Introduction

  • Joe Galindo a Windermere coachis hosting the Windermere Coaching Minute podcast.

  • His guest today is TravisStewart, an 18-year veteran in the Puget Sound real estate market. Travis hasbeen with Windermere Real Estate for 11 years.

Travis' Background

  • After high school, Travis didprofessional wakeboarding for 2 years then returned home in 2004 to figure outhis career path.

  • He started working in theappraisal business in 2005 after meeting some contacts through college.

  • Travis got experience quickly byshadowing experienced appraisers, learning how to evaluate home values. Hetoured over 1,800 homes in 7 years as an appraiser trainee and certifiedappraiser.

  • The appraisal work gave himinsight into how different factors like school zones, upgrades, condition etcimpact property value. It also taught him the difference between cost and value.

  • He saw the market shift from hotseller’s market to increased refinancing during the 2008 housing crisis. Hisrole changed from delivering good news about equity to being the bearer of badnews about lower appraisals.

Learning from His Mom

  • Travis initially didn't want towork with his mom when starting in real estate sales but saw the value in herfocus on relationships and genuine care for clients.

  • She treats clients like closefriends, not just transactions. This was different than Travis' dad who was incar sales and had customers.

  • His mom fulfills the need of theclient in front of her in that moment, not worrying about the outcome. Travislearned the power of relationships in real estate from her.

Going Above and Beyond

  • Travis shares a story aboutspending hours digging through bushes to find a buried septic tank lid forclients selling a home. He leveraged his inspection knowledge to save the deal.This exemplifies fulfilling client's needs.

Transaction Types

  • There are relationaltransactions with people you know well vs. transactional deals with lessconnection. Open houses can lead to great relational clients.

Seeing Homes

  • It's very valuable for agents totour homes to understand pricing, see different neighborhoods, observe layoutsand condition. Virtual tours don't replace onsite experience.

Kitchen Remodels

  • Travis notes kitchen upgradesdon't always increase value equal to their cost. Buyers may not like thefinishes or see the same value.

Gifts from Appraising

  • His appraisal experience taughtTravis about depreciation over time. A remodel done years ago likely lost somevalue relative to its initial cost.

Working with Family

  • After appraising and title work,Travis joined his mom in real estate sales. She needed help expanding herbusiness and exiting in the future.

  • He hesitated to work with her atfirst but now sees the value in focusing on client relationships vs.transactions.

Referral Power

  • Travis shares an example of pastclients who moved to Texas but still refer Seattle-area friends to him yearslater. Ongoing communication maintains those referral relationships.

Client Events

  • He hosts an annual holiday partywith Santa for over 100 clients as a thank you and community builder. Peoplelook forward to it each year.

  • They also do smaller events likecorn mazes and wakeboarding at his home to stay connected.

Ongoing Communication

  • Travis stressed the importanceof staying in touch with clients year-round through calls, texts, stopping by,etc. This maintains the relationships.

Gifting Strategy

  • He is strategic in giftingclients he knows well vs. his entire database. Does personal gifts withhandwritten notes.

  • Travis has used services likeClientGiant but found generic gifts weren't received as well. He customizesbased on the client.

Action Steps

  • Reach out to Travis with anyquestions at his email or website.

  • Implement similar strategies ofrelationships, events, and gifts into your business.

Contact Travis Stewart. ⁠https://travisstewartre.com/

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