Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Bergen County
Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Ep. # 81 How a Marketer Became a Top Realtor in Bergen County
Dive into a captivating exploration of the journey from advertising to real estate success with Roger Tashjian of the Bergen Realty Team. As we unravel Roger's unique path, he shares how he transitioned from a flourishing career in advertising during the COVID-19 pandemic to become a prominent realtor in Bergen County. His rich experience in marketing has not only shaped his success but also provides essential insights for anyone navigating the competitive real estate landscape.
Join us as we discuss real estate dynamics, especially the significant shifts observed in the market during and after the COVID-19 crisis. Roger sheds light on the challenges faced and how building robust client relationships has consistently propelled his success. Through his story, you'll uncover the importance of brand building and effective marketing strategies that go beyond mere sales tactics, focusing instead on emotional connections and long-lasting partnerships.
This episode is packed with actionable insights for aspiring realtors and seasoned professionals alike. You'll learn how the right approach can elevate your brand and set you apart in a crowded marketplace. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that offers valuable lessons on resilience, adaptability, and the true meaning of client-centered service. Don’t miss out—subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the podcast!
Bergen Realty Team
Roger Tashjian
700 Kinderkamack Road Suite 106
Oradell, NJ 07649
(201) 345-7300
info@bergenrealtyteam.com
bergenrealtyteam.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast brought to you by the Bergen Neighbors Media Group. It is the Good Neighbor Podcast from Bergen County, not to be confused with Good Neighbor from some other part in the country. So we are coming to you live from Bergen County and I am here today with the Bergen Realty Team. Well, one of the dynamic players of this group, it's Roger Tashjian. Roger, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3:Nice to see you, Doug. Good morning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good morning. So you are, you know, if you, I mean, you're called the Bergen County Realty Team and which means obviously you guys focus on a lot of homes in Bergen County and, I'm sure, a little bit outside of Bergen perhaps. But so tell me, how long have you been in the business and, like, what got you in, you know, to, you know, become a realtor? What was it? At what point in your life did you say you know, I want to get into this business?
Speaker 3:No problem. So just a little clarity. Um, while we still use the name Bergen Realty Team, uh, Kelly and I are a part of the Stacey Esser group.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:One of the largest uh real estate transaction uh teams in Bergen County so while we function as a team within a team.
Speaker 3:We still roll up to the Stacey Esther group, but I've been a realtor now for five years, a little over five years Kelly's actually coming up to 25 years in real estate and so but I got into it around COVID For a little over 20 years I owned one of the largest ad agencies in New Jersey and when COVID came around, I kind of used that as my exit strategy, that I was getting ready to hang it up from the advertising business and Kelly had been a client of mine and kept saying Roger, you need to get your license, you need to get your license. And I ended up getting my real estate license and so much for retiring into the sunset. You know we have been on an amazing road for five years and you know I tell this story very often. You know, when Friday came around, you know when I was in the advertising business, you closed your door and you didn't think about it again until you opened your door Monday morning. Well, in real estate that's not the case.
Speaker 3:Yeah, when you're off, we're on. So you know we work Monday to Friday regular schedules prepping all of our real estate, and that includes going out showing houses and working into the night to show houses.
Speaker 2:But on.
Speaker 3:Saturday and Sunday. Come around, you know we're seven days a week. Come around, you know we're seven days a week, so we manage and you know. Again, something I have said is I've never worked harder than I do in real estate. I've launched a lot of businesses in my life and it's just unbelievable. You know how busy we are and what it is.
Speaker 2:So what other businesses did you own, aside from an ad? And where was that ad agency? Was it in Manhattan?
Speaker 3:No, it was actually out of New Jersey, it was 201 Marketing. It still actually exists, but it's a much smaller version of what it was. I'm really just handling legacy clients and referrals, and I worked for CBS radio for years. I worked for Razor and Tie Media, which, if you have kids and you know, kids Bop that was actually produced by Razor and Tie Media.
Speaker 2:I used to work. Well, I used to work for CBS, Sony Music, and then I worked at Nickelodeon, oh so were you in 1515 Broadway. Yeah, I was in 1515 and 1540.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was in 1515 Broadway for years.
Speaker 2:Oh, I was there from 2004 to 2017.
Speaker 3:Now you're making me think about when I was there.
Speaker 2:But I remember Razor and Tie. I know the name.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and of course.
Speaker 2:CBS Radio. I used to deliver mail to all the offices at BlackRock.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I was on. I think we were the 40th. 44 was the executive offices right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I used to deliver mail to William Paley.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I was at at that time. I was at CBS FM.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah.
Speaker 3:I thought that was like on the teens, like the 15th four.
Speaker 2:No, no we were in, I think the 30s, I think we were yeah, yeah and actually yeah, the teens the teens was actually epic records and I think columbia records were like 12 it was a great place to work you know location of 1515 broadway and oh yeah, when you yeah, at 1515 I was talking about cbs back in the day, but yeah, okay, yeah, um, yes, all right.
Speaker 2:So now it's interesting because I know people that got into the real estate business. You know, had they not owned their own business, if you were, somebody just collected a check and punched a clock from nine to five. You know, being a realtor is your commission only and you know, it's kind of like when I went out on my own, it's you eat what you kill and if you don't put the work in, you're not going to reap the benefits. But the other thing about when you started was that what I found during COVID because I was in this business since 2017, 18, was that, I thought, was that I found realtors who had been in the business and established and had a brand. They're the ones who really profited.
Speaker 2:Well, once the shock of COVID wore off, so by June of 2020, when the market started to really heat up, the people that had built a business and a brand. They're the ones who took advantage of the influx of people moving to the suburbs. For you to start at that time and to have success, I think was rare, because that was when a lot of people were getting out.
Speaker 3:Correct and, ironically, june of 2020 is when I got my license. I was in the first class that the state allowed to do an online class, and so as soon as that class ended, I actually had to go to New York to get my licensing, because you couldn't do it in New Jersey. And what I'll tell you is that since I've gotten my license, every year I have been a minimum of a gold level realtor. So what is that? 500 what's of a gold level realtor?
Speaker 2:So wow, so what is that 500?
Speaker 3:What's what's gold level 5 million, uh uh 12 million, and then I've been platinum two years, which is 20 million, wow. So, like I said, you know we have been just peddled to the metal, and nonstop, you know, 24-7 real estate.
Speaker 2:So let's dig into that. Why is that? Why are you guys peddled to the metal nonstop when so many? Now, okay, we had COVID, but I spoke to a guy the other day actually yesterday a realtor in Wyckoff who said that he'd go back to the COVID times, or even actually no, he'd go back to 2008, the financial crisis. He'd rather have that than what we're experiencing now in real estate with the low inventory, because 2008 was a shock to a lot of people who were over leveraged. That also meant that a lot of people who are over leveraged. Of course, that also meant that a lot of, a lot of inventory went on the market and there was a lot of buying opportunities for people who had money. But now you know. So that's why he's saying he'd rather go back to 2008 than have 2024.
Speaker 3:You know I can't speak to 2008. I was buying a house at that time and it was still a crazy time and um. But you know, I only know the COVID and post-COVID real estate world and you know, in our case I can say it's about building, you know, structure and systems and marketing and the branding, and you know it's something that we focus on and I think that's one of our competitive advantages. You know, obviously, me with a marketing background. We've been able to build our brand and it resonates.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I was going to ask you, with your marketing and advertising background, how you've been able to use that knowledge and leverage it into building a brand, because I think a lot of people, especially in your business. There's thousands of realtors no-transcript.
Speaker 3:So you have to be hitting them from multiple positions, multiple angles, and that's why social media, direct mail, postcards, follow-up text messaging, maybe even hyperlocal magazines.
Speaker 2:That might be a good little self-promotion there. But no, it's interesting because it's not just real estate, it's basically any business.
Speaker 3:Of course, like I said, that's the marketing world.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you don't know. Like what you just said, like I read a statistic that like 80 to 90% of the time we as consumers see an ad, we're not in the market for whatever that person's pitching.
Speaker 3:But consumers see an ad, we're not in the market for whatever that person's pitching, but you don't see the ad right, but you want to. But you want to be in front of them when they are in the market, when they are ready. The average consumer gets 2,500 marketing messages a day?
Speaker 3:oh, I read it's between 4,000 to 10,000 it may, maybe it's gone up, but if you think about it you wake up. You use your kohler toilet, your crest toothpaste, your Irish spring soap. Those are all subtle messages. You know Irish spring, that color green. The second, you see a bar of soap, even though the name's been worn off. You know it's Irish spring. That's a subtle marketing message every single day.
Speaker 3:And so this morning my wife says to me and I use this as an example hey, roger, we need to get a new rug. Well, yesterday I didn't see a single rug ad. Today, because I'm on for rugs- I see the hundreds of billboards and the radio commercials and 1-800 carpets and floor decor, and you know. But tomorrow, once we've bought it, I'm off on rugs again.
Speaker 2:So I don't see any of those ads again right, meaning there you're getting an impression it's being served in front of you but it's not registering, correct? You're not really paying attention to it. Yeah, that's that's interesting. So now you guys, obviously your team with stacy she's based in tenafly yeah but you guys kind of focus on the umdale school district in some ways Orodell, river Edge, maybe a little bit of Emerson as well.
Speaker 3:We call Orodell River Edge Emerson our hub Now our office actually is located within Orodell, so we actually have a physical office in.
Speaker 2:Orodell.
Speaker 3:I'm born and raised. I'm going to be 59 next month. I've lived 59 years in Orodell. I'm born and raised. You know, I'm going to be 59 next month. I've lived 59 years in Oredell. I raised my kids here. When you know, we're all products of Oredell public school and Riverdale et cetera. Kelly has raised her kids in Oredell, also Oredell public in Riverdale, and we're very well vested in the community. I mean, I'm a 10-year councilman in Ordell. And so you know while that's our hub.
Speaker 3:You know we serve the entire state from the shore up into New York. I have a New York license and so you know we'll do deals in New York, because there are people who come to New Jersey or leave New Jersey to go to New York, and so we're able to be one-stop shopping for them. And so our entire team not everybody has New York licenses but our team of agents will serve you wherever you need to be served.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great. But what you know, what you're saying, though, like what we found with and when I say we, I mean me and my wife, but others. You know a lot of realtors. You know they want to get that commission, but what do they bring into the table? What value do they bring anything about?
Speaker 2:Well, we used to care about commuting. Maybe you know, maybe a little bit people care. I mean, if you're on Oredell, you got a train station, river Edge. You know New Milford, but we're not in Milford but River Edge and Oredell. So you know. Or, emerson, you've got knowledge that you know. Some guy or a woman who's got a real estate license may not know. And me, when I'm looking to buy a house, there's more to it than just the bones of the house. You know, if I'm bringing a family in there, I want to know what's the culture like, what are the people like? And, within reason, you can give me that expertise where maybe some people can't. And then you question why am I paying you, this commission, if all you're doing is just showing up and throwing up?
Speaker 3:100% true. And you know, obviously you know, 10 years on council, I know the true inner workings of what's going on in town and my wife is also a third grade teacher in the district, so I can speak to the education crystal clear. And you know, when you add the fact that my two kids, kelly's three kids, have all been products of the system you know, we've lived and breathed it, you know every day in our lives.
Speaker 3:And so you know, and that's one of the reasons why we are, and have been, the number one team in Ordell for five years running right and then, prior to my joining, kelly was the number one agent in ordell for years running wow, wow.
Speaker 2:So you know. With that said, though, um, if somebody came here and said, hey, I saw this listing in closter, like you know what you had said, it's not just those towns you focus on a lot of. You know wherever somebody wants to go, you can help them correct having that.
Speaker 3:You know closters right wants to go you can help them Correct.
Speaker 2:Having that you know, cloister is right next to Hallworth, which is next to Ordell. It's not like you don't know.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, I know a ton of council members and residents and kids I grew up with that live in almost every town. I'll give you a great example. One of the agents on Stacy's team needed help with a commercial property and I do commercial property and it was in South Hackensack and it's an area that's ripe for development.
Speaker 3:Well before we even met with the client, I had already had a conversation with the mayor, who I know well just through my circles and, you know, knew what the town would allow, what we could get away with, and, you know, had a vision for what that development is. And that's about your network and you know so our network goes very deep and far. You know, while Kelly has lived in Ordell for 20 plus years, I mean she grew up in Bergenfield, lived in Dumont, and so you know we have great exposure within Bergen County.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So can you give me an example? You know, let's get into a little storytelling here of a client. I don't mean to put you on the spot, because you know we didn't prepare for this.
Speaker 2:I had some dramatic music playing right now and maybe I could play some music. Give me a second here, I might be able to play something. So we're going to go back now to a family. That was maybe your first year. It's 2021. So you've been in the business for a year and somebody wants to move further from the city because they don't have the community more. Yeah, you have an example of a, you know, maybe a problem somebody was facing. Of course, you don't have to talk about my very first sale. Okay.
Speaker 3:Literally, I am licensed in hand two days and we have an open house in Ordell and I'm as green as they get, but yet I'm a business person. So I have a couple that comes in, wants to move to Orodell and turns out it happens to be a CEO's son of a very large entity within the county and we ended up selling them the house. And from that point on, you know again, one of the things we do is we remain in communication with our clients and I will often say that the closing on the house is just the start of the relationship. And you know cause we stay in communication. And again, as we talked about the octopus and that sale off, my very first weekend in real estate has led me to, I'm going to say, seven transactions at this point.
Speaker 3:You talk about how realtors need to separate themselves from everybody else. One of the things that we do on our team. A bunch of us are certified designers and, and that being said, we're able to offer them our trade discounts on furniture. So, when you buy a house, it's expensive to buy a house, but I'll tell you it's also really expensive to furnish a house. So if we can, you know, separate ourselves and offer you something in return for that. You know it helps justify that when they're paying commissions, that they understand, you know they can get something in return for that.
Speaker 3:And you know we're always looking for opportunities that we can demonstrate our value to clients, and you know anybody can negotiate a contract, but can you bring value? And you know how do you separate yourself from everybody else, and you know that's what we focus on day in and day out. Is you know how do we increase our gap among, let's call it, the number two agent or the number three agent where we serve? You know, because we want to spread that gap. You know we want to be the Tiger Woods versus the Phil Mickelson, and while Phil Mickelson was a great golfer and number two, the spread continued to grow over time, and so that's how we approach what we do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think when you were talking about how that one sell led to maybe seven more transactions, it reminded me of Maya Angelou's famous quote. And I think when you were talking about how that one sell led to maybe seven more transactions, it reminded me of Maya Angelou's famous quote, which was people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. And I think the transactional part if your relationship ends with somebody the minute they sign and you collect your commission check, they're not going to really remember you. Certainly maybe they feel okay, he helped me get this house. But that's a key thing that I think a lot of business people forget because they're so focused on money. But it's how you make people feel that will keep them coming back and give you referrals. So that's a great way around your business.
Speaker 3:Somewhere and the number is about this. I don't know if that's the exact number, but 70% of transactions when they're closed, when the people have to um make another transaction, 70 of the time they won't use the realtor that they used initially because likely they've stayed out of communication. I've had no follow-up and you know, and that again it just goes back to you know, when you close, that's the start of our relationship.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nice, nice. I like that attitude, I like that philosophy. So how do you know, how would people find you? Like? What's the best place to contact you or find you? Are you on Instagram? Obviously, we're everywhere.
Speaker 3:We're not hard to find. To be honest with you, you know you can go to bergenrealteeteam. com, you can call my cell phone 201-925-9229. And we're, like I said, very, very easy to be found.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great. So you had mentioned that you were in the advertising business and on a couple of other businesses. Do you find that all of the things you did in your previous life, in your career, has shaped and formed the way you not only approach a business, but the way you bring your experiences to your relationships with people that you meet today?
Speaker 3:No questions asked, Doug. I mean, I owned my first business when I was 13 years old.
Speaker 2:Wow so.
Speaker 3:I have always.
Speaker 2:You call selling lemonade on the street a business.
Speaker 3:Believe it or not, when I was 13 years old, I owned a business doing buying and selling baseball cards. Oh, very cool it was big when I was a kid.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure, when I was 15 years old.
Speaker 3:I sold my collection for $4,000.
Speaker 2:Wow, this is the early 80s. Little did you know. Honus Wagner was in that collection.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wish. But, in order to buy the original IBM PC.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 3:With five-inch floppy disks and a one-color monitor. And so that was my first, you know, business venture. And and then from there I have just owned business after business, after business, and sprinkled in there there was some corporate experience. I mean, I have my MBA and I did, you know, the corporate thing. And I worked, you know, at a consulting firm and I worked I was the 42nd employee of this little tiny wireless company called T-Mobile. I don't know if you heard of them.
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 3:So you know, but even in my corporate experience, every experience was entrepreneurial. And so you know, I mentioned T-Mobile, I mean, when I was there, that when we left on a Friday, if it was going to rain over the weekend, we actually had to put tarps over our computers because the building was so bad, because we were startup and we put a tarp over our computer so they didn't get wet. And so you know again didn't get wet. And so you know again while it was a corporate experience.
Speaker 3:It was very entrepreneurial world and I ended up becoming the head of sports marketing. Because the CEO said, hey, who wants to negotiate a deal with the Yankees? And I raised my hand and the next thing I know I'm doing deals all over the country for sports marketing. And so I became the head of sports marketing and, you know, lived in that world for years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great, very cool. Roger, this was great. I really appreciate you sharing you know, your knowledge, your background, your passion. I think most importantly is what comes through, and it's been a great talk. We are going to have Chuck just take us out here.
Speaker 3:Thank you, doug, appreciate it, Thank you.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpbergencom. That's gnpbergencom. Go to gnpbergencom. That's gnpbergencom. Or call 201-298-8325.