Are You Excited?

"kick off". You set your goals for 2009...you have written and rewritten your 09 business plan...everything is in order...budget is prepared. Wow! 2009 will be exactly as you thought it would be! Three already underway. Good luck. (It's about "marketing", isn't it?)

Developing the Marketing Habit

Second set of marketing tips:

· Invite a customer or prospect to your office for coffee or to discuss new ideas

· Recognize a special prospect or customer

· Post new information on your website

Developing the Marketing Habit

Here are three tips...do one or do them all TODAY

· Hand write a thank-you note to a prospect or customer
· Enter customer or prospect names into a database
· Visit a competitor's website

SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE

"More small businesses lose customers [due to] poor service than bad products," says Fortini-Campbell. Your business's most important marketing tool is the way you conduct sales and service customers. Every time you do work for a client, you are marketing yourself, she says. When you do that well, customers pay you back with loyalty and referrals.

Incorporate marketing into your daily activities.

Part of the marketing mindset suggests that you should be thinking about marketing all the time. Not quarterly, not monthly, not weekly, but every single day. The experts have told us
that doing anything for 21 days in a row will eventually turn into a habit for you. A Marketing habit is a great thing for your business to have. In post licensing courses we suggest that you do one thing every day that is related to marketing for your business and do it at the beginning of the day before you start the routine--and forget all about your planned tasks. We are going to develop a system that depends upon 3-5 marketing related activities be included each day, not "just one". In fact, I will share some of the list of marketing idea's you can do each day, until it becomes a "habit". Three weeks of non marketing will become a habit and that is not good for your business. Stay tuned for some marketing tips that can be used to help form that marketing habit.

SAVVY BUYER? NEED MORE SAVVY?

Go to www.hottipsforhomebuyers.blogspot.com

Build Your Value...A theme repeated over and over in Post Licensing Class

Ask questions that are designed to be answered in such a way to build your value.

Use testamonies from others to tell your story. People love to hear stories how something you are doing worked for others.

Remember, it is much easier to build that trust necessary by bulding your value rather than falling into those overused "5 steps to a successful sale" gimmick.

People don't like to be sold, but they love to buy! When they see the value of having you at the table...they BUY from YOU.

Happy Holidays

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc

Click on Paperless Real Estate to your right

Be Ready. Paperless will be introduced in your area very soon!

Introducing a New Instructor in Real Estate CATHY PEREZ WHITESIDE

Our Post Course has always included a mimimun of 6 hours about Real Estate Financing.
We are pleased to have Cathy Perez Whiteside as the approved instuctor for the Finance training included the the Post Licensing Course.
Cathy is a top producer working exclusively for Buyers...in other words...she is a Buyer's Broker. She is not only a top producer in her field, but is popular as an instructor, because she utilizes training techniques found to be educational and fun for adult training. You will be excited about what you learn from Cathy.
We have a link to her web site, www.enidrealestate.net on this blog. Visit her web site and learn even more.

FIVE INGREDIENTS FOR WORKING WITH BUYERS

We had 5 ingredients for the recipe for working with Buyers:
1. Work from a Presentation guide. Know what you will say before you say it! Always work from a "prepared" presentation. Not memorized, but, rather a guide to follow. Important to be professional in covering all the parts of a transaction. In a conversational approach, it has been found to be much easier to build rapport and becomes "friends" early and quickly.
2. Qualify your prospect early in the relationship. You must be selective. We suggest you only work with buyers who are approved for a mortgage. Don't waste their time or your time. Be prepared to "assist" them through this process. Most buyers want to acquire a home...Home ownership is a very good thing. But, question number one must be answered...How are you going to pay for it? The answer to that questions comes before we go on our tour.
3. Working with Buyers absolutely requires that you know and understand your market. First and foremost your buyers must understand how important PRICE is. You need to convey the message...all things being equal, if the price is right the property will sell-sooner that later. They and you could lose out if you are "dragging your feet."
4. Learn to ask questions. The right question. Learn their wants and needs. Learn what motivates them. Are they first time buyers, a young family, they moving up or moving down...are they investors or singles...perhaps transferring. Sometimes we need to ask the same question more than once, phrased differently and then compare the answers.
5. Understand that buying a home is in reality a Problem for Buyers. Problems need to be solved. Let there be no mis-understanding. YOU are the problem solver. Turn the focus, in your relationships with buyers, to that of a search for solutions.

We devote one session in our post course to "creating the perfect day" ...utilizing the time we have to its maxi mun profitability. If you include the discipline of time management in your business, you will result in a "controlled" sense of urgency with your buyers. It will pay off, big time, to keep things moving.
Excellent Post Course class. Great interaction and participation. Next one at Meridian Tech in Stillwater Dec. 1.2 and 3 2008.

How to Trigger a Yes Decision from Anyone

The article begins...YOU can have anything you wnat, yes, anythng! Powerful statement.
For the complete details on how this works, I suggest you visit www.seventriggers.com and click on "Seven Triggers".

FROM OAR Threshold News Letter Nov. 2008

It's Still a Good Thing You're in Oklahoma
Third quarter MLS statistics show that Oklahoma's real estate market is still going strong during these uncertain times. The average cost of a home in Oklahoma has increased by 8 percent compared to the third quarter of 2007. In the third quarter of 2008 the average cost of a home sold was $159,729 compared to $148,169 in the third quarter of 2007. Statewide, 13,811 homes were sold in the third quarter of 2008. This is 7.5 percent less than the number of homes sold in the third quarter of 2007 in which 14,932 homes were sold in the state.

SURVIVE THE STORM...Look at some statistics.

The National Association of REALTORS tells us that 66% of all

the business generated by 95% of successful professionals

today comes from only four sources:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Acquaintances
4. Referals from the first three.
It is *16 times more profitable to market to these 4 sources than it is to find new business.
What does this mean? It appears to mean that the "plan" will include time each day paying some attention to these VIP's.

*Direct Marketing Association

You will love this...

This is a quote...with all the credit to Jeffrey Gitomer:

Your mother taught you everything you need toknow about connecting before you were 10 years old: Make friends, play nice, tell the truth, take a bath, do your homework.

What a formula for developing a career in real estate. In fact, what a formula for a marketing course in real estate.

A Quote from Gitomer's Little Black Book of Connections

"All things being equal, people want to do business with their friends. All things being not quite so equal, people still want to do business with their friends. HINT: To climb the ladder of success, you don't need more techniques and strategies, you need more friends."

Now, wow...how logical is that. I been quoting in our Post Lic's course for several years:
People Tend to do Business with People they know.

Thank you Mr. Gitomer's for saying the same thing in a more understandable lanuage.
Hint: I do have strategies to help make this happen. Call me.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

You want to make something happen with your real estate career? DO IT. All those obstacles you imagine will crumble against PERSISTENTS. Take action. Do something. Get started. It the Start that Stops us. If you are searching for the place to start, I invite you to attend one of our course offerings...there you will introduced to at one idea that will work...if you will do it.

Lots of Negative people hang'n around...avoid 'um

In this market there is plenty of doom and gloom. I was filling the gas tank on my SUV last night. The guy filling his tank on the other side of the dispenser was recounting to me all the reasons why we are "doomed" by the high price of gasoline. I am first to admit that the price of gasoline is totally distressing...but, it is what it is. Being in a positive frame of mind about high prices of gasoline, or a perceived slow down in real estate or high priced groceries or 'whatever" does not indicate that you approve or like it. But an attitude of pressing on, in spite of circumstances, seperates the top producers from the marginal producers. These are challenging times. Choose to spend your time with positive, upbeat people and not those who only brighten the office by leaving.

Starbuck's "The Way I See It" # 290

Newt Gingrich: "On the battlefield of ideas, winning requires moving toward the sound of the guns". Successful marketing comes about with fresh idea's. Stay informed, Listen to who's making the loudest noise in the market place...move in that direction...YOU WILL BE A WINNER. (Better yet, YOU be the GUN.)

Leadership. Do you ever Look behind

A Broker friend of mine emailed me this picture. She took the picture after watching for a few minutes. As she gleefully recounted the experience, I couldn't help applying the process with the Mother Goose to that of a Principle Broker. The Leader. My broker friend said the chicks followed, even into a dangerous situation...crossing a busy street. An UNSHAKEABLE BELIEF IN THE LEADER. The story included a situation where the chick bringing up the rear began to fall behind and was straying to the left, off track. The Leader noticed and circled back (all the little chicks staying in formation, following) to bring the one falling behind back into the line. Isn't that Leadership. Those following had to be learning to trust the leader...No doubt, gaining TRUST in the Leader to care if they should fall behind and stray off course. Maybe we need to Goose our leadship skills.

WOULD YOU BUY FROM YOU?

Even back in the dark ages when I attended my first Sales Training course, they were teaching that the first step...in the "steps to a sale"was to "SELL YOURSELF FIRST". Actually, that concepts says that a client buys you first, then what you are selling. It is safe to say that if a client can't get past what they think of you, chances are they won't even consider continuing on with you. There are 4 key areas that affect your clients first impression of you. During our Post Licensing Course, we develop these 4 functions in detail. Remember, from before, I stressed the concept; IT'S THE START THAT STOPS US.

First Impression!

"Kool"

WHAT WE LEARN FROM A DOG!

Our boston bull dog loves to chase a ball. You throw it, she chases, retrieves it and you do it again, over and over. When she returns for the next chase, she clings to the ball. When you try to take the ball, she resists, you chase, she runs. If you try to coax her to let go, she ignores you. However, I learned that if I sit quietly, letting her try to make up her own mind, before long, she lays the ball at my feet and expects me to pick it up. What's to learn?? BUYERS sometimes are independent, aloof, suspicious. ...If you attempt to coax them, they ignore you. If you chase them, they run. If you sit quietly, creating the perception that you are letting them "make up their own mind" , they will soon lay the transaction at your feet.

"BOW-WOW"

REAOL.NET "AUCTION ON LINE"

A brand new AUCTION ON LINE web site has been introduced. http://www.reaol.net/ (real estate auction on line) can be utilized by sellers, forclosures, for sale by owners...whom ever has real estate to sell. The process is simple...First the buyer, the bidder, must show proof of financial ability by providing an approval letter from their lender. Once assigned a bidder number, the buyer may, ON LINE, proceed to make an offer. Buyer pays a transaction fee and the seller pays an insertion fee. After acceptance, the closing process occurs using the normal process. CHECK THE SITE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. http://www.reaol.net/

PERSISTENCE..."IT'S THE START THAT STOPS US"

The best technique to learn persistence is to just start. Just beginning is the biggest barrier for everyone. Once, you begin, you pick up momentum and that positive self-talk of accoomplishment. Here is a saying about Persistence.
Once a task has begun
Never leave until it's done
Though the task be great or small
Do it well or not at all.

PERSISTENCE IS BY FAR AND AWAY THE SKILL THAT WE NEED TO MASTER. IT IS THE ONE SKILL THAT GUARANTEES SUCCESS IN BOTH YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE.
Remember: IT IS THE START THAT STOPS MOST PEOPLE.

PERSISTENCE...#3

We often select too many things or set the bar too high too early. This will dcause us to fall short, and the negative self-talk will begin. The journey to run a marathon begins with a walk around the block. Start with the walk around the block, and in a few days to twice around. Then in a wkk you can do 4 time around. By the end of the month you will be able to walk a mile. The process in business is the same. Start with calling a few people in your sphere of influence. Call 5 people a day. Build the skill of PERSISTENCE.

Demographic profile

U.S. Census to let you pull together a demographic profile of your neighborhood. It displays social characteristics like education, income, marital status, the divorce rate, household income and more. And the developer started it as a hobby. The link is http://zipskinny.com/
Could be helpful in your real estate activities.

Persistence...Part II

It truly is a noble skill to have the ability to move forward when everything around you is collapsing, meeting the challenge head on and grinding through the competition. We are all professionals or we aspire to be a professional. Many of us know what we need to do; yet we don't do it. We spend our time looking for the one step that will change our life, rather than using the path of persistence to win. We look around for the magic answer that will solve all our problems. Late night infomercials are centered on "get rich quick or lose weight instantly". We live in a liposuction society where we want abundance-yesterday. We don't want to do the diligent, PERSISTENT work to achieve success. Persistence is crucial to ultimate success in life...and first we must learn to persist in the little things. More coming!...Stay in touch.

Persistence...

What is the one skill that a Realtor needs in order to be successful. That's a tough question. The ONE skill. There are so many skills Associates need to be successful. We have to have good presentation skills, marketing skills, negotiating skills, objection handling skills, technology skills. All those skills pale in contrast to this one: PERSISTENCE
It is the one skill that will make up for our deficiencies in all the other areas. It will allow us to win in life no matter what obstacles that are placed in front of us.
Calvin Coolidge, our 30th president said it very well. "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Geniuses will not; un-rewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts, Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

What Good is Your Business Plan, if......

...you don't get more than half of the listings you go on presentation for.
...you don't sell more than half of the buyers you start working with.
...your negotiations end after two rounds or more.

We have considered how to resolve the issues that these questions reveal. In our "Zero to Sixty" post licensing course you will learn the skill and/or gain the knowledge to strengthen these area's , as well as others, to help you grow stronger in your business plan. Keep in touch.
November 4, 5 and 6...Autry Tech on W. Willow in Enid. Enroll today----call 1-580-242-2750
or 1-405-826-6188

Manage and Conduct Your Business Like a Business

You (Real Estate Agents) are in business. You are "in charge" of your money, your time and your talent...your future. YOU are! Must I, also remind you that your business is "sales". Sales is a numbers game. Do you know your numbers? Question(s):

1. How Many contacts does it take to get a prospect?
2, How many prospects does it take to get an appointment?
3. What's the ratio of showings-to-sale?
4. How many presentations does it take to get a listing?

The answers to these and many other questions are answered during our Post Licensing Course. (By the way, any licensee may attend our Post Licensing course sessions for Continuing Education Credit. "come on"...don't be in the dark any longer!) Next Post Course is in Enid at Autry Technology Center on West Willow St. , March 25,26,27. Enroll today! Avoid the rush. Let's keep in touch.

WHAT? WHY Exclusive Buyer Brokerage?

Markets are become more challenging. Buyers who need to have a job done in a challenging market need a professional. Professionals charge fees. (It sometimes befuddles me how an agent can represent a buyer and get paid by the seller...However, I'm okay with that procedure, as long as it lasts). The pro's in buyer brokerage are having buyers contractual agree to a business relationship of advocacy, a relationship that allows the agent to "work for the benefit" of their party. (In Oklahoma, we call it "Single Party Broker"). Some are requiring this agreement be signed, WITHOUT exception. I can provide you or your organization with more specific insight and training on the subject of Buyer Broker Agreements. (In fact, as part of the Public Domain, go to www.orec.ok.gov web site...menu on the right and click on Contracts and Related addendum's. From that site, one can print off the copy of the Exclusive Buyer Broker Agreement. Printing off a copy of the agreement and reading it, will, in the most part, be a learning experience. The OREC Contracts Forms committee has deemed it necessary for Oklahoma Agents to have available a legally binding agreement to establish a relationship with a Buyer).
This might surprise you, but, already top buyer agents are actually getting paid by buyers. Buyers see the value of advocacy...the coaching aspect of the transaction...determining a buyers goal, designing a customized plan and then implementing that plan with strategies to increase the buyers chances of reaching their desired goal. Part of the coaching is to put the Buyer through tighter pre-approval processes, more and tougher counseling questions, proving their sincerity in face-to-face meetings. When a buyer is properly counseled, they are more interested in what their eventual results are and less interested in the commission amount. If you are a buyer prospect reading this blog, let me say, the climate is somewhat "bold" out there. More For Sale By Owner's on the market. Transactions are more complex...with Investigations, Disclosures, and Inspections on the Buyers side, then repairs to follow-up on. Buyers become anxious during these times. Your exclusive Buyer Broker will automatically spend more time with you "coaching" you toward making sound decisions. It seems natural, that a prudent person would welcome the opportunity to work with someone who is "contractually" obligated to work for their benefit. Compensation paid by the Buyer (when called for) could very likely be the best value for the dollar spent in the entire transaction. It's apparent that I fully embrace Exclusive Buyer Brokerage, because, I am convinced that the Buyer is beginning to seek for the more experienced and successful real estate agents who know how to cope and be successful in today's "challenging market place." Stay in touch!

Qualify Harder-Real Financing is Available

Zero down, no doc's, sub prime loans are gone. Fixed rates are back. FHA financing, bond programs..A GREAT TIME TO BUY REAL ESTATE.
And it's time that we get back to working with buyers who can qualify to get a loan. Qualify! and be approved for the "real" loan. A loan that does not depend on the creativity of a "jello" lender.
Now we can actually qualify using fundamentals...buyers who have money for the required down payment. A decent priced home with a "qualified buyer" is the beginning of a thrilling experience. Our response to Buyer prospects who announce that they want to buy a house could be..."great idea.....how you going to pay for it?" ( You might phrase that with a bit more sensitivity, but you get the idea). Qualify Harder. Buyers will appreciate the opportunity to work with a sales associate that pays attention to details. Having money ready when they need it is an important "detail". Keep in touch.

After choosing a Career in Real Estate...Must know!

Enrolling and satisfactorily completing the Part I, 90 hour, Pre-License Course allows one to take the state exam. Step two complete the state exam, passing with 75% (test fee is $60.00). Step three pay $75.00 to obtain an active or inactive license. (The following explanation of the PSA was taken from the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission web page: http://www.orec.ok.gov/ )

Provisional Sales Associate- A provisional sales associate (PSA) is an entry level licensee, which is under the supervision of a real estate broker. A PSA can not enter into contractual agreements with a customer or client in his or her own name, but must enter into such agreement for and in the name of their sponsoring broker. In order to apply for a PSA license, a person must be of good moral character, eighteen (18) years of age or older, and submit evidence to the Commission of successful completion of Part I of ninety (90) clock hours of basic real estate instruction in a course that is approved by the Commission.
Upon passing the state examination and obtaining a PSA license from the Commission, the PSA has a Part II post-license education requirement of forty-five (45) clock hours that must be completed within the first year of obtaining a license. The Commission has identified core subject matter that qualifies to meet this requirement; and also approves other subject matter totaling forty-five (45) clock hours or more, as long as it is real estate related and is approved by the Commission. Once a PSA has completed Part II of the course requirement and has provided the Commission with evidence of such completion, at the end of their one-year license term their license will be issued as a sales associate (SA) license (upon submission of the appropriate form and fees.)

REAL ESTATE ACADEMY TRAINING COURSE SCHEDULES FOR FIRST HALF-2008

Pre-License Part I

DeSpain Real Estate School
January 5,6,7-12,13,14 – 19,20,21
March 1,2,3-8,9,10-15,16,17
May 3,4,5-10,11,12-17,18,19

Autry Technology Center Enid,OK
January 8,9,10,11,18
May 15,16,28,29,30

Meridian Technology Center Stillwater,OK
Jan. 29,30,31 Feb. 5,6,7,
June 3,4,5,9,10,11

Canadian Valley Technology Center El Reno, OK. Does not include locations via IETV
May 12,13,14,22,23

Post Lic Part II

Canadian Valley Technology Center El Reno,OK
Feb. 12,13,14
Feb. 26,27,28
Mar. 11,12,13

Autry Technology Center Enid, OK
Mar. 25,26,27
June 24.25.26

Meridian Technology Stillwater,OK
April 1,2,3

BROKER

Location TBA
April 22,23,24,29,30

Continuing Education Units
Call for Dates and Locations