TEXAS 4-19-21

TEXAS EDITION

EMOTIONAL FLUENCY:

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SUREFIRE METHODS THAT MAKE FOR A PRODUCTIVE MEETING

HOW TO INCORPORATE CURRENT EVENTS TO YOUR EMAIL BLAST AND STAY RELEVANT FEATURED AGENT

DEBRA DEL BOSQUE

HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH CLIENTS WHEN TENSIONS ARE HIGH

3 MIND-BENDING PHILOSOPHIES TO EXPAND YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE COVER STORY

MEREDITH SMELTZER

TEXAS EDITION

DEBRA DEL BOSQUE “It’s giving a person that home that they’ve 9 always prayed for,” says Debra del Bosque, a top broker with CENTURY 21 Johnston Company, describing her favorite part of her job. “Then, for sellers, it’s getting that house sold so that they’re able to move on to achieve their goals. My biggest joy is helping people reach their dreams.”

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of the Junior League of Harlin as the Women’s Council of R Through these organizations, s part in and given to a wide var ities. One especially near to Feeding 5000, an organization to give full Thanksgiving me lies in need who have been n friends or neighbors. “Each y out about two thousand meals,” She also takes part in a moto and delivers toys to underpriv dren from her Harley.

Debra first started in real estate when she was a senior in high school as a part-time receptionist. “I’ve basically worked myself MEREDITH SMELTZER DEBRA DEL BOSQU up from receptionist, to office manager, to general manager, and now I’m a broker-owner,” she says. With thirty years in the business, When she isn’t going the extra mile for her c Debra purchased her own company inCONTENTS January. ing back to the local community, Debra lo time with her grandson. “I have children in services the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.

As EMOTIONAL Corps, so he’s inFLUENCY: New York with my daug 4)Debra 3 SUREFIRE METHODS 15) a broker, the majority says.COMMUNICATE “My son is in Korea, so I love spendi THAT MAKE FORof her business comes from repeat HOW TO referral clients. “Any other leads inside the office go the baby whenever I have the chance.” She Aand PRODUCTIVE MEETING WITH CLIENTS WHEN straight to my agents,” she says. Debra’s clients love her reading, exercising, and, of course, spen TENSIONS ARE HIGH one-on-one approach to their real estate needs. time with her husband.

6) HOW TO INCORPORATE “When they work with me, they feel like they’ve known Looking to the future, Debra is excited to g CURRENT EVENTS TO 22) 3 MIND-BENDING me for EMAIL a long time,” explains Debra. “I treat them as business and bring on more agents. “I’ve a YOUR BLAST AND PHILOSOPHIES TO EXPAND thoughRELEVANT they’re a part of my family. I always advise YOUR them wanted a company that doesn’t just do sale STAY PROFESSIONAL and keep their best interests in mind. I educate them on “It’s going to be a company that’s giving PERSPECTIVE the process and make sure they end up in the property community. I’m blessed to be a blessing to that is best for them.”

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Phoneextends 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 Debra this personal touch to staying in contact with her past clients. She mostly uses social media, mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com allowing tomay interact with in her a more personal No portion ofthem this issue be reproduced anyon manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken level. Debra also enjoys surprising and delighting theto ensure the accuracy of published materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for one opinions or facts people she works with.

“In 2020, of expressed my goals wassupplied by its authors.

To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com. to appreciate Published in the U.S.people more,” Debra says. “I partnered up with a local florist, and we worked together to say thank you especially to women in our community. Every month, I sent out two bouquets of flowers to ladies makTop Agent Magazine ing a difference.”

To learn more about Debra del Bo

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

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3 Surefire Methods that Make for a Productive Meeting Sometimes a business meeting can achieve exactly what it sets out to do: communicate, assess actions, set goals, or otherwise. Other times, meetings can feel like a drain on your time and energy, and only advance your agenda in marginal ways. While meetings are an integral form of communication in the professional world, how can you ensure that they are both productive and worthwhile?

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The truth is, it takes intentioned planning to make a meeting a success. A well-curated meeting makes partners and employees feel unified as a team, excited about what’s to come, and motivated to achieve a collective goal. With that in mind, consider a few approaches below to maximize your next meeting and ensure that all parties involved leave with a renewed sense of direction and inspiration.

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1. Create a detailed agenda in advance Oftentimes meetings are scheduled with a loose goal in mind—to hash out the terms of a contract or to strategize a new marketing campaign, for example. To ensure your meeting is productive, time-efficient, and achieves its end, create a detailed agenda in advance. This means breaking down your overarching goal into pieces and outlining what’s required to complete each component. You might also consider making time blocks for each respective component, so there is a clear structure and hierarchy in place. Not only does this ensure that time is used wisely and evenly, but it also creates order and momentum for the greater task at hand. What’s more, you’ll want to distribute this detailed agenda in advance of your meeting, so that all attendees will be familiar with the format and delineated goals of your gathering. This will set a professional tone, while keeping team members and conversation on task.

2. Reserve off-topics ideas and comments for later Too many meetings are derailed when an off-topic question or comment is made and hijacks the attentions of attendees. While it’s natural that outlying issues may arise when all team members are gathered, you can ward off distractions by creating a so-called holding area for off-topic talking points. This holding area will serve as the receptacle for any off-topic or lower priority addendum, and you can create a chunk of time towards the end of your meeting to readdress those Top Agent Magazine

points separately. Once you’ve achieved the highest priority goals of your meeting, you can then return to the items in your holding area. Note: be sure to familiarize your staff with this approach so that the expectation is already in place and interruptions won’t distract from your meeting’s true intent.

3. Conclude every meeting with a brief summary and action items The very last thing you should do before concluding your meeting is to reemphasize the main takeaways of your gathering and outline a specific list of action items. Again, successful meetings are clear and give attendees a sense of direction. That’s why reiterating action items—or next steps in need of completion—to each respective employee is an essential component of a productive meeting. Likewise, summarizing main takeaways unifies a team’s understanding of what’s important and why the meeting was called in the first place. Ending on a concrete yet proactive note helps launch team members toward the next event in their day and gives them a sense of confidence as they tackle their duties.

Meetings don’t have to be a formality or a bore. When planned and executed with incisiveness, they can inspire your talent roster and streamline productivity in your office.

Especially in the world of real estate, ensuring everyone is on the same page and doing their jobs effectively is key to success and longevity. Put a little planning into your next meeting, and you’ll save yourself valuable time and energy as you move forward.

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How to Incorporate Current Events to Your Email Blasts and Stay Relevant Email marketing is a cost effective and straightforward method of getting your name and services in front of clients with just a few keystrokes. This tried-and-true approach to digital marketing is a favorite of many, and there are countless ways to customize (and maximize) your email blasts to reap superior results. Despite this, many real estate profes6

sionals are content to standardize their email advertising and take a broad, one-size-fits-all approach to capturing interest and leads. While an up-front sales pitch certainly has its uses and benefits, it doesn’t hurt to shake up your routine and refresh your email marketing approach by adding specifics that draw renewed interest from your audience.

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One way to accomplish this is by tying in current events and local happenings to your email blasts. After all, your sphere of influence likely receives countless marketing emails per day. To cut through the noise, sharpen your message with a few specifics that separate your communications from the pack. Not every email should be focused on closing a sale, or else your audience will learn to stop listening.

How do you build your brand, stay top of mind, and keep the lines of communication open with your clientele? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

against an old rival? Do they host themed fan days honoring veterans or catering to families? Tailoring your communications to a local sports franchise’s big news or next event can draw intrigue and provide added value for your clients. Remember, not every communication you send should be focused on pitching and closing a sale, otherwise your audience will tune out your emails altogether. Instead, incorporate fun, community-oriented content that lets readers know you’re a resource for much more than real estate.

Sports news makes a splash

Become a one-stop-shop for holiday fun and seasonal ideas.

People love to rally behind the home team.

Is a regional, local university, or professional sports team in your area headed to the playoffs or the championship? Are they facing off

From Mother’s Day to Thanksgiving, anyone can send an email wishing clients a happy holiday. While the sentiment is a good one, you’ll be one of dozens flooding inboxes with

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your well-wishes. Instead, go beyond the traditional greetings and good tidings and become a hyper-specific resource for clients. Create a gift guide for Mother’s Day, outline family-friendly local events occurring in your area around the holidays, or engage in a promotional partnership with a local business who’s offering a holiday special of their own. In other words, don’t settle for just saying hello during certain times of the year. Instead, up the value of your email blast by offering clients curated information that relates to their interests and area.

Doing so makes your emails a must-read, while demonstrating your ability to go the extra mile.

Pop culture serves as a fun and timely tie-in.

Is a new gaming app sweeping the nation? Have your social media feeds been flooded with the same viral video? Is everyone gossiping about the same TV show premiere? Pop culture tie-ins in your email marketing campaigns can be extremely effective, but in order to for

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them to work, you’ll need to move quickly and keep your focus on the phenomenon, rather than your service pitch. The goal behind pop culture marketing tie-ins is communicating the progressiveness and hip factor of your brand, while capturing timely, topical interest that’s at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be in on a running joke or trend, and if you leverage trending pop culture moments in your email marketing, you’ll be able to draw views and clicks from a wide audience.

Plenty of services offer standardized email marketing templates and content for today’s real estate professionals, and while the motivation behind marketing is transactional, your communications don’t have to be. The surest way to make an impact in your clients’ inboxes is to add original value and break apart from the pack. Consider updating some of your routines with these current events oriented techniques and your email audience is sure to take a second look.

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MEREDITH SMELTZER Top Agent Magazine

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Top Agent Meredith Smeltzer, with Texas Real Estate Executives, services buyers and sellers of all kinds throughout Longview and the surrounding areas of East Texas.

Meredith Smeltzer got her start in real estate while serving as a transaction coordinator for her good friend and current broker, Heather Kelly. In that position, she had the opportunity to learn the business from the ground up, quickly falling in love with the excitement and joy of helping others through a transaction.

At Heather’s encouragement, Meredith decided to pursue her own real estate license, and since starting out in 2015, she has gone on to author an accomplished career as a multi-million dollar producer in her region. Today, Meredith is a Realtor for Texas Real Estate Executives, where she services buyers and sellers of 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

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all kinds throughout Longview and the surrounding areas of East Texas.

When marketing a home, Meredith offers her clients with a hands-on approach.

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After helping them fully prepare their property and providing a suite of professional photography, she shares their house over a mix of targeted digital and social media campaigns. On top of 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

“In this industry, it’s extremely important that you relate to people and fully understand their side of the transaction, and I strive to do that with each and every client.” that, she utilizes listings in local real estate magazines to give her sellers an added advantage. Through it all, though, Meredith supports her clients and makes herself accessible to them at all times, ensuring that her process is catered directly to their needs. “My clients know they can text or call me and get Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

a response,” she says. “In this industry, it’s extremely important that you relate to people and fully understand their side of the transaction, and I strive to do that with each and every client.”

Elsewhere, Meredith is equally attentive when assisting her buyers, leaning Top Agent Magazine

on her market expertise to guide them through the transaction from start to finish. In fact, she prefers to remain in touch well after closing, checking in and even sending personalized gifts during the holidays to ensure her clients are fully satisfied in their new homes. Through the years, she has earned an outstanding reputation throughout East Texas, as evidenced by her strong rate of repeat clients and referrals, as well as her rapidly growing volume. Still, Meredith remains focused most on the people. “I love getting to know a family and walk through Top Agent Magazine

the experience with them. Obviously, there are highs and lows throughout any transaction, but I always trust that what’s meant to be is meant to be, and we will find the right house in the end.”

Outside her career, Meredith is tremendously active within her community.

Beyond regular donations to various local charities, she serves on the school board and is President of her local PTA. A natural entrepreneur, she also owns her own photography business, as well as a box company with her family. When Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13

she’s not with clients or giving back, she can be found spending quality time on the baseball field with her beloved husband and her son.

Meredith has strong plans for the future of her business. Having been ranked as her company’s top producer and listing agent

in 2020, she intends on further raising the bar of service in her region and assisting even more clients with her unique blend of approachableness and compassion. “I can’t wait to see where this industry takes me,” she says. “These past four years have been such a blessing; I can only imagine what the next four—or even ten—will be like.”

To learn more about Meredith Smeltzer please email homesbymer@gmail.com, visit meredithsmeltzer.com or call (903)235-3931 www.

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Emotional Fluency:

How to Communicate with Clients When Tensions are High Managing emotions, expectations, and personalities are central to a successful real estate career. After all, this is a business based on relationships and interpersonal communication. Likewise, real estate is built on one of life’s central milestones—homeownership. This means that stress, disappointment, excitement, and competition are inherently Top Agent Magazine

involved in the process. As an agent, you take on the real estate world every day, but most of your clients aren’t well-versed in the norms of the industry and are likely riding an emotional roller coaster throughout.

Acknowledging this, how do you steer the ship when emotions and tensions are running high?

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For starters, it’s not always intuitive. Just like you add tools to your arsenal when it comes to marketing, social media, or lead generation, you also have to add emotional tools to your repertoire. Here are a few ways to diffuse tense situations and keep clients on an even keel—even during the ups and downs of the transactional process.

Create realistic expectations from the outset and reinforce them as you go As a seasoned agent, some aspects of the industry may seem run of the mill to you, but may come as a shock to your clients. That’s

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why communicating expectations from the beginning can help create reasonable touchpoints in the minds of your clients. In addition to talking through the steps of the transactional process with your clients, consider writing out a checklist or compiling a buyer’s guide that can serve as a resource for them throughout. Think of it like a security blanket, but one that’s built by facts, figures, and anecdotal experience. If you paint a clear picture of what to expect, clients are less likely to be taken by the surprise and react impulsively as a result. What’s more, reinforce next steps, expectations, and possible outcomes as you go. If your client is left to wonder or guess at what’s ahead or

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what will happen, they will either envision the worst-case scenario and panic, or they’ll misjudge the next step and be disappointed or left anxious as a result. Minimize surprises by communicating regularly, clearly, and with all options on the table.

When unveiling a problem, come to clients with potential solutions in hand Any agent worth his or her salt knows that bumps in the road are likely to occur along the way. You can’t promise a transaction free of stress or unforeseen issues, but you can minimize the ensuing stress by preparing you client in advance for any potential problems, and by addressing any problems

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clearly and with solutions already in hand.

Clients are likely to become agitated if a problem arises and they can’t understand why or what it means. That’s why slowing it down, talking it through, and offering potential avenues for recourse can quell fears and remind clients why they chose you to facilitate the transactional process. This means you’ll have to vigilant, proactive, and on the ball. Of course, it’s much easier to be an agent when everything is going great and flowing naturally. It’s when things take an unexpected or negative turn that true talent is really tested. Accordingly, show your clients that you are confident and in control by remaining adaptable, communicative, and clear in your problem-solving approach.

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Never underestimate the power of listening As an agent, you are probably well-versed in putting out fires and sourcing solutions. Sometimes, however, clients are really looking to you as a confidante and a listening ear. You’d be surprised how much nervousness you can resolve by simply offering a listening ear and offering reassurance. Sometimes it’s not about providing a band-aid or a practical solution; oftentimes, it’s all about listening. Clients need to feel like they’re being heard, even if you’ve heard it all before. By listening to their fears, acknowledging their perspective, and reiterating their goals—you display your empathy and understanding, which is often just what a client 18

needs to feel better. In other words, you don’t have to break out the graphs and data each time a client airs his or her insecurity. First, slow down, listen, and interact on a personal level. You may stop an emotional upheaval in its tracks simply by putting your listening cap on.

Not all clients are alike. Some will require a little more hand-holding than others, but it’s your job to put yourself in their perspective, recognize the milestone at hand, and managing the personalities you’re working with. The next time you feel frustrated by a client’s unpredictable emotional energy, keep these insights in mind as you diffuse the situation, steer them to a place of comfort, and fortify your interpersonal skillset in the process.

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DEBRA DEL BOSQUE “It’s giving a person that home that they’ve always prayed for,” says Debra del Bosque, a top broker with CENTURY 21 Johnston Company, describing her favorite part of her job. “Then, for sellers, it’s getting that house sold so that they’re able to move on to achieve their goals. My biggest joy is helping people reach their dreams.”

Debra first started in real estate when she was a senior in high school as a part-time receptionist. “I’ve basically worked myself up from receptionist, to office manager, to general manager, and now I’m a broker-owner,” she says. With thirty years in the business, Debra purchased her own company in January.

Debra services the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. As a broker, the majority of her business comes from repeat and referral clients. “Any other leads inside the office go straight to my agents,” she says. Debra’s clients love her one-on-one approach to their real estate needs.

“When they work with me, they feel like they’ve known me for a long time,” explains Debra. “I treat them as though they’re a part of my family. I always advise them and keep their best interests in mind. I educate them on the process and make sure they end up in the property that is best for them.”

Debra extends this personal touch to staying in contact with her past clients. She mostly uses social media, allowing them to interact with her on a more personal level. Debra also enjoys surprising and delighting the people she works with. “In 2020, one of my goals was to appreciate people more,” Debra says. “I partnered up with a local florist, and we worked together to say thank you especially to women in our community. Every month, I sent out two bouquets of flowers to ladies making a difference.”

When she isn’t working hard for her clients, Debra is deeply involved in her community. She is a member 20

of the Junior League of Harlingen as well as the Women’s Council of REALTORS®.

Through these organizations, she has taken part in and given to a wide variety of charities. One especially near to her heart is Feeding 5000, an organization which seeks to give full Thanksgiving meals to families in need who have been nominated by friends or neighbors. “Each year, we give out about two thousand meals,” says Debra.

She also takes part in a motorcycle group and delivers toys to underprivileged children from her Harley.

When she isn’t going the extra mile for her clients or giving back to the local community, Debra loves to spend time with her grandson. “I have children in the Marine Corps, so he’s in New York with my daughter,” Debra says. “My son is in Korea, so I love spending time with the baby whenever I have the chance.” She also enjoys reading, exercising, and, of course, spending quality time with her husband.

Looking to the future, Debra is excited to grow her new business and bring on more agents. “I’ve always said I wanted a company that doesn’t just do sales,” she says.

“It’s going to be a company that’s giving back to the community. I’m blessed to be a blessing to others.”

To learn more about Debra del Bosque, please call 956-536-5613, or email debradelbosque@gmail.com Copyright Top Top Agent Agent Magazine Magazine

Laughs!

Graham Harrop Graham Harrop Cartoons Cartoons

Putting the power of humour to work for you!

Putting the power of humour to work for you! grahamharrop.com

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3 Mind-Bending Philosophies to Expand Your Professional Perspective

Beyond the day-to-day duties that make your business tick, so much of success is derived from the principles you put in place to guide your business. The foundational tenets you subscribe to can make or break your business for the long-term; they not only influence how you complete routine 22

tasks, but also impact your growth, your ability to manage a team, and what the future might hold. With all that in mind, here are three philosophies to remember as you strategize your professional life—whether you’re mapping your monthly goals or creating an overarching plan for growth.

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Treat Your Business Like a Business

One of the perks of working in real estate is that you’re often able to create and manage your own schedule and volume, but that doesn’t mean you can skimp on the technical details of being your own boss.

No real estate professional worth his or her salt would forgo empowering tools like a business and marketing plan, or spreadsheets to track cash flow and expenses, or regular profit-and-loss statements, or fiscal year budgets and projections. Taking these measures may appear daunting at first— and completing them will certainly require discipline and a learning curve—but harnessing valuable data and information can intelligently inform your professional decisions, strategies, and long-term growth.

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Achieve a Holistic Understanding

When schedules are busy, it sometimes feels like enough to reach the end of the week’s to-do list. But, if you’re planning on a lasting career built on year-to-year growth, it’s not enough to account for the short-term.

By creating daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and five-year goals, you’re outlining and quantifying your progress.

While your quarterly and yearly goals may be clear in your mind, what about five years from now? Perhaps you’d like to add to your designations, or incorporate a new team member, or add an additional branch.

No matter how you envision your profesTop Agent Magazine

sional future, the first order of business is to create a timeline. Once you have a clear deadline in mind, it’s far easier to build out the steps and calendar necessary to achieve your goals.

3 Specificity is Empowering While you may have a general sense of where you’d like to see your business go in the next few months or years, it’s hard to work toward or attain a goal that’s abstract.

To make the most of your time and efforts, you must identify and understand precisely what you’re aiming toward. For instance, instead of planning to add volume to your enterprise, outline a specific, attainable number to work toward. Or, if you’d like to add an administrative staff in the years to come, consider the details of this decision—the money it would take, the type of people you’d want to hire, how many hours per week they’d work, what tasks they would complete, etc. Adding hard details to your goals not only makes them more realistic, but progress is more easily made when you have specific items you can cross off your to-do list along the way.

While there are no 100% fool-proof or guaranteed routes to success, shifting your mindset from the present and the abstract, to the specific and the long-term can have a major impact on your chances of success.

Instead of dreaming of being more productive or successful, do yourself a favor and craft a gameplan you can bank on.

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