John Henderson’s Blog

When our students pass the California real estate exam and start a new career, more and more of them are using the Internet to market houses for sale. Often, your online listing is the first contact buyers have with a property, and it’s that impression can make or break the deal. If a potential buyer likes what he or she sees online, and the price and specifications are all in the right range, you’re much more likely to get buyers to contact you. Given this important fact, I’m surprised at how often real estate agents and brokers overlook the chance to showcase the best features of their listings. Here are a few suggestions you might find helpful:

1. If the front of the house is overgrown or unattractive, instead of taking a picture of front of the house and yard, focus on the front door, or even show the front door opening into the house. This will visually invite a potential buyer into the house, rather than turning the person off with an unruly looking exterior.

2. When taking interior photos of a house, be sure to try and capture as much of the room as possible. Choose a digital camera with a good wide angle lens. The wide angle setting on your camera should be 28 mm or less. While you can focus on a selling feature (like a fireplace or French doors), remember, you’re selling the house, not the furnishings.

3. Along the same lines, make sure beds are made and clutter is picked up before taking photos in an occupied residence. If sellers are moving out, and the property will be empty, you may want to suggest that they leave a few key pieces in each room to help make rooms more approachable for buyers. For many people, it’s hard to picture living in a house that’s completely empty, and even a few key pieces will peak their interest. Talk to the seller of a vacant house about the benefits of “staging” the home by having well chosen rental furnishing moved-in so that the home shows well.

4. If you make a reference to an important feature in the house (like green tea granite in the kitchen, a wine cellar, or a 1000-jet spa tub), be sure to include a photo of the feature you’re describing.

5. This last point is obvious, but often overlooked. Check your online listings regularly to make sure that the photos are working, and any links in the listing are active. And, have a friend proof-read any text you have with your photos to make sure there aren’t any typos. If you show this level of attention to detail in your online listings, both sellers and buyers will feel confident that you’ll display the same attention to detail while working on their behalf.

By now you’ve realized that there is nothing new or revolutionary about the points above. They’re all very obvious and simple. But sometimes we all need a reminder of the little things that make what we do even better. And, remember, online listings are not just for potential buyers. Sellers also look at online listings to find out which agents are active in their areas, and use this information to help choose a real estate agent when they’re ready to list their homes for sale.

As always, if you’re interested in starting or furthering your real estate career, the Real Estate Centre, has a program to meet your needs. You can find details on our courses and programs at the links below:

New to real estate?
Get started in real estate with our Jump Start Program:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll-salesperson.htm

Ready for your broker’s license?
Find everything you need:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/bkr-course-descriptions.htm

Need help passing the real estate salesperson or broker exam?
Enroll in our live exam prep class:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll.htm

Still have questions? Call the Real Estate Centre at 310-410-9718.

There are two real estate related statewide propositions (Proposition 98 and 99) on the upcoming California ballot. A good analysis of the measures can be found in George Skelton’s column in the May 1, 2008 edition of the Los Angeles Times. The full text of Mr. Skelton’s column can be found at the link below:
http://www.latimes.com/business/taxes/la-me-cap1-2008may01,0,4066644.column

I mention this column not only because voting is important, but also because both propositions deal with a topic I discussed in an earlier blog: eminent domain (“Real Estate and Baseball,” April 11). Eminent domain allows the government to purchase property from private individuals in order to construct projects for the public good. Sometimes when governments purchase properties under eminent domain, these properties are then been given to private parties (like developers): the public gets some benefit from the construction projects, but a private entity also benefits.

Each of the propositions on the upcoming ballot has different sponsors (and different goals), but both seek to limit the circumstances where the government can take property under eminent domain. And, as with most propositions, other issues (such as revoking some rent control ordinances) are included in just to confuse things. In case you’re wondering, should both propositions pass, the one with the most votes will take effect.

Check out Mr. Skelton’s column, and read the propositions carefully before you decide which (if either) to vote for. You can read the full text of both proposed measures on the California Secretary of State’s website: http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/index.shtml.

I’m not advocating pro or con for either proposition. My interest in them is solely in the fact that they’re related to California real estate, which is a subject I am passionate about. For those of you who are now excited (or enraged) and ready to vote, voting takes place on June 3, 2008.

If my talk about eminent domain has sparked your interest in real estate, maybe it’s time to get a real estate license. The information you learn in the prerequisite courses will not only make you smarter person, you’ll be an informed homeowner, renter, and/or investor, and maybe find fame and fortune in a new career. If you already have your real estate license, maybe it’s time to get your broker’s license to re-energize your career.

Regardless of whether you’re new to real estate or advancing your career, The Real Estate Centre offers a full range of courses, both live and home study. For more information call our office at 310-410-9718 or visit us online at www.realestatecentre.biz.

I can already hear the groans from anyone reading the headline above. Like many of us, real estate agents livelihoods are closely tied to their cell phones. Without cell phones, smart phones, e-mail, and text messaging, it would be difficult for real estate professionals to get their jobs done. In many ways, these technologies have made our jobs easier, and much more efficient. They have also made driving much more dangerous.

To keep us all safer on the roads, a new law goes into effect on July 1, 2008 prohibiting drivers from using cell while driving unless they use a hands-free device. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, starting on July 1, you can be pulled over and ticketed for talking on your cell phone while driving. Fines for talking and driving start at $20 and go up from there. You can find details on the new law, and answers to all of your questions at the link below:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/

In real estate it’s important to respond to your customers quickly: a sale sometimes depends on it. But no sale is as important as being safe. Don’t risk your life or the lives of others, talk and drive responsibly.

Now that my safety sermon is done, keep in mind that you can also use your cell phone (although preferably not while driving) to call the Real Estate Centre to enroll in a variety of courses to further your real estate career. If you currently have a conditional salesperson license, we can help you complete the required coursework for a 4-year license, in as little as 6 weeks. If you’re an experienced real estate salesperson thinking about getting a broker’s license, we can customize a program to help you complete the necessary coursework in just a few months. Or, if you’re new to real estate, and still need to pass the state licensing exam, check out our one day exam prep class, over 90% of our students pass their exams on the first try.

Whether you’re just starting out, or moving up in your career, we can help. For more information, call the Real Estate Centre at 310-410-9718, or visit our website at www.realestatecentre.biz.

I recently ran across an interesting video segment on CNBC about real estate foreclosures. Anyone who reads the newspaper or watches the news on TV knows that foreclosures are at an all time high, with little relief in sight. The CNBC story looks at a different area of foreclosures — foreclosures of high end homes. Clearly from this report, the credit crunch has hit all economic classes, including owners of expensive, upscale properties.

The report also touches on the increase in auctions where homes in foreclosures are sold at greatly reduced prices. With so much auction inventory available, real estate investors are being tempted to get back into the game. You can view this CNBC story in it’s entirety at the following link:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=720203325

Understanding the real estate market, including the foreclosure process, presents great opportunities for anyone with a California real estate license. If you’re tempted to jump in and take advantage of the down market, getting a real estate license is the first step. As a licensed real estate salesperson, you’ll have access to opportunities before others learn about them. You’ll also have an in depth understanding of the real estate market, and know where to find information to help you make sound, informed decision about investments.

Sound interesting? For more information, contact The Real Estate Centre at 310-410-9718. If you’re new to real estate, our Jump Start package is the one for you. If you’ve taken a class or two in the past, we’ll customize a program just for you. You can also find information on The Real Estate Centre, and all of our course offerings online at www.realestatecentre.biz.

So, you really want to get your real estate salesperson or broker’s license, and you finished all the required courses months ago, but it’s easy to put off taking the test. Studying isn’t much fun and you’re not feeling motivated. So how to you find a class with a teacher who can motivate you, and give you the edge you need to pass the real estate licensing exams? The answer to that question can be summed up in two words: John Henderson.

For the entire month of May, John Henderson is teaching EVERY prep class offered by The Real Estate Centre. That’s right, regardless of location or date, for the month of May it’s all John, all the time.

What’s so great about that? John Henderson, the founder and owner of The Real Estate Centre, is an attorney and real estate broker. John is the author of the Real Estate Centre’s one day exam prep courses, he’s the guy on the CDs, and over the years he’s helped over 100,000 people pass their real estate licensing exams. This is a great opportunity to learn from the best.

Still not convinced? Worried about the current slump in the real estate market? We won’t deny that your worries are well founded. But think about this: historically, slumps in the real estate market are common, and historically the market bounces back. The downturn was in the early 1990s, and there were many more before that. Each time the market slows, people worry. And each time, the market comes back, as strong as before, if not stronger. The current real estate market is a difficult one, but if history is any indication (and it is), it won’t stay that way for long. And, when it does start to improve, wouldn’t it be nice to have your real estate license and be primed to move up with the market?

It’s the perfect time to lay the foundation to either start a new career, or move to the next level of your current real estate career.

So, if you’re one of the people who jumped on the bandwagon a year ago, completed your coursework, but never took the state exam, join John’s May teaching marathon and pass your exam. In no time the Department of Real Estate will be sending your salesperson or broker’s license (suitable for framing).

If you’re new to the field, enroll in the three home study courses required for the salesperson license, spend a fun-filled day with John Henderson, pass your state exam, and in as little as 3-4 months, you’ll have your real estate license.
If you a real estate salesperson ready to move to the next level, it’s fast and easy to complete the home study courses for your broker’s license. Then spend a day with John and you’ll breeze through the broker exam.

Sound easy? It really is. Call The Real Estate Centre at 310-410-9718 for more information. Or visit us online at http://www.realestatecentre.biz.

Baseball and real estate – they don’t seem to have much in common, do they? Well, if you live in Southern California, they actually have a lot in common. Did you know that Chavez Ravine, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was taken by eminent domain? Here’s the story:

Chavez Ravine was named for Julian Chavez, on of the first Los Angeles County Supervisors in the 1800s. It was the home generations of Mexican Americans who lived in a tight-knit community.

In 1950, the city of Los Angeles used the power of eminent domain to purchase the property in Chavez Ravine with the goal of building public housing on the land. The power of eminent domain allows the government to purchase property from private individuals in order to construct projects for the public good; the city planned to use the land to build 10,000 units of public housing. By August 1952, the residents were gone and Chavez Ravine was essentially a ghost town.

For a variety of reasons, in 1953 the LA City Council decided the housing project was not feasible. At the same time, the city of Los Angeles desperately wanted its own major league team. With a promise of Chavez Ravine as the site of a new stadium, the city struck a deal with Walter O’Malley to move the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. City officials deemed a baseball stadium as serving the public good, and the rest is history.

Real estate plays a key roll in much of our lives, from where you live, to your favorite sport. Have you ever thought about a career in real estate? If so, the first place to start is by getting your real estate license. Interested? With the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start program, it’s fast and easy to complete the required course and get your real estate license in just a few short months. To start the process, you’ll complete three home study courses (real estate principles, real estate practice, and one elective). You’ll complete all of the work at home, at your own pace, and take the online final at your convenience. Then, in my one day live exam prep class, you’ll learn everything you need to know to pass your salesperson licensing exam.

For more information on the Real Estate Centre’s programs and course offerings, go to www.RealEstateCentre.biz. Or, call us at 310-410-9718.

I get asked that question all the time. Students spend months working through home study courses, and preparing for their state licensing exams, and then reality strikes. You did it! You completed three home study courses, and passed the real estate licensing exam – now what?

Most of my students usually head in one or two directions, either they work in residential real estate sales, or in the mortgage business. Regardless of your area of interest, my advice is the same, find a broker who will train you. The knowledge you gained in your studies so far is a good foundation for any work you do, but it’s just a foundation. It doesn’t teach you anything about the reality of doing the job.

Since every real estate salesperson is required to work under the supervision of a broker find a broker who understands the importance of training. Interview brokers before you choose one. Ask them what kind of training they provide.

Some brokers provide training in their offices, and others use formal training programs provided by their corporate offices. However it’s done, the training should provide you with the concrete skills needed to make the sale and process the paperwork. Without this practical training, your license is just another pretty piece of paper to hang on the wall.

So, if you’re a newly licensed agent, congratulations! You put in a lot of work to get your license. Now, the fun part begins. You don’t need to work for the first broker you talk to. Visit a number of offices and interview the broker to see if he or she is a person you want to work for. Yes, money is important, and commissions will be something you’ll want to discuss, but don’t forget to ask about training. It really is the key to your success in real estate.

And, for those of you who don’t yet have your license, but want to start the process, call the Real Estate Centre to find out how easy it is to get started. Our Jump Start package provides you with everything you need to get your real estate salesperson’s license. Isn’t it time that you took control of your life, and your livelihood? For more information, call 310-410-9718, or visit us online at www.realestatecentre.biz.

Today is the first day of spring. It’s a time for new beginnings, and a time to take on new challenges. The real estate market might be in a slump right now, but ups and downs have always happened in the real estate market and, real estate always recovers. It may take awhile, and I’m sure we’ll see many changes in the coming months, but I am confident that the real estate market will turn around.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be positioned to profit when the market starts to improve? The idea starting point is a real estate license. As a licensed real estate salesperson, you’ll be able to take advantage of the changes in the market and move into a fulfilling career when the market starts to move again.

With the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start program, it’s fast and easy to complete the required course and get your real estate license in just a few short months. To start the process, you’ll complete three home study courses (real estate principles, real estate practice, and one elective). You’ll complete all of the work at home, at your own pace, and take the online final at your convenience. Then, in my one day live exam prep class, you’ll learn everything you need to know to pass your salesperson licensing exam.

So, spring into action, and take the first step in your real estate career. For more information on the Real Estate Centre’s programs and course offerings, go to www.RealEstateCentre.biz. Or, call us at 310-410-9718.

It’s that time of again. The holidays are behind us and it’s time to look ahead to the New Year. Here’s what many people include on their list of resolutions:

1. Lose weight – how many times has this been on your list? You know you’ll stay on the diet until the weekend, and then all will be lost (except any weight). I wish I had a secret formula for you, but I don’t.

2. Exercise, eat right, get plenty of sleep. Sounds good, but who are you kidding?

3. Get out of your dead end job. Now this is something that can, and will change your life. If you’ve stalled on this goal in past years, you’ve come to the right place. I can help you get started on a new (and rewarding) career in real estate.

With The Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start program, you’ll complete the required coursework, and pass your real estate licensing exam in just a few short months. And then, the sky’s the limit. To start the process, you’ll complete three home study courses (real estate principles, real estate practice, and one elective). You’ll complete all of the work at home, at your own pace, and take the online final at your convenience. Then, in my one day live exam prep class, you’ll learn everything you need to know to pass your salesperson licensing exam. And, before you know it, you’ll have a real estate salesperson license.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It’s a goal you really can achieve. Unlike the diet you’ve already blown. And, if you get started now, you’ll receive a $5.00 discount on any order you place through our website (www.RealEstateCentre.biz). Just enter “trec5” in our shopping cart when you’re prompted for a discount code.

For more information on The Real Estate Centre’s packages and course offerings, go to www.RealEstateCentre.biz. Or, call us at 310-410-9718.

Are you looking for a gift for that special person, but can’t find the right thing? How about a jump start on a new career? With the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start program, a new career is only a few months away. The program includes the three home study courses required to qualify for the California Real Estate salesperson licensing exam, plus my one day live exam prep class.

Don’t get sucked into mall shopping, fighting for parking places, and long lines to check out. Order the Real Estate Centre’s Jump Start program and give the gift the changes lives. And, remember giving starts at home so order one for yourself, too.

For more information call 310-410-9718, or order online at http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll-salesperson.htm.