ILLINOIS 9-20-21

ILLINOIS EDITION

CONNECT BEYOND REAL ESTATE To Attract Future Clients

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Ways To Transform Renters Into Owners COVER STORY

PAULA M. AVENAIM

MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING YOUR CALLING CARD FEATURED AGENT

CJ JIMENEZ BEYOND CLEANING AND DECLUTTERING:

What Improvement Expenses Make THE MOST SENSE?

ILLINOIS EDITION

CJ JIMENEZ CJ Jimenez began his real estate career 7 almost by accident, spurred on by a conversation with a friend. “I come from a background of 10 years of wireless retail sales, and one of my best friends asked me one day if I’d ever thought about selling houses as a career,” CJ recalls.

“He offered to introduce me to his high school friend who’d started his own RE/ MAX office, and so that’s how I made PAULA M. AVENAIM the connection PAULA to the M. broker/owner I AVENAIM currently work with. Now here we are today, 3+ years later. I’m selling houses as a career, and I love what I do!” CONTENTS

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CJ JIMENEZ

dig into a neighbo your neighborho case small busine

Community invo to CJ, and he i ber of local org including raisin Children’s Hosp Wish Foundatio Loyalty, CJ volun Music Festival. W or giving back, thing to do is to g watch my belove

As Broker of the CJ Jimenez Team, CJ In the future, C 4) the CONNECT BEYONDarea. Over 17) BEYOND CLEANING serves entire Chicagoland expanding his WHAT team and increa ATTRACT DECLUTTERING: 90%REAL of hisESTATE businessTO comes from repeat and AND referral FUTURE CLIENTS feat that speaks to the IMPROVEMENT EXPENSES Above all, he looks fo clients, an impressive trust ductivity.

MAKE THE MOST SENSE? and confidence he inspires. “Clients keep coming serve his clients and his commun 14) MAKE SOCIAL a job, it’s about building relatio backMEDIA becauseMARKETING of my personality. I’m very approach21) 5 WAYS TOand TRANSFORM clients I have fun throughou able,YOUR honestCALLING and transparent from the beginning,” CJ CARD RENTERS INTO OWNERS explains. “Our mission is to provide the most profes- CJ attributes his success in rea sional, loyal and informative service in the real estate “The new agents in the office a industry, and our clients’ interests always come first.” level where I am now, and I tel Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 Stayingmag@topagentmagazine.com in touch with past clients| www.topagentmagazine.com comes naturally secret to success. All you have to CJ. No “The relationship does not end at closing,” he Jordan of your office. You hav portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine come to the office and the last is published

by Feature Publicationsin GA,fostering Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published materials, Top says. “We pride ourselves and caring for Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. those long-term client relationships, and those rela- work hard in between.”

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

Published in the U.S.

tionships are genuine.” CJ follows up with past clients throughout the year in ways ranging from phone calls, texts and postcards to personally hand-delivering 2 a turkey to each and every one of his clients every

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CONNECT BEYOND

REAL ESTATE

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

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

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

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

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Talk About Your Philanthropic Activities

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

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

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

Your Local Community

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

Use Your Creativity to Connect

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

Share Your Hobbies

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

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

Divulge Interesting Experiences

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

What and Who Inspires You

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

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

that will draw in a broad range of followers.

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

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PAULA M. AVENAIM

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PAULA M. AVENAIM

“When I became a Realtor®, I suddenly found myself in heaven. I loved being able to help people overcome whatever obstacles they were facing to achieve their dream.”

Most of us view the process of buying or selling a home as a stressful event— rife with hurdles, headaches and potential financial traps. For Paula M. Avenaim, however, each transaction is an adventure, a puzzle to be solved. It’s 8

an attitude that everyone who enjoys their work will recognize.

“When I became a Realtor®, I suddenly found myself in heaven,” Paula explains.

“I loved being able to help people Top Agent Magazine

overcome whatever obstacles they were facing to achieve their dream, and seeing the expressions on their faces when everything came together and they realized they were now homeowners.”

After graduating college, Paula spent 26 years building and honing her skillTop Agent Magazine

set, with 6 years working at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for a top clearing firm, and 20 years as an Escrow Officer and Closer for a mortgage and title company.

Both jobs required deft management of a fast-paced environment and the ability to communicate efficiently and effectively, qualities Paula brought to her real estate 9

practice 4 years ago as a Broker with @properties, where she serves buyers and sellers all over Chicago, the North Shore and its surrounding suburbs. The final piece of the puzzle for Paula was the daily interaction with hopeful clients.

“I liked meeting different people and the conversations to get to know them and understand their needs. I’ve built relationships with every kind of professional connected to this business, and love being able to bring those resources to bear on my clients’ behalf.”

Those clients invariably describe her as a fierce negotiator, hardworking, tireless,

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loyal, and someone who listens. They’ve told their friends and family, too, as her already strong referral business attests.

That reputation, combined with her marketing acumen and breadth of experience, landed her the $55 million Northbrook, Gateway development in her first year as a Realtor®. She’s also on track to close 40 transactions for 2021.

The combined resources one can get between Paula and @properties ought to excite even the most experienced seller.

Paula gives attention to every detail, helping them with contractors to repair or remodel as needed, and to stage the home Top Agent Magazine

for the photographs she’ll use to market it. Her brokerage’s marketing team is second to none, and allows Paula the flexibility to utilize all the creative skills for which she’s known. The exposure she’s able to get for her clients’ homes includes the thousands of former clients and other agents in her sphere, social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and all of the dedicated real estate websites.

Paula is very well known in her area, and even co-hosts Real Estate Revealed on Radio 560AM. Paula serves on the Northbrook NASBAR Government and Political 11

Committee as well, and is a member of the Deerfield-Bannockburn-Riverwoods Chamber of Commerce. When not working, she loves spending time with her family, and especially being a good mom to her three boys. She also enjoys reading, outdoor music festivals, working out, and traveling.

Paula’s plans for the future of her career is to do what she’s always done— continue to grow and learn. She looks forward to forming a team in the near future, training new agents to successfully build their own business. “I think it would be exciting and rewarding to help someone else grow!”

Contact Paula M. Avenaim at 773-988-7341 or email Paulaavenaim@atproperties.com.

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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 14

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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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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Beyond Cleaning and Decluttering: What Improvement Expenses Make the Most Sense?

Decluttering open spaces, emptying cabinets and drawers and removing knick-knacks might seem like obvious – and free – ways to improve a home’s presentability. Unfortunately, however, not all sellers or agents are willing to do much more than decluttering and cleaning.

Think of the listing as a reflection on yourself. If you didn’t comb your hair, shine your shoes, dress Top Agent Magazine

neatly and drive a clean car, people would think you don’t care about yourself. They may wonder, “If he doesn’t care about how he presents himself, how is he going to present my house?” Likewise, not prepare a house for its most beautiful presentation might cast doubt on how the overall marketing will go. And, while not all changes will be immediately noticeable, chances are that what isn’t changed will be noticed.

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Ashley Aguilera, REALTOR®, broker and owner of The Aguilera Team in California’s Murrieta Valley and Temecula, says that after every consultation, her team formulates a game-plan. “We want to set their property apart from everything else on the market, but also fall within the comfort zone of the seller’s lifestyle,” she says. Changes may run the gamut from minor repairs and moving furniture for better flow, to adding accent pieces to harmonize the home’s look or create a “wow” factor before professional photography.

Many agents recommend conducting a professional inspection prior to listing; some will even hire the inspector at their own expense. Of course, any necessary repairs found during inspection and not repaired before listing must be formally disclosed. But wouldn’t it be nice to have no surprises during the buyer’s formal inspection?

In general, some improvements are required, others are low-cost and others pay for themselves

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with lower time on the market, competing offers or higher sale price.

Landscaping & Exterior First impressions begin outside. Be sure to mow and edge the lawn regularly; prune back overgrown trees and hedges; hire a professional to repair uneven pavement (especially if it’s a hazard); remove or replace dying annuals; and clean or repair porches or railings. Are there dry or dead patches of lawn? An inexpensive repair to the irrigation system might be the solution.

While painting an entire house can be extreme, a wise investment is to paint trim, porches, steps or railings that may look tired or have too many colors; choosing a single, neutral color for trim can create a bright, cohesive look. Finally, check the roof, gutters and windows, looking for spots to caulk, shingles to replace, or debris to remove.

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Paint is extremely important if the home has faded or dirty walls, holes or chips on paint or plaster. If an entire paint job is not feasible, at least consider cleaning repairing the obvious and adding a fresh coat of semi-gloss to baseboards, moldings, windowsills, doors, banisters balustrades and built-ins. Don’t overlook the ceilings!

A long-ago leak from a second-floor bathroom may have been completely repaired and moisture abated, but a patched-up ceiling is a red-flag.

Kitchens and baths

Walls, carpets, ceilings and trim Next, it’s time for agent and seller to open up to one another about the interior. Janelle Holte, who leads Seller’s Edge Home Team in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, loves walking into a home knowing that her team will be the driving force behind selling it.

“I like seeing how owners took care of it and raised their family in it,” she says. “But I won’t sugar-coat anything, so I tell them not to shoot the messenger!” She gives it to them straight, explaining what needs to be done to stage it to present well from a buyer’s perspective.

Those changes often include repainting at least the primarily living areas and replacing carpet, especially worn carpet or carpet that has faded or stained beyond what professional carpet cleaning could remedy. Sometimes, all that’s needed is professional carpet stretching to remove any buckling prior to cleaning.

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Most agents agree that the easiest costs to recoup in home improvements prior to selling are those spent in bathroom and kitchen updates. Complete remodels are unwise; you can’t anticipate the style preferences of their buyer. But refinishing, touching-ug up or painting cabinets can create a great impact, while also forcing the seller to remove unwanted or overstocked items from cabinets and drawers. Don’t forget the cabinet pulls – shiny, new nobs look nice.

Lee Ritchie of Ritchie Realty Group in Columbus, Ohio, gives a reminder to discuss any and all issues up front. “People need to be able rely on the professional who’s presenting, pricing and marketing their home,” she says. An honest and diligent agent will be an open book about the current market conditions, the quality of comparable listings and the potential return-on-investment for improvements.

Some agents, like Debra Dobbs of @properties in Chicago, even roll up their sleeves to help with decluttering and repairs. While not at all required or expected, doing so sure lets sellers see the investment their agent is willing to make for them.

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CJ JIMENEZ CJ Jimenez began his real estate career almost by accident, spurred on by a conversation with a friend. “I come from a background of 10 years of wireless retail sales, and one of my best friends asked me one day if I’d ever thought about selling houses as a career,” CJ recalls.

“He offered to introduce me to his high school friend who’d started his own RE/ MAX office, and so that’s how I made the connection to the broker/owner I currently work with. Now here we are today, 3+ years later. I’m selling houses as a career, and I love what I do!”

As Broker of the CJ Jimenez Team, CJ serves the entire Chicagoland area. Over 90% of his business comes from repeat and referral clients, an impressive feat that speaks to the trust and confidence he inspires. “Clients keep coming back because of my personality. I’m very approachable, honest and transparent from the beginning,” CJ explains. “Our mission is to provide the most professional, loyal and informative service in the real estate industry, and our clients’ interests always come first.”

Staying in touch with past clients comes naturally to CJ. “The relationship does not end at closing,” he says. “We pride ourselves in fostering and caring for those long-term client relationships, and those relationships are genuine.” CJ follows up with past clients throughout the year in ways ranging from phone calls, texts and postcards to personally hand-delivering a turkey to each and every one of his clients every Thanksgiving.

CJ’s innovative marketing sets him apart. He is currently releasing an IGTV series featuring different neighborhoods in Chicago and highlighting their features. “My marketing is not based just on selling, but more on what I can offer you in our geographic area or neighborhood,” CJ says. Recent and upcoming neighborhoods featured include Logan Square, Little Village, Avondale, and West Lawn. “Every episode we 20

dig into a neighborhood, show you what your neighborhood offers, and showcase small businesses.”

Community involvement is important to CJ, and he is active with a number of local organizations and events, including raising funds for Lurie Children’s Hospital alongside ECC Wish Foundation. Through RE/MAX Loyalty, CJ volunteers at the My House Music Festival. When he is not working or giving back, CJ says, “My favorite thing to do is to go to Wrigley Field and watch my beloved Cubs!”

In the future, CJ plans to continue expanding his team and increasing his business productivity. Above all, he looks forward to continuing to serve his clients and his community. “For me it’s not just a job, it’s about building relationships,” CJ says. “My clients and I have fun throughout the whole process.”

CJ attributes his success in real estate to hard work.

“The new agents in the office ask me how I got to the level where I am now, and I tell them that there is no secret to success. All you have to do is be the Michael Jordan of your office. You have to be the first one to come to the office and the last one to leave, and just work hard in between.”

To find out more about CJ Jimenez, call (773) 772-6969, visit cjjimenezteam.com or email cj@cjjimenezteam.com www.

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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 Top Agent Magazine

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.

That’s where your expertise as an agent comes 22

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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