Real Producers

As parents, our families matter and rank at the top of our priorities, but sometimes we let business rise to the top of the list. We become so focused on the next deal that what we truly love gets lost in the shuffle.

This was the reality for K Watanabe, until his son was diagnosed with a tennis ball sized brain tumor. 2 brain surgeries, 6 rounds of chemotherapy and months in hospital were devastating and difficult, but it taught him to reprioritize.

We don't have to wait for a catastrophic event to reprioritize, it's something we can do right now. In this episode, K shares his family's story, how his son's illness impacted him and how he's using it to impact more people.

Business will always be there. If you focus on the basic principles, it will never go away, regardless of what's happening in the world. -K Watanabe

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Attack objections with value

At AOL, the expected baseline of sales was incredibly high. How did this make the commitment required in real estate easier for K?

-Set the tone as a professional

On K's team, every client goes through a consultation. Why is this something he'll never negotiate on even if he's working with family?

-Turn your challenge into a bigger impact

K's son being diagnosed with a brain tumor didn't just help him reprioritize in terms of his family. How did it influence how he shows up for his community?

Guest Bio

K Watanabe was born and raised in Hawaii, but moved to Tucson, Arizona shortly after graduating from high school. He instantly fell in love with the desert landscape and its amenities. K has an extensive professional background in Sales and Management. After working at AOL, he began his career in real estate in late 2007 and since then his real estate team has helped over 1,500 families. Find out more on Facebook.

Switching from selling tech to selling homes feels a lot like going from the minor to the major league of sport. The ticket price is larger, the stakes are higher, and the competition is steeper.

This is especially true in this down market, where more people are dropping out than ever before. It's easy for the market to carry you when the going's good, but when things shift, the market won't do you any favors. Real estate is harder right now, but that's something that gets good agents excited.

Why is a harder market better for a lot of agents? How did grinding it out at a cubicle in tech sales prepare our guest for real estate? In this episode, Chicagoland Realtor and leader, Leigh Marcus talks about his journey, the success of his team and how a down market can be a good thing for the industry.

Real estate is really the big leagues for sales. Higher ticket prices, higher commissions, higher everything. -Leigh Marcus

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Get comfortable with boredom

How did a career in tech sales prepare Leigh to do monster numbers in real estate?

-Pray for it get harder

While many agents fear change in the market, and even changes in legislation that might change our industry, why does Leigh welcome it?

-How to retain superstars

The most talented agents eventually want to become leaders in their own right. How do you keep them excited to remain on your team?

Guest Bio

Leigh Marcus is one of Chicago's top agents and team leaders. With over 2,200 sales closed since beginning his real estate career in Chicago over 15 years ago, Leigh Marcus is as enthusiastic about the city and its properties as he was on day one. "The vast amount of experience I have now has taught me everything," says Marcus, a real estate Broker with @properties specializing in single-family homes and condos on Chicago's North Side. Working with everyone from first-time homebuyers and sellers to luxury clients, Marcus maintains honest and open communication, tailoring his services to suit their needs. Prior to joining the industry, Marcus worked in technology sales at IBM, CDW and EMC for 15 years. "My previous roles have helped me better understand people because I've worked with so many different personality types," he explains, adding that he was inspired to make the transition by his wife's success as a real estate agent. "She taught me what it takes to build and keep those client relationships in real estate." In 2019, Marcus represented the listing that garnered the highest transaction price in Roscoe Village in over a decade. He has been recognized as a top producer by the Chicago Association of Realtors for five years straight and has made the Inc. 5000 list for the past two years.

For more information, head to https://www.leighmarcus.com/.

It's all good as well to be liked and respected, but it's not as powerful as being referable. For starters, people referring you is the highest form of respect, likability and praise. Focusing on referrals is also the most efficient and profitable way to run a business.

We don't just become referable by default. We have to create, nurture and trigger those moments through our generosity. How do we level up our relationships so people become our raving fans and ambassadors?

In this episode, we're joined by the referral master himself - Michael J. Maher. The leader, coach, speaker, author and founder of The Generosity Generation shares how a near-death experience inspired his path, and what it takes to garner more referrals.

When you have an event, you need to have the next one already planned. It gives us accountability to the relationship, and with that accountability comes referrals. -Michael J. Maher

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Anyone can write a book

What's Michael's strategy for turning 10 questions into an incredible book?

-The story behind The 7 Levels of Communication

How did flatlining for 37 seconds push Michael into writing his pivotal book?

-Wow them by simply doing your job

How do you start a referral relationship before the transaction even happens?

Guest Bio

Michael J. Maher is a real estate leader, coach, speaker and author. He is "North America's Most Referred Real Estate Professional" and founder of ReferCo and the Generosity Generation. Michael is dedicated to helping salespeople earn a better living and live better lives. He is one of the most in-demand speakers on referrals, generosity, marketing, and relationship-building. To listen to the podcast, head to referralspodcast.com and join the Generosity Generation here (http://joingengen.com/).

From childhood, we've been trained on the idea that the only path to success is academic education. When you don't relate to that path, it's easy to feel bad about yourself, especially if you live in the most educated city in the country.

Choosing to succeed outside of the traditional path was hard, but for Daniel Heider following this instinct has more than paid off. Now he runs the most successful luxury team in Washington D.C. and he has a seat at the table with the city's most influential.

How did craft his own educational path and build his highly successful business?

In this episode, Daniel shares his inspiring story, how he carved his path and what it takes to run a white glove service in the nation's capital.

I put myself through the equivalent of 10 years at Harvard in terms of what I know about real estate, people and scenarios. -Daniel Heider

Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Developing a white glove service

From John Stamos to Henry Kissinger, who are the famous people Daniel has met? How has rubbing shoulders with influential people informed how he runs his business everyday?

-Turn TikTok into a source of deals

How did Heider's team build a social media following that far surpasses some of the biggest real estate influencers?

-Education is subjective

Getting educated through an academic institution isn't the only way to grow. What does Daniel look for in his real estate recruits if it's not academic pedigree?

-Fueled by underestimation

Instead of feeling inferior because our goals are different to the people around us, how do we use it to break through?

Guest Bio

Daniel Heider is the founder of The Heider Group. He is Washington D.C.'s consummate real estate innovator; he and his team are widely regarded as the Capital Region's authority on white-glove service and upper-bracket real estate sales.

His team is currently #1 in sales company-wide at TTR Sotheby's International Realty for 2020, 2021, 2022 (YTD). Daniel's work is frequently highlighted in national news publications, and HEIDER was ranked the #1 Small Team by Sales Volume in the Capital Region by the Wall Street Journal and Real Trends 2021 & 2022. Recognized as a Washington Business Journal "40 under 40" honoree in 2022, Daniel is also the youngest Executive Vice President in his firm's history. For more information, head to https://www.danielheider.com/.

When it comes to real estate investing asset classes, none is as misunderstood or maligned as mobile home parks. Much of the scrutiny that mobile home park investors have garnered isn't based in reality, but rather in a heavily mistaken narrative.

The truth is: mobile home parks, when done ethically and with a heart for the tenants, aren't just good business, they are a public service. Even though it seems like it's too late to invest in this asset class, this market has created a ton of opportunity.

What's the surprising history of mobile home parks? How can an investor go after this niche?

In this episode, we're joined by the 5th largest mobile home park owner in the US, Frank Rolfe. He shares his wealth of knowledge on this asset class, why it's wrongfully scrutinized and why there's still a lot of opportunity in it.

I think the reason people love beating up on our industry is that no one really knows anything about it, so you can tell people anything. -Frank Rolfe

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Unwarranted hostility

Where does the hatred for mobile home park owners stem from?

-The mobile home park opportunity

Why are mobile homes still a great investment today?

-The pride of ownership

What is the massive problem mobile home parks solve, and how come you never hear about it on the news?

Guest Bio

Frank Rolfe is the 5th largest mobile home park owner in the United States. He is also co-owner of Mobile Home University. He has been an investor in mobile home parks for almost two decades, and has owned and operated hundreds of mobile home parks during that time. He is currently ranked, with his partner Dave Reynolds, as the 5th largest mobile home park owner in the U.S., with over 250 communities spread out over 25 states. Along the way, Frank began writing about the industry, and his books, coupled with those of his partner Dave Reynolds, evolved into a course and boot camp on mobile home park investing that has become the leader in this niche of commercial real estate. For more information, head to https://www.mobilehomeuniversity.com/. Listen to The Mobile Home Mastery on your platform of choice.

From chasing down autographs and selling them, to running a real estate team, the same things make a good partnership tick. A unified vision and egoless collaboration are the key to making it last.

Unfortunately, too many people jump into a partnership thinking only about how it will boost production and income. If you're selling a lot that means you'll be a powerful force together, right? Wrong! Those people find out how hard it is to keep something going on such a flimsy foundation.

How did Tommy Choi and Josh Weinberg create the basis for a successful partnership way back in college?

In the episode, the co-team leaders share how they built their business and all their best stories from collective autographs over the years.

We have a unified vision, egoless collaboration and we've dug a deep moat around our friendship. Without those 3 things, it's hard to have a partnership. -Tommy Choi

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Way bigger than an autograph

From camping out to meet Britney Spears to getting an autograph from Kobe, why is the journey to the autograph more important than the signature itself?

-Friendship trumps business

What's the one decision Tommy and Josh made early on that has set their partnership up for success?

-Team doesn't equal partnership

What do so many people in real estate get so wrong about partnering up and working collaboratively?

Guest Bio

Tommy Choi and Josh Winberg are co-founders of Weinberg Choi Residential. Josh Weinberg and Tommy Choi met at Bradley University in 2000. Shortly after they met, they knew they would to go into business together because their values aligned and they had a shared passion for real estate. In 2007, Josh and Tommy started Weinberg Choi Residential, a full service residential real estate brokerage, that focuses on buying, selling, leasing, and real estate investments. The Weinberg Choi Team views their clients as friends, and they treat them with that amount of care. They have built a strong reputation in the industry for their honesty, knowledge, and reliability. It's real estate the right way.

The Weinberg Choi Team is also passionate about community involvement through an internal campaign called 365 Days of Giving. Each year, they organize 12 volunteering opportunities, in Chicago, for the team to connect with some of the causes that are closest to their hearts including family, literacy, women's health, and homelessness. Weinberg Choi are members of the Chicago Association of Realtors, the Illinois Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. They have ranked in the Top 1% Producer Team by Chicago Association of Realtors. Josh and Tommy have appeared on HGTV's House Hunters and House Hunters Renovation.

For more information, head to http://weinbergchoi.com/.

One of the best things about real estate is that you can have the results you want according to your vision.

You can create a low level, frustrating sales career or you can become a top producer. When you study the most successful real estate professionals, they have a lot of traits in common - but 3 stand out.

In today's special episode, I'm joined by co-host of Real Estate Uncensored and founder of Pursuing Results, Matt Johnson. We talk about what the best in real estate all do differently.

Everyone takes their limiting beliefs and childhood trauma into their careers, and a lot of the time that's what holds you back, not the functional stuff of how many calls you made. -Matt Johnson

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Winning the mental game

Can limiting beliefs harm our businesses more than any bad tactic?

-Cautiously opportunistic

While people panic about disruptors like AI, how do the best in real estate treat them?

-Steal from the best

Success leaves clues. How do we rip off and duplicate what works?

The recent class action lawsuit on buyer agent compensation proves that there's an attack on how Realtors get paid. In many ways, this threat is self-inflicted. As agents, we've let the narrative on what we do get shaped by outsiders - from lawyers to the media.

We haven't done a good enough job of explaining our value proposition and why we're compensated the way we are.

What's actually happening with the lawsuit and how will it impact our industry? How do we change how we're seen so that our compensation isn't questioned?

In this episode, we're joined by real estate broker, forward-thinking CEO, #1 best-selling author, honest coach, and kickin' keynote speaker, Leigh Brown. She talks about the lawsuit, how we got here and how we can be more proactive in shaping the future of our profession.

As Realtors, we haven't done a great job of explaining our value proposition, how things work and why they work that way. -Leigh Brown

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-A wildly competitive marketplace

Why is the compensation of Realtors structured the way it is, and more importantly, how does it benefit the consumer?

-We're all responsible for our reputation

As agents, we might be individual entrepreneurs, but how we behave shapes how the whole profession is viewed. How do we handle this responsibility accordingly?

-The future of our profession

How can we continue to be compensated if the market looks different?

Guest Bio

Leigh Brown is a successful real estate broker, forward-thinking CEO, #1 best-selling author, honest coach, and kickin' keynote speaker. She uses her decades of real estate experience to help everyone from early career to highly seasoned agent build (and rebuild!) their professional presence and confidence by helping them define and communicate their value proposition expertly. Her goal is that each real estate agent who is a Realtor® member become an impactful presence in their community in the process. She knows today's agents and brokers face an unprecedented amount of pressure to stand out in a competitive market; she also knows that the security to build and maintain solid client relationships starts with one step: Just Say Hi. Through a systemized process to identify and define your value, Leigh gives agents and brokers the confidence and tools to reach greater heights in their chosen career. A best-selling author of three powerful business books, Leigh excitedly shares her expertise with anyone looking for ways to ignite their passions and create the outcomes they want. Leigh's mission is helping others. She's got the grit and passion to motivate everyone around her to strive for more. For more information, head to https://www.leighbrown.com/.

To stay on top of the news and updates in our industry, head to http://competition.realtor/.

Ask most business owners what limited resource they wish they had more of and they'll tell you it's time. Ben Lalez calls BS on this answer.

Our time can actually be near-unlimited for a cost that's far below what we buy back. The concept of outsourcing is obviously not new, but we don't take it far enough. We don't apply the same idea of buying back our time to our lives outside of work.

How do we get crystal clear on the dollar value of our time? Why is it so valuable to shed things on our schedules that provide no value? In this episode, Ben Lalez talks about the art and science of outsourcing.

Outsourcing and making the best use of your time is ultimately what all businesses are about. -Ben Lalez

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-How to multiply income by taking things off your plate

Can you make more money by making the decision not to do something and paying someone else to do it?

-Outsourcing vs. serving our loved ones

Are there some tasks that can't be outsourced because they are meaningful?

-Use leverage in your life

Outsourcing isn't just a business concept, how can we use it at home?

Guest Bio

Ben Lalez is a team leader, coach, and a top Chicago real estate agent. The Ben Lalez team is building Chicago's best real estate experiences and delivering results for buyers and sellers through elevated service, modern technology, and unrivaled expertise. For more information, head to https://www.benlalez.com/ and follow @thebenlalezteam on Instagram.

It's a common tale that once people achieve success and make enough to meet their needs and a few luxuries, they take their feet off the gas in business. Beyond using our money to serve ourselves, there's a higher level and purpose - giving our money away to issues we care deeply about.

For The N2 Company CEO and co-founder, Duane Hixon, human trafficking is the cause his heart broke for, and he has used his resources to help solve it.

How do we use our success to change something in the world? How do we choose the organizations to support? In this episode, Duane shares how he landed on human trafficking, the impact that's being made, and why there's another level above achieving our own dreams.

Something in our hearts broke for human trafficking and we can help do something about this issue. -Duane Hixon

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-How to find a new dream

When Duane's football dream didn't work out, how did he pivot quickly instead of stewing in it not working out?

-Contribute to what your heart breaks for

How do you determine what to do with your charitable contributions when there are so many causes out there?

-Highlighting human trafficking

From children enslaved to work on illegal fishing boats in Ghana, to young women being trafficked here in the US, why is this issue so pressing?

Guest Bio

Duane Hixon is the CEO and co-founder of The N2 Company. In 2004, Duane and his friend, Earl Seals were burnt out from their jobs and thought there must be a company they would both actually enjoy working with. Time to spend with their growing families, unlimited financial opportunity, a workplace with values that matched their own. For many organizations, there's a particular cause or injustice that sparks a passion – something that makes them want to effect change. For N2, this is the epidemic of human trafficking. When Duane and Earl realized there are more people enslaved today than at any other time in human history, the two felt called to help. For more information, head to https://n2co.com/.

Organizations Mentioned

International Justice Mission

Love Justice

Atlas Free