Gary Elwood
Author Archives: Gary Elwood
Gary Elwood
Simple Trick to Becoming a Great Writer
Why do so many real estate agents find it difficult to write? Do you find it difficult to write?
Your career–that is, as a real estate agent–demands you write. It demands you write emails. Ads. Descriptions. Letters. Voice mail messages.
You name it and you have to write it.
Unfortunately most of us are a product of an educational system that focuses on facts. And in most cases, the education stuck.
And that’s a problem.
Why is this a problem? If you’re a product of our educational system, then most of what you write is saturated by facts. Let me show you an example:
This house is less than 3 yrs old and has a 2009 appraised value of over $230,000. Nearly $30,000 in up-grades featuring the Waterford floor plan and the Colonial III elevation, hardwood floors, luxury kitchen and luxury master suite options, this house is priced for a quick sale.
Not too bad, right? Sorry, but the ad is limp and inert at best.
The Problem with Facts
Now, there’s nothing wrong with facts. Except that educators refused to let it go at mere memorization of facts. As a society, we plunged into wholesale fact-worship.
What’s at stake? When you glorify one thing, it’s generally at the expense of something else. In this case, the something else is “feeling.”
A feeling is as opposite a fact as you get. You can’t see it or hear it. Measure or weigh it.
Furthermore, feelings differ from person to person. Feelings are unpredictable. And faced with this unpredictability, educators cast a suspicious eye on feelings.
Again, this education–hold all feelings at arms length–stuck. We are, generation after generation, a population trained to reject decisions based on emotions.
In fact, we feel guilty if we make a decision based on an emotion.
Therefore, if you want to become a great writer–or if you merely want to inject more personality and life into your written communication–then you need a new approach to writing. An emotional approach.
The Emotional Approach to Writing
Instead of analyzing ads, deducing rules and then writing to fit these regulations, accept your own ever-so-finite limitations, take facts for granted and place your certainty in feelings.
Feeling is what drives you forward. And it’s what drives your prospects and clients forward. “What if” is your watchwords.
And the rules? They’re incidental.
I re-wrote the above ad based on feelings. See if it sings:
This 3-year old house is like a new build–except without the headaches of unpredictable contractors. Wide open floor plan and tall ceilings make this a big house. Add hardwood floors, professional kitchen and master bath–you’ve got luxury living on a small budget.
Do you see how you can still incorporate facts into your written communication? What did I do differently? I just spelled out the benefits for each feature. All I did was think about why the buyer would care about the facts. That’s really all it boils down to.
Now, let me talk to those of you who are afraid to write.
Communication of your feeling demands skill. But also heart. Yes, you will make mistakes. But to win at the skill of writing–or real estate for that matter–then you have no choice but to begin right where you are.
This very moment.
Remember: Whatever you do in life–writing or real estate or raising kids–you have to start on the bottom rung like the rest of us. That means you have to be willing to be bad–very bad–in this business if you ever want to get good.
In other words, only if you’re willing to make mistakes today can you hope to move ahead tomorrow. So, give it a shot right now: Write a comment below explaining why you thought this post was good or bad. And don’t forget emotion. Feeling.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot: I won’t grade you. I promise.
Your Real Estate Career: How to Create a Happy Ending
The ending is everything.
That’s why Greek heroes like Odysseus–who were able to look beyond the present and plan several steps ahead–seemed to defy fate. In fact, men like Odysseus mimicked the Greek gods in their ability to tell the future.
The comparison, today, is still valid.
If you can think further ahead and patiently bring your plans to fruition, you’ll seem godlike. And naturally be more successful.
Most people are imprisoned in the moment. Imprisoned by their emotions. They can’t plan with any kind of foresight. Neither can they ignore immediate dangers or instant pleasures…traps that ultimately strip them of their future success.
The Mistake Successful Real Estate Agents Avoid
Successful real estate agents, on the other hand, like those profiled in the Baylor study I wrote about last week, have the power of being able to overcome the natural human tendency to react to things as they happen. Instead they train themselves to step back and think about the larger things taking shape beyond the horizon.
Most agents believe that they are in fact aware of the future, that they are planning and thinking ahead.
They are usually wrong.
What they’re really doing is succumbing to their desires, to what they want the future to be. Their plans are vague, based on their fantasies rather than reality.
They’re not thinking to the end. Only focusing on the happy ending, which is nothing more than a figment of their imagination.
“The most ordinary cause of people’s mistakes,” Cardinal de Retz wrote, “is their being too much frightened at the present dangers, and not enough at that which is remote.”
Dangers that loom in the distance cause the most chaos. You only need to reflect on the housing bubble to see what I mean.
But if you can see those dangers before they take shape…how many mistakes do you think you could avoid? How many plans would you abort if you realized you were avoiding a small danger only to step into a larger one?
So much of success is not what you do but what you don’t do. The rash and foolish actions that you restrain from contribute a lot to the outcome of your future–whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate.
The Moral of This Post
Plan in detail before you act. Train yourself to step back and evaluate your future–in detail. Compare it to reality. Ask questions: What consequences could this have? Will I lose prospects if I do this? Will someone else be able to take advantage of me? Can I actually sell this house?
Don’t be swayed by the happy ending in your head. Unhappy endings are more common than happy ones. And the happy ones usually come at great cost–hours, days and months of planning, refraining, adjusting and executing.
Happy endings are product of hard work. And good plans. Where you confront the brutal facts. Doing this can be the difference between a good ending and a bad one.
See the ending. And tolerate no deviation.
Lead Generation Strategies: Seeker-Oriented v. Attract Oriented
Last year Baylor researchers asked real estate agents, “When it comes to lead generation–what works?”
These researchers discovered two things.
First, those real estate agents who reported doing better–or much better–in their market than most agents reported significantly higher lead conversion rates to appointments.
Second, these same agents reported higher conversion rates from appointments to a transaction.
What was their secret? Well, their secret pretty much boiled down to 5 characteristics that make up a compelling real estate agent profile.
Let me show you what I mean.
Real estate agents who reported doing much better in their market tended to:
1. Have higher lead and appointment conversion rates.
2. Spend less on open houses as a percentage of their total spending.
3. Spend less on promotional items as a percentage of their total spending.
4. More productive when using open houses.
5. More seeker oriented in their lead generation activities
One way to approach this information is to use it as a baseline for your own lead generation investment. The question is: Are your lead generating strategies seeker-oriented or attract oriented?
Attract-oriented strategies tend to be activities like print advertising or signage where the real estate agent puts out the ad or the sign and then waits for leads to come in.
These types of strategies tend to be passive. You sit and wait.
On the other hand, seeker-oriented real estate agents typically invested in the proactive strategies like networking, referrals and IVR technology.
These type of strategies are active. Aggressive. They put you in control of your leads. And your career.
Yes, I know. Aggressive strategies are nerve racking for the timid. So, the question is: If you could be in control and guide your career to success, don’t you think it’s worth the risk of sticking your neck out there a little to be more aggressive?
I do. And I hope you do, too. You and your career are worth it. Let me know what you think.
Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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How to Make Any House Irresistable
When Longinotti-Buitoni took over Ferrari North America as CEO in the late 90s, the U.S. and Canada were in a recession. He couldn’t imagine people would spend their money on such an expensive, impractical car.
Since then, Longinotti-Buitoni has changed his mind.
What he learned was that the desire for a Ferrari comes from our dreams…not the part of our brain that balances the checkbook each month.
Those same dreams fuel our desire for leisure time. It fuels our desire for Gucci purses. Gulfstream jets. Beauty. Exotic vacations. And houses.
You, real estate agent, need to understand these dreams. And reinterpret a house in terms of your client’s fantasy world.
But it’s not about selling homes to people who apear on the cover of Vanity Fair. Average people like you and I have our own set of dreams to fulfill.
That’s why Volkswagon could sell a van called the Beetle to thousands of hippies. Our Levi’s could position a pair of denim jeans like a vein of gold in the foothills of California.
Think about Nike shoes and what they mean to inner-city kids: An escape from his oppressive origins.
Bottom line: People fantasize about the things they can’t afford. Selling a house to a buyer is all about tapping into that fantasy.
The best way I’ve found to do that is to simply show them their dream home. Yes, they might not know it’s their dream home. But when you roll up to the $500,000 house and they gasp, “There’s no way we can afford that,” you need to respond, “Let’s look at it anyway.”
Elevate their fantasy and anything you show them after that will seem below them. They will naturally gun for homes at their high-end of price.
What’s truly heartbreaking about this tactic, though, is this: It’s nothing more than the notorious takeaway. You’ve given them something they want…and now you take it away.
You see this when you prohibit your seven-year-old from playing his Nintendo DS. We, especially Americans, freak when we go from freedom back to bondage.
And bondage is exactly how it feels. No one likes going from abundance to lack. You’re constricted. Restrained.
And you lie awake dreaming about what you once had. Be it a million dollar home or $150,000 car.
Granted, you don’t want to set your client up to fail. So you must be careful when using this tactic. You must use common sense and constantly check in with your client to make sure he’s not getting in over his head.
Yet, this plays into the gambit in two ways.
One, you protect your client. Two, you demonstrate that you aren’t desperate for this deal. That you could walk away. That’s a powerful indication that there’s more to this sale than money, making the house all that more irresistable.
And if you like what you read, subscribe to the real estate marketing blog.
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Eliminate This Behavior and Become More Effective
How to Stop Ridiculous Buyer Offers
In the throes of a housing market meltdown, ridiculous buyer offers are abundant. Here’s an example…
Friend wants to sell his house for $215,000. Buyer wants to buy it. So he offers $185,000. And demands seller pay closing costs. AND throw in a home warranty.
Never mind the insulting low ball offer. The add-ons are absurd. In this case, the seller flat-out rejected the offer.
Sometimes though, buyers come across a little more subtle. Here’s what to do if you find your self in that position.
First, imagine this:
Let’s say that you have sold your client’s house, and the buyers agent asks you if his clients could move some of their furniture into the garage three days before closing. Although you wouldn’t want to let them move into the house before closing, you see an advantage in letting them use the garage. It will get them emotionally involved and far less likely to create problems for you at closing. So you’re almost eager to make the concession, but…
Before you do anything, remember this: no matter how small the concession someone is asking you for, always ask for something in return.
Say to them, “Let me check with the family and see how they feel about that, but let me ask you this: If we do that for you, what will you do for us?”
One of three things is going to happen when you ask for something in return:
1. You might just get something.
2. By asking for something in return, you elevate the value of the concession. When you’re negotiating, why give anything away? Always make the big deal out of it. You may need that later.
3. It stops the grinding away process. This is the key reason why you should always ask for something in return. If they know that every time they ask you for something, you’re going to ask for something in return, then it stops them constantly coming back for more.
Also, lean on the Higher Authority gambit to deflect pressure from yourself. That way you continue to position yourself as on the other person’s side and any negative emotion will be directed away from you. That’s one of the better ways to
Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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10 Things You Don’t Want Homeowners to Say to You
With the housing market not expected to bottom out until mid-2010, you could probably use a little jolt of laughter to shake the blues that’s plaguing us in this distressed economy.
And after you read this top-ten list, why not share one of your own frigthening comments you’ve heard homesellers make.
1. “This House Pretty Much Survived the Explosion.”
Yes, houses do blow up. Some by gas. Some by fires. Others by meth labs. It’s that last one that should raise a red flag.
2. “The Neighbor Was Released from Prison Yesterday”
Your response to this question should be, “Oh, so…what did he do?” Even if it runs along the gamut of white-collar crime [you know, embezzlement or extortion or tax evasion], nobody wants to live next door to a criminal. Be careful.
3. “Cars Only Drive Fast Down This Road in the Evening”
The operative word, of course, is ONLY. The rest of the time the road is mild. Perhaps there’s the rare Monte Carlo that zips down the road and doesn’t make the turn and ends up in your yard…but no worries. That ONLY happens once a year.
4. “Those Homeowners Back There Just Sold to a Guy Who’s Going to Build Some Apartments”
Hear that sound? It’s the sound of property values dropping. Fast. Run. For. Your. Life.
5. “The Basement Gets Damp When It Rains”
Translated: “Water levels reach about to my knees when it rains…but it’s all gone within a day or two.”
6. “I Think Somebody Died in the Bathroom”
Drug overdose? Murder? Natural death? Help me here. HOW they died is just as important as THAT they died. Though the creepy factor still remains.
7. “My Husband Got Busted Growing Pot in That Room”
The follow up statement from the homeowner might resemble a fumbling recovery, something like, “My eyes. My eyes. I have really bad cataracts. The marijuana helped me…not that I smoke it any more.”
8. “Michael Jackson Was Born Here”
Or, insert any famous, historical person. If that’s the case, you’re likely to get a lot of unwelcomed visitors pausing in front of the house to take pictures or snooping in the backyard or peeping through a window. At least that’s what a potential buyer is probably thinking.
9. “You’ll Be Close to the Airport”
Wonderful, if you’re a commercial pilot. Everyone else, welcome to Camp Insomnia.
10. “Sure, The House Is Settling a Little”
Will it settle more? Maybe. Maybe not. Are you certain about everything in life? Have a little fun. Live large. Take life by the horns. Seize the day. Live over abandoned mine shafts. Besides, it’s a great topic for cocktail conversations.
So, got any juicy zingers home sellers floated your way? Please, share. And if you haven’t already, check out R. U. Darby’s gold mine story. And see what it means to you and your real estate career.
And if you like what you read, subscribe to the real estate marketing blog.
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The Sales Suicide Quiz: Are You Sabotaging Your Real Estate Sales
Six Effective Ways to Win More Negotiations
A question I seem to get a lot lately goes something like this…
I hate to negotiate. But I’m a real estate agent. So, I have to negotiate. How does a conflict averse real estate agents not only negotiate…but negotiate to win?
The answer is simple.
A very rich man once said that getting wealthy wasn’t complex. There were just a handful of basics he had to master.
The same is true with negotiations. Master these six rules of negotiations and you’ll stand to get win-win agreements nearly every time.
1. Start with a Fair Price and Offer
There’s no question that significantly overpricing a home will turn off buyers. Likewise, making an offer that’s far lower than the asking price is practically guaranteed to alienate sellers. It might seem obvious but asking and offering prices should be based on recent sales prices of comparable homes. Make it reasonable. Make it fair.
2. Respect the Other Side’s Priorities
Knowing what’s most important to the person on the other side of the negotiating table can help you avoid pushing too hard on hot or sensitive issues.
For example, a seller who won’t budge on the sales price might be willing to pay more of the transaction costs or make more repairs to the home, while a buyer with an urgent move-in date might be willing to pay a higher portion of the transaction costs or forgo some major repairs.
3. Be Prepared to Compromise
“Win-win” doesn’t mean both the buyer and the seller will get everything they want. It means both sides will win some and give some. Rather than approaching negotiations from an adversarial winner-take-all perspective, focus on your top priorities and don’t let your emotions overrule your better judgment.
4. Meet in the Middle
Can’t decide who will pay the recording fee? Can’t agree on a close-of-escrow date? Arguing over cosmetic repairs? Splitting the difference is a time-honored and often successful negotiation strategy. Pay half the fee. Count off half the days. Fix half the blemishes.
5. Leave it Aside
Politicians and corporate executives are famous for their “for future discussion” agreements. If you have a major sticking point that’s not material to the overall contract (e.g., the purchase of furniture or fixtures), finish the main agreement, then resolve the other difficulties in a side agreement or amendment.
This technique allows both sides to recognize and solidify basic areas of agreement, then move ahead toward a fair compromise on other terms and conditions.
Summarizing the points of agreement in writing is another helpful strategy.
6. Ask for Advice
Successful REALTORS® tend to be experienced negotiators. They’ve seen what works and what doesn’t in countless real estate transactions, and they’ve established a track-record of bringing buyers and sellers together. Consult a trainer about negotiating strategies, win-win compromises and creative alternatives.
Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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Real Estate Blogging: 14 Profound Ideas to Increase Links to Your Blog
Linkbait. Just sounds evil.
But it’s not. It’s nothing more than a label for a content-rich, useful blog content…a blog post that people not only love to read, but more importantly, share.
“Once a great site, great application or trendy post is written about somewhere, it gets picked up and dragged across the web. Social tagging and popularity ranking sites (like the aforementioned Digg & del.icio.us) help to give the document massive visibility to hundreds of sheep-like content creators, who’ll happily link to you.” Linkbaiting for Fun and Profit
In the end, linkbaiting is a beautiful thing. It bring you traffic. Attention. Subscribers. Prospects. And ultimately clients.
So, just launch just one of these linkbait ideas on your blog a month for a year…and there’s a good chance you’ll develop a large following.
Web 2.0 Applications
While mashups, maps and community-like apps tend to be shoe-ins for easy link bait, there’s a hitch. Not for the faint of heart. You must be–or must know–a software engineer. Greg Swann is the king here on this.
Collaborate on Blog Posts
Connect with some other bloggers to create content that’s useful, unique, urgent and ultra-specific. With multiple authors, you tend to get links from their sites to your site, thus drawing their audience to your site.
Expose Wicked Deeds
Uncovering a scandal is sensational. Somewhat suspect. At times, down right dirty. But oh so loved by everyone. Now, having said that, please…be professional. Expose the deed. And don’t make a judgement call. In fact, ask your audience what they think.
Top 10 Lists
Think David Letterman. Numbered lists with tips, advice and steps are great for drawing traffic and links. And it doesn’t have to be 10. It can be 100. Or even 1,000.
Real Estate Related Humor
Everyone–even the top-notch serious–need to bust a rib every once in awhile. But as with “Exposing Wicked Deeds” make sure you use your noggin’ here. Common sense should tell you NOT to use stereotypes or crude language.
Reviews of Events
Reviews of pubcrawls, conferences, product launches, speeches or seminars are exceptional examples of linkbait.
Interviews with Insiders
In today’s globally connected world, emailing an insider is a cinch. Frankly, you don’t have an excuse not to do this. It’s that easy. My recommendation: Email about five people. You raise your chances of getting a response from at least one. And if all five respond–you’ve just got yourself a series.
Surveys or Collections of Data
Survey Monkey makes collecting data child’s play. Simply whip up the survey and post the link. Within days you’ll have a smidgen of data you can build a good post around.
Film or Animation
This is a stretch…but worth a thought since videos tend to be easy targets for going viral. Make it real estate related, and you’re liable to wind up on a high-caliber web site. That’s a promise.
Charts, Graphs or Spreadsheets
For those closest Excel addicts, this is your chance. But don’t forget: you must examine and analyze the data. A summary is imperative. Otherwise you come across as a numbers snob.
High Profile Criticism
Target someone or something that’s in the spotlight–and do a good, honest job of it–and you’re likely to draw links out of the woodwork.
Contests, Giveaways and Competitions
This may smack of coupon cutting (that is, low brow), but numbers and research are not on your side if you resist this idea: Contests, giveaways and competitions draw people. An insane amount of people.
Trend-Spotting
There’s an art to trend setting. Or a science. Whatever you think it is, the bottom line is that it takes time. But picking up on a story before everyone else–even if it’s not identified at first–will make you a star. Just ask Matt Drudge.
Advice from Multiple Experts
If you’re creating an article that offers advice, pulling opinions from the well-known experts in the industry is a great way to make sure links flow your way. The experts themselves will often be inclined to link.
Did you find this article helpful? If so, leave a comment or subscribe to the real estate marketing blog.
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Real Estate Ads: The 10 Things You Must Know about Creating Killer Ads
Imagine…by the end of this post, you will be a more effective real estate ad writer, all because you learned ten very important concepts.
See, writng clear, concise and compelling real estate ads follows clear, concise and compelling thoughts. Say what you want to say, then write it as simply as possible. So, keep in mind these ten basic tips.
1. Appeal to the audience. Ask yourself: “Is this compelling to them? Do they care?” (In a minute I’ll explain to you why this is so crucial.)
2. Write in a conversational tone, as if you were writing a letter to a friend.
3. Create powerful stories that are simple, unexpected, concrete, credible and emotional. I can’t emphasize this enough.
4. Use gender-neutral language, preferably “you,” because “you” is perhaps the most powerful word in the English language.
5. Use short, simple, easy-to-understand words and sentences. Fragments are okay, especially online.
6. Use the active voice. Passive: The house was sold by Joyce. Active: Joyce sold the house.
7. Use the present tense and imperative mood. “Buy now.” “Do this.”
8. Use crisp, lively verbs. “Joyce climbed the fence.” “Darlene wept.”
9. Avoid weak constructions. There are. It is.
10. Avoid wordy, clever and worn-out phrases.
Naturally, the first one is the most important. That’s why you should never stop learning about your target audience. Know them like the back of your hand .
This will take patience. But it will pay off in the long run when you can skillfully and systematically punch their hot button in each ad.
Give these tips a shot and let me know how you do. Okay?
If you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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Eliminate This Behavior and Become More Effective
Has this happened to you recently: you tend to become desperate in tight times by trying to aggressively pin down real estate buyers?
But did you know that removing pressure from the sales process will actually cause you to win more listings and prospects and sell more homes?
That’s right. A sales approach where you create pressure-free conversations with buyers is more effective.
However, to do that it’s essential that you eliminate behaviors and language that buyers can perceive as “aggressive.”
We all know what these are — continual e-mail and voicemail “followups” in which agents try to pin down the status of a potential real estate buyer– is one common example.
[And of course it’s becoming more and more difficult to nail down a potential buyer in this market.]The problem is that prospects react to aggressive–or perhaps we should say “overaggressive”–sales behaviors by withdrawing and evading us.
In fact, what you have to do instead of being passive or aggressive is this: you have to take the “middle ground” by being authentically unassuming, yet effective–and that this is the most stress-free and effective way to sell.
What do I mean by “authentically unassuming, yet effective”?
How to Discover a Whole New Effectiveness
For starters you have to shift away from assuming that every buyer is a fit for your any of your listings.
It’s sort of like the legal concept of “being innocent until proven guilty.”
You can’t afford to make any assumptions about “fit” until your conversation with the buyer indicates that you two mutually arrived at that conclusion.
The aggressiveness that turns off buyer sets in when you assume, every time you pick up the phone, that you have a solution for them.
Your tone of voice and language gives them that message long before they’ve even had a chance to agree that you have the home that they want.
But if you can manage to find that middle ground of not assuming anything while also communicating in a low-key, unassuming manner, you’ll discover a whole new effectiveness you could never have imagined.
Flawed Logic
Can prospects sense when you’re assuming too much? Sure they can–because most of us have been conditioned to present or talk about our solution as a way to engage prospects so they’ll reveal their problems to us.
But that logic is completely flawed.
When you launch into your speal to someone who doesn’t trust you yet, all you do is allow them to pigeonhole you as a stereotyped “salesperson.”
How to Become Unassuming but Effective
First, learn to start conversations by focusing 100 percent on generating discussions around your prospects’ problems, rather than pitching your listing inventory the second you hear an opening.
Second, learn to begin those conversations by converting the benefits of your homes into problems that your homes will actually solve.
Third, after you and your prospects have identified a desires or needs, you can then engage in a discussion about whether meeting those needs is a priority.
It’s only at that point that prospects have finally given you implicit permission to share your inventory with them.
Jumping in with solutions prematurely will only land you back in the trap of being perceived as “aggressive.”
What Do You Think?
Have you found yourself having to get aggressive? Do you approach this market differently since buyers have tightened the purse strings? Or are you in one of these bubble-proof markets?
Let me know what you think.
And if you like what you read, subscribe to the real estate marketing blog.
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