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Demetree School of Real Estate Success Story: Jackie Unterreiner at Keller Williams at the Parks in Orlando, Florida

It is fun to keep up with past students to hear how their real estate careers are doing. Recently, I talked to Jackie Unterreiner. She went to Florida real estate school at Demetree School of Real Estate, then I sponsored her to join Keller Williams. She has been doing very well there since she started. Here is our interview…

Tell us about you.

Although it feels like I’ve been doing real estate forever, it’s only been a short time. After leaving the corporate world to be a stay-at-home mom for three years I was ready to start something new. I’ve always had a passion for real estate and wanted to pursue a flexible career with the ability to be my own boss. I have fallen in love with this industry, the buyers and sellers I serve, and the connections I have made in Orlando. I’m mom to a 3 year old son & feisty chihuahua, lover of nature, fancy desserts, beach getaways, yoga and reading.

What was most important to you when choosing a broker? Why Keller Williams?

It was important to me to join a brokerage that had top level training programs, resources and office support. I was extremely impressed with the resources, technology, network, and brand recognition that Keller Williams offers. Joining KW At The Parks was an easy choice. The leadership team and support staff are not only invested in the achievements of the brokerage but also play a huge role in my individual success.

How were you able to find success in your first year?

It’s important to start off with a strong foundation. Demetree School of Real Estate grounded me with the essentials and the Ignite training program (new agent training) at Keller Williams taught me the day-to-day knowledge, insights & skills I would use to land clients, negotiate offers, write contracts, and get deals done. It’s also important to surround yourself with others who are on the path you want to achieve. Through my brokerage, I have met incredible mentors, colleagues and friends.

Has your previous experience helped you in the real estate industry?

All of my past professions have served me in this industry. As a former healthcare data analyst, I am able to review comparable sales and translate market data in an understandable way to homeowners. I also worked many years in the spa industry and ran my own massage practice. This gave me the tools to manage my own business & schedule. My experience working in Las Vegas as a high limit blackjack dealer reminds me to always make work fun!

What is your favorite aspect of selling real estate?

I literally love everything about the real estate industry! Touring homes, helping sellers get top dollar for their property, helping buyers land their dream home, the investment opportunities in Orlando, staying on top of industry trends – even all the contracts and paperwork – I love it all!

Where do you find your clients? What has been your favorite sale so far?

In addition to referrals from family, friends, and social media, my niche is working with homeowners who were unable to accomplish their goal selling “For Sale by Owner.” I have helped several FSBO homeowners get top dollar for their houses by helping them revamp the curb appeal, bringing in my staging accessories, and using high-end marketing approach & tactics. I recently transformed a vacant house that sat unsold for over a month to a beautiful home that sold over asking price in under a week. It went from being the worst house on the street to the highest comp to date in the entire neighborhood!

What advice would you give someone thinking of joining Keller Williams?

Keller Williams operates on the highest level of industry standards and ethics. The education and technology they provide to new agents is cutting edge, sophisticated & progressive.

I would remind you when choosing a broker “all that glitters is not gold.” I considered other brokers that had shiny promises, however I realized they fell flat in education, networking, and comradery.

Joining Keller Williams was the best decision I could have made entering the real estate industry. The backing and support I received from KW allowed me to find success as a new agent in my very first year.

If someone wants to join Keller Williams, how can they contact you?

If you are interested in learning more about joining Keller Williams, I would love to speak with you! Email me at BusinesstoBLISSness@gmail.com

You can follow me on Instagram or Facebook.

Please note that neither I nor anyone in the Climer family has any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. Ron Climer, my father, sold this school in 2014. It is now owned by a large corporation. If you are looking for me, I own and teach at Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando.

By Karen Climer|2022-12-28T12:01:37-05:00February 3rd, 2022|

Demetree School of Real Estate Success Story: Rafi Pinsky at Keller Williams Aventura

It is fun to keep up with past students to hear how their real estate careers are doing. Recently, I talked to Rafi Pinsky in South Florida. He attended a class at Demetree School of Real Estate, then I sponsored him to join Keller Williams. He has been doing very well there since he started, just about a year and a half ago. Here is our interview…

Tell us briefly about you.

I was raised by my grandmother (my mother’s mother) at 18 months old. During the first 18 months, my grandmother and mother were in a custody battle as my mother wanted to raise me but was unfit due to alcohol and habits which deemed her unfit to raise a child. I was in foster care during that period and thankfully I was placed in full custody with my grandmother. I never met either of my parents and unfortunately was informed of the passing of my homeless mother about a year ago. I didn’t grow up with any luxuries or any siblings but I was blessed to have all that I needed and all in all, I had a great childhood and a loving parent. I went through middle school, high school, and three years of undergrad where I worked as a waiter part time before deciding to join the Israeli military. I served in an infantry unit in the West Bank before returning to New York to finish my last year of school. After obtaining my Bachelor’s in business, I started working with a friend selling different kinds of loans to small businesses. When COVID hit, I decided to become a real estate agent with Keller Williams. I started a podcast at the same time as my real estate career and I’m proud of my accomplishments. Karen has helped me ace the exam. I will always recommend her to anyone looking to take the exam and ace it (10/10 would recommend).

How long have you been in real estate and how long with Keller Williams?

I’ve been in Real Estate since August of 2020 and have been with Keller Williams from the beginning.

Why did you choose Keller Williams?

I initially interviewed with Douglas Elliman but found their rules on social media posts too restrictive for me. I interviewed next with Keller Williams and was much happier with the energy there.

What do you like most about selling real estate?

I love networking, solving problems and negotiating. I can’t say either of them are more enjoyable than the other.

What do you like least about selling real estate?

I dislike when clients aren’t truly willing to proceed and just want to waste my time looking around. Prospecting can be a drag when not knowing when your next client will come but the early stages of any business are difficult so I’m ok with it.

Where do you find your clients?

I find most of my clients through cold calls.

Tell us a story about one particular sale. Maybe one that was challenging or particularly interesting or anything that made it memorable to you.

I had a listing (seller representation) where the seller received an offer around $50,000 over appraised value and we still had difficult closing. Post inspection, the buyer asked for everything to be credited and that was where the war started. Thankfully, the other agent and I worked well together to close the transaction and after numerous, and I mean numerous back and forth negotiations, almost killing the transaction. We were able to close by giving part of our commissions as a seller credit to the buyer. I also spent an entire day physically helping them move out since the movers came late and they were short on time.

How important to your success was joining Keller Williams?

The Keller Williams office in Aventura has a wonderful atmosphere with people who are always happy to help one another. Keller Williams as a whole, is an incredible company for new agents who need guidance and hands on coaching to succeed in a business like Real Estate. I don’t know what the future holds but I don’t have a reason to go elsewhere and I highly recommend KW to anyone who’s about to be licensed anywhere in the country and in any country that has a KW office for that matter.

This is Karen again. If you are a real estate agent or aspiring agent who is looking for a great place to work (even if it’s not in South Florida), give me a call.

Please note that neither Karen Climer nor Demetree School of Real Estate have any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. My father, Ron Climer, started Climer School of Real Estate. He sold it in 2014. It was recently acquired by a large national corporation.

By Karen Climer|2023-02-09T14:41:06-05:00January 21st, 2022|

What Questions Do People Miss The Most On The Florida Real Estate State Exam?

The pass rate for the Florida state exam is dropping. For August 2021, it dropped to 38%. I obtained a list from the Florida Bureau of Education and Testing that had some tips for real estate students. In other words, these are the areas that most people are getting incorrect right now…

Helpful Study Hints for Instructors and Examinees

Know that Chapter 720, F.S. is the Florida Law that deals with Homeowners’ Associations.
Review expenses that are deductible on federal income taxes for a principal residence.
Review Chapter 475.612, F.S., and that Florida Law prohibits real estate licensee from referring to a comparative market analysis as an appraisal.
Know that the income capitalization approach is the primary approach in appraising income-producing properties.
Review street paving assessment; remember to calculate only the owner’s half of the paving assessment, so this would require the candidate to divide the total share of the cost in half.
Review the definition of an easement in gross and that this particular easement benefits the company that owns it.
Have candidates review the formula for Interest on Assumed Mortgages.
Review the definition for an option contract; candidates seem to have difficulty on whether the option contract is a bilateral versus a unilateral contract; we require that they know it is a unilateral contract.
Review the definitions for Special Purpose Deeds (i.e. personal representative’s deed, guardian’s deed, committee’s deed, and tax deed).
Review purchase money mortgage and that the mortgage is taken back by a seller from a buyer.
Review the definitions of separate property versus personal property.
Review the definition of a notice of noncompliance and that the DBPR may issue it for a first- time minor violation by a licensee.

If you don’t know what some of this means, check out my cram class. I think it’s the best state exam review in the state. If you don’t believe me, just check out what my former students say about it.

Please note that neither I, nor anyone in the Climer family, has any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. My father, Ron Climer, sold the school in 2014. You can find us at Demetree School of Real Estate in Orlando, Florida.

By Karen Climer|2021-12-17T05:12:17-05:00September 13th, 2021|

Where Does Karen Climer Teach Real Estate Classes?

Today, I got a call from someone (for simplicity, we’ll call her Jane) who had heard about me, Karen Climer, and wanted to take a real estate class with me. Jane did an internet search and called Climer School of Real Estate. The person who answered the phone said that Climer School of Real Estate is now owned by another company. But Jane is in luck because Karen was teaching the next class.

Jane registered for the class thinking that Karen Climer would be the instructor, but it was actually another person named Karen. Was this school intentionally misleading Jane? I don’t know. I can only guess. Jane told me she wasn’t very happy about it and thought that I would be teaching the class.

Jane has since learned that the Climer family sold that real estate school in 2014 and that there are no Climer family members at any Florida real estate school other than Demetree School of Real Estate, which is owned by Karen Climer.

The Climer legacy continues at Demetree School of Real Estate, which is growing quickly. Our students consider Demetree School of Real Estate to be the best real estate school in Central Florida.

By Karen Climer|2021-12-17T05:12:59-05:00August 19th, 2021|

I Have A Real Estate License In Another State And Now Want A Florida License. What Do I Need To Know?

This article is for people who have a real estate license in another state and are looking to get a Florida license. The process you take depends on your specific situation.

If you have a license in another state and you a U.S. veteran, active military, or spouse of someone who is a veteran or active military, here’s what you do:

We love the military in Florida. You will be able to apply for a license through reciprocity. This means you need to fill out the appropriate application, get a background check, and you will be issued a Florida real estate license. You might even qualify for a fee waiver.

If you have a license in another state, but are currently living in Florida, here’s what you need to know:

If you are currently living in Florida and plan to be here for the next four months, you are considered a Florida resident. It doesn’t matter if you have changed your driver’s license, voter identification, library card, or anything else. For the purposes of getting a real estate license, you are considered a Florida resident.

You will have to complete the same process that every other person has to complete to get their real estate license. You will not have to take the national test because Florida doesn’t have a national test. You will have to take the same 100-question state exam that everyone takes. It covers state and federal laws, principles and practices, and math.

If you have had your other real estate license for at least two years, you can use that experience to qualify for a broker’s license rather than a sales license. Decide before you apply whether you want to apply for broker and sales associate, so that you take the correct class and apply for the correct license.

If you have a license in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, or West Virginia, and currently reside in one of those states, here’s what you do:

You qualify for licensure through something we call mutual recognition. You will need to apply for a license through mutual recognition, and pass a 40-question Florida law test.

If you are living in another state that is not mentioned above and you are do not fit the military/veteran reciprocity, here’s the information for you:

You will have to start from scratch – you have to take the class and take the state exam. You will not have to take the national test because Florida does not use the national test. You will have to take the same class and state exam that everyone takes. It covers state and national laws, principles and practices, and math.

If you’ve had your license in the other state for at least two year, you can use that experience to apply for a broker license instead of the sales associate license. You will need to decide before you apply and take the class because you want to apply for the correct license and take the correct real estate class.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at Demetree School of Real Estate.

Please note that neither Karen Climer nor anyone in the Climer family has any affiliation with Climer School of Real Estate. Ron and Kathy Climer sold that school in 2014.

By Karen Climer|2023-02-24T06:07:51-05:00January 2nd, 2021|