Careercast’s 10 Most Stressful Jobs of 2010 list is out and Real Estate Agents are in the Top 10. This is no surprise with the erratic hours and stresses of the industry. Stress is coming from all sides; whether its the angry home seller, the needy buyer, the uptight home inspector or the strict mortgage lender and the list can keep going and going. Agents also have the stresses of staying on top of their game, the minute you slip there is another agent there ready and willing to take over your buyer or listing.

Careercast measured the amount of stress mainly on three “Mega Factors” impacting office anxiety the most: work environment, job competitiveness and risk. Real estate agents scored a 191 of 200 for stress rank, while Careercast also ranked time pressure high and competition very high.

Office stress is linked with low productivity, increased illness and obesity. With these extreme pressures agents are under, it is necessary to try and relieve stress when possible. Following stress relief tactics can help restore your physical and mental health.

See the following list of possible stress relievers that can help you feel less stressed by your job:

• Meditation
• Breathing Exercises
• Exercise
• Music Therapy
• Yoga
• Playing Games
• Take a Vacation
• Journalism
• Read a book or magazine
• Relax with friends and family
• Go to a spa

With the state of the economy today, all Americans are more stressed than ever. Even though most agents do not have the time to practice these techniques, it may worthwhile to find a way to squeeze in the time. In the end, you may just find that you have increased focus and productivity enabling you to work smarter not harder.

Advertising Where You Know Clients Are Searching

One of the toughest tasks a real estate agent faces is finding new clients. That’s why it’s important to know where homebuyers are searching for you. With all of the technology in the world today, it’s becoming more difficult for you to be everywhere where possible clients are looking. However, being in the most common places, will give you the best chance of finding new clients.

According to the 2009 National Association of Realtors’ profile of home buyers and sellers, most people use more than one source of information when looking for a new place to live. But the primary source for finding an agent is with no surprise, the Internet. According to the survey, 9 out of 10 buyers are searching online with 36% of those home buyers looking online first. With the second most popular source of home buying information being the real estate agent themselves, at 87%, one should wonder how that 87% of new home buyers are finding an agent. Without a referral, that place is statistically proven to be the Internet.

You may be thinking, “Well it’s only thirty-six percent that start their search online, so if I don’t have a strong internet presence, they’ll eventually find me anyway.” There may be some validity to that statement, but when 90% of home buyers search online at some point in their home search, it’s clear that they consider the Internet as a reliable source in finding a real estate agent. If your listings, contact information, opinions, best practices, etc… are splattered online successfully, then it may only take a simple phone call to turn someone from a casual browser, into an active buyer. Additionally, if you’re commanding attention in your local market online, you’re also showing prospective home buyers that you understand the way they shop for things, including homes.

There are many ways to interact with potential clients online. For starters, set up a blog or start posting on social networking sites. Remember, the more information you share online, the easier it will be for others to find you.

So get started today! Put your marketing efforts where home buyers are searching for homes.

Covington, Louisiana

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May 11, 2010

The graph above, illustrates a 3 year review of real estate activity for the City of Covington, North of I-12 and West and South of Hwy 190. Major subdivisions in this area include; Northpark Estates, Versailles, Flowers Estates, Tallow Creek, Old Landing and also a large majority of Downtown Covington. This graph tracks the number of new, active, and sold homes, as well the average sales price, on a month to month basis, from March 2007 through February 2010.

Starting at the top, over the past 3 years the number of active homes for sale on the market (green) has fluctuated some, but in due course is on the same line as where it started.

However, the average sales price (yellow) of homes over the last 3 years looks like a seismic reading from an earthquake. The numbers are all over the place month to month, and currently reflect a small decrease in home values than where we were. I am also hesitant about placing a specific number on the decrease due to the wildly erratic graph line. I would have to say this is an effect from the lower number of sold (blue) homes over the same period. The anomalies’ ugly heads become more exposed. What I mean by anomalies are the; excellent condition homes with 5 acres which sell for $250.00 per SQFT, or the 4000 SQFT, poor condition homes which sell for $48.00 per SQFT. These far left and far right, price per square foot sales, throw wrenches into the works, skewing the numbers greatly. Therefore no consistency.7

Lastly, not much to say on the number of new homes (red) for sale on the market. The number has bounced a good bit month to month but has returned to almost the same number it started with. Coming full circle maybe?

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post. For real estate services throughout St Tammany Parish, visit

http://www.specializedrealtors.com/web/AR294882/ListingSearch/results/