EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE
Inside Features: Amy Cimetta RE/MAX Estate Properties
Clara Eisenman Tarbell, Realtors速 Executive Agents of the Month
Bill Ruth Keller Williams Realty
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Purchase Financing:
Compare our stats to the industry. At Evergreen, we’ve never lost sight of the fact that serving real estate industry professionals and their clients is the cornerstone of our success, yesterday, today and tomorrow. As evidence of our focus on the home purchase market, we invite you to review our purchase loan percentage compared to the industry: Purchase Business Percentages
2013 YTD
2012
2011
Evergreen
75%
73%
83%
Industry
39%**
29%
**
**
32%
** Source: Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Percentages reflect portion of total volume that were purchase transactions.
That’s why we’ve developed an infrastructure with systems and procedures that allow us to quickly process loans so that we close On Time and as Promised®. In fact, our entire platform is engineered to close purchase transactions in 14 days*.
But stats are only part of the story. It’s the care and compassion of every Evergreen associate that makes a difference and is felt by the customers we serve. As a lender with strong convictions and a proven track record serving the purchase market, we invite you to become a business partner with Evergreen.
Michelle Coolidge-Tondu Sr. Loan Officer & VP / Corporate Relationships NMLS 176580
tel 310-818-1011 fax 855-296-8279 mcoolidge@evergreenhomeloans.com www.michelletondu.com 21250 Hawthorne Blvd Ste 500 Torrance, CA 90503 Branch NMLS 1127143
*The 14-day close does not imply a guarantee of any kind and only references the historical service level provided by Evergreen on standard FHA, VA, and conforming conventional loans. Assumes expeditious and complete cooperation by all parties to the transaction. Not all applications are eligible for a 14-day close, including but not limited to jumbo loans, renovation loans, loans brokered to other lenders, or properties requiring repairs. Not all applicants will qualify; certain restrictions apply. © 2014 Evergreen Home Loans is a registered trade name of Evergreen Moneysource Mortgage Company® NMLS ID 3182. Trade/service marks are the property of Evergreen Home Loans. All rights reserved. Licensed under: Arizona Mortgage Banker License 0910074; California-DBO Residential Mortgage Lending Act License 4130291; Hawaii Mortgage Loan Originator Company License HI-3182; Idaho Mortgage Broker/Lender License MBL-3134; Nevada Mortgage Banker License 3130; Oregon Mortgage Lending License ML-3213; Washington Consumer Loan Company License CL-3182. 1/14
contents
Southern California’s Publication for the Real Estate Professional
ExecutiveAgent
Magazine
October, 2014
South Bay
Cover Story
Editorials
Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 366-3349 Fax: (949) 266-8757 Info@eamag.net www.EAMag.net
08 - Mike Ferry: Monthly Report
32 - Scott Friedman:
Using Humor For A Change
14 - Sue Pistone:
Life is Time...Make it Count!
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX City of Hope.....................................34
24 - Skip Weisman:
Is Being A “Mind Reader” Part of Your Organization’s Job Descriptions?
Evergreen Home Loans......................2 Evergreen Realty HomeSmart...........6 i Photography Studio...............10 & 23
28 - Dirk Zeller:
Approach Your Referral Sources
17
Kinecta Federal Credit Union..........36 PWAOR.......................................31 Right Start Mortgage........................11
Sam & Bindu Xavier Executive Agents of the Month
SBAOR....................................35 The Termite Guy.................................7
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, Steven McReynolds
12 Amy Cimetta
04
26 Clara Eisenman
Bill Ruth
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© 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.
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E XECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE
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Written by Steven McReynolds
S
ometimes, a little brotherly competition is a good thing. Just ask Bill Ruth. While Bill says his mom is his biggest influence in life, it was his brother who actually motivated him to get into real estate. “My brother was flipping houses in high school and drove a Ferrari in
college,” Bill says. “I thought to myself, if HE can do it, I can do it better!” After earning a degree in real estate finance from the University of Southern California, Bill went on to obtain his real estate license in 1986. It was a natural decision for Bill, he says: His father was a developer and his mother had her own brokerage business. “There really was no other options for my career path and I feel blessed everyday that I had two of the greatest people to look up to and guide me in my career. They have been a huge influence in my life.” Local For Life Aside from living in Westwood in his early 20s, Bill has lived in Palos Verdes for nearly his entire life. He started his real estate career in the commercial side with his father, who was a developer at the time. Bill worked on a salaried commission and went six months before selling his first house. “I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life, but then that one check came in and was almost as much as I made the entire year on salary. It was scary, but a good decision.” He then worked in residential real estate and joined his mom at Ruth Realty, where he worked for 15 years. “She has natural style that I would try to emulate,” he says. “If she ever saw an unusual piece of property, she would think to herself, who would love living here, and she would call them and usually make the sale,” Bill says. “Real estate is effortless for her. She is also one of the most honest people you will ever meet and people admire that nowadays.”
Bill Ruth ExecutiveAgent Magazine
A Palos Verdes Prodigy Sharing The Keller Williams Vision
school, he’s also an avid outdoorsman, enjoying the many recreational perks of living in Southern California.
Bill says he decided to change companies and become a partner at Keller Williams Palos Verdes Realty largely because of the company’s mission, vision and values of God, family, business -- in that order. “As a Realtor®, I understand that I am in the customer business,” he says. “I treat every client as I would want to be treated. How can I solve their problems? If they are not happy, I do not get the referrals in the future. I like to help people.” Bill is also a graduate of the Realtors® Institute, a Certified Real Estate Appraiser, Certified Environmental Inspector and a member of Keller Williams Luxury Homes Division. He’s been on the company’s board of directors for eight years and has even sat on the international board for Keller Williams. In 2010, Bill was voted a “cultural icon” by the company.
Bill also gives back to the community in a number of ways, including serving as the fundraising/scholarship chairmen on the Board of Realtors®, which raises money to provide scholarships to children from the three high schools in his area. He’s also a dedicated family man, who along with his wife Deena has three children -- a daughter who is a senior at USC, a son who is a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder and a sixth-grader at Miraleste Intermediate School. “My goal EVERY year is to continually improve,” Bill says. “Never rest on your past accomplishments. It is simple: improve your mind and body everyday.”
Four years ago he partnered with a friend from high school, Charlie Raine, to form Ruth and Raine, with the slogan of “UNEQUALLED EXPOSURE.” “Success can only be maintained by getting better with each transaction,” he says. “My reputation is everything and my clients know that. Our clients benefit from my profound market knowledge. Being born and raised in this area, I have an advantage over somebody that has recently moved here. Ninety percent of my business is from referrals.” Living To The Fullest Outside of work, Bill is very involved in Rolling Hills Covenant Church, where he has attended since nursery
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Bill Ruth GRI, CREA, CEI, ILS Keller Williams Palos Verdes Realty LUXURY HOMES DIVISION 550 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 359 Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90275, US Tel: 310-621-2885 bill@ruthandraine.com Cal BRE 01047519
For your lending needs, please contact: Elijah Aldinger 714-914-3661 NMLS # 244976 Elijah.Aldinger@AcademyMortgage.com
call us at 949-753-7888
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Don’t settle for real estate coach companies that can’t deliver what they promise. Jumpstart your career by enlisting the services of the best real estate success coach in the industry. Register for a coaching or training program from the Mike Ferry Organization and learn how to sell real estate today!
I
had a very interesting conversation with a couple of very successful broker/owners that you might have an interest in. I’ll share it with you and hopefully it will give you something to consider. The conversation revolved around productivity as a Real Estate salesperson and the profitability for a Real Estate salesperson (meaning, after expenses, how much is left?). We then got into a lengthy discussion regarding the production and profit potential of an agent who specializes in listing property versus an agent who specializes in working with buyers. What I said to them became a point of contention, to the degree that a couple of them became very angry and declared they would
never be a customer of The Mike Ferry Organization ... which is fine. Here’s what I said ... In selling any type of product or service, there are always going to be basic fundamental skill sets required to create a transaction of any type. It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling Real Estate, vacuums, copiers, or mobile homes. There are certain skill sets and mindsets required to make that happen. I asked the two brokers if they knew what skill sets they believed were required for an agent to list or sell property and they both, of course, agreed immediately. I asked them to identify them, to which there was a lot of hesitation.
Your Success is Our Mission! ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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Monthly Report I then proceeded to say (which they thought was incredibly controversial) that I believe the skill set of an agent who works with buyers is completely different than the skill set of an agent who works on listings. Yes, they both have fundamental skills that all salespeople need ... the ability to manage your time, the ability to follow up on leads, the ability to prequalify, the ability to present, etc. I then said that the skill set of a listing agent and buyer’s agent are different from that point forward meaning the ability to present in a fashion that causes a buyer or seller to sign a contract. I then went a step further and said I thought for years that when an agent gets their license they should have to actually declare, “I want to work with buyers” or “I want to work with sellers”. The majority of agents do not have the total package of skill sets to do both and, in most cases, aren’t willing to learn them because they are so vast and ... if they chose one and learned it well and practiced it ... they could, then, possibly in the future learn the other one. You might have thought I was pulling these broker’s finger nails out one at a time in an excruciating manner. One virtually stated repetitively that he thought I was crazy (most people in Real Estate think I am) but I’ve lasted doing training and coaching for 40 years because I tell people what I believe is right. I’m not saying or suggesting that you do one or the other, but I’m very clear after working with hundreds of thousands of great Real Estate agents and thousands upon thousands of great brokers that the skill sets of the two activities are different and, unless an agent develops the basic skill sets, they will never succeed at the level they want.
Give these thoughts some consideration and if you’d be interested in developing higher skills in listing property, you may want to contact the Mike Ferry Organization at 800-448-0647 or visit www.MikeFerry.com.
Developing these skills is the responsibility of two people ... the company and the individual agent. If both parties aren’t working together to develop these skills, the agent’s productivity will never reach its potential and the broker’s production as an office will never be complete as it could be.
Mike Ferry - CEO The Mike Ferry Organization 7220 S. Cimarron Road, Suite 300 Las Vegas, NV 89113 800-448-0647 702-430-4406 (Fax) www.MikeFerry.com
Join the Best to Become One of the Best ExecutiveAgent Magazine
Shawn Carvin • Sr. Mortgage Banker - Direct Lender
Consistently Exceeding Expectations! Why Call Shawn Carvin? • I am a Loan Officer that is not only extremely creative, but consistently thinks outside the box! (persistent, tenacious, professional and diligent). • Great client and realtor follow up (always available, especially evenings and weekends! • Right Start Mortgage has been in business since 1989 and has an A+ BBB rating. (Extremely rare in the mortgage industry) • I do not charge points! • Probably the largest array of mortgage programs in our industry, including some that are very hard to find. (FHA 203K, Super Jumbos, Homepath, USDA, Piggyback loans with no PMI and Lender Paid PMI, Condos that nobody else can do (including Non Warrantable Condos) Calprs and Stated Income products. • Very fast closings and approvals • I cater to the client (door to door). I make house calls! • Extremely referral based business model for Life! • All past clients get free loan modification should rates drop at anytime. It’s free (NO closing costs, NO title fees or lender costs) period!
Direct Fannie-Mae / Ginnie Mae-FHA / Freddie-Mac Lender Since 1989 About Shawn Carvin: Shawn has been in the mortgage industry for 17 years. His vast experience includes being president/ principle broker /owner of a prominent mortgage lender for 8 years. He has received numerous top producer awards from banks such as, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, World Savings, Greenpoint, New Century and Countrywide just to name a few. In 2013 He was awarded the Certified Platinum Mortgage Agent/Lender award for excellence in lending. Currently resides in South Bay, Redondo beach.
Shawn Carvin Sr. Mortgage Banker / Top Producer / Branch Manager ~ NMLS # 320041 310-519-0575 Bus 310-767-6289 Cell www.Mortgagelendingstore.com
BBB Rating: A+
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Written by Shannon Hartsoe
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Amy Cimetta
W
hen the perfect combination of personal drive, experience and passion come together in one incredibly gifted real estate agent, the result is a dynamic, customer-centric experience for buyers and sellers. But when that agent is also a self-confessed workaholic who refuses to let challenges stand in her way, lookout world! “I take pride in helping people and giving them the highest level of service, the highest level of consideration,” says Amy Cimetta of RE/MAX Estate Properties in Manhattan Beach. “We are dealing with extremely stressful, high-pressured situations. Buyers and sellers look to their Realtors® for knowledge of the market, and depend on their guidance to help make huge financial and life changing decisions.” For Amy, giving anything less than 100 percent – or placing anything above their needs -- would be a grave disservice to her clients. She’s made it her professional mission to be there for them even if it means walking away from a deal. “If agents are focused on their commission checks, it can go against their fiduciary responsibility to their clients,” she says. “If I see something happening that I don’t think is in my clients’ best interest, I won’t hesitate to recommend walking away.” Amy’s sales acumen was built while selling advertising in the publishing industry for PC Magazine, Computer Reseller News and Variety. She also worked in sales and marketing in the entertainment industry for two different design agencies, where it was part of her responsibility to call on film and television studios for business. It was in these high-pressure, competitive industries that Amy learned to negotiate boldly and developed effective presentation and marketing skills. With a dual MBA in Marketing and Communication & Media Management, Amy understands the importance of creating unique and creative marketing strategies. But when it came to building a career, she wanted something that would provide lasting value, while allowing her to control her own path. When she chose real estate, she did so despite one of the toughest downturns in California history -- undaunted by the challenge before her. “I always believed that if I could succeed in the worst of times, then I could succeed all the time,” she says. “I built my business when the market and economy were falling apart. Eight years later I have a thriving business and I credit that to focus, commitment and perseverance.” Now Amy says she measures success by her clients’ satisfaction and has a thriving repeat and referral base. By using a consultative approach to real estate, Amy believes
it’s her job to help her clients see the transaction from all angles and to provide them with as much information as possible. “I still believe that real estate is one of the best investments a person can make,” she says, adding, “but it’s also the cornerstone of people’s lives.” Amy makes it a point to be there for her clients, even long after the transaction has closed. “I’m honored to be a part of their lives, months, even years after we’ve closed escrow,” she says. “Many of my clients have become friends, and I strive to make a difference in their lives.” The same personality traits that drive her business – honesty, integrity and perseverance – also move her to contribute to professional organizations as well as charitable causes. She is a founding member of REBSEA (Real Estate & Business Social Enterprises Association), a nonprofit trade association committed to helping Realtors® give back to their communities and charities of choice through commission donations. She’s also active in Midnight Mission, working with minors living in transitional housing with their families, and Amy donates to organizations that support research and awareness for Angelman Syndrome and ALS. And she donates to Habitat for Humanity and personally participates in one construction project each year. In the future, she hopes to start her own charitable foundation dedicated to helping foster children who are lost in the system. “There are children who may have aged out and still need support. They’re often overlooked or forgotten because resources simply aren’t there,” she says. “I’d like to change that and show them we’re still here for them. When I work with the children, I strive to bring some consistency to their lives,” she says. “I want to be a role model, and a support system. And then there’s always playtime!” And in her spare time, she can be found playing beach volleyball or enjoying the “beach life” with her dogs, family and friends. Amy Cimetta RE/MAX Estate Properties 400 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 100 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Tel: 310-542-9054 Email: Amy@LuvWhereULive.com Web: www.LuvWhereULive.com CalBRE # 01774767
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Life is Time‌ Make it Count!
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L
ife is time… are you making it count? If your daily activities are taking you in the direction of your dreams then you are making it count. If you are living your life on purpose then you are making it count. To make your life count, you must live on purpose. Otherwise, you are living someone else’s dreams and goals. Have you thought about what you want out of life and how you will make it happen? Follow this simple and easy process to determine your life’s dreams. Each and every day evaluate what you are doing and how it will help you accomplish what you really want out of life. There is no dress rehearsal in life; this is the real thing. Today is the day and now is the time to begin your journey to success. Begin by taking the time to learn more about yourself. Set aside approximately four hours to complete the following personal and professional strategic planning guide. One key point to remember is the definition of success is determined by you. Enjoy your journey! 1. Strengths - list at least twenty of your strengths 2. Successes - go back as early as you can in childhood and write down all of the successes you have had in life 3. Learning Experiences - write down all of learning experiences you have had throughout life and why you are better because of them 4. Purpose in: a. life - what is your bottom line reason for living b. career -- what is your bottom line reason for working 5. Mission in: a. life - what is the talk you walk b. career - what is the talk you walk Now relax--close your eyes and go on a mental journey. You are in a movie theater looking at the big white screen. The movie begins and the title is, “The Life of___________________________,” and it’s your name. Yes, this is the movie of your life. It is the last day of your life and you will hear what people say about you as you leave this world. The words you hear will confirm that you did, indeed live your life with your purpose in
mind. You will see all the places you went, things you did, material possessions you had and the person you became. Remember when viewing the movie of your life you are only limited by your own imagination. Also, only look inside yourself for your dreams, remove all the “ought to’s” and “should have’s” from your mind. This movie it is unusual because it begins on the last day of your life and ends today. The day you are creating your dreams. You see, your experiences up to this day have already happened and can not be changed; however the future is yours to create. Watch your movie and when you finish write down those accomplishments on your dream list. Break your dream list into the following categories: a. personal dreams - what you do just for you b. family dreams c. career dreams d. financial dreams e. social dreams f. health dreams g. spiritual dreams Now that you have allowed yourself to dream, you have the ideas and thoughts needed to set your goals. The most important thing to consider at this time is your purpose in life. This will enable you to avoid major conflicts in the different areas within which you work and live. Before actually setting your goals you need to determine if they are prioritized, realistic, long term, or short term. The final step in setting your goals is that you must be willing to put your goals in writing -- IN PEN! It makes them a little harder to erase this way. Life is time… and now you too can make it count. Success is determined by you. Follow the steps I have given you and enjoy the success you deserve! Sue Pistone is expert at eliminating the daily disorganization that often keeps individuals and companies from achieving the success they deserve. For more information regarding Sue Pistone’s speeches, contact the FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@ FrogPond.com Copyright© 2002, Sue Pistone. All right reserved.
Written By Sue Pistone ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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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
Name:___________________________________ Company:________________________________ Phone:___________________________________ Email:___________________________________
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Cover Story
Executive Agents of the Month ExecutiveAgent Magazine
By Shannon Hartsoe - Ian Wiant Photographer
E
ven from a young age, Sam Xavier seemed destined for a successful career in sales. Born in Detroit and raised in Adrian, a small rural town in southeast part of Michigan near the Ohio border, Sam learned about running a business from his parents, who owned an FTD floral shop. He watched and absorbed their dedication to meeting the diverse needs of their clients, how they turned challenges into opportunities and adapted to changes in the business. Sam also got his first taste of sales working as the flower shop delivery boy for his parents when he was 16. Many years, successes and highly developed skills later, Sam has traded flowers and birthday balloons for houses
as a Realtor® and half of the husband-and-wife Xavier & Xavier Real Estate Team at RE/MAX Estate Properties in Redondo Beach. “I have always been in outside sales since I graduated from college in 1988. My passion is always to assist my customers achieve their goals with the products I sold and/or my service offerings,” Sam says. He started out as a buyer’s agent and bought and flipped a few properties. Though it took a good two years and trial and error to perfect his real estate skills, Sam never gave up. With every setback he learned, and with every successful sale, he gained insight into his craft.
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
Pictured left to right are Lisa McMullen, Escrow Officer (Peninsula Escrow), Suzy Pelshaw, Vice President (Fidelity National Home Warranty and Disclosure Source), Bindu Xavier, Realtor® and Partner of Xavier & Xavier, Sam Xavier, Realtor® and Founder of Xavier & Xavier, and Steve Carollo, Title Representative (First American Title Company). Today, his sales numbers and honors speak highly of his skills. Sam was recently inducted into RE/MAX International Hall of Fame for agents earning more than $1 million in sales commissions. He’s also consistently in the 100% Club and the Platinum Club for Top Producers within his RE/MAX brokerage.
company prior to starting his real estate career gives Sam an edge of other agents in the realm of digital communications -- a major tool for selling homes in the highly competitive Redondo Beach real estate market. This includes high quality advertising both online and print— for their clients.
Changing Course Sam’s professional career has taken a variety of turns, each one adding another skill and experience that today gives him a competitive edge in the area real estate market. For instance, his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Adrian College includes extensive sales management and specialized internet marketing and branding.
“After the millennium and the revolution of the Internet, it made my IT sales career obsolete,” he says. “When I was in IT I was focused in corporate and reseller channel sales and thought I could use some of these same sales skills helping buyers and sellers with their local real estate needs. I always wanted to start my own business and be an entrepreneur. The real estate Industry allowed me to have a career and be a small business owner locally at the same time.”
The 16 years he worked in IT sales for a computer
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Secrets of Success Technologically Savvy Sam says he’s had a passion for Internet marketing since he first became a real estate agent in the early 2000s. He has used these skills to launch several websites. Sam has also partnered with companies including RealtyTrac back in 2005 to generate buyer and seller leads in West and South Torrance and Redondo Beach. “We were very successful,” he says. Today, he and wife Bindu have several lead-capture websites, including www.xavierandxavier. com, and their community website -- www.southredondobeachrealestate.com, and they have also launched their own mobile real estate app – Xavier & Xavier. Sam and Bindu believe that technology greatly improves both the marketing opportunities and communication options for their clients. They are effective users of social media including Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. “I think local digital communities and networks are the future, and being viral keeps us open 24/7,” Sam says. “Real estate is a local business and the national companies like Zillow and Trulia are constantly empowering the consumer to act on local real estate. I think Xavier and Xavier has done a
great job marketing our real estate services in the digital networking world among heavy competition.” Bindu adds that the online reviews they receive on Yelp and Zillow have been an excellent way to pre-engage with future clients who are looking for agents offering top-notch customer service. “That’s always our goal,” she says. A Silver Lining An affiliation with RE/MAX never entered his mind before the summer of 2005. But while working with a small independent broker in his first year as a real estate agent, Sam represented a buyer trying to purchase a home in Carson. The home was represented by RE/MAX and the son of the broker owner. “The deal actually fell apart and when I went to one of the local RE/MAX offices to return the seller transfer disclosures, I fell in love with the office and atmosphere and I contacted James Sanders and their general manager for an interview. We met, and within days I was sold on their training and agent support system and I joined the new RE/MAX Execs South Bay office in Torrance that September.”
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Within a couple of years, though, the market tanked. Sam, as is his custom, made a bad situation better by adapting to these drastic changes. He started representing sellers and negotiating short sales for distressed homeowners. That led to him becoming an REO listing agent for several major banks and asset management companies until the market picked up in 2012 and distressed inventory disappeared from the South Bay market. Secrets of Success “Communication and listening are huge on the Xavier & Xavier Real Estate Team and we are always available to discuss a particular situation and will give people our honest opinion on whether we are the right Realtors® for your buying and selling needs,” Sam says. And in the coming year, expect to see Xavier & Xavier start a networking and referral group with other local small business owners and entrepreneurs in the South Bay. In addition, they plan to continue building their business as senior specialists, focused on the geriatric care market and partnering with assisted-living and longterm care facilities. “We anticipate our presence in the Redondo Beach community increasing our exposure and expanding into surrounding communities and running our
business 100 percent by referral,” Sam states, noting he and Bindu will continue to focus on serving the areas of South Redondo Beach, West Torrance and begin doing more business in Palos Verdes Estates and surrounding communities, all aimed at increasing their business by 15-20 percent. But life is not all business for this top-producing couple. They are involved in the local PTA, sponsor the Redondo Beach Educational Foundation and donate a portion of their commission to those organizations. They also maintain a strong connection with the East Indian immigrants in West and South Torrance, where they get many referrals. Sam says he also attends mass a few times a week, meditates and takes long walks along the beach with Bindu and their two kids, Sammy and Briana, and their dog Kobe. He also finds inspiration in the memory of his father, who passed in 2011. “We know he would have been proud to see his name Xavier & Xavier today as a successful real estate brand in the South Bay Area!”
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XAVIER & XAVIER RE/MAX Estate Properties 1720 S. Elena Avenue Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Tel: 310-866-7598 info@xavierandxavier.com www.xavierandxavier.com
CalBRE # 01449986 - 01818247 ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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Is Being A “Mind Reader” Part Of Your Organization’s Job Descriptions?
T
he “Law of Specificity States:”
“To the degree that you are not specific in your communication that is the level of guessing or mind-reading the receiver of your message needs to do.” If people in your organization feel like they have to continually guess what is expected of them, or ‘mind-read’ the individual who just left them directions for a delegated project, performance and results are going to suffer. The sad fact is that most people are often times not specific enough and don’t even know it. Additionally, often times the individual receiving the communication doesn’t know they weren’t given specific enough information until its too late. A “lack of specificity” in organizational and leadership communication I believe is a silent, subconscious killer. It operates below the surface like a cancer and people don’t even realize it, many times, until trust has eroded in the environment. As a leader it is our responsibility to ensure that our communication is not just clear, but specific enough to the situation so that our directions are fulfilled and the meaning and purpose behind our communication is understood so it gains maximum buy-in and commitment. As I wrote in a December blog post on leadership communication, a leader must believe he/she is responsible for their communication being understood, not the receiver. Now, granted, there are at least two people responsible in a communicated message being effectively transferred. Except, I believe it is inherent in leadership to take responsibility first and foremost for our communication. Thus, if the leader is not getting the results initially he/ she needs to be extra careful to ensure the communication is specific enough. In both business and personal situations a “lack of specificity” can kill relationships. It can cause disappointment, unmet expectations and a loss of trust, leading to the loss of the relationship, if not corrected.
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Written By Skip Weisman
In organizations, this is going on all the time. It’s occurring between members on leadership teams, between leaders and their team members, and between team members themselves. There are 3 reasons for this ‘lack of specificity” that must be addressed... 1. Ignorance - the person communicating with a lack of specificity is doing it out of habit and doesn’t realize it, and/or its impact on others. 2. Enabling - this means that people realize a person or persons communicate this way and accept it, allowing it to perpepuate instead of calling the person’s attention to it and asking for a change in style. 3. Maliciousness - the communicator has an agenda and is purposely withholding information to sabotage the other individual’s efforts. Whatever the reason, it must be dealt with in a timely, direct and respectful manner. If not, trust will erode in the workplace between leaders, leaders and their team members or between team members themselves, killing productivity and performanc results. A “Lack of Specificity” is just one of “The 7 Deadliest Sins of Organizational Leadership Communication”. If you’d like to learn about those 7 leadership communication mistakes that are killing your organization’s morale and motivation, you can download the white paper for free at www. HowToImproveOrganizationalLeadershipCommunication. com Skip Weisman has over 28 years of experience in leading organizations and/or operating his own successful business. Today Skip works with business leaders and leaders of not-for-profit organizations to improve personnel, productivity and profits by helping them “Create a Champion Organization.” His latest White Paper Report “The 7 Deadliest Sins of Organizational Leadership Communication” is available as a free download at “http://HowToImproveOrganizationalCommunication. com”. ©2011 Skip Weisman. All rights reserved. For information contact FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond.com; http://www.FrogPond.com.
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E XECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE
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Written by Shannon Hartsoe
Clara Eisenman ExecutiveAgent Magazine
EA
Dedication, Knowledge, Passion
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f you were to ask Clara Eisenman what separates her from other agents in the Southern California market, you might expect to hear “customer service,” “honesty,” or even “confidence.” And there’s no doubt that all of these things embody the philosophy Clara holds when it comes to helping her clients buy or sell real estate. But perhaps what truly differentiates her from others is education. Armed with a BA in finance as well as an MBA, Clara entered the real estate profession just two classes shy of her broker’s license. This year, Clara will join the leadership team at Tarbell as a broker associate and has been tapped to help train new agents in the Santa Ana/Tustin office. In fact, it was this endless quest for knowledge that led her to real estate in the first place. “It was 2006, and I was watching the real estate market in Southern California with great interest,” she recalls. “Even with my background in business and finance, I just couldn’t make sense of what was happening. The price of homes was skyrocketing and at the time there seemed to be no end in sight. Realizing that the combination of lending practices and the demand for homes had created an opportunity for Realtors® to help their clients, I decided to take my first real estate course.” That one course led to two more – each one of more interest to her than the first and she realized she had found her niche. In April of 2010, Clara left the world of finance and accounting (where she had held positions ranging from accountant to controller to CFO) to begin a career in real estate. Her background in finance turned out to be the perfect springboard for her new career. “In accounting you have to have a meticulous attention to detail and an ‘eye on the prize’ attitude and not get distracted by challenges or ineffective colleagues – just like in real estate,” she says. “Once my client has their goals outlined and is ready to go, I’m here to help them make those dreams come true and I’m unswayed by challenges.” It’s this attitude and drive for knowledge that really works to her clients’ benefit. Clara is uniquely qualified to assist them through all phases of the real estate transaction no matter how simple or complex – from helping first time homebuyers find the perfect house, or walking investors through 1031 exchanges.
business year over year for the past two years, with no end in sight. “I always want to assist others wherever I can. I am pretty good at assessing the needs of my clients and responding to those needs,” she says. “Some clients need more attention than others, and that’s what I’m here for. For example, I have a client for whom I have listed and leased her property two times. Because she does not rely on the computer, I made sure all her docs were printed out and organized in a book with dividers and labels.” In a time-crunched world, some people might find that kind of assistance too labor intensive to bother with and pass it off on an assistant. Not Clara, she’s dedicated to getting the job done right no matter what it takes. “I sincerely want to help my clients,” she says. “If you’re genuine and sincerely helpful to your clients, the success will follow.” Not surprisingly, Clara chose Tarbell for their Southern California presence and their dedication to continued training and reputation for customer service. “Tarbell continually offers classes and seminars to their agents to keep them current and ahead of the market,” she notes. “Because I consider myself a full-service agent that’s important to me. I always ask questions and listen to my clients so that I can better serve them. I continually communicate with my clients and keep them up to date and informed throughout their transaction. I have great attention to detail and try to anticipate any issues before they happen.” Clara is also attuned to the needs of the community, assisting with Girl Scouts, serving on her neighborhood HOA and making time for her friends whenever she is able. And even in her spare time she’s reading. “Taking time to re-focus on my goals, both personal and professional, keeps me heading in the right direction,” she says. “There’s always something new to learn.” Clara Eisenman, Broker Associate, MBA Tarbell, Realtors® 1403 N. Tustin Ave., Suite 140 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Tel: 949-795-3417 Email: ceisenman@tarbell.com Web: www.listwithclara.com CalBRE # 01878267
But her dedication to her clients goes far beyond her education and experience. She’s also friendly, approachable and genuine and has a passion for her job. Her personality and positive outlook on life have helped her double her ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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Approach Your Referral Sources arketing for referrals with mailers, calendars, recipe cards, and other outreach and appreciation efforts is nowhere near as effective as prospecting for referrals by making personal calls and requests.
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territory of another person’s treasured relationships. In ancient times, people would go through extensive purification ceremonies before stepping onto holy ground. Asking for referrals is almost that special.
The hard truth is that most consumers stand a far better chance of finding a poor agent than a great one. Once you can personally convince them that you’re among the best in the field, referrals will follow.
Don’t ask for referrals by simply adding a throwaway line onto the end of another conversation by saying, basically, “Oh, by the way” before you ask for a business referral. That tactic minimizes the importance of the referral, rather than raising it to the high level of honor and respect it deserves.
When cultivating referral sources, realize that most people who send referrals your way do so for a variety of reasons, but above all, they recommend you for the following two reasons: • Friendships and trust. People like to help people they like and believe in. Take time to get to know those in the platinum and gold levels of your database and to let them get to know you. Share the vision you hold for your business. Let them catch your enthusiasm and buy into your dream. The result will be a vested interest in your success and the desire to help you achieve your goal. • People want to be champions. Each time you deliver superb service and an excellent outcome you create clients who are willing to champion your business. What’s more, based on your exemplary performance, you create clients who know firsthand that by recommending you to others they’ll become champions in the minds of their friends and family members. It’s never too early to begin building referral relationships. You can start during the first meeting or phone call with any prospect, using a script such as this: “Fred, I build my business primarily based on referrals from clients. The benefit to you is: my focus will always be to give you the best service possible. The reason is: I want to earn the honor to talk with you in the future about who you know that would benefit from my service. The only way I deserve to have that conversation is based on the job I do for you. I know that if you are delighted with my service, you will want to help me and your friends out.” When approaching referral sources, keep a couple of important rules in mind: • Rule #1: Respect the referral process. When you’re asking for referrals, you’re entering the hallowed
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“A quality referral request should take at least five minutes; ten may be even better.” A quality referral request should take at least five minutes; ten may be even better. My friend Bill Cates, the “Referral Coach” and author of the book Ultimate Referrals, advises that you advance your referral request with the statement, “I have an important question to ask you.” This will force a pause, build anticipation, and set the tone for a meaningful conversation. • Rule #2: Ask for help. If you’re soliciting referrals you are, in fact, asking for help. So say so. The trouble
is that egos get in the way and won’t let the words out of most agents’ mouths. “I need your help” or “I value your help” are powerful keys for opening the referral floodgate. • Rule #3: Ask permission. In particular, ask permission to explore your client’s contact database not by rifling through computer files but by learning of and gaining access to associates you might be able to serve. When asking for permission, use a script like this one: “I’m delighted that I’ve been able to serve you. I was wondering about others you might know in your life that would also benefit from my service. Could we explore for a few moments who else we might be able to serve?” The final question in the script is an important one. Too many agents ask for referrals and then leave all the burden of thinking up names on the shoulders of their clients. The truth is your referral sources don’t want to work that hard. They’ll work that hard with you, but not alone. • Rule #4: Get specific. Don’t just make a general request for referrals and leave it at that. Saying, “Do you have anyone you might like to refer to my business” is sort of like a department store clerk who asks, “May I help you?” The automatic response, 90% of the time or more, is “No, just looking.” Sharpen the focus of your request by leading clients into areas or niches in their lives where they have dayto-day relationships. Ask them about potential referrals among the families in their church, people they know through their children’s soccer team, prospects they’ve met through school affiliations. If you they are members of association or groups, pull out the member roster and spend a few minutes talking about the names on the list. Dirk Zeller is a sought out speaker, celebrated author and CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. The Real Estate community has embraced and praised his six best-selling books; Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, The Champion Real Estate Team, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, Successful Time Management for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. To learn more regarding this article, please visit http://www.realestatechampions. com/SurvivorSalesSkills/.
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Using Humor For A Change
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ith restructurings, takeovers, and layoffs sweeping the corporate world, employee insecurity and fear are at record levels. The definition of an optimist in corporate America today is an employee who brings his lunch to work. Change has become a daily activity with no end in sight. Anxiety reverberates throughout the entire organization. During these times, corporations need some sort of antidote for stress. Many companies see a dose of humor as a remedy to reduce tension and motivate workers. By coming to our senses of humor, we find truth in the statement that he or she who laughs, lasts. Does a sense of humor translate into dollars and cents? While the savings won’t show up on your balance sheet under comic credits or laugh assets, humor does add an intangible but real benefit. Humor creates bonds in the workplace. It’s the shortest distance between two people. Humor helps establish a feeling of camaraderie and sets the tone for cooperation rather than contention.
would realize that informality and spontaneity foster open communications and stimulate creativity. What setting is more informal and spontaneous than one with good humor, fun, and play? Humor is a technique that can be learned, practiced, reinforced and internalized just like other skills. Where do you start? First, remember that you don’t need to be a stand-up comic, you just need to add some spirit to the work environment. The first ten minutes of the morning set the ‘attitude’ for the rest of the day, so start light. Here are some ideas: • Start every morning by greeting everyone in the office with a big smile and a hearty hello. They will wonder what you’re up to. • Place funny cartoons, appropriate jokes, or postcards on a company bulletin board. Sign your name with a note saying, “I thought you might enjoy this.” Not only are you giving them an opportunity to laugh at this cartoon or joke,
Humor creates bonds in the workplace. It’s the shortest distance between two people. Humor helps establish a feeling of camaraderie and sets the tone for cooperation rather than contention. To use humor positively at work, people must take themselves lightly, while taking their jobs seriously. Humor is much more than just telling jokes. Humor is the ability to find something funny in your predicament. A comic vision helps people tolerate change in the workplace and get along better with others. The health of any organization is in direct proportion to that organization’s ability to laugh at itself. Many companies are just too darn serious. Their structure and formality inhibit open communications and stifle creativity. If organizations would loosen up a little, they
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but people are saying, “I’ll be darned, he’s a real guy. What a surprise, he has a sense of humor just like us!” • Sprinkle internal communications with humor. Add a cartoon or funny one-liner to memos and you would be surprised how many people start reading those little devils. • To get meetings off on a productive foot, serve everyone ice cream or suckers at the start of the meeting. Communication is guaranteed to improve. • Inject humor into meetings. Have a dress-up theme meeting once a quarter. Share fifteen minutes of jokes at the start of every meeting.
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Laughter Is The Best Medicine • Have a positive party funded by negative people. Every time someone in the office is caught being negative, they throw a dollar in a positive pot, and once a quarter the pot buys pizza, happy hour, or humor props for the office. • Wear amusing buttons. One executive wears one that says, “Save time, see it my way.” Walk into your next meeting with a button that says, “God is watching, give her a good show.” Try “Start each day with ‘PMS’- a Positive Motivating Smile.” Or “If you’re too busy to laugh, you’re just too busy.” • Give rewards for the worst mistake of the week. This will encourage employees to share and learn from their blunders. • Spike your environment. Place positive and appropriate humor props around your office. How about Groucho glasses on your ficus or a red clown nose on your fax machine? • Send out cartoons with your correspondence. Put your clients in a receptive mood before reading proposals. • Have one “call in well” day a year. Instead of calling in sick, you would call up and say, “I’d really love to come to work today, but I just feel too good. ‘Love ya! Bye!” • Keep it light. If an employee is frustrated with a new computer system and can’t figure out the manual, a boss may sympathize by saying, “How’s that new mystery book you’re reading? Can I help?” • Use Aikido to defuse tension. As Tom Crum reminds us in his book “The Magic of Conflict” Aikido literally translated means “the way of blending energy.” It’s blending with the aggressor instead of choosing to be aggressive or defensive. When an irate client asks, “Have you been incompetent your whole life?” your response could be, “Not yet I haven’t.” Or when a customer comes in and says, “Okay who is the idiot in charge here?” say, “I’m head idiot. What can I do for you?” An unexpected non-threatening response absorbs and redirects the anger in a harmless way without putting the other person down. It may be almost impossible to control others, but you can always control yourself.
Anger or bitterness many times comes out as sarcasm or humor with a biting, caustic edge. You do more harm than if you had said nothing at all. The most effective humor has its roots in kindliness and affection. The highest form of laughter is to laugh at yourself; the lowest is to laugh at someone else. Making fun of yourself creates instant rapport and creates bonds with workers. One executive was quoted as saying, “There are two ways to develop self-esteem at the office. The first is to share positive humor, and the second is to take all mirrors out of the washrooms.” A healthy sense of life’s absurdities can help us forget our problems and put a smile on our faces. With humor we can sit back, detach ourselves from the situation, and laugh at ourselves for becoming so reactive at life’s afflictions. And we can ask ourselves, “Why am I taking life so seriously? It’s not permanent.” No one gets out of it alive anyway. In a hundred years, what difference will it make anyway. So lighten up! So if a tornado blows off your roof, be like the guy who put up a sign saying, “Open House Today.” “Laughter is contagious --- Why not infect the whole company?” Scott Friedman is a nationally recognized professional speaker speaking over 100 times each year to companies, associations, and youth. His book, “Using Humor for a Change” is chock-full of great ideas to lighten-up the workload. His improvisational comedy training, quick wit, and thought-provoking material make Scott a master at holding the attention of his audience. Scott customizes all programs to meet the specific needs of each group. He is perfect for kick-offs, closings, lunches and midnight snacks. For information about scheduling Scott for your next event, contact the FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond.com
A quick warning --- Be careful when using Aikido. There is a fine line between positive and negative humor. The first thing is to ask yourself the question, “Where am I coming from?” If you’re coming from a hostile place, it could very well be reflected in your humor for humor mirrors the truth.
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