Generate A 10%-20% Return in Your Real Estate Biz With This One Tool

Wade Webb on August 29, 2018

real estate toolSo before we get started, let’s begin by addressing all the elephants in the room:

1. Print is dead

2. Newsletters don’t work

3. Led Zepplin is doing a reunion tour

Now I can tell you with complete certainty that 1 & 2 are ABSOLUTELY false. As for 3 … let’s just say anything is possible.

The fact I mentioned the effectiveness of print and newsletters in your real estate business should give you a good clue as to what the “One Tool” I referenced in the headline is … Yes, it’s a newsletter! WAIT … before you throw your hands in the air and tell me print-newsletters don’t work, they are ole-school, low tech etc., allow me to say this. YES they do work, and we know over 900 agents using them and having success. A newsletter is a tool, and like any tool… If you know how to use it great things can happen. When constructed and used strategically, it is a powerful tool that will retain clients, keep you top of mind, generate referrals, grow your database AND Make You Money … PERIOD!

What Constitutes A Great Newsletter?

1. The look – a lot of people cringe when they see it. It looks homemade, like something I put together in my office. Well, that is exactly why it works. A perfect, shiny, glossy, newsletter tells the reader you bought it and slapped your name on it. I get one of those from my financial advisor every month. I know he didn’t do anything to put it together. With SFL looking homemade, my readers assume I built it myself. Also, I always say, “people can’t relate to your perfection”. With the newsletter not looking perfect, my readers can relate to me and the newsletter more. Have someone else design your homemade looking newsletter and you do real estate!

2. Client appreciation – This is a section of your newsletter where you personally name people who referred you within the last month. These brings more referrals. People love to see their name in print! Client testimonials about working with you, work really well in this section as well.

3. Power of mail – It has taught me the power of mail. Email is so noisy. My inbox is always full- probably just like yours. Google actually now separates my email, so 99% of newsletters sent to me end up in my promotional tab and I don’t even see it. However, I see every piece of mail. So does my wife (who doesn’t see any of my emails).

4. Content – I also love that most of the content is not about real estate. Over my 25 years of being a REALTOR® I have learned most people don’t care about real estate as much as we do. I love when there is real estate sprinkled in throughout the newsletter but it doesn’t overdo it.

5. The call-to-actions and special reports that come with the newsletter.

6. Sponsorship – With so much space in the newsletter I am able to leave room for sponsorship. This helps cover my cost and give other local business a space to advertise. It’s become a win-win.

7. Evidence Of Success – Listings posts asking for clients help to find a buyer for your clients home or sales message of gratitude for the pleasure of helping great people. Promoting buying opportunities of some the of the market areas best buys.

How To Use It Effectively?

1. Mail – direct mail to your relationships – these are people you have already done business with, who you have a relationship with, who know, like and trust you.

2. Mail – direct mail not unaddressed ad-mail to a specific target of homes, a farm area that you are working on a regular basis

3. Email – no cost to email an HTML version of your newsletter to your relationships. Can be done in less than a minute!

4. Post – to your website to help drive people there and use as a lead magnet. Have a lead capture subscription sign up area.

5. Post – to Facebook and various social media networks – this is easily done using our platform

6. Insert – into your info listing tubes or info boxes that accompany your “For Sale” sign

7. Insert – Pre-listing package/Buyer Qualifying packages

8. Insert – Local publications like your community newspaper inserts to help you become a “household name” in your area

9. Place – public areas like doctor/dentist offices, local shops, local mechanic, drycleaner, coffee shops – anywhere where you have a captive audience that is waiting on an appointment

10. Hand Out – in person at open houses, door knocking, mall kiosk, floor duty, local events – instantly help to establish rapport and capture new leads

Those were proven and tested methods Our Clients have submitted to us that swear by and I’m willing to wager, they will work for you too. Print is alive and well. Newsletters “Do” capture leads, keep you top of mind, and generate new leads. We don’t personally get any mail or print material of value so when they do, we know it is getting opened and read. Now it’s time for you to see for yourself. Feel free to comment below any newsletter nuggets you use that get you great feedback from your clients.

Strength and courage,
Wade

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How To Turn The “No’s” Into A “Yes”

Wade Webb on November 22, 2017

realtor no to yesThere will be plenty of times in the early days of a business when you’ll ask for something you want, and the answer will be no. For most people, that “no” is the end of the conversation. Real estate is a business full of rejection. How you respond to it is what matters. If you let it get you down, you’re going to lose. If you persevere in the face of adversity, you’re going to win. It’s been estimated only 4-6% of appointments are booked on the first call. That means success in real estate requires you making yourself vulnerable time after time after time. Picking up that phone again, being confident the next “yes” is coming. From a conversation standpoint, it takes almost 8 conversations to get a yes.

1. A No Means a Yes is Possible.

Most people won’t say yes to an idea without saying no first.  In fact, studies show the average customer says no an average of five times before saying yes. This is because decision-making is an emotional process, not an intellectual one. Most people will do more to avoid pain than achieve pleasure, so the first impulse most people have when asked to make a decision is to find reasons not to make that decision. This usually takes the form of a no when what’s actually meant is maybe.

2. There are three generic types of no.

Assuming you’re asking the right person (that is, someone who ought to say yes), a no usually means one of the following:

a. Wrong information. You didn’t explain well enough why yes is a good decision for the other person. Therefore, you must now do a better job of explaining.

b. Wrong timing. The other person needs some time to ponder and thus is saying no to stall. Therefore, you must now be patient and ask for the yes later.

c. Wrong circumstance. There’s something over which the other person has no control that’s blocking him or her from saying yes. Therefore, you must now work with the other person to transcend the block.

3. Be curious rather than persistent.

The old adage “never take no for an answer” is usually misinterpreted to mean “keep pestering customers until they say yes.” This doesn’t work; in fact, it only hardens the no.  For example:

You: “Would you accept an offer of $2 million?”

VC: “No.”

You: “Are you sure?  It’s not a bad offer?.”

VC: “Yes, I’m sure.” (i.e., “No.”)

You: “How about $2.1 million?”

VC: “Please leave now.”

By contrast, if you become curious about the no, you can continue the conversation and find out what it will take to get to yes, like so:

You: “Would you accept an offer of $2 million?”

VC: “No.”

You: “If I understand rightly, though, you are looking to move. What is it about the offer that isn’t working for you?”

4. Move the conversation forward.

Depending upon what you learn (as the result of being curious), move the conversation so it gradually opens up the possibility of a yes. For instance, in the example above, your question might get any of three responses:

1. Wrong information.  In this case, you roll back to that part of the discussion and clarify the misunderstanding.

VC: “I don’t understand how you’re monetizing.”

You: “I apologize for not explaining it well. Let’s go over that part again, and I’ll try to make things more clear.”

2. Wrong timing. In this case, you focus the conversation on making commitments to meet again to discuss the matter.

VC: “I need to think about this for a while.”

You: “I understand. What are the areas of uncertainty we should clear up before we meet again?”

3. Wrong circumstance. In this case, you suggest a creative approach that overcomes the blockage.

VC: “We know the offer is not what I hoped for.”

You: “Maybe we should be thinking in terms of a concession. What can you tell me about the approach you had in mind?”

Needless to say, there’s a lot more you can do to turn a no into yes. In my door to door encyclopedia sales days we always said “I am just one more “no” closer to that “yes!”

Strength and courage,
Wade

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The Oz Principle & Living Above The Line

Wade Webb on November 8, 2017

oz principle for real estate agentsI love reading the comments on my blog articles or listening to agents responses in coaching sessions. You know I do. But every once in a while, I’ll see or hear a comment and I can’t help but shake my head. “Thanks Wade, but what if I’m a new agent?” Or “Great info but how do I use this if I live in ________?” Or “That’s not the way that we do it around here.” I wonder if these people are truly seeking solutions, or… Are they looking for excuses? “Well Wade, I’m new, this doesn’t really apply to me.” Yes it does!
“Well Wade, my market’s different. I’m not sure that would work here.” Yes it will! Use your ingenuity!

One of my favorite books, The Oz Principle by Paul J Kelly talks about living above the line and living below the line. The Top 20% of real estate agents wake up every day and choose to live above the line. They take 100% responsibility for themselves, they value and love themselves, they choose and own their choices and seize the opportunities they are given. The other 80% of agents live below the line and deny anything they do wrong, they blame others, create and make problems even bigger than they are and respond dramatically to everything they come face to face with. I always ask myself and my kids when we are tested, are we living above the line? Or living below the line today?

oz principle for real estate agents

You’re in the Big Leagues Now.

News flash #1: There are no “minor leagues” in real estate. You’re in the big leagues now. If you’re new, that just means you have to work much harder and maintain your focus that much stronger. You have a lot of legwork ahead of you — systems to put in place, your business plan to create, marketing plans to develop, sales skills to refine, training to attend, books to read, etc.

News flash #2: Your market isn’t that different from everyone else’s market. Even if your market has some unique characteristics, you can always adapt what you’ve learned or what others are doing to fit your market and/or clientele. But whatever you do, you cannot allow yourself to make excuses for underperforming. Don’t Regret Your Inactivity If you allow yourself to make excuses, you’re only setting yourself up for mediocrity. Instead, commit yourself to training, learning, doing. Five years from now, you’re going to look back on the next two years of your life and say one of two things: “Wow, I really kicked ass and gave my business the jump start it needed.” Or “Ughhh! I wish I’d done more to put myself in position to succeed in this business.” Doing Something Is Always Better Than Nothing. Agents who succeed are the types who put their thinking caps on and are willing to adapt. They hear about a successful strategy and adjust it to fit their market, their business model, their level of experience in the industry. Nobody ever said you have to copy a strategy in its entirety. Pick and choose what works best for you. The point is to DO SOMETHING. The next time you catch yourself coming up with a reason why an idea won’t work, flip the script and instead focus on how you can adapt it to make it work best for you.

Don’t make excuses. Find solutions. Live above the line!

Strength and courage,
Wade

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How To Finish 2017 Strong. The Final Countdown!

Wade Webb on November 1, 2017

realtor finish strongWhy is it so easy to get apathetic, complacent or take the foot off the gas in the final quarter of the year. The seasons are changing and the days are getting shorter and the sense of urgency with our real estate market and our business seems to be settling down for a long winter’s nap. For a lot of us this is not good nor can we afford to let this happen?!

Do you want to finish the year with a whimper or finish it with a bang? Do you want to have to snap out of a funk to start 2018… Or steamroll into it full of momentum? With that in mind, here are some actions steps to dominate and finish 2017 strong!

1. What Is It You Want? Personally? Professionally?

When I ask agents “so what do you want”? It amazes me how many don’t have any idea what it is they want out of their personal or professional lives and that my friend is the root of why many don’t finish the year or start next year the way they should. A clear vision of what it is you want drives you to take action and moves your emotional meter.

As a Realtor what do you want your business to look like when January 1, 2018 arrives? What do you want your personal life to look like come January 1? How many sales do you want? How many active listings do you want? How big do you want your pipeline of leads to be? Where do you want to be physically, mentally and what do you want to experience come January 1? You know the people who want to put things off over the holidays but come January 1 will be serious. The moment you finalize these decisions, you need to align your behaviors with those goals to make them happen.

2. What & Who Gives Me Joy?

This past few weeks I can’t believe how many of my coaching clients have one thing in common right now and that one thing is they have no “Joy”. They have been going at such a ferocious pace and can’t even remember when they did the activities or spent time with the people that give them “Joy”. The best way to ensure a productive AND enjoyable holiday season is to open your calendar today and mark off all of the time you’re taking off. The vacation time. The snowboarding trip. The holiday time with family. The “I’m taking this day off just because” time. The dance class or spin class. Etc. Etc. Make those commitments and schedule it. Remember: If it’s not in your calendar, it doesn’t exist. Once you’ve marked all of the time you’re taking off and the activities that give you “Joy” then take stock of what’s left. This is the number of days you have remaining to achieve the results you desire. Seeing that concentrated schedule will be a great motivator to make things happen and get stuff done.

3. Set Some Key Goals

To finish 2017 with a bang, make sure these three goals are up and visual in your office. 1. How many appointments I want to book before the end of the year, how many listings I want to take before the end of the year and how many sales I want to make between now and the end of the year. 2. Schedule time to plan my 2018 and build that business plan for next year based on what you learned from this past year. 3. Schedule time to see all the people prior to the holiday season. Ken Blanchard wrote in the book “The Generosity Factor.” That the greatest gift we can give others is our time, talent, touch and treasure. Create that sense of urgency and finish strong!

4. Develop An End Of The Year Sales and Marketing Plan

You set those goals in the previous step, but how are you going to achieve them? Map out your marketing activities that will reach those goals. How are you going to touch your past clients? What are you going to deliver to your geographic farm? What special event — a holiday party, Mega Open House, movie theater promotion, etc. — are you going to hold in the final weeks of 2017?

5. Implementation and Execution Creates Momentum

Why is it important to close the year strong? To get some results and things done and accomplished the final days of the year? These results, accomplishments and successes impact how you start 2018. You want momentum. You want energy. You want to wake up January 1 feeling ready to run through a brick wall to make 2018 your best year ever. So let me ask you this: Has there been a New Year’s Day (or two, or three, or 10 or 20?) where you woke up not exactly feeling your best? Is that how you want to start your pursuit of your best year ever? By feeling like crap for Day 1 of 365? Do the things that will allow you to wake up on January 1 full of energy, ambition and confidence in your plan.

Implement one or more of these ideas and finish 2017 strong…

Strength and courage,
Wade

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Facebook Reviews: What REALTORSⓇ Need To Know

kelowna on October 25, 2017

realtor facebook reviewsAs of June 30, 2017, Facebook has over 1 Billion daily active users, with 400 new users signing up every minute.  Facebook is the largest social network around and it’s fairly safe to say that the majority of your clients are on it frequently.

I was looking at some recent statistics about Facebook regarding users’ habits and brand social media strategy.  Two statistics that stood out for me were:

  • 42% of Customer service responses are attended to within 60 minutes.  People relate quick response to good customer service! (Source: SproutSocial)
  • 71% of people who have a good social media experience are likely to recommend it to others (Source: Ambassador)

With that in mind, when looking at your brand as a REALTORⓇ, one way to give you the edge over your competitors is with Facebook Reviews. Facebook Reviews give REALTORSⓇ an opportunity to increase credibility and transparency with their past, current and potential clients.  It is also one of the most overlooked aspects of online marketing.

Turning a Negative into a Positive

Why don’t we start with the elephant in the room. From time to time, you may receive a negative review.  Facebook only gives you one option, you can show all reviews or turn off all reviews.  You aren’t able to delete or hide individual ones and you can’t organize them by having the best showing at the top. Only the person that left the review can edit or remove it.  Not to worry though, if you are actively building your positive review base, they will far outweigh any negative ones you may receive. It’s important you respond immediately, apologize politely and inform them you would like to speak privately to resolve the matter.  This will show others you’re professional and caring and it goes a long ways towards reversing the negativity.  

Building a Positive Real Estate Brand

The most efficient way to receive positive reviews and increase your online credibility with your clients, is by regularly asking satisfied customers if they will leave a Facebook review for you.  Make this a standard part of your marketing plan and provide them with directions on how to do this.  Most people who enjoyed working with you, will be more than happy to help you out and spread the word – just ask!

Simple instructions are as follows:

  1. Go to the Facebook Page you are reviewing
  2. Click on the Review Tab
  3. Enter a Star Rating and comment
  4. Mark audience as Public
  5. Click on Done

Setting Up the Review Tab

Turning on the reviews section in Facebook, lets anyone logged into Facebook leave a review on your Page, see your Page’s star rating and see reviews shared with the public.

To turn reviews on for your Page:

  • Click Settings at the top of your Page
  • Click Edit Page in the left column
  • Scroll down to the Reviews section and click on the settings button
  • Toggle to On

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**If you don’t see a Review section

    • Click Add a Tab
    • Click Add Tab next to Reviews

To turn reviews off for your Page, follow the same steps, but toggle the Reviews section to off.  If you do decide to turn them on again, remember, all previous reviews will still be there.

How To Share Your Page Within Facebook

Social Media is all about word-of-mouth.  The more people talking about you and sharing the experiences they have had with you, the more others will want to work with you.  Make it easy for your clients to get the word out.

From inside Facebook, share your page by using a private message.  

On a Desktop or Laptop

  • Click the Share Button underneath your cover image
  • Click on the down triangle beside Share on Your Timeline for more options
  • Select Share in a Private Message

Another box will now pop up which will have your page automatically linked in the message.  Type in the name of the person you are wanting to send the message to, ask for a review and give brief instructions on how to do that.  When they next log into Facebook it will be in their notifications.

On a Mobile Device

If you are on a mobile device, you will need to share using Messenger.  

  • Go to your Facebook page
  • Click the 3 dots on the top right side
  • Select Share in Messenger

You may also want to publish a post on to your Facebook Page, pointing out the review tab and asking clients to spare a minute or 2 giving you a review.  

Outside of Facebook, email or give them a printout of directions along with screenshots and telling them how much you would appreciate them sharing their experience working with you.  Include a link in your email signature that takes them directly to your Facebook Page Review Tab.

The direct link to a Pages Review Tab is www.facebook.com/YourFacebookUsername/reviews/.

Respond to Reviews

When you do receive a review, make sure you reply with either a Like or posting a Thank You comment to the client.  Show them you appreciate the time they took to leave one for you and show others you care and this is an important part of your business.

Click here for the bonus item: Daily Facebook Activity checklist 

Strength and courage,
Wade

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Why Video Is So Important To Our Marketing

kelowna on September 6, 2017

video marketing for realtorsAs you probably know, there is a big shift in video across social media for REALTORS. Agents typically fall into 3 categories when it comes to video…

  1. They avoid it completely
  2. They do it but not very well
  3. They are crushing it!

What category are you and your real estate business in?

Video has become the normal way in which many people consume information online. Most agents are missing a big opportunity by not using video. Even from a listing point of view, listings with videos get 400x more inquiries! But videos are more than just a way to showcase a listing. They can also show the community, lifestyle, and even the agents selling the property! Most agents first professional video, let’s be honest, is not their best but they are like a fine wine and just get better with age! We all learn something valuable in the process. Even though we took some great pictures of the property, it wasn’t enough. We all start with some basic video, nothing at a professional level and then move to working with a hired professional, and the professional video is what sells the listing!

Generating New Business

Video is what has helped many agents stand out in the marketplace. Instead of just saying what they do differently, they can show potential customers how they are different. Besides listings, agents use video for testimonials, open houses, and client appreciation events. For testimonials, shoot the video at closing or at your client appreciation event. At your client appreciation event have a raffle, but those clients who do a testimonial video get an extra raffle ticket! At these events the clients are dressed up, having fun, and even have a few glasses of wine. Then take them to a private area for filming, so they don’t feel any stress on camera.

Content Is King

You have to make videos that resonate with your audience. “About me” videos are a good choice and help your potential customers get to know you and your team. Community videos are great too; you can start by interviewing local businesses. Good news, these businesses will share your video interviews on their social channels too! Also, if you are looking for video topics, think about what questions you are constantly being asked as an agent. For example, the market is very competitive and buyers want to know what they can do to get their offers accepted.

Maximizing Your Videos

Use Google Adwords to generate traffic to your videos. Videos are posted on your personal website, company’s website, and landing pages too. Videos are uploaded natively to Facebook to get more views. The videos also go to blogs and are emailed to agents and customers in their database. If there is a place to share the video, then share it there! Most of your main videos are maximum 3 minutes long but create some 15-30 second teaser videos specifically for social media.

YouTube

Make sure your videos are lined up for organic views on YouTube… This means filling out the tags and descriptions, as well as making sure your video is public.
Facebook Live – There is so much traffic on Facebook, and your live videos will get a great organic reach. Facebook Live can be used for events, open houses, or even interviews.

Getting Started

I recommend having a dedicated website you can share with people to see your videos. That also means getting a YouTube channel to host the videos. I also recommend getting a simple kit that comes with a tripod, mic, and wide angle lens for an iPhone (usually less than $100). You don’t have to have a bunch of fancy equipment to make a video. Don’t over analyze it, and your videos don’t have to be perfect. Just create a video and share it with the world!

The Future of Video

Videos aren’t going away, and remember Google owns YouTube. Videos can be one of the tools customers use to find you online.
It will also give you a way to stand out once you start working with your leads to showcase all the work you’ve done. So what are you waiting for?
Get out there and share a video!

Strength and courage,
Wade

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3D Home Tours Have Impacted Real Estate Seller’s Markets

kelowna on July 12, 2017

When buying in a tight market, 3-D home tours give buyers a unique perspective on potential homes and provide critical online information. The 360 degree home tour helps the buyer gain an advantage on their fellow buyer competitor. As a creative traditionalist, I’ve always believed a good photographer can capture a home’s depth and amenities as well as any virtual tour.

In a matter of hours buyers learn in a tight market any offer less than full price was at an immediate disadvantage, and you have to place your offer as soon as — or before — the home hits the market if you want to stand a chance. In many cases, you won’t have time to see properties in person. I now know a smooth, immersive 3-D walking tour helps the anxious buyer prepare to make a confident offer without seeing the property in person. You get a much better idea of how your furniture will match a room’s layout.

They’ve also brought life to listing agent notes like, “Great mountain views from the rear deck.” This technology lets you walk through a garage, go upstairs and into bathrooms. It lets you see where you’ll be putting your groceries down as you hold the door open with your foot. It allows you to be there without being there. Room-to-room flow, finishes and space are all much more accurately conveyed via 3-D tours. It’s a very tough time to be a buyer. We need every tool out there to enable us to move fast and make smart offer decisions.

The more we learn about a home online, the better equipped we’ll be to work with an agent. Relative to that, I’m finding in today’s marketplace — or at least the one most buyers are shopping in — the agent’s role as information provider is shrinking. The web moves much faster than they can, and I don’t hold that against them. Most importantly, the role of transaction manager — and therapist — has become more critical than ever. The value we’ve been provided to date is well beyond 3 percent of the transaction. 3-D tours, whether they’re done with iGuide, Matterport, Immoviewer, Virtual reality or any of the others, are vital to capturing a buyer’s Interest.

iGuide : 

Virtual Reality :

Immoviewer :

Matterport : 

Check some of these examples then strongly consider implementing this strategy if you don’t already.

Strength and courage,
Wade

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So Why Do Agents Fail?

kelowna on July 5, 2017

why real estate agents failI 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!

Strength and courage,
Wade

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Why You? Why Your Company? Why now?

kelowna on June 14, 2017

realtor rising above competitionIs 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.

Strength and courage,
Wade

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The Coming Soon Listing Strategy

kelowna on May 3, 2017

listing agent coming soonA number of states and provinces are experiencing unprecedented low inventory levels. Nothing to buy and demand at an all-time high has caused a new and interesting challenge for the listing and buyer agents in the marketplace. Listing agents can’t get all the marketing they promised the seller they would do completed in time for it to hit the market and it is sold which is putting pressure on listing commissions and the listing agent losing the ability to spin more business off of their listing inventory.

The buyer agents are frustrated with the listing agent moving too quickly and taking an offer too soon and not allowing enough exposure to the market and allowing all buyer agents to write an offer on the new listing even if it is in a competing bid. With these new challenges in the marketplace, we have started to see the coming soon listing strategy being used by listing agents and their listings. So what are the benefits to a Coming Soon listing marketing strategy? It is important you consult with your local board and brokers to ensure you follow what is allowed in your local trading area.

Benefits to the Seller of a Coming Soon Marketing Strategy

1)      The marketing is getting done and in place with more pre-listing marketing time

2)      Allows more time for market exposure to buyers and buyers agents

3)      Increases the chance for a multiple offer bidding situation

4)      Allows everyone a chance to bring an offer to the table

5)      Saves the seller time with it selling faster

6)      Generates the seller more money

So how does this Coming Soon marketing strategy work you ask? So let’s say for example we meet with the seller on a Monday and agree to all the terms and conditions for listing their property. I recommend we take an exclusive listing for the pre-listing coming soon marketing period to ensure the neighbor or competing agents don’t just knock on the seller’s door and sell the home prior to the activation of the MLS listing contract. We place a sign on the property on Tuesday that states the property is coming soon to the market but does not have conflicting messages on the sign like “for sale” or “MLS” while it is being marketed as coming soon property. Then on Wednesday, we post a coming soon announcement to our database and agent peers via email, Facebook, and flyers.

On Thursday I flyer the neighbors and Friday I follow up the neighbors’ flyer with a door knock asking if they know of someone who may be interested. Saturday we host a public and agent open house and Monday morning the MLS listing contract is active and the property hits the MLS system and hope for multiple offers in the next few days. In a perfect world, the seller is patient and the property receives multiple bids and sells well above asking price. Sometimes we hear of buyer agents presenting “bully offers” which are offers that come in prior to the property hitting the market and the MLS system.

We are obligated to present these “bully offers” and the decision to accept or wait is completely up to your seller. My suggestion is if the seller chooses to take an offer prior to it hitting the market and the MLS system you get in writing they chose to accept an offer prior to protect us from it looking like we the listing agents forced the seller’s into an early decision. So the debate of whether the Coming Soon marketing strategy is good or bad is definitely up to you and your client to decide but being aware of how the game is being played slightly different than what we are used to is something we all should be aware of. Reach out and let me know some of your personal experiences with this type of marketing in your own marketplace, would love to hear from you!

Strength and courage,
Wade

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