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January 2009 - Happy New Year!
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This Year, Keep the Resolutions You Make.
Whether you make formal New Year Resolutions or not, everyone makes promises to themselves to improve their lives in some way. Next time you resolve to make a change, follow these suggestions and you may find that success comes easier...(More)
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Offer Your Clients an Open House Checklist
You know all the ins and outs of a successful open house, but your clients may have never prepared for one before. Giving them this checklist could benefit both of you...(More)
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Make Professional Development Pay Off for You
A wide range of professional development opportunities are available to real estate agents today. Some of which don’t even require you to leave your home or office...(More)
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Is It Possible to Succeed as a Part-Time Agent?
Becoming a part-time real estate agent has benefits as well as potential pitfalls. A lot depends on your organizational and time-management skills as well as your prior knowledge or training. If you’re thinking of going part-time – or know someone who is – this article may be beneficial...(More)
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DID YOU KNOW?
AmeriSpec® inspectors are also trained to perform a large variety of specialty services*, which may include:
• Radon gas testing
• Water analysis
• Septic testing
• Carbon monoxide testing
• ...and much more.
For more
information please visit www.amerispec.com
*AmeriSpec services provided by independently owned and operated franchises. Availability of services may vary depending on location.
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This Year, Keep the Resolutions You Make.
Whether it’s losing weight or improving your time management skills, almost everyone finds it hard to keep resolutions to change. As the saying goes, “old habits are hard to break.” If that’s what you’ve experienced in the past, don’t despair; certain techniques can help you to reach your goal this time.
According to “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams, he actually “resolved” to become a syndicated cartoonist; certainly no easy task. He then put a process he calls affirmation to work – every day he put his goal in writing for 15 days. While this might sound like magic, it’s actually just a way of constantly reminding yourself of your goal. With these constant reminders, you’re much more likely to start making decisions that will help you achieve your goal.
Another way to provide affirmative motivation is to create a list of the benefits your resolution could make in your life and then read your goal aloud along with these benefits right when you get up and before you go to sleep.
For any goal worth achieving, there should be more than a dozen benefits you can put on your list. For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds:
• I will have a sense of accomplishment.
• I will look better in my clothes.
• I will have more energy.
• I will enjoy life more.
• Etc.
Again, by frequently reminding yourself of your goal and the benefits it can bring, you are more likely to make decisions that will move you in the right direction.
Other tips to making your next resolutions work include:
• Create a plan of action. Don’t simply think, “I’m going to do better.” Figure out logical actions to take to achieve your goal, then write them down and refer to them frequently.
• Don’t go full throttle. Make small changes that eventually add up. For example, if you resolve to lose weight, make gradual changes in your diet and stay away from the scales except for once every two weeks.
• Accept slip-ups; you’re only human. However, try to understand what caused the slip-up and determine ways to avoid them in the future.
• Don’t be rigid. Life throws you changes, so you might need to revise your resolution in some way to fit changing situations. After all, a partial success is not a failure.
After all, if an engineer can achieve the resolution to become a syndicated cartoonist, virtually anything is possible.
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Offer Your Clients an Open House Checklist
Transfer this checklist to your professional stationary and you have a handy tool to provide your clients. They will appreciate the extra help and interest, and you may both benefit from a more successful open house experience.
How to Prepare for an Open House.
You’ve vacuumed, dusted, scrubbed, and neatened. However, there are some other easy-to-accomplish things you can do to make sure your home makes a good impression during your up-coming open house:
• Study your home from the curb. This is the first glimpse potential buyers will have and you want to make it a positive experience. Would some flowers perk up the landscaping? Is the entryway clean and welcoming? Is the doormat worn or new? Some simple changes can really help.
• Open up your closets. If they’re stuffed full, homebuyers will feel like there’s not enough storage in your home. Pack away as much as you can in suitcases or storage boxes and make sure everything that remains is neat and orderly.
• Check the grout. When the bathroom grout is clean, it sends shoppers the message that your home is well-maintained and loved. Clean, fresh-smelling bathrooms and kitchens are a real plus.
• De-clutter the backyard. Toys, yard tools, grills and other items need to be stored. Remove any planters or pots that don’t contain attractive plantings.
• Make it impersonal. Remove family photos from shelves and furniture along with any trophies, plaques, and other personal items. You want home shoppers to visualize themselves living there, not you.
• Secure valuables. Of course, most home shoppers are honest, but there’s no reason to put temptation in anyone’s path. Jewelry, cash, and other small valuables need to be put in a safe place.
• Be pet-free. Remove signs of the family cat and dog, from litter boxes, to water dishes, to chew toys. Then, remove the animals themselves when it’s time for the open house to take place.
• Set the stage. Put centerpieces and place settings on dining tables; they will add color and ambiance to the room. Leave closet doors slightly ajar to invite shoppers to see how spacious and organized they are. Leave a plate of cookies in the kitchen – give store-bought chocolate chip cookies a quick turn in the microwave for just-baked softness. Make sure the room temperature is set at a comfortable level and play some soft background music. However, don’t put out scented candles or potpourri; they could make visitors think you have some less appealing scent to hide.
• Brighten things up. Open all the curtains and shades (and make sure windows are clean). Turn on lights. The brighter the interior of your home, the more spacious it seems.
• Have fun. Take your family on an outing while the open house is taking place. Having owners at home can make shoppers feel uncomfortable. After all, you know you’ve made your home look practically irresistible, so take advantage of this time to do something fun and relaxing.
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Make Professional Development Pay Off for You
The life of a real estate agent is sometimes busy and unpredictable. Scheduling time to go to professional development seminars or association conferences can be difficult. However, there are other ways to learn new selling techniques and gain a better understanding of the real estate market.
Get Up-To-Date Information Automatically.
Some search engines will automatically send alerts about information of value to you to your email box and you can even get this service free of charge. For example, Google™ offers an alert service; just enter a search phrase like “real estate news” or “<Your Town> real estate” and the service will automatically send you relevant information from websites, blogs, and press releases.
Other similar services are also available – some free and some with a nominal charge. Simply search around, set up your service and you can benefit from news updates and information that can help you grow your business.
Go To School Online.
The National Association of REALTORS® offers an online university that provides courses for continuing education credit, certifications, and other professional development programs. These courses allow you to update your knowledge and skills whenever you have a spare hour to learn. You can access this university from any computer with Internet access, making it possible to “attend” from home, at work, or on the road.
Classes are available 24/7 for the ultimate convenience, and include such specialties as:
• Accredited Buyer Representative Designation program
• Certified International Property Specialist
• Accredited Land Consultant Designation
• Resort and Second Home Property Specialist Certification
• And many more
Don’t Eliminate Face-to-Face Development Opportunities.
Though automatic emails and online programs offer great convenience, it’s still beneficial to include face-to-face professional development programs in your continuing education. The networking opportunities these provide are often just as valuable as the course work covered.
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Is It Possible to Succeed as a Part-Time Agent?
It is becoming common for people to see real estate as a potential secondary or retirement career. However, with all the demands on an agent’s time, is it truly possible to succeed on a part-time basis?
A lot depends on your expectations and how you approach your part-time real estate career.
If you want to succeed as a professional realtor on a part-time basis, consider the following:
• Do you have the training? We’re not talking basic training for the appropriate licenses. The better you know the real estate market and all its nuances, the more likely it is that you can transform yourself into a part-time realtor and still succeed.
• Will you still be working another job? If so, it needs to offer exceptional flexibility. A strong real estate agent needs to respond when called, not hours later. If you must stay at a desk at certain times, your clients will be frustrated and so will you.
• Have you considered niche marketing? Specialization automatically limits your potential directory of listings and clients, however this can be a good way to work part-time and still enhance your professional status in the community. Areas of specialization can include anything from lake homes to investment properties.
• Do you have the right equipment? Make sure your laptop has wireless Internet access and scout out a variety of places you can gain free access (hint: check out your local libraries, they often offer this service). Make sure you have superior database management software to manage customer information. Having the right tools in place for quick and easy communications can significantly reduce the time you spend on the job.
• Have you considered teaming up with someone? If you know someone else who is also considering a part-time career in real estate, it’s possible you can complement each other. This would require outstanding cooperation, clear communications, and a precise definition of the working relationship. However, with the right partner, this could be an ideal solution for two people.
If you do decide to go for a part-time career in real estate, it’s crucial to maintain your professionalism – not just for your own career, but for the entire industry. Your serious commitment to offering solid service and appropriate guidance with every home transaction is much more important than the number of hours you spend on the job.
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