Realtors – Why Now Is The Time

Wade Webb on June 10, 2020

realtors now is your timeFive frogs are sitting on a log and four decide to jump off. How many are left? The answer is five, because a decision is not action. It’s a silly little riddle that author and coach Rich Litvin uses to motivate his readers and clients, but it illustrates one of the central challenges of personal development: We all want to be, do and have more, but how many will pay the price: to act? Yes, right now going outside is a risk and the global economy is transforming in painful ways. As shut-ins, we’re having trouble finding motivation. Maybe it would be easier to coast? But how much is sitting on the log costing you? Or, to flip it, what could you gain if you acted now to be, do and have more? The whole world is unraveling, but it turns out a crisis is full of opportunity.

Why Grow Now? “The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.” —Meister Eckhart

For some, hunkering down and waiting for the storm to pass might seem like the best way to meet this crisis. In reality, it’s the most dangerous. Hope is not a strategy; action is the antidote to almost every challenge. Want to beat this pandemic and thrive? Then it’s time to act. Here’s why. Times of disruption are ripe with opportunity. “Be greedy only when others are fearful.” —Warren Buffett Ask a Silicon Valley CEO how to kill a giant, and they’ll tell you that to compete with the likes of Microsoft, Apple and Google, the only game in town is to get disruptive. Startups can’t undercut or out-advertise established players, so a blue-ocean strategy is wisest. We can do the same in our own lives and careers, whether we run a business or not—and what person is not the CEO of their own “company”? This lockdown is an invitation for us to grow—to seize the opportunities created by radical shifts in business-as-usual. For you, this might mean finally launching that new health product, or finding a new way to help the boss.

Times of disruption are full of danger. “All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth.” —Niccolo Machiavelli

Yes, opportunity abounds, but if nothing else, this pandemic has shown us that nobody’s job is secure. Thought your work was an essential service? Fate has a way of humbling us, doesn’t it? This warning is not to scare you, but hopefully to get you to see that nobody is entitled to a salary. In the long term, you are only paid for the value you can create. When you start treating your career as a business, with you as its CEO and captain of the ship, and plan your success accordingly, your financial vitality will grow.

We’ve been benched—make the most of it. “Patience is also a form of action.” — Auguste Rodin

Smart athletes who are sent to the penalty box don’t waste time sniping the referee. The great ones ask how did I put myself here?—then study their opponents for opportunities. They are always learning. One guarantee in life is that you will be stuck in The Waiting Place more than a few times. Right now, we can’t go have a beer, get a haircut or go on a first date. Prom, graduation and even handshakes are canceled.

The appropriate response here is: Accept it and move forward where you can. Don’t squander this time on the bench with TV, anxiety, stress or fear. Instead of one more episode of Shark Tank, why not spend that lunch hour reading a life-changing article or book? Working with a coach? Journaling about your goals?

If you’re not focused on you, you’re focused on the noise. “Focus on what only you can do. Give the rest of it away.” —Elise Mitchell

Are we flattening the curve? Has the virus peaked? Is the supply chain broken? (If you’re still eating bananas and drinking coffee, the answer is no.) For most people the healthiest response is, that’s not my concern. Unless you’re a titan of industry, elected politician, epidemiologist, or own a cargo ship or two, you have little to no influence over those things. “I need to read the news daily so I can be informed!” some say. That’s a valiant notion, but ask whether the news just angers you or moves you to act? Stop. Every minute of attention that you focus on events outside of your influence is a minute you’re not investing in your personal growth and happiness. Be a Stoic: Focus on what you can control and ignore the rest.

2020 will surely be remembered as the most rapidly changing year in our lifetimes. Once you see the opportunity that this shift is laying at our feet, you’ll want to act. But jumping in without a plan is a bad idea.

You can’t hit a target that you can’t see, so it’s important to set your goals, then create a plan that will give you the best chance of reaching them. But how do you actually do that? And what should you focus on? Here are some excellent tools that will help you craft your master plan.

REFLECT on your life. “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” —Carl Gustav Jung

When a CEO or politician first steps into the role, they don’t immediately start barking out commands. They focus their first days and weeks on briefings and key meetings that will allow them to get a lay of the land. When it comes to your own life and personal growth, it would be a bad idea to get busy without having a clear picture of reality. Reflection means holding a mirror up to a situation (or ourselves) so that we can see reality clearly. And the best way to reflect on ourselves is through a journal. The act of writing down your anxieties and fears, your hopes and dreams, or simply reviewing your day, will bring sharp clarity to your life. Jim Rohn, one of the founders of the modern personal development movement, knew that daily journaling not only brings clarity to our life but helps us solve problems; you can only write down the same complaints about your life for so many days in a row before the discomfort forces you to change. Rohn also knew that as we practice the craft of writing, we get better at it. As we improve, so does our communication. Clear writing requires clear thinking, and when our mind is sharper, we not only get better at expressing ourselves, but at articulating our goals and deepest desires. When we reflect on our lives though the act of journaling we gain the clarity to see where we may be living out of alignment with our highest values and how to fix that.

FOCUS on the hustle. “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” ―Stephen King

There has been no better time in the last century to start a business than now. Millions of companies are closing their doors. Whether you or your loved ones have been directly affected or not, you can’t help but feel heartbroken about this. And yet, it is reality. The economy is reorganizing itself daily before our eyes as old ways of doing things become impossible and new solutions are invented. If you want to thrive, you will need to adapt yourself to the new world and change the way you work. For many people this means that hanging onto a salaried job—with your fate in the hands of another person or faceless HR department—is a risky strategy. Transitioning fully into entrepreneurship right away might not be the right move for you, but diversifying your income stream with a side hustle (your Plan B) can insulate you from a crisis, like the one we’re living through. But how do you choose the right side-hustle idea? There’s a newsletter and podcast dedicated to that, but here are some rules of thumb to get you started. Focus on what you love doing. Starting a business is easy—taking it to profitability is one of the most challenging pursuits you’ll undertake. You should choose a goal that you’ll enjoy chasing for the next five years, minimum, to ensure you’ll follow through. Play to your strengths. Great on video and know your way around editing software? Then your marketing strategy might focus on growing an engaged YouTube following. Not a great writer? Then starting a blog might not be for you. Decide on your hedgehog concept. In the classic business book Good to Great, researchers found that the most successful companies got really good at ONE thing, the same way a hedgehog is great at rolling up into a ball to protect itself. Focus on what you can be the best in the world at, and the competition won’t catch you.

Growth Is Life – “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” —Gail Sheehy

Look at all of nature and you’ll see that everything that is not growing is dying. Now, if you refuse to evolve, you probably won’t expire, but it’s a guarantee that you’ll be missing out on huge parts of life.

Without constant personal growth we can’t experience the richness of life’s joys, and we fail to become the men and women that our potential promises we could be if only we worked at it. And personal growth does require work—the conscious, diligent application of our toil and talents. To what? To whatever goal we set our minds to; that’s your choice. But here’s what those who are resistant to change fail to see: It can be just as much or more work to stay the same in a world that is rapidly evolving around you. Grant Cardone made a comment that was striking for its simple power: “It’s more work to not succeed than it is to succeed.” For many readers, that will be a wake-up call. Failing to reach your goals, watching your dreams slip through your hands after another year, struggling to make ends meet—all that is far harder than paying the price needed to build a foundation under your castles in the sky. This pandemic is another wake-up call: that focusing on your personal growth now is more important than ever.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Agents… Start Your 90 Day Shift

Wade Webb on June 3, 2020

realtor 90 day shift“Do the thing, have the power.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Such a simple, yet profound idea. It’s one of my favourite mantras in both life and business.

In an era when everyone is seeking shortcuts and wanting results in the blink of an eye, it lays out the truth in plain language… You’ve gotta do the work to get the reward. If you’re putting in the work and looking for that Shift!

Step 1: Clearly Declare What You Want + Tell Others About It

This first step in the process is pretty straightforward…

You need to decide what you want in specific detail.

Then, don’t keep it to yourself. Goals kept private rarely get accomplished. So go tell people. Announce it from the rooftops.

Step 2: Start Your 90-Day Shift!

This is where you really start “doing the thing” that will give you the power.

You need to be performing the right activities – the actions that align with your goals – for 90 days. Each individual day might not move the needle, but collectively these 90-day cycles will most definitely move you closer to your goal.

Why 90 days? Because it gives you an opportunity to create real results. Any less and you haven’t given whatever you’re doing a chance to make a difference in your business.

Step 3: Momentum

At a certain point within your 90-day cycle, you’ll begin to see tangible results of your work. I’m sure you’ve experienced this in your business when your activities begin to pay off and suddenly things are clicking.

This is being in the momentum state.

But BEWARE! There are two ways to will quickly kill your momentum:

One, your ego jumps up to bite you. When you start gaining traction, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re doing great and let your foot off the pedal.

Two, you stop doing the work that got you there.

If you realize you’ve fallen victim to one of these traps, it’s time to push the reset button and begin a new 90-day cycle.

Step 4: Stabilization

I’m not going to promise you that one 90-day cycle will move your business significantly. But when you keep doing those activities repeatedly, your business will grow.

Which means you need to be paying attention and adjusting accordingly.

Growth requires new systems and structure, and that’s what the “stabilization” phase is all about… Identifying what’s needed at this new stage in order to stay there:

Systems
Checklists
Software
Personnel
Etc.

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

Step 5: More 90-Day Shift & Stabilization

After stabilizing, it’s time to get back to the work, and then rinse and repeat…

Get right back into more 90-day cycles (yes, cycles plural) and stabilize when needed.

Do that again and again. Stick with it and stay committed.

Because eventually your discipline, hard work, and perseverance will pay off and you’ll hit…

Step 6: THE QUANTUM LEAP!

When you “do the thing” over and over and over again…

When you build that momentum and maintain your discipline…

At a certain point your work is going to pay off and you’ll create a sudden and unpredictable burst of results.

I’m not talking about a little rush of activity, but the big jump from 30 transactions to 90 in one year.

This is the quantum leap where you can achieve true, lasting exponential growth in your business. (As long as you stabilize once again after taking that giant leap.)

Step 7: More 90-Day Shift & Stabilization

The last step in this process is to get right back to the work. Jump into a new 90-day cycle and stabilize when needed. You’ve gotta keep doing the thing to give you the power.

Take the 90-Day Call Out?!

What are 3-7 non-negotiable activities you’ll do in your business every day for 90 days in a row? (Or 78 if you want to take one day off each week – it’s up to you.)

Let me know what you’re committed to in the comments below!

 

Strength and courage,
Wade

5 Actions To Keep Your Real Estate Business Moving Forward

Wade Webb on May 27, 2020

top 5 realtor actionsI heard a great quote this past week on a video post quoting Vladimir Lennon “In some decades nothing happens and in some weeks decades happen” 

Would you agree that these are certainly uncertain times for us all and it’s easy for us to wake up and not know what to do? For the past 10 days my wife every morning reminds me to get out of bed, one day at a time and serve those in need. Is this time for business as usual? Nope! Time to freak out? Doesn’t help trust I did it for a day. Develop a new plan? Not a bad idea. This week we are sharing what top agents are doing with their new plan that will provide you some clarity as to what, exactly, you should be doing in the face of this global crisis.

1. Self Care – How we feel inside is what we show on the outside. So take care of yourself first. Mindset, Exercise, Nutrition and Rest.

2. Communication – Now is not the time to retreat into a foxhole and go “radio silent.” It’s time to step up and over-communicate with the people you’re currently working with, have worked with in the past, are members of your database, and with your community at large.

But you’ve gotta be smart about it. It’s not about reaching out like everything is normal and asking if they’re considering a move.

  1. Tell them “I’m here for you. I have your back. What would you like to do?” If they want to pause, let them do so. Doing the right thing is always the right thing.
  2. Call, text, or send a personal video to EVERY LEAD! Reach out with care and say, “I was just thinking about you. I wanted to reach out and say Are you OK? I just want to let you know I’m here for you.”
  3. Then send a similar message to members of your database. But not a mass email. I want you communicating personally with 20-30 people in your database every day.

3. Respond To The Question “How’s the market?”

Here’s my advice on what to say:

“It’s day by day, hour by hour. Some of my buyers/sellers are telling me they want to hold for now, and I’m supporting that decision while I continue to communicate and keep them aware of what’s next. And some of my clients need to sell or buy right now and they’re doing that with our protocols for safety and smart marketing, virtual showings and more.”

Then, stop, and say to them…

“More importantly, how are you and your family doing? Can I help in any way?”

The best bet you can make on the future of your business is bringing humanity to our industry during these trying times.

4. Sharpen Skills – With some consumers choosing to pause their buying or selling activity, now is the time for you to work “on” your business and your personal skills. Dig into your CRM, practice your presentations, refine your marketing, develop your social media channels, figure out how to use Zoom for listing presentations and buyer consultations, etc.

That stack of books you’ve been meaning to read? Dig in.

Those scripts, dialogs and presentations you haven’t quite mastered yet?Jump on Zoom with a partner and role play.

Tech and Sales skills you’ve needed to learn? Take an online course.

If your business is being disrupted, make sure you come out of this crisis better prepared to deliver value when things return to normal.

5. Action Plan – Marketing in today’s environment requires a whole new approach and must include empathy for those you reach.

Here are three actions you should be taking now…

  1. Email your entire database every single week. Send them current information, coronavirus-related housing statistics from Keeping Current Matters, offers to help, videos from you with your opinion about the market, etc.
  2. Mail to your geographic farms twice a month. Take the info KCM is sharing and make it into postcards to educate and inform homeowners about what is happening.
  3. Increase your social media activity! Put out positive messages. Be the voice of reason. Do video! Do it on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. You will make or break your brand over the next 30 days.
  4. Call – Ask them how they are doing? Ask if there is anything you can do to help? Ask them if you can find someone for them to help? Show up and be the leader to you own people.
I hope these five actions keep you and your business moving forward the next few weeks.

Strength and courage,
Wade

COVID-19 – Agents Missed Opportunities Part 2

Wade Webb on May 13, 2020

A continuation from last week’s content …. more “Agents missed opportunities“

11. Schedule Your Social Media A Month In Advance

Scheduling your social media posts in advance is a great way to remove busywork from your day-to-day schedule while still providing value and an opportunity for interaction for your audience. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow real estate agents with business accounts to schedule unlimited posts right in app. Instagram doesn’t have a native post scheduler, but you can schedule up to 10 posts for free with tools like Buffer (more if you pay for the premium plan), and the free version of Hootsuite even lets you schedule on LinkedIn. Not sure exactly what to post? Here are some ideas:

Take a picture of your workspace and say something about your projects for the day

Share your favorite afternoon snack (with a picture of course!)

Share a quote that inspires you

Share some home projects that can be done in a day

Share a list of larger home renovations that can up a property’s resale value

Go live to discuss the best part of your day

Share your best advice for people looking for things to do with kids at home

A quick note about scheduling your posts: This is great for news or articles you want to share, links to your blog or website, or properties you want to promote. But, it doesn’t replace the necessary daily interaction with other users these platforms require in order to be successful. Remember, this is SOCIAL media. If you aren’t being social (liking, sharing, commenting, interacting) with other users, you’re not going to get very good results.

12. Complete Your Google My Business Profile

Have you ever Googled your favorite restaurant in order to get their phone number, or maybe to hear if they’re doing takeout? If your favorite restaurant has a Google My Business profile, the information you’re looking for appears right in the Google search results; you don’t even have to click to the restaurant’s website. Google is attempting to answer many questions without users having to actually leave the Google infrastructure, and Google My Business is a tool to get this done. Completing your Google My Business profile allows your contact info to appear right in the Google search result, it also places you on Google Maps, and puts you in a list of area professionals when people do more general searches (instead of searching your name specifically, they search something like “Realtors near me.”) Google My Business is a free service and opens up a lot of doors; definitely worth your time.

13. Better Your Business By Trying a Real Estate Course

Real estate agents have a lot of options when it comes to professional development. If you’re feeling like your state-mandated continuing education isn’t doing enough to build your knowledge base and expand your horizon as a real estate professional, it might be time to consider a paid course from a reputable coach or trainer. There are lots of course options out there, but we think you should start by checking out

14. Do an Audit of Your Website

Your website is the most important part of your real estate marketing plan. It is where you capture leads, where your social media points to, where you market your listings, and the best place for prospects to contact you and start their journey toward becoming a client. Open up an incognito browser and head to your website. Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. What is the experience like? What exists on your website that is helpful? Does it look and work just as well on mobile as it does on desktop? What would a client expect to find there that isn’t there? What is the search experience like? There are a lot of moving parts to a real estate website, getting them all working together is important. Once you’ve identified where your website could improve, work with your brokerage IT department to start solving those problems. If you’re not finding the solutions you’re looking for or are ready for a fresh start with a newly designed website, we suggest checking out the options from Placester. Placester offers real estate-specific website templates designed to capture leads and offer a fantastic user experience.

15. Have at Least One Video Conference A Day With A Client

Now is not the time to be a secret agent. The further you get from top-of-mind for your clients, the harder you’ll have to work to get back there when the clouds break and things start getting back to normal.

You can help mitigate this concern by having at least one video conference a day with a client. Call them up just to chat and check in with them, share with them their As Soon As This Passes plan from Tip #1, or talk about what the real estate market is likely to look like soon and how you can use that to your client’s advantage. If you aren’t a video conferencing pro, don’t worry, there are a ton of good options. FaceTime works great, so does Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, Skype, or Zoom. All of these tools are easy to use, have free options, and will provide you with a way to make that personal connection with your clients even when you’re stuck at home.

16. Listen to Real Estate Podcasts

If you find yourself needing a break from screen-time but want to keep your work mindset, consider switching to a real estate podcast. It’s easy to sit in one place and forget to get up and move around when you’re at home (how many episodes of The Office have you watched in a row from your comfy chair?), so having a change of pace is a good idea. Throw some clothes on, grab your phone and a pair of headphones, and spend some time walking outside while still leveling up your business. Start by checking out my new favorite podcast: Keeping It Real. Host DJ Paris is based in Chicago and interviews top agents from his (and other) markets, grabbing their best advice on how to get ahead.

17. Try Your Hand at Phone Prospecting

For those of you who thrive on the face-to-face interactions you get from door-knocking or handing out business cards at your local networking events, social distancing probably has you itchy to chat about real estate and the market with anyone who will listen. Even if this isn’t your style, a lot of the traditional lead generation channels are going to slow down for a while, so taking control of your lead volume with prospecting strategies is a great idea. If you’re new to prospecting or want a new tool to get it done, try starting with REDX. REDX connects directly to your local MLS, compiling a daily list of newly expired properties as well as contact information for the owners, sourced from all across the web. You also can get FSBO listings, and even use its Geoleads tool to get contact information for particular neighborhoods (an awesome perk if you’re also operating a real estate farm too). It has an optional built-in dialer for those of you who want to supercharge your efforts, making your call rates up to four times more efficient. Not sure what to say? We get it, cold calling doesn’t come natural to everyone. Start by just checking in. Ask if everyone in the house is doing OK, how everybody is handling the “new normal.” Once you’re ready to start expanding your repertoire, check out the comprehensive list of cold calling scripts we put together, perfect for any scenario.

18. Trick Out Your Zillow Premier Agent Profile

As if Zillow traffic numbers weren’t impressive already (approximately 36 million people visit its site every month), with most people stuck at home and not attending open houses or scheduling property showings, there will be an unprecedented number of virtual home shoppers. Since we know that most homebuyers spend at least some time on Zillow as a part of their shopping process, make sure that your profile there is impressive. Spend some time getting your real estate bio just right, get your headshot in there, make sure to claim all your past sales, add some video, and of course, get some fantastic reviews.

If you’re not a Zillow Premier Agent, you can still have a profile, but upgrading is definitely worth it. You get preferential placement in the Agent Finder Tool, and your profile and contact information appear next to listings in the areas that are most important to your potential clients. Zillow is currently offering its Premier Agent services for 50% on new business through at least April 22, 2020, so if you’ve been considering trying Zillow out, now is a great time to do so.

19. Pre-Write Educational Articles for Your Blog

The way people contact you is by phone, email, or even by stopping in and visiting you in your office (when we have offices again). But, the reason people contact you is because you’ve demonstrated that you’re an expert in an area they care about; an area that matters to them in the context of their next real estate decision. Blog content is a great way to demonstrate that expertise. Your blog is your chance to write about topics that matter to you, and also provide value to your readers. Right now, you’ve got a captive audience (no pun intended) who will be hungry for home improvement projects, spring cleaning tips, suggestions for kiddo activities, and even curb appeal ideas to improve a property’s market value. If you want to get ahead and pre-write some content for after things get back to normal, try topics like market updates, lists of the best places to eat in drink in your hometown, best practices for buyers and sellers, or anything else that is going to provide value to your reader. Every article you write there is a chance for buyers and sellers to identify you as the expert they need for their next real estate transaction.

20. Clear Your Computer Desktop, Organize All Your Files

If you’re at all like me, your computer desktop quickly collects things. Files I save for quick access, email attachments, real estate memes, ya know, all the important stuff. But, even with a multiple monitor setup, there comes a point when all those files turn into clutter and makes it hard to get business done. Try setting up a calendar reminder for yourself once a week (I set mine for Friday afternoons) to clear off my computer desktop, get the important files saved in the right place, and toss the ones you don’t need. Ending (and starting) the week with a clean slate can make a major difference in your productivity.

21. Focus on Staying Positive

It’s easy to feel down in the dumps about the market and the state of things right now, but remember, this will pass. You are going to make it through this, people are still going to need to buy and sell homes, and they’re going to need a trusted professional like you to help them. As a real estate agent, you’re a leader in your community. Decide right now that you’re going to be a source of answers. A source of calm, of best practice, of strategy, and of comfort. People trust you. Use that influence to create hope.

Strength and courage,
Wade

COVID-19 – Agents Missed Opportunities Part 1

Wade Webb on May 6, 2020

covid-19 real estate agent opportuntiesThe spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 has rocked everyone back on their heels. For many small business owners, but especially those of us who work as Real Estate Agents, it’s done more than that; it has knocked them clear to the ground. With most real estate offices across the country closed and agents told to work from home, many Realtors are scrambling to cope with a new work environment as well as figure out just what they should do with themselves. If you’re sitting on the couch right now in your underwear wondering what you should do today, get up, get dressed, and get going. This is NOT the time to hide. There are actually many hidden opportunities for you to build your business stronger even while we’re dealing with this crisis. Here are some things you can do right now to keep your business moving:

1. Make an “As Soon As This Passes” Plan With Every Client

Let’s be totally clear about something: This season of anxiety and social distancing will pass. We’re going to figure this thing out, and life (and your real estate business) are going to start making moves back to normal. Sometimes it’s hard for your clients to see past their current fears, so help them do that with a personalized “as soon as this passes” plan. Take some time to think about each of your clients individually and what unique needs they have. What is going to help them weather this storm? Consider what actions and strategies are going to create solutions for their real estate goals. Use our As Soon As This Passes Plan Template and write these ideas down so they’re easily shareable with your clients. Then, reach out to your clients one at a time and request a video conference with them. Once you finish presenting your plan or if you can’t reach them, send them your plan and make sure to mention that this is a unique, personalized plan that you developed just for them. Every agent is sending out a “what next” email. Yours are going to be personalized so your clients know you are still working hard for them as individuals, not “clients.”

2. Sort Through Your CRM Contacts One by One; Filling in the Gaps

In the same way that your website is the hub of your customer-facing real estate operation, your CRM is the hub of your agent-facing operation. If used properly, your CRM tracks every client interaction, helps you identify lead opportunities, and gives you the tools to manage your lead funnel so that the most important clients get the attention they need at the time they need it. A CRM’s effectiveness is magnified when your clients’ profiles are filled out with as much information as possible. A name, phone number, and email address are great, but imagine the sort of personalized, timely communication you could plan for your clients if you had birthdays, anniversaries, closing dates, and social media profiles there? Go through each of your contacts one by one, find and fill in as much information as you can. If you don’t have a CRM and are leery of making big purchases now, Freshsales will get the job done well, and it’s very, very affordable at only $12 per month. Plus, they have a free 21-day trial you can start without even entering your credit card, so you literally have nothing to lose.

3. Request a Review From Every Past Client

Since your clients are probably sitting home watching Netflix anyway, now is a great time to ask them for reviews. You know most people are going to be sitting at home anyway, why not give them something to do? If you’re a little nervous about asking for a review and aren’t sure exactly what to say, don’t worry, we’ve got just the thing. Check out this handy set of templates to guide your communication; all you’ve got to do is fill in your client’s details.

4. Use Your Existing Property Photos to Create Video Slideshows For Listings

We’ve known for a long time that video content rules the internet, but now that most of us are unable to host open houses or conduct showings, property videos and virtual tours are even more important. If you didn’t manage to get video content for a property made before social distancing started, you can do the next best thing by creating a video from the still photos you already have. If you don’t have the video skills to get this done, try a freelance marketplace like Fiverr. There are literally thousands of service providers there offering real estate video content work, starting at just five bucks.

5. Make Five Calls, Send Five Texts, Send Five Emails, Write Five Thank You Cards Every Day

Want to know a secret? The real estate business is not about selling houses. It’s about building and maintaining relationships. Yes, we facilitate the buying and selling of houses, but without the human interaction, none of that happens. Don’t let this time of social distancing be a time of community isolation. Set aside some time each day to make five phone calls to your sphere. These can be clients, friends, family members, ANYONE. Talk to them about what’s going on in their lives, tell them about your new normal, and of course, chat about the real estate market. If they’ve been considering some sort of real estate transaction, it will surely come up. Likewise, shoot off five emails and text messages to people you know, letting them know that you’re thinking of them and that you hope they’re well. This sort of empathetic outreach spurs conversation and creates a connection that you can build on. Finally, find five people that you can thank, and thank them with a personalized, hand-written card. Even three sentences written on paper can make a world of difference for someone, and in this challenging time, a little encouragement is a great idea.

6. Achieve Email Inbox Zero

There are two types of people in this world; the people who have no unread email messages, and the people whose Mail icon on their phone needs a comma to display the number of unread emails. We’re not here to judge you (who are we kidding, having 6,100 unread emails is INSANE), we just want to help. Getting your email inbox under control is a great project. Start by making sure you’ve got no unread messages. If an important email comes in, you want to know about it, not try and guess about whether or not you have 321 unread messages or 322. Then, start deleting what you don’t need, categorizing what you do need into folders, all with the goal of getting the number of emails in your general inbox down to zero. It sounds like a bit of a daunting task, but is a great way to spend 30 minutes here and there. Fast Company did a great step-by-step on this process a couple of years back, definitely worth a read.

7. Build Out Your Social Media Profiles

Using social media is a great way to stay connected to your family, friends, clients, and prospects. Since so many people are at home right now, think of this as an opportunity to reach more of your sphere on social media to show them you’re working on their behalf and keeping them educated. As a real estate agent, you can maximize the benefit of this traffic increase by making sure that each of your social media profiles is complete with a fantastic headshot, a short bio, and links to your website. If someone takes the time to visit your profile and see what you’re all about, don’t let that person digitally walk away uninformed about who you are and what you do.

8. Design a Real Estate Farming Strategy

Real estate farming is a prospecting strategy that allows real estate professionals to position themselves as neighborhood experts by focusing on consistent marketing and communication for a specific neighborhood or area. The goal is to create a relationship with the homeowners in that area so that when it comes time for someone to buy or sell a home, you are the first person that comes to mind.

Real estate farming is a simple enough concept, but there are a lot of moving parts, which is why we put together a comprehensive guide to get you started. Pro Tip: If you want to take your farming strategy to the next level, consider working with Parkbench to build a neighborhood-specific website that can act as the hub for all your farming efforts. Parkbench websites feature local news and events, highlight local businesses, and are a place where neighborhood members can learn more about real estate on their street and beyond.

9. Better Categorize Your CRM Contacts

We mentioned earlier how important it was to fill out your CRM contact profiles; this task takes that a step further by better bucketing them into specific classifications. The more specific a client category is, the more tailored the message can be to them. For instance, think for a second about all your past buyer clients. You’ve probably got a mix of first-time homebuyers, vacation homebuyers, luxury homebuyers, and maybe even some investment property buyers. Each of these client types is going to have different messaging that will provide value to them, so why would you send them all the same generic email or texts? By creating more specific buckets for your clients, you increase the value provided to each of them, thereby increasing your chance at repeat business or a referral from them.

10. Create the Email Drip Sequences You’ve Been Dreaming Of

OK, now that you’ve got those clients bucketed appropriately, it’s time to put together email drip sequences. You know all those ideas you’ve had for drip campaigns? Now is the time to write them and build them. You’ve got some time on your hands. Why not use it to think about exactly what messages your past and current clients will respond to, as well as the sort of thing you want new clients, Zillow Leads, website leads, and everyone in between to hear from you? Don’t know where to start with a drip sequence? Start with a personalized welcome series for new contacts based on how they enter your CRM. Leads that come in from downloading a home valuation from your website might be interested in:

A thank you email introducing you and the ways you can help sellers in your community

A deeper dive into more of the seller strategies that lead to higher sale prices and faster times on market

An invitation to a virtual listing presentation via video conferencing

So much of your email communication can be automated and still provide the maximum amount of value to your recipients, as long as you can set up the drip sequences thoughtfully and with great content.

It isn’t about knowing more in these times of opportunity but doing and acting on what we already know and should be doing. Don’t let this gift of time slip away. I challenge you to pick one idea and implement and execute on it. Cease the day.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Negotiating Strategies For Agents In This New World

Wade Webb on April 29, 2020

real estate negotiation strategiesThis week I am sharing from a wonderful negotiation instructor and friend of mine Suze Cummings some great strategy for us all in this unprecedented time. Stay home and stay safe but if you have a client that needs to buy or needs to sell or you have a deal that is in jeopardy of not closing, your negotiation skills are going to matter more than ever. I thought I’d take an opportunity to review the negotiation fundamentals and talk about how they might be beneficial for the next few weeks as we go through the peak of the health crisis and how they might be beneficial in the months after that when the market is sure to be unsettled, uncertain and difficult to predict. Many of you are CNE or MCNE grads and this will be a review for you but let’s sharpen those skills so you can serve your clients well.

Collaborative versus Competitive Negotiators.

The only way to get a deal done right now is to be highly collaborative.  You’ll need to work closely with the other agent on every aspect of the transaction from virtual viewing, arranging inspections, crafting offers, overcoming both parties’ unique challenges and finding the common ground or win-win outcome that they can both agree to.   I’ve been working closely with my clients on some pretty complicated deals these past couple of weeks and in each situation, I am 100% sure that the only reason those deals went together was because both agents were deeply committed to working together to overcome all of the challenges.  The creative problem solving that was required took the input from both agents (and outside help as well)

By definition, a competitive negotiator is looking to win and have the other side lose.  It’s a zero-sum game and they don’t care about trust, relationships, emotions or anything else except winning.   While a degree of competitive behavior can be beneficial in some cases where you have a strong power advantage, it will destroy any chance of crafting a deal in this environment.

While it’s impossible to predict what the market will do when we get through the peak of the health crisis, we are likely to see some competitive negotiators come back into the market representing buyers who want to take advantage of desperate sellers.  We will cover this in much more detail as those days unfold but know that having a clear understanding of the benefits of collaboration and not being emotionally upset by an aggressive competitive negotiator are the first steps to being able to get deals done.   We are likely to have the opportunity to learn a lot about the aggressive low-ball offer – a classic competitive negotiation tactic that is very common in buyers’ markets.

Stands, Positions and the SAM Model

I won’t sell my house for a penny less than $x.  This is a classic stand and our business is full of them.  It could be about price, or commission, or timing, or marketing.  In the CNE courses, we use the SAM model to go below the stand to understand more about what is going on the client and help them make good decisions.  The stands will often be firmer during times of duress when people are afraid.  It’s a natural bit of human nature and now more than ever, you need to see past the stand, ask questions to understand what is truly going on and tap into the emotions so you can help them make the best decisions.   This takes time, patience, empathy and skill.  You need to build a high level of trust so that they will be open to sharing the important details of their situation with you. As we pass through the peak of the pandemic, and we see some trades start to happen, it’s likely that pricing will be lower than the peak that occurred in February.  It’s possible that we could see prices declining for some time.   Your ability to see stands and be able to get below them to the stuff that matters will be critical.  The SAM model is a great tool but also sharpen up on your questioning skills, trust building and communications.

Communication Principle

I’ve talked in the past about how much more effective you can be in a negotiation when you are face to face; and now, we can’t be face to face. It’s tempting to flip an email off to someone but think carefully about your best means of communication.  Research says that when we communicate by written word only, our chances of persuading someone is about 15%. When we more to spoken words as in the phone, there is more information and immediate response and the rate increases to 35%.  Face to face it jumps to 60%.   In my experience these numbers are about right except if you are a highly skilled negotiator in which case each number might be 10-20 basis points higher. When negotiations get more complicated, communication matters more.  This is why zoom and other video conferencing platforms are so popular now.  I would suggest that whenever possible in any negotiations, you try to meet with your counterparts on Video and if that isn’t possible, use the phone.   Leave email for sending information and following up. High level negotiation skills are going to be a critical part of your return to productivity when transactions start to occur again.  Take the time now to sharpen them up.  Take an online CNE or MCNE course or if you are financially vulnerable, don’t spend the money and read some books.  Here are a few recommendations.  Getting to Yes is the number one recommendation.

 

Strength and courage,
Wade

Putting The “Real” In Real Estate

Wade Webb on April 22, 2020

accountability in real estate doesnt workThe last six weeks has been a roller coaster of emotions for us all. I personally have laughed, cried, been afraid, sad and have had times of anger and all these emotions are normal and allow us to know we are human. For some of us it has driven us to press on or for others it has stopped us and that is normal too. For those that are stopped and hit a wall let us ask ourselves a few important questions.

What is causing me to hit a wall?
What is really stopping me right now?
What are my behavior patterns?
What am I thinking about most of the time?
What are my activities?

For a lot of us including myself we need to take some time to think about our thoughts right now. “It’s time to take stock of our thoughts about our thoughts.” Think about our actions right now. Think about our behaviors right now. Think about what is really holding me back right now. Ask ourselves a few more important questions.

Why am I not doing what I know I need to do?
What I am listening to in my head?
Why am I not open or aware of what is happening to me?
Why am I choosing to not take action?
What do I need to choice differently?

So we all have a choice today. We can choose to move or we can choose to stop. The choice is ours today. In order to have a breakthrough we need two things. 1. Commitment – the commitment and self-desire to move and shift our behavior, thoughts and activities. 2. Accountability – we are not alone and need to ask someone for help and walk over and tip our chin up when it drops down and support us when we just can’t find what we need to move. I trust that this message this week gives you hope and know that you are not alone and myself and the agentsboost family is holding your chin up for you today and you got this!

 

Strength and courage,
Wade

REALTORS© What Can You Do In A Time Like This? Part 2

Wade Webb on April 8, 2020

covid-19 what can a realtor do?Continuing with part 2 of my blog post answering the question so many of us are asking ourselves… “As a REALTOR© what can you do in a time like this?” We dig into our resourcefulness and resilience to be able to do something we all love which is real estate. Let’s continue our journey of activities, now remember in case you didn’t see last week’s post this is a time to serve and not sell and a time for earning relationship share and not market share. Not socially distant but creative closeness. So here we go….

1. Unaddressed Ad Mail – If you choose to do this…. IMPORTANT: Add an “offering to help pick up, deliver or connect them with a service provider you know” be their community supporter not seller. I honestly think the only approach for this that is sensible is if you personally have a or your fellow agents in your office has and pay attention to the wording:

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

2. Door to Door ( Do Not Knock ) not safe! Tuck in their door a Flyer, Postcard or hang a paper door hanger with the same messaging above Just listed Help, Just sold Help, Just reduced Help, Legit buyer Help. “ again offering to help pick up, deliver or connect them with a service provider you know” should be added.

3. Online Leads – Caution will cost money and will not convert unless done right ( Secrets to 11% Online Real Estate Lead Conversion ) many options like Streettext, Agentlocator for online lead companies. Many of our agents are calling and everyone is answering and 98% are responding well to the follow up calls so first don’t spend any money on new leads and go and follow up call every old lead you have first and stop the spending until you have done that first. You will be amazed at the response.

4. FB Ad Lead Gen– Do it yourself video to watch if you don’t know how to create one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABX_4EOi9ak

5. Telephone Lead Gen – Our phones take incoming and make outgoing phone calls. Using the DNCL https://lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/en or https://www.donotcall.gov/ and be compliant DO NOT COLD CALL!!!! Only call and ask help for your seller needing to sell or your buyer still looking to buy and call the area where they are located. Warm approach only! What I did in the crash of 1992. Dial for dollars and most people’s homes were worth less than their mortgages. I am still here today. Alive and kicking. No fun, but didn’t have a choice.

6. Drop by not a Pop By – After taking the time to call a client and listening for their need during the call. Get in your car and drop off something to serve that need or just something unexpected. I know in our house just a little chocolate (Easter just a few weeks away) makes all the bad things go away! Add a not offering them help for pick up, delivery, anything as your community realtor and we here to serve. Call, honk and waive and holler out the car window you are thinking of them.

7. Host A Virtual – Coffee, Lunch or Happy hour. Using Zoom, GotoMeeting or Google Hangouts and invite your clients and their friends, your family and co workers for an hour of sharing and connecting while enjoying a coffee, meal or beverage and snack! This allows us to create community and deepen those relationships with others.

8. B2B Facebook Page- Create a “COVID-19 (name of your city) Small Business Support Page”. Set it up as a platform for businesses to discuss how they’re dealing with the situation… i.e. what’s working and what isn’t.

So that should keep us all going this week and allow us the chance to serve others, build relationship share and encourage community and if the business comes from any of this then so be it. Give with no expectation and you will receive! Serve don’t sell…. Share any others with me that are working for you as well please!!!

Strength and courage,
Wade

REALTORS© What Can You Do In A Time Like This? Part 1

Wade Webb on April 1, 2020

covid-19 what can a realtor do?I am sure we are all asking ourselves the same question. “What Can I Do In A Time Like This?” Here is my list of activities without being insensitive and unsafe! Marketing as a real estate agent in today’s environment requires a whole new approach and must include empathy, sympathy for those you reach. Let me be very clear that this is a time to serve and not sell and a time for earning relationship share and not market share. Not socially distant but creative closeness. So here we go….

1. Self-Care – this is a time to be very focused on our own self-care and a reminder to all those that give to ask for help! We need to be good ourselves in order to be good for others. I love this great acronym M.E.D.S. – Mindset, Exercise, Diet, Sleep. PLEASE….Turn the news off. Stop watching negative social media content.

2. Database Calls – pick up the phone and call everyone in your relationships list. Please not a mass email, this is not the time to mass anything. We need to be communicating personally with 5-10 people in your database every day. Reach out with care and say, “I was just thinking about you. I wanted to reach out and say Are you OK? I just want to let you know I’m here for you.”

  • Existing Client Under Contract Or Wanting to Do Something – Tell them “I’m here for you. I have your back. What would you like to do?” keep all service providers in the loop until this deal gets registered and paid. If they want to pause, let them do so. Doing the right thing is always the right thing.
  • Leads – you Call, text, or send a personal video to EVERY LEAD! Reach out with care and say, “I was just thinking about you. I wanted to reach out and say Are you OK? I just want to let you know I’m here for you.”

3. Database Virtual Community Event  – Once a week or bi weekly invite your database to join you online using google hang outs, zoom or gotomeeting for a time of connecting, connecting others you know with each other, sharing, asking your advice, offering help or ask questions about anything and you can share about the market and what you know about their most valuable asset at this point.

4. B2B – any of your clients of businesses that your frequent and ask “how you can help them? Are they ok?” promote anything they are still doing in this time of need like what they offer, when they are open, delivery, pick up etc. Even saw an agent create a hiring FB page in their community and is assisting that way. What an incredible opportunity to support the local business owners and service providers in your community. Call them and ask for an online interview with them using software that allows you to record this and then share it to your database. Be the straw that stirs the drink for this group that is in huge need.

5. Postal Mail – The time has never been better to mail out and send a personal hand written note. Reach out with care and say, “I was just thinking about you. I wanted to reach out and say Are you OK? I just want to let you know I’m here for you.” It is a lost art. Always opened, always read and always leaves a greater impression on others than we could ever know. Who doesn’t need encouragement right now?!

6. Skills – What an amazing time to sharpen your skills and self-improve on technology and how the online experience is the only option we have. Youtube is full of all kinds of free lessons on Video conferencing, virtual tours, video with your phone, digital documentations, working at home tips, sales skills, communication skills. We even have the time to learn another language, musical instrument, the list is endless. Check out www.coursera.org for a huge list of free courses from top universities.

7. Share Our Gifts and Talents – Loved the story about the DJ on Instagram last week DNICE and is offering a virtual dance party for those around the world every night and went from hundreds to millions of followers in days enjoying his gift and talent and imagine what that will do for him in the future? If you have a gift or talent then now is the time to share it online with all your clients, friends and family and share the love!

So that should get us all started this week and allow us the chance to serve others, build relationship share and encourage community and if the business comes from any of this then so be it. Give with no expectation and you will receive! Share any others with me that are working for you as well please!!!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Simple Ways To Hold Yourself Accountable

Wade Webb on March 18, 2020

accountability in real estate doesnt workLet me ask you a simple but very important question? “Do you find yourself consistently inconsistent in your real estate business and personal life?” How do we hold ourselves accountable and stop procrastinating? How do we break that consistently inconsistency trend in business and life? One simple answer is to get an accountability buddy.

Think back to school. What motivated you to finally finish a paper? Was it a love of learning? Knowing how valuable this skill was going to be in the future? No. It was probably a looming deadline and the threat of a failing grade for turning it in late.

During school, we have built-in accountability. For grown-up goals like starting a business, losing weight or writing a book, there’s typically no accountability for us to get it done. Accountability buddies can help us make meaningful progress. Surrounding ourselves with people invested in our success is the best way to make progress on our goals. Follow these steps to set up an accountability buddy.

1. Create a schedule and commit. – Decide how frequently you’ll meet. Once a week is a good starting point. You’ll have time to get things done in between your meetups (either in person or on the phone), but not so long that you start procrastinating or forgetting what you agreed to. Then set a time and commit. Put it on your calendar and don’t let anything get in the way.

2. Help your buddy (and yourself) set better goals. Then we have a broad goal like “get healthy,” the failure comes in not knowing where to start. What do we do this month, this week, today, to make that happen? If we can’t answer that simply, how are we supposed to act on it? Create SMART objectives that follow these guidelines:

 

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-oriented

3. Be honest with each other. – My friend recently told me about an event he attended. A group of women were brought in to give direct feedback about how they perceived a group of men’s clothing and demeanor. Try to imagine what happened. “The guys were crying,” my friend said. “Nobody had ever given us this kind of brutal feedback.” My friend realized he’d never before received brutally honest feedback on how he interacted with women. We should subject ourselves to uncomfortable situations where we take on the “beginner’s mind” and force ourselves to grow. An accountability buddy gives us the rare opportunity for brutal honesty.

4. Ask great questions. – Smart people ask questions because they know it’s the best way to get to the true heart of a matter. When you say you were too busy to work out this week, what are you really saying?

Chances are you had time to watch Netflix or go out for drinks, so what really held you back? Maybe you were nervous about walking into a new gym. By asking great questions, you and your accountability buddy can break through invisible barriers.

5. Gamify accountability with your friends. – I love bets. There are myriad psychological studies about public commitment, which is highly persuasive. If you tell a group of people you’re going to stop smoking, you’re highly motivated to hit that goal. You can do this with your accountability buddy, too. If you each set a goal, bet who will hit it first. Or you can keep score of who completes more of their weekly tasks. Make it fun!

If this was so easy we wouldn’t need to be held accountable and we all need to find that accountability. That consistently being inconsistent happens to us all. I challenge you to take one step towards accountability this coming week and in a few weeks text me 250-212-8220 what changes you have noticed from those steps you have taken!!

Strength and courage,
Wade