Charfen Institute Breakthrough Conference

We are so pleased to be a sponsor of next month’s Charfen Institute’s Breakthrough Conference, July 15-18, 2012, in Las Vegas.  In its inaugural year, Charfen Institute’s Breakthrough Conference presents an unprecedented networking and production-boosting opportunity for real estate agents. For the first time ever, it will bring together STAR POWER® Stars, Certified Distressed Property Experts® (CDPE), Certified Investor Agent Specialists® (CIAS), and other real estate professionals, all of whom are among the top-producing agents in the industry and on the front lines of the housing market recovery.  Over 15 keynote and 40 Breakout speakers will share their industry knowledge. 

Join us to unlock potential. Discover the never before released strategies that consistently generate the top 1% of agents more leads, more clients, and over $1,000,000 in commissions a year. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with top-level executives and 50 elite 7-figure earners during Breakout panel sessions, Spotlight presentations, and Keynote addresses in 6 crucial areas…

• Technology and Social Media – As technological innovation accelerates, so does its impact on the real estate industry. Find out how you can use tools like Facebook and Interactive Voice Recognition to promote your personal brand and generate more listings that convert to closings.
• Increasing Volume – Do you feel like you’ve hit an invisible wall in your production? Discover the systems that star agents and brokers use to “clone” themselves and rocket to new levels of sales volume.
• New Agent Strategy – Are you relatively new to the business? Painlessly learn the vet moves that will make your professional life easier from experienced agents who often had to learn them the hard way.
• Sharpening the Sword – If you’re a seasoned veteran, sometimes you can take for granted the aspects of the business you already do well. In these sessions, you will discover how to quickly hone skillsets you already possess to make them more effective in today’s market.
• Investors and Distressed Properties – The distressed property market is still as active as ever, opening up tremendous opportunities for agents and brokers who can execute these transactions. Learn the latest insights on how you can get these deals through the bank faster and connect with investors-buyers who pay cash for your properties.
• Leadership – To get to the top of the industry, you’ll need to be able to cast an inspiring vision and convince others to follow. Here you will uncover the leadership behaviors that top producers use to gain respect and generate unyielding loyalty from their clients and business partners.

There is simply no other conference that gives you access to this number of top producers and thought leaders under one roof, all sharing their latest insights so you can grow your business with the latest ideas and proven techniques. Register today – we’ll see you there!  

Source: Charfen Institute

Welcome Jennifer Kotfila, Scottsdale Promenade Branch Manager

A great time was had by all who attended our recent open house at the Scottsdale Promenade office, June 7^th, welcoming our new branch manager, Jennifer Kotfila. Thanks to everyone who came by and helped to make this a successful and fun event!

Jennifer is another stellar example of the high caliber professionals on the Fidelity team.  Starting in the title business with Chicago Title in 1993, Jennifer then worked for Fidelity for 2 years, took a short stint away, then returned and has been back with us for 4 years.

Jennifer says of her start, “I got into the business because my mom told me I needed a job that had benefits.  My Mom worked for the Catholic Diocese in the land department and had a contact at Chicago;  I have been hooked ever since!”

Jennifer hails from Phoenix, being born and raised here.  She’s been married 13 years and has 3 Chihuahuas.  When not addressing her clients’ needs, Jennifer loves to “vacation on a beach anywhere”, snow ski, and hike. 

Stop by when you get a chance and say hello to Jennifer and the rest of our great Scottsdale Promenade team, Susan D’Amato, Bryan Selna, Angelica Rodriguez, and Veronica Wyant.  If you’d like to see pictures of the June 7^th open house, click here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.406846592692071.87272.167909109919155&type=1

Apps to Supercharge Your Videos

There are so many apps out there, it's hard to know what is beneficial to your business and what is a waste of time. So we've done some of the work for you! 

Are you posting video to YouTube, to your own website, as another tool in your real estate tool belt? With real estate professionals using video more and more, a great video production app can help today’s mobile agent get the job done.

For you iPhone 4/3GS and iPod Touch running iOS 4.2 and higher users, one app you may want to check out is Splice. The Splice app will allow you to create and even edit videos from your smart phone without ever having to use a computer or laptop.

Video editing can be a really frustrating experience, especially if you’re trying to do it with only a few inches of screen real estate. Splice removes the pain, allowing you to put together HD photos and videos in an amazingly simple way with a raft of powerful but super easy-to-use tools. You’ll be able to create videos using your videos, photos, and even music from your iTunes library. Add sound effects, transitions, borders, special effects, trim video and audio, narrate with your own voice, and much more.

If you’re an Android user looking for video editing capabilities, than Clesh Video Editor is a great option. Clesh is a cloud based video editor that provides an assortment of editing capabilities and features, and even allows you to publish your videos directly to Facebook and YouTube with no advertisements.

Designing Spaces TV Show Explains Peace of Mind Title Insurance Professionals Provide

Buying a house is an exciting time and the more you know about the process, the more relaxed you'll be going through it. This segment from Designing Spaces, a television series on Lifetime, explains to homebuyers the closing process and the importance of purchasing an owner's title insurance policy. The segment does a great job explaining how the work by title insurance professionals provides consumers peace of mind when purchasing a home.

Help Us Win The Social Madness Challenge

The first-time social media competition hosted by the Business Journals and sponsored by Capital One Spark Business is now in its Phase 1. A call for entries was issued in 43 metro markets a couple months ago, and more than 4,000 entries were received, including 127 in Phoenix and the Valley. This is sort of like the social media version of the National Football League’s draft, mini-camp and exhibition season, all rolled into one.

But starting June 1, practice was over. Thousands of companies from coast to coast began slugging it out for the chance to become one of three Social Madness national champions. Three national winners each will be able to designate a charity to which American City Business Journals, will donate $10,000 on the winner’s behalf.  

How can you help us become a National winner?  Before June 18^th, vote for us at  http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/exclusives/socialmadness (then click Medium Companies, find Fidelity National Title Agency  in the list, and click “Vote”, as well as click the buttons to Like us on Facebook and Twitter).  The votes we generate, as well as the growth seen on our social media platforms is what will help us make the first cut and move on in the challenge!  

And please find and engage with us directly on our Facebook  and Twitter; we love to hear from you and you’ll find all kinds of content about the real estate market, both locally and nationally, marketing and homeowner tips and tools, community information, and other items of interest.

The competition begins with companies of like size squaring off against us in the same local category of Medium sized companies. On June 18th first cuts will be made and survivors will go into a head-to-head, bracket-style competition, so please be sure to vote for and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn no later than June 18^th!  Social Madness culminates in September, when national champions are crowned and the designated charities are awarded.

Source: Partially adapted from an article by Ilana Lowery, Editor- Phoenix Business Journal