The Residential Specialist, May/June 2019

residential

may + june

B US I N E S S I N TELL IGE N CE FOR THE R RC PROFE S S IONA L

2019

THE

SPECIALIST ALSO IN THIS

ISSUE

Become an influencer How to revive a listing Turn a client’s “no” to a “yes”

WHICH CLICHÉS STILL

Truth or myth—punching holes in real estate adages

CRS-043

Flash Briefings expand your reach Mentors provide helpful advice Pros/cons of co-working spaces

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contents 18

May 20 June 19 vol. 18, no. 3

features

DO OLD CLICHÉS HOLD WATER?

9 well-known real estate clichés and where they stand today

By Donna Shryer

26

NIGHT OF THE LIVING LISTINGS

Reviving a stale listing without dropping the price

22

By Myrna Traylor

30

BRAIN TEASER

Turn a “no” into a “yes” by understanding your client’s mind and motivations

A POSITIVE INFLUENCE

Don’t just hope for change, make it—and improve your business along the way

By Megan Craig

By Andrew Conner

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contents

May 20 June 19 vol. 18, no. 3

departments 4 VANTAGE POINT

By Michael Burkhard, CRS

5 ENTRY POINTS

Industry Headlines, Business Technology, Ideas & Trends 6 SMART SOLUTIONS: Flash to the Future Flash Briefing Skills by Amazon Alexa are being utilized by real estate agents across the country.

34

16 6

By Scott Mason

10 INSIDE TRACK: Walk This Way

Mentors: sharing knowledge and opening doors

By Myrna Traylor

14 WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY: Office Appeal

Co-working spaces provide amenities and networking opportunities.

By Gwen Moran

16 PEER TO PEER: Waylon Chavez, CRS ABQ Premiere Properties, Albuquerque, New Mexico

34 WORK + LIFE The Stager: A Novel

by Susan Coll

Reviewed by Allan Fallow

+

Recharge at a Destination Spa Check out six spas located in the U.S. that focus on health and wellness.

36

inside RRC

10

37 NEWS FROM THE COUNCIL

RRC honors its volunteers; the Council plans a new Career Website Mentor Board; and upcoming May Meetings in Washington, D.C .

40 LEARN FROM THE BEST

A CRS Instructor explains the importance of keeping the big picture in mind, including your long-term goals.

41 RRC CONNECT 48 ASK A CRS

48

Advice from the country’s top agents

ON L I N E R E S O UR CE S CRS.com

is your portal to news, education, referral and membership information. Read the magazine online at TRSMag.com.

LEADERSHIP ELECTION

National leaders will now be selected by Council members through an election process. Learn more about the candidates and their platforms before casting your vote. Complete election information can be found at CRS.com/election.

SELL-A-BRATION 2020

Get the most up-to-date information on Sell-a-bration 2020. Plan to join the Council and your peers Feb. 14–16, 2020, in Orlando, Florida.

Learn more about this premier event by visiting CRS.com/SAB2020.

Coming Next Issue ...

B US I N E S S I N TE L L I GE N C E F OR TH E R R C PR OFE S S I O NA L

Building relationships in a tech era Service still reigns over tech. Learn how social media, video recordings, photography and more can help you leverage relationship building.

Rising expectations for connected homes Consumer expectations related to smart home technology are growing. Learn how smart homes are promoting sustainable and eco-friendly living environments.

EDITOR Walter Boza wboza@crs.com 800.462.8841 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Andrew Conner Megan Craig Scott Mason Gwen Moran Donna Shryer Myrna Traylor 2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Michael Burkhard, CRS President-Elect Richard Waystack, CRS First Vice President Alex Milshteyn, CRS Immediate Past President Gary Williams, CRS Members Kim Cameron, CRS Shawn Cunningham, CRS Maura Neill, CRS Dan Steward Jen Ward, CRS Chief Executive Officer Lana Vukovljak Staff Liaison Patricia Stodolny PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT www.glcdelivers.com Publishing Manager Phil Malkinson Art Directors Ivette Cortes Eliane Mangoubi Scott Oldham

ADVERTISING MANAGER Chuck Gekas Director of Business Development 312.321.4443 cgekas@crs.com The Residential Specialist is published for Certified Residential Specialists, general members and subscribers by the Residential Real Estate Council.

The magazine’s mission is: To be a superior educational resource for CRS Designees and members, providing the information and tools they need to be exceptionally successful in buying and selling residential real estate.

The Residential Specialist is published bimonthly by the Residential Real Estate Council, 430 North Michigan Ave., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611-4092. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices.

Change of address? Email requests to crshelp@crs.com, call Customer Service at 800.462.8841 or mail to RRC at the above address.

The Residential Specialist (USPS-0021699, ISSN 1539-7572) is distributed to members of the Council as part of their membership dues. Non-members may purchase subscriptions for $29.95 per year in the U.S., $44.95 in Canada and $89.95 in other international countries.

All articles and paid advertising represent the opinions of the authors and advertisers, not the Council.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: The Residential Specialist, c/o Residential Real Estate Council, 430 North Michigan Ave., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611-4092.

COPYRIGHT 2019 by the Residential Real Estate Council. All rights reserved.

Printed in U.S.A.

Technology won’t replace REALTORS® Technology can only go so far—human interaction is vital.

REALTORS® understand the emotional aspects of buying and selling homes; agents should work with tech tools, but not fear them.

Using technology to create a work-life balance Discover how to increase productivity using virtual assistants, smart watches and other tools for scheduling, client follow-up, automating social posts and more.

PLUS:

Social media stories can bring new life to listings. Storytelling and emotional connections are vital to attracting buyers. Learn how social media channels can enhance listings.

Would you like to be a source for a future story in The Residential Specialist? Send an email to wboza@crs.com

to be added to our potential source list.

WHO ON YOUR

TEAM could benefit by receiving a personal copy of The Residential Specialist?

STAY INFORMED The Residential Real Estate Council provides

crs.com

superior education, exceptional networking opportunities and critical resources. The Council’s flagship magazine, The Residential Specialist, delivers the latest industry trends, success stories and proven strategies to grow your business.

To subscribe for yourself or a colleague, call 800.462.8841.

Note: Members of the Residential Real Estate Council receive the magazine as part of their member benefits.

[vantage point]

from the desk of Michael Burkhard, CRS 2019 RRC President

BE YOUR BEST AND

build authentic relationships



BEING A RELIABLE CONFIDANT TO SOMEONE DURING TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY—OR WHEN THEY JUST NEED SUPPORT—IS TRULY INVALUABLE AND REWARDING.

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One of our many responsibilities as residential real estate agents is to ensure that the needs of our clients are being met. We are consummate professionals whose industry expertise is relied upon daily.

We often ask ourselves many questions as we work with our clients.

Are we flexible and accommodating? Have we met or exceeded their expectations? Do they place their complete trust in us? Are we providing them with a personalized and exceptional experience?

As we work hard to build authentic and solid relationships with our clients, we must also find the time to build authentic and solid relationships with each other. One of the best ways to achieve this is to become a mentor. The term mentor is often used to describe an experienced professional who provides guidance to someone who is new to the field, but mentorships often can (and do) exist between colleagues as well.

Taking a personal interest and investing in this type of relationship is not to be taken lightly. Your willingness to share knowledge and skills, be positive and honest in your interactions, and provide constructive feedback will enable you to appreciate both the process and the progress that occur.

Being a reliable confidant to someone during times of uncertainty— or when they just need support—is truly invaluable and rewarding.

Offering career advice or an outside perspective ensures that both individuals are continuously learning and growing—establishing a concrete foundation for success. Being respectful and trustworthy on a personal level will also enable both parties to mutually define the parameters of the relationship as well as inspire uplifting conversations that create open, engaging and constant dialogue.

Our industry continues to rapidly evolve, so I encourage you to reach out to other REALTORS® and develop a mentoring relationship with your colleagues. Whether you decide to meet once a month, schedule weekly phone calls or communicate as needed via email and text messages, establish early on that the connection will be a routine occurrence.

Be your very best, share your valuable knowledge with your fellow peers, and build authentic and solid relationships that could—and should—last a lifetime. Learn more about mentoring on page 10.

[entry points] + industry headlines + business technology + ideas & trends

BUYER’S REMORSE NO REGRETS?

For many young adults in the United States, buying a home is a major life goal. However, those getting into the homeowner’s game are now realizing that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Sixty-three percent of millennials have stated that they have regrets about purchasing a home, according to a survey by Bankrate.com.

Compare that to the percentage of the general population with the same thoughts—44 percent of all homeowners regardless of age—and there seems to be a major disconnect between generations, and the expectations and finances required to securely own a home.

Hidden fees like inspections and closing costs aren’t being factored into the buying process by young adults, as 25 percent of millennials said this was their main source of regret. The average cost of maintaining a home through repairs and other expenses is $16,000 annually, according to a Porch.com analysis last year, so millennials need to think twice when determining if homeownership is fiscally advisable.

Real estate agents working with prospective young adult buyers would be advised to provide them with more education and guidance when it comes to taking into account the actual costs associated with buying a home.

40% of homeowners have some regrets over their purchase MOST FREQUENT RESPONSE

aintenance, other costs M more expensive than expected Bought too small of a house It’s in a bad location Don’t think it’s a good investment Mortgage payment is too high Didn’t get the best mortgage rate Bought too big of a house

Among U.S. homeowners, these were the most common areas of remorse.

60%

had no regrets.

LEAST FREQUENT RESPONSE Note: Respondents could select more than one response. 2% responded “other.”

Source: Bankrate homebuyers survey, Jan. 30—Feb. 1, 2019.

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[entry points]

Smart

Solutions streamlining your business through technology

FLASH

to the future Flash Briefing Skills by Amazon Alexa are being utilized by real estate agents across the country

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A FLASH BRIEFING OF YOUR OWN May June

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By Scott Mason



Finding the next big way to reach potential buyers should always be on the mind of a motivated and successful real estate agent. With our society moving more and more into the digital world, new avenues for marketing are opening up every day. And with consumers’ interest in smart speakers comes a golden opportunity.

Through the Amazon Alexa app, available via the Amazon Echo smart speaker, people can produce their own audible news tickers with an Alexa Skill called Flash Briefings. The concept is almost like Twitter for the ears, creating short bursts of information, either daily or weekly, to attract attention to your brand or business.

One out of 6 Americans own a smart speaker—about 39 million people. Almost 75 percent of those people are using an Amazon Echo, so the potential audience is vast.

But how can agents effectively harness this new marketing tool to fit their needs in both their local real estate market and their community?

Best uses

Of course, there is a learning curve with any new wave of technology. Figuring out the best way to implement this Alexa Skill and customize it to fit your target audience is important. That’s where Matthew Rathbun, CRS, executive vice president at Coldwell Banker Elite in Fredericksburg, Virginia, comes in. Rathbun is a CRS Certified Instructor who has been teaching about trends in real estate for 16 years.

Rathbun explains that Flash Briefings are a great way to set up a cheap, basic line of communication between you and your potential client base. “All you have to do is log in to Amazon and set up an account,” Rathbun explains. “Also, you will need to have an external hosting account for the feed, like you would for a podcast. Buzzsprout. com is a good example of a free system you can use—you’ll need to submit an example of your Flash Briefing to them for approval, but that’s all there is to it. The process is incredibly simple and inexpensive.”

Content is key

You’ll need to have proper sound recording equipment in place to ensure your Flash Briefing sounds professional.

Consider the equipment and items on this list before you make your first recording:

Once you’re ready to produce your Flash Briefing, the focus shifts to the content. Rathbun suggests concentrating more on what’s going on in your community, rather than your current listings.

“My recommendation is to talk about things that are hyperlocal, which may be contrary to what some [agents] are actually using Flash Briefings for,” he explains.

“For actual listings, I think the process for buyers is still extremely visual, and a Flash Briefing doesn’t really get the message across as well as a video or photos.”

ÄÄ Microphone ÄÄ Headphones ÄÄ Sound recording software ÄÄ RSS hosting software (many of which are free to use) ÄÄ Quiet place to record

continued on page 8 

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[entry points]

FLASH

to the future 

continued from page 7

“When people get their news briefings, they want to hear about things that are current and what could potentially impact them.

Lifestyle material and events happening in the community are ways to drive interest to your Flash Briefing, and in turn, to your business,” Rathbun says.

Rathbun also notes that your broadcast should be short and sweet. “Only broadcast something that takes under 30 seconds to listen to. Remember, you’re one of several stacked briefings that day— you’re not the only one talking to that individual. Your message will be lost unless it’s relevant,” he says.

Amazon Alexa devices can be programmed with information to answer frequently asked questions during an open house.

ANOTHER ALEXA AVENUE Not every real estate agent uses the same marketing tools. However, when versatile technologies such as smart speakers are available, innovative REALTORS® will use them to their advantage.

Lillian Montalto, CRS, owner/broker at Lillian Montalto Signature Properties International in Andover, Massachusetts, has reprogrammed the Amazon Echo to create an in-home showing assistant that her clients want and need.

With the help of her IT and marketing director, Luciano Schipelliti, they have transformed the experience of viewing a property for a potential buyer and added an innovative layer of customer service for their sellers.

“We dabbled with the idea of a Flash Briefing almost a year ago, but we were so far ahead of the industry that there was not enough demand to make it worth our while,” Schipelliti says.

“Once [Flash Briefings] become more popular, we will resume where we left off, but we decided to focus on the other features until that day comes.”

Montalto explains how they’ve transformed their home touring experience by using Alexa as a home information database. “We programmed an Echo to place in homes that we’re listing, to answer any question a buyer may have while taking a tour,” she says. “We identified the most popular questions that potential buyers ask and made sure to have the answers programmed and ready.”

The list of programmed answers is vast for Montalto. Some of the information you can get from Alexa while touring one of her listings is basic, like the price and square footage. However, you can also learn less obvious information, including: ÄÄ Assessed value of the home ÄÄ Taxes you would pay upon ownership ÄÄ Water and sewer information ÄÄ Flood zone and town betterment information ÄÄ Home features the sellers love ÄÄ Any improvements that were made Montalto and Schipelliti have even programmed the Public Remarks, which is the description of the property. “We created a flyer that we place around the home that informs potential buyers that they can simply utter the magic phrase to ask a question and the Amazon Echo will provide answers,” Montalto says.

Such innovation is what sets agents like Montalto apart from the rest of the pack—and little tweaks to your standard marketing routine could truly boost your business for the better.

Future outlook

How do Flash Briefings fit in with the marketing strategies of real estate agents in the future?

Rathbun says that while the trend is hot now, there’s no guarantee that any one form of marketing will stick in the long run.

“Almost all marketing technology has a shelf life. I think most agents understand that there’s only a certain amount of time that any trend or style is unique, and it’s important to constantly evolve with advancements in technology,” Rathbun says.

Scott Mason is a Chicago-area freelance writer.

For more insights on leveraging technology, join us for our “Time Saving Tech—Automate More, Live More” webinar with Matthew Rathbun, CRS, at 1 p.m.

Central on June 5.

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[entry points]

SEASONAL CHECK-UP

GADGET INSPECTOR

GET IN SHAPE FOR SUMMER

Sometimes you just need to start your day with a little bit of sunshine.

Philips has developed the Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock that simulates the natural act of the sun rising over the span of 30 minutes.

It even has a feature for bedtime, mimicking the sunset to ease you off to sleep.

With summer just around the corner, now is a great time for your clients to get their homes in top shape. By following a few of these tips each week, they’ll enjoy the summer knowing that their home is ready for the season.

OUTDOORS Inspect siding for cracks or other damage and make any needed repairs. ÄÄ If paint is peeling, cracking or chipping, repair and repaint now to limit damage to the underlying materials. ÄÄ Remove window screens and clean them with a soft brush and soapy water. Rinse them well and allow them to dry in the sun. Repair any holes or tears, or replace the screen material before reinstalling. ÄÄ Have the air conditioning system serviced to ensure good operation. Promote good air intake by keeping shrubs and plants around the unit trimmed. ÄÄ Clear dirt and debris from gutters and leaves. ÄÄ Seal cracks in walkways and the driveway. ÄÄ Test irrigation and sprinkler systems, and replace any broken sprinkler heads or emitters. Check for proper water coverage and adjust if necessary. ÄÄ Power wash decks and patios, and seal surfaces as appropriate.

Price: $169.99 usa.philips.com

INDOORS Vacuum or brush off refrigerator coils to help maintain energy efficiency. Depending on the model, the coils will be located either on the bottom or on the back of the appliance. ÄÄ Empty dehumidifier pans and clean hoses according to the manufacturer’s instructions. ÄÄ Adjust ceiling fans for proper balance and change the rotation to the summer setting. It’s also the perfect time to give the unit a good dusting. ÄÄ Close the chimney flue to prevent insects from entering and to help keep cool air in. ÄÄ Check door and cabinet hinges and lubricate any that stick or squeak. ÄÄ Open windows even on cooler days to get fresh air flowing throughout the home.

Ever wonder what your dog is up to while you’re not home? With the Furbo Dog Camera, you can monitor your dog’s behavior while you’re absent. The video feed is sent to your phone, providing up-to-date information about what your dog is up to, while allowing for two-way sound communication.

You can even program it to dispense treats if he’s being a “good boy”!

Getting summer off to a great start is easy—it all starts at home sweet home!

This article was provided by Pillar To Post Home Inspectors. For more information, go to pillartopost.com.

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Price: $199.00 furbo.com The Residential Real Estate Council

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[entry points]

WALK Inside Track what’s trending in real estate

this way

Mentors: sharing knowledge and opening doors people or “digital natives” can share tech or media expertise that allow them to mentor more seasoned professionals.

by Myrna Traylor



When people say, “If I knew then what I know now…,” it’s often because they realize that a little knowledge in their past might have saved them a lot of trouble or unnecessary effort in the present. Until we perfect time machines, however, we are just going to have to make use of the next best thing: a mentor.

Mentors can offer helpful advice before one gets off track, and in a field that is as variable and complicated as real estate, timely advice can be invaluable. Frequently, we think of mentors as people with a lot of years in the business.

While that is true in most cases, the rapid technological changes that impact the real estate business mean younger

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In learning mode

The classic mentoring dynamic of veterans helping rookies has played a part in the success stories of many CRSs. Brenda Wade, CRS, an agent at Signature Realty Associates in Valrico, Florida, discuses how she was mentored as a new agent. “I had sales right at $40 million and I met Chicago area REALTOR® Leslie McDonnell, who was doing $100 million at the time. She allowed me to shadow her. She was so giving, and now we’re friends. Currently, I do $120 million–$140 million a year and I achieved that level because of Leslie saying to me, ‘If I were in your shoes, I’d do this.’

Now, when I meet younger folks, I invite them to come along.”

A mentor can be especially helpful when you are trying to tackle tough topics or situations.

“I had a situation where an employee wasn’t a good fit,” Wade says. “Leslie said I had to let the employee go. It was tough, but in order for my business to grow, I had to recognize that person was a roadblock.”

The shoe is on the other foot

Now that Wade is mentoring team members and other agents herself, she is passing that wisdom along. “You need to have the right people in the right spot,” she says. “It was a tough conversation when I got that advice, but it was life-changing.”

One of the people Wade mentors is Amber Uhren, CRS, broker/owner of Realty Billings in Montana. Wade says Uhren has a great eye for media and knowing what will appeal to the customers. “She’s an excellent agent and is always willing to learn,” says Wade. “We discuss what I am doing that applies to what she’s doing and how to get to the next step [in her business].

Sometimes you have to work to get past limiting beliefs like thinking, ‘I’ve always done it that way, so I can’t change.’ A mentor can encourage you to see and do things in a different way.”

Karen Carmona, CRS, an agent with NP Dodge Real Estate in Council Bluffs, Iowa, has mentored several agents. Justin Williams was working as a banker when he bought a house from Carmona. When Williams became a parttime agent himself and began working with NP Dodge, he asked Carmona to mentor him.

“NOW, WHEN I MEET YOUNGER FOLKS, I INVITE THEM TO COME ALONG.” ­—Brenda Wade, CRS

continued on page 12 

For Marki Lemons-Rhyal, CRS, and real estate educator, the advice she received early on changed her career trajectory. One of her mentors was—and still is—Frank Williams, who is very well-respected in Chicago for his long advocacy for fair housing—he even marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Frank didn’t ask me, he told me to become a licensed real estate educator,” she says. “He gave me a roadmap. He said I needed to become a volunteer with the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and he guided my teaching career. He pours into people with the anticipation that we will pour into others.”

THE INTANGIBLES While improving one’s business is critical, it is also important to value the person on each side of the mentoring relationship. Brenda Wade, CRS, in Valrico, Florida, believes that CRSs are in a unique environment for that. “We are like spokes in a wheel. You have a hand forward to learn something and at the same time your hand is reaching back to pull someone else along.”

Marki Lemons-Rhyal, CRS, says each party has to have “respect for the other’s time, and realistic expectations. Mentors are viewed as ‘free,’ whereas consultants and coaches charge fees.

If you get advice, you need to show appreciation for someone taking time with you. When I call [my mentor] Frank, he will respond because he knows I have implemented the advice he gave me.

A true mentor takes joy from seeing others do well because of the advice they gave.”

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[entry points]

WALK this 

continued from page 11

way

“I said ‘sure!’ He has gone on to be very successful, and he has won the top affiliate award,” she says. “He still comes by to ask me questions.

He’s very grateful.”

A two-way street

Mentoring relationships can coalesce around a shared business-related interest. Janine Gershon, a California Licensed Real Estate Agent and CRS candidate at Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Beverly Hills, California, remembers how she fell into a mentoring role with her co-worker.

“I was with Coldwell Banker for 21 years and was consulting for the MLS. I never noticed Katherine Aronsson at the office until we started talking about MLS tech, and we clicked and became friends,” says Gershon. Aronsson, who is originally from Russia and graduated from the renowned Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, was unfamiliar with certain rules governing California property transactions. Both agents are now at Elliman, and Gershon teaches Aronsson the state’s requirements when they are not riding out on broker caravans together.

Gershon and Aronsson have actually developed a reciprocal mentoring relationship. While Gershon gives Aronsson tips about how to deal

with clients, Aronsson is a dab hand at tech and social media. “She is a technology maven.

She helped me set up my business website, and since Instagram is the most effective tool in real estate, she set up a business account for me and showed me more things you can do with target marketing. It’s incredibly valuable to have this relationship,” Gershon says. In addition, the pair work together with star clients referred to Aronsson from Russia and the SwedishAmerican Chamber of Commerce.

Carmona and her current advisee, Candy Calvert, also have a two-way arrangement.

Carmona is showing Calvert the ropes when it comes to systems and prospecting, while Calvert has shown her mentor how to automatically schedule regular Facebook posts.

For many agents, it is not hard to be a “teacher” and “student” at the same time. “I’m very learningbased,” says Wade. “I’m always looking for new, interesting ways to improve. When you meet smart and savvy people, you have to go along, no matter where they are in their career. Someone doesn’t need to be doing the volume I’m doing to be smart.”

Myrna Traylor is a freelance writer based in the Chicago area.

GADGET INSPECTOR Transform your normal doorways into keyless entry points for you and your family with the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect. You can track who comes in and out of your home, 24/7. It’s compatible with Alexa, so you’ll be safe and secure from any place in your home. $

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279 | august.com

Are you someone who works hard and gets your hands dirty? Are you a bit of a germaphobe? Now there’s a way to clean your smartphone effortlessly. Just place your phone inside of the PhoneSoap 3 Smartphone Sanitizer and let the UV light kill 99.9 percent of germs—and it charges your phone at the same time. The long-lasting UV bulb can be used approximately 24,000 times. $

60 | Phonesoap.com

STRATEGICALLY SOCIAL

MORE THAN SHOWING UP

Social media can be a utopia for REALTORS® or a dystopian wasteland. Having and employing a strategy is the determining factor of success. It’s typically not enough to simply put a sign in front of a house and expect it to sell quickly. In the same way, just “showing up” on social media will not result in increased referrals or sales. You must show up consistently and build relationships.

Use tech tools to research prospects

Whether you want to find the perfect customized housewarming gift for an existing client, connect with a referral partner or find out more about a prospect, technology and social media specifically make it easier to get the answers that you need.

If you want to learn more about a contact’s preferences, a quick search on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest will help you discover: Their alma mater (for a nice customized ÄÄ home mat).

Their favorite sports teams (for a ÄÄ customized team mug with their name).

The charities that are near and dear ÄÄ to them (perhaps make a donation in their name).

In this age of mass customization, understanding the preferences of your clients and prospective clients can be the one thing that sets you apart from your competitors.

Connect with referral partners and clients

Social media and apps provide REALTORS® with the opportunity to network with clients and peers to build relationships and increase referrals.

To connect with fellow CRS Designees: Connect on LinkedIn and Facebook, and ÄÄ

comment on at least five of your connections’ posts per week.

Use Zoom to co-host videos for ÄÄ Facebook Live, YouTube and LinkedIn. Co-author articles or blog posts and ÄÄ share them.

Tag each other in social media posts ÄÄ to share the spotlight.

To connect with clients: Use Facebook lists to post information ÄÄ on your profile visible only to specific audiences.

Invite current and prospective clients, ÄÄ along with influencers, to various functions.

Offer giveaways that benefit both parties. ÄÄ

Merge online and offline interactions

USE SOCIAL MEDIA AND APPS TO RESEARCH PROSPECTS AND NETWORK WITH CLIENTS AND PEERS.

Just because you’re connecting on social media doesn’t mean that all interactions should live in that space. One of the most powerful things you can do is send a customized card to a person who wrote something nice about you on a social network. Two of my favorite tools for crafting customized cards are TouchNote and SendOutCards. Both allow you to create cards in moments from screenshots, uploaded pictures or one of their pre-designed cards.

When someone shares a kind post that can potentially result in business, send them a card with a picture of their post and thank them— by name—on the front of the card.

Crystal Washington, CSP, works with organizations that want to leverage technology to increase profits and productivity. As a keynote speaker, she teaches practical applications of social media, apps, smartphones and more. Crystal is the author of One Tech Action and The Social Media Why.

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[entry points]

OFFICE appeal

Window

ofOpportunity

Co-working spaces provide amenities and networking opportunities

Clockwise from top left: WeWork, Boston; Regus, Santa Monica; Epic Space, Pasadena.

strategies to grow your business

By Gwen Moran



BY THE NUMBER S There will be more than

30,000 global co-working spaces with 5.1 million members by 2022.

—Small Business Labs

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Co-working spaces are popping up all over the place. These convenient, affordable and often stylish workspaces are one of the biggest trends in commercial real estate.

Trends and forecasting firm Small Business Labs predicts that there will be more than 30,000 global co-working spaces with about 5.1 million members by 2022.

For REALTORS®, co-working spaces offer a flexible home base. William Tong, CRS, broker and team leader at Golden Land Investments & Financial, Inc., in Pasadena and Arcadia, California, decided to work in a co-working space in the fall of 2017, after growing his team from three to five people. The team now has 12 associates. His team members wanted an upscale office space with access to conference rooms where they could meet clients.

Originally, he looked at traditional office spaces, including one front-runner next to

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a bookstore. Then he began checking out co-working spaces, including those operated

by Regus, Epic Spaces, WeWork and others.

WeWork offered a beautiful space and the largest network of offices around the world.

Golden Land serves upscale clients, investors and first-time homebuyers, so having an attractive space was important to the team. “The elegance and thoughtfulness of the designed spaces was something that we could not have implemented easily,” he says. William found a flexible and beautiful space to grow his team’s business and he was able to shift office renovation money toward serving his clients.

Amenities galore

One of the appealing aspects of co-working spaces is the amenities that are available. At 36 Degrees North, a co-working space in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a base membership is $149 per month. The space has a fresh, modern décor and a variety of workspace options ranging from workstations in an open-space floor

plan to small meeting “pods” that seat two or three people to various conference rooms and meeting spaces. The space also has a kitchen and restrooms, and the conference rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi, white boards, televisions and other features.

“The cost of renting an office, paying for utilities, furniture, maintenance, coffee, printers, etc., adds up quickly,” says Lauren King, communications manager of 36 Degrees North.

“And if you think about it, REALTORS® spend a good chunk of their time out of the office anyway—so why invest so much in the space?

They could still have a consistent landing place but at a much lower cost,” she says.

Creating connections

Tong says having an impressive office has paid off for him. When a prospect flew from Shanghai to Pasadena, Tong was able to schedule a conference room in the Santa Monica WeWork location near his hotel. “He was really impressed by the space and the way we answered his questions,” Tong says. “The team and I helped him buy a great property that week. We rented it out for him a week later.”

Co-working spaces also offer an opportunity to meet new prospects. While his goal was not to cultivate business there, fellow tenants have entrusted Tong with their business. Another perk: The office overlooks the route for the Rose Bowl Parade. Each New Year’s Day, the office is filled with WeWork members and their families, clients and friends watching the parade and sipping peppermint hot chocolate.

Of course, it’s not all a bed of roses. Co-working spaces can be noisy. The Golden Land team’s office isn’t large enough to accommodate a printer, so they rely on WeWork’s printers,

ASK AWAY Before you sign up for a co-working space, here are some questions you should ask:

which occasionally are down. And once another REALTOR® brokerage rented the space right next to his team, so the team had to be careful about what they discussed in their own office.

Moving to a co-working model

REALTORS® are also adopting aspects of the co-working model. After the recession, Edna Taylor, CRS, broker/owner of McAllen Realty Services in McAllen and Edinburg, Texas, converted her real estate business’ space to executive offices, renting to individuals or small businesses. She counts an insurance agent, accountant and placement service among her tenants. “This executive office concept allows interaction between tenants.

I have sold homes to the tenants and their friends,” Taylor says. “Networking with different business professionals is a great asset for understanding the economic impact in the Valley.”

Don Mayes, CRS, who is also a corporate broker for Keller Williams Realty of Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama, has various workspaces available to the REALTORS® in his office. Lively exchanges take place in the open space they may use. “Private office space is available for agents who need—and are willing to pay for—that closed door and the sanctuary it provides,” Mayes says.

The combination of turnkey workspaces, amenities and networking opportunities makes both commercial and REALTOR®-specific co-working spaces an attractive option.

“THE ELEGANCE AND THOUGHTFULNESS OF THE DESIGNED SPACES WAS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE IMPLEMENTED EASILY.” —William Tong, CRS

Gwen Moran is a freelance writer based in Wall Township, New Jersey.

Thinking about a co-working solution for your office? Check out our available classes on how to use cloud computing to help you run your business. Find out more at crs.com/learn.

What’s included in my fee or subscription?

You may be entitled to a certain number of hours of conference room space or other amenities, says Lauren King, communications manager of 36 Degrees North, a Tulsa, Oklahoma co-working space.

Who else is here and who can I get advice from?

Talk to people who have rented co-working spaces. Get to know the other co-working members, figure out how to add value and network with them. William Tong, CRS, broker and team leader with Golden Land Investments & Financial, Inc., in

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Pasadena and Arcadia, California, has developed both friendships and business relationships at his co-working space.

What events do you have?

Many co-working spaces offer networking events, seminars and other opportunities to meet or learn from other business owners.

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May 15 June

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ABQ Premiere Properties, Albuquerque, New Mexico

WAYLON CHAVEZ, CRS

Peer to Peer profiles of people to watch

What work-related activities have kept you active?

In my first seven months, I closed on 19 homes and was nominated for rookie of the year through the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS®. I own my company and served as a board member of the REALTOR® Association of New Mexico.

I’ve also served on a variety of boards for RRC—as president of the New Mexico RRC in 2012—and was also named CRS REALTOR® of the year.

I’ve also worked closely with the National Association of REALTORS® and the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS®.

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Do you focus on a niche market?

I presented a session at Sell-a-bration 2019 called “Six Hours to Six Figures” that explained how to “find a niche and get rich.” You will be more successful as a specialist— a local expert. I focus on the military and the west side of town, where the most recent real estate developments in Albuquerque are located.

I live, work and play in that part of the city.

How do you promote your business?

I’m old school—I value personal relationships. Social media is a tool I use to stay in contact with people, but it’s not a replacement for faceto-face contact. I text clients to stay in touch, but I knock on doors and get involved in the community. I host a happy hour once a month for clients.

I’m a community ambassador— I don’t just put up a ‘for sale’ sign in the yard, I promote the neighborhood.

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In my first seven months, I closed on 19 homes and was nominated for rookie of the year.

How do you communicate the value of the CRS designation to potential clients?

First, it’s not up to the Council to do it—that’s our job. For sellers, I have a pamphlet about how to choose a REALTOR® and it explains the difference between a CRS and other agents. I tell sellers that I want to educate them, so they fully understand the process. I don’t just talk about me—it’s about them, so my process is tailored toward their needs. I also explain that all agents have access to the same tools. What matters most is who you are comfortable working with.

What other approaches do you use to pursue leads?

I promote things in the neighborhood rather than myself. I go to city council meetings, talk with local business owners and attend groundbreakings. I knock on doors twice a week and I chase FSBOs. When I knock on doors, I don’t ask for the sale. I let them know I’m here to educate, so I provide market stats in neighborhood.

What keeps you busy when you’re not working?

I love to be at the beach, hike in the mountains and travel with my wife and son. I also work in the Air Force Reserve inspecting planes at the subsurface level using various technologies.

Waylon Chavez, CRS, achieved his CRS Designation in 2009. He can be reached at waylonchavezcrs@gmail.com or 505-712-1340.

Photo: Kip Malone

How did you get interested in the CRS Designation?

I started working in real estate in 2006 and wanted to open my own brokerage.

Other agents encouraged me to get the designation.

Being a CRS caught my eye for two reasons: I loved the education component and I liked the requirement that you had to have a certain level of production. You couldn’t just sign up, pay a fee and get the designation.

What is unique in your local market?

It’s a diverse population.

Albuquerque is a community with many generations who have been here a long time.

But there are also many federal employees here at military bases and laboratories, so there are many people from out of state.

Waylon Chavez, CRS, is attracted to craft that can fly. As a member of the Air Force Reserve, he inspects airplanes. And Waylon and his family enjoy hiking in the mountains, hanging out at the beach and attending the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, where more than 50 countries are represented each year.

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Do Old ClichĂŠs

Hold Water?

9 well-known real estate clichĂŠs and where they stand today

By Donna Shryer

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You know your profession’s clichés. In a pinch, you may have even used a few. But since many of these adages are old, it’s time to revisit their value. Which are still as good as gold, which need a new lease on life and which are so yesterday? Let’s lay it on the line! There’s no time like the present.

1

The three most important things in real estate are location, location, location!

The jury is split on this one, and ironically, MYTH the separation comes down to location.

Thomas J. Nelson, CRS, REALTOR® with Big Block Realty, serving the San Diego market, says location is important but no longer deserves triple billing. “Today, the three most important things in real estate are price, location and condition,” Nelson says. “Any house will sell if it’s priced right. I once sold a home without a kitchen or bathroom, but the price for the location was good and the home sold above asking.”

Marilyn Dopler, CRS, broker at RE/MAX Suburban, serving the suburban Chicago

market, goes a step further. “Buyers and sellers often disagree on what makes an ideal location,” Dopler says. “For example, a seller may value the curb appeal of their corner lot. However, some buyers may TRUTH dislike the possibility of added traffic.”

That said, “location, location, location” appears to hold true in rapidly, robustly developing real estate markets. For instance, it’s all about location for J.J. Rodriguez, CRS, owner/ broker of J.J. Rodriguez Professional Real Estate Services, where his San Antonio market is experiencing significant development and buyer appeal. “Location is so important that I’ve had clients buy a smaller, less expensive home than they want—just so they can live in a desirable community,” Rodriguez says.

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Buyers don’t always tell the truth.

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This cliché gets the boot across the board. “If a buyer says they’ll only consider ranches and then goes off and purchases a for-sale-by-owner two-story, it’s not that the buyer lied. It’s about me not asking the right questions,” says Gary Rossignol, CRS, REALTOR® with RE/MAX Preferred Group, serving Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. “I need to ask probing questions and find out why that buyer only wants to see ranches. Maybe they didn’t like the two-story they grew up in. Now we’re getting somewhere,” Rossignol says. “So, we’ll look at ranches, but I’ll also educate this buyer by showing them two-story homes with a totally different look and feel than their childhood home.”

Pat Tasker, CRS, REALTOR® with Shorewest REALTORS® in Milwaukee, would also like to say “so long” to this outdated cliché. “Some buyers—especially first-time buyers—think they want certain things, but after viewing homes, they can begin to prioritize. Some items drop off the list if they realize certain things aren’t in their price range or desired neighborhoods, and some things they want to move up the list, as they realize they really are a priority. They weren’t lying when we first met, but once reality sets in and they’re educated as to what’s out there in the market, their priority list becomes more realistic,” Tasker says.

Pretty costs more.

This remains true but with serious caveats.

Homebuyers—even those on a tight budget— need to know that there are ways to put “pretty” within reach, says Rachel Hillman Foy, CRS, broker/owner of Hillman Homes, serving the Greater Boston market. “It’s my job to help buyers see trade-offs. Maybe that means one less bedroom, being farther from the train station or a smaller lot. If we take something off the priority list, pretty may become affordable,” she says.

“Amy Z” Zukowski, CRS, REALTOR® with HomeSmart Cherry Creek Properties in Denver,

4

Less is more.

MYTH

TRUTH

It’s a popular mantra to help sellers grasp the concept of clearing out clutter and prepping their home for showings. However, sellers also need help recognizing that fine line between tidy and sterile.

Tasker explains, “I recently saw a listing where every inch of the kitchen counter was empty. It was so cold.

You want the coffee station with cute mugs. You want throw pillows on the living room couch. You want buyers to see a home.”

Creating a warm, inviting environment is what staging is all about. And according to the National Association of REALTORS® 2017 Profile of Home Staging, it works—with 83 percent of buyer’s agents saying that a staged listing makes it easier for buyers to visualize the property as their future home.

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agrees that pretty costs more, although she strongly cautions against declaring a home “too pretty to afford” until after seeing it in person. “Between digital enhancement and professional photography, listing photos can be a lot like Tinder profiles: you arrive at a showing and the house looks completely different,” Zukowski says. “So, I ask my buyers to see a home first.

TRUTH MYTH Bad listing photos may be their opportunity to negotiate a very affordable price.”

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5

You get what you pay for.

In today’s world, this adage bears repeating, but with a brand-new twist. “I say this all the time to potential clients—buyers and sellers— but I’m not talking about a home’s value. I’m talking about REALTOR® representation,” Nelson says. “I tell potential clients that they can choose an agent with a discount brokerage, but they’re taking a big risk to save a few bucks.

And as we move into a more challenging market, sellers in particular need to know the importance of a skilled agent who knows how to generate buyers and offers.”

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Price does not equal value.

It’s an adage gaining steam as online databases continue to evolve. Dopler has seen too many buyers take a pass on their dream home just because an online valuation model comes in at a lower value. On the flip side, sellers pin their hopes on many online valuation sites’ reports and want to overprice their home. These service providers never actually walk inside a home, see its condition or know firsthand how that home compares to similar properties in the same community. “No online database can replace the personalized home assessment you get from an experienced REALTOR®, a qualified home inspector and an unbiased home appraiser,” she says. “That’s one of the first things I tell every new client. I set things straight right away.”

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You can never be too careful.

Everyone’s heard this cliché, but when was the last time you applied it to yourself as a REALTOR®?

Rossignol wants to see every REALTOR® make it a daily catchphrase. “REALTORS® are so used to getting a phone call and hearing, ‘I want to see your new listing on Oak Street’ and we say, ‘OK, I’ll meet you there in 30 minutes.’ No! You don’t do that. You don’t know who this person is. You don’t know if they’re qualified to buy this house, or worse, if they plan to hurt you.”

To play it safe, Rossignol reminds REALTORS® to conduct first-time meetings with an unknown potential client in a public place, ideally the office, where it’s easy to photocopy the client’s ID for proper vetting.

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Never buy the most expensive home on the block.

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You’re only speed dating until the seller accepts your offer.

In a strong seller’s market, these new wise words may help buyers stay in the game—even after losing a few opportunities.

To help clients navigate Denver’s strong seller’s market, Zukowski guides buyers to equate home shopping with speed dating. “In our market, it can be an emotional roller-coaster ride for buyers. And when a bidding war starts, who knows what will happen. So, to reduce buyer burnout, I urge homebuyers to resist falling in love with a home too soon. Until their offer is accepted, they’re only speed dating—getting to know the market,” she says.

This one seems to be losing ground, especially with the millennials’ focus on quality of life.

Rodriguez would like to swap out this older adage for a modern version: “Buy the most home you can in your most desired community.” This truism, he says, applies to those on a tight budget as well as those able to buy their dream home on their dream street. “If homes in your most desired community are appreciating more than homes in another community, then it’s a good investment regardless of home size,” Rodriguez says.

Rossignol adds, “If someone finds their dream house, I’m not going to discourage them from buying it. Eventually, it’s about the right home for the right person at the right time.”

MYTH

There you have it—a few real estate pearls of wisdom from the past, present and future. What’s interesting to note is that the same adage can be a hit as well as a myth, depending on whether sellers are in command, buyers are calling the shots or your market is experiencing solid development. So while an often-quoted platitude may no longer apply to your market, it may work quite nicely in another REALTOR®’s geographic backyard. It’s like the old saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life!”

Have you witnessed these or any other clichés?

Share your story in our We Are CRS Facebook group. Join at Facebook. com/groups/ WeAreCRS.

Donna Shryer is a freelance writer based in Chicago.

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TRUTH

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May 21 June

Turn a “no” into a “yes” by understanding your client’s mind and motivations

By Andrew Conner

May June

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When it comes to negotiating a deal, particularly for the often-emotional process of buying or selling a home, it’s especially vital that real estate agents connect with their clients on many levels. First, you must establish commonality, then build rapport and a professional level of trust, and finally, find the empathy that you need to truly understand a client’s motivations so you can help them make the right choice.

Person to person

When you receive a “no” from a client, there may be many reasons behind it. Sales guru Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar famously identified five basic obstacles to making a sale, and all of them are no’s: “no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, [and] no trust.” Even assuming this list is exhaustive—which it isn’t—it’s clear that understanding a client’s motivation behind a rejection is necessary to turn it around.

As a real estate agent, to understand that motivation you must build a rapport with your client so they feel comfortable with you and will eventually trust you with their money and their emotions. Opening this bond with a client is the same as it is with other people you meet, whether you’re at a dinner party, your child’s soccer game or the office.

“You need to find something in common with the other person,” says Tim Burrell, JD, CRS, with RE/MAX United in Raleigh, North Carolina. “You can do this with virtually any person, even if it’s down to the fact that you both breathe.”

Beyond breathing, Burrell points to simple, small-talk topics that help create that initial commonality between you and the client: sports teams you enjoy, experiences with children or grandchildren, where you grew up or hobbies, among others. Once you’ve created this commonality, Burrell suggests making that bond deeper by establishing a closer relationship and showing your expertise.

Building trust

To get to the heart of a client’s motivation, they need to trust you. Burrell quotes Ed Hatch, CRS, who described this type of rapport as “the connection between people through which the truth passes.” To achieve this, you must empathize with your client and respect their situation and position. Instead of pushing them toward the decision you think is correct, ask them questions about what they envision as their ideal home or ideal buyer, what their usage of the home looks like or what a dream offer would be for them.

Michele Bailey, CRS, REALTOR® with Hilary & Reverie in Watersound, Florida, says that being an area expert also helps establish trust. For Bailey, who works in Florida’s vacation-friendly region along Scenic Hwy 30A (including Destin and Panama City Beach), marketing is the differentiating factor when working with buyers and sellers, as many of her clients are absentee owners. A solid strategy that shows proficiency in the market helps bridge the gap when buyers or sellers have differences of opinion on pricing or approach.

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“Most people appreciate it when you can explain things they might not have thought about,” Bailey says. “For example, in our market, property management policies can be an issue when selling a vacation rental home—you may only be able to show a property on a Saturday after check-out time and before check-in time, which limits access for buyers to view it and can affect time on the market.”

Bailey explains that creating an exclusive showing package for listings she represents is another way she establishes a strong rapport between herself and her customers. This package includes rental histories or projections, utilities and other details, and provides the buyer and their agent with an estimated “cost to own.” Not only does this give the buyer the confidence to make an informed decision, it also makes the seller aware of the different factors that Bailey takes into consideration when evaluating a home. Having a comprehensive view of their property in comparison to competing properties helps sellers understand the marketing and pricing strategy.

Find the “why”

Both Burrell and Bailey agree that, ultimately, to get a buyer or seller

AFTER YOU’VE ESTABLISHED A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CLIENT AND LEARNED THEIR MOTIVATION FOR BUYING OR SELLING, GETTING THEM TO MOVE FROM A “NO” TO A “YES” IS THE NEXT STEP.

off the fence you need to understand their “why,” or their motivation for being on the fence in the first place. Bailey explains that due to the nature of representing vacation and rental properties, it takes an investment of time in nurturing the relationship before she sees the conversion from a “no” to a “yes,” and unearthing the client’s “why” is always the first step.

“Questions for buyers like, ‘If we’ve been vacationing here for 10 years, what makes now the time to buy?’ or for sellers, ‘What makes now the time to sell our home? Are we not using it as much or are we upgrading to a larger space to bring the grandkids?’” says Bailey. “When you understand what’s motivating them, you can be a better agent. Your clients feel more valued and they feel listened to.”

LEARNING FROM THE “NO” Focusing on how you can take a client from “no” to “yes” is important; however, it’s inevitable that you’ll receive some firm rejections. If you find yourself hearing “no” a lot, it can help to examine your process. Use these two tips to turn your rejections into learning experiences: Talk shop. Get together with a peer or colleague who you trust to give you honest feedback and go over your pitch with them. You might want to ask if it’s too long, if you’re not being detailed enough, or if you are making your experience and expertise in the market clear.

Make the grade. After a client gives you a firm “no,” ask them to grade their experience, or evaluate it on a scale of 1-to-10. If they don’t give you top marks, ask what you could have done to improve. If what they want is something you can provide, this may also help you turn that “no” into a “yes.”

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Burrell says sometimes it helps to just “shut up.” When you’re having a conversation with a client, asking key questions like why this house would be better for their children or why they feel they can’t list the house under a certain price, it can be tempting to jump in to fill silences,” Burrell says. “But if you let your clients talk, usually they’ll tell you. And the more they tell you, the easier it will be to determine what they really need to make a decision.”

Bringing it all home

After you’ve established a good relationship with your client and learned their motivation for buying or selling, getting them to move from a “no” to a “yes” is the next step. Burrell recommends helping clients visualize their “why” and contrasting that with the usually comparatively small hurdles to getting there.

“Find out what motivates them and then use that to persuade them, but be sure to respect their situation—you don’t just go hitting people over the head with it,” Burrell says. “For example, you learn their annual Christmas party with family is important to them and ask how this beautiful kitchen will help them create a warm, delightful atmosphere for that event.”

When doing this, you can contrast their desires against their problems. Is it worth it to let an issue such as an old water heater or broken toilet in the basement that can be fixed for less

than $1,000 stop them from the experience they want? For most, the answer will be no. Burrell also suggests leading them to this realization on their own, if you can. Ideas always sound better to clients when they’re the ones who come up with them.

However, as Bailey explained, the process can often take months or even years. To offset the time factor, she nurtures the relationship with her current and prospective clients through traditional methods such as e-newsletters and updates on news and regulations that affect the market, as well as social media, personal notes and phone calls. This is especially helpful in her market where many buyers and sellers don’t reside full-time.

While sometimes rejection is unavoidable, if you create a strong relationship with your client, you’ll have a good opportunity to get them off the fence. And even if it looks like they’re sticking to “no,” the connection you’ve created could still pay dividends in the future.

Andrew Conner is a freelance writer based in the Chicago area.

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“FIND OUT WHAT MOTIVATES THEM AND THEN USE THAT TO PERSUADE, BUT BE SURE TO RESPECT THEIR SITUATION—YOU DON’T JUST GO HITTING PEOPLE OVER THE HEAD WITH IT.” ­—Tim Burrell, JD, CRS

Nurturing relationships can help you turn a “no” into a “yes.” Visit our education catalog at CRS.com/learn for helpful resources.

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LIVING

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LISTINGS 

Reviving a stale listing without dropping the price

Even though brokers brokerage had it listed for and agents work hard four months,” Young says, in to prevent it, sometimes a market where nicer homes there are houses that just typically sell in about seven don’t move as briskly as to 14 days. they should. Every commuWhen the owners asked

By Myrna Traylor nity has an average number Young to take over the listing, of days a home is on the he noticed little things about market before it is put under contract, and every the home’s interior that were not helping market has stragglers that are dragging down matters. “The home had a nice-sized foyer, but the bell curve. it was dark and looked a little worn. The light Listing agents are a clever lot, though. They fixture was dated, and some of the outlets have developed a portfolio of methods that can were two-prong.” When he told the owners that brighten a home and recharge its marketing small updates were called for, they got a little so it can get its very own sold sign. nervous about the cost. He reassured them.

“At a minimum, you are going to get back any Time for a makeover repair money you’ve spent dollar for dollar, if John Young, CRS, REALTOR® and team leader not more,” particularly in a case like this where at RE/MAX Excellence Realty in Silver Spring, they didn’t have to do anything major, just little Maryland, took over a stalled listing in the D.C. spruce-ups. suburb. The owners were an older couple who Young called in a painter and an electrician, wanted to get every cent out of their home so who tackled the foyer and put in three-prong they could enjoy their retirement in Florida. outlets throughout the house. Even though the Young had seen the listing online when it was kitchen was dated as well, Young feels that the with another broker. “It didn’t draw me in and new first impression made in the foyer helped I thought it looked overpriced. The previous potential buyers overlook issues in the kitchen.

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BY THE NUMBER S According to Zillow, these are five residential markets where homes sell the slowest: Torrington, Connecticut

145.5 days Erie, Pennsylvania

146.5 days Scranton, Pennsylvania

149 days Utica, New York

161 days Ocean City, New Jersey

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John Young, CRS, was able to revitalize a moribund listing by investing in some aerial photography of the property. The angle of the original photo (right) made both the house and lot appear smaller than they actually were. “[The] drone photographer was able to get a better view of the front, as well as the entire lot, which was extensive,” he says. The house was relisted at the same price and sold within a week.

Betsy Pepine, MBA, CRS, broker/owner of Pepine Realty in Gainesville, Florida, has also suggested that sellers undertake light cosmetic updates. “Once we removed a wall of cabinets to open up the kitchen to the family room, it changed the feel of the entire living space,” she says. “We also suggest adding a closet to a room that doesn’t have one to be able to call it a bedroom. Or making a half-bath a whole bath.”

Even in the second-home market, where some listings stay open for months while others can sell in days, exterior and interior fixes can help push a sale closer to the finish line. Mary Lockman, CRS, managing broker at Windermere Real Estate Methow Valley in Twisp, Washington, is used to the regular routine of getting homes listed, showing them to buyers and cultivating interest. Even on higher-priced

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properties that might take a little longer to move, she isn’t willing to let things slide.

Communicating with the seller about fixes is an ongoing process, she says, because buyers want second homes to be nearly turnkey. “I’m in constant touch with sellers, and I give them feedback about what buyers are seeing and saying.” One of her sellers is a single dad who has undertaken repairs himself, and Lockman has told him that the buyer feedback has improved as things get nailed down—literally.

A shiny new presentation

For any listing that’s gotten stale, “I would say that it’s 50-50 whether there is legitimately anything wrong with the price. Whoever marketed the house first might not have done a good job,” Young says. So, if a property is heading past its

super marketing

sell-by date, look at how it is being marketed. Young’s listing in Silver Spring needed more than a facelift. “When I first pulled up, I saw that the house was on a small cul-de-sac with three other homes, and this house was set at an angle, facing the house next door. It was an unusual orientation,” he says. “The previous agent had taken photos of the front of the house, but at an odd angle.

I hired a drone photographer who was able to get a better view of the front, as well as the entire lot, which was extensive.” Young put the house back on the market with the same price and new images and it sold in one week.

Even if you aren’t taking over another agent’s listing, Pepine advises mixing things up on your website. “We take new pictures or reorder the existing pictures and change the text in the listing,” she says. “The lead photo should be the feature that sells the house—and that’s not always the front of the house.” Sometimes the new presentation is enough to spark interest in potential buyers who might have scrolled past the home before.

And if it wasn’t done at the outset, digital staging can help turn things around. “If an owner is in the home with pets or children, I won’t bring in new furniture [from a physical staging service]—there is a chance it could be damaged,” Pepine says. “Digital staging is more convenient, and you can choose the theme and style. And even if the owners are not in the home, we’ll still do digital staging.”

Pepine makes the virtual staging do double duty: Not only are the images used online, but she has the photos blown up, printed and set on easels, countertops and frames in the home to remind buyers at showings what they saw online.

“Photos are key in the secondhome market,” Lockman says.

RESURRECTION BLVD.

Betsy Pepine, CRS, has several good tactics for refreshing listings so buyers and their agents will give a property a second look.

Move the for sale sign within the yard so it looks different and gets noticed.

Host another broker open house.

Do more open houses and Slydial the community to let them know.

1

%

Give the buyer’s agent season tickets to a sports team with the offer that closes.

Rather than lowering the price, offer an additional 1 percent incentive to the buyer’s agent. Agents will be more motivated to bring potential buyers.

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“Understanding why people are coming to your market and weaving that into your marketing is critical.” Twisp is about four hours east of Seattle, and prospective buyers from the rain-soaked city want to see a slice of paradise, which means properties are shot under sunny skies. “Refreshing our listings is part of the job,” she says, including changing photography with the seasons. “For example, ‘close to ski trails’ would be winter marketing and ‘close to hiking and biking’ would be swapped in for spring and summer time frames.”

Sweetening the deal

“We’ve added renovation loan signs to the property so buyers know they can roll a renovation into the loan,” Pepine says. This can be a good tactic when the home is in a great location, has great bones and systems, but could use significant renovation in one or more areas. The agent can offer the loan to a potential buyer who wants to finish a basement or gut a badly dated kitchen.

Having a renovation loan accompany the sale is extremely useful in her Florida market, where properties over 3,500 square feet with no pool will face an uphill battle. “At that home size, most people will expect a pool or a yard that can fit one,” she says. To get around this perceived negative, Pepine has “a renovation lender put their sign in the yard next to our sign. And if buyers want a pool, as long as the appraisal comes in on target, the buyer can apply and get that loan done at closing.”

Myrna Traylor is a freelance writer based in the Chicago area.

For guidance on how to market expired listings, check out our education catalog by visiting CRS.com/learn.

The Residential Real Estate Council

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May 29 June

A

P sitive

INFLUE Don’t just hope for change, make it—and improve your business along the way

By Megan Craig

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

NCE

Selling real estate is all about branding— but branding alone may not be enough anymore to maximize your business performance.

Some of the most successful REALTORS® have turned their attention to becoming “influencers.”

An influencer isn’t just someone who stays on brand—it’s someone people recognize as an industry leader who can effect change.

“Influencers are the attractors—the person everyone wants to be around,” says Kelly Catallo, CRS, chief executive officer and broker/owner of Cosmopolitan Real Estate, Inc., in the Greater Boston area. “Human beings want to be inspired, and influencers do just that.”

Catallo uses CRS Leigh Brown as a great example. Brown has taken a successful real estate business, built credibility, made herself visible and now stands as an obvious influencer, meaning she’s able to use speaking engagements, webinars and even a podcast to change the way other REALTORS® do business. Catallo says she and other REALTORS® listen to Brown because she’s been an authentic voice in the market for years.

But it doesn’t necessarily take a lot of time to gain influencer status, says Rebecca Donatelli, a REALTOR® and team lead at McDowell Homes Real Estate Services in northeast Ohio.

Even though Donatelli has only been in the business for a few years, she’s already holding seminars and she runs a consulting business to help other agents.

“It’s important to have an active voice in the industry and to try to make changes that are important to homeowners and REALTORS® alike,” Donatelli says. That’s why she has spent the past couple of years connecting with other agents and influencers across the country, blogging for the National Association of REALTORS® and Inman.com, participating in young professionals groups and creating a huge online presence.

Because of her influencer status, Donatelli says she’s been able to grow her business more quickly than if she just built a brand and marketed herself.

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The Residential Real Estate Council

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May 31 June

[feature]

social studies

“IF YOU ARE RECOGNIZED AS AN INDUSTRY EXPERT, HALF OF YOUR JOB IS ALREADY DONE BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN FACETO-FACE WITH A PROSPECTIVE CLIENT.” —Bill Gassett

Using influence to generate business

Being a person of influence makes landing business much easier because people trust your opinion, sometimes before they’ve ever met you.

“People naturally want to work with the best people,” says Bill Gassett, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Executive Realty in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and owner of maxrealestateexposure. com. “If you are recognized as an industry expert, half your job is already done before you sit down face-to-face with a prospective client.”

When Donatelli got into the business, she was looking for a way to stand out, despite being younger and newer than most of her counterparts. By building a following and gaining influence in the marketplace, she made enough connections with other REALTORS® (either in person or through her many social media channels) that she now gets referrals from agents around the country.

Donatelli points to both her consistency in posting (she didn’t just show up in people’s lives once in a while, but was a regular presence in

their feeds) and the diversity of her content (both real estate-related and focused on other aspects of people’s lives) for her social media success. She responds to every comment on her posts and comments on the posts that are clearly important to those around her.

“I’ve built those relationships, and as a result got to write articles and speak at conferences and more. People want to work with someone who has that type of presence and that type of impact on the industry,” Donatelli says. “People don’t care that I haven’t been licensed that long, or about my relative lack of experience. I have enough transactions under my belt and also enough connections.”

All influencers are great relationship-builders, Catallo says, so they attract people, thereby attracting business. By establishing themselves as a reliable resource for anything real estaterelated while also giving generously to the community, influencers naturally bring in business: “I’m a big believer that when you send good out into the world, it comes back to you tenfold,” Catallo says.

Becoming an influencer,

step-by-step

Becoming an influencer isn’t impossible, but it isn’t as easy as just tossing ideas out there and hoping someone listens. Instead, grow your influence in your market and among other REALTORS® by following these few steps:

1. Develop a solid social media presence, and keep at it.

It doesn’t take a social expert to create a social presence— it’s all about getting started, being consistent with your posts and engaging with people in a meaningful way.

“Social media has taken over everything, so building your name and your brand on any social media platform is non-negotiable,” Donatelli says. She makes time for posting to different platforms— Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and LinkedIn—a part of her schedule every day. Her content doesn’t focus on real estate, but on things she thinks will be interesting or helpful to people, which keeps them engaged.

Sometimes this means doing giveaways or pairing up with local businesses to create special coupons for her page, but more often she tries to share tidbits from her life or the lives of others in the community.

Her secret for constant engagement? Always, always respond to comments and messages sent via social!

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2. Learn everything you can about the people in your market and build relationships with them.

Don’t set out to become an influencer and expect it to happen without knowing who you’re trying to influence. Instead, put in the effort to know your market, your community and the demographic you want to attract.

Catallo suggests studying the habits of the people in your area and actually becoming part of their lives: What do they do? Where do they go? How do they communicate? What do they find inspiring?

“Influencers know the secrets to relationship-building,” she says. “Knowing how people behave and knowing what motivates them to take action is influencing.”

3. Be authentic and honest.

BRANDING VS. INFLUENCING

The trick to having influence is that you can’t pretend to care about the people in your market, as they’ll see right through you, Catallo says. Authenticity and integrity are key to inspiring and influencing people.

“If the one thing you have is integrity, you’re going to be an influencer,” says Beverly Hobbs Shea, CRS, broker/consulting REALTOR® at High Road Properties, Inc., in Covington, Louisiana. “It’s still a people business, and people want to do business with someone they can trust, someone who’s committed to taking care of their needs.”

REALTORS® hear a lot about building a solid brand, but branding and influencing aren’t exactly the same thing.

“Without a doubt, there is some overlap” between branding and influencing, says Bill Gassett, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Executive Realty in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and owner of maxrealestateexposure.com. “In fact, part of being recognizable usually centers around what you are doing to make yourself memorable. Your branding will certainly play a part in that.”

But while building a brand means generating awareness about yourself and your business, becoming an influencer means actually inspiring people to take action, says Kelly Catallo, CRS, chief executive officer and broker/owner of Cosmopolitan Real Estate, Inc., in the Greater Boston area.

Developing a brand is the first step—becoming an influencer is taking it further to actuate change and influence in the community.

“You are a brand when your name becomes a household name or well-known. You are an influencer when you personally have the ability to sway someone’s decision about a brand,” Catallo says. That distinction could mean the difference between being a good REALTOR® and being one others look up to.

4. Get your thoughts out there.

Whatever it takes to spread your thoughts once people are taking notice, do it. While social media is one important way to keep your message top-of-mind, staying visible to other agents as well as people in your market means always doing more, like starting a podcast or creating a blog.

“Having a blog helps establish you as an expert,” Gassett says. “People love working with knowledgeable professionals, and blogging is a great way to separate yourself from what other real estate agents are doing in your local market.”

Being a true influencer means knowing which media will best help share the thoughts that will impact people.

Megan Craig is a freelance writer based in Chicago.

Get more insights on how to become an influencer with the members’ complimentary subscription to Inman. Go to CRS.com/resources to find out more.

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The Residential Real Estate Council

crs.com

May 33 June

resources for learning & leisure GOOD READS

A NOVEL APPROACH TO

staging a house

In this overstuffed satire of family, female friendships and property values, characters over-bond with the houses they inhabit.

By Allan Fallow

Ø

Home stager or elephant tamer? That’s the question Susan Coll raises when her protagonist, Eve Brenner, agrees to stage a 6,200-square-foot white elephant for rapid sale in the offbeat, shelter-driven novel The Stager.

After losing her THE STAGER: job editing the glossy A NOVEL monthly MidAtlantic

by Susan Coll Home, Eve reinvents Picador herself as a home 272 pages stager—a so-called $ 16 dream job (“Get paid to depersonalize!”) that Coll takes pains to deglamorize: “There’s a lot of emotional volatility involved in selling, never mind staging, a house,” Eve discovers.

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“Homeowners have been known to to write The Stager, she confided burst into tears and/or verbally abuse to Jasmine Elist for the L. A. Times: the stager.”

“The idea for the book stemmed from Eve enters just such a psychologimy own experience selling my house. cal vortex when she finds herself in The REALTOR® insisted that I bring the “occasional, less-lucrative-thanin a stager to make it ready for sale.” it-should-be employ” of her neighbor Amanda Hoffstead, “one of the most The magic of staging successful independent REALTORS® In these pages, Eve—the fictional in the Washington, D.C., region”: incarnation of that change agent— discovers that her background in [Amanda] worked hard, reading art and journalism makes her a the obituaries and pouncing on natural at her new job: Had she homes, talking up and befriending been put on this earth, Eve wonders, strangers in the grocery-store line, “to repair the world through interior and handing out cards. She did her design?” As a newly minted maestro homework, paying close attention of makeover magic, Eve performs to houses that were languishing on classic stager tricks: the market and then swooping in � Paint the front door red (“In for the relist. some cultures it means the mortgage has been paid,” Eve says.); Certain upheavals in her own � Move abstract art and antiques life—including a divorce from her to the attic (the one too eclectic, husband of 30 years—moved Coll the other too incongruous);

� Heed the Rule of Three (cluster asymmetrical objects in trios on surfaces); � Clear the kitchen countertops (goodbye, high-end small appliances); � Kill that hideous odor wafting from the basement.

Eve must summon all her staging chops, and props, to paper over the flaws in a “cruise-ship McMansion” whose open house is just five days away. At fault for the time crunch is the house’s current occupant, Belladonna (symbolism alert!) Sorkin, who is moving to England to become the high-profile “Vice President for Transparency” of Luxum, a shady multinational. Bella’s 10-year-old daughter, Elsa, digs in her bratty heels in response—“I don’t want to move to London and no one has even asked my opinion about this”—but Bella and her husband, washed-up Swedish tennis star Lars Jorgenson, have already signed a contract for “a multimillion-dollar home in North London, steps from Hampstead Heath.” The couple will be “raking in big bucks, [but] their resources were elastic only to a point. They needed rather urgently to get their cash out of the Maryland ground.”

Alpha female

To help them engineer this extraction, The Stager resorts to a multi-narrator format that had me eager to witness events through the eyes of alpha female and industrial-strength narcissist Bella. The woman’s charm has a deliciously cutthroat feel: She is one of those wonder women [muses Lars] you read about in magazines, the kind who pumped breast milk while writing prizewinning articles on deadline, who managed, once, to get from

really be antidepressants named Zaxivon and Zumlexitor, can there?

(Smashing all sorts of hallowed “fourth walls,” the novelist also makes omniscience a side effect of the man’s many medications.)

Left behind when her parents jet off to oversee the remodeling And, wouldn’t you know it, Bella of their new digs—two skylights is also drop-dead gorgeous: “What or three?—fifth-grader Elsa likeI found most inspiring about Bella wise struggles beneath her heavy Sorkin,” admits Eve, “wasn’t her narrative load. A precocious and beauty—although she was striking “chunky” tween (she blows off her in an unconventional way, a newsfield-hockey laps by pretending she room Modigliani with her crooked needs her inhaler), Elsa melodranose and hazel eyes that didn’t quite match, everything just slightly, matically acts out her anxiety about the impending move. She “acciperfectly, askew—it was that she dentally” spills white flour and red looked like she belonged…wherever paint inside their “perverted Tudor” she happened to be.” of a house; lets her pet rabbit, Dominique, indulge its appetite for costly Frenemies carpeting; mouths off to her nanny, Although Bella won’t learn the Nabila; and weirdly fixates on Eve: identity of her home’s stager until the novel’s climactic scene, in their “[T]his is kind of embarrassing,” Elsa confesses, but “I feel jealous about early years the two women shared Vince, because I want to be the a lopsided friendship—and a trauStager’s friend and … well, I want matic event—that has taken Eve her not to have other friends.” from Bella’s confidante to enabler There probably hasn’t been a book to frenemy. “Vince once suggested that I was obsessed with Bella,” Eve this realty-centric since Philistines at the Hedgerow, the 1998 Steven quotes her own ex-husband. “But Gaines exposé of “passion and Vince was wrong, or he simply property in the Hamptons.” And didn’t understand the bonds of if The Stager feels, well, a little too female friendship.” (I found Eve’s tidily staged (“I have a tendency final act of “revenge” to be utterly of over-plotting,” Coll once allowed), justified but inexcusably lenient.) the novel is certain to make you Coll’s misguided decision to envy the truth-telling cleverness exclude Bella from the book’s of a 10-year-old: “Amanda is the lineup of first-person relators REALTOR®… She always dresses (an apt anagram of “REALTORS®”) perfectly. Her business card says leaves us in the clutches of some Amanda Hoffstead Always Cinches decidedly unreliable narrators— the Deal! We are all afraid of chief among them Bella’s husband, Amanda, but my mother says that Lars, “a formerly handsome man her being intimidating is possibly who has become too round” with a good thing: maybe people will the passing years. Having blown be frightened into buying our out his knee in a semifinal tournahouse this time around.” ment decades ago, this washed-up Fingers crossed, then—and all second fiddle hopes for nothing personal items stowed, please! more from the London move than to retain his ebbing sanity with a mix of pharmaceuticals Coll clearly Allan Fallow is a book editor in Alexandria, Virginia. Follow him @thefallow. had fun inventing: There can’t

a conference in Tokyo to Elsa’s field-hockey game in some remote Maryland suburb just in time, who shepherded her mother through the end stages of dementia while working full-time.

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The Residential Real Estate Council

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May 35 June

R E T R E AT I N L U X U R Y

resources for learning & leisure

RECHARGE AT A

destination spa Ø

While summer is a great time for a getaway, planning a big trip can be stressful. If you’re looking to escape—but want to come home rested and recharged rather than exhausted—consider going to one of these destination spas.

They each focus on health and wellness and are located in the United States, so no passport is required.

The Lodge at Woodloch

Mii amo

SEDONA, ARIZONA Set within the soaring red rock backdrop of Sedona, Arizona, Mii amo wants your stay to be a journey in spirituality. The resort offers three-, four- and seven-night all-inclusive retreats that you can customize with different treatments, consultations and activities, depending on your desired outcome. Guided meditation in a crystal grotto, hiking through desert pinyon forests and prickly pear butter wraps at the spa are just a few examples of what you can expect.

Westglow Resort & Spa

BLOWING ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA Housed in a restored and updated Greek Revival mansion, Westglow is a fullservice spa that offers a variety of face and body treatments, salon services, and wellness and fitness programs. Westglow also has three other properties—such as the Fleur de lis Lodge that can host up to eight guests—so you can choose where to stay depending on how many people you bring.

HAWLEY, PENNSYLVANIA Located in the Pocono Mountains and surrounded by 150 wooded acres, The Lodge at Woodloch embraces a philosophy of personal awakening and disconnecting from your everyday routine.

During the summer, The Lodge boasts activities such as kayaking on the private lake, golfing on an 18-hole course, forest bathing excursions, walking meditation tours and garden dinners.

The spa also offers a range of facials, massages and treatments.

The Ranch

MALIBU, CALIFORNIA Nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, The Ranch has four-, seven- and 10-day fitness and wellness programs that incorporate eight hours of low-impact activity—centered around a four-hour group hike each morning— nap time, afternoon fitness classes and daily massage. Meals are organic and plant-based, and guests forgo cellphones, television and most Wi-Fi enabled gadgets in order to focus on their mental and physical health goals.

Cal-a-Vie

VISTA, CALIFORNIA While Cal-a-Vie is in a quiet suburb north of San Diego, the resort is designed to look and feel like a quaint French village. Scheduling staff works with you to create a program schedule when you arrive. You can start your day with a sunrise power walk or hike, take a variety of fitness classes like Zumba or yoga, then indulge in a spa treatment—massages, wraps and scrubs with body products made from resort-grown grapes.

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Lake Austin Spa Resort

AUSTIN, TEXAS Despite being just 20 miles from downtown Austin, Lake Austin Spa Resort is a secluded, waterfront resort for rest and renewal. Take a walk in the flower, herb and vegetable garden; spend time gazing out at the Balcones Canyonlands Nature Preserve from the spa lounge; or do yoga on the lake’s dock. Finish out the day with a healthy, garden-fresh meal.

inside

RRC news from the council

During National Volunteer Week, RRC thanked the volunteers who devoted countless hours to support the CRS Designation and RRC’s presence at the state and local levels.

THANK YOU, volunteers RRC honors its volunteers for their passion and dedication



The Council participated in National Volunteer Week, a nationwide event held April 7–13, 2019. The purpose of this event is to recognize and thank the Council’s many volunteers who have contributed countless hours and served in various capacities to grow and support the CRS Designation and RRC’s presence at the state and local levels.

We also recognize that our members contribute their time and talents as volunteers to various organizations within their neighborhoods. Our volunteers are

leaders and advocates who inspire and encourage others to work collaboratively to positively promote change that will impact their communities.

This year, the Council hosted a special social media initiative in appreciation of our outstanding volunteers and to raise awareness about the volunteer experience.

Our volunteers were also encouraged to use special Facebook frames and banners to proudly promote their volunteer work on their personal social media pages.

We proudly acknowledge, honor and thank the Council’s numerous volunteers over the course of its history for their passion and dedication to the residential real estate industry, to their communities and to each other. Thank you for all that you have done—and continue to do—for RRC. Be an agent of change! For more information on RRC volunteer opportunities in your area, please visit crs.com/connect/ volunteer-opportunities. To attend and assist local RRC events, please visit crs.com/local-rrc.

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The Residential Real Estate Council

crs.com

May 37 June

inside

RRC news from the council

GOING MENTOR A new website bridges the gap with other professionals for forging a mentor and mentee relationship



The Council is pleased to announce a new initiative that will provide mentoring opportunities for our members.

The Career Website Mentor Board is a website that will enable

REALTORS® to connect with other professionals to establish a mentor and mentee relationship.

Set yourself up for success— expand your network and develop enriching partnerships that are

mutually beneficial—and learn from each other’s professional experiences.

Register for this new program today! Create a profile and become a mentor or mentee at CRS.com/mentors.

THE COUNCIL HEADS TO OUR NATION’S CAPITAL Join the Council’s staff at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., for May Meetings, May 13–18, 2019. Network with other industry professionals, participate in business meetings and attend the Member Update. The Council’s meetings are held in conjunction with the National Association of REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.

For more information, visit CRS.com/attend/may-meetings.

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RRC news from the council

MEET OUR NEW DESIGNEES Celebrate and acknowledge your peers in residential real estate who have recently earned the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designation. Visit the “Welcome New CRS Designees” webpage at CRS.com/newdesignees where you can view the names and locations, along with links to Find a CRS profiles of new designees. Congratulations on achieving this prestigious designation!

February and March

Jerry Amadio, CRS Cathy Anderson, CRS Sherry Anderson, CRS Elizabeth Assem, CRS Alisha Austin, CRS Windy Bailey, CRS Kristy Baker, CRS Michelle Barbour, CRS Angela Beard, CRS Melanie Becker, CRS John Bender, CRS Carlos Benitez, CRS Lourdes Bento, CRS Lydia Bishop, CRS Lori Bott, CRS Tim Bowers, CRS Sharon Bradley, CRS Mary Brickner, CRS Bo Bromhal, CRS Janet Brooks, CRS Marci Browne, CRS Melissa Burt, CRS Leslie Campos, CRS Sheridyn Cannon, CRS Rebecca Carmona, CRS Lindsey Chaney, CRS Stephanie Chrisman, CRS Enid Cleland, CRS Linda Clinton, CRS Jamie Cole, CRS Dorothy Collier, CRS

Joey Conner, CRS Ashley Cook, CRS Clinton Crowe, CRS Leilani Cunningham, CRS Dionelle Davis, CRS Lisa DeLuca Alexander, CRS Christopher DeMay, CRS Elysia Diaz, CRS Dianne Dinnel, CRS Emma Dixon, CRS Marc Drabkoski, CRS Judi Duncan, CRS Steven Edwards, CRS Kristine Eisenmann, CRS Anita Elliott, CRS Tifphani Fernandes, CRS Jacqueline Fischer, CRS Andrew Fisher, CRS Robin Foreman, CRS Brenda Foster, CRS Tracy Freeman, CRS Andrew Fristoe, CRS Megumi Fujioka, CRS Lisa Fury, CRS David Scott Garstka, CRS Laura Gibki, CRS Angela Golfos, CRS Ryan Gonzales, CRS Mary Grasso, CRS Geoff Gross, CRS Cristina Guillen, CRS Joseph Gulino, CRS

Susan Gwynn, CRS Dawn Hadley, CRS Carla Harbert, CRS Dunbar Hardy, CRS Marthann Heil, CRS Robin Henspeter, CRS Christine Hersey, CRS Debbie Higbee-Warburton, CRS Leslie Hobbs, CRS Krista Hopkins, CRS Kirk Ingraham, CRS John Irion, CRS Faye Jones, CRS Stacey Kelly, CRS Mary Katherine King, CRS Cindy Kraus, CRS Phillippa Labuda, CRS Stephanie Lambert, CRS Colby Lampman, CRS Cindy Lara-Gomez, CRS Raquel Lavender, CRS Gabrielle Lawson, CRS Jan Lazzara, CRS Khoi Le, CRS David Lucas, CRS Shari Lyons, CRS Devra Mary, CRS Wendy McKee, CRS Kerry McLaughlin, CRS Carolee Mecham, CRS Cynthia Miller, CRS Jonathan Miller, CRS

Joanne Milton, CRS Heather Moorefield, CRS Sheila Moylan, CRS Colin Mullane, CRS Randall Mulsow, CRS Rhiannon Myers, CRS Linda Nido, CRS Nancy Nolan, CRS Cindy Oldenkamp, CRS Lisa Parker, CRS Mark Parreira, CRS Billie Parrott, CRS Eric Perkins, CRS Amy Peterson, CRS Laura Powderly, CRS Audra Powell, CRS Suzanne Prince, CRS Anne Prosser, CRS Denise Quinlan, CRS Kimberly Rempel, CRS Rhonda Richie, CRS Chad Roberts, CRS Kimberly Rocha, CRS Roberto Rodriguez, CRS Dee Rolig, CRS Joseph Russov, CRS Sophia Sanchez, CRS Kristi Sanguinet, CRS Kimberly Scandrett-Mauldin, CRS Michelle Schmeltzer, CRS Martha Schwab, CRS Lindsay Schwebke, CRS

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The Residential Real Estate Council

Terry Scollin, CRS Anthony Scorsone, CRS Elizabeth Scott, CRS Les Scott, CRS Kathleen Sims, CRS Robert Skillman, CRS Tammy Smidt, CRS Tonya Stahl, CRS Erika Steele, CRS James Stewart, CRS Ammie Thomas, CRS Tina Thornton, CRS Leland Titus, CRS Thuy Tran, CRS Peggy Urieff, CRS Ryan VanDaele, CRS Jodi Vanderweele-Noble, CRS Nathan Walldorf, CRS AJ Wallin, CRS Gina Watts, CRS Dale Weir, CRS Jennifer Williams, CRS Laurie Williamson, CRS Laurie Wolberton, CRS Laura Leigh Wood, CRS Virginia Wright, CRS Jessica Yurek, CRS Ted Zmroczek, CRS Kristin Zuckerman, CRS Connie Zullo, CRS

crs.com

May 39 June

learn

from the

BEST strategies from the industry’s top educators

5

REASONS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE

big picture

Keep your long-term goals in mind



The daily activities of REALTORS® are often governed by what needs to be accomplished urgently such as showing homes, negotiating offers, following up on leads and preparing for closings. While it is important to complete these activities that are the livelihoods of our business, we also need to keep an eye on the big picture. Here are five reasons why:

RRC INSTRUCTOR

Gonzalo Mejia, CRS, is the team leader of the Dream Home Team with Watson Realty Corp. in Jacksonville, Florida. He is a 15-year veteran in the real estate industry and a CRS, ABR, GRI and SRS Certified Instructor. Gonzalo, who has presented at national and international events, was named 2018 Educator of the Year by Florida REALTORS®.

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1

The Long-Term Goal

You have a vision of where you see your business in five to 10 years. Long-term goals can’t be accomplished in a short period of time. If you believe it would take you, for example, five years to achieve a goal, you can’t wait until the beginning of your fifth year to start planning how to get there! A goal that takes time should be properly planned in advance. Every week, dedicate time to accomplish activities that will help you reach those goals. That is when you start treating real estate as a business and not just a job.

2

The Money

A good marketing idea takes time to produce results. I get many marketing calls about “the next great idea to generate leads.” While they might be good concepts, you only need a few ideas that work to have a successful business. The key is to commit to them.

You need to know the resources you have available. A budget is also key. Many agents start a marketing plan and quit after a couple of months because they haven’t seen any results and don’t have the funds to keep going. Set aside money for

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marketing and stick to the plan—do not let the next shiny object distract you.

3

The Growth

As your business grows, adjustments will be needed, but some might not be necessary if we anticipate them. Put ideas into perspective. I met a new, successful agent who told me he takes all his past customers out for coffee once a month. Some ideas work great when you only have 10–20 past customers.

What will you do when you have 500? Plan for growth so you don’t have to deal with change when you are too busy for it.

4

The Exit Plan

I love real estate, but a time will come when I won’t want to work 40–70 hours per week. You might choose between leaving the business or stepping back from it. All your hard work building relationships doesn’t have to be lost. You could consider selling your customer database to another agent, but its value will depend on the quality of the information. A list of names and contact information has less value than personal notes that give another agent the ability to continue the relationships you built.

5

The Unexpected

We need to keep a realistic mindset and accept that things don’t always go as planned. Events such as drastic downturns in the market to personal situations can affect your ability to earn the income you expected.

Be ready for those market and personal situations with an alternative plan and reserves to help you navigate through leaner times.

RRC

connect

YOUR RRC

network

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12/4/18

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I recently received a referral from Nitin Gupta, CRS, of Competitive Edge Realty, LLC, in Plano, Texas. His friend is an investor from Dallas who wanted to purchase rental properties in Austin. When I asked Nitin how he found me, he told me he used the Find a CRS online directory, sorted the list by the newer CRS Designees and then looked for one with the highest amount of real estate education. My profile similarly matched his profile—a quality he was looking for in a REALTOR® he could entrust to help his friend.

CONNECTION PERFECTION

—Job Hammond, CRS, Dash Realty, Austin, Texas

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Specializing in helping You reach Your Real Estate goals since 1991!

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BEN & CAROLE HEINRICH

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RRC classroom courses earn either eight credits (for one-day courses) or 16 credits (for two-day courses) toward the CRS Designation. At press time, the RRC courses listed below were scheduled for 2019. For more up-to-date listings, visit CRS.com/education-catalog. To attend a class, please go to CRS.com/events-calendar, locate the date of the course you would like to attend and follow the registration prompts.

Listing Strategies for the Residential Specialist 5/20 & 5/21—Boston, Massachusetts [New England Region RRC] Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS Transforming Difficult Situations into Profitable Deals 5/22—Denver, Colorado [Denver Metro Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Rich Sands, CRS

NORTHEAST

7 Things Successful Agents Do Differently 5/23—Kissimmee, Florida [Osceola County Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Gee Dunsten, CRS

Power Up on Smart Home Technologies 5/31—Bellevue, Washington [Washington RRC] Instructor: Matthew Rathbun, CRS

Succeeding in the Luxury Home Market 5/24—Kissimmee, Florida [Osceola County Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Gee Dunsten, CRS

7 Things Successful Agents Do Differently 5/31—Colorado Springs, Colorado [Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS

Power Up on Smart Home Technologies 5/30—Tacoma, Washington [Washington RRC] Instructor: Matthew Rathbun, CRS

7 Things Successful Agents Do Differently 6/6—Monkey Island, Oklahoma [Oklahoma RRC] Instructor: Kim Cameron, CRS

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RE/MAX Realty Brokers 5608 Wilkins Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 x221 OFS: 412-521-1000 x170 CELL: 412-508-0040 nancywright@remax.net

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42

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HAWAII

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May June

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CRS, GRI, SRES e-pro Maui CRS director

20 19

...sharing Aloha through excellence and experience...

Nancy D. Metcalf, CRS REALTOR®, Vice President

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Hawaii CRS of of Year, 2003® Hawaii Association REALTORS REALTOR® of the Year 2018

Direct: (808) 223-9246 nmetcalf@cbpacific.com www.nancymetcalf.com Celebrating 27 years yearsassisting assistingclients! clients!

Celebrating 25

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Quicken Loans reserves the right to cancel this offer at any time. Acceptance of this offer constitutes the acceptance of these terms and conditions, which are subject to change at the sole discretion of Quicken Loans. This is not a commitment to lend.

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Building a Team to Grow Your Business 6/7—Monkey Island, Oklahoma [Oklahoma RRC] Instructor: Kim Cameron, CRS How Technology Can Ruin Your Real Estate Business 6/11—Owensboro, Kentucky [Kentucky REALTOR® Institute] Instructor: Marki Lemons-Ryhal, CRS Business Planning and Marketing for the Residential Specialist 6/19 & 6/20 — Brentwood, Tennessee [Williamson County Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Monica Neubauer, CRS

Business Planning and Marketing for the Residential Specialist 7/31 & 8/1—Honolulu, Hawaii [Hawaii Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS Succession Planning: Building, Valuing and Selling Your Business 8/2—Lihue, Hawaii [Hawaii Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS Power Up on Smart Home Technologies 8/20—Orlando, Florida [Florida RRC] Instructor: Matthew Rathbun, CRS

Power Up on Smart Home Technologies 7/12—Grand Junction, Colorado [Grand Junction Area REALTORS®] Instructor: Matthew Rathbun, CRS

Win-Win Negotiation Techniques 8/26—Denver, Colorado [Denver Metro Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Rich Sands, CRS

Buying and Selling Income Properties 7/17 & 7/18—Lewiston, Idaho [Idaho RRC] Instructor: Chris Bird, CRS

Top of Mind Techniques to Boost Your Brand 8/30—Denver, Colorado [Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS®] Instructor: Chandra Hall, CRS

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May June

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The Residential Specialist trsmag.com

20 19

SeattleSuburbs@yahoo.com www.SeattleSuburbs.com

Relocation, city-wide to world-wide.

Seniors Specialist/Estate Specialist Voted Best in Client Satisfaction multiple years —Seattle Magazine

PERSONALIZE, REPRODUCE AND MAIL THIS NEWSLETTER TO YOUR CLIENTS

EDIT

Leave YOUR HOME as is, or personalize the newsletter by adding your photo, logo, address and phone number to the mailing panel.* You can also substitute any article in the newsletter with one of your own.

Edit the newsletter e­ lectronically by downloading the Microsoft Word version at crs.com/ yourhomenewsletter.

PLEASE NOTE: The images featured in the YOUR HOME newsletter may only be used within the PDF version of the newsletter. These images may not be reproduced or republished elsewhere outside of this newsletter format. RRC members are free to re-use the text of the articles contained in the newsletter, however.

REPRODUCE

Do it yourself with your office copier, or take the newsletter or electronic file (in addition to your photograph and any information you want inserted) to a printer who can prepare and reproduce the newsletter for you.

DISTRIBUTE

MAIL. If you photocopy YOUR HOME or use it “as is,” please note that it is designed to be folded in a trifold with the mailing panel facing outward. Postal regulations require that trifolds have two closures (tabs or tape) on top. For your convenience, we have placed asterisks (*) where the closures should be.

Be sure to check with your local mailer or post office to make sure you have prepared your mailings properly.

ELECTRONIC FILE. Attach the customized newsletter file to an email to your clients or create a web link to the file on your website.

Consult your webmaster or technician to make sure the file is prepared correctly for these purposes, since these basic instructions will vary by person and system. * This newsletter is for the exclusive use of RRC members.

your *

home

Tips and tre nd s for homeow ners, buyers and sellers

5 red flags

FOR OPEN HOUSE EVALUATIONS



It’s easy to get excited when you start looking for a home to purchase, but don’t let that adrenaline rush cloud your judgment! Sellers who are eager to sell might not be totally forthcoming in revealing any existing issues with the home. Here are a few red flags you should be on the lookout for when attending an open house:

1

Something smells. While at first it may seem pleasant, prospective sellers may try and add overwhelmingly powerful scents to their home for the showing. This could be an attempt to mask a serious odor problem in the home.

2

Amateur tiling. When looking at all the floor and kitchen tiling, you need to notice the details. If there are spaces or grouting issues, that’s a sign that the homeowners have done the tiling themselves, which may lead to an expensive future project for you.

3

Cracks in the foundation.

Of course, every home has its share of small cracks. But it’s important to observe whether the base of your prospective new home has serious foundational issues.

Check to see if doors or windows stick when opening and closing them, signifying a shifting foundation. Also, look for large, noticeable cracks on walls, floors or ceilings.

4

Freaky fungus. Make sure to check out all pipes and drains in the home to see if there is any mold present. Take it a step further and check to see if there are any faults or leaks, which may lead to fungus growth later on.

5

Cosmetic enhancements.

If any changes to the home seem extremely recent or out of place, that could be a sign that the owners are trying to hide something. Fresh new paint or plaster on the walls could be a sign of mold growth. A brand-new rug on the floor can mean there’s a stain or flooring issue that’s being hidden.

PROS AND CONS OF VIRTUAL STAGING Trying to sell a home can often be difficult.

Everyone likes something different. The question then becomes, how do you present your home so that a wide variety of potential buyers become interested? Enter the practice of staging a home. This is when you furnish your home to show off its most attractive qualities and properties, making it more appealing to buyers.

Taking the art of staging a step further is the practice of virtual staging. With no actual furniture involved, this is a digital rendering of what a potential home could look like when furnished.

Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks with virtual staging:

Pros:

ÄÄ If your home is empty, it’s easier to showcase its best features ÄÄ Considerably cheaper than traditional staging ÄÄ Grabs the attention of buyers who primarily view properties online ÄÄ Allows the variation of styling for flex rooms, or rooms that can be used for different purposes

Cons:

ÄÄ If you need to remove items or furniture from photos, this could raise the cost ÄÄ Buyers can’t see the room as designed in person, sometimes deterring a purchase ÄÄ Often difficult to configure if the house is occupied, unless you have previous listing photos

BROUGH T T O Y OU B Y Y OUR A GEN T, A CERT IFIED RE SIDEN T I A L SPECI A L IS T

IL

*

*

EFER R

A

LS!

ER OV

EQUAL HOUSING

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT BUYING OR SELLING A HOME? PLEASE MENTION MY NAME. This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be substituted for legal or financial advice. If you are currently working with another real estate agent or broker, it is not a solicitation for business.

OPPORTUNITY

Tips and trends for homeowners, buyers and sellers

DON’T SWEAT the sale



The process of selling a home can induce many different emotions in people. Some get excited about new adventures on the horizon, while others get nostalgic about memories made in the past. But one feeling that is extremely common for sellers is anxiety.

How can you help manage these stresses in order to make your home selling experience more pleasant? Here are some tips to help you relax:

SAY YES TO CRS

� Schedule a designated “worry time”—Try setting aside a brief window in your day where you allow yourself to worry. During that time, write down all of your fears or issues about the selling process and try to generate solutions. This will give you a better sense of control over the situation. �Use a “time out”— If your anxiety is interfering with the rest of your normal routine on a daily basis, try a more definitive approach to destressing.

Working out, doing yoga or even meditation can help your anxieties drift away.

� Nighttime no-no—Avoid talking about or discussing your home selling plans at night. Stressing over the sale late in the evening could end up costing you sleep, which you’ll need so you can make informed and rational business decisions. � Consult the informed— Many people fall into the trap of asking the opinion or taking the advice of an untrained or uninformed source. Don’t do it! This only furthers the stress.

Stick to the sound advice of your real estate professional for the sale of your property.

Buying or selling a home can seem like an overwhelming task. But the right REALTOR® can make the process easier—and more profitable.

A Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), with years of experience and success, will help you make smart decisions in a fast-paced, complex and competitive marketplace.

To earn the CRS Designation, REALTORS® must demonstrate outstanding professional achievements—including high-volume sales—and pursue advanced training in areas such as finance, marketing and technology. They must also maintain membership in the National Association of REALTORS® and abide by its Code of Ethics.

Work with a REALTOR® who belongs in the top 3 percent in the nation. Contact a CRS today.

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ask a

CRS advice from your peers

Q:

SEAL OF APPEAL

Curb appeal is the property’s version of a first impression. What are some good tips to improve a home’s curb appeal?

A seller’s strategy should begin with the front of the house to pique interest and give an energetic “welcome.” Walk across the street to view what buyers will see. Write your to-do list with a vertical column stating who will be responsible for the upgrade or repairs, and add a due date. Get started!

—Charlotte Wolverton, CRS, Kelly Right Real Estate, Spokane, Washington

The exterior also needs attention as part of the staging process.

It is best to trim landscaping and not overwhelm the architectural features such as blocking windows or walkways.

The yard needs a fresh mow and mulch added if needed. Remove extra patio furniture and extraneous décor.

The front door may also need a fresh coat of paint or stain. It is also advisable to remove cars from the driveway when photographing the property.

—Katherine Hudson, CRS, Keller Williams Market Pro Realty, Bentonville, Arkansas

May June

48

Improving a home’s curb appeal is simple: paint the front door and shutters.

—Dawn Hadley, CRS, Engel & Völkers South Shore, Duxbury, Massachusetts

Homeowners can place seasonal planters and décor outside (such as summer flowers) to give it a “homey” feel. Cover the grill and hide the trash cans. Replace the garage door if it’s worn and does not function properly. Evaluate curtains from the outside. If the neighbors have bad yards, you may want to pay a lawn service company to tidy up their properties for a few months, but only if the neighbors agree.

—Sarah Marrinan, CRS, Keller Williams Premier Realty, Vadnais Heights, Minnesota

The Residential Specialist trsmag.com

To add to the curb appeal, homeowners should replace the roof if it is old, along with the gutters.

Replacing neglected landscaping will also help.

—James Minton, CRS, RE/MAX Preferred Properties, Clemmons, North Carolina

Start by giving the home a good power washing along with proper window cleaning. I also recommend that sellers remove the window screens and put them neatly away in the garage or basement. The sellers should also power wash the driveway and sidewalk. Adding fresh mulch and weeding is essential. Don’t forget the mailbox. Paint the mailbox and replace or paint the numbers.

—Jennifer Teske, CRS, RE/MAX Alliance, Edwardsville, Illinois

20 19

This is home.

It’s a place called comfort.

It’s called home for a reason. It’s the place where your clients feel secure, happy, and at peace. We understand this. Through expertise and insight, our job is to help make the wonderful idea of home a beautiful reality. For every client, for every home.

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