Real Estate Uncensored - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Training Podcast

Many rental property owners have tenants because they failed to sell the property. But what happens when you run into an investor? Why is it important to start the conversation with questions about why the home didn’t sell? And how many contacts do you need per day to succeed at prospecting? In this episode, we take a tour at REDEX and talk about the success principles of top prospectors.

In the marketing world, what we love doing is building trust with potential customers. -Justin Zimmerman

Three Things We Learned

How you can build trust with rental property owners

Many owners of rental properties wanted to sell but couldn’t and now they have a property and a tenant that they have to manage by themselves. As an agent, you can bring value even if you just help them determine the right price for the rent. When your prospects figure out how little they know about rental properties and how much money they lose by not knowing what to do, they will be more likely to work with you.

How asking questions reveals pain points

Ask questions instead of starting a monologue about how great your services are. When you ask questions, you get to know all of their pain points that you need to overcome. It’s easier to persuade someone when you come up with a specific solution to their problem.

How to flip the script when a rental property owner isn’t looking to sell

Don’t close the conversation if you hear that a rental property owner isn’t looking to sell. If they aren’t looking to sell, it means they’re looking to expand their rental property business, which means they’re always looking to buy.

Top prospectors keep track of their appointments and how many contacts they need to set an appointment. On average, it’s anywhere between 35 to 50 contacts per day, but keep in mind that a contact isn’t just a phone number. A contact is someone you have a meaningful conversation with. If you call a number and the person on the other side doesn’t want to talk with you at all, you shouldn’t count them as a contact.

Guest Bio

Justin Zimmerman is the director of content development at REDX and a content strategist with a background in real estate.

He started off in real estate at 24 and built a software that took local MLS housing data and transformed it into a format easy to understand both by buyers and sellers. This helped him gain a competitive advantage in a profession where the average age was 47.

His software was so successful that he started training other agents to become Certified Market Advisors and went from being a simple agent to managing 51 people.

Today, he uses his real estate and marketing knowledge to help agents create content that eliminates the need for prospecting and builds a strong database.

Gene Volpe is the founder of GVI Media and has over 10 years of experience in real estate marketing. With over 200 transactions under his belt, Gene is known as an authority in his field and is often invited to speak at events. You can find more about Gene at http://www.genevolpe.com/about-gene/#.

During market shifts is when the creativity of agents is put to the test. How can we stand out at times when the market experiences a slowdown? Are face-to-face conversations still effective for generating leads? Why shouldn't we hide ourselves behind social media advertising? In this episode, we talk about creative, random ways to generate leads.

The most random lead generation tactic is saying hi to other people. -Greg McDaniel

Three Things We Learned

Facebook and LinkedIn groups

Local Facebook and LinkedIn groups can serve as a good opportunity for you to get known by other members of your community and establish yourself as “the agent” in the area. You can do so by sharing news or updates about what’s happens in your neighborhood without delving too much into real estate.

Make it a part of your routine to have conversations with people

The less personal your way of communicating, the more time and people you have to connect with. As a result, the most powerful way to connect with others is face-to-face. No amount of social media advertising can replace genuine human connections. Look around you, strike conversations more often, and always carry a business card.

Offer something of value with your brand on it

Having a white label book with your name on it, an ebook, or even a brochure that has information of interest for your leads serves as good introduction. Having something that’s deliverable is your opportunity to establish yourself as an expert and impress.

The most successful business owners aren’t reactive when it comes to lead generation. They look at who they want to work with and get proactive about finding ways to connect with them. Don’t wait for a third-party service to offer you leads. Put together a routine with a goal low enough so you can be motivated to do it every day and become more proactive about your lead generation tactics. For some it may be conversations, while for others it may be door knocking. Find what suits your personality best and chase the people you would like to work with.

During market shifts is when the creativity of agents is put to the test. How can we stand out at times when the market experiences a slowdown? Are face-to-face conversations still effective for generating leads? Why shouldn't we hide ourselves behind social media advertising? In this episode, we talk about creative, random ways to generate leads.

The most random lead generation tactic is saying hi to other people. -Greg McDaniel

Three Things We Learned

Facebook and LinkedIn groups

Local Facebook and LinkedIn groups can serve as a good opportunity for you to get known by other members of your community and establish yourself as “the agent” in the area. You can do so by sharing news or updates about what’s happens in your neighborhood without delving too much into real estate.

Make it a part of your routine to have conversations with people

The less personal your way of communicating, the more time and people you have to connect with. As a result, the most powerful way to connect with others is face-to-face. No amount of social media advertising can replace genuine human connections. Look around you, strike conversations more often, and always carry a business card.

Offer something of value with your brand on it

Having a white label book with your name on it, an ebook, or even a brochure that has information of interest for your leads serves as good introduction. Having something that’s deliverable is your opportunity to establish yourself as an expert and impress.

The most successful business owners aren’t reactive when it comes to lead generation. They look at who they want to work with and get proactive about finding ways to connect with them. Don’t wait for a third-party service to offer you leads. Put together a routine with a goal low enough so you can be motivated to do it every day and become more proactive about your lead generation tactics. For some it may be conversations, while for others it may be door knocking. Find what suits your personality best and chase the people you would like to work with.

Many agents fear getting on camera, not to mention live videos where there’s plenty of room for mistakes. Do mistakes make you look more human and approachable? What type of topics should you choose to speak about on video? Why is it important to have a call-to-action in your videos? In this episode, Ross Brand talks about how you can use live video to engage with your audience.

Live streaming takes video to the next level because people can actually communicate with you through a live chat. -Ross Brand

Three Things We Learned

Timeless content is easier to monetize

When you talk about topics that will remain the same even a year from now, you’re more likely to generate leads than when speaking about real estate trends. An excellent way to find evergreen topics for your live videos is to take a look at popular blog posts and put your own spin on them.

Add a call-to-action at the end of the video

Your viewers don’t want to feel like you’re selling to them, but they do want to find out what you do for a living. A good way to mention your real estate business is to put a call-to-action at the end of the video and let people know you’re available. You might not get warm leads right away, but after you build trust, your viewers will think of you when they need to buy or sell a property.

Focus on the lifestyle people have in certain areas, not about the listing

Most agents choose to use live videos for listings, but only a very small percentage of your audience is interested in buying a house right now. Instead of focusing on a a very niche audience, you can expand it by talking about the lifestyle in the neighborhoods where you’re active. For example, you speak about fun things to do during the weekend or the best restaurants in the area.

Don’t just recycle content on social media. When you re-post your live stream on social media, the content has a relatively short shelf life. Create a website or a social media page where people can browse through your videos and interact with your content. This way, your content is easier to find and will serve your branding efforts months and maybe even years after it was published the first time.

Guest Bio

Ross Brand is a livestream strategist, podcast host, speaker, and On-AIR personality. He was named the number #1 Live Streaming Expert by Klout and was selected as one of the “5 Live Video Experts to Follow” by Switcher Studio. In the present, Ross creates content for podcasts and Alexa Flash Briefings and is the founder of Livestream Universe. You can find out more about him here.

Many agents fear getting on camera, not to mention live videos where there’s plenty of room for mistakes. Do mistakes make you look more human and approachable? What type of topics should you choose to speak about on video? Why is it important to have a call-to-action in your videos? In this episode, Ross Brand talks about how you can use live video to engage with your audience.

Live streaming takes video to the next level because people can actually communicate with you through a live chat. -Ross Brand

Three Things We Learned

Timeless content is easier to monetize

When you talk about topics that will remain the same even a year from now, you’re more likely to generate leads than when speaking about real estate trends. An excellent way to find evergreen topics for your live videos is to take a look at popular blog posts and put your own spin on them.

Add a call-to-action at the end of the video

Your viewers don’t want to feel like you’re selling to them, but they do want to find out what you do for a living. A good way to mention your real estate business is to put a call-to-action at the end of the video and let people know you’re available. You might not get warm leads right away, but after you build trust, your viewers will think of you when they need to buy or sell a property.

Focus on the lifestyle people have in certain areas, not about the listing

Most agents choose to use live videos for listings, but only a very small percentage of your audience is interested in buying a house right now. Instead of focusing on a a very niche audience, you can expand it by talking about the lifestyle in the neighborhoods where you’re active. For example, you speak about fun things to do during the weekend or the best restaurants in the area.

Don’t just recycle content on social media. When you re-post your live stream on social media, the content has a relatively short shelf life. Create a website or a social media page where people can browse through your videos and interact with your content. This way, your content is easier to find and will serve your branding efforts months and maybe even years after it was published the first time.

Guest Bio

Ross Brand is a livestream strategist, podcast host, speaker, and On-AIR personality. He was named the number #1 Live Streaming Expert by Klout and was selected as one of the “5 Live Video Experts to Follow” by Switcher Studio. In the present, Ross creates content for podcasts and Alexa Flash Briefings and is the founder of Livestream Universe. You can find out more about him here.

Making radical changes to your routine might sound tempting, but in most cases this tactic leads to burnout. How can you make noticeable progress without going on and off your routine? Why is it important to get an idea of what you’re currently doing on a daily basis? How can you keep yourself motivated with a routine that takes time to see its fruits? In this episode, we talk about the compound effect and why small, consistent choices offer the fastest path to success.

The dip between taking consistent action and getting consistent results is going to be 6 months, and half the battle is just knowing that. -Matt Johnson

Three Things We Learned

Track and measure your productivity and habits

You can’t improve what you don’t understand entirely. Track your behaviors for one week, as this gives you a starting point and a better understanding about what makes you unproductive and what brings clients.

Consistent actions are more effective than radical changes

Find daily actions that can be done even if you have to deal with the unexpected. This way, you get consistent with your work and increase your chances of sticking to a work routine that might remain the same for years, as opposed to making radical chances that will lead to burnout and you quitting a few weeks later.

Celebrate your wins

Radical changes to your routine might sound tempting, but the small changes are the ones that are more likely to stick with you. And because small tweaks take time to pay off, you have to remind yourself daily that you’re one step closer to your goals. You can do so by emailing your daily report to an accountability partner or just write down all of the tasks you completed on that day.

Don’t let yourself believe that small changes aren’t enough to change the big picture. Over time, the small tweaks we make are more likely to bring results because we’re more likely to stick to a relaxed routine compared to a work schedule that we hate. But a relaxed schedule isn’t the only thing that make us more likely to stick with something in the long run. The people we work with have the same effect as well. We’re more likely to feel energetic and motivated if we get more picky about those we allow into our lives.

Making radical changes to your routine might sound tempting, but in most cases this tactic leads to burnout. How can you make noticeable progress without going on and off your routine? Why is it important to get an idea of what you’re currently doing on a daily basis? How can you keep yourself motivated with a routine that takes time to see its fruits? In this episode, we talk about the compound effect and why small, consistent choices offer the fastest path to success.

The dip between taking consistent action and getting consistent results is going to be 6 months, and half the battle is just knowing that. -Matt Johnson

Three Things We Learned

Track and measure your productivity and habits

You can’t improve what you don’t understand entirely. Track your behaviors for one week, as this gives you a starting point and a better understanding about what makes you unproductive and what brings clients.

Consistent actions are more effective than radical changes

Find daily actions that can be done even if you have to deal with the unexpected. This way, you get consistent with your work and increase your chances of sticking to a work routine that might remain the same for years, as opposed to making radical chances that will lead to burnout and you quitting a few weeks later.

Celebrate your wins

Radical changes to your routine might sound tempting, but the small changes are the ones that are more likely to stick with you. And because small tweaks take time to pay off, you have to remind yourself daily that you’re one step closer to your goals. You can do so by emailing your daily report to an accountability partner or just write down all of the tasks you completed on that day.

Don’t let yourself believe that small changes aren’t enough to change the big picture. Over time, the small tweaks we make are more likely to bring results because we’re more likely to stick to a relaxed routine compared to a work schedule that we hate. But a relaxed schedule isn’t the only thing that make us more likely to stick with something in the long run. The people we work with have the same effect as well. We’re more likely to feel energetic and motivated if we get more picky about those we allow into our lives.

Networking events are challenging and the room is often filled with people who try too hard to make a sale. How can we stand out and avoid being salesy? Should we have as many conversations as possible, or should we focus on a smaller group of people? What’s the best way to follow up with potential clients? In this episode, Jeremy DeMerchant talks about successful networking.

My secret to networking is being everywhere. -Jeremy DeMerchant

Three Things We Learned

Focus on quality not quantity

When it comes to networking, there are two paths you can take: have a large number of superficial conversations or a small number of meaningful ones. The latter is always the approach that brings the most business.

Schedule the follow-up via phone to avoid wasting time

Don’t set up a meeting at a coffee shop. Instead, set up a call. This way, you’ll find out in the first 10 minutes of the call if you’re a good fit for your lead. It’s harder to leave a meeting early without putting yourself in a awkward situation, but there’s nothing awkward about a short phone call.

Control the experience they have with you from start to finish

Send all the people you want to connect with to one place. For example, send all of your leads to your website or put them in an email drip campaign where you share links to your content. This way, you control the type of information they consume. This is also a good tactic to warm up leads. The more they read about you, the higher the probability they start liking and trusting you.

Constantly fill the funnel. Not everyone has to be a sale today or tomorrow. It could be a sale 2-3 years down the road. Be patient with the people you meet and work on increasing your exposure, making a good impression, and engaging with the people that you would like to work with. Last but not least, be everywhere. The more networking events you go to, the higher the chances people remember you.

Guest Bio

Jeremy DeMerchant is the CEO of Permission To Sell and has over 20 years of experience in the sales arena. His mission is to help coaches, business owners, and professionals increase their sales and revenue. If you want to find out more about sales tactics or want to network with small business owners and sales professionals, join the Permission To Sell Group. Jeremy is also the author of 5 C's of Successful Sales Conversations, a sales cheat sheet that you can download for free here.

Networking events are challenging and the room is often filled with people who try too hard to make a sale. How can we stand out and avoid being salesy? Should we have as many conversations as possible, or should we focus on a smaller group of people? What’s the best way to follow up with potential clients? In this episode, Jeremy DeMerchant talks about successful networking.

My secret to networking is being everywhere. -Jeremy DeMerchant

Three Things We Learned

Focus on quality not quantity

When it comes to networking, there are two paths you can take: have a large number of superficial conversations or a small number of meaningful ones. The latter is always the approach that brings the most business.

Schedule the follow-up via phone to avoid wasting time

Don’t set up a meeting at a coffee shop. Instead, set up a call. This way, you’ll find out in the first 10 minutes of the call if you’re a good fit for your lead. It’s harder to leave a meeting early without putting yourself in a awkward situation, but there’s nothing awkward about a short phone call.

Control the experience they have with you from start to finish

Send all the people you want to connect with to one place. For example, send all of your leads to your website or put them in an email drip campaign where you share links to your content. This way, you control the type of information they consume. This is also a good tactic to warm up leads. The more they read about you, the higher the probability they start liking and trusting you.

Constantly fill the funnel. Not everyone has to be a sale today or tomorrow. It could be a sale 2-3 years down the road. Be patient with the people you meet and work on increasing your exposure, making a good impression, and engaging with the people that you would like to work with. Last but not least, be everywhere. The more networking events you go to, the higher the chances people remember you.

Guest Bio

Jeremy DeMerchant is the CEO of Permission To Sell and has over 20 years of experience in the sales arena. His mission is to help coaches, business owners, and professionals increase their sales and revenue. If you want to find out more about sales tactics or want to network with small business owners and sales professionals, join the Permission To Sell Group. Jeremy is also the author of 5 C's of Successful Sales Conversations, a sales cheat sheet that you can download for free here.

The luxury market is not much different from lower-end markets. What do all property owners, regardless of the value of the home, look for in an agent? What are the main motivations of buyers in the luxury market? What role does storytelling play in selling a home? In this episode, Michael LaFido talks about the latest trends in the luxury market.

Success leaves clues. Go figure out how someone else got successful at something and emulate it. -Michael LaFido

Three Things We Learned

Negotiations should be done on both sides

In a market that’s showing signs of slowing down, agents have to build a bridge between sellers and buyers. Negotiations shouldn’t just be on the buyer’s side. If sellers are determined to sell their homes as soon as possible, recommend a small discount on the property price. It’s usually quite convincing for buyers who tend to change their mind when they can save some money.

Sellers in the luxury market aren’t much different

Many agents assume that working with sellers in the luxury market requires a different skill set. However, the same problems are solved. Owners of luxury properties are just as nervous about the investment they made as any any other seller.

Storytelling in the luxury market is heavily focused on emotions and status

Many buyers looking for luxury properties don’t need a bigger house, and in some cases, it’s not even a wise financial decision. What they need is a new lifestyle and a way to feel better about themselves and their accomplishments. Your photos, videos, and all of the storytelling should focus on promoting a certain lifestyle, not just a home.

Luxury listings should tell a story about the lifestyle the home offers. In this market, most decisions aren’t made based on price but on the status and location the home offers. Emotions play a big part as well, because buyers have a bigger budget and they want to walk into a home that makes them feel good. However, this shouldn’t prevent you from trying to negotiate the price point with the seller if selling the property as soon as possible is one of their main priorities.

Guest Bio

Michael LaFido is a top-producing luxury Realtor, podcast host, author, and national trainer. He is the CEO of Luxury Listing Specialist and Marketing Luxury Group. Michael is also the creator of a Marketing Luxury Expert Certification program (LUXE) and has over 1 million listing and sales in his portfolio. If you want to get in touch with Michael, you can do so on his social media account.