NORTH CAROLINA MORTGAGE 1-25-21

NORTH CAROLINA MORTGAGE EDITION

WHY

DOESN’T TRAINING WORK FOR YOU?

COVER STORY

PATRICK STOY TOP MORTGAGE LENDERS

LEON EZZELL BROOKE MOUNTS

Every Player is Valuable:

How to Boost YOUR TEAM’S MORALE How to Cut Down on

DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS and Up Your Productivity

5 Things You Can Do to Achieve Your Biggest Goals

NORTH CAROLINA MORTGAGE EDITION

LEON EZZELL

BROOKE MOUNTS

they are home Leon loves helping others, espec 27 knowing I can first-time home buyers. “They’re When she isn’ favorite,” he says. “Not to sound co spending time but it is so fulfilling to help pe included! “We achieve the dream of home owners we spend a lot babies.”

That is a special moment I getThe tofa and is active w part of.” Committed to“Ithe educa have a neph and well-being of his weclients, L are huge su also spends time providing them bumps in the road, having to worry Brooke looks financial advice.

“I try to share PATRICK STOY LEON EZZELL BROOKE MOUNTS about whether or not they are going to in other ways As a Producing Branch Manager at be furloughed because of something knowledge. It matters toto food me that pantri like Covid.

A big part of my job is reassuring them, drops are collected in “blessing HomeTown Lenders in Kinston, North know how to plan for all parts of letting them know that we’ll get there, that we’ll find a the city, and Brooke often do financial future.”

Carolina, Leon works with a team of way for them to get their house.” organizing donations from oth edicated professionals who believe in CONTENTS Brooke understands the anxietyand the engaged unknown can she gets licensed utting clients first. On his team are two Originators, Active in theWhen community, Leonasisa l bring, having gone through it herself when she bought goal is to continue to build l licensed Loan Officer Assistant, a Marketing and involved in his local church, as well as food drive 4) EVERY PLAYER IS VALUABLE: 18) 3it WAYS TOshe MAKE YOUR her first home. She experienced again when set her clients. “Anyone who is p Lead Coordinator, and a Senior Processor.

Along theWORKSPACE homeless. his free FOR time, he and his wife lov HOW TO BOOST YOUR TEAM’S YOU out to become a loan officer.

“I had workedInasWORK a lender be treated like family.

I will a theteam car industry thirteen years, people and they can reachsays, out any“so tim MORALE with traditional home loans, Leon and inhis also for travel.

“Ourhelping children are grown,” Leon with subpar credit. I wanted to EMOTIONAL get into the mortgage 20) FLUENCY: ffer loans for residential new construction. takeclue theastime weto have now to see the world.” industry, but didn’t have aHOW to how do it. A For people dreaming of buying 6) WHY DOESN’T TRAINING TO COMMUNICATE friend of mine had a brother who was a loan officer is her own kind of blessing.

WORK FOR YOU? WITH CLIENTS WHEN TENSIONS an assistant.For He putthe us infuture, touch andLeon it turnedand his team are at work With nearly all of his business cominglooking fromforrepeat ARE HIGH out to be a great fit.” lients and referrals, Leon attributes this remarkable their goals for 2021, looking to increase their 15) HOW TO CUT DOWN chievementON to DIGITAL his focusDISTRACTIONS on customerShe care.

“We’relicensed ume add newYOU members to their team. “We w 25) 5 THINGS is currently in and North Carolina and isCAN DO on care getting her license in the people,” surrounding ANDarea,” UP YOUR ACHIEVE YOUR BIGGEST ocals in a rural Leon PRODUCTIVITY says, “andworking we take to TO help more Leon says. “That’s wha states. In the coming year, GOALS Brooke is looking to become f our people. Our communication is at a very high care about.” a loan officer for Fairway Mortgage Company. evel with our clients.” Leon keeps in consistent she loves most about the business is witnessing the ouch with clients and referral partnersWhat through both Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 happiness of people who have completed that journey utomated campaigns and personal texts and phone to home ownership. “Families who have been renting mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com alls. A believer in the power of the individual their wholetouch, lives sometimes have a hard time believing No team portion of this issue may be reproduced intheir any manner whatsoever consent of the publisher. Top Agent like to learn m that they can ever afford awithout home.prior I like showing them If you’d Leon and his show appreciation for clients Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although arethat, takenand to ensure accuracy of published that they can, seeingprecautions them realize seeingthethat call her direct at 9 hrough individualized holiday which this yearopinions materials, Top Agent Magazine gifts, cannot be held responsible expressed factsthey supplied by its authors. final moment atforthe closing table or when realize email brooke.mounts To subscribe or changeengraved address, sendwith inquiry the to mag@topagentmagazine.com. re Christmas ornaments client’s Published in the U.S. ame and the address of their first home.

If you’ve lived in North Carolina, you or Leon Ezzell, the home mortgage 9 17 people understand this simple truth: usiness runs in his family. He started there take care of one another. It’s a n the industry nearly thirty years ago value Brooke Mounts has cherished her life, and the foundation of her with his father-in-law, who owned his whole practice as a loan officer’s assistant. wn mortgage company. Leon’s rich “I love helping people,” she explains. nd varied experience, as well as his “And many of them come into the expeof financing a home with a lot of utstanding customer service, have rience fear, especially first-time homebuyers. elped him grow a highly successful It’s hard for them not knowing how the process works, enduring the unexpected usiness.

PATRICK STOY

2 Along with his outstanding customer service, what ets Leon apart is his extensive experience in the

Copy

Top Agent Magazine

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine

3

Every Player is Valuable: How to Boost Your Team’s Morale In the fast-paced world of real estate, it can be easy to overlook the contributions of those lower-level employees who are instrumental in our success, yet are overlooked when it comes to recognizing the important roles they play in keeping our business operating smoothly.

Even a task that seems simple, such as answering phones, can be overwhelming at 4

times. Letting these employees know that they are appreciated is something that often goes overlooked at busier companies, and can often result in impaired morale overall, as employee dissatisfaction tends to be contagious.

Here are some things that you can do to increase morale and productivity in your workplace: Top Agent Magazine

While it’s important to point out when an employee is doing something wrong, it is equally – if not more – important to acknowledge when that employee is doing something right.

1

While it’s important to point out when an employee is doing something wrong, and sometimes to reprimand, it is equally – if not more – important to acknowledge when that employee is doing something right. Even a simple compliment can go a long, long way towards building that employee’s morale, and therefore their willingness to go the extra mile for your team.

An example: “Sally, I just heard you on the phone with that client. You sounded very professional and I really appreciate your representing our business that way.”

2

Determine what all of your employee’s goals are, and what their expectations for growth might be. There may be lower level employees who are perfectly content doing what they’re doing, and who have absolutely no expectations for growth in your business. Others, however, may have an interest in moving up the ladder. Make it your business to determine this early on, and try to take a personal interest in your employee’s growth with your company. Knowing there is room to grow is an important factor in employee satisfaction, and knowing who wants to grow and who

Top Agent Magazine

doesn’t is something you should be aware of. Groom from within, and your employees will be grateful and work harder.

3

If your workplace is highly stratified, with multiple levels of employees (agents, senior agents, loan processers, assistants, etc.,) make an effort to ensure that everyone feels valued as part of the team regardless of what they earn. Various team building exercises that encourage trust and a sense of familiarity can go a long way towards fostering an environment that is less unnecessarily competitive and more productive and cooperative. A quick web search for “Trust Building Exercises” will help you locate many good ways to achieve a newfound level of camaraderie amongst your team. Many of them are quite a bit of fun, too.

Hopefully these tips will assist you in creating a better-functioning, higher-achieving team of motivated, caring employees.

Remember, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link, so be sure to keep everyone feeling appreciated, supported and valued, and your company will only benefit.

5

Why Doesn’t Training Work for You?

by Carla Cross

Why isn’t your training working for as a ‘performance art’, not a you? Every company says they ‘knowledge pursuit!’ ‘have training.’ Yet, whether you’ve been in business 2 days or 20 years, Big question for you: Think of your you’ve probably felt frustrated that last 3 trainings. What were you doing those hours spent in class—listening in class? Listening to the ‘expert’? to someone at the front (the Or, were you putting to work what ‘expert)—didn’t do you any good. you were learning—while in class, There’s one reason training doesn’t so you could get valuable feedback work—and here’s how to make it before you ‘practiced’ on real work for you, so you don’t waste people—your clients? precious hours in training rooms.

What you need to be doing in class Training doesn’t work because it’s to assure you can do it ‘for real’: not taught right—and the people in the class aren’t doing what needs to • If it’s appropriate, you need to role be done for training to make a play (like answering objections, giving a listing presentation, etc.) difference in their lives.

Here’s what training needs to help • If appropriate, you need to you every time you’re in class: differentiate (like finding mistakes in a purchase and sale agreement).

Training must have action inside class to be effective for you.

• If appropriate, you need to practice the actions in class and then What do I mean? go out and do it with a ‘real person’—the client—and come back I mean we have to look at real estate and tell how it went (practice a 6

Top Agent Magazine

listing presentation, do it ‘for real’, Real Estate: Performance Art and come back to class and refine it). or Knowledge Pursuit?

None of these things happening in class? Make it work anyway. Take the ‘actionable’ items you learned in class and go do them—for real— within 3 days of going to class (otherwise we only remember 10% of what we heard!). Now you’ve made your own action plan.

Trainers: I just videos showing training work. uTube channel.

Top Agent Magazine

Let’s be honest: Do you know someone in your office who seems to know everything—but doesn’t sell a stick of real estate? Sure.

That’s the problem with treating real estate as a ‘knowledge pursuit’. It has little to do with results. It’s a performance art. How you perform in the field—with real clients— did a series of 5 determines your success. how to make your See them on my Big question for you: Which kind of agent are you? A ‘performance art’ 7

How you perform in the field—with real clients—determines your success. agent or a ‘knowledge pursuit’ agent? Which is easier to become?

Your Training Should Resemble a Piano Lesson

will ‘do it’ for you 3.Relying on ‘on demand’ video.

Many large franchises are providing video on demand training. Brokers may be relieved that this is going to take training off their plates. I wish.

Unfortunately, video training can provide very limited production results. Why? Because people don’t learn much by watching video. Yes, they learn a little. They observe someone else doing something; they get information. But, they don’t have to take action.

As a long-time pianist and teacher, I know intimately that, if you don’t practice, you can’t play (or you play badly)! Think of effective training like a piano lesson. You practice outside class. You come prepared.

You get tips and modeling from your teacher. Then you practice in class with your ‘coach’ watching and listening. Then, you ‘go out in the field’ and practice. You come back When you’re ready to get results ready to perform for your coach from your training, you’ll be ready to treat your training like the power again. That’s effective training. tool it really can be.

Here are 3 things that don’t work in training (and things for you to avoid): Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is an international 1.Listening for a long period of time and thinking you can do it (you already know that, from your experiences, right?)

2.Thinking most company training 8

speaker and president of Carla Cross Seminars, Inc. and Carla Cross Coaching.

A former national Realtor Educator of the Year, Carla is known as one of the ‘go-to’ experts in her profession. She’s written training and coaching programs for most of the major real estate franchises.

Contact Carla at 425-392-6914 or www.carlacross.com.

Top Agent Magazine

PATRICK STOY

Top Agent Magazine

9

PATRICK STOY Patrick’s company, MC Mortgage Group, was named one of the top workplaces by Mortgage Professional America.

While growing up, Patrick Stoy did not foresee his future as an entrepreneur running a successful mortgage company as he grew up in a single parent household managed by his mother, who never owned a home. However, in 1999, a couple of Patrick’s friends had formed a mortgage company and asked him to join.

10Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Although Patrick had minimal knowledge and no experience in the mortgage space, he accepted their offer. Patrick quickly adapted and the business came quite naturally to him.

In his first three months on the job, Patrick closed more volume than the entire company had booked the previous year.

Top Agent Magazine

Patrick, after learning and working in the mortgage business, decided to open his own company in 2005. Like most small business owners, Patrick has experienced the ebb-andflows of a business during the past 15 years.

Early on, the business was quite successful, but in the years following 2010, the mortgage industry was adversely impacted, prompting Patrick to perform an evaluation of his business that eventually resulted in a dismantling of the company. Patrick says that “the tear Top Agent Magazine

down of the business was the hardest thing I have ever had to do”. During that difficult time, Patrick performed a retrospective of his business model and revolutionized the company’s mission to focus on client relationships vs. a transaction-driven model. Since 2017, leveraging his new business paradigm, the company has experienced exponential growth.

Through all of this, the thing that kept Patrick engaged and energized was his desire to educate and advise people. “From a personal Copyright Top Agent Magazine11

“I’m straight to the point,” Patrick says. “What you see is what you get, and sometimes that works well and sometimes it doesn’t, but at least we’ll be giving you a straight answer. We won’t be leaving you without a clear picture of where we should go from here.”

standpoint, I want to help people grow wealth,” Patrick says. “Homeownership is something I lacked as a child – a driving force behind my passion for the business. With building wealth, the capital is preserved, and the interest or investment is what helps support ones’ retirement lifestyle. Upon passing and leaving this world, the wealth that has been accumulated can then be passed on - leaving a legacy.” The concept of building wealth is important to Patrick and his company, who have continued to focus on this vision to help as many people as possible over the last decade and a half. Recently, Patrick’s company, MC Mortgage Group, was named one of the top workplaces by Mortgage Professional America.

12Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

The desire to educate his community has led Patrick to work with investors. His team specializes in teaching and funding “Delayed Financing” propositions – a repeatable concept that enables an investor to purchase a fixer-upper, make repairs and then refinance so that monies can be recouped and used to purchase the next investment. This is a business service offered by only select mortgage Top Agent Magazine

companies, because it is complicated, requires a lot of work and its success requires true relationship building with the investor. Patrick’s team works in this space because it helps people out immensely and is an excellent way to build wealth.

Patrick’s company gets 100% of its business from repeats and referrals. They do not Copyright Top Agent Magazine13

advertise. What keeps people coming back?

“I’m straight to the point,” Patrick says. “What you see is what you get, and sometimes that works well and sometimes it doesn’t, but at least we’ll be giving you a straight answer. We won’t be leaving you without a clear picture of where we should go from here.” To provide clarity and education is Patrick’s goal, and he achieves that goal by being a direct communicator.

Throughout 2020, MC Mortgage Group has donated over $50,000 to three different North Carolina charities: First Fruit Ministries, Paws for People, and the North Carolina Heroes Fund.

He and his family live right off Wrightsville Beach, and in his free time, Patrick likes to go offshore fishing. If you’re in North Carolina and you want to learn more about the ins and outs of property ownership and building wealth, give Patrick Stoy a call!

For more about Patrick Stoy | NMLS #39527 please call (910) 509-7105 or email pstoy@mcmortgagegroup.com MC Mortgage Group NMLS #39166 http://www.justingrable.com

14Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

How to Cut Down on Digital Distractions

and Up Your Productivity As a real estate professional, staying tethered to your phone and computer are likely par for the course. When your office is on-the-go and you’re fielding round-the-clock questions from clients, it’s only natural that you’ll be drawn to your phone for professional updates. From refreshing your inbox and engaging with clients on social media, to drafting email blasts and coordinating with colleagues by text message— Top Agent Magazine

it can feel impossible to untangle yourself from the worldwide web.

As a professional, you may not be able to withdraw from the digital world completely, but there are a few techniques you can use to limit your extraneous digital distractions and streamline the time you spend online. After all, it’s entirely common to faithfully begin one task and then

Top Agent Magazine ®

15

get unexpectedly drawn down the digital rabbit hole. To save yourself time and virtual burnout, here are a few ways to unplug, recharge, and make the most of your time online and off.

Focus on one digital task at a time.

While multi-tasking may seem like a sound approach to productivity, this method usually results in surface-level progress across a few tasks, rather than reaching the finish line on any.

Instead of opening multiple tabs and trying to do it all at once, hone in on one digital task at a time. Have emails to return? Allocate an hour to work exclusively on this to-do list item. Need to post a new blog entry? Pencil in a dedicated half hour. If you focus on one task a time and exclusively devote your energy and productivity to it for a set period, you’ll make a far bigger dent in your list of duties for the day.

Give yourself a curfew.

In the real estate business, the hours may seem never-ending, but if you don’t want to slow your productivity with fatigue, you’ve got to set some boundaries. Try setting up a digital curfew for yourself and put your phone away after a certain hour. Devote an hour or two before bedtime to time away from your computer and your phone—read a book, prep your lunch for the next day, or try a round of mindful meditation. Carve out space and time to disconnect from your technology and stick to the habit. By morning, you’ll be refreshed and ready to dive back in.

16

Mute social media notifications and create dedicated check-in times instead.

Instead of taking a reactionary approach to social media—waiting for the dings and pings that lure you back to your screen—try muting some of your social media alerts and instead dedicate three timed windows per day to check-in on your timelines and engagement. If you’re constantly interrupted at unexpected intervals when someone likes a post or leaves a comment, your whole workflow can be derailed. Instead, unchain yourself from the instant gratification of responding to every buzz and beep your phone emits. Systematize your professional social media life and you’ll stay organized and on task.

Keep your inbox organized.

While it may take some time and effort to create a sorting system for your email inbox, it can go a long way to limiting distractions and stress. Create folders and an organizational flow and every communication will have a place and a priority.

That way, when you open up your inbox and have to go digging for old emails or exchanges with past clients, you won’t have to waste time sorting or feel overwhelmed by the clutter. If everything has its place, you’ll have an unobstructed, streamlined canvass to conduct business from.

Digital distractions don’t have to derail your day or sap your productivity. Email, internet, social media—all are tools to be commanded. With the right planning, understanding, and consistent execution, you’ll be able to wield the power of each without the downside of distraction.

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

LEON EZZELL For Leon Ezzell, the home mortgage business runs in his family. He started in the industry nearly thirty years ago with his father-in-law, who owned his own mortgage company. Leon’s rich and varied experience, as well as his outstanding customer service, have helped him grow a highly successful business.

As a Producing Branch Manager at HomeTown Lenders in Kinston, North Carolina, Leon works with a team of dedicated professionals who believe in putting clients first. On his team are two Originators, a licensed Loan Officer Assistant, a Marketing and Lead Coordinator, and a Senior Processor. Along with traditional home loans, Leon and his team also offer loans for residential new construction.

With nearly all of his business coming from repeat clients and referrals, Leon attributes this remarkable achievement to his focus on customer care. “We’re locals in a rural area,” Leon says, “and we take care of our people. Our communication is at a very high level with our clients.” Leon keeps in consistent touch with clients and referral partners through both automated campaigns and personal texts and phone calls. A believer in the power of the individual touch, Leon and his team show appreciation for their clients through individualized holiday gifts, which this year are Christmas ornaments engraved with the client’s name and the address of their first home.

Along with his outstanding customer service, what sets Leon apart is his extensive experience in the industry. “With twenty eight years under my belt, I’ve seen it all,” Leon says. “I’ve produced at a high level for a long time. I can offer my clients real expertise.

If they have a difficult or unusual situation, chances are I’ve done something similar before.”

Top Agent Magazine

Leon loves helping others, especially first-time home buyers. “They’re my favorite,” he says. “Not to sound corny, but it is so fulfilling to help people achieve the dream of home ownership.

That is a special moment I get to be a part of.” Committed to the education and well-being of his clients, Leon also spends time providing them with financial advice. “I try to share that knowledge. It matters to me that they know how to plan for all parts of their financial future.”

Active and engaged in the community, Leon is very involved in his local church, as well as food drives for the homeless. In his free time, he and his wife love to travel. “Our children are grown,” Leon says, “so we take the time we have now to see the world.”

For the future, Leon and his team are at work on their goals for 2021, looking to increase their volume and add new members to their team. “We want to help more people,” Leon says. “That’s what we care about.”

To find out more about Leon Ezzell, contact him by phone at 252-523-8171, by email at leon.ezzell@htlenders.com, or check him out online at leonezzell.org www.

17 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

3 Ways to Make Your Workspace Work for You Productivity experts agree that a curated workspace positively impacts productivity and mood, but oftentimes we settle for bland desks and cubicles that lack personalized details or considerations for workflow. Why miss out on the opportunity to optimize your surroundings when it could brighten your day—and boost your performance? Keep in mind some of these tactics to make your workspace your own and reap the benefits along the way.

18

DETERMINE YOUR WORKING STYLE AND DECORATE ACCORDINGLY For the creative set, a colorful and art-filled workspace can inspire fresh ideas and reduce stress. Likewise, casual yet aesthetically pleasing furniture, accessories, and décor set an inviting yet functional mood. A pop of color from an office tool—even something as basic as a stapler—can inject a sense of fun and modernism into your daily tasks. For the more analytical, right-brained worker, clean

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

lines and zero clutter go a long way. A few well-chosen personal photos in tasteful, unassuming frames can provide a motivating connection to the world beyond the office, while accessories and supplies that are sleek, monochrome, and contemporary inspire a sense of calm efficiency.

BUILD A WORKSPACE WITH YOUR DAILY ROUTINE IN MIND If you find yourself spending hours on the phone per day, or assembling stacks of documents and brochures, or even coming and going from the office with frequency—there are simple adjustments you can make to your workspace that will save you time and energy. If you sit for long hours—responding to e-mails or making calls—try incorporating an ergonomic chair or keyboard wrist-pad to maximize comfort. If you spend a long time assembling presentation materials, then file organizers, trays, and easy-to-pull labels can shave valuable time off your efforts. Lastly, those who step out for frequent meetings can reduce the hassle of being on-the-go by making your space mindfully organized—a coatrack and a dish for your keys by the door, an auto-brew coffeemaker, or an easily edited whiteboard calendar can make jet-setting simpler.

Top Agent Magazine

ADD EASY DETAILS THAT ENRICH YOUR WORKING EXPERIENCE While organization and décor can rally productivity and mood, there are also a few extra details you can introduce to your workspace to improve the quality of your working life.

Healthy, easy to grab-and-go snacks—think nuts, homemade trail mix, and fresh fruit— can keep your energy up without the sugar crush or guilt. If there’s a window nearby, a hard-to-kill plant like a philodendron or a fern not only cleanse the air around you, but also provide a welcome connection to the natural world. Being prepared in a pinch is another great way to make your workspace work for you: a spare tie, a tube of lip balm, hand sanitizer, or a box of Band-Aids can save you a trip to the store when an unexpected need arises.

While we take great pains to make our homes our sanctuaries—complete with the decorations, furniture, and food we favor—we often overlook our work areas, even though we spend a sizable portion of our week sitting at the same desk. Challenge yourself to add a few of these personalizing, productivity-boosting details to your work area and bring the comfort of home to your working life.

Top Agent Magazine

19

Emotional Fluency:

How to Communicate with Clients When Tensions are High Managing emotions, expectations, and personalities are central to a successful real estate career. After all, this is a business based on relationships and interpersonal communication. Likewise, real estate is built on one of life’s central milestones—homeownership. This means that stress, disappointment, excitement, and competition are inherently 20

involved in the process. As an agent, you take on the real estate world every day, but most of your clients aren’t well-versed in the norms of the industry and are likely riding an emotional roller coaster throughout.

Acknowledging this, how do you steer the ship when emotions and tensions are running high?

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

For starters, it’s not always intuitive. Just like you add tools to your arsenal when it comes to marketing, social media, or lead generation, you also have to add emotional tools to your repertoire. Here are a few ways to diffuse tense situations and keep clients on an even keel—even during the ups and downs of the transactional process.

Create realistic expectations from the outset and reinforce them as you go As a seasoned agent, some aspects of the industry may seem run of the mill to you, but may come as a shock to your clients. That’s

Top Agent Magazine

why communicating expectations from the beginning can help create reasonable touchpoints in the minds of your clients. In addition to talking through the steps of the transactional process with your clients, consider writing out a checklist or compiling a buyer’s guide that can serve as a resource for them throughout. Think of it like a security blanket, but one that’s built by facts, figures, and anecdotal experience. If you paint a clear picture of what to expect, clients are less likely to be taken by the surprise and react impulsively as a result. What’s more, reinforce next steps, expectations, and possible outcomes as you go. If your client is left to wonder or guess at what’s ahead or

Top Agent Magazine ®

21

what will happen, they will either envision the worst-case scenario and panic, or they’ll misjudge the next step and be disappointed or left anxious as a result. Minimize surprises by communicating regularly, clearly, and with all options on the table.

When unveiling a problem, come to clients with potential solutions in hand Any agent worth his or her salt knows that bumps in the road are likely to occur along the way. You can’t promise a transaction free of stress or unforeseen issues, but you can minimize the ensuing stress by preparing you client in advance for any potential problems, and by addressing any problems

clearly and with solutions already in hand.

Clients are likely to become agitated if a problem arises and they can’t understand why or what it means. That’s why slowing it down, talking it through, and offering potential avenues for recourse can quell fears and remind clients why they chose you to facilitate the transactional process. This means you’ll have to vigilant, proactive, and on the ball. Of course, it’s much easier to be an agent when everything is going great and flowing naturally. It’s when things take an unexpected or negative turn that true talent is really tested. Accordingly, show your clients that you are confident and in control by remaining adaptable, communicative, and clear in your problem-solving approach.

Top Agent Magazine ® 22

Top Agent Magazine

Never underestimate the power of listening As an agent, you are probably well-versed in putting out fires and sourcing solutions. Sometimes, however, clients are really looking to you as a confidante and a listening ear. You’d be surprised how much nervousness you can resolve by simply offering a listening ear and offering reassurance. Sometimes it’s not about providing a band-aid or a practical solution; oftentimes, it’s all about listening. Clients need to feel like they’re being heard, even if you’ve heard it all before. By listening to their fears, acknowledging their perspective, and reiterating their goals—you display your empathy and understanding, which is often just what a client Top Agent Magazine

needs to feel better. In other words, you don’t have to break out the graphs and data each time a client airs his or her insecurity. First, slow down, listen, and interact on a personal level. You may stop an emotional upheaval in its tracks simply by putting your listening cap on.

Not all clients are alike. Some will require a little more hand-holding than others, but it’s your job to put yourself in their perspective, recognize the milestone at hand, and managing the personalities you’re working with. The next time you feel frustrated by a client’s unpredictable emotional energy, keep these insights in mind as you diffuse the situation, steer them to a place of comfort, and fortify your interpersonal skillset in the process.

Top Agent Magazine ®

23

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

24

Top Agent Magazine

5 Things You Can Do To Achieve Your Biggest Goals If there’s one thing successful people can agree on, it’s that setting goals has been key to their success. Whether you’re creating a five year plan or just settling on what you want to achieve by the end of the day, setting goals gives you the focus and direction you need to complete even the biggest tasks.

But there is a method to setting them. It’s a process that takes careful thought and conTop Agent Magazine

sideration up front, which is then combined with the hard work necessary to implement your plan. Luckily there are proven methods to goal setting that you can start using immediately.

1. MAKE YOUR GOALS SPECIFIC

Yes, it’s fun to think in grand terms of where you want to end up in life and in your career, but it’s better to have a specific

Top Agent Magazine

25

Your plan of action should include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. goal like “Increase my sales by 25%”, than “Get rich.” When a goal is clear and specific, it allows you to figure out the exact steps you need to take to accomplish it. The more general it is, the more paralyzed you might be when it comes to figuring out what to do since, the choices may be overwhelming.

2. MAKE IT ATTAINABLE

Making attainable goals might seem boring, I mean afterall, you want to dream big! But you don’t want to suffer through the disappointment of not reaching your goal, something that may not even be possible at this stage in your life to begin with. One solution to that is creating goal levels. You can have the dream goal, but underneath that you have the realistic goals that are setting up a foundation for achieving the big one.

Things that are attainable still take work and effort to achieve. Those small victories will keep you motivated and encouraged to go for the bigger dreams. And don’t forget, those little goals may have been things you wouldn’t have gotten done if you didn’t set out to achieve them, so be proud!

3. PUT A PLAN OF ACTION IN WRITING

Your plan of action should include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. There is something about seeing things in writing and crossing them off the list that is oddly satisfying.The daily goals are especially 26

important in regards to building up those good habits. The first few weeks of your plan of action are critical when it comes to your long term success. Reaching a goal is something you are doing every day, all throughout the day, in numerous ways.

Achieving goals is all about creating good new habits.

4. MAKE IT MEASURABLE

This is key, since you definitely want to reward yourself for a job well done, and having a goal that is measurable in some way is a sure way to know. Maybe it’s to increase your lead generation or to cut expenses, whatever the case, have a measurable test you need to meet, as well as a time frame. Then calculate what you have to do to reach that goal. Not only should your goal be specific, but the plan and the measure of success should also be set in stone.

5. ADJUST AS YOU GO

You can have all the best laid plans, and you still might quickly realize that what you thought would help you reach your goal, might not be cutting it. Commitment to reaching your goals is good, but commitment to a plan you know isn’t going to work is not only a waste of time, but will be a devastating blow to your motivation.

Sticking to a plan everyday means adjusting it accordingly.

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

BROOKE MOUNTS If you’ve lived in North Carolina, you understand this simple truth: people there take care of one another. It’s a value Brooke Mounts has cherished her whole life, and the foundation of her practice as a loan officer’s assistant.

“I love helping people,” she explains.

“And many of them come into the experience of financing a home with a lot of fear, especially first-time homebuyers.

It’s hard for them not knowing how the process works, enduring the unexpected bumps in the road, having to worry about whether or not they are going to be furloughed because of something like Covid. A big part of my job is reassuring them, letting them know that we’ll get there, that we’ll find a way for them to get their house.”

Brooke understands the anxiety the unknown can bring, having gone through it herself when she bought her first home. She experienced it again when she set out to become a loan officer. “I had worked as a lender in the car industry for thirteen years, helping people with subpar credit. I wanted to get into the mortgage industry, but didn’t have a clue as to how to do it. A friend of mine had a brother who was a loan officer looking for an assistant. He put us in touch and it turned out to be a great fit.”

they are homeowners. It’s phenomenal, knowing I can help people do that.”

When she isn’t working, Brooke loves spending time with her family. Dogs included! “We raise English bulldogs, so we spend a lot of time with our bulldog babies.” The family also loves to travel, and is active with the Special Olympics.

“I have a nephew who competes, and so we are huge supporters of that.”

Brooke looks out for her community in other ways too, such as donations to food pantries. In Cary, canned food drops are collected in “blessing boxes” scattered around the city, and Brooke often donates to these, as well as organizing donations from others.

When she gets licensed as a loan officer this year, her goal is to continue to build lasting relationships with her clients. “Anyone who is part of my life is going to be treated like family. I will always be there for them, and they can reach out any time.”

For people dreaming of buying their first home, Brooke is her own kind of blessing.

She is currently licensed in North Carolina and is working on getting her license in the surrounding states. In the coming year, Brooke is looking to become a loan officer for Fairway Mortgage Company.

What she loves most about the business is witnessing the happiness of people who have completed that journey to home ownership. “Families who have been renting their whole lives sometimes have a hard time believing that they can ever afford a home. I like showing them that they can, seeing them realize that, and seeing that final moment at the closing table when they realize Top Agent Magazine

If you’d like to learn more about Brooke, call her direct at 919-461-8157, or email brooke.mounts@fairwaymc.com 27 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

28

Top Agent Magazine