CANADA 4-18-22

CANADA EDITION

MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

5 WAYS TO

TRANSFORM RENTERS INTO OWNERS

Your Calling Card

3 MENTAL TRICKS THAT WILL

TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

How to Overcome Your

WORKPLACE FEARS

FEATURED AGENT

LINDSAY HART COVER STORY

SHAWNA SCHIRA-KROEKER

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

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Make Social Media Marketing Your Calling Card These days, it’s no secret that buyers begin their home search online. As the industry continues to take a digital turn, Realtors in the know must learn to utilize a whole new range of tools available to them—and for good reason. Social media is a dynamic hybrid of personal contact and targeted marketing. To make the most of this new medium, agents can’t settle for the occasional post and expect results.

Instead, let’s consider a few techniques that will make your social media presence 4

interactive, unmissable, and effective in generating business.

Your Profile is a Portal Ideally, you’ll have profiles across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and otherwise—but no matter what portal you’re utilizing, make sure your profile page is up-todate, well-curated, and easily navigated.

Consider your profile a landing page.

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Your photo, location, contact information, homepage, and a brief bio should all be readily visible so that potential clients can get an immediate sense for who you are and what your voice is. If a client wants to connect with you, it should be obvious how to do so. You might also incorporate a few savvier tools that make your profile more engaging—like hashtags. These searchable tags can help you lure potential clientele and give your audience a chance to explore deeper. #DreamHome #JustListed and #HomeInspiration are popular, existing tags to choose from, but you can cultivate your own hashtag by consistently tagging posts, which gives clients an extensive thread to comb through.

Interacting with Your Audience Posting regularly is great way to appear in feeds, but engaging with your audience is just as important—and it helps you reach a new audience in the process. It’s a positive start to like your audience’s posts, pictures, and statuses, but commenting takes your engagement a step further and separates you from typical respondents. It’s also important that you diversify your engagements. In other words, don’t center every communication around your business, propositioning your services, or trying to sell. If applicable, present your value-add, but otherwise steer your engagement towards the personal. Let your clients know that you’re there, you’re human, and Top Agent Magazine

ready to work at their pace. Which leads us to our next point...

Blending the Professional with the Personal Engaging with your audience is one thing, but what about generating original content?

How do you strike the right balance between a Call to Action, industry updates, and a personal touch? Think of it this way: any post you create should provide a point of connection for your audience.

Sometimes, you might be sharing a family photo, or commenting on some unifying current event—like the Super Bowl! Other times, you may be sharing a Coming Soon listing, or providing tips to spruce up a home for spring. Regardless, you should focus on quality. Is your copywriting engaging? Does it express your unique voice and personality, while maintaining clarity? Are you giving your audience something to connect with, even if you are sharing property photos or advertising an open house? Instill some fun and some personalization to every piece of content you make, so that clients can picture the voice and person behind the post.

Things are always changing on the social media frontier, but some rules never shift.

Adding clarity, consistency, and personality to your online presence are three surefire ways to grow your business and make social media second nature.

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5 Ways to Transform

Renters into Owners Perhaps the largest demographic of untapped business lies in the rental market. From major cities and suburbs to rural communities—renters across generations are opting to rent rather than own. The question is: why? For starters, many Americans are undereducated about the inventory and financing options available that might suit their budget and lifestyle. Secondly, many would-be homeowners have difficulty 6

visualizing the potential investment of purchasing property, and how homeownership can build wealth and security in the long-term.

As an agent, you’re always on the lookout for potential clientele. Now, to guide renters toward the real estate market, keep a few of these strategies in mind as you meet and greet this untapped demographic.

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Show renters that purchasing a home isn’t impossible

Possibly the biggest hurdle for renters is believing homeownership is possible. Beyond saving for a down payment and boosting credit scores, there are dozen more factors to consider: affording utilities, homeowner’s insurance, renovations, property taxes, and more. Besides that, assembling pay stubs, finding an agent, arranging house tours, negotiating a price, and timing the transition are all major considerations to surmount.

One way to combat this thinking is to make the process transparent and demystified. Find examples of past clients who made the leap successfully, or profile the average buyer in your marketplace and see how that renter compares. Provide evidence that it’s been done before and can be done again, then build a game plan from there.

into play. Consider making a checklist, or step-by-step road-map, that guides clients through the process from start to finish. This way, you’ll manage expectations and create a path to ownership that’s specific, instead of abstract. They won’t have to wonder what goes into buying a home when they can look at an interactive site or read a document and see the steps outlined before them, with you there to guide the way.

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Collaborate with mortgage professionals to find the right financing opportunities

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Help would-be homebuyers create a road-map to ownership

It’s no secret that buying a home can feel overwhelming. Compared to signing a yearlong lease on an apartment, taking on the house-hunting process is a daunting affair.

That’s where your expertise as an agent comes Top Agent Magazine

Many renters aren’t aware of the variety of mortgage financing options out there that cater to first-timers, offer low down payments, or down payment assistance. Most buyers believe that the standard 20% down is a hard and fast rule, when in reality, there’s far more flexibility out there to cater to renters where they are. There are even loan options catering to freelance workers, renovation options, and other unconventional routes to ownership.

Work with a mortgage pro and find the route that suits your renter best.

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pay monthly in a mortgage—while building a lasting asset.

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Compare and contrast rental rates with monthly mortgage payments One way to convince renters to make the shift is to demonstrate the savings potential of paying into a monthly mortgage, rather than throwing away rent on a property they don’t own. To do this, draw up the average rental rates in your area, then find some potential listings that would demand a similar amount in monthly mortgage payments. Sometimes placing these numbers and images sideby-side can prove to renters that what they manage to pay monthly in rent, they can

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Paint the big picture

For most, renting isn’t the most sustainable financial option when it comes to housing.

Rents rise, families grow, and retirement looms.

Building a financial future and homeownership go hand-in-hand. When planned appropriately, buying a home can create a path toward retirement and position homeowners in a better place for further investment in the future. A rental has little security or investment returns to offer, while owning a home makes a renter king or queen of the castle.

Prospecting renters as potential homebuyers may seem like a time-intensive way to cultivate new clients, but logic is on your side.

Keep these tips in mind as you broach the conversation with renters in your hometown.

All it takes is clear-cut value proposition and a listening ear.

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SHAWNA SCHIRA-KROEKER

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SHAWNA SCHIRA KROEKER Shawna began in the industry in 2009 and in her first year, she earned a sales award. In every year since then, she’s achieved a Club or Career award.

With a keen eye for detail and a passion for home renovation and landscaping, Realtor® Shawna Schira-Kroeker always knew that she would love working in real estate. She began in the industry in 2009 and in her first year, she earned a sales 10

award. In every year since then, she’s achieved a Club or Career award. Servicing the area of rural Saskatchewan, Shawna has a vast knowledge of her trading area and the farming sector and she enjoys listing and selling farm land of all Top Agent Magazine

types. Always up for an adventure and challenge, she has shown and sold land multiple ways, including on a snowmobile, horseback, and ATV’s. Today, Shawna is among the Top 20 Realtors® in Saskatchewan for RE/MAX of the Battlefords, representing clients within a 100 km radius around Medstead Top Agent Magazine

where she lives on a traditional farm with her family.

Located in the lake country, Shawna’s focus is primarily on recreational properties, farmland, and residential properties in Spiritwood, Shell Lake, Memorial Lake, Leoville, Chitek Lake, Big Shell 11

Lake, Iroquois Lake, Medstead, Glaslyn, Edam, Turtleford, Meota, Meeting Lake, and Rabbit Lake. To get to all of these spread-out properties, she does a lot of driving, but it’s not something she minds in an area that’s so beautiful. Her business primarily finds her, with 80% coming from repeat clients and referrals made by friends, family and community members. It’s clear that everyone who works with Shawna recognizes her integrity and hard work ethic. “Hiring a Realtor® wasn’t common practice in the area until I started showing the value a Realtor® brought. Now, lots of people work with

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me and love having my expertise. I take the stress and pressure off when they are buying or selling,” she explains. Her friendly, approachable, and down-toearth personality makes her clients feel at ease, as if they are working with a friend.

Staying in touch with her clients isn’t hard in a small town. “I see them on the street, at a community function or they’ll call me to ask for a recommendation for something,” she says. “It’s great to be a part of a small community because we all know each other.” Shawna is also active on social media and does traditional

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“Hiring a Realtor® wasn’t common practice in the area until I started showing the value a Realtor® brought. Now, lots of people work with me and love having my expertise. I take the stress and pressure off when they are buying or selling,” advertisements in the paper to reach both the younger and older generations. To show her appreciation for her past clients, she also sends little gifts to them throughout the year, like an annual calendar.

When she’s not working, Shawna enjoys spending time on the farm with her family. Their home life revolves around the great outdoors, from spending time in the yard and garden, to going hiking, snowshoeing, curling, watching hockey, and snowmobiling. Shawna is very active in the recreational clubs in Top Agent Magazine

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town and has both served as a coach and been financially supportive for years. She also sits on the recreational board to help raise money to keep their facilities running.

Shawna cherishes the balance that this career offers between work and life and she wouldn’t change a thing. Her vision

for the future looks much like her life today, to keep serving her community the best she can without feeling stretched too thin. “Rural real estate is different than city real estate. It’s slower paced, and much more personal. I know 80% of my clients personally. It’s a different way of doing business, but I think it’s the best way.”

To learn more about Shawna Schira-Kroeker, call 306-441-1625, email ssk@littleloon.ca or visit shawnaschirakroeker.ca www.

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By the Numbers:

Understanding the True Value of Square Footage Measuring the square footage of a property may seem like an objective and straightforward task, but you’d be surprised at how many agents and homebuyers misunderstand this pivotal figure.

True square footage provides homebuyers a concrete understanding of their prospective domain, but here’s the problem: the rules to determine a home’s square footage are not always uniform across the board. What’s more, much of Top Agent Magazine

a home’s value is determined by its size, so accuracy is certainly important. While many real estate agents have their own systems for determining or confirming a home’s true square footage, it doesn’t hurt to update your practices and become an expert on the subject. After all, you may learn a few techniques that could add value to a listing, or better prepare you in guiding house-hunters on the lookout.

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1. Do your due diligence Most towns and cities have a local records department where floorplans and blueprints are kept on file. It’s worth noting that these records don’t typically include any subsequent additions or remodels on a property, but they still give archive hunters a legal baseline when outlining a property’s square footage. Oftentimes, a straightforward online search of a city or county’s records office can pull the information necessary, or else agents can poke around in person to uncover informative blueprints at the records office. Either way, access to original blueprints or floorplans is a great tool for determining livable square footage. As a bonus,

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original blueprints and floorplans—especially in historic properties—can be intriguing visual aids for prospective buyers, as well.

2. Know the rules While there aren’t universal standards when it comes to measuring square footage, there are general guidelines that can help determine square footage in an authentic way. Per the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), here are the official recommendations for measuring a home’s real square footage: n

Called “below grade spaces,” basements and sunrooms beyond a home’s typical

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living quarters do not count toward a home’s true square footage. According to ANSI, even big draws like finished basements don’t count toward a property’s Gross Living Area. Of course, even below grade spaces have their own desirable value and should be outlined as such on listings. n

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Did you know the space inside closets and on stairways counts toward a home’s square footage? Even if these areas are relatively small, they still add to a property’s calculable square footage.

When recording square footage, ANSI actually suggests performing measurements from a property’s exterior—though this method does not account for the

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thickness of exterior walls, which could skew square footage numbers. n

Just like below grade spaces, a garage, a pool house, or even a guest house should not be included in a property’s Gross Living Area. The rationale at work here is this: if you must go outside to access additional living areas, then they are beyond the square footage scope of the primary dwelling and should not be included in a home’s Gross Living Area.

3. Double-check by doing the dirty work Buyers and sellers have or will make a sizable investment in a property, so isn’t it fair to double-check all the relevant facts and figures

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when it comes to true square footage? If you want to take on the endeavor yourself, here are a few helpful steps to take. n

First, you’ll need a few things to get started, including a tape measure that can measure at least 100 ft., graph paper, and a pencil.

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Next, choose a room to start measuring wall-by-wall. Measure Wall 1, then proceed to assign each square on the gridded paper a corresponding measurement, rounding to the nearest tenth of a foot for the sake of clarity.

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From there, draw out the wall you measured and measure the remaining walls in the

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room. Once you’ve completed the room’s measurements, multiply the room’s length and width to determine its square footage. n

As you go measure throughout the home, using your own system to scale, you will construct a failsafe floorplan.

Mastering your craft is everything, and the real estate industry is no different. Every now and again, it’s worthwhile to update your well of information, take matters into your own hands, and continue to innovate with the industry. While square footage may not seem like the juiciest starting off point for such a venture, never forget: mastery of technical knowledge is a sure sign of expertise.

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3 Mental Tricks That Will Take Your Business to the Next Level It’s no secret that running a successful business requires careful planning and a tireless work ethic.

Beyond those obvious ideals, it also takes the right mindset in order to capitalize on professional opportunity. In the world of real estate and mortgage lending, mental fortitude is a major component to reaching the next level and achieving longevity in a sector that requires so much self-discipline. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a few key mental tricks you can employ to reinvigorate your working philosophy. Incorporate these techniques into your daily mindfulness routine and your business will surely benefit.

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Visualization helps you work efficiently and keep your cool.

This may sound like one of the oldest tricks in the book, but there’s a reason why Olympic athletes and those serving in first-responder positions use visualization as a time-honored mental technique.

Not only does visualizing your daily tasks help you organize your mind, but it amps up your ability to focus on what’s important. Visualization also helps reduce stress in the moment, since you’ve already created a mental expectation of the task ahead.

Whether you’re preparing for a negotiation or a pitch to new a client—visualization primes your brain and affords you an extra sense of control as you tackle your day.

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Distill concepts into their simplest terms for ultimate understanding.

As an agent or loan officer, you’re likely juggling numerous clients and commitments on any given day. That’s why it helps to distill your responsibil20

ities in clear, definitive terms. Let’s say you have a meeting set with a client to outline a marketing approach for their property. You may understand the broad strokes, but beforehand, try verbalizing the exact takeaways you’d like to impart to your client. This may seem obvious, but one of the best ways to clarify your communication and ensure your complete understanding of a subject is to explain it aloud in its simplest terms. This crystallizes your main point and can come in handy if you drift off-topic or need to double-down on your message.

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Accept that mistakes will be made.

While it’s natural to fear failure, sometimes the dread of making an error can overwhelm your ability to perform. As the saying goes: don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

If you accept in advance that set-backs will occur, challenges will come, and things won’t always go accordingly to plan—you’ll be less confounded when hurdles do arise. What matters is keeping an even keel as you sort through unexpected delays or mishaps. Accepting that mistakes will happen allows you to shift your focus towards a solution or contingency plan. In other words, don’t spend your energy trying to achieve perfection. Aim high and work hard, but be in touch with reality: upsets are bound to occur. Accept this and you’ll be ready when they do.

The path to lasting success is ongoing, and there are bound to be challenges along the way. It takes mental fortitude to make it to the top, so keep these tricks in mind as you continue to grow as a person and a professional. Seeing situations in a new light can make all the difference as you adapt, evolve, and take your business to the next level.

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LINDSAY HART Analytical and self-motivated, Lindsay Hart has found the career of her dreams in real estate. She started in 2008 while completing her legal studies at McGill University.

Working in administration for a prominent broker in Montreal, she learned the ins and outs of the business. After completing her studies, her broker encouraged her to earn her real estate license, and Lindsay seized the opportunity. By 2010 she was working full-time as a broker, growing with each passing year. Eventually her path crossed with Alfee Kaufman. “We started doing quite a few deals together and had networks that overlapped,” Lindsay says. “At the time, I was aware that she and her mother Liza Kaufman, founder of Sotheby’s International Realty Québec, were a powerhouse. And Alfee and I worked beautifully together, so when she suggested I join their brokerage, I jumped at it.” The company was going through a restructuring at the time, and Lindsay felt it was the perfect chance to make a change. Within just two years Lindsay had become a partner at Kaufman Group. Today the brokerage is led by Liza, Alfee and Lindsay, with multiple associate brokers and support staff on the team. They’ve found that the structuring of the company in this way has helped them better serve their clients.

“The three partners span three different generations,” Lindsay says. “So we are able to relate to every client.”

Their approach also allows them to represent buyers and sellers, should one of their buyer’s want to place an offer on one of their sellers’ properties. As well, the team feels more like a big family, genuinely caring for one another and encouraging each other’s successes.

These symbiotic connections have helped them flourish, with the brokerage consistently ranking as the best

in Québec. In 2021, they sold the highest priced home ever at $18 million, and the highest priced condominium at $11.5 million. “We’ve really dominated the high end markets here,” Lindsay says. With their unmatched expertise and commitment to delivering a white glove experience, clients leave each transaction happy, wanting to return to them for years to come. “With Alfee’s background in marketing, Liza’s in corporate finance and mine in law, our buyers and sellers appreciate that we can provide sound advice at every stage of the transaction.”

Serving the greater Montreal area, much of their business derives from referrals, with the rest coming from their highly successful marketing campaigns. They have a strong presence on social media, take out double page ads in local magazines, and send out postcards regularly. They have become a familiar face and name in the community, so clients often already know them before they even begin working together.

Seen as an authority in the luxury market of Montreal, they produced close to $2 billion in sales volume in the last few years. This perpetuates a sense of trust in all potential clients, as they are confident Sotheby’s International Realty Québec will go above and beyond to ensure their satisfaction.

With the company in a massive growth phase, Lindsay is excited to see what the future holds. They hope to add more people to their team in different regions, and focus on training and teaching young brokers. As each partner is a mother, Lindsay feels proud that they are able to have the best of both worlds. “We’re living proof that working moms can do it all, we can be good mothers and successful in the workplace. It’s what we’re all about.”

For more information about Lindsay Hart, please call 514-862-3745 or email lhart@sothebysrealty.ca Top Agent Magazine

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How To Overcome Your Workplace Fears Fear is something that can help protect us from danger, but it is also something that can be a hindrance to us in our lives, especially when it keeps us from potentially thriving and growing as a person. This is especially true in the workplace. Here’ a look at some proven ways to overcome common workplace fears.

your head, what exactly you’re feeling and why, it can help deflate the fear. Think of it as releasing some of the fear into the ether.

Yes, you’ll still be nervous about your presentation, but a lot of what was holding you back is gone. You’ll feel lighter, and hopefully have just enough butterflies to make your soar.

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Really owning the emotions that are putting you in a place of fear, is the first step.

By just naming it and then talking it out in

Nothing can make you feel more isolated than going down the path of “This is something that only happens to me.” Trust me,

ASSESS THE FEELINGS BEHIND THE FEAR

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TALK ABOUT YOUR FEARS WITH A TRUSTED CO-WORKER

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it doesn’t, and you might be surprised to find out that some people have had it even worse. Talking to someone you trust and admire, hearing their own fear horror stories and how they overcame them, will help normalize what you’re feeling. Releasing yourself from the idea that it’s something about you, will be an enormous relief.

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THINK OF THE WORST CASE SCENARIO

Although it might seem counter-productive, truly assessing what the worse outcome of the situation you’re afraid of serves two purposes. It might lead you to realize the worst case scenario isn’t that bad after all.

Of course it could also lead you to a really uncomfortable thought, you could lose your job. As bad as that is, it also gives you an opportunity to start focusing on what really matters, and how you might grow from the experience and possibly end up better off.

Countless people in their dream jobs now, were once fired and thought it was the end of the world. Hopefully, that won’t happen to you, but learning to have confidence in your abilities to always find a way, will be a great tool in overcoming fears.

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COMPARTMENTALIZE

If you’re a super-organized type, you might try actually setting aside time in your day to focus on your fears. It might seem odd, but it will let you NOT focus on your fears during the other hours of your day. Think of it as a task, you aren’t just sitting there worrying, Top Agent Magazine

Start thinking of fears as challenges.

As scary as it might seem to face them, for the most part they are things that can be fixed.

you’re taking in your fears and figuring out ways to overcome them.

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START THINKING OF YOUR FEARS AS OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH

Start thinking of fears as challenges. As scary as it might seem to face them, for the most part they are things that can be fixed.

A lot of fear is based on inexperience which leads to a lack of confidence. A common fear is workplace evaluations. Instead of looking at it as hearing everything that is wrong about you, think of it as an opportunity to see where you can improve. Going into it with a positive attitude rather than a defensive posture, will make the whole thing better for both parties.

Overcoming fears is oftentimes about a simple attitude adjustment. Like anything it takes practice, but the results of that practice will lead to a life that you’re able to thrive in both personally and professionally.

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