Book Review Shift

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SHIFT: SHIFT: How How top real top real estate estate agents agents tackle tough tackle tough timestimesBy Gary Keller


SHIFT by Gary Keller

As is the case with all of my reports, this is NOT intended to replace your reading the book –

rather, it shares the main concepts with you so you can

use thisas you are reading.



“The worst that happens to you can be the best

thing for you, if you don’t let it get the best of you.”

Unknown



“This is not the first time real estate professionals have been in

this position (a market shift). What’s happening to you today has happened before and is destined to happen again. Real estate markets shift. They always have and always

will.”



Shifts happen … what goes up must come down. AND (here is the

good news) what is down won’t stay there.

SO … the question is,why in the world do we act so

surprised when the market shifts?



In other words, our profession has learned to

live with the regular seasonal “shifts,” but we become challenged by

irregular economic shifts.



We actually deal with shift all of the time … real estate is cyclical during different times of the year … great agents learn when they will have more income and when they will

have less due to the seasonality of the business … and they plan

accordingly.



So what exactly IS a shift?•A shift occurs when supply and demand move out of balance•Buyer’s market: more than 7 months of inventory•Balanced market: 5-7 months of inventory•Seller’s market: less than 5 months of inventory



As real estate professionals, we always seem to be wanting the BALANCED MARKET, when in

reality, a balanced market only happens when we are transitioning

BETWEEN markets … and a balanced market, as a result, does

not last very long!



Why does a BUYER’s Market create so much pain?

1.If leads to fewer sales and less available income2.It tends to be “abrupt and precipitous” (local shifts usually happen fast and dramatically)



What factors influence an economic shift?

1.Currency exchange rates2.Political climate3.Interest rates4.Inflation5.Population6.Jobs7.Household income8.Neighborhood dynamics9.Housing prices



“If individuals understand a shift or have actually experienced one, they

know they have to push past the fear and face two tests – first to survive and then to thrive. They

have to hang tough until the Law of Equilibrium reasserts itself. Then it’s

opportunity time!”



The Law of EquilibriumThis law states that “the available income in a market determines the number of agents in the market. As the number of transactions

rises, so does the number of agents. Conversely, when the number of available transactions falls, so does the number of

agents. People are attracted to the industry by the perceived income opportunity and

driven out by the reality of the competition for it.”



“There is now more business relative to the

number of people working to get it. THIS IS THE TIME

TO THRIVE.”



UNDERSTAND THIS:Agents CAN and DO thrive in “down markets” – not

everyone will, but anyone can!



So are YOU ready to learn the 12 tactics you need to deploy in order to thrive in this shift?



TACTIC #1:Get real, get right – mindset and action



Tactic #1:Tactic #1:•When a market shifts, there is only 1 thing to do – shift with it (both mentally and with action)•Success is never about the chosen few, but always about the few who chose.•You can’t control the market, but you can control your reaction to it – your outlook and response.•Always be prepared for the low tide•The difference between a career with HAVING and one worth HEAVING is the amount of focused action you take very day.

(Continued)



Tactic #1:Tactic #1:•Ask yourself “what must be done right?” and “what must be done now?”•CAUTION: What worked yesterday probably won’t work today … nor tomorrow•You MUST take control over and ownership of LEAD GENERATION and LEAD CONVERSION•The most humbling lesson of a shift is this: you succeed in good times not only because of what you do right, but also in spite of what you do wrong

(Continued)



Tactic #1:Tactic #1:•Top agents become top agents by mastering the fundamentals•When business gets tight, they reveal themselves a the timeless factors that determine the difference between success or failure. •School is NEVER out for the motivate•THE BASICS ARE NEVER OUTDATED



TACTIC #2:Re-margin your

business – expense management



Tactic #2:Tactic #2:•The most successful people are those who are good at plan B•The #1 determinant of THRIVING is lead generation, BUT, the #1 determinant of SURVIVING is expense management.•ALWAYS work from a position of profitability.•In up markets we tend to acquire habits and patterns of doing things that don’t stop us in good times, but grind us to a halt in bad times.

(Continued)



Tactic #2:Tactic #2:

•When a shift hits, initially everyone gets hit equally – those that will survive will be the ones that cut, cut, cut, cut expenses … and then cut some more•When you lead from a position of profit, your world is full of possibilities.



TACTIC #3:Do more with less

-- LEVERAGE



Tactic #3:Tactic #3:•A market shift can be an opportunity to evaluate, upgrade, and top grade your business.•“If you want to stay ahead, then play like you are behind.”•Your goal should be to generate leads at the highest possible level with the least amount of resources.•If you know what needs to be done and when it must be done, then you’re left with who and how – people and systems.

(Continued)



Tactic #3:Tactic #3:•The people part of your business begins with you – are you maximizing your own productivity, doing what matters most?•“The challenge in a shift is that in order to do more with less, you must make sure that the less can do more!”•Be careful – others on your team will rarely make the leap in a shift on their own – they need to be led through the change.•Topgrade people and upgrade systems.

(Continued)



Tactic #3:Tactic #3:•Ask yourself how you can execute a task with less effort and expense and still maintain high effectiveness.•Everything must be extremely purposeful and streamlined.



Tactic #3:Tactic #3:The 6 Core Competencies of a BusinessThe 6 Core Competencies of a Business

1. Lead generate, capture and convert to appointments2.Present to buyers and sellers and get agreements3.Show buyers and market sellers4.Write and negotiate contracts5.Coordinate the sale to closing6.Manage the money



Tactic #3:Tactic #3:7 Steps to Talent Shift7 Steps to Talent Shift

1. Sit down with your people and share your vision for your business – tell them the truth about your situation and where you see it going.2.Visit with each person to see if they’re with you and willing to do whatever it takes.3.Realign job descriptions around the 6 core competencies.4.Set easy-to-measure goals, standards, and activities for each person.5.Establish a simple training schedule so everyone knows what to do, how to do it, and what is expected of them.6.Meet weekly with each individual to evaluate their success. Inspect what you expect!7.Celebrate the small victories as well as the big ones.



TACTIC #4:Find the motivated

– LEAD GENERATION



Tactic #4:Tactic #4:•Ask yourself “What am I doing or spending money on that is no longer effective since the market shifted?”•Figure out your top 10 sources of leads.•If your leads are diminishing, then not all of your lead sources are working – figure out what is and isn’t bringing you business.•The 2 M’s of Lead Generation: Your message and your method.

(Continued)



Tactic #4:Tactic #4:•Ask yourself “Why would someone want to contact me in this market? What would they get if they did?”•You must prospect AND market! However, when leads decrease, prospecting must increase!•Taking open houses beyond the basics: do you put a sign in the yard OR do you add balloons, riders, directional signs, flyers the week before, meet the neighbors, call and remind everyone of the open house, and hold 4 other open houses in the area?

(Continued)



Tactic #4:Tactic #4:•NOW is the time to shift your lead generation activities into the highest gear possible.•“If it’s to be, it’s up to me, and I need leads coming straight to me.”•In order to be successful, you must master the specific and meaningful scripts, dialogues, and skills of lead generation.•Stop doing what doesn’t work, figure out what DOES work, and ramp it up!

(Continued)



Tactic #4:Tactic #4:•To be effective, you must be effective at blocking your time!•Successful agents block personal time, lead generating time, and planning time.•Block 3 hours a day for lead generation: 1 hour to prepare, 1 hour to take action, and 1 hour to maintain



In the end, you must decide how much you want to succeed and

how much you’re willing to do to make it

happen.



You must lead generate … and do lots of it –

every day for several hours … you must ramp

it up!



TACTIC #5:Get to the table –

LEAD CONVERSION



Tactic #5:Tactic #5:•Lead generation is more than getting a name and number – without getting the appointment, what good is it? CONVERSION MATTERS!•Until you have done conversion, you don’t really have a lead.•Do you like to fish OR do you like to CATCH FISH?•Our business is about getting appointments, buyer and seller agreements, and contracts.•The key to success in setting appointments boils down to 2 things: knowing what to say and then knowing what to do. (Continued)



Tactic #5:Tactic #5:•A lead is only a lead IF you have captured a person’s contact information•Scripts are vital to your success – the interesting thing about them is that they are OBSERVED one way and EXPERIENCED another – in other words, they feel repetitive to you, but they can feel warm, sincere and natural to the person on the other side of the dialogue.•You must learn how to close for an appointment – learn how to ask and how to respond.

(Continued)




•You must become great at cultivating a relationship with those who are not ready YET to meet with you.



Tactic #5:Tactic #5:The 10 Classic Closes that Work(examples of each in the book)

1.Hard close2.Soft close3.Direct close4.Indirect close5.Trial close6.Assumptive close7.Negative-Positive close8.Take Back close9.Tie Down close10.Alternative Choice close



TACTIC #6:Catch people in

your web – Internet lead conversion



“You can’t expect to meet the challenges of today with yesterday’s

tools and expect to be in business tomorrow.”



Tactic #6:Tactic #6:•If your website isn’t consistently generating appointments with motivated buyers and sellers, then it isn’t earning it’s keep.•Buyers don’t care if you have a website – they just want to look at homes and neighborhoods, and if you have a good website, they will use it to help them find what they are looking for.•A website should be a tool for you to offer consumers what they want in exchange for what you want.

(Continued)



Tactic #6:Tactic #6:•Make sure your website gives the consumer a reason to call or email you (i.e., free report, etc.)•You need to have a compelling and memorable domain name for your website.•You need a professional design•Buyers want this from your website: ability to search for properties, instant notification on properties, search savers, neighborhood information, school information, and info on how to buy a home.

(Continued)



Tactic #6:Tactic #6:•Your best chances of converting someone on your website is to call them while they are still on your site. SPEED USUALLY WINS!•FOR EVERY 700 VISITORS YOU DRIVE TO YOUR SITE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO CAPTURE APPROXIMATELY 20 SELLER AND 20 BUYER REGISTRATIONS THAT SHOULD YIELD AN AVERAGE OF ONE BUYER APPOINTMENT AND ONE SELLER APPOINTMENT.

(Continued)



Tactic #6:Tactic #6:•Use “thin bait” and “fat bait” with your Internet lead generation:

– Thin bait gets people to your site – it’s what they expect– Fat bait consists of the special or unexpected offers that get

them to register.

•NOT HAVING A REGISTRATION IS NOT AN OPTION!•If you aren’t getting people to register on your site, do something different immediately.



The Internet Lead Generation Model

1.Create & maintain a presence2.Lead generate for traffic3.Capture, connect, cultivate and close leads



TACTIC #7:Price ahead of the

market – Seller Pricing Strategies



Tactic #7:Tactic #7:•Script for sellers: “We’re in a race against time. The best price you’ll get is the one you get now. If you wait, it will be lower.”•Sellers with a price reduction need 2 to 3 times longer to sell, potentially delaying their move and increasing their carrying costs.•Not only do you need to master the science and skill of pricing, you also need to master the art of persuasion.•In a shift, most sellers are actually “tryers who never become solds!” (Continued)



Tactic #7:Tactic #7:•The direction in which a market is moving and the speed at which it is moving determine pricing strategies.•There can be a big difference between what a home is worth and what it will sell for!•“There is a gap between what a seller thinks and the realistic price they can get – that gap is where your skills must work.”•Sellers in a sellers market must outthink other sellers by getting ahead of them.

(Continued)



Tactic #7:Tactic #7:•In every market, there are TWO MARKETS: One where properties are priced to sell and another where properties are priced to sit.•“A home has the most value the day it hits the market.” (Mike Mendoza)



Tactic #7:Tactic #7:7 Maxims for Pricing in a Shifted Market

1.Be a student of your market – know your numbers2.Focus your main comps on actives – pendings and solds may already be out of date3.Be a student of property – preview them so you understand what is selling and why4.Keep your presentation as current as possible5.Prequalify for motivation6.Price ahead of the market to avoid chasing it7.Always secure price reductions in advance to avoid falling behind the market



TACTIC #8:Stand out from the

Competition – Seller Staging

Strategies



Tactic #8:Tactic #8:•“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Edison•Stating IS an essential part of the marketing process.•The moment a house goes on the market, a seller’s personal taste must go out the window. It’s now time to have it as a buyer pleases.•Staging the home for pictures on the internet is the most important marketing thing you do.

(Continued)




•Use the stating 3P-2F formula – plantings, paintings, pictures, fixtures, and furnishings.•The best stagers not only make the house look great, but also create a vision of what living in the home would be like for the buyer.



TACTIC #9:Create Urgency –

Overcoming Buyer Reluctance



Tactic #9:Tactic #9:•The paradox of a buyer’s market: when they should have been afraid of paying too much, they weren’t – and now that they shouldn’t be afraid of paying too much – they are!•“Buyers can’t wait for headlines to say, ‘Buy Now.’ Headlines will only let you know when the best time to buy has passed.” Shaun Rawls•The problem with waiting until prices hit bottom is that you won’t know you have hit bottom until prices are already headed back up … then it’s too late.

(Continued)



Tactic #9:Tactic #9:•Real buyers ask themselves “Has the market dropped enough now to make a sensible purchase?”•3 ways to energize buyer urgency: (1) Become the local economics of choice; (2) help them tap into their “why”; (3) address buyer reluctance•Buyers should know that buying the family home and playing the stock market are two entirely different things

(Continued)



Tactic #9:Tactic #9:•When the market shifts, you must be or become more than “just a real estate salesperson.” You must actually become their local authority, the real estate expert they know and trust so that anything they hear about real estate they will filter through YOUR advice.



Tactic #9:Tactic #9:4 Strategies to Overcome Buyer Reluctance

1.Why wait? (the hazards of timing the market)2.Trade up (opportunity of a down market)3.Less is more (narrowing the field)4.Find a best buy (get while the gettin’s good)



TACTIC #10:Expand the Options

– Creative Financing



Tactic #10:Tactic #10:•Affordability drives the real estate industry•Creative financing can come from sellers, buyers, and/or lenders•3 things impact a buyer’s ability to get a loan: credit, income and assets•You don’t necessarily need to be a master at financing BUT you do need to have a clear understanding of the market, the players, and the options available.•Caution: Make sure you know that if you can’t disclose it to everyone and put it on a closing statement, it probably isn’t legal.



TACTIC #11:Master the market of the moment – short

sales, foreclosures and REOs




•There are many individuals who now need short sale and foreclosure service – it you can help them out, you will earn customers for life and numerous referrals.•A market shift can be a moment of truth for your career.•Short sales, foreclosures and REOs are what we call the “market of the moment.



TACTIC #12:Bulletproof the

transaction – issues and solutions



Tactic #12:Tactic #12:•“If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I would spend 6 sharpening my ax.” Abraham Lincoln•The number one challenge we all face is the level of the sales skills of he co-op agent.•In a transaction, assume everything will go wrong and then come up with ways to possibly prevent them from happening or effectively deal with them if they do.•Your job is to bulletproof BEFORE the bullet hits you!



Tactic #12:Tactic #12:6 Transaction Issues you Need to Bulletproof

1.Inspections and repairs2.Appraisals3.Loan approval and funding4.Other contingencies5.Co-op agent6.Deadlines



Closing Remarks:Closing Remarks:•Successful people shift•Don’t wish your business life away – the good and the bad, the hard and the easy, all work together to shape the person you become.•Now is the time to get real about your situation and get right about what you’re doing.•Re-margin your business and get serious about expense management and profitability.•Learn to do more with less.•Focus your lead generation on finding motivated clients.

(continued)



Closing Remarks:Closing Remarks:•Memorize and internalize the conversion process and the scripts of lead capture, connect, and close.•Catch people in your WEB and focus your Internet strategy on capturing contact information.•Master seller pricing so your listings are always “in the market.”•Master staging strategies•Help buyers overcome reluctance and acquire genuine urgency.•Build a creative finance team around you

(continued)



Closing Remarks:Closing Remarks:•Participate in the “market of the moment”•Bulletproof your transactions•You have everything you need to become a top producing agent – SO START ACTING YOUR WAGE!•Ask yourself “If I could do just one thing that would make the biggest difference in my business, what would it be?” …. Then

– Do you know how to do it?– Do you need anything to do it?– Do you need any help doing it?

(continued)



Closing Remarks:Closing Remarks:•Failing at something isn’t failing – unless you give up!•Success never comes to the chosen few, but the few who choose!



STOP!!Now go get your own copy of SHIFT … read it, then read it again,

and again, and again….

Book Review Shift

Real Estate

Transcript of Book Review Shift