What To Say Now

Building Relationships and Providing Value with John Mangas and Angela Decker

• Dan Stewart • Episode 7

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The ability to build strong relationships is the cornerstone of success in any industry, especially in real estate. 

I'm joined today by  Angela Decker and John Mangas, both accomplished Brokers/Owners at RE/MAX Preferred Associates. We talk about the importance of professional standards in real estate and how to support agents through changing market dynamics.

Angela and John share their unique philosophies on teaching self-reliance and the significance of genuine relationships in the industry. They also recount their experiences adapting to market challenges, from the recession to the pandemic. 

This episode is all about practical tips and heartfelt stories that will resonate with anyone in real estate.

Specifically, this episode highlights the following themes:

  • Building and maintaining professional relationships in real estate
  • Adapting to market changes and agent support
  • The philosophy of teaching self-reliance in business

Links from this episode:

Happy Grasshopper helps real estate agents and brokerages grow sales and recruitment. To schedule a call and learn how we can help you, visit https://happygrasshopper.com/tour

Happy Grasshopper utilizes best practices to deliver emails, text messages, voicemail drops, and handwritten notes in order to help real estate professionals succeed and convert more leads to closings by building relationships through conversation.

Angela Decker [00:00:00]:
We want to teach you how to fish, because then your business can be whatever you want it to be. But if I'm just feeding you a lead and you can only eat as long as I'm giving you that right, it kind of goes back to the whole principle of what our industry is, and that's people do business with people they know, like and trust.

Dan Stewart  [00:00:26]:
Hey, everybody, you're listening to What To Say Now. A podcast dedicated to helping real estate professionals do a better job communicating with the people they work with and serve. My name's Dan Stewart, and today on the podcast, I have two of my all time favorite people. The wonderful Mister John Mangas and misses Angela Decker. Welcome.

John Mangas  [00:00:48]:
Hey, Danny. Thank you. I love the way you started it. You talked about professionals, right in your intro line. Isn't that the buzzword of 2024?

Dan Stewart  [00:00:57]:
Well, it's like our friend Jared says, right? Amateurs versus pros, what are you going to be? You have to make a choice. And, you know, part of what I've always loved about working with you guys is the standard that you really bring to the practice of real estate. I think that's really critically important to make sure that your agents are really prepared to serve people at a high level. First of all, really, I just want to thank both of you for being here. We've known each other now for how long? It's got to be 12, 13, 14 years, John. I mean, something like that. Over the past three or four years, I've got to know, Angela and I think the world of both of you. When I look at our broker owner clients across the US and Canada, I really.

Dan Stewart  [00:01:43]:
I put you two at the very top of the list in terms of people who I know are committed to the success of your agents. Right. That level of commitment means a ton to me. I love to see that. So that's where I'd really like to begin our conversation today, because, you know, as broker owners, you get to choose to run your business however you choose. Where did that sense of commitment to professionalism really come from for you? What inspired that?

Angela Decker [00:02:14]:
Yeah, yeah.

John Mangas  [00:02:15]:
So it's really been with us since day one. Angela's predecessor, Kathy Culliard, I started the company in 2000. And, yeah, she said, and making sure that we attracted the brightest and best and then serve them at a very high level was really our goal. Simple as that sounds, it's really complicated to do that, particularly in a environment that's ever changing. I mean, we went through the recession, now we're going through this changing market of 2024. And with each market, there's just a different set of support, guidance, and leadership that is really required. And if you want to. One of my favorite buzz lines, Dan, is if you want to recruit and retain the best, you have to treat them like they are the best.

John Mangas  [00:03:07]:
So we try very hard to make sure that they know they're valued, they're appreciated, and we try to meet them where they're at, wherever that might be in the course of the industry.

Dan Stewart  [00:03:17]:
Yeah, I love that. So, Angela, turning to you, right. And your choice of growing your own real estate career, you could do that anywhere.

Angela Decker [00:03:26]:
Yeah.

Dan Stewart  [00:03:26]:
And yet there were things you saw here where you're like, okay. And once you got in and settled, you made the conscious decision to really amplify things. I'm curious what drove that.

Angela Decker [00:03:37]:
So I met John Cathy, as one of the agents here in the office, was my first realtor when we were back in the area, and worked with that individual to an agent to start building our investment portfolio. And that was before I was even licensed. So it was just very natural to want to align after meeting so many individuals here through that whole journey, it just made a lot of sense to then get my license and hang that license here. And then the opportunity coming out of COVID presented itself to. I'd build a team prior to that, but then take it to the next level. My career prior to real estate had been a lot in the staffing, recruiting, training world, and so I was able to utilize those skills in the broker owner position I have now.

Dan Stewart  [00:04:26]:
Yeah, that's so awesome. That's so cool. I love that our lives prepared us for whatever we're experiencing now. Like, whatever that was that we've lived through, that we excelled at, that maybe we struggled with. It got us ready for the moment that we're facing together today. And, John, you mentioned the recession getting through that. Then the whole industry dealt with COVID which at first seemed like it might just be the end all. And then it began this white hot real estate market that seemed like it might never slow down.

Dan Stewart  [00:04:58]:
Then we had these rising interest rates that kind of put a damper on selling activity for sure. And all along the way, you found a path to stand firm in your values, to attract the right people and repel the wrong, which I think that combination of attraction and repulsion is really the hallmark of great marketing. Now, I'm not going to make jokes about you guys being repulsive. I'll save that for next time we're face to face. Right? But I am curious about how, you know, when you attract the best, and you pour into them. What do you do with an agent who's not the best? Like, how do you handle that? That agent who, you know, maybe interviewed really well, maybe earned the right to be invited, but now that they're here, they just don't really measure up. What do you do?

John Mangas  [00:05:53]:
Conversation and dialogue is where it starts at. You know, you hit the problem head on.

Angela Decker [00:05:58]:
And we do a lot of training and have just a lot of business meetings and masterminds and opportunities for agents to get involved. One of the things that when we, especially when we talk with new agents, it's big in terms of meeting them where they are. So trying to understand, okay, is there a lot going on in your personal life that's got you pulled away from the business? Is there something in the business that you're not understanding that we need to just simply dive in and spend some more time? Is it a matter of getting them in the room with the other individuals to help them get to the next level? So part of it is really going back to, I'm going to meet you where you are, and I'm going to help you with whatever your goal is. I mean, when I first got licensed, my goal was to sell a house a month. Right? And it took me a little while because as a new agent, it takes a minute to get to that, you know, place. But it was like, you know, my husband had a full time career, and I just really wanted really nice patio furniture. So that was my goal. Right.

Angela Decker [00:06:54]:
It doesn't always mean you have to sell, you know, you know, 100 houses a year. But having these guys meet me where I was was huge. And so I like to pay that forward with all of our agents, regardless of what, how long they've been licensed or what, you know, is their journey. Like, we will help you where you're at and get you where you want to go.

Dan Stewart  [00:07:13]:
You have just made such a cool point, Angela. You really did. It's like an iceberg, right? Everybody just observing, you can go, wow, look at re Max preferred. Like, you're consistently crushing at the highest levels. They see the result. They don't understand all the stuff that goes in underneath that. Right. You know, listener, pay attention to this.

Dan Stewart  [00:07:33]:
This is a really important point if your brand is attempting to attract people based on what they get to join. Right. That is an entirely different process than being invited to join remax preferred. You know, John and Angela are taking the time they're investing in you before you make the decision to join such that they really understand where you're going. And then if you're having difficulty, they can talk about that. Right? They can talk about that. So I gotta emphasize this, because I see this so frequently in real estate. You know, people have this attitude.

Dan Stewart  [00:08:09]:
Many broker owners have this attitude that, well, we have a model. We've got tech, we've got training, we've got culture, we've got leads. We've got blah blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Right? Without the personal connection, it just doesn't really add up to anything significant or sustainable. I think that's the real heart of the matter in real estate, is that whether you're a consumer looking to buy, sell, or invest, whether you're an agent looking to buy great patio furniture or eventually become a broker owner, or you're a prop tech entrepreneur, like I am, trying to serve these people. The heart of it all comes down to these one to one moments we have, where we have the chance to really influence someone in a meaningful way. Right? So let's isolate that concept here for a moment, because as we're recording this, it's late August 2024. Much of the industry is populated by agents who are acting like chickens without their heads right now.

Dan Stewart  [00:09:17]:
Okay? We have a ton of agents whose feathers are ruffled and they're going, what? Like, who moved my cheese? Right? What. What happened here? And the time to really handle that was months ago. So I'm curious about your process. What have you done to prepare your agents for this change, and what sort of conversations are you having with them now?

John Mangas  [00:09:39]:
I'll start. Yeah, you take it over.

Angela Decker [00:09:41]:
Okay, sounds good.

John Mangas  [00:09:42]:
So the thing about change is most of us see it coming well in advance. And I feel as though we began preparing for the industries August 17. Locally, it was August 1. We actually implemented it weeks ahead of that. But we started preparing for that change literally a year ago. Now, in the course of that continuum, Daniel, we had to change what we were talking about any number of times, because we were shooting at a moving target, right? Until we got right down to the end, most of us didn't really quite know what we were going to have to work with. For instance, our local association created a compensation, excuse me, a concession field that people were treating as a compensation field that had to go away. So, you know, it's been a very fluid process.

John Mangas  [00:10:40]:
But as we got down to the remaining weeks of the old method, our people weren't feeling stressed. They weren't feeling that they were left behind, because we had all, including them, especially them, invested time in learning how to move forward with the new rules and the new methods.

Angela Decker [00:10:59]:
Yeah, for sure. Part of, you know, part of our thinking is, you know, ramping up to it, right? Giving, you know, we had multiple masterminds and roundtables and meetings just to, like, talk about the obstacles, you know, coming up with scripts and helping agents kind of get their minds wrapped around this. This historical change of how our industry has always operated, you know? And part of that takes time. You know, we just. We just had the Olympics, right? And you sit and you watch any of these professionals, and I love watching the gymnast like Simone Biles, and you just see them do all these things as if there's no effort. But back to your comment about it being like this iceberg. We just see them at their perfection. We don't see the hours and hours and hours in the gym and all the hurdles they've had to go through, all the injuries.

Angela Decker [00:11:51]:
And as professionals, we really try to get our agents to, like, take time when you're not in front of your client to learn the scripts, study your contracts, like, go back to the basics, especially now, because we're all relearning the industry and we're all starting on the ground zero.

Dan Stewart  [00:12:09]:
Yeah. I think that there's so many threads here I could follow. It's like, oh, my God, where did I get to start first? Right? Because, I mean, we got that iceberg. We have the fact that I'm the parent of a gymnast, right? So I feel all that effort that goes into getting to that level, it's absolutely crazy. The main thing is, like, whether you're working to become an Olympic athlete, right? Whether you're working to become a broker owner, there's all these conversations that you have to have along the way. You know, nobody gets to be happily married, nobody gets to run a successful business, nobody gets to purchase a home without having had lots of conversations along the way. And I think one of the most important conversations we have to have is with ourselves. There are moments in time where we all have to get honest.

Dan Stewart  [00:13:03]:
We got to stand naked in front of that mirror and just go, yep, that's where I am. That's what the state of reality is right now. And sometimes these industry, these huge sea change events give us that opportunity to really have that conversation with ourselves. So I want to focus on you, John, here, for just a moment, because you did something that not every broker owner would even consider, not every agent even would consider.

John Mangas  [00:13:30]:
I'm intrigued. I don't know where you're going. So I'm really intrigued at the moment. Then.

Dan Stewart  [00:13:35]:
Yeah, this isn't even a karaoke. Not yet. Not yet. But seriously, I mean, you could just focus on the dollars and cents, right? You could just build a career, you could just pay attention to your own profitability. But you also, and you chose, you made a very deliberate choice to get involved in leadership like you felt called, I presume to do that. Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it was just, oh, if I were involved in leadership, somehow this would be an economic benefit for you. I don't know, but I see that as an act of service.

Dan Stewart  [00:14:09]:
Is that what it was?

John Mangas  [00:14:11]:
Yeah, it really was. It was, you know, it in one respect. I never sat out to be our state president. And actually now I'm serving as a commissioner for the division of real estate, Department of Commerce in Ohio. Those weren't really goals, but as just sometimes life takes you down certain pathways that presented itself. And what's been interesting from it is none of us ever really know it all, do we? And learning the business through those pieces of the industry, in looking at the business and the industry through those eyes, has a way of broadening the mind and broadening just really the overall look of the business. It's a different way to look at and learn the industry.

Dan Stewart  [00:15:02]:
So a different way to look at and learn the industry. That's interesting to me. I'm really curious about how that journey even starts for you. What was the thing that happened that caused you to say, oh, yeah, I guess maybe I should get involved in leadership. What was your first step?

John Mangas  [00:15:21]:
So when actually a friend who was a commercial agent was the local board president in probably, golly, I don't know, the late nineties, he asked me if I would accept an appointment as a director for our state association. I said, sure, why not?

Angela Decker [00:15:43]:
Conventions are fun.

John Mangas  [00:15:44]:
Conventions are fun. That was actually my logic. Conventions are fun.

Angela Decker [00:15:47]:
Dan, you and I know him well. Yeah.

John Mangas  [00:15:49]:
And it was a way to expense it to somebody else. Right. It's always more fun to go to a convention when somebody else is paying for it, right?

Angela Decker [00:15:56]:
That's right.

John Mangas  [00:15:56]:
So Doug asked me if I would be a state director. I said, sure. Didn't really know what I was saying, short to. So the next thing you know, I got to network with people from around the state that I didn't know. And next thing you know, I'm getting put on committees, and a couple years later I'm chairing committees. Next thing I know, I'm chairing the influential committees. The next thing you know, I'm asked to appear before the past presidents and to interview to go through the process. It wasn't something I set out to do, but it was a journey that just sort of naturally evolved.

John Mangas  [00:16:34]:
And honestly, as hokey as it sounds, the things I learned and the amazing people that I met along the way completely made all the volunteer hours worthwhile by a multiple of exponential. I've never said that before. A multiple of exponential. That isn't really a thing. It can't be.

Angela Decker [00:16:54]:
We just created it. Yeah.

Dan Stewart  [00:16:55]:
Oh, Ohio public schools. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Angela Decker [00:16:59]:
That's right.

Dan Stewart  [00:17:00]:
So, John, I'm curious if you'd agree with me on this point. Anyone who does any sort of volunteering and active service, I think what we get in that, it's not measured in our bank accounts. Right. But there's absolutely something that we take away from that that always feels more valuable than the investment of time.

John Mangas  [00:17:21]:
So, Dan, I heard you talking about your backstory a little bit then. The number of places that you lived in, what, 14 schools that you attended. And my father was a quadriplegic, 7th grade education farmer, and yet I was the youngest of six. They instilled us with the win, ask, say yes philosophy to life. And I know probably as my business partner, Angela would like me to say no more often, but that was ingrained from little on up. And it's those life lessons, particularly with you and the 14 schools, those life lessons do stay with you for a lifetime.

Dan Stewart  [00:18:03]:
I love that. I really like to think of this phase of my life as being the phase where I just say yes. Because when you work hard at something for a long period of time, opportunity is the result. And there's a whole school of thought that says you'll grow to the extent you can with great deal of discipline. Say no. Right. You got to constantly say no to things, to have enough time to say yes to the right things. And for me, those right things, to say yes, to always involve things a little bit outside my comfort zone, you know? And I imagine that call to leadership must have felt a little bit outside the comfort zone at some point.

Dan Stewart  [00:18:46]:
Like, you know, when you're serving as president of the Ohio association. Right. And there's issues going on, and there's competitors throwing stones, and there's new this and new that. The one thing we know for sure in real estate is that there will always be change. Right. It's just an ever present reality. Again, I'm just really curious about Angela's perspective, you know, coming in, seeing this, right, going from, hey, I can buy great patio furniture, to becoming your partner. In the brokerage.

Dan Stewart  [00:19:16]:
I mean, that's a remarkable journey, Angela. That is, that is a really cool thing that you've been able to do. And I imagine that's inspiring to a lot of agents who work with you. Like maybe you've caused them to reset what's possible in their own lives.

Angela Decker [00:19:30]:
Well, I mean, I hope so. If nothing else, I just hope that they can see that they can make this business whatever they want it to be for whatever they need it to be when they need that. You know, a lot of females get into the business, but they're also wives or moms or maybe single moms, and they do this for the flexibility. And anybody watching this, that's an agent understands that always sounds great on the surface, like, oh, set your own schedule until you can't, because you have a house that hits the market and you've got to literally drop everything and run out the door and the craziness that comes with it. But hopefully, as we get into hopefully, what's a little more of a leveled market, agents can kind of take a step back and learn to manage their business. And that's the stuff that I love to help agents do. Yes, you say yes to a lot, but you're also allowed to say no. Like, no, I'm not going to get up from my dinner table because it's the only time we can all sit together for the week.

Angela Decker [00:20:30]:
I'll call you in 15 minutes, or I'll do that. But I need time for me, because we are more than just agents and realtors know, we have families and, you know, other obligations outside of our jobs.

Dan Stewart  [00:20:43]:
Healthy boundaries. Healthy boundaries like saying no to some things, that is a really cool thing to think about because, you know, from my seat right where I work with agents all across the US and Canada, and team owners and broker owners, I see a lot of people saying yes to some pretty stupid things. There's a million things you can do in real estate that just aren't going to work. There's no shortage of those. And every year there's a whole new crop of things that seem to be the next best, greatest thing. And then they turn out just not to be right. But the things that are tried and true, the things that work day in and day out, regardless of market conditions, regardless of regulatory changes, they're all centered around that human to human connection. Whenever things are hard, what do we do? You know, if we have a personal tragedy, we heal from that.

Dan Stewart  [00:21:38]:
In our friendships, in our relationships. Like, we require that we need it as human beings. And I think sometimes it's so easy to lose sight of just how important that relationship actually is in business. Now, knowing you both, right, and having spent time with you, having come to your brokerage for many years to speak to your agents, I know how critical that is, and I know that it's something you share. What I'm curious about, though, is were you ever tempted to try it another way? Was there ever a period in your career where you're like, nope. You know, relationships aren't as important as, say, brand new leads. Like, was there ever anything that pulled you away from that commitment?

Angela Decker [00:22:25]:
No. And I think it's part of, like, the training that we do here. And it kind of goes back to the old adage of, you know, I can either teach you to fish or I can give you a fish, right? And we really dive into that. We want to teach you how to fish, because then your business can be whatever you want it to be. But if I'm just feeding you a lead and you can only eat as long as I'm giving you that. Right. You know, but I, it kind of goes back to the whole principle of what our industry is, and that's people do business with people they know, like and trust. At the end of the day, you know, when you think of when we need something, you know, even if it's third party, you're on Amazon and you need the most basic thing.

Angela Decker [00:23:07]:
You're looking through all the reviews, not just the thing at the top, you're looking going, I can buy it from a multitude of sources, but which one's got the best stars, right? And that's, that's, that. Is that validation? Right? And it goes back to, that's what we teach here from brand new agents all the way up. We dive into their business building. We dive into goal setting. It's like, you know, you need to work your sphere, and then on top of that, you can do, you know, other, because you shouldn't just have one source, but multiple, right? So you're on the boat and you've got multiple lines out. If you're a real fisherman and it's not just, you know, one line, but you've got multiple, right? And that way one area may be a little bit busier or you may be able to pick up some other, you know, sources, but to really keep your business diversified.

Dan Stewart  [00:23:53]:
So we've got some contrast here. We've got the sense of what you need to say yes to, right, the fact that relationships really matter. They need to be nurtured over time, of course. And we've got to have the right systems and processes and structure in place. You know, think of it like we'll use your fishing analogy, right. If you find yourself out in the ocean with a hook on the line, you better hope you're on a boat. Don't forget the boat. Right.

Dan Stewart  [00:24:19]:
It's awful hard to bring the fish back without the boat. So, you know, we got to think about what are those foundational elements that people really need to say yes to? And then how can things be systematized to where they scale? Because one of the things I really appreciate about your market is that the average price point is a little bit lower than in much of the country. Right. So, you know, pay attention, audience. If you're a re max preferred agent, you're not satisfied with a deal a month. Heck no. Like, you're, you're wanting to go get way more than that. And I haven't checked the real trend stats this year, but, you know, if we look back over the past ten years, remax preferred is a regular member of the top ten list, a volume of transactions per agent.

Dan Stewart  [00:25:08]:
You know, I think that's a real cool thing that, you know, what you're saying here isn't just lip service. It's not just, hey, you should do these things. It's what actually works that shows up, as evidenced by your data. Right. That's awesome.

Angela Decker [00:25:24]:
So we did this really cool analysis this year and kind of broke down our, because we're, our broach has always been known as for our per agent productivity. And it was actually John's kind of brainchild, if you will, to do this. So I'll let him kind of speak to it. But we wrote down what our agents did for the year compared to our competition.

John Mangas  [00:25:45]:
Yeah. And it really just some really simple math, but just, you know, number of closed units divided by number of licensees per brokerage. And, you know, for many years, we've been in the number one position. We continue to be number one locally in per agent productivity. It's really simple math, but really, it's where the rubber hits the road or the proof's in the footing. Whatever goofy saying it means, it really, there's no place to hide with that because the numbers are what the numbers are. In fact, kind of going back and just like a little like long term tenure, you mentioned real trends, which is maybe what. Think of this.

John Mangas  [00:26:25]:
Steve Murray, post recession, decided to do an analysis of the ten years of a ten year snapshot some years before the recession and a couple years after the recession. And he basically was managing or is measuring units, volume and age account, those three important KPI's. Anyway, he was looking for brokerages that what they did during that recession period, pre, during and post. There were only 17 brokerages in the United States that grew through that ten year continuum in all three of those areas. And some phone calls you remember for the entire duration of your life. Steve called me about quarter or five on a Friday and asked if I have a minute. I went, well, you're Steve Murray. Of course I have a minute.

John Mangas  [00:27:20]:
And he explained to me what his tabular showed and what the. So, you know, I share that with you because that leaning into or the importance of that commitment to per agent productivity has always been part of our company DNA. And how we get there changes a bit in different marketplaces. But to Angela's point, relationships is really the number one piece of the foundation.

Dan Stewart  [00:27:47]:
Yeah, it's so easy to say, isn't it?

John Mangas  [00:27:49]:
Yeah.

Dan Stewart  [00:27:49]:
I mean, it's so trite in real estate. Oh, it's a. It's a relationship business. We say that, like, people will understand what that actually means. Right. So, you know, as you know, I like to teach that relationships really only live inside conversation. So, you know, if you're listening to this podcast and you're thinking, oh, yeah, I have a bunch of relationships. That's how my business is based.

Dan Stewart  [00:28:12]:
You don't actually have those relationships if you're not regularly engaging those people in conversation. And there's a huge advantage here other than just new client acquisition that comes through that you also have the effect of making your competition invisible to those people that you have a relationship with. I mean, they're like, how long have we known each other? Right? There's no chance if I were to move to Toledo, Ohio, that I would work with anyone else. Like, it wouldn't even be a question, right? It just wouldn't even be a question, because that relationship is so solid, and, you know, conversation is the thing that creates it. The outcome, of course, are those things we want, the contracts, the closings, the commissions. But it's the commitment to the relationship upfront that makes it possible. I'd like to shift this and make it a bit more tactical. One of my favorite questions to ask guests on the podcast.

Dan Stewart  [00:29:10]:
I want you to imagine this scenario, right? Let's. Let's imagine that the world was going to end in 24 hours unless you both went out and you got a listing signed. You've got 24 hours to get a listing, or the world ends. What do you do you go get a listing?

Angela Decker [00:29:31]:
Well, we're done. I got to go get a listing.

John Mangas  [00:29:34]:
Yeah, good point.

Angela Decker [00:29:35]:
Yeah, yeah.

Dan Stewart  [00:29:35]:
Hang up on Dan. Go get a listing. Right. But sincerely, what do you do?

Angela Decker [00:29:41]:
So, like, yes, end of the world. The first, I literally get on my phone and just start calling. Although I feel like I'm in the. I mean, okay. I'm in my late forties, so I absolutely am comfortable on the phone. Pick up the phone, have a, you know, versus a text. Text work. In my world, it is, if it's not a yes or no, it is a phone call.

Angela Decker [00:30:02]:
It is not a text. Right. You have to have that conversation. But it's conversations, you know, it's whether you're sitting at the coffee shop, you know, or whatnot. It's, again, back to that one on one conversation. So what do I do to get a listing? I actually had my. We're non producing brokers that way for all. For the audience to understand.

Dan Stewart  [00:30:19]:
Right. Okay. So let's modify the question here that I should have. Obviously, I know this. I should have phrased it a little differently. So ten of your agents have to go get a listing in 24 hours of the world ends. Ten of them.

Angela Decker [00:30:33]:
Okay.

Dan Stewart  [00:30:33]:
Oh, my God. What do you tell them to do?

Angela Decker [00:30:36]:
Their last piece of business where I was going to go, because I actually had my first closing of the year. And I joke about that because I don't produce, but literally go circle prospect because we know statistically there's. There's, you know, from where a listing hit, there's going to be more business there. So I would tell all ten of them, pull up your hot sheet and go, like, start going out and door knock and neighborhood and hot zone. Do that. Right. And while you're in between, be on the phone, door to door walk and call.

Dan Stewart  [00:31:06]:
Right. Get your steps in. Get your steps in. I love that. I'm surprised you didn't say, well, I'd just have them call me and sell ten of my investment properties.

Angela Decker [00:31:15]:
I feel like that would be cheating. So I'll hit all of his.

John Mangas  [00:31:26]:
We played a little game yesterday. Best call, best phone call of the day. And worst phone call of the day. And my worst phone call today involved rental property. So shocking.

Angela Decker [00:31:35]:
Right? So we'll sell his.

John Mangas  [00:31:37]:
Yeah, exactly. And if I were answering that question, I would say since she's already, like, taken up the circle prospecting piece, I would say there are buy owners in this marketplace that are not only wanting to sell their property, they're putting a sign out front. They're maybe even on Zillow, they're just dying to meet you. If you call on enough of them in the next 24 hours, x number are going to convert. Is it tougher? Yeah, it's a tougher bit. But you know what? If it's that, you know, if that's what you have to do to preserve the world or feed your family, right. You know, you got the grit, you got the drive. Go do it.

Dan Stewart  [00:32:16]:
Yeah. I make that example so much bigger than it needs to be. The world isn't going to end if you don't go out and get that listing. Right. And yet, there are a lot of agents who leave this industry every single year. I mean, I think the stat is 80% quit their first year of licensure and 87% every five years. Right. You know, so I got to ask, you know, what do you think drives that? Why aren't these people sticking like they went to the trouble of getting licensed? Why are they saying this isn't for them?

John Mangas  [00:32:51]:
I think there's a misconception at the very, very front end of this business about what the business is and then what it really is. One of our huge pet peeves. And you may laugh at this, Danny, but when somebody sits down across this table or any other table from us and we say, so you're thinking of getting into the real estate business. What's driving that decision? And you know what I'm going to say next? And they say, oh, I just love HGTV. Like, we just cringe. Like that's the fingernails on the chalkboard moment. And we're like, yeah, we're probably not the right company for you because that's, if that's the way they think the business is, they're getting into it for completely the wrong reasons. The business is nothing like that.

John Mangas  [00:33:35]:
You don't show three homes and go under contract. It doesn't work that way.

Angela Decker [00:33:41]:
Yeah. And I also think, too, their perspective, like he had said, is one thing, but what we don't as an industry talk all about is all the problem solving that goes on once you're even under contract. So you've got the problem of you pick up a buyer and you're going to show them ten houses. And in this market, at least around here, they're getting beat out, right? There's multiple offers, super competitive. They get exhausted and the buyer decides to extend their rent for another year. So that paycheck, that's gone and you have to start over. So I think the grit that it takes to do this and to truly be an entrepreneur, that's needed to be successful as a realtor, as an agent. Nobody talks about.

Angela Decker [00:34:23]:
Right. It's. Again, it's back to that. You know, I spread. It's like, you see that just sold, you know, three offers over list price 24 hours. Whoo. What they don't talk about is, you know, the agent that went out. You're laughing because, you know it's true.

Dan Stewart  [00:34:36]:
I'm laughing because we all see that post on social media. Yeah. Why did. Why do people in this industry insist on trying to make it look so easy?

John Mangas  [00:34:44]:
I have no idea.

Angela Decker [00:34:46]:
What I wish they would do is spent the last three months and x amount of hours on phone calls, working with the stager, ripping up carpet, right. Getting a pre inspection, taking care of, working with the handyman, getting out the contractors, letting the dogs out of picking the dogs up, because that's what we do. Right? Like, oh, I can't. I can't do a showing because I got to go. I'm like, well, I'll take care of your dogs. I'll meet your handyman, you know, all these things, and instead, we just go, whoa, over list price. It's like, well, that's because you did all the work and helping your client get to where, you know, as a professional, their house will look the best, and your job is to give them options. Right.

Angela Decker [00:35:23]:
You have multiple offers. Great. Let's figure out which options work the best for your client, and then everybody's happy. Not the whole, like, you know, song and dance once it's all over.

John Mangas  [00:35:33]:
Dan, I just have to add one more thing. Yes, I talked about the HeTv lover. But all joking aside, so many of the people that get into this business make zero commitment to personal and professional development. I mean, we run a really amazing new agent training class every Tuesday, and if the people join us, they better be in that class on Tuesday if they want to stay with us, because that's a non negotiable as we look at people in the industry. Joan. I know you know Joan. She was telling me yesterday about a transaction that she has that's just going horribly with a quite possibly very successful someday new agent. But the new agent admitted that she hasn't attended classes, doesn't know how to fill out the contract correctly, wasn't sure what she was doing, and she's leaning on Joan, the competitor, to walk her through the process.

John Mangas  [00:36:26]:
That's horrible.

Dan Stewart  [00:36:27]:
Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Again, there's so much here. I want to talk to you both for hours and hours here, because we got to unpack a couple of things here along the way. Right. So there's the first disconnect between what people think the industry is and what the industry actually is.

Dan Stewart  [00:36:47]:
Right. And then there's the disconnect internally. I think for this agent between, I don't want to be a salesperson. I don't want it like, I want to take care of people. I want to do a great job, but I don't want to pick up the phone and call. I don't want to walk through a neighborhood and knock on doors of people's houses. I don't like, why should I be required to do that in order to, you know, clean up the dog hair and meet the handyman and do those 63 hours of work to make it look like an easy closing. Right.

Dan Stewart  [00:37:18]:
So there, there's like multiple surprises here every agent has to face in their career. So I think we're going to see eye to eye on this. We know each other well enough for this. But I'm curious about those first meetings you have when you're interviewing someone and you're, you're making a decision about whether or not you should invite them to join remax preferred. Like, what is it specifically that you go, oh, this person is very likely to make it, or, oh, this person is not going to make it and they don't get the invitation.

John Mangas  [00:37:49]:
So you're talking about a brand new person, correct?

Dan Stewart  [00:37:52]:
I would say either or. Either or. But those brand new people, I think, are more of a, like, you never know what you're going to get, right? I mean, the longer you're in it, the more you get surprised. The person you don't think is going to perform sometimes is amazing.

Angela Decker [00:38:07]:
I think oftentimes it comes back. That comes down to a little bit of personality and then also just a little bit of their business vacuum. Like if they, if they've been in a sales or a service type role, you know, where they had to nurture relationships or go get business, you know, whether it's pharmaceutical sales or like a customer service rep or anything, where they're dealing with clients or customers of some sort. You know, those typically teachers are amazing agents because they're relationship driven. Right. And then they know, you know, a lot of the individuals in their area, so they're very comfortable talking and interacting with people. I'm just shocked. Regardless if it's a new licensee or someone that's been in the business, how many people you know, especially in the younger generations, are literally scared to pick up the phone and just make a phone call.

Angela Decker [00:38:57]:
Hey, it's Angela at Remax. How are you? I just, I was just driving in your neighborhood and thought I was thinking of you. So I just thought I'd give you a call and check in. They're like, I don't think I can say that. And I'm like, well, if you saw him in the grocery store, would you just like, put your head down and walk to, like, if you know them? Like, no, I would say hi. I go, they assume you're in the car all day driving around. They're not going to assume you're lying and you're thinking of them. I was in the neighborhood, right?

Dan Stewart  [00:39:22]:
Give them a call, say hi. I love that. And just a little database hack here. Dear audience, your favorite list on your phone, all those people in, your favorites, those are your first calls. Like, let's get warmed up on people who you already have a good relationship with, right? And then take the confidence from having done that. Like, you got to build these muscles, get in the gym, get strong, and pretty soon you're like, hey, look, as long as they're a human being, I can talk to them. And guess what? If they're alive, they have to live somewhere. Therefore, they're going to need help with real estate at some point in time.

Dan Stewart  [00:39:57]:
And I want to be the person they choose.

Angela Decker [00:39:59]:
Well, and if you put your hat on the other way, I mean, when was the last time, again, any of, anyone in the audience listening, but you get a call from someone, and I was like, oh, my gosh, it was great hearing from them. Whether it was someone from high school or college or you bump into them and you have a conversation in the grocery store, it's like, gosh, it was great to. Or are you the kind that's like, how dare you call me? Like, then you're in the wrong business. I'm just going to put that out there. But it's kind of like, it's always good. A handwritten note in the mail from someone that you are friends with, but maybe you haven't connected in three or six months. Hey, was just thinking about you. Hopefully you're having a great day, right? It's amazing.

Angela Decker [00:40:37]:
Just those little connections or just a little text, right, to say, hey, was in the neighborhood, thought of you. Hopefully you're having a great day. That's an easy text. Like, oh, right, you're staying top of mind. I think sometimes agents over complicate the way they're perceived when they make that phone call.

Dan Stewart  [00:40:53]:
Yeah, yeah. I think there's a little bit of role rejection. That happens here, too. Right? Because, you know, I wanted the career I thought I saw on television. That's not what it is. Okay. I have to swallow that, then it's, well. Oh, I actually have to, like, really work at this.

Dan Stewart  [00:41:11]:
Oh, it's not so easy. Okay. Another, like, bitter pill I've got to get past. There are all these little journeys where, you know, the conversations we have with ourselves are most important. And so this makes me really curious. Right? Because, Angela, you were an accomplished professional prior to real estate. John was recently released from prison. Like, two.

Dan Stewart  [00:41:32]:
Totally different.

John Mangas  [00:41:33]:
Completely. Yeah. I look great in orange, by the way. It used to be my favorite color, but I had too much of it anyway.

Dan Stewart  [00:41:43]:
Okay, so, yeah, for those of you who don't know, John and I have a real good friendship, and it's based on kicking each other as hard and often as possible.

John Mangas  [00:41:52]:
So let me put some photos in the chat.

Dan Stewart  [00:41:55]:
Yeah, definitely. Here we go. Enjoy.

John Mangas  [00:41:59]:
Angela took my phone.

Dan Stewart  [00:42:03]:
Thank you, Angela. So, seriously, though, like, there must have been moments in your own career where you got really surprised by something, you know, and it set you back right, and you had to think, oh, gosh, did I make the right choice? I'd love to hear, do either of you have that moment? Does anything come to mind when you thought, ooh, maybe I'm not in the right spot?

Angela Decker [00:42:26]:
When I decided to be broker owner, honestly, because it was at a time where, like, everything was great. I started, you know, ownership, and then the market tanked, and then agents were contemplating, you know, they're trying to find reason, not within themselves, of why their business was where it was, but they were looking for finger pointing, and someone. And I became that person. Don't like Angela, the leader. Don't know what we. You know, so I'm like, maybe me stepping in wasn't the right idea, you know, because how do you know? Right? So I struggled with that for a while, but it is what it is. Like, you just push forward, and it's like those agents that wanted my help, like, leaned in, and I just gravitated to the individuals who wanted me here, who appreciated what I have to offer, the background, the experience. And now it's amazing, you know? But I think we all have those times in our careers, in our lives, that we second guess, and it's like, faith over fear.

Angela Decker [00:43:26]:
Like, God put me here, if I can say that. But, you know, I'm here, and it is what it is, and it's great, and it's awesome now, but there's definitely been, you know, times that I've second guessed it, but not anymore.

Dan Stewart  [00:43:40]:
Yeah. I got to thank you for sharing that, Angela, really. Because the more we open up, the more we share about ourselves. Life is hard, right? We're all going to experience moments of extraordinary pain, of self doubt, of internal conflict, crisis, external influences. Let's not just say, oh, everything's always sweet and rosy in this world. It just isn't. It's not. And yet, the more that we get transparent about that, the more we share it, the more we make it safe for other people to learn from that experience.

Dan Stewart  [00:44:14]:
And one of the things that you just shared, I want to amplify here for a moment, is that sense of, did I make the right choice in becoming a broker owner? Because all across the country right now, there are thousands of people who feel just the same way. Maybe they're broker owners. Maybe they took the step to start a team. One of the most common points of failure in real estate is that talented agent who gets just as busy as they can imagine being, and it seems like the next logical step for them is to start a team. And then two years later, they're worn out. They've worked harder than ever. They've spent more than ever, and they're like, what the heck did I do? I'm going back to being an agent. Right.

Dan Stewart  [00:45:01]:
So I've always felt like there are some really clear growth plateaus in the industry, and. And it's not enough just to have the title or the position. We must attain the internal personal growth that goes along with it. So I want to ask you specifically, you know, can you recall that moment where you were like, okay, I'm in it. I'm committed. I'm going to quiet that internal voice. I'm going to stay focused on what needs to be done. Does anything stand out for you, thinking back to that time for me? Mm hmm.

Angela Decker [00:45:35]:
Yeah. I mean, absolutely. I mean, we. The market had shifted, you know, rates had gone up, production for agents were down, and we had a couple different agents that had left, and it was creating all this chaos and all this drama, you know, and all these questions. I mean, we both, like, just sat and kind of, like, how do we get ahead of this, you know? And we knew it wasn't us. Right. We were doing all the things that we could. But when you feel like you get in this mode of playing defense, it's kind of like, how do you shift and go to offense? And we did, you know, and so we, you know, kind of started diving back into the foundation, working on comp plans, working on other things to help go from being on the defensive to the offensive.

Angela Decker [00:46:17]:
But it would have been, you know, back in 21. I mean, I became broker owner in 21 in the beginning of the year, and so that those first six or eight months was really, for me, was really challenging. I don't know how much everybody around here knew, but. Yeah, so.

Dan Stewart  [00:46:33]:
Yeah.

Angela Decker [00:46:33]:
Yeah.

John Mangas  [00:46:34]:
Well, strange thing, Dan. Momentum can work for you or against you.

Angela Decker [00:46:39]:
Yeah.

John Mangas  [00:46:39]:
And, boy, when momentum is working against you, it's a bugger to reverse it.

Angela Decker [00:46:46]:
Yeah.

John Mangas  [00:46:46]:
But I give her a lot of props for digging down, digging deep, leaning into that grit, and finding a path forward through.

Dan Stewart  [00:46:54]:
Yeah. Well, gosh, so far, this. This is probably my favorite conversation. You know, when. When we spend time together like we do every year, I feel so privileged you invite me out to speak at your brokerage. It's a wonderful thing to get to spend time with you and see so many of the same people year after year after year. We rarely have time in that environment to create these kind of, you know, heart to heart moments. And that.

Dan Stewart  [00:47:26]:
That's really what this podcast is for. Right. We want to have this environment where people all across the country, whatever brand they're with, whatever it is that they're facing. Like, you've got to take heart in the fact that whatever it is that we're working to overcome internally, someone else has already overcome that thing. And I firmly believe that the way to get through whatever it is we're going through is with the help of other people. So I just. I want to invite our audience, who might feel like there's part of your story that they want to explore a little further to reach out to you. What would be the best way to do that? How can.

Dan Stewart  [00:48:04]:
How can our folks get in touch with you?

Angela Decker [00:48:06]:
Cell phone, email, whatever's. Whatever's easiest. I feel like you can find us everywhere online.

John Mangas  [00:48:11]:
All you have to do is go to Google. Google either of our names with Toledo behind it, and we'll bubble right to the top.

Dan Stewart  [00:48:17]:
It will be there.

John Mangas  [00:48:17]:
Yeah.

Dan Stewart  [00:48:18]:
Awesome. Well, thank you both for your time today. I really appreciate it, and I love you both sincerely. I can't wait to be face to face again whenever that next event will be.

John Mangas  [00:48:29]:
Orlando. Oh, oh.

Dan Stewart  [00:48:32]:
Oh, my God. It's almost here. That's right. September 19 and 20th. Yes.

Angela Decker [00:48:36]:
Yes.

Dan Stewart  [00:48:36]:
We will be together at the Rosen Shingle Creek. I was just there. Florida association realtors was there.

John Mangas  [00:48:43]:
Yeah.

Dan Stewart  [00:48:44]:
And it'll be good to be back.

Angela Decker [00:48:46]:
Yeah.

Dan Stewart  [00:48:47]:
First round is on me.

John Mangas  [00:48:49]:
We'll hold you to that.

Dan Stewart  [00:48:50]:
Okay. Excellent. All right, have a great day, everybody.