CANADA 9-5-22

CANADA EDITION

GOOGLE ADWORDS:

ADDING VALUE TO LISTINGS

How to Make Google Do the Work for You

HOW TO THROW A NETWORKING EVENT THAT CAN PUT YOUR BUSINESS ON THE MAP

& the Advantage of Identifying Neighborhood Amenities

The Daily Schedule of a

FEATURED AGENTS

DEANNA BAILEY JULES-ALEXANDRE JACQUES

SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE AGENT

COVER STORY

CATHERINE LABELLE

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Google AdWords:

How To Make Google Do the Work for You There is no denying that the internet is the first place a buyer begins looking for a new home in this digital age. Knowing how to put the powerful tools available on the internet to work for you can give you a decided advantage when it comes to attracting prospective buyers to your listings, as well as you as an agent. Google is easily one of the major superpowers of the internet, and they have one of the most powerful advertising tools available. Knowing how to utilize Google AdWords in the correct manner can make your internet advertising immensely powerful and possibly your best way to reach prospective buyers.

Google AdWords is also extremely cost-effective. This multifaceted tool gives you much more control over your advertising campaign than other more traditional methods. You can target specific audiences, choose the specific search terms, also known as keywords, that will bring up your ad in someone’s search results, and you can set a budget for each campaign that will dictate it’s reach and how long the campaign will run. Here are some tips for how to put Google AdWords to work for you.

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ent websites. You want to set yourself apart from every other real estate website users are viewing in their search for a house.

MAKE SURE YOUR ADS ARE GOING TO SEND USERS TO A SITE THAT WILL CAPTURE THEIR ATTENTION

You can spend an infinite amount of money on Google advertising campaigns, but if those ads don’t send users to a site that will capture and hold their interest, then you’ve just wasted all that money. Don’t put your cart before the horse. Make sure you are considering exactly where these ads are going to send users. To set up your website for success, at the very least you want to make sure users are greeted by clear call-to-action, such as a message that will encourage them to sign up for your newsletter or subscribe to your blog. You want to set up your website to maximize and capture the leads the ad campaign sends your way.

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BUILD CUSTOMIZED OR CUSTOM-MADE WEBSITES RATHER THAN TEMPLATE WEBSITES It is easy and tempting to use template websites, or to offer your agents template websites if you are a real estate manager or broker. While this offers a cost-effective solution to providing every agent with a website, it does little to set you or your agents apart and capture the attention of users that are used to seeing a wealth of differ-

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MAKE SURE YOU ARE OFFERING VALUE ON YOUR WEBSITE

Don’t simply use your website as a kind of brag sheet. Let users know what makes your particular services valuable to them. Highlight your expertise in a certain location through tools such as blog posts, providing market updates, or giving pertinent information on a unique type of property. This will ensure that your online advertising campaigns are much more successful.

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LOCATION IS EVERYTHING!

Location is everything in real estate, and the same holds true for Google AdWords. You can target specific locations in your ad campaign. While one approach is to focus on the area around your location, a more advanced approach would be to link AdWords campaigns to your Google My Business account. This is a Google service that includes your address in the ad, allowing people to then click on it and see exactly where you are located on a map.

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USE GOOGLE ADWORDS IN YOUR CAMPAIGN TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS IN GENERAL

Focus an AdWords campaign on expanding your business by incorporating specific zip codes and neighborhoods that will help you establish a presence in an area where you would like to increase your real estate business. Making sure that your ad appears in search results that are related to the real estate in a specific area will help shape the image and brand of your business as well as bring in new leads.

HARNESS THE POWER OF DATA

When you run a Google AdWords campaign Google Analytics captures a wealth of information about your target client demographic.

You can gain real insight into your online visitors, such as when they visit, what they do and look at on your site once they get there, and what search terms they use. You can use all of this information to grow your business. Use Google Analytics to determine which users (location, gender, age) are utilizing specific aspects of your site, such as looking at multiple listings, reading your blog, etc. You can then use this information to target these specific demographics in your AdWord campaigns, Gmail ads, the Google Display Network, and other advertising.

Using the internet to help advertise your business and your listings is one of the smartest moves you can make as an agent in this modern age. However, you don’t want to simply go into the process blind or you’re wasting a lot of potential resources and data that could make all the difference. To reap the benefits of Google AdWords, you must apply an intelligent strategy to using these campaigns.

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CATHERINE LABELLE Top Agent Magazine

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Top Agent Catherine Labelle is a Broker with Keller Williams Distinction, where she assists clients throughout the Outaouais and surrounding areas of Quebec.

Throughout her life, Catherine Labelle has always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. She would get her start in the corporate sphere, serving as a Sales Director for a prominent athletic club in the Ontario region. As she honed her outstanding negotiating skills, she found herself seeking a new opportunity that provided her with more flexibility, but still complemented her strong business acumen.

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Inspired, she returned to her lifelong passion for real estate, deciding to pursue her license in 2019. Since then, she has gone on to author an accomplished career in the business, establishing a worldwide network of satisfied clients and referral partners alike.

Today, Catherine is a Broker with Keller Williams Distinction, where she assists clients Top Agent Magazine

throughout the Outaouais and surrounding areas of Quebec. There, she has built a hands-on process around the core values of integrity and expertise, allowing her to meet the needs of any buyer or seller.

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When listing a property, Catherine is there for her clients each step of the way. Starting out, she helps her sellers fully prepare for the market, providing them with a suite of professional staging and photography services.

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“I’ve always been a business-oriented person,” Catherine says. “In real estate, I’m able to leverage my foundations in strategic planning and project management to the benefit of my clients.”

From there, she broadcasts her listings via a highly targeted blend of digital and social media campaigns, utilizing a data-driven approach culled from her time in the sales and marketing industry. “I’ve always been a business-oriented person,” she says. “In real estate, I’m able to leverage my foundations in strategic planning and project management to the benefit of my clients.”

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Elsewhere, Catherine is just as attentive when assisting her buyers, thoughtfully guiding them to the right investment for their best interests.

For her, the deals are never done, as she enjoys keeping in touch long after the closing to provide her clients with ongoing support and keep them fully apprised of the market should they want to invest or make any changes to their property in the future.

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Over the years, Catherine has earned a fantastic reputation throughout Quebec and Ontario, with the majority of her volume coming from repeat clients and referrals. But through it all, she remains committed to the leading standards that continue to set her apart in the region. “I love how our business has allowed me to leave Top Agent Magazine

a positive impact on so many lives,” she says.

“No matter the challenge, there’s nothing better than seeing a client’s dreams come true at the end of their transaction.”

Outside of real estate, Catherine is dedicated to her community, serving at Keller Williams Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

Red Day events throughout the year. When she’s not with clients or giving back, she can be found spending quality time with her husband and daughter, horseback riding, or exploring all the lovely scenery Quebec has to offer.

Going forward, Catherine has exciting plans for the future of her business. As her volume

maintains its steady growth, she aims to build her team within Keller Williams Distinction, which will allow her to scale her vision of boutique service while providing much needed mentorship to rising agents in the field. In the meantime, though, she is more than satisfied with the fulfilling life and career she has cultivated in the community she loves.

To learn more about Catherine Labelle, email clabelle@kw.com or call (819) 210-5040

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5 Tips to Make New Hires

a Long-lasting Success Bringing a new employee into the mix is process commonly known as onboarding. The idea behind onboarding is to make the transition from new hire to team member as efficient and pain-free as possible. However, polling shows that some 31% of entry-level and intermediate level hires leave their new posts within just six months of starting. The question is: why?

The hiring and training process is time-intensive and doesn’t come cheap. This means that making Top Agent Magazine

a good match for the long haul requires more than just assessments of skill and personality. To ensure a talented new hire sticks around and is truly positioned for success, the onboarding process must be executed with the same care applied during hiring. For a few ideas on how to make the most of the onboarding process, consider the tenets below as you guide your new hire toward long-lasting success within your company.

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1. Be honest about the scope of the role

2. Build in some perks

Let’s say you’re looking to add a new buyers agent or loan processor to your team. You write up the position’s responsibilities, but neglect to mention that you want the new hire to handle a host of administrative tasks, as well. Maybe it doesn’t seem important enough to outline in detail, as it’s the sort of thing the rest of your does. Miscommunications like these are a leading reason why new hires leave their roles.

If there isn’t clarity and transparency about a position’s true responsibilities, then new hires may become quickly disillusioned and seek out greener pastures.

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While stocking the breakroom with bagels every Friday may seem like a small gesture, it’s often those little morale-boosting moves that build loyalty and comradery among the team. Bike-to-work incentives, subsidized gym memberships, and benefits that match the needs of your employees—all are ways to demonstrate appreciation and investment in your team.

Likewise, the right candidate will return the favor and invest his or her energies into their new role.

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3. Get a sense of big-picture career plans

4. Keep the lines of communication open

Another reason new hires move on may have nothing to do with you or your office. In fact, many hires in entry-level or even intermediate roles have doubts about their long-term vision.

That’s why it’s important to be upfront from the beginning regarding a candidate’s five-year plan and ultimate dream job. Maintain realistic expectations when asking these questions, but use it as an opportunity to gage a candidate’s seriousness about the real estate or mortgage industry. Why this line of work over another?

Emphasizing industry longevity and career growth during the interview process can save you drama down the road.

Take a proactive approach in communicating with your new hire. Take time to check in regularly during the first six months of his or her addition. If you can, make time to train new hires yourself—if only for a part of the onboarding process. You’ll forge a deeper professional bond and create an avenue for further questions. All in all, make it clear that you’re personally invested in their presence and talents, and that you care what they have to say. That way, if any issues or doubts arise, you can stay on top of it and work out a solution, rather than lose a new employee.

5. Give new hires meaningful work to do It’s natural to keep the kid-gloves on with new hires, but don’t let that stop you from giving them a chance to shine. New team members will feel empowered and motivated if given meaningful projects to focus on. Don’t relegate their daily duties to busy work as they build experience.

Instead, task new teammates with something challenging, or that draws on a specific skill you hired them for. You’ll instill confidence, demonstrate your commitment to their growth, and with any luck—keep them around for the long haul.

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The Daily Schedule

of a Successful Real Estate Agent Everything you do should be intentional. A busy schedule isn’t the same thing as a productive schedule. Sometimes people write things like “find clients” on their to-do list, but finding clients isn’t actually a task. It’s a goal. Your daily schedule should be created with your goal in mind if you want to be a successful real estate agent, but a goal is too broad to add to your calendar.

Instead, you can break your goal down into projects, break those projects down into tasks, and schedule time in your calendar to complete each task. You’ll find that some of these projects will have an immediate impact on your business, and that those are the tasks that should be completed first.

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The fact is that as a real estate agent you can set your own schedule—if you’re not productive until 10am, then you don’t have to start your day until then. But having a daily schedule means that every day you have a running start on all those other agents who just “wing it.”

You don’t want to feel burned out and busy but like you’re simultaneously not getting a whole lot done. You can only keep up 70+ hour weeks for so long before your body breaks down and both your performance and income drop as a result.

Since every real estate agent’s operating hours look different, the following daily schedule is broken up by the suggested amount of hours you

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should spend on each task rather than specific times of day. However, certain tasks, like prospecting, appointments, and listing presentations should be performed at times when it’s most convenient for clients. If you’re an agent who likes to end their workday at 5 o’clock, remember that this is also the same time your clients are likely ending their day, meaning you might be unavailable for showings during the only time their schedule allows.

3.5 hours – This is that time of day that you should schedule all your appointments and listing presentations. If you are a newer agent, you might use this time instead to do more prospecting and appointment setting.

1 hour – Spend this time waking up, exercising either at home or at the gym, and eating breakfast.

2 hours – Now it’s time to unwind. Use this time to have dinner and spend time with you family. If you have children, this is usually the time of day when they are wrapping up homework assignments and getting ready for bed.

It’s important that you make time for these moments the same way you make time for your work.

2 hours – Use this time before you head to the office to develop a morning routine, if you haven’t already. You can meditate, journal, practice affirmations, or read personal development books to prepare for the day ahead.

1 hour – Once you’re at the office, spend this time to review the day’s schedule, catch up with your assistant or other colleagues, and check the latest industry news. This is also the time of day that you can role play to prepare for appointments.

1.5 hours – Spend this time prospecting and appointment setting.

1 hour – Now it’s time for a lunch break. If you’re a multitasker, you can also use this time to prepare for the afternoon and any meetings you have scheduled or connect with followers on social media.

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.5 hours – Look over the day’s schedule again and ensure you’ve checked every task off your to-do list. While you’re at it, be sure to review tomorrow’s schedule and goals too.

2 hours – Spend these last couple hours before you fall asleep to have quality time with your spouse or perform your self-care routines.

8 hours – Now it’s time for sleep—getting a full night’s rest is crucial if you want every day to be productive.

As you can tell, there’s still some wiggle room left in this schedule, but the important thing is to block out time every day so you can achieve your goals and help your clients.

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DEANNA BAILEY Deanna Bailey of rural Alberta has achieved a celebrated position in her brokerage, eXp Realty, by building her real estate enterprise on a foundation of small-town entrepreneurial impact. “Everybody has to make a living, but small towns give you a chance to really make a life. Whenever there is something that needs doing, there are only eight hundred and twenty-seven other people who live here – so it might as well be me!”

Over the course of her ten-year career as a REALTOR®, Deanna has held multiple positions within her community. Her past appointments include Treasurer of the Linden & District Agricultural Society and threeyear coach for the local junior high basketball team.

Presently, Deanna serves on the Library Board, and she is also the acting coordinator for her local school’s Breakfast Program. “The Breakfast Club is near and dear to my heart – that’s where I grew up, and I want to make sure up and coming kids have plenty to eat in the morning and plenty to read at night.” In 2017, Deanna was nominated for the Community Impact Award from the Calgary Real Estate Board ROAR Awards, and her recognition has only emboldened her to heighten her impact and invite others to lead a life worth living.

To that end, Deanna is excited to further blend her joint passions of real estate and community impact by welcoming a soon-to-be newly licensed REALTOR® to her team. “Last year I made the Top Ten for our brokerage in Alberta and this year I’m on track to becoming an ICON agent at our brokerage – it’s exciting but busy, not that I’d have it any other way. I’m looking forward to bringing on a teammate to help broaden our scope and give me more time to work with the breakfast program.” Succeeding in a rural landscape requires a diverse skill set, and Deanna is eager to share her marketing strategies with her newest proétegé. “I use a blended marketing approach. Obviously, there’s MLS, but I use smaller newspapers in the area, bulletin boards in the communities, and online platforms… but I just like to talk to people. One of the upsides of 18

living in a small community is that, sooner or later, I am guaranteed to bump into one of my clients at the grocery store or a community event so it’s an additional way I get to check in on them and make sure they are being taken care of.” With this level of dedication to excellence and neighborhood building, it’s easy to see why Deanna boasts a book of business that is just over eighty-five percent repeat and referral clients. “I think people come back to me – at least, this is what I’m told – because I just take the time, you know? I don’t push or rush anybody, and I just treat people like people, not a sale, because really, we are all neighbors here.”

This personal touch is the cornerstone of Deanna’s business, and more importantly, it’s the driving force in her life. “I’m lucky to be able to give back. I want to bring in other REALTORS® to help them make a life as well as a living, and the more houses I sell, the more driveways my sons have to shovel in the wintertime. I wouldn’t necessarily call that an ‘additional service,’ it’s more of a ‘perk!’ People say I go above and beyond with things like that, but it all just rolls into me being me.”

To learn more about Deanna Bailey, visit deannabailey.exprealty.com, email deannalynb@hotmail.com, or call 403-805-4359. www.

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How to Throw a Networking Event

that Can Put Your Business on the Map It’s hard to argue with the benefits of attending networking events—you make new connections, enjoy industry skill-building conversation, and expand your reach in the local business community. However, have you ever considered the benefits of hosting a networking event?

Instead of attending as a guest, you’ll be the wizard behind it all. Throwing a networking event can position you as a local business leader, and you’ll be able to curate the experience to your tastes and goals. This idea may be tempting, but how do you pull it off? Review some Top Agent Magazine

of our tips and tricks below and you’ll be more than ready to throw a networking event that’ll put you on the map.

MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR GUESTS TO SAY YES. From the outset, try to keep things as simple as possible for your guests. This means that e-invites should be structured, yet conversational.

Include a link to register online so that arriving to your event is seamless and requires no signup sheets or stuffy check-in procedures. Select a venue that’s relatively well-known and central

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Throwing a networking event can position you as a local business leader, and you’ll be able to curate the experience to your tastes and goals. to your area. It should also have easy-to-access parking so that attendance is streamlined and hassle-free. Also consider sending an automated event reminder the day before and the day of the event—that way you’ll set guests up for easy attendance that they don’t have to debate.

CREATE A THEME. Capitalizing on a holiday or local event is a great way to drive attendance to your networking function. While getting to know area professionals is a worthy reason to meet up, you’re likely to engender a livelier ambiance if you incorporate a holiday or theme. This will inspire comradery among your guests, in addition to giving your event a natural focus. Major sporting events, a Thanksgiving themed pie bakeoff, or a spring cleaning themed community volunteer day can generate more interest than your average mixer.

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR GUEST LIST. While you may be trying to keep your invite list industry-specific, you may benefit from casting a wider net. Invite area entrepreneurs, young professionals, collegiate professional organizations, and even friends and family. You never know what sort of connections will be made, and high attendance is key to keeping the energy of your networking event at a high tier. Don’t worry about only collecting info from realtors or brokers or mortgage pros. Instead, create a 20

sense of community so that opportunities flow naturally and conversation remains diverse.

BE THE BOSS. As host, it’ll be your job to play matchmaker and drive conversation at your networking event. This means that you’ll get to know more people, but it also means you’ll be able to create connections between different professionals and businesses. You can maximize your matchmaking abilities by planting a few socially-minded friends around to drive additional conversations. Your goal is to keep people talking and to be outgoing. It should also be your goal to follow-up once the event is complete. Use this as an opportunity to continue to connect different people you met, or to follow-up with coffee or lunch with someone you found interesting. Try sending out a group thank-you e-mail to your guests after the fact, telling them to keep an eye out for your next event, or to get in touch with you for any questions or contact information of fellow attendees.

While it may feel like a risk to throw a networking event, it’s a risk worth taking. By positioning yourself as the host of your event, you’ll drive awareness to your business and brand, and build up the local professional community in a way that’s sure to draw good will your way.

Keep these ideas in mind as you go about planning a memorable networking event of your own, and above all—have a good time and others will follow suit.

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JULES-ALEXANDRE JACQUES Always going the extra mile for his clients is the secret to real estate agent Jules Alexandre Jacques’ success. Jules got started in real estate soon after graduating college 12 years ago. Since then, he’s joined ReMax Quebec and formed a team with his girlfriend Sasha who completed her real estate license in 2021. The team now has three assistants who support Jules and Sasha in closing an average of 30 transactions per month.

Jules’s team serves the Greater Montreal area which makes up the largest population center in Quebec with more than 4 million residents. The area is known as the economic heart of the region and hosts large numbers of corporations, industrial hubs and university research facilities. Montreal offers rich history and culture as one of Canada’s oldest cities and the capital of French Canada. This beautiful city offers old world charm, stunning architecture and a scenic location as an island surrounded by the St. Lawrence River. Its mix of world-class museums, professional hockey, vibrant night life and a thriving economy makes Montreal a desirable place to live, work, and play.

the process is smooth and successful for all involved. In addition to selling real estate and building their own team, Jules and Sasha are also actively purchasing rental properties and building their own investment portfolio. In the future, they couple plans to grow their team by adding additional agents so that they can maintain high sales volume while delegating some of the workload. They’re working hard now while they are both in their thirties in the hopes that they might be able to retire early.

With four children, Jules loves the flexibility that his real estate career offers his family, making it possible for him and Sasha to work together to be available for all of their children’s activities and appointments. When they’re not working, their favorite thing to do is spend time at home together. It’s this family-centered philosophy that inspires Jules and Sasha to help their clients find their own just-right home.

With a stellar 60% of business coming through repeats and referrals, the team is clearly delivering impeccable service and garnering client satisfaction. Jules tailors his services to the unique needs and budget of each property offering cleaning, staging, professional photography and video and drone footage depending on the listing. They utilize the marketing tools provided by brokerage ReMax as well as popular online listing services and social media to promote new listings.

Jules and Sasha are family-oriented people who love to help others through life’s big moments. They are motivated by a desire to guide people through the process to achieve their real estate goals and ensure that Top Agent Magazine

Contact Jules Alexandre at 514.569.3312, email jajacques@remax-quebec.com, or visit remax-quebec.com/en/courtiers-immobiliers/jajacques/index.rmx

www.

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Adding Value to Listings & the Advantage of Identifying Neighborhood Amenities Everyone knows the famous real estate phrase: location, location, location. In fact, it is hard to underestimate the pivotal role that a region can play when it comes to determining a home’s value. In today’s competitive market, the littlest things can truly add up—especially when it comes to neighborhood amenities. While most savvy agents know the figures regarding school 22

district ranking and local property taxes, have you ever considered the under-the-radar amenities that drive buyers and bidding wars? To derive the highest value from a listed home, you need to paint a complete picture of the area in which you’re selling. With that guiding principle in mind, let’s consider a few modern amenities and how they add drastically to your bottom line.

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Walking a fifteen-minute radius of the area or performing a deep-dive into customer review sites or food blogs can help you identify hidden gems or local favorites.

A little can go a long way: restaurants, coffee shops, and entertainment

Know thy history: creating a narrative of the neighborhood

Everyone has a favorite take-out spot, coffee shop, or neighborhood watering hole. Identifying the key players in an area—such as restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment hotspots—will create a livable picture that prospective buyers can latch onto. Walking a fifteen-minute radius of the area or performing a deep-dive into customer review sites or food blogs can help you identify hidden gems or local favorites. While a cute coffee shop down the street may seem like a bonus instead of a foundational amenity, you never know what kind of homebuyer you might net if you include the cozy characteristics that make a house a home.

As humans, we’re drawn to narratives. Sales pitches and marketing campaigns hinge on an alluring storyline. That’s why understanding a neighborhood’s history can frame and contextualize a property to great effect. After all, buyers aren’t just drawn to sturdy foundations and bedroom counts; they like to imagine their lives unfolding inside those four walls.

Get a sense of the area’s historical timeline, architectural style, noteworthy community members, and the like. Conveying this intriguing information to buyers helps them connect more personally with a property, while understanding the holistic picture of their potential new home.

From here to there: public transportation and commuter access While this rule may not apply to all properties, considering access to public transportation is a major draw for today’s buyers. Especially amidst the more eco-conscious Millennial segment eager to buy within city limits—knowing public transportation access points and schedules can add serious value to listed properties. Also, think outside the box: do nearby thoroughfares boast dedicated bike lanes? Are there plans to expand rail lines to the area in the future? Deliver a confidant picture of the area’s public transportation access and prospective buyers will trust your expertise.

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While it is always good to cover the basics of school districts and property values, it is even more useful to expand your knowledge base and bring a warm, human element to locational knowledge. Not only will you appeal to a younger demographic of homebuyers who values this strategic information, but you will also broaden your understanding of your service area at large. Think of it this way: a neighborhood is far more than a collection of homes on a block. A neighborhood is about atmosphere, access, and a sense of community. If you authentically appeal to this guiding truth, and buyers will surely rise to the occasion.

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