REALBuzz Online

Are ‘Dual Career’ Agents Hurting You?

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:53:41 -0400

by Carla Cross

Are ‘dual career’ agents hurting you and your business? In Stefan Swanepoel’s publication, Trends Report 2010, he calls the real estate licensee with another job the ‘dual career’ agent. That’s what we used to call the ‘part-timer’. Although ‘dual career’ sounds much more important than ‘part-time’, the result is the same:

Less time to devote to the consumer. The conflict that an agent feels when he has another job is causing the consumer to rate our service lower than ever before.

Dual Careerists Are a Growing Trend

More and more real estate agents are getting second jobs to make ends meet. In fact, the 2009 National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile says that 26% of REALTORS® stated that real estate was not their only occupation. (I’m sure that many more licensees that aren’t REALTORS® have other major sources of income). In addition, less than half of all REALTORS® surveyed reported that real estate was their primary source of household income.

Is the Dual Careerist Doing the Industry More Harm than Good?

Having been an agent, manager, and owner a long time, I know how difficult it is at times for an agent to ‘hang in there,’ put their heads down, and keep working through tough times. It’s a great temptation, and a relief for many to take that other job just to ‘tide them over.’ From the broker’s perspective, too, keeping the agent at least licensed with the brokerage to get that one transaction seems to be better than losing that one transaction. Several problems accrue, when the agent gets another job:

The agent’s mind, energy, and dollars drift away from the needs of the consumer because the agent must focus on another job
The agent can’t keep up on the technical, legal, and business developments
The consumer demands just can’t be met when the agent is unavailable for large blocks of time
The broker must carry a much bigger responsibility for the agent’s transactions

What We Need to Do About This Trend?

Managers: Set standards so you are living out that vision you took all that time to write in that business planning course! Do you have agents with you who are not dedicated? Do you have agents who don’t practice in the way your company wants? If so, you are ‘shattering your image’ and greatly hurting your chances to recruit. Fix it while you can.

Agents: Go to your manager and ask why the ‘dead wood’ (a horrible term, but, the consumers have told us to get rid of them, and we’re not listening.) is still there. What benefit do they provide you? What benefit do they provide the company?

Short-Sided: It May Destroy

Our Industry Unfortunately, our industry has spent too much time on the immediate, and not enough time on the long-term. One of the easiest ways to see this is to look at the low producers and part-timers we’ve kept as licensees. Why? Because we think they may sell a home or two before they get discouraged.

There is Leadership Showing the Way

There is a growing trend to upgrade the industry. Take a look at what industry leaders are doing right now. They are putting standards in place, training and coaching to get people to their standards, and are counseling out those who just aren’t meant—or committed—to a career in real estate.

Support on Putting Standards in Place

For the last year, I’ve done lots of work in helping companies put standards in place. Although it’s challenging, it’s absolutely critical if we are to protect our business models as we like them!

Note: See Four Steps to a Stunning Standards-Based Organization, a webinar I did for the National Association of REALTORS® Learning Library.

What Do You Think? Do you believe managers should keep anyone who wants to be kept? Let me hear your opinion–and, if you have a solution, let’s share it with our industry!

Carla Cross is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Carla, view her bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

66 Ways to Connect with Prospects

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:35:32 -0400

by Terri Murphy

If you think it has been a tough year and find yourself thinking from a scarcity point of view, you might find yourself believing that there is little you can do to get more business…Think again!

Before you go with “scarcity thinking”, expert Harvey MacKay gives us 66 creative and meaningful ways to connect with even the most elusive prospects.

MacKay is the bestselling author of “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He says, “Anyone can get the order if he’s willing to stretch the truth far enough. Whether you tell the truth or not, you don’t come out a winner just by getting the first big order. The mark of the pro is to get the RE-Order!” That said, ask yourself these questions:

What am I willing to do to connect with a prospective client? (Or do I quit after a few attempts?)
Am I just trying to get another sale, or are there ways I can make an investment in a long term relationship?
What can I offer that will differentiate my service offering and add more value for prospects who will do business with me?

A great lesson from MacKay’s book is found in Lesson #3 – He says, “Knowing something about your customer is just as important as knowing everything about you or your product”.

MacKay was so passionate about wanting to know all he could about his customers; he is famous for developing his MacKay “66” question profile for each of his salespeople to fill out on their customers. He is adamant that when we know more about our customer, we enjoy a huge advantage when they know we care about them, their needs and ultimately then we have earned the right to work with them.

All too often, we fail the first step many high-paid coaches, consultants and top performers know and teach: Do a deep and thorough needs analysis of what THEY want, and not what you HAVE. But first you have to get the appointment and be willing to accept the challenge of winning their business.

Asking questions and then clarifying the answers is one of the most powerful ways to establish confidence and begin building a bridge of trust between you and your prospect. They want to know that you know not only what they want, but most importantly, why they want it. It is only when you act as their sales leader that you can help them determine what the appropriate solutions to their needs will actually be.

Many times we approach our buyers and sellers with a barrage of self-serving information about our experience, tout top testimonials and are convinced that WE are the answer to their needs, when in fact, that may not be the case at all! Regardless of your outstanding sales volume, negotiating acumen and years of experience, if they need a salesperson who can speak Vietnamese, you may not be their best choice!

The battle cry for successful sales that will never go out of style – RELATIONSHIP selling is the key to more sales. Ask well thought out questions, be a skilled, active listener, and craft solutions with your prospects for best results. You may not subscribe to doing a MacKay “66”, but knowing all the facts, motivations, limitations and best solutions for your customer will pave the way to create raving fans and endless referrals.

Terri Murphy is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Terri, view her bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

A Sales Lesson From Fundraising

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:26:36 -0400

by: Rich Levin

At my health club, I was chatting with a top national fundraising consultant. I asked him, “What’s the secret to success at getting people to make donations?”

He answered, “Two things, you want to be sure that the person asking for the donation has a relationship with the giver. If you are asking for a big donation, the request needs to be made by someone who has a strong, respected relationship with the giver.”

He continued, “The second thing, particularly for large donations, is that you want to know enough about the giver’s financial situation, history of giving, and history with the organization you are representing, you want to know enough to know how much a reasonable request is. If you have a good relationship, the giver has a good connection to the organization, and you make a reasonable request, you will always get it.”

Driving home from the club this morning, after that conversation, of course I thought about how that related to success in real estate sales. There is a direct connection.

First, the stronger the relationship you have with the buyer or seller before you even contact them, the better your chances of a successful transaction. That is why you want to:

Work with people in your spheres of influence, and past clients
Work with referrals from people who know, like, and trust you
Create a marketing brand as a knowledgeable, successful and respected professional in the area.
Second, do your homework. Find out all you can about the prospect ahead of time.
Check property tax records
Check MLS records
Check Google and other search engines and Web sources
Call and ask questions about what, where, why, when and who (how, too)

Finally, specifically ask about their current and previous experiences buying or selling real estate so you know the attitude that they bring to the transaction with you. My friend, the fundraising expert, related a number of stories where this background work wasn’t done, and the effort failed; and where it was done, and the effort resulted in major donations. These are the contexts of the best salespeople on earth. Make them yours.

Rich Levin is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Rich, view his bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

Asking for What You Need

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:45:19 -0400

by: Bernice Ross

Have you ever heard the phrase: “Ask, and you shall receive?” As common as this phrase is, it would be easy to conclude that many people have mastered this skill. In actuality, most people have mastered “giving” while very few have mastered “asking”. To develop the life you’ve always dreamed of, asking for what you need is essential.

The two key components in asking for what you need are giving yourself permission to ask and practice. While not everyone will accommodate your request, mastering these two steps can open a whole different world for you.

For most people, practicing is the easy part. The hardest part is actually giving yourself permission to ask. Consider your own life for a moment — how do you determine when to give yourself permission to ask for what you need? Is it after a fight? Must you struggle with something first before you give in? Do you need someone else to say it’s ok first before you give yourself permission? What belief or “truth” do you currently hold that blocks you from asking for what you need?

To determine what may be blocking you from asking what you need, sit quietly for a moment and picture someone you know who easily asks for what they need. Do you see this person as “pushy”, “forceful”, “obnoxious” or do you see them as a role model? By discovering your own attitudes towards those who are good at asking for what they need, you may be able to identify the beliefs that hold you back. For example, if you view people who ask for what they need as being selfish, you may avoid fulfilling your own needs because you don’t want to be perceived as selfish. To make the shift, consider fulfilling your needs as taking very good care of yourself instead of being selfish. Another common way people avoid fulfilling their own needs is to expect that other person “intuitively knows” what it is they need. Given that most of us aren’t mind readers, the smart move is to simply tell others what you need. This simple strategy helps to avoid anger and disappointment from unexpressed expectations.

To practice asking for what you need, a simple approach is to view it an expansion of a skill you already have. For example, when you go to a restaurant or to a movie, you have no trouble telling others what it is you want to eat or see. To build this skill, practice expanding it to other situations. A simple place to start is by asking someone at the grocery store to help you find an item or asking someone to help you with a problem you’ve encountered. Asking for what you need is neither a skill you can delegate nor overlook as you live your life. The time you spend practicing will return far greater dividends than any initial discomfort you experience.

Coaching Tips:

Ready to begin asking for what you need? One way to break through any limiting beliefs is by the simple step of taking action. The goal here is to practice asking for what you need in small areas of your life. As you gain experience, learning to ask for things in the major parts of your life becomes easier.

Choose one small area of your life that you feel confident and comfortable in. Choosing a small area where you do not have high expectations or “attachments” will make this process much easier.
Give yourself blanket permission to ask for what you need. This means that you can ask for anything you might need — period.
Consider your chosen area and come up with one thing you need. Again, by making it a small need, you increase the likelihood of success with this exercise.
Ignore any internal dialogue about whether you “should or should not” be able to get this need met. The larger and more significant the item that you need, the more likely you’ll run right into this voice. For now, just thank the voice (thought, feeling, etc.) for the feedback and move on.
Identify one person who can meet or exceed your specific need. If this is a friend who is willing to support you, then tell your friend what you are doing and ask for their support as you gain practice in the skill of asking.
Ask. Taking the action step is essential here.
Review what you experienced, felt, and learned about yourself and others during this process. Was it easy or hard? Fun or challenging? Emotionally draining or up-lifting?
Practice again and again and again. You may find yourself surprised at how easy it becomes asking for what you need.

One final word here — asking for something and receiving what you’ve asked for are not the same thing. Be willing to not get what you want while at the same time being focused on the skill of asking. Over time, you will gain clarity about what is really important to you as well as what really doesn’t matter. Just keep practicing.

Bernice Ross is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Bernice, view her bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

A Real Time Saver - Visual Voicemail

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 10:22:29 -0400

by Amy Chorew

I get asked all the time, what are the top 3 apps I recommend for a salesperson to use on their Smartphone? That is not easy, as there are amazing apps out there that can make you workload easier, save you money and are fun to use.

One tool that has saved me and my coaching clients a lot of time, is an application that allows us to “read” transcripts of our voicemails in emails or text messages on our Smartphones.

Here are some programs you can investigate:

Google Voice is free, others offer free “versions” but do cost a monthly fee. I personally use YouMail, but let me tell you about the products I use.

One Phone Number that Follows You

Multiple voicemail accounts can add hours onto your day as you retrieve and listen to messages. Consider one phone number that follows you, so you don’t have to check numerous voicemail accounts. Many of these products [apps] provide that.

Visual Voicemail

Convert your voicemail to a text or email. These transcribed voicemails are sent to your email account, and are archived up on the web. Most attach an audio file that you can download, if you need it.

Imagine being on a home inspection and your phone rings. After the caller leaves a message, you receive a text or email with a transcribed version of the call. You can respond with a text, email or just call. A real time saver.

YouMail also allows you to set up personalized greetings for each caller. Imagine getting someone’s voicemail and hearing

“Hi Amy how are you? I am not available right now, but leave your message.”

My clients love it!

Jott also allows you to send voice to text messages to: groups, Twitter, Outlook and lots of other products. Check it out!

Amy Chorew is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Amy, view her bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

5 More Ways to Use Twitter for Marketing

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:36:06 -0400

by Randy Eagar

Use TwitPic To Share Photos Of Your New Listings.
1. TwitPic is a website that allows users to easily post pictures to the Twitter microblogging and social media service. You can easily locate it at TwitPic.com. If you’re a member of Twitter, then you’re already a member of TwitPic. You can post photos from your smartphone or the site itself.
2. TwitPic is often used by agents to upload and distribute pictures in near real-time of new properties for sale and as an event is taking place. TwitPic could be used independently of Twitter, in a way similar to Flickr. However, several characteristics make this site a companion for Twitter.
3. Again, TwitPic usernames and passwords are the same as the ones in Twitter. Comments to photographs are sent as a reply tweet. TwitPic URLs are already short, making it unnecessary to use URL shortening.
Remember, The Quality Of Your Followers Is Better Than The Quantity
1. While having a large quantity of followers can be valuable, don’t make the mistake of overlooking the quality of those who follow you. The addition of just a few good quality people can cause large numbers of others to follow you.
2. It’s not necessary to always be the content originator. Pointing to good content works too (and Twitter is the perfect platform for this). As I mentioned earlier, “retweeting” someone else’s post can be an excellent way of getting good quality material posted to your site.
3. On the Internet, as in life, people get major good will and brownie points for being helpful. So, even if you’re from time to time just the bird dog or pointer, people will remember you for helping them find useful information they need.
Group Your Posts and Others Using the Hashtag
1. Even if you’re new to Twitter and read a few posts, you’ve probably recognized the hash symbol (”#”) attached to many posts. That’s what Twitter users call a “hashtag,” and at any given time at least one of them can usually be found among the trending topics on Twitter. But what exactly is a hashtag? Hashtags are basically a simple way to catalog and connect tweets about a specific topic. They make it easier for users to find additional tweets on a particular subject, while filtering out the incidental tweets that may just coincidentally contain the same keyword. Hashtags are also often used by various boards, associations, large real estate offices and event organizers as a method of keeping all tweets about the event in a single stream, and they’ve even been used to coordinate updates during emergencies. In fact, hashtags were first popularized during the 2007 San Diego wildfire, when the tag #sandiegofires was used to identify tweets about the natural disaster.
2. Because hashtags tend to spread so quickly and because Twitter users often search hashtags for content from people they aren’t following, using hashtags can be a great way to extend your reach on Twitter and connect with your current audience in a more meaningful way. There are a wide variety of already established hashtags - and new ones being created daily - that you can join. You need to be careful, however, that your use of hashtags is consistent with both your brand and the tag itself. Proper etiquette dictates that you should only use hashtags if your tweet is actually relevant to the tag’s associated topic. So which tags should you participate in? That depends wholly on your business and your purpose for using Twitter. For example, it’s probably a bad idea to participate in the #FSBOsRus hashtag (which does not exist currently) if you own a real estate office and use your Twitter account to assist in listing properties. But if you do a large volume in short sales, you’ll more than likely want to join in the #shortsale or #SHORTSALES hashtags (of which both exist), in which people tweet about their interest in or questions about short sales.
3. Use sites like Twubs (that would be Twubs.com), a hashtag directory, to locate and identify hashtags that make sense for your business. Also, pay attention to tags being used by your followers and search for them on Twitter to see what sort of tweets are associated with those tags. If it makes sense for your business to jump on board, compose tweets that are on topic and compatible with that hashtag.
4. While you certainly shouldn’t use hashtags to describe all of your tweets, they can be very helpful for your real estate company as a way to track social media campaigns that help establish a sense of community and build your company’s brand among your core customers. The first step in creating a hashtag is deciding on the tag word itself. Pick something memorable, easy to spell, and perhaps more importantly, as short as possible. Remember that Twitter gives just 140 characters per tweet, so no one wants half of it to be taken up by an unwieldy hashtag. Once you’ve figured out the tag itself, the next step is simple: start using it and promoting it. Make sure your tweets using the hashtag are worthwhile and add something of value to the conversation. Promote your tag or the social media campaign that uses the tag via other social media channels, such as your blog or email newsletter. Tweet out calls to action explaining your new tag at regular intervals (but don’t overdo it!). For example, let’s say you’d like more information on short sales. Your explanatory tweet might be something like, “What’s the best thing you’ve learned selling short sales? Tweet and share your thoughts using #shortsales!”
Quick Support for Your Company and Others
1. With the speed Twitter is growing, more and more businesses are creating their user accounts. They’re even hiring a person who’s on their Twitter account tweeting back at their customers. So sometimes you might not even get a response through your email.
2. A response through Twitter is a way to connect with top bloggers and marketers as well. These guys have insane amount of emails to go through daily, so your email will be ignored, but tweets since they’re only 140 characters, they will respond because it doesn’t take them very long. You can get quick support if you join Twitter.
3. It’s one more way to make key players in your organization accessible. This is particularly handy for the customer service area of your company.
Good Learning Tool
1. You can never have too much knowledge. Especially if you’re a real estate agent or a search engine optimization specialist like me. Half of the people that I am following are real estate agents. About a quarter are high end real estate agents, and another quarter are political pundits.
2. I see so many great articles and resources that help me improve sales and SEO skills daily.
3. No matter what your niche is, there’s always someone there for your niche, and there are always resources for you. And if there’s not, then man you’re lucky because you can capitalize the zone, and take full benefit from the newcomers.

Randy Eagar is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Randy, view his bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

Einstein and Me

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:39:10 -0400

by Jennifer Cummings

My self-appointed mentor, Albert Einstein, once said,

“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”

I am a big fan of both the man and the message, and here’s why…

Simply put, our own unwillingness to accept ourselves as creative beings bogs us down. I happen to believe we are ALL creative in one way or another. However, I also know that most of the time we don’t feel that way, especially when we’re working on marketing campaigns and other promotional endeavors in our work.

For example…

How many times have you sat in front of your computer screen and willed a brilliant ad to materialize? If this sounds familiar to you, then I have a question:

How big is your marketing antenna?

What I mean by this is that creativity is simply being open to inspiration, and, if you have your antenna up – that is to say that if you are paying attention to other good marketing out there – you WILL learn the secrets of the master marketers.

And I’m going to share one of those secrets with you right now! Do you have your antenna up? Well, get ready folks, this is a good one…

It is better to edit than to create!

Now, you may be saying, “Just what does that mean?” Well, let me explain…

Creativity is driven by curiosity. Pay attention! Ask questions! Get inspired! Success leaves clues, my friend! Have that antenna up and you will find inspiration in the most unlikely places.

If you need to create a postcard, for example, you may find something really juicy you can use on the back of your grocery receipt, or in the way a dish is described on a menu. Or your teenager might actually say something incredible that you can use! Perhaps you can even justify reading that tabloid because the ads in the back have amazing copy that really gets your own writing juices flowing.

The National Enquirer is one of the most expensive magazines to advertise in, so those ads in the back HAVE TO work!

By taking an existing marketing piece and editing it as your own, all the work is done for you! You just have to breathe it all in and then make it your own – what a relief, huh?!

Einstein was absolutely right.

Creativity is being mindful enough to be stimulated by your environment. You then simply edit and mold that environment to fit your needs. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time we have to create a new ad or marketing piece – we simply have to let our surroundings illuminate our own wheels turning inside our heads.

That Einstein was onto something. Maybe he was so in-tune with his environment that the theory of relativity was something he creatively lifted from his own surroundings!

If we sharpen our own antennas, we could ALL be little Einsteins… Changing the world one postcard at a time!

For the past two decades, Jennifer Cummings has been one of the most sought-after marketing experts in the nation. Her “out-of-the-box” approach to marketing has won her the respect of advertising agencies and the adulation of entrepreneurs and business owners from all over the world in over a dozen unique markets.

Using the same strategies she now teaches, Jennifer transformed her life from being a juvenile delinquent at 15 to a millionaire by age 30. With her practical, no-frills approach to marketing and revenue generation, YOU can now join the thousands of other agents and brokers who have been excited and empowered to get back into the driver’s seats of their businesses!

Jennifer Cummings is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Jennifer, view her bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

Turning the Tables: How Well do you Qualify for a Buyer?

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:55:17 -0400

by Carla Cross

How well do you qualify - as an agent - for a buyer? We all talk about qualifying buyers and sellers. I hope you’ve made a goal of better qualifying methods for 2010. But, in addition, buyers actively qualify agents to figure out who to work with. (Or, if they just take any agent who comes along, they are disappointed because ‘the customer doesn’t know what he’s getting, until he doesn’t [get it]’.)

Why meeting buyer qualifying criteria is important: buyers today have many choices of how to find homes. You need to create competitive reasons to help buyers choose you. It will save you time and money. And, if you’re a newer agent, creating solid reasons to help buyers choose you will increase your self-confidence 200%.

Five Critical Questions Buyers Should Ask Agent ‘Candidates’

Here are five critical questions I believe buyers should ask agents to assure they have a ‘match’ between what they are looking for and what the agent provides. In addition, I’ve added what I believe buyers should look for in the answers (that means that we agents must be able to qualify on these terms). As you read these as an agent, ask yourself, “How would I answer these?” “What do I need to refine to provide better answers and stand out as that ‘value-added’ agent?”

“Is selling residential real estate your full-time career?” My advice to buyers: Listen to be sure the agent specializes in residential real estate. You want someone selling homes for a living, not apartment houses. Listen to see if this is the agent’s full-time career. Ask additional questions if the agent’s answers need clarification.
“How many homes did you sell last year?” My advice to buyers: You want someone successful; that means, at minimum, the agent sold homes to buyers at least six times in that year.
“How long have you specialized in residential real estate in this area?” My advice to buyers: Be sure the agent has been working in the area where you want to purchase for at least six months, so you know the agent has expertise and interest in that area.
“Describe the work you do in our price range and area.” My advice to buyers: Listen to be sure the agent zeros in on the area and price range you need. If the agent says, “I work anywhere with anybody”, that agent may not be for you. He may be trying to cover too much ground to know very much about specific areas.
“Tell us how you will work with us.” My advice to buyers: Listen as the agent describes the buying process, as he views it. Does it reflect what you’re looking for?

Agents: Think These Criteria are Too Tough?

Did some of those questions and my advice to buyers make you defensive and argumentative? That’s because we agents tend to look at things ‘inside out’ (from our perspective). Instead, pretend you are a discriminating buyer. You’re going to spend $60,000 on a car. What kind of customer service do you expect? Now, think in terms of the real estate buyer. What kind of service, preparation, knowledge, and skill should a real estate buyer expect?

Newer Agents: Panicked Because You Think You Can’t Qualify?

Okay. Relax. You don’t need to qualify on all terms. But, you need to have answers and explanations ready so you can provide buyers reasons to work with you. Advice: Educate yourself so that you are as well-prepared to help a buyer as an agent who has sold 100+ homes in his/her career.

Carla Cross is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Carla Cross, view her bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

Next week: "Einstein and Me"

3 New Ways to Pump Up Your Sales Using the e-Factor

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:06:23 -0400

by Terri Murphy

Whether you are in a fast or a slow market, doing the right things help buyers buy and seller sell. It sure does help when you are use the latest and greatest tools to engage, connect and convert those prospects into sales….especially if you are focusing on the larger segment of the buying demographic…GenX and Gen Y buyers.

To engage this demographic, incorporating some of the latest tools help your listings to stand out and be noticed in a plethora of available properties, and snag the attention of serious buyers.

Pictures and Virtual Tours:

A recent white paper authored by the WAV Group out of Dallas revealed that having a virtual tour available to buyers on listings has proven to boost views over 40% and yet less than 11% of all properties listed use this great tool…proving that pictures are nice, but tours promote engagement.

In order to engage this emerging segment of the market, using tools and features that encourage interaction and participation with a particular property is key. Some tour services offer design features that allow the viewer to change the color of the walls, flooring and cabinetry, direct connect contact options to the agent and cad systems that allow for furniture placement on a floor plan. (Obeo.com)

Interactive options create engagement which encourages interest and powerful differentiation in a crowded marketplace.

Email and Texting:

With email being “so yesterday” – texting is latest rage in real time communication. Goomzee.com provides an interface for buyers to get immediate information and connection with the listing agent. Agents that aren’t familiar with text messaging, or do not have text messaging available to them run the risk of not providing the latest tools systems and resources to help their seller get to sold, and may be missing the right tool to connect with today’s e-savvy buyers.

E-Flyers and Brochure Boxes:

Brochure boxes are a great way to provide property information, but all too often, the box is empty and the prospect is all but. The agent can’t follow up on a prospect that is invisible and the buyer may simply move on to another property. Smart agents know that accountability is key, and can’t report on traffic without a measurement of some kind. When the flyers are all gone, so are the sources of that traffic, the feedback from those prospects and the possible follow up. Without tracking prospects, the agent can’t report to the seller with solid data to help re-define and re-design future market navigation.

Using tools that measure and report on buyer activity supports the consumer demand for accountability. By using automated call response systems that indicate the sources of inquiries the times, dates and the service options the prospect used helps the agent report solid statistical information to the seller. By reporting how many actual prospects have called, or viewed their virtual tour, requested e-flyers, provides solid data on the sources of that activity to help define the effectiveness of the marketing and to respond in real time to the marketplace. It wasn’t that many years ago that if you didn’t have a mobile phone, you were in the dark ages. Technology and e-tools continue to evolve and are developed to meet the continuing evolution of consumer’s demands for what they want and when they want it. If you want to win the listing, minimize the costs of time, energy and resources, be pro-active about incorporating tools and systems that help you sell more properties, minimize marketing time and provide a strong differentiation in your marketplace.

Terri Murphy is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Terri Murphy, view her bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

Next week: "Turning the Tables: How Well Do You Qualify for a Buyer?"

How Many Calls or How Few?

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:54:13 -0400

by Rich Levin

An Agent asked me how many calls it takes to be successful.

I said it depends on who is making the calls and who they are calling.

He said, “You know Real Estate calls.” He said that he learned that if he made calls three hours a day it would make him successful and he wanted my opinion. How many calls does it take to be successful?

I said, “It’s the wrong question.”

Tony Robbins taught me a lot of things. One of the more important ones is that, “The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of the questions you ask yourself.”

The same is true of your business. The quality of your business is in direct proportion to the quality of the questions you ask about it.

And, how many calls does it take to be successful is a poor quality question.

First, what is successful? Let’s pick an income level of $100,000 for the year, just to create a specific goal that defines success. And without elaborating on the math let’s say that will require twenty sales.

So, the question becomes, “How many calls do I have to make to sell twenty houses this year?” That’s a better question. Except that I asked it of a lot of Agents across the country and the answers were always discouraging. It was always a lot of calls and a lot of time. And it completely lacked insight and intelligence. So, I realized it was still a poor quality question.

Here is the high quality question. “How few calls does it take to make twenty sales?” I began asking that and the answers were amazing. In fact instead of answers, that question most often led to a bunch of other great questions.

Can you make some or all of those sales without making any calls by having people call you?

What are the calls that bring the best results? Could you make twenty sales with twenty calls? Ooh, if you could then forty calls would make forty sales. Can it be done?

This question makes you think. It leads you to greater insight and intelligence about your business, your skills, the market, the opportunities and more.

This question motivates you to begin to keep track of how many calls you make to get the sale, to notice who you call, what approach you use, and how well it all works.

This question leads you to continuously work to learn how to make sales with the fewest calls.

We do a webinar every day at 8:45 am eastern. Yes, every day. It motivates. It teaches. And it asks you to challenge yourself to achieve your goals in the most efficient and enjoyable way.

This great question arose out of that work. It is one of many that come up throughout the year on these free webinars. Our goal with this work is to make your business better as you make your life better. And it’s working for hundreds and a growing number of Agents. Please join us. It’s free. Register at www.1stFifteen.com.

Rich Levin is a member of the Broker Agent Speakers Bureau which is a full service Speakers Bureau serving the real estate and financial industry. To learn more about Rich Levin, view his bio or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com.

The Best Way To Keep In Touch With Your Past Clients

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:21:09 -0400

The CE Shop is the leading provider of online continuing education for real estate agents. We currently serve professionals in forty-six states and are growing daily. To see our course offerings in your state, visit The CE Shop.com today!

This week we are featuring The Lones Group. They specialize in helping Real Estate Agents, Brokers and Business Owners implement new systems and effective marketing techniques to give them a competitive edge.

The author, Denise Lones, has a rich variety of real estate experience (more about the author). She began as an agent, later as a broker and more currently a corporate trainer. To learn more about The Lones Group and Denise, check out The Lones Group.com.

The Best Way To Keep In Touch With Your Past Clients

By Denise Lones CSP, M.I.R.M., CDEI

I love technology. I really do. I love the way it has simplified my life and my business. There’s no doubt we’re lucky to live in a time when technology has played a dominant role in our lives.

But many agents seem to be so caught up in technology that they have forgotten some ideas from the good old days—ideas that still work brilliantly. Most agents don’t think they need to do these things anymore, but they’re absolutely wrong!

For example, let’s talk about that ancient device that allows you to talk to somebody even if you’re not in the same room with them. Remember it? It’s called the telephone.

Sure, we all use telephones. We use them to take pictures, to send email or text messages, and to download music. But we seem to have forgotten that we can actually still talk to people on them.

Particularly when it comes to past clients, the telephone is your best friend. Many agents rely on email to be their complete follow-up system, reporting system, and contact system.

Yet email is not the most effective form of communication when re-connecting with past clients. I know this because I’ve actually tested the power of email as compared to the power of the good old-fashioned personal telephone call.

Recently, I asked some of the agents I coach to look at their database and make a list of thirty past clients they would like to reconnect with. Thirty is a manageable number, right? After all, that’s only one call per day for a month.

Initially, the agents were reluctant to make the calls. I could see it in every fiber of their body language. When I pressed them to explain their reluctance, the agents told me that the number one reason they don’t pick up the phone to call past clients is this: they simply don’t know what to talk about! So, I told them to put together a really good report about what’s going on in the market right now.

Once the report is complete, I asked them to call their past clients and say:

“Hi Barbara, this is Jen from Highland Realty. How are you? I’m glad to hear that! I’m just calling to let you know that I put a report in the mail for you that I know you will find helpful. The report talks about what is really going on in the real estate market right now.

There is so much competing news about the industry that I wanted you to have the real facts at your fingertips. The report focuses on our area and how it relates to a number of real estate issues, on both the state and national levels I hope you find it helpful.”

Now, isn’t that a fantastic icebreaker? It’s a perfect reason for the call—much better than “How are the kids? How is the dog? How are things going?”

Calling up just to ask ordinary questions raises a red flag. It makes them wonder: Why is this agent calling me? It can’t be just to find out about my kids and my dog.

But when you have something to offer—something that is helpful, informative, and reaffirms the value of their investment—your call makes much more sense and is no longer greeted with suspicion. When you offer service first, you create trust and connection with people.

So, my test team made the calls and I was pleasantly surprised at the results. One agent told me, “Denise, I have two listings that came directly from those thirty calls!”

That’s pretty substantial. Two out of thirty is a great ratio. Most of the time, agents send out hundreds of emails and may not even get one response back.

Another agent told me that one of her clients said, “I’m so glad that you called me. I always worry that you’re busy and that I might be bothering you. My husband said we would actually probably be doing you a favor by using a neighbor across the street who is a real estate agent. We do want to sell our starter home and move up to something nicer. But we figured you wouldn’t want to work on an inexpensive home like ours. You want better stuff to work with.”

Of course, the agent was shocked to hear this. The client wasn’t unhappy with the agent’s past performance—they just didn’t want to bother her.

Another agent told me, “Denise, I have four people who told me they want to list in the next three months.”

Performing this exercise really opened up the group’s eyes to the power of a personal call via the good old-fashioned telephone. While email is a great communication tool for dealing with day-to-day transaction details—your “now” business—it truly isn’t the best tool for keeping in touch with your past clients and building (or rebuilding!) your business.

Just the sound of your voice on the telephone can re-establish a past connection. That connection is only made stronger when the client realizes you are calling to offer something to them, not ask something of them! At the end of the day, a call is so much more personal than just a series of pixels that form an electronic message on a computer screen.

I challenge you to put this concept to the test. Call thirty of your past clients and see what happens!. And I want you to email me with the results. I’m willing to bet that you’ll be surprised at just how positive the experience can be!

Denise Lones became involved in Real Estate – first as an agent and then later as a broker and corporate trainer – almost two decades ago. During her sales career, she was consistently among the highest producing realtors in the market because she recognized that the home was the biggest purchase of a client's life, and she never took that lightly. During her management career, she was instrumental in helping companies reach the number one sales positions in their marketplace. The longer she stayed in the industry, the more she became convinced that she could make a difference if she focused on training others how to provide top-notch customer service as well as restructuring their businesses to efficiently use their time and effectively market their services to potential clients.

5 Ways to Make the Most of Education Sessions

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:38:41 -0400

This week our contributor is REAL Trends a leader in the real estate information industry and a long time partner of The CE Shop. You can learn more about REAL Trends or read more stories by visiting REALTrends.com.

5 Ways to Make the Most of Education Sessions

Networking is a must at any education session. Come prepared and you could walk away with more than just lessons learned at the sessions.

After attending the CRS ProACT education event in Las Vegas, Mike Dodge a sales associate with John R. Wood Realtors Inc. in Naples, Fla., immediately wrote himself a big note and posted it in his office: “You rarely get the opportunity to go the extra mile.”

“LeRoy Houser, CRS, said it during a session at the ProAct education conference and while it’s a tiny thing, if you stop and think about it, making opportunities takes energy. Apply this to your business and it will come back tenfold,” says Dodge, who currently has one more elective course between him and his CRS designation.

That one takeaway made the entire conference worthwhile, he says. “Although I did get so much in tips and insight from others who are successful in our industry,” he says.

More than anything, Dodge realizes that he has to be prepared before attending any conference or convention. “The biggest mistake I made is that I didn’t prepare. I figured I’d attend, bring some business cards and do a little networking. Sure, it’s education but don’t underestimate the referral network part of it.” Here are his five tips for getting the most out of education sessions:

Review. “Review the course of study and think about what you’re doing relative to those subjects,” says Dodge. “Be open to changing the way you do things. Be ready to have some kind of curveballs come your way.” Dodge says to plan which sessions you’ll attend and bring notes about what areas of your business you want to work on.
Bring. “Put together special promotional materials so at breaks you can hand them out specifically for referrals,” he says. “All I bought were business cards but some sales associates had great brochures made up specifically for these types of events. It’s something I’ll do next time.”
Attend. Take advantage and attend everything. You’re only there for a week and you’re there for a purpose. Sure, you can hit the casinos but you don’t want to miss the education sessions,” he says.
Implement. “When you get home, make it a goal to implement use one thing that you learned,” he says. He warns that many sales associates attend these sessions, make all kinds of notes and get excited about change that they never put it into action as the novelty wears off. “Write up a plan as soon as you get back to the office and try to implement even one new idea immediately,” he says.
Follow up. “Follow up with the people you meet, even the instructors,” says Dodge. “A couple of people I didn’t even remember meeting sent me notes.” So, send out e-mails, make some phone calls and touch base with everyone you met.

CRS students and designees make sure their referrals only go to others who have put as much into educating themselves as they have. The added value you help you make fantastic friends in the industry-friends who are more than willing to share their success stories.

“If you put the energy into it, you can meet fantastic friends in the industry, gain referrals [that will be coming your way for many years to come] and more. But, you have to work for it,” says Dodge.

REAL Trends has been a trusted source for useful, timely and trusted information for over twenty years. They offer research and relevant information for every real estate professional.

Test: Is Your Life Balanced?

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:02:45 -0400

This week we have a leader in the real estate information industry and a long time partner of The CE Shop, REAL Trends. You can learn more about REAL Trends or read more stories by visiting REALTrends.com.

Test: Is Your Life Balanced?

Core Value Assessment

Is your successful business running you ragged? Are you so focused on business that your personal life is compromised? Coach and Trainer Tom Ferry's new book, Life! By Design: 6 Steps to an Extraordinary You, offers a Core Values Assessment. Fill this out to determine how you're balancing your life in each of the Core Seven areas: Career, Intimate Relationships, Finances, Physical Health, Spirituality, Contribution/Giving Back, Desire to Learn or Grow.

Pick one answer in each of the Core Seven categories according to how you feel.

Career

Don't find any time for it.
Depressed and feel I've hit rock bottom.
I'm ready for a change.
I'm creating a plan and starting to take action.
I'm happy and improving.
I'm extremely satisfied and open for more.

Intimate Relationships

Don't find any time for it.
Depressed and feel I've hit rock bottom.
I'm ready for a change.
I'm creating a plan and starting to take action.
I'm happy and improving.
I'm extremely satisfied and open for more.

Finances

Don't find any time for it.
Depressed and feel I've hit rock bottom.
I'm ready for a change.
I'm creating a plan and starting to take action.
I'm happy and improving.
I'm extremely satisfied and open for more.

Physical Health

Don't find any time for it.
Depressed and feel I've hit rock bottom.
I'm ready for a change.
I'm creating a plan and starting to take action.
I'm happy and improving.
I'm extremely satisfied and open for more.

Spirituality

Don't find any time for it.
Depressed and feel I've hit rock bottom.
I'm ready for a change.
I'm creating a plan and starting to take action.
I'm happy and improving.
I'm extremely satisfied and open for more.

Contribution/Giving Back

Don't find any time for it.
Depressed and feel I've hit rock bottom.
I'm ready for a change.
I'm creating a plan and starting to take action.
I'm happy and improving.
I'm extremely satisfied and open for more.

Desire to Learn and Grow

Don't find any time for it.
Depressed and feel I've hit rock bottom.
I'm ready for a change.
I'm creating a plan and starting to take action.
I'm happy and improving.
I'm extremely satisfied and open for more.

Your answers will help you determine where you should focus your energies to move you from default by design (letting life lead you) to Living By Design (you lead your life.)

If your answers are primarily 1's and 2's, you're living by default. How does that make you feel? Are you ready to change?

If your answers are primarily 3's and 4's, living by Design should come easily to you. You're in a good place to embrace change and improve the quality of your life from good to great.

If your answers are mostly 5's and 6's, you're already on your way to living By Design. But, you're open for more, aren't you?

For more tips on how to recharge and retool your personal and business life, check out Tom's book, available at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

REAL Trends has been a trusted source for useful, timely and trusted information for over twenty years. They offer research and relevant information for every real estate professional.

Rely On My Sphere of Influence?

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:20:36 -0500

The CE Shop and REAL Buzz Online are excited to announce a new feature. Every Wednesday REAL Buzz Online will be inviting guest bloggers to share their expertise with you. This week we have the outstanding entrepreneur, Jennifer Allan, who has published two books and contributed to The CE Shop course "Selling to Your Sphere of Influence." You can learn more about Jennifer by visiting her personal website: SellWithSoul.com.

by: Jennifer Allan, GRI, Author of Sell with Soul & If You're Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You're Not Doing it Right

“Rely on my Sphere of Influence? I don’t know anyone who wants to buy or a sell a home right now!”

Although the concept of generating business from the people you know (your sphere of influence or SOI) is nothing new, many agents have objections to the concept, based on some common misperceptions of how an effective SOI business model should work. Do any of these objections sound familiar to you?

"I don't know anyone who wants to buy or sell right now and even if I did, how can I base my entire business on them?"

In my first year, I sold 25 houses, all as a result of my sphere of influence. Of those 25, all but three were people I didn't know the day I got my real estate license - they were people I met as a result of the personal relationships in my life. Some were referred directly to me by someone I knew; others I met at weddings, parties, etc.; yet others were service providers in my life who weren't my friends, but knew I had a real estate license. The people we know are the gatekeepers to everyone else they know. Impress those we know… and the floodgates shall open.

"I refuse to be one of those annoying real estate agents that the family avoids at parties."

So don't be! Contrary to popular belief, an effective sphere of influence business strategy is not about bothering your friends for their business. Sure, that's a common tactic, and many real estate agents give up on their sphere of influence because they suspect their friends are sick of hearing from them - and they're probably right. Just be a genuinely nice person with a good head on his or her shoulders... who happens to sell real estate for a living.

"I don't believe in mixing business with pleasure. If the deal goes sour, I could lose the friendship."

Could happen. Probably won't, if you take great care of your business. Yes, things go wrong, but if you can fix the problems professionally and competently, you'll probably win even MORE brownie points from your friend than if the deal went 100% smoothly. Anyway, if you do a great job for someone who knows you and cares about you, you'll get GREAT PR in your social circle for it! I'll take that risk because I have faith in myself. One caveat here - DON'T take business that you aren't confident you can handle. For example, if your buddy wants to buy a strip mall, and you're a residential agent, REFER IT. I don't believe we should "practice" on anyone, but especially not on our sphere of influence.

"I don't want my family and friends to feel obligated to use me if they don't want to."

"Obligation" is a dirty word in our business. Never ,ever, ever think that someone is obligated to use you, and don't get hurt if they use someone else. It's probably not personal (people have lives outside of our real estate business), and if it IS personal, take the opportunity to figure out why. Always give your friend or acquaintance the benefit of the doubt if they don't use you - for them, it was the right decision. Respect that. If, in your heart, you feel that your SOI is obligated to use your services, they'll feel it and resist. Conversely, if you respect their right to "choose," they also feel that and will probably beat down your door!

So, yes, you CAN rely on your SOI!

Jennifer is a former top producing real estate broker, a published author, a speaker and a trainer. She has written five books about the business of selling real estate, including her flagship book: Sell with Soul: Creating an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate without Losing Your Friends, Your Principles or Your Self-Respect. Jennifer sold real estate successfully for twelve years in Denver, Colorado.

From her first day on the job, she resisted the efforts of her company trainers, her broker and her fellow agents to persuade her to implement the "traditional" real estate prospecting techniques of cold calling, FSBO hunting, door knocking and geographic farming. Instead, she focused her business building efforts on the people she already knew, or the people she met. Without ever pestering a soul, she built a business based nearly 100% from business and referrals generated from her sphere of influence.

Jennifer is a regular columnist at Realty Times and other real estate media outlets, a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame, and is one of the industry`s most popular bloggers. You can read more about Jennifer`s philosophies at www.sellwithsoul.com.

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What, Exactly, IS a Sphere of Influence Business Model?

The CE Shop Inc. (The CE Shop) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:41:16 -0400

by: Jennifer Allan, GRI, Author of Sell with Soul & If You're Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You're Not Doing it Right

What, Exactly, IS a Sphere of Influence Business Model?

A Sphere of Influence (SOI) business model is a strategy that focuses on attracting business to you from the people you know and the people you meet socially, as opposed to pursuing business from strangers. It's possible to run a 100% SOI business and never have to make one cold call, memorize a prospecting script or knock on a strangers' door! There are three primary activities in an effective SOI business model.

Nurturing the personal relationships you already have within your social network (that is, your friends - I call this group my "Group One." Clever, eh?)
Staying in touch with "everyone else" (that is, the people you know who aren't your friends - I call them my Group Two)
Meeting new people.

Before you panic and say that you don't have the time, money or energy to do all this socializing, relax! Running an SOI business is much less time-consuming and less expensive than just about any other systematized prospecting method, and can be far more effective, more quickly. In fact, if you spend a few years creating your personal cheering section, you can pretty much coast through the rest of your real estate career.

Nurturing the personal relationships you already have

From a philosophical perspective, this means to ensure that the people in your social network (AKA Group One) know that you care about them. In a practical sense, it means that you strive to have a personal conversation with everyone in your social network as often as you can, at least once a quarter. A personal conversation can be a face-to-face lunch or coffee date, a phone call or even an email exchange. What it's not is a concerted effort to abuse your friends with a sales pitch. Always approach your social network as a friend first, and a real estate agent second, or third, or fourth. Not the other way around.

Staying in touch with Everyone Else

Staying in touch with your "everyone else" group (AKA Group Two) just means that you keep your name in front of this crowd with periodic interesting, relevant, non-salesy written communications, delivered both through snail-mail and email. As long as your mailings are consistent and intelligent, you'll see a significant number of sales from even this minimal effort.

Meeting new people

An important part of an effective SOI model is to add to your Groups One and Two, especially in today's market where there is admittedly less business to go around. The more people you know, who know you, and think you're a generally cool person, the more that telephone will ring. Running an effective SOI business model isn't nearly as complicated as some would have you believe. Yes, it takes some organization and commitment upfront, and an ongoing effort to stay in touch with the people you know and the people you meet, but once it's rolling and you're in the SOI habit, it won't feel like work at all! In fact, it might even feel suspiciously like FUN! And "the more fun you have selling real estate, the more real estate you will sell!"

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