Allison's Take On Real Estate

Keller Williams Business Plan part 3

2008-12-01T23:21:42Z

Can you believe it's December already....WOW! Where did this year go? What will 2009 hold for us, our families, and our real estate business? One of the best things we can do is prepare for the future as best as possible, have clearly defined goals, and an action plan in place to tackle what 2009 and the real estate market has in store for us and come out one TOP!!!!

So let's talk about the 3rd part of your business plan...Your Listing Analysis.

This is a pretty in depth section of the business plan so my suggestion is to give me a call or shoot me an email so I can give you worksheets to help you sort out the information.

After you have completed this portion of the Business Plan you should be able to look at your past business and get a great idea of what worked and how to build on your past successes and personal strengths.

#1 - Identify all the listings you started 2008 with and those you aquired during the year. You will want to write down the name of the property, property type, source of listing, and current status.

#2 - Once you have identified the source make a list of the sources, how many transactions came from each source, and what percentage of your business each source represents.

This should tell you where you get your listings, if the money you spend actually gets you new listings, where you should be more aggressive in your lead generation, your listing closure percentage, and any obvious discrepancies and areas that need attention.

Ok, that should keep you busy for awhile so I'll do a follow up to this post as part 2 of the listing analysis portion of your 2009 business plan.

Again, I know this was a lot of information and if I can be of any help in explaining this more of giving you the worksheets please feel free to contact me at acummins@kw.com or 614.888.1000.

Oh and if you haven't read Part 1 or Part 2 just scroll down the blog and catch up!

Stop What You're Doing Right Now!!!!

2008-11-24T22:08:02Z

I hit a wall today...I mean a really big wall! There is not enough time in the day, week, or even year to accomplish all the things I need to do and all the things I want to do.

At Keller Williams Realty we stress the importance of having a business plan, doing your 4-1-1 which is a to do list on steroids, and of course living the 80/20 rule. I coach and consult with my agents on a daily basis about these things...I guess the old saying teach to your weakness comes into play here :-)

Well in a search for the holy grail of organizing my life I ran across this article on a blog called Productivity 501 and thought I would share. Read 17 Things You Should Stop Doing, i did...now I wonder can we really stop doing all the things that hold us back in time management? I mean I stopped paying my bills by check but it doesn't mean I take the TIME to pay them online either.

Oh well, I hope this artilce helps!

Keller Williams Realty in 2009?!?

2008-11-21T18:46:03Z

Image by Raymond Yee via FlickrImage by Raymond Yee via Flickr

I have to be honest here. I've wrote about your 2009 business plan in the last couple of posts and I'll continue to write about the Keller Williams Realty MREA business plan in the next few, but I've been wondering...

As you set your goals for next year, plan your marketing, work out your conversion ratios, and try to figure out what your business will look like when you're done, have you stopped to wonder how you're going to get there?

Have you wondered who's going to help you?

Do you have the support through coaching and consulting you need?

Is the training and education brought to you enough?

Do you feel all alone or like you have a team in your corner...someone invested in your success?

If you're one of my agents I certainly hope so! It's Me!!! I'm here for you!

There's just one thing I need from you...tell me! Tell me what you need, tell me how I can help you? If you're not one of my agents tell mee too!

What can your real estate brokerage do for you to help you reach your business goal for 2009?

Keller Williams Business Plan part 2

2008-11-19T19:41:31Z

In the second step of creating your business plan we go over your businesses organization. If you're going to run your real estate business like a business it's first important to create your businesses organizational chart. By creating or evaluating your current organizational chart you are better able to clearly define your role and anyone else you use as leverage. For a solo agent that could be you and only you, or maybe your office staff.
At Keller Williams Capital Partners we have

2 administrative assistants that help all of our agents with their mailings, loading their listings into the MLS, and most of the transactional process for your contracts.
A full time IT director who is available to help with all of your technical needs,
2 Market Center Administrators that are available to help with your contracts, billing, and accounting issues.

Do you have a staff available to you that you're not leveraging? Should you be? If so add them to your organizational chart. It will help you clearly define the roles you and others play in your business. If you have grown your real estate practice to add administrative help or buyer's and listing specialist then an organizational chart will help you,

Think about your business
How it should be organized
What your standards are for your organization and everyone in it
Who is accountable
Who is making sure things are getting done to the standards you set and if you're on track with your goal.

The second part of this section of the business plan is to review the technology you are currently using. Technology is a great way to leverage your time and money. Below is a sample list of technology that most agents use. Check out what you are currently using...and what you should be using! You can add others but taking a look at what you currently have and making sure you are using it to your full potential is a great exercise for your 2009 business plan.

Don't forget it's important to figure out how much time you are spending on activities that are not making you money...then by looking at your new organizational chart you'll not only know where you are but where you're going and what it's going to look like when you get there.

If you are interested in an excel version of the Keller Williams Realty business plan or would like more information on getting your business ready for 2009 let me know...I'll be happy to send it to you.

Keller Williams Business Plan - Part 1

2008-11-17T19:21:19Z

In our office meeting today we talked about getting your business ready for 2009. How many of you are going into the new year with a hope and a prayer? How many of you have taken the time to do a complete business plan?

One of the things Keller Williams Capital Partners consults all of their real estate agents on is starting the year with a clear goal of where your going and what your business will look like when you are done. A career in real estate is a business, and those who treat it like a business will be successful.

I've decided to take you through the business plan and help you understand the need for it and the steps to take to produce your own plan for 2009.

The first section of the Millionaire Real Estate Agent business plan is to create a personal mission statement. Your mission statement should describe

Who you are
What you do
Who you do this for
Why you do what you do

This mission statement will serve as a moral compass for your business, it will point you in the right direction for all of your decisions and when faced with a difficult one will hopefully help you choose the option that allows you to maintain the course you set out on at the beginning of the year.

So begin the process by asking yourself the following questions. Be clear, concise, and keep it simple.

1. Who am I?

2. What is it that I do?

3. Who is it that I intend to do it for?

4. Why do I do what I do?

Make it great and if you want to send me a copy of what you came up with I'd love to see it. In my next post I'll be talking about the next step Keller Williams real estate agents use in creating their business plan...ORGANIZING YOUR BUSINESS!

Keller Williams Realty In the News....and it's all GOOD!

2008-11-10T19:01:42Z

Our very own Mo Anderson, who is the foundation and ROCK of the Keller Williams culture, has been honored by being inducted into the CBR's Hall of Leaders. The CRB is the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers and is a not-for-profit affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. Mo was given this prestigious honor at a dinner reception at the NAR conference in Orlando, FL. Mo is on the cover of this month's Real Estate Business magazine, and you can read the article by clicking here. Congratulations Mo!

Another focus of this year's NAR convention was a class taught by Gary Keller, co-founder for Keller Williams Realty. Gary spoke about is new book SHIFT and how the tactics outlined in the book are sure to help any agent through any SHIFT in the market place. I myself didn't have the privilege of attending this event but was sent multiple texts about the session, before, during, and after. It's always a pleasure to listen to Gary speak on any topic, but this topic is less about Gary speaking and more about LISTENING. Gary always spends a lot of this time speaking with agents out in the trenches, and by keeping in touch with agents at Keller Williams Realty during leading up to and during this time in our industry he knew just what we needed. And he DELIVERED!!!!

If you havn't had a chance to read this book it comes highly recommended and not just by me! Agents in our office have been reading and following the 12 tactics of SHIFT, they've seen improvements in their business, but they have also gained the piece of mind that when the market corrects itself, they will come out on TOP!

I want to congratulate all of the agents at Keller Williams Capital Partners on their diligent efforts and their tireless work in tackling this tough market!

You can get shift at www.millionairesystems.com or on www.amazon.com

Do you feel like a technologist or a Realtor that uses technology?

2008-11-03T15:39:11Z

Sometimes I want to be both!!! But then I do something stupid like write an entire blog and then delete it or send a mass email but forget to send it to the recipients as a bcc: (my agents love this by the way, especially those reading my emails on their phones). Well no one is perfect but I think we all strive to do our best.

Cary Sylvester with Keller Williams Realty International just sat down with WEB 2.0 TV and discussed how Keller Williams Realty is always striving to give us the best and most up-to-date technology. It's a great clip and you can access it by clicking here.

It seems to me that we are always getting these great informative emails from Keller Williams about new technology they are bringing to Keller Williams real estate agents and how we can log on to this webinar or that conference call for training on the latest and greatest. Now don't get me wrong...I love it, and am grateful that our agents get the best of the best ahead of the curve, but sometimes I get a little bogged down in what I should be using or what I should switch to, and don't even get me started on how fast we work around here to bring all this information to our agents at Capital Partners. So here's my question...

What's the best piece of technology you use from Keller Williams or your brokerage to help your business?

and

What would you like to see them add in the future...(oh by the way, a little birdie told me that someone in Austin reads this blog every once in awhile)?

Re-Margin Your Business....Your Life?

2008-11-01T20:27:05Z

Ok, second tactic in Gary Keller's new book SHIFT, is Re-Margin Your Business - Expense Management. I'm not going to lie...I struggle with this!

At Keller Williams Capital Partners realty in Worthington, Ohio we hold our SHIFT "book club" once a week and really dissect these tactics and talk about how to integrate them in our business. I didn't teach this real estate class, but maybe I should have taken it!

As far as business goes, the short and tall of this chapter is about looking at your expenses and finding out where you're wasting money and where you can cut costs without lowering your customer service for home buyers and sellers.

A couple of the key points that stood out to me were,

•· When you spend a dollar, it's an investment....EXPECT a return

•· In a shifting market you drop your expenses until your inflow once again exceeds your outflow at an acceptable level and then you play red light, green light with your money.

•· When the market shifts your money instantly becomes dumb.

What?!?!? Let's focus on that one. Your money becomes dumb?...basically that means that what worked for you before in your business isn't working at all anymore or at least not the same...so what is spent on it doesn't yield the same results...It's dumb money. That has caught my attention in more ways than one. In my position of Team Leader, at Keller Williams Capital Partners, I am charged with looking at our companies expenses...I've been looking at it from dumbness....is that even a word? Well I'm practicing what I'm preaching and cutting expenses...it isn't easy, it isn't fun, but it must be done. The after effect of it has been pretty good though; I actually feel more knowledgeable about our expenses and feel more in control of our bottom line. I took the time to figure out that If you don't control the money it will control you...it becomes a burden and stressful.

Well tomorrow is family finance day, and once again I‘ll be cutting the budget. This one stings a little more. It's close to the holidays, I have two small children, and of course...I really need (WANT) a new pair of shoes! But it must be done and my husband and I are on the same page, so I'll stop letting my money be dumb at home too and I'll let you know how it goes. We are using the Dave Ramsey, Total Money Makeover plan and I feel hopeful. You can click on his name to follow the link and check into it if you want some ideas about your family budget as well. I'm not saying it's for everyone...it just looks like it will work for our family and thought I would share.

How are you re-margining your business...your family budget? Let's share and give others ideas that may help them through not only this real estate market, but the economic times that affect our families as well.

Lessons from SHIFT tactic 1 - Get Real, Get Right

2008-10-27T21:30:28Z

In a previous post I wrote about Gary Keller coming to Columbus on October 15^th. This stop on the SHIFT Tour contained a timely and inspirational message. In a INMAN New article dated September 12^th 2008, Bernice Ross writes, "Need help weathering the storm? If so, reach for Gary Keller's new book, "Shift" - - it's the lifesaver you need today to thrive tomorrow." Well if the book is the lifesaver then our weekly book club at Keller Williams Capital Partners is the "lifeguard" that pulls you back in. If you can, join us weekly to discuss these tactics at length.

Inspiration here is the key...in Tactic 1 Gary speaks of the agent's mind set. During his talk with the 1200 Central Ohio real estate agents, Gary said there are a few things you need to get your mind around when a Shift occurs.

• Acknowledge the situation you're in.

• The MOST important thing to do right now is lead generation & lead conversion.

• You have to run towards what you most want, instead of away from what you most fear.

• The things you usually say are "hard" to do (i.e. cold calling) aren't hard...they just aren't fun, and we often confuse the two.

• Judge your success over the length of your career not the high or low of any single year.

An agent at Keller Williams Capital Partners wrote me today after a reminder email I sent out about this Tactic...

"I think Mindset will make or break your success. Everything seems to stem from the thoughts you think!

I think this is a market for opportunities!"

I'll share with you this last thought from the SHIFT book.

"You can't control the market but you can control your outlook and your response to the market. Remain resolute. Know that while everyone won't succeed in a shift, some will and anyone can."

Tips for presenting your short sale offer

2008-10-25T20:50:24Z

Ok, most of you know I've been out of the office for the last three days, so I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some great tips I got from a Chase representative at one of my classes.

In these times we find ourselves dealing with a growing number of short sale opportunities for our clients, and I know many of you have been frustrated with what seems to be the ever lengthening process. So here are some tips on getting your offer into the bank and getting it accepted as fast as possible.

#1 - Make sure you're talking to the right people. If you are not in communication with the "Home Owner Preservation Department" or the "Loss Mitigation Department" you are talking to the WRONG people. This will not only slow down the process but you are running the risk of getting wrong information.

#2 - Know and Have a realistic value of the property. The bank knows what the property is worth! They are already in the position of taking a loss on this property and they are trying to save as much money as possible...that's right even in these economic times! If you are not sending in a realistic offer this will lengthen the time you will get a response and you and your client run the risk of losing the property all together. Typically if you are around 80% of the value or list price you will be in the "ball park".

#3 - Be Prepared! Banks are asking agents to "share their pain" and take a cut on your commission. You must evaluate whether you are able or want to do this. I would say be prepared to do this if you client's really want this property. Otherwise have this conversation with your buyer and talk to them about the Buyer Representation Agreement that you had them sign.

#4 - Many banks are working with Seller's to keep them in their homes. If they can re-margin their loans to help sellers stay in their homes a lot of banks are taking that option. Many banks estimate that it costs roughly 15% of the homes value to foreclose on a property.

Always remember that the role of the Loss Mitigation Department at any Bank is to save and/or recoup as much money as possible for the bank. By keeping these tips in mind hopefully you can serve your clients better and help them win in this ever changing market.

**What's the next trend in lending... 2 underwriting processes for everything over an 80% LTV. If your clients are putting down anything less than 20% on a purchase they may have to go through an underwriting process with the mortgage company as well as an additional underwriting process with the mortgage insurance company. This means FULL DOCS!!! Start coaching your buyer clients now and helping them get their file together for this process. Oh and one other thing, when this starts to happen not only will you want the loan approval letter for the seller but you will also need or want to ask for if you are the seller a Mortgage Insurance Certificate stating the buyer's have been through that underwriting process as well.

The questions was asked if this will hold up or lengthen the average 30 day closing time we all frequently used and the answer was no....maybe...probably not. The only foreseen complication is if the mortgage company has to go from MI company to MI company to get your buyer approved.

Good luck...be prepared...and coach your clients...that's why they hired you!

Here's to your success!

Who's Calling Your Database???

2008-10-24T20:05:43Z

Keller Williams Capital Partners will be answering this question on Monday....let's hope the answer is YOU!

Power Hour is back! We had such a great kickstart to our Power Hour way back when...but slowly it lost it's luster. My discussions with a lot of our agents as well as masterminds Keller Williams Capital Partners agents had to discuss productivity have highlighted the need to bring back a time blocked hour of active lead generation. So who are you going to call?

*Well your database for starters. One of the best models that Keller Williams has for it's agents, educates them on a contact system which is proven to get a 15% return on business by following and automating this way of keeping in touch with not only your past clients but also your sphere of influence (that's everyone you know!) Not sure your quite up to speed on using this effective and proven Keller Williams model? Join us next month in our training room as we give you a refresher course and help increase your production.

*Your current listings. It's important to educate your sellers about the market and possible price adjustments that may be needed to sell their homes quickly and for the most amount of money possible. In a real estate training class we held on Wednesday, we discussed the 7th tactic in Gary Keller's new book SHIFT, seller pricing strategies. We reviewed scripts and dialogues to educate the real estate agent's seller on the currently declining market, as well how to price ahead of the market to sell your real estate listing quickly. Join us for our scripts and dialogues workshop, Words That Work, every Friday to brush up on how to effectivley talk with your sellers about pricing their home right the first time or getting a price adjustment for those that were'nt.

*Expired's & Withdrawns. Seller's who are faced with an expired listing or the frustration of not being able to sell their home need an educated real estate professional to help them. These are not the days of old, it takes a strategic plan to counter act the difficulties the market dishes out. In a training class recently held at our office in Worthington, Ohio, real estate agents from Keller Williams Capital Partners as well as other agents from across the city, discussed the need to teach sellers about pricing their homes in the market...not just ON the market. What does this mean...well on http://www.agentmountain.com/ Gary Keller has posted slides he used during a Mega Agent Camp to explain this pricing strategy. In the slides Gary explains that 80% of homes are priced out of the market which basically means that for the condition of the property they are overpriced. He goes on to explain that 20% of the homes are priced in the market, and this means that for the condition of the property they are priced at or below market price. If your home is in the best condition and it's priced, if not multiple offers. FSBO's and withdrawn properties need educated agents to help them price their home effectivly and sell their home quickly.

Other groups that could benefit from your call on Monday...internet leads, allied resources, and of course first time homebuyers that will need your help not only finding a home but also navigating the increasingly complicated mortgage process.

So call your database, let them know that you are a professional and with your experience, training, and education you can help them sell their homes or buy a new one even in today's market.

See You At Power Hour!

He Came! We Saw! We Will Conquer!!! - The Market That Is

2008-10-18T08:08:20Z

On Wednesday, October 15th, Gary Keller spoke to a crowd of over 1100 Realtors from all over Central Ohio and Indiana. The message was one of hope and hard work.Gary Keller, the founder of Keller Williams Realty International and author of the best selling book, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, interviewed over 100 of the top agents across the country on what they were doing to thrive in a Shifting Market. He compiled in the information he received from those interviews and wrote is latest book "SHIFT...How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times".

Although it's always refreshing to hear Gary Keller speak, this particular message was not only timely but energizing! In regards to the Shift we are all experiencing, it's important to remember that this is not something that the real estate industry hasn't been through before. This shift is an economic sales cycle that has been predicted for some time and mimics on a larger scale the seasonal sales cycle we all anticipate and experience every year. The question though, is how do WE not just survive but THRIVE in this Shifting Market?

The book outlines 12 Tactics that have often been described as the "pain" of the real estate business.

#1 - Get Real, Get Right - Mindset & Action

#2 - Re-Margin Your Business - Expense Management

#3 - Do More With Less - Leverage

#4 - Find The Motivated - Lead Generation

#5 - Get To The Table - Lead Conversion

#6 - Catch People In Your Web - Internet Lead Conversion

#7 - Price Ahead Of The Market - Seller Pricing Strategies

#8 - Stand Out From The Competition - Seller Staging Strategies

#9 - Create Urgency - Overcoming Buyer Reluctance

#10 - Expand The Options - Creative Financing

#11 - Master The Market Of The Moment - Short Sales, Foreclosures, & REO's

#12 - Bulletproof The Transaction - Issues & Solutions

I'll be talking about these twelve tactics in future posts and how my agents at Keller Williams Capital Partners are using the training classes we provide, centered around these topics, this book, and our performance coaching programs are helping them THRIVE in this Shifting Market.

"A market shift can be an opportunities to evaluate, upgrade, and top grade your business, an unsolicited gift of the SHIFT!"

If you are interested in learning more about these tactics and/or joining us at Keller Williams Capital Partners as we begin our SHIFT book club and mastermind about how top agents in our office like JoAnne Labuda, who put for homes in contract last week, are growing their business in this market, contact me today! I'd be happy to share these business strategies with you!

SHIFT - Selling Homes In Fierce Times

2008-10-12T15:34:24Z

Feel like you need Super Hero Powers to tackle this tough market...It's not so! All you need to do is SHIFT!

On Wednesday, October 15th, Gary Keller founder of Keller Williams Realty International will be speaking to a crowd of 1200 at the Hilton Easton on how to do just this. Real Estate Training from Gary is not only amazing but practical and fun. Real estate agents from across the Central Ohio Real Estate Market will benefit from the man behind Keller Williams Realty and is insight and knowledge he wants to share with not only Keller Williams agents but agents from any other company that want to attend as well.

In a follow up to his Best Seller book "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent", Gay Keller along with Dave Jenks and Jay Papasan wrote "SHIFT, How Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times." Gary and his writing team interviewed top Realtors from across the nation to find out what they were doing to come out on top in a shifting market. Well he hit it out of the ballpark with this book that outlines the 12 tactics every agent needs to survive a changing market. I hope that by digging deep into your business and examining your real estate business through the tactics outlined in the book not only will you survive but you will be successful!

During his presentation on Wednesday, Gary will be teaching from his new book with real life answers to the real life problems a lot of us our facing. The best part...you get a free SHIFT book on your way out so you can follow the twelve tactics and remain productive and profitable in any market. I know my agents can't wait and we are filling more than 150 of those seats ourselves!

I'll do a follow up on Friday about all we learned but in the mean time remember...It's not about the market...it's about what you do!

Long Time...No Blog!

2008-10-06T20:00:20Z

Hey there...long time no blog!

Well it's official, the summer is over and my life is slowly falling in to a little more normalcy...you know just before the Holidays strike!

There are a lot of exciting things happening in our Market Center this month and I just wanted to fill you all in and remind the rest of you who have been keeping up with all your training and education opportunities available at Keller Williams Capital Partners.

First of all the Move Is On! That's right, we are in the countdown to our move to our new Worthington, Ohio location at 100 E. Wilson Bridge Rd. Many agents have selected their new offices and the paint colors have been chosen. Demolition will begin on October 28^th for the improvements we will be doing to our new home. Who can start a "home improvement" project without a party though? Not Keller Williams Capital Partners! All of our agents and staff are invited to join us for a party in the parking lot on Oct. 27^th at 5:00pm. Capital Partners will be providing the BBQ and all agents will bring a dish to share, a lawn chair, their best corn hole arm, and of course BYOB!!! It should be great and Matt Long with the Trinity Group at Keller Williams Capital Partners may even allot a few sledge hammer swings!

Besides the ever approaching move though there are so many exciting things happening this month. During last month's office meeting we broke into 4 groups and masterminded ideas, classes you would like, and just about anything else to help boost your productivity this quarter. Well Gloria Cannon, our Productivity Coach and myself have put together many classes and events on this month's training calendar based on what you asked for. I hope to see you all in class. There is so much for everyone including FREE Continuing Ed on new FHA regulations, workshops to practice scripts and dialogues in a fun and exciting way, and of course we are bringing back our famous DOOR KNOCKING class! I can't even begin to tell you all the excitement we have for you knowing that the hard work you put in now during the 4^th quarter will not only help you push through the cold winter months, but the real results will be seen by you and your business in the first quarter of 2009!

Last but not least, for the first time ever, Gary Keller co-founder of Keller Williams Realty will be visiting COLUMBUS! We are so excited to be hosting Gary as we speaks and teaches us from his new book called SHIFT. SHIFT is a great book that contains twelve tactics for any agent to survive during a shifting market. It's so great to work for a company that cares so much about the success of it's partners that the owner is willing to come and share these tips with you! You're not going to want to miss this! The event is sold out but Keller Williams Capital Partners has reserved a block of seats for our late registering agents and our guests. If you are interested in attending this event, it is October 15^th at 2:00pm. You can contact me at: Email: acummins@kw.com or by phone at 888-1000. Don't forget SHIFT is a verb...that means when the market changes we must SHIFT to stay on TOP

Bulletproofing Your Transaction

2008-06-10T14:35:08Z

When a deal falls apart, nobody wins....

We all know that agreeing to the sales price is only the first negotiation, and what happens in the contract -to-close period can literally make or break your efforts to get to the closing table. Tension created by seller's thinking they sold for too low, and buyer's thinking they paid too much has turned the contract period into a sensitive time that requires agents to be on the ball and use their best relationship building and negotiation skills.

I taught a bulletproofing class today in our Market Center. We discussed 4 ways to minimize the risk of your transaction falling apart.

1. Be aware of the most common problems.

2. Have good solutions and scripts.

3. Avoid problems by addressing common concerns before they arise.

4. Maintain good and frequent communication with all parties so you become aware of problems as early as possible (when there is still time to address them).

In talking about the common problems that often come up in the contract-to-close period we were able to identify 5 main areas they can be categorized in.

1. Buyer's Remorse

2. Inspection and Repair

3. Funding

4. Appraisals

5. Communication

While we discussed these obstacles more in depth, we were able to come up with and share ideas and strategies for combating them.

Of the above categories, problems arising from appraisals seem to be plaguing my agents the most. Underwriters checking declining market and forcing appraisals down and appraisers not being familiar with specific neighborhoods or areas of town seemed to have been a common theme making our agents contemplate the advancement opportunities at McDonald's!

After talking them down off the golden arches though we feel we have a better understanding of how to communicate with our clients, lenders, and appraisers to make the transaction as smooth as possible. So what are your biggest obstacles in a transaction? I'd love to hear and share ideas.

If you are interested in attending this class or others like it please feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to get you the schedule of upcoming training in my Market Center.

See You At The Closing Table....

Columbus Business First Residential Real Estate Rankings

2008-06-02T10:37:23Z

In the May 30th edition of the Columbus Business First newspaper, the top 25 real estate agencies are ranked by homes sold.

I'm so excited to see that Keller Williams Capital Partners is ranked 3rd closing 1551 transactions for $323.83 million in closed sales. What I'm especially proud of though is that we are the number 1 independantly owned and operated real estate company in Central Ohio. With 156 agents in 2007 and 1 office, I'm proud of the productivity our agents acheived.

I think this is a testament to the training and education provided at Keller Williams on an international level and in our office. With the culture of sharing at the office it's great that experienced agents are willing to help other agents so we all succeed. Congrats to my fellow partners at Keller Williams Capital Partners!!! If we did this in our first 5 years, what will we do int he next 5? I'm looking forward to it.

Number 1 on the list was HER Real Living with 39 offices and 566 agents with a sales volume of $2 billion.

Number 2 was Coldwell Banker King Thompson wiht 13 offices and 770 agents and a sales voume of $1.38 billion.

Garage Sale Season is in full swing!

2008-05-31T21:19:23Z

I couldn't believe the number of garage sales I saw when I was out and about today! I love to see the people flock to in the masses to see the "stuff" laid out in garages and driveways all around the city. For me it is a true sign that spring is here and summer is quickly approaching.

Did you know that community garage sales are not only fun but also a great way to network? Not to mention the publicity an open house would get should you choose to hold it on Saturday or even advertise you Sunday open house with a sign?

Some of the things our agents at Keller Williams Capital Parnters are doing are...

Door Knocking! Get some sun, exercise and business...it's the summer time trifecta!
City Wide Open Houses - Each month agents are taking advantage of the advertising and market share appearance by holding multiple open houses on "Paint the Town Red Day!"
Networking - From the Memorial Tournament to hanging out with their neighbors holding open houses, people are out and about...shouldn't you be too?

The weather is nice and people are out and about...how will you be taking advantage of the season?

Market is turning around....

2008-05-29T14:58:59Z

The Columbus Board of Realtors released an article to the press on May 23rd titled "Drop in new listings suggests market is turning around."

With the number of homes listed for sale over the past two months being lower than the previous years, the article hints that the market may be beginning to adjust itself.

In our Keller Williams Capital Partners training room I taught a class to numerous agents about "Pricing Strategies". During the class we talked about pricing your home "in" the market not just "on" the market, and the importance of condition and price in getting the home sold. Many of our agents shared their ideas on getting price reductions up front as well as after certain time periods.

What we found was although there is no formula for timing your price reduction, that it is necessary to use the tools and market statistics available to find this out. So how do you determine the need for a price reduction.

Days on market with no or limited showings?
Days on market with no offers?
A lot of second showings but no offers?

If the Columbus Board of Realtors is correct and the market may be starting to adjust itself, the biggest piece of advice you give your client could be this.

While the news media continues to report that the real estate market has not hit "rock bottom" yet, the experts and current market trends are telling us differently, they are telling us that we are in fact "in the bottom" and the market is beginning to correct itself here in central Ohio.

As sellers they already have the bumps and bruises from trying to sell in a buyer's market, and in order for them to take advantage of that market in the purchase of their new home they should reduce their price today to get their property sold.

Do you have listings that need their price adjusted to be sold? How will you do it?

For more information about the class I taught or Keller Williams Capital Partners, please feel free to contact me for a confidential conversation at 614-888-1000 or acummins@kw.com.

Realtor's to charge Gas Surcharges to Buyers for Driving Them Around!

2008-05-22T08:04:22Z

I can't belive it...on my way into the office this morning I was listening to the radio and they had their hourly piece on the daily news stories. Since gas here last night was 3.99 a gallon and rising you can guess that was one of the featured news stories.

The reporter goes on to say how all Americans are feeling the crunch and that service industry professionals are starting to add fees on to their regular bills. One example she used was that plumbers are adding a $5 surcharge to your bill if they have to go back to the shop to get a part to complete your job.

She then so kindly added at the end of the story in her "the real estate market is going to hell in a handbasket" voice.... "and Realtors will soon begin charging their clients for driving them around looking at homes for sale too."

Surely this woman has never bought a house in her life nor took the time to look into how we are actually paid and no Realtor with any sense of good business practice would ever attempt to charge their buyer a fuel surcharge for looking at houses...they are not even the clients who pay us (in most cases).

So I'm putting it out there...do any of you have plans on charging a fuel surcharge to your clients?

What's Your 20%

2008-05-20T10:23:29Z

We are all busy today...I mean busy! Yes I know that everyone says the market is tough, and we all know that it has shifted, but it hasn't seemed to slow our agents at Keller Williams Capital Partners.

Now we should quantify busy. Are we busy being productive and generating business (20%) or are we busy over thinking the layout and design of your next just listed post card and babysitting escrows (80%)?

We are always encouraging our agents to "stay in your 20%". But what does that really mean and how can you make sure that what you are doing is in your 20%?

At Keller Williams Capital Partners, I often hear from our agents that we offer so much in the way of training and education that they often feel they could stay in class all day...but when would they sell real estate? Although furthering your education and consistently growing your skill set is important, as your business and life evolve, but right now in a shifting market we need to focus on our 20%.

Here are some things you can do to stay in your 20%

•· Lead Generate (attend Power Hour and time block 3 hours for lead generation a day.)

•· Continue attending Real Estate training and education classes

•· Follow up on ALL client leads

•· Leverage your 80%

•· Attend monthly office meetings for up to date market statistics to add to your presentations.

•·

Are you powering through the shift by staying in your 20%? How?

It's An Inventory Blow Out! At Keller Williams Capital Partners

2008-05-19T21:44:09Z

In the Sunday Columbus Dispatch, Sue Lusk-Gleich, one of the founding partners of Keller Williams Capital Partners was quoted in the article Prices That Add Up. The article reviews what factors aside from the standard "location location location" affect the price of the home. Some of those mentioned were:

• Economic Stability of the Area

• Crime Statistics

• Government services

• Schools

• Community Services

• Proximity to School & Work

• Placement with in the neighborhood

But what happens when you've looked at all the factors to consider when helping your clients choose the list price of their home and it still sits on the market? Well, it's time for a price reduction...an inventory blowout if you will.

You see at some point we all know that any objections serious buyers have about a home can all be fixed by price.

The yard is too small...FOR THE PRICE,

The basement needs finished...FOR THE PRICE,

The house sits to close to the road...FOR THE PRICE,

And yes, the carpet is the wrong color...FOR THE PRICE.

We know that often that conversation is difficult to have with our sellers, and understandably can be uncomfortable depending on their situation. But the fact remains that if the house is to sell we must reduce the price. How long is too long for a house to be on the market before you need a price reduction? I think we all have different formulas...what's yours?

One way we are helping our agents at Keller Williams Capital Partners address the issue of price reductions with their clients is by holding a "Price it Right" clinic in our training room on June 24^th.

During this clinic we will be reviewing the listings our agents have that have been on the market for over 40 days and are not getting any showings or offers. We will then put our heads together and try to get to the right price that will help those homes sell. Once we have determined which properties need a price reduction, we will review "Words that Work" (also known as scripts and dialogues) to give our agents tools and information in helping their clients understand the need to reduce their list price.

After identifying the properties, and knowing how to effectively communicate the need for a reduction in the list price, we will begin calling our clients to discuss the common goal of getting their house sold, and what needs to be done to accomplish it. So if your office isn't having its own "Price It Right Day" I encourage you to be the proactive agent in your market place and start having your own Inventory Blowout today!

Keller Williams Realty Feeds Listings

2008-05-15T19:51:45Z

Keller Williams launched the KWLS system with the belief that if an agent has a property listed, any lead that is generated from that listing goes directly to the listing agent. This belief for Keller Williams' agents is called "My Listing, My Leads". This idea is carried throughout the company to the local market centers as well. My market center, Keller Williams Capital Partners, in Worthington, Ohio also distributes all leads generated from sign calls and the internet the same way. Many agents who come from other brokerages are often pleasantly surprised.

On May 14^th, an article from Inman News announced that Keller Williams Realty International is the newest member of the Zillow Listings Feed Program. It is said in the article that Keller Williams Realty International will automatically feed listings from over 73,000 agents directly to Zillow on a daily basis. In keeping with the "My Listings, My Leads" belief all leads generated on the homes that are listed for sale will be directed to the listing agent free of charge.

Keller Williams Realty International continues to increase the technology available to its agents so they are better able to market their listings and service their clients. So, I encourage all of my agents to continue to add your listings to the KWLS system and add this value added service to your listing presentation today!

Get Ripped In 90 Days!

2008-05-15T18:51:13Z

Isn't it true that we will see the effects of what we do today 90 days from now?

I was watching a video today from Keller Williams University and one of the Master Faculty members likened our lead generation efforts to an infomercial.

When you're flipping through the channels and find yourself "captured" by one of those infomercials that promises by using their product for 90 days you will be "cut," "ripped," and "buff". Now we all say to ourselves as we get ready to turn the channel that if that were true we would all be walking around looking like the 2 or 3 people on the infomercial in spandex with great tans.

The reality is though that we could...if we worked hard enough. Those 2 or 3 people usually dedicate an hour to the regimen as well as other forms of exercise and of course a well balanced diet. You see, if you are committed you can be successful at most anything you set your mind to.

So how committed are you to getting your real estate career "RIPPED" in 90 days? What are you doing today that will show you the results you want in August?

Some of the things Keller Williams Capital Partners is offering our agents to get ripped are:

•· Participating in Power Hour - one hour of focused lead generation every day! This event is started daily by talking about the previous days success and challenges, practicing scripts and dialogues, and of course tons of encouragement.

•· Lead Generation Classes - Every month Keller Williams Capital Partners holds lead generation classes geared at newly licensed agents as well as experienced agents to give them the tools to grow their real estate business.

•· Productivity Coaching - 90 days with our on staff Productivity Coach, Gloria Cannon will get anyone's real estate career in shape. In focused sessions with Gloria, new agents are given the tools to launch their career and start generating business, and more experienced agents are able evaluate their current systems and given the tools to launch their career to the next level of success.

•· A culture unmatched by any company! Because of unique structure everyone in the market center shares an interest in others success. This leads to an atmosphere of sharing, mentoring, and collaborating. In a recent Mega Agent Mastermind top agents from our market center spent a day together talking about their systems and models and shared ideas with those who were struggling with other aspect of their business. For newer agents, buyers agents, and even administrative professionals monthly masterminds are held for each of their unique positions and they are able to share new ideas and share the things that are successful in their careers as well.

Just like the infomercial - it only works if you work it! So start getting RIPPED today!

SoccerRocks!~ Presented by Keller Williams Capital Partners

2008-05-13T19:50:31Z

One of the things we are so proud of at Keller Williams is our culture and the strong emphasis on giving back. At Keller Williams Capital Partners, we make giving back an everyday event. Edie James, an agent at Keller Williams Capital Partners, started our own community outreach program at the inception of our market center in 2002.

Since its inception, Capital Partners Cares has been fortunate enough to sponsor yearly food drives, community service projects, and charity events. In addition, Capital Partners Cares is able to help out any of our agents, their families, clients, and other community members with financial support, as well as helping hands, whether that's painting a house or making dinner. We are all so proud of the work done by Capital Partners Cares and strive to help with its continued success.

One of the ways we are able to raise funds for this wonderful charity organization is by holding fund raising events. One of the largest fund raising events we do is coming in June, Soccer Rocks! The proceeds of Soccer Rocks will help us continue our efforts to make an impact on the community and Central Ohio.

Soccer Rocks is a ½ day Soccer Camp lead by the Columbus Crew for area children. Soccer Rocks is sponsored by Keller Williams Capital Partners Cares, The Columbus Crew, and many of our vendors and affiliates we do business with every day. We are so fortunate to have the community come together to support Capital Partners Cares and have a wonderful fun-filled day for Central Ohio children.

The children who attend:

•· Practice drills with the Columbus Crew

•· Are given a tour of Crew Stadium

•· Receive 2 tickets to the July 5^th Columbus Crew Game

•· Receive Crew memorabilia and t-shirts

•· Have autography and photo sessions with the Columbus Crew Players.

If you are interested in having your child attend this event or if you would like to become a sponsor of this event please feel free to contact me at 614-888-1000 or email me at acummins@kw.com for further details.

As always if you have any questions about joining Keller Williams Capital Partners, and becoming part of this great organization of Realtors you can contact me for a confidential conversation at 614-888-1000, or at acummins@kw.com.

Keller Williams Capital Partners Power Hour Results

2008-05-11T16:10:40Z

On Friday we launched Power Hour at our market center. Power Hour is an hour of focused lead generation held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You can read more about power hour in my blog post I Do...Do You, Real Estate Lead Generation.

We had 10 agents participate this Friday and we were able to make 71 calls resulting in 12 appointments set. WOW! Although an hour of calling on your sphere or buyer & seller leads didn't draw the kind of participation I had hoped for, I'm sure the buzz will pick up as we get more results like these! My plan is to continue to advertise the positive results that come out of the energy and focus generated by POWER HOUR!

I think we all know that in order to stay on top of this shift in the market we have to change some of the things we are doing...one of these I firmly believe, is getting back to basics...from picking up the phone to Door Knocking. Read my previous blog, Door Knocking for Lead Generation, to learn more about the door knocking program that we began teaching last week.

Here are some other ways we are encouraging our agents to power through the shift in the market and come out on the other side better than ever!

· Power Hour - 1 hour of focused lead generation on the phone

· Keller Williams Capital Partners Door Knocking System - a new course being taught on this basic fundamental way of generating leads and creating mind share.

· Systematically reaching out to you sphere for referral business.

· Re-evaluating and re-learning the systems and models in the Millionaire Real Estate Agent book by Gary Keller & Dave Jenks. We are meeting twice a month in our market center to review and internalize this book chapter by chapter.

· Adjust their budgets and track their leads to market in the most profitable avenue.

Keller Williams has always been dedicated to helping its agents succeed and now more than ever our commitment to this is imperative. This is not a down market it has just shifted and by supporting our newly licensed agents and our experienced agents maneuver through it we know Keller Williams will continue to thrive and grow right beside our agents!

How are you changing what you've done in the past to succeed not just survive in this market?

If you would like to talk more in depth about what Keller Williams is doing to help its agents please feel free to contact me at 614-888-1000 or email me at acummins@kw.com for a confidential conversation.