Logos for the New Business...another round.

[Flasch186]

update:

So this year thus far I have 42 sold while last year I had 15 at this point in the year. Last year was 2.8mill in sales, this year 5.6 so Im growing the biz personally. Thats good.

As a brokerage we're struggling. We cannot recruit for shit. No one seems to be willing to take the risk. Plus our model is attempting to thread the needle between the flat fee 100% brokerages and then huge well known brokerages that prey on the newbies. Thus we're not winning in either direction.

We have ALL of the tools the big guys have, we have the tech, the backend customer management, the office space, the website, but boy we can't seem to get people to take a chance. Whats crazy is if they go to the big guys they usually fall apart anyways and leave the biz. At least with us they can keep most of their earnings while having the tools, support and borkerage they'd get going there. To the contrary, typically the 100% flat fee brokerages usually provide their agents nothing... we dont do that either. In the meantime we wallow in the middle and struggle.

One of our supporters, my dad says it just takes time and tenure to overcome their fears but I dont know. Every day I question it.... try to think of new gimicks. for example, Ive found out how to use the IPAD to pretty much do everything. Almost no need to go to the office anymore with it. so we were going to give agents an IPAD after $200K in sale (about 1.5 sales) and then train them up on it.... but its a gimick. Its not real in that its not going to be the difference between sucessfully getting people to join us or not.

Alas, Im feeding the family and making my own schedule and we seem to have a lot of fans so thats cool. Testimonials

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

update:

So this year thus far I have 42 sold while last year I had 15 at this point in the year. Last year was 2.8mill in sales, this year 5.6 so Im growing the biz personally. Thats good.

As a brokerage we're struggling. We cannot recruit for shit. No one seems to be willing to take the risk. Plus our model is attempting to thread the needle between the flat fee 100% brokerages and then huge well known brokerages that prey on the newbies. Thus we're not winning in either direction.

We have ALL of the tools the big guys have, we have the tech, the backend customer management, the office space, the website, but boy we can't seem to get people to take a chance. Whats crazy is if they go to the big guys they usually fall apart anyways and leave the biz. At least with us they can keep most of their earnings while having the tools, support and borkerage they'd get going there. To the contrary, typically the 100% flat fee brokerages usually provide their agents nothing... we dont do that either. In the meantime we wallow in the middle and struggle.

One of our supporters, my dad says it just takes time and tenure to overcome their fears but I dont know. Every day I question it.... try to think of new gimicks. for example, Ive found out how to use the IPAD to pretty much do everything. Almost no need to go to the office anymore with it. so we were going to give agents an IPAD after $200K in sale (about 1.5 sales) and then train them up on it.... but its a gimick. Its not real in that its not going to be the difference between sucessfully getting people to join us or not.

Alas, Im feeding the family and making my own schedule and we seem to have a lot of fans so thats cool. Testimonials

When talking to agents and potential agents...try the following..it's a psychological sale when recruiting somebody...

Discover - Find out why they are looking to be realtors or why they have become realtors.
Needs - Find out what they feel they need to be successful
Ascertain Pain - Figure out what their pain is...honestly, there is a reason they are floundering where they are at or why they want to be a realtor....and making money is only part of it...this right here should be a loaded question and will give you the most to hit them with the next...
Solution - They should be able to draw their own conclusion here....Round Table should be able to help them accomplish their Needs and overcome their pains to obtain their goals that they pointed back to the beginning.

Don't be afraid to reference what they pointed out to you in the beginning. Understand that for people set in their ways, they fear change and you are asking them to make a change or step away from traditional and that is a scary proposition, but when you paint the ability to accomplish their goals to them in a way that they actually come up with the solution it will help......

As usual, you have my phone and email and I have no problem going over this part with you....RE is an emotional sale but not as much as getting someone to essentially make a bold change or do something different. Recruiting and Gimmicks get them to the door, you need to tell them why they need to stay with you..

[Flasch186]

Update:

So something pretty crazy happened. We got a call from an 'investor' to help them buy some homes. After talking through it and getting over some skepticism we started into their system. Well November was insane. We helped them purchase over $7million in homes in one month all for cash. Turns out its a big hedge fund betting on a housing recovery and rent yields. Regardless we get full commissions and they pretty much handle everything after the paperwork phase. Insane!

[PurdueBrad]

Wow, congrats Flasch, glad business is booming!

[Flasch186]

And another update. Its really insane. 67 days and we've almost hit $20 million in sales for this group. Ton of work. Had to hire up. My mom retired (she was going to anyways in March) to come over and try to organize our crap. This obviously caught us by surprise and we were in no way shape or form ready for it. Theyve asked us to scale up and try to double our numbers and that they'd help us get more opportunities. Madness.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

So something pretty crazy happened. We got a call from an 'investor' to help them buy some homes. After talking through it and getting over some skepticism we started into their system. Well November was insane. We helped them purchase over $7million in homes in one month all for cash. Turns out its a big hedge fund betting on a housing recovery and rent yields. Regardless we get full commissions and they pretty much handle everything after the paperwork phase. Insane!

Well the 'banking regulations' have apparently just been loosened so expect more speculation and reinflation of bubbles in the coming year (glad to see everyone learnt from last time around? ).

NYTimes - Bank Regulations loosened

[Flasch186]

update.

So we've been in the center of this housing, investor driven "recovery" and since Dec. we've helped them acquire $50million in sales. To put that in perspective, as an ordinary Agent, we'd love to have a $3 million dollar year. This is just nutso.

[sterlingice]

As someone in the market for a house right now, I'm certainly annoyed as the inventory in Houston is at levels which haven't been this low in 10 years.

SI

[Flasch186]

Yes The housing market is not in an organic state of recovery. It might be a few years but I'm beginning to wonder myself if its not a better idea to wait... I'm thinking of buying a home from a builder but when prices are going up so fast it reminds me of well, the unspeakable from just a handful of years ago.

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

update.

So we've been in the center of this housing, investor driven "recovery" and since Dec. we've helped them acquire $50million in sales. To put that in perspective, as an ordinary Agent, we'd love to have a $3 million dollar year. This is just nutso.

Now I look at this number and figure in a 5-6% commission for the agent (if you are dual rep) or 3% for buyers rep and the Realtor in me says, you are kicking ass and I applaud you.

[Flasch186]

thanks brother. There's no double enders in the deal(s)

[britrock88]

Sounds like we need an FOFC party in JAX...

[Flasch186]

Like

[Flasch186]

So its been a long time but it jumped in my brain to update this. We're still going strong and have now around 18 or so agents that work with us. We have Trademarked the term "People Before Property" and its become our mantra in everything we do. Our website has grown and continues to be satisfactory. I'm sure it could be better but we dont have the capital to drop in it at the moment.

As I mentioned, we had Blackstone, the hedge fund come to town a few years ago and picked us to help them acquire homes in the area so in 2013 I sold more homes than any other Realtor in N Fl. It was crazy. Somehow we were still able to keep a good reputation through the volume and in fact grow some of our exposure although it certainly put a crimp in our ability to focus on the brokerage but it was a conscious decision.

This upcoming month we have a huge change coming. We're moving locations to one of the hottest roads that is growing in a booming area so thats a big move. Our friend owns the building so we even got sign rights and the sign is right on the top of the building with no other signs on the building at all. Its right next to a hot restaurant too. Its going to be great.

We have no debt and we think 2016 could help us keep the momentum going. Its been exciting and we havnt gone broke

[Flasch186]

And we just moved into our new office

[thesloppy]

Swanky! Nice going, Flasch.

[jaygr]

Awesome, congrats on the success.