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Our guest today has been in the real estate technology industry for twenty-eight years and has even been listed on the Swanepoel “Power 200”, a list of the most influential people in real estate. Our guest today is Greg Robertson, Co-Founder of W+R Studios, the makers of the Cloud Agent Suite. In this episode, join Greg and I as we discuss how Greg’s company revolutionized CMAs and the value of agents. We also dive into what Comparative Market Analysis has become over the past thirty years and Greg’s newly released first book, The Art of the CMA. Top Takeaways: Greg Robertson’s Advice for New Agents“Persistence, don’t quit…Showing up, doing the job, and not giving up.”“You have got to have a co-founder, someone who’s with you on that journey. That helps things out a lot… No road is long with the right companion.”“I just can’t see a world where brokers and agents aren’t needed and needed desperately.” – Greg Robertson [26:36]“The Judo Analogy is like using its own weight against itself. If Zillow is pretty close to what you think the house is worth, well use that as a factor to boaster your own thing. If it’s not, show something to say well you know what in this neighborhood it’s off by 10% that’s why mine is too.” – Greg Robertson [30:30]Episode Highlights:[00:32] Intro [00:59] Meet Greg Robertson – Co-Founder of W+R Studios[02:05] The Differences Between Southern California and Florida [04:36] Celebrities and Tech in the Event Production Space [08:40] Bridging the Gap for Software in Real Estate [10:40] How eNeighborhoods Led to the Start of W+R Studios [17:36] Earliest Iterations of Cloud CMA [22:41] Greg’s Newly Released First Book [24:46] The Value of Agents [28:44] Zillow Zestimate Judo [30:53] W+R Studios Transition to Lone Wolf Technologies [35:04] Greg’s Advice for New Agents [36:35] Connect with Greg [37:09] Outro Episode Notes: Joining us today is Greg Robertson, a software entrepreneur and Co-Founder of W+R Studios, a company known for its part in revolutionizing Comparative Market Analysis, or CMA. Originally from the Seattle, Washington, Greg Robertson moved along with family to Southern California in high school where he has spent most of his life. Greg Robertson graduated from DeVry Institute of Technology receiving a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering Technology. Greg started in the event production business giving him tech experience that eventually led Greg into the real estate world. Teaming up with friends, Greg Robertson founded IRIS, launching a product called, “Lightning” which facilitated in accessing different MLS systems for a real estate professional audience. The company grew and made the Inc. 500 list for fastest growing companies in the country in 1999. The company was sold at the turn of the century and Greg Robertson moved to South Florida to help restart a company as the Vice President of eNeighborhoods. After rebuilding the company, eNeighborhoods was sold and in the middle of the real estate crisis of 2008, Greg Robertson and his partner founded W+R Studios. Cloud CMA offers a trusted and professional comparative market analysis to real estate professionals and their clients. For Greg, the value of agents in the client experience and sale is crucial and necessary for the buyer experience. Tools such as Zillow are nice to get the foundation but to have a more personal experience and knowledge of the local market will always be in demand. Greg explains that the Zillow Zestimate Judo analogy is best when using it against itself. If the Zillow Zestimate is close to what the house might be worth, it can be used to help boaster a sale. If the Zillow Zestimate is off by a percentage then that can explain the price difference as well with clients. After 12 years, W+R Studios was acquired in late November by Lone Wolf Technologies. Greg and his partner were able to take the first million dollars from the transition and distribute it to employees of their company helping others with their fortunate position. Greg Robertson recently released his first book titled The Art of the CMA which acts as a blueprint for people looking for opportunities with CMA done right! Greg Robertson’s advice to new real estate agents is to be persistent and do not quit. Greg believes people often give up too soon because it’s hard to know when you have to give up or if you should continue working hard. Greg also believes if you are looking to start a company you should consider doing so with a co-founder. Having the right companion for the journey can lead to amazing success!  Resources Mentioned:Website -- W+R Studios Apple Podcast -- Industry Relations with Rob Hahn and Greg Robertson Connect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@ratemyagent.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find |Greg Robertson At grobertson@lwolf.comOn Website On Twitter On LinkedIn RATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Today, our guest has been recognized as one of Inman News 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate and lives by the philosophy to build relationships, solve problems, and have fun! Our guest is Sean Carpenter, CEO and Founder of Sean Speaks, and a Coldwell Banker agent in Columbus, Ohio. I am thrilled to have him back on the podcast after being one of The Real Estate Sessions’ first guests. In this episode, join Sean and me as we dive into the world of training and presentations as Sean shares advice for aspiring speakers. We also discuss some great Inman stories and the changes that Sean has implemented during the global pandemic.Top Takeaways: Sean Carpenter’s Advice for New Agents“The stock answer would be to build relationships, solve problems, and have fun. My new answer for this new episode is to make it a point to listen to every episode of The Real Estate Sessions because if you do that, you will get a mixture of some of the coolest people in our industry.”“Anyone that is not in the industry who Bill has brought on, you can learn from the podcast as well. What they talk about, how they grew, and where they’re from. Probably my favorite part of every episode, Bill, is when you get the backstory of people.” “I started in my branch office doing ‘How to Do an Open House.’ I started to get invited by our Director of Training at the time to come up and teach that little segment of new agent training on open houses. I started getting good, and people started asking more questions. What was half an hour visit turned into an hour and a half visit.” – Sean Carpenter [13:25] “Attention is incredibly important. If you want to grow, having attention is huge. I always talk about the attention economy – on the other side of attention is trust. If I can get your attention, hopefully, I can earn your trust, or if I have your trust, I can get your attention.” – Sean Carpenter [37:25] Episode Highlights:[00:30] Intro [00:56] Meet Sean Carpenter – Sean Speaks [01:55] The StareDown Podcast [03:49] The Buzz Around Genuine Relationships [05:48] Who Is Sean Carpenter?[08:30] The King of Presentations [12:55] Sean’s Advice to Someone Who Wants to Be a Speaker [15:03] Inman Ambassador [19:01] The Story of O’Hara’s [23:11] Life’s Standstill During the Pandemic [26:40] Sean Speaks Goes Virtual [29:35] How Sean Has Been Thinking Outside the Box [35:40] Sean’s Thoughts and Insights on Clubhouse[42:26] Sean’s Advice for New Agents [45:15] Connect with Sean [46:35] Closing Thoughts [47:13] Outro Episode Notes: Joining us today is Sean Carpenter, CEO, and Founder of Sean Speaks. In Episode five of The Real Estate Sessions, Sean appeared as one of the first guests over five and a half years ago. In this episode, Bill and Sean catch up and discuss how the nation’s current changes have impacted the real estate world. Sean Carpenter graduated from the University of Florida before becoming a golf pro working at a resort in Brooksville, Florida. Sean moved back to his home state to work for a private golf club in Cleveland, Ohio, before leaving the golf business and returning to his hometown. Back in Columbus, Ohio, Sean became a beer salesman for Coors Distributor. Eventually, Sean Carpenter found himself at the Ohio State University campus working as a beer salesman, where he enjoyed the relationships he built and the product he sold. This work led Sean Carpenter to the real estate industry, where he became an agent for four and a half years before becoming a branch manager. Sean found that he loved the coaching and training aspect the most in his position and decided to take a position as the Director of Training for the Central Ohio area for over ten years. Spending his time in front of a class of agents, Sean found his passion for speaking and decided to retire from the director of training role and jump back into sales. Sean founded his company, Sean Speaks, and travels national talking to real estate audiences big and small. Sean continues to actively work with the buyers and sellers in Central Ohio to understand the current markets and hold credibility for his audiences on the topics he is discussing. Having around fifty detailed presentations, Sean can personalize and modify the presentations according to the audience he is speaking to. Sean found himself inspired by a mentor’s storytelling style and used the advice to lead him to his speaking career. Sean Carpenter works under his philosophy to build relationships, solve problems, and have fun! Sean’s advice to someone who aspired to be a speaker is to get in front of the room more. The more that you present, the better you will get at doing so. Take opportunities as they come and know that a small audience is just as important as larger crowds. Before Coronavirus hit the nation, Sean Carpenter was spending around seventy-five to one hundred nights on the road with Sean Speaks traveling all over the country. Sean compares the global pandemic’s impact to driving down the interstate and realizing that the traffic you see ahead is at a standstill. Weeks and months went by with the world not returning to normal; people learned to improvise and pivot to continue to do the things they needed to be accomplished. Sean highlights the importance of the real estate industry as an essential trade as it contributes significantly to the economy. With the pandemic, Sean explains he still had to find ways to continue to build relationships, solve problems, and have fun doing it. To keep Sean Speaks going, Sean began to use Zoom for conferences, presentations, and training sessions. Sean even began to reach out to companies who he previously did speaking for to offer a virtual discussion he calls ‘How to Keep in Touch When You’re Not Supposed to Be Touching.” He has presented this discussion at least 35 times and is still a relevant discussion at this point in the pandemic. Sean Carpenter’s advice for new agents is to build relationships, solve problems, and have fun. To elaborate on that, Sean advises new agents to listen to every episode of The Real Estate Sessions as it gives a great mix of fantastic advice from some of the best in the industry! Resources Mentioned:Apple Podcasts -- The StareDown Podcast Trip Advisor – O’Hara’s Restaurant and PubConnect:  Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@ratemyagent.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find |Sean CarpenterAt SeanCarp1@gmail.comOn WebsiteOn Carp’s Corner BlogOn FacebookOn Twitter On LinkedIn RATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Episode Summary:Today, our guest is Mark Choey, Co-Founder of HighNote Labs, a software company that holds the mission to provide innovative tools for the top agents in real estate. In this episode, join Mark and me as we dive into some of Mark's most significant accomplishments and his companies' impact on San Francisco's neighborhoods. We also discuss Mark Choey's latest venture, HighNote Labs, launching later this year! Top Takeaways: Mark Choey's Advice for New Agents"You need to think about your real estate business and you being in the business, as a business. There needs to be a marketing component, expertise component, and a focus. As an agent, you need to figure out what your focus is going to be. We tell this to every agent that joins our brokerage.""You need to stand out because there are 1.4 million agents out there. Every market is competitive, and you need to figure out what is going to make you great. What is your niche, marketing angle, and who will you be providing your services to?""You get three transactions in one. You represent on the buy side, and you wait for them to sell again and then represent them on the sale. Then you represent them on the buy again. If we focus on this strategy three-to-one. Now, District 9 is 25% of all the market share in San Francisco!" – Mark Choey [23:04]"One of the major things that an agent wants to convey to their client is a validation of themselves. Reviews and testimonials are everything. Before you buy something on Amazon, if you're deciding between five or six things, not only is the price important, but the reviews are the most important thing. The same goes for real estate. The reviews and testimonials are the most critical piece because you don't know who this agent is, and you need trust. Trust is everything in a business, and the reviews and testimonials is that piece." -- Mark Choey [32:17]Episode Highlights:[00:30] Intro [00:56] Meet Mark Choey – Founder of HighNote Labs [01:59] Growing Up in the Diverse State of New Jersey [04:14] The Spirit of New Jersey Through Football and Attending Rutgers University[06:46] A Focus on Electrical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence [10:09] Transitioning from New Jersey to Colorado [12:23] How Mark Got His Start in Real Estate [18:17] Climb Real Estate and Pivotal Moves in District 9 [24:43] Coming to the Decision to Sell the Company [27:54] HighNotes.io – Building Great Tech for Great Agents [34:29] Providing Agents the Tools for Beautiful Presentations [36:32] Mark's Advice for New Agents [38:44] Connect with Mark [39:07] Closing Thoughts [39:35] Outro  Episode Notes: Joining us today is Mark Choey, Founder of HighNote Labs and the Co-Founder and Partner of Climb Real Estate. Only two and a half miles outside of New York City, Mark Choey grew up in the town of Teaneck in Bergen County, New Jersey. Mark identifies his hometown as being a very diverse community and a great place to grow up.Mark Choey attended Rutgers University sharing his take on why Rutgers football perfectly embodies the true Jersey spirit. With a love for technology and computers, Mark received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He studied wireless engineering and even performed research studies on early wireless protocols surrounding transmitting data. Mark's undergraduate work led to a job opportunity with US West Advanced Technologies conducting more wireless research in Boulder, Colorado. While in Boulder, Mark received his Master's in Electrical Engineering focusing on Artificial Intelligence. Later in his career, Mark Choey spent time in Asia, where he founded a start-up company called Geckonut.com, a community for travel bloggers and travel agencies. When Mark returned to the United States, he landed back in New York City. He was the Vice President of Citigroup, gaining real estate investing and buying experience before moving west to the San Francisco area.  After meeting his business partner on a chance at an open house, Mark Choey and his partner founded Climb Real Estate, now noted as one of the largest real estate brokerages in the San Francisco area. Here, Mark and his partner focused on District 9, a historically industrial section of town, and could be a part of the buying and selling of over 25,000 units in the area. District 9 in San Francisco now holds over 25% of all San Francisco market share, which allowed Climb Real Estate to become a top 250 brokerage in the country within only five years. At the beginning of 2019, Mark Choey founded HighNote Labs, a software company dedicated to building the next generation of tools to power the top real estate agents to act as the intersection between real estate, technology, and design. HighNote.io allows real estate professionals to create, send, track listing presentations, buyer offers, and share market reports. HighNote Labs is just getting started as new possibilities for the software are being discovered as they build great technology for the industry's top real estate agents. Mark Choey's advice for new agents is to think about real estate as their own business that needs marketing, expertise, and focus component on reaching success. The agent needs to focus on what they want to be and who they are going to serve. Finding a particular market with a specific niche will allow you to stand out among other agents in the competitive world of real estate!Resources Mentioned:HighNote.io Connect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@ratemyagent.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Mark Choey  At mark@highnote.ioOn WebsiteOn Facebook On Twitter  On LinkedIn RATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS PODCASTEpisode 265: Host: BILL RISSERGuest: NINA DOSANJH  Our guest today has a real passion for serving her clients. She facilitates her clients in the navigation of real estate in the San Francisco area. Our guest today is Nina Dosanjh, Director of Strategic Alliances and Technology at Vanguard Properties, and most recently the President of the San Francisco Association of Realtors. In this episode, join Nina and me as we navigate some of the Bay Area's biggest misconceptions and how the Bay area real estate world acts as a trendsetter for the nation. We also discuss the importance of volunteerism and some future predictions for MLS regulations! Top Takeaways: Nina Dosanjh's Advice for New Agents "Set up systems and set them up early. If you take the time to do that from the beginning, everything else will fall into place. You have to have a system because it's easy to get lost in the day to day and do a lot without really doing a lot. Set up the system, time block, create a program for yourself that you're going to stick with." "When I first got into the business, my manager at the time said to me, 'You have two things in this business: you have your time and your reputation. You decide what those two things are going to mean for you.'… I took that into my real estate journey, and I'm glad that I did. I think I wouldn't be here today and I wouldn't know the people who I know across the country and have built the relationships there if I had not stepped up." – Nina Dosanjh [10:44]"That's the misconception that people have, and technology is going to replace me. I like to look at it like it really isn't going to replace you because this is a relationship business, we've learned that in the middle of this pandemic. We learned that the relationship does matter, you can automate a lot of things, but you can't automate that person-to-person." – Nina Dosanjh [22:14] Episode Highlights:[00:22] Intro [00:48] Meet Nina Dosanjh – Strategic Alliances and Technology Director [01:33] Native to North Carolina and Drawn to the Bay Area [02:34] Biggest Misconceptions About the Bay [05:05] First Job After College, REO Marketing Manager  [08:06] Mastering the Basics and Building Strong Relationships [10:14] Why Volunteerism Is So Important to Nina [13:56] Transitioning to Vanguard Properties [15:44] Director of Strategic Alliances in Technology [17:20] MLS Associations and the Future for MLS Regulation [21:40] The Good and Bad of Technology Use in Real Estate [25:29] Nina's Advice for New Agents [26:47] Connect with Nina [26:54] Closing Thoughts [27:06] Outro  Episode Notes: Joining us today is Nina Dosanjh, Director of Strategic Alliances and Technology at Vanguard Properties. A native of Northern California, Nina grew up in a small central valley town called Ceres, where her family still resides. Nina Dosanjh later relocated to San Francisco for the city life and the connection the city holds with her grandfather. He landed in the city in the early fifties after emigrating to America. Nina shares one of the biggest misconceptions of the Bay Area is that everyone is super progressive. Although it is a very progressive city, there are varying degrees to the area's progressiveness. After graduating from San Francisco State University, Nina started at Coldwell Banker as an REO Marketing Manager. This position allowed Nina to build relationships with asset managers around the nation as she attended REO conferences. After a few years with the company, Nina attained her real estate license. She worked an additional nine years with Coldwell Banker sharing that the company believed mostly in growing from within. In late 2017, Nina Dosanjh accepted a position as the Director of Strategic Alliances and Technology at Vanguard Properties, where she embraced incredible leadership. As Director of Strategic Alliances and Technology, Nina focuses extensively on building industry relationships and staying alert to industry changes. For Nina Dosanjh, giving back and volunteering is incredibly important as she shares that stepping into leadership roles allows you to make the most impact. Nina has held and still holds many volunteer positions, such as The President-elect of the San Francisco Chapter, Women's Council of Realtors, President of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS®, and Vice-Chair of the Federal Technology Policy Committee for the National Association of REALTORS® to name a few. Nina Dosanjh's advice for new agents is to set up systems and set them up early. Nina advises that if you take the time to set up your system correctly from the very beginning, everything else will fall into place. Setting up the proper system, time-blocking your day, and creating a program that works for you will be incredibly beneficial to the new agent!Resources Mentioned: Connect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Nina Dosanjh At nina@vanguardsf.comOn FacebookOn Instagram On LinkedIn RATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Emily Chenevert was only 23 when she started climbing the ranks within the Austin Board of Realtors. Recently, she made history within the organization— becoming both the youngest and first female CEO in the board's history.In this episode, Emily shares how she utilized a background and education in government to contribute to ABoR. Hear how she maximized opportunities to step up to the plate and embraced the leadership qualities 17 board members would soon come to see in her. “The reality is, we're gonna put the most resources in that middle to end, somewhat engaged through passionately engaged members… That's the person who's buying into our community and willing to walk that two-way street with us and frankly, that's the person who's committed to the industry as a livelihood and not just a hobby.”  - Emily Chenevert [21:09]  Top Takeaways:Emily Chenevert’s Advice for New Agents:Get involved in your association! “The truth is if you want to build really fast friendships and relationships in this market. If you want to know what resources are available at your fingertips and have the best education you can get as you launch your career— that's the place to do it. 29:17  Episode Highlights:  [00:38] Intro[01:44] Meet Emily Chenevert- a native Texan[02:33] Common misconceptions about Texas[03:57] What Emily planned to do before real estate[04:58] College and the UT Longhorns[06:07] Her first job out of school and working with a developer [07:46] Leveraging her government background for real estate[09:16] Working for the State Association[09:52] Becoming both the youngest and first female CEO at ABoR[13:29] Volunteerism in the world of real estate[14:05] What makes Austin so special? Quirks, tech and more[15:25] How the Association works with government contractors[16:37] The ScratchThat podcast and other board initiatives[19:07] Tech, serving members and keeping them engaged[21:59] How Emily got involved with Inman[23:12] Her thoughts on Inman content and curriculum [24:18] Emily's role with Inman Connect[25:27] Her son's story of resilience[28:10] Charities that Emily recommends[29:02] Emily's advice for new agents[29:30] Contacting Emily Chenevert [29:57] OutroResources Mentioned:scratchpodcast.comInmanMake-A-Wish FoundationConnect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn YoutubeFind | Emily ChenevertAt chenevert@ABoR.comOn InstagramRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Episode SummaryIn this episode of The Real Estate Sessions Podcast, I'm joined by Sam Staskal of eXp Realty in South Central Wisconsin. Though she is relatively new to the industry, Sam has had a unique experience that allowed her authentic self to be shared with the public through a comedic lens. By narrating her experience on Facebook Live, Sam went viral and opened up a conversation about being able to laugh at oneself. Join us today as we learn about Sam's beginnings as a Realtor, her unique, funny mishap, and how she prevailed using comedy and professionalism.  Top Takeaways:Transitioning into Real Estate from a 9-5 desk jobSam's viral videoThere is a place for authenticity in Real Estate, and there are many benefits to "keeping it real." Sam's advice for new agentsEpisode Highlights:[00:18] Intro[01:24] Welcome Sam Staskal[02:01] Growing up in Iowa[05:16] Attending Viterbo University in Wisconsin and earning a degree in Graphic Design[06:02] Sam's first job out of college working for a phone book company [06:37] Transitioning to work for Land's End catalog[07:24] Sam's path to her career in Real Estate begins[09:20] Sam shares the driving force to make Real Estate her full-time job[11:00] Describing the Real Estate market of Platteville and competing brokerages[12:20] We discuss Sam's viral video in which she describes how she abruptly fell with her dress over her head in front of her male client while showing him around the exterior of a house[14:04] How she pulled it together to continue showing houses to her client that day[17:05] How she broke through the awkwardness of the incident and continued working with her clients to find them a home[18:51] After her video goes viral (with 15 million + views), Sam experienced an outpour of attention from fans of her comedic description of the event[21:40] Don't be afraid to turn on the camera and be your most real and authentic self![23:25] Sam shares her plans for a YouTube channel featuring interviews and funny stories about all the things that unexpectedly happen to Real Estate agents[25:14] "You can cry and admit defeat, or you can embrace it and grow with it, and that's what I'm choosing to do."[25:40] Sam's advice to new agents starting in the business [26:00] OutroEpisode Notes:"Sam Staskal is a Licensed Realtor in the State of Wisconsin. She was born and raised in Iowa but moved to greener pastures to attend college at Viterbo University in La Crosse. After graduating with her BS in Graphic Design in 2001, Sam decided to make Wisconsin her forever home. As if cheese curds weren't enough for her to stay, she also enjoys all of the fishing spots, bike trails, and the distinct seasons Wisconsin has to offer.  For almost 20 years, Sam worked as a graphic designer and decided to make the career change to Real Estate in May 2019. Her experience in advertising and understanding of social media makes her a great agent to market your property. Sam is detail-oriented, a great listener, quickly returns all communication, and strives to make every client's real estate experience positive.  Sam resides in Platteville with her foodie boyfriend, four children who think they are comedians, and a couple of rambunctious dogs. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, attending her kids' sporting events, photography, hand-painting signs, and breaking out the power tools to complete DIY crafts."Source: https://scw.exprealty.com/agents/311179/Sam+StaskalResourcesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamStaskalSells/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeo6THhR1rUe26wAKPlBGVg Connect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@ratemyagent.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn YoutubeRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Episode Summary:Our guest today is a Chief Referral Ninja Master, who helps others grow their business using referrals. Joining us is Stacey Brown Randall, a coaching consultant, award-winning author, and speaker. Stacey is the podcast host of Roadmap to Grow Your Business, a podcast offering more insights into growing your business through referral. In this episode, join Stacey and me to learn new tactics to help grow your business and the best ways to generate referrals without asking. We also discuss the importance of an organized database and the best practices to re-engage potential leads!   Top Takeaways: Stacey Brown Randall's Advice for New Agents"I would tell a new agent that is just getting started – your relationships are going to serve you, feed you, and pick you up when things go sideways, as they have been known to do more now than ever.""You have to take time making sure when you are developing these relationships, you are coming at it from a place not trying to sell them a home or get a referral… but ultimately at the end of the day, you're looking to help them." "The truth is that a database is made up of referral sources, clients, current clients, previous clients, and strategic partners. There are just so many different categorizations, and if you don't start with something, it can get really hard to get back." – Stacey Brown Randall [17:50]"I think that the truth is, if I'm referred to someone, I am less inclined to check them out online, and I'm more inclined to take the recommendation of my friend if I truly trust my friend. But the reviews and testimonials build your credibility for every other type of prospect or lead you're going to have. If I do go check you out after being referred and I see other people who love working with you, it only solidifies my decision." – Stacey Brown Randall [19:47] Episode Highlights:[00:19] Intro [00:45] Meet Stacey Brown Randall – Referral Ninja Expert [01:49] Living in the Carolinas [02:27] Attending the University of South Carolina [04:32] Dreams of Being a Broadcast Journalist [06:58] Weaving the Way to Business Consulting [12:59] Best Ways to Help Grow Your Business [15:13] The Importance of Taking Care of Your Database [18:19] Verified Reviews in Referral Strategies [21:06] Setting the Expectation for Reviews [22:27] Tips to Reconnecting a Neglected Database [27:53] Referral Seed Example [32:17] Stacey's Advice for New Agents [33:42] Connect with Stacey [34:59] Closing Thoughts [35:13] Outro Episode Notes: Today, joining us is Stacey Brown Randall, Chief Referral Ninja Master, helping business owners achieve their referral goals. Stacey Brown Randall grew up in Greenville, South Carolina spending only a few years living in Colorado before spending the rest of her time before college back in South Carolina. Stacey studied at the University of South Carolina, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Broadcast Journalism. Stacey Brown Randall had dreams of being a broadcast journalist and received multiple offers after graduation but decided to turn them down to seek other opportunities. Instead of a journalism career, Stacey landed her first job at a non-profit company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stacey received many great opportunities and connections and became the Director of Marketing and Business Development for the Charlotte Magazine and Workforce Development Director for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, Stacey Brown Randall founded Randall Research, an HR consulting firm, for over four years before returning to corporate work in the financial space. Looking for an escape route to get out of corporate America, Stacey received her productivity and business coaching certification. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Stacey started her second business in 2013, where through her coaching program, Stacey helps business owners generate referrals without asking. Stacey Brown Randall is also the award-winning author of the book Generating Business Referrals Without Asking: A Simple Five-Step Plan to a Referral Explosion. Stacey also is the host of Roadmap to Grow Your Business, a podcast that offers tips and tricks to growing your business and bringing in new clients. Stacey shares in the episode why she thinks it may be difficult for real estate professionals to use their databases to their full potential. Databases are made up of referral sources, clients, current clients, previous clients, and strategic partners. Many in the real estate industry can benefit from categorizing each source correctly to maintain clean and comfortable access to data. The importance of having an organized database can help in gaining referrals and re-engaging clients. Having a solid strategy and system for each type of client can facilitate maintaining authentic relationships and reengagement from referrals. Engagement with clients can deepen relationships, and the provided outreach is memorable and meaningful, helping plant referral seeds and strengthening relationships with referral sources. Stacey offers advice on referral seeds by introducing the 'Thank by Name' tactic. Every time a referral is received, a handwritten thank you card should be shared with the referral source, thanking them for the referral by name. This helps plant the referral seeds while also reminding the referral source that they are valued. Stacey Brown Randall's advice to new real estate agents is to know that your relationships will serve you if you take the time to develop the relationships. It's essential not solely to focus on trying to sell the client a home, but ultimately you are trying to help the client!  Resources Mentioned:Referral Quiz: Are You a Referral Ninja Beginner, In Training, or Master? Stacey Brown Randall's Book: Generating Business Referrals Without AskingConnect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Stacey Brown RandallOn WebsiteOn Roadmap to Grow Your Business Podcast  On Facebook On LinkedIn RATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Episode Summary:Our guest today once worked as a chemical engineer at Chevron. He now has over thirty-six years of real estate industry experience that helps him provide great insights for industry agents. Joining us is Ira Serkes, Real Estate Specialist at Compass Realty. Ira and his wife Carol specialize in helping sell and buy homes in Berkeley and the surrounding communities. In this episode, join Ira and me to discover some of the advice Ira has to share from being in the industry for over three decades. We also discuss Ira's community and photography blog and his definition of work/life balance.Top Takeaways: Ira Serkes' Advice for New AgentsIra Serkes had many great pieces of advice for new agents. He first recommends the book Ninja Selling by Larry Kendall, citing the book and the correlating class as the best he has taken and read. Ira also shares his idea on real estate by saying, "Real estate is not your life; it simply funds it." Ira mentions The Regret Minimization Framework concept, the thought process to minimize one's life regrets. Ira urges new agents to seek a harmonious life rather than a balanced life as there will be many times when things in life require more time than usual. Ira finished by saying, "Always remember what is important." As we reflect on the years, it is more evident than ever that we do not know what tomorrow will bring. "That's my mission, is to let people be aware of these [decisive, life-altering] moments and recognize them ideally in time. Also, to recognize that real estate is not your life. It simply funds your life. The thing that is truly important is to live your life in a way that when you look back, you don't say, 'Gee, I wish I would have done something.'" – Ira Serkes [12:11]"I've never seen my role as selling things; that's a byproduct. What's it a byproduct of? Providing buyers or sellers with information so that they can make the right decision." – Ira Serkes [14:57]Episode Highlights:[00:18] Intro [00:44] Meet Ira Serkes – Bronx to Berkeley [01:25] Growing Up in the Bronx [03:23] Attending the Bronx High School of Science [06:04] Pursuing a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering at Cooper Union [09:15] Attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst for Master's [10:07] Patents and Seizing the Opportunities Life Offers [12:40] Working with Engineers in the Real Estate Industry [17:20] Working for Chevron Led to Living in Berkeley Since 1974 [21:27] What Living in Berkeley Is Like [24:26] Ira's Blog BerkeleyHomes.com [28:03] Tips on Building a Business and Referring Out Leads [35:29] Master of Yelp Reviews [39:36] Ira's Advice for New Agents [44:53] Connect with Ira [45:46] Closing Thoughts [46:17] Outro Episode Notes: Joining us today is Ira Serkes, Real Estate Specialist at Compass Realty, helping buyers and sellers alike in the Berkeley and surrounding communities. Ira Serkes grew up in the Bronx in New York City, sharing that he grew up with a view of the Bronx Zoo and frequently visited. Ira attended The Bronx High School of Science before attending The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. At Cooper Union, Ira Serkes earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. Ira continued his education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he received his Master's in Chemical Engineering. Ira Serkes describes his life as changing through countless one sentence decisive moments. One of those moments was taking a position as Research Engineer at Chevron in Berkeley, where he has now resided since 1974. Another one of those moments in his life led him to real estate. After investing in his first property, a seven-plex apartment building in Berkeley, Ira met his wife Carol, and they have been married for 35 years.  Early on in his career, Ira started his blog, berkeleyhomes.com, sharing Berkeley's neighborhoods for all to see through posts and his own photos of the community. Ira shares that the best time to create a blog was twenty years ago, but the second-best time to make a blog is today. As twenty years from today, you won't look back and wish you had started it! Ira Serkes also has another site, serkes.com, for his other photography ventures. Ira Serkes believes that everybody should have a website on top of their company website. He also shares it is critical to have an email account that you control, so you will still have all your connections and your email account in the event you leave the real estate industry. Ira shares another tip for agents, which is not to try to be all things to all people. Have enough business to be happy and place referrals with other agents for all of the other leads as you can gain passive income from a cut of the commission. Ira encourages people to build their own business and refer out the leads when necessary. Ira Serkes offers numerous great tips to new real estate agents. Ira believes that real estate is not your life; it merely funds it and believes it is essential to understand the Regret Minimization Framework concept. Ira also advises to seek a harmonious life over a balanced life and continuously be aware that you do not know what tomorrow will be, so do what is essential today. Ira Serkes' last piece of advice to new real estate agents is to create memories rather than acquiring things.Resources Mentioned:Co-Authored by Ira Serkes | How to Buy a House in California Larry Kendall | Ninja Selling: Subtle Skills. Big Results Connect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Ira SerkesAt serkes@berkeleyhomes.comAt (510) – 684 – 3334 On BerkeleyHomes.comOn Serkes Photography On LinkedIn RATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Neal Oates got his real estate start working under houses as a Terminix employee. Thanks to the guidance of a few genuine mentors, his business background and entrepreneurial spirit— it wasn't long before he branched out on his own. Today, based in Miami, Neal serves as the broker-owner of World Renowned Real Estate. He sits down to talk about his journey to the world of real estate and how he’s giving back to the industry. He shares the pillars of excellence, service, leadership, and growth that has helped guide his life and his career. Hear his mailroom to boardroom story as he offers advice for new agents and more. “The great thing about great people is if they're really great and they really love and care about you they want what's best for you even if it's not what's best for the company.” -Neal Oates “I know the difference that it makes when someone gives you an opportunity, even when you don't think you deserve it...I feel like I have a duty. I feel like I have a responsibility to share that because I know that this real estate industry has given me and my family a lifestyle I don't believe we would have if it weren't for this.”  -Neal Oates Top Takeaways:Neal Oates’ Advice for New Agents: Prepare for the long haul. "Get in. Dive in. Be willing to commit long term because then you remove that torment of choice." -Neal Oates Find someone who's doing what you want to do and latch on to them. "The great ones, the really good people, they want to see others grow. They understand that there's an abundance for everyone.” -Neal OatesEpisode Highlights:[00:31] Intro[01:21] Neal Oates and the Baltimore Ravens[03:44] NFL draft and thoughts on the Miami Dolphins [05:09] Growing up in Florala, Alabama[07:14] Transitioning from high school to college football[10:01] Graduating within 2 1/2 years [11:35] Finding his way to real estate [14:20] Going from the mailroom to the boardroom[16:28] A lesson learned from the 2008 market[18:30] Making the decision to branch out on his own[20:10] The story behind World Renowned Real Estate[24:55] Neal's 4-pillars of success[26:20] Building a team and finding new agents[28:28] Helping other agents to develop and association participation[30:57] Neal's advice for new agents[32:38] Finding Neal Oates[34:17] Outro Resources Mentioned: World Renowned Real EstateConnect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Neal OatesAt Worldrenownedrealestate.comOn TwitterOn InstagramOn FacebookRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Episode Summary:Our guest today brings us on a different avenue of real estate and home buying regarding what climate change may bring in the future. Joining us is Skylar Olsen, Principal Economist at ClimateCheck, a brand-new platform making it possible to rate real estate based on the expected future climate changes in the area. Skylar Olsen is also the Founder of Reimagine Economics, an economic consultancy and blog that bridges the gap between companies and professionals regarding data sharing. In this episode, join Skylar and me to find out more about Zillow's Zestimate algorithms and the passion behind why Skylar founded Reimagine Economics. We also discuss the future of real estate and home buying when climate change is taken into account and how Realtors can use ClimateCheck's new platform in future listings! Top Takeaways: Skylar Olsen's Advice for New Agents"Get ready for the conversation; it's coming to you. Some of your buyers are going to want to talk about it [climate change].""People are going to start to feel more and more uncertain about the decisions that they are making in some areas of the U.S., and an agent is going to be a critical front-line person that has that conversation. Being prepared to have it can mean arming yourself with information, positioning yourself as someone who can help understand how to position a home for sale, if there is a climate risk.""How do you help a homeowner? Add resilience to their home to get ready for sale. You're going to be the front-lines on this one; getting prepared is probably the best advice that I can say.""People are still interested in buying homes, but the inventory is not existent. Those algorithms that Zillow uses to create the Zestimate, you have got to use data to do it right. That data is pre-crisis data, that data is in the before times. You need the human to kind of think about what is happening." – Skylar Olsen [18:05]"Putting the risk at your doorstep, getting real individuals to understand what the risk means to them I think is one of the best ways that we can actually enact change." – Skylar Olsen [29:12] Episode Highlights:[00:22] Intro[00:44] Meet Skylar Olsen – Climate Change Economist [01:34] Moving Around the Country to Reside in Seattle [06:45] Pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics at University of Washington [10:14] Why Skylar Went into the Industry Instead of Academia [13:13] Skylar's Path to Zillow and Working with the Consumer [16:31] The Zestimate Technology [19:01] Why Skylar Founded Reimagine Economics [22:48] Making the Market Benefit Many [25:08] What Is ClimateCheck? [30:44] ClimateCheck's Impact on the Homebuying Experience[33:30] Optimism Surrounding Doing What's Right with Climate Change [37:49] Skylar's Advice for New Agents [39:43] Connect with Skylar [40:18] Closing Thoughts [40:36] Outro Episode Notes: Joining the podcast today is Skylar Olsen, Principal Economist at ClimateCheck, a brand-new program that recently launched, making it possible for real estate to be rated based on the expected future climate changes that might occur in that area. Skylar Olsen is also the Founder of Reimagine Economics, a blog and economic consultancy that facilitates translating economics and data analytics into something meaningful for everyone. When asked where she was from, Skylar Olsen says Seattle, Washington. Even though she is not a Pacific Northwest native, she has lived in Seattle the longest out of any place and feels at home there. Skylar was born in western West Virginia and spent many of her summers working on her Grandmother's 150-acre apple and peach orchard. Skylar moved from West Virginia to California for her childhood years before moving to Columbus, Ohio, throughout her teenage years as her father pursued his Ph.D. Skylar Olsen followed her father on his tenure and received her bachelor's in economics from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.  Skylar Olsen continued her education, moving to Seattle, Washington, where she received her Masters and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Washington. Skylar left the University of Washington with the need to make a difference and landed at Zillow, the largest and richest housing dataset in the nation, where she used data to explain how housing markets work and work outward facing with the consumers. Skylar worked at Zillow for over eight years, moving from Economist to Senior Principal Economist. Skylar Olsen recently left Zillow and soon after founded Reimagine Economics in August and joined ClimateCheck as a Principal Economist in September. With both passion projects, Skylar offers unique expertise to empower and add resiliency to consumers both at ClimateCheck and Principal Economist. ClimateCheck makes it simple for anyone to instantly perform a risk assessment on their home with hopes of building a safer future for homeowners and their families. ClimateCheck makes it possible to see the risks based on the area around a home and to see how climate change affects a property over the next thirty years backed by real data. Skylar is optimistic that solutions will come when people become more informed and identify the real threats in their own lives. Skylar Olsen's advice to new agents is to be prepared to have conversations surrounding climate change. Some buyers will want to discuss these real climate change threats that may surround themselves and their future home. As time continues, people will continue to feel more and more uncertain about the decisions they are making, and Skylar believes that agents will be part of the front-line when it comes to climate change conversations around home buying. Resources Mentioned:For More Information about Climate Check Widget's for Home Listings info@climatecheck.comConnect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Skylar OlsenAt skylar@reimagine-economics.comOn LinkedInOn ClimateCheck Website On Reimagine Economics Website RATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Episode Summary:Our guest took a non-traditional route to reach her success today and was able to work her way up to be the CEO of MRED in Chicago, IL. Joining us is Rebecca Jensen, the President, and CEO of Midwest Real Estate Data, or MRED, an MLS company providing services to the Chicagoland area. Rebecca truly is making "industry magic" happen in the real estate world. In this episode, join Rebecca and me to hear how Rebecca's choices led her to be the leader of one of the largest MLS companies in the country that provides services to over 45,000 brokers and appraisers. We also discuss the numerous ways in which Rebecca offers her expertise to real estate organizations across the country! Top Takeaways: Rebecca Jensen's Advice for New Agents"Understand why you are now in the business. There are part-time agents that think that this could be a supplemental part of their income, and then there are people who think that… might see real estate as an easy way to change a career. It's not as easy as HGTV or some of the programs might have you think.""If you're going into the real estate industry as an agent because you've lost your job, and this is going to be your new job. Make sure that you treat it like a job. Don't expect ten hours a week of work to give you the forty-hour a week paycheck. It's not how it works. You need to put in a ton of work, especially in the beginning for new agents. Don't think it's just some easy career path; it might look like that on the outside, but it takes a lot of time, effort, and discipline to create an actual business for yourself." "I want to stay at the top of my game. My goal is to serve brokerages. I do a lot, as much as I can, to not just reach out and let people know what is happening but also to hear what the pain points are, what are the problems that need to be solved. I am motivated by the big, hairy, audacious goals." – Rebecca Jensen [24:30]"I am a huge advocate of having a very disciplined planning process that takes not just what's happening in the industry, but you have got to have at least a three to five ear outlook on where things are going to go. That's what I did with RESO. I knew data standards weren't just going to pop out in two months. Now, look at where RESO was… and now it's a sold-out conference held globally with people all over the world being engaged." – Rebecca Jensen [29:16] Episode Highlights:[00:22] Intro[00:48] Meet Rebecca Jensen – MLS Aficionado [02:05] Born and raised in Salt Lake City  [05:32] Taking the Alternate Path in High School to Reach Success [07:13] Working on Up – Help Desk to CEO [13:40] Rebecca Jensen's Projects and Developments at MRED [16:59] Working Alongside a Board of Directors [18:47] The Transition from "Small" Lake City to Chicagoland[24:24] The Importance of Volunteering in the Real Estate Space [26:54] MRED-Shaped Strategic Planning for Brokerage Clients [30:05] The Impact of 2020 on MRED [33:41] Rebecca's Advice for New Agents [35:29] Connect with Rebecca [35:45] Closing Thoughts [36:14] Outro Episode Notes: Today, Joining us is Rebecca Jensen, President, and CEO of Midwest Real Estate Data, or MRED, an MLS company providing services to the Chicagoland area's brokers and appraisers. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Rebecca spent her childhood outdoors enjoying the terrain that Utah offers. Rebecca Jensen's dreams in high school were on the non-traditional side as she decided to drop out of high school at the age of sixteen as she believed she could go to college and start her career path now. Rebecca never received her high school diploma or obtained a GED. Instead, she enrolled at her local community college and began taking college courses at sixteen years old. Instead of taking the traditional path, Rebecca described that she looked at all her possible paths and decided the best way for her to get to where she wanted to be would be receiving a degree in general studies. Rebecca received her Associate Degree in General Education from Salt Lake Community College. She worked as a freelance trainer for Wasatch Front Regional MLS (WFRMLS), now known as the UtahRealEstate.com. Rebecca had dreams of working in the technology field, and after getting her foot in the door at UtahRealEstate.com, she applied for a help desk job helping unhappy realtors with their transition to technology use. During this time, Rebecca went back to school to receive her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Westminster College. Rebecca Jensen worked her way up from the help desk to become the CEO of UtahRealEstate.com in 2007, where she stayed for over seven years. During this time, Rebecca received her Master's in Business Administration and Technology Commercialization from Westminster College. Rebecca had goals to bring technology to the real estate industry using her degree experience and professional work experience. At UtahRealEstate.com, Rebecca was thus involved in the technologies to build a successful MLS and the building of a front-end website, consumer website, and the correct office infrastructure needed for MLS. Rebecca Jensen began to take on more industry-related roles when she became CEO of UtahRealEstate.com and realized that Salt Lake City wasn't delivering everything that brokers needed. Rebecca became part of the ground floor of the Real Estate Standards Organization or RESO. Being with the organization for over ten years now, Rebecca has Board Chair and Board Member experience. She facilitated the development and implementation of long-term strategic plans in the real estate industry. These connections led Rebecca Jensen to Chicago, where she took the job as President and CEO of Midwest Real Estate Data in 2015. Rebecca believes volunteering, especially in the real estate space, is crucial as it allows you to stay at the top of your game and further serve brokers. Rebecca shows this in her work on multiple boards of directors. Currently, Rebecca is a Board Member for Broker Public Portal, a Board Chair for the MLS Grid, and, most recently, a Board Member for the California Regional MLS, CRMLS, the nation's largest MLS. Rebecca Jensen's advice to new agents is to understand why you are now in the business and know that it is not as easy as it may look. Rebecca shares that, especially at the beginning of your real estate career, you must put in a lot of hard work to create the business you want for yourself! Resources Mentioned:Connect:  Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Rebecca JensenAt rebecca@mredllc.com On MRED Website On RESO Website On FacebookOn LinkedInRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Monica Weakley’s real estate experience includes being the owner and lead agent of The Weakley Team and holding a leadership position (Team Leader) at Keller Williams Advisors’ market center for five years. She coached and trained other agents to run successful businesses of their own. She is now with eXp Realty.Today, Monica focuses on her own coaching business (My Coach, Monica – powered by The National Coaching League). Her specialty is coaching salespeople who want to grow their business through relationships. You can find her coaching 1-on-1 clients, leading small group coaching initiatives, and running online training webinars for larger audiences.First, Monica dives into all the best parts of Cincinnati, Ohio. Did you know that sixty percent of the United States population is within a half-day drive from Cincinnati? Cincinnati is famous for its chili - it has cinnamon, chocolate, and nutmeg in it. There might even be a Skyline Chili in your town! Lastly, they have Graeter’s ice cream; it’s another hometown favorite for Cincinnati. Then, Monica reveals the journey she took to real estate. When Monica told her parents about her real estate dreams, they told her not to do it. However, she went for it anyway! When Monica was struggling with her real estate career, she moved brokers thinking that would solve it. Sadly, she realized that the problem was with herself, not the broker. Luckily, Keller Williams called and asked if she would join as an assistant team leader. Monica is a referral-based real estate agent. It’s possible to have a steady base of referrals. Too many agents believe that they have to be lucky for this to work out. We can be systematic in finding a loyal base of referrals. Monica knew that she wanted to write a book about how to do this. To prove her point, Monica relaunched her business in April. Later, Monica reveals the importance of conversations and relationships in real estate. Facebook is a fantastic tool for real estate agents. It’s a place where people show you what’s important to them and what they celebrate. For someone who wants to create relationships with people, it’s the perfect place to do it. There are two reasons that a person will give you referrals – they are invested in your success or know that you will take great care of their referral. Remember, there are deep roots that are underneath your referral. Ensure that you are showing up as a human being first; it will help you create healthy relationships. Secondly, we need to fly our real estate flag by demonstrating and educating people about what we do for a living every day.Stay tuned as Monica explains the benefits of GhostPostr, why worrying is getting in the way of your success, and Monica gives advice for someone starting in the real estate industry.“I am a relationship-based seller, and I work strictly on referrals.”“Facebook is the number one business tool that has ever been given to us as real estate agents.”“People need to know that you will take care of their referral.”“Show up as a human being first.”“The reason you aren’t getting more referrals is that you’re not being thought of.”“We have to be purposeful.”In This Episode:[ 4:05 ] What you need to know about Cincinnati  [ 6:15 ] Monica explains her journey to real estate [ 16:45 ] The importance of conversations + relationships in real estate  [ 20:55 ] How to attract business + referrals from your Facebook audience[ 25:15 ] Why worrying is getting in the way of your success[ 27:50 ] advice for getting started in real estate Links Mentioned: Monica’s Website: https://www.mycoachmonica.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/monicaweakleyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNhhIocArkWeLFHVNjFkhWQLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-weakley-9805b23/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monicaweakley51336 To Life: https://www.nationalcoachingleague.com/36-to-lifeGhostPostr: https://www.mycoachmonica.com/ghostpostConnect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn YoutubeRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Episode Summary:Today, our guest breaks the record for the broker-owners interviewed on the show being the first broker-owner who has owned their brokerage for almost 40 years! Joining us is Gloria Frazier, the broker-owner of ERA American Real Estate residing in the Florida Panhandle of Destin and Fort Walton Beach area. Gloria has built a trusted base of agents to handle all aspects of real estate and rental management in the Northwestern part of Florida. In this episode, join Gloria and me to hear how Gloria has grown a successful brokerage that she has owned and operated since 1981. We also discuss some of the exciting things that Gloria has done in her life before real estate! Top Takeaways: Gloria Frazier's Advice for New Agents"Be prepared to do the hard work of prospecting, following up, and prospecting more.""We know going in that we're going to make a sizable investment of time and money with each person that comes to us. We look for people who want to make a commitment to the business. We also know how many transactions it takes for the typical agent here to say, 'I am making a living in real estate.' For us, it's about twenty-four transactions with our average sales price. If the person is willing to do the work, apply themselves, and do all those things in the beginning that have to be done because you don't have referrals, we get behind them 100% and help them get to those twenty-four transactions." – Gloria Frazier [22:54]"I mean they're everything [relationships]. You don't get new business without good relationships; you don't keep business without good relationships. You don't keep good agents without those. A few years ago, we spiffed up our mission statement and our values. Our mission statement is 'changing lives through real estate.' It does, when somebody walks through our door to become an agent, hopefully, we are changing their life for the better. When that agent sells a house, lists a house, hopefully the outcome is what the person wants to have, and they feel their life has been enhanced because of something we gave them." – Gloria Frazier [25:24]Episode Highlights:[00:32] Intro[00:58] Meet Gloria Frazier – Florida Panhandle Broker Owner [02:01] Record for the Podcast [02:53] Technology Changes in the Past 40 Years [05:12] Gloria's Background from LA to Germany [06:13] Living in Post-War Germany[08:44] Bass Player for 30 Years [12:09] Why Gloria Settled in the Florida Panhandle [14:12] Odd Jobs in Germany [16:11] How Gloria Started American Real Estate [18:05] Partnering with ERA [20:13] Opinions on Methods and Business Models  [22:33] Key Things That Make an Agent a 'Good Fit' [25:06] How Critical Relationship Are in Real Estate [27:40] Technology Changes, Relationship Don't [31:52] What Surprised Gloria the Most in the 2020 Market [34:00] Gloria's Advice for New Agents [34:58] Connect with Gloria [35:25] Closing Thoughts [36:15] Outro Episode Notes: Joining us today is Gloria Frasier, broker-owner of the ERA American Real Estate in Northwestern Florida. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Gloria graduated from Pepperdine University in downtown LA with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. After college, Gloria had the fortunate opportunity to experience Europe and decided to live her twenties in Germany. The goal was to become bilingual and accent-free and then return to the U.S. for a Master's in German to teach at the college level. Instead, she stayed in Germany when it was very much post-war Germany from the mid-sixties to mid-seventies. Gloria worked many exciting jobs, such as working at a home for unwed mothers' children to teaching English to Germans. While in Germany, Gloria even started a band, The Horizons, where she played bass guitar for over thirty years, mostly playing country and lounge music covers. After residing in Germany for eleven years, Gloria moved back to the United States and decided to make the Florida Panhandle her home over forty-four years ago. Having grown up on the west coast with access to the ocean anytime, coming back to the United States, Gloria loved having the view of the sea again. After working many interesting jobs back in Germany, Gloria found real estate through a friend who convinced her to get her real estate license and get into the business together. Gloria worked for her first brokerage agency for three and a half years. Still, an opportunity arose to jumpstart her business, and within a week, the opportunity had already opened the doors to her brokerage, American Real Estate. Gloria decided to partner up with ERA just three weeks after opening the company as they offered training, referrals and were and still are a major growing franchise. Gloria shares that she loves ERA because it has so much heart, and it not just all business. Having been in the business for almost forty years, Gloria Frasier has hired several agents. For Gloria, an agent is a good fit when the agent wants to commit to the business and is willing to work. Gloria takes it on as a personal responsibility to set agents up to not fail and reach their full potential. Gloria Frasier's advice to new agents is to be prepared to do the hard work of prospecting, following up, and prospecting some more!Resources Mentioned:Connect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Gloria Frasier At gkfraiser@era-american.com At (850)582-4493On WebsiteOn LinkedInRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Our guest today is a very resourceful and accomplished individual who strives to help and teach others. Joining us is Missy Bentley, a realtor with EXP Realty in Evansville, Indiana. Missy is an avid sports fan, places a strong emphasis on relationships, and has a deep love for Twitter. Missy has over 16 years of experience in sales, marketing, and media, which she uses to her advantage to help better her community. In this episode, join Missy and me to find out why relationships are the key to success and how Missy believes we all can learn something beneficial from one another. We also discuss the benefits of using Twitter to grow in knowledge and connections and what has worked and not worked in the world of the 2020 real estate industry.  Top Takeaways: Missy Bentley's Advice for New Agents "I would say don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. I feel like so many in the real estate industry take everything so seriously and it's a serious business but at the same time, you have got to have fun!" "I've always had the heart of a teacher since I was a little kid and now, I'm finally in a position where I'm finally able to work with agents who might need a little help in social media. Having been a managing broker, I know the ends and outs of a brokerage. It's really nice to take the younger, or newer, agents under my wing and showing them how things should be done. Put the client first rather than themselves." – Missy Bentley [20:13]"The one thing that I do like is I think the COVID world kind of forced everybody's hand. I think realtors have done a really good job of adapting to the industry changes. You and I are in the tech industry aside from real estate, so we knew the changes were coming. I feel like the COVID world kind of sped those changes up and overnight realtors had to change their business. I think for the most part, everybody has been really supportive of each other and really encouraging to try to move the industry forward which has been much needed for quite some time." – Missy Bentley [26:19] Episode Highlights:[00:26] Intro[00:52] Meet Missy Bentley – Twitter Savvy Midwesterner [02:10] The World of Racing [04:33] Small Town Feel in Evansville [07:37] Tri-State Sports Team Loyalty [09:56] Attending the University of Tennessee [12:53] Falling into Radio by Chance [15:57] Always Having a Foot in the Real Estate World [17:13] Transitioning to Full-Time Real Estate [19:00] Love It EVV Contributions and Many Accomplishments [20:45] The Beauty of Twitter [25:56] What's Right and Wrong in the Industry in 2020[32:12] Missy's Advice for New Agents [33:07] Connect with Missy [33:34] Closing Thoughts [34:05] Outro Episode Notes: Joining us today is Missy Bentley, a realtor with EXP Realty. Missy resides in Evansville, Indiana, known as the Tri-State Area of Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. The area is close to many major cities such as Cincinnati, St. Louis, Nashville, Indianapolis, and Louisville. Missy initially did not begin in real estate. Instead, she attended the University of Tennessee, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education with a behavior modification specialization. She admits that this degree comes in handy in the real estate world. After graduation, Missy went on to work as a teacher but found herself landing on the radio by chance, where she became a morning radio host. Missy shares that she has been in real estate since she went back to school to complete her Master's degree, where she had a friend who owned a local brokerage that needed help. Soon after being signed on as the receptionist, Missy ended up getting her real estate license and had been dabbling in the real estate world since the late nineties. Missy eventually went full-time into real estate after not having the desire to move states to be on a new morning show with her co-hosts. Missy Bentley is a writer, consultant, realtor, trainer, and even standup comedian. Missy shares that she has the heart of a teacher and feels she is finally in a position where she can work with other agents who may need some help with social media or managing a broker. Some of the ways that Missy provides this teaching and consulting is done using Twitter. She shares the benefits that Twitter can have for small-town realtors when staying ahead of the curve on the latest information. When questioned on what she believes is right and wrong in the real estate industry in 2020, Missy shares that COVID has forced realtors to adapt to industry changes; with the pandemic, tech use for realtors has had many realtors changing their business overnight. She also hopes that the industry begins to see that there are talented, smart, and forward-thinking agents in the middle of the county in smaller markets by giving them more opportunities to shine. Missy Bentley's advice to new agents is not to be afraid to laugh at yourself. Missy believes that too often in the real estate agency, everything is taken so seriously. While real estate is a serious business, it is also essential to have fun with it as it makes the difference!Connect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt TheRealEstateSessions.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@ratgemyagent.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Missy BentleyOn FacebookOn InstagramOn TwitterOn LinkedInRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

Episode Summary:Our guest today shares his unique take on the “people business” of real estate. Joining us is Jeff Lobb, the founder, and CEO of SparkTank Media, a speaking, training, and coaching company that focuses on sales, marketing, and technology in the real estate, mortgage, and title industries. An international speaker and innovator, Jeff is more than a coach. With almost thirty years in the industry, Jeff is an advisor, a strategist, a business planner, and a training specialist for brokerages, teams, and agents in his new on-demand coaching, Coach 52.  In this episode, join Jeff and me to hear how Jeff’s selling years lead him to speak and coach to help others in the industry be better with technology, systems, and sales. We also discuss some of the most requested topics for conferences and the constant evolution seen in the real estate world!Top Takeaways: Jeff Lobb’s Advice for New Agents“They need to focus on getting the core stuff out of the way… but the sales end of this, you need to find at least seven streams of networks and people to connect with. If you realize this, you are not in the real estate business, you are in the people business, and the product is real estate. What you sell is trust, so if you can focus on how I find more people to talk to that will like and trust me, I can now grow my real estate business.”“Most agents do not spend their time finding new people to talk to. They are intimidated, there’s fear, there are insecurities, there’s anxiety. That is the whole business. More people, more opportunities. Focus there.”“I try and get people to work on their business as a business; To work on it, not in it. So many agents are running by the seat of their pants every day, not sure what their day even looks like other than the fires that get thrown at them. It goes beyond real estate.” – Jeff Lobb [29:36]“We lack focus. We’re very distracted; we’re in a very emotional world right now. Trying to get people to do the right activities is a critical part of this business is hard, and it’s not consistent. That’s where a lot of my time is being spent on how to get into the mindset of I want you to figure out what are the two things that you need to change to make you more money and more productive and let’s work on that.” – Jeff Lobb [30:04]Episode Highlights:[00:27] Intro[00:52] Meet Jeff Lobb—Founder of SparkTank Media[01:33] Getting Jeff on the Podcast[02:14] Born and Raised in New Jersey[04:53] Rapid Fire Sports Team Choices[05:31] Jeff’s Involvement in Coaching and Sports[06:45] Learning How to Sell at Just 10[12:49] Real Estate to VP of Technology and Marketing[17:09] SparkTank Media, A Sales, Marketing, and Coaching Company[23:58] Coach52, Building a Community of Do’ers[25:34] The Number One Requested Topic for Conferences[27:20] Jeff’s Favorite Topic to Cover[30:39] Apps to Check Out Now[37:27] Jeff’s Advice for New Agents[38:51] Connect with Jeff[39:15] Closing Thoughts[39:43] OutroEpisode Notes: Joining us today is Jeff Lobb, founder, and CEO of SparkTank Media. Jeff has also just launched Coach52, where he helps other people in the industry be better with technology, systems, and sales. Jeff Lobb was born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey but now lives in Sussex County, very rural compared to his big-city childhood. Jeff is involved directly in his children’s sports, coaching, and helping whenever he can.Real estate was not Jeff Lobb’s first career; he shares it started unofficially when he was only ten years old working at a fruit market. Jeff learned at a very young age how businesses evolved and learned the art of the sale. Jeff went on to receive his BS in Business Management at Kean University while working and traveling full-time in sales. After receiving his real estate license, Jeff started his real estate career with Century 21, where he credits the brokers for teaching him investment properties and door-to-door sales tactics.Spending almost twenty years in the real estate space, Jeff Lobb started to get recognized for some of his ventures at a corporate and regional level. Moving from a community trainer, Jeff moved up to VP of Technology and Marketing at EXIT Realty Corp. International. Seeing the frustrations occurring in the corporate world surrounding technology in real estate, Jeff found a need to help people from a consulting standpoint.After founding SparkTank Media, Jeff began consulting and taking speaking opportunities that started to open many doors and expand his horizons in the world of real estate. Jeff found that the real estate space began to shift for a new need to train and coach teams to stay ahead of the curve and eventually evolved into referrals. To scale this idea, Jeff Lobb created Coach52, a place for individuals in the real estate industry to find solutions to increase productivity through teaching, training, and coaching.Jeff Lobb’s advice to new agents is to stop focusing on trying to learn everything. He admits that you will probably never know everything even when you are decades in. Instead, after understanding the core fundamentals, new agents should find at least seven streams of networks and people to connect with. Realizing that you are in the people business and the product is real estate will help you gain trust and grow your real estate business.Resources Mentioned:·      Coach 52| Website·      Community | App – Text Jeff Lobb @ (973)310-7815·      Blinkist | App·      TikTok | AppConnect: Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Jeff Lobb At jeff@sparktankmedia.comOn WebsiteOn FacebookOn InstagramOn LinkedInRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

In episode 255, I share a bit more of the decision to leave Fidelity National Financial after 20 years for an opportunity with RateMyAgent, an Australian based company striving to help agent harness the power of verified reviews that are tied to transactions. It's a rare "no guest" episode, so I keep it under 10 minutes! Enjoy!Connect:Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt TheRealEstateSessions.comFind | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@ratemyagent.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn YoutubeRATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher 

As I help the Orlando Fidelity National Title operation, I am introduced to more industry leaders. This week, I have the honor of interviewing Oglah Gatamah, Operating Principal of Keller Willams Legacy Realty. Listen in as Oglah shares her story, culminating in becoming the owner of her own KW Market Center after only 3 years in real estate. Culture, service and, passion only begin to describe Oglah’s style.

Thank you, Anthony Malafronte, for another guest recommendation. We head up to the Florida Panhandle to chat with Ginny Lee Deptula of Niceville FL. Ginny Lee and her team are maximizing digital marketing strategies, including video, to differentiate herself from other agents in the area. She also coaches other agents, so listen in to Episode 212 for her story.

There are many people I look up to in the real estate space. There are so many bright lights that think differently than I ever have. Today’s guest is one of those people. Marc Davison, Chief Creative Officer for 1000watt. 1000watt describes themselves as real estate’s creative agency. They identify superpowers and turn them into words, design, and strategies that bring them to the world.Listen in as we get Marc’s amazing journey through the world of music, Madison Ave. and Inman News. 

Episode Summary:Today, our guest has a dedication to serving and giving back that she shows in her professional and volunteer ventures. Joining us is Jackie Soto, partner and broker at eHomes, a brokerage out of the Inland Empire in Southern California. Jackie has involvement in the WomenUp organization, where she has hopes to empower other women along her journey. Jackie also serves on the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals board and the National Association of Realtors' Young Professionals Network.In this episode, join Jackie and me to hear how Jackie had her start in the industry at just 18 and led her to two successful businesses! We also discuss the need for education and change in the real estate industry and just how Jackie is helping her fellow agents along the way!Top Takeaways: Jackie Soto's Advice for New Agents"Be collaborative. Be willing to share. I think a lot of reasons that people reach out to Elmer and me is because we're willing to share. We don't really think that there is a secret sauce. It's a lot of hard work, a lot of studying.""Keep moving forward. So much as you excel and elevate yourself, pass the baton. Be able to share. If you see someone doing something wrong, don't be afraid to give feedback, and accept feedback.""I always told myself once I found that key to success and I could learn how to build a business, successfully, I wanted to carry that on to other agents. I wanted to empower them because I have been there, and I want to pass that on. I don't want agents wasting five years of their career because they don't have access to the proper resources." –Jackie Soto [10:52]"It's truly been reaching out to mentors and asking for help and asking the right questions. Not being afraid to ask those questions, not raising your hand to say you want to do something, but you don't know how to do it. Asking for that guidance, that's been huge for me." – Jackie Soto [12:51]Episode Highlights:[00:15] Intro[00:31] Meet Jackie Soto—Broker from the Inland Empire[01:45] Born and raised in Southern California[02:54] Misconceptions of Inland Empire Communities[05:40] Changed Plans and the Path into Real Estate[06:49] The Push to Pursue Education in the Industry[10:34] Empowering Agents Through Brokerage Ownership[12:02] Reaching Success with Help from Mentors[13:22] Starting Divergent Realty[14:23] Transforming into eHomes[16:54] Development in the WomenUp Community[19:04] Technology Tools for the Agent[22:07] Openness to Change and Improvement[23:47] COVID's Impact on Southern California[25:49] Jackie's Advice for New Agents[26:54] Connect with Jackie[27:07] Closing Thoughts[27:30] OutroEpisode Notes: Today, joining us is Jackie Soto, partner and broker at eHomes, located in the Inland Empire of California. Jackie was born and raised in Southern California, growing up in South Gate, a Los Angeles County city. Jackie now lives in the Inland Empire area of Southern California, and on this episode, shares some of the major misconceptions surrounding the Inland Empire. Jackie admits that she loves the area and is super happy to raise her children there.Although Jackie was not originally on the path to real estate, she fell into real estate very early adulthood. As her mom was in the industry herself, Jackie had the opportunity to help with an open house for her mother's colleague. This was the moment that had Jackie switching from the pre-med track to real estate.Jackie Soto spent most of her early career and most of her twenties studying to empower herself through education. Jackie went back to school to pursue real estate, where she received her brokerage license. Now, Jackie works towards different designations as she feels all agents should pursue education as the industry is continually evolving.From the beginning, Jackie Soto knew she wanted to open her own brokerage. She always told herself that when she found the key to success and learned how to build a successful business, she wanted to help other agents achieve the same. Jackie truly wants to empower them by providing access to the proper resources to grow in their career.Jackie Soto opened Divergent Realty, where she wanted to help growing realtors develop in the areas that they felt were more natural or were driven towards. In January, Jackie Soto merged her successful Divergent Realty with eHomes, allowing her more collaboration with the industry and achieving more goals she strived towards.Jackie admits that the WomenUp community had a lot to do with her success today. She does a lot of developing with WomenUp and hopes other women will share her success and believe they can do the same thing. Jackie wants women across the nation to hear it and get involved in leadership as well as being an inspiration to her daughters.Jackie Soto's advice to new agents is to be collaborative and be willing to share. Jackie doesn't believe that there is a secret sauce but instead a lot of hard work. Jackie believes that you should keep moving forward, and when you excel and elevate yourself, pass that on to those around you!Resources Mentioned:·     WomenUp NetworkConnect:Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONSAt Tresonline.com Find | Bill RisserAt bill.risser@fnf.comOn TwitterOn FacebookOn Youtube Find | Jackie SotoAt jackiesotobroker@gmailOn FacebookOn InstagramOn LinkedIn RATE & SUBSCRIBE At Ratethispodcast.com/REsessionsOn Apple PodcastsOn Google PodcastsOn Stitcher