List Of Wake County NC Municipalities Sign Ordinances

Sign Rules for Wake County Municipalities: Although all municipalities except Wake Forest prohibit balloons on signs, balloons at the property for sale attached to the sign are usually permitted. If the sign is too close the road, the municipality’s code enforcement officer might ask you to the move the ballooned-sign farther back from the road, so as not to distract drivers. The City of Raleigh, Town of Cary and Town of Apex all regularly enforce their sign ordinances on the weekend.     

                                                                                    
TOWN OF APEX: Off-site HOME FOR SALE signs: NOT PERMITTED Off-site OPEN HOUSE signs: NOT PERMITTED On-Site Sign SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Five square feet in area of signage is permitted. Signs cannot exceed 48" in height. One sign per street frontage is permitted. One ‘Home for Sale’ sign and one ‘Open House’ signs are permitted during Open House events. DIRECTIONALS: NOT PERMITTED
BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: Dianne Khin, AICP Planning Director/Brenda Culbertson, Planning Tech/Steve Yates- enforcement 919-249-3332/ 919-249-3437/ 919 249-3333 dianne.khin@apexnc.org

TOWN OF CARY Off-site HOME FOR SALE signs: NOT PERMITTED Off-site
(1) There shall be no more than three (3) total off premise signs for any open house event. These signs shall include a realtor's license number or home owner's number and the street address where the event is taking place.
(2) Signs can only be placed on residential lots or in residential common open space with no more than two (2) signs directing prospective buyers in the same direction at any one (1) intersection.
(3) Such signs may be in place on Saturdays and Sundays. This provision shall sunset on February 25, 2012, after which such signs may be in place only from 10 a.m. on Saturday to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
(4) Such signs shall not exceed two (2) square feet in sign area.
(5) Such signs shall not exceed twenty-four (24) inches in height.
(6) Such signs shall only use a combination of burgundy (Color No. 491 C Pantone) or black and white. This provision shall sunset on February 25, 2012, after which such signs shall only use a combination of burgundy (Color No. 491 C Pantone) and white.
(7) No more than five (5) open house events per year for any one (1) home, residential project or structure. This provision shall sunset on February 25, 2012, after which there shall be no more than two (2) open house events per year for any one (1) home, residential project or structure.
On-Site Sign OPEN HOUSE signs: Policy for - Off Site Open House Sign Permitted? Off-premise Open House Residential Real Estate Signs shall be allowed provided that the following requirements are met: SIZE RESTRICTIONS: No more than 5 square feet in area, and no higher than 42" in height. One on-site sign in permitted per street frontage. DIRECTIONALS: NOT PERMITTED
BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: Debra Grannan/Mary Beerman 919 460-4980/469-4342 debra.grannan@townofcary.org

TOWN OF FUQUAY-VARINA Off-site
Off-site
On-Site Sign HOME FOR SALE signs: One sign advertising for rent, sale, or lease of dwellings in residential zones and limited to a maximum total surface area of six square feet per dwelling; provided, that said sign shall not be illuminated. OPEN HOUSE signs: SEE DIRECTIONALS SIZE RESTRICTIONS: The height of a temporary, off-premises sign shall not exceed thirty (30) inches measured from the ground to the top of the sign. DIRECTIONALS: Two(2) signs for sales, rental or lease of residential dwellings. All directional signs shall be located a minimum of twenty (20) feet away from an intersection measured from the tangents of the radius at the curb line or edge of pavement & a maximum of seventy(70) feet from the same intersection. The size of each temporary, off-premises directional sign shall not exceed six (6) square feet. Signs are permitted on weekends from Friday 5:00 p.m. to Monday 9:00 a.m. Permits. To display a temporary, off-premises directional sign, a permit sticker must be obtained from the Town for each sign. BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: Code Enforcement Officer 919 460-4980/469-4342 919-753-1015 dlbrook@fuquay-varina.org

TOWN OF GARNER
DIRECTIONALS/OFF-SITE ‘HOME FOR SALE’/OFF-SITE OPEN HOUSE:
On-Site Sign
placed within in the median or roadway and cannot obstruct sight distance of motorists. One sign per street frontage and maximum of six (6) feet in height. Directional Real Estate signs no more than 4 square feet in size and posted only from Friday at 6:00pm until Sunday at 8:00pm. Such signs shall be located no less than four feet from the back of curb SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Non-illuminated temporary signs which advertise the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which the sign is located, limited to 5 square feet in total area for residential uses and 32 square feet in total area for commercial and industrial properties. Cannot be BALLOONS: No Balloons, blimps or similar types of lighter-than-air objects CONTACT: Brad Bass 919-773-4444 bbass@garnernc.goV

TOWN OF HOLLY SPRINGS Off-site
other than within the residential subdivision shall be located no less than five (5) feet from the street pavement or curb, whichever is more, provided they comply with the Sight Distance Requirements at driveways and street/alley intersections [This pertains to homes that may not be located in a particular subdivision]. Within residential subdivisions, such signs shall be permitted to be located between the street and sidewalk within the public right-of-way provided they comply with the Sight Distance Requirements at driveways and street/alley intersections. F. No more than one (1) sign per home shall be located at a single corner or spaced closer than 500' apart.
Off-site
On-Site Sign HOME FOR SALE signs: *Home For Sale Directional Signs (signs relating to homes for sale that are not associated with a Residential Subdivision under constuction): A. Each home for sale shall be allowed a total of six (6) directional signs which direct traffic to the individual home for sale such as "For Sale" or "Open House" directional signs. Such signs shall be located within the boundaries of the subdivision in which the home is located. B. Temporary right-of-way sign permits are not required for such Home For Sale Directional Signs. C. .Signs directing the public to or informing the public of the location of a home for sale or open house are permitted are permitted only between the hours of 8:00 pm local time on Friday and 5:00 am local time on Monday d.Such signs may be no larger than six (6) square feet in size and no higher than three and one-half (3-1/2) feet from grade to the top of the sign E. Such signs when located in areas OPEN HOUSE signs: Signs directing the public to or informing the public of the location of a home for sale or open house are permitted only between the hours of 8:00 pm local time on Friday and 5:00 am local time on Monday d.Such signs may be no larger than six (6) square feet in size and no higher than three and one-half (3-1/2) feet from grade tothe top of the sign e.Such signs when located in areas other than within the residential subdivision shall be located no less than five (5) feet from the street pavement or curb, whichever is more, provided thay comply with the Sight Distance Requirements at driveways and street/alley intersections [This pertains to homes that may not be located in a particular subdivision]. Within residential subdivisons, such signs shall be permitted to be located between the street and sidewalk within the public right-of-way provided they comply with the Sight Distance Requirements at driveways and street/alley intersections. F. No more than one (1) sign per home shall be located at a single corner or spaced closer than 500' apart SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Not exceeding 6 square feet in area, and not exceeding more than 42" in height. DIRECTIONALS: Each home for sale shall be allowed a total of six (6) directional signs which direct traffic to the individual home for sale such as "For Sale" or "Open House" directional signs. Such signs shall be located within the boundaries of the subdivision in which the home is located. BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: Larry Dovoric 919-557-3907 291-5778(cell) larry.doboric@hollyspringsnc.us

TOWN OF KNIGHTDALE Off-site
On-Site Sign HOME FOR SALE signs/Off-site OPEN HOUSE /DIRECTIONALS : Real estate signs advertising the sale, rental, or lease of the premises on which the signs are located, provided such signs do not exceed one (1) sign per zoning lot or one (1) sign per each separately owned individual residential or commercial unit on a single zoning lot and provided such signs do not exceed four (4) square feet of sign area for property zoned residential and 32 square feet for property zoned non-residential. Such signs shall be removed no later than seven (7) days after sale, rental, or lease of the premises. A maximum of three (3) directional signs, each not exceeding four (4) square feet in area, shall be permitted off the subject premises. (Per the enforcement officer, the maximum 3 allowable directional signs includes all off-site open house and off-site home for sale signs.) SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Not exceeding 4 square feet in area BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: Jennifer Currin, AICP, LEED AP, CZO, Senior Planner-Current 919-217-2243 jennifer.currin@knightdalenc.gov

TOWN OF MORRISVILLE Off-Site ‘
On-Site Sign HOME FOR SALE’ signs and off-site ‘OPEN HOUSE’ signs: Allowed on weekends: within the municipal limits or extra-territorial jurisdiction of the Town. Size: six (6) square feet in area and no higher than forty-two (42) inches from grade to the top of the sign. Signs shall not interfere with visibility at intersections or railroad crossings. Signs shall be permitted only between the hours of 3:00 p.m. local time on Friday and 5:00 a.m. local time on Monday. Signs shall be freestanding and not be attached to any utility structure, tree, fence, or other public or private sign structure. shall be placed at least five (5) feet from the edge of the pavement of any roadway except on internal residential subdivision streets, where signs can be placed between the street and sidewalk provided that they do not interfere with or obstruct a motorist's view of pedestrian or vehicular traffic. SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Six square feet in total, and not more than 42" high DIRECTIONALS: One (1) sign per open house, auction or sale, or development project may be placed in the vicinity of a street intersection. A maximum of two (2) signs may be permitted in the vicinity of an intersection of a major or minor thoroughfare if needed to provide visibility for two directions of travel. any two signs referring to the same property shall be separated by at least five hundred (500) feet. BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: John Barnard (919) 463-6198 jbarnard@townofmorrisville.org

CITY OF RALEIGH Off-site HOME FOR SALE signs: NOT PERMITTED Off-site
On-Site Sign OPEN HOUSE signs: In 2007 an interpretation of the sign ordinance was made to allow open house signs between the hours of 5pm Friday until 7pm Sunday with the attached conditions. Sign must be generic (no company logo or name); not larger than 2 square feet in area; up to four placed on residentially zoned property only with the permission of the property owner; not more than 1/2 mile from the property for Sale. SIZE RESTRICTIONS: For residential zoning districts 15 sq ft in size by 3.5 ft in height is the maximum. Each premise is allowed up to 60 sq ft of signage. DIRECTIONALS: NOT PERMITTED
BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: Walt Fulcher, Inspections Director, 919-516-2547 Walt.fulcher@raleighnc.gov

TOWN OF ROLESVILLE Off-site HOME FOR SALE signs: NOT PERMITTED Off-site
On-Site Sign OPEN HOUSE signs: Three off-site signs permitted 24hours before and 24 hours after Open House. No signs in the medians/rights of way. SIZE RESTRICTIONS: 1 per lot/max 6 Square Feet DIRECTIONALS: Only Open House Events
BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: Thomas Lloyd, 919.556.3506 thomas.lloyd@rolesvfille.nc.gov

TOWN OF WAKE FOREST: Off-site
Off-site
On-Site Sign HOME FOR SALE signs: Signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way. Signs may be placed on private property with the permission of the property owner. No permit is required. OPEN HOUSE signs: Signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way. Signs may be placed on private property with the permission of the property owner. No permit is required. SIZE RESTRICTIONS: There is no limitation on the size of the sign. No permit is required. DIRECTIONALS: Signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way. Signs may be placed on private property with the permission of the property owner. Any commercial sign held by or otherwise displayed upon a person within a public right-of-way. Not permit is required. BALLOONS: ALLOWED CONTACT: Charlie Yokley 919-435-9517 cyokeley@wakeforestnc.goV

TOWN OF WENDELL Off-site
Off-site
On-Site Sign HOME FOR SALE signs: Signs advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises on which the sign is located, provided such signs do not exceed one sign per street frontage, and do not exceed 3 square feet in area per display surface for a residential premises. OPEN HOUSE signs: Realtor and non-realtor open house signs, shall only be displayed on or after 4 p.m. on the Friday before the open house, or special event, whichever is applicable, and shall be removed no later than 7 p.m. on the Sunday of the weekend of the open house, or special event, whichever is applicable.Realtor and non-realtor open house signs, and special event signs shall not be placed on utility poles, stop signs, street signs, public right of ways, nailed to trees, or placed on private property without permission of the property owner, etc. SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Signs advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises on which the sign is located, provided such signs do not exceed one sign per street frontage, and do not exceed 3 square feet in area per display surface for a residential premises DIRECTIONALS: As described in ‘Home for Sale’ and ‘Open House’ statements above. BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED CONTACT: Teresa Piner, Planning Director 919-365-4448 tpiner@townofwendell.com

TOWN OF ZEBULON Off-site

Off-site

On-Site Sign

HOME FOR SALE signs: Real estate signs are allowed provided that they are placed on the property that is for sale. No off site real estate signs are allowed unless the parcel is land locked and the sign is placed on the nearest parcel with road frontage, with the permission of the property owner. OPEN HOUSE signs: One offsite sign may not exceed five square feet in size and is only permitted to remain in place between 5:00 p.m. Friday until 8:00 a.m. Monday SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Real estate signs are not to exceed five square feet in size or 42 inches in height except for lots equal to or greater than three acres where signs are not to exceed 42 square feet total and two signs are permitted.

DIRECTIONALS

: See exemption provided in "Off-Site Home for Sale Signs" Box

BALLOONS: NOT PERMITTED

CONTACT: Bo Dobrzenski 919 269-7455 Ext 1810 bdobrzenski@townofzebulon.org

Becoming A Leader

As a leader the first thing you need to realize is…YOU are responsible for everything that happens! The good, and the bad…

The question becomes: As a leader which role are you going to take? What type of environment and culture do you want for your team? Whatever you create will become an engrained part of the team.

Operating with-in the “Coach-Approach” you must become a mentor to your team members by taking an active part in their career and lives. You must bond on a personal and emotional level and provide them with an insight which can elevate their careers to the next level. Your role is to make them better than they would be without you!

In return the team member becomes more productive and balanced, and the relationship you create will breed loyalty back to you as the team leader. They begin to realize that under your tutelage their potential is unlimited!

As you create a team atmosphere with this style of leadership others will notice and be attracted by the unique environment which nurtures and allows them to blossom.

How you coach each individual on your team will depend greatly on who you are coaching. The stronger your relationship and the more you know about the team member, personally, the better equipped you will be to customize a one-on-one plan to help them grow their business.

The Five Keys to Effective Coaching are:

1)    Patience – you will find once is never enough in coaching …you will need to have the same conversations multiple times before it “sinks-in”

2)    Become a credible and an incredible resource – You must be a wealth of information …help them fill the gaps and they will not be able to imagine their careers without you

3)    Confidence – In your abilities as a leader, and theirs as a team member

4)    Flexibility – There is no “one size fits all” in coaching … Tailor your guidance to each team members strengths and/or weaknesses

5)    Create Balance - Help your team members to have a life … but first, as a leader, you too must have balance …you want to be an inspiration …without an example, you can’t lead.

Ultimately it is far more rewarding and gratifying to feel you are part of a winning team, and that your efforts contributed to the success of the entire team.

The more you grow …The more others around you will also grow. The results are better relationships, and enjoyment from your career….and a better life!

It’s up to you ….what type of leader do you want to become?

Eddie Brown ©2011

www.ICU-Coaching.com

How Do You Handle Personal And Business Challenges?

I just finished a great book titled: Surviving Your Serengeti by Stefan Swanepoel…

I recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with a personal or business issue. Because from time to time …everyone needs a source of inspiration and wisdom for survival.  
Surviving Your Serengiti brought it for me.

Surviving Your Serengeti tells a riveting story of the thousand mile journey which more than two million animals, (over double the number of REALTORS in the United States) J, take each year and the harsh environment they endure filled with death and danger.

Each animal on the Serengeti holds a unique skill which helps them survive this journey, this story explains each.

The book will help you to discover which skills you possess and most importantly, learn how to maximize your unique strengths in your own “Serengeti”... Not just to survive …but thrive during tough conditions.

The text will help you to know:

·        Who you are.

·        What you want.

·        Where you are going.

·        How you will get there.

·        What you are going to do once you get there.

Does this sound strangely familiar to setting goals? Having a business plan? Building a road map …and then following it? Measuring your successes and failures and learning from them…quickly?

Whether you are “The Enduring Wildebeest, The Strategic Lion, The Enterprising Crocodile, The Efficient Cheetah, The Graceful Giraffe, The Risk-Taking Mongoose, or the Communicating Elephant”, you have a skill set you can utilize to improve your life …personally and/or in business.

While the “life and death”…”eat or be eaten” challenges which are faced by the inhabitants of the Seregeti Plains of Africa are certainly a little harsher than most REALTORS daily encounters …The lessons learned from the seven survival skills of the Serengeti can help us to combat our own hardships and live a better life.

Eddie Brown

http://www.icu-coaching.com/

How Do You Handle a Price Reduction?

Selling a home can be a very stressful time for a Seller. One thing a Listing Associate must do to be successful is to instill trust in their clients. Your clients must trust you as their Real Estate Professional to provide leadership and guidance/ insight into the market and the conditions which effect their property.

However the emotional connect to their property may make them hesitant to make the right decision and be competitive when it comes to pricing. Navigating a price reduction can be sticky ...but if done correctly, you will enhance your relationship with your client and help them reach their goal of selling their property.

As a professional we all know price sells in this market. With tons of competition and many Sellers being forced to sell below the price they paid for the home ...it is more important than ever to educate your sellers from the beginning to market conditions. But when you find your listing sitting on the market with no offers for more than 60-90 days you have passed your best opportunity to reduce.

If your new listing has not received positive response from buyers in the first 30 days ...then the culprit is most likely price.  
If this is the case …You need to immediately adjust to make it competitive with other comparable properties. Even then your Sellers may be reluctant to price below their expectations and stay in front of the market.

Remember the old axiom.." Every day a home stays on the market past 30 days the value of both the property and the REALTOR begins to diminish" This is still true today!

The 5 Stages of a Price Reduction

It’s important to remember to stay compassionate to your client’s situation and to understand the stages a Seller goes through when their home is not selling as quickly as they anticipated.

1)    Denial: Most home-owners will over-estimate the market value of their property by 10%.

2)    Anger: After weeks of inactivity or no offers Sellers will often get upset and start looking for someone to blame.

3)    Frustration: Sellers pent up anger becomes directed at the Listing Agent and they may begin to question your effectiveness and skills as a professional. This is normal …so try to not take it personal (even though it is). Tell them you understand and re-walk them through the process and show them market stats for the area to show which homes and which prices are selling…This may be a perfect time to take them on a “tour” of active comparable listings to show them their competition and how they stack up.

4)    Disappointment: They realize their home will not sell for what they feel it is worth and recognize they may have missed out on marketing time by being over-priced.

5)    Acceptance: They begin to trust your advice and counsel… In our market over 52% of all homes which sell reduce their price at least once. This is down from 71% in 2010… Nationally the current number is 56%.

The average price reduction locally is 7% …nationally it’s 11%.
(source: TARR REPORT & NAR)

What happens when a house is priced correctly at initial list?
Good Things Happen!
When the final list price was equal to the original list price, during the first quarter of 2011, the local DOM average was 60 days and the home sold for 98% of list.

When the final list price was lower than original list …(meaning there was a price reduction) … the Seller was penalized. The average DOM soared to 181 days and the sales price was 88% of original list price. A HUGE DIFFERENCE!
(source: TARR REPORT)


Final Thoughts:
Help your clients through the process …save them time, money and stress by educating them to price at market from the start. But even then, if the market shifts you must communicate and be visible.

Don’t hide because you have bad news to share.

Call at least once a week with a market update.

Listen to what they have to say and affirm their feelings.

Put them in the shoes of the Buyer…walk them through the decision process a Buyer goes through when looking at home.

And mostly…reassure them that you care!

Eddie Brown ©2011
www.ICU-Coaching.com

Instant Referrals?

Instant Referrals?

As a Gardener you learn very quickly how long term efforts are rewarded with long term results. You Cultivate …You Sow … You Water …You Weed … You Harvest. Your constant care and attention to the soil and plants brings about the results you desire.

As a REALTOR your Book of Business (B.o.B.) is your garden where constant care and attention (prospecting activities) will bring about a harvest of qualified referrals.

But what about the times when you need a financial shot in the arm …an instant increase of cash flow into your business and/or personal life? These are times when you need to push the NO2 button on your street rod, or the “loud” button on your stereo …or let’s say the chocolate bar and Mt. Dew for your 6 year old!

Let’s look at some of the reasons why you might need “Instant Referrals” ….

·        You need income RIGHT NOW for household bills or an unexpected emergency like a major auto repair …

·        You were really busy, but you took your foot off the gas for a while and now you realize your pipeline is empty …

·        You may be behind on your goals and you just need to “catch-up” …

·        or You may be new in the business and need to begin to generate some income so you can stay in the business.

No matter what the reason …If you need to increase your income fast…then you have to turn up the intensity FAST! Here are a few ideas to create “Instant Referrals” for your real estate business:

1.  Look through your BoB and identify those who already have …or are most likely to send you a referral. Once you ID these people, create a plan to meet with each of them personally, (face to face), over the next 5-7 days. Tell them your goals and plans for the rest of the year and ask for their help. Let them know you will be contacting them with valuable pieces of information they can pass along to their sphere …and anyone they hear who needs your services to call you with their names and contact info.  Then ask THE QUESTION; “Who do you know right now who may be in the market to buy or sell real estate”.

“The idea is to leverage your BoB where you get the maximum results in the least amount of time…effectiveness and efficiency is vital to the success of this system.”

2. Identify every vendor you have sent referrals to over the past 6 months and follow the same steps in #1 above… If you have a referral to give …ALL THE BETTER…take the name with you to the meeting …ask for the reciprocity referral!

3. Every current client you are working with, both Buyer and Seller; Follow the same steps as in #1 above. Remind them of the “Reticular Activator” and how they will be hearing others talk about real estate and be “in-tune” with their conversations ...ask them to pass along your name when they come across these people. (Remind them often!)

4. Look at all your listings currently 120 days on market or more …are any of these Sellers in a position to buy another home if their home was rented? Think about their options…They could become landlords for a few years and then sell when the market conditions improve, saving their equity! Plus they are buying when the prices and interest rates are historically low! In real-estate-speak they would be “double-dipping”! Instead of being tagged as “the REALTOR who couldn’t sell my home” …you become the HERO!

5. Consider doing seminars…first time home buyers seminars have always been well attended, but now you can step out of the norm and provide Investor Seminars …Home-Owner Seminars … Seller Seminars … or Renter Seminars …the list goes on but you get the idea. Another good idea for this is to propose  a seminar to someone you identified from #1… offer to come to their office and perform the seminar for their co-workers…this method gives you a built-in advocate at the meeting to introduce and help promote your services.

Remember this system is not a marathon…this is a sprint! You have to go all out for 45-90 days and give your absolute best for this system to work …see this motivational clip to see the amount of effort you can give if you focus… Facing The Giants - The Death Crawl

When you are looking for instant referrals you must think outside the box and attempt multiple activities all at once…nobody said it would be easy…gardening never is… but when you taste the fruits of your labor, the memories of the hard work, sweat, and labor quickly fades away.

           Eddie Brown ©2011

           www.ICU-Coaching.com

Is Your Success Hiding Out Inside Your List Of Names?

Use “Who You Already Know” To Double Your Income… 

The most commonly neglected referral sources are often your past clients and those people you already know ...Your "list"…or what I like to call your “Book of Business” (B.o.B.).

Your B.o.B. is different from your list of names because it contains people who you know for certain will refer business to you ...or in other words... those who know, like, and trust you...When positioned and "managed" properly, these people will produce substantial new business for you on a consistent basis.

An aggressive plan to expand and transform your list of names into a B.o.B. should result in a dramatic increase in referrals from your database.

Example: If you currently have 50-100 people in your list, using a pre-planned and systematic approach to prospecting and networking, you should realize an additional 15-20 sales each year derived from this one source; I think you can clearly see the benefits of mastering this system.

But before you can effectively use this system, your database must be well organized. There are many different database management systems, but the key is to have an action plan for networking and prospecting designed specifically for each class of entry.

The more information you have on each relationship, the more efficient this system will be for you. Make sure to gather as much INTEL as possible on each entry ...then use this information to grow a personal relationship built on care and trust.

First You Must Have the Right Mindset -Before discussing specific ideas to implement, it is important you have a good mindset in place concerning working your past clients and centers of influence. To successfully get huge amounts of referral business, it is imperative you develop strong relationships with these people. Any time they think about real estate, you want them to think of you. You want to quickly develop an association with each relationship so they involuntarily mentally link you to Real Estate.

Everyone has professional people in their life they call upon when necessary; we all have a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer and an accountant. Yet very few people have a person they call “My” REALTOR®. The reason is … most agents rarely take the time to cultivate a deep relationship. So make this your goal, and the result will be lots of loyalty, lots of business and lots of happy past clients.

By following the system below, you can “educate” your list of relationships to always think of you whenever they are involved in a conversation regarding real estate. The idea is, you are not just asking for their referrals, but you are providing great services and benefits to them directly.

1. Call your B.o.B. 6 to 8 times a year. Remember, your objective is to become their resource for everything real estate related. Consider the following flow for your list calls:

First:  Get personal / build rapport (Use F.R.O.G.- Family, Recreation, Occupation, Goals in your conversations)

Second: Discuss their real estate needs (Discover a “need” and help them with it)

Third: Ask for referrals (Who do you know that is thinking of buying of selling in the near future?); it is critical you ask for business.

The length of time you spend on each call will vary based on who you are calling and how often you speak to them. It is normal the first time you call through the list your conversations will be fairly long. This is fine as it is critical you are building rapport and talking about real estate with them.

2. Mail or email something "Of Value" to your B.o.B. every month. -Examples include: Articles, Postcards, market updates, newsletters, just- listed cards, just-sold cards and charitable notices. Always refer them to your website. Also, offer them free reports on how to increase the value of their home, how to get rich investing in real estate, how to stage their home, etc. Become their “go-to” person for everything real estate related! 

When considering “Items of Value” make sure it holds value to each individual …the same Item of Value sent to everyone in your B.o.B. will not be seen as “valuable” …know the individual so well that you know what they find valuable! Example: Someone who plays tennis might find an article on improving your game valuable...(it doesn't always have to be real estate related)

3. Pick out your best people and label them as "A+" or Advocates. -These are your best clients and your best friends ...people who you know without a doubt will refer you business.

Advocates or A+’s will be the movers and shakers in your community, the business owners, the H.R.  Department Heads, etc… These are the people who know the most other people; they are "connected" and can provide you the most amount of referrals.

Take A+’s to lunch at least once a month and explain how you want to build your business with a referral network …When you say to them, "I need your help,? They respond, "What do you need?" Also make an offer to help them grow their business as well and make it a double networking event!

4. Consider throwing a holiday or client appreciation party. -This is a perfect way to gather your A and A+’s together to thank them for their support and referrals. There are many ways to have a party. You can do a great party in your home or at a local country club. Many agents get creative and do theme parties like casino nights or costume parties. It may cost a lot of money to throw a great party, but the event will easily pay for itself with the referral business it will generate.

5. Consistently send out handwritten notes to your B.o.B.. -In this high technology world of e-mails and form letters, it is important to still maintain a personal touch . A simple way to do this is to send out a handful of handwritten notes each day. Almost every hand written note you send will be read...there is no bigger bang for the buck than a hand written note. Use them and watch your response rate soar!

6. Do personal visits to your database. -A drop by is simply going directly to your list's home or place of business ...the idea is just to stop by and create a face-to-face contact. Say, "I was in the area and thought about you. I figured I would stop by and shake your hand and see you. Spend a few minutes talking and then move on to the next person. You can "map out" where your people are and see many of them in a short period of time.

7. Lastly ...Remember To Ask for the Referrals - Even if you completed items 1-6 listed above flawlessly ...you would likely miss most opportunities if you failed to ask for the referral... Remember people are leading their own life's and won't be thinking 24/7 about helping you to grow your business ...they are out there trying to pay the bills and get the kids off to school everyday ...which leaves little space on their time continuum to think about referring business... Make it your "Task To Ask"!

When contacted regularly and enthusiastically, your past clients and center of influence people will be some of your strongest sources of business. You will be able to consistently obtain quality referrals from these people in any type of market. Focus on providing great service to them, and the business you receive in return will be the foundation of your business.

Eddie Brown ©2011

www.ICU-Coaching.com