Thinking OTB | Thinking Outside the Box with Steve Valentine

There are many reasons for why the market moves the way it does, and not least of these reasons are in the winds of political fortune. It’s on each of us to keep up with what’s going on and make sure that we’re prepared for shifts in the market. What the past decade has shown us in stark detail is that anything can happen, no matter how stable the market seems or how volatile it might be. This isn’t to say that if you’re new to being an agent that this is a bad time to start, but it does mean that preparation is going to be key to your success. This is just a short conversation about this subject, but if you’d like to hear more about this or any other questions, send us a message and let us know!

 

“Market realists recognize that there's going to be another cycle that comes, and it's going to be in my favor or not in my favor. So, what are the risks in the investment strategy that’s under consideration? What's the exit strategy?” – Bernie

 

“There's going to be a lot of opportunities over the next 12 to 18 months where the rates are if you can find something at 30, or 40%, discounted and having the connection, either with private capital, or with a partner or something. Those are the opportunities I'd be looking for.” – Steve

 

“You have to have reserves and then you need to have a strategy about how much money you need to make and how much money you want to make and understanding and planning for that gap.” – Bernie

 

Hey you! You’re a long-time listener, time to be a first-time caller! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our DM’s:

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevedvalentine/

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

Times are getting weird out there. With interest rates going up and the market normalizing, in order to be successful, it’s time to be creative. Creative financing, that is! Unfortunately, this is not something you’re going to learn in real estate school. To get the best information about what kind of options are out there, agents are going to have to seek out that education. The reality is that in this market, agents are going to have to invest in themselves to stay ahead of the curve and OTB is here to help!

 

Hey you! You’re a long-time listener, time to be a first-time caller! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our DM’s at:

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevedvalentine/

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

We’re going to say it again, and louder for those in the back: today’s market will be won by those who have good, well-developed fundamentals. It means getting back to basics and taking care of those clients that you’ve won, staying in contact with those clients you are nurturing, and reaching out to potential clients. All of this can be accomplished by effectively marketing yourself through social media, through client checkups, and having engaged, meaningful conversations.

It might be tempting to resort to the old way of doing things, but this isn’t a basics course for real estate agents, this is Thinking OTB! Reaching out, contacting clients is all about finding those pain points and priorities that clients might have and offering solutions through real estate. Building wealth, paying for school, creating legacy, or even just addressing questions and concerns about what this market means for your clients are all parts of being an asset and keeping your name top of mind to your community.

 

“What back to basics means is that everything revolves around the relationships that you are creating and maintaining in this business. There are so many great ways to maintain those relationships through text messages, through email, through phone calls, and truly digging into the relationships and guiding people to where they want to go.” – Steve

“The biggest piece for agents right now is that the length of time going from originating a relationship to actually creating some sort of experience or transaction. But a transaction can only be accomplished when two like-minded parties decide to work together, and the reality is, as strategic as you can be in this business, it can also be very emotional.” – Bernie

Hey you! You’re a long-time listener, time to be a first-time caller! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our DM’s at:

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamstevedvalentine/ 

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

The subject on everyone’s mind right now is all the different ways the real estate market has been changing. Not to beat a dead horse, but we’re moving from a bullish market where sales and transactions moved at an extremely high pace, to one that aligns more with what we might call a normal market. We’ve talked about it before, and until things settle down, we’ll keep talking you through it. On this episode, we’re talking about going back to the Hard Things, but don’t let the name scare you! It’s really best practices that might have fallen to the side while things were moving so quickly.

 

So what are the hard things? We’re going through them bit by bit, and both Steve and Bernie have some perspectives that they’ve found over the course of their careers. Things like open houses, nourishing your client base, improving your marketing, these are those practices that are those necessary things agents will need to get used to again in a cooling market. But things are shifting and advancing, and there are outside of the box ideas to make these “hard things” work for you.

 

“The chaos wasn't really chaos, the chaos was that we didn't have to work very hard to bring a consumer into our game; they were joining our circle on their own. Now we're in an environment where you need to bring some skills to the conversation, you need to have conversations that are emotionally intelligent and connect with your clients to help them.” – Bernie

 

“Most of our listeners are probably 10 years or less in the business, and there's a lot of things that you've never seen put in place in a market that is a shifting market. We need to be more educated  and practice using that education.” – Steve

 

“Are you having elevated conversations? How are you having purposeful and intentional conversations? What's the one consistent thing that you do in your business? Everybody that is listening right now, I would ask you to take out a piece of paper and write down one thing you do every single day in your business.” – Bernie

 

“I think right now the only way to gauge your success is in your consistency. Having good conversations, staying consistent on your social media to gain audience acquisition, consistent on your stories where you're adding good value to people's day to day lives, doing those things over the next 90 days will be the absolute most valuable thing that you can do.” – Steve

 

Hey you! You’re a long-time listener, time to be a first-time caller! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our DM’s at:

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamstevedvalentine/ 

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

Thinking of starting a podcast? This week we’re talking about what we’ve learned since becoming The Thinking OTB podcast! If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast, now is a great time to start. The truth is, anyone can get started whenever they feel like they’re ready. All you need is some kind of recording device and a will to share your knowledge with the people. But what it takes to be a successful podcast, well, that’s what we’re talking about on this episode. Part of our success is also having a Podcast Strategy and Production team that we work with to help us with production, which we’ll link to below. It’s a quick episode this week, but one full of information, so get out your notebook and get some inspiration to start your own podcast!

 

You can reach out to Sarah for a free Podcast Strategy session at https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ 

  

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

You may have noticed us talking about being on a nutrients drip for the past few weeks while doing the podcast. We’ve had Nurse Becca from Rejuvenetics Global in the studio to administer what’s called a NAD+ IV drip. This is something to think about if you’re feeling stressed out by your work or life, maybe you wish you had a little more energy to keep up the pace that you’ve set for yourself. It’s something that we’ve been trying out ourselves to give us that extra boost of nutrients, and so far we’ve had a positive experience! Of course, you’ll want to check it out to make sure it’s a treatment that would agree with you and your health needs.

 

You can reach Nurse Rebecca for a consultation at https://www.rejuvenetixglobal.com/ 

 

Hey you! You’re a long-time listener, time to be a first-time caller! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our DM’s at:

 

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevedvalentine/

 

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

This week we’re very excited to have Mike and Courtney Weaver from the Weaver Sales Academy as guests of the podcast! The Weavers are longtime entrepreneurs who have run multiple businesses, mainly in insurance, and now have transitioned into training others with a comprehensive sales academy. While they do focus mostly on insurance sales, our conversation shows that there is so much that can be gained from sales training in methods and practices. So much has changed in the last few years in the expectations of clients and customers on what they expect from the sales experience, so much so that shooting from the hip or just relying on luck to get some of those sales just doesn’t cut it anymore. We have a great conversation about what we’ve experienced working with customers today and what agents can get out bettering themselves through training and support.

 

We also ran through the Weavers area of expertise in insurance sales. We’ve talked about it before in some of our previous episodes but having the right kind of coverage for the period of live you’re living, or what you hope to accomplish in the future is so crucial. The unfortunate truth is that more often than not people don’t give insurance much thought past what policy is the cheapest. As business owners, we all need to be having those good conversations with our agents to make sure we’re covered against those experiences that could potentially wipe us out financially. It was great having a conversation with experts like the Weavers about the importance for everyone to be as well covered as we can be.

 

“The difference between an amateur (salesperson) and a professional is that an amateur feels like they have to tell to sell, they always have to be talking. Whereas if you really understand what sales is about, the psychology of sales and humans, it’s a lot of asking questions, listening, and digging deep into those questions.” – Mike Weaver

 

“Every business owner out there wants referrals, but to do that you have to be referable! So, what are you doing to be referable? The number one referral process I teach is getting in front of your people and get them to know you, like you, and trust you so they want to send their friends to you.” – Mike Weaver

 

“Many people look at their insurance agent as just an auto or homeowners insurance agent, when they actually have the ability to help you create a financial plan. If they’re a true professional, they should be having a holistic conversation with you around your entire financial plan, what your goal is, and how they can help you get there.” – Mike Weaver     

 

You can find the Weaver Sales Academy at https://www.weaversa.com/ and the Insurance buzz podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-insurance-buzz/id1606064185

Michael Weaver: https://www.instagram.com/_michaelweaver_/

Courtney Weaver: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyvie/

 

Hey you! You’re a long-time listener, time to be a first-time caller! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our DM’s at:

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevedvalentine/

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

In today’s real estate market, you have to ask yourself: are you a pessimist, an optimist, or a realist? The honest answer is that we all are one or the other at any point in time, but the key is inhabiting those roles at the right time to seize on success. In today’s market, so many people are pessimists about where the market is rather than being realists. The reality is that there is still opportunity in the market for those who are thinking long term. Interest rates are going up, but they’re still at historic lows compared to the markets of the past. Understanding this reality, educating yourself and staying up to date on the ebbs and flows of the market is what is going to separate those who will be successful from the rest of the pack.

 

Agents need to remember the fundamentals of sales as the market starts to cool down. Keeping in contact with your clients and showing them options that they might not have thought of through that creative, outside the box thinking, that’s what’s going to keep you in business. It’s easier than ever to communicate with your clients, so make sure you’re taking advantage of every way that you can to do so. We’re moving toward a long game market and the agents who can foster those relationships are going to see the best results. This week’s podcast is all about keeping the right perspective and staying real about today’s real estate market.

 

“If you’re a pessimist right now, your fear is leading to a lack of action, and if you’re overly optimistic you need to be careful and make sure it’s calibrated correctly. That’s where realism comes into play, where you have to be real about what’s happening in the market and get right with your business.” – Bernie

 

“This is the greatest opportunity. Everybody is looking at prices going down while inventory and rates are going up. However, if you have enough in your war chest to weather the storm, you could get a really good deal on the most motivated people in the market right now, and maybe have $100-150K less debt than you would have in 2020 or 2021 and have a higher interest rate. But can you weather the storm?” – Steve

 

“So many people should stay in their houses, but there are also other real estate opportunities because of that house that they own. Being able to ask the right questions and getting to the root of what motivates them, that takes emotional intelligence to help those people achieve a positive result that supersedes status or income.” – Bernie

 

“Don’t be afraid to shift, and have some fun with what you’re doing, and figure out what is the next thing. There’s more wealth built in down markets than there is in up markets, but you have to have the mindset to really look to see that there's a flood of opportunities coming to help people create wealth.” - Steve

 

Hey you! You’re a long-time listener, time to be a first-time caller! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our DM’s at:

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevedvalentine/

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

We’re doing things a little differently for this week’s podcast, with an episode focusing on Bernie asking Steve some questions about how he’s doing as an agent in today’s market. The truth is that things aren’t always sunshine and rainbows, even for someone who’s had success in the market like Steve, but even when times are hard, there is still opportunity to be made if you have the right perspective on things. The reality is that so much of the real estate market revolves around the perspective you have on things: are you playing by the rules as they’re set by other people, or are you on the lookout for those outside the box solutions that are going to make you a winner?

 

The hard truth is that things aren’t always going to work out the way that you want them to. Even Steve has been pinched by the changes to the market. As an agent, we need to get out of the mindset that we can predict the future because as we’ve seen in the last few years, things can change on a dime, sometimes to our benefit, sometimes in harsh ways. Keeping an eye on how things are changing can help to keep a clear head when they do change and maintaining that long term perspective on surviving in the market can help you find those outside the box moves that can keep you floating while everyone around you is convinced that they’re sinking.

 

“Nobody’s perfect, and if somebody tells you they’ve done all these things and they’ve never lost money, that’s all bullshit.” – Steve

 

“There are some agents out there that are setting real expectations for the sellers by leveraging data and information, and then there are the agents that are still over-promising like it’s a fire sale and are desperate calling people to try and make a deal.” – Bernie

 

“2008 compared to today is completely different. Back then it was greed and all the stuff being buried, and all the bets against the market.” – Steve

 

“Today’s market is much more positive knowing that yes, there are some shifts and things are happening, but the goal is that we need to have more conversations and more guidance and giving people the things that they need. As real estate agents, we have the ability to be either the grim reaper or a hope dealer.” – Steve

 

Hey you! You’re a long-time listener, time to be a first-time caller! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Drop a line to our DM’s at:

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevedvalentine/

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!

Are you presenting yourself professionally as a resource or as a salesperson to your potential clients? This week we have with us in the OTB studio Kacia and Seena, good friends of the show who recently had their own unique set of circumstances that made finding the right real estate professional a huge priority. This continues what we were talking about last week with Bernie’s story of finding a new home: building a professional relationship of trust with your clients is so important to building your professional reputation.

 

The No-Sale Sale

 

You never know what kind of situation potential clients might be coming to you with when you first interact with them. They could just be looking for a new home, or they might be dealing with property that they have no idea what to do with. More often than not, it will be some of the biggest purchases or sales that they’ve ever dealt with, and so need someone who can help them navigate all the ins and outs of the real estate market. Every interaction is an opportunity to showcase that outside the box thinking that will keep them coming back to you when they need that specialized help.

 

Sometimes this kind of client care can take the shape of giving advice that might lead the client away from your services. This is about building that trust between you and the client by always giving them the advice that would best benefit them, no matter where that might lead them. Ultimately, this is an industry about people and relationships, and establishing yourself as a leader in the market by always looking out for a client’s best interests will help establish you as one.

 

“I think it's super important that you have a closer that not only possesses the technical knowledge but actually has people skills. I've been in this for 18 years now, and I've seen these escrow officers go from transactional to today where the expectation really has to be a little bit more hands on and personal. And finally, I think that you need to talk to escrow officers that are just as invested in getting something closed as you are.” – Bernie

 

“We don't get paid unless you get paid. So, we have every vested interest in making sure that this transaction closes. And not only does it close on time, but that you had a pleasant experience.” – Bernie

 

“The thing that I'm really hoping to change, I think about this in the long term, is that if you know how to build wealth, and you're starting off on this path with me and understanding how many more people can you impact and change their lives?” – Steve

 

“I see a lot of people in our industry where they were phenomenal successful producers 10 years ago, and now they're coaches and they're just using theory from 10 years ago. I've been working through chaotic problems this week, you know, they're good problems working with agents to try and solve problems. But I can only do it because I'm still in it.” - Steve

 

​​You can find Kacia at:

https://www.instagram.com/shegoes.company/?hl=en

 

You can find Seena at:

https://www.instagram.com/seena.ghetmiri/?hl=en

 

 

We’re ready to hear from you! Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Send us a message at:

Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevedvalentine/

Bernie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernzpix/

 

You can find us on all the major Podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are live and leave us a review and 5-star rating to help the show grow!