7 Lessons Learnt From Working With 7-Figure Top Producers

The past 2 years since the pandemic began has given a whole new meaning to how we work, transact and go about our daily life.

All of us – we now behave differently from how we used to communicate about 5 to 10 years ago.

Those agents who have embraced their online positioning and learnt how to create consistent messaging with their audiences did well.

Gary Seah who has been working together with me for the past 6 years – has again crossed $1 million dollars in gross commissions within just 10 months.

In fact, 2021 has turned out to be his best year in real estate – he managed to clinch a total of 6 Platinum awards over 6 consecutive months.

He did better than the last time he crossed $1 million commission back in 2017.

Other clients who have also realized how differently their target audiences are behaving AND took steps towards attracting them – they are now also getting good results.

I did work with quite a few other 7-figure producers (including from financial advisory industries) these past 2 years during the pandemic.

Here are 7 lessons I’ve picked up from them.

#1: They Give More Than They Receive

What do they give exactly?

Knowledge. It can be in the form of videos or articles or even short FB posts.

They are very generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise that has been gained from their years of experience.

And because they openly share the daily routine and challenges they face in a candid manner, it attracts attention.

The good kind of attention.

People are curious and are naturally kaypoh.

And when you do it consistently and regularly – you will eventually get the serious enquiries and genuine interest.

#2: They Are Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

When you share regular updates and insights on the property market, you are bound to get negative comments.

Haters are always present.

Deleting and blocking these comments might be a way to handle this.

But it also means you miss a great opportunity to showcase your professionalism.

Especially to the many silent readers who observe how you respond to negativity.

It is a chance to make a good impression and make you even more likeable.

When you reply to a negative comment, think of the dozens or even hundreds of silent readers who will watch how you behave in the comments section.

You know you have developed strong positioning online – when total strangers start to defend you in the comments.

No one likes bullies.

#3: They Are Consistent

For these top producers, consistency is not about how regularly they get awards or about how much money they make.

They understand that the money is a RESULT of their consistency.

Consistency in how they:

• do their marketing
• engage with their leads or enquiries
• view their mission and vision

Knowing Gary Seah for years, I am aware that he treats all his clients well.

It doesn’t matter if they live in a HDB flat or a penthouse – he treats all prospects respectfully.

In fact, he has even allowed some cases to pay his commission via installment payments because he knows their cashflow is tight.

At the same time, he stills writes regularly on his website to share in-depth knowledge and insights through evergreen blog content.

Of course, all these is done with direction and guidance from my own marketing expertise in order to cement Gary’s online positioning as a trusted advisor and property consultant.

#4: They Can See Beyond Their Own Perspectives

One of the reasons I see why agents are unable to attract leads or enquiries is because they have handicapped themselves.

How?

By using poor or very generic sales pitches or ad copy in their marketing.

The marketing copy they write or use is superficial – most do not attempt to go deep to articulate clearly the issues that property owners / buyers / sellers face in Singapore.

But it is not entirely the agent’s fault. I wrote the reason why in the FB post below.

The way I see it – the most successful AND consistent top performers in the industry have this very important trait:

Being able to deeply empathize and connect with their prospects and clients – no matter what’s the background of the prospects are.

Top producers like Gary make high 6-figures and 7-figures per year – and yet that will not form their prospects’ first impression of them.

Instead, their first impression will be: this agent is an experienced real estate consultant who has a lot of knowledge and expertise to offer.

Their income does not define them.

#5: They Are Focused On Their Own Lane

One of the reasons Gary is successful is this – he no longer looks at the marketing that other agents do.

He focuses on his own lane and has stopped comparing to what others are doing.

He knows exactly who his target audience is and writes for what they need to know.

Layer by layer – we go deep into the fears, dreams, goals and obstacles that his readers face.

There is a certain level of intimacy when you are able to articulate and acknowledge the issues a HDB owner face.

And this has reaped dividends.

Gary often shares with me that his prospects treat him like an old friend when he only knew them for 3 days.

The truth is this – the prospects has known Gary and has been following him for 3 months or even longer – through various online platforms.

So by the time they meet Gary – they have already “known” him for awhile.

Ultimately every piece of content – whether video or article – is for the benefit of the followers / readers / subscribers themselves.

#6: They Invest In Themselves via Personal Development Programs

This is another common trait of top producers.

They really take the time and money to invest in themselves by attending personal development programs.

People like Gary have appointments with prospects almost everyday.

And yet, he will set aside 4-5 days to attend a training program or seminar.

My past background included doing sales for Tony Robbins’ seminars and programs.

So I have a rough idea on how much they spend attending such courses. It is in the tens of thousands of dollars.

But I know the returns are fantastic.

(I know because I do invest in various programs for my own personal development.)

When you attend such programs and you start to clear the emotional baggage that you might be carrying around…

You will find and develop lots of clarity for yourself and your business.

And in the process, you will become a better communicator and more confident person.

You learn the power and meaning of resilience in the face of obstacles and rejections.

You get to network and build relationships with like-minded people.

Most important of all:

Your prospects will see you as a professional and competent agent who is very different from the typical average agent they usually meet.

The way you carry yourself is miles ahead of others.

They will rather engage you – than someone else.

#7: They Trust Me Because of the Perspective I Offer

Guess how many times I met Gary this entire year of 2021?

Only once on 9 March 2021.

We had a few phone calls in between but 90% of our communication was through Telegram chats.

Partly because we known each other for quite awhile.

But more importantly, he trusts that the marketing strategy I implement for him will be good for his business.

There are a few other top producers that I won’t name –  but who also trust what I do for them.

They accept my big picture of the marketing strategies I will use to attract the type of clients they want.

Why am I – a nobody in the real estate industry – is trusted by various top producers?

It is because simply put – I am a 3rd party, a non-agent – someone whose view is not colored by the commission rates that agents receive.

I can see what their prospects see.

I can hear what their prospects hear.

I can feel what their prospects feel.

Unfortunately, some agents only feel the size of the commission they will earn.

Conclusion

The truth is because of what I do – I become a sort of hidden secret weapon of various businesses that I accept as a client.

I don’t mind that at all.

(To be clear, I have clients from various types of SMEs, not just agents.)

But it also means I am in a position that I do not really reveal who my clients are.

However, if you do look for it hard enough – you can find the traces of what I do in a piece of marketing copy, article or even a video.

Do understand that in 2022 and beyond – your content that you bring across is very important because it ANSWERS your audience’s questions.

With amazing content and marketing, you can build trust with your audience, improve conversions, connect with customers, and generate leads.

Content consistency establishes your credibility, builds trust, and strengthens your reputation while increasing sales.

P.S. How to keep in touch with me?

For 2022, I am planning to share more marketing strategies and tips on my Telegram channel – https://t.me/RESLaunchpad.

I invite you to just join in and subscribe. It is completely free.

You can ask me questions directly there and I will answer.

Again the group is small – I don’t have a large audience because 90% of agents out there don’t believe in my marketing strategies or methods.

And to me – that is completely fine.

It becomes easier for those that do follow my strategies – to stand out from other agents.

Here are some numbers for reference:

My marketing relationship with Gary for the past 6 years (2015 – 2021) has generated more than $4 million in gross commissions for him.

$4 million is a very conservative estimate.

We produce about 10 blog posts per year.

Assuming 60 blog posts  x 1500 words = 90,000 words. Let’s round that up to about 100,000 words.

$4 million divided by 100,000 words = $40 per word

That is the value of writing or producing quality content that is enhanced with solid copywriting and positioning.

Every single word can generate $40 for your business.

Not only that.

Because the content is also evergreen, it does not go bad like expired milk.

Can you imagine even an old article from 2017 still bringing you leads and enquiries?

Imagine every content is like a fishing trawler – going out to seas to catch as much fish as possible.

The more content you produce, it means the more fishing trawlers you bring out.

Photo by Craige McGonigle on Unsplash

But the size of your catch is really dependent on the quality of your content.

Sharing your ideas via solid content enables you to attract like-minded clients.

Plus, it makes the sales process easier and faster, because potential clients already know and trust your work.

Have questions? Drop me a direct message through Telegram https://t.me/aidahomar