For over 15 years, Richard Elias has been making the home selling and buying process efficient, understandable and profitable for homeowners throughout the San Diego area. His reputation as a “Power Negotiator,” award-winning sales record, and commitment to customer satisfaction are just a few of the reasons Richard has been honored as a GRAND CENTURION in the CENTURY 21 system – a status that is accomplished by less than one percent of agents worldwide. In 2008, Richard was the #1 ranked agent in CENTURY 21 Award's Mission Valley office.RORE: How has your business model changed in the past two years?
ELIAS: The best way to sum it up is to say I’ve gone back to following a schedule that’s 100% certain every day. There are activities I need to do every single day, and it starts with prospecting. The other thing I would say is that we have focused on going back to basics, which is something you hear a lot of people talk about, but we really are doing.
RORE: What does your prospecting routine look like?
ELIAS: As the market has shifted, we have really intensified our prospecting efforts. It’s 100% our main focus. We are always actively going after new business. The goal is to try and identify those people who absolutely have to do something. If a person needs to sell, he needs to sell. If they’re committed to selling, we will do whatever it takes to give them the best opportunity to reach their goal.
RORE: What about your efforts with buyers?
ELIAS: We understand that this has been a crazy market. With our buyers, we really work with them on understanding why they want to buy, and then we have an honest discussion about whether or not now is the right time to buy. We remind them that real estate is a long-term investment – that’s a belief people got away from for a period of time. Our job is to give them solid, factual information to base their decisions upon.
RORE: How do you counter the negative perceptions that exist in the media and in the marketplace?
ELIAS: One thing I see agents doing too often is buying into the negativity that’s out there and then it becomes internalized as part of their belief system. It’s like a self-fulfilling “doom prophecy”. Yes, we know that some homes are not selling. But last year over 4 million homes did sell in the U.S. The thought process has to be, “What percentage do you want of the 4 million sales that occurred?” I don’t listen to the news anymore.
RORE: What do you do to motivate yourself?
ELIAS: Now more than ever, I think it’s so important that you fill your mind up with good, positive influences. There is good news out there. There are also a lot of things to be grateful for. One thing I will tell you for sure is I appreciate and respect every deal that we get done. I think everyone on my team has a deeper appreciation for what we accomplish, and we don’t look at anything lightly.
RORE: How does being affiliated with a top company help you?
ELIAS: Without a doubt, in this market you need to align with the company branding and market presence of CENTURY 21 Award. It’s nice to be able to walk into a listing appointment and say that I am part of the number one CENTURY 21 franchise in the world. It’s nice to say I’m with a company that continued moving up in 2008 when other companies were closing down.
RORE: What advice would you give to new agents or agents looking to jumpstart their business?
ELIAS: You cannot wait around for things to change. You need to commit to hours of prospecting on a daily basis. You need to set goals and have personal direction, or you will not survive this market. You are either going to choose your direction and go there, or sit back and let the tide carry you where it wants to go.
RORE: What are you doing to stay connected with your past clients?
ELIAS: You need to be intentional about reaching out to your past clients, and you need to do it more personally than in the mail or through traditional means of staying in touch. We understand that there are challenges for people, but we are still here to help. We not only reach out to our past clients, we let them know that if they have friends or neighbors who need help, we’re here for them, too. We’ll say, “Please have them call me!”
RORE: You are known for being a disciplined “time blocker”. What are the daily routines that make you successful?
ELIAS: My schedule is totally predictable and it drives my business. But the most important thing is in making time for prospecting every single day. My personal commitment is 25 new contacts a day, which can include 5 to 7 expireds, 3 to 5 FSBOs, 10 “Just Listed / Just Sold” contacts, 5 past clients, and 3 professional contacts every day. Prospecting time is really your “money time”, and it’s where you show your value. If you have skills and know how to handle objections, you can succeed in any market, anywhere.
ELIAS: The best way to sum it up is to say I’ve gone back to following a schedule that’s 100% certain every day. There are activities I need to do every single day, and it starts with prospecting. The other thing I would say is that we have focused on going back to basics, which is something you hear a lot of people talk about, but we really are doing.
RORE: What does your prospecting routine look like?
ELIAS: As the market has shifted, we have really intensified our prospecting efforts. It’s 100% our main focus. We are always actively going after new business. The goal is to try and identify those people who absolutely have to do something. If a person needs to sell, he needs to sell. If they’re committed to selling, we will do whatever it takes to give them the best opportunity to reach their goal.
RORE: What about your efforts with buyers?
ELIAS: We understand that this has been a crazy market. With our buyers, we really work with them on understanding why they want to buy, and then we have an honest discussion about whether or not now is the right time to buy. We remind them that real estate is a long-term investment – that’s a belief people got away from for a period of time. Our job is to give them solid, factual information to base their decisions upon.
RORE: How do you counter the negative perceptions that exist in the media and in the marketplace?
ELIAS: One thing I see agents doing too often is buying into the negativity that’s out there and then it becomes internalized as part of their belief system. It’s like a self-fulfilling “doom prophecy”. Yes, we know that some homes are not selling. But last year over 4 million homes did sell in the U.S. The thought process has to be, “What percentage do you want of the 4 million sales that occurred?” I don’t listen to the news anymore.
RORE: What do you do to motivate yourself?
ELIAS: Now more than ever, I think it’s so important that you fill your mind up with good, positive influences. There is good news out there. There are also a lot of things to be grateful for. One thing I will tell you for sure is I appreciate and respect every deal that we get done. I think everyone on my team has a deeper appreciation for what we accomplish, and we don’t look at anything lightly.
RORE: How does being affiliated with a top company help you?
ELIAS: Without a doubt, in this market you need to align with the company branding and market presence of CENTURY 21 Award. It’s nice to be able to walk into a listing appointment and say that I am part of the number one CENTURY 21 franchise in the world. It’s nice to say I’m with a company that continued moving up in 2008 when other companies were closing down.
RORE: What advice would you give to new agents or agents looking to jumpstart their business?
ELIAS: You cannot wait around for things to change. You need to commit to hours of prospecting on a daily basis. You need to set goals and have personal direction, or you will not survive this market. You are either going to choose your direction and go there, or sit back and let the tide carry you where it wants to go.
RORE: What are you doing to stay connected with your past clients?
ELIAS: You need to be intentional about reaching out to your past clients, and you need to do it more personally than in the mail or through traditional means of staying in touch. We understand that there are challenges for people, but we are still here to help. We not only reach out to our past clients, we let them know that if they have friends or neighbors who need help, we’re here for them, too. We’ll say, “Please have them call me!”
RORE: You are known for being a disciplined “time blocker”. What are the daily routines that make you successful?
ELIAS: My schedule is totally predictable and it drives my business. But the most important thing is in making time for prospecting every single day. My personal commitment is 25 new contacts a day, which can include 5 to 7 expireds, 3 to 5 FSBOs, 10 “Just Listed / Just Sold” contacts, 5 past clients, and 3 professional contacts every day. Prospecting time is really your “money time”, and it’s where you show your value. If you have skills and know how to handle objections, you can succeed in any market, anywhere.
