BEST PRACTICE
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Complete productivity plan for real estate agents: Tony Rowe
Do you find yourself stuck in a continuous loop of procrastination with a to-do list as long as your arm? Learning how to be efficient, effective and organised can take some effort, but it is achievable with the right approach. Here is a list of 12 things you can do to become more productive, less distracted and better serve your…
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Convert copy into clients
Not everyone has the luxury of hiring a copywriter to draft their prospecting emails and letters. But with a little bit of practise, anyone can nail the five principles of sales writing that converts prospects to clients. 1 RIGHT MESSAGE, RIGHT PERSON, RIGHT TIME These are the three elements of all successful sales and marketing copy. The goal of marketing…
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The number one reason partnerships fail
Many businesses are owned by more than one principal. Sometimes these multipleprincipal businesses are family businesses with one spouse looking after sales and the other looking after property management and back office. Sometimes, they are successful businesses with unrelated principals working together. However, not all partnerships are successful. Many of them fail. There can be a whole range of reasons…
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“The Cheat is not the Treat” (or what I learned during a 30-day challenge – and beyond)
Living your best life means something different to every person and it doesn’t have to mean fame, fortune or a million dollars in GCI. Your definition may be drastically different from that of your spouse, partner or boss, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The important thing to remember is that it is never too…
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Spring into action
Can you hear the relief of the recharging real estate market? With opportunity everywhere, how can you invigorate your sales team to change gears and take advantage of new market sentiment? There are some foundation areas you need to have right to ensure your sales team starts the spring selling season well. Regardless of the technology that supports your real…
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5 ways to bring CEO thinking to your business
You may have noticed that every large business has a chief executive officer at the helm. As businesses grow, they recognise the need to hire an individual who is responsible for the overall success of the business and has the ultimate authority to make final decisions. The CEO sets the culture and business standards and they determine the mission and…
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The ebbs and flows of real estate: Nathan Jones
The ebb and flow of the real estate industry in Australia has been well-documented over the past year, from ongoing discussions around the state of the market to the Royal Commission into Australia’s banking sector. However, it seems pertinent to reflect on the impact we have seen across the industry when it comes to the…
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Are you working to live or living to work?
More and more Australians are going above and beyond in the workplace, and the real estate industry is far from immune. Kate Strickland ponders the big question of inner guilt and fostering the work/life balance.
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Byron Kerr: A new brand of leader
Byron Kerr isn’t afraid of declining stock levels. In the 2018-2019 financial year, when the Melbourne market was on a downward slide, the O’Brien Real Estate Mentone director and his team sold more properties than the year before. “It was a market with decreased stock levels of about 25 per cent,” he said. “Yet we increased market share by 12…
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Business auditor reveals the 7 most frequent failures by Australian organisations
A leading global risk management provider has revealed the most common reasons why organisations fail to meet the goals they set. SAI Global is a trusted global leader in risk management solutions through its standards, assurance and training offerings across more than 130 countries. Over the years they’ve audited thousands of organisations – from the ASX top 200 to SMEs.…
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Divide your database in order to conquer
Have you heard the term “divide and conquer”? Of course you have, but what does it have to do with real estate, you’re thinking? When it comes to your database you need to divide in order to conquer. More gently put, I’m talking about long-term nurture versus an active, short-term pipeline of potential vendors. Your strategy around these two similar,…
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Business game plan
Firstly, yes: a business plan is important and can help greatly, but a business plan has no hope without belief and action. Having the belief and intention of mind is what creates success, writing it down is just a reminder. So giving yourself a clear reminder of what you want to achieve in the form of a hard copy plan…
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Financial wellness for agents: Mikaela Patterson
What’s the difference between success and financial wellness? In real estate, success is different from one individual to the next. It could mean pulling up at a listing presentation in the Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster or opening an office in the adjoining postcode. For others, it’s taking every second Friday off to play golf. So what’s financial wellness? Equally, it’s different…
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How agents can thrive in a challenging market
Over the past decade, Australia has been in a golden age of property that has seen increasing house prices, happy vendors and competitive buyers – an environment that made things relatively easy for the average real estate agent. However, recent lower auction clearance rates and stagnating buyer activity means agents need to roll up their sleeves and take a new…
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12 tips for better telephone technique
It seems like one of the simplest tasks – making a phone call. Yet it is one so many professionals, real estate agents included, fear and fail at. With that in mind, here are my top 12 tips for getting traction on the telephone, improving your telephone technique and, ultimately, boosting your sales performance. Familiarity breeds liking Do your homework…
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What goes on tour lasts long after the tour: Hannah Gill
One of my favourite things about our industry is the focus on and range of professional development opportunities. We have no shortage of conferences, forums, round tables and resources to choose from. There are also so many quality and diverse trainers, speakers, coaches and facilitators, we’re spoilt for choice! In the last few years, I’ve been fortunate enough to attend…
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Don’t run the risk of having to pay for company debts yourself
Recent changes to company tax obligations could put company directors at increased risk of being personally liable for the Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SCG), according to legal experts Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers. They explain amendments to the Commonwealth legislation in April have extended the enforcement measures and decreased the reporting timeframes for a company’s SCG obligations. Meanwhile, further proposed legislation could have…
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Workplace wellness key to success
The best leaders are staying abreast of current global wellness trends and applying them to their own businesses. Then they are closing the gap between what employees value in regards to wellness and wellbeing and what employers provide. Finally, they are focusing on what they can control and influence to improve wellness and wellbeing in the workplace. Following and implementing…
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Five signs you need to improve your business operations and how get started
Efficiency is such a buzz word right now. In real estate, everyone is talking about how they need to become more efficient to remain competitive in a tech-enabled future. In part, much of this relates to having great, repeatable processes that allow you to manage more customers with fewer resources. In sales, you can scale a team and handle more…
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Four missed opportunities that are costing your business
The agencies who will come out of this cycle stronger than they entered it are those who are proactively and critically assessing their people. Using processes and technology, they are taking care to implement changes and future-proof their business. Want to be amongst their number? An area you should interrogate is your underlying business systems. It can be a daunting…
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Finding your break-even point to make better business decisions: John Knight
In business, there are hundreds of numbers you could be tracking and the key is to know which one to focus on at the right time. Recently we’ve had a number of discussions with clients where they have expressed concerns about whether or not they should cut costs in their business. ‘Is it time to batten down the hatches?’ ‘We…
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Pareto people: Sarah Dawson
What do the humble green pea and real estate have in common? The Pareto Principle. The brain child of Italian philosopher and economist Vilfredo Frederico Damaso Pareto, the concept evolved from his observation that 20 per cent of the pea plants in his garden generated 80 per cent of the healthy pea pods. Commonly known as the 80/20 rule, the…
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Reimagine, realign, rebuild
The number one thing leaders need to do in turbulent markets is to reinvest – in people, process and resources. You’ll never cost-cut your way to greatness. To build a great business, you need to be super clear on your operating system. That operating system is built on three foundations: 1. Purpose – why you’re here, what you do for…
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Why creativity makes better leaders
Why do Gandhi, Elvis and Steve Jobs stand out in their respective fields? What is it that makes them different? It’s simple – creativity. Their ability to think outside the box. Their ability to dream and act on that dream. We see leaders, big and small, in everyday life. Every leader has basic problem solving, awareness, communication, decision making and…
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Making your time make you money
No matter what industry you’re in, once you’re looking to grow and take success to the next level, you’re no longer a real estate agent, lawyer, builder, baker, or business consultant. You’re a marketer. And your product is you.
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How to break through the emotional barriers that may be holding you back
Things most people want: to be able to manage their time more effectively, forget self-limiting beliefs and, of course, the ability to make more money.
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It’s the climb: Jet Xavier
In May 2019 I will be taking a group of real estate professionals on a personal development trek to Mt Everest’s Base Camp. The aim of the trek is to help them grow as humans, and also to raise money for the charity Seven Women, which is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. But what many people don’t realise is that the…
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How a SWOT analysis will help your results improve immediately
Q. Last year was very challenging – what can I do to reset for 2019? – Jonathan Warren, Independent Property Group Canberra The new year allows you the chance to do three key things in your business which I call the 3R Principle. Reflect Take the time to review every part of your business by understanding where your results came…
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A new reality: Kate Strickland
When Jess first started her job in real estate, she loved it. She went to work every day filled with passion and purpose, excited about the prospects her new job offered. Fast forward a few years and she now wakes every morning with a feeling of unease. Her sleep is suffering, she’s putting herself last and as such her health…
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Press to success: 19 ideas for agents to get noticed by the media
Writing and sharing a press release is an excellent way to generate awareness and buzz for your business, and it can even be an integral part of your content or property marketing strategy. Writing a press release is a bit different from writing a blog post, as you can’t just hit a publish button- you need to get past a…
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Is the real estate industry too picky?
By all accounts the recruitment market for quality candidates is a competitive space, with over 5,000 agencies in NSW alone vying for top-quality candidates – making it as ruthless as the real estate climate today. In this market, there are a few key factors to consider when looking at your internal people plan. Be clear on your non-negotiables It is possible…
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The uncomfortable actions you need to take to achieve your goals
Most people think that goal achievement is just about writing a set of actions and targets, whereas it is actually about taking actions to achieve your desired goal. Goals provide a purpose for our actions, be they personal or career-related. They can broadly be categorised into outcome goals, performance goals and process goals. Outcome goals are macro-view goals: the big picture,…
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Is it time to interrupt yourself?
As we leave one year behind and look towards the new one, we often find ourselves with the best intentions, feeling totally committed to new outcomes and results. We take time to set our goals and truly desire to do better, do differently and achieve new standards – only to find that after a short period we have reverted to…
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How being quiet can help you find your voice
Recently I went on a 10-day residential retreat to learn an ancient Buddhist meditation technique called Vipassana. It required not talking for 10 days, meditating for 10 hours a day, fasting for 18 hours a day taking only a little fruit occasionally, and being shut out from everything I’ve known in my world for the last 53 years. I did it because…
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Focus on the opportunities: Mark McLeod
Talking to a team of agents on the Gold Coast recently, I asked them to picture a football team who has been playing on a dry surface for the last few years when all of a sudden they have a wet, rain-affected pitch to play on. If the players don’t adapt their game, they will lose. In that game, there will…
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