Folks, You Have to Farm It to Reap It

So here is something I wonder about constantly. What good is setting up a farm if you don't actually FARM it?!? All that effort and time wasted. Well I guess you can comfort yourself by saying "It kept me busy for awhile" But did that do anything to increase your net worth? Did that put milk on the table and meat on the grill?

Farms take time to cultivate. The roots need a chance to grow. Real farmers know that they can't rush the process. It does no good to tug on the tomato plants and yell "GROW" You need to be prepared to not see anything come from your farm for 7-12 months in the beginning. Most agents give up after 3 or 4 months saying "I tried it but it doesn't work for me" Well, of course, it is not going to grow because you stopped watering it. This is also true if you stop farming your farm. You stopped watering, you killed it, and it is going to take time to bring it back to life.

How big does a farm have to be to be productive? I guess that depends on what you can afford to spend in money and time on marketing. I think your basic farm should be at least 200 people that you know and are in your sphere of influence. Why 200 you ask? Well, that's the basic number for being able to send out bulk mail. Figure the coast at approximately 50 cents per person. That means you need to commit to spending $100 a month on your farm or $1,200 a year.

So make a commitment to sending something to your farm every month. Commit to putting in that much effort to cultivate your farm or please, just stop wasting your money.

Shannon Aldrich © 2011

Your Toolkit Checklist

Question is - What's in your car? What tools do you carry with you in real estate. Whether it is nicely packed into a LL Bean canvas tote, in an actual toolkit, or just rolling around in the trunk of your car, we all have things we need in the day to day business of real estate.

·     Cable ties - They are handy in so many situations. From anchoring an open house sign to a pole so it won't fly away to making sure the brochure box is solidly attached. Use just one or chain them together to be as long as you need them to be.

·     Scissors or Pocket knife - That which has be tied together eventually must be cut apart.

·     Multi Tool - Some kind of combination tool that has both straight blades and phillips head screw driver.

·     Dead Head Mallet - Far more effective than an ordinary hammer for getting signs in the ground.

·     Duct Tape - Use it on anything but ducts. I like the white duct tape for adding temporary information to open house signs. (Don't forget the sharpie!)

·     Markers - Here is the Sharpie. I have a regular pen or two in my bag as well

·     WD40 - You know the old line "If it is supposed to stick and doesn't, use the duct tape. If it supposed to move and doesn't use the WD40"! And nowadays you can get the can with the tube built right in. No more losing the little straw part and losing control over where the WD40 goes.

·     Febreeze - Sometimes you just need a little spritz! I use the anti-allergen pet odor eliminator one.

·     Binoculars - Great for checking out the roof and chimney. Added service for that Buyers often appreciate.

·     Measuring tape- Both electronic and tape measures. Always useful to have a manual tape with you. There are lots of place the electronic one just won't work. I hear iPhone has a app for this. (FYI There is even an app that works as a level.)

·     Extra Batteries - For your camera, electronic measuring tape, etc, etc

·     Flashlight - A thousand and one nooks need a flashlight to see into.

·     Pliers - Twist, crimp, leverage. Love my pliers!

·     Wire - When cable ties won't secure it.

·     Candles/Incense - Emergency smell management.

·     Matches - To light the candles and incense not to set the house on fire!

·     Folding Chair - Just one of those bag chairs you use for picnics. Invaluable.

·     Roll of toilet paper - Go ahead and laugh but we have all been without at some point!

What do you carry in your car that you could just not live without?

Shannon Aldrich © 2009 www.TheRealEstateClass.com

Real Estate Photo Tips for Everyone

How many times have you gone to see a listing only to hear your Buyer say - "Wow looks lots better than the picture!" Sometimes I wonder if real estate agents even got out of the car before taking the photo. You know the ones I mean - where you can see the edge of the window or the side mirror. It's almost as if the photo is an after thought to getting the listing. When I present my listing presentation there is already a photo of the house on the front cover. This let's my Seller's know that I have done my homework before I come to price their home.

Then there are the photos with spring flowers and there is snow on the ground now. Or snow pics in the summer. Photos need to be updated seasonally. Listings are lasting longer so I thought I would share with you a few photo tips.

Outside

• Crop out sidewalks and streets using your computer photo software
• Remove cars from the driveway and street
• Put away - trash cans/toys/tools/pets
• Shoot close up angled photos to make the house look bigger
• Avoid shade on the house
• Avoid shooting into the sun
• Have the lawn mowed before you take your shot
• Let it be a blue sky day
• Ask the Seller when the front yard is sunniest - then take the pic at that time of day preferably morning
• Take pics of the neighborhood dock/gym/community garden/pool/tennis court/clubhouse

Inside

• Open shades, blinds and curtains
• Turn on all the lights
• Remove toys/trash/pets
• Close toilet lids
• Avoid shooting into mirrors (unless you want to be in the pic)
• Bring in fresh flowers
• Set the dining room table
• Focus on interesting details like a fireplace
• Use a tripod so that you can get different angles

Final word of advice - take more pictures. Use all the slots on your MLS to show that listing inside and out. With everyone searching on line first you will be really glad you did. Studies have been done that show you need to take a minimum of 6 photos for internet Buyers to look at.

Shannon Aldrich, Keller Williams Coastal Realty Market Center Instructor

Shannon Aldrich
Keller Williams Coastal Realty
Portsmouth, NH
www.RealEstateSeacoast.com

13 Top Rookie Mistakes in Real Estate

Real estate is a business that offers great rewards and can also create enormous heart ache and stress. Here are a few of the most common mistakes I see with new agents.

Not Being Prepared to be Self Employed
You need to fully understand that you are now self-employed. You did not just get a new job. You went into business for yourself. Big difference.

Not Having a Business Plan
If you don’t know where you are going how do you honestly expect to get there. What does it really mean to you when asked the question “Are you successful in real estate?” 5-10-15-150 deals, where are you on the spectrum. Without Goals how will you know when you get to the top?

Not Arming Yourself with the Necessary Tools
Getting started is expensive. There are certain costs that can’t be changed like joining a Board.

Trying to do Real Estate Part Time
There really is no such thing as part time in real estate. Clients need full time attention. When you lack proper funding to get started it sets you up for tremendous stress. The rule of thumb is to have 4-6 months of savings when starting. When I started I worked real estate full time while I still had two other part time jobs. My focus was always real estate first.

Taking Over Priced Listings
If it won’t sell, what’s the point? Having a sign up won’t help either when the buyer calls don’t think you know what you are doing. Over priced listings cost to much money and time. If they are starting out over priced you should have a plan already in place with the seller for quick price reductions.

Reducing the Commission
When you de-value your commission, you de-value your services in the eyes of the seller. Trust me, you will earn every penny of that commission.

Failure to Master the Listing Presentation
This is to important to just “wing it”. Learn your scripts and they will carry you to the closing table. You cannot practice what you are going to do on a Listing Presentation too many times.

Failure to Master the Buyer Scripts
Honestly folks, learn your scripts. All of the objections are common and the scripts are the map of the territory. You wouldn’t go hiking in the White Mountains without a map, why would you pass up the information on how to do real estate from those who have gone before you? So learn your scripts and practice them until they sound like you.

Failure to Seek Referrals
You must ask for the business. All of your friends and family are sources for referrals.

Refusing to Spend Money on Marketing
You have to invest in yourself and in your business. Be careful where you spend your money. You need to be strategic but please understand it takes some money to make some money.

Failure to Continue Education
Yes, you passed the real estate licensing test. Congratulations. It has next to nothing to do with selling real estate. Now the real learning curve comes into play.

Failure to Understand the Contracts
This is serious business with serious money on the line. Attend contracts class, ask questions and most importantly READ the contracts.

Thinking that Just Having a License Means They Will Do Business
Real estate does not just happen for most people. Just because you have a license does not mean that deals will automatically fall in your lap. You may trip over the occasional deal or two, but if you want to make a living in real estate you have to get to work.

(c) Shannon Aldrich 2010
http://www.therealestateclass.com/

Positive Affirmations - 3 Ways

Positive affirmations are great tools to keeping you in the right mind frame to work in the ever changing field of sales. From Zig Ziglar to Tony Robbins there are so many ways to bring this into your life. One of the things I noticed is that I rarely speak negatively to myself in the first person (ie You are so stupid vs. I am so stupid). Once this came through I decided to try working my affirmations in a different way. I say my affirmations 3 ways.

For example

1. I love working in real estate and I am richly rewarded for all I do
2. You love working in real estate and you are richly rewarded for all you do
3. Shannon loves working in real estate and she is richly rewarded for all she does

It felt a little strange at first but I quickly discovered that my inner speech started to change.
Does anyone else do something like this?

Shannon Aldrich
Keller Williams Coastal Realty
Portsmouth, NH
www.RealEstateSeacoast.com

Broker Open House - Hot Chcken Lunch with Pie

Marketing to the local real estate agents is one of the easiest way to get your listing sold. They are working with the Buyers we need to complete the job we have contracted for with our Sellers - in short - Sell The House. So how do we get them out of thier offices to preview our listings? The most common way seems to be the Broker Open House. After all if you feed them - they will come. My favorite menu for a Broker Open House is one where the leftovers can be used at home and not just thrown away. Also it needs to pass the test of attracting attention from other real estate agents in the area. Hot Chicken Lunch with Pie sounds like a big meal but is actually very cost effective and easy to pull together. It can all be served in an 18qt. electric roasting oven with buffet inserts. This makes a mini steam table to keep everything hot and allow for easy serving. Ask permission of your Seller to use their microwave to warm food and oven to bake the pie. Sometimes the pie is ready for the agents and sometimes it's purpose is to make the house smell great. It all depends on your schedule that day. I usually leave the pie behind for the Seller's to enjoy. Depending on the Seller I have also be known to leave behind a plate for every member of the family for them to enjoy when they get home from work and school.

Before your Broker Open send out flyers to all the agents in your area by email, fax or postcard. Consider sending a special invite to the Top 10% of Buyer agents in the area letting them know you are inviting them because they are in the Top 10%. Send your first flyer 5-7 days in advance and then send again 1-2 days before the event. I always include the detailed menu for this Hot Lunch Special.

• Hot Chicken with Gravy
• Fresh Mashed Potatoes
• Vegetable (I like peas but use the vegetable you like)
• Cranberry Sauce
• And PIE

Chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetable, cranberry sauce and pie is the menu so let's break it down to what you need.
Equipment:

• 18 qt roaster oven with buffet inserts
• Small serving bowl for cranberry sauce
• 3 large serving spoons & 1 small serving spoon
• 1 can opener
• 1 knife and spatula for pie
• oven mitts
• Press and Seal Wrap
• Disposable oven liner
• Rolling Broker Open House Kit

Ingredients:

• 2-3 roaster chickens pre-cooked in the deli aisle
• 2-4 jars chicken gravy
• Make your own mashed potatoes (I like to make mine with heavy cream instead of milk) or buy pre-made potatoes
• 1 bag frozen microwave vegatables of choice
• 1-2 cans cranberry sauce
• 1 frozen pie
• 2-3 liters of soda or lemonade with cups

The night before pull all the meat off the chickens and put it in one of buffet servers pour 1-2 jars of gravy over the chicken, cover over with Press and Seal wrap and put in the refrigerator. Use the extra gravy to heat up on site and bring your chicken to hot faster. If you have extra chicken put in glass bowl in case you need to heat it up in a microwave.

Make you mashed potatoes and also store in another one of the buffet servers.

You will need to give yourself an hour to get the food ready on site.

The vegetables can be heated up on site very quickly.

Open the cranberry sauce and serve on the side. I get more comments on the cranberry sauce touch than anything else.

Put the pie in the over with the disposable oven liner as soon as you arrive. Don't worry if it is not ready when the agents arrive - them smell alone will bring warm smiles.

Now that the food is ready don't forget to put out plenty of signs with ballons or flags, call the surrounding offices to remind them of your hot lunch special, set out your Broker Price Opinion surveys with plenty of pens so that you can get feedback on your property and the price. Once everything is ready to go don't forget to sit down and enjoy Hot Chicken Lunch yourself.

Sailing out to sea from the Piscataqua River in New Castle NH
Shannon Aldrich, Keller Williams Coastal Realty Portsmouth, NH

Testimonial are the keys to Open More Doors

Testimonials - why do want them, need them or even like them. Well, in my mind they are a key to establishing credibility on line. The average client doesn't care if you say you are "The Best Real Estate Professional Around" and they are not necessarily going to believe your marketing hype. But having several letters from past happy clients that they can read on your web site provides potential clients with overwhelming evidence the you are the best and most competent agent around. Anyone can toot their own horn - testimonials are proof. They want to know you are the best agent ever, they just don't want to hear from you alone.

How do you get testimonials - the same way you get referral business - you ASK. Simply ask for the testimonial immediately after a successful closing. Ask when they are really excited about buying/selling a home. You can even provide examples of other testimonials in order to get them started. You want to make sure you ask them if you can use their full name and address on your marketing. This adds a factor of believability to testimonials you post on your website.  Or go the extra mile and have photos of your happy clients in front of their new house. Send a thank you note after receiving each and every one. You can never have too many testimonials or happy clients.

Use them everywhere - in your listing presentations, home buyer guide, web site, ads, farming letters, frame them and put them on the wall of your office, anywhere you can think of. Sometimes you might drill down the information to just one or two lines with a name and town and in other cases you will want to reprint the entire letter.

Now is a great time of year to set up a campaign to get more testimonials in your tool kit. Go through all of your past clients and prepare a simple one page letter for them. Add in a sheet of paper labeled "Testimonial Form" that they can fill out. At the bottom have the release of information that allows you to use the testimonial, their full name and address. Stating that they are giving permission for you to reprint and a place to sign. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope to make it even easier to send back.

Remember that hand written thank you note for each one that arrives.

The letter could go something like this -
Dear Happy Client:
In today's world it is difficult to know a true real estate professional that you can trust and is competent to assist you in one of the biggest financial transactions of your life. My strategy is not to talk about myself but to share comments and experiences some of my best clients have had while working with me. And that's why I am writing you today. Would you mind sharing a few words about your real estate experience working with me. Did I help you save money, time, stress? Did I go the extra mile? What stands out in your memory. Enclosed you will find a simple for to fill out and a SASE to mail it back with. I thank you in advance for taking the time to send me this testimonial.

Testimonials also are great to give you a lift when you are wondering why you sell real estate. Keep a book of them and listing sheets of all your sold properties to lift you up when the weight of the world is dragging you down. All you need is a three-ring binder and a box of sheet protectors to boost your attitude anytime.

Pumpkin Fence at Barker's Farm in Stratham NH