We are bringing together a group of expert mentors to share how they uncover opportunities in changing markets! You will hear ideas from tracking trends and adding complementary services to how to use writing and social media.
The wisdom will be flowing, so bring your notebook, pen, and curious mind with you! If this is one of your favorite topics, please be sure to join us and stay until the end. After their group conversation, we will be opening it up for attendees to come on camera to engage and share their questions and wisdom with the community.
We are mixing up the format today. The front part of our chat will be talking with these experts and mentors in the industry. Following this segment, we will welcome anyone who would like to ask them questions or share their own wisdom with the community to turn on their camera and join us!
Q1: How have you used your area of expertise to help you uncover new potential business or additional revenue streams during a shifting market?
Christy, let’s start with you.
How have you used writing as a way to uncover business opportunities?
Once I was licensed as a real estate agent, I quickly discerned that what the world needed (more than another real estate agent in my super-competitive market) was a great writer who could help real estate professionals with the many writing and content creation needs they were wrestling with. As a former English teacher, I was used to creating a huge volume of content on the fly for my students, so I put that experience to work writing property descriptions, bios, blogs, books, and marketing materials for the real estate industry.
How do you see this being a medium for our leaders?
Honestly, everyone needs copy written, both to build their brand and to build their thought leadership roles. The biggest mistake I see women in real estate making is staying quiet and taking a backseat in the industry rather than seeking out opportunities to get their voices out there. I want to see women on video, in the blogosphere, on social media and in major media sharing their expertise.
Michelle, how have you seen Instagram used to uncover potential business of rev streams?
Instagram has been an opportunity for people to lean into multiple different arenas. I have helped our clients land podcast opportunities, launch books, recruit, build direct to consumer leads that allow them to stop paying for all advertising or expensive lead generation tactics that often produce low quality leads at best anyways. It is also an opportunity for them to get real and authentic and reach the masses with their stories. The biggest challenge here is that many are just adding to the white noise, not creating their own lane. Too worried about “what everyone else is doing” or “oh that person is an agent now.”
What are you seeing brokerages and agents do that we should know about?
2. Well there is SO much here. We are working with our agents to help them leverage hyper-locally. Those who are the most successful are doing 3 big things. 1) They are getting raw, and vulnerable. Brokerages are doing the same. They are showcasing culture and community to create recruiting opportunities instead of using stock marketing content and cookie cutter or “filler” content. 2) They are creating conversation. Not just expecting it to show up on their doorstop. If you want to get engagement you have to give it and it is fun to watch, and help facilitate it. 3) They are moving the meeting consistently AFTER connecting first. So many people when they engage go straight for the kill or the “ask”, but those who are doing it really successfully are leaning on connection first and then leveraging that connection in their ask.
Taunee, you are the QUEEN of multiple income streams. Please share with us how you have woven in a series of concierge services to strengthen your business and uncover new opportunities. I am one of those who like to address what the pain points and bring solutions - like right now - landlords I provide mortgage protection insurance services to my buyer clients in order to help them create financial security for their families. I advise them to transfer their properties into Trusts to avoid Probate.
Laura, you’ve been building the Inman community for many years. How have you and your community members been using your groups and events to uncover new biz? In my world, connecting people to other people, ideas, or conversations is where it all happens. Connecting the dots from those initial seeds to opportunities for others helps our community grow, but the reason they stay is the nurturing at events that happen along the way.
Q2: We know LISTENING is a big part of discovering new opportunities.. Let’s focus on clients (current, potential, and past) and competitors.
Current Clients - how often and where are you communicating with them?
Michelle - We have specific systems in place that allow me to be on calls with all our private clients at least once a month, and our course clients I personally check in with them
Taunee through Social Media,
Laura (add your answer here) Social media - all channels is where it starts, then moves to 1:1 meetings
Christy I primarily communicate through email once I have established a client relationship. Because there are so many moving parts to my clients’ writing needs and we’re frequently working on tight deadlines, I don’t want our communication spread across multiple platforms. I have one or two clients with whom I regularly text or talk by phone, but for the most part staying on email keeps communication centralized, searchable and organized.
Potential Clients - where and how do you find them?
Taunee - through my volunteering involvement
Laura (add your answer here)
Christy Many of my clients reach out to me after seeing my writing in Inman or hearing me on a podcast. I frequently teach webinars on property descriptions, bios and other content creation, so many of the attendees follow up with me afterwards.
Michelle (add your answer here)-
Past Clients - how are you keeping connected to them?
Laura (add your answer here)
Christy Because so much of what I do is truly solving pain points for my clients, I usually find that they continue to reach out to me. Once they realize they never have to write a property description again, for instance, they don’t hesitate to reach out on the next one. Other than that, I make sure to let people know what else I can do for them. If, for example, someone hires me to write a bio, I make sure that they know about the other types of writing I do.
Michelle (add your answer here)-
Taunee - social media, nationwide real estate events that I produce, networking events
Competitors - are you paying attention to them? How?
Christy No.
Michelle
Taunee No
Laura
Q3: What exciting changes and shifts have you seen happening in the industry that you encourage the community to watch?
Taunee whenever there is a downshift in the market , that is when the agents that are serious about the business tends to double down and start investing in themselves by obtaining more education, marketing, networking and etc. Which is why we have our Unleash More Master Series
Laura The real estate community is hungry for stability- and I see that happening in “relationships” more than anything. From client/company events, recruiting events, anything that brings people together. The world post covid has left many feeling like they are struggling in many ways, but no matter the uncertainty in market conditions, the energy a sense of belonging brings is unmatched.
Christy More than ever, I see that there is no single market reality. Even when some people are seeing a down market, I have other clients who are fielding more clients than they can possibly juggle. We say it all the time, but it continues to be true: Real estate is local. Focus on your market and be the expert there, and share that expertise with your fans, followers and sphere of influence to offset inaccurate information that they may be hearing about the industry or the economy at large.
Let’s open it up. Raise your hand if you would like to come on camera to engage with our mentors and share your questions or wisdom with the community!
Q4: Final words of wisdom. Please include links to books and podcasts you recommend. Where possible, please highlight female authors and podcasters. :)
Christy I have to put in a plug for my dear friend Stacey Ross Cohen, CEO of Co-Communications, a New York PR firm. She is in the midst of launching her book Brand Up. It’s all about personal branding for college-aged young people and young professionals who are just getting started in their careers. Stacey is really a great personal brand maven, and this book is going to be a game-changer for a lot of people. If you know a young woman who is preparing to move out into the professional world, pre-order her book.
Michelle (add your answer here) -
Taunee as realtors in order for us to have financial security we need to have multiples streams of income.
Laura (add your answer here)
Meet the Panelist
Michelle Berman-Mikel
Michelle Berman-Mikel is a nationally sought-after Instagram Content Development coach, Speaker and Owner of Berman Media PD. Contributing writer for Inman. She is also the creator of the Instagram Power Method Program, an online course that teaches Realtors & Loan Officers how to leverage the power of Instagram to not only scale their relationships nationally, but also build credibility in their local markets. Michelle is also the host of The Coffee & Questions Podcast and is an expert in understanding and utilizing Psychology to help people tap into the power of Instagram and its ability to be a lead generation source for your business.
Link to IG: https://www.instagram.com/bermanmediasocial/
Website: http://bermanmediapd.com
Christy Murdock
Taunee English
Taunee English is an award-winning realtor and thought leader. She has appeared on NPR KPCC's "AirTalk," Inman, California Association of Realtors® and National Women’s Council of Realtors®. Known as the “Three Colors of Money” coach, business strategist Taunee educates realtors and other entrepreneurs on how to leverages three different income streams to maximize financial security. Prior to entering the real estate industry, Taunee ran a business management firm serving various industries from A to Z. With over18 years of real estate experience, Taunee holds 12+ distinguished real estate certifications and designations, and is the Broker Owner of Lions Realty Group, a Resimercial Brokerage serving the Greater Los Angeles area. Passionate about the real estate industry, she’s currently serving as President-Elect of Greater Los Angeles of Realtors® Association, State Director at California Association of Realtors® and Communities of Interest Committee Chair at National Association of Realtors®. This U.S. Navy Veteran, recipient of the Inspirational Woman Leader of the Year award and the Realtor of the Year, was also featured in Modern Luxury Angeleno Magazine’s “Women of Influence” and in the California Association of Realtors® Magazine.
Laura Monroe
Laura Monroe is a 20 year industry and public relations executive, entrepreneur, and real estate brand strategist. As the Global Head of Community at Inman, Laura currently leads and cultivates a global community network of forward-thinking agents, brokers, tech entrepreneurs and executives--as well as the Inman Brand Ambassador Program, through Inman’s media, publishing, and conference events.