Chris Heller, CEO of Keller Williams Realty, and Dolly Lenz — once dubbed “New York’s real estate queen” — have a thing or two they can teach agents and brokers on the make.
Read on to learn seven business tips the industry icons shared on a panel at Inman Connect New York.
1. Go fishing
Relentlessly hunting for new clients is crucial to succeeding in the business, Lenz and Heller agreed.
Always capitalize on networking opportunities, Lenz says — whether that’s chatting up latte-drinkers at Starbucks, schmoozing with colleagues at industry conferences, making the rounds at charity events or even volunteering at a dog shelter.
“Go somewhere where your likeminded people will make you money,” she said. “You’re one person away from making a deal.”
2. Send weekly action plans
Heller recently used his own agent team to purchase an investment property, which offered the real estate executive fresh insight into the level of service it provides to customers.
His takeaway from the experience: Weekly emails that lay out exactly what your agent will do for you in the next week are very gratifying.
3. Only focus on one or two lead-generation tactics
There are so many ways to drum up business that many agents end up trying to do too much.
Whether it’s door-knocking, cold-calling or using social media, focus on mastering just one or two tactics “before you start adding other arrows to your quiver,” Heller said.
4. Be persistent and consistent
Tenacity and consistent effort alone will take you a long way, helping to generate the knowledge, skills and enthusiasm that lay the groundwork for success, Heller said.
5. Do grunt work for vets
Hosting open houses for top producers, for example, will help up-and-comers build valuable relationships and hone their expertise, according to Lenz.
“You’ll be surprised by how much you learn just by interacting at an open house,” she said.
6. Feed information to reporters
Spoon-feed stories to reporters and make yourself their go-to source for data and research, Lenz advises.
Not only did that help her grab publicity, it also kept her attuned to “everything happening in the industry,” she said.
7. Send handwritten thank you notes
“Don’t underestimate the power of the handwritten note,” said Heller, who believes that no other expression of gratitude can match their impact.
