Michigan 11-20-17 by Top Agent Magazine

MICHIGAN EDITION

6 Things You Need to Do to BE A GREAT MENTOR 5 Morning Habits to MAKE YOUR DAY SUPER PRODUCTIVE FEATURED AGENTS

JESSICA BELANGER MARK SHAFTNER COVER STORY

JORDAN PAINTER

How to Send SMARTER EMAILS Top Agent Tips and Questions for CHOOSING YOUR LISTING AGENT

MICHIGAN EDITION

Paul Pritula is proud to congratulate

Jordan Painter 7

JORDAN PAINTER

JESSICA BELANGER

MARK SHAFTNER

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

CONTENTS Paul Pritula Branch Manager/Loan Officer (NMLS#525330)

4) TOP AGENT TIPS AND QUESTIONS FOR ENVOY MORTGAGE CHOOSING 5035 PlainfieldYOUR Avenue NE,LISTING Suite E, AGENTGrand Rapids, MI 49525 Cell (616) 443-0909 | Office (616) 765-2187 ppritula@envoymortgage.com envoymortgage.com

14) 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO BE A GREAT MENTOR www.

19) 5 MORNING HABITS TO MAKE YOUR DAY SUPER PRODUCTIVE 22) HOW TO SEND SMARTER EMAILS

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.

Top Agent Magazine

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Tips and Questions for Choosing Your Listing Agent Now that you’ve decided to sell, it’s time to select the professional to help you market your property. Before meeting with agents, however, consider Top Agent Magazine’s tips for preparing yourself. Frist, ask yourself what kind of relationship you’d like to have with your listing agent. Are you seeking a casual, personable relationship and the latest marketing tools or are you interested in a more formal, traditional relationship and approach to marketing techniques? Next, populate your list of agents by attending open houses and asking for recommendations from recent buyers and sellers. Finally, schedule your meetings at your home, where you’ll be able to gauge the chemistry between you and each agent. During your meetings, expect any Top Agent to ask you several questions, but also consider discussing the following: 4

Top Agent Magazine

Will you please describe your sales experience and local network?

Ask your Top Agent to describe recent listings and sales of homes comparable to your own. Ask about the sellers’ priorities, the original list price, market time and number of offers. Top Agents will also describe how well they are connected with other REALTORS® in the region as well as their contacts with relocation companies, local corporations and chambers of commerce. Be sure to ask about each agent’s knowledge of how your market has changed over time and what has influenced change.

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

How will you market the property? Each

Top Agent has a unique set of online or local marketing tools at his or her disposal. Some use lead-generation applications and nearly ever luxury agent take advantage of video. Even video marketing tools vary from agent-to-agent, however. You’ll get to decide if you prefer an agent with higher-end video production and 3D Matterport tours or an agent with more intimate techniques featuring walk-and-talk style video tours. What factors influence your list-price recommendation? Before an-

swering this question, most Top Agents will have several questions for you, including whether you’re more focused on a faster sale or a higher list price. They’ll also educate you on how best to balance both market time and list price relative to sales histories your area. Now that you’ve seen the home, what repairs or improvements do you recommend before listing? You’ll learn a lot by listening to agents’

opinions on your home’s sale potential with or without some improvements. Most Top Agents will also recommend a full professional inspection prior to listing to avoid surprises during buyer inspection.

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

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

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

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

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

Houses will your Top Agent want to host? How many truly Open Houses? Some Top Agents may even reveal a “swankier” approach to the Open House – such as an evening cocktail party or by-invitation “open” hours to which buyers visit along with the agent representing them.

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

important question will help you understand the scope of your agent’s practice. You’ll get to see if your agent runs a robust team with many hands on deck or if he or she works by close, one-on-one contact with each client. Either approach is wonderful; you get to decide what suits you. Now, let’s list! 6

Top Agent Magazine

JORDAN PAINTER Top Agent Magazine

JORDAN PAINTER Jordan Painter began his career in construction and property management before deciding to try his hand at traditional real estate. After working for several years as a solo agent, he joined forces with a business partner and together they now lead a thriving team of four agents and a full time admin assistant serving the Greater Grand Rapids area. A staggering 90% of Jordan’s business comes from repeat and referral clients. 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

What keeps his clients coming back at such a high rate? “We focus on the relationships over the commission,” Jordan explains. “We put our clients’ needs first. We make sure they are our first priority and are educated and informed about the process. We don’t spend a lot of time looking for new business. Instead we stay in touch with past clients and we try to act as a referral source for them when they need help after the sale.” Jordan and his team view themselves as educators rather than salespeople, helping their clients Top Agent Magazine

to make informed decisions that will benefit them. His clients value his honesty, integrity and true desire to be of service. Jordan provides his clients with excellent information, including data on the market. He also helps them plan carefully so that once the process begins it is seamless. He and his team have extensive checklists and other systems they have put in place to ensure every step of the process happens in a timely fashion and is communicated well to clients. Jordan and his team have developed an extensive marketing strategy. They bring in a Top Agent Magazine

professional home stager before the listing is active to ensure the property looks appealing to potential buyers. They hire professional photographers to take photos highlighting the best features of the listing. Jordan advertises on all the top websites as well as through social media. To stay in touch with past clients, Jordan and his team reach out with mailings, email newsletters and phone calls. They also stop by with gifts for birthdays and anniversaries, and host several client parties a year, as well as lunch and dinner meetings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a pretty well-rounded system of staying in conCopyright Top Agent Magazine9

Top Agent Magazine

“We focus on the relationships over the commission and we put our clients’ needs first. We make sure they are our first priority and are educated and informed about the process. stant contact with the people we have served in the past,” Jordan says. What do Jordan and his team love best about their work? “We enjoy the people and the relationships. We’ve developed lots of great friendships with people we’ve had the opportunity to serve in the business and that’s really the best part of it for us,” Jordan says with a smile. Jordan stays very involved with his church and sits on the board of the nonprofit Access of West Top Agent Magazine

Michigan, whose goal is to help people in need obtain healthy food. He also coaches his children’s soccer teams. In his free time, he loves to travel with his family. To stay active he plays basketball and practices jujitsu. For the future he hopes to continue to improve his company’s processes. “We are constantly reevaluating our process to make sure it’s cohesive for the market we are in and serving people’s needs in the best way possible.” Now that’s a goal his clients and community can appreciate! Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

To find out more about Jordan Painter, contact him via email at jordan@keystonehg.com or by cell atÂ 616-299-8470. You can also check out his website at Keystonehg.com www.

Top Agent Magazine

Paul Pritula is proud to congratulate

Jordan Painter

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

Paul Pritula Branch Manager/Loan Officer (NMLS#525330) ENVOY MORTGAGE 5035 Plainfield Avenue NE, Suite E, Grand Rapids, MI 49525 Cell (616) 443-0909 | Office (616) 765-2187 ppritula@envoymortgage.com envoymortgage.com www.

Top Agent Magazine

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. 14

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.

Top Agent Magazine

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-

Top Agent Magazine

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 16

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.

Top Agent Magazine

JESSICA BELANGER Jessica Belanger got her start in the real estate industry in 2007 when she was an assistant to a successful broker, where for five years she learned the ins and outs of the real estate industry. “I really fell in love with the service aspect of the business. I knew I wanted to work with people, rather than the administrative side of things. In 2012 I decided to make the leap and I got my license. I haven’t looked back since.” In 2015 Jessica brought her talents to the RE/MAX Suburban team, and in just five short years, she has already made a name for herself as a rising star in the Eastern Michigan real estate market. Key to Jessica’s remarkably fast success has been her dedication to providing an exceptional customer experience. “If you look at my reviews, the number one thing that people comment on is how responsive I am. Communication and availability are everything in this business. Every single client I work with gets my direct line to call or text me whenever they need something. They can contact me almost 24/7. I have a policy that if a client wants to see a house, I get them into that house within 24 hours. We’re in a fast moving market and time is of the essence.” Jessica also makes sure her service is personalized to meet every client’s individual needs. “I have systems that I follow that ensure every client has the same level of service, and that the process is uniform throughout. But within that structure, I make everything personalized. I take a lot of time up front

getting to know my clients, so I can do that. It’s not just about buying or selling a home, it’s a life changing process. There are differences when you’re working with a first time home buyer or an investor or if someone is looking to sell in three years or staying longer. So communication plays a big part from the start.” Another area in which Jessica excels is with the comprehensive marketing packages she offers her listings. “We really do everything we can to get maximum exposure. Like with everything else, we have a system and structure in place and then we customize the marketing in order to reach the most likely buyers. We have a large presence on the internet and social media and we do more traditional things, like print media, as well.” Jessica loves to give back as much as she can and is a huge supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network through her brokerage, that allows them to provide scholarships to a local preschool for children suffering from speech impediments. Jessica also enjoys making and decorating dollhouses, and has taken her hobby and combined it with her love of charity. Through a non-profit she’ll be donating one of her creations to a kid who has been diagnosed with cancer. Jessica would like to get her broker’s license in the near future and continue to grow her business in order to help even more people. ”I love what I do, I get to help so many people, and they oftentimes end up incoming friends. There’s nothing better than seeing their families grow and staying in their lives. I look at my job as being more than just selling houses, I’m helping families.”

To learn more about Jessica Belanger call (586) 738 - 8778 or email jessicasellsmetrodetroit@gmail.com Top Agent Magazine

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com http://www.topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine

5 Morning Habits to Make Your Day Super Productive For many, most mornings begin with a rush—a rush to get dressed, a rush to find something edible for breakfast, a rush out the door and into rush hour. Likely you have heard articles advising you to set your

alarm early to give yourself some flexibility —which is sound advice, of course—but consider a few of these additional tweaks to your morning routine that can set a productive tone for your day at large.

1. Keep Screens Away Until Breakfast Oftentimes, our first instinct upon waking is to check-in on our phones, tablets, or computers, to scope out the latest social media updates and e-mail correspondence. While diving into the action might seem productive, studies show that waylaying screen time until you’re up and dressed, and have had a good breakfast, will actually make your first pass Top Agent Magazine

at all things digital more focused, clear, and efficient. Instead of answering a few e-mails, checking out a friend’s photos, and then hurrying to shower and dress, instead make a resolution to keep the online world at bay for the first half-hour to an hour after you rise, then you’ll approach the digital world with fresh eyes, energy, and adeptness.

Top Agent Magazine

2. Meal Prep Sometimes hitting the snooze button is inevitable, but if you make prepping breakfast the night before a part of your routine, then grabbing something healthy on the go will be a snap—and your stomach will thank you for it. Load up your coffee machine ahead of time, so all you have to do

is hit brew. Or, chop up a fruit salad, mix a smoothie, or simply put a granola bar and a grapefruit in your lunch bag, ready to be grabbed on your way out the door. Even if it’s small or basic, keeping yourself fueled will keep distractions, inefficiency, and mood swings at bay.

3. Queue Up a Podcast on Your Commute Whether you’re driving, biking, or taking public transportation into the office, a podcast is a perfect way to brush up on industry knowledge. Try sourcing a podcast relative to your field and narrated by experts. Not only will it get you thinking about the topics of your industry—while expanding

your professional vocabulary—it will also wake up your brain and get your head in the game as you prepare to launch your day. Use your commute time to bump up your knowledge and conversation points, and you’ll be ahead of the curve before you reach the office.

4. Begin with a To-Do List When work gets busy, sometimes just getting started is an overwhelming prospect. Before you dive in to your e-mails and projects, take twenty minutes and be thoughtful as you assess your daily and weekly to-do

list items, then map them. By giving yourself a bullet point system of what you need to accomplish and by when, you can undo some of the anxiety that a busy schedule promotes.

5. Walk It Out, Even If You Missed the Gym While we often rely on coffee for our morning buzz, exercise provides a potent burst of energy that can supercharge your day. But, let’s say you’re running behind and skip the gym—all is not lost! Take fifteen minutes in

the early morning to take a walk around the block a few times. The fresh air and aerobic exercise will wake you up, get your blood moving, and provide your morning with a natural injection of motivation.

Everyone’s morning routine varies, but perhaps the first step is identifying aspects of your routine that could be improved, and tackling them from there. From waylaying

screen time distractions to getting in a little blood-pumping exercise, keep these tips in mind as you launch your most productive morning routine ever.

Top Agent Magazine

MARK SHAFTNER Mark Shaftner’s tenure in real estate began back in 2003, while he was earning experience working for a new-construction builder. In 2010, he went on to join an exciting real estate start-up that was thriving during the downtown. Mark was their fifth employee and ascended the ranks as the company grew to 100 employees across nine states, ultimately producing $13 million in GCI. There, Mark oversaw thirty agents, cultivating the leadership experience he would ultimately utilize in beginning his own business. Two years ago, he did just that— producing $15 million in volume in only his business’s first year. Now, Mark and his team at Metro Group Real Estate are on track to double that figure in the year to come. Altogether, he has distinguished himself as a tech-savvy and proactive leader, grounded by commitment to delivering on his clients’ homeownership goals. Mark primarily serves Oakland County in Michigan, with a specialty in the towns of Birmingham, Troy, and Royal Oak. When he began his business, one of his foremost objectives was to hire talented team members who specialized in particular geographic areas. This has allowed the business to expand in scope, while tailoring their services to the client. All in all, Mark has crafted a company ethos of forward thinking, with a goal of always being ahead of the curve. An essential part of this practice means utilizing technology to bring a competitive edge to clients, whether buying or selling. “When we started this company, I noticed a technological shift,” Mark explains. “Agents could enhance the whole experience and be more successful in their processes. So, we started a full-service agency that fully embraces the power of technology.” With a robust 40% of his business generated by repeat and referral clientele, Mark’s strategic approach produces results, time and again. “I love collaborating with clients to create a successful outcome,” he says. “I love sitting in someone’s living room, coming up with a plan on how to sell their home fast and for the most amount of money.”

When it comes to publicizing his listings, Mark pulls out all the stops in the realm of digital marketing. Understanding that the vast majority of home searches begin online, Mark and his team unite their efforts to market across all social media platforms and digital listing services. They’ve even begun to incorporate lifestyle videos in their listing campaigns, serving to create an immersive viewing experience for potential buyers. This mindful attention paid to virtual marketing stirs maximum exposure for each listing, while targeting the ideal audience. As for staying in touch with his network, Mark sends e-mail newsletters to share advantageous information regarding the housing market, interest rates, and tips on home improvement. “We want to be the onestop resource for anything our clients may need, long after close,” he says. What’s more, each year Mark and his team host a client appreciation event, most recently their Pumpkin Fest Spooktacular in autumn—where he and his team give away donuts, cider, and pumpkins to clients and their families. In considering what he loves most about his day-to-day work, Mark says: “It may sound corny, but I love my job. There’s a new challenge every single day, and I am honored to have the opportunity to help someone through the process of homeownership.” Outside of the office, Mark is an avid non-fiction reader, spends much time staying active, and has recently taken up cooking, as well. Looking ahead to the future of his business, Mark shows no signs of slowing any time soon. In fact, expansion is in the works as his business continue to flourish. “We will likely grow by two to five agents in the next six months,” he says. “From there, we’ll work diligently to continue streamlining operations.” Mark also has a longer-term vision to expand the Metro Group brand in as many as 100 different metropolitan markets across the country. “I’m very blessed to work with a group of talented, smart individuals,” he finally reflects. “It’s because of them that we’ve been able to accomplish such success.” With years of experience behind him and an incisive eye toward what’s still to come, the future promises continued success for Mark Shaftner and his team at Metro Group Real Estate.

To learn more about Mark Shaftner,

visit metrogroupmi.com, e-mail mark@metrogroupmi.com, or call (248) 590 - 0800 www.

Top Agent Magazine

How To Send

SMARTER EMAILS

Email is a great tool for agents to use when trying to stay in touch with their past clients, as well as for reaching out to prospective clients. However, used incorrectly it can make your attempts to reach out seem like spam. The secret to using email effectively is making sure that everything you send out does one thing: ensure that you remain relevant to your contacts. To do this you have to get personal. Personalization will go far to ensure that your contacts are actually clicking on your emails. This means that if you do reply on an automated drip email campaign to build business, you need to customize your content so that it delivers something meaningful to each individual recipient. Here are some steps that will help you do exactly that:

1. SEND A WELCOME EMAIL TO

NEW CLIENTS AND PROSPECTS Rather than simply add new contacts to your automated email drip campaign, make sure to send each new contact receives a warm welcome as well. Sending a welcome email along with adding new contacts to your drip campaign is proven to be 86 percent more effective at catching your contactâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention. Let them know they are welcome and that you appreciate their interest. 22

2. NURTURE YOUR RELATIONSHIP

THROUGH YOUR EMAIL To let your potential client know that you are thinking about them by sending them useful content that relates to the process of buying or selling a house. Some great topics include credit score information, ways to save money, regular market updates, what buying in your market is like, information about the neighborhood, tips on how they can prepare their home for sale, and other relevant information. A great way to

Top Agent Magazine

add to these emails’ punch is to time them so that they coincide with what that individual is going through and dealing with at that time on their path through the buying or selling process.

3. CELEBRATE IMPORTANT DATES

Everyone loves to be noticed and appreciated. Schedule emails to go to each client that celebrate their purchase anniversary or birthday. Make sure you include a personal note and your own wishes that the year ahead goes well for them. If you’ve been a bit out of touch with your contacts, you might want to send them a friendly hello.

MOBILE-FRIENDLY EMAILS With our phones being akin to mini computers, most people read their emails on their phone these days. So, it is particularly important to make sure that your emails are rendering well on the smaller screens. If you want to make any kind of impact, you have to run a mobile-friendly email campaign in today’s world. You are going to lose a lot of your audience if they can’t read your email on their phones.

TRACK THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR EMAILS AND ALTER ACCORDINGLY The best way to make sure your emails are being read and making the kind of impact you desire is to consistently monitor the analytics,

and see what your readers are actually clicking on and what elements are most popular with your contacts. Going forward you can alter different elements of your email campaign such as content, images, graphics, and even smaller elements like your subject line to draw in more clicks from your readers, and cater to what grabs their attention. You also want to follow a targeted email strategy. The best way to do this is segment your email list based on the data from your CRM and the demographics of your contacts. Different clients are going to be interested in different content. Long-time clients looking to buy a second home or possibly downsize are going to be interested in completely different content than your first-time buyers. A good way to filter your contacts is by looking at which ones are looking to buy or sell, how far along in the process they are, as well as other important information about them.

DON’T SPAM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES You probably already know that flooding your clients’ emails is big no-no. However, different people have different ideas about what is too much contact. One great way to approach this problem is to ask your clients whether they would prefer weekly, monthly, or occasional emails from you. This way you can cater to each client’s preference.

The emails you send your clients can often be a double-edged sword when it comes to how well they work to bring in business. Following these simple rules will help your emails be as successful as they can possibly be, and will make your contacts much happier with you. So, don’t just send out emails without doing your homework about how to do it right. Your email campaigns can be a powerful tool if you know how to create and utilize them in the right manner. Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine