MISSOURI 12-7-20

MISSOURI EDITION

MILLENNIAL BUYERS:

Where They Are & What to Know

COVER STORY

Sandra Kenney

Six Powerful Prospecting Tips to BUILD YOUR

BUSINESS

COOPERATION, NOT COMPETITION,

CREATES MUTUAL SUCCESS FOR AGENTS

Long-Term Rental.

No Long-Term Commitment.

Looking for a great alternative to leasing or even purchasing?

Helping clients relocate to a new city? It’s time to rethink your personal or business transportation needs and try our LongTerm Rental Program. You can choose a new model vehicle for a competitive monthly rate. No cost for preventative maintenance and generous monthly miles are included.

Best of all, no long-term commitment.

Kansas City Airport 1 Nassau Circle Kansas City, MO 64153

Independence 1695 S. Noland Road Independence, MO 64055

South Overland Park/Rosana Square 7540 W. 119th Street Overland Park, KS 66213

Olathe 1102 N Rogers Road Olathe, KS 66062

Lawrence 711 W. 23rd Street Lawrence, KS 66046

Overland Park 7501 Shawnee Mission Pkwy Overland Park, KS 66202

South Kansas City 618 East 99th Street Kansas City, MO 64131

Gladstone 7412 North Oak Trafficway Gladstone, MO 64118

Lees Summit 308 NE MO 291 Highway Lees Summit, MO 64063

BudgetKC.com/long-term-rental | 816-510-2373 | longtermrental@budgetkc.com 2

Top Agent Magazine Š2020 Budget Car and Truck Rental of Kansas City. A Budget System Licensee.

MISSOURI EDITION

9

SANDRA KENNEY

CONTENTS 4) 5 LESSONS FROM SILICON VALLEY TO MODERNIZE AND MONETIZE YOUR BUSINESS

15) MILLENNIAL BUYERS: WHERE THEY ARE & WHAT TO KNOW

6) COOPERATION, NOT COMPETITION, CREATES MUTUAL SUCCESS FOR AGENTS

20) SIX POWERFUL PROSPECTING TIPS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

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

Published in the U.S.

Top Agent Magazine

3

5 Lessons from Silicon Valley to Modernize and Monetize Your Business Silicon Valley may be the region for disruptors, tech entrepreneurs, and futurists, but even the most forward-thinking, abstract companies are still businesses that have to keep tabs on their bottom line. There’s much to learn from America’s fastest-growing sector, and even if Silicon 4

Valley seems like a world unto its own, there are key lessons prime for adaption in your own endeavors. Below, consider a few ways to translate the trends and teachings of Silicon Valley for your own business, and reap the rewards in the process.

Top Agent Magazine ÂŽ

Top Agent Magazine

1. Diversify your value Real estate is a business built on relationships, but your relationships will go stale if the only thing you communicate is you interest in making a sale. In order to sustain relationships for the long term, you’ve got to remain valuable to your clients beyond the transaction. Serve as a local resource, not just a salesperson or real estate expert. Ensure your marketing materials, social media presence, and communications offer useful, relevant, and original content your clients will benefit from. What’s more, vary your communications so that every time you reach out it’s not just about new business or a referral.

2. Company culture matters Silicon Valley tech giants always emphasize the importance of company culture—not just as a way of drawing and retaining talent, but also as a way to appeal to clientele. What are your company’s values? What do you stand for? How you’re positioned in the marketplace is becoming just as important as what you do and how well you do it. Your company culture is part of your branding, and your brand should feel clear and composed to clients eyeing your services.

3.Think big picture More and more, clients want to have an experience, not just a transaction. When it comes to buying a home, this means they care more about a property’s bedroom and bathroom count. As an agent, consider showcasing properties in terms of lifestyle. What neighborhood amenities are nearby? What opportunities are there for community involvement? How does public Top Agent Magazine

transportation stack up in the area? Before making the purchase of a lifetime, clients want to envision a complete lifestyle.

4. Leverage multiple platforms By now, you probably recognize that social media is not afterthought. Your social media presence should fit your brand and voice, interact across platforms, and actively engage with your audience. In other words, if you want to reap the benefits of social media, it’s not enough to post a few times a month and walk away. Active engagement means responding to comments, interacting with your followers’ profiles, and posting original content beyond a sales pitch.

Likewise, you’ll want to be active across multiple social media platforms and ensure that your profiles are interconnected. That way, you’ll be working from a unified voice and brand.

5. Reputations rule the roost Never underestimate the power of word-ofmouth marketing and testimonials. If you haven’t asked for feedback from past clients, and you aren’t sharing positive testimonials and reviews—you’re missing out on one of the most powerful tools at an agent’s disposal. You can pitch the virtues of your working style all day long, but those courting your business want to hear about positive experiences from the client’s perspective.

If you want to take your business to the next level and maximize the twenty-first century values of a company on the rise, look to the lessons of Silicon Valley to get your start. There are always opportunities to innovate, and doing so will help you break from your routine and stand apart from the pack.

Top Agent Magazine ®

5

Cooperation, Not Competition, Creates

Mutual Success for Agents When people get along during a business transaction, everyone comes out happier. And in a service industry like real estate, agents have the power deliver that happiness. By working cooperatively, sharing advice and helping each other help clients, agents not only enhance their own reputations, but that of real estate in general.

6

“Bring everyone together” Matt Kobelski, with Credentials Real Estate Group in Massachusetts, points out that providing good service involves more people than the party you’re representing. “I’m not afraid to bring together all the parties in a deal and say, ‘OK, let’s figure out a solution that works best

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

Teaming up with an agent from a different brokerage on a transaction is not as uncommon or complicated as it might seem

for everyone,” he explains. “My goal is to avoid being adversarial.” Real estate, he believes, should always be a field in which each person can win. “It’s about working toward a mutual goal, shaking hands, and walking away happy that a seller sold, a buyer bought and everyone got what they wanted.”

But Is it that simple? Most agents have experienced the ways conflicting personalities and tension during a transaction can heat up even the most cordial relations. In reality, however, it’s more productive to let down your guard and work with others as a team than it is to allow stress and competition to preside. South Florida REALTOR® and broker associate, Risë V. Siegrist, for instance, has zero interest in competing with other agents. “It’s more important to be professional and associate with competent, caring people,” she says. By serving others with a cooperative spirit, experienced agents like Risë set an excellent example for emerging real estate stars. Risë hopes to be a model for the next generation of agents, training people who may one day become part of her team.

Risë’s position on cooperation inspires more reasons for nurturing relationships with other agents. Over the decades, many agents change brokerages several times. Who knows if that agent across the table will one day work at the Top Agent Magazine

same brokerage you do? Perhaps you’ll even have an opportunity to partner on an exciting, future transaction. Good relations keep doors open to endless possibilities.

Co-listing cooperation Teaming up with an agent from a different brokerage on a transaction is not as uncommon or complicated as it might seem. In fact, some agents cleverly capitalize on their collective attributes, rather than competing against one another. South Carolina REALTOR® Kimberly Pannit is a perfect example of the universal benefits of co-listings. Although she has always been an independent agent, Kimberly works hard to form professional alliances that give her business the feel of a cooperative network across brokerages.

This cooperative approach may be nontraditional, but it benefits clients in unique ways. By working closely with agents at other brokerages, she shows how agents can improve client service while helping one another.

Kimberly’s cooperative approach began in her own neighborhood, where an agent friend from a different brokerage also lives. “Several years ago, I approached her because both of us were friends with our neighbors. I asked, ‘Why don’t we give our neighbors superior service and

Top Agent Magazine ®

7

co-list together? We both love our area and are passionate about our jobs, the location and schools.’” She also didn’t want to make their mutual friends choose between them when they could work together. “I said, ‘Let’s give them amazing service together!’” With their brokers’ permission, two weeks later the agents co-listed their first home and put extra energy into ensuring uninterrupted client service.

Networking and “Co-opertition” When the ultimate goal is to match a client with the perfect home or create optimal terms of sale for a listings, networking with other agents can facilitate that ideal buyer-seller match.

Nashville REALTOR® and broker/owner Lisa Land embraced every opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the real estate industry and to her local market, even before building her own team. “Agents would frequently ask me for help or advice,” she says, noting that she shares, rather than guarding, the methods she uses to get through difficult or confusing transactions. “I was fortunate to have great mentors when I started in real estate, so I’m always

8

willing to offer help, even to agents outside of The Luxe Collective.”

Meanwhile, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Janet Leigh Scott describes the climate between agents as relaxed and professional. “While the real estate market is highly competitive, we’re truly a ‘co-opertition’ market; agents work together and a have greater sense of community than you might experience in off-island brokerages,” Janet says. “If I have buyer coming into town, I’ll reach out to agents I’ve done transactions with to ask if they have anything coming up that might not be on the market yet.”

Even in hot, competitive L.A. real estate, independent agents such as Andrej Nagy of The Agency RE knows the importance of receiving and providing professional mentorship.

“My relationships with clients are extremely important,” he says. “But my relationships with agents on the other side of a deal are also important.” For REALTORS® like him, working smoothly with other agents is a privilege.

Doing so builds rewarding relationships while ensuring win-win transactions for everyone at the closing table.

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

Sandra Kenney

Top Agent Magazine

9

Sandra Kenney, of the Kenny Team in Overland Park, Kansas, has become one of the top real estate agents in both Kansas and Missouri.

BILL & SANDRA KENNEY Sandra Kenney has a remarkable ability to turn vision into reality. No wonder she designed three of the hottest subdivisions in the Kansas City market and is one of the top-performing real estate agents on both sides of the state line. One key to her success is surrounding herself with talented people and learning from them, beginning with her father in Colorado.

“He used to buy and sell farms, and that was my first experience in this industry,” she said.

10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Sandra moved to the area when the Kansas City Chiefs signed her husband, Bill, to play quarterback. Even while staying home to raise her four children, real estate never was far from her thoughts. When Bill retired from professional football, they purchased a 120-acre farm in Lee’s Summit. Five years later, they developed it into Monarch View, an award-winning subdivision with 258 lots, two large fishing ponds, walking trails, playground and other features that appeal to young families. “Bill became the developer, and I helped design the amenities and market the subdivision,” Sandra said.

The Kenneys developed The Meadows at Summit Ridge, also in Lee’s Summit, two years later. Sandra found that she had both a passion and a talent for the industry and earned her real estate license in 2000. “I was the top team in the region with Realty Executives from 2002 to 2005, and we won numerous awards for our subdivisions,” she said.

Top Agent Magazine

AFTER

BEFORE

Her business really took off when she teamed up with Emily Debes in 2014. “Our number one priority is caring for people’s needs,” Sandra said. “We go into their houses, stage them, help people buy or sell, and sometimes do a little remodeling. We do it all.”

Top Agent Magazine

The Kenneys now are developing their third subdivision, Summit View Farms, which is near Monarch View. Sandra combines her real-world experience with cutting-edge technology such as virtual tours to market the property and the six builders.

She also has experience in complete remodeling and works with top notch contractors to help her clients get homes ready. Many before and after photos are on YOUTUBE under Sandra Kenney Keller Williams.

11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

THE DREAM TEAM

Beth Langston is a Senior Mortgage Banker, NMLS #913580, at Flat Branch Home Loans, NMLS 224149. Visit www.applywithbeth.com for more information!

“The Kenney Team provided exemplary service for us when purchasing our property and guided us through the entire buying process. They arranged everything including inspections, utility providers, and contractors.” —Testimonial Anyone can sell a home. What sets top professionals apart is exceptional service.

Sandra receives glowing reviews from satisfied buyers. One recent review said, “The Kenney Team provided exemplary service for us when purchasing our property and guided us through the entire buying process.

They arranged everything, including inspecCopyright Top Agent Magazine Copyright 12

tions, utility providers and contractors. The property we purchased needed remodeling.

The Kenney Team not only gave us names of quality subcontractors; they helped arrange bids on the work. Even though our purchase was on a small property, we still received first-class service and attention to our needs.”

Top Agent Magazine

Sandra loves partnering up with top individuals to create a “dream team” where customers can receive exemplary service. “Beth Langston with Flat Branch Home Lending works in our model home sales office to provide customers an on-site experience that is personal, creative and protected”, Sandra said.

Beth prides herself on being a part of this “dream team” and with over 15 years of mortTop Agent Magazine

gage experience, she is more than qualified to be your guide from start to finish.

In addition, all our builders have glowing reputations, will build custom and customers love them!! Jayme Dickey with Choice Home Warranty provides all of our Home Warranties.

Their new construction warranty is 2 years for the price of 1 year! With the 1-year builders limited warranty and the 2 additional years with Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13

Choice Home Warranty, our clients get a 3-year warranty included on their new purchase.

of Team Xtreme International, which shares the gospel with young people throughout the world.

As busy as Sandra is taking care of her clients, she always makes time to give back to her community and church. She was president of the board of Mother’s Refuge, a home for homeless, pregnant teens and their babies in Lee’s Summit. She is also currently serving on the board

Despite all of the accolades, Sandra always credits God and to the mentors who have helped her along the way. Her formula for success can be summed up as simply treating others as she would like to be treated. “Helping people is always our goal,” she said, “and I think we’re doing great things.”

For more information about Sandra Kenney, please email sandrak@kenneyteam.com or connect online at YouTube, Facebook, or the Kenney Team website https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sandra+kenney+keller+williams

https://www.facebook.com/thekenneyteam/

http://www.kenneyteam.com/

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 14

Top Agent Magazine

Millennial Buyers: Where They Are & What to Know Homebuyers and sellers come from all walks of life. If you’ve been an agent for long, you’ve likely worked alongside a wide variety of folks—from first-timer homeowners and down-sizers, to second home searchers and those finally hunting for their dream home. While there is hardly a shortage of diversity in the housing market, there Top Agent Magazine

is one generation that is making big strides in homeownership these days: Millennials.

Millennials can be loosely defined as those between the ages of twenty-two to thirtyseven. As you can see, this constitutes a wide swathe of the population. If you’re an agent who stands to learn a bit more about

Top Agent Magazine ®

15

a demographic whose influence and homeownership goals are rapidly evolving, tune in below for a few pointers that can help you expand a segment of your clientele in the process.

Where do Millennials prefer to buy?

Many Millennials came of age during or immediately following the Great Recession, and as such, many of them relocated or returned to mid-size cities and smaller communities where the cost of living was most affordable. Of course, there are countless Millennials that call the U.S.’s major cities home—especially those in the

16

tech industry. The good news is that you can court Millennial clientele no matter where you service area is located. That said, community amenities are of great importance to this generation. They value public transportation, green space, and entertainment—from coffee shops and topnotch restaurants to farmer’s markets and boutiques. Emphasizing those attributes will be key in selling to Millennials and locating neighborhoods they’re most interested in.

What sort of communication do Millennials prefer?

Most Millennials are digital natives, or close to. That means they grew up learning

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

how to navigate digital spaces, and prefer to communicate through mediums like email, text, and social media. This isn’t to say that Millennials aren’t good communicators, but they’re often on the go, and have learned to research and shop online. To accommodate this, it’s best to build a presence across the most popular listing portals and social media platforms. Although, it’s not enough to establish a site and wait for the calls to come in. Responsiveness is a key factor for Millennials, who expect speedy response times. Make sure you’re checking your inbox frequently, responding accordingly, and engaging with your audience online. This will let Millennials know

Top Agent Magazine

that you’re savvy, available, and understand the value of their preferred method of communication.

Are Millennials ready to buy?

It’s a common misconception that Millennials are uninterested in the rite of passage of purchasing a home. While Millennials maybe waiting a bit longer than their parents did to buy a home, there are good reasons to explain this phenomenon. For starters, Millennials entered the job market during the downturn, which means they are more conservative when making big purchases, and have to play catch-up to reach a sound

Top Agent Magazine ®

17

financial position. Likewise, student loan debt has proved a major financial inhabitation for Millennials. Instead of socking away a few hundred a month to save for a home, they’re forking over that cash to pay down their educational loans. How does a Realtor compete with this reality? For starters, a bit of understanding goes a long way. Work with your mortgage partners to find financing possibilities that cater to this younger demographic. Recognize that Millennials—like most buyers—have some trepidations when buying a home.

Also consider fielding Millennial clientele with the long view in mind. You might be 18

courting them for months or more until they’re ready to take the plunge, but they’re also famous for their reviews. When a job is done well, Millennials shout it from the rooftops—or at least share it a dozen time from their phone.

As time passes, Millennials will continue to dominate the marketplace when it comes to buying and selling homes. A little self-education on this powerful demographic can go a long way. If you know your clients and your audience, you’ll be in a far better position to serve their interests and make a customer for life.

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

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

Top Agent Magazine

19

âœ˝

Six Powerful Prospecting Tips to Build Your Business

By John Boe Why is it that some sales reps consistently earn a six-figure annual income while other reps, putting in the same hours, selling the same products, and trained by the same sales manager struggle each month financially to make ends meet? The answer to this question is painfully simple; the six-figure sales reps understand the importance of business development and never forget to ask for referrals.

Top producing sales reps set high standards for themselves and spend the majority of their time either actively prospecting for new business or closing sales. Successful sales reps set productivity goals, establish priorities, and don’t waste their precious time hanging out in the break room or taking twohour lunch breaks.

Top producers don’t need to be reminded to ask for referrals on a daily basis or follow-up on hot leads, because they understand that prospecting for new business is a necessity and not just an activity. The good news is that prospecting for new business, like any other learned skill set, can be trained and developed into a habit.

20

Top Agent Magazine

Tip One: Don’t Forget to Ask for Referrals.

When it comes to asking for referrals, timing is everything. Research indicates that the most effective time to ask for referrals is right after you’ve made the sale or provided a valuable service for your customer. Asking for referrals prior to closing the sale is a big mistake and may even jeopardize the sale itself. Once the sale has been completed, your customer will be on an “emotional high” and far more receptive to the idea of providing you referrals. When you ask for referrals, your goal is to get as many names written down as you can. Just keep asking... Who else? Once your advocate has given you all of his or her referrals, then go back over the list of names to get details on each prospect.

Tip Two: Train and Reward Your Advocates.

An advocate is a person who’s willing to go out of his or her way to recommend you to a friend or associate. Most customers are initially reluctant to provide referrals without some basic training and motivation.

✽

Once you’re given a prospect, Asking for it’s a good idea to take the time to role-play with your advocate referrals prior to to demonstrate how to approach and talk to their referral. A brief closing the sale is a role-playing exercise will build your advocate’s confidence and big mistake and keep them from over-educating may even jeopardize their referrals. During your roleplay session, be sure to prepare the sale itself. your advocate to expect some initial resistance. This training will pay big dividends by making your advocate more effective and less likely to become discouraged when faced with rejection. Always take the time to thank your advocates and give them feedback on the status of their referrals. I recommend that you call them and then follow up by sending a thank you card and or gift.

Top Agent Magazine

21

Tip Three: Strike While the Iron is HOT. Prospects, like food in your refrigerator, are perishable and therefore need to be contacted quickly. Each day you let slip by without making initial contact with your referral dramatically reduces the probability of you making the sale. Develop the habit of contacting your referrals within two-business days or sooner. Have a system to keep track of your referrals so they don’t end up falling through the cracks. It’s critical to have a computerized client contact management system to record your remarks and track future contacts and appointments. Relying on your memory alone is a very poor business decision that will cost you dearly.

Tip Four: Schedule a Minimum of Two-Hours a Day for Phone Calling.

Make your phone calls in the morning while you and your referrals are both fresh and alert. Treat your prospecting time with the same respect you would give to any other important appointment. This Treat your prospecting is not the time to check your e-mails, play solitaire on the time with the same computer, make personal phone calls or chat with your respect you would give associates.

✽

to any other important appointment.

Avoid the temptation to try and sell your product or service over the phone. Your objective for every phone call is to create interest, gather information and make an appointment. If your prospect asks you a question, get in the habit of going for an appointment rather than giving a quick response.

Don’t shoot from the hip use a script. It’s important to use a phone script when you contact your prospect so you don’t leave out any key information.

It’s a good idea to role-play your script over the phone with your sales manager until he or she feels you sound confident and professional.

22

Top Agent Magazine

Tip Five: Qualify Your Prospect at Maximum Range.

Unfortunately, not every prospect will be interested or qualified financially to purchase your products or services. Successful sales reps don’t waste time chasing after low-probability prospects and know when it’s time to cut their losses and move on.

Tip Six: Don’t Take Rejection Personally.

Selling, like baseball, is a numbers game pure and simple. Rejection is to be anticipated as a natural aspect of the qualification process, so don’t take it personally. Learn from rejection by using it as a valuable feedback mechanism. Salespeople who take rejection personally lack perseverance Salespeople and seldom make the sale.

✽

who take rejection personally lack perseverance and seldom make the sale.

For the majority of salespeople, prospecting for new business is without a doubt the most challenging and stressful aspect of the selling process.

Selling is a contact sport and daily prospecting for new business is the key to every salesperson’s long-term financial success. By integrating these six powerful prospecting tips into your daily business routine, you’ll be able to keep your appointment calendar packed with qualified prospects!

“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.”

– W. Clement Stone 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.

Top Agent Magazine

23

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

24

Top Agent Magazine