Real Estate Managers…
So You Want Happier Agents and More Profit?
Here is a solution you probably haven’t heard about yet
By Doug Fowler
Profit allows you to stay in business, and to invest further into your agents’ growth and prosperity, and that’s a good thing. It’s fascinating how just a few more sales annually can make a huge difference to the bottom line. If you’ve been managing for awhile, you know it’s because once the fixed expenses are paid for, nearly all of the company dollar after that goes to profit. For example, an office with a 7% increase in sales could have 40% greater profit. If that seems unrealistic, run some projections for your own office(s), you might be encouraged!
If you want to find out about a way to win a few sales away from your competitors, keep your agents happier, and increase your profits, then read this article (below) carefully, it’s written for you.
Doug was the General Manager of our organization for 12 years and grew our main branch to the #2 office in the nation (annual GCI) with over 2,500 offices competing in our brand. His ideas are highly practical; they work. Carolyn Roberts, Broker-Owner
Big, Important Trend Hitting Real Estate
There is a big trend hitting the real estate industry, and that trend is ratings and reviews. I call it the R&R Wave. Managers who ignore the R&R Wave will pay a price; they may not even notice at first, but a few sales will start slipping away to competitors. Managers who help their agents to catch this wave will benefit with happier agents, increased market share, and more profit.
Many years ago, our grandparents might have looked over the hedges to ask the neighbors how they liked their car. A couple of decades later, our parents might have picked up a copy of Consumer Reports. Today, we can get consumer reviews online for tens of thousands of products and services, reported directly by passionate consumers. There is a good chance that you or your loved ones are using ratings to pick out hotels, electronics, contractors, and more. Many of us don’t even realize how much weight we put in the opinions of total strangers.
If millions of us are using ratings and reviews for everything from books to doctors, doesn’t it follow that at least some buyers and sellers in your marketplace will be influenced by consumer opinion when selecting an agent?
Catching the R&R Wave Has Been Tough
Catching the R& R Wave has proven difficult for real estate managers because consumers don’t usually rate companies, they rate agents. Agents usually sell just a few homes a year, so it’s difficult to get enough buyers and sellers to visit the ratings site (and register, as is sometimes required) to build a ratings history. Many managers feel sending clients to ratings sites detracts from the proven way to measure client satisfaction, the customized company survey.
IMAGINE THIS
Sales are up because you showed your agents a way to catch the R&R Wave. While some of your agents completely ignored it, others used it to generate 1-3 more closed transactions over the year. While sales have increased a modest 5%, your profit picture increased significantly.
You’re feeling good about exercising best practices, giving each client a brief, convenient online survey, and over 70% of them respond. When you receive your copy of the response, you forward it to the agent with a comment such as “Great job, thanks for representing our company so well!” This touch has caused certain agents in your firm feel appreciated, and has helped with retention. Survey responses have allowed you to stay on top of small problems while they are, well, small.
You’ve saved money on advertising and marketing because your agents are presenting prospects and clients with something more meaningful, a report that quantifies trust, giving your agents an advantage over the competition.
Taking it From Imagination to Reality
Kelli Marchbanks is a highly successful agent (you will find our report for her, below), and here is what she has to say about Trusted Agent:
I wouldn’t consider visiting a new restaurant without a friend’s recommendation or purchasing anything from Amazon without first reading the reviews. This system allows potential clients to know me and know how I do business before I even walk in the door. I have been using Trusted Agent over the last year, and find it is extremely beneficial.
Trusted Agent Designation
It takes a minimum of 3 responses and an average of 4.1 stars to receive and maintain the Trusted Agent mark and designation.Trusted Agents may then use the Trusted Agent logo and mark throughout all the marketing they do.
Click here to see a 2-minute video about Trusted Agent
How Trusted Agent Reports Get Built
Instead of relying on your clients to register at a foreign website, we create and manage a custom survey for every agent in your firm (after you approve a suitable template for your company). Once a transaction closes, your back office staff (or agent, if you prefer) takes just seconds to order a survey that is then delivered by email to your client. Here is a sample of one of our surveys, but we can customize it for your company: sample survey (it will open in a new tab, close to return here). If the client does not respond, one courtesy notice (only) is automatically sent in about 10 days. You and your agent will get an email copy of the full client response.
Our system automatically measures the client’s overall satisfaction level and adds it to that agent’s other ratings using a 5-star scale and captures the client’s comments for the Trusted Agent report. If occasionally you have clients without email, then we will mail that client a survey for only the cost of postage.
We’ve always invested in client feedback, it pays. We recently switched to Stand Out because we save money when compared to the way we were doing surveys, and this great service gives our agents Trusted Agent, a marketing tool that helps our agents win business. Our agents and managers love it. Robin Rose, General Manager of Nationally Ranked (Real Trends) Firm
Don’t Like The Results? With Trusted Agent, you and your agent can continue to receive survey results but we can turn off the links to any specific Trusted Agent Report upon request. Unlike typical ratings, you and your agents remain in control!
Additional Features:
- When your agents share their Trusted Agent Reports, it will not lead prospects to a data base with other agents’ reports
- The sharing tools (showing top right on the report above) allow your agents’ friends and followers to share reports with a single click, giving their great reputations “legs”
- Our sharing tools allow your agents to share their reports on their websites, email signatures, digital flyers, and elsewhere
Value, Plans, and Bonuses
Value: Don’t some buyers and sellers in your market place value in consumer opinion? Could Trusted Agent help some of your agents use consumer opinion to win 1-3 transactions away from competitors? Might your company sales be increased 1%, or 5%, or maybe even 10% by catching the R&R Wave? Okay then! Remember how we started by stating that a small increase in sales can make a big difference in your bottom line. Profit is vital, because it helps you stay in business and invest further in your agents.
Stand Out is the best client follow up method and marketing tool that I have seen in 40 years of business. Scott Brown, Broker-Owner
Friendly Tip: You don’t need to select a plan today. Please get signed up, take a look at the tools, then if you elect to proceed, you can select a plan later.
Plan 1 – Free on-going, Stand Out Surveys, for all of your firm’s transactions, agents opt-in for Trusted Agent
There is no catch; you or your agents do not have to buy anything. Each of your agents will receive a free 2-month trial of the optional Trusted Agent, and if certain agents wish to continue beyond that, we will bill those agents $42 directly for an additional 1 year. Agents may cancel any time and receive a pro-rated refund. Even agents who don’t elect to sign up for Trusted Agent will benefit greatly with free Stand Out Surveys, but statistically speaking we know some agents will appreciate Trusted Agent, especially after they get some great feedback.
OR
Plan 2 – Stand Out Surveys and Trusted Agent for all of your agents
First 2 months of services free, then $2.19 per month per agent, billed to company (or if we need to bill each of your agents directly, first 2 months free and then $36 for 1 year). That’s it. No credit cards are required to get started, no gimmicks, no tricks, and no add-ons. You may cancel at anytime for any reason. Note: Some companies might get agents to participate financially by deducting $26.28 from a single transaction to cover the whole year. Other companies might eliminate some other less effective form of marketing to fund it, knowing the first bill will not arrive for over 90 days and can be paid monthly. Still others will have us bill agents directly.
No Need to Decide on a Plan Today, Click Here and Explore Your New Tools First
Your Bonuses for Starting Now:
Bonus #1: Because you are one of our charter companies, you’re helping us establish Trusted Agents in every corner of the market. We expect to be online with the National Trusted Agent Registry soon. This will help consumers find Trusted Agents, AND, allow agents to refer to one another with confidence. We will give each of your agents a free listing in this National Registry for as long as they are Trusted Agents (a $99 a year value, for each agent) Important: An agent’s Trusted Agent Report will not lead prospects/clients to the National Trusted Agent Registry, they are separate products.
Bonus #2 Because you agree to take a closer look today, during your first 2 months, we invite you to survey your firm’s clients of past closed transactions, going back as far as 1 year ago, AT NO COST! Agents can contact their clients (good managers know that good things happen when agents find reasons to talk to clients) and explain that they are part of a new service, and ask them if they will take a survey. This way, agents can get plenty of feedback and make their Trusted Agent Reports valuable. So, not only do you get free surveys for your transactions from this point forward, you can get them on past transactions going back as far as a year without spending a penny!
Bonus #3 Because you are exploring our tools today, (even if you never use our services), you will receive a digital copy of “Stand Out – 11 Ways for Real Estate Agents to Stand Apart from the Competition that you can in turn distribute to all of your agents by email. I know what a struggle it is to put good office meetings together, and this book can help you with 11 of your meetings, by having your agents read the short chapters ( 2-3 pages) before the meeting, and then facilitating a group discussion about that chapter. The topics focus on proven ways to “stand out” that are often overlooked today, including the need to work hard, manage time, communicate well, and add value.
Stand Out is a terrific read that summarizes important professional skills agents at all levels must focus on to achieve their top performance. Justin Baker, Keller-Williams-Biltmore Partners, Phoenix, Arizona.
I got to work with Doug 18 years ago and have tremendous respect for him. He not only talks about differentiating from competitors, he has done it throughout his career. I am not at all surprised that he has written this gem of a book; a must read for agents. Benny Kim, Century 21 E-N Achievers, Diamond Bar, California .
The different between surviving and thriving in the real estate business has been shared in the book Stand Out. Whether you are a seasoned agent or newly licensed, you’ll find value here. I’ve been in the business for 32 years and I thought this was terrific. Barbara Todaro, Sales Manager, RE/MAX Executive Realty, Franklin Massachusetts
Remember, you are not making any real decisions today. By signing up you are agreeing to take a closer look, so we’ll send along a password so you can explore our tools at your convenience. Any surveys you order will be free, and we want you to keep the book regardless of whether you elect to continue on.
Click Here to Sign Up and Take a Closer Look
Trusted Agent is easy to use and gets results as soon as you start using it. Logan Songer, Manager
I have used Trusted Agent for several months now, and there is a level of sophistication that your clients will appreciate. Doug and his team at Stand Out always have my best interest in mind and are ready and willing to assist in any way they can. Thank you, Stand Out, for a service that helps me to stand out. Joe Brazil (top 1% of agents nationally within his brand)
Cancel Anytime: If you’re not happy, we’re not happy! Either way, keep the book just for taking a closer look.
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QUESTIONS?
Here are some frequently asked questions, please click on the link to reveal the answer. Or you may call us at 707 337-1067.
What if someone offers negative feedback on a Stand Out Survey?
Has Trusted Agent been tested yet, and is it reliable?
Do I have to order surveys for all transactions?
Click Here and Take a Closer Look by Signing Up, No Obligation
Still not convinced? Then will you please give me a call so that I can understand your concerns and hear any questions that you might have. I am also happy to meet with you via a web meeting (or possibly an in person meeting). You can reach me by calling 707 337-1067.
Thank you. I sincerely appreciate your investment of time and energy to review our offering.
Doug Fowler
Get Your Free Book and Surveys, and Take a Closer Look at Trusted Agent by Clicking Here