FLORIDA 10-3-22

FLORIDA EDITION

Small Yard?

Big Statement:

Uncommon Contact:

CONNECTING WITH CLIENTELE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF MICRO OUTDOOR SPACES

3 EASY AT-HOME

DIY PROJECTS

FEATURED AGENTS

TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE

ALEX BRUNO LEAH KING COVER STORY

CHAD & APRIL EMORY

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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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Small Yard? Big Statement: How to Make the Most Out of Micro Outdoor Spaces When house-hunters compile their lists of musthave home items, a dreamy backyard space is often near the top. After all, who doesn’t want an outdoor oasis of their very own? From summer barbecues to open space for your dog to frolic— everyone has their own aspirations when it comes to creating the perfect backyard paradise. But as homebuyers seek properties deeper within city limits, and Millennials opt for properties with 6

urban amenities and access, home-connected outdoor spaces are becoming a bit smaller in stature.

Of course, size isn’t everything when it comes to outdoor space. Even balconies, rear patios, and ultra-tiny yards can provide homebuyers with the outdoor reprieve they crave—even on a smaller scale. For a few ideas that can help you envision all the possibilities of a micro outdoor space, read on for inspiration.

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Think vertically.

When space is at a premium, think up instead of out. In other words, make the most of small spaces by capitalizing on your backyard, balcony, or patio’s overhead height. Mood-setting string lights, hanging pocket or wall gardens, floating shelves, and modern overhead hangings can create a sense of privacy and luxury without cluttering the square footage on the ground.

Soothing sounds set the mood.

Upgrade the look of structural components.

Not in love with your patio pavers? Don’t have the sweetest view off your balcony? Whatever your small backyard living space gripe may be, there’s always a solution if you go back to the basics. Consider the structural components of your outdoor space that you aren’t in love with and there’s likely an affordable, eye-pleasing solution. For instance, plenty of home goods Top Agent Magazine

retailers make a variety of punchy or luxe outdoor rugs that can disguise stained or lackluster outdoor flooring. Power-washing is another great solution for old grime and dirt that’s an eyesore. Don’t have a great view? Planting ivy on bare walls, installing adjustable mood lighting, or hanging planters can create a more inviting ambiance.

While there may not be room for a swimming pool or pond in a micro yard or balcony, you can still bring the calming presence of water to your outdoor oasis. Fountains run the gamut in sizing and price, making this amenity an easy acquisition. What’s more, a running fountain not only adds a soothing sound to your space, but it also helps drown out noise from the street or the neighbors—making your space entirely your own and stress-free.

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Don’t compromise on your culinary dreams.

If you love to entertain in outdoor spaces or relish the chance to man the grill—small outdoor spaces don’t have to trip you up. Grill options (both propane and charcoal) come in a range of sizes, many of which can be outfitted securely to balcony posts or be tucked away and out of sight when out of use. Consider nesting tables or those with a removable leaf to adjust your seating and dining options depending on company.

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Another trick? A small, oscillating fan can keep air flow moving in a small space during grill season—and can be easily affixed to walls or posts, as well.

Don’t let yourself or clients be discouraged by spaces with more limited square footage in outdoor areas. Furniture and design trends have already begun shifting toward providing better small-space options, and at the end of the day, a backyard space is all about providing an area for relaxation. With a few well-placed, strategic choices, you can still have it all.

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CHAD & APRIL EMORY

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Top Agent April Emory and her husband Chad Emory cover a wide base throughout Florida, representing homebuyers and sellers at all levels.

Working as a makeup artist for years, April Emory never had real estate on her radar.

One day, her broker mentioned to her that he thought she would be great in the industry. While she knew nothing about the industry, she had something else that couldn›t be taught: the ability to understand and connect with people on a deep level.

In 2015, April got her real estate license and she’s been building her business ever since. Right now, she works with her husband, but they are looking to add one or two new team members this year. While they live in Wesley Chapel, they cover a wide base throughout Florida, representing homebuyers and sellers at all levels.

At this point, April’s business is almost 100% referral-based. She has a lot of repeat clients who have bought and sold with her several times, demonstrating the high level of satisfaction they feel after working with her. “My clients are my top 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

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priority and I serve as a resource to them throughout the process,” she says.

A great communicator, April provides a lot of resources and checklists that help

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with buying or selling a home. In addition to constantly checking up via phone calls and texts while a transaction is occurring, April makes a point of keeping in touch with clients after the closing table. “I don’t

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Chad and April are planning to expand and have this year passed the 10.2M sales mark. They’re working to build the team’s personal brand and grow their reputation as highend REALTORS® willing to go the extra mile for their clients. consider our relationship over after a sale.

They can still come to me at any point,” she says. As far as marketing her listings goes, April is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube. She also does personalized videos, email newsletters, and Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

flyers when there is enough notice. “We do everything we can to get the word out there about our listings.”

Last year, Chad and April started getting more involved with their community, Top Agent Magazine

particularly putting the spotlight on small businesses. They joined the local Chamber of Commerce and started working in her spare time to help people from the military relocate to the area. April serves with middle and high school youth groups every week. With a son who is 18 and a daughter who is 14, April stays busy with homeschooling when she’s not at work. For fun, she loves going to local markets and eating at new restaurants.

“There is always something to do here in Florida,” she says.

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Chad and April are planning to expand and have this year passed the 10.2M sales mark. They’re working to build the team’s personal brand and grow their reputation as high-end REALTORS® willing to go the extra mile for their clients. In addition to sharing their advice and expertise in person, they have been putting out firsttime homebuyer webinars so that they can further their reach and make a larger impact. “At the heart of our business is people and we want to help as many people as we can.”

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To learn more about April & Chad Emory, call 813-469-2739, email aae94r@yahoo.com, or visit emorysrock.com www.

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Top Agent Magazine

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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ALEX BRUNO With an unstoppable dedication to helping his clients find their way through the real estate process, Alex Bruno works tirelessly to turn real estate dreams into reality. Alex began his real estate journey in 2005. “I started out at a challenging time in real estate, but I learned to do the hard work and make the best of it,” Alex recalls. “There were always buyers and sellers to help, and I was always working to make myself better.”

As the owner of two RE/MAX offices, Alex serves Dade and Broward counties. A sizable percentage of his business comes from repeat and referral clients, a testament to the strong relationships he forms. “I put my heart in this business,” Alex says. “Every buyer or seller who gives me an opportunity to work for them, I appreciate it so much because they are trusting me with one of the most precious treasures that they have, their home. I take that very seriously, and I work 24/7 for my clients. I respect them so much.”

Clients find added value in Alex’s services via his background in interior design. “Over the years I started to incorporate advice for homeowners when they want to list a property,” Alex explains. “I can help them stage the property for pictures so it will stand out and look its best. It’s just one way I incorporate my knowledge into helping my clients.”

Alex invests heavily in marketing to ensure optimum exposure for his listings. “Some people don’t believe in marketing and think they can get the same results without it, but it makes a big difference,” Alex says.

“I network with other agents to find out what works and what doesn’t, and I even network with agents from other countries. That is another form of marketing, by keeping in touch with other areas and using connections to extend my reach outside of Florida.” The results speak for themselves: Alex is a top agent, and for the past 7 years he has been the #1 residential real estate agent in Hollywood. He is also a past Diamond Club Team Award Winner.

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Alex believes strongly in giving back to his community, and he has been a board member of the Hollywood Historical Society for over 10 years. He is also one of the directors for the Hollywood Lake Civic Association, and a past board member of the Broward Trust for Preservation, which protects older homes and buildings county-wide. Alex is a big supporter of the local Women’s Club, even bartending for their events. He also donates a portion of every closing to the Children’s Miracle Network.

Looking toward the future, Alex says, “I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. I love working with people, and people like me. I also want to help other agents.”

Having come to this country from Uruguay almost 30 years ago by swimming the Rio Grande, Alex says, “The most important thing to me is to not forget where I came from. My situation is the perfect example of the American Dream and the true view that the American Dream exists. As a Proud American I would like to share that with everyone that believes in this country.”

Above all, Alex says, “I’m dedicated, I believe in my job, and I love what I do. I care about people and believe in treating everybody with respect, showing everybody that I’m working with them, and then bringing everyone a successful result.”

To find out more about Alex Bruno, call him at 954.673.7739 or email AlexBrunoTeam@outlook.com.

Find him online at alexbrunoteam.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.

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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.

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LEAH KING For Leah King, life has always been about helping others.

She started her professional career as a nurse, working in the medical field for 6 years.

Once she moved from North Carolina to Texas, she decided to enter the real estate world after meeting with a prominent broker in the area. “After interviewing with his team, I earned my license and started off working as an assistant to other REALTORS®, and quickly realized I did not make a good assistant. Once I started working as a REALTOR® for myself, my career took off fast and furious,” Leah explains.

Soon she switched over to the sales side, becoming a full-time agent and closing 40 homes her first year. The momentum kept going into her second year, as she was on track to sell 60 homes before moving to Tampa, FL. Today, Leah is continuing to thrive! Leah moved her family to Tampa, FL to continue her Real Estate journey.

She has started her own brokerage called The Leah King Group with EXP Realty. With eight agents on the team, they are growing at a tremendous pace! Through her mentorship and guidance, they are all achieving massive success, and being recognized in the Tampa Bay area as knowledgeable professionals in the industry.

Leah and her team are dedicated to providing their clients with white glove service. They always go the extra mile for their clients making sure that they do everything that they can to make the home buying and home selling process as stress free as possible. “We’re constantly following up,” Leah says. “We continually determine what they need from us and what’s most important to them. I have gone as far as staying until midnight to help clients pack their homes!” They have also established a strong network of vendors in the industry, making them a ‘one stop shop’ for the needs of their clients. They can help every step of the transaction with a team of individuals in the industry that work just as hard as Leah and her team.

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This hands-on approach reduces stress and leads to an enjoyable experience for all involved. Buyers are guided step-by-step through the transaction with questions answered promptly, so everyone is clear on what comes next. The Leah King Group is eager to solve problems, and can even help them with credit repair. “Our partners have a credit repair program which is free, so clients can fix their credit over the span of several months.

Once their credit is repaired they come back to us to help them purchase a home. It is the greatest feeling to help people that were rejected by others. Not only do they walk away with great credit for free, but also a brand new home.”

As Leah continues to reach new heights, she plans to become a prominent member of the community getting involved with her team in charity organizations around the Tampa Bay area. She also plans to join the Chamber of Commerce to become more involved that way as well. They are working on fund raisers and drives around the local community currently. She feels grateful to assist her clients in their real estate dreams, and also help her agents reach their dreams and goals too. “I just want to pour love into our past and future clients, and let them know that I appreciate them for trusting me with possibly the most expensive purchase that they will ever make in their lifetime. My clients and agent partners are so important to me.”

For more information about Leah King, please call 813-957-8924 or email leah.topagent@gmail.com 23

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