What real estate agents can learn from hospitality workers

Jan 8, 2020

Ellen DeGeneres, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lady Gaga. There is something oddly similar about those three. Love them or despise them, they all have great-big personalities.

And, they were all, at one time, employed in the food and beverage industry (DeGeneres and Ocasio-Cortez bartended and Lady Gaga waited tables).

If you’ve ever worked in the hospitality industry, you know that there is a direct correlation between building rapport with your customers and your tip income.

After all, do you tip the grumpy waitress, the bartender who ignores you or the bouncer who makes you wait until the “important” people are let into the club?

Like real estate, many of the jobs in these industries have a low bar of entry. Let’s face it, waiting tables is easy to learn. Waiting for them with elegance, with class and with customer service top-of-mind is a bit harder.

The House Feeling a Little Empty postcard is available under the Life Event Series in the Postcard section.

Being personable leads to the bigger bucks

Even the bartender who mixes a mean Manhattan won’t build a following without a bit of personality. It’s the same in real estate.

An agent can have an expert-level understanding of contracts and marketing but, without the ability to build rapport, will fail to build a referral base. Without that, he or she will be forever chasing after new business.

Think about the waiters and waitresses you’ve over-tipped – it was their personality, their ability to interact that compelled your generosity, right?

Sure, you can be a ho-hum agent, do the minimum required and still make as much on a transaction as an agent who goes above and beyond in providing customer service.

And, if you don’t want or need repeat business and referrals, go ahead and be that agent otherwise read on.

The approach

“When greeting a guest I always approach the table with a smile,” Jenna Paul, server and assistant general manager of The Peached Tortilla in Austin Texas tells Jane Ko at Seasoned.co.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But the advice also applies to real estate agents. Whether you’re knocking on doors, schmoozing at community events or greeting who you hope will be your next listing client, a smile is imperative.

Smiling puts a potential client at ease and builds that first step toward genuine rapport. “People like that warm and inviting welcome,” says Chance Ramsey, assistant general manager at Contigo, also in Austin.

Step two to blissful rapport

“Don’t worry – he’s one of us.” You know that feeling you get when you’re sure you’ve just met a like-minded individual and everything clicks?

My “one of us” may be vastly different than yours. But we know, instinctually, whether or not someone is like us or not like us.

The Ready to Sell the Lawnmower postcard is available under the Life Event Series in the Postcard section.

“Rapport is established by creating a common ground with your guests that enable them to put you in the “like me” category,” David Hayden explains to food and beverage employees at TipsSquared.com.

He goes on to explain that being perceived as one of your potential clients’ “good guys (or gals)” … “puts them at ease” and builds trust.

So, how do you become a member of their tribe? Consider mirroring. Tony Robbins suggests that mirroring is the ideal technique to help you learn something new, be it a new habit or strategy.

Author, trainer and business speaker Jeff Mowatt, takes it a step further by applying the technique to building rapport in sales and uses food and beverage workers trained in the technique, as examples.

“Match your customer’s style,” he begins. “Pay attention to how your customer prefers to communicate and get in step. Does your customer prefer to get right down to business, or warm up by engaging in small talk?”

“If your customer talks quickly and loudly, make an effort to match that energy,” and “if the other person talks softly, then you talk more softy,” he suggests.

“If they lean forward, then you lean forward … In other words, you ‘mirror’ the other person’s tone of voice and body language.”

Think about DeGeneres today. Aside from the big, bold personality, she’s someone with whom people connect. The same can be said for another one-time hospitality worker, Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

A one-time nightclub bouncer in Buenos Aires, he is known today as Pope Francis. “The People’s Pope,” to many, he has made it his mission to build rapport across the globe.

Being personable in the hospitality industry leads to immediate gratification in the form of higher tips.

The Want More Time for Play postcard is available under the Life Event Series in the Postcard section.

In real estate, the gratification is delayed. But, when it comes, it pays off in big bucks.

Go after the Empty Nest niche market by sending the Want More Time for Play postcard from the Life Event Series.

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

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

3. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

5. 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

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Resolve to be the agent other agents love to work with

Dec 25, 2019

The new year is closing in, a time for resolutions and new beginnings; the ideal time to kick bad habits to the curb and create a kinder, gentler you.

I once read a stream of responses to a Trulia blog post about real estate agents behaving badly. Responses from agents to the post included words such as “arrogant,” “inconsiderate,” and “dishonest” when describing the bad apples in their market.

One agent commented that there are a number of agents in her market that she hopes she never has to do another deal with. “Those agents’ reputations are tarnished,” she said.

I think it’s safe to say that the majority of real estate agents work diligently to protect not only their own reputations but that of the industry as a whole.

But even one instance of having to make an excuse to a client for another agent’s actions is too many.

If you’re an agent that finds it challenging to play nice with colleagues, make 2020 the year you rescue your reputation.

The Agent Introduction postcards can be found in the postcard section under the Agent Introduction Series.

Respond to voicemails and texts

When I enter “Listing agents don’t return phone calls” into Google, the search engine returns “about 120,000,000 results.”

One hundred twenty million results

Embarrassed yet?

Ben Sears, a flipper commenting at BiggerPockets.com, complained about one listing agent who ignored repeated messages left for her. In the end, “It took three weeks for my realtor [sic] to get a lockbox code on a property we’re looking at.”

Can you imagine being the owner of that property, finding out that Ben wanted to make an offer but his agent’s calls to his or her agent went unanswered?

“The listing agent won’t answer the phone,” he said. “Calls to the broker have been dead ends. They promise to forward messages but no calls back.”

Ben’s agent is going to think twice about subjecting her future clients to the actions (or inactions) of this particular agent. Would you work with her?

When agents don’t extend the professional courtesy of a return phone call to other agents, they are also doing irreparable harm to their clients. Ben, for instance, is an investor. His offer could’ve saved the homeowner from having the dreaded “foreclosure” on his credit record. As it is, the lender eventually took the home. All because the listing agent couldn’t be bothered to return phone calls.

Open House/Property Flyers are located under the Flyers in the Property Flyer section.

This is not only a breach of an agent’s fiduciary duties, but it’s a reputation crusher as well.

Don’t even consider fluffing up property descriptions in the MLS

Lying listings. Most agents who’ve been around a while have seen them. They describe a teardown as a “handyman special” and a dinky, claustrophobic condo as “cozy.”

How is the buyer’s agent going to feel about you when she shows your listing that boasts of being “close to transportation” only to find that the home isn’t on public transportation, but backs to an airport runway?

The one that truly drives other agents over the edge though, is the purposeful misclassification of townhomes and condos as single-family residences in the MLS.

THAT one should be illegal. It’s sneaky and dishonest and a total time suck for the buyer’s agent who has to wade through the bulk they add to a listing search.

If you are among the guilty, vow to do better this year. Your reputation will thank you for it.

Don’t ghost other people’s clients

If you’re strictly a buyers’ agent, and a new one at that, you can be forgiven (once) for not understanding the gyrations a homeowner goes through immediately after agreeing to a showing. Especially if the showing is last-minute and even more so if the homeowner has children and/or pets.

It’s a race around the house, picking up, wiping up, dusting off, stowing, shoving, airing out – all the while trying to keep the kids and pets from undoing what he or she is so frantically trying to accomplish.

Then the race to the car, the loading kids and pets into it and the drive off with no destination. Just driving, around and around, until they think the showing is over.

Imagine how the homeowner feels when told that, after all that stress and effort, the agent and the buyer never showed up – and didn’t take the time to call and let the homeowner know they wouldn’t make it.

Were I the homeowner, I’d leave a note on the door the entire time the home was on the market stating “Welcome Agents – Except Mary Smith with Whatever Realty. You are not allowed in my home. Ever.”

The good news is that the real estate profession, which used to rank at the bottom of most-trusted lists, now sits slightly lower than the middle of the pack.

We can thank journalists and members of Congress for sliding so far down that real estate agents were propelled upward in esteem.

But agents, too, are trying harder, and that’s a good thing.

Begin building new agent relationships with a ProspectsPLUS! holiday gift card.

Give the gift of free marketing to the agents in your life.

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

3. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Happy Holidays!

Dec 24, 2019

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The 2021 Master Marketing Magazine (Online Version)

Dec 23, 2019

Go After Expired Listings Now – Get Ahead of the Competition

Dec 18, 2019

January is a productive time of year for listings that have expired. And in most cases, these home sellers are still motivated to sell, have a sense of urgency, and are in need of a new plan.

What a great combination for the right agent to take a listing and better still – create a client for life, but you have to move fast.

Your strategic plan of attack

During the first days of January, contact every expired in your extended area by sending a postcard from the Expired Series every 5- 7 days. Then follow that up with a phone call. This strategy is so successful because it’s timely. Most of the competition will not have implemented something so quickly.

Remember to approach sellers of Expired listings with patience and most importantly – a real plan to get their home sold. Good people skills and the ability to bring real solutions to the table will make you the front-runner.

Now, there’s no doubt you’ll run into all kinds of people. Some will jump at the opportunity to get their home sold, while others will want to wait. And many will take some real salesmanship to prove that you’re the agent for the job.

How you react to all three will determine your success or failure at not just getting the listing – but getting it sold.

Get their attention

Continue to pull the new Expireds in your market, at least twice a week for the coming months and send them a postcard. Use the back to announce that you have a highly effective tool, “The Merchandising Review” that will help determine what went wrong with their home sale and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

When you receive inquiries, explain the Merchandising Review allows you to make a comprehensive analysis of whether their home is salable in today’s market. Then schedule a 20 minute time to meet with them to go over the Review.

Walk them through each item and negotiate the issues that might keep the property from selling. Correct these issues, and ask if they would allow you to show them your marketing plan.

Educate & inspire

The next step is to get the listing is priced right and make sure the seller knows you’re ready, willing and able to meet their needs, but that they play a role in the successful sale of their home as well.

The Top Five Common Mistakes Report is a great tool for helping you to educate your seller regarding pricing their property right. Share this and other valuable Free Reports with your seller to inform and inspire them.

Another great opportunity to display your expertise in action is to invite your expired sellers to a weekly conference call hosted by you on the topic of selling listings fast and for the most money. Or put together a nice presentation on how you will market their home differently, and drop it off at their house.

The Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen postcard from the Expired Series is available in the postcard section.

Consider these great ideas for landing the expired listings in your market over the next couple of weeks! Then make these strategies a monthly habit to continue your success.

Start your campaign now by pulling the current Expireds in your market and sending out the Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen postcard from the Expired Series.

Then set a reminder on your phone for your next mailing seven days from that date.

Need help targeting Expired listings? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

3. Get the ALL-NEW Direct Mail Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

The “Crush It” Insider Guide to direct mail marketing includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Year-End Tax Tips: Don’t Leave Money on the Table

Dec 16, 2019

Many real estate agents routinely write that check to the IRS in April, June, September, and January and do little to nothing more to take the sting out of those payments.

Are you leaving money on the table? Most likely, says a Canadian study.

We’ve rounded up some of the best year-end tax planning strategies we could find. As a bonus, we have some tips on tax strategies to implement in 2020.

Make an IRA contribution

Have you maxed out your IRA contribution for 2019? Those you make to a traditional IRA may be deductible in the year you contribute, according to the IRS (Roth IRA contributions aren’t tax-deductible).

There are several limitations and you can read about these (and find 2019’s limits) at Investopedia.com.

The best part of this tax-saving strategy is that it doesn’t expire at year-end. You have until April 15, 2020, to make your contribution.

Pre-pay expenses

If the devil is truly in the details, then he feels right at home in IRS Schedule C.

Most of your real estate business-related costs are listed in Part II of the schedule, so use it as a roadmap for your year-end tax planning.

If you are planning to hold an event in 2020, consider pre-paying for as many of the expenses as possible. The caterer most likely won’t balk at a prepayment, so if you have the money now, let it flow.

If you regularly spend $2,000 a month for website content, consider pre-paying your writer for the next three months. Pre-pay for Doorhangers, Newsletters, ProspectsPLUS! Gift Cards, and Free Reports, website hosting, your association dues, lockbox fees and the cost of continuing education.

Again, take a look at Schedule C to figure out what you can pay for now that will help boost your deductions.

“By making a bulk purchase at year-end, you’ll get a deduction in the current tax year for that business expense,” according to the TurboTax pros.

Naturally, the IRS has rules around this strategy. “In general, the tax code says that if your prepayment creates an asset, you can’t deduct it until you get the benefit,” according to the pros at wealthfactory.com.

Strategies to implement in 2020

It’s a bit late in the year for some of the best tax-saving strategies, so consider implementing them in 2020.

Work from home

If you’ve been working out of your broker’s office, you’re missing out on one of the best tax savings tactics for small business owners, the home office deduction.

Now, if you’ve considered your broker’s employee and not an independent contractor (or self-employed, whichever you choose to call yourself), the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) took away your ability to use this deduction.

Since most agents are self-employed, however, it pays to move from your broker’s office to a home office. And, by the way, you can still work part-time from your broker’s office. As long as your office at home is where most of the work takes place, you can take the home office deduction.

Hire Your Kids

It’s not a well-known tax-saving strategy, and it requires diligent record-keeping, but hiring your kids to help out in your real estate business will have you writing significantly lower checks to the IRS each quarter.

“The deduction reduces your federal income tax bill, your self-employment tax bill (if applicable), and your state income tax bill (if applicable),” according to Bill Bischoff at marketwatch.com.

Plus, there are benefits for your child as well. “… you can hire your under the-age-of-18 child (as a legitimate employee) and his or her wages will be exempt from Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and federal unemployment (FUTA) tax,”

Your child also won’t pay taxes on the first $12,000 of income (unless he or she has other income).

Yes, there are rules, such as “that the child’s wages must be reasonable for the work performed,” according to Bischoff. In other words, $50.00 an hour to your 8-year old to clean mud off your signs or for your 12-year old to dust the office won’t cut it.

Learn more about hiring your kids at the aforementioned Market Watch link, IRS.gov, and cripca.com.

Attend a conference or convention

Conferences and conventions offer so much to the real estate agent. From inspiration to tips on how to generate leads to how to run your business more efficiently, they’re worth the price of admission. And, that price, by the way, is tax-deductible, as is part of the cost of travel and meals.

Get started now to save money on your 2020 taxes.

Order at least 100 Free Market Report Door Hangers from the Door Hangers Series before year-end and keep them in your car to hang on the doors of prospective clients.

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

3. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Meet your 2020 homebuying clients

Dec 11, 2019

It may seem like buyers are buyers, from one year to the next. Buyers’ agents understand, however, that no two clients are alike, and that “buyers,” as a group, hold certain commonalities.

We’ve already officially entered the decade of the first-time buyers, as millennials aged into the housing market. Classifying “buyers” became immensely easier. We know a whole lot about the largest group of them in the market.

Of course, whether buying or selling real estate, who reaches out to you for help depends on the types of consumers you’ve been stuffing into your pipeline this year and last.

And, how consistently you’ve kept in touch with these real estate leads.

In a perfect world, your CRM is impeccably organized, your leads segmented, your follow-up spot on and you perform multiple touches throughout the year.

The Ready to Own postcard from the First Time Buyer Series is available in the postcard section.

Since the world isn’t perfect (nor are most agents’ CRMs), 2020 may be feast or famine time (as usual, right?).

Here’s what the “experts” are saying

Don’t you love reading the year-end prognostications about next year’s real estate market? While in late 2018 the experts were far more committed to their guesstimates of the 2019 market, this year, they are all hedging their bets.

Nobody is really sure what the real estate market will be like in 2020. Except for Nobel-prize winning economist Robert Shiller.

In September, he stated “that the U.S. housing market could start to see a fall,” according to Harsh Chauhan at CCN.com. Chauhan bases his predictions largely on the fact that existing home sales fell 2.2 percent in September.

Hey, isn’t that the time the market slows every year?

The Six Move-Up Mistakes Homebuyers Make Report is available in the Free REport section.

The truth is, Americans, by and large, are optimistic about the economy. NAR’s latest quarterly survey finds that 63 percent of buyers “feel optimistic” and 52 percent are happy with the way the economy is humming along.

So, will 2020 be a buyers’ market or a sellers’ market?

I really wish that the media would survey the country’s real estate agents when putting together their year-end roundup of expert opinions.

What are the chances that an economist or other “expert” sitting behind a desk, set in front of a wall of framed college degrees, has actually worked with real estate clients? Day in, day out, over the past year?

It’s agents who are closest to the market’s pulse, who feel the changes as they happen. It often takes a month or more for the media to catch on.

Agents across the country have told us they agree with Freddie Mac’s forecast of “a projected upward tick in housing supply” next year. While it may not be upward enough to balance the market, it will bring relief to many buyers.

Speaking of which, look for demand to remain high for homes in the lower price ranges. In Chicago, for instance, this includes anything priced lower than $325,000

Who are these buyers and what do they want?

“If you’re selling a house next year, expect to see a lot of young couples walking through your doors during open houses,” claims an unnamed writer at AZBigMedia.com.

Oops. Millennials, by and large, don’t like open houses. Members of Generation X, on the other hand, love them. According to NAR studies, 63 percent of Gen X homebuyers claim to have visited open houses before buying.

Which is great news for open-house holders

Unlike Millennials, Gen Z clients are more likely to have a home to sell before buying, giving their lucky agents a twofer.

They’re buying more expensive homes as well. They require less hand-holding. Hopefully, you’ve been pursuing this cohort because they and baby boomers will be the clients who bring you the best commission checks.

Yes, Millennial first-time buyers are expected to still loom large in the 2020 real estate market, so if the cohort is among your target clientele, relax.

If, on the other hand, you’re pursuing the more-bang-for-the-buck type of Gen X transaction, get to know the master-planned communities in your market. Specifically, those that offer homes with:

Three to four bedrooms in a minimum of 2,300 square feet
Single-story homes for the older members of the cohort (many hope to age in place)
Plenty of nearby amenities, such as parks and good schools
Quick commutes to the nearest city

Baby boomer homebuyers, on the other hand, are typically looking to downsize, so they’re competing with Millennials for those low-priced smaller homes.

Many in the cohort have decided to rent while others are aging out of the housing market entirely.

Boomers’ hot buttons?

Efficient floorplans with lots of storage options
A laundry room is a must
Energy-efficient appliances and windows
Homes that offer smart-home technology
Home office
Lots of natural light
Single-story homes with no stairway access
Homes in walkable neighborhoods near shops and eateries

The cohort’s cold buttons are just as important, so don’t show them:

Homes in golf course communities (unless they voice a preference for them)
Homes with an elevator or wine cellar
Anything with more than one story

The Perfect Timing postcard from the First Time Buyer Series is available in the postcard section.

Fortunate is the agent who steadfastly targeted the older demographics this year and last. Next year may just be your most prosperous yet.

Send the Perfect Timing postcard from the First Time Buyer Series to a targeted list of renters.

Need help targeting the perfect list of renters? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

3. Get the ALL-NEW “Insider Secret “Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Real Estate’s 5 Hottest Markets by Zip Code

Dec 9, 2019

Realtor.com is out with its 2019 hottest ZIP code list. And, no, a California ZIP code is nowhere to be seen among the top 10. In fact, nothing along the west coast made it into this elite bunch of hot real estate markets.

The list seems to make the case for how downright unaffordable many markets are today. It appears that folks are fleeing Seattle, Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego for the saner-priced regions, mainly in our country’s midsection.

Homes for sale in the ZIP codes we’re about to highlight spend, on average, 17 days on the market and get 3 times more views than homes in other markets.

Lucky you if you serve one of these ZIP codes.

Grand Rapids, Michigan (49505)

Knocking Colorado Springs out of the top spot (it now sits at number 10), Grand Rapids, Michigan is the belle of the nation’s real estate ball. So much so that it’s driving the state’s steady population growth.

The 49505 ZIP code covers an area north of downtown Grand Rapids. It “includes a portion of the Grand River, Kent Country Club and four large parks,” according to an unnamed writer at MLive.com.

The “Did You Know” postcard from the Expired Series is available in the postcard section of ProspectsPLUS.com

So, who is moving here and why?

Millennials, according to the Realtor.com study, make up nearly half of purchase mortgages in 49505 and they comprise 73 percent of the people who recently moved into the area.

This population boom is most likely the result of all the good press the city has received over the past year or so, such as Insurify.com naming Grand Rapids the Best City for Singles in Michigan.

Then, there’s the CNN kudos to the city as one of the 15 Best Beer Cities Around the World.

We think one of the biggest draws, at least for millennials, is the jobs market. “Business Facilities named Grand Rapids the top mid-sized city in the U.S. for economic growth,” according to MLive.com.

The area’s largest employer is Spectrum Health, with about 25,000 employees.

This particular ZIP is popular with families and they’re snatching up homes for sale within 10 days of them hitting the market, willing to fork over $178,050 (median list price).

If you aren’t familiar with the area, take a look at what’s listed for sale. It’s no wonder millennials are flocking to this area of adorable homes.

Omaha, Nebraska (68144)

Folks looking for a snappy commute to work may be part of the reason this Omaha ZIP code ranks number two in hotness. Seventeen minutes, door-to-door, according to ZipDataMaps.com.

Here, folks can buy a home at an average list price of $238,950, and the pace of the real estate market isn’t quite as frenzied as the one in Grand Rapids. Here, homes stay on the market for 21 days, on average.

Just 12 miles from downtown Omaha, it’s far enough away for millennial homebuyers to feel isolated from the hustle and hum of the city, but close enough to take advantage of the conveniences.

Jobs abound in the area, especially for those in the healthcare arena and they tend to pay better than in other parts of the country.

The “Four Questions” postcard from the Expired Series is available in the postcard section of ProspectsPLUS.com

“Millennials in 68144 make significantly more than the national median for millennials at $73,902 and $62,280, respectively,” according to the Realtor.com report.

Boise, Idaho (83704)

It’s no surprise that Boise has moved up three notches since last year’s Hottest ZIP Codes survey. Folks are moving there in droves, driving up home prices.

This particular ZIP is west of downtown Boise and boasts a number of amazing ethnic eateries and plenty of parks. While it was once a mecca for retirees, the past few years have seen more young professionals moving in, taking advantage of the nearby family-type amenities.

Jobs are primarily of the tech variety, so if you work in this market, you’re most likely seeing a lot of Silicon Valley “refugees,” fleeing the high-tax, high-home price atmosphere of the Golden State.

Most homebuyers in 83704 are 35 to 44 years of age (older millennials and younger Gen Xers). They’re picking up homes for a median list price of $289,950. DOM here is 14 days.

Shawnee, Kansas (66203)

There’s Shawnee, Kansas and then there’s Old Shawnee, which is tucked away in the 66203 ZIP code. Realtor.com calls it the “quintessential Midwestern suburb,” with a “walkable downtown.”

It also has a robust real estate market without the over-inflated prices in so many other markets. In fact, buyers are picking up homes with a median list price of $220,050.

The lure, according to the study, is the area’s proximity to Kansas City and its various amenities. But the jobs picture is nothing to sneeze at. Unemployment in Shawnee is at a 20-year low, several companies are choosing to relocate to the area and the proposed Project Homeland industrial park is projected to add another 1,500 jobs to the market.

Rochester, New York (14609)

This ZIP code includes Homestead Heights, the “Most Diverse Neighborhood” and the neighborhood with the second-lowest-cost of living in Rochester.

While the Wall Street Journal chose Rochester as “the city with the worst job market among top metros,” Realtor.com’s IDX is getting lots of views from folks looking to move.

What do they see that belies the high unemployment rate and bleak jobs outlook?

The president of Rochester’s Chamber of Commerce claims that the city’s growing healthcare industry, coupled with the local colleges and universities act as a magnet for tech companies.

The city is going through a renaissance of sorts, he claims.

Then, there are the exceptionally low home prices — $125,050 is the median list price. For young professionals seeking to get a start in life, 14608 may just be the place to consider.

Don’t fret if your market didn’t make Realtor.com’s list. Ellie Mae’s Millennial Tracker tells an entirely different story.

Millennials (the largest homebuying pool) bought 68 percent of the homes for sale in Hobbs, New Mexico between July and September of this year. Coming in behind Hobbs is:

Batavia, NY – 63%
Laurel, MS – 63%
Dodge City, KS – 62%
Platteville, WI – 62%

In fact, none of Realtor.com’s hottest real estate markets got a large enough share of millennial homebuyers to rank on Ellie Mae’s list.

The “Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen” postcard from the Expired Series is available in the postcard section of ProspectsPLUS.com

Next year is looking rosy for the fortunate agents who work in these ZIP codes.

Send the Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen postcard from the Expireds Series to home sellers with expired listings.

Need help targeting the Expireds? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

3. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

What are you grateful for this Year?

Nov 25, 2019

A couple of years ago, I read an article about a woman in St. Paul, Minnesota who, for 15 years, had led exercise classes twice a week.

Why this caught my interest is that this woman, Loretta Taggart, was 100 years old, which means she began her exercise-training career at age 85.

Taggart chalked up her longevity and stamina to three things: “Moderation, attitude, gratitude … that’s it,” according to KARE-TV’s Jana Shortal.

The Big Thanks postcard is available in the postcard section under the Customer Appreciation Series.

Since we’re approaching Thanksgiving, this is the perfect time to discuss the many benefits of gratitude.

Gratitude and the soul

An attitude of gratitude doesn’t often happen naturally; it’s something that may require conscious practice. But, the practice is well worth the results, according to researchers at the Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley.

“People who practice gratitude report fewer symptoms of illness, including depression, more optimism, and happiness, stronger relationships, more generous behavior . . .”

This increased happiness leads to more success in life, they continue.

Which flies in the face of most of our beliefs. Starting at a young age, most people believe that they’ll reach a state of happiness once they’re successful.

Turns out, that’s backward. Living a life of gratitude is the first and most critical step to success and happiness. In fact, the roadmap to success involves three steps, according to the researchers:

Step one: Gratitude
Step two: Happiness
Step three: Success

Other perks inherent in an attitude of gratitude include an increase in “financial patience,” according to a study cited in the journal Psychological Science.

Why is this important to real estate agents?

Think about how many in your ranks fail to reach out to those in their database. Instead, in their pursuit of “now business,” they chase after new leads. This, despite clear evidence that real estate consumers are ready and willing to work with the agent they used in the past.

It’s that old “immediate gratification” thing. The one thing that makes us spend too much, smoke too much, eat too much.

The Thank You postcard is available in the postcard section under the Customer Appreciation Series.

Anyway, back to the study. Researchers learned that the amount of gratitude felt is in direct correlation to the degree of patience one exhibits.

How to get that powerful gratitude juice?

Ok, without getting too “woo-woo” on you, cultivating an attitude of gratitude starts with counting your blessings.

Every day.

Start a “gratitude journal” to help you out, jotting down those little blessings that made you feel grateful.

Apparently, just the act of journaling your appreciation for the small blessings in your life will help build happiness, according to psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky.

Her research shows that journaling just once a week (for six weeks) is ideal and that “people who wrote three times a week” didn’t experience a similar boost in happiness.

Don’t just create lists in your journal. Give some thought to how your life would look and feel without a particular person or event that makes you feel grateful and then journal about it in detail.

Surprises, by the way, are something to savor, especially if they result in instant gratitude, according to Toby H. Birnbaum, J.D and Hershey H. Friedman, Ph.D.

“Try to record events that were unexpected or surprising, as these tend to elicit stronger levels of gratitude,” they suggest.

Even nasty surprises, however, may offer a valuable lesson or insight; something to definitely be thankful about.

Real estate agents may find that free time with their families, new clients, a colleague that goes out of her way to help or a challenging transaction that met with success ends up in their journals.

The peaceful calm you feel when petting your dog, the love that surges when you hear your child’s laughter, a warm smile from a total stranger – these are also things to consider if they make you feel grateful.

Use tech to help you out

If you prefer using a pen and a bound journal, by all means, go for it.

If, on the other hand, you prefer tech, we’ve rounded up some journaling apps to make the task a little easier.

Android gratitude journal apps:

iOS gratitude apps:

The Thinking of You postcard is available in the postcard section under the Customer Appreciation Series.

This year, as always, we’re grateful for you. Thank you!

Send the Thinking of You postcard from the Customer Appreciation Series to all of your past clients. Let them know you’re thinking of them and here to help with anything they may need.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Planner – NEW 2020!

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

3. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

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

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Meet your 2020 real estate listing clients

Nov 20, 2019

What a year, right? With 2019 pretty much in the rearview mirror, the experts are whipping out their crystal balls to prognosticate what we can expect from the 2020 real estate market.

The only problem is that the future seems foggy to most of them

On a national level, “The housing market is in the midst of a normalization period, one that is characterized by slowing price growth, moderate sales and new supply that is slow to market,” Ralph McLaughlin, deputy chief economist at CoreLogic, according to Suzanne Da Vita at RisMedia.com.

“Hey, that doesn’t describe my market!” we hear ya’all yelling.

And, for good reason. The “location” 3x thing isn’t just a mantra but a rule when it comes to discussing the real estate market. It’s the hyper local that matters to the ones asking the questions.

Then there’s the fact that home prices have slowed their upward trajectory, “but could potentially resurge, as demand picks up,” claims Da Vita. Notice the hedging of the bets there.

Another guy says we’re approaching the “end of the cycle,” but he doesn’t foresee a collapse or even a strong correction.

See what we mean by “fog” in the crystal ball? It’s more of a looking glass in many ways.

The Too Much House postcard is available in the postcard section under the Life Events Series.

So, regardless of whether the economy contracts (no surprise there; we’re overdue), the yield curve inverts or the real estate market corrects, who will you be working within 2020?

That depends

Your 2020 listing clients will, hopefully, come as a result of your 2018 and 2019 marketing efforts.

Who was your target? Aside from buyers and sellers in general, if you leaned more toward one than the other with your 2019 marketing efforts, concentrate on that group now until spring.

The same goes for the agent pursuing referrals from past clients and their sphere, those with a specific niche and agents who farm.

Looking for listings?

If it’s potential sellers you’ve been pushing down the sales funnel (with consistency, we hope), 2020 may be the year a lot of them pop out of the bottom (one can only hope, right?)

NAR studies find that the average age of a home seller is about 45 (a 25 percent share of the seller pool).

“Sellers age 64 to 72 made up the second-largest share of sellers at 22 percent with a median age of 68,” according to the 2019 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report.

Baby boomers are aging out of homeownership in increasing numbers, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the share of older sellers increase in 2020.

Whether the move is to senior living communities, managed care or a desire to downsize or be nearer to the grandkids, many of your potential sellers in 2020 will likely be in the 65 and older age group.

The Watch Out For Instant Offers postcard is available in the postcard section under the iBuer Series.

Since the majority of real estate agents are in (or very close to) baby boomer age, you’ll have no problem appealing to them. If you’re younger, read up on generating baby boomer real estate leads and how to work with them.

Don’t let iBuyers woo your seller leads

After a lifetime of living in the same home, the thought of the work required to prepare the home for the market may be daunting, so many would-be sellers are getting letters from iBuyer companies on a weekly basis.

Steer them from these disrupters by letting them know that:

They’ll lose a pretty significant chunk of their equity. “In all, the typical cost to a seller [using an iBuyer] appears to be in the range of 13% to 15% depending on the iBuyer vendor,” according to research by Collateral Analytics.
Show them proof:

You may also want to debunk the iBuyer claim that selling with them is quicker. Last year, it took 64 days, from listing to close (national median) to sell a home with a broker (probably quicker in 2019).

Most iBuyers promise that the longest their process will take is 70 days

It’s also time to remind potential sellers that inventory is still squeaky tight and demand high and they should strike now, while interest rates are still attractive to homebuyers.

Let them know that some housing industry experts believe that the market will shift away from seller-favorable to a more beneficial buyers’ market sometime later in 2020.

“We anticipate 2020 to continue to shift away from a seller’s market, especially if GDP slows and inventory ticks up,” McLaughlin says.

Urgency – that’s the ticket

Now is the best time to go through your CRM and pick out your seller leads in the older demographic. Drip on them from now until spring, with valuable and urgent information on selling.

Don’t discount the Gen X upsizer

Remember that the average age of a home seller is 45, putting that group in gen X (age between 44 and 55 in 2020).

This group of around 62 million made up the largest group of sellers last year and 60 percent of them were looking to upsize, according to a Value Insured study.

Many of these folks are still raising families, believe it or not. The Pew Research Center finds that “In 2014, 80% of women ages 40 to 44 with a Ph.D. or professional degree had given birth.”

Meaning those highly educated moms have 6-year olds. But having little ones in the home isn’t the only reason this cohort is looking to sell and buy a home.

Members of Gen X make up the largest pool of larger and multi-generational homebuyers. More than half of them did so to accommodate adult kids who are moving back in with Mom and Dad, according to NAR.

The Best Time postcard is available in the postcard section under the Get More Listing Series.

No, we haven’t neglected our ProspectsPLUS! buyer agents. We’ll have a rundown of what you can expect in 2020 soon.

Send at least 100 The Best Time is Now postcard from the Get More Listing Series to an area where you want more listings.

You might also like:

Get the Attention of Expireds & Win Their Listing – 2 Killer Tools

How to Turn One Listing Into Five

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

“Get MORE Listings & Begin to Dominate Your Market!” Free online webinar. Learn the 3-7-27 strategy for explosive growth, why 95% of agents have less than 20% market share, and how to become the agent everyone competes against. – Click Here

3. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “Crush It”

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Facebook tips every new real estate agent should read

Nov 18, 2019

There’s a lot to do when those shiny new real estate boots hit the ground. While your head was pumped full of real estate law and the know-how necessary to tell clients the number of square feet in an acre, you still have so much to learn.

While that’s happening, however, and unless you’re fortunate enough to have a stack of money to tide you over until your first deal closes, you’ll need to also be marketing the you-know-what out of yourself.

Your business isn’t going to start itself, so while you’re learning how to do an agent walk-through and about the intricacies of the listing agreement, consider creating even a rudimentary marketing plan.

The Looking For Advice postcard is available in the postcard section under the Get More Listings Series

And, since it’s free (unless and until you start buying ads), Facebook should be at the top of the list.

Already on Facebook?

If you already use Facebook for its social aspect, hold that thought (the “social aspect” one). You’ll want to get the word out to your Facebook friends that you’re in real estate now and you’ll need to continue to remind them during the first year or so.

In reality, you’ll be reminding them as long as you’re in real estate, but it’s critical to do so now.

But, do it subtly. Don’t be that obnoxious agent who starts seeing his or her social media friends as dollar signs.

Tell them how excited you are overpassing your exam and that you’re going to hang your license with a broker who promises to be behind you, guiding you through your first few deals. You’ll also need to increase the number of followers you have and to do that you’ll need to increase engagement.

The folks at Facebook even prioritize posts that encourage engagement; posts that “spark conversations and meaningful interactions between people.”

“Oh, goody,” we hear you saying, “yet one more time suck in an already-overfilled schedule.”

Just promise yourself you won’t post spammy stuff – that you’ll start using Facebook to help get your business off the ground by thinking before hitting the “share” button.

The Should I Stay or Go postcard is available in the postcard section under the Get More Listings Series

When you’re done beefing up your personal page, it’s time to create a business page and our friends at Facebook walk you through the process, here.

It can be painful

Posting routinely to Facebook without receiving feedback from our audience is beyond painful. It’s borderline humiliating as well.

You can avoid common mistakes by changing your goal. Instead of considering Facebook as a lead generating or open-house-attendance-generating platform, change your mindset to make your goal “follower engagement.”

Sort of like how you looked at it before you got into real estate.

When you do this, you’ll naturally start thinking of content to post “that your audience will care about and react to,” according to the Forbes Communications Council at Forbes.com.

In the beginning, you’ll be forgiven

You’ll soon learn that sellers expect all kinds of things that we feel are pretty lame marketing methods. Open houses, videos and, yeah, sharing their listing and open house on social media.

Plus, there’s that little voice inside that will be screaming at you – reminding you how bad you need that commission check and the urge will strike you to plaster that listing everywhere possible.

So, go ahead and post that first, second and even third listing. Show people, you’re getting business but then move back to being social.

As you get busier, consider more creative ways of sharing listings. One agent we know used to create a contest out of his new listings, asking his followers to guess the list price. He gave a small prize to the reader who got the closest to the price.

Or, consider setting up another page for your listings (and to satisfy your sellers) and reserve your current page for engaging with your followers.

Don’t be selfish — spread the love

It’s not enough to come up with brilliant Facebook post ideas; engagement with others is key. It goes without saying that you should respond to anyone who leaves a comment. The next step is to visit their pages and interact (charmingly) with their content.

The Need a Nudge postcard is available in the postcard section under the Get More Listings Series

To get value from social media you have to provide value. It’s not a set-it and forget-it marketing method; it requires effort, time and, sometimes money to successfully generate real estate leads on social media.

Send at least 100 Need a Nudge postcards from the Get More Listings Series to an area where you want more listings.

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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Page 38 of 43

Being personable leads to the bigger bucks

The approach

Step two to blissful rapport

“Match your customer’s style,” he begins. “Pay attention to how your customer prefers to communicate and get in step. Does your customer prefer to get right down to business, or warm up by engaging in small talk?”

Go after the Empty Nest niche market by sending the Want More Time for Play postcard from the Life Event Series.

Respond to voicemails and texts

Don’t even consider fluffing up property descriptions in the MLS

Don’t ghost other people’s clients

Begin building new agent relationships with a ProspectsPLUS! holiday gift card.

Give the gift of free marketing to the agents in your life.

A HOLIDAY GIFT FOR YOU To Ensure You Crush It in 2020!

Get Them Calling YOU!

With This Powerful Real Estate Direct Response Marketing Guide.

Your strategic plan of attack

Get their attention

Educate & inspire

Start your campaign now by pulling the current Expireds in your market and sending out the Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen postcard from the Expired Series.

Then set a reminder on your phone for your next mailing seven days from that date.

Make an IRA contribution

Pre-pay expenses

Strategies to implement in 2020

Work from home

Hire Your Kids

Attend a conference or convention

Order at least 100 Free Market Report Door Hangers from the Door Hangers Series before year-end and keep them in your car to hang on the doors of prospective clients.

Here’s what the “experts” are saying

Hey, isn’t that the time the market slows every year?

So, will 2020 be a buyers’ market or a sellers’ market?

Who are these buyers and what do they want?

Which is great news for open-house holders

Send the Perfect Timing postcard from the First Time Buyer Series to a targeted list of renters.

Need help targeting the perfect list of renters? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

Grand Rapids, Michigan (49505)

Omaha, Nebraska (68144)

Boise, Idaho (83704)

Shawnee, Kansas (66203)

Rochester, New York (14609)

Send the Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen postcard from the Expireds Series to home sellers with expired listings.

Need help targeting the Expireds? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

Gratitude and the soul

“People who practice gratitude report fewer symptoms of illness, including depression, more optimism, and happiness, stronger relationships, more generous behavior . . .”

How to get that powerful gratitude juice?

Use tech to help you out

Send the Thinking of You postcard from the Customer Appreciation Series to all of your past clients. Let them know you’re thinking of them and here to help with anything they may need.

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

Send at least 100 The Best Time is Now postcard from the Get More Listing Series to an area where you want more listings.

You might also like:

Already on Facebook?

It can be painful

In the beginning, you’ll be forgiven

Don’t be selfish — spread the love

Send at least 100 Need a Nudge postcards from the Get More Listings Series to an area where you want more listings.

A HOLIDAY GIFT FOR YOU
To Ensure You Crush It in 2020!

Need help targeting the perfect list of renters? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

Need help targeting the Expireds? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!