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To grow your real estate business, it’s important to have the right business tools and practices in place. Check out what some of your fellow Chicago REALTORS® use to keep their businesses running, their clients happy and their life in balance.
MELANIE GIGLIO-VAKOS, COMPASS
What business tool is integral to your success and why?
My CRM system is by far, the most important tool that I’ve used since 2013. There is no way I could ever live without it. I wake up in the morning and am on it, and before I end my work day, I am on it, as well. I like to wake up in the morning and know exactly who I have to call. My goal every day is to get my calls to zero. I don’t have to wonder who to call because everyone I need to be talking to is in there.
What new business tool are you excited about and why?
Working at Compass, I am extremely excited about the CRM they’re rolling out — basically, an all-in-one system where I can do a property search and anything else all in one place so there is no need to hop from system to system. It’s like having the MLS, my CRM and my email all in one. It’s a sure timesaver and looks more professional!
MATT LARICY, AMERICORP LTD
What business tool is integral to your success and why?
I love utilizing Google Docs. We pretty much run our whole business off Google Docs. It is a great way to keep myself and my team organized. You can share documents and information easily, no matter where an agent is. We can update our clients on all aspects of their sale or purchase this way, as well. The best part is, almost anyone can use it very easily.
What new business tool are you excited about and why?
My favorite new tool would be my new toy: the newest iPad Pro. It can literally do everything. The keyboard accessory makes it easier to answer quick emails on the go. The size (the big version!) makes it easy to fit in your hand so you can take it anywhere you want. Lastly, the screen is amazing and presentations look awesome on it.
LUIS ORTIZ, RE/MAX PARTNERS
What business tool is integral to your success and why?
Customer Service. Our team’s motto is “love, serve, and care!” Providing all the information necessary, treating clients as our own family and walking our clients through the transaction every step of the way helps us to have continued success.
What new business tool are you excited about and why?
This year we’ve implemented “Going Back to Basics!” I don’t believe in social media as a source to communicate with clients. We break bread with our clients, are consistent with follow up calls and participate in community events to relate to the people in the communities we serve.
GREG PEKARSKY, VESTA PREFERRED REALTY
What business tool is integral to your success and why?
What launched my success to a new level is a simple daily methodology called Money Making Activities (MMA, for short). The concept is to look at my day and think about the top activities that make me successful. Breaking down my day to a list of activities makes it simple to know what I need to accomplish. My activities are a collection of past client calls, touching base with all active clients, looking at all active searches for properties that match, responding to new leads within a minute or less and other such activities. Once I get
through my checklist and finish all of the day’s activities, I know I’m done. If I focus and don’t do anything else, I can usually accomplish everything I need to in 3 hours or less. That gives me the rest of the day to do whatever I want. I can keep working to get ahead or go to the gym. Doing this consistently over a long period of time will guarantee success. I’m a walking example of it.
What new business tool are you excited about and why?
I recently changed to a CRM called Great Agent and I’m already seeing success from it. I’m very excited to see how this plays out as it combines everything with how I like to work and also assists me with my weaknesses. I can auto-assign plans, work new leads better and have my daily tasks highlighted, allowing me to effectively and efficiently get through them. The marketing capabilities are fantastic as well. A good CRM aligned with how you like to work is a powerful combination.
KIM HOWARD KELLER, WILLIAMS CHICAGO – LINCOLN PARK
What business tool is integral to your success and why?
In terms of business tools, I look for ones that are easy to learn from a user perspective and fast in nature – since, as brokers, we don’t have a lot of time! I really have grown to love BoxBrownie for virtual staging, as they always have a quick turnaround and people always comment on how great our virtual staging looks. From a data perspective, Remine is great and something that’s relatively newer to the market that, if used correctly, could have a huge impact on sales goals, too!
What new business tool are you excited about and why?
While Canva isn’t a new tool, I believe it’s often under-utilized. It’s so much more than just throwing up a photo with “Just Closed” text over it. We use it for our brochures, newsletters and print materials. It really adds a cohesive look to your brand.
