AUSTRALIA 9-19-22

AUSTRALIA EDITION

HOW TO THROW A NETWORKING EVENT

Uncommon Contact:

CONNECTING WITH CLIENTELE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

that Can Put Your Business on the Map

5 Ways to TRANSFORM RENTERS INTO OWNERS

RECONSIDER REFERRAL-ONLY

WHEN PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

FEATURED AGENTS

JOHNNY OH STUART RIMMER COVER STORY

STEVE HARRISON

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Uncommon Contact:

Connecting with Clientele Through Social Media Social media is one of the newest and most powerful tools in an agent or mortgage professional’s arsenal. With just a few keystrokes, you can stay top-of-mind with buyers, sellers, and borrowers near and far, past and present. The key is knowing how to use these mediums to your advantage, working smarter instead of harder to keep the thread of professional relationships intact. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can maximize the pull and power of social media by shifting just a few of your ideas and practices for the better.

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Not everything has to be about business.

While your relationship with a client or fellow vendor began over the course of business, your relationship going forward doesn’t have to be limited. One of the great things about social media is that’s it’s social. Not every comment, post, or communication has to revolve around your business, its metrics, or turning a sale. In fact, you should do your best to branch out and curate a brand and online identity that’s about who you are and

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the lifestyle you’re authentically interested in living. In that vein, consider interacting with clients in an organically-driven way, encouraging them during life’s milestones, reaching out with a local event, restaurant, or news item that’s relevant to their interests or neighborhood. The goal is to be a persistent presence in their lives without feeling like a talking head. Engage as you would like to be engaged with, as a human being with interests and needs and boundaries. Keep that personal thread in mind and your dynamic will shift from past business contact to present resource.

Expand your medium.

Many Realtors are comfortable on Facebook as an interactive meeting to connect with clients, but there are several other mediums where you can connect with clients both past and present, as well as future. Particularly when courting Millennial clientele, the fastest-growing segment of the buying market, a presence on Instagram and Snapchat are key to finding new faces, demonstrating hot properties, and creating an interactive brand as an agent. Not only does this help when you’re listing a property and seeking potential buyers, but it also serves as a perusable portfolio of your work and real estate prowess. You can also use these mediums to interact with clients on an outlet they might feel most comfortable in. Liking pictures, commenting, streaming Instagram Live home tours and Stories are all ways you can build engagement by simply spreading your social media presence around. Likewise, Top Agent Magazine

these photo and video driven mediums are popular for home design ideas, and before and after renovation pictures. When you expand from Facebook into these new platforms, you’ll already have plenty of visual content ready to be transferred and consumed by an expanded audience.

Don’t just react.

Create your own content.

It’s easy enough to post a link to a new listing, or retweet a helpful article on real estate news. Creating your own organic content is a different story, but worth its weight in gold when it comes to luring engagement, ranking higher in search fields, and overall crafting an interactive presence for yourself and your business online—which is where more than 90% of homebuyers and sellers begin their process. Creating your own content can seem risky, or else like no one is listening in a digital world already crowded with information. However, original content is sure to boost personal engagement with your social media pages, guaranteed.

Instead of recycling content, consider posting a video with a Q+A theme for first-time homebuyers, or perhaps posting a live tour of a new listing will perk up your clientele surfing at home.

No matter how you decide to expand your social media presence when it comes to interacting with clients, consistency is key.

Find the ways that work best for you and stick to them, and you’ll watch your audience and business grow in tandem.

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Reconsider Referral-Only When Planning for the Future

A 100% referral rate is a testament of client happiness. But even a 30% referral rate is proof of client satisfaction. It’s all relative, say some agents. One number pays tribute to past success, which is certainly a story worth telling. But the other might better predict the future. Many agents plan for the idea that 6

working only on referral may not be sufficient during slower times of the year, in a down market, or when an agent needs to expanding into a new sector.

Unless you are clairvoyant enough to flawlessly predict every market change or every

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Many agents plan for the idea that working only on referral may not be sufficient during slower times of the year, in a down market, or when an agent needs to expanding into a new sector. life change that your clients and referral partners may experience, it’s wise to maintain an active marketing presence. The reasons vary, however, depending on the goals and trajectory of each individual’s business.

If long-term success, a growing team, a legacy or expansion into new areas are not priorities, then working a sphere of influence may be enough for some agents, especially those who may be in the industry mostly for the love of the business. But for a majority of agents, no matter how much they love their work, their real estate and mortgage businesses are careers, first and foremost.

Let’s start with the team-builders and mentors. Agents and brokers who are building teams are wise to invest in business marketing, advertising and community outreach. Ty Hutchins, who owns and operates Ty & Company Real Estate in Colorado’s Front Range, says that, while she could personally live off referrals alone, her goal is to build up her agents. “I do the marketing piece for my team, so I can help them succeed,” she says. That marketing includes running commercials on TV and in movies theatres, as well as lead generation that identifies potential buyers, sellers and Top Agent Magazine

investors between the Colorado Springs and Denver markets. Her team’s goal, she adds, is to promote their reputation of being honest, hardworking professionals with the reach of a major brand but the personalized approach of a boutique.

Then there are the growers. Khrista Jarvis and Nicole Jung of The Khrista Jarvis Team in the San Francisco Bay Area, are on a considerable growth track. “We’re the #1 team in our area and the top team in Compass Real Estate nationally,” explains Khrista. While high marks for service on behalf of their clients have led them to these heights, they know that they must continue to evolve and market their brand. “We do a good deal of social media marketing for our listings and for our business,” she says. Their names, therefore, are frequently linked to sentiments of trust, dependability and market knowledge, both in their marketing and in their reviews.

Next, there are those who weathered the worst of times. Susan Roche entered real estate sales in 2003, following several years of property management in North Carolina.

The key to her sustained triumphs through major market swings lies in her long-range planning. “If the market starts to dip or fall,

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I have safety nets in place,” says Susan Roche, team leader of Simply Real Estate, based in Charlotte. “When it’s a seller’s market, I still plan for a buyer’s market and when it’s a buyer’s market I plan for a seller’s market..” In other words, no matter how comfortable her existing work may feel, she networks consistently. She also employs a full-time marketing director who leads several projects including ongoing research, events and social media exposure in addition to listings marketing. By staying ahead of market changes, Susan knows she can unfailingly represent her clients’ best interests while still maintaining a safety net for her business.

Even professionals with more than three decades’ experience and deep referral networks know the importance of business

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marketing. Cathy Richards, co-owner with Nancy Dalaska of Epic-Wasatch Homes in Park City, UT, entered real estate in 1987 and still draws at least a fifth of her business from lead generation, social media marketing and community outreach. Her business partner, Nancy, adds that real estate is about much more than their own business. “We love collaborating and brainstorming with other agents to help them prosper,” says Nancy. “We believe the healthier the market, the better we all are.”

Regardless of market conditions, even the best reputation can’t guarantee long-term success. To sustain and grow, it’s wise to feed your business by increasing exposure, remaining flexible and maintaining systems for customer service, networking, research, marketing and lead-generation.

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STEVE HARRISON

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Top Agent Steve Harrison is based in the City of Casey with O’Brien Real Estate. “I feel my ability to stay in a client’s mind a long time after transacting with them is a key to my success,” he says.

Steve Harrison is no stranger to the real estate industry. After more than 20 years in the business, he knows a thing or two because he has seen a thing or two.

“I feel like I’m very versatile because for the first 10 years I actually moved around a lot, and I’m not just talking agencies. I’m talking actual locations,” he says. The now-solo agent managed an office in Frankston and owned a boutique firm in Tasmania before he set up Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

shop in the City of Casey with O’Brien Real Estate. “I guess my thing is I’ve got pretty good inner beliefs. Even if I’ve gone through a difficult time I never really doubt my capabilities,” he says. “I don’t like to think that that’s anything arrogant. It’s just an inner belief I can do the job really well.”

His confidence is contagious, which is why so many of his clients come Top Agent Magazine

back. He sees his business as a “layer cake”, with repeats and referrals making up more than half, he says. Using his own database, Steve keeps in touch with past clients through newsletters, mailers and more personally, text messages, all to ensure he is at the top of their minds when it is time to sell. “I have had several situations in particular this year ,where past clients of mine have sought me out despite not having contact for a long period of time,” he says. “I have just listed a property in

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Berwick (vendor’s investment property). I actually hadn’t spoken to Colin for five years as he had changed his phone number and we had lost contact.

I sold for him seven years ago, and he and his wife had bought their family home off me at the same time. I feel my ability to stay in a client’s mind a long time after transacting with them is a key to my success.”

Just as important, Steve employs a personal touch when it is time to market

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Using his own database, Steve keeps in touch with past clients through newsletters, mailers and more personally, text messages, all to ensure he is at the top of their minds when it is time to sell. a listing. His first step is a set-for-sale meeting with the vendor “where I put together a write-up and photos that I believe will work, but I’ll always insist Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

on going and having a meeting with that vendor before we go, as I want the vendor to feel happy with the choices,’ ’he says. “I think that’s the most important Top Agent Magazine

part of it.” Once that is done, Steve uses his database to send the listing to buyers in the area. Thanks to his efforts, Steve sold 40 properties last year.

Steve has 3 wonderful children Tahlia, Abby and his beloved son Brodie who passed away 3 years ago. When he gets a break from work, Steve enjoys going on walks with his partner Atika, regularly attending the gym, going to football games with his family, and he is

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involved in his stepson’s junior football league. “(Australian Football League) that’s like a religion for us,” he says.

Looking ahead Steve sees changes in the coming year. The franchise director says the company wants to grow its number of offices from 35 to 50. Steve is up for the challenge. “I sort of classify myself as hungry and humble,” he says.

“This has stood me in good stead over the years.”

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To learn more about Steve Harrison, call +61407800915 visit obrienrealestate.com.au/steve.harrison or email him at steve.harrison@obre.com.au www.

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5 Ways to Transform

Renters into Owners Perhaps the largest demographic of untapped business lies in the rental market. From major cities and suburbs to rural communities—renters across generations are opting to rent rather than own. The question is: why? For starters, many Americans are undereducated about the inventory and financing options available that might suit their budget and lifestyle. Secondly, many would-be homeowners have difficulty Top Agent Magazine

visualizing the potential investment of purchasing property, and how homeownership can build wealth and security in the long-term.

As an agent, you’re always on the lookout for potential clientele. Now, to guide renters toward the real estate market, keep a few of these strategies in mind as you meet and greet this untapped demographic.

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Show renters that purchasing a home isn’t impossible

Possibly the biggest hurdle for renters is believing homeownership is possible. Beyond saving for a down payment and boosting credit scores, there are dozen more factors to consider: affording utilities, homeowner’s insurance, renovations, property taxes, and more. Besides that, assembling pay stubs, finding an agent, arranging house tours, negotiating a price, and timing the transition are all major considerations to surmount.

One way to combat this thinking is to make the process transparent and demystified. Find examples of past clients who made the leap successfully, or profile the average buyer in your marketplace and see how that renter compares. Provide evidence that it’s been done before and can be done again, then build a game plan from there.

into play. Consider making a checklist, or step-by-step road-map, that guides clients through the process from start to finish. This way, you’ll manage expectations and create a path to ownership that’s specific, instead of abstract. They won’t have to wonder what goes into buying a home when they can look at an interactive site or read a document and see the steps outlined before them, with you there to guide the way.

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Collaborate with mortgage professionals to find the right financing opportunities

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Help would-be homebuyers create a road-map to ownership

It’s no secret that buying a home can feel overwhelming. Compared to signing a yearlong lease on an apartment, taking on the house-hunting process is a daunting affair.

That’s where your expertise as an agent comes 16

Many renters aren’t aware of the variety of mortgage financing options out there that cater to first-timers, offer low down payments, or down payment assistance. Most buyers believe that the standard 20% down is a hard and fast rule, when in reality, there’s far more flexibility out there to cater to renters where they are. There are even loan options catering to freelance workers, renovation options, and other unconventional routes to ownership.

Work with a mortgage pro and find the route that suits your renter best.

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pay monthly in a mortgage—while building a lasting asset.

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Compare and contrast rental rates with monthly mortgage payments One way to convince renters to make the shift is to demonstrate the savings potential of paying into a monthly mortgage, rather than throwing away rent on a property they don’t own. To do this, draw up the average rental rates in your area, then find some potential listings that would demand a similar amount in monthly mortgage payments. Sometimes placing these numbers and images sideby-side can prove to renters that what they manage to pay monthly in rent, they can

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Paint the big picture

For most, renting isn’t the most sustainable financial option when it comes to housing.

Rents rise, families grow, and retirement looms.

Building a financial future and homeownership go hand-in-hand. When planned appropriately, buying a home can create a path toward retirement and position homeowners in a better place for further investment in the future. A rental has little security or investment returns to offer, while owning a home makes a renter king or queen of the castle.

Prospecting renters as potential homebuyers may seem like a time-intensive way to cultivate new clients, but logic is on your side.

Keep these tips in mind as you broach the conversation with renters in your hometown.

All it takes is clear-cut value proposition and a listening ear.

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Laughs!

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JOHNNY OH The prospect of helping people and property investing brought Johnny out of the kitchen where he was a chef for nine years, and into the real estate world. He had dabbled in investing and brought a piece of a hi-rise as an investment, but after a while, he realized it was a poor choice. He bought what a real estate agent suggested and it wasn’t the right decision for him. He decided he was going to be an agent who would listen to clients and get them a home that was right for them, not what the easy sale was. He got his real estate license and started at the bottom, cold calling and door knocking. That was in 2017, and he’s now moved up to be the lead agent in Pello’s Northern Suburb team in Australia.

for him. That’s fine with Johnny as he still gets excited when a client drops him a message saying how positively he has changed their lives, helping with what will probably be the largest investment they ever make.

Every new five star review charges him and gets him ready for the next.

All of this success isn’t fast or easy, and Johnny has himself on call from early morning to late in the evening almost every day.

Not every day, because Sundays are set aside for time with his wife and two wonderful sons. Then it’s back to work, always aware that he’s helping people through a massive decision and absolutely changing their lives.

Around 20% of his current workload comes from referrals. He and his team work by sharing leads and having brainstorm meetings for each transaction they work on, so every client, new or referred, gets multiple minds working on what’s best for them. Johnny’s first language was Korean, a skill he uses to help support a healthy Asian client base. He knows the way buyers and sellers think and uses his multicultural viewpoint to get the best handle on where everyone is coming from to end at the best price for each deal.

Pre-listing, Johnny will do a property walk through with owners, determining just what changes need to be made to maximize sales value, ending with a team coming in to maximize styling. Whether it’s a hot or softening market, he makes sure the presentation is perfect, with beautiful photos and a premium real estate domain in addition to the listings on social media. Johnny’s busy working the field most of the time, and has a team handle his social media interactions, posting and boosting for him so he can spend more time face to face with his clients.

His system works, hitting over 50 transactions a year.

He’s looking to double his dollar figures this year, and the CEO of his firm thinks that should be an easy task 20

For further information about Johnny Oh, please call 0477-800-858 or email johnny.oh@pello.com.au Top Agent Magazine

How to Throw a Networking Event

that Can Put Your Business on the Map It’s hard to argue with the benefits of attending networking events—you make new connections, enjoy industry skill-building conversation, and expand your reach in the local business community. However, have you ever considered the benefits of hosting a networking event?

Instead of attending as a guest, you’ll be the wizard behind it all. Throwing a networking event can position you as a local business leader, and you’ll be able to curate the experience to your tastes and goals. This idea may be tempting, but how do you pull it off? Review some Top Agent Magazine

of our tips and tricks below and you’ll be more than ready to throw a networking event that’ll put you on the map.

MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR GUESTS TO SAY YES. From the outset, try to keep things as simple as possible for your guests. This means that e-invites should be structured, yet conversational.

Include a link to register online so that arriving to your event is seamless and requires no signup sheets or stuffy check-in procedures. Select a venue that’s relatively well-known and central

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Throwing a networking event can position you as a local business leader, and you’ll be able to curate the experience to your tastes and goals. to your area. It should also have easy-to-access parking so that attendance is streamlined and hassle-free. Also consider sending an automated event reminder the day before and the day of the event—that way you’ll set guests up for easy attendance that they don’t have to debate.

CREATE A THEME. Capitalizing on a holiday or local event is a great way to drive attendance to your networking function. While getting to know area professionals is a worthy reason to meet up, you’re likely to engender a livelier ambiance if you incorporate a holiday or theme. This will inspire comradery among your guests, in addition to giving your event a natural focus. Major sporting events, a Thanksgiving themed pie bakeoff, or a spring cleaning themed community volunteer day can generate more interest than your average mixer.

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR GUEST LIST. While you may be trying to keep your invite list industry-specific, you may benefit from casting a wider net. Invite area entrepreneurs, young professionals, collegiate professional organizations, and even friends and family. You never know what sort of connections will be made, and high attendance is key to keeping the energy of your networking event at a high tier. Don’t worry about only collecting info from realtors or brokers or mortgage pros. Instead, create a 22

sense of community so that opportunities flow naturally and conversation remains diverse.

BE THE BOSS. As host, it’ll be your job to play matchmaker and drive conversation at your networking event. This means that you’ll get to know more people, but it also means you’ll be able to create connections between different professionals and businesses. You can maximize your matchmaking abilities by planting a few socially-minded friends around to drive additional conversations. Your goal is to keep people talking and to be outgoing. It should also be your goal to follow-up once the event is complete. Use this as an opportunity to continue to connect different people you met, or to follow-up with coffee or lunch with someone you found interesting. Try sending out a group thank-you e-mail to your guests after the fact, telling them to keep an eye out for your next event, or to get in touch with you for any questions or contact information of fellow attendees.

While it may feel like a risk to throw a networking event, it’s a risk worth taking. By positioning yourself as the host of your event, you’ll drive awareness to your business and brand, and build up the local professional community in a way that’s sure to draw good will your way.

Keep these ideas in mind as you go about planning a memorable networking event of your own, and above all—have a good time and others will follow suit.

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STUART RIMMER Always drawn to help others, Stuart Rimmer left his career in the food and beverage industry to pursue a path in real estate. His people-loving personality and driven nature have led him to exponential growth over the last 17 years.

He has assisted all types of clients, from first time buyers to experienced investors and everyone in between. Based in Wallan and serving the growing suburbs just North of Melbourne, Stuart is seeing many people flock to the area. “We’re having upwards of 40% growth over the last couple of years alone,” Stuart says.

By focusing on providing superior service and being there for his clients every step of the way, Stuart’s referral business remains high.

With Wallan being a close-knit community, word spreads fast about his talent and skills. “Many of my clients are people I went to school with or grew up around,” he explains. “But over the last few years, we’ve been seeing more people moving out of the metropolitan area and into Wallan and its surrounding suburbs.” As time goes on, growing his business will become increasingly dependent on his ability to go above and beyond expectations and impress the newcomers. But Stuart is ready for the challenge, as he’s always treated each client as family, only wanting what’s best for them. For his buyers, this means understanding their must-haves, and working diligently to achieve their goals. His sellers enjoy thorough advertising of their property, as Stuart features his listings through various websites. “In addition to all the top real estate websites, we also post on social media, and run paid ads on Facebook, Instagram and Google.”

When the transaction is over, clients leave reviews raving about their experience. One recently said, “It was an absolute pleasure to deal with Stuart. He had a challenge on his hands to sell our property, as it was a rental and the tenant wasn’t very helpful. But Stuart got the place turned in no time and sold it at the best price for us Top Agent Magazine

in a week’s time. We only met once but he left a great impression. If you are looking to sell or buy, you can’t do it without this guy. Give him a call and he gets it done for you. Thanks Stuart for your hard work, friendliness, honesty and dedication.”

Another wrote, “Stuart Rimmer of LJH Wallan has provided excellent service in the sale of our property in Beveridge. He kept us up to date regularly, was friendly and professional, and was happy to answer questions from a first time seller.

He also had great bargaining instincts and got us a fabulous price.”

Maintaining a presence in the community, LJ Hooker Wallan sponsors the Wallan Panthers, a local basketball team. They are also a pickup and drop off site for a nonprofit called Love In Action, which supplies food to those in need. During Stuart’s free time, he loves to relax with his family.

With his sights set on growth, Stuart plans to continue evolving with the changing market conditions, and keep providing the best experience possible to his clients.

“All these years later, I’m still as driven as ever. I really enjoy what I do.”

For more about Stuart Rimmer, call +610414515449 or email stuart.rimmer@ljhooker.com.au 23 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

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