eBestAgent

Last year one in four adults read no books at all in the past year. Read this article, “One in four read no books last year” by the Washington Post.

Nearly a third of men and a quarter of women fit that category. They tend to be older, less educated, lower income, minorities, from rural areas and less religious.

The survey reveals a nation whose book readers, on the whole, can hardly be called ravenous. The typical person claimed to have read four books in the last year _ half read more and half read fewer. Excluding those who hadn’t read any, the usual number read was seven.I’ve read similar report that the average American reads less than 4 books after formal education. That’s truly surprising statistic.

All my successful clients’ homes and homes that valued more than average priced homes ($750,000 in Southern CA) contained a library. I’ve noticed while working as a real estate agent.  Did the owners just suddenly decide to put a library or start it years ago?

It’s very obvious that they started that library many years ago. They read good books to improve their skills, expand their thinking, define their character, and impact their life.

Average book price is $26.81 based on the publisher’s retail price. Pay $26 for someone else’s years of knowledge, hard work and experience. That’s cheap compare to what you can get out of it.

I strongly believe that everyone has equal chance to become successful. You have the seeds of greatness inside you. The education investment you make in yourself is the fertilizer and water. If you’re always willing to learn, your success is assured. It’s time to unplug TV and read more books.

Technorati Tags: Value of Books, book investment, successful tips

Master your paperwork including listing agreements, sales contracts and other WinForms.

You need to practice completing all the necessary paperwork and contracts. This should be the mandatory training provided by your firm. But you must become a master of all the forms. Nothing worse than fumbling through contracts in front of your clients. You must handle all contracts like a professional.

1. Find a partner: Work with other new agents and start asking different questions that may arise during meeting with clients. You can prepare to answer the questions by pointing to exact paragraph or line.
2. Review all the paperwork, study every line of the WinForms: You’re representing your client through these contracts. It’s most important part of Real Estate Transaction. If you miss or have no knowledge of a particular paragraph, you could lose a deal. Ignorance is not an excuse when you’re dealing with most people’s single largest investment of life.
3. Learn all the technical terms of contract: If you’re not familiar with certain words that are on the contracts, get a real estate dictionary or WinForm handbook. First time buyers or sellers may not familiar with real estate technical terms, you should be able to explain them in plain English.
4. Review and double, triple check: Check for any errors especially numbers, dates and price. It’s a good habit of highlighting all important number on the contract.

You should practice writing contract using WinForms desktop version & online version. You should also practice without computer. Practice everyday during first month of training. It will give you the confidence to do the job for the client.  If you can point here and there from across the table from your client, you’re good to go. Follow-up all WinForms whenever updated and revised.

Technorati Tags: Winforms tips, contract tips, contract writing tips, paperwork, documents

Use UPPERCASE when filling WinForms or other real estate related legal forms.

I alway use uppercase on all WinForms. There are many benefits of using uppercase instead standard lowercase.

1. More visible: It stands out of rest of the documents. It makes easier to spot and identify the information.
2. Better for Faxing: If you fax the contract to other party or to your clients to be signed, your return fax copies will be shrunk. It makes them difficult to read even at the higher resolution.
3. Emphasize: If you add an addendum or attachment, other party will less likely miss the notes you made.
4. More Readable: If you have bad hand writing, use uppercase. It looks more readable and cleaner.
5. Stands Out: Which one looks bigger, 1 million or 1 MILLION? It may help you get the attention needed if you’re one of the multiple offers.

Technorati Tags: WinForms, WinForms tips, contract tips, contract writing tips

Identify people you want to be around all the time.

Your ability to identify this group of people and figure out how to spend and manage relationship with them is critical to your success.

People you will meet around office will fit into 4 categories:

1. You can learn from them.
2. You can teach and have impact on them.
3. You can have fun with them.
4. Coffeepot and donut bunch.

Category #1, you can learn from them and profit from them. They’ll lead you to growth, self improvement and wealth more than any other group. Evaluate carefully who you allow to influence your thinking.

Category #2: Enjoy the results of being around people you can have fun while working together. Real Estate sales supposed to be fun and enjoyable not serious or cut-throat type of business.

Category #3: The best thing about teaching is was people grow and prosper. Also it dramatically improves your skill level in the subject you are teaching. Don’t be afraid share your knowledge and skills with others.

Category #4: They’re everywhere. They’re always trying to suck you in. Avoid at all costs. They may try to impress you with “I’ve been in the business 10 years.” Well, they have one year’s of mediocre experience X 10 period.

Steer clear of negative thinkers and find people you want to be around all the time because your career and family depend on it.

Technorati Tags: real estate career, successful career, career tips, career development, real estate sales, realtors

Real Estate Agents need to be at the same level of other professionals. You must develop, practice and execute your own scripts everyday.

Many professionals in other fields are well-scripted or planned. NFL teams have the first 30 plays of the game planned. The late San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh yelled to players, “Don’t think on the field! Execute the play!” They know exactly which plays they will run and make few adjustments on the field. They will evaluate how the plays work and continue to use the best ones the following Sunday.

Other well-scripted professionals include attorneys. Many use the same argument that worked to get clients acquitted in similar cases. The pilots who take off, fly, land their planes the same way every time, according to scripts & check lists. They all have all scripted out what they are going to do.

Real Estate Agents need scripts for following categories.

1. Prospecting: cold calls, door knocking, past clients, expireds, FSBOs, and referrals.
2. Buyers: answering, qualifying, open house, and objection handling
3. Sellers: listing presentations, qualifying, price reduction, weekly communication, and objection handling.
4. Agents: follow ups, negotiating, getting paperworks, and time line.
5. Affilliates: referrals, sphere of influence, and networking

Excellent professional salesman have perfected their delivery of words. They have practice how to overcome all the objections. Your success could be based on these scripts and deliver them with effectiveness.

Technorati Tags: Real Estate Salesman, Scripts, cold calling, prospecting, sellers, buyers, real estate, affiliates, agents