In the following interview, Kevin Johnson, CEO and managing broker of CENTURY 21 OneBlue in Orlando, Fla., discusses the advantages of the brand, education, and more.
Region Served: Central Florida
Years in Real Estate: 5
Number of Offices: 1
Number of Agents: 49
Motto/Work Philosophy That You Live By: Real estate isn’t a sales business; it’s a service business. The one thing I want my agents to learn is to stop trying to sell, sell, sell. I tell them that their job is to build long-term relationships and deliver extraordinary experiences. If a person trusts you, values your work and likes you, they’ll buy and/or sell a house with you.
You have a suite of companies, chief among them the brokerage and OneBlue Real Estate School. How important is learning for your agents and brokers?
Learning is especially important to me. I don’t care what it is that you do, whether it’s reading an article or book on real estate or taking a class—you need to be growing your knowledge every single week. You must stay on top of the latest market and industry trends, mind your fundamentals and keep abreast of governmental programs and policies that impact your business.
What is your best advice for new agents?
Don’t be afraid to fail. Fail often, then learn from your mistakes. It’s empowering.
How do you stay ahead of the competition?
We stay ahead of the competition through innovation. You have to throw the box away and constantly innovate. For instance, I don’t cold call agents to recruit them. We built a platform that consistently gives us a pool of people to contact about joining our company. In fact, one day recently I had four appointments booked with prospective new agents. I didn’t call a single one of them.
When it comes to time management, what is your No. 1 tip?
Block your calendar. Don’t just make a list. If it’s on a list, it’s easier to ignore it. I tell my agents to block time for everything, including blocking time for phone calls, meetings and time for yourself.
What is it about the CENTURY 21® brand that makes it the best fit for you and your agents?
The rebranded CENTURY 21 is taking the world by storm. While the brand itself is amazing, the network is among the best in the world, which makes referrals unbeatable. I can connect with brokers and agents anywhere. The brand is also a good fit for me and my agents because it’s agent-centric, not the other way around. That’s what it’s all about. I work for my agents. Each one is my boss, and I want to make sure I’m there for each and every one of them.
For more information, please visit www.century21.com.
Lesley Grand is a contributing editor to RISMedia.
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