It's Time to Raise Your IN-10-SITY

Days like today don't come around very often. In fact, they only come around once in a lifetime. It's October 10th, 2010. That's 10/10/10. What a great reason to come up with a list of...

Ten Things to Boost Your Business

#10. Take ten minutes to print a one-line report of your current data base of contacts. Review it from top to bottom. Eliminate any duplicate entries you may have, highlight any contacts who are incomplete and purge those names and "contacts" that you have no idea who they even are.

#9. Put ten of the incomplete data base entries on your daily to-do list and begin to acquire the missing data. Spouses names, kids names, email addresses, etc. can all be found out by a simple phone call. Repeat this until you have completely updated your data base. Done correctly, this is almost guaranteed to add leads to your business.

#8. Take ten minutes to practice the following script; "Hi (insert name of contact), it's Sean Carpenter with Coldwell Banker. I hope you're doing well. The reason for my call is I have been putting together some great information about our current real estate market and I want to get it out to the people I know. In order to do that, I've been taking some time to update my Relationship Roster and I noticed that I am missing some information from you. Do you have a minute for me?"

#7. Dial numbers on your list for ten minutes. All you need is one good contact a day who adds some information to your current data base. If you want, you could make calls for longer than ten minutes but baby steps seem to work well for most people.

#6. Take ten minutes to send a hand written thank you note to each person you speak with in person, whether they provide you with any new information or not. That personal touch will come back to you in time, trust me.

#5. Research your market statistics over the last ten months. What has happened in your local markets since January 1st, 2010? Can you create a chart, graph or general report on prices, inventory levels and pending home sales?

#4. Identify the ten top selling areas in your local MLS based on # of sales or average days on the market. These are great areas to be knowledgeable and focused on as they are turning over business and doing so quickly. If you know someone who lives in one of those areas, don't you think they'd want to know this information? If you're selecting an area to hold an open house, these might be great places to start.

#3. Schedule ten Open Houses between now and January 1, 2011. Buyers who are out looking in the 4th quarter are usually more "buyer" than they are "looker." Because there are only 11 more weekends left in the year, that means you'll probably need to double up on certain Sundays (hold shorter opens houses; 12:30 - 2pm and then maybe 3-4:30?) or choose a day that isn't a "traditional open house day" in your market. That's okay. Why not hold an open house on Thursday afternoon or Tuesday evening? Consumers today are looking for different, not status quo.

#2. Touch ten people a day on social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. It won't take you a lot of time but it will continue to help you build relationships, solve problems and have fun.

#1. Take ten seconds each day when you wake up to say these words to yourself, "It's going to be a great day because I choose to make it great!"

Say "Yea" to the Neighbors at Open Houses

I hear a lot of people complain because the only traffic they get at their open houses was "nosy neighbors" or other residents of the nearby community. I guess they figure that because these visitors already own a home that they aren't serious about this specific house.

I want to share an idea that just might work for you on the open houses you are holding that will serve two purposes. First, it will hopefully generate traffic. Second, it will serve as personal promotion and make you stand out as an agent who does things different. This just might result in a future listing from one of these neighbors or someone they know because they want an agent who will go beyond the "status quo" to earn their fee.

Everybody Wants Things That Are "One To A Customer"

People love to feel "invited", "exclusive" or "in a select group" so by creating a "Neighbor's Only" Open House event you are feeding right into the egos and desires of the average person. Here's what I suggest you try at your next new listing that you plan to hold open.

Send out a special invitation to the immediate neighbors to the new listing. You can use your own judgement but I suggest the houses on the same city block or cul-de-sac (depending on the size of the block). The invitations should go out to a group no bigger than 15-20. Any bigger and you may lose the "special" feel of the invitations.

The invitations will be notifying the recipient that the Sellers at 1234 ______ Street have enlisted your services to help them with the marketing and sale of their home and you would like to invite those neighbors to a special "sneak peak" of the house before the general public will be able to tour the house.

Now some neighbors will have already seen the house because they have a relationship with the Sellers but ask yourself this - "How many of your neighbors homes have you been inside?" Probably not a lot, especially when you think beyond the foyer, kitchen or back patio. We are voyeuristic society and want to see beyond the cover of most things. Why else do you think celebrities like Aston Kutcher and Shaquille O'Neal have so many followers on Twitter and John and Kate Plus 8 continues to be so popular?

This "Neighbors Only" open house can be held before a public open house, maybe from 12-1pm on Sunday before the 1-3pm public open house, or you could do it on a special afternoon or evening during the week. It's up to you on whether to serve snacks or not. I always did because it made it that much more special for me and the guests.

Here's a sample of what your flyer/invitation could look like.

Do you think this might work for you in your market place? I'll tell you, the Sellers will like it because it is added exposure, the neighbors will like it because it means they don't have to come over "under cover", and you'll like it because it will increase your foot traffic.

Keep up the great work!