ProREA Staffing

Top Producer Action Plan - Webinar

A few weeks ago our Top Producer Specilaist, Sam Harwit conducted a one hour webinar on Top Producer's Action Plan feature.  The introduction to the webinar did not get recorded so I will summarize it here:

Top Producer is a database program that was designed specifically for real estate agents.  It is internet based, which means that you can access it from any computer (including your phone) and you can share access with your team.  One of the really powerful features in Top Producer, and the reason why ProREA Staffing likes using the program, is the Action Plan feature.  Action Plans are basically checklists that are designed to automate and streamline marketing to your database and managing your listings and closings checklists.

Imagine, logging into you database each day and seeing exactly what you needed to accomplish that day.  Image knowing that every contact in your database was receiving targeted marketing messages from you on a consistent basis.  And, image the freedom you could experience if you could delegate those action items to someone else!

I love Top Producer because I believe that the more areas of your business that you automate, the more leverage you can create for yourself.

The speaker in the webinar is Sam Harwit.  Sam is ProREA Staffing’s Top Producer Specialist.  He works with agents to help them create custom marketing Action Plans and he trains agents and our own staff on the program.

This webinar is intended to introduce you to this section of Top Producer and it will no doubt generate more questions in your mind.  Please feel free to contact Sam or me.  We are happy to help in any way that we can.

To view the webinar click this link, or copy and paste it into your browser’s address bar:

 https://proreastaffing.webex.com/proreastaffing/ldr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=27589442&rKey=1201DD2CD2F1E1DA

(The presentation last about one hour; it may take a few minutes to load)

 If you are interested in using the program and would like help setting-up the Action Plan feature please contact me.  The attached flyer provides more information on our Top Producer services and pricing.

How Much Organizing Help Do You Need?

What level of organizing do I need?

 Light Organizing (4 hours)

-         You already have all the necessary equipment, furniture, and accessories to become highly organized

-         You have an existing established system for filing documents, keep clutter to a minimum, and your workspace isn’t being compromised due to clutter and disorganization.

My typical client who requires light organizing needs me to help them get back to a fresh slate.  They have had an extremely efficient and clean workspace before and just need to get back to that place.  

  
 Medium Organizing (8 hours)

-         You have most of the necessary equipment, furniture, and accessories to become highly organized.  You may need to exchange, rearrange, or purchase additional items to achieve the most efficient workspace.

-         You have partial systems for filing documents and purging clutter, but because it is an incomplete system your workspace is messy and distracting.

-         Your workspace is limiting you from becoming completely motivated and focused from the moment you enter it.  You need to execute a “keep, trash, donate” system to immediately de-clutter and take control of your office space.

My typical client who requires a medium organizing needs me to step in and help them regain control of their workspace.  Antiquated furniture, workspace layout, and accessories, have led to an excessive amount of un-filed paperwork and growing clutter which has begun to diminish their productivity.

 Heavy Organizing (16 hours)

-         Your workspace is limiting you from becoming completely motivated and focused from the moment you enter it

-         You have no system in place for filing paperwork or the system you do have in place just isn’t working

-         You do not have sufficient furniture to allow you to become organized

-         You need to have a custom foundation set for you that can be seamlessly adapted to your everyday life

My typical client who requires a heavy organizing needs a new beginning.  Either you have a faltering system in place or no system at all.  In a lot of cases, it’s not necessarily that the workspace is messy or disorganized, but that you need a complete change.  A fresh start with all the unnecessary items removed and a completely new layout and system that enables you to feel rejuvenated and refreshed.

If you are unsure of what level organizing you need, call today for a free consultation.

Where to begin when starting an organizing project

One of the common questions I get when doing an organizing consult, is “Where do I begin?” Often times I liken the feeling most clients get when looking at a space that needs to be organized to that saying “Not being able to see the forest through the trees.” Getting lost in the “big picture” of the room versus breaking the room down into small victories is something I see often.

            My tips for this question are:

1)      Only do projects that you can 100% complete by the end of the day.

2)      If the space you want to organize is too large to complete in one day, break the room down into sections. i.e. the closet, the desk, or corners of the room…

3)      Create a “toss”, “donate” and “keep” section in the room

4)      Make the decision to "toss", "donate" or "keep" in 10 seconds or less.

5)      When sorting is complete immediately put the “toss” in the trash. The “donate” in your car and take it down to the local donation center.

6)      Now  go through the “keep” items and organize, there should be less items in the “keep” section than in the other two categories

7)      Save paper organizing until the end as this takes the longest to complete.

8)      Remember if you are feeling overwhelmed by the space you are organizing, it might be too large for that days victory.

9)      If you find yourself hitting a road block and start to feel the need to keep everything stop for the day or take a break.

10)  Ask for help, a professional or a friend often times help you put the importance of an item into perspective and help the project to go by faster and a lot of the times you will have more fun! 

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This post was contributed by Kacey Walker.  Kacey is a licensed real estate agent and assistant on the ProREA Staffing team.  Kacey have over five years of experience as a professional organizer and today she specializes in helping real estate agents organize their physical space and streamline their systems.  For more information on Kacey's services, or to schedule a free consultation, please contact us.

Managing Your Finances in 2009 - webinar

On January 29^th we held a free webinar for agents on managing their finances.  We offered three scenarios for managing your books:

 

1. Use an Excel spreadsheet
2. Use QuickBooks
3. Work with a Bookkeeper

We offered practical tips for how to get the best results from each option.

 

To access the recording of this class click the link below.

 

https://proreastaffing.webex.com/proreastaffing/ldr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=26920147&rKey=C3579A53A69E9FCA

 

For help setting up and managing your business finances, please contact us.

A Case Study for ProREA Staffing

The Challenge:

Joe Smith's** need for an assistant wasn't so much because of any problems he was experiencing in his business but because he wanted to move his business forward using Keller William’s systems and models. For several years he used GoldMine for his database however he understood that Top Producer was created for the real estate industry he knew he needed to switch over. The challenge was that he had thousands of contacts that needed to be imported from Goldmine into Top Producer and integrated into Top Producer Action Plans.

The Plan:

Joe’s new assistant drafted an outline of the steps that needed to occur in order to accomplish a successful transfer of the database. Before she got to work she sat down and explained to him her working style and expectations of him in order to properly accomplish what he needed. Because Top Producer is capable of so many different things his assistant suggested that they address his initial top 5 goals that he wanted out of the Top Producer integration. From there she took his goals, broke them down into smaller tasks, and calendared the time it would take for her to complete each task and scheduled a time a few weeks later to re-evaluate the outline to see if what they set out to do was accomplished.

His Goals:
1. Accurate and Proper Integration from Goldmine to Top Producer
2. Create CMA's for all potential listings
3. Assign each of his contact types an Action Plan
4. Implement necessary Check Lists within Top Producer to create efficiency in day to day business operations
5. Automate his IDX leads into Top Producer

The Results:

Joe’s goals have been met and/or addressed on schedule and new goals have since been implemented. This integration was seamless for Joe on his end because he never had to hear about the problems or hiccups involved during the transition and he was able to continue to do what he does best which is sell real estate. Joe received regular status updates from his assistant so that he knew exactly what she was working on.  Joe and his assistant have now developed a good trust relationship and Joe simply sends his assistant email requests of what he needs from Top Producer and she responds to his requests within 24 hours or less.

Joe is currently in escrow on a double ended deal.  He was able to coordinate this specific deal while his database was in transition because he wasn’t distracted by the change over.  Joe is now actively using Top Producer on a regular basis.  His action plans are generating noticeable results with several contacts from his database requesting listing appointments and property evaluations.

 

** Name changed to respect agent's privacy.

Top Ten (no, Eleven) Things to Do When Business is Slow

There is always something to do in a real estate office. However, with fewer homes being sold many assistants and some agents are probably finding themselves with a little more time on their hands than usual. If this is the case in your office, here are ten business-improving projects you and/or your assistant can tackle while you have the time. Do these projects now so that when the market starts warming up again, you’ll have your systems in place and will be ready for anything!

Don’t procrastinate any longer. This opportunity won’t last forever!

1. Clean out and update the contact database. 

2. Collect all user names and passwords. Save someplace safe and accessible, other than your computer. 

3. Review all checklists and forms. Are they current and complete?

4. Clean out file drawers; move files older than 1 year to storage; shred files older than six years. Go through reference files and purge of all unnecessary items.

5. Review agent bio (on company website, personal website, social networking sites, listing presentation, etc) and confirm that it is current and complete.

6. Review personal website and marketing materials. Is it time for an update?

7. If you don’t have one already, implement a system for tracking income and expenses. (QuickBooks or Quicken)

8. Review bills (cell phone, internet, insurance, etc); can any of those recurring costs be reduced?

9. Create an Office Manual with all of your forms, checklists, explanations of procedures, vendor list, user names and passwords, assistant job description, recurring tasks, etc. This guide book to running your office is a valuable resource for anyone who works for you.

10. Create or update your listing presentation.

And #11 – Evaluate your goals for this month and quarter – are they in line with your goals for this new year? Are your daily activities in line with your long term strategies – are they in line with your “bigger picture”?

Productive versus Busy; Three simple steps to becoming more effective

As your real estate business grows, the relatively simple process of taking a client from Contract to Contract to Closing can quickly spiral out of control.  Suddenly there are multiple escrows to oversee, new websites to develop, fancy brochures to update, and eventually, assistant is thrown into the mix to help you manage your ever more complicated business.

Your ability to keep things simple and streamlined as your business grows is crucial to both your ongoing success and your personal well being.

Here are three common sense suggestions for making the best use of your time and talents.

1) Write down everything you do on a Daily / Weekly / Monthly recurring basis.  

This includes any ongoing marketing efforts, administrative tasks, prospecting efforts and so on.  Look at what you are doing on a regular basis and decide if that is really the best use of your time.  Also, think about the things you should be doing that are not currently on this list and make the necessary changes.

2) If you don’t HAVE to do it, delegate it.

Focus your time and energy on dollar productive activities and delegate everything else.  Utilize your office transaction coordinator, hire someone to handle your marketing efforts, lean on your Title Company or Escrow Company for help, or hire an assistant.  However you decide to do it, make a conscious effort to minimize the number of administrative items you are personally responsible for.

3) Eliminate the dumb things.

For the next two weeks, pay attention to what you are doing, and think about why you are doing it.  Is it necessary?  Does it add value?  Is there a better way?  You may be surprised by some of the unnecessary things you do out of habit.  Systems and processes become outdated over time.  What made sense 6 months or a year ago may be completely irrelevant today.  And of course, if you do not have systems for capturing leads, managing listings and opening and closing escrows…ask for help in getting those processes in place!