Is There a Financial Benefit to Using a Realtor?

It’s a very personal, a very important thing. Hell, it’s a family motto. Are you ready, Jerry?  I wanna make sure you’re ready, brother. Here it is: Show me the money. – Rod Tidwell, Jerry Maguire I was recently researching a somewhat different topic (deflation, inflation, and price sensitivity in real estate) when I came … Read more

Questions on New NAR Code of Ethics Policy

[UPDATE: The text of Standard of Practice 15-2 has been released. Please see below the fold.] According to Ben Martin of the Virginia Association of REALTORS over at VARBuzz.com, NAR has released a new Code of Ethics: Standard of Practice 15-2 was amended and a new Standard of Practice was approved to strengthen members’ obligations … Read more

A Contrarian View on the MIBOR Anti-Indexing Issue

If you’re on the RE.net, then you know that the hottest topic within the community right now is the issue of NAR’s ruling that search engines are no different from scrapers.  Even my post on this blog talking about social media process using just the NAR handling of the issue as an example got enormous … Read more

Message Control and Social Media

Back when Todd Carpenter was applying for the position of Social Media Manager at the National Association of REALTORS, I endorsed him with reservations. Those reservations had nothing to do with Todd, as he was (and is) perhaps the most qualified person to head up social media strategy for NAR.  When he got the position, … Read more

Be the Virus, Todd (Three Thoughts on NAR Social Media Manager)

“Forward, the Light Brigade!” Was there a man dismay’d? Not tho’ the soldier knew Someone had blunder’d: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. – Alfred Lord Tennyson, Charge of the Light Brigade Todd Carpenter (@tcar on … Read more

Lessons from Counterinsurgency, Part 2: Petraeus on Local

In part 1 of this series, we discussed Information Operations and the importance of integrity in counterinsurgency strategy.  I took lessons from the U.S. Military, and the author of those doctrines Gen. David Petraeus, and applied them to the real estate industry.  In this installment, I’d like to take a look at another key principle … Read more

Lessons from Counterinsurgency Pt. 1: Petraeus on Integrity

It may be completely inappropriate to compare the life-and-death work of our military in Afghanistan to the buying and selling of real estate ensconced in our safety… but I could not help but read this with interest: We also must strive to be first with the truth. We need to beat the insurgents and extremists … Read more

Multi-layer Brand & Social Media

Last week, I had an opportunity to attend an extraordinary meeting with some of the most senior people at NAR, on the topic of social media.  I have to thank Jim Duncan for putting the meeting together, and of course, I am grateful to the leadership at NAR for being willing to listen to a … Read more