What Top Real Estate Agents Do To Build Their Business

Wade Webb on August 14, 2019

realtor build businessFor more than 25 years we have helped thousands of agents and brokers find better, easier ways to grow their businesses into profitable real estate practices.

Below are FOUR strategies that will help you generate more clients, and build a long-term viable business.

1. Prioritize Your Marketing Time, Money and Effort According To the QUALITY Of The Prospect/Market

“Quality” is defined as how well the prospect already knows you and how predisposed they are to use you over any other agent. You never want to chase cold prospects at the expense of higher potential prospects. So here’s how I believe you should prioritize your marketing:

Track your business with a “Power List” and market to them on a monthly basis (this is your “market share,” where 70% or more of your business should come from – more on this later).

Market off “Transactional Leads” (from your listings for buyers) and other listings (once you have them).

Work hot leads – follow-up is essential.  At the very least, you know they’re in the market to buy/sell, and most agents hopelessly ignore follow-up.

Do your research to select market niches that have the most promise, and work them (i.e. fish in a stocked pond). This includes geographic markets (farms) and specialty markets (resort, golf, vacation, etc.).

Work FSBOs and Expireds – but notice the low quality of this group.  We both know the reason, and here’s a revealing fact. The National Association of REALTORS® produces an annual research report called Profile of Buyers and Sellers.  It’s filled with lots of facts and figures, but the most startling fact they’ve discovered is that over 70% of all real estate transactions occur because the client either 1) knew the agent already, or 2) was referred to the agent from a trusted source.  This means that 3/4 of all transactions happen because of a relationship. Yet only 4% of all agents have any “systems” to harvest deep relationships and build market share.  So about 4% get the lion’s share of business and 96% wrestle each other over the scraps.  THIS fact alone is why I told you (above) to create a “Power List” of friends, family, past clients, acquaintances, etc., and market to them first and foremost.  They already know you and will trust you to represent them when purchasing or selling a home.

 

2. When Starting Out, Spend 80% of Your Time Prospecting

Cold prospecting because it has a terrible return on investment if you value your time.  Not to mention makes you feel like a sleazy person, always begging for business.  There are much easier, more effective ways to generate new clients.

However,  if you’re new to real estate or starting over, and have no money, you have to get the ball rolling. So, until you establish marketing systems and focus your time and energy on meeting new people and getting business. Remember to split your time prospecting into manageable simple 20 minute sections throughout your day rather than going longer and unfocused prospecting sessions. Who can’t put in a big day of powerful 20 minute prospecting session activities in their day? Don’t allow distractions (self-imposed or otherwise) to interfere with this task.  And remember, don’t neglect establishing other marketing systems so you can quickly stop manual prospecting.

 

3. Product-Ize Your Real Estate Services

The real estate industry is a mass-commodity of agents all screaming the same thing to prospects — professionalism, dedication, integrity, blah, blah, blah.  You need to be seen as DIFFERENT.   And in ways that are important to your target prospects.  So, create unique “products” out of your services.  For example: “Your Maximum Value Home Marketing Plan,” or “Preferred Buyer Program.” Another example: Rather than give CMAs, agents will offer a “Maximum Home Value Audit” to examine and determine ways to maximize the value of a home and sell in the least time.

The secret is to weave the greatest benefit for the client into the name.  Then, make a simple list of everything you do for the client as part of your program – even if other agents do it, it’s likely they don’t promote it, so you have the advantage.

 

4. Make Yourself A Self-Proclaimed “Specialist” in Your Market

Farming a resort area?  Make yourself a “resort property specialist” and title your product specifically to it: “Gold Canyon Golf Property Specialist” and “Gold Canyon Maximum Value Golf Property Program.” Use your creativity and match your services specifically to the market or type of property you sell. Your success requires intense focus on your highest priority activities.  This list will get you started down the right path of where to make changes to grow your real estate practice this year, and for the future. Be an expert at something rather than average at everything in real estate. People are attracted to the pros and experts of something first every time!

There you have four of the most impactful top producing strategies to put into action. I challenge you to take each one at a time and master them and let me know what happens to your business moving forward in 2019.

Strength and courage,
Wade

Top 10 Activities Top Agents Do To Kick Start 2019

Wade Webb on January 16, 2019

top 10 realtor activities for 2019It is that time of year when you feel a little holiday hangover and the motivation levels are not what they should be. It is the time of year when an agent cannot control what the market or their client is doing but it is essential an agent control what it is they are doing in January to kick start their year off right! This week I want to share the top things an agent can do at the start off the year with a bang to ensure you got a good jump to 2019.

Top 10 Activities for Realtors© To Kickstart 2019

1. Happy New Year / Gratitude Message – create a message for everyone expressing your gratitude for their support for you and your business in 2018 and wish them all the best in 2019. Let them know none of your success would be possible without them and you appreciate them all. Create a video, letter, email, Facebook social media post and share the happy new year – gratitude message to everyone you know!

2. Rebranding Launch 2019 – time to reinvent and relaunch your brand with a new photo, new logo and a new slogan and rebrand your old real estate self and create a fresh new look and start for 2019 and your business. Ask for your clients for input and poll their feedback on your new photo, new logo and new slogan over social media and build up the hype for your new branding launch in 2019.

3. 2018 Market Review and 2019 Predictions – create a message for everyone reviewing the past year and what the real estate market did in 2018. What did price do? Inventory? Sales? List to sale ratios? Recap and summarize the past years market and let them know what is trending and share your bold predictions for the market in 2019. Create a video, letter, email, Facebook social media post and share this with everyone in your community!

4. Pop by gift – always a great time of year to pop by and say hello to everyone you know with a jug of window washer fluid with a tag message “I’m happy to provide great clients like you with a clearer view of our local market.” Courtesy of Buffini and Company. (See attached)

5. Checklists / Procedures – time to get the systems, checklists and procedures created or upgraded. Do you have a process in writing for every activity you perform in real estate? The greatest challenge for all agents in their business is they are consistently inconsistent. Having written checklists, processes and procedures for each activity in your business will make a huge difference for implementation and execution in 2019.

6. Database Touches – the highest R.O.I. source of any top producing agent is repeat and referral business. Having an intentional value added process to engage and deepen your advocacy with people that already know, like an trust you is absolutely key to any agents success in 2019. Spend more time money and effort keeping them than we did getting them! (See attached)

7. Lead Generation Funnels – the top reason for agents not doing well enough is due to the lack of leads. Without enough leads we are forced to work with anyone and everyone. Without enough leads we can’t generate enough appointments and then enough listings and sales in 2019. Focus on the “FAB 5” lead generation funnels of the industry in 2019. 1. Database 2. Geographic Farm 3. Expired or FSBO 4. Open House 5. Online Leads

8. Tools In Your Tool kit – do you have a pre appointment package for buyers or sellers. Do you have a marketing tool you can deliver to the clients in advance that sets you apart from all your competitors before you even meet them? Pre listing and Pre Buyer packages deliver that punch in 2019.

9. Presentations and Process – do you use professional dynamic presentations with your buyers and sellers? Presentations that share with them the benefits of doing business with you vs. the rest? Does your process set you apart from the competition? Do you show them why they should sign with you a listing contract? Buyer agreement? Price their home properly the first time? Or do you just wing it?

10. Complimentary Market Analysis – provide a package of listings, sales and expired comps for the last year to every client and person you have a relationship with. Provide them with enough information they can get an idea themselves of the value of their property. 3 days later follow up and ask them if they have any questions? Ask if they have other real estate properties you could evaluate for them? Ask if they know anyone else you could provide them with this complimentary service as well. This usually leads to listing appointments for agents in the new year and a great jump on spring listing inventory!

So there you have my top activities for kick starting 2019 off on the right foot! Feel free to comment on some of the things you do to get your business year started off right below. Don’t sit around and wait for real estate to happen. Take steps to create real estate in January 2019!

 

Strength and courage,
Wade

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What Top Agents Never Do Again

Wade Webb on December 12, 2018

top realtors never againSo what does that mean? The things top agents never do again. From my observations of successful agents they tend to have moments in life and in business. That once they have them, they never go back to the old way of doing things and when that happens, they are never the same.

In short, they just get it!

Years ago, a bad business decision of mine led to an interesting situation. I had learned a valuable lesson the hard way and assured myself this was a good thing once I learned that lesson, I would never go back. Trust me you never do it again. So what are the key moments successful agents go through that forever change how they do things, which propel them to succeed in business, relationships, and life? I began to look at these moments and here is what I found. Successful agents never again…

  1. Return to what hasn’t worked for them in their real estate business or personal life. Whether a job, or a broken relationship that was ended for a good reason, we should never go back to the same thing, expecting different results, without something being different.
  1. Do anything that requires them to be someone they are not. In everything we do, we have to ask ourselves, Why am I doing this? Am I suited for it? Does it fit me? Is it sustainable? If the answer is no to any of these questions, you better have a very good reason to proceed or stop it and be your authentic self.
  1. Try to change another person. When you realize you cannot force someone into doing something, you give him or her freedom and allow them to experience the consequences. In doing so, you find your own freedom as well. You can only change yourself and really cannot change others.
  1. Believe they can please everyone. Once you get it truly is impossible to please everyone, you begin to live purposefully, trying to please the right people. They realize they are the most important person in their life and the family and friends are the next important people in their lives. They stop basing their choices on people pleasing and choices that are best for themselves and those most important to them.
  1. Choose short-term comfort over long-term benefit. Once successful people know they want something that requires a painful, time-limited step, they do not mind the painful step because it gets them to a long-term benefit. Living out this principle is one of the most fundamental differences between successful and unsuccessful people, both personally and professionally. They have the courage to leave their comfort zone in order to gain long term.
  1. Trust someone or something that appears flawless. It’s natural for us to be drawn to things and people that appear “incredible.” We love excellence and should always be looking for it. We should pursue people who are great at what they do, employees who are high performers, dates who are exceptional people, friends who have stellar character and companies that excel. But when someone or something looks too good to be true, he, she or it is. The world is imperfect. Period. No one and no thing is without flaw, and if they appear that way, hit pause. Don’t be misled. Learn how to read people.
  1. Take their eyes off the big picture. We function better emotionally and perform better in our lives when we can see the big picture. For successful people, no one event is ever the whole story. Winners remember that—each and every day. The top agents always have their eye on the prize and know their why and purpose and love the impact they have on people and the ones closest to them more than the selling real estate part.
  1. Neglect to do due diligence. No matter how good something looks on the outside, it is only by taking a deeper, diligent and honest look that we will find out what we truly need to know and the reality we owe ourselves. The best reality comes from an honest self-assessment. Top agents always make educated decisions on everything personally and professionally they do.
  1. Fail to ask why they are where they find themselves. One of the biggest differences between successful people and others is in love and in life, in relationships and in business, successful people always ask themselves, What part am I playing in this situation? Said another way, they do not see themselves as victims, even when they are.Don’t make excuses for who and where you are.  Top agents don’t live below the line in blame, denial and excuse. They are above the line and take ownership, action and learn from their mistakes.
  1. Forget their inner life determines their outer success. The good life sometimes has little to do with outside circumstances. We are happy and fulfilled mostly by who we are on the inside. Research validates that. And our internal lives largely contribute to producing many of our external circumstances. Become a better you and the outward becomes better. The converse is true. People who are still trying to find success in various areas of life can almost always point to one or more of these patterns as a reason they are repeating the same mistakes.

Remember everyone, including me, make mistakes… even the most successful people out there. But, what achievers do better than others is recognize the patterns that are causing those mistakes and never repeat them again. In short, they learn from pain—their own and the pain of others. A good thing to remember is this: Pain is unavoidable, but repeating the same pain twice, when we could choose to learn and do something different, is certainly avoidable. I like to say, “We don’t need new ways to fail… the old ones are working just fine!” Our task, in business and in life, is to observe what they are, and never go back to doing them again.

Strength and courage,
Wade

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How The Successful Realtor© Thinks

Wade Webb on August 1, 2018

how successful realtor thinksThis is such a fascinating topic for me because I believe I have real perspective on how a successful realtor© thinks. Some of the greatest entrepreneurs in the world didn’t necessarily start out with a grand vision. They started with an idea and an action. Bezos didn’t set out to build Amazon, he started by selling books online. Zuckerberg didn’t set out at 18 to build Facebook. He built a tool for his college that later became the thing. It was idea + action. Constant processing and execution on the ideas. It was reacting to the market and tripling down on their own success. Their vision really came after. So for me, I always knew I was going to be successful. At 6 years old, selling newspapers and at 18 selling advertising and at 20 selling encyclopedias door to door. I knew I had something special. When I was 14 or 15, I realized I was never going to be the center for the Montreal Canadiens. Instead I was going to buy them, and so that was my vision. That was my big north star.

So look, whether you’re an entrepreneur or an artist or someone who wants to be a number 2 or number 27 or number 47, I think the reality is exposed. For me, at a macro, it’s been one long game of self-awareness. The more I understand myself, the more I try to put myself in a position to succeed. Coming out of school, being 21 years old, I thought of myself as a great salesman. I didn’t necessarily have the vision of starting a real estate team or owning a large brokerage or a coaching company. I just knew I could sell and I was going to be successful at it.

I didn’t really think about emotional intelligence. That word had never come out of my mouth. I didn’t think about “operations.” I didn’t think about “leadership.” I didn’t think about “content creation.” I thought I could sell. Right? So over the last 26 years I’ve gotten to know myself better and one thing that happens is success compounds on itself, and as you gain more confidence, you continually gain more momentum. “Doing” was always my best strategy. I built my vision through taking action. One day at a time. The hard work, the hustle and the grind.

So if there’s anything I can instill through this article it’s not that vision is somehow bad or irrelevant but that it’s actually OKAY if you aren’t starting from that place. You can always execute and figure things out later. I think so many of you are crippled by “I don’t have the right idea” or “I don’t know where I want to end up” but the truth is, it doesn’t really matter. Vision always builds by taking action. One of my favorite examples I like to use is Sam Walton, who started Walmart at 44. It just goes to show you can literally suck shit, do nothing for the next 15 years.. NOTHING and then build the thing that puts you on the map. It’s really that simple. So the truth is, my vision was to buy the Canadiens and my strategy out of school was, “I’m going to work my ass off. I’m going to constantly be in motion.” I am going to constantly do. Which became, great, I’m going to build a real estate team. I’m going to sell more real estate. I’m going to be right about trends. I’m going to buy a real estate brokerage. I’m going to create a coaching company for agents and brokers. I didn’t know which of these would ultimately work or where it would necessarily lead, but I knew the building blocks of what I was going to try to do. And now, when I look at it, it seems comical to me, because obviously I am working harder than ever. My days are literally scheduled by the minute. I have two executive assistants who help me with everything.

All of my strategy came directly from opportunity. It came from action. Do work. Do work. Do work. That led me to my vision now which was like, oh my gosh… I can build something special, that I can use for the rest of my life. Now, over the last three, four, five years it’s been very clear to me I’m trying to build this thing, which is the entire macro strategy, but it came from all the actions. It came through the obsession with continuing to sell and help others. Winning more relationships, building a brand, creating obnoxious amounts of content, and watching it all grow. The funny thing is you can’t really decide. You can’t lay out your epic strategy until you are actually in the place to execute. So that’s where I see the two align. Through action comes vision and through vision comes action. It all just builds.

Most great agents, subtly have some greater vision (which for me was to buy the Canadiens) but I also knew it wasn’t going to be a straight line. Every 21 year old wants me to tell them exactly what to do, how it’s exactly going to happen, and what they should do. That’s just not life. It’s just not the way it works. You have to do, then react, then revise, then win. What I knew was, I had a vision to buy the Canadiens, but I realized it was going to zig and zag and there was going to be 857 things that were going to help me get there. I was always okay and comfortable in the unknown, which has allowed me to navigate towards success. It’s the obsession of the unknown and the acceptance of the unknown that allows me to navigate within it.

So the last thing I’ll say is I think strategy is still grossly underrated. Everyone reading this is so worried about their years, while continuing to waste their days. It’s all execution. You have to do. You have to move fast and be patient. I think the key is to know that. You can’t put yourself in a position where you have golden handcuffs. Where you limit yourself to what you can actually do and then you begin to believe it’s the only thing you can actually do. But the key is to understand things always change, and if you don’t recognize that, you are going to miss what’s next. My execution today is to run a brokerage and coaching business… In many way that’s my micro strategy… My macro vision is to buy the Canadiens. Vision means nothing if you don’t take action. But always let your action inform your vision.

Strength and courage,
Wade

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What Is Your Online Real Estate Reputation?

Wade Webb on July 18, 2018

realtor online reputation managementRealtors© often ask me if as a real estate agent does their online reputation really matter? Stop and think about this scenario for a second… A homeowner smack dab in the middle of your market is considering selling her home. Once that idea is in her head, what’s the next step in her process? If she doesn’t already have an agent who is “top of mind”? Her next move is likely to go online and start reading reviews of agents in her area. Suddenly, without ever meeting you, this prospective client is making decisions about your quality, your character, your ability to deliver results. So when she lands on your name… What does she see?

•Tons of 5-Star reviews full of vivid detail? GREAT!

•A few mixed reviews? NOT AS GREAT!

•Nothing at all? UH OH!

What is your online real estate reputation?

Social proof is essential in today’s Review Economy.

2 Sites Where You Absolutely Must Have Reviews. There are many different places where people can review things online, but for your purposes, the two most critical are Google and Zillow. Zillow gets tons of traffic for people looking for all things real estate. And Google is, well, Google… People search on Google all the time, but there are more reasons beyond them being the search giant, which takes us to…

3 Reasons Why Google Reviews are Beneficial to Your Business

1. Social proof and credibility. Ninety percent of consumers today read online reviews before engaging with a business! Not only that, but 77% of consumers believe reviews older than 90 days are no longer relevant! You know what that means? If people can’t find reviews about you and your services, you’re eliminating yourself from consideration by 90 percent of homeowners! The second stat means even if you have reviews, you need a consistent flow of fresh reviews to make sure you are perceived as being relevant.

2. Google loves fresh content. You know me… I have no secrets, and when I learn something from our business, I want to share it with you. In January of 2018, we began a concerted push to increase our Google reviews. We’ve added 874 reviews since that time, and because of having those reviews, our organic website traffic has increased by 47 percent! Long story short, the more Google reviews you have, the higher Google will rank your site, and the more eyeballs your site will attract.

3. Google Ads cost per lead decreases. If you’re using Google Ads, having an abundance of Google reviews makes your quality score go up and Google will add your five-star review rating to all of your ads. In the process, your cost per lead will decrease.

5 Strategies to Generate More Reviews

1. Incorporate reviews into your dialogue. Every time you meet a client, you need to “seed” the idea of them writing a review at the end of the process. Tell them your goal is for them to provide you a five-star review.

2. Remind them during “Hero Moments”. Anytime you slay a dragon in a transaction, take that opportunity to point it out to your client and specifically mention it would be a great detail to include in their review. Not only does this remind them of your expectation of receiving a five-star review, but it adds detail that enriches the review for readers.

3. Add a “Review Me” link in email signature. By incorporating a link in your email signature to your Google or Zillow profile, you can generate more reviews in a low-pressure manner.

4. You gotta ask! You can’t sit around and hope people will write a review. Whether it’s in person, by phone, by email, by text… you’ve gotta ask! When you ask, remember these two keys:

•Remind them your focus is on receiving a five-star review

•Direct them to tell a specific story, ideally about how you solved their problem

5. If you’re new, focus on Google. If you’re a new agent wondering how you’ll compete with agents with many more reviews, focus on getting Google reviews from people who you’ve worked with – colleagues, previous employers, etc. who can write about you even if you haven’t helped them buy or sell a home.

I encourage you to use these techniques to build more online reviews!

Strength and courage,
Wade

The Question People Ask Most Agents Don’t Know The Answer To

kelowna on September 13, 2017

hows the real estate market?If someone opened the door of opportunity for you, would you slam it shut? If you’re shaking your head no right now, are you sure? I see agents make this mistake every single day.

I mean every single day…

It happens every day because this opportunity is without a doubt the most-asked question agents receive all the time. It’s something you probably hear every time you’re out in public or around friends, family members or acquaintances. Yet most agents honestly don’t know how to answer this often-asked question correctly, and therefore effectively slam the door of opportunity door shut, right in front of the person who opened it for them.

Would you agree that’s not a very nice thing to do? Also it’s definitely not helping their reputation or business. So have you guessed the Question yet? Let me share with you the question people ask agents the most and agents don’t know the proper answer to.

Here’s that question:

“How’s the market?”

Sound familiar? Can you think of how many times you were asked or you heard others ask that question about the market and about real estate in your area. It’s almost a cliché — Somebody meets a real estate agent, and that’s the first thing that blurts out of their mouth. “How’s the market?” opening the greatest opportunity for you and your real estate business.

The problem is your response cannot be a cliché. In fact, your response to the question has to be anything but.

Far too many agents simply reply, “It’s great!” or “I’m busy” or “Well, the high end is slow” and leave it at that. What a monumental mistake! What a missed opportunity! It’s actually painful to watch this happen.

By far one of the best and most effective dialogs to this question is a straightforward reply that goes like this:

“How’s the market? Well, it really depends. Are you interested in buying, selling, investing, or renting? They’re all very different. Which part of the market are you curious about?”

It’s that simple. Suddenly, you’ve engaged the prospect. You’re already providing value by helping them narrow their focus and get more specific, so you can help them solve whatever specific real estate need they’re facing.

By opening them up to thinking about their own situation, you’ve begun a meaningful dialogue that can lead somewhere productive — for them and for you. Once you identify their needs, you know where to take the conversation from there.

“But Wade, What About…” I can already hear you. Some people will say, “Oh, I’m just curious.” You’re right. So what’s your plan then? Does that mean you don’t engage them? Of course not. The dialog for that scenario goes like this:

“Are you curious about the value of your home? Are you curious about property values in your community? Are you curious because someone you know needs to sell?”

By pressing the issue and getting them to identify exactly what they’re curious about, again you’re getting that prospect to open up and think about his or her specific needs.
This is what leads to productive conversations, and leaves the prospect thinking you’re a true expert who knows what you’re talking about.

So Let’s Recap…

As long as you’re in real estate, you’re going to be asked “How’s the market?” at least once a day for the rest of your life. You basically have two choices — stick with the same old’ “It’s good” cliché response and lose that opportunity or adopt these dialogs and spark those conversations and turn those questions into clients and sales for life.

Strength and courage,
Wade

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The Five Phrases Every Agent Needs To Use!

kelowna on August 9, 2017

realtor words have powerDid you know real estate agents every day are costing themselves tens of thousands of dollars in business by what they are saying or even what they are not saying? What we say, and what we don’t say and how we say it changes everything for agents and their business. This week we want to share with you the five proven statements every agent needs to use in their real estate business to generate more productivity. In real estate all agents have gifts, talents and personalities they think is enough and tend to push away from scripts, dialogs and techniques.

Many things you do every day is scripted like “Hello”? How is it going? How was your day? So why the push back? Think about this, whenever we go to eat out we are always greeted a certain way, asked if we would like something to drink and maybe a snack or appetizer to start things off. Again this whole process is a script and something quite natural and in fact we all come to enjoy and expect when we dine out. Right? So we want to share with you the five phrases you must use to get a buyer and seller to do what you want them to do.

Agents are going through the same activities every day but we all need to have a pattern disrupt and have the awareness to change up our daily patterns.

Many REALTORs are now saying online leads are not the answer and they don’t convert. So, why do I have an agent from Brazil who moved to North America and has been licensed only 8 months and has made almost $150,000 G.C.I. already from online leads?

I believe the words he is using and the way he is saying them has made all the difference in the world so let’s have a look at some of these words this agent is using to convert and get buyers and sellers to do what he wants them to do!

#1 Would you be offended if …

Stop asking “can I come by” “is it ok tomorrow at 2?” Generally in sales most people naturally want to respond with the words “NO” so instead of asking the same old questions they respond with a “No” answer, try using the phrase “Would you be offended if I put in my day timer to call you Thursday at 10 AM?” their auto response NO actually means Yes to you and the appointment now. See the difference?

#2 Do you have anyone sending you the good deals?

Stop asking the question “are you working with another agent” to which they shut you down immediately. Instead start asking “Do you have anyone sending you the good deals?” to which they think to themselves “wait a minute, am I seeing all the good deals on the market?” Again see the difference?

#3 What would need to happen for …

By using this question we create different expectation for the clients and they now give you a list of actions they need to happen in order for them to do what you want them to do. For Example, “What would need to happen for you to buy a home today?” “What would need to happen for you to list with me today?” They in turn they share with you the things that would need to happen for them to do what you want them to do. See the power of this terminology?

#4 It’s funny you are contacting me about …

Someone is inquiring about one of your listings and you respond with “It’s funny you are contacting me about this listing.” This phrase automatically makes the client feel comfortable and feel like it was almost meant to be. The psychology of the phrase instills a feeling like it was supposed to happen.

#5 I’m going to be at this number for the next …

When you are responding to people and wanting them to respond to you, you need to create deadlines and scarcity which makes them value your time and contact you back quicker and the thought is in their head of urgency. For example, “I am going to be at this number for the next hour”.

We are in the conversion and persuasion game and get paid accordingly to our conversion skills. We are looking for a thumbs up or a thumbs down from a client and nothing else. This comes from consistency, frequency and tenacity but more important the words you say and how you use them can be a game changer. If you are not converting then take the time to look at what you say and how you say it and implement the 5 phrases above and experience the difference! I dare you!

Strength and courage,
Wade

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An Agents Most Precious Commodity

kelowna on July 26, 2017

realtor time wastersOnce, a king and a lazy man named Haria were very good friends. One morning, the king said,
“Why don’t you do work to earn some money?” Haria said, “No one gives me job. My enemies told everyone that I never do any work in time.” The kind king said, “You can go into my treasury and collect as much wealth as you can, till sunset.” Haria rushed home to tell this to his wife. She said, “Go and get the gold coins and gems now.” “I cannot go now. Give me lunch first.” After lunch, he took a nap for an hour. Then in the late afternoon, he picked some bags and went to the palace. On the way, he felt hot so he sat under a tree to rest. Then, two hours later, he got up to go but saw a man showing some magic tricks. He stopped to watch for an hour again. When he reached the palace it was already time for sunset. The palace gates had been shut. So Haria had lost a golden chance because he had not learnt the value of time.

I see and hear so many real estate agents who are putting in long hours and long days but don’t seem to be reaping the benefits of their labor. How many of you are maximizing your time each day? Are you truly using each and every second to its fullest potential? Time is precious and the truth is we don’t have much of it.

Are You Wasting Time?

Most people in this economy are wasting time. But what happens when the market takes a turn? It’s not a matter of “if”, but “when”, because it always does. Will you be the one with all of the money? If you don’t start the working immediately in the real estate market we know that somebody else will.

4 popular agent workplace time-wasters, and tips to reign them in.

1. Interruptions. One study says people can waste up to two hours per day of productivity based on interruptions. One reason for this is it can take around 20 minutes to get back into a work groove after your flow is interrupted. Of course, sometimes distractions are welcome (admit it!)—whether it’s a team member asking for your input, to talking about a TV show. And while interruptions will happen, the trick is minimizing them so they don’t kill your work productivity. Tip: Put your head down for set periods of time—25, 50 or 75 minutes—whatever is a realistic stretch of time to accomplish a task. If you’re in an office, close your door. If you’re in an open space, wear headphones, or set up some kind of “Do Not Disturb” signage around your desk area. Other common tricks are to turn off email and instant messaging; close all the browsers, apps and docs you’re not using. Also, don’t think you have to drop everything when a co-worker asks for something. Try lines like, “Set up some time for us and I can give you my full attention” to a simple “Can you give me a minute, I’m in the middle of something.” This might change some of your team members’ interrupting habits as well.

2. Socializing with co-workers. This is a double-edged sword, as stated by different studies. The Salary.com survey says 43% of their respondents blamed interacting with coworkers as the main reason they missed doing work. However, there’s an upside to this social interaction. Other studies have found coffee room chats and serendipitous conversations can increase productivity through the exchange of information, ideas and problem solving strategies, and the quick emotional boost that comes with making meaningful connections. Tip: Think about socializing as you would managing a project. If you find yourself in an unplanned conversation, give yourself ten minutes to talk rather than letting the conversation go on too long. Sometimes, you just have to exercise discipline and walk away from a group conversation. Or, consolidate your social interactions.

3. Unclear priorities. It happens too often: Individuals find themselves working on tasks they discover aren’t the highest priority. When agents are disorganized—either because of poor communication or no prioritization. Tip: If you’re not sure what you should be working on, ask. Ask yourself if you are confident the activity you are working on is what matters most to the business today. Always remind yourself of the high dollar productive activities in real estate always get done first!

4. The Internet, social media and personal emails. There are a few dynamics going on here: Dropping in on Facebook and other social media during the day is the new water cooler break. Let’s be honest, we all check out something on the Internet that isn’t work related—from news articles to shopping. Do we even need to explain email? We have a personal life, folks! Tip: Instead of nickel-and-diming your time by browsing the Internet, checking your social media sites and responding to personal emails, set aside a designated time, say 10-15 minutes twice a day for these activities. You’ll save time from all the restart time that goes along with frequent quick interruptions (see No. 1). Plus, it’s a good discipline practice to increase your focus and overall productivity.

What’s your favorite or most plaguing time waster—and what do you do about it?

Tell us in Comments!

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 Hour-By-Hour Plan For The Top Producers

kelowna on May 24, 2017

realtor hourly scheduleOne of the things we all love about real estate as a career is it is never the same day twice. The freedom and flexibility with our time is something that empowers us or THIS, however, can also be our recipe for disaster.

We are Sleeping ‘til 10am, a long lunch until 2 in the afternoon, then scrolling through Facebook until 5pm … before you know it, an entire day has slipped through the cracks and you have nothing to show for it. Can you relate?

You’ve heard me say it before, “Routine is the sign of an ambitious individual.”

Routine is what separates the average agent from the top producer.

Agents constantly know what the most important skills are in order to reach success, and to that, I always say, the ability to PLAN and EXECUTE.

That’s why today we are sharing an hour by hour plan for an ideal day for the top producer. It is up to you to implement and execute!! So here we go!

Hour by Hour Plan for a Top Producing REALTOR©

5:00 AM – 6:00 AM: Wake-up + Exercise + Nutrition

Use this time to fuel your body and energize yourself for the busy day ahead!

6:00 AM – 8:00 AM: Morning Routine + Getting Ready

Set yourself up to be in a peak mental state – this is crucial to reaching your goals. If you don’t have a morning routine then here are some ideas. My morning routine recommendations: prayer, meditation, visualization, audiobooks, gratitude, journaling, affirmations, inspiring videos etc.

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Prepare + Review

Connect with your assistant (or sit down with your calendar) and go over your objectives and outcomes for the day. Visualize your activities and purpose for the day.

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Appointment Setting Time

No distractions, just 90 minutes straight of prospecting and appointment setting (DO NOT SKIP THIS!). Get the most important activity out of the way in the morning. Follow up all your leads and make all your calls first thing in the day. Plant those seeds and set the buyer and seller appointments.

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Break

Take a brisk walk to mentally recharge before your next tasks. Clear your mind and get some air and reload.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Lunch + Prep

Prepare your hot sheets by filling in all your buyer and seller lead details. Details like name, contact information, source of lead, type of lead, follow up dates and appointment set yes or no? After the hot sheets are done then plan for your afternoon appointments with buyer and sellers.

12:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Appointments + Listing Presentations

Use this 4.5 hour block to schedule in three 90-minute appointments or listing or buyer presentations. If you’re a new agent and don’t have 3 daily appointments or presentations booked, use this time for additional prospecting and appointment setting time.

Work your face off so you can go home at a decent hour and be present with your loved ones!

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Daily Wrap-Up

Close up the day and identify what you accomplished and what your goals are for tomorrow. Review your schedule for the next day and ensure the day is all set.

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Home + Dinner + Family Time

Work/Life balance is so important. If you want it to happen … you’ve got to schedule it in, just like everything else in your day! Stay present and enjoy a good meal with the ones you love. 6 pm is family dinner time, all of us at the table together with no electronic devices in our home.

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Personal Time/ Evening Appointments (if necessary)

Most top producers can get their clients to meet during daytime business hours, there are some exceptions where this isn’t possible so an odd evening appointment maybe necessary. Usually you will mostly use the final hours of your day to hang out with your significant other, read an enjoyable book, or focus on a favorite hobby.

9:00 PM – 5:00 AM: Sleep

Rest and recharge for an action-packed day tomorrow.

YOUR PERFECT BUSINESS STARTS WITH YOUR PERFECT DAY. 

Strength and courage,
Wade

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