TEXAS 11-16-20

TEXAS EDITION

5 Lessons from Silicon Valley to

Modernize and Monetize Your Business

CONCIERGE CARE:

Services that Lure Clients and Transform Your Reputation

Uncommon Contact:

CONNECTING WITH CLIENTELE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

FEATURED AGENTS

DAWANA QUINTANA RINA SEIDEL MACHELL TOMPKINS

COVER STORY

FELICIA GRACE

TEXAS EDITION

MACHELL TOMPKINS RINA SEIDEL

“Helping Rina Seidel’s 7interest in real estate people blos- better their lives is just Rina uses her proclivities inas the a pe 15 20 23 in she my was DNA,” several somed during the years when first Machell Tompkins says, person to talk up her listings and and properties. this urge to help people has only member buying investment and rental her business cards everywhere she continued throughout her career as a real College She worked closely with the same Realtor This warm and friendly approach— estate agent. Machell had worked for also serv for twenty years because the agent was with her talents for pricing a list the Department of Aging and Disability the Deer knowledgeable and attentive. The Realtor results in quick sales. She also ma and Child Protective Services before, so Machell recognized Rina’s aptitude for the busilistings heavily on social media, Z when she heard of an opportunity on the enced R ness and encouraged her to study for her and other major real estate websites radio to help people through real estate, into the FELICIA QUINTANA RINA SEIDEL MACHELL TOMPKINS license.GRACE Rina soon DAWANA had a thriving busiit’s her warmth and friendly perso she says, “Instantly, I felt it, I knew it.” enjoys t ness of her own. “I’m so glad I did it!” that really get the job done. On ave Machell has now been in the Texas Real explorin she says with a smile. She focuses on the she closes over $12 million in tra Estate business for six and a half years, FELICIA north GRACE side of Houston, including Spring, tions a year. and as she explains about when she first As time the Woodlands, Conroe, Hempstead, started, “I decided to take that leap of to growi Magnolia, and Tomball.

It’s no surprise that her favorite part of her job is he faith and quit my job and do it full time. And it was the She is currently look people. “More important to me than the actual CONTENTS best decision I ever made.” license, which would Half of Rina’s business comes from repeat clients, action is knowing I’ve played a huge part in he because it would allow 4) with PLAYING REAL percent ESTATE 18) 5people LESSONS SILICON anotherTHE twenty-five from referrals. “My to findFROM or sell their home,” Rina says. “I In order to help her clients, Machell is willing to work in addition to her clien approach is very different from THESE that of most Realtors. getting to know and staying in touch with my cl MATCHMAKER—FOLLOW VALLEY hard and always stays dedicated toTO herMODERNIZE transactions. AND working in Real Estat I am very straightforward and tell my clients the truth, They become lifelong friends.”

8 DATING RULES TO ENSURE MONETIZE BUSINESS About 90 percent of her clients comeYOUR from repeats help people,” and it is especially when it comes to pricing listing properties.

YOU MATCH YOUR CLIENT and referrals, so it is obvious that her clients see this does next, this will alw My THE job is PERFECT to both get HOME top commitment dollar for myas clients, and Rina has also been a nurse for WITH 21) CONCIERGE CARE: well. Even if she is going out of town astwelve well asyears her and life.curr He bring them down to reality regarding the market.”

Rina works part-time at a local pre-school in the Woodl FOR THEM or has another commitment that makesTHAT her unavailable, her own experiences is SERVICES LURE CLIENTS shares relevant data and numbers her clients She’s a CPRagents instructor, puts fundraisers to su Machellwith utilizes a largeand network of other and andonyou’re never too o AND the TRANSFORM YOUR makes sure they understandprofessionals exactly what to “sweet spot” American Heart Association, participates in make sure that every client is taken 13)price UNCOMMON CONTACT: REPUTATION will allow the house tocare sell of quickly for top dollar. cancer walks, typically and is active• in dog rescue. her2 Volunteer of theIn Year with individual attention.

Machell CONNECTING WITH CLIENTELE She helps buyers gauge a bid that’s both competitive ished free time, loves •to work out,Award cook for he Professional takes advantage of social media to market her she propTHROUGH MEDIA and in theirSOCIAL budget. As a result, her sellers and buyers meals, and watch movies. erties and uses personalized campaigns depending on are able to reach the closingthe table.

Her clients location, price,rave and that audience of each home. Even her honesty is refreshing and helpful.

Forshe theexpects future,toshe plans to a build a small tea during the COVID-19 pandemic, finish like-minded agents.

She also wants to continue he 2020 with a higher volume than years past.

Rina grew up fascinated by building and architecture. her clients to make their real estate dreams come Her father was a builder The in Mexico Cityand anddedication Rina “They say if you enthusiasm that Machell puts enjoy into what you do you neve Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 delighted in seeing everything he created.

Rina moved like you’re working. every project are clear, and her clients appreciate theFor me, that’s so true!” to the US in 1984. She is bilingual understands the her says.

“When I was buying properties, my agent al mag@topagentmagazine.com | and www.topagentmagazine.com great results that come from work.

As one former culture of both the US and Latin-America.

This allows picked up the phone when I called. I said to m client shared in whatsoever a review, “Machell No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner without priorTompkins consent of is theincredpublisher. Top Agent heristo relate by and connect with her clients, matter ‘I taken wanttothe toensure be that is available to my c ibly gifted atAlthough her no craft.

She negotiates highest sale who Magazine published Feature Publications GA, Inc. precautions are the agent accuracy of published where theyMagazine are from.

24/7.’

Andsupplied now am!” materials, Top Agent cannot befor heldher responsible for opinions expressed or facts by its authors. clients while maintaining integrity.

She IrelentTo subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com. lessly pursues the best deals for her buyers as well!”

For more abo To find out more about Rina Seidel, please ca In addition to keeping in contact with her large email shells please call (832) or email Rinatherealtor1@gmail.com network 274.8884 of clients, Machell loves staying involved

Published in the U.S.

2

Top Agent Magazine

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com http://www.topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine

3

Playing the Real Estate Matchmaker –

Follow These 8 Dating Rules to Ensure You Match Your Client with the Perfect Home for Them When you think a bit more about it, the ultimate goal of a real estate agent serving a client is really to match them up with the perfect house for them, almost the way a matchmaker tries to find two people that will fit well together as a couple. When people are looking for a house, they often treat the process as a quest for “the one” house that will fulfill their dreams of living in the house of their dreams. Don’t be fooled. It is always a search for “the one”, at least when it comes to helping a couple or family find a home.

When you look at your client’s search for a home in this manner, then you might begin to notice some pretty obvious similarities 4

between shopping for a home today and online dating. In this day and age most people live a substantial part entire lives online. People socialize with their friends on Facebook, they meet potential friends in forums and online communities, and we now even search for our perfect mate online. Shopping for a home also happens to usually start online. When they begin this search, make no mistake; they are looking for the “one.” These people then turn to you, the REALTOR® to play matchmaker for them. It is your job to wade through the pool of eligible homes (bachelors) and sort through all the ones that are too expensive, too nerdy, not cute enough, not smart enough, etc. until you find the “one.”

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

It makes sense then to consult the tried and true practices in matchmaking that help those professionals find the right people for each other, and see if any of them could also apply for matching your clients with their dream home. You’ll find that these 8 dating rules may just show you the secret to matching your clients with the perfect home.

back to the store if you’re not happy with your new home. It’s best to first help your client get prequalified. This is a tangible step that shows they are ready to move on to a new home. You want to make sure they are completely over their love affair with their previous home. You can even ask them for a sign or proof that they’re ready to move on.

Who Is In and Not In Your Client’s League? Know Your Client’s Price Range:

Be Genuine, Not Superficial

When a person is looking for a mate, it is a waste of time for them to even consider those potential mates that are clearly out of their league. These people won’t even stop to give them the time of day.

In the world of real estate the idea is the same. There is no point showing your clients houses that they can’t afford and will simply lust after without having any real chance of purchasing the house. It is your job to keep your client ground in reality, and help them be realistic in terms of price when choosing their next home.

Never Let Your Client’s First Impression of a Home Rule Their Decisions

Make Sure Your Client is Ready to Move On From Their Last Dream Home You’re job is also to make sure that your client is truly ready to move on from their previous home. This is a long term commitment, and they need to be absolutely sure they actually want to buy a new house. You can’t simply take the receipt Top Agent Magazine

When trying to manage the many pitfalls of online dating, on inevitably goes on a date where the other person looks nothing like their picture online. That can be just as big of a problem when looking for a house. When clients show you a particular house they want to visit, ask them to name something about the house that they like other than the aesthetics. This way you can see if they are simply infatuated with the way the house looks in those pictures, or if there is a deeper interest in the home that could become a deeper connection between your client and the house.

When your client first sees a house they have already been lusting after in their mind, they’re often so excited to finally be looking at it, especially if it does in fact look as good as it did in the pictures.

Make sure to encourage them to take some time before making such a big com-

Top Agent Magazine

5

mitment, and don’t let their excitement push them into making a rash decision. It is your job to keep them grounded in reality. Push for your clients to do an inspection to make sure the house isn’t hiding any dark secrets. Sometimes the most charming facade can hide tons of slime and deadly mold.

Follow Your Heart (or Gut) People often laugh at and ridicule the idea of love at first sight, but when it comes to homes, the phenomenon can certainly happen. Your client may just find their perfect dream home at the very first place you take them. If you have a client that does insist this is the case, then you don’t want to try and rationalize with them or talk them out of their decision. You do, however, want to make sure you are watching out for their interest and make sure your clients take all the necessary precautions before they jump in headfirst.

See What Other People See in The Home – Do They See What Your Client Sees?

Have you come to the conclusion that your clients are being blinded by all of the twinkling windows and crystal clear water glistening in the backyard pool, and can’t see that the house they’ve fallen in love with is really just a dirty animal (maybe a pig) dressed up in nice clothes and lipstick. Ask your client if they would be willing to look at the house again with 6

their close friends, family, and anyone else they trust for a second opinion there to see it with them. If the house really is a dud, they’ll be able to see past any personal bias your client might have to the truth. They will be able to help your client see through the shining facade

Celebrate the Happy Union!

When a couple gets married they tend to throw a big party and celebrate their union. The same goes for the closing.

Your clients have just essentially married the house of their dreams, and now it’s time to rejoice. Congratulate them on their new union. Show your support for their new homeowner status by going to their housewarming party.

Help Your Clients Maintain Their Dream Home & Ensure a Lifetime of Happiness You can’t just disappear after the transaction is finished. Become their realtor for life by showing your clients how to maintain their dream home. Act as their resource for other professionals they may need to maintain the house such as handymen, plumbers, electricians, etc. Show them how to keep up with home maintenance so they don’t ignore problems that surface and end up with a much larger issue than they started with. Help them make sure their dream home lasts so they can live happily ever after in their home for a lifetime.

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

FELICIA GRACE Top Agent Magazine

7

Top Agent Felicia Grace’s Grace-Realty Group, a values-based team of eight women, currently serve the entire state of Texas and are in the process of expanding to Atlanta, Georgia.

Felicia Grace began her career in the corporate world, but as she explains, “I wanted to do something more fulfilling and help people.” After helping a friend find a building, she realized that this was something she could make a career out of, so she left her job and went on to get her real estate license. Felicia has now 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

been a realtor for almost 15 years, and recently, she started the Grace-Realty Group. This values-based team of eight women has “been able to do some incredible things” according to Felicia.

They currently serve the entire state of Texas and are in the process of expanding to Atlanta, Georgia.

Top Agent Magazine

Everything that Felicia and the GraceRealty Group do is based on their ethics and interconnectedness, which has given them great success. “Our mission is to really lead with integrity and continue to serve with compassion and put Top Agent Magazine

clients’ interests before ours,” Felicia explains. She believes the three qualities she and her team share that set them apart from other agents are being loyal, committed, and God-fearing. One way in which Felicia goes above and beyond Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

Everything that Felicia and the Grace-Realty Group do is based on their ethics and interconnectedness, which has given them great success. “Our mission is to really lead with integrity and continue to serve with compassion and put clients’ interests before ours.” in her work is through using an in-depth strategy that she calls her “Signature Marketing Plan.” This series of actions has been so successful that other agents in the area now ask for her advice when marketing properties.

Nearly 95 percent of Felicia’s business comes from repeats and referrals, so it is no surprise that her clients love her. As one former client shared, “Ms. Felicia is truly a gem! From the very first conversation with her, I could tell that she was passionate about her work and desired to help us find a home. Throughout the process Ms. Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

Top Agent Magazine

Felicia made us feel as if we were her only clients by being available and providing personalized service! She went above and beyond to ensure that we got our home. Not only did we get the house Top Agent Magazine

we wanted, but we gained a lifelong connection!�

Felicia and her team love their work in real estate, but they also have personal Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

lives and enjoy giving back to the community. In particular, the Grace-Realty Group frequently contributes to the homeless. They organize food drives, cook Thanksgiving dinners, and create Christmas gift bags for homeless people, in addition to contributing to local charities. Felicia also loves to spend time with her husband and new puppy, which she describes as “so full of fun.”

The Grace-Realty Group, and Felicia’s business, in particular, has grown quite a bit as of recently, and in the future,

Felicia wants to continue growing and expanding. Her goal is to add successful agents to the team and inspire them to focus on integrity and compassion in any real estate transaction. These values truly determine everything Felicia does, from her business to her personal life. Felicia’s favorite part of her job is the connections she makes with her clients. She loves “being there for them and watching their dreams become reality,” which would not be possible without her experience, hard work, and strong values.

For more information about Felicia Grace, please call 469-939-0136 or email Felicia@Grace-RealtyGroup.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

Top Agent Magazine

Uncommon Contact:

Connecting with Clientele Through Social Media Social media is one of the newest and most powerful tools in an agent or mortgage professional’s arsenal. With just a few keystrokes, you can stay top-of-mind with buyers, sellers, and borrowers near and far, past and present. The key is knowing how to use these mediums to your advantage, working smarter instead of harder to keep the thread of professional relationships intact. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can maximize the pull and power of social media by shifting just a few of your ideas and practices for the better.

Top Agent Magazine

Not everything has to be about business.

While your relationship with a client or fellow vendor began over the course of business, your relationship going forward doesn’t have to be limited. One of the great things about social media is that’s it’s social. Not every comment, post, or communication has to revolve around your business, its metrics, or turning a sale. In fact, you should do your best to branch out and curate a brand and online identity that’s about who you are and

Top Agent Magazine

13

the lifestyle you’re authentically interested in living. In that vein, consider interacting with clients in an organically-driven way, encouraging them during life’s milestones, reaching out with a local event, restaurant, or news item that’s relevant to their interests or neighborhood. The goal is to be a persistent presence in their lives without feeling like a talking head. Engage as you would like to be engaged with, as a human being with interests and needs and boundaries. Keep that personal thread in mind and your dynamic will shift from past business contact to present resource.

Expand your medium.

Many Realtors are comfortable on Facebook as an interactive meeting to connect with clients, but there are several other mediums where you can connect with clients both past and present, as well as future. Particularly when courting Millennial clientele, the fastest-growing segment of the buying market, a presence on Instagram and Snapchat are key to finding new faces, demonstrating hot properties, and creating an interactive brand as an agent. Not only does this help when you’re listing a property and seeking potential buyers, but it also serves as a perusable portfolio of your work and real estate prowess. You can also use these mediums to interact with clients on an outlet they might feel most comfortable in. Liking pictures, commenting, streaming Instagram Live home tours and Stories are all ways you can build engagement by simply spreading your social media presence around. Likewise, 14

these photo and video driven mediums are popular for home design ideas, and before and after renovation pictures. When you expand from Facebook into these new platforms, you’ll already have plenty of visual content ready to be transferred and consumed by an expanded audience.

Don’t just react.

Create your own content.

It’s easy enough to post a link to a new listing, or retweet a helpful article on real estate news. Creating your own organic content is a different story, but worth its weight in gold when it comes to luring engagement, ranking higher in search fields, and overall crafting an interactive presence for yourself and your business online—which is where more than 90% of homebuyers and sellers begin their process. Creating your own content can seem risky, or else like no one is listening in a digital world already crowded with information. However, original content is sure to boost personal engagement with your social media pages, guaranteed.

Instead of recycling content, consider posting a video with a Q+A theme for first-time homebuyers, or perhaps posting a live tour of a new listing will perk up your clientele surfing at home.

No matter how you decide to expand your social media presence when it comes to interacting with clients, consistency is key.

Find the ways that work best for you and stick to them, and you’ll watch your audience and business grow in tandem.

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

DAWANA QUINTANA Top Agent Magazine

15

DAWANA QUINTANA

For agent Dawana Quintana, the message on her card, “Extraordinary service and integrity for all your real estate needs” is more than a tagline—it represents a commitment to core values that have helped her build a stellar reputation and a thriving, successful business.

Dawana got her start in real estate fifteen years ago when a friend from her church who was helping her find a new home said, “you know, you’d be really good at this.” At the time, Dawana had three children under the age of five, including an infant, but she jumped in with both feet and and was selling property within three months of getting her license.

Early on, after a negative experience with a transaction, during which Dawana discovered multiple parties in the deal had been dishonest with her, she briefly considered withdrawing from real estate. Ultimately, however, she concluded the best way forward would be to build a business founded on the things she believed in: honesty, excellence, and integrity.

her team closed 78 transactions, hitting $20 million in volume.

Dawana employs a multi-faceted approach to marketing. She utilizes 750 online search engines, is active on social media, provides “sneak peaks,” markets to other agents, and, in January 2020 (before COVID-19), she began conducting virtual open houses—personal comprehensive video walkthroughs of each property.

What Dawana likes most about her job is helping families. She loves to “see a happy client at the

She did exactly that, her business boomed— and it’s still booming. Last year, she and 16

Copyright Top Agent Magazine

closing table.” However, client relationships don’t stop there. Dawana communicates regularly with her database. She also appreciates the personal touch afforded by social media; she enjoys seeing her clients’ pictures, following the special events in their lives, and letting them know she cares.

Not surprisingly, more than 35% of Dawana’s business consists of repeat customers or referrals. Recently, while listing a property, she realized she’d sold “their aunt’s house, their uncle’s house, and their father’s house.”

When asked about the reason people keep coming back, Dawana credits her core values, saying “People know who I am and how I’m going to do business. That’s why I have people coming back. They know I have their best interests at heart, and everything will be done with excellence and integrity.”

Outside of work, Dawana is passionate about family, travel, and mission work— these are the big WHYS behind what she does. She gives regularly to world missions and is heavily involved in her church, Freedom Fellowship International, which conducts local community outreach as well as missions abroad. With her husband and kids, she’s visited 128 National Parks in the last seven years. And though she hasn’t been to every state yet, she’s been to 23 countries, including Egypt, where she worked with 250 children as part of a church mission trip.

Serving all of Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (specializing in her home country of Ellis), Dawana’s team currently includes a transaction coordinator and buyer’s showing specialist. Her long-term goal is to hire a listing agent as well as two buyer’s agents with three showing agents underneath them, building an efficient team of experienced and well-educated professionals—all committed to providing extraordinary service with integrity.

Top Agent Magazine

For more information, call (214) 949-5993 visit DQRELeader.com, or email dqrealestate@gmail.com www.

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 17

5 Lessons from Silicon Valley to Modernize and Monetize Your Business Silicon Valley may be the region for disruptors, tech entrepreneurs, and futurists, but even the most forward-thinking, abstract companies are still businesses that have to keep tabs on their bottom line. There’s much to learn from America’s fastest-growing sector, and even if Silicon 18

Valley seems like a world unto its own, there are key lessons prime for adaption in your own endeavors. Below, consider a few ways to translate the trends and teachings of Silicon Valley for your own business, and reap the rewards in the process.

Top Agent Magazine ÂŽ

Top Agent Magazine

1. Diversify your value Real estate is a business built on relationships, but your relationships will go stale if the only thing you communicate is you interest in making a sale. In order to sustain relationships for the long term, you’ve got to remain valuable to your clients beyond the transaction. Serve as a local resource, not just a salesperson or real estate expert. Ensure your marketing materials, social media presence, and communications offer useful, relevant, and original content your clients will benefit from. What’s more, vary your communications so that every time you reach out it’s not just about new business or a referral.

2. Company culture matters Silicon Valley tech giants always emphasize the importance of company culture—not just as a way of drawing and retaining talent, but also as a way to appeal to clientele. What are your company’s values? What do you stand for? How you’re positioned in the marketplace is becoming just as important as what you do and how well you do it. Your company culture is part of your branding, and your brand should feel clear and composed to clients eyeing your services.

3.Think big picture More and more, clients want to have an experience, not just a transaction. When it comes to buying a home, this means they care more about a property’s bedroom and bathroom count. As an agent, consider showcasing properties in terms of lifestyle. What neighborhood amenities are nearby? What opportunities are there for community involvement? How does public Top Agent Magazine

transportation stack up in the area? Before making the purchase of a lifetime, clients want to envision a complete lifestyle.

4. Leverage multiple platforms By now, you probably recognize that social media is not afterthought. Your social media presence should fit your brand and voice, interact across platforms, and actively engage with your audience. In other words, if you want to reap the benefits of social media, it’s not enough to post a few times a month and walk away. Active engagement means responding to comments, interacting with your followers’ profiles, and posting original content beyond a sales pitch.

Likewise, you’ll want to be active across multiple social media platforms and ensure that your profiles are interconnected. That way, you’ll be working from a unified voice and brand.

5. Reputations rule the roost Never underestimate the power of word-ofmouth marketing and testimonials. If you haven’t asked for feedback from past clients, and you aren’t sharing positive testimonials and reviews—you’re missing out on one of the most powerful tools at an agent’s disposal. You can pitch the virtues of your working style all day long, but those courting your business want to hear about positive experiences from the client’s perspective.

If you want to take your business to the next level and maximize the twenty-first century values of a company on the rise, look to the lessons of Silicon Valley to get your start. There are always opportunities to innovate, and doing so will help you break from your routine and stand apart from the pack.

Top Agent Magazine ®

19

RINA SEIDEL Rina Seidel’s interest in real estate blossomed during the years when she was first buying investment and rental properties.

She worked closely with the same Realtor for twenty years because the agent was knowledgeable and attentive. The Realtor recognized Rina’s aptitude for the business and encouraged her to study for her license. Rina soon had a thriving business of her own. “I’m so glad I did it!” she says with a smile. She focuses on the north side of Houston, including Spring, the Woodlands, Conroe, Hempstead, Magnolia, and Tomball.

Half of Rina’s business comes from repeat clients, with another twenty-five percent from referrals. “My approach is very different from that of most Realtors.

I am very straightforward and tell my clients the truth, especially when it comes to pricing listing properties.

My job is to both get top dollar for my clients, and bring them down to reality regarding the market.” Rina shares relevant data and numbers with her clients and makes sure they understand exactly what “sweet spot” price will allow the house to sell quickly for top dollar.

She helps buyers gauge a bid that’s both competitive and in their budget. As a result, her sellers and buyers are able to reach the closing table. Her clients rave that her honesty is refreshing and helpful.

Rina grew up fascinated by building and architecture.

Her father was a builder in Mexico City and Rina delighted in seeing everything he created. Rina moved to the US in 1984. She is bilingual and understands the culture of both the US and Latin-America. This allows her to relate and connect with her clients, no matter where they are from.

Rina uses her proclivities as a peopleperson to talk up her listings and share her business cards everywhere she goes.

This warm and friendly approach—along with her talents for pricing a listing— results in quick sales. She also markets listings heavily on social media, Zillow, and other major real estate websites. But it’s her warmth and friendly personality that really get the job done. On average, she closes over $12 million in transactions a year.

It’s no surprise that her favorite part of her job is helping people. “More important to me than the actual transaction is knowing I’ve played a huge part in helping people to find or sell their home,” Rina says. “I love getting to know and staying in touch with my clients.

They become lifelong friends.”

Rina has also been a nurse for twelve years and currently works part-time at a local pre-school in the Woodlands.

She’s a CPR instructor, puts on fundraisers to support the American Heart Association, participates in local cancer walks, and is active in dog rescue. In her cherished free time, she loves to work out, cook healthy meals, and watch movies.

For the future, she plans to a build a small team of like-minded agents. She also wants to continue helping her clients to make their real estate dreams come true.

“They say if you enjoy what you do you never feel like you’re working. For me, that’s so true!” Rina says. “When I was buying properties, my agent always picked up the phone when I called. I said to myself, ‘I want to be that agent who is available to my clients 24/7.’ And now I am!”

To find out more about Rina Seidel, please call (832) 274.8884 or email Rinatherealtor1@gmail.com 20

Copyright Top Top Agent Agent Magazine Magazine

Concierge Care: Services that Lure Clients and Transform Your Reputation It’s a no-brainer: customer service is central to success in the real estate industry. While properties may be the product, this industry really revolves around people and the relationships you cultivate along the way. With that in mind, how would you describe the service you provide? If solid service is the baseline, then to set yourself apart you must deliver service that’s exceptional. But, how? Returning calls and displaying a friendly face won’t necessarily separate you from the pack. If you really want to take your customer service to the next level and build a reputation for white-glove, concierge-level courtesy, then keep a few of the following tips in mind as you create a professional style that’s completely bespoke.

Top Agent Magazine

Make your communications matter For many agents, communication during and after a transaction are perfunctory affairs, with one-sizefits-all newsletters or promotional postcards that feel mass-produced. To really grab the attention of your clientele, you’ll want to build a recognizable brand. To accomplish this, begin by adding value to your regular communications. Clients are likely to bypass your communications if they think your only intent is to sell them something. Focus instead on creating content that’s compelling and dishes out value to your clientele. Just like a favorite blog you revisit again and again for its quality content, con-

Top Agent Magazine ®

21

sider your communications as an extension of your brand and identity. A few popular ideas from which clients can derive value include: local restaurant guides, tax tips for homeowners, reports on home values and the marketplace, or highlighting home décor and landscaping trends. Make your communications readable and useful, and your clients past and present will think twice before skipping past your name.

Showcase the lifestyle Clients remember when you go the extra mile, and that additional effort distinguishes run-of-the-mill agents from high-powered professionals. Whether listing or buying, consider a property’s lifestyle.

First, think about a client’s everyday experience.

Where’s the best breakfast spot nearby? How’s access to public transportation or bike paths? Which outdoor recreational opportunities exist in the area?

Where might your client swing by for coffee?

Neighborhood guides that outline the livability of a home and its area not only boost value and highlight potential, but they also demonstrate your ability to think outside the box and connect on a personal level. After all, a home isn’t just a house; a home is all about the daily experience that unfolds within and beyond those four walls. With that in mind, do your homework and make yourself a local expert.

Your clients will feel they’re in good hands and will better envision their future unfolding, all thanks to your thorough legwork.

Customize your approach to clients As an agent, it’s only natural that you build your own daily routines and practices that keep your business running. While it’s necessary to create positive habitats that streamline your workflow, it’s also important to remain adaptable. For instance, Millennial clients may prefer to chat by text, instant 22

message, or email, whereas older clientele may prefer face-to-face time or connecting by phone call.

Adapting your communication style is as simple as a brief discussion: ask your client how they prefer to communicate and adapt accordingly. While it may seem like a small matter, it provides clients with a sense of comfort and control. Again, the key here is communication. Talk with your clients about their preferred methodology. Maybe they prefer a marathon house-hunting trek on a weekend day, or perhaps they rather sift through listings online before making in-person visits to a narrowed list. It’s okay to encourage clients or fill them in on industry norms, but it’s important to create an experience that’s tailored to their style and personality.

Authentically seek feedback While it may feel uncomfortable, asking for feedback during and at the end of a transaction can dramatically improve your working style and professional blind-spots. It can also help you adapt your working style to better suit your respective clients.

Of course, it’s important to be open-minded and to quash the need to be defensive. Not all feedback will be useful, but you can incorporate the parts that are. This not only grows your skillset, but it also demonstrates to clients that you are open to constructive criticism and sincerely prioritize a job well done over personal praise. As a bonus, positive feedback can be parlayed into client testimonials, which are incredibly useful tools to boost your business on the whole.

It’s no secret that real estate is a busy, self-determined business. While your client care may feel all accounted for, there is always room to grow. Professionals at the top of their field know this and never stop building out their repertoire. If you want to take your business to the next level and create an imprint that’s synonymous with concierge care, then keep these ideas in mind as you build your relationships and your brand.

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

MACHELL TOMPKINS “Helping people better their lives is just in my DNA,” Machell Tompkins says, and this urge to help people has only continued throughout her career as a real estate agent. Machell had worked for the Department of Aging and Disability and Child Protective Services before, so when she heard of an opportunity on the radio to help people through real estate, she says, “Instantly, I felt it, I knew it.”

Machell has now been in the Texas Real Estate business for six and a half years, and as she explains about when she first started, “I decided to take that leap of faith and quit my job and do it full time. And it was the best decision I ever made.”

In order to help her clients, Machell is willing to work hard and always stays dedicated to her transactions.

About 90 percent of her clients come from repeats and referrals, so it is obvious that her clients see this commitment as well. Even if she is going out of town or has another commitment that makes her unavailable, Machell utilizes a large network of other agents and professionals to make sure that every client is taken care of with individual attention. Machell typically takes advantage of social media to market her properties and uses personalized campaigns depending on the location, price, and audience of each home. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, she expects to finish 2020 with a higher volume than years past.

The enthusiasm and dedication that Machell puts into every project are clear, and her clients appreciate the great results that come from her work. As one former client shared in a review, “Machell Tompkins is incredibly gifted at her craft. She negotiates the highest sale for her clients while maintaining integrity. She relentlessly pursues the best deals for her buyers as well!”

In addition to keeping in contact with her large network of clients, Machell loves staying involved Top Agent Magazine

in the community by working with several chambers in the area. She is a member of Rotary and the San Jacinto College Board of Real Estate, and she also serves as the Ambassador Chair for the Deer Park Chambers of Commerce.

Machell also likes to mentor less-experienced Realtors and help them get settled into the business. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and exploring new places.

As time goes on, Machell looks forward to growing her business in Real Estate.

She is currently looking into obtaining a Brokers license, which would be the perfect next step for her because it would allow her to help Real Estate agents in addition to her clients. Machell’s favorite part about working in Real Estate is “The fact that I still get to help people,” and it is obvious that no matter what she does next, this will always be the main focus of her job, as well as her life. Her advice to everyone based on her own experiences is, “Don’t give up on your dreams, and you’re never too old to achieve those goals.”

• Volunteer of the Year 2017 & 2019 • Professional Award for Leadership and Dedication 2018

For more about Machell Tompkins, please call 281-683-0452 or email shellsellstx@gmail.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 23

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

24

Top Agent Magazine