This week on RealTrending, Tracey interviews Cindy Raney and Jason Mudd, the husband-and-wife leaders of the Cindy Raney Team at Coldwell Banker in Westport, Connecticut.
Cindy and Jason talk about running a luxury team, including how they divide responsibilities and maintain a strong team culture. They also discuss their most effective marketing strategies, the impact of commission lawsuits on the luxury market, how to articulate a clear value proposition, and more!
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
They emphasize the importance of dividing responsibilities based on strengths.
Understanding the luxury market requires a focus on client education and client advisory services.
The emotional aspects of selling a home must be managed carefully.
Consistency in marketing is crucial for success in luxury real estate.
Building a strong team culture is essential for team growth.
Related to this episode:
Cindy Raney
https://cindyraney.com/
Cindy Raney & Team | Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cindyraneyandteam/?hl=en
Cindy Raney & Team | Coldwell Banker
https://www.coldwellbanker.com/ct/westport/agents/cindy-raney-team/tid-P01700000FYDpMiuLEZG1XI2sFSpyH4larrbsoNX
Enjoy the episode!
The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.
Cindy and Jason talk about running a luxury team, including how they divide responsibilities and maintain a strong team culture. They also discuss their most effective marketing strategies, the impact of commission lawsuits on the luxury market, how to articulate a clear value proposition, and more!
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
They emphasize the importance of dividing responsibilities based on strengths.
Understanding the luxury market requires a focus on client education and client advisory services.
The emotional aspects of selling a home must be managed carefully.
Consistency in marketing is crucial for success in luxury real estate.
Building a strong team culture is essential for team growth.
Related to this episode:
Cindy Raney
https://cindyraney.com/
Cindy Raney & Team | Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cindyraneyandteam/?hl=en
Cindy Raney & Team | Coldwell Banker
https://www.coldwellbanker.com/ct/westport/agents/cindy-raney-team/tid-P01700000FYDpMiuLEZG1XI2sFSpyH4larrbsoNX
Enjoy the episode!
The RealTrending podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in real estate. Every Monday, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts join us to share their secrets to success, trends, and the lessons they’ve learned. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00What does it take to run a luxury team?
00:04Well, I spoke with Cindy Rainey and Jason Mudd
00:07of the Cindy Rainey team of Coldwell Bank of Realty
00:10in Westport, Connecticut,
00:12about how they make their nine person team
00:16run smoothly and efficiently,
00:18especially when it comes to working with luxury properties
00:21and high net worth individuals.
00:24They had some great advice and some interesting information
00:27on how to run a husband and wife team.
00:30So enjoy the podcast.
00:32So Jason and Cindy, welcome to the Real Trending Podcast.
00:36We are excited to be here today.
00:38Thanks for having us.
00:40So Cindy, I wanna start with you
00:42and why don't you tell me a little bit about your team
00:44and introduce what your team is all about to our audience.
00:49Okay, so I'm Cindy Rainey.
00:51This is my husband, Jason Mudd,
00:53and we run a team that focuses on high-end luxury
00:57real estate in Fairfield County.
01:00We're based in Westport, Connecticut,
01:02and right now we're a team of nine with five advisors.
01:06And then we have a marketing manager,
01:09client concierge, and support staff.
01:13What else, Jason?
01:14And then we also employ a PR team to help us
01:18get on podcasts like this with you, Tracy.
01:20Great.
01:21And so, Cindy, how do you divide and conquer for your team
01:26since you're both running it?
01:28Oh, gosh.
01:29Well, Jason and I learned early on
01:32what the term stay in your lane means.
01:35I remember one of our first coaching sessions way back
01:38when we were starting our team,
01:39we met with some other husband and wife business owners,
01:43and they were like,
01:44just make sure you just stay in your lane
01:46and do what you're great at.
01:48It took us a little bit to figure that out,
01:50but we definitely divide and conquer.
01:52We challenge each other in a nice way.
01:56And Jason's our visionary.
01:58He's our big thinker,
02:01keeping us always working at our best, the numbers guy.
02:06And then I am really the client facing arm of our team.
02:12Okay.
02:13Jason, I'm gonna go to you.
02:14I wanna talk about maybe some key strategies or habits,
02:18things that you do and have driven
02:21your high level of success
02:23that other agents listening can learn from.
02:26Yeah.
02:27Well, I think the first thing is that I come
02:30from a different background.
02:32I'm not from the real estate industry to begin with,
02:34so I spent most of my career in banking,
02:36but I spent some time in the consumer package goods world.
02:40And I think what we have tried to do
02:42and what I've tried to do is really deliberately
02:44sort of focus on the customer experience
02:47and really at all levels.
02:50So we start with kind of being an advisory business first.
02:54And why I think that's really important
02:56is we try to advise, educate people.
02:58We try to offer them solutions.
02:59And then we try to provide a service that's second to none,
03:03but it's always with the consumer in mind.
03:05It's how do we make every process,
03:07we question ourselves all the time
03:09about everything we deliver.
03:10Does it make the consumer experience better?
03:12Does it make it easier for them?
03:13So I think that's at a very high level.
03:15What we're trying to build is kind of how do you think
03:18if you work backwards from the consumer,
03:20what makes their experience great with us?
03:21And I think they would tell you that what we've done
03:24is we've taken what can be a very emotional,
03:26can be sometimes a complex situation process,
03:30and we have tried to make it as easy for them
03:32and as less and as stress-free as possible.
03:36Okay.
03:37And in that same vein,
03:40have you found that the luxury market
03:44is a little more sophisticated?
03:46So with the commission lawsuits,
03:48have they been more active in talking to you about it
03:52and asking for more information
03:54and in kind of maybe negotiating a little bit more?
04:00So here's what I would say,
04:02is that actually we find,
04:04and I'll let Cindy address the consumer piece,
04:06but what we have found, at least what I've seen,
04:09is that actually consumers now crave information
04:12more than ever.
04:13So the service and the value that we provided
04:16before the settlement becomes even more important today.
04:20And in fact, we have not seen our commissions go down,
04:24we've actually seen them go up
04:26because people in the luxury space
04:29are now aware more than ever
04:31that the value we provide on the advisory side
04:33is actually really meaningful.
04:36But again, Cindy can address
04:37more of the live client relationships.
04:40Yeah, I think for us,
04:43the settlement has made things easier for us
04:45because we can really easily articulate
04:48our value proposition,
04:50whereas I think for newer agents
04:53or agents that don't have the same level of confidence
04:56or experience, it's harder for them
04:58to really succinctly articulate what they offer somebody.
05:02And so for us, I can very comfortably have a conversation
05:06with Mr. and Mrs. Buyer or seller that I charge X
05:10and here's what I offer.
05:12And I can let them know,
05:13sure, you can find someone
05:14who will charge you a different number,
05:17but this is what I offer for X percent.
05:20That's great, yeah.
05:21And you had talked about service,
05:23are there any specific,
05:24and Cindy, I'll go to you on this,
05:26are there any specific things that you do
05:28that are unique in your area
05:30or unique just to your team in general?
05:34I would say the one thing that I think that we do
05:37that is very unique
05:38is that I wholeheartedly tell the client
05:42what they need to hear
05:43and not necessarily what they want to hear.
05:45So I think that that is a big differentiator
05:48because there are plenty of people that will take a listing
05:51and go in and not tell somebody,
05:53oh, you really need to change this
05:55or they'll just take the listing happily
05:59because they really want to have a listing
06:01or they just don't have the expertise
06:03to know that you can get a much better price if you do X.
06:07So we tell the clients what they need to hear,
06:11which sometimes is hard.
06:12And also we are completely honest with them.
06:16I'm not saying that other people aren't,
06:18but we're really transparent
06:19and we have a very different strategy than other people.
06:23We have a very strong marketing team.
06:25We're very consistent about how we roll out what we do
06:29and it differentiates us.
06:31Hey, Tracy, I'll just also weigh in quickly
06:33because I think it's important.
06:35A lot of people who are listening to the podcast
06:38may say, well, it's really easy for you to say
06:39that you tell people what they need to hear
06:41because you guys have such a,
06:43you have a robust business, right?
06:44So you can afford to have a client walk away.
06:47I would argue that actually, if you are,
06:51I mean, if you have that integrity
06:53and you tell people what they need to hear
06:55and need to know, your value and your reputation
06:59will supersede any lost potential you might have to start.
07:03And I mean that sincerely.
07:04We really try to be as reliable as possible
07:08in the advisory side to our clients,
07:10which means that sometimes we've had to tell people
07:12that their home isn't worth what they thought it was, right?
07:14They look at Zillow and they say, my home is worth X.
07:17And the reality is that it's not.
07:19Sometimes it's worth more, sometimes it's worth less.
07:21But we've staked our reputation on being reliable
07:24and being transparent.
07:25And that's where Cindy excels in the market
07:27is because clients know that when they get Cindy,
07:29they're gonna get an honest approach
07:32to how we think a home should be marketed
07:35or if she's representing a buyer,
07:37what their offer should be and why.
07:40Yeah, you know, it's really interesting.
07:41So I have a friend who's working with a seller
07:44and got a great offer for the house.
07:48And the buyers came back
07:51with wanting some concessions on repairs.
07:53And the seller took it very personal.
07:56And basically it was, well, don't they understand
08:00I'm a widow, they're taking advantage of me.
08:04Like how do you handle,
08:05like that was the first kind of situation
08:08that like she really explained to me.
08:10And I thought, wow, they really take this personally.
08:13How do you handle that in your transactions?
08:17I think it's really important to give people
08:21as much information upfront
08:23so that we can manage their expectations.
08:26And so, you know, it depends on the market that you're in.
08:30You know, right now we're in a very strong seller's market.
08:33So we won't see a lot of concessions being asked for
08:36unless it would be something really health
08:38and safety related that anybody would ask for.
08:42You know, but in a market
08:43where you are having concessions asked for,
08:46I think it's just really preparing the seller to say,
08:49look, we've gotten to this point in the negotiation.
08:51The next part is they're going to do an inspection.
08:55And, you know, these are things that they could ask for,
08:58you know, hopefully we're really transparent
09:00on the disclosures.
09:02So they really know the age of the systems
09:05and any potential problems, but it is possible.
09:08And selling your house is so emotional,
09:11especially if you're a widow or, you know,
09:14you've gotten divorced or, you know, life changes,
09:16you know, that's really hard.
09:17So we are, I love that client
09:21that I can like really handhold and be there for
09:24because I really feel like I can help and I'm needed.
09:27And I love helping people in those, you know, situations.
09:32Yeah, it's just been,
09:33I know it's been a very emotional transaction.
09:36So it's interesting, you know,
09:39some can be so very transactional,
09:41like, you know, without a lot of emotion
09:44and then you've got others
09:46and this is a high-end transaction.
09:48It would be probably mid-luxury in our market.
09:52So, yeah.
09:55So Cindy, let's talk about kind of your top lesson learned.
10:00And then Jason, I'll go to you.
10:02And so you've been in business,
10:05I think it was like 20 years, is that correct?
10:08Yes, 20 years.
10:09And Jason, have you been
10:10in the real estate business as long?
10:13No, I was a banker for most of my career.
10:16And then Cindy and I formed a partnership.
10:18She had been very successful as a solo practitioner
10:21and we formed the company in 2020.
10:23Okay, so you have two very different perspectives.
10:25So Cindy, I'll start with you
10:27on kind of your greatest lesson learned
10:29over the years in your practice.
10:33You know, and it's something I wish I learned
10:35a little bit earlier.
10:37It is really important to focus on doing the things
10:41that you're really good at
10:42and delegating the things that you don't like to do
10:46or you're just not as great doing.
10:49I wish I could say I was the most organized person
10:51in the world, but I'm not.
10:53And so, you know, we have a staff now
10:56that really helps keep me on task
10:58and we use follow up boss, which is fantastic.
11:02We are just starting to integrate Monday,
11:04which is going to be, you know,
11:06help our systems and processes,
11:09but we are always evolving and really making sure
11:13we're, you know, at the top of our game,
11:16technology wise and team wise,
11:18so that I can do what I'm best at all the time.
11:22It's interesting.
11:23Someone else, another agent recently said
11:25they've started using Monday.
11:27It's not traditionally a real estate, you know, program.
11:32And so it's interesting that more agents
11:34are starting to use it.
11:37And Jason, so coming from another industry,
11:40maybe what surprised you and what is a lesson
11:43that maybe you learned in banking that has transferred
11:46to the real estate business that you're running?
11:51Well, I think the first thing is that this job
11:53that Cindy does is a lot harder than I thought it was.
11:56I mean, she makes it look very easy,
11:57but she works incredibly hard at it
12:00and she's very natural at it.
12:01So she makes it.
12:01I just, I have to say something.
12:03We had, he had used my computer one day
12:05when I was out of the office last week.
12:07And it was actually amazing for our marriage
12:10because he came home and he was like,
12:12I couldn't focus at your computer.
12:13It was dinging all the time.
12:15You got like nine to five texts.
12:17And I was like, oh, that was an easy day.
12:19He said, oh my gosh, I have so much more respect
12:21for what you do.
12:22That was like, it was amazing.
12:24And so any realtor out there,
12:25let your spouse sit at your computer
12:27and it might be like life-changing.
12:28No, it's true, I know, yeah.
12:30So sorry.
12:31No, it's okay, no, it's okay.
12:32Look, first of all, I think it's the misnomer
12:36is that it's from the consumer end
12:39is that this is a very easy job.
12:41It is easy to get a real estate license.
12:44It is easy to enter this profession.
12:47It is extremely difficult to be incredibly good at it.
12:51I think that was the lesson that I learned.
12:54And I think for those of you who are listening,
12:55I think you know exactly what I'm talking about.
12:57I would say for me, what has helped our team
13:02and our business coming from a different background
13:05is that I tend to challenge a little bit more
13:07of the status quo.
13:08I tend to challenge sort of what has been done
13:11and does that necessarily make it right?
13:13And so my background is predominantly
13:16sales and sales strategy.
13:17So I spent a lot of my career sort of asking questions.
13:20If we do it a certain way,
13:22is it better than doing it this way and why?
13:25And always asking the questions around
13:28why do we do it a certain way?
13:29And so I think that has helped our business
13:32in terms of how we've tried to look
13:34at what we do process-wise,
13:36how we evaluate our relationship with our clients,
13:39how we present our information,
13:41all of it we're just trying to challenge ourselves
13:44to make sure that what product we put out there,
13:47we've made sure that we feel it's the best means
13:51and the best way of getting that message out
13:53to the consumer.
13:55I think everyone needs a Jason on their team,
13:57someone challenging the way that they're doing things
14:00and that's how you evolve, right?
14:02And become more efficient and successful.
14:07And so Cindy, talk to me about your growth plan.
14:11Are you happy with the way the team is now?
14:14Do you have a plan to move forward
14:16and grow to a bigger team?
14:19What are some of your plans moving forward?
14:23So I will tell you specifically
14:25that Jason being our visionary,
14:27his plan for growth is really,
14:31you'd wanna hear that from him
14:32because he's got our whole roadmap.
14:34However, right now I am very happy with the team.
14:39We do have an opening for one or two more advisors.
14:43And so Jason and I are always looking to see
14:46who might be a good fit for our team.
14:50But aside from that, I mean,
14:51Jason definitely has some big, really great plans for us.
14:55I don't know if he wants to share now, but.
14:58No, look, I won't get into every detail,
15:01but I think to Cindy's point,
15:02we are absolutely looking to grow.
15:04We're thrilled that the business has grown
15:07from where we started to where it is today.
15:09We would like to continue to grow the business.
15:11Maybe it won't grow at the same pace
15:13because we've had some pretty extraordinary growth,
15:16which we're absolutely thrilled by.
15:19The challenge that we face is we are trying to build
15:24by hiring people that fit our culture, fit our model,
15:28and represent the Cindy Rainey brand
15:32the way we'd like for them to.
15:33And so it's not about in our world,
15:36just bringing on five, 10, 15 other advisors
15:40or people in a variety of roles.
15:44We're trying to be as diligent as possible
15:47when we talk to people
15:48that they fit the right characteristics
15:52and believe what we believe,
15:53which we believe very strongly
15:55that we are doing our clients a great service
15:59if we give them the right advice
16:00to make really smart decisions.
16:01And so we wanna make sure people have the same passion
16:05and beliefs that we do.
16:06So it's not about can you be a real estate agent
16:08and just join our team?
16:10It's gotta be a lot more.
16:11And again, I don't need to get into all of it,
16:12but we do have big plans.
16:14We wanna bring on the right people
16:15to accomplish those plans.
16:17But I don't say-
16:18Oh, sorry.
16:19We have a Monday morning meeting every week.
16:23And I just, I love everybody on our team.
16:26And we do all have very similar priorities
16:30in life and everything.
16:32So it's just, I'm very happy with the team as it is now.
16:36And I'm super proud of them
16:37because they're working so hard.
16:40I think that's the hardest thing
16:41for a broker or a team leader to do
16:44is to make sure they're hiring the right person
16:48and not just filling a role.
16:50And obviously there are different models out there.
16:52So some models really rely on the number of agents.
16:55So they bring as many as possible in.
16:58And then others are much more selective.
17:01But I think regardless, you need productivity
17:05and you need culture that is aligned.
17:10So it's super smart to be thinking along those lines
17:16and being a little more choosy in who you bring on
17:19because it does make a difference moving forward for sure.
17:24Yeah.
17:25Yeah, we totally agree with you, Tracy.
17:27And so let's talk marketing.
17:28You say that you do a lot of marketing.
17:31You have a robust marketing team.
17:34So I don't know which one of you
17:37is the best one to talk about this first.
17:39I'll let you decide,
17:40but tell me a little bit about your marketing strategies
17:43and how you are reaching the luxury
17:46or high net worth clients.
17:48So our marketing starts with Talia on our team.
17:52She's our marketing director
17:54and she works very closely with our PR team
17:56and our social team.
17:58And what we do,
17:59we have a very consistent approach for all of our properties
18:03and we come up with a series of lifestyle videos
18:07surrounding each property with a very deliberate theme.
18:12We've put a lot of time and effort into it.
18:14We have high quality videos and photography
18:18and we have a social approach
18:22that we go through every time.
18:23We hit people with emails, our client database.
18:28We actually broadcast it out globally through our network
18:32and I think in being consistent over time,
18:37I will say on Instagram right now,
18:39we're getting over 120,000 views per month
18:44because of our consistency and high quality products.
18:48Yeah, and I know you're with Coldwell Banker, correct?
18:51Yeah.
18:52Our rankings will come up
18:54and they moved up the rankings, so.
18:56Yeah.
18:58The Coldwell brand did, so.
19:01The Coldwell Banker Global Luxury brand
19:04is really outstanding and I'm a member of ILA,
19:09which is the International Luxury Alliance,
19:11which is, it's only 77 people globally
19:14and we're heading out to, where are we going?
19:18Newport Beach.
19:19Newport Beach in three weeks
19:20to sort of all convene together,
19:22share ideas and collaborate, which is really nice.
19:25So Tracy, I know that the question
19:27and a lot of people I think on the marketing side
19:29are looking for something to distinguish themselves
19:31and the word that's often thrown around is unique
19:34and I completely understand the question.
19:36I think what Cindy hit on
19:38is really important for people to understand.
19:40It's really about being consistent.
19:42Like, are you consistently delivering a product
19:46that whomever is watching
19:48understands what they're getting, right?
19:50They know that they're getting
19:51the same sort of deliverable every time.
19:54So it's great for the consumer,
19:56but it's also great for the potential buyer
20:00of a home, right?
20:01They know when Cindy puts something out, what to expect.
20:02It's gonna be high quality.
20:04It's gonna have relevant content.
20:07It's gonna have some analytics in there
20:09because we think analytics are important,
20:11especially in the luxury space
20:12for people to understand numbers.
20:13So again, very deliberate process
20:17that I think has really helped grow
20:19her social media presence
20:21because people know what to expect
20:23and she's very reliable in delivering it
20:25over and over and over again.
20:28Yeah, consistency is as everything
20:30I've ever heard from people is the key with marketing.
20:34It's picking the channels that you wanna focus on
20:37and being consistent on them.
20:39It's having a system for marketing a property
20:42that you do every time, you know, so yeah.
20:46So unique ideas are great, but you're right.
20:50It is just as much about the actual system
20:55that you're following and consistency in that.
20:58It makes a difference, so yeah, for sure.
21:00There are some times that we'll do, you know,
21:03a very special event at, you know, a very high-end property.
21:08Like we're closing on a $10 million property
21:11on Sasko Hill Roads.
21:12We've done some special, you know, different events there.
21:16You know, we've had an influencer event
21:18at another listing on Partrick in Westport.
21:21So, you know, once in a while
21:22we'll sprinkle in something very different,
21:25but we really just aim to be consistent across all channels.
21:31So as agents listening might be considering joining a team
21:36or starting a team, you know,
21:39so talk to me about kind of the process or the keys.
21:44What helped you build your team?
21:47What are some takeaways or strategies that you can offer
21:52for someone who's out there thinking of either joining
21:54or starting a team?
21:56Yeah, I'll take a crack at it and let Cindy jump in.
21:59You know, to me, there are several factors that weigh in,
22:01and this is, again, how we think, right?
22:03So this is our perspective.
22:05I would say one of the things I observed
22:07when we were trying to, Cindy and I were deliberating
22:09about how we wanted to construct a team
22:11is I believe that what I saw
22:14is that many teams just join a name, right?
22:17Cindy Rainey, but they are still really solo practitioners
22:22just underneath an umbrella,
22:23and there isn't a lot of anything other
22:26than maybe they get a referral now and again,
22:28but there's not a lot of culture built in.
22:31They're still left out a little bit on an island.
22:33And so I would, if I were a new agent today,
22:38I would find a team that really has a culture
22:42that is trying to grow and mentor their career
22:45and bring them up.
22:46And we have been very deliberate
22:48in how we have tried to do that with our team members.
22:51We're seeing some of the fruits of that hard work.
22:54Cindy spends a lot of time coaching
22:56and mentoring on listing presentations.
22:59I spend a lot of my time
23:00on understanding market trends and dynamics
23:02so that when you speak to consumers,
23:04how are you talking to them
23:05about things that they need to know?
23:07And we've seen those fruits pay off.
23:10It's not an immediate payoff.
23:12It's taken a couple of years for some of our agents
23:14to get multiple listings,
23:16and now many of them are off and running, which is great.
23:19So I would just tell you
23:20that's the first thing is find a team
23:22that they really do care about you as an individual
23:25and don't just add your name to a roster of 50 agents.
23:27And I'm using that number very loosely.
23:29It could be in a roster of 10 agents.
23:32I think you understand the point.
23:33So I think that's the first and foremost
23:35that I would really focus on if I were a new agent today.
23:38Okay.
23:40Any other thoughts, Cindy?
23:42Yeah, I mean, as a new agent,
23:43I think learning from someone else in the industry
23:47is really important.
23:48There are so many things to know
23:51in the real estate transaction that,
23:55I'd say once a year, I still learn something new.
23:58I mean, and I've been doing this now for 20 years
24:00and it's complex.
24:02And with each market cycle, you learn new things.
24:05I mean, now we've got a very specific way
24:07about how we address offers
24:09because they are always going to a bidding war.
24:11But when that changes,
24:13we're going to have to adjust our approach.
24:14I think in aligning yourself with a team,
24:19you're learning from somebody who is the best in the area
24:23or the best at what they do.
24:24And I think that's really important.
24:27Yeah, I mean, Tracy, look,
24:28I mean, if you think about it this way,
24:29I mean, just take a different industry, right?
24:31Let's take the financial industry.
24:33If you were to get your Series 7 license today
24:36and then go out and try to have people
24:41give you money to manage,
24:43it's a very difficult thing to do.
24:45If you say, I just got licensed,
24:47would you please give me your 500,000, your 5 million,
24:51it doesn't matter what the number is, right?
24:53Most people are going to say, gosh, sorry,
24:54can you get a few more clients before I say yes to that?
24:58Well, who's the first person to say yes in that scenario?
25:01I mean, God bless, right?
25:02So I'm not suggesting that every agent out there
25:05who's listening runs out and joins a team
25:07as a consequence of our perspective.
25:09What I would say though, is I think in going forward,
25:13when you are an individual practitioner,
25:16going up against a team,
25:17it is going to be very difficult to win a listing or a buyer
25:22because of the resources that Cindy has
25:25as opposed to you as an individual.
25:27And she's right about the knowledge,
25:28there's no question that's huge,
25:31but the resources our agents have, our advisors have,
25:34just by being on our team,
25:35it's not just being affiliated with Cindy
25:37or getting insights from me,
25:40they have access to Tally and our marketing,
25:41they have access to our PR team.
25:44There's a social calendar,
25:46everybody gets to participate in all of this stuff.
25:48So it allows them to build their own brand within our brand
25:52that would be impossible to do by themselves,
25:54or I should say incredibly difficult to do.
25:56So again, isn't to say you can't be successful,
26:00I just think it becomes much more difficult.
26:02Yeah, absolutely.
26:04My last question is just tell me a time
26:06that you failed forward.
26:09Cindy, we'll start with you.
26:11Failed forward, oh boy.
26:13Yes, maybe something you did in your business
26:16that you realized, oh, that was a big mistake,
26:19but you learned from it and changed your perspective,
26:22changed your strategy.
26:25Well, I'll let Cindy think about it for a second.
26:27I think the biggest mistake I think we've made
26:30is we have made some hiring decisions
26:33more based on more on need.
26:36And it was sort of an immediate need
26:39and I didn't do enough homework on my end
26:44to ensure that it was the right fit for our culture.
26:47And I know from, and the shame on me part of this
26:50is I've been in other roles where I've had to hire
26:53and unfortunately like people go,
26:54it's much harder to hire somebody and let them go
26:56than it is to wait and get the right person.
26:59It's just the time and energy put into the wrong person
27:02is very bad use of your time.
27:05So I would say that for us,
27:07and it hasn't happened often
27:08because we're still pretty small,
27:10but we have had a couple of instances where we have,
27:12and I take the blame because it's been my responsibility
27:15of bringing people on board that was based on a need
27:19rather than understanding that,
27:21making sure they were the right fit for us.
27:22So that was a fail forward that we have worked on
27:25and subsequently have made some other hires
27:27that have worked out thankfully really, really well for us.
27:31I think for me, we joined coaching probably 2019
27:37and for me, that has been a complete game changer.
27:41You have an accountability partner
27:44and you also learn from a lot of people
27:47that are very successful.
27:49And one thing that I learned
27:51by sort of just going through it over the years,
27:54I used to multitask all the time
27:57and just be as busy as I possibly could.
28:01And there could have been a time
28:02where I was good at multitasking,
28:04but now I realize I could have been much more productive
28:10and at the top of my game
28:12if I just stopped trying to do too many things at once.
28:16And I think now I'm much more present and focused
28:21and really try to focus on one thing at a time
28:23because just having all these balls in the air at once,
28:26I mean, I know our lives are crazy,
28:28but just to stop and figure out
28:30what is the most important thing on your plate at this time
28:33and figure out that and then move on to the next thing,
28:36I think that is probably
28:37one of the biggest lessons I've learned.
28:39Yeah, that's great advice.
28:41And who do you use as a coach?
28:42Is it like a national coach or?
28:44Yeah, we coach with Tom Ferry
28:47and we really love the advice and guidance that we get
28:53and it's great.
28:54I mean, we just had a question earlier in the week
28:57and Tom got on the phone with us for a few minutes
28:59and we have a wonderful coach, Carolyn.
29:03We really enjoy it.
29:04But I have a coach in other things.
29:06I have a yoga coach, I have a speaking coach.
29:09I just feel like it's really good to have accountability
29:12and people are just keeping motivated.
29:15Absolutely.
29:16Well, Jason and Cindy,
29:17thank you so much for joining the Real Trending Podcast.
29:20I appreciate you being here.
29:22Absolutely.
29:23And I do wanna say,
29:24we've learned so much from other realtors and people
29:27and I am an open book.
29:30If anybody wants to reach out,
29:32Instagram is a great place to do it
29:34and we'll make time to get back to you.
29:37Any questions, please feel free to reach out.
29:41Bye.
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