Toby Boyce
By Toby Boyce
The sun rose over the eastern sky as my alarm went off on what was quite the unusual March morning. Well beyond the fact that it was nearly 50 degrees, I decided to take my wife’s advice and go to the neurologist and chiropractor after six days of constant migraines.
As I sat in the chiropractor’s office, I was reliving every Charlie Sheen joke about chiropractors from “2-1/2 Men” in my head and sadly it blended very well with my own personal experience. But as I sat there waiting for my name to be called, I read through the pamphlet that was provided to me by the office manager – it dawned on me – these people were on the ball.
Are you on the ball?
They gave me three sheets of paper that outlined three key things that I wanted to know.
- What was going to happen on the first visit.
- What is going to happen on the upcoming visits.
- How to work with insurance and other options to pay for the treatments.
It got me thinking. Am I preparing my clients this effectively for the transaction? Sadly, REALTORS® have about the same reputation as chiropractors for working their clients over.
How can we take a page from this chiropractor?
- Provide a pre-meeting itinerary that outlines exactly what the meeting will cover and how it will go. This does a few things, but most importantly it keeps the meeting on track and provide a road map, keeping the awkward silence to a minimum. Continue reading »
Subhi J. Gharbieh
By Subhi J. Gharbieh
It is very obvious that the Internet has drastically changed the way we do business as REALTORS®. According to the 2010 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 99 percent of buyers started their home search online.
With that said, all the media that we display online can have a great say in whether a buyer will call you about viewing a listing, or not.
I recently shot my first video tour on a listing I have here in Dallas, and let me say: It was quite an experience. I learned many things that I wish I would have known before I was actually in front of a camera.
Here are 5 tips to help you shoot a successful video tour:
- Plan ahead. Make sure the weather is great on the day you record your video. You want it to be clear that you are a REALTOR® touring your listing, not a weatherman/woman out in the middle of a thunderstorm.
- Make sure the property will show well in a video. Staging the home if it is vacant will do wonders. Make sure the home is landscaped, neat, and tidy. You don’t want your viewers to catch any dirty socks on the floor while your showing the master bedroom!
- Mentally walk through the house and take notes on what you are going to say before the camera is rolling. It will make you sound a lot more professional, and people will notice it. Consult with your client. Ask them why they bought their home. Why they chose to live in the specific area. Talk about nearby parks, lakes, shopping, etc. Market the lifestyle of living in that specific area. Don’t just wing it!
- Have the video professionally edited. If you cannot do that, download a video editing software and do it yourself. There are many simple video editing programs available online and are fairly easy to use.
- Last but not least, BRAND YOURSELF! There is no point in producing a video tour if your viewers are not going to know who made the video, and who to contact to view the home if they are interested! Start a YouTube Channel and post your videos. There are also many other sites that can help you syndicate your video to the world.
Subhi J. Gharbieh is the broker owner of Gharbieh & Associates in Dallas. Connect with him at www.Gharbieh.com or on Twitter @subhig.
Toby Boyce
By Toby Boyce
I rolled up on the house like I always do, peering at addresses to verify the location with where the GPS was placing the destination.
However, this time I missed the house. And that’s where this story took a possibly tragic detour. With four years of experience processing broker price opinions I’ve developed a safety routine that goes back to my days working as a bouncer.
But on this day – ironically the same day that the Ohio Association of REALTORS® Communications Committee of which I’m vice chair introduced a motion for a year-long safety reminder and training course – I veered from my course of action and elected to walk back to the house for the photos. As I was taking a photo of the front of the house a tenant appeared at the door and inquired as to why I was there. I responded but obviously not to his liking as he asked me to leave and displayed a hand gun.
I walked briskly away from the scene before the realty of the situation hit me. I found a comfortable parking lot and just shook for about five minutes before getting myself back together. As the hours progressed I continued to think about the situation and what happened and how I should have handled the situation – and how I’d done just about everything wrong.
I’ve defused a lot of dangerous situations with words and avoided fisticuffs on most occasions (and I’m sure I deserved to get popped more often than I didn’t) with several key techniques. The YPN model is to share and work with each other to develop better agents. So, my five key safety techniques are:
1. Have a Game Plan – What will you do if you are put into a situation where you become uncomfortable? If you can’t answer that question right now, then you need to sit down and work out a plan – this is one time where failing to plan can be more damaging than just failing it could get you robbed or worse. You can’t be prepared for every situation, but if you know how to handle that “too friendly” guest at the open house or the angry dog on a BPO then your instincts will lead you in the right direction when it is time to rely on instincts. Continue reading »
Jeremy Williams
By Jeremy Williams
When meeting with one of our top-producing REALTORS® today, the topics covered made me think about how often both seasoned agents and new agents try to “wing it” when it comes to their businesses. Taking this approach can lead to undue stress and burnout if not addressed quickly. It can lead to the question, “Why am I doing this?” If you are experiencing these feelings, here are some steps to get you back on track.
1. Write down a list of all your weaknesses.
2. Sit down with your broker, manager or team leader to go over the list. Prioritize the list. Don’t expect to address all areas in which you are weak at one time. Take your top three-to-five areas in which you need improvement. Focus on items that are directly tied to the amount of time you are working and those items related to revenue generation. Examples: You need an assistant to leverage your time. Your database is not in order, and your follow-up with potential clients lacks as a result of not being organized.
3. Create a plan to address those issues.
4. Set realistic objectives and goals to overcome your highlighted weaknesses. Continue reading »
Toby Boyce
By Toby Boyce
In my prior life I spent eight years working in higher education public relations where I heard over and over again that “any publicity is good publicity.” But I’ve never understood it.
A football team has the longest losing streak in the nation can get publicity, but is it good?
However, I whole-heartedly agree that any publicity is an opportunity to provide a positive side to a story — if it is managed properly.
For example, let’s take a situation I witnessed just this summer. A Columbus, Ohio, man was murdered on the front-steps of his rental home. Of course, the local television stations covered the story with the same gusto as TMZ heading after Paris Hilton’s alleged cocaine habit. The home is currently for sale, and the REALTOR® sign and the listing agent’s name were all prominently featured throughout the shots — on all three networks. If that wasn’t enough, the home’s owner was on one station saying something to the effect of “this is a common situation in this area, you hear gun shots all the time – day or night.” Continue reading »
Kelly Reark
By Kelly Reark
Career, health, relationships, spirituality, and finance are just a few of the many aspects of your life. Are you living a balanced lifestyle? If New Year’s was the last time you stopped to evaluate where you are, how far have you come? As you put one foot in front of the other to reach your goals, make sure that none of your key aspects are lagging behind.
Success has different definitions for each person. Write out what success is to you, and make a plan to be successful. Take the time to exercise and nourish your body. Call at least one friend while you are making your cold calls to heat things up a bit. Step away from Facebook and remember the value of meeting socially offline. Check your business plan and get on track to meet your sales goals for the year if you aren’t yet there. If you are, reward yourself. Rest one day a week, away from gadgets and gizmos, breathe deep, and meditate on something peaceful.
Living a balanced life will bring success and happiness to you!
Kelly Reark is a native Floridian and e-PRO® with Gasparilla Properties, Inc. in Boca Grande, Southwest Florida. Visit her blog: www.BocaGrandeRealEstateNews.com.
Jeremy Williams
By Jeremy Williams
Writing a successful blog does not just happen. Just like anything that is successful, planning is required. Winston Churchill said, “Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.” Instead of worrying what to write, just focus on thinking and planning, then the subject matter will reveal itself.
I see many people start a blog, but over time they run out of things to write about to keep the interest of readers. These bloggers started without a plan. You loose the readers and soon you are just keeping a daily journal for yourself. Here are a few steps that will help you write a successful blog.
Identify your audience. Without a specified audience, you are writing to yourself. Are you writing to reach first-time home buyers? Or are you writing about how you can help someone sell their home quickly for the most money? Your writing needs to be specific to the intended audience to maximize the response of your efforts. Continue reading »
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