grow your real estate business Archives - Page 2 of 10

Business Plan for the Successful REALTOR© 2022

Wade Webb on November 3, 2021

A mentor of mine said to me “agents aim for nothing and hit it with amazing success!” 2021 is wrapping up and what did you aim for? What did you hit? It is the perfect time of year to aim for something in 2022 and hit it with amazing success! So when 2021 begins to wind down you should not wait until the very end to start planning for 2022. This means having a crystal clear understanding of the successes and challenges of your current year, how it impacts your upcoming year, and developing a vision of what you want to accomplish, and how. Many agents aim for nothing every year and most hit it with amazing accuracy!!

I believe you should always start working on your next year strategy months in advance of the new year. This awards you enough time to make an impact on your final quarter, and lay the groundwork for making sure your next fiscal year starts off on a solid footing. For agents who want to achieve greatness, push the envelope, and grow their business through market share, market penetration, paying down debt, increasing sales, profits and cash flow, I urge you to get going now! The way I see things is, if your business isn’t growing, pushing the envelope, thriving, and maximizing profit, then all you’re really doing is suffering a slow death.

Believe me, your competition is fighting the fight every day, and they didn’t wake up in the morning and say “Gosh, golly, I hope I stay even in 2022.” They want to eat your lunch, take your business, absorb your market share and steal your customers away.

Some people might ask me if they should start planning by looking at their competition, and I say NO. Why focus on the competition, instead of focusing on yourself? When it comes to my business, I don’t care what others do. I care about what I do. Recognize your competition for what and who they are, and then put your best foot forward by pushing the envelope in your business. You should approach the new year as if you are going to battle, and for that you should develop a strategic plan.

Business Plan – a written document that describes in detail how a business, usually a new one, is going to achieve its goals. A business plan lays out a written plan from a marketing, financial and operational viewpoint.

FACT:
LESS THAN 3% OF REAL ESTATE AGENTS HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN

FACT:
ESTIMATED 3% OF REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN NORTH AMERICA DO 97% OF THE BUSINESS

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Writing a business plan may seem a daunting task as there are so many moving parts and concepts to address. Take it one step at a time and be sure to schedule regular review (quarterly, semi-annually, or annually) of your plan to be sure you are on track to meet your goals. It is that time of year again when we begin to build our plan for 2020 so let’s look at the key areas of the agent’s solid business plan.

Business Plan for the Successful REALTOR©

Step 1) “Success and history always leaves us clues.”

I began by looking back to identify the clues that have been left for us and the business. I would look at the real estate market first and search for the following clues.

What have the number of sales been doing the last year? 2-5 years? Up? Down?

What have the number of listings been doing the last year? 2-5 years? Up? Down?

What have the average and median prices been doing?

What price ranges are experiencing more activity? Less activity?

What neighborhoods or areas are experiencing more activity? Less Activity?

What property types are selling more? Less?

What buyer types are buying more?

Where are the buyers coming from? Local? Next state or province? Over Seas?

Imagine the targeted and strategic plan you would be able to build for you and your real estate business with this kind of information? Now you are not just winging it. You really know where and what to focus on.

Step 2) Looking At The Present State of Your Own Real Estate Business

What have my sales been doing? Up? Down?

What have my listings been doing? Up? Down?

What is my average price? Can I raise my average selling price?

What is my Gross Commission Income doing?

What is my average deal worth?

Where are my listings and sales coming from? Sources of business?

What types of buyers do I represent?

Where are the buyers coming from? Local? Out of area?

What are my pending sales?

What do I have for potential buyers and sellers?

What is working? What is not working?

What do I need to start doing again? Stop doing?

What if you took the time to really track and measure and reflect on your business at a deeper level and see your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of yourself and your own business?

Step 3) Activity Plans – Take the time to lay out your activity plan calendar a year in advance.

Focus on the activities you know you are good at and you see a return on your invested time and money. I am guessing for most agents it would be your sphere of influence, referrals and face to face or voice to voice activities. Set up a schedule for a month or two in advance of your activities for generating business. What is the activity? When? How? To Whom? Track and measure each of these scheduled activities to help identify the best of the best.

Step 4) Budgeting – Profit is the goal in business.

Knowing what your personal life and your business world cost you monthly is so important. Expense management is just as important as your income and earnings. Have a clear picture of your expenses and measure all of them for their return on investment or if they can be reduced in any way. I understand this my be terrifying for most of us to see what we are spending personally and professionally but it is the foundation of your business plan to know what your personal and professional lives cost and then be able to set a financial target that is enough to cover them both and leave you some profit! So many of us stay away from this and run in a deficit and that is not good practice for any of us.

Step 5) Goals – If your “Why” is big enough the “how” will take care of itself.

What is your purpose? Vision? Values? Mission Statement? Taking the time to know what it is you want and why you want it is a game changer for us all. Nothing gives me more joy than impacting and improving people’s lives personally and professionally every day. I have realized that the driving compelling force in my life is serving others and having the means to create memorable experiences with the people I care about most and nothing else has given me more joy than these amazing WHY’s in my own life.

In my own real estate business, taking the time over the last 25 years to create a business plan has been so incredibly beneficial for me and I know it will for you as well. In today’s post I have given you a brief business plan overview. To help you get going with your own plan I put together a Step-by-Step Real Estate Business Plan Workbook you can download for

Strength and courage,
Wade

Real Estate Agent Social Media Updates For 2021

Wade Webb on August 25, 2021

Social media is moving at a faster pace than ever before. Sometimes it feels like you are finally getting the hang of it, but then the next day, social media algorithms change again. It’s hard to keep up with how quickly social media evolves if you haven’t cultivated a routine that helps you regularly update your strategy. Since 47% of real estate businesses say that social media results in the highest quality leads, it’s important to consistently audit your Instagram and Facebook presence for better engagement, visibility, and lead generation. We recommend updating your social media channels every three months while doing a comprehensive audit every 6-12 months. Luckily, the six social media updates we’ll cover today don’t have to take hours of your time in order to implement. Let’s dive right in.

1. Make sure your branding is consistent. – Consistency shows how much you care about your client’s experience. Consistency can be measured in terms of how often you post or how cohesive your brand voice and tone are, but we can’t forget about your visual branding. You’ll need a well-established set of visual brand guidelines in order to stay visually consistent on every social media platform. Do you have a defined color palette? Have you selected fonts that look great when paired together? Do you have a library of graphic elements (like patterns, textures, illustrations, icons, etc.) that fit well within your visual brand identity? If you can answer “yes” to all of these questions, you’re on the right track with your visual branding. If not, locate areas of improvement and work with a graphic designer to improve your branding. The more professional you look, the more professional your client experience will feel. So, where should you start? Our first recommendation is to get into the habit of updating your social media profiles any time you update your website. This will give you better consistency over time since your website should match your social media channels. For example, if you have new team photos, be sure to update them on your website and your Facebook banner. If you decide to rebrand your business, update any previous profile photos with your new logo. Think about how you can add more consistency with your branded imagery and content as we move into how to improve your Instagram presence.
2. Update your Instagram bio. – When someone visits your Instagram profile for the first time, they’ll immediately notice your Instagram bio. It’s front-and-center on your profile and has to be written with your dream clients in mind. Ideally, your Instagram bio will give Instagram users an idea of who you are as a real estate brand, what makes you different, and how you can help them. Oh, and you’ll have to communicate all of this in 150 characters or less. It’s no easy feat! Let us help you by providing an Instagram bio framework you can use as a template. Real estate mention: It should be very clear from reading your bio that you work in real estate. Make sure you include “real estate” or “realtor” somewhere in your Instagram bio. Location: What local market do you serve? You’ll want this information to be front-and-center in your bio. Awards: If there are any awards or notable accomplishments that your team has earned, you can add them to your bio like North Group. These awards give you more authority and credibility. Bio link: Make sure you include a link to your website. If you decide to temporarily link to a new blog post or listing page, be sure to shorten your link with a tool like Bit.ly. Otherwise, you can link to your homepage or a Linktree page for the long term. If you create an Instagram post with the words “link in bio,” you’ll want to either update the link in your bio or update your Linktree page to include the new link. Call-to-action: Instead of only adding a bio link, you’ll want to include call-to-action (CTA) language at the very end of your bio. Emojis: To make your bio really stand out, use emojis as bullet points. Just make sure your emojis are on-brand, relevant, and professional.
3. Include cover images on your Instagram highlights. – Your Instagram feed will often determine your audience’s first impression of your real estate business, but Instagram stories will make a lasting connection with followers. Instagram stories are used by 500 million users every day with one-third of all Instagram stories created by business accounts. When you add a video or photo file to your Instagram story, it will only be available to view in your story for 24 hours. That is, unless you add it to your Instagram highlights. Instagram highlights allow you to save selected stories for public viewing at any time. All users need to do is locate a relevant highlight cover to begin viewing the curated collection of stories. It’s best to create a strategy around what you want to create Instagram highlights for and how they can be useful to your followers. Think about what content your audience is looking for and how you can communicate what your highlights are about through custom cover images. Ready to utilize Instagram highlights? Here’s how to create your first one: Go to your Instagram profile and click the “New” button with a plus sign right underneath the “Edit Profile” button. Once it opens, select past story videos or photos you would like to feature by tapping on the ones you want to add, which shows a blue checkmark when clicked. When you’ve selected your featured stories, click the “Next” button in the top right corner and give the highlight a new name. Make sure it is short enough to read on your profile. Then edit the cover image by clicking “Edit Cover” underneath the circle-cropped photo.
4. Add a variety of Instagram content. – Updating your Instagram profile is important, but updating your content strategy is even more important. Posting consistently shows how much you value educating your followers and building a community. Since Instagram is a fast-paced social media platform, you need to provide a variety of content types to stay engaging and interesting. Now that your Instagram story highlights are set up, let’s talk about your feed. Instagram has gone on record to say photos and videos are equal in terms of how they prioritizes posts in the algorithm. This means adding long-form IGTV videos, Instagram stories, and Instagram feed photos are all needed in creating a well-rounded, engaging Instagram presence. Instagram says their post rankings come down to six main factors: Interest, Relationship, Timeliness, Frequency, Following. Usage. You can read more about how your Instagram feed works here, but remember these factors as you update your Instagram content strategy. Let’s start brainstorming new content ideas for your Instagram feed. Add animated graphics to capture more of your audience’s attention than a static image can. Include team-focused content of group meetings, team retreats, volunteer events, and more. Record video interviews with your team members so Instagram followers can learn more about the people behind your real estate brand. Create a photo slideshow with relevant statistics that will better educate your audience. Host an Instagram giveaway during a special event or holiday to help you increase brand awareness and give to your local community.Share behind-the-scenes photos of video shoots, virtual tours, and more for a day-in-the-life look at your team’s work. Celebrate work anniversaries of each team member with a dedicated video, like this example from North Group which features personable photos and kind affirmations from other team members. We hope these ideas will inspire your own Instagram content strategy. If you need to make additional updates to your strategy, here are 7 things to master when improving your Instagram presence. Once you have this nailed down, we can start talking about your Facebook presence.
5. Edit your Facebook bio. – When updating your Facebook bio (or “About” section), the good news is that you don’t have as many character limits as Instagram. You’ll have more room to explain the mission and specializations of your real estate business. Even though you have more creative freedom, you don’t want to make your Facebook bio too long to read. It should be easy to skim as someone scrolls through your profile. Keep it simple by introducing who you are, what you do, and how your real estate brand is different from others in a few short sentences. Make sure you keep jargon terms to a minimum so you can better connect with clients who may not have a previous understanding of real estate. Think about how to simply communicate what you do. You may also choose to add awards and other accomplishments in the “Awards” section on Facebook to strengthen your bio.
6. Increase your credibility by asking for Facebook reviews. – Did you know when someone visits your Facebook page, they see your recommendations and reviews before they can scroll through your Facebook posts? That is Facebook’s way of telling us that reviews are incredibly important on their platform! More than Google or Yelp, Facebook is the number one website consumers use to review and recommend businesses. This is because people typically trust recommendations when they come from family or friends. The same is true since 70% of people still trust recommendations from like-minded people they don’t know. Facebook, then, is the perfect place to boost your reviews, especially when you are using Facebook ads to promote your listings. If you have hundreds of reviews on home search sites like Zillow, ask past clients to leave a review on Facebook too. It tells Facebook that your real estate brand is trustworthy and experienced. Once a past client leaves a review on your Facebook page, be sure to like and comment on it with a personal thank you message. It will not only improve your relationship with your past client, but it will also show others the kind of care you put into every client’s experience. 92% of consumers consider reviews when purchasing a product or service, and the average consumer reads around 10 reviews before making a final purchasing decision. Do you have at least 10-15 reviews on your Facebook business page? If not, follow up with past clients and kindly ask them to review you on Facebook. You can also give them an example of a past client testimonial if they’re looking for help on how to write a review. These reviews can then be repurposed into client success stories which you can use for quality social media posts and website features. This is the best way to build a sustainable real estate marketing plan that you can easily update over time.

Take the time to dig into each of these social media updates and let me know how some of these work out for you in the future. To your success!!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Video Topics That Increase Your Real Estate Brand & Generate You Leads

Wade Webb on August 11, 2021

How many of us are still scared to go in front of a camera and embrace the “video” world we are living in today? Video is so powerful that google bought Youtube the second biggest search engine machine on the internet just to keep the top 2 spots on the internet for searching. Whether we love it or hate it as real estate agents we need to embrace it so let’s dive into video topic ideas that are easy to make and will position your real estate brand for success in your marketplace. We’ll start with some listing attraction videos.

Video Idea No. 1: Selling in [Your City]? Avoid this $25,000 Mistake!

What’s the most costly mistake homeowners tend to make when selling a house? Surely you can think of something compelling. Then make a video about it and tailor it to your market. It doesn’t have to be long… Grab the viewer with an alarming stat or statement. Establish your local expertise. Explain the problem. Show the solution. Get in, get out… one video done!

Video Idea No. 2: How to Sell Your [Specific Property Type Here] Home for Top Dollar. Does your marketplace have properties that naturally differentiate themselves from other homes? Do you want to get more listings in those markets by positioning yourself as the expert? Then make these videos! Maybe it’s waterfront homes. Maybe it’s gated community homes. Maybe it’s mountain homes. Maybe it’s golf course homes. Maybe it’s equestrian properties. Maybe it’s all of those and more! Yes, you’ll need to invest some time researching what makes those properties different, but the vast majority of advice you provide can be suggestions that apply to selling a home anywhere. By segmenting them out individually, you’ll establish yourself as an expert for those product types and those homeowners will feel you have a stronger understanding of their needs.

Video Idea No. 3: How to Prepare Your Home to Sell for Top Dollar. Simple… I’m sure you give people tips on how to prepare their home for sale during every listing presentation. Or at least once you take a listing and are preparing for showings. Right?

Whether they’re major landscaping tips or quick and simple fixes, take that information and make a video from it!

Video Idea No. 4: Selling Your [Your City] Home for the Highest Price. What’s hot in your market today? What drives certain home sales higher than others? Share the market trends and your tips in an informative video tailored to wherever you work.

Video Idea No. 5: Downsizing Your [Your City] Home – 15 Tips You Should Know. Are you starting to see a pattern here? Take any customer type – in this case, people looking to downsize – and create a video specifically for them that ties to your local market. Pretty simple, right? Just imagine you’re sitting face to face with people who told you they’ve lived in their four-bedroom house for the past 22 years and they’re ready to sell it and find a condo or townhouse. What advice would you give them? What questions would you ask? Put it on video and get that advice out into your market!

Video Idea No. 6: Selling in [Your City] & Leaving the State or Province – A How-To Guide! Again, pretty simple. What do people who are moving out of the area need to do differently than those who are moving within town? Share your best tips in a video and – if you’re part of a powerful referral network like our coaching ecosystem – demonstrate how you can help them connect with a world-class agent in their new destination. You got this!

Video Idea No. 7: Do I Have to Sell My Home in [Your City] When I Move to [New Location]? Some cities traditionally have migration patterns with others. If that’s the case in your market, make a video specifically advising those who might be considering that exact move. For instance, I know I’m not the only one who’s recently left California for Texas, and I would’ve loved to watch a video preparing me for that move. And it would definitely make a positive impression when choosing my listing agent who understands my goals and where I’m headed.

Video Idea No. 8: Moving to [Your City]? 7 Local Insights You Should Know. Now let’s transition to a few buyer attraction video ideas, and this first one will unquestionably establish you as the local expert. What would you tell someone who was moving to your town from out of the area? I’m sure you could come up with 100 things, but whittle it down to 7 or 10 or whatever catchy number works for you, and then create a video. You might want to mix in some local flavor like your favorite parks or restaurants along with tactical advice for their move such as what part of town they might prefer, current home price range, etc.

Video Idea No. 9: Buying an Investment Property in [Your City]: 7 Mistakes to Avoid. Working with investor clients is a great way to add diversity to your lead pillars, and making a video like this will surely attract them. Show off your local expertise and showcase your area to connect with locals and potentially attract out of town investors looking to buy in new markets.

Video Idea No. 10: Buying a Second Home in [Your City]: 6 Things You Need to Know. If you live and work in an area with lots of retirees and/or vacation homes, this is a perfect video to create. Walk people through the highlights of your area, what they can expect from the home-buying process, the taxes and local fees they might need to know about, local Airbnb regulations (in case they’re interesting in renting the property when they’re not there), local recreation and more.

Video Idea No. 11: What $[Dollar Amount] Gets You in [Your Town] This one has endless possibilities. You could create videos at all different price points featuring homes currently on the market or recently sold properties to give people an idea how far their money will go in your area. Better yet, create this video starting at the airport, showing them potential places they could stay when visiting town, and then walk them through various properties inside the MLS. Because of market fluctuations, this video might have a shorter shelf life than some of my other suggestions, but it’s worth it because it’s uber-compelling to those who might be interested. Once you create this video, I’d suggest you revisit it every six months or so to see if it’s still relevant. (If not, don’t take it down but DO create an updated version.)

Video Idea No. 12: Driving Tours of Every Community You Work. Now we’re getting into some more generic video ideas not necessarily targeting buyers or sellers, but they’ll still get you known throughout your community. This first one is an idea championed by L.A. Rockstar Christophe Choo, who created driving tours of all the West L.A. neighborhoods and all their distinctive differences, noteworthy properties and his insights. Even if your communities aren’t as glamorous as the Beverly Hills-adjacent neighborhoods Christophe serves, this is a surefire way to establish yourself as a local expert. And the beauty of these videos is that they live online forever, meaning more and more people will find you through them as time goes by. Simply mount your camera on your windshield, describe the community while driving through it, make any minor edits, and then post it on your website and YouTube for eternity. Then do the same thing for the subdivision next to that one. And so on and so on. Soon you’ll be the talk of the town and widely considered the local market expert.

Video Idea No. 13: 30 Questions About Real Estate in 30 Days. Here’s another simple one that has legs. I’m sure you can think of 30 thought-provoking questions clients have asked you throughout your career. Answer them one by one in a video series split over a monthlong timespan. Post them on all your social channels and create a buzz.

Video Idea No. 14: 22 Real Estate Lessons I’ve Learned Helping [Number of Past Clients] Families Buy & Sell a Home in [Your City] Maybe your number isn’t 22. Make it whatever you want. But sit down and think about some of the valuable lessons you’ve learned throughout your experience in the industry. Then share them with your community. This video has a dual benefit – not only are you educating and informing people with valuable real estate advice, but in the process you’re also demonstrating your strong ties to the community and impressive years of experience. Be sure to work in local references – what part of town you were working, etc., to further build those community ties.

Video Idea No. 15: How’s the Market in [Your City]? While most of the other video suggestions I’ve provided here have a long shelf life, this is a topic you should be tackling on a weekly (or monthly at the very least) basis. During this recurring show, provide a glimpse at the national real estate landscape, then localize it and talk more in-depth about market trends, happenings, and your take on it. You can also tell your clients’ stories and show how you help people move on to the next stage of their lives by achieving their home buying and selling goals.

Video Idea No. 16: How To Buy A Home Before You Sell. This is one of the biggest fears and reasons why we have no inventory all over N. America. Educate the sellers on how they can still list and be able to buy and not end up selling and being left out in the cold. List their home with contingencies like renting back, longer closing time or time to negotiate on something to buy.

Video Idea No. 17: How To Find Off Market Listings To Buy. Another great topic for buyers and sellers and share how you go and find the off market properties for them to buy versus all the other agents who sit and wait for something to come on to the market that most of the time doesn’t happen. Buyers and sellers are looking for the creator agents and not the waiters!

Remember: If It’s Not on Your Schedule, It Doesn’t Exist. I’ve given you lots of ideas and you could easily get overwhelmed if you try to create too many of these too fast. My suggestion? Prioritize all 17 of these and slot them into your video shooting calendar, and then honor those commitments as sacred! Shoot one or two a week until you’re done.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Energy and Productivity Boosters For Realtors© in 2021

Wade Webb on August 4, 2021

Hey everybody it’s Wade Webb, the author of “The Lazy Realtor,” and the founder of AgentsBoost. Over and over again, I get the feedback from so many different Realtors© feeling that they’re just frustrated and they just can’t feel like they’re getting any results and they’re getting anywhere. They’re putting in the time, and putting in the effort, but they’re not just feeling the results. So, one of the things I want to share with you this week is “Productivity Boosters.” And I’m going to share with you 8 of my favorite productivity boosting ideas.

One of the things I want to start with is, just go back to one of my favorite books is Tony Schwartz’s, “The Power of Full Engagement.” Tony Schwartz really shares an epiphany for me of the importance of energy management vs. time management. And really top producers and people that are excellent at what they do are really skilled in managing their energy and not really worrying their time management. So, imagine if you could keep yourself at a peek state, if you’re well rested, if you’re well fed, if you’re well exercised, if you’re fine-tuned, and you have tons of energy, and you’re effective in being able to execute at a higher level, and not focusing on your time management, but focusing more on your energy management.

So the key to most top producers is to think about your energy management and keeping yourself at a peek state. It’s so difficult to keep us enthusiastic and passionate; being rejected on a daily basis in real estate, and these productivity boosters, I hope will keep you at that peek state and boost your through those productivity downturns.

So first tip for me: Taking the time to book my time off, before I book my time on. And what I mean by that is, that, Jim Rohn said this, “finish your week before it begins.” He talked about the importance of scheduling time for yourself. You are your most important commodity, you are the most important thing, productivity and your personal growth is key. Booking those times in for when you exercise, when you read, when you’re getting fueled, when you’re getting feedback , encouraged, and mentored. Those are key times and to book those times in. Then, the most important people in your life are next. When are your holidays? When are your vacations? When are you spending time with your spouse? Date nights? When are your children and their activities with them booked in? When are you taking time to book that fun time in, and spending time with those people that you care about the most? So, if you don’t book those times in for yourself, for your spouse, for your friends, for that fun, something else or someone else will take that time. So, take that, and book that time on before you book time off.

Tip number two is this: Single task vs. multi-task. Gary Keller wrote a great book last year called, “The One Thing,” he talked about how you should focus on that “one thing.” What it is that you’re gifted at? What do you do really well in real estate? What can you do over and over again, all day long and never gets tired, never gets old. Think about what activity that is, and how much time on that activities each and every one of your days? Are you spending but none of these tasks that are boring, or are you spending time doing the things were you’re gifted, your talent, and your energy level is just at a peek state, because you’re just good at it, and you find it just so fun and focusing on that “one thing.” So, single task vs. multi task, they’ve proven that productivity is reduced exponentially by 50% if you’re multi-tasking vs. single task. So, discover what that one thing is, and single task can focus on that one thing that you’re good at.

The third thing I’m going to talk about is reducing distractions. We’re distracted every 11 minutes every day, that’s a third of your day being tied up and keeping you off track by distractions. So, do you have your space, or place of work? Do you have it controlled? Do you have your phones off? Do you have it on “do not disturb?” Are you in an area where you can concentrate and focus? Or are you in an area where you’re getting distracted with small talk with your peers? Are you getting asked to go for coffee? So, control your environment to allow you to focus to be productive, and to be able to have a higher return of investment is key in reducing those distractions.

The fourth is this: When tying your shoes, do you stop and think about whether you should do the right shoe or left shoe first? No, it is a Habit. Do you think about whether to brush your teeth before you shower or after you shower? No, it is habit.

A study at Duke University found that more than 40% of what people do every day is not deliberate but a habit. Identify some of your counterproductive habits and really focus on what you can do to replace and create stronger, better and more effective habits in your personal and professional lives. The definition of Insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Stop the insanity! One simple example would be; watch T.V or read a book instead, just try it!

The fifth is : We have all heard the sayings “Time is money” or “Work smarter not harder”. I am teaching my coaching clients and top producers to constantly be seeking ways, tools and devices to make their efficiency levels higher than ever. Here are some of the Top 5 Real Estate productivity Apps you might want to test out for your own business. BombBomb. Snagit. Slide Shark. Docusign and Clear. Feel free to comment below and let me know what some of your best Apps for productivity in your real estate business are!

The sixth is: Are we getting enough sleep? Do you get up at the same time every day? Do you take time to be quiet and meditate? Do you block regular time to exercise? Are you drinking water all day to cleanse your body? Are you eating 4-5 small meals a day? Personally I go to bed the same time every evening and wake up the same time every morning. I have hired a personal trainer to keep my exercise and strength regiment consistent as well my favorite new tool to maximize my energy is an App called MyFitnessPal which helps me make so many better choices when eating out or eating on the run, it is amazing!

The seventh is: In today’s new world of google, social media, smartphones and 24/7 news media, it is not surprising many of us have become addicted to information and noise. Personally, I struggle as a people person to not react all the time to my smartphone and struggle every day to not be constantly reacting and responding to someone else. I do my best to come home and try to just turn it off and remind myself, everything else on the list can wait till the morning. Easier said than done for me. Identify the top 3 high jackers of your time, energy and attention that pull you off task, bring you down or hinder your ability to focus and be in the moment. Implement awareness and strategies to shut those high jackers down.

The last tip in the productivity boosters I want to give you, is to be able to systemized and put yourself on auto-pilot. One of the tips I learned was “3D Technique.” To ask myself, each and every one of my activities and spending my day doing, “should I be doing this myself?” “should I be delegating this?” or “should I just be living and just dumping it?” So that’s the “3D Technique.” So, 85% of as good as you do it, giving it to someone else, is really good. Because you’re systemized, and you’re freeing yourself up to do what you do best. What you do, what gives you best returning your investment of your time and your energy and management.

So those are some of my “Productivity Boosters, I hope that you’ll take the time to implement just one of these ideas, and take your business and boost it to the next level, and take your production, your energy level and your passion, and just boost it to the next level.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Top Reasons People In Your Circle Don’t Do Business With You

Wade Webb on July 14, 2021

It has happened to me and it happens to every agent. Someone you know just listed their house for sale, and they didn’t even call you. It’s a crushing blow when you make the discovery, but I have to be real with you for a moment – you lose listings, buyers and referrals, every day, that you probably don’t even know about.

Let me explain a bit more… You see, my greatest mission is helping agents generate repeat business and referrals directly from their sphere of influence. I’m so passionate about this because I hate seeing agents in a position where they feel like they’re constantly chasing the next deal. At the same time, I see every agent who implements a proper strategy for generating business from their existing contacts, see results almost immediately, and that feeling of chasing starts to melt away. Over the years it’s become very clear that this means there were always transactions to be had, but agents without a good strategy were all missing out on them. So, why are agents missing out on commission opportunities right within their own sphere? Here are the 5 reasons why people you know will go with another agent (and why NOW is the time to ACT):

1. You Didn’t Reach Out To Them Consistently – Did you know that you lose 10% of your contacts for every month that you don’t follow up? Generating business from your list requires some maintenance and the best practice is to reach out every 21 days. So if you haven’t been emailing, direct mailing, calling, or popping by to stay in touch, it’s time to get started. If you stay in touch consistently, people are more likely to have you front of mind when talking about real estate and could even help you grow your contact database by word of mouth.

2. You Didn’t Connect In A Meaningful Way – Maybe you are reaching out on a consistent basis, but the way you’re reaching out isn’t giving you a lot of opportunities to connect on a deeper level. If you’re not connecting with people in a meaningful way, it’s as though you’re not even following up at all. However, if you want to guarantee that people always do business with you and send you referrals, you have to create a bond with them through the marketing you do. Creating a bond through marketing is actually easier than it sounds… but you have to change your definition of what ‘marketing’ is when it comes to your past clients and close personal contacts. They are looking for things from you that are much more personal than the traditional pieces most agents are using. Things like handwritten notes, your own newsletter, and a text or a call on special occasions will go much further with this crowd.

3. You Didn’t Provide Value They Were Interested In – People expect real estate content from you, but they don’t necessarily want it. Look, the reality is that you probably have some great information, but people are only interested in it when they’re actively thinking about buying or selling, which is about every 7-8 years. Obviously you want to communicate great opportunities in the market, and you absolutely should – but be sparing with these in your Sphere. Instead, provide value that people will appreciate any time, by focusing on lifestyle content, like tips and tricks.

4. You Didn’t Ask Them For Their Business – If you don’t ask for business as a real estate agent, you probably won’t get it. This is something that every agent learns at some point in their career, but it’s not always easy to make the dreaded ask. Don’t let this be your shortfall as an agent. Make sure your clients understand that you are on a mission to earn and keep clients for life, helping them with all the real estate services they will need from buying their first home, to upsizing, to retiring – and everything in between. Helping people understand all the services you can provide means you will be top of mind when those situations come up.

5. You Didn’t Ask Them To Send You Referrals – Similar to asking for business, if you don’t make it clear to people that you accept referrals, you probably won’t get as many. Now as I said before, people only actively think about buying and selling about every 7 years, but in between that time, a single client will likely know multiple people per year that buy or sell a home. You’ll have to do a lot more than just sticking “By the Way I love Referrals!” on your business cards and emails, if you want to generate an income from them. To get referrals flowing, and keep them coming, it’s crucial you use a system that includes 1) regularly informing people that you run your business on referrals, 2) making it easy for them to send you business, 3) incentivizing all referrals, and 4) recognizing people publicly for their advocacy.

6. When people refer business to you, it reinforces their own loyalty to do business with you themselves! It Takes Time, Get Started Now I understand what the market is like right now, so I’ve been talking to a ton of agents about how they’re positioning themselves to capture as much business as possible in the coming months. Almost every agent that I speak with says the same thing – they’re “just trying to keep up” and “don’t have time to try new things”, full-well knowing that doing business this way will catch up with them eventually… but they feel like they have no choice. If you wait until “the market calms down” to implement a plan, that probably means your business has cooled off too… but now you’re busy looking for leads. This is why I constantly recommend implementing a system for building and bonding relationships with your sphere, and using a tool like Service For Life!® that consistently motivates people to get in contact with you on their own.

It seems as if some agents are only worried about generating clients when they don’t actively have one – but it takes time to build relationships and get people to refer their friends and family to you, so make sure you start that bonding process now. Like I said, I know that most agents are too busy right now to generate leads, but using a low-maintenance, high-performing referral tool all year long will keep your sales pipeline full of buyers and sellers.

Strength and courage,
Wade

2021 Agent Mid-Year Performance Reviews

Wade Webb on June 30, 2021

I cannot believe how quickly time flies and the first half of 2021 has come and gone already. It’s an excellent time of year to reflect and look back on the first half of the year and assess what we did well, what we can do better and more importantly what’s next for us and the second half of 2021. 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

First Quarter Progress Reporting Time For Agents

Wade Webb on April 7, 2021

Wow! 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

What 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

One 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

It’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