KGCI: Real Estate on Air - Finding Vendors Who Help You Grow Your Business & Generate Leads

Starting point is 00:00:00 Real estate strategy without the spin. Here's what you missed from this week's Friday Focus on KGCI, Real Estate on Air. Are you ready to generate way more leads with way less struggle? I have great news for you. I'm now accepting new students into High Performance Agent Academy. Inside the Academy, you'll get eight months of customized support for me and get access to my entire playbook. Sales, marketing, social media, systems, all of it ready for you to copy.

Starting point is 00:00:30 be and paste right into your business. Check the show notes for the link to learn more. We start on May 1st. Hey, my name's Tina Belivo, and I am obsessed with all things real estate, growth, marketing, social media, technology, and team building. If you're an ambitious agent who's hungry to grow, work on your own terms, and build a thriving life outside of your business, this is the podcast for you. I got into real estate when I was 18 years old and grew my business from nothing through referral and social media. And since then, I've built a top performing team and I've sold over 1,700 homes and $400 million in sales volume. In this podcast, I keep it real. And I tell you exactly what I'm doing to sell tons of houses, lead my team, market my brand, grow my social following and database,

Starting point is 00:01:24 and maintain incredible work life balance. I'll never shy away from sharing my biggest mistakes, as well as the juiciest parts of my secret sauce. Pull up a seat and get ready to learn and be inspired. This is the high-performance agent podcast with Tina Belivo. Hey, everybody, welcome back to the high-performance real estate agent podcast. I'm your host, Tina Belivo, and I am here today with a friend and local agent in my Baltimore, Maryland market, named Hannah Fountain. Welcome, Hannah. Thank you for having me. Great to be here. Yeah, so glad to have you here. And Hannah and I were texting about, I don't know, a month ago maybe, and maybe you, you can just kind of share, Hannah, like you sent me this question that then kicked off the whole

Starting point is 00:02:14 topic for today. So what did you ask me? Let's like play this little story back. Yeah, I was asking at what point is it okay to just not respond to all these vendors that are reaching out to you? And I was saying to you that it's a new experience for me because in my past life, in my past job, I was in advertising sales. So I was cold calling people. I was reaching out to them, doing kind of of a way different sales approach than I do now. Now I'm very much, I want people to come to me. I am not hard selling myself. People know what I do. They can come to me. So it's been so interesting with this switch to real estate and realizing I'm a business owner now. And yeah, everyone's reaching out to me now. The amount of lenders that reach out to you and insurance companies and so

Starting point is 00:03:04 many different people. And I am a people pleaser. I'm working on not being a people pleaser, but, you know, I'm not very good at just not responding to someone or just shutting them down. You know, if someone's asking to get coffee over and over again to tell me about, you know, their, you know, their brokerage, their lending company, whatever, I want to do it so bad just to be nice to them. But I'm like, wow, I have such limited time. Now, I can't have coffee with every lender that reaches out to me, you know? So I think that's where the. all started. I'm like, how do you manage, you know, all these people reaching out to you and how do you, you know, not be totally ruthless, but also realize my time is valuable and important.

Starting point is 00:03:47 And I think this is where the whole vendor conversation came up of how do you find trusted vendors, you know, from the start from, you know, halfway through your real estate career, you may have to switch things up. How do you know who to go to next? So that was a long rambling version of how we got started on this, but I think it sums it up. Yeah, I love it. And I love this topic, because we haven't touched on anything like that in the prior episodes I've recorded so far. So we're going to talk about the first thing was I gave you like the ruthless answer. So we'll talk about like that part where I was like, just say no. Actually, don't, you don't even, you're not actually obligated to reply. But then I was thinking more and I was like, well,

Starting point is 00:04:25 you know, there's a lot that I've learned in these 20 years in the industry of what an aligned vendor is who that is and how that relationship can actually be reciprocal. Because one thing I found was the more successful I became, the more often I found myself in dynamics that were not reciprocal as far as the amount of whether it was business I was sending or opportunity, platform, connections, relationships. So there's also that like reciprocity assessment that I'm going to offer anyone who is listening to this to think about depending on where they're at in their business cycle. And then some ways to make sure that the vendors you do pick, you're not like using your client as a guinea pig to find out if they're good or not, which to some degree, that's the

Starting point is 00:05:09 crazy thing about, you know, being a real estate agent is you do end up becoming a hub of referrals for people. So you're always taking that risk when you put your name to someone. But how do you limit the risk, right? And then some different kind of tips and things along the way. So let's start with the first part, because I think what I basically said to you was just don't. respond, right? Like you just don't have to respond at all. Yep. I was like, okay. And this happened to be when I was in the middle of like three crazy transactions. And I just, I actually just didn't have time to respond at that point. So it worked out and I kind of forgot about it. But I do think now, I'm like, gosh, I could run into her down the road on the other end of another deal. And I want

Starting point is 00:05:47 there to be a good relationship there, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And I feel like we all have different seasons with like what we're dealing with. Like just like what you said, I would imagine you're already feeling a little less frenzied at this moment than you were at the moment that we were texting about it. But I think anyone that's been in this industry for a while, and especially in the mortgage space, any, and I say this with love, but any vendor that basically feeds off of a real estate agent, like realtors are feeders for lenders, title companies, insurance, home inspectors, contractors, moving companies, all of the home service repair sectors. You could probably list a bunch of things that I'm missing. But those are some of the,

Starting point is 00:06:27 like the top ones moving companies. So one thing is anyone who's been in the game for a while and if they're successful, they've probably been around for a while. They understand that realtors are hard to reach and just not as responsive. So I feel like if they're taking it personally, like that's on them. But, you know, there just comes a point where you don't have time to respond to all of the sales. And it's funny because you said you basically prospected in a past career.

Starting point is 00:06:53 And so did I. I had a three year chapter where I was a recruiter for Keller Williams. and I called people. It was very much like a phone prospecting, focused, kind of like training and expectation of the culture of the KW office that I was a part of at that time. So I had all kinds of experiences with it really thickened my skin. Let me tell you. It also really gave me a taste for I really don't like recruiting that way. Right. I prefer to attract and build businesses. And like I I feel like I learned a lot, but at the end of the day, I don't really want to have to learn scripts and handle objections in like a very textbook way. So that was actually a very like instructive part of my career. But I have real estate agents, you know, say all kinds of things to me. And I think, you know, when people have those negative reactions to the outreach, sure, there's something about it about them that is going on. But I also feel like if I'm kind of reaching out to people to people in a way that I wouldn't necessarily want to be treated.

Starting point is 00:07:57 Like there's something for me to look at too. So I just think it's a two-way street. Yeah. Yep. Totally. So I think, and we all get the texts. Do you get the text for health insurance yet? Yes.

Starting point is 00:08:07 What is up with that? That's like a funny topic. And there's a lot of memes about that. People keep saying, well, if NAR collapses, maybe we will at least stop getting all the NAR health insurance tax. And I was like, that would be like a major bonus if that is where all this. would be. And they always make me think because we buy our insurance off the exchange. And it's like, God, should I be looking into this? The amount of people that are texting me about this, but it is.

Starting point is 00:08:33 I don't understand. Why is that such a hustle? That's like a sidebar that we'll have to, if someone is listening to this and understands, is health insurance that lucrative? Like, why, why is that such a thing? So I guess maybe it's just some self-employed target thing. But all that being said, what you've really got my wheels turning on and what I really want the meat of this episode to be on is the six things that I do look for in a vendor because I have had so many vendor relationships over 20 years. I've had ones that were great until they weren't. I've had ones that were very short-lived and never really took off. And I've had to make a lot of changes over the years, especially with mortgage partners. I've experienced a specific phenomenon with,

Starting point is 00:09:18 and I think, you know, any business that scales can go through this. But I've found, that any mortgage partner I worked with who was amazing and like a 10 out of 10 on all the criteria I'm about to give, they tended to get bigger and get busy enough where they couldn't deliver the service that was really like bespoke at that sweet spot they were at previously and or I hate to say this, but it was always a man and there would be like a lot of ego of like how great they are or kind of just like rubbing people the wrong way. So I have had to change lender partners every couple years for my career. And I've gotten quicker about doing that as I kind of identify that. And it's so hard when you invest so much in a vendor

Starting point is 00:10:06 relationship. And you just want to have a go-to that sticks and stays. And I think when you have those, you're really, really lucky. But I've also found that you can't be loyal to the detriment of your own business or even your own sanity of like, you know, I've given you feedback five times that people don't like this and you kind of keep doing it. So if that's just how you roll, then I need to make a change. But those are some of my pain points that I've experienced. I don't know if you've had anything like that in your journey or what your pain points have been with your vendors, if anything. I think, you know, I know how I like to communicate. And I think that's one of the biggest things I've noticed with different vendor partners is how are they going to

Starting point is 00:10:47 communicate with me? I like overcommunication. If I haven't heard from them in, you know, however many days in the middle of being under contract, I'm like, gosh, what, you know, I hope ever, you know, can they give me something here? I just want to check in and make sure everything's okay, as opposed to, you know, some other people I've worked with who are texting me every day, hey, just heard about this and this and this. And I love that, you know, because I like to overcommunicate to my clients because I think it makes them know what's going on behind the scenes, which is super helpful. And, you know, having said that, I think we'll probably get into this too, is, you know, when I'm recommending someone, I always like to give a couple of options so that they

Starting point is 00:11:26 can make the decision themselves because that's one thing is, look, I'll send you my top three or five, however, you know, many I feel is right for that client. But ultimately, I want them to do their homework and have a call with each lender or whoever and make the decision themselves. Because I think, number one, then you did your work of providing them good, you know, refer. but it's on them because they may say, I didn't like the way that person talked to me. You know, I'd rather deal with this or this person had a program that was way better for me than, you know, that company. So, and I know it's different depending on the vendor, but obviously I think we're focusing

Starting point is 00:12:05 towards lenders right now. But those are my, you know, initial thoughts is communication is has, is the biggest thing for me, I think. And because it gives just such a sense of security and knowing they're doing their work behind the scenes too. and this transaction is going to close on time, you know, with no problems. In case you missed it, high performance agent Academy is officially open for new students and we start on May 1st. Do you feel frustrated by making slow progress, sick of your systems and CRM being a mess,

Starting point is 00:12:41 lonely and tired of figuring out how to grow your business on your own, and are you ready for a breakthrough in your sales, marketing, and lead generation? First of all, you're not alone. I have been there, and I've blazed the trail to solve all of those problems. I've assembled every single system, template, and marketing strategy I use so you can copy and paste them right into your business. If you're ready to transform everything about your real estate business, this is your golden opportunity. I will walk alongside you for the rest of 2024 and help you plug these systems directly

Starting point is 00:13:16 into your business. And we will customize every element to your market, your brand, your voice, and your goals. High performance agent academy starts on May 1st and I don't want you to miss the boat. Head to the show notes to get the link or DM me on Instagram at Tina Belavow and I'll send you everything you need. See you in the academy. Yeah, I'm like nodding my head internally with everything you're saying. And I think it's very smart that you give more than one name. Sometimes I've fallen into a trap of only giving one name because I had such a primary go to with mortgage especially. And that has blown back on me at times of feeling.

Starting point is 00:13:52 like, you know what, I should probably always give at least two. So people can do exactly what you said, compare programs and the vibe. And that's something that I'm doing a lot more of. And kind of on a similar note, I think I am like fiercely loyal. And when I feel I had one lender that I was very predominantly loyal to for the last few years. And he generally always had the best rates and fees, very, very aligned. And then we started to have some of those issues I mentioned where he just got bigger in COVID and got busier and busier. And then it just, things became a little bit more shaky. So I'd even had a habit for a long time of if I had a client event and I had a lender sponsor, I would only have one lender. And this might sound silly. But if anyone has been doing this for a while,

Starting point is 00:14:34 maybe you would resonate with this. I think I started it with my pie party just this past fall. I finally made the move. And I let all the lenders know that I'm going to just start having multiple lender partners at all or most of my events. Did they still want to participate? in the pie party. And they all said yes. So I had three each contribute. And they each contributed a smaller amount than they usually do. So there was kind of a win there. So that was something where I was like, I really need to diversify because I have kind of put myself in a situation where if I'm all in, put all my eggs in one basket. And then that basket gets a hole in it. That doesn't always work out so well. So that's been my own like very candid

Starting point is 00:15:12 growth trajectory with how I handle that. I know it's hard though. Because when you're in the zone with one lender and you're like, oh, they're just the best. It's like, you're like, I don't want you guys to work with anyone else. I know this is going to be a smooth transaction. So I can totally see, you know, how you'd feel that way. Yeah, it was a situation where the rates and fees were always superior. And then the program selection kind of covered everything. So that was just very hard for me to let go of. And I think like learn from my mistake is what I would say is when you start to get those red or even like yellow flags, you've got to go to your B list, which I'll talk about later. that's a little like Easter egg of what's coming. But you started off with the most important thing,

Starting point is 00:15:53 which is communication. So if I boil down the six things that I look for, the very first thing, it's kind of a broad bucket, but like values and alignment, basically do they have the same standards as me? And that relates to both communication and customer service. So it's like what you say, how often you say it, and how you say it. So we were to kind of break it down. It's, the what you say of basically giving people a very proactive amount of information. And again, I think we're going very lender heavy here because I think that's really where this shows up the very most of like that hand in hand partnership, followed by title company and home inspector for sure, followed by everything else, which is like much more ancillary

Starting point is 00:16:39 as far as just the intensity of it. And I think even how strongly it reflects on you. So there's just like that level of like education, detail, proactive. and explaining things clearly and not being too high-handed or vague because that is a challenge that I've had in certain relationships and dialogues. So there's sort of the what you say and then what you said of over-communicating and how often you say it. And like I like you, I love the quick text or email or whatever. House appraised. And for me, it's like did it appraise with no conditions? Like I want to know everything or I want you to say it appraised. We don't know about

Starting point is 00:17:18 conditions yet. Like, I just want to know exactly what the status is. Don't ever sugarcoat it. Don't ever hide the bad news. There's a saying, do you know it? Like, bad news festers. I'm really going off tangent here. I don't, but I know what you're saying. Bad news gets worse every minute you wait to share. That's what I'm trying to say. So there's the how often you say it. And then there's the how you say it of like the customer service. The, there's sort of the always like there's the aspect of like treating people with kindness and choosing your words, but also the how you say it of like, I'm not going to sit on this. I'm not going to, I'm going to disappoint you a little bit now so I don't let you down in a major way later. Like my version of that at a listing appointment is to say, I'm going to maybe give you

Starting point is 00:18:03 a little bit of hard truth right now about what the market will really there for your house or what you really do need to do to prepare to sell it for top dollar so that we're not in a situation months from now where you've been on the market for months or you're wondering why you're netting so much less than you were kind of hoping for. So I don't know if you have any thoughts you want to unpack with that, but like communication is like I feel like this is so basic, but the reality is so many people just can't deliver at the level I've described. And if I identify that, I really have to move on quickly because I feel like it's both a skill

Starting point is 00:18:39 and a value that people either have or they don't. Right. What do you think? No, I, you know, I have mixed thoughts on that because I, you know how I joked about me being a people pleaser, right? Yes. The old me was. And I have gone through a transformation in these last few years where I'm like, I just want to cut right to the chase and be open about everything. I am such an open book. I like to talk about everything. I, you know, and I feel, so I feel like maybe people can change in that regard unless I don't know. Maybe they're, you know, super into it and have been into the industry forever and, you know, really set in their ways. But I think that is so important. You are so right on top of communication, being able to cut to the chase and tell it like it is and not sugarcoat it because you will avoid so many problems. Yeah, the client might be upset with the news they're going to receive, but it's going to be way worse if you try to sugarcoat it and figure something else out. And it doesn't work out. You know, you got to cut to the chase. Don't wait for anyone's, time. And I'm with you. I mean, everyone can change. I've changed so much in 20 years. So I don't want to say that, but I think there's like a certain baseline that I need someone to be at where they're not so

Starting point is 00:19:53 early in their like professional skill set growth journey of what to say and how to say it. Or even their like personal growth journey of being able to admit when you're wrong, being able to admit when you aren't sure and you need to check with someone. I feel like there's sort of a level of self-honesty, personal integrity and even like self-esteem where you're confident enough in yourself that you don't need to have all the answers. And I was trying to say this to someone the other day. Like, the sooner I fall on my sword, the better. And I'm just not afraid to fall on my sword anymore. It hurts a lot more to like not try and to just like swerve around it. And then I just create so many more problems by hiding. And we're all human, but I think it's just like that's a practice to

Starting point is 00:20:40 just get better and better at every single day. And even to be able to say, you know, let me talk to someone back at my office or my team about this. This is a new one because as I know you've heard and I know you know in real estate, every single transaction is different. Every house is different. Every client is different. We're dealing with humans and homes, you know, you're going to come across so many different things. So I feel like it's, it's okay. No, how long you've been in the industry to say, you know, let me check on this and I'll get back to you. Because I feel like so many people feel like they need to give an answer right away. And it's okay to say, let me phone a friend. You know, I think they'd rather get, you know, an opinion that you know is,

Starting point is 00:21:22 is valid and strong rather than just fluffing something and, you know, making them feel good at the moment. Yeah. And this is like a really micro thing. And it definitely speaks to how I function. But if I think about times where I've been in the consumer seat with something like that where I'm like, hey, what about this? What about that? And I kind of know that I'm throwing a lot at a trusted professional. It's one thing when they're like, I'm not sure I'll get back with you. Like, that's always an okay answer. But what I love is when they're like, you know what? That's a really good question. I'm going to make a note of that and I'll get back to you by tomorrow. Like to me, that is the ultimate. I know you're not going to forget. I saw you do something about it. You gave me a

Starting point is 00:22:00 timeline by which I'm going to hear. To me, that is like, if you want to, if you want to make me happy, like, that's how I want to communicate and how I strive to communicate. I like, write it down. It's like when you're in a restaurant, they don't write the order down and you're like, I know it's coming with a dressing on the salad. Okay. I know my memory work, so I feel the same way. And that's the thing. And I'm like, I hope you're that like, you know, 10% of people who's going to remember all of that. But I know that I'm not. So like, you know, There's no shame in writing it down. To me, it's like the ultimate sign. And I mean this, you know, outside the restaurant space. Okay. So yeah, I kind of like, as we were starting this,

Starting point is 00:22:38 I was like, okay, I think there are like six things I look for. So that's the first one is communication. The second one is what I started off saying is reciprocity. And it doesn't have to be leads. However, if you have never gotten a lead from your mortgage professional, I think there's something to look at there. And I think that like I said, real estate agents are often, feeders for all of these other industries, mortgage especially. But I, and this is something that I could kind of like have a whole diatribe about. But I'm like, you know, mortgage lenders have bigger books of past clients than realtors because they work in more quantity than we do.

Starting point is 00:23:16 They're a lower margin per transaction. So in theory, they should have a bigger book of business. And we know that many real estate agents leave the industry every day, week, month, and year. So there is no question that there are. orphaned homeowners in their databases who no longer have a realtor or really don't want to work with the realtor they had again because that is how some people feel. Right. So it's not that I want my lender to like, like I wouldn't want my lender referring our mutual past clients to different agents, but there has to be some proportion in their book of business depending on them and who they

Starting point is 00:23:53 partner with. I would assume 20 to 30 percent who are ready. And they're the best referrals to give us, because they're usually a buy-sell combo. So I think that I would, that's a conversation I would have with any mortgage partner and say, hey, do you have any, you know, methods, systems and tactics to keep in touch with your past clients? How often do you see yourself possibly sharing a leadback with me, like on an annual basis? Is that something that ever happens right now? And I will say I have not really had a mutual reciprocity.

Starting point is 00:24:30 on that level with most of the lenders that I've worked with. One of the best tactics that I wish more lenders would utilize, though, is there was someone I worked with years ago where we ultimately started to have ego issues, but he was a very high-producing loan officer, and he did have a big database. Anytime one of those orphaned-type homeowners came back to him wanting to refi or maybe explore buying again, he would introduce me immediately to do a market analysis. And to me, that is like such a good database ad, right? Because I can, whether you go and have an appointment or have a FaceTime tour or just do, you know, kind of like quick and dirty numbers based off of like neighborhood data and square

Starting point is 00:25:09 footage, they're a database ad. There's a, I've converted so many of those people into clients. So if there are any partners listening to this, you know, that would be, that would be a hot. Good idea. Yeah. Make those introductions because, you know, the refying isn't really a conversation today for most people because of interest rates. But if anyone's going to refi or try and remove their PMI or whatever, like the first question is, what do you think your house is worth? And that's where

Starting point is 00:25:35 the realtor connection comes in. Right. So if the reciprocity can't be leads, then there's a lot of other ways to be reciprocal, right? So that's kind of my third thing. The low hanging fruit is money, right? Funding, marketing, or events. So over the years, I've had lenders fund postcards when I had like a physical farm of properties that I was farming. I've had lenders partner on other just advertising expenses, splitting the cost. At one point, I was doing an internet lead CRM that was kind of pricey, which by the way, that was like a one year experiment and being like, I hate this. I just want to work with people I already have rapport with and there's so many ways to do that. But it was like one of those things where I had FOMO and had to try it to realize, no, no, no, like this isn't for me. It's

Starting point is 00:26:24 expensive. It requires an inside sales agent. It requires a level of like oversight. But I had a lender who partnered with me and that. One of my favorite tools for home value estimates, there's a way a lender can partner in that and subsidize. And then of course, I like to have support with my events because it's very tangible. There's always like, you know, a tally of expenses and a way to split that. Right. So I don't know if you have any thoughts about that. But like that is the easiest way for them to just add value and kind of partner with you. And some lenders don't want to do. that or can't do it. A lot of lenders have probably invested with realtors who didn't maybe hold up their end of the bargain or do a good job actually like working those tools and systems to really

Starting point is 00:27:04 yield a result. I think any vendor we've talked about today can also be a partner in that title companies. There's a lot of respus stuff to keep in mind with that, but there are ways to do that that are totally on the up and up. And then, and I think that I'm just going to like keep on going here, I look for people who have that enterprising mind, who have like collaborative brainpower and energy to share with me, where they're like, yeah, let's do this together. I'll help you. I know someone who can do balloons at that party. You have my own sphere. I can invite that too. So there's a contractor that I was working with on that level where he wanted, he sponsored an event that I had last spring. And then I said, hey, invite some of your own sphere. We have excess capacity. So I

Starting point is 00:27:48 allotted him tickets. And then, yeah, he's, he's been one of my best referral sources in the last year. He sent me multiple clients who were painters are great. People reach out to a painter when they're getting ready to sell their house. Yeah. So that's been another great line of business. So basically looking for people who intrinsically and innately have ideas of how to help you get things done and actually like maybe take some tasks off of your plate. Have you experienced anything like that thus far? I think that's huge, especially for people like us. And, you know, I think you and I are similar in that, at least in the beginning of your career, you did everything yourself and you learned how to delegate, you know, further on. And I'm still very much, I like to do it all myself. So anyone who can take a little bit of burden off is that is trusted that you know they're going to do a good job. Order the right balloons or whatever it may be. You know, I think for people. Coming back to the standards, right? Right, right. Balloons that look good. Yeah. Exactly. We have high standards. And that's why it's hard for me to give up, you know, power or whatever, you know, responsibilities to others. So I think it goes back to everything, the communication, the trust and just, yeah, having someone who's going to give back to you if you're going to give to them. I think it's spot on. Yeah. And I feel like these are kind of basic industry things that people have all probably come across. But I think like a lender who will show up to your brokers open or open house with the refreshments. Here's my dream.

Starting point is 00:29:16 someone could run with this and approach one of their vendors. Because I feel like open houses are really the lead gen engine. Brokers opens are very a specialty thing. They have their place. But for, you know, standard open houses, what would it look like to have a lender who will go to the party store and get all the balloons with helium for you? Bring the balloons. Put all of your signs out and bring refreshments.

Starting point is 00:29:38 And then maybe even stay for the whole open house and have a little bit more of like an organic chit chat with people that are there because they can really be there. as like, I love having a, like a compatriot who can upsell me and say, oh, like, they can be in the room. Oh, Tina's really good. You should, you should totally talk to her. You know, like, just that, that third party credibility. Yeah. And it's, it's nice having them there too at open houses to answer any questions that you might not be able to answer. You know, I, that's one of the biggest things that I love is saying she may have a great, he or she may have a great program for you, you know, that could help you out. And I think it almost expedites the process in some cases because it's like, okay, done.

Starting point is 00:30:18 There's a lender I'm going to work with. And you know it's all going to work well together, you know. Yeah, pre-approving people on the spot, telling them about grants, telling them about zero-down loan options they maybe haven't heard of. I feel like if someone was like, oh, my gosh, my business is at a standstill. And I need to start lead generating way more. I would say, find a lender to do this strategy, which we just talked about. Commit to doing an open house every weekend. or doesn't even always have to be on a weekend. Like I think like a Thursday afternoon kind of happy hour style open house could be great. So I think, but I would say go hard.

Starting point is 00:30:52 Go hard for 12 weeks. Do an open house every single week for 12 weeks. Follow the same strategy. Refine it as you go. Add everyone to your database that is unrepresented or is, you know, open to having like a buyer agency consultation with you and then measure and then just don't do it once or twice. But if you're like, I'm ready to go hard, let me find another maybe upstart the industry who has the time and who can show up like that, I'd go.

Starting point is 00:31:18 I wish I could go back 15 years and do that. It's okay. Okay. Now I just would rather use a Facebook group to do that. But that's a whole other podcast. Okay. Yeah. So I think like the kind of the bigger picture question, so this is point four of six.

Starting point is 00:31:30 We're just talking about is like what skills and resources can they bring to the table? Connections. Do they like do they know the vendor? Can they just show up with the materials? Can they open other doors for you? One thing that I've done for a lot of vendors and lenders in my space is I know a lot of real estate agents from my history. So I've been a door opener to help them grow their businesses. So I think how can they reciprocate for you in that way?

Starting point is 00:31:56 Maybe it is introducing you to other top agents to get. And let's actually jump ahead to this because you were asking me this question of, you know, say I'm starting from scratch because whether I'm new in the business or I'm new in this area or I just don't have. you know, a full list of who is great at everything. What is the best way to not use my client as a guinea pig? And my response is, I would find a mentor. And you have. So, but for anyone listening, I would find a mentor who is local, who has the same standards and sensibilities that I've already really described here and ask them to open their Rolodex and give you all of their people. And that's still kind of a big ask, but I would do that for anyone that, like, I'm mentoring in my mentor circle. So I think that's the way to really kind of bulletproof, although you can't totally

Starting point is 00:32:46 bulletproof because like we've talked about, sometimes the best vendors have a bad day. They lose people who work for them and the value delivery goes way down or whatever the case may be. And that's where I think the way we position it to our clients is so critical. And because I've done this long enough, I've gotten burned so much, often by general contractor recommendations. That's probably the word. It's such an inconsistent industry. So then I, one of the things, I've learned to say to people is here's my favorite right now. Interview them. No vendor is perfect. Two things. If you work with them, let me know how it goes. Or if you work with them or you interview them and it doesn't feel like a good fit,

Starting point is 00:33:25 come back to me and I'll give you another recommendation. So I've really trained people of how to look at that. And that's really helped and protected me. And I've also gotten really, really valuable feedback that way where people are just, if you don't tell them you want the feedback and don't plant that seed, they just might not do it. Some will, you know, but some will, they'll just move on and on to the next and maybe never come to you for a recommendation again. So I've really learned to set expectations in that way. It's, you know, generally it's like a text or a Facebook message or something. So yes, I do type like two to three extra sentences to say that. But for me, that kind of comes back to that core communication value of like, I'm going to give you all of what I think. It actually

Starting point is 00:34:03 doesn't take that much longer to give you like a thorough answer versus a, you know, screenshot. someone's phone number without any other context kind of thing. And that's really served me well. Yeah. No, I totally agree. You're spot on with all that. And then I think, you know, if I am, and I've had guinea pig situations. And then I tell people I'm very upfront where I say, you know what, this happened like during COVID where there was not one contractor. I would, was comfortable recommending anymore because I'd had reports of issues with everybody that I'd been referring for years. It was very disappointing and it was, you know, labor shortage materials. shortage, cost flying out the wazzo. And we're still in that dynamic today. So when I'm in a guinea

Starting point is 00:34:45 pig situation, I just disclose it and say, you know what, this person is brand new to me. They came referred. I haven't used them yet. So buyer beware, maybe use them, maybe don't, maybe check like Google reviews for other vendors. And I'd love the feedback. And people just love that full disclosure. It's all it is. You know, this is really making me think. And something we've always known is real estate agents are like matchmakers in every way, you know, from a Of course, finding the home, but matching with the right vendors. And that's something that's so important is understanding the personality types of your clients and of the vendors. And I know I touched on it before, but even with contractors to your point, you know, one client that has a very

Starting point is 00:35:27 specific personality type might not work well with, you know, rough around the edges contractor or a super, you know, you could play it so many different ways. But you are a matchmaker. And I think that's where it's so important to understand everyone's personality type and what they would work well with, you know, to help us make recommendations. I could not agree more. And there's so many smart things in what you said. But I think when you work with like relationships at the forefront the way both you and I do, you know people, you know your sensibilities, you know their standards. Even when people ask me for a mover, I have my like higher end mover that I would use for my luxury, high expectation people. And

Starting point is 00:36:06 then I have my more like a little bit more budget minded or I might give them three names and say, hey, like you should really shop around versus my like premier mover that I just, I've, again, there I am just referring one name, but where I'm like, this is the one who's let me down the least. Right, right. I once had a mover. I mean, I could give you so many horror stories, but I had a mover that was my go to for five or seven years. They ghosted my cellar on moving day. No way.

Starting point is 00:36:31 And the owner was like in Israel. I was like calling him. And eventually they came. but I think at like 8 p.m. that night. See, and this is the other thing. Each company, each company is only as good as their, I hate to say it like this, worst employee, right? Yes.

Starting point is 00:36:48 And any company can have the best, this is a big realization for me in this real estate world, any company can have the best marketing, the best branding, the best imaging. But if they have one sour employee on the bottom end that happens to be the one that you guys are dealing with. I'm sorry. That's a horrible experience, you know. And I think that's, that's the grand illusion of marketing sometimes, you know. Oh, my gosh. I have a chill as you say it because it's like, it's so true. I feel like that's the truth bomb of today. So thank you for that. And there's also a mirror moment of like whenever I've had a weak link in my own team. And like it just shows itself. And it can be so hard to do something about it for so many reasons. And same thing with

Starting point is 00:37:32 when like loyalty and you care about people, you see their. potential or you remember how they used to be, but they're not that way now for whatever reason. So I think all of these topics could be like applied to so many different things. But that's the truth. And not only that, but it's impossible like the, you know, the job industry now, it's so hard to find good people. So when you're talking about these bigger companies, you know, to find good people, it's just so hard. I dealt with it in my last job, just the amount of recruitment campaigns and people trying to find good people. It's just, it's a real problem. Yeah. And you use the word recruitment. And this is like a little bit of a sidebar, but the longer you're in the industry, the more you're going

Starting point is 00:38:13 to be approached by recruiters from other brokerages. And I think what we talked about early on applies. Like you're really not obligated to respond. And if you want to, you can. But one of the things that's really helped me and not necessarily with recruiters, although I always have my one eye open on like, is there anywhere that I need to be aware of so I'm not like missing an opportunity as far as like a brokerage platform. But more specifically, I always have a B list, be for backup. And I've actually learned that's been one of my favorite little mini like scripts with mortgage people or anyone that is like trying really, really hard to get on my radar where I say basically like, I have my go-toes and we're like in a great groove, but you will be my next call when it's time for me to try someone new.

Starting point is 00:38:57 And that has happened with two of the mortgage people that I've kind of like brought into the fold in the last year. They were both kind of in that status. And I like tried them with one transaction and was impressed with different things about what they did. And then I kind of have brought them into the fold. So whether you tell them that or not, it doesn't really matter. Although like there's someone who, and he's still on my B list, but he's reached out to me so much where I'm just like, just so you know, like I'm not a no. I'm just a not right now with working with you. So that's something again, I would do more like. Yeah. And. And, And what you said of like, what if I do run into them next month or what if they're the lender on my buyer's friends with them and my buyer wants to use them. And I have to interface with them directly. So I think that's a just say, hey, you know, that's just kind of where I'm at. But I think just having a. No hard feelings. Yeah. No hard feelings. I just don't have the time right now. But it's not to say, we're never going to work together because. Yeah. And even say like, I'm sure you're very loyal. I'm, I'm loyal to who I'm working with right now. But things can change. So just know that you're on

Starting point is 00:39:55 my list. And I think I've probably had the dialogue with people as the recipient, but I found that it goes over really well when I'm like the person saying that. So that's like a little, a little tip on the B list and kind of how to frame that for people. And then I think I just want to wrap up with kind of the last two things that I look for that are very much tied together. Is their mindset? And are they a taker or a giver? And those are sort of like judgmental labels. But I think if I just think about like what the energy exchange feels like, it really does kind of tie back into that reciprocity thing. But are they looking to just get from me and get access to my Rolodex? And that is something I've struggled with the longer I've stayed in my career where people want actually like all of my resources, but then they don't hire my team. And like I have this ongoing joke with my husband. He's brought a lot of business through his colleagues, but then he has certain colleagues who like didn't hire the Bellevue group. But then. And Andrew doesn't like know who, you know, all of my go-tos are. So he'll be like, such and such wants to know the mover and the painter. And I've just started saying, no. Yeah. You can't have my

Starting point is 00:41:01 Rolodex. Yeah. You don't want to work with me. If you didn't work with the team. Like, yeah, like that is part of being part of my community. Like that is actually how you get access to that information. But coming back to the vendor, and that's for me has been something that I did not do 10 years ago because I kind of helped everyone in hopes that it would eventually come back around to me. And I think there's no wrong way, but I started to feel like I need more of a boundary. And like, this Rolodex is insanely valuable, which is why I would give it to someone I'm mentoring, but not to anyone, right? And this is big with NAR, everything going on, you know, speaking of that, I feel like that's going to play into the future. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I've even experienced

Starting point is 00:41:40 it with my academy where people, somebody might want my, you know, playbook. And I'm like, here's a free resource. And they're like, okay, but can you like tell me exactly how to do it and did it. And I'm like, absolutely, I just like, I can't, I can't like donate that time to everyone who asks me. So then I created the course. So I think finding ways to have those channels for give and take. So to kind of bring it back to the topic of the podcast specifically, I would just really pay attention to what that interchange feels like. And if you decide to have meetings or informational zooms or phone calls with vendors who do want to get into your Rolodex, I would say to them, like, what ideas do you have for how we could grow my business together? Is there anything you've been successful implementing with other realtors that you think we could kind of duplicate? Do you have any systems in place to kind of generate your own leads? Is there, you know, what are the, what's the kind of probability of us having any sort of mutual exchange? I think those are great interview questions to be asking and the cream will rise to the top. And I think a lot of people somewhere in the middle, no one's ever asked them that. So they might be speechless or not have an answer. But that might trigger something for them to think about or actually.

Starting point is 00:42:46 say, well, you know what, now that you're asking me that, I actually do, you know, have this one specific skill or resource or relationship. Let's talk about that. Right. Right. Yeah. And if you're team building, this is my last tip and then we'll stop. I have gotten some of my best team members from other industry vendors. So several of my very best buyer agents over the years came from lender introductions. So it may not be that they have leads for buyers and sellers, but they may have leads for other resources. They may have their own wonderful rolodex of the very best of the best in the industry or in complementary spaces, like all the lawyers that work in the sectors of law that lead to real estate transactions, estates, family law, things like that. Lots of ways to go about

Starting point is 00:43:31 it. So hopefully I've given some ideas for you and for everyone listening. Is there anything we want to say to wrap this up or do we feel like we should just drop the mic? No, I think we covered a lot. I think, you know, I know we talked about firm choice being a discussion for another time because that's a big, that's a big topic, whether you're starting out or going through a transition in your, you know, in your journey. And I think that's a fun one to chat about. Yeah. I think we should come back to that. Yeah. Yeah. I have an episode coming out that maybe in the library by the time people listen to this called Should I Change Real Estate Brokerages. So that would be a good one. Then I think we could kind of tag that to come back. But that really does come back to your inner circle.

Starting point is 00:44:13 And I think whether it's a mentor, a team, a brokerage, a network, even like a membership that you join that's like brokerage agnostic, there are so many ways to create your circle and cultivate it. And you may want to have a local focus, especially when you're like very new and that feels very relevant, where you might want to have a national focus of a circle of people all over the country where you're not maybe segmented by, you know, or not like in competition with each other and can share interstate referrals. So I think maybe I would just leave everyone with. that is like a reflection question of what kind of circle do you need and where could you seek that out? And firm is absolutely part of that. Yeah. What are your needs? You know, list out your needs, whether it's the commute to the office or the, you know, type of people you're surrounded by and resources. There's so many things to look at. Yeah. I gave a homework assignment to someone that I'm sort of a quasi unofficial mentor for. She's no she wants to change brokerages, but is very confused about where. And the assignment I gave her was to make two lists. One of all, your pain points and complaints because she's in a really bad place. Like when she's stayed where she's at for

Starting point is 00:45:18 too long, which is understandable, we all can, you know, do that. So I was sort of like brain dump everything you hate because it's actually easier when you're in a pain place to point your finger to everything that doesn't work. For me, I can be like, I don't like this. I don't like that. I don't like that. So like get that out of your system and also like that's a very productive thing to do. And then the other thing I said was make a wish list. What do you wish? What do you you dream? What do you hope? What, what do you even like jealous of that other people have or appear to have back to marketing that you don't? So, so we'll stop there. I could just talk and talk and talk. But those are some tactical takeaways. And again, thank you, Hannah, for being here. If anyone wants to

Starting point is 00:45:53 connect with you on Instagram, what is your handle? It's at Hannah Fountain Holmes. And I have no wait at the end of my name. So just H-A-N-N-A. Fountain-L-L-E-Lan-A. Fountain-L-L-Lan. Love it. And I'll link it up in the show notes. Thank you so much for being here and having the conversation. And I will be back with another episode soon. Thank you, Tina. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the High Performance Agent podcast. Make sure to subscribe by hitting the follow button so you don't miss the next episode. And check the show notes for links to all of my goodies, including my newsletter filled with tips for ambitious agents. You can also find me on Instagram at Tina Bellavow. Talk to you soon.

KGCI: Real Estate on Air - Finding Vendors Who Help You Grow Your Business & Generate Leads

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