Utilizing 40 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online. We are an approved Florida Real Estate School (License #ZH1002299), Florida CAM School (License #PRE31), Florida Insurance School (License # 370501) and NMLS Approved Course Provider.
On average, FSBO listings will take longer to sell than agent listings. Unless the person selling without representation already knows a person who wants to take the property, this can mean a lot more time spent on the market.
If an FSBO runs into a problem or has a question, they are all alone. Real estate agents have mentors and brokers to go to for help—agents have a network to go to for support. FSBOs do not.
7. Marketing is harder than it looks
FSBOs often underestimate the difficulty of listing and selling their home.
Think putting up a yard sign will be enough to sell your home? You’re not alone.
33% of FSBOs rely on yard signs to market their home.
But what many of these sellers don’t realize is that getting on the MLS is not necessarily enough to make the sale.
Again, as an agent you have a network of connections and prospects who might be interested in a home that would otherwise sit unsold for an FSBO.
8. Less money, more problems
The name of the game for FSBOs is saving money.
However, odds are good that a for sale by owner will be nickel and dimed until their commission savings are nullified.
How much will the home inspection cost? What about signage and flyers? How about that home warranty? The list of small costs that are a necessary part of the sales process can add up.
And that’s to say nothing of the investment of time required for an FSBO.
Without the same resources as an agent, FSBOs wind up making a large investment of time to sell their home.
Utilizing 40 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online. We are an approved Florida Real Estate School (License #ZH1002299), Florida CAM School (License #PRE31), Florida Insurance School (License # 370501) and NMLS Approved Course Provider.
We all like to save a few bucks here and there, especially when it comes to home ownership.
But some boot-strapping home owners take DIY too far.
Sure, it makes sense to teach yourself how to fix a leaky faucet or replace a broken door hinge.
But at what point does this self reliance go too far?
The answer: when you decide to sell your home yourself.
Some people see listing their home for sale by owner (or FSBO) as a way to save an agent’s commission for themselves.
“I can put a few signs in the front yard,” they tell themselves. “And what’s so hard about taking some pictures and posting them online?”
Actually, a whole lot about real estate photography is easy to overlook. For starters, getting rid of the stuffed animals and Simpsons-esque furniture. (Photo courtesy of terribleagentphotos.com)
What they don’t realize, however, is that their choice to go it alone could potentially cost them a lot of time and money.
So how do you turn FSBOs into a client?
In short, through education.
Inform FSBOs of the risks they’re unwittingly taking on and explain the possible negative implications of those risks.
1. The potential for scams
FSBO sales create the potential for fraud by both parties.
Some FSBO sellers will ask that their buyer go forward without an agent as well. “We can make this deal without either of us losing money to an agent,” they might say.
Hoping to save a few extra dollars in the deal, the buyer might agree, throwing down an earnest money deposit in the process. If the FSBO decides they don’t like the deal, the buyer might be out of luck without a valid contract or receipt, saying goodbye to their EMD.
FSBO scams can include producing fake papers, such as appraisals or loan documentation, or purchases through a fake third party, like a non-existent attorney.
Ask an FSBO why they would open themselves up to these potential scams. Tell them you’re a trained professional who specializes in these transactions and, believe it or not, they’re not as easy to pull off as they might seem.
Maybe the FSBO did a Google search and found a one-size-fits-all contract and thought their work was done. But do they actually understand what’s on that contract? Are they capable of customizing it?
Ask the FSBO how valuable their time is and how it could be used in better ways than learning the ins and outs of real estate contracts they may use only a few times in their life.
Sales contracts, lead paint disclosures, property disclosures—inform the FSBO that any missteps in these papers can lead to legal problems that could’ve been easily foreseen by a real estate agent.
3. Bad deals
FSBOs aren’t as practiced or as knowledgable at finding discrepancies in contracts before signing on the dotted line. For example, let them know that they may have to pay lots of money to back out of a bad deal if there are some oversights in their paperwork. You can help save them that money and headache.
4. They’ll get less money
FSBOs make about 16% less than median sales prices. This could be due in large part to them not having the time or resources to devote to understanding their home’s market value. Likewise, they may not know how to accurately read market reports, and they might not know how to create a proper marketing campaign.
Utilizing 40 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online. We are an approved Florida Real Estate School (License #ZH1002299), Florida CAM School (License #PRE31), Florida Insurance School (License # 370501) and NMLS Approved Course Provider.
…LarsonEd is the best real estate school in Florida!
About Larson Educational Services:
Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.
I found an old photo in the archives of the three LarsonEd founders. Why do we all look so dang serious?? I figured we should change industries if we wanted to act so grim. What do you think?
About Larson Educational Services:
No, we are not a law firm. Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.
You may think that leadership is fixed and finite–a boss tells people below them what to do, and those people do it. However, as your personal skills change so too will your leadership needs. Likewise, as your team grows and improves, your leadership skills will become more valuable.
A one-size-fits-all approach to leadership may be hurting your real estate business. Here are 4 leadership styles you need to know as a real estate professional and when to use them.
Directive
Use this leadership style when people are highly committed but not necessarily competent with the given task.
When the task is difficult, and the people performing it are inexperienced or have low commitment, then it’s necessary to give instructions as to how the job should be done. This style of leadership puts a strong emphasis on the task, as well as a low emphasis on the people performing it.
Coaching
When people have some competence relative to the task, but are low on commitment.
When the task is difficult, but the people have some skill they need direction and supervision because of their relative inexperience. They also need support and recognition to build their confidence and involvement in decision-making to restore their commitment (which may have declined because of frustration on the team).
Supporting
Use this leadership style when people are highly committed but have varied competence.
When you have a situation that requires a supporting leadership style the individual’s skill-set has improved, but they still require support to sustain motivation to bolster their confidence. As a leader, you can start to take a backseat, giving acknowledgement and praise when necessary.
Delegating
Use this leadership style when people are both competent and committed.
People who are competent and committed will be able and willing to work on a given project by themselves with little supervision or support. Occasional monitoring allows you, as a leader, to stay informed and ensure that team members have the necessary resources. But, for the most part, this team will be better when left alone.
The better you understand your team, the more likely you’ll be able to use the most effective form of leadership. Utilize these 4 types of leadership to better lead your team in the future.
To sign up for classes, including brokers post-licensing courses, give us a call at 239-344-7510 or visit our website, www.LarsonEd.com.
About Larson Educational Services:
Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.
You’ve got a listing presentation scheduled with a potential client. Fantastic. Now think of your upcoming presentation as a job interview: you are trying to convince your potential client that you can sell their home faster, for more money, and with more care than any other agent. Therefore, your first impression should let your potential clients know that you are trustworthy, knowledgable, and prepared. Because if you don’t they may be inclined to go with another agent.
Think you can go into this or any other presentation and wing it? Failing to plan is another way of planning to fail. The true difference between rookie agents and the superstars is a preparedness. Your listing presentation is won or lost, in large part, before you even meet with the potential client. Follow these tips to better serve your potential clients’ needs.
1. Research
Yes, of course you should look up tax records for details on the property and look at similar listings in the area. But don’t overlook the value of looking up your potential clients on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Get a sense of where they’ve been and where they’re going in their careers and lives by looking at job and personal information publicly available on their social media profiles.
If you think looking up your potential clients online is creepy, then consider this: What do you think people do every time they consider using your services? That’s right, they type your name into Google. This is interpersonal research in the 21st century.
2. Prepare materials
Your potential clients will want to hold hard copies of documents in their hands at a listing presentation—having tangible evidence of your work adds to your credibility as well as the credibility of the information you are presenting.
Prepare a CMA and have a full-color market analysis on hand, along with some of your personal marketing materials. Also, consider bringing along some of your photographer’s work as a sample, but remember: only do this if you get nice glossy photo paper. It’s better to present an electronic version of an image than a poorly printed hard copy.
3. Competition is your friend
What would you think of a doctor who discouraged you from getting a second opinion? They might come off as insecure and, perhaps worse, it’ll mean they’re more concerned with their own image rather than your well-being. This is how you make a potential client feel when you discourage them from interviewing multiple agents. Encourage your potential clients to talk to your competition—this displays confidence in every way.
And, if you have prepared like you should, you will stand out from your competition anyway.
Most importantly, do not speak ill of your competition or put undue pressure on your potential clients. Inform them, be honest, and speak with confidence and you will already be ahead of the game.
Follow these tips to better improve your listing presentations. To sign up for classes, including real estate post-licensing, visit our website, www.LarsonEd.com, or give us a call at 239-344-7510.
About Larson Educational Services:
Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Naples real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.
Credit to Naples real estate school LarsonEd co-founder Dave Larson for the photoshoot
Give the gift of education
It’s graduation season!
Do you have a daughter, son, nephew, niece or grandchild who might want to get a real estate license now that that they are graduating high school or college? LarsonEd is offering Gift Certificates for such an occasion.
Simply give us a call at (239) 344-7510 or stop by our Fort Myers or Naples locations to purchase a gift certificate for the classroom Florida 63-Hour Sales Associate Pre-Licensing Course. Your graduate can choose from any class schedule we have through the end of 2016. They just simply contact our office to register and provide us with the Gift Certificate Code and we’ll register them for class.
BUNDLE AND SAVE $$$! Package the Pre-Licensing Course with our famous 1-Day State Exam Prep Course and get $50 off the regular price. Retail price for both classes is $468, but when bundled as a Gift Certificate, we’ll drop the price by $50.
As always, thank you for making Naples real estate school Larson Educational Services your School of Choice!
We get it, you became a real estate agent because you love to talk. But here’s a nugget of harsh truth: sometimes you have to listen as well. In fact, your entire career depends on your listening skills. Otherwise, how will you understand your clients’ needs and make all those sales? (Hey, at the very least try to pretend to listen.) Here are the first 5 of Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services’ 10 simple listening techniques for effective communication:
Prepare questions and remarks in advance to free your mind to listen.
Have you ever talked to someone who you know is just waiting for you to stop talking so they can say something? Don’t be one of those people. Channel your inner lawyer and prepare some conversation points before speaking with your client.
Exercise emotional control.
No, you’re not a robot. But you can keep negotiations civil and favorable to your interests if you keep your emotions in check.
You can exercise emotional control without becoming a robot.
Remain open and avoid jumping to conclusions; limit your own talking.
Limit your assumptions when you head into negotiations. When you let the other party do the talking they’ll usually give plenty of talking points, just make sure that you…
Take selective notes on the most important points.
No, taking notes during a conversation doesn’t necessarily make you look like a psychopath, just make sure your conversation partner knows what you’re doing.
Give the speaker your conscious attention with good eye contact.
Giving someone your undivided attention lets them know that they are important to you. And regarding the eye contact thing: again, don’t take it to psychopathic levels, just let your partner know that you care about what they’re saying.
Okay, you’re overdoing it.
Utilize these simple listening techniques to not only improve your negotiation skills, but also to provide better service to your clients. Check back next time for part 2.
About Larson Educational Services:
Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.
Naples Real Estate School 