Archives for March 2010

Last Friday, March 19th, marked the beginning of a new series in Northern Colorado from The Real Estate School (TRES).  Oliver Frascona, Esq., enlightened a full house with tricks and tips for handling short sales and foreclosures, as well as offered some creative financing options, such as assumptions and wraps.  Besides gaining valuable tools to apply to their careers, Brokers received continuing education credits and were treated to a fully catered lunch, drawings and other goodies.

Last week’s sponsors included Eheart Interior Solutions, Security Title Guaranty Company, Kyle McCormick from Northern Colorado Mortgage, and Pampered Chef.

This class was the first of many; TRES has just released a schedule that features relevant courses for every month in 2010.  Upcoming topics include:  Creative Financing, Bankruptcy, Short Sales and Foreclosures, 2010 CREC Update, NAR Ethics Update, Contracts and Forms Review, Buyer and Seller Issues, Transaction Brokerage vs Agency Relationships, and more.  All classes will be hosted by Eheart Interior Solutions (the southeast corner of I-25 and Highway 34) in their upstairs classroom.  For a complete listing of upcoming courses, please visit www.charityvermeer.com or email charityvermeer@gmail.com.

REALTORS, mark your calendars!  The Certified Negotiation Expert Designation course is coming to Northern Colorado, courtesy of Security Title and The Real Estate School, on April 22nd and 23rd.  After completing the two-day course, REALTORS will receive the CNE Designation in addition to 12 hours of CE credit, plus an abundance of skills and marketing materials that can immediately be implemented.

The Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) Designation course contains proven professional negotiation approaches and techniques taught in many universities and colleges across the United States.  Importantly, the CNE course shows you how to apply these professional approaches and techniques to real estate negotiation situations.

Introduced in 2006 by Negotiation Expertise LLC, the leading national negotiation training company, the Certified Negotiation Expert Designation course encompasses over 30 years of professional negotiation experience.CNE instructors are carefully selected and adhere to the highest education standards in the real estate industry.  In the first three years, over 5,000 real estate agents earned the CNE designation, making it one of the most popular new designations in the real estate industry.

Buyers and sellers hire real estate professionals to help produce results.  As in any business, skills must be mastered to help produce these desired results.  No other skill in the real estate industry is more important than an agent’s negotiation skills. Mastering the art of negotiation is on e of the best ways to ensure success for clients and the real estate professional. And the CNE Designation shows clients and other agents you are a well-trained professional!

Here’s what CNE agents say about the CNE course:

• 92% feel the CNE course was a wise investment
• 89% say they have more confidence in their negotiation capabilities
• 86% believe they have a higher level of professionalism
• 85% get better results for their real estate clients after the CNE course, and 81% get better results for themselves
• 75% feel the CNE designation helps separate them from the crowd

For more information and to register, please contact me at charityvermeer@aol.com.

Grab your hard hats! Construction has begun! The Colorado Association of REALTORS’ Education Development Committee (EDC) has made some remarkable strides in the remodel of the existing Graduate REALTOR Institute designation (GRI).  And the end results look promising!

Last year, CAR underwent an audit from the National Association of REALTORS to ensure that all necessary benchmarks were being met in the state’s GRI program.  Some areas of improvements were identified, so the EDC quickly assessed the situation.  After several meetings and careful consideration, the EDC has selected a highly accredited writer to author the GRI series.  Lead instructors from CAR’s faculty will assist the writer to ensure compliance with Colorado’s laws, rules and customs.

Traditionally a program that attracts newer Brokers, the GRI will now be designed with courses to attract even the seasoned veteran.  With new outlines and course books, updated and additional information, and vastly improved visual aids, the GRI’s new design is sure to please.

The contracted writer will adhere to a strict schedule in order to meet CAR’s launch date in August, 2010.  At that time, the current GRI courses will be discontinued and the new series will be offered statewide.  In the meantime, students currently enrolled in GRI courses may continue in the existing program; CAR will “grandfather” GRI candidates into the new program and will assess course requirements on a case-by-case basis.

Stay tuned as more details are unveiled!  And mark your calendars for the grand opening of CAR’s all new GRI program this summer!