Selling the Dream: A Podcast for Resort & 2nd Home Real Estate Agents

When was the last time you visited your feeder markets?

Did you know that referrals make up a big portion of my business? In fact, this year, I’ve paid out more than 25 referrals.

That doesn’t happen by accident, however.

I do a lot of work to create a network.

One of the best ways that you can create that network is to do some research into your top feeder markets, and then go connect!

Take your stats with you: if you tell agents in that area that you’ve sold multiple houses in the past year to people from their market, they need to start connecting so they can get that referral money! You’re ready - and you WANT - to give it to them!

You won’t want to miss this Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, where I share my simple tips on how you can increase your referrals and expand your business!

Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more amazing guests on our Friday episodes of the show.

Highlights of this episode:

I love referrals! I’ve paid more than 25 referrals this year already.

Are you visiting your feeder markets?

Do some research: where are your feeder markets? It might be time to take a trip to them!

Set up some info packets about your services, what you have to offer, and your referral program, and go on a road trip to connect with others in the area!

Does your company have an office in your feeder market area? Do you have a connection to someone working in that area? Ask if you can go do a presentation at their office!

Share information about how their clients are already buying in your market, so they should get a referral bonus from you!

You can teach them tips and tricks on how to connect with their clients, and what to listen for so they can maximize their potential referral payouts.

I can tell you from personal experience that laying that groundwork and making connections can make a huge impact in your business. You can turn yourself into the go-to agent for your area!

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people. If there’s ever a topic that you’d like to hear us cover on the podcast, just send me a message: my contact information is below.

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling real estate: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

Are you trying to sell luxury real estate with traditional marketing methods?

If you’re breaking into the luxury real estate market, and trying to market the same way that you’ve always marketed, I have news for you: it won’t work!

Luxury real estate requires a completely different approach to marketing. You aren’t selling someone their everyday home.

This is their dream home.

The home conveniently located in the heart of the big city, close to shopping districts and 5 star restaurants. Or with a mountain view, just a few miles from a favorite ski resort. It may even have a palm tree swaying in the front yard in the ocean breezes.

You can’t market dream homes the same way that you market everyday homes…but what has to change?

How can you differentiate your marketing to reach your ideal buyer, who is ready to buy their dream home?

In this episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, I’m talking to Tom McCormack. He’s based in the Jersey Shore - which is so much more than just the location of a reality TV show. He’s been working on the luxury market for years, and is here to share his experiences in marketing himself uniquely to luxury market buyers, and exactly what it takes to attract his ideal buyer..

But before we dive in: have you created your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE to join. Click here to register, fill out your profile and get listed today.

Highlights of this episode:

Tom introduces Thomas McCormack and his business.

The view to selling luxury real estate is to elevate the view: don’t focus on things that aren’t realistic to the area.

Thomas is using the campaign “Live Like a Local” to help his leads and clients see what it’s really like to live in his market.

That campaign uses agents who are using their phones to capture “real life.”

Be nice to everyone: the gardener, the cleaners, the valets. You never know where your next referral will come from! If you do even a decent job, they’ll remember you!

How do you change your marketing to capture your ideal market?

It’s all about getting your message out on a regular basis.

Focus on creating a value proposition which provides MORE than the average brokerage. Show how you take care of all the details that matter.

You can’t sell luxury real estate by putting it on the internet and hoping for the best: it’s all about the relationships.

Don’t be afraid to work with an agency to help convey the messaging that you are focusing on. It may require a high-end logo, or rebranding yourself.

People who buy luxury real estate want to feel like they are special, and that didn’t happen by accident.

If you’re considering changing your branding, and your look, think first about how you want your clients to think of when they see you!

Be willing to go outside of your comfort zone when trying new branding: look at the other things that are also bought by your ideal client, whether it be cars, clothing, or other high end brands.

Remember: luxury items don’t advertise the item itself. They showcase a lifestyle.

Thomas shares the associations that he is a member of, and how they impact his business, and where things are REALLY happening for him and his business.

When you have a property, make sure you’re connected to other agents - make sure that they know about it. Other luxury agents can be a fantastic source of leads.

Thomas shares his top tips for anyone new to the industry.

Make sure you subscribe to the Selling the Dream podcast so you don’t miss any new episodes.

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with Thomas McCormack:

Website

LinkedIn

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

Have you made your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE. Click here to register, make your profile and get listed today.

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling a home: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

Are you in control of your business, or is it controlling you?

Many real estate agents find themselves stuck, never able to get past a certain level in business.

I think it comes down to one thing: they are controlled by their business.

They are working constantly, and cannot let go of tasks. They don’t trust anyone to do things as well as they do these tasks.

When you can’t let go of tasks, then they end up controlling you. In the industry, you have to pass off some of these tasks if you want to be able to grow in your business.

But how do you let go? How do you work with an assistant? How do you relinquish control?

Start small and strategic. Find something that won’t matter if they mess up. Hire someone to help you on a transactional basis.

It’s like therapy: just take one step at a time. Recognize that there is nothing that they can screw up that you can’t fix together.

Once you accept that, you’ll be able to train an assistant to be able to help you process even more transactions every year.

One of the best parts about letting go of some control is that you’re able to enjoy your life! You get to spend time with your family, go on vacations, and enjoy your time. When you let go of control, you’ll be amazed at the difference.

Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more amazing guests on our Friday episodes of the show.

Highlights of this episode:

Are you being controlled by real estate, or is it controlling you?

Can you relinquish control of your work? Are you outsourcing?

It’s time to let go of some tasks! Hire out tasks.

Relinquish that control and hire someone and train them to do the tasks.

Don’t try to do everything.

Having trouble letting go of tasks?

Start by hiring an assistant to take a few tasks off your plate.

Learn how to trust others with tasks that allow you to grow.

When you learn to let go of tasks, you’ll be able to spend time on creating a life that you love.

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling real estate: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

Do you feel like you rely on data in your business?

Zillow, Realtor.com, MLS - all those places are invaluable sources of data that can drive your business and help you make decisions.

But what happens if you don’t have any of that data: how do you sell then?

There’s a lot that you can do: but the key is to commit to your lifestyle, and serving your clients and leads with the highest level of integrity.

Sometimes that means that you give them information that means they don’t purchase from you. That also means that you’re helping them make “non-intoxicated” decisions: making sure they aren’t “under the influence” of their love for an area, and unable to make smart decisions.

In the luxury market, you’re not making a one time sale. You’re serving a client who will become a lead generation machine. You’re making a customer for life. They learn to trust YOU as their guide through the process.

People have learned that they can trust what I have to say about Maui - I have jumped into that Aloha life, and eat, breathe, and sleep it. I’ve almost always got on a Hawaiian shirt, and I’m here to help them find the BEST place!

So jump in, because you’re truly selling the dream!

If you’re interested in hearing more about how Scott Cutter has paved the way for real estate agents in Costa Rica, make sure you listen to this episode of the Selling the Dream podcast.

But before we dive in: have you created your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE to join. Click here to register, fill out your profile and get listed today.

Highlights of this episode:

Tom introduces Scott Cutter and his business.

Scott sells real estate in Costa Rica, where there isn’t a Zillow database; no MLS!

They’ve created their own data feed for their clients.

Data can be good and bad: data often makes your clients and leads feel like experts already, and make them feel like they don’t need YOU to be their guide.

How does Scott work without MLS? He’s started a network of realtors working in Costa Rica, and they promote each other’s listings.

Lifestyle marketing is key in a resort market.

Remember, there is a lot of mediocrity out there: establish a reputation of being someone who will always do the right thing.

When you are committed to helping your clients make the right choice - even if it means not buying with you - you’ll win in the long run!

Your job is to help clients get past the initial feelings they have for the area and choose the absolute best place for them that serves their lifestyle. They don’t want to make “intoxicated” decisions.

“You’re not making a customer for one sale: you’re making a customer for life and creating a referral source.”

Don’t sell, sell, sell: instead, listen, listen, listen!

When you decide to use technology, commit to it. Give it time to work. Results can take time.

One key to selling in resort markets is truly selling the dream: sell the lifestyle.

Don’t be afraid to make “real life” videos: know what your market will respond to. It can’t always be professionally produced videos.

Looking for the magic silver bullet that will help your business grow? There is no magic silver bullet! It just takes time, and staying true to your values and serving your clients at your very best.

When working in the luxury market, remember that you provide multiple layers of value.

You’re not just someone who got lucky and met the rich guy buying a house: if you’re successful in the second home/luxury market, it’s because you worked hard and treated your business like a business.

To be successful in your market, eat, breathe, sleep and LIVE your lifestyle. Embrace it, whether it be ALOHA or Pura Vida! Own it.

Make sure you subscribe to the Selling the Dream podcast so you don’t miss any new episodes.

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with Scott Cutter:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

Have you made your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE. Click here to register, make your profile and get listed today.

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling a home: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

The sale is done once the papers are signed…right?

Wrong!

Want to learn how you can be the best real estate agent out there? Want to learn more about what people are thinking through the process, and what you did right - or even, what you did wrong?

You’ll get all the information that you need, if you’re just willing to ask!

If you’re not doing an exit interview with the people you work with, you are missing out on valuable feedback.

Have you ever quit a job? Many times, before you can get your last paycheck, you complete an exit interview. That’s meant to give a chance for feedback, for a company to learn more about your experience working for them. That feedback can help the company to learn more about what they can do to keep employees in the future, and how they can improve.

I believe that if you ask, your clients will be happy to give you feedback!

Exit interviews are a crucial time where you learn about the people you have served, and how you could have served them better. It can also lead perfectly into the opportunity to ask for referrals, and find more ways to serve them in the future.

Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more amazing guests on our Friday episodes of the show.

Highlights of this episode:

Are you doing an exit interview after you’ve closed a sale?

Your clients will want to help you be better: all you have to do is ask.

Asking for feedback helps you learn what you can do better.

When your clients know that they are making a difference in your business, they are more likely to give feedback.

Here are some questions to ask:

What caught you off guard during this process?

What frustrated you?

Was the process easy?

Why did you pick me/my team?

By the way: asking why your clients picked you helps plant the idea of referrals! When they remember why they chose to work with you, it makes them more likely to tell their friends to work with you!

Ask clients why they are buying/selling? Are they going through life changes? Are there other ways you can serve them?

Ask, did you like the people we worked with? Whether it be the escrow company, attorney, inspector, etc.

Asking about the people that you work with can also help alleviate any potential problems in the future.

Finally, ask for a review! Tell them where they can review you: your website, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling real estate: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

Where do the majority of your leads come from?

Are they cold leads, or referrals? Are they coming from other agents in your feeder market? Are they from friends and family?

What if you had a database that brought in most of your business? That would be amazing, right?  Imagine not having to go out and chase new leads, but being the “go to” real estate for your area.

That’s reality for Alan and Betsy Thompson, the leaders of this month’s Selling the Dream mastermind meeting. Every month, we hold a virtual mastermind meeting, and have been excited to share the recording of the meeting on the podcast!

You may remember this month’s moderator, Alan Thompson, from episode 93, when we talked to him about how he gets his business from his database. We had to bring him to the mastermind meeting so that people could ask their burning questions.

Have you heard any guests on the podcast, and had more questions for them? Make sure you send me an email: [email protected], and I’ll see what I can do to get you an answer. You might not be the only one with questions.

Wondering what is up with these mastermind meetings, and interested in joining in? Send me an email, and I’ll send you the details on the next meeting!

If you’re interested in hearing more about how Alan and Betsy compiled their database and turned it into a lead generating machine, make sure you listen to this episode of the Selling the Dream podcast.

But before we dive in: have you created your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE to join. Click here to register, fill out your profile and get listed today.

Highlights of this episode:

Tom introduces welcomes everyone to the Mastermind, and introduces Alan, the leader of the October meeting.

Theme of the meeting: maximizing your database.

Alan shares his history, and how he got into real estate.

Alan had stepped away from his original real estate job, and took a break. When he came back, he decided he was going to do it differently.

Betsy and Alan sat down and went through their connections, and made a database of all their connections.

They went deep in the data: from ages, occupations, favorite sports teams and hobbies. Alan and Betsy know their database!

It took 4 months to compile that database.

When putting together your database, make sure that you have a name and at least one connection point.

The hardest thing was staying with their model. Alan and Betsy had decided that they wanted to work the relationship and database angle, so when they started, they had to stay laser focused.

By October 2019, they have done more than 200 transactions using their database.

“There’s no one in our database that we don’t know.” ~ Alan Thompson

It’s ok to focus on the numbers: that data helps you make smart decisions.

As Alan and Betsy have continued, they are digging deeper, and really focusing on one zip code.

Why all those datapoints? So you can connect meaningfully. If their favorite sports team won a game, you can email them and congratulate them!

It’s your lucky day! Alan and Betsy send handwritten birthday cards every month, with a scratch off lottery ticket inside.

When you go to networking events, take a ziploc bag with you and collect all the business cards into one bag so you can remember the connections you made at the event.

Alan breaks down how his team works: how many people are on the team, and what they do.

Coaching is key, and puts you in a higher “ecosystem.”

Make sure that you’re present, and connecting with people. Say happy birthday, notice their life events.

Alan and Betsy make Boomerang videos of their clients with their new homes: now, people are excited to get to have their own Boomerang after they close on their house!

Make sure you subscribe to the Selling the Dream podcast so you don’t miss any new episodes.

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with Alan and Betsy:

Lucky Homes website

Resources Mentioned:

Census Bureau

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

Have you made your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE. Click here to register, make your profile and get listed today.

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling a home: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

When you’re marketing your business, how often do you use the word “I”?

“I sold this house above market value…”

“I hold an open house every weekend…”

“I...I...I…” Stop talking about yourself! If you’re marketing how awesome you are, you’re doing it all wrong. Clients don’t care about YOU!

Yes, they want someone professional. They want someone successful. They want to work with someone who is going to help them.

But at the end of the day, they don’t give a crap about you!

You’re there to guide them through the process of being the hero of their own story. If you haven’t read Building a Story Brand (link below), then you need to get it, so that you can clearly see your role in their journey.

It’s not about you - it’s all about being their mentor and their guide.

Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more amazing guests on our Friday episodes of the show.

Highlights of this episode:

Do you have an “I” problem?

Guess what? Your client doesn’t give a crap how great you are!

Clients want you to be professional, successful, and awesome. But they care most about how you will guide them in their story.

If you’re marketing yourself and how great you are, you’re doing it all wrong!

Instead of marketing yourself, talk about the stories of clients you have helped.

My dad always taught me, “do the right thing for your clients and the money will follow you.”

Focusing on money or your goals will make the business fall apart.

When you focus on your client’s best interests, your career will change.

Make the clients the hero of the story, not you!

Make sure that as you’re selling the dream that you are selling your clients dream: not yours! Because it’s not about you.

Resources mentioned

Building a Story Brand book (amazon link)

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling real estate: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

Is there a neighborhood that you want to be THE real estate agent in?

I know how that feels: I have this one small area of Maui that is the epicenter of my business!

Even in my advertising, I tell people that I don’t know much about other areas, but if they want to know about this ONE particular area, there is no one out there who knows it like I do.

That kind of knowledge WORKS! People trust you as the leading expert in that area.

But what happens if you know the ins and outs of the area, but you don’t know all the people who are there? You don’t know what’s driving their decisions.

What are their ages? What is their income? Who is about to retire? Who is starting a family? Who has kids who are leaving home and starting out on their own?

See, the more you know, the more effectively you can market, because you know what they just might need, and how you can best serve them!

But aside from going door to door and talking to every single person, how are you going to get that data?

If you’ve been in the real estate business for a while, you might already know where you can find some of that kind of data. You’ve thumbed through volumes listing demographic information about neighborhoods, filling in some of the missing information.

This week on Selling the Dream, I am talking to Tyler Steenken, who works with Cole Information. Cole Information is one of the industry standards for collecting data for real estate agents and local businesses marketing in their community. Tyler has worked with Cole Information for more than 15 years, and he knows how to work with people to find the data that they need. We’re talking about how to get data, and what you can do with that data in your business.

Just so you know, this is not a commercial for Cole. Of course, we’ve worked with them, and had a great experience. But I wanted to bring someone from Cole onto the podcast so that you could learn about some of the unique resources that are available to you, even for second home agents. If you don’t innovate and learn about resources available to you, you’ll quickly find yourself becoming irrelevant...and wondering what happened to all of your business.

If you’re interested in getting more detailed information about your market, make sure you listen to this episode of the Selling the Dream podcast. Better data brings better leads, so make sure you’re working with the best data available to you!

But before we dive in: have you created your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE to join. Click here to register, fill out your profile and get listed today.

Highlights of this episode:

Tom introduces Tyler Steenken, and his business with Cole Resources.

Tyler describes Cole Resources is in a nutshell.

You used to be able to buy directories that helped you know more about the demographics of an area, and who was living there. Cole Resources created those directories to help marketers dig into their local market.

Directories give you access to data that helps you make more sales.

Tyler tells the story of how Cole Resources went from printed books to becoming an online resource.

If you don’t adapt and change, you’ll quickly become irrelevant: that drove Tyler and his team to find new ways to innovate!

Want to “own” the business in a neighborhood? You can’t predict all the major life changes that the homeowners will have, but when you have data available, you can market more strategically!

Want data? You can bulk download it from Cole Resources!

How can you use this data? You can use it to refine your advertising; to help you choose your demographics on Facebook ads.

Note: there are those who opt out - so the data isn’t perfect! But it gives you a LOT of information to work with.

Having data doesn’t replace the relationships: it gives you a head start in creating those relationships.

Are you interested in being able to market to your feeder market? You can’t door knock there, but you can use data to learn more about them, and advertise to them more effectively!

By the way - if you decided to check out Cole Information, make sure that you say you heard about them on the Selling the Dream podcast!

When you work with a company to get lead information, make sure that you tell them what you’re looking for. They may be able to work with you to get you even more personalized information!

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with Tyler Steenken and Cole Information:

Website

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

Have you made your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE. Click here to register, make your profile and get listed today.

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling a home: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

If you’re not setting goals, 2020 is the perfect time to start!

Every year, as the new year is on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about our goals. I ask myself questions like the following:

What kind of husband do I want to be?

What kind of businessman do I want to be?

Who do I want to serve this year?

How do I want to be involved in my community?

When it comes to setting goals, I don’t just look at what I want to accomplish in my business. I look at everything: personal, spiritual, relational - the whole package!

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about goal setting, and I’ve made a full booklet that I use to help me set my goals.

Not only have I created that booklet, but I want to share it with you! So send me an email ([email protected]), and I’ll get you a copy of it!

I want you to get your 2020 vision, and I’m here to help.

Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more amazing guests on our Friday episodes of the show.

Highlights of this episode:

It’s time to start setting goals for 2020!

For the upcoming year, our goal is “Perfect Vision 2020.”

When you sit down and make your goals, think about everything you want to accomplish: not just your business goals.

Think about your personal goals, your spiritual goals, your professional goals: they all work together!

Success isn’t how many dollars you put in your bank account. It’s how many hours you spend with family, spent doing things you love, spent in your community.

If you don’t have a target, you’ll never hit it. It’s ok if you don’t hit every goal you create, but make them so you have something to aim for.

Email me ([email protected]) and I’ll email you my goal workbook.

The three hours or so that you set aside to set goals will be worth it!

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Subscribe to the Show

Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

YouTube

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling a home: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!

How much knowledge do you have in your brain?

You know the ins and outs of your market. You know the exact questions that your leads are asking.

Have you ever thought about writing down all of that information, and publishing a book?

Creating a book is a great freebie item that you can send to any potential leads. This helps establish your authority (especially if you are serving a niche market that can take longer to convert to a sale).

But it sounds intimidating ...publishing a book? Isn’t that a lot of work?

Jay Otlewski, from Phoenix, Arizona, is here to share how he wrote a book that serves his niche perfectly, and acts as a lead magnet to bring in new business. Not only has Jay capitalized on his knowledge acquired over years of serving as a real estate agent, but he’s figured out how to turn that book into a lead-generating machine.

Best of all - Jay didn’t study writing. In fact, he’s a math guy. But when he sat down with a cup of coffee and a notepad, and made a list of all the questions he could answer, it wasn’t long until he had finished writing the definitive 100 page guide to buying a home in an active adult community in the Phoenix area.

If Jay can do it, you can too! Make sure you listen to this episode of the Selling the Dream podcast to get inspired on how you can use an eBook to attract even more qualified leads to your business.

But before we dive in: have you created your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE to join. Click here to register, fill out your profile and get listed today.

Highlights of this episode:

Tom introduces Jay Otlewski, and his business in Phoenix, Arizona.

When Jay moved to Phoenix, he decided to niche down and learn everything he could about “active adult communities.” He wasn’t even old enough to join one, but he focused on learning everything about them.

Reminder: you don’t have to live a niche to serve it effectively. You can serve second home buyers and not own a second home. You can serve luxury real estate and not own a luxury home. It’s all about being educated.

In the beginning, Jay was going to sell to EVERYONE - but then he niched down deep.

When you know what motivates buyers and sellers, your job becomes easier.

To serve his niche, Jay wrote and published a book!

To write the book, Jay thought of all the questions he’d ever been asked, and just started writing down the answers. The result was a 100 page book!

“Writing it was a lot easier than I thought; it was a matter of knowing the answers to questions and then writing them out.”

Need an idea for a book? What are the questions that you answer over and over again?

Jay uses the book as a lead magnet. The cost per copy (including shipping) is about $7. Not bad when it can convert to a potential sale!

A book offers knowledge and expertise.

Don’t be afraid to niche. Doctors have specialties, and know the ins and outs of one particular area.

You aren’t trapped in your niche: it doesn’t mean you can’t serve anyone else. It just helps you determine which business you are going to focus on and pursue.

Make sure that your book serves your niche. Jay’s book serves those looking to purchase in active adult communities. It does not cover first time homebuyers.

If you’re a new agent, Jay has some advice. Pick a niche that you love, and dig deep into it. Get to know everything about it, and how you can best serve that niche. Get a coach or mentor to help you as you’re digging into your business.

Hey everybody, thank you so much for spending time with us today: would you do me a giant favor and share this podcast with fellow realtors, and leave a review. Your reviews help this podcast get shared with more people.

Connect with Jay Otlewski:

Website

LinkedIn

Connect with me (Tom):

2nd Home Agents website

Facebook

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YouTube

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Have you made your free profile on the Second Home Agents website? Go over and get started: it’s FREE. Click here to register, make your profile and get listed today.

As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling a home: you’re selling the dream.

See you next time!