John Alexandrov's Real Estate Inner Circle

How To Make Your Dream Bigger

Hopefully you have a dream or a vision for how you want to be. I think most people in the real estate industry do. We're entrepreneurial and want to succeed. But most of us dream too small!

If you do have a dream for your business/office/career you can make it bigger.

How To Make It Bigger

Connect that dream to other areas of your life. You dream of being a great agent? Connect that to a dream for your family, or to your health. Dream of growing how many franchises you own? Connect that to a dream for your retirement or to your kids.

Once you've connected the dreams you have, tell people all about it! Start a blog or attend networking events where you can showcase your passion. This will attract people who will want to help you achieve those dreams.

If you're a manager, tell your team about your dream. Note who buys into it and who doesn't. You might be surprised how people react. Sometimes agents who are not incredibly successful will identify most with your dream. Your dream will be a huge motivator for them. They will work harder and become more successful.

Be Part of Our Dream

I have a dream for our company to be a real estate power broker. Over time I'll tell you all about it. But it starts with two unwavering commitments: to coach the top agents at every company throughout North America; and to advise the top real estate teams on running their business.

These are the two things I just love to do. We've had a lot of great success so far, but it's only made us hungrier. We're going to connect those dreams to more dreams to make them bigger and we're going to tell you about it!

I'm sharing my dream with you because I want you to join in our dream. There are three ways to support our dream right now:

1. Become a coach - want to inspire your colleagues, mentor successful agents, and expand your income stream? See if you would be a great coach today -----> Would I be a great coach?

2. Come to the Fearless Living Tour - It's really unlike anything else you've experienced. Just take a look a the recommendations and register to attend an event in your area -----> Inspiring FLT Testimonials

3. Tell others about us! - Spread our dream on Facebook, in your office, and in the field! Or if you want to learn more about how we can help YOU, schedule a call today ------> Schedule a Call with REIC

Thank you so much for supporting our dream to-date. I hope we can help you make your dream bigger...tell us what it is and and we'll spread it!

Dedicated to Your Success,

John Alexandrov

CEO, Real Estate Inner Circle

Real Estate Word of the Week

It's word of the week time. Today's real estate word is:

Neighborhood Life-Cycle

The evolution of neighborhood use and demographics over time. Economic fluctuations, municipal zoning changes and population shifts can effect the life cycle.

Do you have a good sense of what factors contribute to the economic fluctuations in that market, the zoning laws, and the demographics?

Is this information in your pre-listing packet as an easy way to establish your credibility?

If you want help designing a pre-listing packet sign-up for a free coaching call today ------> Free 1-hour call

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov,

CEO, Real Estate Inner Circle

How To Prepare for the Listing Appointment

Over the last couple weeks I've been talking a lot about working with buyers so I wanted to shift gears and talk about sellers this week.

We get calls and questions all the time from agents asking us what they should say or do on the listing appointment.

Our advice is pretty simple.

1. Have a pre-listing packet that can be put together on short-notice and is filled with great information that will be useful to the seller.

A good pre-listing packet should help establish your credibility. It should be professional and have testimonials.

Last but not least, it should have the numbers on their market. Share them with the seller and ask them if they understand and are comfortable with them. If they don't understand them that is OK. That means you have the opportunity to educate them and show them your knowledge.

2. Don't make the appointment all about you. 

If you have a good pre-listing packet, it will speak for you! The number one complaint we hear when interviewing sellers about what they don't like about the real estate transaction is that they felt like the sale was all about the agent!

If you leave the impression that the sale is all about you, it will simply make it harder to get referrals, even if the house is sold at a good price.

For the seller to truly feel like the sale is about meeting their needs, you really have to practice what to say, and how to say it. You need to know what questions to ask too.

Unfortunately most agents just wing it. This is where you have an opportunity to win!

Video and Questions

Check out Michael Friedman, our Director of Coaching Services, with his advice on how to prepare the seller:

What do you think makes a good pre-listing packet?

Do you practice scripts that help you avoid talking about yourself during the selling process?

If you need help with either of these issues come see us on the Fearless Living Tour or schedule a phone call for some 1-on-1 help today!

Join Us on the Fearless Living Tour or Schedule A Call

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov

CEO, Real Estate Inner Circle

Are You In The Race?

Monday, April 19th marks the 114th running of the Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon.

Taking on this 26 mile course requires a lot of dedicated training. The Boston Athletic Association began sponsoring clinics in January. They cover topics like:

• Establishing and customizing a training program   
• Injury prevention and Proper footwear   
• Diet and Nutrition
• Course preview  

Their novice training program is a 12 week program that requires you run 32 miles in the very first week!

Anyone that lives in the Boston area, as I do, knows it is common for people to run the marathon as a challenge to prove something to themselves.

I ran the marathon myself many years ago and I can tell you first hand...the time, energy and commitment it takes to prepare for this event is demanding.

I also learned that the way people face the Marathon is probably indicative of the way they face other challenges in life.

When I ran, I met a guy at the starting line who told me that when he finished, he would carry that pride in everything he did for the rest of his life. Yet, he hadn't trained a day for it. Yes, he ran a little... neighborhood jogging etc. Nothing more.

He dropped out after 4 miles.

Like everything in life, if you decide to get in the race, also decide to cross the finish line. You can't succeed by just showing up.

When you made the decision to be in real estate, I'm sure you quickly discovered that it takes more than just getting a license and business cards to make it.

Unfortunately, many people didn't learn this until the market turned. They didn't know how to navigate the new course. Many of those people are now working elsewhere.

But you can train. You can be prepared. You can learn to navigate the course.

That's what we do at Real Estate Inner Circle™. We are coaches.

We prepare you to win!

Go here for a free coaching call ---->  http://bit.ly/free_call

Let one of my certified coaches show you why we are now the fastest growing coaching company in North America.

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov

CEO & Founder

Real Estate Inner Circle™

 

How Do Managers Get Their Staff to Better Qualify?

Earlier this week I posted on how agents can better qualify buyers and only show those buyers 5-7 homes. One of the problems we see in talking to managers is that there might be a couple of people on their staff using those techniques, but the rest simply are not.

This creates a bad atmosphere in the office right? The best agents don't want to be in an environment where there are not high standards, and if other agents are not qualifying correctly they will not be successful.

As a manager it is your job to look for ways to avoid this type of situation and to create a team atmosphere where everyone is working with highly qualified buyers.

Here are a couple ways to do this:

1. Spend your time with the people who are committed - Most managers spend 95% of their time with agents who are not committed and are falling behind. Do the opposite. Spend 95% of your time with the agents who are most committed and on recruiting similar agents. If an agent is not committed, they simply will not take the time to qualify buyers appropriately.

2. Have consistent, on-going training in your market center - The key here is consistency. A lot of managers provide "flavor-of-the-month" training instead of a systematic training meant to work over the long-term. The reason most managers do this is because if the training doesn't work right away, they blame the training. But any training simply will not work unless manager's hold their staff accountable to what the training teaches!

3. Set minimum standards - If somebody is going to be on your team, they have to qualify buyers the way I suggested in my earlier post. No, ifs, ands, or buts. If you don't set minimum standards and hold them accountable YOU will lose money.

Michael Friedman, our director of coaching services, goes into more detail on why you will lose money in the video below:

Questions:

Do you spend the most time with agents that are committed or with the ones that are falling behind?

Does your training hit at the fundamental problems your agents are having or is it just the flavor of the month?

For training that will last your whole life, and help your team improve their commitment to the business, join us on the Fearless Living Tour with Dave Jenks! Go here to register today -------> Register for training that is not flavor-of-the-month

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov

CEO, Real Estate Inner Circle

Real Estate Word of the Week

This week's word of the week is....

Hidden Amenities:

Assets of a property which contribute to its value, but are not readily apparent. Examples might include upgraded or premium building materials.

If you do a Google search for "hidden amenities" not much pops up. What's that tell you? Not a lot of people are thinking about them.

If you're an agent, maybe you can stand-out by pointing out some of the hidden amenities next time you show a home.

If you're a consumer, be sure to find out from your agent what the hidden amenities are in your property, or in any you are looking at.

Might there be some "hidden amenities" in coaching? Click to find out --------> Discover the Hidden Amenities of Coaching with REIC or learn how to show consumers your own hidden amenities from me and Dave Jenks -----> Find your own hidden amenities

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov,

CEO, Real Estate Inner Circle

How To Properly Qualify Buyers and Only Show 5-7 Homes

Are You A Cab Driver?

Nothing against cab drivers but that's just not what you signed up for right?

In talking to agents all over the country I know one of the things that frustrates them the most is having to show a buyer 20 or more homes before they can put an offer down. You start to feel more like a cab driver than a real estate professional.

There are fundamental reasons why this happens. And it doesn't have to!

I always stress that you should treat your real estate career like a business....run it like a CEO. Do you think CEO's allow themselves to become cab drivers? Only on reality TV!

So the question becomes, "what can we do to make sure a buyer makes an offer after seeing 5-7 homes?"

Qualifying the Buyer

There are two basic ways that you should qualify every buyer you think about working with. And these are two things that EVERY top agent in the country does.

1. Ask the buyer(s) to describe the home they are looking to buy in as much detail as possible.

2. Ask the buyer(s) to sign a mutual working agreement which specifically lays out the responsibilities that both the buyer and the agent agree to

Once you know exactly what the buyer is looking for and have that agreement you can be 99% sure of two things...you know what the buyer wants and you know they are serious/they understand that you are not a cab driver.

I say 99% sure because buyers do change their mind, which is OK in moderation. But you have to make sure you know WHY they are changing their mind before showing them more properties.

How To Only Show 5-7 Homes

In the video below, Michael and I talk about an agent we know that went 18 straight months showing only 2 homes to all her buyers. This is a bit of an extreme example but wouldn't you love to get to only showing 5-7?

As Michael mentions in the video, he uses a very direct, simple question to get the buyer to commit to restraining their home search. Michael's great question is:

"When I show you 5-7 homes that meet all of your needs (remember, they told you all these when you qualified them), will you be prepared to make an offer on one of them?"

If the answer is no then double check that you understand their criteria. If so, and they still cannot commit, you might have to think about moving on from them as a client so that you can stay profitable.

If the answer is yes, that's great. Hold them to it! If they want to see 8 or 9 that's fine, but don't be afraid to remind them about what they committed to.

Questions and Video

Any questions on how this process works? Do you do something similar that you've had success with?

What pitfalls, if any, do you see in this strategy?

I'll be talking a lot about this principle at the upcoming Fearless Living Tour events in New York in South Florida. Do you want to attend? Great! Click here to register -------> I want to learn more about qualifying buyers in person from John Alexandrov

Here is the video Michael and I filmed about this very subject, enjoy!

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov,

CEO, Real Estate Inner Circle

Catching up with Lorraine...

Occasionally I write about situations or experiences that I hope may help you or a colleague become more successful.

About a month ago, I wrote about Lorraine from the Southwestern US. She wanted a free coaching call yet fought me tooth and nail during the call.

After listening to her, I told Lorraine she needed to work on these 3 things:

1. She needs to control her time.
2. She needs to control her lead generation.
3. She needs to know her numbers

I promised to call her in a month to check her progress yet to my surprise, Lorraine called me first... 

TO APOLOGIZE!

After my suggestions played in her head for a while, she started to see just how out of control she was. And her husband confirmed this...once she was willing to admit it.

Lorraine wanted me to know that she realized that she had a problem with discipline. It has negative connotations for her, and as long as she was running around in all directions she felt busy, and had no time for anything else.

However, once she loaded her numbers in our Success Tracker, her heart sank. There's nothing more powerful to a business person than seeing your numbers in black and white. Where you are vs. where you want to be.

On the bright side, Lorraine started working on time management and stepping up her lead generation. As a result, she picked up 2 new listings and 1 buyer referral.

Sure, she's not knocking them dead, but statistically she will be matching last years sales in just a month.

That is real, measurable progress and she should be proud. When she joins our coaching program in a few months we'll take her to the next level.

Go here to schedule your own coaching call ---------> http://bit.ly/free_call

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov
CEO & Founder
Real Estate Inner Circle™

PS: You can get your own free Success Tracker account at http://bit.ly/success-tracker

 

The Beauty of Unsolicited Feedback

I was really moved this week by some unsolicited feedback I received from a REALTOR in the Las Vegas area. As everyone knows, Las Vegas is one of the markets that has been hit hardest over the last couple of years. A lot of real estate professionals in that market feel frustrated and some probably feel hopeless.

Most of you have probably also received some sort of unsolicited feedback in your careers. Maybe you went above and beyond for a buyer or a seller and they really appreciated it.

The best unsolicited feedback, however, is when you get great feedback for just doing your job. It's nice to know that what we do all day every day has a positive impact on people right?

Please take a moment to read some of the best unsolicited feedback I've ever received. The best part, I believe, is this person's description of how they have transformed their work/life balance.

Do you believe that by changing the way you approach your business, your life outside business can be changed as well? Here's proof that it's possible!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Good Morning Gentlemen!  This is ________ in Las Vegas.  You are so right!  The empowerment I experienced over the last three weeks is powerful.  I have listened to my CD for lead gen daily. Every other day I've incorporated the Anxiety, Fear CD.  It took about five times and it became my new routine before bed. I looked forward to the experience of tuning out the world of business and focus on my inner peace. I found myself drifting off to that peaceful mindset before the second countdown!  I wake up rested and energized as a result. 

 

Additionally, I can now say my fear and anxiety towards lead generation has minimized.  I now incorporate script practice regularly. I have not done this in my routine before. Practice does make it easier and diminishes the anxiety I anticipated just with the mention of scripts and lead gen on the phone. I am improving daily and staying more focused to getting the appointment as I know my strength is in front of people.  The greatest benefit is a combination of it all.

 

Huge amounts of personal growth is what I have experienced in these last weeks.  The balance of personal life, has influenced my business. I discovered I was feeling overwhelmed with the demand of managing short sale listings. Last week’s coaching call, you said if we are faced with an obstacle and say "I CAN'T DO SOMETHING," to turn it around and say, THAN WHAT CAN I DO?  I did just that and out sourced my short sale listings to a reliable agent for a referral.  Instantly, I felt in control of my business!  I am utilizing my strengths, increasing my skill set, and bring more value to my business as a result.

 

Thank you for your contribution to my life and giving a part of yourself to others, to achieve more in life.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Like I said above, the best part of this email is that this coaching client is experiencing profound change in their personal life, as well as in their business.

Wouldn't we all like to wake up rested and energized? Wouldn't we all like to dminish the fear and anxiety we have to lead generate? Wouldn't we all like to practice every day? Wouldn't we all like to feel instantly in control of our business?

Here's your chance to experience this exact type of change!

Click here to register for a free, no-cost, no-obligation, 1-hour coaching call ------> Free Coaching Call

Or

Register to see myself, Dave Jenks, and Laurie Hathorn on the Fearless Living Tour (that's where we met the individual above) -------> See the Fearless Living Tour Live

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov,

CEO, Real Estate Inner Circle

Real Estate Word of the Week

Working with so many people in the real estate industry, or connected to the industry, I thought it would be helpful to highlight some of the terms that industry insiders use every day.

The first Real Estate Word of the Week is....

Option Fee

What it is it?

This is a pretty straight forward one.

An amount of money paid to a Seller by a prospective Buyer in order for the Buyer to obtain an option to purchase a property.

As agents, you probably want to hear the words "option fee" a lot then right?

Hope you enjoy this weekly feature!

Dedicated to your success,

John Alexandrov,

CEO, Real Estate Inner Circle