Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. I wanted to talk to you today about your mindset. As you woke up this morning and were heading to work or going to your office or your desk at home, what were you thinking about? Were you thinking about the problems and the dramas ahead, that you might be facing in the day? Were you worrying about where your next deal is going to come from? Or were you thinking about the opportunity? One of the tough things about being an entrepreneur is that you must create every day from scratch, and there's no guarantee of payment. There's no security. And yet the great thing about being an entrepreneur is that opportunity is unlimited. So as you think about your day today, I want you to think, what are the opportunities that I should be taking advantage of? What are the calls I should make that will lead to my next big transaction? And what am I avoiding that if I just do it, I will have a successful day? So remember, think opportunity.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. I wanted to talk to you today about your mindset. As you woke up this morning and were heading to work or going to your office or your desk at home, what were you thinking about? Were you thinking about the problems and the dramas ahead, that you might be facing in the day? Were you worrying about where your next deal is going to come from? Or were you thinking about the opportunity? One of the tough things about being an entrepreneur is that you must create every day from scratch, and there's no guarantee of payment. There's no security. And yet the great thing about being an entrepreneur is that opportunity is unlimited. So as you think about your day today, I want you to think, what are the opportunities that I should be taking advantage of? What are the calls I should make that will lead to my next big transaction? And what am I avoiding that if I just do it, I will have a successful day? So remember, think opportunity.

Changing Your Mindset

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. I was thinking about something as I was reading a book this weekend called, Talent is Overrated. Is it truly the natural born talent that separates the super achievers in the real estate industry from those who don't achieve the success they deserve? After 20 years of coaching and over 80,000 coaching calls, I believe that while talent is great and it's incredible to be a natural, what I notice to be consistent when it comes to top achievers and top producers is drive and determination. Sometimes people who are super talented are content to rest on the laurels that their talent will pull them through, leading them to possibly be a little bit lazy at times about doing the work. They may not always put in the effort to laying the foundation, practicing skills, to showing up and doing the things that they need to do even when they don't feel like it. However a person who is very driven and very goal oriented seems to always find a way. So if you don't feel like you're a natural born salesperson, don't worry about it. Because I also read there's only about 2% of the population that would be considered natural born for anything. The rest is just a learned habit. So practice your drive and discipline. In fact, one of my clients calls it being rigorous. It’s time to be rigorous about the activities today to achieve the goal that I have set.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. I was thinking about something as I was reading a book this weekend called, Talent is Overrated. Is it truly the natural born talent that separates the super achievers in the real estate industry from those who don't achieve the success they deserve? After 20 years of coaching and over 80,000 coaching calls, I believe that while talent is great and it's incredible to be a natural, what I notice to be consistent when it comes to top achievers and top producers is drive and determination. Sometimes people who are super talented are content to rest on the laurels that their talent will pull them through, leading them to possibly be a little bit lazy at times about doing the work. They may not always put in the effort to laying the foundation, practicing skills, to showing up and doing the things that they need to do even when they don't feel like it. However a person who is very driven and very goal oriented seems to always find a way. So if you don't feel like you're a natural born salesperson, don't worry about it. Because I also read there's only about 2% of the population that would be considered natural born for anything. The rest is just a learned habit. So practice your drive and discipline. In fact, one of my clients calls it being rigorous. It’s time to be rigorous about the activities today to achieve the goal that I have set.

Talent Is Overrated

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. What is your pre-appointment warmup? I was talking to someone in Canada, and he is the leader of a team that lists over a thousand properties a year. Here is his pre-appointment warmup: He puts the top down on his car, and he blasts the theme from Rocky, the Eye of the Tiger song. This is how he gets his mind in the game, and maybe it works because of course he takes a lot of listings. What’s funny is he even does this in the winter, even though it's a little cold in Canada in the winter. But he's discovered that that's what he needs to get his mind in the game. But how many times have we done the opposite of this? We kept putting off preparing for the listing appointment until the last minute, and now we're throwing things together and we're rushing over there. We’re worried about running late, we're maybe even talking on the phone trying to fix a deal problem as we drive, only to arrive with our mind in turmoil and chaos. So instead, let's set aside at least the 30 minutes before. Remember, there's a lot of money on the table, so take your time to get your head in the game. Take your time to get organized. Whatever works for you, if it's listening to great music, listening to scripts, or just driving over quietly thinking about the appointment ahead. You worked hard to get to the table, we want to be sure that we're at the top of our game when we get there.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. What is your pre-appointment warmup? I was talking to someone in Canada, and he is the leader of a team that lists over a thousand properties a year. Here is his pre-appointment warmup: He puts the top down on his car, and he blasts the theme from Rocky, the Eye of the Tiger song. This is how he gets his mind in the game, and maybe it works because of course he takes a lot of listings. What’s funny is he even does this in the winter, even though it's a little cold in Canada in the winter. But he's discovered that that's what he needs to get his mind in the game. But how many times have we done the opposite of this? We kept putting off preparing for the listing appointment until the last minute, and now we're throwing things together and we're rushing over there. We’re worried about running late, we're maybe even talking on the phone trying to fix a deal problem as we drive, only to arrive with our mind in turmoil and chaos. So instead, let's set aside at least the 30 minutes before. Remember, there's a lot of money on the table, so take your time to get your head in the game. Take your time to get organized. Whatever works for you, if it's listening to great music, listening to scripts, or just driving over quietly thinking about the appointment ahead. You worked hard to get to the table, we want to be sure that we're at the top of our game when we get there.

Your Pre-Appointment Warmup

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. Today I wanted to talk a little bit about referrals. We all love referrals and want more referrals, and yet sometimes you wonder, why do my friends, my family, my raving fan clients, not give me the referrals I deserve? A couple of reasons for this could be possible. One, they just might not be the connector type. There are certain people who are very proactive about helping, but others are a little shy or timid to bring it up. So it could be just their personality type. Also, often we can give the impression that we're so busy and so successful, potentially they think that you don’t need them. It could also be that they're not completely clear on all the market areas that you service. Along that same line, they might not be aware of all the price points that you cover. So let's make sure that you talk to them about how much you value and appreciate the referrals, and how you love to build your business working with the people you know and their friends and family, that you're passionate about it. Also, let them know the geography that you cover. In fact, some of our clients simply say, “I'm licensed in the state of X.” And of course, let them know that whether it's a condo or a mansion, you are there to help. Be sure to tell them how to deliver those referrals to you. I always used to say to clients, “I so appreciate it if you will mention my name and give them my number.” But sometimes they're just a little bit too shy to do so. In that case you could try saying, "Why don't you do this for me? If you'll call me or text me their information, I'll be happy to reach out, because I want to make sure they're well taken care of." Make it a great day and go get those referrals! 

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. Today I wanted to talk a little bit about referrals. We all love referrals and want more referrals, and yet sometimes you wonder, why do my friends, my family, my raving fan clients, not give me the referrals I deserve? A couple of reasons for this could be possible. One, they just might not be the connector type. There are certain people who are very proactive about helping, but others are a little shy or timid to bring it up. So it could be just their personality type. Also, often we can give the impression that we're so busy and so successful, potentially they think that you don’t need them. It could also be that they're not completely clear on all the market areas that you service. Along that same line, they might not be aware of all the price points that you cover. So let's make sure that you talk to them about how much you value and appreciate the referrals, and how you love to build your business working with the people you know and their friends and family, that you're passionate about it. Also, let them know the geography that you cover. In fact, some of our clients simply say, “I'm licensed in the state of X.” And of course, let them know that whether it's a condo or a mansion, you are there to help. Be sure to tell them how to deliver those referrals to you. I always used to say to clients, “I so appreciate it if you will mention my name and give them my number.” But sometimes they're just a little bit too shy to do so. In that case you could try saying, "Why don't you do this for me? If you'll call me or text me their information, I'll be happy to reach out, because I want to make sure they're well taken care of." Make it a great day and go get those referrals!

Getting The Referrals You Deserve

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. There is something I keep hearing. I hear it as I travel across the country, and I've already heard it three or four times this week. "I need systems for my business." Great top producing agents are making terrific money, and yet they're saying, "I'm not sure where that next deal is going to come from. I hope I achieve my goal, but how do I create this predictable machine that delivers the same amount of production, month after month after month? I need to be sure this gets me towards that ultimate annual goal that I have set." This is probably one of the biggest challenges of the real estate business. In the book the E-Myth, which Michael Gerber wrote years ago, he talks about the entrepreneurial myth. Just because somebody, for example, is a great pie maker, doesn't mean there'll be a great pie shop owner. So there's a difference between being an entrepreneur and being a technician. The real estate business attracts entrepreneurs. I want you to ask yourself, are you truly building a business? There needs to be structures and systems for everything you do, so that you can fine tune those structures and systems to create a predictable process. Next, there needs to be at least three to five methods of lead generation. I always encourage agents to start first with their three best methods. This is common sense, going to areas that you're already good at and closing the gaps. When you have your three methods dialed in and running like a machine, you add a fourth and even a fifth. Running a successful business includes tracking your numbers. Both your conversion numbers, money and financials, profitability. We need to track our numbers because businesses measure profit. Also, I want you I think about increasing your opt-in list. Now, there's a difference between leads and contacts and connections. I know an agent that has 20,000 people in his e-marketing list. Now, some of those people, a much smaller number, are receiving mailings and phone calls. But then there's this nice large group that are just the community connections that his team has collected over time, that they e-market to. And you know what? They get seven to nine listings a month, often from people they don't even know or remember. So think about yourself as a business. Run your business as a business. If you need some help, reach out to us. Our coaches are experts at creating a business that is yours, unique and alone, your custom success blueprint.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. There is something I keep hearing. I hear it as I travel across the country, and I've already heard it three or four times this week. "I need systems for my business." Great top producing agents are making terrific money, and yet they're saying, "I'm not sure where that next deal is going to come from. I hope I achieve my goal, but how do I create this predictable machine that delivers the same amount of production, month after month after month? I need to be sure this gets me towards that ultimate annual goal that I have set." This is probably one of the biggest challenges of the real estate business. In the book the E-Myth, which Michael Gerber wrote years ago, he talks about the entrepreneurial myth. Just because somebody, for example, is a great pie maker, doesn't mean there'll be a great pie shop owner. So there's a difference between being an entrepreneur and being a technician. The real estate business attracts entrepreneurs. I want you to ask yourself, are you truly building a business? There needs to be structures and systems for everything you do, so that you can fine tune those structures and systems to create a predictable process. Next, there needs to be at least three to five methods of lead generation. I always encourage agents to start first with their three best methods. This is common sense, going to areas that you're already good at and closing the gaps. When you have your three methods dialed in and running like a machine, you add a fourth and even a fifth. Running a successful business includes tracking your numbers. Both your conversion numbers, money and financials, profitability. We need to track our numbers because businesses measure profit. Also, I want you I think about increasing your opt-in list. Now, there's a difference between leads and contacts and connections. I know an agent that has 20,000 people in his e-marketing list. Now, some of those people, a much smaller number, are receiving mailings and phone calls. But then there's this nice large group that are just the community connections that his team has collected over time, that they e-market to. And you know what? They get seven to nine listings a month, often from people they don't even know or remember. So think about yourself as a business. Run your business as a business. If you need some help, reach out to us. Our coaches are experts at creating a business that is yours, unique and alone, your custom success blueprint.

Structures And Systems To Build Your Real Estate Business

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. I wanted to answer an interesting question that came in to me today. Someone asked, "Debbie, what do sellers really want from me when I go out on a listing appointment?" This is a great question. Often here at Excelleum, the coaches and I say to clients, let's enter the conversation that's going on in the mind of the prospect. Let's not push our agenda at them, instead, let's meet them where they're at. So if we think about it that way, what does the seller really want from us? First of all, they want to be heard. They want us to listen to their goals, their dreams, their wishes. They want to tell us about their property. They want us to appreciate their property. They want us to be the champion of their home, of their value, and they want to know that you're going to fight for them. Next, they want to hear about the marketing. What are the things you're going to do to bring exposure to the property, but to also deliver that right buyer? And for all of you listening to or reading this, if you think about emphasizing the proactive marketing methods, you can also get a little bit away from some of the heavy spend. Because now you're showing them that it's not just about running ads in a magazine, it's about the proactive things you do to go out and find the ideal buyer. And let's be sure that you're leveraging the tools and the resources that your company provides and always thinking too, that whatever feature or tool we're presenting, we're going to need to also answer the question, what benefit does this provide to the seller? Because to everything you say, often they're thinking, so what does that mean to me? Of course they want to know a little bit about you and your track record. For those of you who have a great track record, leverage the power of that. For those of you who do not have a big track record, leverage the power of the track record of your company. Use what you've got. After that, are we going to be able to prove to them that everything we say we'll do, we'll actually do? Absolutely. The proof would be in your reviews and your testimonials. So here’s what they really want to know, to sum it up. That you're on their side, defending their home, defending its value. They want to know who you are and what you bring to the table and if they feel comfortable working with you. They want to know a little bit about what are you actually going to do to market their home and find their ideal buyer. And last but not least, they want some reassurance or proof that you will actually keep those promises and keep those commitments. So think about it from their perspective. Walk a mile in their shoes, enter the conversation in their mind and make sure that when you're there at that meeting, that it's very engaging and interactive and they feel that you are really listening.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. I wanted to answer an interesting question that came in to me today. Someone asked, "Debbie, what do sellers really want from me when I go out on a listing appointment?" This is a great question. Often here at Excelleum, the coaches and I say to clients, let's enter the conversation that's going on in the mind of the prospect. Let's not push our agenda at them, instead, let's meet them where they're at. So if we think about it that way, what does the seller really want from us? First of all, they want to be heard. They want us to listen to their goals, their dreams, their wishes. They want to tell us about their property. They want us to appreciate their property. They want us to be the champion of their home, of their value, and they want to know that you're going to fight for them. Next, they want to hear about the marketing. What are the things you're going to do to bring exposure to the property, but to also deliver that right buyer? And for all of you listening to or reading this, if you think about emphasizing the proactive marketing methods, you can also get a little bit away from some of the heavy spend. Because now you're showing them that it's not just about running ads in a magazine, it's about the proactive things you do to go out and find the ideal buyer. And let's be sure that you're leveraging the tools and the resources that your company provides and always thinking too, that whatever feature or tool we're presenting, we're going to need to also answer the question, what benefit does this provide to the seller? Because to everything you say, often they're thinking, so what does that mean to me? Of course they want to know a little bit about you and your track record. For those of you who have a great track record, leverage the power of that. For those of you who do not have a big track record, leverage the power of the track record of your company. Use what you've got. After that, are we going to be able to prove to them that everything we say we'll do, we'll actually do? Absolutely. The proof would be in your reviews and your testimonials. So here’s what they really want to know, to sum it up. That you're on their side, defending their home, defending its value. They want to know who you are and what you bring to the table and if they feel comfortable working with you. They want to know a little bit about what are you actually going to do to market their home and find their ideal buyer. And last but not least, they want some reassurance or proof that you will actually keep those promises and keep those commitments. So think about it from their perspective. Walk a mile in their shoes, enter the conversation in their mind and make sure that when you're there at that meeting, that it's very engaging and interactive and they feel that you are really listening.

What Sellers Really Want

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. Do you time block? Agents often come to me and tell me that they need to time block, and that it's one of the things that they struggle with most. There's just so many things flying at them every day throughout the day, that it's hard to focus. Often, I even hear, "One of the reasons I got into real estate is because I wanted freedom, I wanted flexibility. I don't like a rigorous schedule." So then I figure out what's going on in their business and ask them, “How is that working out for you?” And usually, not that well. Here's what I would encourage you to do. What if you just started by time blocking just the morning? Set a specific time that you're going to wake up. Figure out what time will you be at your desk, either at your home desk or your office desk working. What are the important things that you must do in the morning so that we can keep feeding that machine? Things like lead follow up, new lead generation, negotiating contracts, or preparing for the day's appointments ahead. If you’re locked and loaded and focused intensely in the morning, for most people the afternoon is going to take care of itself. You're going to have appointments, activities, and a little bit more freedom and flexibility. So let's start with time blocking the morning. I read something the other day and it said, all the money is made before noon. This makes sense and here's why. In the morning, you're at your best in terms of energy and focus, the day's problems haven't beat you up yet. So it just makes sense that that's the time to get those big rocks out of the way. And by the way, speaking of big rocks, try to limit the big rocks on your list. Most of our coaching clients feel that if they start out in the morning with a list of five big rocks on their list and they can check those off and get them done in the day, then it’s a pretty good day. Of course, if you have time left after that, you can always add a few more rocks to the pile, but let's just start with five big rocks a day. So remember, a terrific morning routine supports a fabulous career.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. Do you time block? Agents often come to me and tell me that they need to time block, and that it's one of the things that they struggle with most. There's just so many things flying at them every day throughout the day, that it's hard to focus. Often, I even hear, "One of the reasons I got into real estate is because I wanted freedom, I wanted flexibility. I don't like a rigorous schedule." So then I figure out what's going on in their business and ask them, “How is that working out for you?” And usually, not that well. Here's what I would encourage you to do. What if you just started by time blocking just the morning? Set a specific time that you're going to wake up. Figure out what time will you be at your desk, either at your home desk or your office desk working. What are the important things that you must do in the morning so that we can keep feeding that machine? Things like lead follow up, new lead generation, negotiating contracts, or preparing for the day's appointments ahead. If you’re locked and loaded and focused intensely in the morning, for most people the afternoon is going to take care of itself. You're going to have appointments, activities, and a little bit more freedom and flexibility. So let's start with time blocking the morning. I read something the other day and it said, all the money is made before noon. This makes sense and here's why. In the morning, you're at your best in terms of energy and focus, the day's problems haven't beat you up yet. So it just makes sense that that's the time to get those big rocks out of the way. And by the way, speaking of big rocks, try to limit the big rocks on your list. Most of our coaching clients feel that if they start out in the morning with a list of five big rocks on their list and they can check those off and get them done in the day, then it’s a pretty good day. Of course, if you have time left after that, you can always add a few more rocks to the pile, but let's just start with five big rocks a day. So remember, a terrific morning routine supports a fabulous career.

Time Blocking

Hello it's Debbie and welcome to Debbie's Tips. Are you still on track to hit your goal for the year? Perhaps you’ve fallen into the trap where you set these great goals at the beginning of the year, we've all done this, and somewhere along the line you lost the vision, maybe you fell a little bit behind. So is it time to revisit the goals that you have set? Are you still committed to that number that you selected at the beginning of the year? As I've worked with top agents across North America and over the last 20 years, one thing that's very clear to me is that the year isn't even. Here's what I mean by that. You don't take your number for the year and divide it by four quarters. In a perfect world, that would be great. But many markets are seasonal, and I find that most agents do the majority of their business in the second and third quarter. If you're not on track for your goal, if you're falling behind, take a moment and do the math. If you took the number you wanted to hit in the remainder of the year and you divided that up over the number of months ahead, would you be able to catch up? Now, if you're feeling overwhelmed and you're feeling that it would not be possible to hit that number, then take a minute and reset your goal. Reset and set a new goal that's realistic and that you're excited about. I do encourage you though, don't give up on yourself too early, because it's amazing when I see what agents can often turn around and do in just a quarter. So ask yourself these questions. What is the goal that I really want to achieve this year? If I break that down into weekly actions and activities, what do I need to do? What is it that I'm avoiding that if I stopped avoiding and just embraced it, would make a huge difference? What changes in my schedule and improvements in my skill do I need to make so that I can make more money faster, and achieve this goal with less effort? So remember, it doesn't take much to have an incredible 90 day cycle. Usually it's just a few tweaks or changes.

Hello it's Debbie and welcome to Debbie's Tips. Are you still on track to hit your goal for the year? Perhaps you’ve fallen into the trap where you set these great goals at the beginning of the year, we've all done this, and somewhere along the line you lost the vision, maybe you fell a little bit behind. So is it time to revisit the goals that you have set? Are you still committed to that number that you selected at the beginning of the year? As I've worked with top agents across North America and over the last 20 years, one thing that's very clear to me is that the year isn't even. Here's what I mean by that. You don't take your number for the year and divide it by four quarters. In a perfect world, that would be great. But many markets are seasonal, and I find that most agents do the majority of their business in the second and third quarter. If you're not on track for your goal, if you're falling behind, take a moment and do the math. If you took the number you wanted to hit in the remainder of the year and you divided that up over the number of months ahead, would you be able to catch up? Now, if you're feeling overwhelmed and you're feeling that it would not be possible to hit that number, then take a minute and reset your goal. Reset and set a new goal that's realistic and that you're excited about. I do encourage you though, don't give up on yourself too early, because it's amazing when I see what agents can often turn around and do in just a quarter. So ask yourself these questions. What is the goal that I really want to achieve this year? If I break that down into weekly actions and activities, what do I need to do? What is it that I'm avoiding that if I stopped avoiding and just embraced it, would make a huge difference? What changes in my schedule and improvements in my skill do I need to make so that I can make more money faster, and achieve this goal with less effort? So remember, it doesn't take much to have an incredible 90 day cycle. Usually it's just a few tweaks or changes.

Are You On Track To Hit Your Goal?

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. And today I wanted to talk a little bit more about overcoming the "Will you cut your commission?" objection. I know we've talked about this before, but it's something that I hear every day from great agents, who say that they're just struggling to hold the line on commission. Now of course we all know that commission is negotiable by law, and yet I also believe that you do have the right to earn what you deserve to earn, to support your business and to support your family. Today's consumers, though, they're more savvy and they're more demanding than ever, aren't they? Today's consumer is probably going to ask you to cut commission. And yet, just because they ask you doesn't mean they won't ultimately pay more. In fact, I read that if you take any group of consumers for any product, 70% will pay more for perceived value. This is why it's critical to have a well-prepared and a well-planned listing presentation. Because so much money is on the line, it just makes sense to practice, to rehearse, and to find at least three to five outstanding ways to handle the commission objection so that you'll feel comfortable and confident that you can respond with ease. Also, remember it's critical to stay in rapport with your sellers. So if you flinch, scowl, or act mad, you won't be able to maintain rapport. So when they bring it up, just be calm. And one thing you can control, don't ever volunteer to take a cut. Because when you do, you show the seller that you're weak and you open the door for them to try to get into your pocket for even more later. Here are just a few scripts that I've used and our clients are using to hold the line to earn what they deserve. I hope you find them helpful. "Will you discount commission?" "You know, if I were you, Mr. Seller, I probably would ask the same question. And when you think about it, I'm sure you'll realize commission is really a powerful marketing tool. And what I mean by this is, when you offer a reasonable rate of commission, it incentivizes me to work overtime to spend the money I need to spend to properly market and expose the home, and it causes the buyer agent to put your property at the top of the list. So when you think about it, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I'm sure you realize, you are not paying anyone anything today. Today, commission is actually nothing more than a marketing carrot. And when the offers come to the table, you're going to make the decision whether or not to accept that offer. Now, let's do the right thing today. Let's put the proper incentive out there to attract the showings we need, in order to sell your home for the highest realistic price possible." Now I understand they may say to you, yes, but the buyer will find my house on Zillow and tell their agent that they want to see it. And to that, you can say, "Yes, you're right. That very likely may happen. And yet we can never underestimate the agent's ability to persuade them towards or away from your property. So again, let's do the right thing today." And if they're really grinding on you and you need to do it, you can always say to them, "You know, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I am a reasonable person and I want this deal to go together. So if we get an offer on the table but we're a little way apart and we just can't quite make it work, I'll work with you." Because you see, if you're going to have to take a cut, I would rather you are able to put that off and do that at the end when there's an offer on the table, because now we have a buyer, a seller, and potentially two agents involved. Plus when you take the cut up front, they just think they're going to be able to get in your pocket later. So be well-prepared. Have a great presentation. Use your reviews and testimonials that talk about how you got them the highest price possible. Go out there with at least two or three great ways to overcome the objection with confidence to earn what you deserve to earn.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. And today I wanted to talk a little bit more about overcoming the "Will you cut your commission?" objection. I know we've talked about this before, but it's something that I hear every day from great agents, who say that they're just struggling to hold the line on commission. Now of course we all know that commission is negotiable by law, and yet I also believe that you do have the right to earn what you deserve to earn, to support your business and to support your family. Today's consumers, though, they're more savvy and they're more demanding than ever, aren't they? Today's consumer is probably going to ask you to cut commission. And yet, just because they ask you doesn't mean they won't ultimately pay more. In fact, I read that if you take any group of consumers for any product, 70% will pay more for perceived value. This is why it's critical to have a well-prepared and a well-planned listing presentation. Because so much money is on the line, it just makes sense to practice, to rehearse, and to find at least three to five outstanding ways to handle the commission objection so that you'll feel comfortable and confident that you can respond with ease. Also, remember it's critical to stay in rapport with your sellers. So if you flinch, scowl, or act mad, you won't be able to maintain rapport. So when they bring it up, just be calm. And one thing you can control, don't ever volunteer to take a cut. Because when you do, you show the seller that you're weak and you open the door for them to try to get into your pocket for even more later. Here are just a few scripts that I've used and our clients are using to hold the line to earn what they deserve. I hope you find them helpful. "Will you discount commission?" "You know, if I were you, Mr. Seller, I probably would ask the same question. And when you think about it, I'm sure you'll realize commission is really a powerful marketing tool. And what I mean by this is, when you offer a reasonable rate of commission, it incentivizes me to work overtime to spend the money I need to spend to properly market and expose the home, and it causes the buyer agent to put your property at the top of the list. So when you think about it, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I'm sure you realize, you are not paying anyone anything today. Today, commission is actually nothing more than a marketing carrot. And when the offers come to the table, you're going to make the decision whether or not to accept that offer. Now, let's do the right thing today. Let's put the proper incentive out there to attract the showings we need, in order to sell your home for the highest realistic price possible." Now I understand they may say to you, yes, but the buyer will find my house on Zillow and tell their agent that they want to see it. And to that, you can say, "Yes, you're right. That very likely may happen. And yet we can never underestimate the agent's ability to persuade them towards or away from your property. So again, let's do the right thing today." And if they're really grinding on you and you need to do it, you can always say to them, "You know, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I am a reasonable person and I want this deal to go together. So if we get an offer on the table but we're a little way apart and we just can't quite make it work, I'll work with you." Because you see, if you're going to have to take a cut, I would rather you are able to put that off and do that at the end when there's an offer on the table, because now we have a buyer, a seller, and potentially two agents involved. Plus when you take the cut up front, they just think they're going to be able to get in your pocket later. So be well-prepared. Have a great presentation. Use your reviews and testimonials that talk about how you got them the highest price possible. Go out there with at least two or three great ways to overcome the objection with confidence to earn what you deserve to earn.

Overcoming Commission Cutting Objections

Hi, it's Debbie and welcome to Debbie Tips. I got a message this week and I thought it'd be good for us to talk about today. The question was, “Debbie, I've heard you talk about being a wise advisor in your marketing to your geographic farm and to your past clients and sphere. But what exactly should I be mailing?” In other words, they were asking me if it was okay to still be mailing out things like a calendar on the local sporting events, a recipe card, or dropping off pumpkins or 4th of July flags. Their point was, I know that's not really sending anything that's making me shine as a wise advisor, but it is getting my name out there. Well, and it's fine. I mean, it doesn't hurt you. Well, I should take that back. I did hear a story last 4th of July that caused a bit of damage. An agent told me that they got a bright idea to pass out happy 4th of July door hangers in their geographic farm, and they thought it'd be really cool to attach a sparkler to the door hanger. Well, if they'd been coaching with us, I would have told him that's a not a good idea because every action has a reaction. So guess what happened? All the little kids in the neighborhood dug lighters out of the junk drawer in the kitchen, and they were running around with lighters and sparklers in the neighborhood. Not a good idea. Right? So that might have hurt them a bit. But generally speaking, stuff that just gets your name out there, it won't hurt you, but it also won't necessarily help you. And it can be expensive. Now for example we're here in Orange County, California, my daughters went to Mater Dei High School. If you guys watch sports, you've probably heard of Mater Dei, they're obsessed with sports at that school. So if I was sending to the neighborhood around Mater Dei, a sports calendar, they might really love it. That might be a good thing to do. So there will be situations where it would make sense, but for the most part, what I'd like to encourage you to mail is things that are helpful resources. For example, we give our coaching clients consumer guides on topics such as how to move up, how to downsize with distinction, selling your home through divorce, buying your first home, buying an investment, etc. And those are educational books that our clients offer via postcards, they offer through Facebook ads, and then when a consumer see that great information and they raise their hand and say, yes, I would like a copy of that, then we shine as wise advisors by providing relevant content about the conversations that might be going on in their minds. This way we're using our marketing dollars wisely, because we're offering bait that they want. Bait that they will bite on. So I'm not saying that it's bad to send a sports calendar. However I am saying it's bad to send a postcard saying it's time to change your clocks. You guys have heard me talk about this before, but I think they already know to change their clocks, right? So think about your marketing dollars. What's the point you're trying to make? What's the impression you're trying to make? And is that going to set up some lead bait that will cause them to bite and reach out to you? If you need some more examples or some help with that, just email me debbie@excelleum.com, and I'll make sure you get invited to one of our upcoming marketing webinars.

Hi, it's Debbie and welcome to Debbie Tips. I got a message this week and I thought it'd be good for us to talk about today. The question was, “Debbie, I've heard you talk about being a wise advisor in your marketing to your geographic farm and to your past clients and sphere. But what exactly should I be mailing?” In other words, they were asking me if it was okay to still be mailing out things like a calendar on the local sporting events, a recipe card, or dropping off pumpkins or 4th of July flags. Their point was, I know that's not really sending anything that's making me shine as a wise advisor, but it is getting my name out there. Well, and it's fine. I mean, it doesn't hurt you. Well, I should take that back. I did hear a story last 4th of July that caused a bit of damage. An agent told me that they got a bright idea to pass out happy 4th of July door hangers in their geographic farm, and they thought it'd be really cool to attach a sparkler to the door hanger. Well, if they'd been coaching with us, I would have told him that's a not a good idea because every action has a reaction. So guess what happened? All the little kids in the neighborhood dug lighters out of the junk drawer in the kitchen, and they were running around with lighters and sparklers in the neighborhood. Not a good idea. Right? So that might have hurt them a bit. But generally speaking, stuff that just gets your name out there, it won't hurt you, but it also won't necessarily help you. And it can be expensive. Now for example we're here in Orange County, California, my daughters went to Mater Dei High School. If you guys watch sports, you've probably heard of Mater Dei, they're obsessed with sports at that school. So if I was sending to the neighborhood around Mater Dei, a sports calendar, they might really love it. That might be a good thing to do. So there will be situations where it would make sense, but for the most part, what I'd like to encourage you to mail is things that are helpful resources. For example, we give our coaching clients consumer guides on topics such as how to move up, how to downsize with distinction, selling your home through divorce, buying your first home, buying an investment, etc. And those are educational books that our clients offer via postcards, they offer through Facebook ads, and then when a consumer see that great information and they raise their hand and say, yes, I would like a copy of that, then we shine as wise advisors by providing relevant content about the conversations that might be going on in their minds. This way we're using our marketing dollars wisely, because we're offering bait that they want. Bait that they will bite on. So I'm not saying that it's bad to send a sports calendar. However I am saying it's bad to send a postcard saying it's time to change your clocks. You guys have heard me talk about this before, but I think they already know to change their clocks, right? So think about your marketing dollars. What's the point you're trying to make? What's the impression you're trying to make? And is that going to set up some lead bait that will cause them to bite and reach out to you? If you need some more examples or some help with that, just email me debbie@excelleum.com, and I'll make sure you get invited to one of our upcoming marketing webinars.

What To Mail To Your Geographic Farm

If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you! Every week, Master Sales Trainer and coach Debbie De Grote interviews the real estates industry's best, brightest and most profitable.

Great podcast with lots of ideas. Many episodes are from agents that are at the level I want to be at.

Real Estate Gems on Every Episode

Elite Agents Real Estate Podcast with Debbie De Grote

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. Today we're talking about how to network, even if you're afraid of talking to strangers. As we helped our clients get ready for 2019, one of the suggestions that we had for them is that they find a networking group. That they find something they are passionate about and where they can meet people, hopefully people that have their ideal clients, or even put together and form their own networking group. But of course, depending on your personality, that might be terrifying to you because you hate to talk to strangers. I was thinking a little bit about this. What would be a few things to make it easier for you to talk to strangers? Well, one thing would be choosing your audience, right? Who do you have a lot in common with, so that there'd be a lot to naturally talk about? Also, maybe you bring a wingman. Bring a friend, bring someone with you so that you're not there on your own. Plus, they may even know some of the people in the room. Another thought, it’s good to always have a few go-to opening lines. For example, if I am at an event with a bunch of people and it's a real estate event, often one of my opening lines is, “How’s your year? What have been some of the best things that you've accomplished?” or, “Tell me, what's a significant project that you're excited about or working on? I wonder, where does most of your business come from? What are you really good at?” I try to always have a few of these opening lines, because I know that it's easier if I can ask questions and get people talking about themselves. One of the best ways to build rapport is ask questions about things that matter to them and to then pay attention, right? It's a great way to get to know someone and to decide, is this someone that I would like to have a conversation with and build a deeper business relationship with? You could ask questions like, “What are some of the fun things you're working on right now? Tell me, how did you come to be a member of this group? What business are you in? How is your business doing?” Ask them where they live and say, “You know, this may be an odd question, but I'm in real estate and I always like to know where people live and how they enjoy it.” A great goal for when you have networking events is to meet five people you don't know and try to ask them three to five questions. Maybe talk to them for at least three to five minutes, and hopefully you’ll then come away with a good lead, a good connection, maybe a new friend, and their contact information so that they can be opted in to your marketing web. Alright, so be prepared, have your goal, set your opening lines, and maybe take your wingman. Have a great day. I'll talk to you soon.   If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you!

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. Today we're talking about how to network, even if you're afraid of talking to strangers. As we helped our clients get ready for 2019, one of the suggestions that we had for them is that they find a networking group. That they find something they are passionate about and where they can meet people, hopefully people that have their ideal clients, or even put together and form their own networking group. But of course, depending on your personality, that might be terrifying to you because you hate to talk to strangers. I was thinking a little bit about this. What would be a few things to make it easier for you to talk to strangers? Well, one thing would be choosing your audience, right? Who do you have a lot in common with, so that there'd be a lot to naturally talk about? Also, maybe you bring a wingman. Bring a friend, bring someone with you so that you're not there on your own. Plus, they may even know some of the people in the room. Another thought, it’s good to always have a few go-to opening lines. For example, if I am at an event with a bunch of people and it's a real estate event, often one of my opening lines is, “How’s your year? What have been some of the best things that you've accomplished?” or, “Tell me, what's a significant project that you're excited about or working on? I wonder, where does most of your business come from? What are you really good at?” I try to always have a few of these opening lines, because I know that it's easier if I can ask questions and get people talking about themselves. One of the best ways to build rapport is ask questions about things that matter to them and to then pay attention, right? It's a great way to get to know someone and to decide, is this someone that I would like to have a conversation with and build a deeper business relationship with? You could ask questions like, “What are some of the fun things you're working on right now? Tell me, how did you come to be a member of this group? What business are you in? How is your business doing?” Ask them where they live and say, “You know, this may be an odd question, but I'm in real estate and I always like to know where people live and how they enjoy it.” A great goal for when you have networking events is to meet five people you don't know and try to ask them three to five questions. Maybe talk to them for at least three to five minutes, and hopefully you’ll then come away with a good lead, a good connection, maybe a new friend, and their contact information so that they can be opted in to your marketing web. Alright, so be prepared, have your goal, set your opening lines, and maybe take your wingman. Have a great day. I'll talk to you soon. If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you!

Networking #328

Hello, it’s Debbie De Grote and welcome to Debbie’s Tips. You know, I had an email this morning. It was perfect, just in time for me to record this tip for you. It was a list of questions from a guy that we coach, a fabulous guy, who is all fired up and ready to go with a mission of making 40 contacts per day. Now, I get it, that that’s a big goal, and I get it that many people who would listen to this Debbie Tips, would not have an interest in doing 40 contacts a day or a plan to do so, but his questions were so valuable and appropriate, I’d thought I’d answer them for you on the Debbie’s Tips today. So, number one question that he asked is, do I count a contact if they’re a new lead, or does it count if they’re also people from my database, and does it count if they call me or do I have to make the outbound call? So guys, I want you to think of it this way. In a very pure sense, think of a contact as a live conversation, eye-to-eye or ear-to-ear, with a decision-making adult, that potentially could spark a new real estate opportunity, okay? So, if you think about it, you could see a friend at Starbucks and ask them for a referral. That would count as a contact. A past client could call in and give you a referral. That’s a new business opportunity. That could count as a contact. So, inbound or outbound, I don’t care, it doesn’t matter. They can be a stranger or they can be your best friend, or they can be your mother, that’s all fine as long as it’s a conversation that could potentially lead to a new business opportunity. Now, it doesn’t mean that every call would give you a lead. It would still count as a contact if you had that conversation.   Next, he went on to ask, do lead follow-up calls count as a contact Well, let’s say that someone reached out online, you’ve never spoken to them. Absolutely, that’s a fresh contact. 100%. But, what he was really saying is, what about the people who are in your pipeline and they’re saying, you know, I’ll sell in 60 days, or I’ll sell in 90 days, or maybe I’ll buy in 6 months, and you’re having those repetitive conversations with them, does each conversation count as a contact? No, unless you’re asking for a new business opportunity. So, let’s say I’m calling Fred, and I’m saying, “Hey, Fred. I’m just checking in. Do you still have a plan to get your home sold in the next three months?”  “Yes, Debbie, but I’m not ready yet.”  “Okay, Fred. Well, I’m going to be here for you. I want to meet with you at that time. And by the way, Fred, you know a lot of people. Is there anyone that you can think of today, that might need my help?” See, it was an ongoing lead follow-up call, but I did ask Fred for new business, so absolutely, I can count that as a contact.   Next, he was asking, well, what about if I’m following up with my sellers on listings, or what about if I’m following up with my buyers who are already under contract, just, you know, to give status reports and updates, can I count those as a contact? Well, when you’re just following up on existing business, no, that wouldn’t be a contact, unless you ask them for a referral, right? So, if I’m calling my buyer and saying, “Hey, just want to let you know, appraisal came in signed. We’re good to go. We’re going to be closing on time.” And they’re so excited, and you say, “I’m so delighted to help. And, by the way, you know, I love working with you, and now I’m going to need a new client. Is there anyone you can think of who might need my help?” See, now, I accomplished two great purposes. I did my follow-up conversation with my seller or my buyer who’s pending, so that’s all good because I want to, you know, lock them in as a client for life, and I want them to feel comfortable referring business to me in the future, and I asked for a referral. So now, they could be a contact.   So, then he says, what about open house? Absolutely. Anybody that you’re talking to at open house, and prospecting to pick up, that’s a contact. So, you kind of get it, right guys? Just think of it this way: doesn’t have to be a new person, but it needs to be a conversation about a new opportunity, and that could even include, as you speak to your vendors and your affiliates, and you’re asking, hey, is there anyone you know today who needs my help. Because here’s what I want. I want you to be hunting for business all the time, anywhere and everywhere, seeking, and searching out that new opportunity. See, it’s easier than you think when you think about all the places you might be in the day, and all the conversations you may have. The only thing we have to do is start asking more directly for what you want. So, good luck and happy hunting today. Talk to you soon.

Hello, it’s Debbie De Grote and welcome to Debbie’s Tips. You know, I had an email this morning. It was perfect, just in time for me to record this tip for you. It was a list of questions from a guy that we coach, a fabulous guy, who is all fired up and ready to go with a mission of making 40 contacts per day. Now, I get it, that that’s a big goal, and I get it that many people who would listen to this Debbie Tips, would not have an interest in doing 40 contacts a day or a plan to do so, but his questions were so valuable and appropriate, I’d thought I’d answer them for you on the Debbie’s Tips today. So, number one question that he asked is, do I count a contact if they’re a new lead, or does it count if they’re also people from my database, and does it count if they call me or do I have to make the outbound call? So guys, I want you to think of it this way. In a very pure sense, think of a contact as a live conversation, eye-to-eye or ear-to-ear, with a decision-making adult, that potentially could spark a new real estate opportunity, okay? So, if you think about it, you could see a friend at Starbucks and ask them for a referral. That would count as a contact. A past client could call in and give you a referral. That’s a new business opportunity. That could count as a contact. So, inbound or outbound, I don’t care, it doesn’t matter. They can be a stranger or they can be your best friend, or they can be your mother, that’s all fine as long as it’s a conversation that could potentially lead to a new business opportunity. Now, it doesn’t mean that every call would give you a lead. It would still count as a contact if you had that conversation. Next, he went on to ask, do lead follow-up calls count as a contact Well, let’s say that someone reached out online, you’ve never spoken to them. Absolutely, that’s a fresh contact. 100%. But, what he was really saying is, what about the people who are in your pipeline and they’re saying, you know, I’ll sell in 60 days, or I’ll sell in 90 days, or maybe I’ll buy in 6 months, and you’re having those repetitive conversations with them, does each conversation count as a contact? No, unless you’re asking for a new business opportunity. So, let’s say I’m calling Fred, and I’m saying, “Hey, Fred. I’m just checking in. Do you still have a plan to get your home sold in the next three months?”  “Yes, Debbie, but I’m not ready yet.”  “Okay, Fred. Well, I’m going to be here for you. I want to meet with you at that time. And by the way, Fred, you know a lot of people. Is there anyone that you can think of today, that might need my help?” See, it was an ongoing lead follow-up call, but I did ask Fred for new business, so absolutely, I can count that as a contact. Next, he was asking, well, what about if I’m following up with my sellers on listings, or what about if I’m following up with my buyers who are already under contract, just, you know, to give status reports and updates, can I count those as a contact? Well, when you’re just following up on existing business, no, that wouldn’t be a contact, unless you ask them for a referral, right? So, if I’m calling my buyer and saying, “Hey, just want to let you know, appraisal came in signed. We’re good to go. We’re going to be closing on time.” And they’re so excited, and you say, “I’m so delighted to help. And, by the way, you know, I love working with you, and now I’m going to need a new client. Is there anyone you can think of who might need my help?” See, now, I accomplished two great purposes. I did my follow-up conversation with my seller or my buyer who’s pending, so that’s all good because I want to, you know, lock them in as a client for life, and I want them to feel comfortable referring business to me in the future, and I asked for a referral. So now, they could be a contact. So, then he says, what about open house? Absolutely. Anybody that you’re talking to at open house, and prospecting to pick up, that’s a contact. So, you kind of get it, right guys? Just think of it this way: doesn’t have to be a new person, but it needs to be a conversation about a new opportunity, and that could even include, as you speak to your vendors and your affiliates, and you’re asking, hey, is there anyone you know today who needs my help. Because here’s what I want. I want you to be hunting for business all the time, anywhere and everywhere, seeking, and searching out that new opportunity. See, it’s easier than you think when you think about all the places you might be in the day, and all the conversations you may have. The only thing we have to do is start asking more directly for what you want. So, good luck and happy hunting today. Talk to you soon.

Making 40 Contacts Per Day #300

Hello, welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips! I wanted to talk to you today about what you need to do to have a strong listing year. First of all, you are going to need to dig in. You’re going to need to hunt and be at the top of your game.  You are going to need to outshine your competition at every turn.  You are going to need to maximize your strengths and your key sources of business.  We cannot let any leads, any past client, or quality prospect go unattended. In other words, we don‘t want to leave any money on the table! Are you guys with me so far? Ok good! If you don’t mind, I would like to say - stop worrying about the disruptors! The commission cutters who want to erode your share of your listing market. Don’t get mad, get even. Get even by shutting them down, by locking in your clients’ loyalty and setting yourself apart as the wise advisor. We need to have a more logical, systematic, and deep approach to the business segments you choose to work.  In other words, you need to work smarter, not harder. If you need some help, reach out and we‘d be happy to help you. Have a great day and I‘ll talk to you soon.

Hello, welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips! I wanted to talk to you today about what you need to do to have a strong listing year. First of all, you are going to need to dig in. You’re going to need to hunt and be at the top of your game.  You are going to need to outshine your competition at every turn.  You are going to need to maximize your strengths and your key sources of business.  We cannot let any leads, any past client, or quality prospect go unattended. In other words, we don‘t want to leave any money on the table! Are you guys with me so far? Ok good! If you don’t mind, I would like to say - stop worrying about the disruptors! The commission cutters who want to erode your share of your listing market. Don’t get mad, get even. Get even by shutting them down, by locking in your clients’ loyalty and setting yourself apart as the wise advisor. We need to have a more logical, systematic, and deep approach to the business segments you choose to work.  In other words, you need to work smarter, not harder. If you need some help, reach out and we‘d be happy to help you. Have a great day and I‘ll talk to you soon.

How To Have A Strong Listing Year #306

Hello, it’s Debbie De Grote and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. We're getting ready for the year ahead so that we will be in great shape and ready to roll on January 2nd. One of the things I encourage you to do is to really sit down and work on your schedule. Set a starting and ending time each day, select a day off, and also time block for your prospecting, your lead follow-up, and your other critical activities. If you look at this now, that will give you a chance to keep a time log as you're getting ready for the New Year. At the end of each day, I want you to label each hour of the day. Was that an income producing hour, something directly related to listing or selling? Was it prospecting? Were you out on appointments and negotiating contracts? Or was it an income servicing hour? This could be meetings and inspections, or getting documents signed with an appraiser. Or lastly, was it just stuff? IP is income producing, IS is income servicing, or just S for stuff. Meaning, I don't know what I was doing, but it was probably a waste of my time. The goal would be that you have at least 50 percent of your day at income producing. Now, if you have staff supporting you, we want to be pressing that much harder to get you to 80 percent of the day being income producing. Whenever people say to me, “I'm struggling, I'm not on track for my goal.” One of the first things I often ask is, do you have a schedule? And if so, are you sticking with it? Your schedule really is the foundation, the cornerstone to achieving your goals for the year ahead. Put that schedule together, work on it, try it out, test it. If you need to make some changes, make those adjustments. It takes about 90 days for the brain to accept a new pattern, so now is the time to get a great start on this before the New Year begins. Let's maximize those money-making opportunities and hours in your day.

Hello, it’s Debbie De Grote and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. We're getting ready for the year ahead so that we will be in great shape and ready to roll on January 2nd. One of the things I encourage you to do is to really sit down and work on your schedule. Set a starting and ending time each day, select a day off, and also time block for your prospecting, your lead follow-up, and your other critical activities. If you look at this now, that will give you a chance to keep a time log as you're getting ready for the New Year. At the end of each day, I want you to label each hour of the day. Was that an income producing hour, something directly related to listing or selling? Was it prospecting? Were you out on appointments and negotiating contracts? Or was it an income servicing hour? This could be meetings and inspections, or getting documents signed with an appraiser. Or lastly, was it just stuff? IP is income producing, IS is income servicing, or just S for stuff. Meaning, I don't know what I was doing, but it was probably a waste of my time. The goal would be that you have at least 50 percent of your day at income producing. Now, if you have staff supporting you, we want to be pressing that much harder to get you to 80 percent of the day being income producing. Whenever people say to me, “I'm struggling, I'm not on track for my goal.” One of the first things I often ask is, do you have a schedule? And if so, are you sticking with it? Your schedule really is the foundation, the cornerstone to achieving your goals for the year ahead. Put that schedule together, work on it, try it out, test it. If you need to make some changes, make those adjustments. It takes about 90 days for the brain to accept a new pattern, so now is the time to get a great start on this before the New Year begins. Let's maximize those money-making opportunities and hours in your day.

Your Schedule #320

Hi, welcome to Debbie's Tips. Today, I'm going to talk to the brand-new agents. Because often, I will be at events and new agents will say to me, my goodness. It's such a competitive market. How can I sell myself when I'm new, especially to a seller? Because buyers are a little bit easier, am I right? Because they're not actually paying you commission. So, you know, you find them the right house, they're, for the most part, pretty easy. But a seller is a different story because they are paying a commission, and there are some big veterans out there, and there are some big teams out there, so how does a new agent really get their start? Well, here's what I would suggest. First of all, a very easy way to do it is to consider partnering with a veteran on a few listings until you've got your groove, until you feel more confident, and see what you can learn from them. This is always an option, especially if you're working higher-end properties, you may need to do that. Now, another idea would be, because you don't yet have your own data and statistics, pull from the company data. You know, going into that appointment saying, we, "we" meaning you and your company, we have X market share. We have sold this many homes in your market. We have an outstanding marketing plan. If you're knowledgeable, have done your homework and research, have a well-organized presentation, you're very confident and you use those stats and those numbers, a lot of the time they won't even ask you how long you've been in the business or what your personal track record is. But, let's say that they do. We should be ready for that, right? So, if you're two months into the business, you can certainly, honestly say, “You know, I'm in my first year. Thank you for asking. And I want to assure you that I have a wealth of wisdom and knowledge at my fingertips in the leadership of my team or the leadership of my company, whatever applies to you. So, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, you've got the best of everything, an outstanding company with strong senior leadership and experience, and then you have the enthusiasm and the work ethic of someone who is absolutely willing to work overtime and go to the mat, because I am hungry to dominate this market and to win your business for the future.” You know, as a top producing agent, I took most of the listings that I went out on. I worked hard to be good at it, and yet, every now and then, I would lose a listing to a new agent. And, you know what the seller would say? You know, Debbie, we just thought you'd might be too busy, or we might not get the same focus from you that we would get from this agent because they're new, they're hungry, and they don't have anything else going on. We would be their only point of focus. So we know that some of them like that. So, if you're backed into a corner, and you're going to have to admit that you are new, that you do not have a track record, then own it with pride. Yes, I am a newer agent. Yes, I've been in the business less than a year, and that's exactly why you want to hire me. Be excited about it. Right guys? Because you're hungry, you're going to work overtime, and you can assure them that they will have your full attention. Have a good day. Be confident, be well-prepared, and get out there and be powerful. I'll talk to you soon.

Hi, welcome to Debbie's Tips. Today, I'm going to talk to the brand-new agents. Because often, I will be at events and new agents will say to me, my goodness. It's such a competitive market. How can I sell myself when I'm new, especially to a seller? Because buyers are a little bit easier, am I right? Because they're not actually paying you commission. So, you know, you find them the right house, they're, for the most part, pretty easy. But a seller is a different story because they are paying a commission, and there are some big veterans out there, and there are some big teams out there, so how does a new agent really get their start? Well, here's what I would suggest. First of all, a very easy way to do it is to consider partnering with a veteran on a few listings until you've got your groove, until you feel more confident, and see what you can learn from them. This is always an option, especially if you're working higher-end properties, you may need to do that. Now, another idea would be, because you don't yet have your own data and statistics, pull from the company data. You know, going into that appointment saying, we, "we" meaning you and your company, we have X market share. We have sold this many homes in your market. We have an outstanding marketing plan. If you're knowledgeable, have done your homework and research, have a well-organized presentation, you're very confident and you use those stats and those numbers, a lot of the time they won't even ask you how long you've been in the business or what your personal track record is. But, let's say that they do. We should be ready for that, right? So, if you're two months into the business, you can certainly, honestly say, “You know, I'm in my first year. Thank you for asking. And I want to assure you that I have a wealth of wisdom and knowledge at my fingertips in the leadership of my team or the leadership of my company, whatever applies to you. So, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, you've got the best of everything, an outstanding company with strong senior leadership and experience, and then you have the enthusiasm and the work ethic of someone who is absolutely willing to work overtime and go to the mat, because I am hungry to dominate this market and to win your business for the future.” You know, as a top producing agent, I took most of the listings that I went out on. I worked hard to be good at it, and yet, every now and then, I would lose a listing to a new agent. And, you know what the seller would say? You know, Debbie, we just thought you'd might be too busy, or we might not get the same focus from you that we would get from this agent because they're new, they're hungry, and they don't have anything else going on. We would be their only point of focus. So we know that some of them like that. So, if you're backed into a corner, and you're going to have to admit that you are new, that you do not have a track record, then own it with pride. Yes, I am a newer agent. Yes, I've been in the business less than a year, and that's exactly why you want to hire me. Be excited about it. Right guys? Because you're hungry, you're going to work overtime, and you can assure them that they will have your full attention. Have a good day. Be confident, be well-prepared, and get out there and be powerful. I'll talk to you soon.

How Can I Sell Myself When I'm New? #298

Hello, and welcome to Debbie’s Tips. So something has been coming up a lot lately, and it’s the question: how do I establish my value with buyers? This may seem like a crazy question because we all know how hard you probably work to get a buyer into a home, close that transaction and hold their hand through the process, and yet, it seems that as buyers come in to open houses, they’re more reluctant to give their information. Plus, of course, we know how hard we chase them when they come in through an online lead portal. You know, if you get into their head, I wonder if it’s because they think they have easy access to information, so why do they need us, right? So if we can go to that thought and address that thought when we’re having that conversation with them – and you know, I was roleplaying with an agent today and we were talking about what our value is as agents. Well, in today’s market, it’s helping them beat the crowd to some of the best properties in town. It’s being willing and proactive to get out there and actually find homes for them, whether that’s doing call arounds in the neighborhoods they want to be in, knocking on doors, reaching out to expireds, FSBOs, canceleds, old expireds sending, I have a buyer letters, etc. So let me try this script out with you and see what you think. Let’s say that you’re at my open house and I’m trying to get your information. I say, “Here’s what I do for my buyers. First of all, I only work with a small select group at any given time because I want to give outstanding service, and I leave no stone unturned to find them a home they love. "Obviously, I check all the normal places, the multiple listing and any other online sources and resources, but I also go out and proactively hunt. That includes prospecting, that includes mail marketing, and a very strategic approach to finding those right properties to help my clients beat the crowd to some of the better properties in town. "And you know, the great news about it, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, is you don’t pay me a dime for that service. In fact, all I ask for is your loyalty, that as I go out and work with you and hunt for you, that you will work with me and be loyal to me, and I will help you find the best possible match and best possible property. "So, let’s do this. Why don’t we get together this week? Let me put together a couple of samples. You may or may not buy them, odds are you won’t, and yet, when you see the samples I have for you, you can help me fine-tune adjust and get my mind around your exact criteria, so that, as I’m out there hunting, I find what’s hottest and best for you. "I’ve got a little time tomorrow. Why don’t we get together at 4:00?” See, we’ve got to sell the hook, the sizzle, the sexy, of why they should give their contact information to you. Why should they change their mind about just searching online and hunting on their own, and be willing to commit and connect to you? You’re going to have to try a little harder, you’re going to have to dazzle a little bit more, and certainly, you are going to have to get out there and hunt those opportunities if we want to move them forward quickly. One last thought. Of course as you begin your search process with them, they’re going to have their goals, their vision, their idea of their ideal property, and you may or may not be able to find it. That’s why you’re going to want to go back again and again and again and refine that search criteria. See if they can expand their areas. My favorite question I always love to ask a buyer was, “If we find a home that’s perfect in every way, what is absolutely the most you’re willing to pay? I don’t want to leave any possibilities off the table, so absolutely the most you’re willing to pay, so I know how far I can go in bringing possibilities to you.” So, it’s really hard work, I get it, to get out there and find them those properties, and that’s exactly why we want to make sure we’ve got quality buyers, completely prequalified, and loyal, and willing to work with you. Alright, have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon.     If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you!

Hello, and welcome to Debbie’s Tips. So something has been coming up a lot lately, and it’s the question: how do I establish my value with buyers? This may seem like a crazy question because we all know how hard you probably work to get a buyer into a home, close that transaction and hold their hand through the process, and yet, it seems that as buyers come in to open houses, they’re more reluctant to give their information. Plus, of course, we know how hard we chase them when they come in through an online lead portal. You know, if you get into their head, I wonder if it’s because they think they have easy access to information, so why do they need us, right? So if we can go to that thought and address that thought when we’re having that conversation with them – and you know, I was roleplaying with an agent today and we were talking about what our value is as agents. Well, in today’s market, it’s helping them beat the crowd to some of the best properties in town. It’s being willing and proactive to get out there and actually find homes for them, whether that’s doing call arounds in the neighborhoods they want to be in, knocking on doors, reaching out to expireds, FSBOs, canceleds, old expireds sending, I have a buyer letters, etc. So let me try this script out with you and see what you think. Let’s say that you’re at my open house and I’m trying to get your information. I say, “Here’s what I do for my buyers. First of all, I only work with a small select group at any given time because I want to give outstanding service, and I leave no stone unturned to find them a home they love. "Obviously, I check all the normal places, the multiple listing and any other online sources and resources, but I also go out and proactively hunt. That includes prospecting, that includes mail marketing, and a very strategic approach to finding those right properties to help my clients beat the crowd to some of the better properties in town. "And you know, the great news about it, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, is you don’t pay me a dime for that service. In fact, all I ask for is your loyalty, that as I go out and work with you and hunt for you, that you will work with me and be loyal to me, and I will help you find the best possible match and best possible property. "So, let’s do this. Why don’t we get together this week? Let me put together a couple of samples. You may or may not buy them, odds are you won’t, and yet, when you see the samples I have for you, you can help me fine-tune adjust and get my mind around your exact criteria, so that, as I’m out there hunting, I find what’s hottest and best for you. "I’ve got a little time tomorrow. Why don’t we get together at 4:00?” See, we’ve got to sell the hook, the sizzle, the sexy, of why they should give their contact information to you. Why should they change their mind about just searching online and hunting on their own, and be willing to commit and connect to you? You’re going to have to try a little harder, you’re going to have to dazzle a little bit more, and certainly, you are going to have to get out there and hunt those opportunities if we want to move them forward quickly. One last thought. Of course as you begin your search process with them, they’re going to have their goals, their vision, their idea of their ideal property, and you may or may not be able to find it. That’s why you’re going to want to go back again and again and again and refine that search criteria. See if they can expand their areas. My favorite question I always love to ask a buyer was, “If we find a home that’s perfect in every way, what is absolutely the most you’re willing to pay? I don’t want to leave any possibilities off the table, so absolutely the most you’re willing to pay, so I know how far I can go in bringing possibilities to you.” So, it’s really hard work, I get it, to get out there and find them those properties, and that’s exactly why we want to make sure we’ve got quality buyers, completely prequalified, and loyal, and willing to work with you. Alright, have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon. If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you!

How To Establish Your Value With Buyers #294

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. I'm wondering, do you talk too much? Certain personality styles do talk more than others. For example, if according to the DISC Index you're a high I, you are by nature likely to talk more than a high S. The high I being a high influencer, high S being very steady, amiable, and calm. But I’m sure all of us gone into a selling situation and said too much, whether we presented in too much detail or ran on with too much information, ultimately raising more objections than we would have had if we just kept our presentation simple. I want you to think about this. On your next listing appointment, you should not talk more than 50 percent of the time. Set a goal to refrain from talking more than 50 percent of the time, and make sure that 50 percent of the time you are talking is 50 percent of you asking questions. So that would mean 25 percent of the total time you are asking questions, 25 percent of the time you are making statements that are important, and 50 percent of the time they're talking, right? Because when we talk too much, you never know what objections might be triggered. Now go be a great listener!

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. I'm wondering, do you talk too much? Certain personality styles do talk more than others. For example, if according to the DISC Index you're a high I, you are by nature likely to talk more than a high S. The high I being a high influencer, high S being very steady, amiable, and calm. But I’m sure all of us gone into a selling situation and said too much, whether we presented in too much detail or ran on with too much information, ultimately raising more objections than we would have had if we just kept our presentation simple. I want you to think about this. On your next listing appointment, you should not talk more than 50 percent of the time. Set a goal to refrain from talking more than 50 percent of the time, and make sure that 50 percent of the time you are talking is 50 percent of you asking questions. So that would mean 25 percent of the total time you are asking questions, 25 percent of the time you are making statements that are important, and 50 percent of the time they're talking, right? Because when we talk too much, you never know what objections might be triggered. Now go be a great listener!

How Much To Talk During A Listing Appointment #333

Hello and welcome to Debbie’s Tips! I was wondering, is it time to expand your range, reach, and influence in your community? As a professional coach I have an opportunity to travel across North America to meet with some of the most elite agents and real estate professionals in the nation. They commonly share with me that 80% of their business comes from the people that they know, their past clients, sphere, and connections in the community. What they also tell me though is that they still need more business, that they are often disappointed by the lack of repeat and referrals from their database. When you consider the fact that the average homeowner is staying in their home longer than ever before and that most homeowners know more than one agent, and that customer loyalty in most industries has declined by 50%, you can see why you may need to expand what you do in order to grow your business. When a new coaching client hires us to help them, one of the first things we do is examine their system for working their database. There are almost always gaps. In fact, usually they are doing very little to market to these valuable people. We encourage our clients, and I encourage you, to drop a web of connection over these folks, to direct mail monthly, to email weekly, to text quarterly and to call and visit as often as possible and appropriate. By staying top of mind, we cement the relationship and increase the likelihood that they will call you when they are ready to make their next move or have a friend or family member that you needs your help. Once we have a system to ensure our connections with our warm list, next we should be obsessed with growing the list with quality connections. Some of the best sources of new additions to your list are the people you do business with, workout with, meet at school, church, and other activities you participate in. Often, they may not even realize that you are in the real estate business. That’s why many top agents now wear their name tag or branded career apparel every day! People love to talk about real estate and when they see you are an agent, odds are they will ask you, “How is the market?” Because this can open the door for a new lead or opportunity, it’s important to have a go to way to spark a great conversation. Here is the script I have our coaching clients use. So when they ask you, “How’s the market?” Say, “Thank you for asking! Actually it’s a very opportunistic market. There are great opportunities for buyers and still some very strong opportunities for sellers. I am curious, is there an opportunity you are interested in? Of course they may say that they are not interested in buying or selling any real estate, which then gives you an opportunity to invite them into your marketing list so that we can expand your web of connections. “You know, I have something I do for my friends, family, and great past clients. I send them valuable bulletins and updates about the market and things they need to know to stay well informed. Would you like to be included in my information loop?” Remember, it’s important to get their name, address, and phone number, enter them in your CRM in the appropriate category, and stay in touch. If you focus on it, you should be able to add 2-3 quality people in a week, and over time it’s amazing how quickly your list can grow. But what if you don’t know enough people and you don’t like cold prospecting? Consider forming your own organic networking group of like-minded business professionals who have access to your ideal client. One of the great coaches who works with me on the Excelleum faculty, Alyssa, started years ago in the business as a single mom with no extra dollars to spend for marketing. She decided to put together a group of moms who were all in the sales business. They met each Tuesday for breakfast, and it was fun! They shared marketing ideas and they brought leads to each other. And because Alyssa put the group together, she was the only real estate agent in the group! It worked. Within a couple of years she was doing over 100 units without a team. She continued to grow and eventually needed to build a team to assist her with all the business she created. So I hope you go out and do likewise. And remember, you change lives doing what you do. So go out there and meet some new people to help!

Hello and welcome to Debbie’s Tips! I was wondering, is it time to expand your range, reach, and influence in your community? As a professional coach I have an opportunity to travel across North America to meet with some of the most elite agents and real estate professionals in the nation. They commonly share with me that 80% of their business comes from the people that they know, their past clients, sphere, and connections in the community. What they also tell me though is that they still need more business, that they are often disappointed by the lack of repeat and referrals from their database. When you consider the fact that the average homeowner is staying in their home longer than ever before and that most homeowners know more than one agent, and that customer loyalty in most industries has declined by 50%, you can see why you may need to expand what you do in order to grow your business. When a new coaching client hires us to help them, one of the first things we do is examine their system for working their database. There are almost always gaps. In fact, usually they are doing very little to market to these valuable people. We encourage our clients, and I encourage you, to drop a web of connection over these folks, to direct mail monthly, to email weekly, to text quarterly and to call and visit as often as possible and appropriate. By staying top of mind, we cement the relationship and increase the likelihood that they will call you when they are ready to make their next move or have a friend or family member that you needs your help. Once we have a system to ensure our connections with our warm list, next we should be obsessed with growing the list with quality connections. Some of the best sources of new additions to your list are the people you do business with, workout with, meet at school, church, and other activities you participate in. Often, they may not even realize that you are in the real estate business. That’s why many top agents now wear their name tag or branded career apparel every day! People love to talk about real estate and when they see you are an agent, odds are they will ask you, “How is the market?” Because this can open the door for a new lead or opportunity, it’s important to have a go to way to spark a great conversation. Here is the script I have our coaching clients use. So when they ask you, “How’s the market?” Say, “Thank you for asking! Actually it’s a very opportunistic market. There are great opportunities for buyers and still some very strong opportunities for sellers. I am curious, is there an opportunity you are interested in? Of course they may say that they are not interested in buying or selling any real estate, which then gives you an opportunity to invite them into your marketing list so that we can expand your web of connections. “You know, I have something I do for my friends, family, and great past clients. I send them valuable bulletins and updates about the market and things they need to know to stay well informed. Would you like to be included in my information loop?” Remember, it’s important to get their name, address, and phone number, enter them in your CRM in the appropriate category, and stay in touch. If you focus on it, you should be able to add 2-3 quality people in a week, and over time it’s amazing how quickly your list can grow. But what if you don’t know enough people and you don’t like cold prospecting? Consider forming your own organic networking group of like-minded business professionals who have access to your ideal client. One of the great coaches who works with me on the Excelleum faculty, Alyssa, started years ago in the business as a single mom with no extra dollars to spend for marketing. She decided to put together a group of moms who were all in the sales business. They met each Tuesday for breakfast, and it was fun! They shared marketing ideas and they brought leads to each other. And because Alyssa put the group together, she was the only real estate agent in the group! It worked. Within a couple of years she was doing over 100 units without a team. She continued to grow and eventually needed to build a team to assist her with all the business she created. So I hope you go out and do likewise. And remember, you change lives doing what you do. So go out there and meet some new people to help!

Reaching Your Community

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. Today I wanted to talk about pre-listing packages. There was a time in the market when lots of agents were sending out a pre-listing package. The purpose of this was to prepare for the sale. It was to sell the seller in advance on all the great stuff that you do, your track record, your credentials, etc. It was very popular for a while, and then I noticed that agents kind of just stopped doing it. I will sometimes ask them, why? Why did you stop? One of the common answers is, “I found that the people didn't read the package, so I felt that it was a waste of my time to do it.” My marketing expert, Pete Mitchell, and I were talking about this just the other day and he reminded me of something called the thud factor. If you do choose to deliver a pre-listing package, keep in mind that emailing is probably not that effective. Are they going to open it up? Are they going to download it? Are they going to print it? Are they really going to read it? Probably not. Everybody's busy, and they may not even see it in their email. So if you choose to actually print and deliver it the package, you know it has the impact of being a professional piece with lots of great content, a piece that, even if just briefly flipped through, does give you a little extra measure of credibility. Now, when you go on that listing appointment, don't assume that they've actually read it. In fact, don't ask them if they read it because if you ask them, they might feel the need to lie and say yes. Just proceed, assuming they have not read it. Take your key points, your highlights, the things you want to discuss with them on that listing appointment about the marketing that you do and the services you provide. You could say something like this, “Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I hope you had an opportunity to flip through the information that I sent over to you. What I'd like to do, is I'd like to just go through the highlights together, the things that I feel are most important for you. So if you don't mind, I'd like to share with you what we're going to do so that I can arrive at the highest realistic price possible.” So again, I would keep your presentation simple and concise, not lots and lots of pages, but really distilled down to who you are, what you're going to do, and then of course, what the property is likely to sell for. Alright, so make it a great day, and email me, debbiedegrote@gmail.com, if you have any questions.   If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you!

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. Today I wanted to talk about pre-listing packages. There was a time in the market when lots of agents were sending out a pre-listing package. The purpose of this was to prepare for the sale. It was to sell the seller in advance on all the great stuff that you do, your track record, your credentials, etc. It was very popular for a while, and then I noticed that agents kind of just stopped doing it. I will sometimes ask them, why? Why did you stop? One of the common answers is, “I found that the people didn't read the package, so I felt that it was a waste of my time to do it.” My marketing expert, Pete Mitchell, and I were talking about this just the other day and he reminded me of something called the thud factor. If you do choose to deliver a pre-listing package, keep in mind that emailing is probably not that effective. Are they going to open it up? Are they going to download it? Are they going to print it? Are they really going to read it? Probably not. Everybody's busy, and they may not even see it in their email. So if you choose to actually print and deliver it the package, you know it has the impact of being a professional piece with lots of great content, a piece that, even if just briefly flipped through, does give you a little extra measure of credibility. Now, when you go on that listing appointment, don't assume that they've actually read it. In fact, don't ask them if they read it because if you ask them, they might feel the need to lie and say yes. Just proceed, assuming they have not read it. Take your key points, your highlights, the things you want to discuss with them on that listing appointment about the marketing that you do and the services you provide. You could say something like this, “Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I hope you had an opportunity to flip through the information that I sent over to you. What I'd like to do, is I'd like to just go through the highlights together, the things that I feel are most important for you. So if you don't mind, I'd like to share with you what we're going to do so that I can arrive at the highest realistic price possible.” So again, I would keep your presentation simple and concise, not lots and lots of pages, but really distilled down to who you are, what you're going to do, and then of course, what the property is likely to sell for. Alright, so make it a great day, and email me, debbiedegrote@gmail.com, if you have any questions. If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you!

Pre-Listing Packages #321

I wanted to talk to you today about how to triple your referrals. Have you ever wondered why your friends, your family, your sphere, and past clients don't send you more referrals? It's frustrating isn't it? You work so hard, you do so much, they tell you how much they love what you do! So what happens?  They don't know all the areas you service. Maybe they don't understand all the price points and types of properties you serve. They think you are too busy. They themselves are busy and you don't remind them often enough.  It’s a shame when you think of the fact that direct referrals have a high conversion ratio, often 25-50%, and usually it doesn't cost a thing to get them. So here are the tips we have our coaching clients working on to squeeze more referrals from the folks they know.  Quarterly, send a marketing postcard to your database that reminds them of all the areas and price points you service. Also work this into your script as you call them. Start asking every buyer and seller for a referral upfront as you begin to work with them, and also throughout the process whenever something great happens and they are thanking you. The goal is to extract 2 names per client by the closing. Pull your vendor and affiliate list together and ask them monthly for just 1 name of someone they can refer or introduce you to. Consider creating a small business owner "farm" in your community. Refer business to them and ask for their referrals in return. Pull together your triple A top raving fans. Ask if they can find 3 people to refer to you this year. Post a sign in your car or by your desk to remind yourself to ask everyone, everywhere for a referral. When making a big-ticket purchase on a new car, furniture, etc., ask the commission sales person for a referral.  I love the quote by Zig Ziglar, “Timid salespeople have skinny kids!” Make the next 30 days your big referral push to frontload your lead pipeline for the spring and summer market. Good luck! P.S. Remember they really need your help!

I wanted to talk to you today about how to triple your referrals. Have you ever wondered why your friends, your family, your sphere, and past clients don't send you more referrals? It's frustrating isn't it? You work so hard, you do so much, they tell you how much they love what you do! So what happens? <ol> <li>They don't know all the areas you service.</li> <li>Maybe they don't understand all the price points and types of properties you serve.</li> <li>They think you are too busy.</li> <li>They themselves are busy and you don't remind them often enough.</li> </ol> It’s a shame when you think of the fact that direct referrals have a high conversion ratio, often 25-50%, and usually it doesn't cost a thing to get them. So here are the tips we have our coaching clients working on to squeeze more referrals from the folks they know. <ul> <li>Quarterly, send a marketing postcard to your database that reminds them of all the areas and price points you service. Also work this into your script as you call them.</li> <li>Start asking every buyer and seller for a referral upfront as you begin to work with them, and also throughout the process whenever something great happens and they are thanking you. The goal is to extract 2 names per client by the closing.</li> <li>Pull your vendor and affiliate list together and ask them monthly for just 1 name of someone they can refer or introduce you to.</li> <li>Consider creating a small business owner "farm" in your community. Refer business to them and ask for their referrals in return.</li> <li>Pull together your triple A top raving fans. Ask if they can find 3 people to refer to you this year.</li> <li>Post a sign in your car or by your desk to remind yourself to ask everyone, everywhere for a referral.</li> <li>When making a big-ticket purchase on a new car, furniture, etc., ask the commission sales person for a referral.</li> </ul> I love the quote by Zig Ziglar, “Timid salespeople have skinny kids!” Make the next 30 days your big referral push to frontload your lead pipeline for the spring and summer market. Good luck! P.S. Remember they really need your help!

Tips to Triple Your Referrals!

Hello and welcome to Debby's Daily Tips! Today I wanted to answer a question that I often get from the agents that we're coaching and the question is: ''How do I properly use e-mail blast?'' So here's the main question they often ask: ''How much is too much?'' Well, in talking to my marketing guru Pete Mitchell, one of the things he always tells me is it's perfectly fine to e-blast them once a week, just don't be boring. So if you think about it, what are some of the things they might like to hear about from you? Well, it could be hot buys, new listings, exciting properties and opportunities. It could be a local market update. Now of course, it would have to be a little bit bigger picture, not specific to their neighborhood. So for example we're in Orange County, California, so I might do a Southern California market update, because that would cover all of our past clients across L.A. and Orange County. You could do something that's more community oriented, a food and wine festival, some type of charity event that you're participating in. So the key is you're using it to stay connected. Now something important to remember though is that statistically, now I can't remember where I got this so please bear with me, I don't know if it's 100% accurate but it seems about right. I read that statistically the average person gets up to 160 e-mails a day and that even if they know you, only about 20% will actually open and read your e-mail. So that's exactly why if you're using e-blasting as the only method to market your past clients and sphere of influence, you're running a little bit of a risk of not connecting with everybody at the highest level. So I always recommend to our clients that in addition to the e-blast, which is great and it's free, that they also mail something every month and if budget will only permit, at least to mail something once a quarter. Okay now, one thing also that I've learned, if you add a video and it doesn't have to be professionally produced, just a quick little video, some kind of short message that you send them and if you add that video to your e-mail that the open rate soars, that it goes up dramatically because people like to watch videos. So we want an e-mail, we want to mail, we want to call, we want to text, and you know some of our clients are even using sly dial when they want to get a message into their voicemail without actually speaking to them. Alright, so we’ve got to communicate, we’ve got to keep you top of mind, and certainly if you are going to email let's get it on a consistent calendar so it happens like clockwork and we stay connected and in touch. Alright, have a great day guys and if you need some help with this and you'd like to speak with one of the coaches, if you're in coaching talk to your coach, if you're not in coaching let us know, you can go to www.businesstrategycall.com and book a complimentary session with one of our coaches. Alright, have a great day and I'll talk to you soon.

Hello and welcome to Debby's Daily Tips! Today I wanted to answer a question that I often get from the agents that we're coaching and the question is: ''How do I properly use e-mail blast?'' So here's the main question they often ask: ''How much is too much?'' Well, in talking to my marketing guru Pete Mitchell, one of the things he always tells me is it's perfectly fine to e-blast them once a week, just don't be boring. So if you think about it, what are some of the things they might like to hear about from you? Well, it could be hot buys, new listings, exciting properties and opportunities. It could be a local market update. Now of course, it would have to be a little bit bigger picture, not specific to their neighborhood. So for example we're in Orange County, California, so I might do a Southern California market update, because that would cover all of our past clients across L.A. and Orange County. You could do something that's more community oriented, a food and wine festival, some type of charity event that you're participating in. So the key is you're using it to stay connected. Now something important to remember though is that statistically, now I can't remember where I got this so please bear with me, I don't know if it's 100% accurate but it seems about right. I read that statistically the average person gets up to 160 e-mails a day and that even if they know you, only about 20% will actually open and read your e-mail. So that's exactly why if you're using e-blasting as the only method to market your past clients and sphere of influence, you're running a little bit of a risk of not connecting with everybody at the highest level. So I always recommend to our clients that in addition to the e-blast, which is great and it's free, that they also mail something every month and if budget will only permit, at least to mail something once a quarter. Okay now, one thing also that I've learned, if you add a video and it doesn't have to be professionally produced, just a quick little video, some kind of short message that you send them and if you add that video to your e-mail that the open rate soars, that it goes up dramatically because people like to watch videos. So we want an e-mail, we want to mail, we want to call, we want to text, and you know some of our clients are even using sly dial when they want to get a message into their voicemail without actually speaking to them. Alright, so we’ve got to communicate, we’ve got to keep you top of mind, and certainly if you are going to email let's get it on a consistent calendar so it happens like clockwork and we stay connected and in touch. Alright, have a great day guys and if you need some help with this and you'd like to speak with one of the coaches, if you're in coaching talk to your coach, if you're not in coaching let us know, you can go to <a href="http://www.businesstrategycall.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.businesstrategycall.com</a> and book a complimentary session with one of our coaches. Alright, have a great day and I'll talk to you soon.

E-mail Blasts #273

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. I was thinking about open house today. I know we've maybe talked about it in the past when you've gotten together with me, read my blogs, or gone on a webinar, but here's what came up today. It was more about the basics of open house that, as I was speaking to this great agent that called us enjoying coaching, and this truly is a great agent, they've been in the business for maybe 30 plus years. They work in a very high end market and they're extremely professional. I was asking them though, what are your open houses like? And they said, very, very busy. And I asked, well, how many transactions this year have come from open house? Actually the answer was none. And I said, talk to me about what you're doing for yourself to ensure that you have a successful open house and maximize the opportunity to get another listing or sale from each open house. Well here's what I found out. So the first question I asked was if they did any marketing, any targeted Facebook ads, any going into the community and inviting the neighbors to come in, any pre-marketing to drive more traffic to that open house. And the answer was no. Then the next question I asked was, well, if you've got a super special property are you ever reaching out to any of the people in your lead bank or your database, letting them know you're going to be there and inviting them? And the answer was no. And then I asked, is there any limitation or restriction on the amount of signs that you can have in your community? And they said, no, there is no limitation, there's no restriction. And I said, okay, good. How many then do you put up? And they said about five. Well, interestingly enough, many of our top agents across the country who have very successful open houses often put up 30 or more signs around each open house. Now again, you would have to check the restrictions in your community and you can't break the rules. But if that's permissible, think about it. You can literally find all the touch points where you can flag them into that neighborhood, all the different entry points. I'm just thinking about the neighborhood, for an example, where I live. There are three main points of entry into that neighborhood, and they're really far apart. So the traffic going one way would never know about the open house if it wasn't flagged at every entrance into the community. And then the neighborhood itself is fairly large. So if there's not enough open house signs in the neighborhood, people will get lost. And remember, these are like your mini billboards out there in the community. So everywhere people go, all weekend they see your signs. When they're driving by, all the neighbors inside that community, they see your name. Whether they come into the open house or not, they see your name. So if you don't like putting up open house signs, which I don't and I did it for years and I hated every minute of it, you can do what many of our top agents do and hire high school students. Give them your map, tell them where to put them, take them out and teach them. I don't know what the going rate would be in your area, but a lot of our agents report that they pay around $20 to put them up and $20 to take them down. Now let's talk about the time to put them up. It's actually ideal, whether you're having it done or you're doing it yourself, to put them up really early in the morning. That way there's no traffic, it's safer, just easier, and it also increases the opportunity that somewhere in the course of that day, the right buyer might just happen to drive by. So what if they drive by at 9:30 in the morning and the open house hasn't started? That’s fine. You get those signs where you can write on a section with chalk, when the open house begins. Or you can tape on a printed piece of paper that says what time the open house begins. Well, why would I put them up early if people can't get in the house? You might be wondering. Well, just imagine I'm driving by there at nine o'clock to take my kids to the soccer game. I see the open house sign, I drive by and I think, oh my gosh, I love that house. Well, it's open today from one to five. You know what? I'm going to make a special point to come back during the open house. So it definitely increases the traffic. So just think about all this. What are you doing to maximize the amount of bodies that come through that open house? Give yourself the opportunity to pick up at least two quality leads. And you never know, you might even sell the property. All right, have a great day. I'll talk to you soon.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. I was thinking about open house today. I know we've maybe talked about it in the past when you've gotten together with me, read my blogs, or gone on a webinar, but here's what came up today. It was more about the basics of open house that, as I was speaking to this great agent that called us enjoying coaching, and this truly is a great agent, they've been in the business for maybe 30 plus years. They work in a very high end market and they're extremely professional. I was asking them though, what are your open houses like? And they said, very, very busy. And I asked, well, how many transactions this year have come from open house? Actually the answer was none. And I said, talk to me about what you're doing for yourself to ensure that you have a successful open house and maximize the opportunity to get another listing or sale from each open house. Well here's what I found out. So the first question I asked was if they did any marketing, any targeted Facebook ads, any going into the community and inviting the neighbors to come in, any pre-marketing to drive more traffic to that open house. And the answer was no. Then the next question I asked was, well, if you've got a super special property are you ever reaching out to any of the people in your lead bank or your database, letting them know you're going to be there and inviting them? And the answer was no. And then I asked, is there any limitation or restriction on the amount of signs that you can have in your community? And they said, no, there is no limitation, there's no restriction. And I said, okay, good. How many then do you put up? And they said about five. Well, interestingly enough, many of our top agents across the country who have very successful open houses often put up 30 or more signs around each open house. Now again, you would have to check the restrictions in your community and you can't break the rules. But if that's permissible, think about it. You can literally find all the touch points where you can flag them into that neighborhood, all the different entry points. I'm just thinking about the neighborhood, for an example, where I live. There are three main points of entry into that neighborhood, and they're really far apart. So the traffic going one way would never know about the open house if it wasn't flagged at every entrance into the community. And then the neighborhood itself is fairly large. So if there's not enough open house signs in the neighborhood, people will get lost. And remember, these are like your mini billboards out there in the community. So everywhere people go, all weekend they see your signs. When they're driving by, all the neighbors inside that community, they see your name. Whether they come into the open house or not, they see your name. So if you don't like putting up open house signs, which I don't and I did it for years and I hated every minute of it, you can do what many of our top agents do and hire high school students. Give them your map, tell them where to put them, take them out and teach them. I don't know what the going rate would be in your area, but a lot of our agents report that they pay around $20 to put them up and $20 to take them down. Now let's talk about the time to put them up. It's actually ideal, whether you're having it done or you're doing it yourself, to put them up really early in the morning. That way there's no traffic, it's safer, just easier, and it also increases the opportunity that somewhere in the course of that day, the right buyer might just happen to drive by. So what if they drive by at 9:30 in the morning and the open house hasn't started? That’s fine. You get those signs where you can write on a section with chalk, when the open house begins. Or you can tape on a printed piece of paper that says what time the open house begins. Well, why would I put them up early if people can't get in the house? You might be wondering. Well, just imagine I'm driving by there at nine o'clock to take my kids to the soccer game. I see the open house sign, I drive by and I think, oh my gosh, I love that house. Well, it's open today from one to five. You know what? I'm going to make a special point to come back during the open house. So it definitely increases the traffic. So just think about all this. What are you doing to maximize the amount of bodies that come through that open house? Give yourself the opportunity to pick up at least two quality leads. And you never know, you might even sell the property. All right, have a great day. I'll talk to you soon.

Open Houses

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. We're talking about a strong finish to 2018. One of the things I'd like to like you to do in this last quarter of the year is get together with your vendors and your affiliates. Tell them how much you appreciate them and their hard work and how committed you are to being loyal, supportive, and sending them as many referrals in the New Year as possible. If there are ways that they can improve their service to you, be more helpful so that you can grow your business without hiring more staff, tell them. Even ask them, “What might you be able to do for me that would be fair and reasonable to request, but I just don't know that I could ask for?” And then also ask them for a referral. Now I get it that because many of them are going to be working with multiple real estate agents it would not be fair that we would expect all of their referrals, so just ask for one name a month. Say, “You know, I don’t even know if it would work out, it might amount to nothing, but if you could just find one name a month to send my way, I would really, really appreciate it.” So let's meet with them as soon as possible. Let's set a game plan for the New Year ahead. Re-cement that loyalty and relationship, because truly they are a valuable part of your team.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. We're talking about a strong finish to 2018. One of the things I'd like to like you to do in this last quarter of the year is get together with your vendors and your affiliates. Tell them how much you appreciate them and their hard work and how committed you are to being loyal, supportive, and sending them as many referrals in the New Year as possible. If there are ways that they can improve their service to you, be more helpful so that you can grow your business without hiring more staff, tell them. Even ask them, “What might you be able to do for me that would be fair and reasonable to request, but I just don't know that I could ask for?” And then also ask them for a referral. Now I get it that because many of them are going to be working with multiple real estate agents it would not be fair that we would expect all of their referrals, so just ask for one name a month. Say, “You know, I don’t even know if it would work out, it might amount to nothing, but if you could just find one name a month to send my way, I would really, really appreciate it.” So let's meet with them as soon as possible. Let's set a game plan for the New Year ahead. Re-cement that loyalty and relationship, because truly they are a valuable part of your team.

Vendors And Affiliates #319

Hello, it's Debbie De Grote and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. As we work hard to a strong finish for 2018, one of the things I'd like to put on your project list is to update and upgrade your listing presentation. Look at it and start from scratch. Do you need to add new materials? Do you need to remove some pages because it's too cumbersome? Do you have fluffy pages in there that are unnecessary? What about your reviews? Are you showcasing your reviews, your track record and your performance? Remember, it's great to give good service. What they're really looking for is expertise and results. Next, what about how you dress for your appointments? Do you prepare by doing advanced research on the seller? How much customizing of the marketing proposal do you do? Remember, we're asking them to pay us a lot of money and we are facing a lot of disruption. Part of that disruption is the flat rate commission cutting companies, so we've got to be prepared to go in to those appointments and look strong. Be powerful. Show them that you are their champion and advocate and that you have the answers to how to sell their home for the highest realistic price possible. Also, even if you know them, even if they're your friends, they're family, or they're a past client, let's still be sure to go in prepared, as prepared as we would if we thought they were interviewing other agents. Do not take anything for granted and let's get our game face on. Someone out there somewhere is practicing, and when they meet you at the table competing for that listing, I don't want them to beat you.

Hello, it's Debbie De Grote and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips. As we work hard to a strong finish for 2018, one of the things I'd like to put on your project list is to update and upgrade your listing presentation. Look at it and start from scratch. Do you need to add new materials? Do you need to remove some pages because it's too cumbersome? Do you have fluffy pages in there that are unnecessary? What about your reviews? Are you showcasing your reviews, your track record and your performance? Remember, it's great to give good service. What they're really looking for is expertise and results. Next, what about how you dress for your appointments? Do you prepare by doing advanced research on the seller? How much customizing of the marketing proposal do you do? Remember, we're asking them to pay us a lot of money and we are facing a lot of disruption. Part of that disruption is the flat rate commission cutting companies, so we've got to be prepared to go in to those appointments and look strong. Be powerful. Show them that you are their champion and advocate and that you have the answers to how to sell their home for the highest realistic price possible. Also, even if you know them, even if they're your friends, they're family, or they're a past client, let's still be sure to go in prepared, as prepared as we would if we thought they were interviewing other agents. Do not take anything for granted and let's get our game face on. Someone out there somewhere is practicing, and when they meet you at the table competing for that listing, I don't want them to beat you.

Update And Upgrade Your Listing Presentation #318

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips! Today we’re finishing up our series on the best tips to find listings now.    Call absentee owners in your market. Tell them how hot the market is, and that now may be that time to sell they’ve been waiting for.   Wear your career apparel or name tag everywhere. I know this one is simple, but you know what?  We are around the corner, next door, at the gym, at the grocery store, and if they see that you’re a real estate agent, they will often approach you.   If you aren’t farming, now is the time to hit it hard. Be strategic about what you are sending. It needs to set you up as an expert, offer valuable information, and have a strong call to action.    Every day do a minimum of 5 high quality contacts, 5 hand written notes, 5 emails, and 5 texts to your best prospects! This is the 5-5-5-5. Would I like, as a coach, to see you making more than that?  Absolutely!   I would leave to see you making 20 contacts a day, 100 contacts a week.  However, just think about it.  If you did your 5-5-5-5 every day over, say, 285 days in the year, that’d be 5,700 great connections.  That’s not bad, right?  Probably a little more than you might have done in the past few months.    Now again, stretch to hit 100 contacts a week. Ear to ear or eye to eye conversations, every week. This is the time to dig in and ramp it up.    I know we’ve covered a lot, but just go back over the tips and pick 2 or 3.  If you’re in coaching with us now, talk to your coach about these tips.  If you’re not in coaching but you would like to talk to us, get some help and find out more, go to www.precoachingconsult.com and we’ll help  you book your session.  It’ll be complimentary, no pressure, and we’ll get to know you better. Thanks for joining us and have a great day!

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips! Today we’re finishing up our series on the best tips to find listings now. <ul> <li>Call absentee owners in your market. Tell them how hot the market is, and that now may be that time to sell they’ve been waiting for.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Wear your career apparel or name tag everywhere. I know this one is simple, but you know what?  We are around the corner, next door, at the gym, at the grocery store, and if they see that you’re a real estate agent, they will often approach you.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>If you aren’t farming, now is the time to hit it hard. Be strategic about what you are sending. It needs to set you up as an expert, offer valuable information, and have a strong call to action. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Every day do a minimum of 5 high quality contacts, 5 hand written notes, 5 emails, and 5 texts to your best prospects! This is the 5-5-5-5. Would I like, as a coach, to see you making more than that?  Absolutely!   I would leave to see you making 20 contacts a day, 100 contacts a week.  However, just think about it.  If you did your 5-5-5-5 every day over, say, 285 days in the year, that’d be 5,700 great connections.  That’s not bad, right?  Probably a little more than you might have done in the past few months. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Now again, stretch to hit 100 contacts a week. Ear to ear or eye to eye conversations, every week. This is the time to dig in and ramp it up.</li> </ul> I know we’ve covered a lot, but just go back over the tips and pick 2 or 3.  If you’re in coaching with us now, talk to your coach about these tips.  If you’re not in coaching but you would like to talk to us, get some help and find out more, go to <a href="http://www.precoachingconsult.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.precoachingconsult.com</a> and we’ll help  you book your session.  It’ll be complimentary, no pressure, and we’ll get to know you better. Thanks for joining us and have a great day!

Find Listings Now Part 4 #267

Welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips, and today I wanted to talk a little bit about persuasion. Here at Excelleum one of the things we work on a lot with our clients is building rapport, that sales versatility. We have the New Art Of Persuasion For Real Estate course because I believe that really learning to be a master negotiator and a powerful persuader is worth its weight in gold. Let's remember, persuasion will not occur easily without rapport. I thought for today’s tip, if I could just give you one technique to be more powerful at building rapport instantly with anyone, anytime, anywhere, what would that technique be? Here's what I have for you: mirroring and matching. Maybe you've heard of this before, maybe you even do it or you do it unconsciously, but it is a powerful technique. This means mirroring and matching someone’s rate of speech, mirroring and matching their tonality, mirroring and matching even some of the words and phrases that they use and say. Everyone talks a certain way and their mind processes information at a certain speed. And when we can get into their zone, they relax, they can focus, they feel heard and understood. So think about it. Are you a fast talker by nature? Because if you're a fast talker, odds are you don't have a lot of friends that are slow talkers. Of course you may have family members who are slow talkers, but you didn't pick them, right? But your friends most likely talk at the rate and speed that you do, they most likely use a lot of the same words, phrases and slang that you do, and that's not accidental. You were attracted to them for a reason, so let's turn that around and work that same magic on our clients. Mirror and match their rate of speech, their tonality, and if you're in front of them, even expand it by mirroring and matching their body language. Don't forget, people love it when you ask questions about things that matter to them. Ask questions all about them and they're naturally going to be more likely to like you, to be in rapport with you, and to be that much easier for you to persuade so they can take the steps to achieve the goal that they have set.

Welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips, and today I wanted to talk a little bit about persuasion. Here at Excelleum one of the things we work on a lot with our clients is building rapport, that sales versatility. We have the New Art Of Persuasion For Real Estate course because I believe that really learning to be a master negotiator and a powerful persuader is worth its weight in gold. Let's remember, persuasion will not occur easily without rapport. I thought for today’s tip, if I could just give you one technique to be more powerful at building rapport instantly with anyone, anytime, anywhere, what would that technique be? Here's what I have for you: mirroring and matching. Maybe you've heard of this before, maybe you even do it or you do it unconsciously, but it is a powerful technique. This means mirroring and matching someone’s rate of speech, mirroring and matching their tonality, mirroring and matching even some of the words and phrases that they use and say. Everyone talks a certain way and their mind processes information at a certain speed. And when we can get into their zone, they relax, they can focus, they feel heard and understood. So think about it. Are you a fast talker by nature? Because if you're a fast talker, odds are you don't have a lot of friends that are slow talkers. Of course you may have family members who are slow talkers, but you didn't pick them, right? But your friends most likely talk at the rate and speed that you do, they most likely use a lot of the same words, phrases and slang that you do, and that's not accidental. You were attracted to them for a reason, so let's turn that around and work that same magic on our clients. Mirror and match their rate of speech, their tonality, and if you're in front of them, even expand it by mirroring and matching their body language. Don't forget, people love it when you ask questions about things that matter to them. Ask questions all about them and they're naturally going to be more likely to like you, to be in rapport with you, and to be that much easier for you to persuade so they can take the steps to achieve the goal that they have set.

Build Rapport Instantly With Anyone #331

Hello, welcome to Debbie’s Tips. You know, a lot of conversation is going on right now about how to get more listing opportunities. Because, of course, listings are so valuable. That’s the name of the game. And, across the country, we all know that listing inventory has been tight. So, as I travel around and meet with some of our best clients, some of the top listers in the nation, it’s interesting that an old-school technique has become very popular again. And what I’m talking about when I say an old-school technique is open house. In fact, I’m seeing a lot of the top-listing agents that, possibly for years, have not been actively holding open house, using that as an aggressive opportunity to attack that neighborhood. So whatever they need to do to navigate and set up the time, so they have a two-week opportunity to prepare marketing, get their ads ready, drive traffic to that open house, putting it on the MLS, but then doing it strategically, so that it’s not sold before the weekend of open house happens, giving themselves a chance to meet neighbors, to pick up new sellers, new buyers, and really leveraging that listing opportunity into one - two - three, and in some cases more, deals. So, just a thought. When you have that opportunity for that great new listing, let’s make sure that we’re doing everything we can to turn that into an event and to really go in there, setting a goal that, as a very, very minimum, you want to get one additional transaction from it. Now, of course, I hear from agents, also, all the time, that they find it’s harder to get people’s numbers and information and make those great connections at open house, because they’re a little withdrawn, and quite frankly, maybe they feel they don’t need us, right? They can go online and do their research. So, if you need some help with your open house conversion, we actually have a very good conference call recording, and I’d be happy to share that with you. So if you’re listening to this or reading this tip, and you need that, please go ahead and reach out to me, Debbie@Excelleum.com, and say, I’d like to take you up on your offer of converting from open house, and I’ll be happy to send that to you. Okay, so, have a great day, and I look forward to talking to you soon.   If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you!

Hello, welcome to Debbie’s Tips. You know, a lot of conversation is going on right now about how to get more listing opportunities. Because, of course, listings are so valuable. That’s the name of the game. And, across the country, we all know that listing inventory has been tight. So, as I travel around and meet with some of our best clients, some of the top listers in the nation, it’s interesting that an old-school technique has become very popular again. And what I’m talking about when I say an old-school technique is open house. In fact, I’m seeing a lot of the top-listing agents that, possibly for years, have not been actively holding open house, using that as an aggressive opportunity to attack that neighborhood. So whatever they need to do to navigate and set up the time, so they have a two-week opportunity to prepare marketing, get their ads ready, drive traffic to that open house, putting it on the MLS, but then doing it strategically, so that it’s not sold before the weekend of open house happens, giving themselves a chance to meet neighbors, to pick up new sellers, new buyers, and really leveraging that listing opportunity into one - two - three, and in some cases more, deals. So, just a thought. When you have that opportunity for that great new listing, let’s make sure that we’re doing everything we can to turn that into an event and to really go in there, setting a goal that, as a very, very minimum, you want to get one additional transaction from it. Now, of course, I hear from agents, also, all the time, that they find it’s harder to get people’s numbers and information and make those great connections at open house, because they’re a little withdrawn, and quite frankly, maybe they feel they don’t need us, right? They can go online and do their research. So, if you need some help with your open house conversion, we actually have a very good conference call recording, and I’d be happy to share that with you. So if you’re listening to this or reading this tip, and you need that, please go ahead and reach out to me, <a href="mailto:Debbie@Excelleum.com">Debbie@Excelleum.com</a>, and say, I’d like to take you up on your offer of converting from open house, and I’ll be happy to send that to you. Okay, so, have a great day, and I look forward to talking to you soon. If you are a real estate agent or broker that is looking to for more insight and direction on how to get more listings, sell more homes to your investors, and work with more buyers, then this podcast is just for you!

How To Get More Listing Opportunities #292

Hello its Debbie and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips! You know, in each of your markets there are areas of opportunities. So for a moment let’s focus on the geographical areas. Whether you are a geographical farmer or are simply looking for the pocket markets that offer greater potential, you will want to identify where the best areas of opportunity might be. Here is what I mean. Let’s say you plan to make calls, send letters, or door knock and that you‘re doing this in an area with only 1% turnover versus an area with 4% turnover. Logically it just makes sense to choose the area with greater turnover.  And yet, agents often give this very little consideration before launching their marketing campaigns. In addition to geographical territories, we can next take a look at the segments of the population that interest you, or that you feel have a powerful potential for return. Now these segments could include absentee owners, downsizers, or networking groups that have your ideal type of clients as members.  What I want you to leave today with, very clear, is: maximize your listing opportunities. To do that, you need to identify at least 3-5 key sources of pursuit and then have the action plans, the scripts, the technology, and systems that allow you to extract every ounce of potential from those systems and sources. So we need to find the market hot spots!  You can do it by looking at turnover mapping, potentially through your title company, price versus turnover, figure out quadrant farming, the areas you want to focus on, or target prospecting, going after a particular type of opportunity. Alright but bottom line, do something!

Hello its Debbie and welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips! You know, in each of your markets there are areas of opportunities. So for a moment let’s focus on the geographical areas. Whether you are a geographical farmer or are simply looking for the pocket markets that offer greater potential, you will want to identify where the best areas of opportunity might be. Here is what I mean. Let’s say you plan to make calls, send letters, or door knock and that you‘re doing this in an area with only 1% turnover versus an area with 4% turnover. Logically it just makes sense to choose the area with greater turnover.  And yet, agents often give this very little consideration before launching their marketing campaigns. In addition to geographical territories, we can next take a look at the segments of the population that interest you, or that you feel have a powerful potential for return. Now these segments could include absentee owners, downsizers, or networking groups that have your ideal type of clients as members.  What I want you to leave today with, very clear, is: maximize your listing opportunities. To do that, you need to identify at least 3-5 key sources of pursuit and then have the action plans, the scripts, the technology, and systems that allow you to extract every ounce of potential from those systems and sources. So we need to find the market hot spots!  You can do it by looking at turnover mapping, potentially through your title company, price versus turnover, figure out quadrant farming, the areas you want to focus on, or target prospecting, going after a particular type of opportunity. Alright but bottom line, do something!

Geographical Farming #305

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