Teaching Social Media In Cincinnati

Image by reeltor99 via Flickr

Here we are on the second day of the CSM designation course sponsored by the Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS.

The class so far has been fun and we're just learning how to make a quick blog post. The participants have learned about Social Capital, Ethics of Blogging, how to use permission based marketing, and how to engage in the conversation.

At the end of the first day the class has a firm grounding in the social basis of social media. Now we're on to the second day and we all are pretty excited about the possibilities!

Why Buyers are Back to the Market in Pennsylvania & New Jersey

Statistics won't always tell the whole story, but they often provide good perspective.

The graph at right shows Existing Home Sales data going back three years. An "existing home" is one that can't be called new construction; a "used home", so to speak.

Note the steep decline from 2005 through late-2007.

Since November, however, Existing Home Sales have remained within a very tight range and appear to have reached a flattening point.

The Existing Home Sales data supports the word-on-the-street from real estate agents nationwide that buyers are returning to the housing market in search of good values.

But let's not forget -- demand is only half of the story. There is the supply factor, too, and the supply side of the housing market is showing the same leveling signs as the demand part.

Looking at the national inventory at left, the number of existing homes for sale has hovered near 4.5 million for the last several months. No change suggests strength.

Now again, statistics won't tell the whole story but there are plenty of positive signals from the real estate market right now, just like there are negative ones, too.

This is one reason why real estate data causes so much debate -- people want to take an either/or proposition about the state of the real estate and it doesn't work like that. Real estate can be simultaneously strong and weak and when it is, buyers look for value.

On a local level,rates have been good, and our local inventory is smaller then the national inventory. Combined with Philadelphia being walkable (and therefore energy friendly) and affordable, people have started acting on their real estate needs and making purchases.

Perhaps this is why the national housing data is beginning to level off after a 3-year slide. There's good values to be had, and today's home buyers know it.

(Images courtesy: Wall Street Journal Online)

Exclusive Marketing from CENTURY 21 Advantage Gold

In our current real estate market, the job of the Agent to create traffic through their listing inventory becomes more crucial. If a property is not viewed by potential buyers, then it obviously has a harder time getting sold, so the job of the agent or their company is to someohow make the the listing stand out of the crowd, much like a shiny penny does in a pile of duller ones.

With that thought in mind, our company, Century 21 Advantage Gold created a unique program called the 21K Gold Advantage Program. This program is based on two concepts -

1. No one buys a home that they don't see




2. No one Sees a home their agent doesn't show them.

In a market where there are many properties with bonuses from$500 to $5,000 we wanted a way to make well priced listings stand out, like the shiny penny in a pocketful of change. At the same time we were sensitive to the expenses incurred by the seller in this market

We decided that we would try this marketing program to see how the property marketing was impacted. What we found out, during the first 50 sales of properties in the program was that 21K properties sold faster then competiting properties.

After completing the first round of 21K properties and having our breakfast veent, where a selling agent was awarded a $21,000 check for participating, and reviewing the feedback from agents with other companies who do not have such an innovative program, we've decided to continue the program.

For information on whether your property might be elgiible to participate in the 21K program, and more details on the program go to http://www.c21ag.com/ and contact one of our agents.

Selling Smelly Houses is Hard!

Neutralizing home odors is an important part of preparing a home for sale but it's not always so easy. Every home has a unique odor that's ground into carpets, walls, fabrics. Cooking at home plays a big role, too. And people being who we are, we become accustomed to those smells because we are exposed to them every day, but a potential buyer who walks into our home msy hsve s different tske on those odors!

Remember, just because a home is listed for sale doesn't mean that the kitchen is off-limits. You still need to live and using that kitchen may generate smells that are attractive to you , but to an outsider, not so much!

This 2-minute video from About.com offers a bunch of smell-related kitchen tips, including:

• Removing "the fish smell"
  
  
  
• Fighting the aroma from deep-fried foods
  
  
  
• Getting stubborn smells from hands

When your home for sale, the last thing you want buyers paying attention to is your dinner from the night before. Watch the video, read the transcript, and cook fear-free in your own home -- listed for sale or just planning on company.

I Get to Meet Colin Powell

CENTURY 21 Advantage Gold CEO William Lublin met General Colin L. Powell at the 2007 CENTURY 21 International Convention.held at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.Powell was this year’s Keynote Speaker, touching upon the topics of leadership, America, and government. Lublin was part of a select group chosen to meet General Powell after his speech. Lublin was able to speak with Powell, and pose for a photo opportunity with wife Shelia Lublin and Jimmy Dague CEO of CENTURY 21 Las Vegas.CENTURY 21 Advantage Gold is the largest CENTURY 21 firm in Philadelphia, and is listed as one of the top real estate firms in the United States. Named by the National Association of Realtors as the fastest growing real estate firm in the US in 2001, the company has 8 locations servicing Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. They can be contacted on the web at C21ag.comTo search for homes in the south eastern PA and NJ area visit our website at http://www.c21ag.com/.

I'm So Proud of My new E-Pro

PHILADELPHIA, PA JULY 13, 2007-- Kimberly Schreiner of Century 21 Advantage Gold has successfully completed the REALTOR e-PRO course to become one of a select few real estate professionals to earn the prestigious certification offered through the National Association of REALTORS.® Kimberly is a member of Century 21 Advantage Gold's "Top 21%" for sales company-wide and has recently achieved top selling agent in her base office in Bensalem, PA. Kimberly was also awarded "Rookie of the Year" for her office her first year with Century 21 Advantage Gold.

The REALTOR e-PROÒ certification course is an educational program unlike any other professional certification or designation course available, comprehensive and interactive. It is specifically designed to provide real estate professionals with the technology tools needed to assist consumers in the purchase or sale of a home.

With more than 70% of consumers beginning their real estate research on the Internet, e-PRO certified agents have the experience and expertise to meet the demands of today’s buyer and seller.

“The real estate industry has undergone a fundamental change over the past several years,” said Kimberly Schreiner of Century 21 Advantage Gold. “A majority of consumers are taking the time to conduct their own research prior to contacting an agent. In turn, real estate professionals must be knowledgeable of how technology can assist them in serving the needs of the buying and selling public.”