How Persistence Built A Top 1% Career | Evan Sophir

Everybody wants success.

Very few people are willing to do what it actually takes to earn it.

In this episode of the Gold Coast Podcast, Eric Winegard sits down with Evan Sophir, luxury Realtor at SERHANT, for a conversation about persistence, entrepreneurship, fatherhood, client relationships, branding, and why service, not sales, is what separates the top 1% from everyone else.

Evan shares the story of sending more than 200 emails just to get a few minutes with Ryan Serhant, years before eventually joining the company. What started as persistence became a full-circle moment that changed the trajectory of his career.

But this conversation isn't really about real estate.

It's about building trust.

Serving people at the highest level.

Creating a reputation that speaks louder than marketing ever could.

And becoming the kind of professional people can't stop recommending.

The conversation also takes an unexpected turn into fatherhood, family, mentorship, sports, discipline, and what success actually means once you have people depending on you.

In This Episode:
How 200 emails changed Evan's life
Why service always beats selling
What SERHANT. looks for in top agents
Building a luxury brand through relationships
The future of real estate marketing
Becoming a top 1% Realtor before age 30
Why persistence creates opportunity
Fatherhood and redefining success
Personal branding that actually works
Why trust is your greatest asset

Whether you're in sales, business, real estate, or simply trying to become better at your craft, this conversation is packed with practical lessons that apply far beyond buying and selling homes.

Guest:
Evan Sophir
Luxury Realtor | SERHANT
Instagram: @evansophir

Hosted by:
Eric Winegard
CEO of Rare Blue Moon Marketing

Instagram: @goldcoast_podcast & @ericwinegardofficial

Thank you all for listening in on today's episode of The Gold Coast Podcast!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

But like the Instagram follow. Mm-hmm. Okay. So it's like if somebody if oh jeez Donald Trump. If Donald Trump follows somebody, it's an endorsement. A hundred percent. Right? Yeah. So any of these guys, if they follow you, it's you're making a political statement. A hundred percent. Right? Left or right, whichever way you go, you know? And and uh you can't so but it's funny because on my TikTok, my TikTok is actually has actually has a pretty good little following. It's kind of weird. And uh TikTok, you can't tell who's following you unless you're friends with them. Kind of an interesting feature about TikTok. 100%. I didn't even know that. Yep. So like if you if you look at uh click on I I don't even know what's on the profile. Um it's just so funny. It's just so funny how political social media can be. Yeah, 100%. But you just brought up marketing, so but like, okay, so you see I you see my 57,000 followers, my likes, whatever. Yeah. If I go to, I don't know, who's uh you work for Sirhan, right? Yeah. And have you met Ryan? Yeah, have you met him?

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

I actually met um I met him when I was eight.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

Long story short, I met him like when I was 20. So it's been like a crazy full circle moment for me. Yeah, yeah. Like I like stocked stalked his email address and kind of went crazy with that.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

He's he's a beast.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

Yeah, it's just really, really cool. Like I said, it was like super full circle moment because I went from like begging in the emails to get two minutes to and now now seeing the biggest deal of my life with them. Wow. So wow, it's been really cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:41

Unpack that. What what did you want from him in that email? What was the two-minute pitch about?

SPEAKER_02 1:45

Yeah, so I got my real estate license when I was 18. And big reason why was I saw a million dollar listing, like, whoa, these guys are slinging $20 million houses in 40 minutes of television. You know what I mean? I love it. So I love it. Of course, you know, I thought it I just thought it was really cool. I've always been, even growing up, so my dad's very entrepreneurial as well. I know you guys reached out to my dad too, and I appreciate you guys reaching, you know, being willing to talk to me.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

And he showed me a million dollar listing, and he's like, I just think something about he's like, you know, I know you've always wanted to help people, you're entrepreneurial as well. He's like, I know you've always wanted to do your own thing separate than my business. He's like, maybe this would be cool. And he sent me a book when I was in college as a freshman, and I hate reading. Like, I don't read at all. I this book by Josh Altman, another one of the million dollar listing guys. Like, yeah, yeah. He went to Syracuse. Yes, it's I just remembered that.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

And I read it in like a a week, the first week of school in my dorm room. And I literally just started calling real estate companies asking to intern there. And they ended up going in and a t-shirt, basketball shoes. I was 18, didn't own dress clothes, anything.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

And um, you know, I'm almost 29 now. So I've been doing this, you know. Again, I know I'm young in this profession, but I have a ton of experience because I've been doing this every single day for almost 11 years.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 3:05

And the story with Ryan was again, I probably sent him over 200 emails over like a year period, not in one day. Over like a year period, you know, 19-year-old uh got right licensed because of you, same subject line, probably every day.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

Eventually, his assistant gave me like a pity response, probably, of like, hey, we can give you three minutes, lol. If you can come to New York next week, either there's a three-minute opening or something crazy like that. Ended up going to New York, just flying in myself. My sister lives in New York, she was going to school there at the time. Uh, stayed with her and met Ryan on the side of the street, and they gave me like 10 minutes. So I was happy. Um, and then from there, it was just like again, this crazy full circle moment for me because now um about a year ago I was introduced to Christian Prackis, who basically is Ryan's right hand in Florida, so he's the managing partner for all of the Florida Sirhand offices. He started talking to me about a year ago, and then when my contract was up at my old brokerage, uh, this was the only choice for sure. So again, a crazy full circle moment for me to have been begging to get three minutes to then being recruited by the company. So it was, you know, it's something that's just like really special for me.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Yeah, and I love, I mean, what a story of persistence. Yeah. I love it. Like, like how do you in sales, right? How do you how do you tow the line between being persistent, not persistent enough, too persistent, right? Because you don't want to, you know, tarnish a name by being too persistent, but then you might not get what you want if you don't send 200 fucking emails, excuse my language. Yeah, yeah. You know, it might take 200 emails.

SPEAKER_02 4:41

I mean, yeah, in all honesty, like it's like I could have sent a hundred emails as a kid. You know, you'd think, oh, maybe they'll there's a chance they'll respond to me. And I mean, they didn't. It took 200, you know. So for me, it's always I've always kind of been good at towing that line between like being very persistent, but also, at least I would like to say, like having like zero problems with anybody, you know, like every time I'm ever able to get in front of somebody, it's like I'm always able to diffuse, like, oh, I'm sorry you thought I was persistent. Here's where I was coming from. And I've always been good at like making those, you know, almost like apologizing for my persistence. Yeah, no, it's great. Because people know I'm genuine. So it was, you know, it was just real. You know, I was just a young kid inspired by him, and I just thought it was worth a shot. So he respected that. Like, I remember even asking him after, like when I was 20. I'm like, is there any chance like I could intern here this summer? Like, is that even like if you don't, it's I understand. You know, I appreciate you giving me nine minutes or whatever it was. And he's like, Yeah, I mean for sure. And also, like, you have our email. So again, it's like if I didn't do it, like I had an opportunity to intern there in New York City as a 20-year-old. And I wouldn't have had that, you know, if I didn't go crazy in the emails. Oh, yeah. Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

I've met a couple people that that know him. I'd I'd love to meet him someday. He um do you know Justin Colby?

SPEAKER_01 5:57

No.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Real estate guy down in I think he's I don't know if they're buddies, but I think but I think so. I think they're on a personal level. But um there's I also met there was this I think I think this is where I met this guy. I invested into this company and you know, they did their what do you call it, the seed round or whatever it's called? I don't know. So I put some money. Yeah. So I put some money into this company, and this company had a dinner for its like top investors or whatever it was, and I met a really nice guy there who I believe is your CTO. Coyne? Yes, Ryan Coyne. That dude is awesome. Yeah, he's amazing. I sat right next to him. Yeah, sat right next to him, told me who he was, and yeah, dude, you want to talk about just an awesome night of dinner? Yeah, we've messaged back and forth here and there over the past couple years, but nothing is like materialized in terms of business. I don't I don't really care. He's just he's an awesome dude. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:55

He's definitely a cool dude. Like next level genius, for sure. Yeah, yeah, he's very important to all the agents for sure.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Yeah, I think now how many agents are in Sir Hand? Now, is the name of the firm Sir Hant?

SPEAKER_02 7:07

Sir Hand, yeah. Sir Hand, okay. It's like uh I think the technical name is like Sir Hant in all capitals with a period. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

But that's gangster.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Yeah, so I we're in like 16 states now. Wow. Actually just opened up in California uh last week, I think in Orange County, Newport Beach, and then like Beverly Hills, Los Angeles area. Yeah. Uh and from from this may be changing every second now, but from what I understand, there was like between 1,500 to 2,000 agents in the company. Wow. So for someone who doesn't understand the real estate business, that may sound like a lot of agents. That is literally like ants compared to the majority of firms out there. To give you an example, the the brokerage I worked for last had like 4,500 agents in just South Florida. So there are companies, the big companies have tens and tens and tens and hundreds of thousands of agents across the world. We have less than 2,000. Um and Sir Hant did $3 billion of production in quarter one of this year. The Palm Beach County offices, so the offices I'm a part of in Palm Beach County did almost $2 billion in 2025. So Sir Hant's the number one brokerage in Delray Beach, for instance, and we've only been in Delray Beach for not even three years.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Are you kidding me? They're the top dog in Delray Beach right now.

SPEAKER_02 8:20

Yep. So it's uh it's really incredible for sure to have something that's like a real strength in numbers, not from a perspective of like quantity, but of quality. Because something most people in our industry know as well is that you can't really be in Sirhan if you're not producing more than a certain echelon. So it's a great so it's a great respect, you know, we have throughout the industry, you know, because everyone, other agents will know, okay, you know, it's a realtor who really knows what they're doing here. You know, it's no no amateurs or anything like that, or anyone who's like really in that phase, it really has to be people who have like a proven track record, which is again flattering for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

So what so can you tell me what those standards are?

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Is that open knowledge or is it yeah, I think it's like you you really should be producing more than $10 million per year. Um to be interviewed, yeah. So like you have to kind of be in like that top one percent in the country echelon to be interviewed. And then this is not my words, this is Ryan, Christian have talked about this on videos. This is not me just paraphrasing it or saying it, but you know, it's they're also very selective. I know that for a fact as well. Like you really outside of production, correct. Like if you produ just because you produce that mount does not mean they're going to welcome you with open arms or does not mean you can work at the brokerage. It really has to be like a culture fit more than anything. Like there's agents that you know don't do as much production-wise, but are a wonderful culture fit, and they will have the spot over someone who isn't.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

How would you describe the culture at Surhant?

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Extremely collaborative. Like, for instance, um so for me, I was really an agent that always worked by myself. I was never a part of a team. I was really like self-taught to to a big degree, which was great, but also very difficult. Um being part of Surhant now for the past not even seven months, I've done more co-listings being at Surhant than I have in my entire career. So for instance, it's something where I and it's great because again, the agents are so high quality that if I need an assistance in another city that I don't cover, even in another state, I know I have the pick it's like who do I want to select? Not who can I select. So it's like it's very um, it's really great for my clients because they know that whether it's me, someone in another state, someone in another county, like they're having top people help them, and everyone wants to do it, like not only just for business, but also like just personally. So it's really, really fun.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Yes, yeah, no, I I love that. I think uh no, I'm really I'm really impressed. I don't I don't know much about the firm. I I uh Yeah, you know, I obviously I know I know Sir Hans' name. I remember I used to watch Million Dollar Listing with my girlfriend, you know. And uh so who was it Frederick that was on there too? Yeah, did I get that right? Okay, New York.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

Yeah, the same show as Ryan.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Okay, and then who else was on that?

SPEAKER_02 11:13

So uh they were the stars, right? Yeah, and there was uh Luis and there was a Brazilian or something, right? The shorter Yeah, and then there was uh Steve. Steve Gold was also an agent that was on the show as well.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Okay, so then the guy the guy's book that you read is a California-based guy.

SPEAKER_02 11:31

Right, right. But that was like my right. So he was the first way I got introduced to real estate. But then, you know, I started watching all the million dollar listing shows. And I mean, Ryan has a very special brand, you know, in connection, I think, with people. You know, plus, you know, I took all those all the courses he did, and you know, I'm still like something else they do is they offer coaching to all the realtors. If you choose, it's not forced or anything, but you can also choose to be a part of their coaching program. It's called sell it, like even like sellit.com. And basically there's like top branded professionals who are other realtors who are with Sirhan, not with Sirhan, just top realtors in the space, or even like top brand ambassadors, you know, marketing CEOs in the space who are available to they pair you with one who would be the best fit for you. And then you could do weekly, bi-weekly, monthly coaching with them as well for your business, and that's also something I do. So that's just another great service that they offer to the agents.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

Yeah. Oh wow. So they so they take it sounds like they take the elite of the elite, yeah, take people that are team players, and then they give them even more training. Right. And that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

Yeah, it's really cool because like they really pour everything into the agent to empower the agent as much as possible, which is really great. So for me, you know, I've been there for um a little less than seven months, I'd say, and it's been like a complete, a complete game changer for me for my business. Um, it's it's been like I can't say enough.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Yeah, it's no, you're you're very I could tell you're very you're very grateful. So how did you very grateful? Let's talk about you a little bit. How how did you how in the hell did you become a top one percent agent in the first place? Yeah. As a 20 uh you're probably 28, 27, like yeah, like before you came to this company. How how'd you even accomplish that in the first place?

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Yeah, um, again, I think for me, I was like always just extremely inspired by my dad. Um, you know, my dad is someone where I always wanted to be like eye to eye, you know, with him. Like I it for me, it never made me like shy away from everything, anything. It always made me be like, well, my dad can do it. I I want to prove myself as well. So for me, the honestly, probably the biggest reason is my dad inspiring me. Um and I wanted to do my own business though, because I never wanted to be like under a shadow or anything like that. So I was like, no, like I want to just be Evan, you know? Um, and I've been able to do that. So like that's something I'm like extremely proud of. But how was I really able to be in a top top 1% realtor? I think was just over-delivering for clients. Like that was my edge. So, for instance, who the heck? I don't even know if I would buy a house with someone who's 20 who hasn't even bought a house themselves. Right? Like I was weird, like I was in real estate school and they're like, you know, this is a deed and title. I have no idea what these words mean, you know. Now it's like second nature, obviously. But for me, I was like, okay, I don't have the experience, I don't have the portfolio, I don't have the age, I don't have the similarities with most of my clients, because not really any other 20-year-olds are buying expensive houses that I grew up with, right? At the time. Um, so I knew I had a feeling that my edge was if I can land a client, which was like the Super Bowl, if I can actually get a client, like there's they would say, like, okay, Evan, like there's nothing Evan wouldn't do for me. Like, if Evan had to move in, he would move in, you know, type thing. And I was like, okay, if I can do that type of service, like concierge level, red carpet level service for every single client. Over I I just there's no way when a family member or friend asks them who they use, there's no way they wouldn't talk about me with like a huge smile. And that's exactly how I built my business is just giving incredible service that no other realtor was gonna do, especially the ones that were way too established, like what you know, they're not spending the amount of time and effort with somebody, nor do they probably care, nor did they care to, you know. So for me, I think my clients saw like this was everything to me, not just another number. And I still do that, so regardless of price point. So that was how um it took you know a couple years, and then I really started getting in this consistent sales volume, you know, year after year, and then built myself up from there. But that was um human connection. That's the answer.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

So, and I'm asking you certain questions to try to get like a nice viral response for you. You you can't say both. Right, right. Okay, what I'm gonna I'm gonna ask you a question, okay?

SPEAKER_02 15:53

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

To be a 1% realtor, yeah, which is more important? Your ability to sell or the ability to serve?

SPEAKER_02 16:04

Um, 100%. Like that's me from the heart. The ability to serve. Because I think when you truly do serve your clients, I think sale comes. Sell, selling, sales come from there, at least in my experience.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Yeah, it gets easy, right? 100% client experience. I I I hammer my company. We're well north of eight figures. I don't I don't like you know telling people too much, but we're we're slaying, right? And our growth is uh, you know, we have a Fortune 500 contract. I think I think that number could 10x like you like this, right? I believe we're great at sales, but it's dude, it's that client experience. Yeah, that client experience is everything because that's what people are gonna talk about. And they're gonna continue to do business with you, yeah, they're gonna refer you, they're gonna buy more stuff. They're they're gonna emphatically refer you. That's what it is. Emphatically refer you. 1000%.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

1,000%. Like I years ago, I started like a Google My Business page. Yeah, a lot of people don't have one. A lot of realtors, you mean? A lot of realtors don't have one, right? Yeah. So, you know, now it's like I have like 85-star reviews or something. I've never gotten a bad review, and that's something I take like so seriously. I always check if there's like a spam comment or something. Yeah, but like that's what I'm like super proud of, you know, for sure. Just that I've never gotten like anything but a really glowing review, to my knowledge. Yeah. So that's like probably what I'm most proud of, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Yeah, good for you. Thank you. Yeah, so so what's um so where what area of South Florida do you focus your your transactions on, your business on?

SPEAKER_02 17:42

Sure. Palm Beach County. So mainly Book Ratone, Dalry Beach, West Palm Beach um range. And you know, if it makes sense, I could always venture a little bit south or a little bit north, but I really specialize in Palm Beach County. I'm born and raised in Palm Beach County and Boca. Oh, you know, okay. So I grew up in this area. I know it like the back of my hand. I have every single place for a client, you know, those like if you know, you know type places. Yeah. Whether it's restaurants, things to do, shops, like anyone from out of state, like I could walk them through this whole area with my eyes closed. So um, those are the areas I specialize in.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

I I love so I moved down here six years ago. From where? Uh Rochester, New York. Okay. So uh can Canada basically. Yeah, yeah. But um, it would be it would take to get me out of Boca, maybe Del Ray, you could slide me in there, but I prefer Boca. Okay. I I don't think there's a better place to live in this country. That's me. I'm obsessed. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, you gotta, you know, it it's hard to work at Best Buy and live in Boca just to and I'm which is a problem unto itself, for sure. But I love I love this community. Obviously, you do too.

SPEAKER_02 18:51

A hundred percent, yeah. Um my wife's side's from Long Island, so I love like upstate, New York, East, etc. But um, yeah, but I'm you know, I'm not used to snow, I've never lived in it, so I don't think I could do it. I I wouldn't last.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

No, no, snow is uh that was one of my I'm I'm old I'm a lot older. Not a lot older. No, I am, I'm old. I'll be 46 of June. And uh so I'm I have arthritic shoulders, arthritic knees. Okay. My body physically does not do good in the cold. Like I hurt in the cold. Interesting. So getting getting to this, I feel I feel lathered up and loose. You're like alive. Yeah? That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

That's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

I I love Boca. I think um, you know, do you ever venture? You don't go down to Fort Lauderdale, you do you not go to Deerfield?

SPEAKER_02 19:38

So actually, like one of the biggest sales I've ever done was in Fort Lauderdale just the top of this year for um about six million dollars, um, like right near Los Olas.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

Cool.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

And Fort Lauderdale, again, super familiar and happy to work in Broward as well.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:51

So yeah, venture there for sure. I actually am building a new, we're building a new home. We're closing next week, actually. Um we built from scratch in the Boynton area. Uh we live in Del Rey currently. So even if it's Martin County, north south within Palm Beach County, I just super familiar with it all. Fort Lauderdale, etc.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Yeah, yeah. How would you describe to somebody watching this? What's the difference? I'll give you an example. So I have a gentleman, he asked me, he said, Eric, you know, I'm I'm relocating from Vancouver to South Florida. Right. And he said, I'm looking at Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale. Okay. And he's you know, he's wealthy. Yeah. And you know, he can afford a $10 million home or so. I go, he I go, well, I got I try to explain him to the diff the differences. Yeah. How would you describe to someone of that net worth the difference between buying in East Fort Lauderdale and East Boca?

SPEAKER_02 20:44

I would say Fort Lauderdale is more eclectic, Boca's more refined. Okay my words. Um, I would say East Fort Lauderdale, you're gonna get a busy atmosphere, fun atmosphere for sure. Yeah, um, you know, very um I would say if he wants to live on the water, it's a great place to be for sure. I would say if like lifestyle is super important as far as like fitness, um, shops, restaurants, lifestyle, I would say maybe East Boca might be a better fit. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I mean both great fun places, but Boca probably a little bit more, like I said, refined. Fort Lauderdale is like more eclectic.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Yeah. What's your favorite restaurant in Delway Beach?

SPEAKER_02 21:26

I we really my daughter's favorite restaurant, I'll say that, and or I can then I'll give mine. My daughter's favorite restaurant in Delway Beach lately is this one not so far from our house called Woodfire Pizza. So nothing super fancy, but like it's just she goes crazy with the pizza there. Uh my wife and I I would say like on Atlantic Ave, we love like the office. Um we love Capow on Atlantic Ave as well. Love Capow, yeah. Yeah, so it's just a cool fun place. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot to lot to choose from for sure. For sure.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Have you ever been to the Grove in Delray Beach?

SPEAKER_02 21:58

Yeah, like pineapple grove area. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

No, there's actually a restaurant called The Grove.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

No, look at that. I'm a Delray local and I haven't even been there.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

Really? No. You know what's interesting about that? Oh wow. I feel I feel almost more local than that. Yeah, so it's right down by um you know where Lulu's is? Yeah, yeah. It touches Lulu's. Oh, okay, cool. So it's the next spot, right? I think it's the very next uh facility. No, it's the same building, but uh very next restaurant right next door, and dude, it's awesome. American cuisine. You know, it's the Grove. The Grove. Dude, it's such a Yeah. Yeah, you probably don't want to get in trouble with all your uh friends and stuff that own restaurants, but but you know, dude, are you kidding me? Dude, take the you got a wife, you're married? Yeah, yeah. Dude, take the wife to the grove.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Ten out of ten. The grove, okay. Yeah, ten out of ten. I love it. I will. I saw next parents' night out. Do it.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

Yeah, it's a small, I don't want to say smaller, but yeah, it's it's certainly not as big as like uh City Oyster, like that's a place.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

Yeah, 100%. 100%. But no, we love a lot of spots in Boca too. Just again, because I grew up in Boca. So I mean again, you probably know of a lot of them too, not too far from where we're sitting. There's Mateo's, right, or Chittoria Romana, or some of the steakhouses, all those are really good, obviously.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

I actually haven't been to Mateo's. Where's Mateo's?

SPEAKER_02 23:13

Mateo's, yeah. It's right off um it's right off Federal, right not far from here. Not far from here? Not far from like not far at all. It's like family style Italian. If you like Italian food, you'll be able to. Really? I'm gonna write this down as you're Mateo's from a boca. Yeah, it's it's very close. Not far from here at all. Write this down. Yeah. Um I promise. Just take my number and you you can text me what you think.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Okay. I will. No, I definitely will.

SPEAKER_02 23:39

Yeah, we've been there so many times.

SPEAKER_00 23:40

Yeah, so kids or yeah, so I have a daughter. Oh, that's right. You said you had a daughter. Yeah, yeah. Pizza. You have kids? So I'm having my wife finally, yes. Um my wife is six months pregnant. Congratulations. Yeah, thank you. That's amazing, yeah. Little girl coming. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 23:55

I'm so excited, yeah. Get ready. She's uh, man, yeah. It's like I honestly, it's hard for me to even like talk about her too much without bawling. Yeah, she's uh almost two, and it's the best. Yeah, it's the best. It's uh super special. Olivia. Olivia, yeah, so it's super special. Um but my wife and I also so aside from me getting my real estate license, when I was 18, I also met my wife when we were both 18. So she's been with me through you know, when I was reading the book, I was telling you about calling and doing the internships. So we've been together forever, and uh yeah, it's it's just the best feeling ever.

SPEAKER_00 24:31

Yeah. You're very wholesome. I can tell it's good.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

Appreciate it. It's only someone else told me that same word recently. Someone else said it's someone people are describing me as that recently, so I I love it.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

It's a compliment, dude. Yeah, you know, no, it is. It's um, you know, when I when I was younger, I'm not say I was wholesome, but I was also I don't know, maybe I wasn't wholesome. Maybe I wish I was maybe I always wanted to be wholesome. Yeah, yeah. But I was, you know, I had a tough upbringing, and you know, when I was young, I was making a lot of a lot of dumb decisions, but I'm excited to one of the reasons I get emotional, and I saw I saw the tear in your eye when you started talking about your told you, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we'll unpack that, which is which is a beautiful thing to talk about. Yeah, you know, I'm just excited to be in the place, not just financially, dude, but the place of emotional stability. Yeah. You know, I'm not an alcoholic. I can have a drink, but I'm not an alcoholic. I can have a blast with you. I can have three or four bourbons with you and have a blast. You know, I'm not gonna drive. Um but I'm excited to raise a child in a healthy environment. Not just that she's gonna go to private school, and not just that she'll be able to go to whatever cheerleading camp she wants to, yeah, but that mom and dad have it figured out. Right. Mom and dad aren't fighting, mom and dad are um emotionally stable. I guess I should say mostly dad, because that's the one who's usually Right. Um excited to bring a child into the world and to give her the the best environment possible.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

Well, congratulations. Yeah, amazing, amazing moment for sure.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

It'll be what is it, what is it about your daughter that gets you emotional?

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Oh man, this is like, yeah, you're really putting me on the spot with this. Because if you know me, you know. That's the thing. Um yeah, I think it's like every I think parent would tell me, whether it was my parents or just other people I would meet, I'd be like, you know, second you see your kid, everything's gonna you're probably smiling because you're gonna say everything's gonna change. You it's just you can't describe it. It's like this. You're like, okay, like sounds amazing, but like, you know, you can't, it's just you hear it so much and you're like, okay, I guess it will, you know. And uh I think now I just when people ask me like what's it like, I just say like you have to experience it yourself, you know. But my point is there's a reason though why everyone says those cliche comments, you know, and statements. So same thing for you, and same thing for me is like literally again, it's gonna sound like super cliche, because everyone told me the same thing. I never fully understood. But for me, it was like the second I just was able to make eye contact with my daughter, it was just like boom, like there was this a feeling that you can't describe or replace, you know. It's like um it's an unlimited amount of at least for me, like an unlimited amount of like love and care. Like it's like another it's different, you know, than someone else in your family. Um or if you have love for anybody, it's just a different type of love. So like your heart definitely opens up for me. It was it was crazy.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

Can I let me ask you a question about this eye contact?

SPEAKER_02 27:39

Okay, yeah. All right. Yeah. Are you do you mean like once I saw her and she was looking at me at the same time?

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Oh, so from like birth.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

Boom. Yeah, like I was I I had a leg. Grab a leg, Dad. I'm like, okay, like isn't this what you guys are supposed to be doing? Like I didn't have the the smock, I didn't have anything. It was just like I was in shirt and jeans. Chilling. Yeah, like I was in a shirt and jeans. Like I didn't know I'd have to like Sir hand shirt on. Right. I didn't know I'd have to like do the dirty work, you know, to a degree. So it's like grab a leg, grab my wife's leg, and like, yeah, like I was right, saw the whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Oh, you were you did it from that angle.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:16

I'm not interested in that angle.

SPEAKER_02 28:18

I wasn't either. I didn't know I would have to do it. You know, my wife's like, no, like I want you behind me. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, I don't want you like, you know, I don't want you to see everything. You know, I want you to be behind me and like the picture perfect moments. But yeah, no, everything was happened pretty fast with my wife when they told her to stop start pushing. And like I said, that when I keep saying grab a leg, is they're saying like grab my wife's leg. And uh it was me here, you know, right where you are.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

You grab you grab your so this is you gotta remember.

SPEAKER_02 28:45

Yeah, yeah. Okay. This is also foreign for me. Okay, okay. So even if I'm older than this wife is here, right? One leg there, one leg here. Right, one leg there, one leg here, I have this leg, you right? Doctor, nurse have that leg, right? And then there was a doc the doctor, obviously, in the front, of course. Um, so yeah, I saw the whole thing. And a lot of dads just like for whatever reason, just like in the hospital, they either don't want to, or you know, there's a nurse there, whatever, but everything happened so fast that I was like, I had that experience of seeing everything, you know, my daughter come out. So what I'm saying is when my dad when they did pull my daughter out of there, and uh I just you know, there was a moment where like I just saw like her face, like for the obviously for the first time, of course. And I just saw that she looked at me, and like I said, from there it was like it was like uh sounds so cliche, but it was like it's like electric, you know? It's it's feelings you can't uh replicate for sure.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

No, I can't wait.

SPEAKER_02 29:42

So yeah, now that I drew the picture. What's that? Now that I drew the picture.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

Yeah, no, no, it's a it's uh listen, I'm going I'm going through this myself right now, and you know, it's not like you don't this these aren't things you think about until you until you have a kid, so you know, or your wife gets pregnant. And I've never dealt with another woman being pregnant or anything. I've just I don't know how I scathed by this whole life without doing this, but uh but um yeah one the other thing too, I'd be curious to hear how you felt about this. Yeah, my wife is beautiful, and I always thought that eh maybe when she gets pregnant, you know, maybe there'll be a period I'm not like attracted to her or something. I always you know that's like my primal instincts thinking that I'm so she's six months pregnant and I and I love her belly. I don't think I have a weird fetish about it or anything, but like but I find myself even loving her more and we're still very intimate and right right and and in a weird way the intimacy is then heightened.

SPEAKER_02 30:44

That's awesome, you know.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Yeah, which is a beautiful thing to, you know.

SPEAKER_02 30:49

That's awesome. No, I it's um like I always say this again, like not to sound cliche, but like I don't that the whole woman body, you know, hor just the whole process is like insane. It just doesn't make like sense. I don't care how much science you tell me, it none of it makes sense. Yeah. How there could be two people in one person in one body. I just don't get it. You know, so it's just the whole experience is like the only word I could think of again, not to be cliche or corny, but like it's it's just like a whole magical experience. Like I don't know another word spirit to describe it. Yeah. So I just a little, you know, definitely for sure. And it's just yeah, it's the whole process is unbelievable for sure. Like what I mean, I can never do it. I don't think any man could do it for sure. So it's it's amazing what they could do.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

So uh uh probably the past month or so, roughly, like we started feeling the kicks and stuff, right? And yeah, and now you can feel the kicks getting stronger. Yeah, I felt like I swear in my life I felt like a wave if it isn't already. No, no, not like that yet.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

You'll see, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

Well, I've I physically see her now doing stuff, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

But I swear in my life I think she was going like this. Yeah, like because I felt like too little something.

SPEAKER_02 32:00

Yeah, it's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. Yeah, it's unbelievable, especially you know, and then you see the ultrasound and everything, and it's like she's really that's her. It's crazy. It's in a it's an unbelievable thing.

SPEAKER_00 32:11

Do you do you find do you think that obviously you're very emotional about it in the sense that you know you probably feel like a a God-given duty to take care of this child. Like you said, it was electric. Do you how how are you moving, acting? Is is there anything about you that's behaving differently as as a father?

SPEAKER_02 32:39

I think it's just everything is um yeah, 100%. I think just I'm a lot more uh uh intentional about my time. I think for sure. I think I'm just a lot more uh mentally and emotionally mature. You know, I think that um there's no lacking of inspiration, you know, or motivation at any time. I think it forces you to focus on what's most important, you know, your priorities for sure. And uh as far as like the day-to-day stuff, it's every like a lot of parents I've talked to have said the same thing. Like it's like you almost start you stop caring so much about just stuff that literally has zero importance. Like you realize, like, oh that's not important at all. Like this person was a waste of my time and energy. I I I have no more time to give. I have no more like I have my own baby. I can't have an another baby I'm taking care of. You know what I mean? So you just start like your I think your priorities just become like crystal clear, at least for me. And um, it was just like tunnel vision of what's the most important things for sure. And like I said, for me it was just delegating my time to so I could be able to again, you know, be as intentional as possible for when I'm working and when I'm doing what I need to do, but also making sure like I have certain times with her that are like non-negotiable for me.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

Are you a better realtor because of it?

SPEAKER_02 34:02

I think so. And I, you know, so many people I'm able to help with kids, it's like I'm able just to relate to them on a whole nother level, and I know that that's something they really appreciate. You know, it's it's when you have someone going through the same situation or or s and any part of the simul similarities, there's you know, you can really relate and you can really speak to their experiences, and I know how to help those young families or any family. Yeah. So for that respect, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 34:28

Yeah, I agree. I could see where that helps you because like there's a lot of times my wife pointed this out to me a couple months back. Yeah, you know, you look at some of these. This encouraged me to do the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 34:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 34:39

She goes, She was showing me some like 20, 21-year-old guys, and they're on podcasts talking about stuff. Right. And God bless them, I want go make a trillion dollars. You alright? But she goes, but she she pointed out, she goes, Eric, nobody's listening, nobody cares. They don't have any value to add. Yeah, they don't now they might know a technical thing, but if they sh started if they start trying to talk about life experiences, no one is gonna relate because they haven't been through them. Right. So there is yeah, there is an element to you've done 200 emails on a job, you you know, to to to fly up to New York to go meet Ryan Sirhan to get a job. You um, you know, you persevered your way to become a one percent agent. Now you're you know working for it sounds like the most badass brand there is, which is which is cool. I want to do more of a deep dive on it. 100%. Um, which is which is cool, and I'm excited to to follow your journey as as you keep going. Yeah. To now having a child, yeah. Yeah, you're a grown ass man now.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

Yeah, absolutely. I know it's it's crazy. It's crazy for sure. But for me, it's like anyone who knows me knows like I've been this like I've been weirdly mature for my age since I was a child.

SPEAKER_00 36:00

I could see that.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

You know, so I'm definitely like an old soul, you know, for sure. So for me, it's like I've always felt kind of grown up, but right, but when you say it like that, it's like, man, like I like have my own family now. It's crazy, you know. It's like I have to remind myself like I'm really adulting in the highest level. It's it's really crazy.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

You feel wise beyond your years. Thank you. No, you definitely do. You definitely do. You feel like you're 39.

SPEAKER_02 36:21

It's funny. Someone told me uh not too long ago, like a new client, they're like, I thought you were like 39. I'm like, Well, I'm I it's a compliment, I guess, in my mindset. It's a diss to my looks, I guess. No, no, no, no, no, no, it's older. Like, maybe it's it's you know, the men's makeup of a beard. So that was pretty funny the other day. But everyone usually thinks I'm older. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

But it's not for looks, it's for character in the way you hold yourself. Appreciate it. Um you know, let's talk about your dad a little bit. Are you okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's uh obviously seen like just the way you carry yourself, he must have been a great role model. Appreciate it. Yeah, for sure. Describe your father to me a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 36:58

Yeah, he's uh a one of one person, a one of super unique. Um, you know, and I just the biggest thing for me growing up was I just always had like um he always put into me um working hard and that like you only we don't I mean we don't know this for uh who knows, everyone has different opinion, you know, you you only get one life, right? So just to never spend a second like regretting anything, you know, and just he always used to say um life isn't a dress rehearsal. That's like something he always said, you know, and I just forever reason it just like really um it tr it really just struck a chord in me even when I was a kid. So, you know, I was always just super inspired by him, and you know, I you know said okay, he's the son I want to be, and the friend I want to be, and he's generous, and you know, my dad's an insanely hard worker to this day, too. It's like insane his schedule, but like I never remember one also thing like extracurricular wise I did that he wasn't at. So like somehow he was able to juggle it. I don't know how. So I always, you know, it was always um aspirational for me to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 38:08

How old is your dad?

SPEAKER_02 38:10

Uh 50 almost 57. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:13

Young guy still. So yeah, about 28, I get that, right? Yeah, yeah. 28.

SPEAKER_02 38:17

So like it's just it's weird how it all worked out. Like, I my wife and I were this are the same age that my parents were when they got married. Uh when my parents had me, it's the same age we were, you know, our we are when we had our daughter. It's just like a crazy like mirror image type thing.

SPEAKER_00 38:31

Yeah, no, it's great. Yeah, I I uh I'm just more conscious of family dynamics today. You know, my brain is just changing, you know.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

No, so I you know, I was very um I was very fortunate, you know, for sure. And a lot of people could grow up with that and grow up and go the opposite way. For sure. And be like a bum, right? For sure.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

Nobody's your dad's pretty well off, your dad financially very did his thing. He always did well, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:56

He always did well. And you know, like I said, for me it was more so of like, oh, like I could have been like more of a lazy kid or this or that, but it's like no, like I wanted to do it, but do it my own way. Like it would have been the easiest decision of my life to just go into business with him. Yeah, you know, but I made it one thousand times harder for myself to go into my own business and teach myself everything from 18. Because my dad, yes, is an entrepreneur, but you know, nobody had any real estate experience, which is completely different, you know, they're completely different industries. So again, I completely did my own thing with real estate, and I wanted to be able like to prove to I guess prove to myself, you know, that I could do it on my own too. So that was like super important for me, and that's why I started so young. Was I like I need to prove that I could do it to myself do it for myself.

SPEAKER_00 39:43

We wouldn't be doing your family justice. We didn't ask about mom. What's mom like?

SPEAKER_02 39:47

Yeah, so mom was a stay was spent so much time with us, always stay-at-home mom, and you know, it's something where you know I always talked to my wife, and her mom, you know, worked a little bit, but mostly was always with them, and that's always something that you know my goal is and was to that my wife can work if she wants to, yeah, absolutely, but that she wouldn't ever be forced to or have to financially. Yeah, exactly. So, you know, my daughter's almost two, my wife um isn't is working as a full-time mom, which is literally way harder than what I do. And uh, you know, she can you get to come on podcast. I'm telling you, it's it's you'll see. It's it's it's way harder than what we do. And um, but yeah, so for me, that was always a real goal, you know, seeing my parents' dynamic and everything was you know, I wanted to try to emulate that as best as I can. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 40:39

Good. God bless your parents, dude. Thank you. You know, anytime um there was a um there was a guy I went to high school with, and I and I think it was kind of well documented that his dad he was probably the richest kid in high school, I think. Right. And it was well documented that his dad was very successful. His dad was a very prominent businessman all throughout Rochester, and he has a great brand and and family name. The kind of name that sponsors the hospital, and you have that their name on a wing kind of thing, you know? Yeah, and um, you know, any anytime I hear those stories about and then I look at the child, yeah, I don't think differently of the child. I I think God bless dad. Like dad did his good job, dad. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like, and I think sometimes there's a uh I don't know. Um when you when you come from the background that I have, like I very low socioeconomic, mother was on welfare, never had a father in the picture at all. Like I don't I don't look at a young man or a young girl that that had a more uh better maybe financial opportunity or better stability. I don't look down on them. I just go I just dig deep and think to myself, I I I gotta go be that guy. Right, right, exactly. You know what I'm saying? Exactly. That's how and that's just how I've internalized things my whole life. Like, I gotta go be that guy.

SPEAKER_02 42:05

And that's that's definitely the goal, you know. For sure. For sure. That's definitely the goal. You know, I want to be able to do that like uh like you know, like my parents were able to do for us. I have a little sister too. Um so yeah, I mean that's that's a big goal. And again, I wanted and I want to do it and wanted to do it in my own way in a completely different profession, yeah, where it could just I could have my own complete identity. That was really important for me.

SPEAKER_00 42:29

Your dad sounds like a cool dude. Does he like sports at all?

SPEAKER_02 42:32

No, no, he's not but he did it, but he did, but he did for me. So I love them. I was I was like a sports fanatic, sports freak when I was a kid, and you know, he always hung out with me and did everything I wanted with that, which was great. But he personally did not care.

SPEAKER_00 42:47

No. Okay. He's a businessman, he's too busy doing business.

SPEAKER_02 42:50

Complete entrepreneur brain.

SPEAKER_00 42:52

I love it. Yeah, um, I do like I still like my sports. I do that is my now. Yeah. Like I'm a huge are you a basketball fan at all? Yeah. I'm actually a huge Spurs fan.

SPEAKER_02 43:02

Nice, okay. Yeah, so are you from Texas? Oh no, you're I mean Rochester.

SPEAKER_00 43:05

No, no, I just David Robinson I fell in love with. Do you like the NBA like that? Yeah, of course. Oh, cool. Yeah, yeah. You know, he was just kind of like when I was 10 or 11 years old, I just fell in love with him. And and obviously clinging to that guy, I got lucky because they became this great franchise. Yeah. And then, you know, it's funny because they weren't very good for like the past eight years, but now they're like incredible. Yeah, yeah. And like I'm buzzing about every how could you not be buzzing about Wemby? It's like having a Tom Brady. Or or a Michael Jordan potential. Yeah, yeah. You know, so I'm I'm ex I'm buzzing about it.

SPEAKER_02 43:43

Isn't it crazy that how one you know if you're a real sports fan, you know, one player just gets dropped in a situation and just everything in around it changes. It's crazy. It's greatness. Yeah, I have like this uh I don't unfortunately I don't follow sports in the same capacity I did. Just because you can't really watch too many games at night when When you're with the baby. I get that. But um, so that's been you know, so it's been nice to catch up on things, it's fun, but uh to catch up on it. But yeah, when I was a kid, actually, I was on TV with the Miami Heat like a bunch of times, long story. So I was like a kid broadcaster for the Miami Heat. No way, and I still keep in touch with some of them to this day, like when I was 12 years old, and then again when I was like 18, and they brought me back on when I was like 23. Um, so I had I have this like connection, you know, and love for the Miami Heat because of that for sure.

SPEAKER_00 44:30

Yeah, I now you do have a broadcaster voice, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 44:33

Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it. It's it like in another world, like alternate universe, like if you're like a superhero fan, right? Like the alternate reality or whatever, like I would be a broadcaster. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In this universe, I'm a realtor.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

Yeah, I love the heat. I I respect the the program for sure.

SPEAKER_02 44:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:51

They just they just gotta get a guy. 100%. They just gotta get a Giannis, just go do it, and they'll be fine.

SPEAKER_02 44:57

Guy change the that one that guy changes everything. Yeah, you know, like you said, you know with the Spurs, right? So one guy could change everything.

SPEAKER_00 45:05

Everything.

SPEAKER_02 45:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:06

The whole city changes.

SPEAKER_02 45:08

100%.

SPEAKER_00 45:08

You know, when LeBron James was in Cleveland, yeah, I mean that city was you know, the the the economic forget the team winning and losing. Talk about the economic impact a guy like that can have.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

Well, he should he should just the they should just give him the not only the key to the city, they should just give him like the funds for the city or something. I agree. With what everything he brought into the economy, I'm sure it was insane. Like if you really knew the numbers, I'm sure it would be mind-blowing. Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, crazy.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

Hotels, restaurants, bars, ticket sales, I mean, yeah, uh merchandising, etc.

SPEAKER_02 45:40

The jobs, it's crazy. Yeah. But like it's um, you know, here for when I was growing up, it was Wade County, right? For Dwayne Wade. So he was like everyone's like hero of a player down here, you know. Especially like as if you you know, we grew up in that like championship Miami Heat era to a degree, so it was really cool.

SPEAKER_00 45:56

It's a great franchise, man. Yeah, no, a great franchise. Yeah, sure. I I don't even like I'm biased with Spurs, but damn Spolstra and Riley. I don't know if it gets and what's the owner's name again?

SPEAKER_02 46:09

Spurs got them good in uh whatever that was, 2014 or something. Yeah. Kicked their eyes in a few.

SPEAKER_00 46:16

If Ray Allen doesn't make that shot, of course, yeah, yeah. The Spurs are 12-3 versus LeBron in the finals. I mean, what?

SPEAKER_02 46:24

And Tim Duncan has six rings, right? Five. Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's what I'm saying. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:29

Yeah, don't get don't get me on my soap, Tim Duncan's soapbox here. I think he's I I actually think he's one of I think Tim Duncan is one of the most underrated, underappreciated athletes ever.

SPEAKER_02 46:40

In any sport.

SPEAKER_00 46:41

I really and I'm not biased because I like I think at the end of the day, like the goal is to win in sports. The goal and and I love the parallels to business. That's why I'm so intense about it. Right. If the goal is to win, then what are we talking?

SPEAKER_02 46:56

Then what are we talking about?

SPEAKER_00 46:58

Right?

SPEAKER_02 46:59

I agree. I agree with you.

SPEAKER_00 47:01

The fact that this is the most insane part about that guy's run, he never won less than 50 games.

SPEAKER_02 47:07

It's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 47:08

If a team wins 50 games today, it's like, damn, they had a great season. Yeah. He never won less than 50 games. Yeah. They were always one, two, or three seed. Yeah. Like every year. Yeah, yeah. Like, I don't think people, and then when you're that good for that long, you're not drafting in the top 10.

SPEAKER_02 47:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:25

You're drafting at the end.

SPEAKER_02 47:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:27

So it's like, you know.

SPEAKER_02 47:29

No, that was like a three-headed monster for a while. Like, cause you know, you're a Spurs fan, so it's like I remember like Tony Parker and Mono Genobli were dangerous.

SPEAKER_00 47:38

They're so such so dangerous. So dangerous. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:40

Yeah. Crazy team. Yeah. If you think of it, like if you really look at it, but like their personalities weren't larger than life, so it's like they get slept on, like in that thing. But like as a you know, a big three, it's it's pretty tough to beat.

SPEAKER_00 47:54

Winningest all time. Yeah, no, winningest all time. Pretty crazy.

SPEAKER_02 47:58

100%.

SPEAKER_00 47:59

Yeah, so I'm kind of uh we'll we'll see. When I have a when I have a child here, maybe I won't be able to pay attention as much. That's why football is so nice. One day a week.

SPEAKER_02 48:06

Right. Yeah, yeah. No, it's it's so funny. It's so funny you say that because like I've definitely I've probably paid more attention to that than basketball recently. So maybe that's you're probably on you're onto a good theory with that. Way easier. Yeah, easier to keep up with. I do fantasy football and all of that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:21

Who's your uh favorite football team?

SPEAKER_02 48:24

I I like I feel like I'd be lying if I said the dolphins. That's the clip. I feel like I'd be lying if I said the dolphins because like I've never been super into them. Yeah, but I just love watching. I love Tom Brady. Um, just like love the mindset. Yeah. Compare so much of that to business too, obviously. For sure. Yeah. I've had different favorite players, you know, throughout the years. I've never been, though, like I've never been as emotionally invested as I was in basketball. Yeah. Now I kind of just like watch to watch, watch for the players, you know.

SPEAKER_00 48:50

I'm a big Buffalo Bills fan. Okay. So obviously Josh Allen, you know, you know, we're hoping to get one.

SPEAKER_02 48:56

Yeah, I love Josh Allen.

SPEAKER_00 48:58

I I love the parallels to, you know, do I think a grown-ass man should be watching every single baseball game, every single basketball game? Like, no, that's weird. Like, unless it's your business, you know, right? I do think that's weird. Yeah. But I but I do think it's nice to have like a hobby and like something you look forward to.

SPEAKER_02 49:22

It's nice to have a hobby. It's you know, truth be told, I'm definitely struggling to find that now, you know, just having so much time wrapped up in everything. Yeah. So I'm definitely, you know, in this mindset now of like I need to try to scratch some sort of an itch, you know, as a hobby for sure. So I'm looking for that.

SPEAKER_00 49:38

You look like you're lean. Do you do you exercise?

SPEAKER_02 49:41

Not as much as I used to at all. Okay. You know, something I used to do is I used to, I probably was I had like 20 more pounds of muscle on me. I used to go to the gym like every single day, you know, for years, all throughout college, everything. And then, you know, now it's like kind of you know dad bod mode. It's okay. Dude, I'm trusting, I'm but I just try to be I just try to eat as healthy as as possible. And uh, but yeah, what I'm doing in the new house is I'm building a gym in the garage, so I have no excuses. None. I have no excuse. None. So I have no excuse for the convenience. Yeah. Or even for an inconvenience.

SPEAKER_00 50:10

I got a buddy who is in the UFC. Wow. Okay, I'm a fan. Yeah. Are you? Might know the name Ian Heinish. He was the ninth ranked middleweight at one point.

SPEAKER_02 50:18

I don't. My best friend though would know. He's like, yeah. If I know if I tell him that, he'd be like, I'm sure he would know.

SPEAKER_00 50:24

I'll train with him on the beach a couple days a week. You know, he doesn't punch back a little bit here and there, but not that case. But for me, that's like my that's my me time. Yeah, yeah. Does that make sense? You gotta have it. I yeah, I need it. And I usually, you know, we'll do it at 6 30 in the morning, we'll train for 50 minutes or so. We're punching and elbowing. Oh, dude, I feel sunrise. Come on. Watching the sunrise. Oh, yeah. Well, he took, you know, he'll remind me every now and then of who he is, but don't get too confident. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A funny story is uh I don't want to even say this, but but I probably am stronger than him. Not by much, because he is a he's a strong dude, but I got a little weight on him.

SPEAKER_02 51:03

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 51:04

But he's you know, if I was leaner, I would probably be his weight. Yeah, probably just a little stronger than him. And so I got really cocky one day. I was like, let me fucking tackle this guy. So I tackled him. You know, I'm like, I'm gonna take UFC guy down to the ground. Dude, he had me in a guillotine so quick.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

Just like that. Just like that.

SPEAKER_00 51:21

And I was just suffocating.

SPEAKER_02 51:23

Yeah.

unknown 51:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:24

And uh that's interesting. It just shows. I'm not surprised though, yeah. It's like it there's a different kind of kinds of strength though, I think. For sure. You know, like I think there's like weight room strength, like, and then like, like for instance, like uh if you're a basketball fan like Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, it's like if you really think about who really was like knocking them out of their spot, and they're not strong guys, you would think, right? Especially it's like there's different types of like but yeah, I mean that like fighting strength is like that isn't it's like another level.

SPEAKER_00 51:54

Yeah, and Durant never got bullied. That's what I'm saying. He was dunked but back when he was an OKC he was dunking on people. Right, right, right. He couldn't bench press 185 pounds at the uh at the combine. Yeah, that's nothing. You know?

SPEAKER_02 52:07

I know a hundred percent. Yeah, different kinds of strength for sure.

SPEAKER_00 52:11

Do you want to get your little girl into sports?

SPEAKER_02 52:13

I'd love to. My uh it's a non-negotiable though. My wife's definitely gonna put her in dance because my wife grew up as like a competitive dancer and everything. So that was like, you know, for me, like it was basketball. For my wife, it was dance. So that's something where like she's like, all right, she's trying it, whether she likes it or not, and then you know, we'll see what happens if she likes it from there. But she's gonna be put in the position to try it, at least. Um I'm good with whatever she wants to do, whether it's arts and crafts, if it's super if it's tons of sports. Like, I guess we'll see where that takes her. But so far, I think she she definitely likes to move. She's a real mover and shaker, she's got a lot of energy. So we have to put her in things that get her energy out. Yeah, okay. That's the she likes gymnastics. I think it's a little sign we see so far.

SPEAKER_00 52:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 52:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:56

Well, the one thing that's cool about living down here, this was not available, at least not to my knowledge, in upstate New York at the time. Yeah. But some of these schools where you can like kind of go train in the morning, go to school, and then train in the evening, and then play on the club teams. Like that's like that's a wild world to me. I didn't even know about.

SPEAKER_02 53:16

100%. And the only reason I like know about it a bit is because, like, for instance, like my wife went to a school called Dreyfus, School of the Arts. I don't know if you've heard of it. It's in West Palm Beach. And it's like one of those things where like you have to get in and like you get it's an arts school. So you get in for a certain program, whether it was like photography, dance, art, what whatever it was, and it was really like a specialty school. So that was like a portion of your schooling was that. So and like you have to like get in and everything like that. So my wife went there for dance, so it's like it's nice because we kind of have like I went to just public school, so you know, we like we're both together, like very open, you know, with whatever she wants to do. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:54

Yeah, how about an instrument? Did you ever play an instrument?

SPEAKER_02 53:56

I did, I hated it. Really? Hated it. I just had no patience.

SPEAKER_00 54:00

Which instrument did your parents?

SPEAKER_02 54:02

Trombone. It was like I was in bands, it's kind of a lame instrument.

SPEAKER_00 54:04

Yeah, that's kind of tough.

SPEAKER_02 54:06

Because it wasn't like drums or like guitar drums, you know, trombetty piano would be cool to know. Very cool to know. Wouldn't that be cool?

SPEAKER_00 54:14

Imagine you just go to a cocktail party and just start getting the party cranked.

SPEAKER_02 54:18

I'd love to be like that, like Morgan Wallen stud, like playing guitar. I just have no idea.

SPEAKER_00 54:22

Do you like Morgan Wallen?

SPEAKER_02 54:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:24

That's my favorite artist.

SPEAKER_02 54:25

Nice, okay. By far, yeah. I want to see him live. I told my wife. I want to see a concert I haven't been watching.

SPEAKER_00 54:31

He's in Gainesville, Florida, Friday and Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 54:33

Alright, I can't drive that far, but I need to see him live for sure. Yeah, I love his music for sure.

SPEAKER_00 54:38

Yeah, me too. It's my my wife and I uh we really bond over it. He um I I like all I really do like all forms of music. Uh-huh. I love the 80s music. It's very nostalgic for me. You know, like Phil Collins, that kind of stuff, you know.

SPEAKER_02 54:51

In the air tonight, right? Come on.

SPEAKER_00 54:52

Yeah, yeah. Classic. Never one of the songs that never gets old. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Um, but yeah, um, yeah, let's finish up, you know, kind of talking about kind of the some of your future plans. Like what's you know, not to put you on the spot, but what's like your five-year plan as a realtor with Sir Hamp?

SPEAKER_02 55:14

Yeah, so I've always been super like open-minded with this stuff because I never knew like exactly where my career would take me. Right now, I think to to answer your question directly, it's um being a specialist. What I mean by that is you know, there are realtors who dominate a neighborhood, right? There's realtors who are the waterfront person, are the new construction person. There's realtors who sell everything. So for me, it's I want to be the specialist in property in luxury properties in Palm Beach County with the best marketing in Palm Beach County. That's where like the biggest thing I'm working on right now. Um, like I want to have that reputation, and I'm starting to with my clients, where you know how like you'll see a movie, for instance, if you've seen The Dark Knight, you're like, no one else could have played the Joker except Heath Ledger, right? So I want to be like, no other realtor could have done what Evan did on this one, like with the presentation and everything and with the service. So that's like that's like kind of like where my mindset is right now. I've like shifted and completely I've like ripped my business in inside and out since I joined Sir Hand. And now I my business is super intentional, very organized, and just you know, very I I'm so much more excited about like I haven't been this excited about what I've been I've do since I was 18. Wow. Yeah, you can feel it. Yeah, and right now, you know, I own I work on a million dollar up and up properties pretty much exclusively. Um, and but past clients, family and friends, you know, I help them in the levels underneath that, or I co-list or help with somebody um or have someone assist me. But those are really the properties that I specialize in, and I just pour everything out into those properties with the service and with the marketing and the investment I put into them. So they have an amazing presentation and we can negotiate in the best way.

SPEAKER_00 57:08

Can I give you my marketing two cents with things? Yes, right? And and listen, yeah, I I I'm sure you're very sophisticated and you know your stuff. You have to be as a realtor. You have to be. I cannot there's like we spend a ton on marketing. And there's two elements to it. There's like the tangible lead element, like you know, you run an ad, you get somebody to reach out that reaches out to you, blah blah blah. Yeah, I can't as you've seen with Sir Hant, the brand that has mostly come through through marketing, right? So the people seeing seeing him personally, the familiarity of the TV show. He's likable, he's intelligent, he's witty. Like I I haven't followed him in a while, but I but I remember really gravitating to him going, oh, this dude's fucking sharp, you know. And um, so when I run ads here all throughout Palm Beach County, but I really hammer them in Boca. I'm giving you a little secret right now.

SPEAKER_01 58:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 58:10

I some ads I don't even try to generate a lead. I just I just do awareness ads. Correct. Okay. Yep. And the amount of times I cannot tell you, uh let's say I meet somebody at a cigar lounge and they talk to me and we talk about business and nothing materializes. A year later, they call me and they're like, dude, your ads are everywhere in my face.

SPEAKER_02 58:34

Can't escape you.

SPEAKER_00 58:35

Can't escape me. Yep. The amount of people that have walked up to me here in Boca, they go, Are you Eric Q, the CEO of Boomer Marketing? Oh, yeah, yeah. Like, dog, I love your content, man. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 58:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 58:45

The amount of times my salespeople have met with somebody and they sign this big deal, and they go, you know what they said to me? They go, Hey, is your owner the big guy with the beard? We see his ads all the time. Yeah. So there's like this really tangible part of marketing. And this is almost like what we got to tell sellers together. There's also a very intangible part of marketing that sometimes you can't put your finger on, but it's so real.

SPEAKER_02 59:10

100%. Like I give you a perfect story of that. Um, I had someone call me. Uh, they were a friend of mine from high school. Uh her and her husband called me. This is a few years ago now, and she's like, Hi, Evan, it's blah, blah. I'm like, oh my god, hi. Like, haven't talked in years, like acquaintance level, friendly to a degree. Yep. Didn't really know on a personal level. And she's like, I'm telling you, I was so close to not calling you because literally, like, all of your I see you everywhere, and like it literally like annoyed the shit out of me. I'm like, Evan, get away. How do you have my information? Get out of my mailbox. She's like, but she's like, but I anyway, she's like, I'm calling you though, because we need, you know, we're looking for a place, and literally you're the first person I thought of. And she's like, you know, then I found your pages, and I'm like, no, he's not annoying at all. I'm like, that's so funny. I'm like, I literally love that story. Yeah. Because it flipped, you know, of course, in the end. And then you know, now we have an amazing relationship, and you they really know me and everything, but it's it's you know, you're a hundred percent right with what you said.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:06

One time I heard Grant Cardone say, and he's a marketing monster. Yeah, he said that uh if you're not sending out enough emails to where you're getting massive unsubscribe list, unsubscribes, you're not sending out enough. You're not doing enough.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:22

Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:23

Because you're not sending enough. Which he goes, because the people that unsubscribe, they weren't gonna buy from you anyway. Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:29

Yeah.

unknown 1:00:30

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:30

It's like a way to weed people out, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:32

Yeah, he goes, blast them, blast them, but which is like to me, I'm like, wow, wow, like what a cool concept. Like you just gotta nail them with it.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:41

Because I'm always con cognizant of like what's too much, you know? Yeah. But like a guy like that would be like, nothing's enough. You know what I mean? There's never too much. Yeah. It's you know, everyone has a different theory on it for sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:53

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, there's a classy way to do it, and you know, obviously you don't want to and I understand that that goes back to the very first thing we talked about, how assertive should one be without being too pushy. But you know what? If you don't ask the girl out for a date, yeah, you know, like she's probably not gonna walk up to you.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:12

100%. And I just think you have to be intentional with it. You know, I don't think it's a coincidence that I'm really working smarter, you know, than I ever have before. And you know, so far, right, I'm on track to do like by far my biggest year yet.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:26

This year?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:27

Yes. Good for you. Thank you. Knock on wood, you know, everything comes to fruition. But you know, it but again, I'm being so much more intentional with um what I'm doing, and I'm also spending so much more money, right, on marketing, advertising. I have a full-time assistant 40 hours a week. Um, so you know, it's uh it's it's definitely not a coincidence that I'm doing that this year so far.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:49

Yeah, but yeah. Good for you. You gotta I have no doubt you have um you're obviously a rock star, and I have no doubt we'll have you back on the podcast in a in a few years. I have no doubt. I'd love to, yeah. You're gonna have a team underneath you. You're gonna have you're gonna be Sir Hand's top dog. Oh, I appreciate it. Yeah, you're gonna be the 1% of the 1% if you already aren't already.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:08

I appreciate it. Just want to do the best job I can for for the clients for sure, and I really appreciate it. Um and we gotta talk after just marketing.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:15

Yeah, no, I'd be happy. Dude, I'd be happy to give you my. Do me a favor, though. Take that handsome 29-year-old face, not 39. Take a look at 29 next week. I know. Oh, when's your birthday?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:25

20th. Wednesday. Yeah. Okay. Wednesday.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:27

Well, happy early birthday.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:29

Appreciate it, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:29

Um take a look in the camera, quick 15 seconds.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:33

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:33

Who should consider reaching out to you? And if and if they do want to reach out to you, where's the best way to find you online?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:38

Sure, absolutely. So my name's Evan Sofer. You can connect with me on Instagram at EvanSopher, E-V-A-N-S-O-P-H-I-R. Reach out to me if you're looking to buy or sell a home in Palm Beach County. If you're looking in the million-dollar standpoint or up, I will give you the best possible marketing plan you've seen and the best level of service.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:58

Guys, thanks again for tuning in to the Gold Coast Podcast. Um, make sure to give Evan a follow. We're gonna put all of his information down here below his Instagram, etc. Thank you. Uh, but make sure to like and subscribe. We will see you again.