Do what other leaders won’t do. That’s where the big opportunities live.

That’s what I took away from the chat with Marki. Well, that and my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing.

You might know Marki from…

* her years of pro speaking on AI and social selling

* her podcast and membership

* Hosting the NAR Drive podcast

If so, you also know she’s going to be 100% herself, in any situation.

So she didn’t hold back on where the industry is missing it, and how that creates niche opportunities to build a loyal audience of agents.

Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation:

Most leaders are missing agents’ REAL problems.

“You need to be where they are…And you have to talk about the pain. Probably where people are missing the mark is they’re storytelling and the true pain is off. I understand our pain. I’ve lived this pain…” - Marki Lemons Ryhal

From menopause and dental work to the 2x strength lenses in her glasses, Marki is not shy about sharing. Which creates a completely different level of connection and loyalty with her audience.

“We are an industry of people who lack medical insurance, but we’re also an industry….of over 60% women with the #1 age bracket being 50-55 years of age…You want to know why the women love me? Because I’m talking ‘all day’ problems.” -

When big-name leaders and brands don’t speak to the everyday problems agents face, it creates a huge opportunity for independent coaches, authors and speakers. If you can be radically authentic without oversight, push that advantage to the limit.

Most leaders are ignoring differences in abilities and learning styles.

“We’re not addressing in real estate, What percentage [of agents] are neurodivergent learners? ADHD, dyslexia, different learning styles? They might have been labeled as being difficult or people don’t want to work with them because how they learn is totally different.”

It makes sense that real estate might be over-represented with neurodivergent learners, ADHD and dyslexia, compared to the general workforce. Real estate is flexible and anyone can learn at their own pace. There’s no boss looking over our shoulder.

But as of now, very few leaders are speaking to these agents directly, or repurposing content for their needs. Another niche opportunity waiting for the right leader to step in and serve.

Leaders aren’t teaching agents how to “Pull Back the Bow”

That’s the grind work of building new skills, new systems or learning new tools. (credit my friend Hank Avink for that term).

Marki faced it this past fall, grinding through the scholarship application process for her college-bound son. She even built a whole AI system to get through it faster and submit more applications. The result? Over $1 MILLION in merit-based scholarships.

Ok, so that’s the grind…the pulling back the bow. But who wants to hear about that?

The opportunity is in being honest about the grind. Honesty gets you loyalty.

What do agents need to DO to really benefit from your offer?

Where do they need to “pull back the bow?”

Because if you’re not honest about that, even when agents buy, most of them won’t implement. So they get no benefit, and you get no testimonials, case studies, word of mouth or loyalty.

So how do you sell agents on the grind of new tools, skills and systems?

Help them see the backend payoff…clearly enough…that they’ll sacrifice short-term revenue to get it.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Ask This:

What pain are you talking about….that other leaders or brands won’t touch? Not business pain...life pain.

Quick Links & Resources

Marki’s website

Marki’s podcast

Marki’s Speaker Page - a killer page from a veteran speaker, worth checking out if you want more speaking gigs.

Marki’s Facebook

I love talking to Marki, she’s been in my life as a client and friend for many years now, and she never fails to bring incredible energy wherever she goes.

Watch out for her on the speaking circuit, and send her a referral to any local or state association who’s looking for a speaker!

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS If you’re winning the game in business and life, and now you want to make an IMPACT on agents, check out our agency, MicroFamous.

We’re the content strategy and production team behind many of your fellow real estate leaders, coaches, speakers and authors. And if you’re driven to make an impact, we want to help.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com