MASSACHUSETTS 8-10-20

MASSACHUSETTS EDITION

BODY LANGUAGE: How to Read Your Prospect Like a Book!

How to Answer the Inevitable Question:

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE YOU?

COVER STORY

KAREN PACKARD FEATURED AGENT

JORGE SARIEGO 1 Billion-Plus Reasons Why

YOU SHOULD BE ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK

MASSACHUSETTS EDITION

JORGE SARIEGO

Jorge Sariego began his real estate MLS like Zillow and Trulia. He i 9 17 career 10 years ago as an investor. also excited to be in the midst o After finding success flipping propassembling a marketing team to sta erties, Jorge decided to go all-in and producing videos for the brokerage’ obtain his real estate license. As the YouTube channel. “In the comin Principal Broker at Boston One Realty weeks, we’ll begin uploading video Group, Jorge has an ever-expanding of newly listed properties, future lis base of loyal clients who appreciate ings, just sold, referrals, and othe his honesty, communication, and the topics,” Jorge says. overall great customer service he and his team provide.

The results speak for themselves: las year Jorge personally did $10.1 millio KAREN PACKARD JORGE SARIEGO Jorge and his team serve the Boston in volume, with most listings fallin metropolitan area, including areas within a price range of $400,000 t within an hour-and-a-half radius of the $4.5 million. Jorge is also proud t city. About 95% of Jorge’s business be endowed with the Commitment t comes from repeat and referral clients, Excellence Award from the Nationa a truly impressive number that speaks to the level of Association of Realtors®. trust he inspires. “My clients almost always end up Community involvement is important to Jorge and hi sending me a referral or two—or even more—afterwards,” Jorge says, “because they’re satisfied with the team, and they support the Boys and Girls Club. The also work to educate kids in the community on bus way I do business. I’m honest, which my clients find 4) HOW TO ANSWER SOCIAL MEDIA and management from an early age. When he i helpful, and they also appreciate that we continue15) with 5 ness not working or giving back, Jorge loves to spend a follow-up after the sale.”

THE INEVITABLE QUESTION: MISTAKES REAL ESTATE much time with his family as possible, and also enjoy WHY SHOULD YOU?staying in AGENTS MUST AVOID With such Ia CHOOSE referral-based business, touch traveling. is important. “We don’t just follow up, we follow through and follow back,” Jorge explains. In addition In the future, Jorge plans to continue expanding hi 6) 1 BILLION-PLUS REASONS 20) BODY business. LANGUAGE: He is now licensed in Connecticut and New to a monthly email newsletter that keeps past clients plans to open a second office in Chestnut Hi updated, he also reaches out personally to check in. York.

WHY YOU SHOULD BE ACTIVE HOW TOHeREAD YOUR “I’ll text or call to see how everything is going,” Jorge so he can do even more business out east.

ON FACEBOOK PROSPECT LIKE A BOOK! says, “and whether they need assistance with anything.

Above all, Jorge wants to continue providing the sam Our clients become our friends.” great level of service to his clients. “Real estate is m When marketing their listings, Jorge and his team passion,” he says. “I love getting to meet people an use social media including Facebook and Instagram help them become homeowners. To me, that’s the bes to reach a wider audience, in addition to the typical feeling there is.”

KAREN PACKARD CONTENTS

Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440

mag@topagentmagazine.com www.topagentmagazine.com To |find out more about Jorge Sariego, please call 617-704-0921,

jorge@boston1realty.com, or ofvisit boston1realty.com No portion of this issue may be reproduced email in any manner whatsoever without prior consent the publisher.

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How to Answer the Inevitable Question:

Why Should I Choose You? In some markets, a real estate agent is competing against thousands of other individuals and teams. There are only so many bells and whistles—so many buzz words you can throw at prospective clients. To a buyer or seller who has interviewed several other agents already, all of it begins to blend together and every realtor sounds as though they’re reading off the same script.

Your clients want to know why they should choose you. They want to know what makes you different. It’s highly likely they’ll even 4

ask you this question directly in your initial interview, but as an agent, you might have a hard time coming up with a response that either you or your clients are truly satisfied with.

To answer your client’s why you must go back to your own why.

WHAT SKILLS DO YOU HAVE THAT OTHERS DON’T? Just because there are other agents in your area doesn’t mean those agents have the

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same skills that you do. We each bring our own backgrounds and experiences to the table. What comes naturally to you? Maybe it’s your negotiating skills or your ability to connect people that sets you apart from the rest.

WHAT PART OF THE BUSINESS DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST? There are skills and then there are passions.

In real estate, there’s so much to enjoy.

There’s the opportunity to match a family with the right home and the sense of safety and comfort that brings their loved ones.

There’s the ability to give someone a sense of financial security by advocating and negotiating on their behalf. And then there’s the houses and neighborhoods themselves— the architecture, history, and community.

WHAT ARE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS? When you look at your client list and the portfolio of work that you’ve built over the years, what are you most proud of? Sure, there are financial rewards, but there are also other accomplishments that your prospective clients will likely be eager to hear about, such as happy client testimonials, a thriving referral business, volunteer and charity work, or even how you lift and support your own team.

Everyone needs money, but those other accomplishments and how you speak about them show your client what kind of person Top Agent Magazine

you are and if that’s the type of person they want to work with.

WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS? Real estate might seem like your entire world at times, but you also have a life outside of work. Maybe you like music or traveling or being outdoors. The best part about being a realtor is that there are often ways you can thread these interests into your work, like hosting client functions and events.

WHAT DOES YOUR CLIENT CARE ABOUT THE MOST? Let’s face it, your clients likely care the most about only a few things: saving or making the most money, doing it as soon as possible, and making sure that doing so isn’t too stressful. Your response to your client’s question—why should I choose you?— should address these concerns.

Maybe you excel at creating systems that make the selling process efficient and profitable for your client. Or maybe you excel at providing a personalized experience for homebuyers.

Try out a few responses. You might even start with a template: My [skills or passions] helps me [provide this service] because I can [achieve my client’s goal].

Like most things in life, coming up with a compelling and concise response for why clients should hire you will take time and practice.

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1 Billion-Plus Reasons Why You Should Be Active on Facebook

By Bubba Mills

The number is staggering and potentially career ending for REALTORS® who ignore it: 1,440,000,000. That’s the total number of monthly active users on the social medium Facebook.

That number alone is reason enough to use it regularly in your real estate business. But Facebook can also help turn you into the expert in your community. Just by sharing knowledge and relevant events about the community you can become the go-to source for all things local – a perfect way to capture the attention of prospective buyers.

Plus, Facebook advertising also gives you tons of targeting layers like age, location, recent life events and interests. Plus, it constantly adds new targeting filters and functions that help you reach even more niche prospects who closely meet your customer criteria. Talk about pinpointing a target audience.

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Another Facebook real estate ad tool is Website Custom Audiences that lets you create Facebook ads that target users who have visited your website.

And several apps specifically for Facebook have emerged. Consider these: • Heyo.com: Helps you host contests, showcase promotions and high-

light special offers.

• Woobox.com: Let’s you easily create quizzes and other fun tools for engaging content.

• Pagemodo.com: Helps you make your Facebook business page both sleek and stylish and tabs allow for easy lead capture.

But the latest offering is just as cool. It’s called Facebook Live and it lets you stream live video on the internet. I recently wrote about Periscope, another live video streaming app, but when you use Facebook Live you’re automatically featured at the top of Facebook users’ news feed. What’s more, statistics show that live video is viewed more than recorded video.

How can REALTORS® use Facebook Live?

Open Houses: Broadcast a walk-through of a new listing

and highlight all the great features.

Webinars: Host live webinars targeted to buyers and sellers. They can sub-

mit questions just like a real-life seminar.

Real Estate Talk Show: Offer the latest news in the industry plus share lo-

cal events and your newest listings. In short, become the Lester Holt or Diane Sawyer of real estate in your town with your own “TV” show!

Facebook offers these tips for using Facebook Live: Promote: Tease upcoming Facebook Live broadcasts for more viewers.

Plan better: Take time to plan what you want to do in the video, whether

it’s a few key talking points or to have a few questions ready ahead of time in a Q&A, in case incoming comments slow down.

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Invest in some equipment: A shaky live stream turns off viewers so con-

sider a tripod or other stabilizing tools, especially if you’re taking viewers on a tour of an open house. And check the shot before going live.

Get the lighting right: If you’re indoors be sure you have plenty of good

lighting and avoid a lot of light directly behind you because it’ll wash you out.

Sound good: A common mistake for beginners is overlooking sound.

Consider an external microphone to make sure your viewers can actually hear you.

And if the live option makes you a little nervous, you can also stream pre-recorded videos. Hey, that has worked like a charm for TV for decades. Some businesses promote their web series to “air” on Facebook Live at a certain time like TV shows. After they are streamed, Facebook Live videos function as normal Facebook videos. Some business owners believe videos may perform better if they begin as live ones.

NowThis, a news company that publishes entirely on social platforms, experimented by streaming a 38-minute compilation of its favorite viral videos via Facebook Live. The stream received over 20,000 views and over 500 comments, according to Facebook’s counters.

Yes, all the new-fangled internet tools, apps and options for REALTORS® can be a bit overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time and you’ll slowly be right there in the business-winning mix. E-mail me today at Article@CorcoranCoaching.com and I’ll send you more free information about how technology can help your real estate business.

Copyright©, Bubba Mills. All rights reserved.

Bubba Mills is the CEO of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international Real Estate, Mortgage, and Small Business coaching company committed to helping clients balance success in business, while building value in life. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com.

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KAREN PACKARD

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Top Agent Karen Packard is based in Sterling and serves clients throughout Central Massachusetts.

Karen Packard began her real estate career when her sister needed help selling her home. Karen and her husband Mark had previously invested in a commercial property together, but it was selling her sister’s house that made Karen realize how much she loved real estate. “During the process, I decided this was exactly what I wanted to 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

do,” Karen recalls. “I got my license and never looked back.” Since then, Karen has built strong relationships with her clients based on her reliability, hard work, and high standard of excellence.

Based in Sterling, Karen serves Central Massachusetts. She does a steady volume of Top Agent Magazine

30-40 houses a year, an excellent rate for a solo agent. An equally impressive 75% of Karen’s business comes from repeat and referral clients. What keeps clients coming Top Agent Magazine

back? “My strongest ability is my communication,” Karen says. “I always tell my clients I work 7 days a week, and they can call me any time from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. I’m available 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

“I am a perfectionist when it comes to making sure all the marketing material comes across really well, because that is key to selling the house.” all day, every day, and that’s what clients appreciate most.”

Another strength Karen brings to the table is her background in marketing and business.

“I managed Sterling Greenery, my husband’s landscaping business, for a long time before I got into real estate,” Karen says. “I love coming up with unique strategies for each listing.

My clients have always appreciated that I’m Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

not the type of agent who just puts a listing on the MLS and hopes it sells. I try to strategize for each property, and use my marketing background to come up with new ideas.”

For one recent listing that was located on a golf course, Karen had the idea to hold a private party at the house and invite golf course attendees. “That way I could show them that you could literally walk from the backyard Top Agent Magazine

to the 13th tee,” she explains. “I tried to do something that was really unique for that property, and my clients loved that.”

Karen holds a staging certificate so she can help her clients stage their houses, and for bigger projects she works with a professional stager. On all her listings, Karen works with a professional photographer who prepares video, aerial photography, and floor plans. “I am a perfectionist when it comes to making sure all the marketing Top Agent Magazine

material comes across really well, because that is key to selling the house,” Karen says.

“First impression is a big thing, so I make sure the house shows right from the start.

That way we can get the most people in and get the listing sold as quickly as possible, for as much money as possible.”

Karen and Mark enjoy being involved in their community, sponsoring the annual town fair and other community endeavors. Karen also recently opened a real estate school, and Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13

spends time teaching and mentoring newer agents. When she’s not working or giving back her time, Karen and Mark flip properties together, and Karen also teaches ballroom dancing.

In the future, Karen plans to continue doing what she’s doing and helping her clients as

much as possible. “I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with helping someone with such a big event in their lives,” she says.

“That’s the most rewarding feeling. By the end of it, they’re so grateful and appreciative.

I know I did a good job, and they know I did a good job, and in the process we formed a lifetime relationship.”

To find out more about Karen Packard, please call 978-407-2568, email at kpackardrealtor@gmail.com, or visit karenpackard.com https://

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SOCIAL 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.

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1 Using 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.

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Lack 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 16

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.

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Not 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.

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Not 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.

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JORGE SARIEGO Jorge Sariego began his real estate career 10 years ago as an investor.

After finding success flipping properties, Jorge decided to go all-in and obtain his real estate license. As the Principal Broker at Boston One Realty Group, Jorge has an ever-expanding base of loyal clients who appreciate his honesty, communication, and the overall great customer service he and his team provide.

Jorge and his team serve the Boston metropolitan area, including areas within an hour-and-a-half radius of the city. About 95% of Jorge’s business comes from repeat and referral clients, a truly impressive number that speaks to the level of trust he inspires. “My clients almost always end up sending me a referral or two—or even more—afterwards,” Jorge says, “because they’re satisfied with the way I do business. I’m honest, which my clients find helpful, and they also appreciate that we continue with follow-up after the sale.”

With such a referral-based business, staying in touch is important. “We don’t just follow up, we follow through and follow back,” Jorge explains. In addition to a monthly email newsletter that keeps past clients updated, he also reaches out personally to check in.

“I’ll text or call to see how everything is going,” Jorge says, “and whether they need assistance with anything.

Our clients become our friends.”

When marketing their listings, Jorge and his team use social media including Facebook and Instagram to reach a wider audience, in addition to the typical

MLS like Zillow and Trulia. He is also excited to be in the midst of assembling a marketing team to start producing videos for the brokerage’s YouTube channel. “In the coming weeks, we’ll begin uploading videos of newly listed properties, future listings, just sold, referrals, and other topics,” Jorge says.

The results speak for themselves: last year Jorge personally did $10.1 million in volume, with most listings falling within a price range of $400,000 to $4.5 million. Jorge is also proud to be endowed with the Commitment to Excellence Award from the National Association of Realtors®.

Community involvement is important to Jorge and his team, and they support the Boys and Girls Club. They also work to educate kids in the community on business and management from an early age. When he is not working or giving back, Jorge loves to spend as much time with his family as possible, and also enjoys traveling.

In the future, Jorge plans to continue expanding his business. He is now licensed in Connecticut and New York. He plans to open a second office in Chestnut Hill so he can do even more business out east.

Above all, Jorge wants to continue providing the same great level of service to his clients. “Real estate is my passion,” he says. “I love getting to meet people and help them become homeowners. To me, that’s the best feeling there is.”

To find out more about Jorge Sariego, please call 617-704-0921, email jorge@boston1realty.com, or visit boston1realty.com www.

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Laughs!

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Body Language: How to Read Your Prospect Like a Book!

By John Boe Are you aware that your body language gestures reveal your deepest feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers? The very first sale you must make with each new prospect is to “sell yourself”. If your prospect doesn’t like or trust you, he or she will never even remotely consider buying your product or service. Understanding body language gestures will help you build trust and rapport quickly with your prospects and customers... face-to-face or over the phone.

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Body language is a mixture of movement, posture, and tone of voice. Top sales reps and the most successful managers recognize the importance of nonverbal “buy signals” in the selling process and have learned to “listen with their eyes”. They understand the power of body language and know how to use their gestures and voice tone to establish trust and build rapport quickly. Body language research shows that nonverbal communication has a much greater impact and reliability than the spoken word. Therefore, if your prospect’s words are not congruent with his or her body language gestures, you would be wise to rely on the body language as a more accurate reflection of true feelings.

The good news about body language is that you were born knowing the information. This explains why people from different cultures can communicate effectively without having to speak a single word. In the animal kingdom, every cat, dog, bear, horse, etc. on the planet will use the same body language gestures to communicate with each other. For example, when an animal is angry, they will pin their ears back flat against their head.

Even though people understand body language instinctively, the meaning of “finger gestures” may change from one culture to another. Finger gestures, such as the V for victory sign or the okay gesture are “learned gestures” created by the culture and the meaning often varies from country to country. For example, on January 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo, a Navy intelligence ship, was engaged in a routine surveillance mission off the North Korean coast when it was intercepted by North Korean patrol boats. The 83-man crew were captured and imprisoned in Pyongyang, where they were interrogated and beaten. In an attempt to gain propaganda value from the crew, the North Koreans conducted a news conference. When photographed during the press conference, some of the ship’s crew expressed their disdain for their captors by sticking out their middle finger. While this finger gesture was noticed by the North Koreans they didn’t understand the disrespectful meaning that the gesture implied. After the photos were released worldwide and the meaning Top Agent Magazine

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of the finger gesture was revealed, the North Koreans were politically embarrassed and severely beat the crew.

During your sales presentation, it’s critically important to get started on the right foot. Research shows that we decide in the first few moments whether we like someone or not. Yes, we also judge a book by its cover too. There’s absolutely no substitute for a positive first impression. Create a favorable first impression and build rapport quickly by using open body language. In addition to smiling and making good eye contact, you should show the palms of your hands, keep your arms unfolded, and your legs uncrossed.

Body language is

a mixture of movement, posture, and tone of voice.

You can build trust and rapport by deliberately, but subtly, “matching and mirroring” your prospect’s body language in the first few minutes of the appointment.

For example, if you notice that your prospect starts off the appointment by crossing his or her legs and sitting back in the chair, you should match them by crossing your legs and sitting back in your chair as well. After you believe you have developed trust and rapport, you can verify it by seeing if your prospect will begin matching your gestures. Try leading your prospect into a more open and receptive body language posture by uncrossing your legs and leaning towards the table. If you notice your prospect subconsciously begins matching your body language gestures, congratulations, this indicates that you have laid the foundation of trust and rapport. Conversely, if you notice that your prospect is mismatching your body language gestures, you know trust and rapport has not been established and you need to continue the “matching and mirroring” process.

Be mindful to evaluate the flow of “gesture clusters” rather than isolated gestures taken out of context. Listed below are some important body language gestures that you need to become familiar with. There are two basic categories of body postures; Open/Closed and Forward/Back. In an open and receptive body posture, arms are unfolded, legs uncrossed, and palms are exposed. In a closed body posture, arms are folded, legs are crossed and the entire body is usually turned away.

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Body Movement Gestures • Leaning back and closed = Lack of interest • Leaning back and open = Contemplation and cautious interest • Leaning forward and closed = Potential aggressive behavior • Leaning forward and open = Interest and agreement Head Movement Gestures • Head neutral = Neutral and open attitude • Tilted back = Superior attitude “looking down your nose” • Tilted down = Negative and judgmental attitude • Tilted to one side = Interest Facial Gestures • Eye rub = Deceit, “see no evil” • Looking over top of glasses = Scrutiny • Nose rub = Dislike of the subject • Hand or fingers blocking mouth = Deceit, “speak no evil” • Chin stroking = Making a decision • Thumb under chin with index finger pointing vertically along the cheek = Critical judgment Are you missing your prospect’s buy signals? As a professional salesperson you must continuously monitor your prospect’s body language and adjust your presentation accordingly. By understanding your prospect’s body language gestures you will minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it’s appropriate to close the sale!

“As the tongue speaketh to the ear, so the gesture speaketh to the eye.”

– King James the First (1605) Copyright ©, John Boe. All rights reserved.

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 937-299-9001. Free Newsletter available on website.

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