Saturday, April 20, 2024

Lisa Gray

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Lisa is an accomplished marketer with years of expertise in direct response marketing, digital marketing, data analytics and business development working with both B2C and B2B.

    Look at the bios of some of the most successful humans on the planet, and two themes run consistently through them: they’re workaholics and they aren’t content with being average. 

    Former NFL wide receiver Jerry Rice didn’t win 36 NFL records by working at it part-time. And, although he is considered by some to be the greatest all-around NFL player of all time, it isn’t talent alone that got him the accolades.

    Rice was typically the lone guy on the field after practices were over and the rest of the team was on their way home.

    Six days a week, during the off-season, Rice spent mornings running along a five-mile trail in the Oakland, California hills and lifted weights in the afternoon.

    You either want to win or you don’t and judging by the effort he put into his craft, Jerry Rice obviously wanted to win. 

    “Become a master of your craft. While everyone else is relaxing, you’re practicing and perfecting,” admonishes Benjamin P. Hardy, author of “Willpower Doesn’t Work.”

    What’s your plan?

    Rice knew that his speed was mediocre, at best. How did he overcome that weakness? “By leveraging his greatest strengths,” according to James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits.”

    Since he knew he couldn’t be the master of everything, he focused on perfecting his assets – “precision, endurance, and strength,” according to Clear.

    What are your strengths as an agent? Focus on improving those skills and use them to maximum advantage.

    If your communication skills are top-notch, practice those scripts until they flow effortlessly. If it’s your negotiation skills that surpass others’, work on leveraging those skills to produce marketing-worthy statistics. Problem solvers can look for new and unique situations to leverage their strengths.

    Delegate for the win

    Too many agents spend all of their time working in their businesses and not on them. 

    It’s evidenced by the lousy listing photos that litter the MLS, by the poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation in too many real estate blog posts and by the lack of basic SEO practices on agent websites.

    Leveraging your strengths requires understanding that you can’t do it all. At least not effectively. If you want to win, you’ll need to delegate. 

    If you aren’t a professional photographer, ditch the idea of purchasing that fancy new Canon and put the money toward hiring a pro.

    If you aren’t an ace writer, stop littering your site with blog posts that do nothing for your business and hire a writer. And, stop trying to take care of all the little details and hire an admin person. 

    Free up the time you need to use your strengths to maximum advantage.


    When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

    1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

    Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct, response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you. Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card!Click Here

    2. The Free 6-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

    The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

    3. The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review

    The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review allows you to enter your business goals for the remainder of the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closings, and so on are needed to reach your goals.   – Click Here

    4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

    Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here


      Today, we’re offering two tax tips to help take the sting out of 2023.

      Home office deductions

      And, here you thought the biggest perk to working from home was not having to deal with office politics.

      Having a home office offers a slew of tax deductions and, according to Crumbaugh, many agents miss a lot of them.

      And, even tenants can take the deduction. So, part of what you pay every month in rent on your home would be deductible.

      Some of the more commonly overlooked expenses, a percentage of which can be deducted, include:

      • Homeowners or renter’s insurance
      • Mortgage interest
      • Property taxes
      • Utilities
      • Repairs and maintenance (of the office area)
      • Depreciation
      • Casualty losses

      As you can imagine, the IRS has a number of stringent requirements to meet before these are considered allowable expenses and they all have to do with whether or not your home office is really an office.

      Oh, those silly skeptics at the IRS.

      Basically, your home office must be your primary place of business and you must use the space regularly and exclusively.

      Read the fine print at IRS.gov.

      Assigning work to your kids

      Dusting, wiping the mud off signs and lockboxes, and even doing online research are all jobs that your kids can do for you. In fact, if there’s something you normally hire someone else to do, consider hiring your child or grandchild instead.

      “The IRS has accepted that your child may be an employee of your business,” says author and attorney, Stephan Fishman at nolo.com.

      We aren’t talking about child labor here, but what we’re talking about is well within the limits of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The rules are different when the child is working in a family business.

      Now, those are the federal agency’s guidelines. State rules vary, so speak with your accountant or with the state Department of Labor.

      You’ll be able to deduct your child’s salary and any fringe benefits you offer, such as health insurance. And, check this out:

      Your child won’t be subject to Medicare or Social Security taxes if your business is “a sole proprietorship or a partnership in which each partner is a parent of the child.”

      And, if the kids are younger than 21, you won’t have to pay unemployment taxes for them.

      Finally, your child won’t have to file a tax return as long as his or her income doesn’t exceed the standard deduction—helpful information when deciding how much to pay the child.

      Get more information on hiring your kids from the IRS. We aren’t tax professionals but what we do know is the power of tax deductions. Work with a professional to ensure you get every deduction you are entitled to.


      PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

      1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

      Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct, response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you. Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card!Click Here

      2. The Free 6-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

      The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

      3. The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review

      The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review allows you to enter your business goals for the remainder of the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closings, and so on are needed to reach your goals.   – Click Here

      4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

      Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here


        Ariel’s latest mailing is a First Time Buyer Scheduled Campaign (shown above). To learn more, Click Here.

        Congratulations, Ariel Soliz, on winning this week’s contest!

        Ariel had the following words to say about her success sending marketing out from ProspectsPLUS!,

        “I love ProspectsPLUS!, I purchased a targeted list and it was just what I was looking for. I was able to set up a campaign and have been using them consistently, with no problems.

        -Ariel Soliz

        Ariel, thank you for your review. We truly appreciate you and your support!


        Don’t Forget to Enter For Your Chance to Win a $75 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card! (see how below)*

        HOW TO ENTER: Just leave feedback regarding how using marketing from ProspectsPLUS! has impacted your business, and you’re automatically entered into our next contest.

        Leave feedback on Google HERE.
        Leave feedback on Facebook, HERE.

        *If you’ve already entered our drawing in the past and haven’t won, you don’t need to enter again. Your entry remains valid, and you still have a chance to win.

        Don’t forget to watch for next Friday’s email announcing the weekly winner!


        PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

        1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

        Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you. Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card!Click Here

        2. The Free 6-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

        The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

        3. The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review

        The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review allows you to enter your business goals for the remainder of the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closing, and so on are needed to reach your goals.  – Click Here

        4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

        Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

          Studies indicate it takes a tenth of a second to begin to form an impression of someone you don’t know.

          Therefore, be aware that a potential client may start to decide about hiring you while you are still standing on their doorstep.

          This is why it’s important to ensure your first impression is amazing.

          Here are three tips to master your listing presentation and win that client.

          1. Send a pre-listing packet

          I couldn’t find any statistics about how many listing agents send a pre-listing presentation packet to homeowners. I hope you will be among those who do.

          The pre-listing packet is part of your curb appeal, so make it as compelling as possible.

          We have spoken with our customers about what they include in theirs:

          • Current local market conditions
          • Your agent bio, in the form of a personal brochure (so classy and so professional!)
          • Information about your brokerage, including any impressive sales stats
          • A mock-up of Just Listed marketing pieces you will use if you get the listing
          • Client testimonials (a must-have)
          • A blank listing agreement (you may want to watermark it)
          • A step-by-step explanation of the listing process.
          • Direct response reports such as “Inventory is LOW, Now is the Time to Sell,” “What If I Sell My Home and Can’t Find One to Buy”, and “Reasons Why Your Home May Not Sell”. All of these reports are available, HERE.

          Ensure that the packet is ultra-professional and client-centric (in other words, not a lot of overt self-promotion), and highlights the value of working with you. Send it out to the homeowner at least three days before the listing presentation appointment.

          2. Prepare to impress

          The groundwork begins when you get that first phone call from a homeowner requesting to meet with you. Ask the important questions now, so that you are better prepared during the actual listing presentation.

          The NAR suggests the following:

          • May I ask why you’re selling?
          • Is there a date by which you need to be out of your current home?
          • How long have you owned the home?
          • Have you remodeled or renovated your home? Any repairs?
          • Is anyone else on the title? Is it possible he/she/they could be present when we meet?
          • How did you hear about me?

          Take notes of each answer so that you don’t repeat these questions during the listing presentation.

          Your last step should be to take a drive by the home you’ll be listing (hopefully!). Take note of its curb appeal, or lack thereof, the neighborhood, and any nearby amenities that will positively or negatively impact value.

          3. Take a deep breath

          You may have heard from more experienced agents that “People do business with those that they know, like, and trust.”

          It’s a big challenge to achieve all three of those in the time it takes to give a listing presentation, especially for agents who are new to the industry and lack the confidence that experience brings.

          Be genuine; people can tell in a heartbeat if you’re faking it. “You can’t force rapport,” claims the president of the RAIN Group, Mike Schultz.

          Walk up to the door, stretch, shake your hands to get the jitters out, and take a deep breath. And don’t forget to smile.

          During the presentation, listen carefully, and nod to acknowledge that you’re listening. Take notes if you need to.

          You’ve got this.


          PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

          1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

          Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct, response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you. Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card!Click Here

          2. The Free 6-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

          The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

          3. The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review

          The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review allows you to enter your business goals for the remainder of the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closings, and so on are needed to reach your goals.   – Click Here

          4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

          This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

          Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here