Marketing

Apache is functioning normally

Owning a real estate property is a significant investment that can be lucrative compared to other assets, such as owning stocks or bonds. One huge advantage is the concept of leveraging when you want to invest in real estate. One can pay a small portion of the total cost and pay the remaining together with interest over a long period.

Repbublic

For instance, most mortgages require an initial down payment of about 20% of the property and occasionally can be as low as 5%. With this arrangement, you can control. You can invest in different ways in real estate and start making money.

  1. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Real Estate Investments Trusts (REIT) are among the best vehicles for investors to get into real estate investment without following the traditional transactions. It is a regulated investment where a trust (corporation) uses finances from investors who pool their funds to buy and operate income-generating properties.

Typically, REIT uses the investor’s funds to build or purchase real estate property, which they sell or rent to gain profits. At the end of the financial year, the income generated is shared among the investors or the shareholders. Some of the real estate properties managed under the REIT may include apartments, shopping malls, office buildings, warehouses, and resorts, among many others. 

All along, real estate investment trusts have been among the best-performing set investment portfolios.

For instance, from 2010 to 2020, the FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT index averaged 9.5% in annual returns. Between 2017 and 2020, the index stood at 11.25% and was higher than the S&P 500 or Russell 200 performance that averaged 9.07% and 6.45%. REITs can be bought and sold like any other stock in leading exchanges. Therefore, investors looking for returns on their investments and traditional assets should consider these real estate assets. Republic is a real estate company that can offer you more information on different investment assets in real estate.

There are different types of REITs one can invest in, and they include the following.

  • Mortgage REITs
  • Retail REITs
  • Healthcare REITs
  • Residential REITs
  • Office REITs

If you’re interested to know how to invest in any of the above types of REITs, you can get in touch with Republic for guidance and advice on what will suit you best. 

Any investor anticipating REITs needs to distinguish between mortgage REITs that offer to finance for properties and Equity REITs that own properties. 

  1. Real Estate Crowdfunding

What is real estate crowdfunding ? In many respects, real estate crowdfunding is almost similar to equity crowdfunding because the investors buy the property and become shareholders. It is a relatively new phenomenon in real estate, and like any equity investment, the investor does not have to buy the whole property, but instead, they earn part of the profits generated in the investment. Income obtained from building rentals or proceeds from the sale is shared among the investors.

Crowdfunding is a technique of raising funds for a business or venture capital. Its approach uses Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and other social media platforms to attract investors. 

The principle of crowdfunding is that many people can invest tiny amounts and because many people are involved, and substantial amounts of funds can be raised so fast. One advantage of real estate crowdfunding is that potential investors can become shareholders in real estate property with as little as $5000. 

Before the JOBS Act, investors in real estate could only invest in real estate through REITs or buying the property.

Now, crowdfunding has opened new ways of investing in real estate and will reduce the risks that come with an equity portfolio. This means that it allows the investor to diversify risks in their portfolio because all funds are not exposed to all equity markets’ risks.  

Some Regulations in Real Estate Crowdfunding

Like any other investment, a real estate crowdfunding investment comes with its risks. Initially, crowdfunding was only the preserve of the accredited investors. These are the investors such as pension funds, banks, insurance companies, and other large investors. An accredited investor means that one should have a net worth of more than $1million or needs to be earning $200,000. However, according to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), non-accredited investors can participate in crowdfunding. There are specific limitations placed on non-accredited investors.

If you’re interested in real estate crowdfunding as an investor Republic can offer all the necessary information to participate in this lucrative industry.

Ben Shepardson is a Realty Biz News Contributing Writer and has a long track record of success in online marketing and web development. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems, he worked doing enterprise-level SEO and started an online business offering web development services to small business customers.

Latest posts by Ben Shepardson (see all)

Source: realtybiznews.com

Apache is functioning normally

This week, we interviewed Michael Jimenez from Xchange.loans.

Let’s get to it!

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a co-founder and the CXO of Xchange.Loans- The online marketplace for non-performing loans. Which is still pretty opaque and vague. When a lender has an asset- typically a non-performing loan- that they want off their books they come to our marketplace to sell that asset to qualified buyers for cash. I’m in charge of user experience, sales & marketing, and lender outreach. Basically everything I never had to do in my previous CRE roles, before I embraced entrepreneurship.

What problem does your product/service solve?

We provide lenders a faster and more efficient way to liquidate their assets through a process known as a loan sale.

Loan sales are a quicker and more reliable way for a lender to be made whole, or as close to whole as possible, versus going through litigation- like foreclosure court, then to bankruptcy court, then back to foreclosure court, foreclosure auction, then having to sell the foreclosure or even worse- manage and stabilize the property prior to sale.

Taking back collateral and liquidating it is an extremely laborious, inefficient, and costly process for every lender. Lenders are built to originate and service debt, not liquidate the debt. Most lenders have no upside to the debt they originated. They’re in it for a few points of spread over an index, which isn’t much without scale.

Foreclosures in some states can take up to eighteen months without any hiccups and sometimes even years, whereas our process can be completed in as little as 4-6 weeks total. At the end of the day, our marketplace gets lenders OUT of their asset(s) and back into cash faster than any other process currently available.

What are you most excited about right now?

The thing that excites me most is that we-as in our amazing country- are moving forward at ramming speed into what appears to be an economic SUPER CYCLE. Part of this super cycle was created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of it was really created by decades of bad policies, poor decisions, and ‘kicking the can’. Well, we’re all out of easy-outs, workarounds, and pay-it later solutions. In the end, ALL debts must be settled and we are facing a tsunami of debt that we simply cannot pay back as promised. So we’re going to have to come up with some sort of settlement. This is precisely what we built our product for. The only surprise is the tsunami of debt is MUCH larger than we ever anticipated it to be and may hit us sooner and harder than I ever imagined. What happens? I don’t know. But I’m excited to grab my board and drop in on this massive wave. Cowabunga it is!

What’s next for you?

My primary goal is to scale my business to the point where I can hopefully take a breather and get just a little bit more work-life balance. I’ve never been a 9 – 5 guy, but the bootstrap grind is on a whole other level that I certainly underestimated. I love the grind, but I’d also love to spend a bit more time with my daughter, family & friends, my dog, and training jiu jitsu, and getting some more time to surf.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

Recapitalizing assets, opportunities and communities is my passion and fortunately my profession. Outside of that, I love teaching jiu jitsu, being a dad, and just trying to be a better Christian. Every day I rise with the goal of being a little bit better than I was the day before and I’m really looking forward to getting to the point where I can give back and have more of a positive impact on others.

Thanks to Michael for sharing his story. If you’d like to connect, find him on LinkedIn here.

We’re constantly looking for great real estate tech entrepreneurs to feature. If that’s you, please read this post — then drop us a line (Community @ geekestate dot com).

Source: geekestateblog.com

Apache is functioning normally

NFTs or non-fungible tokens have gained a lot of momentum in the last few months. Whether it’s because of the digital art, the technology behind them, the money-making potential, or a simple case of FOMO, people can’t get enough of them.

Each day, we wake up to stories of artists and celebrities buying and selling NFTs for insane amounts. Case and point? Eminem recently shelled out 123.45 Ethereum (currently worth over $400K) for a Bored Ape NFT — and that’s not even the most expensive one in the market.

Eminape NFT; Source: The Guardian

As someone who’s crawling herself out of student debt and on a budget, paying six figures for a digital asset is simply out of the question.

But are all NFTs that expensive? Or is there a way to start small?

I talked to NFT trader investor, consultant, advisor, and founder Ish Verduzco to find out, and, to my surprise, his answers were very promising.

What’s Ahead:

Do you have to be rich to invest in NFTs?

Last March, digital artist Mike Winkelmann, better known as “Beeple,” made headlines when an NFT of his work was sold for a record-breaking $69 million.

Then, we saw Snoop Dogg and Grimes buying and selling NFTs for six and seven figures, while Paris Hilton joined forces with Bill Ackman to back a $300 million NFT Foundation.

With figures like that, it’s easy to think that NFTs are some sort of exclusive investment that only the rich can afford. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth — at least that’s what both Verduzco and the data say. Verduzco says:

“Yes, there is some level of barrier to entry at the moment. But I wouldn’t say that they’re for the ultra-rich either…I think there’s an opportunity to get in.”

What makes NFTs more expensive than your average investment is that most of them are minted through smart contracts that live in the Ethereum blockchain, which Verduzco says is one of the most expensive ones, partly due to the gas fees.

Gas fees are basically the transaction fees of the Ethereum network. These fees are non-refundable, and must be charged to cover the costs of the energy used by the computers when validating and recording each NFT transaction. Verduzco says:

“To give you a very quick overview, it can cost like $50 to a few $100 just to transact, plus the cost of the NFT itself.”

So, how much money do you need to start investing in NFTs?

A recent study by Canadian concept artist Kimberly Parker, which analyzed public API data from sales on popular NFT marketplaces, like OpenSea, Nifty Gateway, Rarible, SuperRare, and MakersPlace, found that most NFTs are actually sold for under $200.

That’s right, you don’t need six figures — not even four figures, to own an NFT.

Verduzco says that a good amount to get started would be $500, which isn’t outrageous. After all, popular investment firms, like Wealthfront and E*TRADE, require minimum deposits of that same amount for you to start investing in their automated portfolios. 

Read more: What Is An NFT? – How Nyan Cat Was Sold For $600,000

Why now may be a good time to get into NFTs

Many crypto and NFT experts — Verduzco included, think that the blockchain and smart contract technology behind NFTs will spread like wildfire across multiple industries, changing the world as we know it.

“It’s going to be integrated into almost everything we do,” Verduzco says.

“It’s not just going to be just art, it’s going to go into music, it’s going to go into film, it’s going to go into transacting things like deeds to houses, and anything that has to do with verification of ownership.”

Here’s a quick example of how this could work:

When you’re buying a house, the bank needs to make sure that the title is free and clear before closing on the loan. This process alone can take two weeks, and you’ll have to pay additional fees to the third-party company conducting the search.

But if the house was registered and sold as an NFT, for example, each transaction pertaining to that property would’ve been accounted for and recorded in the blockchain. So, clearing the title would only take a couple of hours instead of weeks, and you’d be able to get rid of the middleman and unnecessary fees.

Although the concept of NFTs is still in its early stages, Verduzco says that “​​it’s better to be ahead,” and — if possible — invest in it, so you learn the inner workings firsthand.

This will allow you “to spot more opportunities to make money, or find other people that are in this space who compliment your strengths and weaknesses in order to build projects based on needs.”

How to start investing in NFTs when you’re on a budget

As part of my convo with Verduzco, we bounced off some ideas on how you can get into the NFT game without breaking the bank. These are a few of them.

Read more: How To Create And Sell NFTs – The New Way To Sell Your Art

Explore NFT projects that use cheaper cryptocurrencies

If you visit OpenSea, which is currently the world’s largest NFT market, you’ll see that the vast majority of NFTs listed there use the Ethereum network (aka the most expensive NFT blockchain).

But just because most NFTs use this blockchain, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other options. 

Blockchains like Solana and Polygon (which was created as an efficient solution to the Ethereum network and is compatible with it) use cryptocurrencies that are much cheaper than ether, which is Ethereum’s currency.

Here’s an example:

At the moment this article was written, one SOL, which is Solana’s cryptocurrency, was worth $0.26, while one MATIC, which is Polygon’s cryptocurrency, was worth $2.13. But, if you wanted to purchase one ether, which is Ethereum’s cryptocurrency, you’d need $3,121.93 to do so.

So, yeah, there’s a huge difference there.

These alternative blockchains are also rising in popularity. JPMorgan recently released a report in which it states that the Ethereum blockchain is losing a chunk of its market share to Solana, as the blockchain is less congested (aka faster) and cheaper to invest in than Ethereum.

If you’re interested in buying NFT projects that use the Solana network, you can check out marketplaces like Solsea and Solanart, to find them.

When it comes to projects that use Polygon, you can find them just by visiting OpenSea. To see all the NFTs you can place bids on or buy using this network, simply click on the “Chains” option on the left panel, and select “Polygon.”

Mint a project

When you mint a project, you’re basically investing in it before it actually goes live. So, you could think of it as the Kickstarter of an NFT project. Verduzco says:

“The initial mint is usually like 0.05 Ethereum, which is a relatively small amount. If you happen to make it in that initial mint, then you pay only 0.05 Ethereum, versus if the project goes up in value, and then it costs 0.7, or much higher.”

One good example of an NFT project that is currently in its minting phase, and that I happen to like a lot is the Lucky Goat. You can currently mint this project for 0.0777 Ethereum ($243.43). 

Source: luckygoat.org

What has me rooting for the Lucky Goat (besides the art, of course) is that they donate some of their profits to Heifer International, which is a nonprofit whose mission is to help eradicate hunger and poverty.

So, how do you find projects to mint?

  • Twitter. If you enter “#mint” or “#NFT” on Twitter’s search bar, you’ll find countless threads of founders and artists sharing their upcoming NFT projects.
  • Discord. In case you don’t know what Discord is, it is a group-chatting app, where users join servers (aka private groups) to chat about a specific topic. Many NFT founders use this app to talk about their upcoming NFT projects, to get both support and feedback from users.
  • rarity.tools. Although this website is mostly used by NFT traders to vet projects and find rankings based on their rarity or unique traits, it also has an Upcoming NFT Sales section, where you can check projects to mint. 
  • OpenSea’s homepage. They often share new mints, and you can easily browse through their huge NFT market.

But be careful…

Before minting a project, Verduzo says it’s super important to ensure its legitimacy, so you don’t get rugged (NFT lingo for “scammed”). Sadly, just like in any space, there are always bad players that are just there to do a quick cash grab and disappear.

To avoid this, make sure you research the project thoroughly by finding out all you can about its community, founders, and mission, as well as how long they’ve been around in this space. 

Why?

If the project disappears into the mist, your NFT most likely will lose all its value, unless someone else decides to take over the project.

Time your purchase

Unlike the stock market, which is open for transactions Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, the NFT market is a global market that is open 24/7.

“So, it’s not just you and everybody else in the United States that you’re transacting with, it’s everybody in the entire world who has access to the Internet,” Verduzco says.

And, the more people that are trying to conduct transactions on the Ethereum network, the more congested it will be, which automatically translates to higher gas fees. This will hopefully be improved once Ethereum 2.0 (also known as the consensus layer) is fully rolled out.

One way to spend less money when buying NFTs is to ensure you conduct your transactions during the time of the day when the network is less congested.

Verduzco says that 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PST is probably the worst time of the day to buy NFTs because that’s when most people around the world are awake. He suggests timing your transactions to random hours when most people are sleeping, like 2:00 a.m. or 5:00 a.m. PST. Though not always practical, it can help save a good amount of money.

You can also track gas prices by visiting the ETH Gas Station.

Become an NFT expert

Since NFTs are still an emerging concept, Verduzco says that one way you can make money in this space, without being an investor, is by learning all you can about them.

“It doesn’t always have to be investing in an NFT collection, in order to get a return,” Verduzco says.

“Understanding everything about the NFT space and becoming very good on one specific skill set, whether it’s social media marketing, community management, creating Discords, branding, or content creation, is going to provide value because, all of a sudden, you open yourself up to many job opportunities.”

In other words, you’ll be able to profit from your NFT knowledge as this technology becomes more widespread, and companies start searching for people who know their way around this space.

Before investing in NFTs…

Make sure your finances are in order

Investing in NFTs represents a higher risk than investing in traditional stocks or bonds, as their value is determined by speculation, so it fluctuates more than with your average investment. 

Besides that, once you purchase an NFT, the transaction is final, and flipping them or reselling them could take a while. That’s why it’s so important you only invest money you have to spare, and not money you’re going to need short-term, as this could result in a financial disaster.

Learn as much as you can

“I would suggest investing your time and energy on learning before putting your money up,” Verduzco says.

“Find really cool projects that you like, and then join the Discords, listen to conversations, ask questions, watch a bunch of videos, read a bunch of blogs before you even think about putting Ethereum in your wallet to spend.”

Learning as much as you can about NFTs will give you a realistic idea of what to expect, plus determine whether you’re ready to take the plunge, or if you should wait a little longer before investing in this space.

If you’re curious about learning, you can check out podcasts, like a16z, which has extensive information on this topic, as well as reading books, like The NFT Handbook: How to Create, Sell and Buy Non-Fungible Token, to get started.

Additionally, Verduzco’s Twitter account is like a gold mine of NFT info, as he frequently shares projects, articles, and tips to help people learn more about this space.

Summary

You don’t have to be a millionaire to invest in NFTs, however, there’s a learning curve to be successful in this space.

The most important thing is to learn as much as you can about it, vet projects carefully, understand the risks associated with investing in such a volatile space, and make sure you don’t use money you’re gonna need. This will allow you to make the most out of your experience.

Featured image: mundissima/Shutterstock.com

Read more:

Source: moneyunder30.com

Apache is functioning normally

It’s important for today’s lenders to be as agile, efficient and scalable as possible to adapt to consumer preferences and fast-changing market conditions. Encompass by ICE Mortgage Technology is the industry’s most complete end-to-end solution that provides the flexibility and configurability needed to deliver a next-generation lending experience for every channel, all from a single system of record.

As the only truly digital lending platform that delivers an all-in-one workflow for omnichannel lenders, Encompass provides the unified solutions lenders need to generate more leads, close more loans and drive unparalleled ROI. By managing every loan, including home equity, refinance and new purchase, in one place, lenders are able to make better decisions, keep costs down and quickly adapt to changing market trends.

As the market shifts and consumer buying habits change, there remains healthy demand for home equity lending products. With Encompass, lenders can feel confident in knowing their LOS platform has the flexibility to support home equity lending at scale. Customers can drive applications with an array of leading point-of-sales solutions, as well as retain and build referral business through seamless integrations with sales and marketing solutions, such as Velocify. Encompass also delivers on being the most compliant LOS providing required disclosures and HMDA reporting to support home equity lending.

“The Encompass platform provides lenders the best-of-breed solutions they need to win business, lower costs and close significantly more loans with less effort. With the power of automated workflows paired with the industry’s largest partner network, Encompass enables lenders to drive efficiencies and reach unparalelled ROI,” said Nancy Alley, VP, Product Strategy at ICE Mortgage Technology.

Encompass is ready-built with powerful technology to automate any task, process or service within a matter of clicks. By automating previously manual and time-consuming tasks, lenders and investors can acquire, originate, close and sell significantly more loans in less time, all while delivering a best-in-class borrower experience. Encompass also offers a task-based workflow that enables operations managers to easily create, assign, manage and track loan tasks all within their unified, single system of record.

With Encompass eClose, Encompass customers also benefit from having a single workflow for their closing process. For wet-signed loans, to a full eClosing, and everything in between,  lenders can have one partner, one workflow, one source and one network for it all.  

Unlike other solutions, Encompass also allows mortgage lenders and investors access to the largest network of partners in the industry. The Marketplace by ICE Mortgage Technology includes thousands of leading mortgage companies that span the full gamut of technology solution categories, from mortgage servicing and title, to escrow, automated underwriting services, and many more. Through pre-built, bi-directional API integrations, customers can utilize these trusted, proven solutions to enhance and digitize their lending workflows.

With a long history as an industry leader, ICE provides a wealth of experience, compliance expertise and data-driven insights unmatched in the industry. Through best-of-breed automation and data, Encompass is helping customers reduce costs, increase revenue and deliver better customer experiences at every step of the loan lifecycle.

Source: housingwire.com

Apache is functioning normally

Interest in off-grid homes is growing among buyers who are wary of blackout events such as the incident in Texas in February that followed a severe winter storm.

resilient home design

The growing interest in self-powered homes has led some developers to go beyond energy saving features like solar panels, building even more protections into their properties.

“Houses can be built in much more efficient ways, so not just solar but they can have their own water treatment systems, other sources of electricity generation, and a number of other efficient ways to manage their utilities,” said Ben Keys, associate professor of real estate at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, in an interview with CNBC.

As a result of the storm in Texas, around 10 million people were left without power. Moreover, blackouts that have affected at least 50,000 people have risen by more than 60% in the U.S. since 2015, according to the Environmental Science & Technology journal. Homeowners are also concerned about climate change leading to a rise in the occurrence of wildfires and flooding. Last year in California, more than 10,000 buildings were destroyed by fires, causing over $10 billion worth of damage.

These events have led to demand for more resilient homes to be built, CNBC reported.

A Redfin survey last month backs that up, saying that climate change is becoming more of a factor in people’s homebuying decisions. In that survey, 74% of respondents said they would hesitate to buy a home in an area that’s at risk of climate change. And almost half of respondents who said they’re planning to sell said that natural disasters and extreme temperatures were one of the reasons behind that decision. The most likely age group to worry about natural disasters and extreme temperatures is those aged 35 to 44.

In response, a boutique home builder in California called Dvele is building smarter, more durable homes that feature solar panels, batteries and other elements that use less energy so they can operate off the grid for longer. The homes use technology to monitor their energy output and can help their occupants to identify ways to save more power. If the power is cut off for any reason, the homes will continue to operate normally for a period of time.

CoreLogic’s recent Catastrophe Report said that homes in California, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebrask, and also along the Mississippi River and in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal areas are at most risk of being impacted by weather-related catastrophes.

Keys told CNBC that building more self-sufficient homes is no longer just popular with extremists. “I think we’re going to see more and more people looking for ways in which they can protect themselves as there are increased risks from storms, more utility disruptions, and more need for resiliency,” he said.

Even so, the costs of building more resilient homes are high, Keys said, which may slow down adoption of such technologies.

Mike Wheatley is the senior editor at Realty Biz News. Got a real estate related news article you wish to share, contact Mike at [email protected]
Latest posts by Mike Wheatley (see all)

Source: realtybiznews.com

Apache is functioning normally

When it comes to high-tech phones, you’d naturally assume that larger cities in the United States would be embracing big screen smartphones. Cities such as San Francisco, New York and the recently acknowledged marketing tech capitol Atlanta should surely be adopting new, large screen phones such as the iPhone 6+ and iPhone 7+ at a faster rate to hunt for their apartments, right? Wrong. In fact, our list of some of America’s most tech-hungry cities may surprise you…

America’s Most Surprising Tech-Hungry Cities: Big Screen Phones

City Percent of iPhone 6+ and 7+ Users
Florissant, MO 41.63%
Cordova, TN 38.31%
Newnan, GA 36.43%
Lauderhill, FL 36.24%
Pembroke Pines, FL 35.64%
Maumelle, AR 35.34%
Taylor, MI 34.90%
McAllen, TX 34.81%
League City, TX 34.68%
Gulfport, MS 34.60
Methodology: Device type data was internally sourced from Apartment Guide. Cities with fewer than 300 iPhone visits were excluded. To find the cities with the most eager tech adopters, Apartment Guide looked at the places that had the highest percentage of iPhone 6+ and 7+ visits.

The Handheld Revolution

As more people move to large screen smartphones for a better mobile experience, they’re discovering that they can do nearly everything they need for their apartment search right from their hand, on-the-go. For example, you can do your apartment search, find new ideas to decorate your space and even have everything you need delivered straight to your door making your move a cinch. Additionally, smart home technology isn’t just limited to homebuyers — apartments can get in on temperature, light and even automatic door systems for their pads.

What do you end up using your smartphone for the most? Do you have an app that you can’t live without? Let us know below!

Apache is functioning normally

Engel & Völkers of East Greenwich announced today that Andrew Hogan has joined its brokerage as a real estate advisor on the DiSpirito Team, bringing a specialty in investment properties and assisting first-time homebuyers to this new role. 

Engel Volkers Andrew Hogan web

Andrew is an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR). His proven property management experience has given him a keen eye for finding ideal properties that generate cash flow. Andrew also offers property management services to his investment clients who don’t want to handle the day-to-day maintenance that often comes with managing a rental property.  

“It’s all about finding the right property, in the right area, with tenants who are going to protect your investment,” says Andrew. “My job is to properly screen and vet these tenants, as well as  work in tandem with them to ensure that the property is being well-maintained and is generating  income.”  

Andrew has several out-of-state clients and he specializes in helping first-time investors. Andrew advocates on behalf of his clients to ensure they are making a safe investment, while also setting realistic expectations. 

“I have clients who were initially nervous about making the jump into residential property ownership, but after buying with me and having me manage their property, my clients have created very sustainable, cash-flowing businesses for themselves,” says Andrew. 

Andrew received his real estate license in 2020 after becoming property manager at Cousins  Property Management. He joins Engel & Völkers from NextHome Ocean State Realty Group. 

Prior to becoming a real estate advisor, Andrew served as an executive sous chef at a private golf club in Placid, Florida, where he gained invaluable experience catering to luxury clients and delivering a high level of service. The real estate industry felt like a natural fit when Andrew moved back to Rhode Island because of his ability to provide an exceptional customer experience, even in high-pressure situations.  

Andrew is a member of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. He is licensed in RI and MA. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Andrew to the DiSpirito Team at Engel & Völkers,” says Emilio  DiSpirito, co-owner of Engel & Völkers. “He brings an impressive track record in the real estate industry and we are confident that he will be a valuable asset to our brokerage. Andrew is a true professional and we have no doubt that he will make an immediate and positive impact on our team and our clients. We look forward to witnessing his continued success and contributions to  our growing brokerage.”

Find topics in marketing, technology, and social media for realtors, and housing market resources for homeowners. Be sure to subscribe to Digital Age of Real Estate.

Latest posts by RealtyBiz News (see all)

Source: realtybiznews.com

Apache is functioning normally

Real estate has the power to change your life for the better, but it can do so much more than that. Today’s guest, Jen McConnell, used her commissions to fight pediatric cancer, and she later created a foundation to help further the cause. On this podcast, Jen shares how real estate changed her life and has given her the ability to impact the lives of countless others. Jen also covers the advantages of running your own brokerage, ways to deliver five-star customer service, and more.

Listen to today’s show and learn:

  • Jen McConnell’s start in real estate [1:34]
  • What agents learn selling homes for builders [5:31]
  • The Charleston real estate market [6:47]
  • McConnell Real Estate Partners’ sales and team structure [8:04]
  • The advantages of running your own brokerage [13:32]
  • Social media as a tool for real estate agents [15:20]
  • The financial crisis compared to this correction [17:17]
  • About The McConnell Foundation and donating to causes that matter [18:33]
  • Restarting in real estate after major life challenges [22:18]
  • Advice on starting a non-profit foundation [26:53]
  • Advice for agents on giving five-star service to get referrals [27:29]
  • Jen’s favorite CRM: Follow-Up Boss [30:19]
  • The post-closing checklist: When to follow up with buyers [31:13]
  • Transitioning from paid leads to referrals [34:42]
  • Where to find and follow Jen McConnell [36:25]

Jen McConnell

Jen was fortunate enough to start her real estate career when she was a junior in college.  Now with over 17 years of experience in the industry, she has a particular expertise in luxury real estate and custom home building. She moved to Charleston in 2006 after receiving her B.A. in Marketing from Ashland University. In 2022 Jen was awarded the South Carolina Women in Business Award, and chosen as a Top 40 Under 40 Real Estate Agent in Charleston.  Jen has also been featured on Charleston Home Showcase & Lowcountry Live and has been featured in Charleston Real Producers Magazine, Charleston Style & Design Magazine, Southern Living Magazine, The Post & Courier, Charleston City Paper, Charleston Regional Business Journal, Charleston Daily, Greenville Business Journal, Columbia Business Journal and many others. She is a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist through the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing where she has been awarded the prestigious Million Dollar Guild award. Jen has also earned the coveted Realtor of Distinction Award achieving the highest rank possible as a Platinum Award winner through the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors. The Platinum Award places Jen in the Top 2% of agents in Charleston.

Jen is the Co-Founder of King Tide Investment Group and Blue Ocean Investments, both residential real estate investment companies based in Charleston, SC and Greenville, SC respectively. In 2021 Jen and her husband Josh opened their own brokerage on Isle of Palms and formed McConnell Real Estate Partners where she is the broker-in-charge.

Jen met her husband, Josh, in Charleston and was married at Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms in 2010. They now live on Isle of Palms and welcomed their daughter Bennett in 2016 and their son Bodhi in 2017. They have embraced all Charleston has to offer but most especially the outdoor living, the amazing restaurants and long summer days at the beach. The McConnell’s are avid Clemson Tigers, strong supporters of MUSC Children’s Hospital, the South Carolina Aquarium, Pet Helpers Adoption Center and are members of First United Methodist Church on Isle of Palms.

Jen prides herself on being persistent, utilizing her experience to always find the most advantageous terms for her clients, and providing unparalleled professionalism and expertise for her clients in each and every transaction. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate throughout the Charleston area, Jen would love to share her passion and market knowledge with you.

Related Links and Resources:

Thank You Rockstars!

It might go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: We really value listeners like you. We’re constantly working to improve the show, so why not leave us a review? If you love the content and can’t stand the thought of missing the nuggets our Rockstar guests share every week, please subscribe; it’ll get you instant access to our latest episodes and is the best way to support your favorite real estate podcast. Have questions? Suggestions? Want to say hi? Shoot me a message via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Email.

-Aaron Amuchastegui

Source: realestaterockstarsnetwork.com