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With home prices jumping nationwide, the real estate market is clearly starting to show stabilization. In the latest edition of Success as a Real Estate Agent For Dummies, expert author Dirk Zeller shows you how to become a top-performing agent. Whether it's lead generation via blogging or social media channels, you'll discover key ways to communicate and prospect in a new online world.
Inside, you'll find the latest coverage on being successful selling high-value homes, how to sell short sales to buyers without scaring them off, dealing with residential and commercial real estate, how to use third parties to drive leads and create exposure like Trulia, Realtor.com, and Zillow, and much more.
Whether you're looking to rev up your real estate business, deciding whether to specialize in commercial or residential real estate, or just interested in fine-tuning your skills, Success as a Real Estate Agent For Dummies has you covered.
Dirk Zeller is recognized as the premier coach for the real estate industry. He has developed a system that takes "regular" agents and "regular" managers and transforms them into Champion Agents and Managers.
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Showing Up for Your Own Success Story 5
Chapter 1: Skills and Strategies of a Successful Agent 7
Having Goal Objectives and Sales and Income Targets 9
Acting Like a Top Producer from Day One 10
Serving your professional representation 10
Making the right financial decisions 12
Avoiding the role of Designated Door Opener 12
Securing Customers and Clients 14
Rule #1: It’s about lead generation 14
Developing sales ability to win customers 15
A real estate market won’t dictate your success 17
The Reasoning and Rationale for Being a Strong Listing Agent 18
Choosing Your Avenue to Success 19
Chapter 2: Selecting the Right Company 21
Real Estate Office of the Future 22
Weighing All Your Options 23
Choosing residential or commercial 23
What makes a great office? 24
Bending or breaking the rules 27
What really matters? Looking at size, online presence,
training, and market share 30
Prioritizing your needs and expectations in a company 31
Creating Your Agency Short List 32
Completing your homework 32
Ask 12 key questions 35
Left-side/right-side your research 38
And the winner is? 38
Getting Off to a Fast Start 39
Building a relationship with your manager 39
Forming partnerships inside your company 41
Chapter 3: Mastering Any Marketplace 45
A Seller’s Marketplace Seems Easy 46
The coming soon listing strategy 47
The attraction of new competition 48
Sellers don’t think they need you 48
Demonstrating your value to sellers 48
Reducing the effect of discount brokers 50
Buyer’s Market? No Problem 50
Do you even want sellers? 53
Where to find leads when they’re scarce 53
Convincing sellers — why sell now? 54
Building urgency in buyers to act 54
Shift Happens 55
Recognizing early stages of a market shift 55
Shift recognized — now what? 56
Focus on motivation 58
Part 2: Creating Leads in Our Online World 59
Chapter 4: Facebook: An Online Lead Juggernaut 61
Personal or Business? Using Facebook Effectively 62
Using your personal page to create business 63
Getting people to share your posts, business or personal 65
Creating your business page 66
Using Facebook Marketing Strategies 68
Targeting sellers 68
Targeting buyers 70
Using the secret weapon of Facebook Lists 72
Chapter 5: Creating Leads with Online Search 75
The ABCs of Online Leads 76
Distinguishing two types of leads 76
Dealing with the prospect brush-off 77
Converting the forced-registration lead 79
Converting the direct-inquiry lead 79
DIY Mentality and Misconceptions 80
Selling your value to the online shopper 81
There Is No Substitute for Speed to Lead 83
Designing your lead follow-up strategy 83
Are phone calls still effective? 83
Using text to connect with a prospect 84
Video email: The secret sauce 84
Persistence pays off 85
Knowing the Psychology of an IDX Lead 86
Be first in line 86
Don’t set it and forget it 87
Show and tell 88
Ask them to engage 88
Making the Most of Your IDX System 89
Combining your property search system with other strategies 90
Chapter 6: Creating a Larger Online Presence 93
Building a Quality Website for Long-Term Success 94
Knowing your website’s purpose 94
Creating leads through your site 95
Delivering value online 95
Understanding Real Estate Blogging 96
Creating the look and feel of a professional blog 97
Setting up your writing and posting schedule 97
Positioning yourself as the marketplace expert 98
Integrating a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solution 99
Using a CRM as your electronic brain 100
Property search system + CRM = money 101
Chapter 7: Creating Leads with Third-Party Websites 103
The Elephant in the Room: Third-Party Real Estate Sites 104
The love-hate relationship with Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com 104
Results can vary by marketplace 105
Zillow, the White Whale of Real Estate 106
Pay to play as a featured agent on listings 106
Using premier agent status even when a new agent 108
It’s about the reviews 109
Check your production 110
Realtor.com: It’s Not Ours Anymore 111
Lead-generation options with Realtor.com 111
Avoiding some of the pitfalls 113
Trulia: The Third Spoke in the Wheel 113
Part 3: Creating Leads through Timeless Channels 115
Chapter 8: Sales Prospecting to Generate Listings and Sales 117
Knowing Why Prospecting Still Works 118
Video email 120
Handwritten notes 120
Phone and face-to-face communication 122
Prospecting for seller leads 123
Prospecting for buyer leads 124
Understanding the Four Pillars of Prospecting 125
1 Set a daily time and place for prospecting 125
2 Fight off distractions 126
3 Follow the plan 126
4 Be faithful to yourself and finish what you start 127
Building Momentum in Your Prospecting 128
Targeting the right prospects 128
Setting and achieving prospecting goals 129
Using technology to your advantage 133
Shattering the myths 134
Knowing the Numbers and Ratios 136
The law of accumulation 136
The power of consistency 137
The never-ending prospecting cycle 137
The importance of tracking results 138
The challenge of managing contacts 139
Staying in Touch 140
Chapter 9: Generating Referrals, Recommendations, and Introductions 141
Knowing the Referral Truths and Consequences 142
Building Your Referral Base 142
Defining referrals 143
Finding sources of referrals 143
Constructing a referral database 149
Following the three golden rules 149
What’s Up? Referral Strategy 154
Defining the type of referrals you seek 155
Setting and achieving your referral goals 156
Approaching your referral sources without begging 156
Asking the right questions at the right time 159
Honoring the referrals you receive 160
Developing and Expanding Referral Relationships 161
Making first-time contact 161
Converting referrals into clients and referral sources 162
Chapter 10: Expired and FSBO Success in Any Marketplace 165
Three Reasons to Work Expired and FSBO Listings 166
The ABCs of Expired Listings 167
Expireds are high-probability prospects 168
Engaging conversations 168
Qualifying expired listings 170
Calling the seller: What to say 172
Using technology to leverage your expired efforts 176
For-Sale-by-Owners Think Selling Is Easy 176
Understanding why to pursue FSBO listings 177
Using technology to find FSBO listings and opportunities 178
Zillow’s “Make Me Move” sellers 179
Converting FSBO opportunities to listings 179
Mastering the game of lead follow-up 183
Using stats to make the case 186
Chapter 11: Open Houses: New Agents’ Bread and Butter 187
Online Buyers Have Helped Open Houses 188
A chance to meet potential clients face to face 189
A means of catering to the do-it-yourselfer’s home-buying needs 189
A high-touch opportunity in a high-tech world 190
Setting Your Prospecting Objectives 191
Planning Your Open Houses to Gain Maximum Exposure for You 192
Featuring a high-demand home 192
Looking good: Leveraging the power of curb appeal 193
Marketing to the neighbors 194
Guiding prospects to the open house 194
The New Strategy of Mega Open Houses 195
Creating a neighborhood event 195
Facebook-targeted marketing 195
Three signs and a cloud of dust 196
Banners and flags and blowups, oh my! 198
Being the Host with the Most: Effectively Managing the Open House 198
Setting up for success before prospects arrive 199
Wallflower or social butterfly: Meeting and greeting during the open house 201
Winning follow-up systems and strategies 203
Part 4: Winning the Business and Getting Paid 205
Chapter 12: Making Your Listing Presentation a Masterpiece 207
Qualifying Your Listing Prospects 208
Using questions effectively before your listing presentation 208
Knowing why and how to question listing prospects 209
Deciding on a one-step or two-step listing presentation 211
Checking your prospect’s “DNA” 214
Presenting to Qualified Prospects 216
Knowing the purpose of your presentation 216
Delivering a compelling presentation 218
Making your presentation useful, interesting, and engaging 224
Keeping your presentation focused and targeted 225
The four components of a great presentation 227
Staying in control 229
Dealing with Sales Objections 231
Delaying or deferring objections 231
Handling objections in four easy steps 232
Asking for the Business 233
Bringing the Presentation to a Natural Conclusion 234
Chapter 13: Getting the House Ready for Showing 235
Getting the Home Ready for Pictures and Virtual Tours First 235
The essential image online 236
Unlocking secrets to perfect property pics 236
Counseling Clients on Home Improvements 238
Improvements that contribute to the sale price 238
Improvements to skip 241
Passing the Curb Appeal Test 242
Curb appeal is more important than ever 242
Landscaping your way to success 242
Exterior paint condition and color 243
Prepping the Interior of the Home 244
Staging a home 245
Making a clean-up checklist 248
Making a Great First Impression: Final Ways 250
Enhancing the first glance 251
Helping the buyer “move in” 251
Chapter 14: Marketing Yourself and Your Properties 253
Shifting from Print to Online 254
Setting up a monitoring system 254
Focusing your marketing dollars online 255
The Importance of Photographic Images 256
Putting pictures to work for your listing 257
Choosing your camera 257
Taking digital photos 258
Choosing Internet Strategies That Work 259
Company websites 259
Property information websites 260
Lead-generation websites 260
The Art of Persuasion: Getting Prospects to Buy into You 262
Get the customer to interact 262
Expand your reach in cyberspace 263
Using Technology to Market Yourself and Your Properties 264
Call capture still effective 265
Text-back strategies 266
Targeting Your Marketing Message 267
Defining your target audience 268
Positioning your offering 269
Creating and Placing High-Impact Ads 272
Emphasizing benefits versus features 273
Staying legal 273
Choosing the right media outlets 274
Converting ad interest to action 275
Enhancing Exposure via Virtual Tours 275
Producing a virtual tour 276
Leading prospects to your virtual tour 278
Chapter 15: Negotiating the Contract and Closing the Deal 279
Preparing for the Task Ahead 280
The right tone 281
Keys to representing a seller 282
Keys to representing a buyer 284
Advice for partnering with the other agent 286
Advancing or Accepting an Offer 287
Presenting a buyer’s low offer 288
Receiving a buyer’s low offer 288
Taking the insult out of an insulting offer 289
Getting beyond emotion 290
Turning concessions into victories 291
Dealing with I win/you lose clients 292
Closing the Deal 292
Forming a closing team and working with the players 293
Avoiding derailment 295
Part 5: Creating Ongoing Success in Real Estate Sales 297
Chapter 16: Keeping Clients for Life 299
Achieving Relationship Excellence 300
Defining your service standards 302
Promising, then flawlessly delivering 303
Viewing the closing as a starting point, not a finish line 304
Creating After-the-Sale Service 306
Laying the groundwork during the transaction period 306
Setting a service agenda for the first 30 to 45 days after the sale 307
Establishing an ongoing communication strategy 310
Customizing your messages 316
Establishing Awesome Service 319
Developing a service plan 320
Extending extra touches that create gold 321
Chapter 17: Maximizing Your Time 325
Spending Less Time to Accomplish More 325
Applying Pareto’s Principle: The 80:20 Rule 327
Making time for the things that impact your success 328
Weighting your time to what matters 330
Keeping PSA time in check 331
Managing Your Day 332
Knowing the power of the 11 a.m rule 333
Tracking your time 333
Dealing with time-consuming fires 334
Time Blocking Your Way to Success 335
Setting your schedule in time blocks 336
Avoiding time-blocking mistakes 338
Killing the Time Killer Called Procrastination 341
Moving forward with a clear vision 341
Knowing your objectives 342
Setting your priorities 342
Giving yourself deadlines and rewards 345
Carpe Diem: Seizing Your Day 346
Stop wasting time 346
Stop letting others waste your time 346
Manage interruptions 347
Handle intrusive clients 347
Keep phone calls short 348
Use your car to gain efficiency and career advancement 349
Part 6: The Part of Tens 351
Chapter 18: Ten Must-Haves for a Successful Agent 353
Good Contact Management System 353
Online Lead-Generation Software 354
Enhanced CMA Software 354
BombBomb 355
Tablet Computer 356
DocuSign or Dotloop Software 356
Facebook Business Page 356
Personal Website 357
A Phone Headset 358
Sales Scripts 358
Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Listing Presentations 359
Winning the Seller with Preparation 359
Knowing Your Competition 360
Sticking with Your Strategy 360
Forgetting about a “Be Back” Listing 361
Using Technology to Impress a Prospect 361
Conveying Your Benefits Clearly 361
Inserting Trial Closes Strategically 362
Talking about Value Rather than Price 362
Being Willing to Walk Away 363
Clarifying Service and Next Steps 364
Chapter 20: Ten Advantages of Teams 365
Increased Skill Improvement 365
Lone Wolf Syndrome 366
Lead Coverage 366
Quality of Life 366
Stability of Income 367
Leverage 367
Specialization 367
Coaching and Training Others 368
Increased Income and Increased Leads 368
Saleable Business 368
Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Agent Safety 369
Trust Your Gut 369
“Talk Time” Leads to Higher Security 370
Create Your First Appointment Strategy 370
When You Meet at a Home 371
Trail Behind When Showing a Home 371
Inform Others and Check In 371
Distress Code for Safety 371
Taking a Self-Defense Class 372
Arrive Early and Plan for Your Exit 372
Practice Your Excuse 372
Index 373
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