Train Your Sphere Of Influence To Be Your Personal Sales Force

Everyone is attracted to success. Have you ever noticed that powerful people attract other powerful people? People love to be around others that share a passion for excellence, they also love to see others succeed. Your sphere of influence should be viewed as an extension of your own business, your own personal sales force.

Your salespeople actually have a very easy job, all they have to do is keep their ear to the ground, and if they hear of anyone considering buying or selling real estate, they send you a referral. Believe it or not, your sphere of influence is ready, willing and able to send you referrals. So, why aren't they right now?
As any great sales manager (which is what you have become) will tell you, great salespeople are not born, they are created! How? Through training! You have to train, or condition, your sphere of influence to send you referrals. They don't know how to do it, or why they should do it, unless you explain it to them.

This training program is a long term project. It's not just one letter, one postcard, or one phone call, it's ongoing. You should be continually training your sphere to send you referrals over the long haul.

Now believe me when I say this -- There is a right way to do this and a very wrong way. I think you can easily imagine the wrong way, which is calling your sphere of influence every other week and asking them -- "Who do you know that is ready to buy or sell today?" How would you feel about that call after about three phone calls? Not good, right?

Instead, when creating a marketing strategy you must always ask the WIFM question -- What's In It For Me? Because that is exactly what your clients will do when you ask them for anything. The bottom line is that members of your sphere of influence are just like any other client, they want something before they give you something.

For some it may just be a thank you, or the presence of your company, for others it may be to be kept up to date on the progress of the referral, for others it may keeping an eye out for who you may be able to refer to their business. I call this their key. Every person has a different key.
What if you took the time to identify each of your clients unique set of keys. Imagine the size of your key ring! But consider the doors that these figurative keys might unlock. The opportunities are endless!

One way to do this, lead with a clients needs. By asking the client a simple question, for instance -- "Listen, I would love to earn your referrals, is there anything I can do help you with any of your projects?" You may find clients will have a need you can help to fill.
Give and you shall receive. The law of reciprocity is a powerful one that can reap huge rewards. So put that personal sales force to work today and starting asking for more referrals!
Realtytimes.com by Jim Remley

How Does a New Agent Get Listings?

The short answer is to build a database, so you can use contact software to maintain a relationship with people you know and meet online. Frequent and steady contact lets them know you take your business seriously and you want them as your clients, which is flattering to anyone.

The long answer is much more complex:
How do you want to work?
Who is an appropriate prospect?
What is an appropriate method of contacting this person?
How can you get your value as an agent across to that person?

The first thing to do is to focus on acquiring clients, rather than listings. Here are some ways to focus your business: Decide what kind of business you want to build.

A common mistake many agents make, especially in a big city like Dallas, is spreading yourself too thin. You've already stated that you want listings, so let's start there. Ask yourself if there is a way to narrow your search for clients with listings. Most agents accomplish this by choosing a neighborhood to farm such as the area where they live, or by specializing in a certain type of home such as new homes in master-planned communities or older homes of historical interest, or condos and townhomes. Is there an area or type of home that interests you? This way you can become known as the expert.

Don't be afraid that you will miss business by not becoming a general agent. You have to keep your time, advertising costs and other limiting factors in mind. If you are going to farm a neighborhood, hanging fliers, mailers and knocking on doors and introducing yourself is a good way to start. You will find your contacts will take you around the city without having to go to the expense of farming the entire city.

Appropriate contacts are everyone you meet.
Appropriate contacts are people you want to do business with, but have an open mind as to where you can develop these potential customers. While many agents start with family and friends, don't stop there. Remember that people like your dry cleaner, barber, fitness trainer and others you have daily contact with have already met you. It is a lot easier to do business with people who know and like you.

Include groups of people in your database you don't see often, like former school chums, club and church members, sports acquaintances, business networking coffee groups, and neighbors. You'll be surprised how many people you know.

Ask each person for their contact information, especially email, and tell them you want to send them some information about what you're doing and that you hope to help them one day with a move. The worst that can happen is they say no, and the best is that they give you the information that one day leads to a sale.

Ask permission to contact prospects.
They appreciate it. Ask the people you know and meet how they prefer to be contacted -- by email, business phone, cell phone, and if it would be all right for you to keep them posted about the marketplace. You can do this with email newsletters, postcards, phone calls, and other means.

Your efforts will be appreciated. There isn't a renter who isn't wondering if now is the time to buy. You can keep renters informed about new building projects in their neighborhood, or good deals in affordable properties, and how prices are changing from month to month. People are interested in opportunities, so that's what you want to keep in front of them. So you mix in a few buyers while you're trying to get listings... it's all business.

Most of your contacts, however, will be homeowners. There isn't a homeowner who isn't interested in how well their home is doing compared to the open market. Even if they have no immediate plans to sell, they enjoy knowing that their home is worth X amount more than what they paid. They also enjoy knowing local market conditions that affect the value of homes. Who knows? You might send them a piece of information that encourages them to make a move.
Even though you don't have a lot of experience, you can make yourself sound more expert by paying attention to what is happening locally -- all by reading the local paper and staying in touch with your local chamber of commerce or visitor's bureau to find out what's happening. Your local association should also have meetings and special information for their members so you will know if big deals such as new housing developments are happening or a new company is transferring employees to town.

You have value even if you are new to the industry.
Don't worry about being new to the industry -- there is plenty of support for new agents if you know where to look for it. Don't be afraid to quote your local association or MLS when it has homebuying statistics or news to report. Attend association meetings and listen to what the guest appraisers, developers, and city planners have to say. Join a networking group. Keep building your online skills.

Your previous career and school experiences can be valuable to homebuyers and sellers. Use it! If you have ever rented a home, bought a home, worked with numbers, managed or worked with people, decorated a room, bought a boat, scaled up or down in residence, you have valuable insights for your prospects.

You have powers of observation.
Listen carefully when people talk, and you'll soon hear those tell-tale signs that they might be considering a change. Drive your neighborhood, and note which houses are looking improved. You'll get a feel for which neighbors to chat up -- is the one putting up a new roof thinking of selling?

People appreciate enthusiasm and are inclined to give new people a chance. If you don't have the answer, say so, but you can immediately follow up by saying you know where to get it.
Get help if you need it. Trail or offer to help a top producer with an open house, so you can watch a pro in action. Don't be afraid to partner with another agent on a listing until you learn the ropes. Take advantage of every training session your broker or association provides.

Don't lose hope. Getting your name out there is the hardest part, and if you follow these suggestions, coupled with a willingness to serve your clients' needs, you'll soon have enough business to keep you busy.

Which is America's Most Valuable Niche Market?

It's the niche that provides a steady flow of buyers who are almost guaranteed to re-sell their homes within 3 to 4 years -- and who have a massive pool of friends who will also be moving soon. Listings are abundant.

It's the niche filled with buyers and sellers who must act -- no matter what the real estate market is doing at any given moment.
It's the niche filled with individuals who value loyalty and trust, and who prefer dealing with others who are familiar to them.
It's the Military niche -- and it can be yours if you live in a military community and make your specialized services known to its members.

You see, military families are re-assigned every 3 to 4 years. And with 1.4 million military members on active duty, and only about 200 military bases in the U.S., that means that hundreds of families are moving in and out of your military community every year.
Members of the military are much like a huge extended family. They live, work, play, and go to war with each other. And when they need professional services, they turn to each other for advice and referrals. So once you've made contact and proven yourself to just a few families, the referrals will keep coming.

Military families are searching for property managers, real estate agents, and mortgage lenders who know and understand VA financing, and who are willing to work within VA guidelines.
And it isn't always easy to find the professionals they need. That's why, if you have the expertise to help them, or if you're willing to learn, you need to reach out and let them know you're there to help.

Eighty percent of all buyers begin their search online, but for military families the percentage may be higher, since they need to secure housing quickly when they arrive in a new community. With that in mind, your web presence should clearly show your interest in helping military families and your expertise in working with VA financing. Every profile you post on networking sites should also include that information. If you're a veteran yourself, be sure to mention that fact.

Real estate sales are shaky right now, as massive numbers of foreclosures dominate the news. But if you take the time to cultivate the military housing niche, your own real estate career can remain steady and profitable.

From realty.com by Richard Curtis