The Heath brothers strike again! You may recognize them as the authors of the best selling “Made to Stick”. Their most recent work Switch is subtitled “How to Change Things When Change is Hard” and you will find lots of good practical information here. Their insights into what inspires people to change habits and actions is useful in any business and the information is interwoven with stories about single individuals and entire companies that brought about meaningful change. Building on the analogy of an elephant and its rider allows Dan & Chip Heath to demonstrate the barriers that often exist to change and communicate effective ways of overcoming the obstacles.

They illustrate the fact that all successful change follows a predictable pattern, even if we have failed to recognize it until them highlight the pattern and techniques that lead to effective change. So whether you are trying to implement new ideas for educational programs, get businesses to utilize social media more, lead a team that needs cohesion or are engaged in the promotion of social causes, you will find important insights and strategies in the book, Switch.

You can learn much more about Switch and the Heath Brothers from either their website or on their facebook fanpage.

Highly recommended reading for the age of change that we are all negotiating.

Chip Heath is a professor at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Dan heath is a senior fellow at Duke University’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE).

In today’s high tech world of real estate agents should know that consumers are consistently using databases on the internet to find properties in places other than traditional MLS systems. Here are a few of the top sites being used by consumers, the link to them and a few facts you should know in regard to exploring these sites. They can be utilized by listing agents as a value added service and used by buyer representatives as an additional channels to find your buyers the home of their dreams. Just click on the name of the site to connect.

GOOGLE BASE

A free property listing database within Google that has the additional feature of placing a listing location on Google maps. You can link directly back to your website or the original location of the listing information.

CRAIGS LIST

You can list properties for free on Craigs List. You are able to upload photos and links. In addition consider using Craigs List as a way of providing items of value in the classified or real estate section. You could offer FREE market reports, tips that buyers and sellers should know and other reports and information to drive Craigs List traffic to your site.

LIST HUB

A service which will distribute your listings to multiple internet sites

YAHOO REAL ESTATE

Although Yahoo does charge a fee for listings, those buyers and sellers who are devoted Yahoo users will find additional value in the listing of properties on this site.

ZILLOW

The most misunderstood real estate site on the internet. Although Zillow creates automated valuations of properties, it is also a great listing database, a way to interact with consumers and a way to connect with future clients. Did you know you can change the zestimate for a home? Create your own estimate? Edit a home’s facts to make Zillow more accurate?

You can learn more about how to use Zillow with Course Creators video training cd, “Maximizing Zillow and Trulia”

TRULIA

With over 5 million unique visitors who are in the buying process and also looking for agents, you can post your listings for free on Trulia.You can also engage in direct conversations with interested buyers and sellers through Trulia voices. You can create open house invites and post pictures of your listings.

You can learn more about how to use Zillow with Course Creators video training cd, “Maximizing Zillow and Trulia”

Welcome to the world of video making!!   You have this wonderful idea for a video!  And you just don’t know where to begin.  We know that feeling so let us help you.  As you visualize your finished product, think about what steps you can take one at a time to get you there!  Everything is made easier when the steps are clearly defined and laid out.  Then, of course, you would start with step one and then proceed with step two, step 3, etc..  Easier said than done, huh?  Here, we will make it easier for you.

Since we produce an extensive amount of training CD’s, we realized the need for a tool that would keep us on track during the creation process.  So we developed one, and we would like to share it with you.  It is the Course Creators Video Storyboard!

Here is an example of how we used it to produce our National Association of Realtors® promotional piece, where we set out to cover 6 specific points that we wanted to make in the video, and we determined how we would make those points through the use of  slides, photos and videos.  As a matter of fact, here is exactly what that looked like.If you want to see how this really works, here is a link to the finished video product.

Is there more to creating a video than just using the storyboard.  Sure.  But this tool, if used properly, will force you to clarify the production steps in your mind, then lay the flow out on paper.  Try it and see how it works for you.

For More Information And To Order, Click Here!

And if you want to know more on creating videos, we have produced a CD training video, VideoBiz, that walks you through, step by step, everything you need to know to shoot, edit, create and ultimately hang your video on You Tube!!  Have fun creating!!

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. Commissioner's Standards

Do you want to save $40 the next time you renew your license? Do you know consumers can see which classes you have taken? Do you know why agents are loosing their licenses over subdivision issues? You will be amazed at what you are able to do through the ADRE website. You could be receiving automated updates from the Department, have your education posted to your registration card, renew on line at substantial savings and be on top of what is happening in your industry. This is a class full of information you will actually use to save time and money!

The Virtual Commissioner

Sponsored By: Title Security

Held At: The Conference Room At Oro Valley, 10445 N. Oracle Rd., #121, Tucson, Arizona

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM – Thursday, February 17, 2010

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. RE Legal Issues

It’s amazing what we don’t know about real estate closings at least when it comes to how to turning them into marketing opportunities. These are practical issues from the real world of real estate closings. Find out what  escrow officers have to say about streamlining your transaction, removing roadblocks and informing your clients.  Understand the changes surrounding the new HUD-1 Settlement Statement and avoid the most common issues that delay and frustrate the closing of a real estate transaction.

Sponsored By: Southeast Arizona Association of Realtors

Held At:  Association Offices, 125 South Second Street, Sierra Vista, Arizona

1:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Tuesday, February 16, 2010

No doubt about it we live in a relocation market. The Arizona Office of Tourism reports that $18.5 billion dollars is spent every year by Arizona visitors and that our state sees roughly 102 visitors every day

No doubt many of those visitors are planning on relocating to Arizona and from them will come your next available pool of buyers as an Arizona real estate agent. We will be well advised to have on our websites relocation information and resources for those potential buyers. We did some research and came up with the following internet links that you may want to link to from your blog site, website or social media pages. What a great way to get buyers interested in the State of Arizona, connect with them early and begin building the relationships which will turn into transactions.

erelocation professionals is a website offering free relocation information and relocation packages for those considering the move to Arizona.

Phoenix & Tucson Relocation Guide is a source for relocation information in Arizona two major cities.

Destination Arizona is a YouTube video created and produced by the Arizona Office of Tourism.

Tucson AZ Tourism is a YouTube video promoting Tucson.

Vibrant Variety. Endless Possibilities is a a YouTube video jointly created by the Arizona Office of Tourism and the Arizona Department of Commerce.

Including links such as these to your internet sites just makes good sense to us as practitioners in a relocation market.

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. Contract Law

Know how to successfully handle the most challenging contractual issues that are encountered in short sale and REO transactions. We will be discussing and sharing specific addenda and contract language that will help you protect your clients and remove the doubt, fear and uncertainty that distressed sales create. Find out what the agents and brokers who have closed REO and short sale transactions had to learn the hard way. 

Sponsored By: Southeast Arizona Association of Realtors, American Guardian, WJ Bradley Mortgage

Held At: Association Offices – 125 S. Second Street, Sierra Vista, Arizona

1:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Thursday, February 11, 2010

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. Fair Housing

No theory. No preaching. No 1960’s Fair Housing discussions. This class is straight talk about what you need to know about diversity in your neighborhood in order to be successful. Since all real estate is local wouldn’t you really like to know what diversity means in your ‘hood ‘and how it is affecting the day to day practice of your profession. This is the real world Fair Housing class you have been waiting for.

We will change the way you look at fair housing forever!

Diversity In Your Hood

Sponsored By: Southeast Arizona Association of Realtors, American Home Guardian, WJ Bradley Mortgage

Held At: Association Offices, 125 S. 2nd Street, Sierra Vista, Arizona

9:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Thursday, February 11, 2010

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. Agency Law

What if you could find the FSBO’s in your area or neighborhood with just a few clicks? What if you had the right script and detailed information to convert FSBO’s into “Just Listed” with you? Did you know that sellers who hire agents end up with more money than those who sell their home on their own (even after commissions are deducted)? There are lots of FSBO’s out there who actually want to be your client if you know what to say, how to say it and where to find them.

How To Find FSBO’s and Capture Their Business

Sponsored By: Stewart Title & Trust of Tucson

Held At: 1050 E. River Road, # 200, Tucson, Arizona

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM – Friday, February 5, 2010

Real Estate CE 3 Hrs. Commissioner's Standards

Do you want to save $40 the next time you renew your license? Do you know consumers can see which classes you have taken? Do you know why agents are loosing their licenses over subdivision issues? You will be amazed at what you are able to do through the ADRE website. You could be receiving automated updates from the Department, have your education posted to your registration card, renew on line at substantial savings and be on top of what is happening in your industry. This is a class full of information you will actually use to save time and money

The Virtual Commissioner

Sponsored By:  Southeast Arizona Association of Realtors

Held At:  125 S. Second Street, Sierra Vista, Arizona

1:00 PM to  4:00 PM – Thursday, February 4, 2010