When I first went to the RE/MAX Broker/Owner training in Denver, I was overwhelmed with a wealth of knowledge, and a little salesmanship on the trainer's part, but it did seem to get the other owners excited and sold on the concept. I've been in sales pretty much my whole life, and started in real estate at Sibcy Cline. I quickly realized that I had given them $20k in 6 months and needed to make a switch. I wasn't about to join a Coldwell, Irongate, or Prudential, as I knew the commission splits there weren't any better. So I joined Valley Real Estate Services, an aggressive high commission company, that had sent me a plethora of emails. Valley was a medium sized independent with 100 or so agents. I had great success and my best year every utilizing ideas the company gave me.

I was about to open the first franchise for Valley, when Scott Harris the owner said "Wait! Let's open a RE/MAX!" He then proceeded to show me the RE/MAX he wanted to emulate. RE/MAX Towne Center out of Columbus, OH. They didn't charge the $1000+/month that many of the other RE/MAX's around were charging. They had the hottest spot in town and they quickly grew to over 100+ agents. I said, "Let's do it!"

RE/MAX is an interesting concept. I've read Dave Liniger's "Everybody Wins", and it was an interesting story to me. I have agents join my office that say that Keller's book blows it away and yada yada yada, but I haven't gotten the chance to read it for myself. I'm sure that I will post again after doing so. I will say that Keller Williams agents really buy into the lifetime residual income idea, and RE/MAX agents do think they are the cream of the crop and typically are at least decent producers to afford a traditional RE/MAX's monthly fees.

So now that you've read my life story, you're probably asking yourself, "Why am I reading this?"

First of all, this is not a RE/MAX vs. Keller debate. I think that both are great companies, but historically they have catered to somewhat different agents.

You are reading this because we (RE/MAX Victory) have gone in a different direction than most RE/MAX's and though we've faced resistance, we have quickly become to the Fastest Growing RE/MAX in our Region!

Gone are the days when RE/MAX brokers could charge high monthly fees. Sure, I believe the value is there and I won't sell against it, but the market has changed, the industry has changed, and the agent mindset has changed. This is apparent with the mass exodous of RE/MAX agents nationwide, that simply couldn't afford the monthly fees when the market went South.

Agents no longer need offices, there is a Starbucks on every corner. So how have we survived and grown to over 30 agents in less than a year? We adapted...we evolved.

If RE/MAX, Keller Williams, and a majority of small independents across the country had a baby...it would be RE/MAX Victory.

Yes, we did follow the basic model of having the high end office in the hottest spot in town. But we also adopted a "Remote Agent" program that allows agents to work from home or on the road, and DHL picks up their shipments from their homes. We have an awesome back-end website (www.victoryatthegreene.net) for them to upload their documents, and download our forms and anything else they need. They are completely independent and truly follow the RE/MAX motto, "Your Business, Your Way!"

We have gone away from the high monthly fees.

We only charge $199/month and a $199/transaction fee for the first six months on a 95/5 split. It increases to $299/month and $299/transaction, but we've capped the transaction fees at $10k.

Yes, we actually lose money (approx. $50/agent/month) to the regional and international fees for the first six months. If they close only one deal in four months, we don't lose anything and I'm sure there are plenty of other Brokers out there that that have been willing to lose a year's worth of monthly fees trying to recruit an agent. The idea has been around for a long time folks, it's called a loss leader. And yes, we do have other plans available.

We also tapped into the lifetime residual income idea. We simply call it our Partner's Program. For agents, if you recruit another agent on our $199 program, you receive 1% of their commission for the life of that agent at our company. On some of our higher producer programs we even offer a flat $100/month for every agent you help bring on.

I will say that people DO recognize the RE/MAX name and balloon. This was obvious when first coming from a no name company, and seeing the difference at a listing presentation with the RE/MAX name. I do, however, think that RE/MAX International does need to reanalyze it's game plan or it may be beat at a game it hasn't lost in a long time. What will to happen to every real estate company when Google decides they want to play. You say, "It'll never happen, Wal-mart couldn't do it!" Well guess what, Google is bigger, more aggressive, basically has control of the Internet world and is already sitting on the bench. Don't believe me?...Google (funny it's now a verb) "Google Base" and see what you come up with.

We pride ourselves on being a leader in technology and thinking outside the box. We're not drinking the Keller Kool-Aid, but have tread away from the traditional RE/MAX model. We'll continue to adapt and progress as we do have the backing and support of the largest real estate company in the world, not to mention over $1 Billion in advertising.

I'd advise Brokers and Agents alike to shop around, see what the competition is doing. No office or concept is going to be perfect for everyone or we'd all be working for the same company. But the ideas and solutions are out there...you just have to Google them! :)

Beavercreek Ohio Real Estate Update for April 2008

Welcome back to our Beavercreek Ohio Real Estate updates. As always this information is compiled from the Dayton MLS and gives you the active Beavercreek listings, Beavercreek homes sold, Beavercreek homes that failed to sell and Beavercreek homes listed as pending. We offer a very exciting automatic system that will update you on Beavercreek Ohio Real Estate periodically at the time frames you choose. This Market Snapshot will give you instant Beavercreek real estate information and an estimate of your homes value. Thinking of buying a Beavercreek Ohio home for sale? This tool can help you determine if the asking price of the home is fair. Check out Beavercreek Ohio Market Snapshot

Here is an example of what you will find:

April 2008 Dayton MLS activity for Beavercreek OH

Also read: Dayton Ohio Real Estate market update a Total Market Overview.

Also Read: Dayton Ohio community information for info on area communities.

Check Out: Beavercreek Ohio City site for general Beavercreek, Ohio information

So, what does this info mean for Beavercreek Ohio Real Estate?

Well there is good news for your Beavercreek Ohio real estate is you are thinking of selling a home. The number of homes pending sale and that actually sold in Beavercreek in April are both up from our last update. The average price of homes for sale in Beavercreek and the average price of homes sold in Beavercreek are both up from the last market update. The best news for you Beavercreek real estate if you are thinking of selling a home is that the average list to sale price is up to 97.27% or .86% UP¦ putting more money in your pocket when it comes to selling your home. The other good news for you Beavercreek OH real estate from a selling standpoint is that the average days on the market prior to selling is 122, down 6 days from the last update.

There is some not so good news as well, the number of homes actively for sale in Beavercreek is up to 411 or 46 more homes for sale in Beavercreek that you will have to compete against as a home seller¦ There are more pros than cons to be gathered from these numbers¦ at least the market is moving in the right direction¦

Thinking of buying a home for sale in Beavercreek Ohio? Well it is still a great time to buy a home. There are many homes for sale in Beavercreek for you to choose from and the prices are still good. Mortgage rates are great as well. Please feel free to contact the ˜mortgage chick to check mortgage broker rates and get a great home mortgage for your purchase.

Beavercreek Ohio Real Estate Market Update - February 2008

This total market overview for the Beavercreek Ohio real estate market is compiled from the Dayton MLS. Each month we will update Beavercreek OH real estate market data from the Dayton MLS right here for you information. You can get instant market data for any Beavercreek Ohio real estate community that you have interest in. The Beavercreek neighborhood information is pulled instantly from the Dayton MLS and provided in maps and graphs like what is shown below. You can even have the Dayton MLS data sent directly to your email each month. Check out Market Snapshot.

February 2008 Dayton MLS Activity

Also read: Dayton Ohio real estate market update - Total Market Overview

Check out: Beavercreek City site for general city info.

Also read: Dayton Ohio Community Information for other area communities.

So what does this mean for Beavercreek Ohio real estate?

Well, if you sell my house fast... you may be able to do that but on average you can expect to sell your Beavercreek OH real estate for about 96% of your asking price. When you want to sell your house fast and there are just under 12 months of supply of homes for sale in Beavercreek right now it does not make it easy to sell your house fast. There are 365 homes for sale in Beavercreek and only 31 sold in February, you are going to have to make sure your real estate stands apart from all the other homes for sale in Beavercreek. That takes having an expert who can assist you with pricing, staging, marketing and promoting your house to sell fast. You might consider getting a free evaluation of your home from a true Beavercreek real estate expert.

Are you are interested in Beavercreek Ohio homes for sale? If so this could be a good time to buy a home in Beavercreek. There are a good number of homes for sale and prices are good. Do keep in mind that the best houses sell fast. So, if you find a home you like you should act, don't keep "looking for a deal" just to keep looking... you don't want to loose the perfect one. If you want to look for a "deal" you may want to check out some featured homes, we have many short sale / pre foreclosure homes listed and have access to many others.

What you want to keep in mind, and it does not matter, if you want to search the Dayton MLS for a house to buy, or sell your house in the Dayton area... You need a team real estate professionals to help you with the purchase of sale of your home. Please feel free to contact us any time with questions on Beavercreek Ohio real estate, pricing, activity, anything... even if it is years before you are thinking of buying or selling real estate. We are here to help in any way we can.

Real Estate values have been falling in much of the US. The pace of new homes is down, as well, with many on the market for months.

There are strategies that can help you sell your home - For a fair price - even in this market.

First of all, you might have to be very aggressive, especially if your local market has tons of homes for sale.

** DON'T START WITH A HIGH PRICE - Asking price is the single most important reason that a house does not sell. In this buyer's market, it is a mistake to set a high price and assume that you can lower it later or lower it in negotiations. Local Real Estate Agents pay the most attention to homes when they are new on the market. These days, agents may not even show your home if it is overpriced.

If you start too high, then lower your price, agents will have newer listings to show. The buyers who do see your home will view your price cut as a sign of desperation and bid low.

WHAT is the CORRECT PRICE? The correct price in this market is toward the low end of the range of prices being asked on comparable homes currently for sale in your neighborhood.

Pricing your home as a bit of a bargain ensures that as many potential buyers as possible will view your home. This is vitally important when the number of sellers outnumber buyers.

KEEP an EYE ON COMPARABLE LISTINGS every two to four weeks if your home has not sold. If local prices are falling, you may have to lower your price to remain competitive. When you do a price drop, make it large enough that the new price is VERY competitive with comparable home or even "The Best Deal."

IMPORTANT- The sale price of neighbors homes for a year or two ago should not even enter your thinking when you set your asking price. It was a very different market then and those prices are not even relevant today.

NOTE - If your home is not attracting many showings, the price is probably the problem. If it is attracting showings but not offers, the home itself is most likely to blame.

Fix it up first - "Fixer Uppers" tend to be ignored in a slow market because buyers can find good deals without doing any work. If your home needs repairs, get the work done before putting it on the market.

Pay attention to Curb Appeal - Buyers have a lot of choices and if your home doesn't look attractive from the street, they will drive past without even stopping. Replace damaged screens, tidy up the lawn and landscaping, pressure wash the sidewalk and mulch around trees and flower beds. If necessary, touch up paint, particularly the front door and trim. Upgrade outdoor lighting fixtures, doorknobs and your doorbell switch or knocker. These small details can evoke an emotional reaction in a home shopper that can lead to a sale.

Freshen up Inside - a fresh coat of paint can go a long way. It also pays to have a professional cleaner to remove years of grime from your kitchen and bathrooms. Your home should sparkle. Smell Matters!! It is extremely difficult to sell a home that reeks of cigarette smoke or pet and cooking odors. Perfuming the home doesn't fool anyone.

Advertise special features of the home. French doors, original woodwork, etc. And be descriptive, rather than writing "inground pool," write "inground pool with stone deck and waterfall."

Help with closing costs - buyers who are short on cash may have trouble paying upfront mortgage expenses. Offer to pay a portion of these costs, and buyers have a reason to choose your home.

Pay for buy downs. Many lenders will lower interest rates by 1/8 to 1/4 percentage point in exchange for an up-front payment. The payment is usually 1% or 2% of the loan amount.

Include details of your incentives in your MLS listing, newspaper ad, flyer's and on your website.

You can also offer real estate agents a bonus, which could be an extra 1% of the purchase price, on top of their usual commission, at closing if they find you a buyer. Mention this only in the MLS listing.

Lastly - Don't Overnegotiate- If a potential buyer's first offer is reasonable, consider accepting it, rather than making a higher counter offer. Buyers have so many homes to choose from today that they sometimes move on to other homes, rather than make a second offer when sellers don't accept their initial bids. If you do not need to sell quickly or your home is having lots of showings, counter, but if you need to sell fast and the initial offer is reasonable, do not risk losing the sale over a small amount of money.