As part of the Inman Select Live event on June 18, 2015, moderators Tim and Julie Harris went inside Keller Williams to interview three top-producers, Austin agents Wendy Papasan and Courtney Oldham of Keller Williams and Killeen agent Jean Shine as part of the panel. The goal was to learn what fuels their success, how they approach lead generation and what best practices they have learned along the way.
And there was only one rule in this exclusive live-streaming event for Inman Select members: no panelist could repeat the same answer.
Regardless of where you are in your real estate career, the panelists shared great advice that you can use right away. Let’s first look at what drives these top-producers.
What Drives You to Succeed?
“Making a difference, even when times are difficult. When people are dealing with emotional circumstances, they need me to come to the table with compassion and expertise.” Courtney Oldham
“Pouring into the people on my team and helping them achieve their goals.” – Wendy Papasan
“Being able to help people, especially helping integrate military families into the community. By helping people, they enrich my life just as much I enrich theirs.” – Jean Shine
Lead Generation Tactics that Work
1. Purposeful e-Newsletter Campaigns
Oldham doesn’t just cast the line when she sends email newsletters, she reels them in through next step actions. Using a database made up mostly of past clients and referrals, Oldham sends e-newsletters every two weeks. Her team then evaluates the user activity and reaches out by phone or follow-up email to dive deeper into the topics they clicked on in the newsletter. This strategy allows her to focus on specific prospect interests.
2. Personal Referral Management
Papasan’s leads primarily result from pay-per-click ads and her agent-to-agent referral network. What is truly effective about Papasan’s referral management strategy is the personal touch she gives to each and every one. She told the story about how she returned home from her first Family Reunion with 150 business cards. Not only did she enter the contacts into her database, she sent a personalized hand-written note to each and every person; actions like that are what have helped her achieve approximately 1200 agents in her referral database.
3. Yard Signs
Shine takes yard signs to the next level. She has a 1-800 number for each property that gives interested buyers even more information than what can be fit onto a flyer. In addition to providing detailed property information on flyers, Shine also uses the backside of the flyer to showcase other listings.
Lessons Learned
The panel of top-producers was asked, looking back on their earlier career days, what they would change to save them time and money. Reflection can often be a powerful tool to propel growth.
Reflecting back, Oldham would have systematized things faster.
Papasan views all failures as learning opportunities and wouldn’t want to change anything that has led her to the success she is achieving today.
However, she would have liked to have started purposeful lead generation earlier on. “Sometimes you just don’t want to do it,” Papasan says about daily lead generation. “But you have to commit to it.”
So what does she do to motivate on days when she doesn’t want to lead generate? She looks to her daily standups with her team as a great source of motivation.
Shine said she wished she discovered earlier that she didn’t have to do it all herself. In fact, she should do it all herself. “Hire someone before you need them,” Shine advises. ” This allows you to focus on what you do best and let someone else do the rest.”
The agent panel followed the Inman Select Live event which featured insights from leaders at Keller Williams Realty International including Chris Heller, CEO; J.P. Lewis, director of media production; Annie Switt, director of marketing and communications and Holly Priestner, director of talent acquisition.
In response to Bran Inman’s question regarding any possible concerns about KW losing momentum, CEO Chris Heller responded, “We’ve just scratched the surface.”
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