CHICAGO 4-13-20

CHICAGO EDITION

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO

CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES

HOW TO BUILD A TEAM

THAT WILL WIN BIG NO MATTER ITS SIZE

7 REASONS WHY

YOUR PROSPECTS AREN'T TURNING INTO CLIENTS COVER STORY

BRUCE GLAZER

FEATURED AGENT

HEATHER WALTHERS

CHICAGO EDITION

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BRUCE GLAZER

BRUCE GLAZER

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HEATHER WALTHERS

HEATHER WALTHERS

CONTENTS

4) 7 REASONS WHY YOUR PROSPECTS AREN'T TURNING INTO CLIENTS

19) GOOGLE ADWORDS: HOW TO MAKE GOOGLE DO THE WORK FOR YOU

14) HOW TO BUILD A TEAM THAT WILL WIN BIG NO MATTER ITS SIZE

22) A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES

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7 Reasons Why Your Prospects Aren’t Turning Into Clients Real estate experts suggest prospecting daily so that your sales pipeline never runs dry.

But sometimes all that effort doesn’t translate into results. If your prospects aren’t becoming clients, there’s a reason, which is better than it sounds because that means you can fix the problem.

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1. You’re Too Slow The Association of Real Estate License Law Officials estimates that there are about 2 million active real estate licensees in the United States alone. Of course, not all these individuals are working in the same markets. Nonetheless, that

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If your prospects aren’t becoming clients, there’s a reason, which is better than it sounds because that means you can fix the problem.

means that realtors face a lot of competition. If you are slow to respond to messages from prospective clients, someone else is sure to beat you to it. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to return calls and emails within 24 hours.

If you’re too busy working with active clients to return the phone calls and emails of prospective clients, consider hiring a real estate assistant who can help take administrative or marketing tasks off your plate.

2. They Don’t Trust You There are different reasons why a client might not trust you, some of which overlap with others on this list. When a client asks you a question, do you answer it directly or do you sidestep it?

Do you have testimonials and reviews from happy clients publicly available? Do you have an online presence? Social proof of your skills and knowledge is key.

3. You Don’t Seem Knowledgeable Enough Is your client constantly coming to you with new listings or marketing ideas rather than the Top Agent Magazine

other way around? Do they mention real estate and finance terms you’ve never heard of or ask you questions you’ve never thought to ask yourself? Every agent starts somewhere, but if this seems to be a pattern, it’s one clients will pick up on too.

Your clients want to know that you will add value to their home buying or selling experience, and part of that value is your expertise and passion.

4. You Have No Web Presence It’s not enough to be on Zillow or have a Facebook page. There are clients who don’t use these platforms, and at the end of the day, you don’t own the content or your access to it. Both platforms could suddenly go out of business and any following you’ve gained could be lost.

It doesn’t cost much to create and maintain a website today. If customization matters little to you, sometimes you can even get up and running for free. At the very least, it’s a good idea to invest in a domain name because yourwebsite. wordpress.com looks a lot less professional than yourwebsite.com.

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5. You Don’t Seem to Care When clients don’t think you care, it usually means they don’t feel like you are listening.

You may have systems, processes, and a proven marketing strategy. You may like to get right down to business, but to your client, this isn’t just business—it’s their life and their family’s livelihood.

When your client tells you what’s important to them, they want to make sure that you really hear them. Make sure your body language conveys that. Slow down. Shut your office door.

Make eye contact, nod your head, and pause before you speak so that they understand that you’ve put thought into your words—that they aren’t simply lines from a script.

6. You Use Too Much Jargon Remember that your clients don’t speak real estate. At most, they might buy or sell a home once every few years. They hired you to be their advocate and may even expect you to be a bit of a teacher too. Use layman’s terms so that your

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client fully understands how the two of you will work together.

7. Your Target Audience Is Everyone Your clients are home buyers and sellers, yes, but who is your ideal client? Some specialties you might consider are college students and recent graduates, working professionals, military families, seniors, CEOs, or other high-profile clients.

As a newer agent, your target audience might be anyone who will hire you, but over time, you might find that you click more with certain clients, that their lifestyle is similar to yours, or that their goals align with your mission. Whatever the reason, marketing your business to this “ideal client” rather than every potential client will make selling your services easier.

Remember: It’s within your power to alleviate your client’s concerns, but understanding why your prospects aren’t turning into clients is a good start.

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BRUCE GLAZER Top Agent Magazine

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BRUCE GLAZER “After my first year, I was a top-producing broker in Chicago, and in 2018, I broke into the Top 40.” This year will be his eighth year in real estate, and just as he always wanted, he works solo.

Bruce Glazer comes from a small town in Indiana, and when he first laid eyes on Chicago, he fell in love. He moved there after college, and managed to make some great connections and eventually got into 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

real estate in the Chicago area. “Working a desk job and sitting in an office all day, that was not for me,” he says. “After visiting Chicago many times growing up, I had a passion for Chicago real estate. Today, Top Agent Magazine

I get to sell the dream of Chicago home ownership.”

“I didn’t start with a team,” Bruce says. “I always knew I wanted to be an independent broker. I wasn’t scared to invest in myself.

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I invested in Zillow and other marketing initiatives early on to build a sphere of influence. I stuck with it and it worked out. After the first year, I was a top-producing broker in Chicago, and in 2018, I broke into the Top 40.” This year will be his eighth year Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

“I help people in all price brackets. Seeing someone get their first home and start their new chapter, that’s very special. It’s fun to work with the whole spectrum. I think it’s really what real estate’s about and it’s why I love it.” in real estate, and just as he always wanted, he works solo, and wouldn’t have it any other way. “I do almost as much as a three- to five-person team, I make it work,” he says.

His hard work has Bruce seeing his repeat and referral business grow exponentially, and he says it really picked up after his fifth year in the business. “One of the things that helped me early on was my communication skills,” Bruce says of why people keep coming back. “I’m available. I answer the phone, and if I’m [busy], I text back. My heart is in every transaction. When a buyer wants a home, I want it as badly as they do. I’m part of the deal, as well.”

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Bruce is also diligent when it comes to marketing his listings, and suspects he spends more on marketing than many other brokers. He uses Zillow and Trulia, as well as targeted advertising, mailings, professional photos and virtual walk-throughs, as well as open houses to bring as many people as possible into properties. He’s also sure to be at every showing to answer any questions and provide information about the property.

When he’s not selling properties, which does take up much of his time, Bruce is a member of Bryn Mawr Country Club and participates in the Jewish United Fund. He Top Agent Magazine

also donates a portion of his commissions to various charities through his company, @Properties. “This year I’m saving a portion of my commissions to donate to the Indiana University Cancer Center,” he says.

He also enjoys playing golf and taking walks through his beloved Chicago with his wife.

Although he prefers working solo and keeping his business small and boutiqueoriented, Bruce is considering bringing on an assistant and possibly another agent in the future. But he never wants a very large team, preferring to maintain a personal connection to each client.

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It’s the personal connection that means the most to Bruce. His first real estate sale was what keeps him motivated to do what he loves best, selling the dream. “The joy my client had...when he got the keys at closing has stuck with me my entire career. I

help people in all price brackets. Seeing someone get their first home and start their new chapter, that’s very special. It’s fun to work with the whole spectrum. I think it’s really what real estate’s about and it’s why I love it.”

To learn more about Bruce Glazer, please call (765) 914-8199, visit bruceglazer.com, email BGlazer@atproperties.com, or check him out on Zillow, @properties, and Realtor.com www.

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Ronak Desai is proud to congratulate

BRUCE GLAZER

on being featured for the State of Illinois in Top Agent Magazine!

RONAK DESAI (312) 725-3476 | ronak@plgfirm.com www.plgfirm.com 150 S. Wacker Dr., Ste. 2600, Chicago, IL 60606

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How to Build a Team That Will Win Big No Matter its Size In the real estate world building a team is a goal almost every agent strives towards achieving. Doing business with a team as opposed to solo has numerous advantages. With more agents handling clients as well as other employees specialized in areas such as marketing and administrative support there to assist you; you can greatly increase your business and sales.

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So, when creating a team, logic would tell us that the bigger it is, the better, right? Wrong. When it comes to real estate teams, size doesn’t matter so much as the players you bring onto that team to work with you. A team doesn’t have to be big to win big, and here are the secrets to building a team that wins big no matter its size.

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Hire the Right Team Members

Put Your Team Members in the Right Positions to Win

You’ve probably heard the saying, “you’re only as strong as you’re weakest link.” That idea holds true for any kind of team, including those in real estate. If you have weak members on your team, then it’s not possible to have a strong team. Drawing strong team members to your business is essential.

Finding strong team members is just one part of the equation. As the leader of your team, you now have to assess each member’s strengths and weaknesses and position them appropriately. You want the best player for each role playing that part and catering to their strengths. Choose your team member’s roles wisely, and place each individual in the position where their strengths can shine and they can best contribute to a win for the entire team. Every role is important to the team working smoothly and winning as a whole, so it is important to place each team member in the role most suited to his or her skills.

To better understand what kind of person would make a strong addition to your team, you need to ask yourself what skills and characteristics you want your team members to possess. The strongest members are often ones that share their leader’s values. When you share values with your teammates, you are all running along the same course towards the same goal as one. Your definition of a victory in this case is also your teammates’ definition of it. This helps strengthen even the smallest of numbers because you are all working together toward a common goal.

Another characteristic too look out for in potential team members is a positive attitude. You can teach someone the skills needed in real estate, but you can’t teach someone how to have a positive attitude.

Positive members tend to achieve more due to their optimistic nature, but more importantly, they spread that positive attitude to the rest of the team, which improves every members’ performance.

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Communicating Your Vision to Your Team

Your team members are the key ingredients to ultimate victory, but what recipe do you follow now to lead them to victory? That is what communication is for a winning team; the recipe you will use to

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help best utilize each team member and instruct them on how they need to work together to fulfill the recipe that will lead them to be a winning team. Your team members need to know the plan and you must give them the tools to successfully execute it.

It is up to the leader of a team to help your players see your vision and help them understand what a victory looks like. The goal may seem simple and obvious to you, but you must communicate it over and over again to your team members, so they understand it as well as you do. With different personalities coming together to form a unit, you are going to be dealing with numerous challenges such as competing agendas. You will find this on any team. You must keep the goal and at the forefront of your player’s minds in order to encourage them to put aside their own personal desires in order to come together as one cohesive, single-minded unit and push towards the team’s goal.

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Give Your Team Members the Tools to Help Them Perform at Their Best The final thing all great leaders do is equip their team members with the proper tools and training needed for them to succeed. You have to show them how they can each come together with their different strengths to work as a team towards one unified goal. This involves more than simple skills training, but also endurance, so they can last as a team and win even those matches that seem unending and impossible.

Think of all the challenges that they could possibly face ahead, and clear their path to victory by giving them the necessary training and tools they will need to get past any obstacle. As the leader, you must be prepared to continually communicate the team’s goal and your vision. Use that vision to motivate your team members throughout the journey towards victory.

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HEATHER WALTHERS Heather Walthers always knew, deep down, that she was a Realtor. An old landlord put the idea in her head, mentioning that Heather would be a perfect fit for the industry due to her hardworkingness and outgoing personality. Years later, she decided to earn her license and throw herself into the industry.

Today, Heather is a Realtor for EXIT Strategy Realty, where she harnesses a robust network of lenders, attorneys and home inspectors to assist clients throughout the Southwest Suburbs of Illinois. Through hard work and a steadfast dedication to her clients, she has found fast success in the area, having been ranked as a Top Producer by the Chicago Association of Realtors in 2019.

What’s the key to all this growth? Above all, Heather stresses her honesty. “You have to be yourself in this industry,” she says. “My goal is to make the experience as fun and easy as possible for my clients. But that starts with openness and communication.”

When listing a home, Heather offers comprehensive service. Not only does she steer clients through a triedand-true set of Home Selling Tactics, ranging from repairs to repaintings, but she also helps them negotiate with prospective buyers. Furthermore, she provides her listers with digital marketing, harnessing tools like Facebook Ads and ListReports. “My top priority is to make sure people remember a home,” she says. “I always strive to leave a strong impression.”

Elsewhere, Heather provides her buyers with unmatched service, catering to their specific needs through a careful attention to detail. “I love helping my clients find the right match—whether it’s their first home, investment home or forever home. They put their trust in me, and I really appreciate that responsibility.” Oftentimes, this openhearted approach extends long after closing, as Heather maintains contact with her clients to make sure they are succeeding in their new homes.

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Outside of her career, Heather is devoted to her family; although, she still finds time to give back to her community. Recently, she has been serving on the Chicago Association of Realtors and the Women’s Council of Realtors. Through these opportunities, she has been able to throw her diligent work ethic into her hometown.

“When I attend these board meetings,” she says, “I learn so much about my community, things I never knew. If anything, I wish I’d joined up sooner.” On top of her community work, Heather also enjoys biking, swimming and boating—anything on the water.

When Heather looks ahead to the future, she envisions big plans for the upcoming year. Most importantly, she hopes to open her own EXIT office while continuing to build her network of happy homeowners. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds for my business and my family,” she says.

A few years ago, Heather was a preschool teacher, and real estate was little more than an interest in her life.

After diving into the industry, though, she has found both a career and a dream home for her warm personality.

“Real estate agents have to remember to be themselves,” she says. “If you stay motivated and open with your clients, you can accomplish great things.”

To learn more about Heather Walthers email heathersells4exit@gmail.com, visit heatherw.exitsellschicago.com or call (815) 540-9041 http://

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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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A Step-by-Step Guide to

Converting Internet Leads to Real Life Sales In the era of apps, instantaneous social platforms, and text messaging, it’s little surprise that the modern homebuyer begins his or her search for real estate representation online.

Even if you’ve got a top-notch website or an influential social media presence, how do you connect with web surfers who have yet to commit to the services you offer? Take a look below to learn a few key techniques to bridge the gap between digital interest and real-world sales.

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RESPONSIVENESS IS KEY Like it or not, our digital culture relishes immediacy and instant gratification. With that in mind, be sure to stay on top of online interest forms, e-mails, or newsletter signups. Don’t let an online lead go to waste by taking too long to engage and follow-up.

Things move fast, and it’s easy for potential clientele to forget which websites they’ve visited. Even if your lead isn’t ready to commit then and there, you demonstrate your

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Mastering the fundamentals of digital communication is the first step to converting digital interest into concrete business. accessibility and attentiveness by following up swiftly—a characteristic anyone would seek in an agent or lender.

ENGAGE WITH OPEN-ENDED CONVERSATION When online back-and-forth goes stale, communication drops off quickly. If you’re following up via e-mail, social media, or text, be sure to keep topics focused squarely on the potential client. Ask open-ended questions to give your lead the opportunity to loosen up and engage on a personal level. There’s no better way to cement a digital lead than to take a pointed interest in the specifics of their situation. Doing so transforms the impersonal invisibility of the internet into a true connection.

GIVE ADDED VALUE Plenty of businesses send impersonal, automated messages in response to an online inquiry, but establishing a true connection may mean providing your lead with something of value. Perhaps you’re forwarding a property for sale that fits the interests of your lead, or a relevant article, or maybe you take the time to send a personal message—demonstrable value and a personal touch separate your follow-up response from spam. Other ideas to consider when Top Agent Magazine

adding value to your follow-up technique: incorporate area promotions and access to local events, make a date for coffee, or offer a brief consultation free of charge to make the first move.

DON’T STOP MAKING CONTACT If you don’t connect with your internet lead right off the bat—don’t be discouraged. It often takes multiple tries before a follow-up interaction sticks. Folks are busy and frequently flooded with e-mail blasts and junk mail. A lead may not engage without a little prodding that shows you’re committed to their business. Remember: it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

Digital leads don’t have to be difficult to capture. The internet plays a powerful role in funneling modern clientele your way, but in order to take full advantage of the web’s reach, you’ll need to tailor your follow-up technique. Mastering the fundamentals of digital communication is the first step to converting digital interest into concrete business. Keep these tips top-of-mind as you build your online presence and mine the vast world wide web for an endless wealth of clientele. Earning a command of digital lead conversion is the surest way to bolster your business in the ever-evolving digital era.

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