I am privileged to have been chosen by The Oklahoma Association of REALTORS® to teach a three hour real estate class at the annual statewide conference. Much of it is devoted to how we connect in the modern world of the Internet with potential clients and the communication that is necessary to make an online connection into a personal connection. I thought I would share with you a couple of the essentials before you even get started marketing on the web, because it is not so much about being an expert on marketing versus being a market expert.
I think the first requirement before you start has to do with values. What do you stand for? If it is not about integrity, honesty, knowledge, and expertise all the marketing in the world will be empty of meaning and purpose. This is something that should never change, and when combined with empathy for the clients we serve, good decisions that benefit the client will happen.
Second, if we are value based then we should only associate with groups that are also value based. That may sound strange but I have multiple designations and I am surprised that often it is about technique first, and commissions second. One of the reasons I am involved with CDPE is because it is a value based group that believes the reason we put in three times the work as a normal sale is that giving homeowners a dignified solution to a hardship that could cause a foreclosure is doing work that has nothing to do with the size of the check. They truly care. I work with Dave Ramsey clients for the same reason, and I run a team of REALTORS® that believe in what they are doing and putting the client first.
Third, declare a specialty and learn everything there is to know about it. Personally, I have worked with investors fore the last 17 years as my first area of maximum expertise, and I have never stopped learning. I am off to a three day seminar at the end of the month in Austin on investing. The rules constantly change. I have also gotten up to speed on short sales since my partner has specialized in this for the last six years. It would be impossible to say that we know too much because there is always more to learn. In short sales especially this is crucial. Yhe national average for successful short sales by REALTORS® is 15%. Ours is 90%. We have made a lot of families happy.
Finally, we should always do exceptional service whether it is acknowledged or not. I believe that a great transaction is when one year after a closing, my client can look back on that anniversary and remember that the details were handled with care and the closing experience was a celebration rather than a relief from negativity throughout. This is why as self employed people with no gguaranty of a paycheck we should do our work. So tomorrow as I go through Facebook, Twitter, blogs and the like, the first order of business is to be introspective and to ask ourselves who we are and what we stand for. As potential buyers and sellers of real estate you deserve no less.
If you are a homeowner having trouble making ends meet due to a hardship, please call us to discuss your options. We will do our best to help you with what is best for you and your family.
Originally blogged at www.avoidforeclosureoklahoma.com
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