real estate coaching: Keeping Positive in a Slowing Market - 04/16/09 01:50 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)

real estate coaching: Work That Website - 04/15/09 03:43 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)

real estate coaching: A Race Back to the Basics - Maximizing Results in the Spring Market - 04/14/09 04:08 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)

real estate coaching: The Internet Opens Doors to Close More Business - 04/13/09 09:14 AM
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)

real estate coaching: Top Agents Are Always On the Job - 04/10/09 10:03 AM
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)

real estate coaching: Ways That People Invade Your Boundaries - Have a Minute? - 04/09/09 12:27 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)

real estate coaching: Understanding the Real Estate Market - 04/08/09 02:45 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)

real estate coaching: Developing an "It's My Pleasure Attitude" - 04/07/09 12:55 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)

real estate coaching: Corcoran Coaching Announces Real Estate Training Center Schedule - 04/06/09 05:16 AM
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)

real estate coaching: OK, so how do you balance it all? - 04/03/09 04:28 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)

real estate coaching: Heads Up, Fayetteville - Bob Corcoran is Coming April 9th - 04/03/09 03:48 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)

real estate coaching: Benefits of Your Time Well Managed! - 04/02/09 08:16 AM
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)

real estate coaching: 90 Day Advance to Success - 04/01/09 07:43 AM
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)

real estate coaching: Staying Warm in a Cooling Market - 03/31/09 11:17 AM
"Nothing endures but change." Heraclitus
Bubble, schmubble. There's been a lot of gabbing about a real estate bubble. Yes, the market has cooled. Yes, interest rates have risen, but honestly, I don't see a bubble. What I do see is a leveling in the market with a shift from a seller's market to a buyer's market.
If we look at this change in context - the last two years have been scorching - a cooling is natural. Nevertheless, it is a change and to stay warm in a cooling market, you must adjust to keep revenue flowing
For additional information and … (1 comments)

real estate coaching: Setting Work and Life Boundaries - 03/27/09 09:16 AM
Just in time for the weekend...
Does your job or business demand that you be accessible 24/7? In an era of ubiquitous cell phones, pagers, Blackberrys and WiFi internet access, it is easy to keep in touch with the office from anywhere. No doubt, many of you find that this is a mixed blessing at best.
While technology gives increased mobility and connectivity, it can also erode the boundary between your professional and personal life. That's why it is increasingly more important to set reasonable boundaries and stick to them. For most of us there is a constant pressure to work … (2 comments)

real estate coaching: VOTE FOR Chris Sanders of Sanders & Associates! He is a finalist for this year's 30 under 30 through REALTOR Magazine! - 03/26/09 09:58 AM
Chris Sanders, CEO of the # 1 Keller Williams Team Internationally is coached by Bob Corcoran.  We are excited and proud of his acheivements!
REALTOR® Magazine announced a new addition to our annual "30 Under 30" feature.  While pouring through hundreds of applications, as usual they were lamenting the fact that we have way more worthy candidates than space to profile them. So this year, for the first time, they are asking for readers to vote on their top 50 semi-finalists.  Users will be able to visit REALTOR® Magazine online and see a short profile along with your submitted photograph and … (2 comments)

real estate coaching: Overcoming Commission-Cutting Requests - 03/25/09 04:10 AM

Everyone knows commissions are negotiable, up as well as down. So, why is it that every time the discussion comes up with a seller or buyer, they want to know how much we will cut ours? Despite that, there are agents today who are getting above-average commissions. Others are maintaining their "preferred" commission. While still other agents are beat up on a daily basis. What is the difference among the three scenarios? A combination of skill, market knowledge and a willingness to negotiate makes the difference.
Before we tackle the how, we believe we must look at the reasons behind … (2 comments)

real estate coaching: Flourishing in a Slow Market - 03/23/09 02:44 AM
Home sales have begun a slowdown in many markets throughout the country. As a real estate agent, you must contemplate your future actions very carefully. Rather than be afraid of a slowing real estate economy, in order to be successful, you should view these changes in your market as an opportunity.
History dictates the best agents will continue to succeed, and many will even increase their production in such difficult times. While this may seem hard to believe at first, consider that in a strong market just about anyone can sell real estate. When homes are selling fast, inferior competitors may … (2 comments)

real estate coaching: Could what was good for Keller-Williams be good for you? - 03/19/09 05:34 AM
The Wall Street Journal of 3/2/09 announced that Keller Williams Realty is now the third-largest Real Estate franchise in United States.  Did you know that  Keller Williams agents from all over the United States have been hiring the specialized coaching team, Corcoran Consulting & Coaching Inc.?This includes our own native Keller Williams Clients' Choice Realtor, Tiffany Lachnidt, Team Leader for The Distinctive Group.
Lachnidt has been in the top 10 of Keller Williams Realtors in her short but successful career of only four years.  She came to Corcoran Coaching to further develop her natural ability to lead, mentor, and educate.  "My goal … (2 comments)

real estate coaching: Turning Gray into Green - 03/19/09 04:40 AM
Creating a powerful plan to capture baby boomers
Here's a statistic that can solidify your job security as an agent for the next 20 years - 8,000 people a day, in the United States, are now turning 60 years old. I'll give you a minute to wipe the drool off your chin. Those 8,000 people a day represent the front end of the baby boomer generation. They are the largest generation in U.S. history, 76 million strong between the ages of 42 and 60. These are numbers big enough to launch your business into the stratosphere of success, if you play … (4 comments)