Diveristy is what makes Los Angeles

As a real estate agent in Los Angeles, one of the most fascinating things to me is the diversity of architecture this city has to offer. I grew up in the suburbs where track homes are a way of life. Everything was planned and all the houses in a track look the same. My clients have bought homes from Malibu to Los Feliz and no matter what price range they end up buying architecturally interesting homes. You will find a sample of a few of my past sales through out the Los Angeles area.

I have found only a couple of areas in the Los Angeles that I would consider to be track homes. The areas I have seen track homes is West Los Angeles, Mar Vista/ Palms, Culver City, Studio City and Sherman Oaks. In this market, the pro of liking a home in a track is if you missed out on a home you liked, then you know another one will come up for sale in the area that is similar in style. There is no con to living in a track home, I just found I had to get adjusted to the diversity when I moved to Los Angeles. Now I embrace the differences.

Real Estate Articles

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Data vs Knowledge

In real estate there is a sheer difference between data and knowledge. I consider data in real estate to be the information that is available on the computer. Examples of data would be the Multiple Listing Service, Zillow and statastics from the state, government and financial industry. Knowledge in real estate is knowing how to understand, explain it and use it in the best interest of my clients. In real estate, listings are input into the Multiple Listing Service which is given data from agents. The multiple listing service also pulls data from title companies, so information can be cross- referenced. Some of the areas in real estate where is data is being shared is companies are testing going paperless and allowing all information of a deal to be available to buyers, sellers, agents, escrow officers, loan officers and administrative staff. In the past, there is some personel information of our clients that is not always given to the other agents or other parties involved. An example would be if I was representing a buyer, normally I do not have access to the all the seller's information. Also buyers normally do not have information on sellers, as sometimes this could lead to buyer and sellers doning deals without the agents.

Real estate in the last years has become more of a data sharing industry. Recently a decision was made that will allow agents up and down the coast to California to have acccess to listings. Licensed California agents have always been able to sell anywhere in California, we just did not have access. As data has expanded, I feel knowledge sharing in on it's way. Agents have to work smarter and faster in today's market and we need to find ways to set us from the rest. Sometimes that is learning something unique from someone who has seen many, many years in the industry can save time or keep a deal together.

As far as know sharing, I heard something great at a class the other day-" Hang on the knowledge, people are smart and will find a way around it and do it better." Hoarding knowledge is not going to help anyone excel. I feel knowledge security still needs to maintain in regard to personal information in a deal. Really on the professional should have access to everything.

Technology Social Issues effecting Real Estate

I believe one of biggest social issue in real estate is computer crime and abuse. I feel it stems from the all the data that is available from the web. United States chooses to make no restrictions on what data can be collected or how it can be used. There are companies like ChoicePoint which has lots of personal information on about 19 million individuals. Their information is criminal records, driver’s records, credit and employment histories, police records, professional licenses and insurance claims. ChoicePoint does sell off the information to businesses. In the past, people posed as businesses and were given vital personal information and able to set up fraudulent accounts. I would have thought that ChoicePoint would have taken some social responsibility into the information that they would sell to others. As we have seen in the past, money has people looking beyond what is the right thing to do. If any of the ChoicePoint executives had sat down for a moment and thought “What of my personal information would I not be comfortable in others having?”, then may have been more restraint. I believe the European Union understands that here needs to be restraints to the use of personal information. I think the United States, should follow them when it comes to accountability, liability and control on information. I believe that most people do not understand how much of their personal information is being obtained. It appears that information is being obtained when a website is visited, order is made, banking or shopping or a search is done. Internet shopping (e commerce) has increased the amount of information that is collected on people. Until chapter 4 in the book, I did not know Google scanned on the emails of their customers. This was a surprise for me and a shock at how much information they have been receiving from my emails. I use my gmail account for personal and business use. My emails are filled with contracts and personal client information. Sometimes, there are bank account numbers or credit card numbers. The European Union has created and enforces informed consent and directs companies to inform people when information was collected and disclose how it will be stored and used. Some of the websites in the US use privacy policies, but they are not governed by anyone. I believe there needs to clearer disclosures made to consumers as to where and how their information will be used. People need to know exactly what they are getting into. The web is becoming a vehicle that many people use but may not understand all the intricacies and hazards that of part of this new way of life. I do not feel companies explain clearly as what information they are obtaining and how they will use it. Our future is leading to more time and information on the internet, the US and companies need to make a joint effort to begin to protect people, so we can use the web safely and continue to grow globally.

Wikicomics and real estate

Some of the most critical social and ethics issues in real estate, I feel is (privacy)personal information. We come across so much personal information of our clients. The worse offender is leases. We get credit card information, bank account numbers, social security numbers and birth dates. That is a lot of information for anyone to have. I don’t know if identity theft happens but it is possible.
I feel wikinomics will be playing a role in real estate, with collaboration. I feel that agents will be working in a larger scale globally and will be collaborating with others for insight,clients and infromation. In the company I work, collaboration and peer sharing goes on daily with people. Many are helping with issues or dilemmas. Real estate has an ongoing learning curve, there is always something that you can learn or experience. Now having a large network of people willing to help, the job becomes easier. Most real estate offices are not as forth-right with information and have willingness to help others. I had run across a situation that I was unfamiliar with TICS and asked for information and had great response and all of my questions and concerns settled. With the combined knowledge of many agents, I was able to learn a new aspect of real estate

E- Commerce and Real Estate

.E commerce has effect real estate in many ways. In marketing, realtors have hit the internet looking for ways to market their properties. Agents use eflyers that are sent directly to into our company in email real estate agents the ability to see how many people come to our website. Blogs started hitting real estate a few years ago. Many agents have websites.
Now a person can practically be paperless in real estate. Many companies are working with email and using PDF’s to forward files over.
For the consumer they have the ability shop or sell by themselves.( a lot tougher in todays market to sell). But consumers could post their house on Craig’s list and sell to a buyer and not use agents at all.(not recommended because of disclosures), but possible

Google has been effecting real estate for a long time. Agents have been paying for sponsored ads for years, ranking themselves at the top of the Google search. As Google gains more power and information they will find ways to effect real estate. I could see them purchasing Zillow or Realtor.com just to have the information.

For me, e-commerce has made me a more efficient agent. My clients are spread out all over Los Angeles, now I have the ability to write a contract by pulling over. I could be showing property to my clients and we drive by a home with a sign. They ask me a question, I can pull up all the property information from my blackberry in a few minutes. I have the ability to help meet the urgent needs by my clients and to be more flexible and accommodating. The information that has become available is truly allowing to sell real estate in and down the coast of California.

Bad Real Estate Photos

This is what you get when real estate agents and technology try to mix:

Bad MLS Photo of the Day

Tips on good real estate photography to come in future post.