Swansea, IL

Just as the shoemaker's children are often the last to get shoes and the mechanic's wife the last to get brakes, Corcoran Consulting and Coaching finally set up a business page on Facebook. We've suggested that others get business pages, but up to now we haven't...

As you know, Facebook frowns on mixing flagrant business dealings with personal matters on its pages and has turned off some accounts, though somewhat randomly. Just talking about business does not seem to cross the line but soliciting business does. Smart agents put their listings on their business pages but talk about the real estate market and Joe's Fish Market and oh, by the way, did you know I'm a real estate agent? on their personal pages.

For a coach like myself, since I am not in the habit of saying "Sign up for my $999 coaching special," I might technically be okay with just a personal page. But think of what Facebook is supposed to do - attract friends who become part of one's sphere of influence. I have over 4,000 friends who contribute their well wishes, their real estate tips, their family news, their invitations, their Mafia War requests, their blogs, their favorite videos. My contributions to the conversation stand out on my profile page but only last on my wall or that of my friends for a few minutes. If I offer a coaching tip to being a billion dollar agent, it will be quickly pushed out of view by agent Tom Tucker's quest for a platypus for his estate in Farmville or Veronika's request for a Playful Heart.

This is why I was delighted when my virtual assistant was able to direct my blogs to my business page, where they are prominently displayed along with other actual business news I choose to direct there. What's great is that my last few blog topics are still noted on my Profile page as Notes. A Facebook business page makes my business stand out! I can still enjoy the camaraderie of friends and share my photos of dynamic coaching sessions without fear that the messages I really want to remain available will survive the friendly noise of the wall.

Without further ado, please visit us at www.facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching and become a fan!

A few months ago, an unknown dowdy Scottish woman named Susan Boyle was received with a lot of eye rolling on the United Kingdom's Britain's Got Talent until she opened her mouth. Her beautiful rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream," stunned the judges and audience, and though she did not win the competition, she got a record deal.

It is easy to jump on this part of the Susan Boyle story to lead into a pep talk about how appearances are deceiving or about how it's never too late to pursue a dream. Either of those tangents would be true. She went from a life of obscurity taking care of her ailing mother to a chart-topping album in the UK that has also topped Amazon.com's list of pre-orders.

Along her rise to fame, Susan Boyle has been continuously scrutinized as if people are looking for proof that a person who is not a raving beauty is "unstable" and maybe even "retarded." The public may love her as the record sales attest, but the press is quick to apply labels every time she gets emotional after a performance. She is reportedly getting annoyed by the press but when asked about the past six months, her response "Bloody fantastic!"

There are a few obvious parallels to real estate here. Regardless of how the market has fared over the past couple years, certain segments of it could emerge "bloody fantastic" due to the dynamic combination of lower housing prices, low interest rates, and the tax credit.

Every year, real estate falls off when kids go back to school. Families prefer to keep their children in the same school all year. With the onset of the holidays, people get busy. When it gets colder and then snowier in some parts of the country, people prefer not to move until it gets warmer. The majority of people who move in the fall and winter are those who are transferred or have some financial or other pressure to brave the elements or the upset involved with having the kids change schools mid year.

This year, things are different, as the tax credit is expected to liven things up and keep sales brisk and Realtors® busy. Since the credit will last till spring, when sales traditionally pick up, this means that agents may have a more constant flow of business than usual. To take advantage of a credit up to $8,000 for first time homeowners or $6,500 for repeaters, people will brave the elements and decide their kids will live if they change schools.

A month after the tax credit extension was announced, it has been written about continuously, to the extent you may be sick of hearing about it. It's true that the credit will not be a gift to current or future generations of taxpayers who will pick up an approximate $11 billion from the extension. For many agents, however, this is a wonderful gift after a couple lean years that will benefit many agents. Let's hope it helps many agents get stable as it help many Americans either realize their dream of homeownership or come closer to their dream homes.

Recently, a Canadian woman who was on disability due to depression lost her disability payment when an insurance adjuster noticed pictures of her on vacation and out with friends on Facebook. He noticed she looked so happy that he cut off her check. She protested that the pictures did not reflect her usual state of mind and is suing the company, but not before she lost her house.

This story points out the need to be careful about you post or say on social networks, a familiar warning that many people ignore. Facebook posts or Tweets may quickly move out of view from the wall but they can be found in a search. Photos on the wall stay there until they are removed.

In the Canadian case, the insurance company said they wouldn't make a decision based just on Facebook, but the case brings up an interesting question for agents who post their personal and business news on one page. Will clients note when you're on Facebook and then wonder if you are working hard enough for them?

One way to protect yourself is by setting up a business page separate from your personal page. Think twice about play the games some people find addictive - the Mafia Wars, the Farmvilles, etc. If you do play, don't bug your business associates for animals! If you are serious about developing your business clientele, restrain the impulse to share every passing thought.

It's not right that people make judgments based on a photo or an offhand comment, but it can happen. If Facebook and other social networks are part of your strategic plan, treat them like you would any other type of promotional material and make sure they show off your best side.

A recent NAR survey indicated only 6% of first time homebuyers took the plunge because of the credit, but claimed that interest rates and falling home prices were what made them buy. Analyst Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com poo-pooed the credit indicating that we are rewarding people for doing what it take issue with they have done anyway.

I take issue with this reaction. Owning a home is an important part of fulfilling the American Dream for many people. It's just a matter of time for those who see this in the best interest of themselves and their families. So, of course, they would have eventually bought!

Only a fool would buy a home he was not prepared to buy just to get $8,000. This amount would mean little if home prices and interest rates were sky high. A combination of factors whetted buyers' interested; I'm betting that the credit was the cherry on the icing on the cake that encouraged those who were waiting to become homebuyers. That made them think of buying now and probably pushed up their time table. The credit was not the sole reason they bought but when packaged together with the other things was too good to pass up.

As I have said many times, a responsible agent would not encourage an unqualified person to buy a home just because of the credit; in fact, I bet many agents have told those with credit problems, for example, to wait. On the other hand, if the people were prepared to buy, a smart agent would stress the value of the credit and give a nudge where appropriate!