Ohio Mortgage 4-30-17

OHIO MORTGAGE EDITION

3 Tips for MASTERFUL TO-DO LISTS 1 Billion-Plus Reasons Why YOU SHOULD BE ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK I'll Take 2 Pounds of Confidence and 3 POUNDS OF SELF-ESTEEM! COVER STORY

AINDREA WILDER

When it's Time for A HOME OFFICE

OHIO MORTGAGE EDITION

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AINDREA WILDER

CONTENTS 4) 3 TIPS FOR MASTERFUL TO-DO LISTS 13) WHEN IT'S TIME FOR A HOME OFFICE

17) I'LL TAKE 2 POUNDS OF CONFIDENCE AND 3 POUNDS OF SELF-ESTEEM! 21) 1 BILLION-PLUS REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK

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3 Tips For Masterful To-Do Lists

by Rob Flitton

Here are three masterful tips to easyto-prepare and easy-to-perform todo lists.

1-Important v. Urgent.

Always prepare your lists based on what is important, not what is urgent. Why? Let’s define our terms.

“Important” in this context is about what matters to you. “Urgent” in this context is about what matters to others.

People have a tendency to not only assemble their lists based on the needs of other people, they get derailed by interruptions and distractions from the pressing needs of others—they get on phone calls, discussions, text-threads, or emailexchanges that take away their focus.

The corollary tricks here are to (i) negotiate for time and space in advance, and (ii) learn to say “no.”

Since you want to focus on what’s important and not on what’s urgent, it causes you much less friction to negotiate ahead of time with those who matter to you for the time and space you need to be able to focus.

This keeps you from worrying about family matters when at work, and work matters when enjoying your family or leisure time.

When we are afraid in life to politely say “no” to the wrong thing, we makes ourselves unavailable to say “yes” to the right things. Those who appreciate and understand you will cooperate—those who do not will simply have to adjust.

2-Obey The Crow.

Sometimes these urgency-intruders There should never be more than 7 can be close to you and hard to say items on your to-do list. No one no to—your spouse, boss, children, can concentrate on too many things at once. customers, or strangers.

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To be able to focus, a person needs to be able to discern which activities or ideas are most important to him at that moment, and at any given moment a person is only able to hold, focus on, or visualize perhaps somewhere between 4 and 7.

This limitation was understood from an experiment observing a flock of crows gathered in a clearing. When various groups of men would cross the clearing and then enter the nearby woods, the crows would flee to the Top Agent Magazine

treetops only to return when the full number of men could be accounted for—i.e., when they felt safe.

If one man went in and then came back they would return to the clearing. If three men went into the woods and only two returned, they wouldn’t. If five men went into the woods and only four returned, they felt safe to return to the clearing.

This means that the crows could only hold 3 or 4 units of the men in their focus.

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Focusing on where the money comes from strips away all of the non-essentials.

For humans, the same is true but may be slightly higher. Look at a forest—you can perceive and focus on and count about 6 or 7 trees at one time, but you can never focus on or count an entire forest.

being the most important, and 1 dollar sign being the least important—like movie, book or restaurant ratings.

At the end of the to-do list period— whether it is a daily, weekly, monthly or annual list—you need not have completed every item, but you need to have entirely completed or accomplished the 4- and 5-star items. You would rather fully complete three 5star items than partially complete all seven items on your list.

The powerful piece of knowledge here is that by using unit economy— by limiting your ideas and activities into manageable groups—you can greatly overcome these limitations and leverage your means to tackle more and more work. By breaking lists down into groups of 4 to 7 Money is a measuring stick for how units, you can accomplish hundreds, effective you are at conducting your if not thousands, of important jobs business—it is really the only objective means of measuring your and tasks annually. effectiveness. Yes, there are plenty of non-monetary goals and outcomes 3-Dollar Signs.

The matter of deciding what should we all want to achieve, but I assert be at the top of your list should that being profitable matters the come down to the money. Money is most, and your to-do lists need to best barometer of what you should establish the mental attitude required spend your time on. Bookkeeping is to achieve maximum profitability. an important task in business, but Focusing on where the money comes closing sales is significantly more from strips away all of the nonimportant—no sales adds up to no essentials. need for bookkeeping.

Rob Flitton is a Seattle Real Estate MarAssign everything on your to do list a number of dollar signs, 5 dollar signs 6

keting specialist helping independent agents to increase their income. Email Rob robflitton@gmail.com at any time or call/ text him at 206-612-2314.

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AINDREA WILDER Top Agent Magazine

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I treat everyone the same, it doesn’t matter if they have a credit score of 400 or over 800. If people need assistance and direction, I’m there for them.

AINDREA WILDER For over 25 years, Aindrea Wilder has been one of the most respected mortgage professionals working in Ohio. As she got started in the industry, she quickly worked her way up from receptionist, to a leader in the field.

Aindrea is currently a branch manager of the Worthington, Ohio branch at CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. — a nationwide lender that offers a broad selection of product portfolios at competitive rates, as well as a commitment to customer service that is all about building lifetime relationships. Although Aindrea excels in every type of loan, she truly has an affinity for working with first-time homebuyers and people who might need extra guidance to get on track to buying a home.

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“I love educating people on the process and what they should do to qualify for a loan. I don’t turn people away. I take time with them by creating a written action plan that I go over verbally with them, to make sure they understand all of the concepts.

It’s so rewarding when they come back to me after a year and tell me they did what I recommended and are ready to go. I’m dedicated to providing the same excellent level of service to each customer. If people need assistance and direction, I’m there for them. Individual, personalized service is what we’re all about at CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc.” Another advantage CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. offers their clients is their FastTrack Credit Approval program. “It’s a challenging market right now. Housing inventory is low. We have a lot of approved Top Agent Magazine

buyers and not a lot of homes, so competition can be fierce. Our FastTrack Credit Approval program gets our buyers completely underwritten up front — a step above a pre-approval letter. Our buyers will often beat out the buying competition because sellers know the buyer is ready to go. We have received top industry rankings with our turnaround times of 21 days or less, which is unheard of in the industry where 42 days is the average (2016).”

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Aindrea’s experience is a key to her success. “I’ve gone through it all and I’ve seen everything, so I can identify potential issues before they become problems. Experience is vital in this business. It’s allowed me to build long-term relationships that are built on trust. People I work with know that I have their best interests at heart. When I get referrals, my reputation allows my clients to have trust in me from the get go, which makes the process much easier.”

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Aindrea enjoys giving back to her community. She teaches continuing education classes about the mortgage process to Realtors®, something that has helped her gain and maintain important professional relationships. She is also actively involved with the local Children’s Hospital, sponsoring families who are traveling to and from the hospital for life-saving medical care. “It’s very rewarding. We get close with people and develop amazing relationships. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that you’re helping someone through a challenging time.” Aindrea is Top Agent Magazine

fluent in Spanish, and spends 10-20 hours each month mentoring less fortunate kids in the Hispanic community to have their own positive impact on society. Aindrea couldn’t be happier with where she is in her career, and looks forward to continued growth and helping more people achieve the American Dream. “I want to empower people, educate them on the process, and get them into their dream homes.

I’m proud of what I do. I not only help people, but I’m also helping to build stronger communities.”

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To learn more about Aindrea Wilder call 614.620.6657 or email awilder@myccmortgage.com CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 6797 North High Street, Suite 304 | Worthington, OH 43085 NMLS 3029 | NMLS 855203 NMLS 132778 All loans subject to http://www.justingrable.com underwriting approval. Certain restrictions apply. Call for details.

NMLS3029 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Equal Housing Opportunity.

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When It’s Time for a Home Office

by Nancy Michaels

So, you’re tired of clearing your papers off the dining room table every time someone wants to eat (how dare they!). And you’re still recovering from the business call you were forced to take that time your 5-yearold pressed the phone into your hand just as you stepped from the shower (it’s amazing how professional one can sound while wrapped in a towel and dripping wet).

fairly easily for this purpose. Use bookcases, filing cabinets, plants, screens, even lighting to define your work space. It’s essential that you remain committed to your space as office space. Without this psychological distinction between home and work, the two areas of your life may slide into one another, causing you to lose focus, and thus, productivity.

Sounds like it’s time for a home Choose furnishings that are ergooffice. nomically correct, and which fit in with the decor of the rest of your Ideally, you’ll have a spare room to home. Lighting should come from turn into office space—preferably three sources: natural, ambient and one with a locking door. An extra direct. Give yourself enough storage bedroom, the basement, or attic can space to keep your work area all serve this purpose. If you don’t uncluttered. You may want to store have room for a dedicated office, your supplies in another part of the take a look around your house to see house, keeping just a week’s worth where you can carve yourself some in your office. And schedule a space. A closet, bedroom corner, weekly or biweekly cleanup where hallway alcove or even the area you go through your papers and files under a stairway can all be converted and either throw away or stow away Top Agent Magazine

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anything that is not essential to the event of a power failure. An daily operation of your business. uninterruptable power source supply is also a must for the home office.

Almost every business requires a This will keep your computer runcomputer system. Don’t skimp. You ning during a power outage until want something with enough speed you’re able to safely shut it down. and memory capacity to last into the future. A good-quality inkjet, or Another essential component of the preferably, a laser printer is also home office is telecommunications, essential. Investigate the all-in-one meaning telephone, fax and Internet printer, fax, copier and scanners. access. An account through an These may save you money as well Internet service provider or online as precious office space. I also service shouldn’t cost more than $20 recommend a computer backup per month and it will give you the system, which will protect the ability to send and receive e-mail. contents of your hard drive in the 14

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It’s essential that you remain committed to your space as office space.

You’ll probably want more than one phone line, three if you’re using one line for a fax and modem hookup.

It’s wise to invest in a business line, which allows you to list your business name and number in the phone book and with directory assistance. To keep costs down, use that line for incoming calls only. If you don’t want the expense of a business line, but can do without a repeat of the shower scene, order “distinct ring” service from your phone company. This is a separate phone number which rings into your home line, but sounds different from your normal ring. This alerts you and family members to incoming business calls. If you’re dishing up dinner or washing the dog, you’ll know to let your answering machine, or better yet, your electronic voice mail system, grab the call. If you’re in the shower, hopefully your 5year-old will know to do the same.

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answering” from your phone company. It’s just a few dollars a month and sounds more professional than an answering machine, and which won’t break down while you’re on vacation.

A home office can either improve productivity, or harm it. You may find yourself doing paperwork at 2 a.m. when you should be sleeping, or flipping to General Hospital at 3 p.m. when you should be working. It’s helpful to treat your home office as you would an outside office, complete with “starting” and “quitting” times.

This will help you stay focused, organized, and productive. And your family will appreciate having their dining room table back.

Nancy Michaels, of Impression Impact, works with companies that want to reach the small business community and with small business owners who want to sell more products and services. Copyright©, Nancy Michaels. All rights reserved.

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I’ll Take 2 Pounds of Confidence and 3 Pounds of Self-Esteem!

By Barry Eisen

At least a few times per month I get emails and/or calls asking me to help develop confidence and a positive self-esteem. When you’re hot you’re hot and when you’re not, you’re not. Life has its ups and downs and occasionally everyone feels like they’ve run out of gas and nothing they seem to do works. When you’re in a slump the world can look overwhelming and against you. The more you think about you’re victimhood, the more out of control you feel.What you focus upon becomes larger. Confidence, positive self-esteem...these are just words and something experienced many moons ago. Talk it out with your spouse? Sure. See a therapist? Maybe. Get a coach? Good idea. Call a hypnotist...that’s where I come in, but maybe not in an obvious way.

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Hypnosis can be of help in so many areas such as controlling weight, memory improvement, reading faster, stopping smoking, becoming a great public speaker, prospecting and growing a business, eliminating fears, becoming a better golfer/tennis player/baseball player etc., sleeping and energy, controlling pain control in dentistry and child birthing, improving wellness, passing tests and so much more. This is not an over statement. Hypnosis is a performance enhancer because it taps into the best parts of who we are to make the changes necessary to make the changes to evolve ourselves.

But “programming” ones mind for confidence and positive self-esteem is not something I’ve seen done effectively. The subconscious says, “What does that mean?” “Give me a picture, what do you want?” Read any neuroscience to know (or simply use common sense) that the subconscious needs specific direction (words, pictures and supportive feelings) for these clear messages to be acted upon. A general business plan is usually a recipe for disaster. A poor teaching plan will confuse students. Mixed general messages given to a 3 year old will produce erratic behavior. A loose navigation plan will have ships traveling in circles. Just like many people.

Instead of working on confidence and positive self-esteem, does it make sense to instead, work on a solid business target of success and develop a business plan that will get you there? If you’re planning for the future, is it not a better idea to set an end result and develop strategies that will make it happen? If you’re looking for better health, doesn’t it make sense to set a target for excellence and back it up with a realistic exercise and eating approach that will insure success?

The confidence and self-esteem will come along automatically. Create the goal, take action, do the work, be consistent. Your business will never grow more than you do. Your health will never get better without you stretching out beyond who you now are. Your relationships will never be more secure and supportive than you are of yourself. Your confidence and self-esteem will never grow without a reason.

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Before you therapy or drug yourself into confidence and self-esteem, at least try (Oh! I hate that word) the 10 organic following ideas for 2-3 weeks.

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Set goals that stretch you out and force you to grow. You can’t be depressed when you’re learning something. Learning takes you out of your egocentric predicament.

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Create timelines/target dates for goal accomplishments. This establishes a sense of urgency. It puts a little “gitty up” in your step and mind.

List your actions of the day on your To-Do list and prioritize all items.

Doing the A’s and crossing each off as done, will put a smile on your face and a jolt of small energy in your life. (Accomplishment feels good.

Could you use some “feel good”/self-esteem?) You’ll start looking forward Top Agent Magazine

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to these little positive jolts and do what is necessary to have them. If I was talking cocaine...that would be a bad thing, but since I’m talking non drug human motivation...that would be a good thing.

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If you’re just feeling flat for no obvious reason, take on an interest/ hobby/project that’s been on your mind in the past. Learning stimulates blood flow to different parts of the brain and increases endorphin flow.

(E.g. Calligraphy, sailing, martial arts, reading sci-fi, etc.)

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Follow through like your hair’s on fire. Show yourself what you CAN DO! Create some appropriate reward for the accomplishment.

Balance your life with goals in physical, financial, emotional, educational, family, social and spiritual areas. Sometimes more is better.

Purposely smile more, laugh easier, hold eye contact a little more (obviously, not in a creepy way) and present a stronger posture.

Learn to relax to slow down, put things in perspective, ask yourself how you feel and how you’re doing 2 or 3 times during your day. Don’t let the day rule you. Be present. Pay attention.

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Act “AS IF” you were already doing things with confidence, making decisions with authority and living the life you want to live. You become what you think about.

Barry Eisen teaches personal development seminars and coaches Southern California top producing REALTORS®. “Your business will never grow more than you do” is the theme; self hypnosis and behavior modification are the tools for playing a bigger game. barryeisen.com, barryeisen@LA.twcbc.com 818-769-4300

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1 Billion-Plus Reasons Why You Should Be Active on Facebook

By Bubba Mills

The number is staggering and potentially career ending for REALTORS® who ignore it: 1,440,000,000. That’s the total number of monthly active users on the social medium Facebook.

That number alone is reason enough to use it regularly in your real estate business. But Facebook can also help turn you into the expert in your community. Just by sharing knowledge and relevant events about the community you can become the go-to source for all things local – a perfect way to capture the attention of prospective buyers.

Plus, Facebook advertising also gives you tons of targeting layers like age, location, recent life events and interests. Plus, it constantly adds new targeting filters and functions that help you reach even more niche prospects who closely meet your customer criteria. Talk about pinpointing a target audience.

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Another Facebook real estate ad tool is Website Custom Audiences that lets you create Facebook ads that target users who have visited your website.

And several apps specifically for Facebook have emerged. Consider these: • Heyo.com: Helps you host contests, showcase promotions and high-

light special offers.

• Woobox.com: Let’s you easily create quizzes and other fun tools for engaging content.

• Pagemodo.com: Helps you make your Facebook business page both sleek and stylish and tabs allow for easy lead capture.

But the latest offering is just as cool. It’s called Facebook Live and it lets you stream live video on the internet. I recently wrote about Periscope, another live video streaming app, but when you use Facebook Live you’re automatically featured at the top of Facebook users’ news feed. What’s more, statistics show that live video is viewed more than recorded video.

How can REALTORS® use Facebook Live?

Open Houses: Broadcast a walk-through of a new listing

and highlight all the great features.

Webinars: Host live webinars targeted to buyers and sellers. They can sub-

mit questions just like a real-life seminar.

Real Estate Talk Show: Offer the latest news in the industry plus share lo-

cal events and your newest listings. In short, become the Lester Holt or Diane Sawyer of real estate in your town with your own “TV” show!

Facebook offers these tips for using Facebook Live: Promote: Tease upcoming Facebook Live broadcasts for more viewers.

Plan better: Take time to plan what you want to do in the video, whether

it’s a few key talking points or to have a few questions ready ahead of time in a Q&A, in case incoming comments slow down.

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Invest in some equipment: A shaky live stream turns off viewers so con-

sider a tripod or other stabilizing tools, especially if you’re taking viewers on a tour of an open house. And check the shot before going live.

Get the lighting right: If you’re indoors be sure you have plenty of good

lighting and avoid a lot of light directly behind you because it’ll wash you out.

Sound good: A common mistake for beginners is overlooking sound.

Consider an external microphone to make sure your viewers can actually hear you.

And if the live option makes you a little nervous, you can also stream pre-recorded videos. Hey, that has worked like a charm for TV for decades. Some businesses promote their web series to “air” on Facebook Live at a certain time like TV shows. After they are streamed, Facebook Live videos function as normal Facebook videos. Some business owners believe videos may perform better if they begin as live ones.

NowThis, a news company that publishes entirely on social platforms, experimented by streaming a 38-minute compilation of its favorite viral videos via Facebook Live. The stream received over 20,000 views and over 500 comments, according to Facebook’s counters.

Yes, all the new-fangled internet tools, apps and options for REALTORS® can be a bit overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time and you’ll slowly be right there in the business-winning mix. E-mail me today at Article@CorcoranCoaching.com and I’ll send you more free information about how technology can help your real estate business.

Copyright©, 2016 Bubba Mills. All rights reserved.

Bubba Mills is the CEO 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. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com.

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