Five Threats Facing real Estate Brokers

As a real estate broker/owner, you have a lot on your plate… from recruiting and retaining agents, to fielding countless vendor calls a day, to attending board and MLS meetings and more. It’s overwhelming. On top of all of that, technology advancements are creating new threats you may not even know exist.

1. Innovation is Outpacing Compliance Regulations

Your documents, data, and even private agent/client conversations live online now in a way they didn’t five years ago. With this new reality comes a variety of new compliance issues to keep on your radar.

Ada Compliant Website

Make your website easier to use for visually or hearing impaired visitors by implementing small tweaks, like adding alternative text for listing photos and transcripts for audiovisual content. 

Continue reading

5 Easy Ways to Save Big on Monthly Home Expenses

Having a home comes with a lot of advantages, especially for the modern family. You don’t have to deal with unhappy first floor tenants when your 3-year-old is running around upstairs, there’s no aggravating landlord popping up unannounced and your family has more than enough freedom to truly make it feel like home. 

However, there’s also a lot of upkeep and all-around oversight that you have to take into account. From utility bills, monthly mortgage payments or even grocery costs, home expenses pile up quickly. If you’re looking for some easy ways to gain quick relief, test out some of these tricks to get your family’s finances in the green. 

1. Consolidate Other Debt

Oftentimes, debt can cripple our abilities to budget effectively. Other debt may be taking away from extra money to put toward your monthly home expenses. Instead of struggling to make ends meet, consider accessing the value that your home has accrued over time and start living comfortably.

Continue reading

Northern Arizona and Tucson Elite Unite to Launch Realty Executives Arizona Territory

Realty Executives International is excited to announce the launch of Realty Executives Arizona Territory, Arizona’s newest mega-brokerage, with over 600 agents and a billion dollars in sales volume. Formerly Tucson Elite and Northern Arizona, the two Realty Executives brokerages have partnered to better serve communities throughout Arizona.

The partnership formed with the objective of better serving consumers throughout Arizona. Jeff Murtaugh, former Broker/Owner of Tucson Elite, is the CEO and Designated Broker for Realty Executives Arizona Territory. Murtaugh, along with leadership teams from each brokerage, will merge resources, clientele and market knowledge to position the brokerage as a leader in sales and customer service.

Continue reading

8 Things to Know Before Renting an Apartment

Are you looking for an apartment to rent? Are you wondering what some of the most essential considerations before committing to an agreement with a landlord? Moving into a new apartment can be an exciting new chapter in your life. Whether it is your first apartment or your tenth rental, there are some things you need to do and understand before you commit to a lease.

While renting an apartment should be more relaxed and less stressful than buying a home, there are some potential issues you need to think about to avoid problems, let’s take a look.

Your Credit History

Having an excellent credit score is essential when buying a home, but it can also play a role when renting apartments too. You may be renting because your financial history isn’t the best, but some landlords will need to see you have a good credit score to accept you as a tenant.

Continue reading

Gifts for First-time Homeowners

What gift do you get the first-time homeowner in your life? If this is something you’ve been struggling with, we’ve got you covered! From household gadgets to decor items to things that make your house feel more like a home, our list of gifts for the first-time homeowner will give you plenty of ideas for what to give (or what to buy yourself)!

Custom return address stamp

Since your loved one recently became a homeowner, a return address stamp is a gift they can use over and over again! While many would opt for purchasing customized stationary, a stamp is much more useful, versatile, and reusable. It’s also affordable, if you’re on a budget and need a heartfelt gift!

Continue reading

Realty Executives Saskatoon Named #1 Brokerage

First Time in Company’s 43 Years

Realty Executives Saskatoon, located in the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada, has achieved the #1 brokerage status in their area for the first time in the company’s 43 year history. This honor is earned based on sales volume and percentage of market share in the Saskatoon area.

The Realty Executives brokerage reported a sales volume of $672,808,879,and a market share of 21.62 percent for Saskatoon and area. Broker/Owner Wayne Zuk, is excited to accomplish a goal that has been a long time in the making. Realty Executives Saskatoon has been a part of the Realty Executives International franchise since 1995.

Continue reading

How to Throw an Exceptional Client Appreciation Event

Hosting a client appreciation party is a great way to show your appreciation for your clients’ business while encouraging future referrals.

“There’s a concept that says, ‘Business goes where it’s invited and stays where it’s appreciated,’” says author of the best-selling book Giftology John Ruhlin.

Client appreciation events show existing clients how much you appreciate them while drawing new clients to your business. Here are a few tips to help make your client appreciation events and gift-giving a success:

1. Cater to Your Clientele

The type of event you sponsor will largely depend on the demographics and culture of your sphere of influence. Families, for example, might enjoy a holiday photo-themed event.

Continue reading

Should You Hire a Cleaning Service?

We can all agree that cleaning our homes is a necessity, but we don’t always make it a priority. That’s where a cleaning service comes in. While it may not be in everyone’s budget, a professional cleaning service can truly help you out — and more often than not, you’ll find that they’re worth every penny. Here’s why you should consider hiring a professional cleaning service sooner rather than later.

They can clean the hard-to-reach or inconvenient places

We’re talking about your baseboards, the area around your toilet, the inside of your refrigerator…these places aren’t the most convenient to clean. A professional cleaning service can clean your home from top to bottom and make sure all the nooks and crannies are spotless. So you won’t have to worry about dust or grime buildup that can lead to problems with your health and home in the long run — because a cleaning service will ensure your home is spotless!

Continue reading

DIY Home Staging Tips

In the real estate marketplace, the cost of owning a house is quite high. So, not a surprise when you wish to gain a profit once you decide to resell. However, this wish could be a costly one, as it would involve some renovations here and there. This process of renovation and cleaning is called home staging.

Home staging involves the preparation of a private residence for sale in real estate markets. The whole concept aims at creating a more appealing impression to potential buyers; thereby selling the house more swiftly and at an increased price. 

Continue reading

Tips for Long Distance Home Buying and Selling

Buying or selling your home is a procedure that’s hard to handle if you don’t have any previous experience or knowledge on the subject. And if it’s a long distance home buying and selling that we’re talking about – it’s even harder.

Long distance moves come with their own specific challenges that people who are moving locally do not face, from organizing the logistics of the move to shipping your belongings. Moving to another state with professional help is much easier than moving on your own; yet, with additional problems arising from the home buying and selling process, it is still very hard to smoothly pull it off. With this in mind, we’ve prepared a handy guide on long distance home buying and selling.

Continue reading

Excellence in Real Estate Since 1965