A brand new and very timely certification now available to REALTORS®: Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE).
A homeowner in distress needs to have th confidence in their licensed REALTOR(R) that they have the tools to help them find the best solution for their situation.
Foreclosure is a devastating financial and emotional process for a homeowner to go through, and in many cases they do so alone and without help of any kind. It is the goal of the Distressed Property Institute to give agents the tools and information they need to avoid foreclosure and move forward with their lives.
If you are attending the Star Power convention in July you will want to take note that Star Power is offering an exclusive preview regarding the CDPE designation.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Your Brand is Your Promise
When people mention the word "brand" they usually mean a well-known, well-defined company. That's why consumers frequently mention names like Target, Rolex, Apple, BMW and others who have done an excellent job in crafting an image and sticking with it. Buyers know what to expect from these companies, and as long as these companies meet that expectation, they will continue to imprint their brand in the minds of their audience. It's pretty simple really; if you just keep in mind these two principals.
Principal One: Know Your Promise
As amazing as this may seem, most companies don't really know what it is they are promising their clients. That's why they have weak brands. They may have mission statements, and can spout off why everyone should use their product or service, but really it's just a rambling list. Out of fear of losing audience, most companies will try to compete on price, quality and service... and that's a recipe for disaster. Who wants to buy a watch from the Discount Overnight Rolex store? If you try to go after all three areas you end up muddied in the mind of the consumer who is trying to put you in a box. And in this case... that's a good thing!
A mental "box" is not that different from a set of mailroom boxes. The customer gets all these incoming "messages" and has to sort them all day. The easier you make it for them to sort your company, and put it in a category, the easier it will be for them to recall it when needed. Try this... think of a fast place to eat. How about the best tasting food? And finally, the place you go if you really want to impress someone? You can probably think of each of these categories rather quickly. And chances are these companies are more than happy to fill that niche without trying to become much more.
Take a moment and write out in two or three sentences (more if you're feeling inspired) exactly what your brand promises. It will usually fall under three main categories... quality, service or price. But there are nuances. Ben ... Jerry's image contains both a quality message and a social message... one of commitment to the community and environment.
Principal Two: Never Violate Principal One
Once you have firmly established your promise in the minds of consumers, make sure every move you make conforms to that promise. Coke was fine to come out with Diet Coke, Cherry Coke and a host of other flavor variations (brand extension) but they completely missed the mark when they introduced NEW Coke. People believed in Coke, identified with Coke and it was a part of their history. New Coke was seen as a betrayal of the brand itself, a vote of no confidence in their core product. "What's wrong with the original Coke?" was the immediate question that popped up in most minds.
That's why it is so important to know what it is, and why it is, that people buy from you and believe in you.
Know your promise and keep your promise. Pretty simple? Yet it will go a long way toward making your company resonate with your customer on a deep and lasting level. And that's a promise.
Principal One: Know Your Promise
As amazing as this may seem, most companies don't really know what it is they are promising their clients. That's why they have weak brands. They may have mission statements, and can spout off why everyone should use their product or service, but really it's just a rambling list. Out of fear of losing audience, most companies will try to compete on price, quality and service... and that's a recipe for disaster. Who wants to buy a watch from the Discount Overnight Rolex store? If you try to go after all three areas you end up muddied in the mind of the consumer who is trying to put you in a box. And in this case... that's a good thing!
A mental "box" is not that different from a set of mailroom boxes. The customer gets all these incoming "messages" and has to sort them all day. The easier you make it for them to sort your company, and put it in a category, the easier it will be for them to recall it when needed. Try this... think of a fast place to eat. How about the best tasting food? And finally, the place you go if you really want to impress someone? You can probably think of each of these categories rather quickly. And chances are these companies are more than happy to fill that niche without trying to become much more.
Take a moment and write out in two or three sentences (more if you're feeling inspired) exactly what your brand promises. It will usually fall under three main categories... quality, service or price. But there are nuances. Ben ... Jerry's image contains both a quality message and a social message... one of commitment to the community and environment.
Principal Two: Never Violate Principal One
Once you have firmly established your promise in the minds of consumers, make sure every move you make conforms to that promise. Coke was fine to come out with Diet Coke, Cherry Coke and a host of other flavor variations (brand extension) but they completely missed the mark when they introduced NEW Coke. People believed in Coke, identified with Coke and it was a part of their history. New Coke was seen as a betrayal of the brand itself, a vote of no confidence in their core product. "What's wrong with the original Coke?" was the immediate question that popped up in most minds.
That's why it is so important to know what it is, and why it is, that people buy from you and believe in you.
Know your promise and keep your promise. Pretty simple? Yet it will go a long way toward making your company resonate with your customer on a deep and lasting level. And that's a promise.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
As we get to close to the end of the year, it is that time again to get organize so we can start the new year fresh and ready to go.
I suggest you start now getting your tax information in order. The earlier you take care of your taxes the better off you will be.
This past year I have found some great programs to make my life easier and I would like to share them with you. I hope each program benefits you in some way in making you life easier and more organized.
OH! I would like to offer you my new e-book for FREE! Click here to receive my 5 Grat Tips To Become A Successful Virtual Assistant. http://www.kimhughes.com/
Ok, so here are some of my favorite programs! Believe me they are worth looking into.
RoboForms is a great program to keep track of all your passwords. I love it even more to also store my client's passwords to their programs. Easy and trust worthy. I think you will find it a huge timesaver in your everyday business. Check it out!
I LOVE Shutterfly! Why, for several reasons, but one is if I need to store photos for my clients to capture the link for another program I can load the photo here for FREE. Easy!
I love to take photos of my family and post on Shurrterfly and then email to family members and friends.
When I have our family photo taken I go to Shutterfly to order my holiday cards and can create my own right online and then ship to me. This is a great time saver for me.
I order photos from Shutterfly and in multiples. Since I have scrapbooks on all three boy's I find it a time saver and very cost effective.
You must check them out and here is an offer for free shipping!
As we get to close to the end of the year, it is that time again to get organize so we can start the new year fresh and ready to go.
I suggest you start now getting your tax information in order. The earlier you take care of your taxes the better off you will be.
This past year I have found some great programs to make my life easier and I would like to share them with you. I hope each program benefits you in some way in making you life easier and more organized.
OH! I would like to offer you my new e-book for FREE! Click here to receive my 5 Grat Tips To Become A Successful Virtual Assistant. http://www.kimhughes.com/
Ok, so here are some of my favorite programs! Believe me they are worth looking into.
RoboForms is a great program to keep track of all your passwords. I love it even more to also store my client's passwords to their programs. Easy and trust worthy. I think you will find it a huge timesaver in your everyday business. Check it out!
I LOVE Shutterfly! Why, for several reasons, but one is if I need to store photos for my clients to capture the link for another program I can load the photo here for FREE. Easy!
I love to take photos of my family and post on Shurrterfly and then email to family members and friends.
When I have our family photo taken I go to Shutterfly to order my holiday cards and can create my own right online and then ship to me. This is a great time saver for me.
I order photos from Shutterfly and in multiples. Since I have scrapbooks on all three boy's I find it a time saver and very cost effective.
You must check them out and here is an offer for free shipping!
Anyone that knows me will agree that I love animals! I have 4 dogs and 4 cats and it can get expensive buy all their special items. I can go to Drugstore.com and purchase all my pet products and my families products in one location and most of the time shipping is free. Another great way for me to save time!
Time is money!
Have you ever wanted to have a confirmation that your email was received and read? Did it get forwarded to another person, etc. This is one of my favorite programs. Read Notify is a great program to have to ensure you have a confirmation on those ever so important emails.
If you only purchase one program this year, this is the one!
Now that I have shared some of my favorite programs and websites with you, make sure you check them out. There is more to come so stay tuned.
Friday, October 05, 2007
5 Things Your Cell Phone Can Do!
It is just amazing how technology works. Here are 5 things you never knew your cell phone could do:
1. Emergency - The emergency number worldwide for mobile phone is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number, 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.
2. Hidden Battery Power - Imagnie your cell batter is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your cell will restart with a reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This, reserve will get charges when you charge your cell the next time.
3. Have You Locked Your Keys In The Car? Does your car have the remote keyless entry? If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock doors or the trunk.
4. How To Disable A Stolen Mobile Phone - To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone - *#06# A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. If your phone gets stolen, you can call your handset provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. If everyone does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
5. Free Directory Service For Cell Phones - Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. When you need to use 411 information, simply dial: 800-FREE411 or 800-373-3411 without incurring any charge at all.
1. Emergency - The emergency number worldwide for mobile phone is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number, 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.
2. Hidden Battery Power - Imagnie your cell batter is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your cell will restart with a reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This, reserve will get charges when you charge your cell the next time.
3. Have You Locked Your Keys In The Car? Does your car have the remote keyless entry? If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock doors or the trunk.
4. How To Disable A Stolen Mobile Phone - To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone - *#06# A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. If your phone gets stolen, you can call your handset provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. If everyone does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
5. Free Directory Service For Cell Phones - Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. When you need to use 411 information, simply dial: 800-FREE411 or 800-373-3411 without incurring any charge at all.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Is You Website Mobile?
I recently bought the Blackberry Curve PDA and love having access to my email at any time, but when I access the Internet to pull up a website it is really hard to view. Have you noticed this too?
Well, if you have not purchased your domain in the extension of .mobi you better hurry. This is going to be the way to go when someone is pulling up your website on ther PDA.
Here is the link to an article abou going Mobile - The Mobile Web & Beyond.
Now, we all know you do not have time to get your webite mobile, so go to http://www.ireaa.com to find a real estate virtual assitant to do it for you.
Well, if you have not purchased your domain in the extension of .mobi you better hurry. This is going to be the way to go when someone is pulling up your website on ther PDA.
Here is the link to an article abou going Mobile - The Mobile Web & Beyond.
Now, we all know you do not have time to get your webite mobile, so go to http://www.ireaa.com to find a real estate virtual assitant to do it for you.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Slow Real Estate Markets
Is your market slowing down? Finding you have some extra time on your hands? Well, take advantage of the slow time and take a hard look at your business and determine what you need to do to make it better.
Here are my suggestions:
1. Update your listing presentation.
2. Go for those designations that you have wanted to get, but just did not have the time.
3. Update your website. Is the material current?
4. Update your computers. If you don't have a laptop - get one! You can find some great deals at www.dell.com, www.gateway.com and www.bestbuy.com
5. Take inventory of your programs. What are you using that you can improve and what are you not using that you should be. Or, get rid of the one's that don't work for you.
6. Update your database. Add your previous sellers, buyers, etc.
7. Update your drip campaigns. How can you improve them?
8. Create your marketing calendar for the next 6 months.
9. Call past clients.
10. Update your newspaper ads.
11. Update your photo and your teams. Get creative with them.
12. Host a client appreciation party. You can put together a movie day, picnic, sports event, etc.
13. Clean out your filing cabinet and set your files up electronically.
13. Set up a home office.
14. Looking to make a move? Now is the time to look at other companies.
Of course, you are sitting there saying this all sounds great, but I don't know where to start. Well, you need a real estate virtual assistant to guide you though everything mentioned above.
Go to www.REVARoundtable.com to locate a real estate virtual assistant that meets your needs and to help you implement your ideas and tasks.
Here are my suggestions:
1. Update your listing presentation.
2. Go for those designations that you have wanted to get, but just did not have the time.
3. Update your website. Is the material current?
4. Update your computers. If you don't have a laptop - get one! You can find some great deals at www.dell.com, www.gateway.com and www.bestbuy.com
5. Take inventory of your programs. What are you using that you can improve and what are you not using that you should be. Or, get rid of the one's that don't work for you.
6. Update your database. Add your previous sellers, buyers, etc.
7. Update your drip campaigns. How can you improve them?
8. Create your marketing calendar for the next 6 months.
9. Call past clients.
10. Update your newspaper ads.
11. Update your photo and your teams. Get creative with them.
12. Host a client appreciation party. You can put together a movie day, picnic, sports event, etc.
13. Clean out your filing cabinet and set your files up electronically.
13. Set up a home office.
14. Looking to make a move? Now is the time to look at other companies.
Of course, you are sitting there saying this all sounds great, but I don't know where to start. Well, you need a real estate virtual assistant to guide you though everything mentioned above.
Go to www.REVARoundtable.com to locate a real estate virtual assistant that meets your needs and to help you implement your ideas and tasks.
Monday, January 23, 2006
The Life Of A Blogger
Having just returned from the Allen F. Hainge CyberStar Summit in San Antonio, Texas a couple of weeks ago, all I have found myself doing was creating Blogs for all my clients.
I thought "Hey, I know how to do this, it will be easy!" WRONG! Well, not really, just very involved in setting one up properly.
Once the blog is created you have to link to all the other agents (preferrably CyberStars, in this case) and then submit your blog to all the feeds.
I love doing this, but OMG! The time involved and as soon as I get one completed and updated guess what? The Rules Change! LOL! I meet myself coming and going now and have no time to do my own blog, which is now out dated.
So, this Blog thing is one task you should be asking you real estate virtual assistant to do for you, if you are a real estate professional. Do not tie yourself up at a computer trying to do this yourself. You will not leave it until it is perfected! BELIEVE ME! I KNOW!!!!
So, I think the next post I make will be a little information on how to set up your Blog properly for the world to read and learn from. HMMM. Good Idea?
I thought "Hey, I know how to do this, it will be easy!" WRONG! Well, not really, just very involved in setting one up properly.
Once the blog is created you have to link to all the other agents (preferrably CyberStars, in this case) and then submit your blog to all the feeds.
I love doing this, but OMG! The time involved and as soon as I get one completed and updated guess what? The Rules Change! LOL! I meet myself coming and going now and have no time to do my own blog, which is now out dated.
So, this Blog thing is one task you should be asking you real estate virtual assistant to do for you, if you are a real estate professional. Do not tie yourself up at a computer trying to do this yourself. You will not leave it until it is perfected! BELIEVE ME! I KNOW!!!!
So, I think the next post I make will be a little information on how to set up your Blog properly for the world to read and learn from. HMMM. Good Idea?
Friday, October 28, 2005
Do You Have A Real Estate Coach?
If you were to go to www.google.com and do a search for a real estate coach you will find there are several out there that offer to coach you on life, your spiritual needs, business and so much more.
When I talk to agents I find that more and more are using a coach to mentor them in various areas of their business or personal life. These coaches offer to help you be more productive and help you achieve your goals. I feel that coaching is a great way to help you become aware of what you need to do no matter what you use a coach for.
Recently I was contacted by an agent who was currently being coached to help him improve his volume and take control of his business. This particular coach was great mentoring this agent, offered him some great ideas, but once the coaching session was over the agent did not know how to take these ideas and implement them in his business. This is where I came in.
I listened to what the coach told the agent and then I filled in the gap of how to implement the plan. We set up programs, created a campaign, restructured his team and gave him a meeting planner in detail on what should take place during his weekly sales meetings.
The agent did not feel so overwhelmed anymore. He was able to relax and delegate the ideas to me so that he could focus on what he did best and that was working with his clients.
This agent is still being mentored by his real estate coach and I am coaching him on how to get it done. What a great relationship!
So, my advice is when you are being coached in your business listen and take notes then if you are struggling on how to implement the ideas then consider a virtual assistant to get the ball going for you.
Don't feel you need to do everything at once, but realize that you will have deadlines. Have your virtual assistant layout a game plan for you. Let you virtual assistant create the items you need to market yourself and set up a calendar of when things should happen.
Part of having a coach is to have them guide you on how to do better in your business or your personal life, but they are not there to do it for you. That is your responsibility. But, this is where you can use the experience and knowledge of a virtual assistant to put the ideas in place and make the most of what you gather in knowledge of your coach.
So, consider using a virtual assistant to assist you in putting everything you learn from your coach into motion.
You will not feel so overwhelmed and you will be surprised at how quickly the whole concept comes together.
If you are in need of a real estate virtual assistant go to www.CyberStarVA.com to find yourself a virtual assistant that meets your needs.
You can also visit my website www.KimHughes.com to find out more about virtual assistants.
Good Luck!!!!
Kim
When I talk to agents I find that more and more are using a coach to mentor them in various areas of their business or personal life. These coaches offer to help you be more productive and help you achieve your goals. I feel that coaching is a great way to help you become aware of what you need to do no matter what you use a coach for.
Recently I was contacted by an agent who was currently being coached to help him improve his volume and take control of his business. This particular coach was great mentoring this agent, offered him some great ideas, but once the coaching session was over the agent did not know how to take these ideas and implement them in his business. This is where I came in.
I listened to what the coach told the agent and then I filled in the gap of how to implement the plan. We set up programs, created a campaign, restructured his team and gave him a meeting planner in detail on what should take place during his weekly sales meetings.
The agent did not feel so overwhelmed anymore. He was able to relax and delegate the ideas to me so that he could focus on what he did best and that was working with his clients.
This agent is still being mentored by his real estate coach and I am coaching him on how to get it done. What a great relationship!
So, my advice is when you are being coached in your business listen and take notes then if you are struggling on how to implement the ideas then consider a virtual assistant to get the ball going for you.
Don't feel you need to do everything at once, but realize that you will have deadlines. Have your virtual assistant layout a game plan for you. Let you virtual assistant create the items you need to market yourself and set up a calendar of when things should happen.
Part of having a coach is to have them guide you on how to do better in your business or your personal life, but they are not there to do it for you. That is your responsibility. But, this is where you can use the experience and knowledge of a virtual assistant to put the ideas in place and make the most of what you gather in knowledge of your coach.
So, consider using a virtual assistant to assist you in putting everything you learn from your coach into motion.
You will not feel so overwhelmed and you will be surprised at how quickly the whole concept comes together.
If you are in need of a real estate virtual assistant go to www.CyberStarVA.com to find yourself a virtual assistant that meets your needs.
You can also visit my website www.KimHughes.com to find out more about virtual assistants.
Good Luck!!!!
Kim
Sunday, January 23, 2005
What To Look For In A Real Estate VA
When the time is right for you to locate a real estate virtual assistant to assist you with your daily administrative needs you need to keep in mind that you are working virtually with your assistant. Therefore, you need to make sure your virtual assistant offers the services you are looking for. Some questions to ask the VA:
- How long have you been assisting the real estate professional?
- What is your background?
- Do you have a website that offers your services?
- What programs are you familar with?
- Do you have samples of your work?
- Do you have references?
- Do you have an agreement?
- What are your fees?
By asking these questions you are getting a good feel for what this VA can offer you and these questions will develop conversation to trigger additional questions to build your relationship to see if there is a good fit.
But, remember, you are not the only one interviewing, the VA will interview you as well to see what type of work habits you have, personality fits and if you will be a good client that will provide a direction on where you want this relationship to go and if you are going to be dependable.
Maybe you have some questions about the interviewing process?
Click here to learn more about Virtual Assistants
The First Steps
The First Steps in finding a VA is to get organized. Yes, organized! You need to know what tasks to delegate to your VA before you go out to find the best one for you.
Some of the top requests real estate professionals seek:
Some of the top requests real estate professionals seek:
- Listing Coordination - Have your VA input the listing into the MLS, create virtual tours, create your homebook, place the listing on the Internet.
- Lead Generation - Your VA can monitor all your leads to make sure they are receiving useful information from you that will help them when the time is right to buy, sell or relocate.
- Marketing Presentations - Use the creativity of a VA to update your listing presentation, CMA presentation, Home Book, Relocation Guide, etc.
Every real estate professional will have different needs for their VA. What are your specific needs?
Do You Need A VA?
When meeting a real estate professional the first question that is always asked first is....How do I know if I need a VA? I always respond to them by first asking "Do you have an on-site/personal assistant who takes care of your daily adminstrative tasks, listing coordination and transaction coordiniation?" Most of the time they answer no to at least one of the above tasks.
My suggestion is to always take a look at your day to determine how much time you are spending in your office doing tasks that someone can do for you. Make a list of the 3 top items you would like to delegate and then you have answered your own question.
If you are spending more than an hour a day in your office maintaining tasks that do not make you money then, yes, you can benefit from the services of a VA.
You need to free yourself up so that you are out there listing and selling! That is why you are in the real estate business, right?
My suggestion is to always take a look at your day to determine how much time you are spending in your office doing tasks that someone can do for you. Make a list of the 3 top items you would like to delegate and then you have answered your own question.
If you are spending more than an hour a day in your office maintaining tasks that do not make you money then, yes, you can benefit from the services of a VA.
You need to free yourself up so that you are out there listing and selling! That is why you are in the real estate business, right?
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