Success Leaves Clues

This month's eBulletin is full of inspirational content from inspirational people to get you through the home stretch of the Spring selling season.  There are great opportunities out there despite the general doom and gloom. Now more than ever is the time to focus on developing your skills to get that edge on your competitors and expand your market share.  

2009 is pitched as the year for growth for the real estate market.  Preparing yourself to take advantage of all the market will have to offer should be paramount on your agenda for the festive season and into the New Year.  Good agents always succeed regardless of market conditions.  Success leaves clues ...so take the best bits of a whole host of successful people and model yourself on those who you aspire to emulate.

Make the next six months a time of personal growth and investment in your future - absorb as many books, DVDs and audio programs as you can on successful people and different business models, attend as many seminars, courses and conferences as you can and network within and beyond your community.  Step up your input and your output.

When times are tough, the tough take action.  Don't retreat behind your desk, phone or database - get out and increase the face to face contact you have with your clients, your potential clients, your community and circles of influence.  This is where leads are being generated.  Make sure your face and name is the one everyone remembers.

Become an expert, a thought leader - be the person that people come to for information, direction, and advice.  Increase your market knowledge, educate yourself about market conditions, interest rates, economic change, trends and opportunities and share this knowledge with your clients.  Help them feel more certain in uncertain times.

But above all keep positive and focused - there is always light at the end of the tunnel - and customers are attracted to the person with the realistic yet positive attitude and smile on their face.

And whilst there is a lot of belt tightening going on, now more than ever is a time to budget for training - for yourself and your team.  Now is the time to strengthen your position and continuously improve your skills and knowledge because you can be pretty sure your competitors aren't.

On the upside, staff retention looks as if it will become less of an issue, even with Gen Y employees, as more and more people opt for certainty and security.  So the challenges for the future will be keeping your team stimulated, motivated and inspired.

On that note, TRET is offering some great savings for AREC09 if you book early.  Save up to $295 per person if you book by 31 March.  If you go to one training event this financial year, make it AREC09!

The TRET Team

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2009: The Year for Growth

There are a number of finance experts starting to tip 2009 as a year of growth for many Australian property markets. There is even talk of the next big property cycle being closer than ever.  Often asked to commentate on the property market, John McGrath shares here the coaching tips used with his teams for achieving success in tough times. No matter what the market is doing, great agents are still achieving great results.

PART ONE

With the October large sell-offs on the Dow Jones US share market it is starting to feel like there can't be much more to go before all the toxicity has been exercised from the market.  And, there are a number of finance experts starting to tip 2009 as a year of growth for many Australian property markets. 

This sentiment has been echoed in the encouraging article Experts Tip Housing Rebound (10 Oct) in the Australian Financial Review and in an emailed article from Australia's largest mortgage magazine which stated: "Currently tight national rental markets and decreasing interest rates are offering strong credentials for property investment, compared to the jitters of an unsteady stock market. Capital classically seeks the steadiest sector offering the strongest returns. This has all the parallels and timing of the start of the next property cycle..."

If you remove the noise surrounding the share market volatility and the general expected panic that goes with it when people are feeling momentarily out of control, several positive indicators for property purchasers are emerging including:

 Significantly lower interest rates with further drops almost certain

 Property prices that have come back between 10% - 20% over the past few years

 Residential rents that have increased substantially over the past 2 years and look set to continue double digit growth in 2009

 Much reduced oil prices with predictions of further falls which will lower the cost of living for everyone

Having been through cycles like this several times before, my advice to you based on my experience is:

 Stay the course - it will pass - keep doing excellent work every day

 Stay focused on your key activities and outcomes - there are plenty of opportunities to waste time and get distracted - choose not to entertain them

 Have the tough conversations - good news is easy to deliver - the current news for many vendors may not be what they ideally want to hear but remember they want to sell (which is why they're on the market). Obtain the best offer available, sit face to face with them and help them achieve their goal of moving

 Maintain an outstanding attitude and positive energy - this is the time when the strongest forge ahead and leave the rest behind. Your attitude must be 100% at all times and you will attract all the business into your energy field

 Continue to look after your loved ones and assure them that we are at the foot of an enormous period of growth and prosperity - we are indeed all safe.

PART TWO

It's interesting what a difference can be felt in energy in the economy and community with a little good news.  Whilst there will no doubt be more bad news before the start of the next sustained growth period, the light is starting to glow slightly more brightly at the end of the tunnel.  This glow is being generated by all the major stock markets in the world recently showing a significant jump in prices and demand following various collective initiatives agreed upon at the G7 Summit and the Australian Government's doubling of the First Home Buyers Grant.

Added to this, I had an encouraging conversation with a guy who is not only one of Australia's largest commodity and share traders but also one of the wealthiest people in Australia. I asked what he thought of the current market and his response was "I think we've just confirmed that there is a bottom to the market and we may have just reached it".  I hope he's right - it is comforting that someone with his knowledge holds that view nonetheless.

The key messages for you to consider are:

 The world is not ending and the sky is not falling in - absolute iron clad 100% guarantee. No matter what we will see, the end to this turbulent time is probably not as far away as you may fear

 Choose not to participate in the chaos and high drama surrounding us - stay the course. Focus on your key priorities and actions just for today - then go to a movie or dinner tonight and relax, don't sweat it any more, the worst may be over

 Recognise now is the greatest time in the last 20 years to build your business and market share if you're up for it and focused on the right things

 The general drivers of people buying homes - births, marriages, divorce and death - will continue to give people reasons to move home, albeit possibly at a slightly slower pace than before

 Weak, disorganised, poor service providers will yield to the pressure and vanish - this is a time for eagles to fly and a natural detox of all markets including real estate agents

 Have a strategy to strengthen your mind - it won't just happen - what people, books, magazine, CDs do you have to keep you strong (suggestions: Freedom Writers on DVD is a great inspirational movie as is Man on Wire now at the cinema)

 Use this unique and exciting time to become a "black belt of the mind" as Dr Fred talks about - take total control of your thinking and attitude - these times sharpen the senses of the best performers - they eat the challenges for breakfast!

 Centre your energy; be calm and confident - this is your time. Your calmness and confidence will impress buyers and sellers alike and be a key reason to sell through you and buy through you

 Be discreet and sensitive - some sellers are highly pressured and stressed at present - be mindful of this in your dealings

 Remember the first 30 days is the most critical time in every selling programme, don't let it slip by without achieving the desired result

 Move swiftly. If surgery is required best not delay the discomfort. Help vendors come to the right conclusions sooner not later - they will thank you for life for assisting them to get what they needed

 More face to face meetings - they have at least 2X the impact when reaching decisions and results than a telephone meeting

 Don't just tell them stuff, ask for their feedback. Ask the question "So what are your thoughts about what I've just gone through? How do you feel about my recommendations?"

 Don't chit-chat. Make well considered, specific recommendations on what they need to do to achieve a sale

 Only use comparable sales that have occurred within 90 days - beyond that is too far to accurately compare

 Most vendors as we speak have a different goal to vendors a year ago who were focused on a sale at an outstanding price. Today most are looking for a sale at fair market value

 Use the' half price theory' - as an example if the property were listed today at a 30% discount we could probably sell it this afternoon - therefore in any market, price really is the driver as everything will sell, anywhere, at any time, if the price is right

 Ask a vendor "If you were put your Buyer's hat on, what would you pay for your home today in this market (just changing someone's perspective often shines a new light on the situation)

 Work with more buyers - simple. If you were working with 20 last year make it 40 now. If you were calling them 1X a week, make it twice

 Expats will find the current AUD$ exchange rate irresistible - be on the lookout for Aussies buying back into the market between now and the New Year - they're getting a 40% discount off a few weeks ago (US$)

 Factor in dropouts - don't get surprised if you have to sell a property three times before it exchanges - it may take a few go's so don't be surprised or disappointed if it does... just get back on the bike!

 Use more Buyers Guides - on everything if you can. You need to make it easier than ever for buyers to buy and research indicates that buyers want prices or price guides. Avoid POA at all costs.

Always commit your goals to paper:

"The most important thing you can do to achieve your goals is to make sure that as soon as you set them, you immediately begin to create momentum.  The most important rules that I ever adopted to help me in achieving my goals were those I learned from a very successful man who taught me to first write down the goal, and then to never leave the site of setting a goal without first taking some form of positive action toward its attainment."

Anthony Robbins Peak Performance Expert

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5 Tips to Weather Tough Times

In these tough times we have two choices: to stand on the sidelines in fear or get in the game and make a difference.  We have a choice to buy into the negativity that surrounds us and join the defeat or leverage the opportunities that also exist if we focus with clarity, vision and perspective.

US peak performance coach Tony Robbins has featured in the US press in recent weeks sharing the steps people can take to turn the current economic crisis into a powerful opportunity for growth, contribution and financial strength.

In Tony's words...TOUGH TIMES DON'T LAST. TOUGH PEOPLE DO.

1. MAKE A DECISION TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING

Now is the time to draw a line in the sand and decide to change your negative thinking or behaviour.  Most people change when the pain threshold gets to a point where they can't stand things the way they are any longer.  Don't procrastinate and put off what you know is the inevitable.  Meaning can always be found in challenges, even in pain and suffering. What we do is shaped by what we feel and what we feel comes from the meaning we make up.  Changing the meaning we attach to things can ultimately change the outcome.

2. GET RESOURCEFUL

Face your fear/s and step up.  This is your personal call to action. Get physical - emotion is created by motion - so change your negative state with intense movement.  Run, swim, walk - do whatever it is that does it for you.  Make it a daily ritual and use your body to help you feel mentally and emotionally empowered so you can attack the crisis head on.  Feed your mind stuff that will strengthen it.  Some clichés are true like "you are what you eat", so too "you are what you consume mentally" and "as you think, you become".  Ditch the reality TV for inspiring biographies of people who have made it through tough times and succeeded and model them.  A good start is Viktor E. Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning".

3. GET A VISION BEYOND THE MOMENT

You control how you are going to live.  You are not this moment.  If it is tough today, then create a vision for a compelling tomorrow.  If you are feeling pain, use it, redirect it.  Try writing down a list of everything you hate and flipping it to discover everything you love and want and use that as your vision.  It works equally for a business vision or a vision of the perfect mate! Find an empowering meaning to hold onto and direct your energies for success.

4. GET A PROVEN PLAN

Find an example of success you can relate to.  Success leaves clues.  Successful people aren't lucky, it is something they are doing that leads to success - look for the patterns and model them.  Find your pathway to power.  If others have found solutions, so too can you.

5. TAKE MASSIVE ACTION

What are you going to do? What are you going to focus on - what you can control or what you can't control?  What meaning do you attach to your situation - the end or a new beginning? Ultimately our life is not controlled by our external environment.  The quality of our life is an inside job.  Focus on what you want, not what you don't want.  Meaning produces emotion and emotion is your life.  Any crisis is simply a crisis of emotion - it is what is in your head and what you feel - both of which you have control over.

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Shop Online with TRET 

Great news!  You can now order products or book your tickets to AREC09 (for groups as well) via TRET's new secure online shopping cart and get instant confirmation. Committed to continual improvement, TRET is excited to offer you a simple, streamlined way to reduce your paperwork when booking tickets.  We hope you are enjoying TRET's improved website.  Your feedback is always welcome.  TRET accepts Amex, Visa and MasterCard .

Save up to $295 per person if you book on the AREC09 early bird rate by 31 March.

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Ads: Writing Ones that Sell 

How to write ads that really ‘sell' is all about applying targeted marketing and emotive imagery.  Real estate advertising specialist Ian Grace show you how effective advertising techniques get results fast. 

To get started ask yourself, who do you want to reach?

Consider the following three areas:

Geographic - Where is the purchaser of this property likely to come from? Is it the local area, particular suburbs, or another city, state or country? This information not only helps to determine how you may speak to them in your ads but also where you would aim to reach them with your advertising message eg internet, newspapers, leaflets etc

Demographic - This market is broken down into age, sex, income, marital status (singles, couples, families) and occupation/profession/investors etc.

Psychographic - refers to the mind and soul of your market. Examine your market's expectations and aspirations - hobbies, habits, preferences, likes and dislikes... people who love entertaining, gardening, golfing, relaxing, peace, activity, etc.

By focussing on each of these areas it becomes much easier to determine who your ad should target to get the best responses. Once you know who and how to reach them, it's time to consider the language and words you use.

Consider this: what motivates people to buy anything? We justify a purchase logically but we buy emotionally. For example, if someone says: "I only bought the car for transport", the fact that it is a stylish red sports car has nothing to do with it, does it? Of course it does. There's ego, image, prestige, for example - all emotional factors.

Certainly buying a home is no different. It stands to reason that your ads must appeal to your prospective buyers' emotions otherwise you stand the risk of ignoring the fundamental motivational factor for all purchasing decisions.

How do you put emotion in your ads?

Always, remember that people don't actually buy products. They buy a picture of what that product is going to do for them - a picture of themselves enjoying it. So, put them in the picture! The secret is not to tell them what it is; rather, show them what it does for them.

For example, ‘fully fenced' is merely telling the prospective buyer what it is, by listing a feature. Consider this instead: ‘Safe for children and pets. This fully fenced home will give you peace of mind knowing that...' Now, you are telling them what it does for them in an emotional way.

Other examples:

 a hammock swaying, a good book and cold drink paints an emotional picture of what they'll be able to do - relax, de-stress, enjoy peace and quiet as well as trees, shade and privacy. 

 ‘Cricket, dad?' or ‘Make a century in the backyard' paints an emotional picture of family togetherness, caring, sharing, love and fun, as well as saying the back yard is big enough and flat enough without expecting measurements or dimensions alone to create the picture.

In summing up, it comes down to WHO you want to reach and what could they DO following their purchase. Hence, the simple phrase HOODOO = who do! If you apply Ian's theory to all your ads, you're more than half way towards a successful sale.

To find out more contact Kaplan Professional Real Estate on 1300 662 203.  

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Certainty: 9 Skills to Create a Great Future

The best way to predict your future is to create it! - Abraham Lincoln

As the world loses confidence about what may happen in coming months, people are looking for certainty.  Today, certainty is more important than clarity.  People want to know what to do, how to think and what to do next.  They need the information delivered in a way that is meaningful, relevant and engaging.  Are you creating certainty for your clients and those you touch in your life in these uncertain times? 

Matt Church, founder of Thought Leaders, a not for profit cooperative of businesses shared in a recent newsletter an address he made at a banking conference around the theme of how to create your future.  Here are the 9 skills that are the key to you being proactive and developing a positive future, no matter what.

Responsibility - increasing options and taking charge of your life. 
Talent - discovering your genius and working everything you do through it. 
Evolution - focusing on growth, learning and the high order emotions. 
Reflection - learning from your past and breaking negative repetitive patterns. 
Perspective - getting above the mess of challenges and seeing them for what they are. 
Imagination - creating a compelling vision for a better tomorrow. 
Execution - taking immediate, specific & productive action.
Contribution - working all you do to a sense of higher purpose. 
Celebration - enjoying it all and being present to the wonder of what you create.

Right now as people get scared, we are entering the time for Thought Leadership. This is a wonderful time to be alive as now, more than ever, people need what you do. These 9 skills are your map.  When dealing with vendors and buyers, remember.... communication, communication, communication!   Get face to face with your clients and be their real estate thought leader.

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Trade Shows: 8 Tips to Maximise your Impact

Make an exhibition of yourself - maximise your impact at trade shows

A well planned and properly executed exhibition can be one of the most effective marketing activities of the year for many businesses and can deliver an outstanding ROI. Trade exhibitions provide the ideal opportunity to speak with new and existing clients, to show off how good you are, as well as catch up with others from your industry. However, it will not happen by chance. As with all highly effective marketing, it requires a proper plan, sufficient resources and hard work!

In the same way that radio was predicted to kill newspapers and TV supposedly sounded the death knell for radio, so the internet is predicted to cause the demise of just about every other marketing and retail channel.  And, of course, it's a load of nonsense! People need a variety of marketing media and stimuli - and they often prefer to interact face to face with other people.

Exhibitions should be looked at as a significant investment and properly planned to maximise results.

UK real estate marketing expert Peter Knight, who spoke at this year's Principals' Workshop on Hayman Island, shares here his key suggestions for highly effective exhibitions:

 1. Make sure you have a very clear desired result before you commit to exhibiting - are you seeking to attract new customers, impress existing ones, or both? Are you launching new products or services or your existing range - if the later, what's in it for the delegates? What are your key messages - what do you want visitors to remember you for?

 2. Is the exhibition really suited to your target audience(s) - are they going to turn up? Consider the logistics from your target audience's point of view - is the exhibition being held at a time of year that allows them to take a day away and at a location that's convenient?

 3. Your pre-event marketing is at least as important as the event itself. What can you do to cause delegates to be excited about visiting your stand? Invest in some really good invitations and consider hosting special and ‘exclusive' hospitality - perhaps breakfast before the show opens at a nearby venue?

 4. Have you got the necessary human resources to exhibit properly? All too often companies invest in an impressive stand, only to man it with people who are bored, lack knowledge and actually do you more harm than good. It is vital that your very best people are manning the stand - and are motivated to be there.

 5. What will you do to make your stand get noticed? Your personality and values should be visually reflected and, most importantly, it should be obvious to delegates what you do - the subtle approach doesn't work and time-pressed visitors will just walk by thinking "what's that all about?" Gimmicks work for some but all too often cause a company to be seen as trying too hard. Make sure your stand is inviting, easy to access and has space for people to chat easily with you.

 6. Avoid too much technology - something nearly always goes wrong and stands crammed full of sweating technicians being barked at by stressed out executives does not give the right impression!

 7. What handouts or giveaways will you have? Remember that people often tip their bulging carrier bags into the nearest bin as they realise they've got far too much to take home. Much better to scan a business card and send your brochure to them as a follow up.

 8. On the subject of keeping contact - it amazes me how poor many companies are at this! If you've gone to all the trouble and expense to meet new prospects, make sure you follow them up quickly and appropriately. I always urge clients to do this during the show - have members of your team allocated to follow up the previous day's leads.

Peter Knight is chairman of Phoenix, a communications agency, and author of the best-selling ‘HEMP: Highly Effective Marketing Plans'.

AREC09 (31 May - 1 Jun): Information on sponsorship, promotional, advertising and exhibiting opportunities are now available at the TRET website Click here to visit trade page

Download the prospectus brochure, booking form and floorplan. Significant discounts apply for early payment - refer to the ‘Important Information' section.  The 2008 Expo sold out by Christmas so book soon to avoid disappointment!

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AREC09: SAVE UP TO $295 PER PERSON!

Fantastic group rates are available for the standard two-day AREC09 pass and the three-day AREC09 + Leadership Day pass saving your company $295 per person.  For individual tickets, make your purchase by 31 March and enjoy an early bird saving of up to $195 depending on your ticket type.  The AREC09 program is continually updated online.  You will receive a personal copy of the AREC09 brochure by post in February or it can be downloaded from the TRET website.

AREC09 Snapshot

When?                
Sunday 31 May - Tuesday 2 June 2009

What?       
Sunday: AREC joint program
Monday: AREC split sessions - sales & property management
Tuesday: Leadership Day add-on

Where?
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour

Who? 
Every real estate professional regardless of your level of experience.

Headline Speaker:             
Dr John Gray - communication expert and author of international bestseller

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

Click here for program information

Click here to go to the online store

Click here to register for AREC09 

What's new for 2009?

 Electronic ticketing: Tickets will no longer be posted pre-event but printed on site at the event from electronic ticketing machines. Ticket collection will be outside the AREC09 Exhibition Hall.

 Expanded trade exhibition located in a new bigger space in Exhibition Hall 5 - 80 booths and including property management suppliers for the first time.

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