GO WATCH 24

blogging to resume later tonight

All Set

Well, it was a long day – I’ve spent most of it preparing and re-preparing for today’s meeting, and I’m confident that I will walk out of the FSBO with a listing.

Why you ask? For starters, I truly believe that I will net them more money if they list with me, and since sales is a transferance of feeling, they will believe that they will net more as well. It also helps that I have a slam dunk listing presentation that I’ve poured over, and a comprehensive CMA (and I want to list it for more than it’s listed for now).

Things just seem to be going my way. I’ve lost 2 lbs since thursday, the Globe and Mail just came out endorsing the Conservatives, and I have so many great people helping me achieve my goals.

All of this, plus a great pep talk over dinner from some colleagues (who actually encouraged me to get into this proffession) has me feeling GREAT for this afternoon (especially if I can get some sleep).

I’m going to make today a GREAT day. Will you do the same?

Stay tuned for the results of my meeting… details to come tonight!

I have an appointment tomorrow!

Well, all my hard work over the last few weeks may pay off tomorrow; I have an appointment to present to a Private Seller why I’ll make him more money than I’ll cost.
The house is a big beautiful house over in Columbia Hills, and I can’t wait to list and sell it.

This is my first serious appointment with someone who has a house to sell, and I’m a little nervous, but I am well prepared. I have put together what I think is a Slam Dunk listing presentation,spelling out exactly how I will make and save them money.

My goal in this business is to help my clients build equity through smart Real Estate investments, and I hope to start a mutually profitable relationship for both of us tomorrow.

Any tips of words of encouragement are appreciated

Ben

On Integrity

This morning, I ventured into the office to put together some packages for some private sellers I was visiting later in the day. I was printing off some letters, and talking to another one of the agents in our office about how new agents could go about getting FSBOs.

Now, I knew shortly after he started that this was a complete waste of my time, because he started it with “now I’m not sure if this is ethical in the strictest sense, but” and it continued in that vain.

Now, he had good intentions at heart – to give me a method to create income for myself – but his suggestion gave me a light into his character.

I’m reminded of an event that happened a few weeks ago, where I made a suggestion to my friend Eitan (check out his blog, the link is on the right) that we do something fun, but would have had a negative (yet harmless) impact on someone else. Eitan reminded me that to have 80% integrity was the same as having none at all, and that if I did this one questionable act, I wouldn’t be as strong in other areas of my life.

Remember: it only takes one small unethical action to call your entire character into question.

(The quote “having 80% integrity is like having no integrity at all.” comes courtesy of Jay Seabrook at RRi)

On Prospecting and Politics

None of the owners at the FSBOs I went to were home! So, I just finished writing the letter I’m taking to tomorrow’s FSBOs, along with a good article on safety for sellers. I’m going to have to go around to them again, this time around 5:00 – I guess most people were away at work (like I was!)

I’m gearing up to watch the Debate tonight, I have a drinking game going: Everytime Martin Dithers, Lies, or Scares, I’m going to have a drink. Should be an early night.

Goals for tomorrow

Tomorrow I will introduce myself to five private sellers. That’s my goal for tomorrow.

I’ve never been good at setting goals (and meeting them) before, but after all I’ve learnt in the last few weeks since attending a Richard Robbins IGNITE conference, and after reading books by Zig Ziglar, Jim Remley and Keith Ferrazzi, I know I can set goals and exceed them. I’m using this blog as an accountability tool – my other’s being my Redhead and Paul, my BA coach – and that means that I want all of my readers to keep me accountable.

Email me anytime to ask me how I’m doing, or to make sure I’m meeting my goals!

I think it was Jim Rohn who said that anyone can set goals, but the real challenge is getting out your chisel and starting to work at your goal.

I’m committed to working towards my goals, and my clients will benefit from that.

Update re: FSBOs

Hey

The forecast calls for light blogging today and tomorrow since I’m at my folks house in London, but I did manage to settle on a FSBO listing service – Landvoice. They have reasonable rates, and from the number of leads they had in my market last year, they provide a great ROI.

Of course, as with everything else, the outcome depends on my actions! Luckily I’ve been absorbing tips and advice on FSBOs from anyone who will give them to me. If you have any tips, email them to me, please!

If anyone is interested, Mark Leader has a lot of great FSBO information for Realtors at his site. He is selling a coaching service, but has some valuable free information up as well (thanks for the tip Victoria!).

Soliciting advice

One of my goals this year is to learn more from the people around me. In pursuit of that, I have a favour to ask of my reader(s).

I am currently looking for a service that finds, aggregates and emails you FSBO listings in your local area. If anyone has any suggestions for a service that covers Kitchener Waterloo, I’d love to hear about it. Either email me @ ben dot bach at gmail dot com, or leave it in the comments.

Thanks!

1st day at our Kiosk location

Hey everyone, I’m blogging from Royal Lepage Wolle Realty’s Kiosk in Conestoga Mall, the largest mall in Waterloo. Although it might not be an obvious location for a second office, the kiosk we have in the mall attracts a lot of business from people who are thinking about moving into town, and people interested in selling or buying who happen to pass by it. Today is my first ‘duty shift’ at the Kiosk – most agents get 2 per month, and some have seen a tremendous amount of business out of it.

I know a few agents don’t like duty shifts, or floor time, but I look at it as an excellent way to get business by providing top notch service to people who come to me with questions!

So far its uneventful, but I’m sure it will pick up (and land me a big client!).

Sharon suffers stroke

From Debka.com:

Prime minister’s powers passed to Acting PM Ehud Olmert Wednesday night, Jan. 4, after Ariel Sharon suffered a “significant” stroke. He is in emergency surgery to drain massive cerebral bleeding

January 4, 2006, 10:25 PM (GMT+02:00)

The operation will take several hours. Hospital dep. dir. Prof. Shmuel Shapira: the stroke occurred on his way to hospital and his condition deteriorated rapidly thereafter.

Sharon was suddenly rushed to Hadassah Ain Karem hospital in Jerusalem with chest pains from his ranch south of Beersheba the day before he was due to go into the same hospital for heart surgery. DEBKAfile’s sources report that the first impression of medical specialists is that the prime minister may have suffered internal hemorrhage as a result of the anti-coagulant shots administered twice a day in the three weeks since his first thrombosis. His condition is cause for concern.

Keep Sharon in your thoughts tonight – think positive.