TEXAS 4-20-20

TEXAS EDITION

MILLENNIAL BUYERS: WHERE THEY ARE & WHAT TO KNOW

BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE:

Every Player is Valuable:

HOW TO BOOST YOUR TEAM’S MORALE

How to Build a Relationship with Your Clients that Will Last a Lifetime

FEATURED AGENTS

LEEANN KEARNEY MANIKA SETHIA

COVER STORY

SUSAN BROCK

TEXAS EDITION

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MANIK

Manika Seth real estate ov her husband they were bot In addition t real estate, M engineering SUSAN BROCK LEEANN KEARNEY MANIKA SETHIA grasp the an estate investment. After their side more successful, Manika and Pan CONTENTS working in real estate full-time. earning her real estate license, M 4) 4 REASONS WHY MULTI15) EVERYmany PLAYER loyal IS clients as a trustworth TASKING CAN ACTUALLY VALUABLE: HOW BOOST buying or TO selling a home.

DERAIL YOUR DAY

YOUR TEAM’S MORALE

With their brokerage, Home Dre and Pankaj serve the Houston 6) BE THEIR REALTOR 19) MILLENNIAL BUYERS: Southwest Houston FOR LIFE: HOW TO BUILD WHERE THEY ARE & WHATand Fort Be A RELATIONSHIP WITH TO KNOWthe broker and focuses on the in portfolio, working with investors YOUR CLIENTS THAT WILL impressive 70% of Manika and P LAST A LIFETIME from repeat and referral clients, a they inspire. “Doing business wi antee that someone will come bac Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 “With every client it’s a person mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com cater to the needs of each client.” ®

No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are takenClients to ensure the published Solution ofaccuracy Homeof Dream materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. honesty. “I’m one of the few r To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com.

Published in the U.S. would tell a client when a property

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she explains. “When we help peop their shoes and think about what’ Top Agent Magazine them know the pros and cons of e

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

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4 Reasons Why Multitasking Can Actually Derail Your Day Common wisdom dictates that a master multitasker is likely to garner the most success. After all, doesn’t juggling multiple projects at once mean you’ll work faster than if you took each one as it came? While multitasking is often cited as a desirable skill—and surely serves its purpose now and again—studies show that a mere 2% of individuals can actually multitask effectively. Meanwhile, the remaining 98% might be doing more harm than good by trying 4

to tackle too much at once. Take a look below at some little-known facts about the risky side of waging a routine built on multitasking.

1. Multitasking decreases productivity While multitasking gives us the illusion of completing two tasks at once, it actually means

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our focus and productivity is split. In other words, switching back and forth between two activities doesn’t mean they’ll each be completed sooner; it means that you’re getting half-as-much complete as you would if you focused on a singular task. Multitasking fatigues your brain, elicits stress, and make you less efficient in retaining new information.

2. Multitasking is actually addictive While watching TV or taking a walk, have you ever noticed the impulse to check your smartphone or scroll through your social media feed? Even though we think about multitasking as a workplace skill, it’s also an addictive form of mental stimulation. By satiating our need for distraction with constant check-ins online, we become accustomed to frequent breaks in our focus, training us to crave updates, messages, and push notifications—we even hit refresh when we’ve checked in five minutes prior! This negative habit-building makes it difficult to complete sustained bouts of concentration.

3. Multitasking has negative physical side effects Studies show that those who juggle multiple focus-intensive activities actually show spikes in cortisol, a stress hormone. Likewise, frequent multitaskers display symptoms of sleep deprivation: fatigue, disorientation, and lack of focus. Studies in Europe have recently Top Agent Magazine

discovered that those who consistently multitask may actually show decreases in empathy and emotional control. What’s more, a constant sense of anticipation—readying to switch from one task to another, or persistently checking for e-mail updates—can potentially cause a decrease in overall IQ.

4. Multitasking breeds mistakes When our attention is split between tasks, it’s difficult to perceive and retain detail-oriented information. Because of this, mistakes—typos, clerical errors, mislabeled documents, and the like—occur with greater frequency. We’re in such a hurry to complete a portion of a task and switch to the next project that we lose sight of prompts, deadlines, and tying up loose ends. This means multitaskers are far more likely to overlook a glaring error than an individual who is devoting 100% of their attention to the task at hand.

Now that we understand some of the dangers of multitasking, what can we do about it? While our tech-driven day-to-day might make focusing on a singular task a difficult endeavor, it’s the surest way to produce efficient, error-free work—while cutting down on stress, fatigue, and miscommunication.

Try approaching your tasks for the day with a clear-cut schedule, moving one task at a time down your to-do list. This approach can eliminate some of the inefficiency inherent in multitasking and make for your most productive work routine yet.

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Be Their REALTOR® for Life: How to Build a Relationship with Your Clients That Will Last a Lifetime In the world of real estate, an agent’s relationship with their clients can make or break their career. This industry revolves around working well with people, and being able to develop a strong relationship with your clients is the foundation that you business is based upon.

Just like with a house, if that foundation is weak, the rest of the structure is also going to be unsteady and fragile. The mark of a good REALTOR® is their ability to build up a good referral network and following of loyal clients. This isn’t something that just happens by accident. Building healthy, strong relationships with your clients takes work and knowing how to gain another person’s trust, respect, and friendship. Here are some ways to make sure you are building the right kind of relationship with your clients.

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1. Use Your Friendliness and Optimism to Win Them Over: No one wants a pushy, overly confident salesperson for a REALTOR®. Clients are much more inclined to put their trust in the hands of someone who is friendly when it comes to one of the biggest financial transactions of their lives. A pleasant, outgoing disposition will win you more clients as well as friends. You want to establish rapport in the first few minutes of first meeting prospective clients. Rather than starting with business right off the bat, begin your meeting with some small talk such as similar interests, hobbies, and family life. This will immediately help to put your clients at ease, and show that you are not simply trying to “sell” them something.

People also respond well to optimism. During what can be a very stressful time, clients need someone to help them stay positive when a situation looks difficult and challenging. Optimism also tends to radiate charisma, and people want to be around and do business with charismatic people. You want to learn how to understand, motivate, and inspire people.

2. Be an Inquisitive Learner and an Empathetic Listener:

On the other side of this coin is knowing how to listen empathetically. Empathy involves actually putting yourself or your mind in their shoes so you can genuinely understand their concerns, needs, and opinions. That understanding and empathy is then reflected in your conversation with that client. Your clients want to know that you care about their situation, and that they’re not just another sale for you to make. People are much more willing to put their trust in you when they can sense that you are actually making an effort to feel what they feel in order to understand their situation.

Showing your interest through questions, and then thoughtfully listening goes a long way towards gaining trust. Showing empathy and acknowledging the feelings and emotions involved in your clients situation helps build a relationship founded on genuine care and trust.

3. Watch for Nonverbal Clues:

Don’t be afraid to show your curiosity and ask your clients a lot of questions. Some of these questions may even be difficult and uncomfortable. You want to discover and learn as much as you can about your client. Don’t make the mistake of jumping straight into the role of the know-it-all. Every different client has unique needs, so you want to learn as much as you can about their specific situation before trying to propose a solution. You want to uncover their primary motive for buying or selling, and flush Top Agent Magazine

out any potential concerns they might have.

After you’ve gained as much information as possible, you can then gauge their interest in your possible solutions by asking “what if” questions. Being inquisitive also demonstrates to your clients that you are genuinely interested and invested in their situation.

Most communication happens nonverbally, so knowing how to interpret your client’s body language can be incredibly helpful. Here are a few things to pay special attention to: Eye contact: Be careful with the level of eye contact you use with clients when first meeting.

Too much and too little eye contact can send the wrong impression. You want to try and maintain eye contact around 70 percent of the time. That is the amount that most people are comfortable with. Pay attention to your client’s level of eye

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contact to determine how comfortable they are.

When someone avoids eye contact that could mean they are not engaged in the conversation.

A good way to quickly build a feeling of rapport when first meeting clients is to make eye contact when you first meet them and then start nodding yes to what they’re saying. If the client reciprocates the eye contact and nodding, you’ve established a connection.

4. Prove your honesty and credibility:

Choose the right handshake for each client: One handshake does not fit all people, and that first handshake can be crucial to making a good first impression. The way to do a good handshake for each client is to try and mirror the other person’s handshake in strength, keep your shoulders aligned as you are preferably standing when you shake hands. While you shake your client’s hand make sure you make eye contact and give them a sincere smile.

Showing a little weakness can actually be to your advantage in this situation, and will actually make others more inclined view you as honest. You don’t want to come across as too good to be true. When revealing this weakness, however, the key to coming out on top is turning what sounds like a weakness into a strength. For example, your service may be more expensive, but that’s because you offer more personalized and extra services than your competitors.

Honesty and integrity are the two traits that 98 percent of buyers and sellers report are qualities they consider “very important”. The thing is you can say you have these traits all you want on your website, bio, etc., but trust has to be earned, and the only way to do this is to prove your credibility.

Here are a few tips for how to sound more credible:

When you talk to your clients avoid using filler words such as “um” and “uh”, which can decrease your credibility. You also want to watch the tone of your voice. People tend to translate a deeper tone as sounding more credible.

You want to develop a relationship to last a lifetime when interacting with your clients. There are many things you can do to accomplish this, and using these tips can take you from getting just a few referrals and repeat customers to gaining a loyal client following. Taking the little extra time to make sure you are projecting the right attitude and making sure that you are doing things to gain your client’s trust can make a world of difference for your business.

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SUSAN BROCK

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SUSAN BROCK Serving Tyler, Jacksonville and surrounding areas, Top Agent Susan Brock is completely in love with East Texas.

“You get a lot of bang for your buck in East Texas.”

Susan Brock doesn’t look at real estate transactions as a zero sum game. “I want it to be a win/win for the buyer and the seller,” she says. “I’ll tell you the secret of my success - it’s prayer. And I pray for both the buyer and the seller, that God will bring 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

His grace so that we can find people who will love this home.”

When Susan says she has success, she’s not exaggerating - she’s been a multi-million dollar producer since her very first year in Top Agent Magazine

real estate. She sells around $4 to $5 million in volume a year, which is especially impressive when you realize she’s especially active in an area that has a population of 14,500.

But she wouldn’t want to sell anywhere else. Serving Tyler, Jacksonville and surrounding areas, Susan is completely in love with East Texas. “You get a lot of bang for Top Agent Magazine

your buck in East Texas,” she says. “And I’ll tell you, it’s the most beautiful part of Texas. I’ve lived here for 40 years.”

Susan knows how to accentuate that beauty.

“My specialty is homes with acreage, lake houses,” she says. “We do drone and professional photography, and I’ll tell you it’s night and day versus using cell phone pictures. We had homes in town side by 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Susan knows how to accentuate the beauty of East Texas. “My specialty is homes with acreage, lake houses — We do drone and professional photography.” side, and my home that had professional photography sold in two days at a higher price. The other house, where they used cell phone pictures, had to drop their price $20,000.”

Bringing that professional touch to her clients is important to Susan, and she is there every step of the way. “I am there for your Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

home inspection,” she says. “I’m there taking notes. If you get a 65 page inspection report I am there to go over it with you. I’m there from the very beginning to the very end, and I think my clients really appreciate that personal approach.”

When she’s not serving her clients Susan is serving her community. She has served as Top Agent Magazine

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the director of a small deaf ministry for 11 years as well as facilitating Divorce Care, a 13 week program out of her local church with her husband, David. Susan is also a member of GTAR. the Greater Tyler Area REALTORS® association.

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Susan also loves taking advantage of the beautiful aspects of East Texas. “If I’m not working I’m fishing Lake Jacksonville!” she says. “If I’m not fishing at the end of the dock, I’m ballroom dancing.” And she’s serious about the dancing - Susan is president of the Venetian Ballroom Dance Club of Tyler, Texas.

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She’s had a terrific amount of success and has made a huge impact on her community, but Susan is still looking to the future. “I’ve been attending a class that is dedicated to improving your leads,” she says. “I’ve had the busiest spring I’ve had in five years,

and it’s thanks to that class. I’m looking to double my volume this year and then expand. I want to cover more zip codes in East Texas. I want to have more of an influence all across the area and be able to serve more people.”

To find out more about Susan Brock, visit mossyoakproperties.com, http://

call 903-571-6772 or email sbrock@mossyoakproperties.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 Top Agent Magazine

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: 15

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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LEEANN KEARNEY With a passion for helping others and a love for real estate, LeeAnn Kearney has found her dream career as an agent in the Hunt County region of Texas.

She got her start working in transaction coordinating and marketing for Keller Williams.

After a year, LeeAnn decided to go out on her own, so she earned her real estate license and hit the ground running.

“It’s been a good road with a lot of hard work!” she says. It has certainly paid off, as around 90% of her business now consists of repeat clients and referrals. Working with At Home Texas Real Estate, she credits her positivity and supportive attitude for helping grow her business.

“I’m outgoing and try to be uplifting to everyone,” LeeAnn says. “I’m a supervisor at my brokerage, with five agents under me, so I try to be a positive reinforcer for them. Real estate isn’t all about making money, it’s about making people feel special and helping them find what they’ve been looking for.”

When she works with a client, she goes above and beyond to get them towards their goals, and guides them at every step. Being continuously available also means no questions are left unanswered. Both buyers and sellers are happy with the service they receive from LeeAnn and her team, resulting in many referrals.

LeeAnn also exceeds expectations when it comes to marketing her listings. “We have our own website and utilize the MLS and local Association of Realtors®,” she explains.” They also host open houses and use Facebook to spread the word about properties. “For farms and ranches, I advertise them differently, posting them on farm and ranch websites.”

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Clients love to spread the word about LeeAnn’s work. One recently said, “LeeAnn recently helped us sell our investment property and made our entire process smooth by leading us in all the right directions! With this being our first home to sell she made us feel comfortable and was always available for questions. We highly recommend using her because of how much she truly cares about her clients and their best interest!” Another wrote, “LeeAnn is a wonderful Realtor! She is very knowledgeable of the market and great negotiating skills. She helped me get exactly what I wanted in a home and went above and beyond during the search process.”

As LeeAnn looks towards the future, she has her sights set on earning a broker’s license. Someday she hopes to start her own brokerage, with the goal of not only helping more clients find or sell homes, but helping more agents flourish in their careers.

No matter what, her love for the industry will continue to grow. “It’s so rewarding helping people with their real estate dreams. It’s great to have such an impact on their lives.”

For more about LeeAnn Kearney, please call 903-366-2288 or email leeAnn.kearney@athometx.com 17 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

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

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Millennial Buyers: Where They Are & What to Know Homebuyers and sellers come from all walks of life. If you’ve been an agent for long, you’ve likely worked alongside a wide variety of folks—from first-timer homeowners and down-sizers, to second home searchers and those finally hunting for their dream home. While there is hardly a shortage of diversity in the housing market, there Top Agent Magazine

is one generation that is making big strides in homeownership these days: Millennials.

Millennials can be loosely defined as those between the ages of twenty-two to thirtyseven. As you can see, this constitutes a wide swathe of the population. If you’re an agent who stands to learn a bit more about

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a demographic whose influence and homea demographic influence and homeownership goalswhose are rapidly evolving, tune ownership goals are rapidly evolving, tune in below for a few pointers that can help in below for a few pointers that can help you expand a segment of your clientele in you expand a segment of your clientele in the process. the process.

Where do Millennials Where do Millennials prefer to buy? prefer to buy?

Many Millennials came of age during or Many Millennials came of age during or immediately following the Great Recession, immediately following the Great Recession, and as such, many of them relocated or and as such, many of them relocated or returned returned to to mid-size mid-size cities cities and and smaller smaller communities where the cost of communities where the cost of living living was most affordable.

Of course, there was most affordable. Of course, there are are countless Millennials that call the U.S.’s countless Millennials that call the U.S.’s major majorcities cities home—especially home—especially those those in in the the

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tech industry. The good news is that you tech industry.

The goodclientele news isno thatmatter you can court Millennial can court Millennial clientele no matter where you service area is located. That where you service area is located. That said, community amenities are of great said, community amenities are of great importance to this generation. They value importance to this generation. They value public transportation, green space, and public transportation, green space, and entertainment—from coffee shops and topentertainment—from coffee shops and topnotch restaurants to farmer’s markets and notch restaurants to farmer’s markets and boutiques. Emphasizing those attributes will boutiques. Emphasizing those attributes will be key in selling to Millennials and locating be key in selling to Millennials and locating neighborhoods they’re most interested in. neighborhoods they’re most interested in.

What sort sort of of communication communication What do Millennials Millennials prefer? prefer? do Most Millennials Millennials are are digital digital natives, natives, oror Most close to. to. That That means means they they grew grewup uplearning learning close

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how to navigate digital spaces, and prefer to communicate through mediums like email, text, and social media. This isn’t to say that Millennials aren’t good communicators, but they’re often on the go, and have learned to research and shop online. To accommodate this, it’s best to build a presence across the most popular listing portals and social media platforms. Although, it’s not enough to establish a site and wait for the calls to come in. Responsiveness is a key factor for Millennials, who expect speedy response times. Make sure you’re checking your inbox frequently, responding accordingly, and engaging with your audience online. This will let Millennials know

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that you’re savvy, available, and understand the value of their preferred method of communication.

Are Millennials ready to buy?

It’s a common misconception that Millennials are uninterested in the rite of passage of purchasing a home. While Millennials maybe waiting a bit longer than their parents did to buy a home, there are good reasons to explain this phenomenon. For starters, Millennials entered the job market during the downturn, which means they are more conservative when making big purchases, and have to play catch-up to reach a sound

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financial position. Likewise, student loan debt has proved a major financial inhabitation for Millennials. Instead of socking away a few hundred a month to save for a home, they’re forking over that cash to pay down their educational loans. How does a Realtor compete with this reality? For starters, a bit of understanding goes a long way. Work with your mortgage partners to find financing possibilities that cater to this younger demographic. Recognize that Millennials—like most buyers—have some trepidations when buying a home.

Also consider fielding Millennial clientele with the long view in mind. You might be 22

courting them for months or more until they’re ready to take the plunge, but they’re also famous for their reviews. When a job is done well, Millennials shout it from the rooftops—or at least share it a dozen time from their phone.

As time passes, Millennials will continue to dominate the marketplace when it comes to buying and selling homes. A little self-education on this powerful demographic can go a long way. If you know your clients and your audience, you’ll be in a far better position to serve their interests and make a customer for life.

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MANIKA SETHIA Manika Sethia started investing in real estate over ten years ago with her husband, Pankaj Arora, when they were both working as engineers.

In addition to having a passion for real estate, Manika found that her engineering background helped her grasp the analytical aspect of real estate investment. After their sideline grew and became more successful, Manika and Pankaj took the leap into working in real estate full-time. Now, five years after earning her real estate license, Manika is known to her many loyal clients as a trustworthy guide on the path to buying or selling a home.

With their brokerage, Home Dream Solutions, Manika and Pankaj serve the Houston area, with a focus on Southwest Houston and Fort Bend County. Pankaj is the broker and focuses on the investment side of their portfolio, working with investors on rentals and flips. An impressive 70% of Manika and Pankaj’s business comes from repeat and referral clients, a testament to the trust they inspire. “Doing business with us is almost a guarantee that someone will come back to us,” Manika says.

“With every client it’s a personal experience, and we cater to the needs of each client.”

“Before the open house, we go out and knock doors and put out door hangers to get the word out,” she says.

“Every time we do an open house, we get feedback from those who attended. If person after person is saying the same thing about an improvement they’d like to see, we recommend it to our client as something we can do to sell the house.”

Outside the office, Manika likes to give back by supporting several charity organizations. She also serves as part of her local neighborhood delegate group, advising her neighbors on how to save on their property taxes. When they are not working or giving back, Manika and Pankaj love spending time with their two girls, especially going biking together.

In the future, Manika plans to continue growing the business and stay on track to double their number of transactions this year. She also wants to expand their geographic area, while at the same time maintaining the same level of service she provides to her clients.

“Trusting somebody with the biggest financial decision is a big deal,” she says. “This job is a big responsibility.

I’m their partner in helping them find the right property for them.”

Clients of Home Dream Solutions also value Manika’s honesty. “I’m one of the few real estate agents who would tell a client when a property is not right for them,” she explains. “When we help people, we put ourselves in their shoes and think about what’s right for them. We let them know the pros and cons of every property. It has to be the right decision for them,” she continues, “because buying a house is probably the biggest investment of their life and I want to make sure it’s the right investment for them.”

When marketing a listing, Manika uses a mix of online and offline tools. In addition to promotion on social media, she reaches out to her robust database of contacts, numbering in the thousands and including agents as well as past clients. And of course, open houses account for a significant part of the marketing push for each listing.

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To find out more about Manika Sethia, call 832-794-1312, email at manika@homedreamsolutions.com, or visit har.com/manika-sethia/agent_ManikaS. Zillow reviews for Home Dream Solutions can be found at www.

www.

zillow.com/profile/HomeDreamSolutions/#reviews. Their Facebook page is facebook.com/HomeDreamSolutions www.

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