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CornerStones of Success Series Seminars for 2012

I am often are asked, how and why does CornerStone sponsor such high-end, high impact educational events. I love getting asked this question because within the answer lies the core philosophy that drives CornerStone. We believe that our surest path to success is to do all we can to support the success of our clients. We also believe in the axiom “anything worth doing is worth doing right” and for this reason, we bring the same commitment to excellence to every event we sponsor that we do to each closing we conduct. In this spirit, I am excited to announce the featured speaker line-up for the 2012 CornerStone’s of Success Seminar Series.

January 26th – Darryl Turner presents “Uncommon Sense: Stop Selling and Start Believing”

Our success and life are the results of the things we think about, the choices we make and how we “show up” each day. Sometimes you have to use “uncommon sense” to see through the fears and obstacles that stand between you and your potential. Do not miss this event as it will positively set the tone to make 2012 your most successful and prosperous year ever! Darryl Turner, founder and CEO of multiple real estate related companies, is one of the industry’s most sought after motivational speakers. Darryl’s mix of motivation, energy and fascinating content has the potential to not only change your career but to impact your life. Darryl’s presentation will reflect the principles explained in his recently published book - The Nine Undeniable  Principle of Uncommon Sense: Stop Selling and Start Believing. You can learn more about Darryl Turner by visiting his website at http://darrylturnerseminars.com and watching this promotional video.

May 10th – Bernie Borges presents “Build Your Business Through Your Personal Brand: How  to use social media to build your personal brand and grow your business”

If you were an early adapter of social media and have fully leveraged its potential to maximize your personal brand and bottom line, Congratulations! On the other hand, if you are like the rest of us and still trying to get the most from this exciting new medium, then this seminar is for you. Bernie Borges, owner of inbound marketing agency Find and Convert, is a leading Internet Marketer and Social Media Speaker. Bernie’s book, Marketing 2.0, Bridging the Gap between Seller and Buyer, lays out a strategic road map to develop, implement and measure social media marketing strategies. Bernie will be sharing his wealth of knowledge and expertise in relationship building through content and online engagement. Attending this seminar will teach you how to engage, educate and entertain your online audience in a way that builds relationship and trust. You can learn more about Bernie, his company and see promotional videos by visiting his website at http://bernieborges.com/.

September 6th  (8:30 Start Time) – Barbara Burke presents “Remedies for Real Property Disputes in Florida” (3 CE Credits)

We guarantee this will be the most fun you’ll ever have earning CE credits! Barbara was our featured speaker at two events last year and if you have seen her before then you know she is an absolute master at bringing a healthy dose of humor and fun to any topic. Barbara has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vanderbilt and then went on to earn her Master’s and Doctorate’s Degrees in Communications, followed by a Law Degree from Florida State University.  No longer practicing law, Barbara wrote a a series of books entitled ” Real Estate Law Series” that also serve as the foundation of her Real Estate Law Series  Online University. Barbara will amaze you with her ability to provide enriching real estate law education with such entertaining delivery. You can learn more about Barbara by visiting her website at http://www.realestatelawseries.com/.

Save the Dates, Details to Follow

As a reader of our blog or a social media contact, you are getting early notice of  the seminars so please be  sure to save the date. Each seminar will be held at Polo Grill on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch and begin at 9:00 am for coffee and networking. At 9:30 am, the presentation will start and will run until 12:00 pm (we’ll give you a couple of breaks, we promise).  A complimentary lunch will be served following the seminar! We had great turnouts last year and expect each event to “sell out” this year so once event registration is open, reserve your spot early. Watch your inbox or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter to be one of the first to receive an invitation.

Thankfulness, Gratitude and Thanksgiving Defined

CornerStone wishes you a wonderfully blessed and abundant Thanksgiving! We value each of our professional relationships and appreciate the fact so many have grown into personal friendships. We have much to be thankful for – including the wonderful team of professionals we get to work with, our amazing realtor, lender and mortgage broker clients and the buyers and sellers we are afforded the opportunity to serve each day. With the help of Merriam-Webster, we have defined the terms of the season – thankful, grateful and thanksgiving below…

Thankfulness

thank·ful : being appreciate of benefit received; affording pleasure of contentment

Being thankful is a fine quality and demonstrates not only our understanding of the benefits we receive but also acknowledges the provider of those benefits. Thankfulness is one of the first step of humility and is the way in which we demonstrate our appreciation of others and of the blessings in our own lives.

Gratitude

grate·ful : conscious of benefit received; pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated

Gratefulness defines an even deeper level of appreciation than thankfulness. When we are grateful, we are not only appreciative of the benefits we receive but we are conscious of the source of the grace and the mercy so prevalent in our lives. Gratefulness is more a state of mind than an emotional feeling.

Thanksgiving

thanks·giv·ing : the act of giving thanks; a prayer expressing gratitude; a public acknowledgement or celebration of divine goodness.

While we celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday on the fourth Thursday of November each year, the act of “giving thanks” is not as much an event as something we actually do. We are encouraged to practice “thanksgiving” every moment of every day, even in the most difficult times, we have much to give thanks for.

Thank You!

As we reflect on the things we are thankful for this week, we are reminded of how critically important it is to walk in attitude of gratitude and in the act of thanksgiving  at all times. We are the most fortunate generation, country and society that has ever existed. We enjoy an unprecedented level of opportunity and freedom. CornerStone gives thanks for the opportunity to work each day helping others grow their business, play a part in making dreams come true and the freedom to do so in a way that glorifies God.

CE Credit Seminar – Contracts and Cocktail Napkins

We are closing in the final installment of the 2011 CornerStone’s of Success Seminar Series. Our fourth and final seminar for 2011 will be held from 8:30 am to Noon on Tuesday, September 27th at The Polo Grille – Lakewood Ranch Main Street. The subject is Contracts: Why You Can’t Write a Deal Up on a Cocktail Napkin and will be presented by Barbara Burke. This seminar  is FREC Approved for 3 CE Hours and includes a complimentary lunch so register now!

Barbara was with us in March when she presented on foreclosures, short sales and alternatives. For those of you who attended, you know that Barbara possesses a unique ability to make any subject fun. While she is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable real estate legal experts in the state, she also possesses a sharp wit and unique sense of humor. Yes, we are talking contracts but with Barbara at the podium, you can count on not only gaining education but being engaged and entertained as well.

We will be digging deep into contracts, defining requirements, identifying common and not so common issues and reviewing potential real estate agent liabilities. We will also take a look at the primary differences between the 2007 FAR, 2007 FAR/BAR and 2010 FAR/BAR forms. We’ll wrap up with some real life case studies involving contract disputes and their outcomes.

Download a Brochure and don’t forget to REGISTER NOW! Any questions or prefer to register by email – contact Mary at mary@cornerstontitle.biz

We will  soon be working on lining up speakers and subjects for the 2012 CornerStone’s of Success Seminars. If you have a subject you would like to see addressed or have heard an outstanding speaker you would like us to invite, please send your suggestions to me by emailing me at tom@cornerstonetitle.biz.

Here is a look back at the 2011 line-up:

• January – “Jet Pilots Don’t Have Rear View Mirrors” by Alan Thompson
• March – “Foreclosures, Short Sales and Alternatives” by Barbara Burke
• June – “Social Media Marketing for Realtors” by Alan Thompson
• September – “Contracts: Why You Can’t Write a Deal Up on a Cocktail Napkin”

Are you ignoring your best prospect?

Real Estate Professionals - Now that I got your attention, please ask yourself this simple question. Immediate family and friends aside, who is your best prospect? Go ahead, take a couple of minutes to think about it… Remember, people buy from people, so it stands to reason the people most likely to buy from you are the ones who have done so in the past. Yes, your past customers are not only your best prospect but over time can become a steady source of qualified leads. According to N.A.R., about 90% of home buyer’s would do business with their agent again, but only 10% can remember how to get in touch with them!

What’s his name?

While it seems counter-intuitive, up to 90% of realtors do not do any type of post-close marketing at all. Of those that do, nearly all stop post-close marketing after 90 days. Does this make sense given the average home ownership last 8 years? No, it really doesn’t and in to be frank, marketing post close for 90 days to a prospect that is almost positively not coming back into the market may actually be perceived as an irritation and have an undesired affect on the relationship. On the other hand, nearly all realtors admit that they have repeatedly missed opportunities because they did not stay in touch with clients post-close. It may be time to take an honest inventory and determine if you are missing out on this reliable source of qualified leads.

Double your closings!

How big a problem is this? The answer is closely tied to the agent’s tenure and success rate but the longer you have been in business and the more deals you have closed, the bigger the problem. Wow, talk about being a victim of your own success!

Let’s break it down to real numbers. To keep it simple, let’s say you have been in the business for 10 years and you are closing an average of 15 deals per year. This means  you have a “likely to make a move” population of around 45 prospects in your pipeline each year. This number comes from those clients that bought/sold  between 7 and 9 years ago. Let’s assume 80% of the prospects come back into the local market and 90% are willing to use you again – this works out to about 32 prospects a year.

Ironically, in this example, just a 50% close ratio with clients you have already sold would effectively double your current volume of business.

Stay in Touch by Being “The Resource”

So now you understand you need to stay in touch. So all you need to do is send a birthday card, a football schedule and be sure to remind your clients of  their one year anniversary in their new home, right? Well, that might help but think about how much more  effective your efforts would be if you stayed top of mind through relevant touch points instead? This is where we can help. CornerStone Title now includes our digital closing documents with every closing. This includes amazingly convenient digital access to all closing documents for your clients (they love it). Our digital closing documents  also includes a built-in “forever marketing” system that keeps you top of mind with you customers by keeping them up-to-date with critical updates on information specific to their property. You contact information is  displayed in each email and every time your customer accesses their closing documents.

The Silver Bullet

So we’ve laid out how to automatically stay top of mind for life with every customer you close, the only thing  left to do is to actually identify the precise moment your customer is coming back into the market. This sounds too good to be true and unfortunately, it probably is. However, it is possible to notify you when your client accesses any of their critical closing documents which is the leading indicator they are making a move to buy or sell. For example, your client logs into to CornerStone’s digital closing documents system to access their mortgage – you get a notification. Granted, they might just be downloading their documents for some light poolside reading, but let’s face it, not everyone finds closing documents as interesting as we do. 

For More Information

If  you would like to learn more about how to effortlessly implement and maintain a comprehensive post close marketing system that alerts you when your customer is considering buying or selling, you can watch our digital closing documents video here.

Realtors and Clients – People buy from People

In the last post, I mentioned the phrase “people buy from people” and I think this is a subject worth digging deeper into. According to realtor.org, 90% of buyers use the Internet to conduct their home search. Clearly the Internet has been widely embraced by the real estate buying public, but does this mean the entire sales process will go online? No – in fact, the opposite is true.

Technology’s Effect on Your Clients

The net effect the Internet and other technologies are having is to produce a more informed, educated and sophisticated client. This is a client that not only has a deeper  knowledge of real estate but has also more choices and

elevated expectations. Today’s client knows the right questions to ask, the right deals to seek and has a much higher perception of the skills his realtor possesses.

The Internet has been called “The Great Equalizer” because, in theory at least, it provides equal and unlimited access to information to everyone. In some ways this is positive and in others, it may be a negative. While information is generally helpful, information overload or inaccurate information can lead to a poor decision. It is important to draw a distinction between data (plain facts or raw data) and information (data in context that adds value). This is where the Realtor has an opportunity to be unique and set themselves apart from the crowd.

Differentiating Yourself

Because of “The Great Equalizer”, most Realtors experience the same net effect from the role the Internet plays. So two factors determine differentiation. The first is one’s reaction to the new technologies. For example, the realtor who has systems and processes in place to leverage the newest technologies will have an obvious advantage.  The second, and most important, will bring us back to the fundamentals – people, sales, listening and creative skills. The environment the game is played in may have changed but the rules remain the same.

“People buy from People” - so defining, refining and growing yourself in your chosen craft remains the surest path to success and prosperity. If you are keeping up, they will find you using the web. But what you do with them once they find you has little to do with technology and much to do with your personal skills inventory. Your goal is to engage your client, understand his/her needs and desires and put together a strategy that delivers results. The conclusion here may be “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.

One Good Idea

don’t miss  this…

So, here is one good idea that blends technology, fundamentals and supports the “People buy from People” philosophy. Attend a Hot Properties Event where you can creatively feature a unique property you represent, connect with other PEOPLE and differentiate yourself to your buyers, seller and peers. Hot Properties has been called the “speed dating of real estate sales”  and its all business, high energy and fun. If your curious or ready to be “different” click the link to learn more and make a reservation.

Social Media for Realtors: Expand Your Brand

Don’t miss the next installment of the “CornerStones of Success Seminar Series” entitled Social Media: Expand Your Brand. This seminar is specifically designed to benefit real estate professionals and is being presented by Alan Thompson, who brought down the house at January’s “Jet Pilots Don’t Have Rear View Mirrors” Seminar. The event  will be held Thursday, June 2nd (from 9 to 12, complimentary lunch following) at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch and is complimentary to all real estate professionals – you can get more details by downloading an event flyer here.

Social Media has been clearly established as not only a legitimate business platform but possibly the most important technology related marketing development for real estate professionals since email. So all you need to do is register on Linked In, set-up a Facebook Account and start following up on the leads you’ll generate, right? Uhh, not so fast. Like anything else, what you get out of Social Media will largely depend upon what you put into it. Realtors and lenders have seemingly unlimited social media choices but if not careful, risk wasting a lot of time and being ineffective.

If you think about it, social networking is one of the oldest business concepts around. It is not the networking that has changed but the tools that are used for networking. Remember, people do business with people and utilizing social media does not change who you are, it allows you to get the word out in a more interesting and efficient manner. A solid social media strategy combined with process driven execution will deliver consistent positive results. Likewise, a poorly planned, loosely executed effort can actually have an adverse effect and damage your brand. .

During this complimentary seminar, Alan is going in-depth into Social Media and the most effective ways for realtors to use these new tools to leverage their personal brands. Attending this event is complimentary but you can be sure it is a solid investment in your most important asset – You!

RSVP to info@cornerstonetitle.biz