Keller Williams Realty Partners, Painting the Town RED!

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October 2008

• Oct. 11, 2008 - Keller Williams Realty ranks among fastest growing companies in America

Emphasizing that "business ingenuity and economic leadership still start with entrepreneurs," Inc. magazine recently published its 2008 list of the fastest growing private companies in America. Not surprisingly, Keller Williams Realty made the list and was the only leading residential real estate franchise in North America to do so.

Quoting Keller Williams CEO Mark Willis, Inc. magazine cited key reasons for the company's growth:

Considerable resources are devoted to educate and train associates to be good business owners, not just sales people. "The public does business with the agent, not the company."

Click here to read the full article.

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• Oct. 9, 2008 - HALLOWEEN SHOULD BE THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS

Think about it. You prepare for an appointment by putting together your presentation(candy bag), then you put on your business attire (costume), and proceed to your neighbors offering your services (trick) to get their home sold (treat).

Making sure you look, present and offer the best, has to be more than a façade.

Now more than ever people are unsure of what tomorrow holds given the

state of affairs and in turn are hesitant to commit to anything even if it's the right

thing for them to do. You as the professional have to be armed with every piece

of information available to you and be able to express it to your clients in various

manners. Translated to real estate terms, your physical materials need to be

accurate and appealing, your scripts and dialogues must be clear, pertinent and

allow for handling objections, lastly and most important you must deliver on

your value proposition.

Start by turning your old and dated CMA style presentation into an eye catching

& educational format that gets clients excited and offers alternatives to the despair

they are feeling. Practice your scripts, dialogues and presentations so you are

prepared when you knock on that door and the homeowner isn't the most

inviting due to recent circumstance, so they get the help they need and deserve.

Agents will often walk away after an objection if not prepped and who wins in that situation?

When you have put the client at ease and they now believe you can bring resolution to their situation, this is where the rubber meets the road and now you must deliver on your proposition. Knowing your numbers, how to effectively market, and maintaining communications are critical to a successful transaction.

So strap in, suit up and transform your business into what you want it to be. You have the ability to make it whatever you want and what better time than now to start, after all it is Halloween. Need a how-to guide, look no further than "SHIFT".

Contributed by Walter Sadowski

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• Oct. 8, 2008 - Safety - Does it matter to you? It Should...

It should matter to everyone. There have been several reported incidents across the country where Realtors have been victimized. Of course you have to be aware that this may be the tip of the iceberg. Not all victims report their assaults. They are ashamed, embarrassed and often do not want people to know.

Maybe you're like most of us that believe that these things happen to others not us. Wrong! They can happen to anyone. Most of us walk around not even cognizant about our surroundings. We are too absorbed in our daily routines. We worry about what we have to do, who we have to call, etc. When doing this we are not concerned about what is happening around us. You do not have to be paranoid to be "aware", just observant. But first you have to accept the fact that you are vulnerable. You must first admit that you too can be a victim. Then you will consider taking what I call "common sense precautions" to lessen your vulnerability.

Your office should have a "Safety Policy" for all agents. Why? When you take strangers in your car to go look at usually vacant homes (the owners are not there) you are placing yourself in a vulnerable position. How to avoid being a victim is where the office policy can deter a criminal that is up to no good.

I know offices that the agents cannot go out with a client on a first appointment until a photocopy of the driver's license of the client is copied and placed in a file at the office. Some offices have their agents give a schedule of planned showings to the receptionist and the agent calls in at each location. If they are not heard from in a timely fashion the police are called.

Public Open Houses should never be conducted alone. Not that this is a guarantee to protect both agents but it is less likely that a sole perpetrator would attempt something under the circumstances. They'll go to the next open house where the agent may be alone! Less confrontation for them.

I personally think that it is your own safety you should be concerned about. If there isn't a policy in existence in your office, volunteer to have a meeting with the other agents and put one together. Have your office manager/owner/broker review the policy. I am sure he or she will want their legal council to check it out before implementing it. But once approved every member of the office must commit to abide by it. It is the only way it will work.

Even if you are in Oshkosh criminals travel around, do not be foolish enough to believe you are immune. In our own County of Westchester, NY, one hour out of Manhattan an agent was assaulted while she held a Public Open House in a mid-rise condominium building. You would think this would be a deterrent to a criminal, it wasn't. Some criminals thrive on the risk they take. Others do not want to get caught and will look for seclusion and do not want confrontation. You don't pick your attacker, they pick you and it is usually being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'd rather be safe than sorry. I welcome your questions and concerns.

Contributed by Carol Kope

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