In the coming weeks, Romero on Real Estate will feature conversations with top agents inside CENTURY 21 Award and CENTURY 21 Superstars.This week, we introduce Ron Arnold of CENTURY 21 Superstars Placentia office. Arnold has been a continuous top producer with CENTURY 21 Superstars for more than eight years. In 2008, Ron broke through with his best one-year performance ever, eclipsing $400,000 in gross closed commissions to rank as the Placentia office's #1 agent.
RORE: Describe your 2008.
ARNOLD: Wow, 2008… 2008 required a huge amount more work to get deals in escrow, and a huge amount more work to keep deals together. There were so many more challenges with buyers who weren’t sure about the market. But I tell people the truth – that’s one of the core principles of my business. And if I don’t think it’s the right time for my buyers to buy, I’ll tell them. That approach has cost me some business in the short term, but it leads to a level of trust that is ultimately rewarded. Right now I have 24 buyers working with me at a serious level, so I know my approach is working.
RORE: How has your business model changed in the past two years?
ARNOLD: I am doing a much better job of managing contact campaigns. I have really emphasized staying touch with people, and I have set up detailed campaigns that reach people wherever they are. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to make impressions constantly. If I do these campaigns as I have them scheduled, I am going to have a much better and less stressful year. If I don’t implement what I have planned, I have to invent new things to send out all the time, and that will take away from the time I need for contracts and appointments. I am totally focused on implementing best practices at every level of my business.
RORE: How have the shifts in our market caused you to grow as a person?
ARNOLD: It’s made me appreciate what’s most important. Sometimes there are seasons that are really barren, and I think God uses these times to draw us back and make us reflect on what our true priorities should be. And going through that process makes me so much more grateful for things when times are going well. For me, it’s become clear that my relationships with God, my wife, and my kids are most important. I have to give credit to the Lord, because He has given me all these good things.
RORE: What else have you done to stay connected with your past clients as the market has changed?
ARNOLD: Every year I send gifts to my past clients, and I work to stay up on what’s happening in their lives. But the last two years have been ugly for a lot of people, and that’s simply a reality. You have to face the pain that exists. I have committed myself to engaging with all of my past clients, and one thing I have really focused on is helping people get their property taxes reassessed. I have pulled comps for many of my clients and advised them on how to get a reduction. I have helped them with the process, and that has made their payments more affordable. It goes back to being principle-centered, and one of my core principles is that I really want to help people. That doesn’t change no matter what kind of market we are in.
RORE: What advice would you give to someone who may have had success but needs to kickstart their business?
ARNOLD: Find people who know you, like you and trust you. Spend personal time with these people. Take them to Starbucks, go to lunch, take them out. Say “I’m here for you, but I need your help.” Learn to ask for referrals. If you invest in these relationships, your sphere will invest in you. Personalize your communications. Treat people as individuals. There’s not a “90-day quick fix” to generating referrals… it’s about treating people the way you would want to be treated, and always giving things of value to the people who know you best.
