THE LLAM POST: Unofficial State of Real Estate

Electionitis

2008-10-07T22:23:00.003-04:00

Sorry I have become a victim of "electionitis" and have become weary of it. There was excitement before the first debate in anticipation of its entertainment value and I found out that like me, half of the viewers switched stations somewhere during the debate to keep from yawning. What I ended up doing was reading the post-debate analysis and found that to be more interesting.

Now when the Biden-Palin debate was scheduled, there was a mad frenzy to get home from a board meeting to make sure the debate was not missed. One board member declared that he was going to a themed debate party and that he was bringing half-baked Alaska. Hmmmm...see where the entertainment value comes in? It wasn't because of two compelling people with equally compelling issues, it was pure entertainment to watch two people duke it out from totally unequal playing fields.

By the time the second Obama-McCain debate was up, I told myself it was time to go back to work. None of them will pay my bills.

And so the world turns....

What? You have 4 jobs?

2008-09-25T22:50:00.006-04:00

Well, gone are the days when one job was enough...

I always did more than one thing so it is not new to me. When I first obtained my real estate license, I had also accepted a position to publish BROKER AGENT Magazine in Orlando, Florida. Hence, it's the reason I still have this darn domain.

After 5 years, the company decided to adopt a new business model and the short of it is that I decided to part ways and tackle the real estate industry head on as a real estate agent. Yes, I decided at a time when the real estate market was in utter chaos! Call me a masochist but I was excited by the challenges facing me.

Soon, doors opened up for even more opportunity. As I was sitting with Jerry Jackson, real estate reporter of the Orlando Sentinel, I told him I was looking for more opportunities in media related to real estate. Lo and behold, he told Michael Gerrity of the REAL ESTATE CHANNEL, about me and out of nowhere came a phone call from Michael. And what an exciting ride it has been!

The REAL ESTATE CHANNEL is a broadband television network. It is an operational Internet-based News and Property Information media network ("IPTV" network) that distributes relevant and timely real estate content in all its forms (Real Estate News, Property Videos & Company Profiles) to highly targeted audiences on any Internet-enabled device worldwide (PCs, TVs, Cells).

The interesting thing about it is that it embodies everything I believe in regarding where real estate marketing is actually headed. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 86% of all property searches start on the Internet. Yet, less than 50% of real estate agents even advertise on the Internet. Duh, what does that say? There are more customers on the Internet than the real estate agents trying to service their needs. So if you are an agent with no business, don't cry. Go out and get the business. It is actually there.... And don't hide behind the financing crisis for an excuse either. It's all about working smart!

The LLAM POST

2008-09-18T11:16:00.002-04:00

The LLAM POST is a real estate blog aimed at those of us in the real estate world currently biting their nails amid all the uncertainty that's staring at us in the face.It is an outlet to hopefully eliminate some of our frustrations as they relate to the real estate crisis we are going through.

What crisis? Each one of the roughly 1.3 million Realtors around the country is feeling some kind of pinch. It is particularly difficult considering that board dues and license renewals are all coming due at the same time (in Florida, anyway). And what? you have not sold that listing since you listed it 6 months ago????

Ouch!!

I am inviting you to share your agonies and ecstasies of being in the real estate business in these trying times. Hopefully, by sharing our experiences, we can help and support one another in this surreal world we call "real estate".