Hey guys, coming to you live here on this Friday. Hope you’re all well. I want to talk about something that’s been on my mind and has come up in a few appointments this week, particularly with clients and prospective clients. I think this could really bring value to you. So, the topic of this week’s Facebook live is cutting an edge against average agents. You do that by really being an expert advisor and counselor in all things of importance to your clients.

1) Focus On What You Can Control

There are some things that we have direct and innate control over. One of the main things that are in this category is our knowledge, and level of expertise. These things are bodies of knowledge and skills that can be improved with time, commitment, dedication, and resourcefulness. So to give you a quick example, I was in a presentation with a really high-end, waterfront home priced at almost two million dollars. I’ve been talking to these people for a few years, and we were discussing the market. More broadly speaking, the macro market in the United States. What the stock market was doing, what some of the fundamentals were, unemployment rates, and the new tax law in 2017 and what this means for capped deductions and property taxes in New York. What’s that doing to the demand for luxury homes?

They had really pointed questions and I was able to answer all of them quickly, at ease, and with commanding confidence over the subject matter. The way I was speaking about these really created a level of peace, trust, and confidence in them that I knew all of these areas very well. I knew the impact they were going to have on the valuation of their home, and I was able to confidently speak about the things that were of concern to my prospective clients. So again, the benefit of this is when you’re looking for ways to stand out and provide exemplary service and expertise, you need to make sure you’re an expert. You need to make sure you’re informed, that you’re staying on top of the trends, changes in technology, the broader macro market, and your local micro market.

2) Be A Life Long Student of Your Craft

You know the different things that go into transaction management, right? You need to always remember that you have to be an expert counselor and advisor to your clients in all of these areas, so you’re providing exemplary service and expertise. So how do you do that? How do I make sure that I’m that person? You do that by commitment. To being a life long student of your craft, of your business, and of the world. More specifically, you do that by being a reader. By reading or listening to the news, reading industry publications, watching programs that might be relevant, and generally just staying apprised of what is happening that would be of direct interest to your clients. That’s going to be local, regional, and national market movements, both in the broader economy as well as the housing market. It’s also going to be on some of the softer skills and knowledge bases such as that surrounding lifestyle, destinations, and amenities of an area.

When you’re working with a buyer they want to trust that you know this area and can speak to it whether it matches their lifestyle and what they’re looking for or not. They’re going to want to know the best recommendations to go to a show or to get a great meal. Even things like the best contractors for landscaping or a renovation project, to who’s the best attorney or inspector. When you give these recommendations remember it’s your word and reputation on the line. So make sure that you have vetted these things, these people that you’re recommending. Make sure you are also an expert in your local and regional market in terms of the amenities, activities, and lifestyles that are available and apparent to be a knowledge hub. You can be a source of information and a valuable resource to your prospective clients, whether they’re buyers or sellers.

3) Be Confident in What You’re Selling

So again, I cannot say more confidently and more strongly in the need for all of us to make sure that we’re experts in our craft, in our market, in the broader market, and in the lifestyle that we’re selling. Whether we’re working with a buyer or a seller, these people are trusting us with a massive financial decision and transaction. Usually one of the largest that they’ll make in their lifetime. So we need to really make sure that we are staying informed, we are on top of market, top of mind, top of the information on what’s happening, and that we can synthesize and speak intelligently to the implications and effects that these changes might have on the bottom line for our clients. This is really, really important. That’s my Facebook live for the week guys: cutting an edge against average agents. One great strategy or way to do that is really focusing on the importance of being an expert counselor and advisor to your clients in all matters that are important to them.

Hopefully this is helpful. Have a great rest of the week, and enjoy your weekend. We’re starting to get closer to Mother’s Day, so hopefully you can spend some time with your loved ones and also make sure that you’re moving the needle in your business and really kicking it into gear here. We’re firmly in the spring season and activities are really starting to increase. So thanks guys, have a great weekend, and we’ll talk to you soon.