Success Agent

Why do I think everybody should become a real estate agent? Here’s the deal: I worked 30-some odd jobs before I was 30 and had no idea what I was good at. I know a lot of you out there are just like that. I stumbled into real estate back in the day by accident and was basically told to invest in some REO properties (i.e., foreclosures) because I needed rental properties and residual income to get ahead in life. I didn’t even know how to spell “residual,” but I went down that path anyway. I put some money together, took out a HELOC on my house, and bought some real estate investment properties. Now I have 27 of them. I was very green when I entered the business and really didn’t have a clue of what I was doing, but I watched some YouTube videos, read a few books, and followed all the gurus out there. Then my sister-in-law told me I needed to get my real estate license, so I did. For a guy who had already had 30 jobs, I considered this one No. 31, thinking I’d eventually have No. 32. Luckily, I stopped at 31.

Today I want to talk about the delicate balance between cost and culture in the real estate business. Treating your business like a business and knowing when the effort to curate great culture is costing you extra money brings this kind of conflict to the forefront. When thinking about why you are where you are in the business and how the culture of your team is helping you find a place to call home, you’re excited about real estate—but at what cost? The costs can really add up. If you have franchise fees, no cap, office bills, advertising costs, and administrative costs, you’re stuck in a weird spot because the expenses you incur in the name of culture impact your paycheck. Why does it have to be that way? Why can’t you just have a space with great culture and less overhead? That’s what agents love about working with us at eXp. We don’t have those same marketing and office costs. Our agents make more while also enjoying that great culture. If you want to learn more about our team or have any questions ab

What benefits should you expect from your brokerage? What should you be looking for when comparing them? You should take control of your business and treat it as just that—a business. Look at it as a profit and loss statement: The amount of effort you put in will equal the amount you’ll make. Then you need to align yourself with the brokerage that will net you the most amount of money for the effort you’ve put into your business. You don’t want to start a business knowing it’ll fail or that you’ll have to work twice as hard to make the same amount of money you were before. When I chose to align my business with Real Brokerage, I looked at it from the perspective of, “I’m already doing this anyway, so why can’t I net the most amount of money possible?” Also, ask yourself what they’ll provide. Do they provide any technology? Do they provide training? What are the splits? What is the office situation; do you need an office or not? Will it cost you money to have an office? Then look at the other benefits you’ll g

A lot of agents get caught up in the idea that they need a bunch of initials behind their name. In some cases, they end up spending a lot of money to get these designations. Today I’ll talk about whether it’s worth it to get a designation added to your professional title. The reality is that these designations can help you network, get referrals, and further your career. However, having a designation won’t be a defining factor for success in this business. At the end of the day, if you need CE credit and getting a designation along the way is worth your time and money, then go ahead, but don’t get caught up in the idea that having those initials will magically make you a successful agent. If you want more information on how to become a successful real estate agent, feel free to reach out to me via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you.

Today I wanted to talk about why we decided to join Real. There are four good reasons why we made this transition: 1. They offer a new-age, technology-powered office. We decided that we wanted to be part of a company that’s forward-thinking in the technology they use. Real has a combination of virtual offices and traditional offices. We actually have a few crash offices in Cheyanne where you can stop by and work for a couple of hours. We also know that many brokerages are not keeping ahead of the curve. Real is doing a lot of cool things. For example, they have a dedicated app, and they use Workplace by Facebook. 2. They have competitive brokerage fees. At Real, each agent has a cap of $12,000 per year, and the commission is an 85/15 split. 85% of every commission goes to the agent. Once the agent hits $12,000, they get 100% of the commission, and Real only changes a $225 transaction fee. There are no monthly fees. The only additional fee is $250 out of your first two transactions in the year. 3. They are a p

How should you prepare for 2022? It’s hard to believe, but the new year is just around the corner. As things continue to change, we need to adapt, so today I wanted to go over some tips to prepare for another fantastic year. More people are working from home, and we never know if a new COVID variant will throw us back into lockdown. So we need to become mobile workers. You should include a good mix of remote and in-person work into your routine. This means becoming familiar with social media, Zoom, or anything else needed to meet your customer where they are. One issue we’ve found is that some iPhone apps don’t work on Android and vice versa. If you run into this issue, you can always use Zoom, which works on all platforms. A creative solution we’ve found for this issue is to use Otter.ai. Otter transcribes your conversations for you, so if a client wants notes after a Zoom call, you’ll have them ready. We will all have to use new technologies to keep up with our customers. If you have any questions about pre

Today I’m sharing another tip about how to make 100K in real estate: the importance of follow-up. Harvard Business Review conducted a study on follow-up, and the majority of people in business don’t follow up, but that’s how you make money. The fortune is in the follow-up. Most sales are made after the seventh to 13th attempt to contact a client, and that’s how you make money in the game of leads. About 46% of real estate agents don’t follow up after the first contact. If you’re spending a bunch of money on lead generation and not following up, that’s just money down the drain. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up; that’s how you make money. Contact information is extremely valuable. If you have a list, follow up with them, and if they’ve signed up for something with you, follow up until they unsubscribe. Get after it, and make those calls. If you have questions about follow-up or any other real estate matter, call or email me. I would love to help you.

Today we’re going to talk about being coachable. Most agents don’t even think about this, but you need to be able to reframe your mindset, think about improving your business, and change the behaviors that are getting in the way of your full potential. That’s why when I’m not good at something, I get coaching to help me. For example, I hired a fitness and nutrition coach a few months ago. Since then, I lost 15 pounds and gained back seven pounds of muscle. Hiring the right people can put you in the right direction. There’s a phrase, “If you pay someone, you pay attention.” If you’re paying for something, you’re probably going to be more dedicated to the results. Instead of asking people how they did something, ask them if they have a coaching program. It’s a compliment to them, and they might still offer their advice for free. Coaching opens you up to different perspectives and things you wouldn’t have thought about by yourself. With my team leader coach, I’ve implemented a ton of things into my business over

When you’re a real estate agent, what type of brokerage you choose to work with is a crucial decision. Today I want to go over the three main types of brokerages and what they offer you: 1. Traditional brokerage. The focus here is on the owner of the brokerage. They typically have a physical location. You’ll have your own office, and the broker is readily available if you have any questions. The issue is that there are a lot of costs associated with a traditional brokerage. There are numerous fees, and splits are high. 2. Flat fee model. This model is more focused on the client. Your client pays a flat fee, but you are stuck with the amount of money you make on each closing. The good news is that clients save money working with you, so that could give you a competitive advantage. However, your income potential is lower. 3. Cloud or technology-driven brokerage. This model is focused on the agent. The splits are typically low, there are fewer fees, and overhead costs are low. The thinking here is that when the

Today I’m discussing the thing everyone loves to talk about: change. You may be considering whether to stay at the brokerage you’re at or switch to another one. The follow-up thought to that is wondering how difficult it’s going to be if you switch. You’ll have to get new signs and business cards, learn how a new brokerage does things, and you don’t know if you’ll get more business by switching. The reality is that the most challenging part is deciding to make a change; the rest of it is what you’ve already been doing. We put artificial barriers in front of ourselves, but most real estate agents switch brokerages because they don’t like the environment, the splits, or the split structure because a lot of the money isn’t going toward the growth of their business. If one of those resonates with you, you should do your research, think about how another brokerage may be a better fit for you, and then just commit when you’ve found the right one. Making the change is the turning point between where you are and wher

Most of you who are in real estate or thinking about real estate have a CRM already, but you’re probably not using it to its full potential. Today we’re going to talk about three tips to use your CRM more effectively: 1. Use your automation. Probably the best way to capitalize on your CRM’s capabilities is to tap into the automatic drip campaigns. With them, you can stay in front of your client without having to remember to do so. 2. Write good notes. This seems elementary, but we run into this a lot where agents haven’t put good notes in the CRM. When you go to follow up with the client, you want those notes so that you can remember exactly what you talked about last time and avoid asking those awkward, general questions. 3. Make your CRM a daily habit. It will give you somewhere to go every time you log into your computer. This is how you’ll continue to book appointments and grow your business. If you have any questions about using your CRM more effectively, feel free to give me a call. I’d love to hel

When most agents do a listing presentation, they bring a thick listing packet and data you already have access to. It probably looks the same as everyone else’s and doesn’t stand out from who you’re competing with. Today, I’d like to quickly talk about what you can do to take your listing presentation to the next level. My number one piece of advice is to let the data sell the house. We usually print out an easily digestible spreadsheet and a few comps of similar properties. From this data, we can give our sellers a range of prices, and let them choose for themselves where they want to position their house. By presenting our data this way, we let our sellers become part of the process. A lot of listing presentations present a lot of flowery bells and whistles, but at the end of the day, that’s not marketing. The key to successful marketing is to bring value to your clients. When we let our sellers become part of the process, we’re giving our clients the value they want. A common mistake I see listing presente

Have you ever wondered why some real estate teams don’t like to share their commission split? I’ve always found this weird, if you’re hiding your commission, how does a potential team member know they can trust you? Today I want to go over all the options at Titan Realty so you have a better idea of what we offer. When an agent starts on our team, they are assigned a mentor, and their splits are 70/30. Part of this split is paid to the mentor, who stays with you for the first five transactions. You’re essentially paying them a 20% referral fee, but it’s a great way to get a grasp on real estate and get some connections going right away. After five transactions, you’re on your own. eXp Realty will take an 80/20 split up to the first $8,000, and after that, it’s our standard 70/30 split. Essentially, this means it’s a 50/50 split up to the first $8,000, then it’s 70/30. Since we’re partnered with eXp Realty, you’ll be gifted stocks every year on your anniversary and whenever you do your first transaction every

Here are two things to consider before getting your real estate license: 1. Classes. What you’ll have to do depends on your state. Here in Wyoming, you can take in-person real estate classes over 10 days, self-paced classes, or a combination of some online and some in person. You’re required to do 140 hours of real estate education before you get licensed. Then you’ll take a test that lasts between two and three hours. In our area, you need about $3,000 saved up to cover costs, fees for classes, and the things you need to sign up for after the test. 2. Fingerprints. You need to get your fingerprints taken to be a real estate agent. Make sure to do this beforehand. This is the main thing that frustrates new agents; you’re ready, and everything’s paid for, but then you have to wait three to four weeks for your fingerprints to be processed. Go down to the Sheriff’s Department and get it done as soon as you decide to get your license. If you have questions about getting your license or any other real estate matte

Today I want to talk about the delicate balance between cost and culture in the real estate business. Treating your business like a business and knowing when the effort to curate great culture is costing you extra money brings this kind of conflict to the forefront. When thinking about why you are where you are in the business and how the culture of your team is helping you find a place to call home, you’re excited about real estate—but at what cost? The costs can really add up. If you have franchise fees, no cap, office bills, advertising costs, and administrative costs, you’re stuck in a weird spot because the expenses you incur in the name of culture impact your paycheck. Why does it have to be that way? Why can’t you just have a space with great culture and less overhead? That’s what agents love about working with us at eXp. We don’t have those same marketing and office costs. Our agents make more while also enjoying that great culture.

For real estate agents to be successful on their quest toward that $100,000 goal, they need accountability. Not everyone is self-driven or consistent, so accountability is a key component of achieving success. To keep consistent with your work ethic, you could have a bet with someone that if you don’t make a certain number of calls you’ll have to give them $1,000 or meet with someone every week to go over what you’re working on, your successes, and what will drive you toward your goal. Being accountable to someone or something will help you reach your goals and perform at a high level. You also need to be accountable to your CRM; make sure you’re in it every day, updating clients, updating what you’ve discussed with them, etc. You should also have someone you’re reporting to so they can help hold you accountable. Sometimes people can keep accountable just by saying what they’re going to do, others are more concerned with the consequences of not meeting their objectives, and some are accountable to a vision bo

Today I want to discuss role-playing, though I know everyone hates role-plays. The moment I say “role-play,” it’s like you got chosen to be the main actor or actress in a play that you didn’t anticipate. I get it, but the only way you’ll get better at anything is either by practicing or doing. With role-play, you can practice in no-pressure situations, so you aren’t messing up when it counts. After we’ve built our lists and profiles, it’s time to get out there and get known. The best way to be known by people is by making phone calls, learning to navigate the waters of difficult conversations, and creating meaningful conversations. Creating meaningful conversations means saying the right things with the right words. Role-play in real estate is all about using scripts. Scripts are powerful because the words are deliberately chosen, so the psychology behind them creates those meaningful conversations. Practice with someone on your team or in your brokerage. We do plenty of role-playing on our team so people can

Essentially, a profile is you… online. How can somebody get a handle on your personality, your background, and what you stand for as a professional in the least amount of time possible? Therein lies the challenge of building a good profile! When designing a profile, you’ll want to include a short story about yourself that touches on how long you’ve been in the business and transitions nicely into an explanation of why you’re the best. Once you’ve crafted a concise, engaging blurb about yourself, the goal is to put that on as many free real estate websites as possible. It’s a quick, easy way to get yourself out there. Roughly 80% to 90% of everyone searching for real estate-related information will be doing so online; no one’s thumbing through their local classifieds or real estate magazines anymore. The more sites, the better, but you want to make sure you have a presence on leading sites like Realtor.com, Homes.com, HomeLight, and Zillow. If the site you’re using allows you to include a video, take advantage

How much effort do you have to put in to be successful? Well, the numbers don’t lie—there’s a math equation you need to know to see success. If you make 100 calls and have at least 10 meaningful conversations, that will lead to at least one appointment. If you’re good at what you’re doing and have good training, that one appointment should lead to one closing. If you’re able to get in front of someone and talk intelligently about real estate, that person will work with you. Earlier in this series, we talked about time blocking, and that’s key to having those meaningful conversations. If you have 10 meaningful conversations, that’s one meaningful conversation for every working day of the week. If you can have one meaningful conversation for every working day of the week, you should close two to three deals per month once you get into the habit of the continuous workflow of your business. If you continue to do that and have those meaningful conversations, you’re going to have a successful real estate business.

How do we get better at what we do? This question really comes down to: “Am I getting the most out of what I am doing?” Someone I talked to the other day said that she didn’t want to fall into the trap of being too successful. As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to see a little bit of success and be afraid because you feel like you don’t deserve it. You have to give yourself permission to be successful because you do deserve it. We at the Titan Real Estate Team are here to teach you how to have that success by having discipline, a good work ethic, and seeing your successes carry you into the future. Give yourself permission to be successful, learn something new, and live the life of your dreams. If you want to know a little bit more about our team, reach out and give us a call or email us. We’d be happy to talk.