Is Good Good Enough? What If Great Is Possible?

 Something that a mentor taught me many years ago is that Good is the greatest enemy of Great. We can easily become complacent with doing good.  Our business is good. Our families are doing good.  Our lives are good. To move to Great might present a risk, is it a risk worth taking?

 No matter what you do there will be decisions to make and consequences to those decisions. In our company goals at RE/MAX Ability Plus, we have chosen to pursue greatness in one area and know that requires us to abandon others. For us, our goal is to be the very best place for top producing REALTORS and teams to practice their businesses. To do that we knew we had to not follow normal real estate business models where you hire large amounts of new agents and help them start their careers. New agents require a large amount of time and resources, both financially as well as human resources to help them get off the ground and protect them and their companies from liabilities. Under that traditional model, there is a heavy allotment or resources directed toward those new agents, and the top producing agents get a very small amount of the time and resources from their broker because they are already self-sufficient without a lot of help. 

 What we wanted to do was to turn the model upside down and allocate all our resources to those top agents to help them be even more productive, to grow their businesses to levels they had never dreamed possible. We choose to do one thing great rather than many things good.

 How about you and your business? Your family? Your life? Are you trying to be good at everything, or are you looking to be great at the really important things? That is ultimately the choice all of us must make.

Fishers Property Maintenance Ordinance And What It Means To You

Fishers Property Owners are about to get a very big surprise when they unwrap the pretty package being presented to them as a program to protect their property values. When they open it, they will find that they have lost many of their property rights. It is being fast tracked to try to pass before the end of the year so that the new council won't have a chance to look at it.

The City of Fishers, Indiana is joining a long list of local governments who are trying to address the concern of empty bank-owned houses and properties that are not being kept up and tidy. The challenge is that so far, most of these plans attack the rights of those who are taking care of their property, while not impacting the bank-owned or truly derelict properties at all. Noblesville recently passed one nearly identical to it, but like many things political it happened completely under the radar. If anyone knew about it, they only knew it was to "protect property values."

"An Ordinance Of The Town Of Fishers, Hamilton County, Indiana Concerning Property Maintenance" will be given its first reading at the Town Council Thursday November 17th, a few days from this writing. However, if not killed by then, you will want to engage.

 This ordinance will make the Town Of Fishers a massive and Omnipotent HOA superseding all other HOA's. It gives authoritative power to the Building Commissioner who then becomes sole arbiter on what is or what isn't a violation and the penalties involved. The Policeman, Judge, Jury, and Executioner all in one sets the table for future abuse of power and possible graft. 

 What would it look like for a home owner as writing?

 Imagine this: Your dog has a bad day and digs up the neighbors roses. Your neighbor is ticked and uses this new law to get back at you, so they call in a violation against you. You then get a call from the Fishers Building Commissioner to say they have a report that your home has violations, maybe even gross violations of the law. 

Building Commissioner: "Hello Ms Homeowner, we have a report that your house might be in violation and we need to set a time to come see it."

You: "Who reported this? What are they saying is wrong with my house? There isn't anything wrong, there is no need to meet."

BC: "Ms Homeowner, we need to meet to review possible violations."

You: "No!"

BC: "I will simply get a Search Warrant."

Building Commissioner arrives with Search Warrant while you are at work and now you get a letter from the Town Of Fishers.

"Dear Ms Homeowner;

 We have used a Search Warrant and have inspected your home and found it to be in violation of these provisions of the Property Maintenance Ordinance of the Town of Fishers. These issues come with a fine of $100.00 and we demand that these repairs be made in no less than 60 days and are reinspected by Building Commissioner to sign off that they are complete and in compliance.

• There were two live ants found in your kitchen, as well as evidence of a mouse at some time behind your refrigerator. 

 (This violates Section 9 paragraph E: Foundation Walls; All foundation walls shall be maintained and free from open cracks, breaks, tears and holes and shall be kept in such condition as to prevent the entry of rodents and other pests.)

• Your windows in your 2nd and 3rd bedroom and your back door do not seal properly and there is air infiltration. 

  (This violates Section 9, paragraph M; Windows to be tight. Every window sash shall be in good condition and fit reasonably tight within its window frame.)

• Your windows, we feel, were not easy enough to open from the inside, and a there was one that had fogged glass in one pane. The hall bath room window mechanism also did not hold up the window when opened without being propped. 

 (This violates Section 9, Paragraph N; Windows to be tight. Every window other than a fixed window, shall be capable of being easily opened and shall be held in position by window hardware. Also Paragraph P, Q, R and S.)

• There is faded or peeling paint on your West side exterior wall of your Mini barn. 

(This violates Section 9, Paragraph E)

• The hose bib in the garage didn't work. (This violates Section 27, paragraph F)
• There was a drywall crack, a nail pop, and a corner bead break in your living room. (This violates Section 27, Paragraph M.)
• Your hall bath tub faucet had a slow drip. (This violates Section 28, Paragraph E.)

We have found these to constitute a Gross Violation and as a First Offense the fine is $100.00.

Unpaid Gross Violations shall be referred to the Fishers's Town Court. Every day that a gross violation continues after due notice has been served, in accordance with the terms and provisions hereof, shall be deemed a separate offense. 

Second Offense with one year: $100.00

Third Offense and each additional offense with one year: $250.00"

 If this fabricated letter and exchange would concern you in real life, then make your voice heard. 

Contact you MIBOR Political Director, Chris Pryor and let him know your concerns at 317-956-5240 or ChrisPryor@mibor.com. 

Also call the Fishers Town Council and Mayor. http://www.fishers.in.us/index.aspx?NID=292

The Proposed Ordinance:Fishers Property Maintenance Ordinance

 

Does Getting A Real Estate License Erase Your Individual Rights?

Contrary to what many seem to believe, when you get your Real Estate license you do not relinquish your rights as an American. You may have noticed that our rights today are under attack from all angles, by both those who wish to strip them from us and those whose "good" intentions have unintended consequences.

 This week, we have seen two drastic examples of attacks on our freedoms. One directly upon us as REALTORS, the other as property owners.

 MIBOR recently had a speaker in to teach Social Media. This speaker allegedly told the agents in  attendance that if they, as REALTORs, posted one-sided political or religious posts on Facebook, this could be a Fair Housing or Code of Ethics violation. That is absolute nonsense, and the speaker actually broke the "Chilling Effects Law" by making that suggestion to the group. It matters not what label you claim politically, you should be equally outraged.

Chilling effect is a term in law and communication that describes a situation where speech or conduct is suppressed by fear of penalization at the interests of an individual or group. It can affect one’s free speech. Since many attacks rely on libel law, the term libel chill is also often used. The term chilling effect has been in use in the U.S since 1950.

 It is up to you to know your rights and to stand up for them or one day wake up and mourn their passing. We lose them incrementally, we lose them because we don't know them, or we lose them because we don't understand what our rights are to begin with. One of the greatest minds this nation has ever had, John Adams told us, “And liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people who have a right from the frame of their nature to knowledge...” 

 Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

If you read the First Amendment, you see that Congress shall (“shall" means “mandatory") make no laws. So NO law can prohibit the free exercise of speech or press or assemble. Today, Social Media is simply an extension of the old Town Square.  

“Be not intimidated...nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice.”   John Adams

 Of course there are restrictions for Commercial Speech, unlike personal speech, this would include advertising. You cannot in any way discriminate, or be exclusive, or favoring one group over another in any of your commercial advertising. You also may not slander or disparage competition. Those are the Fair Housing and Ethics violations that are possible with speech. Not making political or religious comments on your personal posts.

The second attack this week is against property owners in Fishers with the Fishers Property Maintenance Ordinance to be read at 7 pm at the Fishers Town Hall on December 1st. This ordinance is written for a "good” purpose. It is designed to protect property rights from abandoned properties falling into disrepair. However it goes too far. The Ordinance impacts every single property in Fishers. It gives omniscient powers to the Fishers Building Commissioner as Policeman, Judge, Jury, and Executioner to decide what is or isn't a violation and how much it will cost. 

You could potentially be in violation if the Commissioner "had reasonable cause" to search your home, if you refuse a Search Warrant, if you have windows that aren't sealed against air infiltration  or don't open as "easily" as they believe they should. You could be in violation if you have ants that get into your home, or a mouse, or even have cracks in your drywall. Or, if you are a snowbird and have winterized your home, you could be at risk of violation. It’s likely if you live in Fishers, you are already in violation of the proposed Ordinance.

“There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.” John Adams

It is up to you to protect your freedoms for you, for your clients, and for your children. To protect them, you must first know them, understand them, and have to courage to stand up for them.
Remember the words of John Adams once again.

"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever."

 

Are You A Business Owner, Or Are You Self-Employed? Why Is The Difference Huge?

What is the force that drives your business? It may not be what you believe it to be. It wasn't for me. However, until you know and understand what drives your business, you could very well be limiting your own success.

 Is it possible that you like to be in control? Could it be possible that you love being in control, or maybe even that you are a bonafide Control Freak? I was, and what I didn’t know is that I was continuously holding myself back.

 One of my mentors tried to explain to me where I was hurting my own business. He told me that we, as children, are dependent upon others to do most everything for us. Then hopefully, as we grow we become independent and do for ourselves. But, to truly reach the pinnacles of success we need to learn to become interdependent and learn to grow as a team. Intellectually, I understood this, but emotionally I found it very hard to let go of control and truly share the load with others.

Have you ever read a book that changed your life? I hope you answered yes to that one. Several years ago I was fortunate enough to read "Cashflow Quadrant" by Robert Kiyoski. What I read opened my eyes to my own belief systems. I saw myself in a way I never had before.

The concept is that there are four different ways people earn money, and you will operate in the one that aligns with what you truly value in your business mindset.

What you truly value places you in one of these four quadrants.

Employee:

 It isn't money that is the driving force for employees, it is security. The security of a pay check. However, of the four quadrants the least secure is the employee. They do not own their job, are at the mercy of the employer, and could be terminated for any number of reasons, fair or unfair.

Self Employed:

 It isn't money that is the driving force for Self Employed, it is control. The Self Employed are by nature perfectionists, no one can do it as well as they. They are the ultimate control freaks. When they hire employees, they do not try to hire someone who would be capable of taking over and running the business. They fear that someone might take what they know, and go in business competing with them. Long hours await them there. Where the business owns them, rather than owning the business, is the norm.

Business Owner:

 It isn't money that is their driving force, though normally they make much more than either of our two on the left side of the quadrant. Their driving force is systems. What they are most interested in is creating systems that will run their businesses when they aren't there. When the Business Owner hires employees, he/she will try to hire someone who is smarter in an area. The Business Owner needs employees who can be trusted to do what they are hired to do, can run the systems they have been hired to run. This way, the Business Owner can step away and start up something else.

 There is a story of a town that needed water. The townspeople took bids on someone to bring water up over the big hill between the river and town. One guy took the bid to carry water in buckets, he started right away, hired several others to help carry buckets and immediately they had a business carrying water. His competitor seemed to disappear for a year as he got bids from engineers and construction firms to build a pipeline and aqueduct. He  allowed his competitor to carry water until he opened the pipe and started collecting his checks. The one who had been carrying it had to find another job. That is the difference between self-employed and business owner. The self employed water carrier laughed at his competitor for losing out on all the business and money, until the business owner's system took all the business away.

Investor:

Investors make money with money. They do not have to work, because their money is working for them. The "I" quadrant is the playground of the rich. Regardless of which quadrant people make their money, if they hope someday to be rich, they ultimately must come to the "I" quadrant. It is there that money becomes converted to wealth.

 When I read this book I finally understood what made me tick. I was a passionate Self  Employed person, the product of several generations of Self Employed people. So relinquishing control is why I could never actually become "Interdependent." I was always grabbing things back from those I was trying to train, because I knew I could do it better and quicker myself.  Does that sound familiar to you? Fortunately, after reading this book, I took a position managing 15 different new home sales representatives in 20 communities over 7 counties. It quickly became clear that I couldn't be in every location at every minute. I had to force myself to learn to develop systems, train my people on the systems, and empower them to succeed. It was painful at first, but it truly works.

 Are you, as a REALTOR or other commissioned sales person, trying to do it all? Or are you becoming Interdependent and using a team of some sort to make you better?

I was speaking with an agent with another firm over lunch the other day. She told me what she had planned to do over the next couple of days. She had to go to a sign company to design and order signs, she needed to pick up those signs and place several of them at a large commercial property, along with several other projects. None of the items on her “to-do” were face-to-face with a client. She estimated these tasks would take her around 12 hours to complete. Even if you consider her productive time at a very low value of $500/hour, that is $6,000 in time lost. How much is your time worth to you?

 How can you as an Agent operate as a Business Owner and not be consumed as a Self Employed?

 What we offer our agents are systems. Our agent can take advantage of any that fit their business model and ignore those that don't. 

At RE/MAX Ability Plus we realize that we work FOR our agents. This mindset allows our agents to focus their time on productive activities and provide services to better their business.

Systems they take advantage of:

1. A full-time marketing department to assist with all their marketing needs.

2. A wide array of automated systems that will send clients follow up cards, emails, gifts, etc.

3. An in-house courier that will deliver anything (earnest money, for example), whenever, wherever they need it delivered. 

4. A completely integrated paperless system, so that they don’t have to run around to chase paperwork or signatures.

5. A showing agent program. They can hire an experienced agent to show properties for them, go to a closing, do an open house, etc. for only $40/hour.

6. A fully mobile Intranet platform to give them full access to everything at their fingertips.

 Dozens and dozens of systems well beyond these, creating a smorgasbord of opportunities for agents to move away from the time-controlling and income-restricting Self Employed quadrant and into the life changing Business Owner quadrant.

What quadrant are you? If not the Business Owner, how do you plan to make that jump?

More time, more money await. Start making a life instead of simply making a living.



Zillow and Trulia and Move, Oh My!!!!

 Is the sky falling? Is the world coming to an end? Will we see human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together,,,, mass hysteria? Zillow to buy out Trulia! Will they open a Real Estate company and put everyone else out on the street? Zillow and Trulia and Move, Oh My!

 Okay, let's step back from the cliff for a second. Should we give web portals like Zillow and Trulia attention? Sure, it is well deserved, they have done an amazing job of finding a need/want by the consumers and filling it. There could be an argument made that the REALTOR community, brokers, agents, MLS's and Trade Associations created this need by refusing to understand the changing expectations of our consumers. We have too long tried to force the public into looking at and buying homes through how we as an agency are most comfortable without asking, or really caring, how they might prefer.

 But what are these massive portals that control most of the eyeballs in the house hunting market? They are first and last advertising sites, in fact the day that being the sole keeper of the data in the marketplace is long gone for Brokerages and Agents. If that is all you think you're valued by, you better quickly figure out a new value proposition. Today, Zillow and Trulia have replaced the newspaper advertising for properties, so instead of paying for a newspaper ad, you will be paying a portal for the leads generated.

 What portals do not do is provide the actual service involved in buying or selling a home. Portals cannot replace REALTORS, because although people look for houses on the Internet, they don't buy them there. A house is NOT a commodity like a book on Amazon.com, and it never will be. A real estate transaction is much more complex and emotional and people still want a professional to help guide them through it. The difficult market of the last several years reinforced that message.

 If you fear that they will move from their current model and go into the real estate sales business out of the Internet Advertising business, you have to consider that they would have to completely redo their current model and would lose all their current paying customers. Those customers are you and your brokers who pay them for the advertising and leads they generate. So to move into our part of the industry they would first lose all their revenue.

 You are the trusted advisor, you are the one to guide them through the process. What you should be focusing on is how to give them that "Wow" experience as a consumer buying or selling a home through you. Our model at RE/MAX Ability Plus is to create a "Wow" experience for our clients, who are our agents, and to help support them to create that "Wow" for their clients.

 So Fear Not.

Are You Delivering Happiness To Your Clients? 4 out of 6 Agents Aren't!

 During Real Estate Connect in San Francisco, a Seller's Panel was brought forth to answer questions on their experiences, thoughts and feelings of working with their agent and the entire process. The best news for their agents was that none of them even thought to rate their agent on any of the online rating portals.

 As individual agents, teams, brokers and as an industry as a whole we might want to take a step back and really hear what these seller's had to say about their experiences and feelings about those same. If not, don't be surprised if some smart entrepreneur doesn't come along and offer them the experience they desire and does a round end of our entire industry.

 What did the seller's say?

1. 5 out of 6 used an agent that was referred to them by a family member or friend.
2. Most said that the agent who helped them buy the home didn't stay in contact so they found another agent.

Are you working a consistent follow through campaign with your past clients and database? Those first two tell you that is how you will get and keep clients.

3. Not one seller had an agent that asked them how and how often they wanted to communicate.

 The biggest complaint most sellers have is the lack of communication from their agents. Find out if they prefer, phone, text, email, Facebook IM or whatever and then honor that. Find out their expectations on communication, or at least set the expectations of how and how often they will hear from you.

4. The websites they used to look at houses, learn about pricing, and other things they wanted to research was overwhelmingly Zillow and Trulia. It really doesn't matter if you like Zillow or Trulia, it matters that your clients do. Just a side note, not one seller said they ever used REALTOR.com.

5. 5 our of 6 sellers interviewed 3-4 agents before choosing one to list their homes.
6. 4 of the 6  sellers Googled the prospective agent's names.

 Do you have a Google/Alerts set up on your name and your broker to be aware of what your potential clients can pull up on you?

7. They ALL Googled their own address to see what sites you had them on and how their house looked.

8. Only one seller had an agent who showed up with either an iPad or laptop to their listing appointment.

9. NONE said that their agent made them feel like they were part of the team in selling their house.
10. None said that their agent offered a Showing Feedback tool, but at least half said they would have loved to have one available if possible.
11. All of them negotiated a lower commission.
12. 4 of the 6 believed they could have gotten more for their house if they had hired a different agent.
13. ALL said their agent hadn't done anything to make their lives easier during the sales process. One said he just wished his agent would have communicated what to expect next.
14. ONLY 2 of the 6 felt good about the industry after the process.

 There is GREAT OPPORTUNITY in this panel survey for those professionals who are willing to be EXTRA ordinary. It wouldn't take much to be better than what most experience. You can Wow them if you take to heart their comments above and consider how you will provide service that your clients truly are hoping for. I strongly recommend reading Zappo's founder and CEO, Tony Hshieh's, book "Delivering Happiness"

 If agents and their brokers don't wake up and understand that today's consumer wants something very different than our industry they will be very sorry they didn't.

Here is a link to the article: Home Seller's Panel Survey.

Be Wise, Seek Council.

The man most known for wisdom, Solomon, gave us this advice.

Proverbs 15:22Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed. 23A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word!…

 Are you seeking "many counselors" and strong advice from those who have done what it is you want to do? Isn't it logical that someone who has done what you want to do would be the best person to tell you how?

 Just last week our Director of Operations, Jennie Franklin, and I flew up to Minneapolis/St. Paul to council with the Broker Owners and Leadership team for RE/MAX Results, the largest RE/MAX franchise in the World. The owners, John Collopy and Marshall Saunders not only made their time available to us but that of all their department heads. It was truly a whirlwind two days.

 We have become accustomed to being the ones that other RE/MAX brokers from around the country fly out to spend time with, and we very much enjoy sharing with them. It was wonderful to be on the other side this time. While we are the 43rd largest RE/MAX in America and always one of the fastest growing they are the largest in the World! Where we have 150 agents they have 850, where we have 6 offices they have 28, where we did 432 million in volume they did 3.8 billion!

 What was so exciting was how much of what they do felt very familiar, very comfortable, we found that we felt very much on track, and that we are doing the things we need to be doing. They were once our size and it was easy to ask what they did, what pitfalls to avoid, what they would have done differently could they do it again. We came home as excited as we have ever been with new information ready to put into place.

 If you are building your business, who are you seeking for council? Look for those who have businesses that you admire and would love to emulate and buy them lunch, find a way to get to ask them about how they did it, and what they are doing that you need to adopt. Look for those who's lives are those you would like to as well. These mentors do not have to be everything you want to be, you can learn from one aspect you want in your business or life and from someone else on another area.

No matter what you do, find them, and learn.

Is It Possible You Are Paying Way Too Much For Admin Work?

 Is it possible that you are paying WAY too much for your admin work? If you are doing it yourself to save money, I almost guarantee it! What is the value of your time? What is your most productive activity? What activities by you actually generate the most income?

  You say you cannot afford to hire someone to help you with your administration and marketing duties? I completely understand, I stood firmly where you are now. I am cheap, I openly admit it. I used to hedge it and say I was frugal, but as I have grown older I now can embrace who I really am. When I first started a career of selling new homes for builders, my builder provided an assistant for me one day a week so I could have a day off. If I wanted someone to help me any other day, I would have to pay out of my pocket and hire them myself. My mentor kept after me to hire someone to do my marketing, to help with paperwork, so I could focus on the phone and getting in front of more people. My thoughts were that I was good at multitasking and there was always down time.

 My mentor challenged me to do an experiment, I was instructed to go through my calendar and for every hour I was with a client face to face I was to divide that number into my income. The results were stunning, for every hour I spent face to face I was earning 250.00, and this was my first year in the business far from my peak earnings, and it was 1983! What is your time worth if you divided it by those activities that are your peak activities, be it getting on the phone, face to face appointments or maybe the Buffini Drop Bys?

 Some of you might be about to become ill thinking that you have been paying maybe thousands of dollars an hour to stuff envelopes, create marketing flyers, or drive to drop off those flyers in flyer boxes at your listings. Because some of you have been doing exactly that!

 That is why we at RE/MAX Ability Plus focus so hard on taking all those obstacles away from our agents, let someone on our staff do it. We have created dozens and dozens of programs that agents can choose to do what they needed done a la cart so they can focus their time on where they actually maximize their businesses.  Why waste your time stuffing envelopes, stamping postcards, driving flyers out to listings, or any myriad of activities that need to be done, but not by top dollar agents.

 This could be why the agents who join us see an average of 31% increase to their businesses their first year, I am not talking commission, that is usually much higher, but business volume. To make this illustration I pulled the numbers of a couple agents who joined us already at the top of the game, but with the ability to focus on more production rather than busy work the numbers have been mind blowing.

Team One: After 17 years with a large local independent as one of that companies top teams their first half year with us was a 68% increase in business over the last year with their old company, the first full year added another 63% to their business, the next year was another 35.5%. If you look at the full two and a half years they grew their business 259%!

Individual Agent Two: After being recognized as the # 1 Individual Agent for another national brand for the State of Indiana and # 3 throughout all of the Ohio Valley saw her business grow by 81% after just 9 months with us the first year and added another 49% her first full year. Overall in a year and nine months increased her already impressive business by 172%!

 There is more to their stories, but freeing them up from tedious tasks to set them free to grow was a large part of it.

What are you doing that you should look for someone else to do to set yourself free?

Your Company's Culture Is Your Company's Brand

Times they are a changing!

Used to be a company's Brand was created by a few people meeting in a room to decide what Brand Positioning was going to be. Then they spent a ton of money buying advertising to tell people what their Brand was. If they were able to spend enough money, they were able to build a brand.

 Today is a very different world. If companies like it or not, with the Internet connecting everyone together, companies are becoming more and more transparent. An unhappy customer or a disgruntled employee can blog about a bad experience with a company or an agent, and the story can spread like wildfire. Hopefully you are protecting yourself with Google Alerts on your name and your company to be aware of what is being said.

 The good news is that the reverse is also true. A great experience with a company or agent can be read by dozens, if not thousands or even millions of people almost instantaneously as well. The problem is you cannot possibly anticipate every possible touch point that could influence perception of you or your brand. For example, if you happen to meet an employee of a company at a bar, even if the employee isn't working, how you perceive your interaction with that employee will affect how you perceive that company, and therefore that brand. It can be a positive or a negative influence. So every employee can affect your company's brand, not just the front-line employees that are paid to talk to your customers. Yesterday one of the executives at RE/MAX LLC was telling a story of a "Boys" weekend in Vegas with RE/MAX President, Vinnie Tracy, this executive was getting a little goofy and Vinnie reminded him that "They're everywhere" to make sure you don't do or say anything you don't want your clients to brand you with. A few seconds later one of their clients, a RE/MAX agent walked up and said Hi to Vinnie. That is great advice, you too on a level large or small have "them everywhere."

 At RE/MAX Ability Plus we decided that the Brand we want is about the very best client services on the planet. So everything we do is to create that "Wow!!!" experience with our clients. ( for us our clients are our agents.) We believe that if we can Wow our clients, they will in turn better be able to Wow their own clients when they help them buy and sell their real estate. We believe that client service shouldn't be a department it should be the entire company.

 The cost to try to buy a brand with advertising only gets you so far. If you ask most people what the "brand" of the U. S. Auto industry is today, odds are the response will not be in line with what the automakers project in their advertising. So what are you to do if you cannot just buy a brand you want?

What's the best way to build a brand for the long-term? In a word - Culture.
If you get your culture right, most everything else like great customer service, building a great long-term brand, and passionate employees and customers will happen naturally. The company's culture and brand are really just two sides of the same coin. The Culture comes first and it creates the Brand, because ultimately your Culture Becomes Your Brand.

 How do you build and maintain a culture that you want? It starts with being selective who you choose to join your company. Do they have the skills, the professionalism, the relevant experience to come and make an impact? Are they also a cultural fit, are they passionate, positive, do they value what you value in how business is to be done? One of the companies most recognized as THE culture based superstars is Zappos, they are hyper critical in their hiring process of making sure people fit their culture. Once they do hire they put everyone no matter what the position they were hired for through the same four week training program working in customer service. They also offer to pay every new employee to leave if the employee doesn't feel they're a fit after going through training and seeing how things really work there. When Amazon bought Zappos they now offer the same 5,000.00 check for any new employee who decides this isn't the right job for them. That is putting their money where their mouths are, they want to make sure their employees are there for more than just a paycheck, that they believe in their long-term vision and want to be part of the culture. On average less than 1% take them up on it.

 One of the great advantages of focusing on culture for us, when we are recruiting agents from other firms, unlike most companies, we don't just give them a handful of names and contacts to ask about us. We say come in and ask anyone, we give them access to our entire roster on our website and say ask whoever you like whatever you like.  It is one way for us to be as transparent as possible, which is a big part of our culture.

At the end of the day, just remember that if you get the culture right all that other stuff - including building a great brand - will all fall into place!

As A REALTOR You Have To Prove Your Value To Your Clients, Do You Ever Ask Your Broker To Prove Theirs To You?

 Now more than ever you as a REALTOR are being asked by clients to show your value in a transaction. You should have a compelling argument because they still desperately need you to guide them through the real estate transaction. However in a very short span of years that role has dramatically changed from simple keeper of the information to guide through the myriad of data. They need your expertise to sort through, comprehend and advise and council them to protect them from making mistakes in some of the biggest financial decisions of most of their lives.

 It was only 18 years ago when the very first listings were being put on the World Wide Web as it was called, and that was only the very early adapters who were online them. Keep in mind the Internet was not available for public, consumer and commercial uses until 1995. Back then we got MLS books each week with current listings available. So REALTORS saw their value in the marketplace tied to being the keeper of information. They are the only ones who knew what was on the market other than by seeing a sign in the yard. As information became readily available to the consumer those agents who failed to adapt and provide deeper and more valuable services fell away into history like those weekly books.

 Before the MLS and those books each Broker kept a file of their offices listings, and as an agent you had to go to their office to see what they had in inventory. So the value Brokers  provided to agents was a place to find and market their inventory. The Broker was the Information Depository, and the agent was entrusted to market that information. We have all seen the panic that rumbles through our industry every time a new way information slips out of our protection to the public without us, that old information paradigm runs deep in many of our DNAs. Please understand it is your expertise and ability to guide, not your data that gives you value.

 As you continue to be asked to explain your value, have you ever thought to ask your Broker to explain theirs to you? Have they evolved into a new service industry serving your business needs, or are they operating the same basic business model they were twenty years ago with just a web presence added? As an agent it is likely that your single largest expense per year is what you pay your broker in splits and fees, likely more than you are paying for your house, your taxes, or any other expense. What are you receiving for your investment?

 Last week I was meeting with a very sharp young agent who just got his license and suggested a couple of other Brokers to begin his career since we do not accept brand new agents. He was sitting in our Carmel office and was in love with the culture and excitement he saw all around him and asked who was most like us, and I had to tell him no one. That all the others were in a different business than we. That there are many excellent companies and successful business models out there, but they are all in the Real Estate business, and we are in the Top Producing REALTOR business, it's our clients (our agents) who are in the Real Estate business. Our business is serving them so they can be more effective serving their own clients.

 So once again, what business is your Broker in, and what value do they bring to your ever changing world current to today's world? Are they relevant, or are they doing the same things they were during the Mad Men days?

What 3 Specific Innovations/Changes Will Impact the Real Estate Business The Most in the Next 3-5 Years?

 My favorite time of the year to get my geek on, the "Swanepoel TRENDS Report 2014" is out! In this Real Estate trade magazine they interview the top minds in the industry and ask them a series of questions to help us get a peek into what they anticipate will be our coming attractions. You will likely get a few blogs from me with my thoughts on different parts of this year's book

 For today, we will explore this question and the answers:

"Which three specific innovations/changes will, in your opinion, impact the residential real estate brokerage business the most over the next three to five years?"

Gary Keller, Co-Founder of Keller Williams wrote;
"Since looking backwards is a great way to forecast forward, I see three events already underway that I believe will strongly impact the real estate industry for the next three to five years: agents expanding their borders, the expanded use of predictive analytics, and the progressing battle for online listing data."

 He went on to say how he believes that the greatest innovation we will see will not come from technologists, but from real estate agents. He believes Top agents will continue to monetize their systems by expanding into new markets. That agents will move their value proposition from "information provider to information interpreter. His third trend is the ongoing battle over who will provide the public with their listing data. This will not go away until the war is won. The outcome isn't decided at all, and brokerages are beginning to realize that if they don't step up and become the solution they will at some point become expendable.

Brad Inman, Founder and Publisher of INMAN news;
"1. New and better products will be created. They sky is the limit on innovation.
  2. Smaller tech companies will be gobbled up, as REALTOR.com, Trulia and Zillow square off in heated battle.
  3. Brokers who don't innovate or partner will be left in the dust. Old ways are most threatened at times like this.
  4. Agents will be offered more and more products and better ways to do their job. Their growing independence will be even more emboldened.
  5. New business models will be tried, further challenging the old guard.
Finally and most importantly, the consumer will enjoy a better experience, buying, selling and renting homes."

Curt Beardsley, VP Product Marketing Move, Inc.:
"Today, several complete - or nearly complete - data compilations of nationwide listing data exist. Over the next few years, brokerages, software systems, and agent tools will begin to directly interact with these standardized compilations through APIs and direct interfaces - and not the underlying content providers (MLSs). This single access point for regional and national listing content will render the number or structure of these content providers irrelevant to the users. many of these content provider systems will remain, but some brokerages will begin to directly interact with the aggregated compilations, relying on peer-to-peer and other alternative agreements for cooperation and compensation."

Pam O'Connor, President and CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World:
"Globalization;
  The world is shrinking, and as various economies ebb and flow, we have seen investment from foreign buyers increase to represent seven percent of all U.S. sales, and as much as thirty percent in states life Florida and California. Even in interior markets like Iowa's Quad Cities, multi-national companies are bringing in expats, so today's consumer wants to know that his or her home is exposed Globally. Depending on how the U.S. economy grows or stagnates, residents here may also look to other countries to invest. Creating connections to other real estate professionals around the world, and developing platforms to achieve property exposure globally will become more prevalent as time goes on. This trend is already very much a factor in the luxury market."

(Being with RE/MAX, I loved reading her comments on how critical it was for a global reach, no one is as connected globally as is RE/MAX today.)

Jack Miller, CEO T3 Experts:
"Millennials don't care how you're used to doing business. Millennials have grown up with technology that works remarkably well, and the won't suffer the industry's retro technologies - and retro mentalities - either as consumers or practitioners."

The overall tenor of the group was a feeling of optimism and a belief that the industry would continue to evolve into something relevant for tomorrow's consumer. Yet, they believe that those who are not part of the change, are not pushing the envelope will soon not have to worry about it any longer because they will no longer be in the business, be they agents or brokerages.

I guess to put it in an old way of saying, it is up to you to Lead, Follow, or get out of the way.

How Do You Filter Your Choices?

 You have to make countless decisions every day, many quickly as you navigate through the different areas of your professional, personal, and family life. How do you filter them to help you to confidently choose your options and move on to the next ones?

 There is a very under utilized tool to help you called a Mission Statement. Yeah I know, we all have them at work and have no idea what they say, they are just a dusty plaque in the lobby in most cases. Those, in my opinion are not mission statements, but vanity plates trying to sound good with zero connection to anyone in the organization. If used properly a mission statement is simply a filtering tool to run your choices through to help you make the decision that is in line with your vision.

At RE/MAX Ability Plus we have ours "To Inspire Agents, Create Opportunities, and Support Their Dreams" is part of our DNA. We do not do anything without first running it through this filter to make sure that there is a fit with our Mission. Recently we had a great example of how this works in our agent's best interest. One of our agents who joined us last year, came to realize that Real Estate wasn't her passion after working with the passionate agents here. She sent me this email, we were able to visit later, but I was moved to tears to know that we were exactly who we promised to be in our Mission Statement for her. We did Inspire, Create, and Support her Dreams! I am so proud of her for chasing her dreams. Here is her letter.

"Dear Jim,

 I assume Jimmy has broken the news:  I am retiring from real estate.  I wished I could have told you in person, but want to at least send you a note thanking you for everything.

 As I told Jimmy today, real estate is just not the right fit for me.  Working at (Brand X), the office being what it was, I just assumed everyone was unhappy.   I got to RE/MAX Ability Plus and found a company full of people that were not only happy in real estate, but truly seem to love what they do, from you and Jimmy, to the agents, to the staff. You practice what you preach, and encourage us all to follow our dreams.  It made me realize something was missing and real estate wasn't going to fulfill it.   I have a great opportunity to get back into law, either outright or through a few more credit hours of school, and I have to take it.  

 I am immensely grateful to you and Jimmy for your encouragement and support.  I could have wasted years of my life at (Brand X), never realizing there was an issue.  The first time I met with you this spring, I felt more excited about work and the future than I had in years. I realize that in the end, the career choice was not real estate, but you both have instilled a sense of optimism and drive that has been lacking the past couple of years.  Your passion for your job and your company is contagious and I know that is why your agents are successful, and why RE/MAX Ability Plus is successful.

 I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.  I know you and Jimmy will go far, and I still believe that you are the best real estate company in the state.  I will gladly refer business to you, knowing that past client and friends will receive the best service around!  I hope you will keep in touch and that our paths will cross again.  Jimmy has encouraged me to come to the Christmas party.  I hope to see you there if I can make it!

 Best wishes,

  Ayn"

How could we be more successful fulfilling our Mission Statement than that?

Mission Statements help you not beat yourself up struggling with decisions, it makes your day go faster and with much less stress. You simply filter the decisions through your values in the statement, it will either fit or not.

 Have a work one, a personal one, another for your marriage and one for your kids, any others that might make your life easier.

 For me, my personal mission statement has long been, "Have Fun, Make Money, and Make a Difference." If I am in a job that fits all three, life is good, if not, it's time to look.

 When I married Jodi, 30 years ago next June, my Mission Statement was "Make Her Always Feel The Slipper Fit." No matter how our finances were it helped me to find ways to truly make her understand how special she is to me.
 
 For my role as Dad, it is "To Raise Healthy, Happy, Successful Adults." That way when I had to make decisions that didn't make for happy children, I never had to doubt my intentions.

 When you make a Mission Statement, be sure that it is short, simple, easily at the tip of your tongue and something that you are truly passionate about. If you do, you won't be so exhausted at the end of the day from fighting and second guessing yourself on they myriad of choices you must make every day.

Goal Achieving Steroids

 It is early in 2014 you should be just getting started on making your 2014 goals and Dreams come true, or at least I hope you are. Make sure that you don't sabotage yourself by throwing away your power to achieve them.

 Our society has stripped most people of the most powerful success tool ever available to everyone by creating a get it now easy credit culture. We can buy most anything we want by making "easy" monthly payments. Beyond being bad for your financial health, it is completely destructive for your ability to set and achieve goals and dreams.

 Last night anyone watching "Pawn Stars" was shown how this success strategy works. Chumley has taken on a new healthy lifestyle and has lost a great deal of weight, going from 320 to 241. Nothing has been mentioned as he has been making this change, but last night after reaching this goal, he said why he was doing it. Last year the store bought a personal one person hovercraft that he wanted to ride, but it has a 250 pound weight limit. He lost the weight so he could ride it and did so on last night's show. The point is he had a burning desire to ride this vehicle and it drove him to reach his goal. It makes no difference if ANYONE else thinks your Dream has any value, it only matters that you do.

 There is a wonderful story of the power that can come from delayed gratification. Dexter Yager, one of the icons of the Multilevel Marketing industry who has every material thing you can think of, several multi-million dollar homes, collections of cars, jets, what ever you can imagine councils others who are chasing their own dreams. I have heard several people who had counseled with Dexter that part of their evening included going to a marina to go sit in a speed boat Dex wanted. This boat was about 50,000.00, a number that Dex likely carried on him. One of those mentees on the third trip to the boat said to Dex, "Why don't you just buy this boat?" and Dex looked incredulous saying "I can't afford to do that!!" Knowing that Dex could easily buy the marina, he asked what are you talking about. Then Dex gave a piece of wisdom that if you take to heart will completely transform your ability to reach Goals and Dreams. Dexter said, "Do you know how hard it is for me to find something I want? I have to milk all the want out of it before I buy it."

 That is very profound. What if we always made ourselves "earn" those things we really want instead of just buying them on impulse? What if we used them as a carrot for us to reward ourselves when we performed activity goals, or accomplished a task?

 If you want to put steroids into your goal setting muscles delayed gratification is your answer.