Making Real Estate Simple

Making Real Estate Simple

By A simpliHŌM PodcastBusiness
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Making Real Estate Simple episodes

  • Personal Branding for Real Estate Agents - Authenticity, timing, and setting the right expectations - with Derek Trainer

    This week on the simpliHOM podcast we have Derek Trainer (contact linked below) joining us to talk about how he closed $20.7 million in volume in 2021 (with $24mil projected for 2022 as of June) and how his personal branding contributed to that growth. Derek shares his wisdom on when he started to think about branding himself for his business, how you can start building yours, and how setting the right expectations could be the key to it all. Here are some of the things we covered:

    • Who is Derek Trainer?
    • Why Derek’s mission is to “Change the way people view the Realtor”
    • When did Derek start focusing on his branding with his real estate business?
    • Authenticity in branding and how it makes you relatable
    • What is Ryan Serhant doing that is changing personal branding for agents?
    • Authenticity when it comes to working with your clients.
    • The three biggest expectations that Derek sets for all of his clients before ever working with them.
    • How did Derek create those three expectations?
    • The number one skill you need that will have the biggest impact in your business.
    • What is step 1 in branding yourself?
    • How to not be like every other real estate agent on social media
    • Swy's pointers on making a great Instagram Reel

      • Where you can find Derek:

      @trainergroup on Instagram

      /The615agent on Facebook

      Derek Trainer on YouTube

      Trainer.homes on the Web

      The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

      Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

      Follow our hosts:

      Sean Miku - @seanmiku

      Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

      Sara Wiley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

      Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

      1 hr 4 min
    • Advice for Real Estate Agents: A practical guide on how to build deeper rapport with your clients by telling your story

      This week on the simpliHOM Podcast we’re helping real estate professionals how to better tell their story using the oldest framework for creating the top producing movies, TV shows, books, and branding the world has ever seen. Really. We’re giving you a process to better communicate your story to your potential and existing clients so you can build rapport by relating at the most human level possible. Don’t fall into the trap of being one-dimensional in your business. You are MORE than what you do.

      • Brett is missing but we show him some love
      • How Sean learned to tell his story using stand up comedy
      • What is the Hero’s Journey and how does it relate to your branding?
      • Who’s the hero in your business?
      • How do your services solve your client’s philosophical problems?
      • How a one word change on our recruiting site hamstrung our recruiting efforts.
      • The number one tool to relate to others when communicating with them
      • The importance of being relatable in your marketing
      • THE KEY to learning without a mentor by… having many mentors
      • How to curate your social feeds to become more focused
      • Preparing for the hate that will come with telling your story

        • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

        Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

        Follow our hosts:

        Sean Miku - @seanmiku

        Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

        Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

        Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

        49 min
      • "Cinco De Hangout" - challenges with video, scaling culture in a real estate brokerage, and bad behavior

        This week on the simpliHOM Podcast the HOMies spend some time reminiscing about the good (and bad) at the simpliHOM annual awards ceremony and the challenges that come along with scaling culture in a real estate brokerage. We hope you enjoy this raucous crew’s recount of one of real estate’s fastest growing brokerages. Here are some of the topics:

        • Caffeine and protein
        • How much did you drink during quarantine?
        • How to get your significant other to work out with you
        • Swy confronts the boys about their behavior at the awards ceremony
        • The challenges of creating video content under a tight deadline
        • Kyle absolutely shafted Brett with the biggest video in simpliHOM history
        • How to adapt when operating costs triple
        • The challenges of culture and scale with a real estate company
        • How churches inspired subculture strategy

          • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

          Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

          Follow our hosts:

          Sean Miku - @seanmiku

          Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

          Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

          Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

          58 min
        • Landing Listings in a Chaotic Real Estate Market with Brett Ratkowski

          This week on the simpliHOM podcast, our COO and marketing guru Brett Ratkowski is going to show you how to find more seller leads in your market. This is a practical podcast which means you’re going to want to take notes and take action NOW. If you find the info in this podcast helpful, let us know by following and liking :)

          • Big changes in the simpliHŌM ecosystem
          • The challenges of the Nashville,TN real estate market
          • Is it advantageous to market that you support local buyers?
          • The effects of hedge fund buyers on your neighbors
          • The top 3 things to getting more seller leads as a real estate agent
          • How to add set up and communicate your value proposition
          • How to take advantage of circle prospecting
          • Besides cold-calling, what are some ways to drum up new seller leads
          • Should you use tiktok for leads?
          • The trick with bandit signs…
          • The taboo of working without a commission
          • What platforms are you using to gain leads?

            • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

            Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

            Follow our hosts:

            Sean Miku - @seanmiku

            Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

            Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

            Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

            54 min
          • Create 1,000+ videos for your real estate business - A chat with Austin Gardner with Loft Realty

            This week on the simpliHOM Podcast we’re bringing in Austin Gardner (linktr.ee here) , a content creating machine and real estate agent from north of the Mason-Dixon line. As an agent at Loft Realty in Milford, Delaware Austin splits his time between selling real estate, working as a first responder, and getting his time in at the gym. In this episode however, we take a peak at Austin’s formula for creating over 1,000 pieces of content a year and how you can apply it to your business.

            • As a real estate agent, how do you get started creating video content?
            • How do you know what content to shoot?
            • What is the “Garfield Complex”?
            • How and where should you post your content?
            • Should you post to TikTok?
            • How do you turn your content into a lead generation tool?
            • How many pieces of content is Austin releasing every year?
            • Document vs. Create
            • Advice for introverts wanting to do video

              • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

              Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

              Follow our hosts:

              Sean Miku - @seanmiku

              Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

              Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

              Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

              51 min
            • Advice for real estate agents: Interest rates and delivering exceptional service from a senior loan officer

              This week on the simpliHOM podcast we’re bringing in David Lippe, a senior loan officer from SWBC that’s been in the business for over 20 years. David sits down with our CEO Sean Miku to talk about how interest rates are and will affect Nashville, Tennessee and surrounding areas and how you can gain a competitive advantage by creatively solving your client’s financial situations. David is a wealth of knowledge so pull out your note taking method of choice and get ready to grow. Here are some of topics covered:

              • Are high interest rates here to stay?
              • Reflections on $1,000/sq. ft. property values in Nashville, TN
              • How the growth in Nashville, TN is affecting property values in select cities
              • What real estate agents do to win for their clients when it come to financing
              • The benefits of putting more down when buying a home
              • The six negotiable points to a TAR contract
              • Waiving financing… should you do it?
              • How many out of state buyers is a mortgage lender seeing in Middle Tennessee
              • Will the market correct?
              • What will happen when interest rates settle?
              • The difference between interest rates and mortgage rates
              • Why are out of state buyers justifying paying way above listing price?
              • “Delayed Financing” and how it benefits cash buyers
              • Using a HELOC to pay off your mortgage. Is that a good idea?
              • Advice for Realtors: David Lippe’s recipe for delivering exceptional service

                • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

                Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

                Follow our hosts:

                Sean Miku - @seanmiku

                Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

                Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

                Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

                1 hr
              • Are you going to die or push back? - Inspiration and Real Estate with Elizabeth Taylor

                Today we bring on special guest Elizabeth Taylor (@theelizabethtaylor on Instagram), an award-winning Realtor at Compass, wife mom, and MS survivor who has been CRUSHING real estate and life. In 2020 she sold 60 houses in the Nashville, Tennessee area and this year she’s on track to do the same all while battling not only the pulls of normal life but the complications that come along with being diagnosed with MS at 24 years old. In this episode, Elizabeth talks about the effects of growing up in a cult, removing limiting beliefs, the value of authenticity, and so much more! Here’s some talking points covered:

                • What do you do in the face of inevitability?
                • Are you going to die or stand up and push back?
                • What would you do if you knew you couldn’t lose?
                • Removing limiting beliefs. “What is holding you back?”
                • Visualizing your future
                • The power of intentionality and what Elizabeth’s daily routine is like.
                • The struggle of being “authentic” online
                • How “seasons” of workload occur in real estate and how to handle them
                • “Busy” vs productive
                • What’s up with chiropractors?
                • Should you shoot for the moon or set realistic expectations?
                • The origin of the hexagon in simpliHOM’s logo and how it relates to Saturn and DNA

                  • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

                  Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

                  Follow our hosts:

                  Sean Miku - @seanmiku

                  Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

                  Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

                  Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

                  54 min
                • HOMie Hangout - Raising Millions of Dollars, Tiny Doors, and the Nashville Real Estate Market

                  This week on the simpliHŌM Podcast, the crew digs into the current real estate market and why Sean is wearing a suit again (trust us, the answer involves MILLIONS of dollars). The HŌMies also journey through what immersive technology means for the future of real estate and how simpliHŌM is preparing for the shift into the Metaverse. Here are some other things they cover:

                  • The mindset behind Sean wearing suits
                  • Swy’s tiny doors and new refrigerator
                  • Brett’s refrigerator debacle
                  • The science behind why wood floors cup and crown from water and humidity
                  • Fundraising millions of dollars
                  • The future of immersive technology in real estate
                  • Inflation and interest rates
                  • The economic and housing impact of out of state buyers on the Nashville market
                  • How to know if your house is appreciating

                    • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

                    Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

                    Follow our hosts:

                    Sean Miku - @seanmiku

                    Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

                    Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

                    Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

                    43 min
                  • More Money and More Time - How to Turn Your Real Estate Career into a "Real" Real Estate Business

                    This week on the simpliHOM Podcast Sean Miku, our CEO and Brett Ratkowski, our COO dig into how you can convert your real estate business as an agent, into a business that operates without YOU! How do you identify where to start first? How do you build a process that works every time? How do you free up your time and grow your income to get closer to the life you’re working so hard to achieve? Well of course, this process takes longer than a 45 minute podcast but what you learn today will bring you one step closer. Here’s some of what they cover:

                    • The difference between a real estate business and a real estate job
                    • The “Vacation Test” or the “Extended Vacation Test”
                    • Identifying where to start transitioning into a business
                    • "Cookbooks and Recipes"
                    • How to transfer trust to your assistant/buyer’s agent for your client
                    • Is starting a team right for you?
                    • Systems and processes and how often you should revise them
                    • How to break down your processes to then automate and/or delegate them
                    • Can you afford an assistant? What is your time worth?
                    • Where to start when you are a new agent.
                    • When it comes to looking at your competitors…

                      • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

                      Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

                      Follow our hosts:

                      Sean Miku - @seanmiku

                      Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

                      Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

                      Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

                      50 min
                    • Conversations with a CEO - Hedge Fund Investors, Housing Bubbles, and the future of New Construction with Sean Miku and David Balfour

                      Support. It is hands down the number one thing agents indicate they need when joining simpliHŌM. This week simpliHŌM’s CEO Sean Miku sits down with David Balfour, one of our Principal Brokers and valuable support staff to talk about the economy and housing market in Nashville and beyond.

                      David Balfour has been a Principal Broker since 2005, has taken over 360 hours in specialized education and certifications, and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Middle TN Association of Realtors. With over 750 successful real estate transactions, David is a valued fount of information and wisdom. Here’s what he and Sean Miku cover this week:

                      • Economic outlook for real estate agents
                      • The future of new construction
                      • How to advise you buyers in this seller’s market
                      • What will a bump in interest rate do to the housing market?
                      • The difference between the mortgage bubble and a housing bubble
                      • The effect of investor hedge funds on the local market
                      • Predictions of the real estate investment market for the next 8-10 years
                      • How to succeed as a real estate agent in a crazy seller’s market
                      • How to not overthink lead generation

                        • The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast that tracks the challenges and changes every human and businessperson faces. Our host and Marketing Specialist Sara Wylie Armstrong, leads conversations with our CEO Sean Miku, our Director of Video and Immersive Technology Kyle Mann, our COO Brett Ratkowski, and others about the world we live in and how that impacts relationships, business and simpliHŌM, one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. From starting simpliHŌM to family to everything in between, this podcast follows the ebbs and flows of building something from the ground up. For more content, highlights, and commentary, follow @simplihom on Instagram and Facebook.

                        Interested in joining the movement of REALTORS® that are getting their time and life back? Visit joinsimplihom.com for more info about simpliHŌM and how we're revolutionizing the real estate industry.

                        Follow our hosts:

                        Sean Miku - @seanmiku

                        Brett Ratkowski - @brettratkowski

                        Sara Wyley Armstrong (Swy) - @swytheflyguy

                        Kyle Mann - @kyleispositive

                        52 min

                      About Making Real Estate Simple

                      From the publisher's feed

                      simpliHŌM, founded in 2018, is one of Tennessee’s fastest growing real estate companies. The simpliHŌM Podcast is a new entrepreneurial podcast led by CEO Sean Miku, Brett Ratkowski, and other industry leaders as they talk tips, tricks and the future of real estate.