Selling The Dream: A Podcast For Resort & 2nd Home Real Estate Agents

I just want to wish you a merry Christmas, and share a few thoughts with you. This is a season of hustle and bustle, with people running around all over the place, helping clients, and getting shopping done. In the middle of all of the chaos and craziness, I’d like to encourage you to set aside some time, whether you celebrate or not, to spend with your family. Give your family and friends the present of your presence: make sure that you’re setting aside time, no matter what you believe, to celebrate why you are here, and those who are around you. I’m excited to share a special Christmas greeting with you on this Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast! Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more amazing guests on our Friday episodes of the show. Highlights of this episode: Merry Christmas e

Have you hired an independent sales agent (ISA)? When Jessica started her boutique brokerage (don’t miss last week’s episode where she talked about the process), she knew that she was going to have to get some help for it to grow! The next big step was hiring an ISA, and training them to be the perfect new teammate. Jessica had the good fortune of a referral from within the Tom Ferry network, but that’s not all it takes to hire a good ISA: it takes trust, training, and team! This week on the Selling the Dream podcast, Jessica Forrester is sharing with us about the process of hiring and training her ISA, and answering all of our burning questions, like how they handle pay, location differences, and some of the things that she watched for in the process of hiring her ISA. This week is part two of two episodes talking to Jessica - make sure you don’t miss part one! She set the foundation last week, and now she’s giving those top tips that have helped her business explode! Before we dive in: have you create

With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to take a moment to remind you the importance of gratitude.   Connect with me (Tom): 2nd Home Agents website Facebook Instagram YouTube Resort & 2nd Home Real Estate Agents Facebook Group Subscribe to the Show Don’t miss a single episode of the podcast. You can search for “Selling the Dream” on any of your favorite listening platforms, or follow the links below: iTunes Spotify Stitcher YouTube As always, thanks for listening. Don’t forget, you’re not selling real estate: you’re selling the dream.   See you next time!

Have you ever thought about starting your own brokerage? You love team, but are thinking about what else you can do in your business. It’s not easy; that’s for sure! We’ve talked endlessly about how to make the decision to join a brokerage, or if you should be an independent agent. We’ve talked about what it’s like to be part of a SEAL team, or just what goes into making a solid team. But what is it really like to start a boutique brokerage, with a small number of dedicated agents? What can be possible in your business, if you were to go out on your own? Hand pick a team of similar (or different) agents, and go out on your own? What could happen? How could it completely change your business? What questions should you ask yourself, and what do you need to be prepared for? We’re exploring all of these questions in this week’s episode of the Selling the Dream. This week is part one of a two episode series where I am talking to Jessica Forrester about her experiences starting a boutique brokerage. It took

Have you ever screwed up? We did, recently. We’d planned a client showing, and arrived at their house. They didn’t realize we were going to caravan - the whole thing was chaos! Afterwards, we had our client happiness ambassador get them a gift, and we personally delivered it. We said “sorry we screwed up!” They said it was no big deal, but we wanted to make sure that they knew: our mistakes ARE a big deal, and we’re always going to be making sure that we always make things right! You can screw up: it’s what you do afterwards that is so important because it’s an opportunity to show clients how you’re willing to go the extra mile to take care of them. If you’ve ever messed up, you won’t want to miss this Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast! Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more amazin

What do you expect out of your team? If you’re an independent agent, or part of a brokerage, one thing is for sure: you’re not doing this real estate thing alone!So what do you think of when you think of team? Do you think of them as your competition? Or do you look at them as being partners to help you in your success? Your team can make or break you. Your team determines: How you feel about work How you’re trained to serve your clients How you get leads How you show homes How you bring in your income As real estate agents, we’ve chosen this work because we want the freedom that comes with it: so choosing the right kind of team is going to be crucial for your journey! We’re exploring all of these questions in this week’s episode of the Selling the Dream. We’re bringing back one of our favorite real estate team leaders, Jeff and Melissa Krantz, to talk about about team, how they’ve created team culture, and how they help new real estate agents find the perfect team. Before we dive in: have yo

Are you meeting your client’s expectations? That’s no longer enough! With Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and all those websites out there, your client’s expectations can be easily met! See, you have to strive to exceed your client’s expectations! If you aren’t going above and beyond, you are not making a lasting impression. We’ve just hired a CHA - a client happiness advocate - because exceeding expectations is so important to us. Our clients are so amazed after each transaction: they are so amazed by how we’ve gone above and beyond for them! When it comes time for a referral, you know they’ll be thinking of us! You won’t want to miss this Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, where I remind you that just meeting your client’s expectations isn’t enough! Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even

What do pies and real estate have in common? If you listened to our November mastermind call, you’d have lots of ideas about how you can use pie. But I’ll get right back to it. These days, there are so many new techniques that real estate agents can use to market. You can bring in leads via social media, or drop targeted ads on YouTube. You can get as fancy as you want! But sometimes, especially in the secondary market, what people really want is a combination of technology and tradition. They want those personal connections. Are you looking to be more effective with how you do your personal marketing? Looking for that perfect combination of technology and tradition? Then you’re going to love listening to this month’s mastermind call. We’re sharing real life experiences from agents who are out there selling the dream. Oh, and that pie? Make sure that you listen to find out how agents are giving out pies to help connect face-to-face with their communities! Denise Brown is moderating this month’s maste

What matters most? I heard this story at the national convention, and wanted to share it with you. This guy was sitting on a plane, and feeling really upset. He’d had a fight with his wife, and things weren’t going his way. In that moment, however, he paused and realized something powerful. Real estate agents can get so caught up in the hustle and the drive of selling, and constantly building our business. We get mad at situations, and people, and just get caught up in all of that. But at the end of the day, what is most important? You won’t want to miss this Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, where I remind you on what we should be giving thanks for! Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more amazing guests on our Friday episodes of the show. And by the way: I’m thankful for YOU! Th

Have you ever thought about starting over? Maybe leaving everything behind, and starting in a new place. Perhaps a resort market; the place you’ve always dreamed of. On this podcast, we talk a lot about selling the dream to our leads and clients: but we are living our own dream! We’ve chosen to live a more flexible job where we can set our own hours, do the work that we want to do, and the only thing that stops us from making limitless income is the number of hours in the day and our drive to do the work! So what if you were to go to an entirely new market? What would happen? What could you expect? It will be an adventure for sure - and that’s what we’re talking about on this episode of the Selling the Dream podcast! Anne Eliason made the move from Arizona to Hawaii, and she’s here to share the details. She’s been through so many major changes during her real estate career, and has not only survived, but she also has thrived. I’d like to challenge you to listen to this episode, and think about how she’s

When was the last time you visited your feeder markets? Did you know that referrals make up a big portion of my business? In fact, this year, I’ve paid out more than 25 referrals. That doesn’t happen by accident, however. I do a lot of work to create a network. One of the best ways that you can create that network is to do some research into your top feeder markets, and then go connect! Take your stats with you: if you tell agents in that area that you’ve sold multiple houses in the past year to people from their market, they need to start connecting so they can get that referral money! You’re ready - and you WANT - to give it to them! You won’t want to miss this Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, where I share my simple tips on how you can increase your referrals and expand your business! Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean

Are you trying to sell luxury real estate with traditional marketing methods? If you’re breaking into the luxury real estate market, and trying to market the same way that you’ve always marketed, I have news for you: it won’t work! Luxury real estate requires a completely different approach to marketing. You aren’t selling someone their everyday home. This is their dream home. The home conveniently located in the heart of the big city, close to shopping districts and 5 star restaurants. Or with a mountain view, just a few miles from a favorite ski resort. It may even have a palm tree swaying in the front yard in the ocean breezes. You can’t market dream homes the same way that you market everyday homes…but what has to change? How can you differentiate your marketing to reach your ideal buyer, who is ready to buy their dream home? In this episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, I’m talking to Tom McCormack. He’s based in the Jersey Shore - which is so much more than just the location of a reality TV sh

Are you in control of your business, or is it controlling you? Many real estate agents find themselves stuck, never able to get past a certain level in business. I think it comes down to one thing: they are controlled by their business. They are working constantly, and cannot let go of tasks. They don’t trust anyone to do things as well as they do these tasks. When you can’t let go of tasks, then they end up controlling you. In the industry, you have to pass off some of these tasks if you want to be able to grow in your business. But how do you let go? How do you work with an assistant? How do you relinquish control? Start small and strategic. Find something that won’t matter if they mess up. Hire someone to help you on a transactional basis. It’s like therapy: just take one step at a time. Recognize that there is nothing that they can screw up that you can’t fix together. Once you accept that, you’ll be able to train an assistant to be able to help you process even more transactions every year. On

Do you feel like you rely on data in your business? Zillow, Realtor.com, MLS - all those places are invaluable sources of data that can drive your business and help you make decisions. But what happens if you don’t have any of that data: how do you sell then? There’s a lot that you can do: but the key is to commit to your lifestyle, and serving your clients and leads with the highest level of integrity. Sometimes that means that you give them information that means they don’t purchase from you. That also means that you’re helping them make “non-intoxicated” decisions: making sure they aren’t “under the influence” of their love for an area, and unable to make smart decisions. In the luxury market, you’re not making a one time sale. You’re serving a client who will become a lead generation machine. You’re making a customer for life. They learn to trust YOU as their guide through the process. People have learned that they can trust what I have to say about Maui - I have jumped into that Aloha life, and ea

The sale is done once the papers are signed…right? Wrong! Want to learn how you can be the best real estate agent out there? Want to learn more about what people are thinking through the process, and what you did right - or even, what you did wrong? You’ll get all the information that you need, if you’re just willing to ask! If you’re not doing an exit interview with the people you work with, you are missing out on valuable feedback. Have you ever quit a job? Many times, before you can get your last paycheck, you complete an exit interview. That’s meant to give a chance for feedback, for a company to learn more about your experience working for them. That feedback can help the company to learn more about what they can do to keep employees in the future, and how they can improve. I believe that if you ask, your clients will be happy to give you feedback! Exit interviews are a crucial time where you learn about the people you have served, and how you could have served them better. It can also lead perf

Where do the majority of your leads come from? Are they cold leads, or referrals? Are they coming from other agents in your feeder market? Are they from friends and family? What if you had a database that brought in most of your business? That would be amazing, right?  Imagine not having to go out and chase new leads, but being the “go to” real estate for your area. That’s reality for Alan and Betsy Thompson, the leaders of this month’s Selling the Dream mastermind meeting. Every month, we hold a virtual mastermind meeting, and have been excited to share the recording of the meeting on the podcast! You may remember this month’s moderator, Alan Thompson, from episode 93, when we talked to him about how he gets his business from his database. We had to bring him to the mastermind meeting so that people could ask their burning questions. Have you heard any guests on the podcast, and had more questions for them? Make sure you send me an email: tom@tomtezak.com, and I’ll see what I can do to get you an answe

When you’re marketing your business, how often do you use the word “I”? “I sold this house above market value…” “I hold an open house every weekend…” “I...I...I…” Stop talking about yourself! If you’re marketing how awesome you are, you’re doing it all wrong. Clients don’t care about YOU! Yes, they want someone professional. They want someone successful. They want to work with someone who is going to help them. But at the end of the day, they don’t give a crap about you! You’re there to guide them through the process of being the hero of their own story. If you haven’t read Building a Story Brand (link below), then you need to get it, so that you can clearly see your role in their journey. It’s not about you - it’s all about being their mentor and their guide. Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating and review on iTunes: that would mean the world to me, and will help us get even more

Is there a neighborhood that you want to be THE real estate agent in? I know how that feels: I have this one small area of Maui that is the epicenter of my business! Even in my advertising, I tell people that I don’t know much about other areas, but if they want to know about this ONE particular area, there is no one out there who knows it like I do. That kind of knowledge WORKS! People trust you as the leading expert in that area. But what happens if you know the ins and outs of the area, but you don’t know all the people who are there? You don’t know what’s driving their decisions. What are their ages? What is their income? Who is about to retire? Who is starting a family? Who has kids who are leaving home and starting out on their own? See, the more you know, the more effectively you can market, because you know what they just might need, and how you can best serve them! But aside from going door to door and talking to every single person, how are you going to get that data? If you’ve been in th

If you’re not setting goals, 2020 is the perfect time to start! Every year, as the new year is on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about our goals. I ask myself questions like the following: What kind of husband do I want to be? What kind of businessman do I want to be? Who do I want to serve this year? How do I want to be involved in my community? When it comes to setting goals, I don’t just look at what I want to accomplish in my business. I look at everything: personal, spiritual, relational - the whole package! Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about goal setting, and I’ve made a full booklet that I use to help me set my goals. Not only have I created that booklet, but I want to share it with you! So send me an email (tom@tomtezak.com), and I’ll get you a copy of it! I want you to get your 2020 vision, and I’m here to help. Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be where we are without you listening, and giving your feedback! Make sure that you give us a rating

How much knowledge do you have in your brain? You know the ins and outs of your market. You know the exact questions that your leads are asking. Have you ever thought about writing down all of that information, and publishing a book? Creating a book is a great freebie item that you can send to any potential leads. This helps establish your authority (especially if you are serving a niche market that can take longer to convert to a sale). But it sounds intimidating ...publishing a book? Isn’t that a lot of work? Jay Otlewski, from Phoenix, Arizona, is here to share how he wrote a book that serves his niche perfectly, and acts as a lead magnet to bring in new business. Not only has Jay capitalized on his knowledge acquired over years of serving as a real estate agent, but he’s figured out how to turn that book into a lead-generating machine. Best of all - Jay didn’t study writing. In fact, he’s a math guy. But when he sat down with a cup of coffee and a notepad, and made a list of all the questions he c