May 2014 n orange county by Executive Agent Magazine

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

Executive Agent of the Month

Inside Features: Anthony Colacion imortgage

Matt De La Cruz The Winning Minds Group

Mike Ferry

Professional Profile

Debbie Marie Teles Properties

Lia Marie & Stephanie Coldwell Banker Beachside

Steve Mino Coldwell Banker Beachside

Elizabeth Willahan CENTURY 21 Award

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Marlene Veal Branch Manager (714) 422-1852 NMLS ID 450765

Mark Martinez Sales Manager (714) 422-1856

(714) 422-1840

Wendy Buettner (714) 422-1858 NMLS ID 485094

Holly Frost (714) 422-1863 NMLS ID 483931

Laura Neves (714) 422-1840 NMLS ID 267679

NMLS ID 302745

imortgage ● 2400 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 150 ● Anaheim, CA 92806 Rates, terms, and availability of programs are subject to change without notice. Licensed by the CA Department of Business Oversight CRMLA 4131040. Corporate NMLS ID 174457. All rights reserved. 04012014. * Interest-rate locks require a buyer-paid deposit equal to 0.50% of the loan amount. Buyer will receive a credit at closing for the lock deposit. If buyer does not close the loan with imortgage, there will be no reimbursement of the lock deposit.

Teresa White (714) 422-1870 NMLS ID 209710

contents

Southern California’s Publication for the Real Estate Professional

ExecutiveAgent

Magazine

May, 2014

N. Orange County

Cover Story

Editorials

30 - Patti Brotherton: The “Secret” Site

34 - Peggy Morrow:

Getting Customer Feedback

16 - Marylyn B. Schwartz: Profit Is Not A Four-Letter Word!

Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 366-3349 Fax: (949) 266-8757 Email: Info@eamag.net Web: www.EAMag.net

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Eagle Home Mortgage......................39 Evergreen Realty...............................11 Greenpath Funding..............................7 imortgage.......................................2 i Photography Studio........................25

Kinecta Federal Credit Union..........29

Andrea Bigler

Executive Agent of the Month

Anthony Colacion

Matt De La Cruz ..............................28 Mike Ferry .........................................6 Realty ONE Group............................40 The Termite Guy...............................38 Wells Fargo Home Mortgage...........10

26 Matt De La Cruz

32 Lia Marie & Stephanie

04 Mike Ferry

Debbie Marie

14 Steve Mino

Elizabeth Willahan

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Photography: i Photography Studio, Ian Wiant, Rob Paino Graphic Designer: Garon T. Arrias Editorial Manager: Trudy Van Writers: Lalaena Gonzalez–Figueroa, Shannon Hartsoe, Haley Freeman, Julie Brown, Juliet Meredith © Copyright 2014 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

E XECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE

ccording to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there were more than 162,000 real estate agents in California in 2012 – the last year for which statistics are available. With a median income of roughly $52,000, most agents were on par with the average income for other industries in the state. But who wants to be average? The number one goal of any real estate agent is to be a success. And while there might be any number of ways to define success on a personal level, one thing is for sure, if you’re not bringing in income you need, you’re not a success on a professional level. Put another way, agent success is determined by agent productivity. But what exactly is meant by productivity? To Mike Ferry, founder and CEO of the Mike Ferry Organization, a real estate training and coaching company, productivity is tied directly to listings. “If you take two agents and both are working the same amount of hours, the one who represents sellers has a higher productivity level than the ones who represent buyers,” he says. “The problems arise because it’s easier to go out and show houses than it is to list properties.” It doesn’t have to be this way, he says.

For more than 40 years, Ferry has helped agents create a detailed plan for success that includes step by step suggestions for increasing productivity. By following his methods and utilizing his scripts, Ferry says he’s seen some agents grow their business from 20-25 listing transactions per year to 245 a year after just four years of using his system. “I tell my students, everybody has the winning ticket to the lottery,” he states. “It’s called a real estate license.” But all too often, Ferry says, agents who obtain their licenses and begin working with a broker are simply told “hello and good luck.” “The biggest challenge we face as an industry is a lack of understanding on exactly what ‘real estate sales’ is,” he says. “If a person goes to work for IBM or some similar company in sales, they are very clear on what the function and job is when they accept the position. It’s very detailed and they’re trained accordingly, real estate is not that way. The leadership in the industry is afraid to tell people exactly what to do, and until we get over that fear, we’re never going to have high producing agents.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Agent Success is no Accident By Shannon Hartsoe

Mike Ferry is not afraid to develop agents into top producers. Typically, Ferry says, an agent can develop new business in one of three ways – they can buy it, they can wait for it, or they can prospect. Prospecting is where the most productivity comes from, but it’s also the most work. Ferry believes that although some agents may have some sort of sales background, they’re not usually trained specifically in real estate sales. “So they’ll usually take the path of least resistance, which is either buying business in some way or waiting for it through things like floor time rather than going out and getting it,” he says. “What we should be asking agents is ‘how much business do you want and how soon do you want it?’” From there, Ferry says it’s possible to generate leads and increase production year over year by following six simple steps. • Create a schedule • Understand lead generation and make it work for you • Utilize effective lead follow-up and closing for appointments • Prequalify appointments to avoid wasted time • Perfect a strong listing presentation so potential clients are convinced of your ability to sell their property • Handle objections and close to signature. Ferry says that from a production standpoint, success begins with effective lead generation and time management. Agents should be setting aside at least an hour a day to reach out to potential leads and they should be making 10-12 contacts in that hour. Potential leads can be people in your sphere of influence, past clients, for-sale-byowners, expired listings or more. But he says if you’re not doing each and doing them well, production will suffer.

they’re happy with their production, maintaining that momentum takes work. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and I still put time in each day to do the things I teach my agents, but from a little bit of a different standpoint,” he says. “I still prospect, I still perfect my presentations and I still organize my day around a consistent schedule. If you don’t, eventually the work dries up and you have to start all over again.”

“If you prospect effectively but fail to follow-up, you’re not going to be a success. If you’re really good at presentations but you don’t prequalify, you’re never going to have the type of business you want to have,” he says. “Set aside time each day to work on each one and don’t forget to factor in time for administrative tasks and organization.” And, he says, there’s no time to rest on past success. Though real estate agents might get to a place where

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

The Mike Ferry Organization 7220 S. Cimarron Road, 3rd Floor Las Vegas, NV 89113 www.MikeFerry.com

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David Gaylord Sr. Mortgage Consultant 949-939-6011

J. Horacio Herrera Sr. Mortgage Consultant 619-646-5800

Daniel Healy Sr. Mortgage Consultant 760-271-8243

George Radlick Sr. Mortgage Consultant 760-579-1998

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Margarita Georgieva Sr. Mortgage Consultant 858-699-2396 NMLSR ID 346669

E XECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Elizabeth Willahan Stellar Customer Service For Two Decades and Counting By Shannon Hartsoe

hen Elizabeth Willahan decided to become a Realtor® in 1987, it wasn’t the result of a mentor, a desire to make a lot of money or other common influence. The reason was simply to meet a need -- a goal that continues to motivate Elizabeth. “My friends and family seemed to have a lot of issues when trying to buy or sell properties,” says Elizabeth, a Realtor® with CENTURY 21 Award in Rancho Santa Margarita. “They encouraged me to get into real estate so I can help them through the process. Since I am a people person the architecture, layout and interior space of a home has always intrigued me, it only seemed fitting to go into real estate as a career.” And there was an added benefit: “It also had a flexible schedule that would work with raising kids and my husband’s fireman schedule.” Today Elizabeth is a top producer at CENTURY 21 Award, serving areas that include Huntington Beach, San Clemente, Mission Viejo and Newport Beach. Her clients quickly find that when they work with Elizabeth, they benefit from an experienced professional who has never lost that initial spark that led her to real estate sales: to make the sales process the best it can possible be. “My integrity as a professional is extremely important to me. My clients don’t need to worry if they are being taken care of in a transaction with me,” says Elizabeth, who is on her way to becoming a broker. “I make sure to treat my clients as if they were my own family selling or purchasing a property. Although I have a full team of assistants, transaction coordinators, lenders, title and escrow personnel, I make my clients feel as if I am the only one working on their file and that they are my only client at the time.” She prides herself on always being available, on following through on every transaction and ensuring only a top-notch personal experience for her clients.

Elizabeth started her real estate career with CENTURY 21 in Huntington Beach in 1987. After some time in the business,she realized she couldn’t provide the exceptional service she wanted to offer to her clients by working part time. So she decided to put working outside the home on hold so she could raise her children at home full time. “It was the best decision I ever made, as both my children are thriving with their college careers,” she says. Daughter Blake is studying journalism at San Diego State University, and son Jason is playing Division I volleyball at Long Beach State University. “I am blessed to have my husband, Kenny, of 22 years support my career, even finding the time with his busy fireman schedule to help me when needed.” Elizabeth also credits a large part of her success to working for such a high-profile company, especially as the use of technology has become such a major component of real estate sales and marketing. Even after so many years in the industry, Elizabeth says her primary goal remains the same: making sure her clients get the best service possible. “Buyers and sellers are very picky about who they want representing them,” she states. “I approach prospective sellers and buyers with the same respect and honesty I would expect. I make decisions based on what is best for my clients not what is best for the agent.” She adds: “It’s not about the money; it’s about honesty and integrity. Most of my clients are referrals from past clients, friends and people I meet. I have a ‘Nordstrom’ way of thinking -- the customer comes first, always!”

“My business is based on word of mouth and the experiences my clients have gone through with me,” she says. “I have been told by my clients that it is so refreshing that I actually pick up the phone when they call. In fact, other agents tell me the same thing. I really try hard to make my clients feel like they are the only ones I am working with and am always available to them with any questions or issues they are concerned about before, during and long after we close our transactions. I am their ‘Realtor® for Life’ and actually become friends with many of my clients.” ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Elizabeth Willahan CENTURY 21 Award 22342 Avenida Empresa # 150 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Tel: 949.293.2401 EWillahan@cox.net www.HotHomesInTheOC.com CalBRE # 00966984

Why Wells Fargo

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J.J. Ballesteros Branch Manager 714-934-7388 NMLSR ID 404462

Steve Silvestri Sales Manager 714-476-3000 NMLSR ID 419052

Mark Preston Sales Manager 714-585-6444 NMLSR ID 490912

My Hoang Home Mortgage Consultant 714-356-8991 NMLSR ID 453285

Nathan Lindsey Home Mortgage Consultant 714-394-0506 NMLSR ID 665133

Jenn Levin Home Mortgage Consultant 714-904-9424 NMLSR ID 448482

Robert Rabano Home Mortgage Consultant 714-906-8824 NMLSR ID 420527

Mark Brown Home Mortgage Consultant 714-241-1251 NMLSR ID 448078

Mark Wayne Bowman Home Mortgage Consultant 866-531-3229 NMLSR ID 450934

Elli Nguyen Home Mortgage Consultant 714-408-8245 NMLSR ID 448027

Kathy Niemczyk Home Mortage Consultant 714-934-2065 NMLSR ID 433497

Mary C. Lee Home Mortgage Consultant 714-308-8576 NMLSR ID 420573

Michael Ahn Home Mortgage Consultant 714-580-9412 NMLSR ID 237058

Renee Settas Home Mortgage Consultant 714-474-5275 NMLSR ID 251469

Cindy Tran Home Mortgage Consultant 714-328-3510 NMLSR ID 892531

Rishant Taneja Home Mortgage Consultant 714-655-8861 NMLSR ID 473697

Robert Michael Garin Home Mortgage Consultant 714-483-5504 NMLSR ID 490240

Christopher James Preston Home Mortgage Consultant 714-323-8825 NMLSR ID 490895

This information is for real estate professionals only and is not intended for distribution to consumers. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. © 2014 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801. AS1013525 Expires 4/2014

E XECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE

Anthony Colacion A Winner In Life and Work

s soon as Anthony Colacion became a real estate professional in 2003, he noticed a surprising trend in the industry. “There were so many people who seemed to jump into it as a hobby, while I was looking at it as a career,” he says. “In many cases this led to a lack of professionalism in the business for a period of time.” Anthony will never be accused of lacking in professionalism. Both his personal life and professional background were too solid for that when he entered the profession. His competitive nature developed from a life in athletics, plus a university education in economics and sociology gave

him the perfect combination of skills any client would welcome. And they have Clients quickly realize they aren’t working with a real estate hobbyist when they sit down with Anthony to discuss their options. His more than 11 years of experience in the mortgage banking industry in both the wholesale and retail markets, a vast knowledge of programs, products, underwriting guidelines and the mortgage market gives his clients a distinct advantage over the competition.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Written by Shannon Hartsoe

“Being able to help people finance what might be the biggest purchase of their lives and getting to know them on a personal level along the way really excited me,” says Anthony, a mortgage banker and broker with imortgage in Orange County. According to Anthony, playing Division 1 college football helped him in many ways. Being a collegiate student/ athlete required him to balance his studies and GPA with practice, workouts, travel, games, etc. Also, working as a team and with different personalities for a common goal has really helped him work with diverse clients, Realtors®, processors, underwriters and others. His mentors include his former colleagues “I was fortunate to work with some amazing people who have been in the business for 30 years who were so open to sharing and teaching me the business,” Anthony says. “This is a group that I still keep in contact with and meet up with quarterly for lunch or dinner, and we still share ideas. Some are still in wholesale lending and others are in retail, as I am.” Anthony also credits Pastor Phil Hotsenpiller at Influence Church in Anaheim Hills with helping him maintain a satisfying quality of life. “Pastor Phil has helped me grow as a person in more ways than he even knows,” Anthony says. Anthony hopes to similarly influence youth by volunteering to coach high school football, he says, which is just a part of how Anthony defines success through a proper work-life balance. “I balance my life through my Christian faith, spending time with my family, friends, exercise/working out, giving back to my community, constantly keeping up on product and guideline changes and working smart,” says Anthony, who with wife Marisa are raising their young son, Anthony, in Yorba Linda.

to growing as a person and in business,” he says. It also helps that he works for a top-notch company in imortgage. “In 11 years in the business I’ve never experienced the level of support I receive from imortgage or the level of customer service that imortgage provides to all of our valued clients,” Anthony says. “It truly is an amazing culture that everyone buys into and it starts from the top down. Those aspects, along with having access to a wide array of products in the marketplace, allow me to service or develop a plan for every client I come into contact with.” His goals for the coming year include achieving Presidents Club status, and personally to continue being a good husband to his wife Marisa and a good father to baby Anthony. Anthony often looks back at the people and experiences that have helped him succeed professionally and personally. The combination of student-athlete discipline, teamwork and education at Colorado State University, developing business skills as an economics major and surrounding himself with outstanding mentors, and maintaining a happy family life through quality relationships have provided Anthony with a winning platform for life. “I hope to be a positive role model to everyone in my life -- family, professional colleagues, clients and the youth I mentor as a coach,” he says. “I couldn’t ask for more.” Anthony Colacion imortgage 2400 E. Katella Ave., Ste. 150 Anaheim, CA 92806 Tel: 949-689-3597 Email: Anthony.Colacion@imortgage.com Web: imortgage.com/Anthony.colacion NMLS ID 329651

That balance is a necessity for someone working in such a fluctuating industry. Anthony notes that it’s essential for him to stay current on guideline and product changes so he can continue to provide accurate and timely information to his clients. “Education in life and business are keys

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

imortgage is licensed by the California Department of Corporations CRMLA 4130969, NMLS 3096. Equal housing lender. 12/2014

E XECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE

Written by Shannon Hartsoe

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Steve Mino

Efficiency and Hard Work Pay Off

teve Mino is not a person who wastes time. To live up to this principle, Steve gave himself 90 days to prove to himself he could make real estate sales a career. He already knew he could sell, but how would his past success in other industries translate into the housing market? Through hard work -- and worn out shoes -- he quickly learned he had what it takes. “I was fortunate to have a lease and a sale in the first two months, which allowed me to ‘reset’ my personal clock and continue with my goals,” he says. “I took EVERY opportunity to see homes, I sat at the up-desk and did double shifts five days a week, I begged to do open houses and walked my way through about five pairs of shoes while door-knocking communities. My first year was successful and I have been growing ever since.” Today Steve is a top producing agent with Coldwell Banker Beachside, leading The Mino Group and achieving honors including 2012 International Elite President’s Club Member, TOP 10 Agent Regionally, Certified Previews Agent, and Multi-Million Dollar Producer. Selling properties in areas that include San Clemente, Dana Point, Mission Viejo and Newport Coast comes naturally for the Southern California native. He’s a selfdriven professional who loves challenges, architecture and helping people. Steve’s background as a salesperson includes climbing the ladder as a regional electronics distributor, starting when he was 21. By 23 he was a general manager and by 25 rose to vice president. He has worked for Coldwell Banker Beachside since 2009. Prior to that Steve worked in the new-homebuilding market and served on the Trade Council for companies such as Lennar Corp., K. Hovnanian, DR Horton and Pulte Homes, among others. “Selling is just a small part of any real business,” says Steve. “To be good at selling you have to understand how to get from point A to Z, efficiently.” Part of his success in sales, he says, is to maintain your integrity, which he learned from his father, whom Steve considers his mentor. He told me, “if you want to find out if it’s a good deal, find out who you have to take it from in order for you to benefit, if you have to take it from someone, then it’s not a good deal.” The point is that a good deal is when both parties mutually benefit and it must be something you earned fair and square.

A strong business background and exceptional selling skills will only take you so far in real estate. Steve knows this, which is why he doesn’t rest on his laurels. “I maintain my success by expanding my goals but still keeping the core beliefs of my business practice. I continue my education at CAR and within Coldwell Banker. I religiously preview inventory and call my lender, title officers, escrow agents and vendors to keep myself updated on the market’s pulse so I can be the best resource for my past, present and future clients.” Another plus for his clients is Steve’s emphasis on using technology to improve the sales and buying process. It’s a tool he and Coldwell Banker emphasize. “Real estate has evolved in so many ways,” he says. “It used to be hard copy paperwork and Realtor® signs were the main sources for finding a home. We started transitioning toward using computers and the Web and professionals that implemented this were offering their clients an advantage.” “Today our clients have access to many third-party sites and do a lot of browsing on their own. While we utilize better tools we also need to make sure that we implement the basics required in our industry – know your inventory, understand the CURRENT marketplace and communicate it efficiently to your client base.” Even though Steve has established himself as a premier agent, he has no plans to slow down, but to expand and grow. “My goals for this year are to keep our steady growth. We will expand by adding buyers’ agents and continue to move forward with continued education for both our benefit and for our clients. I’d also like to add another consecutive year as a member of the Coldwell Banker International President’s Elite Team and as a member of the Top 10 Quality Service Award within Coldwell Banker Beachside. Last year out of 680-plus agents, I ranked No. 4, and I’d love to improve that, too!” Steve Mino Coldwell Banker Beachside 501 N. El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 92672 Tel: 949-300-7412 Steve@theminogroup.com www.TheMinoGroup.com CalBRE # 01856243

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Profit Is Not A Four-Letter Word!

here was a time not so long ago (relatively speaking) that a bunch of well-educated agents got together in Philadelphia and created a “little” document called The Declaration of Independence. Oddly enough, as history would have it, even those gentlemen with lofty principles managed to give their collective thumbs up to the value of education, labor and the accumulation of honestly earned wealth. If those pursuits were good enough for the framers of our venerated Constitution, is it safe to presume they are more than good enough for us sales professionals who nobly endeavor to feed, clothe and house our kin with the money we earn through the listing and sale of real estate. One need only walk a week in the shoes of a productive, successful agent to know how truly challenging, stressful, exhilarating, frustrating and fulfilling the profession of real estate is today.

Most everything that’s done day-to-day to assist clients is done “with the promise” of compensation. While many people have careers equally challenging, for most there is a paycheck waiting every week (or two) to take a lot of sting out of the inevitable ups and downs of the daily grind. Some might say, “All she did was market the home for two weeks, and look at that big, fat payoff.” The fact that ten other properties took months of wrangling, wringing of the hands and feats of marketing genius to get sold and closed is lost on the uneducated observer. In most other corporate businesses, once a fee for services is set (unless stipulated otherwise in an agreement,) that’s what the client pays. If one client’s project turns out to be a seamless transaction that succeeds to culmination as smoothly as glass, that’s just a bonus for the service provider.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Written By Marylyn B. Schwartz

By the same token, had the project been fraught with every unforeseen, hellish problem imaginable, the service provider would have to “suck it up.” That’s just the cost of doing business. Some days are diamonds and some are stones. Realtors® of the world unite and quit being put off, insulted or intimidated by people who expect you to “donate” your time (that’s your life, too) to them in exchange for a wage they wouldn’t accept under the same circumstance. Let’s always be mindful of our obligation to be clear about the extent of the services we provide. It’s incumbent upon each Realtor® to step up and be prepared to defend the skills of the profession. Provide exemplary service, know your market and product 110 percent, be wise in the ways of win-win negotiating, be of the highest integrity, dress and always conduct yourself as a professional and hold your heads high. If you do these things, you’ll be in demand.

Cost issues diminish as value rises! This article first appeared in Realty Times. Marylyn B. Schwartz, CSP, is a noted expert in real estate and corporate sales training and team development. She is president of her company TEAMWEAVERS and a trainer for the most successful real estate sales training program to come along in more than 20 years, Leader’s Choice®. She is an author, real estate monthly columnist, meeting facilitator and Business/Life Coach. In 1999 she was awarded the prestigious designation of Certified Speaking Professional by the National Speakers Association. Fewer than 7% of the 6,000 members worldwide achieve this level of excellence. Marylyn’s presentations and keynotes are dynamic, content filled and fun! To book Marylyn, please call 1-877-211-6472 or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com. Contact Marylyn at teamweaver@aol.com, 203-798-8031 or www.marylynbschwartz.com.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

EXECUTIVEAGENT EXECUTIVE A GENT Nomination Form Nomination Form

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Nominate a fellow REALTOR速 to be featured in one of our feature stories; on the cover as Executive Agent of the Month, or as a special feature story. All candidates must be nominated by a real estate professional. The selection process includes a questionnaire, personal interview, reference check and final approval by the Advisory Council. Candidates are evaluated based upon professionalism, length of service and uniqueness of story, as well as industry and community involvement.

I Nominate: Name:___________________________________ Company:________________________________ Address:_________________________________ _________________________________________ City/State/Zip:____________________________ _________________________________________ Phone:___________________________________ Email:___________________________________ Submitted By: Fax/Email nomination to: Executive Agent Magazine PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Fax: 949.266.8757 Email: Info@eamag.net Tel: 949.366.3349

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Cover Story

Executive Agent of the Month

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

By Shannon Hartsoe - Ian Wiant Photographer

A Variety of Career Choices In her college years, real estate was not a profession on Andrea’s radar. She studied broadcast journalism at Long Beach City College and continued working with the goal of graduating from University of Southern California. While attending USC, she worked full time and had an internship in music publishing. I graduated with a degree in sociology.

uggling the demands of life and career seem to come easy to Andrea Bigler. Even before she graduated from high school, Andrea was holding down a job on top of her classes in her hometown of Long Beach and keeping your typical teen social calendar. “I always excelled the most when I had a full plate,” she says. “That is why I make a great real estate agent.” Her first job was at age 13, doing promotions for a teen magazine. “I was hired to go to colleges and hand out promotional items and magazine subscriptions. From then on I worked in retail, restaurants, banquet sales, promotions and music publishing. My parents always stressed education and hard work,” Andrea says. Those lessons resonate today, helping Andrea become a top producer at Keller Williams Pacific Estates in Long Beach, where she serves Los Angeles and Orange counties. She also leads The Bigler Group. A Realtor® for the past 11 years, Andrea says her biggest strength is her ability to solve problems. “I try to think outside the box and give people the best solutions as possible. This can save transactions.”

It was then decision time: pursue a career in music publishing or start a career in marriage and family therapy. Andrea knew she wanted to stay in Long Beach. And she also began an interest in real estate. “I decided to get my real estate license right out of college and began taking real estate courses through RE/MAX. Once I was licensed, I began attending as many training classes as I could. I started by contacting everyone that I knew to let them know that I was a Realtor®,” she says. Most of her friends were in their early 20s and fresh out of college, so Andrea reached out to her parent’s friends and her neighbors to get her real estate business off the ground. Around this time, in 2003, using the Internet for real estate leads was uncommon. But Andrea teamed up with a new agent that was doing just that. “He was getting a lot of online leads and we started closing them together. The first month, we opened four escrows! I thought, ‘Wow, this is great!” Indeed it was for the next few years. But when the economy made a downturn, Andrea admits she was not prepared.

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Keller Williams Pacific Estates “I had to adjust my business and educate myself on foreclosures and short sales,” she says. “My partner got out of the business and I had to evaluate what I wanted my career to look like. It was 2007 and I had just gotten married. I started doing lots of open houses, mailing to my sphere and past clients, and assisting and coordinating transactions for other agents to pay the bills while it was slow. I was watching the agents whose businesses were thriving during this difficult time and I knew I had to make some changes.” Andrea stuck it out. By 2009, her business started picking up. She began focusing on education and systems. She went to the office Monday-Friday and worked most

weekends. She also joined a master mind group with other agents. Soon, everything began to fall into place. Marketing, systems, accountability “started to feel very organic,” she says. Andrea also began giving back to the community and joined local organizations. She sought out agents she admired and had many lengthy conversations with them. Along with enhancing the intrinsic side of her life and career, she saw that short sales were going to be around for awhile, so she earned CDPE and HAFA certifications and teamed up with fellow agent Sheila Caron to add short sales to their business plan. They have since partnered on many real estate transactions.

A Culture of Sharing ExecutiveAgent Magazine

“I love working with one of my closest friends. You meet so many wonderful people through this real estate community and many of them (agents, lenders, title, home warranty, escrow, etc.) have become some of my best friends.” Making Referrals a Priority Most of Andrea’s business comes from referrals, thanks largely to the system she uses to keep in touch with past clients, which includes sending them home anniversary cards and holding client appreciation events. “I have dropped off pies for Thanksgiving and have had everyone to my office to pick up their Halloween handout candy for their neighborhood,” she says. “This is such a wonderful aspect of our business. It is so relational. Our clients are buying and selling homes because of life events: marriage, babies, divorce, financial hardship, death, job promotions and so on. I love being a part of their lives and them being a part of mine. I feel so satisfied in what I do. It is a career that is built on relationships,

helping people, educating people, and working hard. Through referral business, people come to you.” Andrea began working at Keller Williams Pacific Estates in June 2013 to “grow my business.” She likes that it is a newer office that focuses on systems and tools while embracing a culture of sharing. “In the next five years, I see myself building a team of like-minded individuals that give the best customer service possible. Sheila, my closest co-worker, is building her business as a productivity coach, so I am excited to implement her teachings.” But at the core of her success, wherever she works, is her continued love of matching people with the right home. “I give my clients ideas on ways they can change a house to better fit their needs and give design advice. My business is not just transactional. I have done everything from picking out tile for an investor’s flip to running to home depot for a light switch,” Andrea says.

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Doing The Small Things Bring Big Rewards Knowing Her Product and ‘The Inside Scoop’ In addition to personal touches, use of technology and hard work, Andrea says product knowledge is a key factor in her success. This means that she knows the schools and neighborhood nuances that buyers may not know, including insights like a movie was filmed at this house, or this is a Blue Ribbon school, or this eatery has amazing breakfast burritos. “It’s all about giving them the inside scoop so they can make a sound decision based on more than numbers.” She also shifts her business to match the market. Andrea’s clients benefit by her experience in working with investors, negotiating short sales, high-end properties, and

first-time home buyers, for example. “I don’t stick with one niche,” she says, “I like to be able to do it all.” Life Outside of Work and On the Beach But Andrea’s life is not all work. Husband Benny is a surfer who works at Quiksilver, the surfing and snowboarding apparel company. They also enjoy traveling. “We have been several times to Kauai, Costa Rica, Punta Mita and Bali. We live on the beach and enjoy an active lifestyle with our daughter Sloane.” Despite her success in real estate, Andrea now has a simple measure of true success. “My greatest accomplishment in life? I could name a couple of things before, but now it all comes down to being a Mom.”

Photography by Sheri DiPietro

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Andrea Bigler KW Pacific Estates 2883 E. Spring St. Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph: 562-221-5659 TheBiglerGroup@aol.com www.TheBiglerGroup.com CalBRE # 01405045

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The Winning Minds Group Written by Shannon Hartsoe

att De La Cruz wants everyone to know – if he can be a success, anyone can. Growing up near Huntington Beach, Matt had everything against him. Poverty? Check. Low self-esteem? Check. Dysfunctional home life? Check. With no one to guide him toward higher education, and no personal goals, Matt found himself drifting after completing 12th grade. “When I graduated from high school it was only because I had cheated or done just enough to get by,” he says. “I’d always been told I would never amount to anything, that our family could never be anything and that I was a loser, so that’s what I internalized and that was my reality.”

Uneducated and unmotivated, Matt took the only job he could find. His meager paycheck as a dishwasher and a busboy at a local restaurant went to help support his five siblings and his parents. He assumed he would end up like his father, working menial jobs making just enough to get by but never enough to enjoy life.

Then something happened. “I like to say great fortune came my way,” he laughs. That “something” came in the form of Zig Ziglar, famed motivational speaker and business coach. With his help, Matt began to see himself as something greater than the sum of all he’d been told growing up. After hearing one of Zig’s tapes and then meeting him in person, Matt’s thinking began to change. Suddenly he had someone in his corner, someone who said he could where others had said he couldn’t. “He became my directional piece and gave me focus,” says Matt. “And the fight began to rise up within me. I realized that if I wanted real change, it was going to have to come from me.” Matt took his first sales job selling home security systems. But for all his new-found confidence and focus, he was still one of the poorest producing sales people in the company. He needed another breakthrough. Fortune smiled on him again when he met Tom Hopkins. “Where Zig had given me the power to change my thinking, Tom gave me the tools I needed to prospect, qualify and close a sale,” says Matt. For the next three years, Matt was the highest producing security system salesperson in the company and in the nation. He went on to work alongside Tom, teaching others how to replicate his success, and in 1991, Matt decided to open his own company.

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Matt De La Cruz Changing Lives by Changing Minds Today, as CEO of The Winning Minds Group a personal development seminar company, Matt has coached, trained and educated nearly a million students from megacorporations like Apple, IBM, and more, as well as agents from real estate companies like CENTURY 21, RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker and Keller Williams. That’s a million lives changed, a million careers launched and a million average people turned into finely tuned sales machines. Not bad for a former dishwasher. “My message is simple, your past does not have to define your future,” he says. Where some coaching and training seminars focus solely on positive thinking or on the power of systems and scripts, The Winning Minds Group is different. “This is my story,” says Matt.

“I want people to know that you control 100 percent of what you think, how you feel and what you see. Combine that with the systems to prospect, qualify and close, and you’ve got yourself a winning combination.” Matt and The Winning Minds Group offer workshops, programs, seminars and personal coaching programs that provide the proven tools necessary for people to grow and prosper in all areas of their lives. On June 3rd, Matt and Kinecta Federal Credit Union will bring his message to Southern California. The four-day-only seminar is expected to garner much attention from real estate agents looking for tools to take their production to the next level. The biggest detriment, Matt says, is negative thinking. “The average human being has nearly 4,000 thoughts each day, or roughly one thought every 14 seconds,” says Matt. “For adults, the overwhelming majority of those thoughts are negative. They’re ‘I can’t’ messages rather than ‘I can.’ One of the things I teach people is that by training, conditioning and disciplining the mind, you can control the outcomes in your life.”

But that process is not without obstacles. Without mincing words, Matt says that the biggest one is usually the salesperson’s own negative personality. “There are four traits to a negative person and those are laziness, complaining, excuses and procrastination, and there’s very often a fifth one as well and that’s an overarching sense of entitlement,” he says. “That’s the bad news. The good news is that those negative traits can be overcome.” “If you can talk yourself out of success, you can talk yourself into it,” he says. “But don’t wait. If I can do it, you can too.”

Matt De La Cruz – CEO/Founder The Winning Minds Group Tel: 248-465-9952 – 800-781-1118 Email: Matt@winningminds.com Web: www.winningminds.com Fortune is determined by our own actions... It is in our minds that we decide to win... Winning Minds is all it takes

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The “Secret” Site onder why you haven’t had any inquiries on your new web site? You are not alone. Many agents feel that having a web site is a waste of time because they have felt and seen no value in it yet. The reason for this is that they haven’t done their job in promoting it-they have a “secret” web site!

A Realtor® asked my audience at one of my recent seminars if anyone in the audience has had a good response to their web site. Before I would let anyone respond I asked the Realtor® a few questions and that was all I needed to do to make the entire room see that having a web site on the Internet is just the first step. The rest is up to you. Just like any good marketing program, you must advertise. Most of your inquiries will come from your local area, but if you don’t tell them about it, your money for the site is wasted. Make sure that you list your web site in every advertisement that has your name; that includes the company ads. This is your chance to not only sell one listing, but also others. Advertise your web site on your business cards. Do you know that the general public expects you to have a web site? When you hand your card to someone, they immediately have the impression that you are “up with technology” just by the fact that you have a web site. A psychological plus! Advertise your web site on your voice mail. When people are leaving you a message and they hear that they can see all your latest listings on www.yourname.com, they just might go there to see what is new; this includes other real estate agents.

think there may be another on your site that they want to see as well. Advertise on all your marketing pieces-property brochures and flyers, postcards, open house invitations, etc. Everywhere that you put your name, put your web address. The more people that see it, the more will log on. Remember to put your web address on every single advertisement; that includes the Chamber listing, your stationery (both letterhead and envelopes), magazine ads, organization directories, etc. From this point on your web address is part of your name and telephone number. Register your site with as many search engines on the Web as possible. There are several companies who will do this for you. Patti Brotherton is President of PAB Performance Partners. Patti’s company was formed to reach a broader base of agents, managers and companies to help them in any way possible to do more business, to improve their business, to help them balance their business and generally improve the quality of their professional life. Patti believes in individualized marketing programs, including graphic design, as well as business systems that have proven to work in many different market places. Copyright© 2000, Patti Brotherton. All rights reserved. For additional information about Patti’s presentations and company services, please call the Frog Pond Group at 800.704.FROG (3764) or email susie@frogpondgroup. com; http://www.frogpondgroup.com.

Advertise your web site on your for sale sign. We all know that the public wants to have as much information about a property as possible. They will log on to your site if they drive by a home that appeals to them. And, just

Written by Patti Brotherton 30

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Lia Marie & Stephanie Young Service-Oriented, Client-Focused Written by Shannon Hartsoe

or both Lia Marie and Stephanie Young of Coldwell Banker Beachside, customer service is not simply an afterthought, it’s the only thought. Proactive, handson and forward-thinking, the two women enjoy helping their clients through any transaction, so it’s no surprise they’ve consistently earned a spot as top-producers for their company and for the area. “Many times, clients will tell us that they chose us after another agent didn’t meet their needs,” says Lia Marie. “They’ve seen the difference that customer service makes and they turn to us to help guide them.” As a team, the two provide a level of customer service that is knowledge-based and full of energy and together they’re raising the bar on excellence. Prior to launching her real estate career, Lia Marie was in the customer service field. She once held successful positions with major corporations in Silicone Valley, including Motorola, National Semiconductor and Fairchild. Eventually, she started her electronic distribution company where her sales acumen garnered the attention of a competing company that quickly offered her a job to hire and train new sales people. When Lia Marie bought her first home, she was intrigued by the entire process. “My REALTOR® made it look easy,” says Lia Marie. “Even though I knew real estate is very complex, she made it feel very natural and kept in touch with me throughout the entire process. I decided to give it a try.” Because her father had been a part-time REALTOR®, Lia Marie wasn’t a complete stranger to the world of real estate, and knew she could be a success. Stephanie was a graduate of the University of California at Irvine, and was attending medical school when she got hit with the real estate bug. “I’ve always wanted to help people and medicine seemed like the best way to do that,” she says. “I love helping, no matter what the need.” But after her son was born, it became clear that the medical field wasn’t going to be the best way to manage the needs of her growing family. She tried real estate and knew immediately she was in the right place. “I found my passion,” Stephanie says. “It was as if it was meant to be.” Today, Lia Marie and Stephanie work with buyers and sellers throughout Orange County. They are certified in e-Pro, Short-Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR), Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR), and Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) and are constantly adding to

their knowledge base to help assist their customers even better. With strong negotiation skills (“I’m the fourth of eight children, we call it ‘survival skills,’” laughs Lia Marie) and a commitment to customer service, the two have become powerhouses of Orange County real estate. They are well-known for their hospitality and largerthan-life energy. “I want to help everyone with their real estate needs,” laughs Lia Marie. “But I’m Italian, so first, let’s sit down and find out what those needs are!” Stephanie infuses her business with the values of her Hawaiian heritage that put people first, profit second. “We treat everyone like family,” she says. “We’re heart-driven.” The end result is an unbeatable work ethic grounded in a passion for treating people well. Working with Coldwell Banker has helped them provide an even higher level of customer service. With the backing of a major real estate company, the two are able to utilize the most extensive marketing, branding and listing tools available, in addition to their own sizeable marketing budget. This means that listings are given the star treatment and buyers see properties as soon as they hit the market. And as the real estate market changes, so too does the knowledge base of the Lia Marie and Stephanie Young real estate team. An emphasis on technology helps ensure that, not only are their clients well taken care of, but that they remain as “eco-friendly” as possible, eliminating paper waste wherever possible. “Our team takes care of EVERYTHING! We are with the client every step of the way, even during their signing of the loan docs. We literally hold their hands,” says Lia Marie. “But we also stay on top of all of the new technology in the industry and respect a client’s wishes with regard to how they want to communicate. For younger people, it might be all about texting. For someone else it may still be more traditional, but whatever it is, we’re here for them.” Lia Marie and Stephanie Young Coldwell Banker Beachside, Realtors® 19671 Beach Blvd., Ste. 101 Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Tel: Lia 714-878-0678 Stephanie 714-251-3612 Lia@ochomesforyou.com Stephanie@ochomesforyou.com Web: www.ochomesforyou.com CalBRE # 01235031 - 01793999

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ant to know the biggest mistake most organizations make in customer service? It is lack of customer feedback.

The average business doesn’t spend enough time or use enough resources to listen to their customers. I cannot tell you how many companies ask me to help them improve their customer service, yet when I ask them for their customer feedback (to get some idea of where to start), they don’t have any customer feedback at all, or very little. I feel this is one of the biggest mistakes in customer service there is. If you are thinking, “I don’t have any customers,” think again. We all have customers; just some of them are internal to our organizations like our co-workers and our boss. When was the last time you asked your boss, “If you could change one thing about the way I do my job, what would it be?” or asked a co-worker how you could work better as a team?

“We/I must be doing okay,” you think. “We/I don’t hear that many complaints.” Well, you could be very mistaken. I’m sure you have heard the statistics that only one in 26 unhappy customers complains. So, if you have 10 complaining customers. Well, you do the math. It is especially critical to implement an external customer service program to constantly get customer feedback. Many organizations are afraid to ask their customers what they think of their service because they think they will get too many complaints. That is exactly what you want! Favorable feedback is good, too, but even if you get mostly complaints, it is good that at least you are getting some feedback from your customers. After all, how are you going to know what you are doing wrong so that you can fix it? Don’t be like the bank who assumed that one of the reasons for their poor customer service ratings was that its tellers were not making enough

Getting Customer Feedback 34

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eye contact with the customers or greeting them in a friendly manner. The bank trained the tellers to be friendlier, smile more, greet customers by name and use eye contact. Now that kind of training didn’t hurt; after all, those are important elements in the customer service mix. But the training didn’t result in their customers being any happier because they didn’t get to the real cause of their customers’ unhappiness with the service. The bank, after surveying their customers, later found that what really satisfied their customers the most was completing their transactions in a reasonable time. Yes, being friendly and making eye contact was an important factor, but if the tellers could not answer the most important needs of the customer - namely fast service - their customers would not be totally satisfied. Are you making this mistake?

Assuming you know what your customers want and then delivering that? Don’t guess at what your customers want, get busy and find out? both internal and external. Peggy Morrow, CSP, is President of Peggy Morrow & Associates. She has over twenty years experience working in the areas of customer service, teams and time management. Author of two books on customer service, she has also published over 400 articles on management and customer service as well as being named a “content expert” for Inc Magazine’s web page, Inc.com. © 2008, Peggy Morrow. All rights reserved. For information about Peggy’s programs Contact FrogPond at 800.704. FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond.com; http://www. FrogPond.com.

Written By Peggy Morrow ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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Written by Shannon Hartsoe

Debbie Marie t’s a good thing Debbie Marie Kanehira had a bad experience buying real estate years ago. Dealing with a real estate agent who lacked the education and professionalism she expected was all she needed to take the steps that ultimately led to Debbie Marie becoming a Realtor® herself.

Inc., in Newport Beach. “Unfortunately, I didn’t come across one who was professional and educated about the field. I ended up taking classes just to educate myself, and realized that I can help people. I didn’t want people to have the same experience I did and wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.”

“I look to a Realtor® for real estate advice just like I look to a doctor for medical advice,” says Debbie Marie, a real estate consultant and notary public at Teles Properties,

She adds: “This is most people’s largest investment, and you want someone who is educated, professional and loves what they do.”

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Bringing A Global Perspective To Real Estate That desire to exceed the needs of her clients is why Debbie Marie has worked so hard to maintain an edge over so many other agents. She worked about 60 hours a week minimum when she first got her license in 2006. “It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. I finally realized that working as a real estate consultant was my calling. The momentum started quickly, but that was because I was completely engaged and passionate about what I do.” And she has never lost that passion Another reason for her success, says Debbie Marie, is that she places great importance on simply listening to people so she can better determine exactly what they want. “I look at sales differently than most people. I believe that sales is about listening to what people have to say. If you can understand that basic skill, you will be able to better assist them in accomplishing their real estate and financial goals,” she says. Her background also includes graduating cum laude from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in political science and international business and membership in Toastmasters International. She also has worked for several Fortune 500 companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota and Lexus, where she learned valuable skills in sales and marketing on a national and regional level.

people. “I have been fortunate to have wonderful clients and friends who have supported me in my business,” she says. “I acknowledge people who have contributed to my success and I think that’s important. People are successful not just on their own, but by the people around them.” Her education and global experiences have definitely helped her adapt and thrive under constant changes in politics and the economy, including lending practices. “It’s important to stay current with legislation and policies because it helps me be a better source of information to my clients. I can strategically plan for things and educate my clients about what is to come and how it may affect them.” For Debbie Marie, real estate has provided a tremendous stage where she can put all of these skills to work for her clients. The recent recession, for example, revealed a lot of opportunities to help people. “It was the best time for me to learn and to help people get out of their situations.” “I love that I can make a difference in people’s lives through my diverse educational, travel and business experiences through the years,” she says. “I bring a different perspective to real estate because I see beyond just the real estate itself, I see opportunities and I have an eye on how to capitalize on it. Real estate is not just someone’s home, it’s also an investment.” “I love what I do.”

Debbie Marie credits Mark Dahncke at Jaguar Land Rover North America for inspiring her to expand her possibilities by studying abroad and by challenging her with more difficult responsibilities while she worked there. “I learned a lot about the world, people, culture and business etiquette from him. It was inspiring for me to see that someone so young was so accomplished and well traveled,” she says. That solid foundation plays out in Debbie Marie’s career today. She boils success down to two key ingredients: one half hard work, one half surrounding yourself with good

Debbie Marie Teles Properties, Inc. 12 Corporate Plaza Dr., Suite 250 Newport Beach, CA 92660 Tel: 949.278.5414 Email: Realtor@DebbieMarie.com Web: www.DebbieMarie.com CalBRE # 01837350

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