New Jersey 1-2-17

NEW JERSEY EDITION

HOW YOUR FINGERS CAN MAKE YOU RICH

CONNECT BEYOND REAL ESTATE TO ATTRACT FUTURE CLIENTS

FEATURED AGENTS

PINA NAZARIO ELLEN MURPHY DANA SCHWERN & SUE LOVIT COVER STORY

THE EMMA TEAM

PATRICIA SHARKEY & CHRISTINA BOVE

ARE YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS COSTING YOU MONEY?

NEW JERSEY EDITION

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PATRICIA SHARKEY & CHRISTINA BOVE

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PINA NAZARIO

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ELLEN MURPHY

DANA SCHWERN & SUE LOVIT

CONTENTS 4) CONNECT BEYOND REAL ESTATE TO ATTRACT FUTURE CLIENTS

14) HOW YOUR FINGERS CAN MAKE YOU RICH

19) ARE YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS COSTING YOU MONEY?

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CONNECT BEYOND

REAL ESTATE

to Attract Future Clients What kind of content are you sharing on your blog, website, and social media? Does most of it have something to do with buying or selling a home? While sharing the latest market information or tips on how to qualify for a mortgage, or when someone should buy or sell is important and demonstrates your value as a REALTOR®, it shouldn’t be the only subject you cover. If you only focus on real estate, you’ll be missing the chance to connect with future clients that might not be ready to move just yet. By sharing a lot 4

of industry-heavy content, you are only going to appeal to those who are currently in the market rather than a broad base of potential clients.

To pull in those other future clients you want to provide fresh, interesting content that will appeal to those possible future clients that aren’t quite ready to move yet. However, you also want to still tie this content back into your business goals.

So, how do you share content that will speak to a wider audience, but also still be relevant to your business?

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Talk About Your Philanthropic Activities

The philanthropic work you do to support your community says a great deal about who you are as a person. Many people will be attracted to working with you because of the charitable works you are involved with. While you may be hesitant to share these efforts because you feel it may come across as bragging, you also need to remember that sharing information about the charitable organizations you support will actually help those organizations. Many of them have small marketing budgets, so any free exposure you can give them helps to promote their cause.

In fact, they want and need you to promote them.

And you can promote them without coming across as a braggart. Focus your content entirely on the organization. Talk about why you support them, how they help the community, and how others can also get involved. This turns what could have been bragging into something that benefits everyone. n

Your Local Community

We humans are connected to each other through our community – our local sports teams, parks, churches, schools, and much more. What better way is there to connect with people in your community than to talk about your community? Demonstrate that you are an expert on your community, and bring that community to your followers. Share information about a local event; perhaps even share the actual event through live-stream video. Interview city officials to get the low-down on the latest development project. Share information with your followers about things they didn’t know about their community. Consult with local historians or the historical society to share interesting information about your community that your followers will want to read. You could even turn it into a series of podcasts or videos. n

Use Your Creativity to Connect

Find creative ways to engage your followers on the topic of real estate. Try engaging your followers in an interactive project such as posting photos of interesting front doors. Doors are the entry point into our homes as well as our private lives. The way we adorn our front door can give someone a sense of our style and personality. Ask followers to submit photos and choose one to post each Friday. Make sure to watermark each photo with your logo at the bottom and include an inspirational quote that ties back to the importance of home. You could also ask your followers to provide a little story or caption to go along with the photo that tells something about them and their home. These kinds of projects are interesting and unique, and clearly connect back to your business. n

Share Your Hobbies

Are you an adrenalin junkie who has bungee jumped from some of the tallest bridges in the world? Are you a foodie that grows your own organic vegetables and fruit? Do you have a Top Agent Magazine

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secret passion for photography? Everyone has hobbies that they enjoy outside of work. When you look past the surface people become quite interesting. People also happen to find interesting people interesting, and tend to remember people based on their distinctive traits. We humans love discovering a person’s behind the scenes story, the mind behind the face. While you don’t want to talk too much about yourself, sharing pieces of your personal life and things that interest you can be a great way to connect with followers. By sharing interesting facts about your life, you will find that many followers will feel a strong, personal connection to you based on your hobbies and personal interests. n

Divulge Interesting Experiences

This is somewhat similar to the idea of sharing your hobbies. Sharing some of your more interesting personal experiences such as a fateful conversation with a stranger or an exciting adventure you had while in another country can be a great way to connect with followers as long as it also relates to some kind of life or business lesson. Talk about experiences you’ve had with clients or purchasing your own home. Experiences that relate to your business are great ways to connect with future clients in a manner that goes beyond the world of business. n

What and Who Inspires You

No matter what you’ve chosen to spend your life doing, you didn’t get there alone. You may have had a mentor that made a special impact on your life or someone already in the business that you looked up to and who perhaps inspired you to get into real estate. You may have found inspiration through a love of architecture or design. People want to know why others do the things they do. Sharing who or what influences you in your personal and business life is a great way to connect with followers. Recognizing that you didn’t get to where you are now by yourself shows humility, and talking about those people that had an influence on you shows others that you stay connected to the world and people around you.

Connecting with potential clients is something that is essential to any REALTOR’S® business. If you’re doing the work to create interesting blog posts and make those connections, you want to make sure that you’re sharing the right kind of content to draw in those future clients. It takes a lot more than simply providing the latest market news. To get the most out of what you share, you need to provide a wide array of interesting content 6

that will draw in a broad range of followers.

Providing the right kind of content can make all the difference when it comes to connecting with future clients and building the right kind of relationship with them right from the start. Connecting through your website or social media and sharing more than just real estate advice will help you build confidence and trust with future clients before you even meet them.

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THE EMMA TEAM

PATRICIA SHARKEY & CHRISTINA BOVE Top Agent Magazine

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Patricia Sharkey and Christina Bove could easily be known as the Dream Team. Leading equally with their unique skill sets, the sisters give meaning to the expression, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” at Century 21 Emma REALTORS® in Summit, NJ. With that mindset, one natural extension of running a family business is that Patricia and Christina provide a personal touch, treating every client like family, staying in contact throughout transactions and often becoming friends after closing. They pride themselves on being local experts who keep their finger on the 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

pulse of the markets and regularly attend workshops and trainings to provide their sellers and buyers with the best possible marketing and negotiation skills.

Patricia’s creativity and negotiation prowess yield the results of buyers’ or sellers’ dreams. As a former production coordinator, set designer and stylist for a leading stock photography company, she’s an excellent problem solver who incorporates those skills into ensuring all their transactions close successfully. In addition to her problem solving skills, she is a visual thinker, Top Agent Magazine

“Time, care and dedication are something many agents don’t have patience for or interest in. Coupled with the aggressive, detail-oriented way we do business, our clients feel comfortable knowing we’re always looking out for their best interests.” a skill that comes into play with the home staging services offered by the team. Following staging, professional photography and floor plans for each listing, the team’s marketing packages surpass the competition’s offerings. Meanwhile, Christina, a former TV producer, is a natural when it comes to communicating and creating long-lasting relationships based on trust and loyalty.

Another talent, analytical thinking, enables Top Agent Magazine

her to see broadly and creatively in regard to pricing and marketing properties. She is extremely diligent in everything she does for her clients. Both women emphasize the importance of targeted, predictive marketing, social media strategies and using SEO to gain maximum web exposure for listings.

The two represent their clients with highest degrees of expertise and professionalism, Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

giving personalized, compassionate service across a wide range of real estate scenarios.

Whether representing sellers in estate sales, working with investors or guiding firsttime home buyers, they know every client requires a unique kind of service; they customize each experience accordingly. “Many agents don’t have patience for or interest in giving time, care and dedication,” Patricia says. “Our clients know we focus on the details and that we aggressively look out for their best interests.” They’re also tech savvy, responding to inquiries and producing documents at lightning speed. “Our focus is always on delivering a positive experience that will leave a lasting impression on our clients,” says Christina. “Selling or buying Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

a home can be a long process and we strive to offer exceptional service throughout the entire transaction. Our clients can always reach us quickly with any question or need.”

Their shared, service-oriented approach began forming at a young age for these sisters, who grew up around real estate and turned to the profession after their successes in set design and TV production.

Their father, who has been in real estate for more than 35 years, was a top producing residential agent and later became broker at Century 21 Emma REALTORS®. Their career changes took place almost simultaneously when, while shooting a documentary on the global financial crisis in 2008, ChrisTop Agent Magazine

tina grew compelled to return home and join her father who was directly affected by the crash. Patricia, who was impacted during a corporate merger at around the same time, soon grew compelled to join her sister and their father. “He’s been an integral part of our success,” Christina says. “He was our mentor; he’s taught us everything we know; and he’s still there for us.”

Patricia and Christina primarily cover Union County and parts of Essex, Morris and Somerset counties, serving many clients who commute to New York City. They also do a good deal of business in their hometown, Mountainside, a small town where they have sold more than 30 homes in five years’ time.

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Working seven days a week, the women make their clients’ goals a reality. “Our dedication to expert service, professionalism, integrity and reliability has been integral to our success,” says Christina. It shows, given their high rate of repeat and referral business as well as their statistics and awards. In 2015 alone, their average list-to-sale ratio was 97 percent, with an average of 43 days on the market. That year, Christina received the New Jersey REALTORS® Circle of Excellence award and Diamond Masters award from Century 21; Patricia received the Ruby Masters award from Century 21.

Both women enjoy maximum exposure in the community, too, where they volunteer Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

their time for educational organizations, the Mountainside Newcomers Club and numerous charities. And somehow, they still find time for personal pleasures like spending time with their families, taking classes like pottery, yoga, or being active outdoors. Going to new restaurants, live music events or heading into the City for

the theater or museums are high on the list, too.

As Patricia and Christina move into their ninth year, they’re considering expanding their team. “We’d love to be able to grow by helping even more sellers and buyers fulfill their dreams,” says Patricia.

For more information about PATRICIA SHARKEY and CHRISTINA BOVE visit TheEmmaTeam.com, email patricia@century21emma.com or christina@century21emma.com or call 908.230.1302 (Patricia) or 908.416.6364 (Christina) www.

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How your fingers can make you rich

By Bob Corcoran

“The poem is a perfecting of a feeling in language - it’s a way of saying more with less, just as texting is.” – Carol Ann Duffy, British poet If you’re an agent or broker seeking the next, new, sizzling marketing tool, look down at your fingers. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the next great device: texting.

I know this because I have personal experience. I learned a while back that when I wanted to reach my kids, calling them was pointless. When I left a message, I’d never hear back from them. But when I texted them, they responded immediately. I knew it was only a matter of time before texting would become a critical tool for REALTORS®.

Today texting is as popular as a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day. Why? It’s pervasive: Pew Research says two-thirds of Americans use a smart-

phone and that text messaging is the most widely-used smartphone feature.

It’s effective: A study by Conversational Advertising says 90 percent of all text messages are read within three minutes. Plus, Tecipedia found that the open rate of texts is 98 percent compared with only 22 percent of emails.

It’s interactive: Texting is a two-way street that gives consumers the power to interact and it lets you make that interaction fun and profitable. On your yard signs, for example, you can invite prospects to text key words for all the listing’s details, your contact info, or even take part in contests or trivia games.

Every person who texts you can be added to your database of phone numbers.

It’s personal: Texting lets you reach prospects individually and create relationships.

It’s immediate: Today’s consumers have come to expect speed in practically every facet of their lives and texting doesn’t disappoint because it’s extraordinarily fast.

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It’s do-it-yourself easy: You can launch a text messaging campaign your-

self with some simple web-based software (there’s plenty to choose, just google texting software).

It’s inexpensive: Most mobile phone plans include at least a few hundred messages per month, and additional messages cost only pennies to receive.

Or you can get an unlimited texting plan.

When you consider these bullets there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a texting strategy as part of your marketing plan.

I’ll end with a few more details on mobile marketing: 1 Property Codes: When you first start, you’ll pick keywords for each of your listings. Property codes simply represent and describe your listing.

When consumers text the code, they’ll get the listing information instantly.

2 Sign Riders: Add the property code on your yard signs with a simple call to action to get consumers to text. For example “Text ‘A1111’ to ‘12345’ for this home’s specs!”

3 Lead Generation: After prospects text the property code, their mobile phone numbers are automatically placed into your contacts so you can follow up – which you should do as quickly as possible. Then you can automate your text messaging just like an e-mail drip marketing campaign to stay in front of clients and prospects.

Trust me when I tell you mobile marketing for REALTORS® will only continue to grow as a vital channel. By starting a text messaging effort now, you can build on your current relationships and create many more in the future.

Shoot me an e-mail at Article@CorcoranCoaching.com and I’ll send you free of charge a handout with more tips on how to start a successful texting campaign. And let me hear from you on Facebook. Are you using texts in your marketing efforts? If so, what’s been your experience so far? Share at www.facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching.

Bob Corcoran is the founder of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international Real Estate, Mortgage and Small Business coaching company committed to helping clients balance success in business, while building value in life. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com.

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PINA NAZARIO For Pina Nazario, living in the same Northern New Jersey market she serves gives her an edge in the real estate industry.

She has a special affinity for the area and as a resident knows the region in and out. “I actually live in the community that I mostly service so my interest in helping clients is very high because I’m part of the community myself,” she says. This market knowledge has made Nazario the No. 1 agent in Clifton, NJ, for most homes sold for the last six consecutive years and has her ranked in the top 2 percent of Coldwell Banker agents in New Jersey and Rockland County, NY. When working with buyers, Nazario has a team that includes a private assistant and a specialized buyer’s agent to really focus on the client. It’s all about giving each client she works with that

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individualized attention. She puts an emphasis on being dedicated to each transaction that she performs and with the help of her assistant is able to take advantage of the systems she has in place to create a smooth process from start to finish. “I have great systems already in place,” she says. “They make sure we’re on track to have a successful closing.” Coupling this with her easy accessibility, Nazario has a recipe for success that works with her clients. Day or night she is available to take their calls and always makes sure to be reachable no matter where she is.

Marketing her listings is also important to Nazario and she uses a variety of techniques to get the word out about a home. She uses more than 16 websites to broadcast a new listing and follows this up with full page color advertising

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she says. “I want my sellers to get the best value for their home.”

In the time that Nazario can carve out of her busy schedule, she is the first to lend a hand to the local community.

She has participated in helping out at the area schools and sports programs as this was an area her sons were involved in. She has also volunteered with her church. For fun, Nazario enjoys spending time with her husband of 26 years, two sons and extended family. She also has a love for dance and music. With over 18 years in the real estate industry thus far, Nazario wants to forge ahead and grow her business. She is proud of how far she’s come and is glad she made the switch to real estate from the corporate world. “I’ve come a good way already,” she says. “But, I’m still looking to expand.”

in local newspapers to really get a potential buyer’s attention. She does a series of mailers and is sure to use a professional photographer and stager to capture the best features of every home she sells. She also has access to a series of vendors that can help a seller get their home ready to sell quickly. “I do love that they can come to me as a professional in the industry who knows how to honestly and truthfully guide them to get their home sold,” Top Agent Magazine

For more information about PINA NAZARIO, visit PickPina.com, call 973-886-6258, or email Pina@PickPina.com www.

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ELLEN MURPHY Ellen Murphy has always had an interest in the real estate business, so the decision to become a Realtor more than fifteen years ago just made sense to her. Ellen is a full time agent, knowledgeable in all aspects of real estate, and serves the Union County area of New Jersey as well as parts of Somerset and Middlesex County.

really get to know your clients after you work with them for a few months.”

For Ellen, her favorite part about working in the real estate business is helping people. “I love helping my clients find the house that they’re looking for,” she says. “It’s no longer their house, it’s their home.” Ellen is dedicated to making the buying and selling process as stress-free as possible. She understands that these transactions can be difficult, and she works hard to set her clients at ease. “For sellers, I discuss their property in depth with them. I show them all the competition in the market to make sure that their home is priced right so that once it hits the marketplace it sells for the most amount of money in the least amount of time”.

Ellen’s dedication to providing excellent customer service is what keeps clients coming back to her. To keep up with the ever changing real estate market she attends many educational programs and uses the latest tools and resources available. Specializing in residential properties, Ellen is one of the top producing agents at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage East. She is committed to finding the best properties that suit the needs of her individual clients. Over the years, Ellen has received a high volume of referral clients and repeat customers. “A lot of my business is from previous clients who are referring family and friends to me. Overall I strive for great client satisfaction,” says Ellen. At least 75% of Ellen’s business comes from referrals.

Giving back to the community is an important part of Ellen’s life. She is involved with several committees at her church and also volunteers at the local food pantry and soup kitchen. In addition, Ellen works on fundraising and awareness to help the poor and homeless, and she also participates in a local networking group for professionals.

In her spare time, Ellen enjoys spending time with her family and her grandchildren. “That is my favorite thing to do, to be with my family” she says. She is also a fan of reading, going on walks, and gardening. In the future Ellen looks forward to growing as a Realtor. She is always up to date on the latest trends in technology, and takes classes to expand her knowledge within the real estate industry. For Ellen, she understands the importance of staying current on the latest market trends. It’s Ellen’s dedication to her career and clients that has allowed her to be of maximum service and thrive within the real estate business.

Ellen is a skilled professional with an understanding of the area market and uses enhanced marketing materials as well as maintaining a social media presence. Ellen can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She is highly adept at making sure her client’s listings remain visible and accessible. “I check in with my past clients to see how they are doing and to see how their families are doing,” she says. “You

To learn more about Ellen, visit: ellenmurphyrealtor.com, email ellenmurphy811@gmail.com or call 908-447-8134 (cell) • 908-233-5555 ext 242 (office) www.

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Are Your Presentation Skills Costing You Money?

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ometimes we’re so focused on technology and education that we forget this is a “people business”. And, a great deal of the money you make comes from your ‘point of contact’ skills. What do I mean by that? Lead generating dialogues and presentation dialogues. Yet, how much do we work on those verbal skills?

Unfortunately, communication sales skills have gotten short shrift in the last decade. Why? I think it’s because many of us are so challenged by technological changes. But, slow down. Think about how you actually make money. It’s at point of contact.

Getting better at point of contact skills translates into more money in less time.

We’re All Presenters Everyone in the real estate business presents: Agents present, when they are doing listing or buyer presentations. Managers present when they are recruiting, or doing their office meetings. Mortgage and title Top Agent Magazine

By Carla Cross

When you’re doing a listing presentation, what do you want to happen? You want them to sign the listing agreement when you’re done. reps present when they are in front of a group of agents in an office, talking about their services. So, doesn’t it make sense to become ‘killer’ at those presentations? You’ll double your money and halve your time.

Bug Off: I Do Okay Just Like I Am Yeah. I know. As a musician, I’ve worked with literally hundreds of people who thought they ‘played good enough.’

Some people just get to a certain performance level and leave it there. Have you ever thought that, often, our presentation strategies (or lack of) work in spite of us, not because of us?

As a musician, I know the thrill of performing at high levels. So, open your mind and consider

stepping up to a higher presentation level. Not only will you have personal satisfaction, you’ll make more money!

Now, let’s tackle one set of presentation skills: Organizing that presentation effectively.

Having heard listing presentations that wander all around the world, I know the importance of effective presentation organization.

Three Steps to Organize Your Presentation to Knock Their Socks Off Most of the time, we just get in front of people and say whatever we think of first. That leads to some big presentation mistakes, and costs us ‘sales.’ Instead of stumbling through a presentation, why not organize it to 19 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

grab their attention, persuade them to your way of thinking, and motivate them to action?

You can. In my new resource, Knock Their Socks Off: Tips to Make Your Best Presentation Ever, I show a simple three-step format to create your persuasive presentation. No matter why you’re in front of people, we need to be persuasive Think about it. When you’re doing a listing presentation, what do you want to happen? You want them to sign the listing agreement when you’re done.

So, it’s extremely important that you organize your listing presentation using a persuasive format, not just an information-heavy dialogue flow.

Grab Their Attention in the Opening Have you thought about your opening? Or, are you nervously standing at the sellers’ door, worried about what you’re going to say? Are you hiding in your office because you dread doing that sales meeting? When we haven’t organized our presentation, we come up with some really boring, off-putting openings, like: I won’t take much of your time, but...

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We have a lot to cover today We won’t get through the outline I know you don’t want to listen, but...

I’m not really prepared

You just open your presentation book, point to the pretty pages, and say, “here’s a keybox” (I’m not kidding. I’ve seen it….)

Great openings, yes? Yet, we’ve heard them dozens of times. You don’t have to settle for whatever Top Agent Magazine

If you’re doing a presentation to sellers, one of the major objectives of your presentation is to persuade them to your listing price point of view. comes ‘naturally.’ Instead, make your openings: Provocative Interesting Different Engaging I just attended a ‘Train the Trainer’ session (yes, I still learn great stuff every day!), where the trainer said it was important to engage the audience in a meaningful way in the first two minutes of your presentation. I think that’s a great rule to follow today, because people’s attention spans are the length of a gnat’s eyebrow. So, the next time you attend a presentation, see how much time elapses before the speaker/presenter/trainer gets the audience into meaningful action.

I don’t mean to ask a rhetorical question, either!

A Middle That Educates Your ‘Audience’ to Your Point of View In the middle of your presTop Agent Magazine

entation, add those stories, statistics, and visuals that support your point of view. By the way, as you create that presentation, jot down your point of view. If you’re doing a presentation to sellers, one of the major objectives of your presentation is to persuade them to your listing price point of view.

Retention is Key

Why Use Visuals?

Three days later:

There are two reasons to use visuals in your presentation:

We retain 10% of the information when we hear it

We believe what we see

We retain 65% of the information when we hear and see it

We retain the information much longer As you organize your presentation, ask yourself:

Have you ever met with sellers or buyers, given them lots of information—and then had them question you about it a few days later—as if they never heard you—or heard you backwards? That’s because people don’t hear and retain very well.

Look at the statistics:

So, use visuals to prove your points, not to merely show pretty pictures of houses.

The Ending: What are the main, and fre- Back to the Beginning quently, unspoken objections my ‘audience’ will have? How do I educate them to show them the reasoning behind my point of view?

Have you thought about your wrap-up? Or, like many presenters, does your ending sound like this?

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Well, that’s all. What do you think?

pop tunes are constructed with this format:

We’re out of time. Thank you.

I hope you’ll list with me

theme—variation—theme

I don’t have time to close.

I couldn’t get to much of the material, but you can read it In fact, even the most professional presenters frequently have trouble with their endings.

One of the main reasons is that they run out of time. Another is that they haven’t thought the ending through.

How to Do a Stunning Ending Crafting an effecting ending is the second most important part of your presentation. (The first is the opening). To craft a great ending, Go back to your beginning opening theme Summarize the benefits of going ahead with you/take action Motivate your ‘audience’ to take action

A Great Presentation is Crafted Like a Pop Song As a musician, I know that all 22 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

This is known in the music business as the ABA format.

Think of your favorite pop tune: Hum the beginning.

Think of the end. They’re alike, right? It’s the middle— known as the ‘bridge’—that is the humdinger. It wanders all around. Your persuasive presentation should be crafted like that pop tune: A. A compelling start (think Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, etc.)

B. An interesting, developed middle, with stories, statistics A. Back to that theme, with a motivating ending Now, you’re all set to craft a great listing or buyer presentation, great recruiting meeting or sales meeting, or awesome product/service presentation to any audience.

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, President of Carla Cross & Co., is an international speaker, coach, and resource provider specializing in real estate management. A former master level CRB instructor, and National REALTOR® Educator winner, Carla was recently named one of the 50 most influential women in real estate. For a free document on standards to establish, email Carla at Carla@carlacross. com and ask for standards document.

Carla has written six internationally published books, and provides coaching programs for management, including her affordable inoffice coaching programs Up and Running in 30 Days and On Track to Success in 30 Days for Experienced Agents, which provide standards, focus, and accountability.

Reach Carla at 425-392-6914 or www.carla cross.com.

P. S. Practice!

Many more tips on presentations and presentation skills are in my new resource, Knock Their Socks Off: Tips to Make your Best Presentation Ever.

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DANA SCHWERN & SUE LOVIT Dana Schwern’s and Sue Lovit’s entry into the real estate market came when they both were seeking a change in their lives. For Dana, it was the ability to diversify after her position in the gift industry hit hard times during the recession.

For Sue, it was the chance to re-enter the work force after raising her kids and put her marketing experience to good use. Together the duo took a chance on real estate and have been reaping the rewards ever since. They both got their real estate license in 2009 and are currently agents with Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Montclair, NJ. Since 2012, they have been recipients of the New Jersey Realtors Circle of Excellence Award. In 2016, they have achieved over 45 million in sales. They are expecting to receive the Platinum award - the highest level of New Jersey Realtors Circle of Excellence Award. Due to their tremendous growth, they are assembling a team to help assist. “We started off just the two of us,” says Sue, “We’ve gotten really busy and hired a few people to help us with the day-to-day work load. That said, it is important to us we remain the main point person and in front of our clients on every transaction.”

Both Dana and Sue serve Northern New Jersey, specializing in the Bergen, Essex, Union, Morris, and Passaic Counties, especially in suburbs where the midtown, direct train service is offered to Manhattan. They both agree that the success of their business is due to the long-term relationships they build with their clients and the close connections they are able to make with them. “Our relationships are No. 1 to us for sure,” says Dana. “We really hold our client’s hands, whether they are buying or a selling, through the whole entire process.” It is this full-service approach that has their clients coming back to them for repeat business and referrals to their friends, colleagues, and family. In addition, many clients come to Dana and Sue as a vendor resource long after the purchase or sale of their home. They Top Agent Magazine

pride themselves on always being available for their past and current clients for any of their needs.

“We’re matchmakers in that way,” says Sue. “Our clients have a real comfort level when they get to town and they feel a part of the community.”

When a seller works with Dana and Sue, they are ensured the full red carpet treatment. All of their listings get professional photography and are rolled out to a multitude of global websites to ensure the homeowner gets top dollar for their home. They even have their own staging materials and can get any home looking top notch with their personal touch. “We think presentation is just as important as price,” says Sue. They also are preferred agents on Trulia and Zillow and use tools such as drones and floor plans to really enhance the top selling features of a home. “We really cater to all our clients, whether they own or are looking for an entry level home or a luxury home.” says Dana.

Dana and Sue are active members of their community. You can be sure to find them at a local fundraiser, cheering on the sports teams or at the town carwash. While they both are extremely busy with the business, they do make sure to carve out time to spend with their families. Both Dana and Sue are looking forward to more time with their families as they continue to build their brand and expand their team. Check out what our clients have to say: zillow.com/profile/SueLovit/

For more information about Dana Schwern, call 201-657-5201 or email danaschwern@gmail.com For more information about Sue Lovit, call 973-477-7252, or email suelovit@gmail.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 23

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