In the following interview, William E. Steinke, manager and success coach at Sellstate Achievers Realty in Fort Myers, Fla., discusses social media marketing and technology strategies for brokers.
Region Served: Southwest Florida
Years in Real Estate: 6
Number of Offices: Responsible for 1, but support 3
Number of Agents: 65
Best Tip for Dealing with Difficult Customers: Ask good questions, be empathic and calming, and provide solutions.
Best Tip for Running a Successful Meeting: Be prepared, involve the audience and demonstrate/role-play when possible.
Key to Staying Profitable: Focus on increased productivity by monitoring the number of agents and the number of sales per agent.
Can’t-Live-Without Tech Tool: A strong CRM and electronic calendaring program
How do you teach your team to leverage technology so they can spend more time serving their clients?
Sellstate provides a complete technology package that includes a CRM. I demonstrate how to use the information in their CRMs to connect with clients on an ongoing basis, in a variety of ways. I also encourage my agents to use social media regularly to keep them connected and top-of-mind.
While marketing strategies and target audiences constantly shift and change, what’s working best for your company?
The importance of professional photos and videos to create a positive first impression is critical among today’s consumers, who rely heavily on the technology-based information they’re accessing on their home computers, tablets and mobile devices. The ability to market homes with top-notch technology gives our agents a competitive advantage in obtaining listings and contracting quickly. Agents that consistently use professional photography and videos always outperform those that don’t. At Sellstate, we partner with some of the best professional photographers in the area to provide our agents with imaging that delivers proven results.
Why is it important for agents to participate in continuing education/training?
There’s an old saying: If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. I don’t believe that’s necessarily true, since the industry is always changing. As things change, you need to explore and apply new and innovative ideas to get what you’ve always gotten, and more.
How do you successfully lead by example?
By presenting a professional appearance and attitude, along with my own quest for professional development. That means getting out of the office for educational opportunities, such as attending classes to understand how to market through social media. Learning the best ways to be found in the ever-evolving and constantly changing technology landscape…this is imperative so that I can support the real estate professionals I work with. Implementing what I’ve learned through these ongoing educational opportunities demonstrates the value of taking yourself out of the game for a few hours or days to learn some of the latest best practices.
For more information, please visit www.myswflparadise.com or www.sellstaterealty.com.
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