Tag: Help-U-Sell

Message in a Bottle

I spent a week around Christmas this year in Costa Rica.  It was a wonderful trip, full of volcanoes and white water rapids, jungles, waterfalls and indigenous people.  One morning, I was walking on the black sand beach just north of Puerto Viejo and came across a green bottle, rolling up on the shore with each incoming wave and then rolling back.  I noticed it was stoppered with a sturdy cork when I picked it up . . . and then I saw the paper inside. 

I had come across a true message in a bottle! 

I sat down on a log and pulled the cork, but the paper had unrolled to the point that it would not make its way down the bottle’s neck and out into my waiting hand.  I glanced around and spotted a medium sized rock in the sand.  Walking over then shielding my eyes I smashed the bottle down on the rock and it exploded – leaving the rolled paper under a sparkling green cover of broken glass. 

Nearly trembling with anticipation, I extracted the little scroll and unrolled it between my two hands. 

I gasped. 

There, centered at the top of the page, in glorious red, was . . . a Help-U-Sell Logo.  Was this a coincidence?  Or was someone playing some kind of joke on me?  I looked around for the hidden cameras, for the crew that would jump out declaring I had been ‘punked’ – but no one was there.  I returned to the page and began to read what was written there beneath the logo. 

I do not know who wrote this piece or even when – it was neither signed nor dated.   I do know that it appears to be a set of New Year’s Resolutions for a Help-U-Sell Broker somewhere.  I think there is some wisdom here and wanted to reproduce it for you, word for word, as I found it.  Perhaps you will find an idea or two to incorporate in your own set of goals for 2010.  Enjoy:

This year, I will update my market analysis in January, May and September.  I will pay attention to the mix of Short Sale, REO and Equity Seller transactions.  I will use the information I glean to focus and plan my activities in the coming months

I will create an affordable marketing plan that accomplishes four things: 

  • Keeps me visible in the marketplace
  • Generates new leads into my business
  • Enables me to take care of opportunities like FSBOS, and Expired Listings
  • Keeps me in meaningful contact with my client base

I will track every inquiry, getting as much contact information as possible and noting the source of the lead and its disposition through the real estate process.

I will evaluate my marketing by comparing the number of leads and dollars generated by each piece of advertising I do.  I will revise my marketing plan to maximize the return I get on every dollar I invest.

This year I think I’ll buy a cute car – a bug or a cube or something like that – and have it wrapped.  I’ll drive it, of course, but mostly I’ll just park it where it can be seen by the largest number of people in my marketplace.

This year, my minimum listing inventory is 20.  Pendings don’t count.

I will work at least one expired listing every day.

I will have 3 FSBOS working at all times.

This year I will take no listing priced more than 5% above market value.

This year I want at least 50% of my closed sides to come from buyers.  To facilitate this I will:

  • Learn as much about finance as my mortgage rep knows (check out www.realfinancesolutions.com)
  • Sit down and learn how Jack Bailey creates a ‘Real Estate Plan’ for his buyer prospects and how he uses it to cement their loyalty and referral business
  • Become lethal on the telephone.  If they contact me, they won’t hang up without my getting contact information and permission to call them back.
  • I will use Listingbook with all of my buyer prospects.  I will also spend a few hours in January learning the full range of Listingbook capabilities.

Right after the first of the year, I will contact my Sphere of Influence, Centers of Influence, Past Customers and Clients with news about the new tax credit.

In April I will contact them again with information about Homestead Exemptions, Mortgage Interest deductions, market trends and local market activity.

I will write and mail at least 3 personal notes every day.

I will plan each business day the night before.  I will note problems, challenges and primary objectives for each coming day.  I will allow myself to ‘sleep on it’ overnight so that I am focused and purposeful the moment I get out of bed in the morning. 

I will remind myself that real estate emergencies are rare and will carefully weigh alternatives before abandoning my plan to wrestle with the crisis of the moment.

I will spend at least 30 minutes each day (but no more than an hour) building my online presence in the following ways:

  • Taking advantage of my free Help-U-Sell Broker website as soon as it is available and learning how to personalize and customize it in the OMS.  I will make regular content updates throughout the year to maximize its attractiveness to search engines. 
  • I will set up my professional Facebook page, join various real estate related groups and invite my CI’s and SOI’s to become ‘friends.’  I will keep my posts friendly, short and always professional.
  • I will visit Trulia, Zillow, Activerain and other real estate related websites and participate in forums, Q&A and blogging. 
  • I will attend ‘Tech Tuesday’ webinars whenever possible to learn as much as I can about how to take advantage of the power of the Internet.

I will Plug In to Help-U-Sell.  I will not be an island.  I will participate in the Wednesday Broker Roundtable calls whenever possible.  I will also attend Thrusday training when I can.  I will call my peers and my corporate reps regularly.  I will investigate the coaching program and will become involved.

Assuming my plan produces the activity I expect, I will begin to look for a buyer’s agent in the first quarter.  I will contact new licensees and look for a good candidate there.  I will also target agents in their first year with my competitors, ones who may be disillusioned and therefore open to the Help-U-Sell opportunity.  I will not worry about the many seasoned agents who, alas, are likely already spoiled by the ordinary real estate world. 

In January, I will create a detailed list of all the reasons why an agent would be attracted to Help-U-Sell.  I will continuously expand, revise and study the list.

I will get a minimum of 30 minutes aerobic exercise – for me that means walking or biking — three times a week.

I will practice portion control when eating (I will start to regard Doggie Bags as chic).

I will snack between every meal:  on fruit, cheese, a few nuts and raw vegetables.

I will sleep soundly for seven hours every night.

I will remember to smile and laugh – especially at myself. 

And I will have faith that everything is improving and that I am poised and ready no matter what comes down the pike. 

I will be proud. 

 

I Am Help-U-Sell

I am Help-U-Sell.

I am grateful for a business model that generates a profit while saving sellers money

I am grateful for market data that enables me to make logical, structured marketing decisions

I am grateful for premeditated marketing that maximizes results

I am grateful for leads management that enables me to know when marketing produces results, where I need to work harder to convert leads, and who on my staff is performing well

I am Help-U-Sell

I am grateful for ‘Sold and Saved’ properties that tell the world that I am here, people use my service, and it works

I am also grateful for testimonials that say the same thing

I am grateful for my own special color:  Red, and for the signs that are recognizable a block away

I am grateful for car wraps

I am Help-U-Sell

I am grateful that I produce so many buyer leads that I need help to manage them all!

I am grateful that I can provide a place for a good agent to sell more real estate than they ever dreamed possible

I am grateful that I don’t need a huge retail space and dozens of desks to run my business

I am grateful that I am so feared by my competitors that they spread false rumors about me

I am Help-U-Sell

And I am IN the real estate business, not the recruiting business

I am Help-U-Sell and I live and die by the quality of the work I do for buyers and sellers and by the money I save them

I am Help-U-Sell, and I am grateful for the opportunity

I know that the system works and I am grateful to work the system

I am Help-U-Sell and even in the darkest hour I am optimistic about the future

I am Help-U-Sell and I will always find a way

I am Help-U-Sell and you can’t kill me

No matter what the turmoil, the chaos the bad decisions and broken promises, you can’t destroy me

I have a life of my own and I am bigger than any of the dogs that nip at my hem

I am Help-U-Sell.

I am well.

And I am ready for 2010.

Bring it on. 

 

 

Who We Are . . .

The Help-U-Sell® Brand stands for something.  It represents the ability of the average consumer to receive expert assistance in a real estate transaction while saving significantly over what they’d spend with an ordinary REALTOR®.  It proudly represents a new approach to the real estate business, a better model, a new deal.  This reputation for exceptional customer service, coupled with savings has enabled us to build Brand awareness nationwide. 

The Help-U-Sell Vision Statement expresses how we see ourselves in the competitive environment in which we operate:

We are the premier provider of professional licensed real estate services, empowering consumers with access to information and choice, while offering a set-fee for service.

 

Great care was taken in crafting the Vision Statement to truly express who we are.  The language is very precise:

Premier Provider – We are an elite corps, the cream of the crop. We are neither discounters nor a limited service option. 

Professional, Licensed Real Estate Services – We are fully licensed in our respective states and aspire to the highest levels of professionalism in the industry.

Empowering Consumers – We give our Buyers and Sellers the information and tools they need to effectively navigate the complex world of real estate sales.

Access to Information – We don’t ‘hoard’ information or hold it hostage.  We freely give our buyers and sellers as much information as they need to make an informed decision.

Choice – We present our clients options, help them evaluate them and then tailor a solution to fit their particular need.  We do not embrace one-size-fits- all solutions.

Set Fee for Service – We price our services logically and fairly.  Our pricing makes sense to the consumer and we tailor our pricing to fit the services they use.

The five Help-U-Sell® Core Beliefs are the backbone of our identity.  They guide the way we relate to our customers and clients, our fellow brokers and each other. 

We Believe In

  • Integrity:  We conduct our business with honesty and transparency, and share information without condition. 
  • Consumer Choices and Empowerment:  We present options and help our clients evaluate them, enabling them to make informed decisions.
  • Consumer Savings:  We strive to ensure that every consumer choice results in savings.
  • Broker Control and Profit: In our office, the broker is the business. The broker generates the leads, develops client relationships, and ensures successful transactions.
  • Systems Orientation: We create and implement systems for accomplishing recurring tasks.

Never forget you are different.  Though you assist the same customers as ordinary REALTORS, yours is an entirely different business model.

Revisiting the Elevator Speech

I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman yesterday about the Elevator Speech. When I told him I worked for Help-U-Sell®, he asked (as if from a script): ‘What do you do?’

Like Pavlov’s dog, I spoke right up. ‘We are REALTORS® and we do all the things the other REALTORS® do – and more – except instead of a commission, we charge a low set fee, which can save you a lot of money when it comes time to sell your house.’

He scowled.

‘What?’ I asked.

‘You lost me at REALTOR®,’ he replied. I continued to look puzzled, so he went on. ‘As soon as I heard you were a REALTOR®, I thought I knew exactly what you do. I didn’t really hear anything that came after . . . nothing to set you apart or make you different.’

‘Nothing?’ I asked, aghast. I was in shock. Seeing my discomfort, he smiled.

‘I’m kidding,’ he said, ‘I heard what you said, I really did. But I was listening like a consumer.’

Turned out he was a Certified Financial Planner and had been working through an exercise in his company to get at how to most effectively communicate their message to consumers in a quick, concise and differentiating way: an Elevator Speech.

‘What we discovered was that when we differentiate first, our message gets through,’ he said. ‘We don’t lead with ‘We’re Financial Planners’ because people have a mental image of what that is and if they put us into that picture we look just like everyone else. Another thing – we did away with all the ‘buts’ and ‘ands’ and ‘excepts’ in our speech. We found that those kinds of qualifiers negated what went before in people’s minds.’

My original impulse was defensiveness: I learned that elevator speech seven years ago. I knew why every word was chosen and I knew why it was supposed to work. But when I ran through it again, in my head, I remembered that the opening phrase was chosen to combat the rumors our competitors were spreading, not to differentiate us from them. We said we were REALTORS® right up front – and sometimes elaborated to say we were ‘full-service REALTORS®’ – because the other guys were telling everybody we weren’t!


‘Let me hear your speech,’ I said. I wanted to turn the tables, put him on the spot and see if I could find the holes in his dialogue.

‘Sure,’ he replied, ‘We fix people’s broken investment portfolios.’

‘Really?’ I asked, ‘How do you do that?’

‘See?’ he answered, ‘It works.’ I continued to look puzzled. ‘The whole point of the speech is to let people know you are different in a way that might benefit them and get them to ask for more information. You played your part very well.’

I’ve been thinking about our speech ever since. Perhaps it is littered with little land mines that could blow up and ruin our chances of getting through to the consumer. I remember Mike Miller, during his brief stay as our Chief Communications Officer, insisting that ‘set fee’ was a negative: Lawyers charge fees, banks ‘fee us to death,’ airlines charge excess baggage fees. He was pushing for ‘set price.’ Personally, I’m not ready to go there; but it is something to ponder.

Here’s what I’m thinking: the answer to ‘What do you do?’ might simply be, ‘We are a set fee real estate company.’ Period. It says you’re different, hints that there might be a benefit to the consumer and begs the question, ‘How does that work?’

Please don’t change your elevator speech – you know, the one you currently have that is working. But chime in: What do you think about the advice I got this weekend? Should we rethink the Elevator Speech? If so, how do you see it in the future? Click the ‘Leave a Comment’ link above and speak your mind!

Agents Are The Problem, Right? Wrong

Help-U-Sell is a broker-centric business model, which is to say:  the broker is in control of the business.  He/she takes responsibility for studying the market, designing and implementing the marketing, generating the leads, converting them to listings and sales and ensuring the survival and growth of his company.  That does not imply that there is no place in a Help-U-Sell office for agents.

True, if you look at the issues that plague traditional real estate offices, you can easily conclude that the agents are the problem.  Their huge commission splits, constant shopping for a better deal and complacent acceptance of sub-standard productivity have all but destroyed any chance for a traditional broker to make a reasonable profit.  But truth is:  that’s not a problem with the agents, it’s a problem with the broker. 

Traditional brokers adbicated their leadership role to agents back in the 80’s.  Forced to compete with 100% companies, they allowed their commission splits to soar to impossible heights.  Less company dollar meant cutting marketing budgets, focusing what cash there was on attracting more agents.  (It’s really sad that so many brokers who averaged less than 25% of GCI as company dollar thought that if they just had more agents they’d somehow make it up in volume!)

The issue isn’t agents.  It’s broker control.

The Help-U-Sell model is absolutely suited to agent populated offices if the broker stays in control.  This means:

  • The broker decides when, where and how to market — he doesn’t leave this up to the agents
  • The broker pays for the marketing
  • The broker considers every lead that comes into the office to be his
  • The broker demands a high level of performance in converting leads to clients to sales
  • The broker hires only when the business grows to the point that another person is needed (the Buyer Pool is his gauge)
  • The broker stays primarily responsible for the listing function.  That means he takes the listings or has an assistant stand in for him.
  • The broker pays buyer agents in the 50%-60% range — which makes sense because he’s furnishing all the leads and is not asking them to knock doors, cold call or take lisitngs
  • The broker holds everyone accountable and does not hesitate to eliminate poor performers

Agents flourish in this environment.  They come to work every day with something to do, confident that there will be another buyer and another buyer to keep them busy because the broker is marketing and the marketing works.

Sellers receive maximum exposure because the office has a well thought out marketing program in place, controlled by the broker, not a bunch of individual agents.

Buyers get to work with specialists who aren’t distracted by the listings that aren’t selling or the ad that’s due today or anything else that goes on in the other side of the office.

The Broker smiles every month when he sees his bottom line.  His business makes sense because he stayed in control.

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