Saturday, April 28, 2012

Seven Mistakes Rookie Realtors Make After Getting Their Florida Real Estate License

     The first mistake that many new Realtors make after getting their Florida real estate license is not sending out two hundred letters to their two hundred closest friends call this the Ijustgotintorealestate letter.  This is such a wonderful source of new business that it would seem that no one would ignore this source of business.  The opposite is true.  Ninety per cent of the people that get into real estate do NOT do this.  If you are new in real estate, send out two hundred ( minimum) letters to your friends, acquaintances, old co workers, club members, relatives and anyone else that knows you and ask them to refer business to you.  Some will.  There is many ways to do this but nothing is better than a letter in the U.S. mail. 

     The second big mistake that rookie Realtors make is to ignore the internet.  You need your own website.  You don't need the company's website with your picture on it.  You need your own website.  Websites don't cost a million dollars.  Get one.  Check it out. 

     Blogging is a skill any new Realtor needs to start learning about. You need to start blogging as soon as the ink is dry on your Florida real estate license. 

     The third mistake is not studying salesmanship.  There are books.  There are classes.  There are audio books.  Most people come to real estate from a non selling background.  Selling is learnable skill.  If you are new in real estate, you need to learn salesmanship. 

     The fourth mistake many new Realtors make is wasting time.  Time is the only commodity a rookie Realtor has that he can turn into money.  Many new Realtors waste time doing things like picking up the laundry and other errands.  If you are picking up the laundry, you can't be selling real estate.  A new Realtor must learn to spend their time wisely.  Prospecting for new leads, meeting with clients, showing homes are the things that a new Realtor needs to fill his appointment book with.  If what you are doing is not leading to your next listing or sale, quit doing that and start doing something that will turn into money.   

     The fifth mistake that rookie Realtors make is not learning how to qualify buyers.  This can be fatal mistake.  I mean fatal to your real estate career.  This is somewhat of a combination of wasting time and not understanding salesmanship. 

     Most new real estate salesmen don't know that they are wasting time when they are showing homes to someone that can not buy a home.  This is worse than wasting time.  Going to a movie in the afternoon is a waste of time.  Showing homes to someone that can't buy a house will tire you out and frustrate you. It will not help you earn a commission. 

     Learning how to ask people about their financial qualifications is a delicate skill.  It is essential to your success.  Read my article,"When  In Doubt, Blow them Out".  You need to learn this skill.

     Mistake number six almost always cures itself after a couple of years.  When you are new in real estate, you almost never know that Realtors that list houses make a lot more money than Realtors that show other Realtors' listings.  Listing is the most lucrative thing to do in real estate.  I won't dwell on this.  Look around.  The top money earner in your office is  also the top lister.  Am I right?

    Don't make mistake number seven.  Control your spending.  Save at least ten per cent of your income.  Many people complain that real estate is feast or famine.  That may be true.  It may not be true.  This is true.  When times are good, save some money.  Make one of your first goals to put six months income in the bank.  If you do hit a dry spell, cash in the bank is your best friend.  It may be your only friend. 

     There are plenty of mistakes to make.  The more you do right and the less you do wrong, the more likely you are to build a lucrative real estate career. 

     If we can help, call us at 407 822 3926 or visit us at www.climerrealestateschool.com

Friday, April 27, 2012

Seven Mistakes Students Make When Studying For The Florida Real Estate Exam

     Underestimating the Florida real estate exam is, for certain, mistake number one. Many students attend a real estate school where the instructor either does not know how tough the Florida real estate exam is or does not want to break the bad news to his students.  The Florida real estate exam is tough.  You better do some serious studying if you want to pass the first time. 

     Mistake number two is studying the wrong stuff.  A lot  of  real estate study aids that are on the internet are not for the Florida test.  Florida real estate students do not need to know about community property.  We don't have community property in Florida.  If you take your on line course from a "national" real estate school, you may be ready for a national test.  In Florida you have to pass the Florida real estate exam given by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.  There is no national exam in Florida. 

     How can you know if your real estate school is a Florida real estate school?  Simple, they have a brick and mortar school in Florida.  Also, they have a Florida real estate school permit that begins with the letters ZH.  This permit is issued by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.  You can find out if a school has a Florida permit at the DBPR's website.

     The third mistake that many students make is not understanding  the difference between street knowledge and test knowledge.  The Florida real estate exam is based on test knowledge, book knowledge.  Many students try to relate what we teach in real estate school to their own experience.  It doesn't work. 

     For instance, a student is reading a test question about an oral listing.  The question tells us that Mr. Owner told Mr. Broker that if Mr. Broker sells his vacant lot, Mr. Owner would pay Mr. Broker a seven per cent commission.  The question tells us that Mr. Broker sold the lot and Mr. Owner refused to pay.  What is Mr. Broker's recourse?

     Seeing that question, many students ask, "How do we know that Mr. Owner promised to pay Mr. Broker the Commission?"  IT TELLS US IN THE TEST QUESTION.  Students ask "What if Mr. Owner went to court and lied about saying he would pay?"  You can't go to court and lie on the exam.  You go to court and lie on the street, not on the exam.  We are not on the street.  We are taking the Florida real estate exam.  Don't make the mistake of not relating to the exam.  Forget that street knowledge.  It is book knowledge that will get you through the Florida real estate exam. 

     The fourth mistake that students make is having a negative attitude.  Students tell me they believe they are going to fail.  Henry Ford said," If you think you can or think you can't, you are right."  Students need to believe in themselves.  I always tell people that if you are worried about passing the Florida real estate exam, just walk into any real estate office in Florida, look around, and tell me everyone in that room is smarter than you.  I don't think so.  Believe in yourself.  It makes a difference.  Believe that you can pass.  If you believe you will  study more, study better, study longer, study with smarter friends. 

     Which brings us to the fifth mistake.  At Climer School of Real Estate, I always pass around a sheet of paper and have all the students in class write their name, phone number and email in a list.  If there is thirty students in class, I make thirty copies and everyone gets one.  I want my students to stay in touch with each other after class is over.  I want them to get together and study together.  The fifth mistake is not studying in groups.  Get together with your classmates and study together.  Do flash cards together.  Ask each other questions.  Write tests for each other.  This is not only a good idea for passing the Florida real estate exam, it is a good idea.  After you get your Florida real estate license, stay in touch with your classmates to scope out real estate jobs and opportunities.  Do not make the mistake of not staying in touch with your classmates. 

     Mistake number six is not spending enough time studying.  Time is paramount. You don't need to watch TV until you pass the Florida real estate exam.  You don't need to play video games until you have a Florida real estate license.  You don't need to go to the beach without your real estate textbook.  Spend more time studying.  It cost $31 to fail the state exam.

     Mistake number seven is not getting ten math questions out of ten math questions correct on the Florida real estate exam.  You will not encounter any math questions on the Florida real estate exam that I have not covered on my You Tube videos.  " Climer School"  has nine videos on You Tube.  It is free.  It is the easiest way to study the math for the exam.  Many people watch these videos like they are watching TV.  That is wrong.  Take your calculator and a piece of paper and do the math with me.  I do all the math with a calculator right on the screen.  If you don't get the right answer, do it again. 

     The three videos where I am wearing the blue shirt are right off the exam.  The ones where I am wearing the red shirt is chapter 14 filmed right in class at Climer School of Real Estate.  The videos where I am wearing the Hawaiian shirt is the homework from chapter fourteen.  Watch the videos.  Don't come home from the Florida real estate exam with a 74 grade where you got nine out of ten on the math.  That would feel yucky.  Watch the videos.  Get ten out of ten on the math.

     There may be other mistakes that people make.  These are the biggies.  Study, attend my review in class or on audio discs.  Pass this test the first time.  If we can help, call Kathy at 407 822 3926 or www.climerrealestateschool.com

Selling Time Shares in Central Florida

     If you have a Florida real estate license, you can earn a very nice living selling time shares in central Florida.  There are many Climer School of Real Estate graduates that earn well over one hundred thousand dollars per year selling time shares in Orlando. 

     Most salesmen in any profession will admit that the most distasteful part of the selling profession is prospecting.  Looking for prospects to sell to is no fun in any business.  The time share industry has solved this problem.   The company does the prospecting for you. 

     All the time share salesman has to do is meet the prospect in the lobby of the resort, show them the beautiful time share units, give them the presentation that the trainer has taught you.  The presentation is about ninety minutes long.  If they don't buy, the company will give you another prospect.  If two out of ten buy, you will earn about one hundred thousand dollars per year and be sitting at home by 2:30 P.M.

     Does this sound too good to be true ?  Don't take my word for it, call a time share resort.  Ask to speak to the person that hires salespeople.  In Orlando, we have Walt Disney World Resort, Bonnet Creek Resort, Orange Lakes Country Club Resort, Westgate Resort, Wyndham Resort, Marriott Resort, Blue-Green Resort, Sheraton Vistana Resort, Parkway Vacation Villas, Calypso Cay Resort Hilton Grand Vacations and about fifty others.

     If you find that you need a Florida real estate license, call Kathy at 407 822 3926 or www.climerrealestateschool.com

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Read The Question Carefully On The Florida Real Estate Exam

     As I was grading test papers today at Climer School of Real Estate, I noticed about eighty per cent  of my students missed question number seven. 

     I thought that must be some super tough question that I did not cover well in class.  I picked up a test and read question seven.  It was not a tough question.  I had covered the information very well.  The question format was the problem.  It was one of those questions; "Which of the following is false?"  There is something about that question format that confuses students and test takers. 

     Let's try one.  Which of the following is false?
                             A. The Florida Real Estate Commission has seven members.
                             B.  The members of the Florida Real Estate Commission are appointed                 
                                   by  the governor.
                             C.  All members of the Florida Real Estate Commission are licensed real
                                   brokers.
                              D. The Florida Real Estate Commission can suspend real estate licenses.

     The best way to answer this question is to go to your scrap paper ans write down
      A
      B
      C
      D
       Then, put a T or F  next to each one.  A is true, put a T.  B is true, put a T.  C  is false,
        put a F.  D is true, put  a T.   Three T's and one F make the answer obvious.  We are looking for the false  answer.  The false one is the correct one.  Be careful. It cost $31 to fail the Florida real estate exam.

       Call Kathy at 407 822 3926 , if we can help you pass or www.climerrealestateschool.com                  

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

If You Do IT Every Day, You Have To Get Better

Consistency is key. No matter how you choose to create success in your real estate career, it helps if you are consistent.

If you think calling expired listing is a good idea, call them consistently. Call every day.

If you think blogging is your road to success, blog every day consistently.

If you think networking is the key to success, network every day.

If you think floor duty is the path you want to follow, do it consistently. Do it often.

Whatever you do, if you don't do it consistently, you
can't tell if it is working.

Consistency is the magic ingredient in almost every thing we do.

Work on being consistent. It is amazing how small efforts grow into huge results. They do. Consistently keep plodding towards your goals.  Wow. I can hardly believe we have done so much.

Just a little bit every day over a month. six months, a year, it starts to add up.

Set goals. Break them down into time frames and consistly  strive toward them. You will amaze yourself.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

How to Know If You Are Ready For The Florida Real Estate Exam

It is difficult for me, as an instructor at Climer School of Real Estate,to know how much a student is studying for the Florida real estate exam. The student knows . You know how much you are studying.

The pass rate for the Florida real estate exam is about fifty per cent. Fifty per cent pass. Fifty per cent fail. Second time takers only have about thirty three per cent pass. There is no doubt that the Florida real estate exam is not easy.

This is no secret. Everyone knows the test is hard. Why don't people prepare better? How can you prepare better? Take practice tests. We sell a exam preparation book for twenty dollars. That is not free. It is close to free. This book has 4 one hundred question tests. Why would anyone that is taking the Florida real estate test not invest a few dollars and some time and use this wonderful resource. I would bet that fifty per cent of the people that go take the Florida real estate exam have not taken any practice tests. This is the very best thing you can do to prepare for the state exam.

I have a practice test on my website at www.climerrealestateschool.com . It is free. All it requires is that you take the effort to go there and take the test. You can be certain,if you pass this test, you will pass the Florida real estate exam. If you want to know if you are ready for the state exam, take this test at my website. You don't need to print it out and go discuss it with your friends. You need to sit down in front of the computer and take this test like a test. Grade yourself. Be honest with yourself. Quit lying to yourself. Quit fooling yourself. If you make a 74 on my test, you will probably do worse on the Florida real estate exam. Spend more time studying. What more can you do? Keep studying.

Watch my real estate math videos on You Tube (user name, Climer School). This is free also. It takes some effort. It is not as much fun as video games. There are nine of these videos. The ones where I am wearing the red shirt is me teaching Chapter 14 right out of the book. If your teacher did not explain it well, watch me. The videos where I am wearing the Hawaiian shirt is me doing the homework for Chapter 14.

Don't just watch the videos like watching TV. Do the math along with me. It is free but you have to put out the effort. You need to get ten out of ten on the math. If anyone told you ," Don't worry about the math, the math is only ten per cent", that person doesn't understand. The math is critally important. You will understand that when you make a 74 on the exam and you got nine out of ten on the math. Ten out of ten would have saved you $31. That is what it cost to take the Florida real estate exam at Pearson Vue.

This test is not easy. We teach a two day review to help you pass. Why not come to that? Oh, I know, you don't have time. We understand that so I went to my classroom and taught that class into a recorder. I put it on audio discs. We sell that (8 discs) for $45. You can listen to in the car. You can listen to it at work. You can listen to it in the kitchen. You can listen to it at work. You can listen to it all the time until the big day. You have to listen to it. No one can do it for you. I believe I am doing my part by providing the best tools I can think of.

It cost $31 every time you take the Florida real estate exam. Pass it the first time. Call Kathy at 407 822 3926 or www.climerrealestateschool.com

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Reciprocity of Florida Real Estate License

At Climer School of Real Estate in Orlando, Florida, we often get phone calls from licensees in other states wanting to know if their other state license will work in Florida. The answer is no. Florida does not reconize any other state's real estate license. Florida does not have reciprocity with any other state.
There are nine states that Florida reconizes their education. Those states are, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Indiana, Connecticut,and Mississippi. Does that mean if you have a real estate license in one of those states, you can sell real estate in Florida? No. That is not what that means. If you want to sell real estate in Florida, you need a Florida real estate license.
If you have a real estate license in one of the above mentioned states, you do not have to take the required sixty three hour pre license class that is required by the Florida Real Estate Commission. We teach this class at Climer School of Real Estate. We teach it in class or we teach it on line.
If you have a license in any of the above nine states, you don't have to take this sixty three hour course UNLESS you have moved to Florida and become a Florida resident. Once you become a Florida resident, you are in the same boat as everyone else.
If you need to take the Florida pre license course, take it with us at Climer School of Real Estate. We teach on line and in classroom in Orlando. If you wonder if we do a good job, Google us and read the Google reviews.
If, since you have a real estate license in one of the above mentioned states, you don't have to take the 63 hour pre license course, you still have to pass a forty question Florida specific exam given by Pearson Vue. We can help you pass that test. Watch my free videos on You Tube. There are nine videos. Be sure to watch the one where I am wearing the blue
shirt. It explains Florida documentary stamps and some other real estate math. Also, call Kathy at 407 822 3926 and ask her about other study aids we have to help you.
We have a two day state exam review class. This is not required but it will help you pass the Florida real estate exam the first time.
Stay in touch. If we can help, contact us at www.climerrealestateschool.com . or call Kathy at 407 822 3926

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Bullying and Colorado Kool Aid

By the way, Andy Brown is the Best Real Estate Instructor in Florida and The Climer School of Real Estate is the Best Real Estate School in Florida.
If you are looking for online Real Estate training, The Climer School of Real Estate has the best online real estate classes in Florida. www.ClimerRealEstateSchool.com 407-822-3926

I love old , old country music. Kathy and I listen to old country music on Saturday mornings when we are just sitting around relaxing.

Every life lesson you ever need to learn is in some country music song.

The movie " Bullying " is all over the news and the TV. Apparently, bullies are a bigger problem than they were when I was a kid.

If your kid is a bully or the victim of a bully, get a copy of Red Sovine's song, "Colorado Kool Aid" and listen to it with your kids. This old country song must have been recorded in the sixties. There is a life lesson in this song.


Three Lanes and Other False Promises

By the way, Andy Brown is the Best Real Estate Instructor in central Florida and The Climer School of Real Estate is the Best Real Estate School in central Florida.
If you are looking for online Real Estate training, The Climer School of Real Estate has the best online real estate classes in central Florida. www.ClimerRealEstateSchool.com 407-822-3926

Back in 2008, when all the democratic presidential candidates were campaigning and debating in South Carolina, they all said there was one thing they all agreed that if a democrat is elected , Interstate 95 will get another lane in South Carolina. They experinced the 200 miles of downtown traffic through the palmetto state.

Like all the other hope and change, here we are in 2012. Obama is a lame duck and I-95 only has two lanes. Pretty good bet, Mr. President has forgotten that promise.

I am seventeen miles north of the Georgia line heading south at thirty miles per hour on I-95. I haven't forgotten that promise.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

An Old Text Book and a Sow's Ear

By the way, Andy Brown is the Best Real Estate Instructor in Orlando and The Climer School of Real Estate is the Best Real Estate School in Orlando.
If you are looking for online Real Estate training, The Climer School of Real Estate has the best online real estate classes in Orlando. www.ClimerRealEstateSchool.com 407-822-3926

You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Where is that clique from?

I was over hearing one of Kathy's conversation at Climer School of Real Estate. The caller was telling Kathy that she had bought a used textbook, "Florida Principles and Practices of Real Estate" by Gaines and Coleman. She wanted Kathy to give her a discount for suppling her own textbook. The textbook is included in our real estate class. Here is the reason. The textbook this lady had purchased on line on ebay was a 24th edition. We are teaching Frorida Real Estate Commission course I out of the 35th edition. This is the course you need to get your Florida real estate license.

If you are studying to get your Florida real estate license, you do not want to be studying out of a antique textbook. These laws change all the time. Worse than not knowing is learning stuff that is not correct.

What s the big deal? you ask. The big deal is you study a fact like the maximum fine the FREC can fine a licensee, then when you take your Florida real estate exam, that information has changed.

Don't try to save a few pennies with an old real estate textbook. Call Pam at 407 822 3926. Even if you buy a textbook elsewhere, Kathy can tell you what edition it should be.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Licensing And Certification For Veterans Entitled To Benefits

The Florida Division of the Veteran Affairs is helping military veterans get their Florida real estate license. I read on the Department of Business and Professionial Regulation's website that the VA will reimburse elgible veterans for the cost of licensing and certification examinations not to exceed $2000 per test. These licensing and certification exams must be generally deemed nessecary to persue a trade or profession.

By the way, Andy Brown is the Best Real Estate Instructor in Florida and The Climer School of Real Estate is the Best Real Estate School in Florida.
If you are looking for online Real Estate training, The Climer School of Real Estate has the best online real estate classes in Florida. www.ClimerRealEstateSchool.com 407-822-3926

If you would like more information,write to VA regionial office, P.O. Box 100022 Decatur, Georgia. 30031-7022 In Florida, you can contact by phone, Marcus Hurston at 904 252 4106. You can also read the original post at the Florida Department of Business and Professionial Regulation's website.

www.climerrealestateschool.com

Let's Name This "Show Me Your Florida Real Estate License" Week

In Florida,real estate licenses expire on March 31 and September 30.

Monday, April second should be named,in Florida, "Show me your Florida real estate license" day.

A lot of people did not renew their Florida real estate license last week. If these procrastinaters are old timers, their real estate license became involentary inactive. That is the status assigned by the Florida Real Estate Commission. If this is their first time to renew, and they did not renew, their brand new Florida real estate license became null and void on March 31. What does that mean? That means that rookie Realtor does not have a real estate license. We will see you in pre license school. Check us out at www.climerrealestateschool.com .

If you are a sales manager, you should send out a memo and have every agent stop by the office and show you their Florida real estate license. OR you can wait until some one is trying to NOT pay you a commission that they justly owe you. Then you discover that your agent did not renew his liceense last month or six months ago. Your company will not get that commission.

If you are co-oping a transaction with an agent that doesn't have a proper license, your commission could be in jepardy. Mr. Florida Real Estate Broker, if your sales associates real estate license is not current, proper, valid and active, it could jepardize your commission.

As a Florida real estate school operater, I see lots of people that are activly selling real estate and do not renew their real estate license in a timely manner.

Do your co workers,your associates,your friends, your co-opers, a favor and ask to see their Florida real estate license. Check the expiration date.

By the way, Andy Brown is the Best Real Estate Instructor in central Florida and The Climer School of Real Estate is the Best Real Estate School in central Florida.
If you are looking for online Real Estate training, The Climer School of Real Estate has the best online real estate classes in central Florida. www.ClimerRealEstateSchool.com 407-822-3926