EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE
Cari & Brittney Executive Agents of the Month
Inside Features: Barbara Anderson First Team Real Estate Nita Desai Berkshire Hathaway HS Debbie Stoikowitz Berkshire Hathaway HS
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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
June, 2015
South Bay
Cover Story
Editorials
32 - Bill Brooks:
The Role of Positive Thinking on Your Sales Career and Life
30 - Steve Cook:
Negotiating Like A Pro
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
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
08 - Stacy Holder: Invest In Yourself
Alpine Mortgage Planning...............11 City of Hope.....................................34
28 - Richard Weylman: What Is It That You Do?
Evergreen Home Loans......................2 imortgage.................................25
14 - Dirk Zeller: Persistence
i Photography Studio....................23 Kinecta Federal Credit Union..........36
06 - Zig Ziglar: Laughter
Mike Ferry.........................................10 SBAOR....................................35
17
The Termite Guy...............................24
Cari & Brittney
Executive Agents of the Month Marketing Director: Frank Arrias Editorial Manager: Trudy Van Graphic Designer: Garon T. Arrias Photography: i Photography Studio, Ian Wiant, Rob Paino Writers: Lalaena Gonzalez–Figueroa, Shannon Hartsoe, Haley Freeman, Steven McReynolds
26 Barbara Anderson
12 Nita Desai
04 Debbie Stoikowitz
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© Copyright 2015 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
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MAGAZINE
Debbie Stoikowitz Written by Shannon Hartsoe
F
or Debbie Stoikowitz, working in some area of the housing industry always seemed like a natural fit. During her childhood in a small West Virginia town, Debbie watched as her mother, an interior designer
at a large department store, brought joy to her clients through the way she helped them decorate homes. Today, Debbie is following in her mother’s footsteps, finding the perfect home for her clients as a Realtor® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Redondo Beach. “I look at each new day as another chance to build my business,” she says. “When I first began my sales career I sold photocopiers. My experience in knocking on doors was at first intimidating, but in a short time I began to feel confident in walking into offices.” There were those occasions when she would encounter someone having a bad day. But Debbie says that looking back, the experience taught her not to take those sometimes uncomfortable experiences personally. “I feel very grateful that I had that experience. It taught me to move ahead and meet more people that have become my friends and clients,” she says. Answering the Real Estate Call Debbie began her sales career in outside sales, selling and managing business-to-business services and products. She says she was always drawn to real estate, though, from the beginning of her career. “My husband’s goal was to invest in real estate, which opened the door for me to real estate and managing our own properties for over 30 years,” Debbie says.
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Where Experience and Customer Service Rule Her sales experience taught her that the golden rule of customer service is always the best model to follow: the customer is always right. She also makes it a priority to educate buyers and sellers by walking them through the entire sales process. “I also give them my complete attention by listening to every word they say and then confirming what they said so I have a complete understanding,” she explains. “I have always had an interest in people and want to assist them in improving their lives. My clients’ comments, such as, ‘You’ve done a great job and found us the right house,’ make me feel like I did my job. I’m pleased that I could be of service to them.” Debbie gives credit where it’s due -- to her highly skilled team, which includes a lender, home inspector and transaction coordinator, among others. She’s thankful that her parents taught her how to communicate with and respect people. She also names mentors at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, including Bruce and Jerri Short, Rick Elorriaga, Misty Dawn Jones and Colleen Johnson. What Clients Can Expect Along with Debbie’s extensive sales and negotiating experience, her clients also benefit from her solid training and her knowledge about the local market. “The more I know the more I feel confident in sharing knowledge with them,” she says. “I have learned how quickly this business changes and I use this information to guide my clients to make the choices that benefit them most.”
not take the time to listen to our needs in purchasing our new home. Working with Debbie has been an easy and wonderful experience,” Christian said. Added Nimsi: “Debbie was very familiar with my neighborhood and local market conditions where I wanted to purchase my new home. Debbie’s communication skills were excellent, she would always answer my phone calls immediately and always follow up with any questions or concerns that I might of had with the new home.” Outside of work Debbie supports the Sunshine Kids Organization and takes part in her office’s fundraising efforts for various charities. For fun, Debbie and her husband enjoy traveling, eating out in the Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach areas and, most of all, visiting their children and grandchildren in South Orange County. As for future professional goals, as always, they are all about the client. “My client’s goals are my goals,” she says, adding: “I want to assist as many people as I can this year with their real estate goals.”
Another plus is her interior design training and knowledge that she offers her clients, which gives Debbie an advantage when staging their homes or just offering an opinion on their designs. Clients, such as Christian and Nimsi Chocano, gladly share about the benefits they’ve enjoyed from working with Debbie. “My family and I have had some bad experiences in the past with Realtors® and agents who would
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Debbie Stoikowitz Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 225 Avenue L, Suite #110 Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Tel: 949-231-0218 Email: dstoik@verizon.net Web: www.debbiestoikowitz.com CalBRE # 01889418
EA
Laughter L
aughter is a great stress reducer. If you have never read Norman Cousins’s account of his experience of self-healing as described in Anatomy of an Illness, I encourage you to do so. When diagnosed with an incurable illness, he brought a movie projector into his hospital room and watched reel after reel of old classic comedy movies, laughing himself into hysterics. He found he could relieve his otherwise significant pain on a consistent basis through laughter. That practice, along with some other novel therapies, resulted in his healing. He left his prestigious journalistic career and taught on the faculty of a major medical school about the power of the mind and emotions in healing the body of disease. Next to love, laughter has been described as the second-most powerful emotion we can express. It has been said that laughter is like internal jogging—it stimulates the respiratory system, oxygenates the body, relaxes tense muscles, and releases pleasure-producing chemicals in the brain. You cannot laugh and be mad, laugh and be tense, laugh and be stressed. Laughter is low-calorie, caffeine-free, and has no salt, preservatives, or additives. It’s 100 percent natural and one size fits all. Laughter is truly God’s gift to humankind. You can get high on laughter but never overdose. Laughter is contagious—once it starts little can be done to stop it. Laughter never felt bad, committed a crime, started a war or broke up a relationship. Laughter is shared by the giver and the receiver. Laughter costs nothing and its non-taxable. Laughter is a trend-setter. If we can find ways to laugh first thing in the morning, it may in fact set the trend for the rest of the day. Let me close by telling you the most important use of laughter I have ever discovered: The ability to laugh at ourselves. I stopped taking myself too seriously years ago and it was the best decision I ever made. Don’t get me wrong—I’m still serious about what I do. But not so serious that I can’t be the first one to laugh when I mess up (which happens all too often—it’s why I spend so much time laughing!). When you’re the first person to laugh at yourself, you leave little room for others to laugh at you. Zig Ziglar is a beloved author and America’s motivator. He is the author of 25 books and offers training and consulting to organizations all across the globe. To learn more about Zig and his business visit his website at www.ziglar.com 6
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Written by Zig Ziglar
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EA
Invest in Yourself
W
hen you are just getting started, it is natural to want to save your money and do things as inexpensively as possible. That’s how we started this and many other businesses that failed.
We read a lot of books, but missed a few pieces. You see, the authors of books aren’t going to give you all their secrets. Not necessarily because they don’t want to, but because there is too much to put in one book and it can be complicated for new investors. We found ourselves waking up one day realizing it was time for a change. We took a seminar for $4000 that we borrowed from someone else with no means to pay it back. I don’t know if it was because we were out of options that we came to this point, but nonetheless, we were there! People used to call and ask us if it was worth it to pay for the course. Our answer was always “We made $12,000 that weekend that we wouldn’t have without the course”. But, really what they were asking is “Can I do this?” The answer to that is a simple “Yes.” Will you do it is another question. And that is where investing in yourself is so important. It is easy to get beat up and knocked down in the beginning, with or without a partner. You need to learn as much as possible from people that are doing it NOW. And more importantly than the theoretical knowledge, you gain motivation and belief. After a three day training event, you leave pumped up and ready to go full speed ahead. We have, in the last six months, taken 6 weekend seminars including a trip to Los Angeles, purchased several boot camps and training series, attended single day workshops, and several other smaller things. We have probably attended over $15,000 in training and purchased a few thousand more in materials and software to help us become more efficient and effective. We are getting ready to spend another $20,000 (yes twenty thousand dollars) on a training seminar. WOW... THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY! You are correct! But we have made more than that back! The experts that teach these courses ALWAYS give you something that you didn’t have before or at the very least remind you to do something you had been forgetting! More importantly, you leave excited and energized. You don’t feel beat up anymore. You meet new people and get on the right track again. The more you invest in yourself, the more successful your business will be and the faster you will get there! Stacy Holder and Heather Seitz began their real estate investing career with absolutely nothing! They learned to leverage other people’s time, money and resources to purchase over $2 Million in real estate in their first 8 months.
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Written By Stacy Holder ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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IN
CREASING
FOR
40
PRODUCTIVITY
AGENT
YEARS ATTEND THIS YEAR’S SUPERSTAR RETREAT AND JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF INCREASING AGENT PRODUCTION!
July 14-17, 2015
LEARN FROM THE BEST TO BECOME THE BEST.
Register at www.Mikeferry.com or call us at 800-448-0647 © 2015 The Mike Ferry Organization. All Right Reserved.
COME JOIN OUR TEAM! ALPINE MORTGAGE PLANNING NEWPORT BEACH
ALPINE MORTGAGE PLANNING CONTINUES TO EXPAND IN ORANGE COUNTY
• Alpine Mortgage Planning is a direct lender • Retail branch of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage Corp • 2013 – Funded $7 billion • Focused on purchase business • Broker and banker • In branch set-up, processing, and docs • In-house marketing support • CRM • Production assistants to allow you to be in the field • Employer paid health benefits • 401K • Multiple sources for jumbo product with excellent pricing and delegated underwriting
We’re proud to announce our new office in Newport Beach at Bayview Corporate Center. Alpine Mortgage Planning is currently in the process of interviewing purchase-focused loan originators, sales managers, and teams to join our world class fulfillment team. If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, you need the right support team behind you. Join us!
VISIT WWW.ALPINEMC.COM/CAREERS FOR MORE INFORMATION! JOHN J. REED Branch Manager MLO-869516
Cell 714.305.2912 Fax 855.688.2743 jreed@alpinemc.com © 2014 A division of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage Corp | Equal Housing Lender | NMLS 81395 | WA CL-81395 | AZ BK-910890 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Regulated by the Division of Real Estate Colorado.
E XECUTIVE AGENT
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MAGAZINE
Nita Desai Written by Shannon Hartsoe
W
hen Nita Desai went shopping for a home many years ago, the experience could have turned her against the real estate industry. Agents only showed her homes outside her price range and treated her
like a second-class customer because she could only pay 10 percent down. “I was disheartened,” she says. Finally, a friend referred her to an agent who understood Nita’s home needs and explained everything to her. It only took three days for her new agent to find the perfect home for Nita. “I decided then, that I will become like this agent,” Nita says. Today she’s a top Realtor® at Berkshire Hathaway HS California Properties, providing outstanding customer service and top-notch market insights to homebuyers and sellers in Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Trabuco Canyon and Rancho Santa Margarita. But just because she’s successful in sales, don’t think of Nita as a sales person. That has never been her goal and it never will. Think of her as a trusted adviser. “I did not want to be a sales person,” she says. “I still do not consider myself as a sales person. I help buyers and sellers to make a sound decision on their real estate investment. I am successful because of the trust of my clients in me. I put myself in their place and work with them.” Clients Sing Her Praises Nita’s clients are the best sources when you want to know what it’s like to work with her. And her website is full of satisfied clients who are happy to share their stories.
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A Trusted Adviser The Patels bought a home through Nita, but due to the subsequent economic crisis their business took a major hit and they could no longer afford the monthly payments.
Today about 90 percent of Nita’s business comes from referrals, which along with testimonials provide some of the best evidence for a Realtor’s® success.
“We called Nita and she came over that evening. She had the knowledge of all options for us. She gave us websites to check and gave us information about the market and short-sale process. We trusted Nita when we bought the house and we knew we could trust her to get us out of the mess.” the Patels say.
Diverse Background Nita was raised in India and attended schools in Canada and the United States, where she was an art major in college. She moved to Orange County in 1982, after living for eight years in Malaysia.
Nita listed their house and negotiated with the banks for the couple’s two loans. She kept them fully informed and guided the Patels throughout the escrow and negotiations with banks. “Nita knows her work and she is one of the best Realtors® we know. We highly recommend Nita if you are looking for a Realtor® who works for you,” they wrote on her website. Adds J.C. Coto, whom Nita also helped with a short sale: “If you are looking for a hard-working Realtor® who knows what she is doing, give her a call. Meet with her and you will know.” Up and Running Nita says it took her only a few months to get some momentum going when she became a Realtor® in 1984 in Orange County. That’s about half the time she gave herself to start seeing some results when she decided to pursue a real estate career.
From the inspiration a Realtor® gave her when she was trying to buy a home, to her education and global perspective, Nita offers a dedication and understanding for her clients that’s hard to beat. “During my 30-plus years working as a full-time real estate professional, I have seen many cities built from the ground up. Just to name a few: Portola Hills, Foothill Ranch, Rancho Santa Margarita, Wagon Wheel, Ladera Ranch, Aliso Viejo and many communities in Irvine and Lake Forest,” she states. But the best part of her job is still when she can help someone buy or sell their home. “The most rewarding part of my work is when I hand the key of a newly purchased home to the buyers and sell a home for sellers at their price and put a large ‘SOLD’ sign on their home which is also very exciting for the clients.”
“I take my job seriously and work for my clients. We had no computers and had to depend on maps and know all the streets so we could show properties.” But Nita is quick to give credit to those who played a significant role in her success. At the top of that list is Rich Cosner, who gave Nita her start at Merrill Lynch Realty. “He is still my mentor and a wonderful friend.”
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Nita Desai Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties Tel: 949-589-0744 dnita@aol.com - nitasells@gmail.com Web: www.HomesByNita.com CalBRE # 00854627
EA
Persistence I
was asked recently what the one skill is that a REALTOR® needs in order to be successful. That was a tough question. The one skill…I thought about it over and over. There are so many skills Agents need to be successful. We have to have good presentation skills, marketing skills, negotiating skills, objection handling skills, technology skills. Then it hit me. All those skills pale in contrast to this one: Persistence. It is the one skill that will make up for our deficiencies in all the other areas. It will allow us to win in life no matter what obstacles that are placed in front of us. Calvin Coolidge our 30th president said it very well. “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Geniuses will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” It truly is a noble skill to have the ability to move forward when everything around you is collapsing, meeting the challenge head on and grinding through the competition. We are all professionals or we aspire to be a professional. The definition of a professional is someone who does something even when he doesn’t feel like doing it. Many of us know what we need to do; yet we don’t do it. We spend our time looking for the one step that will change our life, rather than using the path of persistence to win. We look around for the magic answer that will solve all our problems. Do you realize that over 80% of the late night infomercials are centered on “get rich quick or lose weight instantly”? We live in a liposuction society where we want abundance-yesterday. We don’t want to do the diligent, persistent work to achieve success. My friend Zig Ziglar has a great line. That is: “Life is like a cafeteria. First you pay then you get to eat.” It’s not a restaurant where you sit down, get served and get your fill. When you are full and satisfied, then the bill arrives. You have to pay before you receive the reward. Persistence is crucial to ultimate success in life. To learn the skill of persistence you must first learn to persist in the little things. The first step for mastery of persistence is the ability to decide, and have the clarity of decision that you will do it or else. Start with persistence in your eating habits or workout habits. You could even just select one thing or task you need to do today. Then make sure you complete it before the end of the day. Don’t ever end your day before you get it done. We often select too many things or set the bar too high too early. This will cause us to fall short, and the negative self-talk will begin. The journey to run a marathon begins with a walk around the block. Start with the walk around the block, and in a few days go twice around. Then in a week you can do 4 times around. By the end of the month you will be able to walk a mile. The process in business is the same. Start with calling a few past clients or sphere of influence. Call 5 people a day. You don’t need to do 4 hours of prospecting. That’s like running a marathon without training. If you managed to actually do it, which would be rare, you would be so sore and tired and spent. You would be worthless for a week. Build the skill of persistence.
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Written By Dirk Zeller
The best technique to learn persistence is to just start. The truth is, it’s the start that stops most people. Just beginning is the biggest barrier for everyone. Getting your sneakers on and stepping on the treadmill or picking up the phone the first time is never as bad as our mind makes it out to be. Once you begin, you pick up momentum and that positive self-talk of accomplishment. My father taught me a saying many years ago. It is a saying about persistence. It’s a saying that exemplifies his life. Once a task has begun Never leave until it’s done Though the task be great or small Do it well or not at all. Persistence is by far and away the skill that we need to master. It is the one skill that guarantees success in both your personal and professional life. There is no substitute. Remember it is the start that stops most people. Dirk Zeller is an Agent, an Investor, and the President & 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. He’s the widely published author of Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. You can get more information by visiting www.RealEstateChampions.com. © 2008, Dirk Zeller. 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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Nomination Form 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
Cari & Brittney Executive Agents of the Month
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
Cari & Brittney T
his mother-daughter real estate duo is passionate about working together and assisting others with finding their dream homes and lifestyle in the South Bay. With more than 35 years of combined experience, these ladies stand out as award-winning Realtors® and zealous ambassadors for the community they love. A South Bay resident since 1980, Cari was inspired to pursue a real estate career after taking a real estate law class in college. Between semesters that summer, she began working for Century 21 Torrance, where she achieved topproducer status in her first year. “I think I made the right decision choosing a career in real estate instead of law. I’m naturally driven, but I also love working with people. This has turned out to be my dream job!”
During her three decades of real estate success, one of the greatest thrills of Cari’s career was being joined by her daughter, Brittney, in 2011. Brittney recalls going to open houses with her mom when she was little, picking out which bedroom she would claim as her own. She earned her business/marketing degree from Arizona State University, returned to the South Bay and accepted a sales position with the L.A. Kings. “My family are big hockey fans – and in particular, big LA Kings fans,” Brittney says, “so it was exciting to work for them, even though they were the worst team in the NHL at the time and it was a challenge to sell tickets.”
Written by Haley Freeman - Ian Wiant Photographer
After her early success at C-21, Cari chose to build her business with RE/MAX Torrance Realty and remained there through its merger with RE/MAX Palos Verdes &
South Bay. “Gary Stager was my broker at Torrance, and I was very impressed with his integrity. Eventually, he became partners with Sandra Sanders. Working with them over the years has helped me to hone my skills as a professional.”
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Brittney then accepted a position working with her uncle’s mortgage company on Maui, until shifting market conditions combined with her nostalgia for the South Bay brought her home. “I love it here, and I know it so well. Even though I’ve lived in some other beautiful places, my heart will always belong to the South Bay.” Before teaming up with her mom, Brittney spent 3½ years working with a top REO team. “I got a lot of experience in a short time. We sold almost 1,000 houses during
those years. I learned the business quickly, but realized that working with the banks was a different animal from the mainstream market. When it started coming back, I was ready to do retail sales. That’s when I joined my mom at RE/MAX.” Cari describes Brittney as “sharp and bright – brighter than I am. She brings that young, technical skill to the business that I lack. Her marketing expertise is a great asset, and she works harder than anybody else I know.”
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Selling the Community They Love In turn, Brittney says that everyone likes Cari. “She is a genuine person who can relate to anyone and find something to talk about. She is also great at multi-tasking and very time-efficient. She reliably follows up with clients and makes sure everyone is communicating.” Communication after the sale is also an essential component to the duo’s winning formula. Clients continue to ask for advice and referrals well after the close of their home transaction. “It makes me feel really special when I get a call from a past client. Yesterday I was at a client’s house helping them look at flooring samples. Today I got a call from a client who bought their home from me a year-anda-half ago and needed a referral for a plumbing contractor. After so many years in the area, we have a vast selection of reliable vendors and contractors for virtually everything.” “Another client just called to ask us to babysit their 4-month-old baby,” Brittney says. “You can’t get a bigger compliment than that! Most of our clients become our friends. We love continuing to be a part of their lives.” Cari is also a licensed stager. “Between the two of us,”
she says, “we can take whatever the client’s budget is and use it to their best advantage. Even if it just means moving furniture around and decluttering, we know how to prep a house to get the best possible sales price.” During her years in the industry, Cari has witnessed many market cycles, but her expertise, combined with the relationships she has built have made her impervious to downward trends. “I enjoy it when the real estate market is tougher,” she says. “During those times, a lot of agents who probably shouldn’t have been in the business in the first place get weeded out, leaving those who are true professionals. We’ve never had a bad year.” In today’s market where inventory is limited and multiple offers are being made on many listings, Cari and Brittney are skilled at crafting offers that stick. “Cari knows most of the top agents in the area,” Brittney says, “and she has good relationships with them. People know that when they choose to work with us, the transaction will be handled professionally and smoothly. So far this year, we have had five transactions where there were multiple offers, and we have gotten them all.”
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
Recently, the pair began producing “lifestyle videos” of their listings. “We are the only agents we know of in our area who are doing these types of videos,” Brittney says. “We got the idea at a seminar from a top agent on the East Coast. When we go to conferences, we make it a point to implement what we learn. In this case, we felt that if someone is selecting us to sell their luxury home, we are going to take that extra step to provide them with exceptional marketing.” Instead of a standard video walk-through, lifestyle videos present a vignette of a family who appear to live in the house. The ultimate in experiential marketing, these innovative videos help potential buyers to picture themselves living in the home and what their lifestyle would actually feel like. Videos can be accessed through YouTube or viewed from their website. Experience a lifestyle video at: http://www.findingsouthbayhomes.com/ videos1. Cari and Brittney are part of an active, outdoor family. Cari’s husband is a lawyer, and Brittney is the oldest of four children. “I’m a cyclist and ocean swimmer,” Cari
says, “and I look out every day and think how fortunate I am to live in this beautiful and wonderful place.” “We live in a very active community,” Brittney says. “Our whole family likes the outdoors, and there is something to do year-round. I walk to the farmer’s market every Tuesday in Manhattan Beach and love seeing familiar faces wherever I go. There is a strong sense of community here. People think LA is such a big place that nobody knows each other here. That’s definitely not true in the South Bay. I think one of the most important things about sales is that you have to believe in what you sell. When you sell this area, you’re selling a lifestyle that is one of the best the world has to offer.” According to Cari, the many awards she has earned in her career are not her motivation for selling real estate. “I don’t even put them on the wall. It’s not important. I truly love the feeling of putting the keys into the hands of a first-time buyer, or helping an older person find a comfortable single-level home because they can’t get up the stairs anymore. It makes me feel so productive and worthy to have made a difference in someone’s life.”
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Cari Corbalis & Brittney Bunnag RE/MAX Estate Properties Tel: 310-938-9167 Brittney.Bunnag@gmail.com www.FindingSouthBayHomes.com CalBRE # 01799654 - 00850678 ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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Nominate a fellow colleague to be featured as Executive Banker of the Month. All candidates must be nominated by an industry professional and 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/Stae/Zip:____________________________ ________________________________________ Phone:__________________________________ Email:__________________________________ Fax/Email nomination to:
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Barbara Anderson
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
Written by Haley Freeman
EA
Making Life-Long Friends Along The Way
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arbara Anderson is well-loved as an agent at First Team Real Estate, where she demonstrates the same high standards that she applies in her personal life, resulting in an award-winning career and over 40 happy years of marriage. Barbara grew up as one of seven children in a closeknit, Midwestern family. At only 22 years old, she bravely set out on her own from Michigan to establish a new life in the Golden State. She had read an article about Santa Monica, so that is where she went, looking forward to a warmer climate, a coastal lifestyle and fresh opportunities in the California economy. She began her career in the aerospace industry, where she worked for Hughes Aircraft and McDonald Douglas. Barbara met her husband at Hughes, and then took a hiatus from work to raise their three children. When they were all settled in school, she went to work for a property management and construction company. “That was my true introduction into the world of real estate,” Barbara says. “As the office manager, I oversaw everything relating to property management. Then we went into construction, where I had the opportunity to see things being built and coordinate activities on the job sites. I learned so much there that I brought with me into my real estate business.” Barbara returned to the aerospace industry for a time, working with a parts manufacturer. There, she became a contracts manager for the repairs department, another experience that prepared her well for her ultimate career in real estate. “I always knew I wanted to get back into real estate, and with knowledge of contracts, negotiations, construction and property management, it was a natural transition for me.” Barbara found her home with First Team in 2006. “I started out with another company, but left to search for a company that had strong ethics and a diverse training program. I found everything I was looking for at First Team. We have great training, and I am part of such a warm office. I feel very close to people here and know I’m working with others who share my values and goals.” According to Barbara, her goals are very simple. “I’m really a family person much more than I am a business person. My goal is to help people find what they need and have a pleasant experience doing it. It’s never about the money. It’s about holding them up, putting the client first and never doing anything to jeopardize your integrity. It’s a plus that I actually get paid to do what I do.”
Barbara began her real estate career just as the market was beginning its downturn. But the hard work required didn’t scare her away. “I think I came in at a time when I could learn so much, and it has been extremely helpful to me. I didn’t come in on the gravy train, and it has made me stronger. I took classes on short sales and bank-owned properties and got certified, because that’s what people needed. I persisted and learned a lot.” Her authentic, Midwest values are evident in the way she treats everyone she encounters. “I never short-change anyone on service, whether it is a mobile home or a highend property; everyone deserves the best I have to offer. No matter how big or small the deal, I believe in treating everyone the same.” “I love people,” she continues. “Through the years, I’ve come to love so many of my clients. Most are like extended family. The times we are out together looking at property and talking and getting to know one another are just fun. That’s what real estate is all about for me.” Her flexible schedule allows Barbara to spend time with her grandchildren, who are 3 ½ years and 18 months old. “I watch them two days a week, and my husband and I love spending time with them. Enjoying our grandchildren together has opened up a whole new transition in our life. We also have 2 grandchildren of nearly the same ages in New York, so we travel there as often as we can. We are proud of all three of our wonderful children who work in diverse careers and have happy lives.” According to Barbara, her 40-plus-year marriage is a success because she and her husband “still share the same sense of humor. I think that’s what keeps people together; that, along with commitment and sharing the same values. That’s also what works in business. You have to raise the bar a little bit on the standards you have for yourself, and hopefully you can make life-long friends along the way.” Barbara Anderson First Team Real Estate Tel: 714-726-1404 Email: BarbaraAnderson@firstteam.com Web: www.firstteam.com CalBRE # 01753322
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
EA
What Is It That You Do? Written By Richard Weylman
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ne great frustration in the prospecting process is becoming comfortable with letting people you meet know what you do for a living. Over the years, as I’ve spoken at company and industry events, many financial services professionals have expressed their confusion and concern about how to approach people and what to say to them. Some feel they shouldn’t bring it up until they’re asked; others feel that if they bring it up, they will be seen as pushy. The apparent reason for this ongoing debate is a lack of rapport-building skills and self-confidence about your chosen occupation and its value to others. Use these strategies to gain the confidence and skills to let the people you meet in a business or social setting know what you do for a living: 1. Make a list of all the reasons why financial planning is so important. The purpose of this list is to get you focused on the benefits and to give you some internal motivation. 2. Ask the centers of influence (the presidents, executive directors, clients, etc.) in the markets that you have chosen to suggest how you could best approach individuals about what you do for a living. Ask for specific direction here, even down to the phrases that they would use. 3. Schedule some time with your manager and ask him to tell you specifically the words he uses to tell others what he does for a living. Be sure your manager gives you the specific words that he uses. Write those words down so you can adapt them to your own use. 4. Role-play with your manager and colleagues so that you hone and sharpen your skill at bringing up what you do in a non-threatening way. It’s important to create an environment as close as possible to a real situation. Perhaps you could sit down at the conference room table and have four or five of your colleagues sit with you as if you were having a meal at a function that your target market is putting on. Turn to the person on your left and the person on your right and simply say, “I’ve certainly enjoyed talking with you again. We’ve seen each other over the last several months at these meetings, and I would be delighted to have an opportunity to get together with you sometime during the next month and hear more about your business and to tell you more about some of the things that I’m 28
doing to help people in the industry achieve financial well-being.” Then ask for the appointment, “Is there a particular day of the month that would work for you?” Then quietly listen to what the individual has to say. In most cases, they’ll respond favorably. As you role-play this, have your day planner ready just as you would at the function. Use your day planner as you would in real life so you actually practice the process. 5. Work on your rapport-building skills. Often you find yourself in a situation where you’re not sitting next to someone at a meeting and, therefore, you don’t have the ability to establish a sense of elationship over a meal or during the meeting. Many times you may be standing in a crowd at the hors d’oeuvre table or the registration desk where you’re unsure of how to proceed. George Walther, a good friend of mine and the author of Phone Power says, “Stand shoulder to shoulder with someone as you watch an event or before a meeting begins. Lean in and make a comment on the program or ask a question about the other individual, then introduce yourself.” Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to mingle and to establish rapport is to ask a question and make a positive comment. This interaction almost always leads to introductions which present you with a golden opportunity to not only tell people what you do, but to make it interesting. As you develop the words that you will use and the way that you will approach prospects, keep in mind these three things: 1. Let prospects know your intent while making it clear you enjoy working with people like them. It’s not necessary to blatantly say, “I’m here to sell you.” But do let them know you’re a resource. 2. Avoid being coy and thereby harming trust and credibility. Be forthright and forthcoming so that you avoid getting the reputation that you are simply using the group. 3. Let them know you’re there because you have an affinity to the organization and that they are the type of people you choose to do business with and wish to serve. By having a well-though-out brief commercial about what you do and how it will help the prospect, any skepticism about your intent will be overcome by your professionalism.
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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C. Richard Weylman is an expert in marketing, selling and communicating to affluent and high net worth people. He is the author of “Opening Closed Doors, Keys To Reaching Hard-to-Reach People,” as well as numerous sales, relationship and marketing and management audio and video education programs. To discover the many resources he has to offer you and your organization, including his speaking topics, free weekly marketing tips (emailed to you), free articles and much more, go to www.richardweylman.com or call 1-800-535-4332 to schedule Richard to speak at your next event.
help people move to the next level o f productivity and fulfillment. He is the author of “Opening Closed Doors, Keys to Reaching Hard-to-Reach People” and numerous other sales, relationship marketing and management audio and video programs. To receive more ideas and insight on how to market to high net worth people, recruit quality people, or practice management issues, schedule Richard to speak at your next meeting, contact the FrogPond at 800.704. FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond.com
Copyright C 2002, Richard Weylman. All right reserved. Richard Weylman, CSP, serves as President of The Achievement Group, Inc., an Florida-based consulting firm dedicated to professionally and ethically
EA
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EA
Negotiating Like a Pro
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know that one of the toughest things for a beginning investor is negotiating deals. We are often our own worst enemy when it comes to this. For the most part, I think that when we envision good negotiators, we see smooth talking individuals with an answer for everything. For many of us, this is a horrifying vision because smooth and slick does not come naturally to us and, if we’re honest, we don’t want to come across that way. So how do we negotiate a good deal when we don’t have the gift of “slick”, and we don’t want to become “slick”? I do not consider myself to be a smooth and slick negotiator, but believe that I’m pretty good at what I do. Negotiating didn’t come naturally to me, but came together over time and with practice. There were two things that made me a good negotiator and can help you as well. First, you must be willing to stop talking and listen. When dealing with someone in this business, whether you are the buyer or the seller, you need to sell yourself. You can not sell yourself without listening to the other party’s needs. Listen for what is important to the other party and then show them that you can address it. In my negotiating, I keep the other party talking as much as possible. When they run out of things to say, I ask another question in hopes of learning a hot button of theirs. When I hear it, I ask a question that acknowledges I heard their needs. An example would be as follows: Seller: “My house needs a ton of repairs, but I can’t afford to fix them in order to put the house on the market. Plus, we can’t really live here anymore because the water is coming in through the roof.” Steve: “So basically you need someone like me who is willing to buy your home as it sits right now to help you out. Is that true?” My question to the seller acknowledges that I heard their need, provided them with the benefits of dealing with me, and got them to acknowledge that dealing with me would be good for them. You must listen, it’s very important! The second thing that will make you a good negotiator is knowing, without hesitation, what the deal needs to look like to be a good deal. Other investors often ask me how I get such good deals and I tell them that I’m not willing to pay above a predetermined amount. When dealing with sellers, know what your top dollar amount is. For example, if I walk into someone’s home and know I will only spend $150,000, then I’m firm in my convictions and all of my questions are leading the sellers toward selling me their home for $150,000. I don’t negotiate up because the sellers say that they need more money. Once they acknowledge that I’m the person to help them, we need to come to the price that I’m willing to pay in order to help them. If the sellers tell me that they want $170,000, I don’t give them $170,000 because they say that is what they need. I stick to my guns and tell them the advantages of dealing with me. Price eventually becomes secondary to the seller and dealing with me, the person who is guaranteed to solve their problem, becomes most important.
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ExecutiveAgent Magazine
EA
Written By Steve Cook
Be firm in your conviction of what you need to pay. If you are only hoping to get it for a certain amount, you will pay more every single time. I get good deals because the price that I have in mind is all I’m willing to pay. As long as the number keeps coming in my direction, I will negotiate until it reaches the level where I need it to be. To be a good negotiator, you need to learn just a couple of things. First, listen to the other party, and second, know what it is you are trying to accomplish before going in. If you don’t know, the other party will get their way. As far as being smooth is concerned, your flow will get better in time. Just focus on getting what you want and listening to the seller in order to lead them where you want them to be. Since 1998 Steve Cook has flipped many hundreds of houses as an active Baltimore-area real estate investor. Steve’s unique specialty is the “flipping homes 1-2 punch”, a proven system of real estate investing that powerfully combines wholesaling and rehabbing houses. Also the founder of www.FlippingHomes.com, Steve is dedicated to helping others in this thriving online community succeed through understanding and aggressively applying his timetested, step-by-step approach to flipping real estate.
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EA
The Role of Positive Thinking on Your Sales Career and Life
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ots of salespeople seem to have forgotten, or perhaps have never even learned, the many ways that they can improve not only their sales performance, but their life performance as well. The future of your sales career may very well rest on the frame of mind that you have in your daily life. Here are several tips that may help you to improve this frame of mind and your future. First of all, you should overcome any past negative impact. You need to forget your failures and mistakes. These failures and mistakes should be seen only as stepping-stones that you have been fortunate enough to experience and learn from. Salespeople can truly damage their mental state and their sales performance by dwelling on past mistakes. Such practices as continually viewing yourself in a negative light can only serve to put you in a downward spiral. A tip that reflects the opposite of the previous one is to build upon previous positive experiences. Concentrate primarily on your past successes, and this will help you feel far more important and positive. By concentrating primarily on your successes and the positive aspects of your past, you will surely feel extremely more confident, and confidence will give any salesperson a “leg up” in any sales situation. Furthermore, this confidence can seep
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into all other facets of your life, leading to an all around improvement of the quality of life. Seeking out “coaches” and “team-members” will only serve to improve your chances for success in and out of the business realm. Coaches can help to build you up, as well as provide you with vital life experience and job experience that you otherwise would not be able to experience yourself. In regard to sales team-members, they can provide you with a support system as well as with a feeling of belonging. Their successes will be your successes, and your successes will be theirs’. Having a coach, as well as being a member of a team can certainly improve your job as well as your home life. Becoming obsessed with learning is another excellent tip for any salesperson who is aspiring to improve their future sales performance. “Knowledge is power” has become a cliché, but the validity of this statement still stands. Any serious salesperson should always be looking for that “edge,” and knowledge is always there. You should always be seeking new facts, information, and data, and knowing more of these than your competitor will provide you with so much more success. I can promise you that!
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
EA
By constantly improving your thinking processes, you will also sharpen your thinking and analytical skills, and in turn you will enjoy more success in the future. Improvement of your thinking skills involves the quick and efficient use of knowledge, which is addressed in the previous tip. If you become obsessed with learning and channel this constant flow of new information through quick and useful thought patterns, then once again you will enjoy a “one up� over your competition. Top performing salespeople are always seeking new information, and are always able to use this information in the most effective manner in their pursuit of the sale. Therefore, if you follow the same strategies as these salespeople, then your future is as bright as theirs. The final tip, and perhaps the most important one, actually is to incorporate yourself mentally. This somewhat difficult tip means that you should never forget your own long-term goals and aspirations. You should certainly remain loyal and honorable to your current employer, but again, never forget your own long-term goals and aspirations! Those individuals who are the most successful are those who never forget their own goals. By striving for your goals long enough and hard enough, you will eventually reach them and become an envied and admired sales professional.
The bottom line? If you are truly seeking to improve your future either professionally, personally, or both, there are certain strategies that have proven to serve those who are seeking these goals very well. By overcoming any negative past impact, building upon any and all positive impact, utilizing coaches and team-members you may have in your life, becoming obsessed with learning, constantly improving your thinking processes, and incorporating yourself mentally, you are surely going to be able to improve any aspect of your sales career and life that you wish to improve. The secret to this plan is to work hard and remain committed. There is, unfortunately, no secret to that! Bill Brooks, CSP, CPAE, CMC, CPCM former CEO of a $300,000,000 corporation and two-time sales award winner from an international sales force of 8,000, Bill has real-world expertise. Bill has spoken or consulted in over 300 different industries while being engaged by at least 150 clients an astonishing six times each. CopyrightŠ 2004, Bill Brooks. All rights reserved. For information about how to bring Bill to your next meeting or convention, contact the Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com; www.frogpond.com
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