In the following interview, Danny Rebello, owner of Home Connect Nationwide Realty Group in Las Vegas, Nev., discusses online lead capture, conversion and more.
Region Served: Las Vegas, Nev.
Years in Real Estate: 15
You’ve seen skyrocketing growth and 18 percent lead conversion by doing everything the opposite way, earning the moniker “Mr. Opposite.” What’s behind this nickname?
This is the name I was recently awarded from my friends at realtor.com®. The funny thing is that I never thought of myself as being opposite since I don’t measure myself up against others. I didn’t realize my tactics were that different until I started hearing feedback.
Congratulations on your success in the Las Vegas market. Please explain why you only recruit new agents.
A high percentage of agents have a misconception of how the real estate business actually performs in the real world. Hiring individuals that have just been licensed that have driven personalities, most of them coming from sales-based jobs, creates a hardworking office environment without having to undo bad habits or deal with false expectations. Like anything else, hard work trumps all, and a positive attitude is everything.
What is your expectation when hiring new agents?
My expectation is to have them close 6 – 9 transactions consistently and monthly going into their fifth month. Money is made with consistency. It’s not made trying to grasp at straws.
How is it possible for each of your agents to close 6 – 9 transactions consistently per month?
This is all math. Most offices buy a certain amount of leads based on a budget. That is the mistake of all mistakes. I purchase the appropriate amount of leads based on my number of agents and the ability to hit our goals. My goal is the agent’s goal and vice versa. It’s a win-win. Zip codes, sales prices, inventory and recent sales all come into play when you’re buying real estate leads, as well. The entire system has to perform, including lead flow and critical time management. Spending the right amount of time, at the right time of day, on the right leads, as well as future business, is vital to close volume.
Why don’t you prospect?
This is the question that sets us apart from the rest. I don’t charge desk fees, or any other fees, for that matter. A solid marketing setting invokes energy that an office needs to thrive on. It’s amazing to see how agents are fired up to get to work, and you just don’t get that in a self-generated brokerage. My agents make a solid client connection daily. We deal with buyers 95 percent of the time and drive a very large amount of leads per agent every single day. I get ample leads for my agents to work on using realtor.com.
Tell me how you coach time management.
Time management is actually more important than the lead itself. Without making regular contact with near future clients, agents create their own rollercoaster effect in production month in and month out. The ups and downs of one’s paycheck are a direct result of not managing one’s time and future business pipeline. In my personal opinion, call times in a marketing environment are more important than the scheduled showing you have that day. It sounds crazy, but a properly managed work flow yields explosive results.
Is it true that you prefer your agents spend more time in the office than out showing and presenting?
This is correct. My agents set the appointments with their clients, not the other way around. They understand the importance of time and consistency. When they leave to do a showing, it’s imprinted in their mind that they’re losing money by not being on the phone. We do have a system where the lead follows the agent, but I have a schedule they need to abide by for their own success, not for my gate-keeping. Typically, when the agent finally tastes why it’s so important, I rarely have to teach that lesson again. When they leave the office, it’s to make money and convert a client to a contract. This is part of our vetting process.
How can you deliver good service while handling extreme volume?
This is definitely the secret sauce. This is where our proprietary lead management software and mobile app interaction come into play. Most brokerages use off the shelf lead management software, but unfortunately, they’re mostly designed by programmers and software engineers, instead of actual frontrunners. My personal success was built from high volume sales, so it’s easy for me to relate to what agents actually need and what’s important in the day-to-day. Like a broken record, I teach time management. Functionality will make or break a brokerage, and time is our most valuable commodity.
I hear you have every imaginable story about the quality of internet leads. Are you getting something different than everyone else?
No. We’re purchasing leads in the same manner as everyone else. In my opinion, there are only a few lead companies that have the quality and are able to provide consistent lead volume. It’s not just the lead itself; it’s the manner in which we orchestrate them.
Is it true you get double-digit conversion?
Absolutely, but this is a combination of lead quality, lead flow, lead distribution, contact rate, consistency, proprietary lead management software and relationships. If you’re missing one of these components, your conversion numbers drop.
How did you get started with realtor.com?
I started with realtor.com a few years ago, but I recently had the pleasure of meeting my sales executive and some of the powers that be. After meeting them, I remember telling myself, “This is who I’m going to further grow my business with.” Almost immediately, I cancelled my other marketing vendors and tripled my volume commitment with realtor.com. I believe in relationships wholeheartedly, and the day-to-day interactions with those relationships are vital in today’s world. They’re professional to the core, and it’s a direct result to the progress my company is experiencing from realtor.com today.
How has realtor.com helped you achieve the success you’re seeing today?
In the marketing world, it’s very difficult to sift through the nonsense as you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars on leads. Realtor.com provides precise information in regard to zip codes, daily lead volume and expectations. I deliver my promise on volume based on the promises delivered to me.
For more information, please visit marketing.realtor.com or www.homeconnectrealtygroup.com.
