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.

We know that the greatest power to build your business lies in the form of testimonials. Unfortunately for many of us those testimonials are in the form of thank you cards, letters and notes and we have secretly tucked them away in a desk drawer or a folder. There they occasionally make us feel better about ourselves when we take them out and read them, but we are not leveraging them to get more business in a real estate transaction. So here are the Course Creators’ tips for leveraging the power of testimonials:

1. Get the testimonials in writing. Their value increases 1000 fold if they are in a format that we can use in our marketing and solicitation of business.

2. Get written permission to use the testimonials. Create a simple form that clients and customers can sign to authorize you to use their name in your advertising and marketing.

3. Use the testimonials in your sales presentations. Get them all on a brochure or a piece that you can hand to potential future clients. The best answer when someone ask you why they should hire you should always be, “Why don’t I let my past clients tell you!”

4. Make the testimonials public. Most of the internet sites that are utilized today to create business require you to complete a personal profile. Find somewhere in that profile to post your testimonials. Even if there is not a specific category for testimonials on the profile, get creative. We often put ours under the “About Me” section or under the “Credentials” section. Due to the magic of “cut and paste” if you keep them in a centralized place in your computer then this becomes a much easier task when you create a profile and it is a step that you should keep on your profile checklist.

5. Use the Notes feature in facebook. You can use facebook’s notes feature to capture the good comments that get posted on your wall. Within facebook people often post comments and thank you notes on your facebook wall. Left unattended they pass down your wall as new comments are added and eventually fade into oblivion. We are of the opinion that the fact the testimonial was made in public on your wall mitigates the need for you to get signed permission to reuse the testimonial. Open the notes feature in facebook and cut and paste the testimonials that appear on your wall into a testimonial note for future reference. The note feature makes it easy for you to add additional testimonials. This is a technique that we teach in our FaceBiz courses and if you do not know how to do this we will teach you in the FaceBiz course. You can also learn more about using facebook for business from our FaceBiz training video which has over 3 hours of solid information about what facebook can do for your business.

6. Solicit recommendations on Linkedin. One of the greatest features of Linkedin is its ability to generate and help you collect recommendations. Those recommendations show directly on your linkedin profile. What’s the easiest way to get a Linkedin recommendation? Well of course you can ask for one, but we have found that the easiest way to get a recommendation is to give one. You can learn more about Linkedin in our Linkedin course or from our Linkedin training video.

7. Consider converting testimonials into references. You do this by having the person include their name, phone number or website at the bottom of the testimonial. It gives additional assurance to a potential reader that the testimonial is valid and in fact they could follow up and use that testimonial as a reference. We recommend that when you are writing testimonials and recommendations for other people that you include this information at the bottom of your testimonial.

Nothing you say can sell you or your services better than written verification from other people. Get IT! Use IT! Become More Successful Because of IT!

It’s amazing how many lessons can be learned from the pop culture of movies. This clip is a Course Creators’ favorite. It reminds us to never pass judgment.

Enjoy!

So what is your favorite movie clip that teaches a lesson? We would love to see it here as a comment. What lesson does it teach to you?

Gail Getzwiller is a Tucson Real Estate Professional with Tierra Antigua.

As a student in Course Creators WebBiz class, we gave Gail this opportunity to write a guest blog live during class.

Thinking of redecorating, and don’t know where to start?  Colors, Native American Motif, New accents, total make over?

You can visit Nizhoni Ranch Gallery to get some ideas for Southwestern Interior Design.

Kitchen or Living Room?  If you are starting your project what room would you make over first and why?

The Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has recently revised two of the primary disclosure documents used under the Real Estate Settlement & Procedures Act. As of January 1, 2010 lenders are required to use the new Good Faith Estimate form. The form differs from the old version in that it requires the lender to:

• Make basic informational disclosures about the loan product and its terms
• Provide additional information about the items for which the borrower is charged
• Not increase charges between disclosure and settlement within certain tolerances set by law

Click Here to Download the NEW Good Faith Estimate

HUD has also released a new version of the HUD-1 Settlement Statement. The new HUD-1 is similar to the original version on pages 1 & 2, however there is a new page 3 which integrates the Good Faith Estimate and the Settlement Statement so that borrowers can easily see what their original estimates were and what they are now being charged. The charges are not allowed to differ by more than the permitted tolerances.

Click Here to Download the NEW HUD-1 Settlement Statement

Newly revised for 2010, HUD’s latest publication related to buying a home is titled, “Shopping for Your Home Loan: HUD’s Settlement Cost Booklet.” It is a must-read for anyone who will be buying a home in 2010 (or beyond).

In spite of the title, the booklet doesn’t just contain information on how to shop for a home loan using new forms and an explanation of the settlement costs involved in a real estate transaction. The guide also contains valuable information on a variety of other topics related to purchasing a home. (It’s a whopping 4 Megabyte download!)

Click Here to Download the new booklet “Shopping For Your Home Loan”

Course Creators is honored to be involved in an educational collaboration agreement with Simon Property Group. David Simon recently picked up a lofty honor from a lofty publication. According to the Indianapolis Star on January 10, 2010:

The Harvard Business Review dubbed David Simon one of the world’s best performing CEO’s. The chairman and chief executive officer of Indianapolis based Simon Property Group ranked as the globe’s 46th best CEO. He produced a country-adjusted shareholder return of 325% and an $18 billion increase in market capitalization from 1995 (when he became CEO) through September 30, 2009.

Simon is the nation’s largest developer and manager of shopping malls. Simon planned acquisition of Baltimore based Prime Acquisition Co. with 22 outlet shopping centers, is a signal the company is determined to grow during tough times. That deal, valued at$2.33 billion, is expected to close by the end of the first quarter.

Course Creators is spending this week in conjunction with Simon to develop and roll out a nationwide Mall Managers Training Program that will consist of multiple modules written and created by Len Elder & Theresa Barnabei of Tucson based, Course Creators, a nationwide adult education course developer. Although Barnabei & Elder have gained nationwide recognition for their work on social media courses, their strong business and legal backgrounds will make the joint educational effort with Simon Property Group rewarding for all parties involved in the collaboration.

Do you ever wonder why your buyer client’s think they are going to get the keys at closing? Do client’s sometimes seem surprised that you are writing the contract rather than a lawyer? Is your seller upset because they will not be able to close using a power of attorney that they have used in many other situations?

Each of these problems stems from the fact escrow and title issues vry greatly from state to state. As real estate professionals we tend to forget that we live in a relocation area and that the closing and escrow process that they have been using in one geographic location is totally different from another. What if there was a way for you to find out exactly what process your client was previously familiar with so that you knew exactly what clarification and explanation you needed to give. Such an information does exist. It is located on a site called EscrowHelp.com and you should be using it to find out what escrow and closing processes were used in the state your client is coming from.

Just click on the Route 66 Icon to the right and the road will take you to an alphabetical listing of states. Look up  your client’s former state of residence and will know what process was used in that geographic location. Then in your client meetings you will exactly what education you need to provide without even having to answer the question. Your clients will be amazed that you know so much about their home state. Isn’t that what being a professional was suppose to be about anyway?

This is one of our first guest posts. We are extremely honored to have our WebBiz class sponsored by Title Security. We have asked Janette Dominguez to write a little about what she does to “Stand By You” in a real estate transaction.

Every single one of my clients is important to me.  From that first time home-buyer to the savvy investor, all are treated with first class service.

• Timely email and phone message response
• Superior Experience and Service
• Competitive Title and Escrow Rates
• Accommodating Scheduling
• The Best Marketing Team

Title Security Agency of Arizona

Are you concerned about how to really achieve your business goals in 2010?

Do you wonder if people are really making money using social media as a marketing tool?

Do you need to find new ways to save time and improve your efficiency?

Are you tired of the same old boring classes?

Do you want to know what other top professionals are doing to create success?

At Course Creators we believe that 2010 will be your best year ever. We are willing to bet that most of you made New Year’s resolutions that apply to your business goals, dreams and future. We know. We did that too. Just like you we struggle sometimes with knowing exactly what to do and how to do it when it comes to achieving success. So here is our New Year’s resolution:

“To do the best job ever to find out exactly what our clients need to get so that they can use it and become more successful because of it!”

Now here’s the fun and exciting part! Our New Year’s Resolution gives you a voice! It requires your help. Would you share with us what New Year’s resolutions you made about your business. What are you trying to improve? What are your goals?

If you’ll share your dreams we will do everything that we can to help make them come true!

Just click on “comment” below and leave your New Year’s Resolution!

A FREE Class for YOU!

In celebration of the success you have helped us achieve this year we would like to give your business a Christmas present. On Monday, December 21st as our last engagement of the year we are teaching two of our most popular technology classes at the Country Inn Suites, 7411 North Oracle and sponsored by Title Security Agency. We figured that you may be using the holiday season to create your business and marketing plan for 2010. These two classes will give you the tools you need to do that.

You don’t ever get the opportunity to:

• Pick up 6 hours of continuing education for $25
• Get a FREE Class
• Gain amazing marketing insights into 2010
• Get the foundation you need to build a phenomenal 2010 business plan over the holidays
• Find out where next year’s clients are coming from and start connecting with them now

SIGN UP FOR ONE CLASS AND COURSE CREATORS WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE OTHER CLASS FOR FREE

9:00 – 12:00 Catch the Social Wave will leave your head spinning with endless possibilities to grow your business. You will know exactly step by step what you need to be doing on social media sites to take your business to the next level in 2010 and where to spend your energy and resources.

1:00 – 4:00 Linkedin will help you set up and use a linkedin account to connect with endless clients, generate referrals and references and build your business bigger, stronger and better in the coming year. Know how to find clients at specific companies in specific areas.

Register on the Course Creators Calendar or Call Kris Inman at 360-0280.

Class is at the Country Inn Suites 7411 North Oracle, Sponsored by Title Security

Thank You for All of Your Support This Year. May You Have a Wonderful Holiday Season. We hope to see you Monday, so we can tell you that in person.