Becoming one of the best agents in your market requires hard work, time, and dedication.' One of the most important things you can bring to the table is your real life market knowledge and expertise."? As you increase your market knowledge IQ, your confidence will grow and you'll win the trust of your clients."?

To do that, you need to know more about your market than the average consumer."? That's more of a challenge than it used to be since consumers can easily find market statistics online, quickly and easily preview listings on the web and access public records with ease."?

Clearly, becoming an expert requires effort, more now than ever before."? Here are a few things you can do to establish yourself as an expert in your area.

• Select the area you want to become an expert in
• Preview all the homes that come on the market in that area (that way you'll know the nuances that pictures cannot convey)
  • Attend open houses
  • Chart price reductions on properties in your area
• Track closings and sold prices in your target area so you become familiar with list-to-sell ratios
• Become familiar with vacant land in your target area
• Get active in the community by doing things like attending county meetings where changes in zoning and housing are to be voted on, and offer your input
• Write articles and offer your expertise to newspapers and radio stations on trends and happenings in your area
• Start a community blog where you post information and articles that affect your those homeowners
• Gather e-mail addresses of people interested in what is going on in the area, and begin a monthly Podcast where you discuss trends and market information.
• Read local and national real estate magazines and articles to stay caught up with what is happening nationwide so you can compare your market to other similar markets around the country

Technology is a valuable asset to consumers and agents alike, so find ways to put it to work for you."? By establishing yourself as the expert and sharing your unique knowledge through public sources like blogs, print media, emails, and unique approaches like Podcasts, your customers will increasingly look to you as the definitive source."? Data is everywhere, so think in terms of how to educate your customers and make them experts."? By doing so you'll win their respect and their loyalty.

Bottom line: get fully committed to becoming an expert in your chosen career and you'll reap the rewards."?

If you have ideas of things you have done to increase your market IQ in your area, please add your comments.