Will it impact you and your business?

Will it impact you and your business?

From Pikeville to Paducah, the decisions made in Frankfort could have an impact on you, your business and the clients you serve. Legislators are struggling to find ways to trim the budget, control expenditures and reform the tax system - all of which could have an effect on the real estate industry.

Don't leave the opportunity to have your voice heard on the table - register and attend the KAR Legislative & Business Meeting coming up next week.

Wednesday is the big legislative day complete with hill visits to the capitol in the morning and the legislator reception in the evening.

February 8 - 10
Capital Plaza Hotel
Frankfort, KY
Register online now - it's free and open to all KAR members!

Move Inc. (realtor.com) and AOL partner

AOL Real Estate announced recently they will be partnering with Move, Inc., parent company to realtor.com, to distribute real estate listings. Although the actual syndication of listings won't begin until the third quarter of 2011, the parnership gives Move, Inc. a considerable size boost to its outlet of property information.

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Pre-licensing classes start soon

Know someone who is interested in getting started in real estate?

Tips to better merchandise your listings

Good photography is still one of the most important factors when promoting a listing and don't just show the house, show a lifestyle. Remember, too, that quantity, as well as quality, matters.

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Stay safe on social networks

Many real estate professionals use social networks in their business and do so almost every day. But the implications of posting "too much" can lead to problems such as a loss of clients or, even worse, ID theft. Use the tips in this article to tighten up your security and privacy settings so you don't fall victim to the risks.

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Affinity Partner Spotlight: HomeFeedback

Automate the feedback gathering process from start to finish and provide your sellers with the information they seek with the help of HomeFeedback®. The program saves you countless hours every month by automatically following up with showing agents and their buyers after each showing.

As a KAR member, you can sign up for the Basic Showing Suite, which includes HomeFeedback®, Listing Sync and Showing Sync®, for only $12.95 per month for the first 12 months! Boost your productivity and improve client communication by signing up for a Basic Showing Suite account today!

Learn more or sign up here

KAR's webinar series

As a way to reach members with timely information on a variety of topics, KAR has put together a series of webinars. These webinars currently focus on legal issues (the first of which has been posted online). In 2011, several webinars are being scheduled (March, May, July and November) and more may be added. Notification will be sent to the membership once topics and exact dates/times are decided. You can also check the webinar page for other resources.

Visit the webinar page

Cost vs. value report

Looking to convince dubious sellers that smart upgrades are worth it? This year's report provides ample support. The annual survey ranks home remodeling projects according to those that bring the greatest cost recovered at resale. And looking at the five projects that topped the list, it's clear that first impressions really do matter when sellers list their home. First on the list is a midrange entry door replacement that brings the highest payback at a national average of 102.1 percent.

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Facebook status tricks and tips

As with all social media, there are some good taste guidelines that you should practice when using Facebook. One biggie is that your profile is NOT a business page. Learn eight other tricks and tips about what should happen with your status updates and a few more that shouldn't.

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Bonus link: Make yourself invisible on Facebook

6 steps to listing FSBOs

Real estate agents who want to list more for-sale-by-owner properties (FSBOs) need to start a conversation with these sellers so that when they are ready to list they know who to call.

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Generating referrals

Some of us have referral aversion, so we are challenged in asking for referrals. Therefore, we need to approach the referral process with the correct mindset, right skills, and right timing. Some of selling is being there at the right time. The same is true for referrals. Here are four rules to follow.

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More buyers, more sales

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