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Episode Summary:
Meet our guest on this episode, Shelley Zavitz, previously interviewed on the podcast in 2019. Shelly is Canadian by birth but currently based in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
In the episode, I sit with Shelly as we reflect on the changes and growth since our last interview and discuss the different projects she has created to meet significant needs common to Real Estate agents, especially in the early phase of their careers.
Top Takeaways:
"People learn through storytelling."
- [Shelley Zavitz]
"For a reader to grab on to what you're doing, they need to know who you are, so put yourself into your writing; you'll do well."
- [Shelley Zavitz]
"Who you surround yourself with within your business is the most important thing."
- [Shelley Zavitz]
"You have two brands; you have the one that you hang your license with, and then when you show up to the listing appointment, you're selling yourself."
- [Shelley Zavitz]
"Music is a business, you could have the best voice in the world, but you won't get picked up with a label right now unless you already have a following...Real estate is no different."
- [Shelley Zavitz]
"You have to build the stories that they want to tell, and that's what marketing and branding are."
- [Shelley Zavitz]
Episode Highlights:
[00:32] Intro
[01:18] Meet today's guest, Shelley Zavitz.
[03:51] Do you have any advice for a first-time author?
[07:22] Shelley's experience in the pandemic.
[11:05] The genesis of the "New Agent 365" website.
[16:31] About Shelley's second book, "Marketing That Moves People."
[25:35] Shelley's current project, "On-Track Agent."
[31:12] Shelley's advice to new agents.
[32:10] Connect with Shelley.
[33:33] Outro
Episode Notes:
Shelley was interviewed in episode 196. She shared in detail her background, starting in advertising, working in the radio industry for over 15years, and then moving into Real Estate while trying to find a new line of work. Shelley's first book, "Your First 365 Days in Real Estate," is still highly recommended for new agents.
Advice to new authors: Usually, the idea in writing a book is to help someone achieve something, and if you're trying to get someone to a spot where they aren't standing yet, you have to know how they feel. Employing empathy was one of the critical factors in Shelley's book. Another essential point to note is that apart from facts and data, people also learn through storytelling, especially personal experiences. This is why it is necessary to put yourself into your writing.
With the onset of the pandemic and then the lockdown in 2020, Shelley was unsure of how it would affect her life and work but was encouraged by her mentor to keep focused on her goal to support people through any available means at the time. This strengthened her community through the period and after.
The genesis of "New Agent 365": With her knowledge, Shelley launched the website "New Agent 365," which was linked to her book. This came about after many agents contacted her with very similar problems, and she was trying to understand these issues. She realized that the cost of training was overwhelming for agents, and many of them made very costly mistakes, not knowing where to get information to make better decisions. The goal is to give agents knowledge of the basic business at a low price while the brokerages can grow them in marketing and culture.
In her last interview with Bill, Shelley was not confident about releasing a second book as she had no idea how the first would be received. The book was a huge success, and she went on to write her second book.
Shelley's second book, "Marketing That Moves People," lays out the path she used in her career, identifying key principles for marketing in Real Estate. She aims to help agents gain market share by teaching them to become their brand alongside their company representing their value and marketing proposition. Your brand and your message are how you're going to make someone else feel so that they want to be a part of the thing you're selling; "You've got to go from where they're standing, not what you wish to push out."
Shelley's current project, "On-Track Agent," is a platform that connects coaches that are powerful in different niches of Real Estate. with agents who need help in such areas. While building New Agent 365, Shelley started contacting trainers who wanted to share what they were passionate about. This was part of the inspiration for the project. Also, while starting her career, Shelley had significant difficulty getting help to grow in the areas of interest to her; this problem is common to Real Estate agents and is one the platform aims to solve. It is free to join the platform.
Shelley's advice to new agents: Understand that every day you have a choice on where you want to take your business, many folks will make you a promise they can't commit to, but you must do the work and surround yourself with people who want to see you build your business, not people who want you to build their business.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect:
Find | THE REAL ESTATE SESSIONS
Find | Bill Risser
At bill.risser@ratemyagent.com
On Twitter
On Facebook
On YouTube
Find | Shelley Zavitz
At www.newagent365.com / www.ontrackagent.com
On Instagram - @szavy
On LinkedIn – Shelley Zavitz
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