Guys, can I tell you a story? If you don’t like it, don’t watch.

My wife and I are shopping for investment properties in different parts of the country. As we’re looking, of course I’m calling REALTORS. How am I finding them? In these markets, I don’t personally know any, so I went to Realtor.com—just like most buyers would.

I searched for agents, looked at their stats, found a few who looked good, and started calling. I wanted to see if they’d answer or call me back.

Well, no one—and I mean no one—answered their phone.

I get that people are busy or in meetings, but I left voicemails and still… nothing. No callbacks. Crazy.

So then I thought, this is what buyers go through. Everyone assumes agents are hungry, but most aren’t.

Then I tried something different. I filled out the Realtor.com lead form as if I were just another lead. Technically, I am a lead—a big one, actually. I could give these agents tons of business because I’m looking to buy multiple investment properties.

Gues...

Quick question: Have you put your sphere of influence to work? If not, you’re missing a huge opportunity.

Think of your sphere as a massive sales army. Maybe you have 100 people, maybe 200, maybe 500. But are you actually putting them to work?

That means programming their reticular activator—the brain’s pattern recognition system—to look for real estate opportunities. We all have it, and you can tap into it. I’ll give you two simple techniques.

First technique:

When you’re talking to someone this week, try this script:

“Here’s a crazy stat that might blow your mind—within the next two weeks, you’re going to hear of someone who wants to buy or sell real estate. You might not think so because you’re not tuned in to it, but just watch. And when you do, think of me. If you can, I’d love for you to send me that referral.”

What happens? Almost inevitably, they’ll hear about someone buying or selling a house within the next couple of weeks.

For the second strategy, say this:

“As we he...

As a brokerage owner or leader, are you treating your current agents as your own personal SOI—your sphere of influence?

As an agent, you were trained to do this. You’ve heard it repeatedly from gurus, speakers, and podcasters: work your sphere. You need 20 to 50 contacts per year with your sphere to generate referrals.

But are you applying that same principle to your own agents?

Most brokerage owners and team leaders don’t. Then they wonder why recruiting is so hard. Recruiting feels difficult because they’re not getting referrals from their own agents.

The number one recruiting strategy for every brokerage owner in America should be this: your agents are so impressed, enthusiastic, and in love with what you do that they’re shouting from the rooftops, telling every agent in the market to work for you.

If that’s not happening, it’s because you’re not treating your agents with the same intensity and intentionality as your SOI.

So let’s change that. Treat them with the same respect ...

As a real estate agent, one of the challenges you face is creating engaging social media posts that spark genuine conversations with others.

I want to share a strategy that’s simple but highly effective. I call it the “This or That” strategy.

This strategy works because people love to give their opinion. When someone asks for our opinion, we feel valued—it’s an ego boost. And the same happens when you ask your audience.

Here’s how it works: Say you’re taking a new listing and had professional photography done. You’ve got four options for the lead photo. Post them on social media and ask, Which one should I use—A, B, C, or D?

People love that.

Another example: if you’ve virtually staged a room, show two different versions and ask, “Which do you prefer? This or that.”

It’s simple, but it drives high engagement.

You can also personalize this strategy. Send it as a text to your top 25 clients or include it in an email blast. There are many ways to use it.

Here’s the psychology behi...

Here's a question for you: Are you a real estate concierge?

What’s a concierge? If you’ve ever been to a hotel with one, they’re the people who connect you with local shows, restaurants, and experiences. They make your stay smoother and more enjoyable.

That’s exactly the approach we should be taking with our clients—and even our potential clients.

You can start the conversation like this, “Hey, as a real estate professional, I work with vendors all the time—gardeners, plumbers, electricians, carpet installers, landscapers, you name it. If you ever need anything related to real estate, call me. I can connect you with the best.”

Because I refer clients to these vendors regularly, my clients usually get the best pricing—and they move to the front of the line. It’s a win-win.

When you position yourself as the go-to person for anything home-related, you naturally start having more conversations with clients. They’ll call you and ask, “Who’s your landscaper?”

You say, “I’ve got a great...

As a brokerage owner or leader of a real estate company, you probably remind your agents every week that the best way to grow their business is by engaging their Sphere of Influence (SOI) and consistently asking for referrals.

But are we holding ourselves to the same standard?

We should be asking our own agents for referrals and recommendations about who we should be talking to in the marketplace.

Questions to ask regularly:

1. “Who are the top agents you’ve worked with in the last six months that would be a good fit here?”
2. “In that last transaction, how did Bob do? Would he be a good fit for our company?”
3. “Is there anyone I shouldn’t talk to—any red flags in the marketplace?”

By engaging agents consistently and requesting their generosity, they start to understand the importance of referrals—just like our clients do when we ask.

Agents aren’t conditioned to send referrals unless we ask. The best time to ask is right after you’ve helped them like after:

• Solving a problem
• H
...

Hey guys, you know what everyone’s starting to get right now?

Their property tax statements.

When people get those statements, they rush to open them and think, "My home’s worth more than that," or "My property’s worth less than that," or something in between.

Here’s an opportunity for us. Why not reach out to all of your clients, your sphere of influence, and your social audiences with this message:

“Hey guys, you’re probably getting your property tax statements around now. If you look at that assessed value and disagree with it, or just want an updated value of your property, give me a quick call or text. I do this as a free service for all my friends and family, just to keep you in touch with your finances and your equity position.”

That’s it! That’s the messaging. People will absolutely take advantage of this, and it opens the door to conversations.

You might wonder, "Jim, why would I do this if they’re not interested in selling?" You’re doing it because friends refer friends...