First Quarter Progress Reporting Time For Agents

Wade Webb on April 7, 2021

realtor first quarter reporting 2021Wow! Welcome to Q2. Three months of the new year have already flown by……And the next nine aren’t likely to slow down. So my question for you is… How are you doing? Have you achieved 25 percent of your 2021 goals yet? Are you on track? Or do you need to reevaluate your behaviors to catch up? Let’s examine these questions as a “progress report” and make sure you do what’s needed to achieve everything you set out to in 2021.

Appointments are the Lifeblood of Real Estate Success. Every real estate agent should know – and live by – this progression: Calls > Conversations > Appointments > Clients > Closings. Your 2021 business plan should have included how many of each of these you need to achieve your year-end goal. You also need to be tracking all these numbers on a daily basis. So get out your business plan, multiply your year-end target number by 0.25 and see where you’re at with your:

  • Calls made
  • Conversations
  • Appointments booked
  • Appointments won (turned the prospect into a client)
  • Closings (break it down to sellers/buyers)
  • Whether you like it or not, this business is all about prospecting and following up.

If you’re behind pace, follow the 5-5-4 plan every day. Make your calls until you’ve achieved:

  • 5 conversations with people from your database
  • 5 conversations with new people you’ve never talked to before
  • 4 follow-up conversations

Here’s the thing: This stuff won’t happen if you just “hope” to get around to it. You’ve got to make it a priority. Schedule your prospecting block in your calendar and honor that time as sacred.

Now Let’s Talk Lead Generation. While we’re in the “review” mode, now it’s time to examine your lead generation efforts. Analyze each of your individual lead pillars to determine what’s working, what’s not, and what you can or should do about them.

  • Are any methods excelling so much that you should double down on them?
  • Can you identify pillars that are significantly underperforming or aren’t producing at all?
  • What new lead pillars might you consider adding to your mix?
  • How about social media: Are you sticking to a consistent posting schedule?
  • Are you generating engagement with your posts? If not, how are you going to shake things up to drive engagement?

Finally, Examine Your Bottom Line. Your business plan should include line items such as total number of closed transactions, your GCI, expenses and your expected profits. Are you 25 percent of the way toward these goals? If you’re falling short of your GCI goal and feel like you’re already maxed out on time, you may be in the “stuck” category I wrote about a few weeks ago. If that’s the case, it’s time to invest in yourself by hiring help or outsourcing some of the admin work that’s keeping you “busy” but not “productive.” Are your expenses higher than you expected? How about transaction volume – are you above or below your target? Bottom line… are you on course to reach your profit goal for 2021, or do you need to rethink your behaviors?

What Do You Need to Succeed? In closing, I hope you found this helpful. If this was difficult for you, I’d encourage you to stop sticking your head in the sand and start confronting whatever is preventing you from achieving your goals. Tracking and measuring your numbers is what will keep you on pace for greatness, so make it a habit or find someone who will hold you accountable. Go get it in Q2 – with so much existing activity on top of the regular Spring market, it’s probably going to be crazy! Now is the time to put your head down and make things happen.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Generate Unlimited No Cost Buyer and Seller Leads

Wade Webb on March 31, 2021

buyer seller realtor leadsWhat if I told you that there was an unlimited, free source of brand new Buyer and Seller leads out there that you could tap into at any time? And I’m not talking about a list you already have, or getting referrals from your existing sphere. I’m talking about using a platform with as many viewers as Zillow – or even Netflix – that you’ve probably heard of, but aren’t using to generate new deals on a consistent basis… sound too good to be true?

I’d like to introduce you to Craigslist – and before you write this off just let me show you why it’s one of the most under-utilized opportunities for real estate agents today. Yes….Craigslist. As I alluded to above, Craigslist is one of the top 15 most-viewed websites in the United States – going back and forth with Zillow currently sitting at #14, and far above Netflix positioned at #17. This is because communities throughout the United States and Canada still primarily rely on Craigslist to find professional services, jobs, goods for sale, community events and yes… even Real Estate. Also, did I mention it’s FREE? If you use Craigslist to your advantage, it can become a fantastic source of fresh leads to grow your Power List and generate deals. However, I’ll warn you – some of the methods we’re going to discuss in this article, and over the coming weeks, might seem unconventional… but they’re used with great success by agents across the country.

The Method is split into three parts:

1. Create “Listing+” Ads
2. Set Up a “2nd Opportunity” Email Auto Responder
3. Be Safe With Online Leads

Let’s break them down for you….

1. Create “Listing+” Ads. Craigslist is a great place to post active listings (for free!) and gain exposure for a property. However, you don’t need to have listings of your own to implement this strategy. As a side note, many agents who are already posting their listings to Craigslist aren’t structuring them correctly, so people don’t respond and they’re not getting the value they could. So, what do I mean by “Listing+”?

Posting a listing to get exposure for a property is great, but the real value of the posting is in the opportunity to generate new leads from it. That’s why if you don’t currently have any listings – or even if you do, but they’re not going to attract the type of buyers and sellers you’re looking to work with, it’s totally acceptable to promote another agent’s active listings. Sometimes you might even get better results than with your own.

You’ll need to talk to the listing agent before promoting their property, however it’s usually somewhat easy to find a colleague who would appreciate the extra exposure for their listing – think of it like sitting in on an open house for another agent. Once you have a property to promote, it’s all about giving people a “Dual Call To Action”. Normally, marketing experts recommend focusing on only one thing, but I told you we’d be covering some unconventional methods! To meet Craigslist’s Terms, and gain maximum exposure, your primary call to action needs to relate to the property. However, it seems you can add a secondary call to action with related information which often turns out to be more effective at generating leads than the property itself.

2. Set Up An Auto Responder. So far I’ve covered all of the value you can get directly from a Craigslist Cash™ Listing+ Ad, but that’s just one of many opportunities you’ll have to offer value and convert a client from a Craigslist posting. When viewers “Reply” to your post you’ll receive an email which you’ll want to respond to immediately. The best way to do this is to use an auto-responder which gives people information about the property, but don’t stop there! Present your lead with valuable information and a reason to contact you. The trick is picking the correct offer to go along with the listing you’re promoting and using the correct Direct Response Language to get people to work with you.

3. Be Safe With Online Leads. No strategy to meet new people is complete without considering your safety a #1 priority. I had to add this third part because I want to stress how important it is to be safe with any – and all – of your online prospecting activities. Here are a few guidelines to ensure that you and your clients stay safe out there: Verify any new lead is a real person by having a conversation over the phone before any in-person meetings are to take place. If you can arrange a video meeting, that’s even better!

Google the lead to verify that their social profiles, or professional profiles, match up with who they say they are. Always meet in public for the first time. Whether it’s at your office or a coffee shop, hosting a meeting in public will give you a good opportunity to assess the situation before moving ahead with a client. Another option is to find a “showing buddy” (another agent) who will show properties to online lead sources with you – obviously you returning the favor works wonders for the relationship.

Finally – Trust your gut 100% – if it doesn’t feel right for any reason or no reason at all, you don’t have to work with anyone. No deal is worth your safety.

Let me know if you are using this already and the success you’re having with it in the comments below.

Love to hear from you!

Strength and courage,
Wade

The Magic Words Of Influence & Impact for Realtors©

Wade Webb on March 24, 2021

words influence power realtorsOne of my personal favorite books of all time is Phil M Jones’s book “Exactly What To Say” and he shares some of the most powerful words for agents to know and understand in their sales careers and this week we want to share some of these fantastic insights and phrases with all our readers and a shout out to Phil Jones and his book as well. The forgotten art of spoken communication and the power of choosing the right words at the right time and how to say them will mean you getting chosen between others in the industry. The agents that continue to get the business is purely based on their ability with their word choices. These magic words speak directly to the humans subconscious brain and the part of the brain that makes yes or no decisions and avoids the maybes.

 

1. I’m not sure this is for you, but ……

The customer hears I’m not sure this is for you and gets a sense that there’s no pressure and also increases their intrigue what it is that may not be for them and fires an internal decision needs to be made.

The real magic is in the 3 letter word BUT and should be avoided in all conversations. This magic word negates anything prior to it and is forgotten by the other persons. So when using these set of words be certain to speak in rejection free manner.

I am not sure this is for you but do you happen to know someone that would be?!
I am not sure this is for you but this property could generate a positive monthly cash flow of $450  (share the benefits to them)
I am not sure this is for you but this property will most likely not last long on the market.

Two things will happen… they will lean in and ask for more details or the will say they will give it some thoughts. Rejection to you averted! No negation on words that you spoke by them!

 

2. Open Minded. How Open Minded Are You…..

If you ask a large number of people if they are open minded I am sure they would say yes. The reason is nobody wants to seem themselves as closed minded.

When introducing a brand new idea to someone open with How Open Minded Are You and then follow up that with the scenario you want them to opt into. Odds increase from 50/50 to more like 90/10

Natural attracts people to the ideas you want them to buy into.

-How open minded would you be
Giving this a chance?

-Increasing your living space and having more room for the family?
Seeing if we could work together?

This set of words makes someone feel obligated to explore the opportunity or uncomfortable rejecting you. It seems like you are giving them a choice but your actually heavily weighting the one option to them. Everybody wants to be open minded.

 

3. What Do You Know About…

How often do we find ourselves speaking with someone that leads to a debate of someone that knows more than us. To be a person of influence we need to be able to move someone’s position of certainty to one of doubt. Don’t do this by challenging them…. not creating an argument or walk away. Just question their knowledge and allow them to save face.

What do you know about the Sales per square foot in the building?! Share what you know after you question their knowledge. Arguments always end with losers regardless who the loser is. Don’t go there.

 

4. How would you feel if ….

Motivation – a reason to move or a reason to do. Avoidance of pain or loss or to the move to pleasure or gain. People will work far harder to avoid pain or loss

People base decisions on emotion and logic. Decisions are made on emotion first therefore make their decision feel right first so it makes sense to them and then they will take action.

If the reason is big enough then you can get anyone to do anything. Create a truth for them worth changing for.

How would you feel if…. helping them travelling into the future and get them excited. Greater the contrast the greater the response.

How would you feel if….

you had that $2,200 suite income helping with paying down your personal debt?

You were able you have the space to care for your struggling mother in your home?

 

5. Just Imagine…

Every decision that a human makes is made at least twice. First in your mind hypothetically then second in reality.

If you can’t see yourself doing something then it doesn’t get done. Being able to place pictures in peoples minds will all then to see them doing something first and then act on it. TELL STORIES!

When you hear the words Just Imagine….. sets the stage for them to picture and drive them to act

Just imagine how things will be in six months time when you are moved in here. The smiles on your mothers face.

 

6. When Would Be A Good Time?

Overcome the biggest challenge someone telling us they just don’t have the time……

These set of words also preps someone the preface that their will be a good time for them in the future now. That no is not an option and it is just confirming that point in time.

When would be a good time to take proper look at this?
When would be a good time to get this started?
When would be a good time to speak next?

 

7. I Am Guessing That You Haven’t Got Around To?

Perfect set of words for following up with people. When following up allow the other person to save face and prevent them from using any excuses they might have which these words already elude to and take it away from them. Prefacing the question

I am guessing you haven’t got around to speaking with your partner about listing your home?
I am guessing you haven’t got around to looking at the documents yet?
I am guessing your haven’t made a decision on this yet? Opens you up to the negotiation again.

By pushing them to the negative scenario your get them to rush to the positive scenario quickly or tell you how they are going to fix the thing they said they haven’t got around to yet.

 

8. Simple Swaps (swap what you say and how you say it)

Simple psychological technique turning an open question into a closed question. Swap the outcome out of your control to into your control.

Do you have any questions? versus

What questions do you have for me?

The biggest mistake where we suggest that they should have questions for us and making them feel stupid they don’t so to save face they ask for more time to think about it and move you away from the decision.

Easy for them to respond I don’t have any questions and avoid the dreaded response I need to think about it.

When we want to get a little more information from someone.

Can I have your phone number?

Stop using “can I have your?” Feels like an invasion of privacy and creates an awkward permission base response. Versus

“what’s the best number I can reach you at?” “What’s the best address I can send this to?”

Makes a huge difference.

 

9. The Way I See It you Have Three Options…

When someone wants to feel like they have the final decision and not be manipulated. Make it easy for them to pick and keep them empowered.

You are not sure what to do…. as I see it you have three options.

1.
2.
3.

of those three options what’s going to be easier for you?!

The only option is the easy one which is the one that you wanted them to choose.

 

10. Two Types Of People

Be decision catalysts and professional mind maker upper. The final moment to decide and take action is the hardest task. Help people to choose by removing options and making the decision easy. Make statement that gives them a choice. There are two types of people in this world….. Instantly wonder which one they’re are…… options are stacked in favor of what you want them to choose. Those who learn and do nothing and those that learn change and take action.

I trust you found these magic words as helpful and insightful as I did. Check out his book and learn the 14 more magical words he shares and then really take the time to internalize these words and see the impact on your business. Let me know which one’s you like the best. Would love to hear from you all!

 

Strength and courage,
Wade

Agent Strategies From NAR Buyer Seller Trends 2020-2021

Wade Webb on March 17, 2021

NAR buyer seller trends 2020 2021It’s that time again to look at the trends and statistics of buyers, sellers and real estate professionals in 2020. The great resource from N.A.R. is for our real estate profession and providing incredible data for more than 35 years that helps REALTORS© track, measure and predict our business better every year. Again we take time to look at the trends and profiles of today’s real estate consumer and reflect on how we can better serve, attract and engage our customers in 2020 and 2021. So let’s have a look at what the data is saying!!

 

Home Buyers

  • 31% First time buyers in N. America
  • 47 Years of age
  • Average income annually $96,500
  • 62% Married couples
  • 11% Bought multi-generational homes with parents
  • 31% Desired to own their own home

Home Purchased

  • 15% Bought new 85% Bought used homes
  • 82% Detached single family purchased
  • 19% Senior related housing purchased
  • 15 Mile average between last home and new home purchased
  • Average price $372,500 and paid 99% of asking price
  • 1,900 Square foot, 3 bed, 2 bath built in 1993
  • Expect to stay 12 years in their home

 

Home Purchase Process

  • 43% Began looking online, 18% Began calling an agent
  • Looked 8 weeks and 8 homes
  • 87% Property photos most important to them
  • 64% Had a satisfactory experience

 

Home Purchase Agent

  • 88% Used an agent to buy
  • 6% Direct from builder
  • 40% Agent referred by friend
  • 91% Would use their agent again

 

Financing Purchase

  • 87% Financed their purchase
  • 88% typical loan to value ratio
  • 58% Down payment from savings
  • 46% saved down payment in 6 months or less
  • 83% Purchased because it is a good investment

 

Home Sellers

  • 56 Years of age
  • Median household income $107,100 annually
  • 14% Home to small, 15% closer to family, 12% work reasons
  • Lived in home 10 years on average
  • 89% sold with an agent
  • Sold 99% of their asking price
  • 3 weeks on the market
  • 44% offered incentives to buyers
  • Sold for $66,000 more than they paid on average
  • 69% were happy with sales process

 

How Sellers & Agents

  • 67% found their agent through a referral
  • 77% only contacted one agent when selling
  • 91% listed on MLS
  • 77% paid the agent’s fees
  • Typical seller recommend their agent pnce since selling
  • 88% would use agent again, 77% probably, 15% would not

 

Private By Owner

  • 8% sold by owner
  • 57 years of age
  • Average FSBO sale price $185,000
  • Average agents assisted sale price $245,000
  • 66% sold in less than 2 weeks
  • 70% sold to someone they knew 55% knew their buyer

 

COVID 19 Buying & Selling

  • #1 reason was to move closer to family
  • Urgency rose 7% when covid hit
  • 27% increase virtual tour viewings
  • Home sellers years owned dropped from 16 years to 11 years in 2020
  • Average price jumped post covid to $300,000 average vs $270,100
  • Finding a property biggest challenge

 

So there we have it the road map of who we are looking for and what they are doing. Take the time to develop a strategic strategy with your business and stop aiming for nothing and hitting it with amazing accuracy. Instead be strategic and intentional with your marketing approach this year using this incredible resource and watch your business go to another level.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Must Read Books For Real Estate Agents In 2021

Wade Webb on February 24, 2021

A quick Amazon search for real estate books comes up with over 60,000 titles. There is no shortage of coverage on the subject. Whether you are a real estate agent looking to increase your business or an investor looking to grow your real estate portfolio, here is the list of top 10 best books for real estate agents in 2021. Every one of these books have been hand chosen because I believe they have had the most impact on my success as a real estate agent, broker and coach. I’ve made it my goal for many years now to read a book a month. This goal is in addition to the numerous blog posts, YouTube videos, and podcasts I follow and listen to. I feel that it’s crucial always to be learning new things. I’ve never picked up a book that I didn’t learn something new. I honestly attribute any success that I’ve had in business, personal, and life in general to a never-ending quest for knowledge and books is a significant part of that. This year I challenge you to set a goal for reading books, whether it be through Audible, Scribd, Google Play Books, Apple Books or Blinklist ( my personal favorite) in the car or setting time aside to read. Pick some number of books that you are going to read this year and stick to it. You’ll be amazed at what reading will do. Not just for your knowledge but your hunger for more information!

 

1. The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller. – It’s like the realtor’s bible. Read this and it’ll spell out all pieces of the business that any agent should plan to invest their time in. Covers lead generation, leverage, mechanics of the business, and finances. Start here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The Conversion Code by Chris Smith. – This book by Chris Smith, who I’ve watched and learned from afar, is one of THE best books for real estate agents on internet lead generation and conversion. I read this book in the summer of 2017. I had already been doing internet lead generation for years in a big way but got WAY more out of this book than I could have ever imagined. It has since quadrupled my lead generation and vastly improved my conversion process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. 6 Steps to 7 Figures by Pat Hiban. – I’ve listened to his podcast, Real Estate Rockstars for years. He’s interviewed some of the best minds in real estate. This book is his step-by-step guide to creating success in real estate. All steps are relevant and spot on to truly having success in this business. Pat’s all about actionable content so be prepared to have a lot to do after reading this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Your First Year in Real Estate by Dirk Zeller. – It’s no mystery that your first year in real estate is likely going to be the most challenging year you face. Many agents give up before even hitting their one year mark. Much of this is due to expectations of agents that get into the business. With Dirk Zeller’s book, Your First Year in Real Estate, he shares the proper expectations and gives solid advice on how agents should spend each day throughout the year. He also shares some of the common pitfalls that new agents make, saving you some time and energy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. The E-Myth Revisited By Michael Gerber. – For the first two years in my general real estate career, I was a real estate agent that WANTED to be a business owner but didn’t know how to create the success I was looking for. I was a great agent so I assumed it would be easy to run a great real estate business. If anything being a good agent has been the biggest hamstring on running a successful business and this book exemplifies exactly why that is and how to fix it. I still don’t have it all figured out but I’m getting closer each day and this book is a major reason why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Exactly What To Say The Magic Words For Influence and Impact By Phil Jones – This book is so good for understanding the power of our words. It shares the top 23 most powerful phrases on the art of influence and impact. I was amazed to learn why we say things and why they have impact or not. Definitely a book you really need to sit down with and journal and study and watch the impact it will have in your personal and professional lives. Phil Jones is a master in communication and you will be glad you read this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Never Split The Difference. Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It By Chris Voss. – There is very little training and support in this topic for real estate professionals and it amazes me that most of us like myself learn to negotiate by practicing and screwing it up on our clients. One of the best books I have read on the topic of negotiation and highly recommend this book if you really want to take your skills to the next level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. The Go-Giver By Bob Burg. – An easy but powerful read for all real estate agents as you learn The Five Laws OF Stratospheric Success from the master himself Bob Burg. This book is still one of my all time favorite reads and pick it up once a year just to give me perspective and insight. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. The Sales Bible By Jeffrey Gitomer. – “The Sales Bible” is a catalog of sales tips and rule of thumbs, which every salesperson should know. Jeffrey Gitomer gives useful advice to selling in an unfavorable economy, which is truly motivating and inspiring. I highly recommend this useful book, to all salespeople who need all the encouragement they can get.

 

 

 

 

 

10. The Energy Bus By John Gordon. – I believe that the key to success is energy management and not time management. This book is a fantastic fable that will help you create positive energy with ten simple rules and make it the center of your life, work, and relationships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Think And Grow Rich By Napolean Hill – Financial management is one of the greatest challenges for so many real estate professionals. Reading this book and learning the foundational principles changed my life and allowed me to avoid the common financial pitfalls I see in so many real estate professionals. A must read indeed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. UnSelling By Scott Stratten. – I could list so many books about customer service that you need to read and the art of delivering the unexpected and creating raving fans. This is one of my personal favorites “UnSelling” is about the big picture: creating repeat customers, not one-time buyers; creating loyal clients that refer others, not treating people like faceless numbers; becoming the go-to company for a product or service, before people even need it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real estate is not an easy business career and my goal is to help as many agents as I can to truly find the lifestyle they desire. You have one book a month to read in 2021 that I know had a profound affect on my own life and I know will have the same on yours. Please reach out to me and share some of your all time favorite books that made a huge impact on your life!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Getting More Listings In 2021

Wade Webb on February 10, 2021

get more real estate listings 2021We are experiencing unprecedented low inventory levels across North America and it seems that we are going to see this for a while in 2021. Sellers don’t know here they are going next and worried that they would list and sell and then be without a home. So ask yourself what’s your goal in 2021? More buyer leads, more listing appointments, better brand recognition and market share? No matter which of these you’ve set your sights on, there’s one sure-fire way to help with each of these: listings. In addition to generating new real estate buyer and seller leads, listings also offer the opportunity to showcase your brand and expertise with valuable, relevant content. So if you believe that More Listings = More Leads and you want more of both, you’re in the right place. Read on for 19 strategies to generate listings from your past clients, sphere of influence, cold leads, and more.

1. Call your past clients and sphere to share some good news. – Let’s start with a big one: this tip can help you with every single person in your database (and ones who aren’t even in there yet). Bring value to the table right away with an interesting stat about the housing market. Here’s a great one to start, with a great angle built into it: The value of the US Housing Market increased by $1.9 trillion in 2020. That’s a 6.2% increase! Want to know how much your house’s value went up as part of it?

You know your market better than we do, so if you’ve got a more interesting or relevant stat about your area, lead with that. Regardless, find an appropriate angle to pair with your stat and you’ll start having better conversations that lead to more listings.

2. Send this email. – Here’s another stat for you to share with your past clients, sphere, and seller leads, and it’s a doozy and has generated a ton of interested replies and appointments. For the subject line: Zillow was WAY off! Or The Assessment Authority was WAY off!!! Here’s the message we wrote: Did you know that the CEO of Zillow sold his home for 40% less than the “Zestimate”? They actually have a disclaimer on their website where you can see exactly how INACCURATE they are. They just make it hard to find. With that in mind, if you are considering the sale of your home, (or the address of a home you want to buy), reply to this email right now with your home’s address and I would be happy to send you a “Zactimate.”

3. Post an Instagram Story poll. – This might be the easiest tip to act on – you can open your phone and do it right now. Add to your Instagram Story with a poll asking:  “Are you planning on selling your home this year?” Obviously you’ll get more “No”s than “Yes”es but any Yes or more in-depth answer provides an easy opportunity to follow up via DM.

4. Go live on Facebook from a neighborhood entrance. – You’ve probably heard you should be investing in video. If you’re ready to take the plunge but haven’t figured out what to film, here’s a tried and true way to get yourself out there: Head to a local landmark or the entrance of a neighborhood in your area. Give the details about two properties that recently sold nearby. Add a CTA that lets your viewers know they can email or DM you to inquire about other sold homes or check their own home’s value. That’s it!

5. Start each day prospecting for sellers. – Generate more appointments and contracts with the 5-5-4 routine and it’s easy to duplicate. Every day, you should have:

  • 5 conversations with people you don’t know, new potential prospects
  • 5 conversations with your hottest prospects
  • 4 conversations with your sphere of influence

What do you say on the phone with your sphere? Try “Have you had any thoughts of selling?” and “Do you know anybody that’s had thoughts of selling?” Tim’s sphere is so used to answering that now they start thinking about who might be selling any time Tim pauses in the conversation.

6. Search Zillow’s “Make Me Move” listings (and FSBOs) Here’s a strategy to help prospect seller leads that you can be sure want to sell their home. In fact, they’re already on Zillow. Head to Zillow.com and search for homes for sale in your area. Clear the “Listing Type” menu and only keep “Make Me Move” selected – now you have a list of seriously interested sellers to start some conversations with. Once you have the filters selected, not only will you see the current Make Me Moves but you can ALSO subscribe via email to get alerts any time more are added!

7. Use Realtor.com (or your MLS) to find upcoming expired listings. Just like the tip about Zillow above, this technique is available to anyone thanks to technology and public records. Use Realtor.com’s home search and sort by “Newest Listings.” But you’re not here for the most recent listings on the market, so scroll down and click on the last page of search results. Take a screengrab of the listings with a low photo count and a high number of days on the market – you can show the seller the difference between how their home was marketed before it expired and how you can help show it off now. Now you’ve got a list of some upcoming expireds and can start your prep work on how you’ll approach them.

8. Take advantage of the “instant offer” trend. – Instant Offers have, understandably, made some real estate agents worried. Open Door and Zillow Offers make a compelling argument to consumers who are motivated by convenience. But that’s not their only motivation… Instant Offers are all but guaranteed to be low-ball offers. If you’re in a market where homes are moving fast, you can turn an “Instant Offer” into a seller looking for a home value report. How? We like what the Wertz Group does by asking “Does your home qualify for an ‘instant’ offer?” Be prepared to respond quickly: many sellers want the most money they can get, but these companies are proving there is still a huge market for people who value speed.

9. Refresh your listing presentation and process. Focus on current marketing strategies in today’s economy and offer the solutions to the challenges of the sellers. Add pre-emptive offers, multiple offers and coming soon strategies and information that we never had to have before.

10. Sell your services. – If you ask the average real estate agent what’s more important between buyers and sellers, they’ll typically say sellers. But when you look at their websites, the first thing highlighted is a home search. Stop sending the wrong signal, start selling your services. Every real estate website should have a page that sells its services to potential home sellers. Selling your home is a daunting process, so give your prospective clients the peace of mind that you have a tried and true plan to list, market, and sell their home.

11. Establish a Seller Success Series. – When you’ve used all the tips on this list, you’re going to have a lot of happy sellers. You can turn those into even more listings, by turning the corner on a common business practice and making something truly compelling. He’s leveled up his reviews by turning his wildly positive customer experiences into evergreen content that sells every new person who comes to his website. The stories are interesting, unique and are an authentic representation of his brand. The best part? People help support what they create. Feature your clients in a positive light and turn them into your brand ambassadors! We believe that if you tell more stories, you’ll sell more homes.

12. Find hidden sellers. – It’s no secret that generating buyer leads is much easier than attracting the ever elusive seller lead. The common mistake we see many savvy real estate agents miss is they forgot to ask their buyer leads one very simple question. “Do you need to sell your home before you buy a new one?” Buried in your database of thousands of buyer leads are hundreds of sellers. These homeowners need to sell their home before they buy a new one, they are just waiting for you ask the right question! Here’s the tip: Update your automated action plans that go out to include a question about their current living situation. “Do you own a home and do you need to sell it before you buy a new one?” You can tweak this script to your liking but whatever you do, don’t forget to ask!

13. Update your referral network. – This is actually a two-step tip: first up, it’s time to update your list of approved and recommended vendors. Finding reputable people that you trust is the hard part, so take this question to your email database and your followers on Facebook. “We’re updating our list of approved vendors. Who do you love and recommend?” Be sure to let them know you’ll be publishing your list publicly.

14. Re-earn their business. – One of the biggest mistakes we see people make is mistaking delivering a great experience for earning a customer’s business for life. For some, sure, a job well done means you’ll go back to the same agent the next time you have a real estate need. But some consumers treat transactions like exactly that: You do a service for them, they pay you for that service, end of transaction. That’s why it’s important to stay on your past clients’ minds, but not be intrusive or obnoxious about it. We’ve crafted an email for you to send that can help achieve both.

Subject Line:  What’s your plan?

Here’s the message we wrote: Hi [name], It’s sometimes hard to imagine a day when you’re going to want to sell your home, but that day eventually comes. 1 year, 3 years, 5 years? It’s hard to say because life has a way about being unpredictable.

I wanted to make sure you knew I was here for you when that moment came. My job is to help develop a plan: There are things we can be doing now and in the future to help maximize your profit when you sell. This includes your mortgage payment schedule, what home improvements to make or avoid, and, of course, timing. All of these factors (and many more) have a dramatic impact on what you should do between now and when the time comes to sell.

15. Incentivize loyalty. – You’re probably familiar with loyalty cards and VIP programs. You probably even do some form of one, with the occasional gift and past client appreciation events. VIP experience enhances the whole process. Make past clients and referrers feel special with one-time perks like free movie tickets and dinner at local restaurants, but she also formalizes it with quarterly gifts, recurring coffee and tea, and more.

16. Speak to their pain points. – People have a hard time believing you can solve their problems if you haven’t made it clear you understand what those problems are. Many avoid writing discussing the potential pitfalls, not wanting to appear to be a fearmonger. But there’s a lot of space between “everything is awesome” and being a Negative Nelly – space that real people occupy and need guidance through. So don’t be afraid to acknowledge those pain points in your ads and emails. Speak to issues like not knowing whether it’s the right time to list, whether they’ll be able to afford a new home, the complications of the home selling process, and more. Then point them to the Seller Services page we recommended you build back in Tip #10 and stake your claim as the expert who can help through all the challenges.

17. Level up your just sold posts and home value ads. – There was a time when simply publishing a good looking Just Sold post on Facebook was enough to be a differentiator. That time has passed. It’s time to get back ahead of the curve. Everyone’s doing them now. So how do you make yours stand out? This data can be presented as the dry, public record that it is, or you can make it connect with your audience by framing it in a specific, timely way. Which of these are you more likely to click?

Just Sold ABOVE Listing Price: 2 bed, 2 bath condo in the North End or Another North End Condo Sells ABOVE Asking Price: Find out how this impacts your home’s value

The best opportunity you have now is to turn these “Just Sold” moments from general awareness campaigns that showcase your overall prowess into direct opportunities to help individuals who will do business with you.

18. Give away your secret sauce. There is a general fear in real estate that if we give away our information, our competition will steal our ideas or our consumers will realize that they don’t need us. But the truth is this: Consumers have proven time and time again they are willing to pay for convenience. Instacart, Dollar Shave Club, Quip Toothbrush — all charge a premium to remove the hassle from the process of buying or using the product. By giving away your trade secrets, you elevate your brand and become the authority. It’s counterintuitive but it’s true. Creating a well-designed, comprehensive, useful piece like “40 Top Tips for Selling Your Home is a big step in earning the trust of the consumer.”

19. Use your current bona fide buyers. – Ask for help and humanize the message by sharing first names of buyers and what they want to buy and spread the word. Email your database or post on your social media channels who is looking and what they need. If safe you can door knock or leave a door hanger, mail a flyer or postcard or just post a video asking for help for you buyers and see if that triggers a listing appointment response.

20. Mail or drop off unsolicited CMA packages to all your past clients. Just put together all the listings and sales in the last 6 months that are relative them and their home. Don’t give them your opinion of value and call them a few days later asking them if they got it? Any questions? See if this will trigger a listing appointment response for you as well.

So there you have some more creative of ways to be proactively generating appointments for listing opportunities in a market that we all need to be proactive versus reactive to get that product and inventory back up again. Feel free to reach out and share any other great listing appointment generators you may be having success with today!

Strength and courage,
Wade

REALTORS© It’s Never Too Late To Generate Referral Business

Wade Webb on December 16, 2020

realtor generate referralSo many of my coaching clients feel guilty for not maintaining contact with their past clients and think it is too late, embarrassing and they don’t want to hear from them. This is the furthest thing from the truth and this week we are reactivating old clients, generating referrals, and building our relationship list. Many agents I know have a drawer full of old clients they simply forgot.  Life gets busy and before you know it, it’s been months (even years) since you last contacted some of your clients. That’s why we created the “Never Too Late Letter ”… This is an easy way to get back in touch and harvest referrals and repeat business from your network, and this  letter has worked for hundreds of agents all over the world. I’ll give you the letter to use and also give you an example of a Referral Coupon.  This coupon is designed to work much like a “bounce-back” type of coupon that restaurants and retail stores use. The very same strategy will work for you if you just give it a try.

How To Use The “Never Too Late” Letter System…

 

STEP 1: Create a LIST of your past clients and friends, friends, family, and acquaintances from your files, phone contacts, email accounts and social media sources. Narrow your list down to the people you’ve not contacted in the last 6 months.

STEP 2: Send them a personal LETTER Here’s two pre-written letters for you to use and make your own.

Never Too Late Letter

Confession Letter

 

STEP 3: Give your Power List a meaningful REASON to get back in contact with you using a “Referral Coupon” that goes with this letter and they may or may not use it, but it’s a stand-out way to remind them that you work by referral. (IMPORTANT:  This coupon is designed to give a discount to the END-USER only.  In most, it is illegal to directly compensate any unlicensed person for sending you business.  This coupon only makes a discount offer to the end user, NOT to a person sending you a referral.)

STEP 4:  FOLLOW-UP with regular contact (at least monthly) Agents tell me they start getting calls within a few days after this letter goes out.  But you can also follow up by phone 7 days after sending the letter. Going forward, you’ll want to keep in contact in a meaningful way. This is very important. For every 100 people on your database, 14 of them will buy or sell a home in the next 12 months.  And that doesn’t include the Referrals they could be sending you. Don’t continue to leave this gigantic hole of lost revenue in your business by not following up at least once a month.

 

This “Never Too Late Letter System” will help you get back in touch with your clients.  Then you have make a commitment to not lose touch again by following up with your network each month with welcomed and valued contact. Would you like to use a marketing system that costs nearly $0.00 and can bring you a steady flow of quality, motivated buyers?

 

Strength and courage,
Wade

 

 

Realtors© Secrets To Making Your Calls

Wade Webb on November 25, 2020

When you think about it, there’s nothing difficult about picking up the phone and calling a few people. Right? It’s easy to do… and also easier not to do. And that’s the danger. So why do we have this reluctancy to picking up the phone and making a call? Why is it so easy for us to not make those calls? I talk with a lot of successful agents on a regular basis. And if I had to boil down what makes those people so successful, it’s not that they’re all insanely innovative and breaking new ground. It’s not that they figured out some marketing “hack” no one else knows. It’s not dumb luck. It’s one simple, common trait – they’re doing the work. They make the calls and contact the people and have the discipline to do it over and over and over even though it is not what they want to do nor is it glamorous but it is the key to their success. It goes back to one of my favorite quotes: “Do the thing, have the power.” –Emerson. Having the discipline to take consistent action is really what separates the winners from the also-rans in this business.

Today I’m sharing three ways to overcome that resistance to making your calls so you can start booking more appointments… consistently!

1. Get Prepared In Advance – I’m sure you’ve had this happen… You wake up with the best of intentions to make your calls. But before you actually begin, something comes up. Or you “remember” a more urgent task you should be doing (which, in reality, is just an excuse). Or you simply avoid it because you don’t feel like it. And over time, this failure to make your calls is absolutely killing your productivity. It undercuts your potential. It’s the biggest reason why agents ride that rich/poor rollercoaster and fail to create any predictability in their businesses. This often happens because you didn’t prepare ahead of time. A productive prospecting session begins the night before. You need to get everything prepared so there can be no distractions and no excuses to get started the next morning. The night before, be sure to gain clarity on things like: Who am I going to call? What’s the outcome I want to achieve? What scripts do I need to achieve those objectives? Answer these three questions at the end of each day, get everything ready, and you’re much more likely to follow through on your appointment setting calls the next day.

2. Get Yourself Charged Up – Half-hearted prospecting is not successful prospecting. Even if you’re not “feelin’ it” when the time comes to start making your calls, you need to know how to get yourself to a peak state. And it’s more than just mental. In fact, I think it starts with physicality. A great way to get that energy up is to move your body. Jump on a mini trampoline, do some jumping jacks or whatever it takes to get your blood flowing. Then comes the mental part of it… your affirmations and strategic questions to put yourself in a winning mindset. “I’m a lean, mean, appointment-setting machine!” “What do I love about my clients?” “What do I love about setting appointments?” Do this regularly and I guarantee you’ll have more productive call sessions and build some serious “appointment setting” momentum.

3. Share Your Results? – What’s your first response to the suggestion that you should actually publish the results of your prospecting sessions to the public? I suspect many agents will feel like, “I don’t want to do that. It makes me look desperate or like I’m a telemarketer.” Do you feel that way? Because if so, here’s my response: You’re looking at it all wrong, and your whole mindset around prospecting might be off base. Remember this: You’re not calling people to “sell” them something. You’re calling to check in, catch up, build rapport, answer questions, and inform people of market happenings. You’re calling because you care, and because that’s what trusted advisors do. Once you start thinking about it from that perspective, it becomes a no-brainer to follow up each session by sharing what you achieved on social media.

Imagine a post that says something along these lines in your Instagram Stories: “Just had 10 conversations with past clients and sphere… Keeping them informed on what’s going on in the market. Every day I do this to keep my clients informed. That’s what it’s all about!” Maybe you even sprinkle in some stats, like this: “70 calls made, 6 great conversations, 2 potential buyers and one homeowner considering putting their home on the market. Can’t wait to help them move on to the next exciting stage of their lives!” Not only does that show people that you care, but it informs people that you’re active and you have a system for finding buyers and getting first jump on listings… basically establishing that you’re the go-to “knowledge broker” for your market. A consumer who sees that every day in your Stories will definitely be impressed, and you’ll gain top-of-mind awareness in the process. So start doing it!

I am hoping these help build in some accountability for your prospecting sessions and make it easier for you to pick up that phone consistently and book more appointments! Let me know which one(s) you’ll start doing in the comments below!

 

Strength and courage,
Wade

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Wade Webb on November 18, 2020

realtor most wonderful time of yearWe are approaching the single most important time of year as it has been for each of my 25 years in the real estate business. As the listings and sales season start to temper we have the tendency to want to take it easy and relax but I am here to say… NOT JUST YET!!! This was the time of year where I took full advantage of my time and made the most of the market season. This time of year can be for some a difficult time in real estate or a time where the market gives you the greatest gift which is TIME. The time for you to do the things you know are important but the year has just been too busy to do those really important activities. One of my most impactful and meaningful activities for my business is what I called my “Holiday 100” My holiday hundred is my goal to personally visit 100 of my best clients and see them during the holiday season. 3 clients a day for 33 days.

Christmas Holiday Visit Plan Checklist  – Nov 23 – Dec 23, 2020
  1. Create the client visit list (anyone who bought, sold, asked for help in 2020, service providers, A clients )
  2. Gift – baking, wine, coffee mug, turkey, gift wrap, chocolate, etc. $15 budget
  3. Calendar or Day Planner or Christmas Card
  4. Year in review letter on holiday letterhead ( photo of the year on letter )
  5. Call in advance and book 45 minute visits. ( Max 4 visits a day )
  6. Rest of database just gets letter and Christmas card in mail

So in November, I would sit down and write out my year in review letter. I made a list of all the events and activities personally and professionally that happened to me and my family. I would write about my hobbies, my travels, my children and their activities, my wife and her year and all our successes and challenges in the past year. Find a favorite photo and place the photo and letter on holiday letterhead for my upcoming visits.

Think about it, we are in the relationship business and this letter invited my clients in to my personal and professional life. This helped deepen our relationship and find more items we have in common. They loved to read the letter every year. The next item was to have all my calendars delivered into the office by the middle of November to put my holiday letter and a calendar into large white envelopes. Then I would take my database and make a list of names and phone numbers of all my A and B clients. These are the people I would want to personally see from Mid-November until Mid-December… this was usually about 100 clients. Print their address labels out and place them on the envelopes with the holiday letter and their calendar.

If you prefer it also works well to write a Christmas Card or order a Day timer instead of a calendar with your year in review letter. Keep in mind the calendar is not the secret weapon to my success. Feel free to be creative too… it’s all about the relational contact and something to put in their hands to be Top of Mind. The final item was to find and purchase a hundred small holiday gifts. I chose Poinsettia flowers or homemade spiced apple cider mix, scented candle, bottle of mini bailey’s, holiday scratch and win ticket, homemade peanut brittle or Purdy’s chocolates… I tried to maintain about a $15 item budget. Now I have my Santa client pack ready and then came the most important part of all…

…Booking the appointments.

I would then take the time to personally call and set up a “pop by” holiday visit to their home in hour segments and I would stay for 45 minutes per client. I would let them know when I arrived that I had another visit within an hour so couldn’t stay too long. TIP – when booking appointments let them know why you are coming. If I called and left a message they wouldn’t call back?! When I called again I said I had a little something for them for the holiday season and they would say “oh, we thought you wanted to sell our house and were not interested so didn’t call you back”

The 33 day festive client visits were amazing. Clients were so surprised and would tell me they never thought they would see me again after our last real estate transaction. They were so pleased with the letter, calendar and small gift but most important was the gift of my time!! Ken Blanchard wrote in the book “The Generosity Factor” that we all have gifts to give. Our Time, Touch, Talents and Treasures. Never underestimate your greatest gift of “TIME”… your most precious commodity. Don’t just swing by and drop the items off. Stop and give the client your gift of time. This activity alone would set me up for a good month.

If you don’t think it’s worth the bother consider my February with 27 deals in 28 days and all of it from these appointments, leads and referrals for real estate from taking the time to share with my clients prior to the holiday season. I can’t tell you enough what this will do for your waist line, all those treats …..I mean you and your business but most important your relationship with your clients.

Strength and courage,
Wade

What’s Your Money Mindset?

Wade Webb on November 11, 2020

realtor money mindset“Identity is this incredible invisible force that controls your whole life. It’s invisible, like gravity is invisible, but it controls your whole life.” —Tony Robbins

One of the most powerful forces over us is our identity. Identify as someone who is fit and healthy? You’ll prove it by working out daily. Believe that you’re great at math? Then you ace those tests. And when you identify as someone who is “just not good with money,” you will prove that to yourself over and again by quitting a good job, spending recklessly or losing your wallet every few months. Humans are incapable of acting out of line with our identity and our subconscious works tirelessly to make us consistent—for better or worse. If you want to get rich, then, the solution is to change your identity. And THAT starts with changing your thinking.

 

Here are some questions you can ask that will do the trick.

1. What negative beliefs do you have about money? Dig deep for your own greatest hits. What do you believe about money that’s preventing you from having it? Do you have a rich uncle with horrifying political views and think all wealthy people must be like that? Money is only a tool, and wealth is not correlated to a person’s character or political views. How can you discover your beliefs about money? Pay close attention to the language you use. “I can’t afford it” is a mantra that shuts off your brain. Yes, you can afford it in some future state—you just need to get creative. A healthier replacement belief might be, “How can I afford it?”

2. Why do you deserve money? The most common block about making money is the feeling that we don’t deserve it. We tell ourselves in myriad ways that we’re not smart, kind, attractive, capable, experienced or fill-in-the-blank enough. Challenge that thinking. Make a list right now (yes, right now!) of all the reasons you deserve money. You might write down, like I did, that I deserve money because I’m a kind, ethical man with an abundance of integrity and that the money will be put to use for humanity’s good. Maybe you deserve it because you work especially hard, or take care of a sick loved one, are incredibly intelligent and capable, because you’ve paid your dues—or, because everyone deserves wealth and abundance, including you.

3. Who could I become with money? I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing that formative life lesson that is being broke. I’m grateful for the lessons it taught me, but I’d never want to go back there. As a broke person I was always stressed, which erased my sense of humor. I stopped seeing friends. I stopped buying new clothes and having a beer on a patio in the summer, which made me happy. I lost my self-confidence and self-esteem, and because of that, couldn’t possibly do great work. Learning how to create and grow wealth changed all of that and helped me become a more vibrant, generous, less uptight person—my real self. I like myself much more as a prosperous person. Who would you become without the guillotine of poverty hanging over your head?

4. Who could I help with money? A sole focus on yourself is a good recipe for ending up alone and miserable. The secret to a happy life is to constantly be contributing. We all want to be useful and that happens because of what we give, not what we get. If you had all the money you want now, who could you help? Could you pay off your parents’ mortgage? Send your daughter to the best school in the world? Be less stressed and a better partner at home? Give to charity? Find a reason outside of yourself for creating wealth, and the dollars will flow.

5. What has money already given you? There’s a psychological effect called “disqualifying the positive,” and it happens when we ignore good experiences and focus only on the bad. People do this often with money: We forget how much that money already does and has done for us and see only what’s lacking. We can combat this by literally counting our blessings. On a piece of paper, write down the amazing things you have or had in your life because of money—your home, car, education, lifesaving surgery or medication, vacations, toys, food, or gym membership. Thanks, money! When we remind ourselves of what money is capable of giving us, we appreciate it. And when money feels appreciated? Well it comes to visit more often. There Is Plenty to Go Around “The truth is that there’s more than enough good to go around.” —Michael Beckwith

There’s one specific money belief that’s probably more important than all the others, and it’s the complete opposite of what most people believe: There is plenty of wealth to go around. No, we’re not talking about printing money, we’re still on the subject of beliefs. If you think that wealth creation is a zero-sum game, i.e. that someone has to lose for you to gain, then you will always struggle with money. That’s the scarcity mindset. The truth is, wealth can be created out of nothing—just put an industrious pioneer in the middle of a forest and you’ll see. The economy grows not because of clever tricks by central banks, but because real people are creating real value for other people through a product or service. The pie is constantly growing, and when one person gets a slice, they don’t deprive someone else of theirs. Adopt this belief with full faith, and you’ll stop competing for wealth and start creating it.

 

Strength and courage,
Wade