Ontario 2-19-24

ONTARIO EDITION

COVER STORY

HARVEY SPECTER

Playing the Real Estate Matchmaker MILLENNIAL BUYERS:

Where They Are & What to Know

MASTERING TALENT ACQUISITION

IN REAL ESTATE

ONTARIO EDITION

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HARVEY SPECTER

CONTENTS 4) 10 WAYS TO BECOME A CELEBRITY REALTOR® ON SOCIAL MEDIA

15) MILLENNIAL BUYERS: WHERE THEY ARE & WHAT TO KNOW

6) MASTERING TALENT ACQUISITION IN REAL ESTATE

21) PLAYING THE REAL ESTATE MATCHMAKER—FOLLOW THESE 8 DATING RULES TO ENSURE YOU MATCH YOUR CLIENT WITH THE PERFECT HOME FOR THEM

Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published 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 in the U.S.

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10 WAYS TO BECOME ® A CELEBRITY REALTOR ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Establishing yourself as a well-known REALTOR® on social media requires developing a solid personal brand, producing captivating content, and engaging with your audience. Here are some steps to help you achieve that: 4

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1. Produce Regular Content

6. Communicate With Your Audience

Create a content plan that matches your brand and appeals to your target audience. Share a mix of professional real estate content, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your life, and engaging personal content. To keep it interesting, use a variety of content types, including photos, videos, and written posts.

Respond promptly to comments and messages. Ask questions and encourage interaction in your posts. Host live Q&A sessions or virtual tours to engage with your audience in real-time.

2. Use Creativity in Marketing

Share educational content about the real estate market, home buying/selling tips, and industry trends. Position yourself as a knowledgeable expert in your field by providing valuable information.

Your Listings

Use high-quality images and videos to showcase your properties. Incorporate storytelling techniques to make your property listings more engaging. Highlight unique features and selling points of each property.

3. Set Your Brand Determine what makes you stand out from other REALTORS®. Discover your selling points and unique traits. Create a brand that reflects your personality, expertise, and values, and give it a name that is memorable and aligns with who you are.

4. Enhance Your Profiles Make sure you’re using high-quality, high definition profile photos. Write a bio that highlights your real estate experience, areas of expertise, and any unique qualities that make you stand out. Include contact information and links to your website or other relevant platforms.

5. Connect With Your Peers Collaborate with other influencers or professionals in the real estate industry. Attend local events and network with other professionals in your community. Cross-promote with other REALTORS® or businesses in related industries.

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7. Provide Information and Value

8. Use and Create Hashtags Research and use relevant real estate hashtags to increase the discoverability of your posts.

Create a branded hashtag to encourage your audience to share their experiences with your services.

9. Stick to a Regular Posting Schedule Establish a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged. Use analytics tools to determine the best times to post for maximum visibility.

10. Be Yourself Showcase your personality and be authentic in your posts. Share your successes, challenges, and personal experiences to connect on a deeper level with your audience.

Remember, building a celebrity presence on social media takes time and dedication. Stay true to your brand, be patient, and adapt your strategy based on what resonates with your audience.

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MASTERING TALENT ACQUISITION IN REAL ESTATE The ability to draw in and keep exceptional agents forms the backbone of any thriving brokerage. The art of follow-up stands at the forefront of transforming potential interests 6

into concrete assets for our teams. Below, we delve into the strategic nuances of follow-up, showcasing its role as a critical differentiator in securing the industry’s best.

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• Fostering Memorable Connections: The initial meeting lays the groundwork, but it’s the diligent follow-up that cements a solid relationship. A personalized email or call after the first interaction not only reiterates the benefits of joining your team but also highlights your brokerage’s dedication to building meaningful connections.

• Showcasing Commitment to Agent Success: Continuous engagement post-meeting signals to prospective agents that your firm is invested in their career trajectory. This level of dedication showcases a supportive environment where agents’ growth and success are paramount.

In a landscape where elite agents are pursued by numerous firms, staying actively engaged through follow-up can keep your brokerage at the forefront of their minds. Highlighting your unique offerings and culture through consistent communication underscores why your firm is the ideal choice.

• Highlighting Paths for Professional Development:

• Clarifying Doubts and Building Confidence: Utilize follow-up interactions as a platform to address any hesitations or queries.

Engaging in open dialogue ensures that expectations and values are aligned, paving the way for a mutually beneficial partnership.

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• Ensuring Your Brokerage Stands Out:

Follow-up conversations are golden opportunities to outline the developmental prospects within your firm. Elaborating on mentorship programs, educational workshops, and career progression plans can tip the scales in your favor.

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• Elaborating on Brokerage Values and Culture: Post-meeting, candidates often seek deeper insights into your brokerage’s ethos and community. Follow-up communications are perfect for sharing success stories and the supportive network that defines your brokerage, aiding them in making an informed decision.

• Respecting Communication Styles: Recognizing and adapting to a candidate’s preferred method of communication tailors a more personalized and effective followup. This adaptability not only respects their preferences but also fosters a stronger rapport.

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• Smooth Transition to Onboarding: A strategic follow-up process seamlessly bridges candidates to the onboarding phase, setting a positive tone for their integration into your team. This smooth transition is crucial in cultivating a productive and harmonious work environment from the get-go.

In conclusion, the power of follow-up in recruiting real estate agents cannot be overstated. It is not merely a formality but a strategic and essential component of the recruitment journey. Brokers and agencies that prioritize effective and consistent follow-up demonstrate a commitment to their agents’ success and position themselves as attractive destinations for top-tier real estate talent. In a field where relationships are paramount, unlocking success often begins with the simple act of following up.

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HARVEY SPECTER

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Dr. Harvey Specter is a highly regarded individual focused on land and real estate assets, serving the Great Toronto Area, Durham, Peel, York, Simcoe, Grey County, Halton, and Hamilton Regions.

Dr. Harvey Specter holds his Ph.D. in urban and community planning, M.A.Scn in Urban Planning, and his Ba. Scn in Architectural Engineering, in addition to his L.L.B. With his extensive education and talent, Harvey has established himself as a successful figure in Canada’s land acquisition and proposition sector.

He entered into the real estate world as an auctioneer in 2016, actively working in land development. This path motivated him to secure his real estate license in 2018, and he became a broker in 2022.

While he was rendering his professional services to his developer and builder, providing extensive feasibility study services for development projects, Harvey’s ability to combine his professional service with the Canadian real estate industry and his extensive portfolio helped him transform into an authoritative figure in the land development industry. Indeed, 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

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Harvey is not a quitter, and today, he is working on his law degree equivalency accreditation to start his new professional chapter as a lawyer in the near future.

In 2023, Harvey was able to complete his professional designation as a land consultant from the “Realtor Land Institute,” and earn the Professional A.L.C. Designation. Harvey is a highly regarded individual focused on land and real estate assets, serving the Great Toronto Area, Durham, Peel, York, Simcoe, Grey County, Halton, and Hamilton Regions; the road to here sets Harvey apart, with about 85-90% of his customer volume gained from a river of client recommendations and real-time market credibility.

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He is now expanding his services to the United States and aims to obtain his license in Texas, U.S.A. His strongest trait and bright mindset in business and customer service might be differentiating his brand through a masterful touch. Harvey achieved the Million Dollar Producer award in 2021 from Sutton Group Admiral Realty Inc. Brokerage, and this success motivated him to author his Book “ HE EXPOSURE,” ISBN: 978-1-7778499-0-0, providing superior sales techniques that even helped him to achieve six figure income and can be found on his website.

The way Harvey consistently jigsaws this balance of personal craft and career

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The spirit of Harvey’s professionalism, enthusiasm, social instinct, and communication skills, which runs deep, is an essential element of his business success and a magnetic field to many consumers. has stood out, ensuring a stronger personification of the category. The spirit of Harvey’s professionalism, enthusiasm, social instinct, and communication skills, which runs deep, is an essential element of his business success and a magnetic field to many consumers.

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Harvey is a critical thinker and created various marketing strategies based on the highest and best-use approach, relying on his prepared extensive feasibility studies. His exclusive method is a roadmap to identify the right audience of investors or explore a land’s potential Top Agent Magazine

to obtain a listing, allowing direct communication with niche buyers due to his efforts.

To pay it forward to the world around him, Harvey is establishing his foundation, the “Harvey Specter Foundation,” which is devoted to fighting against human and child trafficking.

Let the endpoint of this article confirm that Harvey is a testament to what it means to be a visionary with an entrepreneurial spirit, transforming the real estate landscape of Toronto.

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Stay tuned for “The Realtor Stories,” a captivating podcast where real estate intelligence meets inspiring personal journeys. Hosted by the insightful Dr. Harvey Specter, this series is more than just a dialogue about property and sales.

It’s a window into the hearts and minds of the industry’s most successful real estate professionals. In each episode, Dr. Specter invites industry professionals to explain their stories, they don’t just share their trade secrets; they delve deep into their personal stories. How did they climb to the top? What challenges did they face, and how did they overcome them?

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To learn more about Dr. Harvey Specter, visit linktr.ee/Workwithharvey www.

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Millennial Buyers: Where They Are & What to Know Homebuyers and sellers come from all walks of life. If you’ve been an agent for long, you’ve likely worked alongside a wide variety of folks—from first-timer homeowners and down-sizers, to second home searchers and those finally hunting for their dream home. While there is hardly a shortage of diversity in the housing market, there Top Agent Magazine

is one generation that is making big strides in homeownership these days: Millennials.

Millennials can be loosely defined as those between the ages of twenty-two to thirtyseven. As you can see, this constitutes a wide swathe of the population. If you’re an agent who stands to learn a bit more about

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a demographic whose influence and homeownership goals are rapidly evolving, tune in below for a few pointers that can help you expand a segment of your clientele in the process.

Where do Millennials prefer to buy?

Many Millennials came of age during or immediately following the Great Recession, and as such, many of them relocated or returned to mid-size cities and smaller communities where the cost of living was most affordable. Of course, there are countless Millennials that call the U.S.’s major cities home—especially those in the

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tech industry. The good news is that you can court Millennial clientele no matter where you service area is located. That said, community amenities are of great importance to this generation. They value public transportation, green space, and entertainment—from coffee shops and topnotch restaurants to farmer’s markets and boutiques. Emphasizing those attributes will be key in selling to Millennials and locating neighborhoods they’re most interested in.

What sort of communication do Millennials prefer?

Most Millennials are digital natives, or close to. That means they grew up learning

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how to navigate digital spaces, and prefer to communicate through mediums like email, text, and social media. This isn’t to say that Millennials aren’t good communicators, but they’re often on the go, and have learned to research and shop online. To accommodate this, it’s best to build a presence across the most popular listing portals and social media platforms. Although, it’s not enough to establish a site and wait for the calls to come in. Responsiveness is a key factor for Millennials, who expect speedy response times. Make sure you’re checking your inbox frequently, responding accordingly, and engaging with your audience online. This will let Millennials know

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that you’re savvy, available, and understand the value of their preferred method of communication.

Are Millennials ready to buy?

It’s a common misconception that Millennials are uninterested in the rite of passage of purchasing a home. While Millennials maybe waiting a bit longer than their parents did to buy a home, there are good reasons to explain this phenomenon. For starters, Millennials entered the job market during the downturn, which means they are more conservative when making big purchases, and have to play catch-up to reach a sound

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financial position. Likewise, student loan debt has proved a major financial inhabitation for Millennials. Instead of socking away a few hundred a month to save for a home, they’re forking over that cash to pay down their educational loans. How does a Realtor compete with this reality? For starters, a bit of understanding goes a long way. Work with your mortgage partners to find financing possibilities that cater to this younger demographic. Recognize that Millennials—like most buyers—have some trepidations when buying a home.

Also consider fielding Millennial clientele with the long view in mind. You might be 18

courting them for months or more until they’re ready to take the plunge, but they’re also famous for their reviews. When a job is done well, Millennials shout it from the rooftops—or at least share it a dozen time from their phone.

As time passes, Millennials will continue to dominate the marketplace when it comes to buying and selling homes. A little self-education on this powerful demographic can go a long way. If you know your clients and your audience, you’ll be in a far better position to serve their interests and make a customer for life.

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Laughs!

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Playing the Real Estate Matchmaker –

Follow These 8 Dating Rules to Ensure You Match Your Client with the Perfect Home for Them When you think a bit more about it, the ultimate goal of a real estate agent serving a client is really to match them up with the perfect house for them, almost the way a matchmaker tries to find two people that will fit well together as a couple. When people are looking for a house, they often treat the process as a quest for “the one” house that will fulfill their dreams of living in the house of their dreams. Don’t be fooled. It is always a search for “the one”, at least when it comes to helping a couple or family find a home.

When you look at your client’s search for a home in this manner, then you might begin to notice some pretty obvious similarities

between shopping for a home today and online dating. In this day and age most people live a substantial part entire lives online. People socialize with their friends on Facebook, they meet potential friends in forums and online communities, and we now even search for our perfect mate online. Shopping for a home also happens to usually start online. When they begin this search, make no mistake; they are looking for the “one.” These people then turn to you, the REALTOR® to play matchmaker for them. It is your job to wade through the pool of eligible homes (bachelors) and sort through all the ones that are too expensive, too nerdy, not cute enough, not smart enough, etc. until you find the “one.”

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It makes sense then to consult the tried and true practices in matchmaking that help those professionals find the right people for each other, and see if any of them could also apply for matching your clients with their dream home. You’ll find that these 8 dating rules may just show you the secret to matching your clients with the perfect home.

back to the store if you’re not happy with your new home. It’s best to first help your client get prequalified. This is a tangible step that shows they are ready to move on to a new home. You want to make sure they are completely over their love affair with their previous home. You can even ask them for a sign or proof that they’re ready to move on.

Who Is In and Not In Your Client’s League? Know Your Client’s Price Range:

Be Genuine, Not Superficial

When a person is looking for a mate, it is a waste of time for them to even consider those potential mates that are clearly out of their league. These people won’t even stop to give them the time of day.

In the world of real estate the idea is the same. There is no point showing your clients houses that they can’t afford and will simply lust after without having any real chance of purchasing the house. It is your job to keep your client ground in reality, and help them be realistic in terms of price when choosing their next home.

When trying to manage the many pitfalls of online dating, on inevitably goes on a date where the other person looks nothing like their picture online. That can be just as big of a problem when looking for a house. When clients show you a particular house they want to visit, ask them to name something about the house that they like other than the aesthetics. This way you can see if they are simply infatuated with the way the house looks in those pictures, or if there is a deeper interest in the home that could become a deeper connection between your client and the house.

Never Let Your Client’s First Impression of a Home Rule Their Decisions

Make Sure Your Client is Ready to Move On From Their Last Dream Home You’re job is also to make sure that your client is truly ready to move on from their previous home. This is a long term commitment, and they need to be absolutely sure they actually want to buy a new house. You can’t simply take the receipt

When your client first sees a house they have already been lusting after in their mind, they’re often so excited to finally be looking at it, especially if it does in fact look as good as it did in the pictures.

Make sure to encourage them to take some time before making such a big com-

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mitment, and don’t let their excitement push them into making a rash decision. It is your job to keep them grounded in reality. Push for your clients to do an inspection to make sure the house isn’t hiding any dark secrets. Sometimes the most charming facade can hide tons of slime and deadly mold.

Follow Your Heart (or Gut) People often laugh at and ridicule the idea of love at first sight, but when it comes to homes, the phenomenon can certainly happen. Your client may just find their perfect dream home at the very first place you take them. If you have a client that does insist this is the case, then you don’t want to try and rationalize with them or talk them out of their decision. You do, however, want to make sure you are watching out for their interest and make sure your clients take all the necessary precautions before they jump in headfirst.

See What Other People See in The Home – Do They See What Your Client Sees?

Have you come to the conclusion that your clients are being blinded by all of the twinkling windows and crystal clear water glistening in the backyard pool, and can’t see that the house they’ve fallen in love with is really just a dirty animal (maybe a pig) dressed up in nice clothes and lipstick. Ask your client if they would be willing to look at the house again with

their close friends, family, and anyone else they trust for a second opinion there to see it with them. If the house really is a dud, they’ll be able to see past any personal bias your client might have to the truth. They will be able to help your client see through the shining facade

Celebrate the Happy Union!

When a couple gets married they tend to throw a big party and celebrate their union. The same goes for the closing.

Your clients have just essentially married the house of their dreams, and now it’s time to rejoice. Congratulate them on their new union. Show your support for their new homeowner status by going to their housewarming party.

Help Your Clients Maintain Their Dream Home & Ensure a Lifetime of Happiness You can’t just disappear after the transaction is finished. Become their realtor for life by showing your clients how to maintain their dream home. Act as their resource for other professionals they may need to maintain the house such as handymen, plumbers, electricians, etc. Show them how to keep up with home maintenance so they don’t ignore problems that surface and end up with a much larger issue than they started with. Help them make sure their dream home lasts so they can live happily ever after in their home for a lifetime.

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