ILLINOIS EDITION
BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE:
How to Build a Relationship with Your Clients that Will Last a Lifetime
REACHING THE MILLENNIAL MARKET THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Jamie Hering COVER STORY
THINKING OF LISTING?
Nine Ways to Get Ready
FEATURED AGENT
KEVIN BURKE
ILLINOIS EDITION
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JAMIE HERING
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KEVIN BURKE
CONTENTS 4) BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE: HOW TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CLIENTS THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME 13) THINKING OF LISTING? NINE WAYS TO GET READY
17) REACHING THE MILLENNIAL MARKET THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA 21) 6 METHODS FOR BUILDING BETTER EMAIL LISTS
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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. 4
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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:
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 Top Agent Magazine
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.
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. 6
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Jamie Hering Top Agent Magazine
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“Our team really has a unique synergy and bond. We always hustle and put our clients’ needs first to get the job done. It’s been a really fun ride so far, and our focus is always on continued growth, challenging ourselves, and learning new things.”
Jamie Hering Jamie Hering always had an interest in real estate, but a successful career in education kept her busy. When she decided to switch gears and pursue a new professional path, Jamie finally made the leap to earn her license. Now, three years later, she has built a blossoming practice fueled by enthusiasm, positivity, and client-centric service. What’s more, she has closed $40 million in volume since 2015—a promising indicator of her staying power. 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
Today, Jamie is based in Libertyville, Illinois and serves the northern Lake County region. With the support of a transaction coordinator and an assistant, Jamie works in conjunction with buyer specialist Allison Kasperski. “Our team really has a unique synergy and bond,” Jamie says. “We always hustle and put our clients’ needs first to get the job done. It’s been a really fun ride so far, and our focus is always on continued growth, challenging ourselves, and learning new things.” Thus far, Jamie has managed to drive roughly 50% of her business through repeat and referral clientele—an impressive figure for a relatively fresh upstart. To account for those fruitful strides, Jamie credits dedication, round-theTop Agent Magazine
clock accessibility, and a good attitude as the key elements of her working style. “Clients keep referring us and coming back to us because they know that we really work hard for them,” Jamie explains. “I’m very accessible, responsive, and I listen carefully so that I can put my work ethic to good use and find the right house or buyer. I’m also communicative—my clients know they can text me, call me, email me, and expect a response right away.” Top Agent Magazine
In approaching her work, Jamie also incorporates a personal touch to all her interactions. When it comes to staying connected to past clientele, she hosts client appreciation events throughout the year, capitalizing on the season and connecting new and familiar faces. From ice cream socials and pumpkin parties to movie theater events, Jamie displays her gratitude on a regular basis and keeps connections alive. “We’re a really fun bunch to work with,” Jamie admits. “Of course, Copyright Top Agent Magazine 9
we’re extremely hardworking and focused, but we try to add some fun along the way. We’re able to make clients laugh, find them what they’re looking for, but also make the homebuying process something enjoyable. We take our roles seriously, but try to reduce stress by adding some light-heartedness and positivity to the process.” When listing properties, Jamie applies a systematic approach that begins with staging through an interior designer. Then, she turns to professional photography, 3D Matterport tours, virtual walkthroughs, and drone foot10Copyright Top Agent Magazine
age to create home presentations that are both striking and immersive. From there, she nets superlative exposure for listings by leveraging boosted social media ads, hosting broker opens, and securing visibility across the leading online listing platforms. In fact, a recent home video tour Jamie commissioned went viral this year, securing up to 2.2 million views online. “I check every box and do everything I can to get the house out there,” Jamie says. To give back to her hometown community, Jamie and her tightknit team focus on comTop Agent Magazine
munity events and organizations with a local reach—from handing out candy at the Halloween booth in town or supporting local schools. “If there’s an opportunity for us to give back, we try to take it,” she says. In her remaining free hours beyond the office, Jamie most enjoys quality time with family Top Agent Magazine
and loved ones, cheering her kids on at their various activities—from sports to theater— and finding time for the occasional round of golf or fishing. “When I’m not working, I get to focus on being a mom,” Jamie says. “That’s one of the things I love about this job: it allows me to strike that balance.” Copyright Top Agent Magazine11
As for the future, Jamie plans to continue her team’s steady growth, with hopes to add new and dynamic professionals to the ranks in the years to come. For now, she is content to build her career and community, one homeowner at a time. Finally, with three sterling years behind her, Jamie Hering considers what she values
most about her chosen field. “I really love what I do,” she reflects. “Transitioning from an education background to real estate allows me to continue to build relationships and help others. I just love the fact that my clients will make so many memories in their new house—there’s nothing that means more.”
To learn more about Jamie Hering email Jamie@RealtorJamie.com, visit RealtorJamie.com, www.
https://www.facebook.com/heringhomes call (847) 345 – 2668, or visit her Facebook page here.
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Thinking of Listing? Nine Ways to Get Ready The less time a home spends on the market, the more likely it is to sell at or above list price. That’s why our Top Agents recommend getting a property ready for marketing well before listing. Anyone who is even just starting to think about listing will benefit from some basic upkeep and pre-staging work. Even if you decide now is not the time to list, you’ll enjoy these simple improvements around the home. With the right local resources, most pre-listing preparations take less than a week and will make the formal staging process simpler for all involved. Ask Top Agents in your area for referrals of local pros to hire. Once you’ve selected your Top Agent, keep yourself open to his or her opinion on other TLC to help decrease your home’s market time. 1. Inspection: The last thing a seller or buyer wants is a surprise at
inspection. That’s why a complete inspection before listing is so valuable. Many necessary fixes, such as minor roof or appliance repairs, can be discovered and repaired in less than a week. If inspection uncovers a major issue, any Top Agent will tell you that this knowledge is power; disclosing and expecting to take responsibility will increase buyers’ trust without affecting market time. 2. De-Clutter: Take a little time to pack away surplus furniture items and
extra knick-knacks, papers, books or occasional-use items throughout your house. Remember this may require boxing away video game supplies or packing up comfy throw pillows and blankets. Move these items temporarily into closets, the garage or attic with the assumption of possibly renting a storage unit just before listing. 3. Paint: Whole-house painting is likely not necessary, but consider touching
up baseboard moldings and doorways and open wall spaces in high-use areas Top Agent Magazine
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such as bathrooms, the office, family room and indoor recreation spaces. Also consider a little varnish on the front door or banister. 4. Artwork and Decor: Take a neutral look at your décor. Better yet, ask a
Top Agent to do so. Buyers should be able to picture themselves living in your home. While your Top Agent may not advise you to appear generic, you’ll likely need to thin out any shrine-like displays to family, hobbies or cultural interests.
5. Deep-Clean Housekeeping: After you’ve de-cluttered and touched up
the paint, request a deep cleaning from your housekeeping service and weekly cleanings thereafter. Make sure they pay attention to details like dusting or vacuuming window treatments and lampshades or wiping smudges off door jams and baseboard moldings. 6. Carpets and Rugs: Bring in the pros, but don’t just clean the carpets.
Because the cleaners will be moving furniture anyway, ask them stretch and tighten any buckled areas of carpeting. Doing so now saves the trouble of having to credit your buyer for this following final walk-through. Also consider removing small area rugs to let the beauty of your hardwood floors shine.
7. Look at the Loo: Buyers may not notice a brand-new toilet seat, but they
will turn up their noses at the one with the broken hinges. Freshly replaced toilet seats, faucets or doorknobs in heavily trafficked bathrooms can go a long way in first impressions.
8. “Mow & Blow”: Consider buyers as guests you want to feel welcome
as they ascend the front walk. If you don’t already have one, hire a weekly gardening service to keep up with the mowing, weeding, pruning and basic maintenance outside so you can focus on other things. 9. Staging: Once you’ve selected a staging professional for the finishing
touches, ask them and your Top Agent for final recommendations on day-today upkeep, storage options and what-to-do (or what not to do) while your house is on the market. 14
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Kevin Burke
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KEVIN BURKE As the son of a general contractor, Kevin Burke’s interest in and experience with real estate began at an early age. After a turn in the chemical industry, Kevin ultimately decided to switch gears and pursue a path that would allow him to prioritize his passion and serve others in the process. While his real estate experience stretches thirty years, his official full-time foray began in 2006. In the twelve years since, Kevin has established himself as a consummate professional committed to the tenets of honest business, comprehensive client care, and relationships that last a lifetime. Along the way, he has earned a host of designations and accolades, including the 2007 Rookie of the Year Award, as a member of the Platinum Club and Chairman Club, and as a Hall of Fame Inductee in 2013.
photography to ensure all homes are showcased in their finest light. From there, promotions are made across the leading online listing and MLS platforms, in addition to placement in local magazines and newspapers. Open houses ensure that local buzz is generated for homes new to the market, while direct mail campaigns reach regional buyers on the house hunt. All in all, Kevin’s approach leaves no detail unaccounted for and streamlines what is often a complex marketing operation. “I try to take the stress out of the transactional process and explain as much as I can along the way,” Kevin says. When working alongside buyers, Kevin ensures a market education that factors in area locations, trends, and his clients’ overarching goals. “Buying a home is probably the biggest purchase of my clients’ lifetimes,” he explains. “To me, it’s all about achieving their goals and considering how they want to live. Homeownership and the right property are such an important part of my clients’ lives and the lives of their family. Helping them achieve that goal is so rewarding.”
Based in Orland Park, Kevin heads a tightknit team that includes one fellow team member and an assistant. Together, they serve the greater southwest suburbs of Chicago, including Homer Glen, Tinley Park, Mokena, Joliet, and Orland Park—to name only a few. In the years since launching his business, Kevin has managed to amass roughly 65% of his business through repeat and referral clientele—a testament to the lasting relationships forged with those he serves. To account for his success thus far, Kevin cites service that goes above and beyond and efficient systems that deliver results. Likewise, steady communication and availability ensure that Kevin’s clients are always kept informed, up-to-date, and involved in all aspects of the transactional process. “I take a full-service approach to real estate,” Kevin says. “I always go out of my way to make sure my clients are pleased and they know I’m always on their side. I’m prompt, I answer calls, and I’m very organized.”
Beyond the office, Kevin gives back to a variety of worthy causes, including the Boys and Girls Club of America, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and Ann & Robert H. Lurie’s Children’s Hospital. He and his family are also avid members of their Parkview Christian Church. In his free hours, Kevin most enjoys time spent with his family and loved ones. He also enjoys family trips to their favorite destination of San Diego and the West Coast, indulging in his sportscar hobby, and expanding his Mickey Mantle collection. Looking toward the future of his business, Kevin intends to continue steadily on the path ahead, with plans to uphold the high standard of service his clients and colleagues have come to expect. Likewise, he plans to continue his expansion into the commercial market. For now, Kevin is content to nurture his business’s growth, while pursuing his passion for serving others by supporting the American Dream of homeownership.
When it comes to the listing process, Kevin applies his years of experience and insights to deliver ideal results in short order. Beginning with a staging consultation to create a neutral palette for prospective buyers, Kevin then incorporates professional
To learn more about Kevin Burke email RealtorKevinBurke@gmail.com, visit RealtorBurke.com, or call (708) 805 – 1754 www.
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#Reaching the Millennial Market Through Social Media by Bubba Mills
The old adage in marketing says if you aim at everyone you’ll miss them all. I know REALTORS® sometimes fall into the trap of attempting to reach everyone and then scratch their heads when they only hear crickets chirping. If you’re one of those (or even if you’re not), stick with me and I might be able to help you.
know how to reach them. For that part, I’ll share two words: social media. Many surveys have confirmed that social media is the Millennials’ dominant source of information, even above search engines. So the best way to build relationships and trust with Millennials is through social media.
The true beauty of social media is not only its reach but its implied advocacy. When Millennials find content they relate to, they share it with their The National Association of REAL- peers. So if one person shares your TORS® has found that Millennials message, it could instantly go to hunrepresent the largest share of recent dreds (or even thousands) of people buyers (32 percent of all buyers last with the inferred praise of the person year were Millennials). But here’s sharing it. the kicker: the overwhelming majority use real estate agents. Are If you’re not using social media, lights and bells going off in your again, check your pulse. Then start learning about social media and get head? If not, check your pulse. active on it. I promise it’ll be well So a great place to sharpen your worth your time. The big ones are marketing aim is with Millennials. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr That’s half the equation—knowing and Instagram. You can Google each who to go after. The second half is to and get a feel for which ones make Let me start with one word: Millennials—those between the ages of 18 and 34.
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Many surveys have confirmed that social media is the Millennials’ dominant source of information. the most sense for you, but all of them have something to offer REALTORS®.
I’m proud of that because I know in this day and age anyone who sells anything must use social media.
Now I’m not one to toot my own horn, but for this topic I will only with the hope that you give what I say a little more weight. Last year, a national magazine named me to its 25 most connected professionals list.
So here are some tips you can start using to reach Millennials on their terms:
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1. First, take time to understand social media. Join them (they’re free!) Top Agent Magazine
Millennials under stand marketers and they’re open to their messages on social media—if the messages are relevant to their lives. Otherwise, they simply ignore it.
and just take it all in. See what it’s all about and what kind of information people share. Spend at least several days learning before you share info. 2. Make sure what you share fits the specific social media outlet. For example, Facebook and Twitter are primarily personal tidbits, news and they’re both fairly casual, while Instagram is geared almost exclusively for visuals and photos. 3. Make sure your information is relevant and useful to improve the chance it gets shared. Millennials understand marketers and they’re open to their messages on social media—if the messages are relevant to their lives. Otherwise, they simply ignore it. Top Agent Magazine
4. Make it interesting. Instead of saying, ‘Gee, I have this great listing.’ Why not just share a picture of a cool looking wrap-around front porch of a house (that just happens to be one of your listings) that was built in the 1940s. Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching. com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into Real Estate Companies, Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1800-957-8353 or visit us at www.Corcoran Coaching.com. 19
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6 Methods for Building Better Email Lists By Kendra Lee
Email lists can be a blessing or a curse. When they’re composed of real email addresses of people in your target micro-segment, and those people recognize you or your company by name, an email list is an invaluable lead generation resource. When the list is filled with contacts who don’t know of you or your company, i.e. a cold list, lead generation can be though – really tough. Likewise, if your list is populated with fake, inactive, or irrelevant accounts you’re at risk of being banned by your email software provider. Not surprisingly, I hear from clients all the time asking how to build an email list that will get results for their campaigns. Should they purchase? Should they attempt to build their own? Remember that with email list building your goal is to build a list of people within your micro-segment, so quality is more important than quantity. The more similar the contacts, the easier it is to tailor your nurturing and lead generation content to their specific needs. Here are six methods that will help you build a quality email list. Top Agent Magazine
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Nurturing and lead generation activities: When you engage in social media, nurturing activities, SEO, and Adwords, those mediums provide forums for you to drive people to your website, start a conversation via a social channel, attend an event you’re hosting, and add people to your list. People who respond really do want to be part of your list.
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Membership organizations: Whether it’s through industry associations, mastermind groups, or networking events, these types of organizations provide an excellent means for collecting contact information. Generally, people will update or provide their own information because they want other members to have easy access to them so you know the data is current.
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Shared lists: By finding a peer who targets a similar microsegment with a non-competitive offering, you may be able to forge a partnership in which you promote to each other’s lists. This happens frequently within the high tech space, with consultants, and with professional services organization where they understand the value of collaboration.
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Research the web and build your own: Increasingly, we’re seeing companies comb LinkedIn, Zoominfo. com, InsideView.com, DiscoverOrg.com and other websites for contact information, and then follow-up with companies to confirm the validity of that information. This approach is time consuming, but it can be very effective. A client who we coached through this process recently got a 41% open rate on their email nurturing campaign. I really like DiscoverOrg for the detailed information they have if you’re selling in the IT or telecom industry.
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Purchase lists: There are numerous companies that sell email lists, but you need to be careful which vendor you buy from
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and how much you spend. Prices typically range from hundreds to several thousand dollars depending on list specificity and size. One warning: Expect higher bounce rates with these lists and negotiate for that issue when you purchase. To avoid high bounce rates, look for a list company that validates the information. In this way I’ve been very pleased with ExchangeLeads for new lists and validation of current lists. If you don’t have any list, this may be the way to get started.
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Trade information for information: Sites like ExchangeLeads and Data.com community give you credit for providing contact information for companies you’ve worked with in the past. As you earn credit, you can use it to acquire lists for free. These services generally have a fee option as well, and the data integrity is dependent upon users keeping it current. Again, look for companies that validate data to reduce bounce rates and wasted time. I really like ExchangeLeads for trading information as well as purchasing it.
Ultimately, my advice would be to focus as much on the organic list building methods (#s 1-4) as possible, and supplement with the purchased methods (#s 5 and 6) when necessary. If you start with a purchased list, plan to nurture it and build your recognition. Don’t toss it away if you don’t get immediate results. At the end of the day, you want to strive for list quality over list quantity. Pushing your messaging out to unwitting, uninterested, or unsuspecting prospects won’t do anything to help you close more deals. Contact details for Kendra Lee: Phone: 303-741-6636 (Old fashioned, but very effective.) Email: Info@klagroup.com (Yes, I get every one of these personally.) Twitter: @KendraLeeKLA (And I do follow all direct messages on Twitter!) KLA Group is a sales consulting and training firm focused on helping clients get more customers in the Small and Midmarket Business (SMB) segment through lead generation, prospecting, hiring and onboarding strategies. Copyright©, Kendra Lee. All rights reserved. Top Agent Magazine
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