NEW YORK MORTGAGE EDITION
When it's Time for a HOME OFFICE Killing Clients with KINDNESS AND VALUE
COVER STORY
LAURA MORITZ
GOOGLE ADWORDS: How to Make Google Do the Work for You WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES with That?
NEW YORK MORTGAGE EDITION
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LAURA MORITZ
LAURA MORITZCONTENTS 4) WHEN IT'S TIME FOR A HOME OFFICE
18) WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT?
13) KILLING CLIENTS WITH KINDNESS AND VALUE
21) GOOGLE ADWORDS: HOW TO MAKE GOOGLE DO THE WORK FOR YOU
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When It’s Time for a Home Office by Nancy Michaels
So, you’re tired of clearing your papers off the dining room table every time someone wants to eat (how dare they!). And you’re still recovering from the business call you were forced to take that time your 5-yearold pressed the phone into your hand just as you stepped from the shower (it’s amazing how professional one can sound while wrapped in a towel and dripping wet).
fairly easily for this purpose. Use bookcases, filing cabinets, plants, screens, even lighting to define your work space. It’s essential that you remain committed to your space as office space. Without this psychological distinction between home and work, the two areas of your life may slide into one another, causing you to lose focus, and thus, productivity.
Sounds like it’s time for a home Choose furnishings that are ergooffice. nomically correct, and which fit in with the decor of the rest of your Ideally, you’ll have a spare room to home. Lighting should come from turn into office space—preferably three sources: natural, ambient and one with a locking door. An extra direct. Give yourself enough storage bedroom, the basement, or attic can space to keep your work area all serve this purpose. If you don’t uncluttered. You may want to store have room for a dedicated office, your supplies in another part of the take a look around your house to see house, keeping just a week’s worth where you can carve yourself some in your office. And schedule a space. A closet, bedroom corner, weekly or biweekly cleanup where hallway alcove or even the area you go through your papers and files under a stairway can all be converted and either throw away or stow away 4
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anything that is not essential to the event of a power failure. An daily operation of your business. uninterruptable power source supply is also a must for the home office. Almost every business requires a This will keep your computer runcomputer system. Don’t skimp. You ning during a power outage until want something with enough speed you’re able to safely shut it down. and memory capacity to last into the future. A good-quality inkjet, or Another essential component of the preferably, a laser printer is also home office is telecommunications, essential. Investigate the all-in-one meaning telephone, fax and Internet printer, fax, copier and scanners. access. An account through an These may save you money as well Internet service provider or online as precious office space. I also service shouldn’t cost more than $20 recommend a computer backup per month and it will give you the system, which will protect the ability to send and receive e-mail. contents of your hard drive in the Top Agent Magazine
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It’s essential that you remain committed to your space as office space. You’ll probably want more than one phone line, three if you’re using one line for a fax and modem hookup. It’s wise to invest in a business line, which allows you to list your business name and number in the phone book and with directory assistance. To keep costs down, use that line for incoming calls only. If you don’t want the expense of a business line, but can do without a repeat of the shower scene, order “distinct ring” service from your phone company. This is a separate phone number which rings into your home line, but sounds different from your normal ring. This alerts you and family members to incoming business calls. If you’re dishing up dinner or washing the dog, you’ll know to let your answering machine, or better yet, your electronic voice mail system, grab the call. If you’re in the shower, hopefully your 5year-old will know to do the same. You may also want to order “call 6
answering” from your phone company. It’s just a few dollars a month and sounds more professional than an answering machine, and which won’t break down while you’re on vacation. A home office can either improve productivity, or harm it. You may find yourself doing paperwork at 2 a.m. when you should be sleeping, or flipping to General Hospital at 3 p.m. when you should be working. It’s helpful to treat your home office as you would an outside office, complete with “starting” and “quitting” times. This will help you stay focused, organized, and productive. And your family will appreciate having their dining room table back. Nancy Michaels, of Impression Impact, works with companies that want to reach the small business community and with small business owners who want to sell more products and services. Copyright©, Nancy Michaels. All rights reserved. Top Agent Magazine
LAURA MORITZ
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Licensed in New York, New Jersey and Florida, Laura Mortiz generates an excess of $2.5 million in mortgage volume a month.
LAURA MORITZ Growing up with a realtor for a mother, Laura Moritz was exposed early to the ins and outs of the real estate world. After graduating from Quinnipiac University with a degree in accounting, Laura took a job in the accounting department of a successful mortgage company. Soon after, a colleague encouraged her to take a more direct role in the lending process and try her hand at sales. Discovering a passion and capacity for her new work, Laura decided to make a career change, wisely pairing her proficiency with finance and her knowledge of the real estate industry. More than three decades later, Laura is at the helm of a flourishing career, grounded by building memorable relationships and the proven ability to deliver results. 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
Though she lives New York, Laura is licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Going on her fifteenth year at Classic Mortgages, Laura works with a talented team of lending professionals that includes processors and underwriters. Her loan product offerings run the gamut and include FHA, VA, 203k, rehab and conventional loans, and refinancing options—to name a few. What’s more, Laura’s clients work directly with her from start to finish, confident in her persistent backing by a direct lender and brokerage. As a top producing lender, Laura generates an excess of $2.5 million in mortgage volume a month—demonstrable evidence of her practical experience and consistency in closing. The abiding philosophy of Laura’s work is built on client-centric service and mining her sphere of influence to drive continued business. In that vein, Laura has written a book Top Agent Magazine
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on the subject—called The Winning Connection—which details her successful approach to professional relationships, collaboration, and building her network of referral partners. “I do my best to exceed people’s expectations,” she recounts. “When past clients give out my card, they know I do everything within my power to make sure they are taken care of the way they deserve to be.” Laura cites accessibility, forthright communication, and preparedness as the drivers behind her rate of repeat and referral clients, which constitutes the majority of her business. Likewise, she serves a range of clients, from realtors and CPAs to attorneys and financial Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10Copyright
planners. No matter the client, Laura’s experience and candidness in communication create common ground. “I make it a point to be an excellent communicator. I take the time to listen to and understand my clients. I put myself in their shoes and define what their expectations are, make sure that we are on the same page, and figure out their ideal mode of communication,” she explains. “It’s important to understand what works for each specific client. Some people only want to be called if an issue arises, while others want a daily check-in by phone. No matter how my clients prefer to communicate, I make myself completely accessible. I’m also proactive. I Top Agent Magazine
don’t want until there’s a problem; instead, I continuously search for ways to stay ahead of the curve, and it makes all the difference.” A decidedly twenty-first-century professional, Laura incorporates social media and ongoing professional education into her practice, astutely recognizing that the industry is ever-evolving on both a policy and personnel level. As a result, Laura loves working with up and coming agents and first-time homebuyer clients, eager to pass along her decades of keen insight. In addition to prior experience teaching continuing education mortgage courses at a New York area law school, Laura also leads Top Agent Magazine
entrepreneur classes for referral-based business models. As the founder of the National Women’s Network, Laura understands well the value of building lasting connections amongst professionals, and incorporates that spirit of teamwork into her daily practice. “Good people working together collaboratively can garner lots of positive results,” she recounts. Positioning her spirit of service toward her local community, Laura participates in a variety of civic engagements. Not only does her office offer ongoing education for real estate agents, but she also offers free workshops Copyright Top Agent Magazine11
for attorneys, home owner’s insurance companies, and title offices. Through her educational efforts, Laura pays forward her firsthand knowledge, in addition to staying sharp in her own right—always learning and bettering herself as a professional. She also promotes collaboration in the workshops she teaches, living by the axiom that when you give, you receive. In her free time, Laura enjoys spending her off hours on motorcycles, as the spokesperson for The Hudson Valley New Network, painting, and staying active at the gym.
While her ability to deliver quantifiable results to her clients is unequivocal, Laura never loses sight of the person or family at the heart of every transaction she closes. “I love what I do. I go out of my way to make a positive impact, and people take notice and appreciate it. In turn, that encourages me to give even more of myself. Ultimately, part of my job helps put a roof over someone’s head, and that makes me feel like I made a difference in a person’s life,” Laura explains. “What could be more rewarding than that?”
To learn more about Laura Moritz e-mail LMoritz@classicllc.com http://www.justingrable.com 12Copyright Top Agent Magazine
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Killing Clients with Kindness and Value By Walter Sanford
Sometimes, we need to “kill” our clients with kindness and offer value. I know it goes against everything in our nature to turn the other cheek when they are being mean. Recently, a coaching client had some challenges with a particular client, and I’m sure you have also worked with the kind of client who discourages you so much that you just want to hit the delete button! How about offering a response that increases your fame and makes the client always wonder what they may be missing? They might not list with you, but they will never forget you. Included in the balance of this article are the email from the client, the request for help from my coaching client, and then my suggested response. Email from the Potential Client: Sorry, I have been really busy. Let me tell you where I’m at with everything. You may or may not be interested. I am definitely putting the house on the market. The house has been rented for the last 5 years with the same family. They originally signed a rent to own lease. Three years ago, they decided they didn’t want to buy it. Top Agent Magazine
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Anyway, I recently informed them that I’m going to put the house on the market. Now, they are reconsidering buying the house. I don’t think they will buy the house, but I guess you never know. If they do buy the house, it would be for sale by owner. I will not let them drag their feet. We happen to know a lot of REALTORS® in (area). Some are pretty good friends and with that comes opportunities at rates way under the norm. One of them did sell our last house quickly but circumstances have changed. I know you are a very good REALTOR®, because I have heard other REALTORS® talk about you. You may not be interested at this point anymore. If you are still interested, let me know what your best rate is. Let me know if you are okay with the current tenants on a “for sale by owner” agreement, if that happens. I would want a short-term agreement. The current rent is higher than my mortgage payment so I’m okay if they don’t buy and I’m not forced to sell at a low price. However, I want to sell ASAP. I’m wanting to purchase another property so I’m not going to overprice the house and I will negotiate. Email from Coaching Client to Me: Walter, this guy is a college basketball coach. I want to help him, but I need to have a chance to run a successful business, too! How do I answer this? Email from Me to Coaching Client (to share with potential client): Thank you so much for the nice words. It is very exciting to hear that our hard work is creating some buzz. I think we can accommodate you and exceed your expectations: 14
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1. We believe that we exceed client expectations more often than most agents, because we spend the time to understand what the client needs. Then we develop a customized program to meet and exceed that goal. We would love to help you in accomplishing your real estate needs. 2. We would be happy to exclude the current residents from the listing agreement for 30 days. This would help in motivating the current residents to buy in that they can see the price discounted by the commission, if they commit to buy within the 30 day period. We would like to offer you our closing service that handles everything for a flat fee of $4,000. This handles the contract phase, aligning the team of affiliates, and the closing. This, of course, is at your option. 3..Our commissions are normal for our market, but we save you money over any commission discounter. Our specialty is increasing your net proceeds. We do this by bringing you more buyers with more effective marketing, better negotiating, better systems for handling inspections, better pre-approval tools for your buyer, better contracts, and less post-seller litigation from better contracts. Commission discounts usually cost you money because of the agent’s lack of emphasis on your net proceeds check. It is like a basketball player who is playing with no heart, only for the scholarship. 4. Our rate is retail 6%. This may eliminate us, but that would be a shortsided conclusion. Here are 5 of the ways we can beat any commission discount: A. We beat the average List to sell ratio in (area) by a larger margin than any discount. B. We beat the days on market, which affects your carrying costs and lost opportunity costs on your equity. C. We have a low litigation rate as compared to national standards. D. We can market your home a little over retail due to our marketing. Top Agent Magazine
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D. We urge a pre-inspection plan to get rid of the little and big problems before a buyer is involved and wants everything built new. 5. Our agreements are 6 months, but that is not what sells properties. Marketing and price sell property. If we are wrong about those two items, we will adjust every week based upon showings and consultations with you. 6. I would also like to advise you on a misconception. Rental costs average about 35% of market rent in our area. Add in lost opportunity costs on your equity that is not doing anything at this point. I can show you how your current position is losing you money every month. I think our next step is a presentation of the tools we bring to achieve your goals. Listing with friends is loyal, but is it the best business decision? Do they have the tools and will you hold their feet to the fire when the results are not what you need? (Client’s name), you know the difference superstars make on a team. Let’s go for the win. It’s not so much whether my coaching client obtained the listing, but he needed to stand up for a profitable, long term business. Never sell yourself short to get business. You will never be happy. In these situations, I cannot guarantee an outcome, but I can guarantee the client will never forget you. You are planting seeds of discontentment with the small amount of money saved in a commission compared to not achieving their goal. Whether he/she admits it or not, he/she will have respect for you. Do more lead generation so you won’t have to work so hard on leads like these. Copyright©, 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Walter Sanford has been designing and implementing real estate systems for 30 years. One of the most successful REALTORS® and now wealthy from his systems, Sanford teaches his systems and strategies through his products, seminars, and personal coaching producing the best results in the industry. Do what works, do what is proven. Hire Walter Sanford. Call our office at 800.792.5837, email walter@waltersanford.com, or chat with us online at www.waltersanford.com. 16
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Would You Like Fries With That? By John Boe
While you may not have recognized it, the last time you ordered from a fast food restaurant or went to the post office, there is a good chance you experienced some type of cross-selling or up selling. Cross-selling and up selling are well-established and highly effective marketing practices utilized by a wide variety of industries. Shortsighted salespeople are often quick to suggest that customers get irritated by attempts to cross-sell products and perceive cross-selling as an aggressive sales technique. Interestingly enough, consumer research indicates that the reverse is true. The majority of consumers surveyed actually preferred a full range of products and services and appreciate the convenience that is provided through a comprehensive cross-selling approach. Top producing sales reps and progressive companies understand the power of crossselling and recognize it as a critical component for promoting both customer retention and revenue growth. What is cross-selling? Cross-selling is nothing more than a proactive, ongoing sales process designed to provide your customers with a full spectrum of your company’s products and services. Not surprisingly, two of the key elements that drive effective cross-selling and up selling are trust and convenience. 18
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Your customers’ trust in your company can be converted into additional sales that are not directly related to their existing products. The good news about the cross-selling and up selling process is that it’s one of the most profitable and least risky endeavors a sales rep can undertake. It pays to cross-sell and up sell, because when you go the extra mile and provide information about additional products to your customers, you are financially rewarded for helping them make a more informed buying decision.
The first exposure I had to cross-selling and up selling was as a teenager in high school working part-time at McDonalds during my summer vacation. Looking back on my brief tenure at the restaurant, I can still hear my manager’s daily refrain; be polite, keep the counter clean, and always ask the customers if they would like some fries with their meal. Top Agent Magazine
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A couple of years later while attending college, I took a part-time job selling shoes at the mall. I was paid an hourly wage to sell the shoes, but I received a commission whenever I sold any accessory items such as shoe polish, socks, or purses. This was my first taste of commission-based sales and I took to cross-selling and up selling like a duck to water. After I had sold a woman a pair of new shoes, I would routinely hand her a bottle of leather cleaner and a purse to match the shoes. As a college student, the extra money I was able to make from cross-selling and up selling additional products was like manna from heaven. The best place to introduce your customer to the concept of cross-selling and up selling is during your initial needs analysis meeting. Unfortunately, many salespeople fail to take the time to conduct a thorough needs analysis and as a result, do not uncover potential products and services that would be of benefit to their customers. The key to effective cross-selling and up selling is all about guided self-discovery. Through a series of thought provoking, open-ended questions, successful sales reps help their customers identify the products and services that they require. Developing a systematic approach to cross-selling and up selling enhances the customer’s buying experience and brings in additional revenue with relatively low expense and effort. As you prepare for your next sales appointment, I challenge you to look for cross-selling and up selling opportunities that you can incorporate into your presentation. Sales reps who fail to effectively cross-sell and up sell products actually do a disservice to their customers and leave the back door open to their competitors! “The sad truth is that most salespeople forget to cross-sell their products and services. This is a big mistake, because cross-selling gives customers more options and is a good way for a sales rep to make additional income.” – Don Roberts Copyright ©, 2016 John Boe. All rights reserved.
John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 937-299-9001. Free Newsletter available on website. 20
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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. Top Agent Magazine
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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. Top Agent Magazine
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