Delaware 6-12-17 by Top Agent Magazine

DELAWARE EDITION

5 Tips to GET NEW CLIENTS Top 4 Ways to Juice Up Your OPEN HOUSE STRATEGY

FEATURED AGENT

MICHAEL KELCZEWSKI COVER STORY

PAMELA PRICE

ARE YOU DOING BUSINESS AS YOU on Facebook? BODY LANGUAGE: How to Read Your Prospect Like a Book!

DELAWARE EDITION

PAMELA PRICE

MICHAEL KELCZEWSKI

CONTENTS 4) 5 TIPS TO GET NEW CLIENTS 13) BODY LANGUAGE: HOW TO READ YOUR PROSPECT LIKE A BOOK!

18) ARE YOU DOING BUSINESS AS YOU ON FACEBOOK? 20) TOP 4 WAYS TO JUICE UP YOUR OPEN HOUSE STRATEGY

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5 Tips to Get New Clients If you’ve been in the industry for a while, you’ve probably built up a healthy percentage of repeat and referral business. Although it can be tempting to just maintain those relationships rather than generating new business, there’s something to be said for staying on top of 4

your game by never resting on your laurels. Actively pursuing new clients is not only a way to generate more business, but depending on how you do it, it could even lead to a profitable new niche. Here are just a few ways to build up your new client base. Top Agent Magazine

Become a referral partner with industry peers

Cold Call Expired and FSBO Listings

Everyone from mortgage lenders, to financial planners, to insurance agents, can be potentially lucrative referral partners for a Realtor®. You may already have great relationships with some that just need to be more formalized. But, you don’t just want to partner with anyone, make sure these are people you also feel completely comfortable referring your clients to - people who share your values and work ethic.

Another avenue to consider is divorce attorneys – yes, you heard that correctly. Helping people go through this difficult period actually requires a very specific skill set. You need to be able to handle the legal aspects, as well as the emotional ones. There are numerous training courses you can take if you decide to take this route, which could end up being a lucrative and much-needed specialty.

This is a route a lot of agents take when they are just starting out, that usually leads to great success. You probably haven’t cold called since you started out, and this is a great skill to build up again. It will not only sharpen your sales skills, but could generate a lot more business. People with For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) and expired listings, are usually very motivated to sell. This is a great chance for you to really hone in on why they need to hire you. Do you offer innovative marketing plans? Access to a large sphere of influence? Expired listing clients are looking for ways to sell a property that seems impossible to move. With FSBOs, you need to show them how you can get them more money in their pocket, even

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with paying you a commission. Pursuing both will really engage your mind to think outside of the box, which will not only get you more business, but make you better at what you do. 5

Partner up with a Relocation Company

Become a Builder’s Realtor® of choice

This is another niche market that you can really capitalize on if you want to pursue a new specialty. But, it is a specialty, so getting educated on the process will help you generate the business you want. It’s a complicated area of real estate, you’ll often

times be helping to facilitate dual transactions, as you try and secure a property at the same time you are helping your relocation client sell their previous home. This specialty is becoming an in-demand skill in areas that have major corporate headquarters.

This can be a real score for any Realtor®. The competition might be fierce to land a client like this, but there are numerous ways to make yourself stand out from the rest. Gain certifications and become knowledgeable about the construction process. Be wellversed on what trendy materials, features, and finishes will add value to a property. Get the builder on board with you by offering to take just a segment of the subdivision then wow them with your marketing skills. Take on properties they haven’t been able to sell. You can even offer to throw an open

Create a Website that Offers Real Value to Potential Clients

Perhaps the most useful way of getting contact information for people looking to sell is by adding a home valuation feature to your website. When people are first considering selling their home, finding out how much 6

house for them. This is another way to show them the level of service they can expect from you. These clients might be harder to land, but the payoff will be enormous.

it is worth is one of the first questions they want answered. By becoming a resource to potential clients (and current clients!), you just might be the first person that comes to mind when they’re actually looking to sell. Top Agent Magazine

PAMELA PRICE Top Agent Magazine

Pamela Price opened RE/MAX Coast & Country in Delmar, Delaware in 2016. As Broker/Owner, she is known for her willingness to help everyone, her keen negotiation skills, and her ability to smoothly get sales to settlement.

Pamela entered the real estate world 12 years ago and in 2016 she opened RE/MAX Coast & Country in her hometown of Delmar, Delaware. As the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Coast & Country, Pamela is known for her willingness to help everyone, her keen negotiation skills, and her ability to get a sale smoothly from start to settlement. Serving the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware, along with inland areas, RE/MAX Coast & Country provides superior service and communication. Every member of Pamela’s team makes themselves available to address the needs of clients, whenever needed. With 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

agents licensed in both Maryland and Delaware, a skilled full-time Licensed Assistant, and a Marketing Director on staff, RE/MAX Coast & Country provides optimal service for both sellers and buyers. “Everyone here has a part, and that enables us to be the best that we can for each and every client,” Pamela says, noting that to reach their entire market and to get the maximum exposure she belongs to four MLS systems, promotes heavily online through syndication to the major real estate sites, has custom video tours on Facebook and YouTube, runs several television advertising commercials, as well as print ads, and utilizes the most effective traditional marketing methods available. Top Agent Magazine

Pamela’s passion for contributing to her community also resonates with clients and prospects. “I love giving back,” she says. In addition to adopting several local families over the holidays every year, Pamela provides an annual $1,000 Delmar school scholarship, provides sponsorships to the State Police, Little League, Special Olympics, and several other local organizations, in addition, Pamela often heads up fundraising events for local families in need who know that they can always count on her. “One of my favorite ways of giving back to my community are my ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ days,” states Top Agent Magazine

Pamela. In a single day, she and her team members and families break up into groups and visit numerous local people and places giving gifts with the hopes of brightening someone’s day. During the holidays, for example, one group may hand out Christmas wreaths to strangers in parking lots, while another group spontaneously delivers toys to children’s shelters; a third may hide money in and around items in the local dollar store. “It’s great fun!” She enjoys how these activities show her daughters the importance of appreciating all you have, and always giving back to others. Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

Pamela is in the REMAX Multi-Million Dollar Club, the REMAX 100 Percent Club, and the REMAX Platinum Club, and is a REMAX Hall of Fame winner. Those values also guide the way Pamela does business. She takes pride in each and every client and transaction. Pamela knows that the most important decision you’ll make when selling or buying a home is who you will trust to assist you in the process. Even though she has been a Top Producing Agent from her First Year in Real Estate, she has been voted Coastal Style’s Best Realtor, she is in the REMAX Multi-Million Copyright Top Agent Magazine Copyright 10

Dollar Club, the REMAX 100 Percent Club, and the REMAX Platinum Club, she is a REMAX Hall of Fame winner, and Pam was voted Best Realtor on the Eastern Shore three years straight, Pamela says that the real magic is the passion for wanting to be the very best that she can be always being available, day or night, returning calls, Facebook messages, and emails promptly, and building relationships with clients, “some of Top Agent Magazine

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my closest friends I have met through a real estate transaction!”

her the flexibility to represent beach listings as easily as inland country listings.

“I’m so happy to be running a business in Delmar,” Pamela says, noting that her local expertise gives

In the words of her two daughters, “Call our Mom, She’s the Best!”

To learn more about

PAMELA PRICE, visit ReMaxCoastAndCountryEasternShore.com, email PamPrice@Remax.net or call 302 - 249 -2546 or 302-846-0200 or find her on Facebook www.

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Body Language: How to Read Your Prospect Like a Book!

By John Boe Are you aware that your body language gestures reveal your deepest feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers? The very first sale you must make with each new prospect is to “sell yourself”. If your prospect doesn’t like or trust you, he or she will never even remotely consider buying your product or service. Understanding body language gestures will help you build trust and rapport quickly with your prospects and customers... face-to-face or over the phone. Top Agent Magazine

Body language is a mixture of movement, posture, and tone of voice. Top sales reps and the most successful managers recognize the importance of nonverbal “buy signals” in the selling process and have learned to “listen with their eyes”. They understand the power of body language and know how to use their gestures and voice tone to establish trust and build rapport quickly. Body language research shows that nonverbal communication has a much greater impact and reliability than the spoken word. Therefore, if your prospect’s words are not congruent with his or her body language gestures, you would be wise to rely on the body language as a more accurate reflection of true feelings. The good news about body language is that you were born knowing the information. This explains why people from different cultures can communicate effectively without having to speak a single word. In the animal kingdom, every cat, dog, bear, horse, etc. on the planet will use the same body language gestures to communicate with each other. For example, when an animal is angry, they will pin their ears back flat against their head. Even though people understand body language instinctively, the meaning of “finger gestures” may change from one culture to another. Finger gestures, such as the V for victory sign or the okay gesture are “learned gestures” created by the culture and the meaning often varies from country to country. For example, on January 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo, a Navy intelligence ship, was engaged in a routine surveillance mission off the North Korean coast when it was intercepted by North Korean patrol boats. The 83-man crew were captured and imprisoned in Pyongyang, where they were interrogated and beaten. In an attempt to gain propaganda value from the crew, the North Koreans conducted a news conference. When photographed during the press conference, some of the ship’s crew expressed their disdain for their captors by sticking out their middle finger. While this finger gesture was noticed by the North Koreans they didn’t understand the disrespectful meaning that the gesture implied. After the photos were released worldwide and the meaning 14

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of the finger gesture was revealed, the North Koreans were politically embarrassed and severely beat the crew. During your sales presentation, it’s critically important to get started on the right foot. Research shows that we decide in the first few moments whether we like someone or not. Yes, we also judge a book by its cover too. There’s absolutely no substitute for a positive first impression. Create a favorable first impression and build rapport quickly by using open body language. In addition to smiling and making good eye contact, you should show the palms of your hands, keep your arms unfolded, and your legs uncrossed. Body language is

a mixture of movement, posture, and tone of voice.

You can build trust and rapport by deliberately, but subtly, “matching and mirroring” your prospect’s body language in the first few minutes of the appointment. For example, if you notice that your prospect starts off the appointment by crossing his or her legs and sitting back in the chair, you should match them by crossing your legs and sitting back in your chair as well. After you believe you have developed trust and rapport, you can verify it by seeing if your prospect will begin matching your gestures. Try leading your prospect into a more open and receptive body language posture by uncrossing your legs and leaning towards the table. If you notice your prospect subconsciously begins matching your body language gestures, congratulations, this indicates that you have laid the foundation of trust and rapport. Conversely, if you notice that your prospect is mismatching your body language gestures, you know trust and rapport has not been established and you need to continue the “matching and mirroring” process. Be mindful to evaluate the flow of “gesture clusters” rather than isolated gestures taken out of context. Listed below are some important body language gestures that you need to become familiar with. There are two basic categories of body postures; Open/Closed and Forward/Back. In an open and receptive body posture, arms are unfolded, legs uncrossed, and palms are exposed. In a closed body posture, arms are folded, legs are crossed and the entire body is usually turned away.

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Body Movement Gestures • Leaning back and closed = Lack of interest • Leaning back and open = Contemplation and cautious interest • Leaning forward and closed = Potential aggressive behavior • Leaning forward and open = Interest and agreement Head Movement Gestures • Head neutral = Neutral and open attitude • Tilted back = Superior attitude “looking down your nose” • Tilted down = Negative and judgmental attitude • Tilted to one side = Interest Facial Gestures • Eye rub = Deceit, “see no evil” • Looking over top of glasses = Scrutiny • Nose rub = Dislike of the subject • Hand or fingers blocking mouth = Deceit, “speak no evil” • Chin stroking = Making a decision • Thumb under chin with index finger pointing vertically along the cheek = Critical judgment Are you missing your prospect’s buy signals? As a professional salesperson you must continuously monitor your prospect’s body language and adjust your presentation accordingly. By understanding your prospect’s body language gestures you will minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it’s appropriate to close the sale! “As the tongue speaketh to the ear, so the gesture speaketh to the eye.” – King James the First (1605) Copyright ©, 2016 John Boe. All rights reserved.

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 937-299-9001. Free Newsletter available on website. 16

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MICHAEL KELCZEWSKI “Never in a million years did I think I’d become a realtor,” says Top Agent Michael Kelczewski of Brandywine Fine Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. However, the stars aligned when Michael, at the suggestion of his girlfriend now wife, took the real estate exam. He realized quickly that a career selling homes could be extremely lucrative. He then took some time to observe the industry. “I saw what it really entailed,” Michael says. “It’s about marketing, interpersonal relationships, and emotional acuity to some degree. I just saw things being done very poorly, and it blew my mind when I noticed the lack of marketing skills of some agents. I envisioned this business for what it could be, it attracted me.” Projecting an air of keen intelligence mixed with geniality, Michael runs his business with a thoughtful approach. “The business model I’m looking for is based on something akin to the Keller Williams approach. It’s not just about throwing a sign up on a property, it’s developing a cogent marketing plan. My perspective is regional and I can see the variations in sales within different states. What is really cool about real estate is that you can take this as far as you want. It’s one of those industries that can develop rapidly and evolve, predicated on your skill set. You can work as much or as little as you want, attaining incredible goals and objectives.” With only five years in the business, Michael has already surpassed much of his competition. “I’m a little younger than many of my peers,” he says. “I’m not sure many of them recognize technology’s leverage in a digital marketing realm.” His technological know-how is counterbalanced by his affa-

bility. “Another reason for my success is my ability to develop a rapport with my clients, and my capacity for de-escalating certain situations. I’m also able to work with a wide variety of clients: international buyers, physicians, attorneys and firsttime home buyers. What sets me apart is my personality, my marketing skill and my work ethic.” Astute targeted marketing of his listings is a hallmark of Michael’s approach. “I affiliated with Sotheby’s because of the wide degree of distribution channels. I also target different listings in different ways. If it’s a farm, I’ll target farm journals and relevant channels. I try to deduce what I infer to be the best marketing channel that best suits the property. It’s really an adaptive approach. I sit down and look at the asset, then conduct due diligence to figure out how to effectively market.. First is online, second is social media, and third is print.” While his real estate career is almost all-consuming, Michael enjoys spending his rare off-the-clock moments reading and spending time outdoors. “I pretty much work 24/7,” he says. “I don’t have a lot of free time lately because of how well my businesses are doing. I grew up in a time where nothing was certain, so I don’t take anything for granted. It’s always in the back of my mind that business is going to fall off. There’s also a lot of required support for my clients, so I take phone calls up to until midnight sometimes, and respond quickly to all emails. Even if I don’t think it’s necessarily a big deal, it is a big deal to them. So it has to be important to me as well.” “I’m just a regular guy,” says Michael. “I like to put forth my best effort, always. I take pride and respect in what I’m doing. “It’s a tremendous responsibility.”

For more information about Michael Kelczewski, please call 302 - 654 - 6500 or email MKelczewski@bfpsir.com Top Agent Magazine

Are You Doing Business As YOU On Facebook? Are you ‘Doing Business As YOU’ on your personal Facebook page? In other words, are you posting your business content from your personal page? Yesterday a REALTOR® asked us, “Why should I bother with a company Facebook page? Can’t I just post everything from my profile page?” The answer lies in what we call division of content. As you may be aware, social media began as just that… social. It was never truly intended for business use. Over time, as businesses began to see the potential in reaching the masses in a new way, they began to intrude on this communication. Today, it is widely accepted that business will be conducted on all social platforms, but the manner in which we do so (and in which we are received) is still a touchy subject at times. We believe it’s important to be transparent on social media. Draw the line between communicating as the Person and the Professional. Not only does this help you keep your content separate and appropriate, it also gives the control to your network of family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and customers. They get to decide whether to ‘like’ or ‘follow’ your company page. They get to decide whether they want to see your business related posts. User control is the #1 reason you need a business page if you’re conducting business on Facebook. Wouldn’t you rather have a willing and engaged audience over a forced, potentially reluctant one? We have personally eliminated many of the ‘DBA’ offenders from our news feeds and you have likely done the same.

As in all controversial social media topics, there is some gray area. And that gray area is often subjective, so consider this post food for thought and decide for yourself. We try our best to keep professional content on our business pages, with a couple of exceptions: 1. Philanthropic Promotion: We’re in favor of posting anything that will help an organization in need on both your personal and business pages. Nonprofits often have little to no marketing budget and rely on all of us to promote their good works, so we believe that’s a good line to cross (as long as it’s about the organization, and not you). 2. Recognition Tagging: Facebook does not allow you to tag an individual on your business page. Yes, there are some tricky work-arounds, but they are inconsistent at best. So when it’s truly important for us to recognize and tag an individual, especially someone who has done something nice for us (inviting us as guests on their radio show or podcast, for instance), we will generally post that on the business page first, then share it from our personal pages, along with a comment recognizing and tagging the individual(s) or business who helped us. Either way (personal or business), remember to be true to the social aspect. Our participation on social media should be about giving, helping, recognizing and connecting…especially when it comes to your business.

Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder of BrandFace®, LLC. Michael Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace® partner. Together, they focus on personal branding and marketing designed to help real estate professionals become the face of their business & a star in their market. BrandFace® for Real Estate Professionals is a book, professional speaking series and an exclusive workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com. 18

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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. 20

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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 22

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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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