GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset

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.  

Some say that the traditional brokerage is no longer sufficient, as teams are becoming the new standard for success. That’s why more and more people are adopting the team model to offer more opportunities for agents both professionally and financially. While others say that brokerages are fighting back by shifting to a “teamerage” model where they are able to operate as a team while its compensation and support structure is still similar to that of a brokerage.  And to have a better understanding of where things currently stand and how to best prepare for what lies ahead, it’s best to get valuable insights from someone who owns a brokerage and runs a team as well. Brian Charlesworth joins Ron Rocz, Broker and Owner at RE/MAX Nexus, as Ron provides an interesting take on the real estate market both from a brokerage and a team perspective, and what people should be doing today to thrive in this market.  Top Takeaways: (04:08) Why every team leader should do their business planning in October (04:48) What planning for Nexus looks like (08:09) Why the traditional brokerage is dying (11:21) How interest rates are impacting the market (17:59) What are the things that one must do in this market to take market share (20:37) What it takes to remain in the real estate game  (21:43) Why agents should focus on bringing value to the customer (24:04) The evolution of real estate (26:38) Why brokerages need to become a “teamerage” (27:03) What Nexus’ mission to innovate, inspire, and connect is all about (29:19) What agents should be doing to thrive in this market  (32:27) The role of a leader   Connect with Ron Rocz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronrocz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronrocz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronrocz Website: https://ron.nexushomesearch.com/ Phone: 866-R-O-N-R-O-C-Z About the guest: Ron Rocz has been in the real estate industry since 2003 and has experienced great markets and also rough ones. And through the years, he’s developed blueprints to help guide him through challenging market situations. In 2014, Ron earned his broker’s license ad founded RE/MAX Nexus, a team of realtors backed by Ron’s unmatched real estate experience and support structure dedicated to making everyone successful.  Ron has consistently been in the top 1% of Realtors Nationally. He was the only agent in Michigan selected to participate in the RE/MAX University Agent Advisory Panel where he helped steer the development of training programs and initiatives that now serve the entire RE/MAX global network. Ron has also been recognized for years by Hour Detroit Business magazine as one of the top agents in the Metro Detroit area.  Today, Ron is the Broker/Owner at RE/MAX Nexus, a full-service real estate company located in downtown Birmingham, Detroit.  

It is crucial always to know your place and your vocation. For example, a great agent does not need to be part of a 200-agent team. Just because a team has 200 agents does not automatically mean the company is better than yours. Therefore, it is essential to know your strengths and engage in self-evaluation. Brian Charlesworth joins Ryan O'Neill, The founder of the Minnesota Real Estate Team of RE/MAX Advantage Plus. In 2021, the team closed over 2200 transactions and 750 million in sales. With almost 200 agents, the team continues to be the Number 1 Selling Real Estate Team in Minnesota every year from 2006 through today.  Among the most crucial pieces of advice, Ryan emphasizes how he always encourages his agents, partners, and people to focus on what they can control daily. In addition, according to him, one of the most common problems that can affect performance is overthinking, which leads to a lack of confidence in being bold and taking action. So, the more we focus on the efforts we put forth daily, rather than worrying about the noise, meaning the media, market conditions, and predictions, the better. This is what will make a difference in the long run. Tune in to learn about the current real estate space and how you can maintain a strong position using Ryan’s insights. Top Takeaways: (2:32) What actions can help you become different in the market? (4:54) The changes in the current market (5:44) How does fear affects production? (7:47) The traditional team model and the 50-50 split. (9:30) How are radio shows attracting more agents? (12:51) Working in the business vs. working on the business. (14:19) How Ryan entered the real estate industry (17:32) What should the agents do to compete in today’s market (19:59) How to hold your agents accountable (22:27) Advice for team leaders on how  to grow in the current market (23:34) Why should you know your place and your vocation (25:18) What drives Ryan to his purpose (26:03) Why is it important to wish people well and be open to feedback   Connect with Ryan O’Neill LinkedIn: Ryan O’Neill Website: Ryan O'Neill & The Minnesota Real Estate Team About the guest:  Ryan has dedicated, client-focused agents who help buyers and sellers with all types of real estate transactions: residential, investment property, first-time home buying, new construction, short sales, commercial and professional agents in each part of the urban, suburban, and greater Minnesota and Wisconsin regions. In addition, he hosts two weekly real estate radio shows: Minnesota Home Talk, Saturdays 7-8 AM on Skor North Radio AM 1500, and The Minnesota Real Estate Show, Saturdays 10-11 AM on Twin Cities News Talk AM 1130. Furthermore, he offers free monthly seminars on real estate investing, first-time homebuyer tips, and tips for home sellers.

The journey to success in building a real estate team is never a straight line. Some start off in a conventional manner, while others take on a more interesting path. And whatever path you choose for yourself, you’re bound to encounter failures along the way. But as long as you look at failures as opportunities to learn from those experiences, you will keep moving forward and hopefully impart the lessons you have learned to those who are just starting out on their own journey in real estate. Brian Charlesworth joins Trey Willard, Team Leader at Keller Williams Realty Inc. as Trey shares his journey from being an assistant to leading a team that has produced $126 million in pending and closed volume this year, and some tactical and strategic things people can implement in their real estate business today. Top Takeaways: (02:33) What is an assistant to an agent? (06:26) Why 2017 was the worst year of real estate in Trey’s entire life (08:37) A lesson for top producers out there (09:28) Why hiring someone from outside the industry to handle the operations side could be a game changer (11:42) The good thing about failure (14:02) Who is running Trey’s expansion team? (15:56) How to create pathways for your agents so they can continue to grow inside of your organization (17:02) What is Trey’s team doing differently? (18:25) What Trey loves the most about Sisu (19:24) What have sales contests done for Trey’s business? (19:42) Why agents should stop focusing on the number of conversations and dials (23:08) The systems that Trey uses (28:23) The biggest challenge with working with family (32:48) How Trey’s team is being impacted by the massive shift happening now (33:47) Why Trey thinks the real estate industry needs a purge (36:03) Why it’s not always about agent count (37:35) Trey’s last words of advice Connect with Trey Willard LinkedIn: Trey Willard Website: The W Group/ KW Geater Baton Rouge About the guest: Trey Willard graduated from LSU in 2007 and went to School for Business Communications and Technical Sales.  He thought he’d be selling medical devices at that time, but then he realized that knocking on doors and getting in front of people wasn’t his thing. Then a friend of his who was growing his real estate business decided to hire him as an executive administrative assistant. Two and a half months later, he got his own real estate license. In his first year with Keller Wiliams, he became Rookie of the Year and sold 33 houses. In 2017, Trey decided to build his own team. However, this proved to be a painful experience as he watched his business account dwindle away.  This became his wake-up call to start changing how he does things. Fast forward to 2020, Trey hired a listing coordinator who eventually became his Operations Director. This is when his business started to take off. Last year, Trey’s team sold 334 units amounting to $91 million in production. This year, they’ve already closed 367 units, with 61 pending, which equates to $126 million year-to-date.

A long time ago, a few people believed that teams were the future of the real estate industry. And now, the industry is starting to catch up and accept this as reality. While everyone has their opinions on what teams are supposed to be, what team members should be looking for, or what issues they are experiencing, no one has really done a study on teams using actual data. That’s why Workman Success Systems and Sisu have put together a study about real estate teams depending on the team size, generation, or positions to provide service and value to teams in the industry. Brian Charlesworth joins Verl Workman, Workman Success Systems CEO, Business Consultant, and Master Coach, as they share some interesting insights and data about real estate teams and the different problems or issues they face today. Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/r5nl8fSJ_D4 Top Takeaways: (02:22) The history behind this study on real estate teams (03:00) Why Verl loves Sisu so much (07:42) Why now is the perfect opportunity for team leaders to scale up their team (09:36) Why team owners should not be afraid to charge what they're worth (14:44) What should team owners do to ensure they're taking their share in today's market? (19:26) Why Verl thinks that accountability is love (19:46) Why 76% of real estate professionals say being on a team earns them a higher income (23:19) Why does the smallest team have the biggest conflict (24:50) Things you should do if you want to grow your team (30:18) The issue with great agents who now have team members working for them (35:45) The importance of training your agents (36:14) One of the problems with running a team (45.47) Why great companies are losing great agents (46:16) Why every single major brand should have a team solution that is real (49:38) The biggest threats for teams (52:16) How to make people in real estate stay in the business Connect with Verl Workman https://workmansuccess.com/   About the guest: Verl Workman’s personal goal is to create world-class trainers. It requires extensive screening and rigorous training but being a superb coach himself and setting the bar high is where it all begins. In every business engagement, Verl contributes extensive real estate, leadership, and coaching expertise. His clientele includes top agents, teams, and brokers in the world. However, they didn't necessarily begin that way. He is able to assist his clients in reaching greatness by determining the "why" behind each objective. Verl is one of a select group of presenters who have achieved the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) accreditation from the National Speakers Association. Verl is also a skilled speaker and presenter. He has educated and empowered professionals with his experience and knowledge of all facets of sales, marketing, promotion, management, and technology.

Mountain climbing is an intense and demanding activity, both physically and mentally. Much like building a successful business. Just as climbers need to pace themselves and be strategic in their ascent, entrepreneurs also need to take a measured approach when growing their companies. In Mike Novak’s case, he was able to use his background in climbing and carry the lessons he learned from it to  his life and in his business.  Not only has it enabled him to push through tough times, but he also learned how to take an unimaginably large challenge, break it down into smaller steps, and just simply put one foot in front of the other until you reach your goal. Brian Charlesworth joins Mike Novak, Team Lead at The Novak Team brokered by REAL, as he shares his journey from owning several businesses to running a successful real estate team, the most impactful experiences he had, and lessons he learned along the way.   Top Takeaways: (05:45) Mike’s type of Grit (11:04) Mike’s thoughts on where the industry is today (11:39) Who are the agents who will continue to win at a high level over the next years? (13:26) Why Mike decided to start recruiting and building a larger team (16:09) The mistake they made in their hiring process and how they fixed it (19:10) What Mike is most excited about this coming year (20:33) How to make agents stay within the team  (23:10) Why you should play to win, not to survive (26:24) How to ensure that the agents you’re hiring fits your culture. (27:29) Why having a supportive spouse is important for those working in real estate (28:30) What Mike’s morning routine looks like| (30:09) The two sources of learning that have worked massively for Mike and his team (31:52) What Mike loves about Sisu   Connect with Mike Novak Website: https://novakteam.com/ Email:  Mike@NovakTeam.com Phone: (360) 393-0396   About the guest: When Mike Novak graduated high school, he got into the construction industry with his father who was a builder.  That quickly turned into real estate development where they built condominium projects and a lot of single-family homes. However, when the recession hit in 2008, their company suffered major losses and setbacks like most builders did. He lost almost $7 million of his own personal cash and holdings in that crash.  What was left was a single-location bar and grill restaurant to keep him afloat. From 2008 to 2017, Mike was able to grow the restaurant into seven locations, with over 400 employees, raking in $17 million a year in volume.  Unfortunately, in 2016, a law was passed to change the minimum wage in Washington space and he believed that was the nail in the coffin for their real estate business.  They needed to have a backup plan real quick. That’s when he decided to get his real estate license.  Today, Mike Novak is the Team Leader and Top Agent of the Novak Team.  He also ranks the #1 Real Estate Agent in all of Snohomish County for 2020 and 2021.  Mike is considered a leading-edge thought leader in the Real Estate space and has been nationally recognized for his work with marketing, processes, and business track record throughout the industry. 

It can be tough to move on from being a top-producing real estate agent to becoming a team owner or business leader. After all, you've likely found a formula for success that works for you, and stepping out of production can feel like a risk. Yet, when you’re in production, it’s easy to get bogged down with the day-to-day transactions that you get sidetracked in achieving your goals for the team. As a leader, you need to step back, look at the big picture, and stay laser-focused on your long-term vision and objectives.  And to scale your real estate business and take it to the next level, you need to surround yourself with the right people and have the right systems in place.  Brian Charlesworth joins Andrew Lewis, Founder, Owner, and CEO of Performance Real Estate, as he shares tips on how to make the transition from being in production to scaling your own team, his take on where the market is headed, where his team is at, what his vision is for his business. Top Takeaways: (03:54) How to surround yourself with the right people (12:17) Why agents should consider looking into opportunities that will allow them to level up (18:38) Who are the people you need to hire today (19:30) Andrew’s take on the current market conditions (24:30) Why the future of real estate is real estate teams (28:36) Why this market is giving teams a massively unfair advantage over solo agents (30:30) The two things every real estate team must have in their business (31:04) Why tracking your numbers is crucial (33:10) Andrew’s last words of advice Connect with Andrew Lewis Website: https://performanceregroup.com/ Email:  andrew@performanceregroup.com Phone: (951) 237-0292 About the guest: Andrew Lewis graduated from DeVry University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Small Business Entrepreneurship.  Prior to entering the real estate world, He was a pharmaceutical sales representative for a Fortune 500 company. He also spent several years as a professional race car driver, racing in the upper divisions of NASCAR. Andrew’s previous work experience allowed him to develop top-level customer service, innovative marketing techniques, and superior negotiating skills.  These qualities help ensure his clients receive the best possible deals and the highest level of service and communication.  Today, Andrew Lewis is a top-producing Realtor® specializing in the sale of new and existing homes within Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties.  He is also the Founder, Owner, and CEO of Performance Real Estate, the number one Digital Real Estate Group in Temecula Valley.

In today’s world, there’s a lot of pressure for entrepreneurs to succeed. And when they don’t meet their own high standards and goals, they end up feeling like failures. But what if we all start celebrating our failures instead? What if we start seeing them as learning opportunities and stepping stones to even greater success? Failures are a necessary part of the journey. And if we can view them in a different light, it will help us grow our businesses and make them even better. Brian Charlesworth joins Hannah Bettenhausen, COO at BCrew Enterprises LLC., as she shares her journey from an ISA to becoming the Chief Operating Officer of a Mega Team, her team’s experience in expanding to ancillary businesses, and how her failures play an important part in how successful she has become today.   Top Takeaways: (05:17) How Hannah ended up in the real estate business (09:47) How they progressed from a real estate team to an enterprise (16:44) One of Hannah’s biggest failures (18:21) Why Hannah won’t build a title company again (19:05) What made them decide to start a construction company (21:09) The key to building multiple businesses (23:22) Why Hannah decided to start a podcast (24:38) Why it’s important to fail (29:18) Hannah’s one piece of advice Connect with Hannah Bettenhausen Email: Hannah.Bettenhausen@eXprealty.com About the guest: Hannah Bettenhausen’s parents were missionaries, and she spent the first five years of her life in Zaire, Africa. Then, when the war broke out, they moved back to several places in the US and Canada until they settled in Minneapolis. Her father always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He started a couple of non-profit organizations and then got into real estate. Hannah helped clean and painted the houses they were flipping.  This experience exposed her to the real estate realm and showed her the potential for growth and opportunities.  She then ran a business development center for a Ford dealership for seven years. After that, she worked as an ISA as her department accounted for 30% of annual sales in the entire dealership. In 2016, she shifted to real estate and applied for a license.  A year and a half later, she moved into the operations manager role. Today, Hannah Bettenhausen is the Chief Operating Officer at BCrew Enterprises LLC, a management company that owns and operates a real estate team, mortgage company, home flipping company, and construction company, along with several other businesses.  She is also launching her own podcast, which is tentatively titled Unrisky Wealth.

In this week’s GRIT Podcast, Colton Lindsay, the CEO of WGR, joins Brian Charlesworth to discuss the current real estate industry and practices. Colton goes over the different economic seasons and explains the challenges faced during those times, specifically by real estate agents.  He also provides his insights regarding the stability of the real estate market. According to him, we can experience a real estate crash if people start to lose their jobs. Moreover, he talks about the four simple steps that make anyone in real estate money.  Colton also highlights the importance of adding value to people’s lives as that’s how relationships can be monetized. Then, moving forward, he elaborates on personal behaviors. For instance, if you’re chaotic, stressed, overwhelmed, or full of doubt, people will feel that and will not work with you. So instead, they’re going to work with the most certain person. So, it’s crucial to invest in yourself and always be in control. This is the most skipped part in people’s lives, leading to many missed opportunities. Plus, we must be mindful that we are actually leaving the information age and moving to the influence age. And influence isn’t about information. So, you have to position yourself as a specialist with the right knowledge. That is how people will trust you.  Top Takeaways: (4:30) Three questions to ask when investing money (6:28) How business owners have become business operators (10:58) Different seasons of economic history (13:00) Inflation situation and 2024 predictions (14:00) The real estate crash  (15:03) Recession in real estate (16:24) Why should agents be more certain?  (17:35) Chances of success of new agents  (22:01) The real meaning of fulfillment (28:11) Importance of breath work sessions   Connect with Colton Lindsay Instagram: @thewgr Website: https://go.thewgracademy.com/    About the guest: At 28, Colton Lindsay was ranked in the Top 1% of his real estate market, averaging 75 homes a year, working four days a week. Lindsay is internationally recognized for his expertise in prospecting and as an inner game master. Our guest is one of North America’s most exciting trainers whose YouTube Channel has empowered thousands of real estate agents to increase their confidence and skills drastically. He was featured in Top Agent Magazine as an agent “who doesn’t use a bag of tricks” and is the producer of the bestselling “Winning The Inner Game” - Audio Files. His motto is “You can’t do a ‘half ass’ job in real estate sales,” with his unique ability to get agents to take immediate action and produce tremendous results. Colton Lindsay uses breakthrough techniques and “accelerated learning” technologies to help agents learn and remember more efficiently and effectively.

Growing up, children are told that for people to like them or to get what they want, they have to be nice. That’s why when someone goes into the sales profession or becomes a real estate agent, they think that in order to close the deals, they would need to be the nicest, most-liked person the client has ever dealt with. Yet oftentimes, nice people tend to be more focused on gaining the approval of the person they’re talking to, over helping or providing value.  So that if their prospect says they’re busy, nice people offer to email instead just so they wouldn’t bother them.  This is just one of the reasons why most “nice” agents get out-sold.  However, it doesn’t mean that you have to be rude or obnoxious to become great at selling.  There are ways to sell real estate while still being your nice, authentic self.  Brian Charlesworth joins Barry Jenkins, CMO of Better Homes and Gardens NAGR and Head Realtor in Residence at Ylopo, as he shares how his book, Too Nice For Sales, addresses this issue, how adapting to the “teamerage” model allowed his team to thrive in these changing times, and his take on what’s happening in the industry right now. Top Takeaways: (03:18) How Barry’s business evolved from a brokerage to a “teamerage” (04:44) Why teams should not overvalue a lead (07:59) The problem that a lot of team owners get caught up in (11:19) How Barry ended up working for Ylopo (12:42) The systems that Barry had to put in place so he could step out of the business (14:57) Where the future of real estate is headed (15:37) Why most people don’t work on automation often enough (18:51) How Barry’s book “Too Nice for Sales” came about? (24:05) How nice people tricked themselves into no longer being helpful (27:22) The best advice for someone planning to write a book (28:25) Barry’s take on what’s happening in the industry now (32:41) How one’s ability to adapt is vital in these difficult times  (33:51) What success is made of Connect with Barry Jenkins Email: barry@tooniceforsales.com Website: https://www.tooniceforsales.com/ About the guest: Barry Jenkins was 18 when he started his career in real estate which has spanned for almost twenty years. He currently runs a team in Virginia Beach, VA & he’s also The CMO of Better Homes and Gardens NAGR. His real estate team at this firm sold just under 900 units last year and is ranked #9 on the Real Trends to 1,000 teams in America. Barry is also an author, speaker, coach, trainer, and a full-time Executive at Ylopo with the title of “Head Realtor in Residence” where he trains their customers, and assists with product development & platform evangelism for them. Being an ordained minister himself, he is passionate about his faith and his company.