Coaching

Be the Aristotle of Real Estate – Get a Mentor

Jan 22, 2020

Ah, the things we learn online.

Homer – you remember him from school, right?

In “The Odyssey,” Odysseus went to war and left his household in the capable hands of a Mentor, his son’s teacher. Apparently, the Mentor was really good at dealing with personal dilemmas.

As a new agent, you have lots of those, right?

While being mentored isn’t just for new agents, they seem to be the ones that most need it. Seasoned agents typically hire a coach, or trainer, to assist with increasing their production, hiring management and staff and learning better business practices.

For the nuts and bolts of how to actually hit the ground running in a real estate career, however, latching onto a mentor is the way to go.

The Timing is Everything postcard is located under the Fence Sitters Series in the postcard section

And before you get all uppity and indignant that we are assuming you know nothing about how to be a real estate agent, consider that Beethoven was humble enough to accept mentoring from Hayden. Plato turned to Socrates for help and then, in turn, mentored Aristotle. Then, there was Freud and Jung.

What is a Real Estate Mentor?

Taking over the king’s household was an enormous responsibility for the Mentor.

It meant that he “had to be a father figure, a teacher, a role model, an approachable counselor, a trusted adviser, a challenger, an encourager,” according to J. Carruthers in “The Return of the Mentor: Strategies for Workplace Learning.”

Which is exactly what a real estate mentor should be — well, sans the father figure part.

A mentor is someone in your office who takes you under his or her wing – free of charge – and shows you the ropes.

Mentors have various ways of teaching, but the best will let you shadow them for a couple of weeks. Going on some listing presentations with a top listing agent is an amazing opportunity to learn how it’s done, successfully.

Why have a Mentor?

It’s safe to say that Renton, Wash. broker Sheila McGraw knows a thing or two about how to achieve success in real estate. In 1995, her first year in the business, she earned more than $150,000 in commissions and was named Rookie of the Year.

McGraw claims that the best way to learn “is to model oneself after someone that has achieved the level of success one aspires to.”

Tony Robbins takes it much further and insists that you need a mentor to obtain “mastery.”

Mastery is a noble goal if you hope to last in the real estate industry. “One of the things new agents need to learn early on is that no two transactions are the same. By shadowing a mentor, they’ll not only learn this first-hand, but they’ll be able to see how a master deals with the various situations,” says Realty Billings broker/owner Amber Uhren.

While shadowing your mentor on listing presentations and showings is an excellent way to learn that end of the business, a mentor can also assist with the back-end.

The Tiem is Running Out postcard is located under the Fence Sitters Series in the postcard section

Do you know how to run a small business? How to allocate your time? From choosing the right technology tools to learning how to prospect effectively, a mentor in your corner is invaluable.

Pick a Winner

Be careful who you choose as a mentor. Resist the temptation to choose someone purely on the basis of his or her production level.

“I firmly believe that what you eat, what you think, who you hang out with, who you emulate all makes you who you are. Emulate a jerk and you’ll probably turn into one!” says Jolenta Averill, broker/owner at Lake and City Homes in Madison, Wisc.

When considering who to approach for mentorship, look beyond production. If you’ve chosen a niche, a good choice would be someone who specializes in that corner of the market. But also look closely at personal qualities, such as integrity and reliability.

Finally, look for an agent who is open and willing to allow you into her business world, sharing her professional accomplishments and failures.

Building a business takes time so consider this mentorship period part of the initial process. Don’t rush it and don’t expect to learn everything overnight. You’re building a foundation on which will sit a thriving real estate practice.

A couple of years ago I spoke with California agent Dorothee Crawford and she explained to me how even after three decades in real estate, she remained motivated by the words of her mentor, Cam Merage, founder and CEO of First Team Real Estate.

“I am Persian and Jewish, with an accent and I am not a native to the United States – If I can do this, you can do this.”

Get those fence-sitters off the fence by sending the It Doesn’t Take a Crystal Ball postcard from the Fence Sitters Series to an area where you want more listings.

The It Doesn’t Take a Crystal Ball postcard is located under the Fence Sitters Series in the postcard section.

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

Should You Hire a real estate coach?

Aug 21, 2019

There are three rather steep learning curves when one enters the real estate industry as an agent. The first is learning all the boring stuff, such as metes and bounds, riparian rights and agency.

Then, there’s that baptism-by-fire thing that happens when you hang your license with your first broker. As a boot on the ground, you learn by doing, how to list and sell homes, how to fill out the contracts, how to give a listing presentation.

The third learning curve involves finessing your business so that you don’t waste time on lame lead gen that doesn’t offer a decent ROI.

This last is one curve that many agents never take. They prefer backtracking to accelerating into the one curve that will make them more successful.

The Just Curious postcard is available in the postcard section under the Get More Listings Series.

It all comes down to complacency or hunger. Agents in the latter group, especially those who have hit a plateau, may just benefit from life or business coaching.

Are you struggling?

“Impossible decisions. Immovable objects. Unstoppable forces. Problems abound, financial, career, health, relationships, life.”

Sound familiar? Sean Everett, editor at Humanizing Tech, calls this “A hero’s journey.” And, if it does sound familiar, he suggests that you need a coach.

Think you don’t need one? Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO once felt the same way. He was at the top of his game when someone suggested he hire a coach. He initially resisted but finally caved.

He’s not the only member of the rich and famous crowd to realize the need for help. Oprah, members of Metallica, Leonardo DiCaprio, former president Bill Clinton, Andre Agassi and Hugh Jackman represent a few of them who credit their success to their coaches.

Everyone needs a coach

That’s a quote from Schmidt, in an interview with Fortune magazine. If you:

Have no idea about last year’s production
Have no clear plan for this year’s
Lack a marketing budget
Are confused about lead generation
Feel stuck and/or overwhelmed
Are frustrated

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

you need a coach.

The benefits of working with a coach

Inman.com published a survey a couple of years ago that found that 90 percent of agents who worked with a coach saw at least a 10 percent increase in their production after one year.

Twenty-six percent said theirs increased more than 25 percent and 10 percent of this group of agents’ production increased between 100 to almost 200 percent.

That is a crazy amount of winning, right?

A real estate or even a life coach can view your business as an outsider. Not being involved in the day-to-day minutiae has benefits. They examine the big picture and simplify your process.

“Coaching helps you to take responsibility for your life, let go of what others think and become your true self. It’s about you creating the life that you want – and deserve,” according to Emma-Louise Elsey, founder of Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd. and The CoachingToolsCompany.com.

If you want to reap the rewards of working with a coach, though, commit to doing what he or she says.

Choosing a real estate or life coach

Coaching is offered in a variety of media so decide first how you best learn, which type fits best into your schedule and the one you’re most likely to stick with.

When considering a coach, look at his or her background because you’ll only want to “take the advice of people who have done what” you want to do, according to entrepreneur Tim Kitchen at Forbes.com.

Then again, sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes from someone who has never done what you do, such as President Bill Clinton who was coached by Tony Robbins.

If you need help generating leads or someone to hold you accountable for following up with them, there are plenty of real estate specific coaches from which to choose. Don’t be surprised if you end up working with several before you find the one that’s a good fit for your needs.

Take a look at the comparison of three of the most popular real estate coaches, Ferry, Buffini and Proctor at FitSmallBusiness.com.

The agents we’ve spoken with all say that it’s important to feel comfortable with a coach. Keep looking until you’ve found “the one.”

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

Send the Looking For Some Expert Advice postcard 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 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. 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

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

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

Gear up for the Next Big Thing – Generation Z

Trending in Real Estate

Oct 23, 2017

Gear up For selling real estate to Generation Z

85 Million Strong & They Want Homes

Here’s a hot tip: While the rest of the real estate industry is distracted — lusting after millennials, ignoring Gen Xers and barely tolerating baby boomers – get to know the next big thing, Generation Z.

Gen Z is expected to count nearly 85 million members by 2020, making up almost 25 percent of the nation’s population, according to a study published by Fung Global Retail & Technology.

The oldest members of this generation turn 23 in 2018 and there are already statistics showing that they will be buying homes.

Known as “digital natives,” this generation is the first to be oblivious to “life without technologies and services such as smartphones, iPads, Facebook, Instagram,” according to the study.

Who they are

If you’re an agent of a certain age, I have some scary news for you: your grandkids are about to enter the housing market.

What’s even more frightening is that, according to The Center for Generational Kinetics, members of Gen Z think millennials are “old.” Imagine what they think about their grandparents – the baby boomers.

If you’re a member of the latter, the good news is that your grandkid can be your laboratory when you decide to pursue this younger generation. The rest of the real estate industry has a steep learning curve ahead of them because members of Gen Z, although more like boomers than millennials, have little in common with any generation that came before.

What they’re like

To the so-called “super entrepreneurs of tomorrow,” business and making money are already top-of-mind, but don’t look for them to get there using the same, conventional methods.

Non-conformists, much like their grandparents’ generation, these digital natives are “a generation whose entire world and self-views are crafted by technology, immediacy and access,” Sherry Chris, president and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate tells RISMedia’s Maria Patterson.

Although young, they seem to be learning from their predecessors, already socking away money for retirement. In fact, according to the Center for Generational Kinetics, nearly a quarter of Gen Zers had a savings account before they turned ten.

How will this group’s fiscal responsibility impact the real estate market?

Almost all of the Gen Zers surveyed in a Better Homes & Gardens ® survey say they will buy a home and 80 percent believe that homeownership will lead them to the American Dream.

What will it take to work with them

It’s amazing the things scientists are able to measure. Attention spans, for instance. Apparently Gen Zers’ attention spans (eight seconds) are four seconds less than millennials’, according to Anna Fieler, executive vice president of marketing at POPSUGAR.

Remember, this is the demographic that dominates on Snapchat and Instagram (they claim Facebook is for “older people,” according to Andrea V. Brambila at Inman.com), so communicating with them means getting to the point almost immediately. They are practically attached to their smart phones, so texting will get you a lot further than an email.

“In fact, the rise of Gen Z should sound the alarm for all that a targeted Internet strategy is vital for reaching this cohort …,” warns Allen Shayanfekr, CEO and Founder of Sharestates.

While social proof is important to millennials, gen Zers won’t consult Yelp or Zillow reviews to find an agent. It’s their friends’ opinions they rely heavily on, so providing the kind of customer service that garners referrals will be more important than ever.

Gen Z represents a pool of very motivated real estate consumers. Start gearing up for them now and you’ll be a step ahead of your competition. Take advantage of our Mailing List Page Option 2 Demographic Search to create a targeted mailing list of Gen Z’s.

Need help creating your targeted list or anything else? Contact our marketing team at 866.405.3638. They’re incredibly knowledgeable, and ready to help get you suceed!

Why 90% of Agents Fail

Agent Success

Oct 23, 2017

How You Can Beat the Odds

By Real Estate Speaker and Trainer Todd Robertson

There are many factors that lead to success in this business, and of course, many that can stop an agent in their tracks. This week, I wanted to share some of the biggest factors agents face when trying to dominate in a geographic farm, why 90% of agents fail and what they can do differently than their competitors to come out on top.

1. Fear and Uncertainty. In today’s world, fear is unfortunately an all too common and powerful headline that garners attention thanks to mass media. HOWEVER, in the real world of listing and selling real estate, consumers don’t want fear and they don’t want uncertainty. They want and need an agent who comes from a place of 100% clarity and certainty. They want an agent who is respectful, responsible, competent and CONFIDENT. They need to know that the person handling this big transaction in their life has everything it takes to ensure their best interests are cared for. Be that agent for them by ensuring that you have the right tools, systems, training and marketing plan in place.

2. Money. The old adage is true, it takes money to make money and marketing effectively costs money.
Consistently. And that’s not something everyone is ready, willing, or able to sign on for. However, to brand yourself as the turn to agent in your geographic farm, there’s really no way to get around spending marketing dollars. Fortunately, you can spend smarter by using systems that are designed to capture market share while utilizing budget-saving tools such as Every Door Direct Mail. Our Market Dominator System does just that – and it allows you to send the very largest possible marketing piece acceptable for EDDM – 12×15, and puts you literally in every door in the geo farm of your choice for just $1 each. That’s smart marketing.

3. Impatience. One thing that seems to stop many agents from developing a successful farm is their inability to hang in there for the duration. When they don’t get instant results from their marketing, they give up. I get it. I walked in those shoes as an agent as well. But one and done mailings or marketing is never ever going to result in establishing a dominant position as a competitor. What does that? Consistency. Repetition. Showing up month after month after month. That’s the winning formula.

4. Becoming a “Victim”. You know the drill. The ones who get sucked into the market doom and gloom around the office coffee pot and buy into other agents’ ideas of why your marketing or theirs just “doesn’t work”. Stop. Stay in your own lane in terms of mindset. There will always, always, always be people who want to drag you down, tell you that you can’t accomplish something, or root you in negativity.

It’s up to YOU to stay focused on your WINNING formula of skill building, market-savvy tools and systems, and consistent, repetitive follow up and let others worry about their own track to success.

5. Not Having a Campaign. What’s the old Ben Franklin saying? “Fail to plan and you’re planning to fail?” It’s true. Without a viable marketing campaign plan in place, you have no way to gain traction in a market area. That’s why our Dominator Members commit to sending their 12×15 Market Dominators every month for two years – because they know that’s what it takes to truly own a market. To become THE brand in a geographic farm. They also know that if left to their own devices, most agents would have a tough time consistently researching, creating, and producing a powerful, direct-response marketing piece all on their own every single month. So they work smarter, not harder, and tap into a system like the where it’s all done for them.

6. Bogged Down in Busywork. Top agents know the highest and best use of their time is prospecting, presenting, and closing – not all the minutiae of busy work that can easily, and effectively be delegated to a virtual assistant or admin. It’s easy to be super busy being busy and not making any money. I know, it’s less intimidating to spend a day trying to design your own postcard than it is to pick up the phone and call until you get a listing appointment – but which one will get closer to those goals you just set faster? Delegate. Use systems. Use pre-designed, time-tested tools that are done for you. And yes – pick up the phone!

Give yourself your best shot at developing a geographic farm. Lean into a powerful mindset of certainty and confidence and put a strong campaign that works in place so that you can effectively brand yourself in that farm as the agent to call. If you need help with that, I’m happy to share some additional strategies. Email me (todd.robertson@prospectsplus.com) and let’s talk.

Need help? Contact our marketing team at 866.405.3638. They’re incredibly knowledgeable, and ready to help get your geo farming and all your marketing on track to close out this year stronger than ever!