If we had to go back to the beginning of our real estate business and start over from scratch, what would we change? Would we do anything the same? (Spoiler alert: we would) How much money would we want to get going? What tools would we utilize this go around? What about if we picked up and moved today being veterans in the business? How would we get our database up and running in a brand new place? We hope listening to us go through this hypothetical exercise will help you no matter where you are in your journey, but especially if you are brand new, about to get licensed, or making a move to a new area. We are sharing how to get immediate confidence in your business, what to focus on first, and how to prepare to launch your career. We are giving you the secrets of what we wished we did earlier, so YOU don’t have to wait to succeed. Join us for this chat and send us an insta DM or comment on Spotify and tell us something you would do differently if you started your career over again.

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

0:01
pick it all up. Go to the beach. See if you can do it again.

0:05
I do think that’s a big reason why the podcast was born.

0:10
Most of minor I did wrong. This is really ironic.

0:14
What am I missing? What am I missing?

0:17
Just putting along like I did it all I did it all wrong the first time

0:25
I sell houses to all mine I would be a barista did not say Hi, y’all welcome to hustle humbly. It’s Alyssa and Katie. And we are two top producing realtors in the Baton Rouge market.

0:42
We work for two different companies where we should be competitors. But we have chosen community over competition. The goal of our podcasts is to encourage you to find your own way in business to stop comparing yourself and start embracing your strengths. Hi, Alyssa, Katie. It’s episode 195. Okay, this one is,

0:59
if we had to do it all over again, all over again.

1:04
We are basically going to talk about if we started over from beginning like brand new. But also what if you had to pick up today and move across the country? And you were like, Well, I only know how to sell real estate. I guess I’ll do that some more. Yeah,

1:20
what very overworld? Would you do? Right? Very overwhelming. Right out.

1:24
Right. Okay, so how do we want to start this? Because I paid like a 123. List.

1:31
Okay, well, my list for both answers was the same. Oh, great. If I had to start over, like in a new city, versus if I could go back? Do you want to guess

1:45
I’m

1:47
building a database database. That would be if I had to go back. Or if I had to start over. It truly is the foundation for the foundation. But you don’t have people you don’t have a big agree. Couldn’t agree more. So as a new agent, I wish I would have started that process a little bit sooner because I had people write, I just needed to understand how to get their contact information and use it well. Right. I feel like it took me a few years to really use my database. Well, okay. If I was starting over in a new city, my goal priority number one would be get people in my database, right? So it would be getting really planted in a church, getting really planted in my kids school where they are, like meeting as many people as I could, okay, on a deep level, okay, to be able to add them and build my database, right so that I could start working.

2:54
That was my step four. Okay. Great. But I Yes, absolutely. You got to put the people in the database. There’s no reason why that can’t work in a new city or when you’re brand new, obviously. But my number one, if I had to do it all over again, was have a larger financial runway. I left my full time, salaried retail management job. The minute I got my real estate license and picked a broker, and I left with five weeks of paid time off, so I had five I had, I had five weeks of pay, okay, and I did not close. So that was like the beginning of August, let’s call it and I didn’t close until February. So six months later, so you do the math. I had five weeks of pay, and six months where I didn’t make money. Were you married to J. i, j and I were together. We were not married. We did live together, we shared expenses, okay, he had a job. But it wasn’t so great that we could eliminate my income. We’re at a lower struggle, there were a lot of tears, there was a lot of stress. There were several times three months in where I’m like, this isn’t gonna work. Remember that I had to switch brokers. When I’m like, I can’t not make money. I didn’t have like some some sort of financial support system to fall back on. It wasn’t like I went to my parents and said, Hey, things aren’t going great. I’m gonna need you know, some money. Like I had no money. We didn’t have money, things were not good.

4:38
Yeah, it was bad. Okay. All right, at that time financially,

4:41
so I would have a larger financial runway and I will tell you, I think that a year is too long and and realistic. Because it’s hard for people to save money these days. Yeah, I mean, you gotta live and things are expensive. Do you mean a year? I think that’s, you know, I didn’t need a year I think if I had six months of work runway instead of five weeks of a runway, yes. That would have made a difference. So.

5:06
So how would you have done that? Would you have just not quit your job so soon? Yeah.

5:10
While Oh or Yeah, I think I would have saying started, like, I would have saved more, you know, made a better plan for that. Okay. Yeah. Right. Like, you know,

5:22
how did you decide to quit? Like, did you think that you were going to make money quicker than you did? Of course you did.

5:29
Of course, I thought I would make money quicker. And I just hated my job so much that I couldn’t take another holiday. To be honest, I couldn’t take another holiday season. And it was August. And I’m like, it’s like impending doom. Like, I cannot get I cannot do this again, I have failed the way out. I’m just gonna jump all in. And to be fair, I’m not exactly risk averse. So I was just like, let’s just try. Let’s just try. But I wouldn’t do that again.

5:55
Do you feel like it made you work harder?

5:58
Yes, in some ways, but I also think it made it more stressful. And thus, I didn’t build confidence as quickly. Yeah, because I didn’t, I couldn’t say to my buyer, no big deal. I’ll be here in a year. I didn’t know if I was gonna be there in a year. I’m like, you gotta buy this house. Soon. It

6:16
is so hard when you desperately need the paycheck. And it is tied to that transaction to advise your clients. Well, yeah. And

6:26
look, I was never unethical, but I felt like I couldn’t be relaxed. In my advice. I couldn’t be like, let it go. You don’t want you know, I probably was like, you know, I wasn’t gonna be like, this house isn’t for you. You know, I wasn’t like selling anyone, anything they didn’t want. I wasn’t doing anything unethical. But I didn’t feel comfortable in the frantic nature of it. That close didn’t happen, I was going to crumble. Like, I was going to crumble, things were going to be really bad. It was going to be tears and misery. And it was very unpleasant. And I think just six months would have been enough for me to be like, okay, but I also think I would have been like, I got a six month runway, and then I am going to have to consider other options. If I can’t make anything happen in six months with a, you know, six month runway of me working full time in real estate, then it’s this isn’t for me. The other thing about my six month runway I made a note is that I would want extra money, not like over my living expenses, to do things. And this is going to come up in my later things, but you just you know, you’re gonna hear why, but I need the money to put into my business to find the people for my database. Okay. All right. We’re gonna come back to that. So financial runway, any thoughts? I think that’s great. You did better than me. Like you kept your job until you met a certain number like,

7:54
yeah, yeah. I was trying to time it. Well, and would you do it the same? I think that that worked out. Okay. So that part? Good. I wouldn’t want to do it again. But it worked out fine.

8:09
Okay, and the other thing is, we both started as young ish Realtors for the profession and without children, right? So it is different. I mean, I cannot even imagine. And I know so many agents start, you know, in a career with a family, children they need to feed, and they have to, like, you know, kind of navigate. When do I go full time? How, like, How much money do I need to put aside? I can’t answer those questions. So I didn’t do it.

8:40
Right. And every person’s needs are going to be very different. Right?

8:44
But I think if I went back to start over again, today with two children, the six months would be a must 100% Because I’m like, I we all have to

8:53
put your family at risk. No, you have to be financially wise. Right and plan.

8:59
Okay, number two. Going back to our sweet episode last week, I would find the right broker. Okay. Yeah, I did not find the right broker when I started originally. So that is a change I would make. I would look for a midsize company with some busy veteran agents that I could help for free to learn or shadow to, to learn. But I need some veteran agents who are busy and available that want to talk to me. Okay, so I need a mid size office because I told you last week, a large office would have scared me because I know because I did it. Okay, okay, not good for not a good fit for me. I would also want to make sure they were an active community that had regular meetings and opportunities for me to be in the office and see them Sure. You were not going to call them on the phone. Let’s be honest. Yeah, that’s weird and awkward and you’re just not going to do it. So I need an office space where I can show up and see them and it be more natural right. The last one Part of that was I would want an office where I could go in. Okay, I couldn’t work in the cloud. Oh, I see. Not as a new agent. No. Okay. Yeah, I can’t be in the cloud I need to go in, I gotta see the people because I need to run into these busy agents who are in and out of the office, because they’re busy agents and be like, Hey, you look overwhelmed. Can I help you with something? I’d love to do some termite inspections for free? Or go to a showing? For free? I need the I need experience. What can you what how do I hold open? Can I print your fliers for free? Can I do anything for free? Can I go on Canva and make you a new business card for free? Like, what can I do? What can I do? So the find the right broker was next on my list. Oh, but I do have a side note. If I was picking up and moving. So I already had the experience that I have and was picking a broker. I also mentioned this last week, I would find one that focused on things that I felt comfortable with doing in my business. So is it a social media focused brokerage? Are they doing old school door knocking, cold calling? Are they working for sale by owners and expireds? What are they doing? Right? I would pick someone who, like I am now is maybe more design or staging are focused on things that I enjoy, like yes, and are great are within the realm of my business. Okay. Do you have any thoughts on finding your broker the second time around?

11:24
I don’t have a lot to contribute here because I, I wouldn’t change that you. I would do that all the

11:29
time. I like so far. You’re like, runway check broker check. Okay, we’ll see how it goes.

11:35
Now, if I was starting in a new city, how would you pick a broker? How would I pick a broker? Gosh, I don’t, I would probably talk to our hustle humbly community a little bit out and get some, get some feedback and help the Senate. You know what I would do though, if I like desperately needed money in the interim, while I was getting started all over again. I would be a barista

12:00
did not say that.

12:03
I always that’s the job that you know, I had a lot of

12:06
fun. You are such the person though. That would build a thriving real estate business off of your clients from the coffee shop.

12:14
Right? Right. I genuinely feel like that would set me up for success. And then because you would meet a ton of people you have regulars,

12:22
you would pick the location you wanted to work. Yes. Oh, my God, I see. You. I know I see it all for you.

12:28
Maybe. Yes,

12:31
I also love I want everyone to take a moment and appreciate the fact that Alyssa who has done this for 11 years, and is a you know, performing real estate agent wasn’t above going to a whole new city and working at the local coffee shop in order to meet humans.

12:49
I would love to do that. I love that. Maybe if I can retire at like, 45. I can try this. See how it goes.

12:56
Look, part of me has this deep burning desire to be like pick it all up, go to the beach, see if you can do it again.

13:03
Oh my gosh, what if you worked at like a coffee shop on the beach?

13:07
You could go anywhere you wanted. Oh my God, why can’t you try to build a business anywhere? The already knowing what you know, and going somewhere else is way easier than being brand new. Right? She’s are such two different animals. Yes. If you’re already if you are who you are today and just picked up your business and went away, even to a place where you knew no one, you have a plan.

13:32
And I think that that plan originates from how I got started here, right. A lot of my first deals were from my regulars that I waited their table every day. They came in every Friday night like and then as I was I knew I was approaching leaving them. I was prepping everyone like y’all, I’ve been your waitress for four now. I’m gonna be your realtor. Yes. Like I was, I was prepping them and like giving out my business card before I left and saying this is not the end for us. You know, like, we will continue into the next train me this way. Yes, yes. And so I attribute a lot of my success in the beginning to my networking I had through my college

14:12
job. Okay, that makes perfect sense. I would just repeat that I would just do it again. Now that coffee shop it right? I love because you’re like maybe I don’t want to bartend with my kids and stuff. Right, right. I’ll do something daytime. Yeah, early morning. Well, it’s funny you should say that because I didn’t think about this. But the thing that really catapulted my career Early on now remember 2006 were online leads. So there is a part of me that would probably consider that in a brand new market and just until I got my feet under me and like had some transactions and some past clients and some people in that database like sure I could go back to that. Just like you would go back to being a barista, right. Okay. I really love that. Okay, do you want my third step? Yeah. brand this is a brand new thing. thing, I would build immediate confidence by having a complete understanding of how the process works. I did not do this the first time around. In fact, most of mine are I did wrong. This is really ironic. You are like the the 30, under 30, top producer. And then here I am a little just putting along like I did it all wrong. I did it all wrong the first time. Okay, but I would build competence by having the systems in place on how do you work with a buyer and a seller? Not fancy fluffy, shiny, extra stuff, fancy marketing? No, no? How do I show up to a showing and a listing appointment and perform the job that I have been given? It took me I’m embarrassed to say nearly probably five plus years to truly put in place a system where I knew this is how I do it. This is how I do it every time this is what I take with me, this is what I show up with. This is what I provide to clients and let’s not even get into an email template. Because I didn’t get into that until probably 10 plus years.

16:13
That’s that was something newer to me. And I remember always being turned off by the word like scripts, like what? Scripts, right? And I was like, I don’t want to talk about scripts. I don’t want to do scripts. And Connie was the one that was like, you have scripts, right? What is the thing that you say? Every single time like she’s the one that pointed it out to me? And I was like, what do you do? I do like you when you start doing that a transaction? You get a few under your belt, you realize, yeah, a transaction is a transaction and you have to check the same things. And while the houses and the people are different the process Yes, same. So I realized that I had them I just wasn’t utilizing them efficiently, like a form of a template where things were consistent. Right. On that note, though, I had written that I wish I wouldn’t have faked it so much like my first year or two. Oh, that’s a great tip. Like they

17:12
say fake it till you make don’t do that. Don’t do that.

17:15
I became more successful once I started embracing the fact that I was new.

17:22
Okay. And my main note at the bottom was I wouldn’t take myself so seriously. Yes. Like, it’s not that serious. I did not need to be wearing suits. No, I did not did not need to be a real human who you actually are is going to make you feel comfortable. And then the people around you will feel comfortable and confident in your services. So that’s a great, great piece of advice.

17:46
I think that too much like, John, once I realized how my successful open house was the day I was late. Yeah, I share that story in the open house episode. I was like, Oh, wow, people prefer it when I am just dressed as myself holding your coffee holding my coffee. And, you know, having a just normal conversation. Yeah, not trying to be so. Hi. Welcome to the open house. Do you have an agent, please sign in here. Sign in. Here’s my sign in sheet. Right. You know, no, no, it wasn’t working?

18:18
No, it really is not. It doesn’t work. Okay, so building that competence by having some systems in place. I would like to say right here. If I were lucky enough to have had the hustle podcast, I would have definitely been binging that. There were not podcasts when I started. No, that was free education. Sure, I could go the board. I could listen to like a webinar maybe or, you know, it was a different time. I don’t Pinterest didn’t exist. I mean, you could Google some stuff. But like, if I went back and started again, today, in today’s day and age, it will be different, right? Like, there. We have lots of listeners who are just starting and they’re like, they’re like, Well, I’m on podcasts. I’ll go listen to this podcast.

19:06
I left most of the education or like motivation, things that I went into feeling very defeated. Yeah, yeah. And so I do think that’s a big reason why the podcast was born. Because I quickly realized that this is what I needed. When I was new. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Because I was being told to do all these things that sucked the life out. You don’t want to do and you’re not good at I wasn’t good at it. I left feeling more like a failure. And really just hating on myself for not being more aggressive, really, or doing what I thought I should be doing. And so I do think that’s a big reason why the podcast was born because I just needed permission to be able to work in a way that was productive yet true to myself. Right?

20:00
Hey Alyssa. Hey Katie, what do we mention almost every episode, email template, you’re right, we sure do. And after every time we mentioned an email template, do you know what we get emails asking if they can have copies of the email template, send me a copy of that template. I would like that. That sounds great. And you know what the good news is, you can get all of our email templates from our course, email templates, one on one, tell the people about it,

20:27
our course has all of the email templates you would need to send to your buyers and your sellers and your clients that are buying and selling at the same time. Exactly. To get through every step of the transaction and giving them information that they need for where they are in the transaction. It’s great, because you never forget to tell them something. Yeah. So we’ve already done all the work for you. Yeah, we wrote them, and you can personalize them. Yes. And just feel organized, knowing that you have all the information where it needs to be.

20:55
And if you purchase email templates, 101, you do get lifetime access. So occasionally, we like to go in and make updates based on the market or if we find a new best practice. So we put that right into the template and you get that updated straightaway. It just

21:09
goes straight to your core. Yes.

21:12
It’s already there. It’s just already in there. You don’t have to worry about it. Email will say updated. That’s great. Where can they find these email templates? You can find the email templates at email templates with an S one Oh, one.com email templates. One? Oh, one.com. Yes. Head over for reviews and all of the specifics. Wonderful. Okay, enjoy. I have a question for you on my number three, building your systems and competence. How did you know what to do on appointments? How did you Alyssa learn the first time around? Are we getting a check in this box? Or is there something you would change?

21:49
So I had in my office, Tim D’Angelo, sweet, sweet Tim. And before like my first listing appointment, I would go and say, Okay, I have my first listing appointment. I know, I’ve taken the listing agreement class, but what do I actually say at the table? You know, my, one of my first purchase agreements I ever wrote was on Tim’s listing, thank God I wrote. I wrote, sell, okay, I made two mistakes. I wrote seller to pay all of buyers closing costs. No. And he was like, hey, it has to be a number. Right? Right. This because infinite, right, every every lender is different with every loan program. We don’t know what their closing costs are. I was like, Oh, that makes sense. And my buyer signed in the seller spot because I just placed the little yellow stickies in the wrong place. hand sign? No, it wasn’t documented on the DocuSign. So I was like, okay, don’t submit it. Let me let me rewrite this real quick. But there were people in my office that I could go sit down with Connie was a huge help. We had classes where, but if it was a brand new situation that I was prepping for, I just would go and ask and a new Yeah, till now, I wish as far as systems go, that kind of like you said, I wish that I had realized I had them sooner. Yeah. So that I wasn’t working so dang hard. Yeah. And I wish that I would have been more consistent and just kind of expedited the pain process.

23:24
Right? I feel like I learned everything by trial and error. Yeah, even though I was taking every class I could or you know, asking my broker, it still feels very isolating, and trial and error in the beginning. And I think if I went back now, I don’t know if there just are more resources or if we have literally created the resources that we wanted, but I would take an agent systems and be like,

23:47
Okey dokey. Yeah, like, here we go. Here we go. Let’s do this.

23:50
When I think about being brand new, and if someone had handed me in a little bow, what I am now handing agents, I would have been like, wait, what? This is it? And I’d be like, This is it. I can do this. I can do this. That’s the difference when you’re trying to piece it all together. It’s like guys so much. I don’t know if I can do this. Right. But when you strip it all down to what you actually have to do to be good, simple, super simple. I did not realize

24:17
that in the chaos of trying everything. No, no. And I think that that I kind of struggled at first with making notes for this episode. Because I thought I can’t say that if I knew what I know now. Right? Right. Right, right. Like it took me going through all of that pain.

24:39
Yeah, but Alyssa, let’s do it this way. Imagine someone gave you our set of email templates when you were brand new. Yeah, thank you. But just think about all the situations that we’re building on from our experience to create this this template, which is what we were using in our current 10 years plus deep businesses because we knew Do all of these things about all of these trial and error transactions we’ve been through and then someone could have just handed it to you on day one. Yeah, you would literally not have to have learned the hard way on some of those things. Right? Yeah. Like I wouldn’t have had to learn the hard way that the seller has to be reminded over and over again, in a vacant house, don’t turn off the utilities, right? Or else we’re not going to get to closing on time, like you’ve got to leave them on. But I wouldn’t have known that. But if I had bought the templates, and I was like,

25:27
Oh, I never thought about that. Oh, like, you could

25:31
have learned the transaction just by reading those. You’re right. You know, how many new agents have bought the templates and said to us, these have made everything makes so much more sense to me. It’s made so much easier, like, I’m not afraid on missing stuff. That’s how I live.

25:46
That’s the point. What am I missing? What am I missing? When you’re

25:49
brand new, you live in constant fear that you’re forgetting something there, you’re going to be sued, and you’re gonna do something wrong, right? But if someone had told you, here you go, here are the things you need. You don’t have to worry if you do these things, you’re going to be okay, for the most part. Sure. Okay, cool. Yeah, then you’d have time to go build that database, right? To go meet people and not be nervous and worried,

26:14
like the thought of moving away to my beach house and starting my new career as a barista. Knowing that I have Trello, and my email templates would make life a lot easier.

26:27
That fully transfers, right. So like it, that’s the other. That’s the other thing. If I was starting all over again, in a new place, I’m gonna go with my buyer, my seller folder, it almost barely changes at all right? It’s still me providing the services, I’m going to do better at picking your broker, I’m going to have my email templates. Now, it’s really only finding people, right, the only part you need is to find people. Oh, she’s got a thought. So that brings me to number four on my list of seven things I would do to do it all over again. I would build and use my database earlier and more effectively, right? Yeah. So if I was in a brand new place, though, this is gonna require some strategies. Yeah. Like you said, I would want to meet people. And this is where it comes in to my longer runway and my extra monies to do things. Well, I want to go the exercise class, dollars dollars, I need to pay right to meet people an exercise class, I want to go to a new hairstylist, I want to go regularly every six weeks, so I can meet them and get ingrained with them. And they can maybe buy a house for me or tell the other clients. If your hairstylist in your new location already has a realtor they refer quit and move on to another house. Yeah, this is where we get to meet people who know people, right? But that takes money, right? So I want to go regularly, every six weeks, I want to go to the dentist and the massage therapist. Basically, your self care should be so onpoint in your new location, because that’s how you’re meeting people in the community. Yeah, right. For sure. Like go out and do the things I sell houses to all mine. Right? So you got to go find these people that you’re going to see on a regular basis, but you’re going to have to have the cash to do that. Right? Am I going to go get a facial every six weeks? If I’m struggling with money, no, right? But if I want to go find one more person that could be a client and maybe it’s the person who does the facial gotta have money for that. And then

28:21
a few episodes from now, when we talk about the side hustle that pertains to real estate. You know, starting in a brand new city as a realtor working in a real estate office learning the admin side of that office, as you’re also an agent, you know, we have a new agent that worked at the front desk for about three months while they were just getting used to it and coming in one of our top producing agents in my office, her husband got transferred. And she was like, I we know, we’re probably only going to be here for a few years. But we plan to come back. So she didn’t necessarily want to try to start from scratch to build a book of business. Yeah. So she went and worked for a builder for those years stata that’s real estate related. She felt comfortable and knowledgeable there. And then they came back and she just had to reach out to her contacts and say I’m back and now she’s back in business doing better than ever love that. Yeah. Okay.

29:18
I love that.

29:19
It was nice seeing it happen to someone I know. And seeing that it worked out. Right.

29:24
Okay. I love that. What else would you do to build your database? That’s the one we’re on, I think is the most important one in a new location that people need some ideas for. Hmm, what else would would you you’re going to be a barista.

29:37
I’m going to be a barista.

29:38
But what happened? What else happens?

29:39
I’m going to be very involved in the kids school with me, dad. I had that one on my list. Got to meet the parents. I actually have a deal right now with one of Haven’s little friend’s parents. But did you meet them at school? Yeah, love that. Yeah, it’s been really fun. And so I think that it’s going to be about my time is limited so I need to double up these things. Yeah, I need to be involved in the school. So while I am there am I being intentional about the relationships I’m forming? Like Connie always says if you go to the lunch and you sit in the back and you talk to no one, you may as well not have gone, right? It doesn’t it’s not about, it’s not about attending. It’s about being intentional while you are there. So making sure that you know, your email signature is ready to go. So when you email the PTA, they’re like, oh, Alyssa Jenkins is the realtor. You just breezed

30:31
over a really good one. What is your email signature? Say? Like, make it look good. Then join the PTA or the volunteer group or though whatever. And then it’s there. Be the secretary. Yeah, I’m here. Be the room. Mom, here I am with my email signature every time you get an email from me,

30:53
I’d probably also go back to like open houses. Yeah. While and that’s also good to just learn neighborhoods to subdivision. Do you think

31:01
you would be more or less geographically intentional?

31:06
Definitely. That is something I would change my at first. And I eventually did tweak that. When I first started doing open houses for other agents as a new agent. I was just kind of wherever Yeah. Then I realized, okay, I need to this is my area that I like, and then I started seeing repeat visitors. Right, you know, so it’s, it’s just kind of a I realized that that was important.

31:29
Yeah. I think that maybe the overall kind of theme of this would be you need to be a regular and and be out in the community. Yeah. So you need to be regular in your home open houses, you’re always in this area is just the same as you need to be a regular at the local coffee shop. You need to be a regular at a couple of restaurants nearby, like picking, pick a location and be like, be everywhere.

31:53
It’s kind of like when you’re new to an area you really need to embrace local, for sure, fine. Oh, my golly, so much. Yes, embrace it and really,

32:03
like go up to the owner at the boutique and be like, I’m new here. Like, what are the good restaurants around? Like? What’s a good place to work out? Like what you know, they’re gonna love people love helping people when they’re new to an area. Yeah, picture yourself as a kid. How did you like it when a new student came to class? Like New in the middle of the year? Oh, hey, friends, we have a new student. Did you have a feeling about this? Sure. Like, great. No, this is me. This is my feeling. Oh my god, I’m so excited. I’m going to tell them everything. I want to make best friends with them. Like, I’m like new blood. Like, I’m so excited to talk to the new friend. Yeah. But trust me, the like, owners of these small businesses where you have gone or sometimes treated by the locals as just like, you know, I already know too many people I’m worried about eating. Like they’re in their in their establishment, whatever. Maybe it’s the pizza parlor owner or whatever. And they’re just like, so excited to have business and they’re bored. And they’re like you come in are like, tell me about the local parks. Where should I go play? Yeah, my kids. Great. I think you’d be super like to help. They really do. They really do. Okay, when are you done with database? You feel like? Yeah, I think so. Alright, first and fourth. Number five, do you want to guess my number five, I feel like you’re going to know this one. The number five thing that I would do now that I have these things in place. If I had to do it all over again, that I didn’t do when I started because mine are all where I failed. Okay, I would get my butt on social media immediately. sooner. Day one.

33:46
Yeah, same

33:47
day one. Day one I would have whatever ones I’m going to be on. I don’t care, tick tock LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, I don’t care Pick, pick at least two. And I would have been like, this is my strategy. And I’m gonna stick to it. And I’m gonna go follow every local business and I’m gonna go talk to them. And I’m gonna go make comments. And even if I was scared to death, that I didn’t know what I was talking about in real estate, I would be building solid relationships with people in the community. Yeah, whether I was brand new or in a new place. Sure. And it would be. I mean, like, you could do this in your pajamas. While you’re unpacking your house and your new beach house. Yeah. Like these. Following

34:31
all the local accounts and commenting and right, every time you meet someone at school, you add them on your social media.

34:38
Yep, I would have a strategy and I would, I would work it and I would be like, you know, consistent about that. It would be I can’t even imagine like part that’s the part of me that wants to move and be like, let’s try this again. Yeah. Because I mean, I feels like it’s not that hard. I know it feels It’s not that hard paired now. Right? Okay, number six on the if I had to do it all over again list is I would be better at email marketing. Okay, email marketing. So as I’m building this database, I would be better at, you know, being a local events expert or sending some kind of good newsletter that they wanted to read. Or maybe I would keep asking them in the newsletter. Hey, still new here, like what do you like about like, where do you go for this? Or where do you go for that? Or right, who’s the best bakery or like, I’m trying out these things as a newbie, follow along. Why couldn’t you do that? So people try to pretend like they’re,

35:44
you know that bacon is bacon. in it.

35:46
I’m like, why wouldn’t I just be like, hey, email, friends. There’s we’re up to six of you. Yeah. And I’m trying out this bakery as a newbie to town. I don’t know if you any of you. Tell me what what you like there. I’ll tell you what I like next month, or next week, or however long I want to do this. Can you imagine? Be great. It just, it feels like it’d be fun. Yeah, well, you’re doing it now. I know. I’m doing it now. I’m doing it now. And it is fun. It is fun. That’s my point. Yeah, the point. Okay, I have one final number seven. Okay. Give it time, I would give myself more time to understand that your business isn’t going to take off right away. I mean, obviously, I got my six months of runway. That’s important. But I would also just remind myself that consistency is key. Like you have to have a strategy and you have to work it for an amount of time, right? I can’t just say, Oh, well, the bakery owner didn’t talk back to me. I’ll never gonna message them again. Sure, Leila. You gotta keep keep at it. Keep showing up. Keep buying more cupcakes. Boy, I probably buy a lot of cupcakes. Yeah, I mean, but you got to keep at it. So I think I would be better at just giving it some time and not jumping from one thing to the next.

37:08
There’s no way for me to have known this then. But there were some I was I kind of had the opposite problem. Okay, where I if someone said to try this, you did. I did. And maybe even too long. Oh, like how I call it 100. For sale by owners. I feel like by 40 You could have Yeah, you couldn’t get could have cut that figured out that you did it. Right. And it wasn’t working. But then I was very much sucked into that message that you had to be uncomfortable, right? So I thought, Well, I’m very uncomfortable. So I guess I’m doing something right, even though I never saw $1 from calling 100 For sale by owners. Right. And I should have called that sooner and done something better with my time. But I was committed to really giving it a go.

37:54
He knew that just made me think of something. I tried. I tried. What if you went and toured all the for sale by owners not as a tactic, but because you’re getting familiar with the area and just go in and be like, Hey, I’m brand new to the area. I’m a brand new agent, and I just wanted to see some houses locally. Your house was available and I’d love to take a look. Sure. They might be like, Hmm, interesting. She’s working in a nice person. Maybe I need you to help me. Yeah. Okay. Any other? Yep, I know. Tell me.

38:27
Okay. So, you know, you’re very buyer heavy when you’re new. Yeah, I was looking back, you know, at some old emails. Now back then, when inventory was an abundance. And I could I would show like 15 houses a day. I can’t even imagine why did I do that? I did it too. Why did we build

38:48
that there are listeners right now who have never shown more than 234 houses in an outing? I did. 15 on the regular me to

39:00
like Saturday was like, if it was in your price range we saw it is a marathon. I was not at that time good at giving guidance. Uh huh. I wasn’t checking property disclosures. So then if you fast for so I was looking through some, like sent emails, you know, they they’re, they’re there. So it would be like I was year two and yeah, okay, were confirmed to see all 15 houses from your list. Then, like 678 months later, a year later, I have a list of 15 houses and I had them color coded into we’re not doing this green, orange and red. Red was like, Look, I checked the property disclosure. It’s a no because of this reason, or this one is now pending. It’s a no. Orange was like yeah, I think it could be a good option. But you said you wanted to garage right? And none of the ones in orange have a garage. And then green was like, Hey, this is in your price range, and it checks all your boxes. Let’s go Let’s go see these three. But back in the beginning, I just wasn’t. I didn’t feel maybe confident enough to give guidance. Like I was kind of just being a door opener. Yeah. And so I would have, I should have at least Checked property disclosures before showings. Yeah, yeah, showed on that. showed it on that. So I would go back and do that differently, I would have given more guidance and said, and felt the confidence to say, you said you had to have a garage, right? That it was a non negotiable. So we do not need to go see this house.

40:33
Some of those competence, things will build over time, but hopefully it builds faster if you’re using the process. Alright, what else?

40:40
That was my last thing really?

40:42
Okay. I did bring some visual aids for all the people out there who are just so worried taking themselves seriously and trying to fake it till they make it. Now, let’s go back way back in time, to 2005 When I started, I have kept all of my business cards. I have shared them on social media before and many of them are fully embarrassing. And I just want everyone to know that you can change. Yeah, you know what, let’s let’s start with the with the good side for YouTube. I’ll have to post them because they’re so little. But these are my new beautiful cards that I’ve been proud of for the last several years. I mean, at least the last five years. I’m I love this picture of you. Thank you. I love that card. I feel like this is the agent I would go to get a beer with Yeah, like, Hey, that sounds fun. Right? The the old ones though, man. They’re, they’re they’re something they are truly something like it is disturbing Jay and I for one hot minute. We’re on a team together, I believe and one side of the car. It was like good and evil though. One side of the card was white and his side of the card was black background. And they’re awful. They’re awful. So many of them are awful. I’ll share them on the social medias. But my point is, just don’t take it so seriously. Yeah, it’s whatever you do now it’s gonna be leaps and bounds ahead of what I did then. So here’s some more super embarrassing things. I brought some of my first mailers where I’m like to my database, this is hideous, who does who bad who who does this?

42:21
No, look on stick figure snow me

42:24
on how on Halloween, I sent a maze. But look at that, like I do amaze. I mean, if you want to, it’s so embarrassing. Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be a scary experience. Right? Let me help you get through your real estate maze. So clever. Fine, but I mean, I put that in the mail. Like as a postcard. This is embarrassing. It’s pretty embarrassing. I’m not going to keep going. But I will tell you I tried lots of you have a whole stack of things. They’re unpleasant. They’re really, truly unpleasant. And here’s my original announcement from my first office, and this is how basic and ugly and boring it was. There’s not even a picture of you. Well, I put a little business card in the bottom. But I mean, so generic. It’s no personality, no personality, horrible. If I had to do it all over again. I would just be like, here’s my career.

43:17
Are you happy with it at that time?

43:20
I don’t think I was No, no, I think I was like, This is what they said to do. Right? I’m doing it. So I’ll do it. And at the end of the day, I was like, I just got to do what I gotta do. But the truth of the matter was, I wasn’t like proud. I didn’t go well look at these hideous mailers. I’m so excited about them. I’m like, now I think there was no Canva y’all there was you have so many tools at your disposal that is that are free. Everything should be pretty now. Me It’s not hard to make things pretty. It’s just not like when I started it was like, like using a Word doc or something. Yeah.

43:57
I love how different our journeys have been.

43:59
I feel very different. Very different. I want you to tell also quickly. The other day we were talking about this and I didn’t even really think about it or realize it you know, you’re Alyssa started when she was very young. How old are you? 22 Yeah, okay, very young. Alyssa mate 30, under 30. And we were talking I was like, Do you realize how amazing that is? And all of the realtors and all of the land. You were in the top 30 under 30 in a magazine article. And she’s just like, Yeah, but I mean, there weren’t that many.

44:30
Like when I was a young realtor. There wasn’t a lot of young people in the biz right now. There is so many young people in the business.

44:40
Hi Dee. I would love to know the stats on if it’s truly so many more now or if you just you can

44:47
see it you I mean people are getting out of high school and getting their real estate license good, right. Oh, man, I know they are. There are way more young people and

44:55
I should add that to if I had to do it all over again. I wouldn’t go to college. I go to real estate school. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, you You went all the way through your MBA

45:05
I did, but that’s where a lot of my clients, then that’s fine. You know what I mean? Right. I would never take it away. I had the best time and we did still be in college. Great. Right? Um, but yeah, I just, I think because of social media, like when you when you started, it wasn’t really there. When I started. It was like, newer. Yeah. And now it’s, it’s like, if you can be a tick tock star, you can be a realtor. Yeah. It’s how it’s portrayed. And so I think the buzz of social media is why now we have so many younger agents, because it’s just very, it’s pretty, it looks fun. It’s in your face. And so it’s very easy to get your license. Yes.

45:42
But the end of the story for me, that was such an aha was you were like, Yeah, but you got 30. Under 30. In your sixth year in the business, right weren’t new. You were just literally a younger age. Yes. Like, you weren’t brand new. And you were recognized by, like, the realtor magazine? Correct. You had been doing it for six year I’m

46:06
constantly even today telling people I am in year 12. Right. Do not compare your year two, right? You can’t do all those things. No. In year two, I was not No. Or in year two.

46:19
No, no, no, no. That made me think of something. One last thing. If I was picking up and moving to the beach house and starting again, I also don’t think you can be too good to go help a producing agent. They’re no Hey, can I do your open houses? Yeah. Can I tag along with you to a closing like there are differences in different places? Like you can’t be too good to train? No, or you know, like, and I think that maybe sometimes we get in even we see new agents who come in a little bit. feeling like they’re entitled to their friends business are entitled to their family’s business or their you are entitled to nothing. No, never, like even even if I had 17 years of experience, and I went to a brand new location. I’m not entitled to any business. Yeah, you have to work for it. Right? You have to learn and prove that you’re going to do a good job. Right? Okay. I don’t have anything else. Okay. Oh, I do have one more thing. Just kidding. Haha. But yes, we have resources. No, this was not an episode to promote our resources. However, if you were starting over again, and I’ve had a lot of people ask this question, we now have the database course and email templates. You do not need to start with email templates. If you have no clients, right? You need to start with a database course to get clients to have that set up. Then you need email templates. You know, you don’t, you don’t want to put the cart before the horse. Right. Right. Who am I going to communicate with now? Reading the email templates probably is a good lesson in transactions. Yeah, but not necessary at the beginning databases necessary database necessary. If you need the house, then you could do agent systems. That’s unnecessary. Templates are going to come after that. Right. Do you have to have a client? Yes. Okay. That’s all great. I swear. That’s all.

48:09
How do they get the database course?

48:11
The database course.com Or they can go to hustle humbly. podcast.com great. They’re all there. Everything’s. They’re all on hustle humbly. podcast.com Okay, easy peasy. Okay, today’s toast comes to us from Stephanie wit. She is toasting to Bethany Finn Coteaux. Okay, I’m making my best effort there. Okay, so Stephanie says that Bethany is my team leader and has helped me so much. In just the eight months in business. I went she says, I just got in the business eight months ago. And when I did, I was totally lost. I was trying a little bit of everything and giving up like, God, how do these always work out? So for this episode, I spent a ton of money when I was not making any she has completely changed all of that for me. Oh my god. So cracked the knee for he cheers to you. You were helping Stephanie. get through this. What do you do when you start?

49:09
Yeah, don’t spend money

49:11
and don’t give up on thing, right. Oh my gosh. Thank you, Stephanie. So much for the perfect toast. Below that. Okay. Goodbye, everyone. Bye. Thank you so much for tuning in to the hustle humbly podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please go to rate this podcast.com/hustle humbly and leave us a review or drop a comment if you’re listening on Spotify. If

49:32
you have an episode topic or someone you’d like to toast on the show, please email us at team at hustle humbly podcast.com

49:39
Find us on social media at hustle humbly podcast. Don’t forget to find all of the free resources at hustle humbly podcast.com/resources See you next week. This is goodbye