As an instructor of a new Designation Course by NAR – Green, I have been talking up the concept of Green. The first response is usually a little distant but then talking about every day savings actually generates interest: Here are 10 things you can do today, right now, to be Green. You see, being green is not necessarily buying organic foods, detergents, etc , it is just asking yourself daily – What Can I Do Today To Make The Planet A Little Better. We all need to live here for a long time so let’s make it the best planet it can be.
OK – here are the 10 (you probably know them – just don’t do them)
1. Don’t run the water while you are brushing your teeth. Turn it on and off as you need it. Same for washing dishes
2. Unplug ALL electronics when not in use OR get a multi strip that will turn off several at one time
3. As your lighbulbs burn out, replace them with the new energy efficient bulbs that last 5-10 years, depending on what you buy. YES they are more expensive but they last 5-10 years.
4. Turn of lights when you leave the room or are done in your closet
5. Try a small space heater if you only use one small area instead of heating an entire floor of space
6. Be sure to have all clock (programable) thermostats and program the heat/air to adjust appropriately when nobody is home during the day.
7. Put on a sweatshirt and lower the heat just one degree
8. Use re-usable water bottles instead of throwing away plastic bottles.
9. Try to find a use for food items you were going to throw away. (i.e. the other half of the lime or rest of the pasta) You’ll be amazed at what you will come up with and you’ll save money and resources too)
10. Plan your driving route so you can use your gas and time wisely.
See how simple? It IS easy to be green!
Carol Moson
CRS,ABR,e-Pro,GREEN,SRS
Sales/Instructor/Trainer
RE/MAX Greater Atlanta
678-414-0760
I don’t know about you but this “outside and inside the box” thing is a little overplayed. REALITY….There is NO box so why would you make one and put yourself in it?
POINT – market is changing, the buyers are changing and the sellers have been deeply wounded
QUESTION: With the point above as a thought don’t we have to change our business model at least a little bit? Does change = outside the box? If that is true for you let’s re-think the business model you are using.
Thoughts: Get back into the basics of our business AND learn something new. Many agents have asked me what to do. The quick and dirty answer is…..do the things you don’t want to do. This means touching base with people you have already done business with (warm touches). It also means you MUST embrace the new age of technology AND grasp an understanding of the generational differences because in todays’ business world that is a very key component to success. Don’t be afraid to do something new and work at losing the “box” mentality.
RE: generational understanding – many feel that particularly the Y generation will change the workplace and even though you may be an independent contractor you still work in the world that will change.
Believe that knowledge is power and seek classes and/or designations that will mobilize you forward. All businesses are so competitive today so why not seek to have the competitive edge?
Got ABR? This is the perfect time to renew yourself. Today’s buyer is different so stay ahead. Find out how or business is changing and what we need to be doing differently.
In today’s crazy world of Real Estate, more than ever agents need to focus on what they need to do to stand out from the other thousands of agents. The key is in knowing what to do and it is not that hard to figure out – the question is do you want to do what it’s going to take?
First you may want to look at your market and see what price range and neighborhoods ARE selling, in other words, where is most of the activity occurring in your market area. Also try to find out what age group is buying and selling in your area. Many of us continue to do the same thing we have always been doing just because we are accustomed to doing it that way. REALITY CHECK— the world of Real Estate is not the same as it was last year OR the year before and won’t be the same ever again.
Social networking, blogging, smart phones, Web2.0, etc are just some of the things that have changed the way business is done. Depending on your niche, you need to understand how you need introduce yourself, communicate and gain respect and loyalty. You cannot complain that a customer/client was not loyal if you did not take the steps you need to to retain them. More than ever you MUST sell your value.
So…the question remains….What IS your plus factor. With all the agents available and all the information at their fingertips through the Internet, what are you going to do to “sell yourself”. What’s your target market and how will you be appealing to them?
Some suggestions:
Develop a buyer’s book for first time buyers, investors and sellers who have to move. There will be many similarities but there should also be some distinguishing pages for each of the three categories.
Do a newsletter with relevant information that people are concerned with. How do you know what that information is?? Ask people – ask your friends, neighbors or colleagues what they are concerned with, do research and write a newsletter. Our own www.realtor.org is an outstanding resource for information on anything that is going on in the Real Estate world.
Think about what you want to accomplish this year, make yourself a very simple, one page business plan that outlines what and when you will do the things you determine you need to do and then you must just do it. No excuses, you have to do it. It’s like the exercise machine. It’s there but not effective because it’s not being used.
You can have fabulous ideas, but if not implemented that’s all they are – fabulous ideas. While this year may remain challenging in the world of Real Estate it is also an opportunity to re-invent yourself. Good luck and most of all be loyal to yourself and your goals. YOU are the ONLY one that has control of what you do.
RE/MAX Regional periodically chooses an agent to spotlight recognizing achievements and goals. It is truly an honor to be chosen as that agent for this edition of “The Wire”. Please review so you can see for yourself the dedication and committment Carol has to her chosen profession - Click the link below to read the article – this blog is Carol’s ”Brag Blog”
Are Some Owners Purposefully Falling Behind?
Housing experts are growing increasingly alarmed that programs to bail out troubled home owners might have the unintended consequence of encouraging people to miss mortgage payments in order to qualify for easier loan terms.
Such initiatives typically require that borrowers be 60 to 90 days late on payments to get a mortgage reworked.
In an attempt to prevent abuses, lenders are scrutinizing home owners’ financial status–by poring over tax records, pay stubs, investment accounts, and bank statements–to determine if they really need a loan modification to avoid foreclosure.
Source: USA Today, Stephanie Armour (12/10/08)
Haven’t they left somthing out?I don’t know about you but you but I have spoke to several homeowners who are not in trouble now but know they will be and when they call their bank IT IS THE BANK telling them that they need to be behind in order to be considered for a special circumstance and refi. There is something fundamentally wrong right there!!! Let’s see – be 90 days late and REALLY ruin you credit because 60 days wouldn’t ruin it enough and then we’ll see if you are in tough enough shape to help. I don’t get it! Don’t get me wrong, I understand ther are those that will always abuse and take advantage of the system, but for the most part, those that are asking for help genuinely need it and are trying to save the angst of being late on their loans.
Here are some facts that we think are encouraging….
* Congress passed a tax incentive plan for first time homebuyers- really huge! There is up to $7500 in initial tax breaks
* When we had 100% financing readily available (which is what got most people into trouble) we had gotten away from FHA and VA loans. These mortgage programs are back and strong and that is good, at least for the short term. The advantage to FHA loans is that they require low downpayments (3.5 percent), competetive interest rates and greater flexibility than most conventional mortgages. In addition, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 permanently incresased the FHA loan limits allowing more buyers in higher price ranges to obtain FHA backed loans. This is MUCH safer than the “exotic” loans that have proven to be so risky
*Hope for Homeowners Program – under this program certain borrowers that are facing difficulty with their mortgage may be able to refinance into FHA insured mortgages they can afford. This was just implemented this month (October). If you think you qualify you can call 888-995-HOPE or 800-CALL-FHA. There are certain qualifications and they will be able to tell you what they are. You may also find information a www.HUD.gov
MORE GOOD NEWS….
* According to the National Association of REALTORS® Existing homes sales, including single family, townhomes and condominiums rose 5.5 percent in September which is actually 1.4 percent higher than September 2007 – WOW! Low home prices and low interest rates are definitely attracting buyers who have been on the sidelines. And the housing inventory fell 1.6 percent which means there are less homes on the market than in the last several months.
*Single family home sales alone increased 6.2 percent in September 2008. (Nationally)
If you have questions on today’s market conditions remember to Talk To Carol! carol@carolmoson.com or 678-414-0760 (direct) 770-973-9700 (ext 289) office. We can assist you anywhere in the world (literally). www.TalkToCarol.com
Please let us hear your thoughts, concerns and/or relief.
Well, here I am at the NAR convention in Orlando and taking it all in. Today and tomorrow I will be in class being certified to teach the new National Association of REALTORS® brand new Green Designation. Yes – we are all going to “Green Up”. I am amazed at how much there is to understand about all of this and I am excited to be able to teach it to my fellow REALTORS® and the community. After the class I will write about my personal highlights and share with you some places to go on the web to get great information.
Sunday I will be in another certification class called Home From Work – also an NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) designation. This course is designed to work with employers and banks to assist employees with saving for a downpayment to purchase a home – what a concept! This certification will enable me to teach this to both agents and employers which will allow both to grow their business. More after Sunday……
Teaching is in my heart as it is what I did before Real Estate and I am excited to begin this new career, along with my real estate.
I know times are tough for many of us but conventions are a great place to network and build your referral base. Stay tuned….I’m pumped!
Would love to hear from you!
Carol
Carol Moson, CRS,ABR,e-Pro
Associate Broker/Course Instructor/Trainer
678-414-0760 (direct)
carol@carolmoson.com
This is great! NAR (The National Association of REALTORS®) has a program called Home From Work and at the recent convention in Orlando, FL: I became one of a select few REALTORS® certified to teach and help implement the program. The title of the program can be misleading, however the program is designed to work with employers to develop programs that will help their employees purchase a home. There are several different approaches an employer can take to accomplish this. At the bottom of this page is a link to the video that will give you a clear idea of what this program can do for you.
This program is a tremendous tool for recruitment, retention, revitalization and employer recognition. If you or someone you know is interested on being a trend setter in the work force, please call me. As trainers/instructors we are not limited to where we can assist with this program.
If you have a REALTOR® organization that would benefit from training your members please contact me as well. This is a VERY exciting opportunity with perfect timing for our market.
I look forward to meeting with you.
Carol Moson, CRS,ABR,e-Pro,GREEN
Instructor/Trainer for NAR,CAR and GAR
678-414-0760 carol@carolmoson.com
Please see link below:
Here is a link to the video that explains the program very well.
OK – This is post #2 about the new GREEN designation with NAR. I really am excited about teaching this class! The amount of information that is out there is extremely overwhelming so I thought some of you may want to have doses of many of the resources as there are just way too many to list at one time.
As per our manual, the NAR Green Designation “will help home buyers and sellers, developers, property managers, and commercial building owners who care about energy efficiency and environmentally sound building practices identify real estate professionals who can help them meet their green real estate goals.” This is the only one of its kind recognized by NAR.
Tip 2. Adapt your listing presentation and buyer counseling sessions to address concerns and desires of the green consumer. Awareness of green is at an all time high.
Tip 3. Greenwashing will be an important word to know. It is basically when someone tries to make something sound more appealing than it is or misrepresents it’s real value
That’s all for now – still collecting my thoughts and information so I’ll write more tomorrow.
Please let me know if you think this is good information for you to receive.
Carol Moson, CRS, ABR, e-Pro, GREEN
Associate Broker – RE/MAX Greater Atlanta
Instructor for NAR,CAR,GAR
678-414-0760 carol@carolmoson.com
Did you know …..that in 1957, a geologist for Shell Oil Company predicted existing fossil fuel reserves would be depleted rapidly once the demand escalated. The impressive part is he predicted the critical time to be early 2000’s…..hmmmmm. ( FYI – petroleum,natural gas and coal are termed fossil fuels. Greenhouse gas refers to the byproducts of fossil fuel).
Here are some things you can do right now.
Eat differently: Pre-packaged food, fast food,soft drinks require large amounts of materials in their production. You can try to purchase locally grown foods which would encourage products requiring less fuel to deliver to us
Travel differently: Walk, ride your bike or take mass transportation as alternatives to driving cars.
If possible try to work from home More and more employers are looking for ways to cut their energy costs as well. It may not hurt to find out if working from home at least one day is an option.
Also try to recycle and use more products made from recycled materials-you’d be amazed at products that are made from recycled goods.
Finally for now – by re-usable water bottles that are dishwasher safe. Drinking bottled water and throwing away the plastic bottles just isn’t GREEN. We are all guilty of that too!
As promised, here are some of the resource sites for being Green:
Carol is very proud she has just become one of the Nationally Certified Instructors for the new Green Designation AND the new Home From Work Program and she is looking for opportunities to teach it around the country. Green is today´s ¨buzz¨ so why not be on the leading edge!
If your company-office, your local Association or your State Association would like to add this very exciting course to their menu of offerings, it would be her pleasusre to talk with the person who manages the instructors and courses that are given in your area.
We have just started recording video testimonials so we are including them with this post. They are for different classes but you will be able to see what students think of Carol. In addition, she will be happy to provide your course providers with a resume and additional written recommendations upon request.
Beautiful 2 bedroom 2.5 bath townhome style condo in Destin, Fl Close to all shopping, restaurants, drug stores, etc. Less than a block from the beach (which means you can easily walk). Nightly, weekly or monthly rentals. (3 night minimum)
Condo requires guests to be 25 years of age or older.
You know the more we get into this Green thing the more I am stricken with “shock and awe”
I had a class with an engineer who works for a large corporation. His job is to work with the jet engines. He told me that they are working on a technology that will recapture the water given off by jet fuel (which apparently has a lot of water) which is then flash cooled and used for other resources. That was pretty interesting!
While doing research we are learning that many companies are starting green practices – good thing to know! (websites in a second)
Did you know….40% of REALTORS say green building is important to their business? 87% say it will be more important a year from now ( do you agree?)
Here are some sites to share with you about Green companies:
OK – agents OFTEN ask me …..”What am I not doing?” or “What do I need to be doing?” but they don’t want the real answer. With so many lead generating sites and others taking advantage of the desperate agent looking for an easy way, it is hard for some (especially newer) agents to embrace the concept of “the basics”.
Question: Have you ever just sent so many text messages to someone that you just want to hear their voice and when you call and they answer there is an immediate connection?
Whether you are and avid blogger, Youtuber, posting animal, streaming video nut or whatever you are using for your latest and greatest tech tools, you still have to “do it” or it won’t work. It’s sort of like the treadmill you bought but haven’t quite figured out when you’re going to get on it. It won’t work if you don’t do it!
Yes we have the generational differences that require different communication techniques but at some point, in most cases, you will actually have to talk with the person. Yes we have people that would rather receive a text message or an email than talk on the phone but you need to at least do that -bottom line – just communicate, however you do it best, just communicate! We all know that the #1 complaint from customers/clients is the lack of communication……HELLO!!!!
So….when all else fails – just go back to the people you have already done business with (they probably already like you) and touch base with them… AND, however you communicate with them, ask them who they know that is even thinking about doing business now or in the near future, regardless of what your industry is.
We can all have a productive year but we MUST re-evaluate our business’ and go with the basics first – they WILL NOT fail you! I propose that personal contact, some form of communication, is the most basic, sustaining element in business that we have. Don’t underestimate it’s value!
Carol
Carol Moson, CRS,ABR,e-Pro, GREEN
Trainer/Instructor/Sales
RE/MAX Greater Atlanta
678-414-0760 carol@carolmoson.com
If you have been listening to all the media and reading all the print information about the real estate market you probably feel like your head is spinning so hard it is about to explode!
The home buying process can be overwhelming but doesn’t need to be. Here are some simple steps to take to put you on the right track and links to go along with them. If you have any questions you can ALWAYS call us, text us or email us for more information. Direct 678-414-0760 (use for text too) email: carol@carolmoson.com
We look forward to helping you – here is your info:
We hope this helps – just let us know when you are ready to look for homes! (Of course if you need more information and/or have more questions, PLEASE call us, text us or email us. We respond very quickly!
Did you know that according to many studies, the gens X and Y will be the dominant force in our market? No matter what your generation, think about understanding the others. The Internet has made the gap between generations more significant than in the past so embracing it may be something to think about for those of you that want to stay current in your business. Since all the Social Networking has caught fire, how we communicate has changed in leaps over a VERY short period of time.
What does this all really mean? It means that if you are working with our Seniors, don’t be frustrated if they don’t text or check email on a regular basis, if at all. This is not to say that Seniors do not use the Internet, many of them do. All I’m saying is to be able to make that shift. If you are a Boomer, you probably know how to use a lot of the networking and Internet resources but your younger clients expect things instantly because they have grown up with all the information in the world, literally, has been at there fingertips within seconds.
The study has been very interesting to me and I have learned volumes. There is a way to deal with everyone if you take a minute and try to understand where they are coming from but no doubt we are in a quick evolution in the world of communication.
If you haven’t seen the YouTube Video “The New World Of Work” take the time to view it. Sums it up pretty well. Here is the link if you haven’t seen it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL6GTqvtYHM
What are your thoughts?
Carol
Carol Moson, CRS, ABR. e-Pro, GREEN, SRS, SFS, EAH Certified
Sales/Instructor/Trainer
RE/MAX Greater Atlanta
770-973-9700 x 289
Today we are all looking for ways to save money and the habits we develop now will probably stay with many of us for the long term. We all go through our home and our “stuff” periodically to de-clutter and get rid of what we no longer wear so perhaps it’s time to do the same with our resources. Here are some VERY simple things to do that will save you money and the planet as well immediately.
If you don’t believe in global warming or believe that we are wasteful check this out…
Did you know….?
♦Vampire Electricity - a lot of our appliances still use electricity even when they’re turned off? Did you know that as much as s 75% of the electricity used by home electronics and small appliances is actually used while they ARE turned off?
♦If you run your dishwasher with only full loads you could save as much as 20 gals of water per load or over 7000 gals/year?
♦If you clean your dryer lint trap each time you use your dryer you could save up to 5% per year –and if everyone did this it may be an equivalent savings of 350 million gallons of gasoline per year?
Did you know….?
The U.S. sends more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than any other country
Since 1980 the number of miles Americans drive each year has grown 3x faster than the U.S. population and almost 2x as fast as vehicle registrations
Just some things to think about -
This IS our current footprint….can we all walk a little more softly? Imagine the positive impact just these few things could have. With little effort we can help sustain our world for many future generations to come – just a thought…
Aha – here are 10 more very simple things we can all to do help sustain our planet. You don’t have to be an avid conservationist to do these 10 more things (first 10 posted yesterday.)
Back to Green…. The Green Designation Course from NAR is out in full blast. Many of us, as instructors have begun to teach our peers how to be a source of resources for their buyer and seller clients. The Green Designation is a course that everyone will benefit from AND prepare you for the future. We are going Green so you may as well be on the rise of the wave and have the edge.
While the course does go into a lot of detail we have prepared a very short snippet of the knowledge you will gain by taking this designation class.
Come Join Carol January 27th and 28th for the Core Classes and January 29th for the Residential Elective
