REality

Jennifer Zech on Transforming Open Houses, Building Genuine Client Relationships, and Real Estate Success Strategies

• Gary Scott

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This episode explores the invaluable lessons in real estate success through the personal experiences of Jennifer Zech. With a strong focus on relationship-building, mentorship, and effective open house strategies, Jen reveals how authenticity and genuine connections are key to nurturing a referral-based business. 

Join us as we discuss:

• The importance of local knowledge and client relationships 
• Listening as a cornerstone of successful interactions 
• The benefits of mentorship in real estate 
• Winning strategies for hosting successful open houses 
• Balancing family life with a demanding career 
• Achieving 90% referral business through sustainable practices 
• Envisioning the future of real estate in 2025

Gary:

Welcome to Reality Podcast. I am your host, Gary Scott, and excited about 2025. Thrilled today to have Jen Zeck with us. Jen, good morning.

Jenn:

Good morning. It's a pleasure to be on this call. A real honor today. Thank you for having me.

Gary:

Well, the pleasure is ours because we made an effort before the calendar turned to 2025. And Jen and I learned that those of us with these high people skills are not always the best when it comes to technology, and we had a little bit of a hiccup, but we are pumped to be here today. Yes, we are yeah, so we're going to jump right into it. All right, jen comes to us as the owner broker of the Zek Group, a dynamic team of real estate professionals that proudly really important that you hear the words that I share as we discuss.

Gary:

Jen and her team proudly serve the residential needs of the triangle in the beautiful state of North Carolina Pride taken at a high level in local market neighborhoods and understanding trends, and one of the most exciting things is that Jen has been in the real estate business since 2017. And the nice thing about Jen, amongst many that we'll learn here in a little bit, is she has spent some time with a couple of different firms, and so she's got a perspective that I think is unique, and so I'm going to start with a question that Jen gave me to ask her, which I typically don't do what are you known for among your clients? What would your clients say if Gary Scott called them and said tell me about Jen Zek. What would they say?

Jenn:

My goodness. The first thing that I think they would say is well, she's from the area. She knows it so well. She's a triangle native, kind of unusual. Our state is popular for many reasons, right. People just flock here, and so I love it because I'm proud of my hometown, I'm proud of the area here, and so I know all the pockets. So that's one thing people do love about me. Secondly, I'm a communicator from the beginning, so I'm all about relationships and getting to really know people personally and listening more than talking. I have learned if I listen to what they tell me in the details, I can meet them where they're at, and that's important People feel it.

Gary:

So I love that, I love that.

Jenn:

People feel it so.

Gary:

I love that.

Gary:

Yeah, I love that, as, as you know, if you've listened to any of our podcast, again, you are listening to reality podcast.

Gary:

We want to thank those listening to us and I do know that I said good morning and I know people are listening at all different times of the day, but it is the morning and it is a beautiful, crisp morning here and I want, I told Jen, our goal is for everyone on this listening to take three things and make their business or their lives better. And you know, I think this, this concept of listening and and I think I love the term you used and meeting the client where they are, I think that's really, really, really important. I think the other thing that was interesting as we prepared for this and really again, really in my wheelhouse and having a great appreciation for this concept and reality of mentors, and so I know that as we talked about how you've built and grown your business, you were very quick to identify the relationships but also the mentors and the people that have impacted you. Let's talk a little bit about what that means to you.

Jenn:

Okay, very, very crucial in my business and in other things I've done in life. When I see someone doing something well, I want to figure out what makes them good at it. So when I decided to get into real estate, I thought who's good? And I got a very successful realtor here in the triangle that I happen to know very well, ida Turbitt. I give a lot of credit to her.

Jenn:

She saw it in me that she said be good at real estate, jen, and I got in the car with her and we would start in the morning and we would do two or three listings. She was the listing agent. I was along for the ride. I was a brand new agent. I went on the appointments with her and I heard the good, bad and the ugly. Right, I'm in the car with her. We would start out in the morning and she'd say Jen, I got snacks and I got water and we just had it. We had a good time.

Jenn:

I learned so much and I tell agents find someone that you admire, someone that's doing well, and just take it all in. You know it didn't cost me anything but time Right, and I knew that the payoff and the reward would be there. And I was right. I went on a lot of listing appointments with her and I give a lot of credit and respect to her for what she's done. And a lot of what I do is her CMAs, her market analysis when I go on appointments and I just, you know, tweaked them, made them more Jennifer style.

Jenn:

But it is Ida, I still do her presentation. It works. Find someone that's doing something the way you want to do it and put your spin on it. So I think when you get into something new, find who's doing it well, tag along and then you eventually get out into your own boat and start rowing yourself Right. But to this day I still use a lot of what she gave me. Being on a team worked well for me. I liked having a lot of my processes done for me in the beginning so I could focus on really listening to people in my appointments. You know I know many successful individual agents as well. That started out, but for me the team environment was great.

Gary:

As a brand new agent, Well, a lot of what you just said I love it and I'm just going to highlight the one thing, and that is for our listeners who are brand new in the business. I think two things. Number one, find that agent or agents and what I heard Jen say is she got in the car and went with her and she understood that that was an investment in time and not money, but it was invaluable. And then I think the other thing you said that is really important. And then you made it. You, you said I made it, jennifer.

Gary:

I love that and I think that so often, jen, when new agents get into the business, there's this inherent impatience and it is a process, it is a journey, and the beautiful thing and I can speak about our company, no different than the experience you had with Ida is there are so many wonderful, successful, experienced agents who are willing to share. You know, I always call it the culture of abundance and not scarcity, and so don't ever be afraid to ask. And you know, if you're not new and you're trying to reinvent yourself, don't be afraid to ask. You know, lean in on the resources, which is hugely, hugely important. So Jen said her experience starting out on a team. We've had this conversation multiple times as we've talked through guests. You know, as a new agent, do I start my own or team, and I can tell you that they both work, so I'll leave it at that. Today, you have a team, correct.

Jenn:

Yeah.

Gary:

So I have a team.

Jenn:

Well, so what I've done is I've had a team, I've been, so, I've been a part of a team. I've had a team and I've been an independent agent, so, um, and I'm talking with someone now about coming to the team as well. So I've done all the different models, but I and I got a transaction coordinator that helps me, so I'm looking to grow. I think you know there is so much that can be said in when you have someone that has your back right. I've done both, but I think it's nice to have a team too, for sure.

Gary:

Good, I'm going to go back a little bit. You started in the business Jen in 2017. Correct, am I correct? So always, always, like to know what you came from. What did I come?

Jenn:

from? Oh, good question. So I was a corporate accountant. So I have my undergraduate in business from UNC Wilmington Go Seahaw. So I was a corporate accountant. So I have my undergraduate in business from UNC Wilmington Go Seahawks. I'm a North Carolina girl and then I have my MBA from East Carolina Go Pirates and Greenville. And I was a corporate accountant for a while. I was in real estate appraising commercial real estate appraising for a while. I did that real estate appraising commercial real estate appraising for a while. I did that and I worked at Highwoods Properties. So I've been in the real estate area in different realms. And then I stayed home with three kids. I raised three kids.

Jenn:

I was a stay-at-home mom for 12 years, having done the corporate environment for a while, and I got into selling jewelry. So my husband was going to his corporate job during the day and at night I needed to get out. So I would go, as I like to say, slinging jewelry all over Raleigh. I created a team of women. I started training women on how to sell jewelry and all of a sudden I started realizing I like sales, I really like sales. Ida Turbitt did a jewelry show for me and said Jen, when you're ready, I want you to do real estate. She saw it in me, right. That little jewelry company brought back my confidence after being home for 12 years and having three under the age of four. I mean, it was a busy time and so I took everything I learned in that little jewelry company, right Training and building confidence in women. And I was on the stage doing trainings on how to present yourself. I took all of that and I put it into real estate. No longer was I selling $40 necklaces, I'm selling $400,000 houses. I've got husbands calling me.

Jenn:

I remember that first couple of months. It was a whirlwind for me. I knew what I was doing, but I was nervous because now I was talking about big assets. Right, it's no longer just jewelry and earrings and sets. I was on a bigger scale and, um, but, but Ida was right.

Jenn:

I took those basic foundations loving people, being passionate about people and when I realized it's not about the product as much as it is about people, that was a big turning point for me. I thought I have to be passionate about houses like I am about jewelry. I'm a jewelry girl. All my friends know it. No, you have to be passionate about people and helping people resolve problems, and that's what we are. We're a problem solver and we help people with some of the biggest decisions they make in their life.

Jenn:

And when I realized that, all of a sudden, it just it became so comfortable for me my very first open house I was so nervous, I don't know all this thing. Oh, I need to know about this house. It's not my listing and I shadowed an agent. If you're not doing open houses a lot, you really need to get in them. I mean, really get in them One or two a weekend. That's how you build it up. That's what I did for two or three years.

Jenn:

I did a lot of open houses and this one agent said to me you don't need to know everything about the house, you just want to get to know the person and what's important to them. And that's what I started doing. I started realizing you're right, I just need to listen more than I talk, and so that's my background. So I think between real estate appraising, a master's degree in business, jewelry sales, corporate accounting for a large office space company, highwoods, I just kind of all came together in real estate. But I had to have someone tap me on the shoulder and say, hey, you'd be good at this, and I think that's what happens in life A lot of times we don't realize what's coming until it happens, gary, and that's kind of how I kind of fell into it. Someone saw it.

Gary:

Yeah Well, so in listening to your story, I would. I don't think you fell into it. I think it was all part of a master plan that was heading your way at the right time, so passionate about people. And I've told this story a thousand times and because I have the opportunity to be the host of the podcast, I can tell it one thousand in one time.

Gary:

So back in the day, when I was managing an office and I was interviewing new agents, I would say why do you want to be in the real estate business? And inevitably someone would say I love houses. Right, I love houses. And my response to them is I got the perfect job for you a home inspector. You love houses because it's to your point, it's not about the house, it's about the relationship, it's about the trust. It's about the relationship, it's about the trust, it's about to your point, it's about making sure we ask enough good, great, thoughtful, curious questions so that we understand what the motivations are and the emotions.

Gary:

And, and I think so often we, we, we get lost. We get you know, I always say we get lost in the noise around our industry, like it is. I I spoke to a group yesterday, jen and I and I said, uh, it was our first awards event up in boone and blowing rock. And I uh I've used this acronym uh for growth and I'm not going to get into it today, but the r is for relationships. It is the single most important asset that we have today. It's the greatest capital is our ability to build long-term sustainable, because you and I know this. People use us because they know us, like us and they trust us.

Gary:

I mean, sometimes we make this thing more complicated than it needs to be. Let's talk a little bit about some real estate strategies. So I want to tell our audience that we did not rehearse this for Jen to promote, encourage and endorse open houses, just like I do. I think they are as important or more important today than they have ever been, and Jen already talked about in her early years she shadowed. I think I heard her say one or two a weekend, not one a weekend, one or two a weekend. Talk to us about open houses and how you have leveraged them to transactions, relationships and real estate success.

Jenn:

Really good question. I enjoy this. I know there's so many agents that think open houses waste of time or it could be. How do I know when it will show up? I did all this work.

Jenn:

I've had a different mindset about open houses from the start. I went in there thinking if I'm going to spend two to three hours away from my family, it better count, and I'm going to be very prepared for that meeting, whether it's one person or 10. So I have an open house basket. I want to make it as duplicatable as possible, right, it's not a chore, it's part of my job. Okay, that's the difference. Right, I needed to make it so easy that I could do that two to three hours and then get right back to what I want to do that weekend with my family, right? So I always have something called a buyer packet. This is specific to me. I did it in my jewelry days. We called them hostess packets. Well, I took the same concept, did it in real estate.

Jenn:

I have a map of Wake County. How simple is that? You would be surprised how people need a visual. I got a map of Wake County on there. I've got a checklist of everything we're going to talk about once they find that perfect property. And I have a list of all of Jen's faves restaurants, places to shop, things to do with your families. My college daughter typed that up for me and I'm telling you it is. I get more mileage out of that. People will talk to me just because of that sheet.

Jenn:

Sometimes you know, oh, I'm visiting here from Indiana. Great, you got to go to dinner tonight. I got some great restaurants and there we go. Right, oh, there's your maps and I show them where we're at. I want them to leave that open house thinking I want to work with her. She's got the resources and the knowledge that I need. Anyone can do that. Yes, I'm from here. People say, yeah, but you're from here. No, you can do it. You can get a map of Wake County. You can figure out your restaurants and you can be that resource. You can figure out your restaurants and you can be that resource. So my buyer packets I have ready.

Jenn:

And then I also do a quick little all the houses that are available around my house that I'm at, because if I've got their attention I'm going to say, oh, you're looking for townhomes under $500. Well, look, I just ran it real quick. You're welcome to look at this. They are glued to that sheet. Oh great, I say you're welcome to look at this. They are glued to that sheet. Oh great, I say you're welcome to take a picture of it. Do a drive by and I can show you some.

Jenn:

When we leave here today, I'll call you after the open house. I gave you three tools right there. I mean, those are very, very important things, right? So your buyer packets a market analysis and just basically be that resource for the house as well. Right? So if they got questions, I'm calling the seller, I don't wait.

Jenn:

Um, I'm one of those agents where, if, if it's not comfortable for them to sign in, I'm not going to make them, because I was not one that wanted to do that. So if I can get them with my information, that's eventually going to lead to getting to want to know me right, more. So I tell people, if you don't enjoy open houses, you're probably not doing them to the best of your ability and they don't need to be difficult. They need to be easy and duplicatable every time. So, gary, that kind of gives you a picture of what I do and that's how I. I mean I have a heart for mentoring other agents, and so this is a conversation I have upfront. You will. If you spend any time with me, you learn real quick.

Jenn:

I don't pay for leads. I don't. I don't have to and I feel that if you work the business to your ability, you use all the resources you have. You shouldn't have to pay for leads. I've done it in the past. I had a team. I did it not so much for me but for the team members, and they're cold leads. They're actually getting better leads from my signs and from people I know or people that have called off my signs, than they ever will from some of these paid resources. Does that give you some idea of my some of?

Gary:

these paid resources. Does that give you some idea of my model? Yeah, so a couple of things. I think about this.

Gary:

Often you have a conversation with somebody who has done an open house and people have said to me over my career open houses don't work and my response is you didn't work the open house and it's exactly what you said. Like they work, but you have to work it and you have to have a system. So, jen's faves that's the first time in my 39 years that I've heard that as a giveaway takeaway the takeaway from the podcast and a giveaway. So when you think about that, just think about that conversation creator that is so subtle and it's built around giving them something of value that they probably don't have and it's almost like an icebreaker from the relationship standpoint. Right, and it's probably uniquely different than the open house they just went to down the street. It is interesting. I go to open houses often and I'm amazed at how many people are so ill prepared and I know that I see it. Therefore, I know the customer that went in before me and after me who also then went down the street, then went down the street I think the other word you use three times and I think it's really important in our industry is anything you can make duplicatable.

Gary:

Let us not reinvent the wheel. Let me ask a couple of follow-ups to the open house. Anecdotally, you have an open house, you got good traffic. You have six to eight people come through On a Sunday afternoon. Your open house is one to three. All six give you their name and address and cell number. They give you what you need. Tell us about what you do with those new people that you have met, about follow up, follow through, add to your CRM. Talk about how you leverage those new relationships to some future business.

Jenn:

Okay, so I get an open house on Sunday. I've got some great leads. I'm super excited. I generally wait till Monday because I realize that's family time for most people and it's time away from my family because I'm going to be making these phone calls, right. So I wait. I just know my family. I, you know I had to stop doing two open houses a weekend because it was a lot of family time, but I knew I had to in the beginning. Right, you have to have your boundaries and I think people are more willing to talk to me on Monday than on Sunday night. So I call Monday.

Jenn:

First thing I do is call them. I leave a nice message how much I enjoyed meeting them and then, if they don't answer most of the time they do not on that initial call I text them. I have a digital business card with my picture, email, website, all that. I send that out first and then hi, sue, it was great to meet you yesterday. Really enjoyed you stopping by my open house, left you a voicemail. I would love to chat with you about your needs, what you're looking for, simple as that. And then I also email. It's not annoying or bugging, it's showing professionalism. I told you, I would call you and I would follow up. I'm doing what I said I would do.

Jenn:

Some people don't text, some people don't email, some people don't text, some people don't email, some people don't like to call, right. So I try to capture it three ways. Then I put them in the CRM, so they're officially in there, and I use all the tools that we have on our platform through H-Suite, right. So I have them on ActivePipe and I have them through all the drips that I have right, neighborhood New if they gave me that, they don't all give me that initially, I generally do not set them up on a collaborative search in the MLS until I've made contact with them, because I feel like that's a little too much, too soon and I can't be specific without knowing what they really want and I may not have gotten all that at the open house right want, and I may not have gotten all that at the open house Right.

Jenn:

So that kind of gives you a feel for it. I want to be professional, but not like I'm like too much Right. So then I probably wait, like midweek if I haven't heard back, and do one more touch. But I know they're going to be on that CRM, so they're going to be getting my touches periodically anyway.

Gary:

So, first of all, I love it. Number one have a system let's talk about. You know whether exactly what Jen said is what you choose to do. The fact is she's got a plan that's intentional and she's got a process and a system to ensure in a system to ensure. What I love here is if you're going to spend three hours at an open house, maximize that time, because it is time you're taking away from someone something, some activity.

Gary:

So I'm going to fast forward again. I don't think this will make us feel uncomfortable. So come Wednesday and I've done my connects and they're in my CRM and maybe I haven't had a conversation with them and maybe they haven't responded, but they're in my CRM. Do you go back through at any point in time from a processor system and kind of have internal I call them, call nights or call hours where three weeks from today, four weeks today, you look, you pull all your people that have been through open houses. You know they're in the CRM, you haven't really connected. Do you ever just spend a couple an hour just calling and saying, hey, sue, you were in my open house three weeks ago. I hope you're getting all my like. Just walk me through what happens. Just walk me through what happens. You know kind of CRM and beyond.

Jenn:

OK, so good point. So, as I said, when I meet people they often sign in, but I don't force it. Ok, so if they do, that's great, right. And when they sign in, I make afterwards. I make notes Getting married for some home where I make quick little notes, my gen notes on the side, because that's going to be the way I connect with them afterwards. Okay, so if I haven't heard from them, come a week later, three days later. Then I look at my notes and I try to get specific. Hey, I found this house right down the street from the one I met you at. You know what I mean. I'll send them a home spot or quick pop. People love to know that you are kind of thinking about them, that what you said registered with me. I was listening, right, that's the bottom line. So send them a house that you thought looked like them.

Jenn:

I've been known to write handwritten notes. If they left me an address, I will send them a letter that I enjoyed meeting them and I hope to meet with them. I can't tell you how much those kind of things I just mentioned will come up in conversation. Or you were the only one that ever gave me a packet of information. I kept it in the car and I mean I don't know. I just think there's so much you can do. That's simple, that resonates with people, that shows that extra touch, you know. So, making your extra notes for what you heard them say, and then maybe a handwritten note or a pop text, but make sure that what you do is kind of specific to them or something that they said to you, not a generic text. That's too spammy feel to me. It's got to be specific, right? Hey, I'm here all week in town and I got this great listing. I thought about you. I'm doing an open house on Saturday. See, I can share my open houses with them. Hey, I'm going to be right near you this Saturday. Come see me. Two to four, that's another thing I want to point out.

Jenn:

When you do your open houses, do your research on the house Target where you want to be. Okay, that's another thing. If you love Stonehenge, hey, I want to do an open house at Stonehenge. If you want a six to $800,000 house, pick those. They're likely to sell right, buy and sell. I'm very specific about the open houses I choose and, like I said, if I'm going to spend time there, it needs to be worthwhile. I also go through and I text people that live near that neighborhood, even if they're not wanting to buy or sell. Hey, jen, I'm going to be right on the corner from you Saturday. Come visit me. I'd love to have company. You know, I create my chitter chatter for my open houses. I don't wait for it to come to me. That's part of just working that open house. Okay, become good friends with the listing agent. I did a lot of those in the beginning. Get to know that listing agent. How does that listing agent work? Take the best of that listing agent and incorporate it into what you do. I hope this is helpful.

Gary:

If we were on a video podcast. I've tried not to take notes because I've committed to Ashley Bryant, who puts these together, that I will listen to all of them. The joke that goes around here is that I don't listen to them because I do them. I've committed to her that I would listen to everyone and take notes, because I found myself taking notes and maybe missing a comment. But I couldn't help but take some notes and I love phrases that are impactful and you just gave me one that I'm going to promise will not.

Gary:

Well, this will not be the last time the listeners that work for our company hear this. Create, don't wait. I love it. Create your opportunities, don't wait for them. Create the connections, don't wait for them. Create the energy around the open house. I love the word create. And the other thing that I think is really important and I'm going to take this opportunity for a little infomercial on the ninja.

Gary:

Whether you are an official ninja or not, you live it right. You live it about relationships and connectivity and getting back to people the Ford concept of talking to your customers about family occupation, recreation and dreams One of the things you said, jen. I wrote it down when you connect with someone. You said, jen, I wrote it down when you connect with someone, be specific to a conversation you had with them, so that it's not a spam or a form letter. I wrote down the word customize the experience, which is really the same thing.

Gary:

So, again, our goal is three takeaways. I don't know about our listeners that are driving you, probably almost pulled off to the side of the road to take notes. I still go back to the open house. A map, a market study, and Jen's faves already picked it up. I think Jen has branded Jen's notes Jen's faves, so I think that becomes a brand right, and whether that's by design or not, you know, you've said it twice, I've got Jen's faves and I think that resonates, because my guess is the people you connect with see Jen's boom, jen's boom. And now, all of a sudden, am I accurate with that?

Jenn:

Oh, completely, completely. And look how easy it is for me to make conversation. I think anyone could do what I just said. Right, hey, there's a great restaurant down the street. You ought to try it for dinner. All of a sudden, you've created a whole. And it's not about real estate. Always, right, they think that you're there just about real estate. You're a realtor, that's all we're. No, we're much more than that.

Jenn:

I want them to know that I'm a mom. I'm a grew up here. I know this area. Well, let me tell you what I know. That's the underlining message. Right, I got the map there. I got my faves. I want them to go, I want to work with her, and I think anyone on this call could do what I'm saying. This is not, that is not difficult, but that makes it easy for me to remember the conversations they shared with me. So that's what I'm saying. It's just, I can't tell you how many open houses I've had where I pull out that map and it's like everybody's around me. Three or four couples Two are moving here from South Carolina, one's looking at visiting family from California and I'm talking about 540. I'm talking about where RDU is. I'm talking about Umstead Park and NC State where my son goes to school.

Jenn:

I pull in personal stories. My daughter went to Chapel Hill. All of a sudden we're talking about Tar Heels. Do you see how? I took something as simple as a map right and they're asking me how do I get here, how do I? And everyone wants to listen.

Jenn:

And the gem of an open house is oftentimes not the day. It's weeks later, weeks later, right, I've had so many happen from previous opportunities with them, like just an encounter once and they will call me hey, I met you at an open house. I love it when I get those emails or a text. So I would encourage agents listening these things I'm saying any of you can do it, and if you haven't shattered an agent, who's who's doing? Well, that is one thing you need to read. I love it when agents shadow me. I like, I like having the company too. Um, it's just nice to have another, especially when you're doing a house, uh, a large house, it's not. It's a safety thing too. I always think it's nice to have another agent with you, um, something to think about. But I, you know, open houses are definitely, uh definitely been a big part of my business over the years.

Gary:

Awesome.

Jenn:

Yeah.

Gary:

So, jen, let's shift gears. You know you're, as I said earlier, you're speaking my language. I, you know, I think open houses work for me in the 80s and work for you in the 2020s. And you know, I think, as I said, I think they're as important, if not more, today than they've ever been, just because I think the market's going to be more friendly to us in 2025. I think, with some of the new way of our, the new approach to our business, I think buyers are going to choose to investigate, perhaps through the open house venue, maybe before you know, kind of the commitment on a buyer agency, and I think we see a lot of that. So, thank you for that. Let's shift gears a little bit. So share with our listeners.

Gary:

What are some of the other business planning, business strategies that you use? Obviously, open houses, obviously, you know. Taking great ideas from others and making them, jen, jenning them if you will. You know, clearly you know relationships. You shadowed to you new people. If you didn't write anything else down today, write down, I'm going to find somebody to shadow. If you don't do open houses, I want you to write down, I'm going to do open houses. Yes, you know. And if you don't have duplicatable systems write down, I'm going to do open houses, and if you don't have duplicatable systems write down, I'm going to create a duplicatable system or two. Share some other things, jen. What other nuggets, ideas, strategies can you share with our listeners that can make their business life and or their life life just a little more effective and a little more efficient?

Jenn:

So my feeling has always been oftentimes the people right in front of you are the ones that help build your business. Are you nurturing the relationships you already have? I think so often in this business you think we got to go find business, we got to go find business. It's almost like that end of the bottom of the barrel is out there. You kind of it's like angst. We get a little bit. Well, are you working now to make sure you don't feel that way? You know so I've always cultured my relationships to the point that they know that I'm here, they know that I'm a resource for information, they know that I'm here, they know that I'm a resource for information. So I am always big on.

Jenn:

You know, I do pop buys during the holidays. I do Easter, thanksgiving, christmas. Occasionally, when you don't expect, like Fourth of July or Labor Day, I'll send out a card. That's kind of, you know, because you don't get one. You don't get cards this time of year. And when I say cards, I mean a handwritten note. I don't mean sincerely, jennifer Zach, I mean hey, I hope you're enjoying the 4th of July. I know you have your beach week in the summer with the family Thinking of you. Let's have coffee next week. That's a note. Really make it personal. I'd rather have five personal than 20, which is my signature. Okay Means the world to people. So holiday pop buys actually go All right.

Jenn:

I did it at Christmas with another agent. We filled up our trunk and we dressed as elves and we went to 10 of my VIP clients and visited really visited them Like, went in and talked to them. I've already gotten referrals. It's amazing Time spent with people. They just want to know you care and you're friends, right, so that's a big one. Another thing I want to share is in my eight years I guess I'll be eight years of the spring in real estate, I've been at three firms, four, maybe four. I was at the longest at my first one.

Jenn:

But what I will say is I don't you know, at the end of the day, there's a lot of noise in this business, as you mentioned earlier. A lot of noise, right. Fancy websites, nice CRMs, fancy business cards, marketing material, folders. I had to, I kind of had to experience all these different things and I've used the platform provided by the corporate right. I've done that. I've also gone and found it on my own where it was all a cart and I had to do it. It took a lot of my time to do that and a lot of money and, at the end of the day, my skill set, my strength, is people, it's communication, it's relationships, it's the art of the deal right, being out with people. That's where my strength is, not so much the processes. Give me a good system that works, where I can touch people. But I don't need fancy. I don't need fancy, I just want people to know I care about them. Fancy, I don't need fancy, I just want people to know I care about them and I want to give them the best that I can and be a realtor of integrity. And I came to Alan Tate in July and I had spoken with them a few times previously.

Jenn:

I do feel that I had to go find my place on the bus. I knew I was on the right bus in real estate, but what seat was I supposed to be in? And I found it. I can go out and do what I need to do. You know prospecting. I do a coffee date or lunch once every week with a client or a friend May not be about real estate, but that's my goal.

Jenn:

I can't do those things I'm really good at and get listings like I want to when I'm doing all of it right. I mean I paid for different. You know Boomtown Brivity. I've done different things like that. I came to Allentate. I gave Allentate everything I'm done trying to find it. So I use H-Suite to the fullest ability that I can. Spencer, our marketing girl, is fabulous. Shout out to her. She helped me when I came over. I've learned H Suite so easily. I've done a lot of different programs right and I've done DigiSign, dotloop, skyslope. I will tell you, having done a lot of different programs in a lot of different firms, they're all the same. It's just learning how to use them All right.

Jenn:

Life is always about learning. You get over the curve and then you move on. And Allentate has made it so easy for me to be able to touch my clients regularly. But I put it in, I said it and I forget it. They have all the templates for marketing because that's not my forte. I can do it, but it'll take me 30 minutes to an hour. In Canva they have the Canva templates. I can just plug them in and go. And that's been big for me because I just want to get another listing appointment. I don't want to spend an hour trying to design a marketing material or trying to design a marketing material, so I had to go around to find where I could. My strength was in real estate and getting out and being with people, not so much the processes. So what I would say to you is there's a lot of noise. Get back to basics, because that's where you're going to build your business is in people, not fancy, that's the best way to put it.

Gary:

Yeah, I wrote down here. I actually wrote down here. It's not fancy, so I am going to take this opportunity, jen, that two and a half years ago that I was afforded the opportunity to have a wonderful dinner with Jen and one of our regional vice presidents, and this was when Jen was leaving Broker One and Jen then chose Broker Two, though I think we and I know we had a conversation after that, which was one that was very pleasant and very respectful and supportive, which was one that was very pleasant and very respectful and supportive. And then we had another chance when Broker 3, and it didn't work right and so Jen went to Broker 3, and then we kept in touch and she kept in touch and you know, again it was about. The interesting thing is it was never about anything more than having a relationship with someone in our industry that was meaningful and identifying that. Everything she has shared with us today, that Jen has shared with us today, about people and relationships and caring.

Gary:

You know you talked about pop buys and you reminded me of this, saying that everybody listening is heard, and it was one of the drivers in 1986 when I got in the business. I grew up, my father owned a company. And the number one thing he said to me is people don't care how much you know until they know and I know we've heard it a thousand times, you've read it in 75 books, and but there's one thing to be able to recite it. There's another thing to to have read it. There's another thing to say I've heard that but it's do I live it? Can I live it? And I do believe that the successful real estate professionals, trusted advisors today are living it every single day. And that is and the top people we have the good fortune to interview. On reality, there's the common theme and it's about an excitement and a passion for the customer and the community and people and it's really not about the deal, like none of our top people. It's about the deal. It's bigger than the deal.

Gary:

So so, jen, thank you for that. I've got a couple other questions. We got a little bit more time We've always have a few minutes either side of 45. And I feel this has been a hugely beneficial conversation for our listeners.

Gary:

I am confident. So one of the things that I'm curious about is eight years in the business. Usually at year five we begin to truly experience the benefit and the value of the repeat and referral business. So year number eight 2024, by most people's definition, was a year with some challenges and some headwinds and we're not going to get into it because we're super positive, optimistic and bullish on 25 as an organization.

Gary:

Jen, I talked to eight agents in the last two days throughout offices, and our footprint and the energy in the market that they have shared with me is stronger than I would have thought it had been in 23 years. In 23 days, particularly since the last eight days, the temperature in the Carolinas has been in the 20s, which never happened. Yeah, it's January. January 20 is it was 18 degrees, which we don't experience. Tell me about repeat and referral when you look at a breakdown. I know that, why you know you don't get in the quagmire of spreadsheets because it gets in the way of people. I know you know your business. So percentage of your business, repeat and referral at year number eight.

Jenn:

I am happy to say I'm at like 90% repeat referral. But you heard me say in the beginning I did a lot of open houses. I shadowed agents. I'm very thankful for the time that people invested in me. I just basically took the best of what I saw and put my spend on it and I was determined.

Jenn:

I always told myself wait, just I can't. I remember thinking, wait till Ida sees what I can do. I remember thinking like, wait till she sees what I can do. And I thought that too when I came to Allentate. I'm like, wait till they see what I can do, what I'm going to do. That's the way I talk to myself. I'm not doing the record player of oh no, there's nobody wanting to buy right now. The election's turning people off, there's just nothing they're going to know. Oh, I can't wait to see what's going to happen after the election.

Jenn:

All of a sudden, I came into January. Normally I have four or five people under contract. I didn't this year. I think it's because we were all preoccupied with last fall. That's what I think. There was a lot going on right In the world and people had pushed the pause button and a little nervous about what would happen. Well, all of a sudden, we got past that. We got through the holidays. My phone has been blown. Just I mean, almost every day I'm getting a text or an email. May not be, I want to buy. Yet it's. Hey, jen, can you tell me what my equity is looking like in my neighborhood? Should I sell in the spring or the fall? Can you send me the latest CMA on this area? These are the things. People just want information right now, but they're feeling confident. That's the feel I'm getting right now.

Jenn:

Last year was kind of like I'm not sure. I'm pausing right now with my investments, I'm not sure what I should do. This year is looking a little different and I think too, there's just, you know, my age group specifically, we're all. Many of us are starting to become empty nesters, and so I'm finding that people are wanting to make some change and I'm kind of in that sandwich age. Right, I got my the older parents, and then I got the young kids, and so I get a lot of downsizers. I get a lot of empty nesters my niche in the last few years, probably because of my age, but a lot of my parents' friends, my friends' parents, are wanting to get out of the big house and go to one of these active adult communities. I've gotten pretty good at explaining what that looks like, because there's a lot of nervousness around. Change, right? People don't like change, and so I often become their more than just a realtor, a little bit of a financial advisor.

Jenn:

I'm working with the family on what the whole team looks like, so can get this house emptied out. Are we doing an estate sale? I think there's a whole niche right there and I enjoy that. But at the same time, I've got my late 20 or 30 year olds wanting to buy for the first time because they don't want to pay rent. They're sick of rent. I have three calls since the new year. Jen, I'm not renting this year. This is the year I'm getting out of this. Okay, they, you know the rent rental routes around here just getting so high. Stop throwing your money at rent. Let's get you some equity bill. Let's get you in front of, let's get you in front of my, my good friend, jeff Gay. Let's talk about what can we do to make this happen this year. Educate me, you know. Talk about what they need to pay off. Right, let's have some good conversations about that.

Jenn:

So I'm seeing both going on at the same time and it's exciting. I just did a home tour last night. I was all over Durham last night. I showed six, seven houses. We ended at 630. I had a new listing go active this week. I just interviewed for a listing in Durham that's going active in a few weeks. This is the excitement I'm seeing, and it's not just. I want a life change. This is job changes. I'm seeing people go in and out of state with job changes, which I think it's exciting to see. I love the conversations right now. I look forward to 2025. I really do.

Gary:

As I said earlier, one of my phrases that I'm taking from the episode featuring Jen Zak is create, don't wait. So I'm going to piggyback off the two things you just talked about your parents, friends, right, yep? And then your friends, children, and you know, I want you to think about this. Like there's one thing, because you've built your business to have the renters contacting you and the parent, like I'm going to encourage everybody listening to be proactive and intentional, to do a home, physical or real estate review every week. Go have lunch or coffee with a your sphere every week, call somebody, you that rents every week. Like create, don't wait, you know, I just, I think and I've just elevated my speak by volume here because, like there's so many great things you've shared, jen, but this create, don't wait. I just I'm going to pound that to our company and so, yes, you're at that point. 90% repeat and referral, that is beautiful. National average is 72. I always say, one of the things our company does the greatest is backfills the 10% for you and the 28% for the average. Right, like creating those new, unique opportunities in partnership with these activities. So, while many of you have a book that do come to you, love it, love it, love it. Take one step further. Reach out proactively for the home physical, the real estate review, the equity assessment. Yes, yes, be proactive. Last year alone, the lowest percentage of total sales made up of a first-time homebuyer was 24% and it's historically 32% to 36%. And everybody on this podcast listening knows exactly why. We have to go out and educate. We have to go out and create energy and create transactions, and I think that's really important and I know Jen is doing it.

Gary:

Jen, I wrote one other thing down that I just love. I'm not sure that I don't need to modify it, but, more than just a realtor, I'm going to challenge our listeners as we put a bow around this incredible episode. Thank you for being with us. Are we? Are you being more than just a real estate agent? Are you being a trusted advisor? Are you being that resource that that customer, that client, that sphere leans into you like they do their attorney and their accountant and their financial advisor? Are you part of their inner circle of leading and managing my life, like that's been the vision I've had for 40 years of what we are as real estate trusted advisor professionals. We're right there at the table with our people, helping them make these decisions that are so incredibly important. Hey, jen, I'm going to wrap it up.

Gary:

One of the things that you started talking about was 12 years stay-at-home mom. I know from our dinner and one of the things that impressed me more than your real estate experience, more than your passion and enthusiasm, which oozes, as our listeners can tell. If you don't think she smiled this whole time, then you have not been paying attention. This is one of the many that I wish was a video, not just audio, because Jen is inspiring.

Gary:

Jen is inspiring us by kind of how she's sharing her passion and her shoulders and her body language. So just doing a great job, hugely informative and beneficial. Your family is so important to you and, like, when I left that meeting, I said to the RVP I said I said Jen gets it and that you know, loves her family, loves her children. So, even with this incredible business that you've built, just take a moment and like, how do you find some balance? How are you, how are you making sure that the other things that are so that are, are priorities, remain priorities? Any tricks of the trade there? Everybody's looking for that magic, that magic right.

Gary:

Balance. Is there such a thing right?

Jenn:

Oh, you know, I kind of had to figure that one out, navigate it. I've got right now they are Jillian is 23, just graduated from Chapel Hill and started her first job, corporate job. She's so excited. And then I've got a 20-year-old at NC State engineer. He's in that computer science program. And then I have my youngest, who's just turned 19, who got his private pilot license and wants to be a commercial airline pilot.

Jenn:

I look at the three of them and I think that's my biggest blessing, my biggest success in life is knowing that if I wasn't here tomorrow, they're going to be fine. Those were crazy years. I had them all close together and that was intentional. I wanted them to be close in age and we decided that together, my husband Ian and I. I was in everything possible. Imagine that I was in playgroups and mops at church and we went to everything that was free in town all the train tables, the bookstores. I wanted them to have experiences and I do believe in the end that has helped them become the independent adults that they are. I wanted them to also be able to navigate through life's experiences without mom and dad being there to swoop in all the time. So I've never really been like a hover parent, but my parents weren't either, and I appreciated that about them. But my parents weren't either, and I appreciated that about them. So They've always known I'm there, but I've never been the parent that just got in there and fixed it OK, a little bit of tough love and Given them a lot of autonomy to figure it out, and in retrospect that was. That was great, it was hard, it was very hard at times and it still can be challenging. Now we got all these different personalities and figuring out where they need us.

Jenn:

But what I would say to you is you decide what your schedule needs to be. You heard me say I did a lot of open houses. After a while, my husband said let's take it down to one, a weekend one. So I did and I left one day open. Now I do them. I do them when it's my listing, especially. I do initially, and then I find agents that meet where I was at they need, so I'm happy to give those to other agents. Plus, that's a whole nother set of people, right?

Jenn:

So by backing off a little bit, but focusing and pivoting on where I need to spend my time, what do they say? 80% of your time is really on the 20% that you do. You know what I mean. Like, focus on that little bit, right? Uh, so that's what I do. I, uh, I'm on the all about the relationships and nurturing the ones I have. The open houses are the extra right. That's supplemental. I focus on the ones I have. The open houses are the extra right. That's supplemental. I focus on the ones I have.

Jenn:

And then, but by doing that, I'm at a place now where I can not work for a weekend or like give an agent hey, can you sew some houses for me? You know I'll scratch your back, you scratch my back. I've been able to step back a little bit. So I do feel in the beginning there is definitely some time. You got to invest some time to get it going, get that wheel going, and then eventually, if you stay the course, it will pay off.

Jenn:

And I say it was around year four or five I started having the business that my best friend, colleen Turbitt, always said oh, jen, I got a lot of repeat and referral and I used to think, gosh, I can't wait to say that, I can't wait to say that I've seen it. And I just kept going when others were quitting or trying to do other things, and I know I'm going to make this work. So I encourage you to find that balance. It is never easy. It's a challenge, that's real. But if you make your schedule and you say remember you heard me say I don't make calls on Sunday nights, I wait till Monday, right, cause I feel like people will be more willing to speak. You need to preserve the family time right. Get the dates on the calendar that you're going to go and weigh in advance, so then you know I got that week off. So I'm all about planning so that I know when I'm intentional about my trips.

Gary:

I love it. I'm going to make a true confession because I think it's critical that everyone keeps the main thing. The main thing, and that main thing is family is priorities. But it is our business, and Jen will tell you that this was scheduled for 10 am this morning and we moved it to 11 am and we moved it to 11 am so I could go do aqua tots with my eight month old twin grandchildren, and I only share that because it has taken me a long time to make sure that those things that we can coexist right, the priorities and the perspective can coexist. But you have to be you just said it. You got to be super intentional and you got to recharge. You got to recharge and you got to give back and things like that. We are going to wrap the bow with one question for Jen Zek. Again, you are listening to Reality Podcast. I'm Gary Scott and Jen has hit it out of the park. I always like this one. One last piece of advice for our listeners 2025,.

Jenn:

One piece of advice, oh, Gary, let me think there's a lot going on in my head right now. One piece of advice, Gosh, All right, here it is Pick one thing that you want to be really good at, Because I think it's our tendency to feel that our plate is full and we go from here to there and we jump around right and we're mediocre at one thing and mediocre at another. Pick one that you want to just nail it. If the open houses is something you've never really been intentional about I love that word intentional then be intentional about those open houses. Get them booked, Okay.

Jenn:

Target the agents you want to do the listings for or do the open houses for. Maybe that's what you want to do. Maybe you want to be better about coffee date with one person a week. It doesn't have to be expensive and it doesn't have to be a lot of time. I like the mornings because as the day goes on, people's days tend to go all over the place, right, Maybe you want to be intentional about that. But pick one thing, not five, and you will nail it. That's my thoughts.

Gary:

I love it. This morning I prepared my kind of weekly blog for next week and I identified the three things that I think are critical and I'm piggybacking off of you. Number one is less is more. Do fewer things better. Number two is simplify the complicated which would be our life and our transactions. And then number three, which is really yours, is put people first. All right, Big round of applause for Jen Zek. Jen, thank you for being with us. You crushed it. Good to see you. Can't wait to see you in a little bit, a couple of weeks, when we celebrate a little bit of the triangle achievements in 2024. And it is good to see you again and we are pumped and excited to have you with the Alan Tate Howard Hanna family. Thank you so much.

Jenn:

Thank you, Gary. Everybody have an awesome year. Take care.

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