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In advance of Connect Now, we’ve asked many well-known members of the Inman community for their insights on how they are working and keeping their businesses moving forward in this time — in other words, How They Connect Now. Here are three responses.
Tiffany McQuaid
Tiffany McQuaid
President, McQuaid & Company Real Estate Services
What’s the biggest change in the way you’re managing your business now?
Being separate but still maintaining a form of togetherness. We are a very socially active office and are used to the bulk of the team being in and out on a daily basis. I miss their very presence the most.
How do you find new business in a time like this?
It’s not necessarily about finding business in the immediate moment but more about cultivating and re-cultivating the relationships of those you have touched or had experiences with in the recent past.
Taking time to reach out, reconnect and let them know, authentically and genuinely, that you care and are there without solicitation. Those relationships and the nurturing of them will build not just a good year, but a great career! Stay loyal to those who have been loyal to you!
How do you keep morale up, for you personally, and for your team?
In an effort to keep myself upbeat and positive so that I can assist in keeping my team moving, I take time in the mornings to get grounded in nature; a nice early morning jog at my special spot and quiet time with my thoughts allow me to stay centered. Every morning following that time, I email my entire company with tips to work on their business, words/quotes of wisdom, fun challenges for the day; some days I focus on light and laughter. I take the overall temperature of the organization the day before based on feedback and execute accordingly the next day. My core team has been calling the Realtors daily for the past five weeks with each on rotation, so every Realtor is touched daily. I suppose they won’t care how much you know or what you offer them unless they know that you truly care.
Who in the community has impressed you or helped you most during this time?
There are so many in the Inman community who always give me a boost via social media, whether they know it or not. I have leaned so very much on the Inman Coast to Coast Facebook page as that has become my go-to daily to stay on top of everything going on in real time. I enjoy reading the varying perspectives and different points of view. Truly a community of thought-leaders, and I appreciate being able to rely on those thoughts, whether I agree or not.
Can you share a few words about how Inman has helped you grow your business, in bull or bear times?
I have literally not missed a single Inman conference in the past seven or eight years. I attend all of them due to the fact that it has become my differentiator. As an independent brokerage owner, I rely on the knowledge gained and the ability to stay on top of the pulse of the industry. My office tends to lean toward innovation in all aspects of our capabilities, and the wisdom gained and learned through participating with Inman functions has allowed me to catapult my brand. Every time I leave a conference, I always make some quick pivots based on what I learned. Truly my game-changer for sure! Looking forward to the new format, #gameon.
Joshua A. McGrath
Joshua A. McGrath
CEO/Founder, Real Estate Central, LLC
What’s the biggest change in the way you’re managing your business now?
We have all of our staff working remote and have been doing training and meetings via Zoom on a daily basis. Meeting with the agents and discussing ways for them to stay motivated and focused during this time. I am ensuring I check in with the team on a regular basis.
How do you find new business in a time like this?
We have been surprised by the buyers in our local market. Just in the past seven days, we have had 72 new listings and 76 new pending properties in the MLS. Reaching out and chatting with folks and taking the time to check in and say “hi” and see how they are doing. Keeping a positive presence both online and on the phone has helped.
How do you keep morale up, for you personally, and for your team?
Working to make time to Zoom and see each other’s faces, focus on the positive and read positive articles, books and such has made it good. The company is running Facebook promotions to generate engagement from the community and to do giveaways each week, as well. We have a “nominate your favorite hero” each week, and in our private group, we are doing fun activities, giveaways, contests and more!
Who in the community has impressed you or helped you most during this time?
Watching the small business community here in Charleston pull together has been amazing. They even set up www.bettertogethercwv.org to help local service workers who needs some much needed help during this time. We as a company launched covid19.mcgrathspeaks.com to provide nonbranded marketing items to fellow agents locally, around the state and beyond. Seeing people come together during this time has been a renewing of the belief in the good in the human race!
What’s your outlook for the rest of this year?
Once we are on the other side of this, I believe our market will pick way up as we are already seeing more sales and lower inventory. My expectation is that demand will surpass what it was prior to this event. We are working to be around for the rebound and getting our house in order to help those who will need it the most.
Can you share a few words about how Inman has helped you grow your business, in bull or bear times?
The articles, positive messaging and idea-sharing have allowed me as the leader to focus on the agents’ needs and provide them information that is both useful and relevant to the current situation.
Kim Luckie
Kim Luckie
Director of Marketing, ERA American Real Estate
What’s the biggest change in the way you’re managing your business now?
Like everyone else, I’m in a Zoom room more than I’m not. Yet the biggest change is that I’m making a lot more room in my schedule for fast-pivot analysis and quick action. It started as a way to make sure agents and staff are well taken care of, but it’s been such an eye-opener. As the bus gets bigger, you’re always aware of how wide your turns must be. This has made me realize what a priority fast-pivot activities must be, with or without a crisis.
How do you find new business in a time like this?
I’ve evaluated the services we provide and broken them into smaller, one-sentence, easier-to-digest pieces of value. It’s allowed me to better articulate my value proposition in the small moments of conversation on and offline. That has translated into more engagement and adoption from my agents and more specific messages and engagement in our consumer marketing.
How do you keep morale up, for you personally, and for your team?
Vulnerability is the secret sauce to effective leadership, right? I’m never more vulnerable than when I’m making a fool of myself in my daily “Quarantine Singalong” lip sync video. They’re ridiculous but full of joy. Joy is infectious, too.
Who in the community has impressed you or helped you most during this time?
Katie Lance, Debra Tappen and Molly McKinley have been responsible for daily doses of positivity, encouragement and focus. I’m recovered from COVID-19 now, but 28 days quarantined in my bedroom would’ve been much harder without those three women lifting us all up every day.
What’s your outlook for the rest of this year?
We’ll look back on this quarter and see a V in the charts — rapid decrease followed by rapid rebound. While we may not end the year up, we won’t be that far off. The real stat to watch will be the decrease in licensed Realtors. The past few years have seen an annual rise in the number of Realtors competing over very little YOY increase in transactions. I see an increase in per-agent productivity YOY for agents whose experience, systems and processes have allowed them to pivot quickly into the new normal.
Can you share a few words about how Inman has helped you grow your business, in bull or bear times?
I’ve been a marketer for 27 years, but I’ve only been in real estate for six. Inman has been with me every step of the way. Sometimes proverbial and often real estate’s own Marauder’s Map, Inman News is a constant companion on my real estate journey.
Inman Connect Now connects virtually June 2-4, 2020. The digital event offers standout speakers, incredible networking opportunities, and the chance to forge business breakthroughs and build new relationships to last a lifetime. Don’t miss out — register today.