Erie, PA

Are you ready for some . . . Real Estate fitness tips for thriving in today's Real Estate market?

I am sure that you can name names of agents who are barely surviving. Some agents spend their entire careers just above the poverty level while others quickly rocket to the top no matter what type of market exists. Which type describes you?

Even before I made mydecision to enter Real Estate I watched a friend, who became my role model, become a very successful agent in the early eighties. Remember when interest rates were inching upward toward 18%.

Her secret: hard work and determination as well as understanding that no matter what is happening in the market there will always be people who need to buy and sell. She told me that people are getting married having babies changing or losing jobs. Then factor in life changes such as empty-nest syndrome or divorce sickness or death.

Real Estate fitness tips for thriving in today's Real Estate market:

• Work hard and smartly

• Be dedicated to being the Best of the Best in your market

• Be positive (Yes, you can have a bad day & feel depressed, but only for 24 hrs. That was my personal motto for success.)

• Cultivate your sphere of influence (SOI) who will recommend you as the Real Estate agent of choice

• Be active. Join a new organization & get involved. Golf or bowling league, MOPs (mothers of pre-schoolers)

• Talk to your neighbors while shoveling snow or cutting the grass

• Wear your name badge or logo clothing everywhere. (I had one agent who said he wore his logo clothing everywhere but in bed)

• Develop new sources of business. Investment properties / Foreclosures / HUD or VA repos / First-time buyers / Second homes / Condos

Goal: Be where buyers and sellers are and let them know you want to be their agent of choice

Are your fit and ready for more business?

Join me in Real Estate Continuing Education or Pre-license class in Erie, PA www.alankells.com Mary Yonkers, instructor

Selling the Value of You

• Buyers ask: "Why should I work exclusively with you?" "I will call you if I want to look at something."
  

• Sellers ask: "Can't you reduce your fee?" "Everyone else charges ---%"
  

In a competitive Real Estate market where many agents compete for the same business, how do I stand out from the crowd?

How can a new agent compete with the Top Producers?

Everyone has a webpage. How can I make mine different?

What can I offer the consumer that no other agent can offer?

• Why do some drivers chose to drive a Cadillac rather than Yugo?
  

• Why do women pay two, three or four times more for make-up products fromAnswer t Macy's rather than shop at Walmart?

Answer these questions and you will have the answer to the above question.

Value of working with me

Despite the fact that both vehicles will get me to my destination, one will get me there in the style I prefer and the make-up I purchase from Macy's is Worth it to me.

My challenge: Sell the Value of Working with Me

• What can I do for the consumer that other real estate agents in my market cannot do?

• How do my services differ from other agents?

• How can I help the buyer/seller accomplish their own goals?

In other words: No other agent can do for you what I can.

In other words: My services are worth the fee charged.

Join me in Continuing Education classes: Alan Kells Schools of Real Estate / Mary Yonkers instructor

Let's Negotiate: Negotiating Stumbling Blocks

What are some of the most common stumbling blocks encountered when negotiating contracts on your clients behalf? When you are negotiating with them for their business?

• Emotions

• Unskilled negotiators

• Passive negotiators

• Inflated ego

• Poor listening skills

• Ignoring non-verbal clues

• Focusing on differences

• Undefined / unrealistic goals

Now that we have listed a few stumbling blocks let's brainstorm solutions to overcome them and put the deal together.

• Solutions for inflated egos: Use the Win/Win style of negotiating Don't win the battle only to lose the war. We live in the community in which we work.

• Solutions for unskilled negotiators: Re-define the rules of negotiating. Restate goals and timetable/ Sellers want to sell and buyers want to buy. Our job is to bring both parties together.

• Solutions for passive negotiators: It's not about things. It's about people. It takes time and effort. Not all people are motivated by money.

• Solutions for emotions: Maintain objectivity. A professional is always in control. "No" can be a starting point rather than a roadblock.

• Dealing with poor listeners: Paraphrase the other party's position. Ask ..."How do you feel about . . .?"

• Detecting non-verbal clues: Face to face is most effective. Watch body language

• Focusing on differences: Create momentum by emphasizing common points of agreement. "Great! We agree on . . . "

• Undefined/Unrealistic goals: Know the difference between a realistic buyer and realistic seller and know when to say, "You're Fired!" I can choose to work with Realistic or Unrealistic clients. I only get paid when the deal goes together.

Please share your favorite negotiating tip with the ActiveRain community . . .What helps you get the deal together?

See: Let's Negotiate . . . "No"... "Don't You Understand NO?"

WOW - - Make it happen, now

It's the little stuff that counts. Just a few tips to get your clients to say WOW.

• Return phone calls promptly. Some calls need to be returned within minutes while others can be returned before the end of the day.

• Add your personal touch. Everyone wants to feel special so make sure each client knows you care.
  

• Call past clients on Saturday morning when they are more likely to be home. Better yet, stop by with fresh flowers or pasteries.
  

• Quick response to e-mail does not mean just an automated template that is sent to everyone. Once again add a personal note to let know you appreciate their business. No one wants to feel like just another number.

• Be unique. Do what others in your area don't do. Like answer your phone on Sunday morning or deliver a Thank You gift during a snowstorm when most agents are snuggled in their 'home office.'

• Sell Value -- Not Price (My services are worth the price of my fees) I often use the example of make-up. I could buy make-up at the Dollar Store, WalMart or Macy's. Personally I feel my face is worthy of cost I pay at Macy's. In real estate I need to convey that same message to prospective clients. The services I offer have value and are worth the price charged for them.
  

• Provide value that no one else offers. "I'd rather turn you down now, than let you down three months into the listing." (The consumer does not want to be turned down by a salesperson.)

• Be the exception not the rule. People will want to do business with me because of what I offer and what I can do for them that no one else can.

• Set high standards and never waiver

Lead, Radon, Asbestos, Mold . . . Sound Boring?

How boring can you get? How much RISK can you handle?

Picture yourself in a classroom with asbestos flooring, high radon level, and mold spores behind the drywall imported from China. And don't drink from the drinking fountain--lead pipes.

Okay, now that I have your attention, let's talk about Risk Reduction for our clients, the buyers and sellers.

Join me: As We Live and Breathe / Dealing with Lead, Radon, Asbestos and Mold

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 1:30-5:00 Alan Kells Schools of Real Estate / Mary Yonkers, Instructor

Three & half hours CE credit (Pennsylvania)

Three simple rules:

• Know the basics
• Know the experts
• Disclose early & often