Maintaining Team Harmony

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RISMEDIA, August 2008—Team Leader Name:  Fred Carver
Team Name:  Fred Carver Real Estate Marketing
Real estate company:  RE/MAX Camosun
Years in real estate:  35
Years as an agent team:  6
Number of team members:  2
Region Served:  Victoria, James Bay, Fairfield, Oak Bay, Saanich and the Western Community, British Columbia.
I formed an agent team because…I call it a co-operative team which we have been doing for about 6 years so we could be more effective serving our clients.  I do some clients all on my own but certainly during heavy times each day I share those with another realtor and I do the same for him including our holiday time.  It works well because we both have about the same amount of experience and business volume.

Why is it important for a team to operate harmoniously? So we can rely on each other completely.  What are the consequences of not doing so? Disarray.

Do regular meetings help keep the team united? Yes. 

How often?  We meet as required, usually by phone or over lunch once a week.

How do you handle it when a team member is not ‘on board’?

That’s seldom an issue, but we have a backup realtor to cover for us.

What morale-building exercises/outings do you use to create a team atmosphere?  On going courses and coaching.  Specialty personal coaching seems to work best for us.  I just finished working four months last winter with a one-on-one coach for blogging.  We met once a week for two hours.  I also have been doing an “expired” program with Katerina Gasset in Florida and a seven week S.M.A.R.T. course with Floyd Wickman.   So coaching/training-wise it was a very busy year but we had great results. I learned how to do a new listing presentation that always gets me the listing unless the seller is un-realistic with his or her pricing and then we both agree to talk in the future. My blogging is really powerful and the results have been phenomenal.   I’m placed in Google with any new listing in a matter of a few hours of blogging. 

How do you keep the lines of communication flowing between and among team members on a consistent basis?  Telephone and e-mail.

Success Strategies

What is the key to profitability?

Watching marketing costs is first.  And then I develop a customized marketing plan for each client. 

What is the one thing your team can’t live without?

Computers and blogging, especially with Active Rain.

What type of advertising works best for you?

Online marketing especially getting Google positioning with my blogging. I have two main web sites; www.victoriahomesandproperties.com  and www.fredcarver.com.  Then through RE/MAX International, www.remax.com and CREA www.mls.ca.  I have a blog on each of my personal web sites, and I do a huge amount of blogging with Active Rain.

Are you spending more or less on advertising and marketing than last year?  I am spending less on internet marketing than I did last year but I am spending more on up grading with personal training. 

What is your philosophy on a successful life in real estate? 

Be consistent.  You have to call or meet with clients when you say you will.  I call them at least once a week myself.  And then there is time management.  By that I mean you have to plan your day, week, month and year.  And then always go beyond your client’s expectations.

Lesley Geary

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

 

 

 

 

 


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