NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 10-23-23

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

6 Ways to GET YOUR CLIENT TO TRUST YOU If it’s Good for the Soul,

IT’S GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS

ADDING VALUE TO LISTINGS Embracing Smart Homes

Does New Technology Really Increase Home Value?

FEATURED AGENT

AVANTI CENTRAE COVER STORY

DEE RAMIREZ

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grandchildren, and six great-grandNORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION children, she has extensive ties to the community. In addition to donating a portion of every commission she AVANTI CENTRAE

Her grandma really DID know best. In the 9 mid-1990s, Avanti Centrae was a successful IT professional working a high-tech job. She was also unhappy in her career path. “My grandmother always used to say she wished she had gone into real estate because she saw the price of property explode during her lifetime. I started thinking about that a lot. And I used to win at Monopoly all the time,” she recalls with a laugh. “So, DEE RAMIREZ I decided to try investing in real estate.”

Realtor Dee ha what sh tire, Jon

were offering him for an we got it cleaned up and c it for $650,000—and rece short period of time.”

To contact Dee Ramirez, email Dee@DeeRamirez.

Avanti’s clients also appr or visit: deeramirez.com/c for being able to simplify or linkedin.com/in/deera throughout the transactio 19

www.

estate can get complicate was always easy, people w AVANTI CENTRAE selves. But it’s not, which is why m sellers choose to use Realtors®. That To test the waters, Avanti bought a four-plex. She fixed tunity for agents to add value by mak it up, sold it, pocketed $100,000, and was hooked. smooth and simple as possible.” Wh CONTENTS “I became an investor during that wild swing in the ing contracts, Avanti can be found hi market from 1998 to 2005. In 2006, I got my license exploring the great outdoors. She h help friends and family, and I’ve never managed to find the time to write se 4) 6toWAYS TO GET YOUR 18) looked DAILY HABITS THAT WILL back.” she serves with Keller YOUR thriller novels. Although she could e CLIENT TONow TRUST YOU clients as a broker INCREASE MENTAL STRENGTH Williams in the foothills of northern California near ing as a full-time author, she loves rea 6) EMBRACING SMART HOMES: 20)an 4 WAYS WIN THE BATTLE the towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City, area TO to ever imagine hanging up her shing ® DOES NEWforTECHNOLOGY REALLY known its spectacular natural beauty.AGAINST “We get a PROCRASTINATION be a Realtor until I die. It offers such INCREASE HOME VALUE? lot of people retiring from the Bay area. There are so portunity for me to help people. They 22)out IF here IT’S GOOD FOR THE SOUL, many ranches and beautiful rural properties me with a ‘For Sale” sign on top of m 15) that ADDING VALUE TO LISTINGS IT’S GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS are perfect for people who want privacy.” www.

& THE ADVANTAGE OF IDENTIFYINGIn NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES the last 17 years Avanti has continued maintaining

rental property as well as investing in, fixing up, and flipping another 20 homes. “I think my experience and background as an investor are what set me apart from Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 other agents. I understand how homes are built, and mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com I’ve even done some work myself.

I’m not afraid to No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent get my hands dirty and go under a house to see what Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published kind of plumbing it has.” 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 the U.S. Shein has also developed a keen sense of what sellers

need to do to get top dollar when they’re listing a property. For example, she recently worked with a client Top Agent Magazine who needed to sell his family home, which had several

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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 4

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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1

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.

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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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Embracing Smart Homes:

Does New Technology Really Increase Home Value?

Technology and innovation move at a lightning-fast clip, so it can be hard to keep up with all the smart-home trends sweeping the market at a given time. From smart thermostats to security systems accessed through an app on your phone—there are endless options to customize and update your home for the modern era. But which, if any, of these smart home products add 6

value to property in a significant, worthwhile capacity? Especially with new generations of the same products released in quick succession, it can be hard to determine whether it’s worth it to take the plunge. With that in mind, we’ve conducted a deep-dive into the smart home options out there that make the most sense for your bottom line and real estate investments.

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Smart home amenities range in price and return.

There are certain smart home products that won’t break the bank while still adding lovely touches and time-saving features to your space. For instance, a smart thermostat may not run more than a few hundred dollars, but it can take so much of the guesswork and analog nuisance out of programming your home’s internal environment. That said, buyers selling properties with mid-range amenities like this can’t expect a windfall in return. While smart home features can certainly lure buyers and give the sense that a home is attractively modern (and thus move-in ready), it doesn’t mean that you’ll be reaping a sizable monetary reward for your foresight. Conversely, this reality doesn’t mean those smart options

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are without value entirely; it just means that the value of smart home options may be apparent in a different capacity, like luring a particular buyer or creating a desirable, sleek image for a property headed to market.

On the other hand, larger scale smart home amenities that are being left behind for the buyer—like a smart refrigerator or wired sound throughout the property—may be able to lure particular buyers who value high-end details. While it can be difficult to state definitively the value of smart home options, the rule tends to be that the more you put in, the higher the likelihood you’ll reap the investment you sow. Focus your smart home options on home appliances first, then work your way toward security, thermostat, and entertainment options.

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Smart home amenities capture the attention of buyers

Agents must know how to pitch the value of smart home options

Even if you have mostly opted for small or mid-range smart home options, you can still benefit from their presence in a property—even if they don’t inflate your bottom line as a result. Smart home amenities have the power to focus the attention of buyers, sending a clear signal that the previous owners were tech-forward and made an effort to upgrade the property for the contemporary era. Millennial or Gen Z buyers especially value these up-to-date modifications, and the presence of these desirable gadgets can create added interest and drive up value naturally. Likewise, featuring these options in listing photography can also drive interest from younger or high-end buyers looking for move-in ready spaces.

Remember that smart home features are relatively fresh to the market. While some new construction properties are equipped with these smart amenities, just as many homes on the market don’t offer these upgrades and modern flairs. This means that many buyers, of all ages even, aren’t familiar with the benefits and perks of these options, let alone how they’re operated. Before you can derive value from a smart home or smart home features, you’ll need to understand a product’s proper usage, cost, and benefits. Do your homework regarding what smart home features can offer in terms time or cost savings, and be able to show prospective buyers how easy these objects are to use, as well. Do both, and you’ll be in proper command of what smart home features can offer buyers and pitch them accordingly.

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DEE RAMIREZ Top Agent Magazine

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D EE RAMIRE Z Dee specializes in buying and selling homes at the Villages Golf & Country Club in the Evergreen Hills of San Jose, CA. She has been the top seller in her office at the Villages Realty Team of Keller Williams SJ Gateway Realty for the last 14 years.

Dee Ramirez is one of those lucky people whose career and personal life blend perfectly. After working in the brokerage business, she de10

cided back in 1978 that she wanted to become a Realtor®. “I didn’t want to be a stockbroker, but I wanted to do something independently. I had Top Agent Magazine

four kids at home and a busy life.

So, I went into the ‘easy’ job of real estate—which of course is 24/7!” she says with a laugh. On her very first day in the business, she called a client about a home she saw on a home tour, sold it, and was on her way to the top.

In fact, she’s been the top seller in her office at the Villages Realty Team of Keller Williams SJ Gateway Realty

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for the last 14 years.

Dee specializes in buying and selling homes at the Villages Golf & Country Club in the Evergreen Hills of San Jose, CA, where she and her husband Jesse live. As a resident of the 55+ gated golf community for more than 20 years, she knows the neighborhood and its homes

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intimately. “I love what I do and I do what I love. My office is right outside the gate, and my office is two minutes from my home. All the people that I’ve sold houses to end up being my friends in the community. It’s a great way of living, and a wonderful way of life.”

When buyers are interested in the Villages, Dee doesn’t just show them homes for sale. She also gives them

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has mastered the art of listening. As she recalls, “Years ago when I was purchasing our second home, I told the Realtor® exactly what I wanted, yet he kept showing me houses that were nothing like what I had asked for. One day as we were driving past a house, I told him to stop. It had everything on my list, and we bought it. That’s when I realized that you have to listen to people. You can’t ‘sell’ them. You must help them by listening to their needs and wantsAccording to Dee, one of the reasons -and putting that all in a package she’s been so successful is that she that’s the home of their dreams.” an hour-long tour of the community.

“We have people moving here from all over the country. Usually, we end up selling the home that they’re leaving as well as finding their new home here. If you’re over 55 and you want to live in a country club, we’re the only place in Silicon Valley with home prices from $500,000 to $1.7 million, that have all the amenities that we have.” Come for a Tour— Stay for a Lifetime!

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The Village’s Golf & Country Club is a 55+ Gated Community in Silicon Valley

In her free time, Dee enjoys walking, dining at the country club, and spending time with family and friends. With four sons, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, she has extensive ties to the community. In addition to donating a portion of every commission she

receives, Dee frequently sponsors golf tournaments, charity fundraisers, and special events throughout the year. Dee’s son, who is also a Realtor®, works with her. And while Dee has no plans now to stop doing what she loves, “If and when I ever retire, Jonathan will end up taking over.”

To contact Dee Ramirez, call 408-440-7617, email Dee@DeeRamirez.com or visit: deeramirez.com/contact or linkedin.com/in/deeramirez www.

www.

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Adding Value to Listings & the Advantage of Identifying Neighborhood Amenities Everyone knows the famous real estate phrase: location, location, location. In fact, it is hard to underestimate the pivotal role that a region can play when it comes to determining a home’s value. In today’s competitive market, the littlest things can truly add up—especially when it comes to neighborhood amenities. While most savvy agents know the figures regarding school Top Agent Magazine

district ranking and local property taxes, have you ever considered the under-the-radar amenities that drive buyers and bidding wars? To derive the highest value from a listed home, you need to paint a complete picture of the area in which you’re selling. With that guiding principle in mind, let’s consider a few modern amenities and how they add drastically to your bottom line.

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Walking a fifteen-minute radius of the area or performing a deep-dive into customer review sites or food blogs can help you identify hidden gems or local favorites.

A little can go a long way: restaurants, coffee shops, and entertainment

Know thy history: creating a narrative of the neighborhood

Everyone has a favorite take-out spot, coffee shop, or neighborhood watering hole. Identifying the key players in an area—such as restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment hotspots—will create a livable picture that prospective buyers can latch onto. Walking a fifteen-minute radius of the area or performing a deep-dive into customer review sites or food blogs can help you identify hidden gems or local favorites. While a cute coffee shop down the street may seem like a bonus instead of a foundational amenity, you never know what kind of homebuyer you might net if you include the cozy characteristics that make a house a home.

As humans, we’re drawn to narratives. Sales pitches and marketing campaigns hinge on an alluring storyline. That’s why understanding a neighborhood’s history can frame and contextualize a property to great effect. After all, buyers aren’t just drawn to sturdy foundations and bedroom counts; they like to imagine their lives unfolding inside those four walls.

Get a sense of the area’s historical timeline, architectural style, noteworthy community members, and the like. Conveying this intriguing information to buyers helps them connect more personally with a property, while understanding the holistic picture of their potential new home.

From here to there: public transportation and commuter access While this rule may not apply to all properties, considering access to public transportation is a major draw for today’s buyers. Especially amidst the more eco-conscious Millennial segment eager to buy within city limits—knowing public transportation access points and schedules can add serious value to listed properties. Also, think outside the box: do nearby thoroughfares boast dedicated bike lanes? Are there plans to expand rail lines to the area in the future? Deliver a confidant picture of the area’s public transportation access and prospective buyers will trust your expertise.

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While it is always good to cover the basics of school districts and property values, it is even more useful to expand your knowledge base and bring a warm, human element to locational knowledge. Not only will you appeal to a younger demographic of homebuyers who values this strategic information, but you will also broaden your understanding of your service area at large. Think of it this way: a neighborhood is far more than a collection of homes on a block. A neighborhood is about atmosphere, access, and a sense of community. If you authentically appeal to this guiding truth, and buyers will surely rise to the occasion.

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Daily Habits That Will Increase Your Mental Strength When it comes to building physical strength, the solutions are obvious, but keeping up your mental strength isn’t as easy as going to the gym. Although physical exercise does help clear your head and relieve stress, there are other things you can do daily that will help your mind be as strong and flexible as your body after a workout. Here’s just a few things you can do to help clear your head and make you more productive.

DON’T WASTE YOUR BRAIN POWER That might seem obvious, but think about how much mental energy you might use up worrying about negativity or things you have no control over. Instead of focusing on problems, focus on solutions. This actually take a lot of effort, we’re all conditioned to let worry paralyze us sometimes.

Try and catch yourself when you’re wasting time thinking about about past mistakes or current dilemmas you don’t have the power to stop. You really only have so much mental energy, and if you have kids and an especially stressful work situation, that might be even less than normal. Start treating your brain like the precious resource it is.

You don’t want to be running on empty when it really matters.

STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE A lot of mental energy can go to dealing with anxiety. One way to deal with that is by forcing yourself to try new things and take on new challenges, that you might normally avoid because they make you feel unsure or scared. Challenge yourself daily, even with small things.

This is definitely something that becomes easier with practice. Start small, and in no time you’ll be taking on things you never thought were possible.

The simple task of trying something new every day will have you feeling energized and put you on the path to self-growth.

BE SELF-AWARE Your emotions affect everything you do, even if they’re not at the surface. Recognizing and labeling them is key. A lot of the above exercises require self-reflection. It’s okay to have the emotions you have, understanding why and where those emotions come from allows you to focus on dealing with them rather than just wallowing in them.

Being self-aware is also about self-care. Know the things that help relax and rejuvenate you. That way you can handle everyday stresses and remain calm even during the most turbulent times.

BE MORE POSITIVE

BE WILLING TO LEARN

Eliminating negative thoughts is essential to increasing your mental strength. Carrying around negativity is like swimming with all of your clothes on. You might be okay at first, but eventually you’ll feel like you can barely stay afloat. Don’t drown in negativity, use positive thoughts as a lifesaver.

This doesn’t mean you should ignore things you need to improve, just approach them with solutions rather than beating yourself up. Constant monitoring of this is important since it’s really easy to slide back into negative thinking.

A lot of people are still hung up on the idea that learning is a boring and tedious process, but you aren’t in junior high anymore. You can find something you’re actually interested in and immerse yourself in it, which engages your mind like nothing else. Whether it’s learning a new technology that will improve your business or something that will make you a more well-rounded person, the learning process keeps you engaged and open to new ideas. A curiosity about the world and new things is something that all mentally strong people have in common.

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AVANTI CENTRAE Her grandma really DID know best. In the mid-1990s, Avanti Centrae was a successful IT professional working a high-tech job. She was also unhappy in her career path. “My grandmother always used to say she wished she had gone into real estate because she saw the price of property explode during her lifetime. I started thinking about that a lot. And I used to win at Monopoly all the time,” she recalls with a laugh. “So, I decided to try investing in real estate.”

To test the waters, Avanti bought a four-plex. She fixed it up, sold it, pocketed $100,000, and was hooked.

“I became an investor during that wild swing in the market from 1998 to 2005. In 2006, I got my license to help friends and family, and I’ve never looked back.” Now she serves clients as a broker with Keller Williams in the foothills of northern California near the towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City, an area known for its spectacular natural beauty. “We get a lot of people retiring from the Bay area. There are so many ranches and beautiful rural properties out here that are perfect for people who want privacy.”

were offering him for an ‘as-is’ property, we got it cleaned up and cleaned out, listed it for $650,000—and received an offer in a short period of time.”

Avanti’s clients also appreciate her knack for being able to simplify complex details throughout the transaction process. “Real estate can get complicated. If the process was always easy, people would do it themselves. But it’s not, which is why many buyers and sellers choose to use Realtors®. That creates an opportunity for agents to add value by making the process as smooth and simple as possible.” When she’s not writing contracts, Avanti can be found hiking, biking, and exploring the great outdoors. She has also somehow managed to find the time to write several best-selling thriller novels. Although she could easily make a living as a full-time author, she loves real estate too much to ever imagine hanging up her shingle. “I’m going to be a Realtor® until I die. It offers such a wonderful opportunity for me to help people. They’ll probably bury me with a ‘For Sale” sign on top of my coffin!”

In the last 17 years Avanti has continued maintaining rental property as well as investing in, fixing up, and flipping another 20 homes. “I think my experience and background as an investor are what set me apart from other agents. I understand how homes are built, and I’ve even done some work myself. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty and go under a house to see what kind of plumbing it has.”

She has also developed a keen sense of what sellers need to do to get top dollar when they’re listing a property. For example, she recently worked with a client who needed to sell his family home, which had several different maintenance issues. He was considering selling the property in the poor condition it was in. Instead, he took her advice and spent about $17,000 to resolve the problems and update the property. The end result?

“Instead of getting $450,000, which is what people Top Agent Magazine

To get in touch with Avanti Centrae please call: 530-591-3669 email: avanticentrae@comcast.net or visit: goldcountry-realestate.com www.

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4 Ways to Win the Battle Against Procrastination One of the most common professional afflictions is procrastination. The funny thing is, everyone knows that procrastination is negative—it’s a waste of time, a creator of stress, and is entirely a problem of our own making. Still, knowing all of this doesn’t necessarily decrease our odds of procrastination. There are plenty of explanations we give when putting work off until the last minute. Perhaps you convince yourself that you work best under pressure, but it’s truer that you’re used to working under pressure by necessity. Maybe you’re a perfectionist and the fear of getting it all wrong puts you off from the task. Whatever the justification may be, overcoming procrastination requires some willpower and technique. With that in mind, take a look at a few tricks below to jumpstart your motivation and nix the last-minute time crunch.

After all, you owe it to yourself and your business to operate like a procrastination-free professional.

1. Make Your Intentions Known As realtors and mortgage professionals, you may serve as your own boss. So, when the time comes to complete a task and you put it off—perhaps you’re only disappointing yourself. This is easily remedied by making a new promise to try again tomorrow. On the other hand, it’s much harder to break promises and commitments to others. Try verbalizing your intent and commitment to your team, or to an assistant who can hold you accountable, or better yet—to a business partner or to a client. Make a hard deadline public and you’re likely to perform for fear of embarrassment or losing face. In a way, this puts the pressure of expectation on you, instead of the pressure of the ticking clock.

2. Take a Baby Step When tasks pile up, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

If you’ve got a number of items on your to-do list, including some heavy hitters that require a lot of attention and time, begin by taking on something simple. Identify an easily completed job that needs 20

attention and put it first in your queue. Duties that are straightforward and aren’t time-intensive can lead you to the rest of your to-do list, fueling you with the satisfaction of a task already complete. Even if it’s as small as returning e-mails, or dropping off your dry-cleaning, one simple thing off your list can inspire you to continue on to the next item in the spirit of productivity.

3. Work in Windows If work is the last thing you want to do and you can’t seem to self-motivate, make a compromise with yourself. Agree to work just fifteen minutes, and mean it. This tiny window of time is easy enough to complete, isn’t overwhelming, and you’ve already agreed to move on once time is up. The truth? Odds are that just fifteen minutes of active work will inspire you to keep going. After all, the most difficult part of procrastination is getting started. By putting in those fifteen minutes, you’ll trick yourself into diving into the action.

4. Switch Up Your Environment If you’re stuck in rut when it comes to procrastination and productivity, try changing your surroundings. If the office feels stale and stressful, take your work to the nearest coffee shop and try to tackle your tasks there. Perhaps the quiet, studious ambiance of a library can make you focus, or a picnic table outside the office can stimulate the senses.

Sometimes changing your scenery can breathe new life into your routine and give you the extra push you need to get work done.

There’s no one way to overcome procrastination. In fact, it’s likely a lifelong process of building discipline, finding techniques that work for you, and simply prioritizing your time more effectively. Don’t lose hope—remember these tricks and winning the war will be possible, even if you lose a few battles along the way.

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Laughs!

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If it’s good for the soul,

IT’S GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS

Visibility, name recognition and knowing you’re supporting the community that makes your success possible are good reasons to take part in community service. But how is it that some people seem to be able to give time to charities while running their own businesses, managing their own families and households, exercising regularly, attending sporting events and concerts, eating well and sleeping seven or eight hours a night?

The truth is, not all agents are able to do everything so easily. But more important is the fact that no one needs to do everything all of the time. The trick is to make sure that, whatever you do holds meaning.

REALTORS® and mortgage professionals who seem the most gregarious in their community outreach are those whose giving seems to fill their own souls. When their 22

volunteer efforts or donations directly impact causes they or their clients care deeply about, “giving back” becomes energizing.

Jason O’Quinn of Prime Lending in Dallas Texas, for instance, says that his family’s ongoing work building homes for some of the poorest families in Honduras fills him immeasurably. “It rejuvenates me,” he says.

“There’s quite a dichotomy between the houses we build there and the houses we finance here,” he says. “It refocuses me, going from financing $1 million homes in Dallas to physically laying cinderblock for $10,000 homes in Honduras. Everything has more meaning when we sacrificially give of our time, talent and treasure.”

The longtime “big picture” for Colorado REALTOR® and property manager, Linda

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Todd, for instance, has included giving back to the community, whether serving as a lead carpenter for Habitat for Humanity, making deliveries for Meals on Wheels, or pitching in for the sake of baseball. And through her lifelong passion for baseball, she harmoniously blended her personal interests, her work and her community service. For many years, she was so involved Little League the local league named a new field after her. “I cried for 3 days after they told me that!” She and her husband also started a scholarship fund for junior college baseball players and serve as a host family for the rookie league of the Colorado Rockies, putting up newly drafted players in their home.

For Florida REALTOR® and property manager, Mario Gonzalez, neither his business nor his primary community outreach would exist without the other. A retired U.S. Navy pilot, Mario formed his brokerage, Navy to Navy Homes, when he saw a need for military personnel to find affordable homes to purchase. “We got into it to help, but that led to a full-blown real estate business.” Besides providing opportunities for investment and homeownership, the company donates 35% of every commission to Homes for Heroes, veterans’ groups, or organizations benefiting fire, police, medical organizations, churches and homeless shelters. “We’re small, but we give so much back that we were the top Homes for Heroes company in Florida and

top-five nationwide.” But he does none of this for the attention. His friends may call him the “Humble Hero of Heroes,” but helping is Mario’s passion. “To be such a small business and be the top Homes for Heroes affiliate is mind boggling!”

Like Mario, for many, the best service takes place in simple and quiet ways. Illinois REALTOR®, Susie Scheuber, for example, takes a humble approach to giving back. Although she donates a portion of every commission check to the Children’s Miracle Network, she doesn’t discuss this with clients unless they happen to ask. “I do it because I want to and because, to me, giving back is the right thing to do when you’ve been fortunate in business and life,” says Susie.

We all know how inertia works; the more energized we get by certain behaviors, the more likely we are to continue those behaviors. For some top agents, community outreach has become such a natural routine of their daily lives that they never find it burdensome. A good way to add community service into your life, therefore, is through the causes that mean the most to you. For starters, consider giving a small donation after closing to the charity of your client’s choosing. Learning the different causes that they care about just might foster a new mission for you.

If you have a unique story to share about how your community outreach has impacted your life and your business or inspired others, click here for consideration in our magazines: www.topagentmagazine.com/nominate-a-real-estate-agent-to-be-featured Top Agent Magazine

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