Aug 5, 2008 Technology & Productivity
Recently I was contacted my Chris Cox, the president of The Operations Security Professional’s Association, known as OPSA for short in regards to his website OpsecProfessionals.org. I asked him if he would be interested in an interview explaining a little more about his organization, and he fortunately agreed.
1.First, tell us a little bit about yourself and OPSEC, since I’m sure many people do not fully understand it or are even aware it exists.
My name is Chris Cox, and I’m the president of The Operations Security Professional’s Association (OSPA). I’m a fairly recent veteran and currently work in the Information Security Field.
Operations Security, or OPSEC, was originally a Military concept developed during the Vietnam War in response to the awareness that enemy forces were continually acting on advance knowledge of Military operations because they were collecting unclassified “puzzle pieces”
and compiling the bigger picture of a classified operation. OPSEC is the procedure (formally, five steps) used to protect that information.
Today, the same principles are used, but not only in the Military, but in Governments, Schools, Corporations and even in our daily life. For example, when you go on vacation, you might have a neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers, put a timer on your lights, leave a car in the driveway, etc. When you do that, you’re practicing OPSEC.
Simply put, OPSEC is denying an adversary the information that they would want in order to collect critical information about your or your organization. OPSEC doesn’t try to replace other forms of security, but it strengthens them. The biggest way that this is done is by what’s called “thinking like the wolf”. By looking at your organization from your adversaries perspective, you can begin to see where your greatest vulnerabilities lie.
2. How does OPSEC relate to the real estate industry?
Real Estate Professionals that understand OPSEC have an advantage over their competitors for many reasons. For one, people are understandably concerned about their family’s safety and security. When a Real Estate Professional can apply they OPSEC process to their homes, they’re able to identify certain vulnerabilities that may be missed using other security methods. Knowing this, they’re able to anticipate (and potentially avoid, by explanation or repair) clients’ concerns. This skill has a potentially marketable value.
Competitive Intelligence is a close relative of OPSEC, and involves looking at the competitive climate and finding ways to excel by finding and targeting under-utilized markets.
3. What benefits would a real estate professional experience by becoming a member of OPSEC?
The biggest benefit to OSPA members is the collaborative nature of the organization. If you need security advice, guidance or hands on help, one of the members or Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) on hand will help you. For example, there are members in the physical security field, information technology/security, Law Enforcement, Military, Government, etc. It also shows clients that the Real Estate Professional has an interest and training in security.
4. What in your opinion would be some of the most prominent threats that may affect real estate professionals?
I don’t know the “climate” between Realtors, but many industries would consider competitive intelligence to be a threat (such as “stealing” customers or lucrative properties). I would also consider threats to a client (in terms of their new/potential home) to be a significant concern. OPSEC, however, also applies to marketing strategies, corporate conditions, and more.
5. Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about OPSEC?
It’s true that there is a five step process that forms the “core” of OPSEC. However, one finds that when they understand the OPSEC process, it begins be be more of a mindset than a process. That’s not to say that OPSEC Practitioners are “paranoid”, but are left with a greater awareness of security.
OSPA has made great strides in bringing OPSEC to the non-government world and the international scene. Currently, we’re working with Domestic Violence Outreach Centers to provide security training for residents and staff, and also to the Schools with Children effected by Military deployment. Currently, OSPA has members in seven Countries and has fostered the first true international OPSEC cooperative programs.
Thank you so much for the interview Chris - I really appreciate you taking the time to explain OPSEC to us and share how it can relate to real estate! To learn more about OPSA, visit OpsecProfessionals.org.
Aug 4, 2008 Agent Life
Recently my husband and I were looking at a new vehicle for his business. We were presented with 2 options: Buy the vehicle or we could lease it.
We were mulling over the tax benefits of either choice when it dawned on me that many real estate agents probably don’t realize the different benefits when buying a car either. (I never had to think about it, as I owned my car before starting the business and still own it!)
Many agents probably do not even give a second thought about the different options to getting a new car, many probably do not even think of it as a business purchase! However, your car is very important in your business, and when getting a new car you can take advantage of various tax deductions.
Here is the major difference between owning and leasing your business vehicle:
Owning means you can only deduct the interest from the purchase if you finance it. The principle is not deductible. You will also have to calculate depreciation when doing your taxes.
When leasing, the entire lease payment can be deductible. (Assuming the vehicle is used primarily for business purposes).
If you’ve been looking for more ways to take deductions as a real estate agent, deciding to purchase or lease a car is an important decision. Before making any purchase or entering a lease agreement, be sure to consult with a trusted accountant to help you make the best decision. (Hey, you wouldn’t want someone to sell a house without a professional - using the services of a tax professional can be beneficial as well!)
Aug 1, 2008 Technology & Productivity
Finding real estate wordpress themes for your real estate blog should be an easy task. But with thousands of themes to sort through, finding ones professional looking enough can be difficult. Even here on my real estate marketing blog I am considering a different wordpress theme. It’s not good to constantly change your wordpress theme, but it can be refreshing to update it every so often and make a few tweaks here and there.
Here are the real estate wordpress themes for your real estate blog I think you might enjoy:
Loft Real Estate Theme
This dark wordpress theme has a very modern and contemporary feel to it. Click here for demo and download.
Lux House Theme
This theme features 2 columns, beautiful header image, and is ideal for any luxury real estate specialist. Click here for demo and download.
Real Estate Black
This darker theme features an excellent header and 3 columns. Click here for demo and download.
Colonial
This real estate wordpress theme is ideal for anyone with company colors of red and blue. Click here for demo and download.
Real Estate CEO
I saved this one for last, as it is my favorite free real estate wordpress theme. Click here for demo and download.
Have a real estate wordpress theme for your real estate blog you’d like to share with us or add to the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Jul 30, 2008 Upstart Agent Site News
After looking at the same blog design over and over again, I usually get bored with them pretty quickly.
Today I’m trying out the brand new Blogohblog wordpress theme DailyPress. I still have a few tweaks to make but am overall very impressed with the design. I figured though since this is such a drastic change from the old theme, I better write a post about it so my readers know they’re at the right site.
I’ll be featuring some other great free wordpress themes for real estate agents on Friday, so if you’d like to Subscribe by Email you can be notified once the post is up.
I welcome any feedback on the new wordpress theme for Upstart Agent and of course I’m sure Jai over at BlogOhBlog would too. 
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