This week we talked to a new member. Ed from New England. In just three months with our program, he has 11 listings.
We discuss:
- How Ed has the business of 11 listings that all tie back to the books.
- How he is using the books on appointments and through direct mail.
- Why this works for his cold leads.
Interview Highlights
Full Interview
Transcript:
| Smart Agents:
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How long have you been a realtor? |
| Ed: | I was a real estate broker, I owned my own Remax franchise for about 8 years, mostly focused on recruiting, retaining, all that stuff. And you know, got pretty tired of that. And about, did it for eight years, then about two years ago when my franchise agreement came up for renewal, I didn't renew it. I kept a couple people and I merged my business into what was then a pretty small which has now boomed, so I would say overall I've been active, I've been in the business for about 10 years. But really full-time I've been like in production mostly three of those 10 years. |
| Smart Agents:
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How long have you been a member with us at Smart Agents? |
| Ed:
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Very recent as a matter of fact, I think only a few ... I would say since November. |
| Smart Agents
: |
November? |
| Ed: | Yeah. |
| Smart Agents:
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Have you had any success with our books? |
| Ed: | Oh yeah, I mean, I try to ... I hide them in my office. I don't want anyone else to know about it. I don't keep them out because yeah, it's a deal maker. I just literally got the ocean windsurfing. |
| Ed: | But so I said I don't know how much have you heard. I've been with you guys since about November. I think I've gone through thirty or forty books and I've been hiding them because I don't want anyone to kinda know what I've got going on. And only just recently, about two or three weeks ago we just started to put together the drop by package with the book and the marketing materials and we just got the plastic bags from Uline to hang them on the door, just some of the stuff right off the website and I'm thinking I'm going to have that up and running within the next ... Well I'm going to a family reunion next week, so maybe two weeks. |
| Smart Agents: | How many listings have you got with the book so far? |
| Ed: | You know it's really interesting. For sure, three like 100% but I have a lot more because of where we are here in New England, people aren't listing their house in January and February unless they have to so
I have eleven listings on the board in my office right now that I can tell you probably in some way, shape or form all eleven tie back to that book. |
| Ed: | Oh what I was saying is that I have ... Because of where we live the market is very seasonal. People are not typically listing their homes for sale in November, I mean you know December through March because the weather sucks. So it's seasonal but I've been doing a lot of lead generation and I've got all these listing lined up to go on the market April May and June. There's eleven right now and of the eleven in some way shape or form all eleven tie back to the book. They're not referrals, they're all people that have come on some lead gen activity that I've given the book or I've come to the appointment with the book and the book is the cornerstone I think of the differentiation in my listing appointments for sure. |
| Smart Agents:
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Oh wow, that's a lot I'm sure with the books over three months. Do you have any ... |
| Ed: | Yes it's gonna be more. It's going to be way more because as I come into the real selling season I'm expecting even more. |
| Smart Agents:
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What about, do you have any specific examples you can talk about of the book and how it got listed? |
| Ed: | What's funny is I actually, when I got the book and I don't know how many people actually do it, but I actually read it. So it's the accountant in me and when I read it I found out that believe it or not the pages and the chapters did not line up to the table of contents, right? So I called in and someone said well you must be the only guy reading it because no one said that. So, which was where it started. |
But I have a great one right now I've got this guy who is an Engineer.
Engineers are very detail-oriented people and his home had been previously listed and he was interviewing three people and the book that I'm using, "Why Homes Don't Sell," I mean that book really talks about how it's not about just dropping the price. -----So I think in the conversation - being able to have the conversation with him about those strategies because I read the book and then right behind that, give him the book.He went through it, called me back for a second appointment and I just got that listing on Monday. And he called back and said hey you know I like everything you had to say in the presentation. I went through the book and you're the guy for the job. So that's how I actually looked at it too. |
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| Smart Agents:
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What inspired you to become a member with us? |
| Ed: | I think because I'm always looking for a way of being able to differentiate myself because I think in our business for the most part, and a lot of businesses, but real estate and mortgage in particular, it's a commodity so ... If you think about corn, corn is a commodity. You can buy it at the supermarket because it's convenient. You can buy it at a farm stand because you think it's locally grown, right? Farm to table. Or maybe you buy it at Whole Foods because it's organic and it's more expensive. But at the end of the day it's corn. And I think the same with real estate people. It's very difficult for a consumer to tell the difference between who we are, who's good, who's not and when you show up at these appointments I always think -- especially with ... not referrals, but if you go in cold with somebody that doesn't know you, I think you need to have something to differentiate yourself to catch their eye and there's no better thing than that book and I do, you know, and the initial, your initial marketing when you talked about like Dave Ramsey and Gary Keller, I mean, I've worked for Keller Williams and I trained and teach the Dave Ramsey system. |
| Smart Agents:
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What books do you get? |
| Ed: | I only have one. I've not even really gotten fully focused on it because I only really started getting them in November or December and I got my first batch but why some houses, why houses don't sell. And I love it. And it's got some good stuff that I believe in anyway and tie it back to my presentations. And as I said the opportunity is just much bigger than that because as I start to put these packages together and I can start getting out on door stops. I mean just getting in front of some of these people ... I think is kind of endless. |
| Smart Agents:
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And you already said how you're starting with the envelopes and sending them out that way ... |
| Ed: | I just, I haven't, I just ... like the supplies came some of the Uline bags came Monday. I mean I literally just got them, I haven't even started to break it apart yet. |
| Smart Agents:
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And have you done, have you given out |
| Ed: | That's my game plan is to leverage that and have someone to deliver them to the doors. |
| Smart Agents: | All right. Well, do you have anything else that you want to add. |
| Ed: | No, I mean I haven't even ... I mean as I said when I look at those books it's just like the tip of the iceberg. I think that I have a buyers agent now and I'm looking to add another one and shortly I'll be looking to get .... I know there are at least one or two of those books that are buyer-based that I'm going to absolutely go after. |
One of the best methods we use at Smart Agents to separate yourself is books. 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.
Joe Nickelson is a real estate professional dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers achieve their dreams of owning property, and helping real estate agents stop using the sometimes-vicious tactics that weigh on their consciences. He believes that the Smart Agents books will, quite literally, change people’s lives for the better. Check out his full bio here!
