by andrew | Oct 1, 2018 | Best Practice, BluePrint Of Success, Coaching, Don't Settle, Goal Setting, JPAR, Mindset For Success, Productivity, Real Estate, Success, Sucess Goals
The focus of my coaching is to help team leaders and agents just like you not just sell more but to learn how to think more like business owners, more like the CEO of your operations. So, you have a business that runs vs running you.
What’s the number one way to crush it in real estate? Build a scalable business and manage your time like a Jedi master. Earlier I wrote about a system that will produce 50 transactions a year, you might want to review that again.
One of the largest differences I see between agents that are CRUSHING IT and those that are inconsistent is that CRUSHERS are masters of time management and of creating scalable processes.
So how can you be more productive and stop doing the things that aren’t important, so you can focus more on money-making activities (MMA’s)? You see, we all know it is so easy to spend each day playing “whack a mole” and constantly going from one problem to the next. Or we can make another choice, and create systems, structure, and processes to minimize those problems from occurring, to begin with.
Getting systems and processes in place to handle your daily work lets you handle more volume where it matters and prevent the issues that spark the fires. Whether you’re a solo agent or the leader of a team, you need these. They are not optional — unless your goal is to be mediocre and spin your wheels every day. There are technologies to help automate things like customer relationship management (CRMs) and transaction management tools. Your online and digital marketing strategy can move you from frequent door-knocking to having leads coming to you. The client management side of your business can be simplified by creating productive methods and checklists ahead of time.
Utilize a system that helps you manage a large number of contacts without dropping the ball — that’s your CRM. Optimize platforms that allow you to generate leads without having to buy each one — that’s your marketing. Use tools to help ensure that your contracts and files are precise and correct every time — that’s your transaction management system. Build a strong team of players whose skills offset and augment your own, but never outsource your own core competency – which typically is becoming a hyper-local expert (the HUB of your area), prospecting, lead generation, appointment setting, and negotiation. Those that are crushing it don’t try to do everything yourself. Pay people to do the things that are important but that you’re not good at — e.g., errand runners, photographers, copywriters, transaction managers, graphic designers. Schedule time with each on a regular basis so you’re working with them proactively and not just when there’s a fire to put out.
I understand the challenge: You’re so busy running the daily tasks that you simply feel like you don’t have time to step away. No time to step away, no time to look at the big-picture things, if that is how you are feeling you might want to watch this. Here is what I know, if you block off one hour to focus on one thing that moves you off of the hamster wheel and onto the road, that hour will pay you back in multiples. An hour setting up workflows in your CRM will help keep your future deals on track. An hour writing a checklist for your photographer will save you time on every future listing. An hour training your assistant (transferring skills) to handle something that isn’t the best use of your time frees you up every time they handle that task from now on. You might want to look at the white paper we wrote on the value of your time… complete that exercise now.
Think about it, if you don’t block off time to systematically work toward running a scalable business, you will be chronically stuck in scramble mode. You’ll never feel caught up, you’ll never be able to see what’s possible for you outside the daily grind. A big difference between agents who shine and the ones who struggle are that the former is incredible at managing their time and staying focused on what really matters, and the latter isn’t.
We’re all limited to the same number of hours in a day. Let’s all use them wisely this week.
by andrew | Sep 26, 2018 | Appointment Setting, Best Practice, Don't Settle, Dreams, Goal Setting, Mindset For Success, Real Estate, Service, Success, Success From Scratch, Sucess Goals, Top Agent, Top Producer
Jason Todd, says helping veterans is one of the most rewarding parts of his real estate practice. He started his real estate practice after 15 years in retail management where he was working 80 hours weeks – including weekends and holidays. Today he has a great work, life balance and runs a successful team that is exceeding expectations on a daily basis.
Watch today’s episode to learn more about Todd’s fundamentals of success.
“Everybody needs to have a reason ‘Why’ they do it.”
– Jason Todd, JP and Associates REALTORS®
by andrew | Sep 24, 2018 | Best Practice, BluePrint Of Success, Don't Settle, Mindset For Success, No Regrets, Success, Sucess Goals
Last Friday’s Success Hot Line – 973.743.4690 – reminded me of what I already know: the 5 words that kill more dreams, more potential and more happiness than any other 5 words spoken: “I don’t feel like it.”
I’m not sure of your dream, yet I suspect for many of you it’s more financial freedom, better health, stronger relationships and more connectedness with your community. Yet let’s face it, so many times when you are about to start something toward those dreams the onslaught of excuses flood your mind like water gushing out of a broken pipe. The theme of these excuses always traces back to the same root… “I don’t feel like it.”
How many times have you said, “I don’t feel like it?” How many times have you listened to that thought, allowing it to alter the course of your actions? What if you could make a different choice?
Here is what I know, “I don’t feel like it” is the universal human condition that silently kills dreams. Yet you and I don’t have to accept this dream killer. We can all overcome the feeling and move powerfully towards our goals and dreams. It starts with intention… the intention to live on your terms not the terms of your moods and feelings.
Next time you say to yourself “I don’t feel like it,” consider this 4-step guide to snap out of that feeling and make a choice for action.
Step 1: Put Your Body In Motion
Emotion is created by motion. In other words, emotions are linked to movement in our bodies. Think about it… observe your posture when you are slouching, or happy, as opposed to when you are sad. Or what you look like when you are angry, versus when you are elated. Our mothers were correct, proper posture means more than just looking good.
Try this little experiment, right now: stand up smile and raise your hands above your head and say, “yes, yes, yes!” Did your mood change? When you are low on energy, I’ve found movement, any type of movement… getting the body in motion helps. Walk around your office building, if you’re sitting stand up, rub your hands together rapidly. Movement and breathing can change your energy level quickly.
Step 2: Hydrate More
Dehydration is one of the most common preventable medical conditions in the world, and yet it affects millions. For something so common, most of us are unaware of its dangers.
CBS reports nearly 75% of us simply don’t drink enough water. 10 cups per day is prescribed by the institute of medicine. When you function daily in a chronic and persistent state of dehydration you lose focus, you lose energy, you lose your attention span and you increase irritability quotient. Simply drink more water.
Step 3: Accept Your Emotional Level Then Redirect
Whatever you are feeling, give yourself permission to feel that way. Instead of denying the reality of your feelings acknowledge them. Consider sitting with them for a moment and then make an active decision to regroup. What’s that famous quote? “You can’t stop the birds from flying around your head, yet you can stop them from making a nest.”
Accept, reflect then redirect.
Step 4: Take Action Towards Your Intention
Instead of listening to “I don’t feel like it” now you are in a position to take a different action. To overcome your feelings and move towards your dreams. In business and in life, you state your goals and plot your course for reaching them. However, there will be many days when you don’t feel like doing the work, yet go ahead and do it anyway … “feeling like it” is not a pre-requisite.
Final thought… who’s in charge, you or your feelings of “I don’t feel like it?”
#WinTheDay #RIPCDJ
by andrew | Sep 19, 2018 | Appointment Setting, Best Practice, JPAR, Success, Success From Scratch, Sucess Goals, Top Agent, Top Producer
Lee Idom from JPAR Austin is our guest on today’s edition of “Success From Scratch.”
A serial entrepreneur, Lee focuses on being a hyper-local expert, positive relationships and delivering on the promises he makes. He is well on his way to serving 40 consumers buy, sell or invest in real estate this year.
Lee had a breakthrough, he learned to focus on his true market. Once he switched his focus his whole business changed from doing a few sales to nearly 40 sales per year.
Being consistently persistent is Lee’s mantra, learn more from Lee by watching now.
“Be consistently persistent, do the things that are working and do the same thing over and over again.”
– Lee Idom, JP and Associates REALTORS®
by andrew | Sep 17, 2018 | Don't Settle, Goal Setting, Life On The Wire, Mindset For Success, No Regrets, Stress, Success
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get stuck. When you get stuck what do you do? Here’s one idea… to consider:
What will you regret more… doing it or not doing it? Asking yourself this question cuts through the fears, the pros and cons and all that other stuff that clogs the decision-making process. Asking this question can get you out of your head and into your heart, revealing what you truly want. And once you know that, the details sort themselves out. Any testimonials?
Research shows that more people regret things they didn’t do than the things they did, even if things they did turned out badly. After all, with time and effort, you can fix almost any mistake… yet you can’t go back and do the things you dreamed of doing but didn’t. That means you can only think about how today would be different if you had only taken action.
Take a moment and write down that decision you’ve been procrastinating about… the one thing you’ve been thinking about, the one thing you’ve been getting ready to get ready. And ask yourself, “what will I regret more… doing it or not doing it?”
Research shows, we most regret thinking we didn’t reach our full potential. We most regret not becoming the person we feel we could have become…if we only had tried.
I suspect this is the case because it is the one mistake you can never go back and fix.
Yet it is the one mistake we all can stop making today.
Think about this… it’s easy to imagine that superstars in their fields were just born better equipped than the rest of us. When a co-worker loses 20 pounds, or a friend runs a marathon while completing a huge project at work, we assume they have more grit, more willpower, more innate talent, and above all, more motivation to see their goals through.
Yet that’s not actually true. Inc.com columnist Jeff Haden proves “motivation” as we know it is a myth. Motivation isn’t the special sauce that we require at the beginning of any major change. In fact, motivation is a result of the process, not a cause. Understanding this will change the way you approach any obstacle or a big goal.
Read more about it here, The Motivation Myth
What will you regret more… doing it or not doing it?
#WinTheDay
by andrew | Sep 13, 2018 | Best Practice, BluePrint Of Success, Goal Setting, Mindset For Success, Success, Success From Scratch, Sucess Goals, Top Agent, Top Producer
Real estate has always been a huge part of Daniella Marnelli’s life. It was her first career, and it remains her calling today. She is also a wife and mother, and balancing it all can be a juggling act. But, Daniella shares the secrets behind her schedule and behind her success–in all her callings.
“Never stop prospecting, there’s no limit in this business, the only limit is yourself.”
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– Daniella Marnelli , JP and Associates REALTORS®
by andrew | Sep 10, 2018 | In The News, JPAR, JPAR News, What's New
The RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange was the home of 225 of the most powerful and successful real estate leaders who hail from franchise brands and independent real estate firms from across the nation. These leaders came together on September 5 & 6 at the Harvard Club in New York City to exchange ideas and strategies to better meet the needs of today’s sophisticated consumer. Designed specifically for a select group of broker/owners, brand executives and real estate service leaders, RISMedia’s CEO Exchange is by exclusive invitation only.
Read more…
by andrew | Sep 10, 2018 | In The News, JPAR, JPAR News, What's New
Felicia Johnson has been named as Relocation Director for JP & Associates REALTORS®.
Felicia has been involved in the real estate industry for over 20 years. While finishing her Bachelor of Science degree in Information systems she worked for a real estate broker who managed REO properties for US Dept Housing and Urban Development. During that time she got to see how many layers of opportunity there is in the business of Real Estate. After a year in a cubicle in corporate America, Felicia decided to move on and get her real estate license which has transformed into years of loving the business. With the Dallas Fort Worth metro area being one of the top corporate hubs in the nation, Felicia became very involved in the corporate relocation side of Real Estate and loves the opportunity to help families moving to the area.
Read more…
by andrew | Sep 10, 2018 | Appointment Setting, Best Practice, BluePrint Of Success, Priorities and My Time, Productivity
There are 80 working days left in 2018. Depending on how many days you work, how many holidays you celebrate and so on, you have about 80 days to wrap up 2018. 80 days…
How do you want your bank account to look like on January 1st of 2019? Do you want a bigger bank account or a smaller one? I suspect a bigger one… so let’s get to work.
Whatever your goal is, NOW is the time to make that happen. The next 45 to 55 days will be critical for setting yourself up for strong close to 2018 and a fast start to 2019. What you do in the next few days and weeks will determine the size of your bank account on January 1.
Let’s face there are two types of agents today… hobbyists and CEO’s. This blog is not intended for part-time agents or those that work real estate sales as a hobby. For those of you that run your business like a business, those of you that know your daily number and know what it takes to generate one sale… this article is for you.
How many families or investors do you want to serve between now and the end of the year?
How many contacts do you need to make to drive that number? One rule of thumb is 40 to 1.
What systems do you have in place to create the result you desire?
Write down the number of sales you’ve made so far this year.
Write down the source of those sales.
This is your system… a system will produce what a system will produce, nothing less nothing more. If your system is not producing the expected result, it’s time to update your system.
A couple of things to consider
- Decide Now. Decide now how many days you will work, how many days you will be off and how many “flex days” you’ll have between now and the end of the year. Decide if you will create an investor campaign to take advantage of year-end investment buyers. And, decide now how many listings you will earn between now and the end of the year.
- Diversify your lead generation sources. Too many of you rely on ONE maybe TWO lead sources. 4 to 6 sources of business is a minimum standard. Don’t add them all at once, start with one get it working and stable then add another until you reach 4 to 6 sources. In any market, more lead sources will serve you better than fewer lead sources. Relying on 100% of your business with one lead source in a shifting market is a formula for disaster.
- Up your CRM game. At JPAR you have a world class CRM kvCORE as part of our base package. You also have Top Producer and Commissions Inc. at a preferred rate. So, there is no excuse for not having your CRM update date and working for you.
- Delegate. Is it time to find some help? An office or virtual assistant. Your highest and best use is prospecting.; lead generation; going to appointments, and negotiating contracts. Everything else can be delegated. Scared? Get resourceful, many new agents I know are sharing a fractional assistant to split cost yet keep them fully employed.
- Target Market Clarity? Any market rewards the hyperlocal expert. Are you an expert in a community? Are you an expert in a profession like Nurses, FBI agents, CPA’s? It’s probably time to expand your targets and diversify.
- Real Estate Play Book. Complete our JPAR real estate playbook ASAP. It is full of practical ideas you can execute immediately.
So, I’ll leave you today with three more things:
1. Cash… cash is king. Are you building your cash reserves? Reducing bad debt? Investing in marketing? (Hint: You can do all 3.)
2. Knowing what you know now, what immediate adjustments do you need to make?
3. Have you started a small weekly accountability group with like-minded, goal-oriented CEO’s like yourself? If not, what are you waiting for?
#WinTheDay
by andrew | Sep 6, 2018 | Appointment Setting, Best Practice, BluePrint Of Success, JPAR, Real Estate, Success, Success From Scratch, Sucess Goals, Top Agent, Top Producer
Melissa Horton shares her real estate journey with us on today’s episode of “Success from Scratch.” “Fear was producing excuses everyday,” she says. Fear held her back and put her business into paralysis. It was her decision to “take action” that launched her career. Watch this week’s episode for her full story!
” Do not focus on the income, success is measured in 3 ways: contentment on both sides after the deal, my client will see me as a friend, doing the right thing without compromising my own character.”
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– Melissa Horton, JP and Associates REALTORS®
