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The Paper Jungle… And How to Navigate Through It!

As a real estate professional, you have to deal with not only your personal and financial files, but also your business files.  Keeping your business files in order could make the difference between having things in order or a chaotic mess that could even lead to legal ramifications.  For both your personal paperwork and your […]

To Control Your Results, Control Your Outreach

It is around this time of year, when one month is already gone on the calendar, that I begin to get a sense of who is on track to have a strong spring and who may need to really ramp up. How do I know? New connections and outreach. Lots of agents begin the year […]

ANNOUNCING: New Classes for 2019!

I am very excited to announce that we have not one but TWO amazing new classes coming up in 2019. This is IN ADDITION to my Safari which, through the years, has been my favorite workshop. 59 BUSINESS-BUILDING IDEAS THAT ROCK! – A PEEK INTO DENISE’S TOOLKIT There are brokers everywhere who ask me, “Denise, […]

“Hello? HELLO!!!” Are Your Phone Skills In Line?

I am on the phone every day of my life, most of us are. We send messages and receive messages and often we don’t think about the power of a well-thought-out message or a well-spoken reply to a message. I have been greatly disappointed by the quality of the phone messages I hear and the […]

Communication Leadership: Do You Have What It Takes?

Real estate professionals communicate most moments of their working day.  They are problem solvers, negotiators, cheerleaders and counselors.  They make a living communicating and listening.  The more refined your communication becomes and the more intuitive your communication style is the easier it will be for you to connect with your clients and help them make […]

The Paper Jungle… And How to Navigate Through It!

Posted by Denise Lones on February 14th, 2019

As a real estate professional, you have to deal with not only your personal and financial files, but also your business files.  Keeping your business files in order could make the difference between having things in order or a chaotic mess that could even lead to legal ramifications.  For both your personal paperwork and your business paperwork, you must come up with a simple system to keep all of your documents in order.   Many real estate agents struggle with this. With the increase of electronic files, it is even more important than ever before to create a system that works for you.  Here are some ideas to help you manage your files Read more »

Branding Spotlight: Pamela Bailey

Posted by Denise Lones on February 14th, 2019

Pam’s new branding is a refreshing spin on a classic Lones Group brand! We first designed Pam’s brand in 2009, and recently when she joined the Mastery graduation class of 2019. Pam’s whole business changed when she moved to Utah, so we adjusted her brand to showcase beautiful local imagery. We used her former gold and black palette accompanied by her personal favorite fonts, and tied it all together with a beautiful ornate logo that embodied her tagline, “Bringing Hearts and Homes Together.”

Read more »

Ask Denise: Opening Doors at Open Houses

Posted by Denise Lones on February 14th, 2019

Q: “Denise, I am so tired of holding open houses! Every time I ask if buyers are working with an agent, they answer, “yes.” Are they all really working with agents or are they just blowing me off?”

A: There is really no way of knowing, but if you are constantly getting shut down when you ask the question, maybe you are asking the question too early. Of course you want to be respectful of your colleagues, but often buyers perceive that a question that is asked too early like that is really for the benefit of the agent instead of for their benefit. Read more »

To Control Your Results, Control Your Outreach

Posted by Denise Lones on February 7th, 2019

It is around this time of year, when one month is already gone on the calendar, that I begin to get a sense of who is on track to have a strong spring and who may need to really ramp up. How do I know? New connections and outreach.

Lots of agents begin the year with great intentions – a great big “to do” list, organizing their office and closets, but the outreach to new people is easy to move down the list because it is not a tangible problem to be solved like a pile of mail, an email from a managing broker, or a shared connection on Facebook with a past client. Read more »

Branding Spotlight: John Creighton

Posted by Denise Lones on February 7th, 2019

John’s market is between Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, and he needed a clean, professional, and unique brand to help him appeal to buyers and sellers across state lines. The layout structure is designed with flowing river-like curves and a beautiful mountain lake photo on his personal marketing materials. To convey Johns experience, authority and and protective prowess, we designed a shield logo, which we provided to John in a variety of colors including navy and vibrant sky blue. To complete the design, we combined John’s favorite script font with a strong semi-serif to blend the brand’s professionalism with a personal touch. Read more »

Ask Denise: Warming Buyers to “Freezer Burnt” Listings

Posted by Denise Lones on February 7th, 2019

Q: “Denise, I went to your Real Estate Success Summit last week and I loved what you said about inventory being on the market being “Freezer Burnt”. I took a look at how long our inventory has been on the market and wow! More than 50% of the homes have been on the market for more than 60 days! I have some buyers who need to get on those! How should I put together that message?”

Great job on taking a closer look at your inventory! Opportunity abounds when you look for it.

First, I would make a chart like I had at class. Read more »

ANNOUNCING: New Classes for 2019!

Posted by Denise Lones on January 31st, 2019

I am very excited to announce that we have not one but TWO amazing new classes coming up in 2019. This is IN ADDITION to my Safari which, through the years, has been my favorite workshop.

59 BUSINESS-BUILDING IDEAS THAT ROCK! – A PEEK INTO DENISE’S TOOLKIT

There are brokers everywhere who ask me, “Denise, tell me just one thing I should do that would absolutely help me make money in my business.”

I am asked this so often that I have thought about recording my answer and playing it back when asked. The answer is, “There isn’t a magic pill or just one thing that works all the time. What works for you in your business may not work for someone else.” So the question leads to more exploration before an answer can be found. Read more »

Branding Spotlight: Sharon Engels

Posted by Denise Lones on January 31st, 2019

One of our Whatcom County neighbors, Sharon Engels, has boosted her business identity with a new Semi-Custom PRO brand. The country-lifestyle photos on her agent-marketing pieces perfectly reflect the aesthetic of her community. We used a serif font to ensure headline legibility, and a whimsical script font to add a personal touch to every piece. The tone-on-tone pattern in the slim header and footer repeats the leafy elements in her graduated monogram. Beautiful jewel tones of emerald, peridot, and jade give her marketing energy and emphasizes Sharon’s fun side!

Read more »

Ask Denise: Nice and Niche

Posted by Denise Lones on January 31st, 2019

Q: “Denise, as you know, I am a newer agent and have been working hard developing all my systems over the past year with you and your team with Mastery. I am in a transition time in my life and although I am doing all the mailings and implementing the systems we have been talking about, I feel that there is a drive and passion that is missing – like I can functionally do this job really well, but I want more. What do you suggest?” Read more »

“Hello? HELLO!!!” Are Your Phone Skills In Line?

Posted by Denise Lones on January 24th, 2019

I am on the phone every day of my life, most of us are. We send messages and receive messages and often we don’t think about the power of a well-thought-out message or a well-spoken reply to a message.

I have been greatly disappointed by the quality of the phone messages I hear and the messages I receive. It is time to improve the way we communicate on the phone. I want you to make a great impression on the phone and I have some tips for helping you do that.

Read more »

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