Finance With Factor

Anyone with a to do list can think of a time they found ways to push off the "tough" or "less fun" tasks.  Bill Moody, of Commonwealth Financial, shares how he has learned to prioritize the most timely tasks and revenue generating activities each day, even if they are actually his least favorite items on the to do list.  If you have ever had one of those busy days where you don't get any...

Brian Koss, VP of Marketing and Residential Lending at Mortgage Network, shares his takeaways from the recent New England Mortgage Bankers' Convention.  He provides stats and perspective on how realtors and real estate professionals can comfort customers and coach colleagues through a rapidly shifting market (a real estate market that many of us haven't seen or at least haven't seen in the la...

Sales, negotiations, and customer service are all about responding to the other person’s anxieties, comforts, and needs. I speak with a professional poker player on how he learned to read “tells” and ways we can apply that to improve our business.

Social media is an efficient way to spread brand awareness and sell product, but how do you service professionals use it to build relationships and generate leads with new prospective clients? Jenn Vinson, Dr of Business Development at Cosmopolitan Title Agency, LLC, shares how she has leveraged social media to foster new friendships with potential referral partners.

“Pauly Parlays" a fantasy football expert shares sleepers, must haves, and a variety of fantasy football tips…I share how we can learn from fantasy football to improve our credit scores.  Good credit doesn’t have to be a fantasy, you can apply the same logic you use to build your fantasy line-up to improve and maintain your credit score.

Moving means a lot of changes. For many, new schools are one of the most important and stressful. Lisa Kingsley, an experienced teacher and school administrator, shares ways that parents can help their kids adjust smoothly and quickly to a new school this year.  She even shares a few tips on how your real estate team can help you evaluate schools and start the registration process. E85-R122

Everyone in sales is a story teller.  But, story telling is an art and making memorable stories is a skill...a skill you can learn and refine.  While working at the NBA, Kevin Scheitrum made a career of telling memorable stories to build fan engagement, solicit responses, and evoke emotion.  Kevin shares how he approaches story telling and ways small business owners, real estate pro...

"Points" are an upfront cost (added to closing costs) typically used to "buy down" the interest rate or secure underwriting exceptions.  When used correctly, points can help buyers increase their buying power and lower monthly payments.  As sellers, you can use "seller credits" to offset rate movements and increase your net proceeds.  On this episode, I share a presentation, at a lo...

Making "splashy" social media content is difficult for any small business owner, but especially in a crowded space, like the real estate market.  Charlie King, of the Charles King Group at Compass, shares his philosophy on creating memorable sharable content and how it has helped him grow his social footprint.

Building an all-star team can be difficult, especially if they are all incentivized to compete against each other. Sales "teams" are inherently self-interested and highly competitive, but that doesn’t always yield an enjoyable work environment. At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Page Realty, they have built offices filled with top agents and fostered a collaborative environment. Ruthann Wright sha...

Fellow "control freaks" raise your hands? Tim Legere, an NCAA ref, recovering small business owner, youth hockey coach, and finance professional, teaches us to control our controllables and plan for (but not sweat) the other stuff!  He shares some valuable takeaways and stories everyone can relate to as you manage your own to do lists.

Effective Events Episode Description: Familiar with the panic of planning an event or fear that nobody will come to your party? It can be an open house, grand opening, client appreciation event, or panel discussion, as real estate professionals or small business owners, we all become event planners at some point, but not always great ones. Heather Chambers, a small business owner, logistics profes...

Balancing Work/Life Episode Description: In an "on call" business finding the "right" balance between work and life is a constant struggle. Brian White, VP with Better Living Real Estate, manages a team of realtors, loyal clients, and a family of 8. In honor of Father's Day, Brian shares what he has learned about balancing work and life.  As an added bonus, I call my Dad, to make him cry!! &n...

Carlina Nabatoff, with The Abundant Group at Keller Williams, has built her business on providing concierge level service for tenants and landlords, in the rental market.  She shares the tips and trends she has seen in the Urban and Suburban rental markets this season.  We discuss how they parallel with the purchase market and what this means for future homebuyers and investors. 

I decode how many lenders are using fancy marketing and carefully picked wording to "sell" their "pre-approval" as unique and special.  I assure you there are no secret spells or magic bullets in the lending world.  It is just math and guidelines.  If it sounds like a lender is "selling" you something new ("good as cash" or "pre-lock" or "guaranteed ___" or "pre-commitment"), it is...

You say "Luxury Listing" and I think made for Bravo TV style homes.  Jacqueline Fonseca, Realtor with The Agency-Boston, joins the podcast to share why "luxury" is more about the service and experience than the price.  Fresh off a panel, Jacqui discusses the latest luxury market trends, tips, and notable take-aways for buyers, sellers, and agents.

Every business owner only has so many hours in a day.  So, how do you grow without burnout or sacrificing service?  Travis Wright, a Loan Officer (in SC), shares how building efficient communication, complimentary teams, and transparent work-flow helped him manage expediential growth.  We discuss how to setting-up a solid foundation, in times of low-volume, can prepare you to become...

Attention all home buyers, sellers, realtors (listing and buyer's agents): In today's volatile market, a pre-approval letter can get outdated within hours.  Buyers get approved for a monthly payment (not a purchase price), which means some buyers are sensitive to changes in taxes, insurance, mortgage interest rates, loan amount, new debt, or other variables that impact the monthly payment/buy...

New lender guidelines for condo approval have many realtors, buyers, and sellers scrambling in the real estate world. On this episode of Finance with Factor, Tonia Magliaro, Manager of Mortgage Network's Condo Department, decodes the potential condo tripwires, and shares tips on ways agents and/or owners can plan for and navigate the lending process.  It isn't difficult with the right teammat...

[E108] Come on, everyone is doing it...Waiving contingencies (inspection, appraisal, financing/mortgage, etc.) when buying a home seems to be expected these days.  But, what does this mean?  Nicole Pinkos, a real estate attorney, with Hornung and Scimone PC, explains the legal risks, liabilities, and how to craft contingency language in your offer(s).  This episode is a must listen...

How much home can you afford? In a volatile market where mortgage rates and home prices are squeezing buyers, one variable often overlooked is the homeowner's insurance.  Most buyers (realtors, and lenders) do not account accurately for this cost, until late in the process.  Joel Fanjoy, William Raveis Insurance's top producing insurance agent (in 2021), joins the podcast to share tips t...

Reverse Mortgages are often seen as a last result...or worse.  The reality is that they can often be transformative tools for homeowners, financial planners, and realtors to build financial flexibility.  Lyn Coffin, Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional, is one of less than 200 lending professionals, in the country, licensed to specialize in originating Reverse Mortgages.  She joi...

As real estate professionals, we enjoy a wide-range of conversations.  We celebrate with happy tears.  We negotiate with contentious parties.  We deliver crushingly disappointing news. Alison Burgett, FVP Head of Talent Management at Cambridge Savings Bank, share her tips on navigating difficult conversations.  She shares tips that can help you manage bedtime negotiations with...

I do my best to decode the talk about inflation, market volatility, the Fed's planned rate increases and how these variables combine to impact the real estate, mortgage, and housing markets.  While I will not be winning any Nobel Prizes in economics, I do my best to bring theses scary terms into real life examples that we can all use to help home buyers and real estate professionals explain t...

Strategic urban developments, in small towns and cities alike, are an essential solution to the ongoing housing shortages. Nicholas Pelletier, of Pelletier Properties at Keller Williams, is immersed in the active redevelopment of Downtown Fitchburg, MA. He shares is insights on the project and how similar projects can impact local real estate markets to solve housing/inventory concerns and safegua...