Georgia 1-22-17

GEORGIA EDITION

IS YOUR PHONE VOICE ATTRACTING— OR REPELLING? FEATURED AGENT

JAMIE McCLESKEY COVER STORY

BLAINE PALMER

BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE: HOW TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CLIENTS THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME TRY vs DO TOP AGENT TIPS AND QUESTIONS FOR CHOOSING YOUR LISTING AGENT

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BLAINE PALMER

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JAMIE McCLESKEY

CONTENTS 4) TOP AGENT TIPS AND QUESTIONS FOR CHOOSING YOUR LISTING AGENT

13) BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE: HOW TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CLIENTS THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME

18) TRY vs DO 21) IS YOUR PHONE VOICE ATTRACTING— OR REPELLING?

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Top Agent Tips and Questions for Choosing Your Listing Agent Now that you’ve decided to sell, it’s time to select the professional to help you market your property. Before meeting with agents, however, consider Top Agent Magazine’s tips for preparing yourself. Frist, ask yourself what kind of relationship you’d like to have with your listing agent. Are you seeking a casual, personable relationship and the latest marketing tools or are you interested in a more formal, traditional relationship and approach to marketing techniques? Next, populate your list of agents by attending open houses and asking for recommendations from recent buyers and sellers.

Finally, schedule your meetings at your home, where you’ll be able to gauge the chemistry between you and each agent.

During your meetings, expect any Top Agent to ask you several questions, but also consider discussing the following: 4

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Will you please describe your sales experience and local network?

Ask your Top Agent to describe recent listings and sales of homes comparable to your own. Ask about the sellers’ priorities, the original list price, market time and number of offers. Top Agents will also describe how well they are connected with other REALTORS® in the region as well as their contacts with relocation companies, local corporations and chambers of commerce.

Be sure to ask about each agent’s knowledge of how your market has changed over time and what has influenced change.

You’ll learn a lot by listening to agents’ opinions.

How will you market the property? Each

Top Agent has a unique set of online or local marketing tools at his or her disposal. Some use lead-generation applications and nearly ever luxury agent take advantage of video. Even video marketing tools vary from agent-to-agent, however.

You’ll get to decide if you prefer an agent with higher-end video production and 3D Matterport tours or an agent with more intimate techniques featuring walk-and-talk style video tours.

What factors influence your list-price recommendation? Before an-

swering this question, most Top Agents will have several questions for you, including whether you’re more focused on a faster sale or a higher list price.

They’ll also educate you on how best to balance both market time and list price relative to sales histories your area.

Now that you’ve seen the home, what repairs or improvements do you recommend before listing? You’ll learn a lot by listening to agents’

opinions on your home’s sale potential with or without some improvements.

Most Top Agents will also recommend a full professional inspection prior to listing to avoid surprises during buyer inspection.

How will you help with staging? Some Top Agents will pay for part or

all of the staging costs. At a minimum, however, a Top Agent will have a staging professional or two in their partner network. While they’re at it, they may provide referrals for carpet cleaning, painting, gardening and other minor finishing touches.

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What attributes of the property will you want to highlight? Each Top

Agent will have a somewhat different answer to this question, but that’s a good thing! Even if you have your own ideas about your home’s greatest attributes, you’ll glean insight into the current market by considering different agents’ opinions. In learning their views, you may even change your mind about your home’s most marketable features!

What is your approach to Open Houses? How many agent-only Open

Houses will your Top Agent want to host? How many truly Open Houses?

Some Top Agents may even reveal a “swankier” approach to the Open House – such as an evening cocktail party or by-invitation “open” hours to which buyers visit along with the agent representing them.

Who will be our primary point(s) of contact from your office? This

important question will help you understand the scope of your agent’s practice. You’ll get to see if your agent runs a robust team with many hands on deck or if he or she works by close, one-on-one contact with each client.

Either approach is wonderful; you get to decide what suits you.

Now, let’s list!

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BLAINE PALMER Top Agent Magazine

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BLAINE PALMER Palmer wants to be the name in real estate that Atlanta residents think of first when it comes time to buy a new home or sell their current home.

Early on in Blaine Palmer’s real estate career, he learned how important it was to develop the relationship with the client. For him, it is more about the people he meets rather than the transaction which has earned him a reputation as a realtor that really connects with his clients. “I love the actual business cycle,” he says. “There’s an end to the transaction but not the relationship.”

Today, as an agent with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty he has developed a 70 percent repeat and referral business that makes up the majority of buyers and sellers he works with. He attributes this to giving them the best marketing platform and exposure in the city.

Palmer left the corporate world of pharmaceutical sales in 2004 and began his career in real estate. Starting off in rural Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Georgia, Palmer made his way to the city of Atlanta, where he now serves the intown portion of the market. Here, he works with a team of two and focuses on providing a concierge level of service to his clients.

His background in sales comes in handy in this approach as he is able to really connect with his clients and create that bond that lasts a lifetime. He uses his experience to really read his clients and understand the best way to communicate with them on a level where he can achieve their goals.

He also makes sure his clients are having a good time while they search for a home and keeps the stressful part of the business behind the scenes. “If we’re not having fun, we’re doing something wrong,” he says.

He stays in touch frequently by sending handwritten notes – a lost art form in

today’s digital world. He knows that this personal touch means more than any email he could send and is a practice he does on a quarterly basis. Buyers and sellers that work with Palmer also get the benefit of his strong agent network. With this being the primary way to buy and sell a home in the city, Palmer does his part to connect with other agents and ensure the tie remains strong between them. “Those relationships you really have to forge as that is how the Top Agent Magazine

Atlanta market has turned,” he says.

Whether it is his clients’ causes or one he believes in himself, Palmer gives back to the community significantly throughout the year. He is involved with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and has participated in its Man of the Year event.

He also sits on the board of the local Humane Society and is a board officer of the Mercer University’s Alumni College of Liberal Arts as well as a loyal member Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

of the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. He is also an Advisory Board Director for Compassionate Friends, a nonprofit organization dedicated to those going through the grieving process.

Because Palmer is an avid runner he is able to participate in many local 5K to support a good cause. While running is his passion so is food and you will find him trying out a new restaurant in Atlanta.

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As Palmer continues to grow his business— he wants to be the name in real estate that Atlanta residents think of first when it comes time to buy a new home or sell their current home. He also plans to add to his team in a calculated way at the right time with the right person so he says he can, “increase our capabilities and bandwidth and grow with the anticipated demand from the results of our success in the market.�

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For more information about Blaine Palmer, call 229-400-3674, or email blainepalmer@atlantafinehomes.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

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Be Their REALTOR for Life: ®

How to Build a Relationship with Your Clients That Will Last a Lifetime In the world of real estate, an agent’s relationship with their clients can make or break their career. This industry revolves around working well with people, and being able to develop a strong relationship with your clients is the foundation that you business is based upon.

Just like with a house, if that foundation is weak, the rest of the structure is also going to be unsteady and fragile. The mark of a good REALTOR® is their ability to build up a good referral network and following of loyal clients. This isn’t something that just happens by accident. Building healthy, strong relationships with your clients takes work and knowing how to gain another person’s trust, respect, and friendship. Here are some ways to make sure you are building the right kind of relationship with your clients.

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1. Use Your Friendliness and Optimism to Win Them Over: No one wants a pushy, overly confident salesperson for a REALTOR®. Clients are much more inclined to put their trust in the hands of someone who is friendly when it comes to one of the biggest financial transactions of their lives. A pleasant, outgoing disposition will win you more clients as well as friends. You want to establish rapport in the first few minutes of first meeting prospective clients. Rather than starting with business right off the bat, begin your meeting with some small talk such as similar interests, hobbies, and family life. This will immediately help to put your clients at ease, and show that you are not simply trying to “sell” them something.

People also respond well to optimism. During what can be a very stressful time, clients need someone to help them stay positive when a situation looks difficult and challenging. Optimism also tends to radiate charisma, and people want to be around and do business with charismatic people. You want to learn how to understand, motivate, and inspire people.

2. Be an Inquisitive Learner and an Empathetic Listener:

out any potential concerns they might have.

After you’ve gained as much information as possible, you can then gauge their interest in your possible solutions by asking “what if” questions. Being inquisitive also demonstrates to your clients that you are genuinely interested and invested in their situation.

On the other side of this coin is knowing how to listen empathetically. Empathy involves actually putting yourself or your mind in their shoes so you can genuinely understand their concerns, needs, and opinions. That understanding and empathy is then reflected in your conversation with that client. Your clients want to know that you care about their situation, and that they’re not just another sale for you to make. People are much more willing to put their trust in you when they can sense that you are actually making an effort to feel what they feel in order to understand their situation.

Showing your interest through questions, and then thoughtfully listening goes a long way towards gaining trust. Showing empathy and acknowledging the feelings and emotions involved in your clients situation helps build a relationship founded on genuine care and trust.

3. Watch for Nonverbal Clues:

Don’t be afraid to show your curiosity and ask your clients a lot of questions. Some of these questions may even be difficult and uncomfortable. You want to discover and learn as much as you can about your client. Don’t make the mistake of jumping straight into the role of the know-it-all. Every different client has unique needs, so you want to learn as much as you can about their specific situation before trying to propose a solution. You want to uncover their primary motive for buying or selling, and flush

Most communication happens nonverbally, so knowing how to interpret your client’s body language can be incredibly helpful. Here are a few things to pay special attention to: Eye contact: Be careful with the level of eye contact you use with clients when first meeting.

Too much and too little eye contact can send the wrong impression. You want to try and maintain eye contact around 70 percent of the time. That is the amount that most people are comfortable with. Pay attention to your client’s level of eye

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contact to determine how comfortable they are.

When someone avoids eye contact that could mean they are not engaged in the conversation.

A good way to quickly build a feeling of rapport when first meeting clients is to make eye contact when you first meet them and then start nodding yes to what they’re saying. If the client reciprocates the eye contact and nodding, you’ve established a connection.

4. Prove your honesty and credibility:

Choose the right handshake for each client: One handshake does not fit all people, and that first handshake can be crucial to making a good first impression. The way to do a good handshake for each client is to try and mirror the other person’s handshake in strength, keep your shoulders aligned as you are preferably standing when you shake hands. While you shake your client’s hand make sure you make eye contact and give them a sincere smile.

Showing a little weakness can actually be to your advantage in this situation, and will actually make others more inclined view you as honest. You don’t want to come across as too good to be true. When revealing this weakness, however, the key to coming out on top is turning what sounds like a weakness into a strength. For example, your service may be more expensive, but that’s because you offer more personalized and extra services than your competitors.

Honesty and integrity are the two traits that 98 percent of buyers and sellers report are qualities they consider “very important”. The thing is you can say you have these traits all you want on your website, bio, etc., but trust has to be earned, and the only way to do this is to prove your credibility.

Here are a few tips for how to sound more credible:

When you talk to your clients avoid using filler words such as “um” and “uh”, which can decrease your credibility. You also want to watch the tone of your voice. People tend to translate a deeper tone as sounding more credible.

You want to develop a relationship to last a lifetime when interacting with your clients. There are many things you can do to accomplish this, and using these tips can take you from getting just a few referrals and repeat customers to gaining a loyal client following. Taking the little extra time to make sure you are projecting the right attitude and making sure that you are doing things to gain your client’s trust can make a world of difference for your business.

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JAMIE McCLESKEY Realtor Jamie McCleskey is all heart as her compassion shines through in everything that she does. Whether it’s helping a buyer find a new home or assisting a seller in the sale of their own, she goes above and beyond what is expected of her. She really cares about her clients and has their best interest at heart. She pounds the pavement when it comes to looking for the right buyer in the West Georgia market she serves.

“I’m not one of these agents that just lists a house and puts a sign in the yard and waits for someone,” she says. McCleskey gives it her all cold calling neighbors to see if they know of anyone interested in moving to the neighborhood. This is in addition to the variety of print and online marketing she does to gain interest in a property.

McCleskey really takes the initiative when it comes to real estate, selling residential, commercial, new construction, and vacant land properties through her broker Jeff Justice & Co. One of her recent successes was with a landowner of 66 lots that was trying to sell them on his own. She got him to list with her and by calling all the home builders in the area she had all of the lots under contract within two weeks. “I’m proactive,” she says.

“I’m not afraid to get out there.” It is this extra initiative that she takes that is really appreciated by her clients. It has given her a strong repeat and referral business and has her being a Million Dollar Club member with Jeff Justice & Co. “I’m very passionate about my job and that’s one of the reasons why I do get referrals,” she says. “I’m compassionate about their situation. A lot of agents aren’t. I honestly care about these people and I want to do what’s best for them and get them where they need to be.”

She proves her dedication to her clients through her Homes for Heroes program that gives back to military, firefighters, police, medical, EMS, 911 operators and teachers. Through the Homes for Heroes program McCleskey gives a portion of her commission to these individuals just to thank them for their service in the community. She asks nothing in return and is one of only a few realtors in the West Georgia area for the Top Agent Magazine

program. “It’s my way of saying thank you for what they do in our community,” she says. “It doesn’t cost them a thing and I love doing that for them.” Helping her community, even more, she is a Partner in Education with the middle school and high school in Paulding County, Ga., Here, she volunteers her time and supports programs such as Backpacks for Kids, which make sure students have enough food through the weekend. Each backpack is filled with food donations and students can pick one up anonymously without the fear of anyone knowing. “I want to get the word out about these backpacks so we can get more donations,” she says. “It’s hard to get donations for food.”

As a solo agent, McCleskey does it all but still finds time to spend time with her kids that are part of the reason she got into real estate 13 years ago. As a means to support her family then, she found a career that she loves in real estate and that gives her the flexibility to be with them whenever she needs to be. She is married to David McCleskey and they have five kids together that she enjoys spending time with. She is also an avid crafter and loves making the home décor items she finds on Pinterest.

For more information about Jamie McCleskey, visit westgarealtor.com, call 678-777-4805, or email jamiesellshomesfast@yahoo.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 17

Try vs Do

By Barry Eisen

“Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda (1977) The day is done. It seems you’ve done a million things. Everything went well. You had loads of energy and you’re stoked. Clients listened to you and acknowledged the clarity and wisdom of your suggestions. Your kids paid attention. Even the dog obeyed. Great feelings!

Dawns a new day... You wake up groggy, you become a magnet for clients’ frustrations, you feel invisible, the dog spits up on the thick white rug, an associate points out a huge stain on your shirt, a selling appointment cancels and it’s not even 10:00 AM. Know what you are? Normal. Look around and you will find a lot of normal. Stuff happens to us all. To some, who seem to attract more stuff than the rest (something to be said about selffulfilling prophecies) the distractions feel overwhelming and continuous.

Some try their best to turn the tide. Trying doesn’t work. Doing does.

Effort is appreciated, but accomplishment creates the lifestyle and is a lot more satisfying.

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We use the word often and teach our kids to try hard. Think of what the concept of “trying” implies. We are telling ourselves to make the effort.

But how often do we confuse effort and activity with accomplishment? Is it not our egos protecting ourselves from the perceived agony of failure by saying...you don’t have to do what it takes, just appreciate the effort.

It’s kinda like the controversy raging on today about all kids getting trophies for participating in a competition, even if they came in last place. Maybe rewards for the little ones keep them engaged, but the reality of life for most adults is about accomplishing, not efforting.

Some try their best to turn the tide. One of the surest ways to become a victim is to try.

Trying doesn’t When we commit to trying something and fall short work. Doing oftoadosuccess, we can always claim “ I tried.” Even in failure does. we can claim victory as we achieved what we committed to... I tried! Be careful of the words you use as they become converted into action. As in sports, good effort is appreciated, but the ones who want it more generally prevail. They call it Scoreboard.

The “doer” is the person who takes the bigger risk of making the extra effort. Without the risk to continue and create a victory, you create “normal.” It’s safe but unsatisfying. And worse yet, this settling for the lazy way out develops into whining, excuse making, low energy, irritability and much more. Do what’s right, not what’s easy. The best of your intentions won’t create a better relationship, clean up the planet or make you more money.

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7 DO’s to make a difference:

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Leave every part of your day with a positive accomplishment (even a small one).

In every endeavor, act AS IF you were already successful and capable. Show yourself what you CAN DO.

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Do what’s right, not what’s easy.

Read or listen to positive books or recordings at least 30 minutes each day-spend as much time with personal development as you do growing your business. Look for and apply the lessons that feel right.

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Write out your to-do list every night before you go to sleep, whether you feel like it or not and prioritize it. Let it guide you to better decisions during your day.

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Create a Value Added mindset that allows you to under promise and over deliver. That unexpected extra personal touch, that personalized attention, that piece of humanity, the extra door you knock, the thank you, please, your welcome can put you over the top. It is usually the little things that make a difference.

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Develop strong enough “whys” and the “hows” answer themselves.

Dig deeper than just an amount of money. Money doesn’t motivate.

Figure out what moves you and your focus will become laser-like.

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Follow through and do it not because you “have to,” but because you “get to.” Play, have fun, lighten up and shine.

Barry Eisen teaches personal development seminars and coaches Southern California top producing REALTORS®. “Your business will never grow more than you do” is the theme; self hypnosis and behavior modification are the tools for playing a bigger game. barryeisen.com, barryeisen@LA.twcbc.com Copyright©, 2016 Barry Eisen. All rights reserved.

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Is Your Phone Voice Attracting–or Repelling?

By Carla Cross, CRB, MA It’s such a simple thing, but so important--the first impression you make with your voice!

Recently, I did a presentation to a group of Luxury Agent Specialists. It was about sound and its impact on others (I used the piano to demonstrate). We usually think of visual impact. But, as agents, we come across way more people initially via email or phone than we do by sight. So, isn’t it time to Top Agent Magazine

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polish your ‘phone voice’? It’s probably the first ‘warm’ impression people get of you (I call email ‘cold communication’ because it vastly shrinks the three major ways we communicate: sight, sound, and feeling).

Here are three tips to assure your phone voice makes the best first impression.

Remember, You never have a second chance to make a first impression!

Don’t Mistake Technology as the ‘End’

We are so focused on technology today, that we are in danger of forgetting to effectively use that technology. Here’s an example. When I phone an agent today, I have no idea where that agent will answer his or her phone—or from what phone the call is being answered. And, I don’t really care. Technology allows the phone to follow the agent. That’s great. Here’s what’s not so great. The agent’s message is so dull, powerless, or mumbled that it doesn’t sound as though the agent wants to talk to me. Or, the agent’s message is so long, that I’m impatient by the time I get to leave the message.

Make a Superior Phone Message

For three days, listen carefully to the tone, intent, and messages you hear in phone messages. Listen carefully to how agents, managers, and your affiliates answer the phone (including the receptionist at the office). What do you think? If you didn’t know these people, what would you think of them? Are they excited to hear from you, or are they bored?

Here are 4 important tips to remember when recording your own message: 1. Stand up—you’ll sound as though you have much more energy.

2. Write out your script first—and be sure it’s not too long. I don’t really care where you’re going to be all day!

3. Modulate your voice pleasantly. Try to get some resonance.

4. Sound as though you’re looking forward to hearing from me!

Don’t Settle for One Run at It: Re-record Your Phone Message until It’s Perfect

As a musician, I would never play the piano for others unless I had practiced until the performance was perfect. Yet, when we ‘practice’ real estate, we often just ‘let it fly’ with whatever comes out of our mouths! Not good. You have too much at stake to settle for one run at it.

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Advice from a musician: Practice your phone message several times before you record it. Then, record and listen critically. Don’t just use the first recording.

Make sure your ‘phone voice’ is the best first impression you can make.

P. S. Managers and team leaders—two tips 1. Call each of your agents’ phone mails. What’s the impression you get?

Are they professional? Do they state the company name? Do they represent your culture and image?

2. Create a quick class in phone messaging using the information in this blog.

Copyright ©, 2016 Carla Cross. All rights reserved.

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is the founder and president of Carla Cross & Co., specializing in real estate management and sales. Her internationally best-selling start-up plan for new agents, Up and Running in 30 Days, is now going into its 5th edition (!). Carla brings her vast experience as a top-selling agent and award-winning manager and trainer to the podium, blending her musical background with her proven sales and management strategies (she uses the piano AND even teaches someone to play—fast…..—entertaining and practical). Find out more at www.carlacross.com.

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