By Jon Snyder According to market and consumer data provider Statista, the global home automation market will reach a value of more than $40 billion by 2020. The U.S. ranks first in terms of adoption rate, followed closely by Japan and Germany. With the easy availability of connected gadgets, not only can you control your home's thermostat from your smartphone, but...
How many times have you as a broker, agent or consumer opened an email that just didn't seem right? It happens all the time, and, yet, occasionally they seem real enough that you don't think twice about downloading a file or emailing back. Here's the trouble: Email scammers are getting smarter with their phishing schemes and it's becoming increasingly harder to tell...
Identity theft is defined as the fraudulent possession and use of an individual's private, identifying information for financial gain. Unless the proper precautions are taken, anyone can be at risk—including you. As a real estate professional, it's important that you're aware of how identity theft occurs and how you can protect yourself and your clients against...
Be it an email hack, a phishing scam, a Nigerian money order or a product that sounds just too good to be true, there are dozens of ways you can get scammed online. At best, you lose $20 on a product that doesn't exist. At worst? All your financial data gets hacked and your electronic device becomes infected with malware. To avoid any situation similar to these,...
Are you on the hunt for a rental? Ad boards, listing portals and vacation sites have made it easier than ever to find one—and easier than ever, regrettably, for scammers to strike. Common cons include: False Identity Cyber criminals are altering the contact information on existing online rental posts, changing the email and/or phone number and disseminating the...
Working with buyers and sellers? As a real estate agent, you know that means having to deal with personalities and ages that run the gamut from young and energetic to senior and slow-paced. But working with the elderly is a lot different than working with any other client type. When dealing with older clients, you're usually more hands-on, especially if they don't...
By Emily Harper Theft in the workplace has always been a problem in the U.S. Many brokers and other business owners look to practical yet effective solutions to reduce theft at their place of work. Workplace theft has increased in recent years, and now that many businesses have provided work-from-home options, the chances increase for external theft such as break-ins. Related:...
Email-based scams are increasingly derailing real estate transactions and the lives of those who fall prey. Agents and brokers regularly remind their clients to safeguard their information, and educate them on the signs of a fraudulent email. Even industry executives, however, can be vulnerable. Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran, mega investor and founder of The Corcoran...
Housecall, the official blog of RISMedia, recently won the coveted Gold Award for Best Real Estate Blog from the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) at the association’s 53rd Annual Real Estate Journalism Conference, held at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Texas, this June. The annual event recognizes excellence in reporting, writing and editing stories...
Mitigating risk isn't the sexiest part of owning a real estate company, but it may indeed be the most critical. One well-supported lawsuit and there goes everything you worked so hard to build. Even less-than-viable litigation will waste time and resources that could be so much better spent elsewhere. National Association of REALTORS® General Counsel Katie Johnson That's...
