Videos for Learning

Are you looking for sales opportunities in the investment and retail sector? The key is to think outside the "big box." Look for empty freestanding buildings that might become an entirely new business enterprise. Partner with other associates — those within your company and outside. Find out what's trending locally and nationally. Ultimately, working together puts more money in everyone's pockets. Watch the video for more tips.

A successful business plan consists of four steps — along with a lot of hard work in between. First, devote a whole day to creating your plan. Second, examine your goals realistically. Third, analyze what's working and what's not. Fourth, adjust the plan based on your analysis. In the process, also remember that rejuvenation time helps you stay focused.

Your goal is to get sellers to say "Yes," as in "Yes," they want you to sell their home. One sure-fire way to separate yourself from the crowd is to get "face time." During the first visit, get to know the sellers on a personal level, tour their home, and start the soft closing process. Ask them to write down what features they love about the house. Then ask them to collect documents so you'll have the opportunity to meet again. Watch the video for more tips.

Live-streamed video helps out-of-town homebuyers feel like "locals" long before they buy. Strategically placed webcams showcase the area's amenities, such as beaches, restaurants, attractions and events. Webcams also tend to keep people on your site longer. And those visitors tend to come back, which increases search engine ranking. Watch the video for more tips.

Understanding and explaining market data to customers will lead to more listings and closed sales. Three market stats that tell a story about your local market include absorption rates, closed sales and median prices on a year-over-year basis. These valuable reports are available free to members in our website's Tools & Research section.

There is money to be made in property management if the job is done efficiently. For example, a cloud-based storage system using Google Apps can hold videos, files, documents, emails and more, allowing team members to be totally mobile. A paperless forms system connects leasing agents and clients online. Using outsourced services, such as a 24-hour maintenance company, lets agents concentrate on generating revenue rather than chasing vendors. Watch the video for more tips.

Realtors who schedule prospecting time into their workday can net more listings and keep business booming. I make 40 to 60 outgoing prospecting calls — every day. The calls are scripted, and the goal is to get face-to-face with these potential clients. I follow up with more calls and written correspondence. I also work my database of past clients. Follow-up and personal contact make the difference.

When clients are interested in buying "a diamond in the rough," your job is to help them make a smart choice. It's all about building a team of professionals. Not all agents know what to look for in distressed properties, so build your team with contractors and engineers that can point out problems and offer solutions. When you surround yourself with pros, you reaffirm to your clients why they should work with you. Watch the video for more tips.

If you want to go paperless, PDF Expert is a great app for the mobile Realtor using Apple products. Consider using it for notes, presentations, contracts and signatures when you are working in the field. This app —  great to use on an iPad — allows you to email, modify, sign, annotate and brand PDF documents. These are all great uses when time and distance can hold up getting documents to buyers and sellers. Watch the video for more tips.