Real Estate Uncensored - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Training Podcast

Listings, leads and leverage are the engine of an agent’s business. How can you gain more control over your listings, and what can you learn from the people who are winning with them? On this episode, we talk to Get Listings Summit co-founder Andrey Polston, who shared actionable insights on postcards with a 3-5% call-back rate, positioning yourself as an expert and building relationships.

If you can control your listings, you can control your destiny and your future. -Andrey Polston

Takeaways + Tactics

We’re at a 30-year low for first-time buyers. The majority of buyers in the marketplace are second timers.

If you’re newer to the game your strategy with postcards should be direct response, not branding.

You can send out postcards, escalating them right before listing season, then de-escalate throughout the rest of the year.

At the start of the show, Andrey gave us a background of the summit, and how he got started in the business. He also shared lessons he’s learned from real estate rockstars and a postcard strategy he executed in different parts of the country. Towards the end, he shared how his postcards performed well with an older demographic.

He also shared insights on;

• A postcard strategy that pulls in a 3-5% call-back rate
• How to start laying the groundwork before you get licensed
• A script for calling recently engaged people about homeownership
• How to springboard from a team
• The three pillars: listings, leads and leverage

Postcards aren’t going to be one card out, one call in. -Greg McDaniel

The worst thing you can do as a real estate agent is leave the base where you built up your business. -Greg McDaniel

Winning with listings is all about becoming an expert in your market. Whether that’s through postcards or geographically specific online content - consistency and leveraging a system promote growth. When you start out, the goal is getting people to respond, and as you level up - you can start branding yourself. If you can bring that value, you can have greater control over your listings and your future.

Guest Bio-

Andrey is the Get Listings Summit Founder & Co-Anchor. He’s on a mission to help 1,000 agents crack $250K GCI per year. Go to https://getlistingssummit.com for more information.

The psychology of selling helps you speak the client’s language. What are the questions you should be asking to get to that point? What are the best marketing-based lead gen practices? On this episode, we take audience questions about Facebook ads, optimizing your database, technology and identifying client goals.

Identify what you’re working for, what your ultimate goal is and then put everything towards it. -Greg McDaniel

Takeaways + Tactics

Database optimization: a program like Vyral Marketing allows you to send out videos that are genuinely helpful, and you can also track who is most interested in your content.

If you’re told that a house has been taken off the market, the best handler is leading with curiosity and asking questions so you can identify a need.

Facebook ads aren’t a bad lead source, just a source that requires patience because the audience will take longer to enter the sales funnel.

At the start of the show we answered a question about marketing-based lead gen and how Facebook ads fit into that. We also shared how to talk to sellers who say they are no longer selling the house. We talked about tips for prequalifying and prepping your value-add. We went on to share about new technologies and the impact VR is going to have on real estate. Towards the end of the show we shared the truth about sales, and improving your understanding of the client’s needs.

We also shared insights on;

• Why Facebook leads take longer than PPC campaigns when it comes to conversions
• How to use video emails to help the audience and get insights
• How to determine your client’s core values
• The current problems with real estate coaching today

Facebook ads take longer to convert because you’re not catching people when they are actively searching, but just when they’re receptive to a message. -Matt Johnson

VR will drastically reduce the number of homes that people go and see in person, but it will drastically increase the number of homes that people view online. -Matt Johnson

Your value-add is going to be a lot stronger when it’s prequalified from a place of curiosity and looking to always help people achieve their ultimate life goals. Facebook Live is a strong way to get your value-add out there - do as many as you can, with the intent of providing information that really helps the audience. It makes a difference when you know a client’s ultimate goal, but it’s also important to know what your goal is, so you can have clarity and put your energy towards coming closer to it.

How do you ignite people’s curiosity when you’re prospecting? How can you use the powers of video to polish up your communication, and improve your door knocking? On this very special anniversary episode of Real Estate Uncensored, Bryan Casella talks about the importance of mental inner work, shortening your learning curve with coaching, and overcoming the insecurity of being in front of people.

When you get polished behind the camera, that progress is going to translate to being in front of people. -Bryan Casella

Takeaways + Tactics

Coaching has the benefit of condensed knowledge and a shorter learning curve.

Door-knocking: wear brighter colors or something to stand out because you want to spark curiosity to make people want to open the door.

When it comes to choosing and setting goals, people live in 3 different pods, the comfort zone, the stretch zone or the stress zone.

At the start of the show, Bryan told us about gaining success from social media, “we’re past the days of just being a realtor or an agent, people want to see your lifestyle and know you’re a real person.” Next we took a question about dealing with running into the cops and another one about what to wear for door-knocking. He also talked about ways to improve your communication and whether name tags are necessary. We went on to discuss goal setting and why agents need coaching. Towards the end of the show Bryan shared the benefits of doing video.

On this episode Bryan also shared;

• How to use your career as a sales funnel
• How wearing color sets you apart in door knocking
• Comfort zones, stretch zones and stress zones
• Why the foundation of your lead gen has to be prospecting based
• Why it’s important to take advantage of social media right now
• The importance of doing inner mental work

When you’re hesitant about something that stretches you and takes you out of your comfort zone, take that as a green light. -Bryan Casella

In anywhere from 5 to 10 years the people with the biggest social media presence are going to be the ones getting the most business. -Bryan Casella

Tremendous changes happen when you change the way you view things. Everything we do and how well we do it comes down to mental inner work. How you choose what you go after is determined by whether you want to remain comfortable or stretch yourself. What you have the greatest control over is yourself and how you respond to challenges and new goals.

Guest Bio-

Bryan Casella is a top producing listing agent based in Rowland Heights, CA. To send Bryan referrals or check out his Door Knocking Mastery product, visit his website, http://www.bryancasella.com/. Bryan also puts out excellent motivational and educational videos on YouTube, check out his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/BryanArgentina.

What are the toughest objections you get when asking for referrals, how do you handle them? How do you overcome the reluctance people often have to talk to real estate agents? On this episode, we answer audience questions about online leads, how to give people a good impression at the front door, and nurturing leads through LinkedIn.

Facebook leads are going to take longer to convert because they didn’t get into your system by actively searching for homes. -Matt Johnson

Takeaways + Tactics

Asking for referrals: mentally lead people by giving them affinity groups to think about.

When you aren’t imitating the script you tone it down and take the power out of it.

You can make more contacts over the phone, but they won’t be as deep as face-to-face contacts.

At the start of the show we answered a question about referral objections. We also talked about the conversion periods of online lead sources. Next, we shared on differences between door-knocking and cold calling leads. We went on to share how to work on tonality when it comes to scripts. Towards the end of the show, we talked about getting leads from LinkedIn.

We also shared insights on;

• How to lead people to give you referrals and hint at affinity groups
• Why Facebook leads can take longer than Google PPC ads
• Why people often fail to get the most out of scripts
• What we could have done differently last year to get better results
• Building your referral network with LinkedIn

Don’t go out looking for leads, be a connector. -Greg McDaniel

The fortune is in the follow-up. -Matt Johnson

There’s a difference between marketing to people who are already searching for homes, and people who stumble on your content on their social timelines. The latter is colder so it requires more patience. A key mistake we make is ignoring warmer leads like people who already know us, people we meet through door knocking, and people who are already looking for an agent. Change that mindset and you’ll change your conversion rate.

A lot of entrepreneurs have no idea they have business credit profiles, and miss opportunities to access business funds. Why is business credit such a game-changer for agents? How do you build it from scratch? On this episode, Ty Crandall goes deep on building your business credibly, and the routes you can take to access lines of credit.

Everything we figured out that was right came at the tail-end of catastrophic failure. -Ty Crandall

Takeaways + Tactics

There are two ways to build business credit: vendor credit accounts or the cash-credit method.

Think of credit building in stages, you’ll need a total of 10-15 trade lines so you can move into fleet and cash credit.

Building and scaling up a business is all about the process of learning from failure and continuously reapplying those lessons.  

At the start of the show, Ty told us how approaches video, and how he uses Periscope. He also shared how he humanizes the subject of business credit on his videos. Next, we shared on the power of live streaming, and the tools you can use to engage with people. In the second half of the show, Ty went into detail about business credit, and why it’s necessary for entrepreneurs to work on their profiles. Towards the end of the show, he shared what he’s learned from scaling up his own business.

Ty also shared insights on;

• Why live streamed content is better when it’s deeper and more detailed
• Why talking with passion makes the audience connect with you
• How to put together a marketing strategy using Facebook
• The advantages of business credit and the opportunities it offers agents
• How to build business credit from scratch
• The experience of building and scaling a business

What people like about live streams isn’t just looking into what we’re doing, it’s being able to engage with us. -Ty Crandall

Spend as little money as possible, and get as much out of the world as possible. -Ty Crandall

Business credit has been the downfall of many entrepreneurs. It determines whether you can get the funding you need to ramp up, scale and invest. It will fuel your business, and protect you from personal liability. Be aware of your profile and credit score, and start building your vendor credit accounts. Credit can inject your business as you grow, so you have the platform to learn, improve and build on that.  

Guest Bio-

Ty Crandall is an internationally known speaker, author, and business credit expert. With over 16 years of financial experience Ty has become the authority in business credit building, business credit scoring, and business credit repair. Ty has become one of the most well-known, world renowned speakers regarding business credit building and scoring. He has been booked for speaking engagements in many states across the United States and international speaking engagements as far as Singapore. Ty is also one of the most popular speakers at bi-annual Credit Boot Camp in Tampa FL, the largest event for credit professionals. Go to http://www.creditsuite.com/ for more information.

We’re the most connected culture in the world, but the least relationship centered. How does this create stumbling blocks in international referrals? How can brokers and agents communicate across borders, and provide good service? On this episode, guest Erin Koops shares techniques for overcoming cultural differences, eliminating commission breath and getting the most out of your relationships.

Treat every one of your spheres like a family member that you really want to take care of. You wouldn’t want them to fall into the wrong hands. -Erin Koops

Takeaways + Tactics

Be aware of cultural differences - emails might just be seen a spam. Rather pick up the phone and get in touch the warmer, more personal way.

Never lose sight of relationships, if you want more referrals, you have to build more relationships.

Dealing with the legal writing across borders is a whole other ball game. You’re going to need people who are proficient at it.

At the start of the show, Erin shared the biggest mistakes she’s observed when it comes to international referrals, and causes for low conversion rates across borders. She also shared the mindset that people have to approach those relationships with, and how communication differs from country to country. Next, we discussed the importance of being focused on relationships and how to be less self-serving. Towards the end of the show she also shared the importance of understanding legal writing in different cultures.  

Erin also shared;

• Why you shouldn’t use connectivity to avoid warm communication
• Why agents fail to acclimatize to how other cultures do business
• The importance of the first transaction
• How to be less about the money and more about the client
• Why it’s important to treat every client like family
• How brokers can effectively communicate across borders

If you see your work as, “I’m going to generate more dollars for me”, you’re looking at it wrong. -Erin Koops

Don’t use connectivity as an excuse to not get on the phone. -Matt Johnson

Successful international referrals depend on an understanding of cultural differences, and how they impact business. If this isn’t clear, agents and brokers will struggle to acclimatize. While email works perfectly in the US, it doesn’t carry the same weight in other parts of the world. Remember that other countries are lot more relationship based than we are. Manage your client’s expectations, and be open and flexible to resetting your own expectations.

Guest Bio-

Erin Koops is the Vice President of Network Services for Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. Cross-cultural considerations for real estate agents. Go to www.leadingre.com for more information.

If you aren’t a value add, you’re a depreciation. How do you ensure you’re a good client advocate? How do you align yourself more closely with the client’s needs and motivators? On this episode we share thought-provoking questions you should be asking yourself to improve your business, and bolster your value add.

One of the big value propositions of an agent is the absorption of the pain and hassle. -Matt Johnson

Takeaways + Tactics

To avoid that “now what” feeling ask yourself what happens right after a client hires you.

Part of your job is to absorb stress on behalf of the seller. To make that less stressful for you, build systems into your business.

Having three letters after your name means nothing if you’re not working on your business by getting regular training and education.

At the start of the show, we answered a question about the best way forward when a seller dies, and your value prop to a FSBO client. Next, we talked about protecting your commission, and questions you should be asking yourself to be a better service provider. We went on to talk about the importance of partnering with a more experienced agent when you’re new to the business. Towards the end of the show we talked about whether or not it’s necessary to join a team when you’re starting out.

We also shared insights on;

• Your value add to sellers and how to leverage it
• Why it’s easier to work with a client who has something driving them
• The importance of documenting your success with clients
• The necessity of an onboarding process
• Working on the business vs. working in the business

It’s really hard to be a good advocate for your client when you don’t know what you don’t know. - Matt Johnson

A certification comes into play when it helps you understand at a very deep level, who your ideal client is, and what makes you different. - Matt Johnson

The role of an agent is to advocate on behalf of the client. All the training you acquire and the work you do must go towards that. When you don’t have a lot of experience in the industry, partner with someone who does. Work on your business as much as you work in the business, put effort towards knowing your ideal client better, and having clarity on what makes you different.

Being a realtor is the true sense of being on demand. With that comes the risk of always being in selling mode. How do you shift from selling to compelling, and what’s the 3-step process of becoming a friend to a client? On this episode, Shirlene Reeves shares her perspectives on making the sales process easier for you and the prospect.

Know the words your clients want to hear, step in with them, and become a friend before you sell. -Shirlene Reeves

Takeaways + Tactics

Shift out of the script: think of other people as friends and human beings, not prospects.

It’s important to discover your personality type in relation to sales, and use that to relate to other people’s personalities.

When you work with first-time buyers, anticipate the difficulties that will be caused by their inexperience.

At the start of the show, we discussed the power of compelling instead of selling, and Shirlene gave us her background and shared how she developed her course. She went on to share the sweet spot when it comes to who you should sell to. She also gave her insights on scripts and cold calls, and why they don’t always work. At the end of the show, she gave advice on preparing yourself to get interviewed on camera.

Shirlene also shared on;

• Using public speaking as a way to market yourself
• Why scripts make you inauthentic
• How to interact with people on a personal level, not as prospects
• How to think bigger than yourself to get a referral
• How to limit rejection by becoming a friend

Agents make the mistake of trying to sell everyone. - Shirlene Reeves

When you get into a script you’re no longer authentic, and you’re no longer a friend. -Shirlene Reeves

Working with heart is knowing exactly who you are in sales, taking what you learn about yourself, and moving it towards working with other people. Do this by taking “I” out of your day-to-day, and constantly pivoting conversations back to them. Being willing to have conversations and make it less about yourself eliminates rejection and limits objections. Become a friend before you try to sell.

Guest Bio-

Shirlene has been working with entrepreneurs and small business owners, with 20 employees or less, for over 30 years.  She built her own nationwide business from zero to millions, with 23,000 independent contractors working by her side. As the CEO of Maximize Your Wealth Now, in business, finance, family and lifestyle, Shirlene educates small business owners and entrepreneurs on the intricacies of compelling clients to work with you and shares the secrets to her own business income success by omitting common sales tactics. Go to www.massivevisibilitymedia.com for more information.

Content keeps you top of mind. What medium can you easily leverage to show off your expertise, and inject with personality? How do you go about building and executing your strategy? On this episode, Gene Volpe shares his marketing insights, including the tactical side of Facebook ads, and the strategy for getting your message to the right people consistently.

Marketing is about starting a conversation and turning that into “how can I help you?”. -Gene Volpe

Takeaways + Tactics

It’s good to know the numbers about how often you should post, but it’s more important to know YOUR numbers.

Your social media content has to bridge likability and credibility. Be fun and relatable, but still put yourself out there as the expert.  

Realtors either fail to ask for business, or give a compelling answer about why the client should choose them.

At the start of the show, Gene shared some tactics for using drone footage to market an area, and leveraging them with Facebook video advertising. Next, he gave some insights on building a strategy from the ground up, and the importance of being in your own bubble. We went on to talk about the power of video, and why you should be using it to showcase your expertise.

Gene also shared insights on;

• How many times you need to post and why it has a lot to do with your audience
• Why you need to work within your own bubble
• Using video to consistently get your message out
• The importance of being who you are
• How to bridge likability and credibility using video content

Without video you’ll lose future traction for your business. - Greg McDaniel

You have to run your content off of what your audience wants. Push the limit and tailor towards what they're telling you they want. -Gene Volpe

Video content allows you to position yourself as an expert, and an interesting person to get to know. How you craft your content influences how top of mind you are. How you well you execute that content relies on how much you listen to your audience. Follow the viewers - operate in your bubble by letting audience response influence your content strategy. Put things on video, people will be attracted to who you are.

Guest Bio-

Gene Volpe is the founder of GVI Media (formerly Your Real Estate Concierge), speaker and local marketing expert. He has over 9 years of experience in the marketing arena. He is also well versed in the real estate field including buying, selling, renting, marketing and consulting on over 200 real estate transactions. He is an expert in brand establishment and elevation and remains on the cutting edge of real estate marketing with a hard focus on video and social media. Go to http://www.genevolpe.com/ for more information.

Agents can live fulfilling and successful lives on 36 deals. What’s holding you back from scaling up or maintaining? Are you self-sabotaging yourself because you’re bored and unchallenged? On this episode, coach Hank Avink gives us insight into helping agents build a better life with their business as an engine, not a stressor.

Increasing your sales price is a goal based on the types of clients you work with, the areas you market into and the motivation of the people you’re working with. -Matt Johnson

Takeaways + Tactics

Everyone fails - it's only a matter of time. What counts is how quickly you get back in the game.

You’re going to get bored selling real estate. Start building systems in your business so you're not having the first year in real estate over and over again.

Is your default Telling or Asking? Train yourself to ask questions rather than make statements.

At the start of the show, Hank talked about teams and why they aren’t suited for every agent, and we talked about the connection between boredom mastery and success. We also shared on what is needed to increase your sales price by 10% each year, and focusing on what’s bringing in clients. We went on to share insights on the difficulties of partnerships, and using massive action to grow and improve.

Hank also shared on;

• Why some agents have their first year of real estate every year
• Why agents self-sabotage to get the adrenaline rush of bailing themselves out
• The importance of recognizing what you’re running from when you want to bring in a partner
• Teams, systems and controls: the 3 legs of the stool
• What you need to increase your sales price by 10% each year

Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction. -Hank Avink

It’s difficult to find people that are as aligned values wise, and happen to be in the same part of their life, where you’re going in the same direction. -Matt Johnson

Many agents feel like every year is their first year in real estate, because they can’t predict their business. Without the 3 legs of the stool - a team, systems and controls, it’s impossible to build something sustainable and scalable. Get into massive action, it’s better to make mistakes, and fix them as you learn. Outwork your learning curve by converting your quantity into quality.

Guest Bio-

Hank is the Founder and Head Coach of National Coaching League. He is also a realtor in the Kalamazoo, Portage, Richland and Schoolcraft area. Find him on Facebook to get in touch about coaching.