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"Makeover2Takeover" Week One Challenge

By
Real Estate Technology with ActiveRain

Let the Games Begin!

Today marks the official start of our 'Makeover2Takeover' Team Contest Event.

To follow all the weekly 'Happenings,' be sure to the join the 'Makeover2Takeover Group.

The field of 16 Teams, comprised of both seasoned Real Estate veterans (Mentors) and their eager Apprentices, will face weekly elimination challenges leading up to the 2008 Inman SF Connect, where only 3 Teams will remain, and the Last Team standing will be crowned the Winner!

It's only been a few days since the list of official Teams were made public, but the fun-spirited boasting and competitive 'taunting' has already begun in earnest. No doubt, the competition promises to be extremely intense and highly entertaining! Top Chef, pack your Knives, because here comes the "Makeover2Takeover" Teams!

 

~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~

WEEK ONE CHALLENGE

 

One of the most basic and fundamental elements/tools of a highly successful real estate professional is a database. A well organized and consistently updated database serves to focus our energies, determine our daily tasks, and provide measurable results. Some refer to their database as the SOI (Sphere of Influence), but most see their database as incorporating much, much, more. A good database can make or break your business. It stops you from always being re-active, and instead, makes you pro-active.

It's up to each individual Team to determine how they will organize, categorize, and implement their database. A big part of this competition is for the Mentors/Apprentices to think outside the proverbial box, be resourceful, and creative. We will allow the Teams to determine the full depth and scope of their database.

One good piece of advice in creating your database is to "Begin with the End in Mind." Where will this database, and its implementation take you. Where will you ultimately arrive? What will your life/business look like? And remember, keep your own unique market in mind as you create/organize/implement your database. Who are you reaching now, who do you want to target for the future? How will you do this? You have past and current clients. How do you keep track of them? How do you build them into a referral network?

 

THE WEEK ONE CHALLENGE WILL REQUIRE OUR TEAMS TO SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING:

 

1. Identify/select a database program/software/platform along with a brief explanation why it was selected.

2. Write a typed 2-page thesis (double-spaced) on the value (why) of an agent database and how you plan to utilize it. Be sure to include any research references.

3. Provide an outline of the various fields/channels/categories/events/goals/tasks/that your database will contain. What kind of contacts will you input? What specific information about each contact will you include?

4. Submit a single page copy of one of your database entries.

All assignments/documentation shall be scanned & converted to .pdf file format, and e-mailed to rich@activerain.com

Any problems, issues, or questions, please contact Rich by e-mail or phone at 360.440.4758.

 

(Food for Thought: Do you Farm? Do you market to a very narrow, specialize niche market? How do you 'touch' them regularly?)

(Word to the Wise: Teams are encouraged to continue working on their databases throughout the competition)

(Stay Out of Jail:  Just a reminder, all work and effort must be performed completely by the respective Team members only. Also remember, the fruit of your labor and your positive attitudes will serve as a shining inspiration to those who would follow in your footsteps!)

CLARIFICATION:  The Teams will only turn in the required assignments/documentation for the Apprentice ONLY. The Weekly Challenges, while performed by both Mentors & Apprentices collectively, only need to be submitted as they apply to the Apprentice.

The Week One Challenge is due by 3PM (PST) Sunday May 25th. The Teams that will move onto the next Round, as well as the Team who has been eliminated, will be announced at Noon, Monday May 26th (PST) by vLog on the AR Official Blog.

 

~ Best of Luck to all the Teams! ~

 

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Faina Sechzer
Henderson-Sotheby's International Realty - Princeton, NJ
Real Estate Expert - Princeton, Montgomery ,Hopewell, NJ

Rich -Would you publish all the submissions? This way we could learn from each of the teams. There may be a lot of people following on parallel tracks:)

May 19, 2008 11:59 AM
John Novak
Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV
Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate

English was not one of my favorite subjects, so "a typed 2-page thesis" scares me a little. Now databases, there's a great topic, and an excellent place to begin this competition. Until you have more leads than you can handle, lead generation and building a database should be your main focus.

May 19, 2008 01:08 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

I too would like to see the submissions.  It would be informative for those not in the contest (and transparent...) to see how they are stacking up. 

May 19, 2008 01:09 PM
Alan Robinson
PTE REAL ESTATE GROUP - Phoenix, AZ

really great challenge!

May 19, 2008 01:26 PM
Melissa Grant
A Serendipity World - Greenbackville, VA
The Law of Attraction In Life & Business

I love Bob's idea...a briefcase...

May 19, 2008 01:26 PM
Ann Cummings
RE/MAX Shoreline - NH and Maine - Portsmouth, NH
Portsmouth NH Real Estate Preferrable Agent

Great way to start - your database is the very basic of what each of us should have.  interestingly enough, I've been working on tweeking mine and weeding names out that need to be gone.

Good luck to everyone participating!
Ann

May 19, 2008 01:28 PM
Laurie Mindnich
Centennial, CO

I'm really looking forward to this, and will be watching closely- good luck to the teams.

May 19, 2008 01:36 PM
Cyndee Haydon
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
727-710-8035 Clearwater, Beach Short Sales Luxury Condos &Homes

OMG what a challenge - Can't wait to see what all the teams come up with - can't imagine completing this in one week - pull out the no-doz - lol you are all going to be BUSY!!!

May 19, 2008 01:43 PM
Rick & Ines - Miami Beach Real Estate
Majestic Properties - Miami Beach, FL

I'm still laughing at Bryant's comment because I felt the same way "HOMEWORK"!!! OuCH!!  We will all certainly learn from this.

May 19, 2008 02:51 PM
Karen Luke
South Metro Property Management, LLC - McDonough, GA
Henry County Real Estate

Great day in the morning. I'd better brush up.

May 19, 2008 02:52 PM
Terry & Bonnie Westbrook
Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI
Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

good advice for any one starting out. I paid an agent for his 30 year old database last year and it has paid me back 10 fold in the first year and I expect to get referrals for the next few years and some new clients for life.

May 19, 2008 03:48 PM
Rich Jacobson
Fathom Realty West Sound - Poulsbo, WA
Your Kitsap County WA Real Estate Broker

Faina and Lane: Yes, that's the plan at this point - put the submission out into the pubic domain. We'll see how things develop!

May 19, 2008 06:36 PM
Diane Aurit
LKN Realty, LLC - Mooresville, NC
Lake Norman Real Estate

Still mulling over and dusting off the cobwebs from college.  So many ways to go with this!

May 20, 2008 12:49 AM
Misty Thomas
Houston Realty - Crosby, TX
Realtor Crosby, TX

This is such a great challenge, not only for the teams competing but also for others following along (like me!). I think I am going to present this to my broker and see if our entire office would be interested in playing along, as a competition between us! I can't wait to hear everyones ideas!

May 20, 2008 10:45 PM
Iriana Shiyan
Artazum, LLC - Bellevue, WA
Atazum Seattle Real Estate Photography

great. I will do it for myself too. I send email-newsletters to my email database every 2 weeks with a link to my blog.

May 21, 2008 06:58 AM
Jeremy Blanton
Myrtle Beach Homes Blog - Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach REALTOR®- myrtlebeachhomesblog.com

Good Luck Everybody!!!

May 22, 2008 08:37 AM
Doreen McPherson
Homesmart ~ Scottsdale ~ Tempe - Tempe, AZ
Phoenix Arizona Real Estate ~

Maybe I need to get in this game too.  Now I have a weeks worth of catching up to do...  can I skip the thesis part?  ;)

May 25, 2008 05:15 PM
Natalie Langford
Realty Negotiations - Winchester, VA
Winchester, VA Real Estate

Brilliant piece, here.  I won't pretend to have the perfect data base.  As a matter of fact, I need to merge 3 sources into 1. 

I think I'm slowly beginning to see how this contest works.  Good luck everyone!  Congrats to the Wood Caulk team!

May 26, 2008 09:21 AM
Anonymous
Mary M Novak

I always knew the backbone of any sales position was the database.  The database helps you stay in touch and keeps you up to date with your different level of clients. When I became a realtor, the first thing I invested in a real estate database and it continues to pay for itself over and over!

I would like to see a challange on how real estate agents manage the listings & sellers once there is a purchase agreement contract in place.  This is where I lose my organizational skills...especially when you have 5 deals going at once.  What do agents use to keep them on track and make sure nothing falls thru until closing?

May 27, 2008 12:01 AM
#51
Carolina Zepeda - REALTOR® Houston Texas Real Estate - www.carolinazepeda.com
Champions Real Estate Group - Cypress, TX

This is a great challenge #1, the database is the foundation of our business!

Jun 25, 2008 04:23 PM