Maureen Mengel Blog

How can agents, tech companies and brokerages all move Faster, Better, Together? Learn how this July at Inman Connect San Francisco .  Buy your ticket here , and remember that Select members get a $100 discount . Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy those tickets together too. Just contact us to find out more. When you’ve built the best real estate team in the nation and then turn it into a full-fledged brokerage, it’s safe to say you’ve probably learned a lot — including what mistakes can sink your team’s chances of survival. “The first mistake is not having any direction or training,” says Creig Northrop , who actually did build the best team in the nation and then launched Northrop Realty in February. “There are a lot of teams by name, but a team cannot be a name. It has to be a culture; there has to be a growing structure involved and a foundation underneath it.” He’ll be talking about the biggest mistakes that new team le

We’re focusing on how agents and brokerages can all move Faster, Better, Together this July at Inman Connect San Francisco . Not got your ticket yet? Buy it here , and remember that Select members also get an extra $100 discount . Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy those tickets together too. Just contact us to find out more. What’s “disinformation”? It’s a misleading narrative that’s usually distributed (where else?) on the internet. “Sometimes disinformation is a hoax just randomly happy to spread, and sometimes it’s coordinated manipulation,” explains Renée DiResta , a disinformation expert who works with corporate clients concerned about brand integrity. That could mean a company concerned with where its ads are appearing on YouTube, or it could mean a company that’s being targeted by internet trolls that are piling onto an already-bad situation. She’ll be talking about how to manage your own brand integrity in the face o

Watch Byron Lazine and Nicole White give a real estate agent’s perspective on industry-related topics. This week, they’ll parse out Teke Wiggin’s “I toured an Opendoor home for sale, and its frictionless tech was a game-changer.” The Real Word: The frictionless future of Opendoor homes curated from Inman

Writing a love letter to a seller isn’t illegal, but if we discourage buyers from writing them, we might help promote fair housing. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act, and as such, we need to take a good hard look at the practice of using buyer “love” letters to win a home. Do buyer ‘love’ letters risk violating fair housing? curated from Inman

The National Association of Realtors (NAR)  Pending Home Sales Index  (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator that tracks home sales in which a contract is signed, but the sale has not yet closed, decreased 1.3 percent in the month of April to 106.4, down from an upwardly revised 107.8 in March. NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said continued inventory shortages are to blame for declining pending home and existing home sales. “Pending sales slipped in April and continued to stay within the same narrow range with little signs of breaking out,” he said in a statement. “Feedback from Realtors, as well as the underlying sales data, reveal that the demand for buying a home is very robust.” “Listings are typically going under contract in under a month, and instances of multiple offers are increasingly common and pushing prices higher,” Yun added. “The unfortunate reality for many homeshoppers is that reaching the market will remain challenging if supply stays at these dire levels.” April’

We’re focusing on how agents and brokerages can all move Faster, Better, Together this July at Inman Connect San Francisco . Not got your ticket yet? Buy it here , and remember that Select members also get an extra $100 discount . Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy those tickets together too. Just contact us to find out more. With only 6 weeks left to go, today is your last chance to save $300 on your Inman Connect San Francisco ticket, sure to be the real estate event of the year coming this July. This is a unique moment in real estate industry history, and never has it been more important to understand what it means and how to take advantage of these lasting and confusing changes.  ICSF18 is where the industry comes to learn about, embrace and leverage the change that surrounds real estate. And we want you to be there! Choose from hundreds of sessions across multiple tracks over 4 amazing days:                   Rea

THE real estate industry, in more ways than one, has gained more solid footing than it has in the last few years. Pampanga and Central Luzon's economy has grown robust and continues to progress as different property types are being developed, catering to varying markets from low-end to high-end. Taking the lead in the real estate industry curated from Real Estate News

Nearly 6.9 million homes are at risk of hurricane and storm damage in 2018, according to a new study by analytics provider CoreLogic. Article image credited to Photo Credit Kris Grogan. Hurricane season could cause $1.6 trillion in property damage curated from Inman

Agents have to be smart when communicating with clients, and smart communication begins with keeping your ears highly tuned to your clients' needs and expectations Like many of us, if I had a dollar for every time I engaged my mouth before consulting my brain, I would be a very rich woman! When reflecting on conversations past, there are plenty of things I wish I could take back. Hold your tongue! 5 things real estate agents should never say to clients curated from Real Estate News

In recent years, the undeniable buzz around teams has intensified. For agents, starting a team represents an opportunity to work with and mentor others, to be more efficient, to scale up your business (and potentially make it saleable) and to make more money. Why agent teams and brokerages should be more than frenemies curated from Inman

Even though we’re very thankful to not have reported a serious act of violence against an agent in recent months, the industry shouldn’t rest on this issue — it has to be a component of the job 24/7. Here are six safety apps every agent should consider. 6 safety apps all agents should have at the ready curated from Inman

Like many of us, if I had a dollar for every time I engaged my mouth before consulting my brain, I would be a very rich woman! When reflecting on conversations past, there are plenty of things I wish I could take back. Hold your tongue! 5 things real estate agents should never say to clients curated from Inman

As interest in clean energy grows, a wave of new companies are rushing to bring energy-generating glass roofs to the U.S. Hanergy, a Chinese company that specializes in clean energy, has released the Hantile, a series of glass-topped solar roofing tiles developed to generate electricity for the house. As first reported by Builder , the tiles, which are made from photovoltaics and high-transmittance glass and weigh 11 1/2 pounds each, are set to launch in the U.S. in the second half of 2018. Hanergy, which is reportedly opening a California office where it will sell the tiles, did not release details on the cost of the glass roofs, or when they’d be available to purchase. The news come as companies rush to capitalize on a renewed interest in clean energy and alternative methods of heating. In 2016, Elon Musk’s Tesla Company announced it would launch  the Tesla Solar Roof , which also generates electricity through roofing shingles. It’s still unclear whether the Hantile will prove

Minnesota-based agent, Kris Lindahl, until recently the leader of Re/Max Results’ top Kris Lindahl Team has left and set up his own brokerage in the Twin Cities, Minnesota: Kris Lindahl Real Estate. Kris Lindahl leaves Re/Max to launch indie brokerage in the Twin Cities curated from Inman

Owners of a Reno, Nevada, housing complex and a local real estate agency are being ordered to pay a prospective tenant $6,000 after they reportedly denied her request for a service animal, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development . Start the conversation, or Read more at Inman. Nevada woman awarded $6K after being denied service animal curated from Real Estate News

Which markets are expected to see a sizable uptick in seller and buyer activity during Q2 2018? According to Attom Data Solutions’s latest Pre-Mover Housing Index, Nevada (200), Delaware (163), Florida (159), Colorado (154) and Virginia (149). Where are homeowners moving the most? curated from Inman

Owners.com, a tech-forward brokerage, pulled images that featured the likeness of HGTV-star and celebrity home renovator Scott McGillivray off its Zillow advertisements on Friday. Owners.com pulls incorrect ads from Zillow that featured HGTV real estate star curated from Inman

Amazon is heading into the home stretch of its search for the city that will lay claim to the company’s second headquarters, or HQ2. Amazon has said it’s looking for a city with mass transit options, an international airport nearby, an existing labor force and a strong community and quality of life for future employees. If quality of life ends up as a deciding factor, ATTOM Data Solutions has some predictions. The property database ranked Amazon’s 19 finalist cities by housing market health and quality of life in its May 2018 Housing News Report : Amazon HQ2 finalists ranked by quality of life and housing market. Credit: ATTOM Data Solutions Raleigh, North Carolina came in first on the list, followed by Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Austin, Denver and Los Angeles. Northern Virginia, Zillow analysts’ pick for a likely choice , came in 13th, and Newark, New York and Boston came in dead last. ATTOM Data Solutions ranked these 19 cities based on crime rates, environmental hazar

Skyler360 is a conversation platform for real estate agents to better engage prospective buyers and sellers, and it’s getting faster, smarter and better. Updates include a new and easier way to train its virtual assistant and native Facebook Messenger integration. Sykler360 is now easier to train, smarter and more responsive curated from Inman

The share of homeowners underwater on their mortgage dipped below 10 percent for the first time since the 2008 economic crash, a new report from Zillow finds. Precipitously rising home values are helping those that hung on through the crash regain equity.  Zillow: fewer than 10% of homeowners are underwater on their mortgage curated from Inman

How can agents, tech companies and brokerages all move Faster, Better, Together? Learn how this July at Inman Connect San Francisco .  Buy your ticket here , and remember that Select members get a $100 discount. Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy those tickets together too. Just contact us to find out more. Sure, you’re making money hand-over-fist as an agent right now — but what’s your long-term plan for building wealth? Whitney Nicely , an expert property investor and real estate coach in East Tennessee, has some ideas for you. “I focus on monthly investments,” Nicely explains. “I don’t do regular listings — I make way more money investing.” Intrigued? Nicely will be sharing her secrets at Inman Connect San Francisco , July 17 through 20 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, in a session about investing strategies for agents.  Nicely uses lease options and owner financing to create her real estate portfolio. “I teach

How can agents, tech companies and brokerages all move Faster, Better, Together? Learn how this July at Inman Connect San Francisco .  Buy your ticket here , and remember that Select members get a $100 discount. Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy those tickets together too. Just contact us to find out more. “There is still a significant portion of the industry on the broker side that’s resistant to real estate teams,” says Chris Pollinger of Berman and Pollinger. “They don’t know how to make teams work in their brokerage model; they’ve seen bad things happen with teams because they just don’t have a paradigm to place them into the brokerage space.” So what should a broker’s attitude be about teams — and how do you incorporate them into your business in a way that makes sense? Pollinger will be on a panel of experts to talk about the team-broker relationship at Inman Connect San Francisco , July 17 through 20 at the Hilton Sa

A court-appointed official reviewing materials seized in FBI raids on attorney Michael Cohen's home and office said Tuesday that prosecutors were likely to get their first look at over a million pieces of data from three of Cohen's phones on Wednesday, but over 250 attorney-client privilege claims will block access to other materials. Special Master Barbara Jones made the revelations in a report to U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood that made it seem like a process set up to disqualify criminal prosecutors from seeing any materials subject to the privilege was proceeding on schedule. Official says Cohen prosecutors will get phone contents soon curated from Real Estate News

Whether you’re writing a description for a new property that’s entering the market, a sales contract for your customers or even a report for your boss, writing and publishing content is one of the best ways to communicate in real estate, and your carefully chosen words and photos can be used to educate, inspire and promote. 10+ tools that will make your writing more profesh curated from Inman

It’s no secret that people show their approval of others and conform their actions in the form of feedback, likes, reviews, becoming followers and even joining in other people’s causes. When it comes to showcasing your brand, taking advantage of this phenomenon, known as social proof, is a no-brainer. How to use social proof to snatch more clients curated from Inman

On the go and no time to finish that story right now? Your News is the place for you to save content to read later from any device. Register with us and content you save will appear here so you can access them to read later. Barrister wants justice for prosecuted real estate agents after meth 'hysteria' debunked curated from Real Estate News

May 29, 2018--Public Storage announced today that the Company will make a presentation at NAREIT REITweek 2018 in New York at the New York Hilton Midtown in the Sutton Center on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. . The presentation will be webcast and will be available on Public Storage's website at PublicStorage.com at "Company Info, Investor Relations, News and Events, Events Calendar" on the day of the conference. Public Storage Presentation at NAREIT REITweek 2018 to be Webcast curated from Real Estate News

“Do you know how many people didn’t think that we’d be where we are today?” said Compass Founder and CEO Robert Reffkin at a recent all-agent meeting in Washington, D.C. “Just go to Google News, and type in Compass, and you will see five years of people saying you’re gonna fail, you’re gonna go bankrupt, investors are gonna walk, and agents are gonna leave.” “Five years of negativity, but guess how much time I spent thinking about it,” Reffkin added as he held up the number zero. Reffkin, along with COO Maelle Gavet, director of finance Sam Lynch and NYC-based Compass agent Leonard Steinberg, all shared the secret to Compass’s explosive growth over the past five years, which has included a $2.2 billion valuation in December 2017 , a $450 million dollar investment from SoftBank Vision Fund  and a hiring spree that has included talent from Spotify and Eventbrite . The Compass CEO boiled down the company’s success down to eight tenets that every entrepreneur should follow: 1. Drea

How can agents, tech companies and brokerages all move Faster, Better, Together? Learn how this July at Inman Connect San Francisco .  Buy your ticket here , and remember that Select members get a $100 discount. Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy those tickets together too. Just contact us to find out more. If you haven’t heard of virtual brokerage eXp Realty , then you’ve probably been living under a rock for most of 2018: The company’s parent company, eXp World Holdings, started publicly trading this year and crossed $1 billion in market share on its first day on NASDAQ . REGISTER NOW EXp Realty COO Mary Frances Coleman has clearly built up a workforce to be reckoned with, even in this day and age of employee restlessness as the employment rate continues to rise and the next big opportunity is just around the corner — for workers with all titles, at all levels of experience. She’ll be talking about how to manage a restless

How can agents, tech companies and brokerages all move Faster, Better, Together? Learn how this July at Inman Connect San Francisco .  Buy your ticket here , and remember that Select members get a $100 discount. Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy those tickets together too. Just contact us to find out more. Most real estate agents who develop enough of a market presence to start leading a team are excellent at selling real estate and generating leads — but they might have zero experience running a business, hiring and firing people, and generally operating as a CEO instead of as a sales facilitator. REGISTER NOW So when something happens that derails the success of a seemingly streamlined team, it can blindside the leader. “When something implodes on a team, they don’t know the proper job structure,” explains Jennifer Berman of Berman and Pollinger. “Is Suzie doing what she’s supposed to be doing, or is she overlapping with

PLG Estates’ brokerage owner Peter Lorimer and his wife and co-founder, Cindy, put a lot of effort into their three Los Angeles offices since starting up in 2010, but they were always getting asked by agents when they were going to open in other popular area neighborhoods such as Manhattan Beach, Pasadena or Playa Vista. How a luxury brokerage is using WeWork to expand across LA curated from Inman

Attorneys for Daniel Rochat will attempt to seek a new trial by having a judge dismiss DNA evidence from the case. Attorneys for murder convict to dispute DNA evidence Attorneys for Daniel Rochat will attempt to seek a new trial by having a judge dismiss DNA evidence from the case. Attorneys for murder convict to dispute DNA evidence curated from Real Estate News

Another Redlands native will leave a mark on "The Price Is Right" this Friday when Valerie Alland-Gonzalez tests her luck on the popular CBS game show. Alland-Gonzalez and a group of friends from Monrongo Casino Resort and Spa, where she works when not selling real estate in Redlands, traveled to CBS Studios in Los Angeles to attend a taping of the Show on Sept. Redlands real estate agent to appear on - The Price is Right' curated from Real Estate News

Fifth Wall Ventures, a venture capital firm that frequently puts money toward real estate tech, is raising even more funds toward new startups. Fifth Wall Ventures Retail Fund, a new investment fund, has already raised $60 million from two unidentified investors in an offering valued at $200 million, according to an SEC filing issued May 8, first reported by The Real Deal . Fifth Wall co-founder Brendan Wallace spoke about the investment strategy during the International Council of Shopping Centers ReCon Convention in Las Vegas last week, according to the publication. A spokesperson failed to respond to several emails from Inman seeking information about the new fund. The firm, which has previously raised over $212 million from real estate behemoths including the homebuilder Lennar and Prologis, has already invested in startups like the iBuyer Opendoor , and Notarize, a real estate startup working toward digitalizing home closings , a process now largely handled by title and len

Federated Investors Inc. PA cut its holdings in shares of Washington Real Estate Investment Trust by 30.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 438,983 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 192,520 shares during the quarter. Federated Investors Inc. PA Trims Holdings in Washington Real Estate Investment Trust curated from Real Estate News

Two recent investments show real estate conglomerate Realogy putting its resources behind tech startups building tools for real estate agents. Article image credited to Realogy Realogy shifts investment strategy toward real estate technology curated from Inman

Home prices increased for the 71st straight month, according to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price NSA Index. Experts believe prices will continue to rise until the market sees an increase in inventory or the economy slows. Case-Shiller: home prices will go up till economy slows or inventory increases curated from Inman

A former Christchurch real estate agent has pleaded guilty to 12 charges under the Insolvency Act, including managing a business while bankrupt, concealing property and obtaining credit without the consent of the Official Assignee. Mr Chairat Santipongchai, who changed his name via deed poll to Henry Harrison, was declared bankrupt in August 2013 owing creditors more than $750,000. Bankrupt real estate agent caught in dishonest dealings curated from Real Estate News

Just one sale transacted with a high-net-worth (HNW) or ultra-high-net-worth client (UHNW) can equate to dozens of smaller deals, which is why most real estate agents dream of working with these individuals — but doing so is no small feat, and managing relationships with these clients is no easy task. 5 attributes every high-net-worth client wants in a real estate agent curated from Inman

All buyers want that perfectly-located, magazine-worthy dream home. Such properties quickly generate multiple offers in very short time, but only one of those offers succeeds — and you want that offer to come from your buyers. 5 tips for creating the strongest bid in a seller’s market curated from Inman

The basic underlying principles of blockchain and cryptocurrency payments are likely to inform the future of real estate in some fashion. And with more buyers and sellers expressing an interest in these technologies, it’s incumbent upon those in the real estate industry to have a good understanding of the fundamentals. The essential guide: blockchain, cryptocurrency and real estate curated from Inman

ProxyPics is an app for hiring local photographers to take “on-demand” pictures from anywhere, and users can order photos in any market, from any market. This app pays users to snap pics for the real estate industry curated from Inman

Inman Select was launched to provide real estate agents and brokers with a reliable, specific source for the news and information they need to thrive in the real estate industry. And it’s helped hundreds of real estate professionals identify areas for improvement , plan and execute change   and stay on top of rapid industry shifts as legal issues ,  technological advancements   and consumer sentiment   changes how business is done. We’re sharing the stories of real estate agents and brokers who read Inman Select and use it every day to improve their businesses. Here’s what they know that you might not. (Are you an Inman Select subscriber who’s interested in sharing how it supports your business? Email shawna@inman.com   for the opportunity to be featured in upcoming Select Sound Bites).        Keverne Denehan , the founder and CEO at KardZee , has been an Inman Select subscriber for almost a year. She’s used Inman Select to help shape her product for agents and broker

Perched atop the luxury real estate world in New York City, Nikki Field’s experience and expertise have earned her accolades, including a recent nod from the Wall Street Journal’s prestigious Real Estate Top 250 in 2017. Lesson learned: Be willing to pivot, and follow the money curated from Inman

Fisher Building City Club Apartments has a great walk-to-work, walk-to-campus Loop location at 343 S Dearborn. The historic Fisher Building's elaborate terra cotta exterior puts you on notice to expect out-of-the-ordinary apartments. The Loop's historic Fisher Building has beautifully-updated apartments curated from Real Estate News

Equities research analysts expect that CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. will report $206.55 million in sales for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research . Five analysts have issued estimates for CBL & Associates Properties' earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $212.97 million and the lowest estimate coming in at $199.43 million. $206.55 Million in Sales Expected for CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (CBL) This Quarter curated from Real Estate News

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, participates in a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Russia on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 14, 2016. A California congressman has lost the endorsement of a 1.3 million-member realtors group after saying it was acceptable for people to refuse to sell their homes to gay men and lesbians if "they don't agree with their lifestyle." Refusing to sell homes to gay people is OK, GOP congressman says. Realtors disagree. curated from Real Estate News

Homebuyers don’t just want smart homes — they expect them, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has also keyed in on this tech-loving trend, as evidenced by its recent meeting with three major tech giants. And it’s no surprise. How to sell a smart home: 3 talking points you don’t want to miss curated from Inman

I get more questions about social media than virtually any other topic. So today I want to share three social media strategies you must use. Download our Open House Mastery bundle , including a guide to hosting a mega open house, an all-new open house sign-in sheet, updated sign graphics, a proven script to use on the big day and more! Make your posts #stopworthy Think about your behavior when scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feeds. Are you stopping and looking at every post, or simply scanning until something catches your eye? Yeah, same here. We don’t have time to read every post. We’re looking for something out of the ordinary. Something that punches us in the face, something interesting, provocative, entertaining, something that creates emotion or begs us to engage with it, something stop-worthy! Hot Tip: Post after post of house pictures is not stopworthy. So, let’s look at what types of posts are stopworthy: Things that promote engagement. For example, yo