It is a first…

…for this Realtor to serve on jury duty which put my skills to the test!

I was selected to serve my civic duty and be a juror on a criminal case in Hamilton County.   Before you get concerned about me telling you any details, please know the judge said once the verdict is read it is all public knowledge and we can share with anyone.  So why would I share the details with you regarding my juror duty experience?  Because it was Real Estate that made me the best juror I could be.  Because of Real Estate, I have learned how to compete with an agent on Tuesday and break bread or go to a closing on Friday.  I have learned to fight fiercely and compete with all my heart while never losing sight of the big picture and not making it personal.  I think as Realtors, we think all competitors get along and I learned in jury duty, we are different, and in my opinion, better competitors than some industries.  You may or may not be surprised to learn I was selected foreman for this jury, and I accepted the position and the responsibility of getting twelve people to agree on all seven felony counts.  This my friends is no easy task.  Over my 23 years, I have negotiated just shy of 1,000 home sales in central Indiana and I currently oversee one of the most successful group of agents that sell over 2,500 homes a year.  So I’m no stranger to the process of negotiating and compromising to get to a successful outcome.  Jury duty takes the act of negotiating and compromising to a whole new level.  I would say getting someone who feels a person is innocent to believe they are guilty or vias versa is like asking a cradle Colts fan to become a Patriots fan.  It just doesn’t happen without negotiations and compromise.  Every person on my jury was wonderful and passionate but they all had their individual lives and experiences that lead them to their individual conclusions based on the facts.  In the end, it was my job to get 12 people to see and believe the same decision should be made on 7 separate counts.  So now envision getting your Colts fan to become a Patriot fan and then convince him or her to become a Bears fan and then continue to get them to switch for a total of 7 times…yikes!  Well, that is exactly what we do every day as Realtors.  We get people to look at the facts, evaluate their personal opinion, and compromise where they need to, in order to get to the outcome they desire.  And we do it with a smile knowing we will be face to face with our competitor and in most cases sitting across the table at closing.  I  believe each and every Realtor is very qualified to serve on a jury and owes it to themselves and the Country to do so.  You are capable of seeing and negotiating when others see walls.  You are providers of solutions, not obstacles, and these traits are not within every person and underestimated by each and every Realtor as to their value.  In the first hour of deliberation, I had a couple jurors tell me it was going to be a hung jury and 7 hours into deliberation was the first unanimous  decision I was able to get.  Yes, it took 7 hours for 12 people to agree on guilty or not guilty on one count.  By now, many people were very tired and frustrated but it was my Realtor instincts that kept my 11 new friends on the task at hand and within the next hour we made 5 unanimous decisions.  With a start time of 6pm and the first decisions at 1 am and the next 5 between 1 and 2 am, we only have one final decision to make.  Please note, the jurors in my case were all awesome people who deeply cared about the outcome.  In fact, I was amazed at how passionate people were about guilty or not guilty in the case.   In many cases, it took on very personal feelings about friends or family members, so people were dead set on fighting for their belief.  At 2 am, we had made 6 of the 7 decisions we have to make, and many people of really running out of energy but I felt as thought I had just finished a large Red Bull.  I was full of energy and ready to go the distance to make sure the accused received our full commitment, and the tax payers did not bear the cost of a mistrial.  When the clock read 3 am, I thought we were close, so I called for a vote and but we were still one shy of a unanimous decision.  I would say this was my one regret.  I think I called for the vote too early and it forced the one person to fight longer.  After I called the votes, we would then go back over the facts and evidence.  We had to talk through the case and people would change their minds time and time again.  But the process seemed to work which reminds me of the process Realtors go through while negotiating a deal.  In the windowless room, the hours just go by since you don’t see natural light.  Time just goes away as does the fresh air.  So at 4 am, now 10 hours into this process, I call for another vote and finally 12 people could and did agree on all 7 counts, just like on the 7th counter when the buyer and seller finally agree.  Realtors are good at what we do, and our skills allow us to help in other ways and in other business.  On this day, I was proud of my service as a juror and my experience as a Realtor.

#realtos #negoiators #determination 

Bon appetit,  Jimmy

How do you plan for the future…

How do you plan for the future…Unless you are a savvy economist, I would suggest you find one that you enjoy learning from.  It is with that I share my favorite economist and his most recent opinions.  

First as a method of patting him on the back for his predictions, and me for be just smart enough to listen and act on said predictions, I will share with you my real live story.  The year is 2006 and it is spring time and my Economist said in his fall presentation, if you are going to sell your home do it in spring/summer of 2006.  Being the smart guy I am, I took his advice and put my personal home up for sale.  If sold, it would be a record setter price for my neighborhood and of course why wouldn’t it be?  After all I’m a smart Realtor with 2 decades of experience.  He was correct!  In 10 short days, I sold my home for more than twice what I paid for it.  Not bad right? 

His advice went on to say, don’t go out and buy right away, just rent and let the market continue to fall so you can get a great deal.  This after all, is the epitome of sell high and buy low!  Well, I deviated a bit from the plan that was shared with 300 business owners in the room, and I bought an investment property and fixed it up and lived in it of just shy of two years, with a slightly unhappy bride.  When we found a great opportunity, we jumped back in the market and bought a home and here is where this story gets really good.  I sold 5,000 sq ft, built in 1972 with a two car garage and eight foot ceilings on a .75 acre lot in east Carmel that I had updated to the umpteen degree.  But in the end, the wall locations were where they were and room sizes were dictated by that, regardless of how nice my wife Tamara and I made it look.  That was then but here is now…Over 7,000 sqft, 3 car garage, same .75 acre lot, daylight basement, 9 and 10 foot ceilings, 2 more bath rooms, built in 2001, swimming pool and surrounded by homes of equal value.  But the really AWESOME part is I paid less for the larger home than what I sold my original home for, and I bought an investment property in the middle.  I’m no genius.  Just ask anyone who knows me, but I will take credit for listening to people smarter than me.

So by now I’m sure you want to know what predictions have been made at this year's fall event, drum roll please!

2014-2015

·      Sluggish until mid 2015

·      Borrow money

·      Buy Real Estate, such as rental property in neighborhoods you would live in

·      Inflation will kick in for 15 coming years; 3% inflation in 2017, 2020’s will be a double digit inflation decade

·      Wages are going up, with slow increase in hiring

·      Invest in your business now, particularly efficiency and productivity enhancements as well as technology and training

·      Retail sales drop in June 2014 was steepest in years - weakening forecast

2016-mid 2018

·      Strong years

·      Interest rates will nudge up; mortgage rates to 7.5% by 2018

·      Create loyalty and team building with “A” customers

2018 or 2028

·      Best time to sell a business

2019

·      Significant recession, similar to 2001

·      2029 GREAT DEPRESSION

·      Be cash strong

·      Buy competitors who are not prepared

·      Teach millennials how to sell in a down market

If you are like me, all you can say is WOW!!!!! But if I were you, I would do more than say wow.  I would align your future with this information and plan for that future like I did.  

Since I’m sure you want to know who this person is I enjoy following, and since I have quoted his work which means I need to give him credit where credit is due, his name is Alan Beaulieu and he, along with his twin brother, work out of the east coast and provide what I consider to be some of the best advice around. They have also just written a book called Prosperity in the Age of Decline.  Check them out and get a plan with some expert insight to the world ahead.

Bon appetite,  Jimmy

Growing pains...

Many agents are feeling the winds of an improving Real Estate market and desiring growth of their team or growth into a team.  When should an agent consider becoming a team and when should a team add members?  Different questions but the same answer works just fine.  Let's start with what isn't the answer:

1. Everybody else is doing it so I should.

2. I want to make money on other people.

3. I need people to help in the office with admin tasks.

4. I know someone who is looking to be on a team.

5. I don't like helping others.

So why would a individual become a team or a team expand? Simple:

1. I have systems and lead sources that create more opportunities than I can work or more than my current team can handle.

So why do I feel this way?  I've seen people attempt to grow because others did, without the systems and leads the others had, only fail and lose time and money.  Agents tell me all the time that I want to make a "little bit" off of some team members.  Agents looking to join teams tell me they want to join a team because they "are great with clients" but they don't have enough of them to work with. Sometimes the thought is, I have too much paperwork slowing me down in the office but I don't want to hire an admin and pay a salary so I will hire a licensed team member that can sell and do my paperwork. Let's play this scenario out.  I'm a licensed agent and join your team and part of my job is to do your paperwork and part is to sell real estate.  Of course our goal is that I'm good at both, so what does this look like? I take calls, process paperwork, set up showings, negotiate inspections, complete paperwork, and get all of it turned into the office so we can close files.  I'm also showing homes, listing homes, and doing open houses now for two agents but I used to be a $1 million dollar producer on my own and it's all I know.  Now I'm doing all my work as well as my $7 milion dollar team leader's.  This can be a recipe for disaster and in the end it can lead to a revolving door of team members.  Btw it is real hard as a team leader to go sell real estate when you're stuck in the office training.  

Start with a plan including job descriptions, titles, team polices, and a written contract.  Then begin interviewing potential matches based on the job descriptions.  I would even suggest asking your office to help screen potential people so you only meet with the best candidates.  In the end this can very a very successful way to grow your business and make more money but without proper planning and intentions, it can also be a big waste of time and money!

bon appetite 

Jimmy

Do you Enhance...Or are you status quo?

Attending Inman News Connect conference in San Francisco, I had the

privilege of listening to Guy Kawasaki about Enhancement and his top 10

list.

1. Great Smile which can be clearly identified by crows feet around the

eyes!

2.  Always default to yes. Looking for ways to help others.

3.  Become a baker not a eater. Don't see other's gain as your loss.

4.  Accept others for what they are.

5. Agree on something... it will move you forward in the right direction.

Try to find that connection even off topic that you can agree on to

begin the connection.

6.  Remove speed bumps.  Go through the process as your client would to

see where the consumer will have a challenge and remove them.

7.  Enchant everyone because you never know who is the decision maker.

The barista at your local Starbucks could also be the daughter of one of

your best clients.

8.  Build a ecosystem of the parties in your transaction that help you

create this enchanting experience.  Step outside the traditional services

to all the services and needs the customer has that support your

enhancement.

9.  Reciprocate with others.  When people thank you for referral say "I

know you would do the same for me" it will help build a giving

relationship.

10. Get on your knees.  Let people know you care and you want the

opportunity.

In the end to create an enhancement relationship you need to be trusted,

likable, and deliver quality.

If you want more information, Guy Kawasaki has written many books and is

a national speaker.

The world is big but every day it becomes smaller...

The world is big but every day it becomes smaller...My thought, my concern, and my view today is all based on the Realtor on Facebook! Big world made smaller by social media. I think agents lose sight of the reality of their posts and what they say about you or your company. Let's face it everyone in every business has had a bad client or customer but it wasn't until social media that we were so quickly and affordably able to lash out. Good thing? I think not...It concerns me when our industry goes onto the world of social media and describes an event or set of events that lead to (in their opinion) not a good experience. I went through Facebook and took screenshots of posts from Realtors and others in the real estate business around the world. I planned on including them but elected not to include them in my blog. Here are the kind of things that concern me: talking about the quality, condition, or location of a listed home in a not so nice way. I don't think 20 years ago any Realtor would take out an ad in the local paper to bash a home for any reason. Now that social media exists and it is free, we as an industry commonly voice our derogatory opinion about people's homes and lifestyles. How about the posts where a Realtor is whining about the countless hours spent with a client who ultimately doesn't buy or buys a home with out them? Have you not heard of a buyer broker agreement provided by your state or local board where the client hires you and only you to represent them. Does it make sense to bash the buyer for not using you when in fact, you as an agent didn't take the time to explain or take the steps to insure your professional relationship? I don't think it belongs on Facebook. However, there are forums for persons of any profession to share and discuss success and challenges and if you're really mad, there is the dinner table conversation with your spouse or family. In any case or solution you choose to take, always eliminate the client's name or the address of the property. Any time you find yourself frustrated with an outcome professionally, step back for 24 hours prior to speaking out on social media.

Is It Time?

It is time... Time for what? Time for the real estate office to make a process all about the consumer. So, with over 150 agents at RE/MAX Ability Plus, I bet if you bought a home from each of them, each experience would be different. Heck, with over 16k agents in the state of Indiana, I bet you could have more than 15k different experiences ( I left 1k out thinking somehow a couple of the experiences would be the same). So what do I mean? The Real Estate industry has worked long and hard, for many years, to create the ultimate agent experience by offer tools and services to attract top agents. I'm as guilty as the next Broker on working to create the ultimate Realtors experience. But what do they really want? I'm guessing my agents (although more successful than the average firm) are no different than the average agent...they want to close the deal, help people and make money! As the broker, isn't that my job? Help them attract clients, close deals, help people and make money? If you agree with me and say yes then what better way than to create the ultimate client experience that attracts clients? I'm talking the kind of experience people tell their friends about. In past blogs I have written about the experiences that blew my mind and now I want to create the kind of experience that blows the consumer's minds. Imagine, buying a home with some kind of predictable experience if you worked with an agent from RE/MAX Ability Plus. The kind that had all the details laid out and created some predictability so you never wondered what is going on. How about knowing what was in front of you before it was in front of you. Clients have come to expect whatever comes their way, but what if they bought a home this year and sold it in 4 yrs and bought another one and they actually remember what you did at different points in the transaction so they were relaxed and at ease. I know this isn't a cookie-cutter business, and we zig and zag to make things happen, but I still believe the Real Estate company could creat standards that the consumer could come to expect and even require. Would you pay more for a service if it had predictability? Would you be more willing to do business with a firm who guaranteed their work? Did you ever order a pizza because Dominoes guaranteed it would be there in 30 minutes or it was free? I did. Have you ever purchased something from Nordstrom because of their awesome service and return policy? Why can't the consumer have that kind of experience and guarantee with a Real Estate company? The first challenge is the fact that every agent in our business thinks they do it best... as do the brokers. I admit right now, and commit right now, that I'm not the best. But I will be...and consumers will hire RE/MAX Ability Plus because of this admission. Well, actually, because I'm committed to providing the best customer experience, with predictability, and a guarantee they can bank on! bon appétit jimmy

Big Fish Little Pond, Or Big Pond Little Fish?

Big Fish Little Pond or Big Pond Little Fish?

As the leader of any business, you have to ask yourself this question frequently. This question applies to any business, but for now, I will focus on the Real Estate business, which I know and love. In Central Indiana, my agents are collectively the 5th most successful group of agents in terms of annual sales. They are far and away # 1 in many other categories, but for now I will focus on the common goal of any sales organization, and that is sales.

 So one could say they have it figured out. They know how to sell as evidenced by the fact that they have over 18 deals and over 3 million in sales per agent per year, this is including every licensed assistant in that average. Our agents averaged more than 100k per year in earned commissions, in a state and industry that the average agent sells 3 homes and earns a "whopping" 15k per year. So you can only guess that with 150 of these stallions in the RE/MAX Ability Plus offices we too are viewed as a very successful organization, and in return, I'm looked at as a successful leader of this organization and here locally.

 Then why would my agents go outside our local pond? Why would my staff go outside that same pond? Last of all, why would I? The answer is very simple. We, as agents, staff and as leadership, becoming bigger fish in the real estate waters of Central Indiana. Mind you, we are not the biggest "fish" today. That spot is currently held by the F. C. Tucker organization and its current owner Jim Litton. However, if you dig deeper, we are the fastest growing company reporting year over year growth in excess of 30% in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 which means in just two years RE/MAX Ability Plus will hold the top spot in this pond!

 Why then would my agents spend their money and time to attend R4, the RE/MAX International Convention, and many other events that take them away from their businesses and families? Why would the team of staff attend these and other conventions? Why would I go to R4, return, then take two weeks off on spring break with my family only to return and pick up another bag and take off to T3 Summit, the Swanepoel's Trends Thoughts and Technology Summit?

 I will speak for myself and how I believe every agent, and staff member, feels here at RE/MAX Ability Plus. It is what we are driven to do as we accomplish more and more in the pond of Real Estate waters here in Indiana, we want more. We want to learn more. Try more. We want to do more. More sales, more support of our charities, and more interaction with the buyers and sellers of Real Estate in Central Indiana. And, who is better than us? I would argue NO ONE... my reason is that we are bringing together amazingly successful local experts and combining them with the International knowledge of RE/MAX in 97 countries.

 You might say "big deal." What's the big deal? Many offices attend their international convention, or local conventions, or maybe the NAR convention, and I would agree. What I don't see is the Broker Owners, managers, or other senior level members attending these meetings. Who knows why, only those who are in the position to decide know why they do or don't do things. Let me share why I do. I do because I become the little fish in a big pond! That's right. At T3, which was by invitation only, I went from being the # 5 most successful company in Indiana to # 187 Nationally out of 78,000. I went from the inner circle of real estate in Central Indiana, where I am involved in most of the higher level discussions, to the furthest outside ring in the national real estate picture. I mean, I was so far outside that if I didn't show up, no one would have noticed......and I love that and so does RE/MAX Ability Plus!

 Making yourself the little fish is challenging. It threatens your ego, your confidence and sometimes causes you to eat alone, because when you're the little fish no one is trying to find you.

 Go explore outside your waters! If you're the big fish, try being the little fish, and if you're the little fish, trying being the big fish. There is so much to learn in both ponds, and I guarantee to REALLY GROW you need some of both!

Bon Appetit

Jimmy

The 2014 RE/MAX International Convention, known as R4, had many great stories and experiences for me to share and not to share… But the one that sticks out most is my time on a tour at Zappos and at the founder's personal home.  First of all, the tour of the home revealed a nutty professor environment with sticky notes on the walls for future projects and random ideas.  Another unusual space was an indoor flower garden, and I don’t mean indoor plants in pots but rather walls and ceilings covered in plants from floor to ceiling.  Imagine the Rainforest Café restaurant and you now have a visual.  

 

 The tour of Zappos revealed a place where people are happy to go and work, happy to be with the people in the building, and where they desire to build relationships with fellow employees and guests.  This is a place where if you belong and fit in, you know it the second you walk in.  NO ONE will try to persuade you to join or be a part of the experience.  Actually, if you try to join the experience and it doesn’t feel right, they will pay you to go away and never come back.  That’s right--  after you complete your training, if you find it's not for you, Zappos will pay you a stipend and 2 month's salary to not take the job with the caveat you can never apply again.  Imagine the confidence in the culture an organization has to say if we aren’t the right place, let's all save some time and money by just cutting you a check for your training time and additional 2 month's full salary to move on.  

 

 On my tour I learned so many fun facts about this organization and many times I found myself reflecting back on RE/MAX Ability Plus and how we too know the kind of people that fit and the kind that don’t.  Although not many agents leave us, when they do most of the time it is a good thing.  Last year we had 97 million dollars in agent production join us and 5 million in production leave us, but even more importantly the agents that joined us made us better.  I have found when you have a strong culture it identifies the people who belong and those that don’t.  

 

 So my time is spent with those who belong and not spent trying to figure out who doesn’t.  I always think back to 2008 when I held a meeting to talk about growing RE/MAX Ability Plus from 32 agents to 350 agents and Phil Herman was so concerned about the kind of people we would take on in order to grow to such a big company.  I know his concern is both valid and for the right reason, but what we have found is with the right culture in place you attract more people who fit in and belong, and not the kind of people who don’t.  It isn’t uncommon for an agent to join us and say “wow this just feels right” or something along those lines.  I find great pleasure because I know we have made the right connection at the right time with the right person.  

 

 I encourage you to take a tour of Zappos and to reflect on your place.  Does it reflect you, does it support you, and does it just feel right…

 

Bon appetite, Jimmy

 

What Are Your Strenghts?

 I have recently completed the Strengthfinder test by Gallup.  Apparently there are 34 strengths that all people have but in different order and quantity.  The process is a 30 minute test where you answer questions about yourself in order to figure out the order of your 34 strengths.  I feel as though I’m pretty intelligent as to the things I’m good at and well… not so good at.  But this was a different process.  Remember, this is not about a skill but more about the theme of who you have become living the life you have lived.  

 Gallup lists the strengths in order of the most common to the least common and the likelihood of you aligning perfectly with another person is 1 and 33 million, so unlikely.  You can buy the book and take the test as I did in 2008 for an agent named Jayne Gauci, then with Keller Williams.  She was familiar with the book and test and requested I take it so she could figure out if I was for real and able to accomplish all that I had set out to do.  Lucky for me my strengths gave her some reassurance that I could accomplish my goals so she joined RE/MAX Ability Plus.  This go around, I went with what I would consider to be a bit deeper with the process and hired Sarah Robinson who is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach to work with my leadership team, staff, and sales managers. 

 So we all took the test so Sarah could learn about our individual strengths.   Going further this time also included coaching us individually to our strengths and collectively to our strengths.  Having completed the test at this point I would say I have a pretty good handle on myself but found one of my top 5 strengths to be interesting and enlightening. That strength is “individualization” which is described as “People who are especially talented in the individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively”.    I think I’m good at seeing people as individuals and looking for strengths in everyone which I kinda feel is like seeing the glass of life as half full instead of half empty.  Seeing it in writing with Strengthfinders has brought more clarity and direction. 

 So I choose to share this with you in hopes that you too will take some time to learn about your gifts and how they affect and shape your outcome.  I recommend Sarah Robinson (www.freshconceptsonline.com) as a wonderful resource but more importantly I recommend you continue to learn about yourself and what you bring to the table…

 

Bon appetite…

Who Is Watching You?

Who is watching?.......

These three words have become so important to RE/MAX Ability Plus and I have to imagine they are equally important to every full-time professional REALTOR.

 So one of the hats my brokerage wears is to seek out full-time professional REALTORS and get to know them for two reasons. The first is to build a relationship with Indy’s Top Talent and the second is to recruit Indy’s Top Talent to RE/MAX Ability Plus. Lately much of the discussion from agents we are talking with is how they have been “watching us.” At first I said, “Watching us?” but what I now understand is they take two steps back and watch to see if we are who we appear to be, and lucky for us the answer is yes.

 So this is probably no surprise that you sold a home in a neighborhood and the neighbor to your listing is watching to see how you perform. Is your sign of high quality or old and worn out? Do you do open houses? Is your brochure box empty, or are you using technology or 800 numbers? When you meet with the sellers are you on time or late? Do you look professional and represent the seller in your actions the way the neighbor would like to be represented? When you are out on the town, do you often bump into past clients? How often do you think your clients may see you but you don’t see them? Are you a polite person who handles bad service politely, or the one who makes a scene when you aren’t happy while unaware that a client might be sitting three tables away? Better yet, you don’t even know the person sitting at the table near you but when you leave they ask the server “Who was that person being rude to you?”  What if that person was thinking about working with you, would they still want to work with “that jerk?”  I doubt it.

 Steve Clark in my office recently had his car broken into at a North side mall, so he made an appointment to take it to the dealership to be repaired. While sitting in the waiting room working on his laptop and relaxing, he overheard the people next to him talking about their relocation to the Indy area. Naturally Steve introduced himself and yes, he worked with them selling them a $600k home. More importantly than his interaction with the staff of the dealership and how his story could have changed, he was there because someone broke into his car. He was stuck at the dealership, it’s the holiday season, and this is a huge waste of time for a guy having a killer year. But what the person watching saw was a polite and happy guy. What Steve saw was an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade.

 For some people they just need to see one good deed, and for others they need results over a long period of time, but someone is always watching you.

Bon appetite

Jimmy Dulin

 

Family First

 You are busy and there are always more homes to sell and more people to help. It's the time of year where we stop, reflect, and plan for our future. For most, the planning of this includes more business, bigger targets, and helping more families. I think it is important for this "pot" to not call the kettle black. I mean after all, I told 32 REALTORS in March of 2008 we would sell a billion dollars in real estate, have 350 agents and be the Number 1 real estate company in Indiana without an "*" by December 31st, 2015! With all that said, I won't do it at the cost of not valuing the people around me that make my life as wonderful as it is.

 In my company, I encourage out agents to maintain balance by setting goals that reflect their aspirations in life which include family, physical, mental or any other thing a person holds in their hearts as important. In the spirit of this, I strive each day to build a company that allows dreamers to dream without the kind of sacrifice they live to regret. It is safe to say that goals come with sacrifice, but done correctly they can also come with great joy. What if your goal was to sell 25 homes this year and every time that you did you also donated a portion of each commission check to a charity? You would then be achieving two goals with the success of selling the same 25 homes.

As the leader of RE/MAX Ability Plus it is my job to Inspire, Create, and Support my agents and there is no better way to that than helping someone create or achieve their goals beyond their sales activities. Just the other day, I was fortunate to be invited to lunch by Angela Dant, a very successful wife, mother, and agent with my firm. The purpose was, "how can I give more to my church while maintaining my other priorities?" I so admire Angela her desires, and I enjoyed the chance to participate in this new exciting journey of hers. She and so many RE/MAX Ability Plus agents do so much good in the world which helps me fulfill my goals as well.

Let's Move Into the 21st Century!

Far behind..... Why would the real estate industry, one of the largest and strongest industries, lack so much in technology? That's right-- we are light years behind other smaller and less lucrative industries. In today's age, we don't need to print, scan, reprint, and email the same documents, but many times we do. Reason is, we are so fragmented and no one wants to allow their tool to talk with another tool so we can streamline this very long and complicated process.

 I look forward to the day when I can input a listing in the MLS via my iPad and answer a few questions along the way, so prior to me walking out of the door the process has begun. Imagine I scan the room using #magicplan which measures and creates a floor plan! I complete all the documents and get signatures using #docusign, create my virtual tour by taking pictures with my iPad with #circlepix and input the showing instructions to #css. Then all the documents are emailed to my office to be electronically filled and approved, my sign ordered and confirmed, the brochure is made at the office and my sellers receive a thank you email and a time line of the process as well as valuable coupons for things they will need during the moving process. All that happens before I leave the listing appointment!

This is real and all the technology exists today. We don't need to waste billions of pages of paper, ink and time printing and scanning. All we need is to connect the dots and that's exactly what I intend on doing........

Bon Appetite,
Jimmy

Are You Scared Of Being Rated?

Ratings..... They are everywhere! Yelp, Angie's List, postings on Facebook, Tweets, Linkedin, and so many more I can't name.

So why is the Real Estate industry scared of a trend that could push the cream to the top?

As a Real Estate professional, I have made my living relying on my reputation, as every REALTOR I know has. Now I'm not foolish enough to believe that every comment made about "Jimmy Dulin" was a positive one, nor do I believe every comment should have been. I have made my fair share of mistakes, but like everyone in the business world, year after year I have gotten better at my trade.

Today instead of selling homes, I am using my Real Estate reputation to build a Real Estate Company, recruiting some of Central Indiana's top agents. Whether selling homes, cooking a meal, or recruiting Indy's top Real Estate talent I, like you, live by my reputation. So I say bring on the ratings, let REALTORS rate their brokers, and let consumers rate their experience with a REALTOR, office, or even a brand. Last year KW won the prestigious JD Power and Associates Award after receiving favorable ratings. The year before RE/MAX won the award and we celebrated our success. So like the JD Power or the Yelps of the world, it's time to accept ratings exist. Some will be good and others no so much, but in the end we shouldn't be scared.

Bon Appetite,
Jimmy

Plan To Finish Your Fourth Quarter Strong!

Summer is drawing to a close, and like most agents, you benefited from the summer wave of business. Now what?... I was talking about this very topic in our Monday morning coffee (designed to help start the week off right.) It seems many agents track the closings, pendings, listings and even who the client is and where they came from, all of which is great. But you can't tell the complete story with just this information. The story begins on the day you did the activity that led to the result of someone doing business with you, so the information you need is the activity information. I bet if you looked at Jan-March activity you would find you did more activities that led to sales and listings, and in June-August you had more closings than any other months but did less lead generating activities for the following quarters sales and listings. So as the summer begins to slow down why not kick in strong on third quarter activities that you do to generate leads that lead to more sales and listings in the fourth quarter? Example: calls, networking, door knocking (my lead generating activity of choice) client parties, mailers, open houses, pop bys and following up on the online lead sources you have. Even more important, create a spreadsheet that tracks activities and how many of the activities you do does it take to get a lead and how many leads to get a sale or listing.

Example: Knock on 100 doors, talk to 30 people and of the 30 people 5 have some thought of buying or selling. If I close one to do business with me, then I know for every 100 doors I know on, I close one deal. If it takes me 5 hours to knock on 100 doors then I now know how many of these activities I have to do and the number of hours I have to commit to it in order to have the number of sales I want.

For this example, I just picked numbers but I hope you can see how valuable this information can be for your business. If you do the reverse and say you want to close 10 deals from now to December 31st and 25% of your deals come from referrals with the balance coming from your activities, then it would look like this.

10 Deals

2.5 from referrals
7.5 from my activity of choice which takes 5 hours to generate 5 leads and results in 1 deal.
7.5 sales x 5 hours = 37.5 hours of activity time. My next step would be to time block 37.5 hours so I can PLAN to do the activities and PLAN my 4th quarter success.

I hope by now I have beat this horse and shown you why tracking activities will help you plan the kind of year you want to have.

Bon appetit

Are You Really That Good?

Are you really that good?

Real Estate is picking up more speed and everybody who can breathe and has a license has sold a home or two. Does that make you good or just lucky? So I will admit right up front I don't know diddly squat about your business, but after 23 years of practicing, I do know a bit about the business of "Real Estate." Below are a few questions for you to consider and they should help you determine if you are good or lucky...

1. Did you quit making phone calls to your past clients?
2. Have you canceled or quit any lead generating activities?
3. Have you quit attending training, office meetings and other educational offerings?
4. Have you quit doing open houses?
5. Have you quit your mailing programs?
6. Have you quit looking for ways to improve?
7. Have you quit giving feedback to agents after you show their listings?
8. When people ask, "How's Real Estate?" Do you respond, "Never been busier?"
9. Have you become comfortable?
10. Have you forgotten how hard the last few years really were?

If you are answering yes to these questions, and the long list of others that follow this vein, you may just be lucky... I think good is the person who says no way! No way would I quit doing what works, no way would I become complacent, no way would I stop proactively prospecting or looking for new ways to grow  my practice. Only you know the truth and only you can make sure you move toward good and not lucky.

Bon appetite,

Jimmy

Do You Have A Plan For The Unexpected?

 Recently I wrote my succession plan for RE/MAX Ability Plus. First let's get this out I'm not planning on going anywhere. So now that we know I have a plan and those plans DO NOT include me moving on anytime in the near future, what do they say and why?

 I care.... Much the same way I care about my family at home, I care about the people in this organization. So on a long flight to Denver I set out and completed all my thoughts surrounding what if.... I won't bore you with those details but it is safe to say I have taken some of my current time on earth to think about the future of RE/MAX Ability Plus and the people affiliated.

 Have you planned for your future or even more importantly have you planned for your family's future in the event you don't get to complete your professional plan? If you can take away three things from what I'm saying it would be have a plan for your time here, have a plan if that plan ends unexpectedly, and associate yourself with an organization that also has a plan.

 Have you ever wondered what if... The Real Estate Company you wake up every day and associate with had a loss of leadership? What would happen?  If your eggs are in that basket then it's fair for you to be concerned as well as have questions about this concern. I believe I'm what you would call a transparent person and I run a transparent organization so sharing this plan for what if... Bothers me none. I understand people are counting on me whether I'm here or not and I owe them security and confidence. If you haven't asked these questions of your broker or if you haven't written a will for your family or you don't have a succession plan for your business, then you need to step back and ask yourself are you doing the best you can do to plan for the what if.... Remember this will be your legacy.

Bon appetite, Jimmy

Does the Company you keep make a difference?

 We believe the company you keep can weigh you down or lift you to new heights. I’m often asked in the interviewing process by other agents “why do you think my business will be better with you?” I used to spend time thinking about the individual person and how they work and their individual style, until one day I finally got it. Universally we all perform better with a better supporting cast, staff, and other agents, who are a critical part to our individual success.

Very few people reach great heights alone. Edison may get credit for the light bulb. Jobs may have received the accolades for Apple’s success as did Gates with Microsoft, but I would guess they would all share the applause with worthy people that helped along the way. I have attended a lot of golf matches over the last year with my 13 year old son and when we started he would look for events where the kids had higher scores so he would have a better chance at placing in the top 3. Half way through the year we realized he was scoring better when he played with the top talent, and even though he was not an award winner, his game was improving and his score was coming down.

Much the same in real estate, if you work with higher producers they help you stay on track and the conversations are generally the type of positive conversation that keeps your head in the game and pushing forward. Think about what you can learn and share with like-minded people and how you can push and challenge each other.

Recently, I attended the Real Trends convention and found out what happens when you put a lot of very successful agents under one roof and it felt great, so I must brag just a bit about my all star agents. In case you don’t know, Real Trends tracks the Real Estate Brokerage business—yes, all 77,000 Real Estate offices in the U.S. and Canada. While attending the Real Trends convention, I learned that RE/MAX Ability Plus was recognized for the following success:

10^th Fastest growing RE/MAX in the USA for % of Volume growth out of 3,300 offices.

12^th Fastest growing RE/MAX in the USA for % of Transaction growth out of 3,300 offices.

37^th   Fastest growing Real Estate Company in the USA for % of Volume growth of of 77k offices.
 

45^nd Fastest growing Real Estate Company in the USA for % of Transaction growth out of 77k offices.

One of the teams with my office had a 17 year career with another local broker in my area and then joined RE/MAX Ability Plus. In their first year they went from their normal 10 million dollar year to 18 million-- same team, same market and honestly the only major change was the association with people who had sold more than them and helped them to challenge themselves to new heights. No magic, just dreaming bigger.

Bon Appetit, Jimmy Dulin

Don't Be Indifferent....Change The Game And Stand Out!

  Late last year I took a train ride from Oregon to Seattle Washington, no big deal right, I mean it was just public transportation from one place to another.  Well that is what I thought but not what I got.  I arrived at the train station and was greeted by a very nice ticket person who was eager to serve me, I showed him my ticket and he said “have you been on this trip” I responded “no sir” he said “I’m going to switch your seat to a seat with a better view” I of course said “thank you” and went about my business and that my friends is where it started not ended with this extraordinary experience. 

 When I boarded the train I found a huge comfortable seat all by its self with a large picture window to the world, but even better yet was what happened next.  See I was sitting in my chair using the free Wi-Fi and looking out the window when all of the sudden the game changer happened.  That’s right a voice came over the speaker and said “hello my name is Julie and I’m in the beverage car which is car #5 and although it will be 10 minutes or so until we depart I wanted you to know the beverage car is open for business and we have breakfast, coffee, juices and wonderful bloody mary’s, and right now we don’t have a line for service if  you would like to join me”.  To me this was and invitation to come try out the beverage car, I mean she could have just said I’m open or even say nothing at all.  But not in this case, we all received a warm welcome that to me differentiated my experience and made me feel like a valued customer.

  So many times as Broker Owner I get to talk to agents about their business and what makes them stand out, many times the response is “my service, I really care about my clients”. Although I’m sure that is the case I’m also sure many other Realtors feel and display the same concern and care for their clients, so ‘HOW” do you change the game… I would suggest you review your customary experience you provide your client and see if some where in the process you could elevate your game. 

 Some ideas, when you show your listings maybe leave a hand written note behind thanking your clients, begin to leave behind a signature piece of candy each time you visit a home or meet with some one. Maybe you have someone present for all showings on your listings, or meet face to face with your client during all negotiations.  Whatever the choice do consider finding that “thing” makes you stand out and changes the game in the eye of your customer. 

 Bonn Appetite, Jimmy

 

Practise at the office or at home but not at the clients house...

How many professionals do you know that show up at the interview without practicing the presentation?
Let's see.... Sports, no. Doctors, hope not. Attorneys, yikes. Accountants, no way... These people all prepare and practice their profession long before they ever meet with a potential client or enter a sporting event.
So how many Realtors show up at a listing appointment without practicing their presentation? I have heard every excuse in the book. Heck, I have added to the book myself. In a time when inventory is down in Central Indiana, can you afford not be on your game for even one listing appointment? I think not...When you arrive, be ready to bring it and I don't mean the rehearsal version. I mean the "no way you can't list with me version". Every time you walk in the door, it is your super bowl. If you consider the call to come out as a base hit, the appointment your double, and the listing a triple then the home run of Real Estate is the sale which means YOU CAN NOT SHOW UP AND MAKE BASE HITS!
 Grab a co-worker or friend and role play. Grab your kid or borrow one but don't show up and practice with the consumer. Have you considered what makes your presentation unique to you? Do you sell what you bring or just what your office brings to the table? Take the approach of finding out what the consumer wants and bring them the information. Talk less and listen more. Be prepared to share your stats, your brands stats (for those that believe consumers don't care about brand, skip this part), your specific office stats, and share the accomplishments of your organization in the community like charitable giving. But in the end DON'T FORGET TO ASK FOR THE BUSINESS!
That's right, many agents do a great job but for some reason are scared to ask for the business. If I'm the home owner and you are scared to ask me for my business I would be concerned you will also be scared to ask the potential buyer to buy my home. Remember you are on stage at the listing appointment so like an actor get ready, clean car, polished shoes (that you offer to take off the second you walk in the door) and whistle as you approach the door. It is hard to be in a bad mood and whistle all at the same time!
Best of luck, Jimmy

Invest in yourself!

As I prepare for my annual trip to the RE/MAX International Convention it seems approiate to talk about the investment we make in our selves or don't make.  Annually on behalf of my Office I travel to the RE/MAX International Convention, RE/MAX Broker Owner Convention, Real Trends "Soar with the Eagles" it is and invite only for the top 500 Real Estate Companies in the United States and the NAR Convention. So How do you invest in yourself? Please this is not and attempt to point fingers but rather ask you if you are exspanding your edeucationa and your best practise knoweledge from other people around the world.  Whether you are with a one person firm or a National player there are opportuinities to get out and grow.  DON'T rely on your local office or local board or even your state board to expose you to the type of "Best Practises" that are going on around the world.  When I attend I find it helpful to carry my ipad, I make alot of notes, take pictures, gather cards and do my best to meet and talk with as many succesful people as I can.  One example 2 years ago while attending the "Gathering of the Eagles" 9Broker/ Owners Only btw Convention I was in a room and the speaker who was the Owner of one of the US's largest independent Real Estate companies was talking about complimenting services a firm can offer it's agents.  The gentelmen sitting next to me asked about Insurance to which the speaker spoke very highly of.  When the meeting concluded, I who had the same interest in Insurance asked the gentelmen who asked the question about Insurance questions about his thoughts, after 30 mins of talking we had really hit it off and the plans were set! I set a date to fly to his Pennsylvania office for a visit, he had one office and 120 agents and knew the RE/MAX system backwords and forwards.  I flew in and enjoyed 3 days of great food and conversation about his office and the "annual meeting" was born.  From that trip I have now iplemented 3 to 4 great ideas and that doesnt even include the launch of our own Insurance Copany to help our Agents and their clients.  Travel, ask questions, meet great people and share what you know because the reword is greater success than you will ever find alone...