Welcome to the Liz Moore Insider!

Good Morning, everybody!  I hope that you’re sleeping in today, and enjoying some quality time with your family and friends this holiday weekend!

 I had a wonderful experience last week that I wanted to share.  On Thursday, I attended a free concert at the newly renovated amphitheatre at William & Mary.  The Virginia Symphony played for 2 hours, including medleys of Beatles and Billy Joel tunes, a tribute to Ray Charles, and lots of Big Band and Patriotic music (including a tribute to our Armed Forces where they invited veterans of each branch to stand and be recognized as they played their song).  It was a fabulous venue, overlooking Lake Matoaka, and under the stars…in the 70’s, with – miraculously – no mosquitoes.  Many people picnic’d, or they sold wine, beer, and bottled water to benefit the symphony.  We took Grayson and my parents, and it was a remarkably enjoyable evening.

 My parents marveled at the fact that in a small community like Williamsburg, you could attend the symphony (for free!) in an unparalleled setting…with no traffic, no parking issues, etc.  I’ve been thinking a lot about that.  We are *so* blessed to live in such a wonderful place – with so many different things to do.

 When was the last time you were a “tourist in your own town?”  Go to the resources section of the Liz Moore intranet, and pull up one of our “51 Reasons to Love Living in…” series, and pick out something you’ve never done before (there are over 300 choices…I’ve attached just a few!).  Maybe an air show at Langley, or a Ghost Walk in Williamsburg, a trip to Jamestown or to a tavern in Gloucester.  Ride the new Williamsburg Trolley to the Farmers’  Market, or attend a living history event at Lee Hall.  Take a drive down the Colonial Parkway, and enjoy a crab cake sandwich at the Yorktown Pub. Enjoy the experience with your family or friends.

 And then share your experiences, first hand, with prospective buyers.  Our role as REALTOR is not only to help people buy homes, but to connect them to their new communities.  Enthusiasm about living here is contagious, and it can be the factor that causes a prospective buyer to choose you over another agent.

 Have a great week!  Liz (ps, thank you, John, for blogging about the Symphony concert…that’s how I discovered it!)

Here is an “out there” idea for you this week.  What if….you could just ditch all of that marketing you’re spending so much money on…no more ads, no more websites, nada…would that be cool or what?

Let’s assume you need 20 sales this year (change the # to whatever your goal is…same theory applies).  Pick out 20 people you like, and make it your mission to get 1 closed referral from each of them this year.  That’s it.  Really.  It doesn’t even sound that hard, does it?!  Let’s think this through…

First, you need to pick out the right 20 people.  People that know people.  People that recognize that you’re good at what you do.  People that would enjoy helping you.  Stop, right now, and make that list.  Frame it and put it on your desk.

Next, you need to make sure that they KNOW you want their referrals.  That’s not quite as obvious as it may seem.  Look at your list and ask yourself when the last time was that you actually specifically asked any of those people for a real estate referral?  Be honest.  Call them all {today works} and ask them for their help…can you count on them to send you a referral this year?  Don’t beat around the bush – you’re in sales, remember??

Lastly, market to them.  Create a system to touch them at least every 30 days and ask for a referral.  The company sends them a postcard or newsletter every 6 weeks or so.  They should be getting your just listed cards.  Hopefully they’re on our VIP mailing list, so they get something of value from us every other month.  Those things happen without you even thinking about it.  But, what I’m talking about is what are you pro-actively doing to market to them?  If you’re following the To Do list in the Contact Manager, you’ll be calling and e-mailing them consistently, and popping by to visit quarterly.  How about an annual client appreciation party?  Endorsing their businesses to others?  Helping them network?  What is your plan?  What is your marketing budget for the very best source of business you have?

This isn’t rocket science.  It’s recognizing who butters our bread, and running our business as though we value those referrals.  You can spend $350 on an ad, or you can invest $30 in taking a past client to lunch, and asking for referrals.  Which one do you think is more likely to generate results?

I’m not suggesting that you stop advertising (well, maybe I am).  I’m just suggesting that we put our marketing priorities in place.

Have an AWESOME week!  Liz

Good Morning, Everybody! As I was deciding what to write about for this week’s mojo, it was kind of hard to pass up the Preakness…given that a GIRL won (first time in 85 years!) and all. Not to mention that a winning jockey can win regardless of the horse – definitely LOTS of mojo there.

But, there was another world class event that eclipsed the Preakness in my mind this weekend. That would be the Lytle Law 5k. All I can say is WOW. This is the 3rd race, and it is truly amazing to have watched this event grow from less than 100 runners to I lost count at 700+. Dewey and his crew served up well over 1,000 dogs and burgers. Not only did the Lytle team put on a show (complete with the Kevin Tully band as awesome entertainment, and Vic Rondinelli and Mike Wallisch leading the parade on their Harleys – to a K-9 show and a fire truck!), but they raised over $15,000 for Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters. It was truly a first class race in every regard, and I can’t remember ever being prouder of Brian.

So, my mojo to you this morning is this – ya gotta dream big…build it and they will come. And, realize that the seeds you plant this year – as long as you water and tend them – will grow into the fruit of next year and the year after. Deliver a great experience, promote yourself, and word of mouth (with a little help from FACEBOOK) will make sure that your race grows into a world class event. It will take on a life of its own, and become more successful each year. That’s the best part of our business – if you lay a solid foundation (which takes a lot of hard work and faith), the results will build for years to come.

Take a long view of your personal race this week – what activities can you engage in that will pay off in the future? How about setting aside some time to PLAN how you can touch your favorite 20 clients in the next 2 weeks?

And, enjoy some race photos here:

http://video214.com/play/aIFko1RMVsYhysitoD0p2g/s/dark

Have an awesome week, Liz

I hope everybody had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday – I certainly did! 

The boys took me to our traditional Mother’s Day lunch at the Trellis, and because the weather was so glorious we were able to sit outside and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Merchant’s Square.  My first Mother’s Day at the Trellis was 16 years ago, when Grayson was in “the bucket” (our affectionate name for his removable car seat).  As I sat across the table from him this afternoon, I was struck by how quickly time passes.  Is that really my son sitting there, looking so “cool” in his sunglasses…just a few years away from going off to college?!  Where did all that time go?

Wow.  It is *so* important that we don’t lose track of the moments.  Our lives are full of stress and pressure, but that’s not what we’re going to remember when we look back and reflect on these years from a different perspective later on.  I am reminded that as important as work is, it certainly isn’t life or death, and we all need to relax a little bit and remember that the goal is to earn a good living so that we can raise our families comfortably and enjoy spending our free time doing something worthwhile.

My mojo challenge to you this week is this:  (1) surprise your family or someone you love by setting aside some spontaneous time to just unplug and have fun, and (2) when you start to get all riled up over an “issue” with a transaction, remind yourself that chances are it will all work out in the end, and it’s not worth having a stroke over!  Your client needs you to be the calming influence.

What you’ll discover is that a relaxed, balanced approach to work will make you FAR more productive than staying buried in the negative and exhausting energy that comes from confrontations and/or burning the candle at both ends.

Try it, just for grins.  :0)  Have an awesome week!  Liz

Good Morning, everybody!  My Dad forwarded me this story, and I thought I would share it as MOJO this morning.  I apologize if you’ve already seen it.

Imagine a Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning.  A fellow dressed in casual street clothes played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.  During that time approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.  After 3 minutes, a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing.  He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes later, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:  a 3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist.  Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.  This action was repeated by several other children.  Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.

45 minutes: the musician played.  Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while.  About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace.

He collected $32.17.

1 hour:  he finished playing and silence took over.  No one noticed.  No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world.  He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story.  Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.  The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?  Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:

If people do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments…

How many other things are we missing?

Thought provoking.  Make it a point to look for something beautiful today.  Have a great week!  Liz  (ps…Go Heels!)

How’s the Market?

We have an unprecedented opportunity in the marketplace right now to truly make a difference in the local economy.  How many times a day are you asked:  “How’s the market?” or some variation of that?  A lot, I bet.  And, what is your answer?  Many agents answer by rolling their eyes, and saying “I’m surviving.”  That hardly motivates someone to take positive action.  Every time you’re asked that question you have an OPPORTUNITY to influence how another person thinks about the real estate market and the economy.  Just think…if every REALTOR in the USA gave a passionate, thoughtful, planned response to that question each time they are asked, we could probably turn around the market in a month.

Unfortunately, we can’t control how REALTORs in Nebraska answer that question.  But, we can begin with our little piece of the world, and generate our own market correction.  Every single person you know that has never bought a house (or hasn’t owned one in the last 3 years) should be buying NOW! There is $8,000 of FREE $$ just waiting for them!  Who do you know?  Who do your friends know?  Are you shouting that from the rooftops?  It’s a great time to begin to invest in real estate – get out of the stock market, take advantage of low interest rates and lots of choices and a buyer-friendly negotiating environment.

Do you INSPIRE people around you to ACT?  You should.  You *are* the economy.  Be passionate.  Stay focused.  Resolve to create your own real estate market.

Just for fun, reply to this e-mail with your version of the answer to the question “How’s the Market?” Marketing bucks for the best answers!! I will share the winning replies with everybody who plays.

Make it a GREAT week!!  Liz

Good Morning, everybody!  Sully shared a great thought last week, so I thought I would pass it along for all to ponder:

“We have to abandon the idea that schooling is something restricted to youth.  How can it be, in a world where half the things a man knows at 20 are no longer true at 40—-and half the things he knows at 40 hadn’t been discovered when he was 20?” – Arthur C. Clarke

Nowhere is that more true than in our business!  Just think about websites and PDA’s, short sales, online forms, buyer brokerage…I could go on and on.  It’s kind of interesting to think what real estate sales may be like in 2020.

I’ve always believed that our ability to learn at a faster rate than our competitors is the only true sustainable competitive advantage.  And, why I’m so appreciative that our team is so collaborative.  That willingness to stretch our brains, learn new things, apply different ideas and approaches is all an essential part of what keeps us growing stronger, both as individuals and as a company.

Set a goal for yourself this week to learn something new.  Take a class, read a book, attend a webinar.  Then, set another goal to teach something new to somebody else – because you *really* learn the most by teaching.

Have a great week!!  Liz

Good Morning!!!  Have you ever noticed that some days you bounce out of bed, can hardly wait to get to the office, and everything you touch all day seems to turn to gold (or green!)?  You zip from appointment to meeting, all your phone calls are productive, and if you do say so yourself, you were just “killer” on that listing appointment!  Of course you beat out 3 top agents, and get it at your price!

Then, other days, it’s all you can do to get out of bed, and it seems to take you forever (and an extra cup of coffee) to get going.  You seem overwhelmed by all the tasks on your ‘to do’ list for the day, and you just don’t know where to start.  You’re at your desk all day, but nothing seems to get accomplished.  You go home exhausted, and cranky.

So…what’s the difference?  It would be easy enough to say it is attitude, and that definitely plays a huge part in your mindset.  But, I would argue that it’s more about how you’re taking care of yourself.  Are you setting aside enough time to nourish “you?”  For some, that means making time for consistent exercise, for others it’s simply down time.  Unplugging from work for long enough to re-charge your batteries, so that you come back with a renewed enthusiasm.  Nourishing your family, so that you don’t feel guilty, is an essential part of being able to embrace your work fully.

Here is my suggestion for this week:  Take a day off (yes, really!  The world won’t stop spinning, I promise), and do two things.  Spend part of the day on JUST you – something that feeds your soul.  Then, plan something as a total surprise for your family {yes, those beady eyed little people who say they never see you!}.  Leave your blackberry or treo at home.  Take them to a concert, a play, or a museum you’ve always wanted to visit.  Then out for a special dinner, in honor of them, “just because.” 

The results will amaze you.  The day off will actually translate into multiple days of productive time, because you’ll work far more effectively when you’re not totally stressed-out, guilt-ridden and exhausted.  The next step, of course, is to figure out how to do this regularly.   But, that’s another mojo…we’ll start with baby steps!

Have an AWESOME week!  Liz

P.S. Go Heels!

Good Morning!

It can be overwhelming to think about all of the new marketing avenues that have been created in the past few years, as the world has “gone online.”  Websites, blogging, online forums, listing syndication, video, social media…For those of us who relish learning and applying new skills, it is exhilarating.  For those who resist change, it is daunting.  Either way, it is very exciting.

The key for those of us in sales, I believe, is to figure out how to harness the momentum of the internet to achieve our primary objectives:  selling our inventory, and gaining new clients (both buyers and sellers).  The possibilities for that are literally endless.  The opportunity lies in marrying the best of traditional real estate with the new communication and marketing vehicles, to re-energize the old, and turn the new into something actually useful, not just “cool.” 

One of my primary corporate objectives this year is collaboration.  Opening up the dialogue among veteran agents, with years of experience in networking “live” and the rookies, who lack that experience, but bring to the table a new attitude about online reach.  Sharing, brainstorming, critiquing.  The old dogs will learn some new tricks, and the new dogs will gain some wisdom.  1 + 1 = 3.  Real Estate 2.0.

C’mon…put your toe in the water, and join the online conversation!  Join me at Roundtables this week and let’s explore blogging.

Have a GREAT week!  Liz

Just got back from a great week at a real estate/technology conference in NYC, which was very thought provoking and filled with great information that I’m looking forward to sharing with you in the coming weeks and months.  I listened to 3 days of expert panels (everyone from Craig of Craig’s List to venture capitalists, to NYC’s power brokers) share their insights and their success stories, as well as their fears.

There was a foreboding sense of paralysis about the current financial crisis.  While there is consensus that the economy is in a very dire, precarious position, at the same time it seems that we have just stalled…not knowing what direction to turn and what steps to take to create positive momentum.  We are waiting for leadership.  The real estate industry is no different.  Actually, it’s far worse.  The majority of the industry is simply holding on, hoping for survival, waiting until the market “comes back.”  Very few brokerages or agents are taking advantage of this down time to innovate, or implement a new direction, or to grow.  Instead, they are assuming that things will return to normal, and it will be business as usual if they can just tough it out.

Markets are cyclical, and I do believe that at some point in the coming months, the # of sales will begin to correct…that is inevitable.  In some pockets of the market, the correction has already begun.  In others, it will be a few steps forward and a step back.  What I don’t believe, though, is that we will ever return to “business as usual.”  While the industry has been clinging to traditions, the consumer has rapidly evolved.  The way that buyers enter the real estate market, gather information, and make choices has fundamentally changed.  We must listen to, and engage, the new consumer.  Delivering significant value is more important than ever.

There has never been a better time for growth.  Just like exercise, you’ll know you’re on the right track if it’s uncomfortable, and it hurts a little.  The good news is that a very few agents will be willing to embrace change at the pace that the new consumer will demand…and, that is a perfect opportunity for a few highly committed agents to leap frog to a new level.  Will it be you?   We need to set aside our fears of technology, and recognize that it’s really about MARKETING, and finding new ways to connect with our customer base.

This week’s roundtables are on Social Media, and networking 2009 style.  We’ll explore LinkedIn and Facebook, and talk about new opportunities for engaging your sphere.  I’ll hope you’ll be there!