What if you never got another lead again? What would that do to your business? How would your business change without cold prospecting? Would your warm market be able to sustain you? More than that, can you imagine experiencing an upward trajectory in your business, when only working with your warm market? Most of us spend time capturing leads, building systems to manage the prospects that come to us. We don’t know how serious they are about buying (yet), so we’ve got our work cut out for us. Wh...
Oct 23, 2020•34 min
Today, Tom talks with Nohelia & Francesco Crisafulli about working as a team, breaking into the real estate industry, finding balance between work and home life, and more.
Oct 16, 2020
Do you love using social media to connect with people? Are you trying all the new things that you’ve learned, and done successfully in the past? But now, you’re watching your views and engagement drop? Social media is dynamic and constantly changing: just when you start to think you’ve mastered it, it changes and evolves AGAIN. When we record episodes of the Selling the Dream podcast, we go live on Facebook, and share the episode. I find such value in the content that all of our guests are shari...
Oct 02, 2020•47 min
What kind of credentials do you have? You may have alphabet soup behind your name...but what do you do with those letters? And how to turn those letters behind your name into something practical and meaningful in your business? When you focus on your business, and what you can do to make yourself better, you can use those letters behind your name to help you provide the most excellent service to your clients and leads. See, real estate isn’t just about gaining education: it’s about using that ed...
Sep 25, 2020•44 min
Today on Selling the Dream, we're talking about creating a series of frequently asked questions and turning your pain points into closings
Sep 22, 2020•3 min
What is it like when you create connections? How are you connecting with your feeder markets, and those who may be interested in real estate in your area? We all know that if you immediately start selling to your leads, that’s not going to work! But if you give them the inside scoop, and help them feel like a true VIP, you’ll find that you build a strong community, full of connections. In fact, you may not even need to market ever again! Taking the time to build those connections and help people...
Sep 18, 2020•48 min
Today is a very important day for me on a personal level, and I want to give a special shoutout to my lovely wife, Lori. Together, we are celebrating 30 years of commitment and plenty of lessons in commitment.
Sep 15, 2020•2 min
Can you imagine selling houses without your clients ever actually setting foot in them? We’re experiencing that during COVID, and finding that when we market well and effectively, we can sell houses, “site unseen.” But what does it take to get there? We’re used to this stereotype of the scummy salesman, and how they’re always pushing a sale. They’re always looking for that next deal; that next lead. When you feel like a number to an agent, you’re not going to respond well to their efforts, and y...
Sep 11, 2020•21 min
Ep. 212: Speak Your Mind
Sep 09, 2020•3 min
How much time do you spend developing your relationships and common interests? If you’re only posting pictures of houses for sale, or talking about open houses and business, you’re not going to attract the kind of people who are going to do long-term business with you! What if instead, you connected with people over mutual interests and shared passions? Here’s just a few ideas: Pets Old cars Your neighborhood Hobbies And the list goes on! When you connect with people over the things that they lo...
Sep 04, 2020
Do you ever find yourself taking the easy way? Sometimes, it’s just easier to do things the “easy” way: not spending money on a particular marketing campaign, or taking the time to try something that may not work. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s time to take some risks! Try something new! Do something different! Take advantage of this time to do things differently! Coming out of COVID, there are quite a few agents who have learned some new tricks and are incorporating new techniques and tec...
Sep 02, 2020•4 min
Are you interested in surprising and delighting your clients? You may want to look into giving better gifts! And we’re not just talking about getting some cheap swag, and putting your logo on it! Everyone gives swag or logoed items for anniversaries, birthdays, and Christmas (we call those ABC gifts). But if you want to be like Seth Godin’s purple cow, and stand out, you’re going to want to be completely different! Gifts surprise and delight your clients, and make them feel special and noticed. ...
Aug 28, 2020
If you’ve been listening to this podcast, you may know what’s going on! But today, I’m taking a moment to step back and just tell you everything that we have going on, and how you can access these resources that we’ve put together, and how you can use them for your business! From our inspirational tip Tuesday episodes to our monthly Mastermind meetings, we’ve got something to help inspire you on your real estate journey! This week on the Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, I’m ...
Aug 25, 2020
Have you ever looked at other real estate agents and wondered how they were getting the sales numbers that they have? Sometimes, you see that you’re doing the exact same things: Open houses Direct marketing Advertising But there’s just something about them that is skyrocketing their sales! Every wonder what that key difference is? They are known. When you are known in your market, you’re going to be the person that people call. You’re going to be the one that they want to work with. You’re the o...
Aug 22, 2020
Does the world ever feel out of control? It’s easy to see all the things that are outside of your control, and learn how to adapt. But there are a lot of things that you can control! You can control what you do as a response to fear. You control your actions, and your choices. The more that you take action in the things that you do have control over, the more you will emerge as a leader during these times where the world sometimes feels out of control! This week on the Tip Tuesday episode of the...
Aug 18, 2020•4 min
What is your primary market? If you’re listening to this podcast, there’s a high chance that you are working in the secondary home market, or helping people find the home of their dreams. But what happens when a pandemic like COVID hits, and some resorts are completely stalled, and no one is traveling to these areas and buying homes? This week, I’m talking to one of my fellow real estate agents here in Hawaii, Erin Evans. She works in the Oahu market, and roughly 80% of her business comes from m...
Aug 14, 2020•32 min
You may have heard this quote from John Maxwell: “Change is inevitable, but growth is optional.” This is such a great quote, and so applicable as we’re all changing and adapting in response to this global pandemic! Growth is absolutely critical through this process! How are you growing? What steps are you taking to make sure that you don’t just change, but that you grow through this? Take advantage of this situation to stretch yourself, and challenge yourself! Learn new skills, master new techno...
Aug 11, 2020•3 min
Are you working in a resort market? If so, then you probably have seen the division in a resort market: there’s your typical real estate, and then there’s the high end luxury real estate. It’s hard to break into that “club” of realtors who work in the high end luxury market, but this week, we’re hearing from three people who did! Not only did they break into the luxury markets, but they also were able to be excellent at it! This week, we’re going to hear from three people who: Were able to creat...
Aug 07, 2020
What have you learned from this pandemic? All over, we’re redefining our jobs, and what it means to be a real estate agent. Many of us are still working constantly, grinding away to be the number one producer, the number one agent. I’m one of the worst of those: I’m driven, and constantly looking for ways to innovate and succeed! Then COVID hit, and I found myself with some opportunities to take a break, and focus on being number one in some other areas, like being the number one dad to my daugh...
Aug 04, 2020•4 min
What can you do with a podcast? Last week, Matt McGee and I talked all about what it’s like to have a podcast, what you learn from it, and how it can help shape your business! This week, we’re talking about the process of creating a podcast, and what we do for our podcasts! With the Selling the Dream podcast now at more than 200 episodes, I’ve learned a thing or two about the process, and since this is Matt’s main job, we’ve both learned a few things that we’re ready to share! But it doesn’t hav...
Jul 31, 2020
Back in 2008, I was really struggling. The market had crashed, people were struggling to keep their business, and I was right there with them, trying to figure out how I could stay on top of things! I happened to pick up a book titled, “The Ultimate Sales Machine.” One of the concepts that he taught was the Dream 100. That would be 100 people that he wanted to connect with. Well, you know me, I didn’t stop at 100, and I made my dream 150. I marketed intentionally to those people: I made sure tha...
Jul 28, 2020
I love podcasts. I mean, after nearly 200 episodes of my own, you know that there has to be something amazing about podcasts! I firmly believe that podcasts are an amazing way to connect with my audience, and build a stronger network. Through nearly 200 episodes, I’ve had to change to interview nearly 100 different agents, and share my tips with my listeners! That why when I started listening to Matt McGee’s podcast, I know that I had to have him on the show! As a fellow podcast creator, it’s al...
Jul 24, 2020
Have you ever worked with someone who wasn’t the best at their job? Maybe it’s the other agent you’re working with, or the seller of the house you’re showing to buyers. It’s tempting to throw them under the bus when things aren’t going as planned … but don’t! Instead of throwing people under the bus, be proactive and be kind! Speaking negatively about anyone else never works out for you, even if they are frustrating you! If you’re not saying encouraging words about the others that you are workin...
Jul 21, 2020•5 min
Have you ever looked at an aspect of real estate, and thought, “I’ll never do that!” Maybe it was rentals, or certain locations. Maybe you didn’t want to sell condos, or houses in the suburbs. Whatever it was, you knew that you wanted to do anything but that! For Lyndsey Garza, it was vacation rentals. Or at least, she’d never wanted to do vacation rentals, until one day, she found herself unemployed, with the opportunity right in front of her to dive in and start managing vacation rentals. Lynd...
Jul 17, 2020
Did you make goals at the beginning of 2020? I sure hope so! But now, it’s time to take those goals out and reevaluate them. See, those goals were made pre-COVID. They were made before the world experienced complete upheaval. For some agents, the real estate market has completely halted, and the aren’t able to make any sales. For others, the market is exploding, and they are ahead of their goals! Take your goals out, and look at them with a critical eye! Can you realistically make them? Knowing ...
Jul 14, 2020
What is your dream vacation? Have you ever thought about selling real estate in your dream vacation location? For many of us working in resort and high-end real estate markets, we may be working in our dream location! But what if you dream of visiting the beaches of Mexico, or anywhere in Central America? What can you do to turn that vacation lifestyle into reality? This week on the Selling the Dream podcast, I’m talking to Ed Eakin, a well-known member of our Second Home Agents Facebook communi...
Jul 10, 2020
What are you doing in the face of uncertainty? Are you putting your head down in the sand, hoping for everything to just get figured out? Or are you leaning into hard times, practicing resiliency in the face of everything that is going on? If you’re combining resiliency and uncertainty, you’re going to create this elasticity in your business. It may stretch you, but it’s going to help you bounce back! You get to control the narrative, and create opportunities for yourself! It’s just a matter of ...
Jul 07, 2020•4 min
What did your real estate market look like when you started? Was it just a few homes a year, in a very short window of time? Or did you find that people were buying and selling year round? Dennis Hanlon found that when he started, there was a fairly narrow window of time to sell! The prime season lasted for about 4 months for tourists, and the rest of the time was fairly slow! He saw other areas with coalitions of realtors, and groups that worked together to bring in additional revenue sources f...
Jul 03, 2020
What are some of your favorite tools and resources to help you connect with people? If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you know that I’m a believer in the DiSC profile! I firmly believe that using tools like this to help understand what makes people tick helps you to be able to serve them even better! When you’re able to dig deeper into what a client thinks, wants, and needs, you’re going to be able to meet their needs! Instead of just pretending to relate to and understand your cus...
Jun 30, 2020
Do you ever think about the early days of your real estate career? How old were you? How long did it take your first sale? How did you prove yourself to your clients and leads? I remember those days! When I first started working in real estate, I actually gave up, chased something else for a while, and then came back a few years later! It’s always exciting to talk to agents who are just starting out, and hear how they are ready to take over the world! They’re excited, motivated, and ready to win...
Jun 26, 2020
