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

Wade Webb on July 14, 2021

top reasons people in your circle dont want to do business with youIt 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

Realtor© Power Of Focus & The Four Fundamentals

Wade Webb on July 7, 2021

realtor power of focusOver the last several years I have had the privilege of having Focus coach and author Les Hewitt speak into my life as a personal and professional coach, to co-present together and also become good friends. Les co-authored the extremely popular business building and life changing book The Power of Focus along with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, which has to date sold over a million copies.

I remember when Les and I began working together in coaching he said eventually you will just spend your time playing and focus on your strengths and what you enjoy best, and do best and focus only on the activities where you are at your best and the rest we will automate, delegate or remove from my schedule. At the time I thought that was impossible but over the years thanks to his lesson my time, energy and efforts are spent on what I am gifted at and enjoy doing the most.

This week I want to share one of the most important lessons I learned from Les which was the  four foundational truths proven to radically change your personal life and real estate business forever. As a business coach, author and professional speaker I’m often asked, “Why is it some people do so well in life—professionally, personally and financially—and yet so many seem to constantly struggle?” It’s a valid and important question. Based on my 30 years business experience and the opportunity to work with literally thousands of clients from a wide variety of industries, the most practical answer I can provide is this. Truly successful people focus on The 4 Fundamentals.

These fundamentals are: GOALS, PRIORITIES, RELATIONSHIPS and HABITS. This is powerful. It’s also simple. Fundamentals, as the name suggests, are time-tested truths that don’t erode when a new “flavor of the month” idea is launched by some self-styled management guru! These principles are thousands of years old; they’re obviously built to last. Any time one of our clients is faced with a crisis, for example, a financial crunch or a new competitor, we have always—and I do mean always— found a solution by focusing on the 4 Fundamentals. Let’s have a look at each of them….

FUNDAMENTAL #1

Focus on your most important GOALS. Question:  Do you have a crystal clear picture of what you want and why you want it? The answer is simple, Yes or No. Sadly, for the vast majority of the population, the answer is No—97% by actual survey! Goals provide clarity. If you don’t have an exciting big picture vision for your life, then you may end up in your senior years regretting the life you never had, simply because you never took the time to design it. With the number one challenge for businesspeople today being time pressure, then it would also seem obvious that your goals should be well-balanced. At The Power of Focus Inc. we’ve developed a unique system that guarantees excellent balance. There are 7 areas you as a businessperson needs to find balance in if you want unusual clarity, less stress, more confidence and the excitement of achieving meaningful goals consistently. In no particular order of importance, these are: Business, Financial, Fun-Time, Health and Fitness, Relationships, Personal and Contribution.

FUNDAMENTAL #2

Focus on your most important PRIORITIES. What this really means is, focus on what you do best and let go of the rest. In one of our coaching workshops we have an activity called, Calculating your current level of focus. This means the amount of time you spend in a typical week focused on your strengths, those activities that produce the greatest results. Question:  What are the 3 things you do best at work, that give you energy, momentum and most of all, create measurable results? If you can’t answer that question in ten seconds flat, you need to take some time away and really ponder this. Here’s why. Most business leaders (CEO’s, presidents, V.P.’s, Managers and Supervisors) have a level of focus that’s less than 50%. For a significant number of people it’s more like 10-20%! In other words, people in leadership roles allow themselves to be constantly interrupted and distracted, or micro-manage everything so much that the greater portion of their time is wasted every week. Putting out fires and reacting to other peoples “emergencies” is not good leadership.

FUNDAMENTAL #3

Focus on your most important RELATIONSHIPS. To enjoy significant success in life you will need the help of other people. In business we call these Core Clients—people who love your product or service so much they become cheerleaders for you in the process. You may have internal or external core clients, or both, depending on your role in the organization. Focusing on building strategic relationships creates great leverage. Question:  Can you name, right now, the five most important relationships you need to cultivate in your business that will create the best opportunity for future success? Again the answer is, Yes or No. Excellent relationships thrive in a win-win environment. This occurs when you constantly add more value and when people trust, respect and genuinely like you. This requires a high level of integrity. It also means you focus on helping others achieve their most important goals. Suspend your own self-interest and you will be handsomely rewarded down the road. Sadly, we observe companies using cut-throat negotiating tactics, providing minimal training or that of the “quick-fix” variety. Well trained people are a company’s greatest asset, especially if the rewards and recognition are shared when victory is achieved.

FUNDAMENTAL #4

Focus on SUCCESSFUL HABITS. The bottom line?  Better habits guarantee better results. And results are the name of the game, in business and in life. It’s not what you say, it’s what you DO that counts! Question:  Do you have any bad habits? More important question; do you realize the consequences that those bad habits may be creating? Not today or next week, but maybe years down the road, when life hits you like a two by four—wham!! And suddenly you’re facing a financial meltdown, a health crisis or a marriage breakdown. Yes, bad habits have a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it—we’ve seen it with so many people. A lack of awareness, not paying attention to the warning signals or being “too busy” to reflect, are major contributors to their misfortune. Understand, habits are a big deal—they will determine your future. Just creating three or four successful new habits every year can dramatically improve your business, provide financial freedom and ensure excellent health and long lasting relationships. Many thanks to Les Hewitt for sharing these extremely valuable lessons to apply to our personal life, relationships and to catapult our real estate business to the next level.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Dealing With Uncertainty as a REALTOR©

Wade Webb on May 5, 2021

dealing with uncertainty as a realtorIf this year has taught us anything, it’s uncertainty. Although we may see the light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine accessible to most, it’s going to take a while to shake off the trauma 2020 delivered. Uncertainty flooded our everyday lives—between not knowing when our health and safety wouldn’t be under threat, to not understanding the different restrictions state to state, to simply not knowing when our daily lives would resume to normal. It was tough to swallow. But this is not the only time in our lives that we will face uncertainty. 2020 was unique because uncertainty plagued all of our lives. Typically, uncertainty strikes different people at different times. Ideally, the following tips will help aid you through this year, but also in years to come. Here are some best practices on how to cope when uncertainty strikes:

  1. Uncertainty is never permanent. Or better put, uncertainty is always temporary. No matter what you’re going through, this period of crisis will pass. No matter how long ago March 2020 feels, we all know that at some point our lives will return to normal. Although we don’t know when that will happen, it’s comforting to know that every stressful season of uncertainty is temporary. Hold on to the knowledge that the stress and anxiety has an expiration date, regardless of how acute it feels today.
  1. Predictability = safety + security. In order to feel like we are in control, we need two things: safety and security. Without either, our lives tend to feel like they’re spiraling. That’s why 2020 felt so chaotic and traumatic for so many; our daily routines and coping mechanisms were stripped away because of safety concerns. Without our typical fallbacks, we felt insecure. And for obvious reasons, many of us did not feel safe all year. So whenever you feel out of control with no method to predict what’s coming next, try to ground yourself through safety and security. Create a routine and stick to it. Focus on things that are inside of your control instead of depending on others to follow through (cc: mask etiquette). Together, these aspects can give you a sense of predictability and control in your life.
  1. Hold space for negative emotions. PSA: It is absolutely OK to not be OK. Sometimes, it’s absolutely necessary to not feel OK. We as a culture have a problem with toxic positivity. We love to airbrush over troubled times and pretend that everything is peachy keen, even as the world as we know it is crumbling around us. Thanks, Instagram! Combat this urge to gloss over the ugly emotions by embracing them. Give them a name. Understand them. Ask them to come inside and offer them a warm beverage and a salty snack. Welcome them with curiosity and compassion. And once you get to know them, release them back to where they came from. Trying to sweep negative emotions under the rug only gives them more power. They exist. And they’re not going anywhere until you give them acknowledgement, and sometimes, a voice. This doesn’t mean you have to be consumed by them. In fact, holding space for negative emotions does just the opposite. It gives them a time and a place to be heard so they can leave in a timely manner and not wreak havoc on the rest of your day. This is why so many people tend to bounce back. They acknowledge their emotions and therefore make room for other positive emotions soon after.So don’t be afraid to get comfortable with the icky feelings you’re actively trying to push away. The sooner you make space for them, the sooner they’ll pass.
  1. Accept your reality. During times of acute uncertainty, it’s almost instinctual to wish for easier times. We love to recreate reality in our imagination in order to cope. But we can’t change our reality. And when the dissonance between what we wish was reality and what is actually reality comes to a head, it’s easy to feel despondent and depressed. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Instead, accept the reality of whatever situation you’re in and work to adapt to that. If you continue to force a false narrative on yourself, you’ll spin your wheels until you are forced to surrender. Instead, get creative within your reality.  For example, plenty of 2020 brides eloped instead of having the 200-person gala, and ended up loving their intimate moments. Zoom happy hours replaced restaurant happy hours. Romantic restaurants with all of the fixings popped up in living rooms everywhere. Those who made the best of what they could were also the ones who quickly accepted the new norm and adjusted in suit. The quicker you can accept your reality and abandon your fantasies, the easier dealing with the real world will be.
  1. Simplify your life. “K-I-S-S. Keep it simple, stupid” If you try to overwhelm yourself with the complexities of life during any time of uncertainty, you’re just piling it on yourself for absolutely no reason. Go back to the basics. What do you need to accomplish today? You probably need to get out of bed, feed yourself, clean yourself, clothe yourself, do your job (whatever that entails), take time for yourself, connect with others and sleep. So please don’t try to make it any more difficult for yourself than it already is. When in survival mode, we need the basics to anchor us. The things that we know we need to do, and that we even like to do, during times of crisis. The rest can fall off until things stabilize. So if you are pressuring yourself to do more than necessary, you’re only adding additional chaos to an already delicate situation. Go easy on yourself. Keep it simple. There will be a time in the future when things will go back to normal, and you can be your complicated, over-achieving, hard-worker self. I promise.
  1. Set yourself up for success. Humans love progression. We like feeling in control of our situations, and we like seeing growth happening right before our eyes. So one of the easiest ways to feel better about yourself during times of acute uncertainty, is to create small actionable goals for yourself to cross off a list. Seriously, the smaller the better. Think: taking your supplements; drinking a certain amount of water per day; walking X amount of steps; cleaning your room… Hell, taking a shower can even count on some days. And, each and every time you achieve one of your small goals, celebrate. Give yourself a pat on the back for surviving during one of the harder times of your life. We don’t give ourselves enough credit most days – and in times like this – we could use all of the self-confidence we can get. So be sure to show up for yourself by keeping the small promises you’re making, and by celebrating when you’ve followed through with them.
  1. Practice self-care. Self-care can be defined as anything you do to rest, reset or reflect. At its best, self-care is used to refill your cup. We all need to nourish ourselves and our energy, and the best and fastest way to do this is to engage in self-care. However, self-care is typically the first thing that goes out the window during times of crisis. We decide we have to focus on everything else—our jobs, our finances, our families, and our friends. But without caring for ourselves first, the rest of these will inevitably suffer. Even though it feels impossible, carve out time for yourself.  If you neglect yourself, you won’t be able to show up as your full self whenever times are tough. Replenish your energy and invest in your own happiness and relaxation. You’ll see the benefits rather quickly if you stay consistent. To everyone feeling hyper-stressed out thanks to a grueling year, I’m with you. I hope these tips bring you some comfort, solace and relief from the chronic pressure you’ve been experiencing. And remember, uncertainty is never permanent. This will pass. But in the meantime, these tips will help you cope until we are back into our natural routines and rhythms.

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

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

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

 

 

REALTOR© Business Planning For 2021

Wade Webb on November 4, 2020

realtor business plan 2020A mentor of mine said to me “agents aim for nothing and hit it with amazing success!” 2020 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 2021 and hit it with amazing success! So when 2020 begins to wind down you should not wait until the very end to start planning for 2021. 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 2021.” 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 free by signing up using the form below.

Strength and courage,
Wade

FEAR – False, Evidence, Appearing, Real.

Wade Webb on September 30, 2020

realtor fearThere was a time in most of our lives when we had no fear. That feeling when we jumped from the jungle gym and slammed our little bodies to the ground. Perhaps it was when we went on our first roller coaster, or when we were in high school or college and felt there was nothing we couldn’t do. No goal was unattainable. We were an unstoppable force that would think of something and then make it happen. Then, as time goes by, the world tells us more frequently we can’t do what we want. The doubters laugh at our goals and try to persuade us from going after our dreams. They say, “You’re crazy. It’s too hard. Why don’t you do this instead? You should play it safe.” They act as if dreams were meant for others but not people like us. They surround us with negative energy and try to instill their own fears and insecurities in us. We not only begin to know the word “fear”, we start to understand what it’s like to be fearful. With so many people telling us we can’t do something and so few telling us we can, it’s hard not to let fear into our lives. Unfortunately, this is how many of us go through life, myself included at times. As a REALTOR© what fears are holding you back?

Whether you are 20 or 50, many of us become so scared of losing what we have we don’t go after what we truly want. We play it safe and hold on so tight to the status quo that we never experience what could be. We believe the doubters and don’t take chances that will move us one step towards our dreams. I call this “playing to lose”. We see this in sports all the time when a team has the lead. They start to think about how not to lose instead of how to win. They hold on so tight to their lead that they start playing safe and scared. You can see it in their energy and body language. As a result, the other team takes chances, plays with no fear, and eventually gains the momentum and wins. To live a life filled with positive energy we must learn to repel the energy of fear. Whether it comes from within or from another person, we must overcome fear and adopt a “Play to Win” mindset. Playing to win requires a commitment to yourself that even if you fail, you will never give up and never let your goals and dreams die.

Those who play to win know success is not given to us. It is pursued with all the energy and sweat we can muster. Obstacles and struggles are part of life and only serve to make us appreciate our success.

If everything came easy we wouldn’t know what it felt like to truly succeed. Obstacles are meant to be overcome. Fear is meant to be conquered. Success is meant to be achieved. They are all part of the game of life and the people who succeed play to win and never give up until the game is over.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Realtor© Simple Hacks To Faster & Wiser Decision Making

Wade Webb on August 19, 2020

realtor decision making hacksWe make decisions all day, every day, on things like what to wear and where to go to lunch. Which sound simple enough, right? Except those small decisions can start to pile up and too many can stress us out—and then we can’t make the decisions that actually matter. So we either put it off, or we do it, distracted, and regret it later. Neither is ideal. So how can you get rid of the mind clutter and the anxiety to make better decisions faster? Are you the type of real estate agent that makes decisions too quickly and end up getting in trouble by moving a bit too fast? Or are you the type of agent that suffers with paralysis by analysis and in a constant state or “ready, set….ready set…?” This week we share these little hacks to start making wise (and quick!) decisions in your personal and professional life.

1. Stick to your mission. In business and life, it is vital every big decision you make is within the scope of your mission. You don’t have the mental or physical resources to spread your net too wide and still succeed. So always ask yourself which option best moves you toward your mission’s goal, and then the choice should be simple. What are your core values and mission statement and use them as a rudder to navigate your decision making process.

2. Set a time limit. Give yourself a timer that helps you focus on the decision rather than having your mind wander and get distracted. With the pressure of a time limit, you’ll need to get to the heart of the matter faster and collect the pros and cons quickly, which you might not otherwise do.

3. Avoid decision fatigue. Decision fatigue saps focus and reduces mental energy. Hundreds of trivial daily decisions degrade our ability to focus. I try to systematize small decisions so I don’t have to sweat the small stuff—task lists and mindful habit cultivation are key. When an important decision needs making, I’m ready to give my full attention.

4. Control what you can control. At some point, a leader has to wear multiple hats until they have a team to offload responsibility. It’s important to focus on what is in your direct control. Worrying about things outside of your control will result in delaying projects. The more you focus on what you can control, the quicker you will be at making big decisions.

5. Understand pattern recognition. Most of what we face each day is similar to other scenarios we have already experienced. By understanding this, it’s possible to quickly map a range of previous experiences and their outcomes. Leverage those to arrive at the most viable decision for this case. Over time, as you continue making decisions, their speed and quality will improve.

6. Decide whether the decision can be reversed. Jeff Bezos said it best when he pointed out there are two types of decisions: decisions you can take back and decisions you can’t. Keep this in mind while making decisions in order to move faster as an organization. If a decision can be taken back after it has been implemented, don’t waste time being indecisive. Decide, implement, evaluate and reiterate if necessary.

7. Make a daily decision quota. Commit to making a certain number of decisions per day. They can be small (Should I get coffee?) or big (Should I buy this company?), but the process is the same. If you keep track of how many decisions you make, you’ll start to make them faster and more often.

8. Use the common-sense stress test. After running through a basic cost-benefit analysis, I call one—not five—of my smart friends in a different field who can zoom out and trim the fat off that analysis. As a company with academic roots, some of our team early on had been prone to consulting every conceivable “expert” for weeks or months without action.

9. Embrace uncertainty. Action, not clairvoyance. When you’re trying to do something new, you won’t have 100 percent of the information you think you need; there aren’t always industry reports or best practices to adhere to, so accept you will be wrong 25 percent of the time and try to make as many decisions as possible, followed by execution.

So there you have it, some simple, yet powerful hacks to help us all with wiser and faster decisions in our business and personal life. Feel free to comment below with your decision making challenges or solutions, it would be great to hear from you all.

Strength and courage,
Wade