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Boston team leader Josh Muncey has built his business through his community presence as a sponsor for local events and non-profits. He has a passion for people, frequently seeking out opportunities for networking and meeting agents from all around the country.
A self-proclaimed “deal junkie,” Muncey stepped out of sales three years ago to focus his energy on building a team. He says he regained “complete flexibility of [his] time,” freeing up nights and weekends to be a “bigger presence” in his daughters’ lives. Find out what he has learned as a team leader and what agents need to know that would make their lives so much easier.
Name: Josh Muncey
Title: Team leader
Experience: 18 years
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Brokerage name: Compass
Team: Muncey Group
Transaction sides: 97 sales, 33 rentals
Sales volume: $82,180,366
Q&A
What’s the best advice you ever got from a mentor or colleague?
The importance of prioritizing fulfillment above success. Not to get lost in chasing an elusive goal of simply doing more. Success is great, but only in a way that enables a fulfilled life. These conversations led me to remodel my business, step out of sales, prioritize culture, and build a team of all-stars.
What would you tell a new agent before they start out in the business?
Identify potential mentors that are doing a great business and see if you can work for them. Learning from best can accelerate your growth. The same applies to a brokerage. Choose an environment where you see others thriving and collaborating. Hustle hard. Be humble.
What do too few agents know that would make their lives easier?
Hiring: Who agents hire, how agents hire and when agents hire. Hiring is critical as it’s the pathway to having the right people to do the work and create the culture you’re looking to build. Having the right people on the team, I’ve been able to create more leverage and freedom for myself. I work with people that I trust to do an excellent job for our clients and that I enjoy working alongside.
For example, who agents hire is too often people they’re excited about and have a need for without regard for how good they’ll often be. Red flags are often ignored in hiring process. Limited interview process. Overlooking relevant work experience. Not hiring to fill a specific role.
How agents hire: Often agents hire intuitively if they see a great candidate. Often based on a connection without much of an interviewing process. A better way to approach that is interviewing multiple candidates before filling a role. Leveraging DISC personality tests. Written job descriptions.
When agents hire: In growing a team, many agents will often dive into bringing on other agents without any administrative leverage because they’re nervous to take on payroll. This can often lead to the team leader spending too much time doing things like administrative tasks for other agents and distracting them from their core business. Great administrative help can go a long way in leveraging a team leader’s time to grow their business.
What is the one thing everyone should be doing to make their life and business better?
Find a way to take real vacations where you don’t need to be on call for offers, emails, etc. Life is short. Work is awesome but time away where you’re not plugged in is important for perspective and mental health.
If you could do anything other than real estate, what would it be and why?
I’ve come to realize that I don’t know that it’s exactly real estate that I’m in love with. I think I’m in love with being an entrepreneur and a visionary. I have ideas and I can spot opportunities. I also love building meaningful relationships along the way. If I were not in real estate, I’d want to grow a business and bring value to people in another way. I am not cut out for sitting at a desk all day doing the same thing over and over.
Troy Palmquist is the founder of DOORA Properties in Southern California and director of growth for eXp California. Follow him on Instagram or connect with him on LinkedIn.