Marovich Business Institute
Workshop/Seminar Topics

1.  "FSBOs: Thinking Outside the Box": the necessity of working the "for sale by owner" market.  By 2010 over 50% of the marketplace will be FSBO.  When it comes to FSBOs, does the agent know what FSBOs want?  Does the agent know the toughest questions they ask?  Does the agent have a list of the top questions to ask FSBO\'s?  This session helps agents to prepare answers to those questions and compare what the FSBO can do (does) with what we do, and demonstrates what we bring to the table.  Just how valuable are we?  And, why a particular company or agent?

2.  "The Proper Practice of Dual Agency": probably the hardest task of a licensee is to be a dual agent for a buyer and seller or a buyer and another buyer.  In this workshop we examine what are the 6 fiduciary duties owed to clients, how they\'re limited in working as a dual agent, how to articulate clearly what agency and dual agency means to the consumer, what is informed consent, how to position dual agency in the counseling session, how to secure informed consent, what the real estate commission requires of the licensees, the necessity and benefits of signed agreements, how the agent gets paid, by whom, and the positioning of fees with the consumer.

3.  "The Duty to Negotiate": is about understanding and practicing the negotiating process.  Many agents do not understand the steps to negotiating, particularly when it comes to strategizing with their client, implementing the strategy, avoiding impasses, and the use and abuse of techniques and tactics in the process.  Included is a brief look at understanding different personality styles and the effect they have on negotiating practices.  Every agent should take this class.

4.  "The Buyer Counseling Session and Buyer Agency Agreement": a seminar about the buyer counseling session, not just breaking the ice, but really qualifying the buyer ot see if they want representation, if they understand dual and designated representation (if allowed) when there are multiple buyers negotiating on the same property, or if they are offering on a listing owned by a seller that the company also represents, qualifying the buyer if they understand fees paid, by whom, the necessity of working with a buyer representation agreement to protect the buyer and the agent, getting the buyer to sign an exclusive agreement, handling the buyer\'s concerns, and why the agreement is so important to the success of the buyer getting what he/she wants.

5.  "Standards: The Higher the Standards, the Longer the Line at the Door": Do agents sometimes get annoyed, even aggravated with the low standards of some of their colleagues?  Do they find some of them ethically challenged?  Do they know that the real estate agents rank low on the list of consumer trust and confidence compared to other careers?  If they\'ve ever wondered why, this workshop will challenge them to go beyond and strive for excellence with buyers and sellers, their colleagues, and themselves.

6.  "Anti-Trust: What You Need to Know to Stay Out of Jail": Why is anti-trust so poorly understood by agents and their brokers, yet is one of the most important laws governing their behavior?  Unfortunately, ignorance is no defense when the public accuses an agency or agent of violating the anti-trust act.  What does a company and their agents need to know?  Just how easy is it to break the law?  Companies say they don\'t boycott; they say their agents don\'t make foolish statements about commissions or about discount brokers.  What are agents being trained (or not) to say about virtual office websites and lower fee brokerages?  This workshop saves brokerages and agents a lot of time and money.

7.  "Open Houses: What No One Told You to Do to Succeed": Whether a company or agent believes open houses are valuable or not, the public perceives them to be not only valuable, but necessary.  So what can an agent who is going to schedule an open house do to make their open house experience not only pleasing to the homeowner, but valuable to themselves and for the time they spent in scheduling and running the open house?  This workshop will give the agent a template on how to prepare, run, and follow up on this important marketing tool. 

8.  "Misrepresentation:  What it Is and What it Leads To":  One of the most misunderstood topics by companies and agents is what to disclose and when.  By looking at real cases this seminar will involve the agents in answering those very questions.  What are stigmatized properties?  Do we have to talk about them if not asked about them?  What are we expected to know that we don\'t know, and what if we don\'t know what we don\'t know?  What is the role of the seller\'s property disclosure statement?  Does it protect the agent and company?  What is consumer fraud and how does it apply to disclosure and representations?  These and more are covered in this 3 hour seminar.

10. "Converting Expired Listings to a Selling Product":  Why do listings expire?  What do you think the seller believes about why their listing expires?  What are the reasons property sells?  What is necessary for an agent who wishes to work with expired listings to know?  How important is knowing personality styles and consulting skills in working on an expired listing\'s owner?  These topics are explored and agents are given an opportunity to fine tune their proposal skills with owners of expired listings.

11. "Three Important Questions -- 4 Important Tasks = Success": Most agents do not know what they want (or need).  If they did have an idea of what they wanted or needed, they wouldn't know what it costs to get it -- and it\'s not only money.  And, even if they did have an idea of what they wanted or needed, and had an idea about what it costs to get it, the road block to getting it would oftentimes seem insurmountable.  In this workshop those topics are explored in depth, and the agents take personal and confidential responsibility in writing down the answers to the above questions.  Particular emphasis is put in their willingness to pay the price (not $) and the removing of obstacles to paying it.

12. "TIME: You Manage It or You Lose ... It":  What can an agent do to manage their time better?  We've all heard the platitudes, but what is it that prevents agents from managing their time better?  What is prioritizing?  What method should be employed to write down the tasks?  Who\'s the boss?  What can the agent do right now to manage their time better?  What are some of the long-range tasks that can be slowly implemented to achieve better time management?  This workshop/seminar can be more than 3 hours; it can be a whole day.

13.  "Professional Assistants: Duties, Responsibilities, How, When, and How Much?":  This seminar looks at the myriad duties and responsibilities that the personal assistant has when assisting a professional REALTOR.  The seminar looks at what is allowed and not allowed by the Real Estate Commission, about how to find an assistant, about how to compensate them, about liabilities, about working with virtual assistants, etc.

14. "Building a Business Plan": What do I need to know and what do I need to do in order to get a business plan up and running so that I\'m more successful in my next year?  How do I budget?  What records do I need to keep?  What shouldn't I be doing?

15. "Back to Basics -- Buyer/Seller Consultation, Agency Disclosure, Handling Objections, and Business Planning and Time Management":  This fast-moving seminar/workshop challenges the agent to be an even more professional sales executive.  It asks the questions:  What do you want?  How much does it cost?  Are you willing to pay the price?  It includes a discussion of the fundamental principle of counseling -- respect.  Lastly, how can agents avoid complaints and suits being filed against them and their companies?  (4 hour minimum)

Plus: customized workshops and seminars for your needs.
Call 732 961-9618  or 201 218-6599
E-mail: Joe@MarovichBusinessInstitute.com