TEXAS 3-6-23

TEXAS EDITION

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FRESH NEW APPROACHES TO CONTENT MARKETING

3 BEYOND-THEOFFICE ACTIVITIES TO INSPIRE A CREATIVE BUSINESS BOOM

FEATURED AGENT

LISA CARNES

EVERY PLAYER IS VALUABLE: HOW TO BOOST YOUR TEAM'S MORALE

TURN OPEN HOUSES INTO DESTINATIONS

COVER STORY

KEVIN LAPLANTE

,” she says. Lisa’s talent for this industry was clear, and she dove into real estate full-time. ars after helping that friend, she leads Carnes up, in Galveston County.

Island is a popular second home market, so coming here looking for vacation rentals and one who can knowledgably run the numbers nd provide targeted advice,” Lisa explains. A nvestor herself, Lisa is able to draw from her perience to guide her clients in finding the ideal r their unique needs. She’s flipped a number nd has her own island rental properties, so cliust that her advice is built on deep knowledge eston market. “I can tell them what works and n’t, and what renters/vacationers are looking ys. “Our honesty and our ability to understand ome market is what makes us stand out.”

work, as she is always looking for ways to give back.

She and her team serve meals at the Ronald McDonald TEXAS EDITION House once a year and regularly donate supplies and funds throughout the year. “We have also been involved with the Humane Society and Boys and Girls Club of Galveston,” Lisa explains.

As time goes on, Lisa hopes to continue growing and serving people. “We want to keep educating people about the unique Galveston Island market. This is where we live and what we love to do.”

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sting sellers, Lisa and her team create a plan for marketing, which consists of 4-6 media posts and mailers. “We will send out f it’s appropriate for the neighborhood, and KEVIN LAPLANTE LISA CARNES For more information about Lisa Carnes, roll out the social media and host an open please call 409-443-4804 / 918-527-7724 a explains. “We also send out email blasts to or email soldbylisacarnes@gmail.com exas.”

CONTENTS Copyright Top Agent Magazine 4) 5 FRESH NEW APPROACHES TO CONTENT MARKETING

16) 3 BEYOND-THE-OFFICE ACTIVITIES TO INSPIRE A CREATIVE BUSINESS BOOM

14) EVERY PLAYER IS VALUABLE: HOW TO BOOST YOUR TEAM'S MORALE

22) TURN OPEN HOUSES INTO DESTINATIONS

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5 Fresh New Approaches to Content Marketing A couple of weeks ago we were conducting a workshop when we were asked two excellent questions about content marketing:

• People don’t want to hear from a roofing company every day. So how do you produce fresh and interesting content for social media that goes beyond your core services and yet ties back to your business?

• Can you extend your social media presence and content to include personal things (like your hobbies) and how does that affect your overall business image?

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The workshop attendee who asked the first question was right. Almost no one wants to hear from any company every day… especially if all the content is about products and services…and yes, even if they’re giving helpful tips and information. Does that mean you should stop producing excellent daily content related to your business? No, of course not! Content is created for two reasons.

First, to provide knowledge, expertise and even entertainment to your ideal customers in order to achieve top of mind awareness as an authority in your industry. And second, to produce SEO-rich results that keep you at the top of search engines. You must strike a

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balance between the two, and try to include content that draws people in by being super interesting and entertaining….and yes, sometimes personal.

To help answer those content questions above, here are five different types of content (beyond the traditional stuff) that can give your brand a fresh, unique and balanced approach:

1. PHILANTHROPIC Your community efforts say a lot about who you are, and people will make an extra effort to do business with you as a result of this connection. We’ve consulted business owners who are very hesitant to promote these efforts because they don’t want it to seem as though they are exploiting the charities and organizations—and most especially because they don’t do it for the promotional aspects. They do it to give back. I ask you to keep this in mind. Nonprofit and charitable organizations very often have small marketing budgets. Not only do they rely on outside marketing forces to promote their initiatives, they would likely be forced to close their doors without that support. That means that when someone with a strong brand and presence promotes them, it’s a highly trusted and personal connection, and you can’t buy that kind of support. In other words, they not only need you to promote them, they want you to promote them. But your instincts are correct. It’s not about you. So just make sure your entire content focuses on the organization you’re helping, what they do for the community and how Top Agent Magazine

others can join in the cause. Then it becomes a huge win for all.

2. HOBBIES You bungee jumped from four of the tallest bridges in the U.S. In your spare time, you go fly fishing. You love playing chef and use only locally grown, organic foods. Your friends are always begging you to go to Vegas with your card shark talents. You’ve done mission work in Africa and would like to start your own group. You almost played professional baseball. You have an insane talent for gardening design or bass guitar.

Your family works at a soup kitchen once a month. Ok…you get the picture. And two more words. Reality TV. People are interesting…and people are interested in interesting people. We remember others based on these unique traits. And most of all, people love the story behind the face. Don’t be afraid to share your hobbies. Quite often, it’s the first thing that will personally connect you to a prospect.

3. CREATIVE CONNECTION This one is perhaps our favorite. While we can’t imagine seeing something come across our news feed from a landscaping company every day, imagine this for a moment. What are we always told to remember in this hectic world? Stop and smell the roses, right? So what if…a landscaping company posted a beautiful flower each day, just to remind you to ‘stop and smell the roses’. And at the bottom of that photo (small print), you included

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the type of flower and type of environment needed to make it flourish (moist soil, full sun, etc.). And then, of course, watermarked it with your logo….and a title like, “Sam’s Daily Reminder: It’s Time to Stop & Smell the Roses”. You could even include some great, thought-provoking quotes. It has the personal connection (Sam), the business connection (flowers & logo watermark) and a cool creative connector (pause the meetings and paperwork to take a moment and appreciate life by noticing this beautiful flower). This is a great idea for staying ‘top of mind’ and connecting business with the kind of creative messaging people wouldn’t mind seeing every day.

4. EXPERIENCES This one is similar to hobbies from the personal aspect, but instead of something that identifies us like our hobbies, our experiences are random happenings that can have great interest and meaning to our audience.

Whether you have a unique experience buying a new car or a fateful conversation with a stranger in the airport, if you feel it ties into a life lesson or business lesson you’d like to share, by all means do. The lesson is to keep your radar up 24/7. Any experiences you have which relate to your

ideal customer are an opportunity to connect beyond the business world. And when we do that, we become a part of the family.

5. INFLUENCERS “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. You’ve probably heard that saying, and the same is true whether you are a teenager or a business owner. Maybe you’ve learned a lot of your business knowledge from Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Warren Buffet…or you like to quote Benjamin Franklin. Perhaps you have some mentors you’d like to recognize and tell why they’re important to you. Sharing the people and things that influence us is what makes us human. No matter how successful your business, you didn’t get there alone. People and circumstances shaped you along the way. Recognizing others for their contribution in our lives, large or small, is important in staying connected and grounded.

We hope these five types of content help you to put a fresh spin on what you share with your audience, whether personal or professional. We believe you must have the combination of both to build an incredible brand.

Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder of BrandFace®, LLC. Michael Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace® partner. Together, they focus on personal branding and marketing designed to help real estate professionals become the face of their business & a star in their market. BrandFace® for Real Estate Professionals is a book, professional speaking series and an exclusive workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com.

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KEVIN LAPLANTE

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Top Agent Kevin LaPlante leads the Kevin LaPlante Realty & Relocation Group brokered by Star Spangled Real Estate: a team of eighteen agents who service all of El Paso County and specialize in assisting active members of the armed forces.

Kevin LaPlante of El Paso, Texas, combines an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for home ownership to fuel his real estate business. “There’s nothing better than hearing someone say, ‘I never thought I could buy a home, but here we are.’ Being able to help people like that is what keeps me working; and 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

teaching new agents how to succeed lets me impact even more lives!”

Originally, Kevin enjoyed a career working as a general manager for McDonald’s, but he always wanted to pursue a career in real estate. “I’ve had to support myself since I turned eighteen, and I never had Top Agent Magazine

the chance to take that leap,” he recalls.

“When my husband got stationed out here at the military base in El Paso, I saw my chance, so I took it.” After enrolling in coursework, Kevin became a fully licensed REALTOR® in 2017, and he’s steadily grown his enterprise ever since.

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Today in 2023, Kevin leads the Kevin LaPlante Realty & Relocation Group brokered by Star Spangled Real Estate: a team of eighteen agents who service all of El Paso County and specialize in assisting active members of the armed forces. “I’m a military relocation specialist

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“I’m a military relocation specialist here. I’ve worked with clients in Korea, Germany, everywhere overseas with a military base.” here. I’ve worked with clients in Korea, Germany, everywhere overseas with a military base.” This global network demands that Kevin adopt the stance of a “full service REALTOR®” – a responsibility he embraces every chance he gets. “I’ve done video walkthroughs for people, scheduled to accept packages delivered to their homes, and even gone to have electric or gas maintained. It’s Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

a busy life, but I know that I’m helping people who need it.”

In addition to his military relocation designation, Kevin finds endless opportunities for continued education and growth.

“I’ve taken every single appraisal class out there, even loan officer classes when I can. I try to learn every aspect of the field to improve my understanding – not just Top Agent Magazine

for my own work, but for the lender’s job, and the appraiser’s job, just so I can better serve my clients.” This attitude has helped Kevin build a robust book of business fueled by repeat and referral clients, and in 2022 he cleared $11 million in volume spread across fifty-six transactions.

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He celebrates the year not because of his statistical success, but because he was able to serve several families who were purchasing their second homes with him.

“It proves that they trust you,” he boasts, “and there is no better praise than a client returning to you.”

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While Kevin continues to broaden his professional connections and support his growing team, he and his husband are excited to share their prosperity with the larger El Paso community. “We do lots of local community events. For Thanksgiving we do a food drive – we

handed out over thirty turkeys this year with all the fixin’s – and for Christmas we do a toy drive and a blanket drive. We try to do at least four community events each year, and this year my husband and I plan to volunteer at El Paso Hunger Food Drive.”

To learn more about Kevin LaPlante, please call 915-259-2532, visit movefortbliss.com www.

or email him at kevinlap85@gmail.com

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Every Player is Valuable: How to Boost Your Team’s Morale In the fast-paced world of real estate, it can be easy to overlook the contributions of those lower-level employees who are instrumental in our success, yet are overlooked when it comes to recognizing the important roles they play in keeping our business operating smoothly.

Even a task that seems simple, such as answering phones, can be overwhelming at 14

times. Letting these employees know that they are appreciated is something that often goes overlooked at busier companies, and can often result in impaired morale overall, as employee dissatisfaction tends to be contagious.

Here are some things that you can do to increase morale and productivity in your workplace: Top Agent Magazine

While it’s important to point out when an employee is doing something wrong, it is equally – if not more – important to acknowledge when that employee is doing something right.

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While it’s important to point out when an employee is doing something wrong, and sometimes to reprimand, it is equally – if not more – important to acknowledge when that employee is doing something right. Even a simple compliment can go a long, long way towards building that employee’s morale, and therefore their willingness to go the extra mile for your team.

An example: “Sally, I just heard you on the phone with that client. You sounded very professional and I really appreciate your representing our business that way.”

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Determine what all of your employee’s goals are, and what their expectations for growth might be. There may be lower level employees who are perfectly content doing what they’re doing, and who have absolutely no expectations for growth in your business. Others, however, may have an interest in moving up the ladder. Make it your business to determine this early on, and try to take a personal interest in your employee’s growth with your company. Knowing there is room to grow is an important factor in employee satisfaction, and knowing who wants to grow and who

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doesn’t is something you should be aware of. Groom from within, and your employees will be grateful and work harder.

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If your workplace is highly stratified, with multiple levels of employees (agents, senior agents, loan processers, assistants, etc.,) make an effort to ensure that everyone feels valued as part of the team regardless of what they earn. Various team building exercises that encourage trust and a sense of familiarity can go a long way towards fostering an environment that is less unnecessarily competitive and more productive and cooperative. A quick web search for “Trust Building Exercises” will help you locate many good ways to achieve a newfound level of camaraderie amongst your team. Many of them are quite a bit of fun, too.

Hopefully these tips will assist you in creating a better-functioning, higher-achieving team of motivated, caring employees.

Remember, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link, so be sure to keep everyone feeling appreciated, supported and valued, and your company will only benefit.

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3 Beyond-the-Office Activities to Inspire a Creative Business Boom Maintaining motivation year-round is a challenge, especially for those who are several years into a demanding real estate career. It’s easy to burn out, get stuck in a rut, or cycle blindly through a well-worn routine. But those that leave an impact on their industry understand that creativity holds the key to innovation and longevity. To stay ahead of 16

the curve and build your brand, you’ve got to take the time to breathe new life into your practice and see things from a new angle. But where to begin?

To invite change, you’ve got to look outside the box—or in this case, beyond the office. If you’re in need of a professional creative make-

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To stay ahead of the curve and build your brand, you’ve got to take the time to breathe new life into your practice and see things from a new angle. over, or at least want to experience a burst of inventive energy, consider some of the activities below. You may just shake up your routine, bend your brain in new ways, and inject some inspiration into your professional path.

Expand your mind through meditation.

You’ve likely heard all about the supposed powers of meditation, and perhaps you’ve long considered it an over-hyped New Age invention. But did you know that some of the foremost entrepreneurs of our era practice this cost-free, mentally restorative routine? From Oprah Winfrey to Steve Jobs, practitioners of meditation cite its stress-relieving principles, in addition to improvements in concentration, energy, self-awareness, and overall health.

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Even mainstream medicine is beginning to understand the preventative and restorative health benefits that meditation affords. As professional fields go, the mortgage and real estate industries require their fair share of emotional labor—you’re tasked with guiding clients through the investment of a lifetime.

Meditation promotes peace and perspective, while reducing stress, adding a new level of self-awareness, and helping you mentally declutter. When it comes down to it, it only makes sense that taking time to go quiet and center your mind helps professionals find wherewithal amidst a hectic industry. Next time you’re feeling drained, out of ideas, or at your wit’s end—consider just fifteen minutes of meditation to get you started. Like most things, it takes some practice. But, if you commit the time, you’ll be thanking yourself later.

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Learn something new.

If you’re facing burnout, then adding a new responsibility to your plate may seem like the least appetizing self-help solution there is.

However, learning a new skill can reinvigorate your understanding of familiar tasks and dilemmas. Plus, learning a new skill doesn’t have to mean formal classes or time-draining homework. Select something that can even kill two birds with one stone. Want to let off some steam, too? Try a kickboxing class that meets just once-a-week. You’ll have something new to look forward to, meet new people, challenge yourself, and earn some feel-good endorphins, 18

too. Want to cut loose and have some fun? Join a board game meet-up group, take a cooking class, or try rock-climbing for the first time. A stimulating new activity will light up long-dormant parts of your brain, and your clients and colleagues will surely notice the influx of energy to your outlook. Still don’t think you have enough time to add something new to the mix? Blend your morning commute with an audio language learning service. The point is to shake-up your habits and introduce a new challenge that’s unrelated to work. Doing so can make you look at things in a new light and boost your mood along the way.

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See new sights.

If you can, there’s no better way to break from routine than to physically separate yourself from your surroundings. There’s nothing more inspiring than traveling to new destinations, experiencing new cultures, and getting a sense of the world’s true vastness. If a trip abroad isn’t in the cards, don’t fret. There are bound to be plenty of places relatively close by that you’ve never seen. And these trips don’t have to break the bank, either. Devote just one or two days to visiting a place you’ve never gone before, like a state park, protected forest, or a small seaside village. Perhaps you’re only a few hours from a National Park you’ve been meaning to visit but have never made time for. Or, there’s a lively city one state over that you’ve always wanted to try. Whatever the destination, near or far, you’ll refresh

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your perspective entirely when removed from all your usual routines. New restaurants, traffic patterns, storefronts, weather—whatever the change may be, you’ll be experiencing everything brand new all around you. Taking the time for trips like these isn’t easy. In fact, making yourself devote those free days may be a difficult task itself. But it’s the most direct way to get a breath of truly fresh air, and when you return home you’ll be able to assess familiar surroundings in a totally new light.

However you decide to add creativity to your professional life, don’t wait. Once you take the plunge, you’ll be regretting you hadn’t done it sooner. After all, the key to longevity is regular maintenance, so do your part and break the mold today.

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LISA CARNES Empowering others to turn their dreams into reality, Texas real estate agent Lisa Carnes is passionate about helping families and investors buy and sell real estate. She got her start as an investor 22 years ago. “My best friend was my real estate agent, and she saw I had a knack for the business and encouraged me to pursue my license,” Lisa explains. “by the end of that week, I signed up for classes.” When her children were young, Lisa focused on buying and selling investment properties for her own (or family’s) portfolio…for her own real estate transactions. A few years later, she assisted a friend who was going through a divorce. “I was able to mediate and make the real estate process seamless for them, and they both told me I should be doing this for a living,” she says. Lisa’s talent for this industry was abundantly clear, and she dove into real estate full-time.

Now, 22 years after helping that friend, she leads Carnes Realty Group, in Galveston County.

“Galveston Island is a popular second home market, so people are coming here looking for vacation rentals and need someone who can knowledgably run the numbers for them and provide targeted advice,” Lisa explains. A long-time investor herself, Lisa is able to draw from her years of experience to guide her clients in finding the ideal property for their unique needs. She’s flipped a number of homes and has her own island rental properties, so clients can trust that her advice is built on deep knowledge of the Galveston market. “I can tell them what works and what doesn’t, and what renters/vacationers are looking for,” she says. “Our honesty and our ability to understand a second home market is what makes us stand out.”

When assisting sellers, Lisa and her team create a customized plan for marketing, which consists of 4-6 weeks of media posts and mailers. “We will send out postcards if it’s appropriate for the neighborhood, and then we’ll roll out the social media and host an open house,” Lisa explains. “We also send out email blasts to agents in Texas.”

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After the transaction is over, those who worked with Lisa and the team love to spread the word.

Lisa credits much of her business growth to repeat clients and referrals, as her team continually goes above and beyond. One client recently said, “We are so happy we chose Carnes Realty Group.

Lisa exceeded our expectations from start to finish. She came to the listing appointment fully prepared with a sales strategy geared to our specific house – including a plan to stage and market our home for a quick sale. She answered all of our questions immediately, completely, and took the time to help us get it ready to put on the market. We would definitely use her again.”

Community plays an important role in Lisa’s life and work, as she is always looking for ways to give back.

She and her team serve meals at the Ronald McDonald House once a year and regularly donate supplies and funds throughout the year. “We have also been involved with the Humane Society and Boys and Girls Club of Galveston,” Lisa explains.

As time goes on, Lisa hopes to continue growing and serving people. “We want to keep educating people about the unique Galveston Island market. This is where we live and what we love to do.”

For more information about Lisa Carnes, please call 409-443-4804 / 918-527-7724 or email soldbylisacarnes@gmail.com Copyright Top Top Agent Agent Magazine Magazine

Laughs!

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Turn Open Houses into Destinations People are busy. Even those who are actively looking to buy a house or want to learn about the market for a future purpose have busy schedules.

But with bit of added time, creativity and investment in making open house into destinations, you’ll see greater turnout. And we all know that greater turnout increases the likelihood of offers.

There are several creative ways to hold an open house with a mindset of hospitality and with the goal of providing something of value to each person who attends.

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The neighbors-only open house Some agents embrace the “nosy neighbor” concept as a benefit, not an eye-rolling challenge.

With his client’s permission, Wesley Peters, a Keller Williams broker in the Baltimore Metro Area, often gets the neighbors together before a home hits the market. “We invite other brokers, too, but we include as many neighbors as we can,” he says, explaining that he schedules these events for a Thursday or Friday evening, happy hour-style, rather than midday on a Sunday. They get a better turnout at 5:00 pm than

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midday on a weekend when the neighbors are busy with their lives. In a relaxed setting, conversations flow, neighbors can mingle and catch up, and the buzz begins before the home is listed.

In advance, prepare invitations and hand-deliver them to homes on the streets you and your client agree are best to include. The destination is the event; the value each attendee receives is the social interaction and the removal of any awkwardness over visiting their neighbor’s house.

Your client’s benefit is the buzz.

A turnkey block party any time of year Once a property is listed, some agents take on the role of party planners. Certain streets or neighborhoods, they find, are perfect for lowkey social occasions. In some place, such as neighborhoods with many young families, a bounce-house or games may even ramp up the fun factor. But the idea of a seemingly spontaneous block party during an open house can be easy to pull off, whether you’re serving lemonade and cookies or coffee and pastries. The chance to meet prospective neighbors turns the event into a destination for both buyers and the neighbors; the value comes in buyers’ ability to see how the neighbors interact. Your seller’s benefit is that the grapevine will be filled with happy stories about their home. Tips: By keeping basic supplies in storage, you’ll be ready for a pop-up block party any time. Promote this type of event with targeted social media marketing and fliers or postcards to communities within a short distance of your listing.

Invite other professionals It’s common mortgage lenders to attend open houses. But why not provide even more value to people who attend? Chances are, you have more than a handful of professional partners who welcome an opportunity to join you at your open house. Consider inviting an interior designer, a contractor, a gardener, even a gardener or a painter. Invite them to your broker’s open in advance or give them time to view the property Top Agent Magazine

before the open house begins. Then encourage them to stroll the property during the open house or to sit with you. When visitors ask about needs or concerns they may have about the house – such as loan questions, the cost of improvements or upgrades or even remodeling – you’ll be able to introduce them to an expert on the spot. For that matter, your invited pros don’t even necessarily have to be in home-related businesses!

Prospective buyers always want to know about the community when visiting open houses.

Consider inviting representatives of community

organizations, like youth sports group or owners of mom-and-pop retailers to help your visitors get a feel for the neighborhood or town. For this type of open-house, prepare a flyer or card with your community contacts on it so visitors can leave with resources as well as information.

Open house should be about the buzz. They’re about creating a conversation about your listing and making the home memorable to visitors. By giving people a unique experience they won’t forget, you’ll show your sellers how creative you are in meeting their needs.

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