Toby Boyce
By Toby Boyce
I’ve had the fortune of serving on committees for the Delaware County Board of REALTORS®, Ohio Association of REALTORS®, and National Association of REALTORS®. By far, whenever the topic comes up around agent and non-agent friends alike, the focus is shifted towards NAR and how “cool” that is.
Sure, I’m a big fan of the work NAR’s Professional Development Committee does, and it has a large impact on members, but how does that really help my buyers and sellers? OAR is in the same boat. Discussing issues as the vice-chair of the communications committee is great. Yet, how much does that really impact the people that I’m working with as buyers and sellers?
When it comes to my community, I get the most out of working as a member on the public relations committee for the DCBR. Why? Because this is where the decisions and time commitment I have made are make a real impact on those I serve. Such as the bowl-a-thon that has donated about $3,000 a year to a local hospice. The ideas and action we take at that local level make our communities better places to live and work.
So, the next time your local board needs volunteers. Remember those hours will have the greatest direct impact on your community.
Toby Boyce, MBA, is a real estate practitioner with Keller Williams Consultants Realty in Westerville, Ohio. Visit his Web site: www.delawareohrealestate.com.
Cory Brewer
By Cory Brewer
Here is a quick story to inspire my fellow REALTORS® to keep after it (prospecting), even when it feels like a lost cause:
This past winter I volunteered to coach a youth league basketball team at my local Boys & Girls Club. My interest in volunteering was two-fold: 1.) I love basketball and have always wanted to coach, but I don’t have kids yet. I was ready/able to do it this year and there was a coaching spot open. 2.) What better way to forge relationships with potential clients in the community?
The experience was very fulfilling on a personal level for me, and at the end of the season most of the parents told me they will request me as their coach next season. That was the best compliment I could have received. It came as “icing on the cake” when after the season one of those parents told me he’d be checking in with me soon about some real estate related matters. In the back of my mind I was thinking, “Wow, it worked!”
Long story short, he had already been out looking around at open houses on his own and figured it was time to “get serious” so he brought up the subject with me. After following up a couple of times, I didn’t really hear back from him until a few weeks later when he informed me that he’d found a place that he liked during an open house and made an offer with the listing agent. Continue reading »
Brian Copeland
By Brian Copeland
I recently had a lively discussion with one of my Baby Boomer, dearest real estate friends on the phone. Of course, it was on the phone, that’s what Baby Boomers do. They want to meet and talk on the phone all the time. I had asked her if we could just e-mail, but she insisted on a phone call.
This phone call went into a long talk about what young, professional REALTORS® and our organization are in motion to do. I can always best sum this up in one word…availability.
Availability tears down walls of confusion. Availability creates strong bonds and ties across generational lines. Availability facilitates amazing, reciprocal relationships. In fact, in November alone, I had two association executives come to me and say virtually the same statement.
“Thank goodness for YPN. Had we not had our YPN committee, we would’ve never known that <insert name here> was even part of our organization. We put her in this association membership position and she was the shining star. We now have a new leader thanks to YPN!”
As Mickey Mouse-cheesy as it sounds, it’s true. Your availability as a young professional is truly making our real estate industry stronger, more diverse and salient to those who have us on their radar. Continue reading »
Nobu Hata
By Nobu Hata
Let’s face it, when it comes to sharing our expertise on forums such as the YPN Lounge, Twitter, even Facebook, we sure spend a lot of time preaching to the choir. Social Media how-to’s, blogging tips, Twitter in your marketing plan…
The fact is, the majority of us have already figured out how to implement new media tools into our real estate model. We recognize that in this overly-transparent, borderline-creepy, uber-connected world we live in, being JUST THAT is paramount in our business. Because of this, we’re arguably more in tune with a fickle consumer demographic and relate better to the first-time buyer who’s now making up the majority of transactions nationwide. We know that doing so requires us to take aim on a constantly moving, consistently changing target.
The time has come to take the insight we have gleaned and the practices we have developed and open it up to the “old guard,” for lack of a better term. You know who I’m talking about. All of us have a group of agents in their office whose eyes glaze over at the mere mention of Facebook. Who think blogging is a monumental time-suck. Who remember when “MLS came in the form of a binder full of paper!” Who all think we’ve got it pretty easy. We know this isn’t the case.
Truth of the matter is, these barriers are totally self-induced because of technological intimidation and/or perception that these “time-sucks” have no value. Sitting in multiple classes at NAR09 and watching these folks stream out by the boatload really made this hit home for me. It’s less about age, and more about mindset… and the beauty of mindset is that it can be changed.
Whether it’s at the local office, brokerage, association or national-level, every little bit of instruction helps! Volunteer your time developing and teaching CE classes. Recruit converts to local REBarCamps. Share what you’ve learned at RealtorCon, InmanConnect, et al at Sales Meetings. Turn your Twitter feed into an all access journal and show them how to use it. Reaffirm that what we’re doing is no different than what they’ve been doing for generations, it’s just that the mechanisms have changed. And most importantly, be open to their opinions and feedback! Yes us YPN-Gen REALTORS have a lot to share, but we just might learn something along the way.
We sometimes forget that it’s these very agents who have persevered through multiple economic downturns, have seen the industry change at a lightning pace recently, and who are actively shaping our industry. It’s our obligation to give them insight into our practices, to learn something from each other, and together shape the industry we will be inheriting.
Nobu Hata is a sales associate for Edina Realty in Minneapolis, and a founding member of the Minneapolis YPN group, the YoPros. Visit his Web site at www.nobuhata.com.
Brian Copeland
By Brian Copeland
With December 25 only a few days away, it’s a great time to not only think about giving to others but also to consider touching your clients and sphere of influence in an impactful way. While it may be a bit late in the season to pull some of the bigger things off on this list, who says you can’t plan for holiday season 2010?
1. Have a holiday dessert or Christmas tree pick-up event: I hosted a pie pick-up day for Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit. You should budget $7-$15 a client and try to get them to give you a heads up on whether they are stopping by or not. *FYI, about 50 percent of my clients showed up.
2. Write personal notes using only your MLS production report: Whew! Now, this one was an amazing exercise for me. Sure I have everything in my client management system; but I thought it would be a good test to see how well I remembered all of them and their homes. While I failed miserably in several cases, I still garnered enough brain waves to get the vast majority. Seeing the homes, investigating the information and visualizing it all made me feel extra close to my clients this year.
3. Have a social media day: Find every client you have or have had, add them as a friend on Facebook then spend a few hours writing nice, non-real-estate-related greetings on their wall. A simple, “Hey Chad and Melody. Just wanted to say hey, and I hope you have a great 2010 and beyond.”
(From left) Space Cadet Rob Reuter, Ballerina Shannon Williams King, Nutcracker John Morley and Teddy Brian Copeland.
4. Make a goofy video: JibJab.com always has fun holiday video greetings where you can include other people’s faces on dancing elf bodies. Identify those two or three really fun clients and make a video for them dancing with you.
5. Introduce them to Elfster.com: We all have a ton of parties, gift exchanges and events in December. Elfster is a great way to organize and gift exchange in a social, fun way.
6. Volunteer alongside: Few things bring people together more than volunteering for a charity for a few hours. You can find great opportunities through the Hands On Network at handsonnetwork.org. If you have a local affiliate, you can find it here.
7. Organize a carol-sing-a-long: All of us have that one Broadway diva client who loves to host. Align yourself with him or her for a night of singing and laughter.
8. Upload a holiday greeting on YouTube: Film a 15- to 30-second greeting to everyone. Don’t be afraid to show your personality.
9. Showcase your clients’ holiday décor: Have your clients photograph their decorated tree, homes, mantels, light displays, etc., send them to you and create a special page on your website showcasing them!
10. Hire some carolers: Go to your local church, school or any place where singers may be and hire a few to join you on the main corner of your prime market to spread some holiday cheer. Place a few of your signs nearby lined in garland so they’ll know you’re responsible for the love.
11. Show the pets some attention: Identify your animal-loving clients and drop some gourmet dog biscuits and catnip wrapped with a bow in the mail for Fido and Fluffy’s stockings.
12. Host an end of the year shredding event: With the new year starting, it’s time for everyone to get rid of the year’s built-up clutter. Hire a shredding service and invite your clients over to use the service for a day or so.
Get a free sms student response system at Poll Everywhere
Brian Copeland is a REALTOR® in Nashville, Tennessee. You can check out his websites at nashvilleandbeyond.com and brian-copeland.com.
Jeremy Williams
By Jeremy Williams
Involvement = Impact was a humbling realization I had after a board meeting this week with the East Houston Fellowship of Christian Athletes. You can’t stand on the side lines if you want to have an impact on anything, whether it is in the real estate industry, an organization you participate in, or even in your family. Napoleon Hill wrote, “You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-loss record of the referee.” How many times do we find our selves standing on the sidelines of life?
How can you get involved in making an impact in our industry?
- Reach out to a new REALTOR® seeking help on how to hold an open house.
- Volunteer to teach a class to REALTORS® on how to utilize technology to grow their businesses.
- Be a mentor to a REALTOR® who is looking to grow their business.
- Find a local organization that is in need of volunteers and get involved.
There are probably more ways for you to get involved than you realize. The result of your involvement often can’t be measured, but should never be underestimated.
I was 16 and in high school when I attended a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting. Two people who chose to get involved in my life probably do not realize the impact they had on me. The impact was life changing, and I can say without a doubt, I would not be who I am today without these two individuals taking time to get involved.
Don’t underestimate the power of involvement, and the significant impact that can take place. Be impactful in your real estate business and get involved.
Jeremy Williams of Keller Williams Realty NE in Kingwood, Texas specializes in the residential real estate market of Kingwood, Atascocita, and Humble, Texas. Visit his Web site at www.williams4yourhome.com.
The United Nations has designated the first Monday each October as
World Habitat Day.
This year on Oct. 5, Habitat for Humanity is leading a global observance in Washington, D.C. and around the world, to declare that the lack of decent, affordable housing is unacceptable. The theme for World Habitat Day 2009 is “Planning Our Urban Future.”
According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people in the world today are homeless. Millions more face a severe housing problem living without adequate sanitation, with irregular or no electricity supply and without adequate security.
Worldwide, more than 2 million housing units per year are needed for the next 50 years to solve the present worldwide housing crisis. With the global population expanding, however, at the end of those 50 years, there would still be a need for another 1 billion houses. (UN-HABITAT: 2005)
Habitat for Humanity seeks to raise awareness and advocates to change the global plague of poverty housing.
YPN members: If you plan on attending the 2009 REALTOR® Conference & Expo in San Diego this November, consider participating in the Habitat for Humanity build. This will be the first “green” Habitat project.
Only 80 people can participate in the Nov. 11 event. Sign up to volunteer online at www.realtor.org/conference.
Recent Comments