PENNSYLVANIA 11-5-18

PENNSYLVANIA EDITION

How to Incorporate Current Events to Your Email Blasts and Stay Relevant COVER STORY

EMOTIONAL FLUENCY : HOW TO COMMUNICATE

KIRA ROZMAN

WITH CLIENTS WHEN TENSIONS ARE HIGH

FEATURED AGENT

ANTHONY ANGOTTI

PENNSYLVANIA EDITION

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ANTHONY ANGO

It’s one thing for someone to consider his clients’ goals his own. But things reach a whole new level when he helps his clients embrace the values that make him successful.

“I’ve always valued financial independence,” explains Pennsylvania real estate agent and investor advoKIRA ROZMAN ANTHONY ANGOTTI cate, Antony Angotti. Anthony began investing in real estate his 20s, after seeing how a friend paid for his house by leasing out rooms to friends. While living in his friend’s house for two years and working in tech sales, Anthony paid off his student loans, later taking a QA job at a pharmaceutical company with traditional hours. It was then that he began dabbling in real estate CONTENTS investments. “I bought a duplex; we lived in one half and rented out the other half.”

4) 3 SUREFIRE METHODS THAT MAKE FOR A PRODUCTIVE MEETING

6) CONNECT BEYOND REAL ESTATE TO ATTRACT FUTURE CLIENTS

16) EMOTIONAL FLUENCY: Anthony soon realized that obtaining his real estate license HOW COMMUNICATE WITH wouldTO allow him to collect commissions when purchasing and sellingWHEN his own investment properties in and outside PittsCLIENTS TENSIONS ARE burgh, Pennsylvania. Before long, friends began hiring him HIGH to help with their investment purchases; eventually, his part-

time real estate business paid the same as his full-time career. first year real estate, I sold 20 houses while working 21)“That HOW TOinINCORPORATE my other job. I looked back on the year and thought, ‘If I’m CURRENT EVENTS TO YOUR making as much in real estate as in my EMAIL 40-hour work week with twoAND hours a STAY day in traffic, something’s got to change.’”

BLASTS RELEVANT By the end of that second year, during which he phased out of his 9-5 job, Anthony was on track to sell twice as many homes as in his first year.

Anthony believes in specialization. “Some new agents try to do everything. But if you focus on everything you focus on mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com nothing.” The better route, he says, is to learn the industry bywithout nurturing niche.of“Ithe built this investor No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever prior aconsent publisher.

Top Agentniche and now I’m Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions to members ensure the accuracy of published bringingareontaken team to help with that.” By establishing materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed facts supplied by its authors. systems fororproject management, he has also streamlined his To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com. operations, which can allow him to expand into other areas as Published in the U.S. business grows.

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Until recently, Anthony worked independently. But he currently Agent Magazine has two newer agents on his teamTop working with buyers. “I’m training them up so they can keep growing personally and

mag@TopAgentMagazine.com http://www.TopAgentMagazine.com

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3 Surefire Methods that Make for a Productive Meeting Sometimes a business meeting can achieve exactly what it sets out to do: communicate, assess actions, set goals, or otherwise. Other times, meetings can feel like a drain on your time and energy, and only advance your agenda in marginal ways. While meetings are an integral form of communication in the professional world, how can you ensure that they are both productive and worthwhile?

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The truth is, it takes intentioned planning to make a meeting a success. A well-curated meeting makes partners and employees feel unified as a team, excited about what’s to come, and motivated to achieve a collective goal. With that in mind, consider a few approaches below to maximize your next meeting and ensure that all parties involved leave with a renewed sense of direction and inspiration.

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1. Create a detailed agenda in advance Oftentimes meetings are scheduled with a loose goal in mind—to hash out the terms of a contract or to strategize a new marketing campaign, for example. To ensure your meeting is productive, time-efficient, and achieves its end, create a detailed agenda in advance. This means breaking down your overarching goal into pieces and outlining what’s required to complete each component. You might also consider making time blocks for each respective component, so there is a clear structure and hierarchy in place. Not only does this ensure that time is used wisely and evenly, but it also creates order and momentum for the greater task at hand. What’s more, you’ll want to distribute this detailed agenda in advance of your meeting, so that all attendees will be familiar with the format and delineated goals of your gathering. This will set a professional tone, while keeping team members and conversation on task.

2. Reserve off-topics ideas and comments for later Too many meetings are derailed when an off-topic question or comment is made and hijacks the attentions of attendees. While it’s natural that outlying issues may arise when all team members are gathered, you can ward off distractions by creating a so-called holding area for off-topic talking points. This holding area will serve as the receptacle for any off-topic or lower priority addendum, and you can create a chunk of time towards the end of your meeting to readdress those Top Agent Magazine

points separately. Once you’ve achieved the highest priority goals of your meeting, you can then return to the items in your holding area. Note: be sure to familiarize your staff with this approach so that the expectation is already in place and interruptions won’t distract from your meeting’s true intent.

3. Conclude every meeting with a brief summary and action items The very last thing you should do before concluding your meeting is to reemphasize the main takeaways of your gathering and outline a specific list of action items. Again, successful meetings are clear and give attendees a sense of direction. That’s why reiterating action items—or next steps in need of completion—to each respective employee is an essential component of a productive meeting. Likewise, summarizing main takeaways unifies a team’s understanding of what’s important and why the meeting was called in the first place. Ending on a concrete yet proactive note helps launch team members toward the next event in their day and gives them a sense of confidence as they tackle their duties.

Meetings don’t have to be a formality or a bore. When planned and executed with incisiveness, they can inspire your talent roster and streamline productivity in your office.

Especially in the world of real estate, ensuring everyone is on the same page and doing their jobs effectively is key to success and longevity. Put a little planning into your next meeting, and you’ll save yourself valuable time and energy as you move forward.

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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 6

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 8

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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KIRA ROZMAN

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“I like helping people.

And I love closing days when my clients are so happy. It’s great to see them achieve their goal and find a property in an area they love where they will grow their family. That’s the most rewarding thing!”

KIRA ROZMAN How did Kira Rozman become one of the most well-known and respected real estate agents in Pennsylvania? Originally from Russia, Kira moved to the U.S. forty-two years ago with her family. She started in real estate thirty-five years ago in New York. At the time it was popular for agents to sell land in Florida to New Yorkers. Kira decided she wasn’t comfortable selling land she hadn’t seen herself, but she soon started her career 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

at a real estate office in New York and found she has a true passion for the business. “I do love selling real estate!” she says. She had her own office in New York for ten years where she led a team of agents. A decade ago, she moved to Pennsylvania and she now works for Century 21 Country Lake Homes, under broker/owner John Jones, serving the northeastern part of the state where she closes on 50 to 60 properties every year.

An impressive 90% of her business comes from repeat and referral clients. What keeps her clients coming back and eager to refer their friends and family to Kira? “I work hard, I’m always available, and I always answer my phone,” she says. Kira goes out of her way to find listings for her clients that they Top Agent Magazine

truly love. “I don’t push my clients to make a decision immediately. I search until we find the perfect home for them,” she says. She also speaks both English and Russian, which is a big benefit to her Russian clients! After working with Kira, her clients remember her Top Agent Magazine

honesty, straightforwardness and attention to detail. They also rave about how caring and personable she is. It’s easy for Kira to stay in touch with past clients, who reach out to her frequently. She also sends them holiday cards and helpful market updates or just calls 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

them to let them know they are on her mind.

She gives every customer personal attention.

looks its best. She advises on any minor changes needed and her husband helps stage the property.

She then hires professional photographers who take high quality photos highlighting the listing’s best features. She posts the listing on the MLS as well as many major real estate websites. “I sometimes advertise in Russian publications in New York if the property might appeal to that population,” she explains. Many of her customers call her their “family realtor.”

Before placing a listing on the market, Kira helps clients to prepare the property so it

Kira came to the U.S. over forty years ago unable to speak English and has learned the

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language and the culture and built a thriving business based on hard work. “My husband and I had to work hard on a daily basis to get where we are today and I’m very proud of that. It wasn’t easy. But I think if you are determined, honest and hardworking, you can get where you want to be in this country, because it’s full of opportunity!” she says. What’s Kira’s favorite part of her job? “I like helping people. And I love closing days when my clients are so happy. It’s great to see them achieve their goal and find a property in an area they love where they will grow their family. That’s the Top Agent Magazine

most rewarding thing!” Kira lives in a gated crown jewel community of Pennsylvania called Hemlock Farms, which offers exceptional nature, four lakes, three pools, three beaches, great shopping, two restaurants, and Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13

more. Kira is very involved in the community and sits on the Recreation Committee. She’s passionate about Hemlock Farms, which is only two hours from New York City, and she often sells property there to her clients. In her

free time, Kira likes to picnic at the lake, travel with her husband, and entertain neighbors and friends. For the future, Kira wants to continue helping her clients achieve their goals and stay in close touch with them!

To find out more about Kira Rozman, email kirarozmanc21@gmail.com, call (917) 763 - 5098, https://property.mibor.com/profile/35331 or visit KiraPoconoHomes.com www.

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Attorney John W. Jones, Esquire is proud to congratulate

KIRA ROZMAN

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

Attorney John W. Jones, Esquire Mountain Abstract, Inc. 570-676-8794 | john@abstractcompanies.net P.O. Box 147, Greentown, PA 18426

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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 16

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?

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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ANTHONY ANGOTTI It’s one thing for someone to consider his clients’ goals his own. But things reach a whole new level when he helps his clients embrace the values that make him successful.

“I’ve always valued financial independence,” explains Pennsylvania real estate agent and investor advocate, Antony Angotti. Anthony began investing in real estate his 20s, after seeing how a friend paid for his house by leasing out rooms to friends. While living in his friend’s house for two years and working in tech sales, Anthony paid off his student loans, later taking a QA job at a pharmaceutical company with traditional hours. It was then that he began dabbling in real estate investments. “I bought a duplex; we lived in one half and rented out the other half.”

Anthony soon realized that obtaining his real estate license would allow him to collect commissions when purchasing and selling his own investment properties in and outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before long, friends began hiring him to help with their investment purchases; eventually, his parttime real estate business paid the same as his full-time career.

“That first year in real estate, I sold 20 houses while working my other job. I looked back on the year and thought, ‘If I’m making as much in real estate as in my 40-hour work week with two hours a day in traffic, something’s got to change.’”

By the end of that second year, during which he phased out of his 9-5 job, Anthony was on track to sell twice as many homes as in his first year.

Not only does Anthony enjoy representing people as their agent and investment advocate, but he continues to support them in many ways after they close on a sale. He makes himself available as a resource for their property needs. “I like helping people get closer to financial independence, whether they’re looking for supplemental income or planning for retirement,” he says. He also eagerly helps meet investors’ other needs. “Many live out of state, so I might help them find a contractor to look at something or get involved if there are property management issues.”

He also gives back to the communities he serves, volunteering as co-coach of a hockey club for 15 to 18-year-olds. “I played for them growing up; it’s nice to help them learn skills through sports that will help them be successful as adults. We always talk about goal setting, working as a team, persevering through the harder times, and also keeping yourself level whenever the team’s doing well.”

Anthony’s level-headed approach to business is opening new doors for others. “I’m beginning to build up a property management business to serve my investor clients,” he begins, adding that he is also training agents to continue provide optimal service and to learn other areas of real estate. “A lot of people in my sphere are first-time home buyers, so we’re taking the systems I have in place and applying them to traditional buyers and sellers.” No matter where his entrepreneurship takes him, the important thing, says Anthony, is putting clients first. “My clients know that I expect to exceed their needs.”

Anthony believes in specialization. “Some new agents try to do everything. But if you focus on everything you focus on nothing.” The better route, he says, is to learn the industry by nurturing a niche. “I built this investor niche and now I’m bringing on team members to help with that.” By establishing systems for project management, he has also streamlined his operations, which can allow him to expand into other areas as business grows.

Until recently, Anthony worked independently. But he currently has two newer agents on his team working with buyers. “I’m training them up so they can keep growing personally and professionally.” That attitude drives not only team relations but client relations. “I want my clients to be successful,” he says. “A lot of people are newer to the investment side, so I spend time up front training them about how to analyze properties and how to identify good investments.”

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To learn more about Anthony Angotti, visit 412agent.com or https://www.facebook.com/412agent/ go to his Facebook page, email angotti.realestate@gmail.com or call 412.254.3013 www.

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How to Incorporate Current Events to Your Email Blasts and Stay Relevant Email marketing is a cost effective and straightforward method of getting your name and services in front of clients with just a few keystrokes. This tried-and-true approach to digital marketing is a favorite of many, and there are countless ways to customize (and maximize) your email blasts to reap superior results. Despite this, many real estate profesTop Agent Magazine

sionals are content to standardize their email advertising and take a broad, one-size-fits-all approach to capturing interest and leads. While an up-front sales pitch certainly has its uses and benefits, it doesn’t hurt to shake up your routine and refresh your email marketing approach by adding specifics that draw renewed interest from your audience.

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One way to accomplish this is by tying in current events and local happenings to your email blasts. After all, your sphere of influence likely receives countless marketing emails per day. To cut through the noise, sharpen your message with a few specifics that separate your communications from the pack. Not every email should be focused on closing a sale, or else your audience will learn to stop listening.

How do you build your brand, stay top of mind, and keep the lines of communication open with your clientele? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

against an old rival? Do they host themed fan days honoring veterans or catering to families? Tailoring your communications to a local sports franchise’s big news or next event can draw intrigue and provide added value for your clients. Remember, not every communication you send should be focused on pitching and closing a sale, otherwise your audience will tune out your emails altogether. Instead, incorporate fun, community-oriented content that lets readers know you’re a resource for much more than real estate.

Sports news makes a splash

Become a one-stop-shop for holiday fun and seasonal ideas.

People love to rally behind the home team.

Is a regional, local university, or professional sports team in your area headed to the playoffs or the championship? Are they facing off

From Mother’s Day to Thanksgiving, anyone can send an email wishing clients a happy holiday. While the sentiment is a good one, you’ll be one of dozens flooding inboxes with

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your well-wishes. Instead, go beyond the traditional greetings and good tidings and become a hyper-specific resource for clients. Create a gift guide for Mother’s Day, outline family-friendly local events occurring in your area around the holidays, or engage in a promotional partnership with a local business who’s offering a holiday special of their own. In other words, don’t settle for just saying hello during certain times of the year. Instead, up the value of your email blast by offering clients curated information that relates to their interests and area.

Doing so makes your emails a must-read, while demonstrating your ability to go the extra mile.

Pop culture serves as a fun and timely tie-in.

Is a new gaming app sweeping the nation? Have your social media feeds been flooded with the same viral video? Is everyone gossiping about the same TV show premiere? Pop culture tie-ins in your email marketing campaigns can be extremely effective, but in order to for

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them to work, you’ll need to move quickly and keep your focus on the phenomenon, rather than your service pitch. The goal behind pop culture marketing tie-ins is communicating the progressiveness and hip factor of your brand, while capturing timely, topical interest that’s at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be in on a running joke or trend, and if you leverage trending pop culture moments in your email marketing, you’ll be able to draw views and clicks from a wide audience.

Plenty of services offer standardized email marketing templates and content for today’s real estate professionals, and while the motivation behind marketing is transactional, your communications don’t have to be. The surest way to make an impact in your clients’ inboxes is to add original value and break apart from the pack. Consider updating some of your routines with these current events oriented techniques and your email audience is sure to take a second look.

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