MARYLAND EDITION
GOOGLE ADWORDS: How to Make Google do the Work for You I’ll Take 2 Pounds of Confidence and 3 POUNDS OF SELF-ESTEEM! Why Millennials are Now the HOTTEST SEGMENT OF THE BUYERS MARKET THINKING OF LISTING? Nine Ways to Get Ready
COVER STORY
HANS WYDLER
MARYLAND EDITION
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HANS WYDLER
CONTENTS 4) GOOGLE ADWORDS: HOW TO MAKE GOOGLE DO THE WORK FOR YOU
18) WHY MILLENNIALS ARE NOW THE HOTTEST SEGMENT OF THE BUYERS MARKET
13) I’LL TAKE 2 POUNDS OF CONFIDENCE AND 3 POUNDS OF SELF-ESTEEM!
22) THINKING OF LISTING? NINE WAYS TO GET READY
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Google AdWords:
How To Make Google Do the Work for You There is no denying that the internet is the first place a buyer begins looking for a new home in this digital age. Knowing how to put the powerful tools available on the internet to work for you can give you a decided advantage when it comes to attracting prospective buyers to your listings, as well as you as an agent. Google is easily one of the major superpowers of the internet, and they have one of the most powerful advertising tools available. Knowing how to utilize Google AdWords in the correct manner can make your internet advertising immensely powerful and possibly your best way to reach prospective buyers. Google AdWords is also extremely cost-effective. This multifaceted tool gives you much more control over your advertising campaign than other more traditional methods. You can target specific audiences, choose the specific search terms, also known as keywords, that will bring up your ad in someone’s search results, and you can set a budget for each campaign that will dictate it’s reach and how long the campaign will run. Here are some tips for how to put Google AdWords to work for you. 4
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ent websites. You want to set yourself apart from every other real estate website users are viewing in their search for a house.
MAKE SURE YOUR ADS ARE GOING TO SEND USERS TO A SITE THAT WILL CAPTURE THEIR ATTENTION
You can spend an infinite amount of money on Google advertising campaigns, but if those ads don’t send users to a site that will capture and hold their interest, then you’ve just wasted all that money. Don’t put your cart before the horse. Make sure you are considering exactly where these ads are going to send users. To set up your website for success, at the very least you want to make sure users are greeted by clear call-to-action, such as a message that will encourage them to sign up for your newsletter or subscribe to your blog. You want to set up your website to maximize and capture the leads the ad campaign sends your way.
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BUILD CUSTOMIZED OR CUSTOM-MADE WEBSITES RATHER THAN TEMPLATE WEBSITES It is easy and tempting to use template websites, or to offer your agents template websites if you are a real estate manager or broker. While this offers a cost-effective solution to providing every agent with a website, it does little to set you or your agents apart and capture the attention of users that are used to seeing a wealth of differ-
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MAKE SURE YOU ARE OFFERING VALUE ON YOUR WEBSITE
Don’t simply use your website as a kind of brag sheet. Let users know what makes your particular services valuable to them. Highlight your expertise in a certain location through tools such as blog posts, providing market updates, or giving pertinent information on a unique type of property. This will ensure that your online advertising campaigns are much more successful.
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LOCATION IS EVERYTHING!
Location is everything in real estate, and the same holds true for Google AdWords. You can target specific locations in your ad campaign. While one approach is to focus on the area around your location, a more advanced approach would be to link AdWords campaigns to your Google My Business account. This is a Google service that includes your address in the ad, allowing people to then click on it and see exactly where you are located on a map.
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USE GOOGLE ADWORDS IN YOUR CAMPAIGN TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS IN GENERAL
Focus an AdWords campaign on expanding your business by incorporating specific zip codes and neighborhoods that will help you establish a presence in an area where you would like to increase your real estate business. Making sure that your ad appears in search results that are related to the real estate in a specific area will help shape the image and brand of your business as well as bring in new leads.
HARNESS THE POWER OF DATA
When you run a Google AdWords campaign Google Analytics captures a wealth of information about your target client demographic. You can gain real insight into your online visitors, such as when they visit, what they do and look at on your site once they get there, and what search terms they use. You can use all of this information to grow your business. Use Google Analytics to determine which users (location, gender, age) are utilizing specific aspects of your site, such as looking at multiple listings, reading your blog, etc. You can then use this information to target these specific demographics in your AdWord campaigns, Gmail ads, the Google Display Network, and other advertising.
Using the internet to help advertise your business and your listings is one of the smartest moves you can make as an agent in this modern age. However, you don’t want to simply go into the process blind or you’re wasting a lot of potential resources and data that could make all the difference. To reap the benefits of Google AdWords, you must apply an intelligent strategy to using these campaigns. 6
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HANS WYDLER 7
Hans Wydler partnered with his brother Steve to start a team, which went on to become a Top 25 team in the nation and #1 in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia metro area.
As a tech entrepreneur in the late nineties, Hans Wydler had seen his fair share of businesses rise and fall. After working with three internet start-ups, he was ready to forge a new professional path, but wanted a career that would keep him rooted in the D.C. metro area he loved. At first, he decided to pursue real estate as an investor, but soon realized that his passion to serve others was better suited as an agent, rather than a developer. That was back in the 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine
early 2000s, and, since then, Hans’ journey in real estate has skyrocketed. Soon after his foray into the industry, he partnered with his brother Steve to start a team, which went on to become a Top 25 team in the nation and #1 in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia metro area. Hans’ career hit an inflection point in May 2015 when he was a passenger on the Amtrak train that crashed outside Philadelphia. The near-death experience caused Hans to view his life in a new light, and he decided to seize the moment by launching his own brokerage in partnership with his brother. Since opening its doors on January 1st, 2016, Wydler Brothers Real Estate has seen tremendous success and is the fastest growing independent brokerage in the DC metro area. Likewise, Hans Top Agent Magazine
has carved out an impeccable reputation for ethical service and outstanding results. Serving the District and its extended communities in the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia, Hans and his brother head a brokerage of nearly eighty real estate professionals. Together, Wydler Brothers Real Estate is on track to generate roughly half a billion dollars in volume this year, with more than 75% of their business coming from repeat clients and direct referrals. To accomplish this feat, Hans and Steve put in extra effort to source a team of professionals Top Agent Magazine
committed to the same values and goals— doing the right thing, serving others, and staying ahead of the industry curve. “We hire the people we’d want to work with,” he explains. “For our potential agents, we consider the Dorothy test from The Wizard of Oz. We look for heart, brains, and courage—sprinkled with a little bit of magic, that spark and charisma. We take our business seriously and we want to work with bright people, that’s why we have a very high-caliber group of agents. We apply our expertise, intelligence, context, and technologies to help our clients achieve the best outcome.” Copyright Top Agent Magazine9
Hans and his team’s approach to the agent-client relationship is steeped in mutual trust, a commitment to wise counsel, and an interpersonal connection that lasts long after closing. Likewise, they are systematic about touching base with their network, creating a company-wide platform that unites their efforts, as well as their spheres of influence. “Because all of our agents use our platform, it gives us a tremendous ability to leverage the market impact of what we do,” Hans recounts. “Whether it’s a listing in need of publicity or a buyer looking for something in particular, we manage about 40,000 consumer relationships within our network. That’s very powerful Copyright Top Agent Magazine Copyright 10
and serves as a valuable added resource for clients.” What’s more, when it comes to the listing process, Hans and his team have access to a host of traditional and digital tools that net consistent results. “We work in collaboration with our clients and take a strategic approach to every home and particular market,” he says. “We come up with a tailored marketing plan for every property, taking into consideration its special features and the potential pocket of buyers for that home. For instance, some properties might have a former VIP owner, or a great view, or some significant feature that would make for good PR in the local papers. Other properties might have great walkabilTop Agent Magazine
ity to a key amenity, so we’ll focus on that and reach out to those local communities. We have a basic structure to our marketing plan, but we layer in creativity to really make listings stand out.” When it comes to giving back to the D.C. metro area he calls home, Hans and his company work closely with A Wider Circle, an organization that is dedicated to eliminating Top Agent Magazine
poverty in the region. For their part, Wydler Brothers agents donate a bed for each transaction closed, and have just donated their 1,000th bed! “It’s a small but important way that we can help make our community become a better place for everyone,” Hans says. Looking ahead, Hans and Steve plan to grow their business conscientiously, upholding the superlative standard of care that their clients Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11
have come to expect. “We want to be the best and most respected brokerage in the Washington DC market,” Hans says. “This is our community—where our kids go to school, where our friends live, where we have invested time, energy and passion.” Today, after an intrepid career track, Hans considers what
he enjoys most about his chosen field: “The best part about what we do is helping people, mostly through happy, but sometimes difficult, transitions. It’s nice to make a difference, and we are blessed to meet so many amazing people and make them part of our wonderful community.”
To learn more about Hans Wydler visit WydlerBrothers.com, email Hans@WydlerBrothers.com, call 301 – 640 – 5701, www.
https://www.facebook.com/WydlerBrothersRealEstate/ or visit his Facebook page here.
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I’ll Take 2 Pounds of Confidence and 3 Pounds of Self-Esteem! By Barry Eisen
At least a few times per month I get emails and/or calls asking me to help develop confidence and a positive self-esteem. When you’re hot you’re hot and when you’re not, you’re not. Life has its ups and downs and occasionally everyone feels like they’ve run out of gas and nothing they seem to do works. When you’re in a slump the world can look overwhelming and against you. The more you think about you’re victimhood, the more out of control you feel.What you focus upon becomes larger. Confidence, positive self-esteem...these are just words and something experienced many moons ago. Talk it out with your spouse? Sure. See a therapist? Maybe. Get a coach? Good idea. Call a hypnotist...that’s where I come in, but maybe not in an obvious way. Top Agent Magazine
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Hypnosis can be of help in so many areas such as controlling weight, memory improvement, reading faster, stopping smoking, becoming a great public speaker, prospecting and growing a business, eliminating fears, becoming a better golfer/tennis player/baseball player etc., sleeping and energy, controlling pain control in dentistry and child birthing, improving wellness, passing tests and so much more. This is not an over statement. Hypnosis is a performance enhancer because it taps into the best parts of who we are to make the changes necessary to make the changes to evolve ourselves. But “programming” ones mind for confidence and positive self-esteem is not something I’ve seen done effectively. The subconscious says, “What does that mean?” “Give me a picture, what do you want?” Read any neuroscience to know (or simply use common sense) that the subconscious needs specific direction (words, pictures and supportive feelings) for these clear messages to be acted upon. A general business plan is usually a recipe for disaster. A poor teaching plan will confuse students. Mixed general messages given to a 3 year old will produce erratic behavior. A loose navigation plan will have ships traveling in circles. Just like many people. Instead of working on confidence and positive self-esteem, does it make sense to instead, work on a solid business target of success and develop a business plan that will get you there? If you’re planning for the future, is it not a better idea to set an end result and develop strategies that will make it happen? If you’re looking for better health, doesn’t it make sense to set a target for excellence and back it up with a realistic exercise and eating approach that will insure success? The confidence and self-esteem will come along automatically. Create the goal, take action, do the work, be consistent. Your business will never grow more than you do. Your health will never get better without you stretching out beyond who you now are. Your relationships will never be more secure and supportive than you are of yourself. Your confidence and self-esteem will never grow without a reason. 14
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Before you therapy or drug yourself into confidence and self-esteem, at least try (Oh! I hate that word) the 10 organic following ideas for 2-3 weeks.
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Set goals that stretch you out and force you to grow. You can’t be depressed when you’re learning something. Learning takes you out of your egocentric predicament.
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Create timelines/target dates for goal accomplishments. This establishes a sense of urgency. It puts a little “gitty up” in your step and mind.
List your actions of the day on your To-Do list and prioritize all items. Doing the A’s and crossing each off as done, will put a smile on your face and a jolt of small energy in your life. (Accomplishment feels good. Could you use some “feel good”/self-esteem?) You’ll start looking forward
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to these little positive jolts and do what is necessary to have them. If I was talking cocaine...that would be a bad thing, but since I’m talking non drug human motivation...that would be a good thing.
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If you’re just feeling flat for no obvious reason, take on an interest/ hobby/project that’s been on your mind in the past. Learning stimulates blood flow to different parts of the brain and increases endorphin flow. (E.g. Calligraphy, sailing, martial arts, reading sci-fi, etc.)
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Follow through like your hair’s on fire. Show yourself what you CAN DO! Create some appropriate reward for the accomplishment. Balance your life with goals in physical, financial, emotional, educational, family, social and spiritual areas. Sometimes more is better. Purposely smile more, laugh easier, hold eye contact a little more (obviously, not in a creepy way) and present a stronger posture.
Learn to relax to slow down, put things in perspective, ask yourself how you feel and how you’re doing 2 or 3 times during your day. Don’t let the day rule you. Be present. Pay attention.
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Act “AS IF” you were already doing things with confidence, making decisions with authority and living the life you want to live. You become what you think about. 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 818-769-4300 16
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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? 18
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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 isn’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 we’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: • 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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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
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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.
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