COSTA RICA 8-23-21

COSTA RICA EDITION

6 Ways to GET YOUR CLIENT TO TRUST YOU

MILLENNIAL BUYERS:

Where They Are & What to Know

HOW TO BUILD A TEAM

THAT WILL WIN BIG NO MATTER ITS SIZE

FEATURED AGENT

MARI BRENES

COVER STORY

DAVEED HOLLANDER

COSTA RICA EDITION

MARI BRENES When she founded Palm Real 9 Estate in 2009, Mari Brenes wanted to provide a service that extended far beyond her client’s expectations. “This business is about building relationships with people. It’s more than just helping a client buy or sell a home. We guide our clients through the process and make sure they make a well-informed decision, and we continue to serve them in any way DAVEED HOLLANDER we can after the closing.”

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French and Russian. Together they’ve built a reputation that is second to none. “We understand the importance of a strong clientagent relationship.”

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS LINK

When she’s not working, Mari likes to hang out with her family and friends, or spend a MARI BRENES day enjoying the local sights in and around Playas del Coco. When asked if Based in Playas del Coco in the beautiful she was planning on expanding her territory Guanacaste region, Palm Real Estate also she replied, “I want to open other offices in serves the Playa Hermosa, Playa Ocotal, Playa Guanacaste as soon as I find the right agents CONTENTS Panama and Playa Matapalo area. Because of that share our values and commitment. Until their lovely beaches, bountiful amenities and then my priority is to continue to offer the easy transit to the Liberia International Airport, excellent service that my clients deserve.”

4) 6 WAYS TO GET YOUR 15) MILLENNIAL BUYERS: all of these beach communities in the CLIENT TO TRUST PapagayoYOU area are popular with buyers WHERE THEY ARE & WHAT looking for retirement or vacation TO KNOW homes.

6) HOW TO BUILD A TEAM Mari BIG startedNO her career in sales 22) 5 SIMPLE MINDSET THAT WILL WIN and marketing at the Four Seasons SHIFTS THAT WILL HELP YOU MATTER ITS Residence SIZE Club. She then started working for ERA Real Estate and ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Better Homes Costa Rica before opening Palm Real Estate in 2009.

She’s been connecting buyers and sellers ever since. Closing more than If you would like Mari’s help buying or selling 100 transactions annually, her team Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 is well positioned to serve both local a property in the Papagayo area, contact her and international clients.

Combined mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com at 011 (506) 8352-9923 or they are fluent in Spanish, English, email mari@palmrealestatecr.com No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent

Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

Copyright Top Agent Magazine To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com.

Published in the U.S.

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6 Ways to Get Your Client to Trust You The word “REALTOR®” can leave a sour taste in some people’s mouths. Many of today’s home buyers and sellers grew up during the 2009 recession. They are wary of anything 4

or anyone who comes off as too salesy, and they want to work with individuals who they can trust.

But how do you prove to someone you’ve likely never met that you can be trusted?

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Put Testimonials or Case Studies on Your Website

When something goes wrong, own up to your mistakes. Don’t hide bad news from your clients. Be upfront and responsive.

Testimonials and case studies are social proof that you have both the experience and the skills to do the job your clients are hiring you for. People often leave testimonials when they are either incredibly disappointed or extremely happy with the service they were provided, so they’re a good indication to prospective clients of the treatment they’ll receive.

Case studies, which you can post on your blog or website, have much of the same effect, but even more than testimonials, case studies demonstrate your real estate and finance expertise because they explain how you achieved a specific set of results.

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Be Responsive and Accessible

Can your clients reach you easily? That doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7, but you should respond to your clients within a few hours of receiving their message. When agents don’t respond to their clients’ calls or emails for days on end or fail to provide them with a direct line of contact, their clients’ experience can quickly become frustrating.

Agents are busy but so are their clients. If you constantly show up late to or reschedule meetings, your clients won’t feel like their time is respected or their business is valued. Make sure you set a realistic schedule for yourself rather than spreading yourself too thin.

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Be Honest and Transparent

Sometimes you don’t have the answer to a client’s question. Be honest about your strengths, weaknesses, and the limits of your knowledge. A good response might be, “I don’t know, but I can find out.” Be transparent with your clients, and they’ll respect you for it.

You should always act in their best interest.

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Go the Extra Mile

If you do the bare minimum, that’s what your clients will remember. Their experience won’t be memorable, and they won’t gush about you in online testimonials or in real life to people they know who could use your services. It’s that simple.

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Put Yourself in Your Client’s Shoes

Clients understand that you need to earn money, but that doesn’t mean they want to feel like they’re just a dollar sign to you. Be empathetic to your client’s concerns, even if you’ve heard it all before. Your clients should know that you are there for them.

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Be Consistent

Being responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable shouldn’t be an act. If you “turn on” your personality for clients and then suddenly become a different person when they leave the room, it’s likely that the cracks in your mask will eventually become apparent.

But “faking it till you make it” is so common it’s become a cliché. When we are starting out, we don’t always have the systems or resources in place to create a smooth client journey, from onboarding to closing, so instead we constantly try to reinvent the wheel. Give yourself time to pause, slow down, and reevaluate your workflow. Creating systems creates

consistency, and those systems can and should be constantly updated.

Developing trust between you and your clients will take time, but doing these things can give you a running start.

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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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DAVEED HOLLANDER Top Agent Magazine

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Daveed Hollander, CEO and Global Luxury Agent of the Master Franchisor for Coldwell Banker Costa Rica, where he and his team service clients throughout the coastal and city markets and on both coasts of Costa Rica.

Throughout his life, Daveed Hollander has been drawn to real estate. After coming to Costa Rica 20 years ago to tap into its luxury market, he proceeded to build a business from the ground up, expanding from one to twelve offices and establishing a worldwide network of satisfied clients. Today, he is the CEO and Global Luxury Agent of the Master Franchisor for Coldwell Banker Costa Rica, where he and his team service clients throughout the coastal 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

and city markets and on both coasts of Costa Rica. Specializing in luxury residential and boutique hotel properties, he has collaborated with his expert staff and team members to raise the bar of service throughout the region.

Having decades of experience, the 10 franchise offices of Coldwell Banker Costa Rica feature the largest and best selection of Costa Rica properties for sale and offer clients the most professional service.

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When listing a home, Daveed and his team, which operates with their company MLS in Costa Rica, equip their clients with a comprehensive strategy. Utilizing their renowned system of internal networking, along with the myriad resources at Coldwell Banker, they share their listings not only to each of their own offices in Costa Rica, but also to over 140 Top Agent Magazine

international websites. Along the way, Daveed is hands-on with every client, attending open house showings and maintaining a strong standard of integrity throughout.

In the meantime, Daveed is just as devoted to his buyers, leveraging his decades of experience and extensive knowledge of the region to guide 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

them to the right property for their best interests.

With clients spanning the globe from California to Canada or even Europe, he is there to equip anyone with savvy insights into the state of his niche market.

And no matter what, Daveed and his team provide their clients with outstanding service with Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

each step of their transaction. “The average buyers for our beach and city markets are coming from other countries, looking for luxury properties,” he says. “As such, many of our clients can take between 1.5 and 2.5 years to purchase from the first day we meet them. So we have a robust back-end system to communicate with them and keep them updated on a consistent basis.”

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With clients spanning the globe from California to Canada or even Europe, he is there to equip anyone with savvy insights into the state of his niche market.

Outside his career, Daveed is deeply involved with his community. Alongside his team, he supports various groups and organizations around Costa Rica, from contributing to the local Lifeguard Foundation to sponsoring a local surf team. Elsewhere, he also lends frequent assistance to individuals and families in need. When he’s not with clients or giving back, Daveed, an avid surfer, can be found relaxing on the beach, going on hikes with his Top Agent Magazine

family, or enjoying all the magic Costa Rica has to offer. “We live in a truly beautiful place,” he says. “One moment here, you can be on the beach, and within an hour and a half, you could be curling up by a fire in the mountains with your family.”

Going forward, Daveed has strong plans for his business. Looking to open several new offices in the coming years, he is focused on scaling Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13

the technology and model of client service that have set him apart in the region, becoming a one-stop shop for any buyer or seller. “There’s nothing more rewarding than interacting with clients and inspiring that love of Costa Rica in them. Whether I’m bringing our team together to give clients a full experience or connecting hotel or luxury buyers with our market, every transaction lights up my day.”

According to The Happy Planet Index, Costa Rica was rated the Greenest and Happiest country on the planet. If your dream is walking out your back door to watch the waves crash on a quiet and exotic beach and having access to abundant resources like spring water, fruits, vegetables, wildlife, scenery, beaches, waterfalls, majestic mountains, rainforests, and great food, your dreams are closer than you think.

Find the Costa Rica property of your dreams with the team at Coldwell Banker Costa Rica.

For more information, visit coldwellbankercostarica.com, email info@coldwellbankercostarica.com, or call (506) 7270-0067 http://

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Millennial Buyers: Where They Are & What to Know Homebuyers and sellers come from all walks of life. If you’ve been an agent for long, you’ve likely worked alongside a wide variety of folks—from first-timer homeowners and down-sizers, to second home searchers and those finally hunting for their dream home. While there is hardly a shortage of diversity in the housing market, there Top Agent Magazine

is one generation that is making big strides in homeownership these days: Millennials.

Millennials can be loosely defined as those between the ages of twenty-two to thirtyseven. As you can see, this constitutes a wide swathe of the population. If you’re an agent who stands to learn a bit more about

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a demographic whose influence and homeownership goals are rapidly evolving, tune in below for a few pointers that can help you expand a segment of your clientele in the process.

Where do Millennials prefer to buy?

Many Millennials came of age during or immediately following the Great Recession, and as such, many of them relocated or returned to mid-size cities and smaller communities where the cost of living was most affordable. Of course, there are countless Millennials that call the U.S.’s major cities home—especially those in the

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tech industry. The good news is that you can court Millennial clientele no matter where you service area is located. That said, community amenities are of great importance to this generation. They value public transportation, green space, and entertainment—from coffee shops and topnotch restaurants to farmer’s markets and boutiques. Emphasizing those attributes will be key in selling to Millennials and locating neighborhoods they’re most interested in.

What sort of communication do Millennials prefer?

Most Millennials are digital natives, or close to. That means they grew up learning

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how to navigate digital spaces, and prefer to communicate through mediums like email, text, and social media. This isn’t to say that Millennials aren’t good communicators, but they’re often on the go, and have learned to research and shop online. To accommodate this, it’s best to build a presence across the most popular listing portals and social media platforms. Although, it’s not enough to establish a site and wait for the calls to come in. Responsiveness is a key factor for Millennials, who expect speedy response times. Make sure you’re checking your inbox frequently, responding accordingly, and engaging with your audience online. This will let Millennials know

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that you’re savvy, available, and understand the value of their preferred method of communication.

Are Millennials ready to buy?

It’s a common misconception that Millennials are uninterested in the rite of passage of purchasing a home. While Millennials maybe waiting a bit longer than their parents did to buy a home, there are good reasons to explain this phenomenon. For starters, Millennials entered the job market during the downturn, which means they are more conservative when making big purchases, and have to play catch-up to reach a sound

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financial position. Likewise, student loan debt has proved a major financial inhabitation for Millennials. Instead of socking away a few hundred a month to save for a home, they’re forking over that cash to pay down their educational loans. How does a Realtor compete with this reality? For starters, a bit of understanding goes a long way. Work with your mortgage partners to find financing possibilities that cater to this younger demographic. Recognize that Millennials—like most buyers—have some trepidations when buying a home.

Also consider fielding Millennial clientele with the long view in mind. You might be 18

courting them for months or more until they’re ready to take the plunge, but they’re also famous for their reviews. When a job is done well, Millennials shout it from the rooftops—or at least share it a dozen time from their phone.

As time passes, Millennials will continue to dominate the marketplace when it comes to buying and selling homes. A little self-education on this powerful demographic can go a long way. If you know your clients and your audience, you’ll be in a far better position to serve their interests and make a customer for life.

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MARI BRENES When she founded Palm Real Estate in 2009, Mari Brenes wanted to provide a service that extended far beyond her client’s expectations. “This business is about building relationships with people. It’s more than just helping a client buy or sell a home. We guide our clients through the process and make sure they make a well-informed decision, and we continue to serve them in any way we can after the closing.”

French and Russian. Together they’ve built a reputation that is second to none. “We understand the importance of a strong clientagent relationship.”

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS LINK

Based in Playas del Coco in the beautiful Guanacaste region, Palm Real Estate also serves the Playa Hermosa, Playa Ocotal, Playa Panama and Playa Matapalo area. Because of their lovely beaches, bountiful amenities and easy transit to the Liberia International Airport, all of these beach communities in the Papagayo area are popular with buyers looking for retirement or vacation homes.

Mari started her career in sales and marketing at the Four Seasons Residence Club. She then started working for ERA Real Estate and Better Homes Costa Rica before opening Palm Real Estate in 2009.

She’s been connecting buyers and sellers ever since. Closing more than 100 transactions annually, her team is well positioned to serve both local and international clients. Combined they are fluent in Spanish, English, Top Agent Magazine

When she’s not working, Mari likes to hang out with her family and friends, or spend a day enjoying the local sights in and around Playas del Coco. When asked if she was planning on expanding her territory she replied, “I want to open other offices in Guanacaste as soon as I find the right agents that share our values and commitment. Until then my priority is to continue to offer the excellent service that my clients deserve.”

If you would like Mari’s help buying or selling a property in the Papagayo area, contact her at 011 (506) 8352-9923 or email mari@palmrealestatecr.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 19

Laughs!

Graham Harrop Graham Harrop Cartoons Cartoons

Putting the power of humour to work for you!

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5 Simple Mindset Shifts That Will Help You Achieve Your Goals

Everyone knows that a positive attitude is one of the key steps to achieving success. It’s very easy to let negativity bring you down and oftentimes, people end up quitting at the first set back. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a negative person, you’re probably doing numerous things you don’t even realize are holding you back.

Recognizing these negative mindsets, and then implementing simple mindset shifts, are sure to help you not only create a more positive outlook, but a more successful outcome to whatever goal you’re trying to achieve.

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1

Turn jealousy into admiration

It’s very easy to look at someone who has what you want, and feel envious, which quickly turns into criticism and excuses about why you weren’t able to get what they seemed to get with ease. This is something successful people never do. Instead, they recognize that the only thing keeping them from success is themselves.

If you want what someone else has, you should look to them as a role model. What

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are they doing that you aren’t? There’s probably more to their story than you’re giving them credit for. Someone else’s success doesn’t hinder your ability to do the same, but constantly having a ‘life’s not fair’ attitude definitely will.

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Tackle the things you dread doing first

We all procrastinate to some extent. Usually it’s things we don’t want to do. But when you put something like that off, it creates a serious cloud over your whole day.

Experts recommend getting those things out of the way first. Not only do get it crossed off your list, but you will feel energized by your accomplishments and tackle the day with even more force.

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Don’t make decisions based on emotion

Reaching goals, especially long term ones, can have a lot of ups and downs. The key to achieving them is to stay level-headed during setbacks, really focusing on your plan and how the setback fits into your long term vision.

If you have a solid plan in place, you could be destroying months of hard work with one rash emotional decision, that is probably coming from a place of panic.

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you’re back in a rational state of mind and take it from there.

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Learn to love feedback

It’s very easy to be thrown off by negative feedback or constructive criticism. No one likes it. But when it comes to achieving your goals, you need to be able to hear it, assess it and then make an unemotional decision about what it means to you and your success.

In fact the business world’s most successful leaders are there because they not only take in that feedback, they actually constantly ask for it. Fresh perspectives on what you’re doing are always valuable. When you’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to see what needs improvement. Asking a trusted peer or advisor can be instrumental in keeping the momentum on reaching your goal going.

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Replace a fixed mindset with a growth mindset

You might be wondering what the difference between the two are. A fixed mindset thinks that growing intelligence or skills is impossible, while a growth mindset thinks those things can be developed.

People with a growth mindset are more likely to expand beyond their comfort zone, since they really believe almost anything is possible with hard work. And if it isn’t?

They’re willing to give it a try. Being willing to try and fail, is a key element to reaching even the most lofty goals.

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