S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

Knowing the client is one of the major keys. This takes time and preparation. Finding out what is important to the client, and not you, is critical. By approaching the client in this manner a rapport and a relationship is established. This relationship involves establishing an orderly way to address the client’s needs and solving the “problem” the client is experiencing. In order to achieve the relationship one must delve into the client’s past, their current state of affairs and what they expect in the future. This allows you to understand the entire picture of the client’s circumstances. Understanding the total set of circumstances surrounding the client provides us with the information we can draw upon to formulate, create, and design a feasible transaction.

In one way or another, we have encountered and/or studied something about counseling. We have then been told how important, in fact crucial, counseling is to a successful real estate practice. But alas, the most important ingredient to effective counseling is often glossed over, underrated or just plain forgotten - LISTENING. But what has THAT got to do with counseling?! [...]

We have heard it ringing in our ears ever since we were old enough to attend school — knowledge is power. One of the great challenges for us is to learn to efficiently leverage that knowledge. I prefer to take the concept even one step further. Power is created by the successful application of knowledge, [...]

There is no getting around it. Generally broker-owned presentations are tough to moderate and listen to at best. Let’s examine the reasons for this so that broker-owned presenters are allowed to be the best they can possibly be.
One of the basic principles of real estate counseling is to be objective. Whether the client realizes it [...]

How many times has it been said, “think outside the box?” How can one think outside the box, if they do not know and understand what is inside the box? The workings inside the box, knowing what and how the elements inside the box operate, are the foundation for thinking outside the box! Artists, architects, [...]

The Education Foundation (EDF) of the Society of Exchange Counselors has been in existence for over three years. In that time, the Foundation has made valiant attempts to fulfill its Mission Statement: “The Mission of the S.E.C. Education Foundation is to encourage, sponsor and promote education programs in creative real estate.” The Foundation has met [...]

We have just past through the rush of gift giving and receiving. It was fun, hectic, frenetic and pleasurable. But for the most part, it is a fleeting experience. Now, how would you like to give a gift that was inexpensive and would be greatly appreciated? A gift that might change a life and could [...]

This Article is Part of a Series » What is in our Name» This is the last in the series of WHAT’S IN A NAME? More specifically, WHAT IS IN OUR NAME- Society of Exchange Counselors. This article focuses on the last word in our name, COUNSELOR. In the first article, I presented an [...]

This Article is Part of a Series » What is in our Name» In the previous two articles, I first posed the questions: What is in a Name?, followed by, What is in Our Name? The second article spent time examining the word Society as part of our name.
This article will focus on [...]

This Article is Part of a Series » What is in our Name» In the last edition of the Observer, I posed the question: WHAT’S IN A NAME? I wrote my impressions of what a name can mean and what possible implications are in a name. Now, let’s examine what is in OUR name. [...]