Affordability, Disruption & Rising Interest Rates Lead Top Ten Issues Facing Real Estate

 

Housing affordability, disruptive technology and rising interest rates were just some of the issues the Counselors of Real Estate named most likely to affect the real estate industry during a session titled "Update: The Top Ten Impacts on Real Estate 2018-2019" at NAR's 2018 REALTORS® Conference & Expo. This list identifies the most pressing trends and challenges that will impact the housing and commercial real estate market now and in the years to come.

Prominent senators begin bipartisan push to expand Fair Housing Act

   

Two of the most notable senators on opposing sides of the political aisle are partnering to unveil a bill that would expand the Fair Housing Act to include protections for low-income families and military veterans. This week, Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, introduced the "Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2018," which would prohibit housing discrimination based on source of income or veteran status.

Real Estate Practices Around the World

 

Real estate practices vary from country to country. It is important to be educated in the practices in those countries so you can best prepare your clients for the process. As always, when conducting real estate business in another country, make sure you are connected to the association and/or agents in that country to be sure you aren't violating any laws or regulations. Often, a co-marketing or co-brokering relationship is best.

Tips for Making the Most of Instagram for Your Real Estate Business

 

By the end of 2019, Instagram is expected to have more than 111 million users in the U.S. alone. In case that stat isn't convincing enough to treat Instagram as a major aspect of your content marketing strategy, we'll put it this way: Not choosing to utilize the social channel to reach that massive audience for your business is kind of like not having cookies at your open house-no one's recommending it.

3 Ways You're Failing at Customer Service (And What to Do About It)

 

It's no secret that the best salespeople also tend to be the best at customer service. After all, good customer service leads to happy and loyal customers, and happy and loyal customers lead to repeat and referral business. Referrals are crucial to long term success in real estate, yet many agents aren't building the referral base they should. This is at least in part due to poor customer service. It's no longer sufficient to just get the job done and expect clients to think of you in the future.