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How to Grow a Real Estate Business Through Community Marketing · Know Like Trust for Real Estate

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: What do you think it is that separates someone like you who's genuinely just gets great joy about your community involvement and another agent who markets it, but isn't as invested as you are.
• 0:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Most people aren't consistent.
• 0:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Consistence is a superpower.
• 0:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm consistent with what I do.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm consistent with the initiatives that I'm a part of.
• 0:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even in our negotiations, like just coming from more caring and hard listening to people.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: Hey everyone, welcome to Know Like Trust for Real Estate, where I help you craft branding and marketing strategies that align with your unique strengths.
• 0:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm Christine George, an agent who worked with me, grow their business on average by 40% by aligning their marketing with who they are, not what they sell.
• 0:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: Today's episode is all about serving clients through community.
• 0:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm so excited about today's guest.
• 0:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: Corey Harding-Keys is with us today.
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: She is the broker and team leader for CHK Real Estate a Royal LePage team in downtown Toronto, South Mississauga, South Oakville, and South Udubico, Udubico, South Udubico.
• 1:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's a tough one.
• 1:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: Her entire business model is built on community centric activities and she has some real community programs that she's going to be talking about today and how she serves her clients through those programs.
• 1:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: So get ready and help me welcome Cory.
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: Corey, I'm so excited to have you here on the pod.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much for joining us today.
• 1:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much for having me, Christine.
• 1:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm super excited to talk about community because that is so much about how you run your business.
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: The first thing I want to ask you is, when it comes to community, what was the opportunity that you saw when you first started thinking about what community meant to you?
• 1:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: What was that opportunity that you saw?
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: That probably most agents miss.
• 1:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: It started honestly with coming from a place of curiosity.
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I had, you know, when I started my real estate business, I wasn't as community focus in all honesty, but as I transitioned, I got more experience and we actually moved into an area that is very community focus.
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was just at a different stage, maybe in my life and my business where I really wanted to learn about where I'm planting my roots and where I call home and where I'm going to raise my family.
• 2:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: So came from that, honestly, and I just started to, you know, we used to have an event called Mix After Six in the community that I live in Focus on Port Credit, Mississauga, and I started going just to kind of learn more about the businesses.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't real estate.
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Focus, it was more coming from a place of curiosity and I think that comes, you know, that's where the genuine aspect comes from like I wasn't going there with a purpose I was going there from that and then the purpose came later
• 2:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: and what transpired from creating those organic relationships kind of evolved into something that was even better than I'd ever thought could be or was very unplanned.
• 3:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it wasn't a planned at all.
• 3:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: You just sort of grew into it.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I grew into it and now there's things that have been planned, like I currently actually just posted an episode this morning
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: love your series call rooted can i just say that it's on youtube so and we'll put the put that in the show notes because i want everybody to go check them out
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so we do like the short form on Instagram, but the long form video where I'm actually sitting down.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's the full length is on YouTube.
• 3:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I link to both.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that was just a pat.
• 3:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's okay.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'll call that a passion project.
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's something that I plan to do pre-pandemic and I'm like, you know what, I really want to do something different.
• 3:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not about me.
• 3:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's about the businesses that I love and support and that make our community what it is.
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: How about I do this series where I'm interviewing them and I'm getting to know them why we're credit why did they, you know, establish here all those things.
• 4:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we were roughly planning it out and then the pandemic happened.
• 4:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it just came to a big halt, obviously.
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then afterwards, like just got busy, that business got busy, the team got busy and it just never brought it back
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: 5, I decided this is the year that I green light this project, this passion project, and it's been very well received.
• 4:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a lot of work.
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm actually shooting Thursday this week.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: My next up is two episodes.
• 4:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a commitment, but it's a feel good for me.
• 4:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: This kind of thing is like a feel good and the relationships and then that work has built is kind of like a byproduct of that involvement.
• 4:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're a top producer, you have a fairly large team.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: How large is your team?
• 4:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what, we're not large.
• 4:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're boutique.
• 4:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: So there are seven of us.
• 4:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: It actually ate if you could like our virtual assistant, you know, and that's by choice.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I have had a bigger team, I have been, you know, partnered with a bigger team, but at this stage of my career in business, I just really want to work with like minded people that, you know, want to be top producers, have an element of community in them as well.
• 5:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: So everyone that works.
• 5:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: on my team was attracted to the brand that was part of the reason.
• 5:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: So seven yes boutique ish, it's significant enough.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like it's your just a team of two or three.
• 5:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: But this is, so this, okay, so many questions, Corey.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: So how do you tell it?
• 5:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Real estate team, community rooted, it's a lot.
• 5:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I love rooted too because you're Canadian, and there's the amazing, you know, change store called Roots, which I discovered years.
• 5:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think about that when I chose the name to be on this city, but no, I didn't.
• 5:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's funny that you say that doesn't like, ah, I just wanted something.
• 5:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I found between things and I didn't want too long of a name.
• 5:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: It just is like, you know, rooted in the community like I put.
• 5:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And because that's how I felt I put Roots down here.
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is where I want to stay and grow and raise my family and all the things.
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: it's beautiful.
• 6:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it started on a passion project.
• 6:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: How many years have you been doing it?
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: No, this is the first year for that.
• 6:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: So my community involvement has been many many years.
• 6:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: The series is new.
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: The series is fairly new.
• 6:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: So the capitalist in me is like, okay, you know, you do all of this community work.
• 6:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: Are you seeing a return on that investment?
• 6:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: But the real question is like, that's not why you do it.
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like, you don't
• 6:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: You don't do all of this community involvement so that you can get a return on that investment.
• 6:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I think it's a byproduct.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Am I right?
• 6:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't go out there with that intention.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I knew that being out in the community and being that face to the community would probably lead to something like that or whatnot.
• 6:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: But that wasn't the focus.
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was more curiosity morning to learn where I was putting my roots down.
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then yes, there's definitely a byproduct of,
• 6:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: a top 1% real estate team, right?
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: So not only are we community focused, we have, you know, our hashtag is CHK Gibbs.
• 7:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: but we're also like, we can also sell real estate.
• 7:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: We do really good job.
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: We do a really good job at it.
• 7:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we go back to the beginning.
• 7:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: You got started in some of your community efforts because you had this curiosity from there.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like, how did it grow?
• 7:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: You started out in real estate.
• 7:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: You got curious about the community.
• 7:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: You wanted to tie the two together.
• 7:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: Of course it makes sense because real estate agents are the face of their community.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: How did it actually grow?
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because I know you're involved in a lot of different community efforts.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I want to hear about those as well.
• 7:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so it grew just by being curious, right?
• 7:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's how it all started.
• 7:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then from there, I started to build relationships organically.
• 7:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: When I started my career, it was different.
• 7:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was downtown Toronto.
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was a very different type of business.
• 7:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then when I moved to South Mississauga, it's a very different business over here where it's definitely more relationship focused.
• 7:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And with that, I wanted to get to know the community.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: So over time doing those things, I started to create relationships and friendships.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then my kids go to school there.
• 8:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I started to meet people at the school.
• 8:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then that led to me joining the Linwood Community Association at my kid's school and hosting these huge Christmas Santa picture events, Halloween.
• 8:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Doing other things in the community, we do like...
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: state in the park.
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Then I built relationships at the gym that was local and that turned into me meeting someone that was also involved in the community saw what I was doing.
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you know, there's a like to like to I'd mess with this person, do I like them?
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: That asked me to be involved in a bigger element of a community initiative, which I ended up being the co-chair on that years later.
• 8:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: but I ended up being invited to be a part of that and it felt good.
• 8:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I was giving back to a community that I wanted to grow in and evolve in.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it just kind of skyrocketed from there.
• 8:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm a doer.
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm a good person to have on your team because I execute.
• 9:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's been helpful too.
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: If I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to do something I'm going to follow through.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going to definitely someone like that.
• 9:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: So when you when you are like that, people can rely on you.
• 9:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: and when people can rely on you and they know how you operate, you're going to be invited to do more things.
• 9:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't just put my logo in a band to not attend it.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ever, I make sure that I'm there and I have some kind of presence there.
• 9:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like it's important for me to experience this experience, the events that my brand is going to be a part of.
• 9:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it kind of evolved from there.
• 9:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it just, it was really organic.
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And one thing led to the other,
• 9:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: and the other.
• 9:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and it was just such a feel good and it was like a gromy quite a network and friend group as well to this day.
• 9:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was out in an event yesterday, my friend hosted an event on this new business and pork credit actually, where you can rent this boat for half the day or whatnot and you have a captain and she's a community friend and everybody that was
• 10:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: however amount of time and we're still friends and it's just a very special group that was organically just happened from this place in that place.
• 10:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: What I love about what I'm hearing from you is that you find just a lot so much joy in all of these organizations that you're a part of and the experiences and the events that you go to to support them.
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: you've grown your friend group, you've grown you obviously your reputation in the community as somebody they can rely on who can help.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: Obviously that's also helped in parallel to grow your business.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the reason that I love that is because I feel like and I want to hear your opinion on this, I feel like so many agents.
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: do what they think they're supposed to do to grow their business and so many of those things just aren't in alignment with what brings them joy or what they're passionate about or what they're good at or what they're skilled at.
• 11:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so they don't do a great job of them, either they put them off, they procrastinate them or they don't do them well.
• 11:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: But what I see you doing is
• 11:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: just leaning into the type of work and passion that brings you joy and it just so happens that that also helps to grow your business.
• 11:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, exactly for that.
• 11:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean the growing of the business organically happened because you know when people get to know you and you have a footprint in the community and a face of authority because you know being involved in certain does
• 11:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: people are going to also look at your own curious about real estate.
• 11:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, and we're selling a lot of real estate and we're vocal about it on Instagram.
• 11:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think we do a pretty good job with that marketing as well to show who we are and what we do.
• 12:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: in a non-salesy cheesy way.
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm really against that kind of marketing.
• 12:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then the mini stuff, you know, which is a feel good and a passion project.
• 12:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I love doing it.
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, people will eventually talk to you about real estate because it not actually connects and they know like and trust you based up what they've seen you doing and it's, you know, and seeing your results and
• 12:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Also, I'm working a very small area for these efforts.
• 12:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: So my community efforts are in the area I live, are in the area that I farm, filters, you know, farming means it means like we're focused on a... And that doesn't mean I don't sell outside of that area, but you see our signs up, you see our postcards, you see our...
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: you see our logo on the event, you see us at the event or in the mix.
• 12:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: During the pandemic, one community initiative that I was a part of kind of created a new initiative under that umbrella called Feed Mississauga.
• 12:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the initiative, you know, under those, those things was feed fighting hunger feeding help empower people in need.
• 13:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was such a need for people in for like, that needed help with hunger during the pandemic.
• 13:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: We were delivering like meals every weekend.
• 13:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't even know how I was doing it.
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was about that.
• 13:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like, whoa!
• 13:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: But we were, you know, that was just like we just all went in to like give back at a different kind of level and you know, taking time to do that because it felt good, but it made a difference to the community and made a difference to my brand and growing my brand for sure, would you say you're known as the community realtor in your market, okay, a hundred percent a hundred percent and
• 13:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, even my video today, I interviewed someone that's very well-known in the corporate credit community who is a friend as well, and I've known for years just from supporting his events and initiatives over the years, right?
• 13:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I'm not all about myself.
• 13:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I do support other people's things and show up.
• 14:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's where going to be created these relationships.
• 14:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just, you know, what's been really
• 14:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: rewarding this year and I'll honestly with the rooted series back there because that's something different that's like interviewing, showing up with my crew and planning and editing after like it's not easy it's a lot.
• 14:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
• 14:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Is learning their story?
• 14:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
• 14:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not about me.
• 14:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not talking about Corey the real term.
• 14:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm genuinely interested in their story and I'm learning things about people that I've known for years and I'm like, I did not know that.
• 14:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Is it so beautiful, Corey?
• 14:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's so beautiful, like I'm getting goosebumps right now and it's going to like likely strengthen those relationships, right?
• 14:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, but yes, when you're giving back and you do a good job at real estate, people will naturally talk to you at some point about real estate.
• 14:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's just the gift.
• 14:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: That wasn't the goal.
• 14:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's the gift.
• 14:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Here's a receipt from my favorite restaurant.
• 15:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Normally, this is the kind of thing that ends up in my pocket, then my car, then gone.
• 15:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not anymore.
• 15:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: All I do is take a picture and text it to be.
• 15:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's it.
• 15:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: No app to open, no category to select.
• 15:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nothing to fill out.
• 15:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just sent a text.
• 15:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And here's what comes back.
• 15:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: We already pulled the amount, the vendor, the date, and the category, straight from the receipt.
• 15:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: If anything needs to be adjusted, I just reply and plain English, but this looks right.
• 15:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, I'll just say, done.
• 15:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, if I want to see everything in one place, every receipt, every category, a full report, I go to my portal at my.bekeeper.ai.
• 15:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Here's my dashboard.
• 15:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Every expense I've texted in is right here.
• 15:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Organized, categorized, ready to go.
• 15:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can see the full history, filtered by date or category, and when I'm ready, I can run a report and have it sent straight to my inbox.
• 15:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Clean records, no scrambling.
• 15:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ready for my bookkeeper or my CPA whenever they need it.
• 16:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's beekeeper.
• 16:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Snap text done.
• 16:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: For more information and to sign up, go to beekeeper.ai.com.
• 16:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: Oh my god, that wasn't the goal.
• 16:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: That was the gift.
• 16:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: I loved that.
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: Oh my god.
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so let walk me through the initiatives that you're most involved in.
• 16:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: Let's let's I want to learn a little bit about what those are.
• 16:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: You mentioned feed hunt in Sassaga.
• 16:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, so okay.
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I started doing the living with me association and I'm not on that anymore, but I wasn't my kid school mat was to that was about the area that we moved in and giving back in what need.
• 16:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then I was on the executive team for 12 by before Christmas and co-chair, and that's where the initiative for finding hunger for you can help empower people in need.
• 16:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's the initiative for that.
• 16:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And over, you know, the course of the year there were several events that we would host for like the Turkey dinner for Christmas huge event.
• 16:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ladies night, men's night, all kinds of different things.
• 16:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: and the fetus of saga was born under tweds the bite during the pandemic.
• 17:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they're kind of like two of the same.
• 17:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: So those were the main ones.
• 17:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I still support them by the way.
• 17:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I am a part of all those initiatives in some former fashion.
• 17:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: And now I'm doing the rooted series, which is my form of Gibb back.
• 17:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's a different angle this year.
• 17:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, this is something I've wanted to do for many years.
• 17:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's executed on this.
• 17:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a give back in a different way.
• 17:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not charging anyone to do it.
• 17:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm responsible for all those costs.
• 17:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm taking time.
• 17:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: to prepare her and to show up and to be on camera.
• 17:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so that's been really, that's been, and I don't know what that's going to evolve to, but it feels really darn good.
• 17:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'll tell you that.
• 17:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Our brokerage, like the Royal of Page brand, which is a Canadian brand, is one of the only real estate companies with their own foundation.
• 17:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's called The Shelter Foundation and it's for domestic women domestic violence.
• 18:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: That is just like, of course you're involved in a brokerage that has that arm, like we can do different events for those initiatives as well and what I'd love about or the page having that is you can focus on the areas where those where those facilities are in your community.
• 18:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's not like there's just like, oh, it's here Ontario Vancouver, like it would be focused on, you know, the shelters are whatnot in the communities that you're
• 18:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: part of, that's really spoke to me as well.
• 18:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I really, really love that.
• 18:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: I love that to have that element.
• 18:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, a portion of all the commissions, realtor fees, whatever you want to call them, that we do, we dedicate a portion of that to go towards the Royal Appage Shelter Foundation, saying another part, that's another gift back, just a feel good.
• 18:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's something that we talk
• 18:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: seller guide, for instance, I do have a section on there about CHK Gibbs, and I tell them this isn't real estate.
• 19:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: focused.
• 19:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want you to know who we are and how we operate and what community means to us.
• 19:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because I think when you do that and you include that people, they want to know the authentic you and they want to be able to relate with you.
• 19:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think the more real I am with people and my clients or potential clients, the more likely that they're going to want to work with me or that, you know, they'll see how we're different in comparison to other realtors or teams or why not.
• 19:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I do include it just to show them who we are.
• 19:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: What do you think it is that separates someone like you who's genuinely just gets great joy about your community involvement and another agent who markets it, but you know, isn't as invested as you are?
• 19:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: You could always tell, I think, I think consistency, most people aren't consistent, consistency is a superpower.
• 20:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Consistency is very important to me with the people I choose to be in business with so I know how important it is so I'm consistent with what I do I'm consistent with the initiatives that I'm a part of and when I'm a part of them I'm consistent with the results and what my part what my role is in those initiatives
• 20:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: stands out in comparison to others or the average or the generic realtor is coming from a place of heart leading with heart.
• 20:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even with our clients especially right now in the world and the environment that we are in, even in our negotiations like just coming from more caring and heart listening to people.
• 20:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: right versus being transactional or doing a lot of transactions, but coming from like, you know, I tell people, relationship base, that's why we're a five-star Google, we're really, reviewed real estate team.
• 20:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's really hard to maintain.
• 20:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: We do because we're relationship base, not transactional based.
• 21:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's important to us.
• 21:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: So leading with heart is a big one and showing up in the community like that as well, where you genuinely have an interest in the
• 21:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because if you're just looking to put your logo up, that's not me.
• 21:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: And there's a lot of that, I think there's a lot about just slapping like what the sponsorship is.
• 21:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, your names on there, but when you're a part of it and you're part of the creation and the doing it, and that's what makes the difference.
• 21:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's not for everybody.
• 21:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to get back, you know, you don't have to have a focus on that.
• 21:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you don't enjoy it, don't do it.
• 21:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.
• 21:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just don't do it.
• 21:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's okay.
• 21:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's it's like, find your thing.
• 21:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Find your thing.
• 21:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, find your thing.
• 21:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, another initiative I forgot to mention, and this is a big one is we do an annual yard sale in our farming area, which is where I live.
• 21:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, how fun.
• 21:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: So what we do is we host it, and I actually host at my house.
• 21:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then anyone
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's on the same day.
• 22:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: They do it at their house.
• 22:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: We all host at the same time.
• 22:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do all the marketing at the directional signs all over the area.
• 22:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yard sale the first Saturday at June from nine to one.
• 22:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: It takes a lot to create.
• 22:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: We door knock.
• 22:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: We can this.
• 22:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: We do a little, you know, add on social media or a Craigslist.
• 22:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: We just want to get people to come through.
• 22:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that day, we made a kind of into like a community event street party.
• 22:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: So at my house,
• 22:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're set up with our tent.
• 22:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm actually like bringing yard sale stuff out.
• 22:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I'm participating in that.
• 22:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: My kids get involved in it.
• 22:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: A community friend and other business got involved with me and how to make food truck.
• 22:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we try to have fun with it, and then what we do is, you know, we go around every house before the yard sale, we put a yard sale sign on their house, so we have directional in the area, the sign in front of their house, who do you think picks up all these signs afterwards?
• 22:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Us, like, it's a long work.
• 22:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'll tell you something, Christine, I didn't do that this year because you know, I was renovating my house and not living at my house.
• 22:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it was really hard to make some, like, a lot living at my house.
• 23:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: I won't be there because it's always the first
• 23:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: How am I going to do this and I'm going to run out it's just feeling overwhelming and like I'm going to come over and like I'm not really living there, so I didn't do it.
• 23:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let me tell you how many people message me in the community and I'm like, yeah, I should done it still.
• 23:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I explained that I'm going to run out from that actually living in the house.
• 23:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like.
• 23:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: kind of regretted just not, you know, executing it.
• 23:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: But it was something that, you know, are you hosting that annual yard sale?
• 23:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that has created relationships and some business.
• 23:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's just like a fun thing you're going around.
• 23:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: So my team gets involved.
• 23:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: We all, you know, I sign, okay, who's putting up the signs?
• 23:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Who's removing the signs?
• 23:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because we take them down, the day the event ends.
• 23:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: We do not leave them up because that, you know, people don't like that.
• 23:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then we send out, you know, a thank you email for participating and we have it.
• 23:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we do all of your organization.
• 23:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: So the goal is that everyone's going to have a lot of traction because a lot of us are doing it on the same day.
• 23:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then the five product is, I have a lot of signs up in the areas of realtor, right?
• 24:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 24:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, you're that authority in the market because, you know, you're giving back and that feels good.
• 24:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of, it's fun.
• 24:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, you're getting exposure.
• 24:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's got all kind of kind of tying together.
• 24:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I won't miss it again.
• 24:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, don't miss it again because it sounds too like you have a little fun with all your people down.
• 24:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was I was
• 24:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: I, I felt guilty.
• 24:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I bet you did.
• 24:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: I know.
• 24:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: But that is a big undertaking.
• 24:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: Any event you plan.
• 24:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's, it's, it's a lot of work.
• 24:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's a lot of work.
• 24:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: You can do it.
• 24:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: It is a lot of work.
• 24:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It is a lot of work.
• 24:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: But when you're doing it often or it becomes like an annual thing, you can kind of like plug and play.
• 24:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
• 24:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, but I just, like, at the time when I had to make the final decision, I felt like I couldn't execute at the level that I usually would given
• 24:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: the scope of what I was involved in with my retto.
• 24:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: Let's talk about, I'm curious, you know, you have this team of seven, plus your virtual assistant, how do you actually go about recruiting and hiring and training agents and staff to align with your community values and how important that is to not just you, but
• 25:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: how you operate in the in the community and your business.
• 25:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: How do you go about doing that?
• 25:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: Making sure that that they are, you know, really owning that part of it.
• 25:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: The people that are on my team have organically joined my team and approached me to be honest with you.
• 25:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I was partnered with another real estate team prior and then I made a decision to go back on my own and have my own team and get really, you know, you know, goal even further with the community and not involvement.
• 25:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they were organically attracted to it.
• 25:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they have like, they have a
• 25:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: and a love for it as well.
• 25:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because if you don't, it's hard to be a part of that.
• 25:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then it is part of like we do talk about it with like our, you know, inside CHK and getting no getting to know us, but a lot of people that are attracted to working with us are attracted to that element of the CHK brand is to give that and they want to give back in their own way as well.
• 25:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: So one of my team members sales.
• 25:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: So he's part of like the poor credit sailing community and now he became the sponsor of that this past summer that's really amazing to see my age take up their own initiatives, yeah, but you know you're kind of leading by example, I think so when people because it's not for everybody to do community initiatives or to be involved in the community right so.
• 26:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're building a team where that is a passion of the team, you have to make sure you're in business with like-minded people that also want to have a passion or not and build their own passion within not.
• 26:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: I want to know, you talked earlier about your seller guide.
• 26:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: I like to take, take, for example, you're going to a listing of appointment and let's say you're competing with two other agents.
• 26:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: What do you, like, how do you bring in the community conversations?
• 26:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: Is it something you lead with?
• 26:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: Is it something that's just sort of a byproduct of your presentation or your conversation?
• 26:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: And do you find that it's a big point of differentiation so that, you know, people will say, people who are like minded.
• 26:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: you know we'll say hey this woman really cares about our community so we're going to hire her.
• 27:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Good good question so I don't lead with it because typically when someone's looking to sell their house or considering it they really want to know like who you are and how you're going to do it who are you how are you going to sell my house and how quickly and help for how much right like really like they want to get down to the nitty gritty we do incorporate it within our seller guy but we have like a sequence of what we go through first before we get to that
• 27:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I'll typically start with, you know, who we are and our values, et cetera, the steps to selling, how we sell blah, blah, blah, blah, and then I get into like the who we are part, kind of closer to the end, but before I talk about pricing.
• 27:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: because I want them to understand who we are and what's important to us.
• 27:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now that doesn't resonate with everybody.
• 27:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Some people are just all about the numbers and those things and that's what's important to them.
• 27:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: But for some people, you know, they like that element and it makes a difference.
• 27:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I talk about it regardless because it's important to me and it's a part of what our brand is.
• 28:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I will talk about it.
• 28:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: But if I'm going into test speak to someone that I, you know,
• 28:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: and I've gotten an opportunity to potentially help them with their real estate goals, then yeah, we'll kind of chat about it and to be able to have something common memory or place that we, you know, did something or saw each other at, so that makes it really amazing too, like I love those, those some connects.
• 28:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: As we start to wrap up, Corey, I'm curious for let's, for an agent listening, who maybe doesn't have
• 28:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: a team yet and maybe doesn't have a large budget, but has a passion for community.
• 28:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: How would you suggest they get started?
• 28:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: First of all, consider if it's really what your interest is and passion is or if you're just doing it for the wrong reasons, right?
• 28:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: If it's like, and you have to make sure you have the time for it because it does take time, right?
• 28:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like that's the thing.
• 28:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: I have gotten over my head sometimes or I'm like, I'm involved in too much.
• 28:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm doing too much.
• 28:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, back like I have been
• 29:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: got like one hour.
• 29:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: So just make sure that you have the bandwidth for it as well, but it's but also that it's something that you want to pursue consistently.
• 29:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, just don't drop off.
• 29:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, if you're going to do it, do it.
• 29:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: So figure out what your why is, the why you want to be involved and that looks.
• 29:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because there's different ways to get back and be involved in things.
• 29:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: So me, it was like genuine interest in being involved in school and getting to know other families there in this area that we wanted to grow and put, like,
• 29:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: put roots down in right.
• 29:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: So there was a genuine interest in that and then started to learn about different initiatives and get involved in those.
• 29:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I just really consider like what your why is, what your bandwidth is.
• 29:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: You could just start off with like a community yard sale.
• 29:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do something small.
• 29:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't have to be big.
• 29:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Also start small.
• 29:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's the same thing with farming.
• 29:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just start small and start really niche and then do a good job at that.
• 29:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then once you do that, people will start asking you because they've seen you do done a good job that you don't just organically be asked to be involved in things.
• 30:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: So,
• 30:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: that would be my advice for someone considering getting involved in some kind of community outreach.
• 30:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's great advice.
• 30:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: If you had to name one thing your community work has given back to you that no advertising could.
• 30:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: What would it be?
• 30:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: A sense of belonging and connection.
• 30:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what yesterday it was about with my friend who's now embraced people within my team that are, you know,
• 30:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: have met my community connections through me.
• 30:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Is it the beautiful thing to see?
• 30:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: But that belonging, that connection, those relationships, that's been the other gift back that I didn't expect, that's been really.
• 30:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: really good.
• 30:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like these are lifetime relationships now.
• 30:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: Corey, you you're so inspiring.
• 30:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: You I mean, you have raised your children built an incredible boutique team real estate team and built this amazing community involvement.
• 31:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: across so many different organizations.
• 31:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: And now you're doing rooted.
• 31:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I'm really in awe of what you've accomplished.
• 31:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: And yeah, and I'm so honored that you came onto the podcast today.
• 31:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: Where can people find you?
• 31:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can find me on Instagram.
• 31:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's Corey Harding, underscore keys, K-E-A-N.
• 31:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: that would be like the number one place that's where I'm showing up.
• 31:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: My website is Corey Hardane Keyes.
• 31:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm a 40-spelt co-r-r-i-e. My email is CoreyHardaneTeen.com.
• 31:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I respond.
• 31:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm very responsive.
• 31:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm still raising my family.
• 31:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: My kids are only 13 and 15.
• 31:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's the other thing, right?
• 31:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, they've been involved in that community get back to, which has been really nice for them to see that that side and what a great example for your children.
• 31:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
• 31:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 31:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: But that's where people can find me.
• 31:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much for being here.
• 32:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm just, um, it's just been such a pleasure having you.
• 32:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for having me.
• 32:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks so much for listening.
• 32:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: If you loved our conversation, I would love it if you would share this episode with a friend.
• 32:15
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• 32:20
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• 32:25
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• 32:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: Go to ToastyBeamCreative.com and sign up.
• 32:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: You're listening to no like trust for real estate and I'm your host, Christine George.