CHICAGO EDITION
How to Get the Biggest RECHARGE Out of Your Lunch Hour 5 Things You Can Do to ACHIEVE YOUR BIGGEST GOALS
Top 4 Ways to JUICE UP YOUR OPEN HOUSE STRATEGY I’ll Take 2 Pounds of Confidence and 3 POUNDS OF SELF-ESTEEM!
COVER STORY
JOSH LIPTON
CHICAGO EDITION
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JOSH LIPTON
CONTENTS 4) HOW TO GET THE BIGGEST RECHARGE OUT OF YOUR LUNCH HOUR
18) TOP 4 WAYS TO JUICE UP YOUR OPEN HOUSE STRATEGY
13) I’LL TAKE 2 POUNDS OF CONFIDENCE AND 3 POUNDS OF SELF-ESTEEM!
22) 5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO ACHIEVE YOUR BIGGEST GOALS
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How to Get the Biggest Recharge
Out of Your Lunch Hour When things get busy, it’s typical to find a grab-and-go lunch and keep plugging away on the tasks at hand. While some days demand this kind of hustle, your lunch hour can be a valuable window in which to recharge and set the tone for the latter half of your day. In fact, taking a mindful break at midday can create 4
mental space for extended productivity and provide the morale boost necessary to take on a new task for the afternoon. But how do you maximize that hourlong reprieve amidst a busy schedule? Here are a few ideas for inspiration, no matter what your tastes or preferred habits may be.
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Taking a mindful break at midday can create mental space for extended productivity and provide the morale boost necessary to take on a new task for the afternoon.
GET MOVING Just ten minutes of light exercise can get your blood pumping and your energy renewed. Step outside and take a brisk walk around the block, or walk to your favorite sandwich shop instead of hopping in your car. Find ways to incorporate light exercise into your lunch hour routine and you’ll not only enjoy a chance to stretch your legs and get your eyes off of screens, but you’ll also reap the health and mood benefits of endorphins. Even extended stretching or mild calisthenics can provide rejuvenating relief in short order. Top Agent Magazine
PLAY CATCH UP Sometimes catching up with an old friend or family member can brighten your day and give you a morale-boosting outlet beyond the office. During your next lunch hour, why not combine a jaunt around the block with a call to catch up with your sibling or college buddy? Shifting your focus from work and centering instead on a comforting interpersonal relationship can really boost your mood and reinforce your personal values.
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CHANGE YOUR TUNE
SOAK UP THE SUN If you’re tempted to eat your lunch at your desk while staring into the same computer screen that you’ve been working on for hours—think again. Sure, a busy schedule sometimes means making that sacrifice, but when your schedule and weather permits, try to take your lunch outside and disconnect from your office setting. Soak up the sun, feel the breeze, and lift your gaze to the horizon instead of toward your phone or computer screen. The mood-boosting benefits of time spent recharging outside are well-documented, and a change of scenery can give you the boost you need to power through your afternoon to-do list. 6
Use your lunch hour to treat your senses. As you eat or get active, try queuing up your favorite music or the latest episode of your favorite podcast. If you focus on the same tasks and stimuli for too long, your brain will fatigue and your focus will erode steadily over time. Shift gears and treat your mind to some music or stimulation outside of your daily tasks. You’ll help yourself relax, recharge, and create a natural transition point for your ensuing afternoon workflow. Your lunch hour isn’t just about being purely functional. If you want to maintain a steady rate of productivity and leave the office satisfied by the progress of your day—use your lunch hour wisely. As important as it is to nourish your body, also consider nourishing your mind. No matter what your chosen outlet may be, don’t overlook the power of a well-spent lunch hour and the positive benefits that are sure to follow.
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JOSH LIPTON Top Agent Magazine
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Josh Lipton Josh Lipton never anticipated a career in real estate, though he always possessed the ideal skillset to launch a flourishing career in the industry. Beginning with his experience in investment banking, real estate private equity, and commercial mortgage backed securities, Josh honed an eye for detail and intrepid negotiating. Then, when the downturn shook the marketplace, Josh earned his law degree and became a licensed attorney in Illinois - further demonstrating his aptitude and work ethic. After expanding his repertoire in the field, Josh was ready for new professional horizons. He craved a role where he could apply his entrepreneurial spirit and take the reins toward limitless potential. When a family friend invited him to consider residential real estate as an option, Josh decided to make the leap. After earning his license in 2014, he joined a top-producing team to learn the ropes. In his first year, Josh was awarded Rookie of the Year for the entire city of Chicago. By year two, he was in the top 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
10% of producers. By year three, he had ascended to the top 1%. Now, Josh is in command of a sharp reputation for forthrightness, negotiating prowess and a proven track record of success. Based in Chicago, Josh serves the downtown market, particularly the areas of the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Roscoe Village, and the West Loop—to name only a few. Likewise, he goes where clients lead and has brokered significant deals in Chicago’s suburbs, as well. All the while, Josh has built a business based almost entirely on repeat and referral clientele—a testament to his staying power and results-driven practice. To account for his swift success thus far, Josh cites candidness, personal relationships, and strategic service as the foremost drivers of his professional philosophy. “My clients know that I’m honest, direct and I stand by my word,” he says. “I’m not just telling Top Agent Magazine
them what they want to hear, but what they need to hear. They know that whether they’re buying, selling, or investing, I go way above and beyond the call of duty. I offer total whiteglove service and I deliver by putting a plan in place, followed by thorough execution. You’re only as good as your last deal.” What’s more, Josh forges lasting relationships with those he serves. In fact, some of his past clients even participated as groomsmen in his wedding last year. “I work with amazing clients,” Josh says. “I always tell my clients that the closing table is only the beginning of our relationship. We often become part of each other’s lives in a genuine way. What starts as a business relationship quickly evolves to a personal friendship. My clients can turn to me for anything, trust my judgment. and know that any resource or business partner I refer is personally vouched for. From inspectors, attorTop Agent Magazine
neys, painters, contractors, and designers to restaurant recommendations and things to do in and around the city—my clients know I can connect them with what they need.” When it comes to listing properties, Josh applies his knack for detail and marketing insights by launching customized strategies tailored to each individual property. Beginning with premarketing efforts, Josh ensures that each home is debut-ready through de-cluttering, staging as needed, and painting before professional Copyright Top Agent Magazine 9
photography, video, and 3D virtual tours are incorporated. Then, Josh nets wide-ranging exposure across social media and the leading online listing platforms through targeted ads and promoted visibility. He also credits his banner company, Compass Real Estate, for the tech-forward tools they add to his arsenal. “Compass’s platform allows me to view and study backend analytics and insights to see where traffic is coming 10Copyright Top Agent Magazine
from,” he explains. “I’m then able to place greater emphasis on campaigns and ads targeting specific demographics where my listing is earning the most exposure, and less on others. It’s also important to make a home feel welcoming and homey so that prospective buyers can envision themselves living there. When prospective buyers walk into one of my listings, I don’t want them to feel as though they are just walking into another house, Top Agent Magazine
but rather their own home! It’s all about storytelling, and it’s my job to sell the vision, the neighborhood and what this home has to offer that others don’t.” To give back to his Chicago community, Josh contributes to the Superhero Collective, a 501c3 not-for-profit that prioritizes children who have been hospitalized for whatever reason. Founded by one of his go-to mortTop Agent Magazine
gage lenders, Tim Brigham of Waterstone Mortgage, The Superhero Collective fundraises for children that have been hospitalized and delivers gifts to them dressed as their favorite superheroes while they receive treatment. “The idea is that if we can make them forget about being sick for even five minutes, it’s worth it,” Josh says. He also supports the Chicago Allstars Projects which facilitates professional development for the Copyright Top Agent Magazine11
city’s Southside and Westside neighborhood communities. By using the power of performance, the Chicago All-Stars Project helps bridge the “development gap” that exists between poor and middle-class youth by providing after school development programs to enable a path from the margins to the mainstream of society, helping youth see new possibilities for themselves and their communities. Looking ahead, Josh has plans to continue growing his business organically, with aspirations to grow his team and further scale his business in the years to come. As a burgeoning investor/developer in his hours not work-
ing with buyers and sellers, Josh also looks forward to expanding his reach within Chicago’s community of builders and developers. For now, he is content to build upon the foundation of success that has defined his career thus far. Finally, Josh Lipton reflects on what he has enjoyed most about his chosen field: “I love the relationships and the chance to expand my circle personally and professional every single day,” he says. “No two clients or properties are the same. Every client has different objectives, motivations, timelines and moving pieces in their life. Each day in this industry is a new challenge and adventure, and that’s what I love most about it.”
To learn more about Josh Lipton email JL@Compass.com, visit compass.com/agents/chicago/josh-lipton or his Facebook page here www.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/biz/topic_real_estate/Josh-Lipton-Compass-Real-Estate-846011435591840/
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I’ll Take 2 Pounds of Confidence and 3 Pounds of Self-Esteem! By Barry Eisen
At least a few times per month I get emails and/or calls asking me to help develop confidence and a positive self-esteem. When you’re hot you’re hot and when you’re not, you’re not. Life has its ups and downs and occasionally everyone feels like they’ve run out of gas and nothing they seem to do works. When you’re in a slump the world can look overwhelming and against you. The more you think about you’re victimhood, the more out of control you feel.What you focus upon becomes larger. Confidence, positive self-esteem...these are just words and something experienced many moons ago. Talk it out with your spouse? Sure. See a therapist? Maybe. Get a coach? Good idea. Call a hypnotist...that’s where I come in, but maybe not in an obvious way. Top Agent Magazine
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Hypnosis can be of help in so many areas such as controlling weight, memory improvement, reading faster, stopping smoking, becoming a great public speaker, prospecting and growing a business, eliminating fears, becoming a better golfer/tennis player/baseball player etc., sleeping and energy, controlling pain control in dentistry and child birthing, improving wellness, passing tests and so much more. This is not an over statement. Hypnosis is a performance enhancer because it taps into the best parts of who we are to make the changes necessary to make the changes to evolve ourselves. But “programming” ones mind for confidence and positive self-esteem is not something I’ve seen done effectively. The subconscious says, “What does that mean?” “Give me a picture, what do you want?” Read any neuroscience to know (or simply use common sense) that the subconscious needs specific direction (words, pictures and supportive feelings) for these clear messages to be acted upon. A general business plan is usually a recipe for disaster. A poor teaching plan will confuse students. Mixed general messages given to a 3 year old will produce erratic behavior. A loose navigation plan will have ships traveling in circles. Just like many people. Instead of working on confidence and positive self-esteem, does it make sense to instead, work on a solid business target of success and develop a business plan that will get you there? If you’re planning for the future, is it not a better idea to set an end result and develop strategies that will make it happen? If you’re looking for better health, doesn’t it make sense to set a target for excellence and back it up with a realistic exercise and eating approach that will insure success? The confidence and self-esteem will come along automatically. Create the goal, take action, do the work, be consistent. Your business will never grow more than you do. Your health will never get better without you stretching out beyond who you now are. Your relationships will never be more secure and supportive than you are of yourself. Your confidence and self-esteem will never grow without a reason. 14
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Before you therapy or drug yourself into confidence and self-esteem, at least try (Oh! I hate that word) the 10 organic following ideas for 2-3 weeks.
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Set goals that stretch you out and force you to grow. You can’t be depressed when you’re learning something. Learning takes you out of your egocentric predicament.
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Create timelines/target dates for goal accomplishments. This establishes a sense of urgency. It puts a little “gitty up” in your step and mind.
List your actions of the day on your To-Do list and prioritize all items. Doing the A’s and crossing each off as done, will put a smile on your face and a jolt of small energy in your life. (Accomplishment feels good. Could you use some “feel good”/self-esteem?) You’ll start looking forward
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to these little positive jolts and do what is necessary to have them. If I was talking cocaine...that would be a bad thing, but since I’m talking non drug human motivation...that would be a good thing.
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If you’re just feeling flat for no obvious reason, take on an interest/ hobby/project that’s been on your mind in the past. Learning stimulates blood flow to different parts of the brain and increases endorphin flow. (E.g. Calligraphy, sailing, martial arts, reading sci-fi, etc.)
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Follow through like your hair’s on fire. Show yourself what you CAN DO! Create some appropriate reward for the accomplishment. Balance your life with goals in physical, financial, emotional, educational, family, social and spiritual areas. Sometimes more is better. Purposely smile more, laugh easier, hold eye contact a little more (obviously, not in a creepy way) and present a stronger posture.
Learn to relax to slow down, put things in perspective, ask yourself how you feel and how you’re doing 2 or 3 times during your day. Don’t let the day rule you. Be present. Pay attention.
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Act “AS IF” you were already doing things with confidence, making decisions with authority and living the life you want to live. You become what you think about. Barry Eisen teaches personal development seminars and coaches Southern California top producing REALTORS®. “Your business will never grow more than you do” is the theme; self hypnosis and behavior modification are the tools for playing a bigger game. barryeisen.com, barryeisen@LA.twcbc.com 818-769-4300
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Top 4 Ways to Juice Up Your Open House Strategy by Rob Flitton
I go to open houses, but not just because of my profession or interest in architecture and interior design. I go to open houses to see how effective real estate agents are at selling. It has been rather eyeopening because there is very little selling going on—the average open house strategy needs work.
1.Build a Dynamic Open House Booklet After they leave, open house visitors will discard a one-page for-sale info sheet naming a home’s features. But they will keep, and possibly use, a 6 or 8 page booklet loaded with interesting items that directly solve problems for them.
Perhaps “selling” is considered an outdated skill, or that it feels socially awkward for agents to be regarded as a salesperson. But if you’re a real estate agent, you are a salesperson. At most of the open houses I go, I see money floating out the door every time a visitor leaves because of the agent’s inability or refusal to sell.
It will require some strategic thought to nail the content and design, but perhaps include: (i) descriptives about the benefits of buying the property you’re showing, and not just data, (ii) compelling reasons why they should consider working with you along with a web link to search for listings on your website, (iii) a web link telling them how to get a prompt, written estimate on the value of their home, or to find out what other homes in their neighborhood sold for, (iv) possible discounts on real estate related services—maybe a reduction in fees from your preferred lender, or a reduced home inspection price, (v) possible discounts on non real estate related items.
An open house is a lucrative opportunity to find buyer or seller clients –selling the listing itself may also be the goal, but an agent should not pass up this chance. There are 4 distinct strategies an agent can immediately employ to juice up their open houses and get awesome leads. 18
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If you combine this dynamic booklet with properly trained closing language, as touched upon below, it is something the average person will either keep and use or pass along to someone they know. A well designed booklet can bring you a lot of business.
data—and they are void of interesting or problem-solving information.
2.Work The Neighborhood A few days prior to your open house, find the names and addresses (from tax records—or elsewhere) of, say, 20 homes in each direction from the Pre-internet, both open houses for open house. resale listings, and model homes for new construction, relied on strategic For the cost of postage and some collateral materials (handouts). Vis- sweat-equity, mail a postcard to these itors were ostensibly looking at sev- 80 homeowners inviting them to the eral competitors at the same time, so open house and offering something collateral materials had to have the unique and compelling—perhaps a power to bring them back to your drawing or giveaway for those willing site—a great call to action, eye- to provide their opinion on the asking catching color, identification of the price of the home (and the entry card, of course, will net you their email benefits of buying your product. address and phone number). People Yet at open houses today, I primarily are generally nosy and like to be see bland information sheets dis- validated, so asking for their opinion cussing features—the listing price, on something happening in their own the square footage, and the standard neighborhood is very appealing.
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And, it is best to mail them again right after the open house to talk about what happened. “From our Saturday open house, we discovered 3 qualified and eager buyers that are now looking for a home in this neighborhood—if you would like to know what your home is worth for these buyers to consider, please give me a call.”
dynamic booklet and say: “Please enjoy our open house, and am hoping you’ll do me a favor. This booklet is loaded with great information about, and if you become interested at some point in buying or selling, would you please call and give me the opportunity to earn your business? Or if you happen to know someone now who is looking now, would you kindly pass this booklet onto them?”
Also, adding on door-knocking or If they reply with a “don’t know” type flyer-hanging to your mailings boosts of answer this usually means they are your neighborhood equity even more. indeed looking but are just not ready yet to reveal this to you, so you will 3.Close and Qualify need to work to make a connection. Engage every single visitor in closing Good consultative sales connections dialogue, because every single visitor are made when you can make them feel you’re not pushy and are able to is there for a reason. directly resolve their problem. While smiling, with shoulders erect, and maintaining suitable distance, A “yes” type of response is great, but look them in the eye and offer your you should take the qualifying step of handshake while stating your full asking them if they’re working with another agent. If they are, the dyname and company—and then ask: namic booklet comes in handy again: “Are you out looking to buy a home “If for any reason your agent is today?” unavailable to show you homes, I can be reached at the phone number in There are 4 categories of answers, this booklet. Plus, it contains fantastic and any answer they provide is an resources for searching online and a opportunity to get to the marrow of discount on financing.” what they need. There are “nos”, “don’t knows,” “yeses,” and “other.” If you can’t get a sandwich, get a bite. If they are definitive about looking, If they reply with a “no” variety of and don’t have an agent, then they are answer, then you can hand them your available for you to work with and 20
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here again you need the right type of closing and qualifying dialogue. The goal here is to evoke from them their home-buying goals so that you can match and narrow down to a single opportunity. It’s a mistake to present multiple listings to a buyer at once. Ask broad questions and then narrowing questions followed up by “if-then” questions. Example: “What types of functions do you want in your new home, or activities near your neighborhood?” Followed by something like, “is the number or size of bedrooms important to you?” Followed by, “so if I can show you the kind of home we just described, are you ready to go see it and possibly make an offer?”
4.Have Interactive Tech Tools Onsite It is the worst feeling to engage someone as a potential client at an open house and then have no tools available to solve their problem— don’t assume they aren’t going to want to do business right away. If you’re engaging a potential buyer, you better be able to instantly gratify their desire to see viable homes online so internet access and an easily view-able screen are necessary. They may ask you to go see other homes in-person, so you need to have a coagent available to either show them those homes, or spell you off as host while you do. You may be asked to write up an offer for them so you will need the tools and ability to create and e-sign documents.
Naturally, any objections or “nos” you receive in this process are just fan- When a potential listing client is in tastic opportunities to learn about their front of you, you need to be able to needs and earn a connected trust. show them recent comparable sales and may even be asked to list their The “other” thing they might tell you home and will need the tools and is that they’re not a buyer at all, but a ability to create and e-sign documents potential seller. Potential sellers often for taking that listing. go to open houses to find out how their home stacks up, but are you It happens sometimes—but it never aware what the number one reason happens if you’re not ready. they attend open houses is? Potential sellers go to open houses to Rob Flitton is a Seattle Real Estate Mardirectly or indirectly interview you, a keting specialist helping independent agents to increase their income. Email Rob potential listing agent. And they hire robflitton@gmail.com at any time or call/ confident, prepared professionals. text him at 206-612-2314. Top Agent Magazine
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5 Things You Can Do To Achieve Your Biggest Goals If there’s one thing successful people can agree on, it’s that setting goals has been key to their success. Whether you’re creating a five year plan or just settling on what you want to achieve by the end of the day, setting goals gives you the focus and direction you need to complete even the biggest tasks. But there is a method to setting them. It’s a process that takes careful thought and con22
sideration up front, which is then combined with the hard work necessary to implement your plan. Luckily there are proven methods to goal setting that you can start using immediately. 1. MAKE YOUR GOALS SPECIFIC
Yes, it’s fun to think in grand terms of where you want to end up in life and in your career, but it’s better to have a specific
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Your plan of action should include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. goal like “Increase my sales by 25%”, than “Get rich.” When a goal is clear and specific, it allows you to figure out the exact steps you need to take to accomplish it. The more general it is, the more paralyzed you might be when it comes to figuring out what to do since, the choices may be overwhelming. 2. MAKE IT ATTAINABLE
Making attainable goals might seem boring, I mean afterall, you want to dream big! But you don’t want to suffer through the disappointment of not reaching your goal, something that may not even be possible at this stage in your life to begin with. One solution to that is creating goal levels. You can have the dream goal, but underneath that you have the realistic goals that are setting up a foundation for achieving the big one. Things that are attainable still take work and effort to achieve. Those small victories will keep you motivated and encouraged to go for the bigger dreams. And don’t forget, those little goals may have been things you wouldn’t have gotten done if you didn’t set out to achieve them, so be proud! 3. PUT A PLAN OF ACTION IN WRITING
Your plan of action should include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. There is something about seeing things in writing and crossing them off the list that is oddly satisfying.The daily goals are especially Top Agent Magazine
important in regards to building up those good habits. The first few weeks of your plan of action are critical when it comes to your long term success. Reaching a goal is something you are doing every day, all throughout the day, in numerous ways. Achieving goals is all about creating good new habits. 4. MAKE IT MEASURABLE
This is key, since you definitely want to reward yourself for a job well done, and having a goal that is measurable in some way is a sure way to know. Maybe it’s to increase your lead generation or to cut expenses, whatever the case, have a measurable test you need to meet, as well as a time frame. Then calculate what you have to do to reach that goal. Not only should your goal be specific, but the plan and the measure of success should also be set in stone. 5. ADJUST AS YOU GO
You can have all the best laid plans, and you still might quickly realize that what you thought would help you reach your goal, might not be cutting it. Commitment to reaching your goals is good, but commitment to a plan you know isn’t going to work is not only a waste of time, but will be a devastating blow to your motivation. Sticking to a plan everyday means adjusting it accordingly.
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