CHICAGO 5-31-21

CHICAGO EDITION

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EASY AT-HOME DIY PROJECTS TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE COVER STORY

MELANIE CARLSON How To Speed Up FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER TRANSACTIONS

5 MORNING HABITS TO MAKE YOUR DAY SUPER PRODUCTIVE

A Step-By-Step Guide To Converting Internet Leads TO REAL LIFE SALES FEATURED AGENT

RUBY PARK

CHICAGO EDITION

RUBY PARK

te is such a great business says Ruby Park, a top agent well Banker Realty in Illinois. wealth of knowledge and bout buying and selling real need someone you can trust, ger to serve all of my clients.”

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Outside of working hard and going the 11 extra mile for each and every one of her clients, Ruby likes to stay active. She spent three years on the board of Hanul Family Alliance (HFA), a non-profit dedicated to serving senior citizens in the local area, promoting healthy aging and community engagement.

t five years, Ruby has worked gent. While she focuses her During her downtime, Ruby loves trying ommunities north of Chicago new things. Her sister, also involved lenview, Northbrook, Niles, in realMELANIE estate, often refers to Ruby as RUBY PARK CARLSON d Morton Grove, she goes “the world’s most interesting person.” her clients want to be. “I You can often find Ruby practicing the say no to a referral,” says Ruby. She is ukulele, participating in yoga retreats, or spending y fond of working in Northbrook as she time with her four-legged showing assistant, her CONTENTS the area as well as Glenview, where she French Bulldog Meatball. “He’s really calm and rchased her4) ownHOW home. TO SPEED UP very quiet,” says Ruby, “He comes with 18) laughing.

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE me to most of my showings, and all my clients know FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER TO CONVERTING INTERNET and love him!” ortion of Ruby’s business comes from TRANSACTIONS LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES nd returning clients. She credits their h her excellent service.HABITS “I’m Looking to the future, is excited to grow her DIY 9) 5customer MORNING 20)Ruby 3 EASY AT-HOME ilable for my clients no matter what hour it business into a team of 3-5 agents. “I would like to TO MAKE YOUR DAY PROJECTS TO INCREASE s. “They like my work ethic, my response keep things smaller,” she says. “Sometimes, when SUPER PRODUCTIVE hey appreciate the team of lenders and things get too big, PROPERTY you lose track ofVALUE what matters. hat I have.”

I want to be able to make sure that everyone is providing the best customer service.” y, Ruby is fluent in Korean which helps part from her fellow agents. “That really each my clients because I get to tap into Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 rket,” Ruby explains.

After all, meeting mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com f different people and working with their No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine nsactions is Ruby’s favorite of herGA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published materials, Top is published

by Featurepart Publications fession.

Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com.

Published in the U.S.

omes to marketing her listings, Ruby the tools provided to her as a REALTOR® well Banker. She hosts open houses for all 2 ngs, and she promotes them through the ble at her brokerage.

For more about Ruby Park, call 224-628-1132, Top Agent Magazine email Ruby.Park@cbexchange.com, or visit RubyPark.cbintouch.com www.

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How to Speed Up First-Time Homebuyer Transactions Working with first-time homebuyers can be among the most rewarding real estate transactions an agent can embark upon.

Not only are you helping guide newcomers into the housing market, but you’re also witness to the excitement and triumphs along the way, including handing over those keys for the first time. While 4

helping first-time homebuyers navigate the transactional process can be a reminder of real estate’s benevolent power, it can also come with its own bumps and bruises.

So, what’s the best way to streamline the homebuying process for first-timers, while maintaining the magic and keeping your sanity along the way?

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While helping first-time homebuyers navigate the transactional process can be a reminder of real estate’s benevolent power, it can also come with its own bumps and bruises.

Set expectations upfront and often.

It’s no secret that communication is a cornerstone of a successful real estate practice and client relationship. Amidst a transaction as complex as buying (or selling) a home, it’s important that no wires get crossed, no questions go unanswered, and no information gets lost in translation. To accomplish this, create communication parameters with your clients up front. Inquire about the communication medium they’re most comfortable with—a text, a call, an email, etc.

Then, tailor your outreach accordingly.

Also, consider setting a weekly time to check in, even if no official progress has been made. This helps clients and agents touch base, float questions and concerns, and get ahead of any problems or developments. Another helpful tool is to draft a transaction timeline for your client that outlines the major milestones along the way, what sort of information will need to be gathered, what steps taken, and what outcomes are possible. This might seem like exhaustive work, but in the era of digital research, clients will come to their own conclusions and biases Top Agent Magazine

whether you like it or not. To stay on the same page and timeline, be the foremost resource for your client, and don’t leave their questions up to chance.

Know your first-time homebuyer programs and perks.

There are a variety of national, state, regional, and local grants and programs that aid first-time homebuyers as they pay their down payment, shop for home or mortgage insurance, and otherwise deal with the financial implications of becoming a homeowner. Sometimes these programs are neighborhood-specific in certain cities, with incentives to buy in up and coming areas. In some cases, there are grants that support underrepresented minority communities breaking into homebuying, and these can go a long way in making the burden of a down payment and associated fees doable. In other words, do your research.

The right program or grant could make the difference in nabbing a dream starter home for your client, while setting them up for future financial success.

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Get pre-approved for a mortgage—and shop around for the best rate.

Not all mortgage rates are made equal. As an agent, you likely have good relationships with area lenders that you trust, but it’s still important to complete your due diligence when helping first-time homebuyers find the rate that suits their longterm housing goals. Also remember that first-time homebuyers are new to this process, and while real estate transactions are complex in their own right, the borrowing and lending processes can be alienating in their complexity. As an agent, it’s your job to play intermediary and teacher, ensuring your clients know their options, are prepared to make an educated decision, and

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feel confident that they’ve chosen correctly. Talk with your preferred mortgage partners to best outline options for your clients’ understanding, laying out a framework that’s informative, projected into the future, and allows them to feel empowered by knowledge.

All in all, working with first-time homebuyers can be an exciting and joyous occasion, as long as you’re adequately prepared for some hand-holding and instruction along the way. Aside from the enthusiasm of successful first-timers at the closing table, you’ll also enjoy the lasting benefit of strong referrals to their friends and family, many of whom will be shopping with you for their own first dream homes.

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RUBY PARK Outside of working hard and going the extra mile for each and every one of her clients, Ruby likes to stay active. She spent three years on the board of Hanul Family Alliance (HFA), a non-profit dedicated to serving senior citizens in the local area, promoting healthy aging and community engagement.

“Real estate is such a great business to be in,” says Ruby Park, a top agent with Coldwell Banker Realty in Illinois.

“I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise about buying and selling real estate. You need someone you can trust, and I am eager to serve all of my clients.”

For the past five years, Ruby has worked as a solo agent. While she focuses her listings in communities north of Chicago such as Glenview, Northbrook, Niles, Skokie, and Morton Grove, she goes wherever her clients want to be. “I can never say no to a referral,” says Ruby. She is particularly fond of working in Northbrook as she grew up in the area as well as Glenview, where she recently purchased her own home.

A large portion of Ruby’s business comes from referrals and returning clients. She credits their loyalty with her excellent customer service. “I’m always available for my clients no matter what hour it is,” she says. “They like my work ethic, my response time, and they appreciate the team of lenders and attorneys that I have.”

During her downtime, Ruby loves trying new things. Her sister, also involved in real estate, often refers to Ruby as “the world’s most interesting person.”

You can often find Ruby practicing the ukulele, participating in yoga retreats, or spending time with her four-legged showing assistant, her French Bulldog Meatball. “He’s really calm and very quiet,” says Ruby, laughing. “He comes with me to most of my showings, and all my clients know and love him!”

Looking to the future, Ruby is excited to grow her business into a team of 3-5 agents. “I would like to keep things smaller,” she says. “Sometimes, when things get too big, you lose track of what matters.

I want to be able to make sure that everyone is providing the best customer service.”

Additionally, Ruby is fluent in Korean which helps to set her apart from her fellow agents. “That really helps me reach my clients because I get to tap into another market,” Ruby explains. After all, meeting a variety of different people and working with their unique transactions is Ruby’s favorite part of her chosen profession.

When it comes to marketing her listings, Ruby utilizes all the tools provided to her as a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker. She hosts open houses for all of her listings, and she promotes them through the tools available at her brokerage.

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For more about Ruby Park, call 224-628-1132, email Ruby.Park@cbexchange.com, or visit RubyPark.cbintouch.com

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www.

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Rich Honquest is proud to congratulate

Ruby Park on being featured for the state of Illinois in Top Agent Magazine!

Rich Honquest

Senior Mortgage Advisor | NMLS #: 1845277 Preferred Rate Mortgage Lending Office: (847) 461-8359 Cell: (630) 337-5764 Fax: (847) 461-8359 Email: Rich.Honquest@preferredrate.com, Rich@TeamHonquest.com 1801 S Meyers Rd. Suite 500, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

A Division of American Pacific Mortgage - NMLS # 1850

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5 Morning Habits to Make Your Day Super Productive For many, most mornings begin with a rush—a rush to get dressed, a rush to find something edible for breakfast, a rush out the door and into rush hour. Likely you have heard articles advising you to set your

alarm early to give yourself some flexibility —which is sound advice, of course—but consider a few of these additional tweaks to your morning routine that can set a productive tone for your day at large.

1. Keep Screens Away Until Breakfast Oftentimes, our first instinct upon waking is to check-in on our phones, tablets, or computers, to scope out the latest social media updates and e-mail correspondence. While diving into the action might seem productive, studies show that waylaying screen time until you’re up and dressed, and have had a good breakfast, will actually make your first pass Top Agent Magazine

at all things digital more focused, clear, and efficient. Instead of answering a few e-mails, checking out a friend’s photos, and then hurrying to shower and dress, instead make a resolution to keep the online world at bay for the first half-hour to an hour after you rise, then you’ll approach the digital world with fresh eyes, energy, and adeptness.

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2. Meal Prep Sometimes hitting the snooze button is inevitable, but if you make prepping breakfast the night before a part of your routine, then grabbing something healthy on the go will be a snap—and your stomach will thank you for it. Load up your coffee machine ahead of time, so all you have to do

is hit brew. Or, chop up a fruit salad, mix a smoothie, or simply put a granola bar and a grapefruit in your lunch bag, ready to be grabbed on your way out the door. Even if it’s small or basic, keeping yourself fueled will keep distractions, inefficiency, and mood swings at bay.

3. Queue Up a Podcast on Your Commute Whether you’re driving, biking, or taking public transportation into the office, a podcast is a perfect way to brush up on industry knowledge. Try sourcing a podcast relative to your field and narrated by experts.

Not only will it get you thinking about the topics of your industry—while expanding

your professional vocabulary—it will also wake up your brain and get your head in the game as you prepare to launch your day. Use your commute time to bump up your knowledge and conversation points, and you’ll be ahead of the curve before you reach the office.

4. Begin with a To-Do List When work gets busy, sometimes just getting started is an overwhelming prospect.

Before you dive in to your e-mails and projects, take twenty minutes and be thoughtful as you assess your daily and weekly to-do

list items, then map them. By giving yourself a bullet point system of what you need to accomplish and by when, you can undo some of the anxiety that a busy schedule promotes.

5. Walk It Out, Even If You Missed the Gym While we often rely on coffee for our morning buzz, exercise provides a potent burst of energy that can supercharge your day. But, let’s say you’re running behind and skip the gym—all is not lost! Take fifteen minutes in

the early morning to take a walk around the block a few times. The fresh air and aerobic exercise will wake you up, get your blood moving, and provide your morning with a natural injection of motivation.

Everyone’s morning routine varies, but perhaps the first step is identifying aspects of your routine that could be improved, and tackling them from there. From waylaying

screen time distractions to getting in a little blood-pumping exercise, keep these tips in mind as you launch your most productive morning routine ever.

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MELANIE CARLSON Top Agent Magazine

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“My clients know they can trust my opinion,” Top Agent Melanie Carlson says. “They trust that I’m not just trying to get the deal done or sell them on a home; instead, I strive to build a genuine relationship with each and every one of them.”

Melanie Carlson began her career as a music teacher, but she always fostered an interest in real estate. After deciding to switch tracks, she started out as an assistant to a successful Realtor, where she was able to learn the industry from the ground up while building an organic client base.

From there, she dove in, began building her own clientele and has been going strong ever since. Today, Melanie is a Realtor for @Properties where she works with clients throughout Chicago. She has built an accomplished career centered around values of integrity, open communication, and, most of all, compassion. “My clients know they can trust my opinion,” she says. “They trust that I’m not just trying to get the deal done or sell them on a home; instead, I strive to build a genuine relationship with each and every one of them.”

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When listing a property, Melanie leverages the power of social media to lend her clients a nationwide reach. After helping her sellers fully prepare their house for the market and providing outstanding photography services, she shares their listing over a blend of targeted digital and social media campaigns. An expert with platforms like Instagram and Facebook, she also possesses an acute understanding of how to generate engagement and draw Top Agent Magazine

buzz to a given property. Melanie is equally knowledgeable when assisting her buyers.

Combining her background in education with her extensive experience with the local housing market, she carefully guides each client to their dream home—all while ensuring their transaction runs smoothly.

This approach has earned her a fantastic reputation throughout the Chicagoland area, with the near entirety of her volume coming from repeat clients and referrals.

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“I love diving into my clients’ different backgrounds and experiences,” Melanie says. “Since I work with people from all over the world, I feel as though I get to travel without even leaving Chicago.”

Through the years, Melanie has also built a vast network of international clients, fostering lasting relationships that span the globe. “I love diving into my clients’ different backgrounds and experiences,” she says.

“Since I work with people from all over the world, I feel as though I get to travel without even leaving Chicago.” Then she adds with a laugh, “I always joke that I could visit any country and likely know someone there who could give me a local restaurant recommendation.”

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Outside her career, Melanie is equally active in her community. As a member of the @ gives back board, she serves various nonprofit organizations, such as Chance the Rapper’s youth empowerment charity, SocialWorks, and Habitat for Humanity. Moreover, she supports programs like Santa’s Little Hackers, which modifies toys for children with disabilities, and volunteers annually for the Chicago Marathon.

When she’s not with clients or giving back, she can be found cycling, practicing hot yoga, or playing with her beloved dog, Harley.

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Melanie has a bold vision for the future of her business. As her volume continues its rapid growth, she intends on building out her team.

Along the way, though, she provides sound advice for any aspiring agent: “Always treat people with respect. After all, you never know

who’s watching, who knows who, or when you might need to do a deal with someone in the future. So no matter how stressful the transaction gets, never forget that there’s a human being at the other end of the table, and they have emotions, too.”

For more information about Melanie Carlson please email melaniecarlson@atproperties.com, visit atproperties.com or call (630) 885-2209 www.

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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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3 Easy At-Home DIY Projects to Increase Property Value Most homeowners have a lengthy list of chores and bit projects they intend to accomplish around the house. Oftentimes, those to-do items are completed piecemeal over a long stretch of time, or else sometimes not at all. However, when it comes time to prepare a home for market, all those tasks begin to pile-up and overwhelm. The 20

list of things to do before the photographer comes or the first open house is held might seem endless, but not if you tackle just a few things here and there as you go. These sorts of projects—easy, DIY, at-home tasks you can accomplish in a few hours or less, with tools you most likely have on hand— go a long way with marginal effort.

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Complete a quick rehab of closets and storage areas Many agents advise clients to declutter and depersonalize their spaces ahead of professional photography and home showings. The idea is to provide prospective buyers with a neutral palette. Not only does this allow them to imagine their own lives unfolding within those four walls, but it also helps make a home’s square footage stand out. One way to add visual space to your home without calling in the contractor is to declutter common storage areas and closets. When buyers can get a complete look at a closet’s capacity, or a pantry’s depth, or the garage’s full functional potential, they get a better sense of a home’s potential and thus, its value.

In that vein, consider decluttering and cleaning your high-traffic storage spaces: the garage, pantries, closets, attics, and basements. Besides, organizing and discarding unwanted items help you prep for a move anyway, while giving potential buyers a peak at how spacious your home really is.

Add easy curb appeal with a bit of sweat equity Sure, curb appeal can arrive in the form of a new mailbox, pathway lighting, or updated house numbers, but it can also come cheaper than that. Curb extends to the upkeep of your lawn, landscaping, and home’s façade, and there are plenty of ways Top Agent Magazine

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you can give these zones a refresh without spending anything but time. Keeping your front and back yard green and uniform adds a lux layer to exterior square footage.

Likewise, polishing the outside of your windows, trimming hedges, and sweeping the walkway can make a tidy and wellcared for first impression. There are other measures you can take too. Planting wildflower seeds in empty beds, or collecting some landscaping rocks to frame mulched areas can add a bit of character to your residence. Repainting the front door, ensuring trees are trimmed, and keeping back patios 22

neat and uncluttered also underscore a home at its finest, which is ripe for buyers to snatch up.

Transform tiled spaces into sparkling clean surfaces.

Bathrooms and kitchens are where sellers can stand to add plenty of value in the process of selling a home. While pricey renovations might be out of the question for some, there are still affordable and time-effective ways you can transform for these spaces for the better. Cleaning,

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bleaching, or redoing your tile grout—in either kitchens, bathrooms, or other tiled spaces—can give these high-trafficked areas a new lease on life. Ensuring windows, mirrors, stainless steel appliances and backsplashes are streak-free and polished also demonstrate to buyers that your home is well-cared for and practically move-in ready. Sometimes, the devil is in the details. You might consider relining drawers, changing out knobs and fixtures,

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or else decluttering cabinets and shelves for a fresher look.

No matter the challenges ahead as you prepare your home for sale, completing a few small tasks every weekend or so can put you miles ahead of the competition.

Without spending a dime, you can add serious value to your home’s bottom line, setting you up for success as you begin your own home-shopping adventure.

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