FLORIDA 4-3-23

FLORIDA EDITION

By the Numbers:

COVER STORY

OSCAR ALCI

Understanding the True Value of Square Footage

MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Your Calling Card

5 WAYS TO

FEATURED AGENT

MARCY O'DONNELL

TRANSFORM RENTERS INTO OWNERS

FLORIDA EDITION

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OSCAR OSCAR ALCI ALCI

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MARCY O'DONNELL

CONTENTS 4) MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING YOUR CALLING CARD

15) BY THE NUMBERS: UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE VALUE OF SQUARE FOOTAGE

6) 5 WAYS TO TRANSFORM RENTERS INTO OWNERS

22) HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR WORKPLACE FEARS

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Make Social Media Marketing Your Calling Card These days, it’s no secret that buyers begin their home search online. As the industry continues to take a digital turn, Realtors in the know must learn to utilize a whole new range of tools available to them—and for good reason. Social media is a dynamic hybrid of personal contact and targeted marketing. To make the most of this new medium, agents can’t settle for the occasional post and expect results.

Instead, let’s consider a few techniques that will make your social media presence 4

interactive, unmissable, and effective in generating business.

Your Profile is a Portal Ideally, you’ll have profiles across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and otherwise—but no matter what portal you’re utilizing, make sure your profile page is up-todate, well-curated, and easily navigated.

Consider your profile a landing page.

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Your photo, location, contact information, homepage, and a brief bio should all be readily visible so that potential clients can get an immediate sense for who you are and what your voice is. If a client wants to connect with you, it should be obvious how to do so. You might also incorporate a few savvier tools that make your profile more engaging—like hashtags. These searchable tags can help you lure potential clientele and give your audience a chance to explore deeper. #DreamHome #JustListed and #HomeInspiration are popular, existing tags to choose from, but you can cultivate your own hashtag by consistently tagging posts, which gives clients an extensive thread to comb through.

Interacting with Your Audience Posting regularly is great way to appear in feeds, but engaging with your audience is just as important—and it helps you reach a new audience in the process. It’s a positive start to like your audience’s posts, pictures, and statuses, but commenting takes your engagement a step further and separates you from typical respondents. It’s also important that you diversify your engagements. In other words, don’t center every communication around your business, propositioning your services, or trying to sell. If applicable, present your value-add, but otherwise steer your engagement towards the personal. Let your clients know that you’re there, you’re human, and Top Agent Magazine

ready to work at their pace. Which leads us to our next point...

Blending the Professional with the Personal Engaging with your audience is one thing, but what about generating original content?

How do you strike the right balance between a Call to Action, industry updates, and a personal touch? Think of it this way: any post you create should provide a point of connection for your audience.

Sometimes, you might be sharing a family photo, or commenting on some unifying current event—like the Super Bowl! Other times, you may be sharing a Coming Soon listing, or providing tips to spruce up a home for spring. Regardless, you should focus on quality. Is your copywriting engaging? Does it express your unique voice and personality, while maintaining clarity? Are you giving your audience something to connect with, even if you are sharing property photos or advertising an open house? Instill some fun and some personalization to every piece of content you make, so that clients can picture the voice and person behind the post.

Things are always changing on the social media frontier, but some rules never shift.

Adding clarity, consistency, and personality to your online presence are three surefire ways to grow your business and make social media second nature.

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5 Ways to Transform

Renters into Owners Perhaps the largest demographic of untapped business lies in the rental market. From major cities and suburbs to rural communities—renters across generations are opting to rent rather than own. The question is: why? For starters, many Americans are undereducated about the inventory and financing options available that might suit their budget and lifestyle. Secondly, many would-be homeowners have difficulty 6

visualizing the potential investment of purchasing property, and how homeownership can build wealth and security in the long-term.

As an agent, you’re always on the lookout for potential clientele. Now, to guide renters toward the real estate market, keep a few of these strategies in mind as you meet and greet this untapped demographic.

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Show renters that purchasing a home isn’t impossible

Possibly the biggest hurdle for renters is believing homeownership is possible. Beyond saving for a down payment and boosting credit scores, there are dozen more factors to consider: affording utilities, homeowner’s insurance, renovations, property taxes, and more. Besides that, assembling pay stubs, finding an agent, arranging house tours, negotiating a price, and timing the transition are all major considerations to surmount.

One way to combat this thinking is to make the process transparent and demystified. Find examples of past clients who made the leap successfully, or profile the average buyer in your marketplace and see how that renter compares. Provide evidence that it’s been done before and can be done again, then build a game plan from there.

into play. Consider making a checklist, or step-by-step road-map, that guides clients through the process from start to finish. This way, you’ll manage expectations and create a path to ownership that’s specific, instead of abstract. They won’t have to wonder what goes into buying a home when they can look at an interactive site or read a document and see the steps outlined before them, with you there to guide the way.

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Collaborate with mortgage professionals to find the right financing opportunities

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Help would-be homebuyers create a road-map to ownership

It’s no secret that buying a home can feel overwhelming. Compared to signing a yearlong lease on an apartment, taking on the house-hunting process is a daunting affair.

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Many renters aren’t aware of the variety of mortgage financing options out there that cater to first-timers, offer low down payments, or down payment assistance. Most buyers believe that the standard 20% down is a hard and fast rule, when in reality, there’s far more flexibility out there to cater to renters where they are. There are even loan options catering to freelance workers, renovation options, and other unconventional routes to ownership.

Work with a mortgage pro and find the route that suits your renter best.

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pay monthly in a mortgage—while building a lasting asset.

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Compare and contrast rental rates with monthly mortgage payments One way to convince renters to make the shift is to demonstrate the savings potential of paying into a monthly mortgage, rather than throwing away rent on a property they don’t own. To do this, draw up the average rental rates in your area, then find some potential listings that would demand a similar amount in monthly mortgage payments. Sometimes placing these numbers and images sideby-side can prove to renters that what they manage to pay monthly in rent, they can

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Paint the big picture

For most, renting isn’t the most sustainable financial option when it comes to housing.

Rents rise, families grow, and retirement looms.

Building a financial future and homeownership go hand-in-hand. When planned appropriately, buying a home can create a path toward retirement and position homeowners in a better place for further investment in the future. A rental has little security or investment returns to offer, while owning a home makes a renter king or queen of the castle.

Prospecting renters as potential homebuyers may seem like a time-intensive way to cultivate new clients, but logic is on your side.

Keep these tips in mind as you broach the conversation with renters in your hometown.

All it takes is clear-cut value proposition and a listening ear.

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OSCAR ALCI

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Top Agent Oscar Alci serves the greater Broward County region and specializes in waterfront homes. Oscar lives the lifestyle, knowing everything about the area. “I’ve been living in this neighborhood for over 20 years...”

Oscar Alci is a successful real estate agent and entrepreneur with a diverse range of business experience. Although he began his career as a barber, he quickly found himself becoming a go-to source for business connections and referrals. This led him to start exploring the world of real estate, and he soon discovered a passion for the industry. After earning his sales associate license, he realized that he wanted to delve deeper into the mechanics of selling real estate and decided to earn his broker’s license. With his extensive experience running hair salons and his entrepreneurial mindset, Oscar brings a unique perspective to the real estate industry. He is known for his ability to put people together and help them achieve their real estate goals, whether they are buying, selling, or renting properties.

He’s now been in the business for over eight years, and is showing no signs of 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

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slowing down. He serves the greater Broward County region and specializes in waterfront homes. Oscar lives the lifestyle, knowing everything about the area. “I’ve been living in this neighborhood for over 20 years, so when someone comes to me with a budget in mind and a preferred home style, I can point them in the right direction,” he

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explains. Known for its stunning coastline and beautiful properties, people from all walks of life flock here, from young families to retirees. With a diversity of restaurants and endless shopping, those who explore the area will inevitably think about moving here. He’s currently starting a video podcast called ‘The Real Deal with Oscar,’ where

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Oscar has starting a video podcast called ‘The Real Deal with Oscar,’ where he will be able to elevate other local businesses and entrepreneurs. “I believe a visual component of engagement will create a personal touch with potential clients and my community.” he will be able to elevate other local businesses and entrepreneurs. “I believe a visual component of engagement will create a personal touch with potential clients and my community,” he explains.

The entirety of Oscar’s business derives from repeat clients and referrals, as he provides superior service to each client.

“I find myself similar to an attorney,” he explains. “I have extensive knowledge, and I’m honest with people.” He values meeting clients one on one, building personal relationships, and providing sound advice. Oscar believes that meeting clients in person allows him to showcase his expertise and build trust, resulting in satisfied clients who refer him to others.

When assisting buyers, he gets to know them on a deep level, understanding exactly what they’re looking for so he can develop Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

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a plan to achieve their goals. He takes a multifaceted approach to marketing his listings, leading to properties selling quickly.

One of his standout strategies is creating cinematic videos that are up to three minutes long, allowing potential buyers to feel as though they are actually walking through the property. He also generates multiple advertisements on hundreds of different websites through a computer program and is a premium member on Zillow.

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Oscar’s plans for the future of his business include growing his real estate company into a trusted brand with a great team supporting him. He is currently in talks with numerous developers and will soon start building custom homes. Meanwhile, he plans to enjoy each moment of his current path. “I love helping people from a variety of backgrounds, it makes me feel fantastic to know that I’ve helped alleviate the stress from the transaction.”

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For more information about Oscar Alci, please call 954-706-0776 or email oscar@aresluxury.com

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By the Numbers:

Understanding the True Value of Square Footage Measuring the square footage of a property may seem like an objective and straightforward task, but you’d be surprised at how many agents and homebuyers misunderstand this pivotal figure.

True square footage provides homebuyers a concrete understanding of their prospective domain, but here’s the problem: the rules to determine a home’s square footage are not always uniform across the board. What’s more, much of Top Agent Magazine

a home’s value is determined by its size, so accuracy is certainly important. While many real estate agents have their own systems for determining or confirming a home’s true square footage, it doesn’t hurt to update your practices and become an expert on the subject. After all, you may learn a few techniques that could add value to a listing, or better prepare you in guiding house-hunters on the lookout.

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1. Do your due diligence Most towns and cities have a local records department where floorplans and blueprints are kept on file. It’s worth noting that these records don’t typically include any subsequent additions or remodels on a property, but they still give archive hunters a legal baseline when outlining a property’s square footage. Oftentimes, a straightforward online search of a city or county’s records office can pull the information necessary, or else agents can poke around in person to uncover informative blueprints at the records office. Either way, access to original blueprints or floorplans is a great tool for determining livable square footage. As a bonus,

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original blueprints and floorplans—especially in historic properties—can be intriguing visual aids for prospective buyers, as well.

2. Know the rules While there aren’t universal standards when it comes to measuring square footage, there are general guidelines that can help determine square footage in an authentic way. Per the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), here are the official recommendations for measuring a home’s real square footage: n Called “below grade spaces,” basements

and sunrooms beyond a home’s typical

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living quarters do not count toward a home’s true square footage. According to ANSI, even big draws like finished basements don’t count toward a property’s Gross Living Area. Of course, even below grade spaces have their own desirable value and should be outlined as such on listings. n Did you know the space inside closets

and on stairways counts toward a home’s square footage? Even if these areas are relatively small, they still add to a property’s calculable square footage.

n When recording square footage, ANSI

actually suggests performing measurements from a property’s exterior—though this method does not account for the

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thickness of exterior walls, which could skew square footage numbers. n Just like below grade spaces, a garage, a

pool house, or even a guest house should not be included in a property’s Gross Living Area. The rationale at work here is this: if you must go outside to access additional living areas, then they are beyond the square footage scope of the primary dwelling and should not be included in a home’s Gross Living Area.

3. Double-check by doing the dirty work Buyers and sellers have or will make a sizable investment in a property, so isn’t it fair to double-check all the relevant facts and figures

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when it comes to true square footage? If you want to take on the endeavor yourself, here are a few helpful steps to take.

room. Once you’ve completed the room’s measurements, multiply the room’s length and width to determine its square footage.

n First, you’ll need a few things to get started,

n As you go measure throughout the home,

including a tape measure that can measure at least 100 ft., graph paper, and a pencil.

n Next, choose a room to start measuring

wall-by-wall. Measure Wall 1, then proceed to assign each square on the gridded paper a corresponding measurement, rounding to the nearest tenth of a foot for the sake of clarity.

n From there, draw out the wall you measured

and measure the remaining walls in the

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using your own system to scale, you will construct a failsafe floorplan.

Mastering your craft is everything, and the real estate industry is no different. Every now and again, it’s worthwhile to update your well of information, take matters into your own hands, and continue to innovate with the industry. While square footage may not seem like the juiciest starting off point for such a venture, never forget: mastery of technical knowledge is a sure sign of expertise.

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MARCY O’DONNELL Top Agent Magazine

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MARCY O’DONNELL

Top Agent Marcy O’Donnell serves the greater Panama City Beach area with much of her business deriving from repeat clients and referrals.

Marcy O’Donnell is a real estate agent with a passion for excellence. She knows firsthand how customer service can affect a transaction, and she’s determined to make every client experience positive. “My husband and I were real estate investors,” she explains. “And we found that most agents we worked with treated us poorly.”

They knew something had to change, so Marcy decided to enter this industry. “My husband came to me and said, ‘I think we can do a better job.’” Marcy left her career at a bank and became a sales associate for a boutique brokerage, then worked her way to a larger one. “I wanted to gain a good understanding of what it is like to work for both types of companies,” she explains.

After three years, she decided to open her own brokerage, Luxe Coastal Realty.

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Serving the greater Panama City Beach area, much of her business derives from repeat clients and referrals. Marcy is dedicated to providing her clients with the highest level of service possible. She’s not just selling homes; she’s building relationships.

“I think it’s my level of service that keeps my cli-

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ents coming back,” she explains. “We make sure everyone is taken care of from beginning to end.

And I ensure my clients know that I’m not in it just for one transaction, I want to be their go-to REALTOR® for any real estate needs.” Her commitment to her clients is unmatched, as she only wants what is best for them. Whether it’s helping them find the right home for the best price, or selling their property for top dollar, Marcy is there every step of the way.

When it comes to marketing her listings, she utilizes the latest tools and technology to spread the word. “I mostly focus on social media and direct emails,” she explains. “The most effective methods we’ve seen include reaching out to our database and posting our homes on Zillow.”

No matter the price point, Marcy’s listings get high quality photographs and detailed descriptions so buyers can gain a sense for the house before they view it.

After working together, clients never hesitate to spread the word about her work. One recently said, “We wouldn’t have found our beach house without the help of Marcy! We purchased our home without ever walking through it...Marcy gave us advice and FaceTimed each location with us since we live about 3000 miles away.

Marcy went above and beyond with her time and really made us feel like we were family as she helped us find the perfect home. She was always available to take calls and would run out to show the next house that may have popped up that day! I would highly recommend Marcy as your REALTOR®, I know she will work just as hard for you as she did for us!”

As Marcy looks towards the future, she plans to continue growing her team and helping more people accomplish their real estate goals. “I want to keep doing exactly as I’ve done, which is creating a higher standard and forming lasting relationships with our clients.”

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For more about Marcy O’Donnell, please call 848-220-5555 or email marcylodonnell@gmail.com

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How To Overcome Your Workplace Fears Fear is something that can help protect us from danger, but it is also something that can be a hindrance to us in our lives, especially when it keeps us from potentially thriving and growing as a person. This is especially true in the workplace. Here’ a look at some proven ways to overcome common workplace fears.

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ASSESS THE FEELINGS BEHIND THE FEAR

Really owning the emotions that are putting you in a place of fear, is the first step. By just naming it and then talking it out in your head, what exactly you’re feeling and why, it can help deflate the fear. Think of it as releasing some of the fear into the ether. Yes, you’ll still be nervous about your presentation, but a lot of what was holding you back is gone. You’ll feel lighter, and hopefully have just enough butterflies to make your soar.

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TALK ABOUT YOUR FEARS WITH A TRUSTED CO-WORKER

Nothing can make you feel more isolated than going down the path of “This is something that only happens to me.” Trust me, it doesn’t, and you might be surprised to find out that some people have had it even worse. Talking to someone you trust and admire, hearing their own fear horror stories and how they overcame them, will help normalize what you’re feeling. Releasing yourself from the idea that it’s something about you, will be an enormous relief.

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THINK OF THE WORST CASE SCENARIO

Although it might seem counter-productive, truly assessing what the worse outcome of the situation you’re afraid of serves two purposes. It might lead you to realize the worst case scenario isn’t that bad

after all. Of course it could also lead you to a really uncomfortable thought, you could lose your job. As bad as that is, it also gives you an opportunity to start focusing on what really matters, and how you might grow from the experience and possibly end up better off. Countless people in their dream jobs now, were once fired and thought it was the end of the world.

Hopefully, that won’t happen to you, but learning to have confidence in your abilities to always find a way, will be a great tool in overcoming fears.

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COMPARTMENTALIZE

If you’re a super-organized type, you might try actually setting aside time in your day to focus on your fears. It might seem odd, but it will let you NOT focus on your fears during the other hours of your day. Think of it as a task, you aren’t just sitting there worrying, you’re taking in your fears and figuring out ways to overcome them.

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START THINKING OF YOUR FEARS AS OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH

Start thinking of fears as challenges. As scary as it might seem to face them, for the most part they are things that can be fixed. A lot of fear is based on inexperience which leads to a lack of confidence.

A common fear is workplace evaluations. Instead of looking at it as hearing everything that is wrong about you, think of it as an opportunity to see where you can improve. Going into it with a positive attitude rather than a defensive posture, will make the whole thing better for both parties.

Overcoming fears is oftentimes about a simple attitude adjustment. Like anything it takes practice, but the results of that practice will lead to a life that you’re able to thrive in both personally and professionally.

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Laughs!

Graham Harrop Graham Harrop Cartoons Cartoons

Putting the power of humour to work for you!

Putting the power of humour to work for you! grahamharrop.com

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