Social Selling Made Simple

As real estate entrepreneurs, we should always be on the leading edge of technology and ways to show our listings off in their best light. What are virtual properties and how can we leverage Matterport devices and videos to give clients a feel for a house? On this episode, I’m joined by Matterport Marketing Content Manager, Amir Frank who shares a new and unique way to create engaging real estate content.   360-degree models essentially allow you to virtually walk the visitor through the space, and you can show them things that they wouldn't otherwise be able to see in a listing. -Amir Frank    3 Takeaways Start at the lowest level of the home and work your way across that level and then go up to the next level and capture the rooms in that order, instead of jumping from room to room.  For $69 a month, we can have 25 360-degree videos active on Matterport. The 360-degree video can be enhanced by adding additional videos, documents and landing pages to them.    The benefit of technology is that it allows us to leverage tools that don’t just make us more efficient in business, but can enhance the customer’s experience. We don’t just have normal photos and videos at our disposal for listings, we can take our listings to the next level with 360-degree videos and 3D virtual tours. Bringing that level of detail allows people to see themselves inside of that space, and imagine themselves living there. We should always be employing a Blue Ocean strategy and doing what other entrepreneurs aren’t doing. Matterport’s images and videos are one way we can set ourselves apart. 

Referrals are the most underutilized and underestimated ways for us to earn more money. What motivates referrals, and how do you make yourself more referable? How can we build referrals into every stage of the sales cycle? What are the biggest contributing factors when it comes to getting more referrals? On this episode, I’m joined by referral expert, Chad Durfee who shares how we can take our referral game to the next level. It’s all about understanding the psychology of what motivates people to refer and then building that into your systems and processes. -Chad Durfee     Four Takeaways The key contributing factors for referrals are trust, social proof, authority, scarcity, engagement, and commitment.  Don’t be POOR: Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly. Satisfied clients don’t refer, engaged clients do. We can engage clients by making them feel like they are part of our business.  Get people to sign up for an appointment through a calendar app. The simple act of people clicking on a time slot in a calendar app makes them 7 times more likely that they will show up and show up on time.  Referrals are so powerful that we can build a thriving business around them, and what’s great about them is that we have the ultimate control over our business, instead of paying for leads. Our clients want to refer us and all we have to do is help them along. We can do that by making sure we put value in the strategic points in our sales cycle, from courting them, all the way to the post-client experience. If you build a system for referrals, you will be able to multiply it and boost your business consistently.

One of the greatest ironies of real estate is that many agents don’t invest in real estate, or make other investments. What are some of the mistakes agents make when it comes to their finances? What are the steps you need to take to start leveraging your income so that it can eventually become passive? What is the Infinite Banking Concept and how can you employ it to better yourself? On this episode, Wealth Without Wall Street Chief Financial Coach, Joey Mure shares how real estate agents can level up from technician to entrepreneur.  Insurance companies allow you to borrow your own money with no repayment structure allowing you to fund your business growth and bridge your expenses in lean times. -Joey Mure    3 Takeaways Your ultimate goal as a Realtor should be investing in your business so that it becomes passive business ultimately.  If you don’t have cashflow in your business, you won’t be able to do anything else to grow your business. Through Internet Banking, you can utilize life insurance as a vehicle for savings, not just for protection. We also discussed; Why real estate agents struggle to pay taxes  How the Infinite Banking Concept works  The steps we can take to build wealth in our families   In many cases, real estate agents find themselves working to the bone for decades without building any real wealth, which is a far cry from the freedom they seek. In order to change this reality, we need to be smarter with our money and how we leverage it. We need to be working our way towards making our businesses passive so we can actually have the freedom to do what we love. The Infinite Banking Concept is one of the most powerful ways for us to build wealth. It allows us to utilize a high cash value life insurance policy, and not just as protection but as an asset. By putting the right pieces in place, we can pull all the levers to increase our business and eventually make our business passive, which makes us true entrepreneurs.   

Reality TV has done a disservice to the world of real estate by making people think that getting into the industry and becoming successful just happens. What are some of the realities of real estate that we don’t hear about on HGTV? How can new agents build a business that goes the distance? How can we make ourselves more memorable, and stop wasting opportunities? On this episode, I’m joined by agent, trainer, and author of “The Reality of Real Estate”, Candy Miles-Crocker, and we talk about how agents can set themselves up for success.  People who don't take the time to build systems after that first year of success burnout. -Candy Miles-Crocker 3 Takeaways As a new agent, choose a brokerage that offers training and education.  Long-term sustainable success in real estate is built on systems. Don’t be afraid to ask for the business. If you’re not actually putting yourself out there, you're wasting an opportunity. Running a real estate business without a foundation and the right mindset leads to burnout, stress and as a whole the high turnover our industry has. In order to build sustainable success, you have to run the business with intention and purpose, show up well-dressed, interact with people, and have the confidence to ask for the business. With the right systems in place, you can run an efficient business and stay in business for decades. 

Building relationships is crucial for being a good real estate agent, but it’s also important to know how to protect our clients. How can our own knowledge of online tools help us to be a better resource for our clients? What steps can we put in place to make sure they don’t lose their money to a scam or other types of fraud? How can we choose the right CRM to use? On this episode, CEO of RETI (Real Estate Technology Institute), Craig Grant shares on how we can build a better and safer online presence as agents. It’s more important than ever to build relationships with your clients. Is if there's no friendship in place, don't expect to get hired again. -Craig Grant   3 Takeaways When you start working with new clients, instruct them to pull out their phone and create contacts for everyone in the transaction. Tell them if they ever get a phone call for somebody claiming to be the title company, to hang up and try to call back to make sure it’s not a scammer. You can run your entire business with unlimited storage and great support and security with Google’s G-Suite, which is for business. It costs just $12/month. Protect yourself and your clients with cyber insurance. Only 12% of consumers hire the same Realtor twice, and that’s because we don’t follow up or communicate. We also discussed; How to protect your clients from cybercrime How to choose the right CRM for your business The importance of being educated about emerging technologies As real estate professionals, we want to make money, but we also need to protect the money we make. The real estate industry is highly prone to cyber attacks, hackers and scammers, and we have to prepare our businesses so that we don’t become victims. We do this by investing in technology that keeps our data safe, and educating our clients before hand. Everyone wants the flexibility and unlimited earning potential of being in real estate, but only a small percentage of people actually realize they're entrepreneurs. Thinking about safety and security is one of the most important parts of preparing your business.

Creating good video content can seem intimidating if you have no experience or on-camera confidence. How do you determine the kind of content you should be creating? What steps can you take to feel more comfortable on camera? How can you create content for different platforms? On this episode, I’m joined by expert videographer and one of Chicago’s Top Real Estate Video Marketers, Justin Barr, who shares helpful insights and tips for mastering live video. It's really about figuring out what you are, what your brand represents, and then creating content around that of brand targeting the correct audience. - Justin Barr   3 Takeaways 2-3% of your database on social media is interested in buying and selling. The rest of the people want entertaining, valuable, and inspiring content. If your brand is more educational, do an educational series. If you want to be more about showing off personality, opt for attention-grabbing content. Equipment for making videos on the go: a lavalier mic, good lighting, and a tripod to stabilize your video. We also discussed; Why having good audio is so important The importance of telling a story How to fill curiosity gaps   The way to grow your database and generate leads is not to talk only about houses. You should show off your personality and interests because that’s what attracts people. In order to make really unforgettable video content, you have to know what your brand is and the kinds of content your target audience responds to, and then create it. Always remember that the goal is to bring value and make an emotional impact.

The MLS is one of the most under-utilized resources in real estate, and agents can make more money by leveraging it. What is some of the data we can gain from the MLS and how can we use it to improve our marketing efforts? What can we learn about our real estate markets through the MLS? Why is it so important to become as educated as possible when it comes to your business? On this episode, digital marketing strategist and real estate technology expert, Carrie Little talks about how she uses data to help agents sell more real estate. You will not go from making no money to making money in real estate unless you start to understand the business. -Carrie Little 3 Takeaways Everyone you know needs to go into your CRM because it allows you to start generating leads. Absorption rate: three months or less means houses are moving faster and it’s a seller’s market. Four to six months is a stable market, but over six months is a buyers market. When it comes to rate of sale, you want to look at communities where you will have the least barriers to entry. We also discussed; How to leverage date on absorption rate, rate of sales and off-market rates How to use the right hashtags in your marketing The importance of consistency   Whether you’re tech savvy or not, the key to success in real estate is all about how well you know the numbers in your business, and the numbers in your market. To know your business, you need to have a CRM, and to know more about your market, the MLS is key. You have to learn how to use and manipulate your MLS, understand what's happening in the marketplace, and become a consistent learner of that information. This information will help you craft the right marketing strategies, sales approaches and who to even target in your business. Without this important data, you’ll be flying blind in business which will make it harder to grow your business and achieve your goals.  

The real estate crash of 2008 may be over a decade ago, but many of us are still traumatized by it. How do we condition ourselves so that we can recover from the challenges we face in business? What are the ways we can strengthen ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually? On this episode, I’m joined by author of The Titan, founder of the Hour of Champions and my good friend, Steve Werner who talks about his work helping people overcome anxiety and depression and his own path. In order to be the best version of yourself and get through anxious moments, you have to be conditioned spiritually, mentally, and physically. -Steve Werner   3 Takeaways Nobody in business is immune to stress, anxiety and depression. There’s a difference between mental illness and sadness and fear resulting from a difficult life event. Stop rehearsing for disaster by worrying about what’s going to happen. It only depletes your energy. We also discussed; The difference between mental illness and a life event Why we need to overcome fear in order to succeed The importance of faith The difference between contacts and relationships Sometimes life is a lot like going into battle. We have difficult challenges and circumstances thrown at us, and it can be hard to overcome them. In order to win any battle, we must be physically fit, mentally sound so that we don’t become overwhelmed when difficult moments arise. If we have faith in our higher power, we’ll always be led out of the challenges into the direction of our dreams.

Mobile homes are a lucrative business venture, but so few people in real estate know about it. Why are mobile homes such big business? What’s driving the growth in mobile home investment and ownership? How can you get started, even as a new investor? On this episode, I have an exciting conversation with two young real estate investors, Byron Sellers and Sharnice Williams, who are making waves in buying and flipping mobile homes. Mobile home is recession-proof because there will always be a need for affordable housing. -Byron Sellers 3 Takeaways Mobile home flips are very simple: white paint, vinyl flooring, and white appliances.   Illinois has 1,098 mobile home parks, Indiana has 1,300, and Springfield, Ohio is the mobile home capital of the world. There’s a lot of opportunity for mobile home investing in the Midwest.   From as low as a 550 credit score and $1,000, you can get started. It’s a model that suits new investors.   We also discussed; Why we need to change our perceptions of mobile homes How rentals work with mobile home investing   Twenty-two million people in America live in mobile homes, and that number is set to grow because it’s such an attractive investment and residential opportunity. As the costs of living in the city continue to rise, more people are going to opt for the lower lot rentals and chance of ownership that traditional housing doesn’t offer. Ultimately, as an investor, you also get to be a part of building wonderful communities.  

Many real estate and loan professionals put too much energy into implementing every new tool and tactic while forgetting the fundamental- building deep connections in our communities. Before we implement a new tool, what is the first thing we need to be doing in our businesses? What are the other key pieces we need to add to our strategies? How do we balance between brand awareness and lead generation so we’re not just putting out content without generating business? On this episode, I’m joined by loan officer, coach and author of Lead Generate: 61 Days to Double Your Pay, Scott Groves. He talks about why the true answer to making more money lies in the sphere we have right now. The first big benchmark of success is being famous with 50 people. -Scott Groves 3 Takeaways At least once every 90 to 120 days, do a self audit. Google yourself and see what comes up and if all your details, contact information and photos are accurate. There is a difference between marketing and lead generation. We need marketing to get in front of more people, but for it to be lead generation, we need to have respondents' information to contact further.  If you commoditize yourself, it’s not easy to be replaced. Think of how you can position yourself as an advisor that adds value to people’s lives.   We also discussed; The importance of consistent lead generation Why Facebook messenger is the most powerful lead generation tool right now The importance of treating your business like a job The foundation of a strong real estate business are the connections and relationships we have, and that doesn’t mean hundreds of people. As real estate and mortgage professionals, we meet many people but in order for it to make a difference in how much we earn, we have to be famous with just 50 of them. We have to be the person that comes to mind when they think of real estate. We achieve this by consistently adding value to those people and by being trusted advisors, and being in regular contact with them. By doing those things and treating this business like a job, you become a true entrepreneur.