Kim Hughes

Providing solid solutions since 1999 specifically tailored for today’s real estate professional.

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Realizing Your True Passion

MapIt’s interesting to meet people who seem to really love their careers, since we would all like to spend our working time at what we enjoy doing. However, most all of us have to making a living. Is there any way to reconcile the two? Is it really possible to realize what your true interests are in a career, other than making money, or is it all just being lucky?

Well, according to those who have achieved the goal of pursuing their passion in their career that is exactly one of the first steps – being curious. How did they go about finding their passion? How does one begin to determine what their true passion is and turn it into a living? One of the tips is to think back to the things you enjoyed most as a child. An examination of the traits that defined you as a child may be valuable in self-examination now. We are, at the central core of ourselves, still the same person. We may gain some insight into what defines us as adults by remembering what we enjoyed most as children.

While we must make a living, perhaps we should grant ourselves some leeway beyond just making money in our choice of careers. For some people, that is their passion, regardless of the job. We devote a large part of our lives to work; perhaps it is possible to actually enjoy that time through greater control of our lives and where we spend most of it. Advantages might include working at home, for instance, or flex time. Our curiosity may lead us to focus on different priorities.

Another aspect to consider is avoiding artificial limitations, such as perceived lack of abilities or education. We each have unique abilities to apply to our livelihoods the same way we employ them in everyday life. Focusing more on what we personally are very good at gives us some good insight. We enjoy doing things we are good at. Discover those individual attributes you possess and consider how to incorporate them into a career.

As the experts advise, after a time, we must stop talking and act. When you realize your current career is not working, begin taking steps to leave it. Perhaps start a new line of study incorporating your unique attributes and your passion while planning your exit. Develop a plan that affords you more satisfaction with your work-style and life balance while pursuing your passion.

Imagine a career so satisfying that you must remind yourself to stop working at the end of the day, and that you think about and look forward to in your down-time! You have realized your passion.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or need a little help focusing on your goals, please contact me and let’s schedule a complimentary 20 minute coaching session to see how we can, together, get you back on the right track.

P.S. Imagine you were offered the opportunity to be coached both on-site and virtually – by the leading expert in the real estate assistant industry through the 10 most important areas of a real estate agent’s business. Introducing The Real Estate Assistant Playbook. Designed for both real estate assistants and agents, The Playbook offers the training you need to excel in the business of real estate today! Visit TheRealEstateAssistantPlaybook.com for more information.

Image courtesy of Unsplash.com

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Listing Coordination – Get It Out There

Listing CoordinationMarketing technology can be your best friend or your worst enemy these days. People are pretty savvy when it comes to the internet. In order to compete, technology had better be your best friend. Not much is more embarrassing than having clients ahead of you in the marketing game. They have entrusted you to have that property in most every place they’re looking, and hopefully, some places they haven’t discovered yet. Your sellers’ marketing reports many times either confirm what they already know about your marketing campaign, or demonstrate to them that they are already ahead of you. Sellers are smart and they’re all over it!

Listing coordination is comprised of initially listing properties in the myriad marketing sites available, as well as the MLS; managing the status of each listing, exposing the listed property to as much of the real estate community and the public as possible, actively and adequately promoting each listed property, and updating clients on all these areas. This is called due diligence, and it is the responsibility of every agent upon accepting a listing. How well you do it determines your future as the leader in your market as the “go to” listing agent.

Don’t neglect your local service area. The Internet should be an impressive addition to your local market area. It is the greatest opportunity to get your brand out there to the consumer and future clients, both buyers and sellers. Remember, your clients will come mostly from your community because you’re local, and they know you. Right? Your name recognition and reputation literally precede them right through your door.

When you work a lead, the majority of your persuasion to list with you will be the demonstration of your ability to market the listing. It needs to be impressive. Clients are already familiar with on-line marketing sites. They expect updates to be frequent and specific regarding interest in their property. They expect to know exactly how it’s being marketed.

Hopefully, you have many listings, as well as many prospective buyers to connect them with. If you do, you have succeeded in your marketing responsibilities. Your satisfied seller becomes your prospective buyer in the future, and vice versa – your satisfied buyer becomes your seller down the road. This is the heart of your profession as a real estate agent, and if it becomes more than you can manage to the detriment of your client and your business, invest in assistance. It’s that important. It’s everything!

Take a look at your listing presentation to make sure you have it updated, customized as well as taking them through the process after they hire you to sell their home. Then look at your marketing strategy for the listing to ensure you have an impressive system in place. Having these two areas of your business organized will give you the confidence to walk in armed with the answers to your sellers questions. Not to mention to blow their socks off with your marketing strategy and follow-up.

Do you find that with your busy schedule you don’t have time to update your listing presentation, put a system in place and mange these very important marketing tasks? Get in touch with Kim Hughes today and learn how listing coordination can be made simple, with no burden to you.

P.S. Imagine you were offered the opportunity to be coached both on-site and virtually – by the leading expert in the real estate assistant industry through the 10 most important areas of a real estate agent’s business. Introducing the Real Estate Assistant Playbook. Designed for both real estate assistants and agents, The Playbook offers the training you need to excel in the business of real estate today! Visit TheRealEstateAssistantPlaybook.com for more information.

Photo courtesy Morguefile/FlashBuddy

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Self Confidence

Sunlit Woman smallLet’s face it, life requires a lot from us. Most of what we do daily, we have to do. Some of it is self-reinforcing; that is, we know we do it well, or at least well enough to get by. It is easy to get caught up in the idea that we don’t have much choice about what we do in day-to-day life. As responsible adults, we devote a lot of ourselves to others and often we don’t spend much time thinking about it.

But ask yourself this—what would happen to your life and those you’re close to if you didn’t do the things you do every day? Do you ever stop to consider the true value of you?

Everyone works from one of two positions. You either work to maintain what you have, or you strive to have more. Life is a heavy load, and it can cause us to focus on the status quo, and our dreams begin to fade a little. But there’s always that one thing in the back of your heart and mind that won’t entirely go away. That house? That job? More time? More money for the family?

You already maintain a job, you have food, a roof over your head, transportation; you provide for your family, you are already successful! No arguments with yourself about how you can’t do it, you’re not qualified, you’re not good enough, because you’ve already done it and you really should dwell more on that success.

  • Stay positive, you have every reason to be.
  • No comparisons to others because they have absolutely no relation to you.
  • You know your victories, celebrate them.
  • Identify your strengths and be proud.
  • Build on your successes.
  • Confront the fears that hold you back; be patient with yourself.
  • Set goals, take risks; they’re not great risks because you already know your strengths and your limitations.
  • Practice self-reinforcement and then add to your skills.

Each day has the same number of hours. The only difference is how you spend them. Each job has certain requirements. The only difference is your desire and ability to do them – and the self-confidence to try.

If you are feeling that lack of confidence, please contact me and let’s schedule a complimentary 20 minute coaching session to see how we can, together, get you back on the right track.

As Henry Ford said, “Those who believe they can do something and those who believe they can’t are both correct”.

P.S. Imagine you were offered the opportunity to be coached both on-site and virtually – by the leading expert in the real estate assistant industry through the 10 most important areas of a real estate agent’s business. Introducing The Real Estate Assistant Playbook. Designed for both real estate assistants and agents, The Playbook offers the training you need to excel in the business of real estate today! Visit TheRealEstateAssistantPlaybook.com for more information.

Image courtesy of Julia Caesar/Unsplash.com

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2015 Housing Market Forecast

In reading today about how the FHA will cut the Insurance Premium and how it will impact the housing industry is worthy of Housing Forecastmentioning even though there is not a date set, but The Housing and Urban Development Secretary is saying it should be implemented by the end of the month.   Is this going to make an impact on the housing industry and benefit today’s buyers and sellers?  Time will tell, but it is something worth watching and making sure you, the real estate agent, stays on top of the latest information so you can discuss this information with your clients.

The reason for this real estate blog is because I wanted to make sure you saw this video from NAR’s REALTOR(R) Magazine, which is worth watching and paying close attention to since it impacts how you will market to real estate clients for 2015.  The beginning of the video shares information we all in real estate already know, but stay with the video, it really gets interesting about 3 minutes in.

The information you are getting from this real estate video market forecast for 2015 is information you can use to update your marketing presentations for both buys and sellers, use in your social media, put the video on your website, send an eblast, use in your real estate newsletter.  The more your informed of the changes the more trusted you are in your real estate market.

Need help updating your presentations? Or, maybe you need a newsletter, social media strategy, or just need to get a plan in place for your marketing in 2015.  If so, then contact Kim Hughes, a professional real estate virtual assistant who understands today’s technology and business practices to get you on target, focused and committed to reaching your goals.

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Looking for that Perfect Closing or Thank You Gift? Here You Go!

When it comes to buying the perfect closing gift for your client what better way to say thank you, than to give them something they will actually use for years to come?

Every homeowner needs tools and that is why Project Home has created a great closing, Thank You gift for your clients or other gift giving occasion. Imagine having your branding on the toolkit to remind them who gave it to them and for their friends and families to see. This is a great way to really give your client something they will use, but to also keep your name fresh in their mind every time they use it.

What is included in the Project Home Home Owner kit? Five basic tools and a great canvas bag to carry them in. These tools are what every homeowner needs from the first time buyer to the seasoned homebuyer purchasing their tenth home. And, these are not just any tools, these are Tomboy Tools a division of Project Home who strives to make their tools as light weight as possible with an ergonomic design.

  • Pink/Black wide mouth canvas bag with zip closure
  • 13 oz. Hammer is the perfect weight hammer for most, including a magnetic head and rubber grip handle
  • 16′ Tape Measure includes metric and fracture markings for ease of measuring
  • Ratcheting Screwdriver is like having 10 screwdrivers in one with 10 bits in the handle with the ease of ratcheting for all of your home projects
  • Slip Joint Pliers also include rubber grip handles
  • Pink/White Rubber Gloves are washable, come in two sizes and can be used in the garden.

Project Home is offering Real Estate Professionals the opportunity to purchase 5 Homeowner Kits embroidered with your name and phone number or maybe your website. You have the option of adding two lines to this high-end, durable canvas bag with your information on the side of the bag.  What a great opportunity to continue to advertise your business while giving your customer a purposeful gift!

Have you heard of Project Home? If not, let me share a little information about who they are and why they are making a huge difference in the real estate industry.

Tomboy Tools, now d/b/a Project Home was founded in 2002 with a mission of building confidence and empowering women through education and quality products. The company has its headquarters in Newark, Ohio. On August 1, The company will do business under the name Project Home™ with the tag line, “Making your vision real.” The company will continue to use the brand name Tomboy Tools for its line of pink tools that are designed especially for women.

“We want to show women how to keep their homes organized, maintained and beautiful. In other words, we’re taking a much more comprehensive view of our mission than simply as a seller of pink tools.”

August Special – Each Real Estate Professional joining Project Home will be in a drawing for one Home Owner kit to be given away. For more information on how you can continue to advertise your business while providing a great gift to your clients, contact Toni Griffin, Project Home Consultant, at 217-412-0610 or email her at toniglovespink@comcast.net.

Toni Griffin has been a Project Home Consultant for 2 years. She has always had a passion for remodeling, renovating and home improvement. Along with her husband Phil, they have remodeled their home and most recently built Phil his own garage. She can answer any questions about this incredible opportunity, the company or any tool. Visit her website at www.theprojecthome.info/tonigriffin

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