TEXAS 5-13-19

TEXAS EDITION

5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR

HOW TO CREATE A BUSINESSWINNING PLAN In One Hour

Embracing Smart Homes: Does New Technology Really Increase Home Value?

FEATURED AGENT

JENNY CURETON

COVER STORY

TRINA O. GRIFFITH

TEXAS EDITION

Ken Ziegler is proud to congratulate

Jenny Cureton 6

JENNY CURETON

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TRINA O. GRIFFITH

on being featured for the State of Texas CONTENTS in Top Agent Magazine!

4) 5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR

17) EMBRACING SMART TRINA O. GRIFFITH HOMES: DOES NEW

TECHNOLOGY REALLY INCREASE HOME VALUE?

8) 7 DEADLY SINS Ken Ziegler | NMLS #1642659 OF PERSONAL BRANDING Residential Mortgage Loan Advisor 21) HOW TO CREATE A PLAN Mobile (512) 739-7675 | Fax BUSINESS-WINNING (512) 669-5134 IN ONE HOUR kennethziegler.com http://

10814 Jollyville Road, Suite 180, Austin, TX 78759

Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com 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 taken to ensure the accuracy of published materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

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5 Reasons Why You Need a Mentor As great as it might feel to start your own business, and be solely responsible for its success, at some point, every entrepreneur reaches the limit of their potential, and needs a boost that only experience can provide.

But how do you get a lifetime of experience when you’re just starting out? Sure you can read countless books, but no book can replace the real life experience and advice of a mentor.

Mentors not only provides valuable insights, but they also have access to valuable connections as well. In fact a majority of the 4

most successful CEOs and entrepreneurs in the country have said that having a mentor early on was instrumental in their success.

Here are some of the reasons why.

1. They’re able to see where you need improvement, when you can’t When you’re working non-stop to get your business off the ground, you might feel sensitive to any criticism from people who aren’t going through what you are. A good

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mentor knows exactly what you’re going though, and has probably made every mistake. When you’re in the thick of it, you might not be able to see where the problems are. A knowledgeable outsider, who knows exactly where you’re at and has only your best interests at heart is just what you need.

When you have a trusting relationship with someone like that, you will be more willing to listen to that brutal honesty, even if that constructive criticism stings.

energy into it. They can see things in a completely logical way and guide you based on the facts rather than emotion. A good mentor helps you work smarter, not harder. They help you focus on your goals and how to get there, as well as setting boundaries for you so you don’t overextend yourself. They teach you how to say no and help you let go when you need to move on from a setback.

2. They will encourage you to think outside of the box

In addition to expertise, building a strong network is something that can only come with time. A mentor will most likely have that already, giving you access to people and resources that would take others years to gain. These connections will lead to opportunities that might never have happened otherwise. It’s also a great confidence boost knowing that your mentor trusts and believes in you enough to invite you into their inner circle.

Years of experience can give someone a great idea of what works and what doesn’t.

They’ve seen things first hand, not just in theory. At the same time, mentors recognize the importance of taking chances, calculating risks, as well as cutting losses and moving on. A good mentor isn’t trying to encourage you to be a carbon copy of them, they are trying to create the best ‘you’ possible. That includes encouraging you to take chances, and then being there pushing you to keep going forward if it doesn’t work out.

A good mentor knows that even failures can be opportunities.

3. They take the emotion out of decisions and help set boundaries Unlike you, a mentor has no emotional investment in certain business approaches that you might have decided to try. There’s nothing harder than admitting something isn’t working when you’ve put a lot of time and Top Agent Magazine

4. Networking

5. Encouragement At the heart or it all, a mentor offers you encouragement and motivation along the way, in good times and in bad. After a failure, it can be hard to get back on track and keep forging ahead. It helps to have someone who has spent year getting back up after being known down and coming out stronger than ever. It’s during those moments, when you feel alone and isolated, that having someone around offering you advice and positive feedback will be a much needed salve. They’re your cheerleader, they want you to succeed, and hopefully, you’ll pay it forward one day when you become as successful as them.

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JENNY CURETON Ranked as the number 18 real estate agent in Austin, Texas by the Austin Business Journal, multi-million dollar producer Jenny Cureton is a consummate professional who truly cares about the well-being of her many grateful clients. Jenny’s combination of a warm and winning personality and her vast reservoir of industry knowledge has made her an indispensable resource to her customers, who return to her time and time again for their real estate needs.

Jenny began her career as a Realtor in 2012. Prior to that, she worked as the marketing director for a real estate developer, and as Director of Online Marketing for the Dallas Symphony, both of which allowed her to finely hone the skills that have played a vital role in her ascension to Top Agent status. In addition to residential sales, Jenny has a strong focus on land sales and custom home builds, and her extensive personal experience in the flipping and home design arenas has imbued her with knowledge that a large percentage of her competition lack, and which directly benefits her customers.

Jenny - who recently joined Compass Real Estate - services a wide swath of the Austin area, including the communities of Dripping Springs, Driftwood, Wimberley, Buda and Kyle. Additionally, she is the exclusive agent representative for Howard Ranch, a custom home community in Dripping Springs. As lead of the Hometown Charm Real Estate Group, Jenny is carefully building a team of equally-dedicated agents, all of whom share her passion and her client-first business ethos.

More than half of Jenny’s business is the result of repeat clients and referrals, an impressive statistic that illustrates clearly that her fierce commitment to customer service is inspiring loyalty and trust. “Also,” says Jenny, “I think my clients appreciate that I’m not a high-pressure salesperson. I’m very low-key, and I truly just want to help people find a home or sell a home.”

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A thorough, intelligent approach to marketing also factors heavily into Jenny’s continuing success story.

High-quality photography ensures each listing is seen in its best light, and extensive utilization of the internet and social media platforms maximize exposure, resulting in quick sales for top dollar, not to mention happy clients.

“I spend a lot on my listings,” says Jenny, “because I want my sellers to know that it’s very important to me to sell their property. They appreciate that.”

Perhaps the best way to measure the amazing customer service Jenny provides is to take a look at the scores of glowing reviews she has received particularly on Zillow.com, on which site she is a Premier Agent with a perfect overall five-star rating. Additionally, her professionalism and reputation previously landed her a featured spot on the HGTV series House Hunters.

“I’d really like to continue growing a successful team, and I really want to dominate this market. I think there’s a place here for an all-female team, and I think we can do really well with the right marketing,” she says.

“I really love my job,” says Jenny, with obvious sincerity. “Not just because I’ve been successful at it, but because I really do enjoy helping people.”

For more about Jenny Cureton, please call 512-618-4966 or email Jenny.Cureton@compass.com Copyright Top Top Agent Agent Magazine Magazine

Ken Ziegler is proud to congratulate

Jenny Cureton

on being featured for the State of Texas in Top Agent Magazine!

Ken Ziegler | NMLS #1642659 Residential Mortgage Loan Advisor Mobile (512) 739-7675 | Fax (512) 669-5134 kennethziegler.com http://

10814 Jollyville Road, Suite 180, Austin, TX 78759

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and they don’t care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also like activities they can start and finish.

Compliants are thinkers. They’re always wondering how things work.

They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy.

They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logical organization of information.

7 Deadly Sins of Personal Branding

some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’ve opted for a much more affordable offering: a free DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own What is a style ‘personal Just likeothers com- as sistently dominant andbrand’? how to read well. (across all marketing platforms), pany or product branding, it’s built around a well-defined brand can elevate agent recimaging and messaging that is designed to ognition and help to establish credibility Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding create a feeling. And in the case of personal and authority. However, when executed appropriately all takehow work But because realare estate is a people branding, it influences you and wantattention. others incorrectly, the effects lackluster at best, business, it’s simply a must.

And the better at it you become, the to feel about you. From your photos to other and harmful at worst. To help you better avoid living as an or broker. brandyou’ll images,make elements andagent even content, theI promise. pitfalls of personal branding, we’ve there is a lot that goes into creating your compiled a list of what we feel are the 7 unique brand.to Displayed Best of luck you! correctly and con- deadliest sins.

Copyright©, 2015 BubbaNO Mills.

All rights reserved.

DIFFERENTIATION Branding about being known forvicereal estate agent who expressed to us that Bubba Mills isis not co-owner and executive president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an in international your profession.

It’s about being known she was already well branded her area. consulting coaching that performance coaching and for being and different in yourcompany profession.

If specializes She stated,in“When I walk into a restaurant theallimplementation sound systems Real Estate Companies, Mortgage agents were the of same, howbusiness would your in into my community, people already know Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational customers know who to choose? Lack of I’m a real estate agent.” And while that and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage differentiation is out by more far the #1 personal is a great start, it’s nowhere close to succompanies.

To find about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 We love to tell the story of a cessful branding. Let’s assume I walked or branding visit us at sin. www.CorcoranCoaching.com.

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into that restaurant and noticed her. But I also noticed two other agents in the same restaurant. Now, who do I choose? Which

‘brand’ stands out to me? What lets me know that one of them is uniquely positioned to serve my needs?

and they don’t care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also NO FOCUS like activities they can start and finish.

In business, you can’t be all things to all side of your specific focus. That would be people. Many have and failed.

In or- always quite difficult.

It does mean over work. time Compliants are tried thinkers.

They’re wondering howthat, things der to have business and brand, doneacorrectly), you approach. will do moreWhen and They wanta successful practicality, logic, fairness(ifand systematic you must define yourfacts, ideal custommore ofand the data. exact They kind ofseek business you talking toclearly thinkers give documentation accuracy. er and how you will super-serve that cus- want, and conversely, even stop doing They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, tomer. In other words, declare and develop the kind of business you don’t want. And detailed tasks and focused, logical itorganization of information. a specialty.

By being does NOT that’s what a great brand is designed to mean that you stop doing all business outaccomplish.

some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’veNO opted for a much more affordable offering: a free AUTHENTICITY DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle.

Recognizable personal brands can be very You should be able to ‘breathe your brand’ php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own clever and memorable, but if your brand in everything that you do. This is importdominant andlast. how to read as well. isn’t ‘you’,style it won’t If you try toothers put ant not only for your customers, but perout a persona that is different from your haps most importantly for you. There is Yes, needs and wants responding ownunderstanding and the way you people, live yourlistening life, peo- to their a tremendous amount of and confidence that ple will take notice overwork time. and The attention. most comes knowing youisare who appropriately all take Butwith because realthat estate a people incredible it’s personal brands weaveAnd pro-theyou portray, that become, you have the business, simply a must. better at itandyou thehabits, better fessional and personal intoorone. inspiration, knowledge and expertise to living you’ll make asqualities an agent broker.

I promise.

Your brand becomes an extension of you. back it up.

Best of luck to you!

NO CONSISTENCY

You can have a2015 recognizable memocards, postcards, brochures, etc. Other peoCopyright©, Bubbaand Mills.

All rights reserved.

rable brand, but if you don’t display those ple don’t see them nearly as often, so don’t branding correctly consis- viceapply or compare your own habits and Bubba Millselements is co-owner andand executive president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international tently across all of your marketing plat- exposure to theirs. Repetitiveness in marconsulting andyou coaching company in only performance coaching and forms, it does little good.

In orderthat to specializes keting is not a good thing, it’s essenthe implementation sound systems Real Estate Companies, Mortgage accomplish this taskofwell, youbusiness must step tialinto for retention.

Once you determine the Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational back from your marketing and see it the overall messaging and look of your brand, and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage way others To do.find Youout seemore yourabout socialCorcoran media Consulting that look should continuecall across literally companies. & Coaching, 1-800-957-8353 every day. You see your business every marketing platform you touch. orchannels visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com.

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NO CONTENT The ultimate goal of personal branding is comfortable producing is the key to keeping to become known as an authority in your it simple. No one wants to be bogged down andchosen they niche. don’t That caremeans for sudden or lifestyle.

They also withprocedure producing content.

But on the flip side, that youchanges must in likedemonstrate activitiesthe they can start and finish. knowledge, expertise and/ no one knows how much you know until or experience to back up your position. you share it. Great content demonstrates your knowledge and how helps your customers Content that are best expresses youThey’re and your always Compliants thinkers. wondering things work. the asame time. In addition, it serves anbrandwant couldpracticality, be as simple logic, as a series of at They fairness and systematic approach.

When other purpose with search engine optimizaphotos, quotes, e-books, video shorts, etc. talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy.

Choosing the type of content you’re most tion and attracting prospects online.

They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logicalNO organization of ACTION information.

CALL TO

You’re spending money to market across using other people’s money’. Your call some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at multiple platforms, so why not take the to action may change with different marCorcoran Coaching, opted for more affordable offering: keting channels or purposes, buta free you opportunity to extendwe’ve an invitation fora much DIsC Just with visityou? www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. your assessment. prospects to engage It can should always, always have one. If you want people to do something, tell them a simple call be to action, such as ‘call me phpbeand you’ll guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own you’d like them to do. That’s how you first’ or more ‘contact me others for a aswhat dominant stylespecific, and how to read well. free home staging assessment’ or ‘download my e-book and learn how to invest

move prospects one step closer to becoming customers.

Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding appropriately all take work attention. But because real estate is a people NOand FOLLOW-THROUGH business, it’s simply a must. And the better at it you become, the better with hundreds of agents, folWhyyou’ll is this included in branding, living make as an agentyou or may broker.munication I promise. ask? Because your brand is your bond. It’s low-through is at the top of the list when it comes to customer complaints. You don’t your handshake. When you say you’ll do Best of luck to you! something, how can people trust you if want to be that person. Putting an incredible you don’t follow through with your prom- message and image out there isn’t enough. must live up to those standards with ise? This is often elementMills. that people Copyright©, 2015theBubba All rightsYou reserved. forget altogether. And in fact, in our com- every customer, every transaction

Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), international ® Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder ofan BrandFace , LLC. ® consulting andMichael coaching specializes in performance coaching Carr is company America’s Topthat Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace partner. and the implementation of they sound systems into Real Estatedesigned Companies, Mortgage Together, focusbusiness on personal branding and marketing to help real estate ® professionals become theBubba face of their & a star in their market. BrandFace Companies and Small Businesses.

Millsbusiness is a nationally recognized inspirational Real Estate Professionals is a book, speaking and and an exclusive and educationfor speaker, coach and mentor toprofessional the top real estateseries agents mortgage workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com. or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com.

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TRINA O. GRIFFITH

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TRINA O. GRIFFITH With 25 years in the business, Trina runs her own brokerage, Trina Griffith and Company, Real Estate, LLC, where she leads a team of just under twenty agents listing and selling in the East Texas area.

How did Trina O. Griffith become the go-to real estate agent for luxury homes in Longview?

An East Texas native, Trina had sales and banking experience and was working full-time for the Chamber of Commerce of Longview.

After she had her first child in 1991 she decided she’d like a job with more flexibility that allowed her to work with people. In 1994 she studied for her license and went to work for one of the largest real estate company’s in Longview. In her first year, she closed over 12 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

$4 million in transactions and she’s been an industry leader ever since. Now with 25 years in the business, she runs her own brokerage, Trina Griffith and Company, Real Estate, LLC, where she leads a team of just under twenty agents. Trina’s dedication to handpicking her agents has resulted in excellence of service and a reputation as one of the top brokerages in Longview.

Trina and her team list and sell properties in the East Texas area. The majority of her Top Agent Magazine

business comes from repeat and referral clients. What keeps her clients coming back? “I’m very hands-on and I’m always there for my clients, ready to answer their questions, or deal with new situations that may arise.” Trina has excellent follow-through and is a great listener. Her clients rave that she is honest, trustworthy, and diplomatic in her negotiations. They value her 25 years of experience and often pick up the phone to call her to ask for her opinion on matters related to real estate and beyond.

Trina and her husband of 37 years have raised their family in Longview. “We love Longview,” she says, “and my clients understand that I know each section of the city well, understand the market, and can advise them on what would be a good investment.”

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Trina has made a name for herself as the go-to luxury specialist in Longview. To market listings, she is featured as an elite agent on luxury websites such as luxuryhomes. com. She conducts a thorough campaign on social media, sends mailouts, creates email campaigns, and posts on two separate MLS groups in order to reach the largest possible audience. On her own, Trina typically carries from 35-45 listings at a time with the majority of her properties in the $500,000 to $1,000,000 range. Her company collectively carries a large majority of the luxury listings and the “best” listings in every price range for her city’s MLS association.

Trina and her husband, Daren, have made real estate their full time business and passion!

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They started young by building spec homes and selling them, and by owning rental properties and apartment complex. While Trina is passionate and has a keen eye for home interiors and décor, Daren is just as passionate about developing land into ranches.

“We owned many ranches that my husband developed into beautiful properties and sold through the years. Our current project is a 500+ acre ranch with two large lakes over 100 acres, flowing streams and waterfalls, a completely rebuilt and remodeled 5500 sq. ft. home and much more! It is a picturesque creation that we both love,” says Trina.

Among her honors and awards, Trina has been honored to be chosen as BSCENE Magazine’s first Longview, Texas cover personality. She Top Agent Magazine

was also featured on the cover of Longview’s Community Magazine, Infinity Plus, in December 2019.

For many years Trina has named Best Real Estate Agent by Best of East Texas News Journal Poll and her company has earned this honor also. She has been named #1 Agent by Top Agent Magazine

Locals Love Us many years running. Trina was named “100 Most Influential Agents in Texas” by Real Estate Executive Magazine.

She was chosen as “America’s Top 100 Real Estate Agents, putting her in the 1% Category!

What’s Trina’s favorite part of the job? “The people I get to work with!” she says. She loves Copyright Top Agent Magazine 15

getting to know her clients and helping them to achieve their goals. “I look at a transaction with a client as the beginning of a ‘relationship’ and as a valued friend!” To give back to the community that’s given her so much, Trina has served on the Board of the Trinity School of Texas and she is very involved with the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer’s Association— which are both diseases that her parents have been

affected by—and her local church, Grace Creek.

In her cherished free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, their two sons and one grandson. For the future, Trina plans to keep the residential part of her business going strong while also developing a land division. With her strong track record of success serving her community’s real estate needs, she’s sure to make that goal a reality in the months and years to come!

To find out more about Trina O. Griffith, you can contact her via email at trinagriffith1@aol.com or by phone at 903-736-3754.

You can also check her out online at trinagriffithandcompany.com, www.

www.

Facebook.com/trinagriffithandcompany, Instagram/TrinaGriffithandCompany and LuxuryHomes.com www.

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Embracing Smart Homes:

Does New Technology Really Increase Home Value?

Technology and innovation move at a lightning-fast clip, so it can be hard to keep up with all the smart-home trends sweeping the market at a given time. From smart thermostats to security systems accessed through an app on your phone—there are endless options to customize and update your home for the modern era. But which, if any, of these smart home products add Top Agent Magazine

value to property in a significant, worthwhile capacity? Especially with new generations of the same products released in quick succession, it can be hard to determine whether it’s worth it to take the plunge. With that in mind, we’ve conducted a deep-dive into the smart home options out there that make the most sense for your bottom line and real estate investments.

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Smart home amenities range in price and return.

There are certain smart home products that won’t break the bank while still adding lovely touches and time-saving features to your space. For instance, a smart thermostat may not run more than a few hundred dollars, but it can take so much of the guesswork and analog nuisance out of programming your home’s internal environment. That said, buyers selling properties with mid-range amenities like this can’t expect a windfall in return. While smart home features can certainly lure buyers and give the sense that a home is attractively modern (and thus move-in ready), it doesn’t mean that you’ll be reaping a sizable monetary reward for your foresight. Conversely, this reality doesn’t mean those smart options

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are without value entirely; it just means that the value of smart home options may be apparent in a different capacity, like luring a particular buyer or creating a desirable, sleek image for a property headed to market.

On the other hand, larger scale smart home amenities that are being left behind for the buyer—like a smart refrigerator or wired sound throughout the property—may be able to lure particular buyers who value high-end details. While it can be difficult to state definitively the value of smart home options, the rule tends to be that the more you put in, the higher the likelihood you’ll reap the investment you sow. Focus your smart home options on home appliances first, then work your way toward security, thermostat, and entertainment options.

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Smart home amenities capture the attention of buyers

Agents must know how to pitch the value of smart home options

Even if you have mostly opted for small or mid-range smart home options, you can still benefit from their presence in a property—even if they don’t inflate your bottom line as a result. Smart home amenities have the power to focus the attention of buyers, sending a clear signal that the previous owners were tech-forward and made an effort to upgrade the property for the contemporary era. Millennial or Gen Z buyers especially value these up-to-date modifications, and the presence of these desirable gadgets can create added interest and drive up value naturally. Likewise, featuring these options in listing photography can also drive interest from younger or high-end buyers looking for move-in ready spaces.

Remember that smart home features are relatively fresh to the market. While some new construction properties are equipped with these smart amenities, just as many homes on the market don’t offer these upgrades and modern flairs. This means that many buyers, of all ages even, aren’t familiar with the benefits and perks of these options, let alone how they’re operated. Before you can derive value from a smart home or smart home features, you’ll need to understand a product’s proper usage, cost, and benefits. Do your homework regarding what smart home features can offer in terms time or cost savings, and be able to show prospective buyers how easy these objects are to use, as well. Do both, and you’ll be in proper command of what smart home features can offer buyers and pitch them accordingly.

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How to Create a Business-Winning Plan in One Hour

by Bubba Mills

Baloney! That’s what I say to those who think building a business plan should take days, weeks, even months. And I say baloney again to those who think a plan has to have a bunch of pages with graphs and charts.

I know for a fact REALTORS don’t have that kind of time. But I also know every serious REALTOR® needs a good plan. That means if you’re reading this, you’re in the right place. Stick with me and you’ll end up with a plan that can make your year much better. ®

A comprehensive business plan (two pages max) can help you: • Account for what you accomplish • Clarify your life • Keep track of each of your goals • Manage your time Top Agent Magazine

• Determine if you’re heading in the right direction So let’s get right to it. Here are the steps to take to get your plan in place and your year (and rear) in gear: Create a mission statement. This gets right to the heart of your life and addresses why you’re in real estate. It answers why you’re here, what your purpose is and what your business is truly about. Use positive, present tense statements such as “I am,” “I provide,” “I strive” as you define who you are and what you provide your clients. Take 10 minutes now to brainstorm some possible mission statements.

Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).

For strengths, maybe you’re tech savvy. For weaknesses perhaps you’re unorganized. With opportunities, it could be that a large firm is relocating to your city. And for threats, maybe 21

Every serious REALTOR® needs a good plan. the mid-term, one year; and the long-term, five years. Also, in this same section, write your personal objectives. We can’t be balanced in life if all we focus on is business.

So consider what your ideal sitWrite your business objectives. In uation would look like with your this section I’d like you to consider family, your spiritual life and your what you want your business to look social life. Spend 10 minutes now like in the short-term, six months; in on these topics. interest rates are rising. Take 10 minutes now and fill in a few items for each category. If you get stuck, ask a co-worker or friend, who knows you well enough, for suggestions.

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Create a mission statement. This gets right to the heart of your life and addresses why you’re in real estate. It answers why you’re here, what your purpose is and what your business is truly about.

Create your sales goals. Here’s where I don’t want you to be afraid to think bigger. Take 15 minutes for this section. As part of this segment here at Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc., we include what’s called a goal achievement system that helps you stay on track with your goals. So for each goal, we include a why, excuses for failure, resolve and action items. I believe this is a vital step because it allows you to examine why you might hesitate in completing parts of your business plan. Email me at Article@CorcoranCoaching.com, and I’ll send you a free worksheet on this system.

Develop action items. To wrap up your plan, you need to get specific about how you’ll achieve your goals.

So for each goal you should have action items, due dates, who will Top Agent Magazine

complete the items and a step-by-step daily and hourly plan with what has to be done. Take 15 minutes and do it.

Tell me what you’re thinking. Do you have a plan? If not, why not? What’s preventing you from creating one?

What successes or failures have you had with plans in the past?

Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching. com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into Real Estate Companies, Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1800-957-8353 or visit us at www.Corcoran Coaching.com.

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