Alveo Land: Learn From The Best!

I joined Alveo Land last April 16, 2012.  Although I'm a licensed real estate broker, I joined as a regular in-house property investment consultant (PIC), or a sales agent in other words.  During the interviews, I was asked why I was agreeing to a sort of a step back instead of getting accredited as a broker (which pays a higher commission).  Truthfully, it's not a step back at all.  It's a step forward for someone like me who has no actual working sales background.  So I was elated when I was accepted to their ranks.

For those who don't know, Alveo Land is an Ayala Land subsidiary.  Ayala Land has diversified their real property business to address income segments.  Here's the breakdown for your information:

• Ayala Land Premier (ALP)
• Alveo Land
• Avida Land
• Amaia Land

More people can now enjoy the prestige and value offered by Ayala Land properties because of this diversification.  The diversification does not affect the quality of the properties.  What actually sets them apart is how near the property is to a commercial business district (CBD), and the size of the properties.  For Premier property owners, they enjoy accessibility and proximity to major establishments and business centers.  For Alveo Land property owners, they might have to walk a little.  For Avida Land property owners, one or two rides away.  And for Amaia Land property owners, their property might be on the outer fringes of the city, or already in the suburbs, which makes it very affordable.

Our current projects in Metro Manila are:

• The Lerato (tower 2) - pre-selling, turnover in 2016, Malugay St., Bel-Air, Makati
• Kroma Tower - pre-selling, turnover in 2017, Dela Rosa St., Legaspi Village, Makati
• High Street South - pre-selling, , south of high street in Bonifacio Global City
• Two Serendra - The Sequoia - pre-selling, final tower in Two Serendra, Bonifacio Global City
• Ametta Place - townhouses in Pasig City, turnover in 2012
• Ferndale Villas - townhouses in Quezon City near Commonwealth Ave., turnover in 2014
• Celadon Park (tower 2) - condo within Celadon Residences, Sta.Cruz, Manila (behind SM San Lazaro)
• And the one in Tagaytay - Kasa Luntian, pre-selling, turnover in 2017

It's been said that Ayala properties are expensive...  But are they, really?  If you're serious about real estate, sooner or later you'll start thinking of Ayala properties.  The Ayalas have been in the Philippines for more than 100 years now, and they have a reputation to protect, so you can always expect the best and the finest from Ayala properties.  Ayala properties are not the lowest priced, that's true, but they're the lowest risk (and ISO-certified!), and if you know the value of money, that should be enough to tell you why Ayala properties are very well regarded in the industry.

So what are you waiting for?  Our inventories are always almost sold out within 1-2 years of launching.  Invest wisely.  Invest in Alveo Land.

We have an ongoing promo for The Lerato, and now is the perfect time to invest in Makati.  Wanna know more?  Call me, text me or email me, I'm here for you.

 
Live Well,
Jon

For Announcement Only: The Aventi Townhomes

Wow, I haven't blogged in such a long time!  Once a blogger, always a blogger I guess.  It's one of those things you just have to do, otherwise it's going to nag at you after some time.  So here I am again, with one project I'm proud to present - The Aventi Townhomes.  Located along Panay Ave. in Quezon City, this townhouse development is ideal for those who want everything to be close by.  Sure, those who work in Makati or The Fort might have to take some shortcuts, the location still is ideal overall.  It's flood-free, in a relatively quiet neighborhood, just a few blocks from schools, the Amoranto sports complex, Capitol Medical Hospital, and the lively Timog area for all your gastronomic and party needs.  More than that, this is a green development, designed to reduce electricity needs which lowers your overall electric bill!  It's beautiful and practical, and priced just right for the value and benefits you get!

Here's a gist of the project:

• Townhouse property, not condo.  You get a title for the land and the house (TCT)
• 4-storeys, 115 sq.m. lot area, 350 sq.m. floor area, 3-car garage
• Maid's room, driver's room, small office or guest room, den, family room, garden
• 200K to reserve, 16-17M to own, turnover tentatively this December 2012

For more information and tripping, please contact me! 

Kickstart The Sales Process

So how do you motivate people to buy from you?  As I mentioned in my last post, if your product is unique, and you're the only one selling it, and it's something that is needed and wanted, you'd be laughing your way to the bank, and you don't even need to be nice or build relationships.  However, that's not very likely.  What should you be looking at to improve your odds of selling then?  We should look at the reasons why people buy.  As far as I know, there are 3 reasons why people buy:

• There's a need and/or want that has to be satisfied; and/or
• There's a dissatisfaction from a product/service that has to be alleviated; and/or
• There's a problem that has to be solved.

Knowing the reasons why we buy, what then motivates us to buy?  What hastens the decision-making process to make us part with our hard-earned money and overcome the fear of failure (failure of making the wrong choice/decision)?  According to the venerable Brian Tracy, there are 7 motivators to the buying behavior, provided any or all of the 3 reasons to buy exist:

• Money - the offer will make more money for the buyer
• Lower Cost - the offer will save money for the buyer
• Convenience - the offer is more convenient or bring more convenience
• Speed - the offer saves time or does not waste time
• Beauty - the offer satisfies the aesthetic taste of the buyer or makes the buyer feel beautiful
• Ego - the offer gives the buyer the impression of being first in line or top of the line or state of the art or the object of envy; boosts the buyer's pride and self-image
• Position (business sales) - the offer improves the buyer's position in the company and/or in the eyes of his/her immediate superior

Okay, long story short, the objective is to show people that buying your product will improve their lives dramatically in ways that are important to them.  Let's now move to the questions that you have to be ready for when you offer your product or service.  Keep in mind that even if your product or service answers a need and/or want, solves a problem they have and alleviates dissatisfaction, you have to be able to prove this to them.  The questions that you have to be able to answer are:

• "Why should I listen to you?" and "So what?" - You should be able to hurdle these two questions when you first approach a prospect.  Imagine your prospect asking you why they should listen to you, and for whatever answer you have to that, the next question is "so what?"  The purpose of keeping these two questions in mind is for you to focus on how you can help the prospect better than anybody else.  This will help you think of ways to position yourself and your product/service that will make it hard for your prospect to ignore you and the solution you have for whatever problem they have.
• "Who else has done it?" or "Who else has bought this product/service?" - This is all about social proof.  We all want to know who else owns it or who else has had the same challenge we have that the product/service has helped.  We don't want to waste time, we don't want to unnecessarily take a risk and buy something that nobody else has bought.  The best social proof is somebody who's relatively famous or well known.  If you can bring out signed testimonials of people who own and enjoy your product/service even if they're not famous, that will still be better than nothing at all.
• "Who says so other than you?" - This is a subset of the previous question.  When you claim something about your product/service, remember that your word doesn't mean much because you stand to gain from the sale of it.  Hence, the buyer will always remain skeptical of your claims.  We are all aware of how unscrupulous salespeople have played up the features and benefits of whatever they're selling, so that only brings up a defensive barrier.  A testimonial that specifically backs up your claim will come in handy here.
• "What do I get?" and "What's in it for me?" - You prepare for this question by making sure you know what gets delivered to your buyer if and when he makes the purchase.  Make sure to equate features with benefits that are important to your prospect.  Just like in real estate, when you present, you have to know what comes with the house and what doesn't.  You can't say "I'm not sure..." because that will definitely cast doubt on your competence, even if it's not your fault that you don't have the information because the seller/developer withheld it from you.  In other words, it's your job to find out everything you can about the product/service that you're selling so you can inform your prospect what's included and what benefits he will enjoy that will satisfy a need/want, and/or alleviate his dissatisfaction, and/or solve his problem.

More Sales!!!
Jon

Sale of Principal Residence

Just a short post about the capital gains tax exemption on the sale of your primary residence.  What this means is, you're selling your main/primary residence, and moving to another residence that will become your new primary residence.  In this case, you get a capital gains tax exemption.  From the BIR's website:

• The proceeds of the sale of the principal residence have been fully utilized in acquiring or constructing new principal residence within eighteen (18) calendar months from the date of sale or disposition; 
• The historical cost or adjusted basis of the real property sold or disposed will be carried over to the new principal residence built or acquired;  
• The (BIR) Commissioner has been duly notified, through a prescribed return, within thirty (30) days from the date of sale or disposition of the person’s intention to avail of the tax exemption;
• Exemption was availed only once every ten (10) years; and  
• There is no full utilization of the proceeds of sale or disposition. The portion of the gain presumed to have been realized from the sale or disposition will be subject to Capital Gains Tax. 

In case of sale/transfer of principal residence, the Buyer/Transferee shall withhold from the seller and shall deduct from the agreed selling price/consideration the 6% capital gains tax which shall be deposited in cash or manager’s check in interest-bearing account with an Authorized Agent Bank (AAB) under an Escrow Agreement between the concerned Revenue District Officer, the Seller and the Transferee, and the AAB to the effect that the amount so deposited, including its interest yield, shall only be released to such Transferor upon certification by the said RDO that the proceeds of the sale/disposition thereof has, in fact, been utilized in the acquisition or construction of the Seller/Transferor’s new principal residence within eighteen (18) calendar months from date of the said sale or disposition. The date of sale or disposition of a property refers to the date of notarization of the document evidencing the transfer of said property. 

In other words, if you're selling your primary residence, and you intend to use the proceeds to buy or construct a new primary residence, you have to let the BIR know within 30 days of the sale of your intention to do so.  Additionally, the money from the sale of your primary residence has to be utilized in full within 18 months or else anything that is left over will be subject to the capital gains tax.  You can only avail of this exemption once every 10 years, and once you sell your old primary residence, the 6% capital gains tax will have to be deposited first in an authorized partner bank of the BIR and will only be released to you once it is proven that the full proceeds of the sale (less the 6% of course) was in fact used to buy the new primary residence.

Just making sure everybody is aware of this so you can save some money that you would otherwise pay to the BIR.

That's it pancit.

Jon

New Sales Paradigm

Okay, it's not really new.  I just said so to get your attention.  So, what is this sales paradigm?  It's very simple, one that bears remembering for those who would like to pursue a career in professional selling.  This is how a person should divide his time and effort in order to make a career in selling.

• 1st Step (40%) - Foundation building, rapport, trust building, establishing credibility
• 2nd Step (30%) - Establishing needs (lacking/wants/needs), fact-finding, qualifying
• 3rd Step (20%) - Presenting features and benefits based on needs analysis
• 4th Step (10%) - Confirming understanding, answering objections, closing the sale 

 Of course, this is rather condensed.  There are a lot of things that go into selling, but this is the basic structure.  Nowadays, the effective salesperson spends time building relationships.  To build relationships you need to give 3 things:

• your TIME
• your CARING
• your RESPECT

 Maybe some of you would think "Why should I waste time building relationships in selling?"  Well, the short answer is, because people will not buy from people they don't like and trust, unless you're the only one selling what they want/need, and they want/need it badly.  Otherwise, if they can get it elsewhere, and they don't like and trust you, you don't sell.  In most cases, as long as people like and trust you, and you were able to demonstrate that your products' value is worth more than what they would pay for it, you would be immensely successful in this profession.

Of course, in majority of cases, the price issue will always be the last objection.  People have a wealth of options now, and if the cheaper alternative is acceptable, your last ace is if they like you enough to actually buy from you despite your product being more expensive.  Sometimes, even that's not enough, and people will buy the cheaper alternative despite liking you and despite you demonstrating that your product's value outweighs the price.  Remember not to blame yourself in those situations.  Some people are just like that, price over quality and service.  In most cases, people like those will get what they pay for, and they'll eventually come around to your side of the fence.  Most times, those kinds of people are really on a tight budget, so money really is an issue.  It's okay, other people value quality and service over price, so concentrate on finding more of those kinds of people and build relationships with them.

Finally, I'll share with you the 7 traits of the top salespeople according to Brian Tracy:

• Ambitious - hungry, always setting goals and sees quotas as a minimum
• Courageous - faces fears, unafraid of failure, unafraid of "NO"
• Honest - reliable, genuine, does not exaggerate, does not speak ill of the competition
• Empathetic - understands the client, listens fully, sensitive to needs
• Professional - sees themselves as consultants, expert adviser, knowledgeable, problem-solver, asks pertinent questions
• Prepared - does research, gets updated information, knows the material and details
• Responsible - accepts responsibility and makes no excuses, in charge of own life

To your success!

Jon

It's January, Time To Pay Your Real Property Tax!

It's a new year, and every new year comes with it the responsibility to pay your real estate property taxes, otherwise known as "amilyar."  It's a necessary evil of owning land and property, so don't worry about it and just grin and bear it.  After all, it's all worth it, right? (sound of silence and crickets)

Anyway, just for your information, and as sort of a guide, this here's a short post (really! I promise!) on the topic of real estate property tax.

Collection of Real Property Tax
The real property tax for any year shall be due on January 1 and from that date on, it shall constitute a lien (statutory lien) on the property, to be extinguished only upon payment of the tax and/or any late fees associated with it.  The tax may be paid in four (4) quarterly installments, which shall be paid on or before the last day of the quarter.

Installment Due Dates:

• 1st installment - on or before March 31
• 2nd installment - on or before June 30
• 3rd installment - on or before September 30
• 4th installment - on or before December 30

Tax Discount on Advanced and Prompt Payment
If the tax is paid on time or in advance, in accordance with the prescribed schedule of payment as provided in Article 341 of Republic Act 7160, you may get a discount not exceeding twenty percent (20%) of the annual tax due.  Prompt payments may be given a discount of ten percent (10%) while advanced payments may be entitled to the maximum discount of twenty percent (20%).

Penalty For Late Payments
Unpaid real property tax is subject to a penalty of two percent (2%) per month interest accruing up to a maximum of 36 months or 3 years.

In other words, the penalty only starts accruing after March 31.  So if you want to save some money, I suggest you pay your real property taxes well in advance, if you can afford to do so.  Might also be a good idea to start putting that into your annual budget so you can plan for it in advance.

Till next time, Happy New Year!!!

Jon

*Image above from discoverspringtexas.com, used without permission.

What's The Plan?

A couple of months ago, prior to when I stumbled onto the works of Mike Brooks, Brian Tracy and Tom Hopkins, I had a vague image in my mind of what I wanted: a house of my own, a new vehicle, and to get married to my fiancee Me-an.  As far as I know, those were my goals. 

The problem was, I didn't know how to make them come true.  I was trying to hit those targets in the dark.  Sure I passed the licensing exam for real estate brokers, but that didn't really get me any closer to making my goals come true.  My only thought was: if I sell enough, I'll have enough money to hit those goals.  So a couple of weeks ago, a thought hit me back: how am I going to sell enough to make enough money to hit those goals???  Yeah, I know, sometimes my mind is slow to the point of stupidity, but I'm glad I finally came around to the question.  Result: I started looking around online for instructional materials on sales, motivation, and goal-setting.  Hence, the 3 aforementioned gentlemen. 

Listening to their works was like magic!  My mind started to open up to the reality of selling, and how difficult it really is.  I always had this impression that selling was straightforward: if there was a need, just offer the product that answers the need and voila!  Boy was I surprised!  There were steps necessary like prospecting, qualifying, presenting, then finally closing the sale.  There is etiquette involved, tactics and strategies, and mind-altering mental instructions and affirmations!  There's bits and pieces about family, health, friendship, teamwork, and so much more.  More than that, the goal-setting instruction that I got specifically from Brian Tracy has got me moving.  Now, I have real goals, and action plans and steps that I must take to make them happen.

So, what's the plan?

Find out what you want to do, make plans and steps to achieve that, and pay the price willingly.  In other words, keep studying to arm your mind with new ideas and ways, and keep keeping on and never give up.

So, what's changed?

Good question.  At the very least, I've started to learn Tai Chi.  I've started an abs workout to trim my waistline.  And I've set a 200 meters target for my weekly swimming activity.  For my financial health, I have made plans to learn investing in mutual funds and stocks, as well as joint ventures, and buying and selling properties.  I have to fine-tune the action steps, but I now have a light leading to my goals, and that's the best gift I'll ever get this Christmas, maybe for the rest of my life even. 

My goals:
"I earn at least Php100,000 a month by March 2012."
"I own a 3-bedroom townhouse in San Juan by January 2013."
"I own and drive a Mitsubishi ASX by April 2012."
"I marry Me-an by December 2012."
"I enjoy traveling abroad and going to beaches with Me-an by January 2013."
"I own and use a Motorola Xoom by March 2012."
"I am strong and healthy by February 2012."
"I secure an educational plan for Kyle by April 2012."

When The Torii Residences starts selling, you better believe my life's gonna start moving very quickly towards those goals!  I can't wait!!!  Everyday, I'm gonna look at my goals and visualize my house, my car, my wedding, my tablet, my strong and lean body, and my kid's educational plan.  Those things will happen, as sure as the sun rises everyday!  I'm gonna keep keeping on until I can write new goals towards bigger and better things!  Hmmm... Maybe I should upgrade to a 4-bedroom townhouse?

Upgrade your life!!!
Jon