Blogs, Communication Skills, Marketing Techniques, Personal Development

What Image is your Email Address Sending?

bobsdad @ yahoo.com … realestateguy72 @ hotmail.com … sexychick @ Aol.com

What message are you sending every day as you email potential clients, hand out business cards, and pay good money for advertising? Everyone knows that they are free email services, so right off the bat they know you won’t invest in your own business, and the “sexychick” one speaks for itself…(what business ARE you trying to promote, anyway?)

I often mention this in my trainings, and I often get questions from you about HOW to set it up, and how expensive is it, anyways? So today’s tip is called…(drum roll please…)

Get a Real Email!

I’m going to share some quick, simple steps to getting a great, professional email address in just a matter of minutes!

The company I use is probably one of the least expensive AND easiest to use. Here’s the simple steps to getting YOUR professional email up and running:

1. Click on the link at the bottom of this article.
2. Choose your package/Product. You can choose from several, but starting out, these 2 are probably good enough:

A. For ONE domain name and 5 different email names on that account (no web hosting included) Click on “mail” and then select “continue” under “Instant Mail” then click “sign up” and then you will come to the screen to select your domain name. I would suggest starting with your name first, such as AndyTolbert.com (capitals don’t matter!) If it’s available, select it. Then follow the instructions for setting up your new account. Your total cost will be $18.87 per year, that’s a nickel a day! I find more than that on the floor of the vacant houses I go see!

B. For more than one domain and to have actual Web Hosting where you can post a website or a blog and get 600 email names instead of 5, instead of clicking “mail” click on “web hosting” and select the plan you want. Please note, don’t get a bigger plan JUST for the extra domains…it’s cheaper to just buy add-on domains for $6.99 each per year. It’s more about the extras. Probably the Beginner will be enough. It will run you $47.88/year. Once you’ve chosen, go through the same steps of choosing your domain name as above in “A”

Please Note, if you are a real estate agent, NAR has restrictions on using the word REALTOR in your domain name, please be careful with what you choose. I also would try to focus on YOU not your company, because you may not always be at the same place!

3. Once your new account is set up, you will log in to your “control panel” where there are 2 main tabs at the top, go to “administration” then click on the “email” icon then click “new”

4. Type in the email name that you want, such as “listings” @ and then select your domain name from the dropdown list (if you have more than one). you are now setting up an email called “listings @ yourdomain.com”

5. Select “type” either “mailbox” which will create a mailbox for you or “forward” which will just forward it to another email that you already have (like your aol.com email, but remember, if you need to ever REPLY to a client they will see your aol if you use it as a forward) then create and verify your password. You can also select an additional forward, for example, every email you receive at “listings@” will also copy to your assistant. This can be very handy for followup.

6. Now hit “OK” and you’re done! Your new email, “listings @ yourdomain.com” is ready to go!

7. To check your email, you can use their built in web-email login OR you can use the Pop3/imap/smtp servers to set up in outlook, gmail, and other email servers. (can’t help you with that part, it all depends on how you have your computer set up, but there is some great customer support online in your control panel, or you can call for support, they’ve always helped me when I called!)

It’s not even really 7 steps, but if you knew just how easy it is, you’d kick yourself for not doing it sooner! (Thanks to Lee for giving me the idea for this weeks lesson!)

Click Here to go to the site where I buy my domains and run MY emails.

*If your name is not available, try for something that tells about your business (or an extra domain name) for example, besides AndyTolbert.com, I also own AndiTolbert, AndreaTolbert, Realestateinvesting123, REOdomination, turbohousebuyers, and many more. Maybe you would like something like Orlandowaterfronthomes.com, Miamicondos.com or something that spells out your niche. You can even buy a street address for one of your properties and put up a simple one page site for each. it only costs $6.99 per year per domain, and when you sell the house you can cancel it, or better yet, transfer it to the new homeowners!

Hope you have fun with all of your new domains and emails…but don’t get bogged down, just pick one and go out and sell something.

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Blogs, Communication Skills, Negotiating/Pursuasion

How Would Andy Do In Jail?

Well, not me, but my guest, JT Foxx, almost went to jail Sunday! I was just going to get the ticket. Let me tell you the story before you jump to WORSE conclusions…

You see, JT Foxx, Host of a radio show in Chicago, was in town Saturday for a speaking engagement, so I invited him to go on the St Johns River on my jet-ski’s Sunday. We were having a grand old time, we stopped at a restaurant right on the water and had Sunday brunch, and then headed towards the house. Now, right in front of our house is this section where the river widens and it’s a great place to jump some wakes put off by the big boats coming through. Tim had been driving and I was passengering and JT was on the other bike. Tim and I had just switched so I was driving and I was having a good old time jumping some waves, right up until the blue flashing lights showed up behind me… Uh Oh!

Now let me tell you, I’ve been riding these waters for 4 years, and never had a problem, and here I have a VIP guest with me and I get pulled over. I pull over to the officer’s boat, and he is FUMING mad, I mean you can see the veins in his forehead and his voice is cracking when he talks- mad if you know what I mean…he starts shouting about $63 tickets and accidents and we’re going to kill ourselves and then he points at JT (who has now pulled over closer to us to see what’s going on) and says “and him, I should take him to jail right now, I could call his behavior a misdemeanor and take him in right now!” (veins pop, voice cracks, HELP! I need bail money!)

But then Tim and I practiced some very simple negotiation and crisis management techniques…
1. Calm them down, do whatever you can to get their attention OFF of the crisis. How did we do that? We kept our voices and tones very calm and collected, and spoke just a little slower than normal.
2. Whatever you do, don’t argue with them. We were very polite, apologized, asked what was the RIGHT way to maneuver in this area, etc.
3. Give them what they ask for. When he asked for our license and registration we gave it to him (he actually dropped one of the registrations in the water, so now HE felt kind of bad, which helped us even more as we said “don’t worry, mistakes happen”)
4. Try to change the subject to something more pleasant. Tim started asking him about speed limits on the river. Now he got to show US his knowledge level.
5. Apologize for making his day harder. We said something like “I’m sure you don’t want to be out here dealing with a bunch of yahoos and drunks on the water on such a nice day like this” to which he quickly agreed. (please note, we had NOT been drinking, unless you count iced tea!)
6. If all else fails…blame it on the tourist from Chicago!

Seriously though, how many of these lessons can you use with a seller who is irate over a low offer? or a borrower that’s just been turned down for a mortgage? or a client with a house that just appraised low? These are solid techniques that you can use in your real estate business, and they’re not too bad to keep JT out of jail too!

After our initial fear had passed, we joked a little about what our time in jail would be like…”so, what are you in for?”…”I killed 4 people because they looked at me funny, how about you?” … “me, I rode my jet-ski too fast” How would Andy do in jail? I’m sure I’d make the most of it, I’d catch up on my reading, lose a few pounds, and probably buy a few houses from my fellow inmates!

By the way, when it was all over, I turned to JT and said “this is going to be on your radio show, isn’t it?” he quickly replied “Yep! first thing!”
Till next week, stay out of jail!

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Blogs, Communication Skills

Deal-Killer Words…And some suggestions for replacements!

Last week, I talked about how some words actually may be SCARING your clients away.  Today I’m sharing a list of some words and phrases that may be taken the wrong way by your clients, along with some suggestions for what you could use in it’s place.  Have Fun!

PRICE = Total Investment
DOWN PAYMENT = Initial Investment
CONTRACT = agreement, paperwork, forms  (Contracts are a scary legal document)
BUY = own, invest
SELL / SOLD = get them involved (ex: “I got one of my clients involved in a rental duplex”)
DEAL = opportunity, transaction (Deal sounds like a used-car salesman)
SIGN = OK, endorse, authorize, approve
COMMISSION = fee for service
PITCH = presentation, demonstration (Oh No! Not another sales pitch!)
PROBLEM = challenge
OBJECTIONS = areas of concern
CUSTOMER = people we serve, client
LOOKER/TIRE KICKER = researcher (I will actually PRAISE them for being well-informed)
PROSPECT/SUSPECT = future client (cops look for suspects!)
APPOINTMENT = visit, the time we share (appointments are for Doctors, and you wait hours)
TERMITE/WDO REPORT = inspection report (and explain they look for bugs, rotten wood, etc.)
DISCLOSURE = notice, notification (We usually DISCLOSE something negative)
ADDENDUM = other terms, “this is where we put the ___ you wanted to ask for”

Think about it this way…which sounds scarier?
1.  Sign the Contract   or,
2. Approve the Forms

Exactly, 1 is a big scary step that they start wondering if they’re doing the right thing, and should they talk to their Mom first, and do they need an attorney because they had always heard not to sign a contract until you’ve had an attorney look at it… you get the picture!

Just a few little changes in your speech traits can result in many more closed transactions.

Good Selling!
 

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Blogs, Communication Skills

Deal Killing Words for a Real Estate Transaction…

Are you turning off clients by the “lingo” that you use?  You may be and not even realize it…here’s what I mean:

Last week I had to take my little Beagle, Rico to the vet specialist.  He’s been limping on his back leg and picking it up when he runs for the last few weeks.  Our regular vet wasn’t sure, so we dropped a few dimes and went to the “specialist”  (by the way, people will pay extra for a “specialist”, it was $95 just to walk in the door and the place was PACKED!  Remember that in YOUR business… are you a “specialist”?)

Anyways, the diagnosis is:  a torn ACL which is one of the ligaments in his knee.  Yes, the same thing that football players get all the time, and the surgery costs about the same too!

But while we were there, we asked the “specialist” about another concern, you see, Rico has had a few episodes that seem kind of like epileptic siezures, so we asked her about that.  She said that there’s not really a way to test for the cause, and unless it happens in front of them it’s hard to tell what the problem is.  Then she said those jaw-dropping words…she suggested that we should do what’s called “benign neglect”

Do you believe it!  She suggested that we neglect our baby!  How can we neglect our baby?  How can she even say such a thing?

Here’s the problem…all my brain heard was the word “neglect” and while I was freaking out in my head, I wasn’t listening to what she was saying…

Are YOUR clients freaking out in their head because of something you said 5 minutes ago and they haven’t heard anything you’ve said since?  You better check!

I put my foot down and demanded to know what she meant by “benign neglect” and she said “that just means we’ll wait and see what happens and keep an eye on him.”

Oh, that’s it?  That’s not so bad.  Why didn’t she just say that to start with and we wouldn’t have had the whole misunderstanding!

Sometimes people tend to fall into using industry lingo.  It may be habit because those are the words we hear around the office and in classes.  It may be because we think it will make us look smarter to our clients.  I don’t know, but it usually leads to confusion for the client, and sometimes they may run scared because of it.

Here’s a few things to keep in mind when dealing with clients:

1.  Unless they have a masters degree in finance and real estate, (actually, even if they do!), don’t assume they know ANYTHING.  Explain everything in very clear simple terms.  A good rule of thumb is to describe things as if you were explaining them to a 4th grader.

2.  Start out your conversation with something like this:  “Now the real estate/mortgage business tends to use alot of nicknames and fancy terms for things, so if I say anything at all that you don’t understand, please stop me and I’ll make sure you get it, OK?  I want to make sure that you are totally comfortable with the whole process.  There’s no such thing as a stupid question.  If you’re thinking it, I want to make sure you’re concerns get answered. (wow, wouldn’t the vet have made me feel better with that right off the bat?)

Watch next week as I give you a list of “no-no” words and some suggestions for replacements for them.
See ‘ya next week!

Andy

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Blogs, Communication Skills, Negotiating/Pursuasion, Other Important Stuff, Selling Houses

Real Estate Offers Need to be Right the First Time

In today’s wacky market, many listings are asking for very specific things to be included with an offer to purchase a property. This may be things such as a certain contract form, or a set amound of escrow deposit, or a certain type of loan pre-approval.

Whether you like it or hate it, the seller gets to set the parameters under which they will accept an offer and sell their house.

We especially see this in bank-owned or “REO” properties as well as pre-foreclosures where the lender will need to approve the sale.

When I am selling a property, I always put in the listing that I want offers on a Far/Bar form only. This is because this is the contract that I am most familiar with and understand all of it’s clauses. When an agent submits an offer on any other form, I immediately have doubts about the brain-power of an agent that can’t read simple instructions, and I start to doubt whether this agent is savvy enough to get his/her buyer to the closing table or not.

Please don’t be the one the listing agent is wondering about…read the listing and follow the instructions that are spelled out. If you or your buyer aren’t WILLING to give what the seller is requesting, then move on to another house.

By the way, if it’s your listing and the seller is asking for silly things, keep in mind that you may have a harder time finding a buyer…in this market they can just go find something else where the seller is being more reasonable!

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Blogs, Communication Skills, Marketing Techniques, Other Important Stuff, Selling Houses

Control Your Buyers to Save Your Closings

In my 12+ years in this crazy real estate business, I have seen many deals fall apart at the last minute due to the buyers doing something really crazy right before the closing.
It was such a costly problem that I designed a flyer for my loan officers to give their clients spelling out what NOT to do during the financing process and risk losing the deal.

I was reminded of this fact this morning as Tim has just had a “challenge” come up on a really big loan he’s working on. The lender pulled another credit report and the client’s score has dropped 30 points! This puts him in a different pricing bracket and means his interest will be 1% higher leading to a $625 a MONTH higher payment! There is a chance that this loan will not close.

I also remember a guy years ago that we had all ready to go on a purchase loan, then the lender pulled a last-minute “credit update” which showed a brand new $900 Corvette Payment! Needless to say, he no longer qualified for the house and was not able to close.

Right now, you may be having a challenge FINDING buyers, so I want to make sure when you find them, you can KEEP them!

Here’s a link to the flyer in PDF form. I hope you get a chuckle out of it and are able to use it with your clients. If you’d like a version that you can give to your buyers, just email Tim@Compass123.com

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Blogs, Communication Skills, Other Important Stuff, Personal Development

Be Careful Of Who You Listen To!

 
This may just be one of the most critical elements to your success.  I say that because many people take advice from people with different ideas, goals, and experience levels than them and then wonder why their plans don’t work.
 
If you want to sky-dive, you take advice from and instructor that’s done tons of jumps.
 
If you want to learn to play the piano, you take lessons from someone that already knows how.
 
So why would you take real estate advice from someone without experience?  I see so many people right now saying “my neighbor said” or “my husband said” or my favorite “the news said…”  If these people aren’t experts, then DON’T LISTEN TO THEM!
 
Also, even the “experts” sometimes mess up, so it is always in your best interest to verify things before implementing them.  Here’s an example: A short sale training company recently released an email about how the IRS had “clarified” the 1099 situation on short sale debt.  The email went on to supposedly quote the IRS guidelines verbatim, but when I went over to IRS.gov to verify, I found a completely different set of guidelines than what they had quoted.  If you had advised a client base on their email, you could have a problem on your hands!
 
Remember, be careful who you let into your head!

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Blogs, Communication Skills

Are You Fast-Talking Your Way Out of Deals?

No, Seriously…you may be losing business just because of your speech patterns!

Think of this conversation…a lady from New Jersey who speaks very fast is trying to have a conversation with a laid-back southern gentleman that speaks very slowly (can you picture this now?)

NJ Lady: (saying quickly to herself) Idon’tknowwhat’swrongwiththisguy…he
mustbestupid…hetakes5minutesjusttoput
asimple sentencetogether…ishedumb?

GA Guy: (saying slowly to himself) W..O..W.. This… lady… must.. be … trying to … pull .. a … ‘fast’ .. one .. on .. me……… …. … I’d … better …. be really .. cautious!

Can you see where this business transaction would be doomed from the start? In fact, don’t we say things like “fast talking salesman” and “slow as molasses”?

If you know that you have a tendency to talk very slow or very quickly, make a conscious effort to pace your speech to match the other person’s.

There’s another old marketing wisdom that I like to keep in mind…
“People like people like them”
so make yourself as much like them as possible. (in communication terms, it’s mirroring, modeling, or matching)

For those of us here in Florida and other “melting pot” areas, it takes on a whole different meaning when we consider that different cultures and languages tend to speak slowly or quickly, AND that it is harder to understand different languages, accents, and dialects when someone is speaking very quickly. For example, if I am trying to communicate with someone in Spanish, I am amazed at how much I can get if they speak slowly or write it down, but if they speak quickly I’m lucky to get even one word out of it.

Be aware of your speed when communicating…it may be costing you $!

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