The Success Mindset of a Real Estate Agent

Becoming successful in real estate, or anything for that matter, requires a mindset that supports and creates success. It seems that many people in real estate struggle with discovering the right philosophies to guide them to success. Maybe it’s because your brokerage doesn’t provide enough training, support and mentorship. Or maybe it’s because you haven’t dived deep into the waters of personal development. In this article, we’re gonna share the necessary mindset to inspire a successful, six-figure real estate business.

Find your why.

If you don’t know why you are even in the real estate industry, maybe it’s time to take a step back. Knowing why you chose real estate as a career option is crucial because if your reason isn’t strong or firm enough to get you out of bed, on the phones, or to a listing appointment, then you have some serious rethinking to do.

Look, for many people, the idea of being able to make more money in less time than the average 9 to 5 gig, and be free from the restraints that come with having a boss is enough. Remember you can achieve $100,000 in two transactions a month, in under 30 hours worth of work. That should be enough to get anybody up and at it.

Stop whining and do what it takes.

Yes, the truth is that it takes more time and energy to lay the foundation of a business in the beginning. However, the pay-off is so sweet. Because once the systems are set up and your marketing efforts have developed a momentum, much of your business simply becomes maintenance.

So stop whining about what it takes and just DO what it takes. And what it takes is for you to find people who want to buy and sell houses. And, if they’re not coming to you, you need to go to them. The best way to go to them is by phone and face to face. Let people know who you are and what you can do to help them. Get to know them and find out what their needs are. And then become a service professional and help. Allow them to become familiar with you and trust you. You just can’t think that hiding behind signs, social media posts and emails are ways to build relationships. Don’t worry, there is still a place for passive marketing and attraction marketing too.

Don’t be afraid of sales conversations.

Regardless of what you think on the subconscious level, regardless of what society says, sales is an honorable lot in life. Sales is the exchange of currency for a product or service. It’s how most humans get access to the things that they want and need. Sales people are simply those who service that process. Granted there are people who make a mockery of sales with slime ball tactics, slick claims and subpar offerings, the truth is there are many more sales professionals with integrity. If you are that sort of real estate professional, you have no reason to be timid about approaching people to service their needs.

The truth is, what we do is more about service than sales anyway. Our goal is to find out they need and help them with it. People decide to upgrade, downsize and invest everyday. They are newlyweds, growing families, divorcees, retirees, widows and those looking to grow their portfolios. People actually want what you have to offer!

But how are they to know that you can help them if you don’t tell them? Pick up that phone for an hour a day and let friends, family member, colleagues, coworkers, business owners, medical professionals, postal workers, school principals, beauty experts, neighbors and strangers in the check-out line know that you are the real estate professional they need in their corner. Leave them with all your forms of business contact information. Get involved in the community where they can interact and engage with you on deeper and more meaningful ways.

It’s all about relationship marketing and it’s your responsibility to build those relationships that can support and sustain and six-figure or more business, not to whine. Make it happen!

If you believe that you really need more real estate training and support, click the button below to join our private facebook group. It’s free and so is all the training included.

4 Ways to Build Your Client List as a Real Estate Agent

As a real estate agent, building up your client list can be a daunting task, particularly for the untrained marketer, someone new in a particular market, and someone who might not be the most comfortable networker. However, success in this business requires the courage to take risks, think outside the box and to step out of your comfort zone. Luckily none of the 4 ways to build your client list that we will share in this article are unnatural and can really help you to see that marketing can actually be an enjoyable process.

1. The Business Card Approach

Not only should a business professional give away their business cards to potential prospects clients and vendors in their way, they should also be collecting the cards of other entrepreneurs. Business cards are a free source of contact information. Besides, most entrepreneurs welcome phone calls from “solicitors” because it’s also a networking opportunity for them. When you visit your local gym, neighborhood coffee shop or deli, or local businesses, or networking events, make sure to grab as many different business  cards as you possibly can. Choose one or two days a week to sit down and call the professionals on the cards, introduce yourself, create a casual conversation about their business, share information about your business, and then discuss ways that the two of you can build together. Be as much a value to their business as you would like them to be for yours. These entrepreneurs can become some of your greatest allies and sources of referrals.

2. Direct Mail Marketing

Direct mailers are an incredible source of business. When you canvass a neighborhood with an offer that can’t be refused by someone who is on the hunt for your services, your snail mail content might be right on time for them. Overall, creating a letter or flyer, or even a small educational tool can be a very cost effective way to communicate to a broad audience, build some awareness of your business, and build a momentum of call backs to the phone number that you provide them. But be advised that one letter will not do.  It takes a person between 5 and 12 interactions with a brand before they make a buying decision. Develop a direct mail campaign that includes repeat, yet consistent, and also relevant information that they can use to make a decision to become your client.

 3.  Email marketing

Of all online marketing platforms, email marketing continues to outperform them all. Email marketing outperforms social media engagement significantly, 50% more than Instagram and a whopping 120% more than Facebook. And most online marketing gurus say as a creed that “If you don’t have an email marketing strategy, you don’t have a business online”. By building a strong email list of contacts, you have the opportunity to communicate with your audience on a consistent basis while presenting your narrative to your targeted audience. It’s a great platform for sharing a newsletter, which is a staple to any business. It’s a great way to share news, properties on the market, and positive community mentions about your brand. It’s also an awesome way to give calls to action and to persuade people to do what you want them to, like call you, click a link, answer a questionnaire, or join your event. It’s also another cost effective marketing strategy to use with a powerful return on investment potential. 

4.  Social Media Marketing

Social media is an incredible place to market your products and services and to give credence to your brand as a real estate agent. It’s the space where you now have the power and potential reach to do what old school marketers did on television and radio, build brand recognition through media. The best way to begin your journey as an entrepreneur is to define your target or preferred audience and then brand yourself as the professional that this audience would resonate with. Let’s be clear, it’s not about being sales-y and pitchy on your social media accounts. It’s about positioning yourself as the optimistic expert.

People buy from those that they know, like and trust. By presenting them with valuable information such as relevant blog articles, digital educational tools (like an ebook), informative videos and podcasts, and relevant infographics, while presenting the highest, best and most positive version of yourself, you set yourself apart from the fast talking, “look at me” sales reps who care less about giving you value and more about filling their pockets. You set yourself apart as the compassionate, knowledgeable, and consistent professional that they can tune in to on regular basis. Besides that, posting on your social media platforms costs you nothing! And any marketing dollars dished out for social media ads are grossly underpriced today. By providing high quality content, to the right audience, with the right authoritative branding, you are taking benefiting from a potential reach of nearly 2 billion people that operate online. How can you lose?

6 Reasons Why You Should Become a Real Estate Agent

We at Take A Look Real Estate Brokers believe in empowering everyone that we serve. However, we also believe in empowered agents who are self-sufficient and thriving in their lives. In this article, we are going to share 6 benefits of becoming a real estate agent and the next steps to achieve your dreams using our industry as a platform.

Benefit 1: Time Freedom

Life is meant to be enjoyed and should allow you to become the highest, happiest and most effective version of yourself that you can be. With Take A Look Real Estate Brokers, Theresa Cray, the broker, can show you how to build a full-time income on part-time hours. She herself mastered the $100,000 a year formula on two transactions a month to buy her own time freedom back. Her goal is to teach the same formula to you!  We are firm believers that we should work to live, not live to work.

Benefit 2:  Uncapped Income Potential

Glass ceiling? Not a chance. You see, no one dictates an agent’s income to an agent. Whether the house is $45,000 or $2.5 million, your commission reflects that price, not what a boss or CEO says you are worth. Whether you sell 1 house or 10 in a month, your income potential is up to you. What kind of income do you think you would need to earn to upgrade your lifestyle, support your family, continue your education, buy or pay off your dream house, travel the world, or give back to the community? We’ll help you discover and define your values and the income goals to support them.

Benefit 3:  Tax Benefits

In his book called “Lower Your Taxes Big Time”, Sandy Botkins exposes how people who do not have a source of home-based income give back up to $8,000 to Uncle Sam every year. You see, tax laws are more favorable to owners of businesses and homes. They allow you to write off many of the expenses associated with ownership such as utilities, fuel, phone, and even meals. We suggest talking to a tax professional so that they can explain in detail the many ways that you can benefit from the laws that support businesses and entrepreneurs. Your tax return could look much better next year than it did this year!

Benefit 4:  Personal Development

Our goal is to provide with you the kind of development that makes you powerful in business and in life. From the books that we read to the trainings that we partake in to the culture that we are apart of to the gurus that we network with, you have access to everything that we employ to master our lives.  Also, the real estate industry and the transactions that you complete provide you with a wealth of education not limited to marketing, database management, finance and economics, personal investing, title laws, tax laws, insurance, staging and design, home improvement, inspections, appraisals, and even becoming an influential networker.

Benefit 5:  The Tools and Access to Become an Investor

As an agent, you have access to so many resources to make finding investment properties easier and to the professionals who are incentivized by your investment decisions. Firstly, agents have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS for short) which is like a marketplace for properties on the market and necessary information about them. You can learn key info about a property that will tell you how valuable and in demand it is on the market, as well as its condition. Also, you have access to the agents that are selling properties that you are looking at as well as other properties in their pipeline that might be a good fit for you! And when you build rapport with other agents, they are more than happy to reach out to you and give you the inside scoop.

Benefit 6:  Excitement and Fulfillment

Real estate can provide you with so many of the joyous aspects that are found in the lives of happy people. First, you own your life, your time and your income potential. Next, you develop your talents and skills that will make you a more influential person in your personal and professional lives. Third, you can finally afford all of the material things that you have been eying, such as your own home, a brand new car, an updated wardrobe, better birthday parties for your children, an education or retirement fund and that bucket list trip to Fiji. That’s not all! We have all felt the electric charge that goes through our hearts when we directly give or do something for another person that makes them better or happy. Imagine how much joy you could feel by changing their very lives?  You can actually get paid to make people’s lives, the community and the economy better, all by being a real estate agent… a great one.

What you need to do next...

Reach out to Theresa now!

NOW is the time for you to create change in your life. Not in a couple of hours. Not tomorrow. Not when you think you can afford it or find time to get moving. If you think you can’t afford to or don’t have time to become a real estate agent, don’t you think that means that becoming a real estate agent is exactly what you need do… now? 

Give Theresa a call now at 614-778-8503 so that you can experience the hope and inspiration that all aspiring agents experienced when joining Take A Look Real Estate brokers. You can also shoot her an email at admin@takealookbrokers.com. And remember, wasting time is really wasting your life, on procrastination.

Don’t play yourself. Pay yourself.

3 Tips to Downsize Your Home and Your Life

So you’ve been thinking about downsizing and getting a fresh new start.

Great! For empty nesters, retirees, and people who just need a certain level of change, downsizing can often be a wonderful way to initiate the process. It can provide you with a sense of freedom, because often when you transform one area of your life, all the other areas are transformed in the process.

You know how it goes. Paul and Miranda decide that they really want to embark upon a more exciting lifestyle. Their friends, Damon and Ashanti, always have great travel stories over dinner and they want some of that mobile, global juice in their glass, too. The thought of downsizing crossed Miranda’s mind, but it wasn’t until after another inspiring dinner with their friends that she decided to ask Paul his thoughts about it. She was starting to feel a bit restless since their daughter, Kaitlyn, had gone off to college at Bowling Green. And since Paul was on the brink of retirement from his 20 year role as an advertising consultant, it actually made sense to him, too.

For most people, downsizing isn’t just about purchasing a smaller home. It’s about following your imagination into a world of less waste, clutter, confusion, and every part of your lifestyle that isn’t what you envision for yourself.

Here are 3 tips to consider in making a transition to a home environment that suits your changing lifestyle. And if you stick around, you’ll learn about an interesting economic opportunity to downsize and supplement your retirement income in the process.

Tip 1: First downsize your mind.

In today’s world of global, technological expansion, we as humans have more access to information than at any time in human history. Our ability to make new, like minded friends in far away countries, heal people with amazing new medical technology, and even gain access to innovative productivity solutions at the tap of a button prove that the information age has been of huge benefit to modern society.

However, the flip side of this progress is information overload! Social media gives us access to so many people with so many opinions, rational or otherwise. Thousands of television channels provide us not only with a variety of entertainment choices, but also the dueling narratives of the corporations that control the media. In a 1 mile stretch down streets like Broad or Main, we’re bombarded with advertising billboards, political bumper stickers, and so many restaurant choices that your taste buds dry up before you even sit down to eat.

To downsize your mind is to take back your clarity and sanity, and to decide what information is productive, necessary even, to your life experience. Are there social media applications that seem to consume your day and drain you of positivity and focused performance? Yes, knowing what’s happening around the world is important, but is watching national and international unrest on a nightly basis taking away from things you could be learning, like how to speak Portuguese or how to play the didgeridoo?

For some, the downsizing of your mind isn’t even about technology. Are there people in your life that you could really take a break from, even eliminate from your inner circle? What about that job that you despise. Isn’t it time to finally find something that fulfills you and employs your talents and passions?

Moreover, for all of us, some of the downsizing needs to be self reflective. Our own beliefs and habits can hinder our efficiency and creativity more than the ugly faced troll that insulted your heartfelt Facebook post. Are you harboring negative beliefs about yourself or others that are clearly no longer serving you? Do you have unhealthy habits that affect your health, relationships and finances?

Begin to take inventory of the information you are processing through technology, relationships and entertainment and decide which things really empower you and toss out those that don’t.

Tip 2: Downsize your clutter.

Let’s talk about that “catch all” drawer in your kitchen with the pens, business cards, sticky ketchup packets, bandaids, maroon lipstick, hammers, and the M.C. Hammer cassette tape “collectible” from ‘91 that you plan to play for your future grandchildren. You might even be more like the author of this article that thinks Architectural Digest magazines are as important as vegetables, and has to resell half her book collection back to Half Priced Books every year. Or maybe you think that all those slacks from the Men’s Warehouse that you bought on sale, two years ago, will fit you after you drop 15 pounds!

Unless you are the neatest most organized person on this side of the Erie, its possible that you have some clutter that you need to let go of. I get it. This is also a mind thing. We keep extra trinkets, gadgets, doohickeys and whatchamacallits, because we think we’ll actually need them or use them again. In other cases, subconsciously, it’s a connection, or even a protection mechanism, associated with our pasts. Either way, we have to know when enough is enough.

Clearing out the spaces and places in our homes can be such a rich, rewarding feeling. Healthy energy can flow freely throughout the crevices, corners and closets leaving us with a sense of calm. As well, when our home is clutter free, our clarity is heightened, as well as our ability to feel at peace in a home that isn’t nagging for this or that to constantly be done.

Consider going through your closet to eliminate extra items that you don’t need any longer. Think about those drawers that when emptied could house a new pair of nice cooking utensils. Throw out all of those old things in the garage that collect dust and cobwebs. Clear out the bathroom cabinets of those outdated hair products and toiletries. Hair spritz! Really? We need to stop it. By the way, I promise you don’t need to hold on to all those “magazines”. Your wife really hates them.

Overhaul your home and then just watch how much more alive you feel knowing that your house is less congested.

Tip 3: Downsize your home.

Did you know that the FHA (Federal Housing Authority) has a program for people who are looking to downsize that could potentially eliminate having to making a monthly payment at all? For people who are 62 or older, the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program (or HECM for short) is a reverse mortgage solution that enables you to use the equity in your new home as monthly mortgage payments. For some people, this is an excellent source of supplemental retirement income and a smooth downsizing transition into a home that suits your life better.

There are certain rules and guidelines that must be met to qualify for this program. But as long as you do, this could potentially be a perfect fresh start to a new, exciting and stress free chapter of your life.

Reach out to Theresa Cray, broker with Take a Look Real Estate. She’ll give you all of the information that you need in order to understand the program, find out if its the solution to your downsizing needs and shepherd you through the process successfully. She’s been in the real estate industry for over two decades and can boast a vast array of experience, knowledge, education, and compassion. Her passion is for the people and she uses every amazing tool in her collection to fulfill her client’s real estate needs and to make sure that their lifestyles and livelihoods are markedly improved through working with her.

If you would like to have an inspiring conversation with her about all of the resources available to you so that can downsize your lifestyle with ease and success, complete the form below. We will also make sure to send you our monthly newsletter so that you can get the inside scoop on Columbus real estate. Besides you can impress your friends at the cocktail party with all your newfound economic knowledge. As well, tune in to the Take A Look Real Estate Brokers Facebook page by clicking here and check out the “Ask Theresa” real estate live stream every Wednesday at noon. She might even be able to answer your questions live!

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6 Tips to Help You Find a Great Realtor®

You’ve gotta be smart to find a great Realtor...

...or at the very least, know what to look for and the right questions to ask them. You should expect a real estate agent in Columbus, Ohio to use ethics, education, experience, organization, and influence to get you in or out of the house that you want. Because it affects your pockets, you should know some important things about a Realtor and how they intend to help you before trusting them with your business. Pay close attention. This part is important.

Here are 6 tips that will help you choose the right Realtor:

1. Experience

To be considered a professional, one has to have education, skill level, experience, and wisdom. A real estate professional should be invested in the art and science of real estate, constantly increasing their knowledge and mostly out of the office working on transactions.

Has your agent closed enough deals to know the ins and outs of the game?
Do they have the confidence to resolve common real estate obstacles?
Have they developed a positive rapport with other agents, contractors, inspectors, etc.? And if the agent is newer (all great agents were once new), do they have a team of  professionals that can be called in for support when answering tough questions and negotiating complex deals?

2. Protection (Fiduciary Responsibility)

Protection by a real estate agent comes in the form of making sure that everyone with access, interest and involvement in your transaction respects you and treats you fairly. From protecting your house from unscrupulous, nosey neighbors to eliminating tire kicker offers, a great Realtor will honor your asset and your safety. From asserting your bargaining power to steering away from price gougers, a great Realtor will uphold your boundaries.

Pay attention to how she manages her time and how well she respect yours.
Do you get the sense that she cares about what’s best for you or that all she can see is the profit?  
Google any reviews on her service. Check for any record of complaints.
Does she care enough to operate her business properly and provide you proper service?

3. Knowledge

Imagine wondering why that grouchy old man won’t sell his house for less than $280,000 when it’s clearly only worth 250,000 max and still on the market over a year later. Then imagine your Realtor calling you about a house that just came on the market, with more land but less sq. footage than Mr. Grouchy’s, though similar in style, that requires a little more work, is in a quiet neighborhood, and is only $240,000. Oh, and by the way, the seller’s agent is also listing a 4 unit building with a seller that is open to creative financing… (you did say you wanted to start investing right?). And did he mention that rents in that area typically run between $800 and $1200 a month and he can introduce you to his attorney to talk about lease options. You get my drift here?

Is your Realtor invested enough in real estate to stay abreast of current trends, inventory and conditions?
Does he clearly communicate and exercise common practices so as to avoid headaches?
How much does he know about the neighborhoods and communities in your city?
Can he site sources for where he arrived at his facts and figures?
Does he know exactly where to turn for answers to questions that he isn’t privy to?

4. Access

Realtors have secret wands that they wave when you agree to work with them. Those wands open up access to a magical new world of available properties, marketing tools, networks of helpful people, qualified buyers, financial resources, market awareness and negotiating power. They are trained to use these resources as effectively as possible, especially since you’re paying for those services. But all real estate agents don’t necessarily utilize these solutions to the best of their abilities or to your advantage. You deserve better.

Have them provide you with a marketing plan, complete with all of the platforms and systems that will be used.
Does she easily refer you to related professionals such as mortgage brokers, contractors, and home warranty reps?
Can she quickly provide you with a current analysis on a certain neighborhood that you’re thinking of buying in?  
Is she able to provide you with a wide look at all available real estate inventory in Columbus and current market trends?

5. Relationships

You’ve watched the scene before. The lady at a Columbus diner is ranting about how she asked for gluten free pancakes, but of course the “ditz” brings out regular pancakes. The manager comes to the rescue with a twinkle in his winning smile. When all is said and done, the customer is happily enjoying her weird pancakes with no tab and a free appetizer coupon for her next visit.

Isn’t that kind of how you expect a great Realtor to behave? He should be fostering positive relationships with buyers, sellers, agents, attorneys, lenders, inspectors and everyone else in the industry. Besides, all transactions aren’t perfect and virtually none are completed without some kind of glitch or disagreement. Your Realtor should have enough rapport and influence with clients and professionals to inspire positive results, even in tough negotiations and in the face of conflict.

Is he well respected by other agents in the industry? Would they work with him again?
Does he believe in and truly exhibit his ability to negotiate?
Can he maintain his composure even in tough conversations?
Is he constantly networking and involved in opportunities to build his rolodex?
Does he believe in as much fairness as possible?

6. Management

Great realtors maintain some sense of order that makes them efficient. Whether they have scale through the people that they employ or the systems that they use, everything operates with a sense of flow. Transactions come equipped with sensitive paperwork, research, phone and email correspondence, marketing, legalities, and a trail of people that must be appeased before anything closes. You need to make sure that your agent manages the administration of your transaction with discretion, time efficiency and order.

Do they have a team of professionals that serve them?
If they operate alone, are their systems efficient enough to complete tasks properly and on time?
Are they constantly losing documents or missing voicemail and emails?
Do their document and file management systems operate productively?
Is their general personality reflective of a person who is energetic and fluid or tense and overwhelmed?

But wait! Have you heard?

There’s this incredible new livestream coming up on Facebook. Its called “Ask Theresa.” Every Wednesday at noon, Theresa is going to answer your real estate questions. What better way to finally get connected with a great realtor, get to know her awesome agents, and learn more about real estate. She’s going to tell you what’s happening around Columbus, Ohio in areas such as:

• Neighborhood values
• School districts
• Buyers vs. sellers markets
• Homeownership programs
• New builder companies
• Home staging for sellers
• Preparing your finances for purchase
• Revitalization zones to invest in
• Property Management
• And so much more!

Do you want Theresa to answer one of your real estate questions on an upcoming Facebook livestream. Ask it below and we'll email you the link to the Take A Look Real Estate page where the show will take place!