VanEd Newslog

Conference Live! keeps you up to date on what is happening at NAR in San Diego

Thousands of REALTORS will attend the NAR conference and expo in San Diego beginning this week and running through Monday November 16th, but many simply can’t make the Conference. To stay involved, try Conference Live! New from NAR.

Visit the Conference Live page for the latest news, pictures, educational session audio clips, blog reports, videos, tweets, and more related to the 2009 REALTORS® Conference & Expo. This online feature will give you a taste of the annual Conference if you can’t make it to San Diego.

Chart your winning course by following the conference on any of the following services;

   See all #nar09 references on Twitter.

  NAR 2009 Conference on Facebook

REALTOR® Magazine Online Daily News

Audio

As they become available, you can sample and purchase conference session audio recordings. Find out more >

 

Q&A with Jennifer Allan - "Does My 'Friend' Owe me a Courtesy Call When She Hires Someone Else?"

We asked author Jennifer Allan to answer questions based on her teaching and experience in the real estate industry. Jennifer is also a regular contributor to Realty Times and RE/MAX Times.

Question: I understand that I won’t always get my friends’ business, but when I don’t, is it reasonable to expect a courtesy call explaining why they hired someone else?

JA: It’s tough when someone you know entrusts their real estate business to another agent, isn’t it? When you’re new, the disappointment can take days to get over, but even for Old Fogies like me, it’ll still sting for an hour or two.

As discussed in an earlier Q&A, it’s best to give your friend the benefit of the doubt and assume that she had a perfectly good reason for her decision not to bring you in on her real estate transaction. Trust in that, swallow your hurt and move on. Don’t risk the friendship (or future business!) by demanding an explanation, complaining to mutual friends or sulking the next time you see her.

I don't think the general public realizes how hurtful it is when our friends hire someone else - I doubt they even give it much thought. In most cases, it's not AT ALL personal, so they don't even think to feel bad about it, or feel they owe you any explanation.

So, does your friend owe you a courtesy call? No. If you get one, dandy. But if you don’t, please don’t fret. More than an hour, anyway.

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Guest Author Jennifer Allan has authored five books and multiple courses designed to teach agents her Sell with Soul philosophy that centers on four interrelated principles: Respect, Competence, Confidence and Enthusiasm.  The latest release of her book Sell with Soul is available in the VanEd bookstore. You can also visit her online at www.sellwithsoul.com.

2009 Boulder Valley Real Estate Forecast coming in November

The Boulder Valley Real Estate Conference and Forecast is being held at the Millennium Harvest House Hotel Thursday, November 19th. The conference will consist of a four part program that will look at the real estate economy in Boulder County as well as the country on the whole.

Topics being covered will include current banking and credit issues, demand, and Green issues and how the growth of the Green industry will benefit the local economy. The schedule again includes an update on what to expect in the year ahead.

Van Education Center will be providing 4 hours of continuing education credit to those Real Estate professionals who attend the entire program. Registration for CE will take place on site. To register in advance to ensure your seat at the conference, Click Here or click the link below for more information.

http://www.fallrealestateconference.com/

VanEd offers discounts on CE courses!

VanEd is pleased to announce that we are now offering multiple course discounts for our continuing education students. Beginning today, purchase any two or more courses at the same time from VanEd and you will receive a 10% discount on each course!

With more than 40 courses available at any time, students are sure to find something that interests them. Don't wait until the end of the year to complete your required continuing education - start today and save 10% on all multiple course purchases.

Courses range from 2 hours to 24 hours and cover every real estate topics, including Commercial Real Estate, Contracts, Land Planning, Environmental Issues to name a few. Don't delay,register online today and receive a discount when you purchase multiple courses!

Designation Spotlight: CRS ~ Certified Residential Specialist

Van Education Center continues to offer two online CRS, Certified Residential Specialist eLearning courses. CRS training will give you in-depth knowledge about business planning, negotiating and closing smoother transactions.  The rigorous educational and production requirements ensure that those who achieve the CRS designation are some of the most dedicated and respected agents in the industry.

VanEd offers two online CRS eLearning courses, Creating Value for Your Clients and Putting Technology to Work for Your Clients. Both courses can be used to help fulfill Core education requirements required to earn the CRS designation. Click Here to review the education and production requirements. Courses may also qualify for CE Credit in some states.

To learn more about the CRS designation and the two available eLearning courses, visit VanEd's CRS Designation Page online by Clicking Here!

Colorado Association of REALTORS® Annual Conference and Expo registration is open

Scheduled for October 18th - 20th, 2009 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, the annual CAR convention and expo - REALTOR® World - includes FREE registration to both the CREC Annual update course and a New Colorado Contracts course. The two-day exhibit hall and more than 35 education sessions highlight the annual conference (pre-registration is a must!).

Attendees will also have a chance to win the $1000grand prize sponsored by Metro Brokers at the Exhibit Hall Oktoberfest on Monday night! The annual association business meetings will follow the conference and expo on October 21st and 22nd.

VanEd is proud to be an exhibitor at this years CAR Conference and Expo, so make sure to stop by and see us! There are also affordable hotel options available. Check them out by clicking here, and we'll see you there!

Click Here to view the entire REALTOR® World Schedule - or Click Hereto register online!

Registration is open for the Nebraska REALTORS® Association Fall meetings

The Nebraska REALTORS®Association Fall meetings are scheduled for September 15th - 18th in Lincoln, NE. The schedule includes committee meetings as well as an RLI marketing session. Continuing education courses scheduled include the first three days of the five day Foreclosure Intervention Specialist certification program, Ethics and two courses taught by VanEd author Doug Devitre.

Doug will teach Communicating Effectively & Minimizing Risk Using Social Media, as well as the  Blogging Effectivelycourse that is also currently available online at VanEd. During this course students will learn how to create a blog so that they can help the consumer with the home buying and selling process. Doug will define the rules on how to minimize risk an stay alert with ongoing ethical considerations related to blogging.

You can view the entire schedule by clicking here. Online registration for this event, being held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lincoln can be found by clicking here. Early registration is open until September 4th, 2009 at 5:00pm CT.

VanEd is proud to be the home for the Online Nebraska GRI, Graduate REALTO® Institute Program. For more information on Continuing Education in Nebraska, visit us online by Clicking Here!

Colorado makes Well Permit data now available online

The Colorado Association of REALTORS® reported that the Colorado Division of Water Resources has opened WellView Web, a site dedicated to providing Well Permit data, information and images. Licensees and the general public can now search and view permit information online using the free service.

In order to view the information you will be asked for a reciet number to be provided. You may also search based on geographical or permit states data. The information can then be viewed or downloaded directly online. Information is updated daily on the site, however new permit information will take up to two weeks to be uploaded.

Click Here to visit Colorado's WellView Web site -  http://www.dwr.state.co.us/WellViewWeb/

 

Q&A with Jennifer Allan ~ Getting Referrals

We asked author Jennifer Allan to answer questions based on her teaching and experience in the real estate industry. Jennifer is a regular contributor to Realty Times and RE/MAX Times.

Question: "What's the best way to remind my Sphere of Influence to send me referrals?"

JA: I don’t believe it’s necessary to remind anyone to send you referrals, ever. I’ll go as far as to say that it’s unprofessional and damaging to your credibility to do so! If I know someone is great at their job and I know where to find their phone number, I’m happy to send referrals their way; they don’t have to ask me to. In fact, I’d prefer that they not ask me to. When my self-employed friends ask me for referrals, it puts me on the spot and I don’t like that. If they ask twice, I might start to wonder about their level of success, which may make me question their competence.

 

Continually asking/begging/bribing for business or referrals sends a message that the asker/begger/briber is not as successful as he or she wants to be. And think about it - do you refer to others because you feel sorry for them? Or because they’re great at what they do? Don’t take the chance that your requests will be misinterpreted as being desperate for business!

 

So, how DO you let your friends know you’d like their referrals? Stay tuned - we’ll answer this next time!

Have a question you would like Jennifer to answer? Email it to info@vaned.com!

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Guest Author Jennifer Allan has authored five books and multiple courses designed to teach agents her Sell with Soul philosophy that centers on four interrelated principles: Respect, Competence, Confidence and Enthusiasm.  The latest release of her book Sell with Soul is available in the VanEd bookstore. You can also visit her online at www.sellwithsoul.com.

NAR Research now available through Social Media outlets

After surveying its members, the National Association of Realtors® found out about their use of technology like websites and blogs. Now, The Research Division has its very own Facebook group, Active Rain and RealTown presences, as well as a presence on Twitter and LinkedIn. Research's social media pages are not only a place for members to receive insight into our latest surveys, commentaries and reports, but also creates a place for Realtors® to get in touch with the division. There may be certain special trends in the marketplace that Research may be unaware of - such as a significant rise in foot traffic at open houses or continuing long delays in getting short sales to close. Research will be using the social media platforms as an open forum for discussion.

On many of these networks you will also be able to follow up to the minute and daily information postings created by the NAR Research Division.

Find Research on Facebook >
Find Research on Active Rain >
Find Research on RealTown >
Find Research on Twitter >
Find Research on LinkedIn >