6.2 Be Realtor Ready

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however, all of these professionals had true compassion for their clients and approached the presentations as helping someone.

During this engagement, we were all “working” in a resort, near Fort Lauderdale. The mornings were spent talking with clients and walking around a golf resort.

The afternoons? Well, it was Fort Lauderdale, and on that white sand beach are amazing beachfront restaurants, entertainment options, and for me, kite surfi ng! I spent many, many afternoons skimming across the water kite looping upward and downward in a fi gure eight pattern. I loved the exhilarating moments in the sun followed by wicked splashdowns tumbling into the crystal-clear blue water—after which I surfaced, coughing and spitting water, only to pull myself together and take off again.

The evenings we would meet and dine and drink on that beautiful beach vacation spot. This is living and working on a permanent vacation. It’s waiting for anyone with the discipline to learn the VRP business.

6.2 Be Realtor Ready

We all feel that we are blessed or have worked with certain innate talent and learned skills. We also all feel that we have good sense of

WEALTH AS A VACATION

judgment. However, this is your business, and as a business person, you need to utilize experts. The process of purchasing a property, particularly a VRP, is fi lled with micro-skills that can trip you up. Coming from the inside of the development business, one of the best pieces of advice I can give is PURCHASE. DON’T BE SOLD! Your realtor can assist with this, but ultimately it is up to you to employ tactics that protect your business.

I’d like to give you a few notes about the salespeople you will encounter at sales centers of the VRP home communities. There are sales professionals working for the developer who can honestly and expertly showcase their property opportunities and provide wonderful customer care. These pros are in the business of what they can do “for” the client, not what they can do “to” the client. As in all businesses, there are also inept and idiotic “heat merchant” sales people who will say anything, or use every off ensive and insulting tactic out there to goad you into purchasing. They will high pressure “sell” you, using the takeaway: “We have sold out other phases in months” they will tell you. Or, “We only have a few homes left. They are selling fast,” or other irrelevant jabbering.

These are the sales people who sacrifi ce product and industry knowledge for pressure. They consider themselves, and proclaim they are “closers” and are kept around the sales offi ce just to bolster numbers, no other reason. If you encounter such a sales dog, just walk away. Go back to the sales offi ce and ask for another sales person. Or possibly, inform the developer that you will not buy his product because of tactics utilized by this sales person.

Don’t be easy. Don’t listen to anything. Do all of your own assessment.

When you walk into that sales center and you’re given the person who happens to be in rotation, the fi rst thing I want to know is, “Who am I speaking with?” It only costs you $19.95 to do a background check. Got their name, fi nd out where they live, and go to Truthfi nders and pull one on them.

They’re selling you something. They’re selling you something

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worth $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, a million dollars. You’re spending a lot of money based upon the time they spend with you, so you’ll want to know who they are.

Go to that sales center and ask for the names of three salespersons. Then, research those three. Find the one who doesn’t have any red fl ags. Do due diligence on the person selling to you, then go back in and ask specifi cally for that sales person. That’s the fi rst step because criminals—conmen—can be attracted to sales, and they’re very, very good. They’re the guys who will take you out there on the fringe because the manager put a special bonus on that iff y street, and they’ll sell you that property. Someone with integrity would not. That’s a big diff erence.

Salespeople with integrity make more money than the conmen, yet these guys still exist. So again, the very fi rst step is you need to know who’s selling to you, and don’t be afraid to ask.

Once you’ve established this information, everything gets easier because you can have a little bit of trust with the person you’re working with now. You feel a little more confi dent and comfortable when it comes to asking the right questions. They will pace themselves with you; they won’t try to run you over. And they will make sure that you have everything you need. They’re not afraid to let you go and walk away that day because they’ve created a relationship with you that is long term.

I’ve got people who bought from me two years after we fi rst met because I stayed in touch with them. They weren’t ready when we met. And if I would have tried to rush them, I wouldn’t have a relationship with them. The reason I can reach out to people regardless of where I go and have buyers immediately or referrals immediately is because of the relationships that I’ve created with people over time. That’s what I teach sales people.

The second piece is this: During that property tour, ask as many questions as you can. Put their feet to the fi re, press them, and press them, and press them, and watch how they react—not just what they say but how they react.

WEALTH AS A VACATION

I wouldn’t ever have anybody buy anything within a month. Even if I loved a particular property and they told me it’s going to go fast, okay. It goes fast then, because I’m not going to make a decision on a purchase this large that fast. If I miss out, I miss out.

Instead of rushing, schedule a meeting with the salesperson in 30 days. Watch their reaction. The ones with integrity will say, “That’s very wise; I support that; I’ll keep in touch with you to let you know what’s going on; I will tell you if it sells.” That’s just a courtesy.

The buying process should never be urgent. Never allow a salesperson to push you into making that decision.

Also, if you get yourself a really good strong realtor, then they step in the middle of the process and advocate for you. They are positioned in the middle. They’re a transaction broker, and that’s what you want. You don’t have to pay them but they’re bound by a transaction broker’s status, which means they have to advocate for you. And they won’t let these people push them. They’ll tell you, “I’ve been in this offi ce. I know who to get and I know who not to.” That’s excellent.

Your realtor could, and should, protect you. This is one of the MANY things a good Realtor on your team will do for you. Other benefi ts, according to Realtor.com, include the following:

1. They have expertise. Real estate has its own language, full of acronyms and jargon, and a realtor is trained to speak that language fl uently. In addition, buying or selling a home usually requires dozens of forms, reports, disclosures, and other technical documents. Realtors have the expertise to help you prepare a good deal while avoiding delays or costly mistakes. Today’s purchase agreements run ten pages or more.

2. They have additional searching power. Yes, you can fi nd upto-date home listings on your own. But Realtors have access to more listings. Sometimes properties are available but not actively advertised. Plus, a good local Realtor is going to know the search area better than you ever could.

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3. They have negotiating skills. You can expect competition, cutthroat tactics, all-cash off ers, and sometimes even bidding wars. It helps to have a savvy and professional negotiator on your side to seal the best deal for you.

Top producing agents negotiate well because they can remove themselves from the emotional aspects of the transaction. Good agents are not messengers; they are professionals who are trained to present your off er in the best light and agree to hold client information confi dential from competing interests.

4. They are connected. Realtors get to know the people in a particular area who can help in the process of buying or selling a home. Mortgage brokers, real estate attorneys, home inspectors, home stagers, interior designers will be in your realtor’s network. They know which vendors have a reputation for effi ciency, competency, and competitive pricing. They can give you a list of references with whom they have worked and provide background information to help you make a wise selection.

5. They adhere to a strict code of ethics. A realtor is a licensed real estate salesperson who belongs to the National Association of Realtors®, the largest trade group in the country, and as such, follows a code of standards set by the group.

6. They are your researcher and your adviser. For example, realtors research comps to make sure you’re getting the best deal. You may know that a home down the street was on the market for $450,000. An agent will know it sold at $370,000 after 180 days on the market.

7. They save you time and future headaches. Even transactions that close without complications can come back to haunt you in the future. Many questions can pop up that were overlooked in the excitement of closing. Good agents stand by ready to assist and can prevent problems in the fi rst place.