RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network® will provide consumers with a wealth of benefits. A primary benefit will be that consumers will now have both knowledge of and access to those real estate agents who can provide them with the greatest value. In doing so, RISMedia, through its Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, will essentially protect consumers who will now become more cautious regarding how they involve underperforming, less experienced and unskilled real estate agents in their important real estate-related decisions.
By working with a Top 5 member, consumers will benefit from:
- Real estate decision-making tools and resources-Exclusive Top 5 Network information on all real estate-related needs will be provided to consumers and clients of members in print, online and through video.
- The five following criteria that Top 5 members must satisfy:
Experience: Consumers will take comfort in the knowledge that all Top 5 members have a minimum of three years experience (although the average tenure is substantially greater).
Results: All members are ranked within the top 10% of real estate agent productivity within the industry (although a sizable percentage are able to claim they rank in the top 2% or better).
Education: Top 5 members must satisfy professional real estate-related education requirements. The benefit to consumers is that we believe educationally oriented professionals are both better equipped and motivated to respond to the real estate-related needs of consumers.
Information Technology: Knowledgeable and effective utilization of the Internet is indispensable if consumer informational needs are to be met. Top 5 members, in concert with RISMedia, the leader in real estate information systems, are vigilant in their commitment to provide both information and Internet-related services to both consumers and clients.
Commitment to Community: When consumers call upon the services and skills of Top 5 in Real Estate members, they can be assured that members not only reflect the highest standards of real estate excellence, but also that each member has made a personal commitment to support the interest and betterment of the respective community they serve.
To find out more about Top 5 in Real Estate call 301-695-0000 or email Jim Bass at Jim@JBreg.com.
As the leader in real estate information systems, RISMedia has been an integral and important contributor to the real estate industry for almost 30 years. Through our flagship publication, Real Estate magazine, our leading business development website, RISMedia.com, and our renowned educational and networking events, RISMedia has long served the needs of real estate professionals.
Understanding and respecting the unique needs of leading real estate agents, their clients and consumers in general, RISMedia is honored and excited to introduce its industry-altering network: The Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.
RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate is a membership network of leading real estate professionals providing leading real estate information to consumers. To qualify for membership in the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, agents must meet specific criteria in five key categories:
Experience
Results
Education
Information Technology
Commitment to Community
For the many consumers who view real estate agents as all the same, selecting a real estate agent has never been an effective or rewarding process. The Top 5 in Real Estate Network® is in response to the need to change the negative or indifferent perception that many consumers have regarding real estate agents. Top 5 in Real Estate will, for the first time, dramatically differentiate and distance the “top” real estate agents from others who are not as skilled, professional or dedicated to their clients.
RISMedia is confident that consumers, especially in today’s more transparent marketplace, will embrace the opportunity to learn who the most proficient real estate professionals are. RISMedia now provides, through Top 5, an instantly recognizable brand and brand promise, enabling consumers to instantly identify those real estate agents who are among the most experienced, skilled and results-oriented in the marketplace.
At a time when too many real estate agents are marginalized by other media and consumers alike, RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network® elevates the professionalism of its members, demonstrably allowing them to stand out.
Changing Consumer Perception
It has been said that many consumers perceive a real estate transaction as a “fee-inflated event that they must subsidize in order to promulgate an inefficiently run industry.” This perception is sustained when consumers believe that agents are essentially all the same, or that agents charge too much. This belief encourages the following syndrome: Consumers continuing to settle for less-proficient real estate agents. When consumers settle for less, both consumers and top agents “pay the price.”
RISMedia’s research has identified that the industry lacks an all-encompassing, real estate credential. A benchmark that goes well beyond any one educational course or singular productivity achievement. Indeed, it is long overdue for top real estate agents to realize their success being converted into one over-arching credential-one that is universally accepted and instantly recognizable and revered by all consumers. This is the mission of all members of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.
Real Estate Has All-Stars, Too
Similar to how elite athletes achieve all-star status in professional sports, the Top 5 in Real Estate Network® will represent chosen all-stars from numerous real estate companies throughout the United States and Canada.
Benefit to Consumers
Consumers will benefit immensely from Top 5 as it will finally provide them with a convenient method to first identify and then access a Top 5 member in their area.
Regrettably, when consumers believe that all real estate agents are essentially the same, they are inclined to just settle for whoever charges the least. This profound lack of noted differentiation regarding how consumers view real estate agents also deprives real estate professionals of the same level of consumer respect and loyalty enjoyed by their contemporaries in other professions. Conversely, consumers appear much more willing to establish a definitive loyalty to these other professionals but remain undecided on who to select from the 10 or 15 friends or acquaintances they have in real estate.
RISMedia and the Top 5 in Real Estate will once and for all make it abundantly clear to consumers that the difference between real estate agents, as is the case in other professions, is actually…quite substantial.
To find out more about Top 5 in Real Estate call 301-695-0000 or email Jim Bass at Jim@JBreg.com.
A: The direction in which you build can make all the difference. Experts say building up is normally less expensive than building out on the ground level. Adding an expensive wing or addition requires a new foundation. It is less costly to extend plumbing and other mechanical systems upward, as opposed to installing new ones. So using the “air rights” over your house may be your best bet.
RISMEDIA, July 29, 2009-After moving into a new or different house, many homeowners find they immediately encounter some problem with their appliances, whether it be the fridge, the stove or even the washer or dryer.
Chris Zeisler, professionally trained RepairGuru at RepairClinic.com offers the following tips to make the transition to a new home less painful on both yourself and your appliances.
1. Check the hookups in your new home - if you have a gas dryer, does the new home have a gas line and connector available? If not, don’t take any chances: hire a trained professional to install the gas line and connector for you. The same is true if you have an electric dryer: is there an adequate electrical outlet available in the laundry room? If not, hire an electrician to install an electrical outlet. Be sure to check for water lines for your icemaker and water dispenser as these may also be needed.
2. Before moving your fridge and/or freezer, remove all food; unplug it, and wipe out the shelves and storage compartments with warm, soapy water; then rinse and wipe it down completely and allow it to dry for about 24 hours. Then remove all of the interior shelves and accessories and put a can of coffee or a box of baking soda inside to eliminate the musty odor that develops when the door is closed for a period of time and tie the door shut with a “non-scratch” cord to keep it from popping open during transport.
3. Allow the fridge to sit at the new destination for about 24 hours before use. Once the fridge has been installed and the icemaker has been hooked up, dispose of the first few rounds of ice which may contain impurities from the new water line.
4. Watch for leaks in the water hoses as you disconnect appliances, especially washing machines and refrigerators. There may be some residual water in the lines as you disconnect. Be prepared to catch the water with a towel and/or bucket, so you don’t damage your floor.
5. Carefully plan how you will enter your new house with oversized appliances before your move. You may need to measure your appliances in advance to be sure they will fit through doorways.
For more information, visit www.repairclinic.com.
RISMEDIA, July 29, 2009-As many consumers are considering buying a house to take advantage of first-time home buyer tax credits, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) reminds them about the importance of getting a professional home inspection. According to the IRS, the first-time home buyer tax credit allows taxpayers who have not owned another principal residence at any time during the three years prior to the date of purchase to deduct the lesser of $8,000 or 10% of the purchasing price of their home if they purchase before Dec. 1, 2009. This has encouraged many young professionals in their 20s and 30s to consider buying a house or a condominium.
“To minimize unpleasant surprises and unexpected difficulties, home buyers will want to learn as much as they can before they buy,” said Bill Richardson, 2009 ASHI President. “A home inspection may identify the need for major repairs or builder oversights, as well as the need for maintenance to keep the house or condominium in good shape. With many choices on the market right now, including foreclosures and short sales that can sometimes be riskier for buyers, an inspection is especially important.”
A standard home inspector’s report will cover the condition of the home’s heating system; central air conditioning system (temperature permitting); interior plumbing and electrical systems; the roof, attic and visible insulation; walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors; the foundation, basement and structural components. The report will include covered systems and components the home inspector finds that are not functioning properly, significantly deficient, unsafe, or are near the end of their service lives.
According to a GAO (Government Accountability Office) study, many home buyers do not know that appraisals are not home inspections and that the Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends that buyers obtain a voluntary home inspection. Many also think that FHA performs inspections automatically or do not realize that they need to initiate an inspection.
“Home buyers should know a professional home inspection is an examination of the current condition of a house,” Richardson said. “It is not an appraisal, which determines market value.”
Richardson also said that consumers should know that they can hire a home inspector after they’ve made an offer on a home and before closing. They also can request to have their offer be contingent on the findings of a home inspection, and have it stated in the contract. In some cases, home buyers may be able to renegotiate their offers because of the results of the home inspection.
For more information, visit www.ASHI.org.
As a Frederick local for more than 40 years I am an expert on this and the surrounding areas; from both a realtor’s and a home owner’s perspective. I have recently been chosen for the Top 5 Realtors in the United States through RisMedia and have great information to share with you about everything from saving money while renovating to how to deal with home inspections. Come back frequently for up to date, new and applicable information!
