Better Biz Ideas Buyer Agency

Skills to pursue to become a successful buyers agent

Skills to pursue to become a successful buyers agent

Many people aspire to become buyers agents in their locality. But there are skills you must possess if you want people to patronize you. It is expedient for you to know that learning the craft is essential. If you neglect the aspect of getting some skills, you will not be relevant in the real estate business field. 

Please permit me to share something profound with you. Please don’t make getting money from being a real estate agent your priority. I have seen several people committing this error. Of course, no one is ruling out the fact that you will get some rewards. But you must pursue the real things. I told someone that money should not be your goal. If you try to learn the craft, money will flow in naturally. 

Hence, in this write-up, you will know who a buyers agent is. Then, I will discuss the skills to pursue to be in top 10 buyers agents in your locality. First, however, I need your attention. Please shun all interruptions. Are you ready for the ride? 

Skills to pursue to become a successful buyers agent

Who is a buyer’s agent? 

A buyer’s agent is a real estate agent. They are the one who helps to search for properties and negotiate on behalf of their clients. Furthermore, a buyers agent understands the real estate business game. Yes! I call real estate a game. Why? It is more than buying and selling properties as people used to see it. There are technical aspects of real estate. And this makes it to be a profession for some people.

In other words, a buyers agent is a real estate agent. It could be a person or group. They are the ones in charge of searching for and negotiating properties on behalf of their clients. So, a buyers agent is a representative. They have to go to the field and search for a property for their client. 

Furthermore, they communicate with the seller to make things work for their clients. One thing they do is stand in the gap to ensure their clients get the exact property they want.

Now that you have an idea about who a buyers agent is, we can now proceed to explain some skills to possess to become a real estate agent.

Skills to possess to become a buyers agent

  1. Knowledge of the industry

The real estate world has its culture. Therefore, anyone wanting to become a successful real estate agent must take time to learn the culture. Now, how can you know the real estate culture? First, you can move with agents who understand how real estate works. They will explain some things to you. Therefore, it is expedient to gather some knowledge about the industry. Yes! The more your understanding of the real estate industry, the better fortified you will be to help your clients. And you can also use the industry knowledge to market yourself to potential clients. 

Skills to pursue to become a successful buyers agent
  1. Patience

Patience is a virtue. You can’t be a successful real estate agent if you’re not patient enough. Patience is crucial if you’re conversing with both sellers and buyers. You may meet demanding clients, and patience is the only skill you need to attend to them. Also, it may take a lot of time to see a buyer after putting a house on the market. So, patience also comes in to normalize things. 

  1. Communication skills

Communication is a vital skill you must possess. Without communication, one cannot become a buyers agent. Also, communication skills are helpful for someone whose job revolves around people. Communication is more challenging for buyers agents than for other professions. Why? Real estate agents will meet a different clients. That way, every client has their uniqueness. In other words, a real estate agent must communicate effectively to deal with clients based on their individuality. Hence, you must be a guru in all modes of communication. Also, you must be fast in your response. I believe there are online communication courses you can do. 

  1. Integrity

You need to be honest with your clients and the sellers. Open communication will set you on the right path. Building an excellent reputation is essential. People must be able to talk about your level of honesty. Unfortunately, there are agents today that are not honest. They will tell their clients something and present another thing to sellers. Honestly, do you know unethical behaviour can ruin your career? Of course, it can. And that is why you need to pursue integrity. Please take note of this. 

  1. Ability to negotiate

If you’re the type that doesn’t like spending much time in negotiation, you can’t be a real estate agent. You must learn some tips about how to negotiate. I know you might be worried about where to learn how to deal. Some people believe negotiation skills should be a natural gift. But I tell you this, you can understand it. There are courses you can do online about how to gain the ability to negotiate. One thing you should know about negotiation is that you must not be tired of talking. Negotiation will make you a talker. 

  1. Problem-solving skills

A real estate agent must see his profession as a means to solve people’s problems or concerns. If that is established in your mind, you will consider the work worth doing. So, do you know to get a property in a locality is a problem for clients? Then, if you don’t have problem-solving skills, you will not make things work. Also, during the process, some issues may arise, and you have to rise to solve them. In other words, problem-solving skills are essential to become a successful buyers agent. 

On a final note

Dear reader, I believe you’ve seen something tangible here. With the above-listed information, you can make things work for yourself. Now, the ball is in your court. Finally, your opinion counts. Therefore, please share your thought regarding this topic with me. Thanks for reading!      

Step-by-step guide on how to become a buyers agent

Step-by-step guide on how to become a buyers agent

Hello there! You’ve taken the right step by reading this article. The right way to thrive in whatsoever we do is to take some time out to learn. I can tell you vividly that the successful buyers agents we see today also started somewhere. In other words, learning to understand what you want to do is essential.

But before I proceed, I would like to clarify a notion. Please don’t venture into the real estate business if you’re not ready to solve people’s problems. Why am I saying this? I have engaged many youths, and I notice they want to become an agent because they want to make money. Of course, you will make money. But money shouldn’t be the goal. 

If you are overwhelmed with the money you’re going to make, you may not have time to learn how the business runs. That is why some buyers agent cannot control their selves today. All they have in mind while conversing with their clients is money. Please correct that notion. Money is not the primary thing to focus on if you want to become a successful agent. The first and most crucial thing is to learn the real estate business game. And if you understand how it works, money will flow in naturally. 

Therefore, dear reader, please remember that you want to make yourself available to solve people’s problems. How is it a problem? It’s a concern for someone looking forward to getting a property in a locality. Hence, in this write-up, I’ll discuss who a buyers agent is. Then, we will move to the steps of becoming buyers agents. Are you ready for the ride? 

Step-by-step guide on how to become a buyers agent

Who is a buyers agent?

A buyers agent is a real estate agent. They are the one who helps to search for properties and negotiate on behalf of their clients. Furthermore, a buyers agent understands the real estate business game. Yes! I call real estate a game. Why? It is more than buying and selling properties as people used to see it. There are technical aspects of real estate. And this makes it to be a profession for some people. 

In other words, a buyers agent is a real estate agent. It could be a person or group. They are the ones in charge of searching for and negotiating properties on behalf of their clients. So, a buyers agent is a representative. They must go to the field and search for a property for their client. 

Furthermore, they communicate with the seller to make things work for their clients. One thing they do is stand in the gap to ensure their clients get the exact property they want.

Now that you have an idea about who a buyers agent is, we can now proceed to explain steps to take to become a real estate agent.

Steps to take to become a buyers agent

  1. Earn a bachelor’s degree

It is expedient for you to take the aspect of acquiring a bachelor’s degree so seriously. You can take courses online or at the university to become a certified buyers agent. You can pursue a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or another related field. Also, you can go for real estate management courses online. During your undergraduate studies, you should consider some online courses in real estate management. You must learn the basics before calling yourself a buyers agent. 

  1. Get a license in your state.

After getting a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or other related fields, the next step is to get a license in your state. In some states, you must finish a course and pass an exam to get your real estate license. However, requirements vary by state. So, you must follow the process of acquiring an appointment in your state. But generally, the courses to get a license includes property management, ethics, estate transactions and zoning laws. Also, the licensing system contains both written and oral components. First, the written courses examine your knowledge of real estate practices and processes. Then, the oral test assesses your communication skills. 

see also: Steps to take for finding the right buyers agent

Step-by-step guide on how to become a buyers agent
  1. Join the NAR

NAR means National Association of Realtors. It is the largest trade group in the US. Thus, it is a platform that represents real estate professionals. If you want to join the National Association of Realtors, you must possess a real estate license and complete an application that includes submitting your payment for dues.

 Furthermore, a member of NAR must have access to several resources and benefits, which include training courses, career development opportunities and a lot more. One of the benefits of joining NAR is that you will meet other buyers agents. 

  1. Develop strong communication skills

Communication plays a vital role in becoming a real estate agent. Remember, your duty as a real estate agent is to stand in the gap to represent your clients. So, your communication skills must be sharp. You must observe the sellers’ gestures and ensure you read meanings of both verbal and non-verbal communication clues. You can’t become a known real estate agent without good communication skills. Therefore, you can take some online courses on communication. 

  1. Develop negotiation skills

This step is essential. From the definition of buyers agent above, I talked about the negotiation process. The negotiation process is a strong point in the real estate field. As an agent, you must be sound in negotiation when conversing with a seller. You can’t thrive in this business if you’re not ready to learn how to negotiate. There are difficult sellers. And you must stand to protect your clients by conversing with the seller to align with your client’s budget. So please try to work on this. 

On a final note

The good news is that you now have all it takes to rewrite your success story. Your dream to become a buyers agent can still come to reality. With the above-listed guide, you are good to go. Finally, please don’t hesitate to share your thought on this topic with me. Thanks for reading!     

Steps to take for finding the right buyers agent

Steps to take for finding the right buyers agent

Nowadays, many people are making mistakes. I don’t know how to convince people that finding a buyers agent takes a lot of effort. You may think all you need to do is to visit a search engine like Google and search for  agents in your locality. But, honestly, the work is more than that. Have you heard about people who picked a buyers agent on Google and still blame themselves? Of course, there are countless people in that situation. 

In other words, online platforms remain the best place to get a qualified buyers agent. However, one must be ready to take some steps. If you ignore the steps you ought to take, you may likely waste some resources. I have seen countless people researching to ensure they hire a qualified real estate agent, yet they fell into error. 

Perhaps, they don’t do what they ought to do. Therefore, in this article, I will explain who a buyers agent is. Then, I will proceed to the steps to find the right real estate agent. 

Who is a buyers agent? 

A buyer’s agent helps potential owners find assets and negotiate a fair price. It is expedient to know that there are several types of agents. Therefore, be clear. There are listing agents and real estate agents that represent a home seller. Thus, the license is what makes the difference between buyers agents and other agents. A real estate agent can rent, buy and sell many assets with their license. A realtor has the same license as a real estate agent. Of course, agents are also a member of NAR. And the NAR has a specific code to which agents must adhere. 

Some real estate agents are buyers agents because they have a legal relationship with their customers, and they only represent buyers. Please note that agents do not represent sellers or take listings. Therefore, a conflict of interest will arise during the negotiation process if they do that.

Role of a buyers agent in a real estate purchase

You might be curious to know why you need a buyers agent. People can think about the works of a real estate agent as something simple they could do by themselves. But, trust me, it is more than what you think. 

Firstly, searching for and finding a property in a locality is challenging. One must have undergone training on how to search and find a property. If you think it is easy, you can start moving from one street to another. As a matter of fact, some property owners already have an agent managing their property. 

Also, a real estate agent must check the property before paying on behalf of their client. A buyer’s agent must raise a red flag if the property is faulty since they know what their clients want. Therefore, I can boldly say that one of the roles of a real estate agent is to ensure the property is intact without any complications or issues.

Furthermore, the negotiation process is also challenging. One must possess the ability to communicate, listen and know how to put words together to convince the owner of the property. How about when they meet a difficult seller? How are they going to convince him? So, the negotiation process is also a unique role that a professional buyers agent can only carry out. 

So, as a potential buyer, you must delegate many authorities to the buyer’s agent. Let them vet the best listings and create something tangible for you. 

Steps to take to find a buyers agent

  1. Research areas and homes

Some buyers agents can only get you a property in some specific areas. Therefore, before you meet an agent, you should explore the real estate market and pick the place you want. So, once you tell them the area you wish to, they will come out straight to tell you if they have access to properties in that locality. And once they start the process, your desire may change. So, please get in touch with them and carry them along. 

  1. Converse with two to three buyers agents

Please don’t just pick one agent and assume you’ve taken the right step. This step is highly essential. There’s nothing terrible if you interview at least three to four agents before you pick one. During the interview, there are things to compare. You need to consider the time they say it will take to get you a property. Also, you should compare their fee structure. And you can know this if you interview at least four buyers agents. So, after the interview, you can settle for the one that aligns with your plans. This step is essential. Please don’t overlook it. 

  1. Ask about their relationships.

It is expedient to know if the buyers agency you want to hire has a relationship with other agents. But then, why do you need to ask about their connection with other real estate agents? Having a smooth relationship with other agents will help them get your property within a twinkle of an eye. One thing about buyers agents in a city is that they connect to help prospective clients. So, if one doesn’t have what you need, that agent can connect with other agents to get you a property. 

  1. Discuss what may likely go wrong

If you’re a first-time buyer, you need to do all everything possible to know if you’re dealing with the right agent. How can you know that? You need to talk about everything. Please discuss what you think may likely go wrong. That is why I like to tell people to visit buyers agents in their offices. You should try to have face-to-face contact with them. Thus, please pay attention to their response. It will go a long way. 

On a final note

Dear reader, you have all it takes to make things work for yourself. With the above-listed information, you can’t fall into error anymore. Now, the ball is in your court. Finally, please share your opinion regarding this topic with me. Thanks for reading!  

20 Great Tweetable Quotes About Ideas (Updated Easy Retweet Links)

20 Great Tweetable Quotes About Ideas (Updated Easy Retweet Links)

Today we operate in what Peter Drucker, a great business philosopher, called the “knowledge economy.”   We have shifted from an agricultural economy, to an industrial economy to one that is now driven by education and knowledge.  Technological, pharmaceutical and nano innovation comes from ideas as they didn’t exist in any “natural form” on this Earth 30 years ago.  These segments of the economy stem from people’s education and their ability to think, create and then share their ideas with others. With that in mind I thought I would share some great quotes about ideas I’ve shared on Twitter over the last year as well as a few that couldn’t “fit” under 120 characters 

You will find that the quotes come from a wide array of reading/topics/authors.

  • No man was ever wise by chance-Seneca
  • Ideas must work through the brains and arms of men, or they are no better than dreams-Ralph Waldo Emerson (poet)
  • The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible-David M. Ogilvy (advertising)
  • Any ideas, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought-Napoleon Hill (personal development pioneer)
  • You can dramatize your ideas in business or in any other aspect of your life. It’s easy-Dale Carnegie (personal development)
  • The best ideas are common property-Seneca (philosopher)
  • Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people-Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962)
  • Only the wise possess ideas; the greater part of mankind are possessed by them-Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772 – 1834)
  • It is useless to send armies against ideas-George Brandes
  • No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come-Victor Hugo
  • A mind once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions- Oliver Wendell Holmes
  • A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on-John F. Kennedy (former U.S. President)
  • There’s no good idea that can’t be improved on-Michael Eisner (former CEO of Disney)
  • Some of the best ideas come out of the blue- @RichardBranson (Chairman of Virgin Group)
  • You can have brilliant ideas but if you can not get them across, your ideas will go nowhere-Lee Iacocca (former CEO of Chrysler)
  • There are not that many original ideas out there-Steve Wynn (CEO of Wynn Resorts)
  • You can kill a man but you can’t kill an idea-Meg Whitman (former CEO of E-Bay)
  • I think that it’s always possible to have a great company if you have great ideas-Jerry Yang (former CEO/co-founder of Yahoo)
  • We bring together the best ideas-turning the meetings of our top managers into intellectual orgies- @Jack Welch (former CEO of GE)
  • A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go farther than a great idea that inspires no one-Mary Kay Ash (businesswoman)
  • Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game-Goethe
  • Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple, learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen-John Steinbeck (author)
  • Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost-Thomas J. Watson (inventor/businessman)
  • The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into every corner of our minds-John Maynard Keynes (famous economist)

Did the above quotes intrigue you?  If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you would re-tweet the post or comment below.  Have some other great quotes about ideas/thoughts to share with everyone?  Please post them below, send them to me at dan {at} BetterBizIdeas.com.

Other resources: Step-by-step guide on how to become a buyers agent

Great TV shows for Entrepreneurs and SMB owners

Great TV shows for Entrepreneurs and SMB owners

I am a recovering CNBC addict.  There, I said it!

In 1996, the last semester of my undergraduate accounting program at UT Dallas, I worked for two Merrill Lynch retail sales offices as an intern / co-op. At that time I was very interested in the financial markets and wanted to learn more about being a broker as a career path.  What did it entail, what were the job requirements and what did it take to be successful in that industry?  I had already applied for and been accepted to a few MBA programs and I was going to focus on finance.  By this time I had already two years of experience in multinational companies that were generating billions in revenue and I had a career plan I was going to pursue.  I watched business programs and talked to business leaders all the time.  I was a SPONGE regarding business-related material, reading business magazines, watching TV shows and talking to my father about business (President of a large multi-national company at the time).  It is safe to say that I did (and still do) see the world through a different lens than others do.

Fast forward 15 years.

  1. I have worked for two regional investment banks in research.  I saw the dot com bubble up close and personal having followed telecommunication service companies.  With the job came some press.  I’ve been on CNBC (back in early 2001).  I’ve done the local nightly news a few times as well (Fox 4 in Dallas back in 1999 if my recollection is correct).  I’ve been quoted in Barrons, the Wall Street Journal, Dallas Business News and other publications.
  2. I have worked in the mortgage banking and closing service industries.  I’ve seen the impact of the housing bubble up close and personal. Who hasn’t been impacted the credit cycle bubble?

Here is a list of shows I watch regularly that I feel could help SMB owners and Entrepreneurs. I suggest these TV shows because they help me improve my business acumen and overall knowledge about what is going on in the business world.

  1. Bloomberg Game Changers on Bloomberg – Great ideas & lots of old fashioned hard work leads to enormous success.  Great profiles of people like Marc Andreesen – Netscape Fame for a start, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Craig Newmark of Craigslist, Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, Twitter founders & Anna Wintour of Vogue fame just to name a few episodes.
  2. American Greed on CNBC – To remind myself that the world has lots of SCUM suckers in this world.  We don’t want to turn into these people!
  3. Shark Tank on NBC – Great to see idea creation by the entrepreneurs and valuation calculations by the “sharks” like Mark Cuban – I think most of these sharks would say that most entrepreneurs think their businesses are worth too much pre-revenue.  Ideas are cheap & execution isn’t easy!
  4. Modern Marvels on The History Channel or International History Channel – How technology impacts us. Basic ideas can have a profound impact on the world.
  5. History Channel – History has a way of repeating itself.  While times change people and behaviors don’t.
  6. America: The History of Us – special on The History Channel and available as a DVD set on Amazon or at your local Best Buy.  Loved watching this series.
  7. Suze Ormann Show – Suze isn’t afraid about telling people the truth and giving them the tough love they need in financial planning.  Similar message to #7 below.
  8. The Dave Ramsey Show – His conservative financial advice (personal finance) is well worth listening to.  Trying to take his advice to heart more and more these days. Spend less and save more!
  9. Charlie Rose – Great Interviewer – I don’t watch all of them (DVR but delete most political stuff) but he gets great information out of people!  He asks the RIGHT questions at the right time!
  10. Strategy Session with David Faber on CNBC – Faber has earned awards for a reason – he is sharp and his show is great!
  11. Squawk Box and Squawk on the Street – I watch both in the mornings to learn what is going on in business since most business news breaks before and after the bell rings on Wall Street.  I’ll typically listen to the 2nd show on the way into work via XM Radio
  12. CNBC specials – especially the CNBC Original Production shows.  These are great because they provide great insight into various industries. You get to hear first hand from industry executives about the positives & negatives impacting the industry, how they are addressing them, etc.
  13. CNBC Titans – Similar to Bloomberg’s GameChangers mentioned above but produced by a different financial news channel.  These are great for learning about the history various industries and the leaders behind many of the top companies.
  14. Mixergy.com with Andrew Warner as the Host – Great interviews with entrepreneurs and leading thinkers
  15. TheRiseToTheTop.com hosted by David Siteman Garland via the web (previous link) or via your ROKU box / ROKU 1080P box where you can watch the interviews via TV if you have one – Great interviews with entrepreneurs and leading thinkers. The bonus here is that David shows you what is happening with websites.  With over 280 episodes of his show (many computer-based interviews done via Skype and recorded on ScreenFlow) David has taken his content and pushed it through to a new source.

Do I watch all of the above shows?  Absolutely not as I have a life and don’t intend on being a couch potato!  The bottom line is that I tune into the above shows from time to time and my DVR is my best friend (I store up to 10 of each of the above).  I catch up on the shows whenever I can depending on what I feel like learning more about.

Other resources: Skills to pursue to become a successful buyers agent

How To: Maximize SEO Results From a WordPress Blog – A WordCamp San Francisco Presentation

How To: Maximize SEO Results From a WordPress Blog – A WordCamp San Francisco Presentation

WordPress is known for its SEO benefits when compared to other CMS platforms.  Practically every internet marketer utilizes WordPress for this very reason. That is why I was pleased to see a scheduled SEO presentation at WordCamp San Francisco 2011.

SEO WordCamp San Francisco 2011 Takeaways

Below are a few takeaways I had from Sujan Patel’s presentation at WordCamp San Francisco 2011.

  • The top four positions in the search engines only accounted for 40% of the click-through rates. I recall a few years ago seeing up 55% to 65% of the results coming from the top four positions. Now, this was based on a Slingshot study so the niche or which search engine was tested may have skewed the results.
  • SEO Friendly Images Plugins – He discussed lots of SEO plug-ins but I think this one, of all of them, is utilized the least. Images can direct traffic to a blog so SEO optimize the heck out of videos and images.
  • Google Panda Update is now penalizing websites for the usage of tags when not marked “No Follow”?
  • Social Signals – He showed some great examples of how search results vary depending on how he is logged in and how Google is adjusting rankings based on your social circles. I would also point out that Google ALSO showed in his slides those people in his Google Circles that had marked “+1″ to an article in his results. This is HUGE in my opinion and it shows the direction that Google is going.

The below presentation can definitely help anyone new to SEO. Obviously my above comments are more indicative of recent SEO changes. 

Other resources: Great TV shows for Entrepreneurs and SMB owners