Today on The Sales Pitch podcast, host Melissa Kwan speaks with Joe Rand. Joe is the Managing Partner of Better Homes and Garden Rand Realty, and the author of the books How to be a Great Real Estate Agent and Disruptors, Discounters, and Doubters books. Joe has been a sort of a real estate celebrity, but not many people know about his life before him getting into the industry. This is something we will discuss in our episode, alongside his experiences, advice, and tricks for real estate. He has tremendous experience and enticing personality, so make sure to dive into the episode right now and learn from what he has to say.

Today on The Sales Pitch podcast, host Melissa Kwan speaks with Emmanuel Fonte, VP of Ultimate Client Relationship & Digital Strategies at John L. Scott Real Estate. Aside from being a sales leader in real estate, Emmanuel is also one of the most vibrant people in the industry and he shares from his own experience, giving insight on how sales agents have to approach their philosophies in 2019 to find success in business.

It’s about outworking any potential competitors, being the knowledge broker for myself, for my team, for my colleagues, for my client, really really excelling in how much we eat, breathe and sleep this craft.~ Roh Habibi

Today on the Sales Pitch Podcast, Melissa Kwan speaks with Roh Habibi, the founder and principal of The Habibi Group Opulent Properties, a San Francisco–based Real Estate Brokerage. Roh talked with Melissa about how he had initially started out working in financial planning, but found that it didn’t quite jibe with his personality. So he ditched all the comforts of a big corporate job and started to pursue real estate instead. It’s worked out well for him, running the Habibi Group and landing a spot on Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing San Francisco.

Melissa asked Roh what his sales philosophy is, and he came back with something so simple, yet very important: To provide more value than anyone else can or chooses to do. For Roh and his group, that means continually learning, continually building a knowledge base so the group stays on the leading edge. But what’s fascinating is that when it comes to lead generation, Roh is a little old-school. Open houses are still the main avenue for his lead generation, and he expresses a healthy skepticism about solutions like Zillow’s data analytics. This is a really fascinating conversation on this week’s episode of The Sales Pitch.

On this week’s episode of The Sales Pitch, Roh told Melissa that his main driver of lead generation is the open house. And how does he make his open houses so successful? He says they take a “hospitality” approach, meaning as soon as someone walks through the door, it’s his agent’s job to make sure they’re being helped in whatever way they need. One example of that is his technique of keeping a list of off-market houses within a mile radius, so if someone comes to the open house and it’s not the right fit for them, Roh’s agent can offer something that no one else can. And that’s what he means by bringing unique value to potential clients.

Roh says the first thing he’s worried about when someone walks into an open house isn’t whether they are a qualified lead or not. The first thing is to build a relationship and build rapport. Eventually, the client will come out with the truth about how ready they are, how qualified they are. But if you can build rapport and get actual, real contact info from them, then you can begin to identify their needs and qualifications. He also has a very…frank metaphor for reeling in leads, but you’ll have to listen to this episode of The Sales PItch podcast to hear it.

One of the most fascinating things Roh says to Melissa on this week’s episode is that if you’re just starting out, don’t feel like you need to be creative. You don’t need to break the mold. What you need to do is do the most basic things consistently, and as Roh says, you’ll be a “star.” And you have to do them relentlessly. As Roh says, real estate onboarding isn’t like any other career. It takes five years to truly get a handle and master the industry. Roh is a truly unique and original thinker in this industry, and you’ll want to hear what he has to say on this week’s Sales Pitch Podcast.

• [1:03] How Roh got into real estate
• [2:25] Roh’s sales philosophy
• [8:42] How Roh conducts an open house
• [12:34] How Roh and company qualify their leads
• [15:25] Roh’s biggest obstacles when he started
• [19:04] Why Roh thinks you don’t have to be creative
• [26:10] What Kobe Bryant can teach us about real estate
• [31:42] Have a more productive open house

• [email protected]

• Roh Habibi
• Roh on Twitter
• Roh on Instagram
• Roh on LinkedIn

• hello (@) spac.io

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The worst thing that can happen is that you don’t connect with someone. Big whoop. In a few years you won’t even remember that moment. So just start today.~ Colleen Barry

Today on the Sales Pitch Podcast, Melissa Kwan speaks with Colleen Barry, CEO of Gibson’s Sotheby’s International Realty. Colleen took a fascinating path to real estate, first working as a graphic designer and even a pizza cook, before taking a job answering phones at a real estate office in Boston. While she worked that job, she started helping with marketing projects, and then was hired on to work in the marketing department before she ended up running it. As she puts it, she took a circuitous route, working in other departments before taking on the CEO role about a year-and-a-half ago. On today’s episode, Colleen and Melissa talk about how Colleen fosters collaboration in her firm, how agents can help get past sales obstacles, and what explains Colleen’s meteoric rise.

During Colleen’s time as a member of Gibson’s Sotheby’s leadership team, the firm’s sales have grown fivefold, making it a top-three Sotheby’s firm in the nation. Colleen said that one of the first things she did when she took on the role of director of productivity, which she came to after being director of marketing, was to help connect people across departments and across offices. As a business grows and acquires other offices, it’s easy for people to stick to what they know and stay within their tribes. So Colleen started connecting people who were maybe tackling similar issues. And she interviewed top-performing agents so she could glean advice that she could then share with others who hadn’t hit that mark yet. For Colleen, it’s all about connecting people, and she gives great advice for how to achieve that on this week’s episode of The Sales Pitch.

As Colleen says on this week’s episode of The Sales Pitch, there isn’t a direct line from her efforts connecting people, to agents have an easier time asking for help when they need it. agents have an easier time asking for help when they need it. But, her firm has what she calls an “unusually collaborative culture.” Real estate is both a competitive and collaborative business, says Colleen, so fostering collaboration is not always easy. But by encouraging people to get together and help each other out, she says her agents see that it’s a “1+1=3” equation, rather than a culture of fighting tooth and nail for clients. It’s a very unique and obviously productive approach that’s elevating Gibson’s Sotheby’s.

Real estate has changed dramatically in the last ten years, says Colleen, especially when it comes to lead generation. Gone are the days when the MLS was a closely guarded book kept by real estate firms. Instead, Colleen says agents need to be able to tell their story, what value they bring to potential clients. Agents who made the pivot away from being the gatekeepers of information to articulating the service they’re offering have been the most successful. The way Colleen and Gibson’s Sotheby’s has addressed lead generation is to help agents connect better with their communities. One example is how her agents are using digital open house tools like spac.io to connect better with potential clients, and foster those relationships. If you’re struggling with lead generation, you need to listen to this week’s episode of The Sales PItch podcast.

As Colleen says, it’s imperative that you are able to tell your story well so that you can connect with potential clients. But the million-dollar question is: How do you do that? It can often be difficult to tell your own story. Colleen recommended a book, Start with Why by Simon Sinek, to help you craft your story. It’s important that you dig into why you do what you do, not just that you’ve been selling real estate for 15 years. Colleen recommends looking through your testimonials and figuring out why people like working with you. There is so much great advice on this episode of the Sales Pitch podcast, from a true leader in the industry.

• [0:45] Introduction to Colleen Barry
• [3:00] What explains Colleen’s meteoric rise
• [6:45] How to foster a collaborative culture
• [8:20] Lead generation has changed drastically in the last five years
• [10:00] How to not sound sales-y
• [17:20] Telling a better story to clients
• [21:30] Common roadblocks for agents
• [27:00] How to get past your insecurities and self-limiting beliefs
• [30:30] Find the motivation to get past your insecurities
• [32:10] Have a more productive open house

• Start with Why

• Colleen Barry
• Colleen Barry profile on Gibson’s Sotheby
• Colleen on Facebook
• Colleen on LinkedIn

• hello (@) spac.io

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I don’t think there’s one way to sell. You can’t force yourself to be the type of salesperson you’re not. So you need to figure out what your personality is, and what your add-value is. Believe in yourself and don’t have fear, and you’re going to be good. ~ EA Stribling-Kivlan

Today on the Sales Pitch Podcast, Melissa Kwan speaks with Elizabeth Ann Stribling-Kivlan, president of Stribling and Associates and an in-demand expert on entrepreneurship and real estate. Elizabeth is a fifth-generation New Yorker whose mother started Stribling and Associates when she was ten years old. But despite being in a real estate family, EA actually studied religion in college and then moved to San Francisco to start her career as a food writer. But the family business pulled her back in, and she landed a job as an assistant for a top broker in the city, and never looked back. On today’s episode, EA shares her insights on how to build a network when you start in the business, what differentiates between a great salesperson and a good one, and how to put on a great open house.

Melissa asked EA for her sales philosophy, and her answer may surprise you. The fundamental philosophy is: Work hard and be honest, but the vital corollary to that is work hard and find the right answer. As EA says on this episode of the Sales Pitch, it’s so easy with technology at our fingertips to find an answer to a question or a problem right away. But that doesn’t always mean it’s the right answer. And so EA promises her client a deep dive into any question or problem that comes up, to ensure they are getting the best advice and information, not just whatever answer comes up first in the Google search results. As you can tell, EA is an original thinker, and her approach will provide a lot of inspiration to listeners of The Sales Pitch.

As EA says on this week’s episode of The Sales Pitch, not everyone is a fifth-generation New Yorker whose mother is prominent in their field. But even if you don’t start with a network, you can still succeed by getting out there and hustling. As she jokes, if you have a friend who trades commodities, you’re probably not going to go out with them for drinks and discuss pork futures. But everyone is interested in real estate. And if you go out there and show you’re an expert in real estate, you can start to build that network. As she says, find your community. Even if that community isn’t real estate, find the community that shares your passion and become the person in that community who can help with real estate questions. It’s really great advice, and just the tip of the iceberg for what EA shares on this episode of The Sales Pitch.

There’s an idea in real estate that the way to sell more is to be more aggressive, to always be pushing. But as EA says on this week’s episode of The Sales Pitch, there is no one way to sell, and you need to find the way that works best with your personality. There are some basic traits you’ll need, however, like being able to hear the word “no.” Real estate brokers hear “no” all day long, and you have to be able to roll with that to advance in this business. You need to believe in yourself, and if you can do that, you’ll be okay. As EA says, you need to jump off a cliff a bit every day.

EA has more than 400 people working for her, so she sees what makes a great salesperson rise above the rest. And as she says, aside from working exceptionally hard, great salespeople learn to listen. And that means not only listening to what your client wants, but listening to what’s behind their asks. So a client may say they want a gas fireplace and four bedrooms, etc., and their requirements may be unrealistic. But the great brokers listen to that, understand what’s behind those desires, and goes out and finds their clients properties that fit those desires. EA is at the top of the industry for a reason, and this episode of The Sales Pitch is full of amazing insights and advice.

• [1:05] Who is EA Stribling-Kivlan?
• [4:00] How EA’s mother pioneered in the industry and influenced her daughter
• [5:07] EA’s sales philosophy
• [6:50] How to succeed without a network
• [10:00] How to not sound sales-y
• [14:50] What differentiates between a great salesperson and a good one
• [16:42] Common misconceptions about the industry
• [19:45] What makes a great open house
• [25:00] EA’s open house strategies

• Elizabeth Ann Stribling-Kivlan
• EA’s agent profile

• hello (@) spac.io

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We are in a financial profession. Every salesperson is in a financial profession because our job is to create a funding event. Our job is to create a financial transaction because that’s how we get paid. And most of us are not taught how to speak financially.~ Eric Shaver

Today on the Sales Pitch Podcast, Melissa Kwan speaks with Eric Shaver, managing partner at Kensei Partners. Eric has trained more than 9,000 people globally at huge companies like Google and SAP and has more than two decades of sales experience under his belt. He’s sold for everyone from multi-billion dollar companies to small start-ups and has been consulting ever since the financial crisis of 2008. He’s one of the savviest thinkers about sales around, and listeners are in for a treat as Michelle dives into Eric’s sales philosophy, how that approach applies to real estate and where many sales experts go wrong.

Eric points out on this week’s episode that sales is one of the few professions without a degree. As he says, there’s a very low barrier to entry to sales. So without educational credentials, salespeople have adopted the same dialect, or borrowed from their friends in marketing. But that dialect is the wrong one, because it’s the vendor’s dialect. Instead, you have to speak the buyer’s language, a complex process that requires empathy and knowledge of the buyer’s thinking. And to get down to brass tacks, you have to speak Excel, which means you have to speak financially.

So how does Eric’s sales philosophy translate to the real estate world? Well, for anyone selling property, you know there are two things you care most about cash—getting the best price—and time—getting that property off the market as quickly as possible. So a seller wants to know how the agent assisting me measures up along those two vectors, how quickly they move and how well they do at getting the price they want. And to do that, you have to really understand financial transactions, not just typical sales talk. Eric breaks it all down on this episode of The Sales Pitch.

Eric’s philosophy seems so straightforward: Sellers want a representative who can sell quickly and optimize the transaction, meaning get as much money for the seller as possible. So where are the stumbling blocks? As he tells Melissa on this week’s episode of the Sales Pitch Podcast, the hard path is getting the math right. What is the time to transaction from engagement to transaction? What is the typical margin relative to asking price? How do we get the best price in a cold market? And in a hot market, how do we make sure buyers are actually financially qualified. If you do know your numbers, then suddenly you have an amazing story to tell.

As Melissa tells Eric on this week’s episode of The Sales Pitch podcast, the philosophy makes a lot of sense, but it can be very difficult to adopt. Eric points out that if you don’t have the math down, then essentially you’re just “selling a smile,” like Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. But if you can speak financial language, if you can tell people “here is how well we do with properties in your range,” then suddenly you’re speaking a concrete language that sellers can understand. This is a really eye-opening episode thanks to Eric’s unique perspective.

• [0:55] Who is Eric Shaver?
• [4:05] What is Eric’s sales philosophy?
• [5:55] How that philosophy translates to real estate
• [9:50] How to build relationships or rapport
• [11:40] It sounds so simple, but where are the speed bumps
• [15:50] Don’t sound like the herd
• [18:30] It’s better to sound like a financial person who knows sales, then a salesperson who doesn’t know finances
• [20:00] What do the top 1% of salespeople do differently?
• [22:30] Eric’s advice for how to engage quickly at an open house

• Eric Shaver
• Kensei Partners

• hello (@) spac.io

There are only 5 jobs in the sales business. Finding prospects, converting them to appointments, control the appointment, present, pricing, and then close. But a lot of people don’t realize those are like links in a chain. The effectiveness of any salesperson is as strong or as week as their weakest link. ~ Floyd Wickman

In real estate, effectiveness in sales is of paramount importance. It takes more than just being a friendly and helpful person to take a person from being a lead to a closed sale and a happy customer. In this episode, Floyd Wickman joins Melissa to discuss his experience as a real estate agent, how he learned sales himself after a miserable start of only 5 sales in his first year in the business, how he became a trainer and teacher of sales skills, and why the 5 links in the chain of effective sales have to be focused on one at a time until all are mastered. Floyd is a legend in the real estate training world and you will gain valuable insights from this conversation.

Sales is not a business that can be done effectively over the phone or via email. Though those are definitely tools to be used, the key Floyd Wickman has learned is to get eye to eye with a person in order to establish a basis of trust and cooperation. That’s where things like body language, facial expressions, and demeanor play such an important role in putting leads or prospects at ease. In this conversation, Floyd explains how he built his sales philosophy around his personal core values and why being face to face with prospects is so vital.

Floyd Wickman says there are only 5 steps to effective sales and in his mind, they are like links in a chain. But what most people don’t realize is that the weakest link in that chain is what is going to deter or determine their level of success. What are the 5 links?

1. Find prospects: the act of locating people to talk with.
2. Convert people into appointments: making arrangements to meet and chat about their needs.
3. Control the appointment: leading the prospect through a conversation that reveals their needs and your ability to help.
4. Price: establishing an agreement on what your services will cost and/or how their property will be valued for sale.
5. Close: Asking for the business.

Floyd explains these during this conversation, so be sure you listen.

One of the things Melissa was sure to ask Floyd was what advice he’d give to a struggling real estate agent. His advice is that they need to make sure they are asking every person they meet, what he calls, the magic question. Here it is: “If I were to ask you to refer me, would you do it?” In Floyd’s philosophy, you’re asking people a question that is easy to answer. Most people, simply out of kindness, will answer positively. That’s when you have to know how to follow up the magic question with an appropriate way to probe their knowledge of people who are in need of your real estate expertise. Floyd explains a handful of ways you can do it during this conversation.

Open houses are our strong suit here at Spacio, so it was important to discover what Floyd recommends to agents who want to increase the success and productivity of their open houses. Floyd’s advice was very basic but powerful - get a name and establish a rapport upon which follow up with each person will feel natural. You’ll do well to listen because Floyd explains a very simple survey he often uses at his open house events that enables the people who attend to provide their information in a non-threatening way where they receive something valuable in return.

• [0:57] Here’s how Floyd Wickman typically introduces himself
• [2:50] An uncommon path into the real estate industry
• [3:35] Personal core values fuel Floyd’s philosophy about sales
• [6:46] The common obstacles salespeople experience
• [9:51] What does it mean to learn to sell?
• [16:22] How can agents differentiate themselves among their peers?
• [20:21] The power of having some method of personal accountability
• [23:44] Strategies for running more successful and productive open houses

• Floyd Wickman Training
• Floyd Wickman Leadership Coaching
• Floyd (at) FloydWickman.com

• hello (@) spac.io

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“One of the most important things a new agent should have as a priority in their schedule is lead generation.” ~ Russ Putterman

Lead generation is vital to any business and real estate is no exception. The opportunities to serve new clients and sell more homes is what makes a successful agency able to fuel its success. Those opportunities come from l effective lead generation. In this conversation, Russ Putterman explains why lead generation is one of the most important habits for any agent and how it builds the momentum that makes everything else work. Listen to learn how Russ trains his team members, what their accountability systems look like, and why a team of specialists has helped the Focus Real Estate Group maintain its success in a very crowded and busy market - New York City.

Every real estate transaction is complicated. From the first listing agreement to the final closing thousands of communications and hundreds of documents change hands. When things become that complicated, it’s easy for the process to become bogged down and laborious. That’s what prompts Russ Putterman to make sure that his team and agents understand the need for expedience and urgency. Many times, a quick response or smooth exchange of information is what sets them apart from other agencies and gives clients the exceptional experience they will remember. Russ explains why he focuses on urgency, how he trains his team to carry out their duties for clients quickly, and the results they experience, on this episode.

Real estate agents who function as a “hired gun” for their clients are doing themselves a disservice. It’s easy for clients to disregard your expertise when you present yourself as a commodity. You have to start out with a different perspective, positioning yourself as the expert in your market and the source of information your clients need. This enables you to serve clients as a consultant or coach, walking them through the difficulties and nuances of your particular market in a way that overcomes objections, moves around obstacles, and truly advances our client’s interests and your sales goals at the same time.

One of the repeated areas of emphasis in this conversation with Russ Putterman was the issue of real estate lead generation. Russ said that the highest value activity for most agents, especially those who are new, is working the phone to strike up relationships with new customers. In this conversation, Russ explains why lead generation is so important, what good lead generation does to set the sales process in motion, and how mastering it makes everything else easier.

Open houses are an older real estate approach that still yield great returns when they are done the right way. When asked for his advice on open houses, Russ Putterman emphasized a few things: Do them more often, promote them well (including canvassing the neighborhood), and scheduling them at times when other agents or offices are not doing them. All of these approaches enable you to stand out, get lots of eyes on the opportunity, and leverage the property to its greatest advantage. You’ll benefit from hearing Russ’ detailed explanation of this and many other strategies, on this episode of The Sales Pitch.

• [1:09] Russ’ beginning in real estate and how he’s become a KW pro in New York
• [1:47] A sales philosophy based on urgency so clients are served well
• [4:31] Good open-ended questions to build new relationships and deal with objections
• [6:58] Qualifying leads to keep from wasting time (and how to know when to stop)
• [11:25] The training needed for an effective team - lead generation - sales - more
• [15:19] Who are team members calling when they do work on the phone?
• [19:27] The next step of lead generation - a vital step for new agents
• [21:04] How to run a more productive and more successful open house

• Chime CRM

• rPutterman (at) focusREG.com
• 212-784-3507 (office phone)
• Connect with Russ’ team on Facebook

• hello (@) spac.io

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Open Houses are like a social sport… it’s not uncommon for me to have 100 to 200 people at an Open House… my Open Houses are better attended and more effective because there is a whole strategy about what we do. ~ Kendyl Young

...unless you are authentic, it doesn’t go well. Coming to terms with who you are is one of the best things you can do. It is enlightening and reassuring to hear the soul-searching process Kendyl Young had to go through as she struggled to get her feet under her in the real estate industry in Los Angeles.

It wasn’t an easy path to walk, but it brought her to a place of clarity about who she is, what she brings to the industry, and more importantly, the value she is uniquely able to provide to her real estate clients. She’s become incredibly successful being herself - which means being intensely interested in people. Find out exactly what that means - and how you can develop the same skills, on this episode.   

Kendyl has learned that she can’t expect Open Houses to be successful if she treats them like a thing to dread, gets up late, rushes to put out signs, and hangs around the house with little to no enthusiasm.

She has to be strategic - so she is.

That means she begins days and even weeks before the Open House. Because Open Houses are an expected event when new listings come on the market, she takes advantage of that. She doesn’t allow any showings - by her team or other brokerages - until the open house. She wants people to see the house under certain conditions that she has arranged ahead of time.

That’s just one example of what goes into her Open House strategy. You can listen to the entire conversation to hear how she leverages social media, interacts with those who visit her Open House events, and more.

Kendyl says that she’s become very good at showing and telling people that she is incredibly valuable to them when it comes to their real estate needs. In the context of an Open House, she expresses this by being intensely interested in them. Why are they taking a Sunday afternoon to visit a house that’s for sale? Who are they? What are they interested in?

But she doesn’t show that interest just by asking questions. People recognize that questions are often a way to fish for information so they can be sold to… and they don’t want to be sold to. Instead of majoring on questions, Kendyl has become a keen observer and is learning to label what she sees. The outcome is much more effectiveness when it comes to building rapport and establishing a relationship.

Beyond Open Houses, Kendyl teaches her agents how to nurture existing relationships with people who already know, like, and trust them - before they have a real estate need. They do this by being active in the community, by learning to listen, and by learning to be helpful in whatever ways they can.

As agents are able to build trust as individuals, within their own networks, they become the trusted experts the community turns to when they have a need.

This episode goes into much greater detail, so be sure you take the time to listen.

• [0:49] How Kendyl got started in real estate in the Los Angeles market
• [3:05] The steps required for Kendyl to build a positive personal brand
• [6:29] Kendyl’s sales philosophy: The only thing that matters is doing right by people
• [8:48] Strategies for more effective open houses
• [11:22] Leveraging existing relationships before a real estate need is on the radar
• [13:32] Why Kendyl’s team doesn’t push for people to sign in immediately at an Open House
• [18:47] Doing her job well at an Open House and training her team to do the same
• [24:10] Advice for agents: Talk to people without vamping

• Chris Voss
• BOOK: Never Split The Difference

• Kendyl (at) glendalediggs.com or text 818-482-1885
• http://glendalediggs.com - Kendyl’s hand-crafted boutique real estate brokerage

• hello (@) spac.io

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