O'Finn's is having a celebration to thank the countless volunteers who helped stop the power plant. Drop by for a drink to give a proper thanks to all those who really made a difference within our community.
Great band, good times and no cheque book required- just show up and have fun.
Here is part 4 of the series Insight from 5 Top Producing Canadian Realtors by Carla Wood. Feel free to give us your comments.
Interviews with five top producing Realtors® from across Canada, from five national brokerages, all with very different styles, strategies and markets have provided awesome insights which will inspire change in any professional. These Realtors® include a 17 year consummate professional with a large sales group and lethal marketing team from Re/Max in Vancouver; a Realtor® licensed in the early 70's with endless energy from Coldwell Banker in Ottawa; a solo act with a passion for country living and community from Sutton in Calgary; an introverted condo and downtown specialist with focus second to-none from Royal LePage in Toronto; and a team led by two equal partners with a laid back educated approach from Prudential in the Toronto suburb of Oakville.
These interviews consisted of twelve key questions, that lead us through their business structure, mentors, brand identity, marketing strategy, building a top producing business, maintaining a top producing business and the challenges that go along with it, how technology impacts their success, advice to new Realtors® and those trying to move their business to the next level. Ultimately, the interviews ended with wanting to know what the key differentiator was between them and the rest of the pack. This four-part story will be filed away under "educational" for professionals in any sales context, but especially for those in real estate. Parts one and two were highly valued by readers, and part four looks at the final questions asked of the panel, and what the key commonalities and differences are between these 5 interviews.
Again, allow me to re-introduce the panel to you:
Faith Wilson: Re/Max Vancouver B.C. Real Estate Services from Vancouver www.faithwilson.com
Shayna Shuster: Sarazen Realty Coldwell Banker from Ottawa www.shaynashuster.com
Debbie Ashcroft: Sutton Partners Realty Group from Calgary www.debbieashcroft.com
Brian Elder: Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. from Toronto www.be-at-home.com
Bill Schiavone and Steve Diamond: Prudential Town Centre Realty from GTA suburb Oakville www.schiavonediamond.com
What advice would you give to agents trying to move their business to the top producing level?
Brian Elder, of Toronto doesn't hesitate as he shares the simple, yet seemingly insurmountable approach that sets him apart "you need to have systems in place and checklists and be persistent." Ruthless organization, tracking and consistency is a discipline that Brian has refined within his business to a noteworthy level. It may sound mundane, but in fact, it is the opposite; like watching a great sports event and reading the stats simultaneously - knowing the numbers just makes the action that much more meaningful and exciting. "You have to keep trying new things; monitor them and readjust all the time...the market keeps moving and you need to keep up with it" Brian encourages as he revs up about driving a lucrative business. Brian is a warm, embracing personality that draws people in and makes everyone he connects with feel prioritized, so remember that when heeding his advice - tracking and building systems does not mean cold and insensitive; rather it means intentional and conscientious...a killer combination!
Debbie Ashcroft, of Calgary has a great three word expressions: "Talk. Ask. Investigate." And that is the advice she passes on to those looking to become top producers. Talking to other professionals about what they are doing, asking yourself what you could be doing, stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something different, and continuing to investigate what works for others that may work for you. In her gifted way of summarizing a thought with a tag line, Debbie said to me with a smile "Gather information and you will get better." What is intrinsic in how Debbie gathers information is her ability to sift through the data, choose what works for her, and then intentionally apply it to her business.
Shayna Shuster, of Ottawa states matter of factly "there's a lot of room at the top." And her advice to getting there and staying there is to "just do your thing; do it right; do it all the time." The balance in Shayna's life kicks in when she applies her own advice and takes advantage of the quiet times by resting, in order to be ready for the busy times again. Shayna's year of experience in the business leave her seeing clearly in terms of the simplicity of success - do the work and do it well. And she does.
Bill Schiavone and Steve Diamond, of Oakville, recommend what has worked for them. Steve shares that constantly asking questions of other agents is a great way to "find out how their teams are structured and how they deal with certain questions and situations" - even if it might not work for their business. Bill reminds us that "there is no one thing that suddenly made us successful", instead he continues to advocate proper planning, consistent prospecting and finding a mentor. Working this plan is clearly an effective approach for this duo and their team.
Faith Wilson, of Vancouver advises agents making this move to work hard, stay focused and to "remember the people around you and those you serve." Faith says these three ingredients of hard work, focus and remembering people are what moves successful agents forward. Even at the pinnacle of her success, Faith continues to epitomize these words.
As it turns out becoming a top producer is more than luck - it is mainly about hard work, focus, intentionality, and quality of service and information. That eliminates everyone reading this article hoping to work 10 hours a week and earn over six figures consistently in this business! Working hard doesn't always mean working long hours though - it often does in the early days, but with the proper tools and strategy in place work-life balance can be a part of success. "Creating a return on investment measure for everything you do in business means understanding the value of your time so you can set business goals that encompass financial and lifestyle success" says Wayne Einhorn, Managing Director of EDI Achievement Coaching, "Our clients set goals, build strategies, and create tactics that we guide them to implement with measurement accountability that drives performance which is why they are all top producers." Einhorn's words of wisdom act as an echo of the experiences of these five top producing Canadian Realtors.
What is your key differentiator from other Realtors?
Re/Max's Faith Wilson identifies her key differentiator as two-fold: "Always have a client's best interest at heart and having a team with the same mindset." Building a team that is likeminded is a tall order, and definitely a differentiator in the industry, however, when the likemindedness revolves around other-centeredness, it is evident why Faith and her team continue their business development.
Royal LePage's Brian Elder talked about creating a business and being someone people can trust. Brian made a critical distinction between image and reality as we spoke, clarifying "I don't mean pretending that they can trust you, but rather being someone who shows through knowledge, wisdom and skill set that you can help them, and that you are in business because you want to educate and help." It is a certainty to me that clients experience Brian's openness in business because it oozes out of him - he wants to help those who want his help, and he understands that real estate is about trust, so building the trust is the goal and after that the sales will come.
Prudential's Steve Diamond and Bill Schiavone pride themselves on not overselling themselves. Bill explains "we are more laid back and if people realize that, they typically like it and want us". Beyond being unassuming in their sales approach, Bill and Steve know their product and stay current on the market. It is possible to be unassuming when you continue to invest in your relationships and provide quality service - two areas the Schiavone Diamond team have mastered.
Coldwell Banker's Shayna Shuster was at a loss to name a differentiator as she chooses not to watch the competition but rather focus on her own skills and abilities. When asked why people are choosing her over others, Shayna said with a confidence that is unwavering "because I am good at what I do, I am very knowledgeable and I have tremendous energy to do it." With over 35 years behind her in the real estate world, Shayna has earned the right to be confident in her abilities, and her clients absolutely affirm this.
Sutton Group's Debbie Ashcroft acknowledges it is difficult to pinpoint differentiators when there are so many quality Realtors out there. That being said, Debbie simply sums it up by saying "I want what I do to be good for me and for other people...I just appreciate being a part of this business and take it seriously." Debbie's passion for people, desire to always learn and grow, and her intentionality of passing both passion and learning on to her clients is what sets her apart from the agents who just want to sell houses. In Debbie's words, the reason she does what she does is "I want happy people." And her client roster is happy - excellent customer service and ongoing follow up and care is a minimum order with Debbie.
Differentiation is an intangible in business that is priceless when harnessed. Understanding what set's one apart in any business, but in particular in real estate allows business success to shift to another stratosphere. How can an intangible do that? Once you have established what differentiates your business from that offered by the over 96,000 other Canadian Realtors, you can start to drive tangibles. From branding, to persona to target market refinement to more effective farm area selection to most valuable ways to invest your time in your business: all of these revenue drivers can be honed to greater efficiencies if they circle around a true differentiation that authentically reflects you and your business. Take the tortured time to assess what sets you apart and build your business around it...then watch it grow!
Thank you for taking the 4-part journey through these insights from five top producing Canadian Realtors. As follow up to this series, please register for the upcoming Webinar on PropertyWire.ca on becoming a top producer. In addition, we encourage you to share your comments and thoughts with regard to your experiences, questions or thoughts surrounding driving success.
Many Oakville residents are smiling today after news that the proposed Oakville Power Plant has been stopped. After strong opposition from the community, the Liberals announced yesterday that plans to bulid a gas-fired power plant in Oakville have changed. "I'm tremendously pleased to announce, on behalf of the provincial government, that the proposed Oakville power plant has been stopped," local Liberal MPP Kevin Flynn told a news conference in Oakville yesterday.
You can read more about this story here:
http://www.insidehalton.com/news/article/884760--power-plant-stopped
St. Vincent Catholic School is having a 50th Anniversary Pub Night on October 15, 2010. The event will be held at the Oakville Engineers Hall on Speers Road. Tickets are just $85 and includes an open bar, fabulous food, amazing silent and live auctions, a casino and much more! The SchiavoneDiamond Team will be sponsoring a special drink - the "Sister Irene". It will be a fun, casual evening, no pre-arranged seating, lots of time to mingle and catch up.
If you would like to purchase tickets please contact Kelly Demmings at kdemmings@sympatico.ca
Cheers!
