Real Estate Agent Training

The Biggest Mistake Realtors Make & How to Avoid It Part 2

2011-07-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

So, how do we change and open those doors to success? From part 1 we learned that the biggest mistake Realtors make is not doing the good methods and techniques they learn about that will improve their business. The process to overcome this is simple but requires hard work and dedication. If you're allergic to that, then don't read this. This post is for those Realtors who are ready to be successful.

First, we have to realize that the new ideas we learn to enhance our business usually contain a lot of information and many steps. Here's what you do to get into action on doing what will improve your business even when it's hard or overwhelming.

Break up the training into bite size pieces. This way you can focus on one small piece each day. You have many other things to do in the day so set yourself up for success by making it doable.
Plan your day each morning and set aside time devoted to learning or implementing the bite size piece.
Set a goal to accomplish this piece by the end of the day. Write it down and stick it where you'll see it throughout the day.
Tell others you trust about your goal for the day to get a little extra help.
Remember your motivation. The end result of your hard work will be achieving greater success.
Consistency is the key to long-term success. Plan time for this every day until you're finished learning to implementing the method. The key here is every day, not whenever it's convenient.

This will help you stay in control of your day. By staying focused on what is most important you will always feel very satisfied at the end of each day. Not to mention, you will be doing exactly what you need to bring in the money.

Keep this article handy so you can refer to it when you are working on new methods in your business. Remember, you will have times when you'll feel discouraged and want to go back to what your used to and what is comfortable. This is natural. However, hold on to the reason why you're working to change. It's the outcome you want that will fuel your desire to continue. You've got to believe in yourself.

Now's your time to shine! You can do it!

The Biggest Mistake Realtors Make & How to Avoid It Part 1

2011-07-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

How many times have real estate agents gone to an excellent training event or read from an excellent book? Many times, right. How many times have real estate agents taken what they've learned and changed their business with it? You would hope the answer would be many times. However, this is not the case. What you'll learn here will give you power to accomplish your dreams.

The biggest mistake real estate agents make is not doing what they've learned. On the surface this sounds silly. When you dig deeper you begin to understand why. When you truly understand and internalize this, the doors to ultimate success will be opened to you forever!

To really understand, we need to look at a typical day for an agent. The daily activities are usually built around what is most pressing on them. That's where they start their day and end up spending a large amount of the day. The day ends up driving the agent. I'm sure you're thinking, “That's not what happens to me.” In reality it happens to just about everyone to a greater or lesser degree.

The main problem is a lack of understanding on the agent's part about how to plan their day and time block to accomplish the most important activities. This was a big problem for me for quite some time and is with most people. We get engaged with the first pressing thing of the day and from that point on are chasing around what ever is pressing upon us.

When you sit down at the end of the day and take an inventory of your activities, do you find that you've worked enough on lead generation? Do you find that you've done enough to educate yourself to improve your business? We find that we aren't left with the necessary time in the day to devote to lead generation and education.

I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone. This is just the facts of the matter. When we really come to grips with the fact that we are not controlling our day, we can then begin the process to change. That's what this is all about. Getting from your current state to a better state. Successful people understand this principle better than most. That is what sets them apart from the rest of us.

The other major factor is the fact that change is uncomfortable. Doing what we've learned through training is not easy. What we are currently doing is comfortable to us and easy to stick with because it's what we are used to. Here's the clincher, we stick with it even though we know the better thing we really should be doing. When we try something that makes us uncomfortable, like some new method or technique, we avoid it and go back to what we are used to. I believe this is the major cause for not doing the good stuff we learn about. Success takes hard work. But you know what, you have the ability to do it and be successful. Don't ever forget that.

So, the question remains, “What are you going to do about it?” Well, you're going to have to read part 2 to find out the solution.

Excellent Short Sale Training

2011-07-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you a company that does short sale training and short sale leads. I got the Pre-foreclosure Specialist Certification (PSC) from Partner First. So, why should you care? The short sale training they provide is so vital to long term success for agents selling short sales.

The insight I gained into short sales was phenomenal. It is definitely worth your time to check out their website if you want to have real success in short sales.

They also have a referral network. Of course, this comes with a price. However, they actually do have leads coming in and you can reserve zip codes that you cover so you aren't fighting for leads with other agents.

All in all, the education they offer on short sales is really good and you don't have to be a part of the agent network to get the certifications they offer. Check it out at Partner First U.

Now, go get some more listings! I know you can do it!

Benefit Oriented Gets You More Business

2011-07-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

You have two choices.
1. Market with client benefits.
2. Market with your achievements.

Which one will get you the most leads and listings?

If you said #2 you are absolutely right.

Why? Too often agents want to show their prospective clients that they are the right person for the job by telling about how they are #1 in this, that, and the other thing. The main thing to remember is that your prospective client is choosing an agent only to get what they want.

If you focus on client benefits, your prospective client will see exactly how they will get what they want from you. This will solidify in their mind that you are the right agent for them. After all, they don't really care if you've sold the most houses. They want to know if you'll answer the phone when they call or give them the right answers to their questions. They want to know that you'll listen to them and do your best to meet their needs.

Focus on benefits to your clients in your marketing and listing presentations and you'll see that more people will want to do business with you. Hey, it also won't hurt to focus on benefits to vendors as well in order to build a good support team around you.

That's your real estate training for today. Now, go get more business! You can do it!

P.S.
There is effective real estate training waiting to help grow your business. Go to www.agentsuccessmodel.com to claim yours. Hey, it doesn't hurt that it's free.

What goes around comes around

2011-07-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd give a friendly reminder of something very critical to the success of the real estate professional. Our role in the real estate community is to serve. When we approach our business activities with the sole intent to help others we get back so much more.

I know you know that already, but sometimes we get caught up in stuff and forget.

My challenge to you is to focus on truly helping someone today without the thought of what you'll get in return. True service without expectations for "what's in it for me" is so much more powerful than any script, marketing piece, or cool video.

When others see your genuine concern for them, a relationship is born. Relationships are so vital to our success in life. Whether in business or our personal lives, we depend on relationships.

Let's make our world a better place by focusing on someone else today. I know you can do it. You will reap rewards you never thought you would get!

That's your real estate training for today.

Effective Transaction Management with Document Storage

2011-06-30T16:23:00.001-07:00

Don’t you hate lugging around paperwork for a transaction file. Stuff gets lost real easy. A better solution is online document storage. Here’s why.

Using a free service like Google Docs is an easy way to manage your transaction files. You can store all your transaction files and access them from any computer. You can also easily share the files with your client. This way you don’t have to worry about printing off or emailing a copy to your client. All you do is add their email address to the folder on Google Docs and they are emailed a link that they can access anytime to see their transaction files. This saves time and printing expenses not to mention preventing the, “Oh, I forgot to email that doc to my client” moment.

When you upload files you can rename them so they correspond with your transaction checklist. This way it is easy to know which files you have when reviewing your checklist.

I think the best part of using this service is being able to download all the files for a transaction at one time. This is great to put them on a CD for storage at your office.

Talk about paper saving. No need to print docs that were emailed to you. Just upload them to Google Docs. When your transaction closes, download your entire transaction file and record onto a CD.

I’ve used a system like this for many years. It saves your valuable time and precious money. That’s your real estate training for today. Now, go get ‘em!

Dig deep to find out why

2011-06-28T12:10:00.001-07:00

I had a client some time ago who was very peculiar. I was representing him as a buyer’s agent. One day he turned super crazy in the blink of an eye while talking to him on the phone. There was a relatively minor issue to resolve before he could continue with the purchase of his home.

I explained over the phone to him what the issue was and how to resolve it. He immediately blew up and threatened to sue me and my broker for trying to force them into doing something.

I then had a choice to make. Do I become irate and argue back or do I dig deeper to find out what made this guy go nuts on me? I did the later. I kept a cool head and began asking questions to discover the true source of this guy’s crazy blow up. It turned out that he misunderstood me.

Wow, going to court over a misunderstanding would have been ridiculous.

The point of this is to realize that just because we understand what we are saying doesn’t mean the other person understands. Asking questions to discover the source of the problem is the most effective way to resolve a problem with your clients.

Let me tell you that this takes practice. If you are prone to get excited quickly, then it will take you more practice. Just remember that you can do it and you’re awesome. That’s your real estate training for the day. Now go get ‘em!

P.S. Do you want to know how the story ends? We closed escrow on a nicely remodeled home that he is very happy with. Just think what would have happened if I blew up at him when he went nuts on me…

Tips to Block Out Distractions

2011-06-15T13:37:00.001-07:00

Whether you work from home, in a cubicle, or a private office distractions are a part of your work day.

Accomplishing the most important tasks each day is paramount to make your business profitable. Here are some tips to follow that will help you maintain your focus.

Clean up your work space. An organized desk is less distracting.Try to only keep on your desk what is needed for the particular task you are working on.
Try playing music softly. This can help you not get caught up listening to some other conversation near you.
Refer to your plan for the day when you feel like you are getting lost.
Keep your goals handy for you to review when you need to get back on track.
If all else fails. Find a quiet place where you can be alone. Sometimes, what you are working on just needs undivided attention.

Keep focus on your objective and let the distractions fall by the way side. Don’t let someone or something else dictate your level of success. You can do it!

-Mike Pollak

Real Estate Training – Learn Which Contact Management Service Is Right For You

2011-06-14T23:04:00.001-07:00

As a real estate agent I spent lots of time researching contact management services. Use this information I discovered to help you make the best decision for streamlining your contact management. Here's your real estate training for the day.

You have choices as to using a paid service or using free methods to manage your database of contacts. I'll give you a review of Top Producer, Wise Agent, Sales Force, Aweber, and Mail Chimp.

Top Producer and Wise Agent are specific to real estate agents needs. Sales Force is not tailored to real estate however, can be used for any sales type business. Aweber and Mail Chimp are services for email list management and using email auto-responders.

As I tried Top Producer I found it could do a lot but not everything. What it could do that is very useful is keep your contacts separated into different lists. It gives you the ability to set up automatic emails (called auto-responders) separately for each list in your database. This is useful to send different types of information to different groups of your contacts. However, Top Producer has a long learning curve. I know they've made strides at streamlining the user experience. It just takes too many clicks and steps to accomplish what you want to do. When I used it I found I took way too long to do something simple like log a telephone conversation with a contact. It can do a lot, just not as streamlined as it should be.

Wise Agent has an interface that is easier to use and a little faster to accomplish tasks. It does most of the same things as Top Producer. However, it does not have the ability to mail printed material to a contact automatically on a scheduled delivery. This is one area where Top Producer is very useful. You can set up a campaign once and have it automatically send emails to your contacts, mail printed material, and remind you to call them. You set up these campaigns once. When you add a person to the list associated with this campaign the person automatically starts getting what you set up. Whether that is emails, phone call reminders to you, or mailings.

It's give and take between these two. They both have checklists to use during a transaction with reminders which is very useful to keep you on track.

I found Sales Force to be more streamlined and easy to use. It could automatically send pre-made emails and printed material like Top Producer. Sales Force does have the ability to add services from 3^rd parties that integrate right into your user experience. It can capture leads from websites and have campaigns auto assigned to contacts. It's a very powerful tool with many features.

One way to tackle each task you need to perform is by using more than one service. Using email list management services like Aweber and Mail Chimp are great for managing internet leads. As these leads begin contacting you, they can then be put into one of the other contact management products. These email list services are great for mass mailing to all or only segments of your database. You can see who received the email, who opened it, and who clicked a link in the email. You can use custom web forms to capture leads from any website and have them automatically put on an email auto-responder series.

Using a contact management service allows you to set campaigns for each contact in your list that will automatically remind you when to call them and automatically mail out printed material on a predetermined schedule. Using these services to automate your emails helps to put your relationship building with your contacts on auto pilot.

It's definitely worth your time to check out a trial of these services. I recommend starting with Sales Force. It can do a lot to streamline your business. But, be prepared to pay for it. Mail Chimp offers a lot of what Aweber can do and offers a free level of service that works great.

Do your homework and pick the service that works best with the way you do business. And that's your real estate training for today. Go get 'em!

Managing leads and contacts is only one part of your real estate agent business. Click the link for Free Real Estate Training on how to consistently get leads and turn them into profits.

-Mike Pollak, Real Estate Agent Trainer

Real Estate Courses – How to Streamline Contact Management for Real Estate Agents

2011-06-14T23:03:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of advertisements for services claiming to streamline an agent's business. Which of them really work for what you need to do. Since your database is so important to your success as an agent, I'll go over some options for you. This is your real estate course for the day.

Regular contact with your database is the way to continually get referrals and repeat business. If you are still using paper to keep track of everyone in your database, you are surely missing out. There are several options that will help streamline your ability to contact each person in your database. The point to this is to make it systematic. That way you always know what you are doing and you can track your results to know how to improve.

Online services are very common now. Some examples include Top Producer, Wise Agent, and Sales Force. These services are all designed to help you track what you're doing with each of your contacts. Whether it be following up with a lead, servicing a client, or managing your finances. The hard part is choosing one. I've spent time with many of these services trying to figure out the answer to that question.

The most important thing to consider before leaping in to paying for a database management solution is to determine your needs. You have to look at how you are running your business. Examine your current systems for tracking and managing your contacts. Understanding where your needs are will help you decide on what service to pay for.

These services vary greatly in the tasks they can perform. The most important thing is to know they can automate many of your tasks. Who wouldn't like a personal assistant to make emails for you, send mailers, and remind you when you needed to call someone.

That's what these services do. To understand the power behind this automation of your tasks you need to know a little about how it works. The real power comes from doing work once and then having that work automatically distributed as though there were multiple versions of you running around.

These services house all the contacts in your database. You can keep them separated into different lists according to the type of contact they are. For example you might have lists for sellers, buyers, vendors, etc. You create a campaign for each of these lists. This is where you decide if your contact will get an email, phone call, or mailed printed material. You set it up for months into the future. This way these tasks are automatically done by the service for you. You create the content all at one time that will be delivered to your contacts systematically by the service. Your contacts will be emailed on the day you selected. You'll get reminders to call people when you selected to get them. Your contacts will be mailed the printed material you created when you selected for them to get it.

Trying to keep track of who you called or emailed and when is difficult when you are managing a lot of contacts. Using an automated system helps you save time on these tasks. It allows you to build relationships with your contacts with less effort on your part. This all leads to more time for you to do what is most important for your business. To generate more leads and close deals. Not to mention you can have more time for yourself and your family.

Remember, systematic is the key to streamline your business. And that's your real estate course for today.

Click the link to learn about a Free Real Estate Course that will teach you how to get more leads consistently and systematically grow your agent business.

-Mike Pollak, Real Estate Agent Trainer

Real Estate Training – How to Create Your Unique Value Proposition

2011-06-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

So, what do you say to people to help them know what value you can bring to them? You may be the best agent with lots of real estate training under your belt. Other people don't know that. It's up to you to share it with them. But how?

Creating your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) will give you confidence as you talk with people. You'll know exactly what to say that will convey to people the value you can provide to them by your services.

Remember, know one likes to hear someone go on and on about how great they are. This is not your chance to blab about yourself. Your UVP is short and effective. It's all about the benefits to your prospective client. All they'll hear is the benefits they'll get from using you as their agent. This will eliminate the chance that they will think you're just ranting about how great you are.

Make sure to get your paper and pencil. There are some key components that you must have in order to be successful with your UVP.

Your skill.
An example of that skill.
A result from using that skill.

You will share with your prospective client one of your traits. Explain how you used that trait for past clients or in a prior profession. The clincher is telling them what the result was from using this trait of yours. This is where you share the benefit for them.

It may be helpful to make a list of your talents and skills before trying to write out your UVP. This is how you create a script. You first need to identify who you will be using this script on. For example, if you are creating this script to use for a listing appointment, make sure to select one of your talents or skills that is best suited for helping a home seller.

This script will change depending on who you are talking to. Here's an example for a listing appointment:

“I am very organized. I make sure to properly outline and carry out a marketing plan for each of my clients. As a result I sell homes 15 days faster and for $5,000 more than the average.”

Use real results that you've calculated from your sales. If you haven't sold any homes yet, you will use a trait that gave you a good result from some other aspect of your life. However, this trait and result still need to be relevant to the seller. If you haven't sold any homes yet it doesn't mean you can't win listings. The point is to show that you posses an ability that will yield a favorable result for your prospective client.

This training will help you write scripts for various situations. Scripts that are brief and powerful. After using these type of scripts, be prepared for favorable reactions from prospective clients that will sparks questions from them.

Get started winning more business. Go get 'em!

Using scripts is only one part of your business. Click the link for Free Real Estate Training that will teach you from start to finish how to achieve maximum results in your real estate agent business.

-Mike Pollak, Real Estate Agent Trainer

Real Estate Course – 2 Easy Steps to Capture a Lead's Contact Info

2011-06-14T23:00:00.001-07:00

As a real estate agent your database of people is what fuels a consistent business. You'll just love this tip for getting the contact info of people you meet so you can add them to your database.

Here's a short real estate course for today. While engaging someone in conversation, they ask you, “Can I have your business card?” What will be your answer? How can this be a way to add this person to your database? This is the easy part. You're going to use this opportunity to ask them for their contact info.

You should say something like, “You know, I don't have one with me right now. I can email you my contact info. That way it's easy for you to find when you need it. What's your email address? In case the email doesn't go through, what's your phone number so I can call you to verify I sent it to the right address?”

Step 1 is to open your mouth wherever you are and talk to people.

Step 2 is simply to ask them for their contact info because you want to send them valuable real estate information from time to time.

If a person shows interest in having your contact info, they will probably also accept information from you. Most people will give you their contact information if you just ask for it.

You may find, occasionally, that someone will respond with, “What are you going to send me if I give you my email?” Be prepared to reassure them that you don't share their contact info with anyone. Also, make sure they're aware that you send valuable real estate information to those you know from time to time.

Use your conversation to find out what they are interested in about real estate. Were they asking you about first time home buyer loan programs? Were they asking you about buying investment property? Use this to your advantage when they put up resistance to giving you their contact info. This is when you let them know the valuable info you can send them will be on the very topic they just asked you about.

This technique can be used anywhere. Whether you're at a restaurant, standing in the line at the movie theater or visiting with friends. The point is to always open your mouth about what you do. You're a real estate professional and everyone needs to know.

Don't be afraid to ask someone for their email address or phone number. You'd be surprised how many people will give it to you if they know they'll receive value in exchange.

Remember, your objective is to grow your database. All the lead generation you do is to build your database. Use every opportunity you get to capture contact information of those you come in contact with everyday. Strike up a conversation about the current real estate market. The current conditions are on everyone's mind and most people like to share their opinions about it. If you get them talking first, it's easier to keep the conversation going long enough to get their contact info. That's your short real estate course for today. Go out and get 'em!

As a real estate professional you need Real Estate Courses that will lead you to success. Click the link to discover Free training that will strengthen your business by showing you how to get consistent results month after month.

-Mike Pollak, Real Estate Agent Trainer

How To Get Started As A Real Estate Agent – Step 3 How to Use a Business Plan for Max Results

2011-06-14T22:59:00.001-07:00

As a new agent just having received your business license you have a choice to make. Will you do all you can to succeed? If the answer is no, then stay home, watch TV, and go on welfare. If the answer is yes, keep reading for the crucial first steps to earning an income selling homes right from the start.

What makes the difference for agents that sell homes every month and seem to never have a bad month? Using a real estate business plan (also called a business model). Seriously. It's not because they are so much smarter or more talented than everyone else. Of course, it doesn't hurt to be smart and have talent. The point is, using a real estate business plan to get started as a real estate agent will be what separates you from all the other agents. You see, most agents get started selling real estate based solely on their current talents with no real direction. That won't happen to you.

I'll go over the parts that should be in your business plan and why this is so critical to your success.

First, get out paper and a pencil. Good planning involves writing down all your thoughts. Begin by identifying what the individual parts of your agent business are. This is the flow of your business. It may help to ask yourself these questions to figure out what the parts are:

How will I find leads?
How will I convert those leads into appointments?
How will I convert those appointments into clients under contract?
How will I service my clients? How will I handle transactions during escrow?
How will I keep track of my performance in each part of my business?
How will I track my finances?

You'll find, as you think about the flow of your business from start to finish, that you'll identify what you should be doing during each part of your business. A business plan is your road map to achieve your objective. What is your objective? Write it down. Refer to your objective as you write your business plan. It'll help you write down the steps needed to achieve that object without getting side tracked.

After all, if you're working in your business hard everyday and are not seeing results, you may have strayed from what will achieve your objective. I'm sure you know that but it's easy to get caught up in things and lose track.

A business plan is not merely an outline or some suggestions of what you can do in your agent business. It's the same thing as a job description for employees. When a new employee starts a job they are handed their job description and duties. This is the only way they'll know what they are supposed to do when they show up to work each day. Makes sense for real estate agents to know what they are supposed to do when they show up to work each day as well.

This takes the guess-work out of your work. Too many agents waste time each day because they lack direction. This direction comes from creating and using a business plan every day.

Each part of your business plan is run using systems. This is the step-by-step instructions to perform the desired outcome for a given part. It's the actual steps that get you leads and turns those leads into closed sales.

Even if you think you know the steps by heart, write them down. Review the steps in each of your systems regularly to make sure you are actually doing them day-to-day. There is so much going on each day it's easy to get caught up in less important stuff.

Reviewing your business plan will help you identify your weak spots and allow you the opportunity to improve. Without this review you cannot expect to do very well selling houses. Make sure to set a goal to improve and give yourself a deadline to achieve it.

Even if you don't know every lead generation method or everything about selling homes, a business plan will allow you to achieve consistent results that you can improve on over time. Run your agent business like a true business from the start with discipline. You'll love the result$.

What are you doing still sitting here? Get started writing your business plan. I know you can do it!

Get the help you need to create an effective Real Estate Business Plan right from the start. Click the link for your Free training that will really separate you from the unsuccessful.

-Mike Pollak, Real Estate Agent Trainer

How To Get Started As A Real Estate Agent – Step 2 Mindset

2011-06-14T22:57:00.001-07:00

“Just give me some leads. If I just had some leads I could make some money!” I've heard that many times. Most agents think all you need is some leads and your business will be fine. There's a lot more to it than that. When you learn how to get started as a real estate agent you need to know that your mindset and your attitude is the most power asset you have to build a successful agent business.

I've seen too many agents fired up to start selling homes and fizzle out quickly. Their high hopes changed to despair and not believing they could make it work. What happened? The reality sunk in that running a business was hard work. You hit road blocks. Most people hit road blocks and all of a sudden their exciting can do attitude changes. They let doubt and fear creep in and this sucks the life right out of them.

How does that happen? How can an agent start out with a good attitude toward achieving their goals and then flop right into despair and discouragement? Do you really want to know? If I tell you, will you believe me? It's so simple and yet so powerful. They lose control of their thoughts. We all get mad when we have a problem. That's a normal response. The bigger problem is when we don't shake off the negative feelings we have. We let those feelings of disappointment turn into blaming our self and that turns into harboring negative feelings about what you can accomplish. You start to doubt your ability to get leads and close deals. That doubt makes you afraid to start because you are afraid to fail.

I told you it was a simple answer. It's far too often overlooked. Struggling agents look toward a new lead generation method or some monthly service they pay for in order to boost their business. They don't stop and take a look at themselves to see what they've been thinking.

Whether you like to admit it or not, your thoughts always precede your actions. That's just the way we're made. When you hit a problem in your business, you automatically think to yourself, “I can't do this. I don't know how to get more business. This is too hard.” All these types of thoughts run through our heads all day long. What do you think the outcome is? You guessed it. Of course you fail. All your thoughts are about how you can't do it.

You really have to seriously consider this. It's a problem with just about everyone. I struggled for years with negative thoughts. When I finally learned how to change my thoughts, I changed how I worked and that improved my business. You see, the thing that holds most people back is not that they don't know enough or aren't good enough. It's that they think they aren't good enough and that prevents them from becoming who they really can become.

Success is yours for the taking. Does it come with a price? You bet. Hard work is that price. But if you never think you can achieve success, you'll never get there.

How do you gain control of your thoughts and permanently evict negative thoughts from your mind? Practice. No, seriously. Practice is all it takes. Does that mean it's easy? No. Trying to change a habit you've had for years is hard work. But, it can be done. Here's your challenge. Throughout the day repeat to yourself (in your mind) phrases that describe you as having the success you've always dreamed of. This could be something like, “I'm an effective Realtor!” “I am patient!” “I'm having a great day!”

If you conscientiously make the effort to have positive thoughts that build you up, you'll have the power to get over any trial. No matter how massive and insurmountable it may seem. But, you've got to practice saying these thoughts in your mind all day, every day. Until what those thoughts depict is who you are. Then, you'll no longer be practicing when you have positive thoughts. It will be your new habit of success. This is true power that will build your business however you want it to be.

This isn't just fun to imagine, “Oh yea, that would be nice if it really worked like that.” Oh, but it does. You have to practice this until you own it deep down inside you. So, get out there and get to work. I dare you to be successful by keeping your thoughts positive. I know you can do it!

Now you can see what effective, insightful training can do for you and your business. Click the link to learn more secrets of How to Get Started as a Real Estate Agent. This Free training is what you need to jump start your agent business into profits.

-Mike Pollak, Real Estate Agent Trainer

How To Get Started As A Real Estate Agent – Overview

2011-06-14T22:54:00.001-07:00

Selling real estate can be a rewarding and lucrative career, if you get started on the right foot. You really need the right information to launch a successful agent business. I'll show you the overview of how to get started as a real estate agent so you'll have the right direction.

The single most important factor that will determine your success in getting started as a real estate agent is your mindset. It's not just having a great method to generate leads. Even the best methods to generate business will fail if you're not committed to making your business work, no matter what. Realize that your thoughts have the most powerful effect on your business and use this power to control your thoughts and actions each day. This way you'll find the success you've always dreamed of.
Get your real estate license. Should you use an online real estate school or a traditional classroom setting? Well, how do you learn the best? If you're very self motivated, the online school will be best suited to you and can be can be completed faster. However, if you get distracted easily or prefer having an instructor, the class room will be best. Remember, your goal is to pass the licensing test. Use the school that will be best suited to your needs.
Find a real estate company to join. Even if you're getting your broker's license, I still recommend to join a company. This way you will get the experience you need before working as a broker yourself. Do a little research and find out which real estate offices in your area are doing well. You'll also want to find out about the training and resources they offer to agents. Some companies have great training and support while others just leave their agents hanging.
Decide if you'll work from home or at the real estate office. Most offices have a monthly desk fee to work in the office. Some offices have space devoted for temporary use each day at no charge. This decision is important as it will affect how you ultimately end up running your business.
Use a business plan. Whether you create your own or copy another, you won't truly be successful without a plan. This is where many agents fail in their business. They go from one thing to the next without true direction and ultimately don't reach the success they desire. Use a business plan. Yes, I did just say that. It's very important.
Plan your day, week, month, and year. Without planning what you'll achieve each day, you'll just be tossed from one thing to another and waste a lot of time without accomplishing your goals. Planning is not just while running your business. Plan your education and your personal life as well. It will help boost your confidence knowing what you're going to do each day.
Commit to training and reviewing your business regularly. Continually educate yourself on using systems, lead generation methods, lead conversion, transaction management, and following a business budget.

Getting started as a real estate agent is simpler that you think. Now you have the instructions for success. By putting your best effort into these areas you'll see your business as an agent continually grow and consistently put money in your pocket every month.

I'll be going into more detail on each of these topics in future articles. Make sure to read them all to get the help you need to succeed.

Experience has shown that using systems in your agent business will give you consistent results that can be continually improved on. Click this link to get your Free training on How to Get Started as a Real Estate Agent. Now you'll have the step-by-step instructions on using systems to truly succeed in real estate sales.

-Mike Pollak, Real Estate Agent Trainer

Real Estate Systems – How to Bring Consistency to Your Business

2011-06-14T22:42:00.001-07:00

I've learned a few things about creating consistent results in your real estate agent business. It's not having that perfect lead generation method or even having that perfect script to use in appointments. While it won't hurt to have those things, using real estate systems in your business is the key to getting consistent results. When you use a system you are able to track your results to see where you can improve. If you take a step back and look at your lead generation efforts, do you have any way of knowing what lead generation method is yielding you leads, appointments, closed sales, or wasting you money? Successful agents use systems.

A real estate system is simply put as the way you do things, every single time. You'll find that any Mc Donald's you go into is the same as any other one. The business has the same elements no matter which location you're in. This is because they're sticking to a system. Why? It gives them consistent results and a way to track results to improve.

It's actually simpler than you think to create a real estate system. Systems don't have to be complicated. You are already doing most of it. For example, you are using methods to generate leads. That's a real estate system. You may not have it written down somewhere as the step-by-step process you'll follow each time to work that method. Why? Most likely, because no one ever suggested it to you.

If you're anything like me, forgetful, you will benefit greatly from writing down your steps for a given lead generation method, from start to finish. Then, devise a way to track your results so you can review them from time to time. This will empower you with the ability to improve your systems. Otherwise, you get inconsistent results that lead to frustration and ultimately a loss of income.

Keep this in mind the next time you work on one of your lead generation methods. As you are actually doing the activities for that method, write them down along with the method you'll use to track your results. This, in essence, is your instruction manual for that method. I don't mean just write an outline. I mean really write the steps you take to carry out the method you use. As you are writing, you will begin to see things that may be missing. The very act of writing it down means that you are reviewing the system. This is what gives you the ability to improve it. If you don't know all of what you actually do to generate real estate leads, how can you figure out where to improve.

This process can be used to create any real estate system. To really be successful in real estate sales, your business should be run using real estate systems. That is how you will see the most growth in your business and your income.

Spend time each month reviewing your results and implementing actions to improve where you are weak. This will ensure you have consistent results that are always improving!

Click the link to get what you need to start using real estate systems to grow your business now! It's easier than you think!

-Mike Pollak, Real Estate Trainer

Real Estate Leads – How to Take Any Lead Generation Method and Make It Work For You

2011-06-14T00:51:00.000-07:00

Are you trying to use a new method to generate real estate leads but not sure how to get started? Here is your answer.

There are many different ways to get real estate leads. I'm sure you've heard a lot. So, how do you actually make any of those methods work for you? Here are some simple steps to follow that will jump-start your lead generation with what ever method you choose.

Select the method you want to use.
Identify the main parts.
Prioritize the main parts.
Fill in the gaps.

Sounds easy right. Do this with me as we go through it for a method of your choosing. Write out the main parts to the method you've chosen to generate leads. This would be the big things that you can easily think of. These need to be done in order to make the method work at getting leads. This could be the stuff you heard at a seminar or training class. It could be the bits and pieces you got from a fellow real estate agent.

Next, you need to figure out what parts are the most important. At this point you are only working with the parts of the method you already know about. Write out this prioritized list on paper.

Here's the fun part. Your homework is to fill in the gaps to make it possible for you to start using the system to actually generate leads. Don't worry, you can actually do this. To start, think about the end goal you want to achieve with this lead generation method. This will drive all else. Second, imagine yourself actually performing each step of the method. This could be phone calling, emailing, etc. By doing this you will start to see what needs to be done that fills the gaps between those main parts you already have listed.

When you visualize doing the activity from start to finish it will help you to understand the workings of the system you're trying to use to generate leads. You'll find that ideas will start coming to you. Make sure you write them all down even if you think some of the ideas are dumb. After a while of brain storming, go back over your notes. Re-write everything in chronological order. This will now be your step-by-step instruction manual for this lead generation method.

After you finish this process, you may find you still have gaps. Don't freak out and give up. What this means is that you need to find a little more information. As you know, the internet is a great source of free information. Do a little research and it will surprise you when you find the little extra bits you need to complete your lead generation instruction manual. You can ask another agent for their thoughts on the particular piece you are missing to complete your manual. Make sure the agent you ask is qualified to give good advice.

This process works because it is exactly what I do to create many effective systems I use to run my business. I think the key here is writing it down. This allows you to review your lead generation method to see where you can improve. If you never get started you will never know success!

Wow! Check out what you just did. Bet you didn't think you could do it. You just need to believe that you can find a way to make it work and you will.

To really be successful at lead generation, you need to understand how to get consistent results. Click the link to learn how to consistently get Real Estate Leads and how using systems will give you the benefits of always knowing how you can increase your results to increase your income.