Elite Agent
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More Than Just Chit-Chat
These days, it is a continuing challenge for real estate agents to differentiate their brand and service from competitors. SMS communication is one way that smart agencies have started to step ahead, sending thousands of SMS every month to drive growth and productivity. More than just chit-chat / How SMS can deliver for your real estate business These days, it is…
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Now is The Time to Strike
Think times are tough and feel like giving up? On the contrary, according to Grant Thorpe, now is the time to take real advantage of your competitor’s inattention to the huge amount of opportunities that are right there for the taking. The current climate is tough, but the beauty of this is that it filters out the real performers from…
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31 Points of Difference
If there’s one thing you should do this week, it’s schedule “brain storm” time for your team to list your agency’s points of difference – then apply them in all your client communication. Simon Thomas offers the ultimate list of ideas to get you started. 31 Points of Difference If there’s one thing you should do this week, it’s schedule “brain…
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Want to be a Market Leader? Then You Need to Lead the Market!
There’s no doubt that starting out as a young real estate agent can be pretty tough. Getting a listing, and making that first sale, can certainly feel like an uphill battle. No-one knows this better than Tim Heavyside from Fletchers Real Estate, who, despite now being one of Victoria’s most successful estate agents, entered the industry nine years ago with no…
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Use The Web to Market Yourself
Don’t know the difference between Twitter and Linked In? Still wondering about the value of blogging? Think that YouTube is just for entertainment? Here’s some ideas to get the web working for you. Story by Adam Franklin I recently made an enquiry with a Real Estate agent about a neighbouring office in my area. There were at least eight For Sale signs…
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Emotional Intelligence: How to Build Your EQ
It is said that great leaders possess natural empathy and this is certainly one of the greatest sales skills there is. One of the core elements in Kirsty Spraggon’s book Work as if you own it focuses on opening relationships. This excerpt from the book shows how EQ (as opposed to IQ) can be used to build rapport which you…
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Is Your Walk Worth $5000?
There’s no denying that technology is useful in reaching masses of potential customers quickly, but it is difficult to build a personal relationship without meeting them face-to-face. Ric Mingramm gives his opinion on why the lost art of meeting the neighbours is worth revisiting. “Our agents have a weekly personal target to meet and greet owners in their farming area…
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Recruit, Train & Keep Match Fit
What are the key things you should be doing to find and retain the very best sales people for your agency? Here are some ideas from Peter Gilchrist to make sure you find and retain the best new sales people for your office, every time. What are the key things you should be doing to find and retain the very best…
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When Language is Not A Barrier
LJ Hooker St Peters is living proof that hard work pays off. Certainly no overnight success; Principals Mario Bonomi, Rino Pancione and Claudio Buccella success has been around 22 years in the making. This once small office, which opened its doors in May 1988 with 6 employees, today houses LJH Commercial, LJ Hooker Adelaide Business Broking, LJ Hooker Adelaide City…
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10 Ways to Sell With A Tablet
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to your paperback, Tablet Computing is heating up. Here are 10 ideas to tap your tablet and turn it into an indispensable sales tool by Matthew Ferrara. Just when you thought it was safe to go back to your paperback, tablet computing is heating up. Here are 10 ideas to tap…
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The Future of Computing
Deciding what technology hardware to purchase next is among the toughest decisions real estate agents make. Joel Montgomery, MD of Powerbuy, argues not to be in a rush as change is coming. The Future of Computing Deciding what technology hardware to purchase next is among the toughest decisions real estate agents make. Joel Montgomery, MD of Powerbuy, argues…
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Succession – Planning for the Future
Being in sales doesn’t mean staying sales. This article maps a near perfect succession to a business handover to sales people. Succession planning is a critical aspect of real estate franchising. A properly managed succession plan provides a path for business owners to ease out of the business at a time that suits them and it provides the franchisor with…
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Effective Communication
Stepping out of your comfort zone, doing something that challenges your perceptions of who you are and what you can do, allows you to gain the courage and self-confidence to do things that allow you to develop that competitive edge. It isn’t something that will happen overnight, but self-confidence, grounded in fact, will enable you to stand apart and shine.…
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Getting Back to Basics
Success in real estate sales requires understanding basic, everyday terminology. In this opinion piece Charles Tarbey , Chairman and Owner of Century 21 Australia, helps to demystify some key phrases. A while ago a friend invited me to watch a class at his martial arts studio. It struck me as interesting that for the first hour of the training session…
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Start Your Agent Success Plan
Who will survive in this market? This is a great question to ask because right now a lot of principals and sales professionals are questioning how to be successful in a shifting market. Start planning your success now. Story by Michael Sheargold. Many agents will exit the business not because they can’t be successful, primarily because they don’t have a…
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It’s Not The Mountain We Conquer But Ourselves
We all have metaphoric mountains in our lives – setting our sights on new peaks and working towards them, overcoming obstacles in the journey. There are many parallels between mountaineering, work and life. Story by Catherine DeVrye. Few of us will ever set as tough a challenge as conquering Mt. Everest but most of us do indeed set more modest…
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A Visit to the Word Doctor
The rise of communication via email and text messages has contributed to the demise of the formal business letter, but there are still many parts of a real estate agent’s job that call for clear, concise writing skills. Andrew Daddo examines why “writer’s block” is a common office disorder. It’s about understanding your content and your audience. Organising your…
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The Numbers Game
The difference between an average salesperson and a great salesperson may be a matter of numbers, but you don’t need to be a mathematician to work this out. Jim Midgley shows how doubling your listings can triple your income. SALES What makes a great salesperson? Talent, good fortune, good looks, maybe a good area or even a good boss. Well,…
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The Three Phase Auction Plan
How you use the time in the lead-up to auction day is critical to the outcome of the auction. Simon Thomas suggests structuring the pre-auction period with strategic activities divided into three phases. Do you need to re-shape the campaign, is the advertising hitting the target audience, are you getting genuine inspections or mainly neighbours? Address any concerns they may…
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Moments of Truth
Does your business have a true customer culture or just a complaints department? Julianna Forsyth shares the embarrassing moment when her wardrobe malfunction became a customer service case study. We need to love complaints. The client who complains the most, and then you satisfy often, becomes the most loyal. It horrifies me when I visit some real estate offices and…
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Adding Value For Investors
These days real estate agents need to offer extra services in order to meet the expectations of their clients – but which services are most important? Ayda Shabanzadeh explains why an investment consultant could be your new best friend. While many investors seek advice from their financial planner, others turn to their real estate agent for specific advice on what…
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2010 A Sales Odyssey
Do you perpetually break new years’ resolutions? Maybe you struggle with setting goals, or perhaps you can set them with ease but fail to achieve them. If you’re a more visual person, the Dream Board technique may chart your journey to success in 2010. Story by Kirsty Spraggon. Whatever your goal is, you have to want it badly enough or…
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CEO of Brand ‘You’
The larger agencies and major franchises have huge budgets and well-staffed marketing departments to develop and maintain their brands, so how can a small business or even a sole operator compete with the big guys? Learn from them. Story by Kirsty Spraggon The larger agencies and major franchises have huge budgets and well-staffed marketing departments to develop and maintain their…
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Time Waits For No One!
How often do you hear exhausted people say,There’s just not enough hours in the day!? 2010 could be your year to make the most of every 24 hours… if you have the time. Tony Rowe gives his opinion. We’re constantly coming up with time-saving devices and technology to fill an ever diminishing allocation of the 24 hours in each day.…
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7 Keys to Unlock Results in 2010
Welcome to 2010! I’m sure you’ve had a great break and you’re ready to take 2010 by storm. In this article I’ll share seven important keys to get 2010 off to a brilliant start. When you apply these, I know it will have a positive impact on the results you produce in 2010. So here we go… 1. Decisions x…
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Keys to Brilliant Buyer Management
I have two simple outcomes in writing this article for you. Firstly, to help you satisfy more buyers and sellers – in other words, help you sell more property. And secondly, to reduce days on market. So let’s share some strategies to help you upgrade your buyer management. You already know how important brilliant buyer management is, make today the…
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Stunning Seller Management
Improving your seller management will not only make the sales process a more positive experience for both the agent and seller, it will also lead to an ongoing supply of referrals. Michael Sheargold shares his strategy for stunning seller management. Sales Even though there are loads of areas where you, as an agent, can upgrade to improve your business, one…
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Young Agents: Your Industry Needs You!
Young people are often attracted by the lure of the real estate profession but soon leave, citing a career mis-match or feeling disillusioned. As Braden Walters discovered, what you get out of the industry is related to what you’re prepared to put in. Career After a few years in the real estate game, I always looked at the Real Estate…
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The Fee Objection
Who wants to be a spectator at the ‘Discounted Fees vs Quality Service’ match? If you’re expecting it to be a showdown between two stubborn old rivals, it’s actually a case of simple maths – one which you can demonstrate easily to prospective clients. Most service and sales based industries will at one time or another face the dreaded fee…
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Old Fishermen Never Lie
Spend time in a boat with a fisherman and you are bound to get some advice. I’ve spent some time on the Manning, Hastings, Clarence and Richmond Rivers over the years – and some of the advice the old fishermen up along the coast dispense can easily be applied to the real estate business. They’ve got a lot to say…
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Local Sports Sponsorship: Make it Grow your Business
Think of local sponsorship as an investment, just like any marketing strategy. One of the greatest advantages to sponsoring a local team is the positive word-of-mouth that it generates for the company. When people in the community see the sponsor supporting their favourite team, they see the sponsor as a friend. If the sponsor is with the team for a…
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Your first Week on the Job
Congratulations, you’ve got the job! What next? Your first week may have more impact on your career than you realise. Here are some tips for staying afloat if you find yourself in the deep end. Story by Adam Lord You may have transferred from other professions, from a trade, fresh out of school or maybe you have been in sales…
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What is Great Customer Service
Great customer service is a major differentiator for successful real estate businesses. In today’s somewhat depressed marketplace it is now time for the true value of superior customer service to come to the fore. Story by Steven Brett. What is great customer service? How do you measure it and how do you grow it in your business? I am certain…
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The Benefits of Buyers’ Agents
There are good reasons why it pays to have a strong working relationship with a Buyers’ Agent. If you’re yet to discover the benefits, it’s worth looking into the role of a Buyers’ Agent and noting the opportunities. Meighan Hetherington gives her opinion. While Buyers’ Agents have been a part of the Australian Real Estate industry for many years now,…
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Crossing the Border
Successful businesses make objective, proactive decisions. Others react to challenging times with fear-driven, risky cost-cutting. This case study follows a successful franchise that has strategically invested in its long-term future by breaking new ground interstate. Story by Julia Hebaiter. You’re a highly successful brand in one Australian state. You’ve been around a long time, have worked long and hard, and…
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