Hello WomanUP!® Community!
Our Friday show kicked off with some virtual event announcements from Sara:
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Next, Leslie shared a brief economic update, including the debate about the next phase of pandemic relief, the impending Q2 2020 GDP release (which came out today at -32.9%), and the overall strength of the housing market.
After the updates, our leaders dove into a WomanUP!® WaveMaking Wisdom chat with Sandy Darling, a REALTOR® and manager of a 100 agent office in the Fresno-Clovis area. To sum up Sandy's advice in a WomanUP!® worthy quote, ""If you have a seat at the table, make room for someone who doesn't."
Click the image below to watch the replay.
Prefer to watch it on YouTube? Click here.
Leading In Times of Crisis Series Q+A
Sandy has been a REALTOR® in the Fresno-Clovis area for over 46 years and has handled hundreds of transactions during that time.
She manages an office of approximately 100 agents who have integrity and professional knowledge of our market.
Did you know that Sandy managed an all-woman office for over 20 years and most of those agents are still with her today?
Q1: What do you believe is the biggest opportunity for leaders right now?
Since the busy pace of our lives came to a screeching halt, this crisis provided us with the time to look at our business, organize our data base, reach out to past clients and personal friends and re-connect. It is a time for us as leaders to remind our agents that this is an opportunity to have the time to do these things that are often neglected in busier times.
Q2: How about the biggest CHALLENGE?
The biggest challenge has been to calmly focus on the positives and encourage others with a sense of the fact that this is a temporary situation. It might change the ways in which we do business and communicate, but these can be positive changes.
Q3: What advice and resources are you sharing the most?
I have been advising my agents that this is a time to be busy and productive by communicating with past clients and centers of influence. It is NOT a time to isolate in silence. I have also been busy keeping them updated on new forms and legal requirements. This has been an opportunity to learn new skills like Google Hangouts and Zoom meetings, along with using social media and virtual tours. Encouraging them to file for unemployment benefits with the step by step guide from CAR has also been advice I have been giving them.
Q4: What tips do you have for leaders on how to communicate effectively right now?
Google and Zoom meetings have been great for some of my agents, but reaching out by phone to talk to each one on a one-on-one basis has been the best form of communication. It gave me a sense of how they were doing and feeling.
Q5: What is your advice for leaders who are struggling?
This is a challenging time, but it is temporary, and we are coming out of it now. Our business is going to be getting better and better. Even with the high unemployment rate, there are still more than 70% of the people who can buy a home; interest rates are at record lows; many people who have sheltered in place have probably realized that they need a larger home, which will offer listing and buying opportunities for us. There is viable financial assistance available if needed in the interim.
Additional Words of Wisdom
For those of us who have been in this business for a while, we have seen up and down cycles over the years. One thing is for sure: CHANGE is inevitable! No one expected such dramatic change as we are experiencing, but it has provided us with opportunities to learn new skills and be a positive influence for others.
One thing that has helped me personally is the ability to laugh! It is an amazing stress reliever!
Did you miss a past episode of our Weekly UPdates + Wisdom show? No worries, we've got them all HERE.
