Blog 22: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Block Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

A: I am most proud of making my presentation enjoyable even though the topic itself was boring.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?

AP  

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?


AP 

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

A: What worked for me was the vast amount of knowledge I always had at my side: My mentor. It's really important to have a mentor who is experienced, successful, and knowledgeable of the topic you want to learn.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

A: I would've chosen an entirely different topic in general; something I liked or was very passionate about.

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

A: My senior project has taught me the importance of business and marketing in the real world. A lot of people today are involved in such aspects and at some point you are either are part of a business, or you make your own. So it was an awesome experience to see what kind of challenges I might face if I were to pursue a life in business or marketing. 

Blog 21: Mentorship

    Literal

• Contact Name: Monica Diaz
• Phone: (626)-890-8936 
• Email: monica@monicamakesithappen.com
• Mentorship Place: Century 21: Masters Office

    Interpretive

• What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
• The most important thing I achieved from mentorship with Monica Diaz was her knowledge base and access to other various sources of knowledge. Through I managed to understand what was crucial to making my EQ work and how I could further my research and develop my best answer.

   Applied

• How has what you’ve done helped you to answer your EQ?  Please explain.
• By getting a hands on experience as an assistant to my mentor, I was able to see what was necessary to the business, and also what could be improved. However, my mentor is already very successful, so it wasn't hard to observe what methods she has used to become so profitable. These methods were eventually included in different answers and helped me narrow down my research as well.

Blog 20: Exit Interview

(1) What is your essential question and answers?  What is your best answer and why?

• EQ: What is the best way to maximize profits as a Realtor?
• Answer 1: To increase one’s reputation and presence throughout the Real Estate market by using modern technology.
• Answer 2: To create an open-minded and friendly personality that accommodates your clients
• Answer 3:  To create a well-conceived, step-by-step marketing plan of how your client's home is going to be marketed.
• Best Answer: To create a digital marketing platform that is strategically implemented with a strong business model and is robustly supported by properly staffed companies.
• This answer meets all requirements I have set for a best answer. It is specific, strong, and intelligent. These are the reasons I've decided to make it my best answer.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

• To arrive at this answer, it took me all 63 articles of research to finally find an article by Jeff Corbett that described in a ridiculous amount of detail "Why Digital Marketing Fails for the Real Estate Industry". It was this contrast and different perspective that made me realize what my best answer is.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

• My biggest problem was facing myself. I've had a hard time winning against my own mind, but after being in the same place for so long, I think I just snapped out of it. I'm not sure how else to describe the resolution to my problem.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

• 1st Source: Any articles written by Seth Price or Jeff Corbett. Both authors helped me immensely because of their detailed writing and extensive knowledge as well as experience in the Real Estate Market.
• 2nd Source: My mentor, Monica Diaz, gave me all the information I asked for as well as hands on experience that I needed. Her assistance pushed me towards the answers I have today. 

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

I, Evan Diaz, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

My best source for this component would be my mentor, Monica Diaz; she gave vital advice that was important to completing the tasks that I had been assigned to. She is a trustworthy and reliable source with 20 years of work experience in her job as well as various accounts of success throughout those years.

I was required to "assist the assistant" in any paperwork or physical work. This included driving to numerous locations, removing/adding lock boxes, and filing paperwork.

INTERPRETIVE
For my independent component, I increased my work sum for mentorship. I spent at least 2 hours per day in the office working to anything I was assigned for the extent of 3-4 weeks. 

APPLIED
By lengthening my work, I was able to get a hands-on experience of the "hidden" part of Real Estate. Paperwork, filing, making calls, dealing with people, and sitting in an office all day are all apart of being in the Real Estate franchise. This component helped teach me about the people behind the scenes and just how vital they are to the success of the whole company.

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

I, Evan Diaz, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

"Best Real Estate Internet and Web Marketing Blog | Agent Intelligence." Best Real Estate Internet and Web Marketing Blog Agent Intelligence. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.

Worked various days in or outside of my mentors office doing anything they needed me to do. This included showing properties, adding/removing lock-boxes from different properties, and miscellaneous paperwork.

INTERPRETIVE
During this component, I got a chance to be an unofficial assistant to my mentor and experience what it would be like to be in the position of an Agent. I was required to file, write, or record any necessary information that was asked of me. I spent almost every day after school, as well as all of spring break, working/driving for property related assignments. It showed me that being a Real Estate Agent isn't as easy as it seems to be, and that a lot of dedication and effort is required in order to be successful.

APPLIED
This component gave me a chance further my knowledge of Real Estate by experiencing it myself. I did not study or research articles, but rather I used my own two hands to complete the tasks that were placed before me. I learned more than I ever could have by reading a book or memorizing information; I lived and absorbed this knowledge until it was common to me. I realized just how hard one must work in order to become successful, and this component helped me narrow down the necessary qualities of a successful Real Estate Agent.

Blog 18: Third Answer

EQ: What is the best way to maximize profits as a Realtor?

• Answer 3: The best way to maximize profits as a Realtor is to create a well-conceived, step-by-step marketing plan of how your client's home is going to be marketed.
• Creating a step-by-step marketing plan gives a Realtor a direction and path to follow so that they can successfully and quickly sell or buy a property. (i.e. Similar to a "To-do-list", it organizes and effectively displays information in a simple manner).
• Satisfaction of the client: Many clients look for a Realtor who knows what they're doing. How a Realtor manages their properties and clients says a lot about their credibility. (i.e. A well-developed marketing plan can represent the future, if not current, success of a Realtor because a marketing plan is the foundation for the sale or purchase of a property).
• A marketing plan is an essential rough draft or skeleton. It gives definition and meaning to the rest of a Real Estate transaction. Without a decent marketing plan, a Realtor can have a hard time making a successful sale. (i.e. Humans cannot live without a skeleton; Realtors cannot make the most successful possible sale without a marketing plan).
• Most Important Research Sources:
• "How A Good REALTOR Can Maximize Your Profits." Lake Tahoe Real Estate and Truckee Real Estate. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
• Mentor: Monica Diaz
• A certified Century 21: Masters agent who has worked 25 years in real estate. She is the top Real Estate agent in her office and the third most successful Real Estate agent in Century 21: Masters throughout the nation.
• Concluding Sentence: 
• A marketing plan is unique to the Realtor that creates it. It not only organizes and lays out directions to follow, but it also reflects how a Realtor deals with his or her sales. 

Blog 17: Fourth Interview

1. When clients are unhappy with your service, what has gone wrong?
2. What is the best way to make advertise yourself through the internet?
3. What is the best way to create a unique and recognizable style within your real estate business?
4. How can you create the best possible design for your blog?
5. What limitations or expectations must a blog meet?
6. What is the difference between success and failure in advertising yourself?
7. How can you best compare your blog with another competitor's blog?
8. Where can I find efficient research on the qualities of a successful agent?
9. What are some key factors within an unsuccessful agent? (What shouldn't I do?)
10. What is the best way to identify customer satisfaction overall?
11. What major factors are key in choosing offers on a property?
12. Is there a direct correlation between a client's offer and and the quantity of offers? If so, why?
13. What is the best way to create a clean presentation when talking to clients?
14. What goals or plans do you set for yourself?
15. What is the best way to create easy navigation on a blog?
16. What is the best way to motivate yourself to keep being successful?
17. How can you successfully strengthen your relationship with previous, current, and future clients?
18. What is the best way to understand what a client is looking for?
19. What is the best way to maintain a healthy appearance in the real estate market?
20. What is the best way to manage client traffic?