As part of the annual Swanepoel TRENDS Report we also every year include a look back at the year that just passed and list the Top 10 Newsmakers, Top 10 Events and Top 10 Trendsetters for 2008. 
 
This week I am discussing the Trendsetters. Trendsetters are defined as those companies that during 2008 set forth actions that were different and memorable and could potentially have a far reaching impact on the real estate industry in the years to come.
 
The Top 10 Trendsetters in Real Estate for 2008 are:
 
1. Brookfield …

The most important day you can spend this year is the day you spend reviewing the year.  Too often we forget to review our past experiences.  To be truly successful, we have to invest what we have learned into our future.  By making this wise investment we increase the speed that we travel to achieve greater success.
 
My friend, Jim Rohn, says you are either going to lead a life that is an example or a life that says warning.  The difference between those two diametrically opposed lives is the time …

As part of the annual Swanepoel TRENDS Report that is published every year during the first week of February, the research team wraps their four month study of the real estate industry by announcing the top 10 Newsmakers, Events and Trendsetters for the year.
The first list to be released is the Newsmakers. Newsmakers are defined as those people that during the year made headlines as individuals, as a result of their actions and leadership of the companies or associations they are involved with in the real estate industry.
The Top 10 …

Evolution is all part of the process of re-engineering the real estate industry and the home buying process so every time I come across a new business model that is working I get excited.  Some may say that this concept is not truly new, but with its format and European origin, it is definitely unique and very different.

Originally launched in 1977 as Engel & Cie., the company changed its name in 1987 to Engel & Völkers. It operated pretty much as a traditional real estate franchise until the mid …

Do you have the desire to receive recognition from your peers; to be recognized as one of the top Agents in the country?  If you do, you need to start by taking dead aim daily.  It is the disciplines we do each day that mean the difference between being on top or being part of the crowd.   
Start each day focused on the success of your business.  You want to begin each day by reviewing your business plan.  Focus in on the activities that will lead you to the successful result …

Prospecting is one of the easiest but most misunderstood concepts in the field of sales.   Sales trainers are always trying to sell their “prospecting-free systems” on worldwide speaking circuits by saying, basically, “You will never have to prospect again if you use my system.” And, because salespeople secretly don’t want to prospect, they readily buy into the too-good-to-be-true, no-prospecting philosophy. 
Our readiness to take the easy bait makes us like the wolves that are hunted above the Arctic Circle. The wolf hunter dips a sharp knife in blood and freezes it.  …

Every year the Swanepoel TRENDS Report identifies, analyzes and then details out the imminent changes that are expected to impact the real estate industry over the coming 12 – 18 months.The 2009 Report is currently in the final 60 days of research and writing and obviously with all the recent financial disasters, the energy crisis, the housing collapse and foreclosure catastrophe this has made 2008 the worst year in real estate and financial history.

Already thousands of hours of researching has been invested in drafting the 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report by …

Being a successful producer in any aspect of life is more than having high production.  Production or money or wealth is only one measuring stick.  There are many other measures in life: family life, relationships, spouse, children, physical health, spiritual well being, mental state.  One who is fulfilled in these ways, and is also a financial success, has great abundance.  I know a lot of people who trade it all for money.  Is that really the measure of success?  I am far more impressed with people who craft a fabulous …

After finishing my six-part series on the virtual real estate office, I received several letters, one of which I am quoting below:
“Mr. Jones, your information on this topic is phenomenal.  I am in the process of converting to a virtual office brokerage firm.  If possible I would like to gather more information in regards to the virtual office business model.  The system that connects all the technology resources that you mentioned and collectively streamlines the daily operations of the business or if you can point me in the right direction …

Real estate in your market area is affected by influences outside of your own region. For example, when I sold real estate in Portland, Oregon, what was happening in terms of inventory, appreciation, and activity in Seattle, Washington had an effect on my own marketplace. The two metropolitan areas are less than 200 miles apart, and one influences the other due to the easy and frequent population movement between the two cities.