Every year REALTOR® magazine recognizes 30 rising stars in the real estate industry 30 years old or younger. Watch a video that takes you behind the scenes with some of the members of the Class of 2008. You can also read the bios of each of this year's 30 Under 30s at REALTOR.org/realtormag.

Posted on May 27 at 10:36 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (2)

Do they hate you too? Here’s my deal ... I was in a meeting the other week with my peers (other managers in my market place) and because I am young enough to be their son, and have had somewhat of a successful run here at my office, I have somehow become a target of scorn and resentment.

In fact, let’s just call me Mr. Target of scorn and resentment.

I swear — some of them like seriously hate me. Now, am I arrogant? I don’t think confidence is arrogance, so let’s say no. Have I had some public successes? Some, but I have always tried to show my more humble side. Are they jealous? Most likely, YES!

My point is, it’s no fun being the target, if you know what I mean. It takes energy to

defend myself, and to tell the truth, it hurts.

BUT the good news is this — I have tremendous support from those who matter. I have great bosses who get me, family who love me, and confidence that I know I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.

So the next time you have a more “veteran” person trying to put you down, or trample on your success, let them know, you’re not interested. After all, you have work to do!

Darrin Friedman is the branch vice president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Chevy Chase, Md.

Posted on May 23 at 12:30 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (4)

What will technology hold for the future in real estate? A panel of tech experts on Thursday during NAR’s Midyear meetings gave predictions of what they think the next five years will hold for technology in the industry. Tools that allow you to deliver information and communicate with customers in real-time will be the driving force behind advances in technology, the panel said.

Read what the panel had to say: 5 Technology Predictions for Real Estate

Do you agree? What are some of your technology predictions?

Posted on May 16 at 05:24 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

NAR President-elect Charles McMillan encouraged young professionals to take an active role in in the industry, as he addressed the YPN’s newly formed Advisory Board during the Midyear meetings this week. McMillan responded to board members questions about how young professionals can get involved within the industry and informed them about some of NAR’s key initiatives.

Check out McMillan’s blog entry on NAR’s Voices of Real Estate about his talk with the board and his advice to young real estate professionals throughout the industry.

The meeting marked the YPN Advisory Board’s first meeting, which also included brainstorming sessions on YPN future events, increasing membership, and providing more resources to its members.

The YPN Advisory Board is featured in the photo above with McMillan (from left to right: Alexander Chaparro, James Nellis, YPN chair Heidi Fore, NAR President-elect Charles McMillan, Shannon Williams King, Kenny Parcell, and Ian Phipps).

Posted on May 16 at 05:22 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

YPN's "Happy Hour on the Hill" connected about 100 young real estate professionals at a networking event on Tuesday that coincided with NAR's Midyear meetings. REALTORS met at Lounge 201 on Capitol Hill for an evening of exchanging business cards and making new contacts in the business. The event, hosted by REALTOR magazine, was sponsored by NAR's Community Outreach and Government Affairs, HomeSteps, and the Center for REALTOR Technology.

View photos from the event at our YPN Facebook page.

Also, check out our vlog from those who attended:

Posted on May 16 at 04:10 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

The Young Professionals Network has arrived at NAR's Midyear Meetings. Today, in a standing-room-only session, several YPN Advisory board members spoke on a panel about “Marketing Strategies That Work,” and offered up some of their best marketing ideas.

The Gen Y and X panel looked at how to tailor your marketing to different generations and cultures, and gave some ideas for the best technology tools to help you do it.

Here are some of their ideas:

• Host education seminars to reach out to different generations. Baby boomers are preparing for retirement, downsizing homes, and interested in second-home investments, so they'll be interested in seminars on self-directed IRAs and second-home buying, suggested YPN panelist Shannon Williams King, ABR, GRI, of TriBella Realty in Austin, Texas. The Gen X crowd may be more interested in seminars on buying their first home. King suggested holding seminars for lifestyle-conscious Gen Xers at a boutique or unique restaurant.

• Become a niche practitioner. Target a certain industry and make yourself an expert and important resource to that industry. King has established herself as a practitioner catering to dentists. She's learned about the business of running dental practices and and when new dentists move to her city or to a new office in her market, they know to call her. She also hosts relocation seminars at cities throughout her state, targeting graduate programs of dentists and doctors who might be interested in relocating to her market, Austin, Texas.

• Establish yourself as an expert. Baby boomers value education, so you can show yourself as an expert by getting a REALTOR® designation (CRS®, ABR®, GRI, etc.), King said.

• Expand your network with social networking. Reach out to Gen Y by tapping social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.). Make managing all of your social networking sites easier by partnering up with someone else in your office – or your

  assistant – and divide who will focus on which site, suggested Alexander Chaparro of Century 21 S.G.R. Inc. in Chicago. Chaparro focuses on Facebook and his partner makes sure they have a strong presence on MySpace.

• Use video, blogging, and podcasts to expand your reach. Technology has made developing virtual open houses even easier: Spend as little as $100 for a video camera and then post your video on YouTube so prospects can actually see listings, Chaparro said. Video podcasts allow clients to hear and see you and allows you to relay information in new and more interactive ways.

• Host culturally themed events. Reach out to prospects of different cultures and foreign buyers by throwing a cultural appreciation party and serving food from your past clients’ countries of origins, said YPN chair Heidi Fore, CRS®, of Keller Williams Realty-East in Louisville, Ky. Or hold a Cuban salsa dance class or a monthly wine-and-cheese party, choosing a different country to focus on each month.

• Brand your advertising to show your appreciation of other cultures. Fore each year offers her three-month guide to Louisville's Oktoberfest celebrations on a front of a postcard and then includes her listings on the back.

• Use your Web site to reach out across cultures. For example, Fore lists ethnic restaurants on her Web site and blogs about her favorites. She also has a travel site catered to clients who are relocating to Louisville. Users can schedule an appointment with her to view listings and even book a flight and hotel.

What are some of your best marketing ideas for reaching out to different generations and cultures? Also, an interesting question came up during the YPN session, and we want to know your thoughts: Do you think one social networking site is more effective than others for generating business (e.g. Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.)?

Posted on May 13 at 10:17 PM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

NAR's Diversity Area has a variety of best-practice programs, tools, and education that put REALTOR associations and their members in the best position to effectively reach out to consumers of all cultural backgrounds.

From grant seed money, to practical programmatic examples from a variety of associations, to fostering leadership of young, diverse members, NAR's Diversity area is committed to the needs of the REALTORS serving emerging markets. For more information on what's available, visit the NAR Diversity Web site at REALTOR.org/diversity.

And if you are in town for next week's NAR's 2008 Midyear Governance Meeting, come meet with us at our booth on the tradeshow floor in NAR's REALTOR PAVILLION, space #1707.

NAR Diversity is also a sponsor of the YPN "Happy Hour on the Hill" networking event on May 13. You'll be able to learn more more about how they can help you in your business at the YPN event.

Due to overwhelming response, RSVPs for YPN's "Happy Hour on the Hill" are now once again being accepted. RSVP by this Friday.

Posted on May 8 at 10:34 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

I’m sitting at Panera waiting for a cup of coffee with a seasoned agent as I write this and I can’t help but to wonder how did we ever live without technology?

Part of me thinks life was better but then the other part of me couldn’t imagine what would have been better than having the ability for instant communication?

Of course as new real estate professionals we are looking at the dinosaurs of the office — you know, the ones who don't have an e-mail address and don't want one. When will that type of thinking become extinct?

As the world moves forward, undoubtedly that thinking will become extinct or those who think that way will be forced to adapt. But we shouldn't be so quick to throw them aside. These

"dinosaurs" have probably survived a few slow years, they have learned from experience that real estate is local.

So next time you are quick to judge those practitioners — take them to coffee and learn the true meaning of selling real estate.

That — regardless of technology — will never change. Even if this post was done on my cell phone as I waited for a man that barely cared if his cell phone even worked.

Toby Boyce, MBA, is a real estate practitioner with Keller Williams Consultants Realty in Westerville, Ohio, and was the 2007 Delaware Board of REALTORS® Rookie of the Year.

Posted on May 7 at 09:43 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)