Alabama 5-21-18 by Top Agent Magazine

ALABAMA EDITION

Are You a VALUE-ADDED AGENT? Turning Your Profession Into A PASSION 6 Things You Need to Do to BE A GREAT MENTOR FEATURED AGENT

TAMMY CHAVERS COVER STORY

TINA TYUS

1 Billion-Plus Reasons Why YOU SHOULD BE ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK

ALABAMA EDITION

TINA TYUS

TAMMY CHAVERS

CONTENTS 4) ARE YOU A VALUE-ADDED AGENT? 13) TURNING YOUR PROFESSION INTO A PASSION

17) 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO BE A GREAT MENTOR 21) 1 BILLION-PLUS REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK

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Are You a Value-Added Agent?

I’ll bet if I asked ten real estate agents, all ten would answer ‘yes’ to that question. Yet, when I ask agents how they are value-added, they say things like: • I communicate regularly with my clients. • I have a written listing presentation. • I am honest. • I am trustworthy. Are these ‘value-added’ attributes? Or, does the client expect these attributes and services? 4

Are these exceptional services or average services? I’m writing this article at the beginning of a New Year. It’s a perfect time to re-assess your professionalism and master being that ‘value-added’ agent.

Client Expectations are Higher than Ever Unfortunately, too many real estate agents assume they are ‘value-added’ because they are providing the services they want to provide— Top Agent Magazine

the services they think the client values. However, there’s a real client out there, and the client has different expectations. How do I know that? Because so few agents regularly survey their clients. In fact, when I’m speaking to an audience, I survey them, and find that less than 25 percent gather after-sale surveys! So, the majority of agents don’t know if the services they are providing are average or exceptional.

Why Bother Being Exceptional? • Because you want to set yourself apart. • You want to create client loyalty. • You want to create at least 50 percent of your business from client referrals (the latest National Association of Realtors survey Profile of Members found that the average Realtor got only 18 percent of their business from referrals. That’s a hard and expensive way to run a real estate business! • Because you want to run a more pleasant, profitable business.

Four Actions Value-Added Agents Take How can you identify value-added agents? By their actions. Here are four actions I believe show agents that are above just ‘average’. The principle here is:

Watch the actions, not the words. If I were a manager, or a seller or a buyer, and I wanted to find a value-added agent, here’s what I would look for: Top Agent Magazine

1. Has a database and populates it This agent is committed long-term to his clients and to his business. He uses a contact management program (CRM) to manage ‘leads’, so none are lost — and clients do not feel neglected. After all, it takes much longer today to convert a ‘lead’ to a sale than it used to take. Actively using and maintaining a CRM means the agent is committed to forming long-term professional relationships over time. Other demonstrable actions concerning the agent’s CRM are: • Has a rapid-response method to deal with Internet inquiries and other inquiries via email. (The average client expects a response within eight hours—but a recent survey showed the average agent responded in 50 hours!). • Has a method to follow up on all leads until they ‘buy or die’. As a client, that means I won’t get lost. As a seller, it means my agent will follow up with all leads and give it 100 percent to sell my home. 2. Invests in the technology and follow-up pros have This agent makes every decision based on their vision of their career at least three to five years in the future. For example, instead of selling someone a house anywhere just to get a sale, my value-added agent sells only in an area they define as their ‘target area’. That way, they’ll get known, and can build on their reputation. The value-added agent has the ‘guts’ to turn down business! Because they care more about the well-being of the client than getting one grimy commission check, they learn to 5

‘tell the truth attractively’, and work harder to retain the client than to make one commission.

Adding those Client Benefits to your Dialogue

3. Works for referrals, not just sales I said the agent learns to ‘tell the truth attractively’, even if the buyer or seller may not want to hear it. For example, if it’s in the best interests of the seller to list their home at a lower price, the value-added agent has the strategies and the statistics to prove that the seller won’t be well served by pricing higher.

Of course, it’s not enough to actually take these actions. You need to explain to the client why these actions are in their best interests, and how you stand apart from most agents by employing them. Why? Because your client won’t know you run your business so professionally. And, the client probably doesn’t know most agents don’t run their businesses this way!

And, this value-added agent has the intestinal fortitude to walk away if they know the home will not sell at the client’s desired price (but doesn’t have to too many times because they create a stellar reputation amongst their clientele).

TIP: Always show your clients, don’t just tell them. You do have a Professional Portfolio and evidence on your website, don’t you?

4. Keeps the buyers and sellers’ best interests in mind Our value-added agent makes every decision to grow trust, not just to make a fast buck. For example, the agent sits down with a prospective couple and finds out they can’t purchase right away and creates a plan with them to save for their down payment. Then, the agent keeps in touch over a period of months, offering helpful information and market updates.

Put Yourself to the Test

How many of these actions P. S. Managers and team leaders—two tips do you exhibit? What do you want to work on to become a true 1. Call each of your agents’‘value-added’ phone mails. What’s the impre agent? Are they professional? Do they state the company n TIP: represent your culture and image? Managers, give your agents a 2. Create a quick class in phone messaging using the ‘test’ on these four points. In other words, this agent practices seller or buyHow many pass? this blog. er agency representation, not ‘agent agency’!

Carla Cross,CRB, CRB, MA, is theoffounder andSeminars, president Carla Cross & Carla Cross, MA, President Carla Cross Inc.,ofand Carla real management and sales. Herspecializing internationally s Crossestate Coaching, is an international speaker in realbest-selling estate management and Running business planning for all professionals. agents, Up and in 30 Days, is real nowestate going into its 5thHer edition sevenexperience internationallyas published books, including Up and Running in 30 Days , vast a top-selling agent and award-winning manage and 20 agent and management programs have helped thousands of real sales podium, blending her musical background with her proven estate professionals to the greater productivity and teaches profitability.someone Reach Carla strategies (she uses piano AND even to at play—f 425-392-6914 or www.carlacross.com. and practical). Find out more at www.carlacross.com. 6

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TINA TYUS Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Tina Tyus is also a published author, her most recent book,

So You Want to Flip Houses?: Flip Your Way to Financial Freedom, was published this year.

top-notch, high-quality service that is unparalleled in their area.

To call Tina Tyus a Top Agent would be, quite simply, an understatement. With more than thirty years of experience, this industry dynamo has proven herself a force to be reckoned with in the real estate industry. As Broker/Owner of the highly-successful Town Square Realty in Birmingham, Alabama, Tina and her team of more than thirty professionals provide buyers and sellers in Jefferson and Shelby Counties with 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Tina began her fascinating journey in real estate back in 1987 at the age of twenty-one. “I decided to purchase a home myself, she remembers. “After I did that I felt like I could be of great help to other people that I knew. I got into the business thinking that I would embrace the information I was learning and use it to help others gain what I had been looking for.” Since then, Tina has reached almost legendary status in the real estate world. In addition to continuing to work with buyers and sellers, Tina has also solidly established herself as a professional real estate educator for the state of Alabama, an endeavor that allows her to feed her passion for giving back to others. “There was an eighty-seven-year-old woman who attended Top Agent Magazine

one of my real estate workshops with a friend, and ended up being a first-time home buyer. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to buy. Later, she walked into my office and cried with gratitude. That’s what I love about this business.”

through real estate is in equal measures both highly-practical and inspirational, and draws upon Tina’s own vast reservoir of experience to demystify the real estate process for those considering making their first real estate investment.

Tina is also a published author, her most recent book, So You Want to Flip Houses?: Flip Your Way to Financial Freedom, was published this year. This step-by-step how-to guide to obtaining financial solvency

With almost the entire balance of her business based on repeat clients and referrals from satisfied customers, Tina is clearly enjoying the fruits of a career that has always been firmly rooted in honesty, authentic-

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ity and integrity. People before Profits is the term she uses to best express her business ethos. “Those are words God gave me years ago when I started in the business,” she explains. “And because People before Profit has become so powerful in every decision Copyright Top Agent Magazine Copyright 10

I make when I’m assisting others, people can tell that I care. They can tell that I’m knowledgeable. I actually think an agent can become more knowledgeable because they care. When you really care about the consumer you’re representing, you’re going to Top Agent Magazine

do what it takes to obtain the knowledge you need to be a real asset to them.” Tina is passionate about maintaining contact with past clients, and not just for the referrals this can bring, but because she truly cherishes those relationships. Holiday cards, anniversary cards, and an annual all-day client appreciation event are among the tools she utilizes to stay in touch. Tina feels compelled to give back: both to the real estate community that has been a blessing to her, and to the general population of BirTop Agent Magazine

mingham as well. To that end, she sits on the Board for the Eradication of Homelessness, volunteers on Saturday mornings at the local homeless shelter (“They think I’m a hoot,” Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

she laughs), and works with AIDS awareness organizations. Tina was also the very first African-American woman to receive entry into the Birmingham Association of Realtors Million Dollar Sales Club, which she did decades ago.

“The thing I love most about real estate,” says Tina, “is the people. I get to live the American Dream over and over through their eyes. There’s nothing like it. That’s what makes this thing work for me. It’s the lives I get to change.”

For more information about Tina Tyus, please call 205 - 945 - HOME (4663) email Tina@CallTownSquare.com or go to TinaTyus.com www.

Her book is available on www.Amazon.com

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Turning Your Profession into a Passion The old adage goes that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. On the other hand, it’s easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day worries and responsibilities of your career, even if you generally enjoy what you do. While there’s no guaranteeing that every day on the job will be a picnic, there are a few steps you can take to vastly improve your morale and transform your profession into a passion. After all, cultivating a passion for what you do will not only add to your quality Top Agent Magazine

of life, but will likely make you more successful in the long run. BUILD YOUR BASE OF KNOWLEDGE Knowledge builds confidence, and confidence breeds success. A sure way to light a fire in your heart for your daily work is to challenge yourself to learn more and expand your understanding of your field. By doing so, you equip yourself for success, create challenges, and find the most inter-

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esting features of your work—especially those that most appeal to your interests and talents. Try reading the top five books on the topic of your industry, or subscribe to a podcast where thriving professionals offer their two cents. Either way, learning more about your industry is bound to reveal a source of inspiration worth pursuing. THINK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE

and excelling in your field, you may find that others’ approaches inspire your own. Likewise, what you learn from other successful, passionate people in your field can help you shape your own office and work life, in turn creating more opportunities for you to fall in love with what you do, all over again. TAKE RISKS

CONNECT WITH LIKE-MINDED PROFESSIONALS

One of the biggest hindrances of professional passion is falling into a rut. Routines are familiar and everyday responsibilities vie for our energy. But the next time you tackle a task the way that you always have, take a moment and try to refresh your perspective—is there a more clever or efficient way you could approach this project? Even better: why not take the plunge and do the things you’ve always been meaning to—throw that client appreciation event you’ve put off planning, take the continuing education course you keep forgetting to register for, even try a creative activity that pushes you out of your comfort zone. There’s no better way to inject some passion into your life than by going outside your bubble and taking a risk.

Have you ever chatted with someone who was overflowing with energy for what they do? That sort of passion tends to be infectious—often causing us to beg our own questions about professional engagement. By participating in local organizations or networking with those who are active

Passion comes from all directions—from your own interior journey and from the world around you. To transform your profession into a passion worth having, invest in yourself and venture into the vast world around you. You’ll surely reap the rewards.

Sometimes reinvigorating your passion for your work is about looking outward, rather than inward. Gain some perspective and consider who your work helps in the long run. As a real estate professional—whether you work as an agent, broker, in mortgages, home inspections, or otherwise—your work positively impacts someone else’s home-sweet-home. You make a difference. While it may seem like just another day at the office, taking a moment to visualize exactly who you are helping in the world at large is a great way to add some motivational fire to your daily tasks.

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TAMMY CHAVERS

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TAMMY CHAVERS After a fifteen-year career as a paralegal left her wanting more, Tammy Chavers decided to set her sights on a new professional challenge. She’d always had an interest in real estate and after buying her first home, she was enamored with the process, as well as with her Realtor. After earning her license in 2004, she joined her former Realtor’s team as a buyer’s agent—a role she excelled in for more than four years. In fact, in her first four months in business she closed on twenty homes, an extraordinary feat for a new agent. “I was very blessed,” she remembers. Eventually, Tammy set out to create her own team under the banner of RE/MAX and has since cemented a sterling reputation for her energy, easygoing attitude, and proven ability to deliver results.

children’s hospitals, Sunday School classes, and Vacation Bible School camps. This hobby speaks to Tammy’s personable nature and the fun, calming energy she brings to a transaction. Her clients are able to open up to her freely and confide in her their questions and concerns. “I love being able to help others during a time of transition,” she says.

Serving Alabama’s Montgomery, Autauga, and Elmore Counties, Tammy works in conjunction with her assistant Pam Spivey and an esteemed loan officer who also happens to be her husband, Scott Chavers. Together, Tammy and the team secure 90% of their business through repeat and referral clientele. What’s more, Tammy closes on an average of fifty homes per year and has earned a host of accolades in the process, including RE/MAX’s 100% Club designation for high commission sales and the Cooperative Spirit Award. What keeps clients coming back? Tammy cites forthright communication and a personable, service-oriented spirit as the primary drivers of her success to date. “I’m here for my clients whenever they need me,” she explains. “I respond quickly and I work fast for them, but I never push. Buying or selling a home is one of the largest decisions someone will make and patience is important. I always treat my clients the way that I would want to be treated.”

Beyond the office, Tammy gives back through her talent for ventriloquism and also supports non-profit organizations. She’s active in her local real estate board, where she serves on the Public Relations Committee, and also works alongside RPAC to advocate for industry lawmaking. Furthermore, she donates a portion of her commission to the local children’s hospital and serves as the President of the Ladies Association for her neighborhood golf club. In her remaining free hours, Tammy most enjoys time with her loved ones, exercising, boating on the lake at her cabin, and catching the occasional round of golf. She and her husband also enjoy time with their three dogs and supporting her stepson in his college baseball career.

Tammy also brings a fun, unconventional flair to her business: she’s a part-time Christian ventriloquist. Since she was nine, Tammy has been honing her entertainment skills, and she and her friend Charlie were even featured by The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Buzzfeed for her talents. Not only does this skill come in handy during family-friendly open houses and marketing opportunities, but she and Charlie also visit nursing homes,

When it comes to listing properties, Tammy blends the best of print and digital marketing to lure prospective buyers. She leverages the power of social media and exposure across the leading digital listing platforms to reach a wide-ranging audience online. Then, she takes to local print media to raise area awareness of a property headed to market. Tammy’s approach to keeping in touch with her vast network of clientele is just as comprehensive. She uses monthly mailouts and quarterly newsletters to keep her clients up-to-date on industry and market forecasts. Likewise, around the holidays she hosts giveaways and sends out an annual Thanksgiving Thank You letter to reconnect with familiar faces.

Looking toward the future, Tammy has plans to continue growing her business while staying active in the community. “I’ll be in this business as long as people can use my services,” she says. “I love my state and I love our area. I couldn’t be prouder of my business.” Now, with fourteen years of solid service behind her, Tammy considers what she loves most about her chosen field. “My favorite thing about my work is reaching the closing table and seeing a smile on my clients’ faces,” she reflects. “I’ve been doing this for almost fifteen years and when I hand them the key— it’s the best feeling. It never gets old.”

To learn more about Tammy Chavers email Tammy@HitTheMouse.com, visit HitTheMouse.com, https://www.facebook.com/hitthemouse/ call or text (334) 782 – 0550, or visit her Facebook page here www.

6 Things You Need to Do to Be a Great Mentor

Everyone reaches the point in their career where they feel they have gained enough experience and wisdom about business and what it takes to succeed, to actually help someone else achieve the same. Although you may have trained or given advice over the years, taking on the official status as a mentor to someone is a whole new ball game. Top Agent Magazine

Although mentorship is an unpaid endeavor, you’ll be surprised to find out how much you’ll gain from the experience. You’ll also grow as a business person through the process of teaching someone else. It’s also an endeavor that many will pay forward one day, creating a business atmosphere that is based more on mutual success than competition, which is better for everyone.

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If you were mentored, you may already have an idea of what it entails, and what you liked or didn’t like in your mentor/mentee relationship. Although it is a personal relationship that will need an individual approach, there are certain things that are key when it comes to being a great mentor: 1. Be a good listener

est about your own failures. It can be a huge relief to find out someone they look up to has gone through similar experiences and still managed to come out on top. As we all know, oftentimes the greatest lessons come from failures, which can be times when our character is truly tested. Building trust through mutual respect and honesty will make every aspect of your mentorship more effective.

You’re basically a sounding board who needs to hear your mentee’s ideas, plans and goals in order to advise them. Strong, constant and clear communication is key to any successful mentoring relationship. Sometimes just letting them talk things out with you, will lead to them to discovering the solution they were looking for. 2. Set expectations and goals at the start When listening to your mentee in your first meeting about the potential relationship, it’s important to establish the parameters of what that relationship will be: What can you give them? What do they need or expect from you? Once the terms are agreed upon, you may want to set specific goals you’ll be working on together so that there’s a defined plan of action, timeline and result you can both expect. 3. Be honest This is important when it comes to offering them constructive criticism or tough love, but more importantly, you need to be hon18

4. Get them to think, don’t make decisions for them Sometimes being a mentor is being a bit like a psychologist. By asking certain ques-

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tions you can lead your mentee to their own conclusions about their business dilemmas and strategies to reach their goals. Being a mentor is all about guidance. Build confidence by drawing out the best in your mentee rather than just presenting them with solutions. 5. Look at the situation objectively One of the key strengths you offer your mentee is a complete emotional detachment to their business. You have no sentimental attachment to doing things a certain way or working with an incompetent vendor because you ‘go way back’. Your only motive is what’s best for your mentee and their business. Although emotions cans still get in the way sometimes, having a detached perspective on hand to guide you is invaluable. 6. Don’t just offer constructive criticism, be supportive Yes, being a mentor is sometimes advising your mentee that he’s doing something ineffectively, but your main purpose is to alway approach everything like cheerleader. You need to let them know that through it Top Agent Magazine

all, you are a reliable support to them and have a complete belief in their abilities. Make sure to always praise their accomplishments. Remember: your job as a mentor is more about guidance than constant feedback. Your goal is to help someone become the best they can be, not someone who just does everything the way you do it. You’re helping them build confidence in their own intuition, which will hopefully lead to a lifetime of success, and one day, they too might be a valuable resource to another mentee down the road.

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1 Billion-Plus Reasons Why You Should Be Active on Facebook By Bubba Mills

The number is staggering and potentially career ending for REALTORS® who ignore it: 1,440,000,000. That’s the total number of monthly active users on the social medium Facebook. That number alone is reason enough to use it regularly in your real estate business. But Facebook can also help turn you into the expert in your community. Just by sharing knowledge and relevant events about the community you can become the go-to source for all things local – a perfect way to capture the attention of prospective buyers. Plus, Facebook advertising also gives you tons of targeting layers like age, location, recent life events and interests. Plus, it constantly adds new targeting filters and functions that help you reach even more niche prospects who closely meet your customer criteria. Talk about pinpointing a target audience. Top Agent Magazine

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Another Facebook real estate ad tool is Website Custom Audiences that lets you create Facebook ads that target users who have visited your website. And several apps specifically for Facebook have emerged. Consider these: • Heyo.com: Helps you host contests, showcase promotions and high-

light special offers. • Woobox.com: Let’s you easily create quizzes and other fun tools for engaging content. • Pagemodo.com: Helps you make your Facebook business page both sleek and stylish and tabs allow for easy lead capture. But the latest offering is just as cool. It’s called Facebook Live and it lets you stream live video on the internet. I recently wrote about Periscope, another live video streaming app, but when you use Facebook Live you’re automatically featured at the top of Facebook users’ news feed. What’s more, statistics show that live video is viewed more than recorded video. How can REALTORS® use Facebook Live? Open Houses: Broadcast a walk-through of a new listing

and highlight all the great features.

Webinars: Host live webinars targeted to buyers and sellers. They can sub-

mit questions just like a real-life seminar.

Real Estate Talk Show: Offer the latest news in the industry plus share lo-

cal events and your newest listings. In short, become the Lester Holt or Diane Sawyer of real estate in your town with your own “TV” show! Facebook offers these tips for using Facebook Live: Promote: Tease upcoming Facebook Live broadcasts for more viewers. Plan better: Take time to plan what you want to do in the video, whether

it’s a few key talking points or to have a few questions ready ahead of time in a Q&A, in case incoming comments slow down. 22

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Invest in some equipment: A shaky live stream turns off viewers so con-

sider a tripod or other stabilizing tools, especially if you’re taking viewers on a tour of an open house. And check the shot before going live.

Get the lighting right: If you’re indoors be sure you have plenty of good

lighting and avoid a lot of light directly behind you because it’ll wash you out.

Sound good: A common mistake for beginners is overlooking sound.

Consider an external microphone to make sure your viewers can actually hear you. And if the live option makes you a little nervous, you can also stream pre-recorded videos. Hey, that has worked like a charm for TV for decades. Some businesses promote their web series to “air” on Facebook Live at a certain time like TV shows. After they are streamed, Facebook Live videos function as normal Facebook videos. Some business owners believe videos may perform better if they begin as live ones. NowThis, a news company that publishes entirely on social platforms, experimented by streaming a 38-minute compilation of its favorite viral videos via Facebook Live. The stream received over 20,000 views and over 500 comments, according to Facebook’s counters. Yes, all the new-fangled internet tools, apps and options for REALTORS® can be a bit overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time and you’ll slowly be right there in the business-winning mix. E-mail me today at Article@CorcoranCoaching.com and I’ll send you more free information about how technology can help your real estate business. Copyright©, Bubba Mills. All rights reserved.

Bubba Mills is the CEO of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international Real Estate, Mortgage, and Small Business coaching company committed to helping clients balance success in business, while building value in life. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com. Top Agent Magazine

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