No, I’m not changing professions. I’ve just returned from this year’s NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) conference where I saw the latest agent tools and products; met many new people; and caught up with old friends. One of these friends was Gustavo Blachman, broker-owner of Terrabella Realty, a realty firm based in Miami, Florida. I caught up with Gustavo who was at NAR promoting the publication of his new book, The Real Estate Diet. Gustavo gave me a copy and requested I write a review. The flight back to Reno from Orlando afforded the opportunity to read the book. My review follows:
From the city that brought us The South Beach Diet comes its latest “diet book”, The Real Estate Diet (BookSurge Publishing, 2008). This paperback however pertains to developing and improving one’s real estate career rather than his or her physique. The author, Gustavo Blachman takes his eleven years experience as an agent as well as broker-owner of Terrabella Realty and presents a guide for new and seasoned agents alike. Emulating the format of a diet guide, Blachman’s book takes real estate agents through the fundamentals of planning, building and streamlining one’s business. With titles like “Know Your Metabolism”, “You Are What You Eat”, and “Trimming the Fat”, Blachman provides an easy-to-follow guide to which many an agent can relate. My favorite chapter, “Condiments and Supplements”, provides of list of the author’s favorite and most-useful online resources, neatly organized. [I am looking forward to exploring a few of these sites that are new to me.]
Bonus: Over one third of the book is made up of Appendices, which Blachman references throughout his text. These eight appendices contain everything from Blachman’s own Listing Marketing Procedure to very handy Home Buyer and Seller Questionnaires. But the additional resources do not end there. Blachman has also set up a companion website and blog to complement to his book. Check it out at TheRealEstateDiet.com.
