Things Every Agent - Real Estate Grad School

The Twelve Critical Things Every Agent Must Do To Grow Their Business Work Book Written and Produced by Rich Levin 585­244­2700 www.RichLevin.com
The best you can bring to your life and the world is to boldly pursue your goals and dreams.
Gratitude
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?”
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you;
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
Written by Maryann Williamson
from her 1992 book “A Return to Love”
Read by Nelson Mandela, South African President
in his 1994 inaugural speech
This workbook and webinar are created so that you can implement these keys immediately into your business. Go through
the workbook once as a reminder of these keys from the webinar. As you do, choose the keys that will make the biggest,
fastest difference for you. Then go back and implement them one at a time. Always feel comfortable reaching out to us.
We are sincerely committed to your growth and success.
With sincere gratitude,
Rich Levin
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The Three Parts of All Success
Often, training and coaching programs only teach one or two of these aspects. To be truly successful all three
aspects must be addressed and cultivated.
Methodology, which is how you do the business, how you set goals and plan, your prospecting,
presentations, how you serve your Clients, your organization and time management in this
case how you keep your transactions intact until closing.
Psychology and Attitude, which is why you sell Real Estate, why you want the goals you
have or why you find it difficult to set goals, to plan and stick to your plan; why you are
driven deeply and every day. Strength here gives you the drive to survive, persist, and succeed.
Measured Results how much you have sold so far this month compared to the same month in
previous years, how much you have sold so far this year compared to this time in previous
years, how you are doing in relation to your goals, this knowledge of your measured results is
the only thing that give you true control and confidence.
The Triad
Emotional Control
If you can control your emotions, you can control the quality of your life
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The Simple Measure
$5,000,000 in sales
$250,000 avg. sale price
20 sales
50% - It takes two
40 initial presentations for the year
1 initial presentation per week-THIS IS THE KEY
Appointment Tips
1. Buyers and Sellers both count. The first substantive meeting you have with either.
2. Do not reduce this to activities. Do not reduce this to how many calls you have to make;
how many hours you have to prospect, mailings, or anything else. Simply calculate the
number of initial presentations necessary.
3. You are taught to spend three hours a day or call 40 people a day and it’s so hard and you
never feel like it’s enough and you never feel like you are done and it is all so unnecessary.
Weekly Initial Appointments Per Week
10 Sales Per Year = ½ App’t per week
20 Sales Per Year = 1 App’t per week
30 Sales Per Year = 1½ App’t per week
40 Sales Per Year = 2 App’t per week
As You Can See This is Very Obtainable!
So, how many initial presentations per week
do you need to hit your next level of goal?
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Get Rich Success Charts
Goals that Motivate
This page is a screen shot of our online version of the Goals that Motivate. Simply fill in the areas
in yellow. Income, units, total appointments and appointments per week are automatically
calculated for you. Below is a sample of our hardcopy version.
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Appointments Focus
Tracks your appointments then compile the data so you can efficiently make important decisions
for your business. This is a key to your success.
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Appointment Tracking
The graph visually represents your success with initial presentations. This is a powerfully
motivating tool. Above is automatically compiled, below is sample that could be created in excel
and manually updated.
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Appointment Tracking
Each week you look at your results. Based on those results you think and make the decision to do
things differently or keep doing the same things.
Too many Agents keep doing the same things that aren’t working for far too long.
The reason they keep repeating useless behavior is simple. They don’t have an accurate way
to know if things are working and what’s working on a weekly basis.
Too much time, too much costly time goes by when you are not managing progress weekly.
Both hardcopy & online version of the charts are available!
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Lead Generation
The Goal: to generate and contact enough leads to achieve your goal level of initial presentations per
week.
So the goal of your lead generation is not to call every lead. It is to generate and contact enough
leads to achieve your goal level of initial presentations per week.
BONUS TIP #1
Asking Questions
Stop telling… Start asking.
Don’t speak for more than 45
seconds without asking a question.
This is the most basic and the most important skill in selling.
The Approach
This approach requires a formal Buyer Presentation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Opening Answer/Question
Trade three times
Location – Price - Size
Tell me all and I’ll make a note
Paperwork and process
Hit it off or just be much better prepared.
Ask for appointment with alternative choice.
Having a formal Buyer Presentation allows you to be confident that you can get the appointment if you
want it.
You can be confident that the client will be more loyal to you and buy much more quickly.
BONUS TIP #2
Asking great questions over the phone
adds huge confidence, credibility,
and relatedness.
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QUESTIONS OVER THE PHONE
This is a compilation of the questions to ask before making the listing appointment. If you get a
response on the telephone that the person wants to speak to you about making a move, ask:
Why are you considering a move?
Where are you thinking of going? Ideally, when do you want to do that?
How important is it for you to get this done in that time frame?
May I ask you a few questions about your property?
What style house is it? (Colonial, Ranch, Split, 2-Story, 1-Story?)
What is the parking arrangement? (Garage – 1 or 2-Car, Attached, Detached?)
How large is your lot? Is that normal for the area?
How many bedrooms are there? - Baths? - Family room? - Fireplace?
Your square footage? Is it larger or smaller than the other homes in the area?
What else is there that may make your house distinctive or more appealing?
Are there any obvious drawbacks?
How long have you owned the property?
What improvements have you made in the past 5-10 years?
Did you do those yourself or hire them out? What was the approximate cost?
Who else are you talking to about the sale of your home?
What is most important to you regarding the sale of your home? Biggest concern?
What would it do to your plans if you just couldn’t sell?
When is the best time to get together to look at the marketing proposal that we use to sell the most
properties in the area? While I am in the neighborhood doing the research in preparation for the
proposal, is it ok if I just walk around the lot and make some notes? I will knock and let you
know I am there first.
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Marketing
The Goal of Marketing is to be top of mind in your markets.
Your Name = A Successful Real Estate Experience
So that you POP into the people in your markets mind when Real Estate is mentioned.
Four Characteristics of a Successful Mailing
1. Significant presence of you (Include picture and contact information)
2. Dominant Active Real Estate Content (Pictures and content of houses)
3. Personal Touch (Tagline, motto, personal message etc)
4. Consistent Look (Color, brand, layout etc)
Five M’s Of Marketing
1. Markets-the people to whom you direct your marketing efforts to.
2. Message-the identity you are creating in the mind of your markets.
3. Media-the method you use to communicate your message
4. Measuring-the system you use to measure your success
5. Money-are you receiving 4 times your return on your investment?
You want to market in ways that clearly associates your name with Real Estate
A combination of direct mail with a clear Real Estate message and your web presence creates a
faster, longer, stronger flow of business than any other marketing effort.
Marketing is the most dependable way to generate a steady flow of leads.
The Key to your 2010 Marketing Success
is simply placing your marketing actions on your calendar, today!
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Winning Presentations
Great presentations are built on asking not telling. Below is the simple six step process that should be
followed.
1. Ask questions that build rapport, so the person likes you. It begins the process for the client to trust
you and most importantly to listen and respond to you.
2. Ask questions to discover the need, why are they selling, where are they moving, ideally when do
they want to be there, and how important is that to them.
3. Confirm the need. Once they are sharing with you, give them feed back and confirm your
understanding. In addition to making certain you understand them, it leads to greater trust and rapport
4. Then, once you understand the need, present your solution, tell them how you will get the job
done. And of course as you do this, continuously, ask questions. This is a time when you may tend to
speak too much, for too long and lose rapport.
5. Then ask for the decision you want.
6. Finally, address any concerns they have.
One, as you review the process continuously ask questions to be sure they understand and agree.
As you work with Buyers and Sellers, every time you encounter a problem, particularly a serious
problem, go back to your initial presentation for all future Clients to prepare them for that problem.
So you will never encounter it again.
Tips to Improving your Listing Presentation
1. Explain how you work
2. Rehearse
3. Prepare all Materials ahead of time
4. “Under promise-Over Deliver”
5. Confirm urgency and time frame as soon as possible.
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Buyer Service Plan Script
Let’s talk about the home search and buying process.
We start, today, by using the Multiple Listing Service to search for all the properties in which you may
be interested. I’ll provide you with a complete list of all the available properties.
You’ll choose the properties you want to get into, the ones you want to drive by, and you’ll probably
discount some completely. I’ll give you detailed information on all of them. And I’ll make appointments for the properties you want to get into.
We’ll go out and look at the properties you choose. I’ll make the appointments and you’ll be able to
take all the time you like looking at them.
I’ll be there to answer your questions, note questions I have to get the answers to, and point out any
red flags I think you may not have noticed. (Put an example or two here.) It is very important to me
you choose the best property. No one wins if you’re not as delighted as possible with your new home.
(Optional) We’ll go over the financing, closing costs and payments tonight, then at the time you choose
the property you are interested in purchasing, we can review the costs and payments on the specific
one so you can be certain it works for you. If you have not already done so, I’ll suggest you get what is
called a pre-approval letter from a lender to prove you are qualified to borrow the mortgage money to
purchase. This is one of those small things that can give us some additional negotiating power.
If you are comfortable and happy with your choice, we’ll write an offer. Today I’ll give you copies and
we’ll go over all of the paperwork you’ll see when it is time to make a decision. I like you to have the
opportunity to be familiar with it ahead of time so you won’t see it for the first time at the critical time
when you are making an offer.
When we write the offer, I’ll go over it in detail with you again. At the time when we write the offer,
I’ll advise you on the many details and decisions there are to make including the price, possession
date, amount of the deposit, personal property you may want to include, inspections you may want and
more.
Once the offer is complete, I’ll call the Agent who is representing the seller and make an appointment
to present your offer. Some property sellers will want me to present the offer to them directly. Others
will want to review the offer alone with their Agent. Either way, I’ll include and present the offer to get
you into your new home for the best possible price.
If the owner does not accept your first offer, they will normally respond with a counter offer and that’s
when we decide to negotiate or keep looking.
I pride myself on the ability to help you get the best price if you decide you want the home.
Your purchase will be subject to a number of contingencies. In other words, your purchase is not final
until we have had the inspections, obtained financing, and your attorney approves the agreement.
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Buyer Service Script Continued
So, when we have successfully negotiated the purchase I get to work again with you, the attorneys,
inspectors, lenders and others to address the contingencies.
If you want me, I’ll be there with you for the engineer’s inspection, the bank application and the other
times when my expertise may be useful for you.
Most of the contingencies will be removed within a week of writing your offer. (Describe how attorney
approval works in your area.) The lender may take up to four weeks or longer, to process and approve
your loan. I’ll be in touch with them regularly and report progress to you.
When the lender has issued the mortgage commitment, they will ask you to meet with them to sign it.
Once you have done so, the bank attorney will contact you and the seller’s attorney and they get to
work updating, searching, and researching the title to the property to make sure you are getting what
is called “clear title.”
They notify the bank attorney of their work and the bank attorney examines it and notifies them that
the closing date can be set. The attorneys then schedule a closing, where all the final paperwork is
completed.
I step in one more time and schedule a pre-closing walk through. That means that the day or perhaps
two days before closing I make an appointment and we walk through the property to make sure that
there is no new damage, all the things we negotiated are in the property, and we see that the sellers
are pretty well prepared to move if they haven’t done so already. This is another one of those times
that I am watching out for you. If there are any issues, we notify your attorney to contact the seller’s
attorney and make the appropriate adjustments at the closing. Most often it is just a simple visit to
what is soon to be, your new home.
At the closing the bank gives you the money and you give the bank your promise to pay. You give the
purchase money to the seller and get the title to the property and the keys.
Finally, you move in and I get to deliver one of your first housewarming gifts.
Need More Help Working Successfully with Buyers?
Extraordinary Success with Buyers in a Tough Market E-Book. Just $19.99
For over 30 pages of scripts, checklists and information to success with Buyers.
Includes the below items and much more
PUCHASE • Guidelines to Opening your Presentation
NOW • Your Buyer Presentation – The Secret to Referrals
• Scripts and Skills of Showing and Closing the Sale
• Keys to Lead Conversation with Scripts
• Excellence in Open Houses with Scripts
• What You Don’t Know About Buyers that is Costing Your Time and Money
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Negotiating
Real Estate Agents conduct the most difficult of all negotiations.
First, they are third party negotiators. That alone is a challenging and problematic position.
Second the primary negotiators, Buyers and Sellers are almost always inexperienced at negotiation or
worse. They are jaded and fearful of negotiations.
Third. Real Estate Agents negotiate all the time, every day in dozens of situations, listing price, repairs,
commissions, price reductions, offers, and more.
And, despite all this, Real Estate Agents get very little training in negotiating.
Qualities of a Good Negotiator
You Can Learn the Skills, Habits and Instincts of a Good Negotiator.
•
The ability to accurately describe the negotiating process and prepare your client.
•
The ability to keep your clients objectives in mind at all times.
•
Willingness to tolerate conflict even hostility.
•
Patience to listen and allow the other person to finish before speaking, patience to wait for the
other person to make up their mind before speaking.
•
The ability to listen attentively and discern real issues from smoke screens.
•
To think and consider the effect of your words before speaking.
•
Someone to whom mild negotiating is second nature in the normal course of a day. (e.g. when
asked for something they consider whether to ask for a tradeoff in return.)
•
Someone who can keep their focus on a goal, and not get distracted by outside activity and
other’s emotions.
•
Willingness to do research and thoroughly prepare.
•
Willingness to ask questions and probe into personal, professional, and business issues of others.
•
The ability to adjust your personal style, demeanor, and speech to others based on the other’s
personal style.
•
A stable person, who can laugh one moment, and be serious, the next.
•
A confident person whose desire to be liked doesn’t interfere with their desire to accomplish
their objectives.
•
Awareness and Alertness of all parties point of view.
•
To not let your personal beliefs, prejudices, biases and assumptions get in the way.
•
Develop the instinct to know when to stick to the facts at all times and when to raise the
emotional level.
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Five Keys to Become a Powerful Negotiator 1. Understand that negotiating in Real Estate always involves some level of compromise.
(At least you want both parties to feel that way)
2. Desire to learn the skills found within.
3. Understand how emotions, personalities and needs affect negotiating
4. Be willing to practice
(This can be done in N.E.T -no extra time - during your normal course of activities)
5. Desire to succeed and achieve the goals of your client.
5 Key Reasons to Ask Questions
1. To Cause Attention
2. To Get Information
3. To Give Information
4. To Start the Other Person Thinking
5. To Bring to a Conclusion
Keep these 5 reasons in mind during negotiations. Use questions to your advantage and be hesitant
before answering questions.
Benefit of Mastering Negotiating Techniques for REALTORS. ⇒ Help your clients negotiate for the best deal on a
house
⇒ Your confidence and professionalism in this area
will make your service memorable to your clients
⇒ You’ll protect your client interests.
⇒ More of your transactions will close easier.
Your clients will be happy and send you more
referrals.
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The Twelve Critical Things....
1. Remember the Triad - Focus, meaning and physiology, the way to control your mental focus and
emotions.
2. The Single Focus that Sets you Free. Number of Initial Presentations.
3. The Money Script - Use the Six Step approach and script to turn the maximum number of leads
into sales.
4. Marketing Genius Focus - Your marketing is to be top of mind in your markets by sending a clear
message with direct mail that drives and reinforces your web marketing.
5. Presentation One – Build your presentations around questions
6. Presentation Two – Build your presentation around the six step structure
Build Rapport
Discover the need
Confirm the need
Present your solution
Ask for a decision
Address any concerns.
7. Presentation Three – Solve every problem and handle every objection by reviewing the process in
detail with both buyers and Sellers.
8. Negotiating One - Prepare the client for the negotiating at initial presentation
9. Negotiating Two – Discover real issues by gaining as much information as possible before the
negotiation begins
10. Negotiating Three – Wrap it up in two turns before it gets personal
11. Negotiating Four - Don’t talk about other party to anyone at anytime that may violate your
fiduciary duty of confidentially and damage your negotiation.
12. Negotiating Five—Stay focused on the goal of getting the house sold or bought. Don’t let anything
distract you from the goal.
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Rich Levin Daily Coaching Referral Program You can get our Daily Coaching Program completely free just by referring six people!!! There is one thing that is better than getting yourself to the next level... One thing that is more powerful than freeing yourself from the obstacles that used to hold you back... And that is helping OTHERS do the same. It's what I've dedicated my life to, and I encourage you to do the same. There is literally nothing more rewarding, and it creates ripples that affect the lives of everyone. This is an important step in your evolution... You are now an ambassador of positive change, and one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself and those close to you is to develop a support network of like‐minded people in your life. And the fastest way to get a support group is to get your Real Estate colleagues to share the same transformational experience that you went through. We have put together a referral system that will help you spread the word, while also rewarding you for your time and energy... Everyone wins! Details Share what you’ve gained from our Daily Coaching and how it has helped you. Just tell anyone and everyone what our Daily Coaching did for your career! For every person that you refer to our Daily Coaching Program and that becomes a paid yearly member you will receive a check for $50! It’s that simple! Rules The person you refer must become a paid yearly client The person you refer must enter your name as the person that referred them to our Daily Coaching program during check out process for you to receive $50. Checks are mailed within a week of full payment by the person you’ve referred. Any questions or comments should be directed to [email protected] or call 585‐244‐2700.
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