FLORIDA 1-24-22

FLORIDA EDITION

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REASONS WHY MULTITASKING CAN ACTUALLY DERAIL YOUR DAY FEATURED AGENT

KENDALL LEIGH KRUSZYNSKI

Connect Beyond REAL ESTATE

to Attract Future Clients

MILLENNIAL BUYERS: WHERE THEY ARE & WHAT TO KNOW

If It's Good For The Soul, IT'S GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS COVER STORY

ELLEN GVILI

FLORIDA EDITION

KENDALL LEIG 7

ELLEN GVILI

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KENDALL LEIGH KRUSZYNSKI

CONTENTS 4) CONNECT BEYOND REAL ESTATE TO ATTRACT FUTURE CLIENTS

18) MILLENNIAL BUYERS: WHERE THEY ARE WHATLeigh TO KNOW When&Kendall Kruszynski works with a client, she delivers a personal and professional 14) IF IT'S GOOD FOR 22) 4 REASONS WHY experience.

Knowing CAN how important this THE SOUL, IT'S GOOD MULTITASKING moment is for them, Kendall goes DAY out of her FOR THE BUSINESS ACTUALLY DERAIL YOUR way to ensure that they remember it as a positive experience. Originally from Michigan, she had always wanted to move to Florida, and currently serves clients throughout Palm Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 Beach and surrounding areas. mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.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.

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

Published in the U.S.

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Kendall’s interest in real estate was somewhat accidental. While going to school for nursing, she realized that path wasn’t her calling, and upon her father’s advice she decided to try her Top Agent Magazine hand at real estate. “I worked very hard, I pros-

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CONNECT BEYOND

REAL ESTATE

to Attract Future Clients What kind of content are you sharing on your blog, website, and social media? Does most of it have something to do with buying or selling a home? While sharing the latest market information or tips on how to qualify for a mortgage, or when someone should buy or sell is important and demonstrates your value as a REALTOR®, it shouldn’t be the only subject you cover. If you only focus on real estate, you’ll be missing the chance to connect with future clients that might not be ready to move just yet. By sharing a lot

of industry-heavy content, you are only going to appeal to those who are currently in the market rather than a broad base of potential clients.

To pull in those other future clients you want to provide fresh, interesting content that will appeal to those possible future clients that aren’t quite ready to move yet. However, you also want to still tie this content back into your business goals.

So, how do you share content that will speak to a wider audience, but also still be relevant to your business?

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Talk About Your Philanthropic Activities

The philanthropic work you do to support your community says a great deal about who you are as a person. Many people will be attracted to working with you because of the charitable works you are involved with. While you may be hesitant to share these efforts because you feel it may come across as bragging, you also need to remember that sharing information about the charitable organizations you support will actually help those organizations. Many of them have small marketing budgets, so any free exposure you can give them helps to promote their cause.

In fact, they want and need you to promote them.

And you can promote them without coming across as a braggart. Focus your content entirely on the organization. Talk about why you support them, how they help the community, and how others can also get involved. This turns what could have been bragging into something that benefits everyone. n

Your Local Community

We humans are connected to each other through our community – our local sports teams, parks, churches, schools, and much more. What better way is there to connect with people in your community than to talk about your community? Demonstrate that you are an expert on your community, and bring that community to your followers. Share information about a local event; perhaps even share the actual event through live-stream video. Interview city officials to get the low-down on the latest development project. Share information with your followers about things they didn’t know about their community. Consult with local historians or the historical society to share interesting information about your community that your followers will want to read. You could even turn it into a series of podcasts or videos. n

Use Your Creativity to Connect

Find creative ways to engage your followers on the topic of real estate. Try engaging your followers in an interactive project such as posting photos of interesting front doors. Doors are the entry point into our homes as well as our private lives. The way we adorn our front door can give someone a sense of our style and personality. Ask followers to submit photos and choose one to post each Friday. Make sure to watermark each photo with your logo at the bottom and include an inspirational quote that ties back to the importance of home. You could also ask your followers to provide a little story or caption to go along with the photo that tells something about them and their home. These kinds of projects are interesting and unique, and clearly connect back to your business. n

Share Your Hobbies

Are you an adrenalin junkie who has bungee jumped from some of the tallest bridges in the world? Are you a foodie that grows your own organic vegetables and fruit? Do you have a Top Agent Magazine

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secret passion for photography? Everyone has hobbies that they enjoy outside of work. When you look past the surface people become quite interesting. People also happen to find interesting people interesting, and tend to remember people based on their distinctive traits. We humans love discovering a person’s behind the scenes story, the mind behind the face. While you don’t want to talk too much about yourself, sharing pieces of your personal life and things that interest you can be a great way to connect with followers. By sharing interesting facts about your life, you will find that many followers will feel a strong, personal connection to you based on your hobbies and personal interests. n

Divulge Interesting Experiences

This is somewhat similar to the idea of sharing your hobbies. Sharing some of your more interesting personal experiences such as a fateful conversation with a stranger or an exciting adventure you had while in another country can be a great way to connect with followers as long as it also relates to some kind of life or business lesson. Talk about experiences you’ve had with clients or purchasing your own home. Experiences that relate to your business are great ways to connect with future clients in a manner that goes beyond the world of business. n

What and Who Inspires You

No matter what you’ve chosen to spend your life doing, you didn’t get there alone. You may have had a mentor that made a special impact on your life or someone already in the business that you looked up to and who perhaps inspired you to get into real estate. You may have found inspiration through a love of architecture or design. People want to know why others do the things they do. Sharing who or what influences you in your personal and business life is a great way to connect with followers. Recognizing that you didn’t get to where you are now by yourself shows humility, and talking about those people that had an influence on you shows others that you stay connected to the world and people around you.

Connecting with potential clients is something that is essential to any REALTOR’S® business. If you’re doing the work to create interesting blog posts and make those connections, you want to make sure that you’re sharing the right kind of content to draw in those future clients. It takes a lot more than simply providing the latest market news. To get the most out of what you share, you need to provide a wide array of interesting content

that will draw in a broad range of followers.

Providing the right kind of content can make all the difference when it comes to connecting with future clients and building the right kind of relationship with them right from the start. Connecting through your website or social media and sharing more than just real estate advice will help you build confidence and trust with future clients before you even meet them.

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ELLEN GVILI Top Agent Magazine

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Top Agent Ellen Gvili is a Global Real Estate Advisor for Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty, where she assists clients throughout the Florida Keys, from Key West to Key Largo, as well as clients from Europe and South America.

A resident of the Florida Keys for more than 20 years, Ellen Gvili has always been driven by a sense of curiosity and passion for helping others.

Born and raised in Germany, she would travel the world after earning her Masters Degree in North and South American Studies and Journalism, spending time in England, Spain, and South America. Upon settling down in Key West with her husband, she began to take an interest in real estate during the purchase of their home. “Right away, I fell in love with the islands and was seeking an opportunity to learn more about our local history and architecture,” she says. “So in 2002, I got my license—and I’ve been practicing real 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

estate ever since, with the goal to help others fulfill their dreams” In the years since becoming a Realtor, Ellen has gone on to author an accomplished career, establishing a network of satisfied clients that spans the world. Today, she is a Global Real Estate Advisor for Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty, where she assists clients throughout the Florida Keys, from Key West to Key Largo, as well as clients from Europe and South America.

Also featured on HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain Hunt, she specializes in the sale of unique properties, like waterfront homes, Victorian style Top Agent Magazine

mansions or Conch homes in the historic district of Key West. A good number of these Old Town homes date from the 19th century, and reflect the building styles and cultures of the early settlers: Bahamian shipwreck salvagers, New England sea captains and Cuban cigar barons. Some were built by the shipbuilder-carpenters of the 1800s.

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Ellen also represented the seller and the buyer in the sale of the Old Stone church, a mixed use property that was converted into a gallery and two residential spaces. But no matter the transaction, she has cultivated a truly remarkable workflow around values of honesty, integrity, and personalized service.

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Ellen has earned a fantastic reputation across the Florida Keys—and the world. Fluent in German and Spanish, and understanding French and Hebrew, she fully embraces the process of collaborating with her international clients, maintaining a strong standard of communication above all else.

When listing a home, Ellen is there for her clients each step of the way. After helping them fully prepare their property for the market and equipping them with a suite of professional resources, from standout staging, photography to videography, she broadcasts their home over a blend of targeted digital and social media campaigns. Along the way, she also shares her listings via print advertisements in the local and national newspapers; in fact, she is even about to launch her own home and lifestyle magazine, which will provide yet another platform for her sellers.

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In the meantime, Ellen is just as hands-on with her buyers, leveraging her extensive professional sphere and in-depth knowledge of the Florida Keys to locate the right home for their best interests. Moreover, she stays in touch long after the deals are done to keep each client fully apprised of the market and ensure they are enjoying life in their dream home. “When you live in a paradise like this, you don’t sell houses, you sell a lifestyle and help people in achieving their dreams,” she says.

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Through the years, Ellen has earned a fantastic reputation across the Florida Keys—and the world.

Fluent in German and Spanish, and understanding French and Hebrew, she fully embraces the process of collaborating with her international clients, maintaining a strong standard of communication above all else. “Throughout my life, I have always been interested in traveling and visiting different cultures,” she says. “At the end of the day, I cherish any opportunity to learn about other people and uncover exactly what they’re looking for.”

Outside her career, Ellen is deeply involved in her community. On top of contributing to her local Top Agent Magazine

animal shelter and youth sports, she also supports the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, and the Key West Art and Historical Society. When she’s not with clients or giving back, she enjoys traveling, yoga, playing tennis or relaxing at home with her beloved husband, two boys, and their Yorkie.

In addition, her eldest son, who is in college studying International Business, has recently followed in her footsteps, passing his real estate exam and currently serving as her assistant.

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Going forward, Ellen has strong ambitions for the future of her business. Most recently, she has partnered up with a fellow agent, who is also licensed in Chicago, to build her own team, and in the months

ahead, she is excited to further scale the boutique model of service that has set her apart in the region.

More than anything, though, she can’t wait for the new clients that await on the islands—and beyond.

For more information about Ellen Gvili, call 305-304-2933, email egvili@oceansir.com, or visit floridakeysbesthomes.com https://

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If it’s good for the soul,

IT’S GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS

Visibility, name recognition and knowing you’re supporting the community that makes your success possible are good reasons to take part in community service. But how is it that some people seem to be able to give time to charities while running their own businesses, managing their own families and households, exercising regularly, attending sporting events and concerts, eating well and sleeping seven or eight hours a night?

The truth is, not all agents are able to do everything so easily. But more important is the fact that no one needs to do everything all of the time. The trick is to make sure that, whatever you do holds meaning.

REALTORS® and mortgage professionals who seem the most gregarious in their community outreach are those whose giving seems to fill their own souls. When their 14

volunteer efforts or donations directly impact causes they or their clients care deeply about, “giving back” becomes energizing.

Jason O’Quinn of Prime Lending in Dallas Texas, for instance, says that his family’s ongoing work building homes for some of the poorest families in Honduras fills him immeasurably. “It rejuvenates me,” he says.

“There’s quite a dichotomy between the houses we build there and the houses we finance here,” he says. “It refocuses me, going from financing $1 million homes in Dallas to physically laying cinderblock for $10,000 homes in Honduras. Everything has more meaning when we sacrificially give of our time, talent and treasure.”

The longtime “big picture” for Colorado REALTOR® and property manager, Linda

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Todd, for instance, has included giving back to the community, whether serving as a lead carpenter for Habitat for Humanity, making deliveries for Meals on Wheels, or pitching in for the sake of baseball. And through her lifelong passion for baseball, she harmoniously blended her personal interests, her work and her community service. For many years, she was so involved Little League the local league named a new field after her. “I cried for 3 days after they told me that!” She and her husband also started a scholarship fund for junior college baseball players and serve as a host family for the rookie league of the Colorado Rockies, putting up newly drafted players in their home.

For Florida REALTOR® and property manager, Mario Gonzalez, neither his business nor his primary community outreach would exist without the other. A retired U.S. Navy pilot, Mario formed his brokerage, Navy to Navy Homes, when he saw a need for military personnel to find affordable homes to purchase. “We got into it to help, but that led to a full-blown real estate business.” Besides providing opportunities for investment and homeownership, the company donates 35% of every commission to Homes for Heroes, veterans’ groups, or organizations benefiting fire, police, medical organizations, churches and homeless shelters. “We’re small, but we give so much back that we were the top Homes for Heroes company in Florida and

top-five nationwide.” But he does none of this for the attention. His friends may call him the “Humble Hero of Heroes,” but helping is Mario’s passion. “To be such a small business and be the top Homes for Heroes affiliate is mind boggling!”

Like Mario, for many, the best service takes place in simple and quiet ways. Illinois REALTOR®, Susie Scheuber, for example, takes a humble approach to giving back. Although she donates a portion of every commission check to the Children’s Miracle Network, she doesn’t discuss this with clients unless they happen to ask. “I do it because I want to and because, to me, giving back is the right thing to do when you’ve been fortunate in business and life,” says Susie.

We all know how inertia works; the more energized we get by certain behaviors, the more likely we are to continue those behaviors. For some top agents, community outreach has become such a natural routine of their daily lives that they never find it burdensome. A good way to add community service into your life, therefore, is through the causes that mean the most to you. For starters, consider giving a small donation after closing to the charity of your client’s choosing. Learning the different causes that they care about just might foster a new mission for you.

If you have a unique story to share about how your community outreach has impacted your life and your business or inspired others, click here for consideration in our magazines: www.topagentmagazine.com/nominate-a-real-estate-agent-to-be-featured Top Agent Magazine

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KENDALL LEIGH KRUSZYNSKI

When Kendall Leigh Kruszynski works with a client, she delivers a personal and professional experience. Knowing how important this moment is for them, Kendall goes out of her way to ensure that they remember it as a positive experience. Originally from Michigan, she had always wanted to move to Florida, and currently serves clients throughout Palm Beach and surrounding areas.

A large part of Kendall’s success is her natural inclination to help others. “I always knew I wanted to help people, but I didn’t realize just how much of an impact I could have while working in this business. As an agent, you’re almost like a psychologist in many situations, which is pretty amazing. There truly is no better

Kendall’s interest in real estate was somewhat accidental. While going to school for nursing, she realized that path wasn’t her calling, and upon her father’s advice she decided to try her hand at real estate. “I worked very hard, I prospected, I studied, I worked at mastering my craft, and now I’m proud to say that I’m one of the top agents at my office.” While she started out as a solo agent, she has recently partnered up with her long term partner, Chris Gieseking.

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feeling than seeing a smile on my client’s face at the end of a transaction,” she explains.

Finishing this year with $10.5 million in sales volume, Kendall believes it’s her tireless work ethic and her strong desire to help clients get to the next chapter of their life that continues to drive and motivate her. “You spend a lot of time with someone when they’re looking for a home. It’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and when it all comes together at the end it feels amazing. I love helping people move to that next chapter of their life. Usually it’s a positive thing, even if it’s coming from a bad situation.”

Aside from her love of real estate, Kendall is a fierce advocate for animals. She donates to local animal shelters and fights to save our oceans. “I’m a big animal activist. If I could save them all, I would!” She also partakes in various volunteer activities within her office.

When she’s not helping clients or saving animals, she loves to spend her time traveling to different places. “When I say traveling is my passion, I really mean that. There is nothing more that I love in life than being able to go to a new place, experience new things, and meet new people,” she says, and adds, “When it comes to real estate and traveling, what excites me the most is talking to new people and learning about where they come from and their unique life story.”

In the future, Kendall wants to focus on continuing to grow her business and becoming more involved in her neighborhood. “I want people in my community to know who I am, and for all the right reasons! Having an impact on my community is important to me, and I want the world to be a better place because I’m in it.”

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To contact Kendall Leigh Kruszynski email Kendallk@kw.com, visit kendallkgroup.com, or call (561) 400 – 4392. www.

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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 18

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 Top Agent Magazine

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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4 Reasons Why Multitasking Can Actually Derail Your Day Common wisdom dictates that a master multitasker is likely to garner the most success. After all, doesn’t juggling multiple projects at once mean you’ll work faster than if you took each one as it came? While multitasking is often cited as a desirable skill—and surely serves its purpose now and again—studies show that a mere 2% of individuals can actually multitask effectively. Meanwhile, the remaining 98% might be doing more harm than good by trying 22

to tackle too much at once. Take a look below at some little-known facts about the risky side of waging a routine built on multitasking.

1. Multitasking decreases productivity While multitasking gives us the illusion of completing two tasks at once, it actually means

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our focus and productivity is split. In other words, switching back and forth between two activities doesn’t mean they’ll each be completed sooner; it means that you’re getting half-as-much complete as you would if you focused on a singular task. Multitasking fatigues your brain, elicits stress, and make you less efficient in retaining new information.

2. Multitasking is actually addictive While watching TV or taking a walk, have you ever noticed the impulse to check your smartphone or scroll through your social media feed? Even though we think about multitasking as a workplace skill, it’s also an addictive form of mental stimulation. By satiating our need for distraction with constant check-ins online, we become accustomed to frequent breaks in our focus, training us to crave updates, messages, and push notifications—we even hit refresh when we’ve checked in five minutes prior! This negative habit-building makes it difficult to complete sustained bouts of concentration.

3. Multitasking has negative physical side effects Studies show that those who juggle multiple focus-intensive activities actually show spikes in cortisol, a stress hormone. Likewise, frequent multitaskers display symptoms of sleep deprivation: fatigue, disorientation, and lack of focus. Studies in Europe have recently Top Agent Magazine

discovered that those who consistently multitask may actually show decreases in empathy and emotional control. What’s more, a constant sense of anticipation—readying to switch from one task to another, or persistently checking for e-mail updates—can potentially cause a decrease in overall IQ.

4. Multitasking breeds mistakes When our attention is split between tasks, it’s difficult to perceive and retain detail-oriented information. Because of this, mistakes—typos, clerical errors, mislabeled documents, and the like—occur with greater frequency. We’re in such a hurry to complete a portion of a task and switch to the next project that we lose sight of prompts, deadlines, and tying up loose ends. This means multitaskers are far more likely to overlook a glaring error than an individual who is devoting 100% of their attention to the task at hand.

Now that we understand some of the dangers of multitasking, what can we do about it? While our tech-driven day-to-day might make focusing on a singular task a difficult endeavor, it’s the surest way to produce efficient, error-free work—while cutting down on stress, fatigue, and miscommunication.

Try approaching your tasks for the day with a clear-cut schedule, moving one task at a time down your to-do list. This approach can eliminate some of the inefficiency inherent in multitasking and make for your most productive work routine yet.

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