Jay Frazier
Rural Property Pro, First Weber Group Realtors
Years in Real Estate: 8
Areas Served: The Southwest Wisconsin counties of Grant, Iowa, Sauk, Richland, Crawford and Vernon

What do you do to stand out from the crowd?

I have narrowed my focus to just rural properties: land, farms, & homes on acreage. I don’t handle commercial or traditional residential. This focus and experience has helped establish me as the “Land Agent” for my area.

What is your unfair competitive advantage?

First Weber provides outstanding technology tools that give us a head start and they are continually improving and upgrading as well as providing training on how to use them.

What is the key to a successful life in real estate?

Being adaptable is absolutely essential. Real Estate technology, marketing, communication and the role of the agent has changed dramatically in the 8 years I’ve been in the business, and woe to any agent that doesn’t keep up with the changes.

Cindy Marsh-Tichy
Weichert Realtors
Years in Real Estate: 13
Areas Served: Parsippany: Montville, Boonton, East Hanover, Denville, Rockaway, Hanovers

What is the key to a successful life in real estate?

You really have to love this business. It is so diverse and changes each day so it is always a challenge.  Surround yourself with people that love the business like you do and have the same work habits and philosophy. Everyone plays an important role in making sure the client is satisfied and returns time and time again.  Education is also key. I have always prided myself on staying educated on current topics and issues. I hold several designations and make sure to take classes that bring me up to date on market trends, legal issues, mortgage options and more. There are a lot of topics that until confronted by them, most are unaware they exist. I try to be able to be the source to find the answers.

How have you incorporated video into your marketing?

I use videos in three different ways. First, as a walkthrough of the property when it is listed with my own dialogue as if I was showing it to a prospective client.  Second, I do a segment called Driving with Cindy, and yes, it is videotaped while I am driving and it is a brief overview of a topic, like staging.  Lastly, I have a video that tells my clients why they want to work with me.  Video is very powerful, especially when marketing overseas or across the country to relocation clients.

Mary Miner
Nextage Lone Star Realty & MBM Property Management LLC
Years in Real Estate: 11
Areas Served: Austin, TX: Pflugerville, Hutto, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Lakeway, Lender

Why did you become a member of Top 5?
I became a member of Top 5 because Verl Workman has been my coach. I learn a great deal from him and he helped me succeed in a difficult time last year. Top 5 has a lot to offer and great tools for us to expand our business.

 What’s your biggest obstacle to staying ahead on information?
I believe that the biggest obstacle is lack of education. We all need coaches and need others to hold us accountable throughout our career. We need to stay focused at all times.

What is the key to a successful life in real estate?
It is to really care about your client and your fellow Realtors®. You need to learn to give back and work with your community. Learn to be the expert of your area but then give to others and all will respect you. Have passion for your profession and feel great when you client gets their results.

Priscilla Toomey
Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty
Years in Real Estate: 25
Areas Served: Southern Westchester County, NY

Why did you become a Member of Top 5?

For the information and the networking. I learn so much from working with Top 5. The articles all go up on my website, which has helped my search engine optimization tremendously.  

Why is providing relevant content and information critical to succeeding in today’s market?

Everybody starts their home search on the Internet today. They may also hear a lot in the media about real estate. One of the reasons it is so important to provide relevant content is because real estate is local, but what they may be seeing or hearing is not local. I provide important context.  

Why is it essential to build this type of ongoing relationship with clients?

Real estate sales are often looked at as transactional. My background, however, is in relocation, where the relationship goes on for 20 or 30 years. So I look at clients as clients for life and I want to be there as a resource for whatever they need,   whenever they need it.  

Lynn Burley
Burley Properties
Years in Real Estate: 8
Areas Served: Brevard and Indian River County, Florida

What is your unfair competitive advantage?

"My clients would say my attention to detail is my advantage. I make sure that we not only do our job as a Real Estate Brokerage, we also follow up on every detail like we are the ones actually buying or selling the property. I always answer the phone and emails within an hour even on the weekends. We make sure every Buyer is prequalified so they are ready to buy and the Sellers know only qualified Buyers are seeing their home. Communication is the key to any successful transaction. I am a computer geek and when I cannot find a program that best serves my clients, I build one. I have also been in the construction field for years which gives me a unique insight into the construction of the homes, helping me know what is proper and what is not."

What is the most creative advertising you are using?

"We have a unique Internet-based marketing technology system designed to help every Buyer and Seller. We have a specialized individual webpage for every property we list which creates a tremendous amount of traffic, bringing numerous Buyers to the specific property as well as others. We have a personally generated newsletter that we create every two weeks which is emailed to hundreds of potential Buyers that has all of our listings as well as every HUD and foreclosure in our county."

Christine Richardson
Weichert Realtors
Years in Real Estate: 24
Areas Served: Northern Virginia

Why did you become a member of Top 5?

“I believe strongly in the idea of providing relevant information to my clients. Why is it that consumers call us after they have decided they want to buy or sell real estate? They should be calling us to find out if they should be considering buying or selling real estate. I also like the idea of having a credential that spans real estate companies so that consumers have a true benchmark to seek when choosing a REALTOR®. There are so many "top producers” out there—how is a consumer to choose?”

What is the best way to connect with the consumer?

“I think you have to be versatile and flexible. Some people want to communicate by text and Facebook messaging while others prefer the good old fashioned phone call or face-to-face discussion. And you have to be able to do everything in between, too. I try to make my clients feel as comfortable and make connecting with me easy. That requires different approaches for different people.”

Jo Ferraro
The Jo Ferraro Team @ Century 21 Affiliated
Years in Real Estate: 14
Areas Served: Madison, Middleton, Waunakee, Verona & all of South Central Wisconsin

What is your best idea for time management?

Just ‘do it’! Keep doing only the things you love to do and no one else can. Maximize the value you add to your team members and clients. Communicate effectively, empower others and delegate.

What is the key to a successful life in real estate?

Putting others peoples' needs and goals above your own self interests. Effective communication, systems, leads management, honesty and integrity.

Why did you become a member of Top 5?  

To add even more value to my clients and leverage me further above my competition!

Do you use social media to stay current?

Yes, I use social media to stay current. I tweet and have a business page for all the real estate issues. I now am using the Top 5 videos and embedded in the website.

Jacqueline Hoff
Mansell Real Estate – Ogden UT
Years in Real Estate: 8
Areas Served: Weber, Davis, Morgan and Box Elder Counties in UT

 What is your unique selling advantage?

 Someone once said, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” It’s both! Fortunately, education and experience allow me to help my clients get to where they are going faster with understanding the “what, where, when and why” of selling their property.

Why did you become a member of Top 5?

 To benefit from the knowledge, inspiration and experience of other top real estate professionals who are currently doing business the way I want to grow mine.

 What is your most creative marketing strategy?

This year I held a “Do It Yourself Kids Summer Outdoor Project Contest”. Parents and kids loved it! The kids had to choose a project, use a budget of $100, plan the project, send me before and after photos along with their receipts and a synopsis of what they learned. The winner received a professional video posted to YouTube and Facebook as well as a $200 Visa gift card. Community involvement is always key

Jo Ann Roberts
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate
Years in Real Estate: 18
Areas Served: Pinecrest, Gables by the Sea, Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay, Fla.

What’s your biggest obstacle to staying ahead on information?

Time. Agents have to be very disciplined to spend their time wisely. As I go through the day, when I have “wait time,” I use my iPad to read real estate articles I have bookmarked. I constantly stay aware of my local real estate market and keep my community aware of market trends through a monthly newsletter.

Do you use social media to stay current?

Yes. I recognize social media as an important tool to build rapport and recognition in the community. But I also know it can take an immense amount of time. I think agents have to be very, very disciplined in their social media time management.

What is the key to a successful life in real estate?

Balance. Taking care of your health, family and career. Taking care of health is number one so you can enjoy number two and be successful in number three. The other way I know how well I’m doing is from the continual client referrals to their friends and relatives.

Chris Nichols
Prudential Utah Elite Real Estate
Years in Real Estate: 9
Areas Served: Utah County, Utah

What is the biggest challenge to using social media?

I think people tend to not be themselves on social sites. This is an opportunity for you to shine and let your personality show. After all, the best client is the one who truly feels connected to you as their agent.

What is your most creative marketing strategy?

When I first got involved in social media I branded myself as utahREpro. That branding and presence across multiple platforms has made a tremendous difference for me. It has provided me with many referrals from across the nation as I have been able to stay top of mind for REALTOR friends when they have needs here in Utah.

What is the key to a successful life in real estate?

Give back! My career has truly blossomed and been impacted for the good as I have given back to the industry by serving.