cvar connect

connecting you to what matters

Aug. 15 – CVAR At A Glance

1177

 Featured Classes and Events

 

Going Viral – Locally

The number of views your videos garner isn’t the only measure of whether they are successfully circulating online. If your videos spark a conversation among your intended audience — both online and offline — then they’re fulfilling their purpose. For example, Iowa REALTOR® Megan Hill Mitchum racked up more than 258,000 views for her parody of singer Adele’s “Hello.” READ MORE

Cropped Bidding War imageBrace Your Buyers for Bidding Wars

If you happen to get into a bidding war, which actually occurred in six out of 10 closed sales in Q2 2016, “you’d better be prepared to pay an additional $134,000 for your dream home,” writes Bin He, CoreLogic’s principal economist.
READ MORE

Consumers Love Online Home Search

IMG_4735Americans spend an average of 55 minutes per online visit with real estate apps on their phones, according to new research unveiled by Google. Basically, “customers roll over in the morning and start looking at real estate listings [on their phone],” John Thornton, a partner in Google’s real estate business, said about the study’s findings.

Sixty-nine percent of respondents Google surveyed call “shopping for real estate fun” from their phone and online. In fact, Americans are so addicted to home shopping online that 64 percent say they keep checking out houses and home values even after they purchase a home. The Google study also finds that people start hunting on real estate sites three years before they buy on average. Also, one in five of the people checking out homes on real estate apps and websites are actually in the current market to purchase a home, the study found.

Source: “Consumers Love Looking for Homes Online,” (REALTOR®Mag, August 2016)

For-Rent-clipart CROPPED9th Circuit Rules on Deducting Rental Loss

Real estate professionals must materially participate in their rental activities in order to deduct rental losses according to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which interpreted Internal Revenue Code § 469 in Gragg v. United States of America; Internal Revenue Service, No.14-16053, August 4, 2016.
READ MORE

In Case You Missed It…

POTM_rotatingbanner_AugustMonth of August – Open House Registry

Get 10% off open house registries at all of our CVAR stores for the month of August. CVAR HQ, 504 E. Rte 66, Glendora; CVAR West, 1170 Durfee Ave., Ste. A, South El Monte; and CVAR East, 8229 Rochester Ave., Ste. 120, Rancho Cucamonga.

IMG_4539Free Tool Kit to CVAR REALTOR® Members

Lobbying behind the scenes against laws that hurt the real estate industry and make home ownership less affordable for your clients are the REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) and REALTOR® Action Fund (RAF).

Citrus Valley Association of REALTORS® is encouraging members to find out more about the fight against upcoming legislation that could devastate the California real estate industry. Come into any of our three offices to find out how REALTOR® members can get a FREE CVAR tool kit through Aug. 15. READ MORE

CVAR West – Now Open Saturdays!

CVAR Now Open Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 pCVAR members now have two offices to choose from for their real estate needs on Saturdays. CVAR West, at 1170 Durfee Ave., Ste. A, in South El Monte, will be open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. each Saturday.
Previously, CVAR East, at 8229 Rochester Ave., Ste. 120, Rancho Cucamonga, had been the only place to shop at a REALTOR® store or get membership needs addressed on the weekend.
CVAR Headquarters, 540 E. Route 66, in Glendora will retain its Monday-Friday schedule.

 

instagram-logo-300x260New for REALTORS® on Instagram

The Stories feature will offer real estate pros more options when it comes to marketing themselves and their listings on Instagram, since users can share their content with specific groups of people. Whereas before, a photo of a new listing would be seen by all Instagram followers, now users can only target the people who live in a specific area, for example. READ MORE

Trecie Marts

Trecie Marts

Meet Trecie Marts, the “new Nate!”
Of course, Trecie is already making a name for herself since stepping into the position of Member Relationship Specialist, formerly held by our esteemed colleague Nate Osollo (now your zipForms expert at C.A.R.).
Trecie brings CVAR Assist direct to your office, a personalized service – kind of like your own concierge – that is exclusive to members of Citrus Valley Association.
“If items are needed – riders, open house signs, lock boxes, things of that nature – I can bring them out from the store, during an office visit,” explains Trecie. “If we don’t have it, we can order it for you! I can also sign you up for membership, talk to you about opportunities for educational and professional development, and the extraordinary networking opportunities we have at Citrus Valley that will help further your career.”
So if you’re looking for store items, an explanation of member benefits, or an overview of what’s available to you as a CVAR member, get the personal touch with a call to Trecie at CVAR Assist and let CVAR come to you!
To schedule an office visit or for any questions regarding this member benefit, please contact Trecie Marts by email at tmarts@cvar.net, or call her at (909) 993-2600.

Share To-Do List With Buyers!

To Do List CroppedCertain tasks on the home-buying to-do list often fall through the cracks. Oversights can lead to major money down the drain, battles with local government or the homeowners association, and other regret-filled dramas that could have been easily avoided—that is, had home buyers known where these issues were hiding a bit earlier. Share this with your buyers! READ MORE

Clients Want & Need Your content_web_R_blueExpertise

If you asked potential buyers if they want to be in charge, they would likely say yes. But it’s just not true. In reality, customers require our expertise and are grateful when they get it. When we view ourselves as facilitators to the process rather than leaders we hold back, delay delivering bad news, and avoid difficult conversations because we are afraid of coming across as too pushy or self-serving. While we may think we’re doing right by customers, we’re not doing anybody any favors.
READ MORE

IMG_4721Did You Just Say That to Your Client?

Sometimes, real estate agents’ tongues get ahead of their brains. Some client scenarios show how to approach with tact and diplomacy to keep your business relationship on track. For instance, Don’t say: “You have too much stuff that you need to dump.”
Do say:  “Homes that are staged properly sell faster and, most times, for a higher price.”
READ MORE

Video in Your Marketing Strategy

Creating video content.

Creating video content.

Determining what type of media to utilize when planning a content strategy for your REALTOR® web site is one of your first tasks. Some real estate professionals are still wrestling with questions like: Should I create a written piece or a video? The answer is simple: You should do both, but always start with video.
READ MORE