Welcome to My Blog!

Extraordinary Office Manager means…
My Agents demonstrate extraordinary character
My Agents enjoy extraordinary success
My Agents receive extraordinary service
… that’s my title, job description, and mission.

You Can Do Anything for 30 Days

The 30 Day Challenge for Realtors

You can do anything for just 30 Days.   In real estate the urgent takes over and crowds out time for activities that get you your next transaction.  Create your 30 Day Challenge and join with others for encouragement and support.  The Best Year Yet 30 Day Challenge helps you get control of your time and stay focused on the income producing activities for just 2 hours a day.  Check it out!

Watch the Video…

Join the Challenge Now!  Click Here to Join

When Goal Setting and Biz Planning Doesn’t Work

  If you’re stuck at a level of income year after year.  Often the answer is not setting goals or business planning.

You may need to confront some of your own internal issues, fears, beliefs.

No matter how determined you become, the unconscious mind does not obey the conscious mind.  And the unconscious part of your brain was programmed very early in life.   It can sabotage your success.

So how do you know what’s buried in your unconscious mind?  Look around you at what you’re getting in life.  You’ve been creating your life based on the designs imagined by a part of your brain you know little about.   If you have limiting beliefs, you limit your success.

I’ve designed a worksheet to help you.  It asks the questions that help you uncover your limiting beliefs.   it helps you create a compelling vision for your future and then remove the roadblocks that hold you back.  Once you determine the ONE THING that is holding you back, you can create your own 30 Day Challenge to break through that barrier and establish new habits.

Don’t start your 2012 Business Plan without the Pre-Planning Worksheet!
Pre-Planning Worksheet 2012

Agents Top 5 Challenges – Free Solutions Download

 

We surveyed Agents in North Orange County and asked “What are your biggest challenges?”  We chose the tom 5 responses and identified solutions to address those challenges.  Now you can get the free download here…

Bring Your Challenges for Agents
Free Download – Bring Your Challenges for Agents_

Have You Answered The Big Question?

Accomplishing bigger things usually requires becoming a bigger person.  Most people stay stuck at a certain level of income year after year…  Regardless of what goals they set or plans they make.

You actually set yourself up for failure with goal setting and business planing IF you have not addressed the internal personal issues and spiritual issues the hinder your growth.

Tom Pelton has 25 years of experience guiding people through the process of uncovering issues that hinder personal growth.  He has worked with individuals, organizations, businesses, and even cities on the spiritual and internal issues that hinder growth and transformation.

The Big Question Business Planning Workshop deals with:

- – Your Vision for your life and family (by default or by design)
- –  Hidden Spiritual and internal issues that keep you at the same level
- – Time Management and the issues that keep you from living your life
- – Limiting Beliefs that hold you back of sabotage your success
- – Action plans based on the life you want

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRE-PLANNING WORKSHEET
Pre-Planning Worksheet 2012

Biz Plan Worksheet for 2012

You can download this worksheet to create your 2012 Business Plan.  Design a plan for your Best Year Yet.  It’s free!

Download Now.. Best Year Yet 2012

3 Myths Most Agents Believe

First take a look at what I call the “Reality Graph”  This gives you a 3 year at a glance look.   Not the day to day terror of this troubled market, but the big picture… the forest and the trees.    Notice the roller coaster wave of green bars are the listing inventory.  But look closely at the red line of Pending Sales.   It’s steady… no big ups and downs…  no seasonal highs and lows.   In spite of the panic you feel from time to time… sales have remained steady for the last 3 years..

You won’t like the realities I’ll point out from this graph.  Most agents hold these myths to be true.  They blame their success or failure on these myths.  So, if you’re like most… these realities will be hard to face….  but be courageous and read on….

Myths:

#1 Myth:   December-February are slow months.   Summer months are the busy months.

Realty:   Pending sales actually hold steady through these months.  Your sales can be just as consistent in December-January as they are in June.    You have  less competition in the “slow” months as because competitor agents believe this myth and work less.    Summer months have increased Listing activity but no real increase in actual sales.

#2 Myth:  The news media effects real estate sales

Realty: Sales have remained consistent the last 3 years regardless of good or bad news reports

#3  Myth:   Low interest rates and low prices cause people to buy houses

Realty:  More people bought houses when interest rates and prices were higher than today when prices and interest rates are low.   (remember 2000-2004?)

Don’t believe the myths.   They are dis-empowering beliefs or excuses that undermine your confidence and keep you from taking effective action on a daily basis.

Actual pending sales have remained consistent, steady, and stable for the last 3 years regardless of how much other activity in the market comes and goes.   However, individual agents business varies widely month after month.   The conclusion can only be that the business is distributed differently each month.  The size of the pie never changes… how it’s divided and to whom varies.

Your income as an agent can remain just as stable and solid as that red line on the graph.    Every day, I coach agents to avoid the ups and downs of the market by focusing on the right things.     Let me know if I can help you off the real estate roller coaster and into a stable career in real estate!

- Tom Pelton  June 2011

Helping SELLERS Get Realistic About Price

Helping Buyers and Sellers COMMIT!

Are you dealing with Buyers who are hesitant or slow to move forward?  How about Sellers who just can’t decide whether to sell or wait?    People have a hard time making decisions when uncertainty is in the air.  And with the world in turmoil, you’ll need to master the skill of helping Buyers and Sellers make decisions and move forward.

1. Only work with Buyers or Sellers who are committed
Only the most committed and motivated Buyers or Sellers will be able to move forward in an environment that will challenge their resolve at every turn.

A Buyer who is committed has a pre-qual and a TARGET DATE.  A Seller who is committed has a TARGET DATE and will adjust price until they find the market.

2  Know your standards
Are you willing to work with ANY Buyer or Seller?  How do you define your best client?  Have questions or processes ready that will test the resolve of your prospects.  For example, you might have a standard that says you will not work with a Buyer unless they have met with your lender.   The Buyer who willingly meets with your Lender proves they are motivated and committed.  The Buyer who will not is still uncommitted.

Buyers who Buy… BUY.  Buyers who don’t buy… don’t buy.  But Buyers who DO BUY will always take the next relevant step toward their purchase.  Always.

3.  Create a follow up system…
Making a decision to buy or sell is a longer process these days.  It’s a process of education and follow up that can take months.   Get your follow up organized into a daily routine.  You’ll need a system to keep people connected to you and moving forward.

Agents with systems are fishing with a vast net and catching abundantly while Agents without   systems are chasing the next deal and catching one at a time with a single line.

4.  Have a Seller Conversation manual
Sellers cannot make decisions because they are confused.  Too much information, complicated financial markets, world economy, gas prices, mixed signals and conflicting news!!  Unfortunately, with so much information Agents get confused too!  You need a simple and visual way to present the issues of our time to make the complicated clear to the Seller.  If the Seller has clarity and confidence… they will be much more decisive.

Uncertainty and lack of commitment is due to a lack of confusion and lack of clarity…. And ultimately fear.  Eliminate uncertainty and decisions are easier.

5.  Stop being so analitical!!  (yes, that was misspelled… live with it!)
Motivation keeps people from moving forward… not the interest rate or sales price.   All your rational arguments fall on deaf ears if MOTIVATION is missing.  You have to be able to identify motivation and fan any spark of motivation into a flame.

People still get married every day.   That’s a huge commitment!  So your Buyers and Sellers are people who are able to make large commitments… they’re just not “in love” enough with something to make those big decisions.  Your job as a realtor is NOT selling houses.  You job is selling the American Dream.  Buyers and Sellers are hesitant and lack commitment because that dream has been tarnished.  It’s  like the phrase goes “He’s just not that into you!”  You’re pulling your hair out wondering why they won’t move forward when the deal makes perfect sense.  But big commitments are not decisions that make sense… they are EMOTIONAL decisions.   People decide first with their hearts and then find ways to support and justify the decisions their heart has made.   You Sell in a down market because of the DREAM of a better life somewhere else.  You Buy a home when everyone thinks your crazy to pay these prices for the very same reason your parents and their parents bought a home for a price that was outrageous by the standards of their time.  You Buy because of the dream of home and family and because it’s your turn to step up, make a commitment, believe in the future, and let nothing stop you from moving forward.

6.  Find the Fear
You’ll just have to slow down and take the time to listen to your clients more.    Many of their objections make no sense to you because the objection or stall you’re hearing is NOT the real issue at all.   Even THEY don’t know why they feel so “uncomfortable”  Their comments and decisions seem irrational to you because they ARE irrational… they are emotional decisions based on deep fear.    The need you to care enough to listen, ask questions, and uncover the irrational fear so they can move forward.

- Tom Pelton  March 2010
From Agent Mastermind Prudential Brea

How to Double the Traffic to Your Open House!

Imagine having Buyers line up at your Open House without having to put up a single sign!  Of course, you could go ahead and put out your signs, but how would you like an additional l 20-30 Buyers show up?   How much more business could you do if you had a system that automatically sent out Open House Invitations to every Buyer in the area who is looking to buy a Listing like yours??    Would that generate more leads for you? Would that increase your chances of double ending your Listings?  Ka Ching!!

No, I’m not selling another marketing plan. This is bigger than that.   I’m talking about putting the power of a strategic alliance  among some major internet players and new technology to work for you.

Here’s the scoop… Yahoo Real Estate and Prudential Real Estate have been working together for several years.   That exclusive relationship is the basis of Prudential’s “Online Sellers Advantage” program that has developed through the years.   Recently, Zillow has jumped in the mix with their strategic alliance with Yahoo Real Estate.  Meanwhile, Prudential has been spending in the neighborhood of $90 Million a year on marketing and shifting that massive budget to dominate internet searches for real estate and to build more strategic partnership.   (that’s right $90 million each year!)

Already, the number of registered and confirmed Buyers (those who have actually set up search criteria with a confirmed email) in the system numbers over 3 million! Numbers are growing daily.    Imagine being able to identify the Buyers in that 2.5 million who are searching for a home like your listing and being able to invite them to your Open House?  Well now you can!

Now we are able to hold what we call a “GLOBAL OPEN HOUSE” All you do is enter your Open House information in the system and the system does all of the following automatically!  :

1. The day before your Open House an email invitation to your Open House goes to every one of the 2.5 million registered Buyers who’s criteria matches your listing.

2.  Your Listing is automatically syndicated out to over 200 web sites with your information.  Your Open House is syndicated to all of the web sites that take Open House listings

3.  We create Video of your Listing with music, narration and your information and we post it on YouTube and syndicate to all major video sites.

4.  We provide all of our agents with a free Realtor.com account so they can post Open Houses, Headlines, Banners, and showcase the listing with THE AGENT’S contact information…. (not the company info like most brokers do.)

5.  Our web site translates your listing into 6 different languages opening exposure to international audience.

6.  With ONE CLICK you can post your Open House out to dozens of Social Media sites.

7.  The Seller automatically gets a report from the agent showing all their online showings on all the Search Engines.  Plus any competitive listings, price reductions, etc in the neighborhood.  Every week, automatically.

And even if all the people who see and hear about your Open House don’t show up… they all see your listing, they see your face and information, and they are directed to your web site!!

The best part of it is this is entirely FREE for Prudential California Realty Agents.  But it’s EXCLUSIVE to ONLY Prudential agents.  This is just one of the reasons why last year in North Orange County, Prudential Agents took 96% more listings than our closest competition.  (see MLS or Trendgraphix)

One Agent recently showed up to Open House with NO SIGNS and had 15 Buyers waiting in line.  They all found it online or received an email invitation.    The agent commented “people used to drive around for Open Houses… now they Browse Around for online”

Find out how YOU can get in on the action.  Call me today and I’ll show you how.    Tom Pelton 714-348-2350

Boost Your Commission Income in 2012

Every vendor out there has a product they swear will help you make more money in real estate. However, as a Manager with nothing to sell who works with agents every day, I can tell you what I see that really works. Here’s my list of what WILL actually substantially increase your income without costing you money.

1.  Increase Your Average Sale Price

You can position yourself to get those one million dollar “come list me” calls. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it. You need the right image. Work with those who are doing it, and position yourself in the market properly. Not that you’re going to dedicate your entire business to the high end, but you need to position yourself for those opportunities when they come up and you can position yourself for a higher average.

The Payoff:
Just a simple upgrade in your image and message can move you from an average sale of $300,000 to an average sale of $500,000. If you do 10 transactions per year, that’s a $50,000 raise!

How we help: Your image is critical and you’ll need position yourself within the high end marketplace and align yourself with a company and agents who are in that market. The high end is our niche. Prudential has the highest average listing price of all national firms nationwide year after year. Our Fine Homes division provides branding and image for agents that meets the demands of the high end market. In North Orange County, our average sale price is $626,000. That’s the highest of any company in North OC and over $50,000 higher than our closest competition in North OC.  (see Trendgraphix statistics from MLS data)

2.  Increase Your Average Commission

You need to learn how to get a full 6% on EVERY listing you take. There is some skill required, but it is again an issue of image, presentation, and style. Think about the difference in price you expect to pay when you walk in a Walmart vs. Nordstroms. Think of the customer you attract if you are a Walmart vs. Nordstrom.

The Payoff: If you can increase your skills and develop the image and presentation that consistently increases your average commission from 2% to an average of 3%. At 10 transactions per year and your new avg. sales price of $500,000. That’s an increase of $50,000 per year.

How we help: You need a brand that commands respect and full value. You need a brand that will get invited to the table more often with the professional image and marketing to win the listing. Prudential is the PREMIUM brand. People expect to pay a full commission to a Prudential agent. When you show them our impressive marketing, Sellers understand that with that much value, 6% makes sense.

3.  Expand Your Marketing Reach

Think regionally…Successful agents who farm locally are picking up business by taking advantage of regional opportunities in surrounding communities. There is simply no longer enough business to go around in the city or neighborhood you’re working. You can supplement your income with business you get from surrounding cities.

The Payoff: Position yourself for regional business and pick up 5 transactions from outside your normal neighborhoods and add another $50,000 to your income.

How we help: You need an office location that gets you outside your local and familiar community. Our office location puts you exactly in the middle of the entire NOC marketplace. If you’re Fullerton or La Habra, you’re in a lower price range and connected to lower price range communities. Brea gives you access to Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills and our offices in those areas.

4  Increase Your Online Lead Generation

If you are not closing at least one deal per month from your online lead generation….SOMETHING IS WRONG. Over time, many agents have learned to expect nothing from their web site so nothing is what they get. Times have changed! With good coaching, you can generate a steady stream of leads from online.

The Payoff: If you learn how to make the internet work for you, the possibilities are unlimited. You should be able to create at least one new transaction for every Listing you take. Take 5 Listings this year and use the internet properly and you should be looking at another $50,000

How we help: You can’t afford to spend a lot of time online, so in-office support is critical to your success online. We provide the in-house support agents need to avoid the technology time trap. We do the online marketing for our agents! We pay for online marketing for all our listings and direct the leads directly to the Listing Agent! Our Online Virtual Assistant program and in-house social media support keeps our agents ahead of the competition online.

5.  Change Your Environment

You’ll never rise above the expectations of your peers. You need to be around successful people. You need to be in a drama free environment. Removing yourself from comfort and seeking challenge change causes personal growth and new opportunities.

The Payoff: New relationships and environment are stimulating and inspirational. Could you add another 2 transactions if you clear the relational clutter and focus on new ways of doing business? If so, add another $10,000

How we help: You’re around too many part-timers and non-productive agents. We have 8 of the top 10 Agents in NOC. No other company ever has more than one. We have the highest per agent productivity in North OC. That’s because we know how to help “good” agents become “great” agents. And we’ve developed an environment where ideas are shared. It’s an environment of success. The result is that we have the highest Per Agent Production of any company in North Orange County. Our average agent’s annual sales is DOUBLE our closest competitor. (see Trendgraphix statistics from MLS data)

Ok, so I just added another $200,000 to your income. Maybe that’s a little overboard. If only it was that simple in the real world. But you have to admit, these are definitely income producing ideas that would work if you had the right environment to keep you focused and effective.

I’d like to interview for the job of helping you do just that!

Tom Pelton
Extraordinary Office Manager
Prudential California Realty
tom.pelton@mailpcr.com
714-348-2350