Let’s face it, there will always be FSBOs. It seems that those stubborn personality types will always be around. Convincing a FSBO to list with you takes time and dedication. In fact, on average a FSBO is not ready to list with an agent until after the fifth or sixth contact. However, there will be many instances when a FSBO is never won over by any agent ever. Over the course of your real estate career you’ve likely heard some of the most ridiculous excuses below.

Real estate is one of the few industries that has not yet been completely transformed by technology. While sites like Trulia, Zillow, and Redfin have removed some of the human to human interaction involved the buying/selling process, 88% of home buyers used an agent or broker to purchase their home this year. In fact, the largest group of first-time home buyers, millennials, are more likely to use a real estate agent than any previous generation, at 90%. Although technology has not dipslaced agents, it has increased the standards of service they're held to. With tools such as home search sites and value estimates, leads are able to self-educate online, raising their expected standards of service. The best real estate agents in 2017 will provide top notch customer service and care. Follow these six tips to start providing real estate leads with the best possible customer service.

If you’re like most real estate agents, one of the biggest obstacles you run into is not having enough time. One of the reasons for this is often trying to determine how to label or categorize your leads. However, you may not be utilizing the correct search criteria to categorize leads. We’ll explore how Zurple’s Hot Behaviors can help save you time by indicating which leads are likely to convert.

Let’s face it, 2017 is a sellers market and there’s not a lot of bargaining room to ask for major repairs. Many buyers agents are being pressured into skimping out on their client’s repair requests, for fear of losing out on a sale. However, the buyer's agent duty is to negotiate in their client’s favor, while remaining professional. Home buyers are also more likely to experience buyer’s remorse when their new home requires a face lift. Use these negotiation tactics below to remain competitive in this year's seller's market while fighting for your client's best interests. 

In this edition of Agent Insights, Sussie Sutton, a UTR Texas Realtor in Houston shares some quick tips on how to keep safe at open houses.