Tech Connect NY 18: Live Problem Solving with Raj Qsar & Laurie Davis

Watch the pros work through tech roadblocks for the Inman audience
By INMAN / Feb 22

One of the many beneficial sessions at Inman Connect New York is “Tech live problem-solving” at Tech Connect, where the pros discuss audience issues and answer tech queries live onstage.

Listen in as Laurie Davis (broker/owner, BHGRE Lifestyle Property Partners) and Raj Qsar (principal/owner, The Boutique Real Estate Group) answer questions like:

  • I’m becoming overwhelmed with social media. Do I hire a social media manager? And, assuming it’s a $30,000 role, how do I keep track of it?
  • What systems are best to use when managing a team?
  • I’ve never created a listing video … where do I start?

Listen in to hear the answers to these and more.

Watch more sessions from ICNY 18 here.

Inman Real Estate Connect 2017 – Best Places to Eat

By Raj Qsar & SF.Eater

If your headed to Inman Connect in San Francisco this summer you are probably going to ask that question? Where are we going to dinner. Well, since this is my 6th ICSF and my 10th overall Inman Connect I thought I would share with you some of my latest research for the top foodie spots in the city.

ICSF_FBCover_02

Most of us will be hitting some sort of happy hour, soiree, after party or after after party the entire week but sometimes you just wanna sit down with your friends, crack open an amazing bottle of wine and just catch up with some of your nearest & dearest. With that thought in mind I have hand selected a few hotspots for ICSF 2017:

  1. The Riddler: Champagne, caviar, and the coziest corner in Hayes Valley all led by some serious boss ladies. Ladies aren’t the only ones loving this elegant take on a European Champagne bar— it’s quickly become must-hang spot for San Franciscans of all stripes. Screen Shot 2017-08-03 at 2.32.54 PM
  2. Hitachino Beer & Wagyu: After a much-hyped opening with reservations booking up for weeks at a time, Hitachino continues to be very popular destination. Drop in at dinner for a taste of ten Hitachino beers on draft, or attempt to snag a reservation for wagyu in the back, which ranges from tongue skewers to ramen. Screen Shot 2017-08-03 at 2.37.15 PM
  3. Beretta: This Mission hotspot is always packed, with good reason. The menu is rife with antipasti, pizzas, pastas, risottos, and rotating daily specials like cioppino and short ribs. While you wait for a table, grab one of the excellent cocktails at the bar, and plot your dining strategy. It’s open late night (food til 1 a.m.). Screen Shot 2017-08-03 at 2.42.18 PM
  4. Khai Restaurant: If the chef is going to personally serve me dinner then its a must stop while in SF. Originally known for Ana Mandara (which closed in 2012), chef Khai Duong is back with a $95 tasting menu-only dining experience in SoMa. The small restaurant is staffed by just a few, and dishes are often delivered by the chef himself. Screen Shot 2017-08-03 at 2.46.57 PM
  5. Mourad: OMG. This place looks sooo bomb!! he restaurant itself is big and beautiful, matched only by chef Mourad Lahlou’s Moroccan-inspired flavors. Choose from a la carte options like duck basteeya and family-style, large format dishes of lamb and short rib, or go for the tasting menu. Drinks are equally inspired, featuring combinations like pineapple and artichoke. Screen Shot 2017-08-03 at 2.49.46 PM

Hoping to meet as many of you as I can during Inman Connect SF 2017. I will be presenting at the Indy Broker Summit on Monday as well.

You can connect with me here:

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Just for Fun

Business Card Etiquette

BizCardEtiquete

Written by: Raj Qsar

👉 The business greeting in many cultures is often the initial impression an individual can give to their clients. Since our team assists clients in buying & selling residential real estate in Southern California we have many different cultures we come across and each culture seems to have their own unique customs in regards to business. Over the last 8 years, we have seen a massive influx of individual from 🇨🇳 China who are buying & selling homes here in Orange County. A few things we have learned over the years in regards to business greetings & etiquette include:

Some helpful tips:

1. You must have a business card. Not having a business card is like not having a name and the equivalent to not shaking someones hand in western culture.

2. Your title on your card is also very important. Most Chinese people want to feel they are speaking to someone very important or someone at their level. So if you are meeting a CEO of a Chinese company they will want to speak to the CEO of your company.

3. Receiving or giving your card:

a. You MUST be standing up (this shows respect)

b. You MUST have your cards in a case (this shows you are organized). The case should have a spot for your cards and for the card you are receiving.

c. You MUST hand your card over with both hands (as the photo above represents). This is the highest form of respect. Never give a card out with your left hand. It is considered a total insult.

d. When you hand your card over please make sure the writing is face up towards your client (this shows courtesy).

e. Then you MUST accept your clients cards with both hands as well (as shown above).

f. When you receive the clients card, pause, read it and make a comment about their company, their title or simply repeat their name. If you are unsure how to pronounce their name now is the perfect time to ask and clarify.

g. Now place your clients card back in your case and put the case back in your jacket pocket over your heart (left side coat pocket). This shows honor as you are placing their card over your heart. If you are not wearing a jacket keep the card in your right hand for the entire meeting. If you are seated, then place the card in front of you (not face down).

Things to NEVER do:

1. Never hand out a ripped, torn or dirty business card.

2. Never write on someone’s card. It is the equivalent of writing on someone’s face.

3. Do not accept or give your card with one hand. And never with your left hand (as mentioned above).

4. Never place a business card in your pant pocket and then sit on the card. It would be like sitting on that persons face.

5. Do not stack your cards on a table and have your client simple take one.

6. Never ask a client for another card and say you lost it. It is like you have lost their face.

 

TOP 10 ICSF TAKEAWAYS AS AN ICSF NOOB

By:  The Boutique Real Estate Group

It’s been two years since I started my journey in the Real Estate Industry. InMan Connect San Francisco is the first big real estate conference I have been to, the other being a workshop in Las Vegas with Mike Ferry. The conference was a full 2.5 days of speakers, workshops, and networking. It was like a wonderful smashup of those who are at the top of the Real Estate Industry, trading info on the newest apps, innovative concepts, tips and crazy ideas.

1.  On buyer experience- What is more important to a buyer: Relationship or Convenience? When Redfin CEO, Glenn Kelman took the stage on Day 1, my love/hate relationship with Redfin deepened with a new reality check. Kelman’s team found that when browsing properties online, buyers value the convenience more than the relationship of an agent- every time. The invention of the 4G mobile device allows us the instant gratification of getting what we want at the touch of a screen/button/app. Today’s savvy homebuyer will prefer the agent who can show them the property at that very instant instead of the one who they may have been communicating with on and off.

2.  Be efficient or be extinct! Don’t reinvent the wheel- simplify your workflow, and improve your system. By 12 noon each day of the conference, there would be at least 5-10 new apps downloaded on my iPad. In fact, there was a room FULL of little booths set up with the newest apps and goodies available for the world of real estate. A few that definitely stood out to me were RefreshTwilioTempoHouseCallUpdaterLenda, and Lumentus.

3.  Information asymmetry only helps the sellers with the lemons. In the used car market, people used to have no way in telling if they were going to end up with a bad car since the only person who knew was the person selling it. This resulted in low-baller buyers who factored in repair costs when haggling while sellers with the good cars end up never selling because it wouldn’t be worth it. So the only cars that ended up selling were the bad ones at average used car prices. When purchasing anything of value, people love information. With the largest purchase decision of their life, people want to know everything and anything that may alter their decision about purchasing the home. The Internet is a beautiful thing, but misinformation can be a huge problem. Sometimes things are simply just not true, and at that moment, you need to be the professional who can clarify between fact and myth. Therefore, give your clients all the information they need, give them the resources, and be a trusted filter. A consumer who is educated in the market are becomes the fastest transaction. No one wants a lemon.

4.  Uber-fying the real estate transaction. The term “uberfy” started trending at ICSF from the very start and is basically used to describe anything that is able to help bridge the gap between consumer and services. How can we leverage that in real estate? Have an awesome online presence! Be on ZTR (Zillow/Trulia/Realtor.com), have a social network, and answer your phone. Embrace the advances in our industry through technology and make it work for your business. A great agent encompasses a combination of professionalism, local expertise, and a great online presence. There is no point having a great product that no one knows about.

5.  Work your angle. There are three types of brokerages out there: Corporate firms (REMAX, Century 21, etc), boutique firms (The Boutique Real Estate Group), and discount firms. Know your advantages and disadvantages when working at each type of firm and make sure it is aligned with how you want to operate your business. As Charles Moore put it, “Safeway can be our neighbor, but my wife shops at Whole Foods.”

6.  Rich people like free stuff. Ok, so who doesn’t? There are many new things I’ve learned at ICSF and quite a few I already practice (which makes feel great about myself). Then, there are the things that other top agents do that make my practices look like child’s play. Alex Wang, for example practices vacation stalking where he finds out where his clients go on vacation and literally calls the hotel to make sure they receive an awesome care package upon their arrival. In a big transaction, the little things matter.

7.  Take it from the top! Many of us take referrals for granted. So your best friend’s sister needs to buy a home. Instead of assuming the sale, you have to win them over again and again. Start from the top and give them the top service their friend or family promised them!

8.  Bake, don’t eat! Guy Kawasaki shares with us on Enchantment: Eaters see that there’s only one cake, the more they eat, the less everyone else gets. A baker says they can make another pie, and everyone can have dessert. The best way to get what you want is to make sure the other person gets what they want first! Bakers are also innovative; they can bake cakes, cookies, or brownies and make everyone feel like they have been taken care of. So if you don’t mind my version: Bake, Serve, then Eat!

9.  Build an ecosystem. Often times as real estate professionals, we see ourselves becoming unlicensed counselors, therapists, movers, gardeners, maids, and the list goes on. Have a great list of professionals to offer your clients and focus on your own job- helping your clients buy/sell their home.

10. Put yourself in their shoes. If you were about to move to a brand new country, state, community, what would be the first thing you do? In the Global Luxury Connect session, Gary Gold talked about making a YouTube video helping buyers understand the process of buying a home. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in all of the details of a transaction that we forget to remind our clients of the big picture. Being able to really understand a client’s challenges and actually help them solve it will change everything. Helpful is the new viral!

 

If there was a #11, it would be to NETWORK! My only regret after the conference was that I didn’t network enough. I got a little too excited that I was going to be visiting NorCal and I jam-packed my after conference schedule with other dinners and social events. I highly recommend ICSF to any agent who hasn’t yet experienced it. Many thanks to Raj Qsar for always encouraging and challenging us with the industry’s best opportunities and innovations.

Find the full schedule of ICSF 2014 here.

Live From Real Estate Connect | Raj Qsar & Mark Fitzpatrick

This week’s “Mobile Agent TV” is a special episode was LIVE from INMAN CONNECT SAN FRANCISCO.

Our guest is Mark Fitzpatrick who is the CEO at RUHM, which is a full-service “Destination Marketing Agency” of marketers, real estate consultants, and artists that promote the world’s finest destinations.

We will also be joined by, friend of the show, RAJ QSAR who is a finalist for Inman’s “MOST INNOVATIVE REAL ESTATE AGENT” award and is owner of THE BOUTIQUE REAL ESTATE GROUP IN ORANGE COUNTY.

Watch the Google + Hangout Here.

Mobile Agent TV

Top 5 Things To Do at Real Estate Connect #icsf

By:  Raj Qsar

This will be my 4th Real Estate Connect hosted by Inman News in San Francisco and it is the one event I look forward to year in & year out.  I remember my first Connect like it was yesterday and it really helped me connect with people & solidify connections I had made online over the years.  So for all you first time or repeat attendees here is a simple Top 5 list for you before you head to #icsf:

1.  Make a list of the people you want to meet “in real life (IRL).”   Connect is an amazing time for me personally to connect with people who I admire and respect and make that true IRL connection.   Some of the connections I have made at Connect have become life long friends on mine!  Remember this quote from GaryV, “People are not addicted to social media. People are addicted to people.”  Some of my friends I met at #icsf:  @chris_smth @katielance @lauramonroe @tericonrad @debra11 @kellymitchell @nobuhata @topbrokeroc @kendyl @jefflobb @tkjellander @lisaarcher @lauriewdavis @jimmymackin @sethstuff

2.  Attend the sessions that are a must attend for you!  Look for the sessions that pull you out of your comfort zone and will challenge you on a professional level.  See the full schedule here.  For me I always get something new from “The New Kids On The Block” session which this year is on Wednesday July 16th at 10:10am and these “KIDS” are the startups that are changing the real estate game.  Also of note this year is “The Uberification of Real Estate” session which is on Wednesday at 10:30am (sounds killer)!  Did someone say Luxury?  The session called Luxury Power Players will be off the kilt!  Connect Here.

3.  Meet the 2014 Inman Connect Ambassadors.  Talk about a fab list of people!  If you could create a memory with each of these rockstars at Connect it would truly be epic!  Meet them here –> Real Estate Connect Ambassadors.  Secret hint….They are having a mixer and you can meet them all there —>  Click Here.  Also, connect with everyone in the Real Estate Connect facebook group.

4.  The Party after the Party!  Do I need to say anymore?  We all know the real fun starts after 10pm!  So just ask around, jump in an Uber Cab (download app here) and find out where the action is!!  Check your email for last minute invites to all the happening VIP parties and events.  If you do not know where the party is just ask my friend @JeremyLehman!!  Check out the video we made from ICSF2012.

5.  Get out into the city!  San Francisco is truly a gorgeous city with sights, sounds and killer food!!!  Check out this drone fly over the city just in case you needed a visual!  Click Here.  And since our team at The Boutique Real Estate Group are total foodies check out this list of  The 38 Essential San Francisco Restaurants.

If you made it this far here is my Top Secret List of must meets.  Shhhhh, do not tell anyone.  I am really shy and do not want anyone to know!  =)

@valeriegarcia1

@katiemmax

@vboakland

@zachschabot

@thatpeterbrewer

@laurahbrady

@avhellman

San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge at sunset, California