Latest / The Connect Practice Track & Grow Podcast / Ep002: Amplifying Real Relationships with Social Media with Priscilla McNamee

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Ep002: Amplifying Real Relationships with Social Media with Priscilla McNamee · The Connect Practice Track & Grow Podcast

0:00
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Connect Practice Track and Grow Podcast.
0:04
SPEAKER_00: Habits, routines, motivations, and mindsets from some of the most successful real estate professionals among us.
0:10
SPEAKER_00: Check out the show notes at Connect Practice Track Grow.com.
0:15
SPEAKER_00: This show is brought to you by the Strategic Resource for Real Estate Professionals, creating and coaching business opportunities and strategies that support and add value to the lives of real estate professionals at thestrategicresource.com.
0:29
SPEAKER_00: And by Roost Real Estate Company.
0:32
SPEAKER_00: Today's real estate agent doesn't follow old rules.
0:35
SPEAKER_00: She makes new ones.
0:36
SPEAKER_00: Learn more at CareerWithroost.com.
0:41
SPEAKER_03: Hello, and welcome to the Connect Practice Track and Grow Podcast.
0:45
SPEAKER_03: I'd like to introduce Priscilla McNamy to the show today.
0:48
SPEAKER_03: Priscilla is a realtor and the market leader for Roost Real Estate Company in Springfield, Ohio.
0:53
SPEAKER_03: I've known Priscilla for almost 20 years now, and I'm excited for her to share her story with you.
0:58
SPEAKER_03: Priscilla's practice is built around listings and specifically open houses.
1:03
SPEAKER_03: Yes, open houses still matter.
1:06
SPEAKER_03: Priscilla is a natural at connecting with just about everyone she meets.
1:09
SPEAKER_03: She's also a master at using social media as an amplifier for her real world relationships.
1:15
SPEAKER_03: Priscilla's business has doubled since 2018, and her transformation from her business managing her to her managing her business has been exciting to watch.
1:25
SPEAKER_03: But she's not done yet.
1:26
SPEAKER_03: Priscilla knows she has an even bigger future ahead of her, and she's making investments today in herself and her business that will pay off in the future.
1:35
SPEAKER_03: I think you'll get a lot out of listening to this podcast.
1:37
SPEAKER_03: While Priscilla is an outstanding agent with an extraordinary practice, every tool and resource she has employed to get here are readily available to you.
1:46
SPEAKER_03: I guarantee you will find inspiration, timely lessons, actionable tips and tricks, daily habits and mindsets you can use in your business to generate more leads, book more appointments, write more contracts, close more deals, earn more referrals, and make more money.
2:05
SPEAKER_03: So without further ado, I bring you my interview with Priscilla Mackamy.
2:11
SPEAKER_03: Welcome, Priscilla.
2:12
SPEAKER_01: Well, good morning.
2:13
SPEAKER_01: It's good to be here this morning.
2:15
SPEAKER_03: Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?
2:19
SPEAKER_01: I've been in the real estate business since 1993.
2:22
SPEAKER_01: I originally got my license when I was 20 years old.
2:26
SPEAKER_03: 20 years old.
2:31
SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness.
2:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I was very young, and you got to remember it was different times back then.
2:36
SPEAKER_01: So my first broker, she was amazing.
2:38
SPEAKER_01: Worked for her for a couple of years.
2:41
SPEAKER_01: And then I went to work for another strong brokerage here in town.
2:45
SPEAKER_01: And then I ended up meeting you in what 2000.
2:48
SPEAKER_03: I think it was 2002.
2:51
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, two.
2:52
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, because I got my no, I'm sorry, 2003, because I got my agent's license in 2001, my broker's license in 2003, and we opened Remax right after that.
3:02
SPEAKER_03: And you joined us at Remax probably just a few months after we got started.
3:06
SPEAKER_03: So almost 20 years.
3:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yep.
3:09
SPEAKER_01: So I mean, and so I was with your Remax office, which of course broke records in my sales when I worked with you back then.
3:18
SPEAKER_03: I ended up and then there was a crash.
3:21
SPEAKER_03: I don't know if any of you have heard, but 2007, eight, nine were not very good times in real estate.
3:27
SPEAKER_03: And we got out from under, I'll say, the Remax offices.
3:30
SPEAKER_03: And you know, that was a tumultuous time for all of us.
3:34
SPEAKER_03: And Priscilla, bless her heart, chose to move on to a new opportunity rather than staying with our new company.
3:41
SPEAKER_03: Is that fair to say?
3:42
SPEAKER_01: That's fair to say.
3:43
SPEAKER_03: So she so she's already broken my heart at least once.
3:47
SPEAKER_01: I went back to my safety net.
3:50
SPEAKER_01: So I went back to work there and um we actually connect, we we reconnected at a continuum education class.
3:58
SPEAKER_01: We reconnected, if you remember, we were down at the Security National Bank at a social media continuum ed class, and that's when you had first started Roost.
4:09
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so we started Roost in 2014.
4:11
SPEAKER_01: So and it was early that year.
4:13
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so Remax was almost six years, I think, 2003 to 2009.
4:19
SPEAKER_03: I think we folded it finally in 2010.
4:22
SPEAKER_03: And I went back to where I came from, a local mom and pop.
4:26
SPEAKER_03: And Priscilla went back to where she came from, who was at the time a local mom and pop.
4:30
SPEAKER_03: And then I started my Roost real estate company office in Springfield in 2014.
4:38
SPEAKER_03: And as luck would have it, Priscilla joined us not too long after we we started Roost up here in Springfield.
4:45
SPEAKER_01: And so, and that's exactly what when we were sitting there talking at the class, you were telling me about everything that you've put into it and what your ultimate goal was.
4:54
SPEAKER_01: And I was so intrigued by that because at that time, my broker, who is a very incredible broker, he's a pillar of this community, he just wasn't keeping up with technology at that time.
5:07
SPEAKER_01: And at no fault of his, I mean, it was just the way we always did business.
5:11
SPEAKER_01: So I was very intrigued by everything that you were doing, and that's when I decided to switch brokerages at that moment.
5:18
SPEAKER_01: And that was actually November of 2014.
5:20
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's right.
5:21
SPEAKER_03: Yep.
5:22
SPEAKER_03: So we're reminiscing.
5:24
SPEAKER_03: So thanks for staying with us.
5:26
SPEAKER_03: So here's the really cool thing.
5:28
SPEAKER_03: So I have notes from when Priscilla and I sat down and met in I think 2019.
5:33
SPEAKER_03: And I went back and I pulled your sales 2018 to 2019.
5:37
SPEAKER_03: I think it was like July 1st, 2018 through June 2019.
5:43
SPEAKER_03: And in that 12-month period, you had closed 61 units and per the local multiple listing service, you had done almost$8.5 million worth of sales.
5:55
SPEAKER_03: And that's the way the realtors count it, with an average sale price of about$137,000.
6:01
SPEAKER_03: And I remember that you had said that your goal for the next calendar year, the next year, was to increase your business by 20%.
6:10
SPEAKER_03: And I think you also, maybe it wasn't your business.
6:14
SPEAKER_03: You wanted to increase your average sale, I think it was by 20%.
6:16
SPEAKER_01: That's my average sales price.
6:18
SPEAKER_01: I really wanted to push that up.
6:20
SPEAKER_03: So that's sort of a baseline, this 2018-2019.
6:24
SPEAKER_03: But then you've made some changes in life that you know we want to hear about.
6:29
SPEAKER_03: But what happened in the past 12 months, which would be, I guess, July 1st, 2021 through the end of June 2022, your business, it's crazy.
6:42
SPEAKER_03: You know, in the past 12 months, you've had 139 units.
6:45
SPEAKER_03: And according to the MLS, you've closed$7,476,813 in sales per the MLS with an average sale price of$196,966.
7:04
SPEAKER_03: So your average sale has gone up$60,000 over the course of the last three years.
7:13
SPEAKER_03: So inquiring minds want to know how the hell did that happen?
7:18
SPEAKER_01: That's not that.
7:20
SPEAKER_01: Well, I I, you know, honestly, I have to attribute most of it to, I would definitely say to the support here with you, but also back in 2015, I started doing one-on-one coaching with the Finian company.
7:36
SPEAKER_01: When I started that, that was expensive and I didn't really have the money to put aside to the coaching.
7:43
SPEAKER_01: But then I started thinking about anybody who is an athlete or, you know, a musician or any kind of position like that, you do.
7:54
SPEAKER_01: You have a coach.
7:55
SPEAKER_03: Michael Jordan had a coach.
7:56
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
7:57
SPEAKER_01: So I always think about it like that as a business expense.
8:00
SPEAKER_01: It's an expense that I'm investing in myself, which you help me realize that.
8:05
SPEAKER_01: So I have had a one-on-one coach this entire time.
8:09
SPEAKER_01: And I just I work the system completely.
8:12
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I don't do it perfect, I, you know, I don't do it perfect by any means, but I definitely do the follow-up.
8:20
SPEAKER_01: I believe in it, you know, staying in touch and staying in front of my friends, my clients, my repeat clients, and just always doing the pop buys and showing appreciation, just like we do as a company, you know, doing the client events, letting people know that they matter, that we do show appreciation for their business.
8:42
SPEAKER_01: I don't really like to look at my numbers as a sales volume, as being a million-dollar producer.
8:49
SPEAKER_01: I would rather look at it as I've helped 139 families reach their goals.
8:55
SPEAKER_03: It's an outcome, it's a symptom of doing the right things.
8:58
SPEAKER_01: So to me, it's more about staying in front of people.
9:02
SPEAKER_01: I wish I had more time to visit more people on a daily basis than I do because I always love those visits when I go and see somebody.
9:10
SPEAKER_01: It's so nice when you bring them a goofy pop by and you get to talk to them and they show you through the house.
9:16
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
9:16
SPEAKER_01: So it's just reconnecting.
9:18
SPEAKER_01: And then that way you're staying in front of them.
9:21
SPEAKER_01: If I go back 15 years, um, I can look at the differences of how I did business then and how I do business now.
9:29
SPEAKER_01: And I can tell you this I would drive around town and all of a sudden I see a sign pop up.
9:34
SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, oh my gosh, I should have called them.
9:37
SPEAKER_01: And then I go home and I think about it.
9:40
SPEAKER_01: It literally had been a year.
9:41
SPEAKER_01: I've not spoken to the person, I've not mailed them anything, I've not touched base with them.
9:46
SPEAKER_01: They've not heard from me.
9:47
SPEAKER_01: So of course they're going to call another agent.
9:49
SPEAKER_01: And that's how I let so much slip through the cracks in the past.
9:53
SPEAKER_01: So I do, I try to stay in touch with all my clients, friends, and family and stay in front of them.
9:59
SPEAKER_01: I think that's honestly the roots of it.
10:02
SPEAKER_03: So it's about relationships.
10:04
SPEAKER_03: And I think our favorite word is intentional.
10:06
SPEAKER_03: It's about being intentional about cultivating those relationships.
10:10
SPEAKER_03: So in a typical year, where does your business come from now?
10:14
SPEAKER_01: Referral.
10:15
SPEAKER_01: I do not pay for leads.
10:17
SPEAKER_01: I'm 97% of my business is from referral, and I track that.
10:21
SPEAKER_01: It is absolutely amazing, but it is.
10:25
SPEAKER_03: So how do you so you still are adding you're getting referrals, you're still adding more people to your database every week.
10:32
SPEAKER_03: Is that is that true?
10:34
SPEAKER_01: That is true.
10:35
SPEAKER_01: I do get a lot of interaction with people on Facebook.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: So I do get some new leads through that.
10:41
SPEAKER_01: Of course, you know, you get calls as an agent, a list strong listing agent.
10:46
SPEAKER_01: I get calls off my signs, people who come through my open houses that aren't working with an agent.
10:52
SPEAKER_01: So I do pick up new people like that that I'm adding to my database.
10:55
SPEAKER_01: It's interesting though, because a lot of those people end up knowing somebody else that I've already worked with.
11:01
SPEAKER_01: So in the in conversation with them, they would say, Well, my friend, so and so, they had told me to give you a call.
11:09
SPEAKER_01: So I don't, I still count those people as a cold lead, not as a referral, not a direct referral, but the majority of my business does come from referral.
11:19
SPEAKER_03: So, do you have, we've been calling this different things over the years, but I keep thinking of it now as a personal connection standard.
11:26
SPEAKER_03: And my thought with that is I think the very best realtors among us, they especially those that work by referral, you know, they set a personal standard for themselves.
11:36
SPEAKER_03: You know, how many notes, texts, calls, pop buys, and additions to my database am I gonna make every week?
11:43
SPEAKER_03: And, you know, some people may say, you know, I'm going to, at a minimum, I'm gonna make three calls this week to people in my database that I haven't talked to in the past X number of months.
11:53
SPEAKER_03: I'm going to find reasons to show some gratitude by writing, you know, half a dozen personal notes every week.
12:01
SPEAKER_03: I'm going to do a couple of pop buys.
12:04
SPEAKER_03: I think last week you and Courtney did uh Pop Bys for Fourth of July, right?
12:07
SPEAKER_01: Yes, and we're still working on those.
12:08
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, those were terrific.
12:09
SPEAKER_01: And it's funny how many people have messaged us and said, I want a Samourse box.
12:15
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
12:16
SPEAKER_01: But people love that stuff.
12:17
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
12:18
SPEAKER_03: And then, well, let me just interject there.
12:20
SPEAKER_03: So, you know, you are an extrovert.
12:22
SPEAKER_03: I'm a raging introvert, but I still loved doing pop buys when I was practicing.
12:27
SPEAKER_03: And of course, for me, I would go to the house and I'd have my pop by gift and I'd just pray nobody answered the door.
12:35
SPEAKER_03: And if they did, I did fine.
12:37
SPEAKER_03: But the cool trick that, you know, really worked well was I would take a picture of the gift that I left at the front door and I would text it to them.
12:45
SPEAKER_01: That's perfect, though.
12:46
SPEAKER_03: And I had just wonderful interactions with people and I didn't have to be nervous.
12:50
SPEAKER_03: So anyway, that's a little trick.
12:51
SPEAKER_03: But the other key part of the personal connection standard is we have to continue to add people to our database.
12:57
SPEAKER_03: You know, whether we're 100% by referral or we're just starting out and it's, you know, 5% referral, we have to be adding people to our database every week.
13:05
SPEAKER_03: And I know that's something that you're working on with your new team members is who are you going to bring to the table?
13:09
SPEAKER_03: Because quite frankly, you know, if you're in the business for any length of time, some people are going to pass away and they're not going to be in your database anymore, or they shouldn't be.
13:18
SPEAKER_03: Some people, you know, God help us are going to, or God help them, are going to move without you.
13:22
SPEAKER_03: You know, your database needs to be constantly refreshed on a weekly basis, if not a monthly or quarterly basis.
13:32
SPEAKER_03: And I think that is a key part of the personal connection standard.
13:36
SPEAKER_03: What are your thoughts on that?
13:37
SPEAKER_01: I completely agree with you.
13:39
SPEAKER_01: I log into my CRM every morning just like I do my email.
13:43
SPEAKER_01: And when you talk about calls per week, pot buys per week, personal notes per week, you know, my goal is 60 calls per week.
13:52
SPEAKER_03: Um 60 calls a week.
13:54
SPEAKER_01: 60 calls per week to do my to reach my goals.
13:58
SPEAKER_01: And then I've got 15 notes per week.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: And then the pot buys is seven per week, but Courtney and I are really trying to crank those up this summer.
14:06
SPEAKER_01: We really want to prep for the last quarter because you know, we do so much appreciation in October, November, December, but we don't want it to weigh so heavy at the end of the year.
14:16
SPEAKER_01: We want to try to do a lot through September.
14:19
SPEAKER_01: I'm finding that we have a tendency to take for granted that people know we're in real estate.
14:27
SPEAKER_01: We we have a tendency to assume that they know you're an agent.
14:31
SPEAKER_01: They assume how you do your job, they assume how real estate is done.
14:35
SPEAKER_01: And the general public, they don't know that, even your family and friends.
14:39
SPEAKER_01: I can't tell you through the years how many people have said, well, it was a ABC realty sign.
14:45
SPEAKER_01: So we just called them to get the information.
14:48
SPEAKER_01: It's funny because you would think, well, you know, I can help you, but they don't know.
14:53
SPEAKER_01: You know, so by staying in front of people, you get to have a general conversation about real estate.
14:58
SPEAKER_01: You can teach them about, you know, how things are done, and you can give them market updates.
15:02
SPEAKER_01: They always want to know how's the market updates are key.
15:05
SPEAKER_03: I know I've worked with a lot of agents who resist, you know, reminding their friends and even their family members that they're in the business and then they're just brokenhearted when they list with somebody else or go buy a house with somebody else.
15:16
SPEAKER_01: And be real, be real with them.
15:18
SPEAKER_01: Uh, there was an agent that we both used to work with, and she used to always tell everybody how amazing the market was, even when it was terrible.
15:27
SPEAKER_01: And I mean, that's great to be positive, but you want to be real.
15:30
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you have to be authentic.
15:31
SPEAKER_01: And my if there's one thing my clients know is that I am 100% authentic.
15:37
SPEAKER_01: How I am with work is how I am in my personal life.
15:40
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's why so many people do value my relationship with them, because they know that I am 100% real.
15:47
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
15:48
SPEAKER_01: And I think a lot of agents that get in this business, they try to put up this persona.
15:52
SPEAKER_01: And it's, you know, people can see through that.
15:55
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
15:55
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
15:55
SPEAKER_01: You've got to be genuine.
15:57
SPEAKER_03: And one of the ways, you know, to I guess for me, easily be able to remind people that, you know, I was in the business was the Popeye gift, you know, and just that act of giving them something, you know, a piece of swag that had Roost Real Estate on it, whether it was a t-shirt or a visor or a mug or whatever, was a really easy way to just remind people what I did without feeling like I was being overly pushy.
16:31
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
16:32
SPEAKER_03: You know, one of the biggest benefits I think that that we provide at Roost are the monthly Roost Rambling postcards.
16:41
SPEAKER_03: What are your thoughts on those?
16:43
SPEAKER_01: I absolutely love those because without thought, of course, I don't have you you just take care of that for me.
16:50
SPEAKER_03: Well, I don't, but we have people that do.
16:52
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
16:52
SPEAKER_01: But they're so nice because they're colorful.
16:54
SPEAKER_01: They are large.
16:56
SPEAKER_01: So the way they come in the mail, I feel like people won't just toss them in the trash.
17:00
SPEAKER_01: They will at least, I'm thinking, read one of the facts that are on there.
17:05
SPEAKER_01: But like my family members and my friends, I mean, they love them.
17:08
SPEAKER_01: They're always talking about them.
17:09
SPEAKER_01: My my nieces last week sent me a picture where they had cut my picture out.
17:15
SPEAKER_01: They said that I'm famous, that their Aunt Stella is famous.
17:19
SPEAKER_01: That's cool.
17:20
SPEAKER_01: So, but I do think that's important and it's a great way to stay in front of people.
17:24
SPEAKER_03: Well, the cool thing about Roost Families is it's silly, it's simple, it's just some useless specs of knowledge on the front page and just a little message about the market and just reminding people that you're there and you're eager to earn their referrals on the back.
17:36
SPEAKER_03: And, you know, my thought is if they even, and it only comes from the agents.
17:40
SPEAKER_03: So every single agent has a personalized set that goes out every month without fail.
17:44
SPEAKER_03: You know, the brokerage and our marketing partners do that for every agent.
17:48
SPEAKER_03: But even if somebody, you know, gets out of their car, gets the mail, walks back up to the front door, they're going to see your face before it goes in the trash.
17:57
SPEAKER_03: And these items of value are, I guess, interestingly interesting enough that we do get a lot of positive feedback on that.
18:06
SPEAKER_01: No, I agree.
18:07
SPEAKER_01: Because think about your mail that you get like yesterday when I went into the mailbox, 90% of my mail was junk mail and the envelopes.
18:15
SPEAKER_01: I know it was solicitation for stuff, but I didn't even open it, I just threw it in the trash.
18:19
SPEAKER_01: Because generally I don't think people would read our mail that we put in envelopes.
18:23
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
18:23
SPEAKER_03: When we used to do them in envelopes, I don't think people did either.
18:26
SPEAKER_03: But now at least they see the logo, they see your face, and I think it helps.
18:30
SPEAKER_03: So it's a small way to stay in touch and nurture those relationships.
18:33
SPEAKER_03: So the other cool thing is, and I'm really working on these numbers, but the agents that actively maintain a database of right around 150 people is sort of the magic number.
18:45
SPEAKER_03: I think yours is like 250.
18:47
SPEAKER_03: But those agents that actually have a database that they mail roost ramblings to every month at right around, you know, the number that they mail to qualified referral sources correlates directly to the number of closings they have and the amount of money that they make.
19:08
SPEAKER_03: So, you know, that's why I love the idea of Connect Practice Track and Grow, because if you're making connections with new people constantly refreshing, replenishing your database, and then you have a way to stay in track in touch, I'm sorry, and track your progress.
19:23
SPEAKER_03: I mean, you just you win.
19:25
SPEAKER_03: And it's deceptively simple, but it's just amazing that it works every single time and you make it look easy.
19:31
SPEAKER_03: Why do you think other agents don't look at the business that way or approach the business the way you do?
19:39
SPEAKER_01: That's that's such a good question.
19:41
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I can't figure it out, but I'm biased.
19:43
SPEAKER_01: Um I if I think about that, you know, Beck, real fast, the power of a phone call is incredible.
19:50
SPEAKER_01: So not only mailing out the roost ramblings, but to follow up with a phone call is huge because people are not getting just a simple phone call check-in, like, hey, how are you doing?
20:02
SPEAKER_01: How are things going with the house?
20:03
SPEAKER_01: Most agents will, for example, sell a house and they're booking it.
20:07
SPEAKER_03: And they're scared to death to call them because they're afraid something went wrong and they're gonna get played.
20:10
SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
20:11
SPEAKER_01: They don't even want to know about it.
20:12
SPEAKER_01: But I would say I feel that a lot of agents are looking for an easy way to success.
20:22
SPEAKER_01: They don't want to put the work in, they think that there's just some quick route.
20:27
SPEAKER_03: Well, I think we're in an entrepreneurial business, and the sooner you know, those of us who have done well realize that, the better off you know, we've been.
20:34
SPEAKER_03: And the same with everybody else.
20:36
SPEAKER_03: I from my perspective, I think that you're successful because you take responsibility for your own lead generation.
20:47
SPEAKER_03: I think agents that get their license don't last more than a couple of years or for the current boom are, I don't want to say looking for something for nothing, but the alternative is that they the alternative is that they go to a brokerage which advertises that they're going to give them, quote, free leads.
21:07
SPEAKER_03: And I want you to share your experience a bit from my experience, and I have from time to time paid for leads just to make sure I wasn't missing anything, but the quality of those leads was if a referral is a hundred, the quality of a Zillow or a realtor.com lead is a one.
21:24
SPEAKER_03: And I can't tell you how many calls that myself and other agents have fielded from people who say, I just want to know how many bedrooms that house has.
21:32
SPEAKER_03: And I, and yes, I'm working with my agent, but I don't want to bother her.
21:38
SPEAKER_01: I think that's such an incredible topic because again, as a strong listing agent, I just had this happen on a property where we're in a multiple offer situation.
21:51
SPEAKER_01: And let's be real if you price a house right, your offers are going to come in around the same price.
21:56
SPEAKER_01: It just naturally happens.
21:58
SPEAKER_01: So the next thing that you look at.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: Is the you know the type of financing, of course, you know, the terms of the contract, of course.
22:05
SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, one of the questions that I ask the agents immediately is, you know, how long have you known this client?
22:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, how well do you know this client?
22:14
SPEAKER_01: You know, how well do you know their lender?
22:16
SPEAKER_01: What's this, you know, what's this relationship like?
22:19
SPEAKER_01: How long have they been looking for a house?
22:21
SPEAKER_01: And I, in this particular situation, I had an agent that had literally just met the client at my listing for the first time.
22:30
SPEAKER_01: They didn't even know if they were approved.
22:32
SPEAKER_01: They didn't know them from Adam.
22:34
SPEAKER_01: They had no, they had they knew nothing about them.
22:36
SPEAKER_03: They came in on a Zillow lead.
22:38
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
22:38
SPEAKER_01: And then he told me that they're going to write this phenomenal offer.
22:42
SPEAKER_01: So we were waiting for this offer.
22:44
SPEAKER_01: And keep in mind, I had a very strong offer from a veteran agent who I did trust because I know she's going to get the job done.
22:52
SPEAKER_01: And basically postponed presenting an offer, waiting on this amazing offer to come in.
22:59
SPEAKER_01: Well, at the end of the day, the offer didn't come in.
23:01
SPEAKER_01: The people completely ghosted him.
23:04
SPEAKER_01: They never got the offer on paper.
23:05
SPEAKER_01: Thank God I was able to still salvage the really strong offer that I had.
23:10
SPEAKER_01: And it amazes me that people will, agents will waste their time chasing down those people who aren't even solid.
23:18
SPEAKER_01: You know, the power and the importance of meeting with buyers before you even start showing them houses is incredible.
23:27
SPEAKER_01: And you taught me that.
23:28
SPEAKER_01: You know, sit down, have a buyer meeting.
23:31
SPEAKER_01: Sit down and, you know, find out what their expectations are and share with them what the market is really like.
23:37
SPEAKER_03: I wanted to get to that next because I think, you know, you've you've told us wonderful things about connection.
23:42
SPEAKER_03: And, you know, the one thing that we didn't touch on that we'll do in another episode is how you use social media to amplify those connections.
23:48
SPEAKER_03: So there's so much to talk about.
23:50
SPEAKER_03: But you kind of moved into the practice part of the show here.
23:54
SPEAKER_03: And I think there's two things that set your practice apart from everybody else's.
23:58
SPEAKER_03: And one of them is the fact that, you know, you have a personal standard that says, I am not going to show anybody a house who will not come in and meet me in the office or Starbucks for 40 minutes and talk about the process.
24:14
SPEAKER_03: I mean, how has that changed your practice?
24:17
SPEAKER_01: I think the numbers speak for themselves when it comes to that.
24:20
SPEAKER_01: Not to mention the time.
24:21
SPEAKER_01: I don't want to waste my time with people who aren't serious.
24:24
SPEAKER_01: And I don't want them wasting their time either.
24:26
SPEAKER_01: I mean, if they are not qualified, then they need to get on, they need to get on track and put a plan together to become qualified.
24:33
SPEAKER_03: And you can help them with that.
24:34
SPEAKER_01: And that's exactly what I do.
24:35
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, there's times that you know, not every buyer meeting turns into a sale.
24:39
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
24:39
SPEAKER_03: But every buyer meeting is an opportunity for another connection and another addition to your database.
24:45
SPEAKER_03: And you have to look at it that, you know, even if that person who has a great experience with you never buys a house, there's a huge likelihood that they're gonna refer you to people who will.
24:56
SPEAKER_01: And I have there's I have one set of clients that I've not sold, I've not sold them a house directly.
25:03
SPEAKER_01: They're here in Springfield, and I'm not kidding you.
25:05
SPEAKER_01: These ladies send me and talk, they send me so many referrals.
25:09
SPEAKER_01: They are like my biggest cheerleaders in Springfield.
25:12
SPEAKER_01: And we've not done any business together yet, yeah, you know, but I was there for them.
25:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and that's I think that's incredibly important.
25:20
SPEAKER_01: But to get down and sit with them, pull up the MLS, show them what's available, be real.
25:27
SPEAKER_01: And I think people respect that more.
25:29
SPEAKER_01: And then that does create a bond where they're going to be loyal to you.
25:33
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
25:33
SPEAKER_03: You're far more likely to, you're not gonna waste your time by having a buyer meeting, but it don't show up for the buyer meeting, then they ghost you later on, like your other story.
25:42
SPEAKER_03: The other thing, and I'll just rant a little bit about paying for leads, you know, in any market, but especially in this market, the only leads you're going to see one in a million, all but one out of a million are going to be for buyers.
25:56
SPEAKER_03: And some of those buyers are already going to be working with agents, and some of them aren't qualified, et cetera.
26:01
SPEAKER_03: The only way you're going to get listings and build a listing this is from referrals.
26:09
SPEAKER_03: So, you know, for people who are resisting working by referral, that maybe it's too much work or you know, whatever, maybe look at it that the payoff is that is how you become a listing agent is by getting referred by the people who already, you know, know and love you.
26:24
SPEAKER_03: So buyer meetings, I think that's been huge.
26:26
SPEAKER_03: I appreciate you doing that.
26:28
SPEAKER_03: The other thing that I think is incredibly special about your practice is I don't even know what to call it, other than sort of a listing servicing process.
26:37
SPEAKER_03: And when we first talked about this, I don't think you realized how uh important and profound how you service a listing is.
26:46
SPEAKER_03: And yes, that does include open houses.
26:48
SPEAKER_03: So why don't you take us through what your practice and process looks like when you list a home?
26:56
SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness, that's not a fair question.
27:01
SPEAKER_01: I will tell you this.
27:02
SPEAKER_01: I religiously go through properties with my clients, and I will help them with.
27:09
SPEAKER_01: I use our home enhancement checklist religiously, every single listing.
27:13
SPEAKER_01: And I'll put notes on that, give them ideas of what they need to do to spruce up the house and make it presentable.
27:22
SPEAKER_01: I mean, usually it's very minor, but sometimes people just don't know and they need your help.
27:28
SPEAKER_01: So I definitely help them prepare for listing, and then it gets down to every single detail.
27:34
SPEAKER_01: I'm so detailed on every update, everything they've done to the property.
27:39
SPEAKER_01: I make sure I know all of that.
27:41
SPEAKER_01: And professional photos.
27:43
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you'll never see cell phone photos on one of my listings.
27:47
SPEAKER_01: I just don't do that.
27:49
SPEAKER_01: Then we get down to marketing.
27:52
SPEAKER_01: I'm not going to tell all my secrets.
27:56
SPEAKER_03: Nobody's listening.
27:58
SPEAKER_01: I'm not telling all my secrets.
28:00
SPEAKER_01: I do a lot on social media.
28:02
SPEAKER_01: And then when we do, you know, some clients just don't want to have open houses, of course, but my clients that do, so for example, I've got some open houses this weekend.
28:12
SPEAKER_01: So we're putting the signs up.
28:14
SPEAKER_01: We've done a lot of the promotion.
28:16
SPEAKER_01: I send invitations to my database.
28:20
SPEAKER_01: So that way people in the area, they know that it's open.
28:23
SPEAKER_01: It's very interesting to me how many of my past clients will show up just to come say hi.
28:29
SPEAKER_01: But they also want to share the information with anybody that's in the neighborhood.
28:34
SPEAKER_01: When I'm at the open house, it's a really great time for me to look at the house, really study my product.
28:40
SPEAKER_01: What can I do to get this house sold?
28:42
SPEAKER_01: You know, why isn't this house selling?
28:44
SPEAKER_01: Whether it be price, you know, odors in the house, something we can do, just anything.
28:50
SPEAKER_01: You know, I fix the sign.
28:52
SPEAKER_01: I don't want my sign being crooked.
28:53
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm a control freak.
28:55
SPEAKER_01: You know, make sure my brochure box is full.
28:57
SPEAKER_03: But that's the beauty of doing regularly scheduled open houses is that you keep up with all those little things that add up to a successful sale at the price the seller wants.
29:07
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
29:08
SPEAKER_01: And I'm very old school.
29:09
SPEAKER_01: I'm, I don't care how strong the market is.
29:13
SPEAKER_01: I don't care if a house sells in one day.
29:16
SPEAKER_01: My clients are still going to get full service.
29:18
SPEAKER_01: They're still going to get a collar brochure, you know, collar brochures inside the house.
29:23
SPEAKER_01: They're going to get the brochure box on the sign.
29:26
SPEAKER_01: They're, you know, they're getting all the same services, even though, yes, I probably could get by putting cell phone photos up on their house, but I don't want to do that.
29:35
SPEAKER_01: I don't want to, I don't want to be that agent.
29:37
SPEAKER_03: The other thing that happens is because you do those regularly scheduled open houses and you're constantly working the listing, you have constant contact with your sellers.
29:48
SPEAKER_03: And your sellers aren't constantly asking for feedback because you're always there.
29:54
SPEAKER_03: And it also gives you an opportunity and the permission to have quote adult conversations with sellers when you need to.
30:02
SPEAKER_03: So when it comes down to price or condition or whatever that is.
30:05
SPEAKER_03: You know, the other thing, and we haven't really talked about this a lot, but you know, when you talk about brochure boxes and, you know, sending out postcards to the neighborhood or to your database and so forth, yes, your motive for doing that is to make sure your seller, you know, gets the sale at the price and terms that work for them.
30:24
SPEAKER_03: But what you're really doing is multiplying that listing and turning that listing into future listings, are you not?
30:31
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
30:32
SPEAKER_01: And those have been, I've had a very great success rate with those since I hired Beth.
30:37
SPEAKER_01: We religiously send out just listed and just sold cards.
30:41
SPEAKER_01: And I do get calls on pretty much each mailing.
30:45
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't definitely turn into a sale, but it has.
30:48
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
30:49
SPEAKER_03: Well, and the other thing is you send those out.
30:51
SPEAKER_03: You know, you don't wake up every morning and trying to pick up both sides of a sale, you know, representing the seller and representing the buyer.
30:58
SPEAKER_03: But the way you manage your open houses leaves that possibility open that you may or somebody on your team or somebody in your office may sell that listing.
31:07
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
31:08
SPEAKER_03: It also means that you may end up showing the house and they and maybe that buyer won't buy that house, but they'll buy another house with you.
31:15
SPEAKER_03: And there's another addition to your database and another opportunity for connection.
31:20
SPEAKER_03: And, you know, one in a hundred times you do get both sides.
31:23
SPEAKER_03: Well, that's nice.
31:24
SPEAKER_03: You know, that's you can go out to dinner an extra night this week, but it's not your motivation.
31:29
SPEAKER_03: But the cool thing is by doing the right thing for your seller client, you're doing the right thing for your business because you're leveraging every listing into future business.
31:39
SPEAKER_03: And I think that truly is what sets your practice apart.
31:43
SPEAKER_01: I would definitely think so.
31:45
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I work very hard on my listings and I want to believe that people do see that.
31:50
SPEAKER_03: So, what's next for your practice?
31:52
SPEAKER_03: What do you, what's the next upgrade for the Priscilla team?
31:57
SPEAKER_01: Well, as everybody knows, I've brought Courtney on board.
32:01
SPEAKER_01: And so our ultimate goal is to really crank up service more so than what we have, and you know, while we increase transactions.
32:12
SPEAKER_01: So that's, I mean, that's our goal.
32:14
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we're hoping to together, I mean, together, we would like to be selling 100 units per year just with the two of us, along with best with having Beth help us, you know, in the background.
32:26
SPEAKER_03: I think you're gonna have to raise that number because you're already doing well past 100 units a year according to the MLS, or maybe that's 100 sides.
32:33
SPEAKER_03: So we'll have to check that.
32:35
SPEAKER_03: All right, you may have to bump that up to like 200, I'm just saying.
32:38
SPEAKER_03: Okay, so this has been great fun.
32:41
SPEAKER_03: But the other thing I want to touch on is you know, great agents connect, great agents practice, and great agents track your business.
32:49
SPEAKER_03: And well, let me just ask you, what does tracking your business mean to you?
32:55
SPEAKER_01: So what I make sure I do, and of course, like I said, I don't do it perfectly, but I'm working on it, is in order, I have to track my business in order to know what kind of feedback that I'm getting on my pop bys, my calls, my notes, all of that.
33:14
SPEAKER_01: So, what I do on a weekly basis is I put those every time I make the calls and the pop bys and the notes, I will put them down on paper and then I put them into my referral maker.
33:27
SPEAKER_01: So that way I'm tracking it.
33:28
SPEAKER_01: Now, like I said, I'm not doing it perfectly, I'm really trying to do better at that.
33:32
SPEAKER_03: But your Buffinian Company personal coach sort of helps keep you accountable.
33:35
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely, right?
33:36
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
33:36
SPEAKER_01: And then I'm actually giving Beth, my admin, permission to micromanage me on that.
33:42
SPEAKER_02: Good.
33:42
SPEAKER_01: Because I have a tendency to do it and then not track it in the actual CRM.
33:47
SPEAKER_03: And if I would track it in the CRM religiously, I could truly see what even if you just give her the scrap paper and have her go in, or just text her when you think of it and have her put it in.
33:57
SPEAKER_03: Because the cool thing about referral maker is it'll show you exactly how your connection activities relate to the amount of business you're doing.
34:07
SPEAKER_03: And it truly does an automatic calculation for return on relationship.
34:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
34:13
SPEAKER_03: Well, I think you're doing a tremendous job of tracking what you're doing, probably the one of the best I've ever met.
34:20
SPEAKER_03: And I agree with you though, having watched you all these years, I think that change in your business really did happen when you know you decided to get serious.
34:31
SPEAKER_03: I don't want to that sounds wrong, but when you decided to employ and invest in that personal coach, that's when all these things I think really started to come to together for you.
34:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
34:41
SPEAKER_03: As I look back, just great fun to watch.
34:44
SPEAKER_01: I look back in time and I'm thinking it was also when my children both graduated from high school.
34:50
SPEAKER_03: Well, there's that too.
34:52
SPEAKER_03: So there was a little bit more time, no question about it.
34:56
SPEAKER_03: So between 2018 and 2021, a lot of things happened.
35:00
SPEAKER_03: Personal coaching was huge.
35:02
SPEAKER_03: You know, you touched on the fact that has it been a year since you hired Beth at this point?
35:06
SPEAKER_01: You're yes, she's been on for a full year.
35:08
SPEAKER_03: So Beth was the very first helper, assistant, team member, whatever you you want to call it, you ever brought on.
35:16
SPEAKER_01: Yes, and in 29 years.
35:19
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
35:19
SPEAKER_03: So tell us about that process.
35:21
SPEAKER_03: Maybe what were some of the high points of that last year getting Beth up to speed and maybe some of the tougher challenges.
35:27
SPEAKER_01: I think um the great thing with Beth is that she and I already knew each other.
35:32
SPEAKER_01: We have similar personalities, but also she's an introvert.
35:36
SPEAKER_01: And she, so I mean, we have differences as well, but the great thing with her is that we can always see eye to eye.
35:43
SPEAKER_01: So, and what I'm learning, what I've been learning about myself, and it's been the biggest learning curve, is I assume people know things, and I do need to explain the situation.
35:57
SPEAKER_01: So, like I assume that somebody would know something because, like my kids tell me, mom, you've done this your whole life.
36:03
SPEAKER_01: You you do it so naturally, not everybody knows what you're talking about.
36:09
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
36:09
SPEAKER_01: So that's the one thing that I've learned.
36:11
SPEAKER_01: But my biggest learning curve with Beth is just try to explain what it is that I'm asking her to do and what it means and the importance of it.
36:20
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
36:20
SPEAKER_01: And once I've done that, then she understands it better and everything is flowing much smoother.
36:27
SPEAKER_03: Well, the other thing that happens is yes, we have to be able to explain to people what we want because they can't read our minds.
36:31
SPEAKER_03: But Beth is also, Beth is never going to go light up an open house like you do.
36:37
SPEAKER_03: On the other hand, you are never going to put the detail in referral maker tracking your business that Beth will.
36:44
SPEAKER_03: So, you know, it goes back to you guys compliment each other and you bring different strengths to the table.
36:50
SPEAKER_03: And Beth doing what she does is making more time for you to focus on the stuff you like, 60 calls a week, making connections and so forth.
36:59
SPEAKER_03: And that's been a joy to watch.
37:00
SPEAKER_03: I know it's been an absolute challenge for you because you hadn't done it in 29 years, but like I obviously see it's paying off, and I think you think so too.
37:09
SPEAKER_03: So you also hired your first, I don't know what you're calling Courtney these days.
37:13
SPEAKER_03: What does Courtney do for you?
37:15
SPEAKER_01: She's an equal team member.
37:17
SPEAKER_01: I mean, she is like side by side with me on my daily practices.
37:21
SPEAKER_03: So you never show up anywhere without your team.
37:23
SPEAKER_01: So we here, what we our ultimate goal together is that all of our clients know who each one of us are.
37:31
SPEAKER_01: And we both know what's happening with each transaction that we're both working on, whether it be together or our own individual transactions.
37:39
SPEAKER_01: That way, people we don't want to be giving duplicate updates and we don't want people to have to ask questions over and over again.
37:49
SPEAKER_01: We want to keep them, we want to keep the line of communication open.
37:53
SPEAKER_01: So that's something that we are still working on and we're getting better at it.
37:57
SPEAKER_01: But she's been phenomenal.
37:59
SPEAKER_01: She's she will just, I mean, she takes because she shows up.
38:03
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
38:04
SPEAKER_01: She shows up.
38:05
SPEAKER_03: And she's self-motivated and she wants to be successful.
38:07
SPEAKER_01: She shows up.
38:08
SPEAKER_01: And that's something that I've not experienced that.
38:10
SPEAKER_01: Like she literally will just show up.
38:12
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's amazing.
38:14
SPEAKER_03: You know why I love Courtney?
38:15
SPEAKER_01: What's that?
38:16
SPEAKER_03: Because I truly think she's taking care of you.
38:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and she is.
38:19
SPEAKER_03: And this is the first time since we've known each other that you've regularly taken time away from work, gone out of town, taken some trips.
38:26
SPEAKER_03: So it's definitely, from my point of view, improved your life.
38:29
SPEAKER_01: Yep.
38:29
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's been amazing.
38:31
SPEAKER_03: So, what does the next phase of your career look like for you now that we're into the growth phase here at Connect Practice Track and Grow?
38:38
SPEAKER_01: So if I can increase sales, but also increase service with the help of my two girls and still be able to travel and take some time off.
38:51
SPEAKER_01: I want to be able to take a little bit more time off.
38:54
SPEAKER_01: And when I say time off, I want to be able to disconnect.
38:57
SPEAKER_01: So I've not been able to do that quite yet, but I know that I'm going to get there.
39:01
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
39:01
SPEAKER_03: An unplugged free day.
39:03
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
39:04
SPEAKER_03: Well, you know what the other reason I want you to get good at having a team, right?
39:09
SPEAKER_01: Why is that?
39:10
SPEAKER_03: So you can embrace your position as the market leader and start focusing on running a bigger business for both of us.
39:15
SPEAKER_03: I think that's I guess that's my dream for you, as selfish as that might be.
39:21
SPEAKER_03: But my gosh, you're well on your way and it's been great fun to watch.
39:25
SPEAKER_03: Anything else you'd like to share with us before we close out for the day?
39:29
SPEAKER_01: I think we covered it all or a lot of it.
39:31
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think so.
39:32
SPEAKER_03: And I want to do this again.
39:33
SPEAKER_03: This was fun.
39:34
SPEAKER_03: So so, Priscilla, thank you.
39:36
SPEAKER_03: Thank you, thank you for being my guest on the Connect Practice Track and Grow podcast.
39:41
SPEAKER_03: You know, you proved our thesis once again that when you intentionally focus every day on connecting, practicing, tracking, and growing your business, that your intentions become actions, your actions become habits, and your habits result in growth.
39:55
SPEAKER_03: And my God, that's just been great fun.
39:58
SPEAKER_03: So I can't wait to check back in with you down the road.
40:01
SPEAKER_03: And thanks for being here.
40:03
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
40:03
SPEAKER_01: I appreciate it.
40:06
SPEAKER_03: And there we have it.
40:07
SPEAKER_03: Thanks for listening in.
40:08
SPEAKER_03: If you want to continue the conversation, go to www.connectpracticgrow.com.
40:16
SPEAKER_03: That's connectpracticracrow.com, where we have additional information about the podcast, archived episodes, and an option you can select to be a guest on the show.
40:27
SPEAKER_03: We'd love to hear from you.
40:28
SPEAKER_03: So that's it.
40:29
SPEAKER_03: We'll be back next time with another episode of the Connect Practice Track and Grow podcast.