Tip of the Week: March 5-11
Pursue Alternate Avenues for Sales
"In 2007, I tripled my commissions because I pursued pre-foreclosures. I helped my clients to negotiate with the lender and sell their properties as a short sale instead of going to foreclosure. Also, I made a connection with a habitual commercial buyer and helped find him commercial properties that are income-producing at a ten percent cap rate. Basically, my tip is to find the people in your town that are investors and ask them what are they looking for and then help them find the deals. Negotiate for the investor and keep your eyes and ears open and search, search, search - there are lots of people looking for deals.”
Jennifer Chambers
Exit Realty Showcase
Greater Rome Board of REALTORS®
Bonus Tip: "Don’t Sacrifice Your Marketing Plan!"
“My tip would be to get your marketing plan on track. Set it up for the year and then stick with it! And, when you design your marketing plan, be sure it includes unique marketing avenues (not sending out calendars and recipe cards). Take a look at my blog post about unique marketing ideas to give you some clues! Also, many agents seriously slow down in their marketing activities or stop altogether when things get slow, citing lack of funds which prevent them from continuing. I'd have to say this is the biggest mistake you can make! If anything, revise your marketing activities to more inexpensive ones just so that you can keep it up.”
Renae Bolton
Marketing 4 REALTORS®
Garfield Heights, Ohio
Tip for the Week - Feb. 23- March 1
"Personal Attention is Key"
“My strategy is not really unique, but it works. I treat each and every client as if they were my one and only. I listen to their wants, needs and preferences and act accordingly. I answer my phone 95% of the time (the 5% being when I am with clients, in a class, etc.) and always return calls promptly. If each REALTOR® would do this, eventually they wouldn't have to work as hard to market their services - they could sit back and wait for the phone to ring with referrals from everyone with whom they have worked. If anyone would have told me that 2 to 3 years ago - I would have laughed.
Last year was my best year in real estate and I don't mind saying so. I worked very hard for every client and felt great about the job I had done at the end of each day.... or should I say night!
Also, it doesn't hurt to make a point to KNOW your business! Perhaps each agent should take a contract update class at the beginning of each year to make sure that they understand any and all changes to the GAR forms. I am still (February 6, 2008) receiving offers from agent's who don't know that you have to include an amendment to add the financial contingency to the 2008 GAR contracts.”
Michelle Miller
RE/MAX Town & Country – Woodstock, GA
Cherokee Association of REALTORS®
Tip for the Week - Feb. 16-22
"Reflect, Strategize, Plan"
"My best advice to REALTORS® is if you can stick with it and set your train in motion over the next year you'll be at the gateway to prosperity. It is important to regularly take some time away to reflect, strategize, and plan carefully. It is crucial to realize the direction in which the business is heading, and then make the appropriate alterations before it's too late. Find your niche in the market and become the best at it because when the market comes back up and real estate is hot again, there will be a combination of fewer agents and a market on the rebound and you will reap the benefits."
Shawn Ghiai
Re/Max Metro Atlanta, Inc.
Atlanta Board of REALTORS®
Tip for the Week - Feb. 9-15
"Educating Clients and Thanking Them Properly"
"Educating my client’s on the current conditions in our local market, has proven to keep me on track for a another successful year in 07’. As a buyer’s agent for my clients, nothing is more rewarding that a happy and satisfied buyer and/or seller. To say thank you, I give my clients a leather-bound portfolio with our company logo imprinted to keep all records from their transaction. My clients are entered in my data base on 5-10 year after the sale. Nothing is more rewarding than simple a “Thank You”.
Sandra Danowski, Associate Broker, ABR
Century 21 Winnersville Realty, Inc.
Valdosta Board of REALTORS®
Click here to contact Sandra; be sure to put "GAR" in your subject line
Tip for the Week - Feb. 1-8
"Frequent Customer Contact Works for Me”
“I was fortunate to have a better year in ’07 than I did in ’06. While the market has shifted from a sellers’ to a buyers’ market; I believe my continuing success was due to a more stringent system of staying in touch with previous customers and clients. It is imperative to help sellers price their properties realistically based upon the current market conditions in your area and to provide candid feedback from showings. The need to provide a level of customer service that shows you care about your clients’ needs along with a higher level of ethics and integrity will help agents be successful and increase the level of professionalism in our industry.”
Susan Ason, GRI
Celia Dunn Sotheby's International Realty
Savannah Board of REALTORS®
Click here to contact Susan; be sure to put "GAR" in your subject line
REALTORS® from across Georgia are welcome to share their tips for success in GAR's "Tip of the Week." A new tip will be posted each Friday. Please send an email with 2-4 sentences on your tip, your office name and local board, as well as a color headshot, to GAR. We will email you if your tip will be featured on this site.