October 2009 Archives

At the end of this month, we'll be embarking on a laboratory experiment: teaching the entire ACRE® course...to a live class.

I've taught consulting before ACRE® was born and have had several requests over the last three years which I've always put aside, mostly for lack of time. However, I received a request two months ago that changed my mind.

A couple of months ago, I posted on the members-only Coaching Exchange that it was our intention to upgrade the ACRE® course. Counsel Member Tom Pickering (our education guru) is working on this project; taking my "prose" and making it into a true course book, both because it needs to be, and because it will better ACRE®'s chances of being picked up for CE credits.

Once the new course book is completed, it is our intention to raise the bar in terms of the requirements to become an ACRE®. Clearly, in order to become a successful consultant, one needs to not just understand the model, but also have developed a strategic focus (I don't want to use the phrase "business plan" as it makes most agents' eyes glaze over) and most importantly, have calculated your hourly rates and any fee packages that you want to offer. Without this practical work complete, the theory is useless.

We are busy putting together a new, expanded, and more user friendly Consulting Times. Here are just two of the changes (that I know about!)

First, a new course site will be integrated right here on The Consulting Times. The current course site was set up before the TCT was envisioned and the two sites have never talked with each other, not only providing conflicting information, but making for a lot of extra work behind the scenes.

Well, the lazy summer is over and if you're like me and observe the Jewish holidays, autumn signals a new year and time for new beginnings. And we have huge changes coming to the ACRE® program. The Council members have been putting our heads together and I have been speaking with many of our ACRE® grads regarding what works, what doesn't, what needs to be changed, and what needs to be adapted.

Frankly, my goal has always been, not just to have an organization that promotes, teaches, and supports real estate consulting, but eventually have ACRE® become the BEST training program in real estate, bar none. But to reach that goal, we need to make some major changes and we have quite a few that will be coming over the next few months into the beginning of 2010. I'll be posting them in the next days and weeks.

If you've been thinking about registering for the ACRE® Program, please do not use these upcoming changes as a reason for putting it off. All new materials will be available through our Resource Library so you won't "miss" anything.

Remember, the changes we are seeing in real estate are not going to go away once the market recovers - rather, the changes are systemic in nature and if we are to survive, we need to heed their call. "On the road of life, there are drivers and there are passengers." It's time to become a driver!

ACRE® Jennifer Allen, author of "Sell with Soul" and (just out) "If You're Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You're Not Doing it Right!" recently sent out a fantastic email to her mailing list. I asked her if I could share it because:

1. It makes one think.
   
   
2. Jennifer's thoughts are at the heart of consulting where the fundamental question when dealing with clients should be "Is this in my client's interest or in mine?"