It’s All In The Attitude – The Power of Positive Energy

“Commit to CANI! – Constant And Never-ending Improvement.” – Tony Robbins

If you ask any expert, there are a range of elements that must be present for a business to succeed, whether you are a real estate broker, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or just starting out on a new venture. Some of these are easy to think of:

• Resources
• Skilled employees
• Effective marketing strategies.
  
  

Others are more industry-specific. But don’t forget the driving force that brings these elements together–the glue of any growing business–which is positive energy and a can-do attitude.

What Is Positive Energy?

It may sound like something right out of an alternative lifestyle book, but it simply means having the right attitude. When you see nothing as an obstacle, but rather challenges to be overcome, you become that positive force that drives your brokerage forward. Think of leadership as a responsibility to inspire, not just give commands. This mental shift will affect everyone in your brokerage including:

• Yourself
• Your team
• Your vendors and partners and those you touch
• Ultimately, your clients
  
  

A positive, energetic attitude has that same effect on anyone you meet, drawing their most positive selves to the forefront. With a brokerage team aligned with your vision and this kind of positive mindset, there is very little you can’t accomplish.

Most successful business owners use this “can do” approach towards their professional goals, allowing them to achieve maximum effectiveness and results in the delivery of their products and services. Even if you’re more of an Eeyore than a Tigger, you can learn just a few behaviors that will make a big difference at the office and in all your interactions.

How Does Positive Energy Influence the Workplace?

An attitude shift is not about being unrealistic or seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses. It’s about creating a culture where achievements, success, innovation, and improvement CAN happen and are celebrated. The interesting thing is that studies have shown that simply by achieving this mindset, business owners receive the following benefits:

• Improved problem solving: Solving issues and developing creative solutions is key to having an agile, competitive business – especially when you’re in an industry as competitive as real estate. Positive thinkers have been shown to have a greater ability to absorb new information, leading to a more rounded perspective and better-informed decision-making.
• Improved resilience: This is the ability to bounce back after a failure or setback– something every business owner must deal with. No matter how careful you are, you won’t avoid every challenging, frustrating situation on the path to growth. Instead it’s learning not to take every problem as a blow. It’s learning to see every problem as opportunity to learn, improve or build better relationships.
• Builds energy and enthusiasm: Real estate agents and brokers work at the top of their game when they’re feeling engaged, driven and competitive – a mindset that is encouraged by having a positive workplace culture. Not only will employees work harder to achieve their own personal career goals, but will actively engage with the big-picture business goals.
  

This is especially important for brokerages with a less experienced team. With a leader setting the standard for positivity and creating a safe work environment where it’s ok to fail once in a while, your team will strive to accomplish goals more effectively, regardless of their formal experience.

• Removes the influence of negative energy: Many of us have been part of a workplace with bad energy. In these workplaces employees lack a team focus and often lack respect for leadership.  Attitude filters from the top down and consistent positive energy from leaders builds trust and respect. It can transform an office and its employees into a place of enthusiasm and willingness, focused on how to grow, thrive and succeed.  It also makes people with negative attitudes stand out, making it obvious that their behavior doesn’t fit in.
  
  

Increase Your Can-Do Attitude, Increase Your Results

As a successful broker, you’ve already learned how to keep your team happy. But why not kick it up a notch? You don’t have to start dancing down the aisles, but many times it’s small things like choosing to coach, instead of criticize. Celebrate the positive, can-do attitude of others on your team. At Weichert Franchise, developing positive team dynamics is a cornerstone of our philosophy and an attribute of our most successful brokers.

For more information on how Weichert Franchising can be a positive force in your business, visit https://www.weichertfranchise.com/.

Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/attitude-power-positive-energy-2/

Yes, Your Agents Need a Business Plan, Too

As a knowledgeable broker, you’ve hopefully been writing your own business plan every year. You have seen the benefits of planning out your growth goals and “knowing your numbers”. However, are your agents taking the time to do the same? As a coach and the leader of your team, you can stimulate growth and inspire your agents by sitting down with them to write their own business plans. Even the most experienced agents can benefit from this exercise and once they see its power, they will be convinced of how necessary it really is in their business. Here are some helpful strategies to take when appealing to your agents to write a business plan.

Why Do Agents Need A Business Plan?

At the end of the day, real estate agents are independent small business owners. As you know, any business without a sense of direction and goals will struggle to grow. In fact, in a Harvard Business Review report, it states that those “who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve business viability than the otherwise identical non-planning entrepreneurs.” If you want to build a formidable team of agents that come to you for guidance, but are otherwise self-sufficient and successful, steer them toward developing a plan that outlines a path to reach those goals.

Easy Ways To Empower Agents To Write Their Business Plan

Once you have convinced an agent of the overwhelming value of a business plan, you may still need to give them an extra nudge to actually sit down and write it. Often, this challenge can be overcome with these five steps:

1. Lead By Example: Sometimes a simple example is enough to light the fire of inspiration. Sit down and show agents your process of writing your business plan and how you use it to achieve your goals.
2. Give Them A Template: If you don’t already have one, a quick search online will yield a never-ending library of easy-to-use business plan templates to alleviate some of the learning curves for your agents. Even better: create a template for them based on your own business plan, this will help them align their goals, with yours.
3. Give Them A Sense Of Urgency: Six months in, is too late to begin writing a business plan. Insist on your agents developing an initial business plan when they join your team, followed by annual plans each October-December, to ensure they start off the new year with a bang. Better yet, schedule a group planning day for the office
4. Check-In Throughout The Year For Progress Reports: With the endless surprises, curveballs, and distractions that life brings, it can be easy to get off-track throughout the year. Much like a New Year’s Resolution, it can be common for agents to stray from their business plan goals. Holding regular meetings to check in with them and hold them accountable for their production is a great way to counteract this challenge.

The bottom line is that working with each agent in your team is time well spent for both the agents, and for you the broker. Often you may find that working through this valuable exercise will increase your own motivation and spark further inspiration for your own business plans. Not to mention the obvious fact that the more success that your agents achieve, the more you will experience as their broker.

Brokers that have joined the Weichert Franchise have seen first-hand how empowering their agents with training, processes, and resources like business plans can be instrumental in their own growth. Having clear-cut goals, partnered with a proven system designed to achieve them is what allows Weichert brokers and their agents to do more. For additional information on how to further develop your real estate business, visit www.weichertfranchise.com.

Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/yes-your-agents-need-a-business-plan-too/

5 Real Estate Marketing Ideas for the Holidays

Many real estate agents and brokers feel their business hits a lull during the holiday season, when people are more focused on priorities other than buying or selling a house. In addition to using this slower period to plan for the year ahead, you can use it as an opportunity to reconnect with your network and show them how much they mean to you. Here are some ways that you can build upon your relationships during the holidays to increase your brand value and plant seeds for the year ahead.

Host A Holiday Client Appreciation Party

‘Tis the season for parties! One of the best ways that you can get some face-to-face time with your team, clients, and referral partners is to host an annual client appreciation party during the holidays. While the main point of this event is for you to strengthen the relationships that empower your business, there are opportunities for you to market your brand as well. Set up a holiday photo booth with props and encourage guests to post their photos to social media with a branded hashtag. You could also hire a professional photographer to take fun candid’s of the party to use in your social media marketing. This shows the world how much you care about the people of your community; not just the houses they live in. Don’t forget to write a press release and publish photos on your social pages.

Send A Personalized Holiday Card

Holiday cards are a long-celebrated tradition. Although it may be easier to send out a standard card to everyone, your efforts will go a lot farther if you write a personal message in each one. It doesn’t have to belong, but it should reflect your appreciation for their contribution to your business. It also never hurts to share an inside joke or pleasant memory if you can. Again, this is not about directly soliciting business, but leveraging the law of reciprocity to your advantage.

Write Holiday Themed Blog Posts

Themed blog posts are often some of the most popular of the entire year. While helpful tips about how to make it through the holidays or holiday decorations are always popular, why not take a more hyperlocal approach? Offer a local holiday shopping guide profiling the mom-and-pop shops that make your neighborhood so great. Local restaurants and other businesses with holiday specials work, too. A list of the best holiday-themed events in your market will also be a big hit. Themed hyperlocal posts like these increase your SEO reach, position you as a local expert, and generate loads more traffic by being so shareable on social media. Don’t forget to include hyperlocal and holiday-themed hashtags to help expand your reach with every post a bit further.

Give Back To Those That Need It Most

Although you should be giving back to charity and your community throughout the year, the holidays are certainly one of the most heart-warming times to do it. There are countless ways that you can deepen your connection with the community while doing good. Food, coat, and toy drives at your office offer the opportunity to get some facetime with people that wish to join your cause. By having the collection point at your office, you can get priceless face to face time with your clients as well. You could also organize a team of caroling agents to visit homeless shelters and aging communities where holiday cheer could use a boost. For a more hands-on approach, consider gathering volunteers for Habitat for Humanity or local soup kitchens. Social media posts, blogs, and videos are a great way to show the positive impact of giving back during the holidays and showcase your dedication to the community.

Host A Home Decorating Contest

On the lighter side, you can start an annual home decorating contest. Encourage your network and social audience to submit their most festive rooms or exterior decorations for the chance to win a prize. Consider enlisting your networking group and/or other local small businesses to provide prizes and encourage them to promote the contest. To expand your reach further, consider making it a requirement that they like your page, share your post, or subscribe to your newsletter in order to enter. Announce the winners during a Facebook Live event and don’t forget to tag everyone involved in the contest for even more free exposure.

At the Holidays, Keep it Real

The holidays are a wonderful opportunity for you to take stock of your production, set new goals, and reconnect with the people that have enabled you to get where you are today. Although it is wise to continue marketing yourself during the final months of the year to keep your pipeline full, it is important to be tactful and lead with reciprocity. Strike a balance in your marketing strategy by investing the time in your relationships with the community and leveraging online channels to promote your dedication.

At Weichert, we believe the real estate business is based on personal relationships and is the driving force behind all the tools and systems we develop and prescribe for our affiliates. If this sounds like it would be a fit with your brokerage, go to www.weichertfranchising.com to learn more about a franchise opportunity.

Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/5-real-estate-marketing-ideas-for-the-holidays/