real estate industry Archives - Page 2 of 7 - Wade Webb Real Estate Coaching

The Magic Words Of Influence & Impact for Realtors©

Wade Webb on March 24, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. What Do You Know About…

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

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

4. How would you feel if ….

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

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

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

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

How would you feel if….

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

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

5. Just Imagine…

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

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

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

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

6. When Would Be A Good Time?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you have any questions? versus

What questions do you have for me?

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

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

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

Can I have your phone number?

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

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

Makes a huge difference.

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

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

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

1.
2.
3.

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

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

10. Two Types Of People

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

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

Strength and courage,
Wade

Must Read Books For Real Estate Agents In 2021

Wade Webb on February 24, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strength and courage,
Wade

Getting More Listings In 2021

Wade Webb on February 10, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subject Line: What’s your plan?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strength and courage,
Wade

Sharing A Covid Miracle For Small Business

Wade Webb on January 13, 2021

For so many years now I have shared what I feel is such an untapped market for real estate agents, the small business owners and service providers in our communities. Almost every agent focuses the majority of their time on P2P ( person to person ) marketing and never seem to tap into the B2B ( business to business ) marketing and build relationships and become their communities real estate professional of choice. Since the pandemic hit the world the need for supporting and serving the small business owner and service provider has gone to a new level. Think about it real estate agents are independent business owners and could do what we can to help them survive and develop relationships that may lead to business in the future and gain new relationship share and save the business community in our trading areas. I am not saying it is about personal gain, I am talking about stepping up and helping fellow business owners in need and let the universal principle of reciprocity take care of the rest. For more than a year now I have been watching social media celebrity and founder of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy. This wild and crazy, outspoken guy does the most hilarious pizza review, sports talk show and political rants that you will ever listen too. I am not sharing this with you to get agents to start watching Dave and his offside content but to share a story that just hit home with me over the holidays and feel it needs to be told.

Dave Portnoy managed to build an empire worth 120 million over the last few years with his social media influences and has been calling out the government and their lack of ability to support the business community all over the N. America. On December 20, 2020 one of Portnoy’s good friends calls him out and says to him “Why doesn’t he put his money where his mouth is?” In true Portnoy competitive fashion he does exactly that and creates a legitimate charitable fund called Barstool Sports Fund with $500,000 of his own money. The fund will assist business owners across the nation. All the business owner needs to do is prove their were a viable business prior to Covid, must still be paying all their employees and why they need the money for assistance and email, video or send a letter to Portnoy to be considered for the assistance. Now the best part of the story is in only three weeks this fund has grown to more than 20 million dollars and climbing from more than 140,000 donors and has already provided more than a 100 businesses with the funds they need to make it in 2021!! Watching the Barstool Sports Facebook page video posts, being updated every day by the way, when Portnoy facetimes the business owners and lets them know they will be receiving the funding is something so inspiring it can’t help but warm your heart and restore your faith in humanity.

I don’t share this story to ask you to dig into your own pockets and start a fund like Portnoy has. I wanted to give you all hope and encouragement to start 2021 and hope that you will find some way to make a difference in your business communities and grow your relationship share in your business in an untouched market for real estate agents and give yourself the greatest gift of making a difference in others lives when they are in the greatest need of their lives.

Strength and courage,
Wade

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

Wade Webb on December 16, 2020

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

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

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

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

Never Too Late Letter

Confession Letter

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

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

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

Strength and courage,
Wade

The Power Of Leverage for REALTORS©

Wade Webb on October 28, 2020

Do you own a job or do you own a business? When you stop does your income stop? Then you own a job.

If you are generating business and income while you are away from real estate, then you own a business. One of the greatest challenges for most agents is leverage, automation, systemization and delegation.

This week we look at the question that all agents are seeking the answer to, “When and how do I hire a real estate assistant?” Some even go years contemplating whether or not it is the right time. Many people ask the same questions such as, “should I hire someone now?” and “can I even afford to hire someone?”

Now we know it can be scary to let someone into your business like that but in actuality, it needs to be done sooner than later. If you are constantly asking yourself if you should hire an assistant, then that alone should tell you that you need to hire someone. When it comes to affording one, if they are really doing their job, they will be making you a significant amount of money. Here we are going to break down when and how to hire an assistant through 3 different phases. Each phase comes with 4-5 questions and steps into ensuring you are using the right solution.

PHASE 1

In Phase 1 begin to ask yourself, “How do I know it is time to hire an assistant?” Like mentioned earlier, if you are asking this question, then it probably is necessary. You are clearly starting to become overwhelmed once you start even thinking about having someone to help.

Question 2, Do you stay up late doing non best use of time tasks, also known as “BUT’s”? These include very simple tasks that are more tedious than they are difficult. After a long day of meetings, going to open houses and meeting new clients, the last thing you are going to want to do is work yourself up on those simple everyday tasks you had to keep pushing aside because they weren’t a priority at the time.

Question 3, Do you have aspirations to grow beyond where you are now? If you have aspirations to grow financially or even from a team standpoint, you are never going to get there alone. The only way you are going to grow and get the most out of your potential is to have help. Asking for help can sometimes seem as a belittling standpoint but it shouldn’t be. Everyone at some point or another asks for a helping hand and so should you.

Question 4, Do you live in the clouds? Meaning, are you not able to implement in the way you need to? People who are in real estate, especially self-starters and entrepreneurs live in the clouds and you need to take this in account for needing the help with your brain storming.

Question 5, Do you know that you are losing business? The more you wait for help, the more projects you are going to have to shy away from because of how busy your schedule is. The longer you wait, the more money you are going to lose, period. Their job is not just to do the tedious and hard work, it is also to make you money. As they say, you don’t remember what you’ve forgotten.

PHASE 2

Now that you have finally agreed to yourself you need an assistant, it is time for phase 2. What are you supposed to look for when you start looking to hire?

The first thing you should be looking for is if they are detail and system oriented. In order to find someone who is, the best way is to make them follow multiple steps in the hiring process on the application. These can include: using a specific font size, only sending the application through a PDF, use a specific format, include this header and more. Now if they don’t follow the steps correctly you instantly know they are not good with following directions and are not detail oriented. In all, you are looking for a person who can get annoyed with a lack of order rather than too much detail or instruction.

The second thing you should be looking for is a naturally positive person. Now, this can be a little more difficult because in actuality, everyone is “nice” during their first interview. This is why you need to take it further and have multiple interviews in multiple settings. It is known miserable people can only act happy for so long until it takes one thing to take them over the edge. You need to be able to see how they act with more than one or two interactions with them to get their full personality and potential.

The third thing you should be looking for in a potential candidate is if they are self-driven. This person should be looking for ways to make your life easier. You want someone to anticipate everything so they can adapt to what is needed and what isn’t.

The fourth and final thing you should be looking for is someone that must be tech savvy and able to type. Now we’ve all seen how our grandparents and even sometimes our parents use a computer which is funny to us of course, but when it comes to hiring an assistant, it won’t be funny down the line when you are on a time crunch and they are still working on that first email. There are plenty of people in the world, especially nowadays with technology being as advanced as it is, that know how to use specific software and can adapt fast to new software.

PHASE 3

Moving on to the 3rd and final phase, you should now have hired someone but you don’t exactly know what to do next…

The first thing you should do is either take the time to properly train them or take the time to redo their work. You need to set aside time to be able to train them respectively because the quicker you train them, the quicker you will improve your business and make money.

Secondly, you need to give them clear expectations of what you want from them. You only have one chance to create expectation so think carefully. You want to set expectations such as what time they need to be there, the kinds of activities you expect them to do, what they should be able to do in a specific amount of time, etc. Be very clear in what you want out of them so then everyone is on the same page.

Next thing you want to do is teach them a marketing strategy to implement immediately. This is because it will shortly after bring your business making not only you feel good, but making them feel good as well. Try to teach them how to do things such as saving a search in a MLS, emailing listings, saving listings and similar tasks. All in all, they are adding to your business this way and it can only lead to great things.

Lastly, do NOT micromanage them! Many agents respond to this by saying, “but what if they don’t do it right?” Well, it is not that they won’t do it “right” it is that they won’t do it YOUR way. You need to let go of what you’ve been doing in the past to make room for the new because clearly something needs to change. Additionally, in most cases, they often do it better than you which may catch you off guard at first but you need to remember it is only making you and your business greater. You need to give them the freedom to be the person you hired them to be and let them do their thing.

If you haven’t already realized, there are only positive outcomes that will happen if you were to hire an assistant. After going through these 3 phases, you should see a massive positive change in not only the business but with you as a realtor. Now start looking for that assistant before all the good ones are taken!

Click to download your Free Guide To Hiring An Unlicensed Assistant –>> Agentsboost – Hiring An Unlicensed Assistant

Strength and courage,
Wade

FEAR – False, Evidence, Appearing, Real.

Wade Webb on September 30, 2020

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

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

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

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

Strength and courage,
Wade

Secrets To The Ultimate Real Estate Customer Experience

Wade Webb on September 23, 2020

Every business, whether it’s large or small, wants to be known for the stellar real estate experience they provide, but it’s not as simple as just providing a great product or service. Giving people the ultimate experience requires you to look at the entire customer journey as part of your product or service, and meld them together in somewhat of a symphony. For REALTORS®, conducting this orchestra is actually a lot easier than it sounds when you consider what it’s like from a buyer or seller’s point of view. Most people will only go through the real estate transaction process a few times in their life, and as someone who has been through it countless times, you’ll probably see the ideal transaction experience quite differently than almost all of your clients will. Setting expectations early on with clients is absolutely critical to providing excellent service, but today let’s focus on 3 incredibly simple things you can do to create the ultimate experience for your clients, above and beyond the high level of service you already provide.

#1 SEEK – Where nearly every service experience falls apart is the lack of continuity between what a client needs and wants, and what can actually be done in reality. We’ve covered how to set expectations with clients in depth before, but the most important thing you can do for yourself and your clients, is to make sure you understand the specific differences between their wants and their needs. A need is a non-negotiable point, and if you don’t satisfy it, nothing you do will meet the client’s service expectations. A want however, is a much more flexible point where compromises can be made without impacting the perception of service. Basically, you need to make sure you are asking lots of questions, actively listening to their answers, and clarifying when you’re not sure if something is a want or a need. Don’t be afraid to ask “is this something you need – and why?” Getting the client to discuss their preferences out loud will prompt them to really think it through and flush out their ideas. Just do yourself (and everyone) a favor and never make any assumptions, you cannot possibly anticipate where someone will be willing to make compromises.

#2 ADVISE – Now you don’t want to sound like a know-it-all, but as we’ve established, you’ve been through the process of buying and selling a home a few times. As the trusted professional, your clients will expect you to educate them on the known pitfalls in a transaction, but you can also use your experience and opinions to guide them towards the best decisions, and make suggestions where you think compromises might be necessary. Obviously, you’ll always want to take their needs into consideration first, but good advice really goes a long way with a purchase of this magnitude, potentially saving time, money, easing stress and making all their decision points more fluid.

#3 CHECK IN – You might spend a week working with a buyer or seller, or you could spend months. In either case, lots of things can happen that affect the client’s experience in the time it takes to see a transaction through to the end. A good rule of thumb is to check in before, during and after the transaction takes place, making sure people are satisfied at each point. Now here’s the tough part, you have to actually ask your clients directly if they are satisfied with the way things are going, and be open to the fact that you might be out of line with their expectations… but also willing to fix the situation. The good news is that by collecting this information, you now have the opportunity to remedy any service deficiency before it impacts the likelihood of that client doing business with you in the future, or of them sending you referrals. If you can’t remedy the deficiency, or your clients expectations don’t match up with the services you provide, do the next best thing for your business by referring them to someone more fitting for them. You can’t save them all, but by acting in a professional manner and providing them resources, you will still be able to maintain a positive experience.

It’s All in the Details. Overall there’s one thing to consider in all this, and it’s that small inconsistencies can add up to large deficiencies very quickly, so the details really do matter. When you SEEK, ADVISE and CHECK IN along the way, you gather the information you need to really understand what each individual client needs, ensuring every single person has the ultimate experience working with you.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Agents… Start Your 90 Day Shift

Wade Webb on June 3, 2020

“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

Books Real Estate Agents Should Read to Kick Start 2020

Wade Webb on January 8, 2020

We have all heard the phrases “Earners are learners.” “Grow yourself and grow your income.” We asked our network to tell us about the ONE book that made the biggest practical impact in their business so you can narrow down your reading list and get a jumpstart on the New Year and 2020. We hope this list will help you personally and professionally in 2020.

1. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini

“Influence by Robert Cialdini… We are in the ‘Human Connection’ business and we need to be extremely effective with the Human Connection and building great long term relationships. The Real Estate Industry is transitioning from a ‘Relationship Business’ to a ‘Transactional Business’ and if our Industry becomes transactional based, it will weaken the role of the Real Estate Agent and continue to drive down Real Estate Agent Compensation. As Real Estate Agents, the real battle we are facing is making sure our industry does not turn transactional and as technology expands, yes we must learn and master how to use technology as effectively as possible, but we need to use technology to allow us to develop stronger relationships and we need to be extremely careful to not allow it to replace the relationship.”

About the author

Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career researching the science of influence earning him an international reputation as an expert in the fields of persuasion, compliance, and negotiation.

Influence has been listed on the “New York Times Business Best Seller List.” Fortune Magazine lists Influence in their “75 Smartest Business Books.” CEO Read lists Influence in their “100 Best Business Books of All Time.”

2. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

“I’d recommend The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino. It was recommended to me by Verl Workman and it’s just brilliant.”

“It’s influenced by many ancient philosophies including lessons the Bible and others. For example, one is ‘I will form good habits become their slave.’ Things like, ‘Start each day with love in your heart. I will persist until I succeed.’ It’s got a lot of the same ideas you might find in other books but the way it’s written and presented is brilliant.”

About the author:

Og Mandino is the most widely read inspirational and self-help author in the world. Former president of Success Unlimited magazine, Mandino was the first recipient of the Napoleon Hill Gold Medal for literary achievement. Og Mandino was a member of the International Speakers Hall of Fame and honored with the Masters of Influence by the National Speakers Association. Og Mandino died in 1996.

3. Shift: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times by Gary Keller

“Shift is a great book because it shows you how to look at how to get from where you are to where you want to be. There are 3 parts they use metaphors for the Rider, the Elephant and the Path.”

“The Rider is the intellect. The plan maker. The system generator. This Rider gets on the Elephant, which represents the motivation and actions taken…or just standing still. It can be easy to have a great plan, but if you don’t have the motivation and take action, the elephant just stands there. You don’t go anywhere. The third part, however, relates to the short synopsis above. The PATH is how you get there. Is it with ease? Or are there boulders in the way? What about pebbles? Twists and turns? How well the elephant moves is determined by the path you choose.”

“Choosing Bought Leads over Generating Leads is one of those paths that can lead to a myriad of problems.”

(If you want to learn more about Donna’s thoughts on that last point, check out our recent rundown of the most important trends to know this year.)

About the author:

Gary Keller is an American entrepreneur and best-selling author. He is the founder of Keller Williams, which is the largest real estate company in the world by agent count, closed sales volume, and units sold. Keller founded Keller Williams on training and education and later brought his teachings to print.

4. The Maxwell Daily Reader by John C. Maxwell

“I love this because it is truly ‘365 days of insight to develop the leader within you’. Don’t believe me? Here’s a sample that directly relates to the market transformation happening as we enter 2019:

Great leaders are seldom blindsided. They realize that the punch that knocks them out is seldom the hard one — it’s the one they didn’t see coming. Therefore, they are always looking for signs and indicators that will give them insight into the problem ahead and their odds of fixing it… Pay attention to your intuition and follow up when something strikes you.

“See what I mean? You may have a gut feeling to take a course of action as 2019 approaches. Hopefully, this excerpt gives you the courage to follow your instincts.”

About the author

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, coach, and author who has sold over 19 million books. He is the founder of EQUIP and the John Maxwell Company. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell has written three books which have each sold more than one million copies.

5. Exactly What To Say by Phil M. Jones

“Exactly What To Say by Phil M. Jones is a must read/listen for every agent. It is a quick, tactical take on sales scripts that can easily be applied to a real estate transaction. If you are open minded to a better way of selling this book is amazing.”

About the author

The author of five international best-selling books, and the youngest ever winner of the coveted “British Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award”, Phil is currently one of the most in-demand assets to companies worldwide.

6. Dare to Lead by Dr. Brené Brown

“I love to read, the most recent was Brene Brown — Dare to Lead and coming up is Rachel Hollis Girl, Stop Apologizing.”

About the author

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work.

7. Wealth Can’t Wait by David Osborne

“Passive income in a shift is extremely important. It always was important. However, with home sales slowing there may be more deals to be had which will increase the ability to invest in real estate. Wealth Can’t Wait by David Osborne and Paul Morris would be my go-to for any agent right now looking to explore those opportunities.”

About the authors

David Osborn has built one of the top real estate brokerages in the world with more than 4,500 agents and annual sales volume exceeding $10 billion per year.

Paul Morris is a prolific and award-winning entrepreneur, trainer, author, and business consultant.

8. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

“Well…. since we are talking about 2020, they should probably listen to the book on a place like Audible but I would recommend a book like The E-Myth Revisited. ;)”

About the author

Michael E. Gerber is an American author and founder of Michael E. Gerber Companies, a business skills training company based in Carlsbad, California. Inc. Magazine called him “the World’s #1 Small Business Guru.”

Before you choose, take stock

Intel is great but learning itself can become overwhelming if you don’t go about it with the right intentions. This is the time to fill your forecasts, build your pipeline and really reflect on who your customers are and what they need from you. Take an inventory of your business strengths and improvement areas. Are they aligned with your biggest personal goals? What about your goals for the year?

You’re too busy to spend time learning about an aspect of the business that’s better off in someone else’s hands. Focus on getting the right people and systems in place so that you can place your best energy where it matters most.

Books are filled with great ideas, but information is only power when applied. Take action this year and commit to a book a month or a book a quarter and implement and execute the ideas you take from them all the create the life you truly want to live!

Strength and courage,
Wade