Agent Rise Podcast

When was the last time you got a piece of real mail that you really enjoyed reading? Today on the Onion Juice, Michael Krisa from Service For Life!® joins me to talk about the power of the mailbox, specifically, a custom newsletter that they produce for me to keep me connected to my “power list” of past clients, friends, family and potential new clients. This newsletter is so important to me, it’s one of the top three strategies I focus on to attract business!

It all started with the Mathweg Minute

Real estate newsletters to past and prospective clients can be a fantastic and inexpensive way to build and maintain strong client relationships. I learned this from a mentor in the real estate business back in 2002, which resulted in the creation of my own newsletter I titled “The Mathweg Minute.” After the first year of creating and sending it to my list, I realized I did not have the time to produce great content as often I would have liked. That’s when I found Service For Life!®.

You would think I wrote it myself...but I didn’t

I used to produce every newsletter, which meant writing every block of content and planning extra content that I thought would help build trust and likability. Service For Life!® intentionally creates a newsletter with a “down-home look” my list raves about. It’s not the shiny, corporate direct mail that everybody immediately tosses in the trash. I include real estate information, of course, but Service For Life!® strategically includes “How-To” articles, trivia, tips, and humor to motivate the highest readership and encourage sharing. it’s NOT all about real estate, and that’s one of its success secrets…

It’s all about the touchpoints

The more you can communicate with your “power list,” the more successful you will be at attracting business! Michael says it’s “all about the touch points.” Loosely defined, a touchpoint is a place or point that a customer touches, or interacts, with your brand. When people read my newsletter, I hope that it comes across as warm, genuine and heartfelt, because that is exactly how I want to attract new clients. Imagine the business you could attract if a past client hands a well-crafted newsletter to a friend, and shares a positive story about you at the same time...the value of that interaction will far exceed the commission you make on it.

Are you marketing or just advertising?

Raise your hand if you didn’t know there was a difference between marketing and advertising...Michael says marketing is the science of getting people to do something, while advertising just means you have a lot of money to burn. Each of the newsletters that Service For Life!® produces for me includes several call-to-action sections that encourage people to connect with me. I can set up a number with pre-recorded information about a property I am listing, offer tips like “5 ways to prepare to sell your house” and even a touch point that starts by asking something like “Would you like to know what your neighbor's house sold for?” These are all powerful hooks that are included, and the best part is, I don’t have to write them myself!

Outline of this great episode

• [0:45] How are you communicating to your sphere of influence?
• [1:30] The awesome OJ sponsors
• [2:00] Neil Introduces Michael Krisa from Service For Life!®
• [4:15] The power of the mailbox
• [5:15] Remember the “Mathweg Minute?”
• [7:00] How to target the right list for your newsletter
• [8:30] I didn’t write it myself, but you would never know that
• [10:15] The power list
• [13:30] The letter of the heart approach
• [17:15] Beyond the mailbox: What are you doing to connect and follow-up?
• [19:00] Are you marketing or advertising?

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• Agentinnercircle.com
• Serviceforlife.com
• • OJ listeners can use Promo Code “Math67” to get a subscription to Service For Life!® for only $67/Month
  • OJ listeners can use Promo Code “Math588” to get a subscription to Service For Life!® for only $588/year
• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching website here

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

If you are a real estate agents who is trying to break out on YouTube, drop everything you are doing and listen to this episode! I promise it will be worth every second! Despite the fact that YouTube gets more search traffic than Bing, Yahoo!, and AOL, many real estate agents fail to leverage the platform. On today’s episode, TJ Kelly joins me to share several YouTube best practices that real estate agents can use to reach more people.

YouTube is a search engine that uses a specific algorithm you can follow

When it comes to ranking YouTube content, TJ Kelly is the man with a plan. When YouTube first launched, part of the algorithm was based on views. The more views your video got, the higher it ranked. Now, YouTube uses a different approach. While they still count aggregate views they do so in conjunction with engagement metrics, which include number of seconds viewed, comments, likes and social shares. TJ said before it was better to pump out a ton of videos with less focus on content. Now, it's better to create content-rich videos that drive user engagement. The first 15 seconds will determine if a viewer will stay engaged, which TJ says is critical. The other factor is the total amount of minutes and seconds your video has been viewed. This is not per user, but overall. Therefore, having longer videos will add more seconds to your count and increase your rankings.

The three P’s of YouTube: Proof, Preview, Proof

TJ recommends using the PPP method when producing content for YouTube. Here’s what that looks like...Preview: First, give the viewer a hint of what the video is all about as soon as the video starts. Proof: Then, establish proof that you know what you’re talking about and can deliver on the topic. Preview: Finally, reiterate what the video is about, this time adding a specific detail that the viewer will learn.

Say your keywords in the video

The latest algorithmic changes to Google’s search engines now take into consideration a more dynamic field of content types. As such, videos, images and transcriptions are now crawlable. Anything you say in a video (especially one that includes subtitles and annotations) can technically impact your ranking signals. Putting your keyword into the title of your video while also saying your keyword throughout the video is a great way to drive home the point of what your video accomplishes, to both viewers and search engines. In line with Google’s shift toward natural language search and high-relevancy content, matching auditory keywords within a video with those utilized in video titles signals that you’re not spamming users and that your video follows through on its title.

Customize video thumbnails

A newer differentiator that is becoming more common on YouTube is creative video thumbnails. Just last year, thumbnails were static images, but they now automatically animate when cursors hover over them. If your video is featured on page 1, it’s likely facing stiff competition from other videos that may better serve viewer intent. So how do you get users to click on your video despite being ranked lower? The key is to make a great first impression by having a customized thumbnail that stands out visually from everything else on the page. Customization can take many forms, including appealing color schemes dynamic banners or design patterns, and Intuitive splash screen/video title combinations.

Outline of this great episode

• [1:30] Check out the amazing OJ Sponsors
• [1:50] Neil welcomes TJ Kelly back to the OJ
• [2:55] Social content vs. search engine content
• [6:51] The search algorithm Youtube uses to rank content
• [8:00] Learn the three P’s: Preview, proof, preview
• [8:50] Winning title formats you can use
• [11:40] What you should know about YouTube SEO
• [15:45] How to leverage engagement signals and click through rates
• [18:37] Designing thumbnails that will get your video noticed
• [21:45] blogs and YouTube videos are a winning combination!

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• Getmxt.com
• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching websitehere

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

Today, Karin Carr joins me on the OJ to share how agents can leverage YouTube to build a business! YouTube is often said to be the second largest search engine in the world after Google itself. Every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours of video on YouTube, generating billions of views. Having a strong YouTube presence can have an incredible impact on your brand reach and will give you the chance to engage with the millions of visitors of using the platform.

Increase search engine optimization

YouTube is owned by Google and it’s the second most popular search engine on the planet. In real estate, we all know how hard it is to get ranked on the first page of Google because of syndication sites like Zillow, Trulia, or Realtor.com. However, Google will often sprinkle one or two videos into the first page when it thinks that the videos are highly relevant to a person’s search – And these videos come straight from YouTube. So the biggest benefit of creating YouTube videos is definitely SEO.

Searchable vs social

Social media is meant for quick blurbs, which get pushed off the radar and forgotten nearly as quickly as they were posted. A good YouTube video, on the other hand, is exactly the opposite; it snowballs, picks up views, and starts climbing with search engine results, 24/7, worldwide. Karin says it is important to treat YouTube like a search engine, not like a social media platform. This means you can use content to target a specific audience. For example, one video might target local homeowners looking to sell, while another might target local buyers looking for homes in your area or out of town buyers. Your content, title, tags, and keywords will all have an effect on how people find this content. 

Build your attraction pillar with videos

People only do business with people that they know, like, trust, and remember. Video allows you to do all of these at once with ease. When people see you on camera, they get to see all of the little nuances of your personality. From there, you can build an intimate connection with that person. Down the road, when they are ready to buy or sell real estate, you are the one that they are going to remember.

Make It Easy For Google & YouTube To Understand Your Video Content

Taking the extra steps to make your videos easier to find and share will let you take advantage of all that YouTube and videos have to offer along the customer path to purchase. Videos take content to an entirely new level. Karin says your title should be a few words long and include the major keyword for which you want to your video to rank. She also shares how to use tags that fit with your content and that will interest the people for whom the video was intended.

Outline of this great episode

• [1:45] Check out the OJ sponsors
• [2:30] Neil introduces Karin Carr
• [3:45] How Karin got started making YouTube videos
• [5:45] Karin explains she uses keyword research when planning a video
• [8:00] Searchable vs social - YouTube is not a social media platform
• [11:45] Using analytics to show where people are finding your content
• [14:15] The power of publishing regularly
• [15:30] How you can maximize the “Evergreen Effect”
• [15:45] Karin shares video editing resources
• [16:00] All you need is 4 ideas a month to generate leads
• [20:00] Is YouTube really that effective? Karin shares some numbers
• [20:45] Karin’s YouTube Masterclass is coming soon!

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• YouTube.com
• Karin Carr’s YouTube Channel
• Karin’s YouTube Course

• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching website here

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

The Juice Bar is open! In today’s episode I’ll answer your questions about social media, knowing the right time to leave your job, daily routines you can use as an agent and how to encourage a spouse that is frustrated or discouraged about your work as a real estate agent. Chances are, you have asked many of the same questions that these listeners have raised. Join me for this Q & A and then join us over on the Facebook group to interact!

What is the most important daily activity for a new agent?

Follow-up is the most important daily activity a new agent can do. Chances are, you have a list of people who talked to you at one point because they were interested in buying or selling a house. Maybe the timing wasn’t right, maybe life was crazy for a bit...whatever the reason, It’s time to follow-up with that person, they will appreciate the personal communication!

Some of you are running Facebook ads, but not following up with the leads that are generated! That’s crazy! If you have clients from Facebook, your method to attract business is working, so make the time to reach out and provide outstanding customer service! If you do that well, you may not have to chase business as much, as satisfied customers love to share their experience with friends!

As a real estate agent, how can I use YouTube to learn, and promote my business?

There are thousands of videos on YouTube that talk about real estate, so the question “which videos should I watch?” is a valid one. Here’s the problem though, sometimes too much of a good thing is not a good thing. There is so much content on YouTube, it may be more of a distraction if you don’t have a clear plan and a vision for how you want to do business. For example, my team is focused on hosting open houses. With that in mind, I might go on YouTube to search for videos from other agents who have mastered open houses, then copy what they do. I learn and improve, but I am not distracted by all of the other “shiny things” that don’t fit into my clear vision. To hear more on this subject, check out the full episode!

How do you know when it's the best time to leave your job and go all in?

If you have struggled with the idea of leaving another job to pursue real estate full time, here is what I would recommend. When you believe in your vision and have your vision dialed in, it's time to go. That sounds simple, maybe even a little scary, but the reality is, your clear vision will motivate you forward, and your needs will be met as a result. If you need help creating a clear plan, I would love to chat with you! Check out the rest of this episode to learn more!

How can an introvert become a successful agent

I love this question! The idea that extroverts are the most successful real estate agents is a misnomer. I suspect that the agents who consider themselves introverts are also some of the most caring, detail-oriented, attentive people in the business. There are advantages to both personalities. The solution is not your personality, introverted or extroverted, but to build a business around your strengths. What are you good at? How do you best communicate with people? If you are introverted, knocking on doors may be the stuff of nightmares...maybe email and social media campaigns are more your speed? Figure out where you thrive and what brings you the most joy, then build your real estate business from those foundations!

Outline of this great episode

• [1:15] What is the most important daily activity for a new agent? 
• [3:15] Every agent needs a clear plan
• [3:45] How to treat your business like a new business
• [7:30] What YouTube videos new agents should watch?
• [10:00] Other than routine shows, how do you break into YouTube marketing?
• [13:00] Should I join a real estate team?
• [16:30] How can I get a negative spouse on board with my business?
• [21:00] What are some good resources on the art of negotiation?
• [23:45] How do you know when it's best to leave your full-time job and go all in?
• [25:00] How can an introvert become a successful agent? 

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
• Quiet By Susan Cain
• Shannon Milligan
• Caleb Jahr
• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching website here

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

I hate to break it to you, but if you’re treating LinkedIn like an old-fashioned Rolodex, you’re doing it wrong. Nearly every industry uses LinkedIn to find and vet job candidates, and over 90% of recruiters rely on the site, according to data from the Society of Human Resource Management. So your profile can’t just be a storage unit for career contacts — it needs to be a living, breathing record of your professional life. Cathy Yerges from RevGrow joins me on this episode to share how real estate agents can maximize their connections on LinkedIn. Cathy says Linked In in the sleeping giant of 2018. You don’t want to miss what she has to say!  

Optimize your profile

Be sure to complete all of the sections including education, certifications, interests and the other section options your profile provides, when applicable. Your profile gives you the option to include a Twitter handle, three websites, company web address, phone number, email address and more — neatly placed in an address file at the lower right-hand corner of your intro box, alongside your LinkedIn URL. This makes it easy for you to find info to contact people on your target list and simpler for hiring managers to contact you.

It’s a social network. So be social

LinkedIn can be a powerful networking tool — if you let it. Instead of just saving the connections you’ve met throughout your professional life, actively engage with contacts by liking, sharing, and commenting on their activity. It’s fine to connect with someone you’ve never met, but make sure you send a customized message in your invitation. Cathy suggests following up with anyone who looks at your profile. The key is to engage people, instead of just broadcasting what it is you do.  

Company pages

LinkedIn's foundations are built upon individual personal profiles, which usually showcase the user's skills, not those of the company they work for. LinkedIn members use the site for numerous reasons, two of which include; following and networking with other professionals or following companies to hear of news and developments from that organization. Unlike your personal LinkedIn profile, your company page can help you display relevant content and services.

Media companies that happen to sell real estate

You guys have heard me say it, the goal is to be media companies that happen to sell real estate. When used effectively, LinkedIn is just one way that agents can provide value and attract more business, instead of chase it. Just like you do for your real estate blog and other social media accounts, posting a significant amount of content is essential to growing leads. Look at some of the best real estate agents and firms on LinkedIn and you’ll notice a trend: They all post content of varying types — links to blog posts, opinion pieces, articles, and curated pieces. Any visual content you create (as long as it’s informative) can help your LinkedIn page. Just as photos, images, and graphics perform well on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, LinkedIn provides another medium you can use to publish multimedia and advance your real estate social media marketing.

Outline of this great episode

• [1:00] LinkedIn is the sleeping giant 2018
• [3:00] The “Must Do” list for your profile from Cathy Yerges
• [4:00] Make it easy for people to contact you
• [7:15] Always create value
• [9:30] LinkedIn advertising explained  
• [12:45] Need some LinkedIn assistance? Cathy can help
• [13:15] Should you become a premier member?  
• [14:15] Company pages
• [16:45] Present your profile and tell people why they should do business with you

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• revgrow.com
• Rotoma BOOK
• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching website here

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly  iTunes)

If you not seeing success as a real estate agent, it’s probably because you are not being consistent. Of all the tactics and strategies available to an agent, I think being consistent with your plan is one of the most critical. It’s easy to chase the “shiny objects” or jump from one strategy to another, especially if you don’t feel like one is working. If you are doing this, you are wasting a lot of time an energy. Here is a silver bullet that you can bank on: work hard consistently. Check out this episode to hear more about how you can develop the right plan, set that plan in motion, then rinse and repeat.

Trust the process

You have probably heard the old adage about the gold miners who were digging, but gave up before striking it rich, just a few feet from the gold. Had they dug a little deeper, they would have seen a payday. The moral of the story? Trust the process. If you have been selling real estate for a while, but not seeing the level of success you desire, it’s either because you are following a plan that doesn’t fit you well, you are not being consistent, or some combination of the two. If you are just starting out, you may need a little more time in the business, combined with a congruent plan. I would love to help you get there. If you have been at it awhile, you may need to focus on one thing, then maximize your efforts.

Department of redundancy department

If you want to see success in one area consistently, you will have to repeat a process over and over again. This makes sense when we are talking about fitness or saving or positive habits...strangely enough, many real estate agents don’t follow this same approach when it comes to growing their business. Assuming that you have a great plan in place, the real power comes from your consistency. If you want to grow your business and develop long-lasting relationships with your sphere of influence, listening to this Onion Juice episode is a great place to start!

Develop a congruent plan

As I mentioned above, having the right plan is critical when considering the best approach to selling real estate. My team is focused on mastering open house events and sending out newsletters. I have been successful with this approach, but that may not be the plan you should follow. The truth is, everything can work if you work it.

The results will outweigh the effort...eventually

When you first start selling real estate, chances are the effort will outweigh the results at first. You will spend a lot of time doing things that don’t seem to be working, which is where “trust the process” comes in. As you stay focused and avoid the shiny distractions, the results will soon outweigh the effort. It will be easier to attract leads, people will seek YOU out, instead of you chasing them, you will start to gain momentum...these are the rewarding moments that mean you are doing something right!

Outline of this great episode

• [0:45] Consistency is the most important thing in your business
• [1:30] Trust the process
• [2:30] For a little while, your efforts will outweigh the results...be patient
• [5:15] What if you don’t have a process?
• [9:15] The shiny objects syndrome
• [10:30] Why you need to take 100% responsibility
• [13:00] How to develop a congruent plan

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• Taking 100% responsibility for your life
• 7 Levels of Communication BOOK
• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching websitehere

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

If you have ever googled “how do I manage my time,” you probably know what time blocking is...if not, just imagine you break your day up into 1-hour blocks, then assign a task for each hour. Great strategy, right? Since this is the Onion Juice, and we do things differently here. I want to share with you a better way to manage your time and tasks. I have been using this system with great results! Listen to this episode to learn how day-blocking can help you maximize your workday productivity!

Setting up your daily schedule shouldn’t take all day

You have great intentions to organize your day into time blocks. If you can carve out the time to organize your daily schedule, you are further ahead in the game than most people. I used to organize my schedule in blocks, but I found it didn’t take long for unexpected meetings and conversations to cut into that time, throwing my whole day off. Ever been there? Of course! This is when I discovered day-blocking.   

Why I switched to day-blocking

Scheduling every hour of every day was tough, and it didn't take long before that process seemed to be taxing and tedious. I didn’t always make good choices in this practice, and soon realized I was not alone in this process. So I changed it. Here is the new system I use every week: On Mondays, I call all of my hot leads. Tuesdays I call all of my clients to give them an update on where we are in the process, be that transaction details, listing details listing or any new listings on the MLS. On Wednesday, I contact my top 25. These are my referral partners or other people I am collaborating with. Thursdays are spent on the phone with my entire client list, organized by the alphabet. By the end of the year, every client has received at least two phone calls from me. On Fridays, I look over expired listings and the most recent posts on the MLS for my b-list clients.

Managing my sphere of influence and the chase

This schedule works well, but you might be wondering how I manage all of the other projects, like this podcast, the I Love Madison Show, the other agents I work with in real estate and a social media presence.

Every Monday, I promote the latest episode of the onion juice, as well as the I love Madison show. This means that I am scheduling tweets and facebook posts and sharing the content.  Mondays are also when I meet with my real estate team. Tuesdays are my newsletter day. I use service for life and have been incredibly happy with the results. On Wednesday, I record the I Love Madison Show. Thursday is used to record the Onion Juice podcast, before sending it off to the editing team. Friday is my video production or Youtube day.  

If you want to grow, hire up  

The reason I can manage so many things at once is because I hire up and automate where I can. After recording the podcast episodes, I turn the audio over to Podcast Fast Track, where they prep the audio and write (these) show notes. Many of the social media posts can be automated and scheduled, which saves time. Eventually, I will hire someone to help me promote the podcast episodes as they publish each week. This is how I hire up! Your schedule and activities will look different, of course, but the principle is the same.      

Outline of this great episode

• [1:30] The day-blocking strategy
• [5:00]  Sponsors of the OJ
• [11:00] How I plan my week
• [13:45] Hiring up

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• TweetDeck
• Service for life
• Podcast Fast Track - Podcast production
• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching website here

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly  iTunes)

Whether you’re a new real estate agent or a pro who’s been in the game for years, it’s not uncommon to feel uncertain about how to structure your business, grow your lead database, build relationships, and, ultimately, maximize profits. One common solution to help with these concerns is to hire an experienced, reputable real estate coach - in other words, someone who has dealt with everything you’re going through today and can guide your career in the right direction. This is exactly what I do with Roundbox, the Real Estate coaching program I created to help launch new agents and revitalize agents who have been in the game for awhile but seemed to have lost momentum.

The 3-Pillar Approach

A freshly-licensed agent doesn’t have past numbers to look back on or to analyze what worked and what didn’t. They’re trying to increase production and set up their business, but don’t yet have a working business plan in place, or an idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are. As a real estate coach, I help new agents define and reach goals using a three-pillar approach. These pillars are 1. Your Sphere of Influence, 2. Chase Business and 3. Attract Business. The goal of these three pillars is to help you create a well-rounded plan that sets you up for strong growth and success!

Your sphere of influence

Building your sphere of influence as a real estate agent is one of the most important things you can do. If done well, you can expect to see new business from about 10% of your sphere. There are several ways you can accomplish this. Personally, I use newsletters. Not the digital ones that people delete...I’m talking about sending the real paper to my list. Since few people are still doing this, there is not a lot of noise in this space and people are more likely to share an interesting newsletter than forward an email. The trick to developing your sphere of influence is to be consistent. Roundbox is designed to help you figure out what works best for your business, then help you develop a plan to help you influence your sphere.

How to chase business without the burnout

The second pillar is chasing business. This is often the only pillar that agents focus on. After chasing business for a while, many agents get tired or burnt out and lose the motivation to continue. I believe there is a way to chase business that can be productive and profitable without the burnout. It’s possible, but it takes focus and tenacity to avoid all of the “shiny things” that can distract you. My team is focused on using newsletters and open-houses to increase business. There are hundreds of ways the chase can be accomplished, but what is right for you? Listen to this onion juice episode to hear more on how you can start the chase!

Beyond the chase: what you need to know about attracting business

If you have listened to the Onion Juice before, you know that I often talk about being “media companies that happen to sell real estate.” This is how I attract business instead of always chasing it. In some of the recent episodes, I talk about a few ways that agents can attract business. My friend Caleb Jahr uses a vlog, I have used Facebook Live and Instagram, as well the recently launched I Love Madison Show, a podcast that highlights the city of Madison, Wisconsin. These are the things that work for me and my company. If you want to know more about how you can attract business as a real estate agent, I would encourage you to schedule a 15-min phone call with me, I would love to share ideas and hear your creativity!

Outline of this great episode

• [2:00] Why you should consider a real estate coach
• [8:00] Roundbox coaching: Neil introduces the three pillar plan
• [10:00] 1. Your sphere of influence
• [11:30] 2. The chase
• [14:30] 3. The attraction
• [15:15] Roundbox coaching explained
• [21:30] Accelerate your success with a real estate coach

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching websitehere

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

There is a powerful shift that takes place when you start living your life according to a vision, instead of just living to meet your needs! In the last episode, I talked about how to create a vivid vision for your life. This vision helps you to adopt an abundance mindset and focus on what truly matters. This week, we are going to peel back more of that onion and drink a little more on the subject of vision! If you haven’t listened to episode 124, you should go guzzle that first, it’s still fresh!

Needs vs. Vision

When you roll out of bed in the morning and start thinking about your day, do you focus on how you are going to pay bills, or how you are going to use that day to accomplish a grand vision that adds value to your life and to those around you? Truthfully, we all focus on those needs...there are more of them, and they tend to take up more brain space. What would happen though, if we started our day by clarifying what our vivid vision is, then used that vision to guide our schedule? I think your life would be changed...I know mine has been!

Your vision should light a fire in your soul

Having a vision has clarified what I need to focus on each day, and has lit a fire in my soul to see that vision realized. Every day, I get up excited to go to work, excited to continue selling real estate and leading my team. As I clarified my life vision, I shared that with my team, which in turn fired them up! If you are looking to build a team of people, for real estate or otherwise, the best thing you can do is clarify your vivid vision, then share it! As you lead, encourage the people around you to do the same.

Curly hair, and the houses nobody could sell

Recently, I heard a radio commercial for a salon here in Madison that said they specialize in curly hair. As it happens, my daughter has extremely curly hair, so their commercial immediately caught my attention. Ok, but we are talking about real estate, why does curly hair matter? Because it’s a niche. There may be hundreds of other salons I could take my daughter to, but these guys say they specialize in the one that I am focused on. The same concept applies to your real estate business. When I started out as an agent, I focused on expired listings. I communicated that I could sell the houses that other real estate agents could not. Do you think that caught people’s attention? Absolutely. When you focus on a certain niche, it tends to expand. As it expands, you are positioned as an expert in that area, which makes people trust you and want to do business with you!

What real estate niche can you focus on?

If you are a real estate agent that needs a niche, keep listening! There are hundreds of ways you can approach selling real estate. My team has decided to focus on open houses and being media companies that happen to sell real estate. I know other agents who focus on senior care or providing services for elderly people looking to sell a home, downsize, etc. Military families and law enforcement is another area of real estate that you could focus on. Understanding what military families are looking for means you can easily rule out properties that don’t fit, saving you time. There are hundreds of ways to approach this, I would love to hear some of the niches that you guys are focused on! Here’s to a vivid vision and expanding success!

Outline of this great episode

• [2:15] The vision you focus on can expand into a niche
• [9:15] My vision clarified what’s important
• [12:30] Specialize in one area
• [17:00] Real estate niche ideas

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching websitehere

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Onion Juice podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

I want you to start living your life according to a vivid vision! Hey juicers, on this episode, I share a powerful concept that will help you stay focused on the vision that drives your company, not just the immediate needs that pop up. The difference is subtle, but the result is remarkable! Listen to this OJ episode to start living according to your vision!

Are you living by a vision or by your needs?

Most of us are used to responding to needs and do everything we can to meet those needs as they arise. This is not inherently bad, those things absolutely need to be addressed, but at what cost? This endless cycle is one reason why people never step into their true purpose. Barry Bennett makes the point that most inventions, scientific advancements, and dramatic accomplishments were done by people who didn’t focus on their need, but rather on something that motivated them. The same is true for how you live your life.

The fires will bow to the vision

Focusing on your needs instead of living according to a grander vision is like running around to put out a bunch of small fires. As long as you are only living to meet your needs, your focus will constantly be on those fires. This is stressful and often means many people never reach their full potential. When you live according to a vision, the fires bow to that vision. It’s fun to work on the things we love, right? We find we have more creativity and passion and energy, things that are usually lacking when we are stressed about meeting the immediate needs in front of us. I am positive there are greater things for you to achieve...stop chasing fires and start chasing your vision!

The abundance mindset

A few episodes ago, I mentioned the abundance mindset vs. the scarcity mindset. I bring it up again because it applies to this concept. If you are just focused on your needs, it’s easy to get into a scarcity mindset. Left unchecked, this scarcity mindset can creep in and affect how you plan for growth, how you hire new team members and undermine your generosity towards others. The opposite is true of the abundance mindset. When the vision is your primary focus, it is easier to understand that the tide raises all ships. You then can lead with creativity and passion. It’s all about the vision. Vision is future, needs are present.

Write down a vivid vision, then move towards it

Here’s what I encourage you to do: write down a vivid vision, then move towards it. This is the critical first step you have to take before you can focus your life and begin to see the abundance that is associated with pursuing that vision. If you are thinking “what does a vivid vision look like,” start by writing down what you want your life to look like in 3-5 years. How old will you be? How old will your children be? What do you want your sales volume to be for your company? How many team members do you plan to have? These are all great places to start. Once you get this stuff written down, figure out what your three pillars will be, then focus your attention solely on those three pillars. Remember, the results of your life are found in the actions you take.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:30] Are you living by a vision or living by your needs?
• [6:00] Neil’s inspiration for this episode
• [8:00] Working on the three pillars
• [10:30] Vision is future, needs are present
• [12:15] Working on a vision stimulates creativity
• [14:30] Write down a vivid vision, then move towards it

Our sponsors:

• Mason McDuffie Mortgage
• www.KnightBarry.com - check them out for all your title needs.
• www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ - get $100 off by using this link (both my site and my company’s website are EAP sites… check them out below)

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• Need Vs. Vision Article by Barry Bennet
• To get my free pdf business plan, text “roundbox” to 44222
• To get my 11-question listing presentation tips, text “listing” to 44222
• To contact me about coaching, check out Roundbox Coaching
• Join the FACEBOOK Group: Onion Juice - Ideas for Real Estate Agents
• And… my personal website - NeilMathweg.com

Connect with me!

You can find my personal real estate coaching websitehere

And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter