1:49 Minute Read. Sitting around waiting to be loosed from the chains of quarantine? Today, take a minute to find the mavens hiding in your list of contacts. Spend time talking with them. Remember, they’re bored too and would enjoy a good conversation. Sure, it’s important to keep in touch with your entire list of former clients and sphere of influence. However, the real goal of all that communication is to ferret out friendly mavens. The moment you catch a maven, your busine

1 min 58 sec read. Quick, answer this question: During the quarantine have you been fretting about the future of your real estate business or have you been proactive, using it to build your brand? No one should minimize the seriousness of COVID-19. Like every crisis, we need to care for those we love, follow government guidelines and look for ways to be salt and light in this world. However, there are two undeniable facts to consider: 1) At some point, this pandemic will end.

1:33 Minute Read. I can admit when I’m wrong. For years I’ve encouraged agents to take a shotgun approach to their marketing efforts. You know, spray and pray. Like a shotgun that spreads tiny pellets over a large area, I thought doing the same with marketing would somehow create enough forward momentum to kick start a real estate career. But, here’s the truth. History has taught us that for real success, each agent must focus their marketing efforts with greater precision. H

1:53 Minute Read. Building a life-long career in real estate requires networking, but it doesn’t need to be forceful, mechanical or predatory. We’ve all been exposed to Multi Level Marketing (MLM) networking techniques. The bad taste that left in your mouth has probably caused you to avoid all forms of networking for your real estate business. All Multi-Level Marketing systems teach their sales-force networking techniques to sell product and gain converts. I’ve been roped int

1:43 Minute Read. It’s January. Time to prepare for a profitable 2019. Like a farmer preparing the soil for next season’s crops, agents who “tend their field” know this is the best time of year to reach out and ask for new business. Here is a simple method to ask for referrals. It works every time. Just follow these instructions to multiply your income this year. Asking for referrals is easy – but there is a right way to do it. It doesn’t require much time or expense. While o

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

1:34 Minute Read When it comes to getting referrals, have you noticed that there are three kinds of real estate agents? The first two struggle to get referrals. But the third! Ahhh! They are masters at getting friendly leads and referrals. Spend a day following them. They can turn an hour of grocery shopping at Meijer into referral heaven. “The best way to get a referral, is to give one first” So, which agent below are you most like? The Secret Agent – There are plenty of age

1:00 Minute Read. If you’re into building community, reaching out to neighbors or just being the best real estate agent on the block, October is great month to engage your neighborhood. Here’s two simple ideas guaranteed to build relationships and expand your sphere of influence. Life is about building relationships. Growing your business through it is only one benefit. HALLOWEEN. With exactly 4 weeks remaining, you can convert your garage into the neighborhood’s best haunted

1:35 Minute Read. Over the years, I’ve witnessed two proven paths toward real estate success. Unfortunately, many agents aim somewhere in the middle and wind up missing both targets. The choice is yours. Pick one and master it. The fortune cookie on my desk reads: “If you chase two rabbits, both will escape” GO BIG. For those agents who aren’t content operating a one-person show, build a small team and grow it as large as your dreams will carry. Identify your strengths and r

2:18 Minute Read. According to a national funeral director’s association, the average number of people in attendance at funerals is 250. And so it will go with you. Most likely, around 250 people will show up at your memorial. These folks will be close friends, distant relatives and a slew of individuals whom you influenced for good during your lifetime. I bet you can already name most of the people who will be there. This group of people is known as your Sphere of Influence.

1:00 Minute Read. Most agents hate Zillow. And it’s understandable. Its information is often wrong and can make agents look foolish. However, I’ve learned how to use it to my advantage. My first encounter with Zillow was horrible. A prospective client waited until I offered my valuation of his home before he pulled out his Zestimate to prove me wrong. While time proved my valuation was actually correct, I wondered how many agents have lost listings from the same situation. Or

2:15 Minute Read. Below are two actual GRAR marketing comment descriptions. I’ll apologize in advance if either one is yours. One is great. The other one…not so much. At some point, we’ve all looked blankly at our computer screen while typing words to describe our new listings. I’ll let you be the judge of which agent did a better job writing smart, powerful copy that sells homes. Our first example recently sold for over $2 Million… “Stunning Hampton's Style home with 100' of

1:00 Minute Read. Take a good look at your marketing materials. Most agents have business cards and yard signs. That’s great. We recommend keeping those very clean and simple with minimal information. Don’t clutter it up. And, adding your photo to cards and signs makes them memorable. Studies show that folks are more likely to keep a business card with a photo. It’s more personal. “Pass out marketing material like it’s candy. It’s good for business.” Beyond those items, add a

1:00 Minute Read. It’s difficult to differentiate yourself from the competition when selling similar services that others offer. Win more listings by setting yourself apart. If you can’t differentiate your product or service, you can distinguish your company, yourself, your program, your price or your professionalism from competitors. “Some home-sellers think agents are inter-changeable. Prove them wrong.” Show off your professionalism and understanding of this business by ad

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

1:26 Minute Read If you are new to selling real estate, it takes time and energy to establish your brand. No one says its easy. And while it can be daunting, there are two truisms you can trust and lean on while you are building a successful career. 1) 80% of building a real estate business is science – and anybody can learn a science. The other 20% is art, and most of us possess enough creativity to ace that. 2) If you work tirelessly for one solid year, you can build enough