Florida 12-4-17

FLORIDA EDITION

GOOGLE ADWORDS: How to Make Google do the Work for You Why Millennials are Now the HOTTEST SEGMENT OF THE BUYERS MARKET

Creative Ways to SAY THANK YOU 5 Fresh New Approaches to CONTENT MARKETING

FEATURED AGENTS

COVER STORY

KAREN M. RISCINTO

CARL GENTILE KEVIN O'KEEFE

FLORIDA EDITION

7

17

23 KEVIN CARL GENTILE

Though Carl Gentile came toHospitality real estate of at a young age, he already had people’s achieved Kevin O’Ke astonishing success in the fields of sports a 25-year ca medicine and entrepreneurship. Afte sports bars, graduating from Endicott College in Bos from that li ton with a degree in SportsJersey Medicine nativ he worked for the World Tennis Tou west Florid before being recruited his restauran KAREN M. RISCINTO CARL GENTILE KEVIN O'KEEFE by businessman Bill Koch’s team to move to Palm with aBeach com and design a sports medicine facility for the restaurants.

Byprestigious the time of Oxbridge his 2007 gainedCarl terrific exposure to commerc Academy. This experience allowed to create a phenomena market crashed and real From estate there expe network through the student and alumni population. estate would take several years to rec CONTENTS Carl took a job as the Head of Sports Medicine for a Major League of selling Lacrosse Team, the Florida Launch.

His homes. next move was to start his own company, Niche For Men, creating a product he brought to 4) 5 FRESH NEW 19) GOOGLE ADWORDS: He hadn’t known what to expect of h mass market HOW and sold TO nationally.

After that experience, he decided APPROACHES TO CONTENT MAKE tial realGOOGLE estate, but Kevin quickly fou to move into real estate. He received a Rookie of the Year Award MARKETING DO THE WORK FOR anxiety” thatYOU people feel when makin and in short time he’s becometheir the lives. go-to “Change realtor for world class breeds anxiety, luxury properties in his area. comes In hisfrom first the year his annual unknown, but Isales use totaled $7 million and in his second yearexperience he almosttotripled that transaction help peop 13) WHY MILLENNIALS reaching $2022) CREATIVE WAYS TO million in sales.that “I jumped in full force,”onhethe says may arise.”

He thrives re ARE NOW THE HOTTEST with a humbleSAY THANK YOU smile. he provides his clients helps calm th

SEGMENT OF THE BUYERS to make change. “It’s a gratifying dreamteam home.”

MARKET Based in Jupiter, Florida, Carl find leadstheir a strong of five serving

2

Jupiter, Tequesta, Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast. How did Covering Southwest he become so incredibly successful in such a shortFlorida time? cities “I was with transactions ranging from $50 fortunate enough that people who knew me, knew my background Phone 888-461-3930 | Fax 310-751-7068 oceanfront mansions, Kevinto and my work ethic.” Carl let million his network know he’d begun his clientele.

“I have a small team mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com work as a realtor and they flocked to him quickly. Carl’s youtho he says, describing his client concie No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher.

Top Agentunderstanding o experience growing companies and tech-savvy cialist and hisoftransaction coordinato Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy published the latest marketing trends set him apart from other realtors in the productive with my high level of cus materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. area. “I understand 2017, and where we are going,” Carl says To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com.

Published in the U.S. He’s taught himself Photoshop, coding and the ins-and-outs That level of service takes shape ino cutting-edge online marketing.ing “I’ve usedinthose to increase clients their skills personal lives to my exposure online and the exposure I drive to properties.” As a Agent millennial, Carl is attached to his phoneTop and hisMagazine email and thus provides an unparalleled level of communication with his clients

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine

3

5 Fresh New Approaches to Content Marketing A couple of weeks ago we were conducting a workshop when we were asked two excellent questions about content marketing:

• People

don’t want to hear from a roofing company every day. So how do you produce fresh and interesting content for social media that goes beyond your core services and yet ties back to your business?

• Can

you extend your social media presence and content to include personal things (like your hobbies) and how does that affect your overall business image?

4

The workshop attendee who asked the first question was right. Almost no one wants to hear from any company every day… especially if all the content is about products and services…and yes, even if they’re giving helpful tips and information. Does that mean you should stop producing excellent daily content related to your business? No, of course not! Content is created for two reasons.

First, to provide knowledge, expertise and even entertainment to your ideal customers in order to achieve top of mind awareness as an authority in your industry. And second, to produce SEO-rich results that keep you at the top of search engines. You must strike a

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

balance between the two, and try to include content that draws people in by being super interesting and entertaining….and yes, sometimes personal.

To help answer those content questions above, here are five different types of content (beyond the traditional stuff) that can give your brand a fresh, unique and balanced approach:

1. PHILANTHROPIC Your community efforts say a lot about who you are, and people will make an extra effort to do business with you as a result of this connection. We’ve consulted business owners who are very hesitant to promote these efforts because they don’t want it to seem as though they are exploiting the charities and organizations—and most especially because they don’t do it for the promotional aspects. They do it to give back. I ask you to keep this in mind. Nonprofit and charitable organizations very often have small marketing budgets. Not only do they rely on outside marketing forces to promote their initiatives, they would likely be forced to close their doors without that support. That means that when someone with a strong brand and presence promotes them, it’s a highly trusted and personal connection, and you can’t buy that kind of support. In other words, they not only need you to promote them, they want you to promote them. But your instincts are correct. It’s not about you. So just make sure your entire content focuses on the organization you’re helping, what they do for the community and how Top Agent Magazine

others can join in the cause. Then it becomes a huge win for all.

2. HOBBIES You bungee jumped from four of the tallest bridges in the U.S. In your spare time, you go fly fishing. You love playing chef and use only locally grown, organic foods. Your friends are always begging you to go to Vegas with your card shark talents. You’ve done mission work in Africa and would like to start your own group. You almost played professional baseball. You have an insane talent for gardening design or bass guitar.

Your family works at a soup kitchen once a month. Ok…you get the picture. And two more words. Reality TV. People are interesting…and people are interested in interesting people. We remember others based on these unique traits. And most of all, people love the story behind the face. Don’t be afraid to share your hobbies. Quite often, it’s the first thing that will personally connect you to a prospect.

3. CREATIVE CONNECTION This one is perhaps our favorite. While we can’t imagine seeing something come across our news feed from a landscaping company every day, imagine this for a moment. What are we always told to remember in this hectic world? Stop and smell the roses, right? So what if…a landscaping company posted a beautiful flower each day, just to remind you to ‘stop and smell the roses’. And at the bottom of that photo (small print), you included

Top Agent Magazine

5

the type of flower and type of environment needed to make it flourish (moist soil, full sun, etc.). And then, of course, watermarked it with your logo….and a title like, “Sam’s Daily Reminder: It’s Time to Stop & Smell the Roses”. You could even include some great, thought-provoking quotes. It has the personal connection (Sam), the business connection (flowers & logo watermark) and a cool creative connector (pause the meetings and paperwork to take a moment and appreciate life by noticing this beautiful flower). This is a great idea for staying ‘top of mind’ and connecting business with the kind of creative messaging people wouldn’t mind seeing every day.

4. EXPERIENCES This one is similar to hobbies from the personal aspect, but instead of something that identifies us like our hobbies, our experiences are random happenings that can have great interest and meaning to our audience.

Whether you have a unique experience buying a new car or a fateful conversation with a stranger in the airport, if you feel it ties into a life lesson or business lesson you’d like to share, by all means do. The lesson is to keep your radar up 24/7. Any experiences you have which relate to your

ideal customer are an opportunity to connect beyond the business world. And when we do that, we become a part of the family.

5. INFLUENCERS “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. You’ve probably heard that saying, and the same is true whether you are a teenager or a business owner. Maybe you’ve learned a lot of your business knowledge from Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Warren Buffet…or you like to quote Benjamin Franklin. Perhaps you have some mentors you’d like to recognize and tell why they’re important to you. Sharing the people and things that influence us is what makes us human. No matter how successful your business, you didn’t get there alone. People and circumstances shaped you along the way. Recognizing others for their contribution in our lives, large or small, is important in staying connected and grounded.

We hope these five types of content help you to put a fresh spin on what you share with your audience, whether personal or professional. We believe you must have the combination of both to build an incredible brand.

Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder of BrandFace®, LLC. Michael Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace® partner. Together, they focus on personal branding and marketing designed to help real estate professionals become the face of their business & a star in their market. BrandFace® for Real Estate Professionals is a book, professional speaking series and an exclusive workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com.

6

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

KAREN M. RISCINTO Top Agent Magazine

7

KAREN M. RISCINTO Top Agent and Broker Karen M. Riscinto of Florida Lifestyle Realty Group Inc. is perhaps the most well-rounded and seasoned real estate veteran currently working in the Sunshine State. With nearly twenty-eight years of cumulative experience, she is ideally suited to help her many grateful customers with the often-convoluted selling or buying process.

Karen firmly believes in her chosen profession and continues to educate herself and has attained several designations: CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert), CIPS (Certified International Property Expert) & MRP (Military Relocation Professional).

8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Karen got her start in 1979, running a job construction site. “I started out in construction,” she says, “but kept progressing forward. I’ve been on the finance side, lender side, the developer side, and the banking side, so I’ve seen all different angles of the real estate market.”

Obtaining her real estate license in 1988, she has since been providing her many customers with top-notch customer service that keep them returning to her again and again, and sending a great many referrals her way.

Selling primarily in Lake County, she does not limit herself geographically. “My motto is Top Agent Magazine

Have Car, Will Travel,” she laughs. “So I will go anywhere in Central Florida, or wherever my customer needs me to go.” In December of 2014, her familiarity with the region landed her a gig on HGTV’s Lake Front Bargain Hunts.

Karen also won the Daily Commercial Readers’ Choice Award for Realtor in 2016 for Lake and Sumter County.

A true entrepreneur, Karen owns two other businesses in addition to her newly-opened brokerage: a property management company which has been operational since 2009 and an interior decorating business which has been in business since 2007. The three businesses, coupled with her background in construction and renovations, dovetail nicely to provide her customers with a vast reservoir of real estate knowledge of which Top Agent Magazine

few other agents can boast. “I help people buy, I help people sell, I help people redecorate. If I go into a house I have a background in construction and remodeling, so I can give people advice on what they can do with their space to make it more appealing,” Karen explains.

With 75% of her business originating from referrals and repeat customers, Karen is clearly doing something right. “I think my customers return to me because I did a good job for them the first time,” she says. “Most would say that I had a great rapport with them, and in many cases we’ve become friends, and they actually refer other people to me, because basically I do for them what I say I’m going to do.”

A Premier Agent on Zillow, Karen’s customer loyalty is made evident by a slew of five-star Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

Top Agent Magazine

reviews that almost unanimously sing her praises. Among the standout testimonials is this: “Buying a home from a distance (Texas) can be a daunting task. Karen’s in depth knowledge of the Mount Dora/Eustis area, coupled with her extensive real estate experience made the process much less stressful for me. Karen was very responsive in answering all of my many questions, and she was by my side through the entire purchase and closing process. I highly recommend her services.”

Extremely active in her community, Karen was on the Awards Banquet Committee for the local Realtors Board for three years, and served as chair of that committee last year. She volunteers extensively in the Mount Dora area, and is pasTop Agent Magazine

sionate about her work with Collie Rescue of Florida. Her company also prides itself on its support of active military, military veterans and first responders. She provides these customers with a $500 credit that they can use towards closing costs or a home warranty.

When she’s not working, which is extremely rare, Karen enjoys interior decorating, refinishing and repainting furniture, working in the yard and spending time with her two collies and poodle.

For Karen, her success can be distilled down to one philosophy: “It’s not all about commission,” she says. “It’s about finding my customer their dream home.”

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

For more information about Karen M. Riscinto, call 352 -250-3166, email RealEstateOutOfTheBox@gmail.com or visit realestateoutofthebox.com or LakelifestyleKaren.Realtor www.

www.

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

Top Agent Magazine

Why Millennials Are Now the Hottest Segment of the Buyers Market

and How You Can Attract Them to Your Home There are many factors when it comes to knowing how to sell your home to the Millennial generation. Millennials are becoming an important part of the buyer market, and to fail to cater to their needs will cut you off from a large and important segment. But, why have Millennials all of a sudden become interested in buying houses when they were perfectly content to rent for the rest of their lives?

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

13

A number of factors contribute to what has recently made Millennials the hottest segment of the Buyers market. One factor is the improved job outlook for Millennials. Millennials took a serious blow during the recession.

Unemployment in this group soared to 14 percent, compared to the 9.6 percent for the population as a whole. But, in recent years that number has been decreasing, with unemployment for Millennials being 9.3 percent this past year.

Rising rents are also contributing to making Millennials more interested in purchasing homes now. Rents have risen so much that buying a home now just makes more sense. Half of all renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Millennials are becoming increasingly stressed over the constantly increasing financial obligation to something that isn’t even theirs to own.

The near-historic low mortgage rates are luring Millennials towards purchasing a home with their promise of affordability. When compared with the skyrocketing rental rates, buying a house looks even more enticing.

Another factor helping Millennials get over the hump of purchasing a house is the lower down payment requirements. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now offering new loan programs that require as little as a 3 percent down payment. This may just be the last push the Millennials needed to turn toward buying a home rather than rent.

So, now that we’ve established that Millennials are finally joining the Buyers market, the next thing that it is important to understand is what exactly Millennials are looking for in a home. What kind of floorplans do they prefer? What locations are they interested in? Here are some of the essentials that Millennials are looking for in a home: • Updated Kitchens and Baths: Almost everyone wants to buy a

home with new kitchen and bath fixtures, but this is especially true for Millennials Buyers. Millennials are going to spend most of their savings on the down payment and furnishings, leaving little room to update the Kitchen and Bath, which are also the most expensive parts of a home to

14

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

update. Millennials who are on a budget simply won’t have the money to sink into those areas. An updated Kitchen and Bath is sure to bring in a younger crowd.

• Big Kitchen with Open Floor Plan: For Millennials, the kitchen has

become the room where they hangout in addition to the family room. This is why having an open space that can transition easily from the kitchen to the TV room is high on the list of things Millennials are looking for in a home. Along a similar vein, Millennials are attracted to an open floor plan rather than one that compartmentalizes the home. This has to do with how Millennials entertain. Millennials want their guests to flow through the rooms and mingle together, rather than be sectioned off in different rooms.

• Home Office: More than 13 million Americans now work from home,

and if you look at the trend, that number is only going to increase as the time goes on. With technology steadily increasing, more Millennials than ever have the flexibility to work from home. But, the home office isn’t just for someone working from home full time. Having a separate space dedicated to work helps people concentrate and focus on work while they are at home. They can separate themselves from the activities going on around the house and have a quiet space where they can set up their workday, plan a presentation, hold a meeting on Skype, or even pay bills.

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

15

• Less Maintenance: Many Millennials work different schedules that

don’t conform to the 9 to 5 workday, as well as full social calendars. This doesn’t leave them much time to clean a big house. Lawn services and low-maintenance front yards are particularly appealing, as they take less responsibility to still keep the curb appeal high.

• Energy-Efficient Appliances: Millennials have been educated on

keeping the Earth clean from the time they were born. They want to do their part to help the environment and appreciate the long-term cost savings that come with it. Energy-efficient appliances and greener ways to heat and cool the home might end up being the tipping point that makes them choose one house over another.

• Hardwood Floors: Millennials don’t have the time or patience to clean

dirty carpets, especially those that own pets. Hardwood and laminate flooring is easy to mop up if there’s been a mess. The more time they can conserve, the better.

• Good Location: Millennial buyers are looking for homes that are in

proximity to public transportation and have a good walking score. Young Millennial buyers without children are more likely to want a location closer to the action of the city, while Millennials with children would prefer more residential areas.

• Technology: Technology rules the Millennial’s life. They do work on

their computers through an Internet connection and solely use cellphones for communication. They are going to ask about how strong the cell service is and about the Internet service provider. While these amenities are out of the seller’s hands, Millennials are still going to ask these questions, and you will need to know how to answer them.

Knowing what Millennials are looking for in a home will ultimately help you make the necessary changes that will attract these buyers to your home.

Since they are the a serious segment of the market now, updating your home to fit their needs will lead to more buyers and better offers. So, get with the times and embrace the Millennial buyer.

16

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

CARL GENTILE Though Carl Gentile came to real estate at a young age, he already had achieved astonishing success in the fields of sports medicine and entrepreneurship. After graduating from Endicott College in Boston with a degree in Sports Medicine, he worked for the World Tennis Tour before being recruited by businessman Bill Koch’s team to move to Palm Beach and design a sports medicine facility for the prestigious Oxbridge Academy. This experience allowed Carl to create a phenomenal network through the student and alumni population. From there, Carl took a job as the Head of Sports Medicine for a Major League Lacrosse Team, the Florida Launch. His next move was to start his own company, Niche For Men, creating a product he brought to mass market and sold nationally. After that experience, he decided to move into real estate. He received a Rookie of the Year Award and in short time he’s become the go-to realtor for world class, luxury properties in his area. In his first year his annual sales totaled $7 million and in his second year he almost tripled that, reaching $20 million in sales. “I jumped in full force,” he says with a humble smile.

Based in Jupiter, Florida, Carl leads a strong team of five serving Jupiter, Tequesta, Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast. How did he become so incredibly successful in such a short time? “I was fortunate enough that people who knew me, knew my background and my work ethic.” Carl let his network know he’d begun to work as a realtor and they flocked to him quickly. Carl’s youth, experience growing companies and tech-savvy understanding of the latest marketing trends set him apart from other realtors in the area. “I understand 2017, and where we are going,” Carl says.

He’s taught himself Photoshop, coding and the ins-and-outs of cutting-edge online marketing. “I’ve used those skills to increase my exposure online and the exposure I drive to properties.” As a millennial, Carl is attached to his phone and his email and thus provides an unparalleled level of communication with his clients.

“My team and I are here 24/7. Our phones do not shut off. As a team, we pride ourselves on our strong communication with each other and with our clients throughout the entire process,” Carl explains.

To market listings, Carl focuses on online mediums such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads. “We advertise online because that’s where people are. Everyone is on their phone nowadays,” Carl explains. He uses his tech expertise to created targeted online ads for the masses. “We can specifically target ads to a population that we most likely think is going to be purchasing this property,” Carl says. This type of advertising allows Carl and his team to reach exponentially more people than they would via traditional mailers.

To stay in touch with past clients, Carl uses an innovative customer relationship management (CRM) platform that keeps close record of every client contact. “The beautiful thing about being organized and creating a system is you know what’s going on and people don’t get lost or fall through the cracks,” Carl says.

What does Carl like most about his work? “For me, real estate filled the void I lost when I left sports medicine. It was a new way to help people! It’s a nice feeling to see a first time home buyer get a house they thought they would never be able to purchase.”

To give back to the community, Carl raises money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and was nominated by them as a “Man of the Year” Candidate in 2018. He’s a sponsored agent for the Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association and he also volunteers his time for the Homes for Orphans Charity Event put on by the Christian Network. Carl recently became engaged and he loves to spend his free time with his fiancé and their dogs. For 2018, Carl has the goal of selling $60 million in property and creating an expansion team reaching into Boston. For this young real estate agent, the sky truly is the limit! Keep an eye out for Carl on HGTV! He will be appearing on the network on January 1, 2018.

To find out more about Carl Gentile, contact him via email at carl@carlgentile.com or by phone at 561.316.3559.

You can also check him out online at mypalmbeachhomefinder.com www.

Top Agent Magazine

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 17

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com http://www.topagentmagazine.com

18

Top Agent Magazine

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.

Top Agent Magazine

19 Top Agent Magazine

1

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.

2

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-

20

3

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.

4

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.

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

6

5

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.

Top Agent Magazine

21 Top Agent Magazine

Creative Ways to Say Thank You

Most top real estate agents find ways to welcome their clients to their new home. A common theme is a bottle of wine and some wine glasses for that first post-threshold toast, or a bouquet of flowers to brighten up that empty living space until the furniture arrives.

But are you truly being as creative as you can with your appreciation? Here are some innovative gift ideas that will truly keep you front of mind with your valued customers and assure their gratitude and repeat business, not to mention a slew of referrals.

1. How about a streaming video device, like a Roku

or Amazon Fire Stick? There’s a good chance your clients will not have their cable service up and running for a few days, and this is an excellent way for them to enjoy their television before they get that connection going. Bundle it up in a basket with some DVD’s for the kids, and don’t forget all necessary cables.

2. Matching bathrobes and Bath kits: Fleece or ter-

rycloth bathrobes and a basket filled with highend his and her body scrubs, bubble bath and other luxurious pampering items can make the first night in a new home feel like a check-in at a fabulous resort and make the memory of that first night one to cherish. Again, don’t forget the kids!

22

3. Arrange a catered meal from a local vendor. As-

certain in advance dietary preferences and restrictions, and have a wonderful, healthy meal delivered on move-in night. To complete the magic, provide brand new plates, silverware and glassware to serve it all on.

4. For homes with swimming pools or Jacuzzis, a

stack of fluffy pool towels is always appreciated and will be used by family and friends for years to come. Additionally, acrylic stemware for celebrating safely can be provided alongside them.

5. If it’s winter time and the home has a fireplace, make sure there’s plenty of wood to burn. Some fireplace accessories and a log holder will certainly make your clients appreciate you on every chilly night to come.

So when it comes to gifting your buyers, the trick is to be creative. A bottle of wine lasts one night, and the flowers wilt in a few days. Try coming up with something a little more creative that will remain with your clients in their day-to-day lives and remind them of you consistently. The little bit extra you spend to show your gratitude can reap huge dividends when it comes time for your client to purchase a second home or refer a friend.

Top Agent Magazine

KEVIN O’KEEFE Hospitality and eagerness to take care of people’s needs describe the story of Kevin O’Keefe’s professional life. “After a 25-year career owning restaurants and sports bars, I was ready to transition from that lifestyle,” says Kevin, a New Jersey native who relocated to Southwest Florida after selling his share in his restaurants and spending seven years with a company that bought and sold restaurants. By the time of his 2007 move to Florida, Kevin had gained terrific exposure to commercial real estate. But when the market crashed and real estate experts told him commercial real estate would take several years to recover, Kevin tested the waters of selling homes.

He hadn’t known what to expect of his foray into Florida residential real estate, but Kevin quickly found enjoyment in “curing the anxiety” that people feel when making the biggest transactions of their lives. “Change breeds anxiety,” says Kevin. “A lot of that comes from the unknown, but I use my local expertise and my transaction experience to help people get through any situation that may arise.” He thrives on the realization that the knowledge he provides his clients helps calm their fears and empowers them to make change. “It’s a gratifying experience to help someone find their dream home.”

Covering Southwest Florida cities from Naples to Ft. Meyers, with transactions ranging from $50,000 condominiums to $10 million oceanfront mansions, Kevin provides boutique service to his clientele. “I have a small team of specialized professionals,” he says, describing his client concierge, his lead generation specialist and his transaction coordinator. “This allows me to be more productive with my high level of customer service and attention.”

That level of service takes shape in many ways, from his assisting clients in their personal lives to marketing their homes with

standalone expertise. “You get what you give in this world!” says Kevin. “I’ve done everything from picking up clients at the airport to helping a man who was in the hospital and needed to know his cat and house were taken care of. When he got out of the hospital, he even wound up buying a house from me!” By giving of himself without expecting anything in return, Kevin has built a business fueled almost entirely on referrals from past clients.

“I like to think I’m gracious and tenacious,” Kevin says with a laugh. “My customer service background helps me realize that going above and beyond from a client’s perspective will set you apart from others.”

Also setting him apart is Kevin’s expertise with listings. “I have opened more than 15 restaurants or bars in my career and with each one I had a comprehensive business plan,” he explains.

“I treat listing a house with the same mindset. I put together a business plan that shows people the step-by-step approach to how we’re going to prepare their house and market it, plus every method we’re going to use to get it done.” His 15-step plans include search analyses to drill down on specific buyer profiles, plus online marketing that brings more than 15,000 hits per day to his company’s websites.

In addition, Kevin sees giving back to community a vital aspect of real estate. Besides his ongoing involvement with real estate associations, he’s run fundraisers for local charities and donates a portion of every commission to Hope Hospice. Kevin entwines real estate into his life. He makes sure to take Sundays off for worship and rest and likes to get out to local events on his Harley Davidson with his brother. Doing so helps him recharge in order to continue improving on the service his provides. “I’d also like to get involved in some coaching, sharing my message with other agents,” he says. For Kevin, real estate is all about relationships, whether with clients or his network of fellow agents and trusted vendors. “If you focus on others and you like what you do, then this isn’t really work,” says Kevin. “And if you deliver more than you promise, you’ll never be out of work!”

To learn more about Kevin O’Keefe, visit bexrealty.com/realtors/kevino email KOREGUY@hotmail.com or call 239.898.6321 Facebook: Kevin O’Keefe Real Estate Professional www.

Top Agent Magazine

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 23

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

24

Top Agent Magazine