“We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret.”
To an extent, we were all just going to do what we’re all going to do, and isn’t that such an enormous relief? After all, most of the time, we work with what we have to work with, we gravitate towards the things that make us happy, we source ideas and inspiration that are wholly unique and individual to us, and most of those processes are not even necessarily conscious, let alone active. People emerge from the womb a blank slate and fill the space with the things they’re naturally interested in. However, to be successful with what you want takes something behind active measures: you have to know yourself, make a practice out of your dreams, angle yourself towards the You who has always dwelled in your mind, and work hard at being Your Best Self. But the rest? Just keep dreaming.
Earl Nightingale (1921-1989) | American author & radio personality
Top 10 Thoughts To Eliminate As a REALTOR and in Your Personal Life:
1. Defeatist – a person who is accepting, expecting, or being resigned to defeat. Often linked to pessimism in psychology. How many of us have thought about defeat before we have even began?
2. Cynical – a person who believes people are motivated by self-interest. They are distrustful of human nature and motives. How many of us question others sincerity and integrity.
3. Vindictive – a person who has or shows a strong and unreasoning desire for revenge. Have you ever met someone that is always out to get back at someone else?
4. Blame/Fault – a person who assigns responsibility to someone or something else. How many of us are the “who cares?” “what are we going to do now?” type of people.
5. Wishful – a person who expresses the desire or hope of something to happen even though it is not happening. They do what they can to influence the project, situation, deal and just keep moving.
6. Self-pity – an excessive, self-absorbed un happiness over your own troubles. Have you met someone that needs to get over themselves … stop making excuses … no more drama or complaints?
7. Worrisome – a person who is full of anxiety and concern. Worrying won’t help, costs you time, and can drag you and others down.
8. Jealous – a person feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements and advantages. If you want that achievement, then earn it!
9. Pre-argumentative – a person who builds their own imaginary argument and prepares themselves for the argument that may never happen. Imagine the energy and time we waste doing this?
10. Procrastinate – a person who always delays or postpones action and puts off doing something. If you’re going to procrastinate, it makes sense to do something fun instead of thinking about how bad it is you’re procrastinating.
Eliminating these thoughts might be impossible but minimizing them (and their impact) is completely doable. Here is the approach to eliminating these wasteful thoughts…
• Recognize them when they come up.
• Remind yourself they’re a costly distraction.
• Redirect your thinking (and/or doing) to something positive.
Embrace the simplicity by staying inspired and remember these are not our own thoughts, we just have friends with these kinds of wasteful thoughts 😉
Every agent wants to separate themselves from the masses of agents in the business and stand out from the herd. I have accepted the fact that 80% of the agents I coach and who read my blog posts and take my training will be completely motivated, fired up and inspired but then do not a damn thing I share with them to change their business income and life. I think I might be generous with the 80% and maybe more like 98% of REALTORs.
I am not where I am today and achieved what I was able to achieve as a sales agent and a broker owner because I changed into a suit and a cape in a phone booth. It is amazing to me how so many agents can come up with so many different reasons why the other agents are so successful and why this agent is not successful and why they are not successful themselves. The reality is the only reason why I was fortunate enough to be successful and other agents you see that are so successful is we all did the one most important thing. “We all just showed up and did the work!” That is right, we all just showed up and did the work we were told to do and knew that the success would come from all the fruits of our labor.
Stop looking for that silver bullet, a shortcut or having such a lack of patience for your own success in real estate, I am sorry to say they do not exist! I see so many agents try something and don’t get the result they were looking for immediately and just stop doing it because they have decided in their own minds it doesn’t work. Why do agents turn on an online lead generation system and receive say 40 online buyer leads in the first week and don’t convert any of them in the first week and say to themselves well I tried and that doesn’t seem to work either and unsubscribe from the system? What else do you have that generates 40 buyer leads in a week and why turn it off, is my question? Let me ask you this….
Who do we really get to know as a buyer in the first week or two when the average buyer process is around three to eighteen months? But that is the agents mentality today and their expectation of lead generation, only looking for the quick fix and not the long tail in the world of real estate sales. One of my mentors said “You need to be faithful with the little to be given much.” Meaning you got to show up every day, make the calls, see the people, add value to others, find a need and meet it for buyer and sellers that need and deserve your help and just put in the work! Some of you may act on this message but most of you won’t.
If you want to be more in your business and life then start showing up starting today and put in the work and you will see the results and fruits of your labor!
Do, Act, Show Up, Implement and Execute on what you already know.
You all know enough already, stop looking to know more and start doing what you already know you are supposed to do. I don’t want my message today to come across as a little harsh but a message of hope for those that need a push to just start showing up!
Once, a king and a lazy man named Haria were very good friends. One morning, the king said,
“Why don’t you do work to earn some money?” Haria said, “No one gives me job. My enemies told everyone that I never do any work in time.” The kind king said, “You can go into my treasury and collect as much wealth as you can, till sunset.” Haria rushed home to tell this to his wife. She said, “Go and get the gold coins and gems now.” “I cannot go now. Give me lunch first.” After lunch, he took a nap for an hour. Then in the late afternoon, he picked some bags and went to the palace. On the way, he felt hot so he sat under a tree to rest. Then, two hours later, he got up to go but saw a man showing some magic tricks. He stopped to watch for an hour again. When he reached the palace it was already time for sunset. The palace gates had been shut. So Haria had lost a golden chance because he had not learnt the value of time.
I see and hear so many real estate agents who are putting in long hours and long days but don’t seem to be reaping the benefits of their labor. How many of you are maximizing your time each day? Are you truly using each and every second to its fullest potential? Time is precious and the truth is we don’t have much of it.
Are You Wasting Time?
Most people in this economy are wasting time. But what happens when the market takes a turn? It’s not a matter of “if”, but “when”, because it always does. Will you be the one with all of the money? If you don’t start the working immediately in the real estate market we know that somebody else will.
4 popular agent workplace time-wasters, and tips to reign them in.
1. Interruptions. One study says people can waste up to two hours per day of productivity based on interruptions. One reason for this is it can take around 20 minutes to get back into a work groove after your flow is interrupted. Of course, sometimes distractions are welcome (admit it!)—whether it’s a team member asking for your input, to talking about a TV show. And while interruptions will happen, the trick is minimizing them so they don’t kill your work productivity. Tip: Put your head down for set periods of time—25, 50 or 75 minutes—whatever is a realistic stretch of time to accomplish a task. If you’re in an office, close your door. If you’re in an open space, wear headphones, or set up some kind of “Do Not Disturb” signage around your desk area. Other common tricks are to turn off email and instant messaging; close all the browsers, apps and docs you’re not using. Also, don’t think you have to drop everything when a co-worker asks for something. Try lines like, “Set up some time for us and I can give you my full attention” to a simple “Can you give me a minute, I’m in the middle of something.” This might change some of your team members’ interrupting habits as well.
2. Socializing with co-workers. This is a double-edged sword, as stated by different studies. The Salary.com survey says 43% of their respondents blamed interacting with coworkers as the main reason they missed doing work. However, there’s an upside to this social interaction. Other studies have found coffee room chats and serendipitous conversations can increase productivity through the exchange of information, ideas and problem solving strategies, and the quick emotional boost that comes with making meaningful connections. Tip: Think about socializing as you would managing a project. If you find yourself in an unplanned conversation, give yourself ten minutes to talk rather than letting the conversation go on too long. Sometimes, you just have to exercise discipline and walk away from a group conversation. Or, consolidate your social interactions.
3. Unclear priorities. It happens too often: Individuals find themselves working on tasks they discover aren’t the highest priority. When agents are disorganized—either because of poor communication or no prioritization. Tip: If you’re not sure what you should be working on, ask. Ask yourself if you are confident the activity you are working on is what matters most to the business today. Always remind yourself of the high dollar productive activities in real estate always get done first!
4. The Internet, social media and personal emails. There are a few dynamics going on here: Dropping in on Facebook and other social media during the day is the new water cooler break. Let’s be honest, we all check out something on the Internet that isn’t work related—from news articles to shopping. Do we even need to explain email? We have a personal life, folks! Tip: Instead of nickel-and-diming your time by browsing the Internet, checking your social media sites and responding to personal emails, set aside a designated time, say 10-15 minutes twice a day for these activities. You’ll save time from all the restart time that goes along with frequent quick interruptions (see No. 1). Plus, it’s a good discipline practice to increase your focus and overall productivity.
What’s your favorite or most plaguing time waster—and what do you do about it?
I know, I know… what is up with the Agentsboost motivational topic about failure this week Wade? The market is really good and things seem to be going well economically and we should all be grateful for the business we have and maintain a positive mindset.
I get it!
I want to address the elephant in the closet in our industry and that’s the failure rates of agents. “N.A.R. states that 87% of all agents fail and get out of the business within the first five years of their career”. What is more important to us is why agents fail in this business within their first five years?
Top Five Ways Agents Fail in Real Estate
1) No Planning & No Strategies
My good friend Joe Niego said “So many agents aim for nothing and hit it with amazing accuracy!” I can’t tell you how many agents we see that don’t have a simple business plan and marketing strategies on how much, of what and by when the activities they need to accomplish their goal personally and professionally. Know and commit to the right activities!
2) Fail To Attract Enough Leads
Having enough buyer and seller leads simply comes out of having enough lead generation funnels. Agents try one funnel a little bit and it doesn’t work and dump it. Try another a bit and dump that. In order to have enough buyer and seller leads agents need a minimum of 4 lead generation funnels in their business at a time. So what are the better funnels Wade? The Core Four in our business:
a) Database touches 28-36 touches a year to your database
b) Open house where they come to you and meet you and tell if they like and trust you.
c ) Geographic farm where it is better to be an expert and niche at something rather than average at everything in real estate.
d ) Online leads are the quick and easy way to get you started and top you and your business up regularly.
3) Poor Conversion
LGT “Let’s Get Together” is the single most important activity and knowing what to say and how to say it starts the conversion. Get the consumers attention by asking about their challenges and fears in today’s market place and then invite them to meet with you and hear your solutions to their challenges in today’s market place. Don’t just give them what they want so easily so they are like a fish that you bring right to the boat and they wink and spit the hook out and just swim away!
4) No or Poor Service
Follow up, Follow up, Follow up. If they are a hot lead follow up every 2-3 days, a warm lead follow up every 2-3 weeks. Always do more so you will under promise and over deliver every time! As agents we want to be “insisted” and not recommended and we get insisted by delivering the unexpected and wowing and awing the customer every time! Serve, follow up, wow and awe them and create raving lunatic fans of you and your business.
5) Run Out Of Money
Income must exceed the expenses and the key to real estate success is Profit! We need to spend money to make money but more important we need to track and measure our return on investment with every dollar we spend. It amazes me how many agents don’t even know what the minimum amount of money they need to survive at home monthly or at work monthly is? What your life costs plus what your business costs plus profit equals your annual income goal! Profitability is not a bad word.
So there you have it the top five reasons why agents fail 87% of the time within the first five years in the business. I dare you to take each of these items and sit down and build a strategy and plan to ensure your success and defy the real estate success odds!
The real estate market is always changing and there is one trend that continues to be getting stronger every year. As you already know the power of a real estate team can always outperform an individual just by sheer numbers. Here’s your all in one guide to teams in real estate. Let’s begin by looking at the different team models in real estate first. Teams are an amazing way to leverage time and resources. In my nearly 24 years of experience and coaching super star agents like you, I’ve noticed there are four different types of teams in real estate.
1. The Accidental Team – The accidental team isn’t really a team in the traditional sense… This is just a group of people in the same office that all do the same thing and started selling together. Think of this as more like a bunch of sales people without anyone to run the operational side of the business. They do this for comradery, accountability and maybe even sharing in costs and work load with one another.
2. The Real Estate Family Team – You’ve probably seen a family team and they are very popular. Although everyone is related, roles aren’t clearly defined across as to who is doing what… Also, family teams usually have to put the business on hold when they all go on vacation. Not an easy task to work with your spouse, in law, parent or relative in the real estate world especially when things get crazy and the pressure and stress is rising.
3. The Guru and The Minion Team – I’m sure you’ve met the “guru” agent leading the team of minions. The guru agent is great at what they do, but they are huge control freaks! Have a fairly large ego and opinion of themselves. These are the types of teams where burn out is common and people are always coming and going. The guru can be tough to work with and they are usually the kind of person that doesn’t play well with others.
4. The Business Builder Team – There are some super star agents out there who know their stuff and hire a team to help support them in the other areas of their business. They realize with a team they can grow the potential of the business exponentially. Leverage, systems, processes and multi-talented team members equal mega success. This is because the business builder knows the team is the vehicle to maximize everyone’s strengths to even better serve the customer and take the business to the next level.
So Why a team? You can build something repeatable, scalable and something tangible business you can sell! Whether you are looking to start your team with just an assistant or take on five or six people to build your team, you need to remember one thing… Have you ever seen one of those Russian nesting dolls? It is a big doll that splits in half and there is another doll inside that is a little bit smaller.
This keeps going several more times with the dolls getting smaller in size. I bring this doll up because this is what most people think hiring a team is… The ego and desire to feel important causes many agents to hire someone smaller than them. If you want to achieve massive success in your business you’ve got to add super stars to your team who are committed to doing big things. This means not hiring based on ego, but instead finding the people who think and perform big and are dedicated to growing the business.
Is there any competition in your marketplace? You and I both know there are a ton of real estate agents out there! There is this myth that all agents and all companies are the same and do all the same things.
The challenge is how to separate yourself from the competition…
Here’s the truth… If you’re not unique, then you’re weak! Be committed to creating a better experience for your customers because you know your unique factors! What unique factors do you have that create a better experience for your clients? What is your value proposition and how are you communicating it, Fast?!
It is amazing to me how so many agents struggle responding to the questions so Why you? Why your company? Why now?
Let’s talk about Your Super Bowl Commercial. Imagine if you invested $5,000,000 in a Super Bowl commercial! It would be 30-60 seconds long and be seen by 114,000,000 people. What would your pitch be? What would you say about yourself and why should the customer want to work with you? On a smaller scale you are advertising yourself every day… When someone says “you are in real estate?”, what do you say? Is it unique? Remember if I am not unique, then I am weak!
How Do I Create My Powerful Pitch?
#1 Start with a problem. This is a hook, and the reason a customer should be interested. The goal here is to articulate a problem that connects with the kind of customers you want to serve. When you speak to people through their problems, you are speaking life into them engaging with you.
#2 Amplify a problem. Use quick examples… Say something like “buying a home is easy…” Then list out some of the problems most of your customers might face. Remember to think about this from your customer’s perspective, and the types of questions they are asking… Questions like: So what? What’s in it for me? Can you prove it?
#3 Offer Your Solution. Talk about facts, data, proof, and credibility. You can even use a script. “Clients work with us because we have the experience, we sell homes faster, and get our customers more money. We pride ourselves on customer experience and relationships, and we have 7x times more five star reviews than any real estate agent in our marketplace. Our number one aim is to make sure you are our next five-star review and we want to deliver that experience to you. These are my competitive advantages (restate them) that you can hold me accountable to.” Remember even if you are a brand new agent you can still use the facts and data from your office (be honest and disclose that) to offer the solution to your customers.
#4 C.T.A. You’ve got to have some kind of call to action! It could be something like: visit our site, like our page, schedule an appointment, or sign the contract. Remember if you don’t close you can’t win!
The Most Persuasive Words. Have you heard of the 12 words that are considered to be the most persuasive? They are: You, Money, Save, New, Results, Easy, Health, Safety, Love, Discovery, Proven, and Guarantee. Think about your marketing presentation; are you using those words? The most engaging agent’s know the words to say and how to say them and get people’s attention and stand out!
You and the Competition. Listen, when you follow all of these steps you are creating a degree of separation between you and the competition. When you can articulate your uniqueness and how you can solve problems for your clients you are standing out from the competition! This makes it much easier for your clients to choose you over all those other agents in the marketplace. Take the time to really invest in your pitch and identify what it is that make you and your experience unique? What are the problems that buyers and sellers are facing today in your marketplace? What do you do to provide solutions to the buyer and seller? You only have seconds to engage, persuade and differentiate yourself from the competition. I challenge you to work on your power pitch and really stand out from your competitors.
I cannot believe it myself the first quarter of 2017 has almost come to an end. Time really does fly when you’re having fun!
How did the first quarter of your year go for you personally and in your real estate profession? Are you behind your goals? Ahead of your goals? Just right where you targeted for your start to the year?
We are now entering into one of the typically best quarters of the year; Q2. My question to you is… is it time to change things up? This week we look at some critical steps to take today if you are not on track:
#1. Take Some Time To Look At Your Status
What is your current situation? What are your biggest challenges or issues you are facing? What were your goals and why you wanted to accomplish those goals?
#2. Measure Your Quarter
What were your numbers for the first quarter? How many calls? How many appointments? How many presentations? How many Listings? How many buyer agreements? Don’t measure your quarter success solely on results but even more important is measure your quarter on activities. You have to be faithful with your activities to receive the success you deserve.
#3. Growth Checklist
Based on the first quarter and what the numbers are saying what do you need to do different? What do you need to do more of? More leads, appointments, follow up, conversion, presentations and contracts this quarter? What changes need to happen to achieve your goals and breakthrough this next quarter in Real Estate.
#4. Working On Your Business
How does your operation, systems and automation look right now? Do you have systems and checklists for everything in place? Are you leveraging with someone or something else that is generating you business while you are busy being busy or getting some sleep? Time to schedule that hour of power a day and work on your business and not always in it.
#5. Time For Help?
Is it time to delegate the low dollar productive activities and free up time for you to focus on the high dollar productive activities? Remember someone or something else doing the low dollar productive activities as better than you doing them, right?
#6. Sales and Marketing
Is what your spending and doing generating a return on your time and investment? How are you positioned in your marketplace? Is your unique value proposition to the customers being communicated in all your materials? Growing your business is no small task and there are many different moving parts.
#7. Income and Expenses
How much are you spending? How much should you spend to meet your goals? Are you profitable? Do you take time and measure your expenses and the R.O.I.? Remember we are in this to make a profit and not all about the gross income being less than the expenses.
#8. Technology
Is technology ruling you or are you ruling the technology? How much technology is enough? Am I relying solely on technology and not enough on old fashion full contact with people belly to belly? We all need to embrace technology because it isn’t something that will just go away. In the same breath we need to not just rely on technology because sales always has and always will be a full contact sport.
So there you have it 8 solid points to help you turn your year around and really make Q2 the best quarter of your year. Take the time to look at your first quarter numbers and your goals and refuel your “why” for crushing it in the second quarter of this year. I dare you!
We have all heard or said the comment “Buyers are liars” and personally that is the furthest thing from the truth if we really took the time to understand them better and how they really want to be served. Let’s look first at the common buyer agent and their issues buyers say about them.
1) They don’t listen
2) They don’t understand our needs & wants
3) They have no process, they wing It and they are reactive
4) They wait vs. create a buying opportunity
5) They get us to buy what they think we should buy
6) They can’t communicate their value proposition
This week we are sharing the 10 easy and effective steps to better serve your buyer in today’s market. Taking the time to follow this step by step process will allow you to convert more buyers than you have in the past…….
10 Step Buyer Process To Get The Commitment Every Time!!!
STEP 1) The Initial Meet & Greet
Option 1 – Meet Buyer At A Listing
Option 2 – Meet Buyer At The Office (TIP – Prepare and coach receptionist to greet buyer as follows: “You must be [Customer’s Name]. We’re really glad you are here. [Agent’s Name] is looking forward to meeting with you.”
The Critical First Two Minutes – Connection & Control. Your goal is to get the buyer to like and trust you and not to rush this process. Here are simple tips on “How To Connect”
– Step 1: “How are you today?” Then listen and engage with their response.
– Step 2: “Thank you” or “welcome” or “compliment”
Once you feel you are connected (nod and see if they nod back) take control of the process. “If it is alright with you, what I’d recommend we do first is sit down and get acquainted. I would like to ask you a few questions that will help me help you find the right home. Will that work for you?”
STEP 2) The Meet – Choose a different location (fresh energy)
– Office (Like Bringing Them Into The Death Star)
– Meet Them Where They Are At
– Easier To Get Them To Meet At Coffee Shop
– Presentation On Tablet
– Offer a gift (drink? Pen?)
STEP 3) The Buyer Interview:
– Tip (Have a file made up with their name on it.)
– “I would like to ask you a few questions that will help me help you find the right home. Is that okay with you? Is it okay if I take some notes?” (Power of the Note Pad)
– Follow the proper question sequence: Did You Know??
a) Rapport questions
b) Foundational (prior learning) questions
c) Diagnostic questions – who, what, when, where, why, how?
d) Solution (closing) questions
STEP 4) Pre Buyer Packet
“I prepared a packet of information for you that has everything you need to buy real estate in [place].” Briefly review packet, point out contracts and finish with agency disclosure. (Confirm they are not under contract with another REALTOR®.)
STEP 5) The Funnel Process
“Our goal is to help you find the right home and, at the same time, make sure you don’t miss anything or pay too much. We have a process called “The Funnel Process” that will help us accomplish those goals. Would you like to see how it works for you? Great.”
“Let’s start with what you have so far. “Do you have a list of homes you have found you are interested in?” Review what they have. “Have you gone inside any of these homes?” “If it’s alright with you, let’s start by putting these homes into what we call the ‘funnel’. (Draw a funnel) To make sure you don’t miss anything, let’s also put into the funnel any home you might consider. Will that be okay? Discuss: o MLS o New Listings o New Construction o For Sale by Owner
“Once we have everything in the funnel, we’ll start a simple process of elimination to remove those properties that don’t work for you. We’ll use the comfortable process of elimination versus the often frustrating process of selection. This way we’ll make sure you don’t miss anything.”
“We’ll go from 1,000’s of properties in the funnel to 100’s and then to dozens as we begin to eliminate those that don’t work.” “Some we will look at on-line, some we will drive by, and some we will decide to make an appointment and go in. You will be in control of the decisions.”
“As we go through the process, our goal will be to find our top three favorites that could work for you (and this can be a rolling top three).” Once you have identified your favorites, I’ll do a simple market analysis showing you sold properties to help you get a feel for value. Our goal is to make sure you don’t pay too much.” “Does this look like a process that will work for you?”
STEP 6) Scale of 1 To 10 Technique
“Just for fun, to give me an idea of where you are in the process, on a scale of 1 to 10 (with a 1 being you are just starting the process and a 10 being you would like to find a home today) where would you rate yourself?”
“What would have to happen for you to be a 10?” Drill down on each item – ask questions and listen (3 Deep)
– “What specifically about…?”
– “Why is that important to you?”
– “Tell me more about that.” – Take notes. (Power of the Note Pad!)
STEP 7) Pieces Of Paper Exercise
(Give each person a piece of paper) “If it is alright with you, I would like each of you to make a list of the things you want in a home. After you have made your list, put stars beside the three things you can’t live without.”
STEP 8) What & Why?
Features and benefits.
(What) Features
(Why) Benefits
Remember: People buy their “whys” (benefits) not their “what’s” (features). Explain the concept of the “85% perfect home”
STEP 9) Cash? Loan? House to sell?
“Will you be paying cash for this home or will you be getting a loan?” If getting a loan: “Do you have a loan arranged? Do you have a lender?” “While I’m doing the computer work for your MLS® search, would you like to meet with my [Name of Lender] for a second opinion?” “There is absolutely no obligation to use [Name of Lender]. However, it will give you a second opinion.” Benefits to them of second opinion? Do the preliminary MLS® search while they meet with the lender.
STEP 10) If we find it… What will you do? (story)
So there you have it the 10 simple powerful steps to convert and get a commitment from a buyer in today’s market. I challenge you to try changing up how you are dealing with buyers today and follow this tried and true buyer system and see your experience with buyers go to a whole other level.
One of the things I ran into when I first started really talking about staging houseswith sellers was I discovered I could get a listing against a lot of agents who were better than me — when I say “better,” I mean who were bigger producers than me. This would happen because when they would talk about staging the house they would tell the seller, “Okay, you need to do this, you need to do this, you need to do this,” they would actually put off the seller. They would often make the seller mad because the seller felt the agent was coming in and telling them to spend all this money and do all this work, and the agent was trying to boss them around. They’re going, “This is my house, and I felt like they were coming in telling me they weren’t going to list the house or it wasn’t going to sell well if I didn’t do all this work and put all this money into it.” The seller actually took it personally and decided they didn’t like the agent. Of course, the agent was trying to help them get the property prepared in a way that really works.
Now, when I first started selling real estate back in the 1990s, staging was not nearly as important as it is today. In fact, when I first started selling real estate back in 1993, staging was not even something I was trained on. It was not something in the training I went through, and I was with one of the number one companies in the world and they never talked about staging, really.
Some things have changed in the last 15 years that have made a dramatic impact on the importance of staging a house and getting it really market-ready.
2 Things that Have Increased the Importance of Real Estate Home Staging
Number one: Pinterest – Here’s the reality. Every lady, before she buys a house, she spends weeks, if not months, spending all of her free time looking at Pinterest pictures. They spend an hour at night sitting in bed looking at Pinterest, looking at all the cool pictures. What kind of pictures are they looking at? What kind of houses are they looking at? What kind of kitchens and bedrooms and master bathrooms are they looking at? They’re not looking at the fixers. They’re looking at the perfectly staged, perfectly designed, perfectly laid out, professionally decorated, perfect dream homes. Dream kitchens, dream closets, dream bathrooms, dream master bedrooms, dream backyards, dream front yards, dream flowerbeds. I mean, all of it is like, the dream, and that’s what they’re spoiled with. They’re like, “I want that! I want it!” It’s like a little kid. “I want that!”
Number Two: HGTV – If you watch HGTV you will know most of the shows are on real estate, and most of them are about people taking and finding an ugly house and making it a beautiful house. When they’re done, they’re looking at this gorgeous home and it’s perfectly decked out. Everything’s up to date, everything’s modern, everything has custom, professional interior designers that have come in and made everything match, and it just looks fabulous. They spend all their time watching this, and so they get in their mind, “That’s the house that I want!”
Today, when you’re showing houses, if the house is ugly, it will still sell, but it sells for less because people say, “That’s a fixer,” and they want to get a big time discount if a house doesn’t show perfect.
A vacant house? Oh my goodness… Vacant houses, used to not be a big deal. But now, a vacant house looks unloved. It looks unlived in. It doesn’t feel like a home.
Because buyers are so used to seeing the pictures on Pinterest and on HGTV and on all the other places, social media and on the internet, because they’re so used to that, people have a higher expectation of what they want their new home to look like. All of a sudden, (maybe not all of a sudden, but over time), staging has become a critical part of, not only the high end but even of bread and butter homes… the better a house shows, the more like a model home it shows, the better off it’s going to sell and for a closer to premium price.
25 Staging Tips To Win More Listings and Sell Listings For More:
1) Grimy bathroom walls are a major red flag to buyers. Here is an easy way to get rid of surface mold: Mix a spray bottle with one part water and one part bleach. Just spray it on the wall, and watch the mold disappear. Give it a fresh coat of paint, and your grimy bathroom will go from red flag to red-hot.
2) Don’t replace a yucky shower door: Just scour it. A grimy glass shower door can really wash out your sale. Instead of replacing it, clean it with a mixture of one part muriatic acid and about 10 parts water. Scrub with steel wool. After wiping it down, reinstall the door and you’ll have a shower that’ll help you clean up at the open house.
3) Avoid dated tile by painting. Bathrooms sell houses, but dated tile in a bathroom doesn’t. A low-cost alternative to replacing the tile is to use paint. First coat the tiles with a high-adhesion primer. Next, brush on a special ceramic epoxy covering. For a fraction of the cost of new tile, you will have an up-to-date bathroom that brings in big bucks.
4) A master bedroom should appeal to both sexes. When you are selling, your master bedroom should appeal to buyers of both sexes. Get rid of features that seem too gender-specific. Paint the walls a neutral color, and choose bedding that matches. Then accessorize with items that complement the overall color scheme.
5) Do you have an overpowering brick fireplace that sticks out like a sore thumb? Here’s an easy way to tone it down with paint. Use a rag or brush to rub a light coat of paint on the bricks, one at a time. This will give them a new tone without covering them completely. And, if you use a paint color that matches the walls, your fireplace will go from sticking out to standing out. Updating an old fireplace screen is a cheap (and quick) fix. After removing the screen and wiping it down to get rid of the dust, mask off the windows so you won’t get paint on them. Then, using a can of heat-resistant spray paint, give the screen a facelift. Hold the can about 18 inches away, and use long, even strokes. For less than $5, you will have a fireplace screen that’ll keep your sale from going up in smoke.
6) Stain dated kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them. Dated kitchen cabinets can be a big turnoff to potential buyers. Instead of paying big bucks to replace them, just stain them. First, apply the stain in even strokes, going with the grain of the wood. Add some stylish hardware, and your kitchen will have the up-to-date look that buyers love, for less than $200.
7) Stainless-steel appliances are definitely in with buyers. Instead of buying a new dishwasher, here is a low-cost way to resurface an old one: First, remove the front panels, and clean them. Next, apply a stainless-steel stick-on covering, and cut it to size. For just $20 your dishwasher will go from outdated to ultra-modern.
8) Fill existing hardware holes instead of making new, unsightly ones. Removing old kitchen hardware can leave your cabinets with stripped-out holes. Here is a trick to reusing the existing ones. First, dip a toothpick in glue and place it in the stripped hole. Cut off the excess piece. Once the glue dries, you’ll be ready to put in the hardware that buyers love.
9) Save money on granite countertops. Granite countertops are a huge selling feature, but they can be expensive. Here are a few ways to save on this investment: First, do the demo yourself. Also, ask the vendor for remnants from previous projects. Remember, any money you spend will definitely be returned in the value these beautiful counters add to your kitchen.
10) New kitchen appliances bring high returns from sellers. Studies show that new kitchen appliances bring high returns from sellers, so get rid of old appliances that make the rest of the kitchen look dated. Once you install the new equipment, it will scream “new kitchen,” and you will see that spending a little money will make you even more.
11) Need to dress up a window but don’t want to shell out big bucks for window treatments? Here’s a trick: Use place mats. First, apply a hook-and-loop fastener to the place mats and attach them in a row to a basic curtain rod. Now that the place mats are attached to the curtain rods, pin them together at the bottom, and you’ll have a stylish valance that costs about $12.
12) Adding drama to old hardwood flooring is easier than you might think. First, isolate damaged boards, cut them out and replace them with new pieces. Rent a sander from a local hardware store, and give the floor a good sanding. The last step is to stain the boards with a rich color, and watch your floor go from drab to dramatic in no time.
13) Buyers love built-in bookshelves. There’s a fine line between filling them with clutter and staging them to sell. The trick is to arrange neutral items in clusters. Make sure that no single accessory stands out too much. That way, you’ll show off your attractive built-ins, and not your personal belongings.
14) Curb appeal is vital to attracting buyers. Here is how to stop traffic using color. First, with two tones of paint, add a faux finish to any corner keystones. Next, bring out the color of walkway pavers using a stone sealer. Plant flowers in bloom, and you’ll have buyers swarming like bees to your front door.
15) A nice outdoor deck can be a big selling feature, but an old one is a major liability. To give your outdoor space new life, first sand the wood. Cover it with a light-colored stain instead of paint to give it a rustic, grainy look. Furnish it for entertaining, and watch your open house turn into a party.
16) Breathe new life into a worn patio. Do you have a red-brick patio surface that needs to be freshened up? Here is an easy way to give it new life with paint. First, roll a light coat of paint onto the bricks. Next, lightly spray them with water and then dab them before they dry to give them an outdoor look. When you are done, you will have a patio that looks fresh and reels in buyers.
17) Staging rooms to show off their true potential is essential when selling your home. Clear out clutter or other personal items that will distract buyers. Paint the walls a neutral tone, and furnish the space to show off how functional it is. When buyers come through and imagine themselves there, you can bet an offer isn’t far behind.
18) A shabby wood-panel wall is not a strong selling point. Instead of ripping it out, cover it up. Use wood filler to carefully fill in all the cracks between the panels. Then, use a sponge to wipe away the excess filler. Once it’s dry, paint the room. You’ll see an unattractive wall go from standing out to blending in.
19) Use tape outlines on the floor instead of actually moving furniture around. Rearranging a room to stage it for your open house? Here is a tip to save time and effort: Instead of lugging the heavy furniture around the room to see what feels best, put outlines on the floor with painter’s tape. Arrange the room according to your outlines, and save your energy for counting offers.
20) Vinyl tile is an inexpensive way to update your home. Laying vinyl tile is an inexpensive way to update your home, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. You need to avoid laying patterns that look too perfect. Instead, make sure to switch up the direction and placement of the tiles to mix the tones. That way, you end up with a floor that has a natural feel.
21) Stage rooms with one purpose so buyers will know what it is. Potential buyers are confused by extra rooms that have a mishmash of uses. To avoid this problem, first clear away clutter and excess furniture. Paint the walls a neutral tone and then furnish the room with a desk to stage it as a home office in which buyers will want to get down to business.
22) Unpleasant pet odors won’t win over buyers. We all love our pets, but unpleasant pet odors can make a negative first impression. Be sure to get rid of old carpet that can trap offensive smells. Replace it with fresh new carpet in a neutral color. Plus, if you paint the walls to match, your living room will look bigger. It’ll go from designed to smell to designed to sell.
23) Pack up unnecessary items and furniture before you show the house. An over packed living room is a red flag to buyers that your home lacks storage space. Pack up unnecessary items and furniture, and move items to your garage or a nearby storage facility. Clear the way for a sale by letting buyers see your square footage, not your personal belongings.
24) Storage space sells! Potential buyers love homes that have lots of storage space. Since they will open your closets, it’s a good idea to clear out unnecessary clutter, and organize your shelves to show off how much storage you really have. Plus, it gives you a chance to start packing, as you will definitely be moving once buyers see all that closet space.
25) Create a nice flow in your rooms. Buyers are attracted to homes that have a good flow. You can create circulation by replacing square or rectangular dining tables with round ones. Cutting the corners adds room to this maneuver and creates a spinoff effect that adds flow to your home — cash flow, that is. Create a better flow in the house by starting with the floor. Want to create better flow in your house? Start with the floor. Join two rooms together by using the most cost-efficient material in the book: vinyl tile. First, use a snap-line to create a center point between the two rooms. Next, the fun part: Peel and stick the new vinyl tile down, and watch your kitchen and dining room go from old to sold!
So there you have some easy and affordable ways to stage a listing and beat other agents to a listing and sell the listing for more. Take these tips and create your own staging booklet or report as a listing tool with sellers and beat out the competition and sell your listings for more. I dare ya!!
An amazing source for my business and income came from not only investing personally in real estate but having a core group of investors I could regularly promote investment opportunitiesto where the phone would ring asking me to show them the property and write up the offer. I would literally have people call saying “we heard you were the agent that knew where the investment opportunities were and they heard I actually invested in properties personally with my clients as well.”
My golden rule was never to buy something for myself before offering it to my investor clientele to ensure I never had the reputation of being the agent who picks up the best investment opportunities for themselves before their clients. I always let the clients know they will get the first opportunity with any property before I buy anything for myself and this was very important to my niche and reputation in the real estate investing market. I spent a chunk of my time looking for the buying and investing opportunities each day and throwing them out to the database of investors I had slowly built up over my career.
The bonus was some of my investment clients became personal friends and I offered to throw my fee into the property for a share in the property investment as well. We had a solicitor draft up a partnership agreement between all of us and when the client could see I was wanting to personally invest in the property then they knew this must be a great opportunity for them. Investment properties can be an absolute nightmare or a huge profit source. It’s your choice, based upon the amount of documentation and systems you implement.
Many top real estate agents also have a management division within their offices. This division is usually started and grows by helping investor clients, or it is necessary because of the properties the real estate agents own themselves. At some point, many top real estate agents might actually semi retire due to their portfolio of real estate holdings.
Being an “insider” allows you to horizontally integrate your business. Being a real estate agent and using “insider” secrets to invest allows you to utilize the tools you developed in putting together a great market niche. This new skill set allows another form of income to be cultivated from the real estate agent’s investors and investments. It is important the “insider” takes management seriously, whether for yourself or for your clients; therefore, I would like to share with you my…
Golden Rules of “insider” Investment Property Management:
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1. Attractive properties in quality neighborhoods, which create emotion, will attract a higher caliber of tenants, rent faster, and receive a higher rent.
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2. The right tenant will always pay more for the right property and take better care of the property. Just any tenant will always want to pay less for any property and cause damage to the property. DO NOT ACCEPT just any tenant!
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3. It is always better to have a vacancy than a bad tenant.
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4. No matter what your gut tells you about a tenant — never trust it. In fact, in real estate management, only trust your mother. Check all tenants records including banks, employment, last landlords, credit records, and any other systems that are available for you to determine the pain probability (and your profitability) of this tenant.
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5. Rent as if you were going to evict, and you probably will not have to.
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6. Courts almost always rule in favor of the person with the most written documents.
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7. Cut your losses early. Left to themselves, tenants usually go from bad to worse.
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8. Long-term leases may not allow you to participate in appreciating rental rates; however, they do cut down on the most expensive aspect of property management — turnover. Also, it makes a purchase through you the least costly alternative for a tenant who wants to end a lease early!
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9. Consider every tenant as a potential buyer. Having them commit to long-term leases and only letting them out of the lease at expiration date upon a successful purchase of a piece of real estate through you will add many dollars to your real estate brokerage business net profit.
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10. Please do not have preconceived ideas regarding how people of certain classes and ethnic backgrounds behave in your rental. I have had losers from all classes and winners from all classes. Only discriminate on the basis of their ability to pay and their references! No other prejudices should ever enter into the decision-making process. We understand this in real estate – carry it through to your management.
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11. Never rent to people unless you have seen where they currently live. I do not care if they are twelve states away. If you cannot send one of your real estate agent buddies out of your local referral directory to go visit their home, I would prefer that you did not rent to them. I guarantee that your property will look exactly like their current abode within three months.
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12. Minimize your expenses through preventative maintenance. It always adds value to the property. A property can be improved in many different ways. The improvement that adds value to the property is always the best. Band-Aids end up costing you more money and are usually always done by owners who have short-term ownership mentality. Since our “insider” real estate acquisition policy requires we own property long term, adding value and repairing items for the long term is the most profitable method to accomplish your goals.
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13. It will always cost you more to have someone else manage your property than if you would manage the property yourself.
Please be aware of the amount of money you make in your real estate business before you give up your real estate business time to manage properties. Property management companies can charge between 6-10% of gross rent to manage your property, and if you believe you would be spending time away from a more profitable business, i.e. real estate business, then you will need to make the decision whether or not you should hire a management company.
If you can hire someone within your own office to take care of the majority of the management duties, this would be a less expensive method. A good rule of thumb, when you own between 1 and 20 units, is for you to have a management company handle them for you while you make commission income. After 20 units, it usually makes sense for you to hire a full-time person to take care of most of the management duties.
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14. Having checklists and systems in your management business is paramount to making certain that all the “i’s” are dotted and “t’s” are crossed.
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Now that you understand some of the golden rules for “insider” property management consider the huge opportunity of adding real estate investment property and investors to your business this year and grow and expand your business. The greatest opportunity for all of us is to be investing in what we do and know and building our fortune by investing in real estate ourselves. My personal wealth came from investing in real estate personally and not serving over a hundred clients with buying and selling their real estate each year. I encourage you to expand in the real estate investor market and slowly build your own real estate investment portfolio starting now!
“We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret.”
