Back to Basics

I recently wrote an article for MOBILITY Magazine (the monthly publication of Worldwide ERC), which appears in this month’s publication.  The article is entitled, “Strategic Planning–Back to Basics.”  In the article I address the fact that as organizations continue to modify budgets in response to the economic downturn, that greater emphasis has been placed on getting back to basics.  This can be seen throughout the real estate and relocation industries as a whole.  And by “basics,” I mean refocusing on the fundamental business elements and habits that may have been neglected or overlooked during recent times of business hardship…you know, the ones that made us successful.

I think that this all starts with strategic planning and the idea that you need a road map to get you where you want to go.  In so doing, companies evaluate where they are, where they have been, where they want to go and the steps needed to get there.    Strategic planning often calls for a SWOT Analysis, in which you look at an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  You have to look at what is working, what is not, what changes need to be made, etc., in order to begin taking steps in the right direction, which should be is towards your overall goal, whatever that may be.  Remember, a failure to plan is a plan to fail!

For many organizations, back to basics means placing more value on their clients and customers in the form of renewed customer service and service delivery.  It is often much more difficult to keep a client or customer than to get a new one.  Thus we have to provide the highest quality of customer care, and continue to differentiate ourselves from the competition and always look to increase our value-added proposition in the eyes of our clients.

Back to basics also means that we need to look at the ways in which we train within our  companies and organizations, and the ways in which we can partner with our clients to provide their teams with training and educational opportunities.  I don’t think that there is anyone out there who would not benefit from additional training, no matter how seasoned they are in their profession.  Especially with all of the technological advances being made everyday, keeping your skills sharp and keeping current on technology is more important than ever before.  For example, as I write this, our company is conducting an iPad training class for our agents.  We recognize the importance of staying on the cutting edge of technology, but at the same time we have to provide the proper training to make sure that our team is effectively using the technology.

If we continue to re-commit ourselves and our companies to the fundamental practices that have made us successful, then I feel strongly that we will be poised for continued growth and success.

As always, I welcome your comments on this blog post as well as on my article. 

To read the full article, please click here:  “Strategic Planning–Back to Basics.”

In Agent Training
Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
Relocation
Worldwide ERC

Worldwide ERC’s New CEO Visits John Daugherty, Realtors

This was quite a week for John Daugherty, Realtors and our Global Relocation Services Division.  At our Sales Meeting on Tuesday, I had arranged to have none other than Peggy Smith, the new CEO for Worldwide ERC® (Employee Relocation Council) visit and present to our team.  I first had the pleasure of meeting Peggy in May when I was in Orlando, Florida for the RDC (Relocation Directors Council) Spring Event and Worldwide ERC Conference.  In her opening comments at RDC, she said that she was going to be spending her first 120 days as the new CEO for Worldwide ERC® conducting a “Listening Tour” among Worldwide ERC® members throughout the country. 

That was all I needed to hear.  As soon as I got back to Houston, I reached out to Peggy via email, congratulated her again on her new position, told her how much I had enjoyed meeting her in Orlando, and let her know that I would very much like to be included in her “Listening Tour.”  Expecting that it would take her a little while to get back to me, I was amazed when I heard back from her almost instantly.  We set up a time to visit by telephone for the following week.

During our hour-long conversation, Peggy explained to me what her idea was behind the “Listening Tour.”  She said, “The organization (Worldwide ERC®) is ready to embrace the challenges and to look and think about a different approach.  The listening tour, I think, is important to us as an input valve to help determine what our next 3-5 year strategic plan might look like.”  She said that from the “Listening Tour,” that she should start to see key themes develop that she can bring back to the ERC Board at the upcoming Global Workforce Symposium in Seattle.  Based on these themes and the input that she receives from members, she said that she will be able to bring forward specific elements that she thinks we should begin pursuing as an organization.  I think that this is a very progressive idea for Worldwide ERC® and its members.

The more she shared with me, the more intrigued I became.  Soon I realized that it wasn’t enough to speak with her on the telephone, and that I really needed to get her to Houston to speak to our Houston Relocation Team.  Again, she humbly agreed, told me when she was going to be in Texas, and we ironed out the details.

Before I knew it, the morning of August 3rd had arrived, and I picked her up from her hotel and brought her to our office.  We enjoyed breakfast and light conversation about her own relocation from Seattle to the Washington, DC area.  During her presentation to our team, she shared a few details about her recent relocation and the vast differences in the housing market.  She and her family left their custom built 4,000 square foot home in Seattle, and are now living in a 1,300 square foot apartment in Washington, DC.  She jokingly said that there wasn’t a recession in the Washington, DC area and that she was paying $3,800 per month for her 1.5 bedroom apartment.  Meanwhile, her 4,000 square foot home, which she had decided to lease rather than sell, would probably only fetch about $4,100 per month.

She asked us about the Houston real estate market, and what impact the recession had on home prices here.  John Daugherty told her how the home prices in Houston have remained fairly stable and that we have not suffered in the ways that other parts of the country have.  Peggy seemed surprised at the fact that we have not experienced a bubble here in Houston, thus we didn’t suffer the bust that was experienced elsewhere.  

In addressing our team and talking about why she had embarked on this ”Listening Tour,” she explained that the purpose is to create an input valve to help determine a strategic plan for the organization based on member suggestions, annual surveys, and conversations that she has had directly with members via telephone, email and over coffee. 

Peggy also talked about what corporations and relocation management companies seek in their real estate partners, and addressed the often uncomfortable subject of escalating referral fees.  According to Peggy, corporations and relocation management companies are looking for the following traits in their real estate partners:

• Knowledge & Perspective
• Collaboration
• Strategy
• Solutions
• Reliability
• Value/Cost-efficiency
• Performance

She also drove home the all-important fact that “there is no such thing as personal business in relocation.”  I often remind the agents at our company about this, and how employee benefits may be at risk if any part of the process is mishandled.  Even with a pre-existing relationship, it is possible to jeapardize corporate business.  The actions of one agent in representing our company, can put the whole account at risk.  It is my job, through the proper training and direction, to see to it that these risks are minimized at all times.

As a company, we have always placed great emphasis on our Global Relocation Services Division.  As the person responsible for this Division, I am extremely proud of the consistent growth in our relocation and referral business, especially during troubling economic times.  We have truly earned our place among the top real estate firms around the world, and more and more, we are becoming the number 1 choice for corporations, organizations and relocation management companies that partner with us on a regular basis to assist their relocating employees.  

Peggy’s visit to our company was an exclusive for the Houston market, as we were the only real estate company on her short agenda.  This was an important nod to our company as a major player within the global relocation industry and as a member of Worldwide ERC®.  I am always thrilled to be able to bring valuable relocation training and information to our team.

John Daugherty, Realtors started its Global Relocation Services Division in 1974.  Since that time, our company has been heavily involved in corporate relocation by assisting both domestic and international transferees in buying, selling and leasing properties in the Greater Houston area.

In Global Relocation Services
Houston
Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
Real Estate
Relocation
Relocation Department
Worldwide ERC

Houston Relocation Department Discusses Going Green

As a wise frog once said, “It ain’t easy being green.”  Well, that is not necessary the case for John Daugherty Realtors Global Relocation Services Division.  Going green certainly poses a unique set of challenges for a real estate company.  There are voluminous files, which contain copious amounts of paper, and several copies that must be made and distributed and so on and so on.  I found much the same when I took over our Global Relocation Services Division at the end of 2008.  I saw that so much of what had previously been stored in paper files and boxes, could easily be saved electronically as PDF files.  Gone are the days of saying, “Just put a copy in my box.”  This phrase has been replaced with “Just send it to me via email.”

My approach was to set up an electronically organized filing system for my entire department to share.  And the advantages, beside being “green,” are numerous.  For starters, I have access to everything via my computer, without having to lug files home every night and every weekend.  This is a huge advantage when I travel as well.  All I have to do is connect to our server from anywhere my laptop can take me.

Additional Advantages of Paperless Filing:

• Saves time, money and filing space
• Shared access to information without fear of loss of original documents
• Increased security of sensitive documents and information through restricted access
• Instant access to files; because the system I developed is so organized, any single sheet of paper can be instantly accessed, much quicker than anything could be by sifting through a paper file to find something
• Easier to archive closed files and information because everything is in one place

While it is impossible to go completely paperless, I can tell you that I have significantly cut down on the paper usage of my department.  I still use notebooks and pads to help me with my day-to-day organization, but I have also incorporated paperless notebooks into the mix.  The best tool that I can share with you for accomplishing this is Microsoft Office OneNote.  It is a wonderful program that allows the user to set up multiple notebooks on the computer for use with other Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook.  As a self-professed organization  junky, OneNote enables me to have a centralized source for managing important information, projects, ideas, you name it!  If you are not familiar with this amazing product, I hope that you will have a look at it.  If you are already a fan, please share with me the ways in which it has transformed your life!

OK, so back to being green…

John Daugherty, Realtors has also recently started promoting these great reusable bags.    Our agents and using them instead of gift-wrap for housewarming gifts, and taking them to the grocery store, keeping them in their cars, giving them away to clients, and so much more.  The uses are enumerable, and there is nothing to throw away!

The relocation industry is also focused on green initiatives.  I spent a good deal of time last night reading the July issue of Mobility magazine, the monthly publication of the Worldwide ERC.  The cover says it all:  “It’s Good to be Green.”  Much of the issue is dedicated to articles and information about being green.  As a member of Mobility’s Editorial Advisory Committee, I always read each edition cover-to-cover, but I found this issue to be of particular interest due to my own commitment to running a more green, paperless Relocation Department.  According to the cover story ”It’s Good to be Green” written by Stephen McGarry, “The Worldwide ERC Green Initiatives Committee spent the last year examining the sustainability practices and eco-friendly programs of Worldwide ERC members.”  The Worldwide ERC has certainly made great strides in bringing information on green inititatives to the forefront for its members.  This is exemplified in this socially responsible issue of Mobility magazine, as well as with the Green Forem on its web site, which enables member to share information about various green initiatives.

As for this Director of Global Relocation Services for John Daughterty Realtors in Houston, I am proud to say that I am focused on running a department that is as green as possible.  I hope that other members of the Houston Relocation community adopt similar practices.  Hats off to everyone out there who is already running a paperless department.  If you need any additional pointers, or have pointers of your own that you would like to share, I always encourage you to comment on my blog posts and/or contact me directly.  I am always happy to share!

In Green Initiatives
Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
Relocation
Worldwide ERC

John Daugherty Realtors Announces Cheri Fama as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

John Daugherty, Realtors announced last week that Cheri Fama has joined our company as executive vice president and chief operating officer.  I could not be happier!  I have known Cheri for the past 10 years, having worked closely with her as a founding Board Member of the Nancy Owens Memorial Foundation.  I have also had numerous opportunities to visit with Cheri throughout the Houston community and within various professional circles, and I can say that having Cheri join our team is a home run!

Cheri has 28 years of experience in the residential real estate market in Houston, having first began her career as a consultant for Houston Lighting & Power (now Reliant Energy), which introduced her to many prominent commercial and residential developers, architects and builders. (To learn more about Cheri, please click on the following link:  Cheri Fama).

It wasn’t until this morning that I was able to give Cheri a proper “welcome” to our company, as I was in Orlando last week for the Worldwide ERC and Relocation Directors Council Conferences.  But, it is important to note that at John Daugherty, Realtors, we don’t welcome new people to our “company;” we welcome them to our “family.”  I think that this is a very important distinction for our company.  In a word, “family” truly defines the culture of our company and the relationships that are cultivated among our agents and staff.  John always makes it a point as well to welcome new agents, staff and members of our management team to our “family.”

“Cheri’s breadth and depth of experience of the market, along with her management experience as president and senior vice president with previous residential real estate firms, will be an asset to our family,” states John A. Daugherty, Jr. as he welcomes Cheri to our family.

Cheri will be a wonderful addition to our family indeed!  I personally look forward to working with her and showing her what makes our Global Relocation Services Division the best in Houston.  Welcome to our family Cheri!

Tags | Cheri Fama, Houston Relocation, John A. Daugherty, John Daugherty, Jr., Realtors

In Global Relocation Services
Houston Real Estate Market
Houston Relocation
Worldwide ERC

Connecting vs. Contacting

Last week I told a story which exemplifies the benefits and wonderful connections that can be made as a result of social networking.  While I am a huge proponent of this type of communication, I wanted to make the point that is should not be to the exclusion of personal communication.  It should augment it.  In many cases, social networking is the precursor to more personalized communication.  But, it is important to note that social networking doesn’t really work unless it leads to a real “connection.”  In other words, it’s not just a numbers game.  There is a lot more to it than just seeing how many friends you can get on Facebook or how many connections you have on LinkedIn.

So, what do you do once you make a new connection on a social networking site?  First, think about the reason for wanting to connect with a particular person.  It shouldn’t just be random or because you share a group with that person.  You need to really consider whether making this connection will be mutually beneficial.  Then, once you have done that and the connection has been made, the next step is usually a few exchanges via site messaging or email.  However, the ultimate goal should be to speak with that person either by phone or in person.  That is when the potential connection will start to take place.

In the story that I told about meeting Nadia Bilchik, the steps that were taken in making this connection went something like this:

Step 1: Nadia sent me a message through my LinkedIn profile regarding the upcoming Worldwide ERC Conference in which she was going to be a speaker.

Step 2: I immediately responded to Nadia and accepted her request to connect on LinkedIn.

Step 3: We began a dialogue through LinkedIn that lead to the exchange of phone numbers and the confirmation that we would speak prior to the conference so that she could have an informal interview with me.

Step 4: Nadia called me 2 days prior to the conference to make a plan for meeting each other upon her arrival.

Step 5: We met, but better yet, we connected!

From there, the story continues…Indeed, we made a connection, which has lead to the retelling of this story both on my blog and on Nadia’s blog.

If you have made a recent connection (not just made contact) with someone via social networking, please share your story by leaving a comment on this blog post.

Tags | Houston Relocation

In Socal Media
Worldwide ERC