Real Estate Conferences = Business Success

Business Success

May 23, 2018

Why They are so Important

Sure, you’ll have a chance to dance the night away, sightsee and maybe, if inclined, get tipsy when you attend one of the multitudes of real estate conventions and conferences held every year.

But that shouldn’t trivialize the value they offer you as a business owner and real estate agent. Building relationships, gaining new knowledge and soaking in inspiration—all in one place—is multi-tasking at its finest.

Learning new ways of doing real estate

The educational opportunities offered through the workshops and by attending the lectures from well-known trainers and successful agents are worth their weight in gold.

Think about it: how much time can you devote during a typical work week to bring yourself up to date on the various tech trends agents are utilizing in their businesses? And also find out what’s coming down the pike that may relieve some of the pressure on your schedule?

Attending a real estate convention forces you to take the time to slow down and pay attention to ideas and trends that you can employ in your own business.

Then, there are the hands-on demonstrations at the trade expos where you can actually see new products and technology in action, rather than just read about them online.

Schmoozing is good for business

Most of us have a circle of colleagues that we occasionally socialize with over a drink or a cup of coffee. Typically, we discuss clients, rarely touching on and sharing new ideas (they may be friends, but they’re our competition as well).

Getting away from the office, out of town, where you can make new connections with agents from different markets, frees you to speak more candidly. You may learn new marketing ideas (or new twists on old ideas). You’ll definitely broaden your referral base and build new relationships.

Don’t limit your networking to the event’s venue, but “look out for vendor parties and other events outside of the main stage,” suggests Kayla Matthews at inman.com. “Those outside events are great ways to deepen the connection you’ve made with other professionals at the conference during the day.”

Get inspired

From motivational lectures by some of the country’s top real estate coaches to success stories from other agents, inspiration abounds at real estate conferences.

And, no, it’s not the same as listening to a motivation CD in your car. Being surrounded by like-minded people, the applause and bright lights ratchet up the excitement level unlike what you can experience listening to a CD.

If you plan on attending Inman Connect San Francisco this year (July 16 to 20), you’ll find a long list of speakers who are sure to inspire you to higher levels of tech use, to build a team, become a better leader and more.

Tom Ferry’s next Success Summit is happening in Anaheim, CA (August 6 to 9). There you can pick up tips on lead conversion, marketing strategies and get inspired to become more efficient.

If you’ve yet to attend a REALTORS® Conference & Expo, make it a point to attend this year when it’s held in Boston from November 2 through 5. Last year’s attendees learned about their successful competitors and what they bring to the table and information that inspired them to prospect “like never before.”

Or, step outside your box

If the thought of sitting in a room with 4,000 other people who work the same grind as you makes you want to curl up in a ball, consider different types of conferences.

For instance, if you want to utilize technology more in your business, get up to speed on what’s new and what’s coming down the pike at a Growth Hackers summit. While 2018’s was held in February, consider joining them next year. They promise to offer inspiration to “people looking to grow their businesses.”

Or, niche down even smaller and attend the next Traffic & Conversion Summit and learn how to convert your website traffic, content marketing, Pinterest promoted pins, Facebook video tests and more. The speaker’s list features leading minds from the digital marketing world. This is another that was held in February of this year, so make it a point to attend next year’s.

Attending industry and even non-industry conferences give you a chance to re-evaluate what you’re doing and find tips to learn how to do it better and more efficiently. Yes, they can be expensive to attend but consider it an investment in your business and don’t forget – they’re tax deductible.

To create growth in your business right now, send the Free List of Homes postcard from the Call to Action Series to at least 100 prospects in an area where you want more listings, today.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers or buyers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator.

Consistency and automation are the keys to success. Discover how effective direct mail marketing can dramatically increase your bottom line. Enter your statistics in our Free online ROI Calculator and click the ‘CALCULATE MY ROI’ button to see your results instantly! – Click Here

3. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan.

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

3 Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

From Expired to New Client – Here’s How

Expireds

May 21, 2018

The Killer Tools That Make it Happen

Working with sellers of expired listings is almost always a great listing opportunity. Granted, some are disillusioned, worried and flat out angry they didn’t get results the first time around. But most of the time – they’re still motivated to sell.

One of the first things you have to do when working with Expireds is to help them figure out why their home didn’t sell. Was the selling price a factor, the terms, or maybe the home’s condition?

Whatever it was, the key to keeping a bad outcome from happening again is to make sure your sellers are 100% onboard and invested in creating a successful end result.

Using visuals aids while discussing an effective action plan can help you communicate with your clients more clearly. In addition, they lend an extra layer of authority to the conversation, appeal to both auditory and visual thinkers and help you and your clients stay on track.

Killer tool #1 – The Merchandising Review

The Merchandising Review is the perfect visual tool for walking sellers through the potential pitfalls that can happen if you don’t follow a success track when listing a property.

It demonstrates some of the top reasons why a home will or will not sell. Using this tool allows you the ability to make whatever adjustments are needed, with a sound explanation, to help get your clients on board.

Did I mention it’s free?

Yes, it’s one of many of our free resources available to you. Click here to go to our Resource Page and download the Merchandising Review now.

While you are there, download the 6 Pitfalls of Overpricing Free Report too – it’s a must-have for today’s listing presentation.

Killer tool #2 – Get Their Attention

Now that you have the perfect tool to guide you through the selling process with your clients, it’s time to make those Expireds aware of their neighborhood expert and get them raising their hands for help.

At least twice a week, pull the Expireds in your market and send them a series of 3-5 postcards from our Expired Series, mailing one every 5-7 days. Use the back of the postcard to announce that you have a “highly effective tool” that will help determine what went wrong with their home sale and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Invite them to call you for a copy of their own. It’s a great way in the door to these potential sellers.

Begin to go after Expireds today by sending the Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen Again postcard from the Expired 7 Series.

It includes the perfect message to begin a conversation that’s already going on in the minds of these disappointed sellers.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers or buyers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator.

3. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan.

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

3 Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

New Agent RoadMap to Success

Agent Success

May 16, 2018

New agents, tortured by what feels like an enormously long wait between license application and receipt, typically tend to want to hit the ground running the minute that license is in the broker’s hands.

It’s only natural to want to jet down the runway to success, but how will you get from here to there?

That’s what a business plan is: a roadmap of how to reach your income goals from where you are right now. Once you’re familiar with the real estate terrain, and you know the shortcuts, the map may feel like an unnecessary encumbrance, but it’s not.

Business plans aren’t static and require tweaking as you move up in your real estate career. Your sphere of influence grows, requiring the use of good contact management software. Your personal expenses may change and you will no doubt need to adjust your marketing expenses along the way.

The process of creating a “roadmap for success” for the new agent is a bit challenging, though. I mean, you have no past expenses with which to estimate a budget. How do you plan for marketing when you don’t know how much money you’ll have to play with?

You estimate. It’s that simple.

Map out your first-year goals

Make a realistic determination of where you want to be in your new business by the end of your first year.

This should include both a financial goal (how much money you’ll make) and other goals as well. For instance, your goals may include adding 100 people to your sphere of influence or to come up with a killer listing presentation. A financial goal could be planning to put aside a certain dollar amount to buy additional tools.

Create a budget

To come up with an accurate budget requires understanding your personal as well as business expenses, both fixed and variable.

Start with your personal expenses, such as your house payment or rent, what you pay for utilities, groceries, entertainment and the like. This will give you an idea of the total amount of income you’ll need to cover these expenses.

Determining your business expenses will be a bit more challenging since you have no figures from last year on which to base your assumptions. Breaking these expenses into smaller chunks will help you get a handle on them.

Startup expenses: These include your NAR, state and local association fees, MLS dues, lockbox expenses and the cost of any tools you’ll need to buy to get going (laptop, software, website expenses, etc.).

Marketing expenses: You’ll need to market your business as well as any homes you may list this year. We offer a series of Agent Introduction, Listing Inventory and Just Listed postcards that will get you off on the right foot.

Ongoing expenses: Your automobile gas budget is about to explode now that you are part of the real estate industry. Plan on spending a good deal of your budget on your vehicle – maintenance and gas for starters.

Then, there are your phone, internet, web hosting and the other costs that will recur routinely throughout the year.

How much do you need to make?

This is the trickiest part of your business plan, but the most critical as well. You’ll want to estimate how many sides you’ll need this year to get the money you want to make. This means figuring out how many prospects it will take to get a transaction, knowing the average sales price in the area in which you work and crunching some numbers.

We have put together the perfect simple yet effective business plan worksheet to help you do these calculations. You can find it online here.

Once you know how many listings or sales you’ll need each month to reach your financial goals, you’re on your way to success.

It’s time to introduce your new status to the world (or at least your corner of it).

Send out the Neighborhood Specialist postcard from the Agent Introduction Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area you want listings.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers or buyers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator.

3. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan.

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

3 Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Baby Boomers – The Hidden Gem

niche marketing

May 14, 2018

Why You Want to Start Attracting Them Now

Twenty-six million. That’s the number of homes owned by U.S. baby boomers, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. To put that figure into perspective, consider this: They hold more than half of all owner-occupied homes in the country.

And, in some cities, that number is even higher.

The invisible goldmine

The Baby Boom segment of the population is one that is almost completely ignored by the real estate industry. Yet their combined take-home pay is $2 trillion dollars a year and they can take credit for half of all discretionary spending. That’s not all:

They control 70 percent of all wealth in this country
Boomers represent half of all credit card use.
They own almost 80 percent of all financial assets.
They purchase 50 percent of all luxury cars and 73 percent of all hybrid cars sold in the U.S.

Baby boomers are a generation whose birth spanned the years between 1946 and 1964, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Currently, boomers range in age from 54 to 72 years old.

The new and improved baby boomer

The baby boomer generation has turned everything we used to think about the senior housing market upside down. Gone are the days when the real estate agent that specialized in the niche sold two types of homes: those of the deceased or those of the frail elderly moving into long-term care or other facilities.

Members of the previous generation, the so-called Silent Generation, are now beyond retirement age and represent those we use to think of when we considered the senior real estate niche.

Boomers, on the other hand, represent a mixed bag of folks: some are still raising families, many are still working and the older members of the generation, who should be in the early stages of retirement, have, for the most part, decided to postpone retirement and continue working.

Even more intriguing for the real estate industry, however, is that 41 percent of leading-edge boomers – a group with over $500 billion in spending power, according to Brent Green, author of Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers – say they will definitely purchase another home.

Agents considering working with boomers as they buy and sell real estate into their retirement and beyond should understand this segment of the population and what they seek in their new home.

What do boomers want?

If you want to work with boomers, and you don’t count yourself among them, the first thing to understand is that most of them are not frail and they don’t consider themselves elderly.

In fact, boomers are far healthier than their predecessors and don’t take kindly to being talked down to and “they will not tolerate typecasting, stereotypes, pandering or ageism,” says Green.

Assumptions – we all know what they are, right? So, step number one is to throw out all the assumptions you might have about older Americans.

And if you don’t think the real estate industry has assumptions about this generation, read some posts at ActiveRain: “Baby boomers are still grabbing real estate guides in the grocery store while everyone else is looking online first, researching second and then picking up the phone,” posted an agent old enough to know better.

Let’s take a sledgehammer to what is arguably the most common myth about this “older” generation: Boomers are tech-averse.

What these agents and others fail to realize is that “tech” didn’t drop from the sky the day they turned old enough to use it. In fact, we can thank baby boomers for the invention of the PC, mobile phones, and the World Wide Web.

It was boomers who invented the Apple II in the 70s, which ushered in the home computing revolution.
Today, 53 percent of boomers are on Facebook, according to a recent Nielsen survey: “Introducing Boomers, Marketing’s Most Valuable Generation.”
They are five times as likely as the general population to own an iPad or other tablet.
Boomers spend more money on technology than members of Gen X and Gen Y, according to Forrester Research.

Finally, and this one is important if you are considering boomers as a real estate niche: 82 percent of adults age 50 and over use the Internet to research real estate.

Their ideal home location

Again, throw all of your preconceived notions out the window. Despite what you might read online, boomers don’t really care how far away the nearest medical facility is and aren’t at all interested in being located on public transportation lines.

In fact, a full 60 percent of adults 55 years of age and older want a home in the suburbs, in close proximity to walking and jogging trails, according to a survey by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). Fifty-four percent want a park nearby and half find an outdoor pool attractive.

Golf communities have fallen out of favor with today’s older Americans but a community fitness center is a hot feature.

In-demand home features

Older homebuyers overwhelmingly want a single-story home, and most of them are seeking to downsize, in an effort to save money on their ongoing homeownership costs, according to a 2017 study from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Last fall’s Del Webb’s Baby Boomer Survey asked which must-have features boomers want in their next home and here are the top five responses:

Multi-car garage with storage
Open patio or deck
Open floor plan
Eat-in kitchen
Small and private yard

From Woodstock to inspiring the World Wide Web, baby boomers have left their mark on the world and will continue to do so. Ignore this huge segment of the population in favor of focusing on young, first-time buyers at your peril.

Ready to get the attention of some baby boomers? Send the Too Much House Postcard from the Life Event Series to at least 100 baby boomers.

Need help targeting the perfect list of baby boomers or another niche list? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator.

3. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan.

Also…check out these cool tools🙂

3 Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Going From Solo to Partner

Business Growth

May 9, 2018

If you’ve come to the point in your real estate practice where you can’t handle everything by yourself, congratulations! Your first step, naturally, is to hire an assistant to take on some of your tasks. Your next step should be considering a partner.

A funny thing happens when you get help: you get even busier. Bernice Ross cites those oh-so-famous unnamed “most experts” when she claims that “once you hit 40-50 transactions per year, your production will be capped at that level unless you hire an assistant or someone else to help you manage your business.”

The First Step: Decide what you want

When you take on an alliance with another agent, the relationship can be structured however you think best. You can call that person your partner and make joint decisions in the business. Or, you can hire a buyers’ or listing agent.

The best choice when it comes to achieving a work-life balance, however, is a full-time partner.

Yes, you’ll end up splitting the income, but if you hire wisely, your partner will be generating additional business. Hire extremely wisely and you’ll most likely end up making what you did before, or maybe more.

The benefits of partnering

When was the last time you took a weekend off or even (gasp!) a vacation? “Vacation coverage is a prime benefit to having a partner,” according to real estate trainer Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn.

“Your first vacation when you truly don’t have to worry about business? You’ll wonder why you didn’t get a partner before,” she says.

Qualities of the perfect real estate business partner

Determine your priorities and expectations first. Make a list of tasks that you routinely perform that you never want to do again. For instance, if the thought of holding one more open house on a Sunday afternoon when you’d rather be golfing is nauseating, make a note to find someone who actually enjoys holding homes open.

While the partner you decide to team up with should have a different skill set and task preferences than you do, your ethics and work habits should be similar.

If you’re an overachiever, naturally you don’t want to partner with a slacker.

Florida agent Peggy Gatchet took on a partner when she went from part-time to full-time real estate sales. Her primary goal was to find someone who works as hard as she does.

“You have to feel like that person is going to meet you toe-to-toe, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute,” she explains. “If they don’t, there’s going to be some resentment that will build.”

Qualities to look for in a real estate business partner include:

An agent whose production level mirrors yours
Someone who likes doing the tasks you find tedious
An agent who shares your work ethic
A person you trust

Determine the exit strategy before the entrance

Business partners don’t take vows that are expected to last as long as you both shall live. Someday, the partnership will dissolve and both of you need to recognize this and prepare for it.

Allan-Hagedorn provides a cautionary tale from her own experience with the ending of a business partnership. “We both felt that we were entitled to the partnership’s client database.”

So, hammer out an exit strategy and get it in writing. Include every last detail, including how you’ll deal with the folks in your CRM.

In fact, a formal and legal partnership agreement is ideal, for both of you, according to Kelle Sparta, author of “The Consultative Real Estate Agent – Building Relationships that Create Loyal Clients, Get More Referrals and Increase Your Sales.”

“A partnership agreement is like a prenuptial agreement,” she explains and suggests that a thorough agreement will formalize both sides’ expectations on basic issues, such as:

Which of you will perform which tasks
How will you split commissions, BPO fees, and referral fees
What happens if one partner becomes incapacitated or dies
Agree how you will dissolve the partnership when you both agree it’s no longer working
Decide how you’ll divvy up the client and prospect roster
Make a decision how you will deal with current listings when the partnership ends
How will you divide the physical assets of the partnership (jointly purchased electronics, office equipment, etc.)

Despite the work involved in forming a partnership, “Having been a solo practitioner and having been part of a team, I really must confess to preferring the latter,” Sparta recalls. “I loved not having to do things alone. I loved having someone I could call and say ‘I’m not going to make it for the appraiser, can you meet him?’”

A partnership isn’t for everyone. If you’re tired of your whole life being wrapped up in your business, however, and need relief, it just might be your key to more personal freedom.

Want to know the key to setting the Fence-Sitters free? Send the Still on the Fence Postcard from the Fence-Sitter Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area where you want more listings.

Go Now… Send to your list or we’ll help you create one, Here.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers or buyers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: Get Instant Access below to 3 FREE tools that will help you CONQUER Your Market this year!

1. An Easy & Effective Agent Business Plan – Treating your business like a business it is crucial to your success. Our one-page simple yet powerful agent business plan is the answer! – Click Here

2. Marketing Dollars Success Tool – Enter your numbers into our Free online calculator to find out how to get the best ROI from your marketing dollar, instantly! – Click Here

3. Get a 12 Month Expert Marketing Plan – Get a free 12-month plan for What marketing to do when. Four key target markets included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools created to make YOUR life easier 🙂

Turn One Listing Into Many – All From Your Mobile Phone, Click Here

Automatically Send Your Just Listed/Just Sold Postcards – Work Smarter Not Harder, Click Here

Become a Neighborhood Brand – With the Market Dominator System, Click Here

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Why They are so Important

Learning new ways of doing real estate

Schmoozing is good for business

Get inspired

Or, step outside your box

To create growth in your business right now, send the Free List of Homes postcard from the Call to Action Series to at least 100 prospects in an area where you want more listings, today.

The Killer Tools That Make it Happen

Killer tool #1 – The Merchandising Review

Did I mention it’s free?

Killer tool #2 – Get Their Attention

Begin to go after Expireds today by sending the Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen Again postcard from the Expired 7 Series.

It includes the perfect message to begin a conversation that’s already going on in the minds of these disappointed sellers.

Map out your first-year goals

Create a budget

How much do you need to make?

It’s time to introduce your new status to the world (or at least your corner of it).

Send out the Neighborhood Specialist postcard from the Agent Introduction Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area you want listings.

Why You Want to Start Attracting Them Now

The invisible goldmine

The new and improved baby boomer

What do boomers want?

Let’s take a sledgehammer to what is arguably the most common myth about this “older” generation: Boomers are tech-averse.

Their ideal home location

In-demand home features

Ready to get the attention of some baby boomers? Send the Too Much House Postcard from the Life Event Series to at least 100 baby boomers.

The First Step: Decide what you want

The benefits of partnering

Qualities of the perfect real estate business partner

Determine the exit strategy before the entrance

Want to know the key to setting the Fence-Sitters free? Send the Still on the Fence Postcard from the Fence-Sitter Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area where you want more listings.

Go Now… Send to your list or we’ll help you create one, Here.

Our Real Estate Experts