Patrick Galesloot - Blog

Superbowl Sunday Look for Century 21

patrick.galesloot@century21.ca — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Superbowl commercials always garner a lot of attention. This year capping off the 40th anniversary as a franchise real estate company Century 21 will be airing a Superbowl commercial. Being a Century 21 Broker/Owner I must say it's pretty cool. Talk about exposure for our brand which in turn creates added exposure for our clients.

The Superbowl Commercial:

The Teasers:

This years ad marks the return of a real estate Superbowl commercial in 21 years.

Watch for the pregame show Sunday as well.

Patrick

Now Hiring for: Office Administrator Postion

patrick.galesloot@century21.ca — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

TITLE: Office Administrator / Commercial Conveyancing

STATUS: Full-Time (35 hours per week)

RESPONDS TO: Operations Manager

General Description:

The role of the Office Administrator / Commercial Conveyancing is to oversee all functions of the front end staff and to ensure the smooth flow of work on a daily basis.

This is a key position within a very busy office and requires a team oriented and organized person to successfully fill the requirements.

Qualifications:

Grade 12 or equivalent education.
Business degree of some nature whether it be secretarial or Business Administration.
Minimum five years office experience.
Accounting knowledge or background required.
Experience in a real estate setting.
Must be a team player in a fast moving environment.
Proficient in computer literacy and switchboard operations.
The ability to multi-task would be a very beneficial asset to have for this highly energized position.

General duties revolve around accounting book keeping with attention to accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and conveyance of real estate transactions. A full job description is available upon request.

Forward resumes to:

Patrick Galesloot,

patrick.galesloot@century21.ca

One Simple Step To Improving Your Business

patrick.galesloot@century21.ca — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Running your business often creates plenty of opportunity to sit at your desk and review emails, financials, market trends, and engage in social media. However all that screen time could be hurting your business. Here is one simple step to improving your business regardless if it is real estate or not....

Walk Around.

Managing your business by walking around is not new. If you've picked up the The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard you may be familiar with the concept but never really thought of it as simply "walking around".

Let's put into action Walking Around for Real Estate Sales Associates:

Go see your clients in person has more impact than an email or phone call. Remember they gain rapport and comfort in you by spending time with you looking at houses. Often lengthy conversations and fun chats. Reconnecting in person and reminding them you were their "real estate agent" and still are, will go a long way at building your referral business
Get off your butt at an Open House. The agents that never sell the house at the open house or get a new client even though a dozen people came through are probably the ones sitting at the kitchen table staring at the lap top. Make the most of your Open House and walk through the house with clients while allowing them the freedom to explore without feeling pestered (Biggest objection from agents). If you don't ask questions how will you know what they like and don't like about the house? Key to finding them the right match.
You're mobile as an agent. Go to places where people you know work. Say "Hi", drop off some coffee have a brief conversation. Model what some of the mortgage agents do. Do you think it's annoying when they come to the real estate office and drop off a basket of fruit ot box of donuts? No, if you're like the people at our office you appreciate the kind gesture and the opportunity for a small friendly chat. Go talk to the people you know where they work and leave a small gift not just your business card.

As a manager of any business the walking around and talking to your employees and providing feedback both constructive and positive is vital to the growth of your staff and your bottom line. Make a point of getting up form behind your desk and walking around and talking to everyone in your organization at least once a day. Talk to one person at least every hour. You'll be pleasantly surprised how this will keep you connected to your fine hard working staff.

Have you noticed that this works very effectively at restaurants? Think back at your last great meal or service experience at your favourite restaurant or memorable dining experience. If it was a positive one I'm certain that the dining experience had elements of the following:

Timely friendly greeting
Order taken with personality. They asked questions, were fun and passionate about the food or drink, or asked in a way that made you smile.
The manager came by at least once and asked how they were doing, is there anything that he/she could get you. The great ones say more than "How is everything?" and mean it.
They didn't forget about you.

It's quite possible that the meal itself was not to your liking and they responded quickly to fix it and did so with genuine concern. Funny how we will then accept the not so tasty steak as "it was alright" when an effort is made to ensure that is was better than than that.

Some times it is easier to point out what not to do or don't be like as those negative expereince really stick. Remember that bad meal you had or poor service? What didn't they do? The response is probably ... no one came by asked if I need something or cared to follow up on how the service or product was. The experience felt like a "transaction".

Don't let your clients feel like "customers in a transaction". Don't let your employees feel like you don't care and that their input is not valued. Walk around and talk to your clients, and employees regularly and you business will benefit.

Patrick Galesloot

On Twitter: @pgalesloot

Setting Your Real Estate Business Goals

patrick.galesloot@century21.ca — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

With 2012 approaching November and December is the time to reflect on the current year and finalize your plans for 2012. For real estate agents planning for their business is a challenging exercise for many. Sitting down and mapping out future activity and plans is not as common as it should be. For some reason it's an area that gets neglected. Typical response from those that do not plan are:

"I don't want to be a pushy real estate agent, my business will come when it comes"
"I know what I have to do and when, I don't need to set a goal, they don't work"

I'm a believer of setting out goals, and plans. While it's true we may not achieve all of them or reach them as high as we thought we would but at least we have a direction. Not having a goal is like leaving on your family vacation with no determined direction of travel. That doesn't appeal to me at all, how about you? Top recommendations for success in 2012? ...Plan for it. I think a business plan is similar to a weight loss or fitness plan in many respects. The goal "I want to lose weight" is as specific as "I want to make more money". Ask your self which has more impact:

"I want to lose weight" or "I want to lose 10 lbs by June 1st"?
"I want to make more money" or "I want to increase my income from $75,000 to $80,000 (a 6.6% increase)"
I want to sell more houses this year or "instead of selling 12 houses I will seem 15 houses in 2012"
"I'd like to start running" or "i will run a 5 km road race in September"

The more specific you can be the greater the odds are in your favor that you will achieve the desired results. The critic may say "I've done that and it doesn't work". So what didn't work? You didn't achieve the goal because why? Was it to big? was it to new of an area? You weren't committed? Many of you know that I'm a pretty big guy weight wise, and I have been actively increasing my fitness level to achieve a weight loss goal. Well I'm disappointed with my weight loss for 2011. I had a follow-up visit with my doctor this week and a year later I actually gained a pound. Yes I gained a pound. Total failure, anger, disappointment and annoyance combined with frustration were my initial response and I'm sure you could sympathize especially if you have been following my activities. I set a goal and I didn't achieve it. Oh woe is me? That wasn't the only goal I set.

Run 5km... check did that, until 2011 I never did that before
Run a 10 km race. Yup, check that as completed. I ran 5 km during training and the day of my 5 km race I said, heck I can run 5km lets see how 10 km goes. Check
Bike 200 km. Another first. I signed up for the 2011 Ride to Conquer Cancer. It is actually more than 200 km over two days. Check that as done
Run a half marathon. I must have been hoped up on endorphin or something when I signed up. Any way I followed through and did it.

I increased my fitness level through out the 2011 year. I've been more physically active than I ever have in the last 20 years I think. Not a bad accomplishment. Yet I gained a pound? While I have much going in my favor towards my goal when I analyze what i have and haven't done the answer is painfully obvious...

Following the Half marathon I was essentially in 2 months of rehab because that 21 km run did a number on my body and then some. My activity level plummeted while my eating level remained the same or similar to the pre-race training eating levels. Problem was I wasn't burning calories like I was previously.
My food intake choices lack consistency. I like to eat. Unfortunately I like food that is not as "healthy" as it should be and I like it a lot

Bottom line is I didn't modify my eating behavior as much as I should have consistently throughout the year. The easy goal was to go to the gym today and work out for me. The hard goal is to pack a lunch filled with vegetables, healthy snacks and limit my sugar intake. I know I was a lot lighter in August and September, and I can see where I got off track. How often do we in business work on the tasks and goals that are the easier ones? We do them, we do them really well, we see bench marks that are great and commendable, but we ignore some of the tougher ones. In real estate the tough ones are prospecting for business. Going out and initiating conversations about real estate and nurturing those relationships. The stereotypical real estate professional is one that dabbles in prospecting, dabbles in marketing campaigns, and has a sporadic business to match. They may do well financially for them but they don't leap to that next level. How often do we get off track with our business plans. We all do from time to time so it's important to check in and re-calibrate once in a while. If you want to leap to that next level you have to do the stuff that you don't want to do, and often in business that means you have to be willing and able to do the stuff that others don't want to do. That is key. No one wants to pick up the phone and call 100 people and ask for business, but the person that does will get some. On the weight loss side of things... No One wants to count calories and set a daily or weekly meal plan, but the person that does will build a habit that leads to healthy choices and weight loss. So what's your plan or goal for 2012. Remember to set them in all areas of your life. This week grab a pen and paper and write down goals for 2012 in the following categories and you're sure to have a bountiful and successful 2012.

Personal
Family
Business

Happy Holidays and all the best in 2012. I'm presently working on being able to complete 42 chin ups, 42 pulls ups and 42 one arm push ups (21 per side). Building a new house for the family in 2012, and saving for a new office space by 2014. I have goals for all aspects of my life. Some I need to add more to and be more specific. Like 2011, if I don't achieve them all that's not the end of the world but an opportunity top refine and do better and leverage the positive successes I have had in other areas along the way. I may not have dropped the pounds this year but I do know my pants are smaller, the clothes fit looser, and I can walk up a flight of stairs with ease rather than feeling winded. Not bad.

We have some great tools with Century 21 to assist with your goal setting and tracking.

AFT - Agent Financial Tools (budgeting and goal setting)
PEP - Productivity Enhancement Program for building stringer business habits around how you do your real estate business
Client Connect - Our online Customer Contact management system for sending high quality emails and drip campaigns to assist with achieving your goals.

If you would like to sit down and set out a coaching and goal achievement plan give me a call. I specialize in assiting our agents in achieving their business goals by doing business their way.

Enjoy,

Patrick on Twitter @pgalesloot