Doug Spak
Micro-Progress Instead of Perfection
The launch of any big project is daunting, be it a new career, writing a book, or even the seemingly mundane task of conquering office clutter. Many of us, scanning the landscape in front of us, respond predictably: we procrastinate. The more we procrastinate, the more we dread starting. The solution is one so simple…
Read MoreNurturing Referrals
Nurturing Real Estate Referrals Many of us in the real estate business have heard it’s easier to keep current customers happy than to find new customers. In fact, referrals are the mother’s milk of almost any business but certainly so in real estate. Despite that, few professionals receive enough training and guidance on nurturing and…
Read MoreLearn How to Lighten Up
Life is serious. We have children to raise and bills to pay. Jobs to get to and cars that break down along the way. Plus, many of us were raised by parents who assured us we would rue the day we became adults and to enjoy our youth as long as possible because worry lay…
Read MoreIs Your Website Optimized?
Real Estate Website Optimization These days, having a website for your real estate practice is a no-brainer, as are a few components of it: great photography, fresh content, social media links. And, those are fun items to work on. Who doesn’t enjoy lovely pictures of homes? But for your site to work most effectively, you’ve…
Read More5 Steps to Fearless Selling
For too many people, the term ‘salesman’ conjures up clichés of the used car salesman or the 1992 movie about cutthroat salesmen, Glengarry Glen Ross. The principal character, played by Alec Baldwin, advertised a contest among the members of the sales team with the following pitch: “As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac…
Read MoreMindfulness and Work-Life Balance
You may be noticing more news articles and blog posts on work-life balance, but that’s no surprise: technology, for all its advantages, encourages multitasking and gives us the notion we can manage more than one task at a time competently. In fact, research shows most of us only pay attention about 47 percent of the…
Read MoreUnravel the Myths of CRM
Customer Relation Management (CRM) systems may be THE most misunderstood tool in any real estate agent’s toolkit. From the mundane – they’re too expensive! – to the weird – conspiracy theory: you’re being spied on! – myths about these super-useful systems abound. We ’re here to bust the myths and give you a couple of…
Read MoreOn Leadership
You’ve made it! You’re one of the select few real estate agents who put in the hours, worked the phones and used the right tools (yes, Espresso Agent for the really successful!!) to outperform your peers. You had the gift, that special (some might say fearless) quality that drove you to success. Your book of…
Read MoreSuccess Starts in the Morning
Real estate prospecting is challenging and can also be stressful for agents regardless of how long you’ve been in the business. For many top agents, the success of their real estate prospecting efforts often begins with how they start their day. “Morning is an important time of day because how you spend your morning can…
Read MoreIs Your Website Converting?
No matter how pretty your website may be, it’s not really working for you if it’s not converting visitors into prospects or leads. Let’s take a look at the key elements you can’t do without on your site. IDX Integration. To keep buyers coming to your site, you need to ensure they can see every…
Read MoreHave You Developed Your Personal Brand?
A “brand’ is defined by Business Dictionary as a unique design, symbol, words, or combination that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors, becoming over time, associated with credibility. Personal branding is no different, but to put it more simply, it’s the means by which people remember you. In the crowded real estate…
Read MoreThe Importance of Effective Business Writing
Those long, agonizing days in English composition class may be a distant memory but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to continue to hone your writing skills. Effective business writing is essential to a successful business: the corollary is that poor or ineffective writing skills can cost you money if clients don’t understand the message…
Read More4 Steps To Creating a Powerful Sales Team
When you’ve reached the enviable point in your real estate career at which you have more leads than you can efficiently manage, the time has come to consider building a team. The benefits of having team members are numerous: for starters, someone is always available to work with clients. Team members can motivate and push…
Read More6 Steps To Better Interior Images
We all know curb appeal is essential to marketing properties, and in today’s high-tech age, that doesn’t even mean an in-person look-see. Now, most buyers are reviewing potential homes online and judging whether they want to see a property based on photos, or “pix appeal”. No matter what your property looks like in person, without…
Read MoreWho Is Holding You Accountable?
Peer pressure is a powerful thing. Many of us are willing to hit the snooze alarm and skip our morning exercise ritual – unless we have a friend expecting us to meet him or her. Knowing they await, we heave ourselves up and it’s off to the gym we go. Being connected to someone who…
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