NEW JERSEY EDITION
5 Fresh New Approaches to Content Marketing Google Adwords: How to Make Google Do the Work for You
6 Ways to Get Your Client to Trust You
8 Things Successful People Never Do
UNTANGLING THE BIDDING WAR:
A BUYER’S & SELLER’S PERSPECTIVES
FEATURED AGENT
LISA MOTISI
COVER STORY
Vincent Baricaua
NEW JERSEY EDITION
LISA MOTISI
With a lifetime of experience in the real estate more. “I can say that in the las 9 21 industry, Lisa Motisi keeps her clients happy. years, I’ve not had a listing expi “I’ve been in the business for 21 years,” she explains. At first, she thought she would get her Lisa’s talent for real estate has real estate license and work part-time because dreds of positive reviews. One it was something she enjoyed. But it didn’t take quite simply, as good as it gets long for her to have enough business to make it buying or selling a home in or a her full-time career. Today she has a team comville area. She possesses a keen prised of four people, including two other agents current market and the latest and one administrative assistant. She is also part been very satisfied with her kn owner of her brokerage, RE/MAX Neighborhood and attentiveness. She has helpe Properties, in Montville and Mountain Lakes, our homes over the years.” Ano VINCENT BARICAUA LISA MOTISI New Jersey. Lisa and her team serve most of Morris County, helped us house hunt in Montville 2 years and about 90 percent of their business comes from repeat clioutstanding knowledge about the area, hou ents and referrals. developments! She listened to our needs an us perfectly. There wasn’t a question she After working with Lisa, she becomes her clients’ go-to And beyond her knowledge, she’s very perso CONTENTS agent, and they do not hesitate to refer her to friends and famAfter we bought our house she sent us a welc ily. She’s been an award winning agent since her first year in prising if you know and work with Lisa. She 4) 15) 6 WAYS TO GET YOUR the UNTANGLING business. “It’s reallyTHE just my follow up and persistence. I’m on my clients’ side the whole way,” she says. She’s even TO In addition her work, she also makes sur BIDDING WAR: A BUYER’S CLIENT TRUSTto YOU gained the trust of high profile clients, so much so that they the community through hosting charity eve & SELLER’S PERSPECTIVES have become somewhat of a specialty over the years. “Curwork. In the fall, her company is throwing 18) GOOGLE ADWORDS: rently I’m working on one with amazing panoramic views of the Children’s Miracle Network. Lisa also 6) 5 FRESH NEW APPROACHES HOW TO MAKE GOOGLE New York City,” Lisa says. charity that brings Christmas parties to the TO CONTENT MARKETING DO THE WORK during theFOR holidayYOU season. No matter the home or client, working with Lisa guarantees 22) 8 THINGS one receives her full attention and respect. Her hard work As Lisa SUCCESSFUL looks towards the future, she is ex and devotion to this career has resulted in her foolproof mar- NEVER working and PEOPLE DObuilding her business. Her com keting method. Those who list a home with her will have as just a handful of agents in the first year, to many eyes as possible on their property. “I’m using a system 40 agents. “I like dealing with people and h to market my listing by| Fax targeting potential buyers all over the the biggest decision of their life, and I’m he Phone 888-461-3930 310-751-7068 internet,” she says. This includes some of the most visited it. I like making sure they’re doing the rig mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com sites on the web, including CNN, Google, Weather.com, and they’re happy.” No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com. Published in the U.S.
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Untangling the Bidding War: A Buyer’s & Seller’s Perspectives In a competitive marketplace, bidding wars become the norm. While this may put sellers in an excellent position to recoup on their investment, it can push buyers beyond their budgets and test their temperaments in the process. As an agent, how do you navigate both sides of the coin? After all, you want to net the best results for your client—regardless of which side of the closing table they’re on. To fortify your approach to a heated bidding war, here are a few ideas and insights to better clue you in on the perspectives of buyers and sellers alike. 4
Buyer’s Perspective: Emotions Running High? Channel it. When the market is booming, buyers feel the pressure—especially when affordable inventory is limited. This can create stress, feelings of hopelessness, and impulsivity. As an agent, how do you channel this emotional energy into something positive? Consider asking buyers to put those anxieties and high hopes onto paper. Have buyers outline
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who they are, why they’re inspired to buy a home at this juncture in their lives, and how they see their lives unfolding once they become a homeowner (or repeat homeowner). Think of it as a letter of intent. Buyers benefit from taking abstract fears and dreams and articulating them on paper. Likewise, this document can serve as a valuable tool during a bidding war. Letters like these can help sellers with multiple offers make a personal, emotional connection with a particular buyer.
Sellers Perspective: Manage expectations. When multiple offers are rolling in on a property, it’s easy for sellers to get carried away. Numbers are flying, expectations are heightened, and sellers may become hypnotized by higher and higher offers and ideal outcomes. While it’s good to celebrate prime market positioning, it’s also important to maintain an even keel so that your seller’s mind is clear and they’re thinking rationally through their options. Sometimes the highest offer isn’t necessarily the sure thing. Manage your clients’ expectations by leading by example, offering a balanced perspective, and talking them through all potential outcomes so that they don’t only hone in on the best-case scenario. During a bidding war, tensions are running high for seller’s too, who will soon begin their next chapter in another home. Keep a cool head and remind your client to see the big picture, recognize that it’s possible for some offers to fall through, and to sit tight until the closing table has been successfully reached.
Buyer’s Perspective: How do you authentically and convincingly convey your interest? When ten or so offers are in the mix, it can be hard to differentiate your buyer from the next. While numbers will obviously do a lot of the talking, you’d be surprised how much of a difference a Top Agent Magazine
personal touch can make. Some popular approaches to standing out include personal letters—as mentioned above—tailored to the property. Was the property in question a family home for years? You might have clients detail their dreams of raising a family inside those walls, rather than tear the property down and rebuild something to boost the lot’s value. Including a family photo is also a good tact for personalizing letters in a bidding war. Likewise, little gifts included with your offer can speak volumes about your personality and due diligence as an agent. It may seem a little cheesy, but when sellers are looking at ten near-identical offers, those personal touches can really paint a compelling, personalized picture.
Seller’s Perspective: How powerful is cash? Data shows that cash offers—typical of investor clientele—double the chances of having an offer accepted. This goes hand in hand with waiving a financing contingency, which also helped boost the probability of an accepted offer, according to research. Cash is king, however, since offers that aren’t completely reliant on comprehensive financing seem to minimize risk for sellers, who are already eager to see a deal go through. Cash deals also tend to go through quickly, freeing sellers up to pursue their next property and move on to new horizons. While not every buyer has the ability to operate in cash, it’s a worthwhile consideration for those in ultra-competitive markets and with liquid capital. While the bidding process can be stressful for agents and clients alike, it’s important to remember that it’s a time of opportunity, too. If you want to make the most of it as a seller, data shows that a personal touch can endear buyers to their seller counterparts. For sellers navigating a competitive process, it’s important to keep a balanced perspective. For agents, here’s the bottom line: get creative, be resourceful, and use all the tools in your arsenal to achieve the best result for the clients you serve.
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5 Fresh New Approaches to Content Marketing A couple of weeks ago we were conducting a workshop when we were asked two excellent questions about content marketing:
• People
don’t want to hear from a roofing company every day. So how do you produce fresh and interesting content for social media that goes beyond your core services and yet ties back to your business?
• Can
you extend your social media presence and content to include personal things (like your hobbies) and how does that affect your overall business image?
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The workshop attendee who asked the first question was right. Almost no one wants to hear from any company every day… especially if all the content is about products and services…and yes, even if they’re giving helpful tips and information. Does that mean you should stop producing excellent daily content related to your business? No, of course not! Content is created for two reasons. First, to provide knowledge, expertise and even entertainment to your ideal customers in order to achieve top of mind awareness as an authority in your industry. And second, to produce SEO-rich results that keep you at the top of search engines. You must strike a
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balance between the two, and try to include content that draws people in by being super interesting and entertaining….and yes, sometimes personal. To help answer those content questions above, here are five different types of content (beyond the traditional stuff) that can give your brand a fresh, unique and balanced approach:
1. PHILANTHROPIC Your community efforts say a lot about who you are, and people will make an extra effort to do business with you as a result of this connection. We’ve consulted business owners who are very hesitant to promote these efforts because they don’t want it to seem as though they are exploiting the charities and organizations—and most especially because they don’t do it for the promotional aspects. They do it to give back. I ask you to keep this in mind. Nonprofit and charitable organizations very often have small marketing budgets. Not only do they rely on outside marketing forces to promote their initiatives, they would likely be forced to close their doors without that support. That means that when someone with a strong brand and presence promotes them, it’s a highly trusted and personal connection, and you can’t buy that kind of support. In other words, they not only need you to promote them, they want you to promote them. But your instincts are correct. It’s not about you. So just make sure your entire content focuses on the organization you’re helping, what they do for the community and how Top Agent Magazine
others can join in the cause. Then it becomes a huge win for all.
2. HOBBIES You bungee jumped from four of the tallest bridges in the U.S. In your spare time, you go fly fishing. You love playing chef and use only locally grown, organic foods. Your friends are always begging you to go to Vegas with your card shark talents. You’ve done mission work in Africa and would like to start your own group. You almost played professional baseball. You have an insane talent for gardening design or bass guitar. Your family works at a soup kitchen once a month. Ok…you get the picture. And two more words. Reality TV. People are interesting…and people are interested in interesting people. We remember others based on these unique traits. And most of all, people love the story behind the face. Don’t be afraid to share your hobbies. Quite often, it’s the first thing that will personally connect you to a prospect.
3. CREATIVE CONNECTION This one is perhaps our favorite. While we can’t imagine seeing something come across our news feed from a landscaping company every day, imagine this for a moment. What are we always told to remember in this hectic world? Stop and smell the roses, right? So what if…a landscaping company posted a beautiful flower each day, just to remind you to ‘stop and smell the roses’. And at the bottom of that photo (small print), you included
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the type of flower and type of environment needed to make it flourish (moist soil, full sun, etc.). And then, of course, watermarked it with your logo….and a title like, “Sam’s Daily Reminder: It’s Time to Stop & Smell the Roses”. You could even include some great, thought-provoking quotes. It has the personal connection (Sam), the business connection (flowers & logo watermark) and a cool creative connector (pause the meetings and paperwork to take a moment and appreciate life by noticing this beautiful flower). This is a great idea for staying ‘top of mind’ and connecting business with the kind of creative messaging people wouldn’t mind seeing every day.
4. EXPERIENCES This one is similar to hobbies from the personal aspect, but instead of something that identifies us like our hobbies, our experiences are random happenings that can have great interest and meaning to our audience. Whether you have a unique experience buying a new car or a fateful conversation with a stranger in the airport, if you feel it ties into a life lesson or business lesson you’d like to share, by all means do. The lesson is to keep your radar up 24/7. Any experiences you have which relate to your
ideal customer are an opportunity to connect beyond the business world. And when we do that, we become a part of the family.
5. INFLUENCERS “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. You’ve probably heard that saying, and the same is true whether you are a teenager or a business owner. Maybe you’ve learned a lot of your business knowledge from Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Warren Buffet…or you like to quote Benjamin Franklin. Perhaps you have some mentors you’d like to recognize and tell why they’re important to you. Sharing the people and things that influence us is what makes us human. No matter how successful your business, you didn’t get there alone. People and circumstances shaped you along the way. Recognizing others for their contribution in our lives, large or small, is important in staying connected and grounded. We hope these five types of content help you to put a fresh spin on what you share with your audience, whether personal or professional. We believe you must have the combination of both to build an incredible brand.
Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder of BrandFace®, LLC. Michael Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace® partner. Together, they focus on personal branding and marketing designed to help real estate professionals become the face of their business & a star in their market. BrandFace® for Real Estate Professionals is a book, professional speaking series and an exclusive workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com. 8
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Vincent Baricaua Top Agent Magazine
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VINCENT BARICAUA Vincent Baricaua, Broker/Owner and Team Leader of The Baricaua Group, has earned his reputation as a Top Agent through hard work, dedication, and a commitment to topnotch client service. As the owner of two RE/MAX franchises in Somerset and Weehawken, New Jersey (RE/MAX Our Town and RE/MAX Our Town Vista), he has dedicated himself not only to the best interests of his clients, but to helping his team achieve the same success he has. Vincent, who is in the process of acquiring his third franchise, was formerly employed 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
in the medical field. While working in that industry, he got his first taste of the real estate world as an investor and landlord. After departing that career, he began working as a Loan Officer before ultimately obtaining his real estate license and signing on with RE/MAX and being named Rookie of the Year his first year in the business. Since then, Vincent has accumulated a wealth of awards and commendations, including his second-year recognition as a member of RE/ MAX’s 100% Club, and his current membership in his company’s Diamond Club, reserved for those earning over $1,000,000. Top Agent Magazine
Vincent is also a recipient of the National Association of Realtors’ Circle of Excellence, and of the Platinum Award, the highest sales award given by the National Association of Realtors Circle of Excellence. Impressively, he has also won the Quantum Leap Award, bestowed by real estate guru Craig Proctor to recognize the most exceptional gains in real estate success achieved through aggressive and inspired implementation of the Quantum Leap Real Estate Success System. Top Agent Magazine
With more than seventy percent of his business based on repeat and referred clients, it’s not secret that Vincent and his team are providing the kind of service that inspires loyalty in their clients. “I think my clients keep coming back because of my integrity, and the integrity of my team members,” says Vincent. “When I say I’m going to do something, I do it. They can feel my energy and my passion. My team members also feel that, and it inspires them to have that same passion. I have rookie agents who have 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
just started and are already getting awards, matching and sometimes beating agents who have thirty years of experience.” Vincent is also a huge advocate of personal development, and points to both Tony Robbins and Craig Proctor as influences. “Eighty percent of what we do is psychology,” explains Vincent. Perhaps the surest sign of Vincent’s success, aside from his stellar sales record, are the Copyright Top Agent Magazine Copyright 12
reviews he has received on Zillow.com. A Premier Agent on that site, his and his group’s perfect five-star overall rating is the result of 222 glowing testimonials as of this writing, an almost unprecedented achievement. “Vincent Baricaua went above and beyond as a Realtor. He is dedicated, organized and is always available. He will walk you through the entire buying/selling process and will make sure he gets you what you are looking for. He is Top Agent Magazine
honest and will make sure he gets the job done. If you are looking for a well-known, ambitious and proven successful realtor hire Vincent Baricaua- you will not be disappointed,” reads just one. Vincent embraces a philosophy of giving back, and does so through myriad methods. One particular passion is the medical community, for which he still holds much Top Agent Magazine
affection. Through a RE/MAX fundraising program, Vincent and his team organize, sponsor, and volunteer for events that results in the donation of tens of thousands of dollars, making them the number one fundraising office in New Jersey multiple times, with the proceeds benefiting the local Specialized Children’s Hospital. “We also get plenty of help from other companies in the community,” says Vincent, “as they sponsor Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13
our events, which adds to the donations and cuts the cost of our own expenses.” When he’s not working, Vincent enjoys “working out, reading, and taking care of myself in terms of mind, body and soul.” He also appreciates low-key weekend getaways.
The future of The Baricaua Group looks bright indeed. “I want to keep growing in terms of both business and helping more agents succeed. My goal is to be number one in the world,” he says, adding “If anyone ever wants to come and join our team, they’re more than welcome.”
For more information about VINCENT BARICAUA, please call 732 - 249 - 1005 or email TheBaricauaGroup@gmail.com
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6 Ways to Get Your Client to Trust You The word “REALTOR®” can leave a sour taste in some people’s mouths. Many of today’s home buyers and sellers grew up during the 2009 recession. They are wary of anything Top Agent Magazine
or anyone who comes off as too salesy, and they want to work with individuals who they can trust. But how do you prove to someone you’ve likely never met that you can be trusted?
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Put Testimonials or Case Studies on Your Website
When something goes wrong, own up to your mistakes. Don’t hide bad news from your clients. Be upfront and responsive.
Testimonials and case studies are social proof that you have both the experience and the skills to do the job your clients are hiring you for. People often leave testimonials when they are either incredibly disappointed or extremely happy with the service they were provided, so they’re a good indication to prospective clients of the treatment they’ll receive. Case studies, which you can post on your blog or website, have much of the same effect, but even more than testimonials, case studies demonstrate your real estate and finance expertise because they explain how you achieved a specific set of results.
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Be Responsive and Accessible
Can your clients reach you easily? That doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7, but you should respond to your clients within a few hours of receiving their message. When agents don’t respond to their clients’ calls or emails for days on end or fail to provide them with a direct line of contact, their clients’ experience can quickly become frustrating. Agents are busy but so are their clients. If you constantly show up late to or reschedule meetings, your clients won’t feel like their time is respected or their business is valued. Make sure you set a realistic schedule for yourself rather than spreading yourself too thin.
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Be Honest and Transparent
Sometimes you don’t have the answer to a client’s question. Be honest about your strengths, weaknesses, and the limits of your knowledge. A good response might be, “I don’t know, but I can find out.” Be transparent with your clients, and they’ll respect you for it. You should always act in their best interest. 16
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Go the Extra Mile
If you do the bare minimum, that’s what your clients will remember. Their experience won’t be memorable, and they won’t gush about you in online testimonials or in real life to people they know who could use your services. It’s that simple.
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Put Yourself in Your Client’s Shoes
Clients understand that you need to earn money, but that doesn’t mean they want to feel like they’re just a dollar sign to you. Be empathetic to your client’s concerns, even if you’ve heard it all before. Your clients should know that you are there for them.
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Be Consistent
Being responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable shouldn’t be an act. If you “turn on” your personality for clients and then suddenly become a different person when they leave the room, it’s likely that the cracks in your mask will eventually become apparent. But “faking it till you make it” is so common it’s become a cliché. When we are starting out, we don’t always have the systems or resources in place to create a smooth client journey, from onboarding to closing, so instead we constantly try to reinvent the wheel. Give yourself time to pause, slow down, and reevaluate your workflow. Creating systems creates
consistency, and those systems can and should be constantly updated.
Developing trust between you and your clients will take time, but doing these things can give you a running start.
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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. 18
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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. 20
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LISA MOTISI With a lifetime of experience in the real estate industry, Lisa Motisi keeps her clients happy. “I’ve been in the business for 21 years,” she explains. At first, she thought she would get her real estate license and work part-time because it was something she enjoyed. But it didn’t take long for her to have enough business to make it her full-time career. Today she has a team comprised of four people, including two other agents and one administrative assistant. She is also part owner of her brokerage, RE/MAX Neighborhood Properties, in Montville and Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. Lisa and her team serve most of Morris County, and about 90 percent of their business comes from repeat clients and referrals. After working with Lisa, she becomes her clients’ go-to agent, and they do not hesitate to refer her to friends and family. She’s been an award winning agent since her first year in the business. “It’s really just my follow up and persistence. I’m on my clients’ side the whole way,” she says. She’s even gained the trust of high profile clients, so much so that they have become somewhat of a specialty over the years. “Currently I’m working on one with amazing panoramic views of New York City,” Lisa says. No matter the home or client, working with Lisa guarantees one receives her full attention and respect. Her hard work and devotion to this career has resulted in her foolproof marketing method. Those who list a home with her will have as many eyes as possible on their property. “I’m using a system to market my listing by targeting potential buyers all over the internet,” she says. This includes some of the most visited sites on the web, including CNN, Google, Weather.com, and
more. “I can say that in the last two and a half years, I’ve not had a listing expire unsold.” Lisa’s talent for real estate has resulted in hundreds of positive reviews. One reads, “Lisa is, quite simply, as good as it gets when it comes to buying or selling a home in or around the Montville area. She possesses a keen insight into the current market and the latest trends. We have been very satisfied with her knowledge, service and attentiveness. She has helped with several of our homes over the years.” Another raved, “Lisa helped us house hunt in Montville 2 years ago....she has an outstanding knowledge about the area, housing market, and developments! She listened to our needs and accommodated us perfectly. There wasn’t a question she couldn’t answer. And beyond her knowledge, she’s very personable and sweet! After we bought our house she sent us a welcome gift, not surprising if you know and work with Lisa. She’s A+ all around!” In addition to her work, she also makes sure to give back to the community through hosting charity events and volunteer work. In the fall, her company is throwing a large event for the Children’s Miracle Network. Lisa also volunteers for a charity that brings Christmas parties to the underprivileged during the holiday season. As Lisa looks towards the future, she is excited to continue working and building her business. Her company grew from just a handful of agents in the first year, to now having over 40 agents. “I like dealing with people and helping them. It’s the biggest decision of their life, and I’m helping them make it. I like making sure they’re doing the right thing and that they’re happy.”
For more information about Lisa Motisi, call o:973- 334-3341, c: 973- 477- 9877 or email lisamotisi@remax.net Top Agent Magazine
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Things Successful People Never Do
There always seems to be people around you who find success with ease, but trust me, that is NOT the case. Although luck can often times play a role in someone’s success, most of the time it’s due to hard work and avoiding bad habits. The best way to find your own success is to implement some of qualities you see in people you admire into your own life. The hard work part is still up to you, but by shifting your perspective a bit, and NOT doing some of the following
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things, that success might happen a little quicker.
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DON’T JUST WING IT
Successful people plan everything. Not only do they have yearly goals, but weekly and sometimes daily ones as well. By giving your time a purpose, and a clearly defined goal, you’ll eliminate the time you spend haphazardly doing things that might not be a priority. It will also make you feel less scattered, which is always a good thing.
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THEY DON’T TAKE ON MORE THAN THEY CAN ACHIEVE
Successful people take on what they can do well, and no more. That all starts with a daily ‘do to’ list. They always make sure their list is manageable and then they don’t sleep until that list is completed. If you find yourself not finishing your list, assess whether it was too much or if you slacked off. You’ll be surprised at the feeling of accomplishment you feel when you finish your list. Not finishing will bring you down, so make sure you aren’t biting off more than you can chew.
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THEY DON’T WORK HARDER, THEY WORK SMARTER
Yes, having a strong work ethic is key, but that doesn’t mean you should waste time on things that will have less of an impact on your success. Focus on the things that will give you the most bang for your buck. Better to spend the majority of your time there, than spread yourself thin on numerous tasks.
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THEY DON’T TRY TO PLEASE EVERYONE
This might seem like a bad call in business, but successful people know when to cut your loses and move forward. Anything or anyone, that frustration into your life, is never a good thing.
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REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES
Similar to not trying to please everyone, successful people are also diligent about accepting when something isn’t working Top Agent Magazine
and moving on from mistakes. Yes, you learn from them, but don’t repeat them. Part of being innovative is trying new things, that will keep you fresh and energized, but learning how to let go is an equally important part of the equation.
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GO FOR THE SHORT RUN SOLUTION
Successful people are in it for the long haul and therefore thinking long term. When you have a plan for success and the patience to see it through, while you might have a slow start, you’re establishing a foundation for long term success. Going for the easy fix, usually doesn’t pay off.
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PAY ATTENTION TO THE NAYSAYERS
Lets face it, we all have people in our lives who might be a little more pessimistic than is healthy to be around. You can’t change them, all you can do is not let them drag you down into their ‘glass half full’ mentality. Have your plans and goals, be confident about them. When you’re insecure, that’s when you’re most vulnerable to those types of people.
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THEY NEVER QUIT
That doesn’t mean letting go of things that aren’t working. It means having an end goal. Whatever obstacles or challenges come up, you take them on, always with that end goal in sight. Successful people know that adversity and overcoming those challenges, is how you grow, and will ultimately make you a better business person.
Top Agent Magazine
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Top Agent Magazine