The Residential Specialist, January/February 2020 by The Residential Specialist

residential

jan + feb

B US I N E S S I N TELL IGE N CE FOR THE R RC PROFE S S IONA L

2020

THE

SPECIALIST ALSO IN THIS

Forecasting 2020 trends Learn from other industries Support mixed-use housing

LED W O IS

ISSUE

Building for health & wellness Up your social media moves Offer your clients a stellar CX

POWER 2020 RRC President Richard Waystack helps take RRC education to a new level

CRS-048

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contents

Jan 20 Feb 20

vol. 19, no. 1

features

MAKING WAVES

2020 RRC President Richard Waystack helps take RRC education to a new level.

ON THE COVER Richard Waystack, CRS, photographed for The Residential Specialist by Chris Cook

By Donna Shryer

LIVING WELL(NESS)

Wellness-focused buildings and communities integrate physical and mental health for residents.

Designation Maintenance Article

By Megan Craig

Designation Maintenance Article

If your social media accounts aren’t generating leads for your sphere of influence, it’s time to reevaluate your strategy.

Marketing alone can’t fix a broken real estate business—but a stellar customer experience might.

SOCIAL RESET

By Michelle Huffman

Rx: CX

By Matt Alderton

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contents

Jan 20 Feb 20 vol. 19, no. 1

departments 5 VANTAGE POINT

By Richard Waystack, CRS

6 ENTRY POINTS

Industry Headlines, Business Technology, Ideas & Trends

6 SMART SOLUTIONS: Real Estate Reckoning The weak industry recovery will continue, but could be upset by pricing that first-time buyers can’t afford.

By Michael Chazin

10 WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY: Tricks from Other Trades

Vital lessons CRSs can learn from other business models.

By Gwen Moran

13 INSIDE TRACK: Mix it Up

Some U.S. markets are revising zoning and land-use rules to create opportunities for more mixed-use housing development.

By Regina Ludes

16 PEER TO PEER: Sally Sparks, CRS Century 21 Legacy, Knoxville, Tennessee

34 WORK + LIFE

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink Reviewed by Allan Fallow

inside RRC 36 NEWS FROM THE COUNCIL

The Residential Real Estate Council year-end recap, what’s ahead in 2020, and recognizing new CRS Designees.

39 LEARN FROM THE BEST

A CRS Instructor explains how to ensure that online reviews reflect favorably on your professional abilities.

41 RRC CONNECT

48 ASK A CRS

Advice from the country’s top agents.

ON L I N E R E S O UR CE S CRS.com

is your portal to news, education, referral and membership information. Read the magazine online at TRSMag.com.

SELL-A-BRATION 2020

Take advantage of world-class education and numerous networking opportunities, and check out residential real estate’s latest tools, services and resources at Sell-a-bration 2020. Hear keynote addresses from sales and marketing truth slayer Scott Stratten and best-selling author and global editor Daniel Levine. For more information, visit crs.com/attend/sell-a-bration.

Put Some

ING

in Your Business…

G N I H C A O C

Navigating you through challenges

Increasing your creativity and income

Holding you accountable

Challenging you to try new ideas

Aligning your strengths to help improve your skills

Offering unbiased perspective

Changing your game

Giving you a blueprint for success

One2One Coaching™ Members earn 12x the national income average.*

B US I N E S S I N TE L L I GE N C E F OR TH E R R C PR OFE S S I O NA L

EDITOR Kimberly Cure kcure@crs.com 800.462.8841 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Matt Alderton Michael Chazin Megan Craig Michelle Huffman Regina Ludes Gwen Moran Donna Shryer 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Richard Waystack, CRS President-Elect Alex Milshteyn, CRS First Vice President Holli Woodward, CRS Immediate Past President Michael Burkhard, CRS Members Kim Cameron, CRS Maura Neill, CRS Dan Steward Greg Waldhour, CRS Jen Ward, CRS Chief Executive Officer Lana Vukovljak Staff Liaison Patricia Stodolny PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT www.glcdelivers.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Chuck Gekas Director of Business Development 312.321.4443 cgekas@crs.com The Residential Specialist is published for Certified Residential Specialists, general members and subscribers by the Residential Real Estate Council. The magazine’s mission is: To be a superior educational resource for CRS Designees and members, providing the information and tools they need to be exceptionally successful in buying and selling residential real estate. The Residential Specialist is published bimonthly by the Residential Real Estate Council, 430 North Michigan Ave., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611-4092. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices. Change of address? Email requests to crshelp@crs.com, call Customer Service at 800.462.8841 or mail to RRC at the above address. The Residential Specialist (USPS-0021699, ISSN 1539-7572) is distributed to members of the Council as part of their membership dues. Nonmembers may purchase subscriptions for $29.95 per year in the U.S., $44.95 in Canada and $89.95 in other international countries. All articles and paid advertising represent the opinions of the authors and advertisers, not the Council. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: The Residential Specialist, c/o Residential Real Estate Council, 430 North Michigan Ave., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611-4092. COPYRIGHT 2020 by the Residential Real Estate Council. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Publishing Manager Phil Malkinson Art Directors Ivette Cortes Eliane Mangoubi

Coming Next Issue ...

Pocket listings—will the new rule increase inventory? The National Association of REALTORS® is cracking down on “coming soon” or “off-market” listings. Will this change have an overall beneficial effect on local markets? Working with first-time homebuyers Working with first-time buyers is an art that takes special skills and resources. Learn how some CRSs educate these potential buyers, including helping buyers who are in financial distress. Home improvement projects: Which ones are agents recommending? Learn about the role some CRSs play in renovation and design, and which projects are worth the cost and the time. Listing presentations: Here’s what works and what doesn’t When creating the ultimate listing presentation, learn what information should be your primary focus and which angles work best.

PLUS:

When creating a listing, which words and phrases are overused and meaningless, and which ones are most effective? Would you like to be a source for a future story in The Residential Specialist? Send an email to KCure@crs.com to be added to our potential source list.

WHO ON YOUR

TEAM could benefit from receiving a personal copy of The Residential Specialist?

STAY INFORMED The Residential Real Estate Council provides superior education, exceptional networking

crs.com

opportunities and critical resources. The Council’s flagship magazine, The Residential Specialist, delivers the latest industry trends, success stories and proven strategies to grow your business. To subscribe for yourself or a colleague, call 800.462.8841.

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Note: Members of the Residential Real Estate Council receive the magazine as part of their member benefits.

[vantage point]

from the desk of Richard Waystack, CRS 2020 RRC President

EXPANDING expectations 

During my years in real estate, so many CRS colleagues have been good to me—and my RRC network brought out the leader in me. So, when I was elected to serve as the Council’s 2020 president, I accepted the position as an honor and privilege. Lately, it seems as if I’m often asked, “What do you want to accomplish?” My immediate plan is to take a long look at how the disrupters out there are changing our industry—and then, with our Leadership Team, make sure that our strategic plan is ready to meet the needs of all of our members. On a personal level, I have an unwavering commitment to help my fellow CRSs succeed in this evolving industry. It’s time for us all to expand beyond the “Golden Rule” and embrace the “Platinum Rule.” It’s no longer enough to treat others as we wish to be treated. Today, the client’s needs are paramount to our own and we as REALTORS® need to treat people as they want to be treated. The Platinum Rule is about understanding what motivates a client—what do they need, how do they want to communicate and how can we help them understand the world of real estate. We have to develop the way we think about a client—buyer or seller or, in our case, member—so we recognize their motives and can respond accordingly. That’s something disrupters cannot offer. In addition, we have a unique opportunity to look beyond our own backyard. Our Sell-a-bration conference next February will include a huge contingency from Spain and Italy. Our global reach is expanding dramatically. It’s an opportunity to learn what buyers and sellers on different continents are doing, what they want and how we can serve their needs. By networking with our international CRS brethren, the opportunities to further our referral networks are unlimited. In the coming year we shall let everyone know that becoming a CRS is far more than earning the designation. Through RRC education, networking and referrals, it’s an opportunity to expand beyond expectations. Our goal is to make sure the updated strategic plan spells this out for every designee, every member and every REALTOR® who avails themselves of our education. The opportunities are there for the taking. Let’s exceed expectations!

Photo: Chris Cook

I HAVE AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO HELP MY FELLOW CRSs SUCCEED IN THIS EVOLVING INDUSTRY.

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[entry points]

REAL ESTATE

reckoning Smart

Solutions streamlining your business through technology

The weak industry recovery will continue, but could be upset by pricing that firsttime buyers can’t afford By Michael Chazin

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iStock.com: dane_mark/ kali9



For a comprehensive real estate industry forecast, almost nothing compares to Emerging Trends in Real Estate® 2020 prepared by PwC and the Urban Land Institute. Based on completed surveys and interviews with more than 2,000 industry participants, the publication provides an outlook on real estate trends across the United States. The current economic cycle, the longest in U.S. history, has resulted in palpable confidence in the real estate industry. Still, complacency is the wrong approach; some serious attention should be given to the prospects that the economy could downshift. It appears the economy isn’t as robust as many believe. The yield curve inversion that took hold and then deepened early last year leads the list of warning signals. Add in softer housing starts and year-over-year declines in residential permits, and it shows just how fragile the economy has become. In its latest survey, Zillow disclosed that nearly half of respondents said the next recession will commence in 2020. The main culprit for the housing recession, the organization said, is monetary policy. “The emerging trend for real estate demand in the decade ahead isn’t just for softer demand, it’s for dramatically softer demand,” said one real estate professional interviewed for Emerging Trends.

While a reservoir of optimism remains, there are signs the market is unraveling. The home ownership rate, currently at 64%, is at its lowest level since the 1960s. Single-family pricing has outstripped household incomes, and affordability has reached the breaking point even in markets that previously boasted lower-cost housing. Employers in need of workforce housing have started to get involved. Microsoft, for example, announced a three-year $500 million investment to spur housing development across Puget Sound. Local governments are also getting involved. In October, California passed legislation that caps rent hikes for the next decade. A shortfall in workforce housing sets the stage for residential rent control, and many in the industry fear this will spread. Local rent-control and other regulatory tactics have surfaced as “transformational business wildcards.” Sales of single-family home are being influenced by multiple opposing signals. Favorable trends include job growth, income growth, household formation and more accommodating monetary policy. Headwinds arise from issues such as the elimination of the mortgage interest deduction as well as a growing number of cities eliminating single-family zoning. “Into that mix add a relatively unknown trend: households whose adult residents have the means to own homes but choose to rent,” said another interviewee in Emerging Trends. The current recovery never fully took hold, is nearing its end and may not be wide-reaching enough to pull in aspiring first-time buyers. This leads to a first-ever phenomenon for recoveries: Home purchases arise mostly from purchases by current homeowners, while first-time buyers are largely out of the picture. Estimates predict upwards of 1 million new rental households per year. Growth estimates are so strong that developers from the commercial and residential sectors have been attracted to the multifamily space.

Millennials Meet “Golden Girls” Co-living appeals to those in their 20s and 30s who find cost-savings through rent sharing. Additionally, roommates often share common interests, values and concerns. These living arrangement are not just for Gen Zers and millennials; they have started to show up in living arrangements for older adults. The pop-culture reference for this trend is the “Golden Girls” model. In addition to apartments, single-family rentals are also a growth area. Single-family-home renters come to that market out of necessity. They’re either early-career adults who have yet to form families or older adults who want a home without ownership responsibilities. As young adults form new households, their take-home pay and ability to save for down payments takes them out of a path to ownership. Now, as renters, they worry about the widening gap between monthly take home pay and increasing monthly rental charges. Supply/demand imbalances for senior housing exist in some—not all—markets across the U.S. The occupancy rate for senior housing stood at 88.1% in the first quarter of 2019, a seven-year low. As supply outpaces demand, some operators in select metro areas face challenging market conditions. Senior continued on page 9 

EXPERTS: THE NEXT RECESSION WILL LIKELY BEGIN IN 2020 Share of panelists expecting the next recession to begin in a given quarter Source: Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey, 2019 Q2

19%

15 12%

10 8%

10% 10%

10%

8% 6%

5 2%

2019

2020

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2021

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2022

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[entry points]

THE INFLUENCERS

MILLENNIAL HOME MUST-HAVES

2 3

1. Open-concept floor plans

When you think of millennials, you may think of Instagram influencers and a generation bent on disrupting the status quo. Now hitting their late 20s and 30s, millennials are exerting their influence on the real estate market. For the sixth year in a row they outnumbered older buyers, comprising 37% of buyers, according to the National Association of REALTORS® 2019 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends study. Appealing to millennial buyers can be a boon for agents looking to tap into this market leader. Here’s what millennials are searching for in a home.

While millennials are the largest buyer segment, their ranking on household income is not as dominant. Because they are on the cusp or just coming into their prime earning years, millennials want to maximize space for their dollar. Open floor plans allow them to expand their entertaining spaces.

2. Updated kitchens and bathrooms

Saving for a down payment was ranked by younger millennials as the biggest hurdle to homeownership, which means they’re not looking to sink any extra funds into expensive renovations. Make sure these key functional rooms are ready to use out of the box, and if the updates are energy-efficient, all the better.

3. Vintage and European design

Despite growing up online in the digital age, millennials are showing an interest in aged styles, including mid-century, Mediterranean and pre-WWII architecture. The features of these exteriors go hand-in-hand with reemerging interior trends such as herringbone floors and art deco lighting and glass.

TOP REASONS WHY MILLENNIALS REPORT PURCHASING A HOME

Commuting cost is one of the most prevalent environmental factors millennials consider in purchasing a home and distinguishes them from other generations.

40%

40 35

39% 32

30%

28%

25 20

10%

19%

5 0

All buyers

28 and younger

29 to 38

39 to 53

Source: 2019 NAR Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends

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54 to 63

64 to 72

73 to 93

Age of home buyer

28 and younger

Desire to own a home

60% 42%

29-38

Desire for a larger home

6 % 15 %

Desire to be closer to family/ friends/relatives

Job-related relocation

Life event (marriage, birth, divorce, etc.)

iStock.com: susiweiss/anyaberkut

MILLENNIALS CONSIDER COMMUTING TIME AND COST TO BE ‘VERY IMPORTANT’

REAL ESTATE

RENT CONTROL STATUS

reckoning 

continued from page 7

housing developers overbuilt in 2018 in anticipation of the baby boomers who are expected to retire over the next decade. It seems that baby boomers have stolen the headlines forever. With this report, millennials come into their own and have perhaps become more important in the homebuying arena. Millennials will continue to account for the largest segment of buyers in 2020, accounting for 45% of mortgages compared to 17% for boomers. With the largest group of millennials turning 30 in 2020, realtor.com predicts that it will be a peak year for millennial homebuying. The phenomenon of “hipsturbia”

also is largely attributable to millennials. As home prices trend upward, millennials look for more affordable housing by moving outward. As suburbs seek to become hip destinations in their own right, they try to emulate 24-hour urban neighborhoods. The most successful suburbs—“hipsturbs”—provide access to transit, walkability, abundant retail and recreation opportunities. The live/work/play formula helped revive inner cities a quartercentury ago. There’s no reason to believe that it won’t do that again in the “right” suburbs. Michael Chazin is a freelance writer in the Chicago area.

■ Has statewide rent control ■ Has jurisdictions with rent control ■ Preempts rent control

■ Preempts mandatory inclusionary zoning and rent control ■ Has no rent control or preemptions ■ Dillon Rule state with no rent control or preemptions

For more information on housing trends, visit nar.realtor, click on “Research and Statistics,” and then “Housing Statistics.”

[entry points]

tricks

FROM OTHER TRADES

Window

ofOpportunity

strategies to grow your business

Jan Feb

Vital lessons CRSs can learn from other business models

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By Gwen Moran



There is no question that REALTORS® wear many hats. From salesperson to marketer to manager to chief financial officer, working as the successful liaison between property sellers and buyers requires a wide variety of skills. Because working as a REALTOR® requires such a broad range of capabilities, there are many opportunities to learn business practices, norms and models from other industries and sectors that can help real estate professionals do their jobs better. Here are four businesses

from which CRSs can learn valuable lessons.

Counselors

Before becoming a REALTOR®, Kit Eschner, CRS, employing broker at RE/MAX Urban Properties in Denver, Colorado, was a marriage and family therapist. She finds that some of the skills she developed in that role apply to her work today. Therapists need to listen carefully and discern family dynamics, needs and power centers.

“When I was first getting started, someone would contact me and I’d show them a variety of houses,” she says. “Sometimes that person wasn’t the decisionmaker,” she says. Using the skills she honed as a therapist, she began asking important questions that gave her a better idea of her client’s needs, and helped her identify who held the power to make the transaction happen. By building strong relationships grounded in honesty and trust, she built a successful real estate business.

iStock.com: Andreus/SDI Productions /Ridofranz/Jason_V/cnythzl/

Restaurants

Like many real estate businesses, restaurants are bustling operations requiring many jobs to be tackled. Finding the right team members and training them properly is essential, says restaurant strategist Martha Lucius. Effective restaurant operations take a holistic approach to training, creating systems for various tasks in the restaurant to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. To create such systems, examine the various processes and tasks that are necessary in your real estate business, such as processing new clients or managing showings and open houses. Create a system for them by breaking them down into a series of steps, describing when each step will be completed and by whom, and formalize them by writing them down. Creating such systems can help you spot unnecessary labor, avoid duplication of steps and make training of new employees easier. Adopting a system “basically creates a checklist to make sure each item gets done properly,” Lucius says.

Construction Companies

Donna Bruno, CRS, real estate instructor and REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Pleasantville, New York, says real estate professionals should take a cue from builders about the importance of having a plan. First, when a builder creates a new home, especially a custombuilt home, the builder works from a blueprint, ensuring they have a plan for the home they’re going to build. “What we find is that agents today have to do the same thing,” she says. “If they just rush into the business and never really think about how they’re going to be successful, it will be a problem; more than likely, they’ll never make it. Today, it is more critical for them to have a business plan.” Similarly, that plan should include what role they want to play in their own businesses. “Whether it’s in residential sales, commercial sales or something else, agents should design a financial goal or blueprint, as well as a marketing plan that will ensure their success in the business,” Bruno says. Builders also rely on a combination of paid marketing and word-of-mouth, which they cultivate carefully, she says. Think of the builders who have projects in your area. You likely know which ones use the highest-quality materials and pride themselves on craftsmanship, as well as those who build more moderately priced homes with basic plans and materials. Construction firms spend a great deal of time cultivating those reputations and specialties. When REALTORS® become known for their specializations, they may find themselves with more referral business because people have a better understanding

GADGET INSPECTOR

If keeping track of time during your day is a challenge, then the TimeFlip Time-Tracking Device will help you stay on task. This 10-sided die can be customized with different tasks you can complete over the course of the day. It also connects to an app on your phone so that you’re able to measure your daily and weekly productivity, and track how much time you spend on activities. $

59.90 | timeflip.io

Spending time outdoors in the middle of winter isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But for those who like to entertain a few friends on a patio or deck on a winter’s evening, the Ultimate Outdoor Heater and Bluetooth Speaker will certainly keep you and you guests warm. It heats up to 110 square feet and includes an LED color-changing light bulb with 16 color options. $ 349.99 sharperimage.com

continued on page 12 

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[entry points]

in real estate transactions, agents should find ways to build loyalty with clients. When you provide exceptional service, find ways to set yourself apart and do the legwork required to find the perfect property or buyer, customers aren’t going to want to go anywhere else, she says. “You’ve got to understand the needle in the haystack that they’re looking for so that you can use all of your resources  continued from page 11 to help them find it,” she says. Understanding not only what of their strengths, which can lead to building stronger the buyer or seller needs, but what hesitations they may have relationships overall. and what assistance (e.g., staging, finding a new home, etc.) “What we’re finding now in the classes that I teach is that they may need is essential for success. Being able to provide almost half of an agent’s business should come from their that extra service requires building a robust network and sphere of influence,” Bruno says. “So building relationships and having a deep understanding of the community, just as a taking time to forge them is very critical, just as it is for builders.” search professional has a deep understanding of the industry and its key players. Executive recruitment firms CRSs can learn important lessons from other types of businesses. Look around and notice what the companies you Kathleen M. Novak, CRS, founder of see in your everyday life are doing Kathleen Novak Group at Howard Hanna Learn more— right. Then ask how this might Real Estate Services in Aurora, Ohio, has take the classapply to your business. You might learned a thing or two from watching her room course “Business be surprised at what you learn. husband, an executive recruiter. Retained Planning and search professionals work directly for the Marketing for company and receive upfront payment to Gwen Moran is a freelance writer based in the Residential Specialist.” find key employees. While upfront payment isn’t an option Wall Township, New Jersey.

tricks

FROM OTHER TRADES

FROSTY SALE

NO COLD FEET

Jan Feb

While spring is the uncontested favorite season for homebuying and selling, strategists shouldn’t discount winter as the off-season. In many markets, data reveal that the winter months yield sales that are faster and more often above list price than summer and fall, making winter the sneaky second-best time to sell. How could this be the case? Here are four reasons why homes listed in winter pay off for their sellers. 1. Lone fish in an empty pond: Since most sellers will list their homes in spring, the supply for buyers looking in winter will naturally be low, both reducing the pressure for sellers to compete and helping to keep prices aloft.

3. Bonus season: Winter is often the season in which employees receive end-of-year bonuses, and the additional cash on hand can make would-be buyers more confident in their ability to make an offer.

2. Serious buyers brave the cold: While warmer, temperate weather makes home shopping in the spring a more enjoyable activity, buyers who commit to showings in cold, snowy weather are rarely just window shopping. If they see what they want, they are more likely to make a decision.

4. Buyers get to see weather features in action: If the winter is particularly punishing where you’re listing, it could be a great opportunity to show off weatherized features that can make the season more bearable.

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FOR SALE

mix IT UP Inside Track what’s trending in real estate

Some U.S. markets are revising zoning and land-use rules to create opportunities for more mixed-use housing development By Regina Ludes



iStock.com: smartboy10

A typical neighborhood in the early 20th century had a mix of housing types in walkable, urban areas—duplexes, threeflats and courtyard buildings. But construction of those properties declined as zoning regulations became more restrictive in favor of single-family homes. Today’s communities are paying the price with few mixed-housing options available that are affordable for most Americans. According to a September 2019 survey by the National Association of Home Builders, 75% of residents believe housing affordability is a huge issue in their city. Further, 52% say they would support reducing zoning regulations and permit procedures that increase construction costs. Such public pushback is putting pressure on city officials to rethink development rules to allow for more multi-unit housing options. In addition, rising population, buyer demand and improved transit systems have increased the need for more and better housing options. While some jurisdictions are revising zoning and land-use codes to address these issues, others are altering their development approval processes. The Residential Specialist looks at three markets where mixed-housing developments are growing amidst changes in zoning rules. continued on page 14 

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[entry points]

mix IT UP 

SAFE HOUSES

JANUARY IS RADON

AWARENESS MONTH

Any home can have a radon problem—new or old, wellsealed or drafty, with or without a basement. Prolonged exposure to unsafe levels of radon can increase the risk of lung cancer; in fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking. Considering this, there is real risk in not knowing if a home has a high level of radon.

What is radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless, colorless, radioactive gas formed by the ongoing decay of uranium in soil, rocks, sediments, and even well or groundwater. While radon that escapes into the atmosphere is not harmful, dangerously high concentrations can build up indoors.

How radon enters the home

Radon can migrate into the home in several ways. Openings or cracks in basement walls or floors are common avenues. Sumps, basement drains, water supply piping and spaces between gas or water fittings and the walls can also allow radon into the structure. Modern building approaches that emphasize a highly sealed structural envelope mean that elevated levels of radon can even be found in new homes.

How can homebuyers find out about radon in a home?

Testing is the only way to determine radon levels. Radon testing can be requested as a stand-alone service or as an added service to a standard home inspection. The inspector will set up monitoring equipment and report on the results.

Reducing the levels of radon in the home

If an elevated level of radon is detected, there are several different radon reduction methods to consider. One is a radon ventilation system that vents the gas above the roof. Sealing cracks in the foundation can increase the effectiveness of ventilation systems, but has not been shown to adequately reduce radon levels on its own. Professional mitigation services can provide recommendations for a home’s specific conditions. Professional radon testing for your clients’ homes can help ensure peace of mind for themselves and their families. This article was provided by Pillar To Post Home Inspectors. For more information, go to pillartopost.com.

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continued from page 13

State of Oregon

A growing number of condo complexes and mixed-housing units have been built over the last 10 years in the small coastal town of Newport, Oregon, to accommodate the 10,000 residents and vacation homeowners who call it home as well as the tourists who visit the area. Still, there is a housing shortage, says Freddy Saxton, CRS, with Advantage Real Estate in Newport, Oregon. He blames high construction costs and tight zoning regulations for the lack of new construction. But that may soon change. The state of Oregon passed a bill in June 2019 that eliminates single-family zoning in locations with more than 10,000 residents, a measure that aims to encourage more duplexes and multi-unit properties to be built. Saxton says once the new zoning ordinance takes effect, single-family zoning will be eliminated in Newport and many other Oregon communities. While many cities and counties are leery of the new rules, Saxton welcomes them. “Our community needs more multifamily housing. With the vacant land that is left, we need to choose how to allocate it to benefit the most people.”

Austin, Texas

With a surging population of 900,000 people, it’s been difficult for the city of Austin, Texas, to meet housing demand. With limited supply, land has become more expensive. That’s partly due to Austin’s land-use code of 1983, which allowed single-family houses to be built and made most other developments more difficult, says Bill Morris, CRS, broker associate with RE/MAX Capital City in Austin, Texas. Mixed-housing development offers one possible solution to the area’s housing shortage. “With mixed-housing, the city balances new development with the rights of current property owners, making it more economical to build a six-unit building on a site than a single-family home,” Morris says. The city’s newly rewritten land-use code, which may be finalized at the end of 2019, aims to encourage more mixed-use housing along busy transit corridors, near entertainment centers and between major corridors and existing neighborhoods. Projects must be built to scale to match the height and aesthetic character of

surrounding properties, says Morris, who has been involved with this effort for several years. Morris points to Hyde Park and Tarrytown, two older neighborhoods built in the 1920s and 1940s with its current mix of low-rise rental buildings and duplexes among the older, single-family houses, as models for the future. Some long-term residents, however, are skeptical, believing that the revised code will allow rampant tear-downs of single-family homes and entire neighborhoods. Morris is quick to reassure them. “The code doesn’t allow for that to happen,” he says. “The proposed code will allow for varied housing types along busy transit corridors and activity centers, and hopefully, encourage people to work, play and shop where they live.”

NAR® SINGLE-FAMILY-HOME AFFORDABILITY INDEX

Percentage change from 2017 to 2018 for Portland, Oregon; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas.

Columbus, Ohio

In Columbus, Ohio, Michael Jones, CRS, with Coldwell Banker King Thompson, believes brokers, attorneys, architects and a member at the city is well-positioned to meet increased large. The board reviews development plans that demand for mixed-housing through zoning don’t meet code requirements to determine if they measures and responsible development that can meet the design standards of their communibalances the housing needs of residents with ties. The board review is necessary because some the development needs of the community. parts of the zoning code are not in tune with While single-family homes predominate the current design trends, says Jones. For example, area, more mixed-use housing developments are “If a homeowner wants to build a larger garage being built. “Lifestyle choices are driving this with four more feet, which exceeds current code growth,” Jones says. “Developers are keeping the requirements, they can ask the board for relief end user in mind by building communities that from that requirement,” Jones explains. contain everything a resident might need, such As more cities and states revise zoning as restaurants, exercise rooms and retail. They and land-use regulations, they will be better offer multiple housing options, including apartpositioned to meet the growing demand for ments, townhomes and single-family homes.” mixed-use housing alternatives. Since 2012, Jones has served on the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment, comprised of real estate Regina Ludes is a freelance writer based in Chicago. For additional resources on zoning and land-use rules, visit nar.realtor/smart_growth.nsf/ pages/Landusezonegrowmgmt?opendocument.

How Can Housing Affordability Be Resolved? About 4 out of 5 Americans believe a lack of affordable housing is a real problem in the U.S., according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders. Asked about potential solutions, respondents expressed support for several proposals.

52 %

support reduced regulations, such as restrictive zoning and permit procedures, which typically increase the costs of new construction.

64 %

support expansion of government programs to increase the supply of affordable rental housing.

62 %

support providing grants to families in areas historically affected by housing discrimination to assist with a down payment on a home.

57 %

support increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans to pay for construction and rehabilitation of rental housing that is affordable to low-income households.

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Source: National Association of Home Builders, September 2019

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[entry points]

Century 21 Legacy, Knoxville, Tennessee

SALLY SPARKS, CRS

Peer to Peer profiles of people to watch

What is the market like in Knoxville, Tennessee? Our housing market is very steady. One of the our largest employers is the University of Tennessee, so even when there was an economic downturn years ago, we didn’t experience the same impact as other parts of the nation. The only trouble we have, like so many other places, is limited inventory—everything that comes on the market is sold very quickly. Who is the typical buyer or seller? Are most affiliated with the university? We have a healthy mix. We have graduate students, but we also have a good number of retirees because our home prices are affordable and the taxes on homes are very manageable for people with retirement budgets. Plus, we have a true four-season climate and we’re only a day’s drive from Virginia, Florida or Georgia, so you can get to a city or beach easily from here.

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Have you faced any recent business challenges? Nothing especially big, but we are seeing home listings that are pre-sold. The homes are listed on the MLS as “coming soon,” and there is a lot of hype Are some people that comes with that. In our waiting longer to system, a home can be listed as decide to buy their “coming soon” for 14 days, but first home? no showings are allowed until We are not seeing a lot of that period is over. That’s just that in our area, but it is true a sit-and-wait game for people that some folks are waiting who are looking, especially if a little longer to purchase a they really want to see that home. But they’re taking longer house, but they feel that they to do everything—longer to might miss out on another get out of college, longer to place while they are waiting. get married. I think it’s just The hype this creates can a natural progression that lead to bidding wars, and they’re doing things more some homes sell for over list slowly and with more intent. price. It’s good for the sellers, But when these folks do jump but it’s not uncommon for in, they are buying something some of our buyers to have a little more expensive that I lost out on one or two properwould call a move-up home. ties before they are able They are making a choice that to secure one. We have to fits their lifestyle. We are counsel everyone that cash seeing a resurgence of interest will trump everything—even in older neighborhoods—they a lower offer if it depends are becoming quite trendy. And on financing or includes a the type of home I grew up in, contingency. I had one couple, the 1950s ranch, is now a very first-time buyers in their midhot commodity. And people, 40s, decide to bow out for a no matter what their age, are while and continue to rent enjoying one-level living. until things eased up a little.

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Do you have special activities you use to market your business? Actually, I am very fortunate that a majority of business comes from referrals and relationships with other REALTORS® and, of course, CRSs. I am at the President’s Circle level at RPAC, and I find that major investors want to send business to other major investors. What is your favorite aspect of the home selling/ buying process? Working with first-time homebuyers. I get the most joy from working with people who have never done this before and making it a pleasant and enjoyable experience for them. Most of my business is from referrals or repeat clients, so you just have to take care of them the first time and then they are out there generating business for you from then on. What do you love to do outside of work? I’m service-oriented and love working with nonprofits. I’m a founding committee member of 100 REALTORS Who Care; 100 people get together once a quarter and commit to giving $100 each to a charity the group has selected. We give $40,000 to nonprofits in our area every year.

Do you work with a charity? I serve on the board of directors for a program called Care Cuts, which serves the homeless. We provide grooming services (including shampoo, haircuts, color, shave and nails) for 200 people, all day on the first Sunday of every month. It all began with one hairstylist who opened her salon once a month, but we now have a permanent building in an old four-bay garage. We are able to give folks hot showers, laundry services and food, as well as ministry services, and medical and legal assistance. Everyone leaves with a grooming kit and clean clothes. Our goal is to help them transition into a service program or permanent housing. As a REALTOR®, I often have clients who are leaving behind clothing or furniture. The ministry picks up these items so that when people get apartments, they have some things of their own and don’t have to sleep on the floor. Sally Sparks, CRS, achieved CRS Designation in 2012. She can be reached at sally@sally sparks.com or 865-567-4481.

Photo: Steven Bridges

I get the most joy from working with people who have never done this before and making it a pleasant and enjoyable experience for them.

Sally Sparks, CRS, works with Care Cuts, which serves the homeless to provide grooming services for 200 people in an old four-bay garage. Care Cuts provides hot showers, laundry services and food, as well as ministry services, and medical and legal assistance to the homeless, with a goal to help them transition into a service program or permanent housing.

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Photo: Chris Cook

Through education, networking and referrals, 2020 RRC President Richard Waystack wants to expand RRC beyond expectations

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council

counsel

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By Donna Shryer



Richard Waystack believes that relationships and trust are at the heart of what makes a REALTOR® successful. And as the RRC president in 2020, he plans to keep that heart beating strong, through a renewed focus on building stronger relationships through education, networking and professional growth. “Years ago, my father encouraged me to give real estate a try. But I didn’t think I could ever sell anyone a house. Dad said, ‘You’ll never sell anyone a house. You’ll provide information and education, help navigate the sale and be the person your clients can trust. But the buyer buys the home.’ That sticks with me today.” Waystack wants to take that key to a successful client relationship—establishing trust and connecting people with the information they need to make the right moves—and extend it. The cumulative benefits of education as a whole go beyond the scope of any individual course, Waystack says. He sees every course, meeting, event and volunteer program as an unparalleled opportunity to grow, learn and network with other top residential real estate agents and industry leaders. Call it education through relationships or relationships through education—the result is always a high-powered move up. As RRC president, it’s a move Waystack plans to help RRC members make.

2020 RRC President Richard Waystack says being by the water reminds him of the relationships that have shaped his life. He views relationship-building as the key to success.

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council counsel

What do you most hope to accomplish as president?

MY JOB DURING THIS NEXT YEAR IS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AS PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION.

As part of a leadership team, I want our members to know how the relationships that have become so important to us as CRS Designees and members of RRC matter. In my more than 20 years as a CRS, the friendships, professional relationships and networking opportunities have shaped not only my business, but my life. Through the incredible body of educational offerings, I have been exposed not to just the theory, but also to the practical application of systems and best practices that have had an immediate impact on my business. More importantly, these colleagues have become an integral part of my life. So as president, I’m excited to get the message out that we’re much more than a designation. RRC is about bringing together the best experts in real estate and fulfilling our mission as the premier education provider in our industry. This year will afford us an opportunity to shape our future through a three-year strategic plan. Our goal is to create initiatives providing industry-leading education that strengthens relationships essential to networking and referrals, and core benefits that attract and retain members.

Is networking a strong RRC benefit?

Networking is one of the strongest RRC benefits! The RRC gives me a contact pretty much anywhere in the world. There are areas where I don’t know a soul, but through fellowship and networking, I have people I can call. If I need to know the best REALTOR® in a particular city or town, all I have to do is pick up the phone. The network of people I’ve met through this organization is amazing, providing the best referral network in the industry.

Are the opportunities for education primarily offered by veteran REALTORS®?

Our education programs are led by the best practitioners in the industry. However, being a great educator has nothing to do with age or years in the business. There’s room in our organization for everyone at all stages of their career. Newer, younger CRSs have grown up with technology— I didn’t. So you bet I can learn from these CRSs. That is why RRC is creating Career Path Education

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for the lifespan of a REALTOR®. That’s how the communication lines stay open and valuable, and reciprocal relationships grow.

Was real estate always your professional path?

Not at all. After graduating from UMass, I was on the corporate ladder for a while and doing pretty well. My wife and I took a vacation to Cape Cod one summer while living in New Jersey. My dad had a small real estate company there and after about a week of doing nothing, I got bored, so I went to help out Dad. I saw how happy he and his clients were after closing on their new home. I loved that feeling of satisfaction they both had. It’s that joy that keeps me coming back to work every day.

What about your CRS designation? What prompted you to join the Council?

Again, that would be my dad. He was an early CRS. When I got into real estate in 1986, he told me right away that it was a great organization with the best education and professional relationships—both of which would help me throughout my career. He was right.

You’re still based on Cape Cod. Has anything changed?

About 12 years after I started working with Dad, I bought out his company. I added new people, bought out a second company here on Cape Cod, and six years ago I sold my company to a larger, regional independent here in New England—Jack Conway. I’m proud to still be active in the business as broker associate with a great company.

Those were calculated changes. Have any industry changes snuck up and surprised you?

At first I was surprised to see real estate generalists disappearing. In 1986, that’s how most of us were practicing. However, the disrupters— iBuyers, online real estate companies, DIY buyers—are reshaping the real estate industry. REALTORS® who want to thrive are becoming specialized in specific areas of expertise and far more systemized. I think that circles back to education, to understanding and embracing the changes, and being prepared as the industry continues to evolve.

iStock.com: Abert84/Chris Cook

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council counsel

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WHAT MAKES RICHARD TICK?

Family: I married my college sweetheart and we’re still happily married 38 years later. We have two children—a son and a daughter— a son-in-law and two amazing grandchildren. Technology—with limits: Technology gives us so many opportunities to communicate and be available. I can be reached

Downtime: Living on Cape Cod, spending time along the water reminds me how blessed I am to be where I am, do what I do, and to have Date night: Friday night is sacred time with had the relationships that have shaped my life. my bride. When I first met my wife at UMass in the As a result, working with those in need in my late ’70s, every Friday night—no matter what—was community of Cape Cod is part of the giving our date night. It still is today. Relationships must back that I believe is required of those to whom be nurtured, whether personal or professional. much has been given. easily, but when I go home for dinner with my family, I’m with my family. Technology is off.

What is something that will never change?

The importance of a genuine, trusting relationship between REALTOR® and client—that will never change. Our National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics compels us to know about our market and, more importantly, our clients. Sure, a buyer or seller can find properties and data online, but do online platforms really know the market? Richard Waystack, CRS, (right) followed in his father’s footsteps when he bought his Do they know about father’s real estate company. His father (left) was an early CRS Designee. subtle developments in the community? An online platform can tell you what a home’s leadership years ago. He recently said, “Don’t taxes are, but can it explain why the tax base lose a friend over leadership. RRC is and always is what it is? Can a data platform understand will be about people.” It’s so true. My job during a buyer or seller’s motivations or needs? No. this next year is to bring people together as But a REALTOR® and, more specifically, a part of this organization. There may be changes CRS can—that is our primary role. And it’s or new programs that some may not embrace. something technology will never be able to do. Human nature makes us want to stay in our It’s about hearts and minds and not just hard, comfort zone. But I’ve found in my professional cold facts. life that you need to embrace change. It’s a message I’ll share every day because that’s how we’ll What’s the best RRC leadership continue to move forward and provide the best advice you received? education in our industry. The best piece of advice came from a longtime friend who first got me involved in CRS Donna Shryer is a freelance writer based in Chicago.

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Lakehouse features include: Building air filtration system

Fitness classes, UVfiltered pool and hot tub

Water filtration system

Natural and durable materials

Well (n Professionally managed urban farm Natural sunlight

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Yoga/meditation studio, meditation gardens

LIV

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I NG

ess )

dwelling

points

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Wellness-focused buildings and communities integrate physical and mental health for residents By Megan Craig



Not long ago, a homebuyer who was focused on wellness searched for a place large enough to fit a stationary bike. But wellness buffs today aren’t just looking for a gym in the building or an outdoor pool. They’re looking for regular yoga classes with a certified instructor, an air circulation system like those used in hospital surgical suites and a rooftop “urban farm” where organic vegetables are grown for the entire community. These buyers want physical wellness, but now they’re also looking for homes that focus on a full mind-body health experience—right in their building or neighborhood. Welcome to “wellness living,” a real estate trend about to take off across the country.

What is wellness living?

Wellness-forward homes are designed around the body and mind’s most basic needs. They are built to keep it’s residents as healthy as possible. “In a nutshell, the wellness-living movement means giving people amenities they need to create more of the healthy lifestyle they want,” says Christopher Linsell, a licensed agent in Michigan and real estate analyst for New Yorkbased website theclose.com. Taking the turn toward natural living from its predecessors (LEED and Green certifications), the WELL Building Standard seeks to make eco-friendly homes more human-friendly. Written about and touted by some of the most influential holistic health experts in the world, WELL focuses on seven key areas:

Photos: NAVA Real Estate Development

Lakehouse is a 12-story wellness-minded condominium and rowhome development, and the first building in Colorado to pursue the WELL Building Standard.

Air: Minimizing indoor air pollution with special air filtration systems and mold mitigation. Water: Promoting high-quality water systems and improving accessibility to water with hydration and beverage systems.

Nourishment: Limiting bad foods in the building and increasing access to healthy foods. Light: More natural light and lighting systems that mimic natural light, allowing for better mood and sleep patterns.

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Fitness: Integrating physical wellness with wellness center, lap pool and sauna. Comfort: Reducing distraction through comfortable indoor spaces. Mind: Improving mental health of residents.

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dwelling points

“WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WELL IS A CERTIFICATION THAT’S ACTUALLY ABOUT THE OCCUPANTS AND HOW WE CAN BENEFIT THEIR LIVES LONG-TERM.”

For Brian Levitt, president of NAVA Real Estate Development and developer of Lakehouse, the first building in Colorado to pursue the WELL Building Standard, the transition to wellness-focused buildings was natural— everyone in his family works in health care, and he had already pushed the envelope with LEED-certified buildings in the early 2000s. For him, the “very high bar” set by WELL standards wasn’t intimidating; instead, it was a call to action. “Basically, they reverse-engineered the design of a building to allow for the best health outcomes,” Levitt says. “It’s fun to see this standard that’s all about people, all based on the systems in our body.” Lakehouse is a 12-story, 196-unit wellnessminded condominium and rowhome development. It includes a MERV-13 building air filtration system, a UV-filtered pool and hot tub, solar and blackout shades (to promote circadian rhythms), a yoga/meditation studio, weekly fitness classes, the use of natural and durable materials, a collaborative kitchen, a —Matthew McNeill professionally-managed urban farm to support “biophilia” (the human connection to nature), a creative workshop for artwork, meditation gardens and more. “Part of it is in the structure, part of it is in the amenities, part of it is the residents—it’s the marriage of those pieces that will create this health and wellness benefit,” Levitt says. A “wellness concierge” pulls it all together for residents, helping with scheduling fitness sessions, answering questions and fostering a sense of community through events, classes and educational opportunities. “We’re excited about the fact that WELL is a certification that’s actually about the occupants and how we can benefit their lives long-term,” says Matthew McNeill, associate broker for Kentwood City Properties in Denver, the brokerage selling the condominiums and rowhomes at Lakehouse. “It all comes together in the details.”

Different ways to live well

Not everyone looking for wellness living wants (or can afford) everything involved in a WELL-certified home, and these homes still make up a miniscule portion of properties available on the market today.

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Amenities geared toward a wellness-conscious individual were designed for this $11 million home, and it became known as the “Wellness House.”

But wellness living isn’t reserved for those in explicitly wellness-focused properties. “It’s a conversation you’re having with all your clients to put them in the direction of greener homes, kind of nudging them to say ‘there’s this property that’s greener and healthier,’” says John Oppermann, associate real estate broker and green home specialist with Compass in New York City and executive director of the Earth Day Initiative. “There’s a trend that enables you to pick and choose from greener or healthier building practices, but you don’t get the official seal of certification.” Agents who aren’t selling WELL-certified homes may still be selling wellness living. Take Rochelle Atlas Maize, executive director of the luxury estate division at Nourmand & Associates in Beverly Hills, California. When a developer gave her the opportunity to design amenities for a new luxury home, she knew she needed to focus those amenities on health. Atlas Maize called the home, which sold for more than $11 million, the “Wellness House” and geared it toward a wellness-conscious individual. The home’s high-end amenities include a wellness center with a Scandinavian hydrotherapy circuit, a sauna with steam and a yoga/meditation area. The gym includes a mirror that turns into a screen with a virtual personal trainer and a Peloton bike. The developer also gifted the buyer three months’ worth of home-delivered, cold-pressed juices and home visits from a yoga instructor. “LA is very health-oriented. The buyer was a healthy guy who loved the idea of all these benefits right in the house,” Atlas Maize says. But it’s not only the uber-rich who are interested in wellness, Linsell says. Even in the more traditional-minded suburban Midwest, some

iStock.com: peshkov/anilakkus/NAVA Real Estate Development

[feature]

dwelling points

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A SPECIAL KIND OF BUYER? Right now, wellness amenities are most common in high-end homes and communities, which may mean they’re not as available to average purchasers. But there is no typical wellness-living buyer. “That’s because people in all walks of life are concerned about the healthfulness

and safety of the spaces in which they live,” says John Oppermann, associate real estate broker and green home specialist with Compass in New York City and executive director of the Earth Day Initiative. “Think of young parents who live in the city—they obsess

about good food and nontoxic toys, but they may not even think about the fact that their kids are crawling around on a floor that contains formaldehyde,” Oppermann says. “They might want to avoid that if they knew it was there.” Because of the mostly higher cost of these amenities

right now, many first-time homebuyers may be unable to afford the price tag. But that will change as developers see more reasons to integrate wellness into the properties they build and remodel. “Developers are placing bets on whether or not these kinds of amenities are going

To bring your clients in on this trend, Oppermann recommends: Making it personal. As with any kind of marketing, your pitch for wellness living has to resonate with the buyer as an individual. Talk with your client about their own wellness interests before launching into a pitch for an amenity that doesn’t matter to your buyer. Talking about wellness with every client. Make wellness one of your “top 10 list” items. You wouldn’t hesitate to talk with a client about appliances, location and price, so why wouldn’t you talk with them about wellness features as subdivision developers are reserving parcels for part of their future in that home? community farms, walking paths, green space Relying on word-of-mouth. People tend and meditation gardens: “They’re popping up to flock to lifestyles similar to those of their friends. By talking with clients about wellness in standard residential layouts and being rolled into a typical homeowner’s association,” he says. living, you’re encouraging them to talk with other potential buyers in their networks who Marketing through education may be interested as well. So, if all different types of buyers might be Even in the case of the Lakehouse, McNeill says not every buyer started out looking for wellness interested in wellness living, why isn’t it more living. They were looking for a great location, popular already? It’s an education issue, Linsell walkability and views—and the building’s location says. “The ‘wellness community’ movement is next to a large park led naturally to conversations relatively new in the real estate world. Conseabout air quality and biophilia. Over the summer, quently, most residential agents aren’t privy to the group even teamed up with area wellness all of the healthy living options certain commuexperts and fitness studios to hold its first-ever nities can provide,” Linsell says. “So, in order to close deals, agents should educate themselves “fitness series” in the 177-acre Sloan’s Lake Park, on the various ‘wellness amenities,’ why they’re which is just steps from Lakehouse. valuable and how such conveniences factor into “People really want to create healthier envithe price of a home.” ronments for themselves and their families, But better marketing for wellness living so talking about various things you can do to doesn’t end with agent education: “The overall make a healthier space in your home should be supply of greener, healthier homes isn’t increasnatural,” Oppermann says. ing as much as it could because people don’t know to ask for it,” Oppermann says. Megan Craig is a freelance writer based in Syracuse, New York.

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to be successful, and agents play a key role in determining that success,” says Christopher Linsell, a licensed agent in Michigan and real estate analyst for New York-based website theclose.com. “It’s really up to us to be able to demonstrate why these amenities are so valuable.”

BY THE NUMBER S It is projected that the wellness real estate sector will expand by

6% $ 180

annually in the next several years, growing to

billion

by 2022.

Source: Global Wellness Institute, Jan. 2018.

For more information on WELL certification for improving health through design, visit wellcertified. com.

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SOCIAL If your social media accounts aren’t generating leads for your sphere of influence, it’s time to reevaluate your strategy By Michelle Huffman



The value of your sphere of influence is shrinking. That’s why you need to invest in effective, ongoing social media marketing, says CRS Matthew Rathbun, Certified CRS Instructor and executive vice president of Coldwell Banker Elite in Virginia. Here’s the math: The average REALTOR® is 54 years old, so a good chunk of his or her sphere of influence is likely similarly aged. Couple that fact with a recent AARP survey that says 75% of people older than 50 want to stay in their homes indefinitely, and it means your sphere of influence is likely stocked with a lot of great people who won’t buy or sell anytime soon. You need to restock your sphere, and social media is an ideal way to accomplish this, Rathbun says, yet many agents are squandering its potential. “A lot of agents are simply duplicating what other people do. I see a lot of this: An agent has a closing and they post a photo online of their buyer or seller holding keys or a sign rider,” Rathbun says. “There’s no story there. What they have done is reduced that client to a trophy to say, ‘I’m still in the business and I’m in the business regularly.’ But why?” Marki Lemons Ryhal, Certified CRS Instructor, licensed managing broker in Chicago and social media strategist, also sees rote postings as problematic. “Agents are great at posting listings, but we have to get beyond posting a listing. We have to decide on a part of our lives we want to share and we need to share consistently.” Lemons Ryhal and Rathbun are the experts behind the Council’s new Digital Marketing: Social Media Certification. They’ve seen the good, the bad and everything in between and have found sound, approachable strategies to making social media work for agents.

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super

marketing

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Designation Maintenance Article

Be relatable by being genuine

SE T

Create content that people actually care about

Take advantage of video

iStock.com: TarapongS/shutteratakan

Include social media as part of a strategy

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super marketing

Be relatable by being genuine

As simple as it sounds, the most effective way to market yourself is to be yourself. “At the end of the day, people want to do business with people,” Lemons Ryhal says. “You have to be willing to share your true authentic self. You have to embrace that.” Business has a place, but Lemons Ryhal advises an 80/20 split, 80% personal and 20% professional—“secret agents don’t get found,” she jokes—while Rathbun argues that you should mention your job sparingly. Instead, he says, focus on showing parts of your lifestyle and personality that make you relatable and foster your reputation as someone who knows and loves the local community.

DOS AND DON’TS

A quick take on how to pull off social media marketing that gains friends, followers, fans and, ultimately, new clients.

ÄÄ Post about your life ÄÄ Think about your market demographics ÄÄ Create “social connector” posts that people can relate to ÄÄ Be the “problem solver” of your community ÄÄ Track engagement, not likes ÄÄ Direct your followers to your own site or landing pages ÄÄ Offer a way to contact you or drop their contact information ÄÄ Spend some time listening

Create content that people actually care about

Matthew Rathbun posts to social media about taking his dog on camping trips.

Even with this permission slip to be you, agents may struggle to come up with effective content, especially when their time is crunched. Take a step back and think about what people really want to see. “Most people are looking for a brief escape from the drama of their own day,” Rathbun says. “They come for a single moment of something hopeful, beautiful, engaging or funny, and then they move on.” Think of a cocktail party, he says. If you rush up to people and

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talk about your latest listings and closings and proffer market stats, you’re not likely to make friends— especially if the people you’re talking to aren’t currently active in the real estate markets. But if you talk to people about your pets or a recommended restaurant, you will connect. “Be a person online and an agent in your bio,” Rathbun says. Rathbun posts about taking his dog on camping trips, and asks for recommendations for a new Netflix show. And he talks about doing social good, like his office’s involvement with SPCA. Along with those “social connector” posts, Lemons Ryhal urges agents to be the “problem solver.” “It starts with understanding the demographics of your community and the demographics of the social platform you’re using, so you can tailor your content accordingly,” she says. “In my market, we have a lot of single-parent purchases. So, on Facebook, I talk about applicable grant programs and 203(k) loans so they know I am a resource in this community.”

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Don’t

ÄÄ Post endless listings ÄÄ Use your clients as trophies ÄÄ Post haphazardly without a strategy and plan for analyzing ROI ÄÄ Avoid video ÄÄ Rely on regurgitated real estate memes ÄÄ Get into political or cultural controversies ÄÄ Ignore your website

BY THE NUMBER S Rathbun recommends captioning videos. On Facebook,

85 % of videos are watched without sound, and it will help with ADA compliance, too.

Take advantage of video

Video is increasingly popular, yet many agents don’t use it simply out of fear, Lemons Ryhal says. “I am always the shortest, darkest, roundest person in the room with the least amount of hair, but I’m on video almost every day with or without makeup,” she says. “People do not care about how I look if I’m solving their problems.” Consistency and mastery are key. If you’re going to do video, get ready to commit to a regular posting schedule and invest in improving your content and quality each week.

super marketing

Social media should be part of a strategy

100% 81%

80%

■ Facebook ■ Instagram ■ Twitter

78%

72% 65 %

60%

Source: SproutSocial

64%

51% 41%

40%

40% 32

21%

20%

27 % 19%

10%

0 AGE:

+ 65 -6 4 50 - 49 30 29 1817 13-

Michelle Huffman is a freelance writer based in Milwaukee.

User-base age categories for social media channels

+ 65 -6 4 50 - 49 30 29 1817 13-

and earn 2 credits. Go to CRS. com/trs-quiz to get started.

2019 SOCIAL MEDIA DEMOGRAPHICS

+ 65 -6 4 50 - 49 30 29 1817 13-

So you’ve got an engaging, relatable, resourceful online presence that resonates with Marki Lemons Ryhal digs your target demodeep into the analytics for graphic—but you’re social media marketing. only halfway there. Social media cannot exist in a silo; it must be part of a sound strategy with measurable outcomes, namely leads. There are many ways to dig into analytics for your social marketing. Rathbun uses business accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Lemons Ryhal tracks the traffic of her social posts through her bit.ly links. “I measure everything,” Lemons Ryhal says. “I understand how many people actually view the content that has a link to the landing page. I know how many people actually click on that link. For example, I had a Facebook live video recently and 1,700 people viewed the video, 99 people clicked on the link, and it generated 10 leads with name, address and telephone number.” This is why strategy is the keystone. Social media marketing doesn’t end with your social account. You need to send the people who engage with your social account somewhere, and that place is important. Rathbun sends them to his website and tracks it through Google Analytics. If they stay less than a minute, then he knows he doesn’t have valuable information on his site. Lemons Ryhal sends them to customized landing pages, hosted on a number of platforms, including Cloud CMA and Google Forms, with downloadable content tailored to the content in her social post. “On every landing page, I deliver something of value,” she says. As a result, she has added 4,800 contacts to her CRM annually. “So I’ve taken social media as my lead gen, and do it every day.” Consistency begets mastery, so be consisDesignation Maintenance tent with your posts, Meet your track them through Designation the entire customer Maintenance requirements journey, and soon the today! Read this efficacy of your social article and Rx: CX program will become on p. 30, take a 10-question quiz very clear.

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Helpful social resources

Matthew Rathbun, CRS, Certified CRS Instructor, suggests following these influencers to glean unique insight into social media marketing.

Twitter: @hootsuite, @hubspot, @marketwired, @dannybrown, @scottmonty, @jaybaer

Instagram: socialglims, cmicontent, iboommedia, thesocialagencyllc, TheCrushAgency, realestate academy, TomFerry

Podcast: saccysocial, replyall, Online Marketing Made Easy, Casual Fridays, Science of Social Media

BECOME SOCIAL MEDIA CERTIFIED

The Digital Marketing: Social Media Certification program is for real estate professionals who want to develop expertise with social media resources and sites that are an essential part of today’s digital marketing mix.

Requirements for Certification

Complete the following programs for a total of 12 credit hours: ÄÄ Digital Marketing: Establishing a ÄÄ The Real Estate Social Media Social Media Brand (virtual or live Marketing Planner (on-demand one-day classroom course) webinar) ÄÄ Navigating the Social Media Maze ÄÄ Making Social Media Work (on-demand eLearning course) (on-demand webinar) For more information, go to CRS.com and click on Learn/Certifications/Digital Marketing: Social Media Certification.

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Rx:

Marketing alone can’t fix a broken real estate business—but a stellar customer experience might By Matt Alderton



pick me?” asks Thomas J. Nelson, CRS, a REALTOR® If businesses had heartbeats, you’d take their at Big Block Realty in San Diego. “The only way to pulse by calculating their Net Promoter Score® stand out is with how you care for your client.” (NPS), a number between 0 and 100 that represents how likely consumers are to recommend a brand to others. Top-scoring brands include Amazon, Apple, Experience vs. service Southwest Airlines, Costco, Ritz-Carlton, Trader Joe’s Customer experience (CX) can be a powerful differand Zappos. What separates these beloved brands entiator for your business. But to create a good one, from their competitors isn’t superior products or you must understand what it is—and what it isn’t. low prices—it’s an exceptional customer experience. “People throw around the term ‘customer experi“It’s critical that customers have an experience ence’ as if it’s synonymous with ‘customer service.’ that will keep them coming back and prompt them Nothing could be further from the truth,” explains to share positive stories,” NPS co-creator Satmetrix Jon Picoult, who is a customer experience speaker explains in its e-book, How to Use Net Promoter to and founder and principal of Watermark Consulting, Drive Business Growth. a CX advisory firm based in Hartford, Connecticut. The benefits of a positive customer experience are “The definition I like is: Customer experience is how real and significant, according to management concustomers feel about interactions with your company.” sultancy PwC. In 2018, it surveyed 15,000 people from Whereas customer service typically is about 12 countries and found that customer experience a single touch point—for example, when your is an important factor in purchasing decisions for business responds to a customer’s question or nearly three-quarters (73%) of consumers, that 4 in 10 concern—CX encompasses every live, digital and (42%) consumers would pay more for a friendly and print interaction a customer has with your business. welcoming experience, and that customer experience The former is about resolving customers’ problems, is more influential than advertising for two-thirds reactively; the latter is about making them feel good, (65%) of U.S. consumers. proactively. “No matter how fast an agent answers It makes sense: People prefer to do business with my call or email, I’ll have a poor customer experipeople and brands that give them positive feelings. ence if they make me feel stupid, unappreciated or That’s as true of real estate as it is of anything else. uninformed,” Picoult says. “You have to think in “The average person knows six REALTORS®, so why terms of the customer’s perceptions.”

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mind your

business

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Designation Maintenance Article

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mind your business

NET PROMOTER SCORE® (NPS)

NPS measures customer experience and predicts business growth.

% Promoters — % Detractors = NPS

How NPS is calculated: Using a 0–10 scale, customers are asked how likely it is that they would recommend [brand] to a friend or colleague. Respondents are grouped as: ÄÄ Promoters (score 9–10) ÄÄ Passives (score 7–8) are loyal enthusiasts are satisfied but unenwho will keep buying thusiastic customers and refer others, who are vulnerable to fueling growth. competitive offerings.

ÄÄ Detractors (score 0–6) are unhappy customers who can damage your brand through negative word-of-mouth.

Subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters yields the NPS. Source: NICE Satmetrix

Not likely to recommend

How to Create an EXCELLENT Experience Although there’s no recipe, formula or template for the perfect customer experience, there are many things REALTORS® can do to establish positive emotional connections with their clients. Here are five of them: Communicate quickly, constantly. “Silence is deadly,” says John Hanson, author of WOW Your Customers! 7 Ways to World-Class Service, who recommends implementing tools that allow you to give clients and prospects immediate replies when they contact you, even if you’re not immediately available. This might include email and SMS auto-responders, for example—a simple reply to let people know their message was received—or even a chatbot, which can provide automated yet personable responses to customers online. Silence can be particularly lethal in the middle of a transaction, according to Thuy Tran, CRS, a REALTOR® with Ferrari-Lund Real Estate in Reno, Nevada. Although real estate deals often require waiting—for financing, inspections, offers, etc.—buyers and sellers who are unfamiliar with the process may feel anxious without regular updates. Tran therefore stays in constant contact with clients, even when she doesn’t have progress to report. For Nelson, the customer experience continues even after a transaction has closed—and so, therefore, does communication. For example, he sends all past clients an annual review of their home value; calls clients to verbally congratulate them when they share important events or milestones on social media; and performs impromptu “pop-bys” to get face time with clients when he’s in their neighborhood. “I’m only there for five minutes in between appointments to stand on the doorstep and ask them how they’re doing,” Nelson says. “I just want them to know I’m thinking of them.” Rx:

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Set expectations. Along with communication, information is the bedrock of a good customer experience, according to Picoult, who says a good example is Walt Disney World, where the first thing customers see upon getting in line for an attraction is the estimated wait time. “Standing in line with a known wait time feels better than standing in line with an unknown wait time,” Picoult explains. “It removes some ambiguity from your life. Even if the line is long, you feel better about the experience because you know what to expect.” REALTORS® can similarly improve the customer experience by setting expectations, according to Lisa Mathena, CRS, of The Lisa Mathena Group Inc. and a REALTOR® at Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. When a prospective client approaches her, step one in their relationship is education. She tells sellers what is required to prepare their home for sale, what the negotiating process will be like and what will happen once their home goes under contract. Buyers, meanwhile, learn about financing, home inspections, appraisals and escrow. “Many people have no idea how to buy or sell a home,” Mathena says. “When you take the time to educate them from the very beginning, it makes people feel more comfortable with the whole transaction.” Rx:

mind your business

Ask questions. Education also is important to Madolyn Greve, CRS, broker associate at Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty in Princeton, New Jersey. Because neither she nor her clients like surprises, she gives buyers who sign a buyer agency agreement a two- to three-hour consultation during which she maps out the entire homebuying process. For sellers, meanwhile, she advocates pre-listing inspections that unearth potential issues so they can be Rx:

Add value. To give customers an awesome experience, REALTORS® should focus as much on exceeding expectations as they do on setting them. Mathena, for instance, positions herself as a value-added resource. Thanks to her years in real estate, she has a deep bench of trusted vendors—movers, carpenters, landscapers, plumbers, painters— who she can recommend to clients who need services. That makes their lives easier, which differentiates the experience they have with her. Tran subscribes to a similar “value-added” philosophy. In 2018, she helped a newly divorced single mother sell her home. Because of financial pressures, time was of the essence. To get the home into selling shape quickly, Tran personally helped her clean and de-clutter the house while her husband cleaned up the overgrown yard. “Even on her moving day, my husband and one of his friends came out to help her load up and unpack at her new home,” Tran says. “We find ourselves doing these kind of ‘above the call of duty’ items for our clients more and more.”

iStock.com: VikaValter/PeopleImages/Martin Barraud/bubaone/porcorex/IcemanJ

Extremely likely to recommend

■ Detractor ■ Passive ■ Promoter

Rx:

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addressed proactively on the seller’s terms. In both cases, it’s about answering questions before they’re ever asked. Because it gives customers a sense of agency and choice, asking questions can be just as important to the customer experience as answering them. “Don’t assume. Ask,” Greve says. “I ask my customers how they prefer to communicate—by text, email or phone—because if you contact customers in a way that doesn’t work for them, it creates an atmosphere of frustration from the very beginning.”

End on a high note. REALTORS® can create a positive customer experience by leveraging a psychological phenomenon known as “recency bias.” The premise is simple: The last thing that happens disproportionately influences how a person feels about an experience. “If you create a peak in the experience at the end of a transaction, that peak can overshadow the negativity from any bad experience that may have happened prior,” Picoult says. Nelson is a master at this. At the conclusion of every transaction, he makes a grand gesture that’s personalized to the client. If a seller is an oenophile, for example, he might find out their favorite wine and gift them a bottle to celebrate. If a buyer, on the other hand, closes on a home that was left in poor condition, he might hire a cleaning crew for them. He’s also a fan of handwritten thank-you notes. And just in case those don’t leave a lasting impresDesignation sion, he hosts regular social events for clients Maintenance to ensure they always have a recent glowing Meet your Designation memory of him. Maintenance Concludes Picoult: “REALTORS® need to think requirements today! Read this about not just the mechanics of the experience article and Social they’re delivering, but also how they’re making their Reset on p. 26, take a 10-question clients feel. Your goal should be creating a positive quiz and earn 2 emotional response at every opportunity.” credits. Go to CRS. Rx:

com/trs-quiz to get started.

Matt Alderton is a freelance writer based in the Chicago area.

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resources for learning & leisure

GOOD READS

tic-toc TACTICS

In his when-to book, Daniel Pink says timing plays an outsize role in our personal and mutual fortunes. By Allan Fallow

Coffee drinkers, which do you want to hear first about your beloved pick-me-up: the bad news or the good? Before you answer that question, you might want to sample the latest findings from Daniel Pink, genial author of the best-sellers To Sell Is Human, Drive, and Free Agent Nation. Over the last two years, Pink and two researchers, Cameron French and Shreyas Raghavan, examined some 700 studies in fields from economics to WHEN: The endocrinology to Scientific Secrets the fuzzy-sounding of Perfect Timing “chronobiology.” by Daniel Pink In When—Pink’s Riverhead Books, $ newest work of 260 pages, 17.00 social-science (paperback) popularizing—he identifies their goal: to unearth the “hidden science” of when to do what, and why. The trio’s spadework revealed (among many other things) the best

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sequence of good news vs. bad. “As someone who finds himself delivering mixed news more often than he wants to,” writes Pink, “I’ve always led with the positive. My instinct has been to spread a downy duvet of good feeling to cushion the coming hammer blow. My instinct, alas, has been dead wrong.”

Bittersweet

As Pink discovers, 4 of every 5 people (coffee drinkers included) prefer to hear the bad news first and the good news last. Patients want to hear they have cancer, but thankfully, it’s treatable; students want to hear they blew the midterm but can still pull out a B; and employees want to swallow the bitter medicine about their past year’s performance before being offered a spoonful of sugar. So in Pink’s spirit of optimized timing, let me give you the bad news about java first: Caffeine disrupts the body’s production of cortisol—the “stress hormone that kick-starts our groggy souls” each morning—so delay quaffing that

first cup of coffee for an hour or so after you wake up. And now the good: Drink a cup of joe right before a 20-minute power nap and the caffeine will kick in just as you get up. (Pink dubs this practice the “nappuccino.”) It sounds like Pink took his sweet time embracing the restorative siesta. From age 5 onward, he had deemed naps “the behavioral equivalent of sippy cups—fine for toddlers, pathetic for grownups.” As sleep science entered the mainstream, however, Pink began to study the circadian rhythms that he says govern our physiology and psychology. He came to see that everyone has a “chronotype,” be they dawn-loving larks (14%), night-flying owls (21%) or middleof-the-flock “third birds” (65%). That realization moved Pink “from nap detractor to nap devotee,” convinced that a midday break can keep our fluctuating daily performance potential on an even keel. So, should When be retitled The Big Pink Book of Naps? Hardly; the author ranges widely through the

emerging evidence, showcasing new research that proves why the timing of everything from scheduling an earnings call to changing jobs (and even partners!) constitutes a science that can help us work smarter and live better.

Time out

Dearth in the afternoon. Most people’s “net good mood” rises in the morning, plummets after lunch and rises again in early evening. That makes afternoons periods of real peril. Anesthetists are four times likelier to make a mistake during a 4 p.m. surgery as during one at 9 a.m.; the typical worker’s most unproductive moment of the day hits at 2:55 p.m.; and in the U.K. at least, sleep-related auto accidents spike between 2 and 4 p.m. Eat, play, loll. Danish schoolchildren given a 20–30-minute break before a standardized test scored as if they spent an extra three weeks in the classroom. Pardon me. If the parole board calls, decline the 11:45 a.m. slot; judges are shockingly more lenient after they have taken a break from passing sentences. 52 on, 17 off. The “golden ratio” of labor is 52 minutes of work followed by 17 minutes of rest. That’s the conclusion of the company DeskTime, whose software tracks productivity. Unplug. The ideal restorative break grants you both physical and psychological detachment. So “consider a short walk outside with a friend during which you discuss something other than work.” How sad is this? With office workers manacled to their keyboards from 9 to 5, the “sad desk lunch” has become a meme and a hashtag. Fighting back, CBRE— a large commercial real estate firm in Toronto—has banned its associates from dining deskside.

Well, that’s a relief. Merely anticipating a nap can lower your blood pressure. Drink in tandem. A “social break” can extricate you from the performance trough that follows the morning peak, but who’s got the time? Try this: Buy someone a coffee and sit with her for two minutes while she takes her first sips. Start smart. Larks start morphing into owls around puberty, so no middle- or high-school class should begin earlier than 8:30 a.m. Such was the 2014 policy pronouncement by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Forget the Big 5-Oh! The birthday to really fear is your 53rd; a 2008 study of 500,000 Americans and Europeans revealed that “subjective well-being among males bottoms out at an estimated 52.9 years.” (Oh, and the “midlife crisis” is largely a myth.) The sprint finish is a thing. It’s utterly arbitrary, but nearing the end of a decade galvanizes the mind—and alters our behavior. This explains why “9-enders” (those in the last year of a life decade) are overrepresented by an astonishing 48% among first-time marathon runners. These “temporal landmarks” function as performance goads, too: “People who had run multiple marathons,” writes Pink, “posted better times at 29 and 39 than during the two years before or after those ages.” RSVP, stat! A boss’s e-mail response time is the best predictor of employee satisfaction. Just my chronotype. Lark, owl or third bird? Discover which bird brand is yours by taking the chronotype questionnaire at danpink. com/MCTQ. The exercise may lead you to conclude, as Pink does, that “everything is timing.”

YO U M I G H T A L S O L I K E …

STILLNESS IS THE KEY by Ryan Holiday (Portfolio/ Penguin) 283 pages $ 14.99/hardcover Most notable thinkers intentionally slow down and move forward. EVERYTHING IS FIGUREOUTABLE by Marie Forleo (Portfolio/Penguin) 304 pages $ 17.99 hardcover From starting a business to breaking a bad habit, TV host Forleo provides a blueprint to achieve anything. SUCCESS IS IN YOUR SPHERE by Zvi Band (McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing) 288 pages $ 18.82 hardcover Build relationships strategically to grow your business.

RAISE YOUR GAME By Alan Stein Jr., with Jon Sternfeld (Center Street) 304 pages $ 19.60 hardcover Principles used by high-performing athletes are applied for higher levels of business success.

Allan Fallow is a freelance book doctor in Alexandria, Virginia. Follow him @thefallow.

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RRC news from the council

2019

IN NUMBERS Education & Training

The Council hosted over

211

one- and two-day classroom courses.

Member Services— 6 new initiatives:

1. Launched a new “Find a CRS” platform 2. Added a chatbot to the RRC website

RRC launched a Career Center that includes: 3. A job board 4. A mentor board 5. A career path assessment tool to further assist members 6. An HR consulting services pilot program

RRC hosted over

75 webinars.

RRC launched

new certifications to help agents improve their skills in the following specialized areas: 1. Smart Home Certification 2. Residential Listing Certification 3. Digital Marketing: Social Media Certification

International membership increased and RRC offered its education courses for international residential real estate agents in a number of different countries around the world: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Japan, Cambodia, Argentina, Ecuador, Columbia, Bolivia and Peru.

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CRS Awareness Week

RRC had over

18,000

registrations for five free webinars. State Leaders held over

different networking events—both pre-event at state conventions and during CRS Week—to increase awareness and promote the value of CRS designation and RRC membership in their local areas.

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Sell-a-bration Success!

The annual Sell-a-bration conference in Las Vegas was a success with

1,200

attendees from all over the world.

iStock.com: izusek/enotmaks

International Education and Training

MEET OUR NEW DESIGNEES September

Debra Alderson, CRS Jessica Barbeau, CRS Sheena Burke, CRS Iva Butler, CRS Michelle Cecchini, CRS JoAnn Christensen, CRS Kimberly Clark, CRS Carissa Conour, CRS Aaron Crawford, CRS Paul Dahl, CRS Ryan DeAmaral, CRS Joshua Downing White, CRS Jodi Dynes, CRS Melanie Estes, CRS Tina Faleshock, CRS Lisa Foster-Pacheco, CRS Arthur Gayler, CRS Jean Gilbert, CRS Jennie Groshelle, CRS Karen Hampton, CRS Stacey Hastings, CRS Kenny Hayslett, CRS

Megan Hink, CRS Barry Hoey, CRS Jim Hood, CRS Dawn Johnson, CRS Julie Kahiapo, CRS Shelly Kelly, CRS Lori Kempton, CRS Ryan Loeding, CRS Lara Manrique, CRS Tim Martinez, CRS Lee May, CRS Katrina McCormick, CRS Jared McFarland, CRS Chris Morton, CRS Suzanne Nobles, CRS Trish Payne, CRS Kay Reil, CRS Jorge Restrepo, CRS Deby Rourke, CRS Beth Seim, CRS Judy Shiroma, CRS Krista Shortreed, CRS Jean Slaktoski, CRS

Bill Telford, CRS Steven Ticknor, CRS Kristin Triolo, CRS Jan Ward, CRS Joetta White-Kelsen, CRS Joyce Wright Funk, CRS Tina Yakel, CRS Jonay Zies, CRS October

PJ Albrecht, CRS Sarah Alexander, CRS Lynda Anderson, CRS Patty Bentley, CRS Kevan Bills, CRS Annette Boender, CRS Alison Buckley, CRS Karin Buda, CRS Colleen Carr, CRS Jenny Chedda, CRS Michelle Clemons, CRS David Coffman, CRS Adam Conrad, CRS

Dana Cramer, CRS Sarah Dageenakis, CRS Cherie Dang, CRS Jesse DeMello, CRS Catherine Deschenes, CRS Sean DeVine, CRS Michelle Doerrler, CRS Donald Eovino, CRS Erica Ferrell, CRS Michele Frasure, CRS Sheree Frazier PA, CRS Diana Galavis, CRS Shannon Garcia, CRS Scott Grebner, CRS Rebecca Guthrie, CRS Bonnie Hall, CRS Brandyce Harp, CRS Nicholas Hollick, CRS Melanie Hutchison, CRS Delesia Jackson, CRS Jamie Jensen, CRS Cherika Johnson, CRS Marisa Kagan, CRS

Sherri Kasparek, CRS Kristen Keegan, CRS William Kozlik, CRS Connie Lay, CRS Charmaine Lingard, CRS William Lyons, CRS Lewis Marshall, CRS J. Michelle McKinney, CRS Dianne McKnight, CRS Tatiana Medeiros, CRS Robert Nitekman, CRS Narges Noori, CRS Nathina Norris, CRS Janet Ogburn, CRS Wanda Pearson, CRS Barbara PearsonSawyer, CRS Kendra Peck, CRS Ann Petersen, CRS Lena Pfluke, CRS Tammy Plamondon, CRS Thomas Poston, CRS Stephen Powell, CRS

Max Rea, CRS Ron Rocz, CRS LeShaye Sawyer, CRS Tracy Slater, CRS Karen Steenbergen, CRS Denise Steigers, CRS Carol Stewart, CRS Charlie Taranto, CRS Sarah Taylor, CRS Snjezana Tennhardt, CRS Kelly Thomason, CRS Jodi Toebe, CRS Lisa Van Den Heuvel, CRS Maria VanVactor, CRS Raymond Vazquez, CRS Kelly Warren, CRS Debra Weinberg, CRS Amy Wood, CRS Don Wright, CRS

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SEE FCAINCENTIVES.COM/NAR FOR DETAILS. 1. Available on select models. Take retail delivery by 1/2/2020. See dealer for details. This program is available to REALTORS®, State/Local/National Association employees, and immediate family members living in the same household residing in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Guam, but such availability is subject to change without notice. ©2019 FCA US LLC. All Rights Reserved. ALFA ROMEO is a registered trademark of FCA Group Marketing S.p.A., used with permission by FCA US LLC.

#AWAKENTHEDRIVE

inside

RRC news from the council

WHAT’S AHEAD IN

2020

Find a CRS

A reminder that RRC has officially launched the new and improved CRS referral website. For the past few years, the online directory was provided and supported by Radius, so we are excited to now be managing it in-house. The Council offered a beta testing of the new site to receive feedback from members, and with their suggestions made Find a CRS better and more efficient for users.

Sell-a-bration 2020

It’s not too late to Register for Sell-a-bration 2020. Join other top-producing agents and industry leaders at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate February 13–16, 2020, for three days of unparalleled networking opportunities and business-building strategies. Visit crs.com/attend/sell-a-bration.

CRS Week 2020 will be September 21–25

EDUCATION

RRC’s education catalog includes over

30 titles

Here are a few of the new classes launching in 2020:

ÄÄ Half-Day Workshops: Positive Online Reviews and More, and Safety Is a System ÄÄ One-Day Courses: HR Solutions: Effective Delegation, and Feedback at the Next Level ÄÄ E-Learninng: Working with Real Estate Investors, and Scripts and Dialogues: Find Your Voice

iStock.com: Rawpixel/enotmaks

Check out the education insert in this issue of The Residential Specialist for all the latest classes, or access it online at crs.com/learn/education-catalog.

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learn from

REACH

the

BEST

strategies from the industry’s top educators

for those stars

Leveraging online reviews to boost your business



Reviews are available now for almost anything you want to research before using or purchasing: products, services, doctors and, yes, REALTORS®. So how do you leverage online reviews about you and your business? And how important is it for you to care about what people are saying in those reviews? Your potential clients are very likely to look you up online before deciding to sign a contract with you. So, how do you make sure that what’s out there reflects favorably on you and your professional abilities?

iStock.com: Irina Cheremisinova

Better yet, how can you use those reviews to actively generate business?

This five-part plan will help you generate more reviews, and use all the reviews you receive— positive or negative—to create more business. 1. Preview. Set your client and yourself up for success. Tell the client what to expect when they start working with you (ideally, in writing). Let them know that you’re going to ask for a review and possibly referrals after you’ve successfully provided the services they’ve hired you for. 2. Give. Make the process super easy. Give the client an easy way to review you and pick one site. Email them specific instructions about how and where to leave the review, including a link. If you use an automated email system, make it one of your standard after-transaction email messages. 3. Guide. Help clients understand review sites when it comes time. While consumers read reviews, don’t assume that everyone knows how to give them. There are certain types of people who leave reviews on their own, while others never even think about leaving them. But they might if you remind them and clearly show them how. 4. Ask. Want a review? You have to ask, sometimes repeatedly. It can require several emails

to get someone to respond. If someone gave you a compliment during the transaction, ask them to leave a review! They’re already showing that they appreciate you, so a small nudge might yield great results. 5. Praise. When you get a review, make sure to thank your client and recognize them in your monthly newsletter or on social media. When others see this, they’ll be more likely to follow the reviewer’s example and work with you or refer business.

Monitor your online reviews

Once you have set up profiles on sites that pertain to your business, such as Zillow, Yelp, Angie’s List, Google Local and LinkedIn, check for any mentions of you on these sites. If you have a Google account, the alerts feature will ping you when something about you is posted online. Make it a point to respond to every review, especially any that are negative. If you handle these professionally and positively, potential clients might overlook a negative review. Leverage positive reviews by adding links to them in emails, on your website, on your business cards—everywhere. If you’re working with a business, give them a review; maybe they will respond in kind.

RRC INSTRUCTOR

As CEO for Agent Inner Circle, a real estate agent community with over 50,000 members, Alex Camelio focuses on the growth of the community and the products managed by AIC. Within the real estate community, he has been recognized internationally as an expert in technology, marketing and entrepreneurship and has presented for various national organizations.

DO YOU TRUST ONLINE REVIEWS AS MUCH AS PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS?

Source: BrightLocal

78 %

91%

92%

of consumers across all age categories trust online reviews.

of 18-to-34-year-olds trust online reviews.

of consumers will use a business if it has at least a 4-star listing.

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CORNER Leverage your skills

Make 2020 your most productive year yet

3productivity TIPS TO boost



If you’re like many real estate agents, you struggle with feeling truly productive. After all, you’re busy each day, working non-stop to serve your clients. When you go home for the day, are you nagged by the tasks on your to-do list that you didn’t get around to doing? As a real estate professional, there’s no shortage of fires that demand your attention each day. Unfortunately, it’s these little things that take our focus away from the activities that drive our business. When you jump into real estate coaching, the accountability to finish that to-do list comes a little easier. Here are a few tips real estate coaches swear by to help clients boost productivity and achieve all those goals for the new year.

1. Identify your priorities. What are your must-dos? That is, what are the tasks only you can do that must get done each day? What can you delegate to someone else, like your assistant or someone on your team? Once you set your priorities, coaches say you’ll know where you need to spend your time, making you more effective and efficient as a real estate professional.

ONCE YOU SET YOUR PRIORITIES, COACHES SAY YOU’LL KNOW WHERE YOU NEED TO SPEND YOUR TIME. Jan Feb

2. Plan your day. Reclaim your most precious resource—your time—through in-depth planning. Organize your day into 90-minute blocks of time during which you focus on the one or two priorities you must complete for the day. During this time, make it known that you’re not to be bothered—this is your time to focus on the important tasks at hand. You can also schedule similar tasks together. For example, if you’re calling your database to generate leads, also call your current buyers and sellers to check in with them. And don’t forget about wiggle room. Wiggle room gives you a block of free time to handle the fires, plan for the week or catch up on some personal development.

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3. Eliminate distractions. Whether you work in an office or from home, distractions are everywhere. One of the biggest distractions is the internet. While you may say you’ll only surf the internet for a few minutes, before you know it two hours have gone by. Use an app like SelfControl or SelfRestraint to help you eliminate online distractions. While it may seem old fashioned, a huge piece of advice given in real estate coaching is to just close your door and place a Do Not Disturb sign up to prevent people from interrupting your most productive time. If you have an assistant, tell them to hold D your calls during those blocks of the day that Diso tNuorbt you’re generating leads or working on another important activity. Rely on a coach to help you make 2020 the year you take control of your time once and for all. The more control you have over your time, the more productive you’ll be. Now is the perfect time to take the plunge as you plan your business for next year—at Buffini & Company, we have a whole team of business coaches ready to help you change your game. See what One2One Coaching™ will do for your business! This article was provided by Buffini & Company. For more information, go to buffiniandcompany.com.

iStock.com: gradyreese/khvost/Enis Aksoy

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Anne Burroughs, CRS, Nest Realty in Charlottesville, Virginia, needed a CRS agent in northeast Florida to whom she could send a referral. One of Burroughs’ local customers was moving to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to be closer to her daughter. She needed a move-in ready home with either a pool or with space to install one in the future. It also needed a floor plan that could accommodate multigenerational occupants. The main challenge was working out the timeframes for both transactions to be able CONNECTION PERFECTION

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to accomplish simultaneous closings. The closing in Virginia was delayed, which complicated our transaction in Florida. But I stayed in constant communication with Burroughs to keep the seller in Florida updated. In the end, we were able to close both transactions and the customer was so happy being back in Florida. Burroughs and I stayed in touch after the closings and we were able to meet in person during the NAR conference in San Francisco. — Gonzalo Mejia, CRS, Watson Realty Corp., Jacksonville, Florida

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Selling Lake Tahoe Since 1989 Over $1 Billion in Closed Sales Refer to me for RESULTS!

Craig Zager • The Zager Group

www.CraigZager.com DRE# 01005829

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CALIFORNIA’S MONTEREY PENINSULA A trusted name on the Monterey Peninsula for nearly 50 years!

www.JoanneFoxxe.com

808-385-2918 jofoxxe@gmail.com

Joanne Foxxe CRS, GRI, SRES e-pro Maui CRS director

...sharing Aloha through excellence and experience...

Nancy D. Metcalf, CRS

Terry McGowan CRS, GRI, ABR, SRS, e-Pro, SRES Cal DRE# 01126129 Sotheby’s International Realty 831-236-7251 terry.mcgowan@sothebyshomes.com www.terrymcgowan.com

REALTOR®, Vice President

Luxury Property Specialist RB-16599

Hawaii CRS of of Year, 2003® Hawaii Association REALTORS REALTOR® of the Year 2018 Direct: (808) 223-9246 nmetcalf@cbpacific.com www.nancymetcalf.com

Specializing in helping You reach Your Real Estate goals since 1991!

Celebrating 27 years yearsassisting assistingclients! clients! Celebrating 25

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The Residential Real Estate Council

crs.com

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WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION The Residential Real Estate Council offers lifecycle, agentto-agent learning, spanning the career of the residential real estate agent. The Council’s education is recognized as the best in the industry and includes live classroom courses, self-paced eLearning, live and on-demand webinars, videos and articles.

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Selling the tax-free Lake Tahoe Nevada Lifestyle

For more information, see the 24-page RRC education catalog— Focusing on Your Success—that’s packaged with this issue of The Residential Specialist. Or check out all of the RRC learning opportunities at crs.com/learn.

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YOUR GREATER LOS ANGELES REFERRAL SPECIALIST

BEN & CAROLE HEINRICH Local real estate experts in Carmel, Carmel Valley, Pebble Beach, Big Sur, Monterey & Pacific Grove for over 30 years.

Jeffrey Corman

Carole, CRS, CFP® Ben, CRS & CRB RSPS & SRES CRS NorCal chapter past president

CRS | CLHMS | SRES • NRED 0174475

www.TheHeinrichTeam.com 831.626.2434

866-339-1143 jeff@expincline.com JeffreyCorman.com

Team@TheHeinrichTeam.com

650•504•0219 Ben BRE License #: 00584641

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Carole BRE License #: 01069022

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CRS peers with your ad here. Contact Joe Stella: jstella@glcdelivers.com or 847-205-3127

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“Trust, Values, Commitment to Excellence, Friendships & Living Life Abundantly”

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MID-ATLANTIC

PLEASE NOTE: The images featured in the YOUR HOME newsletter may only be used within the PDF version of the newsletter. These images may not be reproduced or republished elsewhere outside of this newsletter format. RRC members are free to re-use the text of the articles contained in the newsletter, however. Do it yourself with your office copier, or take the newsletter or electronic file (in addition to your photograph and any information you want inserted) to a printer who can prepare and reproduce the newsletter for you.

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Leave YOUR HOME as is, or personalize the newsletter by adding your photo, logo, address and phone number to the mailing panel.* You can also substitute any article in the newsletter with one of your own. Edit the newsletter e lectronically by downloading the Microsoft Word version at crs.com/ yourhomenewsletter.

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MAIL. If you photocopy YOUR HOME or use it “as is,” please note that it is designed to be folded in a trifold with the mailing panel facing outward. Postal regulations require that trifolds have two closures (tabs or tape) on top. For your convenience, we have placed asterisks (*) where the closures should be. Be sure to check with your local mailer or post office to make sure you have prepared your mailings properly. ELECTRONIC FILE. Attach the customized newsletter file to an email to your clients or create a web link to the file on your website. Consult your webmaster or technician to make sure the file is prepared correctly for these purposes, since these basic instructions will vary by person and system. * This newsletter is for the exclusive use of RRC members.

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home

Tips and tre nd s for homeow ners, buyers and sellers

new year, SAME HOME

Make a resolution to declutter and reorganize these 5 rooms

Now that the new year is here, it’s time to get organized. After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it is easy for things to be shuffled around or misplaced. Here are the five rooms or areas in your home that deserve immediate reorganization and attention:

1. The kitchen. Typically the gathering place for holiday functions, it’s possible that many of your beloved plates, Tupperware and even coffee mugs were moved around by visiting friends and family members. To free up cupboard space, try hanging your pots and pans or decluttering with drawer organizers. 2. The bathroom. The most used room in the house, you’re probably not looking forward to getting this space in order. But beyond a wave of the toilet wand, under-the-sink storage and behind-the-door hooks create more space and make getting ready in the morning a breeze! 3. The closet. Your wardrobe could potentially be a mix of summer, fall and winter attire. Getting some under-the-bed storage will finally force you to put away the shorts and tank tops, and see-through shoe boxes will keep your favorite pairs crisp and clean. 4. The laundry room. Overhead or hideaway storage options will work best for this room, creating more space for loads of dirty (or clean) laundry. Try a drying rack that you can hang from the ceiling, or a storage tower on wheels for all of your detergents and fabric softeners. 5. The home office. Finally, if you’ve worked from home during the holiday season, chances are your office may be in disarray. Drawer organizers or a brand new bookshelf can help you keep all your important mail, documents and books in their place.

GOING GREEN! It may be the dead of winter, but you can still go green! Check out these five easy ways to make your home more eco-friendly and lower your energy bills. ÄÄ Insulate the attic. Draftiness can come from poorly insulated windows, but it can also be the result of other sources of cold air that increase heating and cooling costs. Taking a step to properly insulate your attic can save you hundreds of dollars. ÄÄ Keep your vents open. It’s often said that closing your vents will save you money, but over time it can lead to your HVAC system leaking and potentially malfunctioning. ÄÄ Keep a sweater on hand. While you may prefer to stay cozied up by the fireside all winter long, your pockets will thank you if you just grab your favorite sweater or sweatshirt to keep warm. When at home, set your thermostat between 62 and 65 degrees, or add a space heater to rooms to keep them warm while you’re in them. ÄÄ Check (and change) filters. Dust and debris tend to build up in air filters and may cause your heating and cooling systems to work overtime. Before it gets too chilly, switch out any old filters to make sure air flows properly throughout your home. ÄÄ Turn off the lights. Holiday light decorations can be fun and exciting, but they can also send your electric bill through the roof. Be sure to cut off all lights inside and outside of the house when they’re not in use.

BROUGH T T O Y OU B Y Y OUR A GEN T, A CERT IFIED RE SIDEN T I A L SPECI A L IS T

EFER R

LS!

ER OV

EQUAL HOUSING

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT BUYING OR SELLING A HOME? PLEASE MENTION MY NAME. This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be substituted for legal or financial advice. If you are currently working with another real estate agent or broker, it is not a solicitation for business.

OPPORTUNITY

Tips and trends for homeowners, buyers and sellers

no place LIKE HOME 4 decorative ways to liven up your home after the holidays

The holiday season may be over, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw away all the holiday cheer. These post-holiday décor ideas will keep your home cozy and beautiful until springtime blooms.

Get colorful. From throw pillows and blankets to rugs and drapes, a pop of color can brighten any room. Colors like dark teal, burgundy, olive or slate gray would be a warm addition to any room in the house. Let the sunshine in. The sun may not be shining much during the winter, but there are ways to allow for more light to enter your space. Aside from opening a window to let in natural light, adding a mirror or translucent shades to your favorite room can also create more brightness.

SAY YES TO CRS

Plants, plants, plants. Activate your green thumb in the wintertime with a few houseplants. Not only will they help you look forward to spring, but they will remove toxins and keep your home clean. Warm it up. Jolly Old St. Nick may have retired to the North Pole for the year, but that doesn’t mean you can forget about your fireplace. Jazz up your mantel with candles, wreaths, pine cones and evergreen clippings to keep the spirit of the holiday season alive.

Buying or selling a home can seem like an overwhelming task. But the right REALTOR® can make the process easier—and more profitable. A Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), with years of experience and success, will help you make smart decisions in a fast-paced, complex and competitive marketplace. To earn the CRS Designation, REALTORS® must demonstrate outstanding professional achievements—including high-volume sales—and pursue advanced training in areas such as finance, marketing and technology. They must also maintain membership in the National Association of REALTORS® and abide by its Code of Ethics. Work with a REALTOR® who belongs in the top 3 percent in the nation. Contact a CRS today.

ask a

CRS advice from your peers

Stop selling and start providing value. What you focus on expands!

—Kelli Greentree Hillmar, Long and Foster Columbia, Columbia, Maryland

YO U S AY YO U WA N T A R E S O L U T I O N?

Based on your experience last year, what will be your motto for 2020?

Stay in contact with clients more! —Margie Jacobs Medlin, RE/MAX PURE, Marietta, Georgia

Keep improving skill sets and stay focused on market and industry changes. —Clark Niblock, Niblock Co REALTORS®, San Antonio, Texas

—Gene Anderson, Realty Executives Integrity, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Play on words ... 2020 is my year of vision. I will use it to talk about my vision for my clients, my family and my own life. I have started it already with a post to my Facebook page. “I see you buying a home in 2020!” and “2020 is the perfect year to buy a home.” And I will post, “My vision for 2020.” Then expand on it. —Marianne Malarkey McNally, Manor Realty, Salem, Oregon

Family first. Double down on sphere— clients, contacts and champions. —John Furrow , Fred Real Estate Group, Bend, Oregon

Focus on relationships, on value and on a healthy me. Beth Brockette, Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS®, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Jan Feb

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iStock.com: Ani_Ka/malerapaso/tumsasedgars/DNY59,

IMPLEMENT NOW, PERFECT LATER.

January is Radon Action Month!

Is radon putting your clients’ health at risk? Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless radioactive gas that seeps into homes from underground, becoming trapped inside. Any home may have a radon problem – new or old, drafty or tight, with or without a basement. Now is the time for your clients to test for this harmful gas. Why test for radon? · Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. · An estimated 1 in 6 homes in the U.S. is affected by radon. · Radon can accumulate to dangerously high levels inside the home, putting your clients’ health – and even that of their pets – at risk. Radon testing is the only way to know if a home is affected. Your professional Pillar To Post Home Inspector will test for unsafe levels of radon inside the home and recommend steps to reduce radon levels if necessary. Book a radon test with your next home inspection today!

pillartopost.com

800-294-5591 Learn more at pillartopost.com/radon Each office is independently owned and operated.