So, how are you going to communicate your buyer agent commissions now that the MLS policies have changed?

We can’t list them in the MLS anymore, and agents and offices are coming up with different approaches. I want to share one of my favorite ideas that I’ve seen a few offices implement.

One office is using a Google Sheet—a live, online spreadsheet. The Google Sheet lists all their property addresses in one column and the corresponding buyer agent commissions (BACs) in another. It’s simple but effective. Since it’s a live document, you can update it in real time. The sheet generates a URL, so anyone with that link can access it and see the current BACs.

Now, here’s the cool part: With that URL, you can create a QR code using any free online generator. Attach the QR code to your marketing materials, and when someone scans it, they’ll be taken directly to your Google Sheet with all the BACs. As you add or remove listings, the document updates...

How many of you are using cold emails to reach out to neighborhoods or farm areas?

If you’re not doing it yet, it’s something you might want to add to your toolkit. You don’t need to send thousands of emails—maybe just 50 or 100 at a time. Keep it manageable.

You might be wondering, “Jim, where do I find these email addresses?”

There are plenty of places to find them. One of my favorites is REDX. They often have email addresses for homeowners in certain neighborhoods. They might not have them all, but they have a surprising number. Once you have those email addresses, you can send out emails to solicit listings or at least start a conversation about potential interest in selling.

Here’s an idea: use the same script you’d put on a postcard or mailing and adapt it for email. Then, take an integrated approach—send both the physical mail and the email. You can also add “layers” by sending a text and running a social media...

I have a challenge for you today:

I want you to imagine that you're a buyer who just landed in your area and has no knowledge about any REALTORS in the marketplace. So, go ahead and search for homes for sale in your market and see what happens. You'll likely be directed to realtor.com or Zillow. Now, pretend you're a buyer and go through the process of searching for a home on these websites.

As you go through the process, you'll notice that the algorithms push you through a funnel. The first thing they'll ask you is what price point you're looking for. They'll give you a list of price points to choose from, and very rarely will buyers type in a specific price. Instead, they'll be guided to choose a range from a dropdown menu.

Then, the algorithms will ask about bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage before pushing the buyer further into the system. It's important for us as REALTORS to understand how the algorithms...

I want you to think about how many homes you sold last year that were your listings. So let's assume you sold 10 listings or five listings. What if I told you that you could take that 10 in times by five and have 50 transactions as a result of those 10 listings? Or if you took five listings, you times out by five and you could have 25 transactions. Does it sound impossible? It's not impossible. It's totally doable. You just gotta rethink how you're approaching your listings.

What smart, wise, savvy agents do, superstars do is they say, "Hey, I've got one listing and I can turn this into five transactional sides. Now how can we do that?"

I'm gonna walk you through it right now.

What are the five transactional sides that we create?

1. 1. Sell the listing that we take
2. Obtain a triggered listing
3. Convert a buyer who calls or attends an open house for the listing
4. Find sellers at your open house
5. Turn your seller into a buyer and sell them...

Why is list price versus sales price such an important number to know and master in your market?

Here's the answer:

Buyers and sellers need to understand that when they're making or accepting offers, this number will have impact. And I'll give you an example:

Every buyer wants to get a great deal, right? Every buyer wants to feel like they're beating the market. So when we sit with a buyer, we need to educate them about what's happening in the marketplace. For instance, in my market today, sellers are receiving on average 99% of list price. Some are getting much more — they're getting 105% or 106% of list price. But the average in our market is 99%.

So with a buyer, what I'll say to them at the beginning of the relationship is:

"Hey, you know, many homes sell for full price in our current market, or even over full price. But the average is 99%. The key is to see how aggressively the sellers price their home compared to other listings in the area....

Some sellers are still hesitating on moving forward with the selling process in large part due to two key reasons. Safety and they don't know where they're going to move next.

When COVID started back in March most of us were on top of it. We had the health questionnaire and protocols in place for buyers and sellers. We were really clear with buyers and sellers about how we were keeping them safe. But as time has passed and the real estate market has ramped up the message has faded. We don't see as many agents having those conversations and especially not having conversations in their marketing.

Now is the time to dive back and start talking about safety and protocols. Keep marketing around safety in your social media, in your flyers, in your campaigns, and on your website. Lay it out for your buyers and sellers. Show potential sellers with photos and video that what you are doing to keep them safe during showing. Show yourself with opening doors, widows,...

What is your marketing sequence for a new listing during Covid-19?

Watch this quick video for some ideas on how to create urgency and multiple offer opportunities using virtual open houses and batched showings.

Considering a Real Estate Coach?

Implement game changing lead generation strategies, grow your sphere of influence, improve your presentation skills, and tap into your true potential. This is your time to create the business and life you deserve!

Explore Coaching with Jim Remley

Are you finding that sellers are reluctant to put their home on the market? 

You aren't alone! One big reason for buyers and seller to hesitate entering the market is low inventory. When sellers fear they can't find replacement housing it creates a self reinforcing loop of even lower inventory for buyers with fewer and fewer homes coming to market. As real estate professionals we need to be able to answer the question of how we can protect sellers when they place their home on the market. 

In this quick video we provide some key insights into the market for 2020 as well as three key way to overcome sellers reluctance.  In addition we have three reports from our friends at KCM Blog that provide clear insight into the market for 2020 including mortgage rates, home sales pace, and appreciation rates. 

Mortgage Rates: 

Interest rates are predicted to hover at 7 year lows and provide an incentive for buyers and sellers to enter the market. 

Home Sales...