The Real Deal Podcast
Unlock the door to success in the dynamic world of real estate with your hosts, William Gomez & Alfredo Madrid. Join us as we dive into the inspiring journeys of loan officers and real estate agents, sharing their triumphs, challenges, and invaluable insights. Your key to navigating the ever-evolving landscape of real estate starts here.
The Real Deal Podcast
#23 Secrets of a Luxury Real Estate Trailblazer
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Micah Jeerdsma, has become a $23.3 million luxury real estate agent without obsessing over numbers or making cold calls. After leaving her 15-year corporate career, Micah found unexpected fulfillment and exponential growth in real estate.
Micah's story challenges conventional wisdom and proves that success in luxury real estate can come from faith, fearlessness, and staying true to your values.
Meet Micah Jeerdsma and Her Numbers
Speaker 1I guess she was just being really humble guys, because in 2022, she did 31 for 11 million, and then 2023, 27 for 13 million, almost 14 million, and then last year is whenever you had 33 for 23.3 million.
Speaker 2Okay, so maybe it was the year before.
Speaker 1Yeah 22. I mean, those are I want to get into so, so the the main people that listen to this are realtors and lenders. Okay, um, I can't never wrap my head around because even before I wasn't tracking, I still knew my numbers, like I knew, like my unit. Micah, thank you so much for being here. It's been a little bit in the making last time.
Speaker 2I know.
Speaker 1It took so long to schedule this.
Speaker 3Now pronounce it Go ahead.
Speaker 1Last time I know it took so long to schedule this. Now pronounce it.
Speaker 2Go ahead, go pronounce your last name. That was kind of our homework right to do, to learn how to say my last name.
Speaker 1Let me say it micah jeersman nope, we've talked about this, literally, I'm not even gonna try it was close, ish uh jeerdsma jeerdsma.
Speaker 2Yeah, micah jeerdsma, jirdsma dang essentially you have to spell that before yeah, and people will call and be like hi, may I speak with micah? And I'm like, yep, that's me. Yeah, don't even try, worry about it, you don't have to try.
Speaker 1So, yeah, and the spelling is a whole different thing on that, but um, man, I appreciate you um coming on. I'm like man, you've got some uh, some podcast practice with a podcast you've been doing with uh, with Chris, who's your teammate, and you guys did $33 million last year and you by yourself. Did 23 of that.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 1Which she didn't really know until I asked her to come on and ask her.
Speaker 3How much was just yours? 23 million, wow, or how?
Speaker 1many units.
Speaker 2I just told you out there 33. Dude a $700,000 average that's amazing.
Speaker 3it's amazing it was a great year. So I feel that, like I've been around agents a long time and had the pleasure working with many of them, and I feel that partnerships rarely work out like I like there's been so many and even when you're talking to somebody, they're like yeah, I'm thinking of teaming up with so-and-so, and it seems like it's temporary and there's been only very few. Why do you think your guys' partnership works out and what can other agents like put in practice to make sure that it does? Like, what is the dynamic that you guys have and is there things to consider before going into a partnership? And then, is there practices to have in place so that it does have longevity?
Speaker 2Right, I think what Chris and I have is really unique. I had just joined with McGraw and Chris and I connected and he was like I think I'm going to start a team We'll co-brand with Lux Furniture and Design, which Tamara Knoll owns that, and so we were just kind of talking about it and I had already talked to other people on teams that had reached out to me and they would go over you know all the stuff and then the split and I was like not going to work out for me.
Speaker 2Because they wanted me to maybe be just a buyer's agent, but still wanted to do the split, which included things like listing photos. And I was like, well, why would I be paying for listing photos if I'm not, you know? So that wasn't quite a fit. And so Chris and I just sat down and we talked thankfully the team hadn't been started yet and I said, you know, I think we agreed that the best thing to do would be to keep ourselves separate, which, with McGraw, we're allowed to do that.
Speaker 2So if you look us up on MLS, you'll see me, you'll see Chris and all of our everything's separate. We don't share any profits, but we support each other, like internally, you know we help each other. If somebody needs, you know, to go to an inspection, he'll be like, hey, can you run over there and do this, Things like that. So I really think that that is the secret. Which is not a secret is we're not sharing money, and when you're not having to share money, you don't have a lot of problems because you're separate and you're just working together and you both want each other to do well. And we will have times where people have reached out to us and said, like, well, we want to do uh, we'd like both of y'all to list our property and we're like, great, we'll split it 50, 50 and we're easy together.
Speaker 2I mean, we've known each other for quite a while too, so I mean, I don't know, maybe also it's one guy, one girl. That's kind of easy. We are very different personalities. He's a lot more laid back than I am. But I think there's also like our expectations were just set up in the beginning to know like we're not competing against each other. We want to combine our volume because we want, like we're not competing against each other. We want to combine our volume because we want to support each other and celebrate each other. And so then as a team, it looks great, and when we post about it, it looks awesome. And there have been years where I did, you know, eight million and he did the bulk of it, and you know we're just I don't know. I think that that's kind of the thing is we're happy to support each other, we're happy to celebrate each other, and it's not competitive.
Speaker 3Yeah, and that and that takes the pressure off to where you guys can actually learn from each other as well too, yeah, totally.
Speaker 1You've been doing this for a little bit longer than I have, so about seven, a little bit over seven years, is that correct?
Speaker 2Uh yeah, I August will be eight years.
Speaker 1How long have you guys been as a together, as a team?
Speaker 2since 2020, so five years, five years yeah so how do you?
The Team Partnership That Actually Works
Speaker 1you said that the biggest secret in that is not sharing money but, how do you keep the motivation from? You know, chris is out of town for for a couple of weeks and this is now the fourth inspection you've had to do for him and you're, like man, like I actually haven't asked him to do something for you know a while, or whatever Like how do you guys make that work?
Speaker 2I don't know that, that there's a specific answer.
Speaker 2We're not bothered by it, I mean we're just here to help each other and there's plenty of times where I'm like, hey, I can't do it. You know, here's a few other agents Ask them, you know, and like we're always happy to pay, you know, for your time, although we usually don't feel like we have to pay each other just because we're happy to help each other. But, like other agents, I have like a list of agents I could call for things and say, hey, could you, you know, go do this. I'll pay you to go out to show houses, things like that.
Speaker 2But there's probably Chris, you know he golfs and he's in a lot of tournaments, so he has probably gone more than me. And there's been times where he's like I'm not there to show houses, if you'll take this on, let's just split this. And we've both done that where we just say, hey, here's the buyer, let's just split this. And I've taken on things like showing houses. Then he took on inspections and you know he did the paperwork on the back end, things like that. So, um, I don't know, I don't really have a great answer for it.
Speaker 2I just think it really is. We do have like a really special thing with how we work together but you market yourselves as a team.
Speaker 3we, we do Okay. I think that's the big value right there, too, as well.
Speaker 2And I mean the big value for me is I get to be branded as the Lux real estate team.
Speaker 3Sure.
Speaker 2And people know Lux furniture and design the logo's the same. So I think there's that. When I came on I was like this is way more valuable to me than Chris. He's just getting another person that I think will end up enjoy working together, but I really feel like I got the most value out of it when we started.
Speaker 1And you said that you felt that this was like your career in 2021. So were you doing it part-time before then?
Speaker 2Oh, I was doing it. I still worked for Simerex Energy, which was an oil and gas company. They merged and they're now Cotera.
Speaker 3That's how you know, erica.
Speaker 2Yeah, no, actually I know Erica through Junior League.
Speaker 3Oh, okay, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2But we knew each other also through that as well, because we were both gas marketing Gotcha, so we would see each other at stuff that way as well. But I worked there until we're in 2025.
Speaker 2I have to like count back 20 21, 2, I think 22 yeah, no, I think it was 22 is when I left simrex because they were like shortly thereafter merging, moving to Houston, and I was like, thank you, and also my husband's works for the DA's office. I was like I am not interested in anybody taking the bar again if we can help it. So yeah. I was like we're in and I was here and our lives were here, you know. So that was not even an option to move to Houston.
Speaker 2But, so that's when I left and I was so nervous to leave. I was so nervous. I've worked like a nine to five job my whole life. I've been there for 15 years, gotten a paycheck every two weeks, and so leaving that was a huge like step of faith, even though it was padded with. I got severance but still I remember the first day I was home and I just was on the couch.
Speaker 3You were an attorney for them.
Speaker 2No, I worked in gas marketing.
Speaker 3You said take the bar again. You'd have to take the bar again. Oh, john, my husband Gotcha gotcha. I missed that part.
Speaker 2And I was like I just didn't want it.
Speaker 2Because, I was like I don't want you to do that again. So, um, but I remember I was sitting on the couch and John left for work and he came home for work and I was there and he goes ah, I see right where I left you. And I was like I don't know what to do with my time. I was like I promise, I'm going to do stuff. And he just laughed, he didn't care. But you know, it was so different and now I wouldn't change it for the world, so I could never go back.
Speaker 1Do you think that if that would have never happened with that company, you would still be with them today?
Leaving Corporate for Real Estate
Speaker 2It would have been really, really hard for me to leave. I loved the people. I loved where I worked. I was not. I don't think I realized how fulfilled I could be in a career. I thought I was pretty good but it wasn't fulfilling. Now, doing this, I'm like, oh my gosh, who knew? You know, at 44-ish, I think that I would start, really start a new career, and all that time just got filled. You know that it was like a vacuum that was filled with real estate, and that's really when I started to take off.
Speaker 3What's fulfilling about it for you?
Speaker 2Helping people you don't feel like you weren't directly doing that previously.
Speaker 3You feel like you're doing it now.
Speaker 2No, I did. I was and I was fulfilled in this, like small portion, but I could never grow. It was something was going to give and either I was going to fail at my job, which I didn't want to do, or I wasn't going to be able to help people the way that I wanted to. So I couldn't do both. And I had, literally like six months prior, told John something we're going to have to change. I mean, they're going to have to leave Simrex or you know this is going to have to stay small, and I don't know what it is and I feel like there's only one of these options that I have growth opportunity, you know.
Speaker 1So this is going to be probably a really hard question for you but I'm curious on what the volume looked like, or even income looked like as far as real estate, before, when you were part-time, and then and then afterwards on that.
Speaker 2Um, I can tell you it was less than 5 million part-time.
Speaker 1Every single year was less than 5 million, 5 million or less.
Speaker 2Yes, I only know that because the first full year with McGraw is, you know, like you meet with like your broker and kind of like go over the previous year and goals for next year and I have made my goal five million and I didn't meet it. And then the next goal I made 10 and then I kind of was like 12, maybe you know like I didn't know like where to go from there and then last year obviously just kind of like exploded for me so your first full year was 2023.
Speaker 1Yes, first full year yes and you don't remember what, what it was oh no, actually I wish I had 22.
Speaker 3That's when you missed the five.
Speaker 2Yeah, 22.
Speaker 3And then 23 is when you made it 10, and then 23 is when you made it 23.
Speaker 224 when you made the big move. Okay, I may be off a little bit.
Speaker 1But anyway, it was right around five. I left my phone over there. I could tell her yeah, I know you could, and you know I can't look this.
Speaker 3Well, I mean, I guess I can look my own stuff up. What was like the catalyst that you would say that's when it started increasing exponentially for your business?
Speaker 2You know, when I was filling out the form, like with different questions, and it really like clicked for me and I thought I've got to call these people and thank them for letting me list their house. There was a house that I listed at 35th and Utica on Utica traffic all the time and more traffic at that time because Peoria was under construction, so everybody was going up down Utica and I had a sign out there and that sweet house it took a long time to sell it's on Utica, it's you know, great house, but it just took a long time to sell. To sell it's on Utica, it's you know, great house, but it just took a long time to sell. But during that time people would say tell John at work, oh, I saw Micah's sign.
Speaker 2Today, People all the time would just like friends, things like that. And that was a million dollar listing for me and it was my first million dollar, I think, property at all and I wholeheartedly believe that they trust me with that and they were relocating. There's some very good friends of ours, Um, but that that changed things for me and that was before. I was still at Simmer X at the time when that happened.
Speaker 1And I guess she was just being really humble guys, because in 2022,. She did 31 for 11 million, being really humble guys because in 2022 she did 31 for 11 million, and then 2023, um 27 for 13 million, almost 14 million, and then last year's, whenever you had 33 for 23.3 million.
The Catalyst for Exponential Growth
Speaker 1Okay, so maybe it was the year before yeah 22 um, I mean, those are I want to get into. So, so the the main people that listen to this are realtors and lenders. Okay, um, I can't never wrap my head around because even before I wasn't tracking, I still knew my numbers, like I knew like my units, my volume, and I feel like, even with all the data that I have right now, it's still very like stressful to to kind of like feel like this is going to continue. Right, how, how do you because you're not the first person I mean I would say- probably like all over half of the people or that are just doing a lot of business.
Speaker 2They're just kind of like I don't really sure what I did yeah, yeah, this was literally our coffee. Yeah, we were like or you know, I called him coffee dates because everybody makes fun of me for how much coffee I get with people yeah, and he had tea, by the way that's right, we did have tea and because it was late in the afternoon, yeah, we didn't want the extra caffeine so we could sleep, because we're getting older, so.
Speaker 2but we were sitting there and he asked and I was like you know, I'm not exactly sure. And he was just like what? And I was like I mean, I'm pretty sure it's over, right around 20, I think. And he was like no, and I was like get out of here. And he goes, how well, how many units?
Speaker 1And I was like oh goodness, I have no idea, like I couldn't tell you she couldn't even tell us to answer the questions, and yeah so let me ask you this though Is there ever a time where you're, like feel stressed, because you feel like you don't have enough going on, like, what Stresses you? If it's not numbers, like is it, is it?
Speaker 2the paycheck. Yeah, you know, sometimes you get like a lot in one.
Speaker 3Like I don't have anything for next month or something like that, but I think it's I have to.
Speaker 2I'll be like who am I working on right now? Like who are my people? That's how I measure it more. Who are my people? Who do I have coming? Who do I know is looking for something, who's about to list something, and so I'll get a little like. And then I'm like wait a second. Nope, there's people in the pipeline and I will tell you like I am 100% believe it is not the people that bring me business, it is the Lord.
Speaker 2So, so I am like I can't focus on the people and that they're going to bring me the money, because I feel like that would be a detriment to me, so we were just um, we had a Bible study this morning.
Speaker 3One of the one of the topics was basically how you can sometimes let your emotions guide you right, and then how scripture's there to bring you back to the middle again. But but one of the things is about bringing your thoughts captive and your emotions, if harnessed correctly, can be something that moves you right so you just talked about that little feeling of fear when you're like, oh man.
Speaker 3So when that feeling of fear does kick in and you're lean, you know you're standing on your on your on your faith. But what actions do you take when you're feeling that like what is? You're like, oh man, I don't have anything in there. What are, like, the next three things you do to jump start and get back on track?
Speaker 2oh, definitely reaching out to people, that's what does that mean? Go back and I'm like, okay, let me look, I need to text somebody. Maybe I have people that aren't my clients right now, but I've been sending them things that are off market. I'm like, let me find something off market that I can send them, or just touch point. Let me think of like something that reminded me of a client that I've had in the past and I can be like I just saw this. This made me think of you, hope you're doing great.
Speaker 2You know little. It's just the touch points of focusing on people or checking in and, like you know, I know we talked about listing your house. Um, just wanted to see where you are. Is there anything you need from me?
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2It is totally reaching out.
Speaker 3How many times do you think you meet with somebody face to face a week and how many times do you think you have, like how many conversations are you having a week right now? I know, if you don't know your numbers, you don't know that you know I don't know this. Well I know, but, like you just mentioned, that you're known for having a lot of coffee.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3Well, what's a lot of coffee? Like to Will, having too much coffee is one cup a day, every day, right, like he doesn't drink coffee. To me, I don't even get to lunch before I've had two or three cups. But let's talk about just even meetings out there Meetings?
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean meetings, you know, I would say maybe.
Speaker 3One a day, two a day.
Speaker 2Oh no, no, like two or three a week.
Speaker 3Okay, gotcha.
Speaker 2And sometimes it's more than one in a day, sometimes it's, you know, way more, sometimes it's way less, and usually I feel like those are more with, like other people in the industry.
Speaker 2Okay, let's see, because I, you know, client wise, is a lot of texting, phone calls, you know, things like that, um, but then I have clients that I've met, become friends with, and we let go get coffee you know, and we connect and so even that, even though that's not a current client to me, that's still a touch point of making that intentional meeting with them, enjoying my time with them, being thankful that I can do that because they are going to tell other people about me now you're sitting at coffee with the client you just closed on or whatever.
The Relational Approach to Luxury Real Estate
Speaker 3Yeah, are you very intentional about before the end of that meeting you're like? Well, who do you know? Never, never and and we see that theme a lot right, like with a lot of agents, and especially in kind of your, your section, their sector there, um, there's not a lot of just like straight up putting people on yeah, uh-uh, no, like asking, yeah, like asking them directly, Would you?
Speaker 1would you agree with me that that you do you feel that lenders have a harder time on, like the lenders that are successful locally? Let's just say locally. I just don't and I mean we've had conversations with some of them I just don't feel that. I think it's a lot harder to be a lender and be successful than be a realtor and be successful. Would you agree or disagree with that?
Speaker 3Like success, meaning like be average or better. Yeah, I mean, I think so. I think it's above average, right, right, right, right, right.
Speaker 1So but I'm just sitting here talking and I'm like, hey, come on to the podcast, let's talk. And and I feel like what she's telling us is what, like, most realtors are doing, but it may be one out of a thousand.
Speaker 3I'll answer your question differently. I don't think there's a lender operating from a volume perspective at her level that doesn't have a ton of systems in place and is like super organized about how many calls they make and how many meetings. There's just not a lender that's reaching those levels without being like super organized so what do you think?
Speaker 1it is not just with her, but like just agents that we talk to that are doing like high volume and and they're just kind of like you know, I don't know like I.
Speaker 3I do think that being an agent is a lot more relational than being a lender. That's what I think.
Speaker 2I think that that's exactly what I was going to say. We're, I'm with them constantly, face to face. I'm talking to them all the time. We're joking.
Speaker 3Once you are like, already have a client, pretty much yes and so at that point it's like they're holding the product, the product itself, right, and so we're. We're actually a pain point, right, yeah, for the payment, sadly not as enjoyable.
Speaker 2Right, like nobody, you're the ones Sadly not as enjoyable. Right Because you're the ones that are like. I need you to get me those pay stubs. I need you to get me this, I need you to go on and sign your disclosures and we're like hey, have you seen this house? Look how great this kitchen looks yeah, imagine yourself here. You know we're the exciting.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2And hopefully a great relationship altogether, because then that's like the dream.
Speaker 3What do you think like? You're in that luxury, you know market. What do you? What do you do different Like? What does somebody that lists luxury houses and sells luxury houses to buyers? What do you have to make sure that you're doing different than your average home price agent? You know, like what does it take to be in that market, in that?
Speaker 2market. Um, I think, no matter the price point, you have to offer the same consistent product. I'm going to be there. We're going to have an open house every weekend until your house sells, as long as you want it. If you don't want it every weekend, that's fine, but we're going to do that, and it may not always be me, it might be somebody else, but I can guarantee you it's going to be somebody good, somebody that I think does a great job. Um, we're going to market on social media, you know, but I think, as far as the luxury goes, it's stuff that I don't think sounds like, you know, just shocking, like really great photos.
Speaker 2Like really beautiful pictures of the house coming in. We offer over a certain price point to stage the house that's a huge thing that I don't know anybody else that offers that and we stage it with lux Lux furniture and design items.
Speaker 3And you're covering whether it sells or not.
Speaker 2Yes. It gets paid at closing.
Speaker 1There is a little retainer that has to be paid up front but it gets paid at closing Sure, Um so that's paid by you guys for the buyer or the seller.
Speaker 2Us it has to be. With Lux, it has to be a certain price point, because they also get paid out of, like how much the sales price is. So they kind of determine that Sure, um, now somebody could reach out to them directly. But you know, I I come into the house and I look through and, and I think most agents do this. So this isn't like a shock or anything. But I go through and I'm meet the people and's walk through and I'm going to tell you things that you need to do to get your house ready.
Speaker 2That I'm will say this is going to get you the most bang for your buck. We're going to get the most value if you're willing to have my guy come in and we're going to fix all these things. And maybe it's a, you know it could be a few thousand dollars up front. It could be more than that. Know, maybe they need other things done. But if you'll do that, I'll always look and say like it's worth it in the end because you're going to get $10,000 more. Your house will be able to sell for more than you think it will because it just looks fresh and clean and put together, you know. And then we go through and like edit things down and all that stuff, but I don you know. And then we go through and like edit things down and all that stuff. But I Don't know if that really answered your question. I mean, because it kind of is like what you do for any does I just.
Speaker 3I just, you know, I just know there's gonna be some things as an agent in that market that you can't get away with that you could Potentially get away with in these, in these other markets. I, just like I know that's a client that demands more usually that you know you get a lot of pressure from them for to get the values that they want for the homes and that yeah, yeah, I mean you really.
Speaker 2I think you have to know your numbers when you're doing comps. Be realistic about that. I'm always realistic at this is what I think you. This is a good list price, and if they come back and they're like, well, I want to list it for that, that's higher. I say we can, I work for you. However, I think that this is the right price. It might sit a while if you do it here, you know, but in the end, they're the boss. In my opinion, not all agents are like that. I know some agents who are like nope, you list it for this or we don't list it at all, which is brave to me.
Speaker 2Because I couldn't do that.
Standing Your Ground on Commission
Speaker 3That's just not my personality. So if somebody puts their foot down and says like you're like, they're like hey, I want to list this for 1.5. You're like, there's no comps there, it's not going to sell unless you put it at 1.3. And they're like nope, I want it listed at 1.5, period. You're like Like, okay, I warned you, but you're still listing it.
Speaker 2I do say I'm like, hopefully I'm wrong.
Speaker 1Yeah, and you're right Best case scenario. At the end of the day, you're representing them At the end of the day, I want you to be right.
Speaker 2I want you to get the most money for your house, you know. And then, if it does and it sells for that, I'll do my best and I'll send comps to the appraiser and say like can I send you comps that I used for this? Can I send you a list of upgrades? Usually they're fine with it. Sometimes they're like I've been doing this for 25 years, Thank you. And I'm like yep, okay, Perfect, perfect, Love that Just all trying to work together to make a deal happen here. You know what I mean. Like sometimes I'm just like aren't we all trying to sell this house? Let's not kill a deal if it's can be saved.
Speaker 1So, um, I think the appraisers are excluded from one.
Speaker 2Yeah, they don't care. They're like oh, I got paid already, we don't care, I'm getting paid, I know so for the lenders that are listening to this.
Speaker 1What is it Some? What's? What's an agent like you look for in a lender when you're looking to partner with them?
Speaker 2I want it to be somebody that I enjoy talking to and I know that that is. I mean, I'm pretty easy going. I get along with a lot of people. Good communication. I have a lender right now. I texted him last night it was seven o'clock, I realize it's after hours. All I wanted to know is how quickly could we close something? And I got a response this morning and I was like I really just need a. If you say four weeks, that's all I need, and surely you know that you know what I mean and I get it. I value your time. So I say that I value your time, but also I think it's pretty easy to text back. Yeah, so response like responding, texting back, emailing back quickly, those are.
Speaker 2I think anybody would say that that is key. I think you do have, you know, your families and your children, your personal life, and I think you do have to be careful with that. It's hard. I mean my husband would say this Like it's hard to put your phone down at dinner, which is silly, because used to, we didn't take our phones anywhere. You know what I mean. We left and went and did stuff and came back and there was voicemails. So I think you do have to value your personal time, but gosh, if it's something you can quickly just get back to, little things like that make such a huge difference.
Speaker 3Are you negotiated with a lot when you when you're like listing a home on your price, and if you are, what? Why is it important to stand your ground on what you charge? I see a lot of people discounting their own price a lot these days lenders and realtors alike. Everybody's just trying to get the deal, especially with all this NAR stuff where it's like highlighted that everything's negotiable on both sides. You know, do you stand your ground most of the time? Why and how?
Speaker 2Yes, always upfront. I'm not trying to negotiate against myself.
Speaker 3Neither are y'all.
Speaker 2Like you're not saying, well, but hey, if you go with me, I'll cut my rate. Now, if you want to come to me and say, would you be willing to do it for this? A? Thankfully I haven't had a lot of people do that, because I feel like they see the value when I come and I show them like, here's what I'm going to do and I'm very upfront. It's a 6% commission to sell, 3% goes to me, 3% goes to the buyer's agent. I well, 3% goes to me, 3% goes to the buyer's agent. I don't even say up front, if I happen to have both sides, I'll give you a rate cut. Because why would I do that? Why would I set myself up to make less money for more work?
Speaker 3And once they know you're negotiable, you're negotiable.
Lessons from Mentors and Parents
Speaker 2Oh, then they're like, oh well, can you do it for four? And we actually I just talked to some agents about this recently and I was like man, I would not, I would not offer to discount anything unless they're coming to you and asking you. And then at that point push back and say, you know, I am going to work hard, I'm going to coordinate showings, you know, tell them everything you're going to do and, honestly, when it's a listing, have it printed out, have your listing presentation, so they see like here's everything you offer, um, and then, when it comes down to it, I'm not going to lose a sale. So if push comes to shove, I'm not going to lose a sale. And in the end my husband's always like some money's better than no money, and I'm like that is true, it's also a lot of work, but I think that that's the ebbs and flows of real estate. And same with lending.
Speaker 2You have some deals where they're just like text, but perfect, easy, smooth, and those make up for the ones that are like draining and difficult, and you're also a therapist on both sides you know, or you're trying to help them get their credit score up, or you know things like that. So I mean all that to say don't cut yourself short in the beginning. I think that's the biggest thing, and I think a lot of agents are like nervous, upfront like have confidence right up front that they're like oh my gosh, I'm just going to go ahead and say well, I'll do it for 5%.
Speaker 2if you're talking to other agents, when really your, you know your personality, your demeanor, how you present yourself, should kind of be the first thing they see and then have confidence that you're going to sell their house as quickly as possible.
Speaker 3Are you running into competition? Often Like, do you like? When you go to listing appointments is it very often that they're like we're talking to you and somebody else or we're going to interview several.
Speaker 2Not that often. Not that often I get a lot of referrals and so my referrals are 100% the backbone of my business, yeah, and so it's already like a buyer or seller who said this person is great, we love her. I literally just had an appointment yesterday where it's a very good friend and client who we've bought and sold multiple properties, and her cousin was like I think we're going to have to list our house. I washed a girl's hair the other day and she's an agent and she was like stop, stop, stop. The only words that should be coming out of your mouth are my good shertzma. Here's her info. Call her. That's the biggest compliment, especially because it's a friend. But that is where it comes from. I don't feel like they're talking to other people and if they are, then I just have to put my best you know self out there and follow up, and sometimes you just don't get it and it's okay.
Speaker 2That's just life. You're not going to win at all.
Speaker 3Has this business always been easy for you?
Speaker 2Does it sound like it always has?
Speaker 3been. You make it sound easy, Well yeah, I mean, I feel like you're somebody that seems to have positive outlook.
Speaker 2I am.
Speaker 3But you know, there's facts, there's rough seasons.
Speaker 2Totally yes, no, and I have had. I mean, there are a few transactions that when I talk about, you have the hard, easy ones and they make up for the hard ones that they were just brutal, like tax liens, city liens, state tax income, you know, irs liens, all this stuff. And I'm over here, I'm having to do things that I was 100% not supposed to be doing, like talking to the bank and learning how this is not a short sale, but now it is kind of a short sale, but I didn't know because they weren't honest with me up front and I mean I had that property for years. It was years. I was working on getting that done and by then I was like I'm freaking selling this house, I don't care if I don't make any money. I just was like I gotta get it done. To top it off, I happen to be in another state at a grocery store, walked by and saw that person who we had never met in person. I did not stop and talk to them.
Speaker 1The seller.
Speaker 2Yes, divorce situation. They lived two separate states. This was in Texas and I walked by and I like, because he had friended me on Facebook.
Speaker 3And I was like son of a gun.
Speaker 2What are the chances I did not? He would talk to me for hours on the phone, so it's not always easy. Yeah, but it's also you know, it's a great story now, and I think it's a good story and it's helpful for other people to be like oh, actually I've been through that and it's nice to have somebody that you can ask. You know, that's like oh, I've done that. Here's how I worked through it.
Speaker 3Have you had a mentor in this business?
Speaker 2Not really. I, early on, was like had some people that I was hopeful to be a mentor and it didn't work out Not in like a bad way, but I mean I feel like I've always had people I could call and ask.
Speaker 3What about in life? My parents, parents, 100% what values do you think you've taken from them that has helped you here my father.
Speaker 2He is just so loyal, he is steady, he is the most even keeled person, like he could win the lottery tomorrow and you would not know. There would be no way to tell. He just is. I mean, I could go on. He's wonderful and he's a very hard worker. He is like you're there early, you stay till you're done, which was always a pain point because I was always running late growing up and he would get so irritated with me. But I mean, I remember he, he teaches at churches, he goes and preaches at churches when he's traveling for work.
Speaker 2And this one story that he has stuck with me for years, where he was like you know, all the beautiful coral that you see in the ocean, like that, are bright, gorgeous colors. It's not the calm waters where you see those. It's deep down, where it's turbulent and there's current and they're having to fight to hold on to where they are and that's where they grow and that's where and they're having to fight to hold on to where they are and that's where they grow and that's where they become beautiful. And so life is not perfect. It probably looks that way, it hasn't been, but you grow and you learn and you move through it and it's moving through. It is where you become who you are and and that's where you become just grounded in who you are, I really think.
Pushing Through Fear to Succeed
Speaker 2And then my mother she was a stay-at-home mom. She raised me and my brother. She's wonderful, she's kind, she's giving. I mean, I learned so much just about beauty and home and making a home and being generous with time and money any way you can like giving. She is such a giver, so 100%. My parents.
Speaker 3That's awesome, that's really good. Yeah, I love that. Well, thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 1I really appreciate that and I think that, um, even though we've had many conversations, I think that you know I got to know you a little bit better today. So I really appreciate for for that and hopefully anybody that's listening you know um is encouraged to. Uh, I think the biggest thing I got out of this is um, without her even saying it is, is her attitude. I think it's truly what kind of? What kind of like? Oh, I think the biggest thing that helped me in the business, um, is that I was like hoping for the best but expecting the worst, and that was very like confident but with fear in the back of my head, and I think that that's that um feeling that you get whenever you maybe feel like you don't have going on, like that feeling.
Speaker 1I think that's still like that fear that you probably still get today of like I got to do something but, then you kind of switch quickly, switch it to like it's all going to be okay, yeah, and so yeah, I mean you just strike me as fearless.
Speaker 3I mean it's even, and I think you can have a fearless approach to things while still having reservations about it and having those insecurities and all the things. It's just how you decide to approach it, regardless of how you feel about it, and it just seems like I don't know. You don't seem like you're worried about failing, and that goes a long ways.
Speaker 2It does, and I mean I, I just failing and that goes a long ways. It does and I mean I, I just, I honestly have been very blessed. I feel like I came into this career at the right time, even though in hindsight I'm like, oh my gosh, I wish I had started this 20 years ago.
Speaker 2But I wasn't supposed to, yeah you know, and here I am now, and there's still points of fear and nervousness. But, like you said, I think you just have to push through it and keep moving. Just can't get stuck. That, getting stuck in that is where you'll start to like fail. So a hundred percent.
Speaker 1Well, thank you so much for coming on me. This, this is.
Speaker 3Micah Cheers. No, micah, say it again Cheers. This is Micah Cheers, and she's a real deal.