MIKE SLOAN

Throughout his life, Mike Sloan has possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. While building a successful career as a full-time marketing professor at an acclaimed business school in Ontario, he began investing in student rentals near campus. This experience fostered a passion for real estate that influenced Mike to pursue his license. Leveraging his strong foundations in sales, he found his niche as “The Marketing Professor REALTOR®” along Ontario’s West Coast of Lake Huron and specifically in Grand Bend where Mike is still living today. Since then, he has gone on to author an accomplished career as an agent, earning numerous awards and establishing a network of satisfied clients that spans throughout Ontario.

At present, Mike is a Sales Representative with Royal LePage Triland Realty, where he assists clients in a myriad of waterfront communities fronting the Canadian side of Southern Lake Huron. As a distinguished member of Royal LePage’s Chairman’s Club, which honors agents whose production ranks among the top 1% in all of Canada, he has cultivated a boutique marketing process to meet the needs of any buyer or seller.

When listing a property, Mike draws from his background in brand storytelling to develop a multi-platform approach. Starting out, he helps his clients fully prepare their home for the market, providing them with a suite of professional photography and videography services. From there, he utilizes a variety of resources, from professionally scripted voice over video walkthroughs to detailed copywriting, Matterport tours, and digital campaign advertisements to highlight the distinctive lifestyle of a given home. Along with broadcasting his listings through the regional MLS, he gives his clients an added advantage via a highly targeted blend of digital and social media campaigns.

Elsewhere, Mike is just as attentive when assisting his buyers, carefully guiding them to the right investment for their best interests. In fact, he prefers to keep in touch long after the deals are done through regular check-ins and market updates—all to ensure they are satisfied with their new homes. Over the years, he has earned a fantastic reputation along the Lake Huron shoreline, as evidenced by his rapidly growing rate of repeat clients and referrals.

Now averaging close to 140 ends per year (close to 100 transactions), Mike remains dedicated to the leading standards that set him apart. “In our industry, no two days are the same,” he says. “Every property and client are unique. For me, there could be nothing more rewarding than developing new ideas to make these properties stand out and achieve my client’s visions through rich media and marketing.”

On top of serving on his local Chamber of Commerce, Mike is an avid supporter of elementary school extracurricular activities, downtown musical performances, area beach cleanups, and other outreach efforts throughout the year. When he’s not with clients or giving back, he can be found spending quality time with his wife and children, kitesurfing and surfing the waves of Lake Huron, or practicing music with friends.

Mike has exciting plans for the future of his business. Going forward, he intends on building his team while scaling his vision of personalized client service further across Lake Huron. In the meantime, though, he looks forward to all the new clients and opportunities that await in the community he loves.

To learn more about Mike Sloan, email 123myproperty@gmail.com, visit grandbendrealestate.ca or call (519) 870-765

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— 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 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.

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.