Dear David,

Are your goals the same as they were when you first got into this business? If you’re like most sales associates, they’re probably not. Your dreams and ambitions have likely evolved with time. Most people change their goals every two to three years.

For example, when you began, your goal may have been to simply make a living in real estate. Today, however, your goals may include increasing your income, expanding your client base, and improving your work-life balance.

That’s why it’s so important that the office you work with continues to be a good fit for you. This may have been the case two or three years ago, but if it no longer has the support, training and other resources you need for your current goals, you may need to look elsewhere.

If you’re in that situation, I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about our office. It’s easy. Just give me a call and I’ll fill you in on how we help our sales associates become top performers.

Sincerely,

Jason Philips

ABC Realty Inc.

Being overwhelmed cannot only make you stressed and miserable, it can also torpedo your productivity. Then, less gets done, and you become even more overwhelmed. There are many ways to deal with this.

One technique is to prioritize. Make a list of all the tasks and other activities demanding your attention this month. Next, circle the 50% that are the most important. Finally, look for ways to deal with the other tasks on your list. You could reschedule those for next month, for example, or hire a temporary assistant to help out.

By prioritizing, you get the important stuff done while feeling less overwhelmed. Try it.

• Panorama, where you can shoot an ultra-wide picture. This is great for showing the full breadth of a large back yard or room.
• Portrait, where you can have a sharp foreground image against a slightly blurred background. This is fantastic for shots of people, such as a homeowner enjoying a glass of wine in a spacious kitchen.
• Dark Mode, where the aperture stays open for a few seconds, allowing you to take beautiful night shots. This feature prevents the harshness and reflection problems associated with using the flash. 

Check your phone to see if it has any of these features. Then, put them to use the next time you’re taking property photos.

1. Improve the curb appeal. It isn’t uncommon for buyers to drive past a listing because they get a poor first impression. The better you can make the property look from the street, the more viewing appointments you’ll book. Work with your client to make the necessary changes.  
2. Improve the property description. Take a look at how the property is currently described on the MLS and in your advertising. Can you make it more exciting? Have you highlighted two or three of its most desirable features? The property description is like an ad. The more motivating it is, the more responses you’ll get.
3. Rev up your marketing. If more buyers find out about your listing, more will come to see it. So, to spread the word, increase your marketing activity and try new things. For example, create a video tour of the listing and post it on Facebook. 

The next time you’re in a buyer’s market with a listing, try some or all of these techniques. Any one of them may be enough to find the buyer who says, “Yes, I want to make an offer.”

Consider the following tips:

• Look your best. Your grooming and how you dress should be a reflection of your professionalism and brand. Think of meeting a new prospect as a first date. You want to look your best.
• Break the ice. One way to do that is to compliment the homeowner. For example, you might say, “The flowerbed outside looks beautiful. You must have done a lot of work on it.”
• Get them talking. The more they talk, the better impression they’ll have of you. So, ask open-ended questions that get the conversation started. For example, “What did you like most about this house when you originally purchased it?”
• Avoid making assumptions. Say, for example, you start the conversation with, “Let me guess. Your kids have grown and you’re looking for something smaller. Is that the reason you’re selling?” That would be embarrassing if the reason was actually a marital separation. 

Bottom line: Do whatever you can to make the best impression possible in the first minute or so. That impression will likely last.