What Realtors Need To Know Summer 2023

SUMMER

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WHAT REALTORS NEED TO KNOW SUMMER 2023

Sweet, sweet summertime! As we gear up for days filled with sunshine, swimming, and sunscreen, we’re all hoping for one other “s” word: SALES! Whether you’re working with buyers or sellers, a sold home equals a happy client. Keep reading for the news and tips you need to make summer 2023 your most successful season yet.

HOME CONSTRUCTION LOANS

Have you heard the news? We offer construction loans! This will allow buyers to build and finance their custom dream home all with one loan. Here’s some of what they can do with this loan:

•Purchase lot/land

•Refinance lot/land

•Finance the home build

•Finance the mortgage plan after the build

Let’s also take a look at the features of a home construction loan:

•Minimum 10% down payment (in most cases)

•Up to 10 months to build (with extensions available)

•Use builder of buyer’s choice

•Interest rate is locked in for length of the build and can be reevaluated after construction, if rates go down

There are also options for FHA, VA, and Jumbo home construction loans that come with different requirements.

Your buyer’s Home Loan Specialist will partner with them from the beginning of the build until the day they pay off their mortgage. They’ll walk through how to choose a builder, how to plan the project, and changing from building to paying the mortgage.

With inventory tight, learn more about custom home builds in your area.

SUMMERY SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

With summer weather comes summer holidays! As you enjoy time with family and friends barbequing and beaching, don’t forget to send well wishes to your social followers. Here are a few graphics and caption ideas for you to use:

National Homeownership Month: June

Caption: Did you know June is National Homeownership Month? It’s true! Real estate is a secure investment, even in today’s economy. If you’re ready to buy, reach out! I’d love to help you find your dream home.

Father’s Day: June 18th

Caption: From skinned knees to sending the kids off to college, the world is a better place with father. Here’s hoping everyone laughs at your “dad jokes” today!

Independence Day: July 4th

Caption: May we all take a moment to remember how lucky we are to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Shark Week: July 11th - 18th

Caption: Shark Week is here! Did you know 97% of sharks are harmless to humans? It’s true! Comment below and tell me YOUR favorite shark fact!

National Pet Fire Safety Day: July 15th

Caption: Odds are, your family has a fire safety plan. Does it include your furry family members? Make sure your four-legged friends will be as safe with these pet alert stickers that tell emergency services there are animals in your home.

Back to School: August + September

Caption: Back to school doesn’t have to mean back to stress! As summer break ends, don’t forget to show yourself, your kiddos, and their school staff some extra love. After all, getting back into routine is tough for everyone!

Don’t forget! Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours of posting them.

10 IDEAS FOR INSTAGRAM STORIES

Coming up with creative ideas for instagram stories every day can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to not overthink it. Yes, it’s great to have a strategy, but keeping things simple can still be engaging.

Check out these simple story ideas that allow your followers to get to know you better:

1. Get Ready with Me: Give followers a peek into your morning routine. Feel free to provide value through home buying or selling tips while getting ready.

2. Open House: Showcase an open house to draw in potential buyers. This also shows sellers what you have to offer as a Realtor.

3. Home Trends: What are people looking for? What décor is in style? Fill potential clients in on what’s popular

right now!

4. Do/Don’t List: If someone is about to close on a new home, there are things they should and definitely SHOULD NOT do. Share your knowledge to make sure buyers are making closing day easy on themselves!

5. Fun Fact: Share a few facts about the real estate world, or even just something funny. The point is to get your face in front of the people whose business you want.

6. Take a Poll: This is a simple way to gauge people’s interest. For example, take a poll on when someone is thinking about buying. A) 3-6 months. B) 1-2 years. C) I’m happy where I am! Then, reach out to people based on their responses.

7. Spend the Day with Me: Take followers through a typical (or unusual) workday! Let them see how you spend your time and what they can expect if they choose you as their Realtor.

8. Share Posts: Say you see an interior designer redo a house and you love it. Why not share that? Not only does it give buyers inspiration, but it shows you supporting another person’s work. You may just end up getting a referral!

9. Do a shout out to buyers: “Congrats on closing day, Katie and Jeff! Cheers to the years you’ll spend in your beautiful new home!” Post this to your story with a picture of your clients. Make sure you have permission from your clients beforehand!

10. Pets: People love animals, it’s a fact. Showcase your furry friends if you have them. It makes you relatable to potential clients.

Now that you know what to post…are you wondering how do you actually post it? With social media constantly evolving, it’s no surprise that things can get confusing. Here are the steps to posting an Instagram story:

1. Tap the plus button on your home page and select “story”.

2. From here, you can either take a picture or video, or upload a picture or video.

3. Next feel free to add text, a poll, or a filter.

4. Now, tap “done” to save your story, or tap your story to share it.

5. If you’re sharing someone else’s post, tap the arrow in their post and it will ask you where you want it to go, you’ll tap “my story.”

It’s really pretty simple! Just try it out. Pretty soon you’ll feel more comfortable sharing content with your followers.

You can also share Instagram Reels on your stories to get more views!

PERFECT POOLSIDE POP-BY’S

Wondering what to gift clients and referral partners this summer? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

National Ice Cream Month: July

Pop by a referral partner’s office with some gift cards to a local ice cream shop or with ice cream bars. Add the note above to let them know how grateful you are for their partnership!

Shark Week: July 11th - 18th

Shark Week draws quite the following. Attach this card to some bags of Swedish Fish and popcorn so your clients or referral partners have something to munch on while they learn all about sharks.

National Smore’s Day: August 10th

Nothing shows your clients you love them like providing them all the fixings to make these sweet treats in their new home.

8 BEST PRACTICES FOR REALTOR ROLE PLAY SCENARIOS

Working on getting more comfortable having different types of conversations with clients? Role playing can help. This gives you the opportunity to not only learn scripts, but to gauge how to respond to different reactions from buyers or sellers. It may feel silly, but if you take this seriously, it can really help you!

Here are the eight rules for Realtor role playing: Write down your scripts each week. The repetition will help you feel more confident in your delivery.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Repeat your scripts to yourself out loud when you have downtime, such as driving. Record yourself practicing your scripts. This way you can hear where you may want to make improvements such as slowing down when talking or using more inflection in your voice.

Practice your scripts and scenarios with different people throughout the week. This will allow for different types of feedback so you can be wellrounded.

Mimic your partner through body language. Stay on an even playing field. If they’re sitting, don’t stand over them. Sit down across from them.

Be open to feedback. Don’t get defensive when receiving constructive criticism on areas you can improve.

Don’t forget to practice your tone and voice inflection!

7 8

Make room for the person you’re role playing with to respond negatively to a scenario.

•How would you react to someone saying you’re not working as hard as you could for them? This is another area to not be defensive but instead, be prepared.

•Being open to objections will allow you to grow as a Realtor. Practice your scripts with different responses during the conversation so you can have an approach for every angle.

•Be ready for different types of buyers. Some people are shyer than others or may have more questions. How will you respond to each type of client?

You’ll be ready for anything after role playing different scenarios! A bit of a head start wouldn’t hurt, though! Here’s a sample script for setting an appointment:

You: “Hi, Sarah! This is Eric from 5-Star Realty. I saw you requested to speak with a Realtor about buying your first home, is that right?”

Sarah: “Yes, that’s correct. I’m a little nervous to take such a big step, so I really just wanted to get some information on how it would work.”

You: “That makes total sense, Sarah. Buying a home is a huge investment, and who you choose as your Realtor can make a big difference in the home buying process.”

Sarah: “Yeah, I’ve spoken to a couple different Realtors and they just really rushed me into their office and wanted to move a bit quicker than I was ready for.”

You: “I’m sorry to hear that. I personally like to take things one step at a time, starting with getting to know you. How would you feel about

meeting for a cup of coffee and just talking about what you’re looking for? No pressure, just you getting the chance to tell me more about yourself and what you want in your first home.”

Sarah: “Wow, that would be great. I’d love that. The only problem is, I’m a teacher and work from 7am - 5pm during the week.”

You: “That’s not a problem, Sarah! I’m happy to meet you on the weekend if that’s what’s best for you. What’s your schedule look like?”

Sarah: “Really? Awesome. I’m free on Saturday at 11 am, if you happen to have time.”

You: “That’s perfect for me. Let’s meet at Oaks Coffee Shop. The address is 110 Main Street. Can I get your email address? I’ll follow up with the details of our meeting and some questions for you to think about before we meet!”

This is just one example of a script you can use when working on role playing. Feel free to use any templates your company provides, look online, or create your own! By making your own, it may incorporate your unique speaking style, as well as cater toward any specific scenarios you’re concerned with.

There’s a lot going on in the world of real estate, and we do our best here at Churchill Mortgage to keep our Realtor partners up to date and ahead of the game through playbooks, blogs, and other materials that help you grow your business. After all, your success means another family achieving the dream of homeownership.

Check out churchillmortgage.com/agent-resources for social media templates, downloadable pop-by tags, and additional resources for Realtors.

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