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Inman contributor Brandon Doyle made it his goal to interview 100 real estate professionals. Here’s a Snapshot of those conversations.
Meet John Moscillo, aka Johnny Mo, a former top producer turned visionary leader who has revolutionized his business by embracing video, digital and social media platforms. As the head of vision and technology at Evolution Media Group, Moscillo has developed the Explore My Town methodology, helping agents become digital mayors and media companies in their local markets.
Fully embracing the power of the internet
Moscillo’s journey into real estate began in 2003, a time when the industry was yet to fully embrace the power of the internet. With a background in network engineering, he quickly recognized the untapped potential of the digital landscape.
“I studied Google and Yahoo, compiled lists of keywords, and stacked them on my website,” Moscillo explained. Through his expertise in search engine optimization (SEO), he achieved the coveted top-ranking position on Google, dominating the online real estate space.
However, Moscillo’s success didn’t stop there. He continued to search for niches and innovative approaches to grow his business. “The riches are in the niches,” he emphasized. By focusing on profitability, patience, and discipline, Moscillo identified untapped opportunities and capitalized on them. His ability to fill market gaps and deliver value to his community became the cornerstone of his thriving business.
Evaluating distinctly different market dynamics
Having experienced different real estate markets across New Hampshire, Florida and Maine, Moscillo gained valuable insights into their unique dynamics. While Florida showcased a fast-paced and aggressive environment, New Hampshire and Maine provided a balance between a slower pace and significant growth. Moscillo observed that Maine, in particular, attracted people due to its picturesque coastline and spacious inland areas.
In 2016, Moscillo made a transformative decision to step away from daily production and pursue his passion for helping agents succeed. Recognizing the high failure rate in real estate, Moscillo developed training concepts and a tracking app to support agents on their journey. His role evolved to guide the vision and technology aspects of the company, leading to the birth of Evolution Media Group.
Delivering value-added content
Creativity has always been a driving force for Moscillo. He realized the importance of delivering valuable content to the audience, rather than contributing to the noise on social media.
“Agents do not need to put out non-stop content; it adds to the mindless clutter,” he explained. Instead, Moscillo encouraged agents to tell compelling stories, promote local businesses, and focus on building relationships through video, digital, and social media. By leveraging his technical background, Moscillo maximized the reach and impact of his content, turning videos into blogs and creating optimized web pages.
Through Explore My Town, Moscillo has helped agents transform their businesses and improve their results. He shared the success story of Susan Cook, who moved to a new town and initially struggled to establish herself. By embracing Moscillo’s methodology, Cook started creating videos showcasing local restaurants and attractions.
Cook’s efforts led to referrals and a solid reputation in her new community. Her inspiring journey demonstrates the power of Moscillo’s advice on leveraging video, digital and social networking tools.
Moscillo strongly believes that agents should see themselves as media companies, creating an ecosystem that people want to belong to. He emphasized the importance of providing valuable content, building authority in the community, and maintaining a long-term digital legacy.
Moscillo’s product offers agents the training, coaching, scripting, editing and distribution support necessary to become the digital mayors of their towns.
Committing to ‘doing the work’
When asked about his ideal customers, Moscillo emphasized the need for commitment and dedication to the work. He stated, “We are for people who are willing to do the work, are committed to growing a network of high value, and believe in the power of community and digital strategies.”
Practical steps for agents to take as they start thinking and operating as media companies include telling stories of interesting people, places and things in their communities. By promoting these stories through video, digital platforms and social media, agents can build authority, engage with their audience, and stay top-of-mind.
For agents looking to get involved with Explore My Town, there are different levels of engagement based on their needs and goals. There are four levels that offer varying degrees of training and implementation.
His journey from a top-producing agent to a visionary leader in the real estate industry is an inspiration to agents seeking to modernize their businesses. Through his extensive experience, technical expertise, and passion for creativity, he has transformed the way agents approach their daily operations.
By embracing video, digital, and social strategies, agents can set themselves apart, engage their audience, and thrive in the ever-evolving world of real estate.
Brandon Doyle is a Realtor at Doyle Real Estate Team — RE/MAX Results in Minneapolis and co-author of Mindset, Methods & Metrics – Winning as a Modern Real Estate Agent. You can follow him on Twitter.
