What to SAY (or not say, as the case may be) to Respectfully Decline the Monkey! - 09/26/09 06:43 AM
Glad you stuck with me through the Monkey Series! You made it all the way to the punch line.
In case you just stumbled onto this series, you should probably read it from the beginning - starting here. Or not. Your call.
It's really easy for Old Fogie types (like me) to confidently proclaim that WE don't accept Monkeys that aren't ours to mess with, and WE (said in a deep, gravely voice) just tell our clients the way it is and if they don't agree; NEXT!
But it's not that easy, especially for newer agents who really aren't sure what … (16 comments)
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Sixteen Ways to Keep Your Seller Happy with You - 09/24/09 06:13 AM
What's the Number One Thing "they" say that homesellers complain about?
All together now...
Communication (or lack thereof) from their agent. And, having been on the other side of the For Sale sign a time or two, I can certainly second that emotion. But "communication" isn't just about calling every week to say "Hi, how're doin'?" No, it's also about keeping the seller informed on local market activity. On providing feedback from showings. On notifying him of new competing listings and recently closed sales. And, frankly, on making sure the seller knows exactly what his agent's been up to to … (17 comments)
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Even If They Don't Complain... Sellers Notice - 09/23/09 06:17 AM
If the brochure box is empty... they notice
If their brochures still show the original price after two reductions... they notice
If their agent hasn't done in an Open House in six months (or ever)... they notice
If no feedback cometh after showings... they notice
If there haven't been any showings in a month... they notice
If their Craigslist ad hasn't been refreshed... they notice
If their agent hasn't updated them on market activity... they notice
If their online photos are from two seasons ago... they notice
If the only time they hear from their agent is when he calls to ask … (22 comments)
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How to Decline the Monkey, Part III - 09/22/09 06:38 AM
First, allow me to apologize for dragging this Monkey Series* on too long. I really didn't intend to write more than one or two posts on it, but I just keep thinking of things to say! I was hoping this would be the last one, but I suspect it's not. Hang in there with me, k? I really AM trying to get to my point.
Yesterday, I wrote about CONTROL. Specifically, which issues of a real estate transaction (i.e. Monkeys) YOU control; which ones your CLIENT controls and which ones neither of you has any say over. My point in spelling … (14 comments)
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Declining the Monkey without Being Snotty about it - Part II - 09/21/09 07:14 AM
Pre-vacation, I wrote a "to be continued" blog about avoiding burnout by refusing to accept responsibility for stuff that isn't your responsibility, specifically in a real estate transaction. I promised to share some ideas for putting this philosophy into place that don't alienate the other party, who in all likelihood isn't trying to be difficult. And could end up being a fantastic client with a workable deal.
The first trick to respectfully declining your clients' monkeys is to know which monkeys are appropriate to decline. And which are rightfully yours to carry. Yes, when our clients hire us, they have a … (44 comments)
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Marketing - Does the End Justify the Means? - 09/19/09 08:38 AM
I just got back from a cruise to the Bahamas. I'm very tan.
Even though I was sternly warned that I would not work on vacation, I couldn't help but notice all sorts of analogies between my cruising experience and the wonderful world of real estate sales. Ahhh, the curse of the obsessive blogger. You know what I mean.
Anyway, now that I'm back, I'll share some of ‘em with you.
A few weeks ago, I was following a conversation on another real estate forum about call-capture. Whether or not to do it. Whether or not it annoys people who … (35 comments)
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Pipeline 2010: The Very BEST Way to Fill Up Your Pipeline - 09/15/09 06:02 AM
Thanks for joining me for this little series on what you can do TODAY to ensure a Happy Next Year! The final installment is my favorite one - The Very BEST Way to Fill Up Your Pipeline.
Any guesses as to what it might be?
Below is a blog I wrote on the subject sometime last year, so in the interest of getting to my vacation (woo hoo!) I'm re-posting it here. However, first, a word from our sponsor.
The Pipeline 2010 series was included in the 2009 Summer of Soul teleseminar program which just finished up at the end of … (17 comments)
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Secrets of First Year Survivors... The Real Estate Rookie-to-Rookie Show - 09/13/09 06:16 AM
Quick announcement before I head to waters bluer (Bahamas, here I come!)...
On Saturday morning, October 10th, I'm hosting a teleseminar with four newly NON-rookie real estate agents in their 2nd & 3rd years, who obviously did NOT become first-year statistics. They're doing quite well, thank you very much, even though they started their careers at a really lousy time.
The show will be structured as a panel discussion, with each guest honestly answering a series of questions about his or her rookie year (actually, they all happen to be female this round). They'll tell us what prospecting strategies worked... and which didn't. … (13 comments)
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PIPELINE 2010 - Nurturing Your Relationships TODAY for Business Tomorrow - 09/12/09 06:23 AM
You didn't think I'd forget about your Sphere of Influence (SOI) in my Pipeline 2010 series didja'? Of course not...
If you've followed my blog at all, you might have noticed that I'm a big fan of an SOI business model, as long as it doesn't include any begging, bribing or pestering those Very Important People Who Know You. At last count, I've written over 200 blogs & articles on the subject and there are three whole chapters in my upcoming book on it. It's my thang.
So, what can you do with your Sphere of Influence TODAY to fill your … (13 comments)
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AVOID BURNOUT! Stop Taking Responsibility For Stuff That's Not Your Responsibility to Take! - 09/11/09 07:30 AM
The other day I had a three-way conversation with two agents who are in the middle of career crises. Both are trying to decide whether to stay or go, interestingly, for opposite reasons. AgentFriend1 has too much business and is burning out and AgentFriend2, well, doesn't. Have too much business, that is. And she's burning out, too.
We talked about burnout and both agents confessed that they become deeply involved in their clients' personal situations and get sucked into the emotional drama of it all. Which isn't uncommon in our business; after all, we ARE deeply involved in the whole … (51 comments)
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Pipeline 2010 - Becoming a Market Master - Here's how... - 09/10/09 05:53 AM
Yesterday I promised to share some ideas to become a Master of Your Market so you can capture more of that business that crosses your path in your day-to-day wanderings!
First, if it's customary to "preview" in your market, do that. A lot. (If previewing IS customary in your market, you might be surprised to hear that it's frowned on or flat out not allowed in some! If that's the case in your market, you might want to move;-])
I advise all new agents to spend some serious quality time previewing in their first few months. By "serious," I mean every … (57 comments)
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Attracting Real Estate Business by Mastering Your Market - 09/09/09 06:10 AM
Picking up from yesterday's installment of things you can do TODAY to ensure a Happy Next Year, today's topic is how becoming a Master of Your Market can get you business.
First, what does being a "Master of your Market" mean? To me it means that if someone tells me where they live, I get a mental image of their neighborhood or subdivision or condo building. I don't necessarily know how big their house is or what year it was built, but I can probably guess within a decade or two, and I have a general sense of the overall ambience, what … (60 comments)
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Pipeline 2010 - Blogging Today for Business Tomorrow - 09/08/09 05:27 AM
Baaaad Jennifer.
A few weeks ago, I threatened to write a series of blogs entitled "Pipeline 2010" where I'd share some thoughts on what you could (and should) be doing today to ensure a Happy Next Year. And then I totally dropped the ball. I got distracted and left y'all hanging. I hope you weren't holding your breath.
Anyway, the first topic I'd like to discuss is blogging. Since you're HERE, on real estate's greatest blogging site, I'll assume that you know what blogging is and why you might want to do it. If it's working for you, then you probably don't need … (25 comments)
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Ten Tips to Being a Good Refer-ee (that is - one who receives referrals from other real estate agents) - 09/04/09 08:10 AM
I've been doing a lot of referring these days. Both of my own leads to other Denver-area agents, and also coordinating agent-to-agent referrals around the country (see below if you wanna play, too!).
I'm seeing some distinct differences in how my referrals are handled by the refer-ee, and I tell ya, the ones who handle them better are far more likely to see more from me than those who don't!
Remember that the refering agent probably has some concerns about you. He's worried that you'll forget you owe him a referral fee. That you'll make him look bad by treating the client … (15 comments)
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WHY Don't We Care About Training for Rookie Real Estate Agents? Seriously, I'm asking! - 09/03/09 06:52 AM
From time to time I post a blog about the abysmal state of rookie real estate training in America.
Here's one - Just What a Rookie Real Estate Agent Needs: CHARM School! Here's another. "Good for you, Let me know if you need anything" And another. New Real Estate Agents - Put DOWN that Phone! Do I have an agenda? Eh, maybe. Yeah, I sell books about real estate training and I even have boot-camp type program specifically for rookies, but that alone doesn't inspire the contempt, yes, contempt I have for the real estate training industry.
I'm disgusted by the … (26 comments)
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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Wonder What Lawsuit Inspired This Warning? - 09/02/09 06:48 AM
… (20 comments)
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