GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset

Let’s jump in to this weeks episode of "GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset", where we explore the intricacies of team development and leadership in the complex world of real estate. Host, Brian Charlesworth, steers an insightful dialogue with the distinguished figures in the industry, Brett Jennings and Beth Lazar.   In an era where effective leadership sets the pace for success, understanding how to lead with vision and influence becomes paramount. Brett, with his profound expertise and experience, gives us an inside look into his leadership style. He stresses the importance of emotional intelligence in guiding a team and fostering growth. This is a must-listen for those looking to take their team management skills to the next level.   Beth Lazar emphasizes the critical role Sisu played in transforming Real Estate Exploits. Initially underutilized, Sisu eventually became a vital tool in improving visibility, scalability, repeatability, and communication within the organization. The platform was instrumental in streamlining operations across departments and aiding in task management, all of which significantly contributed to the company's growth and resilience.   The episode does not shy away from addressing the crucial aspect of risk-taking either. Brett Jennings delves into how he embraced calculated risk-taking to fuel his business growth. Beth Lazar supports this sentiment, emphasizing that understanding and accepting risks is intrinsic to business growth. This part of the discussion is sure to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs to step out of their comfort zones and seize opportunities with grit and resilience.   Finally, Charlesworth wraps up this compelling conversation by reflecting on the powerful insights shared. This episode underscores the importance of understanding one's team, taking informed risks, and embracing the learning curve in real estate.    The insightful thoughts shared by Brett and Beth are a testament to the power of perseverance and learning in carving a successful path in the real estate world. Tune in to this episode of "GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset" for an inspirational journey full of practical wisdom and leadership insights.   Top Takeaways: (2:35) The importance of purpose (7:14) The path to a billion (9:03) How a bold 10-year vision drove team growth (18:43) What is the foundation of a real estate business?  (24:01) How to transform real estate business with insights from Sisu (25:55) How to enhance agility through cross-functional data accessibility (28:25) The shift toward systemization and saleability (30:53) How to navigate industry challenges (36:47) The transformative role of clarity and purpose in sustaining success About Brett Jennings: As the owner and founder of Real Estate Experts, Brett Jennings has carved out a niche for himself as an award-winning luxury home marketing specialist, armed with a negotiation certificate from Harvard Law. Garnering recognition from the Wall Street Journal in 2017, his team ranked among the top 1/10th of 1% of real estate groups in the United States. Combining his extensive background in real estate, finance, and life coaching, Brett exhibits a passion for facilitating transformative real estate decisions for his clients. Energetic and fully engaged, he extends his clientele access to over 250 off-market properties while utilizing a home-selling process that has proven successful in the market. Beyond his professional life, Brett is a long-time meditation teacher and an outdoor enthusiast who values spending quality time with his team.   Connect with Brett Jennings   About Beth Lazar: Beth Lazar brings to the table a sterling 25-year record in innovation, sales, and marketing, underpinned by her unwavering integrity, energy, loyalty, and enthusiasm. She boasts academic credentials that include a BA in Economics and Management from Beloit College, an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and Executive Management Certifications from Harvard Business School. Adept in negotiation, Beth prioritizes establishing strong relationships, ensuring complete client satisfaction, and delivering valuable market insight. A native Californian and a devoted mother of five, Beth keeps active as an exercise enthusiast. Having bravely overcome cancer, she is committed to giving back to society, particularly showing a deep-rooted passion for supporting women and children.

In an era where client expectations are at an all-time high, creating meaningful experiences and delivering unparalleled service can make all the difference in the real estate industry. As market dynamics continue to evolve, agents who genuinely understand their client's needs and adapt swiftly are the ones who will thrive. But how can agents reshape the industry standards and redefine client experience? And what role does mindset play in all this? In this episode, we delve into these questions with Zac Muir, the thriving VP of revenue, as he sits down for a chat with Brian Charlesworth, the Founder, and CEO of Sisu. Zac discusses his transformational journey, sharing how he went from being unsure about his career path to eventually finding his calling in the real estate industry. Discover how a single book ignited a fire within him, setting him on a path of relentless growth and unending curiosity. But a success story isn't merely built on passion alone. It requires clarity of vision, an understanding of numbers, and a tireless drive to improve. Zac emphasizes the significance of clear, quantitative goals that create a "winnable game," making business not only lucrative but also enjoyable. Then we shift our focus to the hot topic in the industry today: The client experience. Zac presents a thought-provoking comparison between real estate operations and food delivery services like DoorDash. If ordering food can be so simple, transparent, and efficient, why can't buying a house be the same? With insights into Sisu's client portal, Zac proposes a solution that promises to revolutionize the industry, enhancing communication and transparency for clients. So, what does it mean to deliver an incredible experience? And why is Sisu the game-changer in the realm of real estate? Join us in this exciting episode as Zac Muir and Brian Charlesworth discuss the roadmap to a successful real estate career, the power of a robust mindset, and the future of client experience in the industry. Don't miss this insightful conversation! Tune in now.   Top Takeaways: (6:12) The power of loving your work (7:51) The paradox of comfort (11:12) Why external perspective is important (13:24) The importance of balancing communication and personal satisfaction for a fulfilling life (16:57) Embracing the connection between current execution and future success (19:24) The role of leadership in real estate industry dominance (23:12) Why is it crucial to align accountability with individual aspirations (27:01) How to learn from customer-centric models for seamless transactions (32:12) Why should we empower agents with a clear path to success   About Zac Muir Zac Muir, the dynamic VP of Revenue at Sisu, carries an infectious passion for technology, innovation, and creativity. Alongside his love for the great outdoors, his dog Twix, and, most importantly, his family, Zac's been instrumental in steering successful innovations in the real estate SaaS space. With a proven track record of deploying game-changing strategies, he's transformed the performance metrics for real estate brokerages nationwide. Now, he's here to share his insights on the magic of quantifiable benefits in real estate tech and the path to doubling production in the industry.   Connect with Zac Muir   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-muir/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zmuir/ Website: https://sisu.co/team

In today’s ever-evolving market, real estate teams who fail to utilize their systems properly risk being left behind and losing market share. That is why in order to scale and grow the business, and gain competitive advantage, fully leveraging systems is a must. Because with a well-integrated system, teams can streamline their operations and workflows. Thus allowing them to focus more of their time and resources on building relationships with clients and closing deals. And with the right systems in place, teams can work smarter, not harder – which will ultimately take the business to the next level. In this episode, Erin Catron, Managing Broker, and Heather Lens, Sales Director, of Erin Catron & Company talk about how fully leveraging their systems allowed their business to achieve substantial growth.   Top Takeaways:  (03:42) One of the biggest challenge that every team owner has (04:33) The value of providing growth opportunities for agents (08:56) Three things to look for when hiring people (10:20) What Erin and Heather love about Sisu’s Client Portal (16:17) Who will succeed in today’s market? (20:51) What is “Hello Week” and how it works (27:24) What is their company’s sweet spot for agent attraction? (30:16) The reality about following systems (39:35) What Sisu Mastery is for (41:49) How Sisu helped propel their business forward Connect with Erin Catron and Heather Lens   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catronteam/ Website: https://www.tulsasharkbroker.com/ Phone: (918) 984-0994 Email: erin@tulsasharkbroker.com heather@tulsasharkbroker.com About the guests: Erin Catron Erin has been in the real estate business for over 15 years.  Her innovative approach for utilizing systems and relationships has allowed her to scale her real estate team and achieve incredible success. Her love for helping others has driven the success of her team and helped her to sell hundreds of homes every year. She's a best-selling author, podcast host, and a member of the Zillow Advisory Board, making her an invaluable asset to the real estate industry.   Heather Lens Heather is one of the top performing agents on Erin’s team.  With the amount of production she has under her belt and how much she has given back to the team, she was promoted to Sales Director where she now handles anything that has to do with the sales side of the business. Nine months into the position, she prides herself on being an advocate for the team. And having been in the trenches has given her the mentality that she’s no different from the rest of the team, she just has a lot more responsibility now to help them all. 

Winston Murray discusses the advantages of full-service brokerages, autonomy for agents, and the importance of referral-based businesses. He shares insights on Sisu Client Portal, the difference of Works Real Estate, and the keys to success in real estate.

The number of people in their 20’s who are living with roommates have more than doubled on a percentage basis over the last 30 years. As a result, people are going on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace to find rooms or roommates. But without a reliable background check, this process can be a major safety concern. What if there was a more elegant way to fine-tune the process and put technology on top of it to elevate the rental investing and home sharing process to a whole new-level? Brian Charlesworth joins Johnny Wolff, CEO and Founder of HomeRoom, as he shares how he started his company, the failures he encountered along the way, and how the lessons he learned from his experience has driven him to be more committed than ever to his mission.   Top Takeaways: (02:48) How HomeRoom was born (04:33) What does it take for real estate agents to stay in the game? (06:15) The first near-death blow that HomeRoon faced (10:30) How HomeRoom survived COVID (14:28) How technology helped set their company apart from their competitors (17:27) What is HomeRoom doing on the marketing side (19:52) How the current market situation has affected their business (23:44) One of Johnny’s main motivation (25:42) The seven steps to finding a home room (33:33) Johnny’s advice for someone starting or growing a business Connect with Johnny Wolff Website: https://livehomeroom.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnywolff About the guest:   Johnny Wolff started his career in real estate investing  in Silicon Valley ten years ago. In 2015, he was working at a bank, and realized that San Francisco real estate prices were going to be out of his reach for a long time. So he moved to Austin and started to invest heavily in real estate. He quickly bought a number of properties and rented out each of those homes by the bedroom. It was his first taste of property management. One positive thing he got out from that experience, other than learning real estate, is that when he shared his returns to his friends back in the Bay Area, they were really jealous. So much so that they wanted to invest themselves. In 2018, Johnny moved to Kansas City. He started buying other homes, renting them by the room, and also offering it to other investors. Thus HomeRoom was born. Today, Johnny Wolff is the CEO and Founder of HomeRoom,  a Y Combinator-backed residential real estate marketplace that simplifies remote investing and streamlines affordable renting. Our marketplace connects rental property investors seeking a turnkey experience, with renters seeking quality and affordable coliving housing. Johnny is also an official member of the Forbes Business Council.

Cancer is one of the most brutal battles any person can face. Yet, the perseverance and determination to survive this battle can be channeled into developing skills that can help one become a successful entrepreneur. And as dreadful as this disease is, it also teaches us how to have the grit to overcome physical, emotional, and spiritual setbacks so that we can focus on the goal and reach elite levels in our business. Brian Charlesworth joins Josh Cantwell, CEO of Freeland Ventures and Strategic Real Estate Coach, as he shares his story as a pancreatic cancer survivor and how the lessons he learned from the experience made him realize the qualities of an elite entrepreneur.      Top Takeaways: (04:46) One of the best decisions Josh has ever made (08:23) The first lesson Josh learned from having pancreatic cancer (13:48) What cancer taught him about loading up on responsibilities (14:11) What it takes to be really successful in business (19:08) Why blaming others is one of the biggest mistakes any of us can make (21:56) What is a servant-leader? (28:46) The 9 traits of an elite entrepreneur Connect with Josh Cantwell Website: https://freelandventures.com/ Podcast: https://acceleratedinvestorpodcast.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNm-95W5LkaFU2RPezl3xQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AcceleratedInvestor/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshcantwell About the guest: Josh Cantwell grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. So when he graduated from college in 1998, he chose to be his own boss and get into financial services instead of starting as an employee in the real world.   In 2004, Josh took his knowledge of raising capital and the financial markets and started investing in real estate full-time. He combined his knowledge of financial investing with real estate to create a very successful business, quickly closing over 100+ wholesale and short sale deals per year. In turn, he began training and teaching apprentice partners and students.  He founded Strategic Real Estate Coach in 2007 and has taught thousands of investors how to replicate his success. Josh has vast knowledge and experience in helping to coach clients and mentor students and borrowers from across the US in finding, structuring, negotiating, and closing various types of transactions for a profit. Today, Josh is the CEO of Strategic Real Estate Coach Freeland Ventures and Yellowjacket Properties. He’s a real estate investor and owns 4300 units. Josh is also the host of the Accelerated Investor Podcast, which has hosted past guests like Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Donald Trump Jr, Jack Canfield, Rod Khleif, and JV Crum III.

What makes a real estate team successful? Aside from the ability to generate leads and convert them into successful and profitable deals, high-performing teams must also be able to track their metrics consistently, be flexible with the changing market conditions, and remain focused on the goals of the organization. However, when it comes to determining how well a team performs, there is one key element that always comes into play – its people. Real estate is a people business.  And for it to be truly successful, team leaders and owners must also concentrate on improving the lives of those within the team. Brian Charlesworth joins Jake Rockwell, Principal Broker and Owner of Rockwell Real Estate Group, as he shares the lessons he learned from starting several businesses to hitting rock bottom and how he rose up again to start a career in real estate and build the #1 selling real estate team in Southern Oregon.   Top Takeaways: (01:49) How Jake started several companies and lost it all  (04:41) Why Jake wanted to go into real estate (06:49) The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people (09:24) Some of the best decisions Jake made as a team owner (11:23) How to attract agents to your business (14:33) How Jake turned his weaknesses into strengths (18.28) How to find the right expansion partner (26:11) Jake’s take on the market (28:42) How to get your agent excited about working harder   Connect with Jake Rockwell Website: https://www.rockwellrealestate.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-rockwell-25a7463/ About the guest: Growing up, Jake Rockwell had always been kind of an entrepreneur.  In 2004, he started an e-commerce company selling pet products and billiards products to different websites online.  He built that company up and it ended up becoming one of the top billiards online retailers in the country. Three years later, right before the market crashed in ‘07, he sold that company for a couple of million dollars. However, due to some bad decisions he made and the unhealthy lifestyle he had, he ran out and financially crashed after about five or six years. Then he saw a friend who was successful in real estate and decided to try it for himself.  He got his real estate license and was determined to give it his best.  He went to the office to make calls and lead generate every day and ended up selling 36 homes in his first year.    Although he has achieved considerable success in the industry, Jake realized that it was taking up too much of his time.  To get some of that time back for his family, he started hiring an assistant/buyer’s agent.  His team continued to grow until he had 10 agents. Three years later he ended up leaving their brokerage and opening up their own. Today, Jake Rockwell is a Principal Broker and Owner of Rockwell Real Estate Group | eXp Realty, which is an innovative and technology-driven real estate company with a powerful team approach. 

Real estate is a fast-paced, constantly-changing industry and it can be challenging for some to stay on top.  And in order to keep up or even outpace the competition, one would think that they might need to spend all their time working in the business. Using automation can be the answer to streamlining some of the tedious tasks that comes with running a real estate business.  By using technology, agents can free up more time for themselves and spend it on building relationships with clients to move their business forward.  Brian Charlesworth joins Justin Benson, CEO & Principal at the Bara Agency, as they talk about Justin’s journey from being a computer nerd to building real estate teams from the ground up.  They also discuss how his company is helping entrepreneurs implement automation strategies to put more time back in their hands so they can spend it on what matters most. Top Takeaways: (05:57) The importance of grit (07:07) The single most important thing entrepreneurs must have (07:49) How Justin made the shift from building technology to running a real estate team (15:35) What a Fractional Chief Technology Officer does (21:29) The difference between having two systems that communicate together versus five systems that don’t. (22:31) When to best introduce technology to a company (25:07) What Justin loves most about Sisu (29.29) How to help your transaction coordinator execute at a much higher level (33:12) What should real estate professionals do today to take market share? (35:18) How to get way ahead of everybody else in this down market   Connect with Justin Benson Website: https://baraagency.com/ About the guest: Justin Benson was always interested in technology and seeing what he can accomplish or solve with it.  Back in high school, instead of going to vacations like his friends did, he would spend money on taking computer classes and building his own stuff.   In college, Justin tried to deviate from the path by getting a biochemistry degree. But eventually he got cold feet, pulled the plug, and started his own IT company that built cloud storage.  He and his partner ended up selling the business to a smaller IT Company, who is now known as Dropbox.     Justin then decided to get into real estate when a friend casually asked him about building a real estate team. So instead of taking a month off for his honeymoon, he spent it getting a real estate license and proceeded to build his team.  Today, Justin Bara is the founder and leader of the Bara Agency.  He has helped build hundreds of teams from the ground up, sold hundreds of houses, and created custom technology, systems, and strategies that their clients needed to scale along the way.

While top real estate agents may sell many homes, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have real wealth. In fact, many real estate agents today are chasing commission checks and are not focused on being truly wealthy.  Building real wealth is a long-term game. And for most agents, it takes more than just selling many homes. It also takes a willingness to invest and build equity over time. Let’s explore some strategies you can implement to get scalable results and start your journey toward building your personal and business wealth. Brian Charlesworth joins Brett Tanner, Operating Principal at Tanner Capital Holdings, as he shares his take on the current market and how his company empowers entrepreneurs in the real estate space to be massively wealthy. Top Takeaways:   (01:56) What Brett loves about Sisu (02:50) How Brett got into real estate (08:03) What makes a good deal? (15:28) Why Brett believes in investing in asset classes (16:38) How Brett realized that selling homes alone would not make him genuinely wealthy (18:21) How Be Wealthy came about (19:29) Why people in real estate should be the wealthiest people in any industry (20:31) Be Wealthy’s mission  (20:55) The best way for people with not a lot of cash to dive into investing (21:42) The importance of finding a great deal (28.58) What real estate people should be doing in today’s market? (29:10) The value of knowing your numbers (30:22) The role of a leader Connect with Brett Tanner Website: https://bewealthy.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beawealthyagentbrett/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beawealthyagent   About the guest: At 22, Brett Tanner was flipping homes and was having a blast.  He especially loved the investment side of it. But reading the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad changed the way he thought about everything, and he realized he wanted to be in real estate.  Brett always looked at investments and retail as two separate businesses. Yet soon, he discovered that these played together well, and he didn’t understand why agents weren’t doing both.  Because of Brett's early success in real estate sales and investments, he was able to pursue more significant opportunities, which helped build the foundation for what is now Tanner Cap. In addition, his drive for perfection and desire to improve the client experience catalyzed him to establish and manage business operations in the real estate sector. As Tanner Capital Holdings' operational partner, Brett has updated the family office approach to management and company expansion. As a result, Brett has accumulated his three greatest strengths—operational excellence, linear execution, and wealth management—under the Tanner Cap brand. Today, Brett is in high demand as a national speaker and mentor in various industries focusing on entrepreneurship, business growth, and leadership.

There is no question that real estate agents who achieve million-dollar listing status are doing something right.  But what exactly sets them apart from the rest of the pack? What traits and strategies do they use to achieve such impressive success?  In order to thrive in this business, you need more than just a license and a pulse. You need to be knowledgeable about the real estate market, have a strong network of contacts, and be able to close deals quickly and efficiently. And most importantly, you need to be hungry for success. Let’s take a closer look at what it takes to become a million-dollar listing agent and explore some tips and tactics that you can use to help you reach this level of success in your own career. Brian Charlesworth joins James Harris, Principal at The Agency, Bond Street Partners, and former cast of The Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles as he shares his story from quitting school at 16 to breaking numerous records in the real estate industry by specializing in multi-million properties in L.A. Top Takeaways:   (04:49) How James started his business with his partner David Parnes (06:33) The difference between today’s economy and the one in 2008 (07:58) Why agents need to step out of their comfort zone (09:15) Why James thinks that the next 8 to 12 months will be rough for real estate agents (11:16) How James went from being new to the business to selling $120 million listings (13:09) What developers really care about (13:25) What James considers as the backbone of their business (14:32) The good thing about open houses (15:45) The biggest attribute to their success (16:50) Why James decided to keep their team relatively small (18:03) Why you need to bombard your open houses with signs (21:51) The advantage of getting a coach (23:28) How James’ casting in the Million Dollar Listing reality show came about (26:39) What does James’ team do to market multi-million dollars today (31:33) James’ advice to parents Connect with James Harris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbondst/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesBondSt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbondst/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesbondst/ Website: https://www.bondstreetpartners.com/ Subscribe to The Blueprint newsletter: https://www.readtheblueprint.com/ About the guest: James Harris was born and raised in Central London. When he was a child, he suffered from extreme ADHD and was thrown out of every school. He then quit school altogether at 16.  He found a job in real estate as a residential assistant within an agency. He worked his way up the ranks and moved into the commercial sector within the same company. When James turned 21, he headed west to Los Angeles to broaden his horizon and ended up trading commodities. As the economy was getting back on its feet after the 2008 crash, James and his childhood friend, David Parnes, decided to set up their own real estate business. Due to his determined work ethic, good relationship with clients, and a group of incredibly talented people, James and his team have reached a steady incline in sales year over year, with over $3 billion in sales since 2017. They have also broken numerous records including the sale of “The Manor” which is worth $120 million, setting the record for the highest sale in Holmby Hills, the 6th highest sale ever in Los Angeles County, and the 10th highest sale in U.S. history. James and his partner were also part of the cast of the reality show, Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles for 7 seasons. They have recently left the show to focus on their business partnership. Today, James Harris is the Principal at The Agency, Bond Street Partners where they specialize in high-end residential real estate and investment properties in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Sunset Strip, the Hollywood Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and the greater Los Angeles region.