Tech Is Great for Getting Them, But It’s Still Your Sales Skills That Close Them

We live in a world of distractions. The media, news, entertainment, technology tools and social media are constantly bombarding us from all directions. It’s easy to get sucked in to all the cool, shiny new ways to attract leads. While tech is great for attracting leads, don’t become so distracted that you forget to practice the skills and habits that close them. In this highly connected world, it’s more important than ever to hone your relationships and your personal selling techniques.  Lots of people can use the same lead technology, but there is only one you. Use that to set yourself apart.

Use Technology To Stay Connected

Make sure you have a good CRM. This is the best way to keep your contacts organized and keep track of your communications with them so you don’t lose touch. If you stay out of touch too long, it opens the door for a client to become connected with someone else and call on them when they need something. A good CRM is the perfect example of a tech application that blends automation and good sales techniques. Use the automation and calendaring features to:

• Send personal notes celebrating birthdays or anniversaries or just to see how they are doing or if they or someone they know are ready to make a move.
• Disseminate useful information related to their home or friendly updates about your business.
• Invite guests to your Open Houses and keep track of your visitors.
• Keep track of your phone call outreach.
• Automatically receive leads from your lead gen source.

Successful business owners understand that it takes some effort to learn these tools, but they use them regularly and teach and encourage their agents to do the same. The use of these tools actually helps you automate your business and have more freedom to spend one-on-one time forging new connections. Use technology to replace functions of your business that give you and your team more time and opportunity to make great connections within the community.

Use Technology That Showcases Your Personality

It’s no secret. People want to do business with people they feel a connection with and can trust. That is especially true when it comes to one of their biggest assets – buying or selling their home. The best way to stand out is to utilize technology that allows your personality to shine. Use video to share real estate tips or your knowledge about the neighborhoods you work in. Post them on Facebook or use a video email service, such as BombBomb to communicate. This will help humanize you and make you more memorable than a static post or email.

Don’t Forget Your Hustle

Lead generation sources are focused on one thing…selling leads. And they are happy to sell the same lead to you and the 10 other agents in town if you are willing to buy them. Customers typically work with the first agent they speak with. So make sure that agent is you. This means picking up the phone when it rings and not waiting to respond to that email. Don’t be so busy that you don’t have time to be responsive. Yes, you may have to speak with a few frogs, but you never know when that awesome lead is going to come to you and you need to be ready.

Be Smart About Lead Gen Options

Make sure the lead gen options you choose are truly productive for your business. How qualified are the leads you are receiving? Do you have to pay for them up front? What is your close rate on the leads you do receive? If it’s not good or you don’t know, you may be spinning your wheels and wasting valuable time and money. This can distract you and make you unavailable when the quality leads do come to you. Make sure you are spending your time and money on the right things.

Always Keep It Personal

No matter what technology and lead sources you use, don’t lose sight of the personal touch. Don’t let the technology do all the work. Find ways to use it to reach your customers in personal ways or use those applications that allow your personality to shine through. You are your product and people can’t buy if they don’t know you. As Jim Weichert always says, “People buy people, before buying a product or service.”

Conviction & Consistency Are King

At Weichert, we believe that tech is critical, but must be complemented by proven and successful sales activities. From a technology and lead generation perspective, Weichert associates and affiliates are automatically provided with its proprietary CRM and can qualify to receive leads from its lead center. Weichert invests heavily to attract online leads that are then screened by its call center. This helps connect the most qualified prospects to its agents. Those leads feed automatically into the Weichert CRM. Additionally, Weichert provides a blueprint of best prospecting and sales practices, together with qualified suppliers to help its offices and agents stay connected with prospects.
When you approach tech with the right frame of mind, stay true to your mission statement and core values and deliver value to your community, you will never have to worry about how fast tech changes or its impact on the industry. Don’t be concerned with change, as much as you are maintaining consistency and staying connected with your clients.

For more information on how Weichert systems can set you up for technology and beyond, go to https://www.weichertfranchise.com or call 877-567-33350.

Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/tech-is-great-for-getting-them-but-its-still-your-sales-skills-that-close-them/

Phone Not Ringing? Learn to Generate Real Estate Leads in Unexpected Ways

There is nothing more stressful to a real estate agent as the sound of silence while waiting for the phone to ring with calls from clients, referral partners, and prospects. If your phone is not ringing as often as you’d like, try augmenting your traditional avenues with something new. Thanks to technology, there are more creative ways to connect with your sphere and drum up business than ever before. Here are a few cutting-edge ways you can generate new leads to complement tried and true door-knocking and direct mail.

Social Influencers

Social media influencers aren’t just for selling makeup and music, they’re also great for selling real estate and promoting your content. Reach out to local influencers in your area via Instagram and ask if they would be willing to collaborate with you to help you gain exposure with your local market. Many of them will be willing to do this for little to no cost but the impact can be tremendous.

Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing Skills

Statistics are proving that more and more people are turning to voice and AI for their information needs. In fact, it is predicted that by 2019, at least 50% of all online searches will be done using voice assistants like Siri, and Alexa. To capitalize on this trend, develop your own Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill so you can deliver daily doses of real estate tips, local happenings, stories, and market updates to your sphere. This will allow you to stay in touch every day in a valuable way and positively position yourself as the local real estate expert.

Webinars

People love to learn through webinars! They allow you to get the information you crave without having to leave the comfort of your home. They also allow business owners like you to build an audience of trusting followers. Webinars on topics like first-time homebuyers, how to prepare your home for listing, and financing options offer you a valuable way to get people into your sales funnel in a concentrated way. To make the most out of your webinars, build an automated funnel that will cycle your students through the webinar and send follow-up emails that nurtured them until they are ready to buy or list with you.

Use Video

Video is a great way to get your face in front of consumers and cover a large area. It provides a more intimate form of contact than an email or standard social media post. If you do it often enough, people will feel as if they know you, even if you have never met. Take quick selfie videos of yourself with real estate tips or community insights to establish your credibility not only as an agent, but as a neighborhood expert. Consider a video email service like BombBomb to record and send regular video communications to your sphere of influence, instead of regular emails. These services integrate video right into your email and often have CRM capabilities so you can see who is engaging so you can target them for further follow-up.

Find Your Train Station: New Spins On Proven Strategies

Jim Weichert jump-started his business at the local train station by consistently handing out cards, shaking hands, and getting in front of the community in a way people hadn’t tried. He knew that if he wanted to earn clients, he would have to reach them in a creative and interactive way. He understood that with connections comes clients. His consistency with connections paid off. Now you don’t have to stand at a train station (although you could) to initiate consistent contact with your farm. Think of the internet as your train station and use its many platforms to creatively engage with your connections on a consistent basis and that phone will start to ring.

For more information about tools and systems that can help you maintain consistent contact and transform your connections into clients, go to https://www.weichertfranchise.com or call 877-746-2067.

Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/phone-not-ringing-learn-to-generate-real-estate-leads-in-unexpected-ways/

Don’t Forget About The Baby Boomers

With all the attention being showered on Millennials, it’s very easy to forget about the largest generational market that existed before them – Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers are still out there and still own plenty of real estate.  Members of this generation are retiring or are approaching retirement age, which is when many choose to purchase a vacation home or move out of their existing home for a variety of reasons—a more favorable tax area, better climate, be closer to family or amenities, downsize or a need to move to a facility with care. In many cases, the listings for downsizing Boomers tend to be much larger and more expensive than average. Will you be the one they buy and list with?

Many of these consumers are considering moving from the homes and communities where they raised their families and it can be a complex transition. But if you’ve nurtured your relationships with Boomer clients, there is a good chance you will get the call. Good customer service is going to be extra valuable to this segment, as they will likely have lots of questions and be in need a of a good source for information and guidance beyond just how to list their home. They are also very loyal to those who go the extra mile and provide value-added service. The reward is that they are great for referrals. Provide a positive experience and it is sure to be shared with their friends, families and neighbors tenfold. If this demographic is missing from your sphere, here are some tips to help you make connections:

What Are The Best Ways To Target Baby Boomers?

Digital Marketing & Social Media

You might think that social media and digital marketing efforts are best used for younger client segments. Not so! There is a very high percentage of Boomers on the internet and social media platforms like Facebook, making them readily accessible. However, they behave differently online than their Millennial counterparts, just as they do offline. With that in mind, here are a few ways agents can reach out to form meaningful relationships with them that lead to repeat business.
Here are a few statistics:

• 3% of baby Boomers belong to at least one social media site. (Source DMN3)
• Baby Boomers spend 27 hours per week online, which is two hours more per week than those who are between 16 and 34. (Source Colorado University)
• Baby Boomers take action based on what they see on social media, and most of the time it’s focused on finding more information. (Source DMN3)
• Baby Boomers are 19% more likely to share content compared to any other generation, reinforcing the notion that Facebook’s demographic is trending slightly older. (Source Digital Trends)

In fact, because of their high level of web-based activity Baby Boomers have now earned the name “Silver Surfers”! Aside from their very real presence online, this niche is by far one of the most valuable of all.

Direct Mail

Baby Boomers grew up on traditional mail and trust it as a source of valuable information. Direct mail is a perfect fit to do regular outreach and stay in touch with this market segment or invite them to events sponsored by your office.

Host or Sponsor Relevant Events

A valuable way to build your database, give back, create storytelling content, and form more personal relationships with Boomers and their families is to host or sponsor events that matter to them. This could be something like a charity-related walk, or a seminar tied to a local community group that they are involved with, such as a local Senior Center or YMCA. Topics could include sessions on decluttering, how to downsize, financial planning or even keeping up with technology. To maximize the impact of this effort, talk to as many people as you can and document the event to share on your website, newsletter, and social media. Then input your new connections into your CRM so that you can continue to build upon those relationships.

Create Informative Longform Content

According to QuickSprout, videos that are slower paced and have a great deal of information are more likely to appeal to Baby Boomers than faster-paced videos with too many visuals. Remember that your audience will have a thirst for content that helps solve their problems, without overwhelming them. Therefore, you should be diligent about producing long-form content with detailed instructions and examples. Also, be sure to make any audio or visual content easy for aging eyes and ears to consume by optimizing the sound and video quality as much as possible.

Make Contacts Within The Community

It’s always who you know, so having connections with organizations in the community can go a long way in getting Baby Boomer business. Senior living communities are great groups to partner with as well as Financial planners. Get to know the key managers of these organizations or join networking groups that they are part of. They can all be a great source for referrals!

Leading With Trust

All consumers, but especially Baby Boomers, place tremendous value on partners they can trust. This is not something built overnight. It’s a principle which Jim Weichert held near and dear to his heart from the moment he started the Weichert brand. He knew that no matter how the business changed, or the customers changed, one thing that would always stay the same is the value of a real relationship.

To learn more about how you can build stronger relationships with your agents and empower them to do the same with their clients of all marketing segments, go to https://www.weichertfranchise.com

Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/dont-forget-about-the-baby-boomers/

Best Way To Get Full Commission? Know Your Value.

In the ultra-competitive market for local home listings, the pressure to discount commissions is ever present. Some brands in your market may even make the discounted commission their primary marketing differentiator while selling themselves as full service agents. How do you compete with that?

Is discounting simply devaluing your services or something you have to do to survive? Here is some insight from the online real estate marketing specialists at Weichert.

Educating Clients About the Value of your Services

If you want to keep your full commission, you have to sell the value of what you do for it, plain and simple. A 4% commission from the other guy may sound great, but we all know he’s cutting corners somewhere to do that. Yet for clients, cutting broker commission seems to be the easiest route to saving money – and in their heads, this makes sense because they often lack the insight into what it is that real estate agents actually do. Taking the time to keep the client informed of the services you will provide at every step of the way is key. These include, but are not limited to:

• Start with a great listing presentation and local market analysis. If you impress them with the professionalism and thoughtfulness of your competitive research, you’ve immediately set yourself apart as a professional who is deserving of full compensation.
• Do the legwork – Scheduling multiple open houses, tours, inspections, re-inspections, conducting follow up, recommending small changes to make the house more sellable, running ads in local real estate publications, posting in supermarkets, mailings… the list goes on and you should be able to tell prospective home sellers exactly what they won’t get when they go to a discount brokerage.
• Most people hate to negotiate – It’s a fact, but as an agent negotiating deals is your bread and butter. Agents can spend hours presenting, convincing, and following up on an offer – and only their experience and negotiating expertise maximize the seller’s chance of selling quickly at the price they want.
• Expanded Property Marketing Exposure – This is achieved by accessing your real estate agent’s branding and MLS platforms, the most important of which is its online space. Buyers predominantly search the Internet for housing choices, and it’s almost impossible to get the same visibility and access to buyers through a discount realtor.
• Accurate pricing – There are always properties that are overvalued by owners and may stay on the market for months or even years, just as there are undervalued properties that are rapidly sold for far less than what the owner deserved. Accurate pricing ensures a good result for owner and buyer, as well as a faster selling process.
• Executing the sale – Completing a sale is a complex process that is made far easier, faster and more reliable when taken on by an experienced professional agent and broker. A full service agent will often have a real estate crm system to help them stay on top of potential buyers and a transaction management system to manage the transaction in a way that for-sale-by-owners, or discount brokers will not.

Technology plays a vital role in achieving this and is another area where you can show the value you add at full commission. As an agent, you have access to expert online marketing tools for real estate agents, a broker who is able to properly leverage the full power of their local brand and reputation, as well as a network of financing, legal, and construction professionals who you can recommend and help manage for your client.

Transform the way you sell with industry-leading real estate coaching programs 

Built on the expertise of experienced brokers, technology specialists and real estate industry leaders, Weichert is focused on providing effective answers to the challenges faced by today’s real estate agents. From marketing strategies for agents and a cutting-edge lead generation system to the best real estate coaching programs in the industry, we provide all the solutions you need to build your business and succeed in even the most competitive climate.

If these tools and solutions sound like a good fit for your brokerage or you would like to find out more about the Weichert system, please contact us today.

Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/best-way-get-full-commission-2/

Franchise Success Spotlight: Weichert Affiliate Dennis Murphy—Weichert, Realtors® – Donahue Partners

A Harvard University education has long been associated with some of the most extraordinary individuals in American Society. Harvard Alumni names read like a who’s who of American history, including global business leaders, politicians, diplomats and presidents.

To those distinguished alumni we add one more name: Cape Cod based Weichert® Broker, Dennis Murphy, owner of Weichert, Realtors® – Donahue Partners.

While a history degree from Harvard is not a requirement for success as a real estate broker, in the Cape Cod market it doesn’t exactly hurt either. It certainly speaks to his lifelong love of Massachusetts and his decision to settle in the Cape Cod Area. For Dennis, the path to real estate had more to do with Marge Donahue, Dennis’ grandmother. Marge was a beloved figure around the Cape who founded her own agency in 1963, which she ran until her passing in 1998.

“My grandmother was an inspiration to me,” says Dennis. After a stint doing advertising and marketing in New York City and being National Sales Director for America’s #1 market share television station, Dennis took over the independent agency in 1998.

The Road To Weichert

The 2008 recession hit Dennis’ brokerage hard. In 2009 he built out a new office but he was struggling to recruit and train agents. Dennis began to realize that he could use help. Dennis continued forward but in 2015 he met with Bill Scavone from Weichert and began to think seriously about an affiliation.

“I was very interested in their lead network,” says Dennis, “We actually did a test where we acted as a customer and used competitor websites to initiate contact, which were actually two other franchisors we were considering. In each case we never got a call back at all despite multiple attempts. But inquiries made on the Weichert site were rock solid at 3 minutes per response.”

This coupled with the clear and well developed systems Weichert showed Dennis really sealed the deal. In 2015, Dennis and his three agents signed with Weichert and became “Weichert, Realtors® – Donahue Partners”.

The Weichert Experience

The biggest difference Dennis felt after his affiliation was an overwhelming sense of relief. As Dennis puts it, “No more Dennis island.” At last he did not feel like he was in this alone.
With a full support team, Dennis suddenly felt like the wind was at his back. There were regular training sessions, such as “Sharpen the Saw” which are two-day management-level seminars for training and networking that Dennis still considers invaluable. There were regional Broker Council meetings right near Boston 3 times a year where he could interact with his peers.

Then there were the tools and systems. A full Fast Track training program to get new agents up and running and productive fast?  Done. A step by step program for recruiting? Done. A program for promoting open houses that actually works? Done. A completely elevated and professional looking listing presentation that could be customized though an online digital platform? Done. In fact the DOORS listing presentation was so effective and liked by his agents that he saw his closing rate rise significantly as agents used it and became more comfortable delivering it.

Another favorite benefit of affiliation for Dennis is simply the peer to peer relationships in the Weichert network. Both formal and informal meetings give Dennis access to a wide network of individuals inside and outside his market who are willing to help. That is the very culture of Weichert.

The Future With Weichert

Dennis only needs to look at his bottom line to know that some good things are happening. With a team now of close to 20 agents, Dennis has seen his GCI triple in 2 years and has met his entire previous year GCI in only 3 quarters in 2018. Dennis has his eyes on a second office in the mid-Cape area and is looking to hire 10 more agents in 2018.

But the best part for Dennis is that whatever the future may bring, he knows that Weichert has his back.

The Weichert Culture of Support

Being a Weichert affiliate is a partnership, a collaboration, done with great respect for what you’ve already achieved and learned.

After all, you’ve already built a successful business. We can help you do more.

For more information on becoming a Weichert Affiliate, call 877-567-3350  or visit weichertfranchise.com.



Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/franchise-success-spotlight-weichert-affiliate-dennis-murphy-weichert-realtors-donahue-partners/