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Partnerships in real estate can be incredibly fruitful but why do so many of them fail? Is there a way to make a 50-50 partnership work by making use of each partner’s individual strengths. On this episode, Greg and Matt talk with business partners Lori Little and Lori Adams, who built their own successful real estate business. They provide insights on creating teams, growing a database, and successfully working as partners.
Takeaways + Tactics
Integrating your personal Facebook and business Facebook is a great way to show off your personality and get the best of both worlds.
Business partners can have different ways of doing things but sharing the same core values is the most important thing.
People want the kind of marketing that doesn’t make them feel forced to see something. That’s why educational marketing is so effective.
You can’t just partner with someone because they are good at selling, you have to have someone that’s going to sell like you do and care about clients the way you do. - Lori Adams
Matt, Greg and the two Loris kicked off the podcast with a question from a listener about whether it’s better to start a business Facebook page or do business through their personal Facebook page. Greg and Lori agree that integration is a better idea because business pages can make it hard to showcase your personality and you won’t be able to keep family and friends updated on how your business is doing.
Lori Adams and Lori Little also described their business structure, which consists of a transaction manager, listing coordinator, listing manager, buyer’s agents and a client care coordinator. The two Loris met in 2006 working in a corporate environment and then they started their business in 2010.
On the subject of how they work successfully as partners, Lori Little said they are different but they do believe in a lot of the same things. She said partnership goes beyond being good at selling, it’s about sharing the same values. They also discussed how to build trust in a partnership so that it doesn’t become an issue.
Next, Matt asked about how the two Loris managed to implement their business plans. The ladies said that they began hustling by farming and mailing. With more money, they were able to add online tactics like Zillow and Vyral Marketing.
As the chat winded down, they discussed
What ultimately makes a business partnership work is understanding your differences and knowing that you each won’t contribute to the business in the same way. For the business process to work, trust has to be at the center of that relationship. Work with a person who shares the same values and wants to help clients in the same way you do.
Guest Bio
Lori and Lori are a real estate duo working in California’s Central Valley.
Individually, they are each known as leaders in the real estate industry, and together their success is highly respected by peers and clients alike. They are affiliated with numerous professional organizations including the National, California and Central Valley Associations of Realtors®, as well as the Multiple Listing Service. To get in touch with Lori and Lori call 209-607-9606.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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In this episode, Greg gave a breakdown of the key things he learned during his attendance at Inman Connect. He and Matt also answer listener/viewer questions about refreshing overpriced listings, finding the right agents to do open houses and the power of being helpful to the people around you
Takeaways + Tactics
When you’re hiring a substitute agent, make sure they are the right fit for you, and the right fit for that specific listing
If a seller isn’t planning on doing anything immediately, baby step the relationship by providing value
If you’re looking for people to make flyers, use graphic designers on Fiverr, it will save you time
Everyone around you has something to offer and everyone around you has a battle they are fighting so if you can help somebody, they might want to get back to you or you might just make a good friend.” Greg McDaniel
The episode kicked off with a question about refreshing a previously overpriced listing. Greg said you can use strategies like pricing it below the market value, and trying to generate a bidding war. You can also try to host events at the home, take new pictures or use Facebook live. Greg said it ultimately comes down to the selling price.
Secondly, Greg gave a breakdown of the helpful apps and tech techniques he learned about at Inman Connect.
The second question was about open houses and how to hire substitute realtors you can rely on. Greg put emphasis on making sure they are the right fit for you and the right fit for that listing. The third question was about software realtors can use to create flyers. Matt suggested using Fiverr which gives you access to skilled graphic designers at a fraction of the price.
The next two questions were related to new agents and how they can grow their sphere of influence. Greg mentioned that you can do the 60 day challenge where you meet people and also give out your business card to 15-20 people per day. He also mentioned building relationships in steps, starting with delivering value.
The episode winded down with Greg telling a story about the importance of helping people whenever you meet them because it might lead to unexpected opportunities or you might make a good friend.
Firstly, make sure you’re letting tech work for you and the growth of your business. Secondly, hire people who are reliable and the right fit for your business and the specific products. Also remember to grow your sphere of influence by providing value and building relationships in baby steps and make sure you’re a helpful resource to other people because you never know where that might lead.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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Social media is an incredible prospecting tool for real estate agents, but how much time do you have to put into it to succeed? According to social media expert Tim Stafford, 20 minutes per day is enough to grow a following and start working to create useful content for your following. In this episode, Tim also provides useful social media tips for appealing to millennials and how to use humor to attract followers.
Takeaways + Tactics
Ask questions to engage with people. When people share their opinions they feel like they’re part of the community.
Retweets are important for the health of your Twitter presence
Shape everything you do on some sort of purpose you have in your mind
When you tweet, tweet well, make sure your tweets count, make them reflect the complexities of who you are, your brand, and your services. Tim Stafford
The show kicked off with a question about how to appeal to millennials and how social media can be employed to leverage testimonials. Tim reminded listeners and viewers about the essence of social media. “It’s all about how people behave in digital environments. You're trying to understand what makes a human being tick. If you get that you can succeed.”
When it comes to millennials, the goal should be to build a community and build the idea that people can have and voice their opinions. Secondly, the goal should be to ask questions to engage with people. This is what will make them feel like part of community.
Tim went onto talk about texting and why it’s the go-to platform to raise money for non-profits. He said it provides an avenue for people who normally wouldn’t give. Real estate agents may not be non-profits looking for funding but there is something to learn in that insight. If you can start thinking of things on a minor level you can actually win followers and get clients in what Tim calls small-atomizations.
Next, Tim brings up the importance of employing humor on social media. For example, on SnapChat, millennials have stated that they like humor. He said you don’t necessarily have to post funny videos but you can make your vibe a bit more laid back.
The show winded down withTim introducing his Twitter strategy, consisting of 6 things you can do each day for 5 minutes each day.
According to Tim Stafford, what agents should be doing on social media is building a following and creating content that people will respond to. On top of that it’s important to tweet often, tweet well and use hashtags wisely. Lastly, don’t be afraid to bring value and humor so that people become more comfortable with you.
Guest Bio
Tim has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of educational leadership, instructional design, educational technology, curriculum and development, adult learning, professional development, and accreditation. To get in touch with Tim, email his at tmstafford@ruinstitute.com or book him for a free coaching session by going to bookdrtim.com
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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What does it take to build a business that closes a minimum of 675 deals each year? What systems and tactics are necessary to create productivity? On this episode of Real Estate Uncensored, Matt and Greg connect with Phoenix real estate entrepreneur Brett Tanner and discuss metrics, team building, wealth building and the systems that create profitable productivity.
Takeaways + Tactics
All the success you’ll have as an agent is about metrics
Ask yourself how you can run the most efficient and most profitable system
The myth agents have is that they need more leads when in fact you actually need to work the leads you already have.
If you’re going to make a profit, if you’re going to spend money and buy leads, lead accountability will be the method in which you profit. -Brett Tanner
Matt and Greg start off the chat and introduce Brett Tanner who runs his business out of Phoenix, Arizona. Brett, Matt and Greg answered a listener question about expired listings and how to smooth out a system to be more productive. Brett emphasized the importance of metrics and why having good data about what’s creating production will make an impact. It is necessary to know what’s making you successful because this will give you something to hold yourself accountable to and a way to create a pipeline for business.
Through metrics, one can also learn about the corners of the market and niche markets you could be communicating and building relationships with. In Brett’s own experience, making the switch from short sales to the residential/equity side required him to take an interest in the markets that many agents don’t think to call. These include absentee owners and people who own their homes free and clear. Brett recommends crafting content and the message to those specific clients once they know who they are.
The conversation then turned to team building, CRMs and lead accountability. Brett pointed out the importance of making sure you get what you pay for when it comes to leads, and accountability is a huge part of that. He gave some detail about his own agents, who work on a system of 30 leads per day. He believes that agents shouldn’t be aiming to get more leads, but should be more aggressive with the leads they already have. The chat winded down with the co-hosts and Brett discussing the possibility of leveraging text as another way to nurture leads. Brett also discussed his future plans for the business which include setting up companies that support his real estate business and expand his sphere of influence.
A smart agent understands that success isn’t as simple as getting more leads. The real business defining tasks that will be required of you are metrics that tell you where you’re succeeding, systems that make you more efficient and holding yourself accountable.
Guest Bio-
Brett is a real estate entrepreneur based in Arizona. The Brett Tanner Team work toward the common goal of assisting clients in achieving their short and long term real estate goals. To get in touch with Brett go to whatbrettuses.com or yournextphoenixhome.com
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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Focus, commitment and self-discipline are a huge part of achieving success, but why are they such hard concepts to master? What does one do after acknowledging they need a better time and energy management system? Matt and Greg discuss the book The Power of Full Engagement and provide their tips for having productive days and the structure that’s required.
Takeaways + Tactics
Anything in your schedule is a promise, to yourself or someone else and you should refuse to break that promise
If we keep doing what we do naturally, we’re going to keep on failing and we’re not going to reach our goals
Most peoples’ day gets away from them because they don’t have scheduled blocks. They keep their focus shallow and that keeps them from doing the things that will move their businesses forward
The key to real success is not so much time management as it is energy management.The control of your time is in service of your energy levels
Will, self discipline and self-control all draw from the same energy tank and we have a lot less of it than we think. Structuring your life in a way where you have to make these constant decisions throughout the day, draws down that energy tank and makes it less likely that you’ll maintain that level of self-control throughout the day. -Matt Johnson
Matt and Greg began the chat with a couple of questions, one about a script for a homeowner who’s on Zillow’s Make Me Move, another about how to manage a FSBO appointment where the owner says they’ve sold houses on their own before. Another question came from an agent who just joined a new firm and and wants to know how to maximize his results.
In the second portion of the show, Matt and Greg launched into the main topic of the day inspired by James E. Loehr and Tony Schwartz’s book The Power of Full Engagement which Matt said changed his perspective while he was working marketing. The big point this book makes is how the key to real success is not so much time management as it is energy management. The control of your time is in service of your energy levels and it’s important to match your energy levels to the work you’re doing. One can either try to fight that and try to keep a constant level level of work but realistically that doesn’t work with your natural rhythm.
A big disclaimer from Matt and Greg is not to use managing energy as an excuse not to hustle or work hard, which is a common thing people do. When you’re working, be absolutely fully engaged and when you’re not, be fully and actively disengaged. An important method in energy managing is having structured breaks throughout the day and Matt provided the example of having 90 minute bursts. These bursts require all of your energy and that means putting away and closing any distractions, like phones and social media. If you’re able to work in this way you’ll find that you’ll get tasks done much quicker. Additionally by blocking off parts of your day and creating a schedule, and having rituals in those schedules you will get a lot more out of your day.
Will, self discipline and self-control all draw from the same energy tank and we have a lot less of it than we think. Avoid structuring your life in a way where you have to make constant decisions throughout the day, which will draw down that energy tank and makes it less likely that you’ll make the right decisions, and that you’ll maintain that level of self-control throughout the day and throughout the week. So why not acknowledge that fact and make things structurally easy on yourself, in terms of the way you time manage and time block.
In order to get to your goals there needs to be some behavior change, living on autopilot and doing what you’d do naturally is only going to lead to the same results or failure. Once you acknowledge that you have goals you want to hit, realize you’re not going to get there by doing the same things you do everyday. Matt and Greg then discussed commitment and scheduling. Greg said, “Anything in my schedule is a promise, to myself or someone else and I refuse to break that promise.” Matt added to this by reminding listeners to ask themselves if they have 10 times the commitment they have now because that’s what we need to put in. “I can either try to force myself to reach goals or I can develop rituals that propel me towards success.”
As the hangout started winding down, the co-hosts discuss their own routines, rituals and the questions they ask themselves. Matt gave a quote from the book, which drives home all the points made in the discussion “to make lasting change, we must build serial rituals focusing on one significant change at a time.”
Set up a structure, where there doesn’t have to be a lot of decision making and make things easier for yourself. Build rituals and routines and let the routines carry you onto success because they will become like autopilot and pull you towards the positive things you want to do, and that will make success a lot easier.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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On this hangout, Matt and Greg tackled more sales and marketing questions from listeners and Facebook groups. The co-hosts covered topics like selling prices, sticking to scripts as well as networking for a part-time agents who want to get the most out of the time they put in.
Takeaways + Tactics
If you’re bringing information to the consumer that they have no other way of getting, you become the aficionado of wherever you call home.
This is a person-to-person, belly to belly human business you have to go out there and talk to people - if they don’t know you or trust you they won’t do business with you.
A willing and able buyer is going to dictate the true value of a home.
The best scripts in the world will not solve the problem of the buyer’s need and desires not aligning with either the market or what you have to sell.
-Matt Johnson
The chat kicked off with a question about scripts and whether it’s necessary to use them word-for-word or if it’s advisable to go off script. Greg reminded listeners that scripts are supposed to be guidelines and the key should be to make them conversational and avoided making yourself sound like a scripted salesperson. Once a consumer sees you as a salesperson they won’t see you as a consultant and that can lose you their business. Matt echoed this saying, “it’s more about who are, your confidence than it is the words that you use. It’s about a deep well of knowledge and experience that people can sense when they hear you talk.”
The next question came from a listener who wanted to know the best ways to provide value to customers, and then another question about following up with buyer clients between an accepted offer and closing. Greg said the communication is constant depending on what comes up. Buyer clients are likely excited and nervous so they will need some handholding.
The fourth question comes from a listener who’s currently working full time while working real estate part time. He wanted to know the best ways to lay groundwork and network for the ultimate switch to a full time real estate job. Greg said with $140 he can record four videos which he can promote online for $5 per day for 7 days. The videos should be about buyers needs, a park and restaurant in the area as well as a person of authority who resides there. This will give him the impressions that will allow people to get to know him and if he’s bringing value to them he will be able to start building a database. Greg added methods like giving away 15-25 business cards each day, and Matt stressed the importance of building credibility.
The next question comes from a new agent who wants to know what she needs to do after doing social media and giving cards to friends and family, among other tactics. Greg and Matt both answered the question by stressing the importance of phoning people and talking to them face-to-face. Greg said, “This is a person-to-person, belly to belly human business you have to go out there and talk to people - if they don’t know you or trust you they won’t do business with you.”
The next question the co-hosts tackle is how to deal with a seller whose house is cluttered before it goes on show. Greg offered a script he uses. “We live in our homes one way and sell our homes another way. Once your home goes on the market, it’s no longer a home, it’s a house and a product, and people buy with their hearts and confirm with their minds. So we need to collect your treasures and put them somewhere safe. We need people to see the home and not your way of living so they see can see their own lives there.” He added that the key to this script is telling the seller kindly.
Next, a listener asks about how he can close a deal when the customer is on the fence. Matt and Greg said it’s important to remember that the goal shouldn’t be to push for the close without understanding why the customer hasn’t made a decision. Greg said, “you’re there to serve and consult. If they’re not buying, you haven't provided enough value.” The last question comes from an agent who wanted to know about property pricing - to which Greg answered by saying “a willing and able buyer is going to dictate the true value of a home.”
The one insight and take-away that echoes in the answers provided by Greg and Matt is the importance of providing real value to the consumer. When you’re able to do this, you open up the doors that make you someone people can trust and from that, your sphere of influence grows. It’s also important to talk to people face to face, allow them to get to know you and let your knowledge and experience shine through.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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This episode’s guest is an expert in new construction and land sales who has a lot of wisdom to share about building a construction based business, relationship and team building. Danielle Seifert’s career is a great case study of the power of nurturing relationships and being a resource for clients.
Takeaways + Tactics
There are many ways to improve other than doubling your numbers and doubling your team
It’s easier to become an expert at new construction; because it’s new developments, you can become an expert on what’s inside the walls, what the timeline is and what upgrades are available.
You can’t get momentum with one home. You have to keep the wheels turning
Des Moines agent Danielle Seifert is this episode’s guest. Her speciality is new construction and land sales, an area she went into after deciding to leverage herself after working solo with a closer. She represents two builders and also has built herself up to be able to represent both sides of the transaction. Her typical clients are both residential and commercial. Her process begins with pinpointing an area she likes, then she buys the bare ground and develops on it.
When it comes to making your services known, Danielle said one should stick with simple tactics and not overthink how to reach clients. She got her first developer by simply presenting herself and her services to a builder and from there she began doing open houses for new properties.
Danielle then pointed out that she favors new construction because it enables her to be an expert on each development she sells which is hard to do with resales. “With new construction I can become an expert on what’s inside the walls, what the timeline is and what upgrades are available. I like to look good and I like to know stuff.
Matt, Greg and Danielle go onto discuss how she prospects for developers, having knowledge on two sides of the fence and who she looks to as resources. She also mentioned how she believes in creating a culture of information sharing in the office, which she benefitted from early in her career. Now she manages her team in the same way and she encourages her agents to develop their own brands. “I always had the desire to mentor. I want to take on agents and build them to be as good or better than me.” Her team consists of 10 agents, and helping them out is an admin who handles the contract to close processes. She said it took 8 months to build her team and she did that through building relationships. Winding down the chat Matt, Greg and Danielle discuss relationship building, dual agencies and social media.
Working on new construction requires a good relationship with builders and developers, and it’s important to be a resource to these people and provide them a pathway to buyers. The key things to be learned from Danielle’s own career is that you don’t have to sell yourself all the time for people to know what you do, you have focus on relationships and being real with the people you want to get into business with.
Guest Bio
Danielle is a Des Moines based agent with over a decade of experience. She is a buyer's agent, listing agent, relocation and home building expert. Real estate is a lifestyle for her and it’s her top priority to have open communication and availability to her clients. To get in touch with Danielle go to https://www.facebook.com/danielleseifertteam.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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It’s been proven that agents who put certain aspects of the work in the hands of assistants and transaction coordinators perform better and have a better quality of life, but why is it so hard to put it in practice? On this episode, Matt and Greg chat with Brindley Tucker, a leverage expert on how agents can start to reap the benefits of leverage at every level and size of business.
Takeaways + Tactics
Agents that are leveraging or hiring transaction coordinators are are closing two to three more homes per month and they’ve increased their productivity from $3-10 million.
Make a list with two columns, one with what you should be doing and another with what you’re leveraging. When your TC reminds you to “Stay in your lane,” you have something to refer back to.
Be patient, accountable to the recruiting process and willing to be slow to hire and quick to fire.
Matt introduces us to Brindley, who coaches, trains and recruits in leverage management. She began her coaching business aiming to improve the productivity of agents and impact their quality of life.
The hangout kicks off with a question about recruitment tips for adding ISAs to a team. Brindley stresses the importance of committing to the recruitment process by finding the right talent instead of rushing to fill the role. More time spent during recruitment is time saved once you have the person working.
The key things Brindley teaches her clients is that they need to stick to the parts of the job that are the most profitable. “Agents should be focusing on lead generation, lead follow up, scripts, negotiations, and appointments. Nothing that happens after going into contract makes them money so why should they be doing it? They should be focusing on their 20% and money making activities, but what happens is it’s a lot easier to pick up the phone, and get an appraisal than it is to pick up the phone and call a lead.”
She adds that agents tend to get sucked back into contract to close tasks which makes them feel productive, because they are working on a transaction when in reality they’re actually not as productive as they would be if they were out here selling. it. 15:45 - 16:26
Some agents are unsure about hiring transaction managers because it feels like a loss of control and an addition of unnecessary contact points, but the opposite is true. By having multiple contact points during the process, you add value by providing the best customer service. “When you think of a doctor, does the doctor come in and take your vitals? No, he comes in and focuses on the most important thing and that’s surgery - the best thing he does. He leaves the details to the people that are good at it.”
The chat then goes into detail about leveraging for a solo agent who has needs someone immediately who will provide the benefit of their own experience. The goal for solo agents is staying in your own lane and for rainmakers it’s building a team correctly and investing in it.
Leverage is increasing value for your customers, it’s all about passing the baton to someone who’s really good at the tasks and detail oriented. Aim to provide high quality service and value to your clients, which is made possible by leaning on a strong team of capable or individual with the skills to help you manage yourself better. When it comes to hiring, be patient.
Guest Bio-
Brindley Tucker is a Tampa-based coach and trainer focusing on the recruitment and development of transaction managers, operations managers and bloggers. She is the owner of Transaction Management Inc. To learn more about Brindley and her work go to transactionmanagementacademy.com
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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On this hangout, Greg and Matt talk through various listener questions, covering topics like scripts, staying organized, creating a business and approaching clients by leading with value.
Takeaways + Tactics
Even if the client doesn’t have an exact time frame for selling, get in front of them because if you’re not talking to them, somebody else definitely is.
If you want to be organized, make sure everything goes through your calendar and that it’s color coded
Agents underestimate what needs to be done. To put a system in place, take some time away from the business to concentrate on setting it up
The hangout kicks off with a question from a solo agent who is concerned about staying organized and setting up an organizational system for his business. Greg says a color coded calendar is a good way to know what needs to be done. Matt agrees and adds that it’s important to have the big rocks for the day, and then the smaller aspects of the business can be scheduled around them. The reason many agents struggle with this, is that they underestimate how much time goes into creating a system. Matt and Greg’s advice is carving out time away from the business and using it to create a system that works.
Next, the co-hosts jump to the next question. “What’s the right way to keep in touch with past seller clients who have moved away?” Greg says the intention should be to build a friendship and Matt says there’s a right way to follow up. With a service like Vyral Marketing, one can see who is watching the videos and those are the people you can follow up with.
Question 3 is about dealing with a seller who doesn’t know when they’ll sell and whether it’s a good idea to keep in touch with them. Greg answers yes. “Get in front of them because if you’re not talking to them, somebody else definitely is, they need to be seeing your brand.”
The next question Matt and Greg discuss is from a listener who wants to know what the right script is for an upcoming shift, so that it doesn’t sound like you’re putting pressure on them or sounding too sales-y. Greg says it’s important to quote a reputable source and Matt says it’s important to be fine with not taking every client. If they are not the right fit and you won’t be able to serve them well - let another agent take them.
Finally, the chat winds down with questions about scripts for raw land deals, scripts for converting a client who is dealing with different agents to become your client. The last question comes from someone who wants to know how small brokerages can compete with the bigger marketing budgets of larger firms. The simple answer for these 3 questions is “always lead with value.”
Mastering the marketing game can be a challenge for an agent, but whether it’s scripts, dealing with competitors, or even setting up a system to benefit your business, the key thing is to work with adding value as your main intention.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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For an agent to step away from production and focus on profit over volume, a system needs to be leveraged and followed closely. How does this system affect the roles of the people heading up the business? On this episode, Greg and Matt discuss this with Kerby Scurat - whose own business follows the visionary and integrator model built on the foundation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
Takeaways + Tactics
Ask yourself what your process is and then work on how you can leverage a team to execute on that process.
Get the more dollar productive things on the agents’ plates and the low level stuff off their plates by hiring Virtual Assistants to take on some of the work
The best visionaries have had to do the integrator role at some point.
You can spend 100k on marketing but if you don’t have any type of efficiency to combat those leads and the bottom line, you’re wasting money.
-Kerby Scurat
Matt, Greg and Kerby kick off the show by discussing a listener question about price minimums and whether it’s a good idea turning down business because it goes below a certain amount. Greg and Kerby are of the opinion that using price minimums can stop agents from being able to build relationships with clients that could bring them even more business in the future. Kerby adds “every client has their own story and their own needs” and while they might not be up to a certain dollar amount, serving them means you retain their business long term. “55% of our business came from nurturing the database and never saying no to anyone who comes from that.”
Matt says being able to serve clients in this way is only possible if you have a team and a system. “You can do it but a solo operator has to be selective.” If there is the chance that you can hand them off to someone who is more equipped, do that. Kerby says in the case of having the lead flow problem of too many leads, it’s necessary to start leveraging the system or other people. He gives an example of lead flow as a railroad and the system as the kerosene that gets the train to its destination. “If you have all these leads coming at you, you have more control.”
Kerby goes into further detail about systematizing and how that benefitted his own business. In 2011 he began using Tigerlead, and then his team has layered in Zilo as well, with the aim of deepening the sphere of influence. Currently, Kerby’s team mail to 37 0000 homes and this method works thanks to a marketing budget that can drive these leads. Kerby’s success is build on the foundation of a solid team, led by him and his wife Cristina, who acts as the integrator while Kerby holds the role of visionary. Giving support are the marketing, sales and operations teams as well as 11 agents. Their target for each agent is 36 homes per year.
Kerby introduces the books Traction and Get a Grip by Gino Wickman which are the basis of their business model. When he and his wife decided that they wanted to get out of production and create more time for their growing family, they invested in the entrepreneurial operating system (EOS) outlined in Traction. The business required “A system that makes it possible to run it at a high level and scale it to the next level.”
They also work with an implementation coach who meets with the team 10 times over 2 years and ultimately the coach steps away so that the company can run EOS on their own. Kerry’s business stays on track with quarterly pulses with company rocks that everyone is responsible for and 3-7 initiatives over 90 days rocks that are overseen by the departmental heads. The system ensures that there is a clear picture of what needs to be achieved every single quarter.
With their focus on profit over volume and balancing it out with quality of life - Cristina, the integrator runs the day to day implementation while the visionary comes up with the overarching strategies. The integrator has to act as the filter for the visionary’s ideas and Kerby and Cristina have managed to achieve this as a husband and wife team, an excellent feat.
One of the most necessary moves Kerby and his team had to make was getting more efficient with the lead flow of the business. While a lot of money can be put into marketing, without efficiency and proper systems all this money goes to waste.
The conversation turns to social media and whether Kerby uses it or sees the need for it in his own business model. He says it’s a piece of the puzzle that he wants to get involved in. He plans to scale down on PPC which is labor intensive, and move towards an attraction mechanism which social media would serve as.
Speaking of attraction mechanisms, he uses Zilo which has a higher cost per lead - but is more efficient. For every lead that comes in, the team uses the follow up structure of 10 calls, 5 voicemails, 8 messages and 10 emails in 10 days. This is only possible because the CRM is powerful, and even though it requires a huge investment it is worth it.
The hangout closes with Kerby giving a quick rundown of his future plans - which include putting more time into a construction company he’s a partner in and getting involved in coaching.
Leveraging a system is a move that kicks the productivity of a business into high gear and it allows for benefits such as improved quality of life. With the employment of Virtual Assistants it becomes possible for agents to pour their energy and attention onto dollar productive tasks. Additionally, a visionary-integrator structure creates order that touches each part of the company. Success is achieved through a willingness to stick with the system, invest in a reliable and capable CRM and being goal and efficiency oriented.
Guest Bio
Kerby is a REMAX expert who is one half of a husband and wife team in Minnesota. With over 345 homes sold in 2015, Kerby and Cristina are the number 1 REMAX team in Minnesota. He began his real estate career back in 2006 and he has since began ventures in construction and coaching. To get in touch with Kerby and learn more about his work go to kerbyandcristina.com
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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Agents want to reach a point where they are top producers, with solid leads, clients and wealth but so many feel like that circumstances are holding them back. What are the most common things holding agents back from success? In this week’s show, Matt and Greg tackle lack of money, lack of leads and lack of knowledge, and they provide actionable tips to help ambitious agents overcome them.
Takeaways + Tactics
Anything that requires an investment of time will give the impression that you are active and everywhere all the time. That gives a perception of expertise, competence and activity.
Lack of knowledge isn’t a problem because there’s so much knowledge out there. What agents face is the lack of clarity of not knowing which course of action to take.
Stop comparing yourself to top producers with big budgets and more relationships. You are just where you need to be, so go and be entrepreneurial!
Wealth is attracted to people who show up on time, so show up on the dot and show up prepared. - Matt Johnson
On today’s show, Greg and Matt answer a very common question - what is holding you back from success? They kick off with a question from Facebook about lead gen scripts and how the co-hosts feel about using scripts that have the clients name. Greg says he favors not saying the customer’s name in case he butchers it and offends them. He prefers something along the lines of “Hey my name is Greg McDaniel I’m a real estate agent in the area” or leading with “Hi is this the owner of…?”
Matt asks Greg what he’d say in the case of lead follow up from an website form, because it’s a script many agents are afraid of. Greg says agents are afraid of rejection and that’s why they are afraid of saying anything. He would say something like “Hi my name is Greg and I’m a real estate agent in the area. We just received an inquiry on one of our sites on the value of your home. We like to get back to people as soon as possible and I wanted to see what I can do to answer any questions. Are you guys, selling refinancing or getting info for a will?”
“We actually have buyers we’re working for. Would you be cool if I came over to have a 10 minute look over the property? I meet a lot of people and I can keep your home in mind. We want to get you on a once-a-month drip. Use us as a resource, we have a team of 7 people and we’re blessed to work with the right families. We are client based not commission based.” Matt notes that the key things that made Greg’s script work is that he didn’t rush and he didn’t try to sound too polished, sales-y or silver tongued.
Greg and Matt dive into the tips to overcoming the things that hold agents back from success, starting with lack of money. The general rule is to have 6 months of money in the bank to support yourself and ideally $1000-2000 to put into lead generation and marketing. Greg points out that the first step is not comparing yourself to the top producers who have the budget to put towards marketing. “You are where you need to be so go out and be entrepreneurial.” Sit down at Starbucks, meet people, have conversations and you will start to widen your sphere of influence.
Matt adds some tips about things that won’t cost money but will bring success.
Positioning. It’s free, set yourself up as an expert in a specific neighborhood, price range or niche and start blogging.
Punctuality: “Wealth is attracted to people who show up on time.” Make sure you get to meetings on time, informed and prepared. Greg adds “if you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late and if you’re late don’t show up at all.”
Follow up
Matt adds a bonus note. He says lack of money and lack of leads are tied together. If you want more clients there are free ways to build relationships. Think of how you can build more relationships. Remember that top producers have more relationships and are better at starting new relationships and nurturing them.
A listener pops in a question about order of necessity in terms of what one should spend money on. Greg and Matt agree that it’s
1. Website
2. Paid lead generation
3. Video and email
4. Facebook marketing
Next, the co-hosts move onto leads, ideally, someone who wants to buy or sell a home in the next 6 months. Matt reiterates the importance of focusing on building relationships, that’s how you’ll get referrals. The intention should be to build relationships and train those people to get you referrals.
Matt points out that being active on social media isn’t just about finding leads, it’s about showing your expertise and productivity. “Anything that requires an investment of time will give the impression that you are active and everywhere all the time. That gives a perception of expertise, competence and activity.” One you’ve crossed the bridge of competence and activity, the only question left to answer is whether you’re the right fit, so being active gets you much closer to getting a solid lead.
When it comes to achieving success, it’s all about positioning - putting yourself in the right place at the right time for it to locate you. Positioning is about making yourself attractive to success by showing up on time, always attending meetings prepared and enriching yourself with he knowledge that gets you ahead of the pack. Positioning is also about being clear about who want to attract and repel, building relationships through the people you already know and choosing a course of action decisively. Empower yourself by filling gaps in your day with the knowledge that will change your business!
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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Real Estate journalists and websites have an eye on the industry and are wealthy source of the trends and insights that make Realtors better at the work they do. There is spades to know about technology, building a strong business and serving customers and Brad Inman is here to tell it. The founder of Inman news provides details and information that you can put into action now and start seeing results!
Takeaways + Tactics
Create owners and not workers, but don’t give away equity just to get free work. There is a sensible and logical way to give away equity, without hurting the business in the long run.
The concept of hiring underlings is an old concept. Your first hire is more likely to someone that is equal to you who can completely revolutionize your business.
There will be a point when a business has to scale and become efficient. Investing in technology and hiring an experienced operational person will become necessary.
“There’s no robot that can replace the Realtor but the Realtor that doesn’t use technology will be impaired.” -Brad Inman
Kicking off the Hangout, Brad introduces himself and gives a bit of background on what he does and how he started Inman News and grew it to the news organization and industry resource it is today. He began as an activist and became a consumer writer, covering real estate. He says that the concept of a home has always been important to him because outside of work it’s where we spend the most time. What he does with Inman News is what he calls “raising the IQ of the real estate industry.”
Digging deeper, Brad goes into detail about running a news organization virtually and how he’s able to create the culture of a office for writers spread across the country, working from home. He relies on Slack, which he calls “IM on steroids” and Trello for project management. The second thing that makes virtual possible is who you hire and he’s all about hiring independent, responsible people who are accountable and business minded. He believes that the hiring mentality has changed because people don’t just want paper pushers who handle administration. Entrepreneurs are excited by the chance to hire someone who is an equal so that they can revolutionize the business. In terms of what roles to staff, Brad says finance, technology and strategy are the first roles for a growing business to staff and then sales should follow.
The sophistication of the consumer is overwhelming for many Realtors and that means that team structure continues to morph significantly. People want to work with people they can feed off and exchange knowledge with. To put it simply, Brad says “try to get five smart people around the table.” To truly benefit your business you need someone to complement your weaknesses. It’s also important to hire people who act like owners and not employees because owners will take you further. A lot of teams today consist of a visionary and implementer partnership and not hierarchies.
In the final minutes, the hangout then turns its focus onto machines and how technology is keeping today’s Realtors on their toes. Machines are much better at information processing and that’s something people can leverage to better serve their customers. People won’t be able to work like machines but they can learn something from a machine’s ability to provide important data. On top of that, it is necessary to invest in technology that makes life easer for the consumer. Brad ends with a scoop on how messaging platforms are going to explode and bring great benefit to Realtors. He believes that these platform will promote communication and collaboration in the industry.
Remember that value is what you’re meant to bring to the customer, and today’s customer is a lot smarter. Arm yourself with the information they need about a house, its history, the area and the history of the area. Buyers want the details and they want the Realtors’ interpretation of data so make sure your answer to a question isn’t “I don’t know.” You might have to go back to school to gain some of the information but as our knowledge depreciates quickly, it is necessary to become a lifelong student of the industry.
Guest Bio
Brad Inman is an Internet entrepreneur and founder of several online and offline companies, including Inman News, HomeGain.com, TurnHere.com and Vook. Brad’s been interested in real estate for years and he wrote on the subject for the San Fransisco Examiner. He is also the author of Livable Neighborhoods of the Bay Area. For more information on Brad and his work go to inman.com
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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The database is an all important asset and resource that impacts a Realtor’s ability to list successfully. Why is the database so elusive for many and what tactics can one employ to make sure they are connecting with the community and making themselves relevant to buyers and sellers? This hangout details the tried and tested methods employed by Hauer Homes’ founder Chad Hauer and how they can be used to build strong databases and stronger community ties.
Takeaways + Tactics
Immerse yourself in the community, give time and energy on something people will remember fondly.
People in your community need to know, like and trust you.
There is no tipping point, remain in action, don’t lose momentum and you will do well.
Be the main point of contact in the community and make sure people are aware of your presence. -Chad Hauer
We jumped right in with a listener question from someone just getting started in the real estate industry. He wants to know about starting a referral business in real estate and how it can be done. Chad explained that he should work on building a strong database, starting with a list of 100 people. The key people to build relationships with are CPAs, financial advisors and lawyers who meet with people in the community regularly.
If you have a small sphere of influence, call the people you know and let them know about a free service program. For Chad, that meant forming a concierge service that provides people with assistance for different things around their home, whether this was home decor or laundry. By building relationships with the vendors, you create a chance to grow the database and work with the community. Also take advantage of your community by talking to people in coffee shops and other public places, be bold enough to give people your business card. Put yourself out there and you’ll start to see results.
Chad shared more about himself in the second part of the interview. He was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington and joined the industry after working as a firefighter and then assisting his father’s real estate business. After juggling real estate and firefighting, he realized that he had a passion for property and he took on the niche market of waterfront properties. While his father worked on the bank owned side of real estate, he decided he preferred the relational side of real estate, and he focused on building relationships and a solid database.
In his own work, Chad’s referrals actually came from the passion he has for his own community, where he set up an annual fireworks display at Mason Lake. The community has rallied around it and it has been a great success. While he was doing the fundraising for this fireworks display, he ended up collecting email addresses. People liked what he was doing and that gained him the trust of the community. People began reaching out to him to buy and sell their houses. His signs started popping up on the lake and it was a real trickle down effect, starting from that community contribution and going all the way to the successful business he has today.
The interview closed with a chat about about what helped Chad get through the crash. He pointed out that mindset is important as well as the ability to keep one foot in front of the other because there is no such thing as instant success.
Don’t be afraid to cultivate strong relationships with your community to expand your sphere of influence. Make yourself available as a resource to make life easier for people and you’ll gain their trust. Once this is established, you will be able to build a strong database and impact your surroundings while you impact your community.
Guest Bio
Chad has been a full-time Realtor for 13 years, after getting a start at the age of 21. He has specialized in lakefront properties and he is passionate about being there for his clients beyond the times they are buying or selling a house. Chad has also developed the Signature Client Care Program which allows him to be a resource that meets clients’ needs and helps them get the most out of working with him. To read more about Chad and get in touch go to hauerhomes.com
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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How do you sell 359 homes and become the top agent in your city? Misty SOLDwisch of Des Moines, IA shares her story of becoming a great listing agent, and how she leveled up with radio and TV.
Takeaways + Tactics
Use a two-stage listing consultation process - Going through the home first before recommending a list price
If you’re a strong listing agent, radio and TV might be the catalyst to dominating your city
To be a great listing agent, you must be a great listener. That side of the business is where all the expectations are
Sellers form an opinion on your expertise based on your presentation and the information you put together on their home...I go into the home without making any presumptions. -Misty SOLDwisch
First we covered Misty’s background as an agent, team leader and broker/owner of a RE/MAX office. Misty was always a strong listing agent, and she explained her two-stage listing consultation process at the top of the show. By going into the home without any presumptions of the value, she was able to build rapport and listen to the seller’s needs and motivations, then come back with an informed presentation and price opinion. This built her credibility and trust with the sellers.
Misty explained what it takes to be a great listing agent, “You must be a great listener. That side of the business is where all the expectations are. The buy side, that’s the fun part!” Because of her listing process, her listening skills and regular communication with seller clients, she built a reputation as a great listing agent.
From there, she started in internet lead generation, which is still part of her overall strategy. However, the catalyst for becoming the top team in her market was moving into radio and eventually television. The name recognition and lead generation from those two sources feed her entire team.
To prepare yourself to dominate your market, focus on becoming the best listing agent possible. Use a two-stage process to build rapport, trust and credibility, and capture great testimonials. Then you can level up into mass media marketing like radio and TV for massive lead generation.
Guest Bio
Misty Soldwisch is a RE/MAX broker/owner and leader of the Misty SOLDwisch Homselling Team in Des Moines, IA. In 2015 Misty’s team sold 359 homes, making her the the top producing agent in her market. Learn more about Misty’s team and send referrals atwww.soldincentraliowa.com or misty@mistysold.com.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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What if the standard team model isn’t right for you? Des Moines agent Char Klisares shares her experience trying to shoehorn her business to fit that model, and how she shifted to a ONE Agent Team built around her strengths.
Takeaways + Tactics
Find the high quality agents in your area by reaching out to lenders
Create a group of high quality agents who want to work your excess leads
Support and train the agents to handle the leads correctly so your deals actually close
I needed to find something that would be self-feeding. As soon as I started implementing this system, my production numbers shot up and have exceeded anything I did before. - Char Klisares
We kicked off with a question on how to handle return calls when you’re away from your computer and you’re not sure what lead source they’re calling from. Greg’s advice is to be a human being, tell them that you were making cold calls earlier and ask if they’re returning your voicemail. Char’s main advice is to thank them for calling and build some excitement then ask a couple qualifying questions to get the conversation started.
Then we dug into Char’s story, and she shared how she came to the end of her rope trying to implement the standard team model. “On my best day I can’t be everything to everyone. Even with the best intention I was pissing people off left and right.”
Working with her coach, Hank Avink, they set out to find a team structure built around her personality and work style, and struck on the ONE Agent Team. As a result, Char is on track to close 9 deals this month after starting the year with only one deal in January, resulting in over $40k in commission per month (in a midwest market).
Char explained the mindset behind the structure, “If you’re chasing the dollar, you won’t understand this. My issue right now is I have so many leads coming in. For every 5 listings I manage I can only do one buyer because of the time tradeoff. A year ago I switched my focus from buyers to listings…’
Char went to lenders to find agents she could partner with to work those excess buyer leads. She secured their agreement and then setup a group chat where she and her assistant can distribute the leads. Agents work the leads, Char gives them coaching, support and a lead follow up structure, and in exchange she takes a referral fee.
We love real estate because it’s like the wild west! You can build any kind of business you want, and Char is a perfect example. Don’t make yourself miserable trying to fit into someone else’s business model.
Guest Bio
Char Klisares is a real estate agent and team leader with RE/MAX in Des Moines, IA. To send referrals to Char, connect with her on Facebook.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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How do you decide where to invest your lead gen budget? Denver team owner and Firepoint founder Chris Tamm shares the key metrics he tracks and elements you can improve to get you the maximum ROI.
Takeaways + Tactics
Video-based follow up email sequences have much higher click-through rates and engagement than delivering that information by text
Set up saved searches that don’t shut off automatically so you continue to touch past clients and sphere
If you prospect by calling or texting cell phones using an automated system, you’re opening yourself up to $16k fine per call/text
A lead is a conversation. Improving the quality of the conversation with saved searches, video email sequences and scheduled follow up will close the loopholes where you’re losing leads and losing money.
Guest Bio
Chris Tamm is a team owner and founder of Firepoint, based in Denver, CO. Firepoint is an all-in-one solution used by some of the top agents in the country, such as Gabe Cordova. Learn more at firepoint.net.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
FSBO’s have demonstrated a need for your services, so how do you convert them into clients? Aaron Wittenstein joins us to share how he prospects FSBO’s, from why he waits 3-4 wks to contact them to scripts and objection handlers.
Takeaways + Tactics
Contact FSBO’s 3-4 weeks after they go on the market - once they’ve gotten over the initial optimism and showings are slowing down
Use scripts that are being tested and proven on the ground - right NOW in today’s market
Go after low-hanging fruit - new Expireds and FSBO’s - the next best source are old Expireds and FSBO’s
This business is not very easy. If you’re not in the right environment to help you succeed, you’re going to fail. -Aaron Wittenstein
Learn from those who are active in the business and have a pulse on what’s working right NOW. If you don’t have a mentor or coach, or can’t afford one, find a great agent in your office and ask them to mentor you in exchange for sharing the commission on your deals.
Guest Bio
Aaron Wittenstein is an Expired listing expert based in White Plains, NY. Aaron is also the founder of Lead Gen Scripts & Objections Facebook Group. Send referrals his way via www.westchestersells.com.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
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With so many opportunities for people who work in real estate to grow strong businesses and build wealth by investing in their own product, why are so few agents doing it? Real estate veteran, investor and podcaster Jason Hartman provides insights into mastering the market and also finding opportunities to create wealth.
Takeaways + Tactics
1. Succeed by building relationships, the key is dominating one geographical location and understanding that area so that people can only think to list with you.
2. There is no second place in real estate, you either get the listing or you don’t. It’s better to be first in a small group as opposed to being 2nd in a larger one.
3. Income property is the most historically proven asset class. Single-family homes are the safest asset class and when you invest in them you get returns in different aspects and build wealth.
This is the era with so many tools at the disposal of real estate agents, but the work and the success still comes down to relationships and the key is learning to own a geographical area and dominating it.
–Jason Hartman
The hangout kicks off with a question from a listener who wants to know if it’s still necessary to sell homes through realtors, since some sellers are doing it themselves. Jason and Greg both point out that an agent cuts down time on the market and more importantly stress on the seller.
Jason Hartman tells us more about his background and career. After getting into the real estate game at 19, he worked at Remax (where became one of the top performing agents). His true interest was always on the investment side of the business which he moved into after his time at Remax. Jason Hartman advises agents to put work into building relationships and dominating a geographical era.
In his investment career, Jason focuses on single-family homes. “Single-family homes are the safest asset class because they have a universal need and when you invest in income property you earn a return from different aspects.” In terms of clientele Jason says, “Our avatar client is an investor who works hard, has equity in their home, savings or stocks, and wants to invest in 6-10 homes.”
Jason gives us his market insights including the benefits of investing. He introduces what he calls “inflation induced debt destruction” which helps people build wealth through income property. Tragically, most people in real estate miss out on this wealth because they’re not investing in their own product. If you build a productive business by dominating an area, you can join the ranks of agents building wealth while they list!
To rise to the level of being able to invest in real estate, it’s important to build a strong and productive business by learning to dominate a neighborhood and then widening your reach from there. If you can put your focus on building strong relationships within that area, you will be able to create the capital to invest. Stop selling real estate, and start selling yourself!
Guest Bio
Jason is a real estate veteran and investment expert who has been involved in several thousand real estate transactions and has owned income properties in 11 states and 17 cities. His company, Platinum Properties Investor Network helps people purchase income property in prudent markets nationwide. He also hosts a podcast called Creating Wealth and does educational events. Listen to the podcast and learn more about Jason and his company at www.jasonhartman.com.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
As promised on a previous Facebook Live, we role play through Greg’s listing consultation, expired and other seller objections, and how Greg and Aaron are using Facebook Live to hold themselves accountable and raise their prospecting game.
Takeaways + Tactics
Use Facebook Live to hold yourself accountable to make your prospecting calls
Aaron uses a combination of Vulcan 7 and Sieze the Market data to get the best Expired data
Research and call old expireds so you never run out of people to call
Article-
We start with Aaron roleplaying through some objection handlers, including the objection “I would never list with you because you’re too aggressive.” We also talk thought Aaron’s schedule, when he prospects for Expireds and does his follow ups, and what he spends extra time on.
Aaron shared that he has 11,000 old Expired’s going back to 2011, so he never runs out of people to call. He also shared how he sets up his clients for price reductions by weekly communication, “You earn the right for price modifications…My clients come to ME with price modifications because they know what I’m doing for them.”
If you want to step up your game and take more listings, this episode has some killer scripts and objection handlers to deal with difficult sellers. To actually get your listings sold, it’s crucial to have weekly communication with your sellers so price modifications are built into the expectations.
Aaron Wittenstein is an Expired listing expert based in White Plains, NY. Aaron is also the founder of Lead Gen Scripts & Objections Facebook Group. Send referrals his way via http://www.westchestersells.com/.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
We hear all the time about how mindset is key to success, but how do you change your mindset? In this episode we talk about the mindset differences between successful and unsuccessful people and how to use audio and video materials to absorb a new mindset by repetition.
We kicked off by discussing the mindset issue most struggling agents have in real estate - a short-term mindset that tends to believe resources, leads and sales are scarce. Successful people have the opposite mindset - they have a long-term mindset and believe resources, leads, sales, even great ideas, are abundant. Successful people know that there are always more leads, more ideas, more money to be made.
We gave one quick example of how the sales cycle is getting longer. Offering a home value quote rather than asking if someone is thinking about selling. The home value offer is attractive to someone further upstream, because it’s the information they need to decide if they can and want to sell. The further upstream you catch leads the more chance you have to build trust and a real relationship before they need your services. Trying to find lots of leads who are ready to make a move in the next 3 months is a pipe dream. It’s our responsibility as real estate consultants to build relationships, build trust and nurture those leads till they are ready to make a move.
We also covered how to change your mindset if you come from a background that ingrained a mindset of scarcity or short-term thinking. Both Greg and Matt agree that you need to attack the problem with repetition. Listen to motivational material and watch motivational videos over and over and over again. Let it get into your subconscious till it becomes your default way of thinking.
It takes time and effort to build relationships, so if you excel at it you’ll separate yourself from 99% of other agents. It takes a mindset of abundance and a long-term outlook, so it really begs the question, Are you in the real estate for the long haul?
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
50-80% of people self-identify as shy. If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable in a room full of strangers, this episode is for you. Susan shares practical tips and phrases you can use tomorrow at networking events and out in public to develop real relationships with people.
We started with a common situation - the networking event - and Susan gave some great practical tips. Focus on making others comfortable with you. Recognize that at least half the people in that room consider themselves shy, and you can help them by starting conversations and getting to know them. Stick with small talk at first, and don’t bombard people with questions. You have to EARN the right to ask big questions.
Susan also pointed out how it’s hard to tell who the influencers are in a room, and even if you identify them, it doesn’t mean you should only focus on, or be nice to, those influencers. You never who knows who, so be nice to everyone in every room. Remember the old saying, The roof is the introduction. In other words, the fact that you are there in that room with that group of people gives you something in common to start conversations.
Then we dive into another common situation - when we’re chatting with someone who expresses interest or need in what we offer. Susan explained that we shouldn’t ignore or shrink back from that interest, but follow up with a question: “Oh really, what were you thinking about?” Then offer some idea and ask another question. Be careful not to grill people. “The only grilling you should do is BBQ, not people,” Susan pointed out, “Make it conversational and natural.”
We also covered how to follow up and stay in contact with someone you meet at an event to draw that person into a deeper relationship. Susan explained how she keeps up with current events through newspapers and TheWeek.com, and why that’s so important. Susan also pointed out that business cards are still important, and you should take cues from the other person on whether to offer your business card. Susan also gave a simple script for email follow up and meeting with people you meet at events.
The big takeaway is to focus on others first. Make them comfortable, make small talk, share genuine stories and build relationships first. Don’t look at people as prospects!
Susan RoAne is a keynote speaker and best-selling author of How To Work A Room, which recently celebrated it’s 25th publication anniversary. Learn more about Susan and receive your free ebook at her website: http://www.susanroane.com/ and pick up a copy of her books at local bookseller to support local businesses! If you have a burning question, email Susan@susanroane.com
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
Anyone can sell 200-300 homes per year, so why do most agents struggle? Real estate coach, top producing agent and fellow podcast host Marguerite Crespillo joins us to share practical steps we can all take to be more successful agents.
Marguerite shared her views on how new agents should be brought into the business, with an apprenticeship program and a reduced commission for the first 12 transactions. She also explained that both sides need to have the training checklist so the mentor and new agent don’t sign off till they both agree that the new agent is fully trained and prepared to work a deal on their own. This would prevent most of the quality issues we see in the business today.
She explained that if you’re new to the business and your broker or team doesn’t have this structure in place, you can still reproduce this by pitching an experienced agent by offering to give them a split of the commission in exchange for an apprenticeship.
Then we tackled the issues of expansion, and Marguerite shared her views: “There’s a big thing going on right now that’s somewhat scary, which is the whole mega agent thing.” She explained that expanding into a market you don’t really know and understand in exchange for generating leads and coaching the agent doesn’t serve the agent, the broker or the consumer. This also affects how teams recruit, which is based entirely on whether an agent has done a few deals with no attention paid to HOW the agent handled those deals and if they’re really good at handling transactions.
Next we dive into why agents struggle, including the perception that agents don’t need to work hard. “The agents who are in that top 10% are the people who get up, show up and dress up...Those people do well. If you’re not willing to do any of that, you will always struggle.”
Marguerite went on to explain “Anyone can sell 200-300 homes, but are you willing to do the work associated with that? Are you willing to sacrifice?” She gave a terrific example of an agent she recently interviewed who is a single mom and built a successful business that allowed her to be off at 3pm to pick up her kids. “So what do you want your life to look like first, and then build your business around your life.”
We finish up the interview with the power of saying NO. It’s critical to know your goals so that when unrelated opportunities come up, you can confidently say NO and focus on the things that directly help you reach your goals.
If you want to stop struggling and start succeeding in real estate, start by looking at your personality and what you’re willing to sacrifice to build a successful business. Anyone can succeed as long as you Get Up, Show Up and Dress Up!
Marguerite Crespillo is the Owner of Realty First, a 20+ year veteran of the business as a high-producing agent, team leader and broker. Marguerite is also a John Maxwell Certified trainer and founder of MasterClass Real Estate Academy. She hosts a podcast called Real Estate Real World. Listen to the podcast and learn more about Marguerite at http://www.margueritecrespillo.com/.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
In our latest episode we take a variety of questions and share our takeaways on marketing from our recent interview with Chris Smith, founder of Curaytor.
We started with a question on how to write better offers to get your buyer’s offer accepted in a super competitive market. Greg shared a couple strategies for working your price and timing of your offer, as well as some ways to compress timelines to make your offer more attractive.
Then we tackled a big question - What are the first steps toward building a team?
Greg explained that the very first step is figuring out what type of team you want. Rainmaker with some support staff, rainmaker with buyer agents who get leads from you, or CEO type with dedicated buyer agents and listing specialists.
Matt agreed and shared that we have two upcoming guests who tried the standard KW team model, a CEO structure, but then went a completely different direction. They stripped down their business to their strengths and then built small, agile teams around their strengths and their personality. So stay tuned for those interviews!
Then we covered our takeaways from the Chris Smith interviews:
We’re all in the relationship business. The more quality relationships we build, the more successful we’ll become. Use social media, content marketing, reviews, success stories and all other marketing tools at your disposal to build relationships first.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
How do you connect with people and convert them into clients in a digital age? Chris Smith, co-founder of Curaytor, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on lead conversion, using social media to build relationships, building your online presence and generating word-of-mouth through old school personal touches,
We started with Chris’ background in boiler room environments, how he put himself in a positive state to make calls and how he built trust with prospects to close them in one call. “Sometimes in sales we forget that we can be really helpful. Educate people, and whether they work with us or not, they can value that time they spent with us.
Chris explained that building trust has to be done through his words and, more importantly, tone of voice, “In the book I call it a Black Labrador mindset, that you’re happy to see every lead, every dial, every person.”
Chris then shared how his motivation has changed over the years, “When you focus on that number, and when that’s what drives you is that number, it’s not nearly as powerful a driver. When I stopped focusing on 100k and started focusing on my responsibilities as a man, the 100k came very quickly...What you focus on is what you find”
Next we dig into the mindset of sales and lead conversion, “You’re going to have a few conversations a day that you’re going to win or lose if you’re hitting the phones,” Chris pointed out, “so if you’re kind of beat up going into the three that you get, you’re in tough shape.” Greg shared how you can use little rewards to keep yourself in a good mindset for those critical conversations, and Chris gave his perspective: “I’ve found that it’s way easier to help people than to sell people. And if you help people more than what you sell costs, that’s actually sales.”
Then we dig into lead follow up and social media, Chris explained, “If you commit to 10x follow up, you need 10x reasons.” Using the example of finding an article that someone in your sphere would enjoy, Chris pointed out that you could send it by DM, private message on Facebook or even post it directly to their wall. Rather than using it as a status update and tagging someone, go the extra mile. “Social is really this amazing opportunity for one-to-one engagement, but most people are blowing it...If you just woke up every day and sent private messages to those people that weren’t about real estate, 1 in 10 or 2 in 10 would bring up real estate themselves.”
“Every lead is an internet lead,” Chris explained, “the question becomes, do the people who look at you online become MORE or LESS confident in you and your abilities.” You have to stack the deck in your favor so that when prospects reach out to you they’re already sold on working with you.
Next we dig into how you can use video online and in customer service, Chris gave a great tip - If you find yourself writing a paragraph-long email or text to a client, send them a video reply instead. Video messages or posts to your client’s Facebook wall are a great way to make your message more personal and memorable.
We finish up with the topic of openness and caring about your prospects and clients. Chris posed a great question, “Are you open to, and do you enjoy, learning from people who are different from you.” “If you’re that cold-hearted business person and you don’t give a $&*# about anything but the bottom line, go hire someone like me who cares and let them by that voice for your company.”
So many of us want an EASY button, but great lead conversion is a combination of many factors - your online presence, your social media content, your reviews and success stories, your mindset and lead follow up. It all starts with CARING. Care about your prospects, care about your clients, care about their results.
Chris Smith is a USA Today bestselling author and the co-founder of Curaytor, a social media, digital marketing and sales coaching company that helps businesses grow faster. In less than three years, he used the blueprint in his book, The Conversion Code, to grow Curaytor to over $5 million in annual, recurring revenue. His work has been featured in Forbes, Inc. and by many other publications.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.
Investor, broker, team leader and all-around fun guy Paul Campbell joins us to share what’s working to generate leads for his team, how he’s optimizing his Google Adword campaigns, his daily routines and self-development tips.
We start with a question on Firepoint, a new lead gen/CRM system developed by one of Paul’s friends, Chris Tamm. Paul explained why systems like Boomtown are focused on quantity of leads over quality and how Firepoint does a better job of generating high quality leads.
Then we dug into Paul’s background as an investor, short sale specialist, brokerage owner and how they shifted from short sale to a traditional sales model. Paul still spends a big chunk of his day supervising various investments and commercial properties. Paul also meets with recruits, putting a heavy focus on chemistry, looking for agents who fit into their culture first.
For lead generation, Paul’s team really thrives on Google Adwords, using it to generate leads and add people to their database, where they continue to keep in touch with video marketing and other methods. “We really spend a lot of time on the Google Adwords platform because it’s basically math and it’s really easy to calculate that return...I can’t think of a better way to build your database than the Adwords platform.” They also invest in Facebook ads, where his team is experimenting with more specific targeting options. They use Facebook ads both to generate leads directly and to market specific listings to a buyer profile, and run everything through their lead generation website, which ties into their CRM.
Next Paul shared his average day, how he weaves in managing his investments and commercial property, forecasting profitability, setting strategy for the team, etc. Paul pointed out, “I also like to spend an hour a day reading someone smarter than me so I learn something.”
Paul has built a successful, multi-faceted business in real estate, both in sales and investing. He is a great example to learn from in order to build real wealth in real estate rather than just a sales career.
Paul Campbell is a real estate investor, broker and co-founder of Stellar Realty, with offices in Portland and Bend, OR. To send referrals to Paul’s team, contact paulc@stellarrealtynw.com or 503-380-8142.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.