How Committed Are You? - 11/28/07 03:01 PM
As I think about the different choices we make and how we decide what fork to take on the road of life, 'The Road Less Traveled" keeps popping up in my mind.  I can't seem to shake this title.  As I thought about the meaning behind these words, I began to reflect on my life. 
I thought of how life is full of so many choices and opportunities and how we hold the key to each door that we choose to open.  I thought back to the decisions that I made, and those that I didn't.  As I write this, I think … (43 comments)

Want to get more business? Be Memorable!! - 11/28/07 11:11 AM
 
The #1 way to Increase your business it to be a memory point for people! 
Do you talk like everyone else, very matter-of-fact..dut dut dut dut...hum-drum.
Are you just the facts and stats...blah?  Business First mean Boring First.
Or
Are you different?
Do people usually tell you that they enjoy your company?  Do they tell you that they like you?
That is good! 
People make decisions on Emotions NOT Logic!!!
Speak to what people enjoy, talk about them (NOT YOU). Nobody cares about your stories!
Make your presentation all geared around your buyer (client). Find out their hot buttons, listen for details.  Be Different.
Buying and Selling a Home should … (4 comments)

What is the deal with the Agent / Loan Officer combo.....What? - 11/28/07 09:52 AM
Alright.  Don't get me wrong, I am all about maximizing your ability and increasing your opportunity to generate income, but what is the deal with the Real Estate Agent that is also a Loan Officer?
I have run into this many times over the last several years as a Home Builder and it is very confusing each time. 
To me, it seems that you would want to maximize your skills as EITHER a Real Estate Agent OR a Loan Officer, but not both.  I can't imagine being able to provide the best and most objective value to a home buyer if you are trying to … (4 comments)

Agent Bonuses Bad......Confused, I want the real story! - 11/27/07 01:41 PM
 
There is a featured post today about Real Estate Agents possibly showing homes that supply a bonusmore than a home that does not.  I read through all the comments (43 at this blog entry), and the overwhelming consensus is that agent bonuses are frowned upon by Realtors.
This leads me to my question and PLEASE nobody take this the wrong way, but are these the true feelings being represented or just something that sounds like the right thing to say, or are only the agents that dislike bonuses making the comments?
In the DFW market, I have been involved in the sale of hundreds of … (17 comments)

I'm in the Rejection Business........and Loving it! - 11/26/07 08:37 PM
 
I just noticed a similar type post about being in the Rejection Business as I was typing this up.  Kind of funny!
I just took the below excerpt from my book.  I started doing this early in my career for motivation to keep making the calls.  Hope this helps!!
Allow yourself a block of time each day to make all of your prospect phone calls. Don't schedule anything else during this time frame. You will need to be focused and energetic during your phone calls. If you are smiling while you are talking, your prospects will feel the energy.
Conversely, if you are fatigued … (20 comments)

Want More Referrals..............Take Care of Your Current Buyers - 11/25/07 08:52 PM
 
Take advantage of your happy customers.
Allow them to help you gain more sales.
Do you keep in contact with your buyers after they move into their home? Average producers have no more contact with their buyers after they close. They receive their commission check, heave a sigh of relief that they closed, and are content to move to the next prospect.
What a waste of time.
After investing anywhere from two weeks to eight months with a happy buyer, to let them simply disappear into the sunset is wasting a valuable resource. It is basically like flushing money down the toilet.
Have you … (10 comments)

Before you sign on the dotted line.... - 11/25/07 10:35 AM
Warranty Process Before it is time to sign the closing papers and be handed the keys to your new home, it is important to have a firm understanding of the Warranty Process provided by the home builder.  Have them provide you a detailed description of the Warranty Process in terms of how long (years) certain aspects of the home are covered.
Some Industry Standards amongst New Home Builders is this:
1-Year Workmanship and Materials  (This includes Most Aspects of the Home)2-Years, Delivery Systems  (Plumbing Systems, Electrical Systems, Heating and Air Conditioning Systems) 10-Years, Major Structural Components (Foundation and Framing)All Builders do not have … (0 comments)

What would you be doing if................... - 11/24/07 10:19 AM
 
What would you be doing if you were told this was your last year to live?
Would you continue to wake up as you do now and go about your daily business in hopes that the outcome would change?
Would you go into a shell and hide?
Or would you start doing today what you have always dreamed of?
Do you have a Dream or a Goal that you keep tucked in the back of your mind.  A goal that scares you just a little bit when you think about it for too long.  Something that you want so bad that you can visualize yourself … (24 comments)

Do You Have Too Much Pride? - 11/23/07 12:28 PM
Pride is a funny thing.  It is both positive and negative, motivating and de-motivating. 
The trick is the ability to have pride but not to be full of pride.
Pride is that little twinge you get when you're  in a conversation, but have to get the last word in.  It is that little voice that tells you that your are not wrong.  It is that feeling of entitlement, whether it is valid or not.
Pride is also that motivating voice that will not allow you to fail.  It pushes you to win while faced with a challenge, and it protects your ego from … (4 comments)

TOP TEN Questions Buyers Should Ask YOU, the Real Estate Guru! - 11/21/07 10:58 AM
 
 TOP TEN Questions Buyers Should Ask YOU, the Real Estate Guru!
What is your follow-up system after I purchase?  Do you really do it? How quickly do you respond with answers to my questions? Do you listen to my needs? Are you positive or negative? Do you have a good relationship with your Company? Are you easy to reach when I need you? How soon do you return phone calls and emails? Are you knowledgeable about financing, staging, inspecting...or do I need others to help me? Do the majority of your other clients seem to like you? Are you Enthusiastic about your job and do you smile?Some of these are not really asked, but they are being observed!  Before Buyers … (6 comments)

Keep Your Eye On The Prize - 11/20/07 08:53 PM
The most difficult aspect of reaching your goals and dreams is the ability to stay the course.  The terms goal and goal achievement are tossed around in today's world in such a simplistic way that achievement and success should be simple, right?  There are scores of books written and published each year telling you that if you make goals you will be successful. 
While that statement is a fact, all too often there is one key word always left out of the equation to goal and dream achievement. 
Focus. 
Webster's dictionary defines focus as the concentration of attention or energy on … (0 comments)

A Real Estate Book That Will Help You - 11/20/07 11:40 AM
I am new here with Active Rain and discovered that it is a very informative site.  The best I have seen actually.
I'm one of those people that can never seem to get enough information and new ideas.  Having said that, it is difficult to find good practical, easy to read books, that actually show you how to improve. 
Attending seminars has become a part of my regular routine from Tom Hopkins, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, I have seen everyone.  Many of them several times.
Over the years I have spent time learning Real Estate from buying, selling, and investing through the tools I have … (7 comments)

"Helping Others" around the Holidays - 11/20/07 10:36 AM
As I was getting my daughter ready this morning to go to school..."Mommy's Day out." She is not yet 3 years old.  Something came up that I was curious about.
They are having their School version of Thanksgiving today, since they attend only Tuesday's and Thursdays.  The school / church requested canned goods for their canned goods drive. 
I'm sure I have thought of this before, but I don't recall.  Why is it that there seems to only be canned good drives, present offerings, Angel Tree donations, or you name it...around the Holidays?
What do the folks that need these items do the … (4 comments)

What is The Ideal You? - 11/19/07 08:30 PM
In our innermost unconscious thoughts, we view ourselves in an almost unattainable light.  Our Self-ideal is basically the part of our self-image that holds are dreams, hopes, life vision, values, and all traits that we believe we should have.
Our ideal self-concept is basically the life struggle that tangles many of us in a spider web of conflict.  Many view it as a non-reachable plateau that we can never reach.  In essence, it is the perfect you.
I am going to dispel this thought, or at least minimize it.
All of us have been in a situation where perhaps you acted in such a … (3 comments)

Are YOU the Star of Your Own Movie? - 11/19/07 08:42 AM
Have you ever noticed that when people answer their cell phones in public, their voice suddenly raises several octaves? 
Why do people feel the need to talk as though they are stuck in a wind tunnel and the only way to give the listener the most valuable of all information is to talk so loud as if their life depends on it?
This is something that has always confused me.  It never fails, as soon as you walk into a store or a restaurant, someone will get a phone call and go from a normal inside talking voice to that of an … (0 comments)

What ever happened to Opening Doors for other people? - 11/18/07 08:33 PM
I can't tell you how many times I have walked into a store or restaurant behind another person, only to have the door close on me before I can grab it.  It is amazing what a lost art the opening of a door for another person is.
It's as if everyone is in such a hurry these days that they cannot slow down for 15 seconds to either open a door or hold open a door.  Next time you go anywhere that involves a door, start to notice how many "holders" that you encounter and how many "shutters" that you see.
I bet … (7 comments)

Question for Realtors...Please Help! - 11/16/07 09:26 AM
How do you like to be marketed to?
When a home builder sales person desires to gain a strong relationship with you, what is your preferred method?
I have worked for some large home building companies and I always see the sales people taking in stacks of spec flyers and stuffing them in mailboxes.  I confess, I have done this too, several years back when I was new in the business, but I contend that it does not work.
I am however, very interested in knowing what does work and how to better build the relationship.
This is my plan.  I send out a monthly … (10 comments)

Goals Are For Leaders - 11/15/07 09:22 PM
 
Goals are tools that help define what you are striving for.  They are always on our mind and they keep us walking on the path that we have chosen.  In times of confusion and chaos, goals hold us steady. We are all bombarded with people saying we need to make goals, guess what?  They are right.  Creating clear goals that have been well thought out with specifics and timeframes are very important to your success.  After all, if you don't have goals, what are you striving for?
There are many types of goals, both personal and professional.  Having a good goal structure … (2 comments)

What is Your Motivation? - 11/15/07 08:27 AM
About a month ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a "Get Motivated" seminar.  It was a huge event that took place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.  For those not familiar with this arena, it is the home of the Dallas Mavericks Basketball team and it seats approx 20,000 people.
The reason I bring this up, is because it was sold out.  Every seat was occupied including additional seating added on the floor level. 
I thought it was great.  To me, that says there is a large segment of the population that desires for something more than what they currently … (10 comments)

Marketing to other Real Estate Professionals - 11/14/07 11:13 AM
A great way to increase your sales and income, is to ask for help from other Real Estate Professionals. If you are a Sales Consultant for a Home Builder, it is imperative that you become business partners with a few different Real Estate Agents. What I mean by business partners, is essentially to work in cohesion with one another so that all three parties benefit. That means you, the Real Estate Agent, and the buyer. The goal is to create a win-win-win situation.
I cannot stress enough, how important it is for sales consultants to forge a relationship bond with Real Estate … (2 comments)

Qualifying Equals More Money.....and More Income! - 11/14/07 10:27 AM
In my experience in the Real Estate industry and the opinion of the top producers across virtually every business, the most important step in the sales process is Qualifying.
As it so happens, this is also the step that is most often either just glossed over or left out all together. There are many reasons for this, but the most common reason is feeling uncomfortable about asking the necessary questions to properly qualify a prospect. This uncomfortable feeling may stem from feeling that you have not earned the right to ask such personal questions. I can assure you, if you build rapport … (2 comments)

Handling the Objection - 11/13/07 06:00 PM
This is a continuing post from my previous post, "A Real Estate Professionals Best Friend....Objections?"
The key to effective objection handling is identifying the real problem, providing a solution, and then confirming that the solution solves the problem.
The steps are this:
• Cushion the objection
• Clarify the objection
• Repeat the objection
• Respond to the objection
• Confirm that the response handles the objection
This can be used in every instance. In my case, I once sold homes in a neighborhood that had a train that passed just in front of the entry to the community.  This was a source of many questions and inquiries of concern … (8 comments)

A Real Estate Professionals Best Friend......Objections? - 11/13/07 12:51 PM
One of the most difficult and uncomfortable parts of the home buying experience is when are clients and prospects make an objection or a statement that implies something is less then perfect. The toughest parts of objections are that they always seem to catch us off guard. It always seems as though everything is going well, and out of nowhere we get blindsided by a particular negative sounding comment that knocks the wind out of us.
When moments like this come up, do you ever feel like your brain freezes up and you cannot think of anything to say? Then it gets … (28 comments)

Believe in Yourself and Others WILL Follow - 11/13/07 08:25 AM
The very first step in creating success and reaching your full potential involves your impression of yourself.
That's right.
Forget about all the naysayers and Debbie Downer's in the world. The only opinion that matters is yours. When you look in the mirror what do you see?
A Future Millionaire?
A Leader at Work?
A Great Parent?
An Awesome Spouse?
Or do you even think about it? This may sound odd, but stare at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, "what am I?"
You need to be both comfortable and confidant in yourself to accomplish great things and reach your goals and dreams. When your looking in the … (3 comments)

The Road Less Traveled - 11/12/07 09:58 PM
As I think about the different choices we make and how we decide what fork to take on the road of life, "The Road Less Traveled" keeps popping up in my mind. I can't seem to shake this title. As I thought about the meaning behind these words, I began to reflect on my life.
I thought of how life is full of so many choices and opportunities and how we hold the key to each door that we choose to open. I thought back to the decisions that I made, and those that I didn't. As I write this, I think … (3 comments)

Do you Try to do things......or do you DO things? - 11/12/07 09:28 AM
One of the most common used words in the English language is "try." 
· You are going to "try" to get better grades in school. 
· You are going to "try" to sell more. 
· You are going to "try" to be a better parent. 
· You are going to "try" to learn more about whatever it is you want to learn. 
• You are going to "try" to make more money.  
Try used to have the connotation that you were going to really try.  Somehow though, "try" has turned into the most overused word that is really just a synonym for procrastination.  It has become such an overused and redundant … (10 comments)

Where Has Customer Service Gone? - 11/11/07 11:27 PM
As a New Home Sales Manager, I think I am curious by nature.  I enjoy meeting new people, especially other sales people.  I like seeing how people react in the first few moments of meeting someone new. 
Is it awkward?  
Is there a lot of silence?
Is the sales person prepared? 
Have they thought out a strategy in advance?
This past week, I decided to go around and talk to as many new home sales consultants that I could.  I have recently moved to a new location to sell homes and wanted to find out about my competition first hand.
To get true results … (1 comments)

Good News For Home Buying - 11/11/07 10:28 PM
It seems that everywhere that I turn these days, there is negative news regarding home buying, getting loans and everything else associated with the purchase of a new home otherwise known as the American Dream.
Each day I am asked by my prospective home buyers about the market and is it really that bad.  My response is always the same, "I have never met a single person that does not want to live in a brand new home."  In my market in the Alliance Corridor of the City of Fort Worth, it is not only the BEST place to buy a home … (0 comments)

How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income - 11/11/07 10:15 PM
I have recently completed the publishing process of what is going to be the leading book for new home sales professionals in teaching the correct way to sell more homes, titled, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income."
This is not a book about slimy techniques and manipulative tactics like most that currently exist.  Rather, my book is about how to sell more homes by providing value first to your customer, current home buyers, real estate partners and everyone else involved. 
My book outlines tools to improve listening, rapport building, how to ask questions that will get you the answers you … (2 comments)

 

Curt Fletcher, aka "The Likeability Guy"

Fort Worth, TX

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