Latest / The Double Duty Agent® Podcast with Carla Higgins / Seizing Opportunities, Mastering the Market and Getting Help with Melissa Doubleday

Transcript

Seizing Opportunities, Mastering the Market and Getting Help with Melissa Doubleday · The Double Duty Agent® Podcast with Carla Higgins

• 0:00
  Hi, I'm Carla Higgins, and this is the Double Duty Agent Podcast.
• 0:04
  I am so glad you're here.
• 0:06
  Each week we get together and we explore the stories of successful double duty real estate agents.
• 0:12
  And from their stories, you can find the solutions to overcoming your challenges and the keys to unlocking your success.
• 0:19
  Are you ready?
• 0:20
  Let's get started.
• 0:31
  For you to hear this is Melissa Doubleday and she is currently a team leader in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area.
• 0:40
  In addition to that, she is also a broker in Illinois.
• 0:44
  So we got a double state, double duty agent here, and we are going to dive into your story.
• 0:50
  So Melissa, thank you so much for joining me today.
• 0:53
  Oh, thank you, Carla.
• 0:54
  I'm so honored that you've asked me to do this.
• 0:56
  I enjoyed meeting you.
• 0:57
  Yes.
• 0:58
  I'm so honored.
• 0:59
  So thank you for having me.
• 1:00
  You've got such a great story and I can't wait to share it.
• 1:03
  So it's a little bit different than the double duty stories that our listeners have been hearing because your double duty isn't as an agent.
• 1:11
  So you started off as a full time agent, right?
• 1:13
  Yup.
• 1:14
  And how did that happen?
• 1:16
  So, um, a little bit out of necessity, accident, maybe, uh, the universe.
• 1:22
  I actually, uh, was living in Chicago, Illinois, uh, newly divorced and single mom, expensive city, and I got essentially laid off.
• 1:33
  From my job.
• 1:35
  And, um, but you know what?
• 1:36
  It's funny.
• 1:37
  I think it was a blessing in disguise.
• 1:38
  Cause I, I look back, you know, hindsight's always 20, 20.
• 1:41
  I was actually really burned out on what I was doing and I was not enjoying the people in the company I was working for.
• 1:47
  And so that happened.
• 1:49
  And prior to that, a few months prior to that, I had gone on a match.
• 1:52
  com date with, yeah, uh, with a, uh, top producer in the Chicago market.
• 1:58
  And, and it wasn't a lovely match.
• 2:01
  And the whole date he was trying to recruit me to be a realtor.
• 2:04
  Um, as we do, yeah.
• 2:06
  Right.
• 2:07
  I recognize that he was obviously was doing well and was successful and he had a small boutique firm that he had recently started.
• 2:13
  And so, um, once that layoff thing happened to me, I called him and I said, Hey, do you remember me?
• 2:19
  And of course, do you wanna go out again?
• 2:21
  And I said, no, but I would love to pay you for an hour of your time to ask you about real estate.
• 2:26
  And he said, I, uh.
• 2:28
  I will give you an hour of my time.
• 2:29
  He's very busy, very analytical person.
• 2:31
  So, um, he did give me, looked at his watch the entire time.
• 2:35
  He gave me an hour, answered all 100 of my questions and I said, all right, thank you.
• 2:39
  And I left and I went and signed up that afternoon for my broker test in Illinois.
• 2:44
  And two weeks later I had my license.
• 2:47
  Awesome.
• 2:48
  And did you join that boutique firm?
• 2:50
  I did, I did.
• 2:51
  You did?
• 2:52
  Okay.
• 2:52
  I did, um, I don't know, kind of, I'm being naive too.
• 2:55
  I didn't really, he was shocked when I came back, said, okay, I've got my license, I'm ready to go.
• 2:59
  And he was like, wait, what?
• 3:00
  And I was like, like, people don't just come back.
• 3:02
  And he was like, yeah, no.
• 3:05
  Uh, obviously I know that now being a team leader and talking to people, I'm like, oh, okay.
• 3:09
  I didn't, I didn't get that at that moment in life.
• 3:12
  I just thought, you know, people do things and they're intentional.
• 3:14
  I'm a very intentional person.
• 3:16
  He was a person who I saw could be a mentor because of his experience.
• 3:21
  Also like sometimes experience can come from learning what not to do.
• 3:25
  And I recognize that maybe in that moment I had sales experience, but I didn't know the nuances.
• 3:31
  I had even previous real estate experience in like buying and selling my own real estate.
• 3:35
  I bought my first home when I was 23.
• 3:37
  I, you know, was always very proud of that.
• 3:40
  And then I was always involved in the real estate transactions that me and my ex husband had with our, our homes.
• 3:47
  So I had a really like good feel for, you know, the expectations and the transaction life.
• 3:54
  But I recognized like working for someone who worked in the city, who knew the city, who knew those nuances that was really important and who was going to be able to spell that out for me.
• 4:04
  And so I, I had to be open minded in that moment.
• 4:06
  Um, and I think maybe that was the universe like taking me there.
• 4:11
  Um, well that happens, right?
• 4:13
  Someone told me once that success happens when preparation meets opportunity and you're willing to say yes.
• 4:17
  So you just dived in and said yes, not to the match date.
• 4:21
  Just right.
• 4:22
  Right.
• 4:22
  Yeah.
• 4:23
  Okay.
• 4:23
  So did you start off like on a team?
• 4:25
  Was it a team in that boutique or were you an individual agent?
• 4:29
  How did you start off your real estate?
• 4:30
  Kind of like a collaborative team.
• 4:32
  It was a, it was about, there were seven agents or so.
• 4:35
  I think at the time that I started and it was everybody was new.
• 4:37
  Like he had just started this boutique agency and then had just brought on like all these people who just recently got licensed.
• 4:43
  So I mean, I had a like a very good split with him as an independent agent, but then at times he would Give me a first time buyer.
• 4:53
  Um, and then even like, you know, back then, every 10 years ago, buying solo leads was so different than it is now.
• 4:59
  We're buying realtor.
• 5:00
  com leads.
• 5:00
  So I, I did invest in that and he, I didn't have the money for that.
• 5:04
  So he actually fronted me the money and then we had a different split to pay him back on that.
• 5:09
  So that just, that kind of made sense.
• 5:11
  And I really appreciated him like, doing that because some of those people are still my clients to this day.
• 5:16
  I love that.
• 5:17
  Yes, once you get them in your database, you keep them in there, right?
• 5:20
  Yeah.
• 5:20
  But from there, I knew that I was a sphere of an, a sphere of influence person.
• 5:26
  Um, and he, he was not necessarily, at least at that time in his business.
• 5:31
  And so I recognize that.
• 5:32
  And so I just really, I really tried to maximize on those opportunities to eliminate, you know, as much of the overhead costs as I could.
• 5:40
  Um, and just, you know, in getting into that business.
• 5:43
  I mean, we all know this, this is a tough business financially in the beginning, right?
• 5:47
  It feels like a lot of long hours and hard work and no payoff.
• 5:52
  And when it does come, but you have to put in that that time, right?
• 5:55
  Long game.
• 5:56
  Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 5:58
  And I love that because Gary teaches us in the millionaire real estate agent about playing red light, green light.
• 6:03
  So we're going to spend a little money.
• 6:04
  We make sure that it makes us money before we spend some more.
• 6:07
  I always tell brand new agents when they first start with me, somebody is asking you for your credit card or they're promising you an easy button.
• 6:14
  It's probably a no, at least at the very beginning.
• 6:17
  Yeah, no, that's great advice.
• 6:19
  I agree with that.
• 6:20
  Yeah.
• 6:21
  Awesome.
• 6:21
  Okay.
• 6:21
  So you're at this boutique firm, you're starting your business.
• 6:24
  How was your first year?
• 6:27
  It was okay.
• 6:28
  I started looking in April and I think I maybe did three or four deals that year.
• 6:35
  So I mean, that's I say, okay, but I was big learning curve, right?
• 6:40
  Well, that's getting started in a tough market.
• 6:42
  Yes, in a very competitive market.
• 6:44
  Um, I will say, I feel like it was really fortunate at that time in 2014 getting into the market because I was living in a neighborhood in the Chicago, um, In Chicago, that was going through a lot of gentrification and the surrounding neighborhoods.
• 6:58
  And there was like tons of amazing opportunity and prices were still, prices were good, like for like first time buyers.
• 7:06
  And of course that was a majority of my clients in the first two years were first time buyers.
• 7:11
  So I had a really good, Uh, like my second year was much, much better.
• 7:16
  I also didn't know Chicago.
• 7:18
  I'm not from there.
• 7:19
  I had only lived there, not even two years, barely two years.
• 7:23
  And so on the days that after I would work with a client and, or maybe in the morning before I'd go and meet with a client and I dropped my son off at school, I literally would pick a neighborhood and I would just drive the neighborhood just along the streets.
• 7:36
  Look at the homes and um, then on other days in the evenings, I would like literally study cops in different neighborhoods.
• 7:44
  So I could get an idea of like that nuance that you can't, like I can't teach that as like a team leader or a.
• 7:51
  a managing broker.
• 7:52
  It's something you have to learn in learning and understanding the market.
• 7:56
  So I just tried to dive in as much as I could.
• 7:58
  But that is an, that is a nugget.
• 8:00
  That is an actionable item.
• 8:01
  Everybody should pay attention to, right?
• 8:03
  You need to know your market and the way you, the only way you can know your market is by studying it.
• 8:09
  Yeah.
• 8:10
  You just have to.
• 8:11
  And the other thing I'm unpacking there is you had a schedule.
• 8:14
  So I hear that you did this at a specific time.
• 8:16
  So I'm assuming it was on your calendar.
• 8:18
  You knew it's what your job was to do that.
• 8:20
  Yes.
• 8:21
  I will say I've always been a time blocker.
• 8:23
  My former career required that.
• 8:26
  Um, and being a busy mom and a single mom, um, obviously like parenting time and, and little league and middle school basketball games, you know, and then, and I'm living in a big city.
• 8:40
  Where traffic is unpredictable.
• 8:44
  So you have to be really intentional with your time and like be on it at all times.
• 8:49
  So that was, I felt like I, that was a blessing I already had in my back pocket.
• 8:53
  So when I got into this, it's funny because there was a few people that I met early on in my career that were always like, wow, how do you, how do you make this all come together?
• 9:02
  And I'm like, I, again, I'm like really intentional with my time and a very intentional person.
• 9:07
  And I'm very, um.
• 9:09
  When it comes to my work, um, and that when I have a priority list, I'm very rigid in like my time and how I, I, I manage that.
• 9:17
  Well, we have to be in as double duty agents.
• 9:19
  And I'm hearing you talk about like your kids activities and all those things, you know.
• 9:23
  So often we think our dual career agents, they have another job and they're in real estate, but being a single mom is a full time job.
• 9:31
  Yes.
• 9:32
  Yeah.
• 9:32
  Double duty agent from the get go there.
• 9:34
  Exactly.
• 9:34
  And then we, we have to time block.
• 9:36
  Although I think back when my kids were young and I don't know how I managed to do everything I managed to do.
• 9:42
  You just do.
• 9:42
  I mean, I know there's some days you're like, wait, what happened today?
• 9:45
  You don't even remember.
• 9:46
  What you wore a, but you're like, somehow you got all those things done.
• 9:50
  I mean, I'm still very like, my MCA will tell you, like, I will put, um, you know, appointment my, on my calendar things for my family.
• 9:59
  That I really need to make sure, you know, we have those like normal things that we always kind of remember, but yeah, there's very, like, she'll say, Oh, like my son is, is living out the country right now.
• 10:09
  But when he was here, you know, I would say, Oh, time with Aiden.
• 10:13
  Or I would say, you know, it's different things.
• 10:14
  And she would see that on my calendar.
• 10:15
  So you have to do that.
• 10:17
  Like, I don't know, just so that no one, no one steals your time.
• 10:20
  Yes.
• 10:21
  And if it's on your calendar, it doesn't exist.
• 10:23
  So you'll just fill something else in that space and it'll never happen.
• 10:26
  Okay.
• 10:27
  Okay.
• 10:27
  So that's, that's another really good tip.
• 10:29
  Okay.
• 10:29
  So we're, we've now we're leaving the, the boutique brokerage and we're going, so have we built a team yet?
• 10:37
  Or do we build the team?
• 10:39
  No, I outgrew that, that model.
• 10:42
  Um, and it's funny because I was very, very transparent about it and I went to talk and said, I've got to go.
• 10:49
  And it just happened.
• 10:50
  I was.
• 10:50
  For a hot minute I actually went to another boutique brokerage because I needed to go somewhere else I just said I needed to leave that environment I knew it was not the right place, but I needed some time to explore and there was I was helping someone It's funny as my first taste of recruiting agents and I so I stepped into a short term role just to calling people, trying to get them the broker of interviews.
• 11:13
  But, um, I was interviewing with some other major household brands and, and, um, KW was actually one of them at the time, but it was a brand new startup, um, in Chicago at the time they, KW had left Chicago and then they were coming back into it.
• 11:27
  And so I think like at the time, it's funny, cause I interviewed with my current OP.
• 11:31
  In Illinois and he was brand new to it and he just couldn't articulate the opportunity to me'cause he was new to it.
• 11:37
  Yeah, well when something's new for all of us, right.
• 11:40
  We have to figure it out.
• 11:42
  So yeah.
• 11:42
  And just also intuition.
• 11:44
  I met my, um, my mentor, a gentleman.
• 11:46
  Um, by the name of Joe and he, I, like, I just, when I met him, I, he understood me, he understood right where I was at.
• 11:54
  And he told me, he said, I'll never forget.
• 11:56
  So he said, Melissa, you're it's like, you have a jigsaw puzzle in front of you.
• 12:00
  You've done amazing things in 18 months.
• 12:03
  You have all the pieces of the puzzle, but you don't quite have the picture.
• 12:06
  And I have the picture and I want to show you that picture.
• 12:08
  I'm an analogy person.
• 12:09
  So that spoke deep to me.
• 12:11
  And I said, okay, so that, like, I just, I mean, I knew that that was the, where I needed to, uh, like.
• 12:16
  Lay my head for a while, but it's funny and not at that time.
• 12:19
  I kind of, in the back of my head, I always knew.
• 12:21
  I'm like, I know someday I'm probably going to be at, at Keller, uh, just because I knew, um, from my research, even like we talk about, you know, Keller, Kelly Williams being the place where entrepreneurs thrive.
• 12:35
  I always knew that was that we had a very entrepreneurial brand and that I'm a very entrepreneurial person.
• 12:41
  Um, and so I, I just knew kind of like in my heart, heart someday I'll get there.
• 12:45
  And it's funny, I would run into the people that.
• 12:48
  I had met through my, you know, exploration period at that time.
• 12:51
  And it's like the kind of, we have always knew like, okay, I'm going to be there someday.
• 12:56
  Yeah.
• 12:57
  Okay.
• 12:57
  So you start building a team then?
• 13:00
  Kind of at first I, I brought someone over with me that I had been mentoring myself.
• 13:05
  Um, I'm a big believer in like.
• 13:07
  You know, when you practice your craft and then you're able to share that and collaborate with others and help them, you actually become a better, not only just a better teacher, a better leader, but you become better at your, at what you're doing because you're able to like step outside of what you're doing and you're teaching it to someone else.
• 13:23
  And that sometimes, I don't know if you've ever had this moment where you're like, you know what, wait a minute, I think I should, I need to tweak that.
• 13:28
  I've been doing it that way, but now that I'm like teaching it to you and I'm saying this out loud and exploring this out loud, I think I just kind of figured out maybe a better way and let's try that.
• 13:36
  So.
• 13:37
  I took a young man with me.
• 13:39
  Um, and he was, he was so great.
• 13:41
  He'd been working with me for a few years.
• 13:43
  So he understood how I was working.
• 13:44
  And it was a, we're in a situation where he had been kind of more of a showing agent and doing open houses for me, where then now he was stepping into helping me co list properties and actually taking out buyers.
• 13:56
  Yeah.
• 13:56
  And, um, and that was great.
• 13:58
  And, but I did know that, um, this young man had, he had a bigger dream and that was to become a commercial pilot.
• 14:06
  Oh, wow.
• 14:07
  I knew that was on the horizon.
• 14:08
  So I said to him, I said, why don't you come with me to Keller Williams?
• 14:12
  And that way you can like step into some bigger roles here, make some more money, save money for, That's schooling and, um, and, and the door will always be open.
• 14:20
  And I'm, I'm open to when you're ready to like make that jump.
• 14:22
  So that eventually did happen.
• 14:25
  Um, and as sad as I was, see, see him go.
• 14:28
  I'm so like proud of him and like happy that he's like exploring that dream, you know, cause that was his one thing.
• 14:34
  Um, and then from there I kind of been, I'm in a restructuring mode.
• 14:39
  I, um, I really just became very listing heavy.
• 14:42
  And that's been easy to manage from a distance.
• 14:45
  Um, yeah, listings are, listings are so much of what is, that's why it's leads, listings and leverage.
• 14:50
  Right.
• 14:51
  Right.
• 14:52
  Leverage because the listings will bring you buyers and yes, they're a whole lot easier to work with those sellers.
• 14:57
  Yes.
• 14:58
  And I can refer out my buyers to other agents.
• 15:02
  And my, my leadership team in Chicago, they are amazing.
• 15:06
  They know when I call, they, they understand that I'm a team leader in another market and another state.
• 15:11
  So they're very helpful.
• 15:12
  Like.
• 15:13
  Uh, who, who can I like just now as me building out my team again, I had gone to them and saying, I need, I need a buyer's agent, I need somebody who's open to this, do you have someone that's thinking about joining a team?
• 15:25
  And of course they were like, yep, call this person.
• 15:28
  And it's been a great match so far.
• 15:30
  So of course, you know, our leadership also knows us as agents, you know?
• 15:34
  Um, and it's nice to be on that flip side and be able to rely on that leadership to help me through that.
• 15:38
  So now I have a buyer's agent.
• 15:40
  So that's good.
• 15:40
  So we're, we're, we're leverage.
• 15:42
  Yes.
• 15:43
  Leverage for sure.
• 15:44
  Got that leverage.
• 15:45
  Okay.
• 15:45
  So you've moved to Kalamazoo shortly after that, then you moved to Kalamazoo.
• 15:49
  I think during COVID, right?
• 15:51
  Yes.
• 15:51
  Yes.
• 15:53
  Yeah.
• 15:53
  I mean, it was kind of an odd situation.
• 15:55
  Um, but again, a situation where I needed to really be open minded and I knew that there were other opportunities out there.
• 16:03
  I mean, I technically come from the corporate America world where you always have like kind of these three year and five year career goals.
• 16:10
  And I'm not a status quo kind of person where I could just be a realtor and just do the same thing for the rest of my life.
• 16:16
  I, I, I want opportunity and I want to grow and I want to try new things and, and add to my resume.
• 16:24
  So you like those challenges, huh?
• 16:26
  I do.
• 16:26
  I'm always up for a good challenge.
• 16:28
  And so I.
• 16:29
  Came to here during Covid.
• 16:31
  Uh, my mom is a widow and was really lonely and we were worried about her, and my son also wanted to not go to online school.
• 16:39
  He knew that the kids were going to in-person school here.
• 16:42
  And then also, ironically, I'd gotten married, remarried in CO during Covid actually from Match.
• 16:49
  No only real estate from match, not dating.
• 16:53
  Yeah.
• 16:53
  No, no.
• 16:55
  Actually, uh, it's a whole nother podcast, dated back in the nineties.
• 16:58
  So, um, and my new husband, he, he was from Michigan.
• 17:02
  He had moved to Illinois.
• 17:03
  He had a job opportunity here, so it was kind of like the sun and the star and the moon were lining up.
• 17:08
  I'm just a big person.
• 17:09
  I'm like, you have to listen to the universe.
• 17:11
  And when doors open, um, you need to like peek through and take those opportunities.
• 17:18
  And I'm also always going to do what I think my family needs, even if that might not be conducive to what I think.
• 17:25
  Well, I want to, but I'm always, I'm a, I don't know.
• 17:28
  I always use the word scrappy.
• 17:30
  I'm, I'm going to figure it out.
• 17:31
  I'm in the way, like my son said it to me, he kind of put a proposal together.
• 17:35
  So he was, it was actually his idea.
• 17:37
  I love that he pitched it.
• 17:38
  This is, this is great.
• 17:40
  And great.
• 17:40
  He was a senior in high school and he's pitching you to move the whole family.
• 17:44
  And he said, mom, COVID is different.
• 17:47
  It's made the way you're doing your business.
• 17:48
  Now you're going to, you'll be able to work in more than one state.
• 17:51
  And.
• 17:51
  You, um, you can get your license in Michigan, and you know the family's here to support you, and you can spend three days there and four days here, and Yeah, he just had the whole thing outlined and I was just like, you know what?
• 18:04
  And he's actually, I, he was making such a great point.
• 18:07
  Isn't that fun that you get that mommy pride moment and everything.
• 18:11
  Yeah.
• 18:12
  Yeah.
• 18:12
  So we moved, it was literally a July 4th of the weekend, um, pitch.
• 18:18
  Uh, and then we had a two and a half car ride home and during that two and a half car ride home back to Illinois.
• 18:24
  After being in Michigan for four days, he pitched me on that.
• 18:26
  And we, we got home, we called my mom.
• 18:28
  We said, Hey, guess what?
• 18:29
  We're moving back.
• 18:30
  And that Labor Day weekend, we moved back.
• 18:33
  Very cool.
• 18:34
  And I met, I bet, made your mom very happy.
• 18:36
  Oh, tremendously.
• 18:38
  Yes.
• 18:38
  We were two minutes away from her.
• 18:40
  So, yeah.
• 18:40
  So now you have to get a real estate license.
• 18:42
  Yeah, you get a real estate license and you find the job at Keller Williams and you become the team leader at Keller Williams.
• 18:49
  Or did you get your license and you were an agent and then a team leader?
• 18:51
  How'd that work out?
• 18:52
  So I actually am not licensed yet here in Michigan.
• 18:55
  I've been here since I don't know.
• 18:57
  Nevermind that.
• 18:58
  I know.
• 18:58
  So what happened was I started studying, um, and then just some family situation.
• 19:03
  My husband got COVID and they came home from the hospital.
• 19:06
  He had long COVID.
• 19:07
  So I kind of put that on the back burner.
• 19:09
  For Um, and then I was doing the three day, four day thing, Illinois, Michigan.
• 19:16
  And then I finally said, all right, I'm things are better.
• 19:18
  My husband was better.
• 19:19
  Um, and I'm like, I got to figure out what's my next step here.
• 19:23
  And I just, one day I just decided to look on indeed and see ads for companies around here, what are they doing in my, and then I had talked to, ironically, I just like happenstance talk to this woman who, um, lives about an hour North of us here in Kalamazoo.
• 19:40
  And she was a broker and had formerly been.
• 19:44
  A mortgage broker for a number of years, and then she got a broker's license.
• 19:47
  And she told me, she said, Melissa, you don't have to do the salesperson license because you've been a broker in Illinois.
• 19:53
  You can actually do the broker's license.
• 19:55
  Okay.
• 19:57
  So I thought, okay.
• 19:58
  So I was just kind of like chewing on that.
• 20:00
  And then, like I said, I was on Indeed.
• 20:02
  Saw the ad for this job here.
• 20:04
  And I thought that's an interesting job.
• 20:06
  I have a recruiting background.
• 20:08
  Um, I have a real estate, obviously career, and I'm like, I have to know somebody that knows somebody at Calgary.
• 20:16
  And after a couple hours, I realized I knew the person who had previously had this job, like five, six years prior.
• 20:23
  And I called her.
• 20:25
  And I said, what?
• 20:26
  This is your old job, right?
• 20:28
  And she said, oh, yeah, it's open.
• 20:29
  She now lives in, um, Erica Lawrence.
• 20:31
  She's in, uh, Fort Worth, Texas.
• 20:33
  Okay.
• 20:34
  Um, she had to move and you filled in It's jumped in the shoe.
• 20:37
  Yeah.
• 20:37
  She had been gone a couple years and there had been kind of a revolving door of some other team leaders.
• 20:42
  It just, it's a hard, it's a hard job to fill and it's gotta be the right personality.
• 20:47
  The agents here had, um, they needed, they needed some love.
• 20:51
  They haven't been given that love and that care.
• 20:53
  And Jeff had just taken over this market center.
• 20:56
  So it was like a, a new launch.
• 20:58
  All new everything in and you became Mary Poppins.
• 21:01
  You're just going to take care of it.
• 21:04
  Okay.
• 21:04
  I love pulling things out of my bag.
• 21:07
  What's so great is that.
• 21:09
  You've given us such a timeline of different opportunities in real estate.
• 21:12
  Cause so often people, when they get their real estate license, they think, Oh, I have to sell real estate as a single agent, or I have to be on a team, but there's so many different opportunities and you're showing that, that opportunity map.
• 21:24
  And I love that.
• 21:26
  I, you know, it's funny.
• 21:27
  You spring up the opportunity map.
• 21:28
  It's like one of my favorite pieces of, um, material, um, I don't mar we have, especially when that I need that ask abou opportuni people, it resonates more I like to be able to show them and give them stories about agents that I know and how they traveled through that map.
• 21:50
  It's a beautiful thing that we have here at Keller.
• 21:52
  I mean, I can honestly say, I actually thought at my old company that I was going to die and bleed Cabernet forever, you know, and big company, right?
• 22:03
  You know who I'm talking about and, um, they are a great company, but the opportunities that we have here at Keller.
• 22:11
  Far surpassed.
• 22:12
  I never ever was exposed to things on a national level from like a convention perspective or even having Somebody like Gary Keller, um, Mark King, Jason Abrams.
• 22:24
  I mean, Mark Willis, now you're getting up and speaking to us as agents and passionately talking about their experience and, and, and letting that resonate with you, that you know, that they understand where you're at and what, what you're going through.
• 22:39
  Um, I never was exposed to that.
• 22:40
  And I, that's.
• 22:41
  And also the market stats, the, the, the way that our company approaches the, that and the technology, again, it's priceless.
• 22:50
  And I, I, um, I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to be here and take advantage of all that.
• 22:57
  Cause I, so sometimes I think, Oh, I should have done this before.
• 23:01
  And don't we always, we can shoulda, coulda, everything, can't we?
• 23:04
  We shoulda, coulda, coulda.
• 23:05
  Our journeys are our journeys.
• 23:06
  And I do treasure the time that I had with my previous.
• 23:11
  They were good people, you know, it was just ready for me to move on and do something bigger.
• 23:15
  Awesome.
• 23:16
  All right.
• 23:16
  Well, we've got a little overview of your career now.
• 23:20
  Let me ask you a couple questions.
• 23:21
  One would be key choices that you made along the way during your career progression.
• 23:27
  Can you think of some really important key choices that you made along the way?
• 23:32
  Yeah, I think, um, Honestly, I think just getting into real estate one, you know, I had somebody even in an interview that asked me, are you sure this is a good time with all this stuff?
• 23:44
  I'm like, Oh boy.
• 23:46
  Yes.
• 23:46
  There's always, it's, it's always real estate, you know, that generational wealth and helping people, um, be basically make some of the largest purchases of their lives.
• 23:58
  And I dunno, I, that fills my bucket.
• 24:00
  And I know, I, you know, a lot of people that in our business that they do, they thrive on that, right.
• 24:04
  And helping others achieve goals.
• 24:06
  So I, I think that just getting into real estate is just like such an amazing opportunity and I'm so glad that I, I have no regrets and, um, I've never, ever thought in the 10 years that I've been doing this, that I thought, maybe I'll get out of this and do something different.
• 24:23
  No, like, I used to think that with my former career when I was a recruiter, um.
• 24:28
  No, I just think, what else can I do?
• 24:32
  Yeah.
• 24:32
  Yes.
• 24:33
  There's so much.
• 24:34
  It's like the opportunity map we were talking about, but even if you're just a solo agent and all of a sudden, whatever you're doing for a lead generation is not ringing your bell anymore, then you can just pick up something new.
• 24:44
  That's one of the things I love about Keller Williams is that all of the agents are willing to share, like, I always call it the recipes to their success.
• 24:51
  Yeah.
• 24:51
  So you can just pick up somebody else's recipe or Jason calls on the one pagers.
• 24:56
  Right.
• 24:56
  And you can just say, Oh, I'm going to do this instead.
• 24:58
  Let me give this a try and see if it's so you can always do something different.
• 25:02
  I love that.
• 25:03
  Yeah.
• 25:04
  I think to aligning myself with the right people in, um, and knowing that I think that's really important and like knowing where they're who they are and what they do and the people that they've helped and, um, just aligning yourself with those people.
• 25:20
  So, I mean, that can be anybody from like a collab, another agent in your office who is doing, you know, is a collaborator and is doing really well and wants to share and, and taking a moment to have like coffee with them and find out like, How, how can I apply that to my business?
• 25:35
  Um, it could be, you know, the managing broker, um, and you know, here at Keller, it's, it's, you know, a lot of people, um, a lot of people here, I mean, I will say, I feel like, and again, I'm biased, but, um, you know, we, we talk about servant leadership and I really think that that's like so important and so aligning yourself with those leaders that are here to serve, serve our company and serve our agents.
• 26:00
  And, and because again, you know, With our MVVP, like, you know, success through others, all those things that we, you know, we talk about here and we read about on the MVVP, but it's, they're, they're real.
• 26:12
  They really are.
• 26:15
  just having, again, that right people that are, ar to you and you're contrib That's a constant theme t interviews.
• 26:25
  And you've, i for a while, you've heard know, aligning with your sure the brokerage has to had a couple of choices t An independent boutique.
• 26:36
  And when that wasn't meeting your needs anymore, you went to another national brand.
• 26:41
  And when that wasn't meeting your needs anymore, then you came to another one and, and that's okay.
• 26:45
  Right.
• 26:46
  The real estate industry is big wide, but you have to make sure that who you choose is going to give you what you need.
• 26:51
  Absolutely.
• 26:52
  Right.
• 26:53
  Absolutely.
• 26:54
  Otherwise it's just like, why, why bother?
• 26:56
  You're just stagnant.
• 26:57
  I'm a big believer in like the energy that you put out needs to, you know, be able to come back to you.
• 27:03
  If you're not getting that fulfillment and what you need, then yeah, it's time to reflect and, and, and look, you know, into your heart.
• 27:09
  What is it?
• 27:10
  What is it?
• 27:10
  Is it my environment?
• 27:11
  Is it the people?
• 27:12
  I don't, you know, what is it?
• 27:13
  Is it this it the brokerage?
• 27:15
  Yeah.
• 27:15
  Um, I think And then you aligned with a mentor.
• 27:17
  A mentor who painted the picture for you so you could put the puzzle pieces together.
• 27:21
  Yeah.
• 27:21
  So, so that's amazing.
• 27:22
  And now you are that person for other people.
• 27:25
  Hopefully I try.
• 27:26
  You are.
• 27:27
  I know you're, yeah.
• 27:28
  No, I, yes, I, I am a big believer in that.
• 27:31
  I also think to like the values that you hold dear to you and your business.
• 27:37
  Um, again, I think all that kind of goes back hand in hand with that alignment.
• 27:41
  That's, that's really important.
• 27:43
  Like for me here, um, working for Jeff Glover, um, working for my AL, um, my ALC here, those, those agents that are a part of that, um, I, you know, I feel a huge responsibility.
• 27:56
  And I know they feel that way towards me as well.
• 27:57
  So, um, and they all, we all have similar values and we, we, we respect the same things and we want the same things.
• 28:06
  And so like getting on the same page with everybody, again, it's alignment.
• 28:09
  You can be aligned with somebody as a mentor or whatever, but like, it's like, there's like a bigger force out there.
• 28:13
  I don't know how to like better describe it, but like, I'm just really proud of people I work for because I always know that they're going to do the right thing.
• 28:22
  And they're honest and they're the people like we talk about.
• 28:24
  We want to be in business together.
• 28:26
  Huh?
• 28:27
  Love that.
• 28:27
  So it's your business partner.
• 28:29
  Wherever you go, you're, you're choosing your business partners.
• 28:32
  You may need to make sure you're, you're, you're picking those business partners.
• 28:35
  Okay.
• 28:35
  Actions.
• 28:36
  Let's talk about actions for, and let's talk about a double duty agent.
• 28:40
  So a double duty agent, either career, meaning they have another job, or maybe they have some family commitments that take a lot of their time and they can't realtor.
• 28:51
  I don't even know what typical realtor hours are.
• 28:53
  So I know, right.
• 28:55
  But, and I hate the term part time agent cause I don't believe in that.
• 28:58
  Right.
• 28:58
  So we're a professional agent, no matter how many hours we have to dedicate to our profession.
• 29:03
  Right.
• 29:04
  That's why we call double duty agent.
• 29:06
  So double duty agents.
• 29:07
  So some, some, specific.
• 29:09
  So let's say there's a double duty agent out there and they are struggling with their time.
• 29:13
  You mentioned that you were really good with time management and they struggle with their time and fitting everything in.
• 29:19
  What would be your advice to them?
• 29:21
  Yeah.
• 29:21
  I mean, I think two things.
• 29:23
  I would seek out that person in your office that you envy because they seem like they, they've got that together.
• 29:29
  And again, ask them, buy them a cup of coffee and ask them, would you share with me your secret sauce when it comes to your time management?
• 29:37
  Um, Of course, I mean, here at Keller, everyone is always, uh, yes, I will share with you.
• 29:44
  And I also believe that, um, auditing your own time.
• 29:50
  I just saw this beautiful quote, my OP in Chicago, he posted it, and I wouldn't be able to tell it to you verbatim.
• 29:55
  But basically, audit your time.
• 29:58
  Your time is precious.
• 30:00
  So your personal time and your work time, if you feel like things are, I, even though I think I'm very good at time management, I admit I have days that's been out of control.
• 30:09
  We all do.
• 30:11
  It's the challenge of the work we do and, and, and the businesses that we run and having multiple clients and, and, and family and all of that.
• 30:20
  And then our own personal things that we want to accomplish.
• 30:23
  So, um, I think when it starts, it's been out of control.
• 30:27
  Like take a step back.
• 30:28
  It's okay.
• 30:29
  Take a deep breath and like, look at your time.
• 30:32
  Like, even if you don't time block right now, write down everything you did that day and how much time you spent, even if it was like, I had a cup of coffee in the morning when I, when I first woke up, okay, how much time did you spend?
• 30:43
  Did you sit down and drink it?
• 30:44
  Did you, were you doing other things?
• 30:45
  Like, like put those little things down and like audit your time and.
• 30:50
  I pretty, I'm pretty sure that people that do that will find like, well, I hardly spend any time on myself.
• 30:57
  Um, I'm always racing, racing.
• 30:59
  And again, I'm not being intentional or I'm spinning my wheels too much.
• 31:03
  Like how easy is it for us to get down a rabbit hole watching reels?
• 31:07
  Yeah, I have to set a timer, right?
• 31:12
  I just ignore it.
• 31:13
  I have to ignore it.
• 31:13
  Like even, and then prior, and so then from auditing your time, um, and then I feel like then you need to make a list of the things that are your time.
• 31:23
  You, self care is very important, especially, you know.
• 31:26
  I'm with any business, but us realtors, we always, I feel like put everybody else first.
• 31:30
  And so what are, what's the, what's the time that you need for yourself every day?
• 31:35
  Is it, is it your gym time?
• 31:36
  Is it your time with your spouse, your family?
• 31:39
  Is it a, is it meal time?
• 31:41
  Is it, it's probably multiple times during the day.
• 31:43
  And then look at, you know, your, um, what are your priorities?
• 31:50
  So for instance, I always used to like wake up and look at my emails right away.
• 31:54
  And then I kind of started to get a little stressed out and now I don't, I don't look at them until I get to work.
• 32:00
  Um, unless I know that there is something that I really need that I know is coming through.
• 32:04
  But, um, I had to like cut that out because that was kind of messing up my morning and then I would get in and I would, I was, you know, I'm like, I'm a little lost.
• 32:12
  So now I actually have it on my, on my calendar.
• 32:15
  I don't, um, You know, I start heading towards work at eight a.
• 32:19
  m.
• 32:19
  Um, and that's when I allow myself then to start looking.
• 32:23
  I don't start looking at them at six a.
• 32:25
  m.
• 32:25
  Like I used to.
• 32:26
  We have to know ourself and we have to also that energy clock.
• 32:30
  I don't know if you've read the book.
• 32:31
  I'm having a hard time, but I had somebody else maybe in the last six months was talking about this book.
• 32:36
  Yeah, it's so good.
• 32:37
  I'm going to put this in the show notes cause I can't think of the author's name right now.
• 32:40
  She's amazing.
• 32:41
  But the energy clocks, that was a big deal for me when I started realizing same thing with you.
• 32:47
  And I, first thing I did in the morning was I would check my email and my text messages and I would get, it would suck my energy out, like get to the get go and now I don't pick up my phone.
• 32:57
  Other than to turn the alarm off until eight o'clock.
• 33:00
  Yeah.
• 33:01
  Uh, and that, and I get up at five 40, so I have quite a good period of time to, to really set the tone for my day.
• 33:07
  Mm-Hmm.
• 33:08
  and amazingly enough the emails and text messages that used to bother me at five 30 in the morning, well, at five 30, I couldn't even respond to them Right.
• 33:16
  I mean, you know, it was silly.
• 33:18
  You're nothing, it was silly what I was doing, so Yeah.
• 33:21
  We have to, we have to do that.
• 33:23
  I love that.
• 33:23
  Yeah.
• 33:23
  So I, okay.
• 33:25
  I want to say one more thing.
• 33:26
  I even noticed when I stopped doing that, my driving to work was different.
• 33:31
  I would be like, Oh my gosh, I have to get to work.
• 33:33
  Like I was like, knuckle, white knuckles on the, you know, and now I'm just like, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
• 33:39
  Like I don't, it's really, really strange how sometimes these things play with your mind.
• 33:43
  Well, it's because the cortisol didn't get released, right?
• 33:45
  We didn't release that cortisol into our body.
• 33:48
  And that puts us in that fight or flight fight or flight.
• 33:51
  We get it.
• 33:51
  We don't have to do that.
• 33:52
  So, okay.
• 33:53
  All right.
• 33:54
  So mindset shifts.
• 33:55
  So the last thing we normally talk about on the Double Duty Agent podcast is just some mindset shifts.
• 34:00
  We have to have our mind in the right place.
• 34:02
  So when you think about double duty and I've got a real estate business plus whatever else I've got going on, what kind of mindset do we need to have?
• 34:11
  Oh, wow.
• 34:12
  You, yeah.
• 34:13
  Um, this is a great question and I feel like you could have a whole podcast about this.
• 34:18
  Um, So I admit when I first came on board with the team leader job, I mean, I guess I'm just going to say, and I love this role so much, I really, and I appreciate so much how our leadership and our company appreciates the team leaders.
• 34:34
  They, they understand it's, it is, it's, it's a challenging role.
• 34:38
  Not that being an agent isn't challenging that, but I'm an agent as well.
• 34:41
  And I, it's, this is a much harder job and it's probably the hardest job I've ever had.
• 34:47
  And I admit the first few weeks.
• 34:49
  Maybe even months.
• 34:51
  I kept saying, Oh my gosh, what have I gotten into?
• 34:54
  Like, this is crazy.
• 34:55
  But I also know that I was chosen because I know my leadership believed in my ability and my experience that I bring to the table.
• 35:03
  And so I, I needed a mindset shift change.
• 35:06
  Like I remember I, I, I had a maps coach and I remember her talking to me about that.
• 35:11
  Like I was very, very transparent.
• 35:12
  I'm a very transparent person and honest with her about how I was feeling about the role.
• 35:16
  And she.
• 35:18
  She, we talked a lot about mindset and I, I, you know, I definitely had had to be that way, but I, and that kind of reminded me also of like when I first got into real estate, um, you know, months prior when I had been on that match.
• 35:30
  com date and, um, I was like, I remember I said, I would never do that.
• 35:36
  I'm a single mom living in an expensive city and I have a W 2 job that has a salary with benefits.
• 35:41
  Well, I'm not crazy working a hundred percent, but when, when it came to the high water, Um, and I didn't have anything else going for me.
• 35:50
  I said, well, heck, I'm at the bottom of the barrel right now.
• 35:53
  I might as well try this real estate thing.
• 35:54
  Worst case is I put my resume out and I go back to my own career and I got this much money saved and I, I'll, let's try it, you know?
• 36:01
  And, um, I had to have a mindset change.
• 36:03
  I had to be open minded, like you're not going to get paid for the work you do.
• 36:07
  So I think just being double duty and knowing, you know, knowing that there's times when I have to be in three places at one time, I have to be, I just have to like, let it go.
• 36:19
  Cause there's just some things that are out of my control and that's where leverage, and I remember when I actually do remember my interview with Jeff Glover.
• 36:29
  He said, Oh, you're going to move your business to, um, to Keller.
• 36:33
  Cause I wasn't sure if he was going to allow me still to practice real estate in Illinois.
• 36:37
  And I was like, uh, yeah.
• 36:39
  And then there was a pause and I said, exactly how am I going to do that?
• 36:45
  We're going to teach you leverage.
• 36:47
  And I thought, okay, this is the number one realtor in Michigan and, uh, owns multiple market centers.
• 36:52
  Um, who else better can I learn from this guy has to know that.
• 36:55
  Okay.
• 36:56
  And he does, he knows it better than by anybody else.
• 36:58
  And then.
• 36:59
  Obviously, I was exposed to some other amazing people like through maps and other people in my region and leadership and watching them do it at a high level.
• 37:05
  And a lot of those people are also in production.
• 37:08
  So, just being open minded and not being afraid to ask for help and knowing that there's leverage out there for you and you can't, there's just some things you can't control.
• 37:18
  And you need to let those things go.
• 37:20
  Okay.
• 37:21
  That's, that's a lot.
• 37:22
  I love that.
• 37:22
  That's like, we're going to, we're going to enumerate those.
• 37:25
  Cause those were just, you just rattled those off just as clean as day.
• 37:29
  Well, thank you.
• 37:29
  I mean, it's a lot, a lot of thought has gone, gone into that self.
• 37:34
  Okay.
• 37:35
  So tell me if you had one piece of advice, if there's a double duty agent out there who is We're gonna we're gonna do this too.
• 37:43
  We're gonna do two different questions The first one is if there's somebody that's currently got their license.
• 37:47
  They are a double duty agent and they are Struggling because they haven't yet had a closing Or they've had one closing and they can't figure out how to get the second one They are they are struggling with their time.
• 37:59
  What was the one piece of advice that you would give them?
• 38:03
  I know that's a challenge So putting one saying one thing that's one thing there's this book, you know, it's called the one thing I, again, I think, don't be afraid to ask for help from your leadership.
• 38:18
  You are not the only one, right?
• 38:21
  Um, as, as much as you feel you are in this moment, like that no one, you, there are other people out there.
• 38:28
  There are, there are people in your leadership who probably were in your shoes at one point.
• 38:33
  We were all brand new agents once, right?
• 38:36
  Some also had to have a full time job, you know, and, um, nine to five and go work for the man.
• 38:42
  So in asking for that help from your leadership, you've got amazing team leaders.
• 38:46
  You have MCAs also are very, very intuitive.
• 38:51
  They are very observant, right?
• 38:52
  Um, your, your PC coaches.
• 38:55
  Um, and they are going to be able to direct you in areas where you're going to find resources and be able to collaborate with others who maybe are having similar struggles or bridged that gap to help you achieve what you're trying to achieve.
• 39:11
  And I just got to slide one more thing in there and that's patience.
• 39:15
  Patience.
• 39:16
  Oh, patience.
• 39:17
  It's a long game.
• 39:18
  Right?
• 39:18
  That is so good.
• 39:20
  And that is so awesome because you know what, if you don't ask for help, nobody knows you need it.
• 39:26
  I mean, I, I wish I could read minds.
• 39:28
  I tell my clients all the time, my crystal ball is in the shop.
• 39:32
  It's been there for about 10 years, so you got to tell me what you're thinking.
• 39:36
  I'm going to check your temperature, but you got to be honest.
• 39:38
  Same thing with the agents here.
• 39:40
  I, if you're upset or miserable, I don't know that unless you're actually in front of me and I can see it, you got to tell me, and I'm going to also reach out if I haven't heard from you.
• 39:49
  Cause I'm going to ask, is everything okay?
• 39:51
  Because I care and yeah, you have to be able to communicate and ask for help.
• 39:55
  All right.
• 39:56
  My second question now, my second question, I've not asked this one before, but you're the perfect person to ask this one.
• 40:01
  If you are listening to this podcast and you have not decided that you were going to jump into real estate and get your real estate license and become an agent, what would you say to them?
• 40:10
  Oh, just do it.
• 40:13
  The opportunities, um, are, are, are, are, there's so many opportunities here.
• 40:20
  I, You know, and regardless of, uh, and, and, and go and interview, go find, you know, somewhat someone locally, um, and, and talk to them about it, but, um, don't even hesitate because even if you, you don't actually sell real estate, that license is still a very valuable thing for you to have, um, for your own family and investment purposes in your own home.
• 40:44
  But, um, there's the opportunities are the sky's the limit honestly is, and you can do so many.
• 40:51
  amazing things.
• 40:52
  And most people who have a former career or have a career, they, you have a skill set and that there's going to be aspects of your skill set that are going to lend well to this opportunity.
• 41:03
  You don't have to be a natural salesperson.
• 41:05
  You don't have to be, um, uh, you know, really good on the phones or, but you just have to have, I think, uh, you know, that desire, that desire to want to grow and a learning mindset because you have to be, yes, open mindset.
• 41:20
  Yes.
• 41:21
  100%.
• 41:21
  So just, I would say just do it.
• 41:23
  Um, yeah, no regrets.
• 41:25
  And, um, I think it's, it's a life changing experience.
• 41:29
  And especially if you can, again, align yourself with the right people that, you know, can help you on that journey.
• 41:33
  Very good.
• 41:34
  All right.
• 41:35
  What do you wish I would have asked you that I didn't, I'm actually raising money right now for first responders.
• 41:42
  I actually am swimming th in july.
• 41:45
  I did it last ye the lower peninsula of Mi It's about 5.
• 41:49
  5 miles righ bridge.
• 41:52
  I don't know if y that at all.
• 41:54
  And it's a d not a race, it's a challe about 100 people and we'r first responders here in And, um, so yeah, I, but I know I didn't tell you about that.
• 42:07
  So how would you have known to ask me?
• 42:08
  Okay.
• 42:08
  But this is awesome.
• 42:10
  So we're going to put this in the show notes too.
• 42:11
  So people can make a donation.
• 42:13
  And then the other thing we're going to put in the show notes is if somebody's listening to this and like, I would really love to send more business your way.
• 42:21
  You have two different places for they could send help, send business to you, right?
• 42:25
  So let's talk about where, where you have a team in Chicago, Illinois, right?
• 42:29
  Yes, I have a team.
• 42:31
  Um, we actually service not only the city Chicago, but we service all the suburbs, um, and well connected buyers and sellers.
• 42:40
  So I would love to help anyone who may have a referral.
• 42:43
  I'm actually doing several referrals right now from different KW agents.
• 42:46
  Um, So that's kind of cool.
• 42:47
  And that's an amazing thing I love about our company.
• 42:49
  And then here in Kalamazoo, Michigan, our brokerage here, we have about 95 agents and they service all of Southwest Michigan, which is a pretty big area.
• 43:01
  So, uh, going down to the Indiana border over to Lake Michigan, um, and our North up to Northern part of Grand Rapids, and then all the way over, uh, uh, East towards Jackson, Michigan.
• 43:13
  Okay.
• 43:14
  We have a big area there.
• 43:17
  So I'll get your contact information and we'll put that in the show notes as well.
• 43:21
  So they can make contact with you and start creating those referral relationships, which we all love so much.
• 43:27
  We do.
• 43:27
  We do.
• 43:28
  And our company does so well.
• 43:30
  Well, Melissa, thank you so much.
• 43:32
  Thank you so much for sharing your story and I am so excited and I know everybody's going to find it inspiring and you gave a lot of tips that they can apply so that they can find their own success.
• 43:44
  So thank you so much.
• 43:45
  Well, it's been a pleasure to be here and I'm honored to be able to be a part of your podcast.
• 43:52
  Wow.
• 43:53
  How is that for an incredible story, Melissa, thank you so much for sharing with us.
• 44:00
  There's a lot here all starting with that match.
• 44:03
  com.
• 44:04
  I have to say, this is the first time I have ever heard about match.
• 44:09
  com being used for recruiting real estate.
• 44:12
  So maybe match.
• 44:13
  com needs to be double duty as well, since they are making matches in the real estate world.
• 44:20
  All kidding aside, let's dive into our keys to success.
• 44:23
  Remember, we're looking in each of these stories for the keys to Melissa's success.
• 44:28
  And then we're going to see if those keys might also help us unlock our success.
• 44:34
  We're going to start like we always do with choices.
• 44:37
  This is the foundation of your success.
• 44:40
  The choices that you make.
• 44:41
  So the choices that Melissa make, we heard her talk about finding a mentor.
• 44:45
  You need to find a coach or a mentor that's going to help you understand the real estate industry, help you grow your business, and also help you work in the real estate profession.
• 44:58
  Because we're working in the The real estate profession and on our business.
• 45:03
  And it's the two of those things that are going to help us be successful.
• 45:07
  She also talked about being learning based.
• 45:09
  It is so important for you to continually be learning and adapting both in the market.
• 45:17
  In your skills and in your own self development Your business will grow to the extent that you do Now a lot of times we think we have to know it all before we can get started And that's just not true because you are going to be on a continuous journey of learning throughout your real estate career and the last choice is to adjust when you need to and Think about melissa's story There are so many ways to pursue a career in real estate.
• 45:50
  It doesn't just involve working with buyers and sellers.
• 45:54
  And sometimes when we look up and we realize where we thought we were headed isn't going to work for us, we just have to change our course and adjust, adjust when you need to.
• 46:06
  So those are three choices from Melissa's story that could be the keys to your success.
• 46:12
  Also, actions.
• 46:13
  Again, we make choices, but we have to take action.
• 46:17
  And the actions that you heard Melissa talk about, one, become the market expert.
• 46:23
  By driving around the neighborhood, studying the market activity, So that you can become the local expert in your market.
• 46:32
  My practice as a brand new agent and all the way up until the time I became a full time coach was every day.
• 46:39
  I took three to five minutes to look at the number of listings that came on board.
• 46:45
  that were listed in the MLS the day before, the number of properties that pended the day before and the number of properties that sold the day before.
• 46:55
  And if I could grab that every day, I knew that in a very short period of time, I would have my finger on the pulse of the market and I would be able to talk to my buyers and seller potential clients about what was going on in the market.
• 47:12
  And it's again, was only about a three or five minute investment of my time every day.
• 47:18
  So become the market expert.
• 47:20
  And Melissa talked about just driving around the neighborhood so you could get really familiar with the different neighborhoods that you might be working in.
• 47:28
  She also talked about, and I know you've heard this before, and I promise you one thing, you will hear this one again, time and time again, because this is a key action that all successful real estate agents do.
• 47:42
  Heck, all successful business owners must absolutely do, and that is time block for success by focusing on both your personal and your professional priorities.
• 47:56
  Make sure that when you're time blocking for your real estate business, and you're also factoring in whatever it is that has you being a double duty agent.
• 48:05
  Make sure you've also time blocked for your own personal care, your time with your family, your time with your friends, because those things are important.
• 48:18
  You cannot pour from an empty cup.
• 48:21
  Think about it.
• 48:22
  Think about what they say when you're on an airplane, right?
• 48:25
  Put your mask on first and then you can help others.
• 48:28
  So, we have to make sure we have a full cup that we're pouring from, and the only way we can ensure that we have a full cup is if we have time blocks for our personal needs as well.
• 48:40
  If it's not on your calendar, it doesn't exist.
• 48:43
  The last action that Melissa talked about that I wanted to focus on is building relationships that support your career goal.
• 48:52
  This could be the mentor that we talked about earlier.
• 48:54
  This could be other agents in the office.
• 48:57
  This could be your vendor team that you assemble.
• 49:00
  And then also we need to build relationships with our clients.
• 49:04
  As a double duty agent, one of the absolute best ways you have to build your business is Is to get referrals from your sphere from the people who already know you like you and trust you take care of those relationships so that they can refer business to you because the beautiful thing that happens when your people who already know you like you and trust you when they refer you to someone else.
• 49:34
  That know, like, and trust, it gets transferred as well.
• 49:38
  So you don't have to spend time building from scratch.
• 49:42
  So build those relationships and then absolutely just nurture them.
• 49:47
  And don't forget to ask for referrals.
• 49:50
  How do we ask for referrals?
• 49:52
  Does anybody remember the magic question?
• 49:55
  Who do you know that might need my help with real estate this year?
• 49:58
  Okay.
• 49:59
  Moving on.
• 50:00
  Keys to success.
• 50:01
  Mindset shifts.
• 50:03
  We all have to make shifts in the way we're thinking, these we call mindset shifts.
• 50:08
  We just change the way we think about things.
• 50:11
  When we think, change the way we look at things, the things we look at change, and there, this is no different in our real estate business.
• 50:20
  So one of the things that Melissa talked about was being open to and actually embracing change.
• 50:27
  Change is inevitable.
• 50:28
  It's inevitable.
• 50:29
  Change will happen in our weather, change will happen in our lives, our children grow, our lives change.
• 50:37
  Change will happen in whatever your double duty experience is.
• 50:41
  Wherever you're spending your time outside of your real estate business, there will be changes there.
• 50:47
  And there will be changes in your real estate business.
• 50:50
  There will be changes with respect to the market.
• 50:53
  And for Melissa, there was changes in in respect to where she lived, where she needed to live.
• 50:58
  There'll be changes in your family.
• 51:00
  So be open to and embrace those changes because what happens when we resist the change?
• 51:07
  Well, it's going to happen anyways.
• 51:09
  It's just going to be much less pleasant if we resist it.
• 51:13
  She also talked about embracing the challenge of a shifting market and making sure that you're adjusting your strategies proactively.
• 51:22
  Has anyone read the book called Shift?
• 51:25
  Shift is a book that was written by Gary Keller and Jay Papazian.
• 51:29
  And it is so incredible because it's going to give you some key strategies that you can employ in when the market is shifting.
• 51:39
  And I think the market is always shifting.
• 51:42
  So these are key strategies that you could always employ in your business.
• 51:47
  So while this would probably fall back under actions, not mindset shifts, getting a hold of a copy of the book Shift and reading it.
• 51:56
  Well, there would be something that would help you with your mindset.
• 51:59
  And the last key to success today is keeping a clear focus on your goals and being intentional, making sure that the actions you take, that they are in alignment with those goals.
• 52:12
  In fact, your choices, they need to be in alignment with your goals as well.
• 52:17
  So, making sure that your choices and actions and your mindset are all in line with your goal.
• 52:25
  You have somewhere you want to go.
• 52:27
  You have a goal in mind, an end, an objective for getting your real estate license.
• 52:32
  So, one thing that you have to think about is what you need from your real estate business.
• 52:38
  But I also want you to think about what does your real estate business need from you?
• 52:45
  Because it's what your real estate business needs from you.
• 52:49
  Those would be the actions and the choices that would be aligned with those goals.
• 52:57
  So I hope you're finding a key or two here that you can use to unlock your success.
• 53:02
  Next week we have an amazing story.
• 53:05
  From Dennis O'Brien, who had went from straight out of college as a double duty agent, working other jobs alongside real estate, to being a leader in the market center, to being a MAPS coach, which is a coach at Keller Williams on the national level, the top, top of all coaches.
• 53:28
  To having a team, to having multiple teams, to have an expansion team, both in Indiana and in Florida, his story is one that you absolutely will not want to miss.
• 53:41
  Thank you for joining me today.
• 53:42
  I hope you're leaving inspired and you've found a key or two you're going to try out this week to see how they help you to unlock your success.
• 53:50
  Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a single story, and if you'd like to get in touch with me, you can find me at DoubleDutyPodcast.
• 53:59
  com, that link is also in the show notes.
• 54:01
  Until next time, have a productive week.