Congratulations, Kaitlyn Shumelda, our $5,000 grand prize winner! Kaitlin is currently enrolled as a junior at SUNY – Albany, majoring in linguistics. More details to follow shortly.

“First they ignore us, then they laugh at us, then they fight us, then we win.”

– Gandhi

This memorable quote may be what you experience if and when you start (or restart) a new venture.

And if you’ve thought about buying or investing in real estate recently, it’s entirely possible that you have been met with a few quizzical looks and several skeptical remarks.

That’s because the housing market is so unpredictable right now. The collective  economy, too, is still shaky.

All that may not matter to you, however, if you see the bigger picture. Specifically, mortgage interests rates, as well as housing prices, are at record lows. Prices will eventually correct, which puts you — as a homebuyer or investor — in a nice spot moving forward.

When investing in real estate there may be people who ignore your desire and/or dream. Some may even scoff or laugh at your “foolish” decision to invest in real estate at a time like this.

However, if real estate investing is something you really want to achieve then ignore the doubters and proceed with your passion. In the end, you — not them — will have to live with your decision.

Wouldn’t it be nice to invite them along as you laugh your way to the bank several months/years down the road?

Regardless of your decision — or whatever else you do in life — do something you love. Passion will fire your personal energy source and lead you to the finish line.

The power of good marketing can never be underestimated.

In a market that is full of supply and short on demand, a strong marketing plan is the only way to attract buyers to your listings and close those deals.

The distressed property business presents unique challenges because you have to help buyers, in many cases, see beneath the veneer to embrace the underlying value.

This market also offers unique opportunity — with such a large inventory out there, there has never been a better time for agents who embrace the new climate to generate impressive commissions.

This month’s real estate agent-focused newsletter is all about giving you the tools you need to fast-track your REO and short sale businesses, plus tips and tricks to make your listings stand out from the rest.

To view the July 2010 Agent University free newsletter right now CLICK HERE.

Let’s make the last half of 2010 a super-profitable one, starting now!

The alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. ET Sunday morning (3:30 a.m. ET if you really want to get technical because of Daylight Savings Time) for me to catch my plane to Nashville, Tenn., which was the location for the ERA International Business Conference (IBC) 2010.

Before I knew it I was on the ground, safe and sound at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

I was among the 2,016 attendees, surpassing ERAs goal for the conference of 2,010. There was such a great energy throughout the entire conference.

And it only got better as we delivered our Certified Foreclosure Agent (CFA) curriculum to more than 100 agents on Monday.

They even survived the test!

The breakout sessions were timely with speakers such as Dirk Zeller and Fannie Mae. The general sessions were inspiring, too. Keith Ferrazzi — author of “Who’s got your back” — gave an inspiring address and made us think about the quality of our relationships.

The entire experience was an honor and a pleasure. Thank you ERA … we can’t wait until the next event!

Have you ever seen the rain?

A classic song penned by John Fogerty comes to mind as I share with you my experience at ActiveRain’s “RainCamp” in Dallas, Texas, earlier this week.

Alongside more than 300 attendees, I learned the ins-and-outs of social media and marketing on the Web. This conference did not disappoint.

I was excited to learn from many of the top experts when it comes to marketing real estate. This day-long session focused on creating content, as well as how to gain higher visibility among the search engines.

We were provided with more than 75 different resources to research and explore. From CRMs to photo resources, agents in attendance — from across Texas and beyond — were able to take home the things learned and start applying them immediately to increase their listing and selling opportunities.

The agents in the room were definitely leading the pack because they understood that most house hunters are going to do their own research first before they reach out to an agent. So it’s important for agents to have a presence in the community both online and on the ground.

Since I’m a big believer of walking what I talk, I would highly recommend agents who want to learn how to grow their Web presence get educated and then go to work using the concepts they learned.

And then you will likely see the “rain” (in dollars) pouring in!