SOUTH CAROLINA 4-5-21

SOUTH CAROLINA EDITION

6 WAYS TO GET YOUR CLIENT TO TRUST YOU

Top Agent Tips and Questions for

CHOOSING YOUR LISTING AGENT

EMOTIONAL FLUENCY : HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH CLIENTS WHEN TENSIONS ARE HIGH

FEATURED AGENT

KAREN YIP

COVER STORY

KIM COOPER

SOUTH CAROLINA EDITION

KAREN YIP At a young age, Karen Yip had already begun honing the mindset that would9make her an incredible REALTOR. She just didn’t know it. “My parents emigrated to South Carolina from Hong Kong in the mid seventies and ran a Chinese restaurant for many years. They spoke English as a second language, so growing up I became their translator, which at times also included being an advocate as I made sure others weren’t taking advantage of them.”

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to provide custom website our homes and profession tours that we post to targete social media.”

Karen is grateful for everyth has given her, and so is de giving something back. taught me that you have to in order to be blessed. I p Harvest Hope Food Bank i KAREN YIP KIM COOPER ing Homes to Harvest Hop After graduating college in 2003 with a portion of every transaction nization. I’m proud to report that since degree in public relations and business administration, Karen was recruited into real estate by a patron of her provided over half a million meals to vul parents’ restaurant, who thought sheCONTENTS had the perfect perlies in Columbia.” sonality for it. After ten years in the business, she was attending her father’s chemotherapy treatments when he Days off are spent with her husband and t 4) 6 WAYS TO GET YOUR 15) CREATIVE MEDITATION urged her to strike out on her own. She took his advice, family. “We have a lot of family between CLIENT TO TRUST YOU FOR THE REAL ESTATE opening Yip Premier Real Estate LLC with her husband tons of nieces and nephews with whom PROFESSIONAL in the spare bedroom of their home in 2013. ting together. We like boating as well, an 6) TOP AGENT TIPS AND some traveling again once Covid is behin QUESTIONS FOR CHOOSING Blessings flowed from there. Her father went19) intoEMOTIONAL FLUENCY: YOUR LISTING AGENT remission and Karen now runs her boutique agency In the coming years Karen wants to cont HOW TO COMMUNICATE out of a building she owns in Columbia’s beautiful her team, but in a way that complements WITH CLIENTS WHEN historic district. Over half of her business comesTENSIONS from she’sARE already assembled. “We’re very sele HIGH repeat clients or referrals, and, despite being small, her of the agents we bring on. We want pe team was recently ranked in the top forty out of the bring a different skillset, one that adds to four hundred and fifty agencies in their market. “I take meet our clients’ needs.” satisfaction in knowing that I have the respect of my Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 peers and that I’ve built a reputation for trust. I’m very mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com passionate about this business and I take to heart my No portion of this issue mayfor be reproduced in anyIt’s manner whatsoever without role as advocate my clients. very important toprior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published me that whether someone is buying their first house materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. or theiror dream homesend theyinquiry trustto me to help them make To subscribe change address, mag@topagentmagazine.com.

Published the U.S. goodinfinancial decisions.”

KIM COOPER

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To be able to serve her clients better, Karen and her husband also started a sister company called Premier Productions to handle all of the photography necessary

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6 Ways to Get Your Client to Trust You The word “REALTOR®” can leave a sour taste in some people’s mouths. Many of today’s home buyers and sellers grew up during the 2009 recession. They are wary of anything 4

or anyone who comes off as too salesy, and they want to work with individuals who they can trust.

But how do you prove to someone you’ve likely never met that you can be trusted?

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Put Testimonials or Case Studies on Your Website

When something goes wrong, own up to your mistakes. Don’t hide bad news from your clients. Be upfront and responsive.

Testimonials and case studies are social proof that you have both the experience and the skills to do the job your clients are hiring you for. People often leave testimonials when they are either incredibly disappointed or extremely happy with the service they were provided, so they’re a good indication to prospective clients of the treatment they’ll receive.

Case studies, which you can post on your blog or website, have much of the same effect, but even more than testimonials, case studies demonstrate your real estate and finance expertise because they explain how you achieved a specific set of results.

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Be Responsive and Accessible

Can your clients reach you easily? That doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7, but you should respond to your clients within a few hours of receiving their message. When agents don’t respond to their clients’ calls or emails for days on end or fail to provide them with a direct line of contact, their clients’ experience can quickly become frustrating.

Agents are busy but so are their clients. If you constantly show up late to or reschedule meetings, your clients won’t feel like their time is respected or their business is valued. Make sure you set a realistic schedule for yourself rather than spreading yourself too thin.

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Be Honest and Transparent

Sometimes you don’t have the answer to a client’s question. Be honest about your strengths, weaknesses, and the limits of your knowledge. A good response might be, “I don’t know, but I can find out.” Be transparent with your clients, and they’ll respect you for it.

You should always act in their best interest.

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Go the Extra Mile

If you do the bare minimum, that’s what your clients will remember. Their experience won’t be memorable, and they won’t gush about you in online testimonials or in real life to people they know who could use your services. It’s that simple.

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Put Yourself in Your Client’s Shoes

Clients understand that you need to earn money, but that doesn’t mean they want to feel like they’re just a dollar sign to you. Be empathetic to your client’s concerns, even if you’ve heard it all before. Your clients should know that you are there for them.

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Be Consistent

Being responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable shouldn’t be an act. If you “turn on” your personality for clients and then suddenly become a different person when they leave the room, it’s likely that the cracks in your mask will eventually become apparent.

But “faking it till you make it” is so common it’s become a cliché. When we are starting out, we don’t always have the systems or resources in place to create a smooth client journey, from onboarding to closing, so instead we constantly try to reinvent the wheel. Give yourself time to pause, slow down, and reevaluate your workflow. Creating systems creates

consistency, and those systems can and should be constantly updated.

Developing trust between you and your clients will take time, but doing these things can give you a running start.

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Top Agent Tips and Questions for Choosing Your Listing Agent Now that you’ve decided to sell, it’s time to select the professional to help you market your property. Before meeting with agents, however, consider Top Agent Magazine’s tips for preparing yourself. Frist, ask yourself what kind of relationship you’d like to have with your listing agent. Are you seeking a casual, personable relationship and the latest marketing tools or are you interested in a more formal, traditional relationship and approach to marketing techniques? Next, populate your list of agents by attending open houses and asking for recommendations from recent buyers and sellers.

Finally, schedule your meetings at your home, where you’ll be able to gauge the chemistry between you and each agent.

During your meetings, expect any Top Agent to ask you several questions, but also consider discussing the following: 6

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Will you please describe your sales experience and local network?

Ask your Top Agent to describe recent listings and sales of homes comparable to your own. Ask about the sellers’ priorities, the original list price, market time and number of offers. Top Agents will also describe how well they are connected with other REALTORS® in the region as well as their contacts with relocation companies, local corporations and chambers of commerce.

Be sure to ask about each agent’s knowledge of how your market has changed over time and what has influenced change.

You’ll learn a lot by listening to agents’ opinions.

How will you market the property? Each

Top Agent has a unique set of online or local marketing tools at his or her disposal. Some use lead-generation applications and nearly ever luxury agent take advantage of video. Even video marketing tools vary from agent-to-agent, however.

You’ll get to decide if you prefer an agent with higher-end video production and 3D Matterport tours or an agent with more intimate techniques featuring walk-and-talk style video tours.

What factors influence your list-price recommendation? Before an-

swering this question, most Top Agents will have several questions for you, including whether you’re more focused on a faster sale or a higher list price.

They’ll also educate you on how best to balance both market time and list price relative to sales histories your area.

Now that you’ve seen the home, what repairs or improvements do you recommend before listing? You’ll learn a lot by listening to agents’

opinions on your home’s sale potential with or without some improvements.

Most Top Agents will also recommend a full professional inspection prior to listing to avoid surprises during buyer inspection.

How will you help with staging? Some Top Agents will pay for part or

all of the staging costs. At a minimum, however, a Top Agent will have a staging professional or two in their partner network. While they’re at it, they may provide referrals for carpet cleaning, painting, gardening and other minor finishing touches.

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What attributes of the property will you want to highlight? Each Top

Agent will have a somewhat different answer to this question, but that’s a good thing! Even if you have your own ideas about your home’s greatest attributes, you’ll glean insight into the current market by considering different agents’ opinions. In learning their views, you may even change your mind about your home’s most marketable features!

What is your approach to Open Houses? How many agent-only Open

Houses will your Top Agent want to host? How many truly Open Houses?

Some Top Agents may even reveal a “swankier” approach to the Open House – such as an evening cocktail party or by-invitation “open” hours to which buyers visit along with the agent representing them.

Who will be our primary point(s) of contact from your office? This

important question will help you understand the scope of your agent’s practice. You’ll get to see if your agent runs a robust team with many hands on deck or if he or she works by close, one-on-one contact with each client.

Either approach is wonderful; you get to decide what suits you.

Now, let’s list!

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KIM COOPER

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KIM COOPER Top Agent Kim Cooper lives by the Golden Rule: “treat people how you want to be treated and you will never go wrong.”

Meet Aiken businesswoman Kim Cooper, whose non-stop energy keeps her in perpetual motion. Kim’s energy and determination are also what make her so successful as a premier Aiken area Realtor®. She doesn’t quit until 10

she’s exhausted her endless resources to help achieve her client’s goals. Gaining the trust and being able to assist locals or newcomers with the purchase of the place they call home inspires Kim. “I’m driven to strive for excellence or to create Top Agent Magazine

a reputation of excellence,” she explains while discussing her career in real estate.

She lives by the Golden Rule: “treat people how you want to be treated and you will never go wrong.”

Kim began her real estate career in 2002 as a single mom, which left no room for error. She pushed herself, stating, “My kids were my driving force. I pushed myself to make their lives better.” She hit the ground running and has not slowed down. She is licensed in SC and GA, but Top Agent Magazine

serves mostly Aiken County, SC. The majority of her business derives from repeat clients and referrals, a testament to her work ethic and passion for helping others. “As an agent, you are not selling a house, you’re selling a service,” she states. She guides her clients through the transaction, making sure that no question is left unanswered.

For buyers, Kim is patient and makes sure that she understands exactly what they are looking for. When making an offer, 11

she negotiates and once agreed upon, guides clients to the next steps for a successful closing. Meanwhile, her sellers enjoy exceptional marketing with their listing featured on all the top real estate websites, social media, and have their virtual tours on YouTube. Her company, Meybohm Real Estate, is also a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, which is by invitation only and allows her to market listings on an international level.

After the transaction, clients leave glowing

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reviews about their time together. One recently said, “Kim listened to what we were looking for in a home and geared our search toward properties that met our criteria. She was professional, energetic and welcoming. We appreciate the long hours and personal attention she gave to us. Kim was knowledgeable and honest which moved the process along smoothly. We thoroughly enjoyed working with Kim!” When Kim isn’t working, she likes to be active in her community. She volunteers

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“As an agent, you are not selling a house, you’re selling a service.” Kim guides her clients through the transaction, making sure that no question is left unanswered. for a charity called Brenda’s Angels, which raises awareness for pancreatic cancer. Tennis tournaments, farm to table dinners, and other events are some of the ways that they raise money for the cause. Kim also gets involved with anything she finds relating to childhood cancer, as her granddaughter, who now is 3 1/2 was diagnosed with it at 18 months old. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing tennis and teaches fitness classes.

Looking ahead, Kim plans to continue growing her business, but never wants to lose her personal touch. “I want to be able to help my clients one-on-one. People Top Agent Magazine

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Photography by Bain Stewart Media.

do not like to be passed off once the contract is signed,” she says. No matter where this path leads, Kim will no doubt enjoy every minute of her career. “I love helping and being able to play such

an instrumental role in something that means so much to people.” Moving is always a significant step, make sure you make the most of yours and make the right move with Kim Cooper.

For more information about Kim Cooper, call 803-474-3578 or email kcooper@meybohm.com

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Creative Meditation

for the Real Estate Professional The real estate world can be an industry of intense emotional and psychological pressure. Deadlines, meetings, employee needs, client needs and a hundred other items on which one needs to focus on a daily basis can create an environment that is not only not conducive to mental well-being, but can be outright detrimental.

Learning to quiet the mind has been the focus of meditation for millennia. While those not familiar with the concept of meditation may instinctively think of yoga mats, incense, and chanting when the word “meditation” arises, there are in fact, many forms of meditation that can integrate quite Top Agent Magazine

easily into the daily hustle & bustle world of the busy real estate agent.

First, think about when you are alone each day. Here are some possible times to practice mediation during the work day: • When driving to the office in the morning • When driving to a showing or to meet a client • Before your open house begins • After the open house • Driving home in the evening 15

Repeating a mantra can be very calming, particularly when you are trying to rid yourself of negative, self-defeating thoughts.

These are just five examples of times when you can take advantage of meditation techniques to quiet your mind and, by extension, increase productivity. A calm mind is a more thoughtful, better tuned instrument.

Here are some examples of meditations you can try:

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For when you’re driving, download and listen to any number of audio Guided Meditations available on the internet. YouTube has a generous selection of these, many of which are geared towards success in business.

2 Repeating a mantra can be very calm-

ing, particularly when you are trying to rid yourself of negative, self-defeating thoughts. It doesn’t matter what words you choose, as long as you feel good about your choice. “I am a success” or “I will approach all of my clients with love today” are two examples. Whatever works for you and gets you into the desired mindset.

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3 Something as simple as listening to pleasant music in your car can be considered meditation, provided it brings you to a place of comfort as opposed to one of spiritual discordance.

4 The most important thing, however, is to take time to find gratitude in everything you do. Count your blessings, be grateful the exciting career in real estate you have built for yourself.

Once you’ve mastered some of these techniques at quieting your mind, you can attempt to find some that work even better for you. Walking, plain silence, or even exercise can have meditative qualities and benefits if practiced on a regular basis.

When you’re truly feeling calm, your clients can sense this. And with this comes the feeling that you can be relied upon to stay focused and calm in any unforeseen circumstances. And in the world of real estate, that’s a highly prized commodity.

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KAREN YIP At a young age, Karen Yip had already begun honing the mindset that would make her an incredible REALTOR. She just didn’t know it. “My parents emigrated to South Carolina from Hong Kong in the mid seventies and ran a Chinese restaurant for many years. They spoke English as a second language, so growing up I became their translator, which at times also included being an advocate as I made sure others weren’t taking advantage of them.”

After graduating college in 2003 with a degree in public relations and business administration, Karen was recruited into real estate by a patron of her parents’ restaurant, who thought she had the perfect personality for it. After ten years in the business, she was attending her father’s chemotherapy treatments when he urged her to strike out on her own. She took his advice, opening Yip Premier Real Estate LLC with her husband in the spare bedroom of their home in 2013.

Blessings flowed from there. Her father went into remission and Karen now runs her boutique agency out of a building she owns in Columbia’s beautiful historic district. Over half of her business comes from repeat clients or referrals, and, despite being small, her team was recently ranked in the top forty out of the four hundred and fifty agencies in their market. “I take satisfaction in knowing that I have the respect of my peers and that I’ve built a reputation for trust. I’m very passionate about this business and I take to heart my role as advocate for my clients. It’s very important to me that whether someone is buying their first house or their dream home they trust me to help them make good financial decisions.”

To be able to serve her clients better, Karen and her husband also started a sister company called Premier Productions to handle all of the photography necessary for marketing. “Streamlining that process allows us to offer pictures and videography that is consistently better than what most agents have access to. We’re able Top Agent Magazine

to provide custom websites for most of our homes and professionally-shot 3D tours that we post to targeted markets on social media.”

Karen is grateful for everything her career has given her, and so is deliberate about giving something back. “My parents taught me that you have to bless others in order to be blessed. I partnered with Harvest Hope Food Bank in 2013, starting Homes to Harvest Hope to donate a portion of every transaction to the organization. I’m proud to report that since then we have provided over half a million meals to vulnerable families in Columbia.”

Days off are spent with her husband and their extended family. “We have a lot of family between us, including tons of nieces and nephews with whom we enjoy getting together. We like boating as well, and hope to do some traveling again once Covid is behind us.”

In the coming years Karen wants to continue building her team, but in a way that complements the expertise she’s already assembled. “We’re very selective in terms of the agents we bring on. We want people who can bring a different skillset, one that adds to our ability to meet our clients’ needs.”

Contact Karen Yip at 803-546-2112 or email Yip4homes@yahoo.com 17 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Laughs!

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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 Top Agent Magazine

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 22

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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