Latest / The Real Estate Agent Playbook / Stop 'Checking In': The Sphere Strategy for 2026

Transcript

Stop 'Checking In': The Sphere Strategy for 2026 · The Real Estate Agent Playbook

• 0:00
  the reason that everyone says that
• 0:01
  you can't scale a business through sphere of influence
• 0:04
  is because we're all trying to do the same thing
• 0:06
  we're just checking in on our sphere
• 0:08
  asking them if they know anyone
• 0:09
  who wants to buy or sell
• 0:10
  the truth is this strategy still works
• 0:13
  that absolutely
• 0:14
  asking for the sale is still part of the game
• 0:16
  but ultimately we need to show up with better value
• 0:18
  especially for those most important to us
• 0:20
  that are in our sphere of influence
• 0:22
  so in 2026 let's not just check in
• 0:24
  let's show up with value
• 0:26
  Wanna know some items of value that you can add
• 0:28
  stay tuned we're gonna dive into that
• 0:35
  I'm Jeremy Kane with Carbon Collective at EXP Realty
• 0:37
  so pumped that you're here
• 0:39
  if you are interested in our 2026 success track
• 0:43
  we're going through all of it from all the experience
• 0:46
  from you know
• 0:47
  my coaching of agents in 39 states
• 0:49
  across four countries and for absolutely free
• 0:51
  when they join my group here at Carbon Collective
• 0:54
  you can book a call if you're interested in that
• 0:56
  the re agent
• 0:57
  Wolf pack.com or you can book a call in the link below
• 1:01
  but let's talk about this right
• 1:03
  something that makes my blood boil is
• 1:05
  fear of influence is not scalable
• 1:08
  yes I understand Zillow leads are hot
• 1:11
  I get it you get
• 1:12
  you know to chase those around town
• 1:14
  and you can absolutely sell 20 30
• 1:16
  40 houses when you're 19 years old in your first year
• 1:20
  I've had agents on my team do that
• 1:21
  without the Zillow Flex leads
• 1:23
  and the truth is
• 1:25
  is that we can continue to grow this business
• 1:28
  and if you are on one of those Zillow teams
• 1:30
  more power to you keep grinding
• 1:32
  keep working but
• 1:33
  let's start backing that up
• 1:35
  with a little bit of sphere of influence
• 1:36
  building those relationships that are coming to you
• 1:38
  so abundantly building those relationships
• 1:41
  serving those relationships
• 1:43
  and then you're off to the races
• 1:44
  this is an absolute game changer
• 1:46
  when it comes to sphere of influence
• 1:48
  is being able to
• 1:49
  take advantage of some of these lead generation
• 1:52
  platforms that may be hot for a little bit
• 1:54
  and then you know
• 1:55
  they go cold and you don't know
• 1:57
  because here's the deal
• 1:58
  someday that lead generation source
• 2:00
  whether you leave the team
• 2:01
  whether they get shut down
• 2:03
  whether they quit doing it
• 2:04
  whether they change their model
• 2:05
  all of which you don't control except for the team part
• 2:09
  what if that goes away right
• 2:11
  where's your business go are you back to square one
• 2:14
  are you back to building it
• 2:15
  looking for the next and greatest thing
• 2:16
  that you can join that next team that you can join
• 2:19
  that's going to help you build your business
• 2:21
  no
• 2:22
  use it as a leverage point to grow your personal brand
• 2:24
  and your business and bring value to those people
• 2:27
  that you're being connected with
• 2:29
  and you'll never have to work
• 2:31
  another lead generation system that you don't like ever
• 2:34
  again work hard for two three
• 2:36
  four
• 2:36
  five years on that stuff that you know you're good at
• 2:39
  but just isn't your favorite
• 2:41
  and you'll build that sphere of influence
• 2:42
  I don't care if you've never
• 2:43
  you know
• 2:44
  step foot in the town that you served in before
• 2:46
  you were you know
• 2:47
  in real estate or you've lived there your whole life
• 2:50
  your sphere of influence
• 2:51
  and paying attention to that is absolutely key
• 2:54
  and you can grow it right
• 2:56
  a lot of people are like oh
• 2:57
  I'm not from here Jeremy
• 2:58
  I can't build my business that way
• 3:00
  no you just have to intentionally grow it
• 3:02
  and I'm telling you right now
• 3:04
  leading with value is the No. 1 way to grow that brand
• 3:07
  so let's talk about this first
• 3:09
  what is fear a lot of people are like
• 3:10
  oh it's your past clients
• 3:12
  you know it's people you know
• 3:13
  no it's trust
• 3:15
  it's proximity it's familiarity right
• 3:17
  you can build a sphere without
• 3:20
  you know having lived in the same town for 20 years
• 3:23
  it's just okay
• 3:24
  how do you show up what do you do
• 3:26
  what are your interests are you providing
• 3:28
  you know client events that
• 3:29
  you know bring common interest people together
• 3:32
  are you a family guy do you do family things
• 3:35
  is there you know
• 3:36
  a spot for the kids at your client events
• 3:38
  those kind of things proximity builds trust
• 3:41
  and that's ultimately what a sphere of influence is
• 3:44
  you've heard me say it
• 3:45
  your sphere of influence is actually your business
• 3:48
  right whatever you're doing to bring people in
• 3:51
  you're jamming those open house leads
• 3:53
  into your sphere of influence
• 3:54
  how do you get in proximity with those people again
• 3:57
  how do you provide that value
• 3:58
  how do you build that trust
• 4:00
  so that they keep coming back right
• 4:02
  because every open house lead that becomes a client
• 4:05
  that you show a few houses to
• 4:06
  that goes under contract that now is a past client
• 4:09
  is now in your sphere of influence
• 4:11
  and even if they don't get all the way
• 4:13
  to the end of that road as many clients do
• 4:16
  not the first time around
• 4:18
  then we have them in our sphere
• 4:20
  they're still going to transact if they came up
• 4:23
  they raise their hand they start the process
• 4:25
  maybe they need a little coaching
• 4:26
  maybe they need a little help
• 4:27
  maybe they need a little bit of your expertise
• 4:30
  and the value you offer
• 4:31
  so that they can be a part of that sphere
• 4:33
  and that's how the game changes
• 4:35
  when you really look at it like that because
• 4:38
  you know I I hate to hear oh
• 4:40
  sphere of influence isn't scalable well
• 4:42
  what exactly is sphere of influence
• 4:44
  is trust and proximity and you know
• 4:48
  growth scalable absolutely it is
• 4:51
  and this is something that you have to understand
• 4:53
  as an agent to take seriously
• 4:55
  if you don't have a massive sphere
• 4:58
  most of us do it starts right here
• 5:01
  most of us have a giant sphere that is you know
• 5:04
  commission check after commission check waiting
• 5:06
  lined up in your phone oh well
• 5:08
  it's a different market okay
• 5:10
  you ever heard of a referral fee
• 5:11
  there's all kinds of options and ways to build this
• 5:14
  and that's why I do not
• 5:16
  subscribe to the idea that you cannot
• 5:18
  scale this business through your sphere of influence
• 5:20
  so let's talk about this
• 5:22
  most people limit what a sphere of influence is right
• 5:25
  they they don't necessarily have any systems or rhythm
• 5:30
  in talking to them and there's no expectation ever set
• 5:34
  there's no value that comes in
• 5:35
  so there's no time for a valuable conversation
• 5:38
  to set expectations and here we are right
• 5:41
  here we are again looking at one of our cousins
• 5:43
  or one of our best friends
• 5:45
  posting about buying a house in your neighborhood
• 5:48
  without you as the buyer's agent
• 5:50
  the worst feeling in the world
• 5:52
  and I promise you
• 5:53
  it's almost a right of passage into this business
• 5:55
  for someone to say yeah
• 5:56
  I'm gonna work with you and then not
• 5:58
  so understand that that stuff does happen
• 6:01
  it's how you respond to that
• 6:02
  that changes the trajectory of your career
• 6:05
  happened to me two
• 6:06
  two people that I knew raised their hand
• 6:08
  when I said I was getting my real estate license oh
• 6:09
  we want to be your first client well
• 6:11
  by the time I got my license and everything
• 6:13
  rolled around reached out
• 6:15
  they're like yeah
• 6:15
  we'll let you know when we're ready
• 6:18
  time goes by whatever
• 6:19
  we check in he's like
• 6:20
  oh man I had to use
• 6:22
  you know this person because
• 6:23
  you know
• 6:24
  my mom was helping me out with the down payment
• 6:25
  she wanted me to use her agent okay
• 6:28
  am I supposed to say that
• 6:29
  you should not take that free $10,000
• 6:31
  that your mom's willing to help you out by
• 6:33
  working with me
• 6:34
  makes no sense at all right
• 6:36
  and then the other guy said
• 6:38
  you know I just got caught up and this guy had
• 6:39
  you know was a new build specialist
• 6:41
  turns out it wasn't a very good decision
• 6:43
  so since then I've stayed in proximity with these guys
• 6:46
  I've talked to these guys
• 6:47
  and ultimately was one of their real estate agents
• 6:51
  when they sold that house and bought the next one
• 6:53
  it was a decision that I made not to flip out
• 6:55
  not to be super frustrated
• 6:57
  back when deals weren't just coming to me naturally
• 7:00
  right and so it's a rite of passage
• 7:02
  we've all been there it sucks
• 7:04
  it hurts but how do we show up after that
• 7:07
  how do we show up how I decided to show up was
• 7:09
  hey man what's your address
• 7:11
  I'd love to send you some stuff on your value
• 7:13
  and stay in touch with you
• 7:14
  I'm you know
• 7:15
  a proponent of home ownership
• 7:16
  so however you got there I'm super pumped for you right
• 7:19
  that was the difference of
• 7:21
  you know a ton of deals that have come my way
• 7:23
  as a result of that response
• 7:25
  and so we have to understand that
• 7:28
  we have to develop these systems
• 7:29
  we have to develop this thicker skin
• 7:32
  so that we can make these same
• 7:34
  tweaks to what we're saying to people
• 7:36
  that absolutely change the game
• 7:38
  and yes it hurts sometimes
• 7:39
  it's not always the best but ultimately
• 7:42
  we have to keep going
• 7:44
  because berating someone or talking negatively
• 7:47
  or getting pissed off
• 7:48
  is not going to help us get that next deal
• 7:50
  and it's also not going to help build this proximity
• 7:53
  and this trust
• 7:54
  that is required to build a sphere of influence
• 7:56
  especially as we get going in the industry
• 7:58
  so here we go the whole thing
• 8:01
  once we start to get this system
• 8:04
  and we have one clear message
• 8:05
  we have one target audience
• 8:07
  we have one consistent voice
• 8:09
  then all of a sudden we can start to build this brand
• 8:12
  right around our sphere of influence
• 8:14
  just like I told that person
• 8:15
  hey I
• 8:16
  I'm all about home ownership
• 8:18
  and I'm here to help you build wealth
• 8:20
  do you mind giving me your address
• 8:21
  so I can keep in touch and help you do those things
• 8:23
  now that you're a homeowner right
• 8:25
  that was Paramount before I even knew it
• 8:27
  to what my goal was in this business
• 8:29
  which is
• 8:30
  to help people build wealth through real estate
• 8:32
  now I help agents do the same thing
• 8:33
  so that I can have more
• 8:36
  more access to as many consumers as possible
• 8:39
  because
• 8:39
  I believe that my life experience and my knowledge
• 8:42
  was put forth so that I can help others
• 8:45
  build wealth through real estate
• 8:46
  so if that's through teaching your agent how to do it
• 8:48
  or you as an agent
• 8:49
  how to do it and give it to your consumers
• 8:52
  that spreads my impact and so ultimately
• 8:55
  we've built multiple businesses
• 8:57
  around this exact function
• 8:59
  of what is going on right
• 9:01
  and then the system like grab a CRM right
• 9:04
  I actually have lofty that I have used in my business
• 9:07
  and now I'm able to sell that version of lofty
• 9:10
  to you as an agent so if you are interested
• 9:12
  comment lofty below
• 9:13
  and I'll definitely reach out to you
• 9:15
  because I will tell you setting up a CRM after 250
• 9:19
  300 transactions when I finally
• 9:21
  the light bulb hit is a massive undertaking
• 9:24
  and I've been through all of them
• 9:25
  and now I have one that actually works
• 9:27
  and I was able to partner with them and help
• 9:30
  other agents do the same thing
• 9:31
  to set up their business
• 9:33
  so comment lofty below if you want that
• 9:35
  but a system is intricate
• 9:36
  and it doesn't have to be a fancy CRM
• 9:38
  with all the bells and whistles
• 9:40
  but it does have to be something
• 9:41
  whether it's a notebook writing it down
• 9:43
  I don't recommend that or a spreadsheet
• 9:45
  we can take all of that and get it into a database
• 9:48
  when you're ready for
• 9:49
  for the bells and whistles
• 9:51
  but ultimately keeping that information
• 9:53
  that data in one place that's easily exported
• 9:55
  is probably the key to success here
• 9:58
  that comes to your system
• 9:59
  so it's one thing because here's the deal
• 10:02
  people don't refer agents they like
• 10:04
  they refer agents that they remember
• 10:06
  and so if you can be memorable
• 10:08
  if you can be more memorable than that agent
• 10:10
  that gave him a closing gift at the end
• 10:12
  and walked away right
• 10:15
  you came in
• 10:16
  you swooped in and you were an asset to to those
• 10:20
  you know people then you're good to go right
• 10:22
  and that's where my annual review
• 10:24
  which you've heard about multiple times
• 10:26
  on this channel I've spoke on stages it's not a CRM
• 10:29
  it's an annual review it's a check in
• 10:31
  it's a conversation talking about their market value
• 10:34
  talking about their equity
• 10:35
  talking about the loan the insurance
• 10:37
  the updates that they wanna do
• 10:39
  you can hear about that on another
• 10:41
  you know video on my channel
• 10:43
  you can check it out but ultimately
• 10:45
  this little tool right here that I've kind of created
• 10:47
  based on you know
• 10:48
  a shotgun CMA that everyone suggests you do
• 10:51
  is a way to show up for your people right
• 10:54
  and you say well
• 10:55
  how's it a how's it a value to people that don't
• 10:58
  own homes the truth is it's not
• 11:00
  but as I said in the video last week
• 11:03
  about 2026 strategies for success
• 11:06
  and to bring back the listing and
• 11:07
  and to keep keep driving for those listings
• 11:10
  and annual review you have to talk to a homeowner with
• 11:13
  and it's helping them manage that asset of
• 11:16
  of being a homeowner right
• 11:18
  in a way that has them make the best decisions
• 11:20
  and not refinance when they shouldn't
• 11:22
  and not do updates that they shouldn't do
• 11:24
  if they're not gonna be in the house for very long
• 11:26
  and make sure that their you know
• 11:28
  asset is insured properly
• 11:30
  and make sure that their equity is
• 11:31
  you know
• 11:31
  going to good use and understand what's coming up right
• 11:35
  and so this annual review is certainly
• 11:38
  an opportunity to help homeowners
• 11:40
  but ultimately
• 11:40
  our goal is to make everybody a homeowner okay
• 11:43
  so I use it on the front end of buys like hey
• 11:46
  I will be in touch with you every single year
• 11:49
  we're gonna go over this right
• 11:50
  we're gonna make sure that you're in the right mortgage
• 11:52
  we're gonna make sure that your interest rate is
• 11:54
  comparable and there's not opportunity to refi
• 11:56
  and save you a ton of money
• 11:57
  we're gonna make sure that when mortgage insurance
• 11:59
  you hit that 80 20
• 12:00
  that we're gonna look at pulling that off
• 12:02
  if the loan allows right
• 12:04
  we're gonna
• 12:04
  make sure that you have the right contractors
• 12:07
  so you can use it on the buy
• 12:09
  but still use it to generate seller leads
• 12:12
  because ultimately
• 12:13
  the the industry still is based on listings
• 12:16
  if you control the listings
• 12:17
  you control the market and so
• 12:19
  use the annual review as a tool
• 12:21
  as it fits to your voice to your business
• 12:24
  and it's ultimately an incredible tool to build
• 12:28
  value within your sphere to show up
• 12:31
  so that they know that when anything
• 12:33
  comes up about the home or the community
• 12:35
  or whatever they can call you ask the question
• 12:37
  that's gonna be faster than googling it
• 12:38
  so as we kind of you know
• 12:41
  slow down here
• 12:42
  we have to bring that item of value to the table
• 12:46
  it's absolutely masterful because it helps homeowners
• 12:49
  right it's a
• 12:50
  it's a pipeline building tool
• 12:51
  because they're gonna tell you how long
• 12:53
  they're gonna be at the house
• 12:54
  and they're gonna go from there
• 12:55
  so yes sphere versus paid leads
• 12:58
  paid leads
• 12:58
  might get you a little bit more relationships
• 13:00
  a little bit quicker but ultimately
• 13:02
  if you're not building those
• 13:04
  that sphere of influence with those paid leads
• 13:06
  then you become transactional
• 13:07
  be you become replaceable
• 13:09
  you don't become memorable right
• 13:11
  so if you're using paid leads
• 13:13
  and it's a strategy that's working for you
• 13:15
  start building a sphere strategy
• 13:16
  that's gonna pull those people into the sphere
• 13:19
  off of the zillow.com websites
• 13:21
  where they're clicking on faces
• 13:22
  and getting that dopamine
• 13:23
  hit of looking at the next house
• 13:25
  and going under contract on it
• 13:26
  so as we as we kind of
• 13:29
  you know pull back as we looked at you know
• 13:32
  why listings are still so important
• 13:34
  and why they control the market and all of that
• 13:36
  we have to understand that we
• 13:37
  all of the things that we do
• 13:39
  are just to build this sphere
• 13:40
  and if you think the sphere isn't scalable
• 13:43
  please book a call with me
• 13:44
  and I would love to talk to you because ultimately
• 13:47
  the sphere built my entire business
• 13:48
  my entire wealth and I want it to do the same for you
• 13:52
  I give my coaching away for absolutely free
• 13:54
  when people decide to partner with me
• 13:56
  but I will talk to you
• 13:57
  and we can hang out and jam out for a little bit
• 13:59
  if not if you're happy where you're at
• 14:01
  Totally cool don't be afraid to book a call
• 14:03
  and let's start the conversation
• 14:06
  about building this strategy
• 14:08
  without paying for a bunch of leads
• 14:09
  without going broke but understanding that it's
• 14:13
  based around creating value for people
• 14:16
  my value is not opening doors and meeting them at this
• 14:18
  you know
• 14:19
  listing that they requested a showing online at
• 14:21
  my value is helping manage the asset long term
• 14:24
  and make the appropriate decisions
• 14:26
  so that when the time comes
• 14:28
  that they need to access their equity
• 14:29
  or they need to downsize or upsized
• 14:32
  that we're ready for that
• 14:33
  because we've been managing the asset all along
• 14:35
  so please like comment subscribe stay tuned
• 14:38
  for more 2026 strategies for success in real estate
• 14:42
  on this channel we'll see you next time
• 14:44
  like comment subscribe
• 14:45
  hit the bell so you know when that next video drops
• 14:48
  bye bye