Jess Lenouvel

How Karyn Got Over Her Visibility Fears & Built A Powerful Online Presence

So you know that building an online presence for your real estate business is a non-negotiable if you want to get more deals…

But you still can’t bring yourself to fully show up on social media?

SO many of our members are in this exact place when they first join us in The Listings Lab, our mentorship program for agents ready to scale to multi-6 or even 7 figures.

Sure, you might feel comfortable throwing up an infographic or slapping together a ‘just listed, just sold’ type of post.

But that’s not the kind of content we get you to create in The Listings Lab.

We get you to create content that tells potential buyers who you really are. We ask you to tell your story, to talk about your feelings, your beliefs, your life…all of it!

Personal content is one of the three MOST important kinds of real estate content for social media that we encourage our members to create. 

Karyn Gaidos works in Metro Detroit, Michigan and has been in real estate for five years.

But despite her years of experience, when she first started the program, she was terrified.

And the thing that scared her the most was definitely sharing personal content.

Making The Choice To Build An Online Presence

Before joining The Listings Lab, Karyn had always relied solely on referrals and her existing network to grow her business.

But she also knew that her existing network could only get her so far. She was scared for the day when referrals would dry up.

Karyn thought about other ways she could acquire more business.

But many of the typical lead generation techniques real estate gurus preach, like cold-calling and door-knocking, never appealed to her. In her words, “it all just seemed like smoke and mirrors”.

When she first heard about The Listings Lab, she felt overjoyed that there was another way to scale her real estate business…one that didn’t involve having to annoy people for business.

As a former English major, the idea of writing content to attract clients appealed to her far more than having to pick up the phone and hustle for business.

But Karyn didn’t realize just how much her visibility fears would get in the way of marketing her business.

Overcoming The Fear of Blending Business With Personal 

Karyn describes herself as coming from a “stodgy background”. She worked for the University of Michigan Business School, a major law firm, and in the wealth management sector.

In any one of these industries, talking about your personal life on a business page would have been absolutely unheard of. 

In her own words, “it was really scary to open up, be myself and let people in”.

The first time she hit publish on a personal post to her Facebook business page, she was so terrified her heart was beating out of her chest.

Her mind raced with fears, wondering:

What if people judge me?

What if they think I’m crazy for telling a story about my family on my business page?

What will people say?

Fear of judgment holds SO many people back, and it had Karyn in a chokehold.

Building The Know, Like, and Trust Factor

So what changed?

How did Karyn get over her resistance to building an online presence that got clients coming to her?

Well, for one thing, she recognized that personal content was non-negotiable.

While going through The Listings Lab, she began to learn how personal content was a core ingredient to building your like, know and trust factor.

She realized, “The only way I can get people to know, like, and trust me is to let them know who I really am. How is somebody going to relate to me if they don’t know anything about my life or my thought process or feelings?”

It wasn’t that Karyn’s fears dissolved completely.

It was that the results from building her online presence were so incredible that she knew she had to push through the fear and create content anyway. 

When she attended her high school reunion, she had people she hadn’t spoken to in 20 years act like they were her friends. They related to her and felt close to her because of the content she posted on social media. And she even signed a few deals just from going to her high school reunion and engaging with people who had been consuming her content!

Ditching The ‘Perfect Realtor’ Facade

Before going through The Listings Lab, Karyn always felt like she needed to be perfect on social media.

And boy, was it ever exhausting.

Two years ago, she would’ve needed to be in a suit, with perfect hair and makeup just to be on camera.

But now?

She feels like she can finally just be herself. Ponytail up, baseball hat on and all!

Embracing Story-Telling Marketing

When it comes to storytelling, we all want to gloss over our journey and just get to the good part.

We want to focus on our wins and our achievements – not what it took to get there. 

But the journey, the struggle…that’s actually what makes us human. That’s what people resonate with the most. 

Can you imagine how boring our favorite movies would be if they all started with the hero winning? Would any of us have even watched Harry Potter if there was no Voldemort to defeat?

Our struggle makes the story.

Karyn didn’t necessarily feel totally ‘comfortable’ being vulnerable in her content. Opening up was challenging, especially when it came to tough topics like her infertility.

As she told us, “I realized this wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d first thought. But it was so, so worth it”.

Despite feeling a little on edge sharing personal content, Karyn soon saw that her storytelling content outperformed any other content type, and easily allowed her to get 150-200 likes on a single post, with many heartfelt comments.

With the addition of storytelling content, she increased her engagement and got far more people reaching out to her saying they resonated with her content.

Making The Emotional Connection

One of the biggest takeaways Karyn got from The Listings Lab was that people make buying decisions with emotion first, and logic second.

It was a huge wake-up call. She realized if she wasn’t eliciting emotion in her content, then how would people feel connected enough to her to reach out about selling their homes?

Marketing is all about evoking emotion.

Have you ever noticed that Superbowl commercials make you cry?

There’s a good reason for that.

These corporations spend millions of dollars to develop an emotional connection with viewers. They know this strategy is going to be far more powerful than any fact or information about their product. 

Prioritizing Relationships

Karyn also saw first-hand how her real estate marketing strategy supported relationship-building in her business. 

She gave immense value in her posts

She created personal content to deepen the connection with her audience

And her community started noticing!

Here’s the thing.

People only move every 3-7 years. You have to give them a reason to follow you for the rest of time.

If you’re only posting “just listed, just sold” posts…why would anyone follow you who’s not in the middle of buying or selling a home?

Intentional, strategic real estate content for social media allows you to make sure you’re building long-term relationships with leads and clients.

When Karyn shifted her content, she noticed her clients would still text and message her long after the deal was done. By implementing The Listings Lab Method, she was able to create intimacy with her clients. 

Download The Listings Lab guide here to do the same. 

She was even developing relationships with people she’d never worked with before, but who followed her on social media. 

Through her son’s soccer team, she met a young man who runs a business providing technical soccer training. Even though she didn’t know him well, he told her he reads every word she posts on social media. He’s learned so much from her posts, that she’s the first person he’ll go to when he’s ready to buy his first house.

Social media allows you to develop relationships at scale in a way that was never possible before the internet.

Ignoring The Naysayers

When Karyn’s visibility fears were running the show, she was always worried about what other people thought.

She feared not being liked, or that her content would somehow upset or offend someone.

But using the tools she’s been given in The Listings Lab, she now knows how to talk herself through her fear – and post anyway.

One of the biggest shifts she had was realizing if someone didn’t resonate with or like what she was saying…

They weren’t her ideal client anyway.

There’s no point in creating content for people who were never going to buy from you in the first place. 

Ignore the naysayers and create content for YOUR people.

Because if you try to speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no one. 

 

What do you think of Karyn’s story? Let us know in the comments below!

And for more success stories like Karyn’s, browse our The Listings Lab reviews here. 

Elevate Your Real Estate Agent Testimonials With This Winning Case Study Formula

Do you want to know what’s better than real estate agent testimonials?

Real estate case studies. 

Real estate case studies are a powerful form of testimonial because they SHOW your potential clients exactly how you can change their lives.

In The Listings Lab, members have used our winning case study template to get clients on demand.

Ready to learn more so you can boost your social proof and become a sought-after expert in your niche?

Let’s get into it. 

What Is A Real Estate Case Study?

A case study studies your niche deeply and thoroughly.

Two important characteristics of case studies are:

  • They are qualitative as well as quantitative. 
  • They cover a sufficient cycle of time 

In your case as an agent, this period is going to be your entire relationship with your client during a single life transition or a single move.

Essentially, you’re going through a before, during, and after the walkthrough.

Why Are Case Studies Important In Your Real Estate Business?

Part of why case studies are so important for your business is that they provide social proof with story and value. 

Stories are 22 times more powerful than facts. 

You can give someone all the facts in the world…but if you don’t tell them a story, they’re not going to remember it.

Stories stick and allow potential clients to emotionally connect with your business.

Why do you think Superbowl commercials make us cry?

Humans are emotional creatures. We use emotion first, and logic second when we’re looking to make any purchase. 

One of the most effective ways to elicit emotions in your potential clients is to illustrate their current situation and their desired situation.

In simple terms – where are they now? And where do they want to be? 

The goal is to share case studies so that our potential clients can easily visualize themselves embarking on the transformation we provide.

Because it’s one thing to run around telling people you’re the best of the best.

It’s another thing to tell a story and to highlight how you’ve helped someone who’s in exactly the same situation that they are. 

What Clients Should You Highlight In Your Real Estate Agent Testimonials And Case Studies?

You don’t want to do a case study on just anybody.

There are a few important criteria when choosing who to highlight in your case studies.

    1. Clients that fit your niche perfectly. The last thing you want to do is confuse your audience. If your primary niche is upsizers, don’t start telling stories about clients purchasing their first homes.
    2. Clients that are very happy with your services. This might seem obvious, but don’t highlight a client who just thought your services were so-so.
    3. Clients who underwent big life transitions or had stronger pain points to begin with. The emotion will come through in these client stories, and will powerfully pull in potential leads.

Most importantly, you always want to make sure you have permission from any client to write a case study on them (especially if you’re using their name/address!)

You can even get permission right off the bat when you begin working with a client, by including a clause in your client contract.

How To Uplevel Your Real Estate Agent Testimonials Into Case Studies

Here’s what most agents will do after working on a deal.

They’ll send their client something like, “I’ve loved working with you, [NAME]. Is there any way you’d be able to write a testimonial for my services?”

Usually, you’ll get a vague and generic paragraph back about how you were “great to work with”.

While this technically is social-proof content, it doesn’t speak to the specific transformation you help your clients achieve.

Here’s what to do instead.

Document The Process 

After any transaction is complete, open up a note on your computer or phone and start jotting down bullet points for three sections.

  • Before: where were they before?
  • After: where were they after?
  • During: what was the process to get them there? 

I’m not just talking about one or two points per section. I want you to go DEEP.

Here is an example from a friend of mine (not real-estate related). 

The Listings Lab Blog Image - Real Estate Agent Testimonials - Apple Note Image showing how to document the before, after and process

This is the level of detail you should be striving for. 

Get Clear On The “Before” 

Jot down the answers to the following questions to get clear on where your client was before they used your services.

  • Who are they?
  • What do they do?
  • What neighborhood are they in?
  • Describe their family. Are they single? Are they married? Are they a family with two kids?
  • What is their current situation? What is the primary pain point? What is driving their move? Was there a specific instance that made it clear to them that they needed to move? For example: maybe it was an elderly couple and the husband had a fall, and they realized they wanted to move into a bungalow.
  • What are they worried about? What are their concerns? What are their objections to the actual move? For example: maybe they’ve been in their home for 30 years and they’re afraid of change. Or maybe they only bought their house a year ago and they’re worried they’re not even going to break even. 

Paint the picture of the current situation.

Get Clear On The After

Then you want to break down the after. What results did you get them? 

First, you want to tally up numerical results.

  • Number of ad impressions
  • Showings
  • Days on the market
  • Offers

These are quantitative results, and they’re important. But perhaps what’s even more important are the qualitative results. 

You want to be able to answer questions like:

  • What did they get out of it? 
  • What does their life look like now? 
  • What are the emotional reasons that this was a win for them? 
  • Is it a new school? Are they in a new home? Do they have more space for family?
  • Do they have an income property now?

You want anyone who’s reading this real estate testimonial to immediately be able to visualize themselves in your past client’s shoes.

Break Down How You Got Them There

After you’ve broken down the before, and you’ve painted a picture of the ‘after’, the question becomes:

How did you get them there? 

You want to show potential clients how you did it and give them a behind-the-scenes look into the process.

The goal of this section is to highlight the steps in your signature system.

Don’t have a signature system? That’s your starting point.

Break down the most important things you did to get your client their results. List no more than 3-5 steps. 

Answer the questions:

  • How did you achieve these results?
  • What did you do that others didn’t?
  • What is your UVP (Unique Value Proposition)?

The goal isn’t to say “look at how amazing I am!”. It’s to show potential clients your systematic approach to making sure these results are achieved consistently.

You want to clearly show each step you took, and why that step was so important. 

Putting It All Together

Here’s what the FULL process of elevating your real estate testimonials into real estate case studies looks like.

The Listings Lab Blog Image - Real Estate Agent Testimonials - diagram showing the four components of a successful real estate case study

We put ALL of these steps together to create a compelling client story.

Stories are 22x more memorable than facts, which is why a post like this is going to resonate with your clients so much more than some real estate infographic.

The basic template goes like this:

  • Where was your client and what was driving their move?
  • Where are they now? Not just a location, but actually paint a picture of their current situation and why it’s so much better than their previous situation.
  • What was the process like to get them there?
  • And then CELEBRATE the client! Talk about how amazing it is that they’ve been able to make this transformative change in their life.

You can also focus on what I like to call the COI (the cost of inaction).

Where would your client be if they hadn’t taken action with your services?

If they had stayed in the same place and hadn’t made the move, where would they be?

  • Maybe they’d be in a cramped space with a growing family, and they’d start resenting the people they cherish the most
  • Maybe they’d be in a space that isn’t pet-friendly, and the health of their furry friends would be suffering
  • Maybe they’d be in a property with far too much maintenance, feeling overwhelmed by their massive to-do list instead of enjoying the simplicity of condo living

Whatever it is, paint a picture of what would have happened if your client DIDN’T take action!

Practice Makes Perfect

Now that you’ve got the basic format down pat, it’s time to practice, practice, practice!

The more you do case studies, the easier they’ll become.

You could even practice this compelling form of real estate testimonial by writing a mock case study for your own life. Think of a transformation you experienced in your own life and make a case study around it!

Remember, to get results from case studies you need:

  • Clarity on your niche and ideal clients
  • Consistency in your marketing
  • A solid signature system that gets client results

If you need support with those things, The Listings Lab is our signature program where we help agents build a marketing machine so they can scale to multi-6 or 7-figures.  

Get More Details And Apply Here 

5 Mindset Habits Of Successful Real Estate Agents

What do all of the TOP performers in real estate have in common?

What are the habits of successful real estate agents that have allowed them to become the best of the best?

Believe it or not, a lot of it comes down to mindset.

A solid mindset can be the difference between a run-of-the-mill business that grosses 6 figures (or less) and one that reaches seven figures.

Your mindset quite literally determines your reality.

If you hold the belief that you must suffer to be successful…then you’ll build a business that makes you suffer.

If you tell yourself the market is slow, if you constantly complain about your lack of clients…you’ll keep yourself trapped in a negative cycle where you struggle to get clients.

Justine Faerman at the Flow Consciousness Institute calls this the BETDAR Framework. The simplified version of this notion is that what you believe is the first step to everything that you create.

Beliefs trigger emotions.

Emotions lead to thoughts.

Thoughts create decisions.

Decisions trigger actions.

Actions lead to…

Results. 

So if you want to change your results, you must prioritize building these mindset habits of successful real estate agents.

They Fill Their Bank Account – Not Their Ego Account

If you want to be a successful real estate agent, you have a choice.

Either you fill your bank account or your ego account.

Let me explain.

When I went through my period of emotional burnout, I was focused on the lack of time, energy, and space that I had.

But the truth was, I had the “champagne problem” of too much business. 

Rather than admit I was struggling, my ego ran the show.

I told myself I had to do it all – because there’s no way anyone would be able to do it like me.

You could say I had some pretty massive mindset blocks when it came to building a real estate team.

Soon, it got to the point where I was the bottleneck in my own business. All because I was trying to prove that I was better and stronger and that I could suffer more.

All this was doing was filling my ego account. Even though my business was burning me out instead of fulfilling me, it filled my ego account to know all these people wanted to work with me. 

But the truth is that you can only fill one account. You have to choose. So, which one is it going to be?

Filling your ego account means creating more stress and anxiety—and it’s just not worth it. Until you let it go, you can’t fill your bank account. To do so, you’re going to have to give up some control. You cannot do it all. 

Don’t be fooled. The ego mindset isn’t just about thinking you’re the only person that can run the business. It also comes in the form of thoughts you tell yourself.

  • “I’m bad with technology.”
  • “I hate Facebook and Instagram.”
  • “I’m not a good writer.”
  • “I’m scared of making videos.”
  • “I’m lazy and inconsistent.”

To a certain extent, all of this self-talk keeps you safe. Your ego is there to safeguard your current reality. Every time you’re hit with the possibility of leveling up or changing where you are today, your ego steps in, whether in the form of fear or just discomfort. 

Don’t let your ego sabotage your success.

They Refuse To Get Caught Up In Perfectionism

Confidence is the reward, not the requirement. 

So many people spend time thinking and planning but never taking action. They want everything to be 100% perfect before they implement anything—but implementation is what gives you the confidence you’re looking for. 

Waiting for something to be “ready” is just your brain’s way of protecting you from failure, disappointment, and risk—but those things are unavoidable. No one is ever fully ready for change. We have to make peace with that fact and get comfortable with the concept of launching and learning. 

You don’t get to be great without failure—without launching, learning, and then iterating. Business is all about problem-solving. If you’re constantly waiting for the perfect answer, you never get to learn what the right solution is. If you go about everything in your business (and your life) from a place of fear of failure, nothing will ever happen to or for you, good or bad.

Their Clear On Their Long-Term Vision

Successful real estate agents aren’t just chasing the next deal.

They have a clear, long-term vision of what it is they’re working toward.

If you don’t develop one, you’ll quickly end up with a business you didn’t want. It’s that simple. 

You’ll get stuck trying to figure out how to get to the business you want, day after day, with no real roadmap to get there.

I was guilty of this in my early days. I was always working to get the next deal done, and then the next deal, and then the deal after that, without any intentionality or clarity in terms of what I actually wanted my life to look like. 

Too many agents, when asked about their goals, will say something like, “I want to double my business.” 

But when asked how, they have no idea. They’ll go through goal-setting exercises (often recommended by their brokerage) every single quarter, and yet the next year, they find themselves at the exact same place they started. 

Often, it’s because they did nothing to change their trajectory for one of two reasons: 

  1. They lacked clarity about how to reach their goals
  2. Or their goals were too vague to be achievable. 

A better approach is to ask yourself what you want. 

  • What does your perfect day look like? 
  • What does it look like five years from now? 
  • How do you work backwards to create a business that’s going to create that perfect day? 

Going through the motions versus having a plan is like the difference between a suffocating business and one that lights you up.

They Develop A Morning Routine 

So what does the morning routine of a successful real estate agent look like?

Everyone might have certain things they like to do upon waking up, but I’m impartial to intention setting.

Setting an intention every day can be an incredibly powerful habit. 

When I was still selling real estate and had a lot of anxiety, I started journaling every day. 

Every morning, before I ever looked at my phone, I sat down and wrote. Before that, I was the typical agent who woke up every morning, rolled over, and immediately started checking my emails. 

I set the intention that I was going to take care of myself first. I had to set boundaries, particularly when it came to my phone. I’m willing to bet you’re nodding your head yet again right now because you know you need to do the same. 

Once I started with that habit, I took the idea even further—and the change that resulted was massive. 

I set a rule for myself that my phone stayed on “do not disturb” until I had taken care of three things—my body, mind, and spirit.

That meant I had to work out, journal, and either listen to a podcast or read a chapter or two of a book. Once those three things were done, the world got access to me – because I’d taken care of myself first. 

Not everyone’s morning routine has to look like mine, but I do believe that you need to adopt some sort of routine that gets you in the right headspace, the right mindset, to start your day. 

We live in a world where people are constantly pulling at you. This is especially true in real estate. Everybody wants something from you, whether it’s your team, your family, or your clients. This also doesn’t have to mean that you’re getting up at 5 am and doing a three-hour routine. Make what you do work for your life. 

If you start every day answering calls for your attention, you’ll feel very empty very quickly.

They Go All In

The average real estate agent receives income from seven different sources outside of real estate. Seven!

How can you focus on being the best in the industry when you’re working six other side hustles?

So many real estate agents make the mistake of starting a second (or third!) business BEFORE they’ve got their real estate business running like a well-oiled machine.

Here’s what happens: You start to build momentum in your real estate business, and it feels good. You finally know what you’re doing. Your confidence goes up, you have some money to spare. Suddenly, there are opportunities everywhere. Everyone has a business idea. Everybody wants you to invest in something. You put on your super-optimistic pants and ask yourself, “How hard could it be?”

Then you spend a little bit of time on the new venture—a few days here, a few days there—and before you know it, you realize you’re not actually focusing on any of your businesses. Instead, you’ve split your time and resources before you had them available to split. A bit more time passes, and the new business takes up even more of your time; your real estate business begins to suffer as a result. 

This is called the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Your confidence is high, but your competence is low. Too many agents move on to the next thing before becoming truly competent—as agents, as leaders, as visionaries. 

You have to focus on your main real estate business until you have established a finely tuned machine. Focus has a compound effect, and you need all of that focus in one area to cash out on that effect. 

When you convince yourself that you can do more than what’s possible, you end up losing not only your focus, but also leverage, and ultimately money. If you have to hustle to make a new opportunity work, the chances of it working alongside your real estate business are very low, if not non-existent. 

Successful real estate agents are experts in focus. 

Not only do they focus on their sole venture, but they also prioritize only the most needle-moving tasks. 

Redesigning your website, launching a podcast, creating a YouTube channel—if any of these things aren’t directly contributing to solving the number-one problem in your business, then you’re procrastinating. You’re simply chasing the next shiny object.

This is just another form of procrastination, another protection mechanism because you’re afraid to focus on one thing and fail at it.

So tell me…are you ready to go all in on building a multi-6 or 7-figure real estate business?

If you think you have what it takes, I encourage you to join us in The Listings Lab. 

Apply now to build a marketing machine for your real estate business and get qualified leads on autopilot.

5 Expert Tips On How To Grow A Real Estate Business, Sustainably

So you want to know how to grow a real estate business…WITHOUT spending all day on the phone or chained to your laptop?

I got you.

The booked-and-busy, always hustling agent life is canceled. 

Making more money in real estate does not mean putting in more hours.

It means getting strategic and stepping into your role as a real estate CEO.

Read on to get expert tips on how to scale your real estate business sustainably. 

Be Careful Who You Take Advice From

The real estate industry has changed massively over the past 5-10 years.

A lot of the traditional real estate advice out there is not modern. Many of these real estate gurus are people who were successful in the past.

They built their businesses in the seventies, the eighties, and the nineties. They operated in a completely different world. 

The people who are preaching cold-calling and door-knocking built their businesses pre-internet, and a lot of the tactics they dish out are very old school. 

And not to mention, they’re unscalable and exhausting. Relying on these tactics may result in a serious case of realtor burnout. 

I still remember when I first got my real estate license and I got this big gray pager. 

I was so proud of it…I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. 

And now if I pulled out a giant gray pager, you’d look at me like a crazy woman. 

Nowadays, we all have computers in our pockets. We’re constantly on the internet.

So why are we still adhering to marketing strategies that were used in 1985?

We NEED to be able to look at the time we’re in and think critically about how people consume information. 

I’ve even heard brokers tell their agents’ that social media doesn’t work. And I think to myself “Seriously, where do you think the majority of people are spending all of their free time?”

It’s not that it doesn’t work. It’s that they don’t know how to use it. 

And rather than admit they don’t know what they’re doing, they’re dismissing it altogether.

So before you go ahead and listen to someone’s advice on how to grow a real estate business, make sure it’s timely.

Get Out Of Hustle Mode 

Let me ask you a question.

Are you building a business that will serve you for years to come?

Or are you just chasing the next deal?

Most agents are constantly just looking for that next deal.

And so what happens is you find yourself in this perpetual chase mode. 

Building a business that offers unlimited scalability means you need to expand intentionally. You need to have a clear vision for how to grow your real estate business rather than just react to opportunities.

Because at the end of the day, people get into real estate for three main reasons.

  • Unlimited income
  • Freedom to set your own schedule
  • And to help people

And the reality is, that most agents don’t have the first two. 

If you want to achieve unlimited income and freedom, you have to be intentional about how you set your business up from the beginning. 

Overcome the mindset blocks preventing you from scaling a real estate business.Ditch the unscalable lead gen tactics and commit to real estate marketing.

And put in the work to craft a real estate sales funnel that attracts qualified prospects on autopilot. 

There’s a better way when it comes to how to grow a real estate business!

Prioritize Team Growth

When we first started The Listings Lab, it was just Yves and I. And let me tell you…it was a LOT of work. 

The Listings Lab Blog Image - How To Grow A Real Estate Business

But almost immediately, we hired our very first employee, Ashley. 

Now? She’s our COO.

From the time we hired her, the business has grown leaps and bounds. Our model has evolved. And our team growth has exploded.

Now, as the CEO, I’m quite far removed from the day-to-day operations, and I focus more on the overall business vision. 

The bottom line is that you can’t stay a lone wolf in business. I tried that for a while, and it was plain miserable. 

Sooner or later, you need to learn how to build a real estate team so you can get out from under your mountain of work – and start focusing on higher-level business strategy.

The sooner you can learn how to delegate, the sooner you’ll be able to build a high-performing team as a real estate team leader. 

Allow Your Business to Grow & Evolve

Here’s something you need to know when it comes to growing a real estate business…

It never quite goes to plan. It’s trial and error, and it’s ALWAYS going to be evolving.

In fact, there was a time where The Listings Lab was more expensive than it is now.

But when we figured out how to make things more efficient on our end, we passed those savings on to the members.

There were plenty of other things that shifted. Within a year of business, we completely changed our business model.

Because we’re constantly thinking, how can we make this better? 

And in my opinion…that’s what makes business fun!

There’s no business where you get to a certain level and then you’re done. 

If you want to grow a profitable, sustainable business that sticks around for the long term…you have to fall in love with problem-solving. 

You’re going to get new problems as you grow and scale your business, but there will always be problems. 

Don’t let them wear you down. Instead, start to think of them as fun challenges – as puzzles to be solved. 

Prioritize Client Satisfaction Above All Else

If you want to learn how to sustainably grow your real estate business, you learn to do it strategically and SLOWLY.

One of the worst things you can do is scale too fast and without a plan.

Why? 

Because your clients will end up feeling the effects of your growth. 

When we expanded The Listings Lab, my number one priority was that our members never felt us scaling.

I’ve been in programs and had coaches that made me feel like I was a victim of their scaling.

And I really wanted to make sure that our members didn’t feel that way. 

The way we avoided this was by making sure that we hired the team members and set up the systems to handle a lot more people BEFORE we enrolled those people. Not after. 

We committed to making space before we needed the space.

This allowed us to continue to grow without our service ever becoming an issue. Member satisfaction remained at an all-time high because our members always felt like they were a priority to us. 

Growth should not come at the cost of client satisfaction.

Growth should not come at the cost of your mental health.

And growth should not come at the expense of time with your family and friends!

If you’re ready to drop the real estate hustle and learn how to grow a real estate business that offers you true freedom…download The Listings Lab Method Guide!

➡️ Get The Guide Here 

How Agents Can Embrace Omnipresent Marketing And Dominate The Newsfeeds Of Their Ideal Clients

Omnipresent marketing isn’t just a buzzword.

It’s a powerful marketing strategy that can help you become the go-to agent in your ideal client’s mind. 

When you ditch manual, unscalable marketing techniques like cold calling and constant prospecting and embrace omnipresent marketing:

  • You’ll effortlessly attract highly-targeted leads that are *obsessed* with your services.

You can say goodbye to commission hagglers and say hello to prospects that see you as the only agent they want to work with.

Ready to learn how?

Read on to get the full lowdown on omnipresent marketing and how to embrace this powerful real estate marketing strategy.

The Listings Lab Blog Image - Omnipresent Marketing

^ A testimonial to the power of omnipresence from one of our members in The Listings Labs! 😉 

What Is Omnipresent Marketing? 

Omnipresence is when you literally appear—or at least seem to appear—everywhere in your prospect’s life. You dominate their screen. There are three components to this concept.

  1. Timing
  2. Frequency
  3. Platform

The goal of marketing is always to be in the right place at the right time. What you’re doing is getting your messaging in front of people so consistently and so frequently that, in your client’s eyes, you feel like their only choice to get the help they need to buy or sell their home. 

You want to be top of mind at all times. 

You’re not just appearing out of the blue when your prospect is trying to make a decision. You’re showing up, offering value, and building a relationship so that by the time they are actually ready to make a transition, you’re the only choice for them. Because you’re the only person who has actually spoken to their specific problems, fears, and desires. 

That’s how you eliminate competition, commission haggling, and clients who think of you as a glorified doorman.

How To Implement An Omnipresent Marketing Strategy 

For the most part, omnipresent marketing requires you to embrace online marketing.

You want to show up everywhere your prospects go online…to the point that they see you two to five times a day. 

This is done through targeting, retargeting, organic social media, and email. 

I’m sure you’ve experienced this phenomenon before in your own life.

Maybe you’ve gone to Amazon and clicked on a pool table you were considering buying for your family. 

What happens next?

After browsing, the only other ads you’re getting for the next two weeks are ALL about pool tables.

This happens because you’ve been “pixeled,” so that business can now follow you around the internet. 

As agents, we can use the same method—retargeting people with various types of psychological content to take someone from a stranger to a client with automation. 

Sending the right message, to the right person, at the right time, on the right platform. This gets people to build that “know, like, and trust” factor with you without ever realizing it. 

Why Omnipresent Marketing? 

Traditional real estate lead generation methods, including geo-farming, are outdated means of Omnipresence. Sure, they’re ways to stay top of mind, but they’re not targeted. 

It all goes back to basic psychology. The human brain is said to be able to quickly remember only two names in any industry.

Don’t believe me? Close your eyes and tell me two brands of sneakers.

Ninety-nine percent of the people are going to say “Nike” and “Adidas.” 

Why? Because those brands are omnipresent. You want to achieve that same effect in your target market. You want to be the first person your ideal clients  think of when it comes to real estate. 

Here are three effects that make omnipresent marketing SO powerful. 

Omnipresence And The Mere Exposure Effect 

Omnipresence also builds trust through something called the mere exposure effect. 

The mere exposure effect states that when the human brain is exposed to the same person over and over again, we build trust with that person. While it’s a horrible example, this is closely related to Stockholm Syndrome (about people bonding with their captives). 

Omnipresence And The Reciprocity Principle 

We also build trust through omnipresent marketing by giving before we ask – otherwise known as serving before we sell

Think about it like this.

You would never walk up to a complete stranger on the street and ask them for something (unless you were having an emergency)… or would you? 

But almost all of today’s real estate marketing asks for something—“Call me”—before the agent has given anything more than a picture of their head. 

Being omnipresent means you give value over and over again so that when you do eventually ask for something, it doesn’t feel like such a hard ask. The element of reciprocity is already there. 

Omnipresence And The Halo Of Success 

Finally, Omnipresence also works so well because of what I call the “halo of success.” 

This effect refers to the fact that people usually want to work with those who are trusted and successful. So, here’s an example: 

Let’s say that “Sally” sees “John,” the real estate agent, two to five times per day online. 

Sally might assume that everyone in the entire market is also seeing John that much. 

She’ll probably even think, “Wow, he runs a lot of ads. He’s everywhere. He must be spending a fortune. If he’s spending that much money, then the ads must be working. If the ads are working, he must be really successful, and he must be the person I should talk to.”

What Sally doesn’t realize is that John is placing those ads in front of the people who are relevant. It’s a much smaller audience than just “everyone” and retargeting is actually very cheap to do. It’s the big fish/small pond effect—and it can work quickly. You can become the authority in that niche practically overnight. 

What Platforms Can I Use For Omnipresent Marketing? 

For most savvy agents, Omnipresence starts with retargeting on Facebook. But that’s just one channel. You can also use YouTube, email ad networks, Instagram, Google, and LinkedIn—they’re all channels where you can show up for your audience. 

Omnipresence is about concentrating a good portion of your advertising on someone only after they’ve become a lead. 

Why?

Because doing so gives you a much better chance of converting that lead to a client. Take a small number of leads and increase your relevancy by being in front of them 

  • With the right timing
  • The right frequency
  • And on the right platform

And you’ll no longer have to go out and chase after leads.

You’ll have them come to YOU. 

This is, by the way, also how we bring people into our community in The Listings Lab. Every person who comes into one of our programs is a living, breathing testament to the power of Omnipresence.

 

Want to build your own powerful, omnipresent marketing machine that helps you attract leads like wildfire?

We’ll coach you how in The Listings Lab.

Get more details and apply here. 

9 Signs You Should Quit Real Estate (Trigger Warning)

I’m going to start this post off with a trigger warning.

I honestly believe that 50% of agents should quit real estate. 

Now, I know that might sound harsh.

But the industry has become saturated with people – many of whom are bringing the real estate industry down as a whole.

There are certain types of agents who will never be successful.

They’ll never build the big, automated real estate business of their dreams.

Want to make sure you’re cut out to build a 7-figure business?

Keep reading to learn the biggest traits that prevent agents from reaching their income goals.

1. People think the industry is against them

Agents that think the industry is out to get them should not be agents. Period.

I’m not saying that real estate businesses don’t have their challenges.

But many agents like to act like real estate is one of the most difficult industries in the world.

Real estate isn’t rocket science. 

If you’d rather complain about how hard real estate is than learn how to build a streamlined, automated business…you’re not cut out to scale, and you may as well quit real estate.

2. People who only do 5-10 deals a year

I know this opinion is controversial.

And I also want you to understand…

I’m not saying you have to live and breathe real estate. 

In fact, real estate isn’t even my #1 passion in life. I see real estate as a vehicle to create the life of your dreams.

But if you’re someone who wants to do real estate on a very part-time basis

I.e. → you don’t have the desire to get automated systems in place, you don’t want to grow a team, you only want to do the odd deal here and there…

Well, all you’re doing is diluting the market.

You’re taking deals away from the people who are 100% committed to their real estate business.

The people who are all in –  who’ve made it their mission to create the highest level of service and to be the best version of themselves.

THOSE are the people who are going to get the best results possible for their clients. They have the infrastructure in place to do so.

If you’ve got one foot in and one foot out when it comes to your real estate business, you need to make a decision.

Either decide to give this thing your all and elevate your business – or quit real estate altogether.

3. People who blame their brokerage/blame others

Being a successful real estate agent means taking 100% radical responsibility for your business.

Not blaming the market

Not blaming your clients

Not blaming your broker

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard “Well, I joined X,Y,Z brokerage and they said they were going to help me!!”

Your broker isn’t responsible for your business.

Your broker is responsible for processing your transactions and getting you paid. That’s it. 

Sure, there are brokerages out there with excellent training programs or who do a little extra to help out their agents.

But if you go into real estate with the mindset that your brokerage is what will help you secure business, you’ll never find the success you’re looking for. 

Stop giving your power away. Get out there and source and find the information you need to transform your business. If you’re waiting for someone else to build your business, you may as well quit real estate.

4. Agents who refuse to challenge the status quo

Let me ask you an honest question.

Are you truly innovating in your real estate business?

Or are you resting on your laurels?

I’ve heard so many agents tell me that because they have 10, 20, or 30 years of experience…that should be enough to consistently get them business.

But do you really have ten years of experience?

Or do you have one year of experience repeated ten times? 

Because so many people just do the same thing over and over. 

They’re not challenging themselves. They’re not growing. And they actually just have one year of experience that they keep recycling. 

Doing the bare minimum and expecting something to change is the definition of insanity. 

5. Agents who rely on referrals alone

This is another one of my opinions that really ruffles feathers, but I’m going to share it anyway.

For so long in this industry, we’ve glorified real estate referrals. 

When you rely too heavily on referrals, you’re relying on other people to secure business FOR you.

At the end of the day, you’re not in control of your marketing, your lead flow – AKA the lifeblood of your business.

Could you imagine if Nike relied on referrals?

If Amazon decided not to advertise and said their customers will do that work for them instead?

They would never, because they’re running real businesses. 

To scale a business, you need predictability in your lead flow.

Referrals leave it completely up to chance.

6. Agents who treat their business revenue like their salary

This is a hard one for so many agents to wrap their heads around.

Your commissions are not your income. Your commissions are the business’ income.

You pay yourself out of the proceeds.

If you view your commissions as your personal income, you will be emotionally attached to money. Money that you SHOULD be using to invest into growing your business. 

Real businesses do not consider all revenue to be personal income of the CEO. 

7. Agents who refuse to face their fears

I’m not saying this one is easy.

Running a business is one of the greatest exercises in personal growth and development.

And it can be downright HARD.

Take it from someone who came out of an absolutely horrible physically and mentally abusive relationship. 

I had to start from nothing. 

There are things that are going to happen in your life and business that are going to feel like they’re insurmountable.

But when you show up with a willingness to confront your fears and tackle things head on – that’s when you become unstoppable.

What is the story you’re telling yourself for why you can’t succeed?

Hint: whenever a thought starts with “I’m not the type of person who…..” – you’re putting limits on your growth.

Whether you’re telling yourself:

  • I’m not the type of person who’s good at sales calls
  • I’m not the type of person who’s confident in front of the camera
  • I’m not the type of person who can lead and manage a team

You’re keeping yourself small. 

You HAVE to decide that your desire for growth is larger than your desire to stay comfortable.

For example…I do a lot of video.

Do I always enjoy being on video? 

Nope.

Sometimes I feel physically self-conscious.

But I do what it takes and I show up – even on the days I don’t feel like it.

I remember being invited to speak on stage having gained 40 pounds in front of hundreds of people.

Was I terrified?

You bet.

But I realized that sharing my message so I could create impact was MORE important than how I felt about my physical appearance.

It’s not about you. It’s about the message. You get to be the vessel.

Face your fears and show up for your business, no matter what the voice that doubts you says.

8. Agents who can’t be adaptable

The only thing that is certain in life is change.

How willing are you to ADAPT to new ways of doing things?

It’s so easy to get caught up in an identity.

You might tell yourself “I’m a cold-caller!”, or “I run a referral-based business”.

But I have to ask…

How’s that working for you right now?

Is it unlimitedly scalable?

Are you building the business of your dreams?

Or are you just doing what you’ve always done?

The number one thing that is going to make you successful over time is being adaptable. 

It all comes back to the theory of evolution.

Those that survive and thrive, whether it be a species, or a business, are those who are able and willing to adapt.

Think about the kinds of companies that have failed over the last 10 years.

Take Blockbuster, for example.

They didn’t adapt fast enough to the digital economy and didn’t get online.

You don’t get to operate your business the same way for 10 years and expect continuous success.

Without evolution, at a certain point, things will start to plateau – and eventually, decline. If you’re not willing to ever adapt, you may as well quit real estate while you’re still ahead.

9. Agents who make the industry look bad

Do you want to know what professionals DON’T do?

They don’t treat each other like crap.

They don’t behave so badly that they put a stain on an entire industry.

Because the unfortunate truth is – there are agents out there doing exactly that.

One particular story that comes to mind is when I was selling my house in Toronto.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you might know that I originally got into real estate because of my Mom. She’s a real estate veteran who’s been in the industry for 35 years.

And so, I chose her as the agent to list my home.

When my Mom listed my house, we had an obscene amount of offers come in (it was a low inventory market).

One day, I overheard an agent speaking to my Mom on the phone.

And I became enraged. 

He was yelling and swearing at my mom on the phone.

It wasn’t a good look. I took the phone from my Mom and told this agent how he’d royally screwed up.

From that point on, it no longer mattered what kind of offer he proposed.

I simply didn’t want the commission going into that agent’s pocket.

After we sold the home, his clients called for weeks in tears asking why they didn’t get the house – even with the incredible offer they submitted.

It broke my heart to tell them that it wasn’t about them, it wasn’t about the offer…

It was about the agent they chose to help them purchase a home.

Agents like that make our entire industry look bad. If you’re not able to act with integrity, I 100% believe you should quit real estate so that you stop bringing other agents down!

Again, if you want to be treated with respect, be respectful.

Stop trying to win through manipulative, sleazy techniques.

Be kind and courteous to others in the industry.

And take your business seriously. 

Stop with the spray and pray random acts of marketing, and START showing up consistently for your ideal clients.

I genuinely love this industry and think we can do better.

So if you see yourself in any of the points above, the question is…

Are you ready to step up?

If the answer is yes, apply for The Listings Lab to build a scalable real estate business that offers you true freedom.

Get all the details and apply for mentorship here.