“How Big Is Your…Team?” 😂

Here's a question I've been thinking about...

Perhaps it's because the holidays are coming up, or maybe it's because I'm knee-deep in our six-week FOUNDATIONS series at Brokers Hub Realty, but I cannot stop thinking about connections. We're spending a lot of time discussing the foundation of a sustainable career, and I've been reminded that relationships are at the center of it all. If you are alone in your basement, there are only so many people you are going to meet and sell a house to.

I am fascinated by the psychology of a Realtor. If you have ever been to a conference with 3,000 agents, you know exactly what I am talking about. Nobody can STFU. Nonstop talking, usually about how amazing they are, how big their…team…is, and how many homes they have sold this year. We really are an obnoxious group of humans. But underlying all of that is the deep-seated need to connect. Maybe if Realtors had been around when Sigmund Freud was alive, he would have concluded that we all have emotional buckets with holes in them and need constant validation. He would not be wrong. I often wonder why that is. Is it because we know that the more people we connect with, the more money we can make? Maybe. But there is a lot of truth in that. A large database of people who actually know, like and trust you can propel your business much further than being a secret agent ever will.

But what do you do once you have made those connections? If you walk away and promptly forget their name, let me assure you, they've probably forgotten yours too. This is why I am always harping on having a CRM. Want to know who understands the value of relationships and data? Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook knows your name, your birthday, your spouse, where you like to eat, your political views and probably how many cats you own. And they have figured out how to turn that information into an advertising empire worth an astonishing amount of money. Now, before you start thinking your database is worth a trillion dollars, let me make my point. The information you collect is only valuable if you actually know what to do with it.

Zuckerberg figured that out. And now he has a small, tiny, insignificant yacht. But unlike Facebook, our job isn't to monetize every interaction. It's to build relationships that are worth maintaining, whether or not they ever turn into a commission. Whatcha getting out of YOUR CRM?

A few weeks ago, I confessed that my own CRM had thousands of neglected tasks and relationships that had gone quiet. It was a painful reminder that collecting names is not the same thing as maintaining relationships. This week, let's talk about how we make those connections in the first place.

For some, meeting new people is the hard part. Here is an experiment for you: open your phone and write down the top 100 people in your contacts. Next to each name, write down where you met them and what made the relationship stick.

The setting created the introduction. The follow-through created the relationship.

Now, go do more of that. You met Bill at the bowling alley? Um, sounds like you need to join a league! Sally was at the school PTA meeting? Yup, you are volunteering to make cookies for the next bake sale. Dr. Wade? Oh, there's an interesting connection! Maybe he hosts a charity fundraiser you could support or knows a professional group you'd enjoy meeting. Find a natural reason to become part of that community. Love tattoos? Maybe you need to start visiting tattoo parlors, introducing yourself and putting your card on their bulletin boards. BTW, the artists love a box of donuts. THIS is how you expand your database. Find the people who already know, like and trust you. Get to know their communities, and become part of them.

This business is all about who you know and, more importantly, who knows you. If you're an introvert, that doesn't mean you don't belong in this industry. It simply means you need to find your people. Trust me, there's a foot for every shoe. Some have some pretty ugly toes, so make sure you find the ones that fit your vibe. Build your tribe. Nurture those relationships. Stay connected.

Because at the end of the day, nobody wants to feel like they're just another name in your CRM. And nobody ever referred a Realtor because they had a really impressive spreadsheet.

Your CRM remembers their information. Your job is to make sure they remember you.

So to answer the question I have been thinking about… Do you really need to go to another Realtor convention, or are you better off at a PTA meeting?

Nicholas Yale

Designated Broker/Owner | Brokers Hub Realty