So what if the housing market takes another turn for the worse? Markets go up, markets go down. Unless you’re ready to quit selling real estate, what matters isn’t the market but your strategy. Here’s why.

Conducting office meetings can be an expensive proposition. Follow these “do’s and don’ts” to make your office meetings really count.

Matthew's blog entry titled "NAR's RPR should RIP ASAP"
Watch this video Matthew compares changes needed in the real estate industry to the changes made by Virgin Airlines.
Watch this video Steve Harney discusses the agents' role for helping homeowners understand the average sales prices and trends in their market.
Watch this video Steve Harney discusses the importance of an agent's ability to analyze and interpret data for their customers.
Watch this video

This week Fannie Mae, the government agency we love to hate, announced it would punish borrowers who strategically default on mortgages on non-performing housing assets. Funny how they didn’t mention their request for another $8.4 billion in taxpayer money last month.

Here are ten simple phrases managers can work into their recruiting conversations with potential candidates. The agent’s reaction to any one of them should instantly tell you if you have found the right person for the job.

Matthew Ferrara offers some contrarian answers to an “ask anything” session at a recent real estate conference.

In a tough market, real estate companies need everyone to contribute their best efforts daily. Agents need to prospect, follow up on leads and ask for referrals. Marketing departments need to revamp websites, produce constant blog content and create company buzz on social networks. And what should managers do to contribute their best? Get out of their office!

In Part 1, we started the countdown towards May 1, the Day After. In Part 2, we offer ten suggestions for REALTORS to stay in business when the dust settles.

Perhaps the Aflac spokesduck can teach real estate brokers how to avoid quacking-up by the time the housing market turns around.

Matthew Ferrara offers ten ways to start focusing on what you can – and will – do this year to reach your success.

Hindsight is always 20/20, they say. Unless, of course, you spend most of your time navel gazing. So it’s almost myopic to point out that some ideas’ time has come. And other ideas’ time has passed. On one hand, it’s time for every sale to include in-house ancillary sales. On the other hand, it’s time for NAR to give up the dream of one HAL-like central database. Didn’t they find the bellybutton lint the last time they tried it?

The real estate industry is ripe for a serious game changer. By that, I don’t mean some company that comes along fiddling with  commissions or cutesy technology marketing. I’m talking something that causes customers to stand up and say,  Wow! I’m definitely working with that company. We’ve talked about this before in our blog, but the timing is  better than ever. In fact, I’m thinking of making an appointment with Richard Branson, in the hopes that he’ll  take up my suggestion and do for real estate what he’s done for the airline industry. It’s time for him to open  Virgin Real Estate.