the lones group: Branding Your Business Voice
- 07/13/18 11:24 AM
Branding Your Business Voice
A brand is a visual expression of who you are, what you offer, and what your clients can expect from you. It is a blueprint of your client experience. It will season conversations about you and your company, and it must be an authentic representation of who you are. Your brand can instantly communicate what you stand for, the value your offer, and how you are different from your competition.
I get excited when I see agents embracing brand development because the power of a good brand is limitless. On some level, agents know their … (5 comments)
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the lones group: The Right Way to Move Brokerages
- 06/29/18 10:31 AM
The Right Way to Move Brokerages
There isn't a week that goes by that one of my clients doesn't email me to ask for a call to discuss moving brokerages. Real estate brokers are always intrigued when a new company comes to town or they hear about a colleague that recently moved.
Is the grass really greener at another brokerage or is the grass greenest where you water it? That is an expression that I have always lived my life by, both personally and professionally. When things seem too good to be true, they probably are. When your business or personal … (4 comments)
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the lones group: It Could Happen To Anyone
- 06/22/18 01:17 PM
It Could Happen To Anyone
It happened to me and was life changing.
The recent report about the broker in Snohomish County, Washington who was assaulted at an open house brought me back 20 years when I too was assaulted at an open house. Although this is difficult to share and I am sure difficult to read, I would be remiss in not sharing my experience with my readers in the hopes of bringing more awareness to the issue. I don't usually talk about the event as it still makes me anxious just thinking about it. However, for the … (4 comments)
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the lones group: Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should
- 06/15/18 04:56 PM
Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should
Most real estate brokers that I know got into the business because they love helping people. They are servant people at heart and really want to take great care of their clients.
However, the challenge that many brokers face is that they often find themselves between a rock and a hard place when a seller or buyer asks them to do something they really shouldn't be doing. On one hand they want to please their clients and take care of the issue because that is what they do best but on … (5 comments)
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the lones group: How to Be Still in a Real Estate Storm
- 06/08/18 01:45 PM
How to Be Still in a Real Estate Storm
Real estate brokers are always busy and on the go. They often move at a very fast pace and have to make quick decisions when trying to solve problems for clients. The challenge with this is that quick decisions aren't always necessarily the best decisions. Just because somebody asks you to solve a problem or answer a difficult question doesn't mean you have to do it on demand.
One of the most powerful things a broker can do in this situation is to slow down and be still.
Often the … (6 comments)
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the lones group: Why Not NOW?
- 05/31/18 05:44 PM
Why Not NOW?
The #1 enemy of most real estate brokers today is procrastination.
While most real estate brokers do not lack creativity, customer service or drive, many of them do lack the ability to get things done. This is not just specific to real estate brokers. Almost every professional in every field suffers from some level of procrastination.
I'm not referring to the type of procrastination where you put off a task until tomorrow that should be done today. I am talking about the kind of procrastination that limits your ability to start and complete critical business-building systems.
… (20 comments)
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the lones group: Is It Time to Take a Distraction Diet?
- 05/25/18 05:01 PM
Is It Time to Take a Distraction Diet?
Are you feeling lethargic? Pulled in too many directions? Are you unable to complete the tasks you used to handle easily? Feeling weighed down and uninspired? Lacking energy and focus? If so, it may be time for what I call the distraction diet!
I work with real estate agents with varied backgrounds, and varied businesses, in various parts of the country. But here's what I can tell you most of them have in common: a problem managing distractions.
If you compare your business to the human body, you know that the … (11 comments)
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the lones group: 5 Ways to Wow Your Out-of-Town Buyer
- 05/18/18 10:00 AM
5 Ways to Wow Your Out-of-Town Buyer
Imagine you had the opportunity to live in another city, a place that you have visited a few times but have never actually lived in. You may have friends or family members that have given you rave reviews about the area but now you must begin the process of researching and finding a place to live in this new city. Where do you begin your search and what is the best way to go about this monumental task?
That is exactly what your out-of-town buyers face when they are going to relocate. … (23 comments)
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the lones group: Get Your Business Out of Cruise Control
- 05/11/18 09:02 AM
Get Your Business Out of Cruise Control
The market has changed dramatically over the past couple of years. Not long ago, agents were complaining that they were overwhelmed by a lack of business caused by the severe housing collapse we experienced. We went from that market to a market where multiple offers are now the norm. In some cases, it's not uncommon to hear about homes that are getting 15 to 20 offers. This has caused both buyer fatigue AND agent fatigue. You spend hours trying to help your clients find a home only to have them lose it … (5 comments)
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the lones group: Many Buyers Not Able to Jump Into the Buying Pool
- 05/04/18 01:09 PM
Many Buyers Not Able to Jump Into the Buying Pool
Sellers all over the country and especially the Pacific Northwest are excited about the sudden and constant rise in house prices. This is extremely beneficial to sellers who back in 2009 wondered if they would ever be able to recoup the losses they had on their homes.
Those losses have turned into strong gains but even stronger pain for buyers. The challenge is that many buyers have now been priced out of the original market they wanted to buy in. That doesn't mean there aren't excellent opportunities out there … (0 comments)
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the lones group: Making Friends with Math
- 04/27/18 03:51 PM
Making Friends with Math
I want you to remember when you went to real estate school and learned how to be an agent. It might have been a long time ago; it might have been just a few weeks ago. In order to get your license you had to do some fairly grueling math. How did you do? I'll bet a lot of you had to spend some time refreshing your math skills!
I have found that after most agents get their license, they forget all about math again, even basic math. Yet, here's what I know. Math is … (21 comments)
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the lones group: Goal Check!
- 04/20/18 09:46 AM
Goal Check!
It is hockey playoffs! Hey, I am from Canada. What do you expect? This is a great time to talk about goals and checking!
Really though, I am talking about the goals that you started 2018 with and checking-in with how you are doing. We are, after all, moving our way through the second quarter - or is this the second period of our annual game plan?
If you are like many agents, caught up in the harried pace of the hot market and all the challenges that our buyers and sellers are facing, you may not … (5 comments)
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the lones group: Are Your Hands Full?
- 04/13/18 09:04 AM
Are Your Hands Full?
I want you to imagine you are out with your family at a picnic. You come across a large meadow full of blackberry bushes that are full of ripe juicy lush blackberries. You start to pick them and realize after a few minutes that your hands are full and you have nowhere to put any more blackberries. You didn't plan on finding blackberries and you weren't prepared to be storing them. Unfortunately, you only have two hands and you are now tapped out.
You weren't prepared for this "event" and you didn't have the right … (12 comments)
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the lones group: Days-On-Market: A Critical Market Measurement
- 04/09/18 04:33 PM
Days-On-Market: A Critical Market Measurement
When agents ask me how the market is I always answer with, "It depends." There is no such thing as one general market. Markets change by price point, by area, by neighborhood, and by home style.
While the media has been guilty of making sweeping statements that the market is either a strong buyers' or sellers' market these statements are not completely accurate. Are they saying that the supply and demand for $200,000 homes are the same as $5 million homes? Does the supply of sprawling ranches in a county match the supply of … (2 comments)
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the lones group: Seattle Landlord Victory: First-Come, First-Served Law Struck Down
- 03/30/18 11:18 AM
Seattle Landlord Victory: First-Come, First-Served Law Struck Down
I am pleased to announce that King County Superior Court Judge Susanne Parisien has struck down the first-come, first-served law adopted by Seattle City Council in 2016. The ruling means Seattle must immediately stop enforcing the law adopted by City Council as it has been found to violate the state constitution.
The law required landlords to choose among qualified applicants based on a first-come, first served basis, meaning that the landlord needed to choose the first applicant who met the landlord-set criteria rather than choosing the best applicant that met the … (1 comments)
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the lones group: Stop Sending Out Stupid Mailers with Stupid Content
- 03/23/18 08:58 AM
Stop Sending Out Stupid Mailers with Stupid Content
First, I must confess that I too at one time in my early real estate career sent out a stupid mailer with stupid content; but it only happened once. My company had sent all of us agents to a seminar on making money in real estate utilizing mailers. I was very excited to go and along with many others sat and listened to a mailing guru talk about the power of mail.
At the end of the seminar our company gave all of us one free mailer that we could send … (41 comments)
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the lones group: The Life Cycle of a Real Estate Client: What You Need to Know!
- 03/16/18 08:55 AM
The Life Cycle of a Real Estate Client: What You Need to Know!
People ask me all the time what exactly real estate agents do besides show homes and put homes on the MLS for sale. That is such a broad subject that I often laugh when I get asked that question. Real estate agents are not just sales people; they are business owners, marketers, social media experts, advertising experts, negotiators and communication experts. The list goes on and on and is too long for this article.
At the core real estate is a very competitive and skill testing … (5 comments)
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the lones group: Why Winging It Isn't Cutting It Anymore!
- 03/09/18 12:59 PM
Why Winging It Isn't Cutting It Anymore!
I have worked with hundreds of agents who all have their own style, their own personality and their own unique way of doing things. This is exactly what makes our real estate industry so special, we have a melting pot of diverse and interesting agents.
Many of these agents have a very specific set way of operating their business while others pride themselves on being able to "wing it" at presentations with clients. And while I am all for being able to think fast on your feet and communicate without effort there … (14 comments)
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the lones group: Finding Success Your Way! (Part 2)
- 03/02/18 09:51 AM
Finding Success Your Way! (Part 2)
Last week I discussed the top 5 of 10 common denominators that successful real estate agents possess. This week I am unveiling my remaining list of essential elements that a successful real estate agent needs to be utilizing in their business.
Don't forget the key is to find your fit and create YOUR FORMULA FOR SUCCESS. What might work for another agent in your office could be the very worst thing for you to be doing. Trust your gut but mostly analyze your results. If what you do is not getting you to … (3 comments)
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the lones group: Finding Success Your Way!
- 02/23/18 09:23 AM
Finding Success Your Way!
I have never met two real estate agents that run their business exactly the same way. Each has their own personality, their own style and their own way of connecting with clients.
I am often asked if there is one perfect formula for building a real estate business. I would like to be able to say, "Yes, there is this one perfect formula, just follow it and you will be successful." However, it is not that simple because agents are so unique. What works for one doesn't work for another. What one agent finds easy to … (0 comments)
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