Success Celebrations

Yesterday was the RE/MAX Mid-States Success Celebration. This year it was a great banquet as usual, but was bittersweet for many. In one of the worst years in real estate, many were not very excited to think about attending a success celebration. Our industry numbers show that on average 15% of our membership did not "come back" to experience 2009. So for those who are still in the business - yes the numbers may be down, yes you may have experienced a drop in income and expenses are on the rise, but you are the remaining, the professional, and the successful. What a great reason to celebrate - there are many opportunities ahead!

Congratulations to Larry Keating who was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for the Region and also the #1 office in transactions and volume in the Mid-States Region (Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas) RE/MAX Boone Realty

Music Makes A Moment

I am sitting at home watching the Grammy's and loving all of the super musical numbers. Music calms the beast, lifts the heart and just makes a huge difference in your mood and attitude. This year at the Missouri Association of REALTORS January meetings we started a General Session in the morning to get everyone together to start the day. Outside the room you could hear the music blasting from the hall and you knew that something exciting was happening inside. If you want to make your showing experiences with clients, meetings, events or activities memoriable and fun - don't forget the music!

It all comes back to Seinfeld

We have a saying in our office - It all comes back to Seinfeld. It seems that the show about nothing was actually about everything. The great thing about pop-culture phenomenas is that you can enjoy and share stories with your friends and co-workers. We have had so many laughs at the office because we find ourselves in another Seinfeld moment. Tonight I am headed to St. Louis to see Jerry Seinfeld perform. I know I will have many more fun moments and laughs at the office this week when I share the stories. It is great to have fun co-workers and agents who have a good sense of humor and knowledge of pop-culture!

Go for the Gold!

Be Great in '08 - I love the Olympics!! The weeks leading up and the actual events are filled with excitement, energy, passion and patriotism. Don't try to find or schedule any appointments while the events are happening because I will be glued to my TV. We had an awesome event with our company at the Copperstone Club House to kick-off and celebrate the opening ceremonies. Agents are like Olympians - they work hard, are dedicated to their sport and are committed to the American Dream! Be Great in '08 - GO USA!

Summer Sun

I am so excited for summer. This is the busy season in real estate so everyone seems to be in a more positive state of mind. This year started off with the death of my grandfather, Hirst Mendenhall - not a great way to begin the year. In the past three years three of my grandparents have died. It was a wake up call to realize that I needed to spend more time with my family and friends. This summer I am headed to North Carolina to our family reunion. I have not been in eight years! I am so excited to see everyone and catch up. We are in an industry where we help families move and relocate everyday. No matter where they go - we help them stay together! Moments with your family are the best moments in life.

Headed to the Hill

It is time for the REALTOR associations to make the annual pilgrimage to Washington D.C. and lobby for property rights. It amazing to realize that 9000 REALTORS from all over the country go to meet with the members of Congress to look after the rights of the property owners everywhere.

This year is special because it is the 100th anniversary of the National Association of REALTORS. I am really excited to meet Ebby Holliday who is the guest of honor at the meetings. She is also a past president of the Women's Council of REALTORS. My grandmother used to talk about Ebby and what a great role model and leader she is for everyone in the industry. For all of those who walked before me - Thank you for your ideas, commitment and leadership.

Tax Time

Here we are again - another month of taxes. As a real estate agent, we have this unique tax situation that the majority of American workers will never have - self employment tax and quarterly filings. I mean let's face it - most people will never have this problem. But is it a problem or an opportunity? The ability to run your own business, set your own hours, be with your family on those special occasions is all worth it. So while this might be a rough year to figure out how to pay the people - the moments with those special people in your life make it all worth while.

Declining Market!?

In the past week Boone County has ended up on a list identifying us as in a declining market. How did we end up on the list? How do we get off the list? What does this mean for the home market? All of these answers are up in the air as our industry searched to sort out these answers. What it does mean is that now more than ever it is important that you use a RE/MAX realtor who is armed with knowledge and information to help clients achieve their goals.

Be Great in '08

Now is the time for all good realtors to come to the aid of the economy! 2008 has the potential to be one of our greatest years in real estate. Interest rates are low, housing supply is pleantiful, and the demographics of the country is changing and so are their housing needs. Are you prepared to thrive in today's market? Make sure that you mark your calendars for Tuesday mornings with the Be Great in '08 series. RE/MAX Boone Realty is committed to making sure you have the information on the latest topics and tools to be the best you can be!

Calling all Team Leaders

Team Summit 2007 - Did you miss it? One of the best meetings of the year was a new meeting, the RE/MAX Team Summit in Las Vegas. Brian Buffini has done it again and hosted with Dave Liniger the team event. The focus was on different types of team models, compensation structures, and how to be financially successful. If you want more information check it out on RE/MAX.net and we have some information available in the office.