1:47 Minute Read. Clients are counting on you to lead them through the home-buying process. They have questions and don’t know where to start. Educating them early in your relationship puts everyone at ease, builds loyalty, and creates a shared vocabulary. “Listen carefully. Your client will tell you when it’s time to start closing the deal.” If you meet new clients for the first time at the home you’re touring - as I do, here’s a great way to get the relationship started r

1:53 Minute Read. Oh my. Seems everywhere you look there are life lessons for the taking. I dropped off my car at the dealership for servicing, putting it into the hands of highly trained, certified professionals. Late Friday afternoon, I was told the parts were not available. Given two choices, I could take the car home for the weekend and use it or leave it until the repair was completed. Serviceman #1 said it this way – “Mr Henderson, I don’t want to inconvenience you. We

1:53 Minute Read What’s one major complaint clients have with real estate agents? Survey says…. Lack of communication! I know we’re all busy. And it’s easy to abandon tasks that seem unnecessary. But if you want long-term success in real estate, building trust through communication is key. Lack of regular contact is the biggest, reputation-killing complaint by far and yet the EASIEST one to fix. Here’s how: “Most clients don’t need much hand-holding. They just need to know y

1:00 Minute Read. There are two paths you can choose in this business. You can be a person with unswerving noble character or you can be something less. Search Google: Why do real estate agents have a bad reputation? OUCH! There are pages of complaints about agents and their lack of ethics. After reading those posts, you’ll feel the need to take a shower. “A good name (reputation) is more important than great riches.” An agent in our office shared this story: Through inspect

1:00 Minute Read. Almost every problem that’s brought to my desk is solved by answering one simple question. In my experience, most agents know the law, understand their transactions and are pretty savvy when dealing with people. However, as buyers and sellers make greater demands, many agents feel an obligation to keep everyone happy. Once that ball starts rolling, there is no stopping it. Before you know it, either party can become upset by feeling you’ve offered preferenti

1:40 Minute Read Spring Break 2017. He is one of the best salesmen I’ve ever seen. I watched him work for nearly an hour as my son decided on which pair of sneakers to buy. Spending spring break in New York City, we visited the major attractions, ate great food and did plenty of shopping. One store caught my attention. #StadiumGoods. This store sells sneakers. Walls and walls of them. And not the kind you find at Footlocker. Limited additions – the kind sneaker-lovers drool

1: 30 Minute Read. Ever feel concerned that you are following up too much? Well, don’t. Stop worrying about bothering potential clients. The majority of real estate agents simply do not follow up enough. Here’s a handy way to set the pace for follow-up calls. “Follow-up begins at the end of your last meeting.” A national sales manager for a well-know company relocated to west Michigan. I had the pleasure of assisting him in the purchase. After finishing paperwork, he said: “I

1:30 Minute Read. I asked an elderly broker what he would do differently if he were starting over again as a young agent. Without hesitation, he said he failed to maintain good contact information and never sent regular notes to his friends, family and former clients. Because of it, he said he spent too much on developing new business, missing what was easily available to him. Developing a smart and easy referral system is the best way to build long term success as a Realtor.

1:30 Minute Read. Client reviews and surveys are a great way to tilt the odds in your favor. Having a dozen or so reviews from former clients in your presentation will reassure any potential client of your service, commitment and professionalism. Before everything went digital, I mailed a survey to every client asking for their input and advice. Now, its even easier to email a link after each closing. If you’re looking to keep your social media posts current, stop adding arti

80 second read This is probably the shortest post you’ll ever see from me. It doesn’t require many words to explain how to have the smoothest closings ever. I'm amazed that so many agents forget to incorporate something so simple. Adding these two steps to your closing routine will make your life easier, and your clients happier. Communicate every week with everyone. I spend every Monday morning working through my closing files to move everything to the next step. After compl

When cautioning new agents, every broker has used the phrase, “Buyers Are Liars”. But, it’s not true. Sure, we have all watched buyers explain exactly what they are looking for and then inexplicitly purchase a house that is nothing like what their wish list described. It happens. Even if it doesn’t rhyme well, I think the truer statement would be, “Agents need to be more observant” It took me awhile to figure out the science behind their buying patterns, and here’s what I lea

Using GRAR’s Public Search Stats is free, easy and effective and your competition doesn’t know it exists. Use it to build your professional image, expand your market intelligence and give yourself another darn good excuse to contact your clients regularly. Ever heard this one from unhappy sellers about their agent? “He listed my home and I never heard from him again.” Using the GRAR Public Search Stats, clients will receive weekly updates about your marketing reach. Input th