FLORIDA 5-9-22

FLORIDA EDITION

How to Recognize

TRUE LUXURY PROPERTIES

6 WAYS TO GET YOUR CLIENT TO TRUST YOU

3 EASY AT-HOME

DIY PROJECTS TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE

COVER STORY

MONICA BISBAL

FLORIDA EDITION

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MONICA BISBAL

CONTENTS MONICA BISBAL 4) SUCCESS–THESE 7 HABITS ARE THE REAL SECRET TO SUCCESS 13) 3 EASY AT-HOME DIY PROJECTS TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE

19) HOW TO RECOGNIZE TRUE LUXURY PROPERTIES 22) 6 WAYS TO GET YOUR CLIENT TO TRUST YOU

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Success– These 7 Habits Are the Real Secret to Success What makes somesome people so sucWhat isisit itthatthat makes people so cessful andand others not? successful others not?Is Isthere thereaa secret secret recipe recipe one one can can follow, follow, as as easy easy as as baking baking aa cake, cake, which which will will give give them them the the strength strength to to achieve achieve their their ultimate ultimate goals goals and and have have ititall? all?

The The answer answer is is that, that,in inaamanner, manner,there thereis. is.The The trick trick is is in in how how you you think think about about success success and and what what itit means means for for you. you. Many Many people people define define success success as as achieving achieving their their personal personal goals, goals, but but could could this this be be leading leading them them to to look look atat the the world a little too narrowly? The people people that that are are truly truly successful successful in in every every aspect aspect of of 4

don’t stop stop at at simply simply achieving achieving their lives don’t their personal goals. goals. They They succeed succeedin inmany many job,job, reavenues of of their theirlife, life,including includingtheir their lationships, health, andand family just to name relationships, health, family just to a few.a few. name ultra-successful people tend It turns turnsout outthatthat ultra-successful people to have quite quite a number of things in comtend to have a number of things in mon. One One main main skill many possess common. skill seem many toseem to is high emotional intelligence, or the abilpossess is high emotional intelligence, or ity to manage your emotions so that you the ability to manage your emotions so can you staycan calm focused even even in high that stayand calm and focused in

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high stress situations. Luckily, it seems not all of them are simply born with this ability, but have many strategies they use to help them achieve higher emotional intelligence. Here are seven strategies and habits that will help you achieve success in every area of your life.

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BE COMPOSED The first thing successful people always seem to have under control is their composure. Successful people stay calmand composed when the going gets tough and fingers start pointing. They don’t panic. The secret? They understand that in life things are always changing.It doesn’tmatter if something is bad at the moment because that will change soon enough. In this topsy turvy life all you can really do is adapt in order to stay happy and remain in control of how you react.

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BE KNOWLEDGEABLE Have you ever noticed how successful people always seem to have such awide range of knowledge and interests? Successful people do know more because they are always working to grow and learn. They strive to constantly increasetheir self-awareness. If a spare moment exists,then they will fill it with some kind of self-education. They do this because they are passionate about learning new things and ways to improve their life. Ignore the fear of being judged and ask questions, because that is the only way you can learn. Successful people don’t

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fear asking questions. They fear not asking those questions and growing stagnant.

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BE DELIBERATE It is important to think and reason before you come to a decision. Successful people don’t rush. They seek out advice from others, they think of all the aspects, and sleep on their thoughts before finally making their decision. Your gut instinct can be misleading, and lead you to make a rash decision that you will come to regret later.

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BE CERTAIN, AND SPEAK WITH CONVICTION Successful people speak with certainty.

Unless you communicate your ideas with conviction and certainty, then you will have a hard time getting people to listen to them.

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BE POSITIVE Successful people use positive body language when they are talking to draw other people in. Their tone is enthusiastic, they maintain eye contact, leaning in towards the person speaking to show interest. Successful people use it to draw those other people in. How you say something can be just as if not more important that what you say to people. Positive body language can completely alter how your speech is perceived by others, and helps to keep attention on you and what you are saying.

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BE MEMORABLE BY BE MEMORABLE BY LEAVING A STRONG LEAVING A STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION FIRST IMPRESSION You only have once to make a first impresYou only haveare oneincredibly time to make a firstas sion, and they important, impression, and they importthey are closely tiesare to incredibly positive body lanant, as You theyhave are around closely 7tied to positive guage. seconds to conbody language.

7 seconds vince a person toYou likehave youaround after you initially to convince a person to like after them you meet them. That is how longyou it takes initially a person to decidemeet whenthem. they After meet that, you. After that simplyisspending the rest ofthe therest converaisperson simply spending of the sation justifying that initial reaction they conversation justifying that initial reaction had. You yousure make a good they had.can Youmake can sure make you make impression by having strong strong posafirst good first impression by having ture, a firm handshake, a warm smile,smile, and posture, a firm handshake, a warm openopen shoulders. and shoulders.

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BE FEARLESS BE FEARLESS Successful people know that to give in Successful peopleThey know that let giving to fear is a choice. don’t the into fear fear a choice.

They don’t let takeisover, instead focusing onthe thefeart rushake of over, instead, they focus on the rush of euphoria that comes with conquering fears. euphoria that comes with conquering fears.

All of this adds up to having a high emotionAll of this addsWhat up tohelps having emoal intelligence. you atohigh succeed is tional intelligence.What helps you toemosucthe ability to control those whirlwind ceed theyou ability control whirlwind tionsisso can to stay calmthose and focused on emotions so you can stay calm andcan focused actually succeeding.

These habits help on Theseintelligence, habits can youactually gain a succeeding. higher emotional help a higher emotional intellibut asyou yougain probably already know, anything gence, but dealing as you probably know, involving with youralready emotions in anything dealing with your a healthyinvolving manner takes serious work.emoSo, tions healthy takestime. serious don’t in givea up if you manner fail the first You work.

So, don’t up again. if you fail the first must always try give and try time.You must always try and try again.

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MONICA BISBAL

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MONICA BISBAL Specializing in high end properties and luxury listings, Top Agent Monica Bisbal of Compass Real Estate assists clients throughout Miami and the surrounding areas of Dade County.

Since launching her real estate journey in 1997, Monica Bisbal has consistently lived by her proven motto: “Service is My Primary Goal.” After getting her start working tireless hours at Miami International Airport, she found herself seeking a new opportunity that better spoke to her entrepreneurial spirit while affording her the flexibility to be there for her two infant daughters. Inspired, she decided 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

to pursue her real estate license, diving into the business full time before even securing her first client. In the years since, she has gone on to author an accomplished career as a REALTOR®, establishing a network of satisfied clients that spans not only her region, but also the country. Most recently, though, she has taken her work to the next level and joined the elite team at Compass Real Estate.

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Today, Monica is an agent with Compass Real Estate, where she assists clients throughout Miami and the surrounding areas of Dade County. Now specializing in high end properties and luxury listings, she has cultivated a boutique workflow to meet the distinct needs of any buyer or seller.

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When listing a property, Monica is there for her clients each step of the way. Starting out, she helps them fully prepare their home for the market, providing them with professional staging services and advising them on options to maximize their value in the marketplace.

From there, she shares their property to a Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

“I always look to go the extra mile,” Monica says.

“When collaborating with my buyers or sellers, I do whatever I can to help them. I’ll never push for a transaction unless I know they’ll be happy with their decision in the end.” blend of highly targeted digital and social media campaigns, as well as her own extensive sphere of influence—all in the lead-up to the standout open house showing.

But Monica is just as helpful when assisting her buyers, leveraging her years of experience and outstanding negotiation skills to uncover the right property for their best interests.

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Valuing openness, integrity, and expertise above all else, she believes in catering her approach to each client. In fact, she even keeps in touch long after the deals are done to cultivate a lasting relationship and make sure they are thriving in their new homes.

Over the years, Monica has earned a fantastic reputation throughout Florida, as evidenced Top Agent Magazine

by her strong rate of repeat clients and referrals. As her volume maintains its steady growth, she remains focused on what matters most: “I always look to go the extra mile,” she says. “When collaborating with my buyers or sellers, I do whatever I can to help them. I’ll never push for a transaction unless Top Agent Magazine

I know they’ll be happy with their decision in the end.”

Outside her career, Monica is deeply committed to her community, having previously been involved with her local high school and various area associations. When she’s not Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

with clients or giving back, she can be found traveling the world or spending quality time with her family.

Elsewhere, Monica has exciting plans for the future of her business. Having found her home with Compass Real Estate, she looks forward

to building out her network while elevating the leading standards that have set her apart in Miami. “Buying or selling a house is one of the most important endeavors of our lives,” she says. “At the end of the day, I’m here to meet that challenge and provide my clients with the best possible service—from start to finish.”

For more information about Monica Bisbal, call (305) 796-8663 or email monica@monicabisbal.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 14

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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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Laughs!

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How to Recognize True Luxury Properties What to Consider Other Than Location When luxury home buyers are looking for a new abode, they are often advised to pay most of their attention to location, location, location. And it’s true that good locations often have better properties, but if you’re only looking at location then you might be forgetting what it is in a luxury property that makes it luxury. You could view a property in a great location, and because you completely ignored any of the other factors that make a property high end, you might find that once you move in, you aren’t as pleased with the actual house itself as you thought you would be. Here are the other things you should look out for when purchasing a luxury home: • Architectural Uniqueness: The simple fact is that good

architecture retains its value. Do your homework on architects and find the ones that have a good track record of designing beautiful, but practical homes. Don’t simply pay attention to how the building looks today. Consider how it will look in a few decades. Keep an eye out for the “bones” of the building, and decide whether they will stand the test of time or not. Things such as a solid foundation, high-grade materials, unusual details, and artistic components are good aspects to consider.

Will the structure hold up well or will it degrade and crumble without constant upkeep? That funky molding may look artistic today, but in ten years will it be considered artistic or just plain weird?

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• Practical Layout: Make sure you have enough room to live

in comfort. As a buyer of luxury property, you probably have quite a busy social schedule. You want to make sure that the layout will lend itself to helping you maintain clear separation between your social areas and private ones. You don’t want guests having to go back into your bedroom to use the bathroom. Look out for places with stairwells, awkward columns, long hallways, and other wastes of space.

• Unobstructed Views and Light: You want to live in

a home that gives you lots of natural light, such as one that is open to the outdoors. That natural light will improve your mood, as well as the resale value. The openness of a space filled with natural light will make you feel more comfortable and happy in your new home. What about the view? Do you see a Do you park, a bridge, a river, or a skyline? Is the see a park, fantastic view out your window protected? a bridge, You’ll need to understand the surrounding air a river, or a rights and zoning allowances of neighboring buildings to understand the possible risks. skyline?

• Windows: Windows are the primary source of losing heat and

cooling. Make sure they are double-paned with good insulation that will protect your home against weather and noise. Unless the windows are already like this, it is unlikely that the condo or co-op board will allow you to install your own.

• Ceiling Height: Consider the cubic footage of the property.

You want to look for high ceilings that increase the openness of a room.

Of course, you don’t want to go too high. Above 14 feet will get you diminished marginal returns.

• Storage: If you’re a woman, you will understand this one. We need

lots of closets and additional storage room to fit all of our clothes, shoes, jackets, hats, purses, etc. However, lucky for you, your potential home’s existing closet square footage will not limit you from putting in more storage space. Custom closet companies can create any kind of storage

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space you desire. You will have to, however, make sure that your new home does have an area that you can turn into this storage space.

• In-Unit Laundry: In-unit laundry has become necessary for

any luxury home or apartment. Do you really want to have to trek down flights of stairs to use the basement laundry? If you still consider it wasted space, you can convert it into more closet space.

• The Gym: Having a fitness area nearby is an amenity that is especially

important, particularly in winter when you don’t feel like walking to the gym a few blocks down.

One thing to consider is the Do you really want of the gym in relation to have to trek down size to the size of the building in flights of stairs? light of common area fees.

• Move-In Ready: I’d advise against buying time-consuming and

frustrating fixer-uppers no matter how much you want to add custom kitchens, finishes, fixtures, and other characteristics. Choose a property that already has all of these amenities taken care of. These properties have already had the same designers you would hire fashion the house at a fraction of the cost you would pay to have them do it after you move in. In this light, it is worthwhile to pay a little extra for the move-in ready home.

• Reputation: Pay attention to the reputation of the building. A

property that has a good reputation tends to retain its value. You can easily find this out online on posts, and established locals are likely to have an opinion.

If you want to buy luxury property that is really worth it’s price, then I would suggest adding these points to your list of things your new home must have.

If you want to get a high quality home that is a true luxury, you’ll want to watch out for these aspects as well as the location. Some properties might claim to be luxury based on their location, but when compared against this list, they don’t make the cut. So, don’t be fooled by imposters, and make sure you find a true high-end property.

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6 Ways to Get Your Client to Trust You The word “REALTOR®” can leave a sour taste in some people’s mouths. Many of today’s home buyers and sellers grew up during the 2009 recession. They are wary of anything 22

or anyone who comes off as too salesy, and they want to work with individuals who they can trust.

But how do you prove to someone you’ve likely never met that you can be trusted?

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Put Testimonials or Case Studies on Your Website

When something goes wrong, own up to your mistakes. Don’t hide bad news from your clients. Be upfront and responsive.

Testimonials and case studies are social proof that you have both the experience and the skills to do the job your clients are hiring you for. People often leave testimonials when they are either incredibly disappointed or extremely happy with the service they were provided, so they’re a good indication to prospective clients of the treatment they’ll receive.

Case studies, which you can post on your blog or website, have much of the same effect, but even more than testimonials, case studies demonstrate your real estate and finance expertise because they explain how you achieved a specific set of results.

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Be Responsive and Accessible

Can your clients reach you easily? That doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7, but you should respond to your clients within a few hours of receiving their message. When agents don’t respond to their clients’ calls or emails for days on end or fail to provide them with a direct line of contact, their clients’ experience can quickly become frustrating.

Agents are busy but so are their clients. If you constantly show up late to or reschedule meetings, your clients won’t feel like their time is respected or their business is valued. Make sure you set a realistic schedule for yourself rather than spreading yourself too thin.

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Be Honest and Transparent

Sometimes you don’t have the answer to a client’s question. Be honest about your strengths, weaknesses, and the limits of your knowledge. A good response might be, “I don’t know, but I can find out.” Be transparent with your clients, and they’ll respect you for it.

You should always act in their best interest.

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Go the Extra Mile

If you do the bare minimum, that’s what your clients will remember. Their experience won’t be memorable, and they won’t gush about you in online testimonials or in real life to people they know who could use your services. It’s that simple.

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Put Yourself in Your Client’s Shoes

Clients understand that you need to earn money, but that doesn’t mean they want to feel like they’re just a dollar sign to you. Be empathetic to your client’s concerns, even if you’ve heard it all before. Your clients should know that you are there for them.

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Be Consistent

Being responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable shouldn’t be an act. If you “turn on” your personality for clients and then suddenly become a different person when they leave the room, it’s likely that the cracks in your mask will eventually become apparent.

But “faking it till you make it” is so common it’s become a cliché. When we are starting out, we don’t always have the systems or resources in place to create a smooth client journey, from onboarding to closing, so instead we constantly try to reinvent the wheel. Give yourself time to pause, slow down, and reevaluate your workflow. Creating systems creates

consistency, and those systems can and should be constantly updated.

Developing trust between you and your clients will take time, but doing these things can give you a running start.

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