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Trying to find away to think outside the box? Simply do not climb into the box!

Here is a selection of some of Real Estate and Internet Marketing syndicated news feeds!

Reliberation.com

12/31/09, Final Day of Reliberation »»

12/30/09, Good BYE again, RELIB »»

12/25/09, It's been swell »»

12/17/09, How to World Real Estate Blogging! »»

12/15/09, Now Its Time To Say Goodbye To All Our Family »»

12/14/09, Contact Info... »»

12/10/09, Very sad to see RELIB go... »»

12/8/09, Hello, friends »»

12/6/09, SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM PUERTO RICO »»

12/4/09, Maybe this is part of the problem »»

12/3/09, Say it isn't SO...The Ending of Reliberation »»

12/3/09, Say it isn't SO...New Friends found...soon gone »»

12/2/09, My Favorite Reliberation Memories »»

12/1/09, Goodbye Reliberation »»

11/30/09, EagleOpenHouses.com »»

11/26/09, Domain Names and Trademark Infringement. »»

11/23/09, The Perfect Holiday gift for Your Real Estate Agent!! »»

11/21/09, My website is worth #%@*!(^)!!!! »»

11/20/09, Inherited Property in the Bahamas »»

11/19/09, Ninja Selling Webinars »»

11/18/09, Realtor.com's "Search Assist" product -- any one using it? Results? »»

11/15/09, Hello All »»

11/14/09, Don't count calories, or chloresterol--just enjoy »»

11/14/09, Problem Solving For Dummies »»

11/14/09, What Is Taken So Long To Get The Deal Done "The Office Chair" »»

Inman Blog

3/1/10, Top 20 reasons to fire your client »»

3/1/10, Global home prices show uneven recovery »»

3/1/10, A voice for independents »»

3/1/10, Brits buy record number of second homes »»

2/26/10, Sunk Cost »»

2/26/10, Bye-bye equity »»

2/26/10, NAR: Existing-home sales rise 11.5% »»

2/26/10, Market Leader: $7.4M net loss in '09 »»

2/26/10, Twitter: an agent's perspective »»

2/26/10, RealtyTrac partners with RealtyJoin »»

2/26/10, 5 tools to promote your events online »»

2/26/10, Condo developers get into lending game »»

2/25/10, HUD clarifies flat-fee disclosure »»

2/25/10, Survey: Mortgage costs motivate sellers »»

2/25/10, 30-year fixed punches through 5 percent »»

RISMedia

3/2/10, Today’s News at a Glance »»

3/2/10, Social Media and the Future of Real Estate: RISMedia and 1parkplace launch the 2010 Dalton/Hundley Real Estate Social Media Census(sm) »»

3/2/10, Weekly Video Tip: 7 Ways to Market Your Product through Video Commercial »»

3/2/10, Who Are You to Run for Office? »»

3/2/10, Mike Barnett Appointed Chief Information Officer of Property Panorama »»

3/2/10, C.A.R. Reports January Median Price Increased 15%; Home Sales Decreased 10.6% »»

3/2/10, 5 Steps to Rethinking Your Retirement Plan »»

3/2/10, 30 Million Dollar Marketing System »»

3/2/10, Jordan Baris Realtors Names Adam Glickman Senior Vice President with Commercial Division »»

3/2/10, Realty Executives International Awards Franchising Rights to Six Countries of Gulf Region »»

3/2/10, Today’s News at a Glance »»

3/2/10, RISMedia to Introduce the Real Estate Social Marketing System(sm) at Upcoming Real Estate Social Media Summit »»

3/2/10, Monday Morning Mobile: The Mobile Frontier »»

3/2/10, Today Is Deadline to Be Ranked Among Leaders »»

3/2/10, More Government Help Coming to Homeowners in California, Arizona, Nevada, Florida and Michigan »»

3/2/10, Facing the Market Head-On »»

3/2/10, National ‘Hemline Survey’ Predicts Knee-Length Skirts and Cautious Optimism »»

3/2/10, Commercial Loan Modification Comprehensive Training System »»

3/2/10, The 4 Most Overlooked Touch Points to Grow Your E-mail Database »»

3/2/10, Coldwell Banker Real Estate Launches Spring Marketing Campaign Highlighting Sales Associate Expertise »»

RealTown

3/1/10, Massive BPO »»

3/1/10, True Forms Online and VMware Fusion »»

3/1/10, Chase Foreclosure Department »»

3/1/10, Realeseller and My Blackberry »»

3/1/10, Join and Introduce Yourself »»

3/1/10, Property Panorama, Inc. Gets New Chief Information Officer »»

Property Panorama, Inc. has announced Mike Barnett as its new Chief Information Officer.

Property Panorama provides its world leading suite of online marketing tools and products to over 200,000 REALTORS in more than 45 MLSs across the US and Canada. Property Panorama’s easy to use solutions empower REALTORS with unlimited Virtual Tours, Video Tours, PodCAST Tours, and MobileMedia™ Cell Phone Tours at unbelievably low prices.

Property Panorama owes its rapid ascension to the top of the Virtual Tour industry not only to unparalleled innovative technologies, but also to its strong leadership. Now with the addition of Mike Barnett to Property Panorama’s leadership team, Property Panorama’s already amazing growth rate will be sure to skyrocket.

Mike Barnett is an internationally known speaker, educator and senior technology consultant. His personal appearances number in the thousands, from engagements with many local and State REALTOR® associations and at numerous NAR Expos. In 1997, Mike was named NAR Educator of the Year in 1997 (honorable mention). Mike has also served as Director for Scottsdale, Phoenix and the Arizona Association of REALTORS.

Mike’s technology background started in the 1970’s when he was the founder and President of Muscle Shoals Sound Records, where they forged digital recordings with artists like Bob Seger and Bob Dylan. Those who know Mike well will tell you of the two years he spent traveling the world with Cheech and Chong.

For the past 15 years, Mike served as VP Technology and CTO of InternetCrusade® and RealTown.com. Most recently, Mike served as the CTO of RISMedia, launching the new RISMedia.com website and the Top5 Network.

Mike Barnett is a 4th generation broker, first licensed in New Jersey 1965, and is a pioneer in Real Estate technology. In 1995, Barnett was named to the America Online Real Estate Board of Advisors, where Mike hosted online chats weekly every Tuesday night.

Later that same year, RealTown.com was launched on a server in Mike’s office in Scottsdale which hosted RealTalk – which is the oldest, largest, and most respected online Real Estate social networking site on the Internet.

During his tenure as CTO of InternetCrusade®, the company was the first to offer online purchases of 63 character domains and the first secure, ICANN approved, online domain ‘transfer’ system, as well as InternetCrusade®’s secure online voting system.

Barnett is one of the creators and producers of e-PRO, the National Association of REALTORS® only Online Technology Certification Program.

“Since 1995, Mike has been instrumental in the growth of the Real Estate Electronic Publishing Company’s InternetCrusade® and RealTown®, and NAR’s e-PRO®. Mike’s background, knowledge, creativity, and 'can do' attitude will be tremendous assets to Property Panorama, as they were for REEPco” said Saul Klein, CEO Point2 Technologies Inc.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors and staff, I would like to welcome Mike to Property Panorama; we are extremely enthusiastic to be working with someone of Mike’s caliber. Mike has accomplished so much in the real estate industry and I am confident that what we will accomplish together will be nothing short of amazing”, said Justin Furmage, Chief Executive Officer.

Ken Baris, Property Panorama Board Member and President of Jordan Baris, Inc. noted that "Mike brings a perspective and depth of knowledge that will be exceptionally valuable for our infrastructure as well as a catalyst to our expanding product offerings. We have known each other for most of two decades and I have been constantly impressed with Mike.”

“I am thrilled to join a technology company and industry leader like Property Panorama that has constantly set the benchmarks for others to follow,” said Barnett, CIO. “The potential for growth at Property Panorama is enormous, and I look forward to working with Justin, Kelly and the entire Property Panorama team to reach our full potential. I have positioned myself so that over the next several months I can dedicate most of my time and energy to Property Panorama, so that we might embark on some exciting corporate and industry related initiatives. My continued commitment to 'customer satisfaction' will be reflected in everything that we do at Property Panorama,” Mike concluded.

Mike Barnett is an internationally known speaker, educator and senior technology consultant. His personal appearances number in the thousands, from engagements with many local and State REALTOR® associations and at numerous NAR Expos. In 1997, Mike was named NAR Educator of the Year in 1997 (honorable mention). Mike has also served as Director for Scottsdale, Phoenix and the Arizona Association of REALTORS.

3/1/10, Outlook 2007 & Vista Home Premium »»

3/1/10, Non REALTORS Teaching REALTORS »»

3/1/10, Real Estate Camcorder »»

Can't see the forest through the trees? it takes more than hits... make the most of your traffic!

3/1/10, How Much Home Should You Buy? »»

Conventional wisdom suggests that buying a home is a long-term investment and that you should buy as much home as you can possibly afford. It’s possible to build equity over time, but that depends largely on what you pay for a home, how robust your market is, and how long you occupy the home.

To choose the right home, you have to try to see as far into the future as possible:

How long will you likely live in the home?

How large is your family likely to grow?

What activities will you have and what space requirements?

Where do you want to live – near work, near family, in a certain school district?

You should have a fairly good idea of the number of bedrooms, baths and living areas you want as well as other features you want your home to have.

Now it’s time to look at affordability. How much can you buy, and how much home can you get for your money?

The trick with buying a home is getting as much as you can on your wish list without becoming “house poor.” House poor means you can afford your house payments but you can’t afford to do anything else.

That’s why lenders have a conforming loan standard that they use as a benchmark for prequalifying you as a borrower. This is true whether you’re a first-time home buyer or a millionaire move-up buyer.

To qualify you, lenders use two ratios – income to mortgage debt, and income to total debt.

To qualify for a 30-year fixed rate conforming loan that is federally insured, your income to mortgage debt can be no higher than 29% of your gross annual income, and your debts plus mortgage payment can be no higher than 41% of your gross monthly income, according to FHA.com. (see: http://www.fha.com/debt_to_income_ratios.cfm.

That means that if you make $3,000 gross income per month, under a conforming loan standard, your house payment (principal, interest, insurance and taxes) should be no larger than $870.

If you’re carrying credit card debt, student loans, or pay child support, the monthly debt service must be accounted for. To get the income to total debt ratio, multiply your monthly income by 41%. If you make $3,000, your total debt including your house payment can be no larger than $1,230.00. That means to qualify for a $870 house payment, your debt service can be no higher than $360 per month.

This formula is time-tested, and it’s designed to help you minimize the risk of home buying by making sure you can afford your payments over time.

Qualifying to buy a home is only the first step. You will want to be able to handle whatever comes you way - repairs, rising utilities, remodeling or other updates, and ongoing maintenance.

Under some circumstances, you can borrow more money with an adjustable rate loan, or other loan products, but keep in mind that any loan outside conforming standards are likely to be higher risk and carry higher costs to defray risks for the lender.

Sometimes, a conforming loan can actually be too expensive for your needs. If you’re relocating, and believe you’ll only be living in your home three to four years, a fixed-rate loan may cost more than you need. You may be better off with a hybrid loan that gives you a lower fixed rate for the first five years, and then adjusts after that.

Talk to your lender and see what you can qualify for before you go shopping for a home. Lock in your rate, so you can calculate your payments and obligations accurately.

If mortgage interest rates go up, that could impact the amount your lender will loan you. You may qualify for a smaller amount, which means buying a smaller home or a home in a less expensive neighborhood.

It’s really about affordability. The more comfortable your payments are, the more likely you are to enjoy your new home.

Blanche Evans is CEO of Evans Emedia, Inc. and publisher of The Evans Ezine. As an award-winning journalist, Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and twice recognized as one of the industry's most "Notables."

2/28/10, Stay warm when temperatures are cold »»

Bone chilling temperatures have gripped much of the country recently and the American Red Cross urges everyone to be safe and prepare as much as possible.

Many are looking to cut down on expenses when temperatures drop and home-heating costs rise. “There is usually an increase in home fires at this time of year because of the use of candles and space heaters,” said Scott Conner, Red Cross senior vice president for Preparedness and Health and Safety Services. “We have steps people can follow to reduce their risk of starting a fire in their home, and still cut down on their heating bills.”

Heat your home safely
-All heaters need space. Keep things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, fireplaces and stoves.
-Place portable space heaters on a hard, level, nonflammable surface. Do not put space heaters on rugs or carpets, near bedding or drapes, and keep children and pets away. Look for a model that shuts off automatically if the space heater tips over. Do not use heating equipment to dry wet clothing.
-Never use the stove or oven to heat your home.
-Never leave portable heaters, wood burning stoves or fireplaces unattended. Turn them off before leaving or going to bed.
-Keep the fire in the fireplace by using a glass or metal screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

Cut down on your heating bills
-Eliminate drafts. Use either insulating tape or caulking strips to surround windows and door moldings. Cover your windows with plastic sheeting. If you have storm windows or storm doors, get them up to keep the cold out.
-Make sure heat vents aren’t blocked by furniture.
-Turn down the thermostat.
-Close off any rooms that aren’t in use and close heat vents or turn off radiators in those rooms.
-Insulate your light switch and outlet plates with foam pads. Cold air can seep into the house through them.
-Use heavy curtains to keep cold air out. Open them during the day to let the sun help warm your home and close them at night. Use fabric snakes or old carpets in front of windows and doors to help eliminate drafts.
-Turn off vent fans in the kitchen and bathroom when they are no longer needed.
-Set ceiling fans to blow air down.

Don’t forget Fido and your neighbor
-Dress in several layers of lightweight clothing. Don’t forget gloves or mittens, and a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
-Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep your feet warm and dry and to maintain footing in ice and snow.
-Don’t forget your pets- bring them indoors. If that’s not possible, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they can get to unfrozen water.
-Check on people who require special assistance such as elderly people living alone, people with disabilities and children.

2/28/10, Legal Boomers Get Up To Speed – Testimonial For Social Media Marketing »»

2/28/10, Home Equity Flipping and Stripping: Explanation »»

Here is the second part from my real estate fraud series. It deals with home equity fraud and two of its most common kinds. We may say that many lenders, the majority of them, are perfectly fine and are indeed willing to offer you a good and just deal. But we cannot forget about those who are trying to profit and are not quite sincere. You should be careful.

Two of the most popular types of home equity fraud are home equity 'stripping' and home equity 'flipping'.

Home equity stripping:

It is taking money out of your house/condo and basically even taking your property away. Let's say you have trouble with paying your monthly loan payments. Never apply for additional credit in such a situation. Be careful. Many lenders might try to persuade you to fake some info to qualify for a loan you would never get otherwise. The best decision is not to listen to such lender and start looking for a new one. Do not get a mortgage loan if you cannot afford one, it's that simple. Lying will not save you, it will just make it worse. If you will not be able to pay your monthly mortgage payments, your lender might well take away your house and â€śstripâ€ť you of what you have built (thus the name equity stripping).

One of the basic forms of home equity stripping is 'home equity lines of credit'. In this form of revolving credit, your home functions as some kind of a guarantee. Honestly realizing how high mortgage loan and at what rate you may afford is especially important in such cases. Do not lie to yourself, because if you do, you might easily lose your property.

Home equity flipping:

Home equity flipping occurs when a lender is trying to convince you flip your current loan, whether you currently have more convenient conditions or not, just for their own benefit (keep in mind that the lenders earn on all your transactions). Seriously, don't let them convince you that refinancing over and over is more beneficial for you. If you actually are well informed about your situation, it is a big plus. Read all the papers you get and use your own knowledge and instinct. When in doubt, talk to someone who is informed enough. Just ask for an advice if you need one.

2/28/10, Broker/Agent in office contracts »»

2/28/10, Why Aren’t You Getting 100%? »»

I’m sitting here scratching my head and asking myself why 400,000 Realtors out of the 1.2 million Realtors in the United States have yet to make the change to a 100% company.

So, let me ask you. Did your Broker earn their share of your commissions last year? I doubt it very much. How many leads did they give you? Which actually resulted in a sale; in exchange for the 15%, 20% or even 40% of your commissions that they took?

Are you using the Brokers office exclusively? And by that I mean, are you using their color copier, their scanners, their printers, their paper, and their telephones? I again doubt it. You probably have to pay for your color copies, or even worst you have to pay for all copies.

Are you using your home office most of the time? Were the buyers and the sellers you worked with last year generated by your Broker? Or were they generated by you?

I think your starting to get my drift. I was once a large Broker and I supplied everything to my Realtors, however those days have gone the way of the horse and buggy. I once even provided my Realtors their business cards and for sale signs.

The point is that Brokers no longer do much for their Realtors. They can’t in today’s world. So I have to ask again, why are you giving away a large part of your commission for virtually no reason? I hope your Broker is your wif,e or husband or at the very least a close relative, or I have to wonder why, you would give away your money so easily.

In today’s world even brand new Realtors can get 100% of their commissions. I don’t see this changing. In fact I would be surprised in 10 years if there was a single Realtor in the country that wasn’t receiving 100% of their commissions.

But human beings being human beings will wait until the vast majority of Realtors are receiving 100% before they will jump on the band wagon. Once all Realtors decide that it’s the wise and smart business thing to do, then and only then will all Realtors expect and will receive 100% of their commissions.

We all have heard that newspaper advertising doesn’t work and that we need to do our advertising on the internet. Yet when you do any research it is almost always individual web sites that pop up rather than the company web sites. So now even the large newspaper advertising that some Brokers do isn’t of much value.

If you have survived the Real Estate market for the past three years and are still in the business, then you owe it to yourself to keep 100% of your commission. So ask yourself the questions that I have posed in this article. Then ask yourself honestly;

DID MY BROKER EARN THEIR SHARE OF MY COMMISSIONS LAST YEAR?

If the answer is no. I guarantee you can find a 100% Brokerage in your area.

James A. Crumbaugh III is CEO of Allison James Estates and Homes can be reached at . Check out the Allison James Group on RealTown.jcrumbaugh@allisonjames.net

2/28/10, virtual tour »»

2/27/10, Housing Market Takes a Big Hit »»

Sales of new U.S. homes plunged 11.2% in January 2010 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 309,000, the lowest rate on record dating back to 1963, the Commerce Department recently reported.

The third-straight drop in sales on a month-to-month basis was unexpected. “The housing market remains very, very distressed,” wrote Dan Greenhaus, chief economist for Miller Tabak & Co.

“There may have been some weather-related issues playing havoc with the sales data but clearly, these results are extremely unnerving,” wrote Jennifer Lee, an economist for BMO Capital Markets. “There is nothing positive to glean from this report.”

Data on sales for December 2009 were revised higher to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 348,000, up from 342,000 previously reported.

Sales of new homes are down 6.1% compared with January 2009’s 329,000 units, which was the previous record low. The number of homes for sale rose 0.4% to 234,000 in January. At the January sales pace, it would take 9.1 months to sell that inventory, up from 8.0 months in December and the highest monthly supply since May.

Government statisticians have low confidence in the monthly report, which is subject to large revisions, and large sampling and other statistical errors. In most months, the government isn’t sure whether sales rose or fell. The standard error in January for instance, was plus or minus 14%.

The government says it can take up to five months to establish a statistically significant trend in sales. Over the last five months, sales have been on a 362,000 seasonally adjusted annual pace, down from 382,000 in the five-month interval through December.

Sales had risen fairly steadily in the first half of 2009 before plateauing last fall. Seasonally adjusted sales have now fallen three months in a row.

With mortgage rates still very low and prices down, most analysts had concluded that the recent decline in sales was due to the impending expiration of the first-time home buyers’ credit in November.

As it happened, Congress extended the tax credit through June and expanded it to include repeat buyers. But the tax credit didn’t help sales in January. Sales of new homes are recorded once a sales contract is signed, not at closing. Some homes are sold before ground is broken on construction.

Details

Home builders had been slashing their inventory of unsold homes for more than a year to a 38-year low before January’s 1,000 increase. The number of homes for sale that are under construction fell to a record low of 100,000.

Builders have cut back on production of new homes, but they still face headwinds from unsold existing-homes as foreclosures continue to mount up. If a home isn’t sold before it’s finished, it’s taking a record 14.2 months to sell it after completion—a reflection of the mismatch between more expensively priced homes in the inventory and lower-priced homes that have been selling.

The median sales price of a new home sold in January was $203,500, down 2.4% compared with a year earlier. Cheaper homes were selling better than expensive ones: 47% of sales were for less than $200,000, up from 43% in December. Meanwhile, 38% of sales were for $200,000 to $400,000, down from 41% in December.

Sales were down in three of four regions: down 35% in the Northeast, down 12% in the West and down 10% in the South. January’s sales were up 2% in the Midwest , the government’s data showed.

2/27/10, how do I create an embedded link to RealTown per the epro instructions? »»

2/27/10, Here Are 20 Rules for Country Fashion »»

The great international designers often hire me during New York Fashion Week to provide yes-no decisions on their latest creations. If I like it, if it looks good on a normal woman, they throw it in the trash; if I gag or wince, they trot it down the runway.

My taste in women’s fashion is infallible.

My reverse genius comes from a simple insight: Those who design high fashion for women hate women. This explains why their “creations” are either ugly or ridiculous, and why their models are built like skinny 14-year-old boys.

What other industry gets away with making its customers look bad? Real estate, cars, fitness centers — no, no and no. There is one, however: the business of producing Halloween costumes.

The fashion gurus love it when I scold them. It’s like we are blood-wed to a pact of silence as the emperor walks by with no clothes.

Infrequently, someone out here learns of my hush-hush consulting practice. They might see Vuitton and Givenchy duking it out with handbags on my front porch, or Ralph Lauren docking his yacht in my back field where Melissa keeps her horses — Polo, Nolo and Poopsie-Pie.

The rules of high fashion and those that govern Blue Grass fashion are not cut from the same cloth. Here, then, are the 20 rules that work out here.

Rule 1: Anything rubberized should be worn both outdoors and inside. This obviously includes boots and rain gear but also items that might not immediately come to mind — like eyeglasses, which also need to repel water.

Rule 2: If the garment’s interior is rubberized, you have it inside out. Reverse and wear the yellow side to weddings and funerals.

Rule 3: All footwear must have steel toes and be black as a Model T. This applies to all sandals and most flip-flops.

Rule 4: The only accessory you will need is a pocket knife.

But do not carry it in a handbag, not even a clutch. If you can’t live without purse junk, get a metal tool box with decals.

Rule 5: A ring of keys hung from a belt is a hotly debated accessory. Conservatives argue that these jingle-jangles should be worn at all times, while liberals believe they might be safely removed during hunting season when asleep.

Rule 6: Never wear jeans that have sequins on their back pockets. In the country, sequins always belong on the front.

Rule 7: Always wear tooled-leather belts with silver buckles the size of deflated beach balls. They make everyone look good, even anthropology professors in Birkenstocks.

Rule 8: Don’t smoke Marlboros unless you want to be a dead poseur. Wearing a cowperson hat and crinkling your eyes will not put the whammy on carcinogens.

Rule 9: All caps are not equal. You must know the difference between a feed cap and a baseball cap.

A feed cap, or trucker cap, is also known as a “gimme,” since it is an advertising give-away. A gimme has a foam front and a mesh rear. Baseball caps are made of cloth. Gimmes sit high on your head and cover bald guys; baseball caps sit low and signal prosperity — sought, achieved or lost.

Rule 10: Keep the bill of your cap pointed straight ahead. Don’t turn it to the back or side unless you want to be identified as a teenager with a learner’s permit.

Rule 11: Caps should advertise something that America invented, like civil liberties, or a product we still manufacture, like moonshine. Caps that advertise foreign-language bookstores or Jacques Torres chocolates are increasingly evident out here, but they’re known to spook the livestock.

Rule 12: All farm caps must be dirty, preferably with a greasy spot and a white crust of sweat where the bill meets the foam. Clean baseball caps are worn by guys like Bernie Madoff.

Rule 13. Farm boots and cowperson boots are different.

Farm boots are as big as orange crates. The winter ones are insulated with felt liners; the summer ones are insulated with manure. Farm boots can be worn for every special occasion, unlike galoshes which are limited to bridal showers.

Cowperson boots are good for riding and swaggering. People on Seventh Avenue use them in their collections for the same reason we wear them out here: height and sex.

Good dancers prefer cowperson boots to farm boots…for reasons I’ve never understood.

Farm boots, however, are more honest in bar romances.

Rule 14: Always wear pants under leather chaps, particularly when you’re riding.

Rule 15: Some cowperson hat somewhere will look good on you, even though you’ve tried on a million and you still don’t look like John Wayne. If the hat is perfect but doesn’t fit, adjust your head size.

Rule 16: You can wipe your sweaty brow with the same bandana you’ve used to blow your nose, but offer it to a person you’re trying to romance only after rings have been exchanged.

Rule 17: In really cold winters, you’ll need a hat with ear flaps. Trapper hats and bomber hats are acceptable. If style is a concern, buy one with a chinstrap.

Rule 18: In cold places you will also need an adult model of the embarrassing snow suit you hated when you were the only five year old still required to wear one to school. They’re now called “coveralls,” and they still have leg zippers. The Artic styles are also good in summer weight-loss programs.

The better versions come with elastic bands and clips at the wrist so you don’t lose your mittens.

Rule 19: Practice walking like a model behind drawn curtains, not out in the pasture where it might be misinterpreted.

Rule 20: Understand that farm clothes are what they are. Cowperson couture and hillbilly chic are not.

Buy outer garments at your local farm store. Buy undergarments wherever you want. No one looks unless you’re in a serious car wreck.

Bonus rule: Make sure that you dress appropriately for your funeral. Whatever your destination, you’re never wrong in farm boots and a gimme hat.

Curtis Seltzer is a land consultant who works with buyers and helps sellers develop marketing plans. He is author of How To Be a DIRT-SMART Buyer of Country Property, available at www.curtis-seltzer.com where his columns are posted. He also writes weekly for www.LandThink.com and does commentary for Virginia public radio.

2/27/10, R.E. Marketing Strategies - 7 Tips to Motivate Your Sphere to Refer to You »»

As a business coach for real estate agents, I often hear my clients say to me, “I just can’t pick up the phone and call my sphere of influence.” “Why not?” I ask.

These are the responses I get:

“I don’t know what to say.”

“I can’t ask my friends or business.”

“I have no reason to call.”

“I don’t want to bug them.”

“It’s not okay to call them too often.”

You can motivate your sphere of influence to refer to you easily and effortlessly.

The 7 Tips:

Tip 1: Have a script so you know what to say

What you decide to say may vary from person to person. The way you talk to a close friend may be quite different from the way you talk to a distant acquaintance.

There is no one formula of what to say. However, it is very helpful to have something to offer when you call. One idea that many of my clients have found helpful is to call your sphere of influence and offer to be a referral source for them.

In other words, let them know that you have plenty of connections to people who could help them. For example, you know many painters, electrician’s, plumbers, etc. and your sphere of influence should know that if they need any names and phone numbers they should call you and you will be happy to provide a referral source for them.

Tip 2: Think of yourself as being “the giver”

Most of us love to be the giver. We know we will be well received and people will like us. We also know that “giving” leads to more business.

Before you pick up the phone to call your sphere of influence ask yourself “what can I give to them?” One way that you could be of service to them, is to offer to be a cross referral partner.

If they have their own business, ask them how their business is doing. Ask them how you could help them at their business. Ask them what kind of referrals they would like to receive. Let them know that you will do your best to send referrals to them. At the end of the conversation, you can say something like, “when you hear of anyone who’s interested in buying or selling a home, please call me with their name and number. If it’s okay with them, I will call them and make sure that their real estate needs are being taken care of.”

Tip 3: Send an “Item of value” each month

What kind of item of value, should you send? It used to be that sending newsletters was a hot item. However, most people have gotten too busy to read a newsletter.

The item that works the best is a colorful postcard that gives the events happening in their area. Their sphere of influence is likely to put that postcard on the refrigerator and refer to it often.

Of course, next to the list of events happening in the area is your photo, your phone number, and your tag line such as “relax and let me run the extra mile to fulfill your business needs.”

You start to enter their stream of consciousness.

They start to associate positive ideas with you:

• You are associated with happy events in their area,

• You are associated with brilliant bright, happy colors in the postcard,

• Your face smiles at them every time they go to the refrigerator.

Let me ask you, do you think they are more likely to remember you the next time they have a need for your service?

Tip 4: Don’t be afraid to call them too often

As long as you have a good reason to call, they will be happy to hear from you. Trust your own gut instinct about how often you should call them. Many real estate gurus suggest calling people in your sphere of influence about once a month. You may choose that to do that with your “A list”, the people most likely to refer to you.

Since you are sending an item of value each month, you can always ask them “did you receive the postcard?” You can follow that with, “so what event are you going to go to?”

Tip 5: Assume the positive

Simply assume that they will be happy to hear from you. Why wouldn’t they be? They are receiving a wonderful colorful, informative postcard from you each month, then you are calling and offering them something, and you are conditioning them to want to hear from you.

Assume that you have something valuable to offer, your friendship and your expertise, and people want to hear from you.

Tip 6: Be excited about your business

Remember, “desperation does not sell”, but “excitement” does. No matter what the current condition of your business, always say something like, “I am so excited about my business. I get to meet such wonderful people and I’m really in an expansion phase of my business. If you want to help out, just send people my way, I will be happy to help them.”

Tip 7: Use the Law of Attraction

To successfully use the Law of Attraction, you need to be clear about what you want. What do you want? Do you want your sphere of influence to send you several clients a month? If so, then set your intention, “I am now in the process of attracting several new clients from my sphere of influence each month.”

Do you have any opposing beliefs that you need to clear? The Law of Attraction cannot give you what you want if you have any beliefs that would oppose your desired outcome.

For example, if you want to attract an abundance of prosperity, but you have beliefs like:

• I don’t deserve to have a lot of money,

• It’s selfish to want more than I have,

• Money is the root of all evil,

• Money can’t buy me happiness,

• Rich people are usually not honest.

If you have any of the above beliefs, those are called “opposing beliefs.” Can you see that you could be doing all the right activities with your sphere of influence, but if you had opposing beliefs like these, you would not be attracting the clients and the income you want?

To get the Law of Attraction to work for you, you need to identify these old self limiting beliefs, release them and install empowered beliefs.

Here are some examples of empowered beliefs that will help you create the income you want:

• I do deserve an abundance of prosperity.

• It’s okay for me to be grateful for what I have and still want more.

• Money is neutral and can be used for good or evil.

• Money can’t buy me happiness, but I can create a better life for myself and people around me by being prosperous.

• Some people are honest and some are not. It has no relationship to whether or not they have money.

Practice repeating your empowered beliefs, frequently and train your mind to focus on what you “want”, not on what you “don’t want”. If you find yourself dwelling on thoughts of scarcity, like “not enough money” switch your focus and ask yourself, “so what do I want?” Start to notice yourself becoming more positive and attracting more of what you want.

Summary:

To recap, here are the 7 tips guaranteed to motivate your sphere of influence to refer to you:

• Know what to say.

• Become the giver.

• Call frequently.

• Offer to help them.

• Send out an attractive item of value each month.

• Be excited about your business.

• Use the law of Attraction to magnetize your ideal clients coming to you.

Dr. Maya Bailey, author of, Law of Attraction for Success Minded Professionals, integrates 20 years of experience as a psychologist and12 years as a business coach with her expertise in the Law ofAttraction. Her powerful work creates a success formula for successminded professionals ready to double and triple their incomes. Get Dr.Maya's free report, 7 Simple Strategies For More Clients in 90 Days, visit

.www.90daystomoreclients.com

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

Samuel Johnson

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