The post Keller Williams Realty’s RED Day Goes Viral! appeared first on KW Blog.

Do any of these sound familiar? “Use our product and get 100 leads a day!” “Use this new widget, Website or tool and we guarantee you’ll close more deals!” As real estate agents, we burn a lot of energy implementing products and services that take up a lot of time. And many of them don’t earn their keep. The fact is, new tools and tricks hit the marketplace every day. What we have to remember is to focus on the money generating activities that continue to get results. Bruce Lee, the most famous martial artist in the world, once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” So the question is not whether we should do social media or blogging or video – its which one works in your business. Which ONE piece of the Internet marketing pie leverages your strengths? At first, you may have to do some trial and error to determine which online tool is right for you. If you don’t innately have a knack for it (or you don’t have the money to hire someone to do it for you) move on – and quick.

So where, you might be asking, would I put my eggs if I only had one basket? For 2013, starting a real estate vlog is your best bet. Vlogging – or video blogging – is a powerful tool that can drive your Website to the top of the Google search ranks.

Visit YouTube.com and start a channel. Brand consistency is important – if you have an established name, logo or slogan, use it.

Gear up. But don’t let the technical stuff stop you from getting started. The higher the production quality, the more you’re going to spend. If you’re in experimentation mode, start with the basics like a smartphone or hand-held video camera. As you become more proficient, you can start looking at other devices or accessories to improve the video, sound or editing capabilities.

Write a short script. Video and written content are two very different entities. With video, you only have about one minute to capture your viewers’ attention, so ask yourself, “What are my viewers gaining by watching this video?” Writing it down will also keep you from rambling.

Practice in front of the mirror. Body language makes up 55 percent of the conversation – so it’s important! You may not be star material out of the gate, but by practicing a few key tricks, you’ll have your on-camera personality down in no time.

Practice your energy. What energy are you sending to your viewers? If you want them to be excited and optimistic, you have to turn your energy level up an octave. If you want to convey authority, speak slower and use tight movements. For a more friendly and optimistic approach, consider using wide gestures with your arms to take up space.

Practice your smile. Smile before the camera turns on, keep a pleasant face throughout the video, and by all means keep smiling until the video shuts off! One of the biggest mistakes I see agents make is turning their smile off too soon – don’t let your viewers see anything other than your shiny, happy service-oriented face!

Include a call to action at the end of every video. A great example is: “Thanks for watching! Get a free market report at www.KirbyChan.com.” In the description area, always add the “http://” in front of the link so that people can click through to your desired Webpage.

Share! Once your video is posted, click on the “share” option. Share it to Facebook, Twitter or, if you’re more tech-savvy, embed the code onto your Website or blog.

The post Social Smarts: How To Start a Real Estate Vlog appeared first on KW Blog.

The WestOne Properties Group

As a principal broker with the WestOne Properties Group in the Portland Central, Portland Central South and Vancouver (Wash.) market centers, Shivers ranks in the top 1 percent of real estate agents nationwide. His 2012 closed volume checks in at $73 million, making him one of the top Keller Williams agents in the Pacific Northwest.

Shivers got into real estate 12 years ago following the demise of his telecommunications company. Then in 2005, his wife was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Faced with caring for his three children and his wife as she went through chemotherapy, Shivers cut back on his business and began looking for an alternative solution. What he found was Keller Williams Realty. “I knew with my wife’s health that I couldn’t work as much as I had been working,” he says. “With Keller Williams, I wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel. I could have systems and models and still get to be with my family.”

By the time he joined the company in 2008, Shivers had also found his Big Why. He had spent some time in Nicaragua to invest in a resort that ultimately failed. It was during one particular trip that something different happened.

A friend from church told Shivers and his wife that he wanted to show them a garbage dump known as La Chureca. What they saw there changed their lives. “You drive in and see smoke, buzzards and crows so thick that you might not even be able to see the sky,” he recalls. “You look to the side, and you see young boys sniffing glue, just lost. Young girls were doing unfortunate things, just so their family could eat. Seeing the hopelessness brought me and my wife both to our knees. I was depressed. I wanted to go home, but my friend said, ‘Understand that you can leave, but they’re still here.’ From that day forward, I got fi red up. I wanted to make as much money as I could to help as much as I could.”

When Shivers got home, he partnered with Forward Edge International, a mission organization based out of Portland. Together, Shivers, his team and Forward Edge have worked to support the people of La Chureca, ultimately opening a school for girls called Villa Esperanza, which translates to “Village of Hope.” “They take 24 young girls out of the garbage dump and put them in school. It’s a Garden of Eden compared to what they have been through,” Shivers says.

“These girls get educated, know that people love them and learn about Christ. They make sure the girls stay connected with their families if it’s not a sexual abuse situation. The girls are changing their future and the future of the community.” In addition to the support of his team, Shivers has also received support from his clients. He throws client appreciation parties that include auctions to raise money for Villa Esperanza. He shares videos and asks people to sponsor kids; they typically say yes. To keep his team fired up, they’re taking a trip down to Nicaragua this spring to fish, see the challenged community and visit the girls at Villa Esperanza.

“Our goal for 2013 is $100 million in sales,” he says. “If there’s nothing behind that, it’s easy to get pulled off track. When I have a sniffle and don’t want to get out of bed, I think that if a 9 year old can scavenge through the garbage dump this morning, then I can go to work,” he says. “When I look at those pictures of the dump and of the kids being happy, I can see it and I can feel it.

“If you know in your heart that your responsibility is that these kids don’t go back to a dump, nothing can stop you. I’m an average guy, but I will run through a wall to help these kids who are not going to get what they need to flourish.”

The post Nick Shivers Shows How Knowing your Big Why Can Drive Big Business appeared first on KW Blog.

Frere built and aims the future growth of his business on one concept: sincerity. That sounds easy enough, but pretending to care is not the same as really caring. Frere cares. And he’s built an enduring community of clients and colleagues by networking organically, one meaningful relationship at a time. People trust him and as a result they tell their friends and family about him. In fact, at least 75 percent of his business is referrals.

Here are nine tips Frere’s believes every real estate agent should consider as the build their network.

1. “Make it a habit to reach out to clients, colleagues and friends. Put it on the schedule and do it. When someone purchases a home from you, pick up the phone and ask them how they like living in the house. If a client or colleague’s parent just had surgery, ask about it. If someone’s son or daughter graduates from college, send a congratulations card. Be human. Show them that you care. Don’t let a moment go by unused. Be on the phone calling someone.”
2. “Know everything there is to know about your market. You cannot be ignorant or be idle about your specific market’s issues and conditions. Whether at a dinner party, the neighborhood pool or at a client meeting, never be without an educated answer or insightful news about your market.”
3. “Develop and nurture face-to-face relationships with people who work with a lot of people. Have your morning coffee with an insurance agent and your lunch with a banker or loan officer.”
4. “Be seen. Be out and about in the community. One way to do this is to sponsor a neighborhood party, but you have to show up and enjoy the party too.”
5. “Give clients something useful that reminds them of you. Magnetized basketball or college football schedules or a colorful, annual calendar are good options.”
6. “Thank people for their referrals. Call them. Send them movie tickets, gift certificates or gas cards. Let them know that you appreciate their trust in you.”
7. “Attend conferences like Mega Camp and Family Reunion. Make friends while you learn.”
8. “It is okay to let others know you can and want to help them.”
9. “Be sincere, don’t be ‘salesy.’ Authenticity can’t be faked.”

The post Nine Tips to Build Your Network (And Your Net Worth) appeared first on KW Blog.

Let’s take a closer look.

eEdge myLeads and myContacts

Respond faster to new leads and get in touch with clients with ease! Plus, you now have the ability to record every activity directly back to your contact history. Regardless of your device, you have access. No app downloads needed! Learn more.  

myKW | Market Center Intranet

Easily see what’s happening at your market center while you’re away with the new responsive design.

Action Plans

Stay on top of your to-dos anywhere, anytime. Learn more.

*Coming soon! eEdge myTransactions

Later this May, stay on-top of your transaction tasks with easy access into eEdge myTransactions. Learn more.

The post eEdge on the Go is Here! appeared first on KW Blog.

Thanks to all of our readers who are putting The ONE Thing approach into full effect! Feel free to share your ONE Thing stories below!

The post The ONE Thing Becomes A #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller! appeared first on KW Blog.

There’s no doubt that each year more and more KW associates just like you commit to Give Where They Live. And this year stands to be even bigger as our KW Worldwide partners renew, energize and donate on RED Day for the first time ever!

Here are a few ways you and your market center can spread the RED and the incredible power of the Keller Williams culture across the social sphere.

RED Day on Facebook: We all know the sharing power Facebook has. Here are two ways to get more reach on your big day.

Tag “Keller Williams Realty, Inc.” in your photos and video. First, visit the Keller Williams Realty Facebook page. If you haven’t already “liked” us – be sure to do it! Whenever you upload a photo, tag us. Your photo will then show up in the news feed for nearly 52,000 of your fellow associates to see!

Tag the organization you are helping in photos and video. Whether you are working with Habitat for Humanity, your local YMCA or Boys and Girls Club or a local organization, chances are they are on Facebook! Whenever you tag a photo or post about your day, tag them! You’re picture and the good you are doing will show up in both your news feed and theirs – extending your RED Day reach.

RED Day on Twitter: Join the conversation and share the good you are doing on Twitter. Use #KWREDDay, #REDDay or #GiveWhereYouLive. Another popular Keller Williams hashtag is #kwri. If the organization you are supporting is on Twitter, be sure and tag them in the Tweet!

RED Day Live Feed: Pulling in all of your tweets, comments, blog posts, Facebook mentions and pictures, the Live RED Day Social Media Feed is where you can find out what’s happening in market centers across the globe. Visit blog.kw.com/livefeed to follow along and use the Twitter hashtags to appear in the feed.

The post Get Ready to Give Where You Live this RED Day! appeared first on KW Blog.

Dianna Kokoszka, CEO, KW MAPS Coaching and KWU

“Whether you are an agent or team leader, this is the year to focus on growth. Your business grows to the extent you grow. Challenge yourself to exceed your biggest goals ever and work with a coach or other accountability partner to follow through and succeed.”

Tony DiCello, Executive Director of KW MAPS Coaching

“Lead generate and follow up at least three hours per day for at least 200 days during the year. Put it in your time blocking schedule and have your coach or someone hold you accountable to doing this ONE Thing.”

Ron Patulski, Vice President of KW MAPS

“Today’s markets reward skill and mandate a focus on our personal development and growth to seize the opportunities around us. The great news is, deep inside, we all have the capacity in our own unique way to do just that! Pray and/or meditate, appreciate, love to feed your soul and consciously strive to be of service to others. Schedule time for consistent physical activity. Expose your mind daily to books, recordings, people and environments that support and expand your skills and mind.”

Shon Kokoszka, President, KW MAPS Coaching

“The best thing you can do for you and your business this year is to master the 1-3-5 process. Identify the dominoes in your life, which will help you determine your purpose and priority. Knock down the first domino and create a powerful growth progression.”

Chris McNamara

“Use social media as a relationship engine, not a lead generation machine. There’s too much “speed dating” with online leads in real estate. Instead, put together a plan to “woo” them, and they’ll “woo hoo!” you with referrals. Agents who incorporate gamification, contests and campaigns are seeing an increase in participation from clients. People like to keep score.”

Joe Bogar

“Stick to a morning schedule. It is easy to have a victim mindset about it. Ever find yourself saying, “I don’t have time.” “I can’t fit it in my schedule.” “I’m overwhelmed,” etc. … Success doesn’t happen to those who are a slave to their schedule. Success pops up when you become purposeful. It happens when you ask, “What do I want to accomplish this week to achieve my goals? What do I need to do each day? Does my schedule reflect my goals?” When you get that right, you will be able to achieve anything.”

Bill Pipes

“Create and review your goals on a daily basis to maintain a high level of motivation and passion. Control your internal dialogue through affirmations, and increase the support and exposure that you have in your life and business with accountability partners and a strong, relentless mastermind group of like-minded individuals.”

Kate Patulski

“Gary Keller says, “We have to think in a way that will allow us to achieve our goals.” The number ONE thing you can do to dramatically shift your results is to extinguish the programming that limits your performance. Complete a thinking strengths assessment (we offer one through KW MAPS Coaching). Participate in BOLD as many times as possible and work with a performance coach for a short period of time either in a group or individual setting.”

Cheiri Lowry

“It may sound trite, but real estate agents need to get a coach! A coach will make you think and challenge your limiting beliefs so that you can put your greatest strengths to work. A coach will help you celebrate successes and leverage them to get you to the next level.”

Michael Fleming

“We have a seller’s market hitting an extraordinary number of places around the country. While agents need to take advantage of this moment and capture as much business as possible – they need to be sure they’re taking listings that will lead to results. The truth is, an agent may easily get the listings, but what’s more important is getting the sale. So what does that mean? It means every agent needs to ask the right questions to find the client’s compelling selling reason.”

Jackie Kravitz

“Agents need to focus on for sale by owners. They have one goal in mind: save money on commission. But if their home isn’t selling, it’s because of a lack of exposure, a barrage of bargain hunters, unqualified buyers, legal liability or less-than spectacular negotiating skills. Do these problems cost them money? Can you solve these problems for them? Yes, absolutely! And by solving their problems, you will more than make up for the commission that you charge.”

Monica Reynolds

“Review your schedule the night before. Go to bed, get up and go to work at the same time every day. Read your schedule, business plans and goals to energize and motivate yourself. Have an accountability partner and check in with them before you start lead generating. Create an environment that supports your schedule and remove any distractions. Schedule a lunch and refresh your human battery for a productive afternoon of appointments or contracts.”

P.J. Stratford

“Get crystal clear about the lead generation method that gets you the biggest results. Now zone in on them like an eagle. Make a firm commitment to yourself to push through any limiting belief that is stopping you dead in your tracks. Be unstoppable. Be a ninja. Let NOTHING deter you from the success you seek.”

The post 13 Ways to Dominate Your Real Estate Market appeared first on KW Blog.

If you have visited us before, you’ll agree we were in need of a big overhaul! And that’s exactly what we’ve done. From the layout to the visuals to the way information is categorized – nearly everything has a new look.

Here are a few ways the KW Blog has been redesigned with our fearless readers – YOU – in mind.

Organized The Way You Do Business

One of the first things we considered in the redesign is how you read the content – what are you searching for, and how do you find the answers to your most important business questions? What we found will likely come as no surprise: the fundamentals in real estate reign supreme.

So first, we have Leads, Listings and Leverage. Without a doubt the “Three L’s” are the basic principles upon which a successful real estate business is built. They’re every real estate agent’s 20 percent. Beyond the “Three L’s,” we identified two more topics that are important to your success: Marketing and Branding and Technology. After looking at all the content, we felt strongly that they should have their own sections; we hope you’ll agree.

And finally there’s Culture, KW Now and our Live Feed. Within these categories you’ll find incredible stories of our company’s tremendous culture at work, as well as the latest news happening in your marketplaces! The Live Feed is our way of leveraging the best of your social content – all neatly displayed in a cascading webpage – that is updated in real time!

Optimized For Maximum Social Interaction

The real estate community loves to share, and we wanted to give you every possible chance to like, tweet or post the blog stories you enjoy. Quickly share a story from the homepage or use the share options to the left of each blog entry to quickly and easily post to your favorite social network.

Giving You A Place To Be Heard

Keller Williams Realty is built by agents, for agents. You are the stars of the stories found on the KW Blog and because of that, we want to hear from you! If you’re one of our longtime readers, you know that commenting has been cumbersome. You had to sign up, find an avatar and remember your username and password. That’s all changed. Using a comment system called Disqus (we highly recommend for your own blog), you are now able to comment as a guest or, even better, log-in using Facebook, Twitter, Google or Yahoo! Disqus also functions just like a chat feature – posting comments in real time – so you can easily chat about the story and offer up your own advice.

Always Refining

With every redesign there are always a few kinks, and we ask for your patience as we work through any issues. If you see anything, feel free to email the editor, Laura Price, at laura.price1@kw.com.

We’re also looking forward to continuing to help you build careers worth having, businesses worth owning and lives worth living through incredible success stories featuring Keller Williams Realty’s top producing agents!

The post Welcome To Our Redesign! appeared first on KW Blog.

Over the eight weeks, attendees are taught to identify the thoughts that disarm them and the habits that circumvent their success. One of the ways in which they do that is by focusing on 30 BOLD Laws.

“One of my favorite BOLD Laws is ‘Your Cells Eavesdrop on Your Thoughts,’” says Kokosozka. “That means that every thought that we have is stored in somewhere in our body. They release energy and chemicals that make our body either feel good or bad. If you have a lot of negative thoughts your brain releases certain chemicals in response to them. Conversely, the more positive thoughts you have, the better you feel and the more your body craves them.”

Here, Kokoszka further explains the BOLD Law.

The BOLD Laws are like signposts along your travel, guiding you toward success. Here are the other 29. Name your favorite in the comment section below!

• 1. Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.
• 2. A life by design, not by default.
• 3. BE DO HAVE.
• 4. There is no try.
• 5. What you focus on expands.
• 6. Complaining = garbage magnet.
• 7. Don’t listen to your drunk monkey.
• 8. Want = Lack.
• 9. Come from contribution.
• 10. Do what you have always done, and you will get what you have always gotten.
• 11. If it is not on your schedule, it doesn’t exist.
• 12. You can have reasons or results and you can’t have both.
• 13. All work expands to fill the time allowed.
• 14. Your business grows to the extent that you do.
• 15. Keep your emotions between the lines.
• 16. Success is simple, not easy.
• 17. Don’t mistake movement for achievement.
• 18. Motion = emotion.
• 19. Clarity is power.
• 20. It’s not about selling real estate; it’s about following a schedule.
• 21. People will grow into the conversations you create around them.
• 22. No pressure, no diamond.
• 23. Spontaneity is a conditioned reflex.
• 24. You get what you deserve in your imagination.
• 25. Don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.
• 26. How you participate here is how you participate everywhere.
• 27. The purpose of business is to fund your- perfect life.
• 28. Things aren’t always how they appear to be.
• 29. Focus on the solution not the problem.

The post BOLD Law: Are Your Cells Eavesdropping on Your Thoughts? appeared first on KW Blog.