KGCI: Real Estate on Air - Mastering Real Estate Lead Generation from Your Sphere

Episode Date: January 22, 2026

Summary:This episode is an interview with top-producing agent Helena Chan, who provides a tactical guide on how to generate leads and build a sustainable business primarily from your sphere of influence. She shares her personal systems for consistent follow-up, adding value, and turning casual conversations into business opportunities. The discussion emphasizes that an agent's network is their greatest asset and offers specific, actionable advice on how to nurture those relationships to ensure a steady stream of referrals and repeat clients.

All right. I think we're good. All right. So welcome back, guys, to the Power Half Hour. This is episode 142. Today we have a major rock star from Washington, the state of Washington in Seattle. The number one agent of EXP Realty all over the U.S. Ms. Helena Chen. Welcome, and thank you for being here.

Oh, yeah. Thank you, John. Thank you. Thank you. You know, I was so bummed last time when we had. the panel we didn't get to record it but I want to capture our interview today and we just want to find out how you're able to do what you do but first and foremost tell us who you are and where you come from and you know what you do okay great so I am a kind of chain so I

based in Washington actually so I moved to America from 2015 and then I started my business as a thought agent from 2017. 2017. So, yeah. You were, I think number one at the previous company as well.

And that was a local company. Jan Al Scott. Jan Al Scott, yeah. And now you're at EXP and, you know, producing as a solo agent guys over $100 million in 2020.

And only starting her career from 2017. That's only seven years going on eight years. Like how are you, able to do all this as a solo agent? So for me, I find that the most important thing is being authentic. Authentic, okay, okay. Yeah.

Just being yourself. You are? Yeah. Okay. So did you learn sales skills to be able to do what you do or you just be, be authentic? Like, say more about that. That's a very good question. So when I joined the first year, back to 2017,

So I think I did a 20-something trisections. I got some like a big award from John L. Scott by the end of the year. And then so I was very curious about myself. So I was wondering, so how I can do the business just naturally. So without a connection. without selling skills. So I never do sales before. So because of that,

so I started to join the MacFerry system. Right. Okay. And you learn properly how to sell. So after, okay, wait, 26 transactions as a new agent coming from China only two years prior, guys. This is incredible, first and foremost.

Those 26 transactions, where did they come from? Okay, very good question. So when I joined the American first year, I'm really curious about the American system, like how to do grocery. And then even how to use a checkbook. Because I came from England, so we don't use a checkbook. Oh, no checkbook. Okay. Yeah.

Okay. So I spent like a few months to understanding how to live in America. So I'm very, you know, you can say I'm very fond. person. So always I ask money to people, this is my nature. So people always like engaging conversation with me. So

one day, I realize every morning I always go to coffee shop. So I started engaging in the conversation about the housing information with the you know, Starbucks employee. Yeah.

And one day, so the lady tell me, and her husband is a we work VP. Yeah, so this is how the conversation started from there. From a Starbucks and a barista. Yeah. And then they just happened to know a couple that were VPs of WeWork. And then so how did that, he gave you a referral, a connection or an introduction?

It's her husband. Oh, it's her husband. So, oh my gosh. So the person that worked at Starbucks, Her husband was the VP of WeWork. And then did they buy a house or sell a house with you? Yeah. So they started asking me about how to invest.

And then how to buying, how to selling, which is give me, you know, some practicing. Yeah, yeah. So I have to start looking at the local market about how, you know, how many days they need to get sold and how much they get sold. Like this is selling resources. So it's a really good starting case. Give me an example, I started learning the market quicker.

So because of that case, so I started engaging conversation more seriously, more often with people. Right. And there's a bank across my office. It's a chess bank. Yeah. So every time I go there, I just end up the conversation talking about the properties. And then later, so I connected their branch manager. So they go to work out together.

And then so we talk about the housing market. Wow. Talking about the referrals. This is how the conversation started naturally from the first year. So literally 26 transactions basically all coming from just living life, guys. Yeah. And engaging in conversations. Most people don't have the courage to talk to strange.

Are you a natural at being able to talk to people? And you didn't even speak English, did you? Oh, wait a minute, you came from England. We came from England. Okay. By the time, my accent very strong. I know right, not still strong, but then the time it's even stronger. Wow.

Yeah. But you don't, so a lot of agents that are Asian descent, who have only come recently. They want to get into real estate, but they have this thing in their mind that, hey, I can't work with everybody. I can only work with people who speak Mandarin because I have an accent.

What do you say to those agents? Because most of your clients are not Chinese. Yeah. So I need to make sure. So firstly, I need to tell my clients. So English is not my first language. But if they don't understand, my language, but as long as you understand my logic, that's okay.

If you don't understand my language, but you understand my logic, then it's okay. Guys, wow. Because deliberately, I use a very simple word. Yeah. So I can pronounce well. Yeah. And also, I use the gesture. So my clients said that, yes, we understand what you're talking about by your gesture and the body language.

Wow. So how did you get people to trust you when you're a brand new agent in Seattle, Washington, you know, barely just came to America two years prior? How do they trust you with their real estate matters at that price point? I mean, these are a million-dollar homes. Yeah, that's very important. So I tell everybody the truth from the beginning. So from the first year, I tell them, so I'm very new to America.

but I got my master degree. I'm a very quick learner. I don't have so much experience. It doesn't really mean I don't have so much knowledge. I can learn. If I don't know today, I will find out I will not tomorrow. Wow. So people trust it immediately.

That's amazing. Because I tell people what I know, what I don't know. Wow. That's authenticity right there. Yeah. And guys, don't pretend that you know something. Tell people what you don't know and tell people what you know and they'll respect you for it. And I'm a quick learner.

I got my master's degree and you might not understand my language, but you understand my logic. So are we good to go? Right? So 26 transactions in your first year, phenomenal and already top 1%. In the next few years, you were able to, as a solo agent, earn $2 million. dollars why are you so relentless in your goal achieving like what's driving you okay it's a very um it's a very important question and a very connected question yes so for the first year when i finished my um the year when so i don't really feel uh i don't i don't so much why because i didn't

learn something it's just natural right so i started joining my computer system. I started learning the prospecting, how to timing, you know, the time management. Yeah, time management. Yeah. All of these skills. So I really started putting the effort in. And then I started practicing and then I started seeing the skills. So the only thing pushed me for the second year, which is a year where this marketplace. I become this millionaire agent. Yes. The big difference is I changed my market.

Okay. Because the year one, my market average price by that time was $850. So I'm calculating the number because I say, okay, if I need to finish $1 million income, I need to sell, you know, so much volume. But by that time, my son is only one year old. So I need to do everything for my son, for my daughter. My daughter was like in the kindergarten. So I need to do lots of school wrong.

So I'm thinking, so every week, every month, I only have 13 hours. the only thing makes me achieve that amount of money is working on different price range so did you move your location then not that year

not 2018 year after because I only can get a loan after two years in America Oh you haven't bought a house for yourself yet Wow Yeah So

So 2018 which is my second year. So I got my $1 million in the pocket. Amazing. So I qualified for the loan. Yeah. And then I moved to the Central Bellevue. Central Bellevue.

I know Bellevue is like a higher end price point area in Seattle, Washington. So you moved markets and that's how you were able to achieve the million dollar goal, the GCI. So how many homes did you sell to get to a million dollars? So by that time, I can't remember exactly. I think it's something around 40. 40 transactions, so 25 grand per deal. So that's got to be like 2.5%. That's a million dollar average.

Yeah. Let's just say. Okay, wow. Yeah, that's right. Gosh, I mean, most people will have not the courage or the mindset to just say, hey, you know what? I'm going to move over there and I'm going to do higher prices. point you just you didn't wait you just went for it how are you able to do that just

like oh if I if I put my mind to something I'm just gonna do it yeah so very simple because I need to do lots of school activities so I need to pick up the case drop to the tennis I need to wait and after the tennis maybe my daughter go to ballet I need to pick my daughter to the ballet but I observe the people around me. So they are all the Bailview people. Yes. So which I tell myself

so this could be my clients or my indirect clients. That's right. So I need to engage a conversation. So every time so I don't sit in my car, I carry my son and wait next to the

classroom. So when the parents drop or pick up right so there's a chance I can engage a conversation Wow Yeah so all the conversation started from there My goodness Again it's all living life and being

To and from your son's activities You were actually able to build these relationships And engaging simply engaging in conversation with people Yeah But these are all very intentional moves guys Remember Starbucks was very intentional move engaging in conversation. And from there,

she gained her first client, the VP at WeWork. And from there, she practiced her market knowledge. Okay? And just by doing that, she was able to sell 26 homes, just by engaging in conversation

and studying the market. And she took it seriously in her second year joining coaching, which got her to a million dollars in GCI, by A, moving to an area that's higher price point, and B, again, engaging in conversation,

and C, learning, prospecting and time management. Correct. Helena, is it just as simple as that? It's not simple. Okay. It's not simple. It's simple.

It's not easy. It's not easy. So just like you work out to everybody, right? Yeah. It's not easy you can do. It's this every single day, especially after the holidays. Right, right. Yeah, so you need to rebuild your momentum.

And then you need to wait. wait and let your habit reform again because normally take me like two weeks to get my habit into a certain level I want to be only two weeks

okay I would say you are super human because nobody does what you do and like I would say that you are somebody who puts their mind to something and if you want something you're going to get it which you know, comes back to being unstoppable.

What, what, how are you so unstoppable? Does, do you get stopped? First of all, do you get stopped sometimes? Yes. I lost year, I got to stop many times. Oh, okay. Say more about that.

Like what? So let me finish your first question. Sure, sure, sure, sure. How to try to be more motivated, not unstoppable. I think I'm unstoppable for, me is a very strong word for me because I'm not a that kind of person yet but I have a goal so God is very important to me so every year I tell myself not matter what

what happened you have to make a certain amount of money to pay your living expense yep because I love my children so much every parents love their children of course But for me, I do everything for my children. So I want to give them best education, best life quality, best traveling, best class, everything best. Why? Because my parents give me this. Oh.

So that's why I'm thinking I have the skills. I'm not stupid. The only thing I need to improve is work harder and work smarter. So that's why I keep asking myself, you can work harder because my father is a very hard working person. So I got this gene. Another thing, I just need to learn how to work smarter. Okay. Which is learning from this pros like Zhang, you are one of them.

Thank you. So I'm very addicted with good people. Awesome. So this is the main things. encouraged me to set up a good goal, the higher goal. So I can find a better person to learn from, to change myself. And then the goal, obviously there's a minimum goal. And every day, every year I have to say I have slightly two go.

The minimum goal. And then the ideal goal. Oh. The minimum goal is the goal I must hate. Otherwise, I'm going to lower my life. life standard. Ooh. Yeah.

Okay. So this is my like a bottom line. Like very like if you if you don't hit this is a lot of pain and then there's the pleasure goal. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like last year I finished 800 million.

It's my ideal goal. It's my dream goal. Yes. Why? Because last year there's a loss of life. Abstance. Yeah. What, what happened?

So there's a lot of things that happen. Okay. Very private. Okay. Yeah. So that's why I'm thinking. I'm going to keep telling myself, I say, if you can do this year, you must have proud of yourself so much. Yes, I'm very proud of myself last year.

Well, we're very very proud of you. And, you know, it's no surprise, like how intense you are and how much of a goal. not only a goal setter, but a goal achiever you are, that you're able to become like the number one agent in your first year at EXP Realty. So kudos to you. And we all, that's why I wanted to do this interview today to have everybody learn from you, just how unstoppable you are. If we could just, and this is my way of hanging out with you,

because you're the average of the five people that you hang out with the most, and I want to hang out with you. Yeah. I want to find out with you. You are the first. I want to hang on all the time. Thank you. Thank you.

So, Helena, going into 2025 now, what's the goal for you? Yeah, so 25 is very simple. So I want to be more exposure on the social media. Okay. So add another 50% production. 50% production. So 150 million. Yeah.

Amazing. So I always ask this to the agents that we talk to. What's that going to do for you? 150 million. So it's just to show me the power, you know, for the, unlimited. So the goal for me is mainly try to prove myself. You can do it.

Wow. Yeah. This is the meaning of the goal for myself. Just to prove myself to myself. Amazing. So you don't engage in looking at other people and feeling jealousy, comparison and all that. This disease.

Oh, gosh. Okay, say more about that because we all tend to do that. You don't. I've been there. Oh, you've been there. Yeah. So for the first few years, I've been there. So I compare myself with, there's another agent. I even can't remember. So always I try to, I can be better than him. I can, you know, sell more than him. But it's a different personality, different business model, different commission structure.

That's right. So one day I'm asking myself, why should I compare something is not relevant? other than later, I found the best person I should compare is myself, is my last year, my last month, my last week. I love that. So finally, most people aren't even aware that they're comparing themselves with other people. You became aware of that, and you're like, no, that's a disease. I'm going to try to avoid that.

And as long as I'm better than myself yesterday, that's all it matters. So you keep pushing yourself to become a better you. and this year is a 50% better you. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. That is amazing. I want to touch on this one topic, which is coming to my mind.

Were you guys affected by the NAR settlement in Seattle, Washington? No? Nothing. Even better. Oh, even better. Say more about that. How? Okay.

So I checked the Airbus record this year. All of the top Washington agent, like a top 20. They sell more than last year, even year before. Whoa. What? Why? I think because this is not a settlement, most of the agents are getting scared. Everything comes from the mindset. Oh.

So most of the agents, they think they are getting less commission. Wow. And then so the market is getting tough. But it can not make it getting worse, interest rate getting higher. So they can tell them this better story on all the time. time. Yes. It's an AAR is just one of another story. So that's why when I check everybody's record this year for the top of Washington,

and I think everybody's sale more than before. So which means I think then the top of the top, the cream of the crop are doing more transactions while the people who are doing maybe one or two transactions, those people are gone. Yeah. And then the top agents are getting more. So you certainly did more. well which is avoiding the story that's out there but strengthening what's up here the the 12 inches in between your ears so how strong I mean sorry how do you work on your

mindset on a daily basis because I think that mindset is important obviously yeah medicine is very important so I always listen on myself I do lots of personal improvement work so just listening your thought listening to listening your thoughts voice, inner voice. I give you a very good example. So this morning I woke up with some symptom of sickness. And then I tell myself, I say, oh, so today you're going to be sick. And then immediately I'm thinking, no, I'm not sick at all.

No, don't tell me that. Yeah. You just need to petition. Yeah. What your brain tells you? because they always tell you negative things very often if you're a petition. Wow. So how to fight with it?

I just listen to podcast. Listen to podcasts. Okay, good. So really inundating your brain with positive stuff so then the bad stuff can just get out of your brain. Yeah. So really replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. How are you so aware of it? Because most people are just spiraled down into their own thoughts,

talking to themselves negatively, how do you become aware of your negative thoughts? It's like another habit. Like you work out, it's a habit. Okay. You just need to start it from some point. Because when you start a petition on your thought, you didn't really realize from beginning.

But for example, one day, in the morning, especially in the morning, when the quiet time, you get up early and then you just feel how you feel. Started from there. Okay, so feeling how you feel, you know, Mike Ferry always says this.

Like you can, you won't be able to control your first thought in your head. Yeah. But Helen out took this to heart that you control your second thought. Yeah. So whatever pops up, you're like, oh, wait a minute. I'm getting a little. little bit sick. I'm getting sick today.

No, no, no, no, no. Wait, wait, wait. I'm not getting sick. I'm feeling alive and well. So it's the awareness, guys, of controlling your second thought. Correct. The awareness is the key. So, wow.

Again, I mean, I'm just so impressed and so proud of what you've been able to do. And thank you for inspiring us all. Is there anything that you want to share with the audience here that can really help agents, you know, who are struggling to succeed this year? Okay, so I think I keep telling everybody that this works for me be yourself

is more important than anything else I love it Because the class of they also smart They can tell Ah Yes guys Authenticity is the key And we see that with you

You're totally yourself You're free Unleashed and always self-expressed And you know I just I'm a huge fan of you. Thank you for inspiring us today. Eleanor, if people wanted to join your organization or learn from you how to become unstoppable like you,

how would they find you? Find me on Facebook first. Okay, Facebook. We're right here on Facebook Live and you can add her as a friend or do you have Instagram, LinkedIn, anything like that yet? Yeah, I do. This is another improvement of this year. Okay, we'll get you there.

So right here on Facebook, connect with Helena. Helena, thank you for being on the show today. And once again, congratulations on your big production, your success overall so many years in a row. And congrats on being number one here at EXP. Thank you, Dawn. So grateful to be in partnership with you. Thank you. Thank you.