Lori was training in High School to be an Olympic Track and Field athlete until she was injured. What she took from that training was the importance of discipline, which she applied to do the things most people weren’t willing to do in real estate.
While attending Cal State Long Beach, studying International Business, her aunt, who owned a real estate office in Ridgecrest, California, suggested that she come work for her. Ridgecrest, California had an average sales price of $65,000 at the time. Within her first two years in the business, she was selling 70 houses per year.
Lori set a goal to move to Orange County, California and, after choosing an office, began holding open houses for other agents every day - not just on weekends. Then, she knocked on doors around the open houses. Within the first three days of working in Orange County, she met a relocating buyer who turned out to be a corporate vice president. As a result of meeting him, she ended up with over 100 relocating clients.
ASSISTANTS/TEAM
Lori’s team consists of a Sales Manager, Transaction Manager, Listing Manager, Customer Care Coordinator, Listing Coordinator, Client Care Assistant, and five sales partners.
SYSTEMS
Lori’s database contains approximately 4,000 contacts of whom 1,300 are past clients. The remaining 2,700 are corporate contacts in Orange County, prospective sellers and buyers and other agents’ clients that they “adopt” and stay in touch with over time. Lori gets 80% of listings she pursues.
MARKETING
Like other successful agents, Lori uses expensive, color, glossy brochures on the high-end property listings. She realized that they were effective marketing pieces that brought in listing prospects. They are mailed to her geographic farm and adjoining high end markets.
There is an annual Halloween party at her home, which attracts over 400 people, followed by a haunted house event that attracts approximately 1,000 kids.
Annual decisions about advertising commitments are made for the following year and she receives a discount by prepaying for the year.
Lori makes 22 calls each day before she goes home. She closes the door to her office and makes these calls first thing in the morning. For every contact she doesn’t make, she commits to give $100 to charity.
KEY ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS
GUARANTEE – Team McGuire offers a 100% guarantee. That takes the fear out of signing a contract and she only gets one or two cancellations per year.
EMPOWERMENT - Lori takes Wednesdays and Sundays off, and has her team cover for her.
COMMUNICATION — Lori, or her Listing Manager, calls the sellers every Monday to update them on activity and/or progress. Every Friday, they get a copy of their “showing” feedback.
