Here's 2 Value-Added,Client Strategies!

There aren't very many services that you can provide to your clients after the sale that don't end up costing you a lot of money to do.

Well, here are 2 strategies that will only take a little bit of your time and are free to do (except any mailings you may do), while giving value to your clients:

1. Client Teleclasses
   
   What is a teleclass? It's where you moderate a conference call phone line and invite others to listen in to you and/or a guest. You can also have other ask questions and have an open discussion or you can mute the phone lines, when you want it to be quiet for all to hear an interview.
   
   The purpose of a Client Teleclass is two-fold.
   
   First, you need to find some of your reliable, service professionals, i.e. handyman contractor, CPA, insurance agent, mortgage consultant, landscaper, etc. and tell them that you want to interview them for 30 minutes on the telephone while a number of your clients are listening into the call. This gives them new potential clients to work with. Secondly, you notify your clients that you're going to have a 30 minute teleclass, where they can call into a phone from the comfort of their own home and listen to one of your service team professionals, who can share strategies with them and help their situation. If your client is interested in learning more about the topic, then they will listen in. They can also even ask direct questions and get answers too. You can use a service like www.FreeConferenceCall.com.
   
   In the beginning, it's important to send a postcard and even call your clients to tell them about this free service. You may even want to schedule several dates with different speakers, so that they get accustomed to expecting the teleclasses.
   
   You may be thinking to yourself, 'oh I can't do that', but just have your professional write up a list of questions for you to ask and that they can answer and you're up and running. Will the first time be great? Who knows, but your clients will appreciate the effort and time you're taking to help them out.
   
2. Neighborhood Market Update
   
   Even though most homeowners don't consciously wonder what homes are selling for every day in their neighborhood, I'm sure they would love to get periodic updates every now and then about know what home values are doing in their neighborhoods.
   
   So why don't you call your clients and ask them if they'd like to receive a Neighborhood Market Update twice a year. You can set it up, so that they can receive an e-mail format of all of the neighborhood listings, pendings and solds.
   
   It'll give you a great reason to touch base with them and you can also update their e-mail address. We all get busy with our business and life and before you know it, it's been months or years since you've spoken to a client. Change that today!
   
   Ultimately, the more service you provide after the sale, the more valuable you will be in your client's eyes and they will refer you, because they will tell others about the services you're providing even after they've already bought or sold.
   
   If you plan to use either of these strategies or have in the past, I'd love to hear how they worked for you and will write about your results in the future.

To your success,

Dan

Join FREE Network For Real Estate Referrals & Ideas: ActiveRain Real Estate Network

All content copyrighted © 2008 - Dan Weis, Agent Success Coach

5 Probing Questions To Ask Yourself!

As you go through your day-to-day, real estate business, it's easy to get sucked into the normal situations of putting out fires, running out for a last minute appointment or getting phone calls that you eat up your time.

Daily distractions can run rampant, if you let them.

So how can you attempt to be more focused through your day?

Here are 5 probing questions that can help you open up your mind to the world of possibilities and a new level of understanding.

1. What's my goal for the next 90 days?
   
   Many agents are taught to write down how much they want to earn in a year or how many transactions they'll close in a year. While that's ok to do as a long-term goal, it's much easier to get yourself wrapped around and focused on 90 days at a time. If you were to fall behind on your numbers, it's easier to play catch-up over a month. Over 90 days, work HARD for 10 weeks and play (vacation) for 2 weeks. That way you're dangling a carrot out in front of you and you'll end up taking 4 vacations every year. Not possible? Why not? You make the rules. It's time to expand your thinking! Do things a little differently!
   
2. Why do I want to do this?
   
   It's important to know why you're doing something, because when it gets tough and that will happen from time to time, you need to know why and then what the reward is at the end of the rainbow. If you're only in real estate for the money potential, you can easily burn out or resent this business. You have to love what you're doing to be at your best. Also, there's nothing wrong with changing your focus or vision over time. We all tend to make changes from time to time as we go through different phases of life. Ease into any changes you want to make to your business. Implementing another pillar to your business model should be gradually instituted and not at the expense of other proven and profitable aspects of your business.
   
3. What actions do I need to complete today?
   
   Look at your goals and write down the steps you need to take to achieve them. This is what you need to do every day or every week. This may sound boring or mundane, but some of the highest paid professionals in the world practice their craft and just do it over and over again. Don't over-extend yourself in the beginning. Don't say you'll make prospecting 50 calls a day when 10 - 20 is more doable. You can build up to bigger numbers over time, but you also don't want overwhelm yourself and end up not doing anything.
   
4. Who can help me get it done?
   
   The day of doing everything solo is over. Whether you want to build a large team or just be a one-person shop, either way or anything in between is ok. What you need to look at is what tasks don't you like doing and then delegate the work out for a fee. If you don't like showing homes, find a buyer's agent, who will pay you a referral fee when they close your lead. My philosophy is the days of hiring your own assistant - training them, managing them, withholding taxes, etc should be over. If you don't know who virtual assistants are, go to www.revanetwork.com. You can hire a virtual assistant by the hour, by the project or be on retainer. They already know how to handle closing transactions, how to data entry into Top Producer, update your web site SEO, etc. They're working with a few to dozens of agents around the country. They are independent contractors. You may never even meet them, but depending on their specialty, they can handle a lot of your paperwork for you and free you up to do what you do best: list and sell. Check with your broker on this topic.
   
5. How can I ask for referrals?
   
   You need to explain to your clients when you first meet them how to give you referrals. There are many different times during the process of helping them buy or sell a home, where it's ideal and ok for you to ask for referrals. Whenever you go above and beyond, let you client know in a humbled way and ask for a referral. But you need to specifically target a group of people (co-workers, family, people they play sports with, friends from church, etc) for them to be able to quickly review that group in their head. Make it a goal to get at least one qualified referral during each transaction. You've then doubled your business without additional expenses.

To your success,

Dan

Join FREE Network For Real Estate Referrals & Ideas: ActiveRain Real Estate Network

All content copyrighted © 2008 - Dan Weis, Agent Success Coach

Headlines Putting Your Pysche On Tilt!

It's time to really shut off the outside news world!

News headlines just from last night were:

• Stocks are down 11.49% so far in 2008!
• Gas is rising 20-30 cents...could soon hit $4.00/gal!
• Millions of Foreclosures are coming up!
• 63,000 Jobs lost - Unemployment is rising!

You would think the world is falling apart and coming to an end.

All news is hype about greed or fear. That's what sells!

I was reading an online article today about additional millions of foreclosures that are looming ahead and I got depressed...sick to my stomach!

But that's how the news sources want us to feel.

Well, NO MORE!!!

It's now more important than ever to go into your own, little imaginary town of 'Pleasantville'.

Your world is made up of your family, friends, co-workers, and clients. It's easier to maintain some normalcy in your life when you don't allow the outside world to affect your day to day thinking.

Will some things filter through to you? Yes, but if you focus on what you're attempting to achieve in your life, you'll end up living a happier life than dealing with all of the misery that's shown on the news media.

I must admit that I do watch a little bit of news from time to time, but I've scaled way back from what I used to watch.

But now, I'm turning it off. It won't be easy. It's been part of my entire life, but starting today, I'm not going to watch the news any more.

Will it be hard? Yes.

Will I second-naturedly turn it on from time to time? Probably.

Even though I've never smoked a cigarette, I'm already feeling the withdrawal effects of not watching the news last night or this morning. I feel like I have to know what's going on.

Turn off your radio news, your evening news, your 24-hour internet news!

Pick up a good book...spend some quality time with your family and friends...watch a funny movie...

Unless there's a major disaster or some other important news, then you don't need the daily news hype floating around in your head.

See how much simpler your life will be. You'll have a calmer feeling some times. It's not going to be a cure-all, but there can be a sense of peace in your life when you keep all of the BAD news out of your mind.

You also won't have as many advertisements being blasted at you from all directions. Your mind will be less cluttered.

Will we still have to deal with an over-supply of listings, short sales, unrealistic sellers and buyers, whose financing options have gotten a little tougher?

Sure, but in the end, keep putting one foot in front of the other, follow your business plan, adjust it when necessary and you will succeed.

To your success,

Dan

Join FREE Network For Real Estate Referrals & Ideas: ActiveRain Real Estate Network

All content copyrighted © 2008 - Dan Weis, Agent Success Coach

Is Spring Selling Season Far Off?

Spring is approaching and home buyers and sellers won't be far behind.

As northern parts of the United States start melting, it means that the spring home selling season isn't far off.

You may be thinking "What will this year's prime selling season look like?" "Will it be better or worse than last year?"

I don't believe we're out of the woods yet as far as seeing foreclosures continuing to make a mark on the marketplace. They will continue to pop up almost everywhere. Seeing listings advertised with 'short sale' notices is becoming very common. I've been showing many homes, where the sellers either owe more than the listing is worth or the sellers, who took out 100% financing loans, just a couple of years ago, are trying to break even on their sale.

So what does all of this mean?

Don't let the national news media get you down. Homes are still selling! Not all listings will sell in this market, because there is an over-supply of homes in many areas. What you need to do is get your seller to understand the realities of today's market. Pricing and condition are absolutely critical! With all of the listings that continually come up as "expired", agents are wasting a lot of time and money on listings, where the seller won't price it correctly or they won't showcase the property to show in its best light.

It's time to qualify your sellers more closely. If they aren't truly motivated to make a move, then tell them they should wait or if you have to, refer them to another agent. A lot of homes aren't selling during their listing period. If a property is going to expire 2 or 3 times on the market, do you want to be its first agent?

Also, buyers will need more help in determining their mortgage options. Make sure your buyer clients are pre-approved for a mortgage before they start their home search. Mortgage lenders today are often requesting additional borrower information and document re-verification prior to the closing. Make sure that you allow enough time in your purchase agreements to get a buyer's loan approved. Some mortgage programs are taking more time than normal due to underwriters and others wanting to check and re-check all of the information. Some buyers are dragging their feet, trying to figure out when the market is going to bottom out. That could be a mistake if they wait too long.

You also should be educating your client base about what's happening in the market. You can share information with them by sending e-newsletters, writing a free real estate blog, mailing monthly market updates, phone calls and even 'pop-bys'.

Your existing (active and inactive) clients and prospects are watching the same nay-saying, news media that you are. If you don't think they're getting the full story (they're not!), then it's your responsibility to tell them what's really happening in your area.

Be proactive! It'll be a boost to your business! You'll feel better about things, because you're taking steps to improve your business and your area's economy!

To your success,

Dan

Join FREE Network For Real Estate Referrals & Ideas: ActiveRain Real Estate Network

All content copyrighted © 2008 - Dan Weis, Agent Success Coach