The 5% Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ben Moore Bespoke Estate Agent
At The 5% we showcase luxury homes from the top five percent of real estate agents on the planet. In this series we give you first hand insights into ‘behind the scenes coaching calls’ with our partners, insights into what is working for high performing agents and guidance so that you too can build a thriving real estate business, wherever you are on the planet. Sit back and relax, as we introduce you to the top 5%.
In the first lockdown (three years ago at this stage) Jason Simmons unexpectedly lost his job. In one phone call, his life changed. With a family to support and bills to pay, Jason was left fearful of what the future would look like and wondered how he would support his family. The adversity that Jason went through forced a decision, and with few options he decided to take control of his own future by starting a business with eXp. Years on, Jason has amassed an incredible reputation for himself in his market. He's become a trusted advisor and benefits from consistent incoming leads. On todays show Jason shares an insight in to how he overcame that initial adversity with detail on the steps he's taken to find sustainability.
After working as an estate agent for over twenty years, James began to open his mind to other ways of working and a friend alerted him to the option of eXp. A rabbit hole of research and conversations led James to making the brave decision to launch his agency, only this month. Whilst still in the early stages of growth, James has had an incredible start to his journey. Listing six houses in less than 4 weeks. In todays podcast James shares his story, the transition out of the world of 'employed life' and the steps he has taken to secure his early successes.
Ben Fitzgibbon started his own estate agency business with eXp on the verge of burnout. eXp came to his attention after a job he had been assured of getting just disappeared, and left with few options, Ben decided to take firm hold on the reigns of his future and build his own business. Having worked at Purplebricks for many years, Ben was no stranger to long hours and hard work and so got to work on establishing his own brand. Since then, Ben has gone from strength to strength. Social media, and in particular Instagram, has been a powerful tool for him over the years; not just for building brand but for driving valuations into his diary. On todays podcast Ben breaks down his journey and the steps he took to becoming a six figure agent on his own terms. If you would like to follow along with Bens journey, then you can connect with him on Instagram by visiting: www.instagram.com/the_sn_agent
Tony Ruby has had one of the most successful 'launches' of any of eXp UK's 400 agents (at the time of releasing this podcast). A genuine pride for his work and passion for his industry saw Tony laying the foundations for his current success many years before his launch, almost without realising it. Tony has adopted a community centric approach to his agency, making sure the wider community knows all about his value and that of others through an aggressive digital-first approach. In todays chat, Tony explains his background and the transition into business ownership along with some key tips, tricks and lessons to help you thrive too.
When Mark Buchanan launched his estate agency business with eXp, things were not looking good. He was exhausted after many long years working endless hours for minimal commission. He had no savings to speak of, and debts growing by the month. There were many reasons why Mark shouldn't have launched his own business... but there was one powerful reason why he had too: without doing so, his circumstances were never going to improve. Armed with nothing but a willing to succeed and brilliant work ethic, Mark began to make his voice heard on social media and quickly became popular with the residents of Cumbria. In a few short years Mark has transformed his life, and that of his families. He has an incredibly successful estate agency business, and was recently crowned the number 1 estate agent (globally) with eXp realty for individual sales performance. In todays podcast, Mark shares how he went from delivering pizzas to building the property empire he has today. A wonderful agent and a great (humble) man.
Andy launched his estate agency business in the early stages of 2020, that's right, in lockdown! Not only did Andy have the challenges that we all faced during the early stages of the pandemic, he had also never sold a house up until that point. Andy is a great example of what can be achieved with an open mind, clear vision and a willingness to be relentless. Andy attributes much of his success and the brand awareness that he enjoys to this day to social media. Andy got comfortable on camera through the lockdown period, and video was a key tool that helped him stand out amongst his competitors. On todays podcast Andy tells his story and shares pearls of wisdom so that you too can leverage the power of digital to have more money, impact and freedom through property. If you would like to follow along with Andys business journey, you can find him on the link below. www.instagram.com/andyhendersonremax
An internal live coaching call with a start-up estate agency business (less than one month into trading). We discuss the mindset for success, limiting beliefs, lead generation and perspective.
After years of employment Donna decided to set up her own boutique estate agency business in Yorkshire. Having never been responsible for running a business, growing a brand, generating leads or mastering social media before now Donna had a myriad of challenges and things to learn as soon as she declared herself 'open'. One of those challenges was working out what the USP of her business was going to be... it turns out, it was being herself! In todays podcast we discuss Donna's transition from full-time sales progressor to business woman.
If you would like to keep up to date with Donna's progress and follow along for the journey then you can connect with Donna on Facebook by following this link. Enjoy the podcast!
https://www.facebook.com/donnajohnstonea
Victoria had a complete change in direction many years ago after leaving 'Channel 4's The Undateables'. She went from matching people with people, to matching people with property in the corporate world. The change in direction gave Victoria a much needed change in direction, and allowed her the opportunity to form new relationships and find growth through new challenges. More recently, Victoria made the brave and bold transition in to business ownership - launching her business in collaboration with eXp UK. In todays candid conversation Victoria shares some key lessons from her journey and discusses how she has built her business from nothing to the epic position she finds herself in now. We talk social media, lead generation, client care and the importance of not being stuck in the comfort zone.
My First Listing is a mini-series of podcast interviews that focuses on agents who are in the starting blocks. We explore their transition in to self employed estate agency and uncover exactly HOW they managed to secure their first listing and uncover what the 'start up process' in business is like from their perspective in real time.
Kirk grew up in the care system and struggled to find a place where he felt he 'belonged' growing up. Uninspired by the education system and feeling a sense of confusion around his path in life, Kirk embarked on a military career, transitioning in to 'adult life' as a medic. The community that Kirk found, the challenges he encountered and the perspective he gained as a result of those experiences completely changed his outlook on life. Post-military Kirk found himself working as an estate agent, and his process-driven approach to business has seen his career flourish since. With a quickly expanding property empire and a boutique estate agency that's thriving, Kirk speaks from a real position of authority when sharing insights for business success. Todays podcast explores Kirks background and uncovers some real nuggets of truth that may just change your perspective for the better.
Your inner circle can be powerful. Think about it, local residents that have a bias to your success are powerful allies. They can fuel your business through word of mouth, digital support, recommendations and perhaps even direct business. Capitalising on that early can shape the future of your estate agency. Here are a few of my thoughts… some of which I hope challenges your mindset.
Aaron Tonks left the corporate rate race and endless targets over two years ago. Under paid, over worked and uninspired Aaron joined eXp UK in search of a 'better way'. A better way to do business, a better way to support his clients and a better way to build a future for his family. Two years on, Aaron has learnt a thing or two about building brand and selling property. He has made himself a 'local celebrity' by embedding himself in to his local business. He puts smiles on the face of local children, money in the pockets of local charities and feet in the doors of local businesses by championing his market place. His agency has witnessed significant growth as a biproduct and this year Aaron became an 'ICON AGENT' with eXp, earning back £16K in shares in eXp World Holdings. An inspiring listen, with a phenomenal estate agent.
Small details (by definition) are small. Things that are small can feel insignificant. Things that are insignificant are easily ignored. When growing your estate agency business, it’s important to pay homage to the small things. To seek advice from the right people. To listen carefully and implement often.
Todays bite sized podcast explains a scenario that may prompt you to reassess your inner dialogue and how seriously you take the promises that you make to yourself.
Setting up an estate agency? You will have many questions, but no doubt understanding your start up costs will be at the forefront of them. Todays podcast gives a breakdown of the things you need to account for, and a rough cost. Disclaimer - the figures quoted are general to give you a hall park. The reality may be more or less, and of course, the prices of things can change with time. If you’re listening to todays podcast long after publish it’s possible that the information provided in todays recording is no longer accurate.
Rejection. Failure. Setbacks. All feels terrible in the moment, irritating after a short while and character building in the long term.
Craig Stephens has been a prominent and well respected estate agent with the online agent, Purplebricks for many years. Craigs career spans much further than that however, having worked for around two decades in the industry. As a consistent high performer, leader and business owner Craig has noticed changes in both the industry and his own mindset over the years. In todays podcast, Craig shares his thoughts on the space as well as how to find success and sustainability as an estate agent in 2023 and beyond. An open and informative chat with an individual who has wore every hat and styled every t-shirt in the space over the last twenty years.
In the digital world we live in, everything we do leaves a footprint on our accounts and an impression with our audiences. When it comes to leveraging social media to connect with potential customers it’s important that those footprints that you leave are easy for customers to follow and the impression you leave is positive. Todays guest is Chris Targett. A good personal friend and branding genius. Chris manages the social media content (including content creation) for estate agents and mortgage advisors through his business Social For Brokers. In todays episode Chris shared some hints, tips and actionable advice as to how you can utilise free to use software to enhance your brand. Chris is active on social media, particularly Instagram and LinkedIn. Feel free to follow and connect with Chris on the links below. https://instagram.com/socialforbrokers?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Video is powerful. It gives people an insight into your business, knowledge and personality. It allows people to assess your suitability as their agent, and therefore acts as a good filter. In other words, it helps to attract the clients who are a good fit and eliminate the ones who aren’t. Done properly, it can also be a tangible USP to separate you from the competition which may help you improve conversions and maintain the right fees. In todays solo episode I break down the importance of video, my go to apps, the impact video has had on my estate agency over the last three years and how I manage to create videos without it adversely impacting cash flow. You can check out some recent videos of mine in the YouTube links that follow. https://youtu.be/Wv8dUz68_hA
Matthew had a fairly typical upbringing. Raised on a council estate by loving and hardworking parents, the principles of hard work were always instilled into him. Matthews post-education career, again, was fairly typical. He took work where he could and fell into estate agency earning a somewhat modest salary for his efforts. Despite having limited resources, Matthew always had a yearning to do more. Achieve more. Be more. In his twenties, he began to plan and save to put his feet firmly on a path that would lead to a more financially secure future. When the COVID pandemic hit, Matthew found himself without work and at a cross roads. In the years that have passed since, Matt has worked relentlessly on himself, his business and his property empire to improve his circumstances. This year, at 33 years of age, Matt has finally become financially free. How did he achieve at such a young age, what many fail to do so in a lifetime? In todays episode, we find out…
As we sit here in 2023, it's clear to see as we reflect on a post-COVID world just what an impact recent world events have had on our industry. A country-wide lockdown forced many homeowners to reconsider what they wanted from a property (and from life). A huge upturn in remote working gave soon to be buyers more geographical flexibility. Government-backed incentives (such as stamp duty relief) created a real incentive to move. The turbulence if the pandemic created a fertile ground for property sales which helped create significant demand, quick sales and record breaking prices. As we move in to 2023 however, it's clear that we face a different environment to that we have experienced of late. With spiralling energy prices, rising interest rates, rising levels of unemployment and an uncertain political landscape it's likely that 2023 will present a unique set of challenges. As an estate agent, what should you be doing to ensure your business continues to thrive? What advice should you be giving? How do you control the narrative? How do you use this time to further build trust and authority within your market place? Is this a year riddled with problems... or opportunities? In todays recording I was delighted to discuss all of the above with industry figure, Adam Day. Adam is the head of one of the UK's fastest growing ever estate agency businesses. He guides and advises some 350 estate agency businesses across the UK and in todays episodes, shares his top tips to help keep you ahead of the competition.
Paul Coutts is a business owner based in the Scottish Highlands. Paul has a client centric approach to business, believing that if you take care of the client then the rest (including profit) will fall in to place. In todays episode, Paul shares an insight into the mindset he had before launching his business. He openly speaks about the feelings of guilt he encountered when launching his agency, driven by fears he was leaving his family financially vulnerable. In this candid chat, we delve into how he managed to overcome fears, guilt and barriers, finding the strength to lean in to discomfort. Paul provides some great insights into how he has built his agency, and the steps he has taken to create a business by design in under twelve months.