In today's Agent Insights, Craig Ackerman of Ackerman Realty Group isn't a typical real estate agent. He specializes in doing whatever it takes to get top dollar for sellers in San Francisco - whether that means impressive staging or coordinating a total renovation. Today, Craig talks about the key to realtors getting the most bang for their renovation buck.

There are so many rules and regulations you must know and follow to avoid potential legal issues that it can be overwhelming. The risk of facing litigation is only exacerbated by The Fair Housing Act – a set of laws put into place to protect renters and buyers from housing discrimination. Unfortunately, accidentally violating the act is easier than you might realize. In fact, a seemingly harmless question can be prosecutable in the eyes of the law. 

Follow these 4 simple steps to protect yourself:

Referral marketing is so important to the success of your real estate business. Are you doing everything you can to maximize your sphere of influence to generate new clients? Use these friday freebies to optimize your referral marketing and see better results in 2015.

Free Referral Program Resources:

If you're not using real estate apps to maximize your productivity out in the field, you're missing out. Since new apps are released all the time, we're constantly watching for new tools that will help make your life easier. Today, we've got four apps to share that you'll wish you knew about sooner.

Check it out:

Distraction can be a major issue, especially for busy real estate agents who are already struggling with a limited amount of “desk time”. To add to the struggle, most of us are dealing with short attention spans, aggravated by today’s fast-paced, technology-driven lifestyle. Thanks to constant pop-ups, dings and buzzes, combatting the urge to constantly multi-task is a daily battle. Today, we’re going introduce you to several tools you can use to make the most of your desk time, keep you on track and stay focused on your work.

Productivity tools fall into 3 main categories: