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WASHINGTON EDITION

6 Things You Need to Do to BE A GREAT MENTOR

3 Mind–Bending Philosophies to

EXPAND YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Why Millennials Are Now

PLAYING THE REAL ESTATE MATCHMAKER

THE HOTTEST SEGMENT OF THE BUYERS MARKET

FEATURED AGENTS

SHAUNNA LARSON COVER STORY

KEVIN BROVELEIT

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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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KEVIN BROVELEIT Top Agent Magazine

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Top Agent Kevin Broveleit is the proud owner of West Seattle Realty, a tight-knit office with a team of five dedicated professionals who work as individual agents.

Introducing Kevin Broveleit, a remarkable agent with a fascinating journey into the world of real estate. After facing adversity in his career, Kevin found his true calling as a real estate Broker. “I got started 20 years ago,” he recalls, “I was in between careers, working in technology specific to 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

the airline industry when 9/11 happened, and the dot-com bubble burst at the same time.” Following this tumultuous period, Kevin moved to Seattle and, inspired by his wife’s encouragement, decided to pursue his dream job in real estate. Today, Kevin is the proud owner of West Seattle Realty, Top Agent Magazine

a tight-knit office with a team of five dedicated professionals who work as individual agents.

Serving the vibrant and unique West Seattle area, Kevin loves his neighborhood. “It’s a huge peninsula across the bay from downtown Seattle,” he explains. West Seattle boasts a strong sense of community and a distinct identity. The area is known for its beaches and charming old-style downtown, filled with small businesses. “Even though we’re just a short five-mile commute to the downtown core, it feels like you’re somewhere else,” he says. Among the remarkable businesses in the area,

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Kevin highlights a family-owned Italian restaurant on the beach named La Rustica, Good Society Brewery, which won the Best Small Brewery in the United States at the Great American Beer Awards, and Bakery Nouveau, an amazing French bakery.

Kevin’s deep connection to his community is one of the key factors that sets him apart as a real estate agent. “Almost all of our clients come to us from other clients,” he says, highlighting the importance of wordof-mouth in his business. The agents in his office, including Kevin himself, are longtime residents with strong roots in the area, actively participating in various community

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Kevin and his team at West Seattle Realty can offer a level of personalized attention and local knowledge that larger corporate firms may not be able to match, making a meaningful difference to their clients. initiatives. Kevin is involved in the local PTAs as well as a community advocacy group focused on infrastructure repair.

Walk events and offering their space to nonprofits, Kevin and his team demonstrate their genuine commitment to the community.

The office he runs is designed not only as a workspace but also as a community hub, welcoming locals for various events and meetings. By hosting neighborhood Art

When it comes to marketing his listings, Kevin emphasizes the importance of leveraging local resources and providing a personalized touch. “We have an incredible

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community resource called the West Seattle Blog,” he shares, explaining that the neighborhood blog is a go-to source for local news and events. As longtime sponsors and supporters, Kevin and his team advertise their listings on the blog to reach potential buyers in the area. In addition to the blog, Kevin’s team has a fully independent website where they can showcase their listings exactly as they want.

With a strong background in technology and real estate, Kevin is committed to maintaining a hyperlocal focus for the

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future of his business. Drawing from his experience in larger corporate real estate companies, he realized the value of being a local expert to better serve clients with customized needs. As he puts it, “If the three rules of real estate are ‘Location, Location, Location’, then your broker better be a local expert”. By embracing this philosophy, Kevin and his team at West Seattle Realty can offer a level of personalized attention and local knowledge that larger corporate firms may not be able to match, making a meaningful difference to their clients.

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For more information about Kevin Broveleit, call 206-218-5511 or email kevin@re206.com

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Why Millennials Are Now the Hottest Segment of the Buyers Market

and How You Can Attract Them to Your Home There are many factors when it comes to knowing how to sell your home to the Millennial generation. Millennials are becoming an important part of the buyer market, and to fail to cater to their needs will cut you off from a large and important segment. But, why have Millennials all of a sudden become interested in buying houses when they were perfectly content to rent for the rest of their lives?

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A number of factors contribute to what has recently made Millennials the hottest segment of the Buyers market. One factor is the improved job outlook for Millennials. Millennials took a serious blow during the recession.

Unemployment in this group soared to 14 percent, compared to the 9.6 percent for the population as a whole. But, in recent years that number has been decreasing, with unemployment for Millennials being 9.3 percent this past year.

Rising rents are also contributing to making Millennials more interested in purchasing homes now. Rents have risen so much that buying a home now just makes more sense. Half of all renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Millennials are becoming increasingly stressed over the constantly increasing financial obligation to something that isn’t even theirs to own.

The near-historic low mortgage rates are luring Millennials towards purchasing a home with their promise of affordability. When compared with the skyrocketing rental rates, buying a house looks even more enticing.

Another factor helping Millennials get over the hump of purchasing a house is the lower down payment requirements. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now offering new loan programs that require as little as a 3 percent down payment. This may just be the last push the Millennials needed to turn toward buying a home rather than rent.

So, now that we’ve established that Millennials are finally joining the Buyers market, the next thing that it is important to understand is what exactly Millennials are looking for in a home. What kind of floorplans do they prefer? What locations are they interested in? Here are some of the essentials that Millennials are looking for in a home: • Updated Kitchens and Baths: Almost everyone wants to buy a

home with new kitchen and bath fixtures, but this is especially true for Millennials Buyers. Millennials are going to spend most of their savings on the down payment and furnishings, leaving little room to update the Kitchen and Bath, which are also the most expensive parts of a home to

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update. Millennials who are on a budget simply won’t have the money to sink into those areas. An updated Kitchen and Bath is sure to bring in a younger crowd.

• Big Kitchen with Open Floor Plan: For Millennials, the kitchen has

become the room where they hangout in addition to the family room. This is why having an open space that can transition easily from the kitchen to the TV room is high on the list of things Millennials are looking for in a home. Along a similar vein, Millennials are attracted to an open floor plan rather than one that compartmentalizes the home. This has to do with how Millennials entertain. Millennials want their guests to flow through the rooms and mingle together, rather than be sectioned off in different rooms.

• Home Office: More than 13 million Americans now work from home,

and if you look at the trend, that number is only going to increase as the time goes on. With technology steadily increasing, more Millennials than ever have the flexibility to work from home. But, the home office isn’t just for someone working from home full time. Having a separate space dedicated to work helps people concentrate and focus on work while they are at home. They can separate themselves from the activities going on around the house and have a quiet space where they can set up their workday, plan a presentation, hold a meeting on Skype, or even pay bills.

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• Less Maintenance: Many Millennials work different schedules that

don’t conform to the 9 to 5 workday, as well as full social calendars. This doesn’t leave them much time to clean a big house. Lawn services and low-maintenance front yards are particularly appealing, as they take less responsibility to still keep the curb appeal high.

• Energy-Efficient Appliances: Millennials have been educated on

keeping the Earth clean from the time they were born. They want to do their part to help the environment and appreciate the long-term cost savings that come with it. Energy-efficient appliances and greener ways to heat and cool the home might end up being the tipping point that makes them choose one house over another.

• Hardwood Floors: Millennials don’t have the time or patience to clean

dirty carpets, especially those that own pets. Hardwood and laminate flooring is easy to mop up if there’s been a mess. The more time they can conserve, the better.

• Good Location: Millennial buyers are looking for homes that are in

proximity to public transportation and have a good walking score. Young Millennial buyers without children are more likely to want a location closer to the action of the city, while Millennials with children would prefer more residential areas.

• Technology: Technology rules the Millennial’s life. They do work on

their computers through an Internet connection and solely use cellphones for communication. They are going to ask about how strong the cell service is and about the Internet service provider. While these amenities are out of the seller’s hands, Millennials are still going to ask these questions, and you will need to know how to answer them.

Knowing what Millennials are looking for in a home will ultimately help you make the necessary changes that will attract these buyers to your home.

Since they are the a serious segment of the market now, updating your home to fit their needs will lead to more buyers and better offers. So, get with the times and embrace the Millennial buyer.

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SHAUNNA LARSON For Shaunna Larson, real estate was a longtime interest that developed into a passion. “My aunt established the firm where I’m the designated broker, and she’s been a REALTOR® all her life,” Shaunna says.

“That’s where the seed was planted when I was a young girl.” Shaunna got her start in the business while living in Arizona where she attended school for real estate in 2001, then continued after moving back to Wenatchee, where she was born and raised. The rest is history, and Shaunna draws on two decades of experience to help her clients reach their real estate goals.

Shaunna serves the greater Wenatchee Valley in Washington, including Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, and the surrounding area, encompassing a population of about 100,000. “I like to work closely in the area that I know so well,” Shaunna says. “Wenatchee is beautiful, with the Columbia and Wenatchee Rivers flowing through the middle of the valleys. From snow skiing to water skiing, any outdoor recreation you’d ever dream of can be found here. Wenatchee has become a tourist destination, and we’ve also had a large influx of people discovering the area during the pandemic. It’s a very special place, and I’m lucky to have been born and raised here.”

An impressive 75% of Shaunna’s business comes from repeat and referral clients, and it’s easy to see what keeps people coming back. “I do everything very professionally, and I don’t cut any corners,” Shaunna explains. “I work very hard, and I’m always honest with my clients. Of course, my clients always come first but in an ideal transaction, everybody feels like they’ve won. I want not only my client, but the other agent and their client to be happy as well. I always try to go above and beyond, do my very best, and provide a professional service.” As a result, Shaunna builds longstanding relationships, and many of her clients become her friends.

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That same professionalism and work ethic shines through when it comes to the way Shaunna markets her listings. “What sets me apart is how clean and professional my listings are,” Shaunna says. “When they go on the MLS, I make sure they have the perfect language and photos to draw in potential buyers.”

Shaunna likes to give back to her community, serving on the board of the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society and doing community service days with her office. She is also involved with her local REALTORS® association. When she’s not working, Shaunna enjoys hanging out with her husband and their dogs, trail running, snowboarding, camping, mountain biking, as well as spending time with her nieces and nephews.

Looking toward the future, Shaunna says, “I plan to keep on doing what I do, keeping it professional, keeping up with technology, and working hard. That’s served me very well over the years, and that’s what I plan to continue doing. I love working with people. It’s fun to see somebody get into the home that they love, or sell their house and move on to the next phase of life.”

To find out more about Shaunna Larson, reach her at (509) 860-5040 or Shaunna@LauraMounter.com.

Find her online at WenatcheeLand.com www.

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6 Things You Need to Do to Be a Great Mentor

Everyone reaches the point in their career where they feel they have gained enough experience and wisdom about business and what it takes to succeed, to actually help someone else achieve the same. Although you may have trained or given advice over the years, taking on the official status as a mentor to someone is a whole new ball game.

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Although mentorship is an unpaid endeavor, you’ll be surprised to find out how much you’ll gain from the experience. You’ll also grow as a business person through the process of teaching someone else. It’s also an endeavor that many will pay forward one day, creating a business atmosphere that is based more on mutual success than competition, which is better for everyone.

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If you were mentored, you may already have an idea of what it entails, and what you liked or didn’t like in your mentor/mentee relationship. Although it is a personal relationship that will need an individual approach, there are certain things that are key when it comes to being a great mentor: 1. Be a good listener

est about your own failures. It can be a huge relief to find out someone they look up to has gone through similar experiences and still managed to come out on top. As we all know, oftentimes the greatest lessons come from failures, which can be times when our character is truly tested. Building trust through mutual respect and honesty will make every aspect of your mentorship more effective.

You’re basically a sounding board who needs to hear your mentee’s ideas, plans and goals in order to advise them. Strong, constant and clear communication is key to any successful mentoring relationship.

Sometimes just letting them talk things out with you, will lead to them to discovering the solution they were looking for.

2. Set expectations and goals at the start When listening to your mentee in your first meeting about the potential relationship, it’s important to establish the parameters of what that relationship will be: What can you give them? What do they need or expect from you? Once the terms are agreed upon, you may want to set specific goals you’ll be working on together so that there’s a defined plan of action, timeline and result you can both expect.

3. Be honest This is important when it comes to offering them constructive criticism or tough love, but more importantly, you need to be hon20

4. Get them to think, don’t make decisions for them Sometimes being a mentor is being a bit like a psychologist. By asking certain ques-

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tions you can lead your mentee to their own conclusions about their business dilemmas and strategies to reach their goals. Being a mentor is all about guidance. Build confidence by drawing out the best in your mentee rather than just presenting them with solutions.

5. Look at the situation objectively One of the key strengths you offer your mentee is a complete emotional detachment to their business. You have no sentimental attachment to doing things a certain way or working with an incompetent vendor because you ‘go way back’. Your only motive is what’s best for your mentee and their business. Although emotions cans still get in the way sometimes, having a detached perspective on hand to guide you is invaluable.

6. Don’t just offer constructive criticism, be supportive Yes, being a mentor is sometimes advising your mentee that he’s doing something ineffectively, but your main purpose is to alway approach everything like cheerleader.

You need to let them know that through it Top Agent Magazine

all, you are a reliable support to them and have a complete belief in their abilities.

Make sure to always praise their accomplishments.

Remember: your job as a mentor is more about guidance than constant feedback.

Your goal is to help someone become the best they can be, not someone who just does everything the way you do it. You’re helping them build confidence in their own intuition, which will hopefully lead to a lifetime of success, and one day, they too might be a valuable resource to another mentee down the road.

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3 Mind-Bending Philosophies to Expand Your Professional Perspective

Beyond the day-to-day duties that make your business tick, so much of success is derived from the principles you put in place to guide your business. The foundational tenets you subscribe to can make or break your business for the long-term; they not only influence how you complete routine 22

tasks, but also impact your growth, your ability to manage a team, and what the future might hold. With all that in mind, here are three philosophies to remember as you strategize your professional life—whether you’re mapping your monthly goals or creating an overarching plan for growth.

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1

Treat Your Business Like a Business

One of the perks of working in real estate is that you’re often able to create and manage your own schedule and volume, but that doesn’t mean you can skimp on the technical details of being your own boss.

No real estate professional worth his or her salt would forgo empowering tools like a business and marketing plan, or spreadsheets to track cash flow and expenses, or regular profit-and-loss statements, or fiscal year budgets and projections. Taking these measures may appear daunting at first— and completing them will certainly require discipline and a learning curve—but harnessing valuable data and information can intelligently inform your professional decisions, strategies, and long-term growth.

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Achieve a Holistic Understanding

When schedules are busy, it sometimes feels like enough to reach the end of the week’s to-do list. But, if you’re planning on a lasting career built on year-to-year growth, it’s not enough to account for the short-term.

By creating daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and five-year goals, you’re outlining and quantifying your progress.

While your quarterly and yearly goals may be clear in your mind, what about five years from now? Perhaps you’d like to add to your designations, or incorporate a new team member, or add an additional branch.

No matter how you envision your profesTop Agent Magazine

sional future, the first order of business is to create a timeline. Once you have a clear deadline in mind, it’s far easier to build out the steps and calendar necessary to achieve your goals.

3 Specificity is Empowering While you may have a general sense of where you’d like to see your business go in the next few months or years, it’s hard to work toward or attain a goal that’s abstract.

To make the most of your time and efforts, you must identify and understand precisely what you’re aiming toward. For instance, instead of planning to add volume to your enterprise, outline a specific, attainable number to work toward. Or, if you’d like to add an administrative staff in the years to come, consider the details of this decision—the money it would take, the type of people you’d want to hire, how many hours per week they’d work, what tasks they would complete, etc. Adding hard details to your goals not only makes them more realistic, but progress is more easily made when you have specific items you can cross off your to-do list along the way.

While there are no 100% fool-proof or guaranteed routes to success, shifting your mindset from the present and the abstract, to the specific and the long-term can have a major impact on your chances of success.

Instead of dreaming of being more productive or successful, do yourself a favor and craft a gameplan you can bank on.

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