EXECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE -ALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, JANUARY 2022

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EXECUTIVE

Executive Agent of the Month

E x e c u t i v e A g e n t M a g a z i n e - A l a m e d a / C o n t r a C o s t a C o u n t y - J a n u a r y, 2 0 2 2

AGENT MAGAZINE

What’s Your WHY? Reasons to buy a home.

Start a family Relocate for work Retire comfortably Start earning equity Get a pet Holidays at home Choose your décor No more rent

Which ever reason, we’ll guide you home!

Danville Branch

925-553-0351

Photo by Curtis Aams from Pexels

teamfam@financeofamerica.com ©2021 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide | Equal Housing Opportunity | NMLS ID #1071 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | 1 West Elm Street, First Floor, Conshohocken, PA 19428 | (800) 355-5626 | AZ Mortgage Banker License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act | Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 | Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company | Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Licensed Mortgage Banker -- NYS Banking Department | Rhode Island Licensed Lender | Massachusetts Lender/Broker License MC1071

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Cover Story Rick Geha Executive Agent of the Month According to Rick Geha, adaptability is one of the greatest strengths a human being can possess, and his own life’s journey proves the rule. A NorCal native, Rick is one of five children born into a large and close-knit Lebanese family.

25 Featured Professionals

Anna Ruotolo Branch Manager Anna Ruotolo, branch manager at Finance of America Mortgage in Danville, has the know-how to make the complex process of obtaining home financing a simple one. With more than 30 years of industry experience spanning operations, sales and executive management, Anna understands how to overcome obstacles and turn prospective homebuyers into happy homeowners.

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Executive Agent Magazine

Content

January, 2022

EXECUTIVE

The Keys to Positive Change -Leslie Hamel

AG E N T M AG AZ I N E

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PRESIDENT & CEO EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

Fred Arrias PROSPECTING -Richard F. Libino -Steve Cook

VICE PRESIDENT GRAPHIC DESIGN Garon Arrias

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EDITOR Trudy Vanderhoff PROFESSIONAL PROFILES H.K. Wilson

It Only Takes 6 Steps to Change Your Life -John C. Maxwelle a Pro -Steve Cook

12 How Happiness Is an Art -Jim Rohn a Pro -Steve Cook

06 The ‘Right’ Moment to Chase Your Dreams Is Now: 3 Tips to Get You Started -Rory VadenLike a Pro -Steve Cook

16 To be Great -Zig Ziglarating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Herbert Clark Charlene Gates John Harris Chris Richards Ronald Taylor Crystal Widen PHOTOGRAPHY iPhotography Studio Ian Wiant EXECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 297-8323 Fax: (949) 266-8757 Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com www.ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com © Copyright 2022 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

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How Happiness Is an Art • Happiness doesn’t happen by chance. It’s a choice you make every single day. Are you ready?

• Everything is in your reach. If you want a new book, you can go to the library and change your life without spending a dime.

• Happiness can be yours right now. You don’t have to wait for more money, time, etc. It starts with you.

“Weave [happiness] with your own hands. Put your heart and soul into it.”

-Jim Rohn

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EXECUTIVE AG E N T M AG AZ I N E

®

Written by H. K. Wilson

Anna Ruotolo Branch Manager

ment. She chose Finance of America Mortgage not only for its industry-leading trifecta of price, product and service, but for something more. “The other thing that’s hard to find is that this company offers a lot of autonomy. We don’t manage from the lowest common denominator, and I am allowed to run my branch without micromanagement as long as I remain compliant with regulation. That was important to me, and I have been able to grow my branch and personal production with all of the support the company has to offer.”

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nna Ruotolo, branch manager at Finance of America Mortgage in Danville, has the know-how to make the complex process of obtaining home financing a simple one. With more than 30 years of industry experience spanning operations, sales and executive management, Anna understands how to overcome obstacles and turn prospective homebuyers into happy homeowners.

Anna entered the mortgage industry just after high school, when she took a job as a receptionist at a small mortgage company. “The owner taught me everything, and within a week, I wasn’t just the receptionist, but I was also working on files,” she recalls. Anna remained at the firm while she attended college, and although her original goal was to go to law school, she soon realized that home lending offered the excitement, intellectual challenge and opportunity she was looking for. “I saw the flexibility and potential it offered, and not just financial reward, but the intrinsic reward of helping people. I decided to stay because I already loved it, and it has been a blessing.”

After years in executive leadership, Anna decided she was ready to return to local loan origination and manageExecutive Agent Magazine

As a leader, Anna provides the same flexibility to her team, while offering informed guidance and support. “I look for people who have character and can operate as part of a team. We don’t consider ourselves transactional, but advisory and relational. I make sure someone who joins us also thinks and acts in that way.

As a manager, I am there whenever they need me, but also give people the freedom and flexibility to run their own businesses. We do a lot here as a team to support one another and help each other grow our businesses and connect with new agents. I lead by engaging with them and doing the same things I ask them to do.” A team marketing manager is also on hand to help loan advisors make the most of the company’s many resources.

Anna recently returned from Finance of America Mortgage’s annual Sales Rally in Phoenix, Arizona. The company’s key word for 2022 is “pivot.” She explains, “It’s not just about changing direction, but about stretching yourself, as a lot of us have been recently. It’s about changing your mental state to focus on relationships versus transactions; creating value versus sales; opportunities versus challenges.”

One of the company’s strengths is innovating its program offerings to meet the changing needs of borrowers.

“Our offerings are so expansive,” Anna says. “We have something for everybody. For first-time buyers, we have

a wide range of down payment assistance programs, and we offer 3% down on Fannie and Freddie loans.

For self-employed borrowers, we have a 1099 program, a P&L program and an asset program. Finance of America Mortgage is also one of the largest reverse mortgage lenders, so we can help those elderly borrowers who want to supplement their social security income with their home equity. And for investors, our commercial division has programs for fix-and-flips or multiple units. This also gives our originators the opportunity to choose a niche if they want to. Personally, I love working with first-time buyers and the satisfaction that comes with that.”

Staff members from left to right: Barbara Jaye, Christina Villasenor, Kimmie McCreary, Yasi Nikkhah

Executive Agent Magazine

We have an Annual Team Building Event – Hamburger Making Contest! I host the event at my home. It’s great fun and the team makes some amazing hamburgers!!

By offering products and services for every phase of its customers’ lives, Finance of America Mortgage brings added value to real estate partners. Realtors® feel confident that it is the place where their clients will have the greatest chance of finding the right loan product.

“We have so many options. If the client doesn’t fit in the box, maybe we have a rectangle they will fit in.”

Anna’s passion is working with first-time homebuyers.

She is a first-generation American, born in New York of immigrant parents who came from Italy with her siblings. Her father was a master tailor and her mother a seamstress. Her parents saved everything to buy their first property and went on to own multiple investment properties. “So from a young age, I learned what owning property could do for your life. That’s why I am so passionate about helping first-time buyers – I know the difference it can make in their lives.”

In 2020, Anna was named among the “Top 1% Mortgage Originators in America” by Scotsman Guide Media, and she has received hundreds of five-star Executive Agent Magazine

reviews from satisfied clients. A new homeowner who met Anna at a first-time buyer’s seminar said this: “She helped walk us through different scenarios to determine what would be the right budget for us. When we found the home we wanted, Anna and her team were there every step of the journey. They laid out clear deadlines, made documents easy to sign online, and clearly communicated with us along the way. Through Anna and her team’s guidance, we were able to purchase our dream first home, smoothly and confidently!”

Outside of her mortgage practice, Anna is married with two grown sons. One of them works alongside her as her production partner. She is a stage 3 breast cancer survivor who is now in her tenth year cancer-free.

“I’m super proud of that,” she says. “When someone I know is going through it, I reach out to let them know they can call me. The experience has given me a lot of strength and a lot of perspective in my life.” Anna stays healthy by working out every morning with friends and by playing with the plants and flowers in her yard.

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE EXPERIENCE MAKES Anna and her Danville team enjoy contributing to their clients’ prosperous futures as homeowners. “We are extremely reliable, and we care about people. Our clients are more than just a number to us, and we plan to be here for them in the long run.”

Anna Ruotolo - Branch Manager Finance of America Mortgage 588 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 100 Danville, CA 94526 Tel: 925.998.5244 Email: aruotolo@financeofamerica.com Web: www.annaruotolo.com NMLS - 248946

©Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide | Equal Housing Opportunity | NMLS ID #1071 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | 1 West Elm Street, First Floor, Conshohocken, PA 19428 | (800) 355-5626 | AZ Mortgage Banker License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act | Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 | Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company | Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Licensed Mortgage Banker -- NYS Banking Department | Rhode Island Licensed Lender | Massachusetts Lender/ Broker License MC1071. For licensing information go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

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It Only Takes 6 Steps to Change Your Life

H

ope is the foundational principle for all change.

People change because they have hope, and if people do not have hope, they will not change.

You are responsible for the changes that you make in your life.

The good news? You can change your life if you really want to. You can improve it, make it better. And it all starts with changing the way you think. So are you ready? I am going to walk you through a six-step plan for achieving positive change.

Here’s how you give yourself a little hope:

attitude. Most people get used to average; they get used to second best. Nelson Boswell said, “The first and most important step toward success is the expectation that we can succeed.”

Step 4: When you change your attitude, you change your behavior.

When our attitude begins to change, when we become involved with something, our behavior begins to change. The reason that we have to make personal changes is that we cannot take our people on a trip that we have not made.

Step 1: When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs.

Step 5: When you change your behavior, you change your performance.

Change begins with the mind. Beliefs are nothing more than a byproduct of what you have thought about long enough, something that you have bought into—always remember that. What you believe, what you think, is just a collection of continual thoughts that have formed themselves into a conviction. When you break down the process of thinking into a manageable number of steps, you reduce the perceived risk associated with change.

Most people would rather live with old problems than new solutions. We would rather be comfortable than correct; we would rather stay in a routine than make changes. Even when we know that the changes are going to be better for us, we often don’t make them because we feel uncomfortable or awkward about making that kind of a change. Until we get courage and get used to living with something that is not comfortable, we cannot get any better.

Step 2: When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations.

Step 6: When you change your performance, you change your life.

Belief is the knowledge that we can do something.

It is the inner feeling that what we undertake, we can accomplish. For the most part, all of us have the ability to look at something and know whether we can do it. So in belief there is power… our eyes are opened, our opportunities become plain, our visions become realities. Our beliefs control everything we do. If we believe we can or we believe we cannot, we are correct.

It is easier to turn failure into success than an excuse into a possibility. A person can fail, turn around and understand their failure to make it a success. But I want to tell you, a person who makes excuses for everything will never truly succeed. Don’t you know some people who just have an excuse for everything? Why they could not, should not, did not, would not, have not, will not. I promise you, when you excuse what you are doing and excuse where you are, and you allow the exceptions, you fail to reach your potential. It is impossible to turn excuses into possibilities.

Step 3: When you change your expectations, you change your attitude.

Your expectations are going to determine your

-John C. Maxwell

Executive Agent Magazine 13

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WHO WE ARE Established in 2011, the USA Homeownership Foundation, Inc. DBA Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP), is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing sustainable homeownership, financial-literacy education, VA loan awareness, and economic opportunity for the active-military and veteran communities.

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1. Homeownership Advocacy – Advocate nationally to develop programs that reduce barriers to homeownership in the military and veteran communities.

2. Community Outreach – Foster responsible homeownership in the military and veteran communities by providing housing education and counseling services.

3. Professional Membership – Provide a place where real estate and financial service professionals can share ideas, get educated, and be empowered to better serve the real estate needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

4. Veteran Job Creation – Provide employment opportunities through posting on our military and veteran job board. We are also working on creating awareness among companies to include veteran-owned businesses in their supplier diversity program.

5. Affordable Housing – Provide affordable home buying opportunities for veterans and service members who have gone through VAREP’s homeownership education counseling services.

info@VAREP.net | w w w .VAR EP. n e t | 951-444-7363 VAREP IS A 501.C.3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE. USA HOMEOWNERSHIP DBA VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS TAX ID: 45-2458485

The ‘Right’ Moment to Chase Your Dreams Is Now: 3 Tips to Get You Started

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believe it is never the wrong moment to chase after your dreams. In fact, if you wait for the “right” or “perfect” moment to appear, you will be waiting forever. Regardless of what dream you may be pursuing, read on for my top three tips to get in the game, break through the wall, and get your message heard.

1. Disregard the competition.

There are a lot of reasons why you might fail; deciding that someone else has already done it should not be one of them.

Instead, focus on your uniqueness. As my mentor Larry Winget says, “The goal is to find your uniqueness, and exploit it in the service of others.” If you are playing the game of uniqueness, you don’t need to worry about the competition because there will be no one else who does it quite like you.

For example, there has been an explosion of donut shops over the past few years. But there are still people opening more because each owner is doing it in a way that is uniquely exciting to them. If everyone said, “Well, there is already a Dunkin Donuts, why would I start a donut company,” we would have no donut shops at all.

Don’t give yourself the excuse that there are already too many people in your field—that is not a good enough reason to give up on your dream. In order to succeed, you need to pay little attention to what the competition is doing. You need all of your energy, attention, and resources focused on what you can be, not worrying about what other people already are.

2. Strive to forward the conversation.

If you want to be viewed as a thought leader, then you have to push the conversation forward.

It’s not enough to regurgitate what other people have said. Take the time to digest the wisdom of

others, process it, critically evaluate it, and apply it to today. Consider: • • •

What’s missing from this?

What would make this more powerful?

What would make this more actionable?

This is part of the difference between dissolving into the noise from the hundreds of thousands of speakers out there and breaking through the wall.

You break through the wall when you forward the conversation.

And don’t assume that just because you learned something brilliant from someone else that you couldn’t add more to it. So much of what we come up with is based on things we’ve learned from our mentors that we’ve then adapted and applied to the current age. You can (and should) do the same thing!

If you want to be a leader in any field, forward the conversation and advance the thinking that has already been done.

3. Say a lot about a little.

When you give multiple messages, you get diluted compliance.

This is a lesson we can all benefit from—speakers, team managers, leaders, even parents.

The hardest work is not running your mouth about every single thing you think. The hardest work is figuring out the one thing that needs to be said.

Consider, “What is the one thing I need to get across to my team, audience, reader, or child?”

Don’t say a little about a lot, say a lot about a little.

If you do that, I promise you’ll have much more success having your message heard and having your audience respond to that message enthusiastically.

-Rory Vaden

Executive Agent Magazine 17

Nomination Form Nominate a fellow REALTOR® to be featured in one of our feature stories; on the cover as Executive Agent of the Month, or as a special feature story. All candidates must be nominated by a real estate professional. The selection process includes a questionnaire, personal interview, reference check and final approval by the Advisory Council. Candidates are evaluated based upon professionalism, length of service and uniqueness of story, as well as industry and community involvement.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE TO

NOMINATE? I Nominate: Name____________________________________________________________________ Company________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________________________ Email____________________________________________________________________ Submitted By: Name____________________________________________________________________ Company________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________________________ Email____________________________________________________________________

Fax/Email nomination to: EXECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Tel: 949.297.8323 Fax: 949.266.8757 Email: FArrias45@gmail.com

You don’t have to be great at something to start, but you have to start to be great at something.

-Zig ziglar

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Executive Agent Magazine 21

The Keys to Positive Change

I

s there an area of your life you’d like to improve?

Do you wish for more loving relation-ships? Less stress? More time? More money? Better health?

Someone to share life with?

Some people call these longings “divine discontent.”

We seem to be programmed to wish for more, no matter how much we have. The blessing in our discontent is that it forces us to think about how we might change things.

Usually, our early attempts focus on changing other people (if only he/she would…) or changing our circumstances. In time, however, we learn that trying to change others is a waste of energy – it simply can’t be done. And many of us learn the hard way that even when we decide to change our circumstances and leave what’s causing the pain behind, things turn out much the same with the new love interest, job, or home.

Another trap is getting caught up in selfimprovement and goal setting. This kind of wishful thinking promises everything will be great if we just lose those 10 pounds, get the degree or promotion, or move into a more expensive house. Even though these accomplishments are commendable, we find they still don’t satisfy for long.

When all these strategies inevitably fail, some people simply resign themselves to the situation (that’s just the way life is), some fall into depression (is that all there is?), while others use drugs or alcohol to numb the pain. On the other hand, there are those who are lucky enough to experience some kind of crisis – an accident, illness, or serious addiction – that forces them to finally understand that meaningful change can only come from within.

According to Louise Hay, the world renowned, best-selling author of over 18 books on this subject, there are two simple keys to personal positive change: self-approval and self-acceptance.

Sounds simple enough but, for me, learning to accept and approve of myself took a lot of work.

Even as a child I had a hard time understanding the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Even at an early age, my experience was that I loved 22 Executive Agent Magazine

other people better than myself. (In the popular psychology of the 1970s, this used to be described as a You’re Okay, I’m Not Okay worldview.) Anyway, common sense told me if I were to treat others as I did myself, they’d all move as far away as they could, as fast as they could.

I was ready for Louise’s advice when I read her best-known title, You Can Heal Your Life, and started to practice catching and correcting the negative selftalk that went on in my head all day, every day.

Do you know that voice? It’s the one that says things like: You’re not smart enough; you don’t deserve that; you look awful; you’re lazy; and you should lose weight.

As I practiced changing these negatives to positive statements, I found I had a better, brighter attitude about life. By countering those thoughts with positives like: I can figure it out; I’m deserving of everything my heart desires, I look wonderful; and I could lose weight, my growing sense of self-acceptance told me I was finally onto something that could make a difference. And it was so simple.

Why not try this yourself? Just experiment with it for a week. It certainly couldn’t hurt and it may help a lot.

To get the most out of the exercise, start by writing a brief summary of how you’ve been feeling and list the negative messages you are conscious of telling yourself each day. At the end of your experiment, summarize how you feel, what you’ve learned, and the new positive messages you are practicing.

It is through small steps like these that we quiet “divine discontent” and learn to love and accept ourselves exactly as we are.

Leslie Hamel, a certified Louise Hay Workshop Leader, is a business and personal effectiveness coach who also offers Body Wisdom Workshops based on the philosophy of Heather Williams, HWM. For information about Leslie’s workshops, please contact the Frog Pond Group at 800-704-FROG (3764) or email Susie@frogpondgroup.com; http:// www.frogpondgroup.com.

Executive Agent Magazine 23

Know of a Realtor doing amazing things?

NOMINATE them to be our next ®

Executive Agent of the Month

EXECUTIVE

®

AGENT MAGAZINE

Executive Agent of the Month

Written by H. K. Wilson

A

ccording to Rick Geha, adaptability is one of the greatest strengths a human being can possess, and his own life’s journey proves the rule. A NorCal native, Rick is one of five children born into a large and close-knit Lebanese family. By ninth grade, he was certain that it was his destiny to become a dentist, but after being rejected by 13 dental schools, he was forced to rethink his future.

Executive Agent Magazine

While deciding what to do next, he begrudgingly joined his uncle’s brokerage and took up real estate as an interim trade. Forty-one years later, Rick is an award-winning Realtor® and leader of The Rick Geha Team at eXp Realty in Fremont. He is also a highly sought after speaker and trainer who travels the country inspiring and developing professionals across the industry.

Opening Doors To Success Real estate brought out Rick’s natural talent for sales, and in the early 2000s, his success led him to open nine franchises for KW Realty. Then disaster struck in the guise of the Great Recession. Rick is most humble when he describes the ruin in which he found himself. “I lost my three homes, I was $1.4 million in debt, divorced and living in an apartment,” he recalls. “I had two sons in their late teens/early 20s who still depended on me, and I didn’t feel I had the luxury of failing. I remember pulling into a gas station to put gas in my Volvo SUV with 230,000 miles on it, and I had no credit cards and only an ATM card with 13 bucks on it. I had to show properties, but I had no gas. I reached into the glove compartment and found a gas card given to me by an organization I’d done a free 30-minute speech for. I

sat there and leaned my head on the steering wheel and started crying. I was determined this was never happening to me again.”

That Saturday, Rick went back to basics and started door knocking. He knew how to sell houses, and so he did. In 2017, he discovered eXp Realty, where in addition to his own 14-member production team, he has recruited more than 2,300 people to the organization. What does Rick look for in the people he musters?

“People must be hungry, humble, smart and coachable,” he says. “If they have those four things, then they will be welcome. You always have to be willing to listen and learn something new, and it’s incumbent on me also, regardless of my years of experience.”

Executive Agent Magazine

Along the way, Rick met and married his partner in life and business, Casey Council-Geha. Together, they are an unstoppable force, intent on building an organization that is a “win-win-win” for everyone who signs on. Rick focuses on sales and recruiting, while Casey perfects systems and operations. In addition to their joint commitment to building and maintaining a phenomenal real estate organization, they are united in giving back to the community by supporting causes they believe in, especially those related to feeding needy children and treating/curing cancer.

Many people have been inspired by Rick’s coaching, leadership and personal triumphs. But he has also been inspired, and he counts among his mentors some of the greatest personal development trainers and leaders in the real estate industry: PSI Seminars Area Director Gary Perez; Berkshire Hathaway CEO Gino Blefari;

Executive Agent Magazine

KW Realty Founder and Chairman Gary Keller; and eXp Realty Founder and CEO Glenn Sanford.

Rick also gives much credit for who he is today to his parents. He grew up enriched by his family’s Lebanese heritage and the opportunity to travel extensively. “My dad was born and raised in the U.S., and my mom was born and raised in Lebanon. She was a driven entrepreneur, and he was more traditional, corporate guy. In my personal life, I’ve realized I have been drawn to strong, powerful women because of my mom’s example. And I have certainly found that in Casey. My dad was a person who always treated people with kindness, respect and patience. When he died of cancer, he was so peaceful, because he had no apologies to make. That’s what I’m going for by the time I reach that point, and I want to be a living example to other people, especially my two sons.”

Rick has concluded that two things are required to achieve happiness and success in real estate and in life: faith and gratitude. “There will always be pain in life, so you need faith that the pain will lead to a miracle, and gratitude for the pain because it is what led you to the miracle. That intersection is where all peace lies.”

The world of real estate is inherently fast-moving and ever-changing. It is a field that requires its practitioners to constantly learn, grow and adapt. Rick counsels that

those qualities begin within ourselves. “Take time to put yourself first. When you’re as healthy, happy and prosperous as you like, and you have committed to doing what you said you would do for you, then you can help more people than you ever could have before. You’re not any good if you’re dead or broke because you didn’t take care of yourself. Get where you want to go — then go out and change the world!”

Executive Agent Magazine

Rick Geha Rick Geha Team eXp Realty Tel: 510.760.9902 Email: Rick@RickGeha.com Web: www.RickGehaTeam.com DRE # 00784008

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The Horner House / A California Historic Landmark 3101 Driscoll Rd, Fremont, CA An Immaculate Remnant from a Bygone Era…For nearly 175 years, the Horner House has been more than a place of residence. It’s a California landmark, built by a key figure in Bay Area history, and a link to one of the most important periods in our state’s history: The Gold Rush. Despite being one of the oldest homes on the California Register, the home is in pristine condition due to painstaking restoration and refinishing. Eligible for the Mills Act, ownership will provide you with significant property tax benefits. Ranch house to the rear of main house can be used as office space, additional family housing or rentals. 9 Beds, 5 Baths | 7016 SF | ADU - 1,402SF - 2 Car Garage plus Upper Unit | Lot Size 27,705 SF. https://Virtual Tour 3101driscoll.com/idx Offered at $3,400,000

Rick geha

DRE # 00784008 THE RICK GEHA TEAM

Tel: 510.760.9902 Rick@RickGeha.com www.RickGehaTeam.com Executive Agent Magazine 33

Luxury & Elegance DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA Farmhouse meets luxury and elegance with this 5 bedroom/4 bath dream at 888 La Gonda Way in Danville. Nestled among pines, this custom two story home features tall ceilings, European windows and European wall construction. Fall in love with the 4835 sq ft of living space, the 23,827 sq ft lot and the almost 1,000 sq ft garage. The garage has almost 12’ ceilings, perfect for the car enthusiast. Located only blocks from Hap Magee Park and the Iron Horse Trail, this is only minutes from Downtown Danville.

Offered at: $2,850,000 34 Executive Agent Magazine

Janice Colby DRE # 01270034 Keller Williams Realty 601 Sycamore Valley Rd.,West Danville, CA 94526 Tel: 925.989.9293 janice@janicecolby.com www.janicecolby.com Executive Agent Magazine 35

Hacienda Panorama 21555 Eden Canyon Rd. Castro Valley, CA Welcome to “Hacienda Panorama” a custom home on 6 acres of pure serenity & natural beauty. Relax on the Baja inspired courtyard with Saltillo tile floor, Spanish tile fountain and stained glass entry doors. Enjoy captivating views of surrounding hills, canyons, the San Francisco Bay and spectacular sunsets!. 5 bed / 4 bath 4131sf.

Offered at $2,150,000

Tim McGuire BRE # 01349446 COMPASS Tel: 925.895.9950 tim.mcguire@compass.com www.timmcguireteam.com 36 Executive Agent Magazine

Executive Agent Magazine 37

Upscale Family Home

Rights! This Home is situated atop Fairway in the Summit area of Lake Arrowhead. Fall in love with this UPSCALE Family Home Lwithakedramatic Chef’s Dream Kitchen as a focal point for entertaining. Center Island with Granite Counters and Fireplace/Woodburning Stove. Stainless Steel Appliances! Step out to manicured, level, Lawn and Gardens. Irrigation System. Over 1/2 Acre of low maintenance splendor! 4 Beautiful Bedrooms. Children’s Wing is ideal with adjoining Play Room. Master Suite is magnificent with Glamorous Bathroom.

There is a Bedroom on the main level. Immaculate! Picturesque! This amazing outdoor entertaining space is wonderful for children to play or to perfect one’s golf game!! Level, easy entry into 2 Car Garage with shelves and brand new Epoxy flooring, opens to Kitchen! Central Heat and Central Air Conditioning. Excellent Commuter Location, just minutes to Double Lane Highway 18! Lake Arrowhead. $1,249,000.

Call or Text: (951) 741-7117

DRE# 01509039

•

Lake Arrowhead Office: (909) 337-2080

Website: CottagestoCastles.net • Email: info@Lynneonthego.com • YouTube Video: http://lynnebwilson.com/watch/

CedarRidge RidgeEstate Cedar Estate

a kind Property!

It glorious is glorious you will see!

Enter through a private arched Gate over Bridge Main Residence where nene of of a kind Property!

It is as as you will see!

Enter through a private arched Gate andand over thethe Bridge to to thethe Main Residence where OatOatfirst first glance, takes you back a European moment ‘era gone by’!

The whimsical Chimneys adorn roof peaks you cannot glance, takes you back to to a European moment of of anan ‘era gone by’!

The whimsical Chimneys adorn thethe roof peaks andand you cannot wait inside!

While stately, gracious interior feels warm inviting.

3 beautiful Bedroom Suites.

Guests stay 3 Bedroom, wait to to getget inside!

While stately, thethe gracious interior feels warm andand inviting.

3 beautiful Bedroom Suites.

Guests stay in in thethe 3 Bedroom, 2 2 Bath, Kitchen, Dining Area, Living Room with Fireplace Deck separate Guest House!

Within Main House there a Library with Bath, Kitchen, Dining Area, Living Room with Fireplace andand Deck separate Guest House!

Within thethe Main House there is ais Library with Fireplace, Family Room with Fireplace, Sun Room.

Entertaining Lounge Screening Room charming Wine Tasting Cellar.

The Kitchen Fireplace, Family Room with Fireplace, Sun Room.

Entertaining Lounge or or Screening Room andand charming Wine Tasting Cellar.

The Kitchen is the focal point offers every Chef’s Dream amenity.

Formal Dining Area seats Exquisite Living Room.

There a huge Conference is the focal point andand offers every Chef’s Dream amenity.

Formal Dining Area seats 10.10.

Exquisite Living Room.

There is aishuge Conference Room with private entry!!

4 Car Garage.

Includes Pontoon Boat and Dock.

Mostly Furnished!

You will love this Property! $3,700,000.

Room with private entry!!

4 Car Garage.

Includes Pontoon Boat and Dock.

Mostly Furnished!

You will love this Property! $3,700,000.

DRE# 01509039 DRE# 01509039

Call Text:(951) (951)741-7117 741-7117 • • Lake Lake Arrowhead Office:(909) (909)337-2080 337-2080 Call oror Text: Arrowhead Office: Follow Facebook and Instagram:Lynnebwilsonandassociates Lynnebwilsonandassociates Follow usus onon Facebook and Instagram:

Cove Colony Beachfront Living 27050 Malibu Cove Colony Drive, Malibu, CA Experience breathtaking beachfront living in this coveted Cove Colony oasis, offering 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and 3,816 SF of sophisticated living space. During a 2005-2010 renovation, the home was thoughtfully revamped, using the best, high-quality materials. Guard-gated and secure, the home presents extraordinary views ranging from Palos Verdes to Point Dume. Past the new driveway, front landscaping, and courtyard sitting area, enter a serene atmosphere with glistening white oak floors, soaring ceilings, and a spectacular centerpiece: the Pacific Ocean. Through glass doors is a heavenly ipe view deck. The modern, open kitchen features Thermador appliances and custom cabinetry. A dining area looks out to the magnificent views. An additional wood deck is situated on the second level, along with two ocean front bedrooms, each with its own beautiful design elements. Enjoy an office, laundry room, bar, fireplace, 2-car garage, and abundant comforts. For those seeking immaculate natural beauty, you’ve arrived.

Price: $12,500,000

Sandro Dazzan

DRE # 01418033

t: 424 249 7040 | m: 310 435 7556 THE AGENCY Sandro@TheAgencyRE.com www.SandroDazzan.com Executive Estates Magazine 41

Entertainer’s Drea m 5737 Busch Drive, Malibu, CA This brand-new architectural residence is an entertainer’s dream. Gated, sleek, and spacious, & sensational backyard, with ocean views, gorgeous deck apx. 3,000 sf, and zero-edge Pebble Tec pool and spa. 4 bed | 5 bath. Offered at $7,750,000

Chris Cortazzo DRE # 01190363 COMPASS Tel: 310.457.3995 chris@chriscortazzo.com https://chriscortazzo.com 42

Executive Estates Magazine

Executive Estates Magazine 43

Waterfalling Estate NINOLE, HAWAII Recent location for the hit CBS series Love Island, The Waterfalling estate has truly unbeatable views overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the cascading waterfalls that inspired its name. This modern home is four stories of solid, reinforced concrete with airy, open concept rooms featuring quartzite and travertine tile. Enjoy the uninterrupted view of the ocean and falls from the rooftop deck or the cliffside pool and aquatic center. Inside the home, the ocean and waterfall can be seen from every room, including the penthouse with dual master bedrooms, fitness room, and a private veranda. Elegant, classic touches such as the African Sapele Mahogany ceiling and plantation-style accents are combined with the convenience of the latest technology throughout the home, including the full chef’s kitchen with wet bar, 52-inch round Daytona pneumatic elevator, and more. Entertain visitors indoor or enjoy the Hawaiian sun while you lounge by the pool, play basketball, or practice your golf swing. Wherever you are on this private 9-acre estate, enjoy your ocean-front paradise. Uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean from every room, Rooftop deck with 9-Tee golf course, Tennis stadium with 450-person capacity, 25-meter Olympic swimming pool and 16-ft deep diving pool.

Offered at $14,800,000

Bob Hurwitz DRE # 00526195

Tel: 310.477.8865 Bob@thehjc.com Executive Agent Magazine 45

Bali Retreat Aruba is a unique vacation home inspired by South East Asia, featuring a resort-style pool amidst giant boulders, a cave, Buddha statues protruding from an imposing rock wall with waterfalls cascading into the heated indoor lap pool, private cinema, yoga pavilion, and a beach volleyball court.

BaliRetreatAruba.com IG & FB: @baliretreataruba Paraguana 7, Noord, Aruba BaliRetreatAruba@gmail.com

Prospecting T

imes are tough – but as an old adage reminds us, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

In business, a good salesperson knows how to ride economic waves. They know exactly how to take a group of leads and build them into a loyal base of customers and clientele who return time and again for products and services; who bring in referrals; and who increase the potential to close a sale by as much as 500%.

A Positive Mindset Generates Positive Actions Most salespeople are driven by commissions. So imagine if they viewed every person they encountered as a prospective client. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines client as “a person who pays a professional person or organization for products and services, a person who engages the professional advice or services of another, and one that is under the protection of another.”

If salespeople viewed every person they met as a client – someone under their care who seeks professional advice and products or services – the potential for sales would increase dramatically. This seemingly simple change in mindset and attitudes makes a world of difference in sales, commissions, and profits.

Creating a mindset that perceives every individual who comes into a business as a client is one of the first steps in driving sales and increasing commissions and profits. However, it is a proven fact that when a client comes into a business and specifically asks for a particular salesperson, the closing percentage skyrockets.

To achieve this, salespeople must know how to prospect.

Prospecting – Reviving A Lost Art Prospecting has three primary results: an appointment for an immediate sale; referrals to new prospects actively looking to buy, and creating future prospects. Successful prospectors know that while there are many approaches, the best methods are in-person (personal), telephone, and written communication.

Yet today, most salespeople don’t have the first idea about how to prospect successfully.

This is where managers, as the coaches and leaders, come in. The first step is to focus the team on the overall goal – changing the variables they control, beginning with 48 Executive Agent Magazine

driving traffic – and then to change their mindset.

Develop a game plan and create opportunities for the team to practice, play and win. It’s like Vince Lombardi says, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

• The importance of team. Think of a professional football team. They practice for hours at least five days a week to play a single, one-hour game. The team who wins is not always the biggest, fastest, or best, but the one who goes in with a well-rehearsed game plan and then executes it. Practice, Play, and Win. • Change the mindset. Teach the team to prospect – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and yes even in your sleep.

Take them out into the field and train them. Then be sure the team views each individual who enters the business as a customer with the ability and intent to purchase.

• Assign a dollar value to each customer. Every potential customer who comes to the business has the power to increase your paycheck along with the company’s gross.

Salespeople cultivate customers through prospecting and referrals; they convert customers into clients by establishing and maintaining a relationship that allows them to build a sense of trust. It’s this trust that allows clients to rely on the salesperson for advice, and allows the salesperson to secure more referrals and sales.

The bottom line is, prospect, prospect, prospect – every single day, not just when the business is bad or down. Prospecting needs to become an automatic reflex, like breathing, an act that happens successfully and continuously.

With a positive mindset, a view toward the future, and the right training, salespeople will understand the need and will continue to prospect for opportunities and loyal clientele, regardless of how business is doing.

Richard F. Libin is the author of the book, Who Stopped the Sale? and president of APB-Automotive Profit Builders, Inc., a firm with more than 43 years experience working with both sales and service on customer satisfaction and maximizing gross profits through personnel development and technology. He can be reached at rlibin@apb.cc or 508-626-9200 or www.apb.cc. (www.whostoppedthesale. com).

Executive Agent Magazine 49

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Our bone marrow transplant reunion is now standing room only.

Each year, City of Hope invites bone marrow transplant recipients and their families to attend the “Celebration of Life” event. It’s a joyous time during which survivors of blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma embrace their health, their life and each other. It began more than 35 years ago when City of Hope created what is now one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplant programs in the world. In fact, we’ve completed over 11,000 transplants and, according to national reports, our outcomes are among the best in the nation. The goal of curing cancer isn’t just something we work at. It’s what we live for.

If you have cancer, make us your first call. Or ask your doctor for a referral. We accept most insurance.

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