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

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. What if there was a different way, in which leads came to us, ready to buy? That already know, like, and trust us, and are ready to buy a home? Alan and Betsy Thompson took a break from real estate, and when they decided to come back, they revamped their approach and strategy. Instead of chasing leads, they decided to focus their efforts on developing relationships. That strategy has paid off, as their business has grown exponentially. This week on the podcast, I’m talking to Alan. I’ve asked him to share his stor

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.

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 sharing, and want to make sure it’s out there for everyone to find! I’ve invited Chelsea Peitz, a Snapchat and social media guru, onto the show so we can talk about social media, and how you can maximize your presence using these free networks and resources that are available for all of us to use! Chelsea is an expert in using Instagram stories, and shares so many helpful hints and tips that you can implement today in your social media. She shares all kinds of valuable, super helpful information, including connecting

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 education to help your clients make the best decisions. Your job is to help educate your clients: not make decisions for them! The more educated you are, the more equipped you’ll be to help educate your clients! Julia Ray has turned that alphabet soup into connections, and has built a thriving boutique business. You’re going to be inspired by how she uses that education to connect with her clients and leads! This week on the Selling the Dream podcast, get ready to see how you can use those credentials to build c

Today on Selling the Dream, we're talking about creating a series of frequently asked questions and turning your pain points into closings

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 feel like they are a true insider, and part of a community, will help you serve your clients on a higher level! That’s the mantra of Sharran Srivatsaa, whose mission is to defend and advocate for real estate agents. His goal is to help agents create raving fans, not just “sell.” You’ll be inspired by his story, and how he went from driven to bed-ridden, and what amazing habits and activities helped him recover and build a successful business! Hint: it has to do with creating connections! This week on the Sel

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.

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 you’re definitely not going to want to buy a house from them without checking it out in person! But now, things are starting to change, and this is something that us second home agents know well. People are willing to buy homes without ever setting foot in them. It just takes the right agent to accomplish that - someone who has put forth the effort to build trust, and build those relationships. They’ll tell their clients everything that they need to know about the property: the good, the bad, and the ugly. They’

Ep. 212: Speak Your Mind

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 love, that connection turns into trust. That trust means that when you do have a “sales” message, or you reach out about how you can help them, the connection is natural and just makes sense! It’s easy to get caught up in technology, and think that you have to have everything all perfect, but at the end of the day, it’s always all about the relationships. Technology is just a tool to bridge the gap between those relationships and serving your clients. This week on the Selling the Dream podcast, I

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 technologies into their business. It’s ok to try something new, and find out that it doesn’t work - if that’s the case, leave it behind! But don’t be the person who never took a chance, and never tried something new! You never know when you’ll be missing out on rewards. This week on the Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, I’m here to challenge you to calculate risk vs reward: don’t be afraid to take chances and try something new! Thanks for joining us on Selling the Dream - we wouldn’t be wher

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. It’s not about the transaction, or even the item itself (although you need to be strategic about what you choose!), but it’s all about making the recipient feel special and valued. The relationship is the key: make your clients feel like their relationship is worth investing in, and they’re going to remember you! If you can get your clients selling for you, and bringing in those quality leads, you’ll be amazed at how the money invested into good gifts pays off: and fast! So stop giving crappy gifts, and

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 here to challenge you to dive in and use the resources we have created here for you, and network with like-minded agents! 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: What are we doing? I’m here to tell you! Tip Tuesday episodes - sh

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 one that they have connected with - sometimes without ever even meeting you! How can you do that? It’s all about how you network with people, and build your reputation. Take time to create relatable content that wins people over and makes them feel like they know you, like you, and trust you. You don’t have to be the smartest real estate agent ever: you have to be known! This week on the Selling the Dream podcast, I’m talking to Ben Belack about his key to success: being known! If you’re ready to explo

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 Selling the Dream podcast, I’m here to challenge you to take control of what you can and be a leader! 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: Today, we’re going to talk about control! Are you a control freak? Or are you cont

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 military home buyers. These people may only be in the area for a short time, and they may not be looking to buy the home of their dreams. But they have a powerful tool that makes them a strong buying candidate, and she’s here to tell us all about it! If you’re thinking of ways to connect with a new market and build a strong nation-wide referral network, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode of the Selling the Dream podcast! Before we dive in: join an amazing network of the best second home agents. Make sur

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 technologies! Use this time to embrace growth! This week on the Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, I’m here to challenge you to take time to grow in the middle of change! 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: Cha

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 create an “in” to the market Became experts in what it takes to make 7 and 8 figure sales Understand the mindset of their clientele These are huge, and once you start to understand how you can do those three things, you’ll be able to break into the ultra high luxury market in your area! Join us this week for our replay of our monthly mastermind meeting, where I talk to some of the top agents working in resort markets. We’re talking to Anne Eliason, Dennis Hanlon, and Angela Zampino about how they broke into th

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 daughter, and being the best husband to my spouse. Instead of focusing on all the missed opportunities to be the top producer, I’d like to challenge you to take advantage of these missed opportunities! I mean, after all, what does it matter if you’re the number one producer, but you don’t enjoy your life? Or if you don’t enjoy time with your partner and family? This week on the Tip Tuesday episode of the Selling the Dream podcast, I’m here to challenge you to learn lessons from this pandemic! You may be driven, an

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 have to be complicated: it can be as simple as just recording a voice memo on your phone and uploading that! The key is providing value to your community, and knowing what it is that they want to learn from you! Whether it be stats, or the best hidden food secrets in your area, you’re the expert, and they want to learn from you! Join us this week for part two of my interview with Matt McGee, a content creator with Homelight! I’ve listened to his work on The Walkthrough Podcast for hours, and can’t wait for you to