All Leads Are Not Created Equal! - 04/30/09 01:31 PM
All leads are not created equal.  The people may be wonderful.  They may love what you show them. They may be committed to buy from you.
But if they aren't ready to buy now or can't get financing, they are not in today's top group of leads.
You want to assign your leads into one of three categories. "A" leads are ready to buy or sell now. "B" leads plan to buy or sell in the next month or two. "C" leads might buy or sell in the next three to six months.
Develop an action plan for each kind of … (0 comments)

Reacting to Swine Flu and Lesser Crises - 04/29/09 12:39 PM
Ninety one cases of swine flu and one death have raised concerns that an epidemic is waiting in the wings.  The World Health Organization, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state health departments, school districts, worried parents are already in crisis mode, perhaps for good reason.  Hopefully, the crisis won't materialize. How the crisis was managed will remain long after the fears subside.
Have you ever had a crisis in your career? Maybe we should ask how many have you had today? Let's face it, a great Client Care Coordinator is first and foremost a problem solver, and … (3 comments)

I Told You the Sky Wasn't Falling - 04/27/09 12:35 PM
"The sky is falling, the sky is falling... " Chicken Little
Anyone who follows my blog knows I am an optimist.  Even when others have lamented that the real estate industry was all about bad news, I have pointed out the many opportunities that continue to exist for hard working agents. 
Now Department of Commerce figures indicate that new U.S. home sales appear to be bottoming out after a 74% decline since July, 2005.  Home sales hit a record low in January, jumped a bit in February, and then fell flat in March. New home inventories dropped 5% from February levels.  … (4 comments)

Don’t Wait for the Tweet, Check the Net, or Watch the Wall – You Won’t See This Here - 04/25/09 09:04 AM
In a recent article in Inman's News, an agent vented that all the time she had invested in social media sites yielded her little for her trouble. As her headline proclaimed "social media sites don't sell real estate." There's no question about that - agents do. But, in this new Web 2.0 world, successful agents are finding ways to make various Internet resources work for them.
Laura Duggan of West Austin Properties did just that. She advertised a $13.5 million listing on Yahoo's home page. Within a short time, it was featured as the number one most viewed listing on there. … (8 comments)

You're the Expert on New Housing Tax Credit - 04/22/09 03:37 PM
"Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, it is only time we have." Art Buchwald
You had to love Art. He had some great quotes. And this one really puts things into perspective, especially for those of us in real estate.
Yes, I'll grant you that you can look at our economy and the real estate market and proclaim it the worst of times. Totally your prerogative. But please, don't call me. I avoid those who whine and complain and see the worst in everything.
The fact is - no matter what you think of today's … (2 comments)

Relate, Relate, Till the Client Knows You're Great - 04/21/09 10:23 PM
The other day, we were discussing how older agents might approach first time buyers who are likely to be younger, more tech savvy, a bit wary, and a lot more casual - but with checkbooks ready to go.  The point in that isn't the age difference.  It's a matter of relating to the client where he is. 
Take a look at how you approach prospective clients with your demeanor, your marketing and your attitude.  Is your intent to impress them with your knowledge and experience?  If so, they will see you as one of those irritating, pushy salespeople.  They will write … (4 comments)

Successfully Working with Younger Buyers - 04/20/09 09:09 PM
Now that the first time homebuyer's tax credit is a reality, younger buyers make up the clientele of many agents these days. For some agents, this means approaching your clients in a slightly different way.
Are you ready to help them?
You might be saying no, simply because of your age. NAR reports the median age of Realtors® is 52, but the median age of buyers is 39. NAR also reports first-timer buyers accounted for 39 percent of the home purchases in 2007 and 68 percent of these buyers were under 35 and 89 percent were under 45.
So you older … (3 comments)

Spreading Your Positive Attitude Can Outweigh the Facts - 04/19/09 11:02 AM
In real estate today, as in life, it is easy to be negative.  Facts make it easy, too.  Recent foreclosure news from Realtrac still shows that Nevada, Arizona, California, and Florida, states where speculation took housing prices to insane levels, lead the nation in foreclosures.  Also on the list are states like Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Oregon where high unemployment has been a factor.  Can we change the facts or minimize or erase the news?  Nope.  Regardless of circumstances, no one in Nevada or Oregon wants to hear "It's not that bad" when they have lost their home.
On the other … (3 comments)

Keeping Positive in a Slowing Market - 04/16/09 08:50 PM
"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit." Helen Keller
Chances are good that if you're reading this, given the title, you are not feeling positive about today's real estate market or have other associates that are not being positive. Well, let me relieve some stress. The market has been abnormally strong over the last four years, so the market is not a down market, it's a traditional market. Anyone who's been in real estate more than four years knows this. The market is doing … (7 comments)

Work That Website - 04/15/09 10:43 PM
There's a million real estate websites out there. Whether they are barebones or agency created, they should provide you with a steady source of leads.
If you are creating leads from your website and yet you are not converting them into closed transactions you are probably not following up in the most efficient and effective way. If your internet leads are not producing the results that you want, ask yourself the following questions:
 1.     Are you contacting internet leads within a maximum of two hours?
2.      Does your website require certain information from your visitors?
3.      Are you marketing your … (8 comments)

A Race Back to the Basics - Maximizing Results in the Spring Market - 04/14/09 11:08 AM
Someone once asked auto racing legend Bill Vukovich the secret of his success. "There's no secret," he replied. "You just press the accelerator to the floor and steer left."
That is about as simple as you can get. Stop for a moment and ask yourself if you can boil down your real estate business to something equally as simple.
Having trouble? Then it is time for a peek under the hood of your business.
 Have things become unnecessarily complicated at your office?  Has bureaucracy crept in and started making your operations messy?  Do you feel like you have lost focus? If … (2 comments)

The Internet Opens Doors to Close More Business - 04/13/09 04:14 PM
Recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) figures suggest that nearly half of all agents have websites while over half do not respond to Internet requests. 
In the old days of print advertising, people sometimes let their response cards sit in a drawer - a waste of money as some respondents would eventually buy the product.  Today, when agents ignore leads from their website or email, the results are more dramatic. Often, agents are overlooking buyers who are ready to go.
About 75% of real estate shoppers are Internet savvy.  This disconnect means that most agents are lagging behind their customers. Agents … (0 comments)

Top Agents Are Always On the Job - 04/10/09 05:03 PM
This weekend, many of us, along with our clients. are celebrating Easter or Passover.  While this holiday does not result in a major work slowdown that often occurs around Christmas, many offices tend to be closed on Good Friday or people leave early to prepare for Seder dinners.  Once we get past the weekend, we have holidays every other month until October, plus traditional vacation times.
For you, as a broker or agent, there will be times when you too will be vacationing or celebrating.  Other times, the slowdown will be a great time to learn more about the technology that … (9 comments)

Ways That People Invade Your Boundaries - Have a Minute? - 04/09/09 07:27 PM
"Have a minute?" they ask.
"Sure," you say, though you are  really in the middle of something.
Thirty minutes later, the conversation ends.
Number 1 on the list of ways people invade your boundaries: Requests for time or assistance that ignore refusals, or that, once acquiesced to, go on to require far more time or effort than was originally agreed to.
Some boundary invasion is very clear. Other forms are subtle enough that we may not recognize them for what they are and wonder why we feel irritated when they occur, or if we even have the right to feel irritated. All … (0 comments)

Understanding the Real Estate Market - 04/08/09 09:45 AM
Correct pricing often makes the difference in bringing real estate transactions to a successful close.
If our house is not being shown, it means agents think our price is too high for that neighborhood. Recommendation: A significant price adjustment. If our house is being shown, but not getting any offers, it means the buyers are finding nicer homes for the money. Recommendation: A moderate price adjustment. If our house is in the running, but the buyers buy something else or if the buyers view the house a second time, but buy something else, it means that the pricing is close to … (2 comments)

Developing an "It's My Pleasure Attitude" - 04/07/09 07:55 PM
A great way to make sure that your customers have an excellent experience working with you is to develop an attitude of "It is My Pleasure" to serve you. You need to establish a habit whereby you say "It is My Pleasure" at every opportunity; this will let your customers know that servicing their needs is of the utmost importance to you.
The only item needed to accomplish the goal of having an attitude of "It is My Pleasure" is a great attitude!
For additional information and guidance on this topic we have posted an article on our website entitled "Developing … (6 comments)

Corcoran Coaching Announces Real Estate Training Center Schedule - 04/06/09 12:16 PM
Our team has countless years helping REALTORS® and Mortgage Companies just like yours grow and run their businesses. We work with the top one percent of agents across the country providing systems and training to help agents grow their businesses...
Maybe some people are born salesmen and born managers. Most regard their profession as a craft they have to work on and perfect.  The most successful ones call in the pros.  That's where coaching comes in.  For 20 years, I have helped talented agents developed their sales and business skills as testimonials from my clients affirm time after time.
Now like … (0 comments)

OK, so how do you balance it all? - 04/03/09 11:28 AM
The other day I ran a blog titled 90 Advance to Success. The more I got to thinking about this topic, the more I got to wondering how agent are balancing their time.  Paperwork is an important housekeeping detail that can't be ignored. In fact, some of the hot new trends in real estate, like Short Sales, are built on paperwork. But if YOU just do the paperwork and nothing else, your desk may be clean, but your bank account will be weak in a few months!
So how do you balance it all?
Do you work more nights and weekends? Do you pass more duties … (2 comments)

Heads Up, Fayetteville - Bob Corcoran is Coming April 9th - 04/03/09 10:48 AM
I travel alot to spread the message of how coaching helps real estate agents.  Here's an announcement about an upcoming event where I will be speaking. This is the information/e-mail blast that was sent to the Fayetteville, NC Association of Realtors.
Bob Corcoran, one of the countries leading experts in the real estate business is coming to Fayetteville on Thursday, April 9th to show you how to and improve your bottom line right now. Don't miss this unique opportunity sponsored by Wells Fargo,  Single Source Real Estate Services and Darden, Miranda & Associates Insurance in conjunction with the Fayetteville Regional Association of … (0 comments)

Benefits of Your Time Well Managed! - 04/02/09 03:16 PM
Addressing the problem will only work and help you in the short term if you do not look at the source of it! It is not about time management, but personal management. Click here to find out the benefits.
For additional information and guidance on this topic we have posted an article on our website entitled "Benefits of Your Time Well Managed" for you to review.
Commitment for the Week:
Show us your comitment by commenting with your thoughts, plan and deadline below!
Make A Commitment: I will learn from my mistakes.Deadline: _________
Bob Corcoran
… (2 comments)

90 Day Advance to Success - 04/01/09 02:43 PM
Whatever you are doing right now will affect your business in 90 days. If you are busy prospecting two hours a day, you will have fantastic results in 90 days. If you are busy with paperwork and allowing it to consume all your time, then 90 days from now you are going to be in the doldrums because nothing is happening. Isn't that great information to know?
Agents often ask me, "What is the challenge? Why aren't things happening for me?" I have applied this rule to my response, "What were you doing 90 days ago?" It sure makes you think. … (4 comments)

 

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