Real Estate in the Real World Podcast

Congrats on your new career! Here are three tips to help you succeed. Congratulations—you've joined the real estate industry, and whether you realize it or not, you're now a business owner. Welcome to entrepreneurship! Now, your success is all on you. Having been in this business for over 21 years now, I've learned a lot. It took me a long time to get into the swing of things, so today I'd like to share some of the insights I've gained throughout my career that will help you do well in this business from the very start. First, in order to build up your business, you need to form a business plan. I highly recommend that you read “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent” by Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, and Jay Papasan. The methods for forming a winning business plan as spelled out in this book are tried and true. Our own business here in Tulsa has achieved “millionaire real estate” status, and it's all because we followed the models and systems described in the text. The book will also teach you what kind of mindset makes for a millionaire real estate agent, as well as the myths that pervade the market and how you can overcome them. The next step in figuring out your business (at least for me) is to set up your database. To even have a real estate business, you need to have people to help, so create a list of all the people you know (and some you don't) in a place where you can continue to nurture and follow up with them. That will help generate leads and referrals for your business. If you're unable to pick up the phone or connect with people, you're probably not going to be very successful in this industry. To store, organize, and manage your database, you need a customer relationship management system (CRM). It can remind you when you need to follow up with clients or reach out to them, as well as other tasks related to your database. Now matter how smart you are, over time, you'll start to forget things, so having a CRM is essential. “Our own business has achieved “millionaire real estate” status, and it's all because we followed the models and systems described in Gary Keller's book.” Finally, you have to create a budget to go along with your business. The reality in this business is that we're not paid until closing day, which means you're going to be working for free for a while during your training periods. That means you might need to reach out to someone to help pitch in for the household expenses that you may not be able to pay for now. Financial hardship is one of the reasons that so many agents leave the business. For my part, I was so far behind with spending my personal money that by the time I got my first commission check, I had to pay off my own debts. Don't be like me—plan ahead so that you can pay yourself for the work you're doing, and save the rest of the money so you can put it back into your business. Similarly, don't forget to anticipate paying your taxes! In the end, I want you to have become a rockstar agent with a successful career in real estate. If you have any questions or would like more tips to help make sure that you have a business plan, a working database, and a budget that will allow you to succeed, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd love to help you get your business up and running.

Here's how understanding different personality types helps you grow. What's your behavioral style? Do you know how you operate, communicate, and build rapport with others in the best way?  As I've become more self-aware of how I communicate with others, my relationships have improved both personally and professionally. I was trained in the D.I.S.C. behavioral assessment, and although there are many others like it these days, the D.I.S.C taught me that we're all versions of these different personalities, and many times, we're a blend! I wanted to cover the pros and cons of each type today to give you a better understanding of who you are. “D” stands for direct and decisive. Someone who is a “high D” is a doer; they're direct and decisive. However, they could also be considered demanding or domineering. “I” stands for inspiring and interactive. It could also stand for impulsive or irritating. “S” stands for stable and supportive. It could also stand for someone who is slow or sensitive.  “C” stands for compliant and careful. A “high C” individual is cautious and conscientious, but they could also be considered calculating or condescending. “Learn your behavior style to better connect and build rapport.” Do you know your personality? What about the styles of your team members or family members? When you know your own personality as well as others, it helps you mirror and match your behavior when you're working to help them with their goals! In real estate, the industry is dominated by people in the “high D” range. When it comes to the population at large though, high “D” personalities only make up about 3% of people. Additionally, “I” personalities make up 11% of the population, and “S” personalities make up a whopping 69% of people. “High C” individuals make up 17% of the population. Think about who you are, how you show up, and be open to asking great questions to learn who your clients and teammates are. You may need to adapt to others' styles instead of dominating with your own.  If you have questions about these personality types or anything else, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you. Also, I'm going to do a D.I.S.C. class with Dr. Abelson soon, CLICK HERE for more information on that!

How you can engage clients with a hot properties email list. Got low, active inventory? How about high buyer demand? How about yes and yes?! That seems to be the situation for most Realtors across the country. The inventory of properties that are actively on the market is low, and, like all things in real estate, supply and demand play into this, and the demand is high. We need more houses to sell, right? You guys know this; we keep stressing it to our seller clients. “Hey, hey, sell your house!” Well, that's all great, and sometimes we have to change up the message a little bit. That got me thinking this week: What is the message of the market that our people need to be hearing from us that might sound a little different and might actually be a MOFIR? That's right, a MOFIR: Make Offer For Immediate Response. What can we say to them that will get them to raise a hand, want to work with us, or at least engage? That's my goal every single day, so this week, we came up with our hot properties alert. That means we send out a message to our database and post on social media that the benefit of working with a great team like ours that has agents in the field working with buyers and sellers is that, in this low-inventory market of active properties, we have a pipeline of listings that are coming soon. We have fewer than we hoped to have at this time, but we are determined to catch back up! It is still a hot commodity to have a listing, so how can we maximize all of our efforts around that property? Of course, follow the rules in your local market, whether it's a coming-soon campaign, which is a great way to do it, or one that I came up with, which is, what if, and by following our rules, we can post a property on social media and send it to our database of upcoming properties as long as it's going to be listed in 24 hours. “We want our clients to reach out to us rather than us always bugging them, right?” What if we could pinpoint exactly who in our database, or through social media networking, wants in on this list? See, I don't want to send mass emails to people who are not interested in hearing that message. We have to be very purposeful about what we're saying to people and when, where, and how they're receiving our message. When we mass send to people without purpose, they're going to unsubscribe, and I don't want that. Anyway, the thinking here is, “Do you want to get on this hot properties email list? Yes or no? Let us know by contacting us.” We had over 10 people say, “Heck yeah, I want on that list!” Now we have people who have raised a hand that want to be part of our world and communicate about our new properties coming on the market. Inside the same messaging, we end it by reminding people it is a great time to sell your home. So if you're curious about an updated market report, click here. That would then send them to our home valuation site. With that messaging that went out, we received 10 new CMA requests. Again, it's just them raising their hands and saying, “Huh, I might have some interest in this. Let me see.” It's a two-way conversation now, where we can help them out. We can have a conversation, whether it's about buying a home or selling a home. We want them to reach out to us rather than us always bugging them, right? So what can we do to make MOFIRS? That's my MOFIR of the week. I'm going to keep thinking of them, and you guys share yours too. I can't wait to hear them! If you have any questions feel free to call or email me. I would love to chat!

Here's how the 1-3-7 method can help you avoid burnout. Are you ready for some reality? This business can eat you up. It's true; I'm speaking from experience. If you allow it, real estate can be a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year job. I know – because I did it! Instead, take control of your time and calendar and make sure you block out important you-time and family-time. A great trick I use is the 1-3-7. This means you should take purposeful time off at least one day a week, have a three-day weekend once a month, and take a seven-day vacation once a quarter. This also includes a wellness Wednesday. This means each week, you'll have a midweek reset. It can be anything: a massage, exercise, getting your hair done – Whatever you need to finish your week strong! “You should have a reset day every week. ” Some of this may sound extreme and a little far-fetched. You may need to start small to work your way into this type of thinking. However, you'd be surprised how things happen when you write things down, put them in your calendar, and share them with others. Start implementing the 1-3-7 method into your schedule – you and your loved ones will love it! As always, call or email me with any questions you have. Let me know how the 1-3-7 is working for you. I look forward to hearing from you! 

Here are three steps to help you put your clients' minds at ease. What do I say? Sometimes it's not about what you say but how you listen. Speaking the language of real estate is an acquired skill, and it's one that must be worked on daily. Here are three tips to put your clients' minds at ease: 1. Start by asking questions and listening. Everyone wants to feel heard and know that their thoughts are appreciated and understood. Building rapport and connection starts immediately. Ask them how they see this whole process going and what a move would look like to them in a perfect world. By their response, you'll know exactly how much they do and don't know about the process, which will help you serve them better. “Sometimes it's not about what you say, but how you listen.” 2. Map out the process. Once you're in alignment with your clients, map out the process as you help them imagine their future and manage expectations. For example, if their expectation is that they don't want to move over the holidays, then share the reality of the timelines and current market so they can see they have control over those things, which can help set them up for success.  3. Make a plan. Set a plan in motion; whether they're ready to start ASAP or not, today's technology allows for face-to-face meetings. There's no reason not to get together in some way to connect and share the whole process with them. They're thinking about making a move, so if you wait to meet, that allows for other influences or agents to get involved, and we don't want that. Once you're together, give them some homework and clarity on what they need to focus on while sharing all the things you'll be doing for them.  If you have questions about these steps or any other real estate matter, call or email me. I would love to help you. Lastly, if you're looking for a deep dive into the systems and tools I've taught through Mirror My Business, sign up for my next Implement My Business Class here!

Here's how I work to overcome my challenges, and you can too. It doesn't get any easier; you get better. You can insert any word you'd like there for “It.” Whatever “It” is, it remains a constant; you do not. Once you experience and work through it, you grow, learn, and adjust. “It” could be lead generating, time blocking, bringing people in or out of your world, or something else. The more you do it, the better you get, the less it hurts, and the less it slows you down or holds you back. You have to learn to move faster through the challenges; you'll surprise yourself with your resilience and confidence. You'll feel nervous, scared, even emotional. However, when it's over, you'll feel relieved and proud of yourself. “Once you experience and work through it, you grow, learn, and adjust.” We have to look to the future and see what it looks like on the other side. Go there in your mind's eye, see yourself working through it, past it. Acknowledge it and how good it will feel. That's how I work through “It” so I can get better. Choose to feel the symptoms of stress or uncertainty, but go for it anyway. You're getting better every single day. If you'd like to learn how to set up your mindset and business for success, check out one of the upcoming classes on Eventbrite here! If you ever have any questions for me, please call or send me an email. I would love to speak with you.

Follow these steps to have some fun while organizing your database! What's this whole thing about gamifying your database anyway? Well, I'm here to let you in on a little secret: There is no trick. All you do is follow the systems and models that have already been created for us. You just have to get into action. So I have found that there are four important things to gamify your database: 1. Know what your rules are. What are the numbers you're going to measure and the metrics that must be achieved for you to hit your goal? 2. Create the plan. How are you going to do it? When you have a plan, you can be more purposeful, focused, and you can time block for it to ensure it gets done. “The most important part of any game is having fun along the way.” 3. Have accountability. This makes sure it actually gets done. I've found the best kind of accountability comes from someone other than myself, so I'm going to enlist the help of my team, family members, or even a coach. 4. Have fun! The most important thing about any game is having fun along the way. Let us know some ways that you gamify your database or have some fun with your team to help you achieve your big goals. There are lots of ways to do it. We love sharing the many things we do here in Tulsa with all the people who hang out with us through virtual training and classes. We have lots of stuff coming up, so if you want to join us in the future, feel free to reach out via phone or email. We look forward to seeing you.

Every agent should support their local businesses. Here's why. We just got back from a video shoot at a local Tulsa business, and it really inspired me to chat with you guys about the value and beauty of supporting small, local businesses. After all, we're all small businesses. As real estate agents, we are awesome community givers. We give back to non-profits, our clients, local businesses, and more. When you're giving back, you should have a plan of how you want to do it. For example, now that we're getting back out in person, there are a lot of opportunities. Even during the pandemic over Zoom, I talked with local businesses about how they were making it through the tough times and how we could help or promote them. We just shot the video through Zoom, then we shared them on social media, promoted them to our database, and, of course, added them to our database. This way they're connected to The Wolek Group. What's so cool about all of this is that when you freely promote people and don't ask for anything in return, they give back to us. For example, this weekend, we're sponsoring an event at a local museum. We thought we'd do a giveaway, so we made a gift basket with gift cards and swag from local businesses. To make it, all we did was reach out to local businesses we've helped, and they all agreed to help. Now, we have a gift basket people can try and win that has over $1,000 worth of items from local businesses. “When you're giving back, you should have a plan of how you want to do it.” Our commitment to this event was a $500 sponsorship to set up a table and be in front of three or four hundred Tulsa people and grab their information. Then, we can share it with all our vendors and partners. I encourage you to get uncomfortable, get outside of your office, and connect with other local businesses. Now that it's a regular part of our Friday morning, it gives us so much energy. We get pumped up to meet new people and see new places. And while we're out, we also get tons of great content for social media posts. I can't recommend it enough: Get out, have fun, promote local businesses, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do. You can check us out on our social media, or you can always give me a call. I can't wait to hear how you're reaching out to local businesses!

Deliver an Amazing Customer Experience: Generate 100 Referrals a Year! Repeat and referral business opportunities are the best. There's nothing better than getting to work with a client again or receiving a referral of someone who may need some real estate assistance. Our team is honored to help over a hundred families every year. Many of them are referrals from people that we know, so there's already trust in our relationship, and we can get right to work by assisting them with all of their needs. We generate repeat and referral business by focusing on delivering an amazing customer experience that will lead to a referral and a review. I'd love for you to join me as I present this powerful training to help you connect with your clients and database so that you can also generate repeat and referral business. We'll work through the 5 “S” model where we: set expectations, serve our clients, survey them along the way, surpass their expectations, and sustain the relationship well beyond the closing day. You'll receive actionable systems and tools which will allow you to deliver an amazing customer experience while building better rapport and connections with your people. Sign up now on our Eventbrite page here! I look forward to seeing you there. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me!

Changing things up engages your database more. Are there events or giveaways that you do over and over again and get similar results? Maybe you can come up with an idea to add to your giveaways and get some engagement, growth, promote a local partner or non-profit, and generate some referrals. Does that sound good? That's exactly what we just did with our Yeti for Football giveaway. Every year, we send out a football magnet to our database because, in Oklahoma, football is life. This year, we thought, wait a minute, we're sending out this magnet; why not add some excitement and do a giveaway on top of it? We know we've had lots of success reaching out to our database and getting people to call in on a certain day or opt in by filling out a form and getting their permission to call them on a certain day. So that's what we decided to do. You can find the Yeti for Football giveaway on our blog, but what we're giving away is a Yeti cooler and some coasters that were donated by our amazing lending partner. It was a zero-cost event because we were already spending money to send them the magnets. We set the rules; they needed to go to our Facebook page, like it, and share a picture of themselves in their favorite sports gear. This is why it's so cool to be a small business because you can pivot and shift as needed. We were running this event for two weeks, and we realized that not many people were going through with the picture part. In the past, we had done something similar, and we did have success with that. This time, people were saying, “We're not going for it.” “The whole point of this is to shake the trees so that eventually the fruit will fall.” We removed the “post a picture” part and instantly doubled the number of registrations. So pay attention to what's happening and what your people are agreeing with or not because sometimes you have to pivot. We should all know how to do that because we've been doing that over the past 18 months, haven't we? We just wanted to remind you that the cool thing about our business is that it's ours. It's a relationship-based business, so our database wants to hear from us and have fun too. Let's give them opportunities to do so. We also called our clients to confirm their registration, and in that conversation, we got to build real relationships, ask them if they knew anyone who needed real estate help (because that got them five extra points in the contest), and ask them if they needed any assistance or a home equity analysis. The fun part is that we got referrals to add new people, and got to send new CMAs. The whole point of it was to shake the trees so that eventually the fruit will fall, and we're seeing that to be true. We just want to know: How are you guys shaking the trees? Are you calling your database or maybe getting them to call you? If you have questions about how we put together this giveaway or anything else that we can help you with, feel free to give us a call.

Listing homes at the right price is still the best way to sell. It's no secret our market is white-hot. Today I'm here to explain why pricing matters in every market, even this one. No matter what market we're in, price is still the most important factor in selling a home. In fact, I'd say that pricing is 90% of marketing homes. No matter what objections a buyer may have, if a home is priced correctly, it will sell. In our changing market, how can you help your clients price their homes correctly while still getting top dollar? One thing is for sure: Never guarantee your seller a specific amount of money from selling their home. “No matter what objections a buyer may have, if a home is priced correctly, it will sell.” Instead, I show my clients three comparable homes and ask them which one they would buy. I also ask them which one is most similar to their own home. This puts them in the mind of a buyer and allows you to give them an accurate range of what their home will likely sell for. At the end of the day, we are our sellers' fiduciaries. Our job is to guide them through the market and get them the best deal possible. We can't let them overprice their home, but we also have to give them freedom in making the decision. If your client still chooses to overprice their home, the decision to move forward is up to you. However, if you put a mandatory price adjustment after two weeks into the listing agreement, you can still sell a home even if it's initially overpriced. Remember, price still matters, even in our crazy market. If you have any questions about today's topic or anything else, please reach out to me. I love to hear how you are helping your clients!

Reap the rewards of having a healthy, productive, and profitable database. Who doesn't love receiving repeat and referral business from their database? I know I sure do. Over half of our production each year comes directly from people that we know, whether they are past clients or friends and family referred to us by those people. Building a database that is consistently producing predictable results each year is truly the ultimate goal of all real estate agents. Once this idea finally got through to me, I have been on a mission to continually grow the number of people in our database as well as improve on the systems which get applied to them. There are four laws of lead generation. This comes directly from page 188 of “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent:” Build a database Feed your database Communicate with your database Service all your leads and referrals “The ultimate goal is to deepen the relationship with people in your database.” It's important that you know the difference between a lead and a contact. A lead is someone you haven't met yet, while a contact is someone you already have a relationship with. Categorize them and know which approach to apply. There is no right way of categorizing your database. Use a system that makes sense and works for you. The ultimate goal is to deepen the relationship with people in your database. Those connections can lead to an appointment to discuss their plans and see if you're a good fit to work together. I love sharing everything we do in our business with real estate agents through this blog and classes I've created. Interested in learning more from me? Check out all my upcoming events here!

The strategies we use to create mini-farms at every opportunity. Are your listings flying off the market as soon as you take them and put them on? Ours too! Recently, I was meeting with my team and we were strategizing a way to maximize each listing that we take. When we have the opportunity to help the client get their property sold, it's an opportunity for a mini-farm. Farming is a prospecting strategy where you have a physical area that you strategically apply touches to over time. Every time you take a listing, there are so many opportunities to promote that listing and promote yourself as an agent. It's also an opportunity to get additional touches to your database to promote yourself to local homeowners as the neighborhood expert. This is the system we created: 1. The sign in the yard. 2. Photos and video. While you're there putting out the signs, snap some pictures of the property, of yourself, and do a little video walking tour. You could go to Facebook Live, do Facebook ads, or other kinds of promotions. 3. ‘Just listed' and ‘just sold' cards. We are still going back to the days of putting a postcard in the mail because we want to capitalize on that opportunity. We know the property is probably going to sell pretty fast so we want to get as much return on our investment as we can. 4. Open houses. If you can make a strategy to have the open house early on with a coming soon campaign, you will get so many opportunities for circle prospecting to the neighborhood. You can use tools like Sly Broadcast to drop a voicemail to all the neighbors and invite them. “Farming is where you have an area that you strategically apply touches to over time.” 5. Door knocking. It's a great opportunity to invite the neighbors to come visit you or share with their friends. I have all kinds of door-knocking scripts when it comes to open houses and new listings. 6. Blog about each property. Every property gets a write-up, and then it links to our CRM so that if people want more information, we can hopefully capture them in our web and help them achieve their real estate goals. 7. The golden letter. It's a way for you to market to the general public or your database that we need more listings. 8. Valuation sites. We point homeowners who may be thinking about selling toward our home valuation sites. There are lots of tools for this. Basically, we want to capture their data and start to send them educational information. Now that they have expressed interest  in selling, we want to help them by sharing information about the market. Use every opportunity that you get when you take a listing because you know it's going to sell fast. Make sure that you capitalize on all of the opportunities that you can to market that property, market yourself as a professional, and find more listings. If you have any further questions, please contact me at (918) 706-9845.

This is how our Seller Rescue Plan helps our clients. “Where will I go?” is the question we keep hearing over and over from our sellers who are curious about taking advantage of rising home prices in today's market. They could easily get a great price for their properties, but the issue is finding another home for them to buy as a replacement. Inventory is extremely low across the nation, making that a challenge for sellers; if they sell their current home before they can find a new one, then they fear they'll end up homeless. As an agent, I'm sure you understand their predicament all too well. It's a hassle to deal with making a move and figuring out all the details. So how do you offset that stress and overcome those objections? That's where the Wolek Group Seller Rescue Plan comes in. We've created a list of three options for sellers: 1. Buy first, sell later. Finding a home is more of a challenge than selling a home in today's market. We get our buyers set up on a home search to see what's out there and discuss financing options. With a loan modification, if they can qualify for both properties and have a minimum down payment, they can purchase now without a contingency and sell after their purchase is secure. If there are no homes available that fit their criteria, we have a plan in place to help promote their wants and needs to uncover off-market properties. 2. Sell now, stay put for now. With today's listing demand, many buyers are willing to allow sellers to rent back the property after closing or set an extended closing date, which would allow them time to find their next home. This allows them to be non-contingent buyers and will get them more money in the bank from the equity of their home sale to put down. That way, they'll be a much stronger buyer in this market. 3. Sell now, move now. Now might be the time to relocate or bunk with their friends or family in order to capitalize on the increase in equity, or they could possibly move into a short-term rental. We're continually compiling a list of options to help with this arrangement. If you'd like to share how you're rescuing your clients or have any questions about today's topic, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd love to chat with you.

Improving your morning routine can help you reach your goals. Want to know the secret to a great morning? A great morning routine, of course! Most of us understand the value of starting the day the right way, but it's still incredibly easy to get off track when it comes to sticking to a routine. I think it happens because we aren't held accountable for the morning tasks we do—or they're tasks that we don't exactly care about. Other times, we haven't visualized all the benefits we'll receive when we thoroughly follow our routines. It's normal to stumble, but we need to create more accountability for ourselves. It plays a huge role in keeping us on track toward achieving our goals. Personally, I've found that part of my system involves sharing my goals with others. For you, it may mean tracking your activities or blocking out time to get your tasks done. Are you waking up earlier than others in your household in order to enjoy some quiet, introspective time? “Most of us understand the value of starting off the day the right way, but it's still incredibly easy to get off track when it comes to sticking to a routine.” One of my goals now—and one I still struggle with—is journaling every day. I want to put all my thoughts, ideas, and gratitude into one place so I can come back and reflect, as it's an area of my life where I often feel scattered. That's what I'll be holding myself accountable for through our membership group, Maintain Your Momentum, which just started a 66-day challenge. Books like “The One Thing” can help you turn baby steps into lifelong habits, while “The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents” can help you jumpstart your day and keep you on track. I also turn to page 308 from “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent” often to remind myself of the energy plan. If you think through all five of the energies and work with them each day, you'll set yourself up for success. What's your morning routine? How are you accomplishing it? What do you hope to improve? I'd love to hear from you and find out more about how you're meeting your goals. Until then, I hope my blog has helped you think a little more about your day-to-day routines, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Here’s how we use the “golden letter” to prospect for more listings. “Would you be interested in selling your home to a client of mine?” That's pretty much the exact script for our ‘golden letter' that we use to find seller clients. Maybe you've heard about it, maybe you haven't. It's a letter that we send to specific neighborhoods to target potential sellers. If your inventory is low like ours is, you know how desperate we are to find great homes for our buyers. We implemented this with the help of Laura Hyatt, and it's a pretty simple direct mail letter. Whenever we get a property that sells fast, over asking price, and for multiple offers, we're sending 100 golden letters to homeowners who live around that house. It's a pretty simple script; you could get more specific in details if you want to, though. We hand address the envelope, stamp it, and don't even put a return label on it. So far, we've gotten phone calls and appointments set just from sending out this letter. It's a tedious process, but if you can generate just one new listing, it is worth your time and effort. “The script is simple and straightforward.” When someone reaches out to you after reading the letter, treat them like any other seller. You want to qualify them, get their contact information, and ask if they have been thinking about selling or are currently working with an agent. Finally, we'll tell them that if our buyer is a match for their home, what does their timeline look like? Then we let them know we're going to get back with the team and see if the buyer believes this is a good match for them. This is another great strategy to find someone interested in selling. In this market, we need to do more of these types of things. If you have any questions for me about the golden letter or the real estate business in general, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

These are the benefits included in a Maintain Your Momentum membership. You've invested your valuable time and hard-earned money into yourself and your business. You have grown in your thinking and envision a life in which you are a leader and a giver. You're armed with the systems and tools it takes to build a thriving business and embrace a leveraged life. You have started to implement these techniques, and you are creating great habits while continuing to get better every single day. What's next? It's time to continue your journey with a Maintain Your Momentum membership, which includes: A weekly 30-minute live Mastermind on specific topics relating to systems, tools, mindset, and teams A private YouTube channel for all of our video content An opportunity to attend any of the “Mirror My Business” or “Implement My Business” trainings throughout the year Free, discounted, or early access tickets to all of my trainings throughout the year A 15-minute one-on-one call each month, if needed An exclusive Facebook group just for current “Implement My Business” attendees and all of you Momentum members Updated systems and checklists for building a referral-based business and a counter-balanced life A referral network of like-minded, amazing agents who are looking to get better every single day, just like you You can sign up right now via this link. If you have any other questions for me, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Low inventory equals high stress. How can you help clients with that? Our market currently has very low inventory, which can cause a lot of stress for the buyers who are having to fight against multiple offers to buy the home of their dreams. The buyer's agents on our team have frequently discussed this increased stress on their clients. On the other hand, listing agents are being bombarded with business in many different ways. So how can we show up and do our very best for our clients given these stressful times? It starts with a key word: communication. Proper communication from the very beginning is key to preparing clients for a challenging market. Sometimes, the kindest thing an agent can do is talk people out of buying or selling a home right now if it won't be in their best interest or doesn't fit into their goals or lifestyle. Recently, a member of our team pointed out that the times we tend to have big challenges, especially when working with buyers, are when we fast-forward through the important step of having a meeting with the client (in person or via Zoom) to discuss some of the key factors involved in the process. You need to explain to clients the role of money in the negotiation, as well as the current state of the market. “Proper communication from the very beginning is key to preparing clients for a challenging market.” Lastly, you also need to educate your clients on how to win in this market. That could mean advising buyers not to ask for concessions, to purchase a home as is, pay with cash, and more. For sellers, new listings are coming on the market with 20 to 35 showings all in a short span, which can be stressful; preparing them for the onslaught of activity they'll face could include just telling them to go out of town for a few days while you take care of the showings. Additionally, be sure to explain to your sellers that they need to act fast—this isn't the time to hem and haw. If a buyer's offer isn't chosen in this market, they need to move on to have a chance at getting the next home. Whether you're working with a seller or buyer, just remember that we're all in this together. Let's work cooperatively and stay positive so that we can do the best for our clients. If you have any questions about helping your clients navigate this difficult market, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd love to have a conversation with you.

Anyone up for a game? Last one to take a listing is a rotten egg! Have you ever thought about how competition forces us to up our games? Competition is the key to success and the incubator of innovation. Last month, we not only had the most fun we've ever had as a team, but we also had our most productive December on record. That's because I came up with a fun way to foster friendly competition amongst our team members while also keeping them laser-focused on what really matters most: connecting with and adding to their databases. I created a game I called 21 Days of Database. (You can set the number of days to whatever you like; I just chose to do it over the three weeks leading up to the holidays to ensure my team finished the year strong). We devised multiple categories and outlined the ways in which our agents could earn points (again, feel free to tweak these to your liking) and here's what we came up with: All the agents are vying for the most points. First place takes home $500, second place takes $350, and third place takes $150. For every 10 voice-to-voice or face-to-face contacts they made in a given day, they received a certain number of points. Points were also doled out for every 10 two-way conversations they had, be it via email, Facebook Messenger, text message, etc. As you can see, the only way to earn enough points to win is to log 20 touches through various media each day. Another category in which agents could earn points: handwritten notes. What a great way to stand out as a professional and connect with someone you know (or someone you'd like to know better) on a personal level! “As a team, we logged more than 900 two-way conversations!” Agents could also earn points for every time they set an appointment to meet with a buyer or seller, be it in person or virtually; they could rack up even more points for every appointment they attended and, of course, they'd snag the maximum number of points if they ended up taking a listing. We here at the Jennie Wolek Group know that when a buyer signs on to work with us, we have a great chance of getting them all the way to the closing table. That's why we counted both seller and buyer listings taken. While locking in new business is obviously a slam dunk, we also know it's important to grow our databases; our agents received points for every new person they added to their database. Essentially, this activity was a memory jogger, as agents got to scroll deeply through their phones or review their social media networks to find missing people. We also dished out points for new reviews, so our agents reached out to past clients to ask if they would summarize their experience on any of our multiple sites. So, those were the game rules, and here are the results: As a team, we logged more than 900 two-way conversations! We sent out 65 handwritten notes, set 23 appointments (19 of which were held), and ended up taking 17 listings in just 21 days! We also got 23 new reviews and added hundreds of people to our databases. I actually had a team member—an experienced agent—send me a text telling me how grateful they were for my decision to implement this game. Without a doubt, we'll be running this game every quarter—I welcome you to invent your own game! It's easier and more beneficial than you'd think. Let me know your thoughts on our closed Facebook group, or reach out to me if you have any questions about how to stay focused on what really matters!

Each client event must have a different purpose to ensure interaction. It's time to spread some holiday cheer. You know we love sharing all the systems, tools, and models with you that we at the Wolek Group use, and today we want to tell you about a giveaway event we're doing that might inspire you to do one of your own. 2020 has been an interesting year, to say the least, and it's forced us to shift the way we host client events. Last year we were able to host an in-person Storytime With Santa event that was so much fun, and we look forward to marking it on our calendar for 2021. We obviously can't do that this year, but we still wanted to have some fun with our database, and we came up with a giveaway that can be described as our take on the 12 Days of Christmas. We call it our Very Merry Giveaways. Over seven days, we're giving away multiple prize packages at random to anyone who registers for the giveaway. Every event you host must have a purpose. You have to know why you're doing something. To be honest, we've done many giveaways this year with different purposes in mind, and this event's purpose was to generate social media engagement on many channels (mainly Facebook and Instagram) and get new followers and likes for our pages. That's how people can register, and they can do so up until the last day. “Every event you host must have a purpose.” The day this video was recorded was the first day of the event, and aside from giving away prizes, we plan to do everything we love: Have fun with our database, engage and give back to our community, and promote local businesses. We reached out to all the local businesses we've done promotions with this year and asked them if they'd be willing to donate prizes, and wouldn't you know it—they all said yes. For their participation, we can now promote these businesses even more, so it's a win-win. To give back to the community, we pledged to donate $1 for every new Facebook like or Instagram follow to a local nonprofit. I'm hoping the final tally is well over $1,000! The bottom line: When it comes to your client events, have a plan, but make sure you adjust your purpose so your clients don't get burned out from them. If you'd like to talk more about client event ideas or there's anything else we can help you with, don't hesitate to reach out to the Wolek Group. We'd love to help you, and we wish you a happy holiday season.

We’ve been using this survey to gather information from our database. Do you have a system for checking in with your database of clients and friends to get a feel of when they're thinking of making a move? If not, now you do. Last year, we started an annual survey that we send out to our network asking a few simple questions about their knowledge of the current market and getting a feel of where they are in the process. We incentivize them to respond to the survey, which is a simple Google Form, with a giveaway. We let them know that filling out the survey gives them a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card. In the form, we shared that interest rates are still at historical lows, inventory is lower than we've seen in a long time, and prices for homes are actually way up. These are three great reasons to make a move if you need to, which is why we shared them with our entire database. We not only wanted to educate our database with this information, but we also wanted to ask some questions. Here are the very simple questions we included on our form: Are you thinking about selling in the next 12 months? If you're not going to sell, why? Would you like to receive a free market report? “With this survey, we can inform and canvass our database for information.” After you ask these questions, make sure that you include a space that allows them to fill in their most recent contact information, including their name, phone number, email address, and home address. We have received 74 responses to the form already, and we're keeping the contest up for a couple of weeks so we can get this form out to more people via our social media channels. The entire goal is to find people who are thinking about moving now as well as keeping up with past clients who may need to buy or sell in the near future. If you have any questions for me about this survey or would like a copy, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Here are some homemade tips on how to throw a Pie Day event this year. Today I'm sharing a few tips for how to throw a Pie Day, even during the pandemic. Traditionally, we hold our Pie Days on the Sunday before Thanksgiving during the afternoon. We found that's a great day and time to do it—it's still daylight, and it's less stressful for people to swing by and pick up their pie. They also get to be the Thanksgiving hero who brings the pie to the table! For your Pie Day event, make sure you have a sponsor, a nonprofit organization that you can donate canned food or extra pies to, and set a budget. Our team gives away 100 pies, and it's first-come, first-served. The email blast and promotion goes out to our database and people we know, who are given a link to sign up for their free pie. “Pie Day is an amazing way to show love to all your people.” It's also important to confirm the attendees' choice of pie one week before the event. You could even have a fun call day just to make sure those who signed up still plan to come and pick up their pies—you don't want to waste any, though in the past we have brought extra pies over to the local firehouses or police stations. Just have a contingency plan for any extras. Pie Day is an amazing way to show love to all your people, share some delicious food for their holiday meals, and get to safely see them. Masks and gloves should be included in your plans. Let me know if you need anything for your event or have additional ideas for how we can share the love and provide wonderful holiday pies!

Looking to shake up your giveaways? Here’s a technique to try! Who's interested in having a fun giveaway that allows you to update your database, bring new people into it, and generate tons of referrals all while having some fun with your clients? I know I always am, and today I'm sharing a great giveaway idea that I borrowed from my friend Ellie with Epik Home Group—a reverse twist on the Bold 100 that so many of us have heard of before. This version of the giveaway offers you a way to make the actual call-in day a little less stressful, and that's because you and your team will be doing all the calling! Here's the big idea: Plan a giveaway that's inspiring enough to make people want to sign up. Instead of calling people to get them registered, you'll have them use a Google form to supply all of their pertinent information (name, address, phone number, and email address). On this form, they'll also be asked if they can think of anyone who may need to buy or sell a home; if so, they'll be entered into the giveaway twice. The sign-up form will also mention that, in order to confirm their registration, you'll be calling them on X day, and the winner will be announced the following day on your Facebook page. “It was a simple way to generate tons of referrals while having some fun with our database.” This approach gives folks ample time to register themselves (a couple of weeks for marketing time is great) and pass along the form. You can gather more information from people who have given you permission to call them. We had a blast using this giveaway technique, and though we only had a little more than a week of marketing time (next time we'll give ourselves more time), we still saw phenomenal results! In the time that we advertised a fall front porch giveaway, we had 73 entries, added 17 people to our database, and generated 36 referrals! I'd say that's a pretty amazing ratio. Furthermore, it was yet another simple way to have fun with our database! I encourage you to figure out whether this is a plan you could create space for in your playbook. I'd love to hear how it goes if you do try it! As always, reach out to me via phone or email if ever you have any questions; I'm here to help.

My new weekly series is the learning opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Want to ask me anything? Well now is your chance! I'm launching a weekly series on Fridays at 12 p.m. CST where, for 30 minutes, we'll dive deep into one specific topic and dissect the tactics and strategies involved so you can implement them into your business. I've found that, when given the right opportunity and the right learning environment, people always bring up the best questions. Wouldn't it be so cool for us to learn and grow together? For many installments of this series, I'll bring on special guests, and we'll also be providing this live in “Your Journey With Jennie,” our closed Facebook group. Just head to the home page and click on the events tab to RSVP. By doing so, you'll receive an event reminder as well as the Zoom link so you can participate with us and be fully engaged! You'll also be able to see this week's topic so you can better prepare and get the most out of the discussion! I look forward to talking with you soon. Of course, feel free to share any questions, ideas, or topics that are on your heart or in your mind. We'll see you soon!

Here’s how Vyral Marketing helped improve my marketing and business. In this edition of “Your Journey With Jennie,” I'm joined by my friend Frank Klesitz of Vyral Marketing. Frank and I go way back and have been working together for years. Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch it in its entirety, or use these timestamps to browse specific points at your leisure: 1:00 — Frank discusses his background in real estate, marketing, and what led him to the founding of Vyral Marketing 4:30 — How Vyral has helped me get more business from my database, and how to track your return on investment with Vyral Marketing 7:35 — How I measure my return on investment and overall success with Vyral's program 9:55 — What are the best types of videos to make and share with your database? 13:40 — How to use Facebook advertising to your advantage 15:25 — Are enough agents using video in their marketing? 18:50 — Why you shouldn't overthink or be nervous about being on video 20:20 — Wrapping things up If you have any questions for Frank about Vyral Marketing or what they do, visit their website or attend one of their weekly training sessions. If you have any other questions for me, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

By planning a “Call in to Win Day,” you can get people to call you. What is the “Call in to Win Day,” and how can you make this event work for you? The “Call in to Win Day” is a day where people call you and provide their contact information to enter a giveaway drawing. To pull this off successfully, you first need a goal, a plan, and a big enough giveaway to inspire people to want to call you. That's where the challenge lies. You'll use the same marketing plan you have for any of your events and have a two- to three-week period where you'll promote save-the-date notifications so they don't forget about it. You want to make sure they call on that day, and within a certain time frame, for a chance to win. Make sure you enlist sponsors and vendor partners because they can pitch in to cover the cost while you help promote them along the way via social media and emails. “You first need a goal, a plan, and a big enough giveaway to inspire people to want to call you.” Now is the time to focus on what will happen during the day of the event. Our team used Zoom as a forum and had Google Voice feed each call to different team members. We also had Google Forms pulled up so we could input new data and record any referrals. We had a blast that day, and I know you will, too! You also need to plan for after the event. We announce our winner the next day on Facebook Live and send out an email to each participant in case they miss it. After that, we make sure all new contact information is entered into our database, and every new contact receives a welcome campaign. Of course, if any referrals or other new introductions were made, we reach out to them as soon as possible and let them know we can help with all of their real estate needs. If you have questions about how to make your own “Call in to Win Day” or there's anything else I can assist you with, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd also love to know some of the ideas you come up with for this fun event!

Here’s why including a buyer ‘love letter’ can be a game changer. How are you being creative with helping your clients win the deal? I don't know if your market is like mine here in Tulsa, but our listing inventory is low and the market is hot. We love to think outside of the box for our clients, and one way we do that is to encourage our buyer clients to write a ‘love letter' when submitting their offer. Writing a letter lets your buyer client share their genuine enthusiasm about the prospect of living in that home. Not only does it show the seller the buyer's sentimental link to their property, but it also gives you, the agent, more insight into why your client is so interested in it—you get to learn some cool information about people sometimes! Another reason why buyer love letters are great is that they allow us to show up for our clients as professionals. When we think outside the box and offer our buyers these sorts of ideas, it exemplifies our commitment to getting them into a new home. Most importantly, buyer love letters help buyers win! They can get the contract moving and bring your buyers one step closer to their ideal home. It also humanizes the whole experience thereafter; the buyer, seller, and seller's agents will be more connected and have a more positive working relationship throughout the transaction when it's understood that everyone is equally invested in making this deal work. “When we think outside the box for our buyers, it exemplifies our commitment to getting them into a new home.” Let me know if you're using buyer love letters in your offer and how this strategy is working out for you! As always, reach out with any questions or concerns you may have; I'm here to help!

With a team, you can pass the baton to win in a transaction. Have you ever run track or seen a relay race? If so, then you know the necessity of passing the baton from one team member to another. A good track coach will tell you that a relay is won or lost in the transfer of the baton. We at The Wolek Group believe in the importance of passing the baton in real estate too. If you don't have a team, you have no one to pass the baton to and must do all the work yourself. We pass three different batons during our real estate transactions. First, when working with a seller, we pass a baton from the listing agent to the listing manager. The second baton is passed from the buyer agent to the transaction coordinator during pending, or from the listing manager to the transaction coordinator when working with a seller. Third, between 24 and 48 hours before closing is when the baton is passed back to the real estate agent from the transaction coordinator. This arms the agent with all the information they need to know before closing. “What truly matters is communication between team members.” When passing all these batons, what truly matters is communication between team members. Every time a baton is passed, it's followed by a debriefing, a conversation between team members to ensure we completely understand all the intricacies and needs of the client. Anytime the ball is dropped it goes back to a lack of communication. We do our best to not allow that to happen; it's our goal to win the relay! We win by getting to closing with elated clients. If you want to learn more about how we pass the batons, I'm sharing the information in my closed Facebook group Your Journey With Jennie. Join today! If you ever have any questions about real estate, reach out to us via phone or email. We would love to help you.

I’m sharing my morning routine, hoping it helps you with yours. I often get asked about my morning schedule, so today I’m sharing it with you. Years ago, I learned that the most successful people, at least in my business, all had one thing in common: they got up early. To me, early meant 5 a.m., so that’s when I started getting up every day. I quickly noticed that it was a great way to get ahead of my day. Since I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, I decided to wake up even earlier—around 4:45 a.m.—to have some coffee, think, and prepare for the day ahead. After my morning coffee and daily goal-planning, I exercise by doing some yoga, using the treadmill, or even going outside for a walk or run—anything that allows me to feel good about myself, both mentally and physically. Then, I take a shower and have a smoothie for breakfast. I’ve had the same smoothie almost every morning for at least five years. It’s packed with all kinds of good things: spinach, a frozen triple berry blend, protein powder, etc. At this point, my stomach is full, my mind is good, and my heart is strong. Since I’m the type of person who wears makeup and takes care of their hair, I’ll do that next before listening to a podcast or reading a book. Over time, I’ve learned that’s a way to think bigger and generate new ideas throughout the day. Additionally, I write a post in a closed Facebook group called Your Journey With Jenny every single morning. Members can always tell what I’m working on, thinking about, and reading. Click on the above link to get permission to join if you haven’t already! “When you plan out your morning with a powerful, intentional schedule, the rest of your day falls into place.” Once I’m through with all that, I’ll connect with my team at 8:15 a.m. to share what we’re grateful for as well as what our intentions and goals are for the day. Then from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., we work on lead generation. I’ve found that when you plan out your morning with a powerful, intentional schedule, the rest of your day falls into place and you’ll be more positive and ready to connect with others. Feel free to reach out to me to share your morning routine! If there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m here for you.

We’re hosting a "Mirror My Business" webinar, so come learn from us! Want to mirror my business? Now you can! I’ve been in the real estate business for 19 years, and for the first time, I’m offering a three-hour “Mirror My Business” workshop. I want to share our successful practices with you. I’ll be sharing the systems, tools, and models that we use to help over 100 families each year. We’ll discuss mindset, mission, lead generation and conversion, marketing, setting appointments, listings and buyer presentations, agent and affiliate referrals, reviews, and ‘clients for life.’ I look forward to spending time with you in our small group webinar. To register, click here! If you have any questions about the workshop or real estate in general, please reach out via phone or email. We would love to help you.

Many agents come and go in the real estate business. The Golden Handoff ensures their clients are taken care of after they leave. I have been in the real estate business for a very long time, and no matter what is happening in the market, many agents come and go constantly. What’s sad about this is that those Realtors have put time, energy, money, and often their love into developing and nurturing tons of relationships. When agents leave the business for any reason, their clients are just left there, without a real estate agent to help them. I believe all real state agents should think like the businessperson they are and ensure that their clients are taken care of in the future. They should have a plan. That’s what the Golden Handoff is. The Golden Handoff is entrusting a database to another agent and receiving a referral fee in return. That new real estate agent will have a plan and stay in touch with these clients. How smart and simple is that? This doesn’t cost the departing agent any time, energy, or money. “The Golden Handoff is entrusting a database to another agent and receiving a referral fee in return.” Please let me know if you’ve used the Golden Handoff in your business, I’d like to hear about your experience with it. If you have any questions about the Golden Handoff or real estate in general, reach out to me via phone or email. I would love to help you.

Implementing a flexible commission plan is a great way to compete against agents who adjust their commission in order to win listings. The market has shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic, and some agents are adjusting their commission in order to win listings. Even if your value proposition is much stronger to would-be clients than theirs, adjusted commissions are a hard thing to compete against. That’s why today I’ll talk about the benefits of implementing a flexible commission plan into your business. This offers your would-be clients options instead of ultimatums. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out. We look forward to speaking with you.

Here are the three ways we at The Wolek Group stay connected: 1. We have a Google Hangout call every morning at 8:15 a.m. This allows us to state our gratitude and share our intentions for the day.  2. We have a team meeting every Monday at 11 a.m. This is an official meeting with an agenda. It also acts as a training session in case there are topics we need to cover. It’s a great way to keep an open dialogue about everything that’s happening.  3. We use a communication tool called Slack. This allows us to consolidate all of our communication into one place. We’ve found that information can get lost through text and emails. With Slack, every channel is a different category, and it’s a great place to store our team’s communication.  To accommodate our team and our clients during these trying times we are doing Zoom team meetings and virtual appointments. “We’re always striving for success and making sure we deliver an amazing client experience, and communication is key.” Communication can separate the great companies from the not-so-great ones. We’re always striving for success and making sure we deliver an amazing client experience, and communication is key. Communicating as a team is very important. It’s also important that our clients see this.  Communication with our people is just as important, and we ensure this by creating a GPS for each year. Our goals, priorities, and strategies are outlined inside our marketing plan. Our goals are also placed inside our calendar so we can review them and send our 411s to each other every Monday morning.  There’s lots to do and lots to stay on top of, but when you think big and break everything down, you see what the life of a very productive real estate professional looks like. Just take care of your most important items each day if you want to achieve greatness.  If you’d like to talk about how you can improve your team’s communication or have any questions about this topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help.

Today we’re talking about failures. What a lovely topic, right? I actually used to do a “Fail Forward Friday” series where I would share my failures and I think it was a great way to share with other agents that failure is actually just feedback. I think I stopped doing it because I didn’t want to dwell on my failures. However, I just heard a quote that changed my mind: “Success is just failure with enthusiasm.” What I have noticed is that even though I look like I’m good at using leverage, it is something I’m not great at doing.  “I have a great team, but I don’t always leverage them properly.” I will find myself spending lots of focused time getting into the details of activities, especially when it comes to our database and administrative tasks. I like those things and am good at those things, but I often find that doing them uses up a lot of quality time that could have been used more efficiently in talking with people and finding people to help.  I have agents on my team, and I have administrative rockstars, but I don’t always properly leverage them. The good thing is that I have awareness about this problem, which is something that all successful people have. Those who are working and committing to self-mastery, like myself, know they must learn how to leverage through people. That’s my failure and I’m sharing it with you here because the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I want to hear about your failures, too, so that we can all grow together. If you have any other questions for me, I’m always here to answer them. Just give me a call or send me an email today.

Date night is a fun idea for a client event, and it's super easy to implement, too! Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Wolek Group is hosting a Date Night event on Thursday, February 13. We’re offering take-and-bake pizzas and either a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine to all those who RSVP for the event. I bring this up because date night is a fun and easy way to reach out to and connect with the people in your database. You can get all sorts of touches from this kind of event, like promotion through video, or partnership with a nonprofit to help promote their organization. The whole week leading up to this year’s Date Night event, we’re also doing a reverse BOLD 100, where clients call in to register to win a giveaway. Bear in mind that these giveaways have to be big enough to entice people to call in. “You can get all sorts of database touches from this kind of event.”   When those interested in the giveaway do call in, we take that time to confirm their contact information and ask them if they know of anyone interested in buying, selling, or investing in real estate that we can contact; that way, we get a double entry. We ALWAYS provide an Eventbrite link for them to RSVP for the giveaway, which we cap in numbers. For example, on our upcoming Valentine’s Day Date Night event, we have 100 pizzas that clients need to RSVP for in advance. Set up a call day a couple of days before the event to confirm the client’s RSVP and ensure they’re going to stop by for pick-up—people often forget to do that, so calling them ahead of time will help you adjust your numbers to avoid having extras. Be sure to partner with a vendor who can help you offset some of the costs, too. There are tons of ways to touch your database, but date night is simple and fun. If you want to implement this event idea yourself and have questions about doing so, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to hear how your event goes and/or advise you on setting one up properly.

Today I’m sharing one way that we have set ourselves apart from other agencies by surprising and delighting our clients. Today I wanted to share a fun idea we have implemented in our business: welcome home signs. Over the years, we have worked to improve our client experience. When you work with us, we’ll help you achieve your real estate goals, of course—but we want to go the extra mile.  One thing we came up with is creating a wonderful, surprise experience for our buyer clients when they arrive in their new home after closing. We place corrugated plastic letters across the front yard that spell out “Welcome Home.” Unlike a home that is currently listed, there usually isn’t a sign in a yard that says who sold the home. So, we added a sign that says “Sold by The Wolek Group.” It’s very simple, you can have it made easily, and of course, we added our brand to it.  “We want to go the extra mile.”  This is a pleasant way to surprise buyers and say congratulations. We get so many excellent responses from clients saying thank you for this. Then, after a few days, we come back and collect the signs.  Some tips that we have learned about this are to make sure your signs are made of corrugated plastic. At first, we used cardboard, but they can easily be ruined by sprinklers and rain. Also, make sure you tell them you will be back for the signs because some have thrown them away after a few days. They aren’t super cheap, so you want to make sure you get them back.  Let me know what other ways you surprise and delight your clients, either during or after a transaction. If you have any questions please contact me by phone or email. I would love to speak with you. 

Today I sat down for a chat with Nate Araskog, an agent here at The Wolek Group. He’s here to share his experiences as an agent on our team. Before coming to The Wolek Group, Nate Araskog had obtained his real estate license and worked with Daniel Sprik, a Realtor and good friend of his who had encouraged him to get into the industry in the first place.  I helped him to sell a couple of his properties before, so one day Nate and I met for coffee. It was supposed to have been a short introduction, but it ended up becoming a two-and-half-hour meeting. During that conversation, Nate saw my experience and the opportunities that lay in the foundation of my team’s structure and he decided he wanted to be a part of it. For my part, the conversation over coffee had originally been about real estate in general, but toward the end, something clicked within me. I asked him, “Are you asking me all these questions to join Keller Williams or to join my team?” “It’s fun to be on the front end of change within the real estate industry at large”  With a smile on his face, Nate responded, “I don’t know—maybe both.” With that, I recommended that he and I set up another time to get back together. We did, and the rest is history. We’ve grown so much since then, and his experience with our team and with Keller Williams has been fabulous overall. It’s fun to be on the front end of change within the real estate industry at large. By the time Nate and I met for that fateful coffee meeting, he was already a go-getter who found success as a single agent. What was he missing that helped him see the value of joining a team? For him, the biggest factor was the opportunity to learn from someone who had experience. He knew that our team would provide the ability to help people as a part of an organization, not just a single agent. He knew from the first time we met that the partnership we could create by being in business together was going to be hugely successful for all of us. If you have any questions about starting career in real estate or would like to contact us about joining The Wolek Group yourself, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you and discuss why making the switch to Keller Williams and The Wolek Group would be a great decision for the trajectory of your career.

You’ve probably heard the term “playbook” recently and you may not be sure what it means. Here’s what you need to know. What in the world is a “playbook” in the real estate world and why is everyone talking about it all the time? I was recently at a Mastermind, and it was definitely the buzzword of the event, so I figured I’d quickly touch on the value and power of having a playbook for your business. A playbook is just a fancy name for a plan. You are going to document all of the events and marketing that you’ll do in your business to make sure that you are getting in all the proper touches to your database. They include all of your digital touches, marketing pieces involved in events, and more. “Our playbook is in an Excel spreadsheet.”  Your playbook has three main purposes: It’s a plan, it allows you to budget, and it holds you accountable. You make your plan based on your goals, and in order to achieve those goals, you need accountability behind them. At the end of the day, you have to be able to afford the plan and it has to produce a return on your investment. Many teams and agents have a playbook. We do too. It’s on an Excel spreadsheet, where we can always see what’s coming up on our timeline to stay ahead of the curve. I’d be happy to share our playbook with you if you’re interested in seeing what one looks like. If you want to take a look or if you have any other questions, feel free to reach out as well. I’d love to hear from you.

Having showing and open house partners is a great way to better leverage your time as an agent. As busy as we agents can get, we sometimes need help showing to buyer clients and hosting open houses.  That’s why my team and I came up with the idea of having showing and open house partners—so we can leverage our time better and help our clients at the highest level.  How does it work? We work with agents who agree to our standards and expectations of working with people. Communication is key when working with these agents. We have a plan and agreement in place, and we make sure they communicate with us as soon as the open house or showing ends so we can update our clients and make sure they’re taken care of. “Communication is key when working with these agents” There are pros and cons to this system. One of the pros is that we’re able to help our clients faster. One of the cons is that we’re the ones who have to make sure that our clients’ expectations are met. This system is risk-free in terms of bringing people into your world and onto your team, but you don’t have 100% control over how they work in the field when dealing with clients.  The bottom line is that, by doing this, our agents can serve more clients and our clients are better taken care of—that’s what matters to us.  If you have any questions about showing and open house partners or if there’s anything else I can help you with, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you. 

Setting expectations on your team is critical, and today I’ll discuss why. In any business, setting expectations is key—and this is especially true when you’re part of a real estate team. After all, the mutual success of everyone on that team depends on clear communication about the goals and strategies everyone holds. That’s why, today, I’d like to share what I expect of the people who work with me. Personally speaking, I’ve recently done a lot of reflection on how my teammates can win and lose with me, and have found that both of these things are closely tied to Keller Williams’ Six Personal Perspectives. “There are occasionally things that fall outside of anyone’s control, but the point is to always own up to the things you can control.” For instance, victim language always rubs me the wrong way. It’s a deep-rooted pet peeve of mine to hear people blaming external influences on their personal success. On the flip side, I’m always happy to work and grow with people who hold themselves accountable. It’s all a matter of mindset.  Of course, there are occasionally things that fall outside of anyone’s control, but the point is to always own up to the things you can control. That’s how you win with me.  If you focus on what matters, admit accountability, and do what it takes to move yourself forward, it will be much easier for us to communicate effectively.  As always, if you have any questions or would like more information about setting expectations or effective communication, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

As you can see, it’s getting a little chilly here in Tulsa, which gets us in the mood for planning our annual pie event. A lot goes into this event, so today I wanted to take you through it step by step to show you all the systems, checklists, and everything else we do for our Pie Day. This is our third annual Pie Day. The first one was pretty small. We only invited the clients we had helped buy or sell a home to test it out. Last year, we gave out over 100 pies to our raving fans who share referrals and introductions with us regularly. This year, we’re opening it up to our entire database and we’re very excited. To plan your own Pie Day, you’ll first need to pick a date. We’ve been having the best luck with the Sunday on the week before Thanksgiving. This year, that’s Sunday, November 24. On a Sunday afternoon, most people are free to swing by and pick up a free pie. Then you’re going to have a cute little sticker or some other kind of swag, which they’ll take to their Thanksgiving where you get to be the hero with the pie. Next, make sure you pick a location. We’ve had ours at a local bakery and our local market center. This year, we’re actually doing it at a local caterer who happens to be my sister. You’ll need to set up an Eventbrite link in order for people to RSVP. We usually just serve the pies on a first-come, first-serve basis instead of having them reserve a specific type of pie. We usually get our pies at Costco for a great price and a great pie. “Make sure you’re posting about the event on social media, too!” We love giving back to our community, so we attach a non-profit to our event. Maybe your local Food Bank, or another great organization relating to the holiday needs of others. You can incorporate creating a video with the non-profit and share about all the good they are doing in the community.  This year we are also adding in a Reverse BOLD 100 with a Thanksgiving meal giveaway, as we launch the Pie Day event. We’re asking for people to call in on a certain day to provide their contact information and they will be entered to win the drawing and also get a free pie! Another video or email you might send out would be an announcement about the event. We typically send a postcard as well to all the people in our MET database. Then we call to confirm with those people on one day and another call the day after the event. Our Pie Day theme this year is Fall Festival, so we’ll have some hot cider, cookies, and more for people when they come pick up their pies. It’s a family affair!  One final note is to make sure you have a cutoff day for RSVPs so you can get the final number for the pies. Make sure you’re posting about the event on social media along the way, too! If you have any questions for me about our Pie Day or about how you should be planning your own, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

It’s the beginning of the fourth quarter, and 2020 is right around the corner. We’re going to keep focused for the rest of this year, stick with our lead generation, and stay optimistic.  People often ask me what the agenda is for our goal planning event. First, you need to have a meeting in October or November to plan for the next year, but October is best. Whether you’re a single agent or a big team, everyone needs to get together and plan for the coming year. This may take an entire day. Some of our agenda items are the same each year. You should run this like an official meeting; have lender partners or title company friends come, bring in lunch or breakfast, and build in some fun and community. The team needs to know this is a business meeting, cell phones should be turned off, and everyone should display full focus. Our own meeting always starts with breakfast and an ice breaker to have some fun with the team. “Whether you’re a single agent or a big team, everyone needs to get together and plan for the coming year.” It’s critical to reflect on the goals we set for this year. What were our goals, how did we do, where are we in relation to those goals, and what were our missteps? We will check our “GPS,” which stands for goals, priorities, and strategies. Where did we blunder, what can we get better at, what can we tweak? By setting these goals you can detect any gaps. Everyone should agree on what the team’s standards are.  You should end the day with some kind of fun, maybe a happy hour out or a teambuilding activity.  Let me know what you do to have an amazing planning day for next year.  If you have any questions or would like to speak to me, please call or send me an email, I would love to help. 

Today I want to talk to you about an “aha moment” my team and I recently had concerning our database.  As many of you might remember, a few years back I decided to spend some serious time on my team’s database—cleaning it up, properly tagging contacts, etc. The end product was a cleaned-up ‘Met’ database comprised of 1,200 of our past clients, friends, family, colleagues, and people we know in the community or have had a real estate-related conversation with. For our Met database, we use a higher-level touch system than we would for databases containing contacts we’ve received minimal information from.   That aside, let’s talk about the aforementioned aha moment: At the start of football season every year, we send out a football-themed magnet to our clients. Football matters a lot to us Oklahomans. To give our clients a heads up that their magnet is on the way, we film a fun video that goes to Facebook and to our database.  Then, once we know all the magnets are out, we’ll go a step further and call each of our contacts to check that theirs came and to ask which team they cheer for on Saturdays. We make sure to weave our call to action into the conversation as well by expressing our team’s goals and asking the client if they know of anyone who may need help buying, selling, or investing in real estate.  “As I’ve learned from this experience, you should never stop learning new things and refining your skills in this business.” We sent this year’s magnets out last year and, as you can tell, a lot of them came back as return to sender—40, in fact. I then blocked off some time to determine where those 40 people moved, why they moved, and why we weren’t able to help them move. Probing a little deeper provided much-needed clarity and gave us a chance to clean up our database even further.  From that situation, we learned a valuable lesson: Although our touch system already included mailing various items to our clients year-round, we weren’t always springing for first-class mail. Getting 40 magnets returned to us was a wake-up call for us to start spending a little extra on our mailing method, so we can stay on top of our database.  I also used this as an opportunity to send an email out to our entire database (Met database and all), letting them know we had some leftover magnets and that if they replied back with their home address, we’d gift one to them just in time for football season. A handful of clients have already replied back with their home address, which means we can now move them over to our ‘Met’ database!  As I’ve learned from this experience, you should never stop learning new things and refining your skills in this business. What might seem like a waste of money at first can turn out to be a win if you get a little creative.   If you have any questions or would like more tips for improving and tweaking your business, please reach out to me. I’d be happy to help! 

It’s finally time to explore the fifth and final “S” of the Five-S model of customer experience: Sustain. At this point, you’ve set expectations, kept your clients updated along the way, you’ve surprised and delighted throughout the transaction, and now it’s over. Once you’ve done all of this, now it’s time to sustain the relationship in order to create a client for life.  You need to make them feel special, but it doesn’t require a ton of effort or planning. First off, make sure you call them a few days after closing to thank them for allowing you to help them. This is also a surprise and a nice thing to do. It’s not a call for a referral; it’s purely a gratitude phone call. To properly sustain a relationship, you have to have a touch program in place. If it’s already built out on your calendar, you won’t forget to keep those who are most important to you in the loop.  “You have to have a touch program in place.” So many people think that real estate agents are just money hungry. When you don’t call someone after closing or maintain your relationship with them, you’re essentially proving their point. I know that’s not who you are, so that’s why you need to take steps now to make sure you stay in touch with all of your clients in the future. Let me know some of the ways that you stay in touch with past clients. We use a lot of events and giveaways to increase engagement, but we’d love to hear about what you’re doing.  If you have any questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

On my latest edition of “Agent Success Secrets”, I had the pleasure of being joined by Ty Voyles. We had a great discussion about his business, his success, and his plans for the future. We discussed some of the finer points involved with his fantastic Fulcrum Training Events, the menu of services that they offer each client, and much more. Here’s an outline of our discussion, with timestamps so that you can skip ahead to the section (s) that interest you the most: 0:30- Ty gives us an introduction to who he is and what he does at Fulcrum Properties Group2:20- How Ty got into the real estate business through investing and working with his friends5:20- How all types of agents are able to benefit from Ty’s training events program9:30- What the training event calendar looks like for Ty and his head of training, Chris11:05- How to leverage curriculum to recruit agents in your marketplace12:15- How Ty developed his tiered commission structure for sellers15:35- The downside to having all of these options18:30- Why it’s so hard to quantify the positive effect that their system has had19:35- Some of Ty’s big goals and where he’s headed from here21:30- A final question for Ty about his day-to-day work activities Thanks again to Ty for joining me. If you have any questions for me in the meantime about anything we talked about in the video above or anything else related to the real estate business, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

In the latest installment of our video series on the Five-S Model of customer experience, we’ll talk about the fourth S: surpass. I’ve found that the more I teach about customer experience, the more attuned to it I become as an observer—whether the experience was amazing or left much to be desired. In the real estate business, we should always be looking for ways that we can be better for our clients, and the “surpass” component of the Five-S Model is an opportunity for us to surprise and delight them.  Besides giving clients updates, checking in with them, asking for feedback, and satisfying all the basics of an overall great experience, it’s important to look for ways that we can go the extra mile and surpass expectations. As I travel around and meet with other agents, I continue to learn new ideas for doing this. Here’s one: As soon as your buyer or seller goes under contract, surprise them with a gift. Perhaps you can deliver packing tape, champagne or wine, or some other small gesture that celebrates the occasion. “The “surpass” component of the Five-S Model is an opportunity for us to surprise and delight our clients.” On top of that, rather than advising them to do this or that, look for opportunities to do certain things for your client. For example, if the seller you’re representing is moving out of their home in the coming days, show them that you’re willing to go above and beyond by bringing in a professional carpet cleaner, mowing their lawn one last time, or helping to offset their costs if that’s part of your approach.   Finally, your extra efforts should have the element of surprise and need to be carried out in a systematic, organized fashion. The best way to do this is to set reminders so that no matter how busy you get in your life and career, you don’t forget this important part of bolstering your customers’ experience. Of course, just because you have a system, it doesn’t mean you can’t personalize your gifts as well.  You don’t even have to reinvent the wheel. Whether it’s other real estate teams or leaders in entirely different industries like Nordstrom’s, Southwest, Disneyworld, or anyone you notice providing a world-class customer experience, there are other models out there that you can look to.   If you have any questions or if you’d like to share with me the unique ways in which you surprise and delight your clients, please give me a call at 918-706-9845 or send me an email at Jennie@TheWolekGroup.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

On the latest episode of Agent Success Secrets, I had the pleasure of speaking to Greenville, South Carolina Realtor Haro Setian. Haro came to Keller Williams in 2009, when the market was, of course, not in the best state. Despite entering the industry at a difficult time, Haro has absolutely thrived since then. Now, he’s going to explain how he did it. Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:  01:12 - Haro shares the story of how he got to where he is today 08:40 - How Haro finds agents who share his mission, vision, and values 13:21 - Three mistakes Haro has learned from in order to “fail forward” in his career 20:19 - How Haro avoids “shiny objects” as a real estate professional 21:59 - Haro shares what he thinks holds most agents back from achieving their potential 26:06 - Wrapping up our interview with one of Haro’s most difficult moments 30:01 - How you can get in touch with Haro If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give my team or me a call or send us an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Welcome back to another episode of “Your Journey with Jennie.” Today we’re continuing our look at the Five-S model of customer experience with the third “S”: Survey. After you have set up expectations with your clients and are in an agreement together, you’re going to survey with them along the way to figure out how you’re doing. This includes checking in with them and getting feedback. If you’re implementing “The Promise” into your business, this is going to be part of your plan. If we don’t ask, we don’t know and we won’t be able to correct any communication problems or errors to get better as soon as possible. “If we don’t ask, we don’t know.” There are plenty of different ways to survey. One way is with a system to measure and survey your clients after closing. Another way is to use surveys and reviews online post-closing. This could be done through apps, websites, or you could create your own.  Feedback is so important because you never want to assume how you did. You want others to tell you. If you do a great job and they leave a great review, that will attract even more business to you. If you have any questions for me about surveying or want to tell me about how you check this box in your business, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

It’s such an honor to have Wendy Papasan, owner of Papasan Properties, her with me again. We’ve gotten to know each other over the years, and I loved so much about her story. Wendy’s insight has so much value that can be shared with other agents across the country.  Today, Wendy and I will chat about how she got into this business, what her team looks like, how much she produces, and much, much more. For your convenience, I’ve cited timestamps below that will direct you to various points in the video above. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:  0:48—Introducing Wendy and her team2:10—How do you grow your business as a mom, a spouse, and as a community-giver?4:41—The systems and models that Wendy followed to allow for this level of success5:55—Balancing motherhood and a career8:07—Wendy’s guide to time blocking11:40—What Wendy has learned from her failures 14:41—Besides her family and her team, what else drives Wendy?17:42—Where Wendy learned that she loved to give back to the community20:00—What Wendy is most proud of22:03—How Wendy discovered her talent for empowering the leaders of her team24:11—Wrapping up our discussionIf you would like to contact Wendy, visit her website at www.PapasanProperties.com, or else find her on Facebook and Instagram. If you have any questions for me, I’d be delighted to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to give me a phone call or send me an email. Hope to hear from you soon! 

What does it mean to serve our clients? It means that whatever we told them we were going to do, we must do. People conduct business with people they trust, and it’s our job to make sure we live up to the way we present ourselves in our listing consultations or buyer presentations.  In other words, we must be the person we promised we would be. If we don’t do something we said we would do, people lose trust in us.  There are standards when it comes to building and maintaining communication, and these standards apply to our teams as well as our clients. What are your communication standards in terms of how often you reach out to your clients? It has to at least be weekly, right? We also have to communicate with our clients in other ways, and this will be leveraged through technology. This can include your CRM and other client management systems that allow you to touch base with them. “If we don’t do something we said we would do, people lose trust in us.” Additionally, you’ll leverage through people. Perhaps you have people on your team who’ll be in touch with your clients, so you want to make sure they’re properly set up and introduced to them.  Lastly, you’ll leverage though your vendor partners. During the home buying or selling process, you’re working with other people who are actually a part of your team as well.  With that being said, there are four tips you need to remember to facilitate great communication with your clients: Tell them what you’re going to do. Ask lots of questions and listen intently. Communicate with them weekly—I encourage this to be at least a phone call attempt. If they don’t answer, follow up with a text or email reiterating your message. Never put off bad news. No matter how bad it is, you have to get it over with, and if you have any part in this bad news, you have to own up to it and move forward.  If you have any questions about this aspect of the Five-S  model of the customer experience, don’t hesitate to call or email me. In the meantime, stay tuned for future videos where I’ll spotlight the other S’s so that you can have a better understanding of how to boost the quality of your customer experience. For any other questions or comments you may have, feel free to reach out to me and my team. We’d love to have a conversation with you. 

As Realtors, some of the best ways we can grow in our profession is by looking to the example of successful individuals in our industry. That’s why in today’s episode of Agent Success Secrets, I’ve brought on the very talented Sarita Dua for an interview about her story.  Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the interview. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:  00:25 - Introducing today’s guest: Sarita Dua 01:00 - Sarita shares her story 06:30 - How Sarita found success working with buyers 10:15 - What helped Sarita to understand the value of effective team structures and relationships 12:06 - The importance of using written agreements with buyers and sellers alike 14:14 - Sarita clarifies how she uses showing agents within her business 17:31 - How Sarita compensates her agents 18:42 - Sarita shares her perspective on personal and professional growth, and why she’s going back to school as an adult 24:22 - Sarita speaks about the “Opportunities” software 28:11 - Why Sarita believes overpreparing is better than underpreparing in the midst of a shifting market 28:54 - How to get in touch with Sarita If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.