GEORGIA 11-16-20

GEORGIA EDITION

EASY BLOG TOPICS

FOR YOUR REAL ESTATE BLOG

24-HOUR TOUCH-UPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PRICE LIST

Top 4 Ways to

JUICE UP YOUR OPEN HOUSE STRATEGY

COVER STORY

SAMANTHA LUSK FEATURED AGENTS

TARA BOHANAN & KRISTEN GEE GAIL BUTLER PAMELA TILLERY

GEORGIA EDITION

PAMELA TILLERY GAIL BUTLER TARA BOHANAN & KRISTEN GEE

Gail career in real estate in 2015 after that had When Tara Bohanan andbegan Kristenher Gee For Tara and 27Kristen, bein 7 16 22 31 years stay at home mom. She had no idea knowing joined forces in July 2019 as to a form resource is what they enjoy her children had prepared her for this was goi Bohanan Gee Elite how Realtywell Associates, about their job. As Tara puts it journey. her natural desire to help people where he they brought together years ofWith experifrom the start to finish, when so ence in the industry,she a passion for the calls me and tells me that began her career as an independent agent at community in which theyWilliams. live and Gail enjoys selling homes in ready to make eitherWhen a transis Keller serve, and a commitment to building their first purchase, or down travel.

S many metro counties but prefers to work close a client-focused team.

Tara has been a retirement home, or buy a particula to where she has lived and raised her kids. a licensed Realtor® for ten years, and vacation home— the excitem west aro Kristen received her license in 2013 starting that journey with each Starting new career path is challenging but after working estateaadmin for several years. is very rewarding.”

Kristen adds that, quality born andf SAMANTHA LUSKas a real PAMELA TILLERY TARA BOHANAN GAIL BUTLER she sayst wasted they no time jumping intowhere coaching & KRISTEN GEE Out of their office inGail Dawsonville, represent buyers their business is focused, “I like knowing to grow whereDawson she wasCounty encouraged to circle prospect and sellers throughout and North giving back and doing something to help the c around her neighborhood going door-to-door in order to growth opportuniti Georgia, including Dawsonville, Cumming, Gainesville, nity and those that I know. Somebody buying or Dahlonega, and Murrayville.

And when they “Buy a“Ihome—that’s the biggest Kaitlan, investment is serving find clients and grow hersay reputation. strive to ensure the financial and Sell with the Best of Dawson,” mean it—in just is fun, ever easy goingand to make in their Engineer. lives. So being home buying they and selling process as stress Her part son a little over a year, free they’ve closed 63 transactions and and knowing my community trusts me to help Atlanta. He also hat as possible.” Gail earns the respect of her clients with CONTENTS won numerous awards from theand Dawson County News: that is really her part time. Her kindness candor.

She continues to grow herspecial.” skill set Best Residential, Bestadversity Commercial, Bestgreat Customer sion, guide themestate withbased integrb Out of comes success.

When real by being involved in classes such as BOLD and teaching Service, and Best Agent (Tara, 2019; Kristen, 2020).

Tara and Kristen are members of the local Cham can on toanclose indiv unfortunate medical circumstances led Pamela the best wecontract in her market center.

4) ARE YOUTillery A TO Commerce, TOUCH-UPS and they host is food drives, coat driv customer important to us to step in and become18) her24-HOUR mother’s “My goal is to co Tara and Kristen share that while their personalities roadside clean-ups.

Even their future plans are c VALUE-ADDED AGENT? MAXIMIZE YOUR PRICE LIST work as ourtalent custome primary she alsostrong made the tough deciIn caretaker, order to the market listings takes advantage of atoteam, watch children are quite different, they possess sameher work Gail nity-based; with an eye addingmy to th accessible atgoals.” all times.” sion to give up her career as payroll benefits various social sites, suchAs asand Facebook and Instagram.

She also fh ethic—and they’re both honest andmedia straightforward. they’ve started a mentor scholarship program 13)Kristen EASYsays, BLOG TOPICS FOR 23) TOP 4ofWAYS TO JUICE coordinator the local district.

That’s Butlocal. shewith also values theschool old-fashioned art simply getting who are thinking a “We’re We’re personable.

We’re viduals interested in starting a UP career in real est very REAL blunt andwhen to theon point.

And people know that ulti- I the Gee Elite Realty “W the phone.

“It’s pretty simple, get on phone and canwebsite have astates: comple When it comes to marketing her best friend Jodie, who happened toBohanan bethe a HOUSE YOUR ESTATE BLOG YOUR OPEN STRATEGY mately they can trustmake us.” Moreover, working with here. workutilizes here. We all carebusiness. about ourFive commun phone calls.

Everyone is so used toWe communicating yea available techno REALTOR®, encouraged her toTara pursue a career and Kristen is a good deal: “Instead of getting just one and email, I find people get really excited zero to now almost in realthrough estate.text Together, Pamthat and Jodie agent and one personality, clients get two of us for basito hear a human voice,” she says. Thanks to her determinaDon’t listen to the cally the priceformed of one.”a team, The T & T Group. They

tion as well as customer currently work at excellent RE/MAX Realtyservice Gail has closed 125 and sold more The team employs aand mix of units digital technology andthan $43,000,000 in real Team over serve clients throughout estate.

She has been recognized as a Million Dollar Club Phone 310-734-1440 Fax the 310-734-1440 old-school communication methods.

They have a huge Dublin| and Middle Georgia area.

as fuel to do it any

Member witha the Atlanta Metro Association of presence on social media—with teamNortheast account, indimag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com REALTORS sinceaccounts 2016. She has served on her Market vidual Realtor® accounts, and personal across No portion of this issuePamela may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent and Jodie have enjoyed a steady all platforms—and they reachAssociate out to clients several times Centers Leadership Council in 2017, 2018 and Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published stream of referral business.

The ladies throughout year. Kristen says, “We everybody’s 2019.beShe alsoknow the for recipient of the 2018 Keller Williams materials, Top Agent the Magazine cannot heldisresponsible opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. birthday and house-iversary.

We send something every credit this success to the attention, care, To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com.

Sugarloaf Team Leader Award as well as many other holiday events.”

They’ve a Published in theand U.S. host andclient in-depth communication that have production awards.also cultivated

long list of trusted vendors refer toin clients anything to become thetostaples theirforapproach For more information, house-related, including lenders, interior designers, and As much as Gail appreciates the competitive spirit of real visit bgeliterealty.com customer service.

“We treat every sinplease everything in between. As Kristen explains, they want to estate andas accomplishing her email customer if to they ourcareer only goals, what she loves Top bgsells@bgelitehomes.

Agent Magazine be a resource,gle so clients “don’t have go towere anybody but or call 706-203-1124 most about her work is the ability to help people start a customer.

We serve us to be able to get something done.”them with compaswww.

2

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine

3

Are You a Value-Added Agent?

I’ll bet if I asked ten real estate agents, all ten would answer ‘yes’ to that question. Yet, when I ask agents how they are value-added, they say things like: • I communicate regularly with my clients.

• I have a written listing presentation.

• I am honest.

• I am trustworthy.

Are these ‘value-added’ attributes? Or, does the client expect these attributes and services?

4

Are these exceptional services or average services? I’m writing this article at the beginning of a New Year. It’s a perfect time to re-assess your professionalism and master being that ‘value-added’ agent.

Client Expectations are Higher than Ever Unfortunately, too many real estate agents assume they are ‘value-added’ because they are providing the services they want to provide— Top Agent Magazine

the services they think the client values. However, there’s a real client out there, and the client has different expectations. How do I know that? Because so few agents regularly survey their clients. In fact, when I’m speaking to an audience, I survey them, and find that less than 25 percent gather after-sale surveys! So, the majority of agents don’t know if the services they are providing are average or exceptional.

Why Bother Being Exceptional?

• Because you want to set yourself apart.

• You want to create client loyalty.

• You want to create at least 50 percent of your business from client referrals (the latest National Association of Realtors survey Profile of Members found that the average Realtor got only 18 percent of their business from referrals. That’s a hard and expensive way to run a real estate business!

• Because you want to run a more pleasant, profitable business.

Four Actions Value-Added Agents Take How can you identify value-added agents? By their actions. Here are four actions I believe show agents that are above just ‘average’. The principle here is:

Watch the actions, not the words.

If I were a manager, or a seller or a buyer, and I wanted to find a value-added agent, here’s what I would look for: Top Agent Magazine

1. Has a database and populates it This agent is committed long-term to his clients and to his business. He uses a contact management program (CRM) to manage ‘leads’, so none are lost — and clients do not feel neglected. After all, it takes much longer today to convert a ‘lead’ to a sale than it used to take.

Actively using and maintaining a CRM means the agent is committed to forming long-term professional relationships over time.

Other demonstrable actions concerning the agent’s CRM are: • Has a rapid-response method to deal with Internet inquiries and other inquiries via email. (The average client expects a response within eight hours—but a recent survey showed the average agent responded in 50 hours!).

• Has a method to follow up on all leads until they ‘buy or die’. As a client, that means I won’t get lost. As a seller, it means my agent will follow up with all leads and give it 100 percent to sell my home.

2. Invests in the technology and follow-up pros have This agent makes every decision based on their vision of their career at least three to five years in the future. For example, instead of selling someone a house anywhere just to get a sale, my value-added agent sells only in an area they define as their ‘target area’. That way, they’ll get known, and can build on their reputation.

The value-added agent has the ‘guts’ to turn down business! Because they care more about the well-being of the client than getting one grimy commission check, they learn to 5

‘tell the truth attractively’, and work harder to retain the client than to make one commission.

Adding those Client Benefits to your Dialogue

3. Works for referrals, not just sales I said the agent learns to ‘tell the truth attractively’, even if the buyer or seller may not want to hear it. For example, if it’s in the best interests of the seller to list their home at a lower price, the value-added agent has the strategies and the statistics to prove that the seller won’t be well served by pricing higher.

Of course, it’s not enough to actually take these actions. You need to explain to the client why these actions are in their best interests, and how you stand apart from most agents by employing them. Why? Because your client won’t know you run your business so professionally.

And, the client probably doesn’t know most agents don’t run their businesses this way!

And, this value-added agent has the intestinal fortitude to walk away if they know the home will not sell at the client’s desired price (but doesn’t have to too many times because they create a stellar reputation amongst their clientele).

TIP: Always show your clients, don’t just tell them. You do have a Professional Portfolio and evidence on your website, don’t you?

4. Keeps the buyers and sellers’ best interests in mind Our value-added agent makes every decision to grow trust, not just to make a fast buck. For example, the agent sits down with a prospective couple and finds out they can’t purchase right away and creates a plan with them to save for their down payment. Then, the agent keeps in touch over a period of months, offering helpful information and market updates.

Put Yourself to the Test

How many of these actions P. S. Managers and team leaders—two tips do you exhibit?

What do you want to work on to become a true 1. Call each of your agents’‘value-added’ phone mails.

What’s the impre agent?

Are they professional? Do they state the company n TIP: represent your culture and image?

Managers, give your agents a 2. Create a quick class in phone messaging using the ‘test’ on these four points.

In other words, this agent practices seller or buyHow many pass? this blog. er agency representation, not ‘agent agency’!

Copyright ©, 2016 Carla Cros

Carla Cross,CRB, CRB, MA, is theoffounder andSeminars, president Carla Cross & Carla Cross, MA, President Carla Cross Inc.,ofand Carla real management and sales.

Herspecializing internationally s Crossestate Coaching, is an international speaker in realbest-selling estate management and Running business planning for all professionals. agents, Up and in 30 Days, is real nowestate going into its 5thHer edition sevenexperience internationallyas published books, including Up and Running in 30 Days , vast a top-selling agent and award-winning manage and 20 agent and management programs have helped thousands of real sales podium, blending her musical background with her proven estate professionals to the greater productivity and teaches profitability.someone Reach Carla strategies (she uses piano AND even to at play—f 425-392-6914 or www.carlacross.com. and practical). Find out more at www.carlacross.com.

6

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

SAMANTHA LUSK

Top Agent Magazine

7

SAMANTHA LUSK As owner of a boutique brokerage, Samantha Lusk & Associates Realty, Top Agent Lusk says that she does not encounter the confines of a large franchise. “We’re able to service our clients in the way that we see fit.”

At just 19 years old, Samantha Lusk realized her passion and knew that the real estate industry was the right career path for her. Her grandfather was a local developer and did a lot to contribute to the growth and development of their community, which inspired Samantha to do the same. “I decided to somewhat follow his footsteps,” she explains, and today, she is a top real estate agent in Northwest Georgia, specifically in 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Gordon and surrounding counties. She works as a listing specialist and also has two buyers specialists on her team.

As owner of a local boutique brokerage, Samantha Lusk & Associates Realty, Lusk says that she does not encounter the confines of a large franchise. “We’re able to service our clients in the way that we see fit,” she explains, “which has been highly successful for us over the past five years.”

Top Agent Magazine

When asked how she achieved a repeat and referral rate of 75 percent of her business, Samantha says, “It’s all about the service.

My goal is to consistently exceed client expectations. Meeting those expectations just isn’t enough.” She always wants to create the best experience possible for her clients and attributes this success to her Top Agent Magazine

“drive, skill, experience, and communication.” As a listing specialist, marketing is a very important part of Samantha’s work.

She excels in online and social media marketing and says that her high exposure of listings has resulted in higher sales prices and fewer days on the market than the competition.

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 9

“The only constant in the real estate market is change and understanding this is key to making sure our clients continue to receive excellent service.”

Clients are indeed impressed by the high level of customer service Samantha puts into every transaction. One recent client shared in a review, “Samantha has sold two properties for my husband and me. She and her staff have earned our trust and respect.

She is caring, responsible, and an excellent negotiator when closing a sale. Quick to respond and kept us informed throughout Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

the process. Our last house had two offers the next day it was listed. Samantha was very helpful by pointing out the pros and cons of each offer, which guided us in our decision. Samantha is a true professional!!”

In addition to her booming career in real estate, Samantha loves hanging out with her family and giving back to her community.

Top Agent Magazine

She helps lead the “Let’s Keep Gordon Warm” organization, which provides coats, scarves, and gloves to local children in need, as well as a local “Backpack Buddies” drive, which provides bookbags Top Agent Magazine

and school supplies. Samantha’s favorite thing to do is to spend time with her son, 15-year-old Beau Black, and watch him “do what he loves” on the football field and on the golf course.

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

Samantha knows that selling or buying a home can be stressful, but she aims to make this process as easy and enjoyable as possible for her clients. Because of this, she says her favorite part of her job is “Getting to help people with one of the most exciting times in their lives.”

In the future, Samantha promises to keep being flexible and rolling with the changes. She says, “The only constant in the real estate market is change and understanding this is key to making sure our clients continue to receive excellent service.”

For more about Samantha Lusk, please call her at 770.547.1441 or email samlusk81@gmail.com

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

Top Agent Magazine

Easy Blog Topics for Your Real Estate Blog Today, blogging looks a lot different than it did back in 2007, when the platform was just beginning to take off. Successful bloggers don’t choose blog topics on a whim. They think strategically and develop pillar content that their target audience will come back to again and again.

Real estate bloggers should be less concerned with whether the same post already exists (it does) Top Agent Magazine

than with how they can be more informative and helpful than their competition. Your personality is likely the thing that your clients connect with, and your blog is another place where you can let it shine.

Pillar content refers to those evergreen posts that never get old because they are always timely.

Think about those questions that you’ve had to

Top Agent Magazine ÂŽ

13

answer a hundred, if not thousands of times— that’s your pillar content. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could direct your clients to a blog post or, better yet, they discovered the answer on your website rather than you having to constantly repeat yourself?

Or maybe you helped a client sell their house for much more than they were expecting by conducting a series of small and inexpensive renovations. Tell your readers how you did it.

Evergreen Content

Your clients are likely new to the area. Inform them about upcoming community events or mom-and-pop shops they may have never heard of. Are there hiking trails or parks nearby?

What’s the best place to grab a cup of coffee before work or a beer after? You can spotlight these places regularly as a monthly series.

This should really make up the bulk of your content. The possibilities are endless, and you could easily come up with an entire year’s worth of content with only a few hours of brainstorming.

Here are some examples: You could provide your readers with a list of questions they should ask when interviewing a realtor, the steps to becoming a real estate investor, real estate facts all first-time homeowners should know, steps new parents should take to prepare their home for a baby, recommended vendors for home maintenance, or common real estate terms defined.

You could explain to your readers what they need to know about home staging, which home renovations add the most value to their home, how to research schools or crime rates in specific neighborhoods, what a home association is, or how to start flipping houses and buying foreclosures.

Case Studies Sometimes realtors work with a client for years before they are ready to buy a home. Personal finance blogs are a thing for a reason. People want to see exactly how someone else achieved a shared goal. If you have a close relationship with a client who you helped become a homeowner, consider interviewing this client and writing up a case study that shows exactly how the two of you worked together to achieve this goal.

14

Stay Local

There are plenty of real estate news outlets that will be posting about the state of the market—but they won’t be talking about your specific community, and that’s where your blog comes in.

Of course, if you only blog about community functions or properties on the market, then as soon as that event is over or that listing is sold, your content ceases being useful.

The best real estate blogs balance their content by posting a little about all the above. Maintaining a high-quality blog means your prospective clients don’t need to visit several websites to have their questions answered because you’ve done the work for them. It’s a tool that helps you make a great first impression.

If you still need help coming up with blog topics for your real estate blog, consider sending a survey out to your clients. You can send it via email and post it on social media. Ask your clients what real estate problems they need help solving and write your content with their responses in mind.

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

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

Top Agent Magazine

15

PAMELA TILLERY

Out of adversity comes great success. When unfortunate medical circumstances led Pamela Tillery to step in and become her mother’s primary caretaker, she also made the tough decision to give up her career as payroll and benefits coordinator with the local school district. That’s when her best friend Jodie, who happened to be a REALTOR®, encouraged her to pursue a career in real estate. Together, Pam and Jodie formed a team, The T & T Group. They currently work at RE/MAX Realty Team and serve clients throughout Dublin and the Middle Georgia area.

sion, guide them with integrity, and give them the best we can on an individual basis. Every customer is important to us, and because we work as a team, our customers have two agents accessible at all times.”

When it comes to marketing, the T & T Group utilizes all available technology in order to

Pamela and Jodie have enjoyed a steady stream of referral business. The ladies credit this success to the attention, care, and in-depth communication that have become the staples in their approach to customer service. “We treat every single customer as if they were our only customer. We serve them with compas16

Copyright Top Agent Magazine

give listings the maximum exposure. They put listings on the MLS, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, and the team webpage. Thanks to hard work and determination they have completed 70 transactions this year and continue to be the top agents at their firm. Pamela has also been named as one of the top REALTORS® in the State of Georgia by Newsweek.

Making genuine connections with clients and staying passionate about her work has been a rather easy task for Pamela, who is naturally a people person. “I think a big component of my work fulfillment is the fact that I truly enjoy meeting new people and helping them find the home they’ve been dreaming about.

At the end of the day, what is of primary importance is the happiness of the customer and their satisfaction with the process.”

Outside of her job Pamela finds time to help out her neighborhood by working to strengthen the community. She is involved at her local church and is a board member for Habitat of Humanity. She is also on the Executive Board for MOVE 3:16 Ministries, a Christian outreach ministry. When she’s not working or volunteering in various community events, she enjoys spending time with family and friends or curling up on the sofa with a good book.

Never one to settle or become complacent, Pamela continues to set goals for the T&T Group. With her teammate Jodie by her side, her main focus is to keep growing and expanding their business; they hope to hit the $10,000,000 mark in sales volume by the end of this year. Most of all the desire for the T & T Group is to continue giving clients an excellent level of customer service and helping them fulfill their dreams of home ownership.

Top Agent Magazine

To learn more about Pamela Tillery please call (478) 278–2811 or email weAREtheTandTgroup@gmail.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 17

24-Hour Touch-ups to Maximize Your List Price Sometimes it takes a full-scale overhaul to prepare a house for market. Other times, only a series of small adjustments are required to make a listing’s true potential shine. Whether you’re gearing up for an open house, assessing a list price, or maximizing a property’s appearance prior to photography—the devil is in the details. However, touch-ups and refreshes don’t have to dominate your schedule or break the bank. For a few ideas of where 18

to begin, consider our handy check-list below for quick home projects that will fortify your bottom line.

Refresh grout for a sparkling clean look.

Perhaps the quickest and most cost-effective way to make bathrooms, kitchens, and other tiled areas shine is to refresh grout until it looks

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

good as new. Specialty grout stain removers and cleaners are inexpensive and sold at most home improvement stores. Plus, the project only takes a bit of elbow grease and an hour or two for a major makeover effect. Suddenly, dark, stained, and worn-down bathrooms gleam as if tile has just been placed.

Create mood lighting with soothing bulbs and fixtures.

A warm white light from specially chosen LED bulbs creates a welcoming environment when potential buyers come calling.

If outdated fixtures are bringing down a home’s otherwise modern styling, consider more design-neutral replacements that won’t

Top Agent Magazine

detract from the property’s charms. These are inexpensive but highly noticeable and impactful upgrades that shift a home’s ambiance for the better.

Repaint doors for an updated and inviting entryway.

It may sound like a hassle, but repainting doorways with a fresh coat signals a wellkept property—and that’s before prospective buyers even pass through the threshold. You can also change out generic doorknobs and switch-plates to add an updated flare while on a budget. Color-of-the-year trend choices can turn heads, while neutral paint choices signal less hassle for future homeowners.

Top Agent Magazine ®

19

scrub, or with the addition of new shelves or styled bulbs.

Make windows shine— both inside and out.

Cleanliness goes a long way in communicating a well-cared for home in which buyers can imagine themselves. Cleaning the inside and outside of windows not only refreshes a room, but it allows light to infuse the space while appealing to the move-in ready crowd.

Closet spaces are not an afterthought.

Every prospective buyer wants storage options, and you’ve surely led a home tour where guests inspect closets and pantries.

Don’t let these hidden spaces go overlooked. Make sure they’re clean, cleared as much as possible, and you can even touch them up with fresh paint, a good

20

Remove tough appliance stains with a bit of elbow grease.

If you’re packaging appliances with the sale of a property, you’ll want to make sure those big-ticket items are also in top shape to showcase their value. Stainless steel polish, electric cooktop polish, and stain removing pads for the kitchen sink can make your appliances look five years younger with nothing more than an hour or two’s labor.

Organize garage and basement areas to maximize storage and hint at bonus space.

It may take a labor of love, but organizing and decluttering these special storage spaces

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

can add significant value to a property. Instead of telling prospective buyers how much storage space there is—let these areas speak for themselves by giving them a neutral, airy bout of cleansing. That way, craft-lovers, car aficionados, and buyers with interest in renovating basement areas can witness the potential immediately.

Individually, these bit to-do list items might seem like extra work without the promise of Top Agent Magazine

a major return. But combined? These small tasks go a long way in crafting a home’s image and projecting pure potential. After all, prospective buyers imagine their lives unfolding inside those walls. That’s why cobbling together these small-scale projects can have a big payoff in the end. Not only will a home present itself in a cohesive, attractively-packaged form, but it can also translate to higher interest and a significant pay-off—in more ways than one.

Top Agent Magazine ®

21

TARA BOHANAN & KRISTEN GEE When Tara Bohanan and Kristen Gee joined forces in July 2019 to form Bohanan Gee Elite Realty Associates, they brought together years of experience in the industry, a passion for the community in which they live and serve, and a commitment to building a client-focused team. Tara has been a licensed Realtor® for ten years, and Kristen received her license in 2013 after working as a real estate admin for several years.

Out of their office in Dawsonville, they represent buyers and sellers throughout Dawson County and North Georgia, including Dawsonville, Cumming, Gainesville, Dahlonega, and Murrayville. And when they say “Buy and Sell with the Best of Dawson,” they mean it—in just a little over a year, they’ve closed 63 transactions and won numerous awards from the Dawson County News: Best Residential, Best Commercial, Best Customer Service, and Best Agent (Tara, 2019; Kristen, 2020).

Tara and Kristen share that while their personalities are quite different, they possess the same strong work ethic—and they’re both honest and straightforward. As Kristen says, “We’re local. We’re personable. We’re very blunt and to the point. And people know that ultimately they can trust us.” Moreover, working with Tara and Kristen is a good deal: “Instead of getting just one agent and one personality, clients get two of us for basically the price of one.”

The team employs a mix of digital technology and old-school communication methods. They have a huge presence on social media—with a team account, individual Realtor® accounts, and personal accounts across all platforms—and they reach out to clients several times throughout the year. Kristen says, “We know everybody’s birthday and house-iversary. We send something every holiday and host client events.” They’ve also cultivated a long list of trusted vendors to refer to clients for anything house-related, including lenders, interior designers, and everything in between. As Kristen explains, they want to be a resource, so clients “don’t have to go to anybody but us to be able to get something done.”

22

For Tara and Kristen, being that resource is what they enjoy most about their job. As Tara puts it, “I like from the start to finish, when someone calls me and tells me that they’re ready to make either a transition, or their first purchase, or downsize to a retirement home, or buy a second vacation home— the excitement of starting that journey with each person is very rewarding.” Kristen adds that, born and raised where their business is focused, “I like knowing that I’m giving back and doing something to help the community and those that I know. Somebody buying or selling a home—that’s the biggest financial investment they’re ever going to make in their lives. So being part of that and knowing my community trusts me to help them do that is really special.”

Tara and Kristen are members of the local Chamber of Commerce, and they host food drives, coat drives, and roadside clean-ups. Even their future plans are community-based; with an eye to adding talent to the team, they’ve started a mentor scholarship program for individuals interested in starting a career in real estate. As the Bohanan Gee Elite Realty website states: “We live here. We work here. We care about our community.”

For more information, please visit bgeliterealty.com; email bgsells@bgelitehomes.com; or call 706-203-1124 www.

Copyright Top Top Agent Agent Magazine Magazine

Top 4 Ways to Juice Up Your Open House Strategy

by Rob Flitton

I go to open houses, but not just because of my profession or interest in architecture and interior design. I go to open houses to see how effective real estate agents are at selling. It has been rather eyeopening because there is very little selling going on—the average open house strategy needs work.

1.Build a Dynamic Open House Booklet After they leave, open house visitors will discard a one-page for-sale info sheet naming a home’s features. But they will keep, and possibly use, a 6 or 8 page booklet loaded with interesting items that directly solve problems for them.

Perhaps “selling” is considered an outdated skill, or that it feels socially awkward for agents to be regarded as a salesperson. But if you’re a real estate agent, you are a salesperson. At most of the open houses I go, I see money floating out the door every time a visitor leaves because of the agent’s inability or refusal to sell.

It will require some strategic thought to nail the content and design, but perhaps include: (i) descriptives about the benefits of buying the property you’re showing, and not just data, (ii) compelling reasons why they should consider working with you along with a web link to search for listings on your website, (iii) a web link telling them how to get a prompt, written estimate on the value of their home, or to find out what other homes in their neighborhood sold for, (iv) possible discounts on real estate related services—maybe a reduction in fees from your preferred lender, or a reduced home inspection price, (v) possible discounts on non real estate related items.

An open house is a lucrative opportunity to find buyer or seller clients –selling the listing itself may also be the goal, but an agent should not pass up this chance.

There are 4 distinct strategies an agent can immediately employ to juice up their open houses and get awesome leads.

Top Agent Magazine

23

If you combine this dynamic booklet with properly trained closing language, as touched upon below, it is something the average person will either keep and use or pass along to someone they know. A well designed booklet can bring you a lot of business.

data—and they are void of interesting or problem-solving information.

2.Work The Neighborhood A few days prior to your open house, find the names and addresses (from tax records—or elsewhere) of, say, 20 homes in each direction from the Pre-internet, both open houses for open house. resale listings, and model homes for new construction, relied on strategic For the cost of postage and some collateral materials (handouts). Vis- sweat-equity, mail a postcard to these itors were ostensibly looking at sev- 80 homeowners inviting them to the eral competitors at the same time, so open house and offering something collateral materials had to have the unique and compelling—perhaps a power to bring them back to your drawing or giveaway for those willing site—a great call to action, eye- to provide their opinion on the asking catching color, identification of the price of the home (and the entry card, of course, will net you their email benefits of buying your product. address and phone number). People Yet at open houses today, I primarily are generally nosy and like to be see bland information sheets dis- validated, so asking for their opinion cussing features—the listing price, on something happening in their own the square footage, and the standard neighborhood is very appealing.

24

Top Agent Magazine

And, it is best to mail them again right after the open house to talk about what happened.

“From our Saturday open house, we discovered 3 qualified and eager buyers that are now looking for a home in this neighborhood—if you would like to know what your home is worth for these buyers to consider, please give me a call.”

dynamic booklet and say: “Please enjoy our open house, and am hoping you’ll do me a favor. This booklet is loaded with great information about, and if you become interested at some point in buying or selling, would you please call and give me the opportunity to earn your business? Or if you happen to know someone now who is looking now, would you kindly pass this booklet onto them?”

Also, adding on door-knocking or If they reply with a “don’t know” type flyer-hanging to your mailings boosts of answer this usually means they are your neighborhood equity even more. indeed looking but are just not ready yet to reveal this to you, so you will 3.Close and Qualify need to work to make a connection.

Engage every single visitor in closing Good consultative sales connections dialogue, because every single visitor are made when you can make them feel you’re not pushy and are able to is there for a reason. directly resolve their problem.

While smiling, with shoulders erect, and maintaining suitable distance, A “yes” type of response is great, but look them in the eye and offer your you should take the qualifying step of handshake while stating your full asking them if they’re working with another agent. If they are, the dyname and company—and then ask: namic booklet comes in handy again: “Are you out looking to buy a home “If for any reason your agent is today?” unavailable to show you homes, I can be reached at the phone number in There are 4 categories of answers, this booklet. Plus, it contains fantastic and any answer they provide is an resources for searching online and a opportunity to get to the marrow of discount on financing.” what they need. There are “nos”, “don’t knows,” “yeses,” and “other.” If you can’t get a sandwich, get a bite.

If they are definitive about looking, If they reply with a “no” variety of and don’t have an agent, then they are answer, then you can hand them your available for you to work with and Top Agent Magazine

25

here again you need the right type of closing and qualifying dialogue.

The goal here is to evoke from them their home-buying goals so that you can match and narrow down to a single opportunity. It’s a mistake to present multiple listings to a buyer at once. Ask broad questions and then narrowing questions followed up by “if-then” questions.

Example: “What types of functions do you want in your new home, or activities near your neighborhood?”

Followed by something like, “is the number or size of bedrooms important to you?” Followed by, “so if I can show you the kind of home we just described, are you ready to go see it and possibly make an offer?”

4.Have Interactive Tech Tools Onsite It is the worst feeling to engage someone as a potential client at an open house and then have no tools available to solve their problem— don’t assume they aren’t going to want to do business right away.

If you’re engaging a potential buyer, you better be able to instantly gratify their desire to see viable homes online so internet access and an easily view-able screen are necessary. They may ask you to go see other homes in-person, so you need to have a coagent available to either show them those homes, or spell you off as host while you do. You may be asked to write up an offer for them so you will need the tools and ability to create and e-sign documents.

Naturally, any objections or “nos” you receive in this process are just fan- When a potential listing client is in tastic opportunities to learn about their front of you, you need to be able to needs and earn a connected trust. show them recent comparable sales and may even be asked to list their The “other” thing they might tell you home and will need the tools and is that they’re not a buyer at all, but a ability to create and e-sign documents potential seller. Potential sellers often for taking that listing. go to open houses to find out how their home stacks up, but are you It happens sometimes—but it never aware what the number one reason happens if you’re not ready. they attend open houses is?

Potential sellers go to open houses to Rob Flitton is a Seattle Real Estate Mardirectly or indirectly interview you, a keting specialist helping independent agents to increase their income. Email Rob potential listing agent. And they hire robflitton@gmail.com at any time or call/ confident, prepared professionals. text him at 206-612-2314.

26

Top Agent Magazine

GAIL BUTLER Gail began her career in real estate in 2015 after 31 years as a stay at home mom. She had no idea how well her children had prepared her for this journey. With her natural desire to help people she began her career as an independent agent at Keller Williams. Gail enjoys selling homes in many metro counties but prefers to work close to where she has lived and raised her kids.

Starting a new career path is challenging but Gail wasted no time jumping into coaching where she was encouraged to circle prospect around her neighborhood going door-to-door in order to find clients and grow her reputation. “I strive to ensure the home buying and selling process is fun, easy and as stress free as possible.” Gail earns the respect of her clients with kindness and candor. She continues to grow her skill set by being involved in classes such as BOLD and teaching in her market center.

In order to market her listings Gail takes advantage of various social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram.

But she also values the old-fashioned art of simply getting on the phone. “It’s pretty simple, I get on the phone and make phone calls. Everyone is so used to communicating through text and email, that I find people get really excited to hear a human voice,” she says. Thanks to her determination as well as excellent customer service Gail has closed over 125 units and sold more than $43,000,000 in real estate. She has been recognized as a Million Dollar Club Member with the Northeast Atlanta Metro Association of REALTORS since 2016. She has served on her Market Centers Associate Leadership Council in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She is also the recipient of the 2018 Keller Williams Sugarloaf Team Leader Award as well as many other production awards.

As much as Gail appreciates the competitive spirit of real estate and accomplishing her career goals, what she loves most about her work is the ability to help people start a new chapter of their life. “I like being part of the process that allows people to achieve their dream of homeownership and find a place where they can build their family.

Recently I had a transaction involving a young couple Top Agent Magazine

that had just had a baby boy. It’s special to me knowing that I played a part in where little Jack was going to grow up and see the back yard where he would play in the future,” she says.

When she’s not busy working Gail loves to travel. She is always up for a beach trip and particularly loves to take her family skiing out west around the holidays. “It’s important to find quality family moments in these hectic times,” she says. In the future Gail plans on continuing to grow her business in an effort to provide growth opportunities for her kids. Her youngest daughter, Kaitlan, is serving our country in the Navy as a Nuclear Engineer. Her son, Paul, works for a consulting firm in Atlanta. He also has his real estate license and works with her part time. Her oldest daughter, Brittany, has her own real estate based business and acts as Gail’s listing and contract to close coordinator and marketing specialist.

“My goal is to continue expanding the business and to watch my children thrive and accomplish all their career goals.” She also has inspiring words of advice to those who are thinking about joining the real estate world: “You can have a completely different life within 5 years in this business. Five years ago when I started out I went from zero to now almost $15 million dollars in volume per year.

Don’t listen to the people that say you can’t, instead, use it as fuel to do it anyway!”

To learn more about Gail Butler email GailButler@kw.com, visit GailButler.kw.com, or call (404) 395–4068 https://

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 27

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

28

Top Agent Magazine