you probably won’t be installing a wind turbine in your backyard anytime soon. Even if the homeowners association didn’t come after you with torches and pitchforks, the truth is most places aren’t breezy enough.

The Sun
A solar water-heating system can reduce the fossil fuel you’ll need for showering and washing clothes. Before installing one, determine whether you have a sunny enough location to recoup the up-front costs, which can range from $3,000 to $8,000.

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NikNik over at mytechopinion.com made this really interesting post on the 10 Social Media Lifeskills for Real Estate Professionals. It is rather interesting how she show how you can use character education and lifeskills to help with our business goals and strategies. Below you will find the 10 Social Media Lifeskills for Real Estate Professionals.

1. Integrity- Be the real you. Strive for authentic engagement by being the same person you are online that you are offline. Instead of selling what you do, share who you are and your daily experiences. And when it comes to your avatar (profile picture) be a person, not a real estate logo. People connect with people, not signs and buildings.

2. Active Listening- Although it’s important to share your interests, it’s even more important to pay attention to others. Learning what your network is passionate about only helps you ask better questions, provide better resources, and become a better advisor. Who’s Talkin? and SocialMention are 2 social search engines that make it even easier to monitor certain people and topics you care about.

3. Effort- Add value! Know your expertise and passion well enough to identify resources that may be helpful to your network. If you’re not sure where to look for great resources, try a social bookmarking tool like Delicious or Digg where others share their favorite articles. Monitor your resources and share regularly, provide your own insight and strategies for implementation.

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