As 2010 Comes To An End....

Now is the time to reflect on what went right and what went wrong this year.

Many agents had struggles, pain and setbacks while others maintained or did better than 2009.

Don't be too critical about your shortcomings. Look at which strategies in your business provided the best results and which ones you should either tweak or just get rid of in 2011.

I believe it's better to go deeper in 2 or 3 target markets and really focus on maximizing those couple of niches than to say that you will work on 5 - 10 different strategies.

It's just not possible to be really good at more than a couple of target markets, unless you have a large team and have been adding new strategies each year.

Being a jack of all trades and a master of none will break you!

With only 3 business days left in 2010, now is the time to determine if there's any last-minute business supplies or purchases you can make to be covered in your 2010 expenses.

I'm going to buy a Kodak zi8 video camera for posting my videos on YouTube and my blogs. They are now under $100.

May you have a safe, enjoyable and profitable New Year!

What is an “I.D.I.Day”?

It’s an I Did It Day!

We all have things that we procrastinate over. The prospecting calls we don't want to make…putting off cleaning out the attic or the garage…our office desk areas, which just seem to grow files all by itself…the back seat of our cars…picking up the phone to call an old friend or family member we haven’t spoken to in years…need I go on?

By not doing or completing these tasks, you feel like you haven't achieved anything for the day and seem like they take up far too much guilt space in your head. They can even keep you from doing the things you really want to do. Have you ever said you couldn't do something with friends because you had 'xyz' to do in the weekend and then when Monday arrived you hadn't even touched the project, even though you spent the whole of Saturday and Sunday dreading it?

This is where an “I.D.I. Day” comes in.

Here’s how it works: You find 2 other people to join in the challenge and do a 3-way call. On the first call, you each state what tasks you’re going to complete that day. You also state which tasks you’re going to complete within the first hour. At the top of each hour, the 3 of you share your results of that past hour and what you plan to achieve in the following hour. Then you all hang up and attempt to get as much done as possible. The next hour, you’ll check in by sharing what you've completed and then what you plan to do next hour. You'll continue this until the last hour listed in the schedule is over.

The first time you do this challenge, I wouldn’t go for eight hours. I’d do it for 3 hours, say from 9:00am – 12:00 noon or from 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

You can use this day to work on anything you need to get done, from business to household chores, planning budgets to making up with people we need to make peace with. It's a great way to get some things done and a lot more fun when you know other people are doing the same. And, as everyone knows who has participated in an I.D.I.Day, the time goes by very quickly!

Don’t overcomplicate the tasks you want to achieve! Whatever you’ve been putting off for weeks or months, whether business or personal stuff, write down the items you really want to complete that will help you reduce your tolerations list and/or improve your business. What things do you think about on a daily or weekly basis that if you just did them, would make you feel better? You may end up doing several things during an hour or have one big thing to complete.

Remember, it’s not a competition among each other as much as it is with yourself to do more in less time. Don’t take on something that would take more than an hour to complete. Break it down into smaller bites that you can finish in less than an hour.

If you would like to raise the level of intensity to the challenge, you can even add a fine of say $10 or $20 that you pay the other 2 people, for each hour that you don’t complete your assigned task.

At the end of the I.D.I. Day, you’ll feel like you really accomplished something and feel good about yourself. You may even want to play the challenge more than once.

How To Increase Odds of Getting Your Offer Accepted!

Would you like to increase the chances of getting your buyer's offer accepted?

When an offer is written in Cincinnati Ohio, where I live, it's usually delivered (in person or by email) to the seller's agent, who then presents it to the seller. Obviously customs differ from market to market, so you may do it another way.

When writing an offer, review these steps:

• Make sure all of your offer paperwork and disclosures are filled out completely.
• Include an underwriter-verified, pre-approval letter with your offer.
• Have your buyers write a personal letter telling their story

This last step is one that's rarely used, but can be the difference between getting your offer accepted or rejected. Your buyers should explain in writing (in one to two paragraphs) why they want to buy and live in the seller's home. It's like they are "Putting A Face on The Offer".

Your buyers may want to share details about their old home and where they are coming from. They may want to talk briefly about their jobs and their children, if any. You may need to help script out the letter for them.

Many times, a home seller never sees the buyer until the closing. So by putting a face on the offer, you make it more personal and it gives them a chance to bond...even if it's only on a subconscious level. They may realize that they have similar interests or backgrounds. People like to deal with others that they like.

As you write the letter, consider including a family photo of the buyers (with their permission, of course) as this is another way to connect with the sellers.

I've used this strategy successfully many times and it does make a difference...even in multiple offer situations, where we've gotten the home over another buyer when everything else was equal.

Now if the property is a lender-owned or corporate-owned, the odds of this strategy working can decrease, but what can it hurt. You're still dealing with people. Give it a shot!

Are You Staying In Touch With Your Clients Enough?

In today's market, servicing your active and continuing to serve your inactive clients is critical to your business. I believe consumers looking to buy or sell a home find an agent in one of three ways:

1. through information-gathering while on the Internet
2. by getting a recommendation from family or a friend
3. by driving in a neighborhood and seeing a yard sign

Here's a list of questions you need to ask yourself to see if you're maximizing your client referrals:

• How well is your current client retention program working?
• How can you become more involved in your client's life?
• How well is your current client retention program working?
• What improvements can you make to it?
• How can you increase the number of times you interact with them (without annoying them) and what value can you offer them?
• What can you do to increase their lifetime value?
• What do other industries do to create long term relationships with you?
• Have you provided an opportunity for your clients to allow family and friends to learn more about you without person to person contact?

Take some time to analyze these questions and bounce them off with some other agents in your office. You need to realize that when you take care of your clients, they will usually continue being your clients after the transaction is over. But if you ignore them, they will quickly forget about you.

"Points For Results" System

Do you sometimes struggle to have a productive day?

The purpose of this system is to keep you focused on completing your daily activities (Mon - Fri) that will help you achieve your goals. You need to determine the # of activities you need to accomplish on a daily basis.

I recommend between 5 - 10 activities. Write down what rewards you'll give yourself for completing the system each week, month.

Bonus points for the day:

• 1 point for setting a new qualified appt
• 1 point for writing an offer

Penalty: pay $1 - $10 for each point you don't get at the end of each day (depending on how serious you want to play). Pay the money into an envelope every day you don't hit your goals and donate it to a charity of your choice.

Work every business day to getting your total number of points. At the top of your list, put "Get ___ Points". The key is to use the points system daily. Don't wait until Friday and try to get all the points in 1 day.

If you tally ___ points per day, you will never run out of business, your pipeline will always be full, you'll rarely ever have a slow period and you will have a consistent business.

Use this system for 15 business days and then decide for yourself if it should become an integral part of your selling arsenal.

You can even have a contest with one or more other agents in your office.

Today Is A Day of Sadness!

I probably shouldn't have posted today.

My intent was to bring a conscious awareness to the risks we sometimes put ourselves in being Realtors and being too trusting. Obviously, we don't know the details about the attacks of our fellow Realtors, but it's important to remember them as they serve as a reminder of the dangers that do lurk out there.

The reason I shouldn't have posted today was because I found out that one of my clients died in a fiery crash today in Cincinnati. He had a flat tire and was waiting in his car on the berm for assistance when a man, who was allegedly weaving in and out of lanes at speeds of up to 130 MPH, rammed his car. Reports say he died instantly...I hope he didn't suffer. I have such sadness for his family.

R.I.P. Jim!

2 Realtors Murdered & Another Assaulted!

It is with deep sadness that we report on the murders of two prominent Northeast Ohio REALTORS last week.

Andrew J. VonStein, with Cutler Real Estate Ravenna Office, was found dead inside a vacant property listed for sale in Portage County. According to news reports, the Portage County Sherriff’s Office has ruled the death a homicide and is undergoing an extensive investigation.

Vivian Martin, broker-owner of Essence Realty from Youngstown and a member of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS was also the victim of a violent homicide. This case is also under investigation.

In addition to these situations, we have been informed that there was an additional incident this week involving another Youngstown REALTOR being held at gunpoint for over an hour by three males.

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Often, one of the last things on our minds when we show property is our safety.

Do you know who you're showing properties to? Did you meet them in your office first and make a copy of their photo ID? Do you let others know where you'll be showing? Do you have a 'code word' to implement in an emergency? Is your cell phone charged with you during showings? Would you walk into a vacant home where the door was already unlocked?

Always take a moment before going to show properties and ask yourself if you're prepared for an emergency.

You must also decide if you are going to do open houses and if so, how will you prepare for them and what steps will you take to protect yourself during an open house.

Here is a great, blog post about safety on ActiveRain from Realtor M.C. Griffin Campbell:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1882979/realtor-s-safety-first-protect-and-serve-an-urgent-need-to-protect-ourselves

Be safe out there!

Where Are The Invisible Home Buyers Hiding?

With over 90% of home buyers searching for properties on the internet today, it's tougher than ever to find home buyers, who are willing to raise their hands and come out of hiding. It's very easy for consumers to hide behind their computers and smartphones and not have to talk with us agents until they're ready to act.

Here's great 3 ways to find home buyers today:

1. Keep in touch with your sphere of influence and client base.

Since the trust factor is very important, buyers still rely heavily on family/friend recommendations of whom to work with. Keep in touch with everyone you know and share the various, free services that you can offer them that can make it easy to refer you to their family and friends.

2. Provide as many quality photos & details online as possible.

It still amazes me as to how many agents don't post quality (staged or at least organized & decluttered) interior photos and exterior (in-season) photos of their listings online. Few or no photos of a listing sounds the alarms going off in my head...what's wrong with this property? Whether they call you or their agent, the more information you provide online, the better chance you have of a buyer wanting to view your listing.

3. Use hotline #s and for sale sign brochure boxes for drive-by traffic.

Many buyers will still drive by a home before viewing it and that's the time to give them some information about the property by using hotline recordings and brochure box flyers. I personally don't list the price on the brochure, because I want the buyer to call me for more details. The only bad thing about brochures is you don't know who's picking them up, so it's important to use direct-response marketing on the brochures to offer value and hopefully the buyer will call you.

I'd love to hear your comments...please post them below.

To your success,

Dan

P.S. Are you on ActiveRain? If not, you need to be...it's an unbelievable, free source of real estate training, knowledge and possible referrals. Even if you don't blog, sign up today and discover the wealth of information that's there.

Expect The Unexpected!

What would you do if you walked into your company's office meeting tomorrow morning and were told that your company has been sold...or worse, was closing its doors?

Having been an agent for 20+ years with a large, international brand real estate company, imagine my surprise, while on a family vacation, to find out that my broker did not renew his franchise agreement and we joined a well-respected, local real estate firm.

Can you imagine the shock and confusion that over 200 agents felt when hearing about it for the first time? I kept wondering how could this be happening. Many of us agents were extremely loyal to the brand and it was part of our business identity.

What was I going to do...find a new company or join my "new" and "immediate" family? After returning from my family vacation, I interviewed several competitors and analyzed their strengths and weaknesses.

I don't wish this situation on anyone. Looking back over the past 2 weeks, it makes me realize that many agents had to each weather through the storm and make the best decision they could on whether they would stay or go. There's no right or wrong answer...each situation is different.

The lesson I learned from all of this is you need to have a contingency plan in the back of your mind for the possibility of your real estate company not being there tomorrow. Your focus and goals must be strong enough to withstand the turmoil that accompanies a scenario like this. It will also help you get back into the game of selling real estate faster and not mentally "shut down" your business in the interim.

In the end, I stayed with my broker and his office manager, who I believe is the top sales manager in the city. They have an experienced staff and the infrastructure like no other.

Are you prepared if something ever happens to your broker? If not, now is the time to make a contingency plan.

To your success,

Dan

P.S. Are you on ActiveRain? If not, you need to be...it's an unbelievable, free source of real estate training, knowledge and possible referrals. Even if you don't blog, sign up today and discover the wealth of information that's there.

Getting The Most Out of a Good Book!

When is the last time you enjoyed reading a good book?

Was it in high school...in college...just last year...just last month?

Whenever it was, it's SO important to your personal growth to read books every day...just 10 pages of a good book daily!

Read 10 pages of a good book before you go to bed at night instead of watching TV. By doing this, your sub-conscious mind will be replaying this over in your head while you're sleeping.

This past week I returned from an 8-day vacation with my family out west...visiting Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas and driving back through the Mojave Desert to Phoenix.

We had a wonderful time. While flying to and from Phoenix, I was able to read the book "The Magic of Thinking Big" from cover to cover.

As I read, I highlighted the nuggets of information that I felt can help me become a better person, father, husband and entrepreneur.

Next, I copied the highlighted notes into a Work document, so that I can periodically re-read those nuggets and put them into action.

Now, as I read each new book, I write out a summary of valuable pieces of information that I can use to improve my life skills.

I'm making a notebook that's full of ideas, strategies and philosophies from many successful motivators and visionaries like Tony Robbins, David Schwartz, John C. Maxwell, Robert Kiyosaki, Jeff Olsen, Paul J. Meyer, Robert Allen, Jack Canfield, Dave Ramsey and so many more.

So, take the time now to start reading personal development business books, even certain magazines like Success Magazine and others are a great place to pick up powerful ideas.

Start today!

To your success,

Dan

Do You Have Your "4 Essentials" In Place?

Every agent needs to have the essential tools for their business updated and in place to be successful.

The 4 essential tools that you need are:

• Business Plan
• Pre-Listing Packet
• Listing Presentation
• Buyer Presentation

It seems so elementary, but it's critical to have these 4 tools fine-tuned and ready to be used at a moment's notice.

Having these 4 tools updated will help keep you focused and on target to achieve your goals.

By following the steps in your presentations versus just 'winging it', you'll get more listings and sales with fewer objections.

Sometimes by just making a small change in your presentation, you'll increase your odds by 25% of gaining a new client.

So if you haven't analyzed your presentations in the past year or two, take the time to look them over and see if there's anything you can add or delete that will help your overall success rate. You should even get your presentation critiqued by someone you respect, whether in or outside of your market.

I'm in the process of updating my listing and buyer presentations now.

To your success,

Dan

P.S. Are you on ActiveRain? If not, you need to be...it's an unbelievable, free source of real estate training, knowledge and possible referrals. Even if you don't blog, sign up today and discover the wealth of information that's there.

How To Find Very Cheap Domain URL Extensions!

How many times have you bought a domain name for multiple years and then never even used it?

That's why I buy all of my domain names (except for my personal name - danweis.com) for one year and then decide each year to renew them or not. I'm also testing niche market domains, so sometimes they work and other times not. I don't want to be paying for them for the next 2, 3, 5 or 10 years if I've stopped using them.

Why do I do that? Domain names can be OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive...depending on where you buy them.

It appears that domain names depending on the extension, ie .com, .net, etc can range in price from $10 to $35/year per domain URL.

Now, there are companies that promote buying URLs for each of your listings. At $10 - $35 per listing, that expense can add up quickly.

Well, I found a way to buy a domain name URL extension VERY expensively and I don't get anything for telling you about it.

You can get them for your listings...your blogs...free reports...etc.

I don't know how long this discount will last, but it can probably save you A LOT OF MONEY buying this kind of URL extension. It may have been obvious to some, but probably not to most of us.

Unfortunately, I can't share it with you here!

But don't worry, I will share if you're interested. I want to do a test.

If you'd like to know how to save a ton of money on buying specialty domain URL extensions, send me an email at dan@danweis.com and type "Cheap Domain Extension" in the subject line. Quick and easy!

Upon receipt of your email, I'll send you the details on where to get some inexpensive domain name extensions.

Again, I don't know how long the special pricing will be in effect, so hurry and send me a quick email!

Why Didn't You Do It?

Why didn't you do it?

You said you wanted it!

I know you did!

You took the time to dream, analyze your business plan and write down your goals.

Now with 2010 being more than half-way over, how will you finish the second half of the year?

A business plan is mistakenly deemed to always be written in stone and never changed. That couldn't be farther from the truth. You should write your plan in pencil, expecting to tweak it often when needed.

You need to constantly re-assess your plan!

We often write down tasks and activities that we don't like to do, but must do to hit our goals. Then when we don't do them, our plan falls apart.

Next time, delegate the activities you don't like to do to others who excel at them. Yes, it costs money, but if you are achieving your goals, then you'll be more profitable.

Monitor your activities and results weekly and review your business plan monthly.

By keeping a closer eye on your daily activities, you'll be able to see what's working and where you can make changes to improve your efficiency and effectiveness.

So stop writing annual business plans!

Don't put so much pressure on yourself every January by expecting to know how your business will run for an entire year.

Now it's okay to have an annual income figure in your head of what you want to achieve, but break it down to four quarters and then build your business plan by focusing on 3 months at a time.

This way you'll always stay committed to working your plan for the next 3 months.

I've mentioned before the strategy called "Plan - Do - Review". Make a 3 month plan, do it for 3 months and then review it after 3 months and decide what changes you want to make.

Make it a great 2nd half of 2010!

As You Approach The Half-Way Mark...

As you approach the half-way mark of 2010, how are you doing in your real estate business?

If you wrote down your goals for the year, are you on track?

If you didn't write any goals, are you where you thought you would be at this time?

I understand that many experts talk about having year-long and long-term goals in place, but in the markets many of us are having, I think it's critical to have shorter term goals in place that can be modified if necessary.

I believe it's more important to focus on the types of activities you need to achieve every day and week.

As you know, you need to have more transactions in the pipeline, because it's taking more inventory while closing fewer transactions.

Are your target markets effectively bringing you enough business this year?

While you may try different marketing strategies in a given year, the one you should always do year after year is keeping touch with your client base. Never ignore them, because they know, like and trust you. Always look for ways to show you care about them. Their referrals may be what keeps you going sometimes.

So how does your 2nd half of the year look to you?

What will you change in your business? What will you fine-tune? How can you get more transactions from your #1 source of business? These are important questions to ask yourself right now, so that 2010 will end up being a good year for you.

Is Social Media Part of Your Biz Plan?

I just attended a 6-hour, Social Media Business Strategy session on Wednesday and am glad I went.

Do you ever get the feeling in some seminars that the ideas are blasting out of the firehose?

Well, I listen to everything, but my goal is to select one to three ideas that I can implement for my business.

Now you've probably heard of Facebook, Twitter, blogging, Active Rain, etc., but are you using them to as strategies to build your real estate business?

The best ideas I learned from the seminar are to blog and build a Facebook Fan page. I can't go in depth on them here, but suffice it to say that social media is definitely one area where you can increase your business in the future.

And the quicker you react and get started before the masses, the more leads over time you'll be able to generate.

More on this topic next week.

By the way, if you haven't been to ActiveRain, you are missing out on a valuable training resource and referral source. Register for free by clicking this link: ActiveRain and fill out your profile. Active Rain has great search engine optimization (SEO) and when you write great blog posts, you'll be more easily found by the public. You gain points by referring others, writing posts, and commenting other's posts.

To your success,

Dan

Biggest Real Estate Frustrations!

Are you ready to go back to selling real estate the way it was 5 years ago?

Unfortunately, that won't be happening any time soon in most markets.

When sales are down and listings are in over-supply, many agents are not afraid to spout off to others about the struggles in the real estate industry.

Here are just a few of some recent comments I heard from agents :

• "I'm working with a few buyers and they aren't in any hurry to buy."
• "I have sellers who are deparate to sell and they're getting no showings."
• "I can't generate any quality leads."
• "There's too much new information to learn about short sales and foreclosures."
• "Why does the media keep slamming the housing market with bad news?"

While it can be frustrating to all of us with all of the changes that are happening on almost a daily basis, it's important to realize it really comes down to focusing on dealing with the things you can control and removing the things you can't control from your business and mind.

A famous business philosopher, Jim Rohn, once said, "Don't wish it were easier, wish you were more skilled."

What things DO you have control over?

• Is your listing presentation in top form?
• Do you practice objections scripts, so you don't strain for an answer in front of potential clients?
• Do you have a 'keeping in touch with clients' program that includes phone calls?

You need to be proactive in your business and keep your blinders on to avoid needless distractions.

There are agents in this market having their best year ever. Why? Because they put their head down and are going full speed ahead. They aren't paying attention to the media and are just 'doing it'.

Is it tough out there right now? Yes, but do you want to get better in selling real estate or be another statistic of someone who dropped out of real estate, because they couldn't cut it?

You can make excuses or get to work, but you can't do both!

The choice is yours to make...and your answer is?

Do You Have Snow In Your MLS Photos?

Being mid-way through the month of May, now is a great time to review your MLS listing photos.

When searching homes on the MLS, I frequently find listings that still have snow in the photos or the trees are bare. Now is the time to take new seasonal photos. This is part of marketing your listings. When replacing dated photos, it's also a great time to take some more interior photos and ask your seller to move out or rearrange some furniture or make some other type of change that will improve the look of their home.

After updating your new photos in the MLS, don't forget to also post the new photos in Zillow, Trulia, Facebook, etc. You never know when a new buyer is looking online for the first time and they see your listing. Do you want them to see fresh, spring-time photos or dated, dreary winter photos?

Finally, this may seems like a no-brainer, but if you take your own listings photos, make sure you go at the right time of day when the sun is positioned to your advantage.

You know the old adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Show off your listings in their best light!

Are Forgotten Leads Costing You Money?

Do you have buyer and seller leads that you're not working with right now?

Do you periodically find names and phone numbers on post-it notes on your desk?

Are the leads in a geographical area that you don't cover?

Do you ever add up the potential in lost income from not working with those leads?

It's a common occurence that at one time or another we've all been through. We get busy or the lead isn't motivated (right now) and we forget about them. Then we find their info several months later and wonder is it too late to call them.

What you need to start doing right now is assign the lead to yourself to consistently follow up with or refer it to another agent and keep in touch with them on the status of the lead.

Build a network of agents around town for areas and price ranges you don't cover and refer your leads out.

It's easy to justify in your mind that "oh, they weren't going to buy" or "I'll call them later", but handling your business this way is easily costing you at the very least a few thousand dollars in income up to $10,000 or more in a given year. That's not counting the potential loss of referral business too.

So before you put a lead into computer follow up program and write their info on a scrap piece of paper, really decide on how you're going to take care of this lead. Remember, it's a real person, who will more than likely buy or sell a home with someone and the question is...will "that someone" be you or an agent down the street?

How To Maximize Your Pre-Listing Preparation!

If you've been in real estate for any length of time, you've most likely had a listing presentation that took two or more hours to finish.

Was it time well spent? Hopefully you got the listing after taking all of that time.

Believe it or not, sellers don't want to take that much time out of their lives either.

It's time to become more efficient and effective with your pre-listing preparation.

Well, whether you got the listing or not, there's are ways to improve your effectiveness and decrease the amount of time you take at a listing presentation.

I want to share 2 strategies today that you can do to tweak your preparation for the better:

1. Pre-listing Phone Consultation - When you get a listing referral or cold seller lead, let them know that you need to talk with them for about 15 minutes to discuss their housing needs and to learn more about their home. (Keep it focused on them.) You need to make a list of qualifying questions to ask them, so that you can learn their motivation for selling, what kind of condition their home is in and are they in financial trouble with their mortgage. Don't drill them with question after question though. Keep it conversational! This is your chance to interview them to see if you want to take the next step with them.
   
2. Pre-listing E-mail Packet - You should send them a pre-listing packet by email. All you need to do make up a couple of forms in WORD and then turn it into a PDF file. (I know I'm starting to sound techie now, but I'm definitely not a tech head.) Stress to the sellers that you need them to have the packet filled out by your appointment. When you arrive, if they've filled it out, you know you have a motivated seller and someone who will more than likely work with you.

If you have no idea how to write one, send me an email at dan@danweis.com and I'll forward you mine for your use only.

By doing these 2 strategies, you'll be able to focus more on the motivated sellers and not waste as much time with those who think their home is worth more than the market will bear right now.

Now go out and find some more motivated sellers. As experienced agents, we need to increase our at-bats, so that sellers have a better chance of selling their homes.

Inexpensive Ways To Keep In Touch With Clients!

With more consumers staying "invisible" while searching on the Internet today, it's more important than ever to stay in touch with your client base.

Everybody talks about online lead generation being the way to go, but I don't think it's as effective as we're all lead to believe. There are many companies that want you to spend your hard-earned money on their products and services. Yet do they really work? Well, that's a topic for another day.

My focus today is about finding and using free and inexpensive ways to keep in contact with your clients. Make sure you have their updated email addresses and phone numbers. By staying in closer contact with your clients, it'll be easier to get referrals from those who know you care about them.

Here are a few strategies to consider:

• follow-up calls to your client - 1, 15 & 30 days after closing
• have client fill out a questionnaire about their family
• call or mail a card on client's birthday
• send client a Home Anniversary card
• send a copy of closing statement for their next tax return
• have a client appreciation party for those you enjoy being with
• send a quarterly neighborhood market update by email
• recommend contractors for any upcoming projects
• ask them to call you before re-financing to avoid costly loans
• invite them to join Facebook and become a friend

Be their real estate resource and let them know that they aren't bothering you when they need anything. Many of your clients may be nervous or scared about their personal situation in this economy and you don't even know about it. When you stay in touch with your clients, they know you care about them.

If you have any other ideas that are working for you, please comment below and share.

Are You Maximizing Your Time?

Do you wake up in the morning with your day planned out?

If not, you are costing yourself valuable, irreplaceable time and money.

Here are 3 strategies to help you achieve your daily activities:

• Time-Block Your Day - I know there are usually many distraction each day that take focus away from achieving your objectives, but you need to limit them. Set up 2 times each day to return incoming calls, i.e. 11:00am - 12:00 noon and again at 4:00pm - 5:00pm. Now this doesn't mean you can't return calls earlier or quicker, but if you are focused on prospecting or doing another dollar-productive activity, it's critical not to be interrupted.
  
• Are You A Night Owl or Early Bird? - Figure out your creative peak time. Each day you need to allot time to prepare the day's activities, review your goals, read at least 10 pages of a motivational or inspirational book. You need to get your creative juices flowing! Whenever that time is best for you, take that personal time to rejuvenate yourself and get hyped for the day.
  
• Keep Travel Time To A Minimum - When scheduling appointments for the day, see how you can combine road trips, so that you'll spend less time on the road and be more efficient. Give your clients a couple of different time options that work best for you instead of asking them what they want. Most of the time, your clients will gladly accomodate you.

These 3 strategies will help you achieve more out of each day instead of wondering where all the time went. You thought you were really busy, but if, at the end of the week, you have no new listings or sales, you really to look at what you're doing with your time.

When working, write down what you've done every 15 minutes. Was it busy work? Keeping transactions together? Prospecting for new clients? Only you'll know the true answer, so don't fool yourself. Take charge of your day!

Are You Ready For Spring Market?

As many areas are starting to thaw from under several feet of snow and frigid temperatures, now that March is here, spring isn't far behind. And with spring, buyers start roaming the countryside, often looking at open houses, deciding if now is the time to buy a home.

I've heard some head-scratching tales from buyers lately about selfish listing agents and I want to share with you some open house strategies that can help you and your sellers achieve your goal of selling their home.

Now I understand that some buyers go to open houses to deal directly with the seller's agent, but you need to verify that they don't really have a buyer's agent, who they mistakenly forget to tell you about.

According to your state's laws, you need to disclose your agency role to the buyer and appropriately assist them.

If they have a buyer's agent, who couldn't attend with them, please honor the agent by calling them after the viewing and let them know of the buyer's interest and have them follow up, so that they can hopefully write an offer on your listing.

I've heard stories where the buyer was told they'd have to write an offer with the listing agent, since their buyer's agent wasn't there. Now I know laws are different everywhere, but if you agree with this situation, are you working in the best interest of your client?

When I'm at an open house, I always ask how they found out about it (usually by the internet or directional signs) and if they're working with a buyer's agent. If they say "YES", I still do everything I can to interest them in my listing, knowing their agent would write up the offer. I do this, because it's my job to get my listing sold!

Also, I take the time to prepare, arrive early to make sure it's in showing condition, host, ask & answer questions and anything else I can do to maximize the open house experience.

I know many agents do open houses just to pick up buyers to work with, but really put some extra effort into it and hopefully you'll be able to sell it.

In 2.5 weeks, our Cincinnati market is holding a city-wide, REALTOR® Super Open House Weekend. I think it's coming just in time for the warmer weather and with 40 days left to apply for the $8,000 tax credit.

If your area isn't doing this, start your open Super Open House Weekend within your company or combine several company's listings and hold them open.

Don't let this important time of year pass without a promotion. You need to get the first-time buyers looking and writing offers, so that the sellers can become move-up buyers.

It's prime selling time!

Are Internet Users Smarter Than You?

More home buyers and sellers are accessing the information you used to provide them.

They are finding out more about listings and researching the details before meeting with you.

How does that affect you and your real estate business?

Well, here's some more facts from a recent Harris Interactive Research -12/09 survey:

• Most time online - those aged 30-39 (18 hours) and those aged 25-29 (17 hours) and 40-49 (17 hours).
  
• Adult Internet users now spend an average of 13 hours a week online, up +86% from 7 hours per week in 1999.
  
• The number of adults online at home has increased to 76% this year compared to 66% in 2005.
  

I once heard the phrase "the Internet Empowered Consumer" meaning that there was a small group of people, who accessed the Internet for information. That's no longer the case.

Everybody has access to the Internet in one form or another and they usually know how to find what they're looking.

Home buyers and sellers are more educated than ever and if you don't do your homework before meeting with them, they'll leave you in the dust and find another agent.

You can't afford to not know at least everything a buyer or seller has the ability to learn on the Internet...i.e. county auditor values, last sale dates and sale prices, etc.

If you don't know what they know, you've lost a client. In their mind they're thinking "Why do I need you when I know this stuff and you don't?"

The problem is they don't always know how to decipher the information or they don't have the complete picture that pertains to their situation.

There is a ton of information online and offline to know and the average consumer only buys or sells 3 or 4 homes in their lifetime.

They are not the experts...you are! Right?

I'm in my 25th year as a Realtor and I find that I need to continuously educate myself even more today than ever before.

There are a lot of complexities and emotions involved in the sale of real estate and it's our role to serve and protect our clients.

So set up a routine of getting the data needed before meeting with potential clients and show them you know your stuff!

The cost of losing even one motivated and qualified client and their future referrals can be enormous to your bottom line!

To your success,

Dan

P.S. Are you on ActiveRain? If not, you need to be...it's an unbelievable, free source of real estate training, knowledge and possible referrals. Even if you don't blog, sign up today and discover the wealth of information that's there.

Bad Weather Is Ripe For Client Calls!

In Cincinnati and many other places, we're experiencing several inches of snow today (I measured 5 inches), so most people will be home trying to stay warm. It'll be a great time to pick up the phone and talk with clients and see what's happening in their lives.

No sales pitches!

No asking for referrals!

Just focusing on them!

So when your community experiences bad weather, do you take advantage of calling your clients while they're home? They'll love to hear from you and at the same time you're planting seeds.

2 Ways To Connect More With Your Clients!

Isn't social media all the rage now?

Some agents are so excited about it, while others think it's a total waste of time. Well, I'm in the middle right now. I believe it's a powerful tool, but you also have to watch how much time you spend on it.

I've spent time studying and analyzing the social media platform called Facebook.

While it is an online media, if you're not careful, it can use up a lot of time in your work day.

I view Facebook as a way to stay close and in touch with my client base and friends. Period!

I don't play games on it (like Farmville) or activate a lot of applications. Those are time-wasters!

Here are 2 Facebook strategies I'm focused on right now:

1. Utilizing the personal page
2. Building a Fan page for my real estate business

On my personal page, I'm interacting with my clients and friends. I visit Facebook twice a day for about 5 - 10 minutes each...once around mid-day and then late afternoon to early evening. I want to find out what's happening in my "friends lives". My personal page is 95% personal and 5% real estate.

Next, I've set up a Fan page for my real estate business and this is really cool, because I invite people to become my Fans. It's permission-based marketing. When they select the "Become a Fan" button, they are giving me permission to talk to them about real estate. Right now, I'm posting once a day Monday through Friday on my Fan page. Also, I'm starting to promote my Fan page to prospects and the general public, because I want them to get to know me and have a resource for their real estate questions. My Fan page will probably be 90% real estate and 10% personal.

When you post, ALWAYS ask yourself, "Is what I'm posting of value to others?"

I will keep you posted as I go farther into implementing Facebook strategies and go deeper in building relationships with my clients, friends and prospects. Facebook is NOT a get-rich-quick strategy. It will take time, but I truly believe that it will become a great source of repeat and referral business into the future of my business. I am planting seeds and watering and nuturing them and over time I will reap the harvest.

Be consistent in your daily and weekly activities and you will see the results!

Are you on Facebook?

What strategies are you currently using?

Have you closed any transactions generated from Facebook?

Please post a comment below.

To your success,

Dan

P.S. Also, if you've never heard of ActiveRain, you are REALLY missing the boat. What an unbelievable, free source of real estate training, knowledge and possible referrals. Even if you don't blog, sign up today and discover the wealth of information that's there.

What If Your Business Was Being Followed?

What would you be thinking if you got a phone call from a producer from a national TV network saying they wanted to send a camera crew out to film you by following you around in your business 24/7 for the next 90 days?

You may be thinking...

"Bring it on"...

"Oh, I can't do that"...

"You mean I actually have to work?"...

"What have I got to lose?"

There are probably many different thoughts that would run through most agents' heads if they were given that proposal. Yet, if your real estate business is not running on all cylinders, why isn't it?

If you were to accept this 90-day challenge, 3 things would probably happen:

1. You would START doing the things you say you need to do.
   
2. You would STOP doing the things you know you shouldn't be doing.
   
3. You would MAKE monumental performance gains and change your life.

The next 90 days could make a phenomenal impact on your business, your life.

You don't actually have to worry about a national news camera crew following your every move, but you can challenge yourself or team up with another agent to have a contest. You could have an accountability partner that you check in with every day to measure each other's results.

You do need to have a prize for the winner, yet hopefully both of you would be much better off and your businesses running much better that you'd both be winners.

Anyone can sprint hard for 90 days in a row.

Just PLAN-DO-REVIEW. Run your business in 90 day cycles and see how focused you become by fine-tuning your activities each 90 days. It will allow you to acclimate much quicker to any market changes.

To your success,

Dan

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