Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Anthony Lamacchia’s “Crush It In Real Estate” event and want to bring you my three big takeaways. 

This event included an afternoon filled with outstanding information from Anthony and various panels of successful agents.  There were numerous takeaways from the event but I wanted to bring you the three that really spoke to me. The helpful hints that I know have the biggest impact for agents all over the globe.

Talk To People Constantly – Tracey Fiorelli

Interestingly enough, this has come up in conversation with friends a few times recently, but Tracey Fiorelli put it perfectly: “talk to people constantly.” The best salespeople I’ve ever met don’t just think about meeting people at specific networking events or functions. They connect with people everywhere they go, almost like it’s instinctual. You know the type (maybe it’s you), the person you leave alone at a restaurant for 5 minutes, and by the time you return, they’ve struck up conversations with all the tables around them.

So, if you don’t already do this, take some advice from Tracey: “talk to people constantly”. You never know where you’ll meet someone, so don’t be afraid to strike up conversations in public places like restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores… or anywhere you go!

Dig For Properties – Genevieve Botelho & Darlene Umina

Genevieve and Darlene shared how they both treat their businesses like a concierge service, and one of the best ways they find to stand out as Buyer’s Agents is to “dig for properties.” 

What they mean by “dig” is to not rely on MLS notifications alone to find properties for your clients. Both use Facebook, FSBO Listings, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor(dot)com, HomeSnap, Craigslist and more to find the best properties for their clients – possibly that haven’t even hit the market yet or are listed in places where buyers aren’t searching.

By using their expertise in finding properties their buyers would not have found otherwise, they stand out as true market experts and have even leveraged referral business from it. 

We Don’t Buy Leads

Audience: “What is your top source for paid leads?”
Panel: “We don’t really buy leads.”

This one really struck me, but is no surprise given the principals we focus on at Agent Inner Circle. In certain market conditions, paying for leads may be a good strategy to incrementally grow your business, but the highest-producing agents rely on referrals and repeats.

So while it’s easy to get distracted by the shiny penny, keep in mind that the biggest and most consistent businesses in real estate are always working their sphere as opposed to paying for leads.