Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Where To Find New Ideas

     I just came up with a marketing idea that is colossal.  I have been trying for a year to figure this problem out.  BAM!  The answer just showed up in the mail. You are not going to be innovative and creative if you are not trying to be innovative and creative.

     Good ideas and new ideas just drift into your head.  You have to be receptive to them.  "We have always done it this way" is the death knell of creativity.  "There has to be a better way" is the mantra of creativity and innovation. 

   Back to my story, I was looking for a solution to this marketing problem.  A piece of marketing material showed up in the mail from someone that was selling to me. "Eureka"

     You will never yell eureka if are not looking for a solution.  Be constantly looking for solutions. Have you ever had a customer ask you,"Why don't you..............fill in the blanks.  Many people hear this from a customer and dismiss it as a waste of time.  Creative people hear this and say,"Maybe we could do that."  Really creative people hear this and not only say maybe but try to implement this new idea.  Next month, at Climer School of Real Estate, we are teaching a real estate class from nine to two.  Several people told us they would like that schedule. We are trying it.

     Look at all the industries that have changed drastically.  In the 1950's' almost all men's barbershops did not make appointments.  You went to the barbershop, waited your turn and got a haircut. Three hours earlier the four barbers were sitting around wishing a customer would come in.  The seven customers would show up within ten minutes of each other.

      I suspect one day a customer said to his barber,"Why don't we make an appointment?".  The creative barber said I have never done that before but let's try it.  Pretty soon that barber was busy with a steady flow of customers while his co workers had feast or famine all day long.  Monkey see. Monkey do.  It was not long before his co workers were making appointments.  By the seventies, haircut appointments were the norm. Then, we get into the twenty first century, men decide they want  to just walk in and get a haircut with no appointment.  Along comes Great Clips and several competitors.

     Ideas!  There must be a better way.  What if you woke up every morning and wrote your goal on a sheet of loose leaf notebook paper and wrote down ten new ideas to help you accomplish that goal?    I know what would happen because I do it every day.

     You will come up with new ideas.   Some will be good some will be not so good.  Some will work.  You only need one good idea to change your life. 

     Try this.  Spend twenty minutes a day writing down ideas.  Write down ideas.  Some of those ideas will be worth trying.  You don't have to implement them all. You don't have to implement any of them.   Just thinking them up will increase your creativity.  Increasing your creativity will increase your income.

      Don't take my word for it.  Try it.   www.climerrealestateschool.com

    

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Accelerated Florida Real Estate Course In Orlando

     If you want to get your Florida real estate license, you have to take a sixty three hour class from a Florida real estate school.  Some people take this real estate course online.  Some people take it two nights a week for eight weeks. 

     The accelerated real estate course seems to be the favorite at Climer School of Real Estate in Orlando.  We teach this accelerated real estate class two different ways.  We teach it in a six day(8-6) format.  We teach it in a seven day (8-5) format.  Take your pick.  If you want an accelerated real estate course, this is an accelerated real estate class. 

     At the end of the day, you are tired.  The good news is it is over in a week.

     If this sounds like a real estate class that you would be interested in, contact Kathy at www.climerrealestateschool.com .  You can call Kathy at 407 822 3926.

     Also, if you are going  to take the accelerated Florida real estate license course, go ahead and apply for a Florida real estate license.  Here is a short video to show you how to apply.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHHAn4DRDiY  or you can go directly to the DBPR website at www.myfloridalicense.com .  We look forward to seeing you at the accelerated real estate course.

In Florida Real Estate, Listing Is The Key To Success

     If your Florida real estate license is brand new, you need to start getting listings.  Has anyone told you that yet?  When your listings sell, you get half the commission.  You need several listings.  How many? 
    
     That depends on how much money you want to make.  If you want to make a little bit of money, you only need a few listings.  If you want to make a lot of money, you need a lot of listings.  Probably, a predictable per cent of your listings will sell each month.  Let's guess thirty per cent.  If that is correct, you can figure how many sales or closings you want per month. Divide that number by thirty per cent.  That is how many listings you need in your inventory.

     For instance, if you want three closing per month, you need ten listings.  Thirty per cent of your listings will sell each month.  That is three.  The complicated part is this.  If three of your listings sell, you have to list at least three next month to stay even. 

     Then when you start having three closings per month, you will probably spend all that money and wish you had more.  The only way to get more is to list more.  Now whatever you did to get the ten listings, you will have to do more to more than ten listings.

     Here is the good news.  With every transaction that you close, you get smarter.  You know more.  Everything gets easier.  Pretty soon, it is like a siphon hose.  It appears effortless.

     Set yourself a listing inventory goal.  You have to pay attention to know how you are doing.  If your inventory drops, your income will be close behind.  If your inventory grows, your income will also grow. I don't make the rules but I know what the rules are. The more listings you have, the more money you make. 

     If your Florida real estate license is new, come take my forty five hour sales training post license course.  You have to take it somewhere. www.climerrealestateschool.com .  If you want a preview, watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYGyZalrIbo

     If we can help you get started, contact us.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Florida Real Estate License, Why To Get One

     If there is a "Open Sesame" to sales, it would be getting a Florida real estate license.  There are lots of people that are very, very successful selling real estate in Florida that probably could not even get hired as a salesman in another industry. 

     Once you have your Florida real estate license, you can sell houses.  You can sell big commercial properties.  You can sell farms and orange groves.  You can sell businesses. You can be a property manager.  There are so many specialty areas in real estate. 

     Real estate is almost always sold on commission.  If you are an average salesman, you can earn an average income.  If you are an extraordinary salesman, you can earn an extraordinary income.  If you are an average salesman, you can learn to be an extraordinary salesman.  What if it takes you a while to learn?  In many industries, this would be a problem.  In real estate, it is not a problem.  There are people that are very successful selling real estate that took a long time to figure it out. 

     Is it hard to get a Florida real estate license?  No.  Apply to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation at www.myfloridalicense.com .  The fee for that is $105.  Get your fingerprints taken.  That costs about $57.  Attend a Florida real estate school for a sixty three hour real estate class.  At Climer School of Real Estate, we offer that as a online real estate course for $199.  We also teach this class in a classroom.  It is better in a classroom if you have the time.  Finish that class.  Pay $31 to take the Florida real estate exam.  Pass that and, "Open Sesame", You have a Florida real estate license.  If we can help, www.climerrealestateschool.com

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

A Florida Real Estate License For Convicted Criminals

    Can a convicted criminal get a Florida real estate license?  The short answer is yes.  On the application for a Florida real estate license, there is a question; "Have you ever been convicted,pleaded guilty or pleaded no lo contend re to any sort of crime?"

     This does not mean that you can not get a Florida real estate license if you have been convicted of a crime.  Plenty of people with misdemeanor convictions and even felonies have earned a Florida real estate license. The type of crime that will prevent you from getting a Florida real estate license is fraud and embezzlement. 

     If you had that little possesion charge or that disorderly conduct situation where things got out of hand at spring break, this will not prevent you from getting a Florida real estate license.  Answer the question honestly on the application.  When the Department of Business and Professional Regulation get your fingerprints, they will know the truth. Do not lie on your application.

     Here is my advice.  If you have a couple of midemeanors, apply to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation for your Florida real estate license before you enroll in real estate school.  The DBPR's website is www.myfloridalicense.com. The fee for this is $105.  You also need to spend $57 to get your fingerprints taken. If your application is denied, you have a right to appear in person before the Florida Real Estate Commission and tell them why they should give you a Florida real estate license.  If you are denied by the FREC, they will refund $80 of your application fee IF YOU REQUEST A REFUND. 

     If you are in doubt, get yourself approved for a real estate license BEFORE you enroll in real estate school.  At Climer School of Real Estate, we charge $220 tuition for the pre license class.  You do not want to pay this money only to find out that you cannot get approved for a license. 

     Get approved first.  Then enroll at Climer School of Real Estate www.climerrealestateschool.com .

Monday, January 21, 2013

If You Don't Have A Jack, You Don't Know Jack

     If you are driving a car that you bought used, please take five minutes and go look in the trunk and be certain that there is a jack and a tire tool.  When you rent a car, this is also a good habit. 

     Flat tires are not as common as  they were a few years ago. When you or your wife are out on a lonesome road with a flat tire and no jack, you really don't care how common the problem is.  We all have Triple A and a light on the dash to tell us when the tire is low. 

     Stuff still happens. Take a minute to be sure you have a jack and that you can find it.  Often if you don't have the owner's manual, it is almost impossible to find this equipment. 

     Also, put a couple of other emergency aids in the car.  A flashlight is absolutely essential.  A knife and a pair of pliers can certainly come in handy. They won't take up much space in the glove box or trunk. 

     The boy scout motto is "Be Prepared" .That is still good advice.

Friday, January 18, 2013

The "Bible" Of The Florida Real Estate Exam

       The Department of Business and Professional Regulation has a little twenty page book named the"Candidate Information Booklet"  for the Florida real estate sales associate examination.   .

     At Climer School of Real Estate, Kathy emails this booklet to all of our students before they start the pre license class.  It is a wealth of information.  The booklet tells you how to make a reservation  to take the Florida real estate exam.  This booklet tells you what to bring with you to the exam.  It tells you items that are prohibited at the exam like alpha calculators. 

     It has a two page summary of what is on the Florida real estate exam.  At my two day state exam review class, none of the students from other real estate schools have ever even seen this two page summary.  If you haven't seen this two page summary, get yourself a copy of it if you are taking the Florida real estate exam soon.  If your real estate school doesn't know how to get it, contact Kathy at 407 822 3926 .  She will email you a copy for free if you ask nicely.

     The "Candidate Information Booklet" has a special information section for "English as a second language" informing these people that they can bring a dictionary with them.  Did you know that? 

     In the "Candidate Information Booklet" there is a list of things NOT to bring.  Reading this will save you a lot of aggravation. The booklet also tells you what I.D. is acceptable.  It also tells you how to review your exam in the event  that you fail.  Fifty per cent do fail.   http://ronclimer.hubpages.com/hub/The-Florida-Real-Estate-Exam-Pass-Fail-Statistics-For-December2012  This link has the facts.

     Do yourself a favor.  Review your "Candidate Information Booklet" before you go take your Florida real estate exam.  Also if you want to know if you are ready for the real exam, try my practice exam at my website.  www.climerrealestateschool.com .

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Florida Real Estate School Tuition

     Why is Florida real estate school tuition more at some schools?  The old cliche, "You get what you pay for." just doesn't apply to real estate school tuition.

     Some schools have much more overhead than others.  High rent means high overhead.  High overhead causes high tuition.  Some schools hire promotional experts, SEO experts and other non productive experts.  Some schools don't have many students so they need more money per student.

     At Climer School of Real Estate, we are in the Rosemont Building at 5104 North Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando.  We have been right there since 2001.  It is not the fanciest building in town.  It is certainly a convenient location.  It is a half mile from the Orlando Area Association of Realtors.

     Another thing that causes high overhead is paying instructors. The truth is good instructors are hard to find.  Since I do most of the teaching at Climer School of Real Estate, I don;t create much overhead. 

     Administrative costs can add to overhead.  Secretaries, assistants and other administrative personnel are expensive.  At Climer School of Real Estate, we only have Kathy.  She answers the phone and takes care of anything and everything else that needs to be done.  She doesn't add much to the overhead either. 

     Here we are.  Ron teaching.  Kathy doing everything else.  We charge $220 tuition for our basic pre license sales associate course.  That includes the textbook.  People ask Kathy all the time,"What is the difference between you and the expensive real estate school?" .  She tells them to read our Google reviews and read their Google reviews.  Look at our Facebook page.  People don't shower you with accolades if you are not doing a great job teaching the classes.  We do an excellent job.  Because we know how to keep our overhead low, we do not have to charge outrageous tuition.  We also don't have to hit our students with a bunch of hidden fees and charges. 

     What you think you are getting is what you are getting.  If you want a state exam review class, we have the best one in the state for sixty dollars.  If you already have your own book, we don't sell you another one that you don't need.  If you want to learn the math on the Florida real estate exam, we have nine free videos to teach you that.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO8Nq_eny0w   Check it out. 

     If you are looking for a great Florida real estate school in Orlando, contact us at www.climerrealestateschool.com .

Sunday, January 13, 2013

If You Got Your Florida Real Estate License Between April And September 2011

     Your Florida real estate license will expire on March 31st 2013.  Florida real estate licenses only expire on two dates; March 31 and September 30.  If you got your Florida real estate license in 2011, it is almost ready to expire for the first time.

     In Florida, before you renew your real estate license for the first time, you have to take a forty five hour post license course.  You can take this post license class online or you can take it in a classsroom.  Even attorneys with a Florida real estate license have to take this course before they can renew their real estate license the first time. At  many real estate schools, this class is a boring drag.  At Climer School of Real Estate, this class is fun.  It is interesting.  You learn stuff that will put money in your pocket.  We teach you the basics of making money in real estate sales.  If your Florida real estate license is about to expire, contact Kathy at www.climerrealestateschool.com  and enroll in this class.  You can call Kathy at 407 822 3926.

     What happens if you get busy and forget to take this course before March 31st?  When you wake up on April Fool's day, you will not have a Florida real estate license.  There is no grace period.  There is no excuses.  However, all is not lost.  You can enroll in the old pre license class.  Send in a new batch of fingerprints.  Pay the $105 application fee to the DBPR.  And the most fun activity; pass the Florida real estate exam again.  Do you remember paying $31.50 to take that?  The price has not changed since 2011.

     Look at your Florida real estate license.  I assume it is in your wallet.  The expiration date is right on your license.  If you don't have it in your wallet, you can look yourself up at the DBPR's website.Their website is www.myfloridalicense.com

     Enroll in our post license class.  We want to see you there.  We do not want to see you in our April get your Florida real estate license class.