Let’s face it times have changed. It used to be that the corner stone of real estate marketing was in news print. That day has passed and now the torch has been passed to the World Wide Web. Personally, I think this is cause for celebration. Newspapers generally only come out once a day, and at two o’clock in the morning when you want to look at what’s on the market your newspaper is still finding its way to your door. But the internet stays on 24/7 and can be updated at a moment’s notice. While you sleep prospective clients all over the world can be taking a peek at your bio, your listings and any other information you choose to share with them. If you have not already hopped on this fast moving train, you need to or you will quickly be left in the dust. Having said that, how can you quickly, efficiently and inexpensively create web presence? First, don’t attempt to do it yourself. This is one of those projects, like laying a foundation, that you shouldn’t even consider taking on by yourself. I recommend doing a one stop shop for a web site, web presence. Of course you can hire one person to do your web page and another to maximize it for you but you’ll end up paying twice for some things and you’ll miss out on some healthy discounts given by a one stop shop. To succeed in today’s market at the very least you need a web site that has first page presence on the major search engines for your top two identifying words. Translation? If you are the premiere real estate agent in Tampa, Florida specializing in town homes, when I Google Tampa town homes, your website should be listed on the very first page. If it isn’t you’re loosing business. The cost of getting first page presence on the major search engines will pay for itself quickly; it’s an investment you can’t afford not to make. In order to have and maintain your first page presence you need ongoing content to hammer the web and search engines with all of the key words associated with your business, so that anytime someone does a search of anything related to your business they are directed to your website. An easy and efficient way to continually barrage the World Wide Web with your key words is to blog. Every time you blog and use the words town home, and Tampa its as though a ticker is keeping count and moving your website further up on the food chain. There are hundreds of ways of utilizing the world of the web to create the business success you strive for, but getting a top notch website and maintaining a blog are without a doubt the all important first two steps everyone should make if they plan to succeed in today’s real estate market.
Outsourcing by Shannon Penrod and Sandra Beck
We all outsource work on a regular basis and we have for years. When you take all of your tax papers over to your accountant so she can prepare your taxes, you are outsourcing. You could have done it yourself, but at what cost? You made a decision to pay a professional to do it properly. It was a smart choice. Outsourcing is such a smart choice that millions of companies around the world have decided to outsource huge chunks of their companies to the far corners of the earth. Some of these companies have outsourced smart, some not so smart.
The first rule of outsourcing is that is has to be cost effective, which is not the same thing as cheap. I could take all of my tax papers to the 14 year old girl who lives across the street; because she is smart she could probably figure out how to submit my taxes. I am quite sure she wouldn’t charge what my CPA charges – but would she be cost effective? NO! Clearly the money I saved in paying her reduced wage would be lost in paying fines or just not receiving the maximum deduction because as 14 year old she isn’t an expert. Some companies have confused cost effective for cheap.
I spent 4 hours on the phone with GMAC the other day because I couldn’t find a single person who understood what I was saying. Please don’t misunderstand me – everyone on the phone spoke better English than I can speak any other language, and I respect all of them for their ability to learn a second and a third language, but the fact is their command of the language was not good enough to conduct business in English. It was a tremendous waste of my time; but a great example of bad outsourcing! I know GMAC thinks it is saving money but what could have been handled in 2 minutes took 4 hours! Too bad GMAC doesn’t outsource to American Moms who have made the decision to be home with their little ones. Imagine what great publicity that would be for them. Not to mention how cost effective it would be.
This among other reasons was why I started Motherhood Incorporated (www.motherhoodincorporated.com.) The business culture demands in many instances someone in command of the english language and someone who understand the culture. Recently a client came to my company because he hired a person on www.elance.com to write 100 blogs about speakers for his public speaking website. The person wrote 100 blogs including items about stereos, cd players and other items that used “speakers.”
Was the virtual who did the work wrong or was the person who hired him not clear in his request for articles about speakers. Electronic components vs. public speaking 100 posted blogs later, the man had to create a new blog because he was so firmly entrenched in the electronics market. Sometimes it doesn’t matter the English or the cultural component. Sometimes it means the life or death of your online business venture.
Outsourcing is a great business tool when done correctly. Just make sure you think about these things and the difference between cheap and cost effective!
Deed Restrictions and Other Limitations by Sandra Beck
by sandra beck
An easement is one type of restriction that allows for someone else to legally use your land for a specific purpose. These often pertain to maintaining roads, sewage lines, electrical lines or other private utilities; however, if the government wants to run a gas-transmission pipeline through your yard, then they reserve the right to.
Another type of deed restriction is a restrictive covenant, which usually applies to a group of homes or lots within developments. These types of restrictions are enforced in order to maintain the highest home value possible, by restricting certain projects and keeping the homes looking uniform.
The Architect Fee by Sandra Beck
In the absences of such contracts, unexpected mistakes and misunderstandings can occur, costing both extra time and money. California law has required architects to write up specific agreements since 1996, for just this reason. It is often easiest to use the standard form, provided by the American Institute of Architects, or the abbreviated standard form.
An architect’s fee is not of one standard, and will vary from project to project. Architects will usually charge according to a time-based fee, a fixed fee, or by percentage of construction cost fee (the overall construction cost multiplied by an agreed-upon percentage). This is one of the main reasons it is extremely important to make sure you and your architect make the contract very clear, and avoid any money discrepancies. Go over the contract together carefully and make sure that all terms and agreements are of a mutual and specific understanding.
Blog It Does a Company Good by Sandra Beck
One of the questions we are frequently asked, is that doesn’t blogging open up a can of worms? Many companies fear the reports from the outside. If you are truly intersted in communicating with your clients, potential clients and the public, blogging is a great way to gather opinions, get new ideas and give your public a chance to respond.
One of the features allowed on most blogs is the option to moderate or check comments before they are posted. This allows you to weed out offensive, slanderour or just rude comments. Allowing people to know that as a company that you are interested in them and interested in making a better product can have outstanding results.
Even having a company specific blog that is only viewable to employees can be a great way to improve on your internal customer service.
So our advice to you? Blog! It does a company good!
Selecting a Contractor by Sandra Beck
by sandra beck
When selecting a contractor for your design project, it is important to make sure you select one that is experienced and has worked successfully on projects like yours before. Your architect can often help you on selecting a quality contractor, and will often provide a list that he/she has worked with previously. Also, your architect can help you to decide weather it would be better for you to solicit competitive bids from multiple contractors, or come to a negotiation with just one contractor for your project.
Your architect will act as your representative, and administer the contract for construction between you and the contractor. He/she will also go over the drawings and specification, and oversee the construction process to ensure that everything is built to their requirements. For this reason, it is also very important to make sure you hire a quality, trustworthy architect, because this will be the person that basically supervises your project.
This article is for information purposes only and not intended to take the place of a professional and provided by
Items to Include in an Architectural Contract By Sandra Beck
by Sandra Beck
When deciding upon a written agreement with your architect, it is required by state law to have a minimum of a few crucial items. It is, however, also important to have a few other agreements to keep terms crystal clear.
The items required by law are: the name and address of the architect; the name and address of the client; the business form of the architect’s practice (limited liability partnership, sole proprietorship, or corporation); a description of the services to be provided by the architect to the client; a description of the payment agreed upon by both parties; a description of any services to be utilized outside of the architect (ie: a contractor); and a description of the procedure either party can perform to terminate the contract.
The items that are strongly suggested to be put into the contract are: the address and location of the project; a description of the project (including any special requirements); a description of the architects services and fees; an estimated construction budget; contingencies for the architect raising any fees from result in a change in the project; a definition of expenses that will be reimbursed; a list of other project consultants; any retainer fees and how they will be applied to the overall fee; when fees are due and in what amount; a statement of who will be holding the project account records and when they will be reviewed; a statement of weather the architect continually looks over the project as part of his/her services; a statement of who owns the project documents; a procedure in which disputes will be handled; and how the final payment will be resolved if the project is terminated before completion. All these items should be included in your contract to make sure your project will go as smoothly as possible.
This article is for information purposes only and not intended to take the place of a professional and provided by www.realestateweblibrary.com.
The Contractors Role by Sandra Beck
by sandra beck
A general contractor is required in most custom-home construction, in some way, shape, or form. Contractors perform a different number of duties, from painting to roofing. In some instances, a sub-contractor must be hired in order to complete jobs such as plumbing, heating/air-conditioning, or electrical work.
Contractors calculate their fees in many different ways, most similar to those of an architect. Depending on different factors, a project markup can range anywhere from 10 to 20 percent. Two major factors that affect project cost are the size of the contracting company, and the type of project. Your contractor should be chosen with great amount of care, because this is the way of means your project will come to life.
Your architect may have some suggestions when it comes to picking a contractor right for the job. Also, ask around for a quality contractor. This will often yield the best results, because this will give you a long term look at how your project will most likely hold up. You can also opt to be your own contractor, however, because contractors and architects work under separate contracts, this will make matters more confusing and possibly more difficult.
This article provided by Real Estate Web Library
Coordination with Other Design Professionals by Sandra Beck
by Sandra Beck
To ensure that a project goes along smoothly, all work and information need to be coordinated with the different specialty consultants a project might call for. This is usually an architect that overlooks the services of a professional engineer for electrical, mechanical, and structural systems; landscape architects and horticulturalists; civil engineers; and interior designers or decorators.
When an architect looks over these other types of professional services, they make sure that the special requirements for your project go according to plan. If there is a lack of communication or coordination with other professionals working on the same project, someone might inadvertently go against the blueprint in a minor or major way. Therefore, it is important to make sure that any one hired to work on your project is exactly clear on what it is you want, and who is going to be doing what.
This article is provided by www.realestateweblibrary.com
Should You Hire and Architect by Sandra Beck
Should You Hire an Architect?
The circumstances in which call for the expertise of an Architect vary from situation to situation. Some states, such as California, allow people with out an architect license to design single-family homes of wood frame construction, that are at a maximum of two stories high and one basement deep.
However, some situations do call for an architect. For instance, an architect must govern the location where you plan to build, and may require that the plans for your project be submitted by someone licensed.
Other than situations such as these, an architect is not required. This does not mean that you would not be better off if you were to hire an architect; they often make a building project easier, and open up many more possibilities and perspective options. Also they can prevent crucial mistakes that would end up being very costly. Simply ask yourself what the project calls for, how extensive it is, and how much personal work you will be willing to do, and if it is worth it.
This article is provided by www.realestateweblibrary.com
