TEXAS 2-21-22

TEXAS EDITION

6 WAYS TO GET YOUR CLIENT TO TRUST YOU

KEEPING IN TOUCH –

Top Agent Tips and Questions for

CHOOSING YOUR LISTING AGENT

HOW TO STAY IN YOUR CLIENTS’ LIVES FOR THE LONG HAUL

FEATURED AGENT

VALERY BLANK

COVER STORY

TEXAS EDITION

VALERY BLANK

coming from repeat clients and ref Throughout her life, Valery Blank has 9 17 Having completed over $16.2 mill always been passionate about helping othproduction in 2021 alone, she is ers. After authoring a successful career as driven by the compassionate appro a healthcare executive, she began delving service that continues to set her apart into investment properties, which sparked region. “I believe in staying in clos her interest in real estate. Inspired, she tact with my clients both throughou decided to pursue her license in 2006 transaction and well beyond the clo and launch her career as an agent—and she says. “On top of establishing a l the rest is history. Today, Valery is a relationship with them, I strive to pr REALTOR® with RE/MAX Integrity, them with all the information they where she assists clients throughout the to make strong decisions on their fu Greater Houston Area and its surrounding communities. There, she has combined VALERY BLANK Outside her career, Valery is dedicated to her co CAMILLE ABBOTT her elite business acumen with her penchant for client nity. Having previously served on her local Wo service to meet the needs of any buyer or seller.

Council of REALTORS®, she is also a memb Business Networking International, where she p When listing a property, Valery empowers her clients ipates in charities and outreach events througho via a comprehensive strategy. Starting out, she helps year. When she’s not with clients or giving bac them prepare their home for the market, providing them can be found traveling, entertaining friends, or spe with a suite of professional CONTENTS photography services and quality time with her family. cutting edge resources like virtual tours. Once the home is ready to list, she shares it to a highly targeted blend 4) 6 WAYS TO GET YOUR 15) CREATIVE MEDITATION Going forward, Valery has an exciting vision f of digital and social media campaigns. Along the way, future of her business.

CLIENT TO YOU FOR THE REAL ESTATEHaving built a tightly kn she TRUST gives each client an added advantage through standwork of friends and colleagues that spans the Ho out open house showings and the innovative reverse PROFESSIONAL area, she intends on further scaling the proven stan prospecting system through the Houston Association of 6) TOP AGENT TIPS AND that brought her to real estate in the first place. “ ® REALTORS —all while keeping them informed with where I’m at,” she says. “As an agent, I’m able t QUESTIONS CHOOSING weeklyFOR progress updates.

20) KEEPING IN TOUCH – tivate a personal connection with every buyer or YOUR LISTING AGENT HOW STAY IN YOUR But Valery is just as thorough when assisting her buyers, TO that’s what makes our career so rewarding.” leaning on her acute knowledge of the Houston area to CLIENTS’ LIVES FOR THE identify the right home for their best interests.

In fact, HAUL LONG she prefers to keep in touch long after the deals are done.

With her annual home health checkup, she can help fully maximize each property’s potential, conducting pre-payment analysis, linking clients with mortgage assistance, and assessing whether their improvement projects are Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 a sound investment. Leveraging her Green Designation mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com from the National Association of REALTORS®, she can even help her clients convert to a more energy efficient No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent lifestyle, trimming theirGA, monthly bills precautions while boosting Magazine is published

by Feature Publications Inc. Although are taken to ensure the accuracy of published the value of their home. materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com.

Over the years, Valery has earned a fantastic reputaPublished in the U.S.

tion across Texas, with the vast majority of her volume

To learn more about Valery Blank

email Valery@ValsTheKey.com call (713) 515-2

Copyright Top Agent Mag

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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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CAMILLE ABBOTT With the help of her marketing team and assistant, Camille embraces what it means to be an agent in Texas, occasionally selling farm and ranch and suburban homes and representing the luxury market.

There is more to her than Southern charm, as Camille Abbott is a starlet agent based in Austin, Texas, who isn’t afraid to keep her nose to the grindstone. Previously a theater teacher for ten years, Camille first started in real 10

estate in 1984, known for being possibly one of the worst market years in history. Yet, thirty-eight years later, Camille still treasures her career as an agent as much as she did before she could distinguish between a good and bad market.

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Camille currently works solo alongside her assistant of twenty years, though she previously worked for top real estate firms in the city. Today she has built an astonishing repeat and referral business of 99.9%, serving Austin and its outlying areas. With the help of her marketing team and assistant, Camille embraces what it means to be an agent Top Agent Magazine

in Texas, occasionally selling farm and ranch and suburban homes and representing the luxury market. Taking her relationships with her clients very seriously, her direct nature and ability to be brutally honest keep these clients coming back to her. Camille shares that her clients can always count on her for the truth. After relaying the 11

necessary information and placing the decision back into her clients’ hands, she acknowledges “they have enough information to make an informed decision when they are buying.”

Preferring to make a personal effort when staying connected to clients, Camille references her database, which contains clients from the very beginning of her career. Some referrals bring a blast from the past, sharing a

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transaction she recently assisted for a client she has known since he was five years old. But, for Camille, it all comes naturally. Between her large following on Facebook and Linked In, she sends out a monthly newsletter sharing her personal progress, monthly statistics and even recommends local restaurants to try. She also remembers birthdays, sends handwritten notes, joins in for social outings, and uses social media to connect with clients.

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Camille also goes the extra mile to market her listings. Impressed by her firm, Sotheby’s, and its technological capabilities, she mainly uses digital marketing, professional photographers, videos, and virtual tours, which give her a vast network of potential buyers to reach. Camille also advertises sold properties with the current and hot market. Closing 2021 with nineteen million in transactions and eager to close a listing this year at twenty-five million, she aims to sell Top Agent Magazine

forty million in volume by the end of 2022. Today, Camille shares her love for working with people and exploring unique properties as well as attending networking events. Lastly, she appreciates the learning opportunities that come with her career.

Her community involvement showcases her time working on several boards, including time as President of the board at Paramount Theater, one she aided in preserving for future generations. She 13

also gives back by chairing events for the local Girl Scouts and Rodeo Gala and she enjoys participating in several book clubs. Her future as an agent looks bright as she plans to release her new logo and systemize the operations of

her business to run as efficiently as possible. Despite a full calendar, Camille will still find time outside of her career to do what she loves; ride and compete on cutting horses and spend time with her grandchildren and family.

To learn more about Camille Abbott please call 512.529.1299, visit camilleabbottatx.com or email camille.abbott@sothebysrealty.com www.

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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:

1

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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VALERY BLANK Throughout her life, Valery Blank has always been passionate about helping others. After authoring a successful career as a healthcare executive, she began delving into investment properties, which sparked her interest in real estate. Inspired, she decided to pursue her license in 2006 and launch her career as an agent—and the rest is history. Today, Valery is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Integrity, where she assists clients throughout the Greater Houston Area and its surrounding communities. There, she has combined her elite business acumen with her penchant for client service to meet the needs of any buyer or seller.

When listing a property, Valery empowers her clients via a comprehensive strategy. Starting out, she helps them prepare their home for the market, providing them with a suite of professional photography services and cutting edge resources like virtual tours. Once the home is ready to list, she shares it to a highly targeted blend of digital and social media campaigns. Along the way, she gives each client an added advantage through standout open house showings and the innovative reverse prospecting system through the Houston Association of REALTORS®—all while keeping them informed with weekly progress updates.

But Valery is just as thorough when assisting her buyers, leaning on her acute knowledge of the Houston area to identify the right home for their best interests. In fact, she prefers to keep in touch long after the deals are done.

With her annual home health checkup, she can help fully maximize each property’s potential, conducting pre-payment analysis, linking clients with mortgage assistance, and assessing whether their improvement projects are a sound investment. Leveraging her Green Designation from the National Association of REALTORS®, she can even help her clients convert to a more energy efficient lifestyle, trimming their monthly bills while boosting the value of their home.

Over the years, Valery has earned a fantastic reputation across Texas, with the vast majority of her volume Top Agent Magazine

coming from repeat clients and referrals.

Having completed over $16.2 million in production in 2021 alone, she is most driven by the compassionate approach to service that continues to set her apart in the region. “I believe in staying in close contact with my clients both throughout their transaction and well beyond the closing,” she says. “On top of establishing a lasting relationship with them, I strive to provide them with all the information they need to make strong decisions on their future.”

Outside her career, Valery is dedicated to her community. Having previously served on her local Women’s Council of REALTORS®, she is also a member of Business Networking International, where she participates in charities and outreach events throughout the year. When she’s not with clients or giving back, she can be found traveling, entertaining friends, or spending quality time with her family.

Going forward, Valery has an exciting vision for the future of her business. Having built a tightly knit network of friends and colleagues that spans the Houston area, she intends on further scaling the proven standards that brought her to real estate in the first place. “I love where I’m at,” she says. “As an agent, I’m able to cultivate a personal connection with every buyer or seller; that’s what makes our career so rewarding.”

To learn more about Valery Blank email Valery@ValsTheKey.com call (713) 515-2135 Copyright Top Agent Magazine 17

Laughs!

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g n i p Kee h c u in To

HOW TO STAY IN YOUR CLIENTS' LIVES FOR THE LONG HAUL

One sign of a great real estate agent is there long list of loyal client following. Part of achieving a great referral base is being a great realtor during the transaction. But, that’s only half of the work. To truly be your client’s realtor for life and keep them coming back to you as well as referring others to you, you have to stay in their lives past the transaction. Keeping in touch with your past clients can be one of the most important parts of your business, and one that many realtors tend to push to the wayside.

Do you stay in your client’s lives, or do you disappear? People refer people that they feel they know well and that they trust, people they consider friends. However, earning and keeping your client’s trust involves maintaining a delicate balance with how much you contact them. Experts recommend reaching out to your clients at least quarterly. But, it’s not just about how often you stay in touch. You also need to be mindful about how you are reaching out to them. Here are some tips on how to keep in touch with your clients for the long haul: 20

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INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL CONTACT One of the best ways to keep in touch with your clients is to simply give them a call every once in a while. Follow up and see how your clients are doing. Offer them assistance if they need it. Personalized contact helps to ensure that you remain as important to your clients long after the sale as you were during the transaction. Giving your clients a call on special occasions such as birthdays or holidays also makes for a great personal touch.

Of course, nothing beats face-to-face contact. Stopping by to say hello can be a great way to keep in contact. An even better way to catch up and maintain that friendship is to set up a lunch or coffee date with past clients. Giving individual clients your undivided attention goes a long way towards maintaining that bond you formed during the transaction and earning your client’s loyalty and trust. Interactions like this make a lasting impression on your clients.

Of course, many busy REALTORS® may not have time to follow up with every client oneon-one. A great way to still give personal attention to your clients without meeting each and every one for lunch is to throw a client appreciation party. This allows you to get in some face-to-face time with each client and make sure they all get your undivided attention and quality time to catch up with you, even if it’s only for a short time.

Now, if you have a lot of past clients, this can be difficult to manage during one party. One way to get around the numbers problem is to organize smaller events based on client’s interests. Instead of throwing one giant party, host a pool party for the families with kids or a wine and cheese get together for single clients. Hosting special events like these ones goes a long way towards keeping your contact with past clients more personalized and setting you apart from those businesses that simply send them a calendar once a year.

PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH USEFUL NEWS PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH USEFUL NEWS One way that many REALTORS® keep in touch with their clients is by sending them newsletters. This form of contact can be a double-edged sword. You want to make sure you provide them with useful information that reminds them of your value as a real estate professional.

Otherwise your communication will amount to nothing more than spam, and clients will think of you less as a trusted friend and more as a nuisance salesperson.

Clients react much more positively to communication containing information that is pertinent to their lives. Update your clients on what is going on in their local community and Top Agent Magazine

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housing market. Demonstrate your knowledge about the community and the things that are important to your clients. Include information about local cultural events, community news, housing statistics, information on the mortgage market, home maintenance advice, home design tips, and anything else that your clients will find personally useful. Your clients will always be interested in value.

SEND CLIENTS MEMORABLE AND PERSONAL CARDS Sending your clients cards related to important events in their lives and letting them know that you remember those events and care will go a long way towards building and maintaining a close personal relationship with them. You want to make sure your cards stand out, though. Sending popular holiday cards can be a mistake, as they will most likely get lost amongst all of your clients other holiday cards and will be quickly forgotten. Instead send something more personal such as: HOME ANNIVERSARY CARDS: Send cards to each client on the anniversary of the closing of their home.

CONGRATULATORY CARDS: Remember important events such as wedding anniversaries, graduations, new babies, etc.

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY CARDS: Instead of just sending your typical birthday card, add something special to yours that will stand out. Include a $1 scratch off ticket or a $5 gift certificate to Starbucks. Make sure to include a handwritten personal note.

GIVE CLIENTS AN UNUSUAL GIFT Make sure the gifts you send your past clients stand out. Send your past clients an odd gift at the beginning of the year or on a holiday. Think outside the box and send things like funny magnets, customized mugs, a personalized piece of wall décor, and other fun and unusual items. A great way to make your gift stand out even more is to include a funny note with it that will catch their attention as well as make them think of you. For example, one cute idea is to send clients a bag of popcorn with the note, “Real estate is popping, give me a call.” You could send a bag of goldfish with a note attached that says, “I’m fishing for your referrals.” Get creative and have a little fun with it, your clients will notice and remember you for it.

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TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS

Social networking sites make staying in contact with past clients in a more informal and friendly basis much easier. Connect with your past clients on Facebook. This will help you stay up to date on the important things happening in your pact clients’ lives. In return, it provides you a great platform for keeping those past clients up to date with what is going on in your business as well as keep in contact in a more informal manner. Use Facebook to remind past clients to check their basement after a heavy rain or that they can contact you for help during tax time.

You can even organize your contacts on Facebook into customized lists such as “past clients,” “industry contacts,” etc. This will help you better manage your Facebook contacts.

This will also allow you to view specific news feeds based on these lists and send messages to a particular list of contacts. Don’t forget about the many other social networking sites such as Twitter or LinkedIn either. Utilize this technology to drive personal contact with your clients.

STAY ORGANIZED No matter how you choose to keep in contact with past clients, make sure to be consistent.

Consistency will help you stay organized and diligent about reaching out to your past clients regularly. A tool used by many real estate professionals to stay organized is a customer relationship management solution. Whether you use one that is online or a computer software program, this will help you stay organized when managing your contacts and allow you to set notifications to alert you when you need to contact certain clients, send out gifts, plan a client appreciation event, and many other things throughout the year.

Staying organized and consistent in your contact with past clients will help you continue to build and manage your referral base, as well as open the door to repeat and referral business.

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