When Tessa Wilborn marched into the studio, she brought with her a battalion's worth of real estate savvy and a heart as grand as the homes she helps clients discover. Our conversation with the mastermind behind TNG Rolls-Tay Advisors is a treasure trove of insights for anyone looking to navigate the property market or foster a thriving workplace culture. As Tessa lays out the blueprint of her journey from military life to real estate mogul, we uncover the importance of organic growth, the value of a supportive team environment, and how her dynamic approach ensures each transaction is both successful and enjoyable. Her stories are not just about property lines but also about the boundaries we push through to create exceptional customer experiences.
We don't stop at the office door, though; Tessa's personal life as a family matriarch with an affinity for community shines through as we discuss the delicate dance of balancing professional drive with personal fulfillment. Far from your standard business talk, our chat veers into the meaningful ways Tessa and her team give back, engaging with non-profits and community programs that leave lasting impacts. And for those who appreciate a good chuckle, Tessa's humorous outlook reminds us that life is a series of trial and error—just maybe not if you're a brain surgeon. Strap in for a ride through the highs and lows of real estate, and walk away with a fresh perspective on living in the moment, both in business and in life, all thanks to Tessa's infectious enthusiasm and wise counsel.
When Tessa Wilborn marched into the studio, she brought with her a battalion's worth of real estate savvy and a heart as grand as the homes she helps clients discover. Our conversation with the mastermind behind TNG Rolls-Tay Advisors is a treasure trove of insights for anyone looking to navigate the property market or foster a thriving workplace culture. As Tessa lays out the blueprint of her journey from military life to real estate mogul, we uncover the importance of organic growth, the value of a supportive team environment, and how her dynamic approach ensures each transaction is both successful and enjoyable. Her stories are not just about property lines but also about the boundaries we push through to create exceptional customer experiences.
We don't stop at the office door, though; Tessa's personal life as a family matriarch with an affinity for community shines through as we discuss the delicate dance of balancing professional drive with personal fulfillment. Far from your standard business talk, our chat veers into the meaningful ways Tessa and her team give back, engaging with non-profits and community programs that leave lasting impacts. And for those who appreciate a good chuckle, Tessa's humorous outlook reminds us that life is a series of trial and error—just maybe not if you're a brain surgeon. Strap in for a ride through the highs and lows of real estate, and walk away with a fresh perspective on living in the moment, both in business and in life, all thanks to Tessa's infectious enthusiasm and wise counsel.
Speaker 1:
My name is Tessa Wilborn. The name of our Rolls-Tay brokerage is TNG Rolls-Tay Advisors. It actually stands for Trust, and Guidance is what the TNG stands for. I am trying to think I've been doing this what? 20 years now. So we decided to. You know, I decided to branch off, do my own thing and kind of just be a boutique type brokerage, but hopefully it's so that we can provide a better service to our clients and be more hands on and more one-on-one and just not a number. So that's kind of what we do.
Speaker 2:
I love that. And you said you started off well. You didn't say, but I read sorry that you started off as a realtor. Is that correct? Yes, Can you explain to me the difference, for somebody like me who's not really into the real estate world, what the difference is between a real estate agent and a real estate broker?
Speaker 1:
A real estate broker is actually the one that all the real estate agents have their license under. So they, you know, they either own the company or manage the company or manage the office, and then all the other agents have to have their license underneath them. In order to sell real estate. So I'm not actively out on the streets as much, you know. I decided to, you know, maybe stop right in the streets just a little bit, but still every now and then, you know, get that urge to go back out on the street.
Speaker 1:
So you know, trying to service more clients and provide them with a little bit better service by having more people that can take care of them than just me, Because I can only be in one place at one time. Yes, that is correct.
Speaker 2:
And then tell me how you came about building your business, like how you brought all these real estate agents to your brokerage, and how that came about.
Speaker 1:
Well, I, everybody always asks how did I get my business? And I honestly don't know that I could explain it because I didn't go out and pay for leads. I didn't go out and do it. It's just things organically just happen. I'll be out, I'll meet people, I start talking to people. I've been doing it long enough to now.
Speaker 1:
It's a lot of referrals or word of mouth, but I did, you know, open houses in the beginning, just being out. I have four kids, so I was out with all their events. People just started talking to me and I was like, oh yeah, I, you know, sell houses. It just happened. So it was more of an organic type feel of how that kind of happened.
Speaker 1:
And I think a lot of the agents I had someone who was helping me recruit at one point and then I kind of feel that it should be me recruiting them and not them. They could be recruiting for different reasons or for different. So I was like, no, we need to have people that are coming aboard, that are truly want to be here to sell real estate and to provide a service to the clients and to make sure that they're making an educated decision on what they're doing. So it you know, I haven't really been recruiting, so if there's anybody out there that's looking to go somewhere, I'm happy to talk to you. Give me a call, I'll talk to you, We'll see if it's a fit and so. So I can't really answer that. It just kind of happened.
Speaker 2:
Wow, that's awesome, though, that it fell into place like that for you, right place, right time. I'd say Well, I know you're not recruiting, but if you were to be, what kind of realtors are you looking for that you want to be on your team.
Speaker 1:
People who are, you know, they understand, like a team demographic, like you know, working together. Yes, we're all in competition, but there's stuff called friendly competition and it doesn't have to be nasty and ugly and that's the stuff I want to stay away from. If I learned something, maybe I lost a client, but I picked up a good tidbit that may work for somebody else. I want to share that with the people that I work with. It may work for you. Didn't work for me or I learned it and I'm going to try it again so that you share and it's kind of that's it's like a friendly competition type environment. So I want those kind of people.
Speaker 1:
So if you're cutthroat and you're out there doing I don't want that in my office. I don't need the drama or any of that, the extra stuff we're just here to like have fun. You know, selling real estate is extremely stressful and just buying it and selling it like as the consumer on the consumer side, is extremely stressful. It's the biggest purchase they're going to make for the most part, and they're under a lot of stress, so that we take on their stress and there's a lot of stuff we do in the background. So I just kind of want to try to make that experience fun. You know, try to have fun while you're doing it. Have a good balance.
Speaker 2:
Yes, Good energy, I know, but that's actually a really good tip because you don't want to get wrapped up in no I try.
Speaker 1:
sometimes some people are like, oh, you know, oh, you're not serious. I'm like, no, I am serious. But you know, come on lighten up, you know so you know, get out of it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
And then tell me your story a little bit, about starting from childhood to how you got to this point. Well, yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Gosh, I see I grew up military. My father is military, so I lived all over the place. Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2:
Yeah right.
Speaker 1:
I got a salute, right, anyways. So I lived everywhere. I originally say I'm from Seattle. It's the longest place I've ever lived growing up, and that was six years, which is not a very long time, right, but I lived a whole lot of places, my whole youth, childhood, I should say. The longest time I've lived anywhere, actually as an adult, has been in the Virginia DC metro area.
Speaker 2:
So when you're hard or something, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
No, it hasn't won my heart. I still miss you know. Hey, I'm tired here. I've got kids here. You know, my last son is in college here, so I'm, you know, at least here for another couple years noted until he finishes, right.
Speaker 1:
So, but I, how did I? Oh, my sister played bad. I was like trying to figure out. How did I end up here? I was living in Taxes, I was in clean at the time and my sister played basketball for Old Dominion. Okay, so my parents bought a place here, just so they had a place to stay. You know, well, she was playing and can watch games, and there it was empty. They're like do you want to go to? It was actually in the Chesapeake area, so down in Hampton roads. Yeah, I was like sure. So I ended up there. And that's how I ended up on this, because we, growing up, never lived in Virginia, dc or Maryland, even though my dad was military with it everywhere else. He spent a lot more time on the West Coast. So that's, that's how I ended up here.
Speaker 2:
Okay, basketball basketball, yeah, yeah. Do you ever miss it like the West Coast? Oh, yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, tremendously. People are a little bit different, but I also think that you learn from people from everywhere, mm-hmm. So there's things that you can bring to people Maybe on the East Coast, and things you can bring to people on the West Coast and in the Midwest and everywhere, and I learned, you know, new things all the time. I didn't know what sweet tea was. I was like why are you putting sugar in the tea? But anyways, and then when you drink it you get addicted. You know it's just sugar, right, but you know. So I'm like, no, I want on sweet tea, right, but it's not important.
Speaker 2:
No, but that's funny little tidbits. I like to hear it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so, yeah, so anyways, that's how I ended up here, and I do miss it. I go back often. I'm usually back out West at least two to three times a year. Is your family over there? Actually, they sold a year or two ago. They were out West and now they're retired and they're in Florida. Did they go?
Speaker 2:
to you, do they? What Did they go to you like when they sold?
Speaker 1:
Well, I helped to them, okay, but I couldn't sell and, yeah, I'm not licensed in the state they were in, but they, yeah, they ended up. So I ended up helping them. You know, connecting that with someone to sell but then also to buy because they bought in Florida. So now there I've my parents are in Florida and my oldest son is in Florida.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so is that your next place? You're going to Florida. I don't know.
Speaker 1:
I don't, I don't know. Yeah, we'll see what the future holds.
Speaker 2:
I'm curious because you've been to all your feet in all the.
Speaker 1:
I've been everywhere so I'm like I can pick because I know yeah, yeah, I supposed to?
Speaker 2:
I don't know, because I don't really know.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, well, and I know people like in a lot of, you know A lot of the places.
Speaker 2:
Yeah so, even going somewhere, I'll always know someone, usually wherever we travel, to like, oh, but someone's a little yeah and as far as the market and everything with your business, knowing that maybe you'd like to branch off, would you have a branch here in the East Coast and then open something over there or something to expand?
Speaker 1:
in the future.
Speaker 2:
Tell me about that. What are your plans?
Speaker 1:
I would like to expand, Definitely go into Florida because I've got a. You know I can have a little home base there too, but I would keep things here. You know, running the three states, they are very different, Even the laws, the contracts. It is very different, just the three, learning those three. So that would be awesome to have a couple offices, and then it would give me a reason, a better reason to travel than just I want to go.
Speaker 1:
Exactly Well hey, this is a productive travel trip. Right, I got some work to do here at the beach.
Speaker 1:
I got some work to do I need to, yeah, take my bathing suit and put it off. I love it. But, yeah, I can work, you know. So I would like to branch off into other areas. But there are other people in other states that call me asking for help and they're like I need help with this or that. You know, I'm like, well, I can't really advise you because I'm not licensed in that state. But what's going on, you know, let me see if I can connect.
Speaker 2:
Sounds like you got some people lined up for you, waiting for you.
Speaker 1:
I hope so. I would love to have some people lined up, but yeah, so that would be good to branch out and have other offices.
Speaker 2:
Love that for you. Do you have any marketing tips for any business owners Like? Are you implementing anything specific with your team?
Speaker 1:
I do like them to push, you know. I mean social media is out there, so I do. I want them pushing, you know, using the social media, pushing their everyday lives. Not everybody, everybody doesn't want to see that you sold the house. They get really tired of looking at that Like, okay, who cares? You know, they do want to know a little bit about the market. Maybe they'll drop in little tidbits here and there, like of course we're the sellers market. Yes, this whole area we're not even quite yet in a buyers market. It's not there, or even I would say a medium, stable, flat line, not buyer or seller. We're still on that seller side in the whole DMV. And it's like they want to know who you are personally. People do business with people that they like or know or trust. They also want to know you know you do a good job or you know what you're doing. So you do want to know that. But you really want to develop like a personal relationship with them.
Speaker 2:
I agree with that, because sometimes it's all like I feel like social media allows you, or opens that door for you to get to know somebody without actually, like you know, making an appointment sitting down with them. So it really comes down to how they present themselves. And I think it's so important because sometimes you can find certain people that only want to put too much information, but it's just like okay, I read that somewhere, but I want to know like who I'm going to work with who's going to help me sell or buy this home.
Speaker 2:
Like who are you? Do we have the same personality?
Speaker 1:
You know, yeah, and not everybody gets along. There's people who I'm not going to get along with, and so you want to have different personalities and different types of people that are within your company, so that you can take care of your clients in the best that suits bets for them. Not what's best for us, it's what's best for them.
Speaker 2:
So I like that. Have you guys implemented any AI?
Speaker 1:
We have. We've got some AI that's on there, but it's mostly like a lot of our the writing. We're writing something and we'll throw that in and have that change and make it all pretty, and yeah so instead of double check it though, because it'll put like it put weird stuff, weird stuff on there. Well, we have to also watch for compliance stuff. So you know, I have to make sure it didn't say something that can't go out.
Speaker 2:
We still have to find ourselves like yeah, so.
Speaker 1:
AI is not controlled or that. That is, as far as you know, making sure that we, you know, follow equal housing and fair housing and all that kind of stuff. So we do have to watch that stuff.
Speaker 2:
Hopefully with time it'll get better, Like it'll get smarter, maybe not too smart, because I don't also want it to be like my brain. I don't want it to sound.
Speaker 1:
I don't. I actually want it to sound like me talking and I don't make sense half the time I'm speaking because, you know, english is, like you know, my first language and I can't speak it correctly. But so I wanted to sound like me and not like robotic or like this is AI. That is not something that she's going to say, you know, yeah, so.
Speaker 2:
And who are you outside of your business? What do you like to do? What fills your heart with like joy?
Speaker 1:
Right. Well, of course I have other kids, you know. So you know I've got all my kids watching, all them they take up a lot of time. I have a grandkids, so oh, you're busy, yeah. So you know, just really busy with all of that and I think actually what I enjoy doing is just going out and meeting people, just being out. That's just I feed off of that energy and going out and meeting people.
Speaker 2:
I love that. Are your kids like that too? They're like social little butterflies. You pass that one to them, I think so yeah, that's good.
Speaker 1:
And they're kind of funny, quirky, the weird sense of humor you know, I love that yeah.
Speaker 2:
We probably get along. Yeah, I'm probably older, I'm 30, but I could be your mom.
Speaker 1:
You could be my sister girl, I could be your mom, my oldest, what is my oldest?
Speaker 2:
32, yeah, oh, wow, okay, I thought you were gonna say like 15 or 16. That's how it's gonna be like. Well, let me clarify, I'm 30 before you go.
Speaker 1:
Okay, mom, okay, I love that. I'd be like, yeah, all right, come on, let's go get some dinner for it.
Speaker 2:
Exactly, she just fixed in the light there. What advice would you give to any real estate agents who are thinking of making their own business as a brokerage making that jump.
Speaker 1:
It's. I almost sometimes miss just being the real estate agent because, as being the broker, you have so much responsibility and so much liability and you're not out there making all the money. So that kind of you know, be ready for that role because you're gonna manage a lot of different personalities, a lot of different types, a lot of conflicts, a lot of questions, a lot of you know problem solving, whereas when you're doing your own independent thing, you're kind of in control of your own sales, your own numbers, your own volume. So that part is hard but you have to be. When you step into the broker's role, it's not about you and your sales, it's about what can you do to help them get to where they need to go. So it's you've gotta kind of change your way of thinking, because when you're on the sales side, it's more of what can I do to help these people give me more sales? Well, now it's more how do I help them get more sales?
Speaker 2:
So wow, that's a lot. Are there any resources that you used to get well-versed in managing a team or just like handling different personalities?
Speaker 1:
There's different. Well, I think I would honestly say my background growing up helped me get along with different personalities, because I've been around different personalities my entire life and constantly moving and being somewhere new and not knowing anyone or walking to room and not knowing a soul. So that helped. I will say there's, you know, some coaching and some things that you can implement and that they do help and they kind of guide you and keep you on, maybe a path or coming up with a schedule. But as far as I don't know, because it's mostly been trial and error for me, Well, that didn't work.
Speaker 1:
That was a bust.
Speaker 2:
And then for your business. When you're getting clients, are they usually people that are coming back to you, or is it a lot of new clients just from word of mouth?
Speaker 1:
I would honestly say, for me personally it is word of mouth or past clients, repeat clients, that kind of nature. But then I do meet new people when I'm out and about. But I will now. I have a different hat on when I'm meeting new people, so I'm not looking to take that business upon myself. I'm looking to see who in my office would that person fit with, who would work well with them, who matches where they're located, who knows that area in and out, who knows what they're looking for. And then I'm gonna match.
Speaker 2:
So you have matchmakers, basically.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, sort of. So if I meet new people, that's where I'm gonna send it, depending on what the client wants. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
That's actually kind of cool. You should do an Instagram. I don't know if you're on Instagram a lot. Not a lot, but you should put maybe you already do this, but you should put little profiles of your team and be looking for this kind of like matchmaker.
Speaker 1:
Would you swipe right or left? Does your house match this one or this one?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, or even to share your team members Like are you looking for this person, this person's fiery but they make a great deal.
Speaker 1:
Well, you know, I think that would be kind of cute, that is true. Well, and I kind of pick up the personalities and who I think will get along with other people.
Speaker 2:
Okay, and I wanna go back to the marketing part. Do you run your?
Speaker 1:
own marketing I do. I've got a couple companies that I pay that do a lot of our posting or some of our videos and some of that. A lot of it we do on our own and you know we're sharing each other's stuff and or I'm trying to figure it out, so usually the ones that don't look that great are probably me. I don't know, stop, it's probably me, but so I've got a company that does a little bit of our videos and marketing stuff, maybe if you have younger kids.
Speaker 1:
I tried that cause they know way more than I do. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, I just like do my, but they don't do it. They're like they're, they're.
Speaker 2:
We can be like summer doing a job or home.
Speaker 1:
I know I gotta pay them anyways.
Speaker 2:
They always ask for money.
Speaker 1:
So I'm like, well, why don't you earn it?
Speaker 2:
Here post this story for me, real quick.
Speaker 1:
No, they don't. They, I know, but I'm gonna. Can you record that a couple times so that I can send that to each of my kids and be like look, even everybody else is saying it. You guys need to get on board, hint, hint.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I'm sure I can make a short out of that. You can send it to the Family Group chat.
Speaker 1:
All kids out there. Help your parents, help your parents. We don't understand with how to make a video. Yeah, it's okay.
Speaker 2:
And then, oh, I just had a question, Gather my thoughts. It's about marketing and somebody marketing Challenges. Even if it was with COVID or anything in your journey, something that stood out to you where you're like, wow, I'm never gonna make that mistake again and you learned from it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yes, I would actually probably say some of my challenges that my biggest mistake was knowing who you go into business with or around. Everything else is like stuff you learn from, but it's not like oh you may, it's not like a do or die moment. Definitely we're not doing brain surgery out here. So that's probably my biggest thing that I learned like that. I'll never do that again. But as far as everything else, it's just normal everyday life that you're gonna learn and be like, oh, that wasn't a good idea or oh, and laws change. So even if you learn something here and it didn't work with a law, change now this will work. So some of that stuff is your day-to-day work you learn from. I'm not gonna make that mistake, but it's not that big of a deal. It's nothing you can't get over.
Speaker 2:
And how are you guys keeping up with trends, even like with law? What if something slips under the radar? Are you always like the news realtor? Is there like a?
Speaker 1:
program or something. Yeah well, I'm constantly reading, going to classes we always have, like our. We have to stay up on our continuing education classes anyways. I take extra just because I'm trying to learn, or I'll sit into a class that somebody's teaching cause somebody will teach it this way and somebody will teach it this way. We deal with contracts. Okay, it's legal. We're not attorneys. This attorney interpreted it this way. This one a Turned it that way. Same exact statement, 12 different sides right.
Speaker 1:
So it's like figuring out which side am I gonna go on? That's gonna protect my client. So you always wanna, constantly. Even if you're going to the same thing you think you already know, you really don't know. You always wanna go back to one-on-one and re-learn.
Speaker 2:
So Wow, that is a lot. It's kind of like a doctor you never stop learning with new technologies. Oh my goodness. But that's good that you're open to like. Well, you have to be, but you're open. It's not recommended, but you're just even if you're already up to date on everything You're still. Like let me just hop in this class.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, let me just listen to this one and with all the one thing with COVID was actually good. Like you know, there's so many webinars, zooms and all that. You don't need to leave. You can sit and learn right there. You don't need to spend your time in the class. You can like classroom setting and drive and go, just learn. It takes two seconds.
Speaker 2:
So did you guys change to Zoom when you guys went to, when you guys went through COVID-19?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, see, we were well, we were considered essential when COVID hit, so we were to be on the road right, which was great, there was no traffic and I can literally be everywhere, just like that. But then it was also freaky, because then you drive through DC and you're like no one's on the road. Something really is going on, but traffic was great. So, yes, we did do a lot of. We'll do our monthly meetings and we will do Zoom or in person, and we'll do a lot of things through Zoom webinars. But I think you can get more people on when you're having your meetings. They can be in the car, they're on, you know. They can be driving, they're sitting in the parking lot because they have a meeting. They're already sitting outside of their meeting and they don't have to come to the office worried about time. So you can get more people on board at your meetings that way.
Speaker 2:
Awesome Flexibility there. I'm sure a lot of people were like, okay, this is not for them.
Speaker 1:
We still like the in-person too, because there's nothing you know that can really offset that. But every now and then throwing in the Zoom or doing that, you know, periodically it does help, that's fair.
Speaker 2:
I can see that I just had another question. I like I'm listening, but I'm like, oh, I know that question. I want to ask her. Oh, I remember charities. I know you like to help out non-profits and organizations. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Speaker 1:
Well, we try to like we done a lot of things with the Sheriff's Department or people of that nature military so we try to help and also incentivize in a way, or giving credit back when they're doing certain things. I have ran like youth clinics and stuff like that with either football or any type of athletic that we can think of athletic field. So we'll I ran camps and have done those. But now I kind of want the agents out there doing that because it's putting their name on it. So I'll, I will help support them when they're supporting and their cause.
Speaker 2:
So I love that yeah, and then it comes back to all of these guys and put your name up there Like you said yeah, all right. And then just to wrap things up, if you could leave our listeners with one message, I don't have a message. The message is there is no message.
Speaker 1:
Follow your heart.
Speaker 2:
No, seriously it could be in regards to anything Children life sunglasses.
Speaker 1:
I mean I don't know. I mean I guess I don't even know, I guess I would just always say not to take things so seriously, try to enjoy life and live in the moment and stop taking everything so seriously. Me, yeah, that was for me.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that was for you.
Speaker 1:
That was for you. Yeah, I mean, if you're performing brain surgery, please, by all means. Well, yes, take that serious. But I mean come on Other than that?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, no, yeah so try.
Speaker 1:
Life is trial and error, you're right, so I'm gonna take that. It's hard Take it. Thank you so much, you're welcome.