NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
5 WAYS TO TRANSFORM
CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS TO REAL LIFE SALES
RENTERS INTO OWNERS
3 EASY AT-HOME
DIY PROJECTS
FEATURED AGENT
TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE
KIRA SWAIM
COVER STORY
DAVID HUNT
COMPLETE RETROFITTING AND WATER CONSERVATION COMPLIANCE (PER SENATE BILL NO. 407)
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION
KIRA SWAIM Sometimes, the desire to have a family interrupts a successful career. 7That’s what happened to Kira Swaim in 2005. “I was a high-powered executive traveling on business two weeks out of every month,” she recalls. “My husband and I decided it was time to start our family, and I realized being a mom would be impossible with all the travel. I always loved real estate, and since he was already in the business I decided DAVID HUNT to quit my job and join him.”
Kira loves her local comm ports it with a passion. Wh struck three years ago she do something and did, big the pandemic, a lot of the r small retail businesses in d Anselmo were really in a to declared, “so I formed a called San Anselmo Stro funds to help them stay af erously donates her time KIRA SWAIM several organizations in DAVID HUNT and has served on the board years she was on the management team In 2006 Kira, her husband, and another couple founded Tam Realty in San Anselmo, CA, an upscale commuChange, an organization that supports a nity in Marin County north of San Francisco. “I work and helps them achieve their full potenti exclusively here in the North Bay,” Kira says. “When I CONTENTS have business that is outside of my core area I always Although she works hard and tries to s refer it out.” She manages a small team of four to six understands the importance of havi 4) 5 WAYS TO TRANSFORM EASY AT-HOME agents, which is just the way she likes it. “We18) have 3 had “When I can takeDIY a little time I do,” s as many as 15 agents in the past but I like managing a spends as much time as possible at her fa RENTERS INTO OWNERS PROJECTS TO INCREASE smaller team,” she confides. Her team averages 30-40 the mountains hiking and enjoying the o PROPERTY VALUE each year, accounting for more than $50 13)transactions A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO million in volume. She would love to reach the point where CONVERTING INTERNET LEADS 22) HOW gate TO the SEND SMARTER day-to-day responsibilities of h TOShe REAL LIFE SALES attributes her success in the business toEMAILS her perher agents. “It may be a few years dow sonal approach. “I am a people person,” she confesses. once I have met the financial obligations “I like building relationships. I am not a salesperson, I two daughters, I’d like to focus more on am more like a colleague or a friend. I built my busirenovating properties,” she admits. “It’s ness on authenticity and honesty. I always put my I have always enjoyed.” clients first, and try to make sure they are heard and get what they want.” It’s an attitude she also recommends Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 to her agents. “I advise them to not look at the paymag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com check because that can lead to bad decisions for clients. No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Instead, I encourage to focus onAlthough what drives them Magazine is published by Featurethem Publications GA, Inc. precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published to carve outMagazine a placecannot for themselves.” materials, Top Agent be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.
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Tam Realty has a stellar online presence and markets listings on MLS and Zillow. Kira contacts her clients Top Agent Magazine regularly by phone and relies heavily on her Top Agent Network (TAN) for referrals. She estimates that roughly
3 at 41 Contact Kira Swaim email kira@tamrealty.com
5 Ways to Transform
Renters into Owners Perhaps the largest demographic of untapped business lies in the rental market. From major cities and suburbs to rural communities—renters across generations are opting to rent rather than own. The question is: why? For starters, many Americans are undereducated about the inventory and financing options available that might suit their budget and lifestyle. Secondly, many would-be homeowners have difficulty 4
visualizing the potential investment of purchasing property, and how homeownership can build wealth and security in the long-term. As an agent, you’re always on the lookout for potential clientele. Now, to guide renters toward the real estate market, keep a few of these strategies in mind as you meet and greet this untapped demographic.
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Show renters that purchasing a home isn’t impossible
Possibly the biggest hurdle for renters is believing homeownership is possible. Beyond saving for a down payment and boosting credit scores, there are dozen more factors to consider: affording utilities, homeowner’s insurance, renovations, property taxes, and more. Besides that, assembling pay stubs, finding an agent, arranging house tours, negotiating a price, and timing the transition are all major considerations to surmount. One way to combat this thinking is to make the process transparent and demystified. Find examples of past clients who made the leap successfully, or profile the average buyer in your marketplace and see how that renter compares. Provide evidence that it’s been done before and can be done again, then build a game plan from there.
into play. Consider making a checklist, or step-by-step road-map, that guides clients through the process from start to finish. This way, you’ll manage expectations and create a path to ownership that’s specific, instead of abstract. They won’t have to wonder what goes into buying a home when they can look at an interactive site or read a document and see the steps outlined before them, with you there to guide the way.
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Collaborate with mortgage professionals to find the right financing opportunities
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Help would-be homebuyers create a road-map to ownership
It’s no secret that buying a home can feel overwhelming. Compared to signing a yearlong lease on an apartment, taking on the house-hunting process is a daunting affair. That’s where your expertise as an agent comes Top Agent Magazine
Many renters aren’t aware of the variety of mortgage financing options out there that cater to first-timers, offer low down payments, or down payment assistance. Most buyers believe that the standard 20% down is a hard and fast rule, when in reality, there’s far more flexibility out there to cater to renters where they are. There are even loan options catering to freelance workers, renovation options, and other unconventional routes to ownership. Work with a mortgage pro and find the route that suits your renter best.
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pay monthly in a mortgage—while building a lasting asset.
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Compare and contrast rental rates with monthly mortgage payments One way to convince renters to make the shift is to demonstrate the savings potential of paying into a monthly mortgage, rather than throwing away rent on a property they don’t own. To do this, draw up the average rental rates in your area, then find some potential listings that would demand a similar amount in monthly mortgage payments. Sometimes placing these numbers and images sideby-side can prove to renters that what they manage to pay monthly in rent, they can
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Paint the big picture
For most, renting isn’t the most sustainable financial option when it comes to housing. Rents rise, families grow, and retirement looms. Building a financial future and homeownership go hand-in-hand. When planned appropriately, buying a home can create a path toward retirement and position homeowners in a better place for further investment in the future. A rental has little security or investment returns to offer, while owning a home makes a renter king or queen of the castle. Prospecting renters as potential homebuyers may seem like a time-intensive way to cultivate new clients, but logic is on your side. Keep these tips in mind as you broach the conversation with renters in your hometown. All it takes is clear-cut value proposition and a listening ear.
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DAVID HUNT Top Agent Magazine
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Top Agent David Hunt of Sonoma Realty Group has a unique focus on commercial properties, vacant land sales, vineyard estates and new construction projects that sets him apart. In the world of real estate, David James Hunt is a name that resonates expertise and passion, and a unique California journey that’s as rich as the wine he once crafted. “Real estate had been around me since my early childhood,” David says, reflecting on his father’s successful real estate career in England. David’s career trajectory took an unexpected turn during a family trip to 8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
Italy. “I experienced the wine industry and got the wine bug over there,” he shares. “So, I transferred from business school to California to study winemaking.” The intersection of his newfound passion and existing career path led to a unique venture. “I started down the path of winemaking, started my own winery and then a hospitality business.” Top Agent Magazine
It was during this journey that fate intervened and a fusion of two backgrounds developed. Through his wine ventures, David met his future wife Carrie, whose background in commercial development added a new layer to their story. “There was a lot of harmony from the clients who I was acquiring through my wine company and my
wine tourism business, then referring them out to local agents and connecting them to my wife to do new construction or extensive remodels,” he recalls. “I shortly came to the realization that I wanted to be behind the wheel of these client experiences.” In 2019 he acquired his real estate license. “I had a distant viewpoint of the industry through
David paints a vivid picture of Healdsburg, where his office and home are located. “It’s a very, very cute little wine country town,” he says enthusiastically.
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“We have a really tight pulse on what’s coming soon in the area,” David notes. “Most people are now identifying us as new construction or extensive remodel specialists.” my British Dad’s broker career, but the synergy between me and my wife is what really kicked me over the edge to go headfirst into the real estate world.” David’s path led him to Sonoma Realty Group, where he found a nurturing environment. Since joining them, he has closed 10Copyright Top Agent Magazine
nearly $22 million in sales. Their unique focus on commercial properties, vacant land sales, vineyard estates and new construction projects sets them apart. David paints a vivid picture of Healdsburg, where his office and home are located. “It’s a very, very cute little wine country town,” he says enthusiastically. “The slogan for Healdsburg is ‘a world-class Top Agent Magazine
small town,’ and it definitely lives up to that.” He highlights the fine restaurants, vibrant community events and the central Healdsburg Plaza as the town’s beating heart. David’s passion for his work shines through in every aspect of his career. He notes the substantial increase in his repeat and referral
business. “We have a really tight pulse on what’s coming soon in the area,” David notes. “Most people are now identifying us as new construction or extensive remodel specialists.” He credits his boutique firm’s local knowledge, connections with contractors and a forward-thinking approach for this success.
David credits his boutique firm’s local knowledge, connections with contractors and a forward-thinking approach for his success.
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When not working David enjoys spending time with his two boys, wife and two golden doodles, he says. “We’re typically out in the wilderness somewhere, whether it’s skiing, mountain biking, dirt biking or camping.” His enthusiasm for the future is contagious. “I’d love to get into more development opportu-
nities, taking on our own projects from the ground up, or extensive remodel projects,” he envisions. With his background in the wine industry, he’s keen on assisting winery and vineyard owners. “And then,” he adds, “eventually getting into helping other people invest wisely through venture capital.”
For more information about David Hunt, please email david@sonomarealtygroup.com, call 707-888-7117 or visit sonomarealtygroup.com https://
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A Step-by-Step Guide to
Converting Internet Leads to Real Life Sales In the era of apps, instantaneous social platforms, and text messaging, it’s little surprise that the modern homebuyer begins his or her search for real estate representation online. Even if you’ve got a top-notch website or an influential social media presence, how do you connect with web surfers who have yet to commit to the services you offer? Take a look below to learn a few key techniques to bridge the gap between digital interest and real-world sales. Top Agent Magazine
RESPONSIVENESS IS KEY Like it or not, our digital culture relishes immediacy and instant gratification. With that in mind, be sure to stay on top of online interest forms, e-mails, or newsletter signups. Don’t let an online lead go to waste by taking too long to engage and follow-up. Things move fast, and it’s easy for potential clientele to forget which websites they’ve visited. Even if your lead isn’t ready to commit then and there, you demonstrate your
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Mastering the fundamentals of digital communication is the first step to converting digital interest into concrete business. accessibility and attentiveness by following up swiftly—a characteristic anyone would seek in an agent or lender.
ENGAGE WITH OPEN-ENDED CONVERSATION When online back-and-forth goes stale, communication drops off quickly. If you’re following up via e-mail, social media, or text, be sure to keep topics focused squarely on the potential client. Ask open-ended questions to give your lead the opportunity to loosen up and engage on a personal level. There’s no better way to cement a digital lead than to take a pointed interest in the specifics of their situation. Doing so transforms the impersonal invisibility of the internet into a true connection.
GIVE ADDED VALUE Plenty of businesses send impersonal, automated messages in response to an online inquiry, but establishing a true connection may mean providing your lead with something of value. Perhaps you’re forwarding a property for sale that fits the interests of your lead, or a relevant article, or maybe you take the time to send a personal message—demonstrable value and a personal touch separate your follow-up response from spam. Other ideas to consider when 14
adding value to your follow-up technique: incorporate area promotions and access to local events, make a date for coffee, or offer a brief consultation free of charge to make the first move.
DON’T STOP MAKING CONTACT If you don’t connect with your internet lead right off the bat—don’t be discouraged. It often takes multiple tries before a follow-up interaction sticks. Folks are busy and frequently flooded with e-mail blasts and junk mail. A lead may not engage without a little prodding that shows you’re committed to their business. Remember: it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. Digital leads don’t have to be difficult to capture. The internet plays a powerful role in funneling modern clientele your way, but in order to take full advantage of the web’s reach, you’ll need to tailor your follow-up technique. Mastering the fundamentals of digital communication is the first step to converting digital interest into concrete business. Keep these tips top-of-mind as you build your online presence and mine the vast world wide web for an endless wealth of clientele. Earning a command of digital lead conversion is the surest way to bolster your business in the ever-evolving digital era.
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Laughs!
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KIRA SWAIM Sometimes, the desire to have a family interrupts a successful career. That’s what happened to Kira Swaim in 2005. “I was a high-powered executive traveling on business two weeks out of every month,” she recalls. “My husband and I decided it was time to start our family, and I realized being a mom would be impossible with all the travel. I always loved real estate, and since he was already in the business I decided to quit my job and join him.” In 2006 Kira, her husband, and another couple founded Tam Realty in San Anselmo, CA, an upscale community in Marin County north of San Francisco. “I work exclusively here in the North Bay,” Kira says. “When I have business that is outside of my core area I always refer it out.” She manages a small team of four to six agents, which is just the way she likes it. “We have had as many as 15 agents in the past but I like managing a smaller team,” she confides. Her team averages 30-40 transactions each year, accounting for more than $50 million in volume. She attributes her success in the business to her personal approach. “I am a people person,” she confesses. “I like building relationships. I am not a salesperson, I am more like a colleague or a friend. I built my business on authenticity and honesty. I always put my clients first, and try to make sure they are heard and get what they want.” It’s an attitude she also recommends to her agents. “I advise them to not look at the paycheck because that can lead to bad decisions for clients. Instead, I encourage them to focus on what drives them to carve out a place for themselves.” Tam Realty has a stellar online presence and markets listings on MLS and Zillow. Kira contacts her clients regularly by phone and relies heavily on her Top Agent Network (TAN) for referrals. She estimates that roughly 90% of her personal business is generated through referrals. Top Agent Magazine
Kira loves her local community and supports it with a passion. When COVID-19 struck three years ago she saw a need to do something and did, big time. “During the pandemic, a lot of the restaurants and small retail businesses in downtown San Anselmo were really in a tough spot,” she declared, “so I formed an organization called San Anselmo Strong that raised funds to help them stay afloat.” She generously donates her time and money to several organizations in Marin County and has served on the boards of a few. For years she was on the management team of Children for Change, an organization that supports at-risk children and helps them achieve their full potential. Although she works hard and tries to stay active, she understands the importance of having downtime. “When I can take a little time I do,” she insists. She spends as much time as possible at her family’s cabin in the mountains hiking and enjoying the outdoors. She would love to reach the point where she can delegate the day-to-day responsibilities of her business to her agents. “It may be a few years down the road, but once I have met the financial obligations of raising my two daughters, I’d like to focus more on designing and renovating properties,” she admits. “It’s something that I have always enjoyed.”
Contact Kira Swaim at 415-209-4750, email kira@tamrealty.com, or visit her website: tamrealty.com http://
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3 Easy At-Home DIY Projects to Increase Property Value Most homeowners have a lengthy list of chores and bit projects they intend to accomplish around the house. Oftentimes, those to-do items are completed piecemeal over a long stretch of time, or else sometimes not at all. However, when it comes time to prepare a home for market, all those tasks begin to pile-up and overwhelm. The 18
list of things to do before the photographer comes or the first open house is held might seem endless, but not if you tackle just a few things here and there as you go. These sorts of projects—easy, DIY, at-home tasks you can accomplish in a few hours or less, with tools you most likely have on hand— go a long way with marginal effort.
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Complete a quick rehab of closets and storage areas Many agents advise clients to declutter and depersonalize their spaces ahead of professional photography and home showings. The idea is to provide prospective buyers with a neutral palette. Not only does this allow them to imagine their own lives unfolding within those four walls, but it also helps make a home’s square footage stand out. One way to add visual space to your home without calling in the contractor is to declutter common storage areas and closets. When buyers can get a complete look at a closet’s capacity, or a pantry’s depth, or the garage’s full functional potential, they get a better sense of a home’s potential and thus, its value. In that vein, consider decluttering and cleaning your high-traffic storage spaces: the garage, pantries, closets, attics, and basements. Besides, organizing and discarding unwanted items help you prep for a move anyway, while giving potential buyers a peak at how spacious your home really is.
Add easy curb appeal with a bit of sweat equity Sure, curb appeal can arrive in the form of a new mailbox, pathway lighting, or updated house numbers, but it can also come cheaper than that. Curb extends to the upkeep of your lawn, landscaping, and home’s façade, and there are plenty of ways Top Agent Magazine
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you can give these zones a refresh without spending anything but time. Keeping your front and back yard green and uniform adds a lux layer to exterior square footage. Likewise, polishing the outside of your windows, trimming hedges, and sweeping the walkway can make a tidy and wellcared for first impression. There are other measures you can take too. Planting wildflower seeds in empty beds, or collecting some landscaping rocks to frame mulched areas can add a bit of character to your residence. Repainting the front door, ensuring trees are trimmed, and keeping back patios 20
neat and uncluttered also underscore a home at its finest, which is ripe for buyers to snatch up.
Transform tiled spaces into sparkling clean surfaces. Bathrooms and kitchens are where sellers can stand to add plenty of value in the process of selling a home. While pricey renovations might be out of the question for some, there are still affordable and time-effective ways you can transform for these spaces for the better. Cleaning,
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bleaching, or redoing your tile grout—in either kitchens, bathrooms, or other tiled spaces—can give these high-trafficked areas a new lease on life. Ensuring windows, mirrors, stainless steel appliances and backsplashes are streak-free and polished also demonstrate to buyers that your home is well-cared for and practically move-in ready. Sometimes, the devil is in the details. You might consider relining drawers, changing out knobs and fixtures,
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or else decluttering cabinets and shelves for a fresher look. No matter the challenges ahead as you prepare your home for sale, completing a few small tasks every weekend or so can put you miles ahead of the competition. Without spending a dime, you can add serious value to your home’s bottom line, setting you up for success as you begin your own home-shopping adventure.
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How To Send
SMARTER EMAILS
Email is a great tool for agents to use when trying to stay in touch with their past clients, as well as for reaching out to prospective clients. However, used incorrectly it can make your attempts to reach out seem like spam. The secret to using email effectively is making sure that everything you send out does one thing: ensure that you remain relevant to your contacts. To do this you have to get personal. Personalization will go far to ensure that your contacts are actually clicking on your emails. This means that if you do reply on an automated drip email campaign to build business, you need to customize your content so that it delivers something meaningful to each individual recipient. Here are some steps that will help you do exactly that:
1. SEND A WELCOME EMAIL TO
NEW CLIENTS AND PROSPECTS Rather than simply add new contacts to your automated email drip campaign, make sure to send each new contact receives a warm welcome as well. Sending a welcome email along with adding new contacts to your drip campaign is proven to be 86 percent more effective at catching your contact’s attention. Let them know they are welcome and that you appreciate their interest. 22
2. NURTURE YOUR RELATIONSHIP
THROUGH YOUR EMAIL To let your potential client know that you are thinking about them by sending them useful content that relates to the process of buying or selling a house. Some great topics include credit score information, ways to save money, regular market updates, what buying in your market is like, information about the neighborhood, tips on how they can prepare their home for sale, and other relevant information. A great way to
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add to these emails’ punch is to time them so that they coincide with what that individual is going through and dealing with at that time on their path through the buying or selling process.
3. CELEBRATE IMPORTANT DATES
Everyone loves to be noticed and appreciated. Schedule emails to go to each client that celebrate their purchase anniversary or birthday. Make sure you include a personal note and your own wishes that the year ahead goes well for them. If you’ve been a bit out of touch with your contacts, you might want to send them a friendly hello.
4. MOBILE-FRIENDLY EMAILS
With our phones being akin to mini computers, most people read their emails on their phone these days. So, it is particularly important to make sure that your emails are rendering well on the smaller screens. If you want to make any kind of impact, you have to run a mobile-friendly email campaign in today’s world. You are going to lose a lot of your audience if they can’t read your email on their phones.
5. TRACK THE PERFORMANCE
OF YOUR EMAILS AND ALTER ACCORDINGLY The best way to make sure your emails are being read and making the kind of impact you desire is to consistently monitor the analytics,
and see what your readers are actually clicking on and what elements are most popular with your contacts. Going forward you can alter different elements of your email campaign such as content, images, graphics, and even smaller elements like your subject line to draw in more clicks from your readers, and cater to what grabs their attention. You also want to follow a targeted email strategy. The best way to do this is segment your email list based on the data from your CRM and the demographics of your contacts. Different clients are going to be interested in different content. Long-time clients looking to buy a second home or possibly downsize are going to be interested in completely different content than your first-time buyers. A good way to filter your contacts is by looking at which ones are looking to buy or sell, how far along in the process they are, as well as other important information about them.
6. DON’T SPAM UNDER
ANY CIRCUMSTANCES You probably already know that flooding your clients’ emails is big no-no. However, different people have different ideas about what is too much contact. One great way to approach this problem is to ask your clients whether they would prefer weekly, monthly, or occasional emails from you. This way you can cater to each client’s preference.
The emails you send your clients can often be a double-edged sword when it comes to how well they work to bring in business. Following these simple rules will help your emails be as successful as they can possibly be, and will make your contacts much happier with you. So, don’t just send out emails without doing your homework about how to do it right. Your email campaigns can be a powerful tool if you know how to create and utilize them in the right manner. Top Agent Magazine
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