HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We have so much to be thankful for!

Your KWSR Leadership Team is thankful for YOU!!

Great Things Are Happening at KW SELECT REALTORS!

GO F.A.R., My Red Tools, Closings, Profit Share, New Staff, KW Commercial and so much more! Keep track of it all here at Select Happenings!

Don't forget to check out MyRealtorCoach for your bi-weekly GO F.A.R. updates!!

Burned Out? Re-Light Your Fire!

With the roller coaster of a market we've all been through, the stress and weight of financial concerns and extra work for no pay is starting to show. As we hear more and more about being on the verge of financial recovery, it is getting harder for many to gather enough energy to get excited. Is there a way to fight the burn-out?

There is, and it looks like this:

1. Mental Decision: I want to get fired up!

2. Emotional Energy: This business will help me achieve my dreams!

3. Purposeful Determination: These tasks will get the results I need!

4. Strategic Execution: Use time-blocking to focus on the most critical actions!

5. Celebrate Often: Set mini-milestones and focus on positive results!

As with all change, going from 'burned out' to 'fired up' starts with a mental decision. You must decide that you want to get fired up. No . . . really want it! Game face, eye of the tiger, Facing the Giants kind of want it!

Okay, now that you're committed to overcoming that limp, dishrag feeling . . . the next step is to increase your positive emaotional energy by bringing yourself back to the beginning. By 'beginning' I mean "what started you on this path in the first place?" What was your motivation? What were those big dreams? At some point you were so excited that you could hardly sleep at night with all those thoughts swimming in your head; thoughts of success!

The best method that I know to keep yourself focused on those goals and dreams is to keep a "Dream Book." A Dream Book is a visual reminder of the life your business is supposed to fund. After all, we work to live - not live to work - right? So what does that future-self life look like? Do you picture those material possessions you have always gone without? Would you support family members in need? Is it a quality of life for your children and spouse? Perhaps you are giving back through philanthropy or even missionary work?

What would you do with your time if money was no object?

By keeping a Dream Book (a scrapbook of images - specific as possible - of what you want to accomplish) you are reminded of why you get up every day, even when the covers seem so heavy, warm and inviting. It stops being about the mundane task at hand, and about the step you are taking to get closer to your dreams.

If you just pump yourself up and then jump into the same pool of a billion tasks, it's like cutting down a redwood with a plastic spoon . . . at some point the enthusiasm will wear off and you don't seem any closer to your goal. The key is to be purposeful in your action. Knowledge without action is useless, but action without knowledge is reckless! You need to understand your business goals and become a student of your industry. Study best practices of those who have already succeeded in your industry. You will see a pattern of purposeful actions - and you'll also find that, while each talent added their own flavor to the method, they often learned through trial and error that certain tasks are more likely to get the desired results than others.

Take a look at that laundry list of tasks and determine which ones are most critical, which ones will result in more business, more referrals, and move you closer to your goals. Forget checking off the list - where the temptation is to do the quick and easy tasks forst to 'get them out of the way.' Prioritize your tasks and tackle them from greatest anticipated results to least. You will probably need to cross half of the items off the list entirely!

Once you have determined your top priorities, it's time to put them into a schedule for execution (here's where 80% of people get lost). This method is called Time Blocking, and ensures that your time is not swallowed up by the insignificant-yet-seemingly-urgent non-productive tasks. Take a generic weekly calendar - begin by filling in your personal priorities (prayer/meditation time, family time, work-out time, etc). Next, fill in the week with blocked sets of time for your critical categories (lead generation, networking, follow up, preparation, education, etc). Once your categories are set and blocked, you can fill these in on a weekly basis with specific actions for each category. No more bouncing around from task to task as you remember them (called the "tyranny of the urgent"). You can relax, knowing that you have time blocked off to complete that task.

Once your focus has shifted to completing the tasks that get you results . . . you get results!! Party time! Seriously - reward yourself for achieving results. If your focus is constantly only on the long-term, big picture goal, you will be achieving many little 'mini-victories' along the way without feeling a sense of accomplishment because you haven't finished the big task yet. Celebrating each milestone reminds you that you are making forward progress, and you are one step closer to those big dreams in your Dream Book!

Okay . . . game faces everyone! You are a Dream achiever! Seize the day . . . make your life extraordinary!!

What gets YOU fired up???

Do They Really Serve Kool Aid?

Sometimes you just have to shake your head and laugh (or wonder).

It seems that people are so used to being taken advantage of, or being in business with a company that puts the needs of its partners below the company's needs, that the concept of anything different is viewed as 'weird' and 'too good to be true'.

I recently heard something that I haven't heard in years - a comment about the 'cult-like' persona of Keller Williams Realty, with reference to our Agents 'drinking the Kool Aid'. This has always cracked me up, and I always wonder where it first started.

Although I heard it years ago, I felt confident that non-KW Agents in our area felt differently; that they saw our level of growth and success and attributed it to the hard work we have put into building a company of integrity, service and results. Surely they could see that we are just 'normal' hard-working Realtors, right??

One of our area's top Realtors is currently making the move to our company and shared with me the perception that some agents have about our office - that this is where they 'drink the Kool Aid'.

So I asked, "why would they say that?"

"Because the Agents from your office are always so happy and constantly talk about how great your office is," was the reply.

I laughed out loud at that remark! "That's it?" I asked.

"Pretty much. It's just so different than how everyone else feels about their Companies, even if they like their particular office."

Here's a thought: "Agents make 100% of the income for a real estate company. The more successful the Agents are, the more successful the Company is. Why would a Company NOT focus all of its energy on providing the very best tools, technology, support, training and coaching to its Agents? Why wouldn't they seek out the opinions and ideas of their top talent to constantly ensure that they are the best Partner for their Agents?"

If having happy, successful Agents is 'drinking the Kool Aid' then "CHEERS!" and pass the pitcher!

Not ecstatic about your business partnership? Ask one of our Agents what KWSR has done for their business: go to our website, randomly select from our list of Associates and call them. Curious about what we can do for you? Email me today!

"Oh Yeah!"

Ugly Changes to FHA Condominium Loans

Once again from our friends at M Point Mortgage:

HUD Condominium Approvals Effective with Cases Assigned 10/1/09

Loans with case numbers ordered on or after October 1, 2009, are subject to the new condominium procedures outlined by HUD in Mortgagee Letter 2009-19.


1. Spot Loan Condo Approvals are no longer allowed.

2. Any condominium that has not been approved by HUD 10/1/09 or later will require full condominium review and approval by HUD. Only exceptions: FHA to FHA streamline refinances or sale of a HUD REO by HUD’s Real Estate Owned Division. Even on approved projects lender will be required to certify that we have no knowledge of circumstances or conditions that might have an adverse effect on the project or cause a mortgage secured by a unit in the project to become delinquent.

3. Maximum FHA Concentration – HUD is limiting the number of FHA insured loans to 30% for any project. This is a very big change. Per HUD recent HUD conference call, the plan is for FHA Connection to be capable of monitoring. It is imperative that case numbers be ordered correctly with the correct project approval code. If the project is not at maximum concentration a case number will be assigned; if the project is at maximum concentration and not eligible for another FHA loan the case number will not be assigned and a message issued stating that. As loans are paid off within the project Connection will be updated by HUD “freeing up” units for new case assignments.

Keller Williams Realty Tops JD Power Survey Again!

According to a recent article from Inman News, J.D. Power and Associates has found Keller Williams Realty to be the consumer's favorite when purchasing a new home.

For the second year in a row, Buyers have rated Keller Williams Realty higher than any other real estate company for meeting their needs and providing access to the extra services they are looking for.

To learn how the surveys are conducted and more details on the results, go HERE.

Changes to settlement procedures you need to know!

Beginning 8/1/2009 the Federal Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (MDIA) goes into effect and applies to all mortgage loan applications dated 8/1/2009 and beyond.

Basically, purchase borrowers will now have the same protection as refinance borrowers creating a 3 day period to understand exactly what is expected at settlement regarding closing costs.

Changes from the initial Good Faith Estimate of Settlement Costs to the final HUD 1 regarding the following items must be redisclosed no less than 3 days prior to settlement:

* Origination and discount points

* Appraisal and reinspection fees

* Credit report fees

* Flood Certification fees

* Tax service fees

* Commitment fees

* Processing fees

* Underwriting fees

* Transfer and Recordation fees

* Realtor Admin. Fees


The Federal Government is making sure borrowers cannot get "jammed at settlement" with new fees and forced to close. Borrowers now have 3 days to understand any fee changes before settlement. This is a good move since it levels the playing field and gets rid of unethical practices by unscrupulous lenders.


It is very important you work with your lenders and supply them with all the information regarding any and all Admin fees that will be charged at settlement so no one gets left short at the table.

This information was provided by my friends at MPOINT Mortgage:

Adrian Cox

Erika Zabell

Thank you!

Upcoming Class: Strengthen Your Personal Brand Through Social Media & Digital Video

In Real Estate, it has been proven over and over that it is a "local" business where your success is influenced by your local sphere of influence and whether or not they think of YOU when they think of real estate. So how does a world-wide internet presence benefit you?

If you're not purposeful in your approach, it won't! The goal of your web-based media needs to be focused on Branding. Properly executed, your online presence will create and strengthen your personal brand - keeping the necessary mindshare with your intended audience.

Makes sense, right? Now we're back to the old stumbling block 'how to implement'.

Enter Brody and Kurt. Brody is a local branding and social media guru who will discuss with us the best tactics in using Social Media to promote your brand. Kurt owns a local production company (clients include: Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, World Relief, Mission to the World, Erickson Retirement Communities, and many more) and will discuss the power of digital video as a branding tool. You will learn how to create media that becomes 'viral' in nature and uses your network to continually promote you.

Class is in our Ellicott City Market Center, immediately following our Team Meeting, on Wednesday, August 5th. (11:00 am)

RSVP to reserve your seat HERE!

Making More Money In The 3rd Quarter!

In the 2nd Quarter, the real estate industry received a much needed boost of activity. For the first time in many months we are beginning to hear positive news [CNBC article] about hopes for a recovery.



It seems we are nearer the end than the beginning of the depressed housing market - but it is certainly far from over. Your actions in the 3rd Quarter and beyond may very well shape the future of your entire real estate business!



This is a time of opportunity, and by the time most Realtors have figured out how to react the landscape will have changed drastically. It's not too late to boost your commission income during the current market and to set the building blocks for a phenominally successful near-future business!



In the 2nd Quarter, we focused on creating and maintaining a positive mindset, we built a solid business plan, we implemented systems for each area of our business, we began a leveraged lead-generation strategy, and we lay the groundwork for building a strong social network.



If you missed any of the classes above - don't worry - we'll be covering those topics again in the 4th Quarter (you may also contact me for information on receiving the material or a course schedule from one of our other offices).



What next? Well, in the 3rd Quarter we are building on our solid foundation a business that connects with the needs of today's customers.

We will utilize the latest technology to communicate efficiently and effectively with the greatest number of people. We will sharpen our industry knowledge to better protect and serve our customers. We will also utilize best practices to build our business "teams" with the industry's best talent in every related service area.

Topics will include:
Using HD Video/Digital Media
Building and Maintaining a Strong Brand
Advanced Website Tools
Agents In Action: KW Connect
What Makes a Great BPO?
Marketing, Flyers & Drip Campaigns
Contracts I & II
Social Networking as Lead Generation
Proven Lead Generation Tactics

All Realtors are welcome to join us - please RSVP to Sherine Blahnik , our Agent Services Coordinator, to reserve your seat. You may also sign in as a guest on our intranet site to view our full training calendar.

Auto-Update Facebook from Twitter

You may want to Follow Us on Twitter or Subscribe to our RSS Feed to automatically receive future updates.

One of the hazards of creating multiple methods of communication is the never ending task of posting, updating and tweeting.

Thankfully, there are many methods for a single point of entry which updates multiple networks at once.

Until recently, I have been hesitant to set my Twitter account to automatically update my Facebook status because I don't necessarily want ALL of my tweets posted as Status Updates.

Thanks to a handy app on Facebook, you can easily select which Tweets become Updates. Go to http://apps.facebook.com/selectivetwitter and install the free app. Then, add #fb to the end of any tweet you wish to be added as a Facebook Status Update. Works great!

Learning about Social Networking

Today in GO F.A.R. we are setting up our Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and more!

We're doing it right now - what are YOU doing??

Email me with any questions you have on this subject!

Critical Path for Buyers

Today in GO F.A.R. we discussed the critical path that we follow when working with Buyers. There are two paths to internalize: our own processes for our business and the processes we use to guide our customers.

Our business processes include:
1) Converting Leads to Appointments
2) Preparingthe Buyer for the consultation
3) The Buyer Consultation
4) Finding the Home
5) Offer and Negotiations
6) Contract to Close
7) Post-close Systems

(from Buyer Mastery, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. 2008)

Client Process include:
1) Pre-Approval
2) Needs Analysis
3) Begin Search
- Buyer Instant Notification System
- Preview Homes (phone/in person)
- Provide Property Tour Notes/Checkist papers
4) Write The Offer
- Create CMA and get GFE from Lender/Title
- Call the Listing Agent
- Get Disclosures
- Create Customer Account in Contract Software
- Have Customer Google address, neighborhood, seller
- Write It
- Send It
- Call Listing Agent to confirm receipt

(from class attendees - GO F.A.R. @ KW Select Realtors in EC: 6/4/2009)

Working With Buyers: Scripts & Questionaires

There's a saying that goes: "You can spend the time on the front end, or you can spend the time on the back end. Either way, you're going to spend the time."

Never has that been more true than when working with Buyers. It is amazing what a great Needs Analysis can do to reduce the number of homes you need to show before finding the right one and writing an offer. Take the time up front and ask the RIGHT questions . . . your clients will thank you and you will earn back HOURS of wasted time!

In this Thursday's GO F.A.R. class (1:30 to 2:30) we will be uncovering the BEST Needs Analysis as well as customer questionaires to help you uncover their core needs, expectations and concerns.

This ONE HOUR class will save you thousands of hours in your career. What will YOU do with that extra time??

Managing Listings: Checklists & Systems

Today in GO F.A.R. we will be looking at examples of excellent checklists and systems used by the country's top Realtors to manage their active Listings.

Taken from the research used to write the Millionaire Real Estate Agent book (Gary Keller et al.), we will finalize and implement our own systems for servicing our Sellers at the highest level while allowing us to manage dozens (even hundreds) of listings without going insane!

Class starts at 1:30 . . .