Here’s the episode so many of you have requested and been waiting for! Realtor life is so amazing, but can be overwhelming. There are too many things you ‘can’ be doing and sometimes it is hard to know where to start. This episode gives practical and tactical advice about exactly what you should be doing in the beginning of your career or when you are in a slow time. This advice should help you map out a plan to not just fill your days with busy work, but work that can put you in the right mindset and into situations that will foster success. Go listen and then get out there and make it happen!

The following is a rough transcript provided by Otter.ai.

0:00
again less emphasis you go. Okay. Okay, ready? Go. Hi, y’all. Welcome to hustle humbly. It’s Alyssa and Katie and we are two top producing realtors in the Baton Rouge market.

0:16
We work for two different companies where we should be competitors. But we have chosen community over competition. The goal of our podcast is to encourage you to find your own way in business. So stop comparing yourself and start embracing your strengths. Alright, so this is episode 17. Okay, do you want to tell us what it’s called?

0:33
What to do when you’re new or slow? I think it can go hand in hand. Because when you’re new, you feel so overwhelmed. There’s so many things to do, right? But people want to rush into making money. Well, some people need to rush into making money I know. And that’s why so many don’t make it I know it’s hard. It’s like what comes first the chicken or the egg?

0:56
You got to have a runway. I wish I had I had a five week runway remember? Yeah, that’s,

1:00
that’s pretty good.

1:02
I didn’t make money for six months. So yeah,

1:04
it was you will have goods until I had my first sale. Yeah. And I actually taught a class on this what to do when you’re new how to become a top producer quickly, but quickly is like in air quotes, because quickly in real estate terms is like three years.

1:22
Right? Well, that’s, yeah, that’s true. I mean, you can’t expect that in a year, you’re going to be a top producer. But you sure can put those systems in place when you’re slow, right? Or New. And that’s what we’re going to talk. So you’ve taught this as a class.

1:36
Yes. And I start the class by being like, if you’re here looking for a fast, quick, easy fix to make money. Now is your time to exit the room, right? Maybe

1:45
go on to the city or find a job. Yeah, fun, fun. A real job. Now I know my two of my quotes, one that pays you regularly go the hour, go find a salary job. This takes time.

1:57
It does take time. People don’t always want to give it the time. No. And we have mentioned before that your first year. If you try to jump into making money, you’re just going to develop you’re not going to operate how you need to be operate. We’re operating

2:12
out of fear. Yeah. And too much pressure, anxiety, like all the bad things.

2:19
People are going to hear it when you talk to them, either. Sure. Think that they do or sure it comes out.

2:26
Yeah, way. Yeah. And then they feel like they’re under pressure to make a decision. Right? Yeah, I definitely had to push people harder in the beginning, and felt more devastated when it didn’t work out. Yeah. And that was financially based, right now I’m in a much more relaxed place, because I have enough transactions, that I don’t have to push anyone. So if they just start to get cold feet, I don’t have to like really sell it. I can just be like, hey, that’s okay, let’s move to the next house. Or if this inspection isn’t working out, it’s going to be okay. But in the beginning, there are plenty of things you can do to set yourself up for

3:00
success. Yeah. And I feel like when you tell a client, hey, I know this inspection was rough. You have to decide if you feel comfortable with it. I respect whatever decision you make. Yes. If you choose to walk away, I’m going to support you 100%. Yes. And I think when they hear that from you, they that’s when they are like she has my best interest at heart. I want to send her referrals. She cares about me. I feel comfortable referring her to friends and family because I know that her hearts in the right place.

3:30
Well, and I think that when you tell people that it also gives them the the the feeling that will they they might move forward. They might say Look, she’s not, no one’s pushing me. It’s okay to move on. I can if I want to keep going I can. We’ve kind of gotten off on a tangent. That’s okay.

3:45
I think that, you know, I finally let that go. When you you kind of need to pick a number. When you’re new or getting started that how much money do I need to have in my savings account? To be able to breathe? I think that’s a great technical. My broker told me to do that. When she hired me literally in my meeting with her. Yeah, in my she asked me do you have savings? Right? And I was thinking, I have like $400 Yeah, and I don’t grad school. Now I was bartending. And I had to set a goal that when I got to X amount in savings, no more bartending that I think there was a good plan. You kind of did that with reltio. Sort

4:26
of, but I will I got my license while I was still in a salaried retail position. But I had saved up all of this vacation and you know, paid time off. So I had that five weeks of pay. Plus, I did not cut out all my stock options, which I mean, we’re not a ton, but it was something so I just I I put all of my eggs in that basket.

4:48
I know we haven’t quite jumped into what to do when you’re new yet, right? I’m talking about like, when we were new when we were new. Yeah, but I’ll tell you what made me jump in full look like, just ready to go. Yeah, I was still bartending and I set a goal of $3,000. I think that’s fair. I said when I have $3,000 in my account, yeah, I will quit bartending. Okay. Well, don’t you know, I was saving my tips from bartending and waiting tables. And I finally had my first closing five months in, right. It was a $99,000 house. Yep. It wasn’t a big commission check. But don’t you know, it put me at like, $3,100 just the very inner strength that scared me. Well, I had some in saving. Right, right. And so it whatever I had after expenses was just enough. And I was so scared because I didn’t really have anything on the horizon. So I was like, Okay, I’m still because I was doing open houses, like every Sunday. Yeah. But I didn’t have anything pending right on the horizon. So I was too scared. Yeah, though, I had met my goal. Well, I was also working for another company at this time, where you could rent people for events, like if you were having a wedding shower, and you need a bartender or anything like that. Well, I had been rented that weekend to work at Tiger Stadium in the suites that was doing like a client appreciation a good gig, though. It’s a great gig so much money. Yeah, you just do. So well. bartending. Yeah. Which is why it’s hard to leave. Yeah. But there was I had done an open house a few Sundays prior and met this couple. And the house that I was holding open was like $700,000. Oh, and an agent had asked me to hold it right right over them. So I said, sure. I’ll hold it open for you met this couple. They asked me to email them information. I actually showed them like two houses that week. Let’s go and I was just over the moon excited that Yeah, I saw an actual benefit. So they were kind of like an uppity couple was fine. Okay, fine. You get what you were right. And I had, you know, done all my homework, emailed them, showed them a few houses. So fast forward on bartending at the suite for this company. And lo and behold, the husband is there. Oh, he works for that company. And he saw you and he came to the bar to get a drink and was like, Aren’t you my realtor? Yes. And he was not impressed. And I was thinking in my brain, yeah, but I have to make money. And if you would buy a house, maybe I could quit this.

7:30
You know, he smokes. So that’s what made you quit.

7:33
He after that? Never returned a phone call or email? I don’t know. And they were very responsive before. It’s like, they did not consider me to be a professional. And when you’re buying an $800,000 house, you want to know that the person that you’re working with is a professional. Yeah. And it just made me go that’s it. This is over Enough is enough. I have to quit, right. I went I quit all I quit the motor mobs. And I was just in real estate. But then I was like, now what? Right? And that’s what this is about. That’s when the fear sets in. This is what this is gonna tell you practical, tactical advice on what to do when you’re new. But yeah, because at some point, you have to give it your all you got to jump in. You can’t have if this is where you want to make your money. Yeah. You have to give it the time and commitment. I don’t think you

8:29
can have a safety net. I don’t think me Yes, I think you should have savings as your safety net. But I don’t think you should have a full time regular job as your Well, I’m not really worried if I’ve said anything, because I’m just gonna keep going to work. Also, I don’t want to get on my soapbox, but it’s very difficult to do your clients and the other realtors in the business service. Right? While you have a full time real,

8:53
just real just a transaction with a realtor that was in the school system. Right? That’s very common. It is very common. But I have to tell you, I only she would only text me. Only at night. Yeah. When I’m like with my family, right? We get frustrated that when I wasn’t responding in a timely manner, right? She would text me asking for things. And I would say I emailed that to you yesterday, right? It was just disrespectful of my time when I’m trying to be with my family. Now, you know,

9:25
I’m so torn about that too, especially with teachers because I totally understand why they want additional income. I mean, they need it. But real estate is not a part time gig. Not if you want to make the money now it’s so expensive to be in it that you better be making some money or else you’re gonna lose. Just it’s hard. Especially when we’ve been talking about boundaries and systems and putting things in place to make you more professional. The other side of that transaction has to be living that same life, right? They have to also

9:56
and if you’re not living that life, if you’re still in the beginning and you have stuff on the side that you’re working on. Be respectful of the realtors that are full time. Be respectful of how you’re communicating with them. I mean, to me email is what you use for business. You don’t text your doctor, you don’t write your CPA. Like you email these people. Yeah, the business transaction a text means look at me right now. This is urgent. Yeah, stop what you’re doing put down your baby, stop cooking dinner, right calm handle my question that says, Hey, did you get the termite inspection five days ago? Like that? can wait. Yeah, that’d be an email. Yep,

10:34
I’m with you. Okay, so what did it look like when you were new? You were done when I was when you were done with retail, and you were just in real estate. So I came into a really weird environment because I got my license, August 1 2005. And August 29 was Hurricane Katrina, okay. And the real estate market in Baton Rouge went bananas crazy. Because all of these people from New Orleans who weren’t sure if they would ever get to go back, started scooping up all the rentals, all the sale, like anything available to purchase people in Baton Rouge were selling their house that hadn’t even had on the market. And I hadn’t done my postlicensing I hadn’t done a single transaction. I didn’t have a clue.

11:14
And you just had to jump in.

11:16
I couldn’t. I was paralyzed with fear. Oh, I was paralyzed with fear. I’m like, Well, I can’t just jump into this crazy market where people it’s like life or death and things, you know, crazy things are happening. I just, I was like, I can’t do this. So and on top of it. The office that I had joined was a relatively large office for our area. And it was like over 100 agents. Well, it was a franchise and agents from the New Orleans area had to come and use that one office. Gosh, so we’re talking going from 100 agents in an office to like four or 500 that are trying to park in the same pocket. Like it wasn’t even feasible. I don’t know if you remember, like the traffic in town was the whole thing was crazy. Yeah, the whole the whole thing was just upside down. So it was about November. That was August. It was about November when I ran into my realtor at he had sold me at my house the year before. I ran into him at a football game. And he was like, Hey, I’m you know, at this little small company, I guess I just told him, I’m like, it’s not working out. I thought it was going to be fine. Yeah, no, I’m not doing anything. I wasn’t doing anything. Okay. And he was like, come to the office where I’m at. I’ve gone on to do construction. But my broker is great. And she can help you. And we’ve talked about Martha before she’s been toasted. And so I followed her around, I got into her car, and I went to the closings and the showings and the listing appointments, I went to every darn thing she did at least for probably a good month or two. And then I would get on phone, the phone duty. And we had five agents missed the time. I was the only one in the office. Right. So I got tons of action on the phone. Yeah. And so my first closing happened in February, that was six months in. And then I probably started to do some more like, you know, standard open house type stuff. But I was in such a small office at that point that there weren’t a lot of listings for me to go hold open, or I didn’t even think about it, you know, and that’s part of why I want this message to get out there to new agents. You have to think outside of the box. You think I don’t have any business? I don’t have any listings. So there’s nothing I can do. Right? That is the furthest from the truth that it could be. There’s always things oh my gosh, there’s always so many things. So tell me what you did when you first started. So

13:28
especially on my coffee dates, when I sit down to meet with people and they’re like, Oh, I just I need money and edited it out. And I’m like, here’s the thing, though, you are not investing in yourself and your confidence right now, if someone called you to list their house, you would be like a right? Or you would let buyers run you all over town right now because you have not worked on, you know, your competence, your communication skills right now, even if you got a client or two, you would just not even handle it properly. Because you’re not ready. Yep. That first year needs to be dedicated to education. Yeah. confidence builder. Yes. Pratt, you know, listening to podcasts reading books. Yep. self development. Yep. I had go into classes online. Yes. So I have take free classes. I have free capitalized because you do not need to be spending any money when you’re new. Yeah. And you have no money and you’re living off of savings and you have goals. There are so many free thing. Yes. The board always has classes. Hopefully your comfort company has some classes. Education is key in the beginning. And then when somebody comes along and is like I want to lose my house. You’re like, Oh, I just took a class on the listing agree. Right. I actually understand what to do. Yep. So looking at your board calendar and just signing up for all the things for sure if it’s free.

14:56
That’s what I did. I did every class there was whether or not I was due are an open house I went to every single class there was sometimes I didn’t twice

15:03
and it’s not a waste of time. No, you have to do these things. It will only make you feel smarter, more confident, more knowledgeable. You

15:11
know what else it does? It makes you be in the mindset that you are a real estate professional. Yes, this is my job. This is what I do today. And you know what else I did? I sat on the MLS all day. Really? Oh my gosh, I would just look at different houses, look at different neighborhoods, look at what was available, what was selling. And the more you understand the data, the more you are confident when you go out into the world. And people ask you questions about how does the market look or read those local reports, though? Don’t just, you know, look at the big picture. Try and hone in on do you want to work a specific neighborhood? Learn everything there is about it while you still have time to learn? I like

15:52
that. Yep. The second thing I had on there is build your database. Oh, yeah. You collect people. We need people’s contact information. You know what I wrote on my list? What? Touch your database touch your database? Well, before you can touch anything you have to have That’s right, make it and then contact to make it you have to focus on it. You know, if you have kids or have been married, start with a wedding list or a kid’s birthday party, something start somewhere, right, your best high school and listen to our database episode. We talked about a good way to get started if you don’t have one, but you have to start putting all of your people in one place. Yeah, it drives me nuts. When people say, Well, I have some in my phone and some in my email. And I have some Facebook for it like, no, everybody needs to be in one place.

16:44
And it’s pretty easy. We’ve sent out the template for this spreadsheet. It’s not hard. No, they’re very, it’s very easy to put people in one

16:52
place. Yes. And you really need to have it to just Yeah, fill out all and fill out all the fields name, email address, know where they live, right. But you have to

17:04
address is so fun to me. Because I love a note. I love to write a note. And so you’re slow. You’re slow. This is a great one for people who are slow, not just new. Are you slow? Are you feeling uncomfortable? You don’t know where your next closing is coming from? Get out the stack a note cards, get out your database spreadsheet, look at some of the people who you haven’t talked to you in a while and send those people a note. Especially if they bought a house two years ago. Hey, you’ve been in your house two years. I can’t believe it. Yeah, hope everything’s good over there. But write it in dang note. Yes, people are like, wow, mail has such a huge impact on really does. It has a huge impact on people episode air

17:42
in November.

17:43
I think it’s right at the beginning of December.

17:46
Well, now is the perfect time to ask for people’s addresses.

17:50
Tralee, yeah, because they’ll think it. I call

17:53
them that. Yeah, because it’s true. You need to send a Christmas card. That is an excellent tip. And you say, copy and paste the same message to your Facebook friends or text them. Hey, I’m updating my Christmas card list. What’s your address?

18:05
Nobody is going to say no to that. Nobody. But guess what?

18:09
They better get a Christmas card from you. That’s true, too. Y’all get those cards. I don’t even care if it’s a postcard. It’s just so this is the time of year where it’s the easiest to get addresses.

18:18
Yes, I think it’s it’s it’s not hard to ask someone if you’ve got if you know them, you’re connected to them in some way. Right? You either have your phone number or your the Facebook friend or your their your Instagram follower. Whatever it is, you just got to put it out there one sentence, hey, I’m updating my Christmas card list.

18:36
So if you’re new or slow, you need to be building and perfecting your database 100%. I have signed up for groups that are newer, slow, and you’re like, I don’t know how to build my database. I don’t have any people. You got to go meet the people.

18:51
Yeah, it’s sort of like you just put yourself out there being a human and it will come naturally intentional with those people. I think moms are the best because moms we get a lot of especially the younger realtors, which younger would still be in your 30s and 40s. Probably but the younger ones are typically our moms who maybe, you know, were stay at home moms when they were little the kids were little and then they’ve gone to school and now they have some time to take on something else and they get their real estate license. I love those because all you got to do is go volunteer at school.

19:22
Yeah. Well, the good news is for those with families, you don’t have to feel guilty about taking time out from quote unquote, working in the office, right to go to a field trip. Because that is where you’re going to make relationship connections.

19:36
That’s our job. So it’s your job when be involved when you’re new or slow. Go do something fun with other people, right? Whoever they are. I don’t even matter if they’re in your family. I don’t know how many new agents I’ve talked to you are afraid to even contact their family. I know. They’re afraid to like say don’t think feel like a fraud I think well I don’t know anything. I don’t want to put myself

19:58
out there. Yeah, Joe me You know, I

20:00
knew right, right, exactly. You’re not gonna, you know, that issue, right? Totally you knew at my last career was you still go out and do something fun when you’re slow.

20:10
There’s an agent in our office that ballroom dances. I love it and she gets at least a million in production a year from her ballroom sphere. Just another agent in our office loves her dogs. Yep. She volunteers at shelters, okay. And she also does this thing where, after every closing, closing, she gives a $25 donation to an animal shelter. Yep. So she’ll say closing day, that means another donation went to the animal shelter, right. And so that really speaks to the heart of dog lovers. You know, I mean, whatever your passion is, whatever group that you want to join. Yep. Make sure it’s something that gives you life. Yeah. And then

20:51
you’re going to enjoy Yeah, you don’t have to go join every group just because you want to be around people and you’re gonna be miserable. Pick something you actually want to hear about? Well,

21:00
you should only join two. Oh, okay. Two groups that think that’s fair. That’s the only way to be intentional. And these aren’t groups that you just join, these are groups that you need to become the secretary of, okay, you need to become the person that chooses an event that you organize that you email the group about thing. Okay, so you have to actually be involved, which is why you only join two groups.

21:25
I have a question. Yeah.

21:26
Would you say it is okay to start a group? Yeah. So whatever. Maybe you don’t know where the quilting group is, but you can start your own quilting group. Sure. Okay. I like it. I like joining established groups that have membership rosters. Oh, yeah. Because then the information is accessible. And we are not using these rosters to be spam. Good. No, no. When I joined a group, I hand wrote a letter to all 73 Women in hand wrote a letter because guess what, I was slow. And I was new. And I had the time you were both slow and new. And I said, I’m so excited to be a part of this group. I haven’t met you yet. I hope to meet you at the next lunch. Okay, I put in a business card. But my letter said nothing about real estate buy or sell a house. Yeah, call me call me. You know, it was my right. It just said, here’s my contact information.

22:13
I think that’s good. Do you remember if that had any impact or so much? It did? Yes.

22:18
So at the first lunch I went to after I wrote this letters, I had a lady come up to me and said, What do you think about the condos in Perkins row?

22:26
Just any new you a realtor? She knew I was a realtor it let me know. She didn’t have another realtor in her life. Yes, right. Otherwise, she would have asked. Yep. So it just was like, wow, it was it was amazing. And then I had so many people coming up to me at the meeting being like, Are you the new girl that wrote me the letter? Because I said, like, I’d love to meet you at the next lunch. That’s so sweet. It was amazing. So you can’t just show up now not be involved. You have to participate in life, right? Yep. And I said, I have on my list social media, because you know how I feel about that, right? But you have to show up and participate. And I’m going to give some tips if you’re ready for a couple. Okay. These are some of the things that I think you can do when you’re new or slow. When you have no listings when you have no buyers when you have nothing to talk about you think go to an agent tour. Those things are prevalent, you should be able to find one almost any day of the week. These agents have got their listings on tour, walk in, introduce yourself, ask if it’s okay for you to snap a photo or two or take a video usually they’re gonna say well, for sure he’s do then post that on your social media people they do not need to it is not you being deceptive. They do not. You can even say I’m not an agent tour. You do not have to say it’s my listing, you do not have to pretend like you’re advertising something that isn’t really yours. You can just say this is what real estate activity I am doing today. I walked through this gorgeous house today. Look at this amazing bathtub, check out these faucets. It’s so easy and you could do that every day of the week and have some sort of content to share with your people. And I think that’s the same for open houses. You can ask a million agents in your market who are tired or busy or have 10 listings and can’t do them all on the same day. If you can do an open house at their listing and they’re gonna say yes, and then you take your pictures there and you post those and you might even be some

24:18
legit buyer that you pointed out content you need to have content because I cringe literally cringe when people post do you need to buy or sell a house call me new it really upsets me

24:31
no like it no it needs to feel more natural like hey, check out this amazing Porch Swing I saw you know at a showing yesterday Look, maybe you’ve been working with the same buyer for six months and you know they’re never gonna buy a house. But guess what, if you change your mindset and realize every time they take you on a showing is another opportunity for you to take a photo or video, write a message about something you notice. And then you have content and then the more you put yourself out there and Social media, it’s a very easy and passive way to say, Hi, I’m in real estate, right? Hi, here I am at another house, or here’s a tip and I look, you know, I love my staging tips, you can start sharing those when you’re new, you can certainly share and when you’re slow, there’s a lot of tips about the buying and selling process that you can give, even if you’ve never done a transaction, right? They’re not hard to find. Content is very important.

25:25
I just think it helps. It shows people I’m working. Yep, I’m professional. I have I’m trained. I have advice to give. I can help you. Yep. So it’s not just call me right. Call me. No money. I need you. I have no clients. Yeah, it just makes you look sad. It makes people feel sorry. I feel sorry for them. Well, right. So I just think that you have to watch it.

25:49
I agree completely. What’s next on your list? Open Houses?

25:53
Yes. Which we don’t need to spend too much time on, because we did a whole Open House episode. So if you haven’t listened to that episode, it’ll walk you through the whole thing. Yeah. So those are important. Maybe even if you’re new or slow, focus on an area that you love, look up the listings in a certain neighborhood, and ask if you can hold it open, and alternate houses in that neighborhood every weekend, you’ll start seeing the same foot traffic.

26:18
Yeah, I like that. And I think I want to point out specifically, this is all about putting yourself out there to other agents in your market. There are plenty of agents who will let you hold their house open, you do not need listings to do open houses. You can be very upfront with the people that come and say, This is not my listing, but I have all the information. And if I don’t I can get it for you. You know, are you working with

26:41
an agent? Had anybody asked me if it was my list? Oh, I don’t care. No, they don’t

26:45
care. But I think it’s important for us to remember, as new agents are slow agents, an open house is a great thing to do. And it’s not hard to find one.

26:54
I got a listing when I was new from doing open houses every Sunday. Yep, um, someone said came to my open house and said, Hey, I’m actually not here to look at the house. I’m just I wanted to meet you because you have an open house every Sunday. They knew they just recognized my name because they saw that I needed to get in here and see what you were all about. They were like I’m about to list my house. I need an agent that works Did you that puts it into a list that how I did. I love that. It was amazing. I think it really is and you put yourself out there and you put yourself in the mindset that I’m a working realtor exact because there are definitely there’s a difference between a working realtor and a non working realtor. That is the truth. So you got to put yourself in that headspace.

27:35
I have another one that may be a little out of the box. Okay. Offer to work for free. And I don’t mean to your clients for free. Go into your office, find the busiest agent who looks overwhelmed and say Hey, can I do some showings for you for free? Could I do obviously open house we for free. But can I go to a termite inspection for you for free? Can I help you in some way? And this is why be upfront Hey, I’m new. I have time. I want to practice some of these things. You know, I’m not looking to be your, you know, ongoing free assistant, but

28:10
you say I have time today I have time. Can I help you? I love it, y’all. And when the attitude of humility.

28:20
I mean, it’s just, it’s so and then again, guess what? Content? Hey, I’m at a termite inspection. Right? Hey, I went to the show is about termites you’ll it it almost blows my mind how easy it would be for new agents to get stuff to do. Right. But they think there’s nothing to do well,

28:39
they think there’s nothing to do they feel overwhelmed. You know, maybe there’s so many things people are. People are telling me so many things. I

28:47
know. That’s true, too. It’s both though I’m not looking to overwhelm anyone but if you

28:53
pay this is good structure. We’re giving structure. Yes. So yes, there are so many things to do, but you have to organize your day to Okay, so look at my calendar. I’m going to go to this class at the board. I’m going to go to this termite inspection. He asked agents if you can hand write letters for them. Yeah, give you a template and then you’ll know how to hand write letters because you’ll see what they’re doing right

29:14
that’s the whole thing if you go to offer to work for an agent that knows what they’re doing, who you find would be a good mentor or just someone that you’d like to mirror your business after. They will let you do things for them that will be a teaching activity for you. Yes, like a free day in class. I think that is really where it’s at.

29:32
I had offer free CMAs Mark I now have this one. I have a template. So it’s a short one. Go go not all templates are long emails. This actually is never really sent in an email. This is something that you can text someone or Facebook message and it just says our office. Got a new platform. Yep, I used it a lot when we switched MLS is when we switched from whatever we were to Paragon. Yeah, But I just said, Hey, our office has a new platform, I need to practice running a market analysis you Would you like one? Yeah, what’s your address? I love that. And then I sent them a CMA of their neighborhood and said, This is what’s going on. And I’ll also ask them for help. Like, if something doesn’t look right, or if there’s a house that you know, sold recently that isn’t on here, or if there’s a house that’s for sale that isn’t on here. Tell me because I want to make sure my information is accurate. Did a lot of people respond to that? Yes. Yeah. Because love to help. Oh, and they love to know the information about their house. Nobody is going to say no to a free market report. No. They’re all gonna be like, Yeah,

30:39
I’ve been dying to know what the house around the corner sold

30:41
for perfect. And now you have their email and address.

30:45
I think it’s interesting, because I know now so far into it, that when you put yourself out there, people always take it. Well, they want to help. Yeah, they really do. It’s just amazing. Okay, I love that one. I think that’s when you might actually end up with a listing out of that. Oh, yeah. But at the very least people thinking you practice, okay. Yeah. Sometimes it’s just making them start to think

31:06
it might be a year out. But you planted that seed today. Yeah.

31:09
Hey, guess what? I know how much your house is worth. Right. And I didn’t pressure you to sell it. And I helped you. And I showed you the days on market. And I showed you what things sold for they were listed anything? No, I didn’t ask you for a thing. We’re not selling anything. I love that. Oh, that’s a really good one. Okay, you have another one.

31:28
I have preview vacant homes on here. But that goes hand in hand with Agent tour. Yeah,

31:33
I think it’s important not only to get content, yes. But the more homes you walk through, the more knowledgeable you feel about the subdivision. Yeah, we have a local agent that I find to be really good at this. And he targets an area, okay. And you always know what the new listings are in that area, because he has gone and done a video of them. That’s awesome. And I think that’s great. I mean, like, just put yourself out there. Especially if you’re trying to be a neighborhood expert. Those are the best ones to go tour.

32:00
Or if you’re new or slow, and you have one listing or two listings, and they aren’t going well. Right? Pretend you’re a buyer, set up a search, right? So say my listing is 250 set of a search in that zip code 250. Same number of bedrooms, same number of bathrooms, see what else is actively for sale, do an agent preview of your competition. I love that if they’re looking at your house or looking at others. Yeah. And then you can give quality information. Yeah, or back to your sellers. Hey, I went and interviewed I went in, walk through our competition today highlight that we tell you where we are lacking guess what

32:35
else you did? posted some videos and content?

32:37
Yes. I love it.

32:39
I like that. I have. Okay, we talked about tips already. I have one. Find someone who inspires you and reach out.

32:47
Yes, I have that on my list. Shut off schedule lunch or coffee with the top agent.

32:51
That’s a great one. I think that’s so easy. And people are gonna say yes, don’t be nervous, right? I mean, you only have to find someone 10% Better than you anyway to learn from. So it doesn’t have to be the

33:03
top a no, it doesn’t. I mean, my coffee date started when I was in the middle. Yeah. Because people just knew that I was working well.

33:13
Yeah, I think it’s you’re more approachable. When you get too close to the top, then people start to feel nervous that they could never get there. And that maybe it’s not even where they’re trying to go.

33:22
Yeah, it doesn’t. Yeah, don’t find someone that’s like. So that’s not doing what you want to accomplish. Yes. Pick an income that you want. Yep. Figure out how much production it takes to get that income, and then look in your MLS and go to those agents. Yeah. So if it’s a $6 million agent, and that’s the income you want, go have coffee with the $6 million agent. I think

33:43
that’s great advice. I also think learning how to use your MLS or whatever reporting system you have is also important when you’re new or slow. I bet a lot of new agents don’t even know how to find the agent that has $6 million production. Right? Very good point that might require you to go to a board class. Yeah. Or ask your broker or somebody I

34:05
can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in the office and a new agent who never goes to any classes, never goes to any training comes up to me and says can you show me how to do this on MLS? I don’t mind doing it once. Yeah. But if you’re one of those people that never shows up, I don’t want to help you. Yeah, well, you have to put yourself out there to learn.

34:24
I had to write, nobody really held my hand. No one’s gonna know. No one’s gonna hold any of our hands. No one held my hand. No one held your hand. And you can watch the agents that sink and swim based on who realized they had to hold their own hand.

34:40
If you’re an agent who’s in the office, and I see you at trainings and I see you at classes. Yes, I will help you all that is 100%. But if you just want to come and complain and be like, Oh, I don’t know how to do anything. I have no sympathy. Yeah, same with sign calls. Yeah. When I get phone calls that I can’t take, guess who I’m giving it to you The agent that’s going to work them to death. Yeah, agent that is going to call them and follow up right and updates. Not because I care, right, because I’m not asking for a referral off of this sign call. Yeah, but I just want to know when I asked you for weeks later, yeah, whatever happened to that lady called on my listing? Oh, she wasn’t interested. Like, That’s not. That’s it? Like, did you follow up? Did you convert anything? Follow up until they tell you to go away? Because guess who’s not getting my sign calls? The agents that don’t work them? That’s right. But if I know that you’re like out there hustling? Right? You will get my son calls all day long.

35:33
I love that. I think that’s good.

35:35
I think you can also if you’re just feeling whatever. And you don’t want to take an agent, take a sphere to coffee. Yeah. Whoever’s in your database. Some pick someone pick the person, it doesn’t matter if it’s your best friend. Just say you’re not picking paying for these people. No, you don’t have to that makes it awkward. If you pay for them, like whenever I was, whenever I get lunch with like friends or family, the moment that you pay for them, they feel uncomfortable. They’re like this was a business lunch. Not a relationship line. Right? Okay, I’ll I’ll they want something. Okay. Now I feel weird, right? But if you just call up a friend or like, Hey, I haven’t seen you in forever. You want to grab lunch? Okay, like it. So you can’t say I want to take you to lunch? No, you have to say do you want to go grab lunch? Yes. Say is it together separate? Oh, it’s separate? Oh, I like it. Because this is a we’re just friends here. We’re just we’re just I’m not here to make you feel awkward. That’s right. I’m not here to make you feel obligated to, you know, buy something or right? Because that’s not the business that we’re in. Now. I just wanted to have lunch with you to build our relationship.

36:38
Yeah. Okay, I like that. I think building systems when you’re new or slow, if you don’t know what a system is, then contact an agent who you think has systems, I still It still blows my mind. People will ask me Oh, what do you do for this? What do you do for that? I’m like, I will have this system, I’ll have that system. They’re like, Oh, we don’t have that. I’m like, you’ve been selling real estate for years and years. You know, do you have a buyer folder? Do you have a seller folder? Do you these are easy things to do when you’re new or slow. Get those things put together? You know, I don’t think you need a big huge fancy listing presentation that’s going to make you feel overwhelmed. And you don’t know what to put in it. But you can for sure put together a folder by you know, important handouts for your seller, or your buyer that you would take to every single showing or every single listing

37:26
appointment. And systems don’t have to be like a big, huge, scary thing. Your system is your database and how you work it. Yeah, your system is where am I writing down people that asked me about yesterday? Like we talked in our tech tools episode about, like, Trello, or whatever you’re using? Yeah, write things down. You need to have them somewhere. What is your system for that? Yeah. So you don’t forget those people? What is your system for email templates? Do you have an email that you send to buyers or sellers? Or, you know, just all those things? So yeah,

37:56
Tim, easy for short. So but it’s almost like you, there’s so much you can do that you do nothing like yeah, you’re just deer in the headlight, right? And that’s how it is. Probably with any business. If you’re an entrepreneur, any, you know, if you’re not in a job where someone told you these are your five tasks that you do every day. Yeah, there’s a lot you could do as a realtor. Sure, I could listen to podcasts all day, I could read books all day, I could take a million classes. Like you. You can’t feel like you’re not going to do anything because there’s so many things. And that’s

38:25
where self discipline, boundaries structure. You have to say, Okay, tomorrow, I have nothing. What am I going to do? Yeah. Is anything going on at the board or my office? check there first? If not, guess what? I’m waking up and I’m going to the office. Yep. I’m going to ask an agent if they need anything. Yep. I’m going to handwrite letters, I’m going to add X amount of people to my database. Now I’m going to research groups, local groups, just pick something and put it in your schedule. So that when 12 o’clock rolls around, you know what you’re supposed to be doing at that time? Yeah, as you planned it. Yeah.

39:00
I think that’s great. can’t wander around aimlessly. No, that’s what’s happening right now. Hey, but if you feel like you’re wandering around aimlessly go shadow an agent that’s working. Yeah. Hey, can I just ride in your car today? Like that was what really got me in the right place and learn so much. Just just shadow someone. I think that’s a great thing to do when you’re new or slow or whatever. And I also have one on here. Find if you’re going to spend your life on social media, you’re wasting your day away scrolling through Instagram or Facebook or whatever Twitter go find some inspirational realtors or some inspirational you know, whatever entrepreneurs people in general and read some positive messages. Oh, yeah, just like put that your head put your head in that space.

39:46
I think mindset meltdown would be a good episode to go re listen to for sure. I

39:50
really I really listened to

39:51
it the other day. Funny.

39:54
i That’s all I have on my list.

39:55
That’s awesome. I mean, one of the biggest things I hear the most when I’m trying to get to all this advice is I don’t want to bother them. I don’t want to be pushy. I don’t want to be a salesman, right? I don’t know how to ask. Yeah, we’re none of this is none of that. Any of the tips we’ve given today? No. Doesn’t fall into that category at all. No,

40:16
we weren’t cold calling anyone. We didn’t knock on a door. Nope. We didn’t call in as expired or for sale by owner. We didn’t do anything scary or painful. And we didn’t ask we gave give content, give information, produce your systems. You know, make yourself more professional when

40:34
you lay down in bed at night. The question is not how much money did I make today? Because for a while, it’s going to be nothing right. But the question is, what did I do today? That will help me in three months? Yeah. What seeds did I plant today? Yep. That will help me in three months. Today’s efforts. Yeah. Our next year’s business. Yes. So if you are slow, if you’ve been in the business, and you’re not new, you’re just slow. Yeah, the question is, what has the last six months looked like? Yeah. Have you been distracted? Have you been busy? Have you been intentional? Have you written letters? Have you checked on your friends? Right? So it really is a sowing and reaping thing that takes time for sure.

41:16
I have a story before we end, I’m ready. Rebecca, my sweet, sweet assistant, who turned into a buyer’s agent who has gone off on her own and is like, super killing it this year. Like I think she’s up to like, I don’t know, 20 transactions sounds like just amazing. Yeah. She and I were talking yesterday. And she said, You know, I asked her what was frustrating her in the business. And she said, you know, people are not realtors or some realtors, I’m sure just people in general in her life that she comes across ask or asking her how she all of a sudden is killing it. How did it happen overnight? Oh, and she’s like, I’ve been hustling and working for four years right now. It looks like it happened overnight to you. Yeah, but there were three years before now when it wasn’t a transaction every month, like when I was doing all of this other stuff. So just remember, it takes time. And you’re gonna get there one day, and you’re gonna know it was a long road, but everyone else is gonna be like, Oh, look overnight, overnight success.

42:21
I feel like whenever I would meet people for coffee dates, it’s almost like that’s easy for you to say you’re at the top. Right. But it it like, I wish that they could have met me you’re one? Yes. I cried a lot. You cried a ton. I didn’t just get here. No, it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

42:41
Nobody just gets there. But you can. And I think what we have given today is people advice to get there in a positive way where it’s not miserable. It’s not a it’s not meant to be hard, miserable work. It’s just a word. These are things that you should enjoy. Yeah. And it can be fun. You’ve got to you got to you got to look at it that way.

43:02
And we want to share these things in hopes that people actually implement them for sure. I agree. And many people like to talk. Yeah, they like to complain, right? They like to make plans. But it’s such a small percentage that actually execute for sure. And if you can execute, then you’re going to make it once you have to start moving. Yes. You can’t just sit there you got to get off your butt and do something. Yeah. Don’t feel like you’re the deer in the headlights. Right? Pick something one of these things.

43:32
I am finding our toast for today.

43:35
Yes. Okay, so we’re excited because we have a toast today. We have a toast we love when people send in who they are going to toast to

43:44
so nice. I’m afraid to read it because I think I’m gonna butcher this name. Okay, but I’m gonna do it anyway. Okay. Annie Stabler. Yes, very sweet Annie, who loves to share the podcast sent us in a toast and we’re so happy to have it. And this is what she said. My friend and colleague Nicole McGonigal. Okay, we’re gonna go with that. Last December, her mother suffered a major hemorrhage stroke and she’s young like 52, Nicole has continued to work her real estate business where she can. But her main focus this year has been to help her mom heal and help raise funds for her recovery. She’s remained strong and positive and when many would stress about business having to take a back burner. She has just taken it all in stride and vowed to jump back in with two feet as soon as life allows. She’s such a huge inspiration to me. The dedication she has shown to her family and clients through a very challenging time is all inspiring. That’s awesome. I think that’s so good. So we are going to toast to Nicole cheers

44:43
to Nicole. Cheers, Nicole. Tears. I know this is gonna put us over a little bit but I just have to say it. Okay, do it. I met with a new agent this week. Okay. And here’s one problem. And I think Nicole’s story is very inspiring. Let’s hear it. They are doing the thing. You’re trying to get the business and they get their first client. And they’re so excited to finally have a client that they stop all the good thing. They stop handwriting letters, they stopped reaching out to eight, because they’re just like, oh my gosh, I have a client, I have to, I’m freaking out. I just have to focus on this. Yeah. And then they close that client and they have to start over, or the kid your kids get sick, and they have stopped doing everything. And then the kid is better and you’re back to zero. Or they’re remodeling their house, and so they stop everything they’re doing. It’s like, you let life interrupt your business habits. You never get into the rhythm. Yes, but like, obviously, Nicole, even with her mom suffering something, that that’s a big deal. Yeah. But you can’t just cut out everything in your life. You can

45:47
slow it down if needed. Yeah, you still have to keep those processes and those behaviors in place. Right.

45:52
And it’s how you keep the consistency. Yep, agree. All right. Cheers, Nicole.

45:58
Thank you. Cheers. Okay, bye. Bye. Bye. Thank you so much for tuning in to the hustle humbly podcast. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at hustle humbly podcast. If you have an episode, topic or question please email us at hustle humbly podcast@gmail.com Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. See y’all next week.

46:25
This is goodbye