Focus Makes the Difference

Focus Makes the Difference

RECBL - Real Estate News

When does that racehorse really pour on the power? You guessed it...in that final stretch of the race, with the finish line in sight.

It’s hard to believe were heading into the final days of the year, when our focus should be all about rocking our numbers as we reach the finish line. It’s time to maximize these final weeks to meet or exceed those goals we set many months ago.

Will you meet your goals, or fall short?

Many agents use the slowdown of the market as we near the holidays as an excuse to slack off.

We all love the holidays, and while life is about enjoying these special times, for the savvy agent, ramping up when everyone else is gearing down offers the best competitive advantage.

While everyone else is sipping cider and decorating for the holidays, here are a few proven ways to take advantage of the lull and score big.

Set up a face-to-face touch with everyone you did business with this year.
The end of the year is a logical time to contact past clients, your sphere of influence, current prospects and strategic partners to say a special "thank you." Consider hosting a fun event or a pie promotion to past clients, customers, referral resources and current prospects.

Contact prospects who aren’t ready to buy or sell, and ask what date they want you to contact them after the holidays. Pop by with a small holiday promotional gift or card that tells them a donation has been made by you in their name. These are solid ways to keep the connection going.

Support a give-back campaign within the community.
Check with your local Chamber of Commerce for details on drives to benefit the local food pantry, animal shelter, homeless shelter or senior center and discover different ways to support them through your sphere of influence. Be present at each of the various venues for the distribution or pick-up of the drive. Make sure to take plenty of photos and videos to post on your Facebook business page. Sharing the combined efforts of you and the participating vendors creates high visibility and endless goodwill.

Inspect what you expect from your various service providers.
Do a deep dive into inspecting what lead generation and CRM (client relationship management) platforms have proven to be profitable. When you study the actual return on the investment, you’re better equipped to make the decision to renew those particular services or start looking for a better solution. As an example, if you’ve been paying every month for a lead-generation service, now is a great time to determine what percentage of those leads have resulted in sales. Service providers count on the fact that a monthly billing will continue to ping your credit card and go unnoticed. Knowing what your real costs are can make the difference between buying leads and actually converting them into real profits.

As the year draws to an end, keep your eye on the goal to go, and we’ll see you in the profit zone.

Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, speaker and coach. She is the author/co-author of five books, and founder of MurphyOnRealEstate.com. Contact her at TerriMurphy.com, MurphyOnRealEstate.com or Terri@TerriMurphy.com.

For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.



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High Achievers and their 7 Traits

High Achievers and their 7 Traits

RECBL - Real Estate News

With a new year right around the corner, now’s the time to tap into your full potential and realize your dreams. "Never have I seen an opportunity where it's so straightforward to do well in real estate," said Brian Buffini, founder of Buffini & Company, an organization dedicated to sharing Buffinis powerful lead-generation systems with others.

Author of "The Emigrant Edge: How to Make It Big in America," a best-selling book, Buffini shared the following principles-and how to apply them-during the REALTORS(R) Conference & Expo in Chicago, Ill., earlier this month.

1. A voracious openness to learn. "The ability to earn and the desire to learn are extraordinarily linked," said Buffini, who explained that being open means not having all the answers and being willing to try new things, while voracious means there’s an appetite. "When you come here as an emigrant, you have to learn everything," added Buffini, who noted that its easier than ever today thanks to the accessibility of information through a variety of formats.

2. A "do whatever it takes" mindset. "I see real estate transactions fall apart all the time because the agent encountered a problem," said Buffini, who recounted an adventure early on in his career that involved putting together a crib for a client when no one else was around to help. "Over the next seven years, this woman sent me more referrals than I’ve ever received in my life," noted Buffini. While we’ve all heard that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, unleashing a "whatever it takes" attitude is instrumental in producing advocates.

3. A willingness to outwork others. "Americans, by nature, are hard-working people," noted Buffini, "and a willingness to outwork others in the real estate business boils down to the difference between being busy and being productive." While transactions have gone up significantly over the last four years, with less FSBO’s than ever before, Buffini turned his attention to the sales agent-and how they’re faring in this environment. Dissecting numbers reported by the National Association of REALTORS(R) (NAR), Buffini noted the following about sales agent income:

• In 2013, the gross commission for the average sales agent was $37,200.
• In 2014, the market went up 7 percent, but agent income came down 2 percent to $36,500.
• In 2015, the market went up 11 percent, and REALTORS(R) made $29,560 (20 percent less).
• In 2016, real estate professionals made $31,670 before split and expenses.

"When we get a listing, we get so excited that we got a listing that has no guarantee of payment, except the money we pay to promote, market and try to sell that property," added Buffini. "That’s why I love the real estate business."

4. A heartfelt spirit of gratitude. The nuclear fuel for success, Buffini noted that you can’t have gratitude in your mind and heart and entitlement/envy at the same time. "Our product is the American Dream, and every time we sell it, we get paid thousands of dollars. Were very blessed with high-quality problems," said Buffini, who encouraged audience members to travel, go see, go serve and come back and kiss the ground. "Can you imagine if you walked around so thankful every day for where you lived and the opportunities you have? Reignite the gratitude in your own heart for where you live and what you do."

5. A boldness to invest. When people become moderately successful, they tend to become more risk-averse and they ultimately end up giving less; they simply take calculated risks. "The first thing I invest in is relationships," said Buffini. "Does it involve service and the opportunity to grow my skills?"

6. A commitment to delay gratification. A hard sell across the board due to the fact that in America, if you can’t afford something, you can still have it, Buffini noted that people are overburdened today when it comes to their expenses at home and within their business-which is typically underfunded. "Your business is the golden goose, so don’t starve it," noted Buffini. "It needs to be fed, nurtured and mated so that it can produce other golden gooses." With the end of the year approaching, now’s the time to commit to taking things down a bit and eliminating expenses that are no longer necessary.

7. Remember where you come from. "I want to remember where I came from, and where my people came from. I also want to remember who they are and what they would do with my opportunity," explained Buffini, who encouraged the audience to take a step back in order to gain perspective. "When you're complaining about the buyer, remember when you didnt have the buyer," noted Buffini. "And when you’re talking about inventory, remember when there was so much inventory that everybody was upside down on their houses and they were going into foreclosure."

"It’s our time to shine," concluded Buffini. "If you focus on building relationships, offering superior service and growing your skills as a professional, you’re going to win-and you’re going to win big."


For more information, please visit www.buffiniandcompany.com.




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Under-Promise, Over-Deliver

Under-Promise, Over-Deliver

RECBL - Real Estate News

The real estate industry is full of amazing people who have a desire to do well, but according to Gallup Poll, were not very well-respected. This is in part a symptom of under delivering and not being focused on creating the ultimate client experience.

The key to exceeding expectations is to first decide what level of agent you want to be.

Do you want to do the minimum required to get paid at the closing table, or do you sincerely want to create raving fans because of the experience you created during the home-buying or -selling process?

If the answer is creating the ultimate client experience, follow the lead of the elite agents and brokers who make it their mission to create these experiences, and build your systems around excellence. One of our coaching clients, Anthony Marguleas of Amalfi Estates, will close $200 million in real estate this year listing and selling homes in California.

Marguleas team has taken the time to break down every touch point, follow-up and interaction with their clients to intentionally create an amazing client experience. In dealing with the elite, and high-dollar buyers and sellers, Marguleas has learned that his team can’t be average. Not only does his team host amazing open houses, but they also have amazing client appreciation events. And they’ve even implemented a high-touch system in order to stay in touch with clients before, during and after each transaction.

As a result, his business continues to grow, as does the teams ability to serve more families. Once a transaction is complete and commissions are paid, members of the team donate up to 10 percent of their commission to one of five local charities in the name of the client. This experience allows them to be a critical part of the community, create an amazing experience for the client, and make a real difference. As a result, they’ve donated over $400,000 to date, with the goal of reaching $1 million. The clients love that the team is focused on making a difference instead of running around with commission breath.

Here are a few suggestions that will make a difference when it comes to creating an amazing client experience:

• Increase your communication. Follow up, stay in touch and keep clients informed as to what’s going on with the transaction.
• Build a premium marketing program that has more, does more, and separates you from the average.
• Hold client events. This gives you the ability to connect with your clients on a more personal and fun level.
• Do what you say you’re going to do.
• Use a system. Don’t use Post-it notes or text messaging to remember to do the right thing. Use a follow-up system and schedule your communication so that it never falls through the cracks.
• Become a true expert. Read articles, attend classes, study trends and know the inventory. There’s no substitute for experience. If you don’t have it, block out time on a daily basis to gain the knowledge you need so that you can communicate with confidence and accuracy.
• Be passionate with everything you do. Your enthusiasm will rub off on everyone you come in contact with.
• Go the extra mile. When you’re all done, ask what more you can do, then do it.

Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (385-282-7112), an international speaking, consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and building successful power agents and teams. Sign up today for a free business consult with Verl by sending an email to coach@verlworkman.com. To hire Verl to speak at your next event, email events@verlworkman.com.

For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.

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Know Your Worth

Know Your Worth

RECBL - Real Estate News

If you have ever had the opportunity to view a TED Talks video, you probably found yourself overwhelmed with insight or enlightenment. You may have even found yourself inspired with an intense feeling of motivation to combine your inspiration with a plan of action. That’s passion!

​When you reflect on the person or persons in your life who have inspired you, who comes to mind? For me, I reflect on my mother. A young, single widow, left with three children all under the age of 10, working to stay above water because her children’s lives depended on her strength. A woman who at the time didn’t realize her worth and working in a world where gender equality was more or less the punch line of a joke and not a realistic issue.

My mother really didn’t recognize all she had to offer nor did she really understand her own worth. However, I did. I recognized the knowledge, the love, the drive she possessed to make sure her children were fed, clothed and had a place to sleep at night. I recognized she had made a choice early in her life to become a wife and mother. I recognize she focused on rearing and raising her children while her husband, also committed to his family, focused on providing for his wife and children in the only manner his young mind was able to comprehend.

After the loss of her husband, she was now the mother and father, a daunting task which far too many young woman and men have experienced.

Sometimes, when tragedy strikes, we forget what we are worth. We focus on the immediate issue and forget the big picture, not by choice, but out of necessity.I don’t believe one has to sacrifice future for the present or vice versa. I believe in being surrounded by those who constantly remind others of their worth and the value they possess. I believe in recognizing worth. I recognize my mother’s worth and I hope she has the opportunity to view the same talk I have and recognize her worth and what she has to offer. Thank you mom, for being the inspiration and motivation which helped me to realize my own self worth. I hope you enjoy the talk.

Your boss probably isn't paying you what you're worth -- instead, they're paying you what they think you're worth. Take the time to learn how to shape their thinking. Pricing consultant Casey Brown shares helpful stories and learnings that can help you better communicate your value and get paid for your excellence.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxColumbusWomen, an independent event.

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Know Your ‘Why’

Know Your ‘Why’

RECBL - Real Estate News

If you’re like many agents, you may wonder how you can keep motivated to succeed and reach your goals. How can you tell if you’re uninspired? Do you seem consumed by negative emotions? Do you feel stuck or like you’re not living up to your potential? When a challenge arises, do you feel creatively blocked in finding a solution?

Know Your ‘Why’
A "why" is the reason someone does what they do. When an agent has a "why," they not only feel motivated, but also full of positive energy. They feel empowered to tackle the challenges that arise and see them as an opportunity to find and apply innovative solutions.

Not only that, they feel they’re living up to their full potential every day and love what they do because they can see the difference they’re making.

One of the easiest ways to find your "why" is to answer these five simple questions:

• Why am I in this business?
• What do I like about what I do?
• When do I feel fulfilled or happiest?
• When do I feel that I am maximizing my full potential?
• What does my life look like in a year? In five years?

These questions will help you assess your priorities and figure out what motivates you. When your priorities are in order, you’ll be able to define your purpose and connect your daily activities to help you achieve you goals. In the end, this will make you happier in your work and in your life overall.

5 Tips to Get Inspired
When you know your "why," you can reconnect with your inspiration whenever you feel your motivation beginning to wane. Here are some suggestions to help get back on track:

1. Visualize. Visualize the life you want to lead. When you visualize the life you want to lead, you become inspired to achieve it. Visualizing will help you continue taking steps toward making your vision a reality.

2. Get inspired by others. What do the most inspirational stories have in common? They feature people who persevered in the face of adversity. Take a moment to think of a story that inspires you, whether from the news, a book or a movie. Why was it inspirational? Your answer may help you find your "why."

3. Seek inspiration in your struggles. Everyone has faced setbacks in life, and you are no different. Look back at the struggles and setbacks you’ve overcome to find inspiration. Remembering what you’ve overcome can give you perspective and reconnect you with your "why."

4. Connect with other real estate professionals. Networking with other professionals is not only motivating; it can also help you remember why you joined the business in the first place. Connecting to your reasons for becoming an agent can help you remember your purpose, as well.

5. Disconnect to recharge. Sometimes the only way to reconnect with ones internal voice is to turn off the gadgets for an hour and get moving outside. Exercise pumps blood to the brain and encourages it to think of creative solutions to current challenges. Plus, the combination of fresh air and nature often helps to boost motivation and recharge our batteries. If you are struggling to come up with a "why," stepping out may help you discover it.

For more information, please visit www.buffiniandcompany.com.




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