NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 3-7-22

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

HOW TO MAKE YOUR COMMUTE PRODUCTIVE CONNECT BEYOND REAL ESTATE TO ATTRACT FUTURE CLIENTS CREATIVE MEDITATION FOR THE REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL COVER STORY

TERRI CICCHETTI

FEATURED AGENT

LORI PRIZMICH UNTANGLING THE BIDDING WAR:

A BUYER'S & SELLER'S PERSPECTIVES

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

LORI PRIZMICH

16 decided to take the leap 7 with my a eal estate license in 2005, of a more s the team leader of Lori Associates at RE/MAX Outside o cus is Davis, CA., a basteam enjo ia as home of University events in D TERRI TERRI CICCHETTI LORI PRIZMICH CICCHETTI Davis. Through expert volunteeri ls and exceptional client Lori is al has cultivated a niche CONTENTS agent to th buyers4)and sellers often CONNECT BEYOND 18) HOW TO MAKE within her REAL ESTATEand TO ATTRACT YOUR COMMUTE the University Medical Center. clients or giving back FUTURE CLIENTS PRODUCTIVE triathlete, can be fou 14) CREATIVE MEDITATION 20) UNTANGLING THE a property, Lori prefers a compreonWAR: theASacramento Ki FOR THE REAL BIDDING BUYER'S ESTATE PROFESSIONAL & SELLER'S PERSPECTIVES with her family. ach guiding the process from start helps her clients fully prepare their ket, providing them | Fax with a suite of Lori has exciting plan Phone 310-734-1440 310-734-1440 mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com paration, professional photography to maintain the exce rvices. Marketing is her strong suit to grow at a steady p social media or online. Sellers can motto: Real Estate E ir home will reach the widest possi- tion, our goal is to el the best possible light.

“That means not just 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.

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CONNECT BEYOND

REAL ESTATE

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

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

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

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

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Talk About Your Philanthropic Activities

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

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

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

Your Local Community

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

Use Your Creativity to Connect

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

Share Your Hobbies

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

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

Divulge Interesting Experiences

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

What and Who Inspires You

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

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

that will draw in a broad range of followers.

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

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TERRI CICCHETTI Top Agent Magazine

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TERRI CICCHETTI “Purchasing a home is a huge and meaningful moment.

My goal is to be able to help these people find the perfect place and actually get into contract on it.”

Terri Cicchetti’s entrepreneurial drive led to her quick ascent into one of greater Sacramento’s top agents.

She got her start over three years ago after selling one of her companies.

“I was looking for something new to 8

do, and wanted to go into a field that I felt suited my skill set.” Knowing that her passion for business would translate well into real estate, she decided to pursue her license. “It just took off from there,” she explains.

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Today she leads her own team which consists of herself and five others.

A growing portion of their business consists of repeats and referrals as they continue to go above and beyond for everyone they serve. With Terri earning Rookie of the Year her first year in the business, and selling 83 units in 2021, it’s clear she’s chosen the right path.

buyers appreciate her strong negotiation skills and ability to get them into the house they want. “I have a reputation for getting my clients into contract the first or second time they put in an offer,” she explains.

“If we ever miss that second time, then I am looking internally and analyzing every step we took.” At a time when it’s not uncommon for buyers to submit 10+ offers, Terri’s In today’s competitive market, Terri’s work truly stands out. “Purchasing a Top Agent Magazine

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home is a huge and meaningful moment. My goal is to be able to help these people find the perfect place and actually get into contract on it.”

Another way she ensures they are in their ideal property is by looking at homes that aren’t on the market.

“We are able to reach out and find homes for our buyers that aren’t currently listed. I work seven days a week, so I’m always searching and doing everything possible to create a

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seamless experience for my clients.”

Questions are answered promptly, and both buyers and sellers are guided throughout their transaction.

When it comes to marketing her listings, she approaches it in an individualized way. “I don’t believe you can market every property the same,” Terri says. “I also believe you have to go out of the area to market a property.” Because people are now

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telecommuting more often, they don’t necessarily have to live near their work. Terri is using this to her sellers’ advantage, and putting their properties in front of various communities that normally wouldn’t be looking in their specific area. “Our goal is, once we have a listing, we will have three to four buyers for our listings within the first 48 hours.”

Growth is in Terri’s future, as she plans to add ten more people to her team in the next year. She loves helping agents flourish. “Sometimes Top Agent Magazine

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people just need a little extra help, they need someone to believe in them. It’s so exciting for me to bring on agents and watch their business turn around.” Terri is living proof

that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. “People thought I was nuts for going into a new career path three years ago. But I knew that I could make a difference.”

Listing photos by Glenn Rose Photography

For more information about Terri Cicchetti, please call 530-919-1747 or email tcicchetti@kw.com

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Creative Meditation

for the Real Estate Professional The real estate world can be an industry of intense emotional and psychological pressure. Deadlines, meetings, employee needs, client needs and a hundred other items on which one needs to focus on a daily basis can create an environment that is not only not conducive to mental well-being, but can be outright detrimental.

Learning to quiet the mind has been the focus of meditation for millennia. While those not familiar with the concept of meditation may instinctively think of yoga mats, incense, and chanting when the word “meditation” arises, there are in fact, many forms of meditation that can integrate quite 14

easily into the daily hustle & bustle world of the busy real estate agent.

First, think about when you are alone each day. Here are some possible times to practice mediation during the work day: • When driving to the office in the morning • When driving to a showing or to meet a client • Before your open house begins • After the open house • Driving home in the evening Top Agent Magazine

Repeating a mantra can be very calming, particularly when you are trying to rid yourself of negative, self-defeating thoughts.

These are just five examples of times when you can take advantage of meditation techniques to quiet your mind and, by extension, increase productivity. A calm mind is a more thoughtful, better tuned instrument.

Here are some examples of meditations you can try.

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For when you’re driving, download and listen to any number of audio Guided Meditations available on the internet. YouTube has a generous selection of these, many of which are geared towards success in business.

2 Repeating a mantra can be very calm-

ing, particularly when you are trying to rid yourself of negative, self-defeating thoughts. It doesn’t matter what words you choose, as long as you feel good about your choice. “I am a success” or “I will approach all of my clients with love today” are two examples. Whatever works for you and gets you into the desired mindset.

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3 Something as simple as listening to pleasant music in your car can be considered meditation, provided it brings you to a place of comfort as opposed to one of spiritual discordance.

4 The most important thing, however, is to take time to find gratitude in everything you do. Count your blessings, be grateful the exciting career in real estate you have built for yourself.

Once you’ve mastered some of these techniques at quieting your mind, you can attempt to find some that work even better for you. Walking, plain silence, or even exercise can have meditative qualities and benefits if practiced on a regular basis.

When you’re truly feeling calm, your clients can sense this. And with this comes the feeling that you can be relied upon to stay focused and calm in any unforeseen circumstances. And in the world of real estate, that’s a highly prized commodity.

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LORI PRIZMICH Lori Prizmich decided to take the leap and pursue her real estate license in 2005, and today, she is the team leader of Lori Prizmich and Associates at RE/MAX Gold. Lori’s focus is Davis, CA., a bastion of academia as home of University of California, Davis. Through expert negotiation skills and exceptional client service, Lori has cultivated a niche working with buyers and sellers often associated with the University and Medical Center.

When listing a property, Lori prefers a comprehensive approach guiding the process from start to finish. She helps her clients fully prepare their home for market, providing them with a suite of pre-market preparation, professional photography and staging services. Marketing is her strong suit whether, print, social media or online. Sellers can rest assured their home will reach the widest possible audience in the best possible light.

Lori is every bit as thoughtful assisting her buyers.

She provides up to the minute market data and thorough analysis to give them every advantage when writing an offer. “You can’t simply make statements without evidence,” she says. “In our data-driven town, clients want to understand the thought process behind the recommendation. It is a sophisticated clientele. I help my clients make well-informed real estate decisions.”

Over the years, Lori has earned a fantastic reputation in Northern California, with the majority of her volume coming from repeat clients and referrals. Having completed $35 million sales volume in 2021 alone, she is most inspired by the ways in which real estate is challenging, interesting and ever-evolving. “In our business, no two days are the same. Whether I’m assisting a client or collaborating 16

with my amazing team, I couldn’t think of a more gratifying career.”

Outside of real estate, Lori and her team enjoy sponsoring various local events in Davis throughout the year and volunteering at the Yolo Food Bank.

Lori is also the highest contributing agent to the Children’s Miracle Network within her region. When she’s not with clients or giving back, Lori, a former competitive triathlete, can be found running, biking, cheering on the Sacramento Kings, or spending quality time with her family.

Lori has exciting plans for the future. She intends to maintain the excellence of the team, continue to grow at a steady pace and live up to the team motto: Real Estate Elevated. “With every transaction, our goal is to elevate the industry,” she says.

“That means not just providing terrific service to our customers, but also interacting with our fellow agents so that everyone related to the transaction has a great experience.”

To learn more about Lori Prizmich email lori@loriprizmich.com, call (530) 845-3325, or visit loriprizmich.com www.

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How to Make Your Commute Productive The highest caliber business owners and entrepreneurs utilize every minute of their day.

Though this may be a lofty goal, there are certainly ways to make our daily routines more efficient and productive. Consider the morning and evening commute—time blocks that are accounted for every day. For some of us, daily commutes may mean a lengthy drive through gridlock traffic, or perhaps just a quick fifteen-minute crosstown excursion. However short or long your commute may be, there are ways to maximize this component of your daily routine and reap the rewards.

With that in mind, take a look at some ideas below to inject some energy and productivity into your daily commute.

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Listen to the latest industry-centric podcasts or audiobooks Whether you drive, bike, walk, or take public transportation, a commute is the perfect time to tune into an industry-oriented podcast or audiobook as a way of building your skills or getting into the zone for the day. Instead of letting your commute time be passive, you can process insights from leading industry professionals, or develop your skillset on a topic you haven’t yet made time for. Perhaps you’d like to develop your social media presence, or maybe you’d like to tap into the millennial homebuyer market—whatever the case may be, there is audio material out there suited to your interests. What’s more, podcasts are free and easy to incorporate on your smartphone or

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tablet, and there are ample audiobook subscription services out there that make regular listenership cost effective.

Create a mental to-do list to get a head-start on your day, or to prepare for tomorrow Getting your thoughts in order with a straightforward to-do list can help you dive in once you make it to your desk, or serve as a conclusive mental routine to end your work day.

If you drive to and from work and don’t have your hands free, don’t fret. Speaking your to-do list aloud can help you detangle your thoughts and tasks by vocalizing them. You can also try breaking down your to-do list by verbalizing the day’s goals, the week’s goals, and the month’s goals as a way of structuring priorities. If your commute is hands-free, you can incorporate a variety of apps that serve as custom-made todo lists that’ll organizationally map your duties for the day. In either case, use your commute window to identify and name the tasks ahead of you, and you’ll be able to hit the ground running when the time comes to perform.

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Tend to your personal commitments and planning A productive commute can boost your professional performance, but it can also serve your personal growth and out-of-the-office responsibilities, as well. Perhaps you can think out and plan your meals for the week so that you don’t come home burnt out and with nothing in mind for dinner. Maybe you check in with a relative or partner and catch up for a spare twenty minutes.

Not only does this eliminate a few items off of your personal to-do list, it can actually give you a more focused mind at the office. If your personal life is in good order, you’ll be able to devote your full attention to work tasks.

As the old saying goes, there are only so many hours in a day. If you added up all the minutes spent commuting around town, how many hours would amount? Though the trek to and from the office is an engrained part of professional life, it doesn’t have to be a drag. Account for those spare commute windows in productive ways, and in only a month you’ll have devoted a significant portion of your time to bettering yourself as a person and a professional.

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Untangling the Bidding War: A Buyer’s & Seller’s Perspectives In a competitive marketplace, bidding wars become the norm. While this may put sellers in an excellent position to recoup on their investment, it can push buyers beyond their budgets and test their temperaments in the process. As an agent, how do you navigate both sides of the coin? After all, you want to net the best results for your client—regardless of which side of the closing table they’re on. To fortify your approach to a heated bidding war, here are a few ideas and insights to better clue you in on the perspectives of buyers and sellers alike.

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Buyer’s Perspective: Emotions Running High?

Channel it.

When the market is booming, buyers feel the pressure—especially when affordable inventory is limited. This can create stress, feelings of hopelessness, and impulsivity. As an agent, how do you channel this emotional energy into something positive? Consider asking buyers to put those anxieties and high hopes onto paper. Have buyers outline

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who they are, why they’re inspired to buy a home at this juncture in their lives, and how they see their lives unfolding once they become a homeowner (or repeat homeowner). Think of it as a letter of intent.

Buyers benefit from taking abstract fears and dreams and articulating them on paper. Likewise, this document can serve as a valuable tool during a bidding war. Letters like these can help sellers with multiple offers make a personal, emotional connection with a particular buyer.

Sellers Perspective: Manage expectations.

When multiple offers are rolling in on a property, it’s easy for sellers to get carried away. Numbers are flying, expectations are heightened, and sellers may become hypnotized by higher and higher offers and ideal outcomes. While it’s good to celebrate prime market positioning, it’s also important to maintain an even keel so that your seller’s mind is clear and they’re thinking rationally through their options.

Sometimes the highest offer isn’t necessarily the sure thing. Manage your clients’ expectations by leading by example, offering a balanced perspective, and talking them through all potential outcomes so that they don’t only hone in on the best-case scenario.

During a bidding war, tensions are running high for seller’s too, who will soon begin their next chapter in another home. Keep a cool head and remind your client to see the big picture, recognize that it’s possible for some offers to fall through, and to sit tight until the closing table has been successfully reached.

Buyer’s Perspective: How do you authentically and convincingly convey your interest?

When ten or so offers are in the mix, it can be hard to differentiate your buyer from the next. While numbers will obviously do a lot of the talking, you’d be surprised how much of a difference a Top Agent Magazine

personal touch can make. Some popular approaches to standing out include personal letters—as mentioned above—tailored to the property. Was the property in question a family home for years? You might have clients detail their dreams of raising a family inside those walls, rather than tear the property down and rebuild something to boost the lot’s value. Including a family photo is also a good tact for personalizing letters in a bidding war. Likewise, little gifts included with your offer can speak volumes about your personality and due diligence as an agent. It may seem a little cheesy, but when sellers are looking at ten near-identical offers, those personal touches can really paint a compelling, personalized picture.

Seller’s Perspective: How powerful is cash?

Data shows that cash offers—typical of investor clientele—double the chances of having an offer accepted. This goes hand in hand with waiving a financing contingency, which also helped boost the probability of an accepted offer, according to research. Cash is king, however, since offers that aren’t completely reliant on comprehensive financing seem to minimize risk for sellers, who are already eager to see a deal go through. Cash deals also tend to go through quickly, freeing sellers up to pursue their next property and move on to new horizons. While not every buyer has the ability to operate in cash, it’s a worthwhile consideration for those in ultra-competitive markets and with liquid capital.

While the bidding process can be stressful for agents and clients alike, it’s important to remember that it’s a time of opportunity, too. If you want to make the most of it as a seller, data shows that a personal touch can endear buyers to their seller counterparts. For sellers navigating a competitive process, it’s important to keep a balanced perspective. For agents, here’s the bottom line: get creative, be resourceful, and use all the tools in your arsenal to achieve the best result for the clients you serve.

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