All posts by One Agency Real Estate Group

One Agency is a revolution in real estate. We are not a franchise but are an operation that allows agents to establish their own agency free from the classic constraints, inflated costs and complexities of a franchise.
Real Estate Market
Real Estate Market

Claudio Encina – Tactics & Strategies For A Changing Real Estate Market

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What new tactics and strategies are you using in this changing real estate market?


We all know that the spring selling season is an opportunity to make a significant amount of cash for the year.

The weather’s getting better (in most places) and people want to be in their new homes before summer and Christmas.

So, it’s super important that you make sure you’re generating leads, going on appointments, taking listings, putting buyers under contract and selling a lot of homes!

It is imperative that you ask high-gain and high-impact questions in order to  garner enough information to clearly identify and understand those needs. The most successful sales professionals are those who ‘sell by design, not by chance.’  If you have a strategy when asking questions, you increase your success rate.

Here are some real cut through questions to ask your prospects:  

  1. When do you see yourself doing something?
  2. If I come across a good buyer should I give you a call?
  3. I know you’re not selling but I would love to see your place, are you around this Friday or would the would weekend suit you better?
  4. Do you have any real estate plans in 2018 either buying or selling?

Know your ‘message’ and ‘outcome’ from the call. Sincerity, politeness and brevity, combined with a solid knowledge of your market, are the makings for a successful sales call. Follow these tips and watch your selling productivity rise this spring and start to identify your pipeline for the new year:

Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching

Claudio Encina – A New Approach To Listing Property

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There is no better time than NOW to target new and future business.

As the market transitions you need to find new and better ways to do this, by developing a strategy around the ‘expired’s’ and the ‘withdrawn’s’.

Use a market monitor to build your real estate market knowledge or look through portals such as Property Finder or Corelogic to identify any expired or withdrawn listings. First you need to have form of process or a system to target the expired listing.

How do you get the ‘expired or withdrawn’s’ attention?

Have you ever thought about stopping to think what is my strategy when making a call or are you just doing the call without taking the time to know your exact outcome and hoping you may get the result you are after?

What if I said you could probably increase and maximise your result, just by taking the time to strategically think about your ‘30 second Impact Message’.

first home buyers
First Time Buyers, housing affordability

First Home Buyers – A Guide To Co-ownership With Family

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You don’t often hear the words ‘bank’ and ‘love’ in the same sentence, but there’s one bank first home buyers can’t help but love.

That’s because the bank already knows them intimately, cares deeply about their financial future, and has a history of giving more than taking.

Don’t believe me? It’s also a bank they already know well, and probably trust more than any other bank in the world. In fact, they’re already a client whether they like it or not, because they’ve been tapping it for credit time and time again since the day they were born.

That’s right. I’m talking about the Bank of Mum and Dad.

Parents Pty Ltd
Parents obviously want to help their kids break into the property market if they can. Not just because they’re sick of them being at home well into their 20’s or 30’s, but because they see good money wasted on rent that could be put to better financial use in an owned property.

With high prices making it difficult for first homebuyers to get a foothold, it’s true they need all the help they can get. And it may just be that co-ownership – as opposed to a guarantor arrangement – could help home buyers set their families up for the future and allow parents to leave a legacy.

Co-ownership in Australia is usually structured as a tenants-in-common arrangement, where ownership is divided to an agreed share. This enables both parents and first homebuyers to pass on their share of the property to whoever they wish if they die, by naming them in a will.

So how do you ensure co-ownership doesn’t turn from familial love into hate?

Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching

How To Adapt Your Mind To Market Conditions – Claudio Encina

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Many agents in this market are adapting to the market conditions or some are falling into a sales rut and we have all been there.

First thing, park your funk! Begin by letting go of the past and don’t think about future, just begin to focus on what’s important right now, in the present moment.

Thinking about the past and the future can bring anxiety and stress. High achievers are able to manage their moods and emotions through the highs and lows of the real estate market rollercoaster.

The mind is such a powerful thing and it starts with your self-talk as that  becomes your thoughts, your thoughts becomes your focus, your focus become your actions and your actions lead to your results.

Self-talk is critical, and then focus is nothing more than the questions you repeatedly ask yourself. It’s how you determine your focus. It’s the power of the right question that ultimately produces that attitude.

Your attitude is just simply going to determine the kind of actions that you take. So if you want to be in the right action you got to have the right attitude, starting with your body, your self-talk, and your focus.

When you take action, when you make those phone calls, when you knock on those doors, when you do the things you know you’re supposed to do to go out and win, you produce results. And the results simply reinforce your body, your self-talk, and your focus.

business ownership, Independent Real Estate Business

Agents Partner Up In Real Estate Business Ownership WA

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One Agency North based in the Northern suburbs of WA was launched in April 2018 as partnership between David Snell and Cathy Tran.

David has been in real estate for 15 years and Cathy for five years and together they made the leap into business ownership, backing themselves to succeed with the goal of building a rent roll as a bankable asset.

“We saw a market opportunity primarily in property management for a proactive leasing strategy, one that is highly responsive, has hands on operators who handle matters and attend properties in person,” says David. The team made a decision to be proactive not reactive managers.       

The pair worked together for five years prior to opening their own real estate business at a boutique coastal office in North Beach where David was manager. There are two more sales agents in the team, Donna Jackson and Tyson Barry.

David has a degree in both marketing and theology, is also a self-confessed extrovert and not shy of publicity. He’s comfortable in front of a camera or talking on radio, in fact he’s been a guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM and the agency advertise regularly on the airwaves.

“Real estate is a unique business,” says David, “if you want to succeed you’ve got to love people. Property is the product you’re selling, but it’s the people you’re actually helping to realise their real estate dreams. So you need to understand people, what drives them, to help both the buyer and the seller achieve a win win deal.”

David says that there would be no need for a real estate agent if every buyer just paid what the seller wanted. He believes that the key to the role of a real estate agent is in bridging that gap and negotiating through the different expectations of both parties.

“We back ourselves clearly with our radio ads and my marketing background has helped me to identify who our target market will be and we utilise video, social media and traditional marketing to attract numerous, qualified buyers,” he says. “We are focusing on property management and building that side of the business, because so many landlords complain that their property managers don’t return their calls. We want to challenge that.”

One Agency North are forging ahead with a fresh approach to property management and they back their service with an offer that if a landlord doesn’t receive a return call within three hours, then they will receive a week of free property management. They also promise to lease a property within three weeks and if they don’t then they’ll manage the property free for the first three months.

Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching

7 Traits Of A High Performance Agent – Claudio Encina

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The future of agents is about becoming not a good agent or a great agent but a High Performance Agent.

So, what’s the difference? There are seven traits that make a High Performance Agent.

If my clients are struggling to perform at their highest level, I find this approach can really help and have discovered that these traits are common with agents who write seven figures. 

Trait No.1: Constant State of Growth 
With high performance agents it is always about how can they can keep growing week by week, month by month and year by year. For this type of agent, not to keep growing is like a foreign concept. Look at always expanding your skills, talents, mindset. Get yourself into a growth process. It’s simple, you are either in Growth Mindset or Fixed Mindset. Make the right choice.

The five areas I believe you should strive for growth in are:

1) Spiritual
2) Mental
3) Physiological
4) Relationships
5) Skills

Trait No.2: High Level of Responsibility
Always take 100% of responsibility with anything and everything in your life.  If you take responsibility and ownership you will begin to work at a different level so therefore it’s never about blaming the market or others.

Trait No.3: Love the Process
It’s the process that you love each day that will give you the necessary outcome. Most agents don’t like or love processes. You can’t achieve great things life without a difficult process or struggle. Learn to love the process. Most people focus on the outcome and aren’t prepared for the process or hard work. Change how you approach the process.

Trait No.4: Spring Loaded Towards Action
You’ve heard the saying ‘Just Do It’. That is what the high-performance agents do, they don’t dwell, think or ponder they just take massive action. Don’t get stuck with paralysis analysis. Make sure your focus is in action not inaction. So just do it.

Lindy Harris One Agency
Real Estate Business

Real Growth In Her Real Estate Business – Lindy Harris

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Lindy Harris was naturally concerned and nervous of the journey ahead when this mother-of-two opened her One Agency real estate business in Singleton, a small country town in the Hunter Valley, NSW in 2012.

Six years on and she’s riding high after being selected as a finalist for Sales Agent of the Year – Regional category in the 2018 REB Awards last week, and speaking in front of more than 4,000 participants attending AREC on the Gold Coast in Queensland in May.

Ms.Harris recounted her focus on personal communication with her clients, engagement with the community and an absolute dedication to service with a difference. Her presentation was extremely well received.

“I’m very client oriented, working on the process and putting them first, rather than just focusing on the outcome,” she says. “AREC forced me to face my fear of speaking in public and I couldn’t have done it without the amazing team I have around me, in fact my nomination for the REB award is also underpinned by their support. It has been a lot of hard work but I feel very blessed.”

Ms Harris has many other accolades including Agent Insiders top female agent in NSW for 2017, and a string of local business awards.

“It’s been a long but very rewarding journey since I took that initial leap of faith in 2012, I had worked in the industry for more than a decade at that point and I figured that I might as well be doing it for myself, I’d always thought that I would open my own real estate business one day and I wanted to do it my own way.”

Papillon Interior Kitchen
Property Makeover, Property Styling

Property Makeover Dilemma – To Renovate Or Not To Renovate?

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As a Property Makeover Specialist I regularly speak at property presentation seminars, and often hear the same questions.

 
Last time I shared with you a very common dilemma people can have – should I renovate or do a property makeover if I’m in a popular development area? You can read that article here.
 
Another very popular question is: “A friend of mine has recently made-over their place to sell, they put in a kitchen, they painted and landscapers were there for days. Then someone bought it and they are now pulling the house down or they are now installing their own kitchen – isn’t that a waste of money?”
 
The first thing I say is; if you made those changes in your home without listing for sale and you decided to pull them out or you chose to demolish the property, then I would agree with you!
 
However, it is important to understand what the actual expected reward from the makeover investment was. It actually really wasn’t because the kitchen would be used for the next 15-20 years, it was the fact that the kitchen was a drawcard to get more people through their home and created competition – that is how it has paid them back.
 
Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching

Claudio Encina – Appointment Setting In A Slow Market

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Why is it that some real estate agents are succeeding wildly today, while literally thousands more are finding it slow right now?

What separates those who are still making sales from those who are not? What is the key to succeeding in this market, or any market for that matter?

The answer is simple. Agents who are setting and going on appointments are producing, period. Even if listing stock is down, there are still sales occurring. The truth is, the more agents who believe it’s slow during winter, the better it is for you.

Even if there are less listings, you have less competition. Again, it is a mental market. Ultimately, it’s how you choose to look at it that makes it a ‘good’ or a ‘bad’ market.

So I dare you. No I double dare you! The next 3 months is all about setting an appointment challenge for each 30 day period. Have specific ideas and techniques that will lead to a breakthrough in the amount of appointments you set.

The intention is that you go on one or more hot appointment every single work day. Remember, when making phone calls ask yourself; what is my intention? The intention is super important as that leads to the result and outcome you seek for. 

Real Estate Market
Real Estate Buyers

Survival Of The Fittest – Real Estate Coach Claudio Encina

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The consumer experience is key to remain relevant today as an agent-start with your buyers.

In changing markets, we often see that we need to adapt to certain conditions to ensure we can get sales across the line for our vendors and keep the days on market below industry average.

Like evolution, it will require a new set of skills and mindset and to be open to adapting strategies to best serve market conditions. The survival of the fittest.

Firstly, some thoughts to consider; do I have buyer management system? If the answer is no, now is the time to level UP the Buyer Experience, remember ‘Rapport Opens Doors’.

We generally focus on the next sale, so we tend to ask questions about where they are moving from to identify if they have a property to sell rather our focus should be to understand their needs to create a foundation that adds rapport, connection, and trust.

The most effective way to service the buyers is come from a place of ‘Help’ rather than ‘Sell’. How can you stand out and make the experience memorable and personal?

One Agnecy Burnie Real Estate Business
Real Estate Brand, Real Estate Business

Real Estate Business Was A Leap Of Faith That Paid Off

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Matt and Jenna Grice started One Agency Burnie in Tasmania from home in 2015.

Two and a half years on, they have a staff of 15 and two offices, one in Burnie and the other in Wynyard. This dynamic young couple are busy building a strong and sustainable real estate business that allows them a fabulous lifestyle.

“Looking back now I don’t know why we were so worried about it,” says Matt, with seven years experience in the industry under his belt and had worked for Harcourts before setting up their own operation.

“It’s the biggest thing we’ve ever done and we should have done it sooner. The turnaround was so fast, we literally blinked and the next minute were up and running.”

Matt and Jenna loved the fresh and striking branding and also the traction that One Agency Launceston were making in establishing the brand in the state, so they made enquiries into a license and were up and running within three months.

“If we had known three years ago what our life would look like now, it definitely wasn’t this,” says Matt.

Jenna is also thrilled with the results, “We wouldn’t have the lifestyle we have today without One Agency,” she says.

property makeover
Property Makeover

Property Makeover How Do We Proceed If Home In Development Area?

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As a Property Makeover Specialist I have a series of the same questions that are often asked during the initial consultation process.

I regularly guest speak at property presentation seminars and was presenting very recently, when those same questions appeared. I will share them with you over the next few months, starting with this first and very common dilemma:

‘All of the houses in my street have been either knocked down or fully developed. It’s unlikely that a family will buy, however I don’t have a crystal ball, so should I waste time and money making changes, even though my home may be bulldozed and developed?’

In answer I say; yes absolutely, a property makeover is essential, but with caution. In this scenario, it is likely that there will (without seeing the home or discussing with the local agent) be two types of buyer categories, the owner/occupier and the investor/developer.

For example, the owner/occupier wants to buy one of the remaining cottages in the area and then renovate to make their home work for their family dynamic. In this case they will either want to move in immediately or rent out the property until their planning permission is through for renovations.

Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching, Real Estate Training

A New You In Real Estate – Claudio Encina

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A new year a new YOU. This can be your year if you decide to play the best version of you because only you know you.

Your habits come from your daily activities compounded over time. And your activities are the result of the choices you make in the moment.

These moments are what I call ‘micro moments ‘ where the decision can make you a success or lead to failure. If I asked you what are you searching for everyday, most people’s answer would be ‘Happiness’. So, how do you find happiness each day?

The answer is really simple just play the best version of YOU every day.  And crushing these ‘micro moments’ that come up each day. You see people who play, breathe, live and perform the best version of themselves each day have a high level of ‘happiness’. That creates energy, attitude and begins to affect your results, because of your vibration. Vibration is everything!!

Stephan Siegfried
Real Estate Business

Rock Solid Real Estate Business Has Integrity And A Big Heart

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Stephan Siegfried started his One Agency business with a modest team of two, and is now, four years later, seven strong and based in an prime main street location in Redcliffe, QLD.

For him, it was an easy transition to the One Agency brand set up, and gave them the opportunity to not only flourish as a real estate business, but to be in a position to give back to their local community.

Stephan and his team recently won a One Agency Community Service Award 2017 in Recognition of Services to the Community for their work with not for profit organisation ‘The Breakfast Club’, helping local homeless people, or people in need.

“The club provides free meals and other essentials such as clothing, haircuts, meal and laundry services to people who are experiencing hard times, no questions asked,” says Stephan. “The local community thinks of it largely as looking after homeless people but that is only the tip of the iceberg.”

They were involved as major sponsor and raffle co-ordinator for The Rockin 4 the Homeless Concert which showcased over 20 local bands and ultimately raised over $53,000 last year. Stephan and The Breakfast Club are only looking to expand their services in 2018 through raffles and being involved in projects like the Rockin4 the Homeless 5 concert which will take place on the 28th of April with the Hoodoo Guru’s headlining.

The blatant juxtaposition of Stephan’s work in real estate and his charity work for the homeless provides a model of integrity for businesses in any field looking forward into the new year, proving that you can better your own business and life by doing the same for those around you. A much needed sentiment of giving back in our current global climate.

Paul and Annie Davies One Agency
One Agency

2017 Another Year Of Record Growth At One Agency

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One Agency looks back on another record breaking year across Australia & New Zealand as we enter the festive season.

“We are also celebrating our arrival in Fiji,” says Paul Davies, CEO & Founder, “with three offices pioneering the brand into the South Pacific region.”

Fiji is seen now as a stable internal real estate market and remains a very popular destination for overseas owners, especially in the Nadi, Lautola, Ba, Raki Raki western quadrant and on some of the many islands in and beyond the Mamanuca Group. One Agency will be represented by offices in Lautoka, Nadi and Flagstaff, in Suva.

“Our expansion across Australasia this past twelve months has been based around a mix of existing members expanding their businesses,” says Mr.Davies, “the arrival of market-leading agents wishing to remove themselves from the operating and income restrictions of larger offices and work alone, plus a substantial number of former franchisees and independent offices.”

“Of real note is the size and calibre of offices seeking to join us and these invariably create interest in similar nearby businesses who obviously watch their competitors! All up we can now boast over two hundred licenses allocated,” he says.

Amongst the innovations the company has delivered to its network this year is a members’ website holding templates of all of the brand collateral including stationery, property and agent advertising, marketing templates, reports, booklets and roadside signage. Members freely access the site, choose the required template, add their detail and send to printers, the media or signwriters. Another site carries all the company’s promotional materials that members can now purchase online.

A popular information-sharing, issue-resolving and referral tool, our members’ private Facebook Group, has again proved valuable to the network. A separate New Zealand Facebook Group was created early in the year to focus on Kiwi issues.

Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching

A New Year Ahead In Real Estate Sales – Claudio Encina

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How to align and create a new set of standards in real estate sales for 2018!

As we head into yet another new year, I think of the adage ‘what got me here in 2017, won’t get me there in 2018’ both personally and professionally.  

It comes down to knowing; what are your standards? The agents who succeeded this year had a set of disciplines, mindset and beliefs which they followed through no matter what was happening in the market place.

Successful people always raise their principles and standards to aim to become someone they have never been before. It’s like they demand more of themselves and it becomes a necessity in their life. 

For example, look at someone who goes to the gym 3 or 4 times a week – they usually have a set of standards and discipline that they do each week to get physically fit.  Look at their physical body after 90 days of disciplined, consistent training.

The same can be said  about your business. What are the disciplines that you are going to implement each week because you know each of these disciplines will have a massive impact on your business?

Know your daily number in 2018, meaning how many conversations you need to have daily that will guarantee your success and business because only you know you, and that number taps into your full ability and potential.

downsizing
Property Presentation, Property Styling

Vendor Dilemma – Downsizing From The Family Home

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Downsizing does not have a  ‘one size fits all’ solution and needs handling carefully.

The mere thought of a downsize is daunting and can overwhelm any retiree. Coming to the realisation that it’s time to move on from the family home may take many years. The difficulty is, as an agent, how do you approach and discuss this topic while maintaining respect and understanding?

Questions such as:

Is your home too big?
Are there rooms you just never go into?
Do you worry about the maintenance?
Do you want to reduce your efforts in the day to day upkeep?

The big one for me is:
Does this home still serve the purpose you bought it for?

Just the idea of going through the process of packing away a lifetime of belongings and getting a property ready to list and sell can be overwhelming.

We’ve project managed hundreds of downsizes and have seen it all! With the correct approach to a downsizing makeover project, your vendors can have a more profitable and lower stress outcome to begin the next phase of their lives.

Most people just think of the option and term of ‘downsizing’, but I like to think that there is a more beneficial result from the term ‘rightsizing.’ The key is to make the solution ‘optimal.’ To ‘downsize’ implies simply moving to a smaller place while to ‘rightsize’ is to convert to a more optimal space.

This could mean a vendor initially converting an existing home, adding a granny flat, or extracting hidden value from their current property to maximise options, before scaling down into a smaller property.

The rightsizing trend now is commonly tied to lifestyle-improvement goals. Often, a homeowner is motivated to rightsize post the family growing up; post the realisation of spending too much time maintaining a big house and yard; or post paying off a home loan.

Higher motivators also involve the desire to retire and to live closer to the beach, on the mountains, or just about anywhere that offers cosiness with the amenities of life. Rightsizing is all around us.

The most important step to rightsizing is maximising the sale value of what a vendor has. We work out the best strategy according to their individual requirements and will:

  • Talk through their needs, desires, and budget to help them to decide whether they should stay on the same property or sell the property.
  • Get to work deciding on a strategy from de-cluttering the home, implementing small renovations, or totally maximising the development potential of their home before selling.
  • Perhaps convert that little office into a bedroom for added value, declutter and restyle, if needed, to attract a more affluent market, or totally update the landscaping and paint colours to attract a younger more affluent client.
Nick Alexopoulos
Real Estate Brand, Real Estate Business

Easy Transition from Agent to Real Estate Business Owner

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Nick Alexopoulos set up his own One Agency real estate business in January 2017.

He admits to having been extremely nervous at the idea of becoming a real estate business owner, but after speaking with Paul Davies, the Founder & CEO of One Agency, he felt confident in making the leap.

“I had some friends who had already set up with One Agency, and their success and enthusiasm about the group made me take a good look at what was on offer,” says Nick. “Once I joined the transition was so easy that I kicked myself that I hadn’t done it earlier!”

Nick looked at a few of the traditional franchise models, but there was no comparison for him, as One Agency offered him a low cost business model, that allowed him to keep his entire commission and the flexibility to run his own race without intervention. He had complete freedom to build his business at his own pace.

“The main factor in my decision was that there was no requirement for me to have a shop front with One Agency. The others required me to do that and their fees would have been 9 – 10% of my turnover and I didn’t see the value in that. Plus I didn’t see any additional value in their business models over and above what One Agency was offering.”

Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching, Real Estate Market

How To Own Your Real Estate Market – Claudio Encina

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How can you own the real estate market this year and set the foundation for next year?

Confidence is a powerful thing. When abundant, it propels booms. When lacking, it crumbles markets. Now in the second half of the year we find ourselves in a different, less confident market place to the first half.

Lower auction clearance rates, number of days on market increasing, more buyers sitting on the fence, tougher lending criteria for investors and numbers of first home buyers on the slide. As a result, median property prices across Australia are starting to retract from the high levels we have seen in the past 18 months.

Optimists with a plan lead in real estate, so how can you take charge in this challenging market?

  1. GOALS – Create a clear plan from now until Christmas. Evidence shows that you are likely to achieve sharp short term goals rather than long term goals. Write down what you would like to achieve over the next 60 days in sales, listings, presentations and market appraisals. Draft a ‘new business’ (prospecting/canvassing) plan for your business to create new and future business for 2018. No plan and no goals leads to coasting through another year at the same level as before. If you want to do better, plan and do more.
  2.  URGENCY – It’s time to change pace. In slower markets fast paced agents clean up while others stand back as if nothing has changed. I’ve seen many agents unable to adapt to a changing market because they didn’t lift the pace. Increase your sense of urgency and this will be a market to harvest.
  3. CONTROL – A slower market means buyers will be fussier and less compromising with their expectations. They will also increase their perception of value. You will need to control your listings, set to sell meetings, marketing and negotiation skills. Control your inner market – YOU.  For buyers and sellers, the process brings emotions to the surface that, when misunderstood by their agent, can lead to feelings of frustration and anger by all involved.

    Clients aren’t the only ones at the mercy of their emotions; even the most level-headed, seasoned agent has moments where his or her emotions bubble to the surface. Agents with high emotional maturity, are able to manage their emotions as well as those of their clients.

  4. SKILL –Some agents will take listings on at any price in a changing market. This doesn’t mean you have to overprice to list, on the contrary, you need to be an expert at showing how your process and company will optimise the result. Agents without real benefits and resources only have overpricing and low fees in their tool bag. Practice fee strategies – you will need them. Don’t wing it!  

    Points of difference between you and the competition will be key. You will need to provide substantial evidence to set yourself apart – ‘Why you?’ – and massive success will come your way. Learn, practise and rehearse your listing presentation, commission objections, marketing objections and negotiation dialogues. I recommend spending 15-30 minutes on this daily.

  5. ACTION – Stock is everything. Want to DOUBLE your business? Then hold DOUBLE the conversations, DOUBLE your profile marketing, have written goals and a simple committed plan. There is no way to make more money without more stock, so start listing like a maniac. Also, expired listings will be a great resource of new and future business in the real estate market this year – identify them in your area.
real estate market
Property Presentation, Property Styling

Spring to Summer Real Estate Market Styling Ideas

It’s time to get planning for the busy months ahead in the real estate market.

Spring school holidays are about to begin and Christmas is also on the radar, so time is of the essence to work on styling and presentation as the market picks up.
 
We’ve just finished working on a hugely intense project, released to get on an auction schedule prior to the September School holidays, and it worked really well! With only 13 weeks to Christmas, there is still time to time to work on that auction date prior to the summer holidays.
 
So as styling & renovation makeover specialists, what do we focus on at this time of year as the weather warms up? My favourite part of the Spring /Summer period is the opportunity to enhance a morning sun aspect and work the indoor/outdoor transition to best advantage. Where you can’t logistically transition in and out, you can use items of colour and nature to set the scene, tie both areas together and create flow through.
 
There are easy and affordable items that you can seasonally change, like cushions going from more muted and warm colours, to greens and citrus for example.  Throws would change from the heavier faux fur to a lighter cotton or knitted.  Nature items such as large fronds, beautifully shaped sticks, leafy indoor plants or blooming potted orchids can work beautifully.
 
Housing Density
Housing Market

Long-Term Trends In Housing Density Revealed

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BankWest recently published its 2017 Housing Density Report revealing long-term trends in housing density.

It looks at trends at a state and capital city level by monitoring the number and proportion of medium density dwelling (units, townhouses and apartments) approvals compared to total dwelling approvals. 

This is contrasted with dwelling stock measured in the 2011 Census to identify areas of increasing housing density. So where around the country is housing density on the rise?

While the long-term trend towards medium density housing remains strong, the short-term trend reveals the largest national decline in the number of approvals for medium density housing in four years.

There were 110,471 medium density approvals nationwide in the 12 months to March 2017, down 6.5% in the 12 months to March 2016.

Approvals for stand-alone homes also declined by 2.9% over the same period. This short-term decline has been largely driven by uncertainty in Queensland markets, with many apartments being completed and tighter foreign lending terms leading to developers holding off on new medium density construction.

However, despite this short-term fall, over a five year horizon, the number of medium density approvals increased by a significant 99.7%, up from just 55,332 in the 12 months to March 2012.

Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching, Real Estate Trainers, Real Estate Training

7 Steps To An Appointment Setting Breakthrough

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Spring is just around the corner and you need to level up your focus on prospecting to build a good pipeline of potential sellers.

We cannot control the market. We can control ourselves and our businesses. We can control our thoughts.

My belief is simple: If our thoughts are positive, we will go out and take positive actions. If we take positive actions, we will succeed…regardless of market conditions! Agents who are setting and going on appointments between now and spring will create the foundation for success.

I want to give you specific ideas and techniques that will lead to a breakthrough in the amount of appointments you set.

The intention that we have for you is that you go on one or more hot appointment every single work day. Let’s begin by defining what an appointment is and then we will look at seven ways to set an appointment a day.

What is an appointment? My belief is that an appointment is any meeting that will positively impact your business. Specifically:

  • Sitting face-to-face with a motivated seller (listing presentation)
  • Working with a buyer who wants to buy
  • Meeting an expired listing
  • A face-to-face meeting with a past client, a centre of influence or anyone who can refer you business

Stop and think for a moment: How would your business be impacted if you went on at least one great appointment each work day? If you work 220 days in a year and go on 220 appointments, what would happen to your production? I am 99% certain that unless you are selling over 100 homes a year, your production would skyrocket.

My goal is to assist you in taking your business to the next level, so let’s look at the seven techniques for setting an appointment a day.

winter real estate market
Housing Market, Property Styling

Advantages Of Listing In The Winter Real Estate Market

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A lot of our clients believe there is a code of pre-sale protocol – wait until spring! 

 
I’m sure yours do too and you’re finding that this is a general understanding across the board with regard to the winter real estate market. My thoughts are entirely the opposite, well in fact two thoughts on that one:
 
Firstly, selling your vendors home is about making sure it fits into when it’s right for their family, lifestyle and financial plan. 
 
So encouraging your vendors to sell when it is ‘right for them’ rather than trying to second guess what will happen through the seasons and the future, spring, summer, autumn or winter.  My thoughts are that if it is right for your vendor to prepare and sell in the current winter real estate market, then why not benefit from less property competition?  
 
Secondly, preparing a home for sale in spring is certainly a more traditional approach, which can put pressure on many of the support services.  So there are certain things to organise early for that plan if they are keen to wait for the warmer months and also some insights from pre-sale planning.
 
real estate brand
Real Estate Brand, Real Estate Business

Agent Chooses One Agency Real Estate Brand

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Shaun O’Callaghan joined One Agency in early 2016 after hearing about the brand at AREC.

Prior to that he had no idea that the unique One Agency platform existed. He had considered starting his own real estate brand or partnering with existing Victorian based franchises.

“I didn’t want to have to create a real estate brand from scratch and really liked that One Agency have fixed monthly fees, no financial reporting to head office and great transparency around the business model,” he says.

Shaun had been in real estate for 10 years and worked at Hocking Stuart prior to opening his own business, where he was voted ‘Agent of the Year’ in 2015. He’s an auction accredited agent and an industry commentator featured in Real Estate Business and on the Sky News Real Estate Program.

One Agency Shaun O’Callaghan cover the Surf Coast region of Victoria, including Torquay, Jan Juc and surrounds.

“Setting up a new business is daunting, but Paul Davies and the team at head office were very accommodating, informative and supportive, plus I have an incredible Operations Manager, Amanda Lee,” says Shaun. “We made a list and worked through it day by day. My wife Liz has also been heavily involved and supportive as well.”

Real Estate Market
Market, Real Estate Business

Moment of Truth – The Market is Changing – Are You?

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The market has seen many agents on a roll recently, just from the momentum in the market place.

What you need to make sure is that you don’t start to change the word from roll to ’rollercoaster’.

Many agents fall into the trap of the rollercoaster because they get ‘busy’ and neglect the prospecting. Nothing new right? Pro’s understand that they must protect their ‘profit zone’ (prospecting) to look for new and future business and the rollercoaster won’t even exist.

The biggest challenge for agents today is how do you not remain complacent, rest on your laurels and settle for mediocrity, especially when you are listing and selling and things are good in your life. You must have a set of standards that you believe in.

Don’t allow to go into desperation to move into a different state of mind when you need a listing or sale as that is generally your lever to motivation – ‘raise your standards.’  

Be that person who is a rich agent everyday rather than riding the roller coaster of rich agent VS poor agent. Develop your mindset to be rich agent and richer agent.

A few tips to build more momentum and traction in your business daily and be highly productive to develop the ‘profit zone’:

  1. Protect your morning routine:
    Smart Calls best time to be productive and focused by getting on the phone with a purpose and some form of information. Profit Zone Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Structure and discipline will give you freedom.

  2. Distractions are the biggest thief of time:
    Don’t give your power away to others, the clock is ticking so make the most of it and make every minute count.

  3. Obsessive consistency delivers serious results:
    Letters, smart calls/door-knocks to your farm area will deliver the results and a sustainable business. Most agents start and stop things. The mastery is not about doing 4000 things 4 times but doing 4 things well 4000 times.

  4. Don’t procrastinate by waiting for ideal conditions to start something:
    JDI (Just Do It). Get into action with lead generation activities daily.

  5. Practice Productivity:
    Try sitting in one place for hours and hours focused on a single result. The goal is to focus on achieving one market appraisal per day and that’s your key to success. Aim for flow each day and reach into you zone of genius!
Property Presentation
Property Presentation

Avoid Property Presentation Regrets Post Sale

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If you ask any vendor their regrets post sale, a major component is not having the house presented well. 

This means vendors might regret their inaction and in not giving their property presentation everything they had.  
 
Not knowing what they could have achieved in sale price can leave a distasteful feeling about what ‘could have been’.  It is critical as sales agents to address this with your vendors right at the get-go. 
 
Ask them:
– What plans do you have to present the property?
– Are you unsure where to start?
– Can I arrange some assistance in getting your home ready to sell?
 
I suggest actually stating, ‘one of the biggest regrets I hear from vendors is feeling that they didn’t do enough to get the property ready for sale’. Then asking, ‘would you like some ideas to consider?’
 
Real Estate Market
Real Estate Coaching, Real Estate Training

Real Estate Sales – How Proactive Are You?

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The first quarter of the year has passed. How is it working out? Are you in flow?

Perhaps start by being totally proactive in the mornings . You see you can get 90 percent or more of your work done in the morning its called the Profit Zone!

How do you do this? Here some tips to make your mornings totally productive: 

First, I’m defining work as stuff that you do, important stuff. Ideally, meetings can be shoved out of the picture. 

Second, this approach is built on the Pareto principle. The Pareto principle states that 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your efforts. Getting your work done in the morning means that you can take a leaner approach to the important tasks–a smart approach.

1. Schedule your day the night before.
Every day, you should list all your tasks and when you’re going to do them the following day. You will not be productive unless you plan out everything you’re going to do the next morning.

Quick tip: Don’t schedule too much. Keep it simple such as going to smash 30 calls (old OFI books or past clients).

2. Clean your office the night before.
Clutter in your office creates distractions. A sticky note on your desk that says “Call Bob ASAP!” can throw off your whole day.

Showing up to work in a spic-and-span environment helps you to think clearer and work harder.

3. Wake up at an ungodly hour.
To really get stuff done, you’ve got to get up in time to make it happen.

I recommend anytime from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. If your morning routine takes a little longer, bump your wake-up time back a little more.

Obviously, you’ll need to adjust your bedtime accordingly.

4. Exercise.
Scientific evidence shows that morning exercise can make us think better, work better, and become more productive.

I read a book from Harvard’s John Ratey – Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. He writes that exercise is essential for reaching “high-performance levels in intellectually demanding jobs.” Ps. Real Estate

A quick run or 30-minute yoga session in the morning can prepare you for a powerful session of getting stuff done.

5. Stick to your schedule.
Don’t let yourself get off the course that you’ve mapped out. You have a limited amount of time. Don’t ruin the schedule.

Take your schedule, allow it guide you, and you’ll be able to accomplish more.

6. Give yourself 20 minutes to reach flow.
Flow is when you’re in the zone. This happens when you are completely absorbed in your activity, single mindedly accomplishing things at a high level and rapid pace.

It takes some time to reach flow, so if you don’t feel productive or engaged in your work, just give it some time.

Sales Agent
Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Business

Sales Agent Buys The Business

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Joanne Danckwardt was so impressed with the One Agency business model where she had worked as a sales agent for three years, that she bought the business.

She has worked in real estate for 20 years, 5 of those as a valuer, and joined Sally Absalom in the Illawarra 4 years ago, after Sally took a One Agency license. They had previously worked together at McGrath.

“I was attracted to One Agency as I liked the brand, style and the quality of the agents. There was no other brand that stood out for me and I found this model the right fit,” she says.

“Leaving any brand is difficult particularly when you are established there. It wasn’t hard to consider setting up a business, as I was already a business within a business at McGrath. I was a contractor and only received income from my listings. It took me about 8 months to determine when the right time was, to leave McGrath.”

Property Presentation
Property Makeover

The Three Types Of Property Makeover Explained

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A real estate agent, who happens to be a friend of mine, asked me recently:

Are there differences to the kind of work you do when it comes to the kinds of property owners?

I thought that that question made sense because most property makeovers have different goals.

Having worked with over 400 makeover projects your Property Makeover Specialist will actually manage projects that fall under these types:

  • Property Makeover to Sell

  • Property Makeover to Rent

  • Property Makeover to Stay (when they have recently bought)

Each type requires a very different approach. It involves a formula of fixed and variable components giving a tailored result, with the right blend of needs, wants and requirements to ensure the best outcome. So to explain the differences, I’ll use the framework I’m following for my business.

Property Makeover to Sell
This is the most common type of a property makeover project. All of which are aimed at showing off the property’s best points and minimising the distractions or negatives.  The goals of this type are as follows:

  • To maximise the market value of a property before it hits the market

  • To optimise the market appeal of a property before it hits the market

  • To enhance the ‘sellability’ of a property when it’s on the market

Also referred to as a ‘pre-sale property makeover,’ the critical element that defines a success makeover of this type is value. This means that changes undertaken for projects under this type are cosmetic in nature without major changes to the carcass of the property.

Housing Affordability
First Time Buyers, housing affordability

Housing Affordability Strategy For First Time Buyers

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We’ve heard recent reports of a certain politician suggesting buyers simply ‘earn more money’ if they want to get on the property ladder.

A housing affordability strategy targeting first time buyers is gaining some traction with MPs, offering a more viable potential solution.

A proposal to allow young people to access some of their superannuation savings if they make voluntary payments is being pushed within the Coalition, with the Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison developing a much-needed housing affordability strategy set to be announced in the May Federal Budget.

Under the plan, first time buyers would be able to access their employer superannuation contributions equal to their voluntary top-up payments, which could then be used as a deposit on a first home.

With housing affordability remaining one of the government’s most pressing issues, there is much ongoing debate about the best way to address the problem. Some senior government figures are understood to be cautious about the proposal, arguing that boosting home deposits could add inflationary pressure to an already heated market. Many industry pundits have also been voicing their concern about the plan.