Wade Webb, Author at Wade Webb Real Estate Coaching

How Do We Finish Our Year Stronger?

Wade Webb on September 4, 2024

I don’t know about you, but my summer seemed to just fly by, and I cannot believe it is September 2024. We are beginning the last quarter of the year, and for sales professionals, there are only two outcomes. Will you finish in the red, or in the black? Will you finish strong or miss your targets and goals?

Winning near the end of a game, quarter or year is a trait of all the best salespeople I’ve ever met. Closing out strong is primarily the effect of a consistent quarter; there are still a handful of things you can do to strike off checkboxes in the win column to finish Q3 and your 2024 strong.

1. Be Direct – There’s no substitute for being pleasantly persistent and respectfully blunt. Get out there and be straightforward. Acting and getting after it is a choice and work on the high-quality leads and not the low-quality leads.

Ask yourself, “If you were me, would you forecast this listing or buyer prospect to buy or sell this month or in the next 90 days?” Remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Being direct will help you get real with your buying and selling customers and align yourself with the true sales cycle. It might also enable you to pull out a quick win.

2. Be Effective – For more than two decades now, I have heard from thousands of top-producing agents, and almost 60% of their business comes from repeat and referral business. Focusing first on the people we already know, like and trust is working effectively and efficiently in this business.

If you don’t have enough people who know, like, and trust you, then get out there and “S.T.P. – See The People.” If you have a list of relationships in place that have not “felt the love,” then get out there and see them and find ways to add value to them. Give them a call, email, text, handwritten note, small gift or even a coffee and just watch and see what happens with your last quarter.

3. Be Face to Face – Sales is a contact sport, and we need to be belly to belly. Any one of us making a large buying decision needs to know that the person we deal with is someone we like and can trust. The only way we can sense if we like or trust someone is meeting them in person.

Commit to the final quarter on sales activities that are primarily face-to-face and belly-to-belly activities like Open houses, door-to-door, kiosk, networking, office duty, coffee, lunch, pop-by, volunteer, client appreciation events or conventions. This is a relationships business so get out there to create and deepen those relationships. We have automated our way out of people’s lives in real estate.

4. Stack-Rank Your Prospects – We will never be able to manufacture more time, but we can manufacture more focus. I recommend looking at your pipeline and grading each opportunity on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being “highly closeable by the end of the quarter.” Then, focus your closing efforts on the 3’s and 4’s ONLY. You don’t have time to waste.

If you don’t have enough 3 and 4 prospects in the funnel then act and increase your marketing plan and daily prospecting, lead generation with planned marketing, activities that bring the level 3 and 4 prospects into your pipeline to finish Q3 strong.

5. Purge Your Pipeline – Almost every sales pro has them. They’re those big opportunities in the pipeline you’ve been working for months. The one deal that constantly disrupts your focus or the need to act. The buyer or seller who is the time and energy vampire, but you let them suck the life out of you because you don’t have anyone else to work with.

Every time you think about punting them, you get a glimmer of hope from them. It’s time……Remove them!! They don’t deserve to be on your radar right now. Coming clean with yourself will open new vistas and invigorate you to add more productive opportunities to your pipeline.

6. Start Planning for Next Quarter – How much revenue do you plan to book next quarter? Exactly how many new deals do you need to earn that amount? Knowing exactly what you plan to earn acts like a magnet to attract business your way. Having this exact number also allows you to project your required activities into month one of the new quarters.

If you’re accurately measuring your deal metrics, you’ll be able to predict with some certainty how many calls, emails, appointments, presentations, or opportunities you’ll need to make it rain. Ask for a review by management. Knowing your numbers is one thing, but to positively affect the business, it’s equally vital to understand your “why”, purpose and goals and have someone hold you accountable to them.

Bonus Tips: What NOT to Do in the Last Quarter

1. Do Not Bring on Bad Fitting Clients Just to Make Your Numbers – Any client outside of your ideal customer profile will complicate servicing, produce a higher likelihood of churn or failure, and ultimately cost you more time and resources than it will be worth. Instead, focus on filling the pipeline with high quality leads for next quarter. It’s never too early to start filling the funnel.

2. Never Give Away More Than You’re Comfortable With – It’s just not worth it. You only have one reputation for your brand and offering; treat it respectfully. Concessions can quickly become a crutch that hides other issues. Sell on value, not on price. Don’t cut your commissions, offer cash backs or any other silly incentives.

The key to closing out your quarter strong is to keep up the momentum that got you to where you are now. If you’re struggling to meet your numbers, it’s a time to embrace new sales insights and start building effective rhythm. Take the last-minute shots on goal listed above but remember to always be thinking about the bigger picture: Your reputation is the product of your past actions. Sales that allow you to produce predictable revenue are the future. Finish the last quarter and your year strong. I dare you!!

Strength and courage,

Wade

What Top Agents Have Learned To Never Do Again

Wade Webb on August 28, 2024

So, what does that mean? The things top agents never do again.

From my observations of successful agents, they tend to have moments in life and in business, that once they have them, they never go back to the old way of doing things. When that happens, they are never the same.

In short, they just “get it”!

Years ago, a bad business decision of mine led to an interesting situation. I had learned a valuable lesson the hard way and assured myself this was a good thing once I learned that lesson, I would never go back.

Trust me you never do it again. So, what are the key moments successful agents go through that forever change how they do things, which propel them to succeed in business, relationships, and life?

I began to look at these moments and here is what I found.

Successful agents never again…

Return to what hasn’t worked for them in their real estate business or personal life. Whether a job, or a broken relationship that was ended for a good reason, we should never go back to the same thing, expecting different results, without something being different.
Do anything that requires them to be someone they are not. In everything we do, we must ask ourselves, Why am I doing this? Am I suited for it? Does it fit me? Is it sustainable? If the answer is no to any of these questions, you better have a very good reason to proceed or stop it and be your authentic self.
Try to change another person. When you realize you cannot force someone into doing something, you give him or her freedom and allow them to experience the consequences. In doing so, you find your own freedom as well. You can only change yourself and really cannot change others.
Believe they can please everyone. Once you get it truly is impossible to please everyone, you begin to live purposefully, trying to please the right people. They realize they are the most important person in their life and their family and friends are the next important people in their lives. They stop basing their choices on people pleasing and choices that are best for themselves and those most important to them.
Choose short-term comfort over long-term benefit. Once successful people know they want something that requires a painful, time-limited step, they do not mind the painful step because it gets them to a long-term benefit. Living out this principle is one of the most fundamental differences between successful and unsuccessful people, both personally and professionally. They have the courage to leave their comfort zone to gain long-term results.
Trust someone or something that appears flawless. It’s natural for us to be drawn to things and people that appear “incredible.” We love excellence and should always be looking for it. We should pursue people who are great at what they do, employees who are high performers, dates who are exceptional people, friends who have stellar character and companies that excel. But when someone or something looks too good to be true, he, she or it is too good to be true. The world is imperfect. Period. No one and nothing are without flaw, and if they appear that way, hit pause. Don’t be misled. Learn how to read people.
Take their eyes off the big picture. We function better emotionally and perform better in our lives when we can see the big picture. For successful people, no one event is ever the whole story. Winners remember that—each day. The top agents always have their eye on the prize and know their “why” and purpose and love the impact they have on people and the ones closest to them more than the selling real estate part.
Neglect to do due diligence. No matter how good something looks on the outside, it is only by taking a deeper, diligent, and honest look that we will find out what we truly need to know and the reality we owe ourselves. The best reality comes from an honest self-assessment. Top agents always make educated decisions on everything personally and professionally they do.
Fail to ask why they are where they find themselves. One of the biggest differences between successful people and others is successful people always ask themselves, “what part am I playing in this situation”? Said another way, they do not see themselves as victims, even when they are. Don’t make excuses for who and where you are. Top agents don’t live below the line in blame, denial, and excuse. They are above the line and take ownership, action, and learn from their mistakes.
Forget their inner life determines their outer success. The good life sometimes has little to do with outside circumstances. We are happy and fulfilled mostly by who we are on the inside. Research validates that. And our internal lives largely contribute to producing many of our external circumstances. Become a better you and the outward becomes better. The converse is true. People who are still trying to find success in various areas of life can almost always point to one or more of these patterns as a reason they are repeating the same mistakes.

Remember everyone, including myself, make mistakes… even the most successful people out there. But what achievers do better than others is recognize the patterns that are causing those mistakes and never repeat them again. In short, they learn from pain—their own and the pain of others.

A good thing to remember is this: Pain is unavoidable, but repeating the same pain twice, when we could choose to learn and do something different, is certainly avoidable.

I like to say, “We don’t need new ways to fail… the old ones are working just fine!” Our task, in business and in life, is to observe what they are, and never go back to doing them again.

Strength and courage,

Wade

Getting A Buyer Commitment

Wade Webb on August 21, 2024

We have been communicating our value proposition to sellers and getting them to commit for decades and now the time has come for buyers.

The greatest document created for the real estate industry in the last ten years, must be the Buyers agreement. Think about it… agents would never think of marketing and promoting a seller’s home without a listing contract but why do so many agents spend a ton of time and money working for a buyer without a buyer’s agreement?

Why did they create this document but forget to train the real estate professional how to present the value proposition to their buyer to want to sign it prior to buying their next home?

Agents take the time to sit down with a seller and present…

Why them?

Why their company?

The benefits to selling their home before asking them to enter a listing contract.

Does it not make perfect sense for an agent to take the time to sit with a buyer prior to their home buying search and present to the home buyer the same as the seller?

What would it mean to you to have your buyer under contract exclusively with you and your company instead of driving them around and showing them a large number of homes, burning your own gas, buying coffees and lunches and then they call you to say “ we didn’t want to bother you on a Sunday and saw the perfect house at an open house and bought it.

We wanted to thank you for everything you did and hope this house plant will look good in your office as a token of our appreciation.” I know this happens because it has happened to me. To protect yourself from the “house plant” scenario I encourage you to sit your home buyers down and share with them the benefits they receive from entering into the buyer agreement.

Tell your clients… “just like my sellers hire me to sell their home by authorizing a seller agreement, I also get my home buyers to hire me as their exclusive buyer’s agent and authorize this exclusive buyer agreement.”

The worst thing they can say is “no thank you” and you still can choose to work with them or not, but this is a great qualifying tool for any buyer and should only take less than an hour for a buyers consultation and prevent the 3 days, 20 showings, 1 tank of gas and end up with an office plant as a token gift outcome.

“10 Home WWIFM The Buyer Benefits To Them Having A Buyers Agreement.”

1. The Doctor/Patient Advantage (Client Confidentiality)
Let’s say your client is going from house to house and agent to agent, sharing their personal and financial information with everyone. When they do put in an offer, how does it affect their bargaining power if the Seller’s agent already knows everything about them? It is critical they share this information with only one agent, so it won’t work against them later. Their Buyer Agent is on their side, not the Seller’s side… make sure they understand the importance of this.

2. The Instant Information Advantage (No Communication Delays)
When your client is relying on the internet, newspapers, or magazines as their source for house listings it is important, they remember these stems all have built-in delays. These delays can be from a few days to a week before the listing actually makes it to them. How many of the hottest real estate deals or best buys make it that far before they are sold? Very few. Get your home buyer on the inside track with the most current and up to date information.

3. The Insider Advantage (Buyer, Meet Seller)
A great many hot properties are sold exclusively by sleeve or pocket listings, before they are even activated on MLS (Multiple Listing Service). These pocket listings are often sold well before the public even knows about them. In these cases, the Sellers who wanted to sell and Buyers who wanted to buy were introduced and made their transaction through the Direct Client program. Emphasize to your home buyer the importance of them having access to these types of home listings.

4. The Inbox Advantage (Convenient Auto Email Updates)
As an agent, I have the technology to be notified of a new listing on the MLS system by the minute, and then quickly notify my Direct Clients. I can use my privileged access to this listing data to get you in to see your perfect home before most of the other potential Buyers even know about it. Be sure to show your buyers the power of this.

5. The Invisible Listing Advantage (Find the properties that aren’t for sale)
As part of a large sales force, I am constantly in contact with other agents. They may have Potential Sellers: homeowners who would sell if they had a Buyer. We call this the “water cooler transaction”. I mention I have someone looking for a special kind of property, and the other agent has a property that fits like a glove but isn’t even on the market! Yet another benefit for your buyer to enter into an Exclusive Buyers Agency Agreement.

6. The Active Agent Advantage (Buyer Agents are prospectors).
Personally, I won’t just wait for listings in the Direct or VIP program: I’ll go out and find my buyer’s perfect home! I will prospect by telephone, direct mail or pound the pavement door-to-door, investing as much time as it takes to find their ideal property. Why wait weeks or months until it is listed for sale? Show them you are serious, if they will show you, they’re serious to work with you.

7. The Accountability Advantage (Contractual Obligations – For Me!)
Direct Clients hire me under contract, just like Sellers hire me under a listing contract. This ensures my Direct Buyers receive benefits other prospective Buyers do not. When we enter into this contract, I am required to perform specific duties within a fixed time, or the agreement is null and void.

8. The Easy Exit Advantage (Fire Me Anytime!)
If my buyers are unhappy with my services for any reason, I give them the opportunity to correct the situation. If the problem continues, then I promise them an unconditional release from our contractual agreement with no questions asked. This removes the risk factor from your client.

9. The Guaranteed Communication Advantage (I Promise Not to Disappear)
My home buyers can expect a regular delivery of prospective homes to consider and ongoing communication from me. I’ll keep them up to date on the hottest new listings, so we can beat the rush and get them in to see these properties before other potential Buyers. This way they will see the best buys first! Give your buyers the sense they will be treated preferentially if they agree to sign the Exclusive Buyers Agreement.

10. The Transaction Coordination Advantage (I’ll find the property, then help them own it)
There will be a large group of professionals involved in completing your buyer’s transaction: bankers, insurance agents, inspectors, appraisers, utility workers, and lawyers just to name a few.

All these professionals do not have time to contact each other and facilitate your buyer’s purchase. It’s a huge benefit for your home buyer to have an agent they trust, who will coordinate all these services on their behalf. Sell this benefit then ask them to sign the agreement.

I hope you see the advantages of having your home buyers enter into the Exclusive Buyer agreement with you as well as the benefits the client receives as well. Try it out and measure the effectiveness of the response you receive.

Bonus Item – Click to download Platinum Home Purchase Plan ( Value Proposition For The Buyer ) What you do and what Value You Bring. Literally your buyer presentation

Strength and courage,

Wade

Open House Strategies For Agents in 2024

Wade Webb on August 14, 2024

I always loved REALTOR© Open Houses to build my business and now is the time to prepare for the spring market and the open house season. Here are some of my personal favorite ways to prepare for and maximize your effectiveness and time invested into open houses.

Money Management For Agents

Wade Webb on August 7, 2024

I will never forget the time I was sitting in a seminar presented by T. Harv Eker on the Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind and the crowd of nearly a thousand people were all asked to bring with them a $100 cash bill to the evening session of the seminar for an exercise to teach us about our mindset and blueprint we all have about money. We are all asked to hold up our $100 bill and if you were unable to bring that bill with you then you were politely asked to leave this part of the seminar and demonstration.

We then watched a few of the seminar staff line up in front of the stage with burning candles for the crowd to begin to line up and prepare to burn your $100 cash bill to prove to yourself you are in control of your money and money is not in control of you. As I sat there, I saw a wave of emotion come over the crowd as some people are getting angry and others are starting to cry, and others are really showing no sign of emotion of what they have been asked to do.

Personally, I am sitting there saying to myself I can do this but honestly, I wish I could give it to someone in need or it go to better use but if I need to do this to prove to myself money is not in control of me then so be it. They slowly have the crowd stand and begin to line up in front of each of the staff members holding the open burning flame and let the emotions and energy build and build in the room. Then at the very last second, they say “ok, everyone sits down and put your $100 bill away and start journaling what you experienced and what you felt through that exercise.”

So how would you feel about doing that? Would the money control you or would you be in control of the money? Would it make you mad, sad or feel nothing? Here are seven powerful tips I used myself from Clason’s novel “The Richest Man In Babylon” and strategies for you to implement and be in control of your money in real estate and not the money in control of you.

A Part of all you earn is yours to keep.
The most powerful and most important message you read and hear from all experts in financial prosperity. “PAY YOURSELF FIRST.” Clason refers to this as “Starting thy purse to fattening” He uses the story of the humble egg merchant. If the egg merchant put ten eggs in his basket each morning and take out only nine by evening. Eventually what will happen? It will in time become overflowing. Or how about every ten coins you place in your purse you take out and use only nine. Your purse will fatten and soon will build increasing weight and bring you great satisfaction. Create a second account that is difficult to access and take that one egg, take that one coin, and let it build and overflow over time. Just like this merchant you too create an account at a different bank and set up automated withdraw into this account, that can’t be readily accessed to build up your purse.
Control your expenditures.
“BUDGETING” – All men are burdened with more desires than they can gratify. We have this false idea we can gratify our every desire. Clason states there are limits to your strength, limits to the distance you may travel, limits to what you may eat and limits to the zest you may enjoy. The key to controlling your expenses is taking the time to really identify your fixed expenses and eliminate or minimize your non fixed expenses. Discipline yourself to live lean and mean. Pay yourself your fixed expense amount at beginning of the month. Review Constantly – identify habits; implement cost savings i.e., basic cable or even no cable. Apply the same principle to your business accounts.
Make your gold multiply.
“INVEST” – The greatest opportunity and wealth building strategy we all have is buying what we know… Stocks, Bonds, Mutual, Commodities, Mortgages, Rentals, Loans etc. Clason states a man’s wealth is not the coins he carries in his purse, but it is the income he buildout, the golden stream that continually flows into his purse and keeping it bulging. Amortization in wealth building is key… Example: Only $5,000 per year or $416 / month Invested. Over 10 years – at 5% becomes 66K at 15% becomes 116K… Over 20 years at 5% becomes 173K at 15% becomes 589K.
Guard your treasures from loss.
“INVEST WISELY, CONSERVATIVELY” – Start by investing small amounts and learn to protect and grow those first. Clason said every man is tempted by opportunities where it would seem he could make large sums by its investment in the most plausible projects. So often we are urged by friends or family to eagerly enter these high return investments. Remember the risk or penalty is probable loss. TIP – borrowing to invest. Ask your advisor for their personal net worth statement. WORDS OF WISDOM – Invest only where the principal is safe and where the principle may be reclaimed if needed and where you will not fail to collect a fair return. Consult with wise men. Secure their advice and let their wisdom protect your treasures.
Make of Thy Dwelling a Profitable Investment
“OWN A HOME” – To a man’s heart it brings gladness to eat the figs from his own trees and the grapes of his own vines. To own his own domicile and to have a place he is proud to care of and put confidence in his heart and reward behind his endeavors. Discipline yourself to pay this home off. Blessings to the man who owned his own home. Greatly reduces his cost of living and making available more of his earnings to build his wealth.
Insure a Future Income
“SAVINGS” – It behooves a man to make preparation for a suitable income in the days to come, when he is no longer young and to prepare for his family should he be no longer with them to comfort and support them. It is important you maintain savings and have funds put away for many different reasons. Health, emergency expenses, major financial setbacks, or economic downturn. You will get old. You may get sick. You will die one day, and you should be prepared. TIP – wills, insurance life & disability
Cultivate, Study & Learn
“BECOME A STUDENT” – Constantly improve yourself and become more skillful. Act on these principles and have the discipline to learn and implement them. Then begin to teach them to others including your own children. Clason reminds us “There is more gold in Babylon my students than you could dream of. There is abundance for us all.”

So, there you have it, 7 powerful financial laws that made a difference with my control over money vs. the money having control over me. I challenge you to implement these strategies into your personal and professional lives and take control over the finances and win the money game.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Why Am I Failing or Quitting Real Estate?

Wade Webb on July 31, 2024

Nearly nine out of every 10 agents fail or quit the business? I’ve worked with and studied real estate professionals for 3 decades, and this week I am sharing some of the biggest reasons agents fail. Avoiding these pitfalls will help you join that elusive “Club 13” — the 13 percent of agents who survive and truly succeed in this business.

Being Interested vs. Committed. Just being interested in your real estate career isn’t enough. Liking houses and liking people isn’t enough. When you’re interested, you do things when they’re convenient. Success in real estate is all about being fully committed, which means doing whatever it takes as long as it takes to achieve your goals. Are you all in? If you’re not fully committed, it’s time to reassess your career choice. It is too easy to get in and even easier to get out.
Being Strategic. Can you explain your market trends easily? Do you truly know your market? What’s selling? What’s not? To survive in real estate, you need to look at your marketplace from a strategic standpoint. You must look at the hot sheets every day, the stats every month and know what is trending every quarter. You must own that knowledge and become the knowledge broker in your market. It’s not enough to simply like houses and enjoy working with people. Take a step back, analyze your market and make sure you know it, and you know your place in it. Now the numbers, trends and truth about your local market and share it!
Fear of Making Mistakes & Desire to Look Good. There’s a lot of vanity in real estate, which can lead to people shying away from anything that might paint them in unflattering light. But you can’t be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are how wisdom is gained. Mistakes are how we learn and grow. Accept it’s okay to make mistakes or not know the answers to everything. Try new things, see what works, learn from what doesn’t, and always keep moving forward. The more mistakes you make, the more you’ll bridge the gap between knowing and not knowing.
No (or Wrong) Role Model. Having someone to look up to, to aspire to, to model your behaviors on is a hugely critical step to help you reach that “next level” in real estate. Far too many agents have no role model for their business. Or they have the wrong one. To accelerate your ascent in this business, find someone who is successful in both life and business and model your behaviors on theirs. We all smell like those we rub up against.
Your Gas Station is Only Open One Day a Week for an Hour. Once a week you try something once and can’t figure out why nothing is working. As a real estate agent, your top priority is attracting customers. It’s not a part-time pursuit. Don’t get me wrong it is not 7 days a week 24 hours a day. Far too many agents do just a little bit of marketing once a week and hope for the best. Lead generation and lead conversion need to be your primary focus. If there was a way to teach every new agent this philosophy and force them to live up to it, that 87% failure rate would decrease dramatically. Focus on the “Core 4″… Database. Open Houses. Geographic Farming. Online Presence.
Job vs. Business Owner. Monday-Friday, 9:00-6:00 Mentality. Being a real estate agent isn’t a job. It’s a business. It’s YOUR business. You need to become and act like a business owner. You’ll get out of it what you put into it. Especially if you’re new, you absolutely must put in the time and effort. All the money is made before 9:00am and after 6:00pm. If that doesn’t work for you, you might be in the wrong business.
No Sales Swagger. Long ago NAR released a report that said most new agents come into real estate with no sales experience, no marketing experience, and no negotiation experience. What are the essential skills of succeeding in real estate? Sales. Marketing. Negotiations. Hmmm. If you haven’t mastered these three skills, you need to be working on them constantly. Put yourself in situations where you learn the objections, get hung up on and gain that experience. Putting yourself in those situations repeatedly will break down those fears of calling FSBOs, expired and the like. I often encourage brand new agents to work with FSBOs and expired to break them in with “the most challenging” clients. When you know what to say, everything becomes easier.
It’s Math. No Goals Broken Into Numbers That Get Measured. When you know your numbers, you put yourself in control. On average, how many leads does it take you to convert one sale? 30? Great! 162? Great! “I don’t know.” Not great! If you know your numbers, you know what you must do. If you don’t know your numbers, you’re just hoping for that winning lottery ticket. Knowing your numbers makes your business predictable. Being predictable leads to success. Know your numbers!
No Schedule, Weak Habits, and Routines. If you’ve followed me for a long time, you’ve heard me say it a million times: “Show me your routines and I can predict your future.” If your schedule isn’t aligned with your goals, instead of achieving your goals, you’ll end up wherever your schedule takes you. The key is figuring out the specific activities that will lead to the achievement of your goals. Then you schedule those activities. The role of discipline in your success cannot be underestimated. Schedule everything and find a way to hold yourself accountable.
Lack of Financial Management. Lots of people get into real estate thinking it’s a low overhead business with an opportunity to make big, giant paychecks. Those days are long gone. This business is so competitive, you need a funding plan not only to survive, but to invest in your business and build it in an efficient way. Make sure you’re managing your money smartly to avoid that 87% failure rate. Profit is not a bad word.

Now that you have a better idea of the causes for failure the next decision is what are you going to do with this information? What action are you going to take? Feel free to comment below what you plan on doing next to ensure you’re a member of the 13% Club!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Stuck In The Working Remotely Vortex Versus A True Vacation?

Wade Webb on July 24, 2024

The Oxford Dictionary defines a vacation as “an extended period of recreation.” It defines recreation as “activity done for enjoyment when one is not working.” So, strictly speaking, you can’t call it a vacation if you’re doing work.

Summer 2024 is here, my favorite season of the year. It seems like the first half of the year just flew by us so fast! Are you like me and tired of never really taking a good break or more importantly, is your family and friends tired of going on vacation with you because you’re working remotely?

Now be honest, are you taking a vacation this summer and planning to sit on your phone or tablet, texting or emailing while the rest of your family sit by the pool and enjoy the waves crashing on the beach while you were working remotely the whole time? Is that what a vacation for real estate agents is supposed to look like?

If you work remotely, your personal life and work life become intertwined to the point there seems to be no separation at all. Is there something very wrong with our mindset and business set up that can’t allow us to vacation 3 or 4 weeks a year and not have to work remotely?

What would a vacation be like with no mobile devices, no internet connection and cell phone reception completely unplugged and off the real estate grid?

What about to be in the moment and present with the most important people in your life? I need you to believe this is possible and here are some strategies that can make this type of vacation as a real estate agent a reality!!

Let’s break it down and commit to this (including myself).

Have a business plan with vacation planned for 3-4 weeks a year.
Have a licensed real estate professional covering your vacation times for you.
Emails forwarded to a licensed real estate professional who responds to them on your behalf
Auto Email responder set up explaining you are not available and who to contact if important.
Voice message on mobile explaining you are not available and who to contact if important.
Give your mobile device to the agent covering to answer and respond to your calls, texts, voice messages and pages on your behalf.
Partner with another agent and cover for them and their business for 3-4 weeks a year.
Choose to unplug and not bring your smart phone, tablet or laptop computers on your vacation and leave them to the covering agent.
Compensate the covering agent in some way whether it’s a gift, thank you dinner or a referral fee. I believe we all need to show appreciation and feel appreciated.
Leave detailed notes of all your listings, names, phone numbers, emails, sales, leads, etc. for the covering agent to manage your business better for you.

What happens every time before you are about to go on vacation? We get busy!

What if you planned every 6 weeks to unplug and get away. We could assume that we will get busy every 6 weeks during our year!

If you take a 4-7 day break you still come back and you are still busy, I guarantee it, but refreshed and recharged to crush it. If it is meant to be then it is up to me!

Choose to be on vacation and enjoy it, especially when you are spending your hard-earned money to create those moments, experiences, and memories with the most important people in your life that will last a lifetime. Be present in the moment and really relax and enjoy your time away and reload and re-energize to be able to come back and do amazing things in your business.

Strength and courage,

Wade

How Do I Hire Help as A Realtor©?

Wade Webb on July 17, 2024

Awesome! I just got some deals under contract, and have a lot to look forward to, such as hours of paperwork, setting appointments, coordinating with attorneys, lenders, inspectors… and… best of all, I’ll have no more deals lined up when I’m done.

Sound familiar? If it does, it’s about time to start hiring some help – specifically in the form of a transaction coordinator. But there’s a lot to consider before you do, and that’s why I’ll walk you through the process in today’s blog. Before I go into what to look for in a transaction coordinator (TC) or where to find them, let’s start with understanding the role.

What Is a Real Estate Transaction Coordinator? So… What is a real estate transaction coordinator?

Simply put, a transaction coordinator is a dedicated role that handles all of the paperwork, organization, and communication associated with a transaction. Depending on what state you live in, you may need to do some training to become a certified transaction coordinator, though certification isn’t required everywhere.

This position is all about organizational and communication skills, so making this your first hire is one of the surest ways to make your life a lot easier.

What Does a Transaction Coordinator Do? Now, we’ve already touched on it, but exactly what does a transaction coordinator do? Once you get a client under contract, a transaction coordinator is the one who takes the ball and carries that transaction all the way to close. That means they’re responsible for:

Scheduling inspections
Coordinating with the closing attorney
Coordinating with the lender
Handling all the paperwork
Taking care of the client, answering all their questions, and making this a pleasant experience during a typically stressful time

So, your Transaction Coordinator is more than just a paperwork processor – they’re vital to the image of your brand.

Do I Need a Transaction Coordinator?

I’m glad you’re busy, but ask yourself, “Am I busy working or am I swamped with ‘busy work’?” If what you’re doing isn’t bringing in the clients and scaling your business, then it’s something you should be paying someone else to do.

Having a TC will not only help you scale your business but also keep it running by preventing a realtor’s worst enemy – burnout (more helpful tips on avoiding that here). Sure, there are plenty of other roles that could help save you time such as an assistant or another agent, but for my money, the transactional coordinator is an essential.

What Should I Look for in a Transaction Coordinator?

First off, let’s start with the basics to look for in every person you hire. Even if you’ve never hired anyone before, you have a list of the traits you’re looking for memorized so you can spot talent when it arises. For that, check out this blog I wrote about what to look for in a new hire. Next, there are four main things to add to the list:

Customer service oriented
Knowledgeable about real estate
Proactive rather than reactive
Organized

Customer Service Oriented:

Remember, this isn’t just a paperwork gig. It’s a client-facing role. You need someone with excellent communication skills who will ultimately be representing your brand during a portion of the home buying process.

Is this person pleasant to talk to? Would you be comfortable with having them speak for you in your absence? A Transaction Coordinator can make or break your online reviews and ability to earn referrals.

Knowledgeable About Real Estate:

Now, a Transaction Coordinator doesn’t need to have a real estate license or be an expert on the local market, but as the title implies, they need to understand every step of the process.

Even if they haven’t been in real estate before, prior administrative experience is essential because they’ll be comfortable enough with systems to focus on familiarizing themselves with your world. With this position in particular, it would absolutely be worth paying extra for someone who has worked in the industry before.

Proactive Rather than Reactive:

You already have the deal in your hand, but don’t forget it could still slip through your fingers. Your TC should be the one comfortable reaching out to people first, checking in on clients before they have a problem, and handling small mistakes before they become big ones.

Also, they need to be honest with you about their workload and comfortable saying when they are overwhelmed. Your Transaction Coordinator should be able to cut you off from giving them more clients if they feel like it could compromise all their others.

Organized:

This is a hybrid job – half client care and half administrative. If you were to hire a salesperson for this role, they’d excel at one half and might make some crucial mistakes on the paperwork.

Virtual vs. In-Person. Online Transaction Coordinators are a big trend right now, and they certainly aren’t a bad option, but there are several pros and cons to consider.

Pros of An Online Transaction Coordinator

Less expensive
Likely has more experience in real estate
Easier to replace or find a temporary fill-in if something goes wrong
May be willing to work part-time – if you don’t need a full-time TC

Cons of a Virtual Transaction Coordinator

May not look as good for your brand, as in-person meetings are important to long-term client relationships
May compromise the quality and thoroughness of their work
May be living in a different time zone and have limited hours
You’ll be less able to integrate them into all aspects of the team

Ultimately though, the best option is the one that fits your situation.

Where to Find a Transaction Coordinator. Now that you have your checklist, where are you going to find this magical person?

If you’re looking for an online Transaction Coordinator, it’s as easy as going to Google, where you’ll find plenty of lists featuring reputable services like ConciergeClose, Transactly, and MyOutDesk, but you could also put ads out on LinkedIn and Indeed.

If you want to go the in-person route, run those same online ads, but also try reaching out to other agents in your area – this is probably the best course to go, anyway. Get in touch with local recruiting companies, and always make sure you’re able to interview candidates first.

Questions to Ask. Finally, we’re here at the interview. What kinds of questions are you going to ask? I’d start with:

What prior work in real estate do you have?
Do you know how many clients you can handle at a time?
How many closings can you do in a month?
When you get overwhelmed, will you ask to stop taking on clients or continue to take on more?
Will you be able to work outside your normal hours if something comes up?
Have you ever used the systems that we do? If not, are you willing to learn? (And ask yourself, do you have time to teach them?)

If you’re looking for more interview questions, you can find a longer list here.

Onward to Your Best Use of Time! I hope that this has helped, and I hope that you find the right TC who is going to help you even more. Now, I know I gave you a ton of criteria to look for, but we need to keep in mind that there are no unicorns out there.

Sometimes the right person isn’t always the perfect person (you can go ahead and steal that line and apply it to anything in life). If you’re drowning in administrative work and can’t seem to find your dream transaction coordinator, it’s worth hiring someone who is at least capable, ready, and willing to learn. Best of luck in your search!

Click to Download This Free Guide To Hiring Help….

Strength and Courage,

Wade

Dos and Don’ts For Agent Email Marketing

Wade Webb on July 10, 2024

You’ve undoubtedly heard that you need to be sending marketing emails. Real estate email marketing is known as the “Greatest marketing channel of all time.” But here’s the kicker… Bad marketing emails can hurt you just as much as good ones can help establish your market credibility.

Real estate email marketing requires precision and not generic ChatGPT copy which would only demonstrate how out of touch you are with your audience. This week, I’ll show you some of the best real estate email marketing practices, how to write marketing emails, and the mistakes to avoid.

What is real estate email marketing?

Real estate email marketing involves using email campaigns to connect with potential buyers, sellers, and other stakeholders in the real estate market. By building a targeted email list, segmenting the audience, and delivering personalized, engaging content such as property listings, market updates, and home-buying tips, you can nurture leads and build strong relationships.

Automated email tools and performance analytics can help you optimize these campaigns, ensuring timely and relevant communication that drives engagement and sales.

Best Practices and Tips for Real Estate Email Marketing:

Provide More Value – Here is the No. 1 rule of email marketing for realtors which even experienced marketers violate way too often: Give more than you are asking for. You can have some purely promotional emails, but the entire idea of “brand content” is to establish trust and form a relationship with your audience.

Every email should have a message, and if you don’t have something of value to contribute, then don’t send an email. If you don’t know what to say, it’s simple. Identify problems and offer the corresponding solutions. It’s actually a good idea to come up with a few real estate email marketing templates to take the pressure of writing format out of the equation so you can focus on the message.

Be Conversational – Besides delivering value, the second most important way to establish trust and familiarity is through your voice – what you say and how you say it. Adapting a conversational, honest, and friendly tone will make your real estate email marketing seems more personal and less salesy (which is one of the biggest mistakes below). I’m not saying you should be overly casual and say, “What’s up, how’s it going’?” but also, don’t be so formal that no one can hear YOU in there.

Use Stylistic Techniques – Keep sentences short and clear but also pay attention to the rhythm and cadence of what you’re saying. Just read a sentence out loud to know what I’m talking about. Stylistic techniques can make sentences flow more naturally together.

Anyone who says you can’t start a sentence with “And” or “But” or “Just,” doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Use ellipses and exclamation points sparingly but use them to add stylistic effect if that’s how you speak! It’s not about being grammatically correct; it’s about what’s easy to read and makes sense to express your voice. Use whatever you can to make your writing more clear, interesting, and consistent with your brand.

Be Yourself. Are you…

Funny

Motivational

Down to earth

Information driven

Quirky?

Own it. Your real estate email marketing should sound like your brand, which should sound like you. To sound more like yourself, it’s important to write about things you really care about. Write down what you value, what you’re interested in, and how you can genuinely help people. A word of warning, though: People can sniff out insincerity and manipulation from a mile away. Don’t ever do that. Your success will be in direct correlation to your authenticity.

Leverage Vulnerability – Every now and then, it’s a good idea to share something about yourself that shows a little vulnerability, as if you’re sharing a super condensed blog post. Was there ever a time when you were in a bad position in life where the services that you now provide could’ve helped you? Use it.

Tell a Story – Another fantastic way to avoid the curse of sleazy sales language in your real estate email marketing is to tell an interesting story to demonstrate your point. If you can provide value, use a trustworthy brand voice, and tell a story within just a few lines, then you just wrote a masterpiece email. Take an email you sent recently and try to come up with a super short story that represents your main point. This exercise will make you a master at writing emails.

Understand the Sales Funnel for Better CTAs – What are the stages of your customer journey? I know you’d love to just send someone an email and then they decide to list their home with you, but that’s a big decision that requires more familiarity. It’s critical to understand the marketing sales funnel to formulate effective calls to action. You want to make the leap seem as small and secure as possible – the obvious correct decision. So, instead of directly trying to get someone to list their home in an email, offer a CMA or annual equity report – something free that purely adds value without a price tag – and focus your real estate email marketing content around that.

Focus on Subject Lines and Hooks – There are a few ways to create a great subject line/opening hook:

Urgency

Curiosity

Controversy

Exclusivity

Benefits

Personal

Transparency

Below are some examples of real estate email marketing subject lines for each.

Email Marketing Subject Lines for Urgency

The window of time to sell for more is closing.

Quality homes are disappearing from the St. Louis market.

Do not list your home if the agent doesn’t know this…

Email Marketing Subject Lines for Curiosity

The real secret to getting more than the Zestimate.

The biggest mistake when selling your home.

Email Marketing Subject Lines for Controversy

I’m not saying that you should ever say something controversial that would isolate a segment of your audience. What I’m talking about here is grabbing attention by addressing a pre-existing controversy.

Selling through a portal is a mistake

Your home might not be worth what you thought

Mortgage rates won’t stop investors (this one also raises urgency)

Email Marketing Subject Lines for Exclusivity

Only 2 Equity Review Spots Available This Week!

{{Name}}, I just had a look at your Zestimate…

Personal Email Marketing Subject Lines

How I’m handling the new law changes

How I helped a family fulfill their dream

When I couldn’t afford my rent

Email Marketing Subject Lines for Transparency

Just say what’s inside the email. No gimmicks. This is particularly important if the email is particularly important and must be opened. That is not the time to get clever and start putting benefits in your subject line. Stick with something clear and simple.

Common Mistakes Made in Real Estate Email Marketing:

Being Too Salesy – It’s obvious and we already covered it, but it needs to be said again. This is a huge mistake. If you’re constantly harping on about the benefits of your services using bullet points, you’d be better off not sending the email at all.

Going Too Long or Too Short – There is no “correct” length for your real estate email marketing. In general, shorter is always better for an email, but never let space get in the way of your message, your benefits, or your brand voice. If you can stick to just three or four lines, that’s amazing, but if you have a longer story to tell, use the space you need to tell it if the hook is good enough to keep people reading. Once you’ve written your email, go through line by line and cut any words you can possibly stand to cut. I’ll be you there is a way to rephrase sentences to heighten the clarity and save some space.

Lame Adjectives – Awesome, Stunning, Cool, Winning, Best. Be careful with these and use them sparingly. Sometimes a little sales language is warranted and emphasizes your point, but often it’ll make you sound insincere.

Always Asking for Something – The opposite of providing value is sending out too many promotional emails that only state the benefits of your products and services. This does not create a relationship – it makes you annoying and people will become numb to it. Now, you could say that your services provide value and by getting people to use your services, you are giving value-add emails. That’s a lazy excuse for running lazy real estate email marketing. Yes, you can include a CTA in every email you send but try to offer something else in each send, even if it’s just insights into who you are and what you value.

Losing Focus & Going Off-Track – Each email should have one focused topic connected to one CTA – unless it’s a newsletter. You should be able to easily express the intention of your email in one sentence and provide a clear next step for everyone who reads it.

A newsletter is a little different because it will contain multiple bits of information which are relevant for different audiences. Be sure to clearly separate and organize the sections here so that people can get hooked by the headlines that resonate most with them.

Your Marketing Controls Your Market. The strength of every email you send will determine the success of your real estate email marketing campaigns. And the strength of your campaigns across email and every other channel you’re working will determine the effectiveness of your marketing – and that’s the lifeblood of your business.

Strength and Courage

Wade

Real Estate Agents Mid-Year Assessment Time

Wade Webb on July 3, 2024

real estate agent mid year assessment 2024

Can you believe the first half of the year has come and gone? Right now, is a great time to stop and take time to review the progress you have made during the first half of 2024 in your real estate business. Pull out and review your original 2024 business plan, the key strategic initiatives, and tactical sales goals that you set for yourself as a REALTOR.

Once you set your plan in motion back in January, did you review your weekly sales and listings (prospecting), lead generation (rain making) and marketing (presence) as well as your monthly strategic goals? Congratulations if you have! If not, I highly recommend you take time now at the beginning of this month to review and reflect your progress from the first half or the year.

To make this easier, here is a free mid-year real estate Review and Reflection Assessment tool you can implement to finish the second half of 2024 strong.

Your Name: ______________

Semi-Annual Review Year _________________

In this first segment of your annual review, we will look back at your production in the first six months of the year. This will lay the groundwork for reflection and ultimately our planning for the remainder of the year.

Let’s start with the basic issue first, your real estate business income:

What was your NET income goal for this year?
What was your actual NET income achieved through June 30?
How many listings/representations did you secure through June 30?
How many closings did you complete through June 30?
What was your average price/lease value per closing through June 30?
What was your average gross commission per closing through June 30?
What was your average net commission per closing through June 30
How many of listings did you lose through June 30?

Now we will review your prospecting efforts through June 30.

What new clients have you added as of June 30?

How many prospect meetings did you have through June 30?
What percentage of each day did you dedicate to direct prospecting?
How many hours have you spent on the phone through June 30?

Now tell us about your personal marketing efforts.

How many relationship-building meetings did you hold thru June?
How many conferences/tradeshows did you attend thru June?
How many times did you send a postcard/letter, flyer, case study or article in the mail?
How many times did you email an article, flyer, case study or something of value?
What was the average number of pieces mailed in each mailing?
What was the average number of emails sent in each blast?

Finally, let’s look at how you spent your time through June 30

How many hours per week did you work on average?
What percentage of your time did you work IN your business –
Doing deals, prospecting, negotiating, fulfilling, winning business?
What percentage of your time did you work ON your business
Planning/creating?
Reflection

Defining your progress in the categories above will help us dig deeper into the reasons for your success or the challenges you faced

List 5 items that met or exceeded your expectations in through June 30

List 5 items that did not meet your expectations through June 30

What were your three most productive activities through June 30?

What were your three most unproductive activities through June 30?

Write a summary in your own words to recap what the first half of 2024 looked like and what is going to happen the second half.

Once you download it you can fill it in now and then again in 6 month increments to compare your progress as time goes on.

Let us know if you have any questions…

CLICK HERE FOR FREE ASSESSMENT TOOL

I trust this tool gives you some insight and some clarity to really see where you have been, where you are at today and where you want to be by the end of 2024.

Strength and Courage,

Wade