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WISCONSIN EDITION

BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE:

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

JOHN PANZIGRAU JASON SYENS KAREN TREPTON COVER STORY

KATIE O’KEEFE

TIPS TO GET NEW CLIENTS

EVERY PLAYER IS VALUABLE:

HOW TO BOOST YOUR TEAM’S MORALE

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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. 4

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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:

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. 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

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. 6

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KATIE O’KEEFE Top Agent Magazine

KATIE O’KEEFE “I love that every single day is different, and every single client is different. And that is what I think is the coolest thing about our industry.” Buying or selling a home is a serious affair. For most, it will be the biggest investment of their lives. It takes a broker like Katie O’Keefe to navigate a daunting process to make it stress-free, even fun. “I always think it should be fun. It 8

should be exciting,” she says. Katie illuminates the brighter side even when a decision is prompted by a crisis such as death or divorce. “By the same token, it’s usually a new beginning. And Top Agent Magazine

so I try to look at it and say, let me take the stressful part out of it. That’s my job. This should be fun, whether we’re liquidating someone’s asset and hopefully making them a ton of money, or finding them a property that they’re going to start a new chapter. And that to me is really exciting.” That excitement began just as soon as Katie was introduced to real estate as a career 17 years ago. Bored with sales in another industry, she took a real estate Top Agent Magazine

class on a friend’s suggestion. “And without sounding cliche, after the very first class, I felt like I had found my niche.” Katie feeds on the challenge and variety that real estate offers. “I love that every single day is different, and every single client is different. And that is what I think is the coolest thing about our industry. We’re in different locations, people’s homes, different personalities. It just keeps it really interesting.” From her base in southeastern Wisconsin, 9

Katie leads a team of seven agents. Her longevity in the industry gives her perspective to advise clients during cyclical highs and lows in the market. A seasoned broker not resting on her laurels, she continues learning and has five professional designations to her name. “This is a very technical industry,” Katie says. “There’s a lot of legalities that are associated with it. And I think you just need to keep learning and growing and not just say, ‘Okay, I’m done’.” Continuing education is a focus for the

team, including becoming more adept at social media. Katie sees social media not just as a channel to publicize agents, but as a tool that is streamlining the process for clients. “We don’t want to be flippant about what we’re doing, she says, “but I think the easier we can make the process for our clients and customers is going to be key. Making it simple for our consumer. Making sure that we’re not stressing them out.” A gym rat who finds joy cooking up a good meal, Katie believes in a work-life

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balance. I think it’s just important that we find our stressor outlets,” she says, “because it can be a high stress job. We really don’t truly have days off. So to me it’s key to find a couple of things that really bring you enjoyment.” One of those things is giving back to her community. Katie holds an annual event in which she and volunteers make sandwiches for the homeless. The event has grown from 150 sandwiches the first year to 1,000 recently. She has expanded it to include coat and blanket drives. Serving the community so long, at work and off, has helped Katie get to the point where the lion’s share of her business Top Agent Magazine

comes from past clients or referrals. As long as the industry evolves, she will too, for the sake of making home buying and selling smoother for clients. “There’s nothing else that really interests me the

way real estate does. I really think when you can get up and not feel like you’re dreading your day, and your work is your passion, It makes working every day a little easier.”

To learn more about Katie O’Keefe, call 414.899.5009 , visit dream-realty.com, or email katie@dream-realty.com www.

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Victoria L. Nitecki is proud to congratulate

Katie O’Keefe

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

Victoria L. Nitecki | Escrow Officer Stewart Title Company Office (262) 207-1774 | Direct (414) 588-6488 vickie.nitecki@stewart.com stewart.com/Milwaukee http://

250 N. Sunnyslope Rd, Suite 135, Brookfield, WI 53005

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5 Tips to Get New Clients If you’ve been in the industry for a while, you’ve probably built up a healthy percentage of repeat and referral business. Although it can be tempting to just maintain those relationships rather than generating new business, there’s something to be said for staying on top of 14

your game by never resting on your laurels. Actively pursuing new clients is not only a way to generate more business, but depending on how you do it, it could even lead to a profitable new niche. Here are just a few ways to build up your new client base. Top Agent Magazine

Become a referral partner with industry peers

Cold Call Expired and FSBO Listings

Everyone from mortgage lenders, to financial planners, to insurance agents, can be potentially lucrative referral partners for a Realtor®. You may already have great relationships with some that just need to be more formalized. But, you don’t just want to partner with anyone, make sure these are people you also feel completely comfortable referring your clients to - people who share your values and work ethic.

Another avenue to consider is divorce attorneys – yes, you heard that correctly. Helping people go through this difficult period actually requires a very specific skill set. You need to be able to handle the legal aspects, as well as the emotional ones. There are numerous training courses you can take if you decide to take this route, which could end up being a lucrative and much-needed specialty.

This is a route a lot of agents take when they are just starting out, that usually leads to great success. You probably haven’t cold called since you started out, and this is a great skill to build up again. It will not only sharpen your sales skills, but could generate a lot more business. People with For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) and expired listings, are usually very motivated to sell. This is a great chance for you to really hone in on why they need to hire you. Do you offer innovative marketing plans? Access to a large sphere of influence? Expired listing clients are looking for ways to sell a property that seems impossible to move. With FSBOs, you need to show them how you can get them more money in their pocket, even

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with paying you a commission. Pursuing both will really engage your mind to think outside of the box, which will not only get you more business, but make you better at what you do. 15

Partner up with a Relocation Company

Become a Builder’s Realtor® of choice

This is another niche market that you can really capitalize on if you want to pursue a new specialty. But, it is a specialty, so getting educated on the process will help you generate the business you want. It’s a complicated area of real estate, you’ll often

times be helping to facilitate dual transactions, as you try and secure a property at the same time you are helping your relocation client sell their previous home. This specialty is becoming an in-demand skill in areas that have major corporate headquarters.

This can be a real score for any Realtor®. The competition might be fierce to land a client like this, but there are numerous ways to make yourself stand out from the rest. Gain certifications and become knowledgeable about the construction process. Be wellversed on what trendy materials, features, and finishes will add value to a property. Get the builder on board with you by offering to take just a segment of the subdivision then wow them with your marketing skills. Take on properties they haven’t been able to sell. You can even offer to throw an open

Create a Website that Offers Real Value to Potential Clients

Perhaps the most useful way of getting contact information for people looking to sell is by adding a home valuation feature to your website. When people are first considering selling their home, finding out how much 16

house for them. This is another way to show them the level of service they can expect from you. These clients might be harder to land, but the payoff will be enormous.

it is worth is one of the first questions they want answered. By becoming a resource to potential clients (and current clients!), you just might be the first person that comes to mind when they’re actually looking to sell. Top Agent Magazine

JOHN PANZIGRAU For many of us, a job is just a job, a way to pay the bills, plan for retirement, a means to an end. For the lucky few, however, a job is so much more. It’s something meaningful, something to look forward to every day, something you love. After 43 years in the business, Realtor® John Panzigrau is one of the lucky ones. “I think I enjoy the business more today than at any other time. I look forward to helping my clients to accomplish their real estate dreams.” John says of his sales strategy. “It’s not just about sales volume, but more like working together with the client, helping to accomplish the task with less stress and less pressure for them.” John’s career path started with graduating from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and being CFO of a local credit union for three years. Some of the lending at the credit union involved second mortgages. “I was asked to provide appraisals for members and that led me to the real estate license. In the late 70’s I worked for a Madison WI real estate investment firm. But that particular position wasn’t a good fit for me.” It did, however, set John on the path to his future career. “After coming back to the Eau Claire area a friend of mine suggested I contact his uncle that was a homebuilder,” John says. “My role there was to help a potential buyer of new construction to sell their present home as well as to complete the purchase of the new home. That position provided me with a background of construction as well as the development and sale of vacant land and existing homes.” When the company was purchased by another real estate firm in 1984, John went along and is with the same firm today. “Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with development and sales of a number of subdivisions, condominium homes and rental investment properties”. And John is still involved in that capacity today. Living and working in the Eau Claire-Chippewa Top Agent Magazine

Falls area for so many years has paid off for John. The broker acquired a REMAX franchise in 2013 and John has consistently been among the top producers and Platinum award winners. The many years of success in real estate have helped to get John involved with local businesses and charities in the community. “In recent years I have funded an opportunity scholarship for UW-Eau Claire students. And with the presence of COVID issues I decided to give a portion of my commissions from each sale to help three nonprofits in the area– the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic to help the uninsured and underinsured, UW-Eau Claire for students in need of COVID relief, and the Elks Lodge 402 to help our veterans and our youth. “As long as the real estate business provides a true sense of value and success,”he says, “I will gladly continue to help our clients and customers.” John will be on the job for some time. As he described his future plans with REMAX “I have to know that whatever I did during the day, it was worth doing and was a benefit to someone.”

To learn more about John Panzigrau, please call 715-559-8001, email Jpanz@remax.net or visit jpanz.com www.

JASON SYENS Jason Syens’ real estate business is centered upon one philosophy: if you do the right thing every time, then winning is inevitable. “Not only will you win, but your clients will win,” he explains. “But you have to put in the work.” Jason’s hard work is seen throughout his career, from serving in management roles in the car industry for 28 years, to running a small film production company focused on the outdoors. It was through his work in videography that he was introduced to real estate. “I connected with a friend of mine who owned a brokerage, and they kept asking me to come aboard,” Jason explains. By 2019, Jason felt he grew as much as possible in the automotive world, and was ready for a new challenge. Growing up around land, hunting and farming, Jason has an unmatched knowledge about all things outdoors, and wanted to utilize these skills in helping people buy or sell property. “I spent the first three months as an agent following my broker and learning about all the different aspects of real estate,” he says. “In the nine months afterwards, I closed $5 million in total volume.” He’s continued to grow ever since, completing $17 million in production for 2021, which consisted of just under 2,000 acres of land. Serving central and south central Wisconsin, Jason’s ties to the outdoors run deep. He grew up in a small, rural town, spending his free time hunting and playing on the land. “I grew a respect for the land and a passion for developing it and taking care of it,” he explains. Jason hosted and owned a popular podcast called The White Knuckle Podcast, where he shared his knowledge about hunting, land management, property management and more. Currently, he hosts a podcast for the nationally known Digital Hunting Series Midwest Whitetail After Hours. He loves sharing his expertise with listeners and clients alike, guiding them through the intricacies of the outdoor lifestyle. “I’m able to help people not only sell or buy land, but also help them develop it into what they are envisioning,” he says. “Not everyone wants to hunt, 18

and that’s perfectly fine. I tailor it towards what they are doing and what their goals are.” Some clients come to Jason wanting acres of land that can be developed into a park-like environment, or want to manage wildlife, or create a farm. Jason is able to locate the exact type of land for their needs, and educate them about the various government programs. Jason loves his community and always carves out time to give back. He’s a member of his hometown’s Chamber of Commerce, is a volunteer firefighter for the Endeavor Moundville Fire Department, and sits on the Planning and Zoning Commission for the township of Moundville. When he’s not working, he loves to spend time with family and friends, hunt, and engage in his hobbies of videography and photography. Moving forward, Jason hopes to expand into other states. His brokerage just opened up locations in Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. “I love helping new agents establish themselves and reach success.” Binding his passion for the outdoors with his love of land, real estate has proved to be a dream career for Jason. “I wake up every day excited to get to work. What’s not to love about it? I get to spend every day outside.”

For more information about Jason Syens, please call 608-697-0160 or email jason@midwestlifestyleproperties.com Top Agent Magazine

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: 19

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.

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.”

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

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

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. Top Agent Magazine

KAREN TREPTON As a trailing spouse who moved with her husband and his job, Karen Trepton knew what it took to buy and sell a house successfully. During their 36 years of marriage, Karen and her husband, Dave, moved 12 times throughout six different states. Packing and moving weren’t new to Karen. Before she was married, she lived in 16 other homes and apartments. That’s a whopping 28 in total. Frequently, she found her new home in need of repair and updating. Karen quickly gained a passion for renovating and staging homes. A love she not only enjoyed but was so good at it that a friend recommended she get into real estate. Karen decided to give it a try in 1991, and the rest, you might say, is history. She quickly learned that her strong service experience in the hospitality field and her love for real estate make for a winning combination for her clients. When Karen and Dave started their family, they moved back to Wisconsin and the Lake Country Area. They loved to be closer to family. Karen is a 4th generation Lake Country resident. Her grandfather was a farmer in the area, and her parents owned a home on the lake. In 2000, Karen and Dave purchased their current home — an 1800s Lake Home on Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc. She renovated the home to provide multigenerational living spaces, allowing her boys to grow up with their grandparents, who occupy an apartment within the home. After a few years of raising her children, she joined Shorewest, REALTORS®. Karen’s success in real estate continues today because of the many relationships she has built. “Over 90% of my business today is referral-based,” Karen shares. “Putting a client’s goals ahead of personal interests is key!” Karen attributes her unique style of helping clients find their dream home while maximizing the most out of their living situation as the differentiating trait that sets her apart from her competitors. In addition, Top Agent Magazine

Karen stays authentic and accountable, contributing to her network of clients resulting in a record year for Karen in 2021, where she sold 13 million dollars in volume. Karen embraces the Lake Country Community and lifestyle. She grew up and raised her family in the area, and enjoys helping others find their dream home. When her kids were in school, Karen volunteered in the classroom and sat on the local public education foundation board. She also was active in their favorite pastime, sailing, by serving on the sailing school board of her yacht club and the Midwest regional board for high school sailing, where she was successful in starting a sanctioned high school sailing program for the metro Milwaukee area. She now serves on her local yacht club board as Commodore. When Karen isn’t working, she loves the Midwest lake life and the variety of activities it offers to her and her family. She also enjoys reading (she’s been a book club member for over 20 years) and spending time with friends and family.

To learn more about Karen, email ktrepton@shorewest.com or visit Lakecountrypartners.shorewest.com http://

5 Things You Can Do To Achieve Your Biggest Goals If there’s one thing successful people can agree on, it’s that setting goals has been key to their success. Whether you’re creating a five year plan or just settling on what you want to achieve by the end of the day, setting goals gives you the focus and direction you need to complete even the biggest tasks. But there is a method to setting them. It’s a process that takes careful thought and con22

sideration up front, which is then combined with the hard work necessary to implement your plan. Luckily there are proven methods to goal setting that you can start using immediately. 1. MAKE YOUR GOALS SPECIFIC

Yes, it’s fun to think in grand terms of where you want to end up in life and in your career, but it’s better to have a specific

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Your plan of action should include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. goal like “Increase my sales by 25%”, than “Get rich.” When a goal is clear and specific, it allows you to figure out the exact steps you need to take to accomplish it. The more general it is, the more paralyzed you might be when it comes to figuring out what to do since, the choices may be overwhelming. 2. MAKE IT ATTAINABLE

Making attainable goals might seem boring, I mean afterall, you want to dream big! But you don’t want to suffer through the disappointment of not reaching your goal, something that may not even be possible at this stage in your life to begin with. One solution to that is creating goal levels. You can have the dream goal, but underneath that you have the realistic goals that are setting up a foundation for achieving the big one. Things that are attainable still take work and effort to achieve. Those small victories will keep you motivated and encouraged to go for the bigger dreams. And don’t forget, those little goals may have been things you wouldn’t have gotten done if you didn’t set out to achieve them, so be proud! 3. PUT A PLAN OF ACTION IN WRITING

Your plan of action should include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. There is something about seeing things in writing and crossing them off the list that is oddly satisfying.The daily goals are especially Top Agent Magazine

important in regards to building up those good habits. The first few weeks of your plan of action are critical when it comes to your long term success. Reaching a goal is something you are doing every day, all throughout the day, in numerous ways. Achieving goals is all about creating good new habits. 4. MAKE IT MEASURABLE

This is key, since you definitely want to reward yourself for a job well done, and having a goal that is measurable in some way is a sure way to know. Maybe it’s to increase your lead generation or to cut expenses, whatever the case, have a measurable test you need to meet, as well as a time frame. Then calculate what you have to do to reach that goal. Not only should your goal be specific, but the plan and the measure of success should also be set in stone. 5. ADJUST AS YOU GO

You can have all the best laid plans, and you still might quickly realize that what you thought would help you reach your goal, might not be cutting it. Commitment to reaching your goals is good, but commitment to a plan you know isn’t going to work is not only a waste of time, but will be a devastating blow to your motivation. Sticking to a plan everyday means adjusting it accordingly.

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