Use this script to have the "Red Flags" conversation with sellers before you list their house, so they value you as an agent (and don't shift the blame onto you):

"As your real estate agent, I want to discuss a crucial conversation with you, Mr. and Mrs. Seller. When we list your house, one of two things can happen. Either A) we have showings, which means the market is accepting our price. People are viewing the property, and this indicates they believe the price is fair.

Or B) we have very few or no showings, it could be an indication that the price is too high. If that's the case, I'll come to you immediately, and we'll have to make a quick adjustment. We don't want to be one of those listings that sit on the market without any action.

But there's also something else that can happen, a second red flag, other than price: We can have a lot of showings, but no one pulls the trigger and makes an...

I have a really powerful way to have an honest conversation about commissions with a seller.

This is a great script from one of my top producers.

Here's what he says: "Hey, listen, here's my listing fee. My listing fee is [X, which could be 2.5%, 2%, 3%, or whatever number you choose.] I'm not trying to price-fix here. But what we really need to talk about is what we're going to pay the buyer's agent. We need to look at this as a marketing incentive to get buyer's agents to show the property.

To help you make a decision on what to offer the buyer's agent, I recommend doing a commission map survey. Put a pin on a map and look at every listing that sold within a certain radius, such as a mile, five miles, or half a mile. Of the listings that sold in the area in the last six months, you can see what commission they offered to the buyer's agent.

Based on that, you can decide where you want to be. You...

Garrett Maroon will blow your mind during this interview with ideas, strategies, and methods for building an incredible real estate business. Garrett has built a seven-figure business with a database of less than 300 people, closing over 50 transactions a year for 9 years straight! He has simplified his approach into what he describes as his Perfect 36 which he outlines for us in-depth during the podcast. In addition, he walks us through how he went from having a team of 8 agents to just one agent (in addition to himself) and an assistant. Plus he explains how he now transitioned completely out of production and spends less than 5 hours a week running his real estate business. Get your notepad and paper out, you will want to take notes!

I recently learned a great secret about social media advertising from Gary V's head of marketing.

This strategy brought them a 160x return on investment, so it definitely works. Typically, we as business owners focus on creating the most creative and visually appealing ad, as well as targeting the right audience.

However, we often forget about engagement, which is the third important component...

The algorithm watches for engagement, and when it sees it, the algorithm promotes the post to more people. This is why some ads are successful and some aren't.

One way to "juice" engagement is to start with a core group of advocates and ask them to comment on the post. We can also ask our sphere of influence for help. We can say, "Hey guys, please comment on my ad if you like it. Let me know what you think."

Most people who are close to us are happy to help.

Engaging with comments is important. We should respond to...

I recently heard a great story about a real estate agent who moved to a new market and didn't know many people. She knew it would be challenging to succeed without a sphere of influence, so she came up with a brilliant strategy:

She researched the top 10 things people want to do in the area and created a video about each of them. She then posted the videos on YouTube and TikTok, and connected them to her website and blog.

By doing this, she was able to reach a wider audience and get her name out there.

She also used Facebook and Google pixels to remarket to people who visited her website, and started putting ads in front of them.

This strategy paid off, and it paid off big:

She went from zero to 10 million in business in just one year!

If you're interested in trying this strategy, don't worry - it's not technical or difficult. Everything you need to know can be found on YouTube, and most of it is free. The only cost is for ads, but...

Jess Lenouvel is a real estate marketing expert, author, and founder of The Listings Lab. In an age where algorithms rule our lives, her innovative approach bucks the traditional real estate mold and gives agents back their time and freedom without sacrificing growth or peace of mind. With an emphasis on marketing, personal connection, and timeless principles, Jess is a thought leader in the industry, enabling real estate agents to thrive in both their professional and personal lives. Listen to this episode and learn why identifying a niche is critical to creating a winning strategy, the nine posts that are critical to attracting (instead of chasing) your ideal client, how to choose your platform, and how to build your audience. Bring a pen because you will want to take notes!

Do you have a hospitality mindset?

I heard two stories that really brought this home.

The first story is about a restaurateur in New York City who overheard a group of four customers talking about how they had never had a hotdog in New York City, despite just having a $500 lunch at his high-end restaurant. The owner of the restaurant went to a hotdog vendor across the street, bought four hotdogs, had the chef cut them up and arrange them elegantly on a plate with all the condiments the customers wanted, and had the maitre d' bring it out to the customers. They were amazed, even though they had just eaten a five-star meal.

The second story is about Steve Wynn, who owns the Wynn Casinos in Las Vegas and all over the world. He implemented a process where all managers have a daily brainstorming session before every shift, and one of the things they discuss is positive experiences they've had with guests.

One of the stories that...

How's your real estate business going?

When I ask some people this question, they seem to lack enthusiasm about where they're at with their business. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon as we've entered what I like to call the Real Estate Hunger Games, and here's what that means:

This year, we're projected to close about four and a half million transactions in real estate with around 1.6 million REALTORS. When we rewind the clock back to 2012, just about a million REALTORS were in business and we were still closing about the same number of transactions. With 60% more REALTORS doing the same volume of transactions, it's no wonder why it's more competitive than it's ever been in our industry.

So, the question is, how do you make sure that you're not market driven but strategy driven?

I'm going to share with you a simple strategy that's going to be so simple you might think it won't work, but it absolutely will work...

I have a quick question for you:

Are you marketing your marketing?

You might be wondering what I mean by that, right? Well, let me explain: As real estate agents, we do an amazing job for our clients. We use drone photography, staging, postcards, social media marketing, and more to showcase their properties. We go all out to sell their homes in record time and get them top dollar.

But who actually experiences all of this marketing? Sure, the buyers who purchase the property may see it, as well as a small group of people in our closest network. However, not everyone is seeing all of our marketing efforts. In fact, on social media, only about 4-6% of our audience is actually seeing our posts.

So, how do we market our marketing?

One approach is to create a success portfolio. Whenever you have a beautiful, photogenic listing, go all out and create a home book, do exclusive videography, Matterport, and everything else....

Did you know that more people in America have pets than children? It's true!

20 years ago, 48% of American families had kids at home. Today, that number is down to 40%.

On the other hand, the number of Americans with pets has increased dramatically, from 56% in 1988 to 70% today.

As REALTORS, this information is valuable to us because it affects our conversations with buyers. When talking to potential buyers, we should ask if they have pets and if their pet will impact their home buying decision. Many people will engage in conversation about their pet's needs and how important they are to the family.

But what if we took it a step further and specialized in working with families that have pets or selling homes with pet-friendly features?

This could be a complete differentiator in the market, as it's not a common focus for REALTORS. Sometimes we need to think outside the box to stand out.

If you want more ideas like this that help you...