Watch the live interview below

Marla Chapa accidentally became the #1 selling agent in her 700 home community in her first year.  2 years later she sells 47% of all homes in the area!  Read on for details…

Marla has been selling homes just over 3 years.  She’s NOT what you consider a top-producer.  She had just gotten her real estate license and just moved into a new neighborhood, and wanted to meet her neighbors.

So she invited neighbors to her home for a “social” night … and ended up getting a listing.  She did a “social” night each month and made 16 sales her first year.  Two years later she sells 47% of all listings in her 700 community — or about 33 listings a year.

And get this … she still does no advertising.  She does no mailers.  She makes no phone calls.  All she does is a social night once a month!  AMAZING!!

This is such a simple concept that anyone can do.  You must listen to it!

Transcription (was completed by automated process.  Please ignore any speech-to-text errors)

[00:00:01] This is the get sellers calling you marketing podcasts for real estate agents. And I’m Beatty Carmichael for simple to do. Proven marketing strategies focus exclusively on finding sellers and getting more listings. Visit our Web site and get sellers calling you dot com.

[00:00:16] And now let’s begin our next session of get sellers calling you.

[00:00:23] Ok. And we’re back. And one welcome, everyone, to the Get Cellar’s Calling You. Realtor podcast. And I’m just really excited to do this call the day because it’s really an amazing story. I’ll tell you a little bit about the story in just a moment. But let me introduce Marla Chata from Washington State. And she is not the type person you think would be a safer star, but her story is a superstar. Stories of Marla. How are you doing?

[00:00:59] I’m doing great. Thank you.

[00:01:02] So also, just as a reminder, this is an Internet call. So long. So part in any type of Internet interruptions. So, Marla, I want to give kind of the nutshell of where you are right now. And then I want to go back and have you kind of walk us through who you are and how you got there. But the reason I’m so excited here, here’s kind of the back story. I was doing a call for a client of ours who is coaching and training Marla, because, Marla, you’re like a three or three and half years active selling real estate agent right now, aren’t you?

[00:01:40] Okay. And and so Marla and just trying to get some business going and trying to meet some people.

[00:01:47] She stumbled onto something that she’s in a community of 700 homes called Shannon Highlands. And in her first twelve months of stumbling on this, she she went from nothing to like twenty to twenty two percent market share of all the homes sold in that community, like 16’s homes. And in the last 12 months, she’s done like almost half of all the homes in that farm. Thirty three thereabout sales in the last twelve months. And I was telling my Marla, it was so exciting that her story is she is she you know, I tell her now enough times that she’s probably catching on. She didn’t even know how great of a story it is. So, Marla, I am just really excited to have you on board because on this call, because there are a lot of people that are new in the business or they’ve been in the real estate business for a while, but they still kind of haven’t found a niche. And they will probably really recognize where you are and kind of see themselves and you and and and you’re not a superstar in what you think you’re doing, but you’re a hitting superstar status. So I just think that’s so great. Welcome again to the call.

[00:03:05] Thank you. I didn’t know I was a superstar. Honestly, I did it. I. I just trying to not lose the house.

[00:03:16] So. So tell us a story to tell us what happened. Tell it. Tell us. Leading into that and just kind of what we were talking about before the calls before the interview started.

[00:03:26] So I was serving in the Navy 10 years and the Navy my whole entire career in downsizing, so I focused on getting my bachelor’s degree in marketing and I was going to go and pursue an Officer o.c.’s career. And my ex has been now a he is active duty still. And it was just very challenging how you were going to be separated in the life and military life. You know, we signed up for it, but you’re married and trying to have a family or changes. And I had a son and then everything changed. And I decide to put a hold on my career and focus on learning to be a mom and two more kids later. I just loved it.

[00:04:09] And I had just decided that I was and I just tried to postpone my my office for a year and wait till my kids were a little older then to submit my package. And what we’re doing now is we’ve discovered my children and all three of them have a condition where their special needs and my youngest just diagnosed with autism. So we go to Seattle Children’s Hospital more times. And the military was they’re undermanned. So it’s really hard for them to let me go. And my ex husband was deployed.

[00:04:43] But, you know, I had to take my kids to these appointments. We were trying to get them diagnosed and figure out what’s going on. And, you know, five doctors for each child. Fifteen visits to Seattle Children’s. Just they had to get me somebody to help me coordinate all these, calling the insurance company to get, you know, to get an order number, whatever referral and then to each doctor or the referral expired. And keeping up with all of it was a full time job. So I made the decision to get out of the Navy at 10:00. My ex husband had a little bit more time in and I said, what can I do with my marketing degree? I have an education and do something within me. Said My app is a real estate agent. Yeah. Erm in Laredo, Texas. And I said, you know, I think that that I can do that I could possibly work from home and you know, take care of my kids and have more time to focus on their doctors appointments and I can work part time from home. Right. And that’s good doesn’t it.

[00:05:43] I enjoy part time from home.

[00:05:45] It is not. It is all 70 hours. Flexible hours.

[00:05:50] But you’ve got to put in all of the hours and hours, you know, learning how to be a realtor. Learning, you know, doing open houses. Finding the money to pay for everything. Getting out of the Navy. I was so used to requesting permission to do anything. And so you the discipline and everything. Everything the Navy gave me does prepare me for my real estate career.

[00:06:14] And I remember I called to show a listing and the man heard my little waist. Oh, this is it for that. You know, you better have some thick skin. And I was like, what I did 10 years in the Navy. So my skin’s pretty thick and thin and thin guy, because it really it really did help my career. So I was having a hard time meeting people. I worked with a bunch of men in the military and the bases about 30 minutes away. And I lived in this neighborhood and our houses are like five feet from each other and nobody really knew each other. And I noticed there was a lot of military people here. And I was like, I bet somebody in the immediate community would want a band called Ace or, you know, maybe one of the wives will do some childcare. I need help, Jeremi. I said at the time my husband was deployed.

[00:07:01] And so that was you. But let me pose your quick give me a timeline about how long ago was this period that you’re talking deliberated?

[00:07:11] Fifteen and I had eight in my last baby, my third son and I got my license in July 2015. And so I was just trying to think of something. And I tried joining other networking groups. They have luncheons. They had this. And everybody had a realtor and they were like, no, we already got a realtor. And you just basically waiting for them to retire. And so I said, well, I’ll start my own. I’ll start my own network. And we had a Facebook page, our community, which is super smart. I think every community should really look in that direction. And I just threw it out there, said, hey, this is February 2016. I had been planning it since January. Said, I’m going to put some money. And, you know, you have to get to spend money to make money.

[00:07:59] So I went in, took a risk and swipe my card at Costco and boxes of wine boot. And then I found a starving guitarist. And there’s nothing to do. Mt. Vernon, by the way, there’s tulips and there’s lots of farm and farmer’s markets. But there’s not anything. There’s no nightlife. Everything goes to bed at 8 or 9 p.m.. So when I open my house and I drive music and free wine and food and I had about I just said, if anybody wants to. They had been asking me, you want to have a sensi party? You have an advocate party. When it was like, how many parties? I’m just going to have one party and all of your friends and bring your stuff and let’s like show and tell. And so they did. They set up on coffee tables. I had an artist post out her beautiful pictures of the tulips on my fireplace. I had the canning water people come and take over my kitchen and do a whole mini demonstration. I had solar energy in my office. I had twelve businesses. Most of them are still here with me today. And I’ve had events and it just looked at them.

[00:09:05] I hate to interrupt, but let me make sure I’m catching you on this. So you’re trying to get involved with other networking groups and none of them will let you in because they already have a realtor. So you say, well, I’m going to start my own. And so within your neighborhood of about seven hundred homes, you decide just to have a party at your house and invite the people to come over here in the neighborhood who have some sort of product or service or some sort of a business to sell and just have kind of a networking group at your house. Is that pretty much.

[00:09:39] 700 housed over whether they had a business or not. Okay. You know, one thing I do know not everybody’s going to. You know, when you have a party, will you invite 20 people? You’ll get one or two people or, you know, you scientists divide. You all are walking by my house. I have one of the newer houses. They were kind of curious about what the new work was. There’s all age homes here. And I had a new one at the time to come check out the new quadrio at home. Milton, you know, I said some you know, some people were nosy and they came in and they shot. They drank. They met their neighbors by the end of the night, like everybody knew, like, oh, so-and-so lives there, so-and-so does this. And they are still networking. And every now and then I’ll remind people they stop and think, How did you meet that person? Where were you? And they reflect, Oh, yeah, there’s this guy. It’s socialism. That’s the power network. You as a person. See, now, my I met my best friends at that one night like they’re my best friends in the whole world. And how many people died like. It was a tough business to sign up, and that’s why people in the house, meaning the shopping and then and then they closed shop about 9:00 p.m. and then all of them made friends and they went off to the bar and just became like doing business naturally. So organic and so natural. It was really why I don’t call it farming, because I had no idea what I was doing. I was just excited to meet people. You know, I don’t know my neighbors. This is my first home. My.

[00:11:13] So me tell tell me that. So at this point in time, before you started that social. How many homes had you sold?

[00:11:23] Do you feel I sold?

[00:11:26] I would sell.

[00:11:28] Ok, you sold one home by this time. Then you decided you wanted to meet your neighbors. Maybe have an avenue to do your own networking group so you invite them over to your house. Twenty to twenty five people come over. You met some of your best friends. And did you get any business out of that one meeting next week? I had my first listing. Wow. That’s amazing. And then tell me tell me what happened from there. Keep the keep the story going. This is great.

[00:12:01] So my first lesson was when the business that night, he was a neighbor friend of mine. Need met. And before she did photography. And so she ended up coming to my my event that night. She’s like some house. So how fast can you get it on the market now? I only met. So I start figuring out what it takes to list a home. I do have marketing experience. But, you know, key boxes and signs and, you know, like, you know, open houses and figuring out how to get everything. So that was, you know, something I was taking on and I was and had to. So I got with a productivity coach and that was awesome that Halloweens offers that. I really, really appreciate that the guidance that I got because I was doing it. You know, in real estate, it’s it’s everybody. So is. Nobody really has time to help it with productivity, you know? It really works. So I was able to compensate my experience with working with an experienced agent to help me. So that was definitely something that I don’t. That was a great investment and sold her house in less than a week. Then after I got it under contract. Sold in four days are under contract and fortes and then we close sold five thousand over a list price under contract in five days and promoted it, and as soon as you get your first listing, you must make sure I’m a marketing girl. So I make sure my market every every incredible event that goes on throughout the transaction process.

[00:13:36] So now head of in toto, tell me what you did in your marketing.

[00:13:41] I was seen as a sign that that was my first real estate sign on my face on air with my name on it. I took a selfie outside the then, you know, I had to go to my sphere. Not only am I a real estate, I’m a real estate agent, but listing homes, selling homes and doing open houses. You know, because that was my biggest hurdle at the time was my experience, you know. So I started posting it. It was scary. Everybody just knew me as Naveh Mala Chopra. And now I needed them to see me as realtor. Your realtor, you know, I was the biggest. And it was scary because everybody’s scared of failing. I think that one thing the Navy’s taught me is, who cares? Nobody. I was a cotillion. I wouldn’t do presentation. Ball is entirely I was entrapped.

[00:14:29] None of all my friends are getting married and buying houses. And I just did not want to do that. And I left to the Navy. I wanted to travel live like a vagabond with military. So it was I guess it just you know, I had the guts to do that is I said, why wouldn’t I have the guts to, you know, transition into a career? I don’t know. I just knew that. I just knew that was going to be able to do it. All right. Honest. I didn’t have it.

[00:14:55] So so when you when you got this house under contract in four days for $5000 over list price. Did you. Did you put out postcards to scheduled Highland’s? Did you promote it on the Facebook page? How did you get that message out?

[00:15:14] Facebook page. I said, hey, neighbors, here’s your market update, Bill. You know, it was cheap, didn’t have any money. I know I wasn’t making a lot of money in the Navy, so I just posted it on the Facebook page and then I posted it on my personal age and shared everything. And then they weren’t doing Facebook, didn’t have boosting options at the time. So we just had a public page. People can anybody can look at they had just started doing experience or trying to remember.

[00:15:43] So that’s how I did it. And then other neighbors just said, OK, yeah, let’s go to my line. And it just, you know. And then that whole scattered social group, people knew me. They liked me. I was buying products for them and I made a deal with them. I said, every time I sell a house, I’m going to establish social business and I’m going to go buy, you know, keep it. I got to keep them in business so they can go get buy a new home. So it’s just like the synergy of the whole. So I went and bought Sensi and I went and bought me. And I went and bought, you know, soaps and stuff. And I just kept it going in.

[00:16:20] So they know that every time when I when they when you sell a house and gadget, you come back and buy products from them. I love it. I love it. So now.

[00:16:31] Doing baskets like love them home baskets. And most of them are from this bag. Social businesses, I have over 300 businesses now that are just aimed at any given time in my district.

[00:16:44] Wow. That’s cool. So. So now tell me about how did what happened with the next scheduled social? Is it sell every week or once a month or what’s the pattern?

[00:16:54] I waited a month and recovered and then I said, I’m going to have another one. I got to keep it. You have to keep it going. You know, I was like, no. I hadn’t had a listing or, you know. I was starting to work somewhere. But it was, you know, I was getting kind of. So I said, I think this is what I’m going to do. I have an event. So every time I had an event, every time I had an event, I at least wanted to find out of it or referrals or something, you know. So we had a couple more in my house and and the children we didn’t know about autism. And my ex and I were having problems. And, you know, we’re just we’re we’re best friends now. The military life is hard, but it’s even harder when you have special needs children growing. And so we didn’t survive it. But we’re still good friends. We co-parent and he’s awesome. He stays here at the house. When he when he comes to town. But at the time, it was just getting very him. He was traveling, commuting three hours each way. Every day to work. So he was in mountain reading, going to Burma, China, two and a half hour drive each way. So it was taking a toll on him and their marriage to me. I was. I had also I was so up. This is going on. Just had a baby. Dad, the Navy got my real estate license, started business. And then I got accepted into the MBA programs like three different ones. And I decided to start my masters degree mostly because I was scared. The Navy was in a pay me to go to school and I’d be crazy. I didn’t think I was going to get accepted. I got accepted. So I didn’t want to go to go get my master’s degree. So I started the MBA program and I nearly lost my mind.

[00:18:38] Trying to do you know you’re doing all this in between all the schedule socials are going on?

[00:18:44] Yeah, I was going full time as well. All right.

[00:18:47] That is a lot, though. So now let me let me say. So you have all the things going on in your personal life, the challenges, the ex, the children, the NBA. And then to top it off. You have all your real estate business going on. So you’re one busy mother.

[00:19:09] Oh, yeah, definitely. Isn’t we’re starting?

[00:19:15] Well, that is it. And then. And so so then you started on a pattern. So the first sketch is social, that 12 businesses, maybe twenty or twenty five people show up. A month later, you did a second sketch of social and you promoted that out through Facebook, I’m assuming.

[00:19:32] Right. It was only in my neighborhood at the time it was confiscated Highland Social Night. OK. So so is this a social mine in the community? Our community has a two way. So they do like Flick’s in this it and they do neighborhood garage sale. They try to in those things for a community. They actually had a working H2H and it wasn’t expensive. It was regular dollars a month. And we had we have a beautiful park. Trees, mature trees. Everybody actually has their lawn kept matching fences. So those things help add value to a community on top of it. They did stuff like Easter Bunny, an Easter egg hunt. And so a little bit of it’s like a combination of everything. So I said, well, I don’t want to have to go to the H2A to get permission. I wanted to have control and I want to be able to do it. I opened up my house and I said, we’ll call this island social, right? And then it got bigger and better. The couple of times it was like I had to really work and get people, hey, why don’t you come to mine? You know, we should come bring your products and show up or, you know, personally invite people to come to the house. Hey, it’s free. All the other vending opportunities they do, they have to pay 20, 50 bucks. I said this is free. Free food free. You know, it’s you might sell something. You don’t even cost you anything. You know, you might have a good time.

[00:20:55] So what a great marketer. You got it down.

[00:21:00] And so I started charging because it was starting. I was getting. And I took it out of my house and we went down to the restaurant and I opened it up to skag. So now it’s cuts gadget social. Anyone can actually people outside the county when they have an event in skag, if they get involved in our group to promote it. And we’re taking it a different way and actually get it in getting ready to start. It’s going to be a business. A business right before it was my investment to promote my real estate business. I’m taking it in a different direction. And now I wanted to start making money. So I don’t have to need to advertise this anymore. So I’ll have some idea. It’s up my sleeves. But basically, I have a very expensive education that I’m to use, empties it for my business.

[00:21:49] So I want to go there just moment. But let me go back. And so. So you started on this sketch in Highland Social Night and about once a month for that first year, is that correct? And then you would just buy wine. Invite people. Go get the starving guitar players. Player 2 has a music. And so oh, go ahead and do that.

[00:22:16] I can do that. I one time when I did as I have a lead date, night heat and dates, whatever. And then. So she’s a good friend. I said, you know, I’ll buy three tickets out raffle. And because I want people to stay tuned to my group page, they say to get Malas, I was given away something. And the tickets are 30 bucks a tickets under a hundred dollars. I’m investing to get people to come. They bring a friend or they get other people to sign up. So we’ve done cain’t, right? You’ve done secular French classes and then the guitarist. I had the radio station come out. So it’s been costing me a lot of money. The only rule I have is I’m the only real estate agent gets to advertise on my pay. But I have five senses equal. Five of everybody can have as many. I don’t exclude anybody except the real truth because I paid with my own blood, sweat, tears and real estate money to develop this logo, although I am open about it. And I said, well, they all you know, they all have their own thing. This is my thing. I made it up out of nothing. I’ve never trade. I’ve paid for it and I’ve gotten other people involved. Now we have a committee.

[00:23:28] I have a videographer. We’re gonna go into an advertising route. And it’s just and it’s it’s been pretty a great experience.

[00:23:36] That is super netto for me. The first year of doing this. How many cells that generate for you?

[00:23:47] Ok. OK. So I think I hit thirty three from June to July.

[00:23:54] Yeah, I was. So I think that was the last twelve months. Put your first twelve months I think. Is that because of those? It takes Teen 16, yes, 16 cells in your first 12 months, simply inviting people over to your house, offering food and wine and having a gadget Highland social night. I said amazing. And then every time you would make a sale, you would come back to some of the businesses there and buy something from them. And so you’re supporting them as they’re supporting you. So now I have to ask about the cost. OK. Per sale that you made. How much money are you spending in and sketch it? Highlands Social Night. What do you think you’re your cost of getting that listing or that referral would actually works out to be in this?

[00:24:54] It was like two hundred dollars, 300 dollars.

[00:24:58] Yeah. And then you just did a. We’ll get a bunch of different wines and cheeses. And I made chicken salad sandwiches and I printed the recipe and they they all got a recipe. The biggest thing is it was free and they left feeling like they got more than what they paid for. It was free. They left knowing people, making connections, maybe selling products, eating, drinking free. And it cost me $200 dollars. That’s way better than any kind of magazine or all these expensive things I did shopping cart in my face. I’m shopping for. I’ll never do that again. Ten thousand dollars. And I don’t get why sale from putting my face on a shopping cart a day. Nothing. So I said I’m going to put the shopping cart and do more interaction with people like open houses. And I do an open house and I know my neighbors make contact to me. I have food, Keiter, my open houses. So we got to get them to come. You never know. They may make that connection and they are in the market to sell or buy. They’re going to say, hey, I’m the first person. They’re going to think that marlatt goes above and beyond. Right. It’s not just this is social nice. I’m also Homes for Hero affiliate. But I became a Homestore hero affiliate and I was already starting to sell and business. The Homestore hero program was just something that it was just like the perfect.

[00:26:30] Yes, for my best.

[00:26:31] It sounds like a great fit. Now, what’s your average sales price where you guys are?

[00:26:36] And then say 3:15. Okay.

[00:26:40] You’re listening to the Get Cellar’s Calling new podcast to increase sales from past clients and sphere of influence or from a geographic farm. Learn about Agent Dominator. We guarantee your sales in writing or give your money back. To learn more. Visit our web. Get sellers calling EW.com and Slike Agent Dominator from the menu.

[00:26:58] And now back to the podcast. So 16 sells your first year at three fifty eight.

[00:27:07] So that’s that’s a nice first year of active real estate selling and. And none of that’s from your war market. That’s what’s so amazing. You just just did it out of social network. And then in the last twelve months, so this was like July to June last twelve months. You did. How many transactions in that area.

[00:27:30] Well, so I just closed a cup well, after July 1st, I closed like three or four, so thirty three of you ended July 1st. Thirty eight or thirty seven to date today and closing another one next week.

[00:27:47] And all of us out of the same scheduled highlands area.

[00:27:52] A couple were not. There is actually maybe two or three that were out of the neighborhood.

[00:27:57] Ok, so but everything else was in the neighborhood. And so and I think your friend, my client Ed, was saying that your area has about a 10 percent turnover rate. So the 700 homes at 10 percent, that 70 homes, you’re doing almost 50 percent of the entire market. And what’s that, about three years? Maybe three and half simply by doing these socials and just getting that little social group going.

[00:28:28] But they also yeah, I think this social group, it helps that so many veterans and this community have a lot of Navy veterans. And my Navy family now know I think a lot of it is it’s a combination of things, but that is.

[00:28:44] And they.

[00:28:46] Those events is an opportunity outside of open houses. You know, you know, you have, you know, people come in, if you make them fun, then they’ll come, you know. So they give me the opportunity to make that connection. And people want to work with someone they trust and they know. So, you know, they they all know me. You know, I don’t get hired or it’s been a couple of misguided social businesses that hired other people. And, you know, and I just. The way I look at it is because, you know, your first year, you like writing, they hire me or my friend, you’re racing. You get real. I took it real hard and I’ve seen other agents do it to just naturally, just everybody knows. Real estate agents. And the way I look at it now, it’s like it probably was best for my business. You know, I probably saved myself, whatever. Whatever reason why they didn’t hire. You know, there’s always a risk. Maybe it’s not me. Maybe it’s something with them or, you know. So I kind of look at the brighter side of the situation. But does it really has the sky? It’s it’s the combination of everything. It’s not just one thing. The one thing I do say that I don’t do I probably need to start doing. I don’t I don’t call anybody at all.

[00:30:00] Like, I don’t pick up the phone and I don’t dial. I don’t hear my voice. I don’t see any. That’s not really going to be a huge irony yet, but personable. I am a personable person and I want to be sincere and I don’t want to be a used car person. And and, you know, and they hire me. They hire me. They want to work for me. They go with it. That’s OK. I learned today. You know, that’s that’s fine. So but I probably should get somebody to call. I’m. I missed a whole lot of other business. I’m pretty busy, you know. I mean, I’m, you know, making more money than I did when I was in the military. I wasn’t expecting that. And so it’s been a really good experience. And I’m having fun. I honestly, like I told myself when I went at each time, I have an event. It’s fine. It’s you know, as long as I get the message out, I introduced myself what my business is about. You’re my my I have a team now managing broker. So I have other brokers on my team now. Right. You know, I need help. So. But it’s really just like I said, it’s I wanted to be organic and natural and find and. And so that’s been, I think, a huge part of it.

[00:31:14] Well, you know, this is just such a refreshing interview. And as I’m as you keep hearing the word fun, the thing that hits me is, is I have to work hard to be fun. And I’m usually not all that fun. And I think someone like you, you probably may it may be more natural, but I’m thinking and I’m actually saying this out loud for those who are listening, that might be thinking, well, I’m not a fun person either. So how do I do? You know, it might be like if I were to try to replicate what you’ve done. I’d have to go, ha, somebody. And I think I could say, hey, you know, I want to put on the social this whole gathering for my neighborhood, but I just need someone to come and just make it fun. Help me with this and I’ll pay you 50 bucks if you just help me make this night fun, whatever that means. And I could just do that, you know, leverage that.

[00:32:00] Yeah. They people in effect or meter and they actually try hiring these nonprofits. Nosy. Yeah. I’m not a.. I’m a real estate. I sell you a house. And I will talk at your event for free. Why is that? Well, I bartended before when I was in college before. So I don’t know if that helps that I like to have a good time and business. You know, I was in the Navy for 10 years and it was not fun for a lot of the time. And I did I tried to make it work for the Airbus and many boss on board the aircraft carrier. It was such a wild ride. It was awesome. And then, you know, your uniform and everybody’s so serious and morale is low and you’re depleting does a guy in the Navy. I was very aware that a real estate agent. It’s not it’s not a job. This is your business. And I was very aware that I’m in control as well as in the Navy. Big government was downsizing claims we could get promoted easily, you know, so I had no control. It was like 300 people taking the test and they only promote it to people maybe lying. Well, that’s the control over your career. And then I finally went from one extreme to the other. It’s all in my control, you know. And one of the I have a couple of colleagues that I go to add is one of them. I really like Ed. He’s a he’s a restaurant. I just kind of person my back. One of the grass, she’s like, oh. Somebody say, oh, you know, it’s like the market slows down in November, December. I’ve seen it here. And she’s like, the market doesn’t slow down. Use them. And she’s right. And we have control over our business, you know, especially in our area. We have military. They’re moving out here. They they can’t find any rentals. And they have to buy, you know, satellite. That’s why we have such a high turnover in this area. I’m definitely having fun with it.

[00:34:02] I know you are. And and I did a little calculation. So just in your schedule. Highland. It looks like you’re doing between eleven and twelve million a year in volume right now. So that sounds like a lot of fun to do. Do me a favor if you can get out the big rocks. OK. And what I mean by this is when you’re doing your schedule social night now and it’s expanded. What are the main ingredients that you feel are really the key? You’ve made a perfect statement earlier. It’s not one thing. Okay. And that’s when you start talking about fun and fun. Well, it’s got to be fun. It’s promoting it. Okay. If you would kind of list out what you felt, what you found, if you were to do it over again, if you if you move to another city and you had to start this process over again, what are the main things that you do so that someone listening to this who wants to start something in their area, they’ll know kind of a little a roadmap or a game plan to go down? Does that make sense? What I’m asking.

[00:35:10] Yes.

[00:35:11] No thought about it because I’m not from Washington and my family’s all in south Texas. And I’ve thought about, you know, being close to the family of my children. But honestly, one thing I do know is, Vice, I would keep my business here. You know, whatever I had to do to keep it because I’m not going to throw away all that work and built, you know, and take a loss and start over. And I started over. You just throwing more more money into a hole and never getting to see any through belabour. But. I would do everything that I did, you know, minus the personal drama, you know, adjusting to civilian life.

[00:35:52] And tell me just kind of if you would just like no one, I would do this then number two and number three. Go, go, go through a short list for me if you want.

[00:36:01] Ok. Well, number one, I weighed.

[00:36:07] Location. Where am I going to live? And I like to happen to like to live in a community. And what better person to sell homes in this community than someone that knows exactly why somebody would move here? Right. So. That’s just me. I like to live. I like neighbors. I love talking. I feel safer with a community of people that I know. I would definitely one figure out where I’m going to be. And look at the real estate market out there. Make sure it’s it’s it’s sustainable. And then, too, I would start trying to figure out a way to meet my neighbors or meet friends or get involved somewhere where I can, where there is a community, even if I don’t live in a community, go find a community. If you’re into church, if you’re into working out of your into CrossFit, get involved. You know, that’s the you know. And I felt guilty. I was like, I have to go work out of it. I’ve been a military girl. I need to stay in shape. I needed to. I was feeling guilty like that. You know what this is? It’s all you know, naturally, you’re going to meet people. They’re gonna. You’re going to know somebody who does not to get community literally. Homes like it is here. Because I don’t do e-mailers. I don’t knock on doors. I just found a community and I became a part of it. It was something that I liked and wanted to do. So that’s what I would do. Of my people.

[00:37:31] You actually built that community essentially with your social is. Did you?

[00:37:36] I know I did not, but it’s it’s really nice because.

[00:37:41] I think people think that I did, but I did. It was, you know, I just kind of connected the dots. I connected the people to each other.

[00:37:51] So so then in terms of then so let’s say you move back to Texas, you find the place you want to live. You start to meet some people. Now you want to start a social night in your community, let’s call it ranch, highland community. Okay. So if you want to start as social night at the ranch Highlands social night, what’s your steps? How do you how do you go about doing it again?

[00:38:19] Well, it depends. There’s a Facebook page saying you just go and hey, who wants to come out? I’m new to the area. I would like to meet my neighbors. This is actually a really good you know, it’s not about business. When you introduce it, it’s more about safety and knowing where you live and who’s around. And I think people like especially in this area where the percentage rate is 10 percent, when they are here for the two or three years they’re living or they want to feel like this is home. You know, and I kind of hope, you know, you get to go meet this guy. He knows all about the V.A. benefits. You got me. He owns a winery. I just connected all the neighbors. See each other. Oh, yeah. I make sure that that’s going above and beyond to get them connected in a make them feel welcome. It’s a huge thing. So find a community. Talk about it. Honestly, I probably one I need to talk to you about doing a mailer that you want to do and that’s the listings that I’m not getting. So the people that don’t live in the area, that aren’t on the base, that I could crunch that number down. But but I would maybe send it by in a really nice invitation. It’s all about, you know. You ever hear. I’m a marketing girl. And when I when I say marketing to business, you see statistics, numbers, you know, that kind of stuff.

[00:39:39] When I think of marketing, I think the I think of myself as a creative artist, like, how am I going to catch their attention? I’ve got to see something. I do appeal to pop culture, make it funny, make it something and make it pretty. You like when people are at a restaurant, they want presentation. So I’m going to paint the picture and, you know, put the bug in their ear. And I need to get the mic needs to look good. Needs to be fun. It’s got to work for that particular area and demographic.

[00:40:09] That’s really brilliant.

[00:40:11] And at the marketing scale definitely helps.

[00:40:16] Well, you know, I know it before we started the call you mentioned or maybe it’s on the call, forget the timing. But you mentioned about just being real and being a real person and not trying to be a, you know, sales person or something like that. That’s kind of what you’re talking about here. She’s just being you making it fun.

[00:40:34] Yeah. It’s really all it is because. And, you know, if you’re asking me, like steps, like I told you I didn’t have a map and they said, Highland’s, I’m going to live there. I buy my house here. I was still in the Navy. Right. You know, for mine. We both had uniforms on, I think, this neighborhood because I get stationed either. It’s a central point. So I assume that’s why other military people are living here as well. And and I just wanted to make friends and I said, well, you know, it’s really. Have you ever had a party? And no one came. Are you sort of somebody you have a party on TV and no one came. And so you’re going to do it. You need to do it, though. You know, who cares if they’ll L4D? Nobody can say you have a better chance of getting all the time if you actually try. So you have to put yourself out there a little bit.

[00:41:30] I love it. I want to share one other. You were talking earlier and I want to make a little connecting the dots. You were talking about when you would promote a cell, you know, and every stage of the cell, like under contract. Just so five thousand dollars overprice. And and one of our other clients was doing the same thing and a fifteen hundred home form. So twice the size of yours. And he hit about 50 percent market share in about three years by being very upfront and in really working every sale he had, he would say, you know, coming soon, just listed open house under contract, just sold. And he was the face out there and he lived in the community. You’ve you kind of wrapped around within your social outings. And he just wrapped around within within the Facebook community page. And then he would also go on as much as he could as he would do or not. So his out in the public was door knocking and you’re out in public is a is the social schult social nights. Yeah. Well, that’s really cool. Do you have anything else that that you would like to share that you’ve found to be successful or anything that you think that that people could benefit from?

[00:42:58] And I guess somebody told me I forgot. But sometimes you have to walk away from business. And so my first year I can walk away from anything. It took everything I could get. And guy a little beat up, you know, learning growing pains and learning real estate and practicing it. And. And so now, you know, not that I I can afford to walk away from business, but, you know, real estate is it’s it can get stressful. You know, it’s one of the, you know, buying and selling houses. You’re doing it every day. It’s one of the most stressful things you could be doing. So I guess what I guess what I’m saying is what I’ve gotten really good at doing is not going to sacrifice my sanity for one transaction. So you know what? But I think the best thing that I’ve done now is I’ve been honest and I’m not trying to sell them anything.

[00:43:56] If I think that they need to wade or I evaluate all risk, but the best thing that I do now is I compare my clients and I don’t sugarcoat it. And if they’re prepared and you approach everything with that expectation and you won’t be disappointing anybody either, they’re trusting you. They believe you.

[00:44:14] I told Ed the other day, I said I don’t. I know it sounds like it, but sometimes I feel like I’m talking my clients or possible clients out of listing, you know, or selling their home. You know, it felt like it at the time they were selling their home to get out of debt. But then they had to go buy another home and they are looking for the same. And you’re going to pay one hundred grand more than what they were now. And I was just like, it does it me is add up. So. You I don’t just say, yeah, let’s get on the mark. I tell him I don’t think that’s a good. You know, you have to find out what their goals are. It’s about their boats.

[00:44:50] So, you know, I’m remembered of Zig Ziglar is common. You is many years back. But he would always say, if you help enough people give what they want, you’ll always get what you want. And making sure they get what they want is doing. What you’re doing is having the integrity and the professionalism to say, I don’t think selling your house is going to get their lives. Don’t do it. And I just really commend you for that. I think that’s really great.

[00:45:17] That’s actually the biggest thing. Pounds your gear up program. We give so much back to the community. And I had to restructure my whole life and business to be able to afford to spray that program to this area.

[00:45:30] Now, a lot of realtors know about it. They won’t do it. And it’s not that they well, maybe they can’t. You know, it’s all about different nations. I happen. And I told my team, you know. It’s about integrity as some clients come to us because they just think that. They want to work with me. Right. Which is awesome. They don’t. We know about the program. I’m already surprised. Two or three clients checks mailed to their new home. And I told the agents, I said, but the integrity. They qualify. You have to honor it. So it’s the deal here. And I said a couple of them, I’ve lost agents. This is like, oh, I only need eighteen hundred dollars on this sales. Well, you’re not capped, so you have to consider your captain. And I told them this. I said, you know, you focus on doing the right thing and honoring the program and don’t focus back at one check or that as a need to focus on, you know, you has to really mean something to just be, you know. And I said everything will fall into place. You’re going to get more transactions, more experience. Don’t look at the downside. Look at, as you know, more transactions, more experience at selling points. I I didn’t even notice that my when the lenders told me that I closed out last year and like the number seven listing transactions. I thought that was awesome. You know? Yeah. And most of them were ahero clients. And I. And I tell my my agents, my team. I know you got to focus on the purpose. Not I don’t make any requests feel like a number and never say, oh, we’re honoring this program for you. You don’t have to do it. That’s not how you know it. So it’s a lot of integrity. And, you know, and the things I really, really wanted to be with.

[00:47:20] Well, I really appreciate that. And that really speaks highly of you. And as I look at those people who reach the top, whatever the top is, you know, the top where they want to be and stay there. Will always find there’s a level of character and integrity that helps them get there and stay and keep it. So very good. Well, thank you so much. Moral. This has just been a terrific interview. And I’ve learned a lot and I’m hoping the folks who’ve been on the call with us, they’ll get a lot out of it and something that they can go apply because, boy, you know, I just think it’s I know it’s a lot of hard work, but in concept, it’s simple.

[00:48:00] Time. Right.

[00:48:02] Yeah, exactly. So. So in wrapping up, if you guys if you like this podcast, please subscribe to it. You’ll get it all the time. Please be sure to like us on i-Tunes and on YouTube to learn more about us or maybe even how to grow your business. Mailers and things that we do. Just check out our website at Get Cellar’s calling you dot com. Thanks for joining in. You’ll have a great day.

[00:48:31] If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, be sure to subscribe to it so you never miss another episode and plays like our gets, Hillary’s is calling you Facebook page.

[00:48:40] Also, if you want to increase sales from past clients and sphere of influence, dominate a geographic farm or convert home valuation leads. Check out our Agent Dominator program. We create custom content that differentiates you from other realtors, then use it to keep you top of mind with your prospects with postcards, targeted Facebook ads, email campaigns, video interviews and more. And the best part is we guarantee your sales or give all your money back. Learn more and get sellers calling EW.com and Slike Agent Dominator in a minute. Thanks for listening to the Get Sellers calling you podcast.

[00:49:13] Have a great day.

[00:49:17] If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, be sure to subscribe to it so you never miss another episode and place like our gets, Hillary’s calling you Facebook page. Also, if you want to increase sales from past clients and sphere of influence, dominate a geographic farm or convert home valuation leads, check out our Agent Dominator program. We create custom content that differentiates you from other realtors, then use it to keep you top of mind with your prospects with postcards, targeted Facebook ads, email campaigns, video interviews and more. And the best part is we guarantee yourselves or give all your money back. Learn more and get sellers calling EW.com and Select Agent Dominator in the menu. Thanks for listening to the Get Sellers calling you podcast.

[00:49:59] Have a great day.

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