GEORGIA 8-13-18 by Top Agent Magazine

GEORGIA EDITION

7 Deadly Sins Of Personal Branding 4 Ways Mentoring Up-and-Coming Employees Makes You A Better Agent

Is Your Phone Voice Attracting â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Or Repelling?

COVER STORY

Noelle Larson Why Millennials Are Now

The Hottest Segment Of The Buyers Market

GEORGIA EDITION

Bruce Grant is proud to congratulate

Noelle Larson 9

NOELLE LARSON

on being featured for the state of Georgia in Top Agent Magazine! CONTENTS 4) 4 WAYS MENTORING 16) WHY MILLENNIALS ARE BRUCE GRANT | Senior Mortgage Consultant UP-AND-COMING EMPLOYEES NOW THE HOTTEST SEGMENT NORTHPOINT MORTGAGE MAKES YOU A BETTER AAGENT OF THE BUYERS MARKET Branch Of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. NMLS #200867 | GA Licensee NMLS #24354 Office/Fax 678.966.0843 | Cell 404.234.0052 6) 7 DEADLY SINS 21) IS YOUR PHONE VOICE Bruceg@Fairwaymc.com | Northpointmortgage.com OF PERSONAL BRANDING ATTRACTING â&#x20AC;&#x201D; OR REPELLING? 540 Lake Center Parkway, Suite 208, Cumming, GA 30040 www.

Branch NMLS #1607714 | Corporate #NMLS 2289

Phone 888-461-3930 | Fax 310-751-7068 mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com. Published in the U.S.

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4 Ways Mentoring Up-and-Coming Employees Makes You a Better Agent In the world of real estate, there are always new agents joining the ranks. Even if you’ve been practicing for just a few short years, you’ve likely learned your fair share of lesson along the way. As an agent, much of your working philosophy is derived from first-hand experience and your work on the ground. This means that new agents are less prepared for the inevitable curveballs of the industry. That’s where you come in. While mentorship is often pitched as a relationship that solely benefits the mentee, there is actually plenty to be gained from becoming a mentor. After all, personal growth goes hand-in-hand with professional growth, and becoming a mentor asks agents to thought4

fully explore and demonstrate their own ideologies, practices, and rationale. With that in mind, take a look at some of the benefits of mentorship below, and you’ll get a sense of why counseling new agents can be a boon to your own business. Teaching lessons to others reinforces your own professional values. Showing the ropes to young agents is a great way to brush-up on your foundational skills. Verbalizing and demonstrating processes, or walking through the rationale behind negotiation tactics—all cause mentors to think through their established practices and outline in detail why they’ve chosen this route over an

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alternative. This helps older agents fine-tune their routines, while getting back in touch with the critical thinking that went into constructing those habits. Mentorships allows you to see the big picture.

surely sharpen your ability as the head of a team. What’s more, you’ll be building skills of empathy, understanding, teaching, and constructive criticism. Working on those skills will better your practice and your ability to lead in your office.

After a lengthy industry tenure, it’s not uncommon for battle-worn agents to lose some steam and begin to burn out. By devoting some time to mentoring up-and-coming agents, you’ll get back in touch with your early days, remembering the excitement, the trials, and the hard lessons gleaned. Spending time with the next generation of real estate professionals can reinvigorate your practice, as seeing the business from the eyes of an eager amateur can inject energy into your working life. You’ll benefit from seeing things from a new perspective. Just as working with young agents can help you remember your career’s big picture, you may also benefit from working alongside someone with a new perspective. Young agents bring a different set of skills and awareness to their work, and established agents can benefit from a fresh take. If technology isn’t your strong suit, or you’re interested in tapping the Millennial homebuyer market, working with a younger agent is an excellent way to see through fresh eyes. Mentoring young agents makes you a better leader. As a mentor, you’ll often direct the flow of your professional relationship—figuring out which issues to tackle, making an agenda, and imparting lessons in a clear way. These are all characteristics of a leader, and acting in a position of authority as mentor can Top Agent Magazine

While some may balk at the time commitment or energy required to take on a mentee or two, you might consider it an act of ongoing education or professional development. While your mentee will undoubtedly benefit from access to your expertise, there’s certainly much to be gained from taking the time to cultivate tomorrow’s real estate leaders.

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and they don’t care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also like activities they can start and finish. Compliants are thinkers. They’re always wondering how things work. They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy. They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logical organization of information.

7 Deadly Sins of Personal Branding

some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’ve opted for a much more affordable offering: a free DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own What is a style ‘personal Just likeothers com- as sistently dominant andbrand’? how to read well. (across all marketing platforms), pany or product branding, it’s built around a well-defined brand can elevate agent recimaging and messaging that is designed to ognition and help to establish credibility Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding create a feeling. And in the case of personal and authority. However, when executed appropriately all takehow work But because realare estate is a people branding, it influences you and wantattention. others incorrectly, the effects lackluster at best, business, it’s simply a must. And the better at it you become, the to feel about you. From your photos to other and harmful at worst. To help you better avoid living as an or broker. brandyou’ll images,make elements andagent even content, theI promise. pitfalls of personal branding, we’ve there is a lot that goes into creating your compiled a list of what we feel are the 7 unique brand.to Displayed Best of luck you! correctly and con- deadliest sins.

Copyright©, 2015 BubbaNO Mills. All rights reserved. DIFFERENTIATION Branding about being known forvicereal estate agent who expressed to us that Bubba Mills isis not co-owner and executive president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an in international your profession. It’s about being known she was already well branded her area. consulting coaching that performance coaching and for being and different in yourcompany profession. If specializes She stated,in“When I walk into a restaurant theallimplementation sound systems Real Estate Companies, Mortgage agents were the of same, howbusiness would your in into my community, people already know Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational customers know who to choose? Lack of I’m a real estate agent.” And while that and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage differentiation is out by more far the #1 personal is a great start, it’s nowhere close to succompanies. To find about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 We love to tell the story of a cessful branding. Let’s assume I walked or branding visit us at sin. www.CorcoranCoaching.com. 6

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into that restaurant and noticed her. But I also noticed two other agents in the same restaurant. Now, who do I choose? Which

‘brand’ stands out to me? What lets me know that one of them is uniquely positioned to serve my needs?

and they don’t care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also NO FOCUS like activities they can start and finish. In business, you can’t be all things to all side of your specific focus. That would be people. Many have and failed. In or- always quite difficult. It does mean over work. time Compliants are tried thinkers. They’re wondering howthat, things der to have business and brand, doneacorrectly), you approach. will do moreWhen and They wanta successful practicality, logic, fairness(ifand systematic you must define yourfacts, ideal custommore ofand the data. exact They kind ofseek business you talking toclearly thinkers give documentation accuracy. er and how you will super-serve that cus- want, and conversely, even stop doing They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, tomer. In other words, declare and develop the kind of business you don’t want. And detailed tasks and focused, logical itorganization of information. a specialty. By being does NOT that’s what a great brand is designed to mean that you stop doing all business outaccomplish.

some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’veNO opted for a much more affordable offering: a free AUTHENTICITY DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. Recognizable personal brands can be very You should be able to ‘breathe your brand’ php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own clever and memorable, but if your brand in everything that you do. This is importdominant andlast. how to read as well. isn’t ‘you’,style it won’t If you try toothers put ant not only for your customers, but perout a persona that is different from your haps most importantly for you. There is Yes, needs and wants responding ownunderstanding and the way you people, live yourlistening life, peo- to their a tremendous amount of and confidence that ple will take notice overwork time. and The attention. most comes knowing youisare who appropriately all take Butwith because realthat estate a people incredible it’s personal brands weaveAnd pro-theyou portray, that become, you have the business, simply a must. better at itandyou thehabits, better fessional and personal qualities into one. inspiration, knowledge and expertise to living you’ll make as an agent or broker. I promise. Your brand becomes an extension of you. back it up.

Best of luck to you!

NO CONSISTENCY

rable brand, but if you don’t display those ple don’t see them nearly as often, so don’t branding correctly consis- viceapply or compare your own habits and Bubba Millselements is co-owner andand executive president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. all (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, an international tently across of your marketing plat- exposure to 800-957-8353), theirs. Repetitiveness in marconsulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and forms, it does you little good. In order to keting is not only a good thing, it’s essenthe implementation sound systems Real Estate Companies, Mortgage accomplish this taskofwell, youbusiness must step tialinto for retention. Once you determine the Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational back from your marketing and see it the overall messaging and look of your brand, and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage way others To do.find Youout seemore yourabout socialCorcoran media Consulting that look should continuecall across literally companies. & Coaching, 1-800-957-8353 every day. You see your business every marketing platform you touch. orchannels visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com. Top Agent Magazine

NO CONTENT The ultimate goal of personal branding is comfortable producing is the key to keeping to become known as an authority in your it simple. No one wants to be bogged down andchosen they niche. don’t That caremeans for sudden or lifestyle. They also withprocedure producing content. But on the flip side, that youchanges must in likedemonstrate activitiesthe they can start and finish. knowledge, expertise and/ no one knows how much you know until or experience to back up your position. you share it. Great content demonstrates your knowledge and how helps your customers Content that are best expresses youThey’re and your always Compliants thinkers. wondering things work. at the same time. In addition, it serves anbrand could be as simple as a series of They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When other purpose with search engine optimizaphotos, quotes, e-books, video shorts, etc. talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy. Choosing the type of content you’re most tion and attracting prospects online.

They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logicalNO organization of ACTION information. CALL TO

You’re spending money to market across using other people’s money’. Your call some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at multiple platforms, so why not take the to action may change with different marCorcoran Coaching, opted for more affordable offering: keting channels or purposes, buta free you opportunity to extendwe’ve an invitation fora much DIsC Just with visityou? www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. your assessment. prospects to engage It can should always, always have one. If you want people to do something, tell them a simple call be to action, such as ‘call me phpbeand you’ll guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own you’d like them to do. That’s how you first’ or more ‘contact me others for a aswhat dominant stylespecific, and how to read well. free home staging assessment’ or ‘download my e-book and learn how to invest

move prospects one step closer to becoming customers.

Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding appropriately all take work attention. But because real estate is a people NOand FOLLOW-THROUGH business, it’s simply a must. And the better at it you become, the better with hundreds of agents, folWhyyou’ll is this included in branding, living make as an agentyou or may broker.munication I promise. ask? Because your brand is your bond. It’s low-through is at the top of the list when it comes to customer complaints. You don’t your handshake. When you say you’ll do Best of luck how to you! something, can people trust you if want to be that person. Putting an incredible you don’t follow through with your prom- message and image out there isn’t enough. must live up to those standards with ise? This is often elementMills. that people Copyright©, 2015theBubba All rightsYou reserved. forget altogether. And in fact, in our com- every customer, every transaction

Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), international ® Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder ofan BrandFace , LLC. ® consulting andMichael coaching company that specializes in performance coaching Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace partner. and the implementation of they sound systems into Real Estatedesigned Companies, Mortgage Together, focusbusiness on personal branding and marketing to help real estate ® professionals become theBubba face of their & a star in their market. BrandFace Companies and Small Businesses. Millsbusiness is a nationally recognized inspirational Real Estate Professionals is a book, speaking and and an exclusive and educationfor speaker, coach and mentor toprofessional the top real estateseries agents mortgage workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com. or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com. 8

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Noelle Larson Top Agent Magazine

WINERY FOR SALE IN NORTH GEORGIA 24 Acres Custom home and two businesses included in the sale! $2,900,000

Noelle Larson

With numerous awards and accolades to her name, Noelle Larson of Engel & Volkers Atlanta North Fulton is adept at providing her many buyers and sellers with expert real estate advice. Her steadfast commitment to putting her clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs front and center during each transaction has lead to her receipt of the Circle of Excellence Award and recognition as a Greater Atlanta Top Agent, among many other accolades. With a focus on clear, consistent communication and a winning personality, she has firmly established herself as an agent who 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

can be trusted to help her clients navigate the often-convoluted buying or selling process. Even before she obtained her license, Noelle worked in fields that provided a solid basis for her current career as an agent. First, she ran a non-profit organization that catered to the education of those that serve on their community association boards, followed by an eleven-year stint that included both managing the community association practice as well as serving as the Firm Administrator with a real estate law Top Agent Magazine

firm. “I ended up leaving that position and eventually getting my real estate license,” she explains. “Overall, I have nearly twenty years of experience in this industry and have loved every minute of it.” Signing on with Berkshire Hathaway when she immediately got her license, she remained with that company until 2016, when she made the switch to Engel & Volkers. With nearly half of her business based on referral clients, Noelle is obviously inspiring a high level of client loyalty. “I pride myself on trying to provide the very best in communication and customer service,” she says, when asked to Top Agent Magazine

account for the impressive number of referrals she receives. “It’s a very emotional thing for them and a huge investment as they step into that next chapter of their lives. It’s important that I assist them with every detail throughout the process. It’s equally important that they never feel as though they are in this alone but rather, have a strong support system that will work hard to get them what they want and 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

ensure that everything is done properly. My clients deserve to have the confidence that what they’re doing is the right thing.” Look no further than Zillow.com or REALTOR.com, on which sites Noelle has a perfect five-star rating, to illustrate the personal, highly-professional service she provides her clients. Among the many reviews she has received is this perfectly illustrative one: “We can’t express in words how very much we appreciate the work Noelle put into not just finding a new home for us but selling our current one too. The one thing that stood out the most to us was how much more knowledgeable she was than the other realtors involved in the buying/selling of our home. Her expertise was the reason we were Copyright Top Agent Magazine Copyright 12

able to secure the deals we did and we both felt glad to have her on our side of the negotiating table. She was available whenever we had a question or needed more information. Her kindness and subtle way of pursuing what was best for us was for lack of better words, awesome. We highly recommend contacting Noelle if you are considering a move.” A multi-pronged and highly effective approach to marketing also plays a large role in Noelle’s continued success. “I go above and beyond the typical steps to list a property. This competitive market requires that an agent do much more than simply putting it in FMLS or GA MLS. I have a strategic approach that includes a variety in marketing that not only gets my listings more Top Agent Magazine

exposure, but also gets people talking so that it inspires an organic following,â&#x20AC;? she explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As an added bonus, Engel & Volkers is an international company, so we have relationships across the world that give our listings direct exposure Top Agent Magazine

to national and international buyers. In addition, the company provides many resources and tools that allow us, as agents, to network with other shoppes (offices) locally, nationally, and globally. Some might think that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13

that kind of coverage but exposure is exposure, and if it gets your house out to a higher volume market, you ultimately win!” Noelle is dedicated to giving back, and does so in particular through Engel & Volkers’ association with the Special Olympics. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her two girls, her husband, and her mini Goldendoodle. As for the future, Noelle’s plans include continuing to grow her business into a sustainable

business plan by perhaps start a team and a staging business, all while continuing to provide the excellent service that has become synonymous with her name. “My clients become my friends and being a part of this process with them, is only the foundation of a lifelong friendship.” she replies when asked what she enjoys most about what she does for a living. “Buying or selling a house is huge, and it can be a scary thing. Being trusted to be a part of that is an honor. I don’t take it lightly.”

Noelle Larson, ABR® | Real Estate Advisor Greater Atlanta Top Rated Real Estate Agent CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Atlanta North Fulton 2610 Old Milton Pkwy, Suite 110, Alpharetta, GA 30009 Mobile: 770-940-2165 | Website: noellelarson.evusa.com Mail to: noellelarson10@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/kimsuttonadairrealtor/ Visit me on Facebook! facebook.com/noellelarsonrealtor www.

www.

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Bruce Grant is proud to congratulate

Noelle Larson

on being featured for the state of Georgia in Top Agent Magazine!

BRUCE GRANT | Senior Mortgage Consultant NORTHPOINT MORTGAGE A Branch Of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.

NMLS #200867 | GA Licensee NMLS #24354 Office/Fax 678.966.0843 | Cell 404.234.0052 Bruceg@Fairwaymc.com | Northpointmortgage.com www.

540 Lake Center Parkway, Suite 208, Cumming, GA 30040 Branch NMLS #1607714 | Corporate #NMLS 2289

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Why Millennials Are Now the Hottest Segment of the Buyers Market

and How You Can Attract Them to Your Home There are many factors when it comes to knowing how to sell your home to the Millennial generation. Millennials are becoming an important part of the buyer market, and to fail to cater to their needs will cut you off from a large and important segment. But, why have Millennials all of a sudden become interested in buying houses when they were perfectly content to rent for the rest of their lives? 16

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A number of factors contribute to what has recently made Millennials the hottest segment of the Buyers market. One factor is the improved job outlook for Millennials. Millennials took a serious blow during the recession. Unemployment in this group soared to 14 percent, compared to the 9.6 percent for the population as a whole. But, in recent years that number has been decreasing, with unemployment for Millennials being 9.3 percent this past year. Rising rents are also contributing to making Millennials more interested in purchasing homes now. Rents have risen so much that buying a home now just makes more sense. Half of all renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Millennials are becoming increasingly stressed over the constantly increasing financial obligation to something that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even theirs to own. The near-historic low mortgage rates are luring Millennials towards purchasing a home with their promise of affordability. When compared with the skyrocketing rental rates, buying a house looks even more enticing. Another factor helping Millennials get over the hump of purchasing a house is the lower down payment requirements. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now offering new loan programs that require as little as a 3 percent down payment. This may just be the last push the Millennials needed to turn toward buying a home rather than rent. So, now that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve established that Millennials are finally joining the Buyers market, the next thing that it is important to understand is what exactly Millennials are looking for in a home. What kind of floorplans do they prefer? What locations are they interested in? Here are some of the essentials that Millennials are looking for in a home: â&#x20AC;˘ Updated Kitchens and Baths: Almost everyone wants to buy a

home with new kitchen and bath fixtures, but this is especially true for Millennials Buyers. Millennials are going to spend most of their savings on the down payment and furnishings, leaving little room to update the Kitchen and Bath, which are also the most expensive parts of a home to

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update. Millennials who are on a budget simply won’t have the money to sink into those areas. An updated Kitchen and Bath is sure to bring in a younger crowd. • Big Kitchen with Open Floor Plan: For Millennials, the kitchen has

become the room where they hangout in addition to the family room. This is why having an open space that can transition easily from the kitchen to the TV room is high on the list of things Millennials are looking for in a home. Along a similar vein, Millennials are attracted to an open floor plan rather than one that compartmentalizes the home. This has to do with how Millennials entertain. Millennials want their guests to flow through the rooms and mingle together, rather than be sectioned off in different rooms.

• Home Office: More than 13 million Americans now work from home,

and if you look at the trend, that number is only going to increase as the time goes on. With technology steadily increasing, more Millennials than ever have the flexibility to work from home. But, the home office isn’t just for someone working from home full time. Having a separate space dedicated to work helps people concentrate and focus on work while they are at home. They can separate themselves from the activities going on around the house and have a quiet space where they can set up their workday, plan a presentation, hold a meeting on Skype, or even pay bills.

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• Less Maintenance: Many Millennials work different schedules that

don’t conform to the 9 to 5 workday, as well as full social calendars. This doesn’t leave them much time to clean a big house. Lawn services and low-maintenance front yards are particularly appealing, as they take less responsibility to still keep the curb appeal high.

• Energy-Efficient Appliances: Millennials have been educated on

keeping the Earth clean from the time they were born. They want to do their part to help the environment and appreciate the long-term cost savings that come with it. Energy-efficient appliances and greener ways to heat and cool the home might end up being the tipping point that makes them choose one house over another.

• Hardwood Floors: Millennials don’t have the time or patience to clean

dirty carpets, especially those that own pets. Hardwood and laminate flooring is easy to mop up if there’s been a mess. The more time they can conserve, the better.

• Good Location: Millennial buyers are looking for homes that are in

proximity to public transportation and have a good walking score. Young Millennial buyers without children are more likely to want a location closer to the action of the city, while Millennials with children would prefer more residential areas.

• Technology: Technology rules the Millennial’s life. They do work on

their computers through an Internet connection and solely use cellphones for communication. They are going to ask about how strong the cell service is and about the Internet service provider. While these amenities are out of the seller’s hands, Millennials are still going to ask these questions, and you will need to know how to answer them.

Knowing what Millennials are looking for in a home will ultimately help you make the necessary changes that will attract these buyers to your home. Since they are the a serious segment of the market now, updating your home to fit their needs will lead to more buyers and better offers. So, get with the times and embrace the Millennial buyer. Top Agent Magazine

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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. 22

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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 ©, 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. Top Agent Magazine

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