8 Trained Professionals For the Price of One

With all the competition out there today and the growing emphasis on team building, I went back into the iSucceed vault and listened to an interview I did with iSucceed mentor, Patrick Stracuzzi of Stuart, Florida.  Here a few thoughts from that interview that stuck in my mind on building a solid team.    

The Need for a Team

My first hire showed me I needed a buyer's agent. The first person I actually hired was an administrative person. Here is what that did: It enabled me to free up a lot of my time by delegating paperwork, allowing me to spend more time working with buyers.

I then realized that one person should only work with one or two buyers a week, and I needed a buyer agent's help. When I began looking, I wanted two main qualities from them:  I wanted someone who really cares about people and someone who was willing to go the extra mile.

Finding a Good Buyer Specialist

I found hiring a buyer's agent takes time and thought. Don't rule any place out. As a matter of fact, one of my buyer's agents actually sold my home for me before I was in real estate about 10 years ago. I was so impressed with her, I asked her to join my team because I had so much business.

Today more than ever, a buyer’s agents that understand the market with good connections are the key members of your team.  And those agents will need to be adequately compensated, which not only means the money at closing but the support team and facilities that enable them to do what they do best.  Do not underestimate the important role your support staff play in that decision. 

Other Staff Positions to Consider

 We decided to focus on putting systems in place and building a team that was geared around productivity and the dollar-producing activities.  The result was:

• A closing coordinator and manager who handles the closings and contracts. This person works with sellers, buyers, title companies, lenders, inspectors and all other parties involved in the sale of the property.

• A listing manager who helps prepare listing paperwork, market evaluations and follow-ups. Also, the manager is responsible for a high level of communication between the team and the buyers and sellers.

• A feedback person who services anywhere from 120-150 listings. This person is responsible for getting back to sellers and following up on feedback and service.

• An advertising manager handles advertising for all team listings in the newspapers, cable, the Internet and color ads.   

But a Great Team Needs to be Organized

With a full team, communicating and keeping everyone organized is imperative. One way my team stays organized is through Agent 2000. We have all the information on current and past clients, customers and prospects available at the touch of a button. The contacts are organized as buyers, sellers and prospects. The contacts are further sorted into subcategories by the name of the person who handled the transaction, and the price range of the home.

Each file contains the person's name, address and phone number, as well as notes on the transaction or business contacts that were made. Information such as what appreciation gifts were sent to the buyers or sellers, and the number to a home's security system are also included in the file. Whenever there is an appointment with a contact, the file is brought along to ensure that all details are remembered.

Like all of our success modules, teleseminars and skills training at iSucceed, this interview with Patrick went straight into the important elements of what makes him so successful.  Right now you can get  iSucceed’s self-help coaching platform absolutely free, for a full 30 days. 

We have set up a link with National Realty News that will provide you with direct access to sign up and gain access to the strategies, tips, tools and secrets of over 200 Top Producing iSucceed mentors.  Just click here to register – your promo code will fill in automatically:   http://www.isucceed.com/National-Realty-News/index.htm .

-Bill Shue, President, iSucceed, Inc.