The following interview features Charleen Newhouse, Branch Manager of RealtyONEGroup in Irvine, Calif. Read on as Newhouse discusses training, coaching, and tackling today’s market challenges head on.
Region served: Orange County
Years in real estate: 18
Number of offices: 1
Number of agents: 360
Best advice for new agents: Learn the inventory and understand that in order to generate business, you have to take the time to prospect.
What are some of the current trends you’re experiencing in your local market? Not only are we continuing to see an influx of international buyers with all-cash offers flooding into the area, we’re also seeing multiple offers on properties, as well as low inventory, which is causing problems with appraisals. In addition, sellers are taking their time and doing their research before choosing an agent to represent them. For example, sellers are taking advantage of open houses as a way to gauge an agent’s professionalism, the way in which they conduct business and how they perform when it comes to the customer experience.
What are your best strategies in terms of training and coaching? My background is in training, and I’ve been mentoring agents at since 2000. That being said, I feel that the amount of training agents receive is more important today than ever before, which is why at RealtyONEGroup, we offer anywhere from 12 – 15 classes a month that focus on getting back to the basics and forming systems that will lead to success. When it comes to training and coaching, I believe that in-house classes are more effective than anything offered online because of the level of collaboration that takes place within a classroom setting.
Can you talk a little bit about the mentoring program you’ve instituted and why you created it? The main goal behind the creation of the mentoring program was to help agents build their business quickly and propel them toward becoming a top-producer. When I first started out in the industry, I didn’t have access to coaching, and I found myself floundering without any real direction. That experience laid the foundation for being able to help agents grow their business by providing the systems, coaching, mentoring, and accountability they needed to get to the top.
What is ONE of the biggest challenges your market faces and what are you doing to overcome it? Our only real challenge is the lack of inventory we’re experiencing; it’s an unknown that’s causing sellers to stall. Combatting this challenge is all about getting our agents to go out and engage their audience to snap up the inventory that’s out there. In the end, if you guide them and teach them how to prospect, they’ll do it successfully.
For more information, visit www.realtyonegroup.com.
