How often do you check FB, email, and voicemail per day? Is your business open 24/7 or do your operate your business with boundaries?

Boundaries are the foundation of all businesses, particularly for entrepreneurs. Start each day with your end results in mind, putting yourself first.

When is your downtime?

When is your family time?

Time for exercise?

Time for education, growth and development?

What hours are you open for business?

Consider shortening your work day - remember how productive you become just before a vacation. Delegate what’s not in the best interest of your business that you do. Say no to time wasters…know what they are and when they show up.

Ask yourself every morning, “If I only had a few hours to accomplish my highest income generating activities today, what would my priorities be”?

Starting or growing a business has its rewards as well as it challenges. If we choose or must do everything ourselves, then we are the whole team….and not typically operating as effectively as we could.

If we decide that there are tasks and activities that can best be delegated to others, then we should choose our team wisely.

Team members that are consistently on social media sites, organizing personal events, who over promise and under deliver or are just not interested in anything more than working their set hours and receiving their pay check can and will eventually deteriorate or stunt the growth of a business.

So how do you find team members that are not only committed and loyal, but are interested in growing and developing with you?

• Know precisely what you want and need… itemize it in detail before even starting to look.
• Have each potential candidate take a personality test to make sure they are the right fit for the position and you.
• Hire on a short contract basis so that if they don’t work out, you have not invested a lot of time and energy….extend their contract if everything is working out great.
• Have your team members pay for their own education and advancement and offer incentives that if they stay with you and work out, in a pre-determined time frame, you will reimburse them.
• If your team is not adding value to your business, let them go before complacency sets in.
• Hire slow and fire fast.
• Keep In mind that you can train on skill, but you can’t train attitude.

If you would like complement guide on how to work with an assistant, please click here.

What Are You Saying?

Have a look at your website and marketing material. Are you promoting all the incredible ways your visitors can benefit from Your products or services? Or how great Your company is and why You are their best choice?  OR does it focus on your Customer? Do you focus on Their needs, wants and desires? Do you focus on THEM or on YOU?

By focusing on the visitor more and you less, you have a higher chance for conversion. So check your language.

Just imagine being cornered at a party or networking event and only hearing about Me, Me Me Me Me. After just a few minutes you’re plotting a plausible reason - any reason, to escape.  The next time you spot Mr. Self Centered, you sprint for the nearest hideout.

This same feeling can happen when the primary focus on your promotional material becomes centred more on You rather than on what you can do for Them.

At PRA Training we train our students to audit your website and promotional material because we know how important your bottom line is.

Speaking through your promotional material with an emphasis on Them instead of You, will guarantee more interest and a higher conversion rate. For more information visit www.pratraining.com

Does Your Assistant “Own” Their Job?

Fact: Your assistant has a job.

Fact: You own your real estate business.

Many people have jobs, but very few actually own their jobs. To own your job you need to be passionate about what it is you do, accountable for the commitments that you make, able to be confident in every task that you undertake, and know and understand your limitations. Does your assistant own their job?

1. Do they make a daily effort to support you, the REALTOR®?
2. Have or are they being proactive in the creation and implementation of systems?
3. Do they demonstrate confidence and competency in their day to day activities?
4. Are they dedicated to keeping their education and knowledge of the industry current?
5. Do they strive to provide the same level of service to clients as you do?
6. Do they understand the limitations of their position?
7. Do they work to reduce your risk and liability?

Owning one’s job will not happen overnight, it will take time for them to develop the confidence and understanding in their position to understand how to create and implement systems to support the business of the REALTOR®.

How do you own your job?

Do you lay your staff off when times get slow or do you put them to good use?

Real estate changes on a daily basis. The economy, the season and your point of view will have a lot to do with how busy your business is.

One thing that I know for sure is that a real estate business will experience peaks and valleys. We will be busy….and we will not.

What’s the answer to having a more consistent business?

First let’s look at why we experience such peaks and valleys. We start off working hard. We prospect, follow up, market, work, work, work……then, our deals start to come together. While our deals are coming together, we put our work work work on prospecting activities on pause, because we are too busy putting and keeping our deals together. But once all these deals come together, we step back and ask ourselves, “Where did everybody go?”

Some of us will hit the panic button and the first thing to go is our staff.

Here are some things to consider;

• Do you prospect on a daily basis, no matter how busy you are?
• When times get slow do you push the panic button or do you make it the right time to get out there again?
• Does your support staff know how they can best support you to grow and succeed?

There is no easy way to succeed in business. The truth is you have to work hard and most importantly be consistent in your marketing and prospecting.

What do you do on a daily basis to ensure your business succeeds no matter what the economy does?

What Should Your Assistant Be Doing?

A question that we get asked often is: “What should my assistant be doing right now?” The answer is quite simple: support their REALTOR® and make them money. Here are some ways that an assistant can provide support to make more money:

1. Schedule meetings for planning. Assistants need to know what your goals are for the upcoming week and how they will need to support you.
2. Take a “snapshot” of where the business is at. Summarize the number of the REALTOR’S® listings that sold, expired and were terminated, the number of sales completed, and which clients are still actively looking in the upcoming year. Include the total sales volume for the year and the goal set at the beginning of the year, how do they compare?
3. Regularly checking out what other REALTORS® are doing for marketing. Are there any ideas or techniques that could be adapted for their marketing projects?
4. Think in systems to streamline productivity and efficiency. Is there a clear process in place for when contracts come in? Is your marketing plan systemized? If it’s not, what could be implemented to systemize it?
5. Research networking opportunities with other REALTORS® and local businesses. Assist in relationship building with businesses in your area.

An assistant should always be looking for ways to improve their efficiency, add value and support their licensee. Remember, a good assistant will do what you tell them, a great assistant will do what you need done before you need to tell them.

What is it we really want from our support staff?

I put a question out to my associates and friends asking them “if their assistant could do one thing to make their business rock, what would it be?” and here are the top answers that seemed to be a consensus.

1. Bring in business
2. Be on top of all details
3. Be friendly, positive and professional
4. Have a passion for their goals as well as those of the company
5. Provide top notch client care
6. Stick to systems
7. Keeping you top of minds with clients

It was interesting to see that all of the feedback was focused on attributes over skill. Skill and knowledge is one of those essentials that needs to be in place in order to run any business. With time and patience it can be achieved.

Attributes or attitude on the other hand, are what differentiates us between good and great. Wanted or let go. Successful or mediocre. Valuable or not.

Do you ever stop to give yourself an attitude check?

Syndicating Communications With Evernote

Maintaining open channels of communication between team members can be challenging, especially if you are not in the office regularly. How do you share your ideas with others on your team? Email? Text messages? A little notebook? These are all great ways to keep track of ideas, events and tasks but how do you use them?

The problem that many people have is that they have all of their great ideas and inspirations recorded in different areas. Evernote is a software program to store, sort and synchronize lists and ideas from where ever you are, with whoever you choose. This free web-based program stores information, ideas, images, webpages, notes and lists in a way that they can be “tagged” and sorted for easy reference in the future.

Another benefit is that, as a REALTOR®, you will be able to share ideas and images from the road, or webpages that you viewed late at night with the rest of your team. It will allow your team to do the same with their ideas, images, webpages and more. If you work with a virtual assistant this is a great program to share documents and tasks.

Evernote is especially useful for paperless offices, as it allows you to store your receipts, categorize email messages, “clip” articles from the internet, photos and more storing them for easy retrieval.

Evernote is available for free from www.evernote.com, once you have downloaded the program for your computer; make sure to check out “The Trunk” for applications for smartphones and tablets.

Meetings With A Purpose

At the beginning of the year many people say that they are going to hold or attend regular meetings. Usually the first couple of weeks will go smoothly, but what happens when things start to get busier again? One of the first activities that falls by the wayside is holding and attending meetings. Only meetings that have a predefined structure will be able to stand the test of time.

So how do you hold a meeting with a purpose?

1. Determine in advance what you want to accomplish at the meeting. Is it a meeting to discuss progress towards a goal, to touch base with your team, or to respond to an issue that has come up? This will let everyone attending the meeting know how to prepare for the meeting.
2. Have a start time and a finish time and stick to them. Knowing that a meeting will last for a set length of time will be easier to fit into a busy schedule.
3. Schedule the meeting and let all who are expected to attend know when and where the meeting is to be held. Attach a copy of what you are going to cover in the meeting and encourage the attendants to prepare relevant information from their projects to present, and any concerns or issues that they may have.
4. Pick a time to meet again and set goals for what you want to achieve for the next meeting. Determine which tasks can be assigned to administrative staff for assistance.

Holding and attending regular meetings will help you and your team to maintain a strong connection and to stay focused on achieving goals.

How do you keep your meetings on track?

Failing to plan = planning to fail

As 2012 begins, we begin to think about what our life will look like over the next year. If you have sat down and made plans, set goals and created a vision for the year to come, good for you.

Creating a road map for your business and your personal life will be your guiding light to reach your desired goals. Consider this, imagine getting into a taxi in a very big city and saying to the driver “take me somewhere nice” Where would you end up? How long would it take you to get there?

Without a clear end in mind it’s impossible to reach your destination.

If you haven’t sat down to plan, here are some suggestions for you to consider;

1. Imagine your desired results. Athletes use imaginary to win metals, if it works for them imagine how powerful it could be for you.
2. Chunk down your big vision into smaller, consistent actions that you can commit to.
3. Block off your personal time first, don’t compromise it.
4. Create a budget and stick to it.
5. Budget to pay yourself first, you are that worth it.
6. Commit to making just 5 calls a day.
7. Check in with your plan often and adjust it as you need to.
8. Plan for your health and well-being.
9. Book time to rest and enjoy life.
10. Live in gratitude daily.

How will you make 2012 even better than 2011?

Do you need a marketing strategy or a marketing plan?

The answer: BOTH! You may already have business and marketing plans, so why do you need a marketing strategy?If we were to ask you if you have a marketing plan, you would probably say: "Yes, of course, you can't do business without it." If we then asked you about your marketing strategy, you would likely ask: "Is that different from my marketing plan?" The answer is YES.

There is some confusion between what the difference is between a marketing strategy and a marketing plan. A marketing strategy is based on your overall business goals. It includes the definition of the nature of your business, your products and services, target market, and how your business is situated with the competition. The marketing strategy is what you will compare the relevance of items in your marketing plan to determine their role in achieving your goals. Your marketing plan can be thought of as the practical application of your marketing strategy. It is the what, where and when you will need to do things. A marketing plan will contain the details on your key selling features, pricing strategy, plans for selling and advertising.

Now that you know what the difference is, it is easy to see how a business needs to have both a marketing strategy AND a marketing plan. Having one without the other will not clearly help you to meet your goals. Small Business Canada has a great article on the topic: The Key to Marketing: The Marketing Plan. What does your marketing strategy look like? Is your current marketing plan in line with the goals of your business?

Top-selling REALTORS® will tell you achieving this level of success is not something you do alone. You need a trained administrative assistant to help you.

Get the help you need

A properly trained real estate assistant frees you to focus on your highest-value activities ─ making listing presentations, looking for new clients, helping clients buy or sell property, negotiating and closing deals.

With an assistant, you delegate routine, time consuming tasks such as organizing appointments and paperwork, marketing and public relations, home staging, pounding in lawn signs and document management.

A qualified assistant helps increase your efficiency, reduce your risk and mitigate liability.

The Professional Real Estate Assistant (PRA) Training Program

PRA Training is a comprehensive program which trains real estate assistants to be productive and organized. We offer Full-time and Part-time options.

It’s designed for new hires and current assistants. The course has been reviewed by industry experts and is taught by an award-winning REALTOR® with close to two decades of experience. It includes:
• An introduction to organized real estate, legislation and regulation.
• An Introduction to forms and files, day-to-day systems and operations.
• Marketing, including social marketing, as well as advertising rules and limitations.
• Managing the listing and the sales process.
• Completion of the real estate sales cycle.

Classes start: January 15, 2012 in Vancouver. We keep our class size small so seats are limited.

Fact: If you close three deals a month, your time is worth about $200 per hour (based on 35 hours per week, 47 weeks per year, and the sale of three properties each month at a sale price of $650,000.) A full-time, part-time or shared assistant ensures you work at high-level activities, not at office tasks worth $20-$25 per hour.

Do you really have the knowledge and time to train your staff properly?

At PRA Training we will train your current assistant or new hire for less than $23 per hour. That’s all we do.

New this year- One Day Competency Training for your assistant and administrator

Competency-based training ensures your personnel can safely, effectively and efficiently perform their assigned duties. PRA Competency Training focuses on building the knowledge and skill that enables unlicensed real estate assistants and administrators to perform at a standard required for a successful career.

What does this mean for you? Effective production, holes in the "on the job training" filled, less liability and happier team members which is a key factor in retention.

You need ongoing training, doesn’t your team?

*Real Estate Assistants and Administrators that are registered users with the Real Estate Board receive 25% off their tuition. Please email us for your discount code at info@pratraining.com Learn more about the program.

Professional development for your personnel

Do you depend on your team to add value to your business? We have some really great half and one day courses, focused directly at your staff. See Our Course Calender

Not sure about us?

Read what our Grads, REALTORS® who have sent their personnel and managing brokers have to Say Here. We are a BBB Accredited Business

"The real estate industry is full of number one REALTORS®! Want to know how they got there? They surround themselves with great staff. Like any success story, these high performers have a right hand person. I always loved real estate but had no talent for selling. I also knew that I had unique organizational and administrative skills. I matched my skills with those of a salesperson, and we had a winning combination. Twenty years later and I continue to be the “right arm” for real estate professionals."
~ Fran Banting, RE/MAX Bill Goold Realty, Vancouver

Get ready for your best year yet

Register your assistant or administrator for training now. Visit: www.pratraining.com or contact: (604) 601-2002.

PRA™ Training Inc.
Park Place, 666 Burrard Street, Suite 600 Vancouver, BC V6C 3P6

But are they competent in the position they fill? What exactly does it mean to be competent?

Now more than ever before assistants have access to private and sensitive information, keys to houses listed for sale and in some cases deposit cheques. This responsibility with very minimal training. Untrained personnel can be a liability rather than a great investment for the business, the REALTOR®, the brokerage and the client.

Being competent is more than just having abilities to perform day to day tasks. It is having the knowledge of why things need to happen the way that they do. The understanding of the key governing bodies in the industry, competition rules and regulations, privacy legislation, common terminology, forms and systems essential in the day to day practice. Where to look for answers and information and most importantly, their role’s limitations and responsibilities.

Chances are that when you hire your administrative assistant you don't have the time to make sure that s/he is well versed in your industry. You may be more focused on how they will answer your phone, manage your database, produce marketing materials, interact with clients and other REALTORS®, book showings, staging appointments, photographs and prepare and manage documents and transactions.

If anything is done incorrectly or they overstep their boundaries, whose liability does it become? What will it cost you financially and in reputation?

Competency Training is necessary to protect REALTORS®, managing brokers and clients. PRA Training Inc. is dedicated to ensuring that all Real Estate Assistants and administrators receive the necessary training to succeed in their position. On February 8, 2012 we will be holding our first Competency Training Course; will your assistant be there?

View our course calendar.

But are they competent in the position they fill? What exactly does it mean to be competent?

Now more than ever before assistants have access to private and sensitive information, keys to houses listed for sale and in some cases deposit cheques. This responsibility with very minimal training. Untrained personnel can be a liability rather than a great investment for the business, the REALTOR®, the brokerage and the client.

Being competent is more than just having abilities to perform day to day tasks. It is having the knowledge of why things need to happen the way that they do. The understanding of the key governing bodies in the industry, competition rules and regulations, privacy legislation, common terminology, forms and systems essential in the day to day practice. Where to look for answers and information and most importantly, their role’s limitations and responsibilities.

Chances are that when you hire your administrative assistant you don't have the time to make sure that s/he is well versed in your industry. You may be more focused on how they will answer your phone, manage your database, produce marketing materials, interact with clients and other REALTORS®, book showings, staging appointments, photographs and prepare and manage documents and transactions.

If anything is done incorrectly or they overstep their boundaries, whose liability does it become? What will it cost you financially and in reputation?

Competency Training is necessary to protect REALTORS®, managing brokers and clients. PRA Training Inc. is dedicated to ensuring that all Real Estate Assistants and administrators receive the necessary training to succeed in their position. On February 8, 2012 we will be holding our first Competency Training Course; will your assistant be there?

View our course calendar.

It's easy to get caught up in the flurry of activity when things get busy. This can cause us to lose focus in our job. The holiday season is perhaps one of the most stressful times for office administrators.

It's time to stop everything and take a moment to get back to the basics: Attitude. Patience. Manners and Understanding.

Maintaining a positive attitude will help you stay focused on helping your team. Your role as an administrator is to support your team. The faster the tasks come to you, the better you have to be to prioritize, focus and remain calm.

In the past few months we have seen first-hand assistants and administrators letting things fall through the cracks, REALTORS® who fail to answer or return calls from assistants, and administrators who were starting to break down under pressure. The truth is that we are all human and mistakes and errors will happen, how we handle difficult situations is how we will be defined and remembered.

When REALTORS® are busy they may take longer to get back to you, or miss something that is needed for compliance or office requirements. The best thing to do in times like this is to remind them that for instance, the documents are needed today, and offer your help on how to best achieve this. Look for ways to support your team in providing exemplary service. Commit to finding ways to make sure all details big and small are attended to, before being asked.

When things are busy it is important to get back to the basics. Remember to say "Please" and "Thank You." Offer to help every chance you get. Double check everything that leaves your desk. This is just one more way to ensure you receive the response you desire.

Clients, employers and the public depend on the competence, knowledge and skill set we provide. I think you can appreciate how frustrating it is when you approach a person you think will be able to answer your questions or help you with a product or service only to hear “sorry, I have no idea.”

Competence is the value your company provides. So how do you deliver your services and product to your customers?

Do you make a point of knowing all there is to know about your market? Do you offer ongoing training to your employees so that they best represent you? Do you stand behind the value you say you provide?

Competence includes the dairy employee that knows their products, the technology salesperson that understands their industry, the professionals that comprehend all aspects of their business and support personnel that can deliver the service they provide.

If you commit to a compensation that reflects your value or competence, what are you doing to make sure you consistently uphold your part of the bargain?

Leading a successful life doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s a few simple principles practiced every day.

1. Have a clear vision-dare to dream.
2. Chunk your vision down into achievable goals.
3. Develop a positive attitude in everything you say and do.
4. Trust your gut feelings.
5. Lead, rather than manage.
6. Let your integrity and your values guide you.
7. Be accountable.
8. When you show up, bring 100% of you.
9. Treat your team as you would any valuable asset.
10. Stays connected to your community and lend a hand everywhere you can.
11. Enroll in lifelong learning.
12. Show your gratitude.
13. Be your own best cheerleader.

What does success look like for you?

I have a client who decided recently that she would put on a huge event. Her goal was to sell out her event, retain some fantastic speakers and fill her sponsorship target. I watched her work like a mad woman towards accomplishing this result.

I shared a cup of coffee with her a few days ago and she was unnervingly calm and happy. I had to ask what was going on, and here is what she said:

“Nina, I was getting so caught up in all my “doing” that I stopped seeing what I had already achieved along the way. I have always strived to set and achieve my goals, and when accomplished…..  I focus on the next one, and the next one.  For me it was always about the finish line, never the journey. I realized how unhappy and empty this made me feel and that I was looking to the next achievement to make me feel complete. I failed to acknowledge all that I have already achieved and how incredible that is in itself. So I decided to make a list of all my accomplishments and realized that it didn’t matter if my venue sold out, or the sponsors didn’t come in droves or my speakers didn’t pan out; I was already successful.”

As a business owner I got that. Or did I? Do we consistently work to achieve Goals? We must set goals to achieve, right? Isn’t that what takes us to the next level, that defines our success?

And so I challenge you to not wait until you achieve your next goal or complete a project before you stop to acknowledge your accomplishments. Do it each and every step of the way.

And so I asked my friend; how did the event go? It was perfect, she told me. Once my perspective shifted, everything fell into place easily and effortlessly. I sold out and had more sponsors then I had hoped for.

What do you focus all your time on…your next goal, or your daily accomplishments?

I was sitting with one of my friends today and it occurred to me that every time I meet with her, she has a little black note pad. I realized that as soon as I mentioned a lead or suggested a reference or idea…she opened up her book and wrote it down.

Now, in our day of technology you might very well be walking around with a laptop, or something like it, or you might be more inclined to just put things down on paper. Regardless of your choice, having something with you at all times so that you can quickly document names and contact information of potential clients, a great suggestion or even a reference, is an essential tool a business owner should not be without.

Having a note pad with you is also a fantastic way to jot down those creative ideas that pop up at the most unexpected moments, as well as make note of “need to pick up, drop off and do.”  And having a note pad with you at all times is a great instrument for summarizing your day, events and conversations with clients, something that might prove valuable one day, if need be.

How do you manage leads, conversations, ideas, lists and suggestions? Or do you?

I was flipping through the real estate paper in my community the other day, not looking for a home, but looking at how the top producing REALTORS® were marketing themselves.

It was interesting to note that most of them had a website, not state of the art but functional. Not one of them had a Facebook Fan Page or a Twitter link on their site or on their advertisements. If they had a blog on their website it was filled with the automated “I just listed a property at….” But they had a whole lot of listings and impressive amount of sales.

So how can they be top producers with none or very little flash or the extra “stuff”? What magical formula do they have that others don’t?

I set out to ask five top producing REALTORS® these questions and here is what they told me.

Success is built on four simple steps:

1. Treat your clients well, they are the ones that market and promote you
2. Prospect for new clients daily
3. Have systems in place that manage the details and deliver consistent excellent service
4. Invest in a top achieving team

Technology, social media, and the internet are all great tools…but getting back to the simple basics may still be the way to a successful business.

How do you remain successful in your business?

I met with one of my grads the other day and she served as a great inspiration and a wonderful reminder…

It wasn’t that long ago that she and her husband had an income of six figures plus, a beautiful house, and fancy cars. Practically overnight, they lost everything and found themselves with two kids and a dog living out of a car for about six weeks. To make matters worse, she found out that she had uterine cancer.

Today, her health is great and she works with a fantastic real estate team and is clear on what is important in her life.

She said to me, “Nina, I used to chase the money in my jobs, now the only thing that is important to me is that I love where I am and I am respected and appreciated.”

And what has she accomplished for her team?

• One team member is able to work less hours in general.
• The team leader is now taking one complete day off a week.
• The office is organized and streamlined with solid systems.
• She has been asked to support other REALTORS® in the brokerage to become organized and streamlined.

Her story reminds me of a great quote by Steve Jobs, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

What is important in the job you do every day? What makes you show up every day? What matters most in your life?

September has come around so quickly and we are now entering the last quarter of the year. What strategies do you have in place to increase your sales and finish off your year strong?

Here are some ideas to help you start thinking about what you can do:

• Sell more to existing clients. Is there an opportunity for your clients to upgrade or grow their portfolio? Are there other products and services you can provide? Your existing clients like you, trust you, and want to work with you.
• Sell to more clients. Are you reaching out to as many customers as possible? Do you prospect every day without fail? Are you asking for referrals consistently? Look at all the ways you can expand to new areas and demographics so that you can increase your market share and have a broader and more varied target market.
• Add new products and services to your business. What products and services can you provide that are in alignment with your current operation? Think about meeting the needs of the clients you already have as well as those of your potential customers.

Only you can thoroughly assess yourself and your business and decide which strategies will work best for you and your business.

Being a business owner can be a challenge. It doesn’t matter how much you make. What’s most important is how much you keep. If you make $800,000 per year and most of it goes to expenses, leaving you $20,000 in profit, this the same as earning $40,000 per year and making the same $20,000 in the end.

How can you keep more of your hard earned dollars in your pocket?

1. Reduce overhead. Move to a less expensive location. Share an office. Reduce your energy consumption. Make your own lunch once or twice a week. You’ll end up with more money in your pocket for the same amount of effort.
2. Reduce miscellaneous costs. Take transit when you’re going to be in the office. Buy office supplies in bulk for discounts. Shop around for insurance for vehicles and the office. Negotiate better value and terms with your suppliers.
3. Nurture your best customers and say good-bye to your worst. We all have clients that sing our praises and are loyal to us. They’re our greatest marketing and sales force for the least cost. For others – the ones who drain your time, your pocket book and your energy – say goodbye.
4. Get rid of products and services that don’t serve your goals. Yes, it’s possible to sell less and make more. Products and services that have lower profit margins may be taking up too much of your time and resources.
5. Increase your prices and your earnings. Is there an opportunity for you to charge more without pricing yourself out of your market? Do the features, value and quality you offer match the higher price?

Are you meeting your financial goals? What steps will you take right now to increase your profits?

I find that the phrase “growing your business” has become quite fashionable. Being the curious person I am, I decided to find out what it really meant to people. The consensus was that the majority of people agreed it means getting bigger and making more money. But most of the people asked did not have a clear understanding of “why” they were growing their business.

Is it just the thing to do? What does growing look like to you? Will it make your quality of life better? Will it make your life easier?

Some reasons to grow your business may be:

1. Increase your income/profit. Do you want more personal income? Ask yourself “why”.
2. To be more leveraged. Do you want to grow so that you can hire others to take some of your load or to take over the things you don’t like doing in order to leave you more time for yourself and your family?
3. Versatility and personal growth. Is it time for you to introduce new products and services into your business to provide more variety and take on new challenges? Do you enjoy learning and expanding your knowledge?
4. Are you looking for more recognition? Do you want to be a leader or major player in your market? Is personal satisfaction important to you?
5. Create a better quality of life for you and your community. Do you want to grow in order to give back to your society? Is it important to you to make a difference?

In asking yourself these questions, it will help you define if you really want to grow your business…or not, why you want to grow, and if growing your business will help you achieve what you want.

Most of us get into real estate because of a dream. A dream to be our own boss, to sell people into their perfect home, the freedom to set our own hours, or the dream of living a comfortable lifestyle.

What is your dream? Are you living it now?

It’s really easy to let time, commitments, sidetracks, growth and lack of it interfere and taint all the reasons we wanted to become a real estate professional.

I met with a team in Kitsilano yesterday who, I think, really had it all together. They were interviewing me on my real estate assistant program and all of them sat with me, engaged, and walked the talk that they were a team wanting to be on the same page. Their synergy was magnificent. When I asked them what their secret was, they told me that they had all gotten into real estate because their dream was to make a difference in the service they offered clients. The rest, just fell into place.

Some things to consider:

• Clear your plate and ask yourself “Why did/do I want to be a real estate professional?”
• “What is my dream, how did I envision it?”
• “If I am living my dream, how do I keep enjoying it?”
• “If I am not living my dream, why? What is stopping me?”

Real estate is a profession, a career, a way of life. Is it what you thought it would be?

I had a job once where I worked 5 days a week, 8 hours a day and had 2 real and complete days off a week. Then I became licensed in real estate and with that came the belief that I had to be “on” 24/7. Especially in the early years, I still remember saying to our wonderful front end girl, Kathy, “The only pages I get are to bring home milk!” “One day you’ll wish that was all you had” she said.

Well until that day came, I answered every call, I ran to every showing, and I even presented offers on Christmas Eve. I was the REALTOR® that all the coaches wag their finger at. But in defense to all new REALTORS® trying to establish themselves, create a viable business, and solidify their reputation, that’s what we have to do. That’s the price we pay for success, right?

Wrong! We all need to “check out” consistently.

I called to show a property in West Vancouver and my well established, highly respected co-operating associate said very matter of factly “We don’t show our properties after 7 pm.”  At first I thought he was just kidding, but he was dead serious. I jokingly said to him, “Well, I guess now that you are so established you can afford to do that.” “It has always been my business practice,” he said back, gently putting me in my place.

So let me get this straight……you can be a top producing REALTOR® and set your own hours? What a novel concept! Here are some of my suggestions on that note:

• Plan your business yearly: black out your days and weeks off first.
• Team up with an associate in your office: it doesn’t have to be for any other reason than to support each other during time off.
• When you are off……BE OFF: this means no cell, no laptop, no iPad, no MLS®. Just rest your brain.
• Make your time off part of your business policies and let your clients know about them: They’ll understand, they have time off too.
• Enjoy your day. Enjoy every moment of it.

Why is “checking out” important?

• Remember how busy we get just before a vacation? Be busy all year round.
• Showing up refreshed and energized is infectious. It makes for a great environment to work in.
• Resting your brain makes room for new and innovative ideas.
• It beats feeling burnt out.

A real estate license is not a license to be available every moment of every day. Create healthy habits for yourself and your business by “checking out” on a consistent basis.

As Walt Disney said, "A man should never neglect his family for business."

Nina says, “A man or woman should never neglect themselves for business.”

On that note, I am “checking out” to enjoy a well-deserved vacation with my family, leaving my incredible team to take care of business!

I still remember the first time I ever turned on a computer. I wasn’t 5 years old like my grandson who can surf a Mac like he was born with it, I was a new REALTOR® trying to stay on top of the game and the computer/internet was the tool of choice.

Since then, the internet has become our way of living. Google this, Google that. “What does that house look like?” Google Map it in street view. To this way of living, we have added a whole new language; #FF, tweet me, my tweeps, just FB me, LOL. We now blog and v-blog to let our audience “experience” us and our expertise.

A few months ago, I went to a conference where I learned I was doing it all wrong. I felt like I was in a foreign land and I had just ordered the wrong meal. Is there a right way to interact socially? I set out on a mission to find out the “right way” to talk to people virally, only to overdose on all the information available. Here’s what I summed up:

• It doesn’t matter how many thousands of followers you have if you don’t interact with them. Instead of posting, posting, posting……take an hour a day, if that, and just comment, interact, or acknowledge other great articles and people that are offering valuable information to you.
• Join groups of like-minded professionals and share, interact, and engage with them. Once again, it makes no sense to join a group and never participate, especially if it is a group of people who you are interested in networking with. Joining groups is like having the world of mentors and mastermind partners at the tip of your fingertips. The support you offer them is just as important as the support you receive.
• Learn the language of the network. In order to converse in Italy, it’s important to know Italian. Sure you can get by in some places with just English, but knowing the language makes the experience so much more interacting. Social networking is no different. It took me forever to learn how to use “#” properly or to understand no-sense shortcuts like “LMAO”.  And just like you wouldn’t expect to visit China and use your Italian vocabulary, neither should you expect that one network will use the same format and language as the other.
• Bookmarking was an outer phenomenon to me. It is hard enough trying to get my thoughts down on paper, consistently at that. I just thought that getting a blog up on my website was enough, and it is enough if the only exposure you are looking for is from your website. “Social bookmarking” is a method for Internet users to organize, store, manage, and search for bookmarks of resources online. “Unlike file sharing, the resources themselves aren't shared, merely bookmarks that reference them.” – Source Wikipedia. So, by taking the great blog you just created and bookmarking it onto the social bookmarking sites out there, you will increase your exposure and raise awareness. See the top social bookmarking sites.
• Backlinks…one more thing I needed to do if I wanted to raise awareness for my website and, in turn, myself and my company. One of the simplest articles I found helpful was What Are Backlinks And Why Are They So Important.  It really helped me understand and strategize how I could use the power of link backs, properly.
• Think quality rather than quantity. Everything you post, every group you join, every page you like, and every follow you make; if you are overdosing on quantity to get your “numbers up,” you are missing out on the name of the game: “Social NETWORKING.”

Being a participant in a viral world is really all about creating a strategy of what, when, and where you are willing to communicate, and then showing up with your unique personality.

Take a look at your company, yourself, and the exposure and awareness you want. Since we can’t be all things to all people, pick one or two sites you can manage consistently. Then, create a strategy for what you want to “put out there.” Remember that it may not be the same content for different sites.

With the inception of the internet, social connecting, blogging our thoughts and feelings, and viral conversations, have we forgotten the old fashion way of just getting together for a cup of coffee?

The real estate profession is still a people moving people business. I don’t know if it will ever become completely automated. You can search for properties online, download forms and instruction online, and even view interiors and exteriors online but for most people they need the experience (and risk management) part of real estate to be human and physical.

So, are we losing our personal touch with our clients?

If we take the time spent on social networking (let’s say two hours a day on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Active Rain, and researching great sites like Mashable and Inman news) and we invested in taking 2 or 3 clients out for a cup of coffee a day, what do you think the ROI (return of investment) would be to our future business?

If you are saying to yourself, “But that takes up too much time. It is so much easier connecting on Facebook or email.” You are right. But if time is a problem for you, then time management and planning ahead may be the priority you need to re-organize. There should be no bigger priority everyday (besides your family and your health of course) than connecting with your present clients, past clients, and potential clients. If you are a real estate professional, these are the folks (income generation) that will pay your bills and give you a greater quality of living.

In other words you should be focusing on the activities (face to face) that generate your income (all bills are paid) from your main source (clients).

You many have a huge list of followers on Twitter and Facebook and are a great Blogger, but the one thing that will raise awareness or will result in a solid long lasting business is good old fashioned meetings and referrals from people that know you, that like you, and feel confident passing your good name on.

The internet, social networking and viral conversations certainly have their place, but meeting for a good old fashion cup of coffee, I believe, is still the way to build lasting relationships. Isn’t that what real estate is all about?

I received an email today saying “Nina, it’s so difficult to find quality help that have integrity and a vested interest in their work.”

Why do you think that is?

Before Jesseca came to work with me, my real estate assistant revolving door was on speed turn. Then out of desperation I hired my niece who had just finished high school. Neither one of us expected that it would last 8 years and we don’t know if it’s because it’s harder to fire family or we just managed to persevere.

But one thing I have come to realize, and I was the biggest offender of all, in order to hire experience and talent you are going to have to pay for it.

Most of our students come to our program with past skills in professional areas. For example, one lady had been a high profile REALTOR® in Manila, Philippines. Her English was impeccable and her motivation outstanding. Another lady had years of experience working for a marketing firm and was looking for a career change. These ladies and others with similar credentials were offered a wage of $12 per hour.

I wear two hats. One hat understands that it is crucial to businesses to reduce expenses in order to stay afloat. The other hat says, “If you don’t pay appropriately for talent, someone else will.”

So what to do?

• Be clear on the goals of your business and what type of person with which specific skills would be most appropriate to support you in reaching those goals.
• Check out references and ask as many questions as you can.
• Listen to your gut feelings; 9 times out of 10 it’s right.
• Offer incentives, benefits, a liveable wage, and anything else that will make your support personnel want to stay.
• Take the time to train them, and if you don’t know how or don’t have the time, send them to be trained.
• Be patient, there is an expected learning curve for all of us.
• If, in a short time, they don’t get it, don’t care, or can’t be bothered, call the next person on your list.

We work in a profession where details, reputation, and risk management are crucial. We don’t have the luxury to work with someone who is not a good fit, but we have to understand that if we are looking for experience, talent, and a commitment we have to find the right person. Remember, cheaper may in fact be more costly.

When I first received my real estate license, I was pretty much at a loss as to what to do and when. My office was great for support, but it wasn’t enough. One day, I was blessed when a REALTOR® who had been in the business for a very long time, Larry Davis, took me under his wing. I will never forget him. He gave me many valuable nuggets, but the one that has stood out the loudest for me all these years was “Nina, always hang out with people that dream, achieve, and see the good in everything around them. Find one mentor or be part of a mastermind group because these are the people that will challenge you to succeed.”

Do you have a mentor? Someone you respect, are proud to follow, and can teach you skills that are deeper then how to list or sell a home.

Alternately, do you belong to a mastermind group? A group of like-minded individuals with a common focus to support each other in their growth and success. The power of a mastermind group can be amazing.

There is a special synergy of energy that is created among members, and a high level of commitment to support and educate each other while holding each other accountable for action and results.

Most business owners find that sooner or later they hit a wall of exhaustion, they are at a loss for new and innovative ideas, and in worst cases they just want to pack it all in and quit. Having a mentor or a mastermind partnership or behind you gives you the strength and support you need when you’re down. They create an environment to brainstorm, vent, and get excited and inspired. They keep moving upward. A mentor or mastermind group challenges you to do better and be better.

How do you get involved in a mastermind group? If you don’t find a group that you align with, start your own.

• Find like-minded people that are focused and committed.
• Be clear about the goals of the group and the results expected.
• Develop a format of how, when, where, and how often you will meet.
• Set boundaries that each member will follow.
• Create a space where everyone contributes, participates, and feels safe sharing their wins and their losses.

No business owner should or needs to do it all themselves. Draw from the powers of mentors or mastermind partners.

I still remember my first few years in real estate. Being new, I tried to scrape together as many clients as I could while juggling all the behind the scene “stuff”.  As most of my fellow associates will agree, there is a lot of work in starting any new business, let alone a real estate business, and creating a profit centre that keeps us wanting to remain in business.

So how does one get past the point of “I have the passion but my cash flow doesn’t sustain growing with a team” to “I can hire my first assistant”?

Leverage…..learn this word, it will take you places.

The definition of leverage from www.freedictionary.com is: “Positional advantage; Power to act effectively.”

Here are some people that you can call on for “positional advantage”:

• Your managing broker. These folks are there for your support and to partner with you in your success. If they aren’t, switch offices. Call on your managing broker for tips, tools, suggestions, lessons and, above all, support. I remember my first poor manager came with me to teach me how to measure houses 3 times. Yes, there are some things I just didn’t get, but we agreed it was better for both of our licenses’ that I understood it.
• Your front end or admin staff. Depending on the busyness of your office, these valuable people might have some time to do some small odds and ends for you. You don’t know if you don’t ask.
• Your family and friends. Why not? My husband and kids have spent endless hours sitting with me, sometimes in front of a good movie, stuffing and licking envelopes. My niece came to help one day and 8 years later, I don’t know what I would do without her.
• Other associates in your office. Everyone needs a little help, so why not team up with someone that you can relieve each other for days off (yes you should take one or two), holidays, costs of advertising by sharing space….and even stuffing envelopes (if you still do that).
• Other professionals in your network (if you don’t have a network, create one). Inspectors, mortgage brokers, lawyers etc. See if they will help with your expenses by advertising on your website or on your marketing material. Rally your community shops to sponsor some valuable mail outs (ice-cream coupons in the summer, hardware store for Father’s day, local Spa on Mother’s day….think outside the box).

As your business, recognition, and profits grow, so will your need to bring on your first hired team member. But in the meantime, take a look around and grasp every opportunity to incorporate the power of “Leverage” in your business.

When we launched PRA Professional Real Estate Assistant Training™, we did it because we felt there was a need in our profession. We had no idea how much of a need there really was. Every day we receive emails and letters from frustrated assistants who say they are hired and expected to do a job, but are constantly walking on eggshells as they are doing it. The REALTORS® are frustrated because they believe their assistants should just know their job and if they don’t leave them a checklist, they will only do the very minimum. Brokers are frustrated because, in most cases, they end up having to add refereeing to their already full day.

So what is the answer?

REALTORS® are busy people. Their days revolve around regulatory requirements, legal expectations, and managing exemplary service details. Their time is best spent on the priorities of their business. It is not only their obligation, but it is also a requirement of their license that they actively manage and are responsible for the actions of their support personnel. So understandably, they should always be on top of the tasks that are being carried out in their office.

When real estate assistants and administrators have been trained, at the very least, on the rules and regulations in which a real estate business must be operated under, both the REALTOR® and the broker can rest assured that it is one less thing that needs to be micro-managed.

REALTORS®, in most cases, have one passion…to sell real estate; that is what they do best. We at PRA Training Inc., are active REALTORS® and Assistants with 26 combined years of experience. We understand the “What” and “Whys” that assistants need to know and what REALTORS® and brokers expect from their support personnel.

Assistants and administrators, when trained by their employer, are frustrated that there are holes in their knowledge. They don’t understand “Why” they have to fill out what they do or “Why” they must do certain tasks and not others. With a lack of knowledge comes mistakes, potential reprimands for real estate professionals, and an environment that results in less productivity and more liability.

At PRA Training Inc., we are here to do one thing: add a minimum standard of education and skillset for the unlicensed personnel in the real estate industry so that they can work with real estate professionals and feel confident and competent in their role. We do this in answer to emails such as, “Dear Nina, how do I get my boss to trust me enough so they can do their job and I can do mine?”

Just as most real estate professional are bound to their ongoing professional development education requirements, so should their assistants. No matter how much experience a real estate assistant or administrator has, they need to be trained or re-trained.

I seem to get a lot of emails asking me over and over “What kind of things can my assistant do? We just don’t know.”

Some tasks over and above the systemized details required in a real estate office (such as Listing, Sales and Database Management) might be:

• Draft blogs, articles, and tweets that can be posted to various locations to draw attention to your business and distinguish you as the expert in your field;
• Find groups and conversations online that you can engage in;
• Draft articles that you can video blog, or post your videos to different exposure sites;
• Engage your clients and business partners, such as mortgage brokers and inspectors, in some community or “thanks for your business” events;
• Research and book networking events you can attend;
• Create polls and surveys to gather feedback on the service you offer;
• Create a series of auto-responders that will turn your leads into clients and solidify your client retention; and/or
• Attract PR media on your behalf.

These are all tasks that may be valuable to increase awareness of you in the marketplace, but are not a priority that “you personally” have time to do. Your focus will be on supporting your clients; your real estate assistant is there to support you in building your business.

In this world of social addiction it has become a standard to re-tweet, tag, hack and instantly spread everything and anything about anyone!

So how well do you know what is being said about you over the internet?

Today more than ever before it’s important to stay on top of what is being said about you and your business. It has become so amazingly easy to have your reputation and years of dedication in your community tainted by friend tagging you in a not so appropriate picture, or a client posting a not so favourable review or a re-tweet of something a well intending employee put out there.

Social networking is a fantastic way of broadcasting you and your company, connecting with friends, family and clients and building your business through relationships, but if not managed with care and respect, can lead to no so wonderful results and in some cases even devastating ones.

A few ways to start are by:

1. Signing up to manage what is being said about you and your company with Google Alerts at www.google.com/alerts (it’s free!)

2. Signing up to track and manage what is being tweeted about you and your company at www.socialoomph.com (it’s free too!)

You worked too hard to get to this point, pay attention to your exposure.

Let’s face it, it’s our clients that support us in building our businesses. Without them, well, there is no business. So what do you do to bring in and retain your clients?

Here are a few tips to think about:

1. Customers need to know you exist! - It is not enough to believe that “if you build it they will come”. You have to let them know you are out there. So network, network, network. Join groups and associations of like-minded professionals; speak your heart out for free about what you offer and the benefits your customers will receive. Get in front of people, the media, the community and blast out your value.
2. Customers need to know you are credible. Remember the commercial “He likes it, hey Mikey” -No matter how well you tell them you can do the job, if customers can’t see that it has been tried, tested and true, they may not buy it. Put real testimonials on your website.  Let your customers see, read and know that you are or you deliver, what you say you will.
3. Attract your customers, don’t chase them- Remember a time when cold calling and door knocking was in? Well it isn’t any more! Customers now have the choice to “like” you or “follow” you or “connect” ….if they choose, and they will choose if you give them a reason to. Offer clients value and focus on the benefits they will receive.
4. Give away tid bits but let them come in for the full meal deal. Give your customers a “taste” of your products or services. Let them sample how they can benefit from what you offer, but let them make the order to achieve the results.
5. Stand out and don’t worry about your competition.  If you know with certainty your strengths, you product and services, the value that you offer and what makes your company unique, then your clients will too. If you don’t know or are wishy washy on this…how do you expect your clients to feel confident? Don’t worry about what the economy and what the other guys are doing…. focus, focus, and focus on what and how you deliver.
6. Stay in touch with your clients-Till the end of time. Why do most customers go somewhere else or forget your name when it comes time to referring, even after a great experience with you…in most cases it’s because they forgot you exist or they feel they weren’t important enough for follow up. So don’t drop the ball at this crucial step…..follow up forever and ever.. Consistently!

You know you offer a product or service that people are looking for, so focus on your strengths, hire talent to look after your weaknesses and remember that client retention is what keeps you in business.

This is an excellent time to do a mid-year review. One way to do this is by surveying your clients, vendors, employees and anyone that is important to your overall business. You can use a free and simple tool such as Survey Monkey http://www.surveymonkey.com/.

Performing a survey gives you a better understanding of how highly (or not) your customers are likely to do business with you again and refer you on a consistent basis.

Following up on all your feedback gives you a reason to touch base personally with the people that matter most, especially your clients.

Real Estate can be a complicated yet rewarding business to be a part of. But no two REALTORS® are the same nor are their businesses. So why would we expect our assistants to be one size fits all and step into your business knowing exactly what you want, expect and like?

Take time right at the start to create a list of end results you expect to see. Be clear, and communicate your preferences and expectations. Start with your business goals for the year then chunk them down into months, weeks and days. Let your assistant partake in the process so that they feel they are a part of the reward as well as the effort.

The tasks your assistant can achieve are bound by the hours in the day.  Create realistic expectations of what is important and needs to be attended to. Just as every seller and buyer will have different expectations of how you work with them and how you will deliver your commitment, you will have in your business with your assistant.

There are great software programs to keep everyone focused and on task such as Basecamp http://basecamphq.com/.

Your initial investment in the collaboration and delegation of tasks that need to be done by your assistant will give you both the blueprint to move forward and grow together with the common goal of both your success.

Most professionals understand and appreciate the power a professional assistant can bring to them and their business.  You would never expect your heart surgeon to manage the anesthetic and your vital signs on top of operating delicate surgery, all at the same time. You in fact would expect them to focus on your heart and let the other experts on their team do what they do best.

So then, are you a professional that does everything yourself? Or do you focus on your strengths and what you like to do and hire appropriate talent to do the rest?

What should you, the business owner, be doing? Making personal contact with your key clients - future, present and past. Your team should be doing the rest, within their regulations of course.

What does “the rest” mean?

Imagine a day when you run into the office to find your email box organized with only priority emails waiting for your response, your social marketing humming along, your top five income generating sources attended to through a consistent follow up system and there is a prospecting list sitting at your desk ready for you to convert to clients.

No, this doesn’t just happen in fairy tales. Finding a great assistant who can support you in the growth of your business and increase your quality of life is attainable. There are five simple steps:

1. Know what you need your assistant to do.
2. Take your time in hiring the right fit.
3. Create a clear blueprint of what you need your assistant to do and by when.
4. Share your business goals and your vision with them so that they can help you reach them.
5. Don’t micromanage, instead, empower them.

Will they be perfect right off the bat? Maybe, maybe not. But for certain, the right framework topped with experience will create amazing results.

Is that what your clients say about you when your business with them is done? Do they say you gave a “Wow” performance and exactly what they hired you for, plus some? When your curtain goes up are you giving your very best?

No matter what your business, we depend on the referrals of our clients passing on our good name. Our clients offer the most trusted, most credible and most listened to opinion of us. So I’ll ask again, once your service is delivered to your clients, do they say “Wow, you have to call ___________, they were better than I ever expected”?

I love being on social networks. Facebook keeps me in touch with all my  friends and family, Twitter broadcasts thoughts that I have and information I want to share, and youtube can be informative and entertaining. But how much has it taken away from our personalization?

A friend of mine commented the other day that his daughter had told him that for her birthday she had had 250 Facebook posts wishing her a happy birthday. But she said she did not get one phone call nor one birthday card.

Social networking has its time and place for sure, but don’t disregard the need both in business and personal, for personalization and a touch of human contact. Our family depends on it, our friends rely on it and our clients and customers thrive on it.

Did you pick up the phone today and call someone regarding your business or just to say hello? Did you write a hand-written note to someone letting them know you’re thinking of them? What is your relationship model? Does it include personalization?

But there does seem to be the people that come into the office day in and day out and complain about the one that got away, the one they never caught and OH Hum anything else that is down and out. And there are those whose uplifting energetic demeanour screams “let’s just go get the next one” and they do!

Which type of person are you? Are you someone people gravitate to because you inspire, energize and look for the solution not the problem? Or are you the type people either cry with you or walk the other way when they see you coming?

It’s never too late for an honest assessment of yourself and the habits that adopted us. Have you taken inventory lately?