Be The Architect Of Your Success

Have you ever wondered about real service to a customer and their perception of service? My experience tells me perception of service is always more important to the client than reality. One of the ways my clients perceived I was delivering great service was consistency. The sign went up on time, along with the lock box - with a key that actually worked! The agents in my office knew everything about the listing when the first call came in and it could be viewed on my web site 6 hours after the signature. We just under promised and over deliver!

But do you keep track of and keep delivering the little services that are so crucial to your clients' perception of you and so important to your bottom line? AN OPERATING MANUAL commonly known as a checklist is the answer! Professional real estate practitioners / counselors, do many of the same functions everyday. Certain functions can be compartmentalized and manualized. It's a simple "things to do" list of your most important real estate tasks.

C. Marketing the listing
D. Transaction coordination for closing
E. Follow-up
F. Dealing with your own expired and withdrawn listings
G. Your main lead generation (Prospecting) systems
H. Open house
I. Buyer Brokerage
J. Tech procedures
K. Office procedures
L. Hiring steps
M. Direct mail procedure
N. Telephone scripting
O. Affiliate responsibilities / lead generation
P. Personal investment planning
Q. Daily, weekly, and monthly plans

Virtually every activity in real estate can be manualized or checklisted.

A checklist evolves as you mature as a real estate agent, broker, or office. One day you decide to sit down and download all the details that make one of your particular specialties great. Most of my checklists were started by jotting down the steps I took while I was actually doing the sequence of events to be manualized. When I discovered new procedures, I added them to the checklist. When my schedule C came out and I discovered I needed to stomp the overhead, I eliminated the steps that no one would miss. When you come back from great seminars (hopefully mine) or the National Association of Realtors® Convention your checklists are the perfect place to add all your new ideas!

One of the first checklists that I designed was my Marketing/ Listing checklist. I knew success was offering consistent service and controlling the inventory. I never wanted to be anxious about asking for a referral because of lackluster service. I started implementation of the listing checklist on hard copy. However, it is easier to manipulate as part of a software package.

The benefits of your new systemized operations manual or checklist will soon be evident.

A. You don't have to store all those profit making, client pleasing steps in your brain anymore.
B. Your service, follow through, and prospecting now become more consistent. You and your clients can depend on the fact that the job is always done right.
C. Constant and never ending improvement (CANI) is realized as you line through the high overhead, low output items and add the great stuff!
D. Put all your checklists together and you have an operations manual, the basis of delegation as you move to duplicate yourself through assistants.
E. When you retire, will you have a saleable business? Someone just may buy your book of business and the operations manual that goes along with it.
F. Selling real estate for 25 years, we successfully tracked what worked, what didn't, manualized the winners, and now have a second and very personally satisfying career in coaching my peers to improve their personal production - all from my checklists!

The checklist is a natural and necessary step for growing, monitoring, and developing raving clients and increasing that elusive net profit. Be great, make sure what you do is profitable, manualize and then delegate!

NEW LISTING AND MARKETING CHECKLIST

Address:_____________________________________________
MLS#__________________

Sq.Ft. From:
Tax:___________________ Owner: _____________________________
Measure:________________ Other: __________________________

Sellers:
Name: ________________________Address:__________________________________
Phone:_______________________ Work: ____________________________________
Fax:_______________ E-Mail:____________ Cell:______________________________

LISTING CHANGES:
Date:___________________ Change: ______________________________
Date:___________________ Change: ______________________________
Date:___________________ Change: ______________________________

Need From Seller:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

How Will I Get It:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

OFFICE SYSTEMS:
A. Tickle 2 weeks before Expiration Date
B. Trade Card
C. New List Letter
D. MLS Information Located
E. Send Detailed 11 to Client
F. Send Business Reply Envelope Yes ____ No ____
G. Permit needed: Yes ____ No ____
H. Order CCR's: Yes ____ No ____
I. Order Termite: Now ______ Later _____
J. Brochure Distribution (See Checklist)
K. Garage Inspection: Now _____ Later _____
L. Follow-up Letter: 1____ 2 ____
M. Expired Letter around my listing:

BROCHURE SET UP:
Photo: Color____ B/W____
Taken By: _________________________________
When: ______________________

Style:
Regular_______ Heavy Paper/Color Photo_______ Custom______
Paper: White________ Ivory_________
Price: Yes ____ No ____
Phone#: Yes ____ No ____
800 Number Set Up: Yes ____ No ____
Recording:________ Flyer: ________

DISTRIBUTION:
1. Make 100 copies for caddy tray
2. Brochure Box: Yes _____ No_____
3. Put 20 in brochure file

DATA BASE:
Have: Area:___________________________ Type: ___________________________
Telemarket: Who:_________________________ When: _______________________

TOURS:
Belmont: Order date:_________ Tour date:_________ Letter sent: __________
Board: Order date:________ Tour date:________ Letter sent: _________
Bixby/NLB: Order date:________ Tour date:________ Letter sent: __________
Lakewood: Order date:________ Tour date:________ Letter sent: _________
Los Altos: Order date:________ Tour date:________ Letter sent: _________

Internet Submittal:

SIGNS:
Post:_____ Stake:_____ Free:_____ Custom:____ Free Commercial: ____
Number of above:________ Location(s): _______________________________________
Ordered:________________ By: _________________________________

FOR CONDOS:
CC&R's Ordered & Received?__________ HOA Phone: ________________________
Total # of Units?:_________ # Occupied?:________ # Rentals?____________
# Currently for Sale?:___________ Approx. $ in Reserves?:_______________

Ordered financial statement/budget/bylaws from HOA on: __________________________

FIELD WORK:
Riders: 1._________________ 2._______________ 3.__________________ 4._________________ 5._______________ 6. Special Order________________

Brochure Box: Y____ N____ Caddy-Tray: Y____ N____
Tent Card: Y____ N____ Sign Type Check: Y____ N____
Keys: House_____ Gate_____ Mailbox______ Garage_____
Multacc: Y____ N____ Where:_______________________

OPEN HOUSE:
Promised: Y____ N____

OPEN BUYER FILE:
Y____ N____ (Have Walter do BA Checklist)

Source of Bus: ___________________________________

Referral Fees:____________________________________

Referral Thank You and Agreement Letter: _____________________________________

Address & Phone # of Referring Client or Agent:
________________________________________
________________________________________

Extra Notes:
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________

EXPIRED OR CANCELED CHECKLIST:
Conditional Release Form:_______________
Mailed with SASE on: __________________
Sent Release Letter: ______________
Received Back On: _______________
Copy to File: ____________________

REGISTERED CLIENTS WITH PROPERTY OWNER:
1._________________________________________
2._________________________________________
3._________________________________________
4._________________________________________
5. _________________________________________

CHANGE CARD SENT TO BOARD:
Yes_____ No_____ Date__________ By Whom: ______________________________

SIGN ORDERED DOWN:
Yes_____ No_____ Date__________ By Whom: ______________________________

RIDERS (LOCKBOX/BROCHURE BOX CADDY TRAY) PICKED UP:
Yes_____ No_____ Date__________ By Whom: ______________________________

KEYS RETURNED:
Yes_____ No_____ Date__________ By Whom: ______________________________

THANK YOU TO CLIENT:
Yes_____ No_____ Date__________ By Whom: ______________________________

COPY OF LETTER IN FILE:
Yes_____ No_____ Date__________ By Whom: ______________________________

FILED IN LLB:
Yes_____ No_____ Date__________ By Whom: ______________________________

COMMENTS:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Walter Sanford was one of the top real estate agents in North America for nearly thirty years, and now, he is one of the most requested speakers, trainers, and coaches. He has authored twelve systems and books on checklists, pro-active lead generation, affiliate lead generation, plus others mentioned in this article. You can hire Walter or buy his products by visiting his website for more details at waltersanford.com.