Stacy McFarland

BroadHead Real Estate Solutions, LLC
Years in Real Estate: 4
Areas Served:  Austin, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave, Lakeway, Buda, Kyle

What is your sustainable competitive advantage?

BroadHead's competitive advantage is that we have a team that is well diversified in traditional real estate and REO sales as well as staying up-to-date with the everyday evolving technology. This diversity and the many different strengths that each team member brings to the table enables BroadHead to better serve our clients, other Realtors, and BroadHead as a whole.

What is the biggest challenge to using social media?

The biggest challenge in using social media is staying on top of each social media facet and keeping pertinent information up-to-date that is actually beneficial to your clients.

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

The key to a successful life in real estate is adapting to change.  Markets and technology change on a regular basis and if you are not adaptable, you will be left in the dust.

Brian Solinsky
South Sound Home Team at Keller Williams
Years in Real Estate: 7
Areas Served: South Sound of Washington State; mainly Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Tacoma, Federal Way, Auburn, and Spanaway 

 What is your unique selling advantage?

“Begin with the end in mind.” Steven R Covey. I start with an understanding of the goals of my clients, then set up a plan for success. Through the use of research, marketing, communication, negotiation, and follow through; I am able to sell homes for the highest price in the right amount of time. As we follow the plan with the end in mind, we can overcome any obstacle that comes our way.

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

Finding success in real estate first involves being in front of people. It is vital to budget your time to allow for such opportunities. Being involved with my community, both in person and in cyberspace let’s others know I am there and ready to serve. It is a natural jump to do business with me as a trusted community-minded individual.

 What are you doing to make a difference and drive new business?

Community involvement is key to my business success. I coach multiple teams in youth sports and am involved in the W.A.T.C.H. DOGS program at the local elementary school. These activities put me in front of people in a positive way and lead to business opportunities as well.

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

Brad Korb
The Brad Korb Team at RE/MAX In Action
Years in Real Estate: 33
Areas Served: Burbank, Glendale, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Valley Village, and surrounding areas

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

You need to make a commitment to follow your goals.  Work on them daily and spend time improving your business and yourself.  Mastermind with fellow real estate agents with values and goals that are similar to yours.

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

My key to a successful life in real estate is to always hang around real estate agents that are doing more business than you.  Network with top producers from around the country.  Implement ideas they share and add your core values to make them your own.  You can be green & growing or ripe & rotten.  You need to keep growing your business.

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.

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.

Valerie Keener
RE/MAX PREMIER
Years in Real Estate: 8
Areas Served: North Dallas, Richardson, Collin County, SE Denton County

What is your unique selling advantage?

"Being an avid reader, and technical almost to the point of being a “geek”, I accumulate amazing amounts of market knowledge and never stop garnering more! Market knowledge is much more than preparing comparable sales information and reports, it’s being aware of commercial development as well as residential, changes in appraisal regulations, lender regulations, inspection codes and school information, and how all of the above factor into residential real estate. The more I know and learn, the more I can help my clients to make the best real estate decisions."

What is the biggest challenge to using social media?

"Social media is time consuming, though there are some great tricks and tools to keep the time commitment it to a minimum. I think the larger challenge is the plethora of social media venues and how to find what works for you and tailor it to your business and personal life. You can be on any of the primary sites, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, and without knowledge of how to use those sites for business, it’s easy to believe they don’t offer anything. It’s easy to want to focus so much on growing business or obtaining business from these sites that you overlook the enjoyment factor! Sometimes, it’s just fun to be on Facebook and keep up with people and “like” their posts!"

Chris Ruszkiewicz
RE/MAX Realty 100
Years in real estate: 18
Areas served: Greater Milwaukee Area; Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Racine & Ozaukee counties.

What is your unique selling advantage?

I offer exceptional service to my clients. With over 18 years as a full-time, successful Realtor, my experience helps buyers and sellers navigate this difficult market. My goal is to do all I can to help each of my clients meet their real estate goals. I strive to make each transaction as smooth and easy as possible.  With 95% of my business coming from past clients and referrals, I don’t have to invest time in pursuing new business.  I’m able to devote my time to serving the needs of my clients.

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

Passion and balance.  I absolutely love what I do and love my clients.  However, taking care of my clients can become overwhelming.  I have learned to take care of myself and my family first.  It has made me a better wife, mother, friend and Realtor! 

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.

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.