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Talking Technology at the LeadingRE Regional Workshop

0 Comments By Elizabeth Nunan on October 4th, 2010
Tags: , , , , ,      Categories: Houlihan Lawrence News, Relocation, social media

I recently had the privilege of being a speaker at the recent Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Fall Workshop in Providence, RI. The meeting attracted brokers, managers and relocation professionals from Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, a global network of 600 premier real estate firms.

In the session titled, “What You Need to Know About Technology for Sales Associates”, I shared insights on social media to help educate fellow LeadingRE members. Technology is changing the way we do business. It’s important for brokerages and agents to stay on top of what’s available to them to help increase their business and provide the kind of service today’s consumer expects and deserves.

The session was part of the larger meeting program, which addressed a variety of real estate topics on ways to best meet the needs of home buyers and sellers in today’s challending market.

IMG00740 20100914 1344 300x225 Talking Technology at the LeadingRE Regional Workshop

The opening session with LeadingRE

“Although the core principles relating to effective real estate services have not changed, other factors – such as market conditions, technology and communication preferences – are continuously evolving,” Pam O’Connor, president/CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® said.  “Our Fall Workshop series gives members the opportunity to share with other top real estate professionals the best strategies to create exceptional customer experiences and remain market leaders.”

The agenda also featured a preview of new LeadingRE programs that further support the professional development of member firms:  the network’s online learning platform, Institute 2.0, and “OUR WORLD”– an industry-first program that leverages social media for business results.

Houlihan Lawrence is the local representative of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, the largest network of 600 premier locally-branded firms producing $250 billion in annual home sales.  LeadingRE provides a broad range of brokerage services to its affiliates, including lead generation, branding support, luxury marketing, web exposure and technology systems, and state of the art learning and credentialing. We’re honored to be a part of such a distinguished organization.

House as Home or Asset Class?

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on August 26th, 2010
Tags: ,      Categories: Buying, Selling, Uncategorized

The New York Times recently ran a cover story headlined “Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Says”. The article states that amassing your nest egg based on the appreciation of your home may become a distant memory. 

Time will tell whether that prediction is accurate. What the article fails to mention is that prior to the real estate boom and double digit appreciation, a house was purchased to be a home, not an asset class. 

A home provided a safe haven for the family and a place where memories were created. Holidays and birthdays were celebrated in the home and terms such as yield, appreciation and return on investment were confined to stocks and bonds. 

The new reality is that homeownership may no longer be the ticket to easy money, but it remains the gateway to security and stability, the backdrop of family photographs, and the venue of your lifestyle. 

As a trusted real estate advisor to thousands Houlihan Lawrence provides transparent information and a network of experienced agents with insight that help homeowners and buyers ultimately make informed decisions. 

Ownership of a home represents different things to different people. Do you think of your house as an investment vehicle or a home for you and your family?

Making The Connection

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on June 8th, 2010
Tags: , ,      Categories: Buying, Westchester

A Manhattan real estate agent recently commented that she felt like she was selling commercial real estate, not residential, because her buyers were so dispassionate and detached in the purchase of their future home. 

Purchasing a home has long been about buyers making an emotional connection. The recent downturn has forced buyers to use their head rather than their heart when considering a new home. Crunching numbers has replaced “falling in love” and math trumps sentiment.  

home sweet home 150x150 Making The ConnectionAnecdotally we have seen some buyers making that important connection with a home and using both heart and head to make a decision. Such was the case with a recent home for sale in Westchester. The listing was aggressively priced and several builders loved the land, but they thought the house was a good “teardown” and could yield a decent profit.

The sellers, who have lived in their home for many decades, were adamant their charming home be sold to a family who would cherish it as much as they have. They rejected a builder’s as-is asking price offer.  

Two competing offers surfaced from families who wrote to the buyers, accompanied by family photos, pledging their love and affection for the home – and both gave over asking price offers. The family that ultimately purchased the home are thrilled, and acknowledge that the the attachment they made drove their heart as well as their head when it came to buying this home. 

Do you think that emotions should enter into residential real estate decisions?

Spending Time with the Best in Relocation

1 Comment By Elizabeth Nunan on May 25th, 2010
Tags: , , , , , , ,      Categories: Houlihan Lawrence News, Relocation

I just returned from attending the Spring RDC (Relocation Directors Council) meeting where 110 relocation directors from around the Country met at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort for two days. RDC is an exclusive organization whose members are selected for experience, industry involvement, and a commitment to client satisfaction with the highest degree of professionalism.

The theme of the meeting was the three NEW R’s: Re-bound, Re-build, Re-position. How apropos! The relocation industry endured the same crushing blows as the real estate industry over the last 2 years. Now it’s time to re-bound, re-build and re-position. As an aside, we at Houlihan Lawrence have seen a definite increase in our relocation business. Companies are feeling more confident in the economy and are once again investing in employee mobility.

The meeting consisted of two great panel discussions. The first was titled “New Relocation Business Models” and included highly regarded speakers from Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, SIRVA Relocation, and Home Depot. It was a lively discussion that covered everything from testing new appraisal policies to the very controversial move of some companies to refer directly to a sales associate rather than go through a relocation division. That last point caused quite a stir in the room.

DSC01305 300x193 Spending Time with the Best in Relocation

L to R: John D'Ambrogio - Baird & Warner, Pam O'Connor - Leading RE, Tracey Gatlin - SIRVA, Jan Ferguson LeQuier - Home Depot

The second panel was titled “REO’s and Their Effect on the Market”. There was a lot of great information shared about the effects of REO’s on relocation sales as well as in-depth talk about short sales in the relocation process. Sounds like a yawner, but we’re seeing this in many markets around the Country.

Our group was also treated to a quick hello from Peggy Smith, formerly of Microsoft and now CEO of Worldwide ERC®, as well as a presentation by Chris Collie, former CEO of Worldwide ERC®. It is a real treat to know how highly regarded RDC is by the team at WERC. They’ve supported our organization for years and promised to continue.

Even with all the great speakers and information shared, I still find the networking to be most beneficial. An RDC meeting allows me to be face to face with my counterparts from around the Country that share information, and most importantly referrals, throughout the year. I love the opportunity to meet in person and say thank you to all the relocation directors that entrust us with their valuable client referrals, and thank them for handling our client referrals with such care and attention to detail. Members of RDC are simply the best of the best and I’m honored to be a member for over 10 years.

Houlihan Lawrence Open House Event

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on May 14th, 2010
Tags: , , ,      Categories: Houlihan Lawrence News

Mark your calendars. This Sunday, May 16th is the Houlihan Lawrence Spring Open House Event in New York’s Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties.

Over 470 homes for sale in Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam counties will open their doors to buyers. With this many Open Houses, you’ll need to plan ahead, so here is the full list of all of Houlihan Lawrence’s Open Houses in our Spring Open House Event.

Out and About in Armonk

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on April 30th, 2010
Tags: , , , ,      Categories: Market Area, Out and About, Town Guides, Westchester

The Gateway to the Country

Armonk is first northern Westchester suburb that has a genuine country feeling.  Its armonk gazebo Out and About in Armonkrolling hills and sweeping vistas suggest a bucolic retreat from the hustle and bustle. Homes are sited on large parcels of land that give their owners privacy and solitude.  Yet 15 minutes from Armonk is the hub of White Plains and shopping at The Westchester. To the north and a 10 minute drive is Mt. Kisco, with shopping and restaurants. Express trains from the North White Plains Metro-North station take you to Grand Central Station, total commute time is less than an hour.

Armonk also has a thriving corporate population, namely IBM’s 25 acre corporate headquarters, and SwissRe US headquarters. Employees keep local retailers busy and most importantly, Armonk’s substantial corporate tax base keeps residential property taxes lower than other towns in Westchester.

Shopping

Main Street in Armonk is home to Hickory and Tweed, a venerable name that has for decades properly clothed residents for outdoor pursuits. Francophile shoppers love to browse at La Dentelliere which offers European linens, housewares and accessories while Table D’Hote has an eclectic selection of tabletop and glassware from around the world.

Restaurants

Armonk’s restaurant scene includes Kira Sushi and Made in Asia for Japanese, David Chen for Chinese and Gavi, Opus 465 and Marc Charles Steakhouse for meat eaters.

Recreation

Armonk is located in the town of North Castle, which has strong recreation department and offers a variety of activities for residents of every age. The Armonk Outdoor Art Show in October is a well-attended annual event that is sponsored by the Friends of North Castle Public Library.

Armonk Real Estate

Learn more in our Armonk Town Guide or review the latest Armonk Real Estate Market Report.

The Ageless Profession

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on April 5th, 2010
Tags: ,      Categories: Uncategorized

Justice John Paul Stevens is thinking of retiring from the Supreme Court as he approaches his 90th birthday. What a gift to be wanted and needed professionally for so long and have the luxury to set your exit strategy on your own watch.

It got me thinking that real estate is also a place that admires and respects the elders of the profession. A “seasoned” agent is not forced out, and replaced with a younger model, as often happens in corporate America. In fact, agents who have been in the business for 30, 40 even 50 years in many ways have an advantage over their younger counterparts because their seniority and mastery is revered, not rejected, by their clients.

Their accumulation of  knowledge is an asset in a profession that rewards hard work, integrity and competency at any age.

Houlihan Lawrence Gets Social

0 Comments By Elizabeth Nunan on March 25th, 2010
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,      Categories: Buying, Dutchess, Houlihan Lawrence News, Putnam, Relocation, Selling, Westchester

Everywhere you go these days, you hear about Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and all sorts of other social media. Of the many social networking websites, these seem to be the most popular, at least for now. They have become important business tools for real estate firms and professionals and Houlihan Lawrence was an early adopter.

Houlihan Lawrence started using social media in early 2009. We created a company blog, a Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter account and an agent blog site . Additionally, our home tours are on YouTube. It seems like every day we’re finding ways to use social media as well as new places to post real estate news and real estate market statistics.

Real estate has always been a relationship business and social networking is a perfect way to extend and enhance those relationships. Social networking is now a part of our comprehensive marketing strategy, “Reaching every buyer, everywhere”.

One could almost get entirely lost in the social media bubble but let’s not forget the most important part of social media – being social. It’s great to make connections online, but it’s even better to meet someone IRL – In Real Life.

Until we meet, feel free to follow us on twitter and friend us on facebook. You’ll get up to date market statistics, great area information and tips about buying and selling your home. If there is specific information we can help you with just send us a tweet or pose a question on our facebook page.

Sharing the Secrets to Success

1 Comment By Elizabeth Nunan on March 18th, 2010
Tags: , , , , , ,      Categories: Dutchess, Events, Houlihan Lawrence News, Putnam, Relocation, Westchester

Leading the Revolution

Fresh from attending the annual Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Conference in Las Vegas, I feel a renewed sense of excitement and purpose. This was by far the most content rich conference I’ve attended in several years. I went out early to attend the pre-conference MarTech symposium. The sessions were chock full of great information on social media, the latest technologies and real life examples of innovative real estate brokerages like Long Realty of Tucson, AZ. Next up was the main conference ‘Leading the Revolution’. Three impressive speakers kicked off the event: David Stevens, FHA Commissioner, Ron Peltier, Chairman and CEO of Home Services of America, and Guy Kawasaki, a venture capitalist formerly of Apple computer fame. One word sums it up – WOW! The conference continued with outside speakers and members sharing their secrets to success. I participated in a panel  on agent blogging along with Peter Rabitz of Wetag Consulting in Locarno, Switzerland and Sherrie Porter of EWM Realtors in Southern Florida.

Awards Ceremony Winners

The conference ended with two upbeat awards ceremonies. Houlihan Lawrence received the Million Dollar Club Award, having the most closed outgoing referrals with a sales price of $1 million and higher in the entire global network.  We also were rewarded for the Top Propopoly agent blog site. Several of our agent bloggers had success stories from their blogging efforts on Westchester real estate topics in 2009. That’s what clinched the award for us.

Conference2010 639 300x198 Sharing the Secrets to Success

Liz Nunan, Pam O'Connor, Chris Meyers

Finally, we had a special treat of seeing the Beatles LOVE Show by Cirque du Soliel. Since 2009 was such a challenging year for the real estate industry, it was motivating to see that innovation and entrepreneurship did not wane. All in all it was a fabulous week of top-notch educational sessions, networking with great real estate industry friends, and lots of fun. I can’t wait to implement the many new things I learned!

Curb Your Enthusiasm

0 Comments By Gay Prizio on March 16th, 2010
Tags: , , ,      Categories: Uncategorized

One of our favorite blogs, Curbed, has expanded into different business verticals, including food, shopping, and travel. Learn how Curbed founder Lockhart Steele turned his passion into a successful business venture.

http://www.businessinsider.com/business-news/mar-12-curbed-2010-3

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