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GUEST OBSERVATION
With 2015 right around the corner, it’s never too early to begin considering how we might improve as real estate agents in the New Year.
Below are my tips for starting 2015 off on the right foot – and maintaining the positivity throughout the entire year.
<img src="/images/2014/07/04/yellow-one.jpg" alt="">Momentum will be key
Many of us achieved some great things in 2014, so keeping this momentum going will help to ensure 2015 kicks off strongly. And planning for 2015 should begin right now.
There are a few tactics a real estate agent might use to maintain momentum. One of these is to actively retain focus in the lead up to the holiday season, as this time can actually be crucial.  In the area I work, there are approximately 486 properties on the market. On average, 160 will sell in December (based on sales statistics from past Decembers), leaving approximately 320 properties not sold at the end of 2014.
I like to see these numbers as an opportunity. Don’t wait until January to chase listings, because by that point many vendors have already made their choice of agents. Because not all listings will sell this year, you should decide on which properties to take to market in 2015 right now.  Make a point of speaking to all owners within your market area by the end of the year, and remember they will not call you unless they know who you are.
Consider your achievements during 2014, and actually write them down. This self-reflection will provide the clarity needed to renew and refocus. Progress is critical if you want success, and it’s hard to know where you should be going if you don’t know where you’ve been. Use self-knowledge and momentum to fuel you for the journey into 2015. There are peaks and troughs in all businesses, but one of the key character traits of a real estate agent is the ability to bounce back. Momentum will help keep you moving forward even in the slower, tougher periods.
<img src="/images/2014/07/04/yellow-two.jpg" alt="">Your personal brand can take you places
Even the keenest vendors can slow down their efforts over the holiday season, which means more time to think about who they will use to sell their home.  This is where your personal brand can make you stand out in the eyes of vendors considering a number of different agents.
One tactic here is to make sure your online presence is up-to-date. If you present well on the internet and get as many properties listed online over the Christmas holiday period as possible, then you will greatly improve your chances of being the agent a future seller will call.
Results can be showcased by using options such as a business Facebook page, e-newsletter or an online video. By giving information about your fantastic results on a consistent basis in a relevant space, you’ll be creating for yourself a point of difference. By using this to market yourself, your attractive personal brand should help you grab the attention of any number of vendors – and then all that’s left is to meet or exceed their expectations!
<img src="/images/2014/07/04/yellow-three.jpg" alt="">The phone is your friend
One way to stay ahead of the competition is by chasing expired listings and offering incentives to list with you.
We are in a people-business – so don’t be afraid to pick up the phone. Your database is so important, I’d recommend taking the time to develop it properly and update it frequently. As much as many agents may cringe at the word “prospecting”, it can be crucial to continue to do this consistently – particularly at this time of year. Nurturing relationships with past clients, and developing relationships with future clients, is what will ultimately keep you afloat as an agent.
I’d even suggest maintaining contact with those who appear unlikely to be moving for some time. This is because other agents may not be doing the same, and you never know if their circumstances will change, or if they will have friends or family looking for an agent. I recommend spending at least 2 hours a day looking for business or simply maintaining a “front of mind” presence, because in the end real estate is a people game. Value every current – and potential – client. 
Contact doesn’t need to be specifically sales- or real estate-minded either. It’s the perfect time of year to be calling your database just to wish them a happy holiday season, and ask them about their year or plans for the holidays. This could be a quick but personal chat, possibly letting them know how you may be contacted during the holiday season as the cited reason for the call. When a client thinks about real estate in the future, you want them to think, “Let’s call that person who has shown an interest in us and who has maintained contact”.
In the end, there is no easy way to success. The main thing is to just get in there and simply get results – there can be no better promotion of yourself than that. Go for it and good luck in 2015!
Stephanie Hearne has been awarded <a href="https://www.century21.com/" target="_blank">Century 21</a>’s top Australian salesperson for the past three consecutive years.
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Three things to keep in mind heading into 2015

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GUEST OBSERVATION
<a href="/expert-insights/investing/37426-do-you-have-what-it-takes-for-a-career-in-real-estate" target="_blank">I recently wrote a piece</a> containing several questions which those considering a career in real estate might ask themselves before taking the plunge. Below are the final two questions on this topic.
Do I possess the following personality traits?
<ul>
<li>Honesty and integrity – your professional reputation is crucial to a long and successful career in real estate. </li>
<li>
Tenacity – being a high-performing real estate agent requires a great work ethic. You must have the tenacity to pursue every lead, and the hustle to aggressively market your clients’ properties in order to have success. It’s not just about putting in a lot of time — it’s about working smart and putting in the right amount of time, while doing whatever is necessary to close the deal. 
</li>
<li>Problem solving mindset – do you enjoy coming up with creative solutions to problems or issues? Many successful real estate agents know how to properly showcase a house to make it more marketable to attract the right buyers, and this often requires a bit of creativity or quick thinking. </li>
<li>Interest in houses and architecture – having a true interest in houses and architecture can give you an advantage over other salespersons. If your knowledge and interest level is apparent in conversations, your clients will be more likely to be drawn to you. </li>
<li>Attention to detail – paying close attention to the detail is imperative for your real estate career. A complete real estate agent is attentive to the unique needs of their individual clients. If you are organized, follow up with leads, communicate well, and pay attention to the needs of your clients, you are almost guaranteed to close more deals.</li>
</ul>
Where do I want to be in one, three and five years’ time? 
Success in real estate takes time and the right kind of training from experienced, knowledgeable people. It requires that you take a long-term view, and are able to sustain both patience and passion. Remember that there are a large number of real estate agents out there, making it a highly competitive industry. Many people will either sink or swim, so work out which one you will end up being! 
This can be helped by setting one, three and five year goals.
Your first year goal might include starting out in the area you want to eventually be the area specialist of. It’s a long-term business so your short-term goals will have a great impact on your long-term goals.
Over the mid-term, you’ll need to work hard on understanding the local housing market better than any of the competitors.  A top producing real estate agent appreciates and utilizes the nuances that make a specific community’s housing market and pricing strategy unique, and success comes from identifying and developing a focus or niche in the local real estate market that allows you to distinguish yourself from the competition.
Successful real estate agents also have a vast network of contacts within the market they serve – potential sellers and buyers, conveyancers/solicitors, building inspectors, tradespeople, mortgage brokers, shop owners, school communities, the list goes on. A three year goal might be to have built up a network of a certain number of contacts within each of these categories. Invest time and effort into making yourself known in the area and becoming a trusted advisor; build your database of contacts and build your brand year by year. It only gets easier as you build your reputation.
In the longer term, knowledge will be power, so throughout these earlier years, be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge you can by surrounding yourself with experts in areas you wish to become an expert yourself. If you can, find yourself a mentor and assist them in any way possible in order to get access to their thoughts and the processes they follow day-to-day.
A mentor who will guide you along and share wisdom and insights about the industry to help drive your career will be invaluable in helping you to. Finding a mentor is not an easy task, but may occur organically after investing those initial years in immersing yourself in the industry and learning from those around you.
And if I answered yes to all of these questions?
Real estate can be a very rewarding career choice for just about anyone. Though it is affected greatly by the economy, people will always need a place to live, and many will want to own their own home. These people typically like to have access to the advice of someone trustworthy and knowledgeable helping them through the process.
If you treat it as a profession, and not a job, you can make more than $100,000 in your first year. Set a realistic goal each year and make it happen!
A career in real estate grants you the opportunity to grow personally and professionally, and a chance to work with great people helping home owners or buyers at critical times in their lives. Don’t be fooled – it’s never going to be all fun and games, but it can still be very rewarding.
Real estate is all about constantly bettering yourself, your marketing skills, and your negotiation skills. Continuing education and professional development are doors to opportunity that you can utilize to expand your business options and stay at the forefront of the real estate field.
You will know when your mind shifts from doing a job in real estate to being a business person. Your confidence will grow and you will be unstoppable!
STEPHANIE HEARNE has been awarded <a href="https://www.century21.com/" target="_blank">Century 21</a>’s top Australian salesperson for the past three consecutive years.
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Do you have what it takes for a career in real estate? - Part two

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Real estate can be a highly rewarding career choice, and may appear tempting to outsiders. People can be drawn to real estate as they may see agents who drive a nice car and dress well, and may have the perception that anyone can sell a house – looks easy, right?
The real estate industry is a dynamic, growing industry; it’s fast paced and can be great fun. It can also pay well for those who are skilled at their jobs and put in the hard yards.
However, a career in real estate can also be very challenging, and it’s certainly not for everyone. Below are several questions I believe you should ask yourself before jumping headfirst into the industry.
Do you have a belief in yourself and do you enjoy dealing with people?
A good real estate agent doesn’t just sell properties — they sell themselves. It’s important to have a strong sense of “self” and show your true personality. Much of a real estate agent’s time is spent socializing, meeting people and building relationships, so you have to enjoy dealing with all kinds of people, all of the time.
The job can be whatever you make of it. People will respond to you if you have a great attitude, are personable and have confidence in your abilities. This is primarily a service business, and serving your clients will contribute to your success. To do this you have to back yourself and be passionate about your role. You need to be a “people person” (or else you will feel like you’re working 10 times harder than you are!) and you need to constantly dedicate yourself to others, following up with clients again and again.
If a client calls, can you drop everything and be attentive to their needs? Real estate is more like a lifestyle than a job.
Do you thrive on hard work that is highly rewarding but rarely slow-moving?
Real estate agents receive genuine satisfaction from helping clients find the perfect home or sell their property at a great price. This is an exciting time for both buyers and sellers, and they look to the real estate agent as the expert to help them manage their way through the process, constantly demanding excellent client service.
However, going through these real estate transactions is generally one of the most stressful times of a client’s life, and you will need to be confident in your skills and abilities when things don’t go as planned. If a client is unhappy, whether it was due to your efforts or not, word-of-mouth spreads quickly and can affect your referral business and, ultimately, whether you succeed.
Real estate agents generally set a day-to-day work schedule but they need to be ready for this schedule to change at a drop of the hat if it is what’s needed to accommodate their clients’ needs. Every day and every hour can also be vastly different, which keeps it exciting and stimulating but isn’t everyone’s cup of tea!
In the end, real estate is about building relationships and providing value — not about selling or buying houses. Homes carry memories and emotional attachments. These are critical emotions for people. It helps to be sensitive and considerate in among all of the activity and if you’re honest, ethical, professional, and determined, you’ll have all the necessary tools to do well in real estate.
It takes a huge amount of hard work, but can be hugely rewarding and never dull.
Article continues on the next page. Please click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Are you self-motivated and business-driven?
Having a desire to control your own professional destiny and be your own boss is a trait shared by top real estate professionals. To be successful in real estate requires a high degree of self-motivation and smart decision making because as a real estate salesperson, your income is largely dictated by the time you invest and the decisions you make.
I always advise those seriously considering a career in real estate to ask themselves: “Do I have enough savings to tide me over for my first year in real estate?”
The growth potential can be huge but to start out, as in when starting any business, your cash flow can be rather depressing as you learn the ropes, do lots of training, get on the phone for days in/days out, pound the pavement, and the like.
Getting your first sales to come in will take time, and it will likely be a year or more before you start to really enjoy your new career. This is why you must be self-motivated, you must have the drive to succeed and you must exude professionalism despite all the hard work to be successful.
You also need to be enthusiastic and have the right attitude that will draw people to you. You have your own business/personal brand within a business and you make the decisions. You are in charge of building your lead list, maintaining your client’s needs, networking relationships, marketing your business, and managing the day-to-day office needs. It’s all in your hands.
Many new agents fail to recognize how much work it takes to become a successful real estate agent. Couple together hard work, a good attitude and solid work ethic, and there are virtually no limits for the growth of your real estate business. Company principles look for motivated people and you must be motivated to succeed. You are building your business and your own personal brand and you need to work at this every day.
No-one can motivate you but yourself.
Stephanie Hearne has been awarded <a href="https://www.century21.com/" target="_blank">Century 21</a>’s top Australian salesperson for the past three consecutive years.
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Do you have what it takes for a career in real estate?

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GUEST OBSERVATION
<ol>
<li>
Based on what you have sold in the area, what do you think our house is worth? This question is important as I believe it’s necessary to use an agent who is very active in your immediate area, and an agent who is confident in answering this question is more likely to have had greater local experience. Your agent should be able to honestly inform you about how realistic the price you suggest for your property is, based on the market conditions and local supply and demand that they should be very familiar with.  While on the topic of the value of your house, you may wish to additionally check how many buyers your agent is working with and whether these buyers would pay the price suggested by your agent. This will allow you to ascertain whether your agent is working with buyers who are interested in buying a property similar to yours which will not only make it easier for the agent to sell your property, but will additionally give you an indication as to how successful they are – if the agent has many buyers it is generally because they are selling a large number of properties. Finally, agents who are very active in the market are also more likely to receive business via referral, so you may wish to ask neighbours and friends in the area if there is an agent they would recommend. If your agent’s name never comes up, this may not be a very positive sign for their local penetration. 
</li>
<li>
What method of sale would you suggest for our property and how would you market our home to get the best price? The agent you choose should have excellent advice regarding how best to promote your property for sale. They should also be able to go through the various methods of sale, such as auction or private treaty, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each. Their knowledge of local communication channels and how to obtain greatest coverage for your property should also be unparalleled in the area, and it’s ideal for you to personally like what they do with their advertising and the places they advertise. This is why you may wish to ask to see an example of their market advertising because if the look of their advertising doesn't catch your eye, chances are it will not attract the eyes of buyers either. It may also help to check that your agent is casting the net wide with their marketing tactics, as the cost of marketing might be considered an investment into your final selling price.  A mix of both online and print marketing may help to bring more buyers to the property, potentially leading to a higher selling price for your property.     
</li>
<li>
What do we need to do in order to get the best price? Your agent should be able to present your property in the best possible light to potential purchasers, while advising you on various presentation techniques. A number of high-performing agents will provide a stylist free of charge, while not being afraid to suggest improvements. This is because it’s amazing what a lick of paint or a mini garden makeover can do to ensure buyers’ first impressions are as positive as possible. Listen to your agent’s advice and, if your budget allows, I would suggest trying to follow their suggestions. Well-presented homes often sell more quickly and for a higher price, and some agents can even have a great team of tradies on hand to ensure improvements are made quickly and inexpensively.  
</li>
<li>
What is your commission rate? The agent should have excellent negotiating skills as a basic pre-requisite and should be able to negotiate a fair fee for themselves. Never choose the cheapest agent, because often there will be a reason he or she needs to discount their fee. Busy agents are talented agents as they generally have greater exposure to buyers and can often match the perfect buyer to any property. In the same way you wouldn’t choose the cheapest heart surgeon to operate on your heart, you shouldn’t choose the cheapest agent to sell your most important asset. 
</li>
<li>
How often will I get feedback?  I’m often amazed when I’m hired as the second or third agent (or God forbid the fourth!) in a particular sale by a vendor who has become tired of agents giving little to no feedback during the process. It’s so important that your agent has a system in place to ensure that you will know what is going on at every step of the sale process. As such, I would recommend ensuring your agent is willing to contact you immediately after each inspection. They should also update you regularly to discuss both the success of your marketing campaign and the interest of potential buyers. In my experience, a lack of feedback has consistently come up as the number one complaint vendors have against their agent. This is because if an agent can't communicate effectively with you, how can you be sure they are communicating with prospective purchasers? It’s in the agent’s best interests to attain the best possible price for every seller given higher-performing agents often receive a lot of referral business. My vendors love our systems and I believe it is important to keep sellers informed at every step of the selling process. We are all a team – if we work together a great result will follow!
</li>
</ol>
 Stephanie Hearne has been awarded <a href="https://www.century21.com/" target="_blank">Century 21</a>’s top Australian salesperson for the past three consecutive years.
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The five questions you should ask your real estate agent

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GUEST OBSERVATION
My career in real estate began as an interest. I had bought and sold a couple of properties personally, lived overseas, raised two small children and took it up as what I called ‘my fun, little part-time job.’ Back then, I loved getting into a suit three days a week and going off to work, doing open homes, doing call backs, organising my boss and helping her find business and winning listings. I loved it.
While I was doing this, I learned as much about real estate as I could, not because I wanted to be a gun agent but because I loved it. When you love something it's pretty normal behaviour to want to know as much about it as possible - I guess I get pretty passionate about things.
A career in sales is not for everyone, but for those who excel in it, it can be a very rewarding occupation. Starting off in real estate can be very daunting and as a ‘newbie,’ looking around and admiring all the top agents in the area often leaves people thinking, "could I possibly be as good as them?” There is so much to learn and this job is so varied. 
My light bulb moment came one day after being with the company for more than five years. After seeing so many mediocre agents out there in the industry I wanted, and chose to be, one of the good ones.
How was I going to be a successful real estate agent? I was lucky enough to work (and continue to do so) with a great team of sales experts and watched and listened and learned from all of them. In fact, I’m still learning and in this occupation, you can never stop learning.
I also had a strong belief that I could put my six years of experience into practice - one step at a time. For six years I had told everyone I knew that I was in real estate, so when I was ready I made it known to them again. My database had grown, my kids went to the local primary school and I started sponsoring the school and working my little patch.
From day one I have believed that if you treat people really well for their benefit, it all comes back to you, time and time again. Most importantly, I believed in myself.
Each year I would set a goal and I knew I was the only one accountable for this. Each sale I made, I ran with it, dropping my ‘just solds’ around the whole area, ringing around my database. One sale at a time. For the first year I never once looked at my debit/credit – whether I was actually making any money. Each year my goal was to sell one more property (not based on earnings). This is still my goal.
When I look back at my career and advise younger agents, there are three clear attributes that successful real estate agents generally possess.
<ol>
<li>Pick the area you want to work in for the rest of your career and become the area specialist, the communities trusted advisor. Own your patch, work your patch and aim to become the agent of choice. Always deliver on a promise, and return all enquiries on the same day. If you are good to people (honest, fair and provide exceptional service), they'll be good to you. Connect with as many people as you can as you’ll only ever reach as far as your network allows. </li>
<li>Set realistic goals and work hard to achieve them. Don't get caught up looking at the dollar signs, focus on how many listings you can get. Slow and steady wins the race, working on improving your skills and building your listings is the path to success. Goal-setting is crucial. Success doesn’t happen overnight and you may not start making money for a year or two. Take a long-term approach. </li>
<li>Success takes dedication and sacrifice. Be disciplined and set your own winning formula. Constantly think of ways to improve. Work harder than anyone else when you are new. Be confident. Be humble. Don't waste time, be adaptable. It will be a hard slog to begin with but if you aim to build momentum and continue to work hard you will succeed.</li>
</ol>
Stephanie Hearne has been awarded <a href="https://www.century21.com/" target="_blank">Century 21</a>’s top Australian salesperson for the past three consecutive years.
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Stephanie Hearne

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