5 Tips for Real Estate Agents

I always love reading The KCM Crew’s blog and their “quick tips” always make great points. I wanted to share with you their July Quick Tips.

1. Prepare diligently for EVERY appointment.

Most agents prepare well for a listing appointment. They go in with a complete consultation manual ready to show the seller why they should sell now and at
the suggested price. They make sure they have all the tools necessary to have a successful meeting.

What about the buyer consultation appointment?

Or the price-break appointment?

Or the negotiation of offer appointment?

There are four critical appointments in today’s market. We prepare for one of them. We ‘wing’ the other three. We must prepare as thoroughly for the last three as we do for the listing presentation. We must make the most of every opportunity presented from now until the end of the year.

2. Don’t forget the fundamentals; contact listings that expired in June.

History has shown us that the single day of the year that most listings expire is December 31st. The date that comes in second is June 30th. There will be more
opportunity in the first week of July 2011 than perhaps in any other July in history. The number of expiring listings will be staggering. That means opportunity for someone. Hone your listing and pricing skills and approach every expired you can. The inventory of listings you accumulate in the first two weeks of July
could catapult you to success for the rest of the year.

3. Gain knowledge and then get to work.

We have to become better at our craft every day. We must continuously improve our skills. We must become an expert at showing our customers what is taking place in the current housing market. They can then make the right choices for themselves and their families.

It is not good enough to be a student of real estate. We must act on our knowledge. We must plan where we wish to be and then get busy making our way
there. If I could have only one of all the attributes successful people are known to have, I would chose the ability to work hard. It is the most important
and will get you closer to success than any other attribute.

4. Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Whether we are taking a listing, consulting a buyer, doing a price adjustment or presenting an offer-to-purchase, we must be able to effectively communicate our customers’ options in the current real estate environment. The use of strong visuals dramatically enhances the chances that the consumer will truly
understand the points we are making. Too many agents are satisfied complaining about the fact that their client just ‘doesn’t get it’ even after they ‘told’
them what is happening.

We must take the time to visually ‘tell a story’ on each point we are making. We must hone that story until it makes our point simple to understand. That is
what differentiates talking at a person from truly educating them. We need to be great educators in this market.

5. Stop hoping the market gets better…Make sure YOU get better.

The best market a true professional can hope for is a market that truly needs the skills of a well-trained expert in the field. Anyone can do the job in a market
that doesn’t require competency, skill and insight. To the great real estate professional, a market’s strength has always been determined by how many people
needed our help. In my 25 years in the business, I have never experienced a market that had more people who need our help in making the right decisions for
themselves and their families.

Are we consistently doing the necessary research to keep abreast of what is happening in today’s rapidly evolving market? Are we taking classes to help us
understand why certain things are taking place? Are we taking the time to sit with our clients and simply and effectively inform them of their options?

“Are we prepared to help?” becomes the question that needs to be answered; not “When will the market no longer require a true professional?”

Aren’t these great tips?! I hope they help you as much as they always help me. Have a great rest of the week and good luck battling the market!

–Cheryl