Monday, January 28, 2013
Friday Feature: Sue LaPeter
Prudential California Realty’s Sue LaPeter has been active in all aspects of the Real Estate Industry for over 25 years. From the onset of her real estate career, Sue set high expectations for performance and level of service. Sue’s designations include: California Association of REALTORS (CAR), Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Certified HAFA Specialist (CHS), National Association of REALTORS (NAR), and Pacific West Association of REALTORS (PWR). In addition, a background in Title and Escrow provided a strong foundation upon which to build her business, which has grown over the years into a rock-solid team offering outstanding service to all clients. “Sue and her knowledge of the markets she specializes in, especially the high end marketplace, helps her continue to get her sellers the highest possible price for their homes,” said Prudential Yorba Linda Sales Manager Erol Bayraktar.
Sue works hard to stay informed on the latest news and technology in the every-changing real estate industry. “While experience is the foundation of my business, excellent customer service and an up-to-date knowledge of the market are the pillars that hold it up,” she said. Sue meets weekly with a real estate coach, reads industry blogs and attends classes and conferences. “While other agents have hesitated to embrace new technologies, I have jumped in with both feet and have a blog, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channel,” she said. “I stay informed so I can provide the best information possible to my clients and market their homes most effectively.” Sue also hires a professional stager to further market her listings in order to appeal to a larger pool of buyers.
To deliver even better service to her customers, Sue has expanded her team to be able to tap into the skills and expertise of others, including an Administrative Assistant, Buyers Agents, Accounts Receivable, a full time Licensed Contractor and Short Sale Negotiator. Her professional team’s customer service-oriented philosophy has served them well, as 2012 proved to be another successful year and earned the team Prudential’s prestigious Chairman’s Circle Gold Award.
The LaPeter Team’s triumphs are due in great part to Sue’s wonderful ability to create lasting and trusting client relationships. She always puts her clients needs ahead of her own and her personal touch has made all of the difference. Adds a Yorba Linda client, “Sue helped lead us through the process every step of the way. She came in with a plan of how to best market our home. This included having our home professionally staged, which I think made all the difference in the world. Our house had multiple offers within the first weekend of listing, and I believe our house sold for above what we were hoping for because of how amazing it looked. I would recommend Sue to anyone selling their home.”
The LaPeter Team works throughout Orange County specializing in Short Sales, REO Property, and Residential Sales providing professionalism and compassion through each transaction. The team’s competitive spirit, knowledge and dedication are what help make Prudential Real Estate an acknowledged industry leader. Sue is also active in her local community, as she has worked with the Assisteens of Orange for many years and is the biggest financial contributor to Villa Park High School. To learn more about Sue LaPeter and her team, please contact Sue today at (714) 728-9018 or visit www.LaPeterTeam.com.
Exciting News!
Hello Associates and Employees of Prudential California Realty!I have exciting news for you today.
As you know, we strive everyday to be on the leading edge of bringing you the latest and greatest in the residential real estate industry. To that end, we are very pleased to announce that our company has been chosen and has accepted the Charter broker membership in a new and unique licensed real estate network.
Effective immediately, we are a Member of the RealtyTrac Network. As a member of the network, we are the exclusive brokerage representative of RealtyTrac in Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
Please also understand that this relationship with RealtyTrac is intended to complement our current franchise relationship we value with Prudential.We are making this internal announcement as RealtyTrac will be releasing this news in conjunction with the launch of this new business opportunity to the national media soon. And you may be seeing us in the press!We wanted you to know first and rest assured, the details of this new relationship will be released soon.Here's to your continued success!Rich Cosner
Friday, January 18, 2013
Welcome M.J. & David Porchas!
Prudential California Realty would like to Welcome MJ Porchas & David Porchas to the Prudential Family!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Million Dollar Habits
Million Dollar Habits - First You Make Your Habits and Then Your Habits Make You
The Reality Habit - recognize what is real in your life and take the necessary steps to make your dreams come true.
The Present Living Habit - happiness is not a goal but it is a state of mind. Strive for a better future but live for today. Count your blessings.
The Attitude Habit - recognize that you are in control. Things don't happen to you, you make things happen. Change your attitude, change your life.
The Self-Discipline Habit - use logic and reason things out, then consider your emotions.
The Action Habit - planning is the first step to getting results, but it is never a substitute for action. The successful implementation of one good idea is worth more than a thousand good ideas not acted upon.
The Human Relations Habit - to the extent that you relate poorly to others, you tend to have a problem filled life. To the extent that you relate well to others, you tend to have a pleasant and successful life. Life as it happens is all a matter of how you frame each and every situation in your mind.
4 Ideas for Better Exterior Listing Photos
There's one photo that the majority of MLSs require of listings. Known as the "primary exterior shot," this all-important photo is the first thing potential buyers see--and your first opportunity to convert browsers into leads. If this picture is too grainy, too dark, or just badly composed, property searchers may simply pass your listing on by.
There's good news, though: bad photos are preventable! Here are a four tips to make the most of this crucial shot:
1. Increase camera elevation
It's amazing what a little height can do! Known as "pole aerial"photography, shooting from an elevated position can enhance your primary exterior photos. It lends your shots a new perspective and is great for portraits of property grounds. If you don't have access to aerial equipment, like many agents, try shooting your primary exterior shot from a ladder or a nearby hill. We've even heard stories of agents taking this photo from atop their vehicle!
2. Take three-quarter shots
Photos taken at a slight angle, instead of straight-on, are often stronger and more dynamic. Again, this is all a matter of perspective. Changing your angle can let you include different property features, like landscaping. If you're unsure, take multiple shots from multiple places and choose the best later, during the editing process.
3. Show as many home features as possible
As the "book cover" your listing will be judged by, it's important to get as many key property features into this photo as possible. Don't be afraid to venture away from the front of the house! Homes with pools or other water, outlying buildings, or impressive grounds can benefit from shots taken from the rear of the property.
The photo below is a great example of this. Instead shooting the front of the home, the photographer opted to emphasize the back, showing off more of the house's varied structure and the putting green.
4. Shoot at the right time of day
Proper lighting is one of the most important elements of a good photo. Shots taken during "the golden hour"--the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset--avoid the harsh shadows and overexposure of photos taken at midday. Find out when the golden hour takes place in your area at golden-hour.com to take advantage of this time's soft lighting and warm hues.
Proper lighting is one of the most important elements of a good photo. Shots taken during "the golden hour"--the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset--avoid the harsh shadows and overexposure of photos taken at midday. Find out when the golden hour takes place in your area at golden-hour.com to take advantage of this time's soft lighting and warm hues.
More adventurous photographers may want to consider shooting at twilight
(or later). Turn the lights on in the home, increase your camera's exposure time, and start shooting. The glowing windows of the house contrast beautifully with the night and create a warm, inviting
appearance. We recommend using a tripod, however, as the longer shutter speed increases the chance of a blurry photo is the camera is not held perfectly still.
Friday, January 4, 2013
CORONA: Thousands in rain welcome home injured solider
By Leslie Parrilla, The Press Enterprise
Army Sgt. Jordan Sisco sat in a black Audi waving from a passenger window in disbelief as thousands of people he didn’t know lined Main Street in Corona on Tuesday, Dec. 18. They were waving flags, holding signs, carrying babies and braving intermittent rain to show the soldier they didn’t know that he meant something to them.
The 22-year-old veteran, who lost both legs and his left thumb in Afghanistan from an improvised explosive device, was coming home for several weeks before returning to San Antonio for physical rehabilitation, said his father John Sisco, who pushed his son in a wheelchair.
Jordan Sisco sat in front of his family’s house saying he didn’t deserve the attention, but others did because they made the ultimate sacrifice. They didn’t come back, and can’t see their families or see the same homecoming, he said
Sisco stepped on an explosive while on foot patrol in Kandahar in July, suffering additional damage to his pelvis, colon and bladder. He has been undergoing medical treatment since the injury.
On Facebook, the Santiago High School graduate describes the difficulties adjusting to a new life, especially relying on others for basic needs such as opening a cupboard or taking food from the refrigerator.
“I’m no hero … People have been telling me I’m great and all that … The real heroes are the ones that didn’t get to experience greetings like this,” Sisco said. “My God, I’m so happy to see family and friends … I gave a little bit too much, in my opinion.”
Sisco enlisted in 2008 and plans to leave the military after rehabilitation, possibly to become a history teacher, said his father, who called his son a “soldier’s soldier” who nearly died of his injuries.
“When he was a little kid, probably about the eighth grade … he knew that he wanted to be in the military. He knew he wanted to make a difference,” the elder Sisco said.
And to the thousands of people lining three miles of Main Street, including 13-year-old Joseph Moreau — who had been waving a large flag for 45 minutes waiting for Sisco — the soldier made that difference. It was irrelevant to Joseph that they didn’t know each other.
“Anybody who does come back is a friend of mine,” Moreau said, wearing a red karate gi with other students. “It’s awesome that people serve and when they come back, their spirits are still high.”
Many local Prudential California Realty agents participated in the event. Rich Cosner, Jill Ross and Anna Pisani waited about 90 minutes in the rain up by Foothill and Main to welcome the hero home.
A little further up Main Street, paramedics and firefighters from Mission Ambulance parked their ambulance at a gas station and stood on the sidewalk holding flags as another unit answered calls.
“Another unit is clearing a call and going to join us, too,” paramedic Julie Gold said.
About 45 children stood in the rain in front of All American Karate.
“It’s All American Karate,” owner John Lipari said. “How could we not be out here?”
Source: http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/corona/corona-headlines-index/20121218-corona-thousands-in-rain-welcome-home-injured-solider.ece
Army Sgt. Jordan Sisco sat in a black Audi waving from a passenger window in disbelief as thousands of people he didn’t know lined Main Street in Corona on Tuesday, Dec. 18. They were waving flags, holding signs, carrying babies and braving intermittent rain to show the soldier they didn’t know that he meant something to them.
The 22-year-old veteran, who lost both legs and his left thumb in Afghanistan from an improvised explosive device, was coming home for several weeks before returning to San Antonio for physical rehabilitation, said his father John Sisco, who pushed his son in a wheelchair.
Jordan Sisco sat in front of his family’s house saying he didn’t deserve the attention, but others did because they made the ultimate sacrifice. They didn’t come back, and can’t see their families or see the same homecoming, he said
Sisco stepped on an explosive while on foot patrol in Kandahar in July, suffering additional damage to his pelvis, colon and bladder. He has been undergoing medical treatment since the injury.
On Facebook, the Santiago High School graduate describes the difficulties adjusting to a new life, especially relying on others for basic needs such as opening a cupboard or taking food from the refrigerator.
“I’m no hero … People have been telling me I’m great and all that … The real heroes are the ones that didn’t get to experience greetings like this,” Sisco said. “My God, I’m so happy to see family and friends … I gave a little bit too much, in my opinion.”
Sisco enlisted in 2008 and plans to leave the military after rehabilitation, possibly to become a history teacher, said his father, who called his son a “soldier’s soldier” who nearly died of his injuries.
“When he was a little kid, probably about the eighth grade … he knew that he wanted to be in the military. He knew he wanted to make a difference,” the elder Sisco said.
And to the thousands of people lining three miles of Main Street, including 13-year-old Joseph Moreau — who had been waving a large flag for 45 minutes waiting for Sisco — the soldier made that difference. It was irrelevant to Joseph that they didn’t know each other.
“Anybody who does come back is a friend of mine,” Moreau said, wearing a red karate gi with other students. “It’s awesome that people serve and when they come back, their spirits are still high.”
Many local Prudential California Realty agents participated in the event. Rich Cosner, Jill Ross and Anna Pisani waited about 90 minutes in the rain up by Foothill and Main to welcome the hero home.
A little further up Main Street, paramedics and firefighters from Mission Ambulance parked their ambulance at a gas station and stood on the sidewalk holding flags as another unit answered calls.
“Another unit is clearing a call and going to join us, too,” paramedic Julie Gold said.
About 45 children stood in the rain in front of All American Karate.
“It’s All American Karate,” owner John Lipari said. “How could we not be out here?”
Source: http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/corona/corona-headlines-index/20121218-corona-thousands-in-rain-welcome-home-injured-solider.ece
Building a Stronger Future for Real Estate
Click on the photo below to read the front-page article in Real Estate Magazine about Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices:
The Consumer’s Search for Excellence
By Verl Workman, Rismedia.com
Twenty speaking events in the last 45 days has created not only a lot of SkyMiles, but has given me the opportunity to have at least twenty real estate-related conversations while flying between events. As I began this series of events, I decided that I would do my best to get a feel for how the general public is feeling about the real estate industry—and about REALTORS®, specifically.
Some conversations lasted only five minutes, others 45 or more, but the overwhelming consensus was that people don’t feel they need a REALTOR®. To take it to the next level, most feel that the only reason they needed an agent in the past was because of the MLS. One professional woman from Virginia who owned at least four high-end homes stated that she felt she was a much better negotiator than any agent that had ever represented her. Another man who recently had his 4-plex expire stated that he was not sure it was still on the market because he had not heard from his agent in five months. A retired couple, who shared the same row with me, stated they just wished they could get someone to be honest with them, and felt the agents who they interviewed were more interested in the commission than actually helping them move.
While every interaction did not signify doomsday for REALTORS®, the vast majority were eye-opening. As a REALTOR®, I defended the industry with passion and enthusiasm. As President of RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network, I took the time to describe our network of top agents and told them next time to seek out the exceptional. As I wrap up this road trip, I am convinced that as an industry, we must take the level of our professionalism to a much higher level—and we have to communicate to the world that we are professional, valuable, and focused on doing the right things all the time.
I have made it my personal mission to bring a new higher level of professionalism to this industry and scream from the rooftops that not all agents are the same! We have a short period of time to ‘step it up’ or I believe the consumer is going to demand significant changes in our profession. The responsibility for earning back our reputation as professionals falls on brokers and agents. We can begin to fulfill this responsibility by doing the following:
• Adhere to our code of ethics. There can’t be any grey areas. Do the right thing every time, regardless of how it may or may not affect your commissions.
• Become students of real estate. We must be true experts in our communities and in the types of property we list and sell. The attitude of “fake it ‘til you make it” is what got us here.
• Deliver more than the client expects. Exceed their minimum level of expectation. They think most agents are weak because too many don’t take their professions seriously. Over-deliver by providing better service, knowledge and expert representation.
• Communicate. One of the most consistent complaints I hear is that agents do not communicate. This blows my mind! With text messaging, emails, smart phones, Skype, snail mail and many other automated ways to communication, there is NO excuse for not exceeding this minimum expectation! Stop shopping for and buying technology for the sake of owning technology and start using your tools to communicate more effectively and efficiently.
• Learn how to sell. Ok, I said it! We are sales people. No matter how you try and spin it, we are in sales. We sell ourselves, we sell homes, we resolves concerns, and we offer solutions to our clients’ needs. As I interview the audiences at my events, I ask, “How many of you are in sales?” and the answer is eye-opening. Less than 25 percen of the agents I survey believe they are in sales. Let’s step up and own the fact that we are professional sales people! We get hired to sell our clients’ properties—or on the buyer’s side, we get hired to find the right home and negotiate a fair deal for our buyers. Stand up as agents, brokers and brands and be counted as sales people; be proud of the service we provide and raise the bar.
I love this business. I love being able to share sales strategies, technology solutions and most of all, I love interacting with the elite agents who are members of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network. They give me hope, inspiration and motivation to be a better agent, leader and sales person.
The ball is now in your court. What’s your next move?
Source: http://rismedia.com/2012-12-03/the-consumers-search-for-excellence/
Twenty speaking events in the last 45 days has created not only a lot of SkyMiles, but has given me the opportunity to have at least twenty real estate-related conversations while flying between events. As I began this series of events, I decided that I would do my best to get a feel for how the general public is feeling about the real estate industry—and about REALTORS®, specifically.
Some conversations lasted only five minutes, others 45 or more, but the overwhelming consensus was that people don’t feel they need a REALTOR®. To take it to the next level, most feel that the only reason they needed an agent in the past was because of the MLS. One professional woman from Virginia who owned at least four high-end homes stated that she felt she was a much better negotiator than any agent that had ever represented her. Another man who recently had his 4-plex expire stated that he was not sure it was still on the market because he had not heard from his agent in five months. A retired couple, who shared the same row with me, stated they just wished they could get someone to be honest with them, and felt the agents who they interviewed were more interested in the commission than actually helping them move.
While every interaction did not signify doomsday for REALTORS®, the vast majority were eye-opening. As a REALTOR®, I defended the industry with passion and enthusiasm. As President of RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network, I took the time to describe our network of top agents and told them next time to seek out the exceptional. As I wrap up this road trip, I am convinced that as an industry, we must take the level of our professionalism to a much higher level—and we have to communicate to the world that we are professional, valuable, and focused on doing the right things all the time.
I have made it my personal mission to bring a new higher level of professionalism to this industry and scream from the rooftops that not all agents are the same! We have a short period of time to ‘step it up’ or I believe the consumer is going to demand significant changes in our profession. The responsibility for earning back our reputation as professionals falls on brokers and agents. We can begin to fulfill this responsibility by doing the following:
• Adhere to our code of ethics. There can’t be any grey areas. Do the right thing every time, regardless of how it may or may not affect your commissions.
• Become students of real estate. We must be true experts in our communities and in the types of property we list and sell. The attitude of “fake it ‘til you make it” is what got us here.
• Deliver more than the client expects. Exceed their minimum level of expectation. They think most agents are weak because too many don’t take their professions seriously. Over-deliver by providing better service, knowledge and expert representation.
• Communicate. One of the most consistent complaints I hear is that agents do not communicate. This blows my mind! With text messaging, emails, smart phones, Skype, snail mail and many other automated ways to communication, there is NO excuse for not exceeding this minimum expectation! Stop shopping for and buying technology for the sake of owning technology and start using your tools to communicate more effectively and efficiently.
• Learn how to sell. Ok, I said it! We are sales people. No matter how you try and spin it, we are in sales. We sell ourselves, we sell homes, we resolves concerns, and we offer solutions to our clients’ needs. As I interview the audiences at my events, I ask, “How many of you are in sales?” and the answer is eye-opening. Less than 25 percen of the agents I survey believe they are in sales. Let’s step up and own the fact that we are professional sales people! We get hired to sell our clients’ properties—or on the buyer’s side, we get hired to find the right home and negotiate a fair deal for our buyers. Stand up as agents, brokers and brands and be counted as sales people; be proud of the service we provide and raise the bar.
I love this business. I love being able to share sales strategies, technology solutions and most of all, I love interacting with the elite agents who are members of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network. They give me hope, inspiration and motivation to be a better agent, leader and sales person.
The ball is now in your court. What’s your next move?
Source: http://rismedia.com/2012-12-03/the-consumers-search-for-excellence/
An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day.
From the Harvard Business Review
Team, I have no doubt that if you would focus yourself for these suggested 18 minutes per day, for every business day you work, you will DOUBLE your production in 2013. If you are really serious about perfecting your career and making the most of it, this will do it. Yes, it is really this simple.
-Rich Cosner
An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day
by Peter Bregman
CEO of Bregman Partners, a global leadership development and change management firm.
Read more by Bregman at blogs.hbr.org/bregman hbr blog network
I began my day yesterday with the best intentions. I walked into my office in the morning
with a vague sense of what I wanted to accomplish. Then I sat down, turned on my computer, and
checked my e-mail. Two hours later, after fighting several fires, solving other people’s problems,
and dealing with whatever happened to be thrown at me through my computer and phone, I could
hardly remember what I had set out to accomplish when I first turned on my computer. I’d been
ambushed. And I know better.
Most of us start every day knowing we’re not going to get it all done. So how we spend our time
is a key strategic decision. That’s why it’s a good idea to create a to-do list and an ignore list. The
hardest attention to focus is our own.
But even with those lists, the challenge, as always, is execution. How can you stick to a plan when
so many things threaten to derail it? How can you focus on a few important things when so many
other things require your attention?
We need a trick.
Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru, knows all about tricks. He has one trick that I believe is his real
secret power.
Ritual.
At the age of 94, he still spends the first two hours of his day exercising. Ninety minutes lifting
weights and 30 minutes swimming or walking. Every morning. He needs to do so to achieve his
goals: on his 95th birthday he plans to swim from the coast of California to Santa Catalina Island, a
distance of 20 miles. Also, as he is fond of saying, “I cannot afford to die. It will ruin my image.”
page 16
So he works, consistently and deliberately, toward his goals. He does the same things day in and day out. He cares about his fitness and he’s built it into his schedule. Managing our time needs to become a ritual too. Not simply a list or a vague sense of our priorities. That’s not consistent or deliberate.
It needs to be an ongoing process we follow no matter what to keep us focused on our priorities throughout the day. I think we can do it in three steps that take less than 18 minutes over an eight-hour workday.
STEP 1
(5 Minutes): Set Plan for Day. Before turning on your computer, sit down with a blank piece of paper and decide what will make this day highly successful. What can you realistically accomplish that will further your goals and allow you to leave at the end of the day feeling like you’ve been productive and successful? Write those things down. Now, most important, take your calendar and schedule those things into time slots, placing the hardest and most important items at the beginning of the day. And by the beginning of the day I mean, if possible, before even checking your e-mail. If your entire list does not fit into your calendar, reprioritize your list. There is tremendous power in deciding when
and where you are going to do something. In their book The Power of Full Engagement,
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz describe a study in which a group of women agreed to do a breast self-exam during a period of 30 days. 100% of those who said where and when they were going to do it completed the exam. Only 53% of the others did. In another study, drug addicts in withdrawal
(can you find a more stressed-out population?) agreed to write an essay before 5 pm on a certain day. Eighty percent of those who said when and where they would write the essay completed it. None of the others did. If you want to get something done, decide when and where you’re going to do it. Otherwise, take it off your list.
STEP 2
(1 minute every hour): Refocus. Set your watch, phone, or computer to ring every hour. When it rings, take a deep breath, look at your list and ask yourself if you spent your last hour productively. Then look at your calendar and deliberately recommit to how you are going to use the next hour. Manage your day hour by hour. Don’t let the hours—or the inevitable
interruptions—manage you.
STEP 3
(5 minutes at end of day): Review. Shut off your computer and review your day. Join the discussion at blogs.hbr.org/bregman An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day worked? Where did you focus? Where did you get distracted? What did you learn that will help you be more productive tomorrow? The power of rituals is their predictability. You do the same thing in the same way over and over again. And the outcome of a ritual is predictable too. If you choose your focus deliberately and wisely and consistently remind yourself of that focus, you will stay focused. It’s simple. This particular ritual may not help you swim 20 miles through the ocean or live to be 100. But it may just help you leave your office feeling productive and successful. And, at the end of the day, isn’t that a higher
priority?
Comments on An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day
What people are saying on HBR.org
“Regarding reviewing a list or plan in the am: I always create the list the night before. So
when I arrive in the morning, I don’t have to think about what I am going to do, it is already
there.” —posted by Tom W
“I would add to this a little trick: the breakdown of an hour. Set a timer for 50 minutes (I use
a great widget I found). For those 50 minutes, no e-mail, no tweets, no distractions. Just
work. Once the gong goes off, I set a new timer for 20 minutes. During this 20 minutes, no
work. Tweet, e-mail, take lunch, whatever. Then repeat. I find that I get in the zone and
stay there hour after hour.” —posted by JB
“Shutting off the computer for planning works. The other thing that works for me is not
checking e-mail until my first block of work is done.” —posted by Wally
source: http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing.html
Team, I have no doubt that if you would focus yourself for these suggested 18 minutes per day, for every business day you work, you will DOUBLE your production in 2013. If you are really serious about perfecting your career and making the most of it, this will do it. Yes, it is really this simple.
-Rich Cosner
An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day
by Peter Bregman
CEO of Bregman Partners, a global leadership development and change management firm.
Read more by Bregman at blogs.hbr.org/bregman hbr blog network
I began my day yesterday with the best intentions. I walked into my office in the morning
with a vague sense of what I wanted to accomplish. Then I sat down, turned on my computer, and
checked my e-mail. Two hours later, after fighting several fires, solving other people’s problems,
and dealing with whatever happened to be thrown at me through my computer and phone, I could
hardly remember what I had set out to accomplish when I first turned on my computer. I’d been
ambushed. And I know better.
Most of us start every day knowing we’re not going to get it all done. So how we spend our time
is a key strategic decision. That’s why it’s a good idea to create a to-do list and an ignore list. The
hardest attention to focus is our own.
But even with those lists, the challenge, as always, is execution. How can you stick to a plan when
so many things threaten to derail it? How can you focus on a few important things when so many
other things require your attention?
We need a trick.
Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru, knows all about tricks. He has one trick that I believe is his real
secret power.
Ritual.
At the age of 94, he still spends the first two hours of his day exercising. Ninety minutes lifting
weights and 30 minutes swimming or walking. Every morning. He needs to do so to achieve his
goals: on his 95th birthday he plans to swim from the coast of California to Santa Catalina Island, a
distance of 20 miles. Also, as he is fond of saying, “I cannot afford to die. It will ruin my image.”
page 16
So he works, consistently and deliberately, toward his goals. He does the same things day in and day out. He cares about his fitness and he’s built it into his schedule. Managing our time needs to become a ritual too. Not simply a list or a vague sense of our priorities. That’s not consistent or deliberate.
It needs to be an ongoing process we follow no matter what to keep us focused on our priorities throughout the day. I think we can do it in three steps that take less than 18 minutes over an eight-hour workday.
STEP 1
(5 Minutes): Set Plan for Day. Before turning on your computer, sit down with a blank piece of paper and decide what will make this day highly successful. What can you realistically accomplish that will further your goals and allow you to leave at the end of the day feeling like you’ve been productive and successful? Write those things down. Now, most important, take your calendar and schedule those things into time slots, placing the hardest and most important items at the beginning of the day. And by the beginning of the day I mean, if possible, before even checking your e-mail. If your entire list does not fit into your calendar, reprioritize your list. There is tremendous power in deciding when
and where you are going to do something. In their book The Power of Full Engagement,
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz describe a study in which a group of women agreed to do a breast self-exam during a period of 30 days. 100% of those who said where and when they were going to do it completed the exam. Only 53% of the others did. In another study, drug addicts in withdrawal
(can you find a more stressed-out population?) agreed to write an essay before 5 pm on a certain day. Eighty percent of those who said when and where they would write the essay completed it. None of the others did. If you want to get something done, decide when and where you’re going to do it. Otherwise, take it off your list.
STEP 2
(1 minute every hour): Refocus. Set your watch, phone, or computer to ring every hour. When it rings, take a deep breath, look at your list and ask yourself if you spent your last hour productively. Then look at your calendar and deliberately recommit to how you are going to use the next hour. Manage your day hour by hour. Don’t let the hours—or the inevitable
interruptions—manage you.
STEP 3
(5 minutes at end of day): Review. Shut off your computer and review your day. Join the discussion at blogs.hbr.org/bregman An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day worked? Where did you focus? Where did you get distracted? What did you learn that will help you be more productive tomorrow? The power of rituals is their predictability. You do the same thing in the same way over and over again. And the outcome of a ritual is predictable too. If you choose your focus deliberately and wisely and consistently remind yourself of that focus, you will stay focused. It’s simple. This particular ritual may not help you swim 20 miles through the ocean or live to be 100. But it may just help you leave your office feeling productive and successful. And, at the end of the day, isn’t that a higher
priority?
Comments on An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day
What people are saying on HBR.org
“Regarding reviewing a list or plan in the am: I always create the list the night before. So
when I arrive in the morning, I don’t have to think about what I am going to do, it is already
there.” —posted by Tom W
“I would add to this a little trick: the breakdown of an hour. Set a timer for 50 minutes (I use
a great widget I found). For those 50 minutes, no e-mail, no tweets, no distractions. Just
work. Once the gong goes off, I set a new timer for 20 minutes. During this 20 minutes, no
work. Tweet, e-mail, take lunch, whatever. Then repeat. I find that I get in the zone and
stay there hour after hour.” —posted by JB
“Shutting off the computer for planning works. The other thing that works for me is not
checking e-mail until my first block of work is done.” —posted by Wally
source: http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing.html
Best Apps to start with in 2013
Real estate professionals often ask, "What are the hottest smartphone apps for my business?" It's a fair question. Who wouldn't want the best apps on their phone? Having these apps can help business operate more efficiently and possibly generate more leads.
At the NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) Conference in Anaheim this year, I hosted the Top Ten Apps Presentation. This had the biggest audience of my three different presentation topics. Secrets of Top Selling Agents recently promoted the same topic and I shared a similiar Top 10 list on that webinar. If you weren’t able to attend NAR or the webinar, don’t worry, here are the Top 10 Real Estate Apps to use now:
1. Homes.com Mortgage Calculator App (Free)
The Homes.com Mortgage Calculator app is great for two reasons:
It's free (competing mortgage apps can cost at least $1.99).
It offers everything that the competing mortgage apps do, including rent vs buy, monthly payment, and interest rate calculation. This is great for agents and consumers who want to better evaluate their options. As an agent, it's great to be able to provide answers to clients regarding payments immediately, without having to call a mortgage broker. This can help build credibility as an agent and show them how valuable you are to them during this important process.
2. Craigslist (Free)
Craiglist is still extremely popular with consumers because it is free and easy to use. Rental properties seem to be more popular on Craigslist than homes for sale, but for the price, it's worth posting your listings. There are several techniques that can be used to maximize their exposure on Craigslist, and I will be sharing those soon! This app makes it much easier to manage your Craigslist ads from your smartphone. Why not download the Craigslist app? There are more advanced Craigslist apps that will charge a fee, but the free app is great for managing and posting listings.
3. Evernote (Free)
Evernote is your one stop shop for remembering everything. You can make lists, goals, voice memos, and more with this easy-to-use app. Best of all, users can access it everywhere from any device that's synched to your Evernote account. It's an amazing app that will remember the store you loved or the great idea you came up with. Evernote is free to use. There are premium features that cost about $5 per month; however, I use the free smartphone app and the features are great!
4. Real Alert ($1.99)
This app isn’t fancy, but it can save your life. Unfortunately there have been situations when agents have been attacked or been put in dangerous situations while showing properties. This app can be used to contact 911, call friends and locate hospitals in case of an emergency. Real Alert offers a built-in alarm that can scare off an attacker. There is also a place to enter information about suspicious people that you can share with colleagues. It could be the best $1.99 you spend.
5. Loopnet (Free)
If you're an agent that sells commercial real estate, then you may be familiar with Loopnet. The largest collection of commercial properties is available on this nationwide service, and Loopnet now has a smartphone app that enables both agents and consumers to view the listings from their phone. It's free and easy to use. For a commercial real estate professional, Loopnet is a must!
6. iMovie & Clesh Video ($4.99)
iMovie is one of my favorite apps. If you love to be on the cutting edge of technology, then this app may be your next new favorite, too. Record video tours and video blogs directly from your iPhone or iPad with stunning quality. Users can edit, piece clips together, add credits, and edit text to really drive home your main points. Adding music from your iTunes library right into the movie can also be a really nice touch. It's truly amazing. I was able to film, edit, and create a video tour of a condo in New Orleans in about 20 minutes (you can view the moviehere). The quality is amazing! Clients will be very impressed, especially when they find out this tool only cost you $4.99. iMovie is licensed through Apple and available for iPhones or iPads only. Clesh is the Android alternative and is also $4.99.
7. Dropbox (Free)
Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud computing service available currently. How many times have you created a Power Point or similar presentation for a client and they love it so much, they request a copy via email? The only problem is the file may be too large to e-mail. Enter Dropbox. Set up a free account, upload your files, then share them with your desired e-mail address(es). Dropbox will notify the individual(s) that you shared the file with them and provide a link for them to set up their free account. Once they do this, your files can be downloaded for free. It's a beautiful thing if you want to send large files to your clients and business affiliates. Your first 2 GB of storage is free before you are prompted to be a paid member. However, users can remove files to maintain their storage capacity below the paid level.
8. For Sale By Owner (Free)
If you prospect for FSBOs, then this is the app for you. No more cutting out listings from newspapers and putting them in your Rolodex. Not many FSBOs list in the paper recently, so where do FSBOs advertise? ForSaleByOwner.com, and they now have a free smartphone app. Originally created for buyers, this has become a must-have tool for savvy agents wanting to locate every FSBO in their market. The listings have photos, names, phone numbers, addresses, and almost everything an agent would want in a listing. This is a great prospecting app.
9. Keynote and Quick Office Pro Power Point ($9.99 and $19.99)
You've just purchased an iPad and want to impress your clients with superior buyer and listing presentations. There may be a presentation problem--you may not have presentation software installed on the iPad. Search for Keynote, Apple's version of Powerpoint, in the app center. This creative app enables users to produce high quality presentations that will wow prospective clients. This is a must have for $9.99. For Android tablet users, the alternative is Quick Office Pro PowerPoint, but it is also a very powerful app. Presentations will look better than ever after using one of these fantastic apps.
10. Homes.com (Free)
The Homes.com mobile app is the most graphically pleasing and easy-to-use real estate search app that I have used. Users can search more than 4 million properties nationwide, access multiple photos and contact info for agents. It's just as important for agents to have this app as it is useful for consumers. How many times have you taken a client for a day of showings and they point out the window and ask why you didn't pull the houses you're driving by? The Homes.com app will pull listings directly from your phone and give you the opportunity to explain the reason why you didn't make an appointment to see the property. Whether it be because it's $300,000 more than they are qualified to buy, not in the right school district, or a variety of other reasons, you can now have at your fingertips all listings without printing everything in the city – just in case they ask! This app also has other nifty features and is very user friendly. Best of all, it's another free app! This is available for iPhones, iPads, and Androids; other devices with internet access can use Homes.com's mobile site.
So there it is, my most recent list of the Must-Have Real Estate Apps. For more information or to contact me, visit my website at JoeSesso.com. You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
Source: http://connect.homes.com/2012/01/the-top-10-real-estate-smartphone-apps-to-use-now/
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