Melissa Krchnak
By Melissa Krchnak
I obviously am not an expert in what anyone else’s listing presentations are like, I only know mine. Yet I heard someone talking about the Olympics recently, and with my market’s emphasis on the need for more inventory, it got me thinking. Is your listing presentation like watching cycling or gymnastics?
I can dig both, and yet I watch them with a different level of interest. See, I can put cycling on and read a book or cook my breakfast or check Twitter. I know I probably won’t miss anything major and I’ll look up every now and then to see who’s ahead. With gymnastics though, it goes from one event to the next so fast. I’m so engrossed with how competitive it is, that I have to keep my eye on the TV or I’ll miss something great. So, is your listing presentation creating lots of interest with a fast-paced and quick finish? Or is it uneventful and lasting for hours?
My suggestion if it’s dragging on? Hit the high points, move through each piece effortlessly, and put a bow on it in 45 minutes or so. Any longer and you’re losing them. Remember what your mom used to say about visiting friends’ houses? “Don’t overstay your welcome!” Just get your agency and listing agreement and get out. You can get disclosures signed, pictures taken, etc., another time. This is strictly presentation time.
So, are your clients watching cycling or gymnastics when you’re presenting?
Melissa Krchnak is the assistant team leader for Keller Williams Realty in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Connect with her at kwrancho.com.
Stefanie Hahn
By Stefanie Hahn
What does getting it done mean? My “it” goes something like this…I want to work hard, be kind, and have a life. In order for me to be kind and have a life, I have to get it done. Working hard is weaved right in there. Here are a few of the apps that I use each day to get it done. *Bonus – all of these apps are free!
Assistant (Android) | SpeakToIt (Apple)
I spend a ton of time in the car – I got an Assistant to help me use this time effectively. The Assistant app can open apps, search for answers and addresses, compose an e-mail or text, read news, e-mails, and texts, play voicemails, save “to do” list items, and more. The voice transcriptions are some of the best I’ve seen in apps of this ilk, which makes using the Assistant fast and easy (and hands free)!
Any.Do (Android, Apple, Chrome add-on and Web)
Using lists helps me keep it together and accomplish what I need to each day. Any.Do works on my phone and has a fun little Chrome add-on that I use on my laptop. Of course, like most of these “to do” list apps Any.Do allows you to cross off items that you’ve completed. Additionally, you can set priorities, display and file under multiple lists, set alarms, add notes, and share your “to do” items.
Business Calendar Free (Android only) Continue reading »
Stefanie Hahn
By Stefanie Hahn
I have a new favorite. I think you will love it too. Evernote is more than just a tool for note-taking. Evernote is a cloud productivity tool where I can write, save, tag, share and sync my notes. I started using Evernote on my iPad, then installed it on my laptop and grabbed the app for my Android. A note I start on my iPad can be edited on my Android and finished on my laptop. Seamless. Truly. Awesome.
There are 4 ways to take a note:
1. Write it out
2. Record your voice
3. Take a photo note
4. Grab a Web clip
Writing (or typing) is the most common way I take a note. I use Evernote to start most of my blog posts now. Even a video post requires a bit of planning, so starting here makes sense. This works like a charm if you are taking notes in a meeting or class too! Taking notes while hammering out a deal over the phone? Write them in Evernote. Even email them to the other agent.
I use the voice record notes when I’m in my car, which is all the time. These are perfect for recording ideas, things to remember, and to-do lists. Continue reading »
Crystal Webster
By Crystal Webster
I’ve been to a national office supply store what seems to be about every day this month in an attempt to get ready for the spring and summer months. Occasionally, I purchase the wrong item and it takes me a little bit to return it to the store.
I returned a day planner the other day because it just wasn’t going to work for me. I present the cashier with my item and my receipt and she immediately tells me that I purchased the planner 32 days ago so the receipt was no longer valid, BUT she could do the return without the receipt and just put it on a gift card. Seeing as that’s how I paid for it in the first place, and the fact that I’d just turn around and spend it, I had no problem.
After about 10 minutes of fumbling with the computer system she tells me that I’m getting a refund of about $35. “That’s great! But, I only spent $25. See, here’s my receipt.” I was politely reminded that my receipt was no longer valid because it was more than 30 days old and I would just have to accept the return as is, or keep the item.
Well, of course, I took the cash and went about my day.
This got me thinking about how I run my business and if there are things that I do “just because that’s how they’re done” or “because that’s how I’ve always done them.” I realized just the other day I spent three visits with a seller trying to get all the paperwork put together when it would have been more convenient for everyone if we just did it through Docusign.com. I realized I can be way too eager and accommodating when it comes to meeting people places (friends and business acquaintances alike).
Are there things you do in your business that might not be the most productive or profitable?
Crystal Webster is a REALTOR® in the Kansas City area. Visit her at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com and www.theheritagehometeam.com.
By G. M. Filisko, contributing writer, HouseLogic
Have you met your prospecting goals for the month? Drop in on potential clients and customers and encourage them to tackle minor but money-saving or big-impact home upgrades over Memorial Day weekend.
Show them how with the May “Weekend Warrior” bundle now available at the REALTOR® Content Resource, the new tool brought to you by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, where your NAR membership entitles you to download free homeownership content in your consumer Web site, blog, or e-newsletter.
The “Weekend Warrior” bundle includes tips on projects sellers can conquer in just a weekend like saving energy on water heaters. Here are just a few of the tips available now at the REALTOR® Content Resource:
Turn down the temperature. Many water heaters come from the factory with the temperature set needlessly high. For every 10 degrees sellers turn it down, they’ll save 3 percent to 5 percent on their bill, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). A setting between 120-140 degrees is plenty hot for most uses. But sellers shouldn’t go below 120 degrees, which could lead to the unsafe growth of bacteria inside the tank.
Install low-flow fixtures. One of the surest ways to cut hot water costs is to use less of it. According to ACEEE, a family of four uses 700 gallons of hot water per week. By installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators, which cost as little as $10-$20 each, sellers can cut hot water consumption by 25 percent to 60 percent. These devices are easy to install and will save 14,000 gallons of hot water annually, plus the energy it takes to heat it. By cutting water consumption in half, sellers will save more than $200 annually.
Demonstrate your knowledge as an expert on home value by using these tips to educate sellers about this relatively easy—but money-saving—upgrade to their home. If sellers have already made changes to their water heater, share tips on exterior lighting, inspecting and maintaining their garage, and fast gutter fixes, all of which are also part of the “Weekend Warrior” bundle.
The REALTOR® Content Resource, the new tool brought to you by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, is an exclusive, free benefit for NAR members. HouseLogic is the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS’® no-topic-left-uncovered consumer Web site geared to helping home owners make smart decisions to maintain, protect, and increase the value of their home.
Brian Copeland
By Brian Copeland
I’m consistently reminded by my peers “you’re online too much,” “you can’t possibly get any work done,” or “you must not have a life to do what all you do.” Every time, my blood boils inside, and I find myself breathing harder to calm down and smile kindly. My response is then, “Yeah, I manage,” then I simply shut up.
What most of my fellow-market-REALTORS® don’t know is that while they are paying $0.25 to $0.45 for postage, spending hours of time fishing in an abyss of non-measurables and spending hours chasing potential, I’m sitting back every day with free leads coming through my door with no money spent and minimal hours worked. Why? I know how to capture my bloggable moments.
Posterous, iPhones, and quick boot laptops have made our efficiency soar in the recent years. I can work any time in those gaps in my days. What are the bloggable moments you are missing or not even noticing in your own business?
Being chauffeured. I’m writing this entry while riding in a shuttle from a Canadian airport. While not all of us travel a lot, if you’re stomach can handle it, you’ve likely got a 30 minute ride when you arrive somewhere on business. Turn that idle time into productivity.
Waiting on healthcare. Doctors, pharmacies, and health providers are notorious for being behind schedule. If you simply plan ahead to bring a keyboard device, you can turn that inconvenience into a victory. You don’t Internet connection there? Big deal. Open a Word (or like product) document and start typing. The joy of the cut and copy lives forever. Continue reading »
Stefanie Hahn
By Stefanie Hahn
When you work with new agents (or any agents for that matter) one of the constants seems to be that they are looking for ways to get the best of everything, and are trying to get it for free. If I shared with you some of the MacGyver strategies I have seen over the years you would … but you already know.
So when I sit with these agents there are a few constants – the first of which is to get on board with Google. Not the search engine Google (we can discuss the joys of that later) but the super-cool-productivity-tool-creating Google. That’s right; the team at Google is creating all sorts of wonderful stuff to make your business more productive; and best of all they’re giving it all away for free!
Here is a rundown of some of my must-haves from the Google toolkit. There are so many more, but this is a good starter package for you to consider before stepping into the big time:
1. Google Profile – http://www.google.com/profiles
I know I said I wasn’t talking about search, but who honestly doesn’t want to come up on that first page when their name is Googled? We all do – and setting up a Google Profile should be the key to getting you on that coveted first page of results. How? Your name, a small thumbnail photo and a link to your Google Profile will appear at the bottom of the first page of results. As a bonus, you can tie in all of your other sites, social and otherwise, as well as your photos. If you don’t have a Google Profile yet, stop reading this and go set it up … then come back (please)! Continue reading »
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