NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 2-22-21

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE:

How to Build a Relationship with Your Clients that Will Last a Lifetime A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO

CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES COVER STORY

DOREN MORGAN

The Daily Schedule of a SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE AGENT

FEATURED AGENT

VALERIE VICENTE

COMPLETE RETROFITTING AND WATER CONSERVATION COMPLIANCE (PER SENATE BILL NO. 407)

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

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DOREN DOREN MORGAN MORGAN

VALERIE VICENTE

CONTENTS 4) BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE: HOW TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CLIENTS THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME 13) THE DAILY SCHEDULE OF A SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE AGENT

17) A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES 22) THINKING OF LISTING? NINE WAYS TO GET READY

VALERIE VICENTE

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Be Their REALTOR for Life: ®

How to Build a Relationship with Your Clients That Will Last a Lifetime In the world of real estate, an agent’s relationship with their clients can make or break their career. This industry revolves around working well with people, and being able to develop a strong relationship with your clients is the foundation that you business is based upon.

Just like with a house, if that foundation is weak, the rest of the structure is also going to be unsteady and fragile. The mark of a good REALTOR® is their ability to build up a good referral network and following of loyal clients. This isn’t something that just happens by accident. Building healthy, strong relationships with your clients takes work and knowing how to gain another person’s trust, respect, and friendship. Here are some ways to make sure you are building the right kind of relationship with your clients.

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1. Use Your Friendliness and Optimism to Win Them Over: No one wants a pushy, overly confident salesperson for a REALTOR®. Clients are much more inclined to put their trust in the hands of someone who is friendly when it comes to one of the biggest financial transactions of their lives. A pleasant, outgoing disposition will win you more clients as well as friends. You want to establish rapport in the first few minutes of first meeting prospective clients. Rather than starting with business right off the bat, begin your meeting with some small talk such as similar interests, hobbies, and family life. This will immediately help to put your clients at ease, and show that you are not simply trying to “sell” them something.

People also respond well to optimism. During what can be a very stressful time, clients need someone to help them stay positive when a situation looks difficult and challenging. Optimism also tends to radiate charisma, and people want to be around and do business with charismatic people. You want to learn how to understand, motivate, and inspire people.

2. Be an Inquisitive Learner and an Empathetic Listener:

On the other side of this coin is knowing how to listen empathetically. Empathy involves actually putting yourself or your mind in their shoes so you can genuinely understand their concerns, needs, and opinions. That understanding and empathy is then reflected in your conversation with that client. Your clients want to know that you care about their situation, and that they’re not just another sale for you to make. People are much more willing to put their trust in you when they can sense that you are actually making an effort to feel what they feel in order to understand their situation.

Showing your interest through questions, and then thoughtfully listening goes a long way towards gaining trust. Showing empathy and acknowledging the feelings and emotions involved in your clients situation helps build a relationship founded on genuine care and trust.

3. Watch for Nonverbal Clues:

Don’t be afraid to show your curiosity and ask your clients a lot of questions. Some of these questions may even be difficult and uncomfortable. You want to discover and learn as much as you can about your client. Don’t make the mistake of jumping straight into the role of the know-it-all. Every different client has unique needs, so you want to learn as much as you can about their specific situation before trying to propose a solution. You want to uncover their primary motive for buying or selling, and flush Top Agent Magazine

out any potential concerns they might have.

After you’ve gained as much information as possible, you can then gauge their interest in your possible solutions by asking “what if” questions. Being inquisitive also demonstrates to your clients that you are genuinely interested and invested in their situation.

Most communication happens nonverbally, so knowing how to interpret your client’s body language can be incredibly helpful. Here are a few things to pay special attention to: Eye contact: Be careful with the level of eye contact you use with clients when first meeting.

Too much and too little eye contact can send the wrong impression. You want to try and maintain eye contact around 70 percent of the time. That is the amount that most people are comfortable with. Pay attention to your client’s level of eye

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contact to determine how comfortable they are.

When someone avoids eye contact that could mean they are not engaged in the conversation.

A good way to quickly build a feeling of rapport when first meeting clients is to make eye contact when you first meet them and then start nodding yes to what they’re saying. If the client reciprocates the eye contact and nodding, you’ve established a connection.

4. Prove your honesty and credibility:

Choose the right handshake for each client: One handshake does not fit all people, and that first handshake can be crucial to making a good first impression. The way to do a good handshake for each client is to try and mirror the other person’s handshake in strength, keep your shoulders aligned as you are preferably standing when you shake hands. While you shake your client’s hand make sure you make eye contact and give them a sincere smile.

Showing a little weakness can actually be to your advantage in this situation, and will actually make others more inclined view you as honest. You don’t want to come across as too good to be true. When revealing this weakness, however, the key to coming out on top is turning what sounds like a weakness into a strength. For example, your service may be more expensive, but that’s because you offer more personalized and extra services than your competitors.

Honesty and integrity are the two traits that 98 percent of buyers and sellers report are qualities they consider “very important”. The thing is you can say you have these traits all you want on your website, bio, etc., but trust has to be earned, and the only way to do this is to prove your credibility.

Here are a few tips for how to sound more credible:

When you talk to your clients avoid using filler words such as “um” and “uh”, which can decrease your credibility. You also want to watch the tone of your voice. People tend to translate a deeper tone as sounding more credible.

You want to develop a relationship to last a lifetime when interacting with your clients. There are many things you can do to accomplish this, and using these tips can take you from getting just a few referrals and repeat customers to gaining a loyal client following. Taking the little extra time to make sure you are projecting the right attitude and making sure that you are doing things to gain your client’s trust can make a world of difference for your business.

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DOREN MORGAN Top Agent Magazine

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DOREN MORGAN Working solo, Top Agent Doren Morgan services California’s northern coast, specifically Humboldt, Trinity, and Del Norte counties. He specializes in ranches, farms, and recreational properties.

When asked how he got started in real estate, Doren Morgan laughs. “I’m a S.O.B.,” he says. “That’s a Son of a Broker! My dad was a broker for forty years, so I was always around the 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

business.” Doren started out working in Sacramento’s residential market nearly two decades ago. But, eight years ago, he decided to make a change. He says, “I moved back to my hometown of Arcata Top Agent Magazine

in northern California. That’s where I got into ranches, farms, and specialty properties instead of residential.”

Working solo, Doren services California’s northern coast, specifically Humboldt, Trinity, and Del Norte counties. He specializes in ranches, farms, and recreational properties. As a fourth-generation resident of Humboldt county, he has an in-depth knowledge of the area as well as an MBA that sets him apart from most agents. In 2020, Doren is on track to do Top Agent Magazine

over 25 million in combined sales and purchases. “Most of the deals I do are on both ends,” he explains. “These are specialty properties and some income properties; in general, another agent wouldn’t know as much about it. My clients would rather go directly to the source.”

Doren keeps things low key when it comes to staying in touch with past clients, utilizing e-mail and the occasional phone call. When it comes to marketing his listings, he uses three main sources.

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“One is California Outdoor Properties, which is the largest ranch brokerage in California.” he says. “Second, we’re part of the nationwide network of LandLeader, which covers land and farm brokerages across the country. Both of those have high visibility and high-traffic websites.

Third, locally, I’m on the local TV station and advertise in local print as well.”

When it comes to his business practices, Top Agent Magazine

Doren prides himself on his honesty and integrity. “I am always looking out for the best interests of my clients,” he says.

“That’s my number one goal.”

Doren’s favorite part of his job is getting to spend time outdoors, so it comes as little surprise that he also spends his free time getting outside as much as possible.

“I hunt, fish, hike, bike, paddleboard,” he says. “Anything outdoors, pretty much.”

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Looking to the future, Doren plans to continue to grow his business but is in no rush. More than anything, he wants to continue his current path. “It’s taken me a few years to get where I am. Now I have some name recognition. People in

the community know what I do and how I do it. This job is blocking and tackling and showing up every day,” Doren says.

“If you work really hard, do the best job you can for your clients, the rest will take care of itself.”

To learn more about Doren Morgan, call 707-822-5510, email doren.morgan2013@gmail.com, or visit californiaoutdoorproperties.com/agent/doren-morgan.

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The Daily Schedule

of a Successful Real Estate Agent Everything you do should be intentional. A busy schedule isn’t the same thing as a productive schedule. Sometimes people write things like “find clients” on their to-do list, but finding clients isn’t actually a task. It’s a goal. Your daily schedule should be created with your goal in mind if you want to be a successful real estate agent, but a goal is too broad to add to your calendar.

Instead, you can break your goal down into projects, break those projects down into tasks, and schedule time in your calendar to complete each task. You’ll find that some of these projects will have an immediate impact on your business, and that those are the tasks that should be completed first.

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The fact is that as a real estate agent you can set your own schedule—if you’re not productive until 10am, then you don’t have to start your day until then. But having a daily schedule means that every day you have a running start on all those other agents who just “wing it.”

You don’t want to feel burned out and busy but like you’re simultaneously not getting a whole lot done. You can only keep up 70+ hour weeks for so long before your body breaks down and both your performance and income drop as a result.

Since every real estate agent’s operating hours look different, the following daily schedule is broken up by the suggested amount of hours you

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should spend on each task rather than specific times of day. However, certain tasks, like prospecting, appointments, and listing presentations should be performed at times when it’s most convenient for clients. If you’re an agent who likes to end their workday at 5 o’clock, remember that this is also the same time your clients are likely ending their day, meaning you might be unavailable for showings during the only time their schedule allows.

3.5 hours – This is that time of day that you should schedule all your appointments and listing presentations. If you are a newer agent, you might use this time instead to do more prospecting and appointment setting.

1 hour – Spend this time waking up, exercising either at home or at the gym, and eating breakfast.

2 hours – Now it’s time to unwind. Use this time to have dinner and spend time with you family. If you have children, this is usually the time of day when they are wrapping up homework assignments and getting ready for bed.

It’s important that you make time for these moments the same way you make time for your work.

2 hours – Use this time before you head to the office to develop a morning routine, if you haven’t already. You can meditate, journal, practice affirmations, or read personal development books to prepare for the day ahead.

1 hour – Once you’re at the office, spend this time to review the day’s schedule, catch up with your assistant or other colleagues, and check the latest industry news. This is also the time of day that you can role play to prepare for appointments.

1.5 hours – Spend this time prospecting and appointment setting.

1 hour – Now it’s time for a lunch break. If you’re a multitasker, you can also use this time to prepare for the afternoon and any meetings you have scheduled or connect with followers on social media.

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.5 hours – Look over the day’s schedule again and ensure you’ve checked every task off your to-do list. While you’re at it, be sure to review tomorrow’s schedule and goals too.

2 hours – Spend these last couple hours before you fall asleep to have quality time with your spouse or perform your self-care routines.

8 hours – Now it’s time for sleep—getting a full night’s rest is crucial if you want every day to be productive.

As you can tell, there’s still some wiggle room left in this schedule, but the important thing is to block out time every day so you can achieve your goals and help your clients.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to

Converting Internet Leads to Real Life Sales In the era of apps, instantaneous social platforms, and text messaging, it’s little surprise that the modern homebuyer begins his or her search for real estate representation online.

Even if you’ve got a top-notch website or an influential social media presence, how do you connect with web surfers who have yet to commit to the services you offer? Take a look below to learn a few key techniques to bridge the gap between digital interest and real-world sales.

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RESPONSIVENESS IS KEY Like it or not, our digital culture relishes immediacy and instant gratification. With that in mind, be sure to stay on top of online interest forms, e-mails, or newsletter signups. Don’t let an online lead go to waste by taking too long to engage and follow-up.

Things move fast, and it’s easy for potential clientele to forget which websites they’ve visited. Even if your lead isn’t ready to commit then and there, you demonstrate your

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Mastering the fundamentals of digital communication is the first step to converting digital interest into concrete business. accessibility and attentiveness by following up swiftly—a characteristic anyone would seek in an agent or lender.

ENGAGE WITH OPEN-ENDED CONVERSATION When online back-and-forth goes stale, communication drops off quickly. If you’re following up via e-mail, social media, or text, be sure to keep topics focused squarely on the potential client. Ask open-ended questions to give your lead the opportunity to loosen up and engage on a personal level. There’s no better way to cement a digital lead than to take a pointed interest in the specifics of their situation. Doing so transforms the impersonal invisibility of the internet into a true connection.

GIVE ADDED VALUE Plenty of businesses send impersonal, automated messages in response to an online inquiry, but establishing a true connection may mean providing your lead with something of value. Perhaps you’re forwarding a property for sale that fits the interests of your lead, or a relevant article, or maybe you take the time to send a personal message—demonstrable value and a personal touch separate your follow-up response from spam. Other ideas to consider when 18

adding value to your follow-up technique: incorporate area promotions and access to local events, make a date for coffee, or offer a brief consultation free of charge to make the first move.

DON’T STOP MAKING CONTACT If you don’t connect with your internet lead right off the bat—don’t be discouraged. It often takes multiple tries before a follow-up interaction sticks. Folks are busy and frequently flooded with e-mail blasts and junk mail. A lead may not engage without a little prodding that shows you’re committed to their business. Remember: it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

Digital leads don’t have to be difficult to capture. The internet plays a powerful role in funneling modern clientele your way, but in order to take full advantage of the web’s reach, you’ll need to tailor your follow-up technique. Mastering the fundamentals of digital communication is the first step to converting digital interest into concrete business. Keep these tips top-of-mind as you build your online presence and mine the vast world wide web for an endless wealth of clientele. Earning a command of digital lead conversion is the surest way to bolster your business in the ever-evolving digital era.

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VALERIE VICENTE Top Agent Magazine

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Valerie Vicente, MBA

Award-winning Top Agent Valerie Vicente – of Coldwell Banker Realty in Danville, California – is a hardworking, dedicated and deeply knowledgeable Realtor who truly cares about the wellbeing and success of her many grateful clients. Ranked

by Real Trends Magazine in 2019 as being among the top ½ of 1% of 1.4 million agents in the United States, Valerie has built her thriving business on a foundation of honesty, integrity and best business practices. For all of these reasons, Valerie was inducted into the Real Estate Marketing Association Hall of Fame.

Valerie began her journey in real estate well over a decade ago, following an accomplished career as President of Sales for Caribou Sportswear, selling to major retailers across the country. “I really loved the sales aspect of that business,” says Valerie, “particularly getting to know the customers I was working with.” She moved from California to their New York headquarters and enjoyed many successful years. When the dynamics of that business began changing, primarily through outsourcing to other countries for manufacturing, she decided to move 20

back to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she was born and raised. She was eager to continue her passion for building client relationships, this time in the Real Estate arena. She obtained her real estate license and found success almost immediately, having been named Rookie of the Year her first year in the business.

Currently, Valerie’s considerable business is based primarily upon repeat and referred clients, an accurate barometer of the incredible, hands-on customer service she provides her buyers and sellers.

“I think it’s because I’m very trustworthy,” muses Valerie, when asked how she manages to inspire

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such impressive trust and loyalty among those she works with. “I always adhere to my solid core values which are to be attentive, authentic, accountable and to be the best real estate advocate I can be for my clients. I always do what I say I’m going to do and I never promise anything I can’t deliver on.” This assessment is borne out by the scores of glowing reviews she has received, particularly on Zillow.com, on which site she is a Premier Agent with a perfect five-star overall rating.

Valerie – who has earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Saint Mary’s College in Moraga and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley – is both extremely genial and intelligent, two characteristics that have played a significant role in her continuing success story.

Other factors include her fierce negotiation skills and her above-and-beyond, leave no stone unturned approach to marketing, which consists of everything from television ads to personal home tour videos. Combined, all of this translates into fast sales for top dollar, not to mention happy clients. “I have a lot of customers who are surprised that they are not my only customers,” says Valerie, “because I give 100% to every single one of them.”

When she is not working – which is rare, she admits – Valerie gives back to her community in a multitude of ways, most notably through her involvement in charitable events with the Real Estate Marketing Association in Contra Costa County, on which board she has served in multiple positions, even being named their Realtor of the Year. She is also very active with the Danville Rotary and the St. Mary’s Women’s Guild.

Looking to the future, Valerie’s plans are straightforward: to continue building her business, and above all, to keep providing her clients with the unparalleled, sparkling customer service that has long been synonymous with her name.

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For more information about Valerie Vicente please call 925.413.5772 or email Valerie.Vicente@CBNorCal.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 21

Thinking of Listing?

Nine Ways to Get Ready The less time a home spends on the market, the more likely it is to sell at or above list price. That’s why our Top Agents recommend getting a property ready for marketing well before listing. Anyone who is even just starting to think about listing will benefit from some basic upkeep and pre-staging work. Even if you decide now is not the time to list, you’ll enjoy these simple improvements around the home.

With the right local resources, most pre-listing preparations take less than a week and will make the formal staging process simpler for all involved.

Ask Top Agents in your area for referrals of local pros to hire. Once you’ve selected your Top Agent, keep yourself open to his or her opinion on other TLC to help decrease your home’s market time.

1. Inspection: The last thing a seller or buyer wants is a surprise at

inspection. That’s why a complete inspection before listing is so valuable.

Many necessary fixes, such as minor roof or appliance repairs, can be discovered and repaired in less than a week. If inspection uncovers a major issue, any Top Agent will tell you that this knowledge is power; disclosing and expecting to take responsibility will increase buyers’ trust without affecting market time.

2. De-Clutter: Take a little time to pack away surplus furniture items and

extra knick-knacks, papers, books or occasional-use items throughout your house. Remember this may require boxing away video game supplies or packing up comfy throw pillows and blankets. Move these items temporarily into closets, the garage or attic with the assumption of possibly renting a storage unit just before listing.

3. Paint: Whole-house painting is likely not necessary, but consider touching

up baseboard moldings and doorways and open wall spaces in high-use areas 22

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such as bathrooms, the office, family room and indoor recreation spaces.

Also consider a little varnish on the front door or banister.

4. Artwork and Decor: Take a neutral look at your décor. Better yet, ask a

Top Agent to do so. Buyers should be able to picture themselves living in your home. While your Top Agent may not advise you to appear generic, you’ll likely need to thin out any shrine-like displays to family, hobbies or cultural interests.

5. Deep-Clean Housekeeping: After you’ve de-cluttered and touched up

the paint, request a deep cleaning from your housekeeping service and weekly cleanings thereafter. Make sure they pay attention to details like dusting or vacuuming window treatments and lampshades or wiping smudges off door jams and baseboard moldings.

6. Carpets and Rugs: Bring in the pros, but don’t just clean the carpets.

Because the cleaners will be moving furniture anyway, ask them stretch and tighten any buckled areas of carpeting. Doing so now saves the trouble of having to credit your buyer for this following final walk-through. Also consider removing small area rugs to let the beauty of your hardwood floors shine.

7. Look at the Loo: Buyers may not notice a brand-new toilet seat, but they

will turn up their noses at the one with the broken hinges. Freshly replaced toilet seats, faucets or doorknobs in heavily trafficked bathrooms can go a long way in first impressions.

8. “Mow & Blow”: Consider buyers as guests you want to feel welcome

as they ascend the front walk. If you don’t already have one, hire a weekly gardening service to keep up with the mowing, weeding, pruning and basic maintenance outside so you can focus on other things.

9. Staging: Once you’ve selected a staging professional for the finishing

touches, ask them and your Top Agent for final recommendations on day-today upkeep, storage options and what-to-do (or what not to do) while your house is on the market.

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