The Weekly Boost

At its most basic level hyperlocal marketing is the process of attracting and retaining your best customers by targeting a specific geographic niche, such as an area, city, neighborhood, or zip code. By creating great local evergreen content, conversion content, and connection content  consistently that answers consumers questions about the community, buying or selling, etc. you’ll attract a local audience that builds & grows your business. This week I’m excited to talk to my long-time friend and realtor, Jason Farris. Founder of FresYes Realty and FresYes.com.  Jason discusses how he grew his hyperlocal website, FresYes.com, from a small local website to a huge lead magnet with over 29,000 subscribers, as well as how he went from a single agent to a team of 20+ agents handling over 100 transactions per year.Show-notes:  00:00 Introduction5:51 What’s your strategy for hyperlocal?13:51 Using your newsletter to build your business20:28 How to take your newsletter and convert it into business23:33 The power of segmenting27:51 Don’t lead your newsletters with real estate related topics30:11 Are there any objections from buyers about only being hyperlocal31:25 Don’t convince people to buy a home, convince them that you’re for the job35:05 Provide nothing but value to your contact list both in your newsletter and in personOther Ways To Listen:Subscribe in iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-boost/id1506520257Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2nvMtw4gn5qm0Wrv3DqWbMSubscribe via Email: http://www.ricardobueno.com/boost/To connect with Jason:Website: https://www.jasonfarris.meWeb: https://www.fresyes.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JasonJFarrisLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fresyes/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonjfarris/ To connect with Ricardo Bueno:Website: https://www.ricardobueno.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ribeezie/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ribeezie

If you're going to invest in lead generation you'll need a solid lead conversion system in place to ensure that those leads become customers; otherwise, you'll be wasting your money. How many times have you been so excited about a new lead that you were really confident was going to convert only to find out later that it went nowhere? Or you’re still chasing them after weeks and months?The process of converting leads into customers is hard. You have to strike a balance between staying persistent but not pestering. And you have to have the patience to follow up long enough to stay top-of-mind, build trust, and convert the sale. Sometimes that process happens quickly (30 - 60 days) but other times it can take up to 12 - 18 months. Here’s the thing I tell every agent I work with: “Leads are going to be ready when they’re ready, not when you want them to be ready.” So, do you have an effective process for converting those leads into clients and sales? This week I’m joined by Daniel Cross, Director of Business Development at Verse.io. Verse’s combination of technology and people is leading the revolution from cold-calling to conversational interaction. Daniel is enthusiastic about assisting businesses (i.e. real estate professionals) in developing a more effective contact and conversion process so that you can get a good return on investment from your lead generation dollars spent. At Verse, they’ve generated and followed up on well over 10 million leads so they know a thing or two about what works. Let’s jump into the episode! 00:00 Introduction2:29 The early days of verse.6:09 Does it hurt my business if I don't utilize AI?10:14 What experience do you deliver  to make sure you're not creating confusion?17:34 Effective ad examples.20:18 Qualifying listing leads.22:55 Buyer leads vs. seller leads.25:24 Your goal should be to create opportunities to have conversations, not sell a house.26:33 What is considered a good conversion number?30:54 Does your response rate go up the more attempts you make?35:16 The importance of setting the appointment.41:20 How to audit your lead processing systems. To connect with Daniel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-cross-sdWebsite: https://verse.io/ To connect with Ricardo Bueno:Website: https://www.ricardobueno.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ribeezie/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ribeezie

Technology and social media have completely changed the landscape for buyers, sellers, and agents, causing a seismic shift. On the one hand, younger entrepreneurs are entering the real estate market and bringing their digital expertise with them. Simultaneously, millennials have become the single largest buyer demographic, accounting for nearly 25% of all sellers, and relying on the Internet to get things done. If you, as a real estate agent, aren’t keeping up with this shift, you run the risk of fading to the background and not being seen. Personal branding and branding in general are now more important than ever. Your competition is moving quickly building out their websites and social media presence and making a name for themselves. Brian Gardner is co-founder of Agent Engine. They assist real estate agents and other industry professionals in establishing a digital presence, utilising the power of technology and social media to build (and grow) their business. He’s previously the co-founder of StudioPress (sold to WP Engine in 2018) which powers hundreds of thousands of WordPress websites. Brian joins The Weekly Boost to discuss his personal branding expertise as well as his thoughts on the future of the real estate industry and developing a strong online presence. 00:00 Introduction2:06 Who is Brain Gardner?4:56 Why Agent Engine? Why Real Estate?7:06 Why build a personal brand?8:50 When you decide to build a brand, where do you start?10:44 Designing a personal brand and website that works13:33 Should content come first?15:51 Choose the medium that works best for you and your consumers17:15 Be authentic, be consistent20:03 How does Agent Engine revolutionize the real estate industry23:48 Advice to people just getting started in to the real estate business25:32 Mistakes to avoid when building your personal brand31:02 How do you quantify how your website is performing35:49 Leverage what you can in the beginning or you run the risk of wasting too much money Other ways to listen: Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-boost/id1506520257Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2nvMtw4gn5qm0Wrv3DqWbM Subscribe to the newsletter & get future episodes sent straight to your inbox: http://www.ricardobueno.com/boost/ To learn more about Agent Engine:Website: https://www.Agentengine.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/agent.engine/ To connect with Brian: Website: https://www.BrianGardner.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bgardner/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bgardnerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bgardner/ To connect with Ricardo Bueno:Website: https://www.ricardobueno.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ribeezie/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ribeezie

Right now we all want more listings. But the question I would turn back around and ask you is, what type of content are you putting out there to attract your ideal customer?Your content/knowledge needs a place to live if you’re going to be successful. Whether you’re selling real estate, loans, consulting services, or products.You need a platform.For my friend Scott Schang (co-founder of Buywise Mortgage & Findmywayhome.com) it’s a blog and in the early days, webinars.For Jeb Smith & Christian Walsh, both realtors doing 15+ transactions per year, it’s creating content through their YouTube channel. So far this year in 2021, Jeb’s closed close to 6 transactions as a direct result of his video content on YouTube and Christian’s closed 4.They are creating content that attracts their ideal customer.Without a platform to attract and communicate with your audience, you’re doomed to failure.These agents have become leaders in their market by simply creating authoritative content. Telling people you’re the “local market expert” doesn’t have the same effect as showing people that you are.So in this episode, I share some examples and give you some strategies for building your platform, creating authoritative content, and I tee up the kinds of questions you should be answering in your marketing!Show-notes:The story of Marcus Sheridan and how he turned a struggling swimming pool company into one of the largest companies in the U.S. [1m:25s]How Scott Schang created findmywayhome.com and turned it into a website that generates ~10,000 site visitors per month and 100+ leads per month [3m:24s]How Jeb Smith and Christian Walsh leverage YouTube videos to attract their ideal customer [5m:35s]A simple formula to follow for consistently delivering helpful content that attracts an audience [6m:08s]A great definition of Authority Content [7m:10s]Show, don’t tell [7m:40s]Telling people you’re the local market expert doesn’t have the same effect as showing people that you are [7m:44s]Here’s a list of questions I recommend you start answering to demonstrate your local market expertise [8m:13s]It’s tough out there for buyers and sellers so they need your expertise now more than ever [11m:04s]How to demonstrate or reposition your value prop if you’re trying to attract sellers in today’s market [11m:37s]How to reposition your value prop if you’re trying to find inventory for your current list of buyers that you’re working with [12m:55s]Other Ways To Listen:Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via EmailShare the Weekly Boost With Friends & Get a Free Copy of My Facebook Ads Masterclass:If you got value out of this episode, consider sharing it with a friend!Refer 5 listeners to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass.Just click the link below for the details and start referring:Click here to share the Weekly Boost with a friend!Mentioned In This Episode:Get a copy of Real Estate Blog TopicsGet “They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach To Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, & Today’s Digital Consumer” by Marcus Sheridan on Amazon

This is probably the single biggest question that I get a lot from my agents on a day-to-day basis.And if you’ve been in the business for a while I’m sure you’ve jumped back and forth between more than a few options.But rather than shopping for which CRM has the best features, the more important part is simply to automate your activity or the process of following up with your leads and creating a post-close process for getting more customer reviews and asking for referrals.I’m all for embracing new apps and technology. However, you’ll never become great at using tools if you’re constantly changing them. So commit to utilizing certain key tools in your business and invest instead on improving your skills within those technologies (i.e. improving your follow up sales process).With that said, let’s jump into today’s episode!Show notes:You’ll never become great at using tools if you’re constantly changing them [1m:30s]If I were to get licensed tomorrow, here are the tools that I’m going all in on [2m:03s]Number one: I’m investing in a really good website but more importantly, focused on creating great hyperlocal content that answers consumers most pressing questions [2m:09s]To paraphrase Jimmy Mackin, “Take this opportunity to lead from the front by producing timely marketing campaigns that help your customers make more informed decisions” [3m:16s]Here’s a great list of questions to answer for your prospects [3m:34s]The second thing that I’m going all in on is setting up my “trust profiles” [5m:53s]What comes up on the first page of Google is your personal SEO [6m:30s]You need to get better at collecting and showcasing your best customer testimonials [8m:36s]Here’s an email template to automate the process of gathering customer testimonials [12m:30s]The third thing that I’m going all in on if I were to get licensed today is a CRM [16m:53s]Why do you need a CRM at all? [17m:07s]Shopping for the CRM that has the best features doesn’t matter [18m:11s]A CRM is going to help you automate your follow up process [20m:26s]The biggest thing a CRM is going to do for you is help you automate your activity [29m:50s]Other Ways To Listen:Click here to download the mp3 | 43m (Right click and hit “save as”)Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via EmailShare the Weekly Boost With Friends & Get a Free Copy of My Facebook Ads Masterclass:If you got value out of this episode, consider sharing it with a friend!Refer 5 listeners to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass.Just click the link below for the details and start referring:Click here to share the Weekly Boost with a friend!Mentioned In This Episode:Sign up for the Curaytor Newsletter with Jimmy MackinCheck out LionDeskCheck out Follow Up BossCheck out AgentFireCheck out Chime

Video is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal to communicate with people online.It has a very high engagement rate and people are more likely to share videos than they are written content.Videos also work better for SEO, whether you’re trying to rank on Google or YouTube. You can even use video in your social media marketing. It’s one of the most relevant ways for people to see your product or service and learn about it.But here are some common questions that keeps us from diving straight into video:Why should I bother? Isn’t it a lot of work?What makes good video content anyway?How do I make the best videos possible?Do I have to be a professional film-maker or videographer?How much money will it cost me to make a decent video?What software and equipment should I use when creating my videos?What should I say in my videos?What do I do with my videos once I’ve created them?I asked my good friend, Scott Schang, who he’s knows that can help realtors answer these questions and tell captivating stories that sell through video and he immediately recommended Bob Regnerus and Brandon Boyd of Feedstories.So I’m excited to have them on the show this week to answer some of these questions and more. Their company, Feedstories, combines the power of direct marketing, creative filmmaking and strategic storytelling to engage & influence your audience.Show-notes:[0:00] Introduction[2:46] Who is Bob Regnerus?[4:28] Who is Brandon Boyd?[6:14] Why Facebook and Instagram is focusing on video[7:49] What is Feedstories?[9:24] How to form an original message to to help leads choose you over you competitors[12:39] How to leverage case studies and testimonials[15:07] When and how will my marketing pay off?[17:57] How to get over your fear of creating video content[24:11] How Feedstories creates HD video content remotely[26:43] You don’t need expensive equipment to create great video content[27:34] What type of video should you start with?[33:37] How to use your videos once you’ve created themOther Ways To Listen:Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via EmailShare the Weekly Boost With Friends & Get a Free Copy of My Facebook Ads Masterclass:If you got value out of this episode, consider sharing it with a friend!Refer 5 listeners to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass.Just click the link below for the details and start referring:Click here to share the Weekly Boost with a friend!Mentioned In This Episode:Visit Feedstories

When it comes to lead follow up, persistence matters.Oftentimes outsourcing is better than doing nothing at all. One of the best ways to improve your lead follow up cadence is to automate the process using AI (artificial intelligence).Remember, leads expect an instant, helpful response when they submit an inquiry to you. And if they don’t instantly receive a valuable response in a timely manner, they’re likely going to go with your competitor.In this episode Nathan Joens, the co-founder of Structurely,  joins me to discuss how AI can improve your conversion rate without needing your constant attention. Structurely uses AI text messaging and AI email to engage, qualify and nurture your leads automatically and then passes them off to you as a qualified appointment.When you start to tighten up your lead response time, you will put your business at a great advantage over your competitors. Statistics show that up to 63% of businesses are taking too long to respond to a lead. If you can get your response time anywhere from 0-5 minutes, you can win the trust and business of the leads your competitors are losing to long response times.Show-notes:[00:00] Introduction[2:06] Who is behind Structurley and what do they do[2:58] Is AI going to affect how people view my business? Is it personal enough?[4:24] The future of lead follow up[5:16] How to make your AI more personable[6:25] The benefit of keeping your lead warm and how to automate it[8:11] Targeting a specific lead with AI[10:02] How to avoid your agents from not following up with their leads[13:07] How to re-engage old leads neglected[14:38] How Structurally handles bad phone numbers[15:52] Best use cases when using structurley[17:31] Is it a good idea to integrate AI Message response into your website?Other Ways To Listen:Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via EmailShare the Weekly Boost With Friends & Get a Free Copy of My Facebook Ads Masterclass:If you got value out of this episode, consider sharing it with a friend!Refer 5 listeners to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass.Just click the link below for the details and start referring:Click here to share the Weekly Boost with a friend!Mentioned In This Episode:Visit StructurelyDownload Structurely Free Resources

One of the expectations that I always try to set with agents when they venture into the game of generating leads online is this …Buyers (and sellers) are going to be ready when they choose to be ready, not when you want them to be ready.So when a lead isn’t ready to list or buy right now, we develop this notion that it’s a “bad lead.” But that’s just not true.Closing more deals is about doing three things well:Meet & talk to peopleNurture the relationshipNegotiate & close more dealsYou can’t jump from step 1 to step 3 without investing some serious time, effort, and energy into step 2.In this episode, I share some strategies for nurturing the relationship and developing a long term strategy to get them to the finish line.Click the flash-player below to listen now:Show-notes:You can use automation to assist in making the sale, but it doesn’t replace the nurturing process [1m:20s]The three step process to closing more deals [2m:27s]You don’t need more or higher quality leads, you have a lead nurturing problem [3m:30s]Understanding the Pancake Effect in your lead generation process [3m:51s]How many contact attempts does it take to close a lead? [4m:17s]Online leads are button pushers and form fillers [7m:09s]The consumer is likely sitting in front of a computer with 5 different browser tabs open – why should they choose you over those 4 other agents? [8m:00s]The State of Lead Conversion and Sales Report by Verse [9m:04s]You’re going to beat out 83% of the competition if you just make meaningful contact within 5 minutes or less [9m:38s]Using Zapier as your connectivity bridge to get leads out of Facebook and into your CRM [10m:54s]How we use lead forms and custom questions as part of our qualification process [11m:15s]Consumer leads “don’t suck” they’re just early entry buyers [12m:33s]What our long-term nurture process looks like [14m:36s]The long-term nurture tool we like to use in addition to your drip campaigns [18m:15s]Other Ways To Listen:Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via EmailShare the Weekly Boost With Friends & Get a Free Copy of My Facebook Ads Masterclass:If you got value out of this episode, consider sharing it with a friend!Refer 5 listeners to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass. Refer 10 listeners and get $5 cash-money to invest in your ad spend.Just click the link below for the details and start referring:Click here to share the Weekly Boost with a friend!Mentioned In This Episode:The State of Lead Conversion In Marketing & Sales by VerseVerse.ioRegister for my on-demand Mastering Facebook Lead Ads webinar

Growth is all about leverage.The goal is to 80/20 your life. In other words, spend 20% of your day building systems to handle what you do with the other 80% of your day. Whether it’s through automation or hiring someone to do the work for you so that you can buy back your time and work on higher leverage activities, like going on a listing appointment or negotiating a contract.The question you should be asking yourself is, “is this the highest and best use of my time?” Or, “do I enjoy doing this task?” If the answer is not, then automate it, eliminate it, or outsource it.If you’re going to outsource it, I asked Pavel Stepanov, the CEO of VirtuDesk – a Virtual Assistance company – to walk us through the process of effectively hiring and training your virtual assistant for maximum efficiency.Listen in as we discuss how to prepare to hire someone, what questions to ask & how long it typically takes to on-board your new VA, best practices for communicating, and more.Show-notes:Two questions you should be asking yourself: a.) can I automate this, b.) can I eliminate it? [6m:08s]You can’t just say “I want an assistant to figure this out for me” you need to first figure out what tasks need to be delegated [7m:34s]A simple exercise to determine what tasks can and should be outsourced [7m:52s]“I need to do this myself because only I know how to do it” and other common misconceptions [11m:14s]How to avoid hiring the wrong candidate and what questions to ask to spot red flags [13m:55s]Don’t operate from what’s in your head, you have to put it down on paper [14m:36s]How often should you check in with your virtual assistant to make sure things are moving along [17m:51s]Feedback solves most problems [18m:08s]Working with a VA is not a plug-and-play model where you dump everything on your assistant, you need to collaborate with them [18m:18s]Why you need to create SOP’s for all the moving parts of your business [21m:30s]How long should it take to hire and on-board a new VA [22m:35s]Other Ways To Listen:Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via EmailShare the Weekly Boost With Friends & Get a Free Copy of My Facebook Ads Masterclass:Did you get value out of this episode? Consider sharing it with a friend!Refer 5 listeners to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass.Just click the link below for the details and start referring:Click here to share the Weekly Boost with a friend!Mentioned In This Episode:Leverage Mastermind on FacebookCheck out VirtuDesk.comFollow Pavel Stepanov on Instagram

Tell me if either of these scenarios sounds familiar …You’ve “done print before” but you didn’t really get anything out of it.Or, it’s just so darn expensive, it’s hard to quantify a good return on investment.Or, so and so is already the top agent in that farm and he’s already dominating, “there’s no way I can compete.”Truth is, anyone who’s been doing this long enough knows that print is an invaluable part of your marketing strategy and the investment you make in your print strategy is just the cost of doing business.Done right, print helps you:Built a visible brandIt closes the trust gap you have with homeowners and potential sellers in a farmAnd that leads to more salesBut only if you do it consistently and strategically.So to help me paint a picture of what an effective strategy looks like I reached out to Adam Greer, 17+ year veteran of the real estate industry and founder of AG Designs Inc.Show-notes:How Adam Greer got started in the industry [5m:23s]Introducing the 8×8 approach [8m:36s]Success and name recognition is all about persistence and repetition [10m:29s]What to do if you don’t have any inventory or you’re just getting started in real estate [11m:33s]You’re getting in the way of your own success if you’re not leveraging your sales [13m:09s]Deconstructing common print marketing misconceptions [13m:31s]You get two seconds to make an impression [14m:07s]How to give the impression that “this agent is selling everything in my neighborhood” [14m:44s]The importance of not trying to have too many calls to action all at once [15m:59s]What to do if you don’t have too many sales/listings to leverage [17m:07s]What could you do with a $3,000 budget/how would you spend it [20m:53s]When a home goes up for sale, statistically, in the next 90 days there’s seven more homes that hit the market within a 250 home radius [21m:57s]Everything you put out as an agent is your resume [26m:52s]Other Ways To Listen:Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via EmailShare the Weekly Boost With Friends & Get a Free Copy of My Facebook Ads Masterclass:Did you get value out of this episode? Consider sharing it with a friend! Refer 5 listeners to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass. Just click the link below for the details and start referring:Click here to share the Weekly Boost with a friend!Mentioned In This Episode:AG Designs Inc.Check out the AG Running Start Program by AdamContact Adam directly at (714) 900-3605Follow AG Designs Inc. on InstagramFollow Ricardo on Instagram

Back in February of 2020 we had our WEST annual bootcamp. There’s about 14 of us on the team and we basically get together and brainstorm on high level marketing strategies and tactics to help real estate professionals win more listings and close more buyers.I delivered a presentation called The 24/7 Open House: How To Generate High Intent Buyer Leads On Autopilot.I got the idea from Jesse Beaudoin, the Founder of CallAction – he’s got a great product and he’s super smart when it comes to leverage and automation. Top producers and high leverage teams all around the country are using his product.So that’s what we’re going to talk about today … how to leverage your listings to generate more leads and how to outsmart the portals in doing so.Shownotes:Let’s steal a page out of Zillow’s Conversion Playbook [3m:11s]How do you find the highest intent buyers for all of the listings you just took? [3m:40s]What if you could setup a system to capture more higher intent buyer leads and double-end and additional 43% of your listings [4m:19s]The tools you are going to need to make this strategy work [4m:47s]Setting up your sign rider/lead magnet with the text-for-info number [7m:10s]What happens (i.e. the workflow magic that happens) when someone texts the info from your sign rider [8m:26s]How to setup your Calendly booking page (the exact copy to use & fields you want to capture) [9m:42s]A couple of alternative tools if you can’t afford CallAction just yet [11m:02s]You captured someone’s information, now what? Let’s setup your connectivity automation using Zapier [12m:19s]The two step Zap you want to setup using Zapier [12m:58s]The drip campaign we send to new conversions [13m:28s]How to outsmart the portals and deliver the same experience to the consumer without paying the $200+ lead fee or 35% referral fees [14m:33s]Thanks for tuning into the Weekly Boost! If you enjoyed today’s episode, head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe, rate, and leave your honest review.Connect with me on Instagram and visit my website for even more detailed strategies, and be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media - just tag me in your stories!Share the Weekly Boost With Friends & Earn Rewards:Like you your real estate business, this show grows by referral so we’re trying something new. Refer 5 friends to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass. Just click the link below for the details and start referring:http://www.ricardobueno.com/share/Subscribe to our new weekly tutorials series, Tutorial Tuesdays: Are you a visual learner? Want to see how to implement strategies like this and more? Just head on over to my YouTube Channel and subscribe to my new series: Tutorial Tuesdays. 20 minutes videos, every Tuesday, sharing high impact, low effort strategies to help you win more listings and close more buyers. Just head on over to ricardobueno.com/youtube and that'll take you straight to my channel!

Building a personal brand in this business is how you differentiate yourself and how you stand out. It’s building a reputation for yourself that leads to influence and people seeking you out rather than you seeking them out.Media Moussavy moved to Downtown LA a few years ago leaving behind a six figure lending career and giving himself a deadline to make it big or go bust.In two years, he’s grown a hyperlocal brand – DTLA Insider – to 16,000 followers. And he’s planting the seeds to an explosive real estate career with the Agency in Downtown LA. In this episode, we talk about what it’s been like to build a personal & hyperlocal brand, the power of storytelling through video, and why you have to think long game and develop meaningful relationships if you want to make it in real estate.Shownotes:There’s no such thing as cruise control in this business [5m:11s]Real estate is competitive, but there’s plenty of opportunity if you’re building your network [6m:10s]After closing his third transaction in Los Angeles, that’s the moment when Media decided he wanted to be in the “belly of the beast” and move to Downtown LA to be in all of the madness [6m:25s]Fear is something we all make up in our heads – the real risk is not taking the risk [7m:19s]Building a business based on genuine relationships vs a transactional business [10m:37s]Building a hyperlocal brand through DTLA Insider [10m:58s]Growing DTLA Insider to 16,000 followers in two years [11m:27s]Planting the seed is not the day you eat the fruit [12m:43s]Media had invested $25,000 into video production before it converted into 5-6 deals [12m:55s]How Media still cold calls not only to try and prospect and to get deals but to keep himself sharp and humble [15m:00s]Why it’s critically important to know the market better than your clients (hint: you’ll lose your credibility, especially in a higher end market) [16m:00s]How when deciding on your “ideal client” it’s not about dollar amount it’s about personality [22m:44s]For businesses today, the most valuable commodity for a business is attention & video helps attract a great deal of attention [24m:26s]The primary purpose of a story is to evoke emotion [24m:45s]Consumers aren’t just buying the home they’re buying the lifestyle [31m:48s]Thanks for tuning into the Weekly Boost! If you enjoyed today’s episode, head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe, rate, and leave your honest review. Connect with me on Instagram and visit my website for even more detailed strategies, and be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media - just tag me in your stories!Share the Weekly Boost With Friends & Earn Rewards:Like you your real estate business, this show grows by referral so we’re trying something new. Refer 5 friends to The Weekly Boost and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass. Just click the link below for the details and start referring:http://www.ricardobueno.com/share/

In the last year real estate professionals across the country have had to find new ways to adapt to their way of doing business.The good news is technology has made it easier to go through a lot of the home-buying process virtually using tools like Zoom, FaceTime, Facebook Live and more.But that also means losing out on what was once a great lead source: open houses.With grand open houses being a thing of the past (at least for now) due to Covid and with listing inventory at all time lows, this episode is dedicated to sharing 11 high impact strategies for keeping the leads flowing in your real estate business and creating new buyer and listing opportunities in 2021 and beyond.Show-notes:Shoot high quality videos that tell a story and advertise them at the top of the funnelPurchase phone numbers and emails for the neighborhood and make those circle prospecting callsSetup a text code sign rider for showing appointments via Calendly (a.k.a. the “24/7 Open House”)Create Facebook Lead ads to generate high-quality buyer leads from your listingsCreate an automated postcard campaign to send to homeowners in the farm around your listingPut your clients into Homebot and follow up using these follow up scriptsCreate case studies out of those scenarios where you helped someone sell and buy at the same time and share it with your databaseCreate seller seminars targeting seniors but don’t call it a “seller seminar,” call it an Estate Planning EventAsk “How has Covid and the last year of the pandemic changed the way you feel about your home?”Create ad campaigns to reach first-time home buyersRecord YouTube Live’s to demonstrate your local market knowledge and expertiseIf you get value out of this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend at: http://www.ricardobueno.com/share/Refer 5 people and get a free copy of my Facebook Ads Masterclass. 

In our industry, we almost always talk about what the hottest new tech is, or what the latest lead generation strategy is.People want the recipe or the “secret sauce” to closing more deals and doubling their business.But here’s the magic of this episode and it serves as a great reminder, often times you don’t need fancy or complex marketing strategies, you just need to build a sphere, stay in front of them, let them know that you like them, let them know that you want to work with them, and you want to work with other people just like them.Join me as I interview Josh Lewis, a 20-year veteran of the mortgage industry and co-founder of Buywise Mortgage on the strategies they implement to continue to capture repeat and referral business from their database and the other strategies that they’re implementing to continue to grow their business.Show-notes:About Josh Lewis and how he go into the business [2m:58s]Going to work as an in-house lender at a real estate office & getting 65% capture rate out of that office [7m:36s]Getting to know what realtors value and what they’re looking for [8m:35]The makeup of Buywise Mortgage’s business: 1/3rd of their clients from online marketing, 1/3rd of their business from past client relationships, 1/3rd realtor business [13m:36]Josh’s one internal goal and how achieving this ensures that marketing takes care of itself [16m:30s]You never own a client, you have to stay in front of them, remind them you did a good job, you’re still in the business, and you want to work with them [17m:17s]You have a 30-day audition to show the realtor and the borrower how you do business and to convince them that you’re the right person to be working with [18m:40s]The weekly follow up and contact cadence that we learned from being in our mentorship group, Freedom Club [18m:48s]Monday is following up with your realtor partners [18m:56s]Tuesday’s is for your in-process stuff (i.e. pipeline review) and reaching out to every party in the transaction [19m:20s]Wednesday’s, you’re calling all of your past clients. You’re calling two letters of the alphabet every week. [20m:04s]Thursday’s, we follow up with all of our pre-approved and looking clients [20m:50s]How Buywise Mortgage uses Homebot (who they upload & how they stay in touch) [23m:58s]A piece of snail mail every other month & a case study on why this works so well [32m:38s]You don’t need fancy or complex marketing strategies, you just need to build a sphere, stay in front of them, let them know that you like them, you want to work with them, and you want to work with other people just like them [38m:20s]Building an effective retargeting strategy in order to stay top-of-mind [40m:30s]You have to be a market expert. If you’re not, what reason do you have to exist?[43m:10s]If you put 100 people who know like and trust you into Homebot, you will sell 2 homes [51m:20s]Quotes:This is how we follow up with our database, we say "Hey, we’re in the business, we do loans, and we want to do your loan and your friends and family’s loans."If every closed customer brings us another closed customer, marketing takes care of itself.Other Ways To Listen:Click here to download the mp3 | 53m (Right click and hit “save as”)Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via EmailResources Mentioned In This Episode:Neverbounce – for bulk email list verification & cleaningVyral Marketing – done-for-you video marketing for staying in touch with your databaseLodasoft – mortgage process automationSales Boomerang – notifies lenders when a borrower is ready for a loanMonitorbase – determine when a consumer is likely to be in the market to purchase or refinance a homeBuywise MortgageFindmywayhome.com

For year’s you’ve probably been hearing that you should “get into video” and “start doing video.”With a pandemic still going, less door knocking, and fewer open houses, video’s a great opportunity to reach tomorrow’s potential buyers and sellers. So yes, YouTube marketing has got to be top of mind for real estate agents and lenders in 2021.Whether consumers are looking for inspiration, tutorials, insight, or humor, fact is, people are searching and browsing YouTube by the BILLIONS.YouTube has 2 billion logged-in monthly users. In fact, 73% of adults in the U.S. use YouTube. That’s more than Facebook (at 69% of American adults) and almost twice as much as the next runner-up, Instagram (37%).But what should you post?How do you grow your network/channel?How can you make your channel stand out?One of the best ways to create videos and grow your channel is to learn from agents just like you who are already killing it on the second largest search engine in the world.So this week, we’re talking to Christian Walsh with Coldwell Banker in Newport Beach about the process he and his phenomenal Operation’s Director, Michelle Micci, have put in place for consistently producing high-level content to reach investors and single family buyers and sellers.Shownotes:How when we went into lock-down at the start of the pandemic, Christian asked himself “What can I do? What do I need to do to start creating more video?” [5m:09s]Selling single family residences is more emotional and selling multi-family is more anlyticalChristian’s goal for his video output is 1 or 2 videos per week [8m:59s]How the pandemic has forced Christian to produce more quality content more frequently [10m:24s]How Christian time blocks and manages his video production schedule (hint: he shoots on Tuesday & Wednesday nights) [11m: 39s]How if a consumer doesn’t like you on video, they’re probably not going to like you in person [14m:14s]Why you shouldn’t be worried about what to post, in real estate there’s so much content out there [16m:27s]Just like with exercise, the more you do it, the easier it gets to come up with new content [16m45s]Want a quick video/content strategy: Call 10 past clients, ask them how they’re doing, ask them what their questions were when they were buying or selling, and ask them if they have any questions now [17m:54s]How video has helped Christian learn more about his local real estate market [35m:44s]Christian’s strategy for re-purposing his content on his blog, his newsletter and social media [39m:20s]

People upload 500 hours of video to YouTube every minute*. I mean think about that for a second, it's pretty wild right? But here's the power of YouTube. YouTube has over 2 billion monthly logged in users and 73% of adults in the U.S., watch Youtube. That's more than Facebook (tracking at 69% of adults) and almost twice as much as Instagram (tracking at 37% of adults). That means one thing: opportunity! This week we're talking to Jeb Smith with Coldwell Banker in Huntington Beach - a 20-year veteran of the real estate industry and a solid producer averaging 20 million in sales volume year over year. In 2020 Jeb grew his YouTube channel from 200 subscribers to over 16,000 subscribers. He shares how he did it and more in this episode. Listen in as we discuss: - What it was like shooting those first, early videos (was it nerve racking)- What sort of equipment does he use- How Jeb decides on what content to shoot (a lot of agents/lenders who are just getting started don't know what to shoot)- What's more important: equipment (camera, mic, & lighting) or post-production process (like thumbnails & video SEO)- Did the pandemic help or hurt Jeb's video output- The added power and benefit of shooting regular YouTube Live's... and more. 

January 19th is known as "Quitter's Day." Do you know why? It's because every year like clock-work, people start doing their year-in-review posts and making their new year's resolutions. But come January 19th, also like clock-work, 80% of them start to fizzle out. "I guess I forgot," or "I had too much stuff on my plate," or "I just got so damn busy." Shane Parrish, founder of Farnam Street probably said it best: "New goals won't give you new results. Change what you're doing to change where you're going." That's what this episode is all about, helping you establish a better system for setting goals and seeing them through. Listen in as we discuss: - Why most new year's resolutions don't work (and what to do instead)- Why accountability is the key to sticking to your goals- Understanding outcome based goals vs system based goals (and why you need more system based goals)- Why it's important to know your ABZ's- Introduction to the Accountability Mastermind

On today’s episode of The Weekly Boost we’re joined by Brian Icenhower – broker owner and a nationally recognized real estate trainer, coach, and speaker.Brian literally wrote the book(s) on how to leverage and grow your SOI, so there’s no one better to teach us exactly how to do that than him. He’s the author of several titles including SOI: Building A Real Estate Agent’s Sphere of Influence and Prospect: The Real Estate Lead Generation Manual.Episode Highlights:Finding ways to leverage your SOI and continue to build your sphere of influence is a great way to grow your businessOnly one out of every one thousand agents is purposefully working their sphere of influenceReferrals are the easiest lead source to convert into sales but many agents make the mistake of not maximizing their referral systemsSegmenting a database by SOI (A’s, B’s, C’s) and prospects from various lead sources is the simplest way to organize your leads, then you can make subcategories from thereLearn to separate your prospects and SOI, that way you know which leads to focus on firstYour SOI includes people that know you or you know; there is already a connection or relationship with this personYour Prospects include leads that you believe you can cultivate a relationship with over timePeople will want you to sell their house based on your ability to market and sell the homes of othersSeparate your clients into tiers with the 80/20 rule, giving 80% of your time to the top 20% of your clientsIt’s important to build an online ecosystem to continue meeting new people during the global pandemicUtilize social media as a way to remain top of mind to those in both your SOI and Prospect poolYou need to find ways to constantly stay in front of people and make them think that you are the dominant agent in that areaDue to the pandemic and such low inventory there might be a very large FSBO market on its wayAll these methods that create an online ecosystem make a ton of noise; eventually, people will hearClosing is something that you should be doing at every stage of the processIf the authority in the situation is not actively closing the client, anxiety and stress are inevitableAssume the sale and set the expectation for what is to come or the client will lose faith in your abilitiesOther Ways To Listen:Click here to download the mp3 | 35m:00 (Right click and hit “save as”)Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via Email3 Key Points:An effective referral and follow-up program is the easiest way to generate new business, but many agents do not maximize these programs.Having a coach helps hold agents accountable while guiding them through the obstacles that lie on the road to success.There are many more ways to establish new relationships during COVID other than cold calling and mass emails, i.e. social media.Tweetable Quotes:“I think technology should augment the things that you do, you shouldn’t use it as an excuse to stop doing the things that you have to do in your business.” – Ricardo Bueno“If you look at how to make your life better…all of those things that get you where you want, we as humans have a very hard time getting there.” – Brian Icenhower“People like Budweiser because they like the beer. In real estate, people like realtors because they do a good job of marketing and selling homes.” – Brian Icenhower“You create this ecosystem where they can’t run from you…There are tons of ways to create that ecosystem…you are viewed by your local public as the dominant agent in your area.” – Brian Icenhower“Closing is not a one-time event. Closing happens at every stage in the process.” – Brian Icenhower

On today’s episode of The Weekly Boost we’re talking to all-star real estate agent Guy Migues, who was able to close 30 transactions in just his first year in the business. Guy works with Dream Home Realty in Lafayette, Louisiana.Too many realtors make the mistake of taking advice from people who haven’t done what they want to do or letting negative self-talk and advice hinder their success. Here’s one agent who maintained a high level of positivity, started from zero, and closed 30 transactions in his first year going after expired's and FSBO's!Episode Highlights: Guy experienced plenty of negative talk from those around him and himselfDon’t tell too many people about what you are doing because that opens the door for negative inputIgnore people unless they have something of value to give youEveryone has a script whether they are aware of it or not; make your script your ownThere are only 4-10 objections, you will just hear them phrased a thousand different waysThe motivation on the call should be to get an appointment, not to get a listing, so there should be no objections87% of real estate agents quit within their first 2 years in the industryPreparation and commitment are the best ways to make it through the exhaustion and rejection that come with being an agentYou need to find something that will push you through those rough timesCold calling for sales by owner is one of Guy’s greatest weapons when growing his businessNo matter how much success you find, there will always be those calls where you fall flat on your facePeople will like you if you can be genuinely excited and differentiate yourself from all the other agentsMake it about them and show what you can do to help solve their pain pointsThink long-game when you decide what strategy you want to utilize; don’t pivot multiple times in a monthEstablish an effective CRM or follow-up process to make sure you don’t lose potential clients who just aren’t ready right nowConsistency is key when it comes to following up; stay top of mind and eventually they will come to youBuild a relationship with these potential clients and that effort will only benefit you in the futureCommon objections that Guy hears regularlyHow to deal with people who are stalling by asking the right questionsMake sure they know that your intentions are only good and avoid the scarcity mindsetSurround yourself with people that know how to market and leverage their presence to get more opportunitiesUtilize REDX and Facebook ads to market your services on your ownFamily and friends are sometimes terrible resources for leadsOther ways to listen: Subscribe in iTunesSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via Email

Look, I get it … talking about data isn’t all that sexy. (Unless of course, you’re a data junkie).In software though we talk about the importance of product/market fit. Product/market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market.When you take the time to really understand your ideal customer profile and collect the right data, you’re then able to craft a compelling message to reach that ideal customer.So say, for example you want to reach/target down-sizers because you love helping homeowners right-size their home and you make the process effortless. You might look up the following homeowner data:2-story (owner occupied) homes in a geographic farmHave lived there for 20+ yearsHave over 80% equity in their homeNow you can craft a compelling value proposition that’s better than “the market is 🔥 hot, now’s a great time to buy.”Instead, you can talk to them about their pain points (stress free move, rightsize your home, less maintenance and up-keep, etc.).Better product/market fit.Join me in this week’s episode of The Weekly Boost as we talk with Tyler Steenken from Cole Realty Resource on additional ways you can leverage data to prospect from home and win more listings!