Talk to mortgage brokers.
Many first-time homebuyers don’t take the time to get prequalified. They also often don’t take the time to shop around to find the best mortgage for their particular situation. It’s important to ask plenty of questions and make sure you understand the home loan process completely.

Be ready to move.
This is especially true in markets with a low inventory of homes for sale. It’s very common for homebuyers to miss out on the first home they wish to purchase because they don’t act quickly enough. By the time they’ve made their decision, they may find that someone else has already purchased the house.

Find a trusted partner.
It’s absolutely vital that you find a real estate professional who understands your goals and who is ready and able to guide you through the home buying process.

Make a good offer.
Remember that your offer is very unlikely to be the only one on the table. Do what you can to ensure it’s appealing to a seller.

Factor maintenance and repair costs into your buying budget.
Even brand-new homes will require some work. Don’t leave yourself short and let your home deteriorate.

Think ahead.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in your present needs, but you should also think about reselling the home before you buy. The average first-time buyer expects to stay in a home for around 10 years, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2013 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

Develop your home/neighborhood wish list.
Prioritize these items from most important to least.

Select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you’d like to live in, taking into account nearby schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety.

View your paid and unpaid invoices at any time. In 5 easy steps!

Keep your clients and fellow members up to date with your most recent information. 

National Economists Lawrence Yun (NAR) and Robert Dietz (NAHB), share industry-leading insight on this year's market analysis and trends for our region.

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission is who tracks member credit hours. Brokers must complete 8 hours of CE – comprised of one Update course and one Elective course – each year by June 10 in order to maintain active license status. See Commission Rule 58A .1702 for details.

Not sure if you have satisfied this requirement? Login to your license record to view your education history.

MLS Tax Suite Video Tutorials

Learn how to use MLS Tax Suite to research and evaluate properties as well as find new prospects.

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Looking to grow? These questions from Tom Ferry will help you identify sales agents who are the right fit for your company.

How does your company make a difference to a salesperson’s career? What value does your office offer new and experienced real estate agents?

Before you begin recruiting salespeople for your team, identify what your brokerage has to offer. Once you have a firm grasp on what sets your company apart from the agents’ perspective, then you can start building a successful sales force.

Whether it’s a rookie agent or an experienced salesperson, do your homework before you make contact. Real estate coach Tom Ferry suggests approaching it as you would a buyer consultation. Google your prospect and get to know a little about their history and career. Then arm yourself with questions that will evoke thoughtful conversation and provide insight as to whether this person will be a good fit for your team.

Here are four questions to ask experienced agents and four to ask new agents from Ferry’s Recruiting Tips and Scripts.

Experienced agents:

• What are you seeing in the market right now?
• How are market trends affecting the way clients deal with you and your real estate transaction?
• Tell me about specific trends that are affecting you and what you are doing to overcome these challenges.
• Do you see any opportunities? What are you doing to take advantage of these opportunities?

New agents:

• What makes you interested in a career in real estate?
• Do you have another job right now? If so, please tell me about your current position.
• Do you have any experience selling?
• Are you planning on a full-time or part-time career in real estate?

Asking the right questions will open up a dialogue and provide context for you to present your company’s value, whether it is education and training, culture, support, or market expertise.

Get into the practice of asking more questions and speaking less, Ferry says, because the interview is about the agent, not the broker.

Before your initial phone call, brokers should keep a few questions in mind to measure the compatibility of the salesperson:

• Do they project a “marketing” state of mind?
• Will they overcome the fear of failure and asking for business?
• Are they coachable?
• What is their past sales history? Will they volunteer their past track record?
• Are they self-directed or self-starters?
• Do they want success more than you want it for them?

If your first conversation goes well, it’s time to invite your prospective agent into the office. Here are Ferry’s recruiting scripts for setting an in-person appointment:

Experienced agent:

_______(prospect name), my goal is to help you make a better decision. You said you needed _____________(recap what they need), right? I believe we would be a great match and that we have the system in place to help you reach your goals. Let’s get together so you can see the opportunity... Is ________(date, time, location) good or would _________ (date, time, location) be better?

New agent:

We could sit down over a cup of coffee, no pressure, and talk about what you want to achieve in this business and how so many of our agents are already achieving their dreams. Is ________(date, time, location) good or would _________ (date, time, location) be better?

If an experienced agent says no, offer this reply:

I’d love to be your “spare tire,” and I’m always available for questions or consultation as needed. Sound good? Since we’ll be doing transactions together, and I value your thoughts on some really important issues we are facing in this market and economy, let’s meet for coffee.

If a new agent says no, offer this reply:

I appreciate that this may not be the time for you. I’d love to be your “spare tire,” and I’m always available for questions. Sound good? Check back with me periodically. By the way, do you know anyone else that might be interested in hearing more about our company?

For more of Tom Ferry’s recruiting tips and scripts, visit www.tomferry.com/recruitingtips

Introduce your agents to these five user-friendly platforms for building marketing and presentation materials.

There's no reason agents should have to spend hours agonizing over complex design software, meticulously choosing fonts, colors, and layouts. After all, their primary focus should be on customers.

Here is a list of five platforms that will help your team create listing presentations, social media branding, brochures, and property marketing materials. They promise ease of use, offering turnkey designs and templates as well as full customization options.

Even if you have in-house marketing staff, you can still take advantage of these resources. From producing sharable infographics to customizing a YouTube page, these creative platforms are up to any task you throw at them.

1. Canva

This online tool isn’t just about designing flyers or business cards. Whether your agents are looking to market listings or their personal brand, with Canva they can create designs for a variety of marketing needs. Think Facebook cover images, Instagram posts, Twitter and YouTube branding, postcards, presentations, and more. Agents can use Canva to create branded, professional CMAs and brochures that will impress sellers. Canva has an extensive library of modern graphics and images. Or upload your own photos, logos, charts, or graphs. Canva provides help with layout, fonts, color schemes, and more with a simple drag and drop interface. Price: Free

2. Google Slides

Create presentations that sync with any computer or device using Google Slides, an online presentation application. Users can also embed video and animations into presentations, and choose from a variety of themes and fonts. Convert Powerpoint files into Google Slides and vice versa. This is a great tool for brokers and managers who lead meetings and training sessions. Google Slides is part of the Google Apps suite, which is integrated with Google Drive. But what really sets Google Slides apart is that it offers real-time collaboration, so that multiple people can work on a file at the same time. Price: Free

3. Haiku Deck

Don't worry — you don't have to be a poetry expert to use Haiku Deck. This online presentation application lets you create an image-based slide show or “deck” that you can pull up on any device. Haiku Deck uses three words to describe its presentation philosophy: simple, beautiful, and fun. Haiku Deck recently launched Zuru, which automatically lays out all your slides and images for you, so there’s not even a need to choose colors, layouts, or images. All you need to do is upload your presentation outline. Price: Zuru is currently on preorder for $30 per year (will be $60/year), but a basic account with Haiku Deck is free.

4. Piktochart

Infographics are a visually appealing way to communicate data and information to current and potential clients. Piktochart provides infographic templates, charts, graphs, and maps. Upload data from an Excel file or a Google spreadsheet. Piktochart has more than 2,000 graphics you can add to your design, or you can upload your own. Create a newsletter, market your community, or gather market stats to share on social channels. The uses are limitless. Price: Free for a basic plan. A pro account is $29 per month and includes extra infographic templates, more cloud storage space for uploading your own images, enhanced privacy, and watermark removal.

5. Present.me

Agents are educators who teach clients about the real estate process as much as they assist in buying and selling. Present.me speaks to that skill. This online video presentation platform uses a split-screen format, with the presenter on one side of the screen and the presentation slides on the other. That way, even if clients are out-of-state, they can still visually connect with the agent who is making a pitch or explain the details of a transaction. Simply upload the presentation files (PowerPoint slides, PDFs, Google Docs, or Prezi), then hit the record button and walk through the slides using a webcam. Edit mistakes, and embed the final product on your website as a video or send them via e-mail. Videos can also be designated private and secured by a password. Price: Starts at $17.95 per month.