5 SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES satisfying than a client calling you back five years later volunteers as a varsity football coach. we honestly want to represent their best interest in any given deal. I think that makes a big difference.” Another REAL ESTATE AGENTS MUST AVOID because they trusted and liked you the first time.” reason why her clients trust her is that she prioritizes

5SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES Real Estate Agents Must Avoid

There is perhaps no greater marketing tool for agents these days than having a large presence on social media, but there is more to social media marketing than just opening an account and gaining followers. A lot of agents forget the social part of social media. It’s all about engagement, but it needs to be the right kind of engagement. This can often be the first impression potential clients or industry peers have of you, so make it count. There is no second chance to make a first impression, and that is especially true for real estate agents. Here’s just a few things you want to avoid.

1Using it to Vent Social Media is a great place to complain and

commiserate about things, but save that for your personal page. A real estate transaction is already a stressful ordeal, the last thing anyone wants is someone who seems like they’ll bring a negative energy to the process. Even worse?

Bad mouthing other Realtors ® or listings. You’re

selling yourself and your skills, so don’t sell anything that shows you in a bad light. Much like marketing a property, everything you put out should be professional and inviting.

2Lack of Consistent Branding Yes, social media is about social engagement, but it’s also about creating brand recognition. While you don’t want it to be purely promotional, you are running a business, so create a consistent branding across all social media platforms. If you can afford a professional graphic designer to help you out with this, that’s great. But at the very least, have the same profile pic, cover image and highly visible contact information, across the board. And don’t forget to share links to your other accounts, some people prefer different social media applications.

3Not Posting Enough It’s good to create a schedule of how many times you’ll be posting per day and to pick times when you might have the most engagement. Don’t over do it, but three posts a day at the right time, tends to be a good goal. There are numerous tools on Facebook, for example, that can let you see when interactions are the highest. Stick to your schedule and adjust accordingly. It’s also important to not just post your listings. Be a resource for people who follow your page. Post community events, or other informative articles that are relevant to home ownership. Be a page they want to follow even when they aren’t buying or selling a property. They’ll remember you when the time comes.

4Not interacting With Your Followers It’s called social media for a reason. The more you engage with your followers, the more they see you as a real person, and not just a marketing tool. Not only do you get to know your past clients and potential clients, on Facebook, engagement actually will make your posts seen by more people. So it’s a win/win.

5Not Sharing or Linking to Others It might not seem like a good idea to not promote the blogs, pages or listings of other people, but it’s not only an excellent way to build goodwill, it will also increase your own presence when they reciprocate. So make a point to share posts and links for local businesses and even the blogs of your peers, if it’s a post that offers valuable insight into an expertise you don’t have. That will encourage them to share your posts and even your listings, which will increase your potential buyer pool. This is another incentive to create your own blog. Unique informative content is always of value, and more likely to be shared than promotional links.

AMY FOOTE

A former director of marketing, Amy Foote struggled to find employment during the upheaval following Sept 11, 2001. When someone suggested real estate, she sought top producers and managing brokers to get an idea of what it took to be successful. When she realized she was good at what the job required – chiefly managing client relationships and being a “people person” – she decided to give it a try.

Eighteen successful years later, she hasn’t looked back. She now serves the Chicago metropolitan area – Chicagoland – where she completed 91 transactions last year, focusing most of her efforts in the northwest suburbs. An indicator of her success in the area is that an amazing 78 percent of her business comes from repeats and referrals. Says Amy, “There’s nothing more satisfying than a client calling you back five years later because they trusted and liked you the first time.”

For this, she cites the FOOTE team’s dedication to top-flight customer service. They stay in touch with their clients regularly through direct campaigns, email newsletters, monthly property value updates, and birthday and anniversary cards. But for Amy, it all starts with phone calls. “I believe in face to face and voice to voice,” she says. communication starts with the consumer.” Her current goal is to increase her social media presence, especially on YouTube, where she has gone from 7 subscribers at the beginningof the year to 142 currently, with a goal of 300 by year’s end.

More than anything else about the job, Amy enjoys working with her clients. She started out at a lab desk while getting her undergraduate degree in chemistry, but quickly realized that wasn’t for her. “It’s just not my personality,” she says. “I very much enjoy the human interaction and I really enjoy helping people make what is often the biggest financial decision of their life. It feels good knowing that they feel great about it.”

To give back, she and her husband are heavily involved in their small community of Sleepy Hollow, Illinois which is part of the Chicago suburbs, where they’ve lived for 21 years. They focus most of their efforts on the schools attended by their kids. Amy serves on the board of school district’s food pantry, and her husband volunteers as a varsity football coach.

Future goals for her business? “Growth. Massive growth,” says Amy. “It is my intention to double our business in the next five years. At some point I’d love to retire, but I don’t see that anytime soon. If you’re doing what you love, it’s not working!”

Beyond stellar customer service, she says her approach to real estate – thinking of herself as a small business owner, as opposed to a sales agent – sets her apart from her peers. “I am very big in the business planning,” she says. “At the end of every year, we examine what went right, what went wrong, what we can improve on. We’re constantly testing everything we do.”

This led to her using professional video to market her listings. “You only have one chance to make a good first impression,” she says. “We do everything we can to maximize our Internet presence because that’s where the

To learn more about Amy Foote, email amy.foote@bairdwarner.com,

Laughs!

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6 Habits of Highly Productive Agents

In a business that can be constant chaos, you’re constantly on the go and dealing with things as they hit you. It can be difficult to take a second and regroup. But there is a better and smarter way to work. If you take the time to create some better habits, in the end, you may end up being more productive. If you want to make better use of your time, as well as have more focus, here’s some habits that you’re going to want to pick up - all common to top-producing agents.

1 . Learn how to prioritize

24 that actually generate income (or are time-sensitive!) should be the first thing you focus on when you start your day.

Lists are your friend! Make a list of things you want to accomplish for the day, the week, and even the month. Always list them in the order of priority. If things get cut off when you run out of time at the end of the day, at least it’ll be the things that are not as important or time sensitive. As with anyone, your time is your most valuable commodity and should be used wisely. When you make your list, you can even schedule tasks as if they were a meeting, giving yourself a little time goal to beat, as

As with anyone, your time is your most valuable commodity and should be used wisely. When you make your list you can even schedule tasks as if they were a meeting, giving yourself a little time goal to beat, as well. Treat your time with the same respect you would a colleague’s or client’s, and don’t ever waste it. to accomplish it? Write it out and then incorporate that into your prioritized ‘to do’ list. You’ll be amazed at how driven you become to reach that goal when you actually write it out with clarity. And, the sense of accomplishment you get upon completing it will carry over to the next day. It’s important to remember to be specific. Once you get into the habit of meeting your goals, exceeding them won’t be far behind.

2. Remove distractions when you need to focus

This is especially hard when you’re a Real

tor ® . Most are constantly connected to their

phones. But, unnecessary distractions can get you off schedule and make you lose your focus instantly. If you can, turn your phone off for the half hour it takes to do a task. Interruptions make everything take twice as long, especially when you take that text and then decide to check Facebook for a second. We all do it!

Complete your task, then take ten minutes to respond to all texts and messages before you start up the next thing on your list. You can even schedule those ‘text backs’ into your schedule. A concentrated effort is always more effective than going back and forth between things.

3. Set daily goals

4. Don’t make excuses There’s that old saying, “The buck stops here”. Well, take it to heart. This is your business and you are responsible for doing everything you can to make it successful.

Sure, there are reasons for why you didn’t get a listing or why your business is slow, but what are you doing to change things and make them better? Successful Realtors ® work harder and come up with innova-

tive ways to stand out when times are tough. They don’t look for excuses, they look for solutions.

5. Be deliberate about everything you do

When you’re making your list, it helps to have a goal in mind for even the smallest task. If you’re calling past clients to touch base, have a specific reason why you’re calling. Are you letting them know some market news? Thanking them for a referral? When you’re meeting a referral partner for lunch, have a goal in mind for what the outcome of that meeting will be as well. Yes it’s good to socialize and build relationships, but if you have a reason, make sure it isn’t put off until the final moments, when things are wrapping up. Always having a purpose in mind will also help you prioritize your list better.

6. Always look for ways to get out of your comfort zone

26 Yes, you are prioritizing what is most important or urgent to your business, but it’s also important to make an effort to break out

Top Agent Magazine of your routine as much as you’re comfortable doing. Trying out new things or taking some time to learn about new and innovative real estate techniques and technology, can have an energizing effect on your business. Not only might they lead to things that make you more productive, but it keeps you sharp and engaged. And, ultimately keeping yourself at the top of your game is what it’s all about.

JEANNETTE PAWULA

Jeannette Pawula was working in commercial real estate development before she decided to make a switch into residential real estate. She got her start in the luxury section four years ago, then went on to cofound Chicago Residential Partners, a 20M+ Top Producing Real Estate Team recognized by the Chicago Association of Realtors last year. As a Chicago native, she is proud to represent any area of the city, and goes where her clients need her. She does a high volume of sales in the West Loop, Wicker Park and surrounding West Town neighborhoods.

Jeannette entered into residential real estate and has quickly become recognized as a top rising star, withher repeat and referral rate surpassing any expectations, and her business last year coming almost exclusively from past clients. “My clients are incredible. I treat them like friends. Our team motto is, ‘Service, not just sales.’ So we honestly want to represent their best interest in any given deal. I think that makes a big difference.” Another reason why her clients trust her is that she prioritizes their interests over her own. “I recently had a client who wanted to make an offer on a property, and it was completely overpriced. I wanted to guide her, not necessarily talk her out of it, but talk to her about her budget while keeping her best interest in mind. We ended up finding her another property and saving her thousands of dollars, and the best part is that she likes it better!” When it comes to marketing, Jeannette leaves no stone unturned. She utilizes Compass’s tools and platforms, including the brokerage’s exclusive “Coming Soon” and “Concierge” programs. She also employs top-notch photographers, invests in ads as well as brochures, and markets through multiple channels, including LinkedIn and other social media. She also does a fair share of reverse prospecting, andbroker-to-broker insights.

Running a very successful and busy real estate business might leave some agents too tired for anything else, but not Jeannette, who finds time to stay passionate about causes dear to her heart. She is active in international charity aid. She is also big into dog rescue—having herself adopted an English Mastiff—and supports Great Lakes Mastiff Rescue. Outside of her community involvement she also loves to travel, practice yoga, and play golf.

As her business progresses, Jeannette and her two partners Brad Zibung (team lead) and Christina Powers would like to hire more agents, to continue to provide higher levels of service to their clients. Her main goal is to always keep her clients satisfied. “We want to expand our team, and have recently hired some onboards that match the same work ethic and values we hold. It is our priority as we continue to reach higher sales records to maintain our high level of integrity and service.”

Jeannette is not averse to finding clients the modern way: via Instagram. “I am huge on social media. I think Instagram is one of the best tools to really connect with individuals. It’s a great way for people to really understand your personality to begin with. I showcase my dog, and normal things I do on a day-to-day. I get clients from Instagram who feel like they already know me, and feel connected to me.” And in order to stay in touch with clients, she uses her large CRM database, ensuring that she can touch base a few times a year.

To learn more about Jeannette Pawula

email jeannette.pawula@compass.com,

visit

www.compass.com/agents/jeannette-pawula,

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