Case Study: New Member Doubles Business Using Books

This week I spoke with Jamie, who's been a realtor for less than 10 months.

She had a couple of listings but then joined Smart Agents and doubled her business.

In the interview we go over:

• She joined Smart Agents and used our tools to prospect FSBOs.
• She sent out 16 books and got 4 listings from that.
• How she was much more confident with Smart Agents.
• The books did the lead follow-up for her.

Highlights:

Full Interview:

Transcript:

Smart Agents: So how long have you been a realtor?

Jamie: Well, less than a year. Nine months.

Smart Agents: Nine months. And how long have you been a member with Smart Agents?

Jamie: Probably about two months now.

Smart Agents: And has books been involved in any listings that you've won in the two months?

Jamie: Yes.

Smart Agents: How many?

Jamie: Four of them.

Smart Agents: Oh, that is awesome. And what books did you get originally?

Jamie: I got the one for the homeowner, I'm sorry, For Sale By Owner Guide. I got Expired. And the one that did really the most success, I had the most success with How To Sell Your Home For More Money.

Smart Agents: And how did you use those books to win the listing? Can you give a couple anecdotes of it?

Jamie: Yeah, I used those books as I was prospecting for sale by owners.

So after calling for sale by owners, I sent them the book or I went over to their home and I knocked on the door and told them that I would like to help them by giving them this guide.

Included a nice letter with it.

And all of those four were actually for sale by owners, but some of them I gave the For Sale By Owner Guide, and the others I gave, because I ran out of that guide, I gave them the How To Sell Your House For More Money.

Smart Agents: Ah. So where did you get these leads at first? Online?

Jamie: Yeah, I get some online and I got some from REDX.

Smart Agents: Ah. And so did you call them and talk to them and then drop the book off?

Jamie: Yes. Yes, yes, I called each one of them and dropped.

Some of them I would send the book right away after the phone call on the conversation depending on how the conversation went.

The ones that are a little bit more reluctant I showed up at their door and gave them the book.

Smart Agents: Did you tell them on the phone that you had a book to give them every time?

Jamie: Not every time, no. Depending on what the conversation is.

Not every time. Some of the would not take me lightly saying that I wrote a book, that I have a book. Some of them showed interest in seeing the book.

Well, of course, I sent more than four because I got four listings, but I sent more than that. I had my first order of 16 books or 13 books, the very first order. Yeah, those I sent out, and I got four listings out of them.

Smart Agents: So that's like a 25% success rate with that.

Jamie: Yeah, yes.

Smart Agents: Yeah, that's amazing. What did they say when you went there with the listing to meet them for the listing presentation when you gave them the books?

Jamie: Well, that's a good question because after they got the book and they called me, all of those called me, they called me.

I didn't initiate the next contact.

So they called me and said, "Do you remember, I'm such and such, you handed me a book, and I would like for you to come and check my house out and see what I can do to sell it better and faster. I like all the ideas you had in the book so I want you to come in person and see if what I did was right.”

Some of them had even started repairs on their houses and wanted me to come and give them my opinion. So I did that and of course, I had read all the books before sending them out, probably a couple times each book.

And I went in but the attitude was like when I first walked in was like they're talking to an expert. And everything I said or recommended or suggested was not taken lightly. Was like, "Oh, okay, we'll do this, we'll do that. What do you think about this? What do you think about that?"

Smart Agents: And so the book, it basically did the leads follow-up the next step by itself just because they reached out to you.

Jamie: Yeah, they reached out to me after getting the book.

One of them even, that I dropped the book off in their mailbox one day like a week later, because they were out of town, a week later the husband walks in our office and asks for me.

And they called me to the front and we met and a couple days later I was at the house and they listed.

Smart Agents: And how many listings did you have before you were with us in those couple months you were a realtor?

Jamie:
Probably like two. Two were people I knew.

Smart Agents:
So you got more, you doubled your business right off the bat with us? Is that-

Jamie:
Well, I found more success, put it that way, with the for sale by owners. And not the expireds as much, even though I did send a couple books, expireds.

I know they haven't listed yet with anybody, but they were a little bit too resistant. And it's really freshly expired, so I understand that.

But I found more success with prospecting for sale by owners after I got the book. I felt more comfortable approaching them.

Smart Agents:
Yeah, well that's awesome. That's exactly what we want to hear. Do you have anything else to add about how you've been using the books at all?

Jamie:
No. Well, first of all, I want to say that these books gave me such confidence, and even though I'm new I now feel like I read them over and over and I got the information really in my mind.

So then when I go I am confident, I looked more confident talking to people, suggesting how to stage a house without me being a stager myself, not having to have any experience with that.

But now it gave me more of an understanding what needs to be done to get a house ready for the market. And that's where my confidence comes.

So if somebody asks me, "Do you think I should do this and I should do that," I say it with confidence to whether it is going to help or not. So it made me look like I'm the expert.

Books have a huge perceived value. They don’t get thrown away.

They can get tucked away somewhere, but most people aren’t going to toss them in the trash. They’re worth something, and they’re worth something to the author’s name.

Do this and you will position yourself as the authority in your market. When you give away your book, it will separate you from your competition. That’s how a smart agent thinks!

Want to get a free sample of the book that will get you more listings? Click the link below.