It’s that time of year — prices are being slashed on just about everything with “Black Friday” week already upon us.

So we decided to toss our hat into savings pile. But it’s not just because everyone else is doing it.

On the contrary, we just returned from the 2009 Realtors® Conference & Expo in San Diego, Calif., which was held from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16. And one thing we all learned is that short sale transactions will comprise a significant amount of business for Realtors® for the next three to five years.

Whether you are a new agent or an experienced broker, now is the time to gain market share and pull away from your competition.

The Certified Short Sale Agent (CSSA) designation is an industry-recognized symbol of excellence and experience. It teaches Realtors® how to make short sales an effective and profitable part of their businesses.

Here are just some of the many benefits:

• Close more deals faster for bigger commissions
• Learn expert techniques to negotiate quick deals
• Get noticed by lenders as a preferred listing agent
• Reach the largest qualified buyer/seller pool
• Emerge as the most knowledgeable “go to” expert in your area

CSSA is a MUST have for any serious listing agent. And for this week only we have extended our NAR show special, which means that you can get CSSA certified NOW for our lowest price ever.

To take advantage of this limited-time discount training opportunity click here. If you have questions or need additional information feel free to call us anytime at (866) 382-4445.

Boca Raton, Fla. (November 10, 2009) — Foreclosure.com today announced that the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC), which administers and enforces real estate license law in the “Sunshine State,” has endorsed its Certified Foreclosure Agent training program, validating the exceptional educational opportunities offered through Agent University.

Real estate professionals who complete the coursework and earn “Specialist” designations will now also receive seven continuing education credit hours from the state agency authorized to monitor the industry.

The Certified Foreclosure Agent live online curriculum, which includes a three-course certification bundle, as well as a certification at the culmination of the training, ensures agents will:

• Close more deals and earn higher commissions
• Garner national marketing exposure
• Learn lifetime skills and tools to thrive in any market
• Attract more leads to grow their businesses
• Become preferred listing agents among lenders and other financial institutions

“Distressed real estate is where the money is right now for agents everywhere,” said Foreclosure.com Director of Education, Linda Yates. “Agents who recognize the opportunities in the foreclosure space are enjoying tremendous success. There has never before been a time when buyers and sellers understand the distressed real estate alternatives than they do today.”

Distressed real estate sales, which include foreclosures and short sales, are big business in today’s market, accounting for more than 40 percent of transactions in the first quarter of 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).

The Certified Foreclosure Agent program — with its intensive training and testing process — is leading the charge to educate agents to take greater advantage of this current market trend, connecting them with multiple buyers in their areas.

It’s important to note that all licensed real estate agents nationwide are eligible to receive Certified Foreclosure Agent training — it is not limited to Florida professionals only. Approval in Florida, however, signals the start of nationwide acceptance for the industry-leading continuing education curriculum for real estate professionals.

Implicit in this requirement, however, is that the Certified Foreclosure Agent maintain at least a minimum number of hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) each year and conduct him or herself within the ethical mandates established by the profession.

“Florida agents are required to receive 14 hours of continuing education every two years,” said Yates. “This curriculum is timely and critical in today’s environment. Survive or die is the realty that agents are faced with today.”

For more information regarding the Foreclosure.com Certified Foreclosure Agent program please visit agentuniversity.foreclosure.com/cfa/index.html or call us at (866) 382-2439.

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About Certified Foreclosure Agent program from Foreclosure.com:
The Certified Foreclosure Agent program offered through Agent University is the latest in a long line of truly innovative continuing education opportunities that Foreclosure.com offers to expand the practice and knowledge of real estate professionals nationwide. The training curriculum is delivered in a candidate-friendly format that comprises live and pre-recorded online sessions that agents participate in from the convenience of their homes and offices. This career-building certification program goes hand-in-hand with the Foreclosure.com Broker Network — the most authoritative directory in the industry used by lenders, asset managers and homebuyers alike to handpick the most qualified agents for the job.

On the Web:
Certified Foreclosure Agent Program: agentuniversity.foreclosure.com/cfa/index.html
Community Expert Program: www.foreclosure.com/realestateleads.html
Broker Network: www.foreclosure.com/brokernetwork.html

For more on the Certified Foreclosure Agent Program at Foreclosure.com Agent University click here.

We’re on the road again!

The Foreclosure.com team will offer agents and brokers two incredible money-saving certification opportunities at The Five Star Default Servicing Conference and Expo this weekend (Sept. 20-23, 2009) .

Certified Foreclosure Agent and Certified Short Sale Agent training will be offered at significantly reduced prices for attendees at the Forth Worth Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. In addition, we’ll be demonstrating our revolutionary automated short sale solution, QuickSale.com, which helps you easily close these “complicated” deals in record time.

Certification benefits include:

• Close more deals
  • Plug your pipeline with leads
  • Earn big commissions
• Negotiate deals faster
  • Learn expert techniques
  • Learn mitigation secrets
• Get noticed by buyers
  • Reach the largest qualified buyer pool
  • Enjoy top placement in our directory
• Get noticed by lenders
  • Become a preferred listing agent
  • Emerge as a “go to” expert

The trained agents who complete our programs emerge as listing powerhouses. It’s knowledge, techniques and strategies that put you on the cutting edge in this tough economy.

Find out how to take advantage of our various training opportunities that we have available in Dallas and beyond after the jump. Get knowledge, techniques and strategies that put you on the cutting edge in this tough economy!

The best way to get started (if you plan to be at Five Star in Dallas) is to sign up at Booth 117 for a free workshop presentation. Space is limited!

We’re in meeting room “Stockyards 2″ at the Omni Downtown Fort Worth, which is next to the convention center.

Here is the schedule:

Monday, Sept. 21, 2009

• Session 1: 1:30 p.m.
• Session 2: 3:00 p.m.
• Session 3: 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009

• Session 4: 9:00 a.m.
• Session 5: 10:30 a.m.
• Session 6: 1:30 p.m.
• Session 7: 3:00 p.m.
• Session 8: 4:30 p.m.

The best way to get started (if you’re not at Five Star in Dallas) is to visit our Web site at http://agentuniversity.foreclosure.com or call us at (866) 382-4445.

LEARN TO MAKE THIS MARKET WORK FOR YOU!

Make big money with real estate — even in a slow housing market and talk of a recession — with expert guidance from industry guru, Damian Lanfranchi.

Damian is the mastermind behind a proprietary automated deal-generating technology, which is being used by real estate investors to get the hottest deals with no work in all 50 states, as well as Canada, New Zealand and parts of France!

Now Damian is ready to show you exactly how this is being done and the simple switch you can flip to automate your entire real estate investing business once and for all.

Score new deals every single day — it’s EASY! Just register for “Done For You Deals Live Tour” to learn how right now.

This FREE educational session is available to watch LIVE online during a 90-minute presentation scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. ET. CLICK HERE.

This course will cover:

• Getting instant credibility as an investor (even if you’ve never done a deal)
• The BIG miss 96 percent of investors make when it comes to how to use the Internet to get deals (you can literally destroy your chances of success before you even start!)
• Capturing the most motivated buyer and seller leads before your competition
• How to follow up with leads until they become deals (without doing any of the work)
• The secret to pre-selling homeowners so you can turn fast “Done-For-You” deals
• How to instantly increase your closing rate every time you sit down to the table (even if you hate sales)
• Why investors lose tens of thousands of dollars miscalculating deal profits (and how you can never make this costly mistake again)

This is a potentially life-changing learning experience that will introduce you to a proven system you can use to make it big … and stay big.

Register today and get a FREE gift (Value = $429) just for showing up! We look forward to having you on the Webinar!

To attend “Done For You Deals Live Tour” on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. ET at no cost CLICK HERE.

Here are two quick pictures I snapped with my iPhone this morning:

Can’t wait to chat with several great industry contacts, “pick up the latest ideas” and “spend a full day of learning and networking.”

Looking forward to that genuine Bacardi Mojito at the closing event, too.

Several of Century 21’s top real estate agents from throughout the nation recently descended on the Westin Diplomat in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to participate in a training retreat.

Century 21 — the world’s largest residential real estate sales organization — recently selected Foreclosure.com Agent University to put a select group of industry professionals through its Certified Foreclosure Agent training program.

This is a career-building certification course designed specifically for individuals who are interested in foreclosures and expanding their business to include sales of Real Estate Owed (REO) properties, short sales and other distressed real estate.

All of the Century 21 agents who participated in the comprehensive learning experience were required to complete and pass an exam for each of the three topics presented receive their Certified Foreclosure Agent “Specialist” designation. For more background on the “Specialist” designation click here.

We had such a great group — many of agents flew in a day early and left a day late because of opportunity to travel to South Florida and, in the process, take home skills that will grow their businesses.

To learn more about the Certified Foreclosure Agent program click here. Broker owners and managers should contact us direct (866.382.4445) for more details on bulk pricing savings.

Start your own foreclosure “clean-out” business and earn up to $500,000 a year — more than $50,000 per month — with help and direction from nationally recognized author and real estate investor, Elaine Zimmermann.

All you need is desire to make $2,000 a day (up to $50,000) with your own foreclosure clean-out business and a truck to haul all your profits. No experience necessary. No special schooling. Learn everything you need to reach to decision-makers who can give you the bids to begin working in this lucrative field right now.

Register for “Make $50,000+ a Month with Foreclosure Clean-out” before it’s too late. Click here. The educational session is available to watch LIVE online during a 90-minute money-making presentation scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m. ET.

Here are some of the tools you will discover:

• Establish your own money-making foreclosure clean-out business with no experience
• Begin your business with no up-front costs
• Take advantage of the record number of foreclosures before its too late!
• Ensure a recession-proof career — the worse the economy is, the more money you make!
• Get everything you need to get started — no extra fees or hidden costs

The demand for foreclosure clean-out is soaring as the amount of annual foreclosures climbs to 10 times the number of a few years ago. Enter this high-paying field today!

Register for “Make $50,000+ a Month with Foreclosure Clean-out” before it’s too late. Spots are limited and filling up FAST! CLICK HERE.

Webinars are LIVE educational sessions that let participants see, hear and interact with real estate experts right from their personal computer screens. In fact, Webinars are driven in part by visitor feedback and questions that are posed during the sessions. For more information and course offerings click here.

Dry cleaner. Electrical engineer. e-Trader.

These are just a handful of the different professions of the individuals who take me up on the invitation to learn the foreclosure and auction process.

Every time I take a class to the Palm Beach County Courthouse there is always something new to learn — there is never a dull day.

For example, this past week there was a property that was valued at $150,000 that went for $30,000. The bidding started at $12,000.

It’s because of deals like this that the crowds at the courthouse are beginning to grow. Savvy investor groups are sprouting everywhere. They understand that deals can be had and that now is the time to invest.

So what are you waiting for? You could be missing the deal of the century … or several of them.

Come see what you are missing by joining us for a free courthouse tour — we’re happy to show you around each week!

Linda Yates, Director of Education at Foreclosure.com, conducts FREE auction education classes at the Palm Beach County Courthouse. The class will teach you how to look up information on the properties for sale, then you will attend a live auction to see how the auction process works. To make a reservation for the class call 1-866-382-2439. You MUST have a reservation because class sizes are limited.

What an exciting prospect!

With so many hot properties still on the market, this could be the month you find that one amazing deal of a lifetime.

But how do you narrow down your selection with so many great opportunities from which to choose?

The August 2009 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which details how you can find the best real estate deals in your area with half the effort … and for half the price.

Search smarter, not harder!

With the market saturated with deep discount properties, finding the one that is right for you in that perfect area will be key to making it big. And this month we’re going to show you how.

It’s a great time to make the jump, whether it’s your first home or investment. Foreclosures and bank-owned homes are more than likely now available in your area for unheard of low prices; however, these homes are in high demand.

In fact, distressed real estate sales account for a huge chunk — more than half — of all transactions today.

So it’s important to know how, when and where to search for great deals and capitalize on them before someone else does — timing is more important than ever before.

Get a jump on the competition and check out “Find the Deal” to get the head start you need today to breathe a sigh of relief (and satisfaction) tomorrow! CLICK HERE.

Remember that “Investment Exchange” is a FREE resource that Foreclosure.com provides its site visitors. Sign up to receive the educational real estate newsletter each month at no cost right here.