Entry by Bill Holt

Promoting ACRE to Corporate

  4 Comments

I woke yesterday and had an explosion of thought for that early ;-O. Our Hard Working Founders and Mentors in this arena of change are constantly working to promote the cause and advance the professionalism in our industry. I was thinking, how can we help them help us? The industry will respond as a mass of people continue to move this Business Model forward.

While updating my Agent Profile Page at RE/MAX.net, I came upon the idea I have copied for your review below. Please take a few moments to read it and then consider your part in promoting the cause! Go for it! It's A Good Life!!!

Bill Holt - On The Outer Banks in North Carolina - Never to busy for your referrals!!

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Addressed to RE/MAX Client Care:

I am a Broker Associate at RE/MAX Ocean Realty, On The Outer Banks of North Carolina. There is a Designation surfacing out of an ongoing change in the Business Model of numerous Associates in our system and in the RE Industry. As Commissions continue to come under fire, some have adjusted their models in a negative way that can affect our industry... MLS entry, serious discounting etc.

One Business Model is evolving that is an extremely professional Business Model. ACRE (Accredited Consultant in Real Estate) is a growing group in all corners of North America. REALTORS have worked for years on a 'free' basis until a successful transaction is completed. As a Real Estate Consultant, we are able to package services based on actual time involved and charge our clients accordingly. We are able to rise above the traditional professionals in our industry and demonstrate, by presenting in a transparent manner, our menu of service packages. Our clients are finding this transparent approach a true bonus and are becoming more aware of the actual time, Marketing energies and Professional services involved in a real estate transaction.

I am placing some links, for your convenience and research, below. I am asking that RE/MAX International, assign someone the task of researching this Business Model and the ACRE Designation. Contact those who you need... to verify its significance in the industry and ADD this Designation to the RE/MAX Profile Page so those of us in the RE/MAX Family can make this Designation known to others in our potential Referral Networks.

Here are the Links:

http://www.MyREConsultants.com - Site For the Public - Be sure to watch the Videos

http://www.ACREcourse.com - The Actual Site for REALTORS explaining the Course work to obtain this Designation and benefits of this Business Model

http://www.theconsultingtimes.com - The Consulting Times is a site for consumers and professionals regarding RE Consulting.

One of our own RE/MAX Associates in Northern Virginia is a co-founder and significant contributor to this organization - Merv Forney - merv.forney@remax.net - http://askmerv.choice3realty.com .

I welcome any questions and communication you may have and the founders are always willing to share their thoughts and experience with others. Please treat this as a serious Business Model and a worthy consideration as the industry is in for ongoing change. Help RE/MAX stay out in front as this model evolves. Take the time to Read Mollie's Book... it is a leading edge Book that will facilitate change for the good in our industry.

4 Comments

Dear Bill:

On behalf of the "hardworking founders", thank you so much for contributing to the cause. Truly, we can talk up ACRE™ till the cows come home, but it means so much more when ACRE™ grads do.

As ACRE™ grows, I believe that it will greatly enhance everyone's consulting business because the more it's talked up, the more the consumer seeks consultants out. So, if you have influence with decision makers in your company, association, or board, please help us to spread the word. In addition, Paula, Merv and I are happy to present consulting to any of these entities if they would like us to.

Lastly, if you have not done so, check out the Testimonials section of the Consulting Times. If you have not contributed but would like to, send your testimonial to info@acrecourse.com and you too can be famous : ).

Seriously, it can only help in terms of business and referrals to get your name out there. Remember, you don't have to have thousands of dollars of consulting money to brag about to provide a testimonial. As many of our newer ACRE™'s have done, simply telling why you decided to invest the time and money to become an ACRE™ is a GREAT testimonial.

Again, thanks to Bill and all of you who are helping to build ACRE™. We are very appreciative of all you do.

Take care,
Mollie

Thanks so much Bill!

Once our Consulting model becomes more widely known, the fear will dissipate, consumers will demand it, agents will have to follow suit. It's simply the law of supply and demand.

The really great news is that we will be on the cutting edge of changing the way our Industry works and educate the consumer as to their expectations. The biggest thing I'd love to see stop happening is all the marketing garbage I see about offering to work FREE, 24/7/365, with no obligation! If we spend our time and effort, WHY should we not be paid for it?

Bringing the ACRE(tm) model to the attention of corporate, Brokers, managers and other agents, and having them understand how this is beneficial to them and our industry is going to accomplish this. It will take time because our industry has traditionally resisted change. ABR and e-PRO took light years to get where we already are.

It is happening at the speed of light, and those who are not afraid to espouse something new and different will be the winners of the real estate game!

Paula Bean

Bill,

Again, thank you for posting your idea, and your letter to corporate. Believing that you've begun a "drumroll"...I've added my own voice to the "powers that be" at International, and at our regional level. Though I want to echo your sentiment, I also wanted it to sound like a different voice...the more often we say the same thing differently, hopefully the more impact it may have. In the interest of sharing our "separate but equal" voices, here what I sent..................

I am a Broker with RE/MAX Accord in Bloomingdale, a western suburb of Chicago. Because of the dramatic, and rapid changes our industry is being faced with, and the myriad of "alternative business models" available to the consumer, it's been apparent to me for many years that something has to change in the way Real Estate is being transacted. The beauty of RE/MAX has always been that it BEGAN as an "out of the box" concept, benefiting both broker and agent, and offering increased flexibility for the client as well by giving more control to their agent, taking it out of the "corporate" box.

Several months ago, I was fortunate enough to hear about something "new". Although I've been exposed to various consulting options for real estate in the past, the approach with this particular program spoke to my own personal "core values". The more I investigated the program, its founders, the training, the support, etc., the more impressed I've become. This is fully due to the quality, integrity, understanding of the business & of the consumer's needs personified by its founders. I've also been greatly impressed by the caliber of other agents around the country who are increasingly being attracted to this program.

As a result of the collaborative efforts of its founders, a new designation has been created...ACRE (Accredited Consultant in Real Estate). The ACRE training exposes agents to a means by which they can create for themselves a business wherein they can offer ALTERNATIVES to the consumer that result in a win/win! The consumer wins because they don't necessarily have to fit in the "one size fits all" box that "traditional" real estate has required...a commission only structure that may not best meet their needs. Technology and the internet have vastly changed the consumer's dependance on a real estate agent for the full range of services and resources required to complete a successful transaction. And the agent wins because they have the opportunity and tools by which they can be compensated for the knowledge, experience, expertise, and time they invest with a client, whether or not it culminates in a closed transaction. Transparency is at the core of this program...and lack of transparency in a primary reason why the traditional commission structure has come under such great scrutiny and attack in recent years. When the consumer is provided with a breakdown of what they are paying for (and what they are not), options for payment (which may be an up-front fee, pay as you go, pay in segments, pay at close, specific dollar amount, percentage of transaction, etc.), they have no question as to what they are getting for their money.

It is my hope that someone at RE/MAX International will be charged with the task of researching this new ACRE designation in the hopes that ACRE can be added to our Profile Page. To assist that person(s) in learning about this program, included below are numerous resources:

www.MyREConsultants.com – for the consumer as well as the agents. At that location, don't miss either of these as well:

www.myreconsultants.com/IntroToConsultingPresentation.html - a presentation designed for agents as an introduction to the consulting approach

www.myreconsultants.com/DeterminingNeeds.html - designed for the consumer to help them explore their options when planning their sale or purchase

http://metrowestrealty.podblaze.com/RealtorsIntroToConsulting.php - a podcast directed at agents to expose them to the consulting approach

www.ACREcourse.com – Provides information about the course and the designation

www.RippingTheRoofOffRealEstate.com – Mollie Wasserman (Mollie@MollieW.com), one of the founders of this program, wrote this very informative book for the consumer. It's well written and an "easy read"...and, despite the provocative title, reflects throughout a clear understanding of both the consumer's challenges and concerns AND the wisdom of having a professional real estate agent involved in their transaction. It is both respectful of the consumer's financial concerns as well as of the agent's time and expertise. I'd strongly recommend reading it.

www.theconsultingtimes.com -- This blog has components for both the consumer and the agent, with primary content provided by the founders of the ACRE, one of whom is Merv Forney, a RE/MAX agent in Northern Virginia (merv.forney@remax.net). His very informative, content-rich consulting site is www.choice3realty.com

RE/MAX did not become the force it is today by sitting back waiting to see what everyone else is doing. It took vision. I strongly believe it is that same "vision" that is at the core of this opportunity and business model. I'm very hopeful you will give it the serious attention it deserves, and add it to our Profiles page so that we may let our RE/MAX brothers and sisters know how we can best serve the needs of their referrals...and how those of us already adopting consulting in our practices can locate like-minded RE/MAX colleagues for our out-going referrals as well.

Judi


Judi Bryan, Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . eMail: mailto:Judi@HomesLady.com
e-PRO Certified Internet Professional ACRE™ Accredited Consultant in Real Estate
RE/MAX Accord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobile: (630) 605-8902
Serving the West/Northwest Suburbs of Chicagoland for over two decades
On the Web: www.HomesLady.com . . . . . . . . and www.InstantRealEstateInfo.com

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Here are two links to the first two profiles about alternative business models:

http://realestate.about.com/od/alternativebusinessmodels/qt/alt_0002_biz.htm

http://realestate.about.com/od/alternativebusinessmodels/qt/alt_0001_biz.htm

This will provide content for my site, a reference resource for real estate professionals, and a great PR link for your sites. Please fill out the form at:

http://realestate.about.com/library/UserIn/blalternative.htm

Jim

This page contains a single entry by Bill Holt published on June 30, 2007 7:28 AM.

My New Investor Client was the previous entry in this blog.

Client Wants To Be Removed from MLS is the next entry in this blog.

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