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| An Important Message from HAR Chairman Rob Cook |
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Dear HAR Member:
This is the time of the year when brokers and agents begin to plan for the upcoming year. I want to take a few moments of your time to share the thought process here at the Association relative to the real estate industry moving forward.
This year has seen a number of significant changes in both the national and Houston real estate industry and marketplace that will directly effect Houston area REALTORS®.
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The real estate market
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The MLS dynamic
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The empowered consumer
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The government threat
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| The Experience of a Lifetime |
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WOW! Has it been a year already? It seems like just yesterday that I was sworn in to serve as chairman of the Houston Association of Realtors®—what I thought then and have only had confirmed—is the best association in the country. [more...]
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| HAR 2008 |
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The HAR theme for 2008 is Heroes: Celebrating the Hero in All of Us. That theme is certainly fitting for the executive officers of HAR next year. Among them are broker/owners, a marketing director, top producing agents, and a commercial real estate broker—and all of them are great people.
Just like them, every one of you is a hero is your every day life. You help people's dreams come true. So many of you are active in the community and give back because it is the right thing to do. Whether you volunteer with the PTA, ride your bike in the MS150 or donate a few dollars to Ronald McDonald House, you make a difference. [more...]
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| Houston Real Estate Market on Pace for Second Best Year on Record |
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Recent declines in home sales slow in October; Prices continue to hold up
Prospective home sellers and buyers throughout greater Houston may experience relief as recent declines in the real estate market slowed in October. New monthly figures continue to reflect a healthier housing environment locally compared to the rest of the country, with sales and pricing performance still outpacing that of 2005. [more...]
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| Keep Selling Through the Holidays…..Jingle All the Way Through 2008! |
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Around this time of year, it is common to put your real estate career on cruise control or just coast down the hill. We have it in our minds that business is going to be slow this time of year so we check out – take a mental vacation if you will. However, there are important reasons to stay active in real estate. [more...]
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| And the Survey Says… |
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HAR recently released the NEW 2007 HAR Survey of Home Sellers & Buyers, which is packed full of useful information about your clients in the greater Houston area. HAR commissioned the University of Houston Center for Public Policy to conduct a survey of recent home sellers and buyers about their attitudes and perceptions of the home buying or selling process. Much of the survey was focused on their interaction with their Realtors®, if they wisely utilized the services of a Realtor®, or their reasons for not using a Realtor®, if they did not. [more...]
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| Protecting Your “Rep” on the Internet |
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Last month we discussed a really amazing presentation by Charlene Li, an executive and analyst with Forrester Research in San Francisco. That article discussed at some length a list of 10 things that Charlene offered relative to what brokers should be doing to achieve Internet competency. Items 8 and 9 on that list were as follows:
8. Create profiles on rating sites, ask for testimonials, and put links to them on your own site
9. Monitor your reputation and respond to reviews [more...]
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| Realtors® Can Benefit from Promoting their Multilingual/Multicultural Skills |
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In a region as culturally and ethnically diverse as greater Houston, speaking a second or third language has huge advantages. It's a skill that provides an important communication and social connection to a rapidly growing segment of our population. But it can be particularly beneficial to businessmen and women by enabling them to reach customers they might otherwise miss. [more...]
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| International Spotlight on India |
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Little known facts:
• India is the world's largest producer of milk and livestock, the second largest of fruits and vegetables, the third largest of food grains and the fifth largest of eggs.
• India is the second largest country in the world with more than one billion inhabitants (compare that to the United States with a population of 300 million.) As India becomes more industrialized the citizens will look for places to invest their new-found wealth. The United States could prove to be a lucrative real estate market for their dollars.
• Indians often respond positively to a question by shaking their head in a way that Westerners interpret as 'no' [more...]
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| The International Council Year in Review |
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This was a successful year for the International Council, and we achieved many of the goals that we set out to accomplish. Lori Carper, HAR International Council Liaison with Rita Klein have paved the way to make events happen and to coordinate the day-to-day activities. In the spring, we sponsored the "Doing Business in Mexico" course with Adrian Arriaga and Mitch Creekmoore. With more than 75 participants, we saw great interest in cross-boarder real estate. [more...]
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| HAR in the News |
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2007 HAR Chairman Rob Cook, Houston Chronicle Real Estate Reporter Nancy Sarnoff, HAR Chief Communications Officer Matt Burrus and HAR Public Relations Manager David Mendel after Nancy spoke about the media’s coverage of the housing market at the November HAR Board of Directors meeting.
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The Houston Association of Realtors® is making headlines! Here's a look at some of the media coverage your association has received over the past few weeks:
"Houston's real estate market is on pace for its second best year on record with home sales slowing in October. Prices continue to hold up, though."
KPRC-TV (NBC 2) November 21, 2007 [more...]
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| Search Engine Optimization: The Do’s and Don’ts |
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Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a Web site from search engines via search results.
With more than 85% of all new visitors to a Web site originating from major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and others, it is essential that every business implement a search engine marketing campaign that allows their customers to find them. While most Web site owners recognize the importance of a top search engine ranking for their business, very few have the search engine marketing knowledge or time required to ensure their Web site is ranked above their competitors, while still achieving maximum return on investment. [more...]
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| HAR.com Real Estate Guides |
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The most important function of HAR.com is to generate and deliver, without encumbrance, leads for its members. HAR.com strives to ensure this important function by incorporating and enhancing search engine optimization of HAR.
The first step in the implementation of this objective called for the identification of the most relevant keywords specific to the real estate industry but limiting those keywords to geographical areas within the greater Houston area. Staff researched what words appear to be successful as Meta tags using tools such as Google Suggest and reviewing top real estate portals. Below is the list of keywords: [more...]
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| HAR Bay Area Open House |
Member area with computers available for use.
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The HAR Bay Area Branch has moved into new and more spacious quarters to meet the growing needs of the approximately 5,000 members it serves. And it's easy to find the new office because it's adjacent to the original location on Buccaneer. [more...]
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| New in 2008: Background Checks for New and Renewing Texas Real Estate License Applicants |
The new year will bring important changes for Texas real estate brokers and salespeople—all in the name of safety.
Anyone applying for or renewing a broker or salesperson license on or after January 1, 2008 must be fingerprinted as part of the application process. This new procedure, mandated by the Texas Legislature, clears the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to perform a criminal background check with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for every licensee. This background check will be conducted on every applicant for a license and every time a real estate salesperson or broker license is renewed. The good news is that once fingerprints are on file with DPS, a licensee will not need to be fingerprinted for future renewals. [more...]
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| MLS Rules & Etiquette Reminder |
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While many of the following MLS rules are familiar to most Realtors®, they are the most frequently reported violations from agents utilizing the MLS system. In order to maintain a system that is efficient and provides its users accurate and timely information, it is necessary to maintain and enforce rules in a fair and unbiased manner. To review the full set of MLS Rules and Regulations as well as a summary of the "Top MLS Rules to Remember," click the "MLS Information" link on the left menu after logging into HAR.com. [more...]
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| Brokers Beware Of Foreclosure Contract Terms |
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Reports of increasing foreclosures in the U.S. housing market are far and wide. Fortunately, Houston's market remains pretty strong, bucking the national trend. Nonetheless, everyone knows foreclosures are on the rise.
What isn't widely known or reported are some rather onerous contract terms certain lenders employ in selling their real estate owned properties. The effect of these terms is to make the buyer's broker part of the contract for sale and should there occur a delay in the closing: [more...]
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| Voters Agree 100 Percent with HAR’s Candidate Recommendations |
Let's Finish the Job on December 8!
It's a pleasure for your Governmental Affairs Department to report to you that all HAR's recommended candidates either won their elections outright or are in December runoff elections. In addition, Proposition 6, the constitutional amendment which will remove a personally owned vehicle, also used to conduct business, from ad valorem taxation, was approved by approximately 72% of Texas voters. We calculate that with the passage of this amendment, Realtors and other independent contractors will save an average of $600 annually in taxes! [more...]
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| Political Happenings |
On Friday, November 9, the HAR Political Affairs Advisory Group met with HAR Recommended Candidate for Houston City Council District D, Wanda Adams to discuss her campaign for the December 8 run-off election. From left to right are Danny Nguyen, Ed Gonzales, Kimberly Gamble, Ward Arendt, HAR Recommended Candidate Wanda Adams, Carlos Garcia, Nancy Furst, Rick Guerrero, Jeffrey Kuchar, 2007 HAR Political Affairs Advisory Group Chair Ray Holtzapple and Barbara Stubblefield. Wanda has served Houstonians as a constituent liaison for the City of Houston for the past seven years and has proven her dedication to the people of this City and her leadership abilities in getting the government to work for the constituents of District D.
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Political Happenings [more...]
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| HAR Puts Women in the Driver’s Seat of Real Estate |
Kenya Burrell, Angela Williams, Marie Gilbert, Courtney Robertson, Mary Ann Reynolds, Cat Anderson and daughter Tess, HAR Governmental Affairs Director Dana Kervin, HAR Vice Chair Margie Dorrance and Nancy Benevides display their fabulous fashions during the Women in the Driver's Seat of Real Estate Fashion Show on October 2.
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For the second year in a row, HAR sponsored and participated in the Houston Intown Chamber's Women in the Drivers Seat of Real Estate program. The program featured a fashion show and luncheon benefiting Houston Community College students enrolled in the schools of Fashion Design and Real Estate.
On October 2 the fashion show was held at Advantage BMW in Midtown and featured models from the Houston area real estate industry and designs from several local HCC students. Models included HAR Vice Chair Margie Dorrance with Keller Williams Realty, HAR Governmental Affairs Director Dana Kervin, Kenya Burrell with KB Home, Cat Anderson with Real Living City, Mary Ann Reynolds with Stewart Title, Marie Gilbert with RE/MAX Westside, Nancy Benevides with RE/MAX Southwest, Courtney Robertson with Heritage Texas Properties and Angela Williams with RE/MAX Signature Properties. [more...]
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| TREPAC 99 CLUB ($99) INVESTORS |
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**All Investments as of September 28, 2007.**
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| Houston Raises Most Money for TREPAC |
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HAR Chairman-Elect Michael Levitin, Vice Chair of the TAR Legislative Committee and HAR Director Mario Arriaga, TREPAC Trustee Becky Hill and HAR Vice Chair and 2007 TREPAC Chair Vicki Fullerton proudly recognize that HAR raised the most TREPAC money in the state for 2007! All were in attendance at the TAR PAC and Governmental Affairs Orientation in Austin October 16-18 along with local TREPAC Trustees (not in the photo) Rochelle Barrow, Billy Burt, Cameron Hill, Ray Walker and Ed Wolff.
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The Five Reasons to Invest in TREPAC…
1. Protect yourself, your career and your future by helping to keep the government out of your wallet.
2. Help to make a difference in the real estate industry and support candidates who support our interests i.e.: Association Health Plans, which would benefit Realtor® members.
3. YOU can make a difference! Currently, TREPAC is the largest grassroots effort in the state. And it is through these efforts, funded by our Realtor® members banding together, TREPAC is able to achieve its excellent results.
4. Participate in fun TREPAC Realtor Community events and network with your fellow peers.
5. With more than 50 elected officials who represent the HAR membership area, it makes more economic sense to invest $250 in TREPAC, rather than $5 per candidate and /or elected official. [more...]
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| Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors® Raises Money for Sunshine Kids |
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Shown are HAR Director Sharon Teusink (center), manager of Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors®’ Champions office, with Marilyn Eiland and Mark Woodroof, owners/partners of Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors®.
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In their sixth annual fundraising event to benefit the Sunshine Kids Foundation, the Champions office of Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors®, along with volunteers from the company's Northwest and Tomball offices, raised more than $9,000 at the event on October 25 at Mulligan's & More. [more...]
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| CHARLES HOWARD “CHIGGER” UNDERWOOD, JR. |
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CHARLES HOWARD "CHIGGER" UNDERWOOD, JR., 74, of Houston, a successful real estate broker, died on Sunday, October 28, 2007. He was born on February 3, 1933, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Charles Howard Underwood and Hallie Chase Underwood. [more...]
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| I am a new member. How do I sign up for classes? |
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You may access the Real Estate Course Finder (formerly Education Yellow Pages) in several ways. The two most common ways are:
1) Via the HAR Members Only Portal. Under "HAR Tools Central," there is a section called "Tools." A link to the Real Estate Course Finder is accessible from that section.
2) Simply go to HAR.com/edu. [more...]
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| Making Sales Meetings Memorable. OK, Tolerable. |
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Every sales team has a weekly meeting. Most salespeople think they're a waste of business time. Mostly because the meetings are boring, or chastising, or threatening, or lack inspiration, or all of the above.
Managers feel as though they "have to" have them, yet struggle with the content and flow.
Well now, that sounds like a positive way to get the week started. What's a sales team to do? Here's what to do… [more...]
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| GroundBreakers |
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HAR is introducing a new monthly feature to the Houston Realtor® called "Ground Breakers," which will showcase the new communities and news from our builder and planned community advertisers. As an added benefit to our builder/planned community advertisers, their communities will be featured in an editorial spotlight to introduce our 28,000 members to the new and exciting products and services they have to offer.
For more information on "Ground Breakers," please contact Emi Lee Norris at (713) 629-1900 ext. 204 or via e-mail at emilee@har.com. [more...]
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| Setting And Achieving Prospecting Goals |
In setting prospecting goals, focus on three core areas: the number of contacts you should make each day and week, the number of leads you should develop, and the number of personal appointments you should set.
Start with easily attainable numbers, so you can build up your energy, intensity, focus, and discipline slowly and steadily. You would not decide to run a marathon without working your daily and weekly mileage up over time, and the same premise applies when establishing and meeting your prospecting goals. [more...]
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| Seven Surprising Reasons to Volunteer |
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Your work schedule is crazy and free time is hard to find — so why start volunteering now? Here are some reasons you might not have considered.
There are lots of things we want to do and should do, yet never seem to find the time to actually do. Volunteering shouldn't be one of those things. Why? Besides providing much-needed help to people or organizations that need it most, volunteering can open the door to new business opportunities, friends, skills, and appreciation for the everyday things you take for granted. Most of all, it can make you happy. [more...]
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