Creating a productive culture for your real estate your team

If you have a real estate team or looking to add on or grow a team, as their leader, one of your most important roles is cultivating productivity. Here are some tips to make sure you are leading a productive real estate team.

1. Recognize their strengths and lean into that

2. if possible, have your team members be “the manager” of the things that fall under their zone of genius umbrella

3. Communicate with intention

4. “do this, what’s happening with this, etc.” outburst…. each time you interrupt someone it then take your team member 15 minutes to refocus. (Think about each time you do this, you are wasting 15 minutes)

5. Encourage and support training for them to get better at their craft.

6. Support reset days or even vacations - they will show up better and stronger.

7. Support energy management activities (healthy eating, fitness, meditation). This could be a fun way to team build too!

8. The more you micromanage the more work they have to do and the less “productive work they get done” (ex. Answer emails getting you up to speed on one random thing at a time)

9. Clear communication & think about the channels you are communicating on. (Ie text vs email vs phone call - what is the best medium for what you are trying to convey).

10. Don’t skimp on technology

11. Allow them to take care of things at home. More than that, encourage that and support them so they can take care of that. Whatever is happening at home or outside of work, the stress of that will bleed into how they perform.

12. My fave: champion authenticity and let them do things in their own way, coming from who they are. (It takes way more time/energy to try to craft an email with someone else’s tone and personality).

5 ways to build your brand presence locally …. From the gram and beyond!

Often times we focus on how many followers we have, or how our reels will beat the algorithm….but really what’s more important is your brand presence in your local area. That’s what we do, we sell these local communities and that is where our brand presence should be the strongest!

When your brand is strong in a certain area, you become known as the go to person for the area that you sell. When a community starts talking, that’s where your referrals and leads come from.

1. Strategically post, engage and partner with local businesses/enterprises on social media

2. Join a charity that you 1. have a genuine passion for and 2. will get you in front of your ideal customer.

3. Create welcome home baskets filled with locally made goodies or gift certificates to local stores, restaurants, or venues.

4. MY FAVE - just get out! … from behind your computer and away from the four walls of your office, and live a little in your community! Use this time to engage with your local businesses & also to collect content for your media outlets (social, blog, magazine).

5. Be the founder of a local group that gets together on a regular basis. The trick to following through and actually enjoying life… create something that you actual enjoying doing and that fits within your lifestyle!

   • EXAMPLES

     • Mom group

     • Running group

     • Wine Group

     • Hiking group

Branding Style Guide - for Realtors

Having a branding style guide will give your clarity and guidance for your marketing and makes it easy and more efficient to 1. Execute and 2. Communicate to team members or when you outsource certain areas of your marketing.

Your style guide is the visual look and feel of your brand. The anatomy of your style guide should include:

• logo/logo variations

• color palette

• typeface/ sub-typeface

• mood board

example:

Meet Michelle Risi: Podcast Guest for Episode 60: Mindset to Millions

Michelle Risi was named one of the Top 50 Women in Canadian Real Estate according to Real Estate Professionals Magazine.

It’s an accolade she has earned!

Born into the real estate industry, Michelle began her career over 20 years ago, and has served in multiple roles to help grow one of Canada's largest real estate franchises. 

She is the CEO of the Aligned Agent Academy, and Broker/Owner of Royal Lepage Connect Realty a brokerage in Durham and Toronto with 6 locations and approx 300 agents and staff.  

Michelle’s journey as a female entrepreneur has shaped her commitment and passion to help others create their own personal success. In addition to her brokerage and industry leadership, she shares her wealth of experience and insights as a public speaker, a published writer for Forbes, a member of the Forbes Real Estate Council and host of the Aligned Agent Podcast.  

In addition to being committed to her work, she is whole-heartedly committed to her husband Jim, their two teenage children, and their fur-baby Maddie.  

Her secret to managing her two worlds is in her work-life harmony philosophy, one that she shares with other female entrepreneurs who find themselves struggling with “work-life balance”.  Michelle’s vision is to help agents create alignment in their lives and in their businesses, so that they can achieve the Freedom, Fulfillment and Financial Success they desire!

I had the honor to interview this powerhouse (with a huge heart and so much wisdom) on Episode 60: Mindset to Millions with Michelle Risi - I promise your life will change after this one-hour power talk with Michelle!

& Michelle has gifted to my listeners and followers her A.L.I.G.N method guide. The link to download it is below.

https://www.alignedagentacademy.com/alignmethod

Need to know more about Michelle:

Contact information

Website: www.michellerisi.com

Aligned Agent Academy: www.alignedagentacademy.com 

Instagram www.instagram.com/michellerisi

Facebook: www.facebook.com/connectwithmichelle

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michellerisi

The difference between a mediocre agent & an extraordinary one

So what is this buzz word “imposter syndrome” aka limiting beliefs all about and how does this even relate to a professional business owner like yourself?

It relates to every.freaking.decision you make! Those small decisions and small actions you make every day ultimately make up your business and become your life. When you are conscious of the stories you tell yourself, and your self talk, then you can talk yourself in or out of doing something. Likely, if you aren’t conscious of those subconscious thoughts, that are there to protect you BTW, then you won’t be able to get past them to see what amazing thing you can accomplish on the other side of your fears.

Start by recognizing how you and your thoughts handle situations. Listen to the words and stories you are telling yourself.

Ask yourself why did I not.... fill in the blank... it could be follow through on a project that in your heart you so badly wanted to do, go after those big listings, quit your job and follow your dream to pursue real estate full time, become your own agent and step away from the team. Is there a reoccurring answer?

once you start recognizing those limiting beliefs that are holding you back ask yourself “what else can be true”. And keeping asking yourself until you really can’t think of anything else.

This right here is the difference between a mediocre agent and an extraordinary real estate professional. ❤️

Maximize the heck out of your slow season... and here is your how to!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭

Once you change your mindset from salesman to CEO, that is when the shift to success will happen in your real estate business.

Here are some tips to help you make that shift:

✨Understand the importance of working on your mindset & flex that muscle everyday through meditation and journaling

✨Stop looking at your commission as your net income - have a plan to reinvest in your business and put away for taxes.

✨Hire a mentor… this could be a couch or a couching group.

✨Surround yourself with people that have already found success (that aligns with your definition of success).

✨Have an accountability/mastermind group - from different areas of businesses.

✨Have a growth mindset VS a fixed mindset

✨Stop trying to do everything - outsource where you aren’t an expert or it’s something you don’t enjoy

✨Understand your worth (I like to set an hourly rate for myself). Use this to calculate your return on time

✨Scheduling time to plan

✨ Be decisive & learn to say no

Shift your mindset right now with
𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀 (repeat this in first person) I am not an order taker, I am a consultant, a professional in my field. I am sought after for my expert advice as a real estate professional.

The Drip To Your Real Estate Marketing Campaign

Drip.drip.drip 

What does a drip campaign actually look like? We always hear people tell us that we need to have a drip campaign, but I was never clear on what it actually looks like in action. 

Once you attract your client your next step is to put them into some sort of funnel where you “drip 💧” them information. 

Where to drip: 

💧Social media 

💧Email (a good CRM system is a must) 

💧Text messages 

💧Utilizing your MLS auto emails 

💧Mailers 

💧Website (and then push out to the above) 

How to implement a drip on the above channels: 

💧SM: invite people to like/follow your pages and then post daily. Learn how to optimize the platforms you choose to use. 

💧Email: monthly market updates, weekly lifestyle happenings, welcome email sequence

💧Text Messages: market update, coming up events 

💧MLS Auto emails: Customized searches that send updates each time there is a change in that market; for listers set them up on auto emails to get monthly updates that shows the activity on their listing 

💧Mailers: Holiday card 

💧Website: Blog post; then share in emails, newsletters, social media 

5 ways to share your personal life on social media to connect with your ICA

A HUGE part of building your RE brand is building a personal brand (it goes hand in hand). People want to work with people they know, like and most importantly trust. Sharing your personal life is your connection point to your future client/customer. So even though you are posting about YOU, don’t forget it is really about them.

Here are 5 ways to share your personal life on SM to CONNECT with clients/customers:

• Share something you do every day (is it coffee on your deck, walking the diff. neighborhoods in your area, grabbing baked goods from the local bakery)

• Family life: some people think to keep this separate from your RE biz. It is all interconnected and this is just another connection point. Show off how your family enjoys living in the town you are selling.

• Your face! We don’t do this one often enough - but you, the real you needs to show up. Tie it to real estate or not, but just show up (Maybe sipping your morning coffee?)

• Do record your videos more like a conversation with a friend rather than a commercial or ad (this means don’t introduce yourself or mention your brokerage). If you mess up, don’t re-record, work that into it. If you are being authentic in your video, you are being honest, and this builds trust.

• Behind the scenes of YOUR life as an RE. Key word “YOUR”. Your BTS is different than other RE professionals - show off your home office or what it’s like to balance a baby on a hip and take a Zillow call.

Add a collaboration strategy to your marketing plan

Strategically collaborating with on-brand partners will grow your data base, increase your sales and give your brand more exposure - quickly!

Before we go through the process of implementing a collaboration strategy into your marketing plan, check out some of the reasons why this will help accelerate your business.

1. Break into a new market: Example luxury
2. Your collab partners will “tag” you on social media giving your social sites a little boost in views and likes
3. By you supporting their business, they will support yours by referring business to you. Biz owners are the gatekeepers to the locals
4. Get exposure to their contacts from their email list (hint: try to be featured on their newsletter or drip campaign)
5. Get new contacts to add to your CRM system and add to your drip campaign
6. Get face-to-face (in person or virtually) with your ICA
7. Connect with a new sphere

Steps to Design Your Collaboration Strategy

Define your brand and your ideal customer avatar:

Define your brand with descriptive words, define your ideal customer avatar specifically where they hang out (in person), where do they shop, what do they do for fun, what are their hobbies, where do you already hang out, what do you do for fun, what are your hobbies, find the connection (see above) between your ICA and you.

Identify who you are going to partner with in your local area:

Now write out what places (be very specific) in your local area that match up with your notes from above. Take that list of places/activities and circle the ones that align with your brand (see first question). ** if a charity reaches out for your donation refer back to your answers above, and then ask for their media kit and if there are additional opportunities to collaborate.

Design a collaboration campaign based on the partner or event, who YOU are and what your ICA would like. (Keep scrolling for examples)

Pitch your idea to your identified local partner: The pitch is key! Come prepared, make it look easy for them and answer “why will it bring them value”.

Follow through on your plan! (Your execution becomes your brand).

Examples sometimes are way easier to get an understanding of what this looks like in action. Feel free to use any of these if they align with you, your brand and your ICA:

• Partner with your local coffee shop and create fun coffee sleeves with your logo on it. Once a month pay for anyone that gets the (your name here) special.

• If you have a dining district, partner with the local restaurants and create a dining guide (include your fave dishes or drinks at each location)

• Hey runners! Participate (and be a sponsor) in that local 5K charity run 🏃‍♀️ (document it on your social, newsletter, the like), and then host a post event - the relaxation tent (think fancy water station, yoga, meditation)

• On-going: print once a year a real estate and local lifestyle magazine and give to local hotels and air bnbs (that align with your brand of course).

• Bath time with adoptable puppies: host an event at your office to wash the puppies that are up for adoption. Invite the press and get some PR!

• Partner with your local yoga studio or spa and hand out small samples of essential oils for them to bring relaxation to their homes and a how-to guide on using the oil

• Be the founder of a local wine club and coordinate monthly wine tastings at various local restaurants. Ask the restaurants to promote it to their guests, via newsletter or handout with your contact information on it. Once they contact you - now you have their contact information to add them to a drip campaign and introduce yourself as a Realtor.

• Work with your chamber of commerce and give free historic town tours, hand out informational pamphlets that includes your contact information.