COLORADO EDITION
Uncommon Contact:
COVER STORY
DILLON LANZL
CONNECTING WITH CLIENTELE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
7 REASONS WHY
YOUR PROSPECTS AREN'T TURNING INTO CLIENTS
3 EASY AT-HOME
DIY PROJECTS FEATURED AGENTS
MARLENE MAXON MARTINE BONHOURE
TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE
DAILY HABITS THAT WILL INCREASE YOUR MENTAL STRENGTH
Laughs!
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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. 4
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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7 Reasons Why Your Prospects Aren’t Turning Into Clients Real estate experts suggest prospecting daily so that your sales pipeline never runs dry. But sometimes all that effort doesn’t translate into results. If your prospects aren’t becoming clients, there’s a reason, which is better than it sounds because that means you can fix the problem. 6
1. You’re Too Slow The Association of Real Estate License Law Officials estimates that there are about 2 million active real estate licensees in the United States alone. Of course, not all these individuals are working in the same markets. Nonetheless, that
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If your prospects aren’t becoming clients, there’s a reason, which is better than it sounds because that means you can fix the problem.
means that realtors face a lot of competition. If you are slow to respond to messages from prospective clients, someone else is sure to beat you to it. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to return calls and emails within 24 hours. If you’re too busy working with active clients to return the phone calls and emails of prospective clients, consider hiring a real estate assistant who can help take administrative or marketing tasks off your plate.
2. They Don’t Trust You There are different reasons why a client might not trust you, some of which overlap with others on this list. When a client asks you a question, do you answer it directly or do you sidestep it? Do you have testimonials and reviews from happy clients publicly available? Do you have an online presence? Social proof of your skills and knowledge is key.
3. You Don’t Seem Knowledgeable Enough Is your client constantly coming to you with new listings or marketing ideas rather than the Top Agent Magazine
other way around? Do they mention real estate and finance terms you’ve never heard of or ask you questions you’ve never thought to ask yourself? Every agent starts somewhere, but if this seems to be a pattern, it’s one clients will pick up on too. Your clients want to know that you will add value to their home buying or selling experience, and part of that value is your expertise and passion.
4. You Have No Web Presence It’s not enough to be on Zillow or have a Facebook page. There are clients who don’t use these platforms, and at the end of the day, you don’t own the content or your access to it. Both platforms could suddenly go out of business and any following you’ve gained could be lost. It doesn’t cost much to create and maintain a website today. If customization matters little to you, sometimes you can even get up and running for free. At the very least, it’s a good idea to invest in a domain name because yourwebsite. wordpress.com looks a lot less professional than yourwebsite.com.
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5. You Don’t Seem to Care When clients don’t think you care, it usually means they don’t feel like you are listening. You may have systems, processes, and a proven marketing strategy. You may like to get right down to business, but to your client, this isn’t just business—it’s their life and their family’s livelihood. When your client tells you what’s important to them, they want to make sure that you really hear them. Make sure your body language conveys that. Slow down. Shut your office door. Make eye contact, nod your head, and pause before you speak so that they understand that you’ve put thought into your words—that they aren’t simply lines from a script.
6. You Use Too Much Jargon Remember that your clients don’t speak real estate. At most, they might buy or sell a home once every few years. They hired you to be their advocate and may even expect you to be a bit of a teacher too. Use layman’s terms so that your
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client fully understands how the two of you will work together.
7. Your Target Audience Is Everyone Your clients are home buyers and sellers, yes, but who is your ideal client? Some specialties you might consider are college students and recent graduates, working professionals, military families, seniors, CEOs, or other high-profile clients. As a newer agent, your target audience might be anyone who will hire you, but over time, you might find that you click more with certain clients, that their lifestyle is similar to yours, or that their goals align with your mission. Whatever the reason, marketing your business to this “ideal client” rather than every potential client will make selling your services easier. Remember: It’s within your power to alleviate your client’s concerns, but understanding why your prospects aren’t turning into clients is a good start.
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DILLON LANZL
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Top Agent Dillon Lanzl has an expansive reach that stretches from Pueblo to Castle Rock, and from Woodland Park to Divide, he has effectively made Colorado Springs and its surrounding areas his domain. Inspired to help other veterans learn about VA loans and the home-buying process, Dillon Lanzl jumped into the real estate world and hasn’t looked back since. After graduating from high school, he served in the military for seven years. “I was medically retired last year, so when I got out, 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
I wanted to be able to help veterans buy their first homes,” Dillon explains. He’s been thriving ever since. Drawing from his prior experience in marketing and branding, Dillon’s real estate career is further enriched by his genuine passion for homes and the thrill of seeing his clients Top Agent Magazine
find ‘the one.’ With an expansive reach that stretches from Pueblo to Castle Rock, and from Woodland Park to Divide, he has effectively made Colorado Springs and its surrounding areas his domain. What truly distinguishes Dillon from his peers is his deeply ingrained ethos of teaching and communication. His expertise in VA loans, honed from his own
military experience, allows him to provide invaluable guidance to veterans, introducing them to benefits they may not have known existed. “The biggest thing I like to do is teach people about the process,” he explains. “My clients choose to work with me because of my knowledge about VA loans and the advice I give them.” Dillon’s referral-led business model, a testament to his reputation amongst peers nationwide,
Dillon’s expertise in VA loans, honed from his own military experience, allows him to provide invaluable guidance to veterans, introducing them to benefits they may not have known existed.
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“My clients choose to work with me because of my knowledge about VA loans and the advice I give them.” Dillon’s referral-led business model, a testament to his reputation amongst peers nationwide, solidifies his belief in building relationships over simply chasing leads. solidifies his belief in building relationships over simply chasing leads. Always on hand to respond to calls or texts promptly, his responsiveness is another facet that clients deeply appreciate. Clients often say, “I wasn’t expecting you to answer that fast,” as Dillon makes availability and reliability a top priority. Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12
Not only does Dillon help his clients find the best homes for their needs, he also sells homes quickly for top dollar. Before a property hits the market, he meticulously prepares it by cleaning, fixing, and staging it with the help of his interior designer wife. “She’s an interior designer, so she can stage them. She also takes the pictures.” Top Agent Magazine
His marketing approach goes beyond visuals with personalized video content and targeted mailing in the surrounding areas. Beyond that, Dillon has cultivated a network of local REALTORS® and lenders. “I’ve made it a point to meet with as many agents in the area that I can,” he explains. “I believe we can all help each other.” This rapport has paid off, enabling him to secure deals before a house even officially goes on sale.
One of Dillon’s favorite parts about his job is the ability to have an impact on his community. “I love all the different ways I can get out there and meet people,” he says. Dillon is always looking for new opportunities to assist small businesses and raise funds for nonprofits. He recently participated in a BBQ and raffle event that raised money for an organization helping homeless and suicidal veterans. “I also run an investor networking group and a
One of Dillon’s favorite parts about his job is the ability to have an impact on his community. “I love all the different ways I can get out there and meet people,” he says.
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veteran networking group,” he explains. When Dillon isn’t working, he plays competitive disc golf and spends time with his family. As Dillon looks towards the future, he sees himself growing his newly founded team
called On Target Homes, and reaching more clients. Breaking through his second year in the business, and tripling his sales volume, Dillon’s business philosophy remains unchanged: real estate isn’t just about property, it’s about people, relationships, and helping others realize their dreams.
For more information about Dillon Lanzl, please call 970-314-8211 or email dillonlanzl@gmail.com
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3 Easy At-Home DIY Projects to Increase Property Value Most homeowners have a lengthy list of chores and bit projects they intend to accomplish around the house. Oftentimes, those to-do items are completed piecemeal over a long stretch of time, or else sometimes not at all. However, when it comes time to prepare a home for market, all those tasks begin to pile-up and overwhelm. The Top Agent Magazine
list of things to do before the photographer comes or the first open house is held might seem endless, but not if you tackle just a few things here and there as you go. These sorts of projects—easy, DIY, at-home tasks you can accomplish in a few hours or less, with tools you most likely have on hand— go a long way with marginal effort.
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Complete a quick rehab of closets and storage areas Many agents advise clients to declutter and depersonalize their spaces ahead of professional photography and home showings. The idea is to provide prospective buyers with a neutral palette. Not only does this allow them to imagine their own lives unfolding within those four walls, but it also helps make a home’s square footage stand out. One way to add visual space to your home without calling in the contractor is to declutter common storage areas and closets. When buyers can get a complete look at a closet’s capacity, or a pantry’s depth, or the garage’s full functional potential, they get a better sense of a home’s potential and thus, its value. In that vein, consider decluttering and cleaning your high-traffic storage spaces: the garage, pantries, closets, attics, and basements. Besides, organizing and discarding unwanted items help you prep for a move anyway, while giving potential buyers a peak at how spacious your home really is.
Add easy curb appeal with a bit of sweat equity Sure, curb appeal can arrive in the form of a new mailbox, pathway lighting, or updated house numbers, but it can also come cheaper than that. Curb extends to the upkeep of your lawn, landscaping, and home’s façade, and there are plenty of ways 16
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you can give these zones a refresh without spending anything but time. Keeping your front and back yard green and uniform adds a lux layer to exterior square footage. Likewise, polishing the outside of your windows, trimming hedges, and sweeping the walkway can make a tidy and wellcared for first impression. There are other measures you can take too. Planting wildflower seeds in empty beds, or collecting some landscaping rocks to frame mulched areas can add a bit of character to your residence. Repainting the front door, ensuring trees are trimmed, and keeping back patios Top Agent Magazine
neat and uncluttered also underscore a home at its finest, which is ripe for buyers to snatch up.
Transform tiled spaces into sparkling clean surfaces. Bathrooms and kitchens are where sellers can stand to add plenty of value in the process of selling a home. While pricey renovations might be out of the question for some, there are still affordable and time-effective ways you can transform for these spaces for the better. Cleaning,
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bleaching, or redoing your tile grout—in either kitchens, bathrooms, or other tiled spaces—can give these high-trafficked areas a new lease on life. Ensuring windows, mirrors, stainless steel appliances and backsplashes are streak-free and polished also demonstrate to buyers that your home is well-cared for and practically move-in ready. Sometimes, the devil is in the details. You might consider relining drawers, changing out knobs and fixtures,
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or else decluttering cabinets and shelves for a fresher look. No matter the challenges ahead as you prepare your home for sale, completing a few small tasks every weekend or so can put you miles ahead of the competition. Without spending a dime, you can add serious value to your home’s bottom line, setting you up for success as you begin your own home-shopping adventure.
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MARLENE MAXON It’s been said that the harder you work, the luckier you get. And no one knows that better than Marlene Maxon. After a successful 25-year career in marketing working for corporate America, Marlene jumped into real estate with RE/MAX Alliance in Colorado in 2008--when the real estate market was terrible. She started out working door to door pursuing outlier opportunities in stress and foreclosures on behalf of a bank. Soon the other agents in her office started giving her the difficult sales that they didn’t want to spend time on. While the incubation process to complete a real estate transaction is typically 30-45 days, the stress sales that Marlene worked on early in her career took much longer. “The longest one took two years. A lot of work, but I just dug the ditch,” she says. Whether she’s working with a buyer or seller, she goes out of her way to take the time to set realistic expectations regarding the process. And as it turned out, there was a silver lining to all those time-consuming sales. Once her clients were doing better financially, her phone began to ring—and it hasn’t stopped since. “After working so closely with people at such a painful point in their lives, many of them almost became family. Within two years, I had a strong and solid customer base.” A proud member of the RE/MAX Chairman Club and an expert in the Colorado real estate market, Marlene is now consistently recognized in the top 1% of the industry and has been featured as a professional “Five Star Real Estate Agent” in 5280 Magazine five years running. She has also been recognized as Real Trends top 1000, and this year she’s on track to complete at least 40 sales. But she’s quick to credit Annie, the assistant she calls her “right arm,” along with her fellow real estate agents, as major contributors to her success. Last year, when her husband tragically passed away from brain cancer, her fellow agents stepped in. “The real estate community came out of the woodwork to help Top Agent Magazine
me. I’m incredibly indebted to them. It really makes you look at everything in perspective. So many people in this business are amazing human beings.” Marlene donates a portion of every commission she makes to the Children’s Miracle Network. In fact, in 2021 she was the top contributor for all of RE/MAX Alliance. In honor of her late father--a proud WWII pilot and her biggest fan-she’s an avid supporter of the Wounded Warriors Project. In her free time, she enjoys spending time and traveling with her family, especially her grandchildren. She also rides horses whenever she can. As she looks ahead, Marlene is keenly aware of what her priorities are and what’s really important in life: her relationships. “At this point, it is quality vs. quantity for me. So many of my clients are my friends. I just want to continue to work with the people who appreciate and know me. One of my mottos is ‘slow down before you speed up.’” At the same time, she still loves the experience of helping a buyer find their dream home. “Right now, I have a luxury home buyer and a first-buyer, and they’re both equally exciting. It just makes you feel good to do something good for somebody else.”
Contact Marlene at 303.549.8787, email mrlnmaxon@gmail.com or visit MarleneMaxon.homesincolorado.com www.
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Daily Habits That Will Increase Your Mental Strength When it comes to building physical strength, the solutions are obvious, but keeping up your mental strength isn’t as easy as going to the gym. Although physical exercise does help clear your head and relieve stress, there are other things you can do daily that will help your mind be as strong and flexible as your body after a workout. Here’s just a few things you can do to help clear your head and make you more productive. Top Agent Magazine
DON’T WASTE YOUR BRAIN POWER That might seem obvious, but think about how much mental energy you might use up worrying about negativity or things you have no control over. Instead of focusing on problems, focus on solutions. This actually take a lot of effort, we’re all conditioned to let worry paralyze us sometimes. Try and catch yourself when you’re 21
wasting time thinking about about past mistakes or current dilemmas you don’t have the power to stop. You really only have so much mental energy, and if you have kids and an especially stressful work situation, that might be even less than normal. Start treating your brain like the precious resource it is. You don’t want to be running on empty when it really matters. BE MORE POSITIVE Eliminating negative thoughts is essential to increasing your mental strength. Carrying around negativity is like swimming with all of your clothes on. You might be okay at first, but eventually you’ll feel like you can barely stay afloat. Don’t drown in negativity, use positive thoughts as a lifesaver. This doesn’t mean you should ignore things you need to improve, just approach them with solutions rather than beating yourself up. Constant monitoring of this is important since it’s really easy to slide back into negative thinking. STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE A lot of mental energy can go to dealing with anxiety. One way to deal with that is by forcing yourself to try new things and take on new challenges, that you might normally avoid because they make you feel unsure or scared. Challenge yourself daily, even with small things. This is definitely something that becomes easier with practice. Start small, and in no time you’ll be taking on things you never 22
thought were possible. The simple task of trying something new every day will have you feeling energized and put you on the path to self-growth. BE SELF-AWARE Your emotions affect everything you do, even if they’re not at the surface. Recognizing and labeling them is key. A lot of the above exercises require selfreflection. It’s okay to have the emotions you have, understanding why and where those emotions come from allows you to focus on dealing with them rather than just wallowing in them. Being self-aware is also about self-care. Know the things that help relax and rejuvenate you. That way you can handle everyday stresses and remain calm even during the most turbulent times. BE WILLING TO LEARN A lot of people are still hung up on the idea that learning is a boring and tedious process, but you aren’t in junior high anymore. You can find something you’re actually interested in and immerse yourself in it, which engages your mind like nothing else. Whether it’s learning a new technology that will improve your business or something that will make you a more well-rounded person, the learning process keeps you engaged and open to new ideas. A curiosity about the world and new things is something that all mentally strong people have in common. Top Agent Magazine
MARTINE BONHOURE Martine Bonhoure works with her clients far beyond the real estate transaction. Having relocated in 2002 from Grenoble, France, to Fort Collins, her extensive knowledge of Northern Colorado combined with her unwavering commitment to service is one reason Martine is a toptier agent. Previously, Martine was an executive for an international corporation in France, a career that built up her impressive leadership and communication skills as she had the opportunity to travel extensively. From 2008 to 2013 she purchased and remodeled homes, and, shortly after, decided to pursue a career as a real estate agent. In 2013 she obtained her license and has been a trusted and knowledgeable leader in the industry ever since. Martine works solo at Coldwell Banker and has a dedicated team responsible for managing every aspect of the selling or buying process. Serving Fort Collins and the surrounding markets, Martine is an expert in both assisting with relocation and showcasing upscale residences. “Many of the French tend to move to Denver, so I do business there as well,” she says. “I also do relocation for a large Brazilian company that moves Brazilians to Northern Colorado.” Martine’s repeat and referral business is 80 percent, a high number that can be attributed to her work ethic. “I’m very close to my clients,” she explains. “The quality of service I provide is important to me. So while I do get volume from referrals, I do not seek referrals.” Her intelligent approach to marketing is one aspect that sets her apart within the industry. “I have a background in marketing and finance,” Martine says. “Before I go to the listing appointment, I do a very detailed list price analysis and I use that for the appraisal afterward.” By utilizing various analytics tools, Martine has set herself up for continued success and the ability to maintain a competitive advantage. Another defining quality that Top Agent Magazine
sets Martine apart is her attentiveness to client intentions and her dedication to consistently exceed their expectations. “I give as much exposure to a home as I can. I use lifestyle videos to tell stories about the homes and am active on social media.” One of her favorite areas of real estate is packaging a home for sale and everything that the marketing involves, including conducting in-depth analyses. As far as her community involvement, Martine is active in helping foreign Nationals with a smooth transition to the USA “I do relocation help beyond buying a home,” she explains. “I help them get settled.” Part of her plans for the future includes adding a Brazilian buyer’s agent to assist in the relocation business. While she is fluent in French, English, and German, having a member on her team who speaks Portuguese would be beneficial. When she is not working or involved with the community, Martine loves to ski, hike, read, and travel, which often includes visiting France as much of her family reside there. Her daughter lives in Canada, and currently it is only Martine and her husband in Colorado. Martine’s multi-faceted, intrinsic approach toward her personal and professional life is unique among her peers and just one aspect that distinguishes her within the industry.
Contact Martine at (970) 443-1781, email martine@realestatenoco.com or visit realestateencoco.com www.
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