®
L&F ONBOARDING MANUAL Welcome home.
Long & Foster. For the love of home.™
WELCOME TO LONG & FOSTER The Onboarding Process Welcome Items Agent Advantages Headshot & Business Card Orders Creating a Branded Email Signature Your Agent Abstract The Long & Foster Cafe Fundamentals of Business Marketing Calendar 90 Days & Beyond Technology Setup
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LA-Luxury Alliance Christie’s International Real Estate Partnership ASG-Agent Services Group Seven Effective Social Media Practices Beware of Cyber Crime Social Media Resources for Agents Your Rental Beast Experience Our Core Service Partners Long & Foster Tools Support Contacts Notes
THE ONBOARDING PROCESS WELCOME TO LONG & FOSTER Meet with Manager Process Licensing, Paperwork, and Listing Transfers Meet with Office Administrator Schedule Meeting with Onboarding Team Onboarding Schedule Training Classes Meet Mentor/Coach
Meet with Manager
Meet Core Partners
Create Business Plan 2
You’re ready to launch your successful career with Long & Foster!
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WELCOME ITEMS Start your business with style by receiving complimentary Long & Foster items by utilizing our creative team to get your brand going.
Included: • • •
Business Cards Announcement/Note Cards Long & Foster Booklets
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Personalized Welcome Email Professional Headshot
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Agent Abstract/Bio Writing Assistance
A G E N T A D VA N TA G E S Below are the business and marketing tools and services that will help you jumpstart your career as a REALTOR®. With technology constantly growing and advancing, it is critical for any business to stay on the cutting edge. As part of the Long & Foster | Christie’s International Real Estate family, you will have access to a variety of solutions to help you achieve success.
DIGITAL
Personalized Agent Website Personalized Welcome Email L&F Social Media Placement L&F APP Property Websites IT Support with Help Desk 7 Days/ Week
TECH TOOLS
Cafe.LNF.com BackAgent (select areas) Moxi Engage Moxi Presents E-Agent Authentisign/Docusign Microsoft Office 365
ListHub Pro YouTube Home Video Xpressdocs Spacio OneDrive Cloud Storage RISMedia Salesgenie RREINAgent Voice-to-text LeadTrax Management System Testimonial Tree RealScout BombBomb Coming Soon portal
BUSINESS TOOLS
Professional Headshot Access to Core Services - Mortgage, Settlement & Insurance Access to Continuing Education Success Path Training (LAUNCH) Exclusive Christie’s International Affiliation Customizable Reports: LuxInsight, Market Minute, Market Leader, and Market Conditions Exclusive Rental Reast Affiliation ASG-Agent Services Group LA-Luxury Alliance Long & Foster offers many other tools and services. Ask your manager for more information today! 3
HEADSHOT & BUSINESS CARD ORDERS Professional Headshot Provided by Long & Foster Business Cards
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Please follow instructions; Form given in follow-up email
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Fillable form needs to be completed fully to include punctuations, dashes, commons, hyphens, etc.
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Agent Websites need to include the ‘www’, per sample below www.longandfoster.com/agentname
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Cards can be ordered without using a picture
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If you already have a professional headshot, you can use a professional photo that meets image requirements (sizing, resolution, etc.)
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DO NOT FORGET THE FINAL STEP OF THE BUSINESS CARD INSTRUCTIONS – YOU HAVE TO APPROVE THE BUSINESS CARD PROOF FOR US TO ORDER YOUR CARDS
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Custom cards available upon request but will incur a fee
CREAT I NG YOUR L&F EMAIL SIGNATU RE 1. Open Microsoft Outlook. Go to File, Options, Mail, Signatures. 2. Click NEW, and give your new signature a name. 3. Create the templated email signature:
NAME HERE (MYRIAD PRO, 15PT) REALTORÂŽ title (Myriad Pro, 10pt)
email.address@LNF.com (Myriad Pro 11pt) longandfoster.com (Myriad Pro 11pt) REGIONAL OFFICE 202.895.7328 (MYRIAD PRO, 9PT) 20 Chevy Chase Circle, NW, Washington, DC 20015 (Myriad Pro, 9pt) ÂŽ
4. The above image will be emailed to you, for you to insert. 5. To insert the image below your signature, click on the image icon and upload the image emailed to you. 6. To set the color of the text you just typed, highlight all of the words and select the color drop down box. Select the More Colors Options. 7. A color palette box will open. Insert these numbers into the boxes: Red: 79, Green: 96, Blue: 104
TIPS Be sure to hit Enter after you type your email address to set the hyperlink. Then delete the extra line you just created. To make the longandfoster.com link active you must create a hyperlink. After you highlight the longandfoster.com web address, select the hyperlink icon from the bar.
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AU T HO R I Z I NG YOU R AGENT ABSTRAC T To assist our marketing team in writing your agent bio, we ask that you tell us about yourself by completing an Agent Abstract Form (see insert). See below for an example of how a well-answered form can turn into an impressive bio that will grab clients’ attention.
SAMPLE AGENT ABSTRACT FORM L&F AGENT ABSTRACT If a question does not apply to you or you don’t want to answer it, feel free to skip to the next question. Name:
DC / MD / VA
LE
Larkin O’Hara License Location(s):
Why did you decide to go into real estate and what made you choose Long & Foster?
I chose to go into real estate because I have grown up around the industry my entire life - my father was a realtor, and my mother was an architect. I grew to appreciate the care and work that goes into both building and marketing a home. Choosing Long & Foster was only natural, because my father has been with Long & Foster for over 30 years.
MP
If you’re new to real estate, what were you doing prior to becoming an agent? Was your former career in an industry related to real estate? Before becoming an agent, I worked as an architect for the past 10 years. After working project after project with realtors, I realized that I could not only build homes, but sell them too!
SAMPLE COMPLETED AGENT BIO
Do you have any experiences or have you learned any skills that are transferable to being a real estate agent?
I would have to say my attention to detail sets me apart from those around me. This is very important when planning, scheduling meetings, and organizing the many elements that go into buying and selling a home. I make sure to always bring my best self to work every day, refreshed and ready to accomplish anything.
Please feel free to edit materials based off of this form and any materials provided may be used for other marketing materials as you see fit.
If a question does not apply to you or you don’t want to answer it, feel free to skip to the next question.
Sample Agent Abstract (Background - Skills/Qualifications - Positive End)
A native Virginian, Larkin has grown up loving the area, the people, and the community her whole life. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary, and a Masters in Architecture from Harvard University, she worked for an architecture firm for the past 10 years. After collaborating on project after project with many realtors, she realized that she could not only build homes, but market them too! She now enjoys creating a trusting partnership with each of her clients, built upon careful planning and attentive communication. Larkin’s attention to detail sets her apart from those around her when planning, scheduling meetings, and organizing the many elements that go into buying and selling homes. Larkin finds value in always being prepared, knowledgeable, and keeping clients well informed throughout the process. She brings her best self to work every day, refreshed and ready to accomplish the day. Larkin seeks to help every client experience that “Aha!” moment, when they know that they have found a place that they can build their future in.
SA
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L&F AGENT ABSTRACT
LE
What strengths do you have that will help provide the ultimate experience to your clients and help develop your real estate business?
MP
SA
Yes, I have learned many skills through my experience working in a similar industry. My people skills, drive to accomplish goals that I set, and attention to detail prepare me well for being a real estate agent.
Larkin’s passions and drive allow her to see the world as a book waiting to be read. However, she doesn’t simply skim through the pages - she reads them thoroughly and pays careful attention. That is how she sees each transaction, as something not to judge the cover by - but to work with and enjoy throughout the process! Books always come to a close - so do her real estate transactions!
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T H E LO NG & FO STER CAF E The main portal to all of your Agent needs. Up-to-date news, links to all your favorite online tools and even a place to view online videos. YOUR PROFILE GOES HERE | MY EMAIL | MY O365 EMAIL | MY SITE | MY LINKS | ?
HOME
DEPARTMENTS
CORE SERVICES
AGENT CAFE
Accounting Agent Registration Business Services Commercial Division Commercial Prop. Mgmt. Construction Corp. Real Estate Services (Relocation) e-Real Estate Human Resources Information Services Legal Affairs Marketing Metro Referrals New Homes Property Management Rental Service Center SMARTMOVE® LFIRE (Education) Vacation Rentals
Homer Service Connections Long & Foster Insurance Prosperity Home Mortgage Settlement Services & Title Tailored Move
Agent Reports Agent Purchased Services Clubs & Awards Training Agent Benefits Resources Tools & Links MLS Quick Links Write Contact S.A.C. (Sales Advisory Committee
SUCCESS PATH
EMPLOYEE CAFE
HELP SERVICES
CAFE FEEDBACK
Human Resources HRWeb Company Directory Benefits Employee Advantages Holiday & Payroll Schedules CFIS Xcelerate CSOL e-Reports Long & Foster Website Gateway Onboarding & Access Guide The Foster Family Award
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TH E 3 FU NDAM E NTAL CO M PO NENTS O F A SU CCE S S F U L R E A L ESTATE BUSINESS
1 Real Estate Business Plan
WHAT IS LONG & FOSTER’S SUCCESS PATH?
The Success Path is Long & Foster’s professional development curriculum. It is a progressive series of high-level instruction divided into four levels, each defined by desired results and business objectives found on cafe.lnf.com. Avoid the trial and error path of building a business and fund the life you want… get on the Success Path and start implementing proven systems today! Begin with the end in mind, create your mission statement, your 1-3-5-year plan, a monthly-weekly-daily plan, and the best action you can take right now.
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Utilize Moxi Engage: Contact Management/Transactional Management
ABOUT MOXI ENGAGE Moxi Engage, a comprehensive agent productivity tool, is now available to all Long & Foster agents on the Long & Foster Cafe. This innovative and easy-to-use system will help you increase your sales and repeat business by managing your entire sphere and sales cycle, from the first point of contact to the closed transaction and beyond.
WHAT CAN MOXI ENGAGE DO FOR YOU? Moxi Engage helps you to: • • • •
Ensure you’re top-of-mind with your existing network Complete the necessary tasks to reach your goals Simplify your life by automating many of your business processes Leverage your network to achieve success
ADDITIONAL TOOLS & SERVICES - ACCESSIBLE THROUGH MOXI ENGAGE Once on the Moxi Engage web page, to access any of these additional tools & services, click on the button below to access Moxi Engage. From there, click on the external links tab on the top of your dashboard. • • • • • 8
Spacio, a paperless open house solution Loop & Tie, an online gift-giving service Intuit QuickBooks Self-Employed, a full-featured financial management tool Testimonial Tree, an online word-of-mouth marketing and reputation management service VoicePad, a mobile search technology system and curbside lead-generation tool
THE 3 F U NDAM E N TAL CO MPO NENTS O F A SU CC E S S F UL REAL ESTATE BUSINESS
3 Enhanced Marketing Strategies
The key to strong marketing is consistency, but as a busy agent, it’s easy to lose track of your marketing to-do list. Keep yourself on track with a long-term calendar that helps you plan an effective routine for targeting your SOI regularly.
EASY START UP - Efficient and affordable ways to kick off your business • • • •
RREIN Agent monthly e-newsletter to SOI Social media presence Moxi Neighborhood News market update to SOI Phone calls to SOI follow-up on open house visitors
• • • •
Host open houses Sign up for floor duty Door knocking Email marketing with MailChimp (free depending on the size of your mailing list)
INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS - Make a lasting impact with your Sphere of Influence • •
Small gifts delivered to SOI Personal notes mailed to SOI
• •
Item of value mailed to SOI Rezora seasonal messages to SOI
EXCEL ABOVE THE REST - Demonstrate your high value as an agent Direct mail to SOI Geographic farming Print advertising
AVAILABLE RESOURCES ON HOW TO REACH POTENTIAL CLIENTS
Seasonal tasks/events
Book to read
Professional development
Travel
Flu season survival kit
ALTA statements to 2016 clients/NARRPR report to A+s
The Way of Art
The Blitz (Buffini)
NYC
F
Valentines candy
2017 Continuing education/ Client party
Outliers
Buffini Success Tour: San Diego (remote)
M
Hangover kit
Complete taxes/IOV to entire database
The Obstacle is the Way
Buffini Success Tour: Richmond (live)
A
Aluminum foil
Write e-book
Daily Rituals
IOV to entire database
Surely, You’re Joking
Success Tour: Monterey (remote)
Kids First
Buffini: The Surge
Write e-book
The Art of Possibility
IOV to entire database
Leap First
Buffini Success Tour: ______ (remote)
M
Hangover kit
J
Thumb drive
J
Condiments
A
Peroxide
S
Duct tape
MP LE Siddhartha
O
Pumpkin carving kit
The Checklist Manifesto
Buffini Success Tour: ______ (remote)
N
Holiday survival kit
Pie giveaway/ Thanksgiving card
The Kaizen Way
Buffini: The Finish
D
Hangover kit
Business planning for next year/IOV to entire database/ New Year’s card
Genghis Khan
Social media posting/ Organize work day with Get It Done app
Write 9 notes/Update Tumblr blog/Make dinner at home at least 3 nights a week/Contribute toward Mexico fund
Richmond
NYC
NYC
Wisconsin MONTHLY
NAR’s Field Guide to Direct Mail: Effectively reaching your customers and prospecting clients is essential for a successful real estate career. This guide provides tips to ensure your direct mail campaign competes against the mailers of top-producing agents and delivers an effective, targeted message.
Client gift/pop-by J
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NAR’s Field Guide to Effective Online Marketing: An online presence is vital component of a real estate professional’s marketing strategy. Because today’s consumers want accurate information quickly and conveniently, real estate professionals must harness the features and capabilities of online marketing to meet these ever-increasing needs. In this field guide, you will find an overview of online marketing basics, tips on marketing your website, and information on how to use email and blogging.
DAILY
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www.nar.realtor
WEEKLY
• • •
IOV/eReport/16 video calls/ 12 pop-bys/Neighborhood news
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90 DAYS & B E YO ND Kickstar ting Your Real Estate Career HIT THE GROUND RUNNING Welcome aboard! During your first two weeks, you should: ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉
Receive and complete License Application Packet Meet office staff and get contact list Order business cards Order announcement/note cards Order signs, name riders, name badge and stationery Get office key and/or fob Sign up for the Agent Services Group Have a professional headshot taken Complete Agent Abstract and receive bio Read 90 Days to Being a Successful Agent Log in to the Long & Foster Café for the first time Set up email and create an email signature Set up office desk and/or phone and/or voicemail and/or mailbox
̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉
Set up BackAgent account (where applicable) Receive Office Training Schedule Learn about Office/Region Mentor/Coaching Program Schedule meetings with core partners Set up equipment and connect laptop to printer
ESTABLISHING YOUR BUSINESS Now that you’re all set up, it’s time to integrate yourself into the industry. During your first 30 days, you should: ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ 10
Attend sales meetings and training Join local Realtor Association Complete local Realtor Association orientation Obtain Sentrilock key from local Realtor Association Subscribe to BrightMLS Complete BrightMLS training Read and familiarize yourself with the “Do Not Call” Policy Create LinkedIn, Zillow, Trulia & Realtor.com profiles Set up business social media Begin LAUNCH Training Program (Step 1 & Step 2) Review forms in Xcelerate
̉ Meet with Agent Services Group member or Onboarding staff for the following: ̉ Set up a Long & Foster website ̉ Set up LNFStorefront.com portal (where applicable) ̉ Set up a MOXI account ̉ Set up Rental Beast and take Rental Certification Class ̉ Receive and review Christie’s International presentation materials
90 DAYS & BEYO N D Kickstar ting Your Real Estate Career FIND YOUR TARGET MARKET
READY FOR TAKE OFF
With your business established, you can strategize how you’d like to grow. During your first 60 days, you should:
Your goals are in place, now it ’s time to get moving! During your first 90 days, you should:
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̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉
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Meet with manager and set sales goals Prepare an annual business plan with manager Organize MOXI database Organize your sphere of influence (SOI) Send announcements to SOI Observe floor duty agent and learn skills (where available) Visit open houses and learn inventory Meet with mentor/coaching team to review basic skillsets Explore Moxi Presents Continue to attend sales meetings and training Schedule and attend weekly tour of brokers’ open houses
Complete LAUNCH Training Program (Step 1 & Step 2) Sign up for floor duty (where available) Create a buyer presentation Create a listing presentation Begin a tax file ̉ File receipts and record gas mileage ̉ Mark calendar for filing quarterly estimated tax ̉ Begin time blocking schedule for daily routine ̉ Schedule and complete your Continued Education and/or Post Licensing Education Classes
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90 DAYS & B E YO ND Kickstar ting Your Real Estate Career BUILD YOUR SKILL SE T ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉
Helpful Reminders JOIN THE FUN
Shadow a seasoned agent at open house Attend Build-Your-Business workshops Use different marketing platforms Learn how to Price It Right Network with investors Learn about Rental Beast Boot Camp Complete Rental Certification Partner with a seasoned agent Manage your small business
BE A NINJA NINJA can help you in all aspects of your business. ̉ Sign up for NINJA courses ̉ Increase your income per hour ̉ Increase your customer satisfaction ̉ Increase your quality of life
̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉ ̉
Office coffee talks Office social events Annual Regional Awards Annual company-wide clubs & awards Philanthropy initiatives Community initiatives
KEEP LEARNING To be an effective agent, continuing your education is key. ̉ Contract classes ̉ Lunch & Learn with title partners ̉ Lunch & Learn with Prosperity Home Mortgage ̉ Continuing education classes and/or Post Licensing Education ̉ Rental certification class
What a Successful Week Looks Like ̉ Be consistent, be persistent ̉ Talk to 50 people (phone or face-to-face) this week ̉ Participate in activities that will result in the addition of at least two new contacts per week to your database ̉ Write 10 personal notes per week ̉ Set up at least one coffee/lunch appointment for each week ̉ Enter names, addresses and phone numbers of people who know you into Moxi Engage, with the goal of building a minimum of 200 names ̉ Place buyer interview and pre-listing interview forms near your phone 12
̉ Schedule five time blocks for 60-90 minutes of prospecting on your calendar ̉ Schedule an open house with a seasoned agent ̉ Attend office sales meetings, NINJA coaching, and launch training ̉ 15-minute meeting with mentor/coach ̉ Be knowledgeable about industry updates ̉ NINJA weekly routine ̉ Practice five-step calling process with mentor/coach ̉ Learn the 8-8 process ̉ Practice F.O.R.D. questions with mentor/coach ̉ Memorize open house questions
TECHNOLOGY SE TUP During your onboarding process, our team will get you set up and familiar with our technology offerings and start-up tools. WIFI NETWORK LnF-PEAP2 (This is the same in all L&F offices) LOG ON FROM HOME OR LAPTOP (use Chrome or Mozilla Firefox – Café doesn’t display correctly on Safari) CAFÉ.LNF.COM Username: agent number | Password: your password SUCCESS PATH Sign up for Launch – Training Videos EMAIL My 0365 Email - Email.longandfoster.com or on office computer use Outlook icon.
Moxi Engage: engage.lfmoxi.com (CRM that links with Outlook) Neighborhood News, Birthday & Housiversary E-cards, Closing Gifts, Facebook Ads, Notes – can use on mobile device RREINAgent: (Real Estate E-newsletter plus articles and videos available at no additional cost) rrein.rismedia.com/users/login ONEDRIVE.COM (1 TB of cloud storage that has Word & Excel online applications) XPRESSDOCS AUTHENTISIGN/DOCUSIGN – E signatures
AGENT QUICK LINKS
AGENT STATEMENTS, CSOL, ARX, XCELERATE
Access My Portal Manager: Agent Website; 30 days to activate after requesting it to be built; www.longandfoster.com/GregScott - for guide on what you can do to your website
LONG & FOSTER APP HELP.DESK@LNF.COM 703.653.5555 (Hours: 9-7 Mon-Fri, 9-5 Sat & Sun)
COMPLIMENTARY TECH COURSES How to Access Courses: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Go to Cafe.lnf.com Go to Success Path Go to L&F Tools Select a Course Click Registration Follow online tutorial
Recommended Courses: • • • • • • • •
Agent Websites Moxi Engage Moxi Presents Outlook 365 Spacio BombBomb RealScout Youtube
• • • • • • • •
OneDrive Rental Beast L&F App Cafe ASK Are Testimonial Tree RREINAgent Xcelerate 13
LA- LU X U RY A LLI A NCE The Luxury Alliance is a Long & Foster | Christie’s International agent program designed for a group of elite agents with significant impact in the luxury market who have earned great influence in luxury real estate. They are recognized for their successful track record and expertise with real world experience and serve as advisors to Long & Foster senior leadership. They are invested in the success of the program and are committed to peer collaboration.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS VIP Support and Marketing includes direct involvement and oversight by L&F leadership: Jeff Detwiler, Boomer Foster and Gary Scott, dedicated resources, dedicated luxury marketing team, set of complimentary luxury materials and tools, complimentary briefings and trainings on luxury programs and tools and access to VIP on-demand exclusive services (costs vary). Peer Collaboration includes luxury Alliance networking events, social and community events open to agents’ prospects and clients, Luxury Alliance education and training, exclusive Luxury Alliance pre-market listing previews and peer-to-peer idea exchange and support.
C HRI S I T I E’S I NT E R N ATIO NAL REAL ESTATE PAR T N E R S H I P As an exclusive Affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, your ties to the world’s leading art business and its global real estate network provide you with a unique and unparalleled opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Your affiliation distinguishes you as “best in class,” and offers you the opportunity to engage a worldwide audience of high-net-worth homebuyers outside of your local sphere. Christie’s International Real Estate is the only real estate network wholly owned and operated by a fine art auction house. Christie’s worldwide network includes 141 affiliated brokerages operating from 1,200 offices, with 32,000 real estate professionals in 46 countries. Christie’s International Real Estate has sold some of the highest priced residential properties in the world during 2016. Among them is The Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, California which sold for US $105 million. The property was sold by Hilton & Hyland. Christie’s is the world’s leading art business, with 2016 art sales of US $5.4 billion. This stunning total includes the sale of Claude Monet’s Meule (Grainstack) for US $81.4 million.
THE ART WORLD’S ONLY REAL ESTATE NETWORK Christie’s is a name that speaks of prestige, unparalleled service, and expertise. We have a strong commitment to the business philosophy established by James Christie in 1766 and it defines our approach to real estate today—one that is founded on trust, integrity, discretion, and excellence.
GLOBAL REAL ESTATE AUTHORITY Our highly qualified global network of brokerages are the leading authorities within their geographies. Each has been handpicked for its expertise and success in luxury property sales. They, together with our unique international perspective on the worlds of art and luxury, have made Christie’s International Real Estate the global authority in the marketing of distinctive properties.
EXCEPTIONAL INTERNATIONAL REACH As the only luxury real estate company owned by a fine art auction house, only we can offer high-level reach and access to Christie’s services and Christie’s high-net-worth clients around the world. 14
A S G - AGENT SER VICES GR O UP The Agent Services Group (or ASG) is a Long & Foster | Christie’s International agent support program designed to assist agents in the day-to-day functions needed to carry out, maintain, and grow their business. This comprehensive program is available as a monthly subscription or on an a la carte basis and allows agents to focus on what matters - their clients! Transaction. Marketing. Logistics.
WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU JOIN ASG? Joining ASG opens you up to a world of opportunities to help improve your professional brand, by facilitating transactions, helping you market yourself and your listings as well as managing logistics and planning events!
ASG MEMBERSHIP | PRICING UPON REQUEST • • • • •
Transaction Coordinator Assigned To You Annual Marketing Planning Session Unlimited One-on-One Technology Training Free Monthly Self-Promotion Design Monthly Digital & Print Item of Value
• • • • •
Monthly Digital & Print Newsletter Free Rezora Account Monthly Training Classes on Long & Foster Programs Monthly Exclusive Social Media Content Provided Discounts on Transaction Coordination, Marketing & Design, Concierge Services, and Event Production
TRANSACTION COORDINATION SERVICES The Transaction Coordination Team ensures agents are given support on each and every transaction. Whether scheduling a photographer, ordering a sign installation, or processing documents, the Transaction Coordination Team has the process covered from contract to close.
MARKETING AND DESIGN SERVICES A team of Skilled Designers and Marketing Specialists will create and refine an agent’s brand to perfection with a comprehensive offering of cutting-edge services. From social media content to style guides, let us help you hone your image and promote a thriving business.
CONCIERGE SERVICES The Concierge Services Team handles the time- consuming details of an agent’s busy schedule. From logistics services to dayto-day support, discover just how simple life can be with the help of a team of experts.
EVENT PRODUCTION SERVICES The Event Production Team creates custom and engaging events showcasing the agent, the agent’s brand, and the power of Long & Foster | Christie’s International. From open houses to client appreciation events, wow clients and cultivate lasting relationships.
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7 EFFE C T I V E S O C I A L MEDIA BEST PRAC TICES Having a marketing strategy that includes proven social media best practices for business is a great way to gain exposure for your products and services - without eating up too much of your budget. The average person spends 3 or more hours per day on a range of social media sites. You’re part of the 74% of adults online which engage in this activity. With so many networks to consider, the best way to maximize your company’s social media is to follow these seven best practices for social media strategy:
1. SET MEASURABLE SOCIAL MEDIA GOALS Start by defining how you want social media to help your business. Establishing objectives will help set marks that can be tracked and measured. This allows you to focus on winning strategies, and quickly pivot as things change. Your strategy should encompass more than just collecting likes, shares, retweets and pins! Focus on making sure that each of your social media posts support a strategic goal. A few common strategic social media goals and objectives include: build brand awareness, gain new customers, strengthen customer service, and increase engagement.
2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS It’s no lie: social media activity can be time-consuming. Trying to manage all of the networks will water down your resources and take away from the channels that bring successful results. Use your target client and their online behaviors, to determine which networks will work best for your services. Narrowing down the field for your small business social media strategy will give you more time to create the right content for the right followers.
3. BRAND YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILE PAGES The perception of your company’s identity should be uniform across all channels. You’re not only building a stronger brand, but also creating awareness and loyalty. Make it easy for consumers to recognize your business by maintaining consistency across the following areas: Logo & Tagline, Imagery, Company Description, and Tone & Voice.
4. CONTENT QUALITY OVER QUANTITY More is not always better! Just like on your website and blog, you’ll want to generate quality social media content that is valuable to your customers. A good social media content mix includes equal parts of the following types: Promotional, Thought Leadership, and Engagement with followers.
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7 EFFE C T I V E S O C I A L MEDIA BEST PRAC TICES Continued Be sure that your social pages stay up-to-date with relevant and timely posts. Create an editorial calendar to help organize and schedule your small business social media strategy over the course of 3 months. Revisit it at the end of that time period, and update the calendar to reflect content types which gained the most engagement.
5. MONITOR SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS Taking a look at your social media analytics on a weekly basis will give you the data needed to support your goals & objectives. There are a few ways to do this: through a dashboard like Hootsuite or Buffer, with Google Analytics, or by using the native tool that each specific social network may offer. Small business social media strategy can constantly change; stay on top of the trends within your campaigns to adjust accordingly.
6. CHECK OUT COMPETITORS To really witness current social media best practices for business, take a look at what’s happening around your industry. Examine how competitors manage their brand on social media channels, and which content generates interaction and engagement. Find a few benchmark influencers in your industry, to see how your own small business social media strategy can improve. Then, follow and engage with them!
7. BE PATIENT AND STICK WITH IT It can take time to build a loyal following, by gaining trust and nurturing the relationship. While social media posting may be fleeting among the massive amounts of content generated every minute, it pays to implement a strategy and target the right consumers. By following the above best practices with consistency and patience, you’ll be on your way to social media success!
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BE WA RE O F C Y B E R CRIME Scammers and criminals are constantly looking for ways to access your personal data and financial information. Here are some of the crimes they commit with this information:
RANSOMWARE ATTACKS
WHAT IS PHISHING?
Cyber criminals may try to install malware or ransomware on your computer or your company’s network via email attachments or links. They may also gather all the information from your address book to go after more potential victims.
1.
Phishing is a scam technique that criminals use to gain access to your personal or your company’s information or money. Typically scammers will send an email that looks like it came from a trustworthy source, like a bank, in an attempt to gain access to your information. The email may imply there is an issue that needs to beaddressed right away.
LOGIN THEFT
2.
Criminals may gather username and passwords that you use to access personal information or company data in order to steal your credit card details, transfer your money from your accounts or buy items using your credit card. They may also look for tax records and other financial data.
Spear phishing uses the same approach as phishing, but is a more refined technique. In a spear phishing attack, the scammers do more research on their target to make their fake message seem as real as possible. This information comes from things the target may have posted on social media websites like Facebook or Twitter, or other publicly viewable places online.
EXTORTION
Ransomware is a program a scammer installs on your computer or your company’s network that locks all files and data making them inaccessible. Once the information is held “hostage,” scammers demand a ransom to unlock it, but even if the ransom is paid, there’s no guarantee you’ll get your files back.
3.
Similar to a ransomware attack, cyber criminals may try to use information on your computer against you. They may use your computer’s camera to take images or video of you or steal information from your computer and threaten to release it publicly unless compensated.
4.
What is spear phishing?
What is ransomware?
Why should I care?
Falling victim to a phishing scam can put you at risk of losing valuable personal and financial information, costing you both time and money.
IDENTITY FRAUD
PHISHING RED FLAGS
Once your information is stolen, cyber criminals may use your information to access your social media or email accounts to commit fraud in your name.
Be wary of the email sender, especially if:
OTHER CRIMES Some cyber criminals may look to commit further crimes using your computer or internet network. They may use your computer to send spam and phishing emails to others so they can commit more fraud or they may use it to launch cyber attacks against others or distribute illegal materials. 18
What is phishing?
• • • • •
you don’t recognize the sender’s email address. it’s from someone outside your organization and doesn’t have to do with your job. the email is from someone you know but the message seems out of character. the sender’s email domain is suspicious (ex: john.doe@ longandfosterinc.com or john.doe@long-and-foster.com instead of john.doe@longandfoster.com the email seems unusual or unexpected and includes a hyperlink or an attachment.
Look at the email recipient. Watch out for: • •
messages that you’re cc’d on where you don’t recognize any of the other recipients. emails that are sent to groups of people who typically don’t work together.
B E WARE O F CYBER CRIME
Continued
Read the subject of the email. Take note if: • • • •
the subject line doesn’t match the message of the email or seems irrelevant. the subject line indicates the message is a reply but you never sent an email. the subject line seems too good to be true (ex: You’ve won money!). the subject line is urging immediate action (ex: Last reminder: open immediately).
Be cautious about opening attachments. Don’t click on those that: • •
you’re not expecting to receive or that don’t seem to go with the message in the email. could contain viruses or other harmful files.
Thoroughly read the content of the email message. Be on the lookout for: • • •
messages that address the recipient in a very generic way, such as “Dear Customer.” messages that seem out of the ordinary or include bad spelling or grammar error (ex: Dear Costumer, We beleeve that there might be some problms on your account.) requests that ask you to click a link or open an attachment ot avoid something negative happening or that seem strange.
Review any hyperlinks, looking for: • • •
hyperlinks within email messages that show a different destination link when you hover your mouse over them. hyperlinks within email messages that are spelled wrong. messages from someone you know but that only seem to include gibberish language or seemingly random links.
HOW TO AVOID MORTGAGE PHISHING SCAM •
• •
• • •
Identify two trusted individuals to confirm the closing process and payment instructions. Ahead of your mortgage closing, discuss in person, or by phone, the closing process and money transfer protocols with these trusted individuals (realtor, settlement agent, etc.). Be cautious about exchanging any details about your closing over email. You may want to use this opportunity to also create a code phrase, known only by these trusted parties, if you need a secure way to confirm their identities in the future. Write down their names and contact information. Use the Bureau’s Mortgage Closing Checklist to list these individuals and their primary phone numbers. Before wiring money, always confirm instructions with your trusted representatives. Never follow instructions contained in an email. Verify the closing instructions, including the account name and number, with your trusted representatives either in person or by using the phone number you previously agreed to. Avoid using phone numbers or links in an email. Again, scammers can closely replicate the email address, phone number and format of an exchange from your agents. Avoid clicking on any links or downloading attachments without first confirming with your trusted representatives. Do NOT email financial information. Email is never a secure way to send financial information. Be mindful of phone conversations. It may be difficult to identify whether a phone call is fraudulent or legitimate. Scammers may call and ask you to verify your personal or financial information. When in doubt, always refer back to your trusted professionals to confirm whether it’s legitimate.
WHAT TO DO IF IT HAPPENS TO YOU • •
Contact your bank or wire-transfer company immediately. Ask for a wire recall. Reporting the error as soon as possible can increase the likelihood that you’ll be able to recover your money. File a complaint with the FBI. Contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. While it can be easy to think you’ll never fall for a scam of this nature, the reality is that it’s becoming more and more common, and the results can be disastrous for eager homeowners. By being mindful and taking a few important steps ahead of your closing, you can protect yourself and your loved ones.
To learn more about the closing process, including how to prepare for your closing and common pitfalls to avoid, check out our Mortgage Closing Checklist. For information and resources for each stage of the home-buying journey, visit the Bureau’s Buying a House tool. The resources on mortgage closing scams are part of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s work to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices. We arm people with the information, steps, and tools that they need to make smart financial decisions.
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SO CI A L M E D I A R E S O UR CES FO R AGENTS The key to success with social media is in sharing interesting, useful, eye-catching content. The following social media sites offer tons of content that you can share online to engage with your friends and prospective clients.
HOUSE BEAUTIFUL
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
• • • • •
• • • • •
https://www.facebook.com/HouseBeautiful https://twitter.com/housebeautiful https://www.pinterest.com/housebeautiful/ https://www.instagram.com/housebeautiful/ https://www.youtube.com/c/housebeautiful
CURBED
INTERESTING ENGINEERING
• • • •
• • • •
https://www.facebook.com/RetroReno vation/?ref=ts https://twitter.com/RetroRenovation https://plus.google.com/u/1/collections / https://www.youtube.com/user/RetroRenovation
APARTMENT THERAPY • • •
https://www.facebook.com/apartmentt herapy https://www.pinterest.com/apttherapy / https://www.instagram.com/apartment therapy/
DWELL • •
https://www.facebook.com/dwell/ https://www.pinterest.com/dwellmedia/
AIROWS • • •
https://www.facebook.com/Airows/ https://twitter.com/airows https://www.instagram.com/airows_/
https://www.facebook.com/interesting engineering/ https://twitter.com/IntEngineering https://www.instagram.com/intengineering_/ https://www.pinterest.com/intengineering/
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST • • • •
https://www.facebook.com/architecturaldigest https://twitter.com/ArchDigest/ https://www.pinterest.com/archdigest/ https://www.instagram.com/archdigest/
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
WORST TIME PEAK TIME BEST TIME
https://twitter.com/Curbed/ https://www.facebook.com/Curbed https://www.youtube.com/user/curbed https://www.instagram.com/curbed/
RETRO RENOVATION • • • •
20
https://www.facebook.com/habitat https://twitter.com/Habitat_org https://www.youtube.com/user/HabitatForHumanity https://www.pinterest.com/habitathumanity/ https://www.instagram.com/habitatforhumanity/
1:00 - 4:00PM
Mondays Thursdays 1:00 - 3:00PM
Wednesdays 3:00PM
Mondays Thursdays 9:00AM - 3:00PM
Weekends before 8:00AM after 8:00PM
Every day after 8:00PM Fridays after 3:00PM
Tuesdays Thursdays
Saturday Mornings
9:00-10:00AM
Noon
Fridays 3:00PM
Wednesdays 9:00AM
Normal Business Hours
Early mornings
5:00 - 6:00PM Mondays and Fridays 10:00PM 6:00AM
Evenings
Y O U R R E N TA L B E A S T E X P E R I E N C E HOW TO ACCESS YOUR RENTAL BEAST BROKER PORTAL 1. Log into Agent Café 2. Click “Departments” then “Rental Service Center” 3. Click the “Rental Beast” icon
WHERE DO I START?
4. Click “Access Rental Beast”
I am a newly licensed agent...
I have experience with rentals
MY FIRST DEAL PROGRAM
RENTALS FAST START PROGRAM
TO GET STARTED:
TO GET STARTED:
1. Log into your Broker Portal through the Agent Café 2. Hit the “Education” button 3. Enroll in “Rental Certification & My First Deal Boot Camp”
1. Log into your Broker Portal through the Agent Café 2. Hit the “Education” button 3. Enroll in “Rental Certification & Rentals Fast Start Program”
YOUR FOCUS OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS:
YOUR FOCUS OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS:
• • • •
• • • •
Complete Long & Foster Rental Certification Course Completing your daily Boot Camp Assignments Using Rental Beast support Building your book of business with Rentals!
Complete Long & Foster Rental Certification Course Completing your daily Boot Camp Assignments Set up your Lead Filtering settings Set up your Lead Intake Settings
LONG & FOSTER AGENTS ARE HAVING SUCCESS WITH BOOT CAMPS! A newly licensed agent...
An experienced agent...
“There is a lot of useful information in this boot camp. It is not only useful for rentals but for sales as well. The course offers good advice on generating leads, posting on social media, preparing letters to the Sphere of Influence, responding to leads and handling objections. This course has also help me communicate more effectively with clients.” – May Geadah, Long & Foster
“I have been an agent for a year and a half. I decided to take the Rental Beast Boot Camp to jump start the Rental side of my business. You do real world exercises and scenarios to prepare you to work with actual clients. I definitely recommend the Rental Beast Boot Camp tp any agent interested in helping clients with rental properties. Thank you Rental Beast!” – Jacqui Hunter, Long & Foster
YOUR DEDICATED SUPPORT SPECIALIST | PHONE: 202.464.7749 | EMAIL: LFRENTALSUPPORT@RENTALBEAST.COM 21
RENTAL BEAST UNIVERSIT Y BOOT CAMP Long & Foster Rental Certification Course Now Available with Rental Beast University
DAY 1
DAY 2
LESSON: Introduction to Rental Beast support and tools
LESSON: Introduction to Rental Beast Lead and Client settings
ASSIGNMENT: Introduction Email
ASSIGNMENT: Test client questionnaire and inventory alerts
DAY 5
DAY 6
LESSON: Qualification process during Lead Response
LESSON: Social Media and Real Estate Webinar
ASSIGNMENT: Solve lead response “scary scenarios”
ASSIGNMENT: Social Media Quiz
DAY 9
DAY 10
LESSON: How to post Rental Beast listings to social media
LESSON: Best practices for increasing social media presence
ASSIGNMENT: Post 3-5 Rental Beast listings to social media
ASSIGNMENT: Share real estate content and post listings
DAY 13
DAY 14
LESSON: Best practices for setting up a showing
LESSON: Best practices when doing a showing
ASSIGNMENT: Contact Landlord to set up showing
ASSIGNMENT: Solve the showing “scary scenarios”
DAY 17
22
DAY 18
LESSON: Apply Now tutorial and basics of a lease package
LESSON: Lease practice
ASSIGNMENT: Create lease package checklist and solve “scary scenarios”
ASSIGNMENT: Fill out mock lease and review with coach and manager
RENTAL BEAST UNIVERSIT Y BOOT CAMP DAY 3
DAY 4
LESSON: Webinar on Lead Management
LESSON: How to convey value during Lead Response
ASSIGNMENT: Quiz on Lead Management
ASSIGNMENT: Write value script
DAY 7
DAY 8
LESSON: How to set up social media accounts
LESSON: LinkedIn best practices for lead generation
ASSIGNMENT: Set up business social media accounts
ASSIGNMENT: Message leads and join real estate groups
DAY 11
DAY 12
LESSON: Showings Webinar
LESSON: Best practices for creating a showing schedule
ASSIGNMENT: Showings Quiz
ASSIGNMENT: Create a showing schedule
DAY 15
DAY 16
LESSON: Exam Day
LESSON: Application and Lease Webinar
ASSIGNMENT: Showings Test
ASSIGNMENT: Application and Lease Quiz
DAY 19
DAY 20
LESSON: Best practices and business multipliers for post lease interactions
LESSON: Review schedule
ASSIGNMENT: Create daily schedule to review with coach on last day of boot camp
ASSIGNMENT: Final Test and Survey 23
O UR CO R E S E R VI C E PAR TNERS Strong partnerships and a network of top industry professionals help Long & Foster Real Estate stay number one in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Long & Foster Real Estate is proud to be affiliated with numerous leading companies in the mortgage, title, and settlement industries. Additionally, Long & Foster also claims partnerships with some unique businesses who are redefining the realty service industry, like Home Service Connections. Please take a moment to look at the many companies and divisions that make up our Core Services.
Your Full Service Mortgage Banker - a wholly owned subsidiary of the Long & Foster Companies serving home buyers and sellers.
Long & Foster is proud of our association with our multiple Prestige PartnersÂŽ for Settlement and Title services.
At Long & Foster Insurance, we are dedicated to helping you find superior coverage at the right price.
We’re a full-service brokerage firm offering residential and commercial real estate, mortgage, settlement, insurance, property management, corporate relocation and vacation rental services.
At Sage Title Group™ , our professional associates are committed to providing unparalleled real estate closing services to every customer.
Urban Pace provides marketing, sales, and advisory services to real estate developers specializing in condominium and multi-family developments.
Our size and resources allow us to give you a stress-free property management experience.
Long & Foster Vacation Rentals is so pleased to offer you high-quality vacation and condo rentals in over 17 locations on the east coast.
Whether you are on your way to your first home or are relocating after many years in your current home, we use our experience to tailor the perfect Move Plan for you. 24
LONG & FOSTER TOOLS
Moxi Engage & Present Moxi Engage, an industry-leading productivity platform, integrates the tools and sales processes that agents use to stat in rouch with clients.
Xcelerate Forms Online Provides Long & Foster agents with a centralized location for managing contracts and accessing automated financial tools.
Authentisign An electronic signature service where multiple parties can legally and securely sign documents online.
Success Paths An extensive library of valuable and insightful training videos created exclusively for Long & Foster agents. Learn in the comfort of your home or office.
Market Conditions A wide range of real estate information designed to help you stand apart from the competition by offering local, targeted housing information that your clients will want to read.
Multi-Media Advertising Opprtunity With our exclusive digital and print media martnerships, you'll get access to a variety of discounted advertising oooprtunities.
L&F Lux Insight A great tool to help consumers learn more about the home buying and selling process, homeownership, home design and so much more.
Microsoft 365 An intelligent and secure solution that allows for creativity, working together, and sharing information.
Market Minute The Long & Foster® Market Minute® provides an in-depth overview of real estate market statistics for 600+ local areas across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Rental Beast Rental Beast is a comprehensive, up to date database of rental listings in the country.
L&F Agent Websites Every Long & Foster agent is provided with a customizable website. It’s easy to manage and showcase your listings and choose other items to display with widgets.
Long & Foster App The Long & Foster App is free and allows customers and agents to search listings anytime, anywhere on their iPhone, iPad or Droid.
Social Media With daily posts designed to be shared easily by agents to their own spheres, Long & Foster’s Facebook page makes your life easier by taking some of the mystery out of what to post on social media.
List Hub List Hub is a took that is used to advertise listings through syndication.
Voice To Text This software is speech recognition software that allows you to use your voice to create documents. It is faster and more efficient than typing.
Ninja Selling Ninja Selling is a user-friendly sales training program that is designed to transform business and life through predictable results.
25
S U P P O R T C O N TA C T S ACCESS SUPPORT PHONE SUPPORT E-MAIL AdWerx (888) 746-5678 support@adwerx.com Agent Websites (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com ARX (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com AskAve ------------ hello@askavenue.com Authentisign Billing support (877) 774-7747 help.desk@lLNF.com Technical Support (800) 688-8768 corporate@instanetsolutions.com CafĂŠ (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Client Satisfaction Survey ------------ Help.Desk@longandfoster.com / support@netreports5.com CSOL (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com COMET (877) 884-7747 help.desk@LNF.com DocuSign Billing support (877) 774-7747 helpdesk@LNF.com Tech Support (866) 219-4318 support@docusign.com ID42042667 E-Real Estate (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Help Desk (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Home Service Connections (888) 447-4244 hsc@longandfoster.com Apple or Google Play Store (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com LNF Institute (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com ListHub (877) 560-0171 customercare@listhub.com LuxInsight (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Market Leader (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Market Minute (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Moxi Engage (206) 673-4591 support@moxiworks.com Moxi Present (206) 673-4591 support@moxiworks.com OneDrive (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Office 365 (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Property Sites (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Realtor.com ------------ customercare@realtor.com Rental Beast (202) 503-2467 ------------ RREINAgent (203) 855-1234 contentsolutions@rismedia.com salesgenie (877) 708-3844 ------------ Sharperagent (866) 614-9372 (M-F 7am - 6pm CST) customerassistance@salesgenie.com Social Media Resources (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Spacio ------------ hello@spac.io Testimonial Tree (877) 774-7747 help.desk@lnf.com testimonialtree.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new Trigger Marketing (800) 637-7373 ------------ VoicePad (502) 515-7400 customercare@voicepad.com Xcelerate (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com xpressdocs (866) 977-3627 ------------ YouTube (877) 774-7747 help.desk@LNF.com Zillow ------------ care@zillow.com 26
NOTES:
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