#Stayhome Productivity for Agents

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Dexter Realty

At Dexter, we know the value of taking the long view. Now is the time to take a step back, and use your time to advantage.

During these times of uncertainty, our many hours spent in our homes might be challenging, but they’re also an opportunity to work on those many items you can’t ever find the time for when the market is hopping.

But before we dive into any tips and tricks, let’s start with the most important item:

Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Our lives have changed, and we’re responding to an unprecedented event. None of us were prepared for this, and all of us are going to cope in our own ways, and at our own speeds. Be kind to yourself, and respect your current limits.

Now, let’s get cracking with ways to use our time at home to advantage!

The Digital Basics

We all mean to keep on top of our digital items, and all too often life gets away from us. What better time to tackle those digital basics that have been hanging over your head?

Update and organize your passwords for your social media, website, and other key accounts, so you have them ready to hand.
Make sure you’re not paying for services you don’t use. Are you paying for hosting or a website that is old or broken? Now is the time to look into that and get rid of anything unwanted.
Organize your email inbox, delete spam and file messages you’ll need to refer to in future. Do the same for your computer. And remember to back up your files when everything is nice and tidy!
Go through your devices and delete unwanted photos, videos and any outdated apps.
Organize those photos you want to use for social media, but just never quite have the time to sort through.

Your Best Foot Forward

Websites, social media and newsletters have a terrible habit of getting pushed to the bottom of our list when life is busy. But they are important. Is your website bogged down by old photos and older words? The moment is ripe to update your platforms and put your best digital foot forward.

Compile and organize your client testimonials.

Update your website so new and prospective clients can see current comments on your awesome service, and maybe post your favorites to social media. This is also a great moment to reach out to old clients and check in with them (while asking about a testimonial).

Compile your best and most recent “solds” with the photos and details you’re allowed to share for each.

For those of you who share these on your websites, it’s time to update those items. It can also be great content to share on social media. Let’s show your potential new clients your selling prowess.

Update the pictures on your website + social media

Got old photos? Good news, you just sorted through all those files and are ready to update your website and social media with fresh new photos.
Take a look at your headshot. Do you need to have it retaken when life returns to normal? Put it on your to-do list.

Update your personal narrative

Review all the written content on your website and social media, and make sure everything is spelled correctly and content is updated (like changing “Dexter Associates Realty” to “Dexter Realty”).
Read your bio. Update your bio. We know, bios… it’s tough. But still, this is the perfect moment to climb that mountain and take a moment to really reflect on your bio. Is it still true to who you are? Is the information out of date? Is it consistent across social media, your website, and your brand collateral?
When you’ve updated your bio, please send it to us so we can keep your profile gleaming on Dexter’s website.

Check your website links and make sure they’re all working.

Yup, all of them, including your social media links.

Contacts and Newsletter

Even if you don’t want to start an electronic newsletter on your own, you can take a huge step in the right direction by organizing your contacts and making a list of those people you already email with real estate updates.
Feeling brave? Make yourself a MailChimp account and start exploring the ways you can use this tool to enhance your options for connecting with clients (as well as finding new ones).

Stay On Top of Your Game

While we wait for social distancing to end, there are an ever-growing number of opportunities for staying informed and enhancing your skill set.

Share Best Practices

Make a Zoom date with your colleagues, and stay in touch while sharing best practices

Small Business BC Meetups

Small Business BC is pleased to share their new Digital Meetups series, taking place every Tue-Thur at 11AM. Their virtual meetups and webinars are designed to help entrepreneurs navigate the COVID economy. Watch new and archived webinars here.

Real Estate Institute of BC

The Real Estate Institute of BC is offering regular webinars. Taking place on April 30th, their next session is “Step Code,” which will take agents through “what the BC Energy Step Code is, how it supports B.C. Government mandates and enables local government leadership on innovation and climate action, and how it will inform the next edition of the BC Building Code.”

LeadingRE Webinars

One of the benefits of Dexter’s partnership with Leading RE is the access and resources that it gives to our agents. Along with webinars, they have a large number of shorter video courses Dexter agents can take on several topics through their Institute Program for Learning. During this month, they have offered more courses for free. We encourage our agents to take advantage of some of the free courses over the next week and beyond.

Make a Plan

This will end.

That deceptively simple statement bears repeating: this will end. And when it does, we might be looking at an incredibly hungry market, where buyers and sellers have been waiting on pins and needles for the chance to act.

Make a plan with all your clients for how you’ll work towards their goals when the landscape returns to something resembling normal.
Part of a team? Take this opportunity to plan your approach and identify any shared assets—such as a team website or shared social page—and how you can use this time to make those shine.

Until this does end, stay home as much as possible, take care of yourself and your loved ones, and remember to wash your hands.

Read

Dexter’s Umbrellas: We’ve got you covered

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Dexter Realty

How did a simple idea to showcase Dexter’s new brand and new South Granville location turn into umbrellas and standing outside on the coldest, wettest day in December?

Take one new logo

When it came to creating the first items bearing the new Dexter logo, there were lots of ideas on the table. But we wanted something different. Something bold. Honest.

All the traits that inspired our updated brand demanded a fresh approach. One that better spoke to both Dexter’s history and our future—combined with our trio of new, signature greens, of course. There were lots of options. But this was Vancouver—if there’s anything that sums up a west coast winter, it’s rain. And if there’s one thing that sums up Dexter Realty, it’s going the extra mile to make sure people are covered.

Add a group of dedicated agents and a video camera

For our first signature video with our new umbrellas, one showing our dedicated troops marching along streets with their green umbrellas held high, we needed multiple groups of agents willing to wait on street corners for our videographer’s signal. At a busy time of the year, no less! Well, we got more than we’d bargained for—over two dozen agents turned up, ready to open their umbrellas on cue!

Now, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Our brilliant scheme of arming every group with their own radio and channel proved not quite so brilliant, as our “tower control” could only hear a single channel at a time…

Happily one of our members had worked a summer job at a trucking company, and soon we were all cosy on channel three and messages of “Control to Team 3, do you copy? Over” and “Team 2. Mark. And go!” were flying. We marched around corners, practiced our coordinated brolly opening, and gave passersby a great laugh.

Mix liberally with Vancouver rain

Stage Two of our video-making plan needed rain. Happily, Vancouver delivered (and then some).

Our plan was simple: spread cheer.

How? By holding umbrellas for people passing by and handing out change to anyone who needed some. Armed with our signature umbrellas, pockets full of change, and even more agents ready and willing to help, we set out into the frigid, pouring December rain. We’d invited our agents to add their own flair to the event, and they didn’t disappoint. From a couple of cheerful holiday hats to thank you cards to chocolates, we had goodwill covered.

The only thing we hadn’t anticipated?

Vancouverites’ inexperience with no strings attached. They just couldn’t believe they were getting something for free. We held our umbrellas high and did our best to keep them dry. “You can just take the change,” we told them. “We don’t need anything in return.”

They stared at us, completely befuddled by the lack of strings.

“Really. Use it for whatever you need,” we said. “You can pay for parking—or coffee. Or you can donate it to a homeless person or the tip jar at your favourite coffee shop. You decide!”

And enjoy the fun

When the message caught on, so did the fun! There were laughs, treks up and down the street, and lots of talk about holiday plans—even the occasional hug. Our agents stayed outside for hours, only coming in to grab some more change (maybe a square of chocolate) before heading out again.

We bought coffees for people on the run, made a homeless person’s week, and gave an elderly woman help all the way home. And the smiles were endless!

Going the extra mile is what Dexter does best. From checking every ‘t’ to dotting every ‘i’, we make sure our clients are taken care of. And if you’re ever caught in the real estate rain, you can trust that we’ve got you covered.