Top Agents Have a Visual Real Estate Resume'

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2022 and all the opportunity it holds. In todays email we provided a quick summary of 2021 sales statistics for you to share. Next week, we will have a full annual report with all of the details and our updated quarterly market summary.

When someone applies for a job, they submit a resume’. In real estate we are applying for a job with every client. So what is your real estate resume’? Do you have one? The most successful agents across the country do. The easiest way you can create a visually impressive resume to pull up all of your past sales on the MLS and take a screenshot to include in your marketing materials. This will quickly show any potential clients your experience and expertise in specific areas. We provided and example in todays email.

If you want to take it to the next level, include your average sales price, average days on market and average list price to sales price ratio. Then be sure to indicate where you are out preforming the market in these areas. Don’t have many sales yet? Leverage your brokerage or team statistics. If you need help putting together your visual real estate resume send me a text or email. Keep elevating our industry!

Download: 2021 Annual Home Sales Statistics

Download: Sample Visual Real Estate Resume’

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/YOoC50ogZeg

David Veldkamp

Owner, RE/MAX GR

Call or Text (616) 460-6123

The Right Environment for You

As the year comes to an end it looks like our market will end with about 12,000 sales on the year, with an average sales price of 301k and an average value increase of 14%. We’ll provide a full annual report for you to share just after the new year.

With only a few more days to wrap up those final sales we hope you reached your goals for the year. If you fell short, make sure your environment is support your goals. There are two aspects to your environment.

The first is the actual space you are working in. Is it free of distractions? We have all heard “Out of sight, out of mind” which works great for eliminating distractions. It also works the other way “In sight, in mind.” Does your environment help you focus on your most vital activities? Does it help you keep your goals, your inspiration, your why, “In sight, in mind?”

The second, is the people who surround you. You can achieve extraordinary results if the people around you support your goals as well. Positive energy is contagious, unfortunately negative energy is too. No one succeeds alone and no one fails alone. You start to take on the characteristics of the people you spend the most time with. To help we have included a list of the characteristics focus on mastering in todays email. If your goal is to product more next year, make sure to surround yourself with people who are focused on these items as well. Keep elevating our industry.

Download: Characteristics of Top Producers

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/qLtvuVXhNXQ

David Veldkamp

Owner - RE/MAX GR

Call or Text (616) 460-6123

Maximum Referrals with an Annual Market Report

At the beginning of every year we recommend sending a market report out to your entire SOI. If they own a home, whether they bought it with you or not, your report sound include an update on their home’s value indicting how their investment has grown. Additionally, your report should include a real estate market forecast with a couple of piece of information that establishes you as the go to pro at the beginning of the year. This put you in position to capture the maximum amount of referrals in 2022.

Here are two tips to keep this project simple and easy. First, for your home value report simply use our school district value increase graph from our quarterly report. Highlight the school district you client is in and write a quick personal message or additional detail on a sticky note. Second, watch or read one of the market forecasts linked in this email, pick two pieces of info to share. I recommend something about the expected increase in mortgage rates in the second half of 2022 and the expect home value increases. Finally, include a QR code for your home value report website, so they can check their value anytime they would like. Execute your market report correctly and you’ll see more referrals than ever.

Keep Elevating the Industry.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/ov7yEIeeuFU

NAR Market Report 2022

Buffini Bold Predictions 2022

David Veldkamp

RE/MAX GR | 616.460.6123

Average Home Sale Price 22% Below the National Average

The latest report shows the average home sales price across the country reached $387,000 in November. In the greater Grand Rapids area our average sale price was $303,000. That puts our average home price nearly 22% below the national average. As much as home prices are soaring locally it is important to keep it in perspective with what is happening nationwide. Homes in West Michigan are still incredibly affordable when compared to much of the country. Keep this in mind when you are talking with your sphere and any potential clients.

Additionally, we are re-releasing the top resources and videos from this year that focus on the listing side of the business. Download them today, position yourself as the expert and keep elevating our industry!

Video: https://youtu.be/7-DRkgch3FU

Pre-Listing Packages

https://rem.ax/3FoPrie

14 Additional Listing Services to Stand Out

https://rem.ax/30EPPtU

Be First…77% Use the First Agent They Meet

https://rem.ax/3nxvcZm

More Listings from Your Current Listings

https://rem.ax/326IxzB

Dave Veldkamp

RE/MAX GR

Top 100 Agents in the Grand Rapids Area- November 2021

Congratulations to the Top 100 in November! Thank you for elevating our industry. You can download the list below and request the Top 100 icon. In addition to the list, this month we provided some benchmarks to help you understand where you might rank YTD. The top 1% have sales volumes over $18m, the top 5% $9m, the top 10% $6m, the top 25% $3m and it goes down from there. You can download a chart in todays email to see approximately where you are and we encourage you to use these benchmarks to help set your goals in 2022. Next month we release our annual list honoring an entire year of hard work. Keep elevating our industry!

Download: Top 100 - November 2021

Download: Where You Rank Benchmark Chart

David Veldkamp | Owner, RE/MAX GR

Call or Text 616.460.6123

The Advantage of Activity Heat Maps

We have shared buyer activity graphs before, but that is only part of the story. In addition to how many buyers are looking we want to know where they are looking. What are the hottest areas and what areas are slower. The solution, buyer heat maps indicating where buyers are most active. We included a sample in todays email for you to share on social to continue to position yourself as the go to expert.

Armed with this information we can do a better job of setting expectations for our clients. For potential sellers…your area is really hot right now so we can be a little more aggressive on price. Or I know the media says the market is red hot but let’s take a look at your particular area where things are slowing a little.

When talking with potential buyers…I know you love that area and according to the map so do many others…expect a lot of competition. Or if your buyers have been looking for a while…we should consider this area where activity is a little slower and take a look at a few homes there as well.

Download this buyer heat map today to share on social and start a conversation. If you have questions about heat maps or how to generate them send me an email. Next week we will share our top seller focused downloads from 2021. Keep Elevating Our Industry!

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/MwFy4vk4VvI

Download: Buyer Heat Map

Dave Veldkamp

Owner | RE/MAX GR

616.460.6123 | daveveldkamp@remax.net

Top 2021 Buyer Focused Downloads

We are wrapping up November and it is shaping up to be much like October with about 55% of homes still selling over asking price at an average of $5,300 above list price and across our market home values are up an average of nearly 15%. We will give you the full monthly report early next week along with releasing November’s Top 100 list. In the meantime, we will continue to prepare for 2022. To help you we are compiling the top downloads form the entire year into two sets, one set focused on buyer side of the business and one set focused on the seller side. Today, we are re-releasing the buyer focused downloads. These can be used in your marketing materials, your first time buyers meeting and on your website. These are helpful charts to inform your clients and to help them make good decisions. The best part is these charts are looking ahead and will be helpful for the entire year. Download them today, position yourself as the expert and keep elevating our industry!

Cost of Waiting to Buy

https://rem.ax/30J1HeF

How Buying Power Changes with Rate Increases

https://rem.ax/30vQOwq

Offering More: How It Changes Your Monthly Payment - 30 Year & 15 Year Mortgage

https://rem.ax/30FZekK | https://rem.ax/3oDXRv6

2022 Market Forecast

https://rem.ax/3HyA9ZW

David Veldkamp

RE/MAX GR

616.460.6123

Missing Out on 77% of Your Opportunities

The average agent misses 77% of the transactions in their sphere of influence! Take a look at this screenshot from an app on my phone. In the last 18 months I have missed 55 deals for nearly $21 million in sales volume. To make matters worse…my phone app identified about 90% of these sellers 6 months before they ever list and told me to contact them. If I only would have stayed in touch and been top of mind much of that business from people who already know me probably would have come my way.

So if I am in your sphere of influence, how often do I hear from you? If we ran this app on your phone how much business might you be missing out on? The #1 reason we hear agents do not stay in touch is they don’t know what to say. Today we are sharing 12 months worth of valuable reasons to connect with your sphere and we will remind you of these each month throughout the next year to help make it your best year yet. Keep elevating our industry.

Watch the Video

Download: Reasons To Connect: Annual Idea Guide

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123 | Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Owner, RE/MAX GR

1200% More Shares

Want 1200% more shares on your posts? Its time to dive into video. Video receives 1200% more shares on social media than text and photos combined! If you want to stay top of mind throughout the end of the year so you can start the year off strong. Video will bring you a broader reach. Don’t know what to talk about? Feel free to turn our weekly materials in to videos positioning you as the real estate expert in your social sphere.

For example, our inventory is starting to take its seasonal dip with just under 700 active listings this morning. That is down about 17% from our high point though September and October. We included a sharable graph demonstrating the trend. Yet buyers activity has remained strong averaging 6 points higher that this time last year. That is the first time we have surpassed last years numbers since May. Buyers expect competition to remain strong in the next couple of months. Sellers your home will get a lot of attention if you choose to list soon. Want more ideas for videos? Send me an email. Keep elevating our industry.

Watch Video

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123 | Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Owner, RE/MAX GR

Home Buying Power is Slipping

Interest rates have climbed 1/4 of a point since Mid September. Did you know a quarter point increase reduces someones buying power by about 3%? That may not sound like a large percentage, but if your are purchasing an average home in our market at just over $300 thousand that is a $9,000 reduction in buying power. Now, consider that rates are expected to steadily climb throughout next year causing a further reduction in buying power.

If I am thinking about buying a home in 2022, this is information I would like to know. To help we have created a chart showing how buying power changes at different price points as interest rates climb. We recommend sharing this information now. This will allow potential buyers to make the best decision on when to enter the market. Your advice will help them maximize their buying power, a service they will not soon forget, hopefully they will tell a few others about it too. Keep elevating our industry.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/hzsVStSmWsQ

Download: Buying Power is Slipping

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123 | Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Owner, RE/MAX GR

Top 100 Grand Rapids Area Realtors - October 2021

Congratulations to the Top 100 in October! Amazing work by all of you and thank you for continuing to elevate our industry. Just 8 weeks left in 2021, all the hard work you put in now until the end of the year will pay off in January and February. If you want 2022 to be your best year yet get a jump start with a strong first two months.

We suggest connecting with you potential clients now in order to let them know that buyers will want to start early to avoid the springtime competition and increases in interest rates as the year go on. And sellers will get plenty of attention in the early part of the year so there is no need to wait to maximize their return. Starting on Monday we will release some resources to help with these conversations.

Also, if you have something you long to achieve next year in real estate join us for a 15 minute zoom meeting on Wednesday November 11 at noon where we will close the gap between now and what you long to achieve.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/ZR-bKL64iik

Download: Top 100 for October 2021

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123 | Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Owner, RE/MAX GR

Part 6: Turn Up the Volume - Win the Listing Before the Appointment

This is part 6 of our turn up the volume series. 87% of the top 100 agents in the country drop off pre-listing packages to stand out from the crowd. The result? They are winning the listing before they ever meet the client. We have talked about this before, but but today let’s take an exclusive look under the hood of a top agent’s package to see what is included.

Start with a custom branded box to be delivered or shipped, a high quality seller’s guide covering the process and offering home preparation tips, a branded folder containing current market info, a menu of listing services, the agent’s sales statistics, a copy of mission and core values, additional business cards plus instructions on how to refer you. Finally, the icing on the cake, a video e-book containing an intro video from the agent, any team members or assistants, samples of marketing materials, video home tours from past listings and more.

Now you have demonstrated your skills, positioned yourself as the market expert and an outstanding listing professional. If you use a package like this, I guarantee you will have more appointments, earn more referrals and start winning the listing before you even arrive at the appointment. Keep elevating our industry.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/-2Vcls-ZU2k

Download: Additional Listing Services to Stand Out From the Crowd

David Veldkamp

Owner, RE/MAX GR

(616) 460-6123

Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Part 5: Turn Up the Volume - Video

Welcome to part 5: video. According to Inman, 85% of buyers and sellers want to work with a realtor who uses video, so if you haven't started using video, now is the time! Did you know 86% of homebuyers use video to research a particular community. More video is consumed on the internet than any other medium. Here are two tips to stand out. Keep it short and to the point. Attention spans are growing shorter by the day. The average person only watches 15 seconds before moving on to the next thing. If you haven’t added any value by then, they have tuned out. Second, don’t over think your video, it doesn’t have to be a grand production, do not let the lack of fancy graphics or editing hold you back just give the audience value, be professional and be likable.

Don’t know what to make videos about? Watch our video on part 3 video on Youtillity and I recommend 3 topics. One, the different steps in the process of buying or selling real estate. Two, highlight communities and neighborhoods. Three, local businesses, restaurants, venues and events. If you want more details, resources or scripts on these topics send me an email.

Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/jY3iFpzXBPE

Dave Veldkamp

RE/MAX GR

Part 4: Turn Up the Volume - SOI

The average agent has just under 400 people in their sphere of influence. Each year 37 transaction sides will take place in that sphere yet the typical agent only close 7-8 deals a year from that group. That is only a 20% capture rate of the business from the people you already know. We need to turn up the volume on our SOI. Let me ask you, if I was in your sphere, how many times did I hear from you last year? If it is less than 12 you are falling behind. Here are two tips to help turn up the volume.

Make it Valuable: One of the most valuable things you can share is information about the value of their biggest investment, their home. Make it a regular practice to provide an appreciation update at least 2 time a year. This can be sent to any home owner in your sphere not just past clients. Additionally, help them maintain their most valuable asset with connections to your top contractor and vendors. Consider providing an annual recommended vendor list. Both the clients and the vendors will love you for it.

Make it Personal: we have included a downloadable client favorite form to help you capture valuable information about your client. Use it to make more personal notes, gifts and invites to events that they would really enjoy.

Keep elevating our industry!

Download: SOI Marketing Do’s and Don’ts

Download: Client’s Favorites Form

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/EoaPh0iu1-I

Dave Veldkamp

Owner - RE/MAX GR

(616) 460-6123

Part 3: Turn Up the Volume - YOUtility

Part 3 of our Turn Up the Volume series comes from an expert marketer, Jay Baer, who coined the term “YOUtility” spelled Y-O-U. A common problem with our marketing is we spend a lot of time trying to create amazing ads. Since consumers are flooded with advertisements this rarely works. Instead, we should be focused on being useful. Baer believes relationships start with information first and people second. Potential clients are looking for the information they want before they are searching for you. Two ways you can apply YOUtility to your business.

First, people are looking to buy are looking at the community as much as the home. If they can find you during their research about the area and be educated and entertained by your blog post, youtube video or podcast, why wouldn’t they contact you for help. You have already positioned yourself as the expert. Focus on being the best possible teacher about your area.

Second when thinking about buying or selling people have questions…a lot of questions. Spend sometime this week writing down all of the questions past clients have asked you. Then write down the answers and post them to your website, turn them into videos or podcasts. If you do you will help more people and make more money. A win-win. If you want help getting started YOUtility send us an email and we will send you some additional tips and resources to give you a head start. Keep Elevating Our Industry!

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/tqGOa3rzksA

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123

Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Owner, RE/MAX GR

Top 100 Grand Rapids Area Realtors - September 2021

Congratulations to the Top 100 for September! You represent our industry well! Just 12 weeks left in 2021…time for that end of year push to hit your goals. Did you know on average 25.4% of annual sales are closed from October to December? There is still a lot of clients to serve between now and the end of the year. I would also encourage you to start planning for next year if you haven’t already. Start by identify the gaps between where you are today and where you want your business to go. What are the steps to close that gap? Pick a step and get started. Keep elevating our industry.

Watch Video

Download: Top 100 for September 2021

Past Top 100 Lists

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123

Daveveldkamp@remax.net Owner

RE/MAX GR

2021 3rd Quarter Great Grand Rapids Real Estate Quick Reference Guide

Today, we are releasing the latest update to our #1 most downloaded item, our quarterly market quick reference guide covering the all of the market activity over the last 6 months to save you time and position you as the expert. Make sure to download it today, save it to your phone for reference and share it as an item of value to your sphere.

Download: 2021 3rd Quarterly Market Quick Reference Guide

Turn Up the Volume: Part 2 - Client Reviews Continued

Now, part 2 of our "Turn Up the Volume” series to help you stand out from the sea of sameness. Last week we covered how reviews are much more valuable than advertisements, 80% of consumers are looking for them, and we learn about the best time to ask for reviews. We should be responding to all reviews, both positive and negative. Clients and potential clients are reading your responses, do not miss this opportunities to demonstrate how you respond to difficult situation and how you show appreciation for the extra effort from your client. Responding encourages referrals. If you get a negative review, respond professionally and then work to earn more reviews. 94% of people never read past page one of reviews.

Second, what is the best average review score…4.7-4.8. Why, you ask? Because we don’t believe in perfection. That negative review might actually be helping you. Finally, where should you have your reviews posted? Your website, Zillow, Realtor.com, Homes.com, etc. are all great places. My top recommendation is If you, do not have a google business page now it is the time to do so and start collecting reviews there. An additional tip, if you have a lot reviews on Zillow or other portals and not many on google, capture screenshots of them and upload them as photos on your google business page as you continue to build your reviews there. Join us next week for part 3 covering a unique tactic called "Youtility".

Keep Elevating our Industry!

Download: 2021 3rd Quarterly Market Quick Reference Guide

Video: https://youtu.be/zKLJF4nYpCE

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123

Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Owner, RE/MAX GR

Grand Rapids Home Price Reductions Increase by 55%

Since June price reductions on home listed for sale have increased by 55%. This indicated we may be inching closer to a more balance real estate market in the Grand Rapids area. We have a long way to go, but this is good news for the many frustrated buyer in the market. It is also important to communicate to our sellers that buyers are starting to push back on the drastic price increases.

Download: Price Reduction up 55%

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123

Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Owner, RE/MAX GR

Turn Up the Volume: Part 1 - Client Reviews

92% of people trust a recommendation from family and friends. 79% of consumers trust online reviews, but only 47% trust advertisements. Welcome to part one, of our series "Turn Up the Volume” to help you stand out from the sea of sameness. Our topic today is reviews. Did you know more than 80% of people are researching their agent online before deciding to work with them? Even more amazingly, this stat remains true when you were recommended to them by someone they know. They want to verify that you are the expert agent they heard about. What is the number one thing they are looking for? Reviews!

In our service economy, the consumer values what other people say about you more than even the most polished and professional advertisement. So if you had to chose to focus your resources on producing an advertisement or tracking down another review, get that extra review every time. When do you ask for reviews? When something good happens…for example when the sale goes pending! This is an exciting event for both buyers and sellers. There are 180+ steps from pending to close…don’t wait for something to go wrong. Don’t wait until something kills the positivity. Ask for that review.

Next week we will do a part two on reviews covering, how to respond to reviews, what consumers view as the best review score (it’s not what you think) and where you should be putting those reviews to maximize their reach and effectiveness.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/eAVKOSypFGA

David Veldkamp - (616) 460-6123

Daveveldkamp@remax.net

Owner, RE/MAX GR