Saturday, June 16, 2018

North Carolina Real Estate Exam Pass Fail Statistics for May 2018

     Yesterday, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission released the pass fail statistics for the North Carolina real estate exam for May.  Six hundred and eighty six real estate license applicants took the exam in May.  Three hundred and ninety three passed.  That is a 57% pass rate.   They all paid $164 for the experience. This North Carolina real estate exam is no picnic.   Two hundred and ninety three of those real estate license applicants will be paying $164 to take the North Carolina real estate exam for the second time.   This exam is not easy.  It is not  inexpensive either.

     Yesterday, I received a sad email from one of my recent  First Real Estate School graduates in Hendersonville.  www.firstrealestateschool.com .  She told me that she took the North Carolina real estate exam in Asheville.  She told me that she felt that she was prepared.  She told me that she missed the general portion of the exam by five points.  She missed the North Carolina section by five points.  She asked me if I had any additional study aids that could help her pass on her second attempt at the North Carolina real estate exam.

     I replied to her email.  I asked her if she had taken my practice exam at www.ncreexam.com .  I asked her if she had watched ALL of my free North Carolina real estate math videos on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HbEwoiVBMY  Why would anyone go pay $164 to take the North Carolina real estate test if they don't know how to amortize a mortgage when given principal balance and monthly payments and interest rate?

If you don't know how to:

compute excise tax
compute seller's net check
compute buyer's cash to close
compute commission
compute value when given NOI and capitalization rate
compute adjusted basis for an investor
compute square feet of a house with a bay window
compute per cent of profit
pro rate taxes and rent and HOA fees
compute adjustments for CMA
compute equity dividend rate
compute price per acre when given price and lot dimensions

when would be a good time to learn?  Before or after you pay $164 to "try" the North Carolina real estate exam?   I think before!  All of this is on You Tube.  It is free.  You know you are going to see these arithmetic questions on the exam.  Turn off the TV.  Turn off Facebook.  Turn on You Tube.
North Carolina real estate exam is not easy

Why don't students call their classmates and ask them what was on their exam when they took it yesterday?  http://rondclimer.blogspot.com/2017/12/what-about-those-trick-questions-on.html   Why don't real estate exam candidates that fail write down the questions that were on their test BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE PARKING LOT OF THE EXAM CENTER?  You will see those same questions next time.



     A exam candidate sees a test question like, "What does T.R.I.D. stand for?"  That license applicant has no idea what the answer is.  When would be a good time to learn what TRID is?  I say BEFORE you write that next $164 check.  It cost $164 the third time that you take the test.

     I asked my young student if she bought the  "Guide to Passing the AMP Real Estate Exam" book that I had available for sale in out classroom.  I asked her if she bought the "Hiking The Real Estate Trail"  CD program by Terry Wilson that I had available for sale in the classroom.  This is as painless as learning can be.  It is nine CDs .  Terry tells you what you need to know to pass the exam.  Listen while you drive.  https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Real-Estate-Trail-Trailhead/dp/1468090968

     I asked my young student if she bought the math book I had available in class from 3 wise www.3WiseTeachers.com
If you are near Hendersonville, North Carolina , join us
teachers.  Many of my past students said it was a big help.

     I asked my young student if she had read Appendix A in the textbook at least ten times. It would be a good idea to memorize Appendix A.   I asked her if she has watched my video that tells you exactly what is on the North Carolina real estate exam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZFPZGo_DJ4 


     If you are soon taking the North Carolina real estate exam, do not underestimate this exam.  It is expensive to fail.  You will have to study to pass.  Why not do your studying before you take the exam the first time? 

     If you live near Hendersonville, and need to get a real estate license, contact First Real Estate School.  www.firstrealestateschool.com


Thursday, June 14, 2018

An Easy Prospecting Tip for New Realtors in Hendersonville, North Carolina

You can learn a lot about salesmanship by watching top producers.  That would seem to be true.  Is it?

Many years ago, a new agent told me that she was going to watch Suzy Q, the top agent in the company.  She was going to do what she saw Suzy doing.  After a couple of weeks she discovered that Suzie's most productive prospecting technique was just answering her phone when it rang.

That seems simple enough.  The problem was that the new agent's phone was not ringing.  Suzy Q's phone was ringing from past clients referring friends.  Suzy's phone was ringing from friends and relatives and fellow church members and club members calling to refer their friends because they knew that Suzy was a qualified Realtor.
A post card, inexpensive, easy and it works like magic


Every real estate training program in America teaches new real estate agents to send out 200 (minimum) post cards to everyone that they know, old high school friends, fellow church members, fellow club members, people that you do business with like your car mechanic and your plumber, relatives, and anyone else that you can think of that would recognize your name. Does this work?  It is the best prospecting system in America.  It works like magic.  It will make your phone ring.  The person on the other end will be a friend.  Even if they don't have a referral for you, it will be a pleasant conversation.

Every real estate training program teaches new real estate agents  agents to do this.  Does every new real estate agent do this?   HELL NO!  Why not?  It is a mystery to me.  Would you believe that more new agents fail at their new career than succeed?  This prospecting technique is simple.  It is easy.  It is inexpensive.  It is absolutely rejection free.  It seems like every new Realtor in America would do this.

Let us not concern ourselves with "most" Realtors.  Let's talk about you.  If you are new or kinda new in real estate and you have not done this, DO IT NOW.  Start a list.  Today.  Put all your relatives on it.  Put all your past employers and co workers on this list.  Put all your club members on it.  Put your dentist and your doctor and your lawn care guy and your beautician and your OLD REAL ESTATE INSTRUCTOR on the list.  Do you know how I know most new agents don't do this?  I teach about 300 real estate license applicants per year. I received about three letters last year.  Why don't new Realtors do this?  I do not know.  If you have a theory, leave me a comment.

In today's modern world with email and social media, a posting on Facebook would work just as well.  WRONG!  Everyone is not on Facebook or Instagram or Linkedin etc.  Everyone looks at their mail everyday.  Post on Facebook in addition to the mail.  Not in lieu of the mail.
Refrigerator magnets are great giveaways. They last forever.

Twenty five years ago, I worked as a sales trainer for ERA, the real estate franchise. I  taught a forty hour basic sales training course for brand new ERA Real estate agents.  I was required to teach what was in the curriculum sent from headquarters.  One of the prospecting techniques in the curriculum was cold calling.  Cold calling is not for sissies.  This is where a new Realtor sits at the phone and call everyone on Elm Street and everyone on Maple street and everyone on Pine Street and says, " Hello, Mr Jones.  This is Ron Climer with ERA Realty.  I was wondering if you folks have been thinking of moving perhaps now or in the near future."

If you will do this one hundred times, you will get two listing appointments and maybe two referrals.  Ninety six people will say "no".  As I said, this is not for sissies.  This is for tough guys that can handle rejection.

At the Florida Association of Realtors convention, I had lunch with an ERA broker that had been selling real estate forever.  He told me a story that I have repeated many times.  Here it is.

He said he was walking through his office.  One of his new agents that had just finished my basic sales training course was talking on the phone as he walked past her desk.  He heard her say," Hello Mr. Smith.  This is Newbie Realtor with ERA Realty, Have you folks considered moving anytime soon?"  He stopped.  He heard this forty year old woman saying these words.  Fear and trepidation were evident in her voice.  When she hung up,he asked her what she was doing.  She said that she was doing what she learned at ERA school.  She was cold calling everyone on Elm Street.  A tear fell from her face to the list of phone numbers on Elm Street.  Dennis picked up the list, threw it in the trashcan and said to her," Do you have an address book in your purse?"   (That would be your phone today).  She took it out and handed it to him.  He handed it back to her and said,"  Call all these people and tell them you just started selling real estate."

Dennis told me that now he would walk past her desk and she would be chatting on the phone about grandchilren and vacations and golf.  Next month she was his number one salesperson.  The moral of this story is when you are new in real estate, call everyone that you know and tell them that you are new in real estate.  Ask them for a referral.  There is no rejection.  These are your friends.  Confirm their address and mail them a refrigerator magnet.

Social media is cool.  It is not as cool as a phone call from an old friend.

Mail your friends.  Call your friends.  You will find some prospects.  You will enjoy doing it.

If this does not work as fast as you want it to, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhzCdscDqxc&t=209s 

If I can help you get a North Carolina real estate license , contact me at www.firstrealestateschool.com