50 Things I Hate About Real Estate Agents maybe my most controversial podcast. Enjoy.

Your_First_Day_In_Real_Estate_Episode_0047_50_Things_I_Hate_About_Real_Estate_Agents.mp3 Listen on Posterous

1. When they pronounce Realtor as Real-a-tor

2. When they don’t answer their phone

3. When they talk to fast or don’t make sense

4. When they put their graphics on crooked

5. When their business cards look like crap

6. When they don’t have a website

7. When they don’t use a branded email

8. When they dress like crap

9. When they lie about things, experience

10. When they act all that

11. When they try to aha! gotcha!

12. When they play hero and screw up the deal

13. When they hang up the phone on you

14. When they don’t shut off their cell phones

15. When they answer their cell phones

16. When they do loans and sell homes and Amway

17. When they threaten people

18. When they talk to my client 

19. When they play stupid

20. When they don’t follow up

21. When they make their buyer pretend their not locked

22. When they don’t leave a card

23. When they forget to pull their open house signs

24. When they teach others how to sell in their green years

25. When they the lights on and door open

26. When they watch tv at open houses

27. When they come in from out of area and make me take over the transaction and they get paid

28. When they don’t refer out a deal that’s out of hier area and know they should

29. When they are late…very late

30. When they use the wrong photo. IE glamour shot, high school, banquet, tuxedo, or on the phone.

31. When they smell bad, like smoke or b.o.

32. When they don’t text or try to learn how

33. When they write their business info on the card

34. when they leave the combo un-scrambled

35. When they don’t leave feedback

36. When they treat their clients bad, actually i like it if I get the deal but if it fails

37 When they take timelines casually or nonchalant

38. Write multiple offers on homes

39. Work short sales when they have no clue what to do

40.Show short sales to buyers who won’t commit

41.Show homes after my offer is accepted just in case.

42. When they talk down on the economy

43. When they talk down about an area.

44. When they give advise without the contract

45. When they steal a key from the lockbox

46. When they take terrible photos of a home

47. When they spend their time volunteering at the office

48. When they poo-poo new ideas like the internet

49. When they don’t agree with the new contracts

50. When they do lighten up

To get access to all of my FREE training programs visit James Festini.com, I appreciate the feedback and comments in Itunes and YouTube…Thank you. This episode was brought to you by Mojo Selling Solutions at MojoSells.com. The creators of the Mojo Dialer, the automated dialer system I will not live without. I hit my 100 contacts a day in less than 4 hours people. Also brought to you by Landvoice.com. They search and deliver my expireds and for sale by owners leadseveryday into my inbox, with clean phone numbers ready to dial. A no brainer money maker and totally worth it….now get to work.

Your First Day In Real Estate Episode 0046 Getting Back On Track

Your_First_Day_In_Real_Estate_Episode_0046_Getting_Back_On_Track.mp3 Listen on Posterous

I saw a grown man fall down in Target the other day. I did not laugh and no one else saw. I tried not to stare but he looked really drunk and stunned. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as he struggled to get back up. He stood there staring at the ground for some time. Then walked away. It wasn’t until he left that I saw he actually slipped on a large spill of liquid detergent. I thought of him this morning and then realized that I should have helped him up but I know not to interact with really wasted people. I wonder if he was drunk. If he was not, then I feel like a jerk. If he was, I still feel like I should have helped. Next time I see someone in need like that I will not just stare, I will rush over to help. And they will probly tell me to let them alone anyhow.

2. Creating a schedule. Your schedule should encompass your whole life. Your business and personal life need to be factored in to create balance. I have seen far too many Agents sacrifice their family to achieve a production or commission goal. When they finally reach their goal, they have no one to share it with or they realize what little importance that goal had compared to their family. I have a friend who tragically lost a child and now is reflecting on the years of decisions made for the sake of a few plaques and personal production goals. Those plaques or even the money earned are little comfort to her at a time of great sorrow. What a hollow feeling for that highly successful Agent!

The schedule should encompass the “time block” system. By time blocking I mean to schedule specific time for each daily activity in real estate. Schedule time to prospect, qualify buyers and sellers, negotiate contracts, return phone calls, listing presentations, and show property. The better you “time block” the more effective you will be. The more that you adhere to the schedule the more success you will have in sales. Remember to allow for a little “play time” or “flex time.” You will need some time to relax and decompress. This time for relaxing will enable you to stay focused and sharp during the “up time.” Give yourself 15 minute “flex time” every two to three hours. This should be sufficient to break the tension or catch up so that you are able to stay focused and “time blocked.”

3. Value of Time. To decrease your time worked and increase your production, you must know and understand the value of your time. Anyone can make more money if he trades more time for it. Even the ditch digger can do that. He merely needs to work overtime. The secret is to trade less time for more income.

People who understand the value of time trade less and less time for more and more income. You must first know the value of your time today. What are you worth per hour? Do you know? If you do not, it is a simple equation. Determine your gross commission for last year and divide it by the total hours you worked. The total would be your hourly rate or what you are worth per hour.

Now if you want a more accurate figure of what you are worth per hour, subtract your business expenses for last year from your gross commission for last year. Divide that figure by the total hours you worked. Now, look at you value per hour. Most people don’t have the courage to really look at this number. For one of my clients, before we began to coach him he was grossing $300,000.00 per year; it showed him he was making around $80.00 an hour. With his high level of skill in the real estate business his hourly rate was about a third of what he should have been making.

People who know the value of time in their life create masterful lives. People who do not know have a miserable existence, because they do not understand the importance of time. Let me give you an example.

If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,000—that carried over no balance from day to day—that allowed you to keep no cash in your account…and every evening cancelled whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day—what would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Well, you do have such a bank—its name is ‘time.’ Every morning it credits you with 86,000 seconds…every night it rules off as lost whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purposes. It carries no balance…It allows no overdrafts. Each day it opens a new account for you. If you fail to use the day’s deposit, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against tomorrow. You must live in the present on today’s deposit.

If you and I make the most of our time, it will be because we understand the value of each and every second. We will learn how to spend our time wisely.

4. Invest your time in high payoff activities. You must invest your time and define what the high payoff activities are for you. Once you have defined the activities, you need the discipline to do them daily. These are the only activities you can do to pay yourself well. You need to also understand that these activities will change as your hourly value increases. For a new Agent, there are a lot of high payoff activities compared to a top Agent in the office. For a top Agent, who makes $300.00 plus per hour, there are very few high payoff activities. You must invest the time to define what the high payoff activities are for you. The following were my high payoff activities when I was a real estate Agent.

1. Prospecting.2. Lead follow-up.3. Going on listing appointments.4. Negotiating contracts.5. Coaching staff.6. Planning my business.

These were the only activities I could do and effectively bill the amount per hour I was worth. You must focus, like an attorney does, in billing out hours daily. The more hours you bill, the more income you make. The greater percentage of the day I did these six activities the more income I earned.

5. Developing a philosophy. By philosophy, I mean guidelines for doing business both personally and professionally. If you understand your value per hour and your average commission check, you can determine the type of people you are willing to work with, i.e. personality types, price range, and the type of clients to look for. You may not be able to work in a certain price range or with certain types of people. When a buyer does not provide you the answers you need, you can refer him to another Agent or drop him because he does not meet your philosophy. You need to understand you were not put on this earth to help everyone. There are people you cannot help. This fact does not make them or us bad people or you a bad person. It just makes you a business person who expects a reasonable profit for the amount of time invested. Once I was clear on my philosophy of what a client was and my expectations for a client, I was able to work with people who conformed to my philosophy. You must define clearly your world of business. This definition will enable you to better select the people to work with. We have all selected the wrong people. We have spent large amounts of time and money working with people we should not have and felt awful afterwards. In some instances, we were never paid or appreciated for our efforts. You will feel much better turning them down before you invest your time, energy, and money in a losing cause. By understanding your “core” philosophy, you will be able to seek out the clients who meet your criteria rather than finding those that do not. By having this philosophy, you will generally find the clients you are looking for. You will also be able to quickly dispense with those clients who do not meet your standard operating procedures.

6. Understand your business. Know what generates your business. What are the top three income producing activities that you do? Where do you spend your time daily? Compare those two answers and look at what you are worth per hour. Do only those activities that earn you the highest return the bulk of your day. I will give you a hint; high payoff activities are not putting up signs and lock boxes. These are only high payoff activities if you want to make less than $10.00 per hour. You are a business owner of a company that sells millions of dollars in product per year. You need to know and understand your business. You must know where your sales come from to enable you to sell at higher volume. Most Agents earn success by the sweat of their brow. They outwork the competition. Your job is to outthink your competition. Then outwork them, if you desire.

7. Prospecting. There are as many ways of prospecting, as there are people. The key is you must prospect daily to bring in the business. You can prospect via the phone or in person. You can prospect expired, FSBO, cold call, appointments for buyers, investment properties, your sphere, and out of area owners. The list is endless. If you are not spending a minimum of one hour everyday prospecting for new business, you will have difficulty during stretches of your career. Even calling your past clients and asking for referrals is an excellent way to prospect.

When you begin to get busy, do not fall into the common trap of letting prospecting slide. Just because you are busy, do not think you do not need to prospect anymore. This is the time to focus on prospecting and bringing in more clients. You have momentum, so keep going. The analogy I like to use is that if a plane is on the runway it takes a tremendous amount of energy to climb to 20,000 feet. Once the plane is at 20,000 feet, it can throttle back a little and easily maintain its cruising altitude. If the plane throttles back completely, it will soon be back down on the runway. Do not throttle back in your prospecting or you will find yourself on the runway quickly. By continuing to prospect, you can then climb higher or do the same production in less time. Consistency in your prospecting leads to consistency in your paydays.

8. Qualifying the potential client. This step is crucial to success. I see more Agents make mistakes in this area than in any other. They are afraid to qualify people to the point of excluding them out. Do not be like these foolish Agents. The whole goal in qualifying is the exclusion of the unmotivated. If you do not become skilled at excluding out the unmotivated buyer or seller, they will waste your time. They will eventually drive you out of the business, both emotionally and financially.

The most valuable commodity you have in life is your time. We all have a finite amount of time here on earth. We do not even know the amount of time we have left. If we choose to work with unqualified, unmotivated, unloanable, unable to sell people too often, we are out of business. By properly qualifying all leads, you are saving yourself from putting them in your car or going to their house to find out they are not a lead at all. Spending five hours showing property only to find out that they are working with another Agent, unable to buy because of bad credit, have no money, or are unrealistic of the value of homes today is a painful experience. Any one of these people causes us frustration and macaroni and cheese for dinner. Do not allow these people to control your business. The majority of the Agents in our industry really need to strengthen this discipline dramatically. They allow their clients to be the CEO of their real estate sales company.

To all of us, leads are like security. If we have them we feel secure and we do not have to find new ones. The truth is a lead by itself has no value. What is the true value of your leads? What would someone pay you for all your leads? Why not make them worth something to you and your family by qualifying them well, and then setting an appointment or throwing them out if they are of no value (which are most of them). Leads have little value warehoused in your computer. If you do not follow-up on your leads, throw them away. You can always create more leads. You can get more leads than you can handle. Why not pick only the best ones?

9. Create Strong Systems. Systems enable Agents to leverage themselves while still servicing their clients and prospects. You need to develop systems that create the desired result without your involvement. The reason why McDonalds is so popular is not the good food. It is because of the consistency. Whether you go into a McDonalds in Dallas, Texas or Tokyo, Japan the fries will be the same. They have developed their systems and procedures that allow them to sell billions of fries with the same effort and outcome every time.

As REALTORS® you do not have to be mechanical like McDonalds, but you do need systems. You need to have systems for listings, escrows, buyers, sellers, leads, other Agents, presenting offers, negotiating, follow-up with lead and clients, and the list goes on. You need a step-by-step process for each of these so you can delegate the tasks to other staff members.

10. Delegation. You need to delegate the low payoff tasks that need to be completed to other staff members. You need to teach and train your staff to replace you in certain functions. You need to monitor their progress with praise. And finally, you need to get out of the way and let them do it.

The last step is the most difficult step for most Agents. They hire assistants then never turn over ownership of the tasks to the assistant. You need to be able to relinquish control. They are going to fall down and bump their knee. They will ruin some deals and make some clients angry. But you have made mistakes, why wouldn’t they make similar mistakes?

Let me give you an example. Your child is learning to walk. How many times do you let him fall down before you say that is enough? You are done trying to walk. If you say enough, he will have to crawl the rest of his life since he will never learn to walk. But you would not do that; you would help him until he is able to walk all over the room. You need to let your staff fall down and get banged up. Don’t shelter them from the storm, but do not create a hurricane in your office either.

It took me years to learn these ten steps. I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in time, energy, and money to work through the learning process of these disciplines. If I had the opportunity you have right now, I would have taken advantage of it. You have a rare opportunity to develop and learn and to apply these steps in months instead of years. Instead of investing hundreds of thousands of dollars, you can invest less than one commission check to be coached to earn a larger income and create balance in your life.

-Beginning a new routine of learning

It is time to recognize that the rules of the game have changed. Every deal we are doing is a complete learning curve. In the 2 decades I have played this game the way the other players perform is frustration to the point of quitting. However, the new agents are completely unaware that this is not how it is. Clients are becoming more educated and usually have most of your jobs done, and in some cases think they can do it better. Sometimes they are educated idiots. Sometimes they know more than you. We must learn how to play the game and the only way to play the game is to know your team and its pieces.

-Working on your weaknesses

If there was one thing you know you suck at what is that? Punctuality, follow-up, technology etc.

Do you even care to improve on it? Sometimes you are not good at it because you don’t want to.

What are you really good at? Not what you think your good at but what you know you are good at.

Could you be better? If your answer is yes then what does it take to improve on your talents?

-Building on your strengths

Are you a people person or a techno introvert?

So you are a “people person” Do you like floor time? Cold Calling? For sale by owners? If you like floor time look at ways of getting more. If you have no problem meeting people then prepare a dozen SLAM packages ready to print and deliver. I have those also for sale on my site as a training series and art ready materials.  Make more house calls. Make some calls on expireds and fsbo’s and stand up and slam them after the call. If you are good face to face with people you may want to consider gathering door knocking kits for the New Year. I have an awesome program on door knocking that comes with artwork ready templates.

If you are a techie introvert perhaps you might want to consider becoming a content master. Start a blog or two. Get familiar with YouTube content creation. HUGE red flag here…no crappy video. Nothing says crappy agent like crappy video. If you are a good people person and have some acting skills then you are so in need of this skill. Network online and use your social networks to the best of your style. Make posts often and comment often.

How can we make you better at those? Spend the time necessary while the holidays are in session.  Schedule 24-72 hours for yourself where your family know you needs this alone time. Go into a room with your supplies with the intention of building the ultimate real estate machine. Start with the first part of this booklet and end on the last. Schedule it now! Heck, I would buy a bottle of good scotch and make it fun. Why not this is your time to unwind and wind up.

-Taking on an assistant

Realistically at 10 closing a month you may want to consider an assistant….no sooner. If you are looking at your spouse as a team member be VERY careful! I know this all to well. I have worked with 6 family members including a wife and I know how to walk the line. To learn more about teams you should really get my program on teams.

The best kind of assistant is hard to find. You want one who is good at real estate but not so good that you are training the competition. Perhaps you might consider a no competition clause in a contract. Realistically if you are a total badass there is no way they can beat you at your own game. They will likely fail within a year and you can gloat. Better yet hire them back.

-What should you pay for help?

Licenced- 80/20. If you are a listing agent and they are your buyers agent then this works great.

Same goes for referrals. If you are a team than you will want to take my course on teams.

Unlicensed, check with local laws. Better yet get them licensed. Then you don’t have to sweat it.

TC or transaction coordinators. In the beginning of my career I had excellent TC’s and all I did was hand them the contracts and wait for a check. I recall paying $200-$500 per file depending on their efforts in the tasks and also their license status. If you are going to use one without a license then you will have to determine what a fair pay is. I have had unlicensed assistants working for me but all they did was take photos, run errands, sort files and accounting. If you do a ton of REO work then you may just have one full time accountant.

-Realizing what you already have

What skills have you acquired, and on the same note what habits have you formed? Are your preconceptions stopping you? The truth is that unless you are at your peak and feel there is no room for improvement then you are in the first step to recovery. Admitting that you need help is the best thing you can do. Having self confidence to know you can rebuild yourself from a foundation of experience is a great place to start.

-The Must have supplies for success

What software, hardware, and supplies will you need to go into battle? Let’s take inventory.

Desk and its contents. Files, paper, ink supply, binders, fax (correct headers and covers)

Calendar or 2. One with every day and enough room to write on it. Let it take w whole wall.

To do list. Where do you want to keep your ideas? How to prioritize the must from the maybe.

Smart phone or if you really want to fight the tech a Day Planner. Just as long as it is in hand.

Software and knowledge, Social, Contact, Internet, MLS, Blogging. Now is the time to learn!

Automobile and its supplies box. Go to buy these supplies and put them in your trunk

Flash light 3, measuring tape, toilet paper, air freshener, pepper spray, ekey, soap towel, gum, scissors, tape, paper, duct tape, wd40, screwdrivers hammer, wrench or pliers, business cards, brochures, sold stickers, blank contracts, pens, coloring books and crayons. Printer..Optional.

Part Two…Know the Numbers

This lesson is based on asking yourself a series of questions that force you to answer the truth of the possibilities. By knowing the facts you can set yourself up for realistic goals and play with the fantasy goals? For reference purposes numbers in ( ) is average one of my clients.

 The Law of Averages…If you don’t know just guess…it’s not rocket science

What is your average Commission?$_____________________(2.5%)

What is the average market value?______________________($200,000)

What are the average days to sell?______________________(100)

What is the average closing ratio?_________________________(60%)

What are the total homes sold in your area last year___________________(400)

What is your expectation of your market share?_________________________(10%)

Who is Number 1?_______________________(John Jane Doe)

What was the most you ever made in one year?_______________(ah, the good old days)

What did you make in 2011? $________ ($80k) I don’t care how much you kept.

-What percent of that were buyers? _______  (25%)  What Percent of that was Sellers?_____(75%)

How many total closing was that?_______x2=_______The Number of homes I will sell in 2012

Where do your leads come from? Circle all that apply and write your totals below

Cold calls    Expireds    Door knocking   Referrals    Sign Calls   Websites    Marketing

________/__________/____________/_________/_________/________/____________/

 What can you spend on marketing a month?__________________________($200)

How many Contacts do you make a day?_______(20)x2=___________2012 Goal

What do You WANT TO make? If you thought you where unstoppable, be realistic.

$___________

Your Monthly NUT (a total of what it takes to stay alive i.e. Bills, insurance, not including savings)

$___________________________(to survive) x12_________how much I need to make

-How much do you think the #1 Agent makes a year?    $____________

-How many homes does the #1Agent close a month?__________________

-How many Deals can you realistically handle? (without an assistant)

      Per month__________X12 =___________is the total number of homes I can close in 2012

     How Much Money is that?__________________________(won’t it be nice?)

2012 Affirmation

I will List_____(6) homes a month to sell____(3) a month

I will work_____(3)buyers a month to close_____(1-2) a month

I will close _____(54-60) units in 2012

I will earn $________________(250,000-275,000) in 2012

Because you’re a highly valued listener/reader we’re offering you, until Midnight, of the 31st

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I have invested a lot of time and money into many courses such as these, and Kenneth has offered the most successful programs I have encountered in today’s market. I am so glad that I have had the chance to utilize the tools that they contain and I am forever grateful for the lasting, positive impression they have made on my life.  Each course offers a new approach to life, a new way to see things that reveals just how simple it really is to achieve success, be it financial, personal, spiritual, or mental. I can’t think of any better way to change my life than to invest in the message that these programs carry. 
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You might be wondering “where’s the catch?”…But there IS NO CATCH!  As a friend, we want you to attain your highest goals for yourself and to make 2012 the best year of your life. We believe that these programs will help you do just that.

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The Universe favors the bold. So grab your discounts FAST to assure you get your copy now! This offer is only available for a LIMITED TIME and when these valuable bundles are gone – it’s over! Email me for the link to that access James@jamesFestini.com

To your continued wealth and fulfillment,

James Festini

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 1939
Published: 2011-12-05 18:39:40
Real Estate Goal setting Battle Plan 2012 Part 1 of 4

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 428
Published: 2011-12-01 21:08:11
Warm Up to Your Resolutions

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 479
Published: 2011-11-30 03:31:49
Accentuate the Positive This Moment

Nourished by innate and acquired, our personality is multi-faceted, like that of a prism, diffracting the energy we produce and that which surrounds us in a beam of positive and negative forces. Then there exists in us all bright areas and dark areas, some of them sometimes the other according to our interests, goals and assign it to our actions, the circumstances of our daily lives and especially the how we manage our feelings. As the colors diffracted by a prism, the different shades of these are all necessary for our balance and enrich us as the many nuances enrich seasonal nature.

In conclusion I would say that our lives should not be measured in years but the number of “colors” and intensity of lived moments. One can indeed reach old age by having gone through a few of the nuances among those we offer the full range of mental prism or “mind prism”. So we must make the effort to explore and appreciate all the contrasts. This can only strengthen our resilience, tolerance, self-control and above all openness to otherness and listening to all feedback we receive from all else.

Learning to appreciate what you have before it’s gone

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 385
Published: 2011-11-17 19:09:40
Attitude of Gratitude for the Moment

1. FEWER SHOWINGS- Yes, there are less buyers ,but those buyers that are left are usually very serious about making a purchase

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 424
Published: 2011-11-15 19:19:15
Great Reasons For Your Sellers to List During The Holidays

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 383
Published: 2011-11-08 18:11:03
Making the Holidays Workable

“I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I do this? Henceforth will I look on all things with love and be born again. I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness as it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.”~ Og Mandino (1923 – 1996)

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 414
Published: 2011-11-03 17:40:33
Greet The Day With Love

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 348
Published: 2011-11-01 21:22:44
Today I begin A New Life

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 360
Published: 2011-10-25 17:50:24
Storing Your Nuts

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 130
Published: 2011-10-20 18:59:53
Become Agreeable

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 173
Published: 2011-10-11 20:23:57
Listening to the Wrong People

This kind of surprised me because it seems like if you’re doing more than one thing at a time you get distracted. But what they have discovered is that your brain works and comprehends faster than the person who is speaking so we tend to start letting our mind wander and think of what groceries we need or what movie is coming out. By doodling, your mind stays focused on the task at hand which is listening. So the next time you’re on the phone, feel free to doodle away!

Now if your mind’s been wandering and you’ve been pondering, “should I get a trainer?” or “I need help in this business that my current surroundings are not giving me”, I can help! It really is critical that you get the right guidance. What if you’re upside down on your skills and you want to know about solutions? Join my program. For $25 a month you cannot afford not to sign on.

Combine that learning with a passion for excellence, and my life pursuit of first becoming a top producer and then coaching and teaching others to become top producers comes into clear view.  My passion for excellence was first forged by my mother and father who were also great real estate agents and even better motivational speakers (even thought their seminars were in our living room.)  Parents can certainly have an amazing positive impact on the life their children have in the future.  Mine endeavored to show me early on that a life lived through growth, personal development with excellence in clear focus, and not settling for less was one’s true objective.

I aligned this ingrained wisdom with my competitive nature forged through the industry to the professional level.  Becoming a professional speaker has been a passion for more than 18 years. It began when I met Anthony Robbins in Hawaii at a retreat my parents made me attend.  The pursuit and perfection of a top producing mindset, actions to create the edge in the marketplace whether in business or personal ambitions, then distilling that edge to make it available has caused countless hours of work and sleepless nights.  My belief is absolute that “Everyone deserves to be a the best they can be”; that this level of high performance is available to anyone; that I can take anyone to that level provided they have a high level of desire – to become a success.

We all heard of the great loss to mankind with the passing of Steve Jobs.

I honestly feel like I have lost a friend with his passing.

Here he was, 56 years old, loved by millions…..

Handsome, clever, witty, enriched countless lives….

….and had Billions of $$ in the bank, one of the wealthiest people on earth….

Yet, you and I are infinitely wealthier than he is…. As WE HAVE TODAY, and sadly, he does not.

Spend your infinite wealth today on something that matters, enrich people’s lives like Steve did.

Spend your day today, like Steve Jobs would spend it if he could.

Make today count!

Celebrating the gift of “Today” with you today,

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 208
Published: 2011-10-06 14:14:36
So Many Opportunies

For example:

The top agents in most areas are comprised in the MLS of teams often closing multiple transactions and recording it under one entity. I remember when I first got into the business I was always getting updates on the top agents based on gross closed commissions and also units. there was the top 3 and then there was the rest. I would shout to the skies “HOW?” How can this one person close so many deals. I eventually found out that they were the broker and that all the deals in the office went under one name. In The M.L.S it looked as if that one individual was untouchable and so the marketing campaign appeared to be the same. It worked well for them.

I had to ask myself though. As an ambitious “go getter” would I ever do all of this hard work to break into a market knowing that I was helping that one individual become so big that when i was ready to break away I would have no client base? Hell no. I don’t care how the splits worked I would never give up my efforts.

Back to the story about RedFin. There were so many agents who felt that this was going to damage thier credibility as the leader in that market. I did not fear for one second that any of my clients should show concern. I remind them them that this is one obscure site that almost very few know about and although they may get rankings in Google, the chances that my seller will land up on that page before something like REALTOR.Com are slim. Try doing a search like a homeowner. What words would you use? I would say “sell my home” or “find a real estate agent in my city.” Who knows. What I do know is when I typed those and other variables I was surprised to find out who was not showing up.

Well, no need to worry. You can still continue to use the techniques to become the first choice in your area by using my tools. Besides, today RedFin pulled the site for the scouting because the data was too varied.

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 161
Published: 2011-10-04 17:49:43
Augmented Reality

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 173
Published: 2011-09-30 15:07:34
Giving All My Secrets Away

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 233
Published: 2011-09-28 18:32:46
The Rocking Chair or the Wheel Chair

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 30
Published: 2011-09-28 17:38:39
James Festini on the Internet

A short sale in real estate occurs when the outstanding obligations (loans) against a property are greater than what the property can be sold for. A short sale is when a lender accepts a discount on a mortgage to avoid a possible foreclosure auction or bankruptcy. Instead of buying from a seller, you are purchasing the property directly from the lender for a discount. For example: A homeowner, who is facing foreclosure, has an existing first mortgage of $200,000. You write an offer to the lender for $120,000, which is accepted as full payment for the loan. This is a “short sale”. Why are they willing to take such a discount? Several reasons. First of all, banks do not like excess inventory and bad loans on their books; therefore, if they see an opportunity where they can sell the property without a huge loss, they will do it. Secondly, lenders know they could lose a lot more money if the property goes to auction. There are so many fees involved if the property goes to auction, that they would be better off taking the discount beforehand and be finished with the headache of it all.Short sales are a way for homeowners to avoid foreclosure on their homes and still be able to pay off their loan by settling with lender.
Instructions:
Things You’ll Need
Financial Calculator
Real Estate Brokers
Online Mortgage/finance Services
1. Verify the value of your property. If you are selling the property through a real estate broker, your broker will provide you with an estimate of market value. If you are selling the property yourself, do your own market analysis of the area and your property.
2. Add up all the costs of selling the property. If you are using the services of a real estate broker, the broker will provide an estimate of closing costs. If you are selling the property on your own (for sale by owner), call a local title company or real estate attorney and ask, as a seller, what the closing costs will be.
3. Determine the amount owed against the property. This will be the total of all loans against the property.
4. Do the calculations. Subtract the total amount owing against the property from the estimated proceeds of the sale. On a short sale, this will be a negative number.
5.Contact the lender or lenders. Talk to someone in the customer service department and tell them the situation. They may direct you to a specific department. Talk to a supervisor or manager if possible; this person will have more authority.
6.Ask the lender what its procedures are for a short sale. Some lenders are willing to work with you by reducing the amount owed or making other arrangements. Others will look to the agents involved (if any) or anyone else who’s making money off the transaction to see if they are willing to make concessions to make the transaction happen. Still other lenders will tell you that your debt is your responsibility, one way or the other.
7. Sell the property.
It is best to do a short sale when the property is in the pre-foreclosure state. Yes, you can perform a short sale when the bank owns the property, however your profits will more than likely be smaller. There are two stages within pre-foreclosure. The first stage being those individuals who are behind on payments and the second stage are those who are behind on payments with a notice of default. In order for this to work properly and for you to successfully get a short sale, you must find the homeowners who are in the second stage of pre-foreclosure or more than 3 payments behind on their mortgage. Once the notice of default has been recorded, banks become motivated as well, so you are more likely to get a discount. Until that time, very rarely will a bank ever discount a mortgage that soon. Why would they? The homeowners still have time to cure the loan and make up the back payments.Tips & Warnings
Closing costs will include title and escrow fees (if the seller is responsible for any portion of them, which will depend on your county), attorney fees, a portion of unpaid property taxes, re-conveyance fees, notary fees, delivery fees, documentary fees and/or transfer fees.
Remember that the amount on your monthly loan statement does not include interest. Interest is accrued until the date a loan is paid off, so you may have as much as 30 days of interest on top of the balance owing, and you’ll need to include this interest in the total payoff amount.
If a property is sold under a short sale, the lender may require the buyer to make up the difference, either through a personal obligation or a collection.
The IRS often gets involved with short sales, because they are seen as a relief of debt and may be treated as income. Check with your accountant.
It does not matter what type of house or condition it’s in, all mortgages can be discounted. The best properties to perform a short sale on are the houses that need lots of work and repairs because lenders will give you a bigger discount if they see they are “don’t wanters”. Properties that are over leveraged are also prime candidates. Most rookie investors who see a house over leveraged with an upside-down mortgage may think there is no hope for this property. On the other hand, this is a sweet deal to the savvy investor. Properties with large 2nd mortgages are also treated as gold because the 2nd mortgage is wiped out at the foreclosure auction. Lenders with a 2nd and 3rd mortgage position would rather have something than nothing.

It is true, foreclosures are at an all time high, which basically translates into more opportunities for you. Since foreclosures are increasing, this is the perfect time to jump into this because there will be more and more lenders discounting properties. It is safe to say that most lenders will accept a short sale, however, you may come across one or two lenders who will not discount. If the numbers work out for the lender they will do it.

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 236
Published: 2011-09-22 22:10:27
When Will You Decide to Make Your Move

I prefer to use  Top Producer Contact, a real estate CRM (or real estate contact management) system. A real estate CRM allows a REALTOR® to do many things that are simply not possible using Facebook. For example, create Activity Plans or marketing plans and assign them to specific contacts, receive automatic prompts when it’s time to get in touch, keep a detailed contact history, or send out personalized mass emails. And then of course there’s the whole area of active business. I’m not aware of any way to manage listings and active buyers, and all the associated tasks and appointments related to each, in Facebook, Twitter, or Google +1.

Facebook is great in that it allows you, as a REALTOR®, to have that interactive communication with contacts. A CRM system doesn’t allow for this.That being said, Facebook alone does not provide most of the functionality agents require in order to build a business based on returning clients and referrals. In order for this to occur, real estate sales professionals need to make certain that they’re sending out relevant and targeted messaging to different categories of contacts (prospects versus past clients, for example) and ensure that they’re constantly top of mind with EVERYONE in their database or sphere of influence, not just those they’re “friends” with on Facebook.

The article below details more reasons why it’s dangerous to use social media outlets as a CRM system:

While it may be tempting to say so, social networking sites like Google+ and Facebook are not customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Why? Because they lack any sort of direct business intent or business process system. Social networking sites are no more CRM platforms than that old paper Rolodex (and maybe even less so). This isn’t to say that Google+ and Facebook and whatever the next social thing is aren’t useful for business. They are. They’re great ways to communicate with people. They’re great ways to listen to people. But if you’ve ever logged in and used one of these social networks you might be familiar with the following scenario: You log in to get some business task accomplished, post a bit of content, respond to a customer, make a connection of some sort, and within 15 minutes you’re tagging (or untagging) photos of yourself from the latest party or conference you attended. You’re blown off course.

This happens because social networking sites are designed and built to get you playing with media created by people you like about people you like (most often, yourself). Social networking sites increase their value to their customers (advertisers) via the ancient method of counting eyeballs. More eyeballs seeing more things for greater lengths of time is the objective of social sites that are directly driven by advertising (like Facebook).

A customer relationship management tool is different. It is built with a different intent for a different purpose than counting eyeballs (even if we use the word “fans” or “friends” instead of eyeballs). There are three obvious components of CRM system that can be derived from the name:

• Customer: There’s got to be data in the system that represents a customer.

• Relationship: There’s got to be data in the system that represents the relationship between the customer and the organization.

• Management: Business processes and objectives are baked into the way the system works.

Social networking sites have lots of data about customers. This surplus of data is what makes it tempting to say that social networking sites can be functional CRM systems. Social networking sites also have some information about the relationship between customers and the organization. However, the meaningfulness of that relationship data is relatively low. The barrier to entry for a customer to “friend” an organization on Facebook is quite low. As a result, the business value of a customer who friends an organization is often so low that few bother to calculate it (though they may write many, many, many blog posts filled with their opinions on it). In addition, the nature of the relationship that can be determined via a social network is fairly static. If someone “likes” a business page on Facebook, for how long is that “like” meaningful? In real estate, do they still actually like your business after they’ve found or sold their house? Or is the complexity of “unliking” your page too difficult and they’re just tolerating the occasional post that shows up in their Facebook profile or wall? Is that a relationship?

To be fair though, most if not all software sold as a CRM solution also lacks some meaningful aspects of relationships. Author Keith Ferrazzi Author said something that has stuck in my mind: No CRM software has a field for strength of relationship. I’ve since added it to all of mine.Social networking sites start to fall down at the relationship level, but they become nearly useless at the management level. One of the things that you’ll hear if you hang out with CRM wonks long enough: “CRM is a strategy, not a tool.” Of course, the next thing you hear from them will be how great their tool is. But CRM is primarily a strategy. The strategy, briefly, is that by having a process for generating customer satisfaction, your business will succeed. CRM tools exist to help codify (literally) your business process for generating customer satisfaction. This is the management part of CRM.

And social networking sites, with their focus on eyeballs, are not very good at this at all. Social networking sites may be the means through which you deliver a satisfying experience (JetBlue’s Twitter account sending me an email with my flight receipt, or some website giving a coupon from its Facebook page, for example). But the actual process for generating satisfaction is not inherent in any of the social networking sites. The lack of any sort of baked-in business process is what keeps social networking sites from being useful CRM tools. It’s difficult to log in to Facebook and figure out which friends are the happy, productive customers and which ones are just the “Yay everybody!” friends.

To make it worse, moving the customer data (the aspect of CRM that social networking sites do well) into your own system, so you can manage the relationship according to your own business process, is difficult or impossible. Moreover, moving customer data to your own system has to remain difficult or impossible, because to allow it would threaten the social networking sites’ primary business: eyeballs. Social networking sites are a good way to deliver satisfying customer experiences. They are not, however, a good way to manage your strategy for delivering satisfying customer experiences.

The original article by Gahlord Dewald of Inman News can be found here.

You tell us! How do you think social media sites like Facebook integrate with a real estate contact management system? Leave a comment below!

For example, I can count on one hand the last 5 times I fell down. Literally fell to the ground. It was not pretty and it was very humbling to discover that gavity was still there. But now it hurts more than ever. I am also more aware that I am not getting any younger. I am aware that I have been training and practicing and meditation and preparing myself for the moment when the world is ready to recieve the give I I have been given. When am I supposed to make my move? I believe I am. I continue to burn the midnight oil and the candle at both ends. I hone my craft from the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep. When am I going to make my move? Am I waiting for opportunity to knock? What if it passes me by? What if it already passed by?

I recall my parents teaching me all about a technique they called the rocking chair or the wheel chair. They would tell me to visualize myself at 75 years old. Am I in a rocking chair or a wheel chair? I would be asked questions about how I feel about the last 40 years. What I did to my body or for my body. Did I stay active and vibrant or did I let the pressures of life weigh me down to a slouch? What does my family think of me? Are they proud or are the filled with simpathy or even worse pity? Do I pity myself? Once I really get into that moment so completley that it almost brings a tear to my eye for the wasted years that hve passed me by, I whisper out loud to my reflection. Oh, if only I was 38 again.

Suddenly I am sent back to the present moment. I am totally aware now that whatever obstacle I face today will be a mere speed bump in the road of  wonderful life. I know now what I must do because the old me told me what he would have done different. He begged me not to be complacent. He warned me that if I did not make every moment last they would pass by in a blink. He said don’t be such a wimp and never doubt your abilities. You have the world by the horns and you are at your prime. Take a chance because when you get to the last moments in life you will find out that you have survived and what did not kill you only mad you stronger.

He also said that it’s my move. Make it while you still can.

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 182
Published: 2011-09-21 04:11:29
It’s Your Move

Last summer I ran my 4th marathon. I remember the first one I ever ran and I made it to the finish line in 7 hours and 59 minutes. Hardly respectable other than the fact that… I DID IT!

A hearty Mojo congratulations to actor Ty Burrell, who beat out some steep competition from his “Modern Family” colleagues to win a comedy Emmy the other night.

Why do we care about this on a real estate prospecting and lead management software blog?

Because Burrell’s alter-ego is Phil Dunphy, the funniest real estate agent on television!

Several memorable episodes of the hit ABC sitcom have focused on the sales and marketing challenges of the industry, including:

• SLOW DOWN YOUR NEIGHBORS –  Phil learns that his new client happens to be a thorn in the side for his wife Claire, who is angry how fast the woman drives in their neighborhood. Phil must weigh his need for a hefty sales commission with his desire to maintain peaceful household relations. He doesn’t welcome the stressful duplicity involved in keeping the women apart: “I wish I were one of those people who thrives on the danger of leading a double-life. You know… Bruce Wayne… Peter Parker… Hannah Montana.”

• THE MUSICAL MAN — Wanting to keep on the edge of modern real estate marketing, Phil shrinkwraps his minivan with a photo of himself with his family and the slogan: “I can’t be satisfied until you’re satisfied!”  However, the layout of the wrap-around ad has a picture of his wife alone with the slogan along with a cell phone number.  In a similarly unintended context, the picture of his oldest daughter Haley appears above the words “Let me make your dreams come true!”  Phil soon starts to get a barrage of inappropriate phone calls with heavy breathing. He’s horrified, but in a bizarre way, his soccer mom wife is flattered that she still can evoke that kind of response from men.

• STRANGERS ON A TREADMILL — Will goofy dad humor play over well at a dinner of fellow real estate agents?  Phil’s family is a little nervous that his jokes may bomb when he is the keynote speaker at the Southern California Realtors Banquet (the “SCARB”). To “save” him from embarrassment, his wife Claire hides his notecards so he has to play it straight. Turns out that Phil’s improvisational lines are a huge hit, making him the Jay Leno of the real estate world. (You can listen to Phil’s killer speech here!)

This part of Phil Dunphy’s real estate wrapped vehicle ad seems innocent enough….

… until you look at the other side of the van! (Click pic to see video clip highlighting the greatest fictitious real estate snafu in recent memory.)

The Emmy-winning scriptwriters of Modern Family definitely have their thumb on the pulse of the real estate world and what it is like to be a sales agent. We’ve seen the politics of an Open House, the personality-centric marketing campaigns and the pressures of making a living off commissions.

Now we wish the producers would go one step further and base an episode on the ups and downs of prospecting. Show us Phil when he’s tapping into his Sphere of Influence for potential new leads. Show us Phil when he’s mining FSBO and Expired listings. Give us a plot line surrounding the Triple Line Power Dialer!  How about some dialogue about Phil making cold calls from his car with Mobile Mojo!

Realistically, we recognize that the behind-the-scenes hard work of real estate sales isn’t that funny.  But the results can make you very very happy.  Check out all of Mojo’s real estate prospecting tools to find out how to become the Phil Dunphy of your local market — without embarrassing your family.

However, when we as salespersons go out to achieve a goal the results seem to be instilled in us in the form of a condition that shapes our belief. Our belief that the market sucks, that noone can afford to buy, that lenders are tigh, the list goes on and on. Then why are there still a small handful of agents dominating the 80/20 facter and kncoking it off whack. Why are the top producers gone and the mega producers left to pick up the scraps of distressed homes and bad loans. They are not. The truth is that we have been listing to the media and making these poor conditions part of our beliefs. Unlike a workout routine that within a week you can beging to feel and look better, the sales industry is much more difficult to see progress.

Remember when prices where going up? How did this happen? I remember deals that were selling for 10-20k higher thatn the last comp and hoping for a “liberal’ appraiser to justify the values going up. Deals falling apart because sellers did not “have to sell.” Then the banks and appraisers went all in to say it was worth it and what a run we had. Then 2008 hit the fan. Appraisers were scarted of thier shadows, banks were closing doors and folding, and agents were standing there scratching thier heads wondering how come our seller’s net sheet is upside down?

I recently sold a home for top dollar. Yes folks top dollar. a semi liberal appraiser and a good home pulled the value about 7k less than what the buyer was willing to pay but it was in fact an indicator of the prices going up. I may actually begin a single handed campaign to raise property values by convincing buyers that now is the time to buy because it is.Especially if it is a “normal” sale at fair market value.

PEOPLE! If we do not believe that the conditions are ready for change, if we do not believe that the market will rebound, if we do not convey this to the community we represent and the clients that we work with…than get the hell out of the industry!

The evangalists of gloom and doom have always been there and we do not even have to look for them. They know how to find us. They have always known. In fact, it is easier than ever to be bombarded with conditions that can in an instant change our beliefs.

How can we change? We change by changing the signal. Just like a radio station or an internet site we click next. We can follow leaders who are in tune with the economy but reflect the beliefs that you want to follow. Like me. Just like in fitness I look to trainers and gurus that I can in one glance tell if they are right. I can see it in thier jawline, and in thier waist line. I can see thier skin glow and thier personlaities are a great attraction to my own goals and purpose.

So the next time you walk into the office look around you and see if and who are the agnets you look to for you beliefs. Who will influence you. If they are too close to avoid ask them to change thier beliefs and conditions along with you. Or ask them to kindly leave the industry and go twirl a sign.

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 148
Published: 2011-09-15 18:37:20
Push through the Funk

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 347
Published: 2011-09-13 20:02:38
How to get the Mindset Set

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 380
Published: 2011-09-07 00:08:52
Door knocking the lost Social Network

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 225
Published: 2011-09-01 00:02:48
Last Day New Month

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 128
Published: 2011-08-27 17:27:24
Appreciating the Moment While It Lasts

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 187
Published: 2011-08-25 16:53:46
The Purpose is Now

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 148
Published: 2011-08-23 22:58:06
The Why

Matthew Ferry is a revealer, illuminator & awakener whose point of view creates instant transformation in peoples lives.

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 57
Published: 2011-08-19 19:48:06
Intro.avi

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 223
Published: 2011-08-18 17:07:06
Who Are You Listening To

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 295
Published: 2011-08-17 17:01:52
The Ego vs Self Esteem

I am so making things happen! Today I interview best selling author of “Letting Go” author Guy Finley. His encouraging and accessible message is one of the true bright lights in our world today. His ideas go straight to the heart of our most important personal and social issues.

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 299
Published: 2011-08-11 16:58:15
Creating Small Habits and Turning them to Reflex

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 260
Published: 2011-08-09 23:23:47
Blogging as a Meditation

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 182
Published: 2011-08-06 19:52:44
Lessons from The Karate Kid

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 328
Published: 2011-08-05 02:56:18
Lifetime Student of Content College

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 150
Published: 2011-08-03 04:17:30
Theme Song

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 225
Published: 2011-07-31 00:50:19
Lucifers garage sale

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 209
Published: 2011-07-30 23:54:38
Self Esteem

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 230
Published: 2011-07-30 06:30:57
Im not afraid, yeah right

Author: jamesfestini
Duration: 79
Published: 2011-07-30 05:40:25
James Festini Intro Clip

Today we go into the making of a successful open house. I provide you with the tools needed to hold a great open house.