WARNING: This may be the most important information that you will ever read, about selling real estate and having it ALL.
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MIKE COSTIGAN
ANTI-TYPICAL AGENT
Shows agents how get listings using "zero bs" marketing and sleaze-free sales approaches.
Candyland Ain’t So Sweet for Sellers
“…bro…Feels like your reaching.”
Can you even fathom speaking like this to a client who pays you thousands of dollars?
Social Media “guru” I hired sent this in a reply to my request for a refund.
Apparently, he didn’t quite agree with my little “time to bail” calculator that use…
Formula goes like this:
Value + Promised Service Provided = Stay and Pay.
Value or Promised Services Missed = Grab Your Cookies back and run.
When I hired this guy, I interrupted the canned sales pitch and insisted that our “deal” hinge on “personal” service. He agreed. I happily handed the guy $3K for the 1st month.
Immediately I’m passed to “staff”. I’m ok with this, temporarily. Good people. Needed to get some initial mechanics on our work completed.
That’s where the Candy Man stopped sending sugar my way.
Poof! He was gone like a tootsie pop chomped by the owl on the 3rd lick.
“A one….A two….crunch!”
Never could I speak to this guy again when I needed him. Responses to my inquiries for personal high-level strategy consults were laughable. Sweet little multiple choice “customer no-service” example below:
1. Use your “Golden Ticket” that clients get during their 1st 90 days.
2. Post in the FaceBook Group for feedback
3. Talk to my staff and we will review on our weekly meeting.
“Golden Ticket”?! Willy Wonka has got his delusions of grandeur amped up…way too much sucking down sugar high inducing sweets in the chocolate factory.
Put this into context as a real estate agent now…
How many times have you taken over an expired listing and they tell you they haven’t heard from their agent since the day they signed on the dotted line?
Happens a LOT.
An agent gives a great sales pitch,…all warm and fuzzy, with promises of magical goodies…really tickles their sellers’ sweet tooth.
Then poof! Gone like a self-absorbed Social Media guru-except no FB group to post to for “feedback”.
What you should know about client retention is this: Sellers will always stay for the long haul with you, as long as you over-deliver on their expectations. And they expect to be kept informed…not treated like a number
It’s a reward to get them. Don’t let them go sour.
My “Blaze” subscribers ALWAYS get to have their cake and eat it too.
To learn how to make every day sugary-delicious in real estate, go here:
-Mike Costigan
Hillbillies to Millionaires (agents that is)
32.8 Degrees.
Gosh Darn Perfect!
That’s precisely the degree that I shifted the position of my desk last night.
And did it fire me up…you’re darn tootin’ it did partner!
The whole dang room that corrals me for hours each day seems to have gone from a confining pit to a wide open glorious new cavern, full of sunlight and promise.
I jumped right in this morning and began mining away, turning the crude ideas into highly refined lessons for my subscribers and clients.
Jed Clampet’s got nothing on Magic Mike today baby!
Funny how the slightest shifts create momentum:
Shifts in your attitude
Shifts in your language
Shifts in your processes
Shifts in your FOCUS
Last week, I was speaking to an Agent On Fire Blaze newsletter reader about how she was “sick and freaking tired” of “these cheapo sellers in my (her) market.”
Advice from the foreman of this honey-hole of prosperity: “STOP IT!”
It stunned her. Two little words stopped her dead like a bulldozer that bust it’s track….STOP IT.
I explained.
“Stop chasing after sh*t you don’t want.”
She got it.
And she immediately went after a higher-dollar listing.
Got it too.
Small shift. GIANT reward…Monetarily and mentally. She’s juiced.
A slight angle change of my desk…a total (and very quick) resetting of my psyche.
I saw fertile ground again. And it became the fossil fuel that I needed to jump-start my brain and get it siphoning the wisdom out of me, spewing out like a gusher!
Think about your “view”.
Is it time for some small shift in your blueprint maybe? Dig deep. What you find may surprise you.
Ready to get yourself aligned with the right habits that will extract the valuable rewards from your vastly untapped well of opportunity? If so, go here:
-Mike Costigan
Your real estate website really sucks
Do you know how often potential clients are thinking that?
All of the “Me, Me, Me” bullsh*t plastered all over some page like a self-appreciating shrine.
This is going to be a hard nut for you to swallow, so open wide…
Nobody gives a sh*t about you and your kids, your love of puppies, your weekends running marathons or doing charity work at the nursing home.
Sure, Mother Theresa, it’s kind and sweet and everything mushy…
But it’s meaningless.
And it attracts ZERO business.
So DON”T PUT IT ON YOUR WEBSITE.
I don’t blame you. If you’re like most agents, you’re not really a marketer. You’re a salesperson…
…MASSIVE difference.
Marketers specialize in “attraction”.
Salespeople “sell”…once a prospect is already lured in.
So, what’s the fix?
You have to look at your website like a mousetrap.
There needs to be good bait (content and “WIFM” benefits) to attract the little “sniffers” who like to creep around unnoticed, nibbling away at the crumbs of info.
And the delicious morsels need to be set up in a way that keeps them following the trail…right into something they can’t resist biting their teeth into…then, WHAM…you got ‘em!
In marketing terms, we call the bait a “lead magnet”.
And we call the trail and trap a “funnel”.
You need to figure out how to start incorporating these into your website to catch prospects…now. It’s costing you a ton of money every day that your trap is without cheese.
If you can’t do it, then get someone to help you.
Now, there’s “gurus” who profess to build magical, complex funnels that are supposed to catch hungry prospects in litters…but don’t buy into that. The ONLY people who make money on multi-step funnels, are the people who build the funnels-NOT YOU.
You know which funnels work? Simple ones. 1-2 steps maximum. Confuse the mouse and he’ll go running back to his hole in the wall. And you ain’t catching him…ever.
In an upcoming issue of The Agent On Fire Blaze newsletter, I’ll be outlining a very easy to copy funnel that you can just pop right on to your homepage, to can start bringing you tasty commissions.
Once you start using your site like a mousetrap instead of a yellow pages ad, you’ll probably want to send me a cheesecake for sharing the sweet ingredients that makes the prize-winning recipe work. (For the record, I like Turtle Cheeesecake. Mmmmm…that could get you a free consult maybe…hint hint.)
Apparently, I’ve ventured into some sort of “rodent” theme in a couple recent articles. Weird. I don’t particularly like the smell of cat food. But I digress.
If you’d like to make the transformation from average salesperson to expert marketer, and never again have to worry about rounding up prospects who crave your help, go here:
-Mike Costigan
Puck U
Get to the puck and shoot the dang thing!
I can hear myself yelling this to my 12 year old.
He’s a heck of a hockey player. He’s been at it for nearly 9 years now.
The kid can skate circles around most players and he’d score a ton of freaking goals if he’d just shoot the puck.
It’s an interesting analogy for the real estate game.
You aren’t wearing skates but it still moves pretty fast.
Tons of things are thrown at you every minute. You gotta really learn to stick and move in order to win.
Problem is that most agents just don’t shoot enough. They don’t get listings because they lay back and watch the game be dominated by more aggressive players.
Look, you need to be willing to get out there and cross-check every competitor in your path.
Slash ‘em.
Hook ‘em.
Do whatever you have to do to beat them to the scoring chance.
Your success in real estate is directly equivalent to the amount of listings you get. And your success in getting listings is directly equivalent to the number of shots you take.
So if you cant play the position of the attacker then you might as well take off the old skates and head to the bench now.
There’s no room for the weak.
But if you want to score a few signs in yards, then just line up your shots and take them.
Practice hard and watch your game elevate.
* Set aside time to call expireds…every day.
* Hit up a handful of FSBOS…every day.
* Write a FaceBook ad that targets your farm n’hoods…every day.
The highest scorers take the most shots.
I can’t imagine me getting on the ice with my kid these days. I used to be the tough guy. But after 9 years on the ice and countless hours of practice, he’d literally skate circles around me and taunt me. This is HIS game.
And it’s no secret why….HARD WORK.
The kid who could never catch me now sees me as an easy target and he’ll knock me over and laugh about it.
If you want to stop being a sitting duck and actually get some points on the listing board, go here:
-Mike Costigan
Icy Hot listings…Shaq off the dust and be creative
I’ll admit, watching Shaq ooooohhh and aaaaaahhhh while he smears that stuff all over himself sort of gives me a weird chill but….
Ha! That guy cracks me up. Talk about an endorsement-this MONSTER showing you how well a pain reliever can soothe even the most giant pains.
Although he’s been known to throw up some “bricks” at the free throw line, he’s hitting 3-pointers all day long for these Icy Hot guys.
So how did this company grow so big, and climb the celebrity endorsement beanstalk so fast?
You may not know the story, but my Agent On Fire Blaze newsletter readers do…and it’s a GARGANTUAN lesson to be taken.
These guys GAVE AWAY their stuff.
Yup. They got on the biggest syndicated news outlets and asked them to give it away to their audience. Then they included certain irresistible “hooks” in their package that turned “freebies” into profits, and they got customers coming back begging for more.
It was pure marketing genius.
No barriers to entry.
Huge reception of their product.
Massive Shaquille-Super-Sized returns.
It’s a UMS (unique marketing strategy) that I’ve used to list so many different types of sellers…literally “at will”.
I simply choose the potential “all-star” listings from different seller lead sources (FSBO, EXP, farm, ad responders, etc.) and I employ the “goodwill sneak attack”. An oxymoron perhaps…but it “gives” so much and then captures them all in stealthy fashion…so, in my book of tricks, it’s appropriately named.
And it works EVERY time…without fail…with next to ZERO effort.
I give, give, give…and they give right back.
Dr. Robert Cialdini talks about this natural “Influencer” in his famous book “Influence…The Psychology of Persuasion” (HIGHLY recommended read). The built-in-to-our-brains Influencer is called “reciprocation”, and it’s irresistible to any human being (psychopaths excluded).
People (sellers) truly cannot stop themselves from returning your favors. Not doing so goes against all social norms and the subconsciously mind won’t allow the conscious mind to NOT follow “acceptable” behaviors. It’s science…and I’ll leave the deep explanation to Cialdini. Trust me as your listing guru-it works.
So figure out exactly what you are willing to give in order to receive. Then DO it.
You don’t have to be a star player in your market either. You just need to have a way of standing tall above the others. And being the good guy can grow your stature in your marketplace overnight.
If you want to go from Icy Cold to Super Hot in your marketplace, go here:
-Mike Costigan
FSBO KO’s the Rookie Agent
Love thy FSBO…
Worship them…
Bring them gifts…
Seriously. Do stuff for them. They are the “freebies”. They are the cherished few that raise their hands and say “come get me oh savvy one.”
I’m truly amazed at the “FSBO sales prevention” programs that most agents employ.
Typical pitch: “Uh, can I stop by and give you a complimentary home evaluation?”
Click.
Blown chance of EVER seeing your sign in that yard Mr. Typical salesguy.
Truly pathetic.
Or this one: “Call me when you want to list because agents won’t show your home as a FSBO. “
Really?
Slam the door on them. GREAT technique.
These approaches are for the pure amateur…the agent who’s signs reside in his own garage-never seeing the pretty green lawns for which they were intended.
I came up with a technique many years ago that gets me every FSBO listing that I want.
It’s so simple…
I become their advocate. I genuinely help them. And I do it with ZERO expectation of anything in return and absent of any slimy sales pitch.
“Hi Mr. FSBO. Mike Costigan here. I am a broker but I’m not calling about listing your house. I know you want to try it yourself and I think it’s a great idea. I’d do the same. It’s a great house.
I’d like to just pop in this week and see it. I sell a ton of homes in the n’hood and I’m sure I’ll have a buyer at some point….”
Would you mind if took a few pictures for clients while I’m there? I don’t expect anything at all from you Even when I don’t make a commission, I get rewarded by helping my buyers. They all send me referrals, so it works out for me.
Great. See you Tuesday.
I’ll also leave blank contracts for you, in case you get a buyer. I’m happy to help you fill them out….no cost of course, and I’ll even help you arrange the closing. My lender’s number will be in the packet too so you can get your buyer prequalified….”
There’s a tiny bit more to my “FSBO Ally” program and it’s magical.
All you have to do is to make them like you. It’s so ridiculously simple.
Don’t fight them. Be their corner man (or woman).
I honestly can’t remember the last FSBO listing that I didn’t get using this approach.
Want to knock down FSBO signs like a champ? Go here:
-Mike Costigan
Hustler
You can’t bullsh*t me. Ever.
You want to know why?
Because I’m the king of b.s.
And it’s a learned skill. 100%
You see, in the infancy days of becoming the world’s greatest listing agent, I spent many hours bullsh***ting around…
…touring new listings
…visiting new construction
…holding open houses
…I was damn good at making myself feel like I worked my tail off.
One thing is for sure. If I can bullsh*t ME, I can fool anyone.
And I can smell the crap a mile away…so don’t even try telling me that you are truly making the best of your precious hours.
Agents have a way of doing all of the WRONG things, day after wasted day, so they feel “accomplished”. They spend 80% of the time working on non-dollar-productive activities-totally reversing the magic of the 80/20 rule!
If you want to be successful in real estate, what you need to grasp pretty darn quickly, is that there’s a big difference in being a “Hustler” and actually hustling.
Hustlers bs everyone…especially themselves…1 hit wonders at best.
Then there’s the agents who get sh*t done….LOTS of it! (Ahem…my Agent On Fire Blaze monthly newsletter subscribers,to name a smart bunch.)
You see their signs in yards
Their faces are on billboards
They’re the local real estate “gurus” interviewed on TV.
They make a seriously great living by “DO-ing”. And they Do, Do, Do all the time.
They are “hustling” and killing it, while the majority are riding the real estate roller coaster, making a buck here and there and sweating with anxiety worrying about when the next deal might fall into their lap.
In my time as a top agent and broker, I’ve rarely run across a “Doer” who can’t make so-called “geniuses” look like rank amateurs.
To be perfectly transparent with you, even today I can’t figure a mortgage payment. But I sure can out-list everyone I’ve ever met. I’m very good at taking a lot of swings.
Put a brainiac up against me any day…I’ll be hitting grand slams while he’s still warming up.
If you want to start taking home major league commission checks and working less, by simply doing ONLY the right things, Go here:
-Mike Costigan
YOUR Bleeding Toes in Sharky Waters
Shark bait.
That’s why agents don’t get listings. They are easy prey. They swim blindly without direction in an ocean of predators and they die.
I see this so often. I’ve swallowed up so many delicious morsels of slow swimmers in my time. And I have to tell you…nothing is tastier!
Have you ever watched Shark Tank? It’s a show where a panel of Millionaires and Billionaires receive “pitches” from wannabe entrepreneurs seeking investors in their companies.
Kevin O’Leary, aka “Mr. Wonderful” delights in telling many of them “you’re dead to me. Leave now.”
And while he may be the a**hole of the show, he’s the one helping these guppies the most.
See, he doesn’t tolerate unprepared losers. And they all have these things in common:
They don’t know their metrics.
They have no strategy.
They have nothing unique.
They are not INVESTIBLE.
Why in the world would anyone give money away with no chance of return? Ask yourself, would you invest in a guy who has no track record, or would your check go to the guy with a chart showing 100% gains month after month, who could tell you succinctly how you would be repaid? Choice is easy.
So ask yourself this…
Are YOU investible in the eyes of clients?
Can YOU tell them quickly WHY they should chose you, over and above all other options out there, including doing nothing at all?
Do you have something UNIQUE to offer? TRULY unique?
Can you show them how they will get a return on their investment with you?
Probably not. The only agents I’ve met who are worthy foes, are my Agent On Fire Blaze newsletters subscribers. They hungrily consume my teachings..and any competitor who perilously swims across their path.
Don’t take my comments personal here. It’s just that I know from selling thousands of homes and EASILY beating every agent out of listings almost 100% of the time, that pretty much all agents say the same thing…maybe a twist or two added. But nothing unique enough that I can’t swallow them with one big gulp.
Don’t be the blood in the water that guys like me smell a mile away. It’s not even a fair fight.
You gotta dig your teeth into learning the skills of the people at the top of the food chain if you want to avoid extinction.
If you want to become the Great White in your marketplace FAST, go here:
-Mike Costigan
Lying, cheating scumbags
“I promise to never tell a lie. I swear I’ll deliver on my promises. I’ll never cheat steal or swindle.”
Agents should have to take that oath before ever throwing customers in the back seat and taking them for a “ride”.
This is a crazy business. Sometimes it’s downright cut throat.
People will say or do anything to make a sale it seems.
I have a buddy who reminds me constantly that people act out of selfish interests.
And damn it, as much as I hate to believe it, he’s right!
I’ve seen agents hold sellers hostage at the closing table, charging more than agreed.
I’ve seen FAMILY members screw family members. Now incest is certainly relative, but it disgusts me personally! And so does ripping off your own flesh and blood.
I’ve watched agents completely throw their reputation out the window for a few measly bucks.
Integrity MUST be the essential core value of your business proposition.
Let integrity slip and you’re just a hustler. Hustlers don’t last. They get a good pop here and there but sooner or later they are just tumbleweeds rolling off across the sandy plains.
I had an REO asset manager call me one day and offer me every listing in Atlanta if I kicked him back 20%. He thought he was the hot shot holding the cards. Tried to force it down my throat with threats of not getting any listings otherwise. Let’s just say old Billy the Kid there didn’t win. I got listings…plenty of them. He got tossed like a hooligan in a bar fight, thrown out the swinging doors by muscle bound bouncers.
Moral of the story here is this….stay true to yourself. When you act with integrity, you perform at a higher level. There’s no self-doubt, less anxiety when dealing with clients and just plain old more success.
Temptation is hard to resist and that’s why most people fail. It’s also why most people make very little money.
When you can look yourself in the eye and smile, clients pick up on your honesty naturally. Getting listings and making sales comes easily because they trust you automatically.
If you’d like to become the new sheriff in charge of your market, go here:
-Mike Costigan
Who wants to be a Celebrity agent?
Does anyone even know who you are? Really?
Your ego may tell you so but it’s lying to you!
I’ve sold somewhere around 7,000 homes and it’s not like people ask me for autographs…well, to be honest, yeah, it’s happened more than once. I’m prominent here in the Atl.
I’ve been a real estate expert on radio and TV and in newspapers, so I’m visible.
But can YOU be a known name? Most can’t and never will.
However, it’s easier than you think. The secret….
GETTING LISTINGS.
Signs in yards=top of mind
It really is that simple. You can easily saturate a small area and clean up on the commissions if you get your signs out there.
It’s a crazy phenomenon called “triggering the reticular activator”. Sellers and soon-to-be sellers subconsciously file your name away when they see it on a sign. They aren’t even aware. The brain associates “selling” with “name” and when the conscious mind needs it, it retrieves the information and it is acted upon.
Sparing you the psych lesson here…but trust me, it works.
So, you don’t need to be a superstar.
You don’t need to have ever listed the first home before.
You just need to start planting signs NOW.
And the key is to have multiple good seller lead sources. There’s plenty to choose from. Some cost ZERO and some cost a penny or two. But cost matters not. When you get in the HABIT of calling them, no matter what the source, they become EASY. Conversion goes up with practice, and regardless of price, they ALL provide a handsome return.
You see, “Branding” doesn’t cost much once you’re an expert with the process. The “big” agents in your market know this already. They are hardly geniuses. They just figured out a few things that you haven’t yet.
When you see how the secrets are all hidden in plain sight, you’re going to flip at how simple it really is. Then you can really start being a Rockstar that people line up to do business with.
In an upcoming issue of The Agent On Fire Blaze monthly newsletter, I’ll be showing you a few ways to become the real estate “A-Lister” in your marketplace…quickly and unquestionably (without breaking the bank).
If you are ready to take YOUR walk on the red carpet, go here:
-Mike Costigan