Gina participated in a Wax Museum at school today and she was Miley Cyrus.
They each had a station and were asked questions about their character.
Miley Cyrus is a pop-singer and song writer plus an actress.
I think Gina is much prettier than Miley.....but I'm the grandmother!!!
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20 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • May 17 2012 01:45PM
We’re in a business that allows us to create our own work pattern. This is a blueprint that displays how we work. Just as there are many different house plans, there are also just as many real estate work plans.
I have full respect for any and all plans that call for an ethical, professional and diligent work ethic. Just as there are building codes that create those house plans, so too are there codes that map out how we do business. We are the creator of our plan.
Each individual business design is a reflection of the personality and desires of the individual agent, just as a home fits the preference of the buyer. The unique designs and creations are a favorite to the owner and may not be understood by others. The plan of others may not be understood or appreciated by others, but if it fits the agent, that's all that matters.
The way one does business is personal and satisfies the needs and desires of each agent. Some are extreme, and those are always the ones that are noticed above the rest. I think it’s outstanding to be categorized as having a unique flavor and method of doing business. Mine is excessive and intense, but that works well for me, and I've always followed that plan.
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11 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • April 26 2012 02:12PM
What’s your best source for learning the real estate business? I think there’s a general consensus that designations are nothing more than a “fund raiser” for each particular area giving that designation, and continuing education courses are just short of being considered a joke. In my state, it’s more of a test of endurance in determining if one can sit in a classroom environment for “12 hours!”
In my opinion, the best source for acquiring real estate skills is to just go forth and do it by using a combination of common sense and business sense. We each know the laws that apply in our respective states, and if we act with those laws in mind, at all times, we will gain strength and feel accomplished with each sale.
Surround yourself with successful people. Learn to listen. Listen to as many conversations about how these successful agents handled their situations. Listen and make decisions as to whether you would have managed the scenario in a similar fashion.
Just as we have “life lessons” with which we’re confronted every day, we are also handed “real estate lessons” that will leave an impression. These are lessons that we will never forget; lessons that we will use again in the future or maybe not; and lessons that add to the confidence in our ability to work buyers and sellers. Our best lessons in real estate are the ones we find on our own. Keep searching for them because we never stop learning.
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20 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • April 21 2012 04:24AM
My philosophy of how to manage a team may be quite different from most team leaders. My thoughts have always been to promote independence. Team members should feel as though they are not only fully responsible for every transaction from start to finish but they should also receive full credit for their production in MLS.
I don’t have a team MLS number. Each agent has her own ranking and that gives her incentive to soar to the top. Team leaders need to put their own ego aside and focus on the team members. Promote them as individuals; encourage them to promote themselves and help them do that. This is what motivates each one to work more intently. I love it. I love to see the assertiveness and the desire for power from each team member. If their production was assigned to the “team” the effort would not be as great, I assure you.
You will find that agents will not want to leave the team if they have the feeling of contributing to the team and receiving accolades from that production. Make sure everyone is making money, and they all feel good about themselves and their production and you’ll have a stable team.
It costs money to make the phone ring. It’s not likely that agents will spend the time or money that I spend to make their phones ring. It’s too much of a risk, and most can’t afford that risk. I take risks every month and I’ve been very fortunate with the return on my investment. I’ve had 35 years of marketing in my town, and when people see the name that many times, they remember who to call. I made money on it when I worked for a living, and now my team members and I are both making money on it.
Evaluating production of team members is an easy task. By year #2, each team member needs to make a six figure income. I give it 2 years, and on the third year, the figure needs to be six figures and it should increase every year. If it’s not six figures, the agent is not working diligently, and we need to address that, one way or another.
I also have a policy of never socializing with team members or agents in the office. I may do lunch or celebrate a birthday or give Christmas presents, but I don’t go to their parties or invite them to my family functions. If and when you need to shuffle the deck, how does one dismiss a best friend? That’s a topic for another day!!
My team has ranked in the top 25 of New England every year since the team was formed, with the exception of 2010. I bit the bullet and cleaned house that year!!
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28 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • April 20 2012 02:56AM
Some agents belong on a team and some do not. How does one determine if joining a team is a good decision? Teams are not a good fit for everyone. It depends on your long range goal and your dedication to your profession. Most agents join a team for the wrong reason and it only results in a setback for them.
In my opinion, the only valid reason for joining a team is to give an agent, who has potential to stand alone and survive, the opportunity to be mentored and trained to accomplish that goal. Eventually, that agent may be strong enough to break away and work independently.
If an agent does not need the support and is capable of searching for the methods and tasks necessary to make the phone ring, there is no reason to join a team. The ultimate goal, in my opinion, is for that agent to create his/her own team. That is an endeavor that requires many years of preparation, if you want your team to be successful.
It all starts at the top. If you’re a successful agent and you’ve created a strong following; if you have marketing skills that allow you to continue to strengthen your position; and if you are secure enough with your own ability to succeed that you can share your knowledge with others and not feel threatened, you are an ideal candidate for creating a team of your own. If any of those factors are missing, your team will not be a strong one.
Teams should not be used as a crutch. Each team member should work independently to establish his/her own following that will add to the strength of the team. Strong team members who are focused on different geographic locations will add to the creation of a strong team. If you have the ability to stand alone and continuously earn a consistent income, you could easily create your own team and that will afford you income forever. Another goal we all strive to accomplish!!
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69 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • April 19 2012 07:02AM
So you want to be a listing agent and you don’t know where to start? That’s an easy problem to solve. You start by searching for the top listing agents in your area or your office. If they refuse to mentor, you must pay attention to how they market; and whatever is making their phones ring, learn it and do it.
This is a follow the leader business. If you want to be successful at a task, you take the direction given by others who have been successful with that task. You make some adjustments to have the methods fit what you enjoy doing; you add your own flavor and you mold it to fit your style.
You may find out that what others are doing, you have a natural flair for and you’ll do it better than they. The first time you close a listing on your own, you are no longer a novice. If you can close the first one, you'll close the next one too. The more property you list, the more natural your presentation will become.
Learn by reading and listening and you’ll know as much as any of the successful listing agents in your area. You may know more because of your Internet access to webinars and other professionals online. You have a great advantage, if you are tech savvy. Many agents are not.
Learning from some of the seasoned agents on ActiveRain is equivalent to a graduate program in listing real estate. If you pay attention and really focus, you can rank summa cum laude as a listing agent, and isn’t that what we all strive to become?
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21 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • April 18 2012 12:22PM
My team members and I are listing agents, and when we’re invited into a home to give a listing presentation, we accept that invitation with the thought that we will be hired to market that property. “Listing agents are marketing agents.”
It’s our job to spread the word that a new listing is on the market for buyers and their buyer agents to view. It’s our job to market that property to any group of buyers who will be attracted to the property. We need to make that determination before we start marketing. Niche marketing is often the method of choice.
Many agents refer to their jobs as salespeople, and I can fully understand that description for a buyer’s agent. However, a listing agent is NOT a sales agent but IS a marketing agent, first and foremost.
We need to search for the right buyer before we can close that buyer on purchasing the property. When a listing agent gives a listing presentation, that listing agent is presenting his/her marketing methods. We are “promoting our marketing” to the seller to close them on allowing us the opportunity to market their home. That’s a mouthful of marketing, but that’s the hat we wear, isn’t it!!
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19 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • March 28 2012 01:37PM
New construction has been experiencing a great comeback recently. For those agents who have a niche of short sales and REO properties, this might be a good choice for an additional area of concentration.
We need to prepare for the future, and distressed listings will not be plentiful forever. As banks clear their inventory, real estate agents who have not selected an additional niche will be floundering. Now is the time to decide what you will focus on in the near future. Now is the time to start marketing for that next specialty.
New construction is on the move again. We are selling new homes before they are complete, and new starts are continuing to “pop up.” There are many parcels of land in our area that are approved and builder/developers have been waiting for the market to change to develop the infrastructure of these tracts of land.
The time has come, and we are actively in communication with those land owners. New construction is a niche that provides real estate agents with resale homes along with new home sales. Most people who buy new homes today will have a home to sell. The transactions will flow, and this niche will become one of your favorites. It certainly has for us.
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13 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • March 19 2012 07:20AM 
Have we become too busy or too focused on time management that we’ve eliminated one of the most important elements in creating a transaction and maintaining good representation? I’m talking about “face to face” communication.
In this fast pace, overly competitive business that we have all chosen, conserving time is always a priority. If we can do something faster and still maintain an efficient outcome, we usually choose that path. We create our habits whether they are good or bad, and we sometimes have to suffer because of those habits.
Face to face communication for a listing agent is a high priority task with a seller who is about to sign a listing agreement. Before that signature is dry, the listing agent is communicating by email; or by phone; or by text messaging. Some of the communication works well by using any of those methods, but the most important tasks are achieved best in person.
When an offer is received, do you meet with your client to deliver it, or is that done over the phone? If a price needs to be adjusted, do you take the time to meet to show new comps, or is this a task that can be handled over the phone or by email?
There are important elements missing if there is no face to face communication. You’ll not observe body language, facial expressions, tone of voice if text or email is used and you’re probably not going to be successful in accomplishing your goal.
Our mentality of reaching for the top is a challenge that promotes cutting some corners. Pick and choose wisely when making decisions about time management. Cutting the wrong corner will only result in a loss of income. Isn’t that counterproductive, considering the goal of good time management is to reap greater rewards?
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28 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • March 12 2012 07:52AMCauna Silva's Recipe for Lebanese Farina Cake.... Thanks for Posting it Ed Silva!!
This is the recipe that Ed Silva posted the other day. His wife, Cauna, willingly gave it to Ed to post and I had to try making it. I'll be the first to admit that it certainly does not look as good as Cauna's but it tastes great.
This will be served at my grandson, Ryan's, 18th birthday tomorrow. Thank you Cauna.....I really appreciate your sharing your recipe. Thanks for posting it, Ed.
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13 comments • Barbara Todaro "Franklin MA Homes" • March 10 2012 09:37AMContent © 2009 'Frequent Contributors'. Design © 2009 ActiveRain Corp.
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