As you may know, SWS is now the proud owner of the Accredited Consultant in Real Estate® (ACRE) program and designation! Founded by Mollie Wasserman in 2006, the ACRE baton was handed over to me in late 2011, and in the months since, I've completely updated the program with a new look, a new approach and a new platform.
However, the mission of ACRE remains the same - to both inspire real estate practitioners to approach their real estate careers with a "consultative" mindset rather than a sales one, and to teach them HOW to incorporate consulting into their practice of real estate.
For those already familiar with the SWS way of doing things, the ACRE philosophy of "consulting with" instead of "selling to" is obviously a match made in heaven. But there's much more to ACRE and consulting than a simple shift in mindset. Real estate consulting opens up a whole new world of opportunity for real estate agents; in the clients they can serve, the services they can offer and the manner in which they can be paid.
Consultants can work with homeowners who don't want to sell right now, but need the expertise of a real estate professional. Consultants can help FSBOs navigate their way to the closing table once a buyer has been found. Consultants can work with professional investors who need a knowledgeable expert on their team to help them analyze properties. Consultants can offer their services to landlords who need an objective opinion as to whether to re-rent or sell. And yes, consultants can work with retail buyers and sellers as they always have, and offer them a wider variety of service packages and payment options!
But real estate consulting is definitely not for everyone. Perhaps not even for most. To make consulting a reality in your own practice, you need to come in with an open mind and a willingness to reject the notion of "that's the way it's always been done and it will never change." You also need to bring your creativity, your business savvy and the desire to make your real estate career something special ;-]
So, do you think real estate consulting and ACRE might be right for you?
Let's find out! On April 17th, we're doing a little infoshow about ACRE and consulting in the SWS Virtual Studio. We'll talk about what consulting is (and isn't), what opportunities it offers (and challenges it presents), we'll tell you about the new course and designation, and invite you to join us for the Grand Opening ACRE Mastermind Workshop* that begins on April 23rd.
We promise a low-pitch atmosphere - we have no interest in pressuring anyone to participate in a program that's not right for them! Come to the show to see for yourself if consulting is something you'd like to add to your business model, either now or in the future. We'd love to have you join us!
The DETAILS
Date: Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
Time: 8am Pacific / 9am Mountain / 10am Central / 11am Eastern Duration: 60-75 minutes
Cost: Free, but you must register, below
Format/Equipment: Teleseminar; can access by telephone or on your computer
*What, exactly, is the ACRE Mastermind Workshop? The ACRE Mastermind Workshop is a six-week group program where we'll work together in an online group setting to learn the nuts and bolts of real estate consulting. At the end of the Workshop, your final project will be to create a Consulting Business Plan based on the assignments we've completed together, and if you complete the program, you will be ready to Go Forth and Consult!
If you do not already have your ACRE Designation, you will receive it once your business plan has been submitted and approved. We're calling the program a Mastermind because it will be led not only by the leaders of ACRE, but also by ACREs who are actually practicing consulting. We'll have several "break-out" sessions where we'll discuss a wide variety of consulting-related topics, such as marketing yourself as a consultant, working with non-buying or -selling clients, consulting with FSBOs, broker issues and much more. You can read more about the Mastermind Workshop here: http://swsstore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=126.
