Open The Gate
Breaking down Sacramento Real Estate: Our Favorite People, Places and Mindsets
Open The Gate
Ep. 11: Brandon Butler: Frugality, Innovation and Technology - A Winning Recipe
Special guest Brandon joins us, sharing his experiences in the real estate trenches, where authenticity and tech smarts make for a winning combo. Our discussion with Brandon uncovers the transformative role social media plays in redefining marketing and client relationships, underscoring the shift towards educational content and personalized client engagement.
Rev those engines and let's talk growth, both personal and professional! We zero in on how a passion for cars and photography can drive business success. Meanwhile, navigating industry egos can be trickier than a tight parking spot, but we're all about fostering kindness in a competitive world. Brimming with anecdotes and insights, this episode promises a ride through the realms of real estate, personal journeys, and those all-important human connections that make it all worth it. Join us and Brandon, our “Steph Curry of Folsom Real Estate,” for a candid exploration of the industry we love.
All right guys, good to see you.
Speaker 1:Yo, yo, what's up, dude?
Speaker 2:I'm good to see you, bro. It's. I was a fantastic week in a weather, had some family in town my aunt local were visiting, and it was awesome. Just it made me realize, like how crazy my life is, though, because my three kids were running around and I had a little bit Of help, so I kind of like got to sit back for a second and it's like an out of body experience and I was like, oh my god, my life is is a shit show.
Speaker 2:It's just as crazy, as it feels when I'm in it all the time, but we had an awesome weekend enjoying the sun and, actually, after we had Chris hunt on, like, all I can think about is barbecue. And then I missed his barbecue because I was out of town. So I made a brisket and it just had to come out. It was good. It was good, but it wasn't Chris. Good you know I saw the pictures from the event, and so I just got a wait till the he's using a professional photographer, so I mean yeah, that's what it was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's filter. Yeah, but it was good weekend. How about you, buddy?
Speaker 1:Very similar man actually had a weekend with no, no club sports, so it was actually my mom. My sister came up I I emceed the Sacramento Association of Realtors country crab feed on Saturday night, which was a blast. It was a Miami theme. There may or may not have been a Don Johnson siding Raised a ton of money. It was a super just killer crowd. The weather was so amazing all weekend. Yeah, it was, it was just. It was just super cool man. It was really made me look forward to spring being on the horizon.
Speaker 2:I know right, I think we got a time change. I know this weekend and yeah, I was yeah, I just looking around. I loved the smells and sounds of this weekend. I can hear a lot of lawnmowers in the distance and right grass clippings and Barbecues and smokers going, so it's funny like being from the Northwest.
Speaker 1:It's like that happens in July and To have that here at the end of February's and I, you know, I did want to notice, just so our note, that so our listeners, because they keep closed tabs on this, so I did miss actually interacting with you last week. Yeah your response, when I opened up and made myself vulnerable to my text, was well, basically, I don't miss you, I'm too busy with this other shit.
Speaker 2:It was very sweet and just, hey, man, I'm kind of having withdrawals and I was like, dude, if we were gonna miss a week of filming like this, was it because I'm Get my ass kicked out here? So it's, it was not because I didn't miss you, it's because I didn't have a chance to miss you. It was crazy. So, yeah, we'll talk about something fun for a sec, though, like we're all in this industry, I have never fired a real estate client before and I know that's like a taboo thing, but the real gamers out there talk about like how great it is to be able to let go of the ones that drain you.
Speaker 2:So in the pool business I acquired a portion of somebody else's business as part of our ramping up and we had to do a small price increase and I actually, like was really proud of how I did it. We kind of asked, we did not mandate anything Because a few people we had to kind of work some things out with did not do a blanket, you know, across the board and and really just did it by data, by like time we're spending in at the pools and projections for the year, chemical costs, and so I thought it was like pretty organic and the very funny thing was like the five people I was worried about when the five people that like wrote back and had issues and some of them went on like diatribe's of like I've been in business longer, they've been alive and this is how I would have done this and, to be honest, like there's still clients now because I just kind of Playkidded to them a little bit there's. But there was one guy that was Just went on this long rant about he has the easiest pool to clean and it shouldn't be an issue. And I just know for a fact I come in his fifth pool service in like three years and so it felt really good to just like respectfully be like you know, robert, I feel like this is just not a good fit.
Speaker 2:I can make a couple recommendations to you or you can figure this out on your own and like I just wish you the very best and, man, I gotta be honest, I feel really good about. I feel like it's good about letting that guy go Antarctic. Yeah, it is because I just had all these words. He'd like watch me through the windows when I was doing it. I felt like he probably had a stopwatch and like a book.
Speaker 1:Oh, my god, I'm sorry I have to interrupt. Yeah, because so you and I have also had a little, a little dialogue about what's gonna happen. First, are you gonna see somebody naked on accident? Yeah, fall into a pool on accident. Oh gosh there is some social media video of what happened first, and let's just say it was not NC 17. No, it was not. I hope you had a towel nearby.
Speaker 2:I did, yeah, so one of my clients caught me on their On their ring nice pool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, very nice pool.
Speaker 2:Falling into their pool a couple weeks ago. So I was 18 foot pool pole. This is a very unique pool. It's just like a. You know, it's actually like probably should be it. You know playboy mansion, but I just wanted to get like one more leaf, one more like leaf.
Speaker 3:That was 18 feet and one inch away. I was holding on to this post. Oh yeah, and then dude just straight in phone in the phone, in the pocket.
Speaker 2:Well done, totally soaked, and I was only halfway through the day, so luckily, you know, I went home, change my clothes, hit the reset button.
Speaker 1:That's all you can do. Hey, I'm gonna pull it. I mean, it would have probably been a way more enjoyable fall in July than yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And it actually happened like three weeks ago. So it was. I was already freezing cold, so my hand I couldn't feel my hands. But you know, like I think a few years ago I would have, I was actually proud of myself because I watched a video. I think a few years ago I would have just string of x expletives thrown the shit. And you know it's funny because you watch the video and I just like slowly shake my head and it's like when your dad's like I'm not even mad, I'm just disappointed.
Speaker 1:Cool, common collected brother, it obviously wasn't your first rodeo.
Speaker 2:No, it's, and honestly I just knew it was. It's gonna keep happening. I'm just gonna fall into the pools and I feel like that's more me than the industry. So that's just part of it.
Speaker 1:All right, my man. Well, let's jump into it. I want to introduce our guest today because we all know that our listeners do not plug in or Follow it and with us to hear about our weekly diatribes.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Disasters. But so this guy, I met him about a year and a half ago. I think he was like 19 at the time, just this gangly, skinny kid, wow. But like he had something about him. I was like this, this kid's gonna kind of make it and not not to say that we can Identify who is and isn't gonna make it in the industry right up, you know, upon one of the first meetings, but there's a handful of it. When you meet and you're like this, this person, there's an impactor for sure. This person's got it. They understand they can, they can engage in conversation, start a conversation and and I think you also see kind of the passion of what they're doing shine through. And so so Brandon Butler, with the exp, with the Rawls group over at a Folsom, is our guest this week. So let's get into it, man, let's play him in.
Speaker 3:Working on a weekend like usual, way off in the deep end. Like usual, nigga swear they passed us, they doing too much, haven't done my taxes. I'm too turned up, oh.
Speaker 2:Alright, brandon Butler, am I saying that right, good?
Speaker 1:Super fancy studio. I'm not gonna refer to it as the shoot lately. Yeah, the game.
Speaker 2:I'm not gonna call it cuz I'm like a string bean, so I'm not gonna call. I'm not gonna use phrases like gangly, because to me that's just body shaming and I, you know, can represent just the same kind of body type as that so. Yeah, motivation, speaking of motivation, so your walkout song, life is good future. And Drake, tell me about it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so honestly, I'm a big country guy. I grew up listening to like Rap. You know that was like strict because everyone was like, oh, I listen to his rap. I don't listen to country everything. I grew up in the Bay area I'm used to everyone listening to e40 and whoever it is.
Speaker 2:So you must be from the East Bay.
Speaker 4:I'm from Dublin.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, yeah, so came up to Folsom.
Speaker 4:Obviously it's a different atmosphere, right, and so I kind of started listening to country, and I'm a big Zach Brian.
Speaker 4:Yeah, buddy on this so many times just cuz he's like my favorite artist. But so I'm talking to my brother, he pretty much only listens to rap, so I'm like what does he think, you know? And he pulls up that one and he's like, oh, working on the weekends, and I'm like that's pretty much perfect. I don't ever take a weekend off. I took one off yesterday actually, which was my first one in a couple weeks Off on the weekend sauce like oh, that's kind of a good one. So really it all stemmed from my brother kind of mentioning it and I was like that's a good one.
Speaker 2:I love it. You know high intensity, absolutely things like that. Yeah, and dang you guys. If anybody works on the weekends, is you it's definitely realtors.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we don't really get a break.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you had a weekend off. What'd you do?
Speaker 4:We went to San Francisco. We just kind of enjoyed the nice weather, walked around the Presidio.
Speaker 3:Nice part of San Francisco.
Speaker 4:Yeah it is go to downtown San Francisco a little bit different.
Speaker 2:Well, it's slightly different vibe, Not quite as nice of you.
Speaker 1:You gotta watch where you're stepping a little more down there, buddy.
Speaker 4:Yeah, the nice weather, beautiful views. You're right next to the Golden Gate, walk on the water. Everyone's like super friendly, has their dogs. Ever is awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome. Dan have you ever played Presidio?
Speaker 1:I have have you, of course I have it's a public course, so I mean it's not even. It's not even crazy expensive. I will tell you this I walked the Presidio the one time I played it and the 17th hole is a par for and I swear to God, it is like completely vertical uphill and you're you realize Really fast either how tired or how to shape you are and, unlike you two, you know slider fellows.
Speaker 3:I got a little more thickness to me.
Speaker 1:My ass up that hill was.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna start referring to myself as these.
Speaker 1:Dance on eggshells. You're trying not to insult you.
Speaker 2:So you're from Dublin, okay, awesome. And then, well, how did you end up up here? What you know, people don't just fall out of the sky, and a full summer, how'd that happen?
Speaker 4:You could tell I'm younger, you know. So I've moved up here with my family. Okay, I grew up in the barrier probably 15 or so, but grew up in the barrier For all my life. And then we moved up to Folsom for my dad's job, so he was working, that's like a district manager, so he's managing anywhere from Tahoe to, I think, stockton.
Speaker 4:So he was all over the map. So we kind of picked Folsom, which tended to be, I think, the best place to raise a family, like all of 2020 or something crazy like that yeah, in California. So I think we're like, oh, we're gonna be in that area. We might as well settle on a place. It's gonna be, you know, best school districts, really nice area and it's only grown from there, which is awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, awesome, a great jumping off point to a lot of stuff and sounds like, if that's his district, a really good kind of Middle spot to hop on the freeway.
Speaker 1:So were you Folsom or a visitor logo guy Folsom, folsom, high school bulldog.
Speaker 4:Yeah, exactly, we grew up All right. I lived in like the Broadstone area. Okay, so we're like. I was like a 30 minute walk from the Folsom high and nice area.
Speaker 1:You're walking to school I used to For a while and just because we live pretty close, See, now you're one of us, because these kids these days are on like scooters and e-bikes, like they don't walk for nobody.
Speaker 2:The kids I see are beamers. Did I even have a driver's license?
Speaker 4:18. I turned 16. My parents did give me a car, which is I'm blessed for that, but it was like a coolest, like it was a 1999 Dodge Dakota that's how it should be. Yes, it had a Big old V8 in it. It's coolest sounding truck was my grandpa's before, so we bought it from him. It's actually my brother's car now, but just the. I think it was the best first car you know, it's a little light on the back too, so when it rains you turn oh yeah, a little little light tail, exactly it was fun.
Speaker 4:No, so I. Usually I was actually driven to school, but I'd walk home from school most days.
Speaker 2:Nice. See, we have a lot in common, man. Yeah yeah, yeah, we lived with my grandparents for a couple years actually, when, I was in high school, so my grandmother used to drop me off at school and or you know that my girlfriend would drive me to school. I didn't have a license till I was in college.
Speaker 1:Really, yeah, yeah, I. I was further than walking distance in half a day from high school, but I lucked out. So my sister graduated and I went into high school the following year and she gave this girl who was halfway between us, arrived to school for two years and this girl, she was hot, she was the hottest girl in school, so she's like so. I'm getting a ride to school with this girl. I'm just winning from day one as a freshman.
Speaker 4:It was awesome, Dude. I love that.
Speaker 1:I do so. So you've been here for eight, nine years nine years. Dude, what? Obviously you're super connected, you're? I mean, I associate you with Folsom when I, when I see you, I'm like OK, folsom, like if I need a recommendation. So what is it about this area like that that keeps you here? Got you into the real estate scene in this area.
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely. I mean, obviously it's much different from the Bay Area. I mean we moved here, so, like Bay Area, we loved it, you know, super nice area, but it was just. I mean, we liked it when we left. Now when we go back we're like this place is crazy, like there's, you know just people, traffic, traffic. My parents bought their house, for I think somewhere in the threes renovated it all and everything like that, and then I think now it's worth like 1.2 million.
Speaker 3:Like they sold it way before then.
Speaker 4:But it's just ridiculous. Prices are crazy. So moved up here. Folsom is very affordable in the grand scheme of things when you compare it, especially to the Bay Area.
Speaker 3:Especially for how nice it is, yeah, and.
Speaker 4:California in general right.
Speaker 1:Well, and Folsom and El Dorado Hills are like that Bay Area, bay Area tractor beam Like it's amazing. Like I live on the 80 corridor but it's like everyone we talk to from down there. They're like no, folsom, el Dorado Hills, I'm like it's cool over here too, but like Folsom, el Dorado Hills are awesome.
Speaker 2:Don't come over here. Yeah, just keep going over there. Yeah, cause I'm on the 80 corridor with them. So you know what, if you are looking for the new Bay Area El Dorado Hills at Folsom, 100% yeah, call Brandon, you'll go to El Grove too.
Speaker 4:I think El Grove is pretty standard for that too Just because you're so close to 50, you're just headed straight down to the Bay Area, yep. But the ways that it's different is like we moved here and we were super surprised by like all the outdoor stuff. Like even the malls are outdoor. Folsom High School is all of an outdoor high school. You have Folsom Lakes, so we're at pretty outdoorsy family. So we're doing like kayaking all the time at Folsom Lake over at Salmon Falls, walking around all the hiking and biking trails. You know biking at Salmon Falls too. It's just there's so much that kind of offers within like a 30 minute span and then you're like an hour and a half from Tahoe, which is like unheard of. I mean we used to drive three and a half hours or something.
Speaker 1:Plus traffic, yeah, and then we'd get there and then we'd be exhausted.
Speaker 4:But now it's like a quick jaunt almost. You know we're there and we're exploring the you know whatever is there, we're always camping out there. My parents have a trailer headed out that way, so I think it's really just the area is so much fun, Like there's so much to do, and that's kind of why we liked it.
Speaker 1:I just love hearing that you're still so connected with your family. Absolutely, Absolutely, that's that's, that's that's rad.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, I think we're we're super close knit and like always going to do. I mean, I work a lot, so it's like you know, when I get to see them, it's awesome, like we when we went to San Francisco, that was all with them. My girlfriend was working at the time. We've been together for like seven years now, which is awesome, but she is doing ultrasound.
Speaker 1:High school sweetheart.
Speaker 2:We've never had anybody propose on the show, ever. I'm just saying that like all 11 episodes. We've never had somebody pop the question, so I'm just yeah, I'll go to Denise in the back room. Can we get her on the line?
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, yeah, we just hope one of our like sound squares doesn't fall off the wall.
Speaker 2:That's if she says no, I love that, yeah, that's okay, no pressure, no pressure.
Speaker 4:Always headed up there with them because it's you know, it's always fun to spend time with family. I think that's the most important, Like that's why we do a lot of our stuff.
Speaker 2:So yeah, that's awesome, awesome. So family business was real estate, any part of that, or how did you find your way into real estate?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I don't think anyone in my family was ever really involved in real estate. Maybe you know own homes here and there Some of them do, some of them don't. But really, like I think I saw, I think my first starting point was, like my parents bought their house in Dublin, renovated the whole thing Like my dad was pretty handy, he worked, is pretty handy, worked at a Home Depot before, so I think you know he kind of had that in him and so he renovated the whole house in Dublin and I think that was my first hand's site into, like what real estate can do. You know, obviously just living in a house is huge, right? Anyone that's blessed to have a roof over their head is like you know it's huge. And so I saw that like everyone needs housing, everyone loves where they live, you know, or should love where they live.
Speaker 4:So kind of seeing what he did to the house, what it does for values, what I was just talking about for the pricing in Dublin now, and how much that can really help you in life, you know the appreciation that you'll see that was kind of what got, you know, stepped me in. I started listening to YouTubers like Graham Stephan, ryan Panada, a lot of guys like that. They're just really into finances. I was probably 15, 16 at the time.
Speaker 4:So I'm just like trying to prepare myself, yeah, and I think, just wanting to do well in life, you know. So, looking at things like real estate investing, stock investing, things like that was always, like you know, high on my radar never really did a lot of them, but you know, high on my radar. So I thought you know what would be better than you know, getting into real estate investing by basically being around the people that are doing it? Right, what are they doing? What are people doing that is going to get them, you know, a better deal on houses, things like that, and I think that's kind of what made me jump into it. And now I've learned that I love working with people to buy their houses versus just, you know, hopefully buying in the future for myself too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome dude. So what year did you get into the industry?
Speaker 4:Three years ago, so I think 20, well, yeah, 2021. So what?
Speaker 2:a time to get in right. Like, so let's recap for those of you who are living on the moon at that time we're still, you know, mid heart of COVID. We had not seen the real estate. You know, whatever we're calling it, the softening or the depression, or the that was the peed form.
Speaker 1:Still still a thing.
Speaker 4:I think I got in right before the peed or right after the peed form. So I don't think I didn't have any clients. So I think there was like a couple of showings I did for people on our team and that they were like we're all good, you know, it was like right at the end where we didn't really need the peed forms, and I think we only use the peed forms for like the first, like six months of the yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I mean just I can't imagine though, because then you swing from like everything's over asking you're trying to figure out clients. You're of the age range right, where you're like you know you're not. Probably your contemporaries aren't like you know, young, dual income, no kids kind of folks, right, so getting your teeth cut in the industry. How did you go from like yeah, I'm going to be a real estate agent to start connecting with people, because you're a little bit unique compared to, I think, a lot of agents, one in the fact that you started thinking about this at an age when all I was doing was like listen to the blink 182 and, and you know, like doing high school sports, you were already thinking about real estate. And now you fast forward a decade ahead here almost, and and you're in the business, so kind of saw us a little bit about getting started and your you know clientele and who that looks like and who you like to work with.
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely so. I think the hardest part for me is I was. I was 19,. You know it's like my friends are, or you know anyone that I knew from high school, whatever is in college.
Speaker 1:Your immediate database are not potential clients like right out of the gates.
Speaker 4:We're not even in college yet, yeah so it's like all people that are 19, maybe 20, you know and then they just no money, probably right. No money you're going to be negative net worth in the next couple months when they go to college, yeah.
Speaker 4:And so I'm like I don't know how to do it. You know, we have, like Aaron Rawls, been a huge mentor for me and I'm talking to him and I'm like like what do you think I should do? He's like you need to just talk to your sphere, see how you can kind of get an idea of, you know, if they're interested in buying a home, whatever it may be. And I'm like, dude, this isn't going to work.
Speaker 4:They're 19, like they can, they don't. They work it Like I worked at noodles and company before getting my real estate license, that's what I used to open noodles and company restaurants. Did you really?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was on. I was a trainer, like I would fly all over the place.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so cool, they called it Mr Noodle that was Dan.
Speaker 4:That's awesome, yeah, I worked there for like two years, there wasn't anything that was sparked for a lot of people that I knew, right, as far as like financially.
Speaker 4:So I was like how do I kind of set myself apart? And I worked, you know, all the different lead sources, whether that was, you know, open houses were huge for me, that was one of my favorites but also tried everything from cold calling to door knocking to. You know, just being at events and trying to meet new people and I think my age makes it so hard to meet new people and that could be a limiting belief for me too. But just kind of meeting people and like for them to trust me to sell the biggest asset in their life is the you know it's huge, right? Yeah, so I'm like how do I connect them on a different level? That's not going to be just me knocking on their door, and so, for me, I started to do social media, you know, obviously, I think I think the upside of me being younger is I kind of have an advantage on as far as like being a little more tech savvy than some of the other agents.
Speaker 1:Comfort level for sure.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and so I looked at it as, like you know, I may have a disadvantage here because I haven't had as much experience I'm not as old, I can't compare to a lot of these people but I have an advantage on a couple of different aspects of things that I can kind of, I think, do a little bit better. So I hopped into social media just starting posting like financial advice video kind of, about videos about real estate, and so I'm like kind of seeing, you know just putting it out there, kind of showing what you could do with real estate. You know, I didn't really know, you know, I was just taking what I knew.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're still kind of trial and error, right, you're like hey, like let's throw this at the wall and see what sticks Exactly.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and then from there I'm like, okay, well, you know this is cool, but what's the sexy part of real estate? Like you see things like like selling sunset you know everyone watched that video. Have has no interest in real estate. Like it's just really to see like the fun parts and how much commission?
Speaker 1:what was the price per square foot? How cool are these houses Exactly?
Speaker 4:The clients 100%.
Speaker 4:So I'm like, let me, let me see how I can kind of rework this to meet more people. And that for me was home tours and I saw a lot of people doing that over in Texas maybe the Bay Area, some of the really big markets but there wasn't as much people doing it here. I don't, I don't know that there was very many. So I was trying to replicate it from other areas, kind of bring it into this area, and that's been huge for me to meet, I think, probably 95% of my clients.
Speaker 3:Man, that's awesome.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and so for now I have. I have six in contract right now, and they're all from social media.
Speaker 2:Wow. So see, it's just recap Six clients in contract now when a lot of agents are scratching their heads, there's nothing going on, and most of those have been from social media presence.
Speaker 4:So all the six are all from social media. I just closed one on Tuesday from social media, and so the crazy part to me is, like you know, those all are people that reached out to me, versus me and really going out to like hunt that you know the opportunity and find those so pretty pretty warm or hot lead Very warm, exactly.
Speaker 2:They've already vetted you out. That's a cool thing about social right Is they get a chance and it sounds like I'm going to circle back in a second but they get to kind of see you already, vet you out, almost have like this first time consult just by seeing you and unbeknownst to you, right, like you don't have anything to do with that. And then when they reach out, dave at least said I'm interested enough in this guy and I like this guy's vibe enough, or what he looks like or what he's presenting, that I'm kind of interested, that I want to. And it's not going to be a shocker when they show up and you meet them for the first time in your you're in your young twenties, you know. You're not pretending to be 40 on line either.
Speaker 4:So Exactly, I'm not catfishing that. Yeah, I love that. It's like a portfolio, right. You look into it and you're like there's, he's going through these cool homes, he's, he's talking about these homes, he's talking about strategies, he's on his story and I get to see him every single day. Versus an open house, you get a 10 minute opportunity to earn their business, which is so hard to just you know. Grasp these people and be like yeah, this is, this is who I am. I would love to work with you in 10 minutes.
Speaker 3:Right yeah.
Speaker 4:So if they follow you, it's such a low barrier to entry they just have to click the follow button and make it happen Right. And so once they follow me, it's kind of like a you know me posting on my story, getting them a glimpse into my personality, what I do for my clients, what my business looks like, and then they can kind of get an idea of like, do I want to work with this person? And then from there kind of finding properties, that people you don't see every day, a little unique property. So they almost have to reach out because they're like you know, I haven't. I've been looking for this very specific property. Finally found it on this guy's social media. I'm not going to waste the opportunity to not reach out to him. And then most of the time it turns into a client versus just like an inquiry.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I didn't know you before. What do? We were 24 minutes in you, so I met you about 27 minutes ago, so I didn't have the background with the dandy, but I can already tell the same thing that he said to me and you you had that it factor, especially for a young guy. A couple of things you're doing awesome and for whoever's listening, these are some of the things that Dan and I talk about frequently.
Speaker 2:Is you organically decided way early in your career, and one of the biggest struggles we see with real estate agents is actually to be yourself. So we we hear all the time about and I've suffered with it myself is you go and you think about what you need to project whether it be online or at events or to other people in the industry or to potential clients, what you need to be but you started right from scratch. They're like, hey, I'm maybe not, I'm not going to be any of these things, but, man, I really can be these other things and focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses. So, man, that big kudos to you.
Speaker 4:Thanks so much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And then two to, you know, have a genuine interest at this at a, at a young age. And then three, to niche in. That's something that I feel like is really hard for people to do in any business, and it was advice given to me early in some. I really wanted to resist, as you know. Okay, if I go into this niche, then I'm going to be pigeonholed into this one thing.
Speaker 3:Get yourself out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it sounds like you've had that really work to your advantage of like I'm going to take. You know I approach it Other people haven't done. I'm going to do these home tours, cause I don't really see that happening around here, instead of copying everybody with their TikTok dance and then on top of that you layered on, I'm even going to go out further and find unique properties and and niche in even a little further. So, man, kudos to you. That is awesome, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 4:I kind of want to touch base on that Cause. I so a couple of things you said there. So like the niche is really cool for me because, um, you know, even though it is kind of niching in on that social media side of things I'm hitting, you know 15,000 people now. You know 15,000 people minimum per video.
Speaker 1:I think I saw 608,000 views on a real 608,000.
Speaker 2:Fully clothed and, you know, not in a bikini. That is hard to do on Instagram.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean outside of Blake's world at least, and so for me it was like like I'm niching down into like a certain topic or, you know, um lead source, but really it's like I'm meeting so many more people than I really could have through an open house, through door knocking, whatever it is.
Speaker 4:So that's the first thing I want to touch base on is like it was niching down, but really I was trying to find more opportunity for myself. Yeah, another thing is, uh, you know, with the newer agents coming to our team, like you said, kind of being yourself is super hard because you're, you're young, you know, and you want to get into the new world. You're young, you know, and you want to get into the industry and you want to act the part and you want to kind of show who you are. Um, but I think people like you, for you People don't work with um. You know, people don't meet Dan, and then they're like, oh, you know, I want to work with Finley because, uh, they have the best rates you know whatever it is, but they work with Dan because they like Dan.
Speaker 4:I'm sure it goes the same for you, right? So it's like. It's like.
Speaker 2:Oh, we have the best rates, but nobody likes me, so that's the problem.
Speaker 1:I get the reverse.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's a reverse psychology over there. But we have a lot of new agents joining our team that are like in their twenties and I've taken upon myself a little bit just to kind of hopefully help them and help educate them, and that's been the biggest thing I've said, too, is just be yourself. I mean people like that. I, you know. I mean I try to dress up for a lot of my showings, but maybe I'll throw on a pair of you know, jordan's one day or something like that, and it's just a different style and it's a little bit of a modern touch to where I'm sending my clients. Um, google doc forms with all the homes on them, uh, versus like a written piece of paper I don't know how they do it, but like you know something different, that is a scroll.
Speaker 1:He's just continually flexing on how much younger he is than us.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm just gonna say us, because I got to be honest Every time he makes a comment about the old way he looks at. Damn, not me.
Speaker 1:Well, I got a bigger forehead and a lot more gray hair on my face. So, yeah, it's understandable.
Speaker 4:But yeah, touch a bit.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think just being yourself is the biggest thing you could do, especially on social media, because people work with people they like you know what's crazy about that, though, and like I am really impressed that just at your age, how young, you're figuring this out, because I think and correct me if I'm wrong, Dan but in all the guests we've had on here, we've asked them about imposter syndrome and this idea that very successful people that have been like your predecessors in that same seat um, you would not know that, or I certainly would not know that and they wrestle and battle with it all the time, and it seems like I'm not.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying that that isn't you, but I'd love, love to hear your thoughts, but you are doing the exact opposite of what some people feel like they have to do, Like I have to uphold this image or no one will call me, no one will want to work with me, no one will take me seriously, XYZ like talk about that a little bit as a guy who's like okay, I'm super young, I don't own a home when I start this thing, how are these people going to trust me? Like, do you ever feel that imposter syndrome?
Speaker 4:For sure I think I did more in the beginning stages of my career. Like I'm talking to again guys like Aaron that are selling 50 homes a year and I'm like you know what? Like how do, how do I even get to this point? You know I'm I'm struggling to find the one right, and so doing that 50 more times just sounds crazy to me. Um, I think I've just since then started to understand that we're all in our, our different phases of life, right? Or um, uh, yeah, I guess phase is a good word Um, to where I'm like you know I'm doing all that I can.
Speaker 4:I can't stress myself out over trying to build more business If it's not, you know, maybe not even feasible. You know I'm doing as much as I can, but I don't want to overwork myself and stress myself out and tell me that, uh, oh, you're not doing enough when you're doing all that you can. And just, sometimes it just takes time. Um, so that was one big thing. I think I changed the the switch on a little bit and I was like, okay, well, it takes time, do all that you can do the things that will bring the clients and then just from there, kind of figure out if that will come back to you, um, and then, as far as like being myself but still kind of having that imposter syndrome, um, I think what I've tried to figure out is, you know, the best parts about the people that I know in real estate is the professionalism, you know, the kindness that they bring the, the relationships versus dressing nice and things like that, right? So, aaron, again, um, you know it's heavily tattooed he's, he's dressing up in converse and a blank shirt, you know, and so for me, I'm like it's, they work with them because they like him. They work with them because he's good at business, he, they work with them because he's great at making relationship with other agents.
Speaker 4:And, um, you know, I'm like I can put a modern spin on what I want to do, uh, while still being very professional, very knowledgeable, um, and so I think what I present myself with now is, even though I am still dressing nice, cause I again, I want to win over every client and a lot of his clients are going to be more referral Mine are, like you know, a little bit colder but still warm from social media um is dressing nice but also bringing as much professionalism and knowledge as possible to where they're kind of like there's no better option.
Speaker 4:You know the other agents we've talked to. They've maybe given us some information, but we didn't know anything about this new build and how the new build process works, and Brandon seems to um detail it all down for us. So I think things like that that's really changed my perspective on being having that imposter syndrome, um, to where I can kind of say like, oh, you know, I'm, I'm giving them all that I can and I think it's very helpful, and they seem to you know, like they're learning a lot, um, and so, if I'm putting a modern spin on it, while also, you know, being professional, being knowledgeable, I think it it goes a long way.
Speaker 4:Um, so, obviously still have those imposter syndrome moments, but I think, um, right now it's like just being in that phase and, you know, just presenting myself as best as I can.
Speaker 2:That's huge man. I went to this little retreat a couple of weekends ago and a good buddy of mine who spoke, whose wife's actually very active in this real estate community, and he talked about the power of acting out of your true identity versus your false identity, like what you want to project uh, you know that you think you should for others versus like acting in your true kind of flow state of of who you are. And that sounds a little like metaphysical, but, man, I get that from you. Just sitting right here is like I'm going to be me, I'm going to do it my way, I want it, but it's still.
Speaker 2:It doesn't need to be unprofessional, it doesn't need to be, you know, like I know everything, but I love the phrase that you just said is like you know they're going to sit with you and say, well gosh, I don't have a better option. This is, this is a great option, that's a great way. What a confident way to go into earning your business, and I truly mean that. Earning it because you don't people don't just say that because you put on a $3,000 suit, right, sounds like you walk in that room, you look professional, but then you sit down and you deliver value and they've already liked you, and why wouldn't they want to work with you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I think the $3,000 suit thing is nice for me too, cause I'm the most frugal guy. You'll meet my girlfriend, I'll tell you that and like it's just, you know, I'm frugal and that's just kind of how I grew up, that's kind of how I am and I want to save as much of my money. You know, big goal for me is buying my house, so it's like you know this is from Nordstrom Rack.
Speaker 4:I think pretty much everything I buy now is from Nordstrom Rack. Just bought some new pairs of shoes after I needed for a while, Cause my grandma got me a gift card for it.
Speaker 2:Go, grandma.
Speaker 4:Shout out, exactly Shout out grandma, but it's just like, uh, I'm very frugal, but it's like, again, it's, it's presenting yourself. Well, it's, it's a nice looking shirt, you know it may not be that, uh, you know whatever brand right, but it's like presenting yourself like that and just kind of showing who you are. Um, and then just again, like you said, earning the business. I think that's huge. For me it's never like hey, I'd love to um, help you buy and sell, I'd love to earn your business, I'd love to do all that I can to kind of meet those expectations that you're looking for. And a lot of questions I'll ask to some people too is like um, what are you looking for in realtor?
Speaker 4:You know, a lot of people are looking for specific things. It's not just, uh, not just someone that's going to send them houses and things like that. It's like, oh, we're looking for someone that's going to dial down the full buying process, um, you know, start to finish, for a first time home buyer, um, and I think I can kind of relate to that more than a lot of other agents that have maybe bought and sold um 15 of their own personal residents. You know um to where I'm. I'm kind of in that phase too. You know, we want to kind of grow together and I'm like, hey, I love working with younger people because we can kind of relate in there. You know, it's fun, we can text more than we call just cause I'm a big texter, you know, and like things like that. So I've kind of tried to cultivate my own um client based based off of social media, um and things like that and that's that's so huge too, of.
Speaker 2:Like you know, dan and I chatted about this before other coaching folks I've had before is like figuring out who your ideal client is and what they want. How do they want to be communicated with, what are they looking for? And then not only do you get to act like your true self, but if somebody says, well, I want somebody that wants to drive me to 13 homes on Saturdays and is available all hours of the day, and you know you can say, gosh, I just really I'm not going to be that great of a fit for you. Unfortunately, I don't know a realtor that is going to be, but you know that that's great to know too, cause it takes a little bit. Nobody ever wants to lose a client, but again, I'm impressed that it's a younger start in your career. You've kind of figured out like it doesn't make any sense for me to waste my time spinning my wheels with someone who wasn't going to be my client anyway.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, and I'll try my best with everyone and you'll see it through my. My social media follow up is like you know, I'll send someone a home after they've asked for it. You know, and I've nice, I'm like. Oh yeah, absolutely Right.
Speaker 3:And then they leave me on red and I'm like dang, that kind of sucks, like all I really wanted was a thank you you know, and then we can maybe develop a business relationship from there.
Speaker 4:But even then I'm like okay, let me know. You know, I just put double text them, I'm not. I'm not scared of like the relentlessness, but I'm also you know, again want to cultivate my own audience and client based to where I like the people I'm working with. I haven't had a client where I'm like, oh, this is dreadful, you know, and I've just liked everyone that I've worked with. So that's been, it's been huge and you're the unicorn.
Speaker 4:I know I'm sure I'll get to that point where I'm like, oh my God, this is yeah, well don't hurt.
Speaker 1:Dan, you know what there's always. You'll learn from that experience too, and it'll as as painful as it'll probably be, You're unenjoyable when you look back on it. It'll, it'll. It'll be something that really turned the tides and showed you something new. I'm sure everything's learning lessons.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean like it's so funny, it's, it's, it's so cliche, right, you either win or you learn, and it's exact. It's cliche for a reason, like there's so much truth that I just had this conversation this morning Like we're dealing with it with a fairly sticky situation, and it's like, hey, like right now I'm focused on how do we get to the solution and then, once the book is closed, we'll go back and figure out why it happened and how to avoid it in the future. So, 100% like, but you have to. Those are, you know, those are the nuggets that when you talk to people who are experienced and have had high level success man, they always talk about their failures and what they learn from them. So so it's super cool. I mean, no, it's coming, it's not. You know it's coming yeah.
Speaker 4:And I don't hold a grudge either. So if something happens, like, like you know, there's a lot of people out there something, if they you don't do them wrong once, it's like, wait, and this relationship here, you know, and I don't, I don't like to hold the grudge, and especially if there's a, you know, a good business relationship and a good opportunity for me, it's like why would I, you know, like like I would love to still see this relationship out? If I again and again start to get, you know, beat down or it doesn't work for me, then you know I'll rethink this right. But it's, I'm in a phase right now to where I'm going to work with everyone, that I can work, you know, as much with them as I can, and and then if it brings out to a good relationship, then it's that's even better.
Speaker 2:Awesome.
Speaker 1:So so we talked a little bit, obviously, about your social media presence and I was gonna. When you came in, I told you I was going to give you a hard time about the contrast between your Instagram following versus your YouTube following.
Speaker 1:And but I think we've talked about so many things along the way, like, I mean, dude, you have 67 subscribers on YouTube and you have over 15,000 followers on Instagram.
Speaker 1:I think that's so, so cool because, just like you talked about, like you're finding your niche and you don't want to be obviously you don't want to pigeonhole yourself, you don't want to paint yourself into a corner, and sure you could probably you or other professionals who've had high level success could look at that and go okay, I obviously have to focus a little bit more on YouTube to grow that there. But YouTube seems, or Instagram seems, to be working. I mean, if I'm scrolling through your videos the other day trying to kind of take some notes of some talking points for today, and it's like, dude, you have a video with over 600,000 views on it and and so funny because when we met, like I knew you were just starting it and there were cars in all your videos and they were like super luxury houses are like cool brand is trying to sell those big houses on the side of the hill and pull some right like and 100% you were.
Speaker 1:But it's funny because in the back of your head you're going I'm going to find these people to buy them, because they ain't my friends like it ain't my phone book right now, that's for sure. So so talk to us a little bit about, like you know was, was YouTube kind of just something that you didn't have that much interested in, or did IG just take off? We were just more comfortable with that there, like yeah, I think I saw, so I always watched.
Speaker 4:You know, again, younger, I like dive into social media, just like everyone everyone now, honestly. But YouTube was huge for me and so I watched a Tom Ferry video I think this guy's name was Summon Kim, and so he was over in the Texas area doing YouTube walkthroughs these houses super basic videos, you know, decent editing, speeding it up, slowing it down, showing details of the house and things like that. And then I was like, okay, you know I could do that, it's pretty easy. It was all with his iPhone and everything like that, and I think he was the number one, number one in closed sales for all of the XP.
Speaker 3:And I'm like.
Speaker 4:These are all coming from YouTube, so I'm like, let me dive into this yeah.
Speaker 4:And so I'm like, let me try it Now. It just took. I saw success starting to come from Instagram and, honestly, success has only really come from Instagram within the last year or so. Close clients from Instagram, but it's the upscale and followers and views and things have come really recently. But on YouTube, I'm like, let me, let me try this out. It just took so much longer to edit those videos I wasn't seeing. I was seeing maybe 50 views or something like that, which is still. You know, if that's 50 people I can reach, that I wouldn't have already. That's awesome, but I just didn't see a lot of stuff coming out from yet. I did end up actually going into a new construction home in Folsom. They're like I know you and I'm like I don't know you.
Speaker 4:And they were like, oh, I saw your YouTube video on this on one of these houses. I'm like it's pretty cool, you know, and so that for me I was like should I dive back into it? But I was telling Dan to, I'm like, you know, I've been busy from 10am to 5pm every single day for new construction home tours and showings, right. So what's? You know it's already working. I don't know if there's necessary, you know, if it's a necessity to diversify that, if it's all kind of working from there. Now I think it would be something I would like to dive in deeper into, but maybe have the outsourced a little bit, you know people edit it for me, maybe other people film it, kind of things like that, and I can add my voice over on it, dude.
Speaker 2:I just am sitting here, man. I gotta be honest, I'm super impressed because all these little phrases that I learned over years of coaching keep popping up in my head, right Like my coach had told me. Just, you know, find that lever that pays out the jackpot and just keep pulling that lever until it doesn't pay anymore. So you, you know again, you find your niche. Another thing I always think of is you know, one of my favorite quotes is you can have the best laid plan, but every once in a while you have to look at the results, right, so you could have this. And people don't do that. Sometimes they get this. This is going to work. These guys did on YouTube. I'm going to do it. And.
Speaker 2:But you gave it a, gave it a go, right, you went out there and you're like gosh, maybe the juice isn't the worst to squeeze, and I've got this other lever over here that is starting to pay off really well, maybe I'm going to stick with that. And then what Dan and I talk about almost every week, like this 51% principle of like it doesn't sound, like there's anything. When you've been like I'm going to do all my research, I'm going to be 100% sure, and then I'm going to pull the trigger. You've been like well gosh man, that seems like that. That could be right up my alley in terms of my skillset. I'm going to give it a go without the fear of dude. I might not get anybody.
Speaker 4:Yeah, right, I always I mean again newer in my business. I'm willing to do anything to kind of create the business Right. So I think that was something for me is, like when I'm going to just even events that are local, association of realtors, where they're talking about what they're doing, that's really bringing business. I'm like I'm okay, I'm going to try it tomorrow. You know, I'm like there's no reason for me to really wait.
Speaker 1:Let me check my calendar. Yeah, that was wide open. Nothing there, no clients, you know, it's all good.
Speaker 4:So I'm like, let me, let me try it out. And it was just. You know, there's nothing negative that could come from it, even with, like the talking head videos. So I used to do videos where, like I would have a microphone like this, I'm talking to my camera. I used to do photography. I would have a light like this and it's all kind of coming down on me and so I'm just trying to make the videos kind of talking to people, educate them about real estate, and you know, that's embarrassing. Like I've never been in front of a camera like that. I mean, my mom grew up with the camera. She's always taking pictures of us, but never on video, right, and so big introvert growing up too. So it's like that was really hard for me, but there's nothing negative going to come out of it, you know, at least I won't hear about it.
Speaker 1:The worst feedback. The worst feedback I ever got on those videos was get a microphone. Yeah like your camera is too far away, we can't hear you. We love the videos Like no one's like. Oh, your videos.
Speaker 2:And I was the one that said that today.
Speaker 1:But it's like, it's cool because if it comes from the right place and it's good, it's good information, the right people are going to hear it, it's going to find their way to the right people or it's not going to land and no harm, no foul.
Speaker 4:Right and I've always just tried to be consistent with it. So if I, if I, whatever it is like. If it's Instagram, if it's YouTube, it's like, okay, let me put you know, let me put out three videos this week or two videos this week and then just see how they land Right, and then try it again next week. Try, change a couple of things, what happens, what changes, right. And then from there I'm like okay, let's you know, youtube, I was seeing 50 views. I think that a bunch of them got up to like 300 views, and then I started to see it after time, right Versus my Instagram. I'm like I'm meeting a lot more people on here.
Speaker 4:You know, I've tried YouTube. I probably made 15 or so videos and I just didn't see as much turnout which you know I definitely will if I continue to post. But from you, from Instagram, I'm like I'm already seeing it. I'm being consistent, I implemented it as soon as possible and I've started to tweak things and it's just growing from there. So, as long as you're consistent with whatever you're trying out, I think that's the biggest thing. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:If I can ask, without you giving up the secret sauce, like one of the things I always heard from a coach of mine about Instagram, because I've done a fair amount of my business through there as well. As Ben, you have the opportunity to take the online offline, so you know again, if you don't feel comfortable sharing, because there's millions of agents listening to this right now, what is your first step? So say, I'm a, I'm a lead, I saw your video and what is something that somebody would say when they reach out to you? And then how do you kind of go from there?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so a lot of times it's them reaching out from a specific house asking more information about this house. You know I tend to leave out one or two things about the house and it's never like.
Speaker 4:You know, oh, you can't have this information always reach out, right, but I don't. I don't include the address, just as most people don't. So if they need more information on the house, I want to be that first point of contact. So I'll have them reach out to me and then my my script is kind of like hey, you know, I would love to give you some more information on this home. I just asked that if you are interested in touring in person, I would love to show you around.
Speaker 4:That's awesome, especially for new builds. I work with all those six homes that I have in contract are all new construction homes, and so for me I'm like, let me. I have to be there on that first visit in order to earn a commission yeah, and they don't budge on that right and they don't let me. They don't let me get paid, they don't let me negotiate, they don't let me run them through the transaction.
Speaker 4:So I'm, like you know, telling these people to, and it's not, it's not only selfishness on my part, it's like you know. We've been able to negotiate anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 off that totally or yeah.
Speaker 4:Closing costs. So I'm like you know, for you and for myself, I would love to be there on the first visit, and that's kind of how that, that you know, talk opens up and then from there I'll kind of start talking like oh, here is you know the melrose on that, that community, here's the HOA, here are you know the layouts, here are the models, here are the pricing, here's how much you can expect to pay for Upgrades and things like that.
Speaker 4:And so that's a lot of information you don't get from realtors. That don't you know. Focus on new construction. So that's huge, yeah, if I can provide that information and then kind of just, you know, create the relationship like oh, here's this home, if they don't reach out and we don't go see it, and I'm like, oh, they did, they reach out about another home. Here's this information you know and you kind of just start to assume the relationship as the realtor, which I think goes a long way.
Speaker 2:I think that's awesome too, and I love that little bit of point of separation.
Speaker 2:Now there's agents that work at those sites that are fantastic and work hard and maybe they're to appoint their career, that that's something that they're doing or it's a season.
Speaker 2:I've no agents that moved in and out of there, but it's funny because I'll work with clients and new construction who, a, don't think a realtor matters a or b, they don't. They'll just use a community lender and think that's got to be the best deal and see, they don't feel like they need a home inspection. And so, like I would say for all three of us sitting here that there's a fallacy in all of those things and it's awesome that you're getting in, because a lot of new construction I see too is a lot of times it's it is first time home buyers and they don't have any idea the process, no basis for comparison, and they're getting all of their information either just from the builder or and there's a lot of assumptions right, like the home's going to be built perfectly. Yeah, of course, this is the best deal that I'm going to get of course, the backyard will be landscaped.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly if you like a moon, yeah, if you like moon rocks. But that's awesome that you're going in there and you're providing a ton of value and, you know, even like mellarus. Quite frankly, when I moved to california, I was already in the mortgage industry. I bought a house. I didn't really know what mellarus was until I was On my own home, so it's it's crazy and it makes a big difference for people.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I think there's a lot of hidden information. Well, I guess not hidden, but like you're looking at it and you just don't see it up front. If you don't know what you're doing, you don't know what to ask, right as a new home buyer, so things like mellarus will really pop up. Things like uh, Tax bases are almost always higher in new construction, so when I see a 1.06 or something percent tax base, I'm like that's pretty good because I've seen a lot of other ones that are 1.3 percent.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah construction, um, you know, like you said, comes with no backyard. You know, um, and just things like that, where the asking or the starting price is 750, but you'll close for 815 with upgrades, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah um.
Speaker 4:So like asking what do you see other people spending on upgrades, things like that, just asking the questions that people wouldn't know to ask, and then, um, you know, hopefully getting them a better deal because of that Um, and then we also have a huge team in fulsome. So, if any, if I haven't worked with that builder before I'm texting them and has anyone worked with uh, which with richman american? What were you guys able to get, as far as you know, closing cost credits or, uh, buy down, you know um, from the original price, you know Um, and so just using all those things I can to kind of earn that relationship, and you know uh, do the best I can.
Speaker 2:And that's huge too. I mean that's great for all your clients, but especially for you know, in the lending side of things we work with first time home buyers and it's new builds. It's like they focus so much on the purchase price, maybe right where we can say, hey, if we can work to get x amount of credit, we can use that and either to buy down or temporary buy down and here's the differences and here's where we think the market's Going to go, and this is how it affects your monthly payment.
Speaker 2:And especially if they're younger, like where you're in your career, do you think that you have some you know Step increases coming or whatever that might be. So I just think what you're doing is awesome there and and providing a lot of value, whereas I think sometimes people think new construction it's it's like buying something retail off the off the store shelf, but it's really not yeah, yeah, and I'll be honest too.
Speaker 4:I mean, new construction is a lot easier for me because the sales reps will handle a lot of it On the back end. So my biggest job is finding them, all those homes and then showing them around the homes and then showing them on the Front end what that looks like, and then letting the sales reps handle a lot of the other work, just because that's kind of how they like to do it. But, uh, I think where was I going with that? Giving them all that information, letting them know that their payment could be about six to seven hundred dollars, you know, possibly Higher than like a resale home, you know, because of the tax rates, because the h-way, because of the melrose that older homes won't have, you know.
Speaker 4:I mean just giving them all that information that I can is is me trying to provide as much value as possible to you know, basically, show that I, you know, earn that commission and then, once they say like, oh, he's done so much for us I wouldn't want to go to that new construction community without him, because you know we respect what he's been doing for us and I think that's what it is for me too is earning that respect and then earning the business and things like that, to where it'll kind of Come back to me Later on something that the Blake had talked about, like taking that, that that initial online meeting offline, and I've noticed it's funny In communicating with you, I almost, I almost feel like I get a faster response when I message you through instagram than on text message, which is which is bizarre, like it just blows my mind.
Speaker 1:I'm like man, like it's crazy we touched on the age difference, obviously, but like I think there's something to that and it was just spinning in my head like I actually think, because Blake and I have talked about it as well with you know Yelp and all these places I mean, I'm responsible for so many of our social media sites and I'm trying to get that conversation Either on the phone or with my office, directly with a person. But it's crazy because in your environment, like you almost don't want them to leave Instagram because that's the safe space, right, that's where they know you, that's where they're comfortable talking to you. So is that something that's like a conscious action on your part?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean we still want to get them to a different site just because they're usually more I mean opposite for me more responsive on a text or a phone call or email, and email makes it easier for me to send out homes and things like that. But the best part about social media is everyone's usually on it every day. They're checking out what's new and then we're also kind of talking back and forth and I can see their profile picture. I know what they look like If they're younger. If they're older, I see their bio. Maybe they're a nurse, which happens to be a lot of my clients for some reason.
Speaker 4:I think maybe it's just because they can afford in this market right now, and so I see that they're a nurse. I'm like oh, I've worked with a couple other nurses right now. Where are you going to in this which medical office or whatever? Right, so you can kind of adapt to them a little bit more on Instagram because you know a little bit more about them. Versus, if someone calls me right now or texts me, I'm like OK, what was your name?
Speaker 3:Versus. Their name is already present on their social media.
Speaker 4:It's just really easy to connect on there. But my end goal is to get them over to text or email so I can kind of further that.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, man. Yeah, I mean, one of our questions here we're going to ask you today was like what would you give advice for a new person coming to the industry?
Speaker 1:But I'm going to skip that, everything he said. I'm going to skip that question, advice or something we do.
Speaker 2:It's the roadmap You're doing it and I love it, man, because you even said a few of the words. I think one of the best things that I learned about building my own business was somebody said instead of building it on Flare, and the coolest new thing is to build it on frugality, innovation and technology 100%, and then just to layer over that great service. Yeah, I mean, you literally hit on all those things. Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 4:Yeah, my mentor always stresses like he's like, don't spend a bunch of money on leads, then you're underwater if you have a bad month. So I'm like, like you said, frugality. I'm like, like I said, I'm frugal, but it's like I'm willing to spend a little bit of money on my business. But I'm also like, if it's coming in through social media with free, by the way, I don't pay for any ads, I don't pay for anything like that, it's just all coming in organically. So if I can really run a lean business to where I can hopefully make as much money as possible and get my clients as much money as possible, yeah, that's a hard return on ads bend to beat 100%, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:And like you said, those are not even somebody that responds to an ad or a Zillow lead, right? It's not you they're responding to, so the fact that you're in there I don't know other than a personal referral if there's a better lead source than that in this current day and age real estate.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I think I've actually met a couple people for new showings recently and they've been like oh, one of my girlfriends follows you on Instagram. I'm like dude, no way.
Speaker 3:It's just kind of weird and it sounds like douchey, you know. I'm like I'm over here.
Speaker 4:I'm like I'm some big baller with a bunch of Instagram followers, but I'm just like he's like yeah, you and 15,000, 6,000 other people, it's all for my business. I don't want to be some influencer. You know it's just like a lot of these people are meeting like oh, my girlfriend follows you. They're also looking to make a move up to the area and I'm like perfect.
Speaker 2:Man, I think what you should do one of these times is like with somebody you're super comfortable with before you meet them for the first time, is you send it like a different, like a body double, somebody that's not you and somebody that doesn't even look like you, so not a body double Like you show up, they think they know what you look like and dude, it's some. Dude that's short. Like 5, 3, 2, 90. Yeah, with a big beard.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I love it, yeah, yeah absolutely.
Speaker 1:That's too good, too good. So I know you're pretty into cars. Your first car indicates that you're probably more of a horsepower guy than anything else. But tell our hundreds of listeners something. Maybe something that they don't know about you? Obviously, we know that you're outdoorsy and that you're young in the industry and all those things, so what's something else like about you that you think makes you different from other people?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think I was trying to think about this. This is the one of the only questions where I was like, what do I have an answer for? But I think one thing would be like I got a lot of my business sense from. I think I used to do car photography, so I was big into cars. I was into photography.
Speaker 4:Like I said, my mom grew up with a camera on her hand, 24, seven snapping pictures of us and so I was like, ok, let me get into it. I used to use her camera, I bought my own camera, started doing car photography. I get paid. I started at $40, ended up at like $115 for any of the shoots and I think that was kind of like the business side of me Got a lot of those clients well, probably 95% of those clients from social media too, by just reaching out to people that are going to local cars and coffees and things like that. Or if I was out of cars and coffee, a lot of car guys will have their Instagram on the side of their car, and so I'm like let me reach out to them, let me see if they're willing to do a shoot, and so I think that's one thing. I'm big into cars, big into photography. Use that into a business sense and kind of work that into my real estate business.
Speaker 1:Have you met any of the car guys in the business, like Rico Rivera, jay Friedman, any of that?
Speaker 3:There's some car guys.
Speaker 4:Kelly Pleasant, corvette Guy, yeah, I haven't met Jay Friedman, but his car is beautiful Like I just want to that's an easy.
Speaker 1:meet dude, We'll get coffee.
Speaker 4:That's an easy introduction and he's a good dude too, and, like you know, he's working a great business. He seems very friendly, just cool person.
Speaker 1:He's an awesome dude.
Speaker 4:Awesome car, you know, can't get any better. He never smiles, though that's a problem, yeah right, never stop smiling, yeah, and then like same with Aaron. I mean, he's got his 53, I think Chevy, that's been in the shop for like a year and a half, three years or something like that. But even then it's cool connecting with other people that are into cars. I drive a Mustang now I've been talking about how much I want to get rid of it just because I get 14 miles a gallon.
Speaker 4:I've driven to Deep Roseville for the past like five days now and filled up every other day.
Speaker 1:It's like the other side of the world for a brand new car.
Speaker 4:It's like 45 minutes 50 minutes and then I'm like I'm paying like 90 bucks, well, 80 bucks for gas, and you know it doesn't suck.
Speaker 2:That's not a frugal guy right there. It's not.
Speaker 4:And that's why I'm like, oh, we could Tesla or something, something where it can save a little bit on gas, but I don't know if I'm quite ready to let go of like a cool sounding car.
Speaker 2:I got an 08 Prius that runs about half the time and we can get you hooked up at 46 miles a gallon. That might be nice.
Speaker 4:Basically like quadruple what I'm getting right now. So that'd be pretty cool, it's a doom. But yeah, I mean I'm big in, like my dad grew up with. Well, he bought a 1965 Fastback Mustang and I Harry. Red, you know, prettiest car you could pretty much buy at the time, you know. And so I think that Did he?
Speaker 2:buy original Well no, he wouldn't be old enough for that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so he bought it. He was born in 73. He went and I think he was 16 or something. Damn Wow.
Speaker 1:We're only a few years older than Brandon's dad.
Speaker 4:And then my I think his sister had the same year baby blue Fastback Mustang. They all bought it themselves and it was like probably a couple grand at the time, you know, 13 grand or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it was even cheaper.
Speaker 4:I think my dad sold his fully like, fully remodeled for like for like less than 15 grand and then they went back and sold it for like so much more. It's crazy.
Speaker 1:Those early 60s Mustangs were like the signature car at my high school.
Speaker 3:I mean, it was like there were so many of them in the park.
Speaker 1:But you look back like people are getting them for like $1,500 and like fully restoring them and putting in brand new crate motors and stuff. You're like holy cow.
Speaker 2:And now these things are 40, 60, 80 grand You're like holy shit. My best friend had a 64 and a half Mustang inherited from his grandfather and it was, like you know, other than like a mouse chewed a little hole in the headliner, like I think it had no miles on it. It was beautiful, like we would ride into school every once in a while and like I didn't even want to like breathe on the seats. Oh yeah, I feel like a baller rolling it. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:I have. I had my truck and I would roll into the. There were speed bumps in my parking lot in high school and I would. You had to go sideways. Well, no, my truck wasn't too low so but like it was lowered, it was like a cool. It was almost like a hot rod type truck big wheels in the back, lowered a little bit, but it had one of the ball joints in the front was super squeaky. So it's like I roll in, hit the speed.
Speaker 3:I was like every time I'm like oh man.
Speaker 4:So I've ridden the Mustang and that's. That's been so fun and it's a cool car. It wasn't always my favorite year of the Mustang, but I've really learned to love. It Sounds awesome, which is my favorite part, so it's like, is it?
Speaker 1:a manual. Automatic manual.
Speaker 2:So that's even worse.
Speaker 4:I'm driving daily with 14 miles a gallon in a manual car.
Speaker 1:Wearing that clutch out In Elder Otter Hills where I'm like falling back 15 feet. First Pulled you with the old e-brake trick on a hill.
Speaker 4:Exactly. I'm not the best at it still, so it's like it's whatever, but Tesla would be awfully nice, a little self-driving or something if possible. But I don't know how I feel about it yet.
Speaker 1:They're quick, man, they're quick. I love mine, that's for sure.
Speaker 4:I had someone when I was doing a car shoot.
Speaker 1:Have you driven one yet?
Speaker 4:I drove the plaid. I think it was the Model S plaid. It's insane.
Speaker 1:It's like driving a roller coaster.
Speaker 4:If you want it to.
Speaker 1:And mine's not even like the performance. It's like on rails you just step on it and it's instantly there and it's fast, and so the guy, let me drive the plaid, and I'm like, ah, this is cool and it was really quick.
Speaker 4:And he's like, dude, you're not even stepping on it. So he takes me out to the straight and he steps on it. I have a video of it and I shoot back. My phone hits my chest. I'm like, oh my god.
Speaker 1:It's pretty wild. I definitely wouldn't mind some quickness. It'd be like $12 worth of acceleration.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I love car, it's silent.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it's a totally different noise. Yeah, a little more peaceful.
Speaker 4:I have a huge axle-back exhaust on mine so it's loud, and so sometimes I have some little bit older clients Not even older, but just older than me in them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 30 and up yeah exactly Easy Tread lightly buddy.
Speaker 4:Tread lightly Looking around.
Speaker 1:I'm like this is too loud. It's kind of embarrassing.
Speaker 4:But I think they are cool with it.
Speaker 1:Right on man. Well, Brandon, I know this has been super fun and so enjoyable, but we asked this last question of all of our guests. It's super insightful. Hopefully it's a fun one. If you could be anybody for a day, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so I think, growing up in the Bay Area again, I think it's got to be Steph Curry.
Speaker 1:Nice, I was huge, I was big into basketball. I played AAU growing up, the Kings fans are going to hate you. It's OK. It's OK, that's all right. You read it.
Speaker 4:Absolutely, it's who you are. I'm from the Bay Area, so they can't call me a bandwagon.
Speaker 4:He just carries himself very humbly, very cool, but he gets. You know, he can show off. Sometimes. He likes to be humble, he likes to be very kind to other people. From what I've seen, I met him actually doing a camp in the Bay Area too and doing like a basketball camp Just the coolest experience. You know, I got a signed card from him, and so I think the biggest thing that I take away is not only is he a great player, but nothing like. He makes probably 50 million a year, if not more. You know it hasn't changed him. He seems like a very cool, humble person. He's nice to everyone he meets, he's, you know, hugging on everyone and like I think that for me is like what I hope to resonate with is, hopefully when I'm making, hopefully when I'm making more money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you could say 50 million a year, that's OK. I mean, when you're making that, Steph.
Speaker 1:Curry money for sure.
Speaker 4:You're very humble about it and that's where I was trying to come from is like I don't. I never want to be that person with a huge ego, and I think that comes from a lot of people in the real estate industry honestly, you're right.
Speaker 4:You're right, there's a huge ego comes from it, so it's treating everyone with kindness and while still being the best person you can, and I think that's what kind of resonates with me from him. Of course, every like every other kid, I wanted to be a professional sports player too, so that was like that'd be a cool switch.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're a good company here. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Well, brandon, it's been a real pleasure having you on here and I have no doubt that Dan and I will be seeing big things, and I know that we'll look back in this podcast and be like man that was just at the beginning and now he's like the Steph Curry of Folsom.
Speaker 1:Real Estate. So yeah, well thanks for joining us today man Very much. Go get that Steph Curry money brother. Thanks for coming in, dude, we appreciate it.
Speaker 4:We'll see you guys next time. Thank you guys.
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