Matt Elliott - From Telecommunications to Real Estate Triumphs and Life Lessons

Embark on an inspiring journey with Matt Elliott, a real estate maven who traded the volatile world of telecommunications for the solid grounds of property sales. His tale begins amidst the uncertainties of a college student at Liberty University, where a real estate license became his contingency plan. But life threw a curveball post-dot-com bust, paving his way to a successful career fostering deep connections and offering sage guidance to those navigating the treacherous buyer's market. In a candid conversation, Matt opens up about his collaboration with Aaliyah, a partnership that bloomed into a family-centric showcase of Loudoun County's allure, reminding us that home isn't just where you live—it's the community you cherish.

Peel back the layers of the home buying and selling process with tips from a seasoned pro who knows that trust and transparency are the keystones of any real estate transaction. Matt's insights on crafting offers that echo more than numbers underscore the finesse required in today's market. He doesn't stop there; he shares wisdom on life's true treasures—time with family and the great outdoors. As the episode winds down, a poignant message on the transformative power of kindness and love takes center stage. Matt's personal reflections on family bonds and the echoes of missed opportunities serve as a gentle nudge to cherish our connections and spread a little more love in the world.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:30

So my name is Matt Elliott. I am the team owner of Matt Elliott Home Selling Team, a real estate team here in Leesburg. We are with Real Broker and I've got a team of agents who help clients buy and sell property.

Speaker 2: 0:46

Wow, that's amazing. Can you tell me a little bit about your story and where you got started and how did it lead you up to this point you got started, and how did it lead you up to this point?

Speaker 1: 0:56

So I went to school at Liberty University in Lynchburg, virginia, and I had a goal, of course, of finding a job right out of college, and I got my real estate license in college as a fallback. I didn't want to be unemployed, I didn't want to graduate college and be unemployed, and so my fallback was I could help clients buy and sell homes in case I couldn't find a real job, so to speak. But graduating college, I did find that real job and I sold telecommunications and software for about seven years. Then the dot-com implosion happened in 2001. And I decided at that point to go back and get my license and sell real estate full-time, and so I've been doing that ever since, since 2002. So the past 24 years.

Speaker 2: 1:44

Okay, and what drew you to that Like when you were in school, what did you say? Like, were you like you know what? Real estate, because dot dot dot, what, what happened? Or like why did you go that direction? Did you know that was always something you wanted to do? Not?

Speaker 1: 1:57

really not really at all. My dad was an entrepreneur and he was an auctioneer in Western Pennsylvania where I grew up, and he was always helping his clients and customers and I aspired to do that. But I really had no aspirations to become a real estate agent in college. It was really more of a fallback. And then, candidly speaking, it was when, again, that dot-com implosion happened. Companies were shutting down left and right. I knew I had to do something to support my family, and so real estate was something I figured I could get into and work really hard and do okay with, and so that's what I did.

Speaker 2: 2:35

Wow, okay, it's funny how that works. Sometimes, right, you don't really know where you're going to go, but you're like let's just do it and then you figure it out.

Speaker 1: 2:42

That's just the way it goes sometimes, and I had a supportive spouse who helped me. I did not have kids at the time, and so it was a fairly easy transition. I didn't have a big family to support, but I had bills to pay, and so I had to do something and got back into real estate in 2002. Okay, Awesome.

Speaker 2: 3:04

And now what has been one of your favorite moments when it comes to helping your clients when they're finding a new home or looking to relocate?

Speaker 1: 3:13

Yes, and so favorite moment. So the best part about my business are the relationships that I build. That's by far my favorite part of what I do and in terms of my favorite part of I'm sorry a good moment you said, or any particular clients, I'm not sure if this is what you asked no, but anything that stands out to you that you're just like.

Speaker 2: 3:40

you know what I really love this. I love this part of my industry, that I work in helping people.

Speaker 1: 3:48

That's it really helping clients. When you are submitting offers for clients right now in this market. It's a tough buyer's market right now and so buyers are struggling to find homes. When you find a home, they've got 15 contracts and it can be challenging and stressful for buyers. But when you find that home for a buyer and then you negotiate and you have a successful offer process where you get your client that property, that's a big win and what a lot of consumers do not understand.

Speaker 1: 4:18

For the good agents that are out there, the good realtors that are out there, we stress about this, probably more so than our clients do. We really do. It keeps us up at night and we worry about getting the best deal for our clients, the best home and the best terms. When we lose out, it's heartbreaking for us and I say us meaning other good agents that are out there, other good realtors that is heartbreaking. When you help a client find that home and get that home under contract, that's just a big win. On the flip side of the coin, when you're working with sellers and you help them negotiate a really good sale on the home that they're selling, that's just such a big win.

Speaker 1: 5:07

It goes far beyond the commissions For everybody, oh, for everybody. Oh, absolutely so. It's not different for one client versus the next in terms of that feeling that we get. I have the same feeling for every client that I work with. I keep saying we and I and people are going to wonder whether or not I have multiple personalities no, I get what you're saying. That's not, that's really not the case. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 5:30

No, I get it. And then, um, tell me a little bit about how you met Aaliyah, like how did that come to be?

Speaker 1: 5:36

So I'm trying to think back and how Aaliyah and I met. I think I saw her do some work for a peer, another real estate agent, and I came in and what it originally was was a photo shoot. That's what it was and they did a great job. You know, with my own headshot and photo shoot and she asked what are you doing with video? And really nothing was the answer. And she in fact helped me with a project that I did here with Loud and Dad, and it's a project that I'm no longer involved with at the time, but it had to do with shooting some content around different things you can do with your family.

Speaker 1: 6:27

So at the time my kids were younger and we would have my family and my kids and we would go to different spots here in Loudoun County, whether it's the ice rink in Ashburn or, you know, ice cream shop here, grudos in Leesburg or wherever it may be. We had a lot of fun with it, but my goal for that project was to try to inspire dads specifically, but all parents to spend time with their kids and just trying to give content and ideas on what to do. I've been through a divorce and one of the things that I try to be super intentional and focused on is spending time with my kids and focus uninterrupted time, and there were times where I struggled, finding different ideas and things to do with them. Again, this is when they were three years old and six years old, and so that was my inspiration behind the Wild and Dad Project. So that's how I came to meet and work with Aaliyah.

Speaker 2: 7:24

Awesome, that's great. And now you guys have been friends since.

Speaker 1: 7:28

Absolutely, yeah, I mean she does an amazing job here with Alimond and with her, just the different things that she's involved with Loudon County. She has such good outreach and such good. I don't know. I always feel like she has such a good heart for service and serving others. Yes, yes, and that comes through in her work.

Speaker 2: 7:44

Sounds about right.

Speaker 1: 7:44

That is the idea right there. Yeah, yeah, it is.

Speaker 2: 7:46

Do you have anything up and coming with you, like any events, anything for other realtors, maybe workshops, anything like that?

Speaker 1: 7:55

No, I don't really get into a bunch of workshops that I host for other realtors, for our clients. We do several client events throughout the year that are always fun because it gives us a chance to sit down and interact with our clients and again, after doing this for so long, we tend to have a really good showing and a good audience, and so we do two or three of those throughout the year. Yeah, but nothing coming up that I can mention specifically here. Yeah, okay, yeah, I, nothing coming up that I can mention specifically here.

Speaker 2: 8:24

Yeah, okay, yeah, I just wanted to say just in case like sometimes people want to like shout it out, like be sure you're going to come, so I just always make sure.

Speaker 1: 8:30

Yeah, no, I appreciate that, thank you. Yeah, you're welcome.

Speaker 2: 8:32

And then, what are some of the challenges right now in the market with you guys and how are you doing to navigate those?

Speaker 1: 8:42

moments. Yeah, so great question. So, as we're sitting here, the market favors sellers. There's so very little inventory. So that is the number one challenge. When you talk to any real estate agent, if they're competent and they know what they're doing, they'll explain that the inventory the number of homes available for sale currently is just so challenging for buyers. And so when you're working with buyers, there's without boring you to tears, on the different strategies that we can employ to help buyers be successful, because there's quite a few of them. And so, without getting into the weeds here, really just helping buyers understand the different avenues that they can take to help. Number one, find those homes. Number two, how to write a winning offer package that we can present to the seller and what goes into that. It's not always just the highest sale price, and so there's a whole host of things that we do to help buyers get that home under contract, because it's super challenging right now.

Speaker 2: 9:42

Yeah it's super challenging.

Speaker 1: 9:43

Oh, it's with the rates where they are, prices where they are. Of course, affordability is an issue, and so helping buyers get past some of those concerns is important, and when you do a really good job for your clients, they understand and they trust you to guide them in a way that you would guide a family member or a friend, and so that's what I try to do.

Speaker 2: 10:06

Yeah, that's awesome. I'm glad that there's realtors out there looking out for your best interest, you know. And also letting you know of like hey, this is going on right now, just so you know. Not like, oh yeah, everything's going to be perfect, everything's going to be fine, don't worry. Like it's good to let people know, like, hey, this is going on. You know, you want to be transparent with people.

Speaker 1: 10:22

Yes, yeah, absolutely, that's a great word to use. So when you're transparent and you tell them the good and the bad again, that builds certain trust with clients. And the clients will be more successful when they trust their advisor, whether that's real estate or a doctor or anybody. So just letting them know. Here are the challenges, here's how we can overcome them, but don't stress about it. It does not need to be a stressful transaction.

Speaker 2: 10:46

In fact it shouldn't be.

Speaker 1: 10:47

It is naturally, but my hope is that it's not for a lot of clients With a good realtor it'll help you make that smooth transition there for you. Yeah, that's right, that's right.

Speaker 2: 10:56

And now, who are you outside of real estate? What do you like to do?

Speaker 1: 11:01

So anything that gets me outdoors, anything that has that spending time with family, that's the number one thing. If I can get paid as a professional to spend time with family, that's what I would love to do. And so you know, real estate is great because it gives me that avenue to support my family. But really it's about my family and it's about my daughters. I've got three daughters daughters age 19, 16, and almost 17.

Speaker 2: 11:25

Okay, yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:25

And so, and they're just amazing, and so anything that allows me to spend time with them and again, of course, being teenagers, they're more about spending time with their friends, and so anything that has them as my captive audience so car rides or going somewhere, road trips, being on a boat, we love to do, and so anything for me that has them locked into an area that they can't go to, the room.

Speaker 2: 11:52

You can't leave. There's no signal. Yeah, you can't leave, you're with your dad.

Speaker 1: 11:56

Those are the best times, and if we can do it outdoors, even better.

Speaker 2: 11:59

Oh, and where are you guys going to Like parks? Are you going anywhere, international or out of state?

Speaker 1: 12:04

So we just returned from Antigua for spring break and had a great time there.

Speaker 2: 12:08

Nice.

Speaker 1: 12:10

Yeah, it was awesome and so I mean highly recommend it. And again it's you know we got the five of us together and, you know, doing a fun thing there. So anything that gets us near water, whether it's a lake or, again, a beach or a boat, you know that's my happy place, and so, and again, if we can do it with family, even better. And so we just got back from there. You know, again I love to hike, so any of the parks around.

Speaker 2: 12:35

The weather's getting nice now.

Speaker 1: 12:36

It's just a beautiful time of year, isn't?

Speaker 2: 12:38

it. It's just amazing, yeah, yeah. And now, if you could give any piece of advice to anybody who's looking to sell or buy a home, what advice would you like to give them and why should they come to you?

Speaker 1: 12:49

So good question If you're looking to sell your home, work with an agent who has a lot of experience, not all agents are the same. And if you look at, I've heard people say, oh, all agents are the same. And if you think of any other industry or profession, that's not true. Not all doctors are the same, not all plumbers are the same, not all landscapers are the same. You've got different skill levels and experience levels for any profession, and real estate is no different. So if you are a seller, the number one piece of advice I would say is talk with a really good real estate agent up front. I'm happy to interview for that role. But the other thing I would say is, from a practical advice prepare your home for sale in a way that helps your home show well for the market. A lot of sellers might say well, in this market of limited inventory, I don't have to do anything and my house will sell, and that is true. But it won't sell for top dollar and if you prepare your home correctly, you're just adding money to your pocket by having a much higher sale price with your home If you don't know what items that you should do, because not all items are the same when it comes to preparing your home for sale. There are some things that you can spend a dollar and get $5 back on return, and there are some things where you'll spend a dollar and get 50 cents back on your return. So, having a good understanding of how to prepare your home for sale, what projects to tackle, what should you do, what should you not do that's an important conversation to have with a really good and experienced real estate agent. If you are a buyer, keep the faith.

Speaker 1: 14:30

The number one thing I tell buyers is don't settle. Don't settle for a home just because there's nothing else out there. Don't have a fear of missing out in where you overpay for the wrong home. So there are certain things to avoid when you're buying a home, certain things you just want to avoid that will hurt when it comes time for you to sell that home, because eventually you'll sell that home.

Speaker 1: 14:53

It might be in three years or five years or 10 years or 20 years, but at some point you're going to sell the home that you're buying. And so don't settle on your home and don't buy the wrong home just because there's nothing else out there. Wait a little bit longer. More homes will come on the market and the right home will come on the market, and so that's an advice I try to give all buyers, excuse me, and especially in a market that we're in where there's just so little inventory, especially in a market that we're in where there's just so little inventory and buyers can become very anxious and they'll buy the wrong home just to get a home under contract, and they try to avoid that. If you're a buyer, that is good advice.

Speaker 2: 15:27

I can see the impatience. Sometimes it's like I've got to move, I've got to make that home.

Speaker 1: 15:31

I don't see anything else.

Speaker 2: 15:33

I'm just going to get this one. It's like no hold on.

Speaker 1: 15:40

Yeah, this one. It's like no, come on, that's what happens. Yeah, that's what happens. Buyers like, well, there's nothing else out there, Let me buy this house. And don't do that as a home buyer. Take your time. Don't let an agent pressure you to buying the wrong home. If your agent is pressuring you, then I think you should find a new agent. Okay, Whether that's doesn't need to be me, but find a good agent that will be patient with you, go along with you in that search, whether that's a three-week long search or a three-month long or sometimes six months. It's finding the right home. Don't settle for the wrong home.

Speaker 2: 16:03

Yes, that's great advice. Thank you for that, and now my final question is if you could leave our listeners with any message or anything that's in your heart. What? Would that message, be it can be, in regards to the real estate market. It could be about family anything.

Speaker 1: 16:18

So one thing that's always on my heart is being kind and loving others. Be kind and love others. You don't know, as we meet different people throughout the day, whether it's a friend or a customer or a client or a stranger. You don't know what they're going through. We all go through certain things as we get older. I think life has a tendency to humble us because we run into challenges and things that we did not anticipate, and so, whether it's relationship issues or health issues or kid issues, life tends to humble us with these different things, and so I'm a real big believer in just loving others and being kind to others, and so that would be one of the things I want to leave.

Speaker 1: 17:06

Anybody who's listening is just doing that right. If you're lucky enough to still have your parents, call your mom, call your dad. My dad passed away six years ago, and I regret not calling him more frequently, and he never called me either, and we had a great relationship, but he was just not a huge communicator, and I probably wasn't a huge communicator back, and so my mom is still alive, and so I'd make it a point now to call her more frequently, and if she happens to listen to this. She'll love what she's hearing here, and so do things that make an impact in the lives of others in a positive way, and I think if we all did a better job at doing that, we'd be just in a great place, and so that's one of the things I would want to leave to anybody who's listening.

Speaker 2: 17:50

Oh, I love that. It makes me feel good.

Speaker 1: 17:51

That's a good message to leave us with.

Speaker 2: 17:53

I believe that, yeah, well thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to be here and chat with us.