Leaders are Readers!

Tom Ferry’s latest message carried that title and I couldn’t agree more! Brian Buffini recommends books in nearly Peak Producers session and Gino Blefari, CEO of HSF Affiliates, is an avid reader and consistently urges folks to read to better themselves.

Here’s what Tom Ferry has to say:

The old saying goes “leaders are readers!” One of the best ways you can improve yourself is through the books that you read (or listen to). Here are five books that I know you will enjoy:

5. Managing Oneself

If Peter Drucker wrote it, you know it is good! This is a short read and will teach you how to be effective and productive in your business. Managing Oneself puts a different perspective on success, because it is up to you to earn it and maintain it!

4. Miracle Morning

How you spend your mornings sets the tone for your whole day. Hal has done an amazing job showing how you can own your mornings. Miracle Morning will help you be more intentional, get more done, and be more grateful.

3. Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

I’ve talked about how important teams are, and this book taught me a lot. It shows some of the major hurdles teams face and how you can be more effective and productive with your team. If you work with a team, or plan on building one, Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions is a must read!

2. The Power of Habit

The Power of Habit  looks at the science of habits of individuals and organizations. You’ll learn how to build good habits and fix the bad ones too. The bottom line is that when you change your habits, you can change your life.

1.  Less Doing, More Living

I first heard about this book through the author’s TED Talk, which was amazing. Less Doing, More Living is a quick read that will teach you about how to maximize your time and spend time on the important things. There are some great strategies and tools in the book for increased productivity and how to maximize time.

Thanks for the great book tips, Tom!

Two of my own favorite books (meaning I’ve read them multiple times) are David Allen’s Getting Things Done and Steven Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Who wouldn’t want to be highly effective and get things done?!

So, grab a book, pick up your favorite beverage, and improve yourself while you sit by the pool this weekend!

Remember, Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is the key to success.

David M. Hassler

VP, Professional Development

The Blueprint for Getting a Home Sold . . . and For Winning Listings!!

This week in a coaching session I was chatting with a newer agent who was excited about some upcoming opportunities to list homes in great areas. He said the folks had asked about his marketing plan so he wanted to focus on that.

I suggested that he implement some strategies from our Buffini Peak Producers training that address not only a solid marketing plan for the house, but also touch on some issues that 99% of Realtors probably would never think of mentioning! Buffini, in his training session on “Working with Sellers,” recommends establishing our professionalism by sharing with the seller our “Blueprint for Getting a Home Sold.” This seven-step process will immediately differentiate us from the competition! Here’s the Blueprint:

1.     In-depth MARKET ANALYSIS. Okay, nothing too surprising there. So, be sure you know the neighborhood inside and out! BUT, be sure to do this LAST! We all know that 100% of sellers, no matter what they say, have an idea of what they think their house should be worth and it’s usually based on something far removed from fact. So if we cover the pricing discussion first, chances are they will be disappointed in what the market will tell us the price should be and of course they won’t hear another word you say after that! (I recommend telling them up front you’ll cover this last since it is so important and you want to set the context for that discussion.)

2.     Property ENHANCEMENT checklist. I love the way we can use words and their connotations and that word, enhancement, covers issues we often discuss but rarely position so positively! This list will of course include many basics like cleanups and fix-ups, maybe some additions or repainting, and, depending on the price point, bringing in a professional stager at our own cost! I like to say these things enhance the value!

3.     Comprehensive PROMOTION and MARKETING plan. Most sellers tend to fixate on this aspect so we need to have a great plan and do a good job of positioning its strength. But frankly most agents stop here, thus opening the door for us to show our real value with the next items.

4.     CRYSTAL clear COMMUNICATION. Wow, we all know that our business overall suffers from a poor reputation in this area, and maybe your potential new client has experienced it in past transactions. I encourage setting expectations and letting the seller know your plan for proactive updates—and of course finding out how they prefer we communicate with them.

5.     NEGOTIATING and STRUCTURING the sale. Wow, how many sellers ever consider this as one the professional services we provide? And very few agents ever think to address it in their presentation either. So, here’s a huge opportunity to differentiate ourselves by addressing this and our experience and expertise in handling this often tricky element of our services. I like to tell folks this is how I put money in their pocket!

6.     COMPREHENSIVE Transaction MANAGEMENT. I love this one as we all know that even though we may have an accepted contract, there are many potholes and hurdles between that and the closing table. Again, most sellers have little knowledge about these pitfalls, so by simply mentioning them and our expertise as part of our services, we immediately differentiate ourselves from 99% of the competition!

7.     Client APPRECIATION Program. Yes, we’ll be available to assist the seller with any ongoing real estate or property needs—like recommending a painter or plumber—even if they move out of town or state—or country! Remember, we all know the best way to grow our business is by referrals from clients, so why wouldn’t we stay in touch and offer appreciation to the sellers? Even if they move to Topeka or Tuscany, they probably still have friends or family in our market, or maybe they still work for the same firm they were with here . . . and maybe one day they might be transferred back! Bottom line, in our long term, relationship approach to our business, doing the right thing will help our business grow steadily!

Okay, there is still a shortage of listings so the competition will be fierce. Don’t forget to roll up your blueprint and take it with you for your next listing presentation to improve your winning percentage!

David M. Hassler

VP, Professional Development

My Friend is a Realtor: 7 Killer Comebacks

We’ve all heard it: “My buddy/sister/dog groomer is also a Realtor.” Dang! Well, this week, Inman News had a great piece on 7 ways to handle this situation:

There are around two million active real estate agents in the U.S. That’s roughly equal to the combined number of active and reserve U.S. military personnel. So it’s no wonder that agents must often confront a frustrating objection from prospective clients: “But my friend is a Realtor.”

The obligation that many buyers and sellers feel to hire their friends as agents has resulted in lost business for many qualified professionals. But if you choose your words carefully, you may be able to persuade prospects to consider hiring you instead of a friend — here are seven responses mined from a conversation in the Facebook group Lab Coat Agents.

1. Offer to pay a referral fee to the friend. This provides some prospects with a way to hire a stranger instead of a friend without feeling guilty. Pairing the offer with a warning of the risks that can come with using a friend as an agent may further strengthen the proposal.

“How about we pay your friend a referral fee, and you get to keep your friend and also gain a great Realtor?” broker-associate Heather Edwards asks prospects who bring up their Realtor friends.

2. Recommend the friend. Another approach is for agents to encourage prospects to hire their friend. Heidi Powell takes this tack — so long as she knows the friend is a capable agent. “I’m sure she will be happy to hear from you! Please tell her I said, ‘Hello!” she tells prospects. Powell then calls the agent to inform the agent of her talk with the prospect. “Pays dividends every time!” Powell said. “Because that is what I would want someone to say to my friend.”

3. ‘But can your friend do this?’ Then perform a silly trick. Broker Benjamin Floyd follows the question by using his nimble fingers to create the illusion that he’s detaching and then reattaching his thumb. Another humorous response: “Now, you have two,” Realtor Lissa de Armas’ tells prospects. Firing back “Fantastic, so do I!” is also an option. Broker Ankeney-Binkley quickly follows the one-liner with: “So, you are looking to buy? Sell?” Showing a sense of humor right off the bat might lead a prospect to spend a little more time hearing you out.

4. Are you sure you want to mix business with friendship? Many agents point out that using a friend as an agent can potentially jeopardize the friendship if things go south. “Is it worth losing your friendship if a deal gets difficult? There are always bumps in the road and it’s difficult to have an unbiased view if you have a previous relationship,” broker Michael Curtis says to prospects. Broker Lauren Stratton notes that agents working with friends may not be able to “stand back from the situation and look at it as a professional and not personally.”

5. Want your friend to know all about your finances? Consumers may not immediately grasp that they’ll have to pull back the curtain on their finances to their agent. Bringing this to light may cause some consumers to rethink hiring a friend. “So, are you prepared to share a fair amount of personal and financial information with your friend, that will definitely be exposed during the transaction?” asks agent Renee Kidwell-Drumm.

6. Great! Want a second opinion? Reminding prospects that getting a second opinion can probably only help is a way for agents to throw their hat into the ring. After acknowledging that she also has friends who are agents, Realtor Veronica Saucedo then asks sellers if they’d be willing to spend the 15 to 20 minutes that it takes for her to explain her listing strategy. “Great, meet with your friend and meet with me after,” Realtor Suneet Agarwal tells prospects.

7. Ask about the friend’s credentials. If an agent has a competitive resume, she might want to ask prospects about their friend’s credentials. “You know, it’s interesting that 20 percent of the Realtors do 80 percent of the business,” Realtor Christopher Cassidy tells prospects. “I’m fortunate to be in the top 20 percent of all agents based on production. Do you know where your friend ranks?” Realtor Anne Meczywor asks a series of questions to highlight her pedigree. They include: “That’s great! Is (s)he full time? How many years has (s)he been in the business?; Is (s)he local, so that she knows this market, the lenders, the attorneys, the home inspectors, etc.?”

Thanks, Inman, for some great ideas! Now, next time someone tells us their ex-brother in law’s second cousin’s accountant’s wife is a Realtor, we have some excellent responses to help us win a new client!

David M. Hassler

VP, Professional Development