Empire Builders

Systems and Models for Building a Successful Real Estate Business

Valerie Simoneau

• Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781642790153
• eBook ISBN: 9781631955938
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Mentoring & Coaching
• Index: Business

The Empire Builders has been designed and written to help empower others in the Real Estate Industry to grow a successful business.

The Empire Builders shares with readers proven methods and systems to build the basic foundation of a Real Estate career. Each chapter is broken down into successful methods that have built powerhouse Real Estate Agents/Teams and Administrators. The goal is to empower readers to build a relationship with their Admin, repair/rebuild the one they have, and more importantly build a foundation to their growing business. These methods are not a secret, they are just ones that require a passion for Real Estate, the understanding of leverage and will require hard work. The Empire Builders is an Operation Manual for a business and within, readers discover their Secret Weapon.

CHAPTER 1

WELCOME

Welcome Empire Builders

Here it is; the big opening letter to my book. The part where I’m going to tell you all the amazing things about being an Executive Assistant, an Operations Manager, an Assistant Manager, an Assistant—heck, even an Assistant to the Regional Manager (if you are an office fan, you will get it) in Real Estate.

This is going to be an important book for some of you. And, for some of you, it may contain things you’ve already heard a million times over, and that’s okay. My book is going to be a gentle reminder that you must start somewhere. This book discusses the very fundamentals of systems and models within a high functioning Real Estate team. You are ultimately responsible for what you take away from this book, but I certainly hope there are a lot of great things you will take away from it.

After five years in the Real Estate industry working with some of the best Real Estate Agents you could ever imagine, I was given the opportunity to empower, educate, train, and mentor Administrators (Admins) and some of the best Real Estate Assistants in Canada. So, I have decided it’s time to start sharing my knowledge with others. I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of a highly successful Real Estate team, in Ontario, and one of the things I’ve always wanted to make sure of is that I give back. I’m sharing my success story with you in hopes that it’ll help overcome any obstacles you may be experiencing, as you grow your own business, and help eliminate some of the hiccups to get there.

I want to set us both up for what’s coming. I’m going to share a lot of value in this book. Each chapter will be filled with a foundational moment for each part of your Real Estate business. I’m going to talk about the database. I’m going to talk about accountability. I’m going to talk about communication systems and models. I have written this book to empower Agents and Admins to understand how important working together is for your Real Estate business. I will not only share these systems with you; I’m going to teach you from the basics how to build it up. I want to have you walk through the process of putting these systems into place. And, more importantly, I can’t wait to hear your success stories.

Being in the Administrative world for five years, now, has taught me one thing: Administrators need to stick together. When you have the right community and the right culture around you, you can take this job and build it into a career, and I’m living proof of that. In this book, we’re going to learn some secret formulas to a successful Real Estate career and running a million-dollar Real Estate office team. I’m going to share my struggles and my successes, all of which I am very proud of.

I want to walk with you through this book because if you picked it up, and if you’ve bought it, you’re interested in knowing how to be better at your job. More importantly, if you’ve bought this book out of your own free will, it tells me you want more out of your job. You want to make it a career, and this book will help you get there.

Five years ago, I left the banking industry after deciding to make a career change. I loved the people I was working with. I loved being in the bank. But, one thing I couldn’t grasp was the change in how we serviced our clients. We started to be more product-based than relationship-based. For me, I built my business through relationships, so I started to think long term and what was best for me. I’m not motivated by money; I’m motivated by helping others. I knew I wouldn’t be happy at the bank if we continued to treat our customers as products. So, I got comfortable being uncomfortable and started putting my resumes out in the Real Estate industry. I knew that my next move needed to be my last because I have a family and cannot keep running to find happiness within my career. I had to be purposeful with my career hunt. I knew that I wanted to be part of the Real Estate industry and I had a huge desire to learn more around the day-to-day operations… I love that. I knew that I needed to be in a place that allowed me to be creative and build a business within a business. It was very important to me that, during my search, I looked for careers that gave me the opportunity to grow and so I applied to only Real Estate postings. Within a few days, I received a call from a brokerage that, at the time, was brand new to Canada.

I interviewed with a wonderful lady who set me up with an Agent who was looking to hire his very first Executive Assistant. Through the entire process, I was waiting for the doubt to kick in—the regret of leaving my bank job, all of the mixed emotions and, surprisingly, I didn’t have any of that. I was filled with excitement of what’s to come. The Agent shared his vision of his business and I knew it just felt right.

I’m just going to back up for a minute and go back to when we first met. I met with this Agent, who was looking for his first Executive Assistant, and he was on the cusp of having a stellar year. One of the golden rules, and you’ll hear it in my book again, is that knowing when to hire your Admin can be life-changing to your career. We spoke about vision and growth, and there really wasn’t much spoken about actual Real Estate and the role. We just talked about where we wanted to go. The conversation quickly became a team convo. It became our vision. I accepted the job, and that’s exactly what it was for literally three days. That is all it took for me to realize this is something I can build. I can create systems around his goals.

Don’t worry! If you are reading this and think that sounded easy, it was, and I am prepared to show you how it can be an easy decision for you too. I dedicated a whole chapter in this book on knowing when to hire and how hiring the right Admin will double your business. I want to point out that it was the best career move for me and I have never looked back.

For a long time, we hit the ground running as a strong team of two. We then hired our first Buyer Agent and, within the last four years, our tiny team grew from there to become a team of fourteen strong.

During my third month with our team, I went to California to attend training for Assistants that was hosted by a highly successful Real Estate Agent. I sat in this class surrounded by a room full of Admins, all eager to learn systems to grow a team. The room’s energy was incredible. I absorbed every inch of what this lady had to say because it fit exactly with what I wanted to do. Not only did it educate me, but it also empowered me and I will forever be grateful for how she inspired me.

How many Admins right now are reading this and feel like they are just in a job? What if I told you that you have an opportunity right now to change the way you’ve looked at things and to change the way you treat your role? More importantly, what if I told you I am going to empower you in this book to become one of the highest-level Admins in the industry? And, even more importantly, the secret weapon in Real Estate.

Throughout my five years in this role, I have grown from Executive Assistant to Director of Operations for our team. I eventually started my own coaching company, where I coach Admins and Agents, and I realized this is exactly where I want to be. The lack of coaching, training, and mentoring for Admins led me to go down this path to create systems and create the foundation for successful Real Estate teams. I jumped through the hoops, so you don’t have to. How can I not share this with you?

Throughout this book, I am going to switch titles. I might say Executive Assistant, Admin, or Operations. You will see me use different expressions for the role. The reality of it is that it is all the same role.

At this point, I have not even introduced myself. My name is Valerie, and I’m the Director of Operations for a fast-growing Real Estate team. I am also a Real Estate Coach for a lot of teams in Canada, and in the U.S. I honestly believe that we are the secret weapon in Real Estate.

I write this book in two simple formats. One format speaks to the Agent, because I strongly believe in systems and I believe in sharing everything, successfully, in hopes that we can create a massive environment of like-minded individuals in the Real Estate industry. The second format speaks to the Admins trying to build something amazing for the team, and for you, while building a legacy. I am giving you my vision of what life is like in the world of an Admin. I will break this down here so you can read the book and fully understand why it’s written the way it is.

To the Agent, please read this as the role of the visionary because a lot of the time I will speak to you in regard to the company’s visions, systems and models, and share basic foundational steps to get you to a high level, so that you understand and appreciate why an Admin is so important to your business and building future Empire Builders. I hope that you are what we call the “integrator,” after reading this book. You take the vision the Agent has, and you make it happen.

Both Agents and Admins need to understand your roles for the solid growth of your business. You might even ask, “Why do I strongly believe in the foundation?” That is a great question. Just keep reading. This book will unlock the basic steps to start growing your Real Estate team. I’ll share my own team’s successes and failures throughout the book because we’ve had to make mistakes to learn. We’ve made our share and we’ve learned a lot.

After a successful year of coaching, I realized one common thing: Admins do not know their worth. We are typically hired and told we’re there to do paperwork. That’s what you see on most job descriptions. I’m here to show Admins everywhere that we are way more than that, and I’m living proof that you can build a fantastic career in Real Estate. Finding the right Admin can be difficult. Hiring Top Talent can be time-consuming. It can take you from your business. And, we all know that in Real Estate you need to be on your game. Don’t worry! I’ve got your back because the whole chapter is dedicated to hiring and retaining Top Talent, regardless of if this is your first hire or your tenth. Stick to the basics!

Here is a personal message I want to send to all Assistants, Directors of Operations, or whatever your title may be. I’m writing this book for you. I’m writing this book because I want you to realize one thing; if this is the job for you, keep reading this book. It will show you how you can build a business for your Real Estate Agent and become the Empire Builder you want to be. This book will show you exactly what systems you need to build a successful Real Estate team and it will give you the mindset to think like a CEO. It’s the Admin to CEO mindset.

The benefits of this book are enormous. Each chapter will guide you through an effective system and give you the knowledge to build up the model and tailor them to your own business. Many Admins out there want more. We have a love for Real Estate, and we want to make a sustainable business for ourselves and our Agents. I want to empower you both to know that you can create a career within this world. I hope this book is in every brokerage’s hands. Imagine the power you’ve just given your Agents by giving them this book. You’re empowering the Agent, to find Top Talent and let them partner with them to build a business. The ripple effect this can have on our industry is undeniable.

This book holds the tools to the basic knowledge in Real Estate. Your Agents can leverage their business by hiring a secret weapon or rebuilding the relationship they currently have with their Admin. This book can train them to get to a high level in Real Estate, faster than starting from scratch.

What is coming up in this book is the ability to create and empower your Admins to build high-level systems and models that will take you to the next level. If these models and systems are followed, you will be setting the path for increasing your revenue. It won’t be easy, and it will require an entrepreneurial mindset and a strong foundation of communication between Agents and Admins, but the possibilities are endless.

How am I going to keep this promise to you? By the end of this book, you will implement an effective listing system and build a CRM with a strong follow-up. You will either have, or be, a secret weapon with the confidence to run a million-dollar Real Estate team using this method. Whether you are a single Agent or a team, you will be able to build systems. This book will teach you how to build a system for growth, but not for your current situation. I always tell the Admins that I’m coaching, “You never build a system for your current team members. You build it so you are ready to grow.” There is already space for growth. Think big and aim big. You will be the ultimate Empire Builder.

Here is what you will need as you read this book:

• An open mind
• The desire to grow a business with your Admins
• Admins, the “want” to build a career
• Pen and paper to take notes, or a highlighter to highlight as you go

Here is what you won’t see, and something that’s so hard to NOT do…and that is smiley faces. I love a good smiley face. I am hoping you can feel my happiness at the end of every chapter…or paragraph.

For the sake of anyone wondering what sort of value I can bring you, I will share some of our team’s stats, at the time I wrote this book:

• Top 1 percent within our Real Estate Board
• Top 3 in Canada within our company
• Top 7 in all teams in our city throughout all Brokerages
• Top 2 in our Brokerage

We continue pushing forward using this very method I am sharing.

CHAPTER 2

HIRING TOP TALENT

and Building a Partnership

One of the things we are famous for is turnover in Admin world. How many of us have hired an Admin and they didn’t last ninety days? I want to work through that. I want us to admit that sometimes it is because we are not set up to hire, and we don’t know what an Admin is supposed to do. There is nothing wrong if you are shaking your head yes to that. Sometimes we blame the lack of progress on the new hire, and sometimes this is the case, but it also has a lot to do with us—the ones doing the hiring. Lack of systems and resources can make it hard to train and build a role. I think what you need to understand is that you are taking away precious time from your clients and your business every time you hire and fire.

One important thing to do is to know when it is time to hire an Admin (many people have mixed answers to this). My rule on when to hire an Admin is simple. It’s when you simply cannot keep all the balls in the air. This is typically around the twenty-five-deal mark. Your paperwork is not living up to standards, you are not calling your clients back on time, and you are losing out on potential business because you can’t get to lead-generating. You’re either not time blocking for success OR you are ready to hire your Empire Builder—let’s go with the latter. I like to say it’s time to hire when you hit the twenty-five-deal mark and have three months-worth of salary in the bank account. That is a good time to start seeking talent.

The golden rule of hiring is don’t hire to fill a need. Take the time and hire Top Talent, so you never have to worry about hiring again. Use hiring websites to put your ad out there. Indeed, social media and LinkedIn have been some great resources for my team, or recruit actively by looking at the people you run into. Coffee shop cashiers, Administrators right out of college (connect with your local post-secondary schools). Also, ask other Agents in your office, who have just gone through hiring, if they had any potential candidates that you could interview.

When you are ready to move forward and start the interviewing process, here are some key points to be aware of: Do not settle; if something in your belly tells you this does not feel right, it is usually correct. Do not let just anyone run your business. What to seek; someone with a business mindset, entrepreneurial mindset, positivity, self-motivated, great family life, etc. Check their social media; how they behave online is important because they are a reflection of you and your growing business.

Hire someone who can talk to your clients like you do, or BETTER! The person who fills those shoes must be prepared to build an empire, and a career worth having. A successful hire will double your sales in a year. You will go from twenty-five to forty deals with the right Empire Builder. A lot of the time, people forget what they are looking for because they are wrapped up in how much an Admin will cost them, what to pay an Admin, and do they get bonuses?

I have built a strong Admin team on salary, one-week vacation in the first year, and an incentive plan for them so on their first day there is no confusion around salary, vacation, and so on. Look to your local market to see what the average Admin is paid in your area. Typically, it is around $35,000–$45,000 with bonuses paid out every quarter, in our area.

All right, so we’ve gone through the hiring process and you found your Empire Builder. You’ve hired your Top Talent, and it’s day one. What are you going to do? How have you set everybody up...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter One | Welcome: Welcome Empire Builders
• Chapter Two | Hiring Top Talent ... and Building a Partnership
• Chapter Three | Goal Planning
• Chapter Four | Lead the Way: Show Your Value as an Empire Builder
• Chapter Five | Communication: Most Important Tool in Partnership
• Chapter Six | Database: The Gold is in the Database
• Chapter Seven | Effective Systems ... for Client Experience
• Chapter Eight | Marketing & Branding
• Chapter Nine | Tracking Numbers: Success Indicators
• Chapter Ten | Lessons Learned
• Acknowledgments
• Thank You
• About the Author