Here on The Reynolds Team, giving up is not an option. Our persistence and strategy led to more than $1 billion in sales in 2021 and we’re on track to hit our goal of closing a thousand buyers in 2022. Our agents use a 10-step search plan to find homes for their desperate buyers. I’m sharing our property search plan with you because I want each and every one of you to succeed.

1. Kick Off Team Meetings With an Internal ‘Wants & Needs’ List

Our first step to finding homes to show desperate buyers is to post to our internal “Wants and Needs” list. This is a private Facebook group for our team and brokerage where agents list what their buyers are looking for in a home. 

To cast as wide a net as possible, we also review our clients’ “wants and needs” at our weekly team meetings. This helps keep our buyers’ needs top of mind for listing agents. The minute a new listing comes in, our listing agents will already have showings lined up from the list.  

If we can match a new listing with a buyer from our “wants and needs” list, we call this a “Love Connection”! We don’t stop there, though. If a connection isn’t made through our brokerage and team, we reach out to other agents in our network.

  Pro Tip

If you want to learn more about The Reynolds Team, check out my interview with team leader Sarah Reynolds Oji on The Close Weekly Podcast.

2. Contact Top Listing Agents From Other Brokerages

This technique is great for buyers who have a home to sell or a low down payment. The secret is to get access to homes before there is a lot of competition for them through the MLS. 

To do this, we begin by looking up the top agents in the specific neighborhoods that our buyers wish to live in. We often don’t know who is selling the most homes in any given area, so we train our buyers’ agents to search the MLS for properties sold over the past six to 12 months. 

Then they sort the list by the listing agent’s name. This will consolidate the names and show who has sold multiple properties in the area. With this information in hand, they can contact the listing agents who have sold multiple properties in the area, and ask them if they have any upcoming listings that may fit our buyer’s criteria.

Agents who are neighborhood specialists typically have sellers who would sell their home if they got an offer they can’t refuse, as well as other homesellers who are preparing their home to sell it in the next few months. 

The goal is to make their seller client an unbeatable offer even before they’ve signed a listing agreement. This technique works wonders for buyers with contingencies and special circumstances. In fact, I have bought two houses this way myself!

3. Prospect OLD Expireds, Not New Expireds!

Our team’s next step is to search for expired listings and homes that have been withdrawn from the market. Even in today’s low inventory market, some listings don’t sell the first time around. 

Start by searching your MLS for expired homes over the past three years. Many older expired listings are from sellers who were not able to get the price they wanted. Prices have risen so much over the past year that the unrealistic price they were asking two years ago probably isn’t so unrealistic today!

If a listing has recently expired or has been withdrawn, contact the listing agent and ask them if they know if the property is coming back on the market.

For older expireds, go ahead and call them yourself. The good news is that homeowners of older expired listings aren’t receiving the 20 calls a day from desperate real estate agents that are typical for newly expired listings. Therefore, they are more likely to answer the phone and they are much more pleasant to talk to. 

BONUS TIP: Use Artificial Intelligence to Find Homeowners Who Are Getting Ready to Sell 

When you want to find homes for desperate buyers, human intelligence is great, but artificial intelligence is better. Why? That’s simple. Platforms like SmartZip use artificial intelligence to instantly sift through hundreds of data points on the internet and your MLS with one goal: to find homeowners who are getting ready to sell—before they contact their first agent. 

Even if you don’t find “the one” for your buyers with SmartZip, you can be the first agent to contact homeowners who are likely to sell in the next year. ZIP codes are limited and going fast, so if you want to unleash the power of artificial intelligence, check if your ZIP code is available here: 

Visit SmartZip

4. Write Backup Offers With a Backup Clause Written by an Attorney

In today’s market, you have to be proactive, creative, and BOLD to find your buyers a home. If your buyers love a neighborhood or home, don’t be afraid to write a backup offer on homes that are already pending. 

Bidding wars can drive the price so high that the winning buyer may feel they overpaid and subsequently get buyer’s remorse. Due to this, we are seeing a higher number of contracts terminate shortly after the contract is ratified than we have in the past. This is why we coach our buyers’ agents to encourage their clients to submit backup offers on hot properties. 

To protect our buyers and give them the ability to keep shopping, we have a strong backup clause, written by an attorney, that allows their client to terminate the contract prior to going into first position. This technique works well with homebuilders and fix and flips too!

5. Start Door Knocking With Your Rejected Offers (+ Script)

If you have been working with your buyer for more than a few weeks, chances are you have already made—and lost out on—at least a few offers. This can feel devastating to you and your client. Luckily, there’s a way to turn that rainy day into a glorious win—prospect around your recent offers!

After you dust yourself off and collect your thoughts, print out the offer your clients just made and start door knocking the neighborhood for other potential sellers who may be considering a move in the near future.

With your (redacted) offer in hand, go door-to-door and tell the neighbors that you have a motivated buyer who just made an offer and lost out on the home down the street. Let them know your buyer loves the style of homes and the neighborhood, and that they are set on living in the area.

Rejected Offers Door Knocking Script

When they answer the door, you will say:

copy to clipboard

Hello, my name is [Name] with [Company] and my client made an offer on the property down the street.

[Point in the direction of the home and hold up the previous offer.]

My client lost out on that home to a higher bidder, but they love this neighborhood and the style of homes here. Have you heard of any neighbors who may be thinking of moving in the near future?

[Pause for their answer, then ask:]

Are you considering selling while the market is HOT…HOT…HOT!

Do this and you will be surprised how well-received this approach will be. Many neighbors who love their community will want to help you find a home for your buyer client.

6. Trade Your Buyer’s Contingent Property With a Flip

One of the biggest challenges our buyers’ agents face is finding a home for a contingent buyer. These are buyers who have to sell a home before they can buy. This becomes even more challenging when the home they need to sell is in dire need of repair. 

This was exactly the case for one of my seller clients last fall. They had a home in a desirable area but it hadn’t been updated in more than 20 years. They wanted to find a home in the same area that offered more bedrooms and was already completely remodeled.

Since the homes in the area were built in the ’60s and ’70s, my strategy was to find them a recently flipped home. Using the seller’s home as bait, I contacted the fix and flippers in the area and asked them if they were looking for a new fix-and-flip project in the area. 

Hungry for inventory, several flippers expressed interest in my seller’s home. I told them that in order for them to be able to buy my client’s home, they had to sell my client another home that they had coming on the market. It took a little legwork, but in the end, we were able to negotiate the purchase of newly remodeled home with the caveat that the flipper would buy their home at a fair price. A true WIN-WIN!

7. Prospect FSBO Listings

The buyers’ agents on The Reynolds Team are expected to do the unthinkable … call FSBOs! If you have been selling real estate for more than a few months, you may have also found that these sellers are always reasonable, generous, and a pleasure to work with. 

OK, OK, so that may not be true all the time, but when you contact FSBOs, you will discover that most agents ignore them. They think these homeowners have no interest in listing their home with an agent. 

The truth is, they are happy to offer a commission to an agent who has a bona fide buyer for their home. That could be your buyer, but you’ll never know until you pick up the phone and start cold calling homeowners who have listed their own home for sale. 

8. Prospect Rental & Short-term Rental Ads

Calling the “Home for Rent” and Short-term Rental ads is a great way to find homes for your desperate buyers. Why? Because many investors may be interested in selling in this hot market. With interest rates rising and economic uncertainty everywhere, some investors might be looking to cash out at what they think is the top of the market. 

As a real estate investor myself, I would be interested in selling … if I didn’t have to go through the effort of getting a rented house ready for market. Getting a house “for sale ready” is different than getting a home “rent ready.” 

A “rent ready” home may have white semi-gloss paint, matching trim, and a neutral gray carpet. To get a home “for sale ready” requires nicer features like gray walls with a bright white trim and doors, and nice laminate flooring. Many landlords don’t want to take the chance on updating a property to make it “for sale ready” only to find they didn’t get the price they wanted.

What investors may not realize is that many buyers in this low inventory market are willing to pay nearly the same amount for properties that haven’t been updated as the recently renovated competition. This makes now an outstanding time for an investor to unload some inventory without having to invest the time and money to update their property.

On our team, buyers’ agents call the for rent, VRBO, and Airbnb advertisements to see if an investor is ready to sell. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to coach the buyer to reconsider some of the diamonds in the rough. Worst case scenario, you will have conversations with local rental property owners that might lead to future business. 

9. Coach Your Clients to Consider Aged Listings

If we haven’t found a home that matches our buyers’ needs at this stage, agents on our team still don’t give up. They then coach their clients to reconsider the aged listings (listings that have been for sale for longer than seven days). 

These homes may not be priced as well—or they may even be a little overpriced for the condition—but with a little coaxing, you may get the seller to come down a few dollars. 

Of course, your buyer may have to wait a few more years for the Instagram-perfect kitchen or yard, but they will be able to stop paying rent and start building equity—and that’s what’s important, isn’t it?

If you don’t have your hopeful buyer in a house after all this, it’s time to look in other areas.

10. Take Your Buyers on ‘Turf Tours’ of Other Neighborhoods

While I’m sure this idea has already crossed your mind, you may not have had much success getting a stubborn buyer to look into other areas. Well, I’d like to help you with that! Buyers tend to buy in locations with which they are most familiar. They might want to be close to work, schools, or shopping, or may be trying to invest in an up-and-coming trendy neighborhood.  

This can be difficult if the area they want is priced far above their budget. Some buyers will tell you they would rather rent than to consider moving outside their comfort zone. This can be a huge mistake since homeownership is what is going to help them build enough equity to afford to live in their desired neighborhood someday. 

If they say they want to live in a specific area because of the recreation and lifestyle, then consult them on how they can have a similar lifestyle in another location that is more affordable.

To get clients to consider new areas, our team conducts “Turf Tours.”  First, we ask them to take a ride with us. (Yes, in the same car!) We say, “I have an area I would like to show you. I just have one condition. You can’t ask me where it is until we have already seen the area and some homes.” 

Curious, they will usually agree. To be successful at this, you must remember that you are a consultant, not an order taker. The clients tell you what they want to achieve and why they want to achieve it. Your role is to serve as a consultant who guides them toward reaching their goals.

Bottom Line

This is our strategy for finding homes for buyers in today’s market. Our goal on The Reynolds Team is to serve over 1,000 buyers in 2022. To achieve this, we know we MUST leave no stone unturned when searching for homes. We hope you will do the same. Please share tactics that have worked for you and your team in the comments.

The post The 10-Step Plan My $1 Billion Team Uses to Find Homes for Desperate Buyers appeared first on The Close.

The first step is to take my 10-question real estate sales personality assessment. As a certified MBTI practitioner and real estate coach, I have used this assessment with more than 1,000 people—from brand-new agents to billionaire real estate CEOs. I sincerely hope that it helps you too. 

For this assessment to work for you, you need to take it seriously. If you don’t answer the questions as honestly as possible, the results won’t help you, and they may even lead you down the wrong path. Once you’ve finished the assessment, return here for resources to help you tailor your lead generation approach to your personality. See you soon!

Take My Quiz

The Best Lead Generation Strategies for Every Personality Type

Here is a rough overview of the different lead generation strategies that work for each personality type. Just make sure you take the quiz to find your own real estate sales personality. Below the strategies, we include some helpful resources to get you started.

Why Finding Your ‘True Self’ Will Help You Succeed as an Agent

As Shakespeare said, all the world’s a stage and we all have many roles to play. In my life, I have three main roles: parent, spouse, and real estate agent. Each of these roles requires me to behave and respond accordingly to meet each unique situation.

Think of each role as wearing a different hat. When I am wearing my parent hat, I must be responsible, polite, and calm. My spouse hat helps me to be patient and loving, and when I wear my real estate agent hat, I must be confident, outgoing, and responsive.

But who am I really? Who am I when I’m not a parent, spouse, or real estate agent? What is my true self? The real Sean is the person I have always been. From the time I was four years old, through my twenties, today, and someday, into my sixties. It’s the part of me that doesn’t change. 

In order to succeed at real estate, I had to dig deep and find my true self through tools like the MBTI. I discovered my true self loves reading, learning, and spending long periods alone. This doesn’t sound much like the personality of a nationally recognized, top-producing real estate agent and real estate coach, does it? Fortunately, I have found ways to incorporate the real me into my real estate career so I don’t lose interest or burn out … and so can you!

Why Aligning Your Personality to Your Business Is Crucial to Your Success

Your personality plays a crucial role in your success (or lack of it!) in real estate—but not in the way you might think.

Too many unsuccessful agents try (and fail) to adapt their personalities to “fit in” better as real estate agents. They think they need to be highly extroverted to succeed, so they push themselves way too hard to “become” the fast-talking extrovert they see on “Million Dollar Listing.” This approach is doomed to failure, and at the very least, it’ll make you miserable in your chosen career.

To achieve long-lasting success and happiness in real estate, you must approach your business in a way that’s aligned with your personality. Here’s why. Studies show that changing your personality is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for most people. The scientific evidence is clear. While most people understand that our upbringing and life experiences shape our personalities, modern researchers have discovered that our personalities are also partially determined by genetics. 

So that means the harder you push against your personality type, the more miserable you will be, and the faster you will burn out. I’ve seen this happen many, many, times in my career.

Personality Is Crucial, but Sometimes You Still Need To Eat the Dog Food…

I would love to tell you that you will always enjoy every part of your real estate career, and you will never have to do the things you don’t enjoy, but that would be a lie. While personality is a critical factor in determining your approach to real estate, it’s not the only factor. Your budget and urgency will also play an essential role in determining the best strategy for your success.

Suppose you have an unlimited budget and the time to slowly develop your real estate business over many years. In that case, you could write a blog that ranks number one on Google or become a real estate influencer on social media. I know agents who have done both, but again, it took them years to get to this level. 

Short-term goals and urgency to make money will often require you to do things outside of your comfort zone to achieve the results you want in the time frame you want them. The good news is, we all can “flex” out of our personality preference for short periods of time.

This means that even I can “eat the dog food” and spend a few hours each quarter calling my sphere of influence (SOI) to invite them to an ice cream social. 

However, if we stay outside our comfort zones for long periods, we can become stressed, irritable, or worse, burnt out. This is one of the main reasons many top-producing agents eventually fail. They spend years forcing themselves to work outside of their comfort zone, and eventually, they burn out. Ask me how I know.

As a result, I sought out a personality assessment to help me better understand the agents I was coaching, with a goal of helping them build sustainable real estate careers that complement their strengths. I wanted them to be excited about the business again.

Next Steps: Learn My 16 Strategies for Real Estate Success

Want to stop pushing the boulder up the hill for good? My book, 16 Strategies for Sales, will help you laser-focus your lead generation strategy so that it works seamlessly with your personality, not against it. 

Get the Book

Bottom Line

Knowing your real estate personality will provide you with a deeper understanding of the best approach to grow your real estate business. You can increase your sales by gaining awareness of your personality type and adapting a sales strategy that complements your innate strengths and abilities.

The post What’s Your Real Estate Sales Personality? Take Our Quiz & Find Out appeared first on The Close.

1. Slow Down & Take a Break

Many struggling agents drop out of real estate or pile on more work when they hit a slump of real estate motivation. We want to gently nudge you in a different direction because we bet you can get that motivation back no matter what challenges you’re facing. 

Let’s start with the fact that research increasingly shows that it’s general happiness that drives work satisfaction. Shawn Achor, author of “The Happiness Factor,” argues that 75% of success is predicted by three things: optimism, social connections, and how you perceive stress.

There is an important correlation between burnout and quality of life. So while many people pile on additional busy work when they are struggling, it might backfire and make you feel even more overwhelmed and tired.

Instead, do the opposite.

Let’s focus on that 75% factor. Reducing stressors in your life, changing your schedule, hitting concrete objectives, and working on improving happiness can get your motivation back and help you to begin hitting your goals.

2. Identify & Solve Your Most Pressing Problems 

Your problems are virtually impossible to deal with when they’re tearing around in your head, so take a few minutes in a quiet space to write each one down. They might not look as scary on the page as they do in the deep recesses of your imagination at 3 a.m.

These nagging issues are weighing you down like anchors, literal drags, and will zap you of all real estate motivation. The solution is to develop actionable, concrete plans for each problem. 

Have a medical issue you’ve been putting off? Schedule that doctor’s appointment.

Have toxic friends who only hold you down or stress you out? Got to cut them loose.

Of course, not all the obvious stressors in your life will be this clear-cut, and you probably won’t be able to fix all of them in one day. That’s OK—just do your best and make a plan to address the ones that need more work.

Freeing yourself of anchors allows you to be more optimistic and less stressed so that you can focus on bigger and more complicated problems.

3. Divide & Conquer Your Schedule

Now that you have identified and worked out solutions for some of your stressors, it’s time to tackle your schedule. Scheduling is a common cause of feelings of helplessness and chaos. No one really prepares you for how overwhelming it can be to run your own business.

One important way to conquer your schedule is to be highly specific when assigning tasks. For example, don’t just schedule “lead generation”—schedule specific tasks you want to complete, like “email three warm leads.” Put specific tasks into specific time slots and stick to them. Be sure to schedule your most challenging tasks first thing in the morning when your mind is sharpest. 

Also, try to limit your distractions and interruptions. If you can break up your work into specific tasks, schedule them early, and truly focus on each one, research indicates that you’re more likely to get more done with less time procrastinating. Achieving these small goals will go a long way to helping you regain your real estate motivation.

4. Make Time for Relaxation & Fun

Believe it or not, scheduling time to grab lunch with a friend or go to a fitness class makes you better at your job. If you have a hobby you want to get back to, time with friends you’ve been skipping, or something new you hope to try, it’s time you made it a part of your life.

  Pro Tip

Consider volunteering with an organization related to real estate, like Habitat for Humanity.

Instead of selling a house, build one. You’ll help your community, work some muscles, feel a real sense of accomplishment, and maybe even have a rejuvenated sense of purpose.

5. Lean on the Experts

There are some incredible resources out there from agents and brokers who’ve been in your exact position. Videos, TED Talks, books, and even inspirational quotes can help you find a little kernel of wisdom or a tip for mental fortitude that will help you soldier on when you lose that drive. 

A great starting point is to learn how top agents regained their lost real estate motivation. You’ll gain tips and insights from the experts, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll see that you’re not alone in feeling this way.

Our collection of the 28 best real estate books has a few that are perfect for building motivation, including Angela Duckworth’s “Grit” and Leigh Brown’s “Outrageous Authenticity.” We find ourselves coming back to these again and again.

We also have a selection of our favorite 19 TED Talks that specifically speak to building real estate agent motivation. Dan Pink’s “How Motivation Can Be Hacked to Take Your Career to the Next Level” and Kelly McGonigal’s “How to Make Stress Your Friend” are especially helpful. 

And if you enjoy videos, check out our 27 best YouTube channels for real estate agents and our own YouTube channel, where you’ll find content like our Top 5 Real Estate Productivity Hacks.

Podcasts can be another way to tap into motivational expert advice and experience. We have our own podcast, The Close Weekly, where we bet you’ll find some helpful resources, and we also have this list of nine other excellent podcasts that agents should listen to every day. 

If you’re short on time, check out our compilation of 89 motivational quotes, which speak to failure and success and offer genuine wisdom. We especially love one from Terrica Lynn Smith, a broker, author, and motivational speaker: “…you need to be courageous, even when things come up against you … you need to be vibrant because your energy is what’s going to attract your business.”

6. Be Receptive to New Ideas

As you dive into these quotes, books, and videos, remember that you have a lot of control over how you receive all of this expert advice. 

According to Stanford professor Carol Dweck, there are two mindsets that people typically have: a fixed mindset, where individuals believe they simply have certain traits and can’t change, and a growth mindset, where people believe there is no limit to what they can accomplish.

According to Dr. Dweck’s research, people with growth mindsets generally take more chances and have greater success. She argues that someone with a growth mindset sees challenges as exciting, focuses on the process of building, tracks trial and error, forgives imperfection, and develops grit and persistence.

So as you’re looking to the experts to help you regain your motivation for success in real estate, remember to focus on maintaining that growth mindset.  

7. Revisit Your Goals & Set Some New Ones

We bet at some point in your career, you’ve set some goals for yourself—where you want to be in a year, three years, and five years. Maybe you’ve even broken it down into financial and personal goals.

Take some time to revisit these goals and think about what is actionable and what can be achieved long term. For example, maybe you want to hit a certain number in sales, but your weekly goals need to be broken down to more actionable to-do’s and tasks. Did you set a goal to make 100 calls a week (20 per day), and you hit that goal? Congratulations! 

8. Level Up With a Checklist

While we strongly encourage you not to pile on work for yourself when you need a reset, there are opportunities for leveling up that feel manageable and concrete. Ask yourself, do you see ways to be challenged? An area where you can practice or stretch yourself?

At The Close, we love checklists. When you feel that loss of motivation, these actionable step-by-step guides might be just the thing to lead you out of it. Here is a list of our favorites that could help you bump up to the next professional level and reach some of your loftier objectives.

9. Tap Into Your Creative Side

If you’re feeling a little burned out by the business side of things, consider taking a break to focus on something business-related but creative. Consider a new logo, business card, or maybe make an infographic. Tap into that right brain for a little while and have some fun with our guides, templates, and generators for branding and marketing.

• Real Estate Branding: How to Build Your Brand (+ Case Studies)
• The Best & Worst Real Estate Logos of 2022 (+ Pro Design Tips)
• 89 Creative Real Estate Company Names (+ Our Name Generator 2.0)
• 107 Best Real Estate Slogans & Taglines (+ Slogan Generator)
• The Best & Worst Real Estate Business Cards of 2022
• 97 Real Estate Infographics + How to Make Your Own & Go Viral
• Canva for Real Estate Agents: The Ultimate Guide for 2022

10. Consider Taking a Course With Actionable Content

There are plenty of real estate courses that promise maximum success with minimal effort. But we’ve found one that’s a little different, and it might be just the kind of class you need. 

Ryan Serhant, of “Million Dollar Listing New York” and SERHANT., has put together a crash course on branding and sales called “Sell It Like Serhant.” You can read our in-depth review here, but its strength is that it’s extremely actionable. He and his fellow instructors lay out a clear strategy, complete with step-by-step guides and an in-depth workbook. 

It’s not cheap, but if you’re really looking for something to shake it all up, this course could be the key to rethinking your entire professional strategy. 

Learn More

Bonus Tip: Take a Deep Breath

Yes, I know. It’s a cliche. But it’s a cliche because it works. 

Stop whatever it is your doing and breathe along with the animation below for at least a full minute:

Keep practicing your breathing whenever you feel the stress taking over, and take a look at our article on meditation for some beneficial videos.

Bringing It All Together

You can do this! And we’re here to help. 

Conquering your lack of motivation takes courage and a lot of chutzpah, but if you trust these tips, you’ll come out the other side feeling better and back on track. 

After all, the sparks of motivation begin when you start seeing the possibility of what you can do, not when you’re focusing on what other people are doing.

Over to You

We hope we’ve given you some strategies to get back on track. If you’re someone who has gone through bouts of a lack of real estate motivation and have some wisdom to share, please let us know in the comments.

The post What To Do When You Lose Your Motivation as a Realtor appeared first on The Close.

At The Close, our mission is to deliver actionable advice to our readers, so we tapped four highly successful leaders in luxury real estate to ask what #BreakTheBias means to them, how they’re helping to lift up other women in real estate and their communities, and how everyone in our industry can to do the same. Their responses were so compelling that we’re sharing them in their entirety.

Tricia Lee, Leader of the Sold By Tricia Lee Team at SERHANT.

Tricia Lee is the leader of the Sold By Tricia Lee Team at SERHANT. and a former entrepreneur and small business owner in Brooklyn. She has sold over $100 million in total sales volume over the course of her career and has a special focus on educating women on the value of homeownership, hosting various workshops on the buying process, financial fitness, and more. Tricia was previously named among the Top Black Real Estate Brokers in Brooklyn. 

What advice would you give to other women to overcome the unique challenges that women face in our industry?

I think a large part of my success is a practice I have of asking myself, “what would (just) the average male do?” I know that it sounds funny or even simple, but there are distinct differences in how men show up in the workplace that I try to learn from. I ask myself if I’m explaining too much. Am I more focused on the task than the outcome? I want to put my efforts into actions that will make a huge impact and not just try to. 

I also ask myself if something actually requires an apology or is this just me feeling the need to. I just know as women, we must remind ourselves that we are a vital part of every conversation and problem solve. 

  Pro Tip

“I remind myself to show up boldly and take up space because my contributions are huge and anyone who gets the benefit of my time and my work is better for it.”

I try to acknowledge behavior that is not reflective of my true worth and edit. First off, if I’m in a room or conversation, I’m making a significant contribution. I have great ideas, knowledge, connections, and access. I remind myself to show up boldly and take up space because my contributions are huge and anyone who gets the benefit of my time and my work is better for it. That’s not about arrogance but it certainly is about confidence, and women need to have that or fake that until they truly feel that way. We are not lucky to be part of something—they are lucky to have us, and that is a mental shift more than anything, at least for me. 

What active steps do you take to lift up other women in our industry and/or in your community?

While I sell real estate day in day out, my passion project is the work I do in real estate around women’s financial education. I have my personal event series, “Money Matters w/ Tricia Lee,” which is a one-day financial wellness workshop held at SERHANT. House NYC that focuses on financial education, home ownership, and building wealth.

We learn about everything from retirement planning, home ownership, and wealth building to creating better money habits and saving. I consider this to be my way of contributing to the inequities and I dedicate a portion of my business proceeds to these causes. It also gives me a unique opportunity to work with the women within my community and even my friends. 

Mentorship is another way I believe women can uplift other women. I have three mentees for the last decade-plus and mentors around me as well.

What suggestions would you make to men in leadership roles in our industry to do the same?

I think my advice to men in leadership roles would be to just bring as many perspectives as you can to your company and to your work; you do that by taking stock of the workforce, the management, and the leadership. Do you see diversity there? Do you believe that the members of your organization are set up to support your goals by having a vast amount of perspectives, backgrounds, and skill sets? To me, that is truly effective in breaking the bias—focus on representation.

  Pro Tip

“Do you believe that the members of your organization are set up to support your goals by having a vast amount of perspectives, backgrounds, and skill sets? To me, that is truly effective in breaking the bias—focus on representation.”

How can women leverage our natural abilities for networking (or other abilities) to succeed in real estate?

I think another key way to network is by finding ways to celebrate the accomplishments of your peers and highlighting women’s causes. This comes across in your messaging, the causes you highlight and financially support.

What unique attributes or skills do women bring to the luxury space that lead us to success?

Tell me about any women mentors or leaders who helped you achieve success. How did they do so?

Carolina Bravo, Leader of the 212 Bravo Team at SERHANT.

Carolina Bravo is the leader of the 212 Bravo Team at SERHANT. and has been in the real estate industry for more than 20 years. She has closed over $500 million in total sales volume in her career. She currently holds the listing for Kerry Washington’s former penthouse at 50 Riverside Blvd. for $25 million. She is also the host of ¡Vamos!, a SERHANT. Studios-produced series featuring property tours in Spanish. (Watch here and here.)

Do you have any advice for up & coming women in our industry to help them succeed & #BreakTheBias? 

The best advice I can give to up-and-coming women in our industry is to have a structured daily routine. I’m a big planner and I find that being structured and organized helps me save time and work smarter. I spend each day physically and mentally mapping out the next day, shifting my schedule if needed, and leaving time to prepare for listing presentations and meetings with other colleagues. And always ensuring I spend time with loved ones.

  Pro Tip

“Once a quarter, evaluate your schedule to see what’s working and what’s not. Make minor adjustments for higher productivity.”

What advice would you give to other women to overcome the unique challenges that women face in our industry?

I find that many women in real estate assume that working 1,000 miles per hour will help them grow quickly. But in reality, it can lead to stress, mental fatigue, or burnout. Establish boundaries and your non-negotiables. Once a quarter, evaluate your schedule to see what’s working and what’s not. Make minor adjustments for higher productivity. Prioritize exercise and sleep and get closer to nature to release some of that stress. Make sure you take time off from work and take some “Me Time” to recharge.

What active steps do you take to lift up other women in our industry and/or in your community? 

I like to pay it forward by committing the time and energy to mentor younger women in my industry, making sure their ideas are heard and giving them direct feedback that can help them learn and grow.

Kayla Lee, Leader of the Kayla Lee Team at SERHANT.

Kayla Lee is the leader of The Kayla Lee Team specializing in the Manhattan, Astoria, and Long Island City markets. Kayla has closed over $350 million in total sales volume since founding her team six years ago, and has led sellouts at multiple new development projects, including the CORTE and The Harrison. Kayla is fluent in Korean and volunteers her time as a translator for Korean immigrants. She is also a local Long Island City entrepreneur and small business owner with a vintage barbershop.

Do you have any advice for up & coming women in our industry to help them succeed & #BreakTheBias?

My advice for up-and-coming women in the real estate industry would be to keep a positive attitude, value and celebrate diversity, and to create and foster an inclusive environment. Every attempt to go above and beyond and to raise each other up is a small victory!

What advice would you give to other women to overcome the unique challenges that women face in our industry?

I would encourage women to overcome unique challenges in our industry by creating a “webbed” support system—SEEK a mentor and pay it forward by BEING a mentor. Who would understand your unique situation more than another woman in business? I have three mentors I keep in touch with who give me solid advice and guidance. I do the same for new women in our industry and provide guidance. This has become an amazing network of strong women I constantly go back to—and we have forged a great friendship as well.

  Pro Tip

“I would encourage women to overcome unique challenges in our industry by creating a ‘webbed’ support system—SEEK a mentor and pay it forward by BEING a mentor.” 

What active steps do you take to lift up other women in our industry and/or in your community?

I usually try to take on the role of mentoring one to two women, whether in the real estate industry or outside of it. Someone who’s just starting out, or who I have something in common with—like a mom who is coming back to work and is struggling to find work/life balance, or someone who has two to three businesses that they need to streamline. I also seek out my mentors and keep in touch—this helps me to form a great network of women in business.

What suggestions would you make to men in leadership roles in our industry to do the same?

We live in a world where men and women alike achieve amazing feats. I would suggest that men in leadership roles keep up with the changing times, to foster an inclusive environment, and not allow biases and stereotypes to limit growth. 

How can women leverage our natural abilities for networking (or other abilities) to succeed in luxury real estate?

Women naturally congregate, chatting with other moms, sisters, friends, a cafe get-together, or via a book club or cooking class. There are many natural networking opportunities that men may not take advantage of on a regular basis. 

My first great opportunities in the luxury real estate market came from neighborhood moms who knew I had previously been in banking and trusted me with the sale of their home. One sale led to another referral, as all the moms in the area were close-knit and I was able to prove my sales skills one sale at a time.

“Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” was the theme for the UN’s commemoration of International Women’s Day this March.

How does equality impact sustainability & what does this theme mean to you?

Tell me about any women mentors or leaders who helped you achieve success. How did they do so?

Abigail Palanca, Leader of The Palanca Team at SERHANT.

Abigail Palanca is the leader of The Abigail Palanca team, an all-women team at SERHANT. that’s focused on the Brooklyn market. Under Abby’s leadership, the team has closed over $245 million in total sales volume since its founding five years ago.

Do you have any advice for up & coming women in our industry to help them succeed & #BreakTheBias? 

You have to believe in yourself and believe not only that you can be successful—and will be—but that you deserve a seat at the table as much as any man. There is no substitute for hard work but there is also no substitute for confidence. In my career, my success has also come with some guilt—am I as much of a present parent or partner as I can be?—because as a woman, when you’re building a business and running a team, it often feels like you are always making a sacrifice. Be confident that you can do ALL THINGS—I think authentic belief in yourself is key. 

I also think it’s incredibly important that we as women champion one another. There is empowering energy created when we support one another. It’s important to remember that if one of us is behind, we are all behind. So, amplify together.

  Pro Tip

“You have to believe in yourself and believe not only that you can be successful—and will be—but that you deserve a seat at the table as much as any man.”

What active steps do you take to lift up other women in our industry and/or in your community? 

I love mentoring women in the industry. I lead an all-women team that I am incredibly proud of, and I make a conscious effort to really show them that they are limitless in all things. 

You should set lofty goals, you shouldn’t be afraid to call yourself an expert—be confident in your role, set your sights on what you want, and anything can be achieved if you are willing to put in the work. 

I also am cognizant of the challenges women—especially mothers—face in various stages of our lives. Very often our identity is tied to the role that we play, and we can lose ourselves. It’s important to always keep in mind that we are not just a mom, partner, wife, daughter—we can wear many hats at once and be great at all of them. 

What suggestions would you make to men in leadership roles in our industry to do the same? 

We have come a long way, but we have a long way to go. I once had a man in a senior leadership position ask me if my husband was the decision-maker when it came to making changes in my career. That question would never be asked of a man. To have closed over $100M in sales last year and have someone ask me if my husband approved of MY decisions in MY career felt like a slap in the face. Men in the industry need to recognize the strengths women possess and they need to truly start seeing and treating us as their equal. 

How can women leverage our natural abilities for networking (or other abilities) to succeed in luxury real estate? 

I find that most of my women colleagues can easily empathize with those around them, and I think it’s one of the reasons so many women are wildly successful in real estate. The power of human connection is so important. Clients want to be seen, heard, and understood. Women are pretty damn good at that!

What unique attributes or skills do women bring to the luxury space that lead us to success?

Tell me about women mentors or leaders who helped you achieve success. How did they do so?

Over to You

What steps can we take to successfully forge women’s equality and break unconscious bias in the real estate industry? Please share in the comments the ways that you’ve been successful and together, let’s help #BreakTheBias.

The post 4 NYC Luxury Agents on How to #BreakTheBias in Real Estate appeared first on The Close.

The solution is to create a lead generation plan that leverages your unique personality. Today, we’re going to help you create a custom plan that fits your personality and fills your pipeline with leads and referral opportunities.

Assessment: Determine Your Unique Sales Personality

Your unique personality should be the key consideration when selecting strategies for your lead generation plan. Have you ever considered that there may be a lead generation strategy that aligns with your goals, past experiences, and personality? You don’t have to like or enjoy every lead generation strategy—some are going to be better for you than others.

How to Determine Your Unique Sales Personality

Using the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and the DiSC Assessment, I created the 16 Strategies for Sales Personality Assessment. This assessment is designed to help you learn about your unique sales personality, which will help you become a more effective, successful, and happier salesperson.

Take the free 16 Strategies Sales Assessment on my website, 16 Strategies.com. It should only take five minutes.

Now that you have a better understanding of your unique personality, let’s go through my five-step formula to create a plan that is just right for you.

My 5-Step Lead Generation Selection Formula

With this 5-Step Lead Generation Selection Formula, you’ll create a lead generation plan that you’ll actually stick to. If you’re ready to start creating your plan today, download the Lead Generation Plan Worksheet.

Download the Lead Generation Plan Worksheet

1. Begin With Your Goal

When it comes to getting leads, a goal is simply a destination with a deadline. It defines where you want to go and when you want to get there. All of the decisions you make about your real estate business must align with your goals. 

As a coach, I’ve found that when agents aren’t achieving the results they want, it’s usually because they are out of alignment with their goals, or even worse, they haven’t set concrete goals. They then find themselves jumping from idea to idea and strategy to strategy with no real plan.

How to Set Concrete Goals & Actually Get Results

Setting concrete goals is as simple as asking yourself three questions. Don’t skip this step! The answers to these questions will form the blueprint for creating your lead generation strategies.

• What do you want to achieve? (Be specific!)
• When do you want to achieve it?
• How long do you have before you must produce income?

Now that you have set or refined your goals, we can take a closer look at your sales personality, which will help you select the best mix of strategies to deploy.

2. Match Your Strategies to Your Personality Type

You have your results from my 16 Strategies Sales Assessment. If you don’t, go back and take it! This information will help you select lead generation activities that align with your strengths and reconsider the ones you might find challenging or emotionally draining.

The Success Cycle

We all can “flex” out of our personality for a period of time. However, when we stay out of our preferred strategies for too long, we become stressed and irritable. This is one of the main reasons new agents fail so often—they spend too much time working outside their comfort zone and burn out.

The secret is finding lead generation strategies that align with your personality and don’t require you to flex out too often. When you do, you may find that you actually enjoy lead generation. Your positivity will lead to more appointments, and more appointments lead to more contracts—which generates inspiration, excitement, and passion.

It really is that simple. I call this the Success Cycle.

The key to remaining in the Success Cycle is engaging in lead generation that you naturally enjoy—activities that are in sync with your unique personality.

3. Identify Your Available Resources

Putting together the right lead generation plan means taking a serious look at your resources. Every agent has unique experiences and opportunities that will help create success in sales. You just have to figure out what they are and how to benefit from them.

How to Identify & Assess Available Resources

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Who do I know who can help me reach my goal faster?
• Specifically, what can they provide or teach me?

Next, consider your education and work experience. School and work provide both skills and knowledge to help you achieve your goal. Ask yourself:

• What advantage do I have from my education to help me reach my goals?
• What knowledge from my work experience can help me achieve my goals?
• What skills have I already developed from my previous experiences?
• What other experiences benefit my real estate goals?

Lastly, identify what lead generation opportunities you have: tools, systems, and resources in your company or association. To identify these resources, ask yourself:

• What lead generation systems does my company provide?
• What lead generation education is available to me?
• What other resources can provide lead generation systems, tools, and education?

Define Your Budget & Brokerage Resources

You’ll need to consider your budget in your lead generation plan. Some lead generation strategies are more expensive than others, so be sure you’re adhering to a careful budget. 

Research and utilize resources that are offered by your brokerage, like lead management systems, FSBO (For Sale By Owner) and expired leads, advertising, and consumer apps.

Now that you have identified your unique resources, we can discover the lead generation options available to you—and how they work with your budget.

4. Explore Lead Generation Options & Costs

It’s simply impossible to cover every lead generation strategy available to agents, but we’ve compiled 37 Underrated Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas for 2022 to get your wheels turning. 

Choosing the right mix of strategies can be overwhelming. To make it easier, I categorized the strategies by active and passive, cost, time commitment, and lead quality.

Active vs Passive Lead Generation Methods

Active lead generation methods are strategies where you control the result. For example, calling FSBOs (For Sale By Owner) to get listing appointments is active because you can continue to call FSBOs until you find a seller willing to meet with you. You control your lead-generating actions.

With passive lead generation strategies, you can’t control the result. For example, marketing is passive because you can’t control how many people contact you on a given day.

Some strategies can be both active or passive, depending on the activity. For example, having a booth at a local bridal show is considered active if the agent engages with prospects. But, if the agent just stands behind the booth, waiting for the prospects to engage, it’s considered a passive strategy.

Prioritize Your Optimal Lead Generation Strategies

Begin by reviewing and ranking the lead generation strategies that fit your personality. Next, create a list of them organized by cost and lead conversion time. Ask yourself these probing questions:

• What are lead generation strategies already available to me?
• Do I have access to free or discounted lead generation strategies?
• What is my budget to spend on lead generation systems?

Let’s put it all together and create a blended lead generation plan that includes everything we just discussed.

5. Create Your Custom Lead Generation Plan

Now that you have reviewed your goals, deepened your understanding of your personality, uncovered resources, and analyzed options, it’s time to select the best strategies for your lead generation plan.

You should choose at least three strategies—but no more than four. Like the legs of a table, your business can’t stand on just one or two strategies—a table is stable with three legs but stronger with four.

Pinpoint Your Pillar Strategy

At least one of the strategies you select should be active, which ensures that you will have the ability to generate leads even when times are slow. We call this your Pillar Strategy. You will need to hold yourself accountable to your Pillar Strategy on a weekly or monthly basis.

Choose Your Support Strategies

Your Support Strategies work to enhance your Pillar Strategy, and they can be a mix of active and passive ones. Remember to take into consideration your resources, budget, and the time your overall plan will take to convert leads.

As part of your overall plan, you should manage your sphere of influence (SOI) database by contacting leads, following a marketing plan, and holding small events. Managing your SOI database will ensure a consistent stream of repeat and referral clientele.

Use this list of questions to guide you in designing your own unique lead generation plan.

• Which lead generation strategies are available at low or no cost to me?
• Which lead generation strategies do I already have experience with?
• Which lead generation strategies excite me?
• Which lead generation strategy is in alignment with my personality?
• Which lead generation strategies have I already tried?
• Which lead generation strategies did I enjoy or dislike?

Real Estate Lead Generation Plan Worksheet

Now that you know my step-by-step formula, it’s time to put it into action! Download the lead generation plan worksheet and create your own custom real estate lead generation plan.

Download the Lead Generation Plan Worksheet

How I Developed the Lead Generation Plan That Transformed My Career

I have had several different lead generation plans in my real estate career. My unique strength is educating people, and my preferred method is speaking to groups. Writing and public speaking allow me to work within my strengths and achieve my goals.

A few years ago, I ran a real estate investment group and was often a guest speaker at other groups. Offering education was my Pillar Strategy. My other three strategies were managing my SOI database, advertising investment properties, and seeking out business-to-business opportunities.

The advertising generated leads who were then invited to hear me speak about real estate investing. The customers generated through the speaking and advertising were presented as potential buyers to homebuilders and banks with foreclosed properties. In the four years I ran this lead generation plan, my team and I closed on more than 2,000 homes!

---

Over to You

Now that you have completed your custom lead generation plan based on your personality, resources, options, and most importantly, your goals, you’re set up to accomplish something great! If you want to deepen your understanding of how the strengths of your personality can help you be successful in sales, I invite you to read my book on sales personalities.

Do you have a lead generation tactic we didn’t mention here? We invite you to share your success stories in the comments. If you’re an active agent, join our Facebook Mastermind Group to learn and share with other agents nationwide.

The post How to Create a Custom Real Estate Lead Generation Plan (+ Template) appeared first on The Close.

General Real Estate Quotes

1. “A forever real estate agent understands that the concept of home is predicated on the many changes life can bring, and it doesn’t start—or end—with the transaction.”

― Gino Blefari, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services CEO

2. “Good intentions and a desire to help people alone will at best lead you to a mediocre career in real estate.”

― Sean Moudry

3. “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”

― Anonymous

5. “Success in real estate comes down to two factors: taking care of and valuing the customer.”

― Michael Miedler, Century 21 CEO

6. “Paradise is a state of being, more than just the name of a suburb or a home.”

― Raquel Cepeda

7. “A real estate agent has two property listings. Now add 11 more. What does the agent have now? Happiness. That agent has happiness.”

― Tim Dulany

8. “You need to fear not having the business more than you fear calling your leads.”

― Beverly Ruffner, Real Estate Coach

10. “People say they get into real estate for ‘freedom,’ but if you have a lot of freedom, you’re probably not selling any houses!”

― Dana Galli, HM Properties

11. “The noise you almost always hear in life and business is the scream of the urgent, drowning out the whisper of the important.”

― Adam Contos, RE/MAX CEO

Download 70+ Quotes to Share on Social Media

12. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”

― Jim Rohn

13. “If you’re in your 20s, 30s, or 40s and you’re entrepreneurially minded like I am, I don’t think the best strategy for you is to buy a home.”

― Gary Vaynerchuk

14. “If you don’t adopt disruptive technology, you will be disrupted.”

― Brad Inman

15. “No is the killer of dreams. No is the killer of great ideas. It’s the end of a conversation.”

― Robert Reffkin, Compass CEO

16. “Life is beautiful—but you have to work at it to make it so.”

— Mary Mouritsen, Founder of Barefoot Bungalow Homes

17. “The sales universe only rewards based on the results you provide and your ability to communicate the value of those results to the customer.”

― Sean Moudry

18. “Keep calm and trust your Realtor.”

― Anonymous

19. “There are fashions in building. Behind the fashions lie economic and technological reasons, and these fashions exclude all but a few genuinely different possibilities in city dwelling construction at any one time.”

― Jane Jacobs

20. “Don’t be the guy who shows up at the potluck with just a fork.”

― Dave Liniger @ICNY

21. “I can find you a great apartment, in a great neighborhood, for a low price. Pick two.”

― Emile L’Eplattenier

22. “The most important asset you can own in your business is the attention of your customer. If you don’t own it, someone else does.”

― Adam Contos, RE/MAX CEO

23. “A funny thing happens in real estate. When it comes back, it comes back up like gangbusters.”

― Barbara Corcoran

24. “Landlords grow rich in their sleep.”

― John Stuart Mill

25. “One saying that needs to have its proverbial status revoked is the well-known real estate adage, ‘Buy the worst house in the best neighborhood.’”

― Spencer Rascoff, Co-founder of Zillow

27. “Owning a home is a keystone of wealth, both financial affluence and emotional security.”

― Suze Orman

Funny Real Estate Quotes

28. “You don’t have to be too bright to get into real estate.”

― David Lichtenstein

29. “I need your listing, I already sold all of mine.”

― Anonymous

30. “Buildings don’t move, but neighborhoods change all the time.”

― Anonymous

31. “I had probably seven agents by the time I became a legitimate real estate broker.”

― Barbara Corcoran

32. “YOLO = You Only List Once … when you list with me!”

― Anonymous

33. “To my real estate agent, Chernobyl is a fixer-upper.”

― Yakov Smirnoff

34. “I would do dry January, but I’m a real estate agent.”

― The Broke Agent

35. “If you want to get rich in real estate, sell things to Realtors.”

― Anonymous

36. “In real estate, you make 10% of your money because you’re a genius and 90% because you catch a great wave.”

― Jeff Greene

Insightful Real Estate Quotes

37. “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”

― Bruce Lee

38. “If you circle above Central Park at night in a helicopter, you’re looking down at the most expensive real estate in the world. It’s the American Monopoly board.”

― Ridley Scott

39. “Great agents are not constrained by opportunity—they’re constrained by capacity.”

— Guy Gal, Side CEO

40. “Perhaps the secret to making a billion dollars in real estate is that there is no secret.”

― David Lichtenstein

41. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

42. “The real estate market doesn’t care about your feelings.”

― The Broke Agent

43. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

— Winston Churchill

44. “If you are not in the process of becoming the person you want to be, you are automatically engaged in becoming the person you don’t want to be.”

― Dale Carnegie

45. “A complainer is like a Death Eater because there’s a suction of negative energy. You can catch a great attitude from great people.”

― Barbara Corcoran

Motivational Real Estate Quotes

46. “You need to be courageous, even when things come up against you … you need to be vibrant because your energy is what’s going to attract your business.”

― Terrica Lynn Smith, Broker, Author, Speaker

47. “You will be amazed at how you can predict the future with your confidence.”

― Ryan Serhant

48. “Do not let any obstacles stop you. Where there are obstacles, there are also great opportunities.”

― Dottie Herman

49. “If you’re committed to it, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.”

― Adam Contos, RE/MAX CEO

51. “I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.”

― Warren Buffet

52. “Routine is the sign of an ambitious individual.”

― Attributed to Tom Ferry

53. “Be willing to eat, sleep, and breathe the business. Success doesn’t sleep and it doesn’t wait for anyone.”

― Dottie Herman

54. “Never let people who chose the path of least resistance steer you away from your chosen path of most resistance.”

― David Goggins

55. “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

― Chinese Proverb

56. “It’s OK to have your eggs in one basket as long as you control what happens to that basket.”

― Elon Musk

57. “The highest levels of success don’t come from more grinding, they come from more alignment.”

— Brett Jennings, Founder of Real Estate Experts

58. “Never let obstacles stop you; figure out a way around it. Be real and authentic. Be passionate about what you are doing.”

― Dottie Herman

59. “Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it away from you.”

― Mark Cuban

60. “If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”

― Unknown

62. “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.”

― Andrew Carnegie

63. “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”

― Zig Ziglar

64. “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

― Tony Robbins

65. “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

― Edmund Hillary

66. “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

— Vince Lombardi

67. “There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”

― Aristotle

68. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

― Anne Frank

69. “Don’t get mad at yourself for being someone you’re not. Just know who you are, then find the ways to let that person be as successful as possible.”

― Josh Altman

70. “Like bathing, motivation doesn’t last. That’s why we recommend it daily.”

― Zig Ziglar

71. “Surround yourself with players in the industry and those important to you. In this business, your immediate circle can be your next paycheck.”

– Jaréd Goodloe, Real Estate Agent, Compass

Real Estate Negotiation Quotes

72. “You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.”

― J. Paul Getty

73. “Never forget the power of silence, that massively disconcerting pause that goes on and on and may at last induce an opponent to babble and backtrack nervously.”

― Lance Morrow

74. “Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way.”

― Sir David Frost

75. “Allow other people to speak first; the important factor is not who talks … it’s who listens.”

― Ilana Eberson

76. “Just because someone’s nodding along doesn’t mean they’re comprehending everything you’re saying. Be disciplined about pausing, checking in, and making sure you’re on the same page.”

— Christina Woo, Founder of Canopy Realty

Real Estate Sales Quotes

77. “Make a customer, not a sale.”

― Katherine Barchetti

78. “The consistency of your actions directly correlates with the consistency of your income.”

— Melissa Sofia, Founder of Avenue Home Collective

79. “Every sale has five obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust.”

― Zig Ziglar

81. “In business, you’re the Chief Salesman. Create a sense of demand, rather than waiting to have demand.”

― Barbara Corcoran

82. “Being a real estate investor is almost essential to being a real estate agent.”

— Anthony Navarro, Founder of Harper Real Estate

83. “Don’t sit around waiting for your broker to feed you, because you will starve.”

― Terrica Lynn Smith, Broker, Author, Speaker

84. “I think people in real estate always love to say that real estate is local, and that is always 1,000% true. It’s also very situational … listening to what your clients tell you about what their circumstances are, what their motivations are, what they need, when they need to accomplish it, and come up with a plan and a strategy around that.”

– Nicole Beauchamp, Real Estate Agent, Engel & Völkers

Real Estate Marketing & Advertising Quotes

85. “Without interest, you’re plain white toast. Boring. Uninteresting. Seen it. Heard it. Moving on.”

― Jessica Swesey, Partner and Chief Copywriter, 1000watt

86. “Learn how to leverage technology, because that’s going to put you into this next generation of how business is being done.”

― Chad Nash, Ph.D., Real Estate Agent, Philanthropist.

87. “Your brand is a promise. It tells clients what the experience of working with you will be like.”

— Kofi Nartey, Founder of GLOBL RED

88. “On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents out of your dollar.”

― David Ogilvy

89. “Wealth exists in the gap between ideas and their implementation.”

— Brett Jennings, Founder of Real Estate Experts

Over to You

Have a great real estate quote that you think needs to be on your list? Let us know in the comments.

The post 89 Motivational Real Estate Quotes You Haven’t Heard 1,000 Times appeared first on The Close.

Many super-successful agents practice meditation every morning, and you can learn how in just a few minutes. I’ll walk you through easy meditation techniques and four meditations you can use between showings, cold calls, or whenever you have a moment to close your eyes and reset.

Why Is Stress in Our Lives Anyway?

Burnout. I’ve seen it happen again and again with my coaching clients over the years. They either try to ‘power through’ the stress, or worse, fall into the ‘work hard, play hard’ trap and end up closing the bar every night. A recipe for disaster!

Stress comes from our survival instinct. Back when humans faced dangers like being chased by a tiger, it was good to have that prompt in our bodies to say run like hell to survive. Unfortunately, our body doesn’t know the difference between being chased by a tiger and the stress we experience when trapped behind a driver going below the speed limit in the fast lane.

Even worse, we hang onto stress because, after all, that person made us late for our appointment. We carry stress with us until something else happens in our day, and it accumulates. We all know these days that go off the rails—every client has a problem, financing is falling through, closing is delayed, the home inspection was a failure.

Meditation balances stress and anxiety within your nervous system and awakens the part of your brain that wants peace and rest. Meditation is a shortcut to shift your thoughts and energy into something productive instead of destructive.

Getting Over the Weirdness of Meditation

When I first tried to meditate, there was little or no guidance to help me learn how. I always thought I needed to close my eyes, cross my legs and chant “om.” Well, I don’t know about you, but that just seemed weird. Yet I still attempted it because it seemed like the right thing to do. I saw pictures of monks doing it so it must be the way. After a few minutes, my mind was trying to figure out why I was doing this.

Next, my thoughts became consumed with my “forgot to do” list. Oh, I have to send so and so an email … oh I have to call so and so … shoot, I forgot to call my mom back. What was all this really accomplishing anyway? Can you relate?

Meditation can be really simple and NOT weird if you build the right habits. Trust me, when you get on the other side of this, you will wonder how you functioned without it. And now everyone else who hasn’t experienced meditation will seem weird to you.

The Secret to Effective Meditation

Your mind does not understand lingo such as “stop thinking” or language when we try to tell it what to do. We have to trick the brain and change the subconscious through mindset, breathing, and intention-setting.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: No expectations

• Start without having any expectation of stopping your mind or relieving stress.

Step 2: Don’t be hard on yourself

Step 3: Have an intention as a mantra

• An affirmation that resonates with you (I am enough, I take action, I achieve my goals, I am abundant, all my needs are met, and so on)

Step 4: Bring yourself back to your breath

• Do a body scan from head to toe, focusing on all the parts of your body that you recognize are holding a little tension.
• Know that thoughts will come.
• Recognize them.
• Welcome them and move on to the next thought.

Every time you do this you will have a different experience. It WILL get easier with time.

4 Easy Meditations for Agents to Try in 2022

Now that you have the “secret” to meditation, you need to apply it! Most of our excuses run along the lines of: I don’t have time; I can’t meditate because I’m working; the kids need me for something. But don’t let that stop you. Here are some easy and practical meditations you can try while still having time for all the things on your to-do list.

On-the-Go Meditation: Eyes Open (2-5 Minutes)

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1. Start by inhaling through your nose for 2 counts.
2. Then exhale through your mouth for 4 counts.
3. Breathe in through your nose and imagine you’re smelling the scent of the beach.
4. Hold that breath for a moment
5. Then exhale through your mouth, imagining that you’re fogging up a mirror.
6. Repeat this exercise for at least three breath cycles.

Calm & Cool Meditation: Eyes Open (1 Minute)

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1. Roll your tongue like a straw 
2. Breathe in for a count of 5 and out for a count of 5, letting both the inhale and the exhale flow through your tongue like a straw. 
3. Allow the sensation of the air moving over your tongue to create a cooling sensation in the body and the belly.
4. Breathe in 5
5. Breathe Out 5

Mindfulness Meditation: Eyes Closed (15 Minutes)

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The first part of getting into meditation is to bring awareness to the present moment and drop any expectations of what meditation “should” look like. Be comfortable, preferably in a quiet, dimmer-lit setting, although you should know this is not necessary to get results. 

Begin with…

Mindfulness – Awareness – Consciousness – In the Moment – Now – Reflection 

1. Get comfortable.
2. Keep your back supported.
3. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and on your exhale, let go of any heaviness you may be feeling.
   • Pay attention to the noises that are surrounding you.
   • Accept them as part of your experience, from the loudest noise for a few breaths to the subtlest of sounds for a couple of breaths.
   • Bring your awareness to all the sounds happening around you now.
   • Take a few breaths, just listening to it all.
   • Now, take a deep inhale and put your focus on your body and any tension you may be feeling.
   • Do you have your shoulders up around your ears? Is your back tense? Your neck?
   • Exhale any tension or stiffness away.
   • Inhale. How do our hands feel on your lap? Does your back feel supported? Do your feet feel connected with the Earth? How is your breath—is it fast, shallow, cool, or warm?
   • Be careful not to judge yourself and your thoughts right now.
4. Take a few breaths.
   • What are you seeing right now? (Yes, with eyes closed.)
   • Do you see darkness? Orbs of light? Do you see color, shapes?
   • What are the sensations that you are feeling?
   • Notice your other senses. Are there any tastes in your mouth?
   • What about smells? Do you smell anything recognizable? Or something you don’t quite recognize? Maybe something you would like to smell right now?
5. Take a couple of breaths.
   • Now bring all your senses together, experiencing it all. The loudest sounds, the softest sounds, any tension or tightness, brightness or darkness, taste, smell.
   • Begin inhaling and exhaling normally.
   • Remember everything you hear, smell, and see are not distractions. They are part of your experience right here and right now.
6. Continue to return to normal breathing patterns. Inhale and exhale.
7. Think about what brings you joy. This is where giving yourself permission is critical.
8. Allow your thoughts completely. Allow them to veer off and wonder. Then, come back to that joyful state.

Next step…

Meditation – Zen – Purposeful – Body Scan – Checking In 

This is usually the place you hear the word surrender, and yes, that is what the aim is here. However, I like to refer to this as giving yourself permission to lean in and accept you for your thoughts, for your feelings, and anything that is resonating with you right now.

You can’t change what is going through your mind. All you can do is be aware. Think it and go on to the next thought. If you don’t like the thought that is coming up, ask yourself how this is serving you to make you better. What do you need to learn from it? Trust the thoughts.

Now let’s talk mantra. Don’t get all scared and think I am going to make you chant. (That is for another time!) I want you to think of a mantra as your anchor.

As your thoughts start to wander, you will use this to come back to. As you are drifting and your thoughts are floating, what is the first word that comes to mind? Let that be your mantra, your anchor. Remember—just go with the thoughts. The more you try not to think, the more difficult it becomes.

It is so important not to judge yourself or try too hard. For myself, I have entered this state thinking I know what I am looking for, and when I come back, I am thinking, I wasn’t asleep, I wasn’t awake, I was aware of what was around me, but I feel like hours have passed by. 

The more you practice this, the quicker you will be able to get to this state. Every time we meditate, we are exercising our mental muscles, and it gets easier and easier. The goal is to work yourself up to a total of 15 minutes.

Checking your watch or clock is OK. I actually encourage you to do so until you get the hang of this. It will help eliminate that thought of how long it has been and how much longer you have.

There are no rules. These are just guides to help you get to that perfect Zen and meditative state. (Setting an alarm is not a good idea—you don’t want to be startled coming out of meditation.)

Last step…

Manifesting – Gratitude – Gratefulness

Close with gratitude. We have to be grateful for what it is we have in the now. If we aren’t happy right now, how can we manifest more? This means being grateful for the struggles, the obstacles, and the challenges. Within all of these are the lessons we need for growth.

What is your heart reminding you of right now in this moment to be grateful for, big or small? The very place you are sitting? What you are sitting on, to the air you are breathing? There is no right or wrong way to show gratitude to whatever higher power you believe in. It’s the act of awareness, acceptance, and acknowledging.

Once you have expressed gratitude, start envisioning your life the way you want it to look.

Your goals, your wildest dreams.

Let yourself go there and really feel it, taste it, smell it. Enter into the experience.

This requires permission to know you deserve this life.

Let your inner child come out and play. If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would that look like?

Act like it is happening now. Feel what it feels like to experience it.

Over to You

Who’s ready to give meditation a try today? I can’t wait to hear your experience, and I sincerely hope these habits help you build a less stressful real estate career. Share your thoughts in the article comments or in The Close Facebook Group.

The post Meditation for Real Estate Agents: 4 Easy Ways to Reset & Thrive in 2022 (VIDEO) appeared first on The Close.

These are the 28 books that have motivated us in everything from real estate to starting The Close. Some may be familiar titles, others might be more unexpected, but each is a worth a read in 2022.

Best Real Estate Books About Sales + Lead Generation: How to Close That Next Deal

No matter how much you’re crushing your sales game, you can always learn more. That’s what people love about sales: it’s an endlessly creative, engaging, constantly evolving skill. This collection of beloved classics and new thought leadership all work toward the goal of keeping you sharp, motivated, and ahead of the competition.

Bluefishing

Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen by Steve Sims

What happens when someone asks you to help them get married in the Vatican? Or set up a meeting with Elon Musk, or arrange a private Andrea Bocelli concert? If you’re Steve Sims, you say, sure, what time?

Sims, the consummate “fixer,” offers lessons that apply to business and life. You’ll enjoy his pithy writing (he titles chapters, “you don’t drown from falling in water, you drown from staying there” and “the worst picture of me ever taken”), but you’re also guaranteed memorable takeaways and fantastic storytelling.

The Transformational Consumer

The Transformational Consumer: Fuel a Lifelong Love Affair With Your Customers by Helping Them Get Healthier, Wealthier & Wiser by Tara-Nicholle Nelson

If you want to be successful in real estate, you have to learn how to turn one-time buyers and sellers into clients for life. Nelson’s premise here is simple: your actions and attention can forge a relationship with a client that’s as strong as iron.

Though the idea is easy enough, the execution can be tricky, which is why this book is so valuable. Nelson has a master’s degree in psychology from the University of California and a Juris Doctor from Berkley, but what really makes the book pop are her real-world experiences as a vice president (VP) of marketing at major athletic and tech brands.

Outrageous Authenticity

Outrageous Authenticity: You Are Your Best Sales Weapon by Leigh Brown

National Association of Realtors (NAR) keynote speaker, Leigh Brown, challenges us to find our authentic selves and present that self to the world. Known as the “No Bull**** Realtor, Brown uses own life experiences to package actionable and practical advice on how to find lasting success in sales. We all know selling can be exhausting, so if you need a mental kick in the butt or an inspiring reset, Leigh Brown is the one to turn to.

The Seven Levels of Communication

The Seven Levels of Communication – Go From Relationships to Referrals by Michael J. Maher

This is a great resource if you’re just starting out and don’t have a huge network of referrals. It’s all about networking, building relationships, and turning relationships into referrals. New real estate agents will be able to learn from and easily implement Maher’s straightforward “seven-level formula.”

Exactly What to Say

Exactly What to Say: For Real Estate Agents by Phil M Jones, Chris Smith & Jimmy Mackin

Over the course of your career, you’ll encounter a wide variety of personalities: the “know-it-all” clients who ignore your recommendations, micromanagers who need to hear from you every two hours, or clients who leave you in the dark. Whatever the situation, objection, or personality, this book will help you prepare for those tough conversations that you will inevitably face as an agent.

16 Strategies for Sales

16 Strategies for Sales by Sean Moudry

Sean is one of the foremost experts on leveraging one’s signature personality to find success in sales. He’s done endless research on the various personality types and tests and developed an entire coaching system. His book, which outlines 16 strategies in detail, gives hope to those of us not naturally gifted with a “sales” personality. Instead, we learn there is no perfect “sales” personality and how to use our own unique gifts to find a path to real estate success.

How to Win Friends & Influence People

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

You’ve probably heard of this book, but if you haven’t read it yet, consider this your time. Believe it or not, becoming more likable and trustworthy are skills that can be honed. The principles outlined in this book can help you learn how to lead people with sincerity and earn their trust. At its heart, it’s a real lesson on how we can do sales without being too “salesy.”

Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!)

Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work) by Stephan Schiffman

Sales and networking are critical components of success as a professional real estate agent. It doesn’t matter how much you know about real estate—if you can’t persuade people to work with you, you won’t survive long. We know cold calling isn’t everyone’s favorite, but if you’re hoping to hone that skill and gain practical, actionable advice, this is a great resource.

Rainmaking Conversations

Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation by Mike Schultz & John E. Doerr

According to our own expert real estate sales coach, Sean Moudry, “If you are looking for the Ph.D. of sales books, then look no further. ‘Rainmaking Conversations’ guides the reader through professional sales techniques, like building rapport, creating a unique value proposition, and overcoming objections. This is a must for any salesperson, real estate professionals especially.”

Best Real Estate Books About Leadership: Develop Skills to Take Charge & Inspire

You don’t have to be a managing broker or even a real estate team leader to get a lot of value from these picks. As real estate professionals, we are leaders in so many ways; we lead our clients through transactions, we lead other industry professionals (like mortgage brokers, inspectors, appraisers), and we are leaders in our communities.

Start With Why

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek, famous for his TED Talk (57+ million views at the time of publication), asks why because he knows that’s what all great leaders ask. They focus less on the how and the what—it’s the why that inspires and drives them. The same is true with customers; we won’t buy in until we understand why we should.

While some argue that this book could be edited down, or that the TED Talk does the job, many find inspiration as Sinek expounds on his initial thesis. As we work hard day after day, we never want to lose the why.

Leaders Eat Last

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek

After Sinek’s TED Talk fame, he wanted to explore why some team members will literally put their life on the line for each other, and some teams face endless fragmentation and distrust.

His title (and thesis) come from a conversation Sinek had with a Marine Corps general, who explained that in his world, leaders eat last. Leaders willing to put their own comforts, or in the extreme, their own lives, behind the needs of others, are the ones who command loyalty.

The best organizations build trust within their teams because their leaders create, as Sinek puts it, a “Circle of Safety.” These are especially helpful lessons for brokers and team leaders, but really, for life.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

Horowitz, a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur and investor, focuses on the tough decisions he has made as a CEO and leader. While most business books detail the steps entrepreneurs take to be profitable and successful, Horowitz looks at the potential challenges and pitfalls, such as layoffs, internal politics, hiring the right people, and eventually selling the business. He prepares readers for the “hard things” and offers thoughtful strategies when things don’t go as planned.

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman & Paul White

Chapman and White break down how to best communicate appreciation to colleagues and direct reports using a “language of appreciation.” Understanding how people crave and receive appreciation will improve morale in any workplace. Recognizing how to best show the people around you (customers, clients, friends, colleagues, family members) that you appreciate them strengthens your sphere of influence.

Multipliers

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman

Liz Wiseman, head of the leadership and development firm The Wiseman Group (whose clients include Apple, AT&T, Disney, Facebook, Google, Nike, Tesla, and many others), makes the case for being a leader who makes everyone else in the room feel smarter.

We’ve all been around people who seem to drain the energy, enthusiasm, and capability from the people around them. If you’re lucky, you’ve also been in a room with someone who amplifies those things, who turns on the lightbulb above your head. Wiseman lays out the path to be the latter in an easy-to-read business book all real estate professionals should have on their shelves.

Best Real Estate Books About Social Impact: How Far We’ve Come & Work Left to Do

The real estate industry plays a vital role in our communities and in society as a whole. That’s why it’s crucial to understand past and present inequalities and how we can move toward a more equitable future.

The Color of Law

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

This book is a must-read for every real estate professional. Essentially a historical exposé, it details the deliberate systems put into place to discriminate and reinforce racial segregation.

It won (or was a finalist for) just about every award possible when published in 2017, so if you missed it when it first came out, give this one a good read. It’s essential to understand where we’ve all come from to see clearly where we’re going.

Race Brokers

Race Brokers: Housing Markets and Segregation in 21st Century Urban America by Elizabeth Korver-Glenn

Korver-Glenn, a professor of sociology at the University of New Mexico, examines the Houston real estate market and finds it rife with opportunities for deliberate racial segregation. It’s an important read as we work toward ending injustice in every corner where we encounter it. There’s a lot to take in here, and it’s not a happy read, but it will leave you asking questions, wanting to learn more, and striving to work for a better world.

Race for Profit

Race for Profit: How Banks & the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership (Justice, Power & Politics) by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

If you think you know all about the history of housing discrimination in the United States, think again. This is an incredibly thoughtful and well-researched analysis of the policies that kept many Black families on the outside looking in. Both heartbreaking and captivating, Taylor manages to strike a fine balance between encyclopedic knowledge and engaging storytelling.

Her work features real people fighting a system set up to defeat them—the result is a book that will keep you up at night and spur many dinner table conversations.

The Big Short

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

Lewis continues to be one of the wittiest observers of economics in America in our time. “The Big Short” tells the tale of the 2008 housing crisis, but even better, Lewis explains what led to it. He presents a narrative full of colorful characters and makes complex, sometimes dry material approachable and entertaining. This is a wonderful read regardless of your industry, but for real estate professionals, it’s a must.

Better Capitalism

Better Capitalism: Jesus, Adam Smith, Ayn Rand, and MLK Jr. on Moving from Plantation to Partnership Economics by Paul E. Knowlton & Aaron E. Hedges

This is a challenging work penned by Paul Knowlton, a JD, and Aaron Hedges, who has an MBA (both have Masters of Divinity). They present a hopeful path forward for our economic system—one that is more mindful, deliberate, and equitable.

Before you think this book might be too feel-good or idealistic, consider what Tony Reid, a former Senior Vice President of Marriott International, argues: “This is an eloquent and articulate reminder of the importance of understanding economics in the context of our communities, country, and roles as business leaders.”

Best Real Estate Books About Success: What It Looks Like Today

Business is constantly changing, especially in 2022. Each book in this section offers practical and useful knowledge on the future of work, fundamentals of finance, definitions of success, and paths for creating the type of business that inspires and motivates you.

Good to Great

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins

Data geeks, this one’s for you. Jim Collins, who wrote “Built to Last,” looks at what made 11 companies (out of the roughly 1,400 on the Fortune 500) jump from “goodness” to absolute “greatness.” He first defined greatness: 15 years of steadily increasing profits after 10 years of stagnation, and then he assembled a team of researchers to learn how they did it.

After five years, collecting 384 megabytes of data, 2,000 pages of interview transcripts, and pouring over 6,000 articles, they put their research together. Their findings, Collins argues, are pretty astounding. And it’s not what you think.

The Millionaire Real Estate Agent

The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller

If you want to bring home a million dollars next year, read this book for inspiration. Many new real estate agents forget that most of your hard-earned commission doesn’t go into your pocket. This book distinguishes between net and gross earnings and gives you an economic blueprint to minimize costs and maximize take-home pay.

If you’re new to the business, this book is worthwhile. Full of step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and many “how-to” lessons, this book should be on every new agent’s reading list.

Profit First

Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Michael Michalowicz

Do you dream of owning a profitable real estate brokerage one day? If so, you’re going to have to get comfortable with the financial side of the real estate business. While accounting and finances may be less exciting than closing a million-dollar listing, you’ll never succeed without a solid understanding of how profit really works.

While “Profit First” was written for general business owners and entrepreneurs, the techniques in this book are essential for real estate agents.

Shark Tales

Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 Into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran

If you’re nervous about taking the plunge and starting your own team or brokerage, then Barbara Corcoran’s “Shark Tales” is essential reading. In the book, she recounts her amazing success story—from growing up poor in a large family to using her wits to dominate the cutthroat world of Manhattan real estate.

Best Real Estate Books About Perseverance + Mindset

You can read every business book on the market, but if you’re not in a healthy, productive mindset, you won’t be successful. These five books outline tips and strategies for finding strength when times are tough, setting up habits that foster success, and ensuring that you are the best professional (and person!) you can be.

Can’t Hurt Me

Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins

David Goggins is the self-proclaimed “baddest mother-******” on the planet, and after reading this book, it’s easy to see why. Rising up from a brutal childhood, he built his mental and emotional strength while testing the limits of his physical strength. A retired Navy Seal, he also completed the U.S. Army Ranger School and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training. He’s retired from the armed services but fills his time with ultra-marathons, ultra-triathlons, and setting records right and left.

“Can’t Hurt Me” is one of those rare motivational books you can’t put down. You’ll finish this one with a firm belief that pain, fear, and doubt should never get in the way of achieving your dreams.

Psycho-Cybernetics

Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz

You probably won’t find this book on other real estate book lists, but “Psycho-Cybernetics” is a classic read about reaching your goals and preparing your mind for success.

As a new real estate agent, you can expect to be working hard every day. You’ll work weekends, you’ll probably take client calls after hours, and you’ll have to grind to build the relationships that lead to referrals. Through all of the hustle and bustle, you can easily lose track of your goals and burn out. But if you apply the theories outlined here, you can be sure that you’ll keep your mind calm and centered.

The Magic of Thinking Big

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

In a nutshell, this is about believing in yourself. The lessons apply to nearly all aspects of life, but they’re particularly relevant to careers and leadership. Schwartz advocates for maintaining your relationships and quality of life during your early years as a real estate agent. If you have big goals and aspirations, don’t skip this one.

Grit

Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

With so much competition out there, believing that hard work beats talent isn’t easy. That’s why we loved “Grit” by Angela Duckworth. Here, she lays out the case that perseverance is the key to success and offers the hard science to prove it.

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

You’ve read how to crush sales, become a remarkable leader, communicate effectively, understand your role in our greater socio-economic world, and stand tall in the face of adversity. But how do you put it all into place?

That’s where James Clear comes in. He argues that often, the problem isn’t you—it’s your systems. He presents actionable solutions to common challenges that will leave you feeling like with a few tweaks and improved habits, you can conquer your world.

Over to You

What are some of the best real estate books that you’ve found helpful in your career? Let us know in the comments.

The post The 28 Best Real Estate Books to Transform Your Career appeared first on The Close.

That’s why I was thrilled to get a chance to review Ryan Serhant’s new course, Sell It Like Serhant: How to Build Your Personal Brand. The course promises to teach agents the personal brand-building secrets Ryan learned while I was busy renting out 5th-floor walk-ups on Avenue A. But does it deliver on that promise? Can you really learn how to build a brand like Ryan’s?

What This Review Covers

Course: Sell It Like Serhant: How to Build Your Personal Brand
Pricing for May 2022: $997
Experience level: 0-10+ years
Best for: Mid-level – experienced agents
Topics covered: Personal branding
The Close Score: 4.9 (out of 5)

The Pitch: What This Course Promises to Teach Agents

Pricing: Is the Sell It Like Serhant Personal Branding Course Worth $997?

Is This “Brand Strategy System” an Actual System? Will It Work for Most Agents?

Who This Course Is Best For: Potential ROI & Drawbacks

Visit Sell It Like Serhant

The Pitch: What This Course Promises to Teach Agents

The Sell It Like Serhant: How to Build Your Personal Brand course pitches itself as an actionable, step-by-step plan showing Realtors how to build and promote a powerful personal brand using what they call the Serhant Brand Strategy System. This system is based on the strategies Ryan Serhant used to build his own renowned brand.

Pricing: Is the Sell It Like Serhant Personal Branding Course Worth $997?

For most agents, the answer is a resounding yes. I do think the Sell It Like Serhant: How to Build Your Personal Brand course is worth the price. Here’s why: First, unlike other top-tier real estate courses, this course is taught by people who have seen incredible success in the fields they teach. It is also highly actionable, engaging, and incredibly well-produced. It’s not cheap, but you get more for your money, and arguably a better potential return on investment (ROI) than you do from many other real estate courses.

Here’s four reasons why I think this course is worth the money:

1. The Teachers Have All Walked the Walk (& Then Some)

One of the dirtiest secrets in the real estate coaching world is that many of the most famous coaches in the industry have never worked as real estate agents. I won’t name names here, but if you’ve shopped around for a coach, you can probably name more than one.

That’s a big reason why this course stands out in a sea of expensive real estate courses promising agents the world. The teachers have all walked the walk. Have a look at their qualifications to see what I mean:

Ryan Serhant

The Core Identity section of the course is taught by Ryan himself. If you’re reading this, or if you have had eyeballs for the last few years, then you already know how wildly successful Ryan has been at building a personal real estate brand. In the intro to this article, I argued that he built the most successful personal brand in the history of real estate, and I stand by that. I challenge you to find any agent anywhere with a more recognized personal brand. 

He’s also a highly engaging teacher. His energy is infectious, and the delivery of the course is logical, easy to follow, and highly actionable. Basically, everything you want in a real estate course

Tyler Mount

The Consistent Content section of the course is taught by Tyler Mount, Brand Strategy & Social Media Consultant for SERHANT. Tyler has managed digital campaigns for Biden for America, NBC, Playbill, IBM, Hilton Hotels, Sofitel, T-Mobile, the Tony Awards, the Grammy Awards, and the Olivier Awards. He’s also won numerous awards in his career, including two Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, an Olivier Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Drama League Awards, a Drama Desk Award, and a GLAAD Media Award.

So when Tyler tells you a brand-building or social media strategy works, you can rest assured he is speaking from deep professional experience.

Alyssa Garnick

The Shout It From the Mountaintop section of the course is taught by Alyssa Garnick, founder of Agean Public Relations and a consultant for the SERHANT. brokerage. Alyssa has spent 25 years working with the world’s largest brands, generating ideas, integrated campaigns, and results. She is also skilled at leveraging pop culture and trends and is an award-winning PR strategist and campaign architect.

Alyssa’s section of the course focuses on sharing your newly built brand with the world, and as a consummate PR professional, like Tyler, she also speaks from deep professional experience.

2. It’s Not Cheap, But You Get What You Pay For

This course is not exactly cheap at $997, but comparable to other high-end courses from famous real estate coaches who have never even worked as agents… When you consider this course could easily become the very foundation of your real estate career, the potential ROI becomes clearer.

This is also not a “sit back and watch” kind of course. It is designed for you to actually do the work. Paying a serious amount of money might make you more likely to take the work seriously. Learning is great, but if you actually want to build a brand, you need to act.

3. It Includes More Content Than Many Other Top-tier Real Estate Courses

This course shines due to the sheet value of what’s included in it. A lot of expensive real estate courses include videos, workbooks, and access to mastermind groups. Only a handful of them are as well produced and actionable as this course (more on this later). Here’s what you get for your money:

• 55 chapters, 5+ hours of content

• 72-page brand strategy workbook

• 30 days of access to a Sell It Like Serhant Private Membership

4. The Secret Sauce: The Serhant Brand Strategy System

Of course, you’re probably not plunking down almost a thousand dollars just because the teachers have experience and offer a lot of content. You want to to be assured that their strategies will work for you, right?

Well, as someone who has spent the last five years obsessing over real estate branding and talking to some of the most qualified branding experts in the industry, I can say this: Yeah, I think the secret sauce here lives up to the hype.

Is This ‘Brand Strategy System’ an Actual System? Will It Work for Most Agents?

If you’re a natural skeptic like I am, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Yeah, he starred in a freaking hit TV show! This ‘system’ only worked for him!” I hear you, but you’re wrong.  This is indeed an actual system and one that any agent can leverage to build a powerful personal brand. Sure, you could spend a few years like I did hunting down the rough outlines of this system, but do you have years? How will you separate the bad advice from the gold?

Here’s how I see this system working for agents at different levels of their careers:

Who This Course Is Best For: Potential ROI & Drawbacks

The Potential ROI for New Agents

While admittedly some of the advice in this course is common sense for someone who has been living, eating, and sleeping real estate branding as I have for the last five years, it won’t be common sense for new agents. The experience level of the teachers, the quality of the course and workbook, and the actionable nature of the course make it an incredibly compelling career foundation for new agents.

It’s also important to remember that building a great brand is not something you can create in an afternoon. A great brand can take weeks or months to build and years to refine. It’s also an ongoing process. Your personal brand will evolve and grow as your career does. Of course, without a strong foundation, you will be building on sand.

Drawbacks for New Agents

While contributor Sean Moudry and I have been bullish on the importance of agents building brands early in their careers, some strategies in the course will be difficult for them to use right away. For example, the Shout It From the Mountaintop section of the course focuses heavily on strategies to get press. This can be an uphill battle for new agents. It’s still a great long-term strategy, but building the credibility to get regular press can take a long time.

The Potential ROI for Mid-level Agents

While getting started on your personal brand early is important, I think mid-level agents will get the best ROI from this course. Mid-level agents will have a few years of experience under their belts, so they’ll have a better idea of how they approach real estate, and what their niche could and should be.

Unlike experienced agents, they are less likely to have an established personal brand that isn’t working for them. That means they can start fresh, but with some experience to get the ball rolling faster.

Mid-level agents will also have a much easier time using all the strategies to get press that are outlined in the Shout It From the Mountaintop section of the course.

Drawbacks for Mid-level Agents

Beyond the relatively high price, I don’t think there are any drawbacks to this course for mid-level agents. If you want to build a personal brand, this is the course to take.

The Potential ROI for Experienced Agents

There is enough proprietary gold dust in the course to justify even the most experienced agents signing up. They have the most experience to roll over into their personal brands, and have a much clearer understanding of their value proposition in the market. All it takes is a little refinement to build a killer brand and this course is a great way to do that.

Drawbacks for Experienced Agents

Some experienced agents already have personal brands that are not working for them and reinvention so late in the game might be tricky. However, if you’re an experienced agent and haven’t focused on building your personal brand yet, then you have zero excuses for not taking this course. The price is a drop in the bucket for an experienced agent and will have a much faster ROI.

Over to You

Have you taken the Sell It Like Serhant: Building Your Personal Brand course? Would you recommend it to other agents? If not, which branding course would you recommend? Let us know in the comments.

The post Sell It Like Serhant Course: How to Build Your Personal Brand (In-depth Review) appeared first on The Close.

While there were many highlights from the long weekend, Drew Brees’ keynote discussion with NAR President Charlie Oppler topped our list. The interview was rich with takeaways all real estate professionals will be keen to hear. Here are six of our favorites.

1. Don’t Wait for Doors to Open. Knock.

Though you might not guess it from his accent, Brees grew up playing sports just outside of Dallas, Texas. Football wasn’t his first or even his second-favorite sport. Brees had plans to play either basketball or baseball at the college level, but a serious injury during his junior year knocked him out for the prime recruitment seasons for both of those sports.

While the original door he planned on opening wasn’t available to him, Brees pursued his third choice and led his football team to an undefeated senior season. He was recruited by Purdue University and though he knew it wasn’t in Texas, he was unsure of where Purdue was even located.

Nonetheless, Brees decided to take advantage of every opportunity that came before him and make the most of his time at an elite Big Ten school. He wound up with a business degree from Purdue and was a second-round draft pick for the San Diego Chargers.

Realtor takeaway: You may go into real estate thinking of one path with a particular type of client and a specific plan for success. If things aren’t working out the way you planned, don’t shut down and close up shop. Instead, look for the opportunities around you and create a new direction.

2. Make Your Career About More Than Your Own Success

Brees was eventually traded from the San Diego Chargers to the New Orleans Saints, but many people don’t know that he also had the opportunity to play for the Miami Dolphins. It was during a visit to New Orleans soon after the city had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina that Brees and his wife decided that the Saints were the right fit.

“We spent all of 10 minutes driving through the streets of a New Orleans neighborhood to know that this place needed love, care, and attention,” said Brees. “And we wanted to be a part of helping one of the great American cities rebuild.”

Realtor takeaway: As real estate professionals, we are directly connected to issues that affect our communities. Find a cause that matters to you and use your expertise to leverage change that will create a positive impact.

Need some direction? Tackling issues pertaining to fair housing, accessible or affordable housing, or helping those experiencing homelessness are all great places to start.

3. Adapt & Build Around Opportunities

Brees told a rapt audience of more than 8,000 attendees about the first meeting he had with Sean Payton, his new head coach at the Saints. Payton began reviewing some very familiar plays, offensive schemes, and ideas for how the team would operate. In fact, they were nearly identical to the offense Brees ran in San Diego.

Brees remarked, “Wow, you guys run these plays too?” Coach Payton replied, “No, but you do, and you run them really well, so we’ll adapt around where you’re strong.”

Realtor takeaway: Don’t attempt to build a real estate business around a strategy that you’re unfamiliar with or not good at just because you see someone else doing it. Make sure the cornerstone of your approach is something that you’re good at, that you’re passionate about, and something you’ll be excited to get up and do every day.

4. Long Shots Are for Movies, Not Careers

NAR President Charlie Oppler asked lots of questions about Brees’ recent 2020 retirement, and what life is like post-football. Brees said he spends a lot more time with his wife and children these days. He has more opportunity to share in the little things with them.

They frequently tap him for coaching and advice on their fantasy football trades. “My kids ask me about literally every trade they are considering,” said Brees. “I can’t tell you how many times they’ve come to me with an idea to trade practically their entire team away for one hot player.”

“I know it’s all for fun, but I can’t help myself—I always try to remind them to balance their strategy,” he continued. “If they go all-in on a single player and he gets hurt, they’re out of luck. Success in fantasy football (and life) is all about creating multiple opportunities, not throwing Hail Marys.”

Realtor takeaway: Putting all your real estate resources in a single basket is an unnecessary risk in today’s industry. There are so many different ways to generate, nurture, and close leads. If you’re not constantly diversifying your approach, you’re missing out. You’ll never know what the best strategy is for you unless you test lots of them.

5. There’s Always a ‘Next’

It’s not uncommon for high-performing athletes to feel purposeless after retirement. After all, they’ve been focused for years—and in Brees’ case, for decades—on a single objective. Shifting gears and changing direction can be jarring.

Surprisingly, Brees didn’t seem bothered by this in the slightest. That may be because this former Super Bowl MVP has invested in all kinds of businesses, including Stretch Zone, Jimmy John’s and Dunkin’ franchises, and food delivery service Waitr.

“Honestly, I’m not sure exactly what my ‘next’ is. I’m excited to have the opportunity to be more involved with family, with my faith community, with service projects, with business opportunities, and more. The key is, even if you only do one thing, to be about more than one thing. There’s always a next.”

Realtor takeaway: This one goes out to all the realtors reading this who have said, “I could never do _______.” Yes, you can. Don’t think you’re good on video? You can get good, or at least, consistent. Not sure about digital marketing? You can make it happen. There’s always room to grow.

Remember, you’re in the business of serving your clients and your community. If that’s your focus, you’ll find ways to internalize the best strategies that are right for you.

6. Master, Mentor, Make a Difference

At the close of their interview, Oppler asked Brees for his advice for young professionals—in sports or other fields—looking to launch a successful career. “Master, mentor, make a difference. Spend the first part of your career getting as good as you possibly can at something,” Brees shared.

“Learn everything you can, be voraciously dedicated, put in the hours. Then, find someone you can mentor and pass along the knowledge you’ve acquired—just like others have mentored you. Finally, look for a way that you can use your knowledge, experience, and success to make a difference in the world.”

Realtor takeaway: Not sure there’s anything we can add to Brees’ statement here. Master your craft, teach others what you’ve learned, use your influence to make a difference in your community. You can do it!

Your Turn

Did you attend the NAR Annual Conference & Expo this year? What were your favorite parts? Anything that stuck out to you? Tell us in the comments below.

The post 6 Things Realtors Can Learn From Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees appeared first on The Close.