2012 List Issue: Take the Lead

If the past five years have been extraordinarily difficult, they’ve also been emblematic of the underlying strength of the real estate industry. In a Harris Interactive survey conducted last year on behalf of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, a vast majority of both owners and renters said owning is better over the long term. And 93 percent of home owners surveyed said they’d buy again.

That’s the kind of data to heed if you want to consistently attain your goals in difficult economic times. “Don’t focus on the market itself. The market is the market,” says Tom Stevens, who served as president of NAR in 2006. Instead, focus on what you want to achieve, your strengths, and the strengths of real estate in general.

As Stevens and others who’ve led the association can attest, the financial crisis isn’t the only serious challenge REALTORS® have faced in recent history. In the 1980s, they coped with prolonged high interest rates and the 1986 Tax Reform Act, which devastated real estate syndication, helping to precipitate the saving-and-loan crisis. In the 1990s REALTORS® fought attacks on the mortgage interest deduction and forged a path on the Internet, with its threat to diminish the role of real estate agents.

Perhaps more than anyone, the men and women at the helm of NAR shaped the industry’s response to these challenges and, in doing so, left an inspiring legacy. So to kick off our 2012 List Issue, REALTOR® Magazine asked the association’s past presidents to talk about what they’ve learned about leadership and to tell us what they’d focus on today if they were in your shoes.

News & Commentary

NAR's presidents share lessons on leadership.

• What Did You Learn About Leadership as President of NAR?
• What Should Salespeople and Brokers Focus On Right Now?
   

Home & Design

Which remodeling projects provide the biggest bang for the buck? What staging trends are generating the most buzz? Need ideas for boosting energy efficiency?

• 2011-12 Cost vs. Value: Big-Bang Remodeling Projects
• 5 Low-Cost Kitchen Redos Buyers Will Love
• Hot Staging Trends in 2012
• Sniffle-Proof a Home: Top Allergy-Fighting Ideas
• Green Up Home Cleanup
• 4 Home Technologies for Energy Efficiency
• Two Home Redos Customers Crave
• Cutting-Edge Color
   

Technology

The newest social media sites and other tech tools will keep you at the top of your game. Plus: How and why to raise your Klout score.

• Winning Features for any Real Estate Web Site
• 4 Networks Worth Knowing
• Three Ways to Raise Your Klout Score
• 4 Surprising Findings About How You Use Technology
• Spend Only One Hour a Week on Social Media
• 5 Tech Tools to Help Your Business -- and Life -- Soar
• Battle Royale: Google+ vs. Facebook
• Bonus Online Exclusive: 4 Ways to Make Online Recommendations Work for You

For Brokers

Recruiting is an important part of your company's growth strategy, but be careful not to cross ethical lines. Taking the high road will bolster your reputation and your business.

• Recruiting: 5 Ways to Cross the Line
• 5 Tips to Improve Retention
• Avoid Threats to Your Livelihood
   

Commercial

You can win new business by making smarter calls, not more calls. And remember that no job should be considered too small — since the customer could be yours for the long haul.

• Six Threats to Real Estate Investment — and What You Can Do About Them
• 10 Tips for Tenant Retention in a Lessee's Market
• Seven Strategies to Get New Business Now
• Five Ways We'll Work Differently 10 Years From Now
   

Sales & Marketing

Negotiating isn't about winning or losing but about enabling both parties to feel satisfied. Plus: Look at smart ways to find clients — and keep them.

• 4 Ways to Keep a Client
• 5 Strategies to Becoming a Better Negotiator
• 7 Tips for Making a Better Elevator Pitch
• Don't Do This During a Listing Presentation!
• 13 Tips for Better Direct Mail Campaigns
• 6 Ways to Supplement Your Income
• Make Better Use of Your Time
   

Law & Ethics

Did you know at least 23 laws have a role in residential real estate? Plus: Changes in the Code of Ethics you should know about.

• 9 Tips for Surviving a Deposition
• The 6 Most Challenging Code of Ethics Articles
• 4 Code of Ethics Changes You Need to Know for 2012
• 23 Federal Laws that Affect Residential Sales
• 5 Obscure Real Estate Laws

Click here to return to our tips page and access other list issues.