Ohio 4-2-18

OHIO EDITION

CONNECT BEYOND REAL ESTATE to Attract Future Clients A Step-by-Step Guide to CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES 4 Qualities of EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEES

5 Steps to ACHIEVE LONG TERM SUCCESS AS A REAL ESTATE AGENT

FEATURED AGENT

ASHLEIGH VASI

COVER STORY

LIZ FINCHUM

OHIO EDITION

Midland Title West is proud to congratulate

Miller Home Title is proud to congratulate

Liz Finchum Ashleigh Vasi 7

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LIZ FINCHUM

ASHLEIGH VASI

onstate beingof featured on being featured for the Ohio for the state of Ohio in Top Agent Magazine! in Top Agent Magazine!

CONTENTS 4) CONNECT BEYOND REAL ESTATE TO ATTRACT FUTURE CLIENTS

17) A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE MILLER HOME TITLE

TO CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES

Jimmy Miller | Regional Vice President

Office: 440-934-3003 | Cell: 216-314-1840

| millerht.com 14) 5 STEPS TO ACHIEVE jimmy@millerht.com 22) 4 QUALITIES OF Kevin R. Flax | Closing Manager 5326 Detroit Rd, Sheffield Village, OH 44035 LONG TERM SUCCESS AS EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEES 740-852-3000 APhone# REAL ESTATE AGENT| Fax# 614-879-6100 midlandtitlewest.com www.

http://

117 West High Street, Ste 105, London, OH 43140 SERVING MADISON COUNTY AND ALL OF CENTRAL OHIO

Phone 888-461-3930 | Fax 310-751-7068

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

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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 4

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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LIZ FINCHUM 7

LIZ FINCHUM Liz got her license in 2007, and became the Owner of RE/MAX Leading Edge in 2008, and became a Broker in 2014. She is based in London, Ohio, and serves all of Central Ohio.

Liz Finchum had a career as a Telecommunications Engineer when she took a leave of absence for a year to travel with her husband.

When she came back, she decided it was the 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

perfect time to make a career change. “I took real estate classes thinking that my husband and I could become investors and flip homes, but I fell in love and was hooked right away.

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My grandpa was a Realtor® so I had been around it my whole life, and it ended up being the perfect fit for me.”

Liz got her license in 2007, and became the Owner of RE/MAX Leading Edge in 2008, and became a Broker in 2014. Liz currently serves all of Central Ohio and is based in London, Ohio. “I’m from a small town, and I really love my community. I run my business in a highly ethical fashion, and I think being out and about in the community people see me and know I have a genuine love for what I do and the community I represent. I’m one Top Agent Magazine

of them, and I go to bat for them. I do whatever it takes to make satisfied clients. I have a positive attitude, but a real tenacity when negotiating for my clients. I get the job done.”

Liz builds strong relationship with her clients, and she goes to great effort to maintain those relationships as well. Liz has earned an impressive rate of repeat and referral business, something she is very proud of. In addition to being a staple in the community, Liz also stays in touch with past clients through personal touches such as birthday and anniversary cards, and an annual client Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

“I have a genuine love for what I do and the community I represent. I’m one of them, and I go to bat for them.

I do whatever it takes to make satisfied clients. appreciation event that gets bigger and bigger every year.”

Liz’s background in telecommunications, has actually been a solid foundation for her real estate career. “I prioritize customer service and communication, making sure I know how Copyright Top Agent Magazine Copyright 10

to best help my clients. I also had several big clients then, including the state lottery, so I had to know the rules and regulations of that inside and out. I’ve brought that dedication and skill set to my real estate career. My clients know they can trust me to always have their best interests at heart and that i pay attention Top Agent Magazine

to all the details, so things are as seamless and stress-free as possible..”

Giving back is important to Liz. She is a member of the London Lion’s Club, the Madison County Chamber of Commerce and Realtors® Top Agent Magazine

Association. She’s also a big supporter of the local schools, and is always looking for more ways to help out with local events and charities.When she isn’t working, Liz is a proud aunt and tries to spend as much time as possible with her ten nieces and nephews.

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Liz would like to continue to grow her business, and would love to mentor her team members so that they can find the same level of success that she’s found. “I can’t imagine doing anything else. We really have a small family here, and I look forward to helping

everyone expand their businesses. This is a wonderful industry. I love everything about it, from meeting new people, to helping them move up or into their first homes. I get to help people make their dreams come true and that’s very rewarding.”

To learn more about

LIZ FINCHUM

call 614- 949 -1366, email lizsellslondon@gmail.com or visit lizsellslondon.com www.

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Top Agent Magazine

Midland Title West is proud to congratulate

Liz Finchum

on being featured for the state of Ohio in Top Agent Magazine!

Kevin R. Flax | Closing Manager Phone# 740-852-3000 | Fax# 614-879-6100 midlandtitlewest.com http://

117 West High Street, Ste 105, London, OH 43140 SERVING MADISON COUNTY AND ALL OF CENTRAL OHIO Top Agent Magazine

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5 Steps to Achieve Long Term Success as a Real Estate Agent Real Estate can have a reputation as an industry with a high turnover as far as agents go. Being a ‘people person’ with an entrepreneurial spirit is a great start, but what some fail to realize when starting out is that this is a business.

So if you’re in it for the long haul, you need to treat it that way. Here are some key steps you need to take to have your own successful real estate business.

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FIND A MENTOR

Once you get your license and hang your sign at a Brokerage, you’ll find that you’re pretty much on your own. That’s why it’s a good idea for new agents to find a large Brokerage that offers in-house training and mentorship or a boutique brokerage that has more seasoned agents who are eager to take a new agent under their wing. Being able to shadow a more experienced agent is invaluable and allows you to mirror what you’ve seen and run through the numerous scenarios that will arise when you are representing a client.

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CONTINUOUS TRAINING

This is a business that is constantly changing, so it’s smart to always stay ahead of the curve when it comes to new technological innovations and systems. There are even numerous online resources, where you can keep up on your trade, such as blogs by top producing agents that are a treasure trove of information. A confident agent with an in-depth knowledge of the business is one that easily earns the trust of their client, leading to repeat and referral business, which will be the bread and butter of your business.

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BUILD A STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE

Yes, referrals are the basis of your business, but building a strong online presence and marketing yourself to new clients is also important, especially before you’ve built up a strong referral base. Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media tools are great way to get leads both for your listings and for yourself. It’s even a good idea to buy several domain names when you start, so that when you’re ready to build a website, you can ensure you have the names you want. Obviously the internet is also a great resource to find leads. Before you find a niche for yourself, it’s important to take advantage of every avenue there is. A lot of successful agents started off doing things no one else wanted to take on like foreclosures, expired listings or lower priced homes. But as you’ll find out, helping those who need it most is a great way to build a loyal client base, that will not only come back to you when they are ready to sell or buy again, but will be your biggest cheerleaders when it comes to referring you to friends and family.

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BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION

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SET GOALS

One thing you’ll find in this business is that doing a lot of work up top, will lead to a more successful outcome down the road. That goes for marketing plans for your listings, as well as your business as a whole. It might not be the fun part, but it will allow you to one day focus on what you do best, dealing with your clients. Set up your CRM and the other systems you want to use from the get go. Getting these things established before you’re hopefully a busy agent is the best time to really learn them and decide what’s best for you.

Once you build a strong foundation and are establishing your client base, it’s important to continually set goals that help you implement your business strategy.

You can even invest in a real estate coach if you need someone to hold you accountable. It’s also important to constantly reevaluate what you’re doing. Set up a monthly audit, where you go over what is and what isn’t working. As we mentioned above, this is a fluid business and things are constantly changing, the same can be said of your business. What worked a year ago, might be losing you money as your business grows.

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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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ASHLEIGH VASI 19

ASHLEIGH VASI Ashleigh Vasi hadn’t anticipated a career in real estate, but after a positive experience buying her home, her agent encouraged her to try her hand at the business. While she was hesitant at first, Ashleigh’s ambitions ultimately won out, and she took her agent’s suggestion with the hopes that it’d open up new professional horizons as a working mom. Once she earned her licensed in December 2011, Ashleigh worked solo and on a team to build the repertoire of skills and understanding she’d apply to her work alongside clients. Seven years later, Ashleigh has established a reputation for highly communicative service that hones in on the individual and their unique needs.

Today, Ashleigh serves the greater Cleveland area from her base in Strongsville, Ohio. There, she spearheads her work solo and has earned roughly 90% of her business based on repeat and referral clientele within her sphere. To keep business booming, Ashleigh cites responsiveness and accessibility as leading tenets of her professional philosophy. “Communication is key,” she says. “I consistently follow-up with clients and answer every call or text, even if it’s just to say I’ll have to touch base once a meeting is complete.”

Likewise, Ashleigh keeps in touch long after the closing table by building client relationships founded on trust and good will. She hosts client appreciation events yearly and often buys tables at charitable events to connect with clients over a worthy cause. What’s more, she’s systematic in crafting a five-year outreach plan for clients, and stays in touch regularly through social media, by text, and via monthly mailers. Considering her dedicated approach to staying top-of-mind with her ever-growing network, it’s clear Ashleigh has built her enterprise on quality service and relationships that last.

To market listings, Ashleigh takes a forward-thinking approach that blends the best practices of digital and traditional marketing. She begins with a pre-listing walkthrough to assess a home’s particular strengths and weaknesses—finding opportunities to declutter, patch

up, or reimagine her clients’ spaces. Then, she turns to high quality professional photography, drone images, and 3D floor videos to create an immersive experience for viewers online. Postcards and print media accompany all listings to drum up local exposure, while targeted ads on social media source ideal buyers in short order. While her seven years in the industry have yielded a consistent track record of success, Ashleigh most enjoys the chance to pair with clients and flex her creative problem-solving skills. “I love helping people,” she says. “I especially enjoy the chance to work with excited firsttime homebuyers. I also have a passion for marketing, so I really enjoy the challenges of the listing side of the process, as well. All in all, I love the chance to be my own boss and the limitless possibility of the industry.”

To give back to her greater Cleveland community, Ashleigh works with local schools to sponsor various student sports, clubs, and organizations. This includes sponsorship of the local boys’ baseball team and the JROTC program. Every year, she also fundraises for a scholarship bestowed on a chosen student at Elyria High School in honor of her late cousin. The scholarship compels students to draft essays on the cause and effects of reckless teen driving, raising awareness of a public safety issue while supporting a local student’s college dreams. Ashleigh also serves as the 2018 Secretary for the Women’s Council of Realtors NEO, and served on the board of the National Association of Realtors Young Professional Network in 2016. In her remaining free hours, she most enjoys time spent with her family and loved ones, and relishes the chance to travel to two favorite destinations: Myrtle Beach for its idyllic coastline, and Arizona’s Red Rocks area for its epic hiking adventures.

Looking ahead, Ashleigh has plans to continue doubling her business year-over-year, with the hopes of earning her license in Arizona to expand her business and fulfill her love for the Southwest region.

For now, she’ll continue bringing her patented service to Cleveland’s aspiring homeowners, further solidifying her reputation as an agent assuredly on the rise. Now, with seven sterling years of experience in her arsenal and an ambitious eye on the road ahead, the future is without bounds for Ashleigh Vasi.

To learn more about Ashleigh Vasi, email ashleighvasi@gmail.com, call 440 – 822 – 7973 visit AshleighVasi.com, or facebook.com/AshleighVasiKW www.

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Miller Home Title is proud to congratulate

Ashleigh Vasi

on being featured for the state of Ohio in Top Agent Magazine!

MILLER HOME TITLE Jimmy Miller | Regional Vice President Office: 440-934-3003 | Cell: 216-314-1840 jimmy@millerht.com | millerht.com www.

5326 Detroit Rd, Sheffield Village, OH 44035

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4 Qualities of Exceptional Employees Hiring a new employee is one of the more stressful parts of being a business owner. After all, you’re taking someone on and trusting that they’ll not only be a valuable addition to the team, but won’t do anything to hurt your business’s hard earned reputation.

Sometimes a person comes in and you click right away, and other times you might be blown away by an impressive resume. But there are things you should look for that might not be as obvious at first. Employees that have the following qualities are ones you should seek out, because they will definitely be well worth the time and energy you invest in them.

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1. They have the confidence to be innovative There’s a reason people are drawn to those who think outside the box. Not only do innovations often lead to an extremely profitable business, even when that thinking doesn’t pan out, creative thinking is something that will energize your business and will motivate more employees to start taking chances.

Innovative thinkers also usually have great leadership skills. Ironically, you want an employee who isn’t afraid to speak up to authority and is someone who knows how to bend the rules without breaking them. They know that

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the success of the team and business is what’s most important, as long as it’s done ethically and with respect for everyone involved.

2. They are constantly reviewing their past performance A good employee looks forward, but they also look back. They are always evaluating what worked and what didn’t work in past performances and then adjusting their plans going forward accordingly. If they are coming off a big win, they know how to capitalize on that by using the momentum and cementing in everyone’s minds the value that they add to the team.

If things didn’t go as planned, they assess what they can do better next time, and they don’t get bogged down in insecurity. They take responsibility and they have confidence that they won’t repeat past mistakes. They know that failure is a temporary state, and are able to learn lessons from their mistakes, that will make them a better employee going forward.

While no one wants to fail, having the confidence to try something and fail will one day let you strike gold. Someone who lets failure shut them down, leads to a dead end and will soon make them a dead weight on your team.

3. They value teamwork Even though an exceptional employee might be a rising star, they realize that success is Top Agent Magazine

not an individual endeavor, it relies strongly on who you’re working with. Exceptional employees make sure that everyone is contributing and valued for their input. They put the interests of the company above their own, and thrive in an environment where ideas and information are shared freely.

Shared success is the ultimate goal for every project. Exceptional employees have the confidence to know that even when they’re not singled out for praise, they’re an irreplaceable component of a larger machine.

4. They are self-motivated learners A key thing to remember is that while experience is a valuable commodity, intelligence and intellectual curiosity is usually something that can’t be taught. Yes, you might request employees get additional training or attend seminars, but exceptional employees will be seeking out educational opportunities constantly. Even if they don’t have a lot of money for weekend retreats, they will be getting books from the library, downloading audiobooks, and most importantly, taking advantage of one their greatest resources, YOU. Exceptional employees know that the way to stay ahead is to always be at the forefront of new technology and systems. They don’t see educating themselves as a burden, they actually enjoy it. They realize that everything they take in, will one day make them not only an exceptional employee, but an exceptional boss as well.

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