Making the Shift from Top Producer to Successful Broker – Part 1 - 06/30/10 04:42 PM
Has the metamorphosis from agent to broker taken hold? If not, it could be costing you and your real estate business some big bucks. Brokers, it is time to knight yourself as CEO.
It is just the way things are: you make money, you pay taxes. Do not go when the light turns green and someone will honk at you. And if you are a top-producing agent, you may very well become the managing broker of an office. But as many former top producers have learned—sometimes the hard way—the roles of agent and broker are very different. And often, those savvy … (0 comments)

90 Day Advance to Success – Plan for Time - 06/29/10 02:43 PM
I took a great deal of time during the summers to enjoy my kids. We made a list of things we wanted to do: Disneyland, beach trips, movies, picnics at the park, etc. I knew that all of this would take me away from the office and clients so I planned what I would mail during this time and when. It worked! I managed to spend the time with the kids and still make sales through my listings. I do admit that I referred my buyers to other agents in the office during this time but referral fees were worth it … (0 comments)

90 Day Advance to Success – Plan for Vacations - 06/28/10 03:50 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. … (0 comments)

Budget Outline Strategic vs. Non-Strategic Costs - 06/25/10 10:17 PM
The purpose of this exercise is to identify the strategic and non-strategic costs of a company so that the whole organization knows how to save money and help make a profit.
Position With Overall Accountability: CEO or General Manager (whoever has the responsibility for the financial well being of the company)
Reporting Positions: All
Staff Positions: All
Items Needed: All costs within the company
Standards:
1. All Department Heads shall review budget and direct any and all questions to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or General Manager (GM).
2. All company employees and salespeople shall adhere to company budget.
3. The … (0 comments)

Your Sphere - Special Delivery - 06/24/10 03:46 PM
For those ambitious souls this one is for you. Plan on taking about a week to accomplish this feat, but you will get referrals as a result of your efforts!
Take some time and bake... and bake...and bake little loaves of pumpkin bread or any other baked food that you are proud of. The kind of loafs that can be baked in little tins four at a time. The baking needs to be done by hand. When you are done with the baking, hand deliver the baked goods along with a bottle of wine from your local winery or gourmet hot … (0 comments)

Your Sphere - Charity Events - 06/23/10 04:51 PM
What a terrific opportunity to do several things at once. Number one, you can help people in need, second that you have a great reason to go and visit with your sphere of influence. How? To give you an example lets say that you spearhead the Habitat for Humanity program (www.Habitat.org). You could have a three phase process within in your sphere of influence.
First you could do a mailing announcing your involvement (if nothing else you look like a hero), second you could do a follow up phone call (active contact) inviting your sphere members to the event, third at … (0 comments)

Your Sphere - Annual Equity Updates - 06/22/10 03:23 PM
An annual equity update is a great way to stay in contact with your sphere of influence although this should be part of a larger sphere program. Not everyone in your sphere of influence will have purchased a home from you.
The way the system works is very simple. When you sell a home you may want to begin to keep detailed records of each sale. Sales price, loan amount, interest rate, down payment and the term of the loan would be some key numbers to record along with the date of closing. Armed with this information you can then use … (4 comments)

Summer Real Estate - 06/21/10 04:22 PM
Real estate trends show us that things are hot in the summer, just like the weather. Buyers are out looking before school starts and sellers are listing while the house looks so great from the road. Keep the tips below in mind when listing and working with buyers to avoid some of the summer time pitfalls.
1. Listing Partners: Don't Forget the Outside Remind your sellers to keep up with the landscaping and other outdoor spaces. These are very important aspects during the summer. Make sure outdoor spaces are organized, clean, and inviting. Regular maintenance like pressure washing and lawn care, … (2 comments)

Your Sphere - Special Dinners - 06/18/10 04:24 PM
Within your sphere of influence there will always be three categories. The categories are:
A: People who give you multiple referrals
B: People who purchase multiple properties
C: Everyone else
Group A is a special group of people who will send you many referrals. The question then becomes should I treat these people special? Many agents say yes.
Although most state laws prohibit you from providing a direct gift for a referral, many agents choose to provide their special friends with a once-a-year dinner. This dinner could be held at an exclusive restaurant or a catered event. The agent, acting as … (2 comments)

Your Sphere - Office Open House - 06/17/10 12:26 PM
This is a terrific idea, especially in smaller towns. As a group you may want to consider having an office open house once a year. Call it a “Thank You” to the community. Each of your agents can then invite his/her own sphere of influence. You can have a barbeque, have the event catered or just have a potluck. The office or agents may choose to extend the invitation beyond their sphere of influence to the whole community. You can also group together and pitch in for group advertising in local real estate guides or newspapers. You may also reach out … (4 comments)

Your Sphere - Seminar - 06/16/10 01:56 PM
Many agents will invite a local speaker or celebrity to present a seminar to their sphere of influence a couple of times a year. This is a great opportunity to actually build value for your brand. You can help each of your sphere of influence members by providing valuable information.
You may provide a tax seminar in April or a living trust seminar before the end of the year. In both of these cases you could invite a local business owner to present the information. Potential speakers could be a CPA, an accountant or an attorney. These local experts would no … (0 comments)

Your Sphere - Scheduling Events - 06/15/10 11:54 AM
This is a terrific technique to meet with a high number of your sphere of influence in one evening. You will need to send out personal invitations (another reason for contact) and call your top tier group. Invite them to a special event just for them. This event could be a summer barbeque, a year-end party, a Holiday party, a Halloween party or we have seen agents who rent out a movie theater to show a movie.
This is an incredible idea that really works. Who is the center of attention at these events? Your sphere of influence is of course! … (2 comments)

Visiting Your Sphere Twice a Year - 06/14/10 01:53 PM
At least twice a year you should make an effort to personally visit each of your sphere of influence members. Why? There is nothing as powerful in business as personal contact. Shaking hands with another person or looking someone in the eye is the human touch aspect of selling that can’t be replaced with a thousand e-mails, postcards, or flyers.
The logistics of this can become a little more complicated. What if you have 500 sphere of influence members? How would you be able to make contact with all these folks twice a year? The reality is that this would be … (4 comments)

Why Most of Your Leads Are Dead Before You Even Call Them – Part 3 - 06/11/10 04:06 PM
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard this from agents: “I don’t know what happened. I was working with them and then they listed with another agent.” I then ask for details and invariably they’ve let a lull occur. They say, “Well, I mailed them a card a couple of weeks ago.” You must stay in touch - either in person or by phone. You don’t sell anything to anyone by not talking to the person.
Why is it that some agents struggle to sell five homes in a year and others sell 100? Two words, lead management. Ask yourself … (5 comments)

Why Most of Your Leads Are Dead Before You Even Call Them – Part 2 - 06/10/10 01:30 PM
Feeding Speed
So the question is how do you add speed to your follow up? Here are some options:
1. First make speed and specifically the 15-minute rule, a priority starting with yourself and then with your assistants. Talk about it at meetings, put up signs near the phone, on computers and in the hallways.
2. E-mail auto responders - Just make sure the auto response message is written in a way that comes across as human and not robot-like. Write something like this - “Hi! Thanks for your message. I’ll call you soon. In the meantime, click here for my … (1 comments)

Why Most of Your Leads Are Dead Before You Even Call Them – Part 1 - 06/09/10 12:51 PM
Fifteen minutes can be the difference between a deal and no deal
If 15 minutes pass before you follow up with a lead, that lead’s vital signs will begin a slow and steady decline. The peaks and valleys of the heart monitor will become less and less pronounced. The silence between the beeps will grow longer, until finally, within 24 hours, you get a flat line. The words code blue are followed by Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and drugs, but to no avail. Time of death is pronounced and another opportunity is set for burial.
Speed for Leads
Speed is important in … (0 comments)

How to Conduct Effective Interviews - 06/08/10 03:19 PM
Few people can spend the time and effort it takes to create effective behavioral interview questions. Follow the tips below to conduct effective interviews.
1. Impress candidates with well organized and professional interviews. Don't lose a good candidate due to poor interviews.
2. Re-use interview guides to save yourself time.
3. Trust your gut feeling, but only after asking the right questions and gathering the right information.
4. Get consistent interview results by giving consistent interviews.
5. Put your hiring managers out of their misery by providing them with a simple and effective hiring process.
6. The interview guide needs to … (0 comments)

10 Killer Lead Generation Ideas: How to Turn the ‘Faucet’ On - 06/07/10 12:23 PM
Picture in your mind a bucket - not an ordinary bucket. Think of this bucket as one you must keep full - full of leads so that your real estate business doesn’t dry up.
The good news - directly above this bucket are 10 faucets. We can call them “lead faucets.” The bad news - many agents don’t use them. That’s unfortunate because each lead faucet has powerful potential. A little bit of tinkering can mean a steady gush of leads that will keep your bucket filled to the brim. Let’s look at these 10 ‘faucets’ and how to create a … (2 comments)

Keeping Positive - 06/04/10 12:34 PM
Consider how comfortable you’d be on the operating table with a surgeon who’s sending out vibes that things might not pan out. Focus on solutions and persist without exception. There really is a solution to every problem.
Go to www.CorcoranCoaching.com for more information!
Make A Commitment: I will focus on the positive and focus on the solution, 100% of the time.
Deadline: _________
… (3 comments)

Handling Offers - 06/03/10 07:43 PM
Never flat out reject an offer. You will get offers that you simply will not accept (and that you might even find insulting), but be careful and tactful with how you respond to those offers. You’ve done your homework to arrive at the asking price, so explain that to those who make offers instead of issuing a flat rejection.
Adopt a sense of urgency with offers. I’ve seen some agents leave offers on the table for a week or longer before responding. It’s not professional and it is not in the best interest of your client.
Go to www.CorcoranCoaching.com for more … (3 comments)

Gary Elwood and Buddy Blake Interview - 06/02/10 01:37 PM
Buddy Blake of the Buddy Blake Team in Wilmington, NC is interviewed by Gary Elwood, Founder of Proquest Technologies on how their business has grown.
We trust you enjoyed the interview with Pam Marion & Barry Ezerski. As promised, we have the next in a growing series of these webinars with Gary Elwood of Proquest Technologies and our Clients. Please be sure to let us know if you find these interviews informative and helpful.
Follow the link below to listen to the webinar with Buddy Blake and Gary Elwood as they discuss business trends and systems that work. Enjoy!
http://www.realpond.com/recording-bb.html
Please … (1 comments)

Memorial Day - 06/01/10 01:38 PM
I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend surrounded by friends and family! We live in a great country full of great men and women. God bless all who have sacrificed and given their lives so that we may continue to live in the greatest country on this earth. We enjoy freedoms and opportunities that some are not so fortunate to have.
Please visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com!
… (2 comments)

 

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