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Agent Spotlight: Q&A with Koi Tasaniyom of CENTURY 21® S.G.R.

April 27, 2017 By

As we approach the height of the spring homebuying season, we had a chance to sit down with Koi Tasaniyom of CENTURY 21® S.G.R. in Chicago. In the interview, Koi shared his approach to the busy spring home buying and selling season and details how his background in business has helped him find success in real estate.

 

CENTURY 21: Tell us a little bit about your career before real estate.

Koi: I worked in the Investor Relations Department of a major Thai commercial bank before coming to the United States in 2006. Once I got here, I earned my MBA from the University of Illinois in Chicago with a concentration in international business and marketing.

 

CENTURY 21: How did you discover CENTURY 21?

Koi: After I completed my graduate studies, I met a Thai woman who owned a CENTURY 21 office in Chicago. That woman was Nancy Suvarnamani, and she initially gave me a job in the accounting department. After a few years, I earned my broker license and become a real estate professional.

 

CENTURY 21: How has your business background contributed to your success as a real estate agent?

Koi: My financial and marketing background has allowed me to help my clients make informed real estate decisions. My MBA has also assisted me in working with investors to find properties that suit their real estate investment portfolios.

 

CENTURY 21: Being from Thailand, do you benefit from the CENTURY 21 Global Network?

Koi: Yes, because the CENTURY 21 Brand has the most recognized global name, the Thai and Asian communities in Chicago feel very comfortable and confident working with a broker affiliated with it.

 

CENTURY 21: Many people perceive real estate as a second career for people later in life, but as we know, this isn’t the case. What would you say to people who think of real estate in this way?

Koi: Myths die hard. It’s difficult to change people’s mindsets. However, the realtor image, at least in Chicago, has undergone a major transformation. As younger people enter the field with degrees in law, accounting, engineering, etc., even those who believe the myth of real estate as a part-time job see the landscape changing right before their eyes.

 

CENTURY 21: You are well-versed in Zap. How has it added value to your business?

Koi: Zap has allowed me to engage and interact with clients on a more professional basis. Zap provides several helpful features: Showing Request, Customized Testimonial, Properties I’ve Toured, resources links, and built-in social media site links—it has simplified my realtor activities. Zap allows me to show my commitment to my clients by providing timely and accurate information.

 

CENTURY 21: Now that we are in the height of the spring home buying/selling season, how do you use Zap to stay on top of your listings?

Koi: Zap allows me to utilize comments on my listing from fellow agents which I then share with my sellers. All of the listings I have are featured on the main page of our office Zap page to create more exposure. The ability to share our Zap property page on social media sites, and send listings to people also helps me to sell my listings in a timely manner.

 

CENTURY 21: What advice do you have for fellow agents who aren’t currently using Zap?

Koi: Use it. It is one of the best tools to showcase your professionalism. Best of all…it’s FREE.  

 

Stay tuned for another agent spotlight next month!

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How to Manage Your Personal Brand

March 28, 2016 By

As a real estate agent, you represent something more than the company that employs you – yourself. After all, you’re the one who faces clients and deals with their needs on a daily basis. Just like the logo printed on your business card, your personal brand should be well maintained in order for clients to perceive you in a positive light. No doubt you’re already working on this with friendly conversation and trustworthy insights during open houses, but there’s more to do. Here are ways to manage your personal brand and create something that’s unique to you.

Get to Know Yourself
You can’t portray the image you want if you don’t know what it is. Take the time to sit down and write down the qualities you want to embody, as well as the ones you don’t want. Consider which ones you already own and play them up as your strengths. For the traits you want to have, make a clear plan how you’ll work on incorporating them into your personality. This list of qualities should serve as your edge. They are distinguishing factors that set you apart from your competition.

Develop Your Values
Most companies have core values that determine the personalities of their brands. Follow the example and develop a set of solid principles for yourself. Are you always timely? Do you prioritize transparency? Or would you rather highlight how you stay current on market trends? Once you decide on these values, don’t keep them a secret – let clients know what they are and how they define your personal brand. That way, clients will have concrete evidence of what you can provide to them.

Deliver Consistently
After you’ve defined who you are and who you want to be, stick to that. Your core values should be guidelines for how you do business. If you promise to be punctual, always deliver on that promise. If you have a bad day, as everyone does now and then, and for some reason don’t live up to the standards you’ve set, admit to it. Acknowledge what you’ve done, apologize for the less than stellar service, and offer a solution to ensure it won’t happen again. Clients might be more understanding of a mishap if you take full responsibility for it, rather than explain it away with an excuse.

Maintain Online Accounts
Social media is no longer just for you and your circle of friends. Assume that potential clients can see every post or photo on any account, and that you can’t delete anything permanently once it’s out there. Protect your image by only showing posts that you would deem appropriate in a professional setting. Also, set your Facebook privacy settings so that you must approve all friends’ posts before the public can see them, in order to control the type of content associated with your name. To be more proactive, consider creating a professional Facebook page. There, you can focus on information relevant to your business, such as helpful articles and current events in real estate. For example, CENTURY 21® has some valuable resources you can share, from mortgage calculators to a real estate focused blog.

Welcome Feedback
No one’s perfect, so don’t expect that you will be. However, you can still strive for perfection by regularly looking for ways to improve. For this reason, feedback serves as an invaluable asset to target your weaknesses. There are a few ways to ask how you’re performing as an agent, depending on who you’re asking and in what type of situation. Feel free to ask other trusted agents on a casual level how you’re perceived in the field. For clients, try emailing a questionnaire after you’ve helped them with their real estate needs, but always ask their permission to do so first.

Get started today on developing your personal brand with clear qualities and maintained values. You may find you have a more positive perception among clients because of it.

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5 Tips for Email Marketing

March 9, 2016 By

As a real estate agent, email marketing can be an invaluable tool in creating and maintaining relationships. Well-executed emails can help secure new clients, communicate information to current ones, or even rekindle the interest of those from a previous time. However, there’s some strategy behind it. The following five tips may make your online messaging more effective.

1. Acquire an Email List

Collect a directory of clients’ contact information by asking them specifically for their email address. From there, email them with a choice to opt in to regular content. This method ensures that everyone on the list is interested in receiving your information. Unsolicited emails may tarnish your reputation as a real estate agent or come across as spam. To encourage people to opt in, use gated content, or content that can only be seen after entering an email address. For example, e-books, webinars, or virtual tools should be available only after a client has chosen to receive regular emails from you.

2. Provide Valuable Information

Send an email flyer about recent home listings and closings that may genuinely be of interest to the email recipient. Additionally, send a newsletter with data on the housing market or tips about real estate to demonstrate your expertise. Think: market trends, real estate how-to guides, and government initiatives for buyers and sellers. Make sure to send these sparingly though—no more than once a week—so clients have time to digest the information.

3. Be Concise

Short, digestible messages are optimal, since most emails are read on smartphones that make blocks of text intimidating. Subject lines should also be short, specific, and interesting enough to entice the reader. Aim to have them between 28-39 characters, and definitely no more than 50. The body of the email should take no longer than two minutes to read through. To fit this requirements, try cutting out sentences that don’t pertain directly to the crux of your email.

4. Be Personal

Your email should sound like it’s coming from a trusted ally, not a salesperson. Create this tone by asking questions and using the client’s first name. Focus on using the word “you” more often to shift attention towards your client. Also, always sign the email with your first and last name rather than just your company’s name, and provide additional ways for them to contact you.

5. Send Transactional Emails

Sometimes simply known as thank you emails, transactional emails can be a great way to show clients you appreciate their interest. If someone has opted into your mailing list or responds positively to your newsletter by requesting more information, send a thank you email. It will show that you care about your customers and that your email marketing is genuine.

Almost all real estate agents participate in email marketing, so don’t get left behind! Follow these tips so your efforts may stand out.

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