CENTURY 21Ⓡ Open House: Nurturing Client Relationships

November 15, 2017 By Casey Danton

Excellent service means excellent business. That’s the name of the game in real estate. But, how do you manage a full roster of competing clients? We asked several CENTURY 21® team members to share advice on how to make their clients happy, especially when the going gets tough. Each answer we received proved there are never any dull moments in real estate.

How Do You Let a Client Know They’re Important?

“I let a client know they’re important by finding out what I can do to genuinely help them. When my intent is to provide a world-class experience for each and every client, all selling goes away as they know I am here to serve. My intent is to serve their highest motivation and help them achieve whatever goal they want to achieve, and by doing this they know my only goal is to help them achieve theirs.” –Justin Udy, CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group

“I do my best to let my past clients know they are important to me by keeping them constantly updated on the market, keeping them informed on events and community programs for their local marketplaces, making personal calls on important anniversary & birthdays and holidays too. This year we took extra steps to ensure our past clients had emergency preparedness plans in place due to all the natural disasters we have been experiencing.” –Angela Avilez, CENTURY 21 Award

What Listening Tactics Do You Recommend?

“When in front of clients it’s important to turn off your cell phone. The biggest distraction we have as agents is our phone and when you have it out it’s easy to get distracted. Letting the buyer or seller know you have their complete attention is very important.” –Angela

“I would recommend listening 70% of the time and only talking 30%. To really listen means they need to be able to express thing they may not have the chance to if you’re too busy interrupting.” –Justin

“As we are discussing what they want in their new home, I am jotting everything down to make sure that I understand their wish list. This allows me to know in more detail what they want and it makes it easier to search for the perfect home for them.” –Sarah Figurski, CENTURY 21 Curran & Christie

What Are Creative Solutions You’ve Come up With to Mediate Difficult Situations?

“When there is a problem, seek to get complete clarity and understand the details at a deep level. Difficult situations are not typically difficult to solve once you have all the facts. Only then, do we start the process of being very strategic and very reasonable in how to move forward in a constructive and business-like manner.” –Justin

“There can be a lot of emotions involved in this industry. People are making large purchases or selling the home they have lived in for the last twenty years. I would say my best tip for mediating solutions is listening and keeping that mentality that ‘the customer is always right.’ Just be sure to stay positive and if there is an issue, be sure to work your best to fix it. Also, keep your client in the loop. Even if you don’t have any news, call them to tell them you don’t. I have found that being on top of everything and calling my client before they have a chance to call me has helped me avoid a lot of difficult situations.” –Sarah

How Do You Keep a Roster of Clients Happy?

“I have found that my clients want information timely and delivered efficiently. I strive to ensure that if and when my clients have questions I respond with a prompt answer or a solution for an answer in with expected time frames.” –Angela

“We input all of our clients into our database and will create tags around our experience. Some get the tag of raving fan while other may get the tag happy client. Either way, creating a database of your best clients is a must in real estate, which is truly the business of relationships. It really helps you be intentional about staying in front of them and keeping that relationship.” –Justin

Managing a clash of clients isn’t easy work, but it’s essential to running a successful business. So, follow these tips and if you’re ever at a loss, go with your gut and improvise. If nothing else, remember that serving the client’s needs is what it’s all about.

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CENTURY 21® Social: LinkedIn Pro Tips

August 11, 2017 By Casey Danton

As the real estate industry continues to further embrace social media and technology in general, LinkedIn is quickly becoming one of the most valuable digital tools in an agent’s arsenal. LinkedIn is built for networking, and luckily for us, that’s one of the things we, as agents, do best. Here are a few “pro tips” that will help you become a LinkedIn expert in no time.

Choose the right photos.

When you are choosing a profile photo or an image to post with your content, make sure it is clear, professional, and consistent with your brand and your business.

Optimize your bio for real estate.

Once you upload your professional profile picture, it’s time to tackle your bio. Make sure this section lets prospects know who you (a real estate professional) are and what you will be sharing on LinkedIn. The bio is also a great place to let your personality shine through the screen.

Include your awards and accolades.

Don’t be afraid to exercise your bragging rights. In fact, LinkedIn has an entire profile section devoted to accomplishments. This section is where you share your awards, your brokerage’s awards, certifications, and courses.

Use media files efficiently.

When editing your profile, you can add media files as part of your page. These media files show up as actionable thumbnails which are great for displaying assets like your website. For the most clicks, put these files right below your summary section.

Publish content to generate leads.

One of the most important pieces of your LinkedIn profile is the content that you are sharing on it. Instead of going too heavy on listings, try to share articles that offer valuable real estate tips and advice from you or another reputable source.

Build your network.

Start by connecting with your network of realtors and brokers, then connect with their connections and so on. Your email contact list is also a great place to establish LinkedIn connections. If you would like to identify some more quality connections, use LinkedIn’s “Advanced Search” feature. It allows you to specify keywords and the location of where you would like to search for connections.

Implement these tips and techniques to establish connections and generate leads for your business through LinkedIn!

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Open House with CENTURY 21®: Your Big Break in Real Estate

August 8, 2017 By Casey Danton

When did you experience your “big break” in real estate? We asked several CENTURY 21® team members this question to learn more about the moment they realized they would make it in such a challenging, yet rewarding industry. From months to years, networking events to sales calls, every story is different proving once again that nothing in real estate is predictable.

It’s About Time

If these stories tell us one thing, it’s that there is no set time for success.

“I realized I would make it in the industry after six months. I discovered that if my morning hours were dedicated to lead generation, I would continue to have a consistent flow of clients, grow my business pipeline, and expand my sphere of influence.” –Justin Udy, CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group

“In all honesty, it came after I attended Inman Connect San Francisco in 2015. I was a brand new attendee and did not know what to expect at all. My boss recommended that I attend — and instinctively knew that it would be a place where I could meet like-minded people in the industry, and make really meaningful connections as well. I went from being a conference attendee to an Inman Ambassador, to speaking and presenting on the main stage — all within a year.” –Billy Ekofo, CENTURY 21 Redwood Realty

“When my schedule overflowed, and I brought in a client care coordinator to manage the behind the scenes in my third year, I knew I had found my passion of changing people’s lives one house at a time.” –Jerry Cibulski, CENTURY 21 Albertson Realty

A World of Opportunity

Finding success is also about finding opportunities and seizing the ones given to you.

“I discovered that if my morning hours were dedicated to lead generation, I would continue to have a consistent flow of clients, grow my business pipeline, and expand my sphere of influence.” –Justin Udy, CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group

“The opportunity to speak at Inman Connect opened the door for me to speak at the CENTURY 21 Iberia Conference in Lisbon in February 2017, the CENTURY 21 Global Conference in March 2017, and be a keynote speaker at a Realogy event in June 2017. I will also be back as a speaker at Inman this August in San Francisco, as well as a first-time panelist at the second Realtor.com Summit in Las Vegas this September.

None of these experiences and opportunities would have come to me if it wasn’t for Century 21 Redwood Realty investing their time in sending me to Inman Connect back in 2015, and to the team at Inman for giving me the opportunity to serve and speak.” –Billy Ekofo, CENTURY 21 Redwood Realty

“During my first full year in the business, I was grateful for the referrals of family and friends of my budding client list.” –Jerry Cibulski, CENTURY 21 Albertson Realty

Establishing Awards

The most obvious evidence of success is awards and honors. As explained by our interviewees, hard work reaps tangible rewards.

“I was amazed when I was awarded ‘Top Rookie Producer’ in my office following my first year. I was able to achieve this honor because I was always on the phone. I time blocked my mornings, and I made an effort to be in front of people consistently.” –Justin Udy, CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group

“I started part-time one summer and was honored with a Century 21 Masters Sales Award in my first six months.” –Jerry Cibulski, CENTURY 21 Albertson Realty

The moral of the story? Nothing comes easy, and your “big break” is not always marked by a specific event or achievement, it’s a culmination of time, hard work, and opportunity. Though the definition is different for everyone, when it happens, it is worth every minute.

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Buying a Home: Tips for LGBT Couples

July 8, 2014 By CENTURY 21

LGBT couples face unique questions when shopping for a house. It is important to be happy with the community you’re in and the legal protections you’re granted.

Here are a few things to consider as you’re going through the process of finding a home:

Research legal protections: Lambda Legal is a helpful resource for learning legal protections that, in particular, affect LGBT people. Look at issues like: marriage status, adoption rights, workplace protections, hospital visitation rights, and school anti-bullying laws to get a holistic image of your rights

Read reviews: Do an internet search for LGBT community centers and businesses. Overall, search for the indicated LGBT population in order to get a sense of how accepting the community might be.

Interview school administrators: Meet with an administrator at prospective schools to assess the LGBT acceptance and safety climate of a local school. Be sure to ask questions like,

● How often do you have anti-LGBT related incidents?

● What are you doing to promote acceptance of nontraditional families?

● If a student bullied my child because of his/her family background, how would you handle it?

Legally define ownership: If something happens to you, who would be next to inherit this new property? Meet with a local attorney and make sure your partner is legally protected to stay in the home you’re purchasing, even if he or she isn’t the buyer.

We hope that these tips help you to find a state and neighborhood that work well for you and your family. Once you’ve found a neighborhood that works for you, call a CENTURY 21® Agent who can help you find your home!

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