Season’s Greetings!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  A little late on my blessings, but I would like to show my appreciation and offer a special thanks to my clients.

 

In my recent post, I featured a real estate blog written by Ken Mclachlan, Broker of RE/MAX Hallmark Realty, Ltd in Toronto Canada.  Today, I wanted to share with you another post called “Not Retail Real Estate Anymore”.

 

Ken states that we all live our lives based on expectations.  We expect to get certain results including our expectations of the real estate market.  He says when our lives don’t live into our expectations, frustrations occur and problems arise.

 

“Whatever we are experiencing at any one time is largely due to the actions we are putting in.  When we are not getting the results we expect in our real estate careers, an adjustment in our actions is needed.  Many Realtors who started their careers within the past several years have experienced a market which has been consistent with a retail market.  Put your shingle up, and people will drop by and eventually buy something.  Realtors built a productive career in that market.  For a great many Realtors, they have been expecting the same results from this market by doing the same actions exhibited for “retail” based market.  A dynamic shift has occurred in our market, and many Realtors have not adjusted their actions to deal with it.”

 

“For me there is only one way to get the phone to ring, and it isn’t by sitting by it and waiting for it to ring.  The days of spending thousands of dollars on flyers are left behind us.  That type of prospecting can work, but it takes years of patience and thousands and thousands of dollars.  But when it is all we rely on – the market is real tough when the phone stops ringing.”

 

“Want to get the phone to ring in your real estate career?  Do the following:

• Stop hiding behind the computer and your desk, get out and talk with people
• Position an uniqueness about yourself in the marketplace, become an expert and let everyone know what you are an expert at
• Follow-up on every phone call, inquiry, Internet Lead
• Know that to built your business, you must have new business – connecting with those you don’t know is a big part of it – spend more time “prospecting” for new clients than you do with past clients
• Don’t forget about your past clients, but don’t rely on them entirely
• Don’t finish your day until your goal of connecting to new people for the day has been met
• Every day start your day by dealing just with the Top Of Mind things on your To Do List
• Establish at least two or more “projects’ to work on which will drive your business
• Do something good for yourself daily – take time during the day to clear your head, go for a walk, a workout, or read something inspiring
• Start your day an hour earlier

 

“If you don’t know how to meet new people, consider this.  Everyday creates opportunities.  Taking a group fitness class put you in touch with new people.  Walking up to the neighborhood store to buy milk put you in contact with new people.  There are incredible opportunities out there, being aware of them is important.”

Are you a realtor caught in the middle?  Juggling the desk, the telephone, the paperwork, and simply the time needed to spend in the “field?”  You may consider hiring an assistant – but do you question on-site or off-site benefits?  Virtual real estate Business Specialties offers realtor support & services off-site.  Everything an administrative assistant can do within your office, our VA’s can handle from a remote location and the employee expenses are null and void.  Our clients pay for services only!   Hours are client specific and service rates are one cost in the form of a monthly retainer.  It’s as easy as 1,2,3! 

 

Whether it be custom web design, listing coordination, multiple listing service, lead generation/lead management, drip marketing, data entry/database management, graphic design, marketing, to even answering your office calls, setting up home showings, and scheduling client appointments . . . Call upon us!  Discover the difference a Virtual Assistant can make!  Sign up today. 

 

Check back frequently.  We will be adding new marketing to our portfolio and new services to our list of realtor support! 

Featured Blog . . .

Although I find it difficult to keep up with my Biz Blog, I certainly find an extra few minutes in a day to read my clients.  Today, I wanted to share with you a post written by Ken McLachlan, a Broker of Record from Re/Max Hallmark, Realty, Ltd.

 

Ken’s posts are very inspirational!  Harsh, some may think so, but I find his posts to be very informative and written on both a personal and professional level with one goal . . . to drive his point home! 

 

Ken speaks of the industry and although we can sit here and differentiate between the Canadian Market and our chaotic real estate conditions, his compiling thoughts alone can bring insight to all, near and afar! 

 

“I think our industry for the most part is running scared. Realtors have had it too easy for too long. For many that didn’t really have much of a success in a buoyant market, that may be hard to swallow. But the fact is this, many Realtors are not equipped with the skills needed to make it in the industry of today UNLESS drastic changes are made. Too many Realtors are just hanging their heads low, hanging out with other negatives to reinforce their beliefs that no matter what they do, they are in for tough times. Nonsense.

 

Nothing annoys me more than to get a call from a Realtor to tell me how bad the market is, or that they don’t have any clients, or that their simple little real estate world is coming to an end as they knew it. Frankly all of that talk disgusts me. I certainly am a realist, and I know the reality of a good and not so good market. I also know we can only control one thing in our lives. The actions we take on a day to day basis. Most Realtors of today are worrying about things they have absolutely no control over. The stock market, the rise or fall of house values, or their lack of clients. Some are even paralyzed by the current market situation.
We all need to become more aggressive in everything we do. We need to take chances. Being aggressive doesn’t give us license to be inappropriate with clients or our peers. Being aggressive simply means facing challenges head on by dedicating hours and hours of work to get the results needed. There are people out there buying and selling houses every day in our city. It is the responsibility of each and every Realtor to spend their time seeking out people who value our service and are in need of our advice. And frankly, more and more people are in need of our advice today than in any other time in the past decade. How do Realtors do that? Get up away from the computer and go out and meet people. Pick up the phone and talk to people. Make an effort by inventing ways of communicating with people that desire and need your services.

 

Keeping our clients informed is important and necessary. Finding clients who need our information is what we should be spending most of our days doing. Now is not the time to worry about things in the market which we can’t control but now is the time to step up, deliver and stand apart from others.”  Ken McLachlan, RE/MAX Hallmark Realty, Ltd. 

 

Is now the time to make a move?  Experience the difference with VreBS!  Now in our 6^th year of service, Virtual real estate Business Specialties has been helping to put Realtors® together with prospective buyers and sellers.  It’s simple . . . we take care of the grunt work while you focus on your past, current, and future customers!

 

There is no time to waste and no need to wait!  VreBS in combination with REVAville provides the best service for your buck.  We offer realtor support and provide services in areas such as Custom Web Design, Listing Coordination, Drip Campaigning, Database/ Lead Management  & Generation/ Marketing and much more!  Contact us with confidence!  www.VreBS.net   We look forward to hearing from you.

Real Estate Marketing . . . Portfolio Update

New!  I have added to the marketing page, new portfolio’s of websites, real estate blogs, and advertisements!  Check them out . . . (more to come!)

On another note, not to joke about the rise on foreclosed homes these days, I received an Email the other day that was rather “comical” and wanted to share with others. 

Halloween is Going to SUCK This Year!