In this week’s Messy in the Middle episode, Jefi Moultrie and Ed Billings talk about calendaring, its benefits, and challenges. They discuss how calendaring can help you stay motivated throughout the year. Jefi and Ed also share how having structure can create a sense of freedom in your life, protect your personal life, and allow you to work more efficiently. 

QUOTES

• “Calendaring can become a gamification. When you are auto-tasking, linking, and delegating in your calendar you will find huge productivity gains as a result.” - Ed Billings  [11:14]

• “If you don't know what you're doing, how are you going to be prepared? How is everybody going to be on the same page? I have a business partner and an assistant and they are trying to help me by scheduling appointments and calling clients back. It can’t all live in your head. Ultimately, calendaring makes you feel more in control of your day.” - Jefi Moultrie [04:43]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [01:37] Calendaring for Realtors: Freedom through organization
• [11:00] Calendar Hygiene: Auto tasking, Linking, and Delegating 
• [14:36] Creating structure for a balanced life
• [15:30] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Jefi Moultrie, and Ed Billings continue their series on listings. Jefi and Ed discuss the purpose of MLS listings and why succinct, professional photos are important when showing a home. They also talk about MLS remarks and using genuine vocabulary to describe what you love about the property and feel a buyer would also appreciate about the space. 

QUOTES

• “The purpose of the MLS posting is to get a scheduled showing. You are telling a story with photos. It is eye candy. You want to tease them, entice them, get them into the key areas and let them walk through.” - Ed Billings  [03:02]

• “When it comes to MLS  I ask myself ‘What would someone really love about this home?’ It doesn’t have to be this huge sentence or chapter in a book. It can just be points we use as buyer’s agents to sell the property.” - Jefi Moultrie [09:30]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [03:14] Being logical in the flow of MLS photos
• [06:26] MLS remarks
• [13:28] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Jefi Moultrie, and Ed Billings talk about pre-listing activities and why you shouldn’t negotiate twice. They discuss common issues you want to be ahead of and how you can control them. They also give examples of talk tracks you can use with both buyers and sellers and a checklist that can help you guide your clients and prepare them for whatever the home inspection report reveals. 

QUOTES

• “Building the pre-listing activities list into your listing process shows you are professional and it is a great talk track to guide clients through what it involved to successfully sell a home in this market.” - Ed Billings  [12:40]

• “All buyers experience buyer's remorse and sellers experience seller's remorse actually. But pre-inspections really tighten the curve of that. So their excitement level still stays high, which is important. We want clients to be happy when they get the keys!” - Jefi Moultrie [11:15]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [02:14] Pre-inspection
• [09:26] Talk tracks 
• [11:38] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Jefi Moultrie, and Ed Billings take a look at the market and examine the facts. They discuss what is happening in their specific markets in North Carolina and California and advise on the best decisions you can now if buying or selling your home. Listen to this episode to hear Jefi and Ed unpack accurate facts about the current real estate market that might surprise you!

QUOTES

• “Take the time to run the numbers on your specific market. You have to know the facts and dig in because if you rely on the media generalities you are not providing your clients a service.” - Ed Billings  [04:29]
• “Keep the eye on the supply. The sky is not falling. Know your numbers. Talk to your clients and educate them” - Jefi Moultrie [12:05]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [05:00] Big picture view of the market
• [07:45] Progress since 2020
• [09:40] Interest rates and low inventory
• [12:25] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Jefi Moultrie, and Ed Billings talk about the three key numbers you can manage to make progress in your business. They discuss how you can set specific goals for 2023, create friendly competition within your office, and measure your success week-to-week. They also talk about the importance of intentionally setting your focus on specific goals to produce results. 

QUOTES

• “That is the bottom line. We are in control of the activities we focus on and we are in control of what we measure.” - Ed Billings  [11:14]
• “Pick three numbers. Having three numbers makes it easier to stay on track. Having anything over three makes it more convoluted and makes it more difficult to stay focused on your goals. ” - Jefi Moultrie [09:34]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [03:00] Three important numbers
• [07:45] Buy a whiteboard!
• [10:40] Pitching it to your team
• [11:38] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Jefi Moultrie, and Ed Billings kick off a series that will explore the fundamentals of realty by discussing open houses. They share tips on how to increase the exposure of homes, maintain safety when holding an open house, engage people in the neighborhoods you are representing, and gather information on people with their consent, to deepen relationships and help them find the home they are looking for. 

QUOTES

• “We have seen a trend of shorter showing times. It used to be that an hour was standard to feel a home out but now we are at about fifteen minutes. There is a great opportunity to do a deeper dive with clients.” - Ed Billings  [02:23]

• “It is important to take advantage of showing open houses. Holding open houses, if done right, can be an incredible tool for not only selling your listing but for generating more business.” - Jefi Moultrie [14:13]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [01:30] Open house deep dive
• [03:43] QR codes and video tours
• [09:10] Gathering info
• [14:11] Generating business with open houses
• [14:50] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Jefi Moultrie and Ed Billings reflect on their Thanksgiving parties and give an after-action report. They share what they felt they did well, what they could improve next time, and creative ideas they used to connect with their clients and celebrate them. They talk about the importance of loving on your people and committing to the events that allow you to do that as a realtor. 

QUOTES

• “A speech outline is really great. Express gratitude. Tell stories. Ask for a referral and be specific. Close with a genuine expression of gratitude. This helps give your speech purpose and will flow from the heart.” - Ed Billings  [05:24]

• “Don’t make excuses to not do something. Do what you need to do to make it happen, even if it isn’t exactly how you want it to be. You can commit to it and you can do it.” - Jefi Moultrie [02:22]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [01:30] Pre-party calls 
• [04:06] Speeches
• [06:19] Professional photos
• [15:37] Gift giving
• [17:18] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Jefi Moultrie and Ed Billings talk about the power of doing all things with intention. They discuss what intentionality looks like in your personal and professional life and how consistent daily activities can make a huge impact on your long-term goals. They also reflect on the past year and evaluate what they desire to improve in their business approach next year.

QUOTES

• “You don’t want a have a bad case of “pretend busy”. You want to look at your activities and ask what are the most important ones that can drive your business and then go through and be honest with yourself about where you have been unintentional.” - Ed Billings  [12:58]

• “I would challenge our listeners to pick one thing they can commit to. The compounding effect of that one thing you choose to commit to makes the biggest difference in the long run.” - Jefi Moultrie [21:59]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [01:30] Working with intention
• [05:13] Daily activities that generate revenue
• [14:00] Gratitude
• [13:10] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Jefi Moultrie continues the discussion on asking for referrals with Alex Varela, a loan officer based in the Dallas/Ft. Worth market. Alex shares methods that he utilizes when asking for referrals that can help generate leads and create genuine connection between you and your clients. He also talks about the importance of consistency and following through with referrals to build rapport.

QUOTES

• “I like to edify realtors at least six times in the referral process. It feels genuine. Clients are more likely to give you more information, like a referral, when you are edifying someone else and not just talking about yourself.” - Alex Varela  [05:19]

• “You can ask for as many referrals as you want but if you don’t follow through and you don’t do a good job, those referrals can potentially slip through the cracks.” - Jefi Moultrie [08:23]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [00:55] Alex’s background
• [04:30] Asking for referrals
• [08:45] P3
• [11:30] Consistency
• [13:10] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com

In this week’s episode of Messy in the Middle, Ed Billings talks with Scott Wurtzbacher, a Charlotte, NC-based realtor at W Realty Group. Ed and Scott discuss the value of being relational and not transactional with clients. Scott shares how referrals can help realtors work smarter and why building trust can stretch throughout your referral trees and create long-lasting relationships.

QUOTES

• “The key is to maintain relationships with our clients and build trust. If we don't then we miss out on being a part of our client's lives as they evolve.” - Scott Wurtzbacher [06:59]

• “There is no magic way to make referrals happen. You have to put the work in long term and build your business one relationship at a time.” - Ed Billings [12:18]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:20] Intro
• [01:22] Scott’s background
• [04:00] Built-in trust
• [07:10] Maintaining client relationships
• [12:50] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• The Peak Experience
• The U.S. Housing Market Has Peaked
• Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence
• The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

CONTACT

Messy in the Middle: messyinthemiddlepodcast.com

Ed Billings: edbillings.com

Jefi Moultrie: jefisrealestate.com