Crazy times eh?
Less than a few weeks ago we were drinking in bars, eating in restaurants, riding the train, flying in planes, kissing and hugging our friends and family and generally, living our lives.
Fast forward to today and many of us are doing things very differently.
So change is coming and stuff is going to happen, and it’s what we do in the coming days and months that will determine how we come out of this financially and emotionally.
I can already see there are two types of agents emerging from this global event.
Agent one is throwing his hands up in the air in despair and becoming totally overwhelmed with coming changes and the consequences that follow. And honestly, who could blame him? There’s a lot to process, I get that.
My advice to agent one is to stay calm, control what you can, avoid the misinformation that’s dominating social media and think about those around you looking to you for support, guidance and someone who can navigate through the chaos. Use the time for yourself. Work out, meditate, start that project you’ve been putting off for years and oh yeah… wash your hands! 🙂
Agent two has accepted the status quo and is working towards what she CAN do to lead and inspire others. She knows her family, friends, and clients are relying on her to be a ‘good driver in heavy traffic’ and a voice of reason in a sea of uncertainty and these times of unprecedented change.
In a sec I’m going to give you seven things you can do right now for yourself and your business to power through and leverage this very unique opportunity to gain precious market share in your area.
I know everyone is in a range of situations but I believe there is ALWAYS something we can do.
We can sit and sweat or we can take action and stare down the beast.
..and above all else, please know that we are here for you.
If you’re not sure what to do, I will personally jump on a call and give you my very best ideas and input to help you resolve whatever is stressing you out.
I don’t care if it’s real estate related or not so please don’t brush this off as a token gesture. If you want to help, ask me.
My partners and I stand behind you and are here for you. You’ve put your faith in us to help you create and deliver great marketing but we are not some faceless corporation where you can’t find the help number or a silicon valley start-up looking for a quick buck.
We have families and businesses (outside of Jigglar) and concerns and responsibilities just like you.
Here are 7 things you can do now.
1. Your Current Listings
Go through your current listings and score them as to motivated sellers, 10 is a high motivation to sell.
Once you have scored each listing, single out the 8s, 9s, and 10s and note the asking price they need to be listed at to sell in less than 30 days (that part is important).
Then call each owner and say “Hi. I guess you’re seeing the media and watching the news. If you’re serious about selling, we have a very small window of time. Right now I need to decide which sellers I’m going to be helping at this time. Do you want to sell or are you happy to sit this out for a year or two?”
Strong language? Sure and I won’t apologize for it. If I was a seller, I would be relying on my agent to tell me what’s going on and what the worst-case scenario might look like.
2. Your Pipeline Sellers not on the market yet
Go through your current pipeline listings and reach out to those close to the listing (it’s actually a great time to speak to all your potential sellers but hit your motivated pipeline sellers first)
Have the same discussion. If they’re looking to sell in the next year or two, they need to move fast and get on the market.
3. Make building your list your #1 objective
Every crisis ends. When things get back to normal (hopefully quickly) folks will be looking for an agent to help them buy or sell or both. Focus on building your list. Treat each name with contact info like money in the bank… because it is. Look for ways to engage people in your community. Social media and in particular Facebook is perfect for this.
4. Set yourself up with the best technology and tools
So right now, would you really benefit from offering your buyers and sellers an awesome virtual tour? (I heard you say yup) What about an online document signing service like DocuSign (there’s a few out there)? For a killer client management platform, what about the new version of LockedOn?
And of course, you can use Jigglar for all your marketing, reports and lead generator materials. Click here and sign up for a free 30-day account here.
Think about core business principles: What do you need to function? What do your clients need to function? How can you make their lives better? How can you make the process easier for buyers? What do you need to run your business like a well-oiled machine if this lockdown becomes extended?
5. Fine-tune your brand and your branding
Now is a great time to take a look at your branding and the way the market sees you. How’s your website? Does it load fast, do you have a great message and call-to-action above the fold. Is it fully responsive on all devices?
How’s your social? Do you have a plan? What gets you results?
How’s your SEO? What’s driving traffic to your site.
Here’s the thing: Right now, someone in your patch is searching online for solid and reliable real estate advice? Are they reaching out to you?
Why not see if you can get a complimentary ‘marketing health audit’ done on your business? Let me know if you want some names?
6. Systemize your business and your life
The system is the solution. 90% of what we do in real estate is repeatable. The best offices and agents I have ever seen are run by a system. Set up your systems and you’re done. Set up your standard letters, texts, and emails in LockedOn. Set up your regular templates in Jigglar. Look for ways to automate and systemize everything you do. Our most important resource is time. Your time should be devoted to the 5 blue dollar actions that actually make you money. Everything else can be eliminated, delegated, automated or virtually assistant’d (that’s a word… I just made it up)
7. Look at this time as an opportunity
This could be worse. We’re not at war, well not in the traditional sense anyway. And call me weird but I’m kind of liking this self-isolation thing. I’m free to do a few projects around the place (my honey-do list!) I’m free to write and work on my different business interests. I have my beautiful wife all to myself. We create wicked meals and work and brainstorm ideas and walk Roxi and binge Netflix and hang out on our own time on our own agenda.
Someday this will all be gone. So what is there left to do but embrace it and turn it to your advantage? Explore your passions and interests.
Dedicate 30 minutes a day to learning Spanish. Plan a world trip. Write a book. Get fit. Take photos. Create an online course. As my Indian friend Deepak says, the world is your oysters. As for me, I’ve started a blog about our isolation adventures called The Corona Diaries.
Last night I had a call with Dan from my private client group. I was all prepared to give him some solid emotional support and tell him everything would be okay. But he tells me he’s looking forward to the change and working from his home office. He knows exactly what he’s going to do and he knows his competition will be dazed and confused and there will be market share for the taking. “Bring it on”, he said excitedly!
