AUSTRALIA - 11-7-22

AUSTRALIA EDITION

6 Ways to GET YOUR CLIENT TO TRUST YOU

MY CRYSTAL BALL: You CAN Predict You’ll Be Successful Selling Real Estate

MILLENNIAL BUYERS:

Where They Are & What to Know

FEATURED AGENT

VASIL METELOVSKI COVER STORY

ANNA CHOW J.P., LREA

BILLIONS DOLLARS AWARD WINNING AGENT

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

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6 Ways to Get Your Client to Trust You The word “REALTOR®” can leave a sour taste in some people’s mouths. Many of today’s home buyers and sellers grew up during the 2009 recession. They are wary of anything 4

or anyone who comes off as too salesy, and they want to work with individuals who they can trust.

But how do you prove to someone you’ve likely never met that you can be trusted?

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Put Testimonials or Case Studies on Your Website

When something goes wrong, own up to your mistakes. Don’t hide bad news from your clients. Be upfront and responsive.

Testimonials and case studies are social proof that you have both the experience and the skills to do the job your clients are hiring you for. People often leave testimonials when they are either incredibly disappointed or extremely happy with the service they were provided, so they’re a good indication to prospective clients of the treatment they’ll receive.

Case studies, which you can post on your blog or website, have much of the same effect, but even more than testimonials, case studies demonstrate your real estate and finance expertise because they explain how you achieved a specific set of results.

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Be Responsive and Accessible

Can your clients reach you easily? That doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7, but you should respond to your clients within a few hours of receiving their message. When agents don’t respond to their clients’ calls or emails for days on end or fail to provide them with a direct line of contact, their clients’ experience can quickly become frustrating.

Agents are busy but so are their clients. If you constantly show up late to or reschedule meetings, your clients won’t feel like their time is respected or their business is valued. Make sure you set a realistic schedule for yourself rather than spreading yourself too thin.

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Be Honest and Transparent

Sometimes you don’t have the answer to a client’s question. Be honest about your strengths, weaknesses, and the limits of your knowledge. A good response might be, “I don’t know, but I can find out.” Be transparent with your clients, and they’ll respect you for it.

You should always act in their best interest.

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Go the Extra Mile

If you do the bare minimum, that’s what your clients will remember. Their experience won’t be memorable, and they won’t gush about you in online testimonials or in real life to people they know who could use your services. It’s that simple.

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Put Yourself in Your Client’s Shoes

Clients understand that you need to earn money, but that doesn’t mean they want to feel like they’re just a dollar sign to you. Be empathetic to your client’s concerns, even if you’ve heard it all before. Your clients should know that you are there for them.

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Be Consistent

Being responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable shouldn’t be an act. If you “turn on” your personality for clients and then suddenly become a different person when they leave the room, it’s likely that the cracks in your mask will eventually become apparent.

But “faking it till you make it” is so common it’s become a cliché. When we are starting out, we don’t always have the systems or resources in place to create a smooth client journey, from onboarding to closing, so instead we constantly try to reinvent the wheel. Give yourself time to pause, slow down, and reevaluate your workflow. Creating systems creates

consistency, and those systems can and should be constantly updated.

Developing trust between you and your clients will take time, but doing these things can give you a running start.

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My Crystal Ball:

You CAN Predict You’ll Be Successful Selling Real Estate ►Carla

Cross, CRB, MA

You can predict if you’ll be successful in real estate. It’s not what you think, either.

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Grab the best business start-up plan you can find and start the plan. Find someone to coach you to the plan.

What New Agents Expect From my survey of hundreds of agents under three months in the business, I found that more than 1/2 of them expected a sale the first month of the business.

What does that mean? When do they have to start looking for leads? That first week in the business! Yet, how many new agents start lead generating even in the first month? How long have you been in the business?

When did you start lead generating on purpose? Or, have you started? That’s why my book, Up and Running in 30 Days, now in its 6th edition, has you lead generating in week one. It’s your assurance plan you will get a sale fast and will stay in the business.

Expecting ‘Dumb Luck’ to Carry You to Success Inevitably, there is a new agent who has an Aunt Martha in his back pocket. That is, Aunt Martha wants to buy a home, and has told nephew Tommy she’ll wait until he gets his license to purchase from him. Ca-ching. Dumb luck. Tommy concludes that’s how the business goes. You just wait for someone to find you and Top Agent Magazine

sell them a home. We know that’s not the norm, though.

Unfortunately, Tommy’s going to wait a long time for that next transaction! The ‘dumb luck’ approach to the business results in low results. Since the ‘dumb luck’ agent isn’t doing a business start-up plan, we have no way of predicting results, because we can’t measure businessproducing activities. We can only measure other ‘dumb luck’ agent incomes. That’s way too late to actively coach–or to terminate with purpose.

Your Manager Could be a ‘Dumb Luck’ Manager– Pardon the Expression…

Dumb luck managers just look at results; sales and listings sold. So, they are not aware that agents may be failing for months. If new agents expect to make a sale in month one, how many months do you think it takes for them to get dis enheartened? 2-3? Not long. So, once new agents are mentally and emotionally out of the business, they will resist any help from managers. They’ve decided they can’t make it in the business. They’ll stay awhile, though, for ‘dumb luck’ transactions.

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Are You Lead Generating on Purpose?

Are you working a specific, prioritized lead generating plan? Is it made up of prioritized lead generating activities? Does it have ratios of activities to results, so the new agent knows whether he is on track to his goals?

Here are my activity ratios from Up and Running that will result in 8-12 transactions the first year in the business: • 20 contacts to get one buyer or seller lead • 8 times of putting people in the car to sell someone a home • 3 listing appointments to gain one marketable listing

• 80% of listings sell • 80% of transactions close What are the ratios in your office? Do you know? Do you know the work it takes to consistently generate the income you want to generate? Or, are you counting on ‘dumb luck’?

Best Advice to Create your Assurance Plan Grab the best business start-up plan you can find and start the plan. Find someone to coach you to the plan. Analyze your numbers frequently. You’ll stay on track AND assure your success.

https://carla-cross.com In the real estate business for over 3 decades, Carla Cross is an international speaker, trainer, and coach for real estate. She specializes in career development, business planning, leadership, and instructor development.

She’s won numerous sales and leadership awards in each area, including being named as a National Realtor Educator of the Year. A popular international speaker, Carla has spoken on leadership and training topics for 16 years at national Realtor conventions.

Author of eight books on real estate sales, her wildly popular book, Up and Running in 30 Days, is used by hundreds of thousands of new agents internationally to start their careers right.

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ANNA CHOW J.P., LREA

BILLIONS DOLLARS AWARD WINNING AGENT Top Agent Magazine

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Serving the North Shore, Anna Chow has ranked as the top producing agent for her brokerage for eight consecutive years in the same suburb.

When Anna Chow moved to Australia from Hong Kong, her interest in the real estate field was sparked. “I was looking at properties and I became intrigued by this industry,” Anna explains. With no language barrier (Anna can speak fluent Mandarin, Cantonese and English), Anna knew she could help many people with their real estate needs. Serving the North Shore, she lives in Killara, and is highly knowledgeable about this region. Clients trust her to guide them through every step of the transaction. Her reputation for delivering excellent service has 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

resulted in Anna’s immense success, as she consistently sells millions of dollars in real estate every year. Anna has ranked as the top producing agent for her brokerage for eight consecutive years in the same suburb and has been named as RateMyAgent’s Agent of the Year for each year since 2015.

With a marketing team and personal assistant by her side, there is nothing standing in the way of Anna’s growth. She is well known in the region, especially within the Chinese Top Agent Magazine

community. Strongly committed to achieving her clients’ goals and willing to go the extra mile to ensure they’re happy, those who work with Anna feel she is always looking out for their best interests. “I am very patient,” she

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explains. “I never push my clients into making decisions.” With a friendly demeanor, she is kind and understanding to everyone she serves. Because she has such a strong presence in the community, she also finds it easy

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Anna is an excellent skilled negotiator, she always achieves record prices for her vendors. In order to expand her client database, she posts all of her listings online overseas and locally. to develop genuine relationships with her clients. “Lots of my clients recognize me, or have seen me in the paper, so there is already a level of familiarity and trust before we even begin working together.” Most of her listings come from referrals and repeat clients.

Clients love to spread the word about Anna’s work. Few vendors recently said, “Walk the talk, Anna delivered no buts or softening to Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

reduce the price.” “Anna surprised us with unsolicited offer to buy a house at a time when we have no intention of selling.” “Anna has extraordinary knowledge of East Killara, well networked, and was very professional providing advice and support. She is trustworthy, an excellent communicator, is passionate, and worked very hard helping us sell our home. We would recommend Anna to anyone wanting to sell their home without hesitation.” “Had a Top Agent Magazine

great experience working with Anna on purchasing a property. Her professionalism and market knowledge stood out particularly, and she communicated very effectively throughout the process. Overall, it was a pleasure working with Anna.”

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Anna is an excellent skilled negotiator, she always achieves record prices for her vendors.

In order to expand her client database, she posts all of her listings online overseas and locally.

With connections all over the world, Anna makes sure she is reaching a wide network

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of potential buyers without language barrier. “I know quite a lot of people who want to leave their countries such as Hong Kong and move to Australia, so I’m always marketing in those areas.” Recently, Anna has just sold in total of $20.6m to a buyer from Hong Kong. This sale is the record price at upper North Shore including Lindfield/Killara /Gordon/St. Ives for land value to build one mansion.

As time goes on, Anna hopes to continue growing her business. No matter how much she expands, she will always prioritize the client relationship, as it’s the most important aspect of her work. “I really put my heart and soul into what I do.” Therefore, most of her clients become her friends.

For more information about Anna Chow, please call 0416238288 or email anna.chow@assetrealty.com.au Copyright Top Agent Magazine 14

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Millennial Buyers: Where They Are & What to Know Homebuyers and sellers come from all walks of life. If you’ve been an agent for long, you’ve likely worked alongside a wide variety of folks—from first-timer homeowners and down-sizers, to second home searchers and those finally hunting for their dream home. While there is hardly a shortage of diversity in the housing market, there Top Agent Magazine

is one generation that is making big strides in homeownership these days: Millennials.

Millennials can be loosely defined as those between the ages of twenty-two to thirtyseven. As you can see, this constitutes a wide swathe of the population. If you’re an agent who stands to learn a bit more about

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a demographic whose influence and homeownership goals are rapidly evolving, tune in below for a few pointers that can help you expand a segment of your clientele in the process.

Where do Millennials prefer to buy?

Many Millennials came of age during or immediately following the Great Recession, and as such, many of them relocated or returned to mid-size cities and smaller communities where the cost of living was most affordable. Of course, there are countless Millennials that call the U.S.’s major cities home—especially those in the

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tech industry. The good news is that you can court Millennial clientele no matter where you service area is located. That said, community amenities are of great importance to this generation. They value public transportation, green space, and entertainment—from coffee shops and topnotch restaurants to farmer’s markets and boutiques. Emphasizing those attributes will be key in selling to Millennials and locating neighborhoods they’re most interested in.

What sort of communication do Millennials prefer?

Most Millennials are digital natives, or close to. That means they grew up learning

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how to navigate digital spaces, and prefer to communicate through mediums like email, text, and social media. This isn’t to say that Millennials aren’t good communicators, but they’re often on the go, and have learned to research and shop online. To accommodate this, it’s best to build a presence across the most popular listing portals and social media platforms. Although, it’s not enough to establish a site and wait for the calls to come in. Responsiveness is a key factor for Millennials, who expect speedy response times. Make sure you’re checking your inbox frequently, responding accordingly, and engaging with your audience online. This will let Millennials know

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that you’re savvy, available, and understand the value of their preferred method of communication.

Are Millennials ready to buy?

It’s a common misconception that Millennials are uninterested in the rite of passage of purchasing a home. While Millennials maybe waiting a bit longer than their parents did to buy a home, there are good reasons to explain this phenomenon. For starters, Millennials entered the job market during the downturn, which means they are more conservative when making big purchases, and have to play catch-up to reach a sound

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financial position. Likewise, student loan debt has proved a major financial inhabitation for Millennials. Instead of socking away a few hundred a month to save for a home, they’re forking over that cash to pay down their educational loans. How does a Realtor compete with this reality? For starters, a bit of understanding goes a long way. Work with your mortgage partners to find financing possibilities that cater to this younger demographic. Recognize that Millennials—like most buyers—have some trepidations when buying a home.

Also consider fielding Millennial clientele with the long view in mind. You might be 18

courting them for months or more until they’re ready to take the plunge, but they’re also famous for their reviews. When a job is done well, Millennials shout it from the rooftops—or at least share it a dozen time from their phone.

As time passes, Millennials will continue to dominate the marketplace when it comes to buying and selling homes. A little self-education on this powerful demographic can go a long way. If you know your clients and your audience, you’ll be in a far better position to serve their interests and make a customer for life.

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VASIL METELOVSKI When he was visiting relatives in Europe, they asked Vasil what his job was. It was insurance, but he admitted he didn’t particularly like the field and he would rather be working with houses.

Not looking to go into architecture or construction, the path of real estate was the best course of action. In 1992, he got his license and started his new career in 1993.

He started working the northern suburbs of Melbourne, although his focus has shifted to the eastern suburbs lately.

There has been a huge influx of buyers from Asia, the Middle East and India. In the last fifteen years, the market has shifted from sleepy little suburbs to a prime market for relocations from Hong Kong. As more people moved in, word of what a fabulous place it was to live spread and the immigration flow increased even further. Currently, about 30% of his business is word of mouth and repeat business from satisfied clients, and Vasil is looking to push that number to over 50%. He loves repeat business, where he has already gained their trust and they come in with an existing relationship to get right to work. Those returning customers in turn bring even more customers to Vasil, absolutely excited when they see what a great job he does for them.

They come back because Vasil and the brokerage he works for are all about world class service. There’s constant communication with the client base, every step of the way. Weekly face to face meetings are supplemented by email reports to help keep everyone up to speed about how the market is doing and how many people are looking at the properties they’re working with.

Communication and feedback are key to his success.

Even after the sale, clients will get contacted at ninety days, six month and twelve months out to check in that everything is what they expected.

When he lists new properties, most of the marketing occurs online. With so many buyers coming from Top Agent Magazine

overseas to settle, it’s the most efficient way of reaching the right buyers. Over the past few years with COVID changing activity worldwide, a lot of transaction were happening sight unseen, with the buyers putting their full trust in Vasil and his knowledge of the area. For local buyers, magazines are distributed weekly to local restaurants, cafes and shops, ensuring Vasil and the brand name are getting constant coverage. Open houses with initial showings offering food, drink and music for a comfortable atmosphere are a huge draw.

For the local buyers, Vasil’s office specializes in property auctions. Coffee and tea bring the neighbors out, and what may start with 10 or 12 bidders competing for a home soon becomes a narrow field when the wallets come out and the top two or three compete to outbid each other for their dream home. The inviting atmosphere created lands Vasil 50-80 transactions a year, with the company hosting upwards of 50 auctions a month. They’re looking to increase that to 80 or more, spreading the brand name and increasing customer reach, continuing to be the #1 Harcourts office in the state of Victoria, as they have been for 8 years.

For more information about Vasil, please call 0418 584 754 and email vasil.metelovski@juddwhite.com.au Copyright Top Agent Magazine 19

Laughs!

We’re still here!

Making the workplace happy is what we do.

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Working with you to highlight aspects of your organization or celebrate that special someone, Graham is just an email away! gtoonist@shaw.ca

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5 Simple Mindset Shifts That Will Help You Achieve Your Goals

Everyone knows that a positive attitude is one of the key steps to achieving success. It’s very easy to let negativity bring you down and oftentimes, people end up quitting at the first set back. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a negative person, you’re probably doing numerous things you don’t even realize are holding you back.

Recognizing these negative mindsets, and then implementing simple mindset shifts, are sure to help you not only create a more positive outlook, but a more successful outcome to whatever goal you’re trying to achieve.

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1

Turn jealousy into admiration

It’s very easy to look at someone who has what you want, and feel envious, which quickly turns into criticism and excuses about why you weren’t able to get what they seemed to get with ease. This is something successful people never do. Instead, they recognize that the only thing keeping them from success is themselves.

If you want what someone else has, you should look to them as a role model. What

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are they doing that you aren’t? There’s probably more to their story than you’re giving them credit for. Someone else’s success doesn’t hinder your ability to do the same, but constantly having a ‘life’s not fair’ attitude definitely will.

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Tackle the things you dread doing first

We all procrastinate to some extent. Usually it’s things we don’t want to do. But when you put something like that off, it creates a serious cloud over your whole day.

Experts recommend getting those things out of the way first. Not only do get it crossed off your list, but you will feel energized by your accomplishments and tackle the day with even more force.

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Don’t make decisions based on emotion

Reaching goals, especially long term ones, can have a lot of ups and downs. The key to achieving them is to stay level-headed during setbacks, really focusing on your plan and how the setback fits into your long term vision.

If you have a solid plan in place, you could be destroying months of hard work with one rash emotional decision, that is probably coming from a place of panic.

When you’re feeling emotional...wait.

It really is that simple. Wait it out until Top Agent Magazine

you’re back in a rational state of mind and take it from there.

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Learn to love feedback

It’s very easy to be thrown off by negative feedback or constructive criticism. No one likes it. But when it comes to achieving your goals, you need to be able to hear it, assess it and then make an unemotional decision about what it means to you and your success.

In fact the business world’s most successful leaders are there because they not only take in that feedback, they actually constantly ask for it. Fresh perspectives on what you’re doing are always valuable. When you’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to see what needs improvement. Asking a trusted peer or advisor can be instrumental in keeping the momentum on reaching your goal going.

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Replace a fixed mindset with a growth mindset

You might be wondering what the difference between the two are. A fixed mindset thinks that growing intelligence or skills is impossible, while a growth mindset thinks those things can be developed.

People with a growth mindset are more likely to expand beyond their comfort zone, since they really believe almost anything is possible with hard work. And if it isn’t?

They’re willing to give it a try. Being willing to try and fail, is a key element to reaching even the most lofty goals.

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