A recent article in Australian Broker Online¹ told of a former broker who has established a charity ‘Do you do charity?’ which pays a percentage of upfront sales to clients who ask that trigger question.

The property and finance industry has a long history of charitable and community work. As a client, there is something reassuring about a business that supports a charity and has an ingrained ethos of community involvement. It is also important to publish this aspect of your business in reports and on your website, yet avoid over promotion or appearing that you are doing it for the sake of promotion.

One way to integrate charitable donations into your business is to donate to charity every time a client refers you. You could further personalise your gratitude for the referral, if you are able to, by donating to a charity that is close to your client’s heart. Then you could let them know that you have done that with a personal thank you card or email and provide a free Comparative Market Report to keep your client up to date on their property situation.

Social media is a great platform for referrals and testimonials and an easy way for you keep track of positive client comments. You could post information about the charity you support on your rp.connect page or for every client that ‘likes’ your facebook page you could donate an amount to your chosen charity.

However you choose to do it, incorporating charitable donations and community involvement into your business benefits everybody and is rewarding in so many ways.

For more information about how you can utilise your rp.connect page click here or watch our how-to video on setting up your personalised webpage. Alternatively, book a training session with us today and get some in depth knowledge.

¹ Source: Former broker in business charity push. http://www.brokernews.com.au/article/former-broker-in-business-charity-push-128222.aspx

You might consider the ‘lie’ word a bit harsh, but sadly it’s true. A large proportion of agents knowingly tell a vendor they will sell the property for more than it’s worth. They justify it as being necessary to get the listing. “After all”, they say, “everyone else does it, so I have to too”.

Unfortunately, this is the beginning of their problems. An overpriced listing is difficult to sell. The vendor has to be ‘conditioned’ to ‘meet the market’ by more lies and half-truths. This takes time, leads to a great deal of stress and unhappiness, and accounts for much of the reputational problems of agents generally.

So what is the alternative? Firstly, if this is you, you need to recognise that you have a problem and that lying is not the answer. Secondly, you need a change of listing strategy that gets the vendor to work out the correct price of the property, rather than being told a figure. This is not as hard as you might think. Simply present a list of all the properties like theirs that have sold in ascending price order and get them to make the comparison. They will soon see the reality (and realise when other agents are misleading them). Thirdly, educate them that overpricing leads to them getting less money than they otherwise would when the property becomes stale and undesirable, and takes a lot more time and hassle. Finally, concentrate on how your efforts at presentation and marketing will enable them to achieve the maximum price in the shortest time.

For more details see my book, Sell for more, available through Harper Collins.

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Have you downloaded the pre-listings iPad app, rp.lister?
RP Lister allows Real Estate Agents to engage with vendors and combine local expertise with RP Data’s property information to win more listings.  The iPad app offers mobile access to all the tools you need to establish your credentials, present market comparisons and engage with vendors. Offering the power of RP Data’s property information and the flexibility to let you control the conversation, rp.lister helps agents present interactive property content to educate and inform vendors so they can confidently decide on an appropriate listing price for their property. Download the app for free as part of your RP Data subscription, visit the iTunes App Store http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/rp.lister/id444418897?mt=8

This enhancement has two benefits:

1. It should assist you in quickly tracking down specific attributes and features when you are searching for properties, and more importantly,
2. You can include the specific ‘stand out’ or unique aspects of your client’s property when you are listing it and by running an advanced filter search you can see whether there are many competing properties in a suburb which have these same attributes.

The advanced search function is part of the Refine Search tool bar on the left side of the RP Professional system. Simply select the ‘Advanced Filters’ link and it will provide you with the available features that you can search on in that suburb. You can search on anything which comes up: from golf frontages to tennis courts and even the year a property was built.

The latest enhancement has grouped the Advanced Filters into some of the following categories:

• Internal (features of a property)
• External (features of a property)
• Property value (including Unimproved capital value, year built/refurbished)
• Frontage
• Services available
• Commercial (fees)

For more information watch the “Refining Your Property Search Results” video or call our friendly Customer Care Team on 1300 734 318.

It doesn’t matter what property management department you work in… the reality is that things are going to go wrong from time-to-time. Even if you have invested time and/or money into establishing quality systems and procedures, you can still encounter challenges with your internal processes or communications with landlords and tenants.

How often they go wrong will greatly be driven by the quality of your systems and procedures, as well as the commitment by the team to be proactive rather than reactive.

When things go wrong in your department what is your team’s mindset? How do they react? What action is taken? …If any.

Very early on in my property management career I learnt that when things go wrong it is a ‘positive sign’ calling you to action. A weakness within the organisation has just been identified that requires a solution to avoid it from happening again in the future.

To improve your internal operations requires a team effort. An important document within our PPMsystem® is the Proactive Fix It form. This form or one that you have created should be printed at the commencement of each week for each team member. During the week if anything goes wrong; or you receive a complaint; or you were unsure how to manage a situation better; or you thought you could manage a situation better take the time to make notes on the form to allow your team to come together and brainstorm solutions.

Often when I speak with property managers about their meeting agenda and structures they comment that they are a waste of time and non-productive. The top two meeting agenda points each week should be, how can we improve our internal operations and be more productive and how can we be more profitable as a team. Whatever your team focuses on – will become their reality! If improving your internal operations is on the top of your agenda, your team will start searching for answers and better ways of doing things.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

• Ensure that your team work in an environment where they feel comfortable to be honest and upfront to share when something does goes wrong
• Determine if the team member failed to utilise your procedures or checklists or whether the procedures or checklists failed your team members
• Implement a solution, system or procedure to avoid the situation from occurring again

HOW TO AVOID THINGS FROM GOING WRONG

How do you rate?

Yes No – Quality systems and procedures implemented and embraced
Yes No – Team attends regular training
Yes No – Team attends regular meetings to discuss productivity and profitability
Yes No – Team receives regular script and dialogue training
Yes No – Regular compliance checks are performed within the department
Yes No – Regular tenant and landlord service surveys undertaken

There is a great saying that if you want to achieve different results… you must do something different. It is not uncommon for a property management department to encounter challenges in their week and then ignore them. The department is diligent and focused on immediately fixing the problem or challenge, but they fail to implement a solution to avoid it from happening again. There is a basic rule when things go wrong. Spend 20% of your time and energy on fixing the problem and 80% on the solution.

If you require assistance with your property management department to become more productive and profitable contact the PPM Group 1300 734 616 or visit their website www.ppmsystem.com.

Debbie’s background
Debbie Palmer offers a fresh youthful approach to property management. She has worked in the industry since 1989 both in London and Australia. She founded the PPM Group in 2000 which is a national company that encourages and supports business development opportunities within property management departments through the development of systems, consultancy and training. She is well respected in the industry and has dedicated her working career to improving property management procedures. Debbie guest speaks with thousands of property managers and principals each year on how to improve profitability and productivity through the implementation of systems.

The PPM Group offers, support, training and facilitatse EVERYTHING property management.

Six years ago we could send out a paper newsletter and the phone would ring.

Three years ago we could send an e-newsletter and the phone would ring.

Now we are bombarded with so much marketing on a day to day basis that it is hard to be effective and stand out from the crowd.

Having worked in the ‘marketing’ industry for over eight years, it has been interesting to see the development of electronic marketing and its uptake by businesses due to the small cost of email compared to paper. However I’m still a firm believer that there is a place for paper based marketing.

Why do I believe that?
Because Google has sent me three pieces of postal mail in the last two months!

Because it is the only way they can get through to me!
As I sit here writing this piece, I have 384 emails in my Inbox (this is a good day), and my Deleted Items folder contains an equal number of unimportant, uncompelling and irrelevant messages. It also includes many unread e-newsletters that I subscribe to that I must read each week.

We keep being told that Gen Y only likes to read things on the internet, Facebook or other social media. However as I do my own research in the community, I find that Gen Ys often don’t receive any mail addressed to them and find it quite exciting to receive letters in the post.

When most of us go to our letter boxes, all we receive is bills (most of these are sent electronically now) and the junk mail that’s been sitting there for a day or two.

Gone are the days of a really cluttered letter box. Sometimes there is nothing in it. And if we are really honest, we are slightly disappointed.

82% of our clients use our paper magazine. Of those using paper, 64% of them have been with me for more than three years (prior to the GFC).

Why do they stay? Because it works!
Now I’m not saying that all E-marketing doesn’t work. It certainly has its place. My message would be that a multi-layered marketing approach seems to be the best solution based on client interaction and marketing budgets.

I always say in my workshops, “It’s about doing the right stuff, not the easy stuff.” The right stuff may come at a higher price. But if it works, does it matter?

Now nothing beats the good old ‘face to face’ or the phone. These approaches will always be the best way to influence your clients and prospects. But we don’t all have time for that.

So what do you need to do?

• Have a client communication plan to begin with.
• Have a combination of marketing activities that complement each other. Paper should be one of them.
• Use a mix of different mediums (print, email, sms, websites, social media, workshops, referral partners, and like I just said… let’s not forget the good old phone and some face to face contact) to stay in touch and educate your clients and potential customers.
• Use trigger point marketing to create a response.
• Outsource your marketing to experts in your industry. This frees up your time to do what you are good at – writing loans. Listen to the experts. Make sure they offer more than one type of marketing strategy to support your client communication program. Make sure you have someone to talk to about your marketing ideas, past results and future expectations.
• Check whether they help you ‘after the sale’ with alternate marketing options or do they simply just send out e-newsletters and that’s it?
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Have a range of marketing ‘systems’ so when one stops working for a little while, others are already in place while you re-evaluate.
• Educate yourself about marketing and client communication. Go to marketing workshops by industry leaders.
• Get yourself an expert mentor. As they say, ‘two heads are much better than one’. Ask them what works and what doesn’t.

If you’re a paper fan like me, we don’t really need to compete with email. We just need to be smarter and do everything we can to make our paper mail better. We have to.

Due to the recession and budget cuts on marketing we have something that email doesn’t – an uncluttered letter box.

Just something to think about!

Thanks for reading.
Deena Janes
Your Client Matters

If you want to know more about a multi-layered marketing plan, you can contact Deena at Your Client Matters on 1300 926 000, or visit www.yourclientmatters.com.au

Ask us to POST you our information pack so you can sit and read it over a cup of coffee!

Also, when you call ask for your free 20 minute marketing appraisal. Test Deena’s ideas and see the results.

Once you have located the property you wish to update as a recent sale, a ‘pop-up’ box will appear prompting you to add the relevant sales details. Once the information is saved, your name and agency will be assigned to the property as one of your recent sales. These sales and auction results are then shared by RP Data with various media channels which are advertised to buyers and sellers, both online and in print. To see where your sales can be promoted, click here and read more.

It’s so quick and easy to do, so why not check it out today by logging in to RP Professional.

For more information on all of the avenues your sales can be promoted, or alternative ways to submit your sales, visit www.rpdata.com/recentsales or contact our Agent Advice team on 1300 734 318 – option 3.

The top five secrets of success were listed as:

1. Brand: “A strong brand can be a massive boost to your business”
2. Referrals: “A customer referral is worth more than its weight in gold”
3. Teamwork: “Quality teamwork is a crucial element to success”
4. People: “Customers will get the same experience regardless of who they speak to”
5. Customer Service: “Put the client first”

In terms of brand, RP Data’s rp.connect enables you to promote your own personal brand, as well as your company’s brand. Utilise your rp.connect site for Google searches, testimonials, blogs, Facebook, twitter, YouTube videos and property sales. For tutorials, activating your site, to log in or book training visit rpdata.com/connect and get started today!

Referrals are crucial to a Broker’s business. Reward clients who refer you by offering to provide them with a Comparative Market Report (CMA) which will provide them with an updated market view of their property. Clients that refer you to others might also be happy to provide you with a testimonial, and give you permission to post it on your rp.connect site.

Working together as a team is important in any business, big or small. By ensuring that all members are trained on the RP Data Property System, any team member will be able to step in and help out another to prepare a CMA, On the Market report or search for a property.

Having good people in your business means being on the same page as the rest of the team. With RP Data you can pick up with a client where your colleague left off in terms of locating recent searches, looking up properties and providing suburb statistics.

What better customer service mantra is to ‘under promise and over deliver’? With RP Data you can provide the unexpected for your client in terms of reporting and market analysis. These tools are free for you to use and will win over your clients every time.

Log in to rp.professional today to generate your top five secrets to success. For more information on how to design reports or access training, call 1300 734 318, watch our many RP Professional how-to videos or visit rpdata.com/training to book an advanced training session.

¹Source: Five business lessons from top franchises. http://www.brokernews.com.au/mpa/article/five-business-lessons-from-top-franchises-128226.aspx

The article quotes the recent release of the AFR’s Smart Investor Index which showed a 45% swing in property market confidence for the first quarter of 2012. The Smart Investor Index also showed that Australians have increased confidence in the global economy with concerns over Europe and the US beginning to fade.

This increased confidence has meant that many brokers are seeing more preapproval applications finalised and noticing more investors returning to the market. While Australians have been suitably cautious in light of recent global economic uncertainty, costs of overseas borrowings and interest rate changes, the AFR report is a positive sign of better times ahead.

The number of housing finance commitments is also continuing to improve, rising 8.7% over the December quarter, according to the seasonally adjusted series from the ABS, it is another strong sign that a degree of health is returning to the housing market; at least at a national level.

With this in mind, now might be an opportune time to reconnect with previous applicants who withdrew their applications last year due to economic uncertainty and re-engage them with an RP Data Comparative Market Report (CMA) to demonstrate current market conditions and opportunities.

Log in to rp.professional today to generate a CMA or watch our quick ‘how to’ video on building your own customised CMA. Discover how offering a value added CMA will help suit the needs of your applicants and make the application process go along more smoothly. For more information on how to design a CMA, call 1300 734 318 or visit rpdata.com/training to book an advanced training session.

If I asked you to jump out of a plane mid-air without a parachute and just ‘wing it’, you’d think I was crazy. Why? Because your chances of negotiating a successful landing would be very slight. Yet day after day, agents go to appraisals completely unprepared and somehow think they can muddle through.

Of course they don’t die if they fail to list a property or list it badly (unless their Sales Manager kills them), but they are injuring themselves because a golden opportunity has been wasted.

They simply do not value getting a listing highly enough to make the proper effort.

I understand that agents get very busy and caught on the hop. Sometimes it just seems easier to go along and have a quick look. No harm done. You can always get back to the vendor later with all the figures…right? WRONG. As the old saying goes, “you only have one chance to make a first impression”. And you’ve just blown yours by appearing ill-prepared.

So what can you do? Firstly, always have your appraisal and listing kit with you. Secondly, keep an up-to-date list of all sales in your area (categorised however best suits you) in the kit. RP Data gives you quick and easy access to all the sales data you need – just print it out each week, and don’t be lazy or make excuses. Otherwise it’s your potential sale that will coming crashing down.

Word of mouth marketing and testimonials, are inexpensive and effective tools and can integrate well with  social media. In years gone by you might have encouraged your satisfied clients to recommend you to their friends in passing, now you can ask them to ‘like’ you on Facebook or ask them to write a testimonial on your Facebook page which is a relatively new feature. However, repeat traffic to you Facebook is somewhat difficult to achieve, which is where your testimonials displayed on your website are a must-have marketing strategy.

Just remember, when it comes to writing testimonials there are many items to consider:

• Ensure that your client is happy for their name to be included in the testimonial.
• Aim to generate a number of testimonials based on your different target audiences.
• Use a feedback form to generate specific responses.
• Ask for a testimonial upon completion of a successful settlement.

Learn more about rp.connect here or watch a short video on uploading your testimonials here.

For more information on rp.connect or to get training 1300 734 318.