Weekly Facts Blog – September 1, 2008

This Week! Are You at Risk?
Every day REALTORS® put themselves at risk by welcoming complete strangers into a home or getting into a car alone with someone they just met. These everyday occurrences have the potential to turn into a personal nightmare, if our members don’t understand and follow the basic tenets of personal, professional and client safety. Find out how you can protect yourself and your clients by attending GTAR’s Safety Seminar: Scams, Shams & Shenanigans, Thursday, September 4, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. with guest speakers, KOTV News at 5 Anchor, Lori Fullbright and CEO, Rick Brinkley of the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Oklahoma. Earn 3 hours required (HOT) CE credit from OREC. Register at tulsarealtors.com; click here for course details: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/documents/SafetySeminar090408.pdf

How Do Commercial 1031 Exchanges Work and How Can They Benefit Your Business?
Find out Thursday, September 11, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at GTAR. Carmine DiFulvio, senior vice president of First American Exchange Company in Las Vegas, Nevada and Certified Exchange Specialist will be teaching 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges: A Detailed Look. If you are involved in the commercial real estate market, this course is for you. Mr. DiFulvio will be discussing how 1031 Exchanges work, financial requirements, cash-out rules, timeframes, qualified intermediaries, and much more. OREC has just approved this course for 3 hours elective CE credit. Register at tulsarealtors.com; click here for course details: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/documents/1031Exchange.pdf

Increase Your Marketing and Lead Generation Capabilities
Using Publisher and PowerPoint 2007; Technology Trainer and Consultant, Michael Tritthart will be at GTAR Friday, September 12 to teach you how to use these two technology skills to build your business. Real Estate Marketing Using Publisher 2007, will be 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., and Real Estate Marketing Using PowerPoint 2007 will be 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Cost for each class is $15 pre-registered and $20 the day of class. Both courses have just been approved for 3 hours each of elective CE credit by OREC. Both courses are currently pending elective CE credit approval with OREC. Register at tulsarealtors.com; click here for course details: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/documents/TechTools.pdf

Refocus Your Business Plan to a Customer Service Centered, Repeat, and Referral Business
Identify the expectations of the “new consumer,” the “new behaviors” necessary to meet those expectations, and specific systems to make your business more productive, profitable, and enjoyable. GTAR and the Oklahoma Chapter of Certified Residential Specialists will be hosting CRS 210: Building an Exceptional Customer Referral Base on Thursday and Friday, September 18 and 19, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the GTAR Training Center. Cost is $275. Start working toward the CRS Designation and earn 16 hours of elective CE credit from OREC at the same time. Register at tulsarealtors.com; click here for course details: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/documents/CRS210.pdf

Free! 10th Annual Landlord Training – Wednesday, September 24
Offered by the Tulsa Area Housing Partnership, 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the GTAR Training Center. The training will begin with an overview of Oklahoma Landlord Tenant, highlighting the rights and obligations of landlords. Next will be a session on dispelling the myths about Section 8. Following this panel discussion, and in the wake of the 2007 ice storm, there will be a presentation on disaster preparation, mitigation, and legal remedies such as abatement. C. Lyn Larson with the Tulsa Field Office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development will moderate the training. Currently pending CE credit approval with OREC. This class is free but registration is required due to space limitations; this class is also open to the public. Register at tulsarealtors.com; click here for course details: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/documents/08LandlordTraining.pdf

Help Build Preferred Development Strategies for Tulsa
You’re invited to participate in one of two hands-on, citywide workshops as a part of the City of Tulsa’s comprehensive planning process, PLANiTULSA. Working together in small groups of friends and neighbors, you’ll build preferred development strategies for Tulsa – creating a vision of what you want for our city. PLANiTULSA Workshops will be Monday September 22 at the Greenwood Cultural Center and Tuesday, September 23 at the BOK Center. Details on the workshops and registration information is available at www.planitulsa.org.

2008 OAR Education Conference & Trade Show is October 1 – 3
The Oklahoma Association of REALTORS® annual conference is in Tulsa this year at the Renaissance Hotel. Join more than 700 of your fellow REALTORS® from across Oklahoma for state-of-the-art education, a fantastic REALTOR® marketplace, and endless networking opportunities. Go to www.OARConference.com for more information.

Commercial REALTOR® Education at the OAR Conference
OAR’s Education Conference has something for everyone, including commercial REALTORS®. Chet Allen will be teaching Big Money Real Estate – Development and Syndicating on Wednesday, October 1. Cost is $85. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or experienced developer, this course will give you the amazing tools to make big money in real estate and become a successful developer. For more information, click on the following link: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/GTAR/CurrentInfo/CommercialEducation.pdf

Safety Tip #12
Take 2 Seconds When You Arrive at Your Destination to Check Out Potential Dangers:
• Is there any questionable activity in the area?
• Are you parked in a well-lit, visible location?
• Can you be blocked in the driveway by a prospect’s vehicle?

Safety Tip #15
Keep Car Safety in Mind
When you’re alone getting into your car, the first thing you should do is lock the doors. Be observant when approaching your car; look underneath and in the back seat before entering.

Upcoming Computer Classes at GTAR
Pre-registration is required. For more information or to enroll, log on to tulsarealtors.com; under Member Resources, click Education-Enroll for Classes, then click Register in Classes. All classes are held in the GTAR Computer Lab.

MarketLinx 2: Wednesday, September 3, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
MarketLinx 3 – Prospect Gateway: Friday, September 5, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Catylist Search: Monday, September 8, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

REALTOR® Applications
Comments on the following REALTOR® applicants should be submitted by REALTOR® members to the Membership Committee, c/o GTAR, PO Box 470603, Tulsa, OK 74147.

Terry Warren, d/b/a Oklahoma Lake and Land.com (Second Publication)
Charity Wooden, d/b/a Keller Williams Realty – Bartlesville (Second Publication)