Building Connections and Overcoming the Loneliness Barrier in Real Estate

Wade Webb on August 16, 2023

 

“We are in an epidemic of loneliness.”
– Dr. Vivek Murtly, U.S. Surgeon General, May 2023

(Thank-you Suze Cumming for this week’s guest post)

Real Estate feels more challenging than it has in the 38 years since I began my career in sales. Over the past few weeks, I have reached out to many brokers, managers and team leaders to inquire about what they are experiencing. The ones I spoke to all related to me that many of their agents were struggling with mental health challenges.

With this information in hand, I began researching what other industries and research organizations are learning about mental health post-pandemic, and it does indeed seem like we have an epidemic of loneliness.

In this article, we will look at the symptoms and causes first, but please read through to the solutions. Whether you want to help yourself or help people around you, this could have a valuable impact.

The reported effects of loneliness are significant: low motivation, low drive, depression, impaired immune system, cognitive decline and premature death. In fact, America’s Surgeon General states that the effect of loneliness on our health is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

So, what’s going on?

Loneliness isn’t about a people deficit; it’s about a connection deficit. While people were already lonely before the pandemic, the social isolation during the lockdown and many of our new ways of operating have greatly exasperated the situation.

Working from home, the loss of community spaces, our discomfort with social situations, social media addiction, and increased travel costs are all limiting our human interaction and social connection.

“Many of my agents haven’t been able to return home to see their close family in over three years,” says Stefanie Hostetter, CEO at Re/Max Sea to Sky in Whistler, B.C. Many of her agents come from far away, as Whistler is a destination market. Hostetter hails from New York, and she hasn’t been back to visit yet. Travel restrictions during the pandemic and our changed habits around travel have greatly reduced the amount of time that we spend visiting family and close friends.

She notes, “Some people haven’t been able to celebrate new babies or mourn the death of loved ones.” Travelling both abroad and within Canada can be stressful and expensive as the travel industry struggles to find balance.

“I run coaching and training sessions live in person at my brokerage, and only a tiny fraction of my agents show up,” says Wade Webb, broker/owner of Royal Lepage Kelowna Lake Country. Webb is a very sought-after, high-level coach and best-selling author, so this lack of engagement speaks volumes about his agents’ state of mind.

Structural barriers, financial insecurity, previous health or mental health challenges and life events can cause the loss of social connection. Those of us contending with loneliness have unique experiences and can’t all be solved the same way, but I have laid out some of the things that may help you reconnect with people and build community (which are both key skills for real estate success):

  • Answer your phone instead of letting it go to voicemail. You never know when something delightful might happen.
  • Join a local community of people. Think sports, workouts, hobbies, spiritual, charity, volunteer, chamber of commerce, meet-ups, etc. There are unlimited possibilities.
  • Call a friend or acquaintance instead of messaging them. They may also need the connection.
  • Say yes to social opportunities even if you initially feel hesitant.
  • Limit your social media time. Research confirms that most social media increases our social anxiety.
  • Go to the office. Create a comfortable shared space at the office where colleagues can visit, collaborate and co-work. I borrowed this idea from the tech industry as they work creatively to get employees to want to come back to the office and collaborate with each other.
  • Create a mastermind or support group with colleagues in your area and meet in person. Be sure to pick like-minded, positive-thinking people.
  • Organize an office event. Consider a fundraiser, outdoor adventure, swimming party or summer BBQ.
  • Improve your teleconferencing (zoom) skills. Be more natural, create casual time before or after a meeting, and invite others to connect after the meeting one on one.

What are other some other opportunities to connect and build community with people? Please share your ideas in the comments. 

If you or someone you know is unable to work through the loneliness or is suffering from significant social anxiety, professional support may be beneficial. Seeking this support is extremely common in our modern society and is a sign of strength and courage.  

Strength and courage,

Suze Cumming / Wade

No Real Estate Inventory, Not A Problem, Strategies For 2023

Wade Webb on August 9, 2023

real estate inventory strategiesResilient buyer agents can almost always find homes for their buyers even in market areas where the listing inventory is as scarce as the Arizona water supply. Agents are wise to hone their skills because the housing inventory shortage will continue to hamper many market areas for a few more years. So here are some the of seller hunting secrets that you as a buyer agent can implement and hone in the balance of 2023.

10 Seller Hunting Secrets for Agents

1.) Knock On Doors – Specifically knock on doors in neighborhoods and areas where your qualified buyer would seriously consider buying and ask the seller to help you help these people find a home. If they are not home, then leave a letter describing who the buyers are and humanize them and ask them again to help you help these nice people find their new dream home.

2.) Direct Mail – Specifically find homes or properties where your qualified buyer would consider buying if the seller would sell and do a search on the property and write a formal professional business letter to the registered owners on title describing your buyers and asking if they considered selling now or soon.

3.) Back Ups – Search pending sale listings and approach the listing agents to consider taking a back-up offer from your qualified buyers. You just never know if a buyer gets cold feet or issues arise that may open the door for you and your buyer to slide in from behind. I always as a strategy write my back up offer asking the seller and listing agent not to disclose to the first buyer, they have a back-up offer, grant the first buyer no extensions on their condition removal times or renegotiation of their price allowing our offer to slide in from behind if they did.

4.) Real Story, Real Situation – Telling and writing to the sellers all about your buyers with their first names, where they are originally from, what they do for a living, if they have kids or pets really helps with the process. Let the sellers know why they want to live where they do and try to capture the real true story of your buyer and their reasons for wanting to buy where they do.

5.) Build Your Own Off Market MLS – Using seller “What’s My Home Worth?” “Home Equity Analysis” landing pages (a one page website that offers to provide the seller an evaluation in exchange for their name, email and property address) is a great opportunity to create an inventory of potential off market seller leads which in turn allows you to take a list of bona fide and highly qualified buyers to approach these seller leads and try to bridge the gap between the potential seller and the eager buyer.

6.) For Sale By Owner – Always look at the for sale by owner ads online and offline for potential homes for your qualified buyers and approach the “by owner” on behalf of your buyer to generate a sale. We always hear the seller say, “well if you have a buyer, we could talk.”

7.) Expired Listings – You should always be checking the inventory that did not sell in the past and be looking to see if any of this inventory could potentially work for your bona fide buyers. Some of you may have laws about approaching the sellers directly so make sure you approach the previous listing agent if this rule applies to your trading area.

8.) Sleeve Listings – Attending office meetings, emailing and flyer your fellow agents or find some way to get your message out to your colleagues about the qualified buyers you are representing and ask if they have a home up their sleeve that just might fit the needs of your buyers. Off market opportunities exist for us all, we just have to find them.

9.) Database – Always take the time to communicate with your own database about the potential qualified buyers you represent and ask if they know of someone or have, they considered selling. Describe to them your buyers, what they are looking for and ask your own clientele to help you help them find their new dream home. It’s a great excuse for contacting an old client.

10.) Show Sellers The Money – Instead of you writing the letter, I get the buyers to write and sign the letter about themselves and what they are looking for and include an official looking document proving they are pre-approved for their financing.

I trust these strategies will assist you in the balance of 2023; don’t let the low inventory market conditions slow you down any longer. Implement these strategies and stop waiting for the business and start creating the business in the balance of 2023.

Strength and courage,
Wade

How Real Estate Agents Can Create A Shift In Business & Life

Wade Webb on August 2, 2023

real estate agent shift in life“Do the thing, have the power.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Such a simple, yet profound idea. It’s one of my favorite mantras in both life and business. In an era when everyone is seeking shortcuts and wanting results in the blink of an eye, it lays out the truth in plain language… You’ve got to do the work to get the reward. If you’re putting in the work and looking for that Shift!

Step 1: Clearly Declare What You Want + Tell Others About It. This first step in the process is straightforward… You need to decide what you want in specific detail. Then, don’t keep it to yourself. Goals kept private rarely get accomplished. So go tell people. Announce it from the rooftops.

Step 2: Start Your 90-Day Shift in your real estate business and personal life! This is where you really start “doing the thing” that will give you the power. You need to be performing the right activities – the actions that align with your goals – for 90 days. Each individual day might not move the needle, but collectively these 90-day cycles will most definitely move you closer to your goal. Why 90 days? Because it gives you an opportunity to create real results. Any less and you haven’t given whatever you’re doing a chance to make a difference in your business.

Step 3: Momentum. At a certain point within your 90-day cycle, you’ll begin to see tangible results of your work. I’m sure you’ve experienced this in your business when your activities begin to pay off and suddenly things are clicking. This is being in the momentum state. But BEWARE! There are two ways to will quickly kill your momentum: One, your ego jumps up to bite you. When you start gaining traction, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re doing great and let your foot off the pedal. Two, you stop doing the work that got you there. If you realize you’ve fallen victim to one of these traps, it’s time to push the reset button and begin a new 90-day cycle.

Step 4: Stabilization. I’m not going to promise you that one 90-day cycle will move your business significantly. But when you keep doing those activities repeatedly, your business will grow. Which means you need to be paying attention and adjusting accordingly. Growth requires new systems and structure, and that’s what the “stabilization” phase is all about… Identifying what’s needed at this new stage in order to stay there:

Systems

Checklists

Software

Personnel

Etc.

Don’t ignore this step! Without regularly stabilizing your business after growth spurts, you’ll fall back down to where you are most stable.

Step 5: More 90-Day Shift & Stabilization. After stabilizing, it’s time to get back to the work, and then rinse and repeat… Get right back into more 90-day cycles (yes, cycles plural) and stabilize when needed. Do that again and again. Stick with it and stay committed. Because eventually your discipline, hard work, and perseverance will pay off and you’ll hit…

Step 6: THE QUANTUM LEAP! When you “do the thing” over and repeatedly… When you build that momentum and maintain your discipline… At a certain point, your work is going to pay off and you’ll create a sudden and unpredictable burst of results. I’m not talking about a little rush of activity, but the big jump from 30 transactions to 90 in one year. This is the quantum leap where you can achieve true, lasting exponential growth in your business. (As long as you stabilize once again after taking that giant leap.)

Step 7: More 90-Day Shift & Stabilization. The last step in this process is to get right back to the work. Jump into a new 90-day cycle and stabilize when needed. You’ve got to keep doing the thing to give you the power. Take the 90-Day Call Out?! What are 3-7 non-negotiable activities you’ll do in your business every day for 90 days in a row? (Or 78 if you want to take one day off each week – it’s up to you.) Let me know what you’re committed to acting on in creating your shift!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Are You Missing This Incredible Opportunity To Spin?

Wade Webb on July 26, 2023

realtor spin to winSo many agents, new and experienced are missing out on the opportunity of leveraging and spinning more business from the business they have already generated. What I call the “Spin To Win.” This week we look at a simple and powerful process of how agents can be proactive vs. reactive and master this system to spin another 15 more pieces of business every time if done right! Every time an agent or the brokerage..

1. Takes a listing

2. Gets a sale

3. Has a bona fide buyer that can’t find a property

4. Takes a price reduction… what do we do next to spin more business from these opportunities before they are gone?!

5. Host an open house.

6. Client Testimonials

7. Coming Soon

8. Buying Opportunity. Pick of the week!

Here’s 5 scripts showing what to say and how to say it for the following action steps:

  • “Help! My clients John and Susan would greatly appreciate your help with the sale of their property. Would you have a friend, family member or co-worker that may be interested in this home? If so, please let me know their name and number and I will follow them up and give them excellent service and promise not to pressure them in any way. Thanks for the help and consideration and making the move for John and Susan easier.”
  • “Help! My clients John and Susan would greatly appreciate your help with the purchase of their next property. Would you happen to have a friend, family member or co-worker that may be selling a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in the mission meadows area around the $400,000 price range? If so, please let me know their name and number and I will follow them up and give them excellent service and promise not to pressure them in any way. Thanks for the help and consideration and making the purchase for John and Susan easier.”
  • “Help! We just sold a home on 1234 Maple street and from our marketing efforts we have buyers for who that home didn’t work for, they missed out on and are still wanting this area. Would you happen to have a friend, family member or co-worker that may be living in this area and thinking of selling? If so, please let me know their name and number and I will follow them up and give them excellent service and promise not to pressure them in any way. Thanks for the help and consideration. “
  • “Help! My clients John and Susan just repositioned their home on 1234 Maple street and would appreciate your help with the sale of their property. Would you have a friend, family member or co-worker that may be interested in this home? If so, please let me know their name and number and I will follow them up and give them excellent service and promise not to pressure them in any way. Thanks for the help and consideration and making the move for John and Susan easier.”
  • “Help! My clients John and Susan have allowed me to host an Open House at their home this Saturday from 1-2pm and would appreciate your help. Would you have a friend, family member or co-worker that may be interested in this home? If so, please let them know about the open house this Saturday. Thanks for the help and consideration for making the move for John and Susan easier.”

Step 1 – Your Database – Email your database. Video email your database. Text or video text your database.

Step 2 – Social Media – Static written post. Video post. Infographic post. FB live video post. Reels.

Step 3 – Tel 20 – Door Knocking 20 Neighbors. Letter tuck the homes around and save time covering more doors not getting held up chatting too long.

Step 4 – Un Addressed Ad Mail. Personally Addressed mail. – Letters, flyer or postcard the areas.

Step 5 – Host The Open house. – Meet more buyers and sellers and the neighbors.

Step 6 – Video. – Blog, FB or FB Live. YouTube, Reels, Email.

Step 7 – Print. – Add these requests to your monthly newsletter or e newsletter. Local print media.

Step 8 – Classifieds Online or Offline. FB Marketplace. – Run these requests in classified ads.

Step 9 – Targeted FB, Instagram, or Google PPC Ads. – Run these requests as paid targeted ads

Step 10 – Coming Soon campaign for listings and spin buyer enquiries prior to activation.

Step 11 – Business Card MLS Sheets. – Give your seller 50 of your business cards with their mini-MLS listing information on the back of your business cards and ask them to hand them all out and help you help them to sell their home.

So, there you have it. Create opportunities from your business versus wait. Take the time to leverage and spin more business from your existing business as the time allows it. Let me know in the comments of other ways you spin more business from your existing business in the comments below.

Click here to download and enjoy this complimentary spreadsheet to help you track and keep your spin process consistent!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Opportunity Time For Real Estate Agents In Shifting Market.

Wade Webb on July 19, 2023

opportunity time for real estate agents in shifting marketLooking for opportunity in this shifting real estate market?

When I hear agents complaining about the real estate market and acting as if they just need to wait it out until they can get back on track or start growing again, it makes me a little sad. It also makes me more than a little frustrated. Because not only are there still real estate opportunities out there, but for agents who know where to look, now is the time to leap ahead of your competition and grow your real estate market share. That’s what this blog is all about. I’m going to give you four reasons why a recession such as this one is not your enemy, but your opportunity to make an impact. Let’s not waste any time. Read these all the way through, and then get to seizing this moment while it’s still here.

  1. A Professionals Market – Having been in this business for over 28 years, I’ve seen my share of hard real estate markets: Black Monday, the internet bubble burst of 2000, post 9/11, and 2008. And what I’ve seen every time is that the real estate industry becomes trifurcated into three segments: The non-producers who only sell a house or two now and then, if ever. This group tends to drop out during a recession. The Moveable Middle: full-time agents who sell some houses but aren’t super committed and always seem to be struggling. Many of these agents will stay exactly where they are during this time, and many will also drop down to non-producers. But then there are those who rise into… The top 25% who keep crushing it and have some of their best years ever during hard real estate markets. If you’re in the middle group and putting in all your effort then I’m talking to you, because this is the time to sharpen your skills and prove what you can do. Agents who got their start just a couple years ago where homes were flying in seconds are going to be hurting right now, because they didn’t have to work with discipline. So, now is the time to hone it.
  2. Most Agents Will Pull Back on Their Marketing – There is a huge opening in today’s real estate market right now. We are seeing that some agents who control most transactions in their geo farm have been pulling back on their marketing. And this is a major mistake because it allows enterprising agents to move right in. Going all-in on your real estate marketing is more important than ever in a slower economy. Because it’s the agents who make their presence known during the hard times that people remember. I’m not just talking about your advertising, either. You need make it clear that your job is to educate and take care of people. Provide Annual Equity Reviews, check in on past clients just to see how they’re doing, and put out free content online to let everyone know what’s going on. Be the “knowledge broker” in your real estate market. 
  3. Fear is Killing Consumer Opportunities – The reality of today’s real estate climate is that now is still a great time to buy a home, if… The buyer can afford it. And they plan to live in the home for a while. Right now, inflation and interest rates are some of the main drivers of fear, but what many people aren’t weighing this against is the asset they’re obtaining, which in most cases is going to rapidly build equity and be up for refinancing within the year. The agent who learns how to convey the data in the right way to show buyers and sellers the real estate opportunity in front of them is the agent who wins. 
  4. The Drivers In Every Real Estate Market – Here’s something else that I talk about at Roadmap… No matter what kind of real estate market we are in, life goes on, and there are seven reasons why people will always need to move. These Drivers are Diapers: Having a baby. Death. Diamonds: Getting married. Divorce. Diplomas. Defaults on a loan. Relocation.

So, I just gave you that list and it’s up to you what you do with it. Some agents will say “cool” and just keep scrolling. Others will work them into their marketing and targeting.

Don’t Let This Moment Slip Away. I’ll repeat that now is the opportunity to really sharpen your skills and gain the trust of the people in your real estate market, so don’t let it slip away. Yes, a real estate market like this does require you to work harder, but the work you do now is an investment in your future real estate branding. Be grateful for the real estate opportunity to shine during this difficult time. Hope this has been helpful and don’t feel shy about reaching out.

Strength and Courage,
Wade

Closing Gifts For Agents Clients 2023

Wade Webb on July 12, 2023

closing gifts agents clients 2023Have you ever had the dilemma of what to get a real estate client for a closing gift? What is the appropriate gift, budget, and gesture for saying thank you? Seller closing gifts are about more than just showing your appreciation… They’re one of the best ways of creating raving fans who return the gift many times over. Too many agents approach seller closing gifts the way they would a Secret Santa present. By that, I mean they get them something generic and impersonal under $50 which their clients can either consume, spend, or throw away within a couple of weeks. And while it may be a nice thing, it doesn’t exactly provide that WOW experience you need in this market, and it doesn’t do anything to keep you top-of-mind and continue to earn you referrals well into the future. We are going to give you four ideas for seller closing gifts that are going to wow your clients into singing your name to everyone they know.

A Housewarming Party – Moving is often a bittersweet experience, especially if someone has lived in a place for a while. It’s beautiful and something worth celebrating with all the people they care about. But the problem with throwing a party during the process of moving is because… well… THEY’RE BUSY MOVING! Parties take a lot of effort to organize, prepare for, and then clean up. And that’s not any easier when you’re trying to pack all your stuff into boxes. That’s where you come in. You can rent a space for this or use your office if there’s enough room. Get out the decorations, put pictures of the sellers on the walls, and cater the party yourself. This is more than just a fun event, because just think about the opportunity here. You’re going to be meeting all the family and friends of some people who just sold their home… See what I’m getting at? This is a night they’ll remember forever and you’ll likely generate a lot of future business from.

A Memorable Experience – Gifts last for a while, but memories last forever. The best seller closing gifts are the ones that will generate attention not just from the clients themselves but from everyone they know. “Wow, your real estate agent gave you THAT?” What is something that your clients have always wanted to do or something that falls within their interests? You should get to know all these kinds of things during the transaction and be thinking about your gift ahead of time. Many of my coaching clients have a business that is nearly 100% driven by repeat and referral clients, and that’s because they go all in on their gifts and client experience. Some of the gifts are renting out an entire movie theater for family and friends, Zip lining, Bungee jumping, and champagne tastings. But you can do whatever you find that works in your area, like maybe a hot air balloon ride or a day at a wine vineyard. It doesn’t have to get crazy expensive, especially if you can get a deal with local providers.

A Piece of Art from a Local Artist – Maybe you’re into the local art scene and have good taste. In that case, you might strike a deal with a local artist on discounted pieces for your clients. There are three important factors here. The work is good enough to display in your home. It’s non-generic and personal to your clients, It’s something they’d want and can transport to where they’re going during the “getting to know them” phase of the transaction (or when you see their home) get a sense of what kind of art they like. If their old home was only filled with Russian nautical art, then they likely won’t be interested in a watercolor of their new house on the wall. And don’t go too flashy here. Don’t give them anything big that they need to store if they don’t like it or something that will take up substantial space on the wall.

Monthly Subscription Services – Want to stay top of mind? Then gift something that continues to deliver month after month. Imagine having a new bottle of wine or your favorite magazine delivered to you every month by your real estate agent… Seems like a luxury, right?! This works even better if you can include some of your own branding in the package. Use the information you already have about your clients to figure out what they’d enjoy and do a little research. Like all good gifts, seller closing gifts need to be personal, emotional, and come from the heart. And this starts with forming a deeper connection with your clients. It’s about building long term relationships.

Feel free to share your closing gift ideas and experiences with us please! We would love to hear from you!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Luxury Marketing For Real Estate Agents In 2023

Wade Webb on July 5, 2023

Luxury Marketing For Real Estate Agents 2023Luxury real estate presents a unique and rewarding niche in the real estate industry. As a real estate agent, catering to high-end clientele requires specialized knowledge and skills. To thrive in this market, it’s essential to understand the intricacies of luxury properties, the expectations of affluent buyers, and the key factors that influence their purchasing decisions. In this article, we will provide you with valuable tips and insights to help you navigate the luxury real estate market successfully and establish yourself as a trusted advisor to discerning clients.

Develop Expertise in Luxury Properties:

To excel in the luxury real estate market, it’s crucial to develop a deep understanding of the unique features, amenities, and design elements that define luxury properties. Familiarize yourself with the finest neighborhoods, exclusive communities, and prestigious developments in your area. Attend luxury home tours, network with luxury builders and architects, and study local market trends to stay ahead of the competition. Cultivating this expertise will instill confidence in your high-end clients and position you as an expert in luxury real estate.

Establish Relationships and Build a Strong Network:

In the luxury real estate sector, building and nurturing relationships is key. Develop a strong network of industry professionals, including luxury home builders, architects, interior designers, and wealth managers. Collaborating with these experts will not only enhance your knowledge but also help you provide comprehensive services to your clients. Attend high-profile events, join exclusive clubs, and engage in philanthropic activities to meet affluent individuals and establish connections. Remember, luxury buyers value personal referrals and recommendations, so leveraging your network can significantly increase your chances of closing lucrative deals.

Offer a White-Glove Service Experience:

Luxury buyers expect a superior level of service tailored to their unique needs and preferences. Provide a white-glove service experience by paying attention to every detail and going above and beyond expectations. Offer personalized property tours, arrange private showings, and provide discreet and confidential transactions. Utilize high-quality marketing materials, including professional photography, virtual tours, and elegant brochures, to showcase properties in their best light. Invest in technology and tools that streamline the buying process and provide a seamless experience for your clients. By providing exceptional service, you can build long-lasting relationships and secure referrals in the luxury market.

Embrace Digital Marketing and Online Presence:

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for success in luxury real estate. Create a professional website that showcases your expertise, listings, and client testimonials. Leverage social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook to connect with affluent buyers and showcase your luxury listings. Invest in search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure your website ranks high in relevant searches. Utilize virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to provide immersive property experiences. Embracing digital marketing strategies will expand your reach, attract qualified leads, and establish your brand as a trusted authority in luxury real estate.

Thriving in the luxury real estate market requires a strategic approach and a deep understanding of affluent buyers’ expectations. By developing expertise in luxury properties, building strong relationships, providing exceptional service, and embracing digital marketing, real estate agents can position themselves for success and tap into the lucrative world of luxury real estate.

P.S. Here are some great books to help you get started or get to that next level.

1. Ditch The Pitch – Steve Yastrow

2. Rich Buyer, Rich Seller – Institute For Luxury Home Marketing N.A.R.

3. Global Luxury Real Estate – Laurent Demeure

4. It’s Your Move – Josh Altman

5. Selling Luxury Homes – Jack Cotton

Feel free to email and share your top luxury marketing ideas and top must read books to me! Would love to hear from you!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Realtors© Are You Living Above The Line In 2023?

Wade Webb on June 28, 2023

realtors living above the line in 2023?I love reading the comments on my blog articles or listening to agents’ responses in coaching sessions. You know I do. But every once in a while, I’ll see or hear a comment and I can’t help but shake my head. “Thanks Wade, but what if I’m a new agent?” Or “Great info but how do I use this if I live in ________?” Or “That’s not the way that we do it around here.” I wonder if these people are truly seeking solutions, or… Are they looking for excuses? “Well Wade, I’m new, this doesn’t really apply to me.” Yes, it does! “Well Wade, my market’s different. I’m not sure that would work here.” Yes, it will! Use your ingenuity!

One of my favorite books, The Oz Principle by Paul J Kelly talks about living above the line and living below the line. The Top 20% of real estate agents wake up every day and choose to live above the line. They take 100% responsibility for themselves, they value and love themselves, they choose and own their choices and seize the opportunities they are given. The other 80% of agents live below the line and deny anything they do wrong, they blame others, create and make problems even bigger than they are and respond dramatically to everything they come face to face with. I always ask myself and my kids when we are tested, are we living above the line? Or living below the line today?

News flash #1: There are no “minor leagues” in real estate. You’re in the big leagues now. If you’re new, that just means you have to work much harder and maintain your focus that much stronger. You have a lot of legwork ahead of you — systems to put in place, your business plan to create, marketing plans to develop, sales skills to refine, training to attend, books to read, etc.

News flash #2: Your market isn’t that different from everyone else’s market. Even if your market has some unique characteristics, you can always adapt what you’ve learned or what others are doing to fit your market and/or clientele. But whatever you do, you cannot allow yourself to make excuses for underperforming. Don’t Regret Your Inactivity If you allow yourself to make excuses, you’re only setting yourself up for mediocrity. Instead, commit yourself to training, learning, doing. Five years from now, you’re going to look back on the next two years of your life and say one of two things: “Wow, I really kicked ass and gave my business the jump start it needed.” Or “Ughhh! I wish I’d done more to put myself in position to succeed in this business.” Doing Something Is Always Better Than Nothing. Agents who succeed are the types who put their thinking caps on and are willing to adapt. They hear about a successful strategy and adjust it to fit their market, their business model, their level of experience in the industry. Nobody ever said you have to copy a strategy in its entirety. Pick and choose what works best for you. The point is to DO SOMETHING. The next time you catch yourself coming up with a reason why an idea won’t work, flip the script and instead focus on how you can adapt it to make it work best for you.
Don’t make excuses. Find solutions. Live above the line!

Strength and courage,
Wade

2023 Mid Year Review For Real Estate Agents

Wade Webb on June 21, 2023

2023 mid year review real estate agentsI cannot believe how quickly time flies and the first half of 2023 has come and gone already. It’s an excellent time of year to do a mid year review on your real estate business and assess what you did well, what you can do better and more importantly what’s next for you and the second half of 2023. I strongly encourage you to set aside an hour or so – on a weekend or during your normal weekly planning time – and do a mid-year review on your real estate business. Use this time to reflect back on the first six months of the year and make adjustments to your real estate goals for the remainder of the year.

10 Questions to Ask During Your Mid-Year Performance Review:
Looking Back…

1. Key Accomplishments. What are all of the great things I got done over the past six months? What goals did I achieve? What things am I most proud of accomplishing? Which of my goals did I really miss the mark on?

2. Relationship Development. What new relationships did I develop? Which of my existing relationships did I significantly strengthen? Which relationships may I have overlooked or not given enough attention to?

3. Learning. What opportunities to learn new things did I take advantage of? What were the things I learned most about myself? What were the things I learned most about my business?

4. Mistakes. What mistakes did I make? What mistakes could I have avoided? What mistakes provided me with the most significant development and learning opportunities?

5. Time Management. How well did I manage my time? Have I been focusing my time on the most important things in my life? Are there any significant “time wasters” I need to reduce or eliminate from my life? When am I most productive? When am I least productive?

Looking Ahead…

6. Top 3 Work-Related Goals. What are my top three work-related goals for the remainder of the year? Why are those goals important to me? What habits and processes do I need to adopt to support those goals?

7. Top 3 Personal Goals. What are my top three personal goals for the remainder of the year? Why are those goals important to me? Who can I share these goals with to help hold me accountable to achieving them?

8. Relationship Development. Which relationships will I focus on strengthening and developing during the second half of the year? Who do I want to meet and get to know? Who can most help me achieve my work-related and personal goals?

9. Learning and Knowledge. What areas of learning do I most need to focus on? What new skills do I need to develop? What skills do I need to strengthen? What things do I need to “keep current” on? What one skill, if mastered, would have the greatest impact on the achievement of my goals?

10. Habits. What time management habits do I need to develop and strengthen? What three habits, if developed and sustained, would have the greatest positive impact on my work life and personal life? What habits do I know I need to drop or replace?

Set yourself up for ending your year strong and run through the above questions and review them regularly the balance of the year to remind yourself of what you want out of your life and what you want out of your business. Have you done too much and burned out? Am I out of balance? Am I out of motivation? Have I fallen short? The exciting news is that we have the choice when things weren’t what we hoped in the first half of the year to choose to make this the first day of the rest of the year of what you really want in business and life. I dare you!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Realtors© Are You Wasting Your Most Precious Commodity?

Wade Webb on June 14, 2023

realtors wasting most precious commodityRealtors© Are You Wasting Your Most Precious Commodity?

Once, a king and a lazy man named Haria were very good friends. One morning, the king said, “Why don’t you do work to earn some money?” Haria said, “No one gives me job. My enemies told everyone that I never do any work in time.” The kind king said, “You can go into my treasury and collect as much wealth as you can, till sunset.” Haria rushed home to tell this to his wife. She said, “Go and get the gold coins and gems now.” “I cannot go now. Give me lunch first.” After lunch, he took a nap for an hour. Then in the late afternoon, he picked some bags and went to the palace. On the way, he felt hot, so he sat under a tree to rest. Then, two hours later, he got up to go but saw a man showing some magic tricks. He stopped to watch for an hour again. When he reached the palace, it was already time for sunset. The palace gates had been shut. So, Haria had lost a golden chance because he had not learnt the value of time.

I see and hear so many real estate agents who are putting in long hours and long days but don’t seem to be reaping the benefits of their labor. How many of you are maximizing your time each day? Are you truly using every second to its fullest potential? Time is precious and the truth is we don’t have much of it. Are You Wasting Time? Most people in this economy are wasting time. But what happens when the market takes a turn? It’s not a matter of “if”, but “when”, because it always does. Will you be the one with all the money? If you don’t start the working immediately in the real estate market, we know that somebody else will.

4 Popular Agent Workplace Timewasters, and Tips to Reign them in.

2. Interruptions. One study says people can waste up to two hours per day of productivity based on interruptions. One reason for this is it can take around 20 minutes to get back into a work groove after your flow is interrupted. Of course, sometimes distractions are welcome (admit it!)—whether it’s a team member asking for your input, to talking about a TV show. And while interruptions will happen, the trick is minimizing them, so they don’t kill your work productivity. Tip: Put your head down for set periods of time—25, 50 or 75 minutes—whatever is a realistic stretch of time to accomplish a task. If you’re in an office, close your door. If you’re in an open space, wear headphones, or set up some kind of “Do Not Disturb” signage around your desk area. Other common tricks are to turn off email and instant messaging; close all the browsers, apps and docs you’re not using. Also, don’t think you have to drop everything when a co-worker asks for something. Try lines like, “Set up some time for us and I can give you my full attention” to a simple “Can you give me a minute, I’m in the middle of something.” This might change some of your team members’ interrupting habits as well.

2. Socializing with co-workers. This is a double-edged sword, as stated by different studies. The Salary.com survey says 43% of their respondents blamed interacting with coworkers as the main reason they missed doing work. However, there’s an upside to this social interaction. Other studies have found coffee room chats and serendipitous conversations can increase productivity through the exchange of information, ideas and problem-solving strategies, and the quick emotional boost that comes with making meaningful connections. Tip: Think about socializing as you would managing a project. If you find yourself in an unplanned conversation, give yourself ten minutes to talk rather than letting the conversation go on too long. Sometimes, you just must exercise discipline and walk away from a group conversation. Or consolidate your social interactions.

3. Unclear priorities. It happens too often: Individuals find themselves working on tasks they discover aren’t the highest priority. When agents are disorganized—either because of poor communication or no prioritization. Tip: If you’re not sure what you should be working on, ask. Ask yourself if you are confident the activity you are working on is what matters most to the business today. Always remind yourself of the high dollar productive activities in real estate always get done first!

4. The Internet, social media, and personal emails. There are a few dynamics going on here: Dropping in on Facebook and other social media during the day is the new water cooler break. Let’s be honest, we all check out something on the Internet that isn’t work related—from news articles to shopping. Do we even need to explain email? We have a personal life, folks! Tip: Instead of nickel-and-diming your time by browsing the Internet, checking your social media sites and responding to personal emails, set aside a designated time, say 10-15 minutes twice a day for these activities. You’ll save time from all the restart time that goes along with frequent quick interruptions (see No. 1). Plus, it’s a good discipline practice to increase your focus and overall productivity.

What’s your favorite or most plaguing time waster—and what do you do about it?

Strength and courage,
Wade