Discover Your Gold Mine In Atlantic City NJ, Get Rich Today!!!: "Technology" Providing The Best Customer Service I...

Discover Your Gold Mine In Atlantic City NJ, Get Rich Today!!!: "Technology" Providing The Best Customer Service I...: Real estate, real results with iPad. When people shop for a new home, they’re not just looking for bedrooms and bathrooms — they’re searchin...

"Technology" Providing The Best Customer Service In Real Estate

Real estate, real results with iPad.

When people shop for a new home, they’re not just looking for bedrooms and bathrooms — they’re searching for a place where they can love, laugh, and make memories. The Balsley Losco Team, a residential & Commercial real estate firm in Northfield, New Jersey helps customers visualize and find these “perfect fit” properties by taking advantage of the most intuitive, innovative technology available for real estate professionals. In other words, they use iPad.

“I feel as though iPad was invented for the real estate industry,” says Jose Rivera Sinclair, founder and CEO of the Sinclair Home Team. “Before getting one, I had no idea it would become as useful as it has been for my company. Real estate is a mobile industry and iPad enables us to do business wherever we are, at any time. It’s the best mobile device for real estate professionals.”

Home Sweet iPad

Rather than relying on paper printouts and scribbled notes in meetings with buyers and sellers, Sinclair Team members use their lightweight, instant-on iPads to gather customer information, share property images, find directions, research neighborhood facts, and look up competitive information at a moment’s notice. Photos and videos of properties are crisp and clear on the LED-backlit iPad display, and with just a pinch it’s easy to zoom in for a closer look at the details.

All this iPad interaction engages Jose's customers and helps them visualize exactly what they want and need from their new home. “We hand them an iPad with a tour of all of the homes we’re going to see,” Jose says. “They bring it into the different homes and take notes on what they loved about each house. They can see the route we’re taking on the map. They can circle different areas they might be interested in. iPad really draws customers into the experience of buying a house.”

More Apps, Less Paper

The Sinclair Home Team depends on multiple iPad business apps to get things done faster and better. Favorites include Keynote for presentations, Fuze Meetings for mobile videoconferences, and iBooks to organize and present PDF tours of homes for clients to review. Our office also has our own mobile app.

To access customer information on iPad, the Sinclair Home Team uses a customized real estate CRM tool based on Salesforce.com. “We’re able to manage our entire database of clients,” says Jose. “I can schedule appointments and manage all my relationships and transactions, all within iPad.”

The Evernote app lets sales staff and potential buyers take notes, add photos, and even record audio for a complete customer snapshot or property profile. And with apps like DocuSign and iAnnotate PDF, GoodLife agents can use their iPads to capture signatures and email offers on the spot.

“DocuSign enables my sales team to write contracts wherever they are on iPad,” Krisstina says. “We get our contracts over first, negotiate them, get them back, and deliver the service to our customers right there.”

This paperless system saves not just trees, but time. A lot of time. “On average, being paperless saves us three hours per transaction,” Garry says. “In three hours, I can meet with four other clients. That’s 750 hours we’re saving this year alone. iPad lowers our costs across the board, and increases our profitability.”

These apps provide the kind of sophisticated back-end capabilities that — until iPad — few small businesses were able to afford. “iPad has enabled us to function like a big business,” Krisstina says. “There's an app to solve every problem.”

The Keys to the Sinclair Home Team

In a business where timing can make or break a deal, iPad gives the Sinclair Home Team a definite edge over their non-wired, non-mobile competitors. “iPad is a complete competitive advantage that enables us to do business more effectively,” Krisstina says. “Real estate isn’t done in an office. Real estate is done out in the field. And iPad is there through every part of the transaction.”

But iPad gives the Sinclair Home Team more than just speed and efficiency: it delivers an integrated, high-quality client experience that helps customers find their own “great home.”

“Buying a house should be fun,” Jose reflects. “At the same time, it’s an extremely serious and important decision. They’re searching for a home to raise their families in, or start a life with somebody in, or that they’ll end up retiring in. Using iPad, we can capture and enhance fun and excitement and celebration. It is a great experience for them.”

NAR Supports Making Investor Visa Regional Center Program Permanent

Foreign buyers and recent immigrants purchased 7% of the total U.S. residential market last year, paid a higher median price, and paid cash 55% of the time. Find resources in this section on how to diversify your market to include this global buyer.


For more information contact:
Jose Rivera Sinclair
Cell 609 338-8877


On Wednesday, December 7, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the EB-5 Investor Visa Regional Center Program. The program allows foreign investors to obtain a visa to live in the U.S. by investing a certain amount of money through regional development centers approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). NAR sent a letter in support of the program, as it provides a way to bring foreign investment into American communities that have suffered during the economic crisis.

The program has traditionally enjoyed broad support since its creation as a pilot program in 1992.
 NAR and many other business and industry groups support making the Regional Center Program a permanent part of the EB-5 Investor Visa Program.

Growth in Commercial Real Estate Markets Expected in 2012

Commercial real estate markets have been relatively flat this year, but improving fundamentals mean a more positive trend is expected in 2012, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there is little change in most of the commercial market sectors. “Vacancy rates are flat, leasing is soft and concessions continue to make it a tenant’s market,” he said. “However, with modest economic growth and job creation, the fundamentals for commercial real estate should gradually improve in the coming year.”

The commercial real estate market is expected to follow the general economy. “Vacancy rates are expected to trend lower and rents should rise modestly next year. In the multifamily market, which already has the tightest vacancy rates in any commercial sector, apartment rents will be rising at faster rates in most of the country next year. If new multifamily construction doesn’t ramp up, rent growth could potentially approach 7 percent over the next two years,” Yun said.

Looking at commercial vacancy rates from the fourth quarter of this year to the fourth quarter of 2012, NAR forecasts vacancies to decline 0.6 percentage point in the office sector, 0.4 point in industrial real estate, 0.8 point in the retail sector and 0.7 percentage point in the multifamily rental market.

The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors®, in its SIOR Commercial Real Estate Index, an attitudinal survey of 231 local market experts,¹ shows the broad industrial and office markets were relatively flat in the third quarter, in step with macroeconomic trends. The national economy continues to affect the sectors, with 92 percent of respondents reporting the economy is having a negative impact on their local market.

Even so, the SIOR index, measuring the impact of 10 variables, rose 0.6 percentage point to 55.5 in the third quarter, following a decline of 2.6 percentage points in the second quarter. In a split from the recent past, the industrial sector advanced while the office sector declined.

The SIOR index is notably below the level of 100 that represents a balanced marketplace, but had seen six consecutive quarterly improvements before the last two quarters. The last time the index reached the 100 level was in the third quarter of 2007.

Construction activity remains low, with 96 percent of respondents indicating that it is lower than normal; 88 percent said it is a buyers’ market in terms of development acquisitions. Prices are below construction costs in 83 percent of markets.

NAR’s latest COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OUTLOOK² offers projections for four major commercial sectors and analyzes quarterly data in the office, industrial, retail and multifamily markets. Historic data for metro areas were provided by REIS, Inc.,³ a source of commercial real estate performance information.

Office MarketsVacancy rates in the office sector are expected to fall from 16.7 percent in the current quarter to 16.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The markets with the lowest office vacancy rates presently are Washington, D.C., with a vacancy rate of 9.3 percent; New York City, at 10.3 percent; and New Orleans, 12.8 percent.

After rising 1.4 percent in 2011, office rents are forecast to increase another 1.7 percent next year. Net absorption of office space in the U.S., which includes the leasing of new space coming on the market as well as space in existing properties, is projected to be 20.2 million square feet this year and 31.7 million in 2012.

Industrial MarketsIndustrial vacancy rates are projected to decline from 12.3 percent in the fourth quarter of this year to 11.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The areas with the lowest industrial vacancy rates currently are Los Angeles, with a vacancy rate of 5.2 percent; Orange County, Calif., 5.7 percent; and Miami at 8.4 percent.

Annual industrial rent should decline 0.5 percent this year before rising 1.8 percent in 2012. Net absorption of industrial space nationally should be 62.0 million square feet this year and 41.2 million in 2012.

Retail MarketsRetail vacancy rates are likely to decline from 12.6 percent in the current quarter to 11.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Presently, markets with the lowest retail vacancy rates include San Francisco, 3.7 percent; Long Island, N.Y., and Northern New Jersey, each at 5.7 percent; and San Jose, Calif., at 6.0 percent.

Average retail rent is seen to decline 0.2 percent this year, and then rise 0.7 percent in 2012. Net absorption of retail space is seen at 1.2 million square feet this year and 13.5 million in 2012.

Multifamily MarketsThe apartment rental market – multifamily housing – is expected to see vacancy rates drop from 5.0 percent in the fourth quarter to 4.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012; multifamily vacancy rates below 5 percent generally are considered a landlord’s market with demand justifying higher rents.

Areas with the lowest multifamily vacancy rates currently are Minneapolis, 2.4 percent; New York City, 2.7 percent; and Portland, Ore., at 2.8 percent.

Average apartment rent is projected to rise 2.5 percent this year and another 3.5 percent in 2012. Multifamily net absorption is likely to be 238,400 units this year and 126,600 in 2012.

The COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OUTLOOK is published by the NAR Research Division for the commercial community. NAR’s Commercial Division, formed in 1990, provides targeted products and services to meet the needs of the commercial market and constituency within NAR.

The NAR commercial components include commercial members; commercial committees, subcommittees and forums; commercial real estate boards and structures; and the NAR commercial affiliate organizations – CCIM Institute, Institute of Real Estate Management, Realtors® Land Institute, Society of Industrial and Office Realtors®, and Counselors of Real Estate.

Approximately 79,000 NAR and institute affiliate members specialize in commercial brokerage services, and an additional 171,000 members offer commercial real estate as a secondary business.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Market Trends Report

Clarifying the market expectations for the end of 2011

Problems with obtaining mortgages along with appraisal and inspection problems were mentioned as causes of settlement delays and cancellations.

• Appraisals continue to be a problem – Respondents report that appraisals are coming in lower in many cases than the contract. In addition, appraisals are frequently late, slowing down or sometimes even terminating the proposed transaction.
• Lending – Obtaining a loan is reported as difficult: excessive/unreasonable documentation requirements, delays, and rejections of buyers who would normally be considered credit worthy are mentioned as issues. Loans for condos are even more difficult, and frequently unavailable.
• The major economic issue: JOBS – Without jobs and with concerns about the expectation of continued employment, potential buyers just are not in the market. Realtors® reported substantial concern over the current economy as well as perceptions by potential buyers that the economy is not improving. Consumer confidence was reported as down substantially with major negative impacts on potential transactions.
• Prices – Problems of potential sellers currently upside down in their mortgages were mentioned as major market impediments as well as buyer concerns about declining prices.
• Foreclosures and short sales – Continued to be seen as major market negatives.
• Property condition – Mentioned as exceptionally important in the current market, along with anything that makes a first impression.
• All Real Estates Is Local – In some areas of the country the market was reported as improving – consistent with NAR’s reports that some major metropolitan areas are starting to recover.

General Market Trends

For the past three years the residential markets have been fluctuating – modest increases and decreases around the current level of sales. After declining from its peak, price has fluctuated substantially from month to month, but over the three year period has been relatively flat as reported by NAR and Case-Shiller. We essentially have a residential market that is moving sideways, influenced heavily by the approximate 33 percent of transactions that are distressed sales.

The major impediment to increased sales appears to be the overall jobs picture. The economy needs to add approximately 125,000 jobs on a monthly basis in order to stay even – and we need substantially more job additions every month in order to decrease unemployment. Right now the economy is experiencing very modest growth with job creation frequently below the 125,000 figure. It appears that the combination of financial problems (both domestic and worldwide) coupled with lowered consumer demand has decreased job creation. Most economists currently see the jobs problem as lasting in the neighborhood of four years.

Current price trends are probably based on a combination of market weaknesses and emotional concerns. At this time overall affordability is near an all-time high in terms of interest rates, price/income relationships, and percentage of income required to support a mortgage. In many cases home prices are reported as below reproduction costs. Current market prices appear to be a function of the weak employment picture and a tendency of markets to overshoot on the way up and undershoot on the way down.

Realtors’® responses in the past few months have basically indicated a sideways moving market. If economic conditions continue to deliver their forecasted modest improvement, then the market recovery will be slow. All real estate is local, so overall market performance will be uneven.

What Does This Mean To Realtors®?

Clients may be concerned about all the negative publicity regarding the housing markets: Interest rates and prices are very reasonable compared to history. NAR surveys indicate that the average homebuyer will stay in their home for seven to nine years, so weekly price fluctuations really are irrelevant. In addition, homeownership needs to be a focus on lifestyle and how one wants one’s family to live. Negative or sensational publicity sells newspapers. “Dog Bites Man” is on page 32 of a 28 page paper; “Man Bites Dog” is front page above the fold. It’s important not to get carried away by irrelevant or sensational headlines. Realtors® sell houses for families and individuals. Prudence in determining the amount to pay is important. However, over the longer run the likelihood of a home purchase proving to be a reasonable expenditure has tended to be higher rather than lower.

Obtaining a Mortgage Is Difficult: Financial institutions have tightened (many would say unreasonably tightened) their lending standards. Credit-worthy buyers are reported as frequently being rejected for loans. Loan rejections may be more related to the overly risky portfolio of loans that a bank has rather than the credit worthiness of the purchaser. Home buyers need to look to regional and community banks, and credit unions when appropriate.

The Market is Better than the News: NAR and Case-Shiller data show that home prices have fluctuated in a band or range for the past few years. Prices have definitely been a concern, but should recover as the job situation improves. The real estate markets tend to move with the economy; right now the economy is slow. However, most economists continue to project ongoing economic growth. In a growing economy real estate has usually done well. Most buyers hold their properties on average for approximately eight years or more, and economists are projecting substantial growth over that time frame. These are the reasons why we say now is a good time to buy. The stock market goes through periods when valuations are low—a buyer’s market. We seem to be in a similar type of market for housing.

Jose Rivera Sinclair

Balsley Losco Real Eatete

Governor Jim Florio

Discover Your Gold Mine In Atlantic City NJ, Get Rich Today!!!: Working with invertors, buyers and seller in a buy...

Discover Your Gold Mine In Atlantic City NJ, Get Rich Today!!!: Working with invertors, buyers and seller in a buy...: " Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life. VI SION IS NOT WHAT YOU SEE WITH YOUR EYES. IT IS WHAT YOU 'SEE'..."