Tackling the Resources
Today's real estate professionals rely heavily on the Internet. If you are new to the Web, don't be intimidated. It's rather simple to use and you'll find that your search skills develop rapidly.
There are myriad industries that exist to support real estate professionals and virtually all of them have an Internet presence. Of course, the IRS is the definitive voice on tax law, but there are thousands of coaching programs, real estate schools, and Web hosting resources. As the Internet is always growing, there is simply no way to list them all here. The following sites are well established and suggested as a starting point. Happy surfing!
Real Estate Schools, State Commissions, and General Information
Internet Search Engines: Using search engines like Google or Yahoo!, search for general real estate information, find real estate schools in your area (type real estate schools + your area), and locate your state's real estate commission (type real estate commission + your area).
The National Association of Realtors
® public website: Find lots of real estate information, along with current listings that are a part of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).The National Association of Realtors
® website: Read the Realtor Code of Ethics. Research special designations. Members can access the most current rules about the National Do Not Call Registry.About.com Real Estate Business: Find a variety of information and resources to help you better serve clients and make your real estate business thrive. Includes articles geared towards real estate beginners and those who are more experienced.
Ethics, Rules, Taxes, and Laws for Real Estate Professionals
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
Discrimination laws can be violated in subtle ways. To be sure that you are not acting in a discriminatory manner, learn more on the HUD website.
The National Association of Realtors
® website for RESPA informationU.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development site, RESPA section:
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) designates how a lender or title company can provide benefit to real estate agents. In general, you may not accept contributions or gifts from title companies or lenders, but the rules are complicated and everchanging. Noncompliance can lead you into trouble. Learn more about RESPA.
Internal Revenue Service website:
Self-employment tax is the employer and employee shares that are due to the Social Security system and Medicare. Because most real estate professionals are self-employed, they must pay both shares. This cost is currently 15.3 percent but may change annually. Check the IRS website for the most up-to-date information. The site is also an excellent source of up-to-date guidelines regarding who is and is not considered an independent contractor.
Professional and Personal Development
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE):
SCORE is a nonprofit with more than 10,500 volunteers, who provide free, confidential small business advice. The volunteers are working and retired business owners, executives, and corporate leaders. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Coaching Programs
There are many programs available. This is a partial, alphabetical list.
Your Personal Web Presence
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
A nonprofit corporation that coordinates several Internet functions. One of its responsibilities is to oversee the domain name system.
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This is a good place to start your search for available domain names. If you wish, the company can register your chosen domain name for you, and it also offers many types of website hosting packages. Network Solutions has been around for a long time and has a helpful Learning Center. There are now many companies that provide these services. Some specifically serve the real estate industry, providing Web hosting, real estate Web design, and other solutions for the real estate industry
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization is an ever-changing topic and there are hundreds of websites devoted to teaching you the best methods to promote your domain. The majority of these sites charge a fee, but you can get a feel for what they sell and what they offer by checking those listed here or by typing “search engine optimization” into your browser and scrolling through the results.
Marketing and Promotion
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Fisheye lenses are used to take panoramic photographs to produce virtual tours. They can be expensive and they are not available for every camera. The manufacturer of this technology is iPix. Visit their site to determine if the system is the best choice for your needs. There is also a page devoted specifically to real estate.
The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA)
A site for prospective and current agent members. NAEBA is one of the educational organizations that firms can affiliate with to promote their buyer agency business. The NAEBA also offers an educational website for buyers.
Real Estate Franchises
This is a partial, alphabetical list of real estate franchises and their websites. If you are looking for a franchise that is not included on this list, type the name of the franchise into your search engine to be directed to their site.
