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How to Get the Expired Listing You Want — Every Time…

An interview with top producing agent Kathy Casarin, Prudential Preferred Properties

By Julie Escobar

I had the great pleasure last week of sitting down with one of my favorite REALTORS,^® Kathy Casarin to talk about the strategies and solutions she uses to ensure that she gets the expired listings she wants – every time. 

 Q:  Kathy, you came into the business at a tough time – tell me about that.  

A:  I did!  It’s funny a few years ago, homes were selling for $30,000 more than what they had, everyone had multiple offers and people were scrambling to get their license so they could cash in on an “easy market.”  I, of course, came into this business AFTER that.  I started real estate when people were turning in their licenses!  So I knew to make it, I’d have to do some things differently.  I got with my broker who really helped me understand how important it was for me to get my name out there.  So I started with a website and lucky for me, a representative for ProspectsPLUS! came into my office to do a workshop and introduced me to your software, and it was a blessing for a brand new agent – I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel!   

Q:  I’m glad for that – what made you decide on working with Expireds as your niche of choice?

A:  Well, I’m not much of a cold calling person to start with, and since I had a marketing background, in many cases, I could see the reasons the house didn’t sell.   With Expireds you already know they’re motivated to move the property, so it seemed like a good way to build my business, get new listings and like my broker taught me, get my name out there! 

Q:  Well, it worked given that you were named one of the Top 50 Realtors on the Rise by RIS Media two years ago, the top listing agent in 2009, and top sales agent for 2008-2009 for your company!  Share with us some of your secrets to success!   

A:  Sure! I knew that to compete in my market, especially without having a lot of experience, I had to do the homework and brand myself as the professional to turn to.  For me, putting a system in place to help me list those expireds just made sense.  So, I put together a comprehensive pre-listing package that I send out to every expired that comes on the market.  The package helps present me as a professional who is ready, willing and able to start marketing their property and provides the seller with valuable information and insights they need to make the best decisions for their families.  In many cases, that package alone spotlights that I’ve already done more in terms of market analysis and marketing preparation than the other agents in they’ve talked to.   So it enables me to get the call not to interview me as an agent; but to say, “Come over and list my house.” 

Q:  Sounds like you’ve got a well oiled machine at this point. Can you give us a sneak peek at what’s inside that pre-listing package?

A:  Sure, I keep a lot of the pieces that don’t need customizing printed and put them together in advance.  That way, every day I can look at the Expireds that come on the market, quickly add custom pieces to the pre-assembled ones and send the packages out.  It a great way to start your day when you know that before you even go out for your morning run, you’ve put 2-5 packages in the mail and you’re pro-actively moving your business forward.  Even if there are  no Expireds that day, I recommend going back through your MLS and looking  at the listings that expired 3-6 months ago and see if they were sold or re-listed.  If not, don’t assume they’re not a good prospect!  I’ve gotten a lot of listings this way and the sellers are thrilled that they weren’t forgotten!  I think of it as planting seeds.  If you’re always planting – you’ll always have something to harvest! 

Sometimes the packages vary depending on the property and if there are obvious reasons it didn’t sell, but some of the main ‘ingredients’ include:

• Personalized cover letter
• Several feature property flyers from ProspectsPLUS! (you can put the property picture into the system, and choose the flyer that most closely matches the property)
• Articles about doing well in a down market
• Moving Up in a Down Market brochure
• Personal brochure
• Eight Reasons Your House Didn’t Sell flyer
• Commission brochure (eliminates the question up front and informs sellers WHY some agents cut commission)
• Proven Negotiator flyer
• Information about my website and how it syndicates their listing and creates greater exposure
• Testimonials from happy customers
• Things That Don’t Matter When Selling Your House article which addresses the question in advance regarding what improvements do and don’t make a difference in terms of sales price
• Information about my company, my franchise and my various designations and continuing education

Those are some of the basics, but I change it up to suit the listing of course, and I’m constantly updating it to match the market conditions. 

 Q:  Sounds pretty robust!  No wonder you get the listing!  Now that you’ve been in the business three years, you’re not just working with expireds anymore – right? 

A:  No, they still are a great source of listings for me, but I’m very fortunate now to be getting a lot of referrals as well.  I am very active in our community and I’m diligent about getting the word out as well.  We have a newspaper that allows agents to put press releases in on a regular basis, so I do that announcing my designations, different awards, etc.  I also do a lot of social media networking through LinkedIn, Facebook, ActiveRain, my website, etc. 

Q:  Good stuff!  Sounds like a lot of those seeds have meant not only new listings at the time, but now lifetime customers that are sending their family and friends to a REALTOR they can trust!  And I like the idea of utilizing Press Releases – that’s free advertising that often goes overlooked by a lot of agents!  One thing I have to bring up that we talked about in a past interview is your willingness to always ask the questions, always be pro-active.  It’s a trait that’s served you well!  Tell our readers a little about your recent open house day that I think really spotlights this. 

A:  It was a fun day – I had four open houses with riders.  We drove a lot of online traffic to the homes through social media, and used the flyers and postcards in ProspectsPLUS! to email our spheres.  We ended up with about fourteen people coming through and we really had created a buzz.  I always say that you have to be willing to treat everyone that comes through the door as a buyer and a seller.  That day was no exception — of the fourteen I had attend, three people wanted me to list their houses, one on the spot and two others that invited me to come over and give a presentation.  One lady even came through with pictures of her home and asked what I could do to get it sold! 

I had printed the ProspectsPLUS! brochures on first time home buying, on the tax credit, on selling your home, etc., so I had a lot of collateral pieces that gave people information they were looking for and create an good opportunity to start a conversation.  It’s great for business, because with that kind of information, people don’t feel like they’ve just gone to an open house, they feel like they’re walking away informed.   So open houses are still a great way to not only service your listing, and find new buyers — but they also allow new customers to find you in a great setting to spotlight what you do. 

Q:  That’s exciting.  I was recently reading a post from an agent saying that Open Houses are outdated – sounds like they’re sure working fine for you!  On that topic, let’s talk a little bit about how you are consistently finding new business and what other agents can do to do the same. 

A:  I definitely hold the open house days, ask for referrals, and make the most of those press release opportunities.  Every time you get a new designation, take an advanced course or win an award–let your community know.  It shows that you are passionate about what you do.  Use Facebook to forward articles about interest rate changes, home market stabilization and even fun stuff to your clients every week and don’t be afraid to share among your networks.  I have a sphere of about 1,400, and I have a good friend who has a sphere of about 1,000 and we share articles and interesting information between the two groups all the time and it works out very well for us. 

Another great strategy is to compliment the people who surround you.  If you go to a great restaurant and love their food and service – then give them praise on your blog or Facebook page.  Find a new doctor in town or service person you appreciate and give them a shout out too.  It all comes back to you. I mentioned “a la mode, Inc.” for example, my website company in an interview and talked about what a great experience it had been working with them.  Next thing you know, their CEO was posting a note on my site.  I sent the compliment back and they put that on their site.  That’s national exposure – for the cost of a compliment.  You’ve got to love that law of reciprocity! 

Q:  Great ideas and insights Kathy!  Thanks so much!  Any last advice for agents working with Expireds? 

A:  Expireds get a bad rap in a lot of ways.  A lot of agents just assume that no one wants that house or the people are too difficult.  My advice is don’t write them off up front.  Look and see what was wrong with the listings.  Was there no photo?  Was it a bad photo or only one photo?  Ok, then you can add more pictures, a virtual tour, showcase the good things about the house.  Was it overpriced?  Did anyone even talk to the homeowner about pricing it right in this market?  You’d be surprised how many times the homeowners didn’t even know what was wrong.  Was there no property description or a poor one?  Don’t assume that what was wrong with the listing has ever been addressed with the seller.  Find a need and fill it.  Sure there will be some that you’ll want to pass on, but there is tremendous opportunity in working with Expireds.  And when you’re the agent that makes the difference and you hear them say, “That’s EXACTLY what we were looking for last time – but didn’t get,” then you’ll feel like a million bucks because you went that extra step! 

Q:  You’ve been wonderful Kathy, thanks! 

 Kathy Casarin is a REALTOR^® in Clarks Summit, PA.  You can find more information about Kathy, her market and happily send her referrals at www.ReadyToRealEstate.com! 

If you’d like to learn more about building your business by working with Expireds or find out about the powerful program Kathy is using to make getting every listing you want faster and easier, contact Julie today at 1.866.405.3648 for a no-obligation demonstration of ProspectsPLUS! Personal Real Estate Marketing Software or visit www.prospectsplus.com. 

A Testimonial From Kathy Casarin, Prudential Preferred Properties

“Julie, I had the good fortune of being introduced to ProspectsPLUS! three years ago when I first became a Realtor.  I was impressed by the software then and still recall being told by the presenter ‘you’re going to be somebody in this business, Kathy.’  I signed up for the software and having been using it to build my business, maintain relationships with my past clients and grow.  I had the pleasure of meeting you two years ago and you lit a fire with me.  Your enthusiam with ProspectsPLUS! and its features kept me coming back and delving into the product more…Thanks for that! 

Your monthly updates with ProspectsPLUS!  are dead on what is going on with the market…so just in time!  The graphics and writing grasp my clientele and pull them in to ask me more.  It moves them to action which I say, what more can I ask for of a product!  Your company’s exemplary customer service is unparalleled!  Now in the business three years I’ve been exposed to alot of products and services and you’ve got them all beat!  Kudos to you and ProspectsPLUS!  I couldn’t have become top listing agent for 2009 and top sales agent for 2008-09, and also ranked in the top 6% of my market without it. 

ProspectsPLUS! is a great investment in your business and very affordable. You can’t be afraid to invest in your business, which as a Realtor is YOU!  Think just one listing and it pays  for itself  times ten for the year! Kept me at the top with technology…can’t say enough good about it! Still my go-to software of choice after three years!”

Kathy Casarin , Prudential Preferred Properties REALTOR

Get Out of Your Own Way! Five Ways to Propel Your Business and Love What You Do…

 

An Interview with Coach Patti Kouri

By Julie Escobar

It’s been interesting and encouraging to hear how agents all across North America are faring in the wake of what has been quite the real estate roller coaster ride over the last year and a half.  A lot of agents simply threw up their hands and left the industry – but if you’re still here, if you’re still in the game, then there’s something about this business that you love, something that keeps you tethered and brings you joy. 

I had a chance to catch up with Coach Patti Kouri recently to discuss this topic and explore the success her clients are finding playing The Real Estate Game™.  Sharing her good humor, positive outlook and genuine insights from agents out there in the trenches – we outlined five specific ways real estate professionals can propel their business forward and find new ways to love what they do.  Let’s take a look:

Q:  Hey Patti – it’s great to work with you again!  When we first started talking you were telling me how a big part of coaching, and helping people get the most from their careers, is helping them ‘get out of their own way.’  Tell me a little about that. 

A:  Sure!  What I’ve found with a lot of agents is that they get stuck in that feeling of free-falling, tapping into all the “Chicken Littles” of the world who are telling them the sky is falling.  It’s easy to fall into that rut when you’ve got team members, journalists and national news anchors extolling the “real estate is dead” mantras or even when you’ve allowed yourself to lose sight of those things that brought you to this business to start with.  One of the things that I teach agents is to literally get out of their own way. They’ve got to re-set their ‘internal GPS’ so that instead of seeing all things negative, which you and I both know tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, they can focus on the good stuff or those things that they love about this industry – and that focus helps to propel them forward. 

Q:  I like that idea.  To succeed in today’s market, there really isn’t a whole lot of room for negative is there?  What have you found is the secret to doing finding that new focus? 

A:  You know, I think it starts with really knowing what you want.  I’m reminded of a quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer which says, “There’s a place deep within us that wants to feel fulfilled. It wants to know that my life has made a difference, that I’ve left this place, this planet that I’ve lived on, better than when I arrived. That someone’s life has been profoundly touched because of my existence.”  What better place to make a difference and affect other lives then selling real estate?  So I ask agents, “If you’ve chosen this wondrous career of selling real estate, let’s get you back in line to love what you do.”  I mean think about it —  There is nothing like ten great listings, ten great sales, and ten great leads to overcome just about any setback that comes your way and cause you to ‘be in’ or ‘fall back in’ love with your real estate career. 

Q:  That’s true, but I think a lot of agents just don’t know how to get from here to there.  In other words, they don’t know how to get out of that rut where they’re either convinced the market is too tough, they don’t want to prospect or they’re stuck in a fear mode.  We all have that ability to talk ourselves in—or talk ourselves out of a lot in life. So let’s talk about the five ways they can help to get themselves on track! 

1.   Make (and KEEP) agreements with yourself.   What do you mean by this one, Patti and why do you think it’s so critical? 

A:  Well, first of all to get from here to there as you say, you need a plan.  And when we make a plan or set a goal, that really is making an agreement.  Unfortunately what you find many times is that agents or salespeople are often first in line to keep commitments or agreements with clients, colleagues and family, but they often fall short when it comes to keeping commitments with themselves.  Sometimes they feel it’s selfish, sometimes it’s just never a habit they’ve learned, and sometimes it’s simply because there’s no accountability.  I mean – no one else knows the commitment you’ve made with yourself right?  But, just like with outside relationships – when we don’t honor that commitment with ourselves, then we stop trusting ourselves, and that’s a slippery slope.  Conversely, when we do honor that commitment, and we are getting what we need, we feel more fulfilled, we respect ourselves more, and we begin to attract more of those things we do want in life – all that “good stuff” we talked about earlier. 

Q:  It’s a little like the “put the oxygen mask on yourself first” theory – right?  Give us an example of honoring your commitment to yourself. 

A:  That’s right, sometimes we have look at it that way.  One example of honoring your commitment to yourself is in our ability to set standards and boundaries.  A   standard is a behavior and action you hold yourself to and a boundary is a behavior and action you hold other people to. Many times we make a commitment to “remove negative influences in our lives.”  Then we find ourselves getting sucked in by the intoxicating drama of a co-worker or friend and when we walk away we think – what just happened?  How did I let myself get dragged into that?  Or in terms of work – look at the agent who sets the standard not to cut their commission – until the next time they’re asked, or the next time.  Each time we fail to keep that integrity with ourselves, we trust ourselves and our instincts a little less.  The funny thing is the more we do keep that integrity – more of what get more of what we want in life. 

Q:  Let’s talk about the second factor agents can do to move their career forward and love what they do a little more and it’s a tough one for lots of agents.  It is:

2.  Master the Four D’s!  Decide, Ditch, Delegate & Date 

A:  That’s right.  I like to tell clients “You can have it all – but you can’t do it all!”  This business is about creating business, not busy-ness.  Too often people relate their self worth and doing a good job with being busy.  To effectively leverage your time, you have to first really look at where your time is spent each day.  Then focus on the important stuff – like income-producing activities, rather than just income servicing.  Make sure your activities are in alignment with your goals.  To help do that, you need to implement what I call the “four D’s.”

• Decide – write down ALL the tasks that must be done, carefully minding those income-producing activities first
• Ditch – cross off the list anything that isn’t necessary, a time stealer, unproductive or unhelpful
• Delegate – determine what can turn over or give back that can allow you to better focus on your must do items – then do it
• Date – schedule what’s left that falls to you, commit to getting it all done and then keep that agreement with yourself

A great way to equate how to best “get it all done” is to think of everything you have to do in terms of rocks, pebbles, sand and water.  You have to put the rocks in first – those big, most important and sometimes toughest things first.  Everything else will fall into place. 

Q:  Speaking of the tough stuff – or the “rocks” as you called them, a big one for a lot of agents is prospecting.  What’s your advice for making that not just a daily priority – but a reality? 

A:  Well, I prefer to call it “Panning for gold” – rather than “prospecting.”   Why?  Because I believe, if you do nothing else in the day, but you put in the time to connect with prospective buyers and sellers, then you’ve had a great day.  A lot of agents push prospecting to the end – or anything they really DON’T want to do and it sort of becomes like this “psychic vampire.”  It sucks the energy right out of you – all that worrying and procrastinating.  Do you know anyone who’s spent EIGHT hours working hard at not doing the ONE thing they needed to get done?  The funny thing is, if they had just done it first, they would have found themselves at ease, full of energy and ready for everything else! 

 Q:  I agree!  What’s that old saying?  If you’ve got to eat a frog, eat it first, everything else is easy after that?  Let’s talk about the third factor in loving what you do:   

 3.  Detoxify your sphere of influence. 

A:  This is a more of a big deal than people realize.  We talked a little about it early in our conversation when we spoke about steering clear of negative people.  Just as it’s important to rid our bodies of toxins, it’s just as important to do the same thing with our thoughts, minds and ultimately our careers.  You’ve all known someone who just plain brings you down.  You dread when you see them coming right?  Yet, somehow, some way, you manage to get trapped into some spiraling conversation.  There’s not a lot of room for that kind of toxin in the life of a top producer.  So, let go of negative people, influences and trappings, and that even includes clients who just plain make you crazy.  You’ve got to set those boundaries high so that you can be a positive influence on your life, as well as that of your family and clients.  It’s a funny thing about setting those standards, your sphere will either follow you and step up to the positive – or they’ll fall out of line and follow someone else.  And sometimes – following someone else is absolutely the best thing for you! 

Q:  So true, Patti – sometimes it is best just to walk away.  Let’s wrap it up by recapping why this is a great business for so many people.   

5.  Do What You Love. 

A:  That’s just it – it really is a great opportunity for people to do what they love.  As a real estate professional you get to be a real life dream maker for a lot of people, and that’s a pretty good job! 

You get to set your own hours, be your own boss, help people find the place they and their family will make lifetime memories, and in some cases, help people out of bad situations and once again find peace of mind.  For many it’s the love of the deal, the thrill of negotiation or the competitive spirit driving them to be the top producer. 

Others love what they do because of all of these things – but even more – they love that being a success allows them to effect larger change on the world they live in.  Look at Ron Neal, he’s a mega-producer, and now he’s a philanthropist and loving every minute of it.  Finding a job you love and are good at leaves you feeling fulfilled because you have achieved that success.  If it’s wealth that’s been your reward, then you can give more to the charities and projects and people you believe in.  If it’s simply that doing what you love makes you happier and more grounded then it allows you to give more of YOU to your family and friends.

Q:  Sounds like a great life strategy Patti, thanks, and thank you for your time and energy and the great things you are doing with REALTORS across North America! Our ProspectsPLUS! team and I are excited about becoming part of the Real Estate Game fun!  I can’t wait!

Here’s one of my favorite quotes by Confucius to close:  “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”  Let’s all aim for that! 

Look Coach Patti up at www.coachpatti.com or CLICK  HERE to learn more about The Real Estate Game!  It’s a fun, fast-paced, insight-filled way to start your days and connect with great agents across the nation! 

As for us, we’ve got some amazing new resources and free reports to download at www.prospectsplus.com!  Just go to Free Resources and get yours today!  Need help?  Call me at 1.866.405.3641!  I look forward to it!

Are You Effectively Driving OFFLINE Traffic to Your ONLINE Site?

Now you can — simply and effectively! Watch this video to learn how!

Go-To Agent Strategies for Short Sales & Foreclosures

Download this report	Thousands of agents per month are training to become distressed property experts and for good reason!With a national average of one in seven homeowners unable to make their mortgage payments, the need for qualified advocates has never been greater. Start reaching out to homeowners in trouble in your market area today with our easy to order, cost-effective direct mail postcards which offer this special free report just for them.Target Audience: Sphere of influence. Next, look for communities with high turnover and current foreclosure rate. Our nationwide bank of consumer data is available to aid you. Mailing Frequency: Every 21-45 days for best results.1
	Short Sale and Foreclosure Series cards:

Become the Architect of Your Success!

Three Components for Building a Strong Real Estate Foundation

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By Julie Escobar, Director of Corporate Marketing, ProspectsPLUS!

This New Year, what do you want to build? Become the architect of your own success by ensuring that life’s best cornerstones are firmly in place for your career, your family and yourself.

1. Craft a detailed blueprint: Strong buildings aren’t built by accident, their foundations and structures are sound because they are well thought out, well planned in advance and mapped out in a detailed blueprint. It’s much the same with a successful career. Tap the top professionals in your industry and they’ll tell you their success wasn’t a stroke of luck or an ‘overnight’ sensation. A well designed business plan keeps them on track and allows them to build solid foundations every day. The most essential components of a smart business plan include:

• Budget (both personal and professional)
• Goals (both personal and family)
• Action plan (daily, monthly, annual conversion of goals and activities)
• Activity tracker (visual reminder of where you are in relation to your goals

 

2. Be Prepared. More than a scout motto, top performers ensure that they are always prepared for what life throws at them mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. Consider the words of Florence Scovel Shinn, “If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get the situation he has prepared for.” What are you prepared for? Success or failure? What can you do this month, every month to contribute to your success?

Mentally: Build your brain power and fuel your positive peace of mind with new knowledge, powerful daily affirmations, and wisdom gleaned from mentors, leaders in your field and trusted friends. Build a personal library of books that feed your brain, create focus, give new perspectives and encourage personal growth. Don’t limit yourself. Think big, and then think bigger! Your mind is a muscle and it needs as much exercise as the rest of you, sometimes even more!

Emotionally: Life has a funny way of tossing us curve balls, how you handle each adversity is up to you. Those best prepared keep that precious balance in their lives between personal, professional and family time. They fill their lives with good humor, good company and good work. They steer clear of negative influences, self-depreciation and isolation. They keep the lines of communication open with the people in their lives. Remember, there really is no such thing as ’self-made’ men and women. We’re all in this together, so it just doesn’t make good sense to always “go it alone.”

Physically: This is that time of year, right? What’s on the top of most people?s resolution list? Lose weight? Get in shape? Eat healthier? This past year I?ve watched some of the people I love the most in the world battle tough diseases and I can tell you it’s life-changing. What we have is today. Take care of yourself, not just for you but, for those around you who love you. More than just a resolution, health is a gift. Cherish it as such. So this year, get prepared. Push back from the second helpings, commit to regular exercise, put down the smokes and fuel your body right alongside your mind with the right ingredients to help you live a longer, stronger life.

Financially: This is a big one. Especially for all of us who’ve been run through the financial wringer in our swiftly changing economy. Better prepare yourself and your family for those inevitable rainy days by trimming where you can and building that nest egg. Most of us can find that extra $10, $20, even $50+ dollars that are slipping away each month in things we don’t really want or need such as that extra latte at Starbucks, magazine subscriptions we don’t read, memberships we don’t take advantage of, etc. Make this your year to whip those finances into shape, pay down your debt and start building wealth.

 3. Build your tool chest: No, I’m not talking socket wrenches and staple guns. I’m talking about the chest of tools every successful salesperson carries in their head, in their heart and certainly in their presentation! This year, make it a point to collect at least one new “tool” per month such as visuals that help you connect or persuade your clients. Articles, graphs, newspaper clippings, testimonials, checklists, free reports, brochures, and “price it right” visuals are all great tools of the trade. Your words too, are tools. Master new dialogues, fine tune your speaking skills, and practice your voice inflection. Make a list of every objection you’re commonly hit with and role play with colleagues to come up with at least three “objection handlers” for each, both verbally and with visuals. Our clients tell us that our Commission brochure, Price Pyramid and Merchandising Review alone save them thousands each year. Start thinking about what three things can you put in your tool chest that can earn you an additional one to five transactions or several thousands of dollars in the next twelve months. Then start adding those tools!

New opportunities await you this year. Be ready, willing and able to meet each head-on with an open mind, the tools you need and the confidence you gain from knowing you?ve got the right foundation beneath your feet and your career!

Wishing you every success and a year of abundance ahead!

Want to learn more about how we can help you to build a better tool chest, meet every challenge and grow your business this year? Visit www.prospectsplus.com and check out our Free Resource section. It’s full of helpful tools and strategies to power your business and work smarter, not harder. Feel free to call me as well at 866.405.3641 or shoot me an email with your thoughts, questions or topics of interest! I?m always happy to hear from you!

ProspectsPLUS.com Offers Tax Credit Solution for Today’s Realtors

With a new year started and the race to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit at full speed, agents nationwide are turning to ProspectsPLUS.com for a powerful marketing solution.

“The window of opportunity to take advantage of this incentive is relatively small now with the new tax extension deadline approaching at the end of April,” shared Julie Escobar, Director of Corporate Marketing. “We’re excited to help agents quickly and effectively reach out to potential first-time homebuyers as well as current homeowners eager to take advantage of this substantial incentive.”

The new series is now available online in a simple web-to-print, pay-as-you-go platform, www.prospectsplus.com/taxcredit.   Every piece has also been updated in the company’s software solution, ProspectsPLUS!   A new FREE REPORT:  Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tax Credit Extension is also available for download in the resource section of www.prospectsplus.com, making it a great collateral piece for agents to offer from their websites, as an appointment incentive, etc.  Agents will find ten new direct response postcards available online.  Each is designed to capture the interest and garner a response from today’s bargain-seeking consumers.

The www.prospectsplus.com system allows agents to choose a postcard, upload a mailing list and place an order in minutes. With no minimum order, no monthly fees, and price points that go as low as 43₵ per full color postcard, with first class postage included, reaching out to your sphere of influence, local renters and homeowners who’ve been in their home at least five years is now simple, fast and cost effective. As added incentive to put this or any campaign in motion quickly, orders placed between now and February 10, 2010 can take an additional 20% off using priority code NEWYEAR at checkout! 

“Agents have such a limited time to capitalize on this unique incentive, we wanted to make it as simple and cost-friendly as possible,” said Director of Operations Jim Studebaker. “By offering lead generation with direct mail, we’re helping agents increase their prospecting pipelines while improving their results.”

“Many agents shut down their marketing and promotion when the economy tightens,” Escobar adds. “Industry experts and business icons such as Bill Bartmann, author of Eight Ways to Recession Proof Your Business, share the opposite advice. Now is the time, they say, to step up and expand your presence in the marketplace—capturing the market share abandoned by inactive or retiring associates.”

Agents can find a variety of postcard series at www.prospectsplus.com. Customized postcards are available for every major real estate franchise and larger independent organizations across North America.

Want to learn more about the inside strategies, upcoming automated product lines and how leveraging the power of direct mail can generate more than $100,000 per client throughout your career? Call Julie Escobar at 866.405.3641 to schedule a FREE Webinar for your office.

Need more marketing ideas? Sign up for our FREE Master Marketing Newsletter™ to have fresh ideas, innovative tools and smart solutions delivered to your “in box” every month! Visit www.prospectsplus.com today, and click on Master Marketing Newsletter™ in the resource section!

One in Seven Homeowners Aren’t Currently Paying Their Mortgage: How You Can Help

By Julie Escobar, Director of Corporate Marketing 

In response to the overwhelming amount of requests for marketing and collateral materials for our clients who wish to establish themselves as the go-to agent in their market for short sales and foreclosure properties I began to a little deep digging into what is clearly one of the fastest growing segments and designation in the real estate industry of all times.  What did I learn?  Most surprisingly, that the current national average statistic is that one in seven homeowners are not currently paying their mortgage.  One in seven!  What wasn’t surprising to me after more than twenty years in this business is the how so many talented real estate professionals are rising up with a passion to help protect and serve these distressed property owners with a unparalleled compassion. 

To learn more about why so many agents are stepping up and stepping into this often challenging, but from what I’ve learned, altogether rewarding niche market, I tapped Alex Charfen, CEO of CDPE, or the Certified Distressed Property Expert program, a designation that has grown to 15,000 agents in just 23 months.  I also enlisted the insight of Stacy Spickes of ShortSalesSolutions.biz, an industry expert who, along with her husband Michael, produce training programs across the nation.  Look for their new Lifetime Television Series, piloting soon called Solutions for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure.

It was interesting to note that both Alex and Stacy share similar stories.  Both fell into the business of short sales with spouses by their sides, as a need to better care for customers who were in need and a way to meet the demands and challenges of a declining market.  Alex and his wife introduced CDPE less than two years ago and are currently seeing the demand grow weekly for additional training, tools and practical advice for agents eager to acquire the skills they need to work in this niche. 

Stacy and her husband come from the Austin area which, of course, saw the technology boom – and later bust, and grew their training program from that experience of being in the trenches trying to help facilitate options for so many of their clients that found themselves upside down on their mortgages.  I asked them both a series of questions to see if I could get some common perspectives to share with agents interested in jumping into this complicated market segment.  Here is an excerpt of our conversations:

Question:  Why do you believe that mastering the right training and tools are so critical when working with distressed homeowners in today’s market?

Alex Charfen:  What we’ve found was that there were a lot of real estate agents out there working without a net or without prior training and skills.  What they have to come to realize is that we’re no longer just talking about helping people buy and sell property; we’re dealing with their financial future of these consumers.  Agents have to understand that the rules keep changing, and that there are right and wrong ways to help.  Even the most well-intentioned agent, if they’re not properly trained can give the wrong message or advice to a consumer and cause long-term financial hurt. 

I just read that Bank of America alone is taking 100,000 phone calls a day from homeowners in distress.  That tells us that the bandwidth is just too constrained for these lenders to push all the paperwork through.  That’s why agents have to really be on their game, and know how to put together the right packages for the right lenders to increase the success rate, not only for themselves, but certainly for that homeowner. 

I’ll give you some stats from a survey we did of 9,000 of our CDPE experts.  We tracked the time it took to process a short sale before training at 54 days, and after 27 days.  That’s a 50% reduction in time it takes to get a short sale approved – and it’s all because you know the language necessary to get it through the lender.  It’s no magic bullet – but understanding the process, what the lender is looking for and the language that needs to be spoken. 

 Stacy Spickes:  First of all, these are very specialized transactions. In fact, what we found nationwide when we started developing our training was that the closing ratio for short sales was averaging less than 20%.  That’s where you were hearing, and still hear, those horror stories of people still sitting on short sales for 15-18 months.  The agents that go through our training program average an 89-91% closing ratio. 

Now, we always say there’s nothing magic about it, but what closes that gap and makes that possible is that we know the kind of information a REALTOR needs to know to get the deal closed.  I mean there are a lot of agents out there taking these listings and just don’t know what they don’t know.  Their hearts are in the right place – they want to help – but unfortunately a lot of people are finding themselves in foreclosure at the hands of a REALTOR who just didn’t know what they didn’t know.     

In our programs, we focus on the practical nuts and bolts substantive information agents must have to get the transaction closed and help save that homeowner from foreclosure.  Components such as “Short Sale Math,” which is where we show them how to calculate exactly what the lenders have to net on each short sale so they know ahead of time and don’t submit packages that contribute to an already log-jammed system.  It’s also important to make sure they itemized checklists so they don’t submit incomplete packages that are certain to sit in limbo indefinitely. 

Question:  How are your students finding their short sale prospects or better yet, how are these distressed consumers finding them in time? 

Alex Charfen: One in seven homeowners are currently not making their mortgage payments, so there are plenty of them out there, it’s a matter of spreading the word and letting people know that there is help.  More often than not, consumers don’t even realize that there are very real options available to them, and the fear and anxiety of the situation take over. 

Many of our students use direct mail, which has been very effective, and advertising in both newspaper and the community newsletters that you see.  Our best advice to agents is to tell them that they absolutely must engage with the people they know.  We tell them to talk to their sphere.  Let them know that you can help with distressed properties.  Plus when you start with your sphere, there is already a built-in trust factor, and that’s critical when you’re talking about people in this situation.  Postcards, calls, ads, homeowner seminars are all effective ways of communicating.  Even if that person isn’t in trouble, chances are, they know someone who is and it’s a great comfort to know that someone has the ability to help. 

When you understand that 70% of the people who lose their home to foreclosure are never listed with an agent you realize that there are just a lot of people who need a lot of answers and not getting them.  

Stacy Spickes:  Well, in so many regions where of the country you’ll find 50% of the listings are short sales just because they were the hardest hit markets.  In other areas, we’re finding new agents are spinning some of their marketing such as utilizing direct mail postcards and choosing neighborhoods that have a higher turnover than normal. 

Agent-to-agent referrals are big as well which certainly wasn’t the case three or four years ago, so it’s a reflection of the industry really coming together, which is great to see.  It’s a realization by agents ill equipped to deal with the ramifications of giving the wrong advice now aligning themselves with other agents with those who can better handle them and serve the consumer.  Two years ago we’d see agents with zero experience trying to put these together with sometimes devastating results for the seller.  Now, in the last 18 months we are really seeing agents rise to the occasion and create a powerful referral network. 

It’s really not hard to find them, what’s really important is to help them find you so that you can be the advocate they need. 

Question:  What’s your best advice for agents considering becoming a short sale specialist or Certified Distressed Property Expert? 

Alex Charfen: My advice is that you must.  When you look at what’s going on in this country, more and more homeowners are not making it and this is an industry trend that is not going to go away.  Our courses provide the extensive, hands-on training you need to best service the homeowner and ensure a win-win for everyone involved. 

Stacy Spickes:  I think 2010 will see a significant emergence of agents who will have to choose this field to survive.  Those agents who used to believe this will go away will no longer be able support that belief.  I believe that of the now less than 1.4 million REALTORS out there, I would be very surprised if we didn’t see at least 5-10% choose this niche and those that will make it, will do so because they got the training and tools they need to do the best possible job for their customers. 

Many thanks to both Alex and Stacy for their insight, ideas and expertise!  If you want to learn more about how to become an expert in this growing field and how you can help those one in seven homeowners who need you, I invite you to visit their websites today at www.CDPE.com and www.ShortSaleSolutions.biz.  Alex can be reached at 800-482-0335 and Stacy at 888-699-9222. 

To see our brand new postcard campaigns designed to help you reach out to homeowners in distress and let them know that you are the advocate they can trust and a resource they can count on – click here:  Short Sale & Foreclosure Postcards.  Need help?  Call us at 866.405.3641 or visit us at www.prospectsplus.com.  We’re here when you need us!

Read Your Mind…What’s in YOUR Library?

Fueling Your Brain, Business and Life with the Written Word  

By Julie Escobar, Director of Corporate Marketing, ProspectsPLUS!

While it is indeed the age of information and words, MP3s, Kindles, e-books, streaming video and more are at our fingertips and downloadable 24/7 via that incredible internet, there is to me, still something to be said for curling up for a half-hour, hour or every once in a while a day with a good old fashioned book. I know, I know – lives are busy, going warp speed in a thousand directions and mine is no different. Believe me, there is tremendous merit to books on CD that we can listen to on the go, but there is great satisfaction in building a library of your own that you can tap into and reference whenever possible for strengthening your skills, improving your mind or igniting your spirit.

We used to have a segment in our monthly Master Marketing Newsletter^TM where we would include a “book of the month” alongside the tips, inspiration, tools and skill builders we offer.  I was wondering what you — our readers thought about returning to this practice? 

As we head into the new year, I wanted to take the time to share with you just some of the book treasures we’ve found over the years and challenge you to start or add to a library all your own!

§ Good to Great by Jim Collins – Great for mastering the premise “Be the Best in the world at ONE thing.”

§ Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer – Terrific for short snippets, great ideas and reference-his e-zine Sales Caffeine is pretty good for daily jolt as well.

§ How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox – Learning to dollarize is a vital tool in our industry – Jeffrey Fox teaches it well.

§ Purple Cow by Seth Godin – You’ll find valuable Lessons in effective marketing.

§ Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life by Larry Winget – We all loved this book. It’s as edgy as its title but drives home some must-learn points.

§ Be Our Guest by the Disney Institute – You have to hand it to those folks at Disney – when it comes to customer service – they have it down. Lots to learn here!

§ Swim With the Sharks Without Getting Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay – An oldie but a goodie when it comes to classic life and business lessons.

§ Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi – Some great ideas on the power of social and business networking.

§ The Power of an Hour by Dave Lakhani – Time management guru Lakhani explains how to put some muscle into your time management and make those minutes count!

§ Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell – We liked this book so much, it became the theme for one of our corporate meetings! Spotlights the power of extraordinary customer service in any industry.

§ The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino – Truly one of my favorite all-time books. I re-read it often and what’s funny is that I have asked countless industry “icons” to name a favorite book throughout the years – almost all of them count this at the top of their list.

§ Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – Another classic, must-read for anyone who wants to live abundantly and build a better life and business.

§ How to Become a Marketing Superstar by Jeffrey J. Fox – You have to love Fox’s books for their quick read and great references.

§ Better Than Good by Zig Zigler – Zig’s insight is always a welcome gift as he shares the power of a positive attitude in this game of life.

§ Winning by Jack and Suzy Welch – Delivers a solid career’s worth of this legendary leader’s management wisdom.

§ Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden – Extraordinary Coach John Wooden shares tremendously valuable insight on what it means to win with integrity in ANY game.

§ Built to Last by Jim Collins – Much like Good to Great, Collins shares the successful habits and visions of some of the greatest companies of all time.

§ The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller – Keller shares what it takes to not just be a successful real estate agent, but how to truly treat your business as a business and effectively grow it without limitations.

§ Satisfaction by Chris Denove and James D. Power IV – A true spotlight on how listening to the voice of the customer can make – or break a company and career.

§ The Spellbinder’s Gift by Og Mandino – This well crafted contemporary parable by Mandino offers tremendous inspiration and wonderful reminders on how to live a better (happier) life.

§ The Age of Speed by Vince Poscente – This offers lessons on how to thrive in a world that runs at lightning speed.

§ Juggling Elephants by Jones Loflin and Todd Musig – A great read for all of us who sometimes feel we need to get our “act” together in the three-ring circus we call life.

§ The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn – Sanborn teaches us through the true story of Fred – the mail carrier – how going the extra mile and taking the extra steps for our customers can turn an ordinary career into an extraordinary one.

§ Blink by Malcolm Gladwell – Fascinating book that illuminates how we can re-train our minds to instantly pull vital information from life’s moments.

§ The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey - definitely not the easiest book you’ll ever read, but if you can work your way through each of the “habits” and make them a part of your life and career, you’ll far exceed any goals in front of you!

I do hope you will enjoy the lessons, laughter and genuine knowledge builders found within the pages of these book recommendations. It has been a fun journey to discover new books, new authors and new additions to my growing library of books for business. I do make sure there is room on the shelves for recreational reading as well, so you’ll find James Patterson, Sue Grafton and Patricia Cornwell books all tucked on the shelves next to the books above! After all, “work hard, play hard” can be a good motto for this aspect of life too!

So go and read your mind and expand your personal library for success. I would love your recommendations for our Book of the Month club! Feel free to email me at any time and share your thoughts, titles and reading experience! Happy reading everyone!

E-mail me your book recommendations at julie.escobar@prospectsplus.com or here in the comments section!