Rich Levin

Interesting situation, one of my Clients, an Agent in New Jersey went on a listing presentation.  He was one of four Agents interviewing, competing for the listing.  He was third.  There was still one more agent after him.

He got the listing.  He asked why?  The Seller told him.  You weren’t pushy.  You listened.  You were comfortable.  We trusted you.

When he got there they were insistent on a price.  The two Agents that preceded him had agreed with the Seller on their price.  He listed the house $30,000 below, that’s right thirty thousand dollars lower than the price they had in mind.

This is the power of good communication and sales skills; leading with questions, active listening, being present, and staying focused on their needs.

Join me each weekday on my free coaching webinar for more tips.

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In the time it takes you to read this post, you will be more effective at converting prospects into clients, all because you learned four secrets to getting agreement from anyone in any situation.

Now before you start thinking that you’re about to learn mind control or clandestine torture techniques, let me assure you that nothing you are about to learn is illegal, immoral, or fattening.  These are simply the most effective communication techniques you can use to present value in a way that is easily understood and accepted by the listener.

Be Direct-It may sound too simple to be true, but confidence and honesty are an absolutely irresistible combination.  An important note is that cockiness should not be mistaken for confidence; having a super-sized ego will turn people off like nothing else.

Confidence comes from knowing with certainty that the information you offer is the best information available.  When you know what you are doing, you exude a vibe that tells people that you are the authority on the subject and makes it easy to trust you.

Honesty means being able to have fierce conversations when necessary and giving the client the whole truth even if it isn’t what they want to hear.  You’ve probably heard of agents who take overpriced listings just to get a sign in a yard (maybe you’ve even been guilty of this) and then struggle to get price reductions when the home doesn’t get showings.

People may want to hear answers that affirm them and make them feel good, but they will respect you and trust you if you are committed to providing accurate data and feedback even when it isn’t the easiest thing to hear.

Break The Pattern-Do the unexpected when you call your prospects in order to be memorable.  The typical agent phone call might sound something like, “Hi Mr. Seller, this is Andy Agent from ABC Realty, how are you today?”  The seller is automatically placed on guard because they know exactly why you are calling and you have unwittingly stacked the deck against yourself.

Instead, ask a question that requires thought such as, “Hi Mr. Seller, this is Hoss Pratt from XYZ Realty and I noticed your home came up on the MLS as an expired listing.  Why do you think your home didn’t sell?”  It makes them think of an answer to your question and keeps them from going into a defensive mode.

Dig Deeper-Now that you’ve opened the conversation and got the prospect thinking and talking, make the most of the time you have with them.  Continue to ask open-ended questions that allow them to self-discover their pains.  Learn the reason behind the reason; find out what is important to them and why it’s important.  Uncover the prospect’s top three pains and you are positioned to present a solution that is perfect for their situation and unique needs.

Voice Control-When you are on the phone, your voice and your words are the only tools you have to facilitate communication.  The person on the other end of the line doesn’t have the benefit of seeing your expressions and body language.  Your posture and expressions have an undeniable impact on your voice though, so be aware of this when you are making your calls.  Sit up straight or stand up when you talk and you will automatically sound more professional, more alert, and more enthusiastic.

Put a mirror over your desk so that you can see what you look like and make adjustments if necessary.  Record your calls so you can listen to them and hear how you sound and learn where you need more practice.

These simple strategies will help you increase your conversion rate regardless of the number of leads you currently generate.  That is the first step to more listings, more closings, and more commissions.  If you are interested in being more effective, efficient, and productive stay tuned to my blog for all the best strategies, tips, and tools for growing your business.

Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts.  Do you stand up or look in a mirror when you call prospects?  How do you think it affects your conversion?

My father was a former Marine and I learned as a small child that there is no such thing as an ex- Marine!   He used to wake us up early in the morning by yelling “Reveille” and all seven of us children would march up the stairs to have a family breakfast together.  As a high school history teacher,  Dad was big on education and drove home the importance of being good in school and paying attention.  One year he had a group of students from his AP (advanced placement)  classes compete in a nationwide model United Nations project where the students would deal with world issues.   His class from Skyline High School in Utah won the national award in Washington DC where they competed and received that great honor.  Dad was very proud of his students and their accomplishment.  He talked about that award for years.

I suggested to my dad one time that he was lucky because he had all the smart kids from his AP classes and could pick the smartest students in the school to compete.  He looked me in the eye and raised his left eyebrow and said this “Son, I work with some of the smartest kids, but I choose to work with the kids who have the best attitudes.”   He went on to say that “it doesn’t matter how smart you are if you don’t have a good attitude”.   That conversation made a deep impression on me and has been one of my favorite memories of my father.

In this challenging real estate market many agents find themselves faced with some difficult choices—but the most important choice we can make today is to keep a positive attitude and take action when others are simply whining and looking for excuses for failure.   There are enormous opportunities today in every market.  The business out there may not be your favorite type of business and it may not be the most fun, but if you have the right attitude, you can not only make money, you can thrive today.

Here are a few simple things you can do each day to keep moving in the right direction:

1. GET up
2. Get showered and dress for success
3. Get into a productive work environment
4. Prospect 2-3 hours every day
5. Work your most profitable business (your database)
6. Look for real buyers and generate buyer leads from every source possible (buyers are paychecks)
7. Surround yourself with positive people that are goal focused and happy
8. Hire a coach that can give you direction and guidance and hold you accountable to do the right things in your business

We are blessed to live in this country where we can work for ourselves and enjoy all of the freedoms that make this such a wonderful place to live.  We have our families, health, and skills that allow us to help people and we get paid very well for the service we provide.  And we have technology and resources that allow us to do our jobs better.  It is now up to each one of us to get going, stay positive and keep our attitudes in check.
The first time I visited my Dad’s classroom I saw the sign above his desk that simply said this “Attitude is more important than Aptitude.”  To this day, I believe that simple quote has made a great impact on my life and career.  I love what I do!

Whether you’re a real estate agent, the owner of a restaurant, the owner of a surfboard shop, or a florist … you must generate leads if you want to have a sustainable and profitable business.

So let’s talk about real estate.  Just how can you effectively generate leads to create the profit you need for your real estate business?

As I mentioned last week – and as I’ve talked about many times in the past – I firmly believe that to be effective, lead generation must “fit”.

And that’s what the title of this Zebra Report refers to!  I estimate that 85% or more of all real estate agents are one of two personality styles – either “Promoters” or “Supporters”. One of these two personality styles probably does sound like most of the real estate agents you know:

Promoters are the bright, bubby, outgoing “people-lovers”.  Promoters are drawn to selling real estate because they love freedom.  Working at a fast pace is a priority for Promoters, and they are typically energetic, enthusiastic, and results-oriented.

Supporters are quieter than Promoters, but they are also people-oriented.  Supporters are the people who get into the business because they “want to help people”.   They’re hand-holders, and are great providers of emotional support for their clients.  Supporters work at a slow pace, and harmony is critically important to them.  Supporters are responsive and cooperative.

If you are a Promoter who needs leads in your business, I have three suggestions for you: open houses (yes, I know you’ve heard me say this over and over again, but that’s because they can be very effective!), niche marketing, and teaching classes.  Because Promoters typically have a high energy level, they can be effective at capturing the attention of an audience.

Supporters looking for leads should focus on open houses, expired listings, and networking groups.  Potential clients in these categories appreciate the slower pace and more consultative approach favored by Supporters.  Patience is also required for working in each of these categories – and patience is something that Supporters have in spades!

What about the other 15% of real estate agents?  Those are the “Analyticals” and the “Controllers”.

Like Supporters, Analyticals work at a slower pace.  But they are not the people you automatically think of as being a “people person”.   Extreme accuracy is very important to Analyticals, and they don’t like to be rushed.   Analytical agents appreciate structure and routine, and are always anxious to have “the right answer”.

And you can tell a Controller because of their focus on efficiency.  Like Promoters, they work at a fast pace … but unlike Promoters (but very similar to Analyticals) they aren’t always super warm and fuzzy.  Controllers are motivated by challenge – if you’re a Controller, you are highly results-oriented – both for yourself and for your clients.

Analyticals who want to generate leads should focus on activities such as geographical farming, MLS prospecting, and relocation.   These types of lead generation allow an Analytical to play to their strengths, and all of them allow an agent with this personality type to shine.

If you are a Controller who needs leads, take action with investors, For Sale By Owners, and geographical farming.  Because Controllers tend to be “strong” personalities, they are good fits for many clients that other personality styles would find challenging.

Even within your personality style, there’s no one “perfect” style of lead generation.  What works for one Controller in one market, may not work for another Controller in that same market!  Think about which of the three lead generation suggestions I’ve made sounds best for you, and sounds like a possibility within your marketplace.  Remember too, that your lead generation activities should include both “now” money activities (think open houses or teaching classes) and “seeding” activities (like geographical farming and networking groups).

And of course, just because a lead generation activity is listed under a personality other than yours doesn’t mean it can’t work for you.  You just have to work harder to make it work.  In fact, one of my clients, Terry, is a Promoter.  And Terry is the queen of expired listings.  She has learned to work expired listings like you can’t believe, and as a result she dominates her market.  If Terry had simply looked at the Promoter lead generation list and gone from there, she would never have tried expired listings.  But she did – and boy, has she had success.

I am excited about the amount of training available to eveyone in every business online. What other time in history could you take a course on business management and moments later log on to learn about Feng Shui?

I for one, sincerely enjoy the diversity of subject matter and thanks to products and services like GotoWebinar and Youtube, we as the general public have instant access to leading experts from all over the world on subjects that interest us, make our businesses stronger and our lives better.

Broker Agent Speakers Bureau in conjunction with Learning Library are proud to offer some of the best training available. If you like watching  webinars at your own convenience and love our speakers, take a moment to check out our ARCHIVED WEBINAR LIBRARY

It includes the newest winter 2012 Webinar Summit with some of our featured speakers; Amy Chorew, Bill Lublin, Stacey Harmon and others.

Happy Learning!

Here’s a fact: You won’t find a place in your local town square where all potential buyers and sellers are sitting around unifying in an effort NOT to buy or sell anything in your marketplace….ain’t happenin!

Real estate is a personal life management event. People’s lives dictate whether they buy or sell given certain circumstances. Weddings, divorces, new babies, graduated babies, mother in laws, job changes, job losses; all contribute to housing market activity. Just because the market is soft(er) doesn’t dictate that people buy or sell due to the fact that their housing are dictated by their own wants and needs.

If your market is stagnant, and that is a possibility, look at your local statistics. Were there absolutely NO sales anywhere in your town for the last 6 months? If that is the case, you may have a real challenge if you are planning on earning a living selling real estate in that area alone. Factors like natural catastrophes, etc. do have an effect on real estate transfers, but if you aren’t getting buyers to buy or sellers to sell and there are actually recorded transfers out there, it’s time to buckle up and change your mind set to change your income.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1) Where is my attitude?

If you are buying into “it’s a lousy market and I can’t get any buyers to buy or sellers to price right”, it could be your attitude. Prices will always fluctuate up or down or even more down! You have to make the decision to be the professional and better yet be the EXPERT professional. It’s been said if you invest an hour every day on your craft in 10 years you will be an expert in your field. How much do you invest in your marketplace in the way of actually studying the trends, statistics, new construction starts, number of foreclosures, short sales, tax sales, etc.? I can bet that most agents do the minimum and simply scan the comparables and don’t invest in the deep due diligence that creates top level expertise in your distinct marketplace.

2) When you have expert level status, you can confidently be the leader in any transaction. Armed with solid facts and information, buyers and sellers are more likely to feel a level of comfort when their real estate professional truly knows the marketplace to guide them in issues like pricing, marketing, and negotiating. In a competitive marketplace, facts and knowledge convey value when working with potential buyers and sellers, and as a professional, you waste less time, energy and money by working with those prospects that respond to that leadership.

3) What kind of marketing plan are you relying on in a competitive marketplace?

The days of doing the minimum to get a property exposure is not nearly enough to get it sold. Dollar for dollar, sellers deserve to get the best marketing plan available if agents expect to be paid. Just putting a property in MLS and sticking a sign in the yard puts you in competition with the mundane. The questions to consider are:

“What am I doing that is better than or different from my competition to get buyers to buy and get properties sold?”

Are you implementing the latest tools, resources and programs to get properties well positioned in the marketplace? If you seek to be on the cutting edge to find better ways to get buyers attracted and engaged in a property you need to be doing activities that are different from when the market was much easier.

Tools like text-available 24/7 information from yard signs, virtual tours with participation and interaction trump simple photos on a soggy listing sheet in a brochure box. Buyers want attractive photos that engage them, yet many agents hang on to their basic cameras to simply fill the minimum of a photo for MLS to avoid penalties. That’s not fair to the seller, or the buyer for that matter! One agent in a small town in middle Tennessee has seen a 43% increase in sales simply because he is taking better photographs of properties than his lazy competition…..it pays to engage!

Brochure boxes have been replaced with systems that have accountability and trackability. Monitoring activity and response helps you define, refine and redesign your marketing efforts. That saves money and market time so properties get sold and the feedback and auto-response capabilities give the prospect immediate information while providing valuable automatic follow up services for the savvy agent that uses them.

4) Are you using any online media channels to attract, engage and service prospects 24/7 until such time they are ready to engage to buy or sell? Blog sites that offer information about neighborhoods. YouTube videos featuring real life testimonials help buyers make better decisions before buying a property or interviews with local vendors help agents bridge the gap for possible prospects and offer “link bait” to their blogs and websites. Yet many of today’s agents have limited or no interest in helping to connect with prospects using these popular internet channels. NAR reports that almost 98% of all property searches are done on the internet BEFORE connecting with an agent and over 67% are reported not having even a website! This kind of information indicates the customer demand to getting information how they want it when they want it and indicates agents need to provide web information if they expect to connect with prospects on the internet.

Change isn’t easy, but with change comes challenge and personal and professional growth. It’s time to do some things differently to make yourself more valuable to your customers and clients and you can win in any marketplace.

Technology Strategist, Speaker, Trainer

As we create more and more profiles online, a social media card may be a good solution. Our personal information was once manageable. Today we are overwhelmed by our online information. Every day more profiles, more contacts, more content, creating new problems for consumers and businesses.

What’s a social media business card ? It is a mini website or a virtual card that will hold all your social network identities just like in a business card so you can hand it over, or share the link to anyone. Its a fairly simple concept, where you just need to give some details,  like your social media identities, a quick bio and picture and these sites  auto generate the card for you.

If you have asked yourself the following questions a social media card site is for you.

• How can we make money not spend money?
• How can we help clients with social media?
• How can we  drive people to our official Facebook Page?
• How can we increase our client base?

A Personal Profile Website or Social Media Business Card is all about you and your listings. It organizes your bio, your social network profiles, your content and your contact information via a single, easy to remember Website address.

One of my favorites is published by a company called Agency Logic. Their product is called Follr.com. They have a special product just for the real estate industry.  Follr is a personal profile website organizing the chaos. It offers a simple to fill out format and the website has several tabs. They include:

• A personal “home page” to anchor information
• Your resume and digital personal brand
• Content and contact information
• Biography, video and professional summary
• Connecting to official marketing channels
• All your listings

For real estate, Follr offers to use of  Rlty.Me for Real Estate Agents and Rlty.us for Brokerages or Teams.

Here is a great example.  rlty.me/HeidiGolff

The best news is that is is FREE.

Rich Levin

It’s one of the most interesting parts of my job.  When an Agent that I coach is in the middle of a tough negotiation I ask them to call me.  Debbie did.

The asking price was $769,000.  The offer came in at $625,000.

Debbie is smart and talented.  As the owner’s anger and frustration arose, Debbie calmly explained that, “All offers are good offers,” that in this market Buyers feel that owners may be desperate.  The key is that she kept the owner objective.

She did not disparage the offer, the other Agent or the Buyer.  She didn’t compliment them either.  Instead she kept it objective.

The owner countered at $725,000.  The Buyer came back at $640,000.  Again, as you might expect the owner was angry and frustrated.  Again, Debbie kept her cool and told him.  “I want to be as upset at you are but my job is to keep my eye on the goal of getting you the price you need to get the job done.  So, let’s decide do we want to tell them we won’t respond until they raise their offer?  Do we want to make a small concession and keep inching closer?  Or do we want to go to or close to your bottom line and send the message that we want to get this done with less “Mickey Mouse” back and forth.”

She explained the risks of not responding and allowed the owners to lead the decision making with her guidance.

So many Agents who are far less skilled negotiators than Debbie empathize with their Client in ways that paint the other Agent or the other party as wrong, greedy, etc.  Debbie demonstrated three key negotiation skills of a talented negotiator.

1. She kept the negotiation and her Client objective.
2. She kept the conversation and the negotiation focused on the goal.
3. She kept herself objective and focused on the goal.

Rich Levin

For some reason this is working better right now than ever in the past.

Agents that I coach all over the country are using this and literally everywhere it is generating listing leads.

You have a Buyer who you have shown everything on the market and they can’t find what they want.  So, you send what I call a “Property Need Letter.”

You drive the Buyer around the area and select the specific homes and or the specific blocks of streets that truly have what they are looking for.

Then you send a letter to those specific houses.  The letter has to have a specific structure and language so that it is credible.  In fact, don’t do this unless it is real.  The letter gives some details about the Buyer, what they are looking for and what they are not finding.  It offers a confidential one time showing request.

My coaching Clients have been doing this for many years.  Right now it seems to be more effective than ever.  Perhaps because there are so many Sellers who are waiting for the market to improve but given the opportunity they would like to sell and move.

If you would like a copy of the property need letters, e-mail me.  Although they are one of hundreds of documents exclusively for our coaching Clients, I’ll offer them to you to encourage you to listen to our free webinars www.FreeCoachingWebinars.com and to introduce you to a bit of our Success work.

As I write this I’m looking outside my window - amazed at how our wet Washington winters and springs, followed by a burst of warm weather, create landscaping that seems to appear almost “overnight”.

The reality, of course, is that it doesn’t happen overnight. I am already beginning to plan my landscaping projects.  It started with a vision of where I wanted my yard to be … and from there I work backwards to figure out what I need to do then to end up with the landscaping that I have envisioned.

One thing is for sure.  If I don’t start “planting” now, I will be looking at bare dirt (or a patch of scabby weeds!)

Lead generation is no different.

Trust your business to the equivalent of seeds blowing in the wind, praying for rain, and hoping that someone will come along to help you cull the “good” possibilities from the ‘bad” and you’ll end up with the business equivalent of a patch of bare dirt - few or no clients.  And that means little or no income, and lots of stress.  About 99% of the agents who come to me for help are struggling because they aren’t actively and consciously involved in lead generation.

In the years from 2002 through 2006, most parts of the country went through an extraordinary period in terms of real estate.  Fog a mirror and you could get a loan.  Put a house on the market, and the chances were pretty good you would get multiple offers.  Buyers and sellers wanted to take advantage of good times, and most of them wanted to use a real estate agent.  It was a heyday for our industry, and it made us lazy.

Yes, lazy!  We got out of the habit of generating leads, and into the habit of taking orders for our customers.  The pace of the market was such that business dropped in our laps.  Lead generation?  You’ve got to be kidding!  Who had the time?

I track activity in many different fields, and at that time our industry was almost unique in this lack of need to generate leads.  Think about it - in what other industry could you be a “salesperson” without putting time into prospecting and closing?  Although you may prefer to think of yourself as a consultant (many of us hate the “sales” word), the fact is that your daily work life must have a “sales” component.

Do you want to stay in the business?  Better yet, do you want to have a business that thrives … not just survives?  If so, you must spend some significant time on lead generation. Today, lead generation is a non-negotiable activity.

What I love about lead generation is the wide variety of options available.  You can generate leads in person, on the phone, in print, or online.  Because everyone is a little different in their personality, their pace of work, their budget, and the time they are willing to devote to it, no one lead generation activity is “the best”.  And many types of lead generation simply aren’t a fit for some agents.  Stop fighting your natural and authentic self, and instead stop working with what you have.

But whether you choose to generate leads at a networking group, an open house, by geographical farming, or by using your MLS to uncover opportunities in the market, you must start lead generation now … and continue it on a consistent basis.

Still not sure why I’m making such a big deal about lead generation?  Sometimes when an agent questions my point of view on this topic, I’ll explain it this way: lead generation is to real estate what an “open” sign and a menu is to a restaurant.  Without a sign and a menu at the door (or an online menu), customers don’t know if the restaurant can serve them, or whether it offers what they’re hungry for.  Yes, some people will walk in and investigate the place.  They may even order a meal.  But the restaurant owner is missing lots of opportunities by not taking a few simple steps.

Same thing in real estate.  If you’re not letting people know about your services (that you’re open and what you’re “serving”) you’re going to substantially decrease the likelihood of working with that “hungry” client. A potential client is far more likely to reach out if they know who you are, what you offer, and how you can help them solve their problem.

Make the commitment today to take the frustration and uncertainty out of your business. Look at your strengths, your natural style, and resources at your disposal.  Determine which lead generation activity is right for you.  And here’s a tip:  the “right” lead generation for you is one that suits your natural style, and the one you’ll do consistently - so it waters and fertilizes your business.