MARYLAND 5-9-22

MARYLAND EDITION

6 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO BE A GREAT MENTOR

A Step-by-Step Guide to

CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES

Why Millennials Are Now

THE HOTTEST SEGMENT OF THE BUYERS MARKET

FEATURED AGENT

JULIE FULLER COVER STORY

CHRISTINE BASHAM

MARYLAND EDITION

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CHRISTINE BASHAM

JULIE FULLER

CONTENTS 4) 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO BE A GREAT MENTOR 13) WHY MILLENNIALS ARE NOW THE HOTTEST SEGMENT OF THE BUYERS MARKET

18) EMOTIONAL FLUENCY: HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH CLIENTS WHEN TENSIONS ARE HIGH 22) A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES

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6 Things You Need to Do to Be a Great Mentor

Everyone reaches the point in their career where they feel they have gained enough experience and wisdom about business and what it takes to succeed, to actually help someone else achieve the same. Although you may have trained or given advice over the years, taking on the official status as a mentor to someone is a whole new ball game.

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Although mentorship is an unpaid endeavor, you’ll be surprised to find out how much you’ll gain from the experience. You’ll also grow as a business person through the process of teaching someone else. It’s also an endeavor that many will pay forward one day, creating a business atmosphere that is based more on mutual success than competition, which is better for everyone.

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If you were mentored, you may already have an idea of what it entails, and what you liked or didn’t like in your mentor/mentee relationship. Although it is a personal relationship that will need an individual approach, there are certain things that are key when it comes to being a great mentor: 1. Be a good listener

est about your own failures. It can be a huge relief to find out someone they look up to has gone through similar experiences and still managed to come out on top. As we all know, oftentimes the greatest lessons come from failures, which can be times when our character is truly tested. Building trust through mutual respect and honesty will make every aspect of your mentorship more effective.

You’re basically a sounding board who needs to hear your mentee’s ideas, plans and goals in order to advise them. Strong, constant and clear communication is key to any successful mentoring relationship.

Sometimes just letting them talk things out with you, will lead to them to discovering the solution they were looking for.

2. Set expectations and goals at the start When listening to your mentee in your first meeting about the potential relationship, it’s important to establish the parameters of what that relationship will be: What can you give them? What do they need or expect from you? Once the terms are agreed upon, you may want to set specific goals you’ll be working on together so that there’s a defined plan of action, timeline and result you can both expect.

3. Be honest This is important when it comes to offering them constructive criticism or tough love, but more importantly, you need to be honTop Agent Magazine

4. Get them to think, don’t make decisions for them Sometimes being a mentor is being a bit like a psychologist. By asking certain ques-

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tions you can lead your mentee to their own conclusions about their business dilemmas and strategies to reach their goals. Being a mentor is all about guidance. Build confidence by drawing out the best in your mentee rather than just presenting them with solutions.

5. Look at the situation objectively One of the key strengths you offer your mentee is a complete emotional detachment to their business. You have no sentimental attachment to doing things a certain way or working with an incompetent vendor because you ‘go way back’. Your only motive is what’s best for your mentee and their business. Although emotions cans still get in the way sometimes, having a detached perspective on hand to guide you is invaluable.

6. Don’t just offer constructive criticism, be supportive Yes, being a mentor is sometimes advising your mentee that he’s doing something ineffectively, but your main purpose is to alway approach everything like cheerleader.

You need to let them know that through it 6

all, you are a reliable support to them and have a complete belief in their abilities.

Make sure to always praise their accomplishments.

Remember: your job as a mentor is more about guidance than constant feedback.

Your goal is to help someone become the best they can be, not someone who just does everything the way you do it. You’re helping them build confidence in their own intuition, which will hopefully lead to a lifetime of success, and one day, they too might be a valuable resource to another mentee down the road.

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CHRISTINE BASHAM

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CHRISTINE BASHAM Top Agent Christine Basham with Northrop Realty, serves the central Maryland area with a focus on Howard County, as well as Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroll, Frederick, and Prince George’s County.

Originally on a college path to become a nurse, Christine Basham has put helping people at the focus of her real estate career. Christine worked as a property manager for 15 years all over the Washington DC and Baltimore area, getting her real estate license in 2001. “I was going to be a nurse because I like to care for people,” Christine explains. “I have found through my real estate career that I can care for people through this process.”

As a REALTOR® with Northrop Realty, Christine serves the central Maryland area with a focus on 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Howard County (where she has lived for over 30 years), as well as Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroll, Frederick, and Prince George’s County. “I love the Howard County area, which is centrally located between Baltimore and Washington,” Christine says. “This is a great location for commuting and it has won many accolades for its quality of life. We have many great companies and government agencies around us, with great schools, shopping, and green spaces for people to enjoy the outdoors.” Columbia’s walkable downtown is also a local highlight, including Busboys Top Agent Magazine

and Poets, a restaurant and bookstore that brings artists and writers for events, as well as Merriweather Post Pavilion for concerts.

Maintaining strong relationships with her clients comes naturally to Christine. “Real estate is a relationship business,” she says. “Someone’s home is the biggest asset they have, and when a client trusts Top Agent Magazine

me with that, I’ve always taken it as a great sign of their trust in me. So I have to take that trust and be there for them any way I can.” Christine is constantly available for her clients, and she strives to make the experience as stress-free and easy as possible.

When it comes to marketing her listings, Christine uses social media to the fullest for optimum exposure.

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“I want to continue serving my community, helping the people I know and the people I’m referred to,” she says. “I love being that great relationship person, and being their REALTOR® for life.”

Christine and Northrop Realty offer a complimentary staging appointment with accredited staging professionals. Our Home Marketing Consultants provide a walk and talk consultation on preparing your home and highlighting the features.. A staged home sells 30 times faster and for up to 20% more than list price. We understand what today’s buyer is looking for, that’s why we use a strategic approach to market our listings to the right buyer at the right time. We partner and place ads in a variety of distinguished print and digital publications with local, regional, and international reach. Our brand recognition is extremely strong in the market due to our hyper-local approach. From yard signs to 69,000+ weekly digital newsletter subscribers to state-of-the-art digital ads, our award-winning marketing department helps your home stand out from the crowd.

Our eye-catching marketing developed by our in-house creative and marketing team, ensuring beautiful design, quality, accuracy, and advertising guarantees your property will get noticed.

Here’s just some of what you can expect when working with us: Professional Staging Consultations, High-Definition 4K Fusion™ Photography, Interactive 3-D virtual walk-throughs and 2-D floorplans, Full-Color Property Brochures, Individual Property Website, Best-in-class Digital & Print Marketing, Effective Social Media Campaigns. This approach uses the highest degree of professionalism and expertise to meet and Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

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exceed your needs while providing extraordinary customer service.

In addition to her website, HomesBuyBasham.com, she promotes listings on Facebook and Instagram.

She also invests in drone videos and video tours Top Agent Magazine

of properties to make sure they stand out online.

“Things changed during the pandemic, and we evolved,” Christine says. “We were already offering Matterport 3-D virtual tours, and we sold many homes without anybody even stepping in the door!

I believe in education and always staying on the Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

forefront of the real estate market, because that helps the people we work with achieve their goals.”

puppy, going dancing with her husband, playing volleyball, going on family trips, and entertaining.

Community involvement is important to Christine, and she gives back any way she can. That includes fundraising for Red Nose Day, as well as participating in the MS Walk and many other events. Christine also holds an annual Client Appreciation Party at Centennial Park that is always highly anticipated. When she’s not working or giving back, Christine enjoys spending time with her two adult children, walking her new

Christine recently achieved one of her goals. She was awarded status in the Elite Top 20 of Northrop Realty.

Above all, her most important goal is to help others.

“I want to continue serving my community, helping the people I know and the people I’m referred to,” she says. “I love being that great relationship person, and being their REALTOR® for life. When you have me, I’m here for you in every way that I can be.”

To find out more about Christine Basham, email christinebasham@northroprealty.com. call 443-865-4785 or visit HomesBuyBasham.com www.

Photos by Kim Zaruba Photography Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

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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?

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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.

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JULIE FULLER When her military husband was stationed in Maryland back in ’91, Julie found her way into a professional admin position with Re/Max. She obtained her real estate license working in the Southern Maryland region to learn more and more about what the local agents were going through. Three years later, they relocated to San Diego. She landed a position working with a top agent immediately and sold real estate throughout Southern California until 1997, when it was time to head back to Maryland again. A dear friend at an environmental lab told her they were looking for experienced REALTOR®s to create a new division at the lab. This new division needed state licensed and certified individuals to train home inspectors how to collect environmental samples, including lead paint, radon, and water.

Julie travelled the country, running training classes on state law and sample collection procedures, helping local inspectors obtain their own state required certifications that would allow them to offer ancillary services. Thus she was instrumental in helping the home inspection industry to include all the services we experience today.

She took that skillset back to real estate in 2021 and eventually transitioned to EXP Realty, LLC in a position with the VR Group, named after founders Vicky Horsmon and Randy Utz. She came aboard in 2021 as their Success Manager. Julie helps both new and experienced agents on her team with goal setting, prospecting, contract negotiation and much more. With customized attention, she helps each agent to push their boundaries and grow their business. She’s an expert advisor on St. Mary’s, Charles, Calvert and Anne Arundel counties, and some of her team extend their reach even further. Her professional experience as Relocation Director is enhanced by her personal experiences in relocation. This allows her to present the proper optics and concerns, especially when dealing with the clientele near NAS Patuxent River and Joint Base Andrews. As a relocation specialist, she understands that a different level of finely detailed service is warranted, which will include some heavy lifting to get the job done. She’s invested in raising the bar to make dealing with her a next level real estate experience.

About thirty percent of her clients are repeat and referral, maintained by her love of chatting on the phone and being on top of her marketing.

Last year saw over 76 completed transactions, but with her team doubling in size, they’re on track to double their volume. She likes to see her listings in the system on Wednesdays, so that by the time buyers decide where they’re house hunting on the weekend, all of the websites have picked up the detailed information, ensuring that truly interested parties find what they need and there’s no surprises. Surprises are best for birthdays, not real estate.

Southern Maryland is a spectacular landscape of rolling hills and farmland crisscrossed with creeks and rivers and the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay. Everywhere Julie looks, she is surrounded by water and some of the world’s most beautiful natural beaches, making a rich landscape for kayaking, fishing and other watersports. There are still many modern amenities, but nothing is overbuilt and the balance is perfect, with restaurants like Bugeye Grill, The Ruddy Duck, Chiefs, and Atomic Seafood taking advantage of the abundant sources of blue crab and rock fish. Even though the landscape is amazing, it’s the caring people of the area that keeps Julie’s attention. She participates in monthly food drops to those in need that include produce from local farmers, and serving on the board of Project Echo community shelter, helping the homeless and those dealing with domestic or substance abuse issues. Before the pandemic, she got involved in Homes for Heroes®, not knowing just how important that assistance for emergency workers and the military would be in the following years.

Julie’s team is on track to be the #1 team in Maryland within the next three years. It’s the culture of the team that keeps them growing. She says she has the best job satisfaction there is, working a schedule around her family, making sure she’s there for all of the orchestra shows, marching band appearances and plays. Then she devotes time to helping clients achieve their dreams, build generational wealth and invest in something she knows will benefit them down the road. She’s found herself on the best path her life could take, with a great career and amazing clients.

For more info, call 240-354-7351 or email julie.fuller@vrgre.com Top Agent Magazine

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Emotional Fluency:

How to Communicate with Clients When Tensions are High Managing emotions, expectations, and personalities are central to a successful real estate career. After all, this is a business based on relationships and interpersonal communication. Likewise, real estate is built on one of life’s central milestones—homeownership. This means that stress, disappointment, excitement, and competition are inherently 18

involved in the process. As an agent, you take on the real estate world every day, but most of your clients aren’t well-versed in the norms of the industry and are likely riding an emotional roller coaster throughout.

Acknowledging this, how do you steer the ship when emotions and tensions are running high?

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For starters, it’s not always intuitive. Just like you add tools to your arsenal when it comes to marketing, social media, or lead generation, you also have to add emotional tools to your repertoire. Here are a few ways to diffuse tense situations and keep clients on an even keel—even during the ups and downs of the transactional process.

Create realistic expectations from the outset and reinforce them as you go As a seasoned agent, some aspects of the industry may seem run of the mill to you, but may come as a shock to your clients. That’s

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why communicating expectations from the beginning can help create reasonable touchpoints in the minds of your clients. In addition to talking through the steps of the transactional process with your clients, consider writing out a checklist or compiling a buyer’s guide that can serve as a resource for them throughout. Think of it like a security blanket, but one that’s built by facts, figures, and anecdotal experience. If you paint a clear picture of what to expect, clients are less likely to be taken by the surprise and react impulsively as a result. What’s more, reinforce next steps, expectations, and possible outcomes as you go. If your client is left to wonder or guess at what’s ahead or

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what will happen, they will either envision the worst-case scenario and panic, or they’ll misjudge the next step and be disappointed or left anxious as a result. Minimize surprises by communicating regularly, clearly, and with all options on the table.

When unveiling a problem, come to clients with potential solutions in hand Any agent worth his or her salt knows that bumps in the road are likely to occur along the way. You can’t promise a transaction free of stress or unforeseen issues, but you can minimize the ensuing stress by preparing you client in advance for any potential problems, and by addressing any problems

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clearly and with solutions already in hand.

Clients are likely to become agitated if a problem arises and they can’t understand why or what it means. That’s why slowing it down, talking it through, and offering potential avenues for recourse can quell fears and remind clients why they chose you to facilitate the transactional process. This means you’ll have to vigilant, proactive, and on the ball. Of course, it’s much easier to be an agent when everything is going great and flowing naturally. It’s when things take an unexpected or negative turn that true talent is really tested. Accordingly, show your clients that you are confident and in control by remaining adaptable, communicative, and clear in your problem-solving approach.

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Never underestimate the power of listening As an agent, you are probably well-versed in putting out fires and sourcing solutions. Sometimes, however, clients are really looking to you as a confidante and a listening ear. You’d be surprised how much nervousness you can resolve by simply offering a listening ear and offering reassurance. Sometimes it’s not about providing a band-aid or a practical solution; oftentimes, it’s all about listening. Clients need to feel like they’re being heard, even if you’ve heard it all before. By listening to their fears, acknowledging their perspective, and reiterating their goals—you display your empathy and understanding, which is often just what a client Top Agent Magazine

needs to feel better. In other words, you don’t have to break out the graphs and data each time a client airs his or her insecurity. First, slow down, listen, and interact on a personal level. You may stop an emotional upheaval in its tracks simply by putting your listening cap on.

Not all clients are alike. Some will require a little more hand-holding than others, but it’s your job to put yourself in their perspective, recognize the milestone at hand, and managing the personalities you’re working with. The next time you feel frustrated by a client’s unpredictable emotional energy, keep these insights in mind as you diffuse the situation, steer them to a place of comfort, and fortify your interpersonal skillset in the process.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to

Converting Internet Leads to Real Life Sales In the era of apps, instantaneous social platforms, and text messaging, it’s little surprise that the modern homebuyer begins his or her search for real estate representation online.

Even if you’ve got a top-notch website or an influential social media presence, how do you connect with web surfers who have yet to commit to the services you offer? Take a look below to learn a few key techniques to bridge the gap between digital interest and real-world sales.

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RESPONSIVENESS IS KEY Like it or not, our digital culture relishes immediacy and instant gratification. With that in mind, be sure to stay on top of online interest forms, e-mails, or newsletter signups. Don’t let an online lead go to waste by taking too long to engage and follow-up.

Things move fast, and it’s easy for potential clientele to forget which websites they’ve visited. Even if your lead isn’t ready to commit then and there, you demonstrate your

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Mastering the fundamentals of digital communication is the first step to converting digital interest into concrete business. accessibility and attentiveness by following up swiftly—a characteristic anyone would seek in an agent or lender.

ENGAGE WITH OPEN-ENDED CONVERSATION When online back-and-forth goes stale, communication drops off quickly. If you’re following up via e-mail, social media, or text, be sure to keep topics focused squarely on the potential client. Ask open-ended questions to give your lead the opportunity to loosen up and engage on a personal level. There’s no better way to cement a digital lead than to take a pointed interest in the specifics of their situation. Doing so transforms the impersonal invisibility of the internet into a true connection.

GIVE ADDED VALUE Plenty of businesses send impersonal, automated messages in response to an online inquiry, but establishing a true connection may mean providing your lead with something of value. Perhaps you’re forwarding a property for sale that fits the interests of your lead, or a relevant article, or maybe you take the time to send a personal message—demonstrable value and a personal touch separate your follow-up response from spam. Other ideas to consider when Top Agent Magazine

adding value to your follow-up technique: incorporate area promotions and access to local events, make a date for coffee, or offer a brief consultation free of charge to make the first move.

DON’T STOP MAKING CONTACT If you don’t connect with your internet lead right off the bat—don’t be discouraged. It often takes multiple tries before a follow-up interaction sticks. Folks are busy and frequently flooded with e-mail blasts and junk mail. A lead may not engage without a little prodding that shows you’re committed to their business. Remember: it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

Digital leads don’t have to be difficult to capture. The internet plays a powerful role in funneling modern clientele your way, but in order to take full advantage of the web’s reach, you’ll need to tailor your follow-up technique. Mastering the fundamentals of digital communication is the first step to converting digital interest into concrete business. Keep these tips top-of-mind as you build your online presence and mine the vast world wide web for an endless wealth of clientele. Earning a command of digital lead conversion is the surest way to bolster your business in the ever-evolving digital era.

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