Lab Coat Agents Podcast

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer talks to Dan Corkill, founder of Follow Up Boss, one of the biggest and best CRMs in the market; It is a self-funded, profitable company launched in April of 2011. The company is fully remote with a primarily US-based team. You don’t want to miss out on learning the best practices in CRM! Episode Highlights:  Dan shares his life journey and talks about what led him to launch his venture – Follow Up Boss. Initially, when Dan launched Follow Up Boss, they spent the first 6 months building the software’s foundation.  Many people are paying for CRM tools but not utilizing it to their full potential. Follow Up Boss leverages things for realtors. The platform is not just meant for scaling business but also to deliver a first-class client experience.  Why does someone need a CRM? How often do customers use the same agent on their next transaction? You want to build relationships with people as a real estate agent and continually evaluate how to reach more people with those relationships. “With very little money, you can create a database, build relations, use email marketing, create videos, and much more,” says Dan. Jeff talks about a game-changer quote, “Own Attention and Own The Market.” “50% of the sales go to the first person who contacts them” says Jeff. An agent who makes at least 6 follow-ups increases their chances to close the deal to >90%+. This is not possible without a proper system or process in place. Jeff reads two more stats, “91% of clients say they would give a referral, but only 11% of real-estate agents ask for a referral.” “Each year, real-estate agents lose 14% of their customers.”   The features of Follow Up Boss are effective and easy to use. Dan explains what data is required to start the process. What does it mean to bring value to your customer and keep the focus on service to them? Jeff recommends realtors to “Put yourself in the shoes of your buyers over the years, and create videos addressing the FAQs.” The Follow Up Boss CRM can generate leads from anywhere and the company has a dedicated team that helps users to set up. Follow Up Boss has an app for both android and iPhone users.  Dan shares a wonderful piece of advice with listeners about how to best generate leads and reach out to maximum people.    3 Key Points: Dan guides listeners about how to use technology to their advantage. Dan reveals the 3 biggest reasons why a person needs CRM (Customer Relationship Management). Jeff curiously asks Dan, “What makes Follow Up Boss unique?”;“Why are the big boys using it?” Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram  Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Dan Corkill   dan@followupboss.com |  LinkedIn Follow Up Boss  Street Text (Sponsor)

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer talks to Justin Stoddart, host of the Think Bigger Real Estate Show, in which he interviews top business minds in real estate. Justin is the author of The Upstream Model, an international best seller. One of his favorite things to talk about is building a referral business that crushes big tech competitors. You need to hear his insights!   Episode Highlights:  Justin talks about his career journey and personal background. He was raised by entrepreneur parents who introduced him to the world of real estate. After a few initial struggles, Justin realized that he had to be strategic about his business. What does upstream mean in business terminology? Justin targeted those professionals in the marketplace who were dealing with his future clients.  How would you coach someone to approach financial buyers?  Justin explains the difference between financial advisors and real-estate agents.  It is best if you get referred by someone. “All of us are being pressed by big tech platforms; We all need to raise our value proposition,'' says Justin. Justin talks about the white-collar crowd, the financial professionals, and lenders.  When house hunting, people should think about financing first. Justin says this often does not happen. In all professions, everybody covers the WHAT, but you should really think about the WHY behind it. Make a list of all the people that you can coach and make a list of people with whom you can go to coffee or lunch with, this will help you to analyze how big your referral channel is.  Justin recommends adding layers to a business so that it adds value to the customers. How do you get customers to see a difference in you? The Think Bigger Real Estate Show started as part of his value proposition in real-estate. Justin realized that if he can have a conversation with bigger thinkers than him, he can grow as a person.  “You are the sum average of 5 people whom you spend time with”, Justin recalls a famous quote. Be dynamic, don’t be a fixed product, advises Justin. “If you have the hunger, go find the right resources,” suggests Justin. Justin advises listeners to find the people who motivate them. 3 Key Points: What does upstream mean in business terminology? Justin built relations with professionals like architects, interior designers, land developers, real-estate agents who were in relation with his future potential clients. What is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when they approach somebody who has the potential to give good referrals? Why do big tech companies win? It is because they are more convenient, and they reduce complexities. Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram  Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Justin Stoddart  | Website | Free Training | Facebook | Podcast | Instagram (DM  ebook) | The Upstream Model | Free book  Follow Up Boss (Sponsor)

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, Jeff Pfitzer talks to Michael Reddington - President at InQuasive. He has a background in forensics interrogation. Michael works with people to help them become better listeners, interviewers, and more persuasive.  Episode Highlights:  Michael shares how his life has been a series of accidental job acceptances. He discusses his past success in interviews and interrogation and what motivated him to continue in the field.   He really wanted to understand what it takes to sit down with a complete stranger with completely opposing interests, goals, fears, and motivation and persuade them to share most of the truth in a very stressful situation.  Decades of experience with the world’s leading Non-confrontational Interview and Interrogations Training organization made Michael realize that the very best leaders and interrogators capitalize on the same two core skills – Vision and Influence.  Currently, Michael spends most of his time working with executive and business professionals teaching them “How to apply strategic, ethical, observation and persuasion techniques with discipline listening methods.” Jeff is fascinated and is curious to know about some fun experiences encountered by Michael. Several years ago, Michael received a phone call from a Fortune 500 national company where the President of Consumer Marketing was retiring.  The Fortune 500 company wanted Michael to interrogate their Director based on a fraud rumor. If the rumor turned out to be true, then the company would fire the Director otherwise, give him the VP post.  Using good techniques, taking a report-based approach, Michael interrogated the Director. Ultimately, Michael compelled the Director to confess the frauds.  Michael points out the importance of thinking during any conversation or engagement “How will this one conversation take me closer to my goals?” People have far more motivation to project their own interest than work with us unless there is already a strong relationship, says Michael. People in any type of position or authority or expertise can get really tempted to chase the conversation down, says Michael. Michael shares details about the research that came out in mid-2000 on the topic of “Judging somebody’s trustworthiness, just by looking at somebody’s face.”  Jeff and Michael talk about the psychological tweaks one can make during important conversations. In a home-buying scenario, agents can encounter couples with two different mindsets, depending on where they are and how they feel. Michael talks about opting for a value-based approach for communicating with people.  Michael shares few tips about “How to start a great conversation?” “Our brains are wired to listen for information that confirms what we already believe,'' says Michael. Jeff goes deep into a specific scenario and asks Michael about those agents who want to improve their game. “Focus on the process, and the result takes care of itself”, says Michael. 3 Key Points: Michael talks about his journey, the ups and downs, and how he finally got the Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI) designation. The certification helped him get recruited by the world’s leading Non-Confrontational Interview and Interrogations Training organization.  How can you  create the best possible reputation by building positive client relations?  Michael talks about the 7 automated ways of persuasion.  Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram  Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Michael Reddington   | LinkedIn | Website  Books:  Influence, New and Expanded, The Psychology of Persuasion | Pre-suasion: Channeling Attention for Change  | Insight Selling  Chime (Sponsor)

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer talks to Josh Kalinowski – an ex-professional athlete, he has created a very successful career in real estate and recently wrote a book called “Strike 3”.  Tune in to hear his great story! Episode Highlights:  Josh talks about his clarity of vision and the ups and downs of his career journey. He retired from sports at the age of 26. In 2006, Josh got his realtor license.  Luckily for Josh, his father was a builder. So, all Josh had to do was post sign boards outside houses that his father had built. The book, Strike 3, talks about what Josh has discovered within himself in order to find a greater purpose in life. The last few years, Josh has started to invest in himself and opportunities have come knocking at his door.  How do you build a name for yourself in the real estate industry? In 2008, Josh and his wife had to depend on the tax return money to manage their monthly expenditures; He lost 17 deals that year. Josh decided to stay committed towards his goal until the burn-out. He was working 7-days a week. His family was very supportive.  By 2012, Josh was successfully running his company; they had hired 15 agents.  From 2012 to 2015, Josh’s company went from 12-25 agents, and from 2015 to 2019, they went from 25 agents to 65 agents. At present, they are sitting with 76 agents and 2 offices.  One of the biggest challenges Josh sees with people is they are not willing to submit to authority. The fruits (success) that you are seeing in life- are they the right fruits? Are they growing you? Are they helping you? Josh tells the listeners how the foundations crack if there is no faith.  Faith, Family, Fitness, Finance, and Future are all super important and tied to each other; Your coach should be helping you in each of these areas. Jeff asks, “In this deluded world of coaches, how do you suggest somebody find the right coach?” Josh stresses the importance of hiring the right coach by asking them the right questions. He also shares a couple of real-life lessons and educates the listeners about “How to be better in your business.” “When it comes to average – it is best of the worst or worst of the best,” quotes Josh. Josh talks about the disruptions that are tearing industries apart and tells the listeners the reason why they should go and buy his book – Strike3.  3 Key Points: Josh talks about the downfall in his career and how he rose to his career success. Jeff discusses the key takeaways from Josh’s success. “There is no magic pill that is going to lift you up in the real estate industry; it is all hard work”, says Jeff. Jeff and Josh discuss the benefits of hiring a coach in the real estate industry.   Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram  Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Josh Kalinowski | Website | Facebook | Strike 3 | LinkedIn  Free Book from Josh It Takes What It Takes by Trevor Moawad Red X (Sponsor) Street Text (Sponsor)

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer talks to Jason Martin – a real-estate leader in the DMV market. Jason has recently released a book titled “This is your captain speaking.” Today’s episode is special because Jeff and Jason are not going to talk about business; instead, they are going to talk about life lessons. Episode Highlights:  After completing college, Jason was a sports anchor for a few years and then he got into real estate in 2003. He runs a team in Washington D.C. It’s always fine to talk about the numbers but there is more to the story that you can’t forget. On a daily basis, Jason focuses on being the best version of himself, as a father, husband, and business leader. Those close to him reap the benefit of his best behavior.  In your professional world, when do you think you are operating at a peak performance?  Jeff shares that he is in his prime when he gets the opportunity to talk about his passions, usually it involves coaching or helping someone. Passion is what excites you and links you to success in business.  Jason looks at businesses as an opportunity to continuously learn something new, apply new skills, build relations, etc.  How can someone find their niche?  What about your business excites you? Jeff and Jason discuss how you can draw energy from the work that you do. Jeff discusses his career journey as well,  the challenges he has faced, and what he learned from his mistakes. Documenting your  thoughts can give you a clear picture of your life and business. Seek deeply to understand the “squeeze” of what a new opportunity is going to cost you and what it is worth to you. Jason stresses the importance of self-awareness. He asks listeners, “How can you be a better version of yourself?”. Mental and physical exercise brings balance to life and business. What practical strategies can you use? In his book, Jason talks about legacy and what one leaves behind. He also talks about work ethics that one should follow and how to open up to real conversations.  Adversity is an opportunity. Jason inspires listeners to challenge themselves and be passionate about life and success. 3 Key Points: Jeff and Jason talk about life and how different choices that you make  reflect on your business.  Jeff talks about his passion in the business realm and how it helps him to grow his business. Jason gives a teaser of his upcoming book, “This is your captain speaking.” It is packed with life lessons that are applicable to business. Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram  Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Follow Up Boss (Sponsor) JasonMartin  |Facebook | Today You Choose | jason@jasonmartingroup.com | Book  Street Text (Sponsor)

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer talks to Lyndsay Phillips. She is the founder and owner of a business called, Smooth Sailing Business Growth. She is a content marketing expert for real estate ambassadors. Tune in to hear about the powerful strategies you could implement to grow your business! Episode Highlights:   The real estate industry is expanding very fast; it has boomed over the past couple of years and now you have  to do things differently in order to differentiate yourself. Lyndsay started by helping those who were struggling with marketing to grow their authorities. Jeff inquires about Lyndsay’s work culture. He is also curious to know about her shift from VA to Content Marketing.   With the growth in competition, you do have to take steps to create more relationships. Lyndsay says all these things can be accomplished with social media and content marketing.  You have to stand out as serving and helping people, being the source of credibility and authority in a space so that people can trust you. Jeff stresses  the importance of using social media to its full advantage. Proper content marketing and branding efforts help any business owner to propel. Jeff explains how he has seen the fruits of his labor on the social media front.  Jeff and Lyndsay discuss how to consistently share content from their personal and professional lives on social media.  How do you convince realtors to share excerpts from their personal life on social media and how? When someone posts any incident from their personal life, people tend to resonate.  The 10 touch systems works; Lyndsay advises to pick out 10 ideal clients and find out more about them, especially their friend circle. You can also search for clients via hashtags. When you are talking to your real-estate investor, how do you quantify their avatar on social media? The point is you want to share your expertise whether through podcast, blog, vlogs or social, webinars or e-books; At the end of the day, you want to share your expertise. What ways can you share your knowledge to help others in an attractive way? When it comes to selecting the right platform to post content, you have to lean into your own strengths. How can podcasting help real-estate agents? Lyndsay explains how to launch, produce, promote, and leverage podcasts to help businesses gain more leads, increase visibility, boost authority, and grow. 3 Key Points: Lyndsay narrates her career journey and how she targeted clients who were real state ambassadors. Social media is for having conversations, building relationships, and generating sales. Lyndsay explains how to consistently use content marketing to grow your business. Jeff asks Lyndsay, “What advice would you give a realtor when they are struggling to even understand what it means to find an ideal audience?” Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram  Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Lyndsay Phillips  LinkedIn | Website Real Estate Investors Marketing Content Distribution Platform  Follow Up Boss (Sponsor) Chime (Sponsor)

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer talks to Aaron Norris, Vice President of market insights for a platform called PropertyRadar. He started flipping houses with his dad as a kid. Aaron is now an MLL specializing in hard money and a licensed real estate broker; He speaks publicly and writes nationally. Tune in to hear about his experiences, the value of data, and how to utilize it to grow your business! Episode Highlights:  At age 19, Aaron moved to New York City and was a professional actor. In between jobs there, he started into Wall Street doing acquisition and multiple financial presentations for a banking firm and enjoyed it.  Aaron is certified in PR and marketing. He went back to California and re-joined the family business. He was in the real estate community creating content for 15 years and then was living a dream doing the technology space. Aaron shares a chocolate and peanut butter analogy: Chocolate is what you bring to business. Peanut butter is the data. Combining them creates magic. Jeff says sales professionals are the most scroll-chasing individuals in the world who actually sit back and execute on strategies that involve data. What are strategies that real estate agents can utilize for data? PropertyRadar is a public record platform for people, mortgage, and property data all in one. As the real estate market is very high, agents have to create deals. You need a real estate investor in your back pocket. iBuyers are not buying hard properties, they are buying the easy ones, and they are competing with realtors.  iBuyers don’t want people’s problems and property problems, so as a real estate agent, you have to understand the game. Institutional investors raise a lot of money thinking that there is going to be distress or a huge wave of closure, but unfortunately, they are most likely going to be sorely disappointed. If you are not  in the builder space, it will be tough as property rates are going up. As long as prices stay inflated, it is always a good time to sell.  Number 211 is a nationwide network that helps the human services hotline. If you dial 211 and ask them for data and different resources for housing, rent utility, etc., you will get more than you ask for. Jeff inquires, “When it comes to acquiring data, how does that work for a real estate or mortgage professional?” There is a subscription-based model of PropertyRadar; Aaron explains how it works and why it is important.    3 Key Points: Aaron shares how he is helping and teaching real estate industries and market professionals how they can do better with data. Marketing means you are talking to the right audience at the right time on the right channel with the right message. Jeff is curious to know, “Where PropertyRadar pulls and estimates a value or equity?” Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram  Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Aaron Norris  | LinkedIn |  Website |  https://community.propertyradar.com/ | aaron@propertyradar.com Chime (sponsor) LinkU (Sponsor)

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer talks to Cindy Ertman, CEO, and founder of The Defining Difference, a success-based coaching, and training company. The company is devoted to helping people master the power of intentional choice to create a defining difference in their own lives.  Episode Highlights:  Cindy talks about her life journey. She started her career in college as a real estate agent.  She  shares that she has been working with real estate agents and bringing them success strategies to grow and build their business from marketing to team development. Jeff says coaching in today’s world has become extremely diluted, and in this digital world, everyone is a coach now. How can real estate professionals navigate  which platform or coach is best for them? Google the best coaches, look at their reviews and talk to people, scan testimonials about people's experience and how their lives have been changed. Hire the assistant or hire the next level that supports your business before you need it, and you grow into a very good place. If you are looking into someone’s business, look at the foundation. You have to make a strong foundation for your business to take your business to the next level of success. Cindy recommends a simple exercise - “Plus or Minus” things. It has changed many lives. Plus: the things that you love doing and minus: the things that don’t help you. You have people who are focused and love to do things, and on other hand there are people focused on what they hate doing. How do you focus on the things people love and get them to work on what they hate? Most successful people in real estate are those who can build a relationship. Jeff says that burnout sometimes happens due to too much work or tension with your families because you are perpetually accessible, or you just have rough deals. It is really important to put some boundaries around your business.  Background check candidates and know who has given the reference is the key while hiring a new team member. Jeff recommends establishing your own brand and how you want to be represented on your pages is absolutely critical. Is there any matrix in your income or your revenue that says, “Yes, I can afford this, or you should probably wait with hiring a new person? The matrix is not what the current data tells you, it’s what the future data tells you. Cindy says she loves her team so much that she is just playing and having more fun. She wants her team to come together and create a shared vision and all move towards that vision together. 3 Key Points: Jeff and Cindy talk about team development and how she lifts people to make them successful in their business and life. Cindy discusses how morning practices are a big part of our mental health and keep us in mindset. How do you coach your clients who think they can’t afford it? Cindy explains how she usually starts by walking through the process and identifies the gaps where they are losing people.  Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram  Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Cindy Ertman | Website | Facebook | Instagram | info@cindyertman.com Get your free download- 7 Instant Skills to Ignite Your Life, Business, and Income LinkU (Sponsor) RedX  (Sponsor)

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer talks to Jay Steinback and Amanda Alejandro, CEO and Founder of The Realty Shop in the St. Louis market. They have done some amazing things to grow and innovate. They launched both The Realty Shop and Realty Shots to fill the gaps in the traditional brokerage model. Tune in to hear their valuable insights! Episode Highlights:  Jay and Amanda share their stories and tell the listeners about their growth. The new service that they are launching is called Realty Ready. Amanda has been a licensed realtor since 2008, and she started the company in 2018. The business is Amanda’s full-time career, and she likes to create full-time opportunities for others.  Jeff reminds people, in 2008 – It was the year of the big stock market crash, and everyone was running away from the real estate industry. When everyone was jumping out of the real estate, Amanda decided to take the challenge and get her real estate license.  Jeff inquiries about commission and what’s best for the business?- “As an agent, when people are looking at where they need to go, what is the best suggestion you would give?”  Amanda says that 90% of the sales that come from their brokerage are provided by the company.  Jay reiterates that looking at the brand and determining how it is providing value to its consumer is very important. What are the 3 most important components that I should be looking for in interviewing brokerages? The majority of  brokers  that Jay and Amanda encounter are always missing communication. They are literally lost in transitions and most brokers don’t know how to generate the business. Work-life balance is important, and agents should really think about that. Jay shares his concern that, “There are amazing agents who get zero support from their brokerage firms.” Our client is the consumer, and with a technology-driven culture, agents have a fight to offer value to clients. Jay says that their conversion rate over Zillow is over 70%. Amanda and Jay talk about their excellent customer experience and the Alpha, Delta, and Omega systems. From the mindset of brokers who are trying to find their own systems, what are the objections? For every 4 agents they  speak to, they ask 1 to come on-board.  At Realty Shots, there is no lone wolf; they all are a team. Jay says, “We are all stronger together.” Amanda and Jay share where they are going next and what they potentially see coming.                              3 Key Points: Amanda took 15 years of her realtor experience, merged it with Jay’s corporate background, and they both achieved profitable business growth. Their office is accredited amongst the Top 50 offices in St Louis. Amanda has secured ranking as the Top No.5 agent in St Louis. Jeff asks, “I am a team leader or broker who wants to run a shop; how should I be prepared?” For the past 3 years Amanda and Jay have been watching where Zillow is going. They say that Zillow is focused on one thing – home buyer and seller. Amanda says Zillow is solving a problem giving the consumer what they want.  Resources Mentioned:  Lab Coat Agents  | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram | Jeff Pfitzer   | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter The Realty Shop | 314-372-0324 | Facebook Realty Shots Photography  Realty Ready RedX (sponsor) RedX Promo

Spotify and Facebook are now interacting in new ways that could directly impact how you reach your audience. Facebook is adding new features and exploring opportunities for content creators  to make money. Tristan Ahumada and Jeff Pfitzer have some interesting statistics and insights this week to help you think strategically about your social media marketing and advertising!  Episode Highlights: Spotify is a big deal. Tristan has been testing out ads on Spotify for his real estate business and will share results in the near future.  Spotify just became friends with Facebook. Now, Spotify music and podcasts will natively play in your Facebook app .  Keeping users on the platform is the main goal for social media companies. Jeff mentions for example, “If you put a YouTube link on Facebook, it will probably be suppressed because Facebook doesn’t want you to leave the platform.” Facebook is adding a feature for newsletters and starting with journalists who cover  minorities. They are hoping to open it up to create a more diverse news experience. Linkedin continues to see record engagement with overall sessions up 29%. YouTube just reported a 49% jump in ad revenue.That is 6 billion in revenue from quarter 1 of 2020 to 2021. The second most visited website is YouTube with 35 billion monthly visitors. YouTube users watch 1 billion hours of video per day compared to Netflix users who watch 400 million.  Tristan and Jeff discuss success on YouTube and what it takes to create a real presence and how to utilize playlists.  Twitter has a ‘super follower’ button coming out, which will be a paid feature with expanded access. Twitter has risen to 199 million daily active users and posts are up 28% year over year for the first quarter of 2021. Pinterest is in the news for ramping up of it’s search functionality. People are currently turning there to search for things like vacation destinations. Pinterest already has a massive loyal following, so make sure you keep your eye on what they are doing.  Resources Mentioned: Lab Coat Agents | Website | Facebook |Facebook Group| Twitter | Instagram  Drunk on Social | Drunk On Social  Jeff Pfitzer | Instagram | TikTok Tristan Ahumada  | Facebook | YouTube Mark Rober