PROPERTY MANAGER 8-24-20

PROPERTY MANAGER EDITION

5 Things You Can Do to Achieve Your Biggest Goals 6 Methods for Building Better Email Lists

COVER STORY

DD LEE FEATURED PROPERTY MANAGER

STEPHANIE CUNNINGHAM

Killing Clients with Kindness AND VALUE

PROPERTY MANAGER EDITION

STEPHANIE CUNNINGHAM | 7

DD LEE

DD LEE

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STEPHANIE CUNNINGHAM

CONTENTSWith 23 years of experience managing

Stephanie Cunningham serves the Pho with superior service, always putting h

4) 6 METHODS FOR BUILDING BETTER EMAIL LISTS

16) KILLING CLIENTS WITH

With a love for helping others and a passion for KINDNESS AND VALUE business, it is no wonder Stephanie Cunningham has made a successful career in real estate. She grew up watching of her JOINING parents work A in real estate, 22) 3both WAYS and her mother was a property manager for years.

13) 5 THINGS YOU CAN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION Stephanie quickly developed an interest in property DO TO ACHIEVE YOUR CAN MAKE YOURher BUSINESS management which kickstarted 24 years of exBIGGEST GOALS BETTER perience.

With 23 years spent managing residential properties, she has established a solid business that relies mainly on referrals from past clients and real estate agents. Serving all the Phoenix metropolitan area, Stephanie manages 100 properties and is continuing Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 to grow. By putting clients’ needs first and making sure they received superior service, mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com word spreads fast about her work.

investmen agement, with mana tenants, m enforceme ing, Steph any listing Stephanie

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 When hiring Stephanie to manage a propmaterials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. erty, owners can except to receive full To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com. service. “It’s all about protecting their Published in the U.S.

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6 Methods for Building Better Email Lists

By Kendra Lee

Email lists can be a blessing or a curse. When they’re composed of real email addresses of people in your target micro-segment, and those people recognize you or your company by name, an email list is an invaluable lead generation resource. When the list is filled with contacts who don’t know of you or your company, i.e. a cold list, lead generation can be though – really tough. Likewise, if your list is populated with fake, inactive, or irrelevant accounts you’re at risk of being banned by your email software provider.

Not surprisingly, I hear from clients all the time asking how to build an email list that will get results for their campaigns.

Should they purchase? Should they attempt to build their own?

Remember that with email list building your goal is to build a list of people within your micro-segment, so quality is more important than quantity. The more similar the contacts, the easier it is to tailor your nurturing and lead generation content to their specific needs.

Here are six methods that will help you build a quality email list.

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Nurturing and lead generation activities: When you engage in social media, nurturing activities, SEO, and Adwords, those mediums provide forums for you to drive people to your website, start a conversation via a social channel, attend an event you’re hosting, and add people to your list. People who respond really do want to be part of your list.

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Membership organizations: Whether it’s through industry associations, mastermind groups, or networking events, these types of organizations provide an excellent means for collecting contact information. Generally, people will update or provide their own information because they want other members to have easy access to them so you know the data is current.

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Shared lists: By finding a peer who targets a similar microsegment with a non-competitive offering, you may be able to forge a partnership in which you promote to each other’s lists. This happens frequently within the high tech space, with consultants, and with professional services organization where they understand the value of collaboration.

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Research the web and build your own: Increasingly, we’re seeing companies comb LinkedIn, Zoominfo. com, InsideView.com, DiscoverOrg.com and other websites for contact information, and then follow-up with companies to confirm the validity of that information. This approach is time consuming, but it can be very effective. A client who we coached through this process recently got a 41% open rate on their email nurturing campaign. I really like DiscoverOrg for the detailed information they have if you’re selling in the IT or telecom industry.

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Purchase lists: There are numerous companies that sell email lists, but you need to be careful which vendor you buy from

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and how much you spend. Prices typically range from hundreds to several thousand dollars depending on list specificity and size.

One warning: Expect higher bounce rates with these lists and negotiate for that issue when you purchase. To avoid high bounce rates, look for a list company that validates the information. In this way I’ve been very pleased with ExchangeLeads for new lists and validation of current lists. If you don’t have any list, this may be the way to get started.

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Trade information for information: Sites like ExchangeLeads and Data.com community give you credit for providing contact information for companies you’ve worked with in the past. As you earn credit, you can use it to acquire lists for free. These services generally have a fee option as well, and the data integrity is dependent upon users keeping it current.

Again, look for companies that validate data to reduce bounce rates and wasted time. I really like ExchangeLeads for trading information as well as purchasing it.

Ultimately, my advice would be to focus as much on the organic list building methods (#s 1-4) as possible, and supplement with the purchased methods (#s 5 and 6) when necessary. If you start with a purchased list, plan to nurture it and build your recognition.

Don’t toss it away if you don’t get immediate results.

At the end of the day, you want to strive for list quality over list quantity. Pushing your messaging out to unwitting, uninterested, or unsuspecting prospects won’t do anything to help you close more deals.

Contact details for Kendra Lee: Phone: 303-741-6636 (Old fashioned, but very effective.) Email: Info@klagroup.com (Yes, I get every one of these personally.) Twitter: @KendraLeeKLA (And I do follow all direct messages on Twitter!) KLA Group is a sales consulting and training firm focused on helping clients get more customers in the Small and Midmarket Business (SMB) segment through lead generation, prospecting, hiring and onboarding strategies.

Copyright©, Kendra Lee. All rights reserved.

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DD LEE Top Agent Magazine

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DD LEE DD Lee, lead of Skyline Properties Group, Inc, based out of Woodstock and Fayetteville, Georgia, currently manages around 350 residential properties and 6000 HOA units.

When DD Lee started investing in properties in 2004, she had no idea it would lead to her dream career in property management.

“In just a couple of years I had accumulated about 10 properties and managed all of them myself,” she explains. “Through that process I learned so much.” When the market crashed, she left the corporate world 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

to pursue real estate as a full-time career. In 2010, she saw the need for property managers as more people were renting. “People were not able to sell their homes and there were a lot more renters in the market, so I went and got my broker’s license and started managing for other people.” Today she leads Skyline Properties Group, Inc, Top Agent Magazine

based out of Woodstock and Fayetteville, Georgia. They serve the entire metro Atlanta region, and are hoping to expand into Florida and South Carolina. DD credits Skyline Properties’ success to team collaboration and hard work. “Everyone plays key roles in the business and we really count on each other to get things done,” she explains. They are a well-oiled machine.

“We manage around 350 residential properties right now and 6000 HOA units,” DD explains.

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For residential management, Skyline performs all of the duties associated with managing a property, including finding tenants, collecting rent, maintenance, lease enforcement, and more. For HOA management, they help collect dues, send out violation letters, manage finances, and any other tasks. No matter the management type, clients can expect superior service and guidance at every step. “Our top goal is for our clients to make money, and the second part is communication. We do everything we can to let our clients know what’s Copyright Top Agent Magazine 9

“Our top goal is for our clients to make money, and the second part is communication. We do everything we can to let our clients know what’s going on with their properties. We send them monthly reports, keep them updated on maintenance issues and if their property is vacant we give them a report of how much traffic they’re getting through the property.” going on with their properties. We send them monthly reports, keep them updated on maintenance issues and if their property is vacant we give them a report of how much traffic they’re getting through the property.” Lastly, they guarantee their services. “When a tenant is in their place, that tenant is guaranteed by us. So that gives our clients a lot of peace of mind.”

Clients love to refer Skyline to everyone they know. One recently said, “The outstanding professionalism of Skyline Properties is no chance occurrence. It’s the product of an all pervasive attitude of excellence that starts 10Copyright Top Agent Magazine

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from the top and flows all the way through the company. DD Lee (owner) takes care of her employees in ways that empowers them to strive everyday for more than the last.

There is nothing I wouldn’t entrust to this company.”

When DD isn’t working she’s staying involved in the community. She’s a board member of Top Agent Magazine

the Atlanta Chapter of National Association of Residential Property Managers, where she was Chapter President in 2019. She is also an Assistant Governor with Rotary International, and an ambassador for Real Estate Connections, which is one of the largest monthly real estate networking events in Atlanta. Lastly, she’s a mentor with North Atlanta Venture Group.

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As she looks ahead, she wants to continue providing excellent service to her clients.

“My focus is on how we treat our existing clients and customers, showing them our appreciation through personal gifts and individualized contact.”

No matter what, DD’s passion for this industry will remain. “I love that it’s a process driven business. If you want to be a driven manager, you have to design and continue to tweak your processes.”

For more information about DD Lee, please call 678-978-1858 or email info@skylinepropertiesga.com

http://www.justingrable.com 12Copyright Top Agent Magazine

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5 Things You Can Do To Achieve Your Biggest Goals If there’s one thing successful people can agree on, it’s that setting goals has been key to their success. Whether you’re creating a five year plan or just settling on what you want to achieve by the end of the day, setting goals gives you the focus and direction you need to complete even the biggest tasks.

But there is a method to setting them. It’s a process that takes careful thought and conTop Agent Magazine

sideration up front, which is then combined with the hard work necessary to implement your plan. Luckily there are proven methods to goal setting that you can start using immediately.

1. MAKE YOUR GOALS SPECIFIC

Yes, it’s fun to think in grand terms of where you want to end up in life and in your career, but it’s better to have a specific

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Your plan of action should include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. goal like “Increase my sales by 25%”, than “Get rich.” When a goal is clear and specific, it allows you to figure out the exact steps you need to take to accomplish it. The more general it is, the more paralyzed you might be when it comes to figuring out what to do since, the choices may be overwhelming.

2. MAKE IT ATTAINABLE

Making attainable goals might seem boring, I mean afterall, you want to dream big! But you don’t want to suffer through the disappointment of not reaching your goal, something that may not even be possible at this stage in your life to begin with. One solution to that is creating goal levels. You can have the dream goal, but underneath that you have the realistic goals that are setting up a foundation for achieving the big one.

Things that are attainable still take work and effort to achieve. Those small victories will keep you motivated and encouraged to go for the bigger dreams. And don’t forget, those little goals may have been things you wouldn’t have gotten done if you didn’t set out to achieve them, so be proud!

3. PUT A PLAN OF ACTION IN WRITING

Your plan of action should include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. There is something about seeing things in writing and crossing them off the list that is oddly satisfying.The daily goals are especially 14

important in regards to building up those good habits. The first few weeks of your plan of action are critical when it comes to your long term success. Reaching a goal is something you are doing every day, all throughout the day, in numerous ways.

Achieving goals is all about creating good new habits.

4. MAKE IT MEASURABLE

This is key, since you definitely want to reward yourself for a job well done, and having a goal that is measurable in some way is a sure way to know. Maybe it’s to increase your lead generation or to cut expenses, whatever the case, have a measurable test you need to meet, as well as a time frame. Then calculate what you have to do to reach that goal. Not only should your goal be specific, but the plan and the measure of success should also be set in stone.

5. ADJUST AS YOU GO

You can have all the best laid plans, and you still might quickly realize that what you thought would help you reach your goal, might not be cutting it. Commitment to reaching your goals is good, but commitment to a plan you know isn’t going to work is not only a waste of time, but will be a devastating blow to your motivation.

Sticking to a plan everyday means adjusting it accordingly.

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Killing Clients with Kindness and Value

By Walter Sanford

Sometimes, we need to “kill” our clients with kindness and offer value. I know it goes against everything in our nature to turn the other cheek when they are being mean.

Recently, a coaching client had some challenges with a particular client, and I’m sure you have also worked with the kind of client who discourages you so much that you just want to hit the delete button!

How about offering a response that increases your fame and makes the client always wonder what they may be missing? They might not list with you, but they will never forget you.

Included in the balance of this article are the email from the client, the request for help from my coaching client, and then my suggested response.

Email from the Potential Client: Sorry, I have been really busy. Let me tell you where I’m at with everything. You may or may not be interested.

I am definitely putting the house on the market. The house has been rented for the last 5 years with the same family. They originally signed a rent to own lease. Three years ago, they decided they didn’t want to buy it.

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Anyway, I recently informed them that I’m going to put the house on the market. Now, they are reconsidering buying the house. I don’t think they will buy the house, but I guess you never know. If they do buy the house, it would be for sale by owner. I will not let them drag their feet.

We happen to know a lot of REALTORS® in (area). Some are pretty good friends and with that comes opportunities at rates way under the norm. One of them did sell our last house quickly but circumstances have changed. I know you are a very good REALTOR®, because I have heard other REALTORS® talk about you.

You may not be interested at this point anymore. If you are still interested, let me know what your best rate is. Let me know if you are okay with the current tenants on a “for sale by owner” agreement, if that happens.

I would want a short-term agreement. The current rent is higher than my mortgage payment so I’m okay if they don’t buy and I’m not forced to sell at a low price. However, I want to sell ASAP. I’m wanting to purchase another property so I’m not going to overprice the house and I will negotiate.

Email from Coaching Client to Me: Walter, this guy is a college basketball coach. I want to help him, but I need to have a chance to run a successful business, too! How do I answer this?

Email from Me to Coaching Client (to share with potential client): Thank you so much for the nice words. It is very exciting to hear that our hard work is creating some buzz. I think we can accommodate you and exceed your expectations: Top Agent Magazine

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1. We believe that we exceed client expectations more often than most agents, because we spend the time to understand what the client needs.

Then we develop a customized program to meet and exceed that goal.

We would love to help you in accomplishing your real estate needs.

2. We would be happy to exclude the current residents from the listing agreement for 30 days. This would help in motivating the current residents to buy in that they can see the price discounted by the commission, if they commit to buy within the 30 day period. We would like to offer you our closing service that handles everything for a flat fee of $4,000. This handles the contract phase, aligning the team of affiliates, and the closing. This, of course, is at your option.

3..Our commissions are normal for our market, but we save you money over any commission discounter. Our specialty is increasing your net proceeds. We do this by bringing you more buyers with more effective marketing, better negotiating, better systems for handling inspections, better pre-approval tools for your buyer, better contracts, and less post-seller litigation from better contracts. Commission discounts usually cost you money because of the agent’s lack of emphasis on your net proceeds check. It is like a basketball player who is playing with no heart, only for the scholarship.

4. Our rate is retail 6%. This may eliminate us, but that would be a shortsided conclusion. Here are 5 of the ways we can beat any commission discount: A. We beat the average List to sell ratio in (area) by a larger margin than any discount.

B. We beat the days on market, which affects your carrying costs and lost opportunity costs on your equity.

C. We have a low litigation rate as compared to national standards.

D. We can market your home a little over retail due to our marketing.

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D. We urge a pre-inspection plan to get rid of the little and big problems before a buyer is involved and wants everything built new.

5. Our agreements are 6 months, but that is not what sells properties.

Marketing and price sell property. If we are wrong about those two items, we will adjust every week based upon showings and consultations with you.

6. I would also like to advise you on a misconception. Rental costs average about 35% of market rent in our area. Add in lost opportunity costs on your equity that is not doing anything at this point. I can show you how your current position is losing you money every month.

I think our next step is a presentation of the tools we bring to achieve your goals. Listing with friends is loyal, but is it the best business decision?

Do they have the tools and will you hold their feet to the fire when the results are not what you need? (Client’s name), you know the difference superstars make on a team. Let’s go for the win.

It’s not so much whether my coaching client obtained the listing, but he needed to stand up for a profitable, long term business. Never sell yourself short to get business. You will never be happy.

In these situations, I cannot guarantee an outcome, but I can guarantee the client will never forget you. You are planting seeds of discontentment with the small amount of money saved in a commission compared to not achieving their goal. Whether he/she admits it or not, he/she will have respect for you.

Do more lead generation so you won’t have to work so hard on leads like these.

Copyright©, Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Walter Sanford has been designing and implementing real estate systems for 30 years.

One of the most successful REALTORS® and now wealthy from his systems, Sanford teaches his systems and strategies through his products, seminars, and personal coaching producing the best results in the industry. Do what works, do what is proven. Hire Walter Sanford. Call our office at 800.792.5837, email walter@waltersanford.com, or chat with us online at www.waltersanford.com.

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STEPHANIE CUNNINGHAM | RMP® CRPM

With 23 years of experience managing residential properties, Stephanie Cunningham serves the Phoenix Metropolitan area with superior service, always putting her clients’ needs first.

With a love for helping others and a passion for business, it is no wonder Stephanie Cunningham has made a successful career in real estate. She grew up watching both of her parents work in real estate, and her mother was a property manager for years.

Stephanie quickly developed an interest in property management which kickstarted her 24 years of experience. With 23 years spent managing residential properties, she has established a solid business that relies mainly on referrals from past clients and real estate agents. Serving all the Phoenix metropolitan area, Stephanie manages 100 properties and is continuing to grow. By putting clients’ needs first and making sure they received superior service, word spreads fast about her work.

investment,” Stephanie says. For residential management, Stephanie offers full service associated with managing a property, including securing new tenants, maintenance issues, rent collection, lease enforcement, and more. When it comes to marketing, Stephanie makes sure word spreads fast about any listings by utilizing the MLS and social media.

Stephanie’s client base has been with her for 20+

When hiring Stephanie to manage a property, owners can except to receive full service. “It’s all about protecting their 20

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years, so she has established a solid foundation of trust. They know she does everything possible to find the best tenants and keep their properties looking their best. It is truly a stress-free experience when working with Stephanie. “It’s about communication and transparency.”

As for staying in touch, Stephanie keeps the lines for communication open with property owners when a problem arises with the property or with the tenant. She is in touch with each owner at least once a month. She reached out to tenants just as often with a phone call or a newsletter. Stephanie’s newsletters outline tips on maintaining the property, the importance for safety, reporting maintenance issues, and much more.

When Stephanie is not working, she is giving back to the community. She volunteers with the Foster Care Review Board, an organization she has been a part of since fostering and adopting her daughter in 2007. “I am passionate about advocating for children in foster care” she says. Stephanie is serving as the education chair at with the local West Valley Chapter of NARPM. In addition to that, she is the finance and housing advisor for her sorority at ASU. During any free time, she loves to hang with family and friends or garden.

As she continues to grow her business, she has her sights set on maintaining the same great service. Stephanie continues to stay educated on most recent trends and issues in property management. She is a member of National Association of Residential Property Managers and recently earned her RMP® designation. At the local level she holds the CRPM designation through Arizona Association of Realtors.

Meanwhile, she enjoys the diversity that each day brings and loves every minute of it. “My path crosses with so many people that have had so many different life experiences, that is keeps my days interesting.”

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For more about Stephanie Cunningham, RMP®, CRPM, ABR visit realtyexecutives.com/agents/stephanie-cunningham, call 480-948-9450 Office, 602-565-8500 Cell or email stephaniecunningham@realtyexecutives.com www.

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3 Ways Joining a Professional Organization Can

Make Your Business Better Any real estate professional worth his or her salt knows that relationships are everything in this industry. Of course, it’s essential to cultivate connections with your in-office colleagues and your clientele—but there’s even more to be done when it comes to building meaningful professional relationships on a larger scale.

How can you make the most of your sphere of influence? The answer lies in professional organizations.

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These institutions vary in breadth and scope— from the local chamber of commerce and state-level organizations geared toward young professionals, to nationwide groups like the National Association of Realtors. No matter which avenue you pursue, these organizations and the professionals therein can add tremendous value to your business and professional repertoire. Not quite convinced? Consider a few of the benefits below to understand how just how influential a professional organization can be when doing business in the modern marketplace.

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1. Expand your skillset.

It’s hard to argue that continuing education and professional development aren’t worthwhile causes. One of the little-known values of joining a professional organization is that there are countless opportunities to boost your talent through free or subsidized skill-building events, workshops, and speaker series. Seminars, coaching events, opportunities to volunteer, and conferences are just a few more ways that professional organizations put you in the right position to learn from others, or advance your understanding of the industry. In real estate, staying ahead of the curve is crucial to the longevity of your business. By joining a professional organization, you’ll not only have the chance to learn from industry veterans, but to also take advantage of indispensable resources that set you apart from the real estate pack.

2. Simplify your networking experience The obvious benefit of joining a professional organization is the chance to meet and network with fellow agents and industry pros.

But, have you ever considered how commonly networking comes into play in the real world? On the local and state level, the real estate scene isn’t as big as one might imagine.

This means you’ll cross paths with all sorts of agents, lenders, home inspectors, title company representatives, contractors, developers, investors, and more. Positioning yourself within a professional organization not only fortifies your reputation to the outside world and to those in your industry, but it also makes it easier to strike up conversations or navigate deals. How so? A professional organization Top Agent Magazine

creates a baseline of common knowledge and trust when doing business with those inside or aware of your organization. Likewise, when reaching out to an agent or lender who you’re not familiar with, you can mine your professional organization for related contacts that give you a sense of who you’re doing business with or how to make the transition progress smoothly.

3. Utilize a support system While advancing your career is a worthwhile motive when joining a real estate professional organization, also consider the mental benefits of fellowship with industry colleagues and local entrepreneurs. Rather than carting your anxieties home at the end of the day, you can lean on professionals moving through the same ranks. What’s more, you can turn to others in your industry for advice, commiseration with frustrations, or help sourcing a solution for a particular problem they may have experienced and overcome in the past. Even talking shop with likeminded pros can relieve stress and refresh your perspective—perks that are just as valuable as an updated contact sheet.

The old saying stands true: if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to far, go together.

In that vein, professional organizations can make all the difference when it comes to a career that doesn’t burn out. Try connecting with a professional organization that you find inspiring—whether its mission is focused on volunteer work, industry developments, or peer mentorship. No matter which path you pursue, remember that no man is an island and the benefits of joining a professional organization can transform you and your enterprise for the better.

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