new real estate agents: 3 Activities to Do Now to Market Your Business - #2
- 12/23/15 11:05 PM
Have you taken the time to think about your marketing plans for the coming year?
Start the Year Off RightIt wouldn't surprise me if you haven't because you are probably in the majority. That's unfortunate. If you want to start the new year off on the right foot you need to get busy right now. Remember, once you get busy, the first thing to fall by the wayside is your marketing. I've seen it happen too many times and in fact, I've been guilty of it myself.
A Referral Based BusinessThe ideal real estate business is built on referrals. Ask any real estate … (3 comments)
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new real estate agents: Is Technology Driving Us Crazy?
- 03/06/14 10:06 PM
Today I was discussing technology with a colleague and how it can be addicting and potentially take over your life. That conversation led us to taking a trip down memory lane to when times were seemingly a bit easier. I hope you enjoy this little walk as much as we did.
The Telephone Remember when the telephone was attached to the wall? Or if you were lucky you had a long cord which you would drag around the house. As for me, our phone was in the hallway. There was no privacy...after all, you were standing in the hallway. By the … (2 comments)
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new real estate agents: Enough of the Lazy Real Estate Agents
- 01/12/14 09:54 PM
When one of your real estate colleagues sees your name on a listing or on an offer, do they sign with relief or anxiety?
Get the Job Done As a real estate agent all you have is your reputation so you need to do everything within your power to protect it. And that means being the best agent you can possibly be. It doesn't take that much more time and effort to do your job the right way. At times that may mean that you do the other agents' job as well, but you do what you have to do to … (41 comments)
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new real estate agents: The Mysterious Underwriter
- 08/09/12 09:54 PM
The one person who can make or break a real estate transaction is someone we, as real estate agents can never talk to.
For better or for worse we are forced to deal with whatever they say. It doesn't' matter if what they say is complete nonsense. We cannot plead our case...we have zero contact with them...the Underwriter.
I Understand Their Job We all know that the Underwriter has an extremely important job in making sure that everything in the loan package is complete and to ensure that the documents provided are legitimate. So I don't mean to suggest that I … (10 comments)
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new real estate agents: The What Ifs - Real Estate Agent Training Tips
- 04/04/12 10:05 PM
If you want to drive yourself completely insane as a real estate agent, try playing the game of "what if". I have found that this game is played most often by new real estate agents who so desperately want to have a smooth transaction, but in the end drive themselves and those around them a little crazy.
The What Ifs "What if they ask me how long I've been selling real estate"?
"What if the seller thinks the offer is too low"?
"What if my client wants to change lenders"?
"What if the home inspection is really bad"?
"What if the … (1 comments)
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new real estate agents: It's A Good Time To Buy...Or Is It?
- 02/07/12 01:03 AM
Last week I was a guest on a Sirus/XM radio program called "Beyond the Bling". The show is geared towards women and finances; as in, clothes, shoes, handbags and jewelry are not wise financial investments. I was there to talk about buying real estate.
When Is A Good Time To Buy One of the hosts asked me if now was a good time to buy. I'm pretty sure my response took her by surprise. "Now is a great time for buying real estate if you have the funds necessary to complete the transaction". This seemingly obvious response opened up an entirely new … (0 comments)
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new real estate agents: It's Nice To Be Appreciated - Tips for Working With Buyers
- 11/15/11 01:04 AM
With so many short sales and foreclosures on the market, buyers have become our bread and butter. Sure, we need listings, but for better or worse, it can be difficult to find a "regular" sale these days. But with the uncertainty of the economy, buyers are more anxious than ever. Here are just a few tips as to what we need to do to get our buyers to closing:
Be Patient The market is going up and down and buyers are wondering when they should buy. We shouldn't try to "push" them into making an offer. In this market they really have to … (5 comments)
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new real estate agents: Stop Being a Victim
- 10/20/11 03:40 AM
As a real estate agent trainer I get to talk to a lot of real estate agents who are at various stages in their careers.
Real Estate Agent Training Is Critical Just the other day I was speaking with an agent who has been in the business for less than a year. She was asking several questions that were extremely basic and I explained to her why she really needed to attend some of the training sessions offered in our office.
Time Management Is Key She proceeded to tell me that she has the training sessions on her calendar, but when … (4 comments)
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new real estate agents: Who's Your Safety Net?
- 10/18/11 02:36 AM
"What's holding you back from doing what you need to do to be successful?" ...that's the question I asked. After much beating around the bush, an extremely honest answer came back, "I think I'm afraid of success".
Sounds Crazy Right? Not really. Many new real estate agents are afraid of success. While most of us are motivated to be successful...bills to pay, vacations to take, college to pay for...just to name a few, some agents just don't have that same motivation to become successful. Even if they have a history of success in other fields, for some reason they seem to do everything within their … (2 comments)
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new real estate agents: New Rules for Vacationing Real Estate Agents
- 09/07/11 02:45 AM
I know that for many people, real estate agents included...vacation season is over. But I decided to write this blog now because before you know it the holidays will be upon us and agents will be back in vacation mode.
All I want to ask of you here is that you prepare for your vacation. While I am a firm believer that there are painfully few real estate emergencies (if any), business does have to go on in your absence. In the words of Bill Maher, it's time for some "New Rules".
New Rule - Leave Someone in Charge It's easy … (3 comments)
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new real estate agents: If You're Selling Real Estate, You NEED Training!
- 08/18/11 01:10 AM
Often times I encounter agents who I know need training, but they usually say they are too busy to attend. Then there are other agents who think that just because they have been selling real estate for "x" number of years, they don't need training. But here's the bottom line. It doesn't really matter how long you have been selling real estate, if you're selling real estate, you NEED training.
I'm not saying you need training because I'm a trainer. I'm saying you need training because I have to work directly with you to complete the transaction and when you don't know … (6 comments)
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new real estate agents: The Appraiser is Always Right...Right?
- 08/16/11 02:27 AM
When the real estate market crashed a few years ago there was plenty of blame to pass around. Lenders, appraisers, real estate agents, consumers...fingers were pointing in every direction. Now we have lots of new rules and regulations that we all must follow to protect all of these individuals and corporations. But have we gone so far in regulating that we have lost sight of the goal?
I want to first look at the appraiser and highlight my recent interaction with one of them. On one of my recent listings, the appraiser gave a value $30,000 less than the list price. My … (5 comments)
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new real estate agents: "Home" Work for Real Estate Agents
- 08/10/11 02:10 AM
As we enter the dog days of August it would be far too easy for us Realtors to take a break or basically, slack off. After all, the kids are finished with summer camp, seller's don't think it's a good time to list, buyers are unsure of the economy and lastly, it's so hot! We figure we can just pick up where we left off after Labor Day. But it's not that easy.
If you have school age children you know that when school was dismissed, they were given a summer packet to complete. At the very least, that packet probably included math … (4 comments)
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new real estate agents: I Am the Greatest of All Time!
- 08/02/11 02:28 AM
This statement only sounds good whenit's being said by former heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Ali. What I find funny is that in the past two days I have had two new clients say they eliminated my competition because the agents were so impressed with themselves. In each case, I am told, that the agents told the perspective clients about the number of degrees they held, the number of designations and a number of other factoids that have nothing to do with buying or selling real estate. Frankly, I was stunned. Have agents really forgotten that the transaction is not about us?
… (8 comments)
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new real estate agents: It's a Process AND an Event!
- 07/28/11 04:15 AM
How many times have you heard real estate professionals talk about the buying and selling of property as a "process", not an "event". But I beg to differ. For us as Realtors, the transaction is a process, but for a buyer or seller the transaction is more than a "process"...it's an "event"...and a very big event!
A huge part of our jobs is to manage expectations. When we first meet with our clients we talk about the process of buying or selling real estate. We talk about how we work, what will be expected of them, what the lender will require … (2 comments)
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new real estate agents: What Does Your Resume Say About You?
- 06/07/11 02:01 AM
You probably think that just because you are in business for yourself that your days of needing a resume have passed. Not true. Whether your business is by referral or through the kindness of strangers, people want to know a little something about the person they are working with. Remember, people like working with people they like. Of course you must be competent, but on some level they want to like you.
This is where you resume comes into play. Your real estate resume is almost the same as a regular resume with one exception...no dates. The "no date" resume is a … (1 comments)
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new real estate agents: Are You Becoming Functionally Obsolete?
- 06/02/11 02:26 AM
I was working on a commercial transaction and this phrase came up..."Functionally Obsolete". It got me to thinking about my normal practice of residential real estate...and more specifically, the agents I deal with on a daily basis. As I thought about the agents I have worked with in the past 12 months I discovered that many of them either are or are becoming functionally obsolete.
I'm not simply talking about technology here, although that alone would put a great many agents in the functionally obsolete category. I'm talking about the way some agents conduct business and how they keep current with … (11 comments)
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new real estate agents: What's Your Excuse?
- 05/31/11 02:26 AM
I often write about real estate agents who get in the way of the transaction. But today is a little different. As a trainer I am seeing more and more agents get in the way of their own success. While at first glance you may be thinking that this statement is ridiculous...everyone wants to be successful. I would argue that while most people "say" they want to be successful, painfully few agents are willing to put in the time, energy and work to achieve that success.
Each week I ask my real estate newbies to tell me about their week. Although they can … (3 comments)
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new real estate agents: "I Don't Care If You Get Paid"!
- 05/24/11 02:14 AM
I know we have all had to work with some difficult clients. Although I try my best to only work with people I like, there are times when a bad apple slips in. When we first meet with a client we generally have a pretty good idea of their personality type...if we have asked the right questions and truly listened to their responses. This particular client showed some signs of being "special" but I ignored my instincts and decided to work with him.
This client was referred to me by an agent who was moving out of the area. He had a property to sale that … (4 comments)
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new real estate agents: Lessons Learned
- 05/19/11 03:33 AM
With over a decade of working as a Realtor I have learned a great deal throughout the years. As I reflect on my real estate education I found these to be my top 8 lessons learned...
1. Most people are good and trustworthy. Although we often complain about some troublesome clients, I truly believe that they are the exception but unfortunately seem to generate the most comments.
2. Over 90% of your transactions will eventually settle. While we have "bumps in the road" with virtually every transaction, they will settle.
3. Not every statement deserves a response. I have found that people … (1 comments)
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Have you taken the time to think about your marketing plans for the coming year?
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