Not Enough To Be Known, Liked and Trusted Anymore

Wade Webb on February 5, 2020

real estate know like trust be seenFor almost three decades I have been in real estate and you always hear about the people needing to know you, like you and trust you. In 2020 this is not enough to thrive in the real estate industry any longer. We are now in a time where it is imperative to an agents success the people know, like and trust you but now they also have to see you!!

Every agent needs to up their game in 2020 and find ways to be known, liked, trusted and seen. Gone are the days you can get away from showing up and being seen by people. We are inundated with information, visuals, messages and we are getting more and more guarded with our time, space and attention…Out of sight, out of mind!! So how can we focus more on being seen in 2020 and capture their attention and be more top of mind? Here are my top ideas to be seen in 2020.

  1. Morning Coffee Routine – every morning for the last 30 years I go to a coffee shop and enjoy hanging with the regulars. It never fails we end up talking about real estate and business comes from that time year after year after year. The secret is to be social and interact and talk to people. Not sit on your phone or in a book or on your laptop. The owners of the local coffee shop just last week asked me about a development land piece they just put an option on and what to build and need a proposal for marketing what we feel they should build. Not bad conversation for a $4 coffee and 30 minute conversation in the morning?
  2. Coffee, Breakfast, Lunches – make a point to meet with your clients and give them the gift of your time and take the time to break bread with them. Easy to do but easier to not do day after day. Deepen that relationship with others and increase top of mind and make them feel truly important to you and your business.
  3. Video email or text – 86% of communication is nonverbal. Tone, voice inflection, eye contact and body language and video delivers that punch! Why email and text when you can wow and awe your people with a video email or text. BombBomb ($) or Loom (Free) are great tools to use for this. Just a little secret your phone does video email and text too and its free!!!
  4. Call – Are you ready for this crazy little secret? Your phone makes incoming and outgoing calls!!! Take the time to just call and say hi. Stop underestimating the power of the simple. Remember the old ad that said “Reach out and touch someone”? Take the time and do it and make them feel important and cared for.
  5. Hand Written Notes – The power of a personal hand written note with your business card attached. Always gets opened, always gets read, show you took time and care and always leaves people feeling better than they did before. Sadly this is a lost art and something that never dies.
  6. Personal Mail – We never get mail any more and if we do it is a bill. Mail that is personal like the hand written note gets opened, read and if it contains something valuable to the receiver and not to you then it makes an impact in them I guarantee it!
  7. Social Media – It is not about looking what everyone else is doing and what you are posting. Dale Carnegie said “people don’t care what I know unless they know that I care” Be seen and show them you care. Like, comment, message and make them feel important to you. What would a quick Facebook message to someone asking them how they are doing? How’s their family? Anything I can do to help? How would that make them feel and how would you show up to people if you took the time to do it? PS in two years 100% of content feed on Facebook will be video. Do you post video content?
  8. Client Events – Hosting annual client events like seminars, appreciation parties or my personal favorite, hosting their house warming parties always makes an impact on others and a fantastic way to show up and be seen in 2020. Do you see them? Appreciate them? Add value to them? Make them feel like a rock star and host their house warming party?
  9. Deliver the Unexpected – every spring, summer and fall find an item and a funny tag to add to the item and drop by your clients place of work and let them feel the love! Every summer I love delivering everyone at their work place the BBQ triple packs of Ketchup, Relish and Mustard with a tag on them saying “Just ketching up and relish your referrals and not all agents cut the mustard” People at work ask who I was, what that was for and look at the tag and laugh out loud every time.
  10. Give Back – The amount of people you get to meet and interact with when you are part of an event as a volunteer and the joy and sense of purpose you get from giving back is the perfect one two punch! I always end up connecting with someone new and someone old and such a great way to show up and be seen and make a difference.
  11. B2B – I started my own business networking group and CEO mastermind groups to meet monthly and idea share and connect professionals in the community with one another. Such a powerful way to be seen and add value and be seen in the community and be the straw that stirs the drink in your community.

So there you have it, ways to be seen in 2020. Show up and be seen and not just known, liked and trusted in the coming year. I dare you to just try one of these ideas and let me know how it worked. Feel free to add more comments on how you show up and be seen that works and adds values. Love to hear from you all!!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Focus On What We Can Control

Wade Webb on January 29, 2020

real estate control well beingAs the president and CEO of my own “control club” I have honestly struggled for so many years with the fact I am not able to control everything in my life. It is such an uncomfortable space for me to not be in control and why is that? So here’s the truth: Most of us know so many things in our world are outside of our control, right? The way other people act, the way they behave, the way they think.

If we want to be happy, if we want to be successful, if we want to be determined toward our dreams, then we need to make a clear distinction between that which we can control and that which we can’t. So much easier to say than to do, am I right?! 

If we’re wise, we put the lion’s share of our attention on that which we can control—which are our thoughts, our feelings, our behaviour, and our responses and reactions to what happens. There’s a great quote that sums this up by Pastor Chuck Swindoll, and it goes like this: “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”  This week I want to share my top 5  things that we can control!!

1. Breathing – Most people don’t even think about their breathing. 

 (I myself used to talk for many seconds at a time and forget to breathe!). Breathing is obviously important, but so is the ability to focus on it. Can you feel your chest expand when you inhale, and get softer when you exhale? Where do you feel the rise and fall most? Breathing is the ultimate hack to relax and slow racing thoughts. As soon as you experience something unpleasant, just take a few deep breaths and focus not on how horrible the situation was, but on your breathing. When you focus on your breath, you can count “one” as you inhale, “two” as you exhale. When you get to 10, start over. I bet you’ll start to feel better and more grounded immediately.

2. Your Self-Talk

We all have a voice in our heads. That voice can often be critical and get in the way of our happiness and success. Try to count the times you engage in negative self-talk each day. It may surprise you how often you criticize yourself. If you can learn to recognize this Debbie Downer of an inner voice and replace it with encouraging statements, your attitude will start to change. Try talking to yourself with compassion. For example, instead of telling yourself you’re not good enough, remind yourself you are worthy of love and attention, or it’s okay to make mistakes—we all do!

3. Your Gratitude

If you can practice being grateful on a daily basis, your happiness and productivity will increase. Cultivating gratitude trains us to focus on hope, to remain inspired, and to be optimistic, lending us the courage and resilience to persevere in the face of setbacks (on top of giving us a mood boost that keeps us coasting).

4. Your Mental and Physical Fitness

I don’t know about you, but I come up with my best ideas while I’m on the elliptical. Exercising is a chance to just listen to my music and think about nothing. It’s glorious. You don’t have to go to the gym, but we all ought to take 20 minutes out of our days to get up and move. Motion helps free your mind and body to better tap into your creative potential. Walking has literally been found to increased creativity.

5. Your Sleep – Sleep is critical.

In order to hack sleep, you have to set a routine. I’m asleep by 9 p.m. and I wake up to watch the sun rise. Watching the sun rise is beautiful, and it’s a net positive that I’m grateful for. If your brain can’t calm down while you’re trying to fall asleep, tell yourself, “I’m proud of the work I accomplished today, I’m going to let my brain and body rest now.”

Strength and courage,
Wade

My Personal Secret Plan For Crushing 2020

Wade Webb on January 22, 2020

real estate work life balanceLet me ask you the most important question for you to start 2020 off right:

What’s your plan in 2020 and how are you going to make this year better than any other year? I am just back from my first planned unique memorable moment experience of 2020 with the most important people in my life, my family! Doing the coolest things with the coolest people in my life is what really makes me feel like I am living life and not doing life. What about you?

This week I want to take some time to dig deep into making this the best year ever for you personally and professionally. Make 2020 better than any other year. Making this year your best year ever requires more than an income goal or successfully selling more homes. It is about creating the quality of life you desire and deserve… in addition to kicking some ass in your business. To me, that means two things:

Enjoying the fruits of your labor by creating unique memorable moments with the most amazing people in your life and also growing as a person so you become better than you are today. Achieving these two objectives in 2020 requires action RIGHT NOW. Not later… but NOW!

So how do I plan for a Balanced Life? See if this scenario sounds plausible (perhaps scarily so!)… Of course, the ideal is to have a great year both personally and professionally. So to start the year, you put your blinders on and really dig in to gain some momentum… You’re doing the work, and as a result, you get crazy busy – and suddenly it seems impossible to take any time off. So you don’t. You keep working your tail off. Maybe you sneak away for a day or two instead of taking a real vacation. Before you know it, summer is here and it flies by as you continue helping people. By the time you come up for air, you realize the kids are headed back to school and it’s not a good time to get away. Your life is out of balance… all because you didn’t plan accordingly.

So let’s fix this. Get Out Your Calendar right now. Just like you built your business plan, I want you to build your life plan to make 2020 your year of experiences

Here’s how… Get out your calendar and start making commitments: Schedule and book at least one big vacation ( unique memorable moment )  and a few smaller getaways throughout the year. You NEED these for your mental health. For me its one every 4-6 weeks when I begin to feel burnt out and begin to be running out of patience. Then buying the tickets and making the plans will hold you accountable to getting everything in place so you can take the time off.

Research and make your travel plans for the training events you’ll attend in 2020 to keep you learning and growing. You should attend an event at least once per quarter to keep you fresh, recharge your batteries, and learn new strategies to implement. If you don’t do this, you will fall behind the competition.

Determine how much time you want off around certain holidays and block it off. Block out at least one day every week to ensure you don’t end up working 7 days a week. Make plans for those days ASAP so you don’t end up working anyway. And while you’re at it, get selfish and reserve some additional “me” time that you can use to clear your mind, read, meditate, brainstorm, conduct quarterly reviews of your progress on your business plan, etc.

There are several big benefits to making these plans. They give you something to look forward to and work toward. This will help keep you motivated and prevent burnout. They bring added urgency to be more efficient in your work. When you block out all that time on your calendar, you no longer have the luxury of time to get things done.

Believe me… you’ll become extremely productive right before each of your planned vacations. They provide an added layer of accountability in the form of personal commitments to your family or travel companions as well as financial investments in your vacation expenses, etc.

So that’s your assignment. Not too hard, is it? Actually, it should be fun. Maybe it’s something you want to do with your significant other, your family and loved ones, or your good friends.

Here’s what I’d like you to do after you’ve blocked out all the time on your calendar and made your plans: Text me at 250-212-8220 and tell me you finished and where you’re going in 2020. I can’t wait to get that text!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Practice Gratitude In 2020

Wade Webb on January 15, 2020

practice gratitudePracticing gratitude can be a powerful way to strengthen your mental health while helping to amplify positive emotions. When you cultivate a sense of gratitude in your daily life personally and in your real estate business, anxiety and negative emotions can often soften over time, while stress resilience increases. Feelings of gratitude can be grounding, relaxing, and peace-promoting, and a gratitude practice can also help shift your mindset in positive ways during challenging times. If you’ve been musing over your goals for the coming year, note that creating a creative gratitude practice for 2020 can help you hone in on your next-year goals, while potentially boosting your mood in the process. According to Forbes, a simple gratitude practice can help you feel happier by increasing feelings of inner peace and tranquility. Psychology Today writes that the benefits of gratitude are backed by research, and include improved relationships, enhanced empathy, deeper sleep, and stronger mental and physical health. No matter what your goals for 2020 may be, if your aim is to practice more gratitude, you have options beyond your typical gratitude journal (which I’m definitely not knocking — gratitude journals rock).

Here are seven tips for cultivating a creative gratitude practice for 2020, so you can close out 2019 with a mindset reset on the horizon.

1. Perform A Daily Act Of Kindness

“Kindness means a behavioral response of compassion and actions that are selfless; or a mindset that places compassion for others before one’s own interests. In performing the selfless act, a person may undercut their own selfish interests,” writes Psychology Today. Helping a neighbor carry their groceries, taking takeout to a sick friend, or volunteering your time at your local animal shelter, are all simple ways to boost your well-being by adding to someone else’s quality of life, too. Basically, practicing acts of kindness every day just feels good — even as it brightens someone else’s day. So, everybody wins.

2. Express Daily Words Of Affirmation To Your Friends & Family

Expressing your love and appreciation to your crew is *major* when it comes to taking care of your relationships. And sometimes, telling your loved ones just how much you appreciate them might get lost in the daily hustle — but it can take surprisingly little to nourish your relationships. So, take the time to tell your loved ones how much you appreciate them and why. Words of affirmation and appreciation can make all the difference in someone else’s day, and can strengthen your relationships in some powerful ways, too.

3. Identify Something To Look Forward To Each Day

Most days present a mix of experiences — some stressful and some you enjoy. Tiny Buddha writes that “When we don’t look forward to something — when we don’t enjoy it — we aren’t very present in that current moment. It’s like life is just passing by, and we’re just waiting for it to pass so we can get on with the more fun or interesting parts of each day.” By finding something to look forward to each day, even if that thing seems small, you can bolster your ability to focus on the good in your life, which can amplify feelings of gratitude over time.

4. Write A Letter Of Appreciation

Old-school thank you notes and letters are underrated. By investing in some stationary you love, a sweet pen, and making it a practice to send thank you notes to your community, you’re reviving some extremely sweet old-timey etiquette, while adding to your ongoing gratitude practice. If there’s someone in your life whose really made a difference to you, write them a letter of appreciation. Tell them how they’ve added value to your life, and how grateful you are for their presence in your world. Or just (actually) get in the habit of writing a note of thanks for your holiday or birthday presents. You never know how that letter might make a difference for them, and the practice strengthens your capacity for gratitude, too.

5. Reach Out To A Writer Or Artist Who Touched Your Life

While I don’t recommend crossing any lines of privacy where public figures are concerned, if an artist has touched your life, let them know — a process that’s never been easier thanks to social media. Writing their publishing house’s public information email a letter, commenting on their blog, or even leaving some words of appreciation on their official social media page can help them know that they’ve made a difference, while reminding you of a positive influence that’s helped shaped your experience.

6. Identify 5 Things You’re Grateful For Every Day

OK, so while this sounds gratitude journal-ish, it’s still a great mental health muscle to flex. Whether you meditate and reflect on the things you’re grateful for, or take a moment to jot them down before bed, reflecting on five things that you’re grateful for each day is a pretty essential gratitude practice.

7. Take The Time To Appreciate What You Normally Take For Granted

Sometimes it helps to remember where you’re fortunate, even on the most fundamental level. Hot running water, nourishing foods, and a supportive community of friends and family are just a few things that not everyone can take for granted. So, next time you take a hot shower, really enjoy it, savor it, and remember how good simple things can be. Practicing gratitude can take so little to do, but yields a lot over time. By choosing a few ways to mindfully note and honor who and what you’re grateful for every day, not only can you strengthen your own capacity for appreciation and positive emotions, but you can add value to others’ lives, too. And that’s something to feel great about as you head into 2020, friends.

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

Secrets To Never Giving Up And How To Just Keep Going

Wade Webb on December 11, 2019

real estate agent never give upHave you ever given up? Reached the point in real estate where you can’t go on any further? Remember that life is not a marathon or a sprint. It’s a series of sprints combined with a boxing match. You’re not just running toward a goal but you’re also getting hit along the way. I don’t know where you are on your journey, but I know there will be times you want to give up on a goal or dream. I know the importance of the right words at the right time. Whether now is one of those times or perhaps you’ll save this for a time you need to read it, I want to encourage you to keep going. Don’t quit! Here are a few ways you can fuel up your mind and soul for the journey ahead.

1) Keep your Vision Alive: It’s so important to keep looking forward and seeing the future you want to create. If you can see it you’ll keep moving towards it. Consider making a vision board or creating a vision notebook filled with pictures and words that remind you of what you are working towards. It’s wild how many things I wrote down that actually came true.

2) Fuel up with Purpose:  There will be many times you want to give up but always remember that your purpose is greater than your challenges. It is the ultimate fuel for a meaningful journey.  It gives you meaning and mission which helps you overcome adversity and avoid burnout. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it. As you are moving toward your vision keep reminding yourself why you are going there. Consider creating a purpose statement that you can look at each morning to keep you going.

3) Believe the Best is Yet to Come: We don’t give up because it’s hard. We give up because we get discouraged. No matter what challenges you face along the way keep encouraging yourself. Maintain hope. Believe the best is yet to come. If you believe in what you are doing and know that this is what you truly want, then keep believing it will happen. Research from Duke University shows that if you believe it you are more likely to take the actions necessary to achieve it.

4) Focus on the Process, not the Outcome: There will be many times where the outcome is not looking good. You may not be hitting the numbers you want or getting the results you desire. The key is to focus on the process and just work to get better each day. Focus on small victories. Strive to hit milestones. If you have a vision you want to create and focus on the process each day, you’ll gradually move towards your goal and dream.

5) Trust in a Bigger Plan: Sometimes when all hope seems lost and you feel like there is nothing more you can do; I believe you can do something that will help everything. You can pray and trust in a bigger plan for your life. I did this many times when I almost lost it all in 1997 and 2008 during the global market corrections. I did it when we ran the company out of our personal savings. I did it when I was so unhealthy and having heart issues and needed to get into ownership. I did it when my first speaking and coaching events didn’t go very well. And each time I did it I had renewed hope and optimism that led me to this very moment where I wrote this blog and you read it. There’s a bigger plan and it includes both of us.

So don’t give up! Keep going! Because, you’ll be better for it and so will the people you impact along the way. I’m rooting for you!

Strength and courage,
Wade

The Battle Staying Healthy and Happy In Real Estate

Wade Webb on November 27, 2019

real estate healthy lifestyleThe holiday season is approaching us soon and I thought this might be a good time to share this journey and story. All my life I have been referred to as the “Big Guy” and something I have had to work at pretty much all my life. I am certain I was born as a baby weighing in at 55 pounds ; )

The struggle for me and my health during my 27 year real estate career and my go to for stress, anger, sadness and any emotional challenge in my life is food and beverage. It literally fires off these feel good charges in my brain for that period of time while I enjoy some good food and drink and then I have to feel the shame and guilt from going to that dark side to medicate my feelings and thoughts.

I was selling real estate and making a lot of money in 2004 and thought things were better than ever personally and professionally for me. Then in the middle of the night I woke with a terrible pain in my chest and had to go to the hospital and in triage they thought I may be having a heart attack. At that same time my wife was sick and tired of my working all the time and was wanting out of our relationship.

Remembering thinking the night before I was a balanced, healthy and happy money making real estate agent, I realized this was the furthest thing from the truth. I decided to hire a personal trainer that would kick me in the butt to train 3 days a week and challenge me on my eating. That was my start to lose the weight I needed and get myself healthy and my marriage and family healthy again.

Why it took the heart attack and divorce scare to wake me up I will never know but I stand here today still battling my food and beverage medicating demons but healthier and happier than ever. Here are a few tips I want to share with you and how I turned this “Big Guy” around in real estate and life.

  1. Reach out to people for help and support
  2. Find someone to hold you accountable to get exercise
  3. Find someone to talk to about the stresses and problems in your life regularly
  4. Prepare your food and meals in advance or have someone make good food for you
  5. Isagenix meal replacement has been a huge help for me. Two shakes a day and one regular meal a day
  6. Intermittent fasting… let me explain

Intermittent fasting, or limiting your food intake to specific times, has taken North America by storm in recent years. Research has shown intermittent fasting can help you lose weight, lower your risk of cancer and improve both your blood pressure and blood sugar. Here are three common methods of intermittent fasting to get you started and it has worked for me!

  1. The 12-Hour Fast – With this method of intermittent fasting, you fast for 12 hours each day. Before you worry about skipping meals, remember: The fast can be done overnight. For example, you can fast from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
  2. The 16:8 Method – A 12-hour fast isn’t enough for some people to get a metabolism boost. That’s where the 16:8 method for intermittent fasting comes in. It involves fasting for 16 hours (14 hours for women).
  3. The 5:2 Diet – This strategy involves eating as you normally would five days a week, then fasting for two days. On those two fast days, experts recommend men consume 600 calories or less and women consume 500 calories or less.

I hope my personal story and some of my solutions to help me with my own struggles will help some of you with your journey as well. Please comment below and share some of your own stories and solutions with the rest of our readers, we would love to hear from you. Healthy life is a happy life and without our health we can’t really do much of anything we really want to do in life.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Real Estate Golden Opportunity – Creating A Succession Plan

Wade Webb on October 30, 2019

real estate retireAt some point, we all want to retire. One day we decide to move on to other passions or pursuits in life. There is a way to retire from real estate with relaxation and free time, to maintain an income stream and ensure our clients are well taken care of. This week we look at the method of adopting an agent and the retiring agent clients needs are attended to by the adopting agent. The most critical part of this whole plan is how you transfer and maintain client relationships and the trust the retiring agent has spent years to build. These relationships are the baton in the relay race that gets passed from the retiring agent to the adopting agent. If done well the retiring and adopting agents will win the race for them and their clients.

Let’s start by looking at the 3 steps to building your relay team. 1. Having a good plan 2. Execute the plan well 3. Everyone is replaceable, but you must choose wisely who will replace you. We have to assume the retiring agent has already compiled a solid database of relationships and detailed information about the clients so we then jump to choosing the adopting agent process which is the most critical choice you will make in the process.

Here is your adopting agent checklist:

     1. Experience – First and foremost, experience should but what you look for. By experience, I mean not only experience in helping clients but also in running a business, marketing and sales skills.

     2. Relationship Building – For every business, the process of working with clients will be different. A retiring agent may rely on mailings, phone calls and client parties. Make sure the adopting agent is open to continuing to communicate and build relationships in the same ways that have worked for the retiring agent.

     3. Resources – Another critical component to look at is the possible successor has the resources. Do they have the resources to see the plan through to completion? Depending on the size of the business, the minimum requirement will be the financial ability to fund the marketing efforts to the database of clients.

     4. Ethics – In a perfect world, it would not be important to include ethics into the equation but sadly some people are just in it for the quick buck and not the full relay race. Choose someone of high character and who will take care of your clients best interest every time.

     5. Energy – Although it might seem like energy and resources are the same thing, there are not at all. Energy is the spark in the adopting agents eyes, their sense of humor or sometimes described as their “vibe”. When you are around them do they make you feel good?

     6. Who Not To Hire – Considering adopting your office friend, assistant, the new agent or the agent who is desperate for business you should re consider. Friends take their friends for granted. Assistants know the back end of the business and not the front end of the business. The new agent has the spark but just not the experience and resources. As for the desperate agent they are thinking about the money and nothing else.

Tips For Adopting Agents

  • Do you have the systems and resources to add the retiring agents business?
  • Take the time to review the retiring agents business and how they market and care for their clients.
  • Prove how dedicated you are to handling the retiring agents business like sharing Testimonials, systems, processes, resources and your plan.

Tips For Retiring Agents

  • Make a short list of candidates to consider.
  • Ask your clients what they appreciate the most about you and want to see continue with the successor.
  • Interview more than one agent and get testimonials from their clients.

This is an exciting opportunity for both the retiring and adopting agents and trust that the content we shared will spark a fire in you and your business to find the adopting agent out there or adopting agents find those retiring agents that never consider the possibility of residual income into retirement.

Strength and courage,
Wade

WHEN AND HOW TO HIRE A REAL ESTATE ASSISTANT

Wade Webb on October 23, 2019

hire real estate assistantWhen and how to hire a real estate assistant is a question so many agents ask themselves once they get into the industry. 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!

 

Strength and courage,
Wade

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Realtors© – This Will Make You Rich

Wade Webb on October 16, 2019

realtors this will make you richI’m nervous posting this.

This message is so important, I worry my fumbling writing efforts won’t do it justice. You see, I want you to be rich. Ouch!….sounds like get-rich-quick hyperbole, right? ….let me explain.

I want you to feel wealthy – free to make decisions you need and want to make. And I want you to be free of the dark blanket of worry that I see burdens so many and drags them into playing it small. Just to be clear: this isn’t about possessions or cash in your wallet—it’s about the experience of abundance.

For most of us (myself included) we grew up with a poverty mindset – there’s only so much to go around, so be careful not to lose. Oh, we might talk a big talk about income, wealth, savings and growth. That’s all great. But a poverty mindset isn’t obvious—like software. It’s there, running your programming, twisting each decision, clouding your thinking and you assume it’s the way it is – as if it’s permanent.

When I was a kid, clothes were handed down, we bought old cars (“You know you lose a quarter of a new car’s value as soon as you drive it off the lot!”) and a restaurant dinner was what we saw other people do. We weren’t poor, but we certainly weren’t learning about abundance, or what it feels like to be rich. In a binary sort of way, I used to think being rich was only about bank accounts and how many days you can call “vacation.” It’s not that simple. “A person’s relationship with money,” says behavioral economist Sarah Newcomb, “is almost never about the numbers. It is about the stories we tell ourselves because of those numbers.” To tackle those stories we need to understand there is enough to go around.

It’s easy to compare ourselves to people who are more successful: taller, richer or have better abs. Get into almost any group and somebody has something or is doing something better than you. The real harm is when we somehow believe we don’t deserve better, as if what we want is in limited supply. This scarcity thinking can even lead to being “…resistant to taking care of ourselves as fully as we can.” says clinical psychologist Suzanne Lachmann. So we don’t attempt to save, get in shape, eat better, or invest in education. After all, if you don’t deserve it, what’s the point?

The truth is you do deserve it and there is enough to go around. There’s enough money, opportunities, business, deals, triple Venti half-sweet non-fat caramel Macchiato’s and clients. And there’s certainly enough for you. If I was to make of list of lessons that changed the course of my life, this would be first on the list: you can change your programming. A bit at a time, you can trim away the edges of years of programming to install the version you want for the next 5, 10 or 50 years. I started with 3 rituals. Call them habits, mantras, observations, or – Oh, I know – upgrades. Practicing these rituals won’t miraculously pay off your credit card debt, give you six-pack or get you a raise. You won’t be taller, smarter, or more attractive either (sorry.) But, you will be doing something 90% of people never think of doing: choosing how to live. Here they are – 3 deceptively simple rituals that could quite simply change your life and make you rich.

RITUAL #1: Notice abundance. Walk in nature, appreciate people who have something you want (don’t dismiss or envy them) and reward yourself (like with a special cup of coffee, a book you’ve been wanting to read, or an overdue yoga class). Your goal is to become comfortable with having wealth in your life. You may be living with a debilitating disorder – it’s call the “psychology of scarcity” (Daniel Kahneman)—the belief there isn’t enough to go around. This can have short-term impacts, like relying on usury lending rates at payday lender outlets (there are now more of these outlets in the United States than McDonald’s and Starbucks outlets, combined). It can also impact your decisions, by playing it safe or not asking for what you want. Again, I’m not fixating on money – this is about abundance in nature, having enough to eat and being able to walk without fear in your neighborhood. This is the growth mindset coined by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck that can lead to better decisions and even a longer life. The only difference between people who have more of what you want and you comes down to what you focus on. Abundance is all around you. The only difference between people who have more of what you want and you comes down to what you focus on. Abundance is all around you.

RITUAL #2: Take 2 minutes at the end of every day for gratitude. As simple, hackneyed, and cliché as it might seem, there is science to back-up the practice of gratitude. In one experiment, writing letters (even if you don’t send them) or phoning to express gratitude to someone influential in your life resulted in a measured happiness increasing by as much as 400%. And when you express gratitude (even just thinking how grateful you are) has lasting effects on your brain and wellbeing that can be measured days and weeks later. In one series of studies, using fMRI scans, researchers found that expressing gratitude (thinking, writing, or calling the person) showed greater neural sensitivity in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with learning and decision making. “Simply expressing gratitude may have lasting effects on the brain.” reported researchers Joel Wong and Joshua Brown, “While not conclusive, this finding suggests that practicing gratitude may help train the brain to be more sensitive to the experience of gratitude down the line, and this could contribute to improved mental health over time.”

RITUAL #3: Ask for what you want. The more you ask, the easier it becomes. Go for simple asks, like to go ahead in a line because you’re in a hurry, or have interest fees charges waived from a missed a credit card payment (which I just did this week!) When you ask for what you want, resistance lets go of the steering wheel and opportunity can move into the driver’s seat of life. My experience has been that when I speak up and ask for what I want more often than not I get what I need. As Mick and the boys put it, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you’ll get what you need.”

On more than one occasion, my client hasn’t had the budget to hire me at my fee. I could thank them and walk away. But, if I want the opportunity I need to ask for want I want. When asked if instead of paying my speaking fee they would buy a copy of my book for all their delegates (close to the equivalent of paying my fee) they wrote a cheque. If we are going to do good on this planet we need to know we can make a difference. Call it power, abundance, karma or confidence…I want you to be rich. “If you really believe abundance is available to all,” says Michelle Rose Gilman, founder of Fusion Academy middle schools, “you’ll end up attracting your own abundance.”

Strength and courage,
Wade