Full Transcript for Ed Stulak on Personal Branding, Social Media, & Building a Real Estate Business That Lasts

name if you don't mind me asking? 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:12.400 Ed Stulak. 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:13.599 Stulak. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:14.319 I love that. 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:15.439 Where's that from? 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:17.759 From Slovakia, Eastern Europe. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:18.800 Eastern Europe. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:20.719 Are you from Slovakia? 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:23.360 So born in Jersey, Jersey boy. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:24.080 Okay. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:28.800 Is out from uh from Slovakia, Czechoslovakia back then. 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:32.240 So my roots are planted deep over there, but I'm a Jersey boy. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:33.759 I love that it hasn't changed. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:36.080 You're still keeping that with you uh strong. 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:38.719 And and that's really what I think America is all about, right? 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:40.000 That that of diversity. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.680 Everyone comes from different cultures, and that's what makes this nation really sick. 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:48.800 And what you know, and we're in our 250th anniversary, so talk about that, right? 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.560 That's amazing. 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:54.400 But Ed, I love to have our audience learn more about you. 00:02:54.400 --> 00:03:02.479 You know, you're a great human being for those that currently follow you, and for those that are tuning in for the first time and getting to uh will be getting to know you in this episode. 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:08.560 Uh, I really believe you you have a lot to give to those in the real estate space or just to those in general. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:11.120 So let's dive into your profession. 00:03:11.120 --> 00:03:20.960 I understand that you're a real you're in a real estate, so you're a real estate professional, you're also a coach to others in real estate, and you're also an author. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:23.039 So let's start with the real estate professional part. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:26.319 What is it that you do for the real estate space and how long have you been doing it? 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:32.960 Been selling real estate as a real estate agent for the past 10 years now, since uh since early 2016, I would say. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:36.960 You know, dove into because college was not doing well for me. 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:41.520 So I didn't want to become the studious doctor that my parents kind of pushed me towards. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:43.280 So I got into real estate instead. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:44.719 Been selling since then. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:45.759 I sell in Jersey. 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:47.360 I run a team called Orbis Group. 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:57.759 We're a small team, I'll call it North Jersey area, but we scatter all around, and that's that's the nutshell answer of what it is that I do as a realtor. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:03:59.599 That's amazing. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:02.960 So you've been doing it for uh it looks like now about a decade. 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:05.280 Has it been fun this whole time? 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:06.719 Not the whole time. 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:09.919 Let's talk, let's talk about that. 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:19.279 Like, you know, for for those that are just starting uh in real estate or for those that are seasoned in real estate that might be laughing or smiling as you said that. 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:22.879 Um, you don't mind sharing some tough moments in your real estate past? 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:27.439 Like what was a tough moment that that you learned something very valuable from? 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:28.720 Do you mind sharing? 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:41.920 Oh well, I I would say just the perseverance of after year three, I felt like I was ready to give up and just hang the hat and I don't know, go back to school and study something else because it just wasn't working for me. 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:50.079 I spent a lot of money, spent a lot of time, energy, focus, and it seemed like nothing was moving forward for me in this real estate business. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:05:04.000 So that's usually a very common point for a lot of realtors to get to and say, you know what, year two, year three, year four, I'm gonna go ahead and either move on with my life elsewhere, or just be a little bit more determined and get through it. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:08.000 And I'm so happy I did because my year was year three. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:10.240 I'm like, man, screw this, I'm done. 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:18.879 And then year four, year five, I got an opportunity of a lifetime to run a big project that changed my whole career going forward. 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:21.120 So I'm sure we can talk about that too. 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:27.600 But it was then that made me realize hold on, maybe I should give it a shot a little bit longer and see how it goes. 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.160 And I'm happy that I did. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:33.040 Well, I'm happy because here we are today having this conversation. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:33.839 That's right. 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:45.279 Let me ask you this year three, when you were going through those feelings, was it a mental thing that you were facing, or was it more of a data thing? 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:48.240 Like, did you actually see the metrics going in in the direction? 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:51.439 Or was it just three years in? 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:52.800 Is there something else for me? 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:57.759 Like, what was it actually in your in your in your case? 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:03.680 Was it more okay, the data is showing I'm not making any movement, or I feel like I'm not making any movement? 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:04.399 Which one was it? 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:06.079 Both, both and both. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:08.319 I felt like no progress was being made. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:16.160 I felt like it was not the the direction I wanted to go in, and I

saw statistically it wasn't going anywhere either. 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:17.600 So, like, what's the point? 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:22.319 What am I gonna just keep doing this and making, I don't know, 40, 50, 60,000 a year? 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:23.759 I feel like there's a lot more. 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:24.800 What am I missing? 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:26.959 Why is no one showing me how to do it? 00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:30.959 And if I do need someone to teach me, I have to pay for it, I don't have money. 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:31.839 What do I do? 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:34.240 It's a round table of damn, I don't know. 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:37.279 I feel like I'm moving forward on a hamster wheel and not getting anywhere. 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:38.399 So, what's the point? 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:45.199 And that makes me feel a different way, which I'm sure people listening, maybe the early rookies, could feel the same type of feeling. 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:47.120 And that's fine to feel it. 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:54.000 Just know if you continue to feel it, you're gonna get to a point where you hit a fork in the road, either stay or go. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.480 And I was ready to go. 00:06:56.480 --> 00:07:01.040 Instead, I chose to stay, and I'm very happy I did because I did figure out my systems. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:10.319 I invested a little bit of that money that I wasn't making, but I found it and I put it into coaching, I put it into the right systems, I put it into people that are helping me to move forward. 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:16.959 So from that point on, I don't want to say it skyrocketed, but I'd also don't want to say that it did not skyrocket it. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:19.920 It did, you know, for me to a whole nother level. 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:25.839 I went from selling eight to nine, maybe ten houses a year to now, you know, maybe 50 plus a year. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:27.360 So like something changed. 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:29.680 You know, it's possible, just don't give up. 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:30.879 I love that. 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:31.839 Great advice. 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:34.800 I had two questions that come to mind right off the bat. 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:38.639 Um, do you believe at that time your the mindset? 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:41.199 Because we talked about the feeling part and the metric part, right? 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:45.120 The data part that you were seeing, and both were obviously heading in a direction. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:47.360 Do you feel feel like both fed into each other? 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:58.480 That like once you started seeing the metrics, the mindset kind of shifted into the half-glass full mindset, and then that just kind of spiraled into where it ended in twenty in on the third year. 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:06.399 Of course, it's like going to the gym three times a week and not seeing a muscle, and now all of a sudden, week eight, you're like, Oh, there it is, right? 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:09.680 There's that ab that I've been working so dang hard on. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:11.839 Like, okay, maybe I should keep this up. 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:15.680 Like, of course, I love that, and all of a sudden it's like, ah, okay, it's working. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:17.040 Let's go, let's go, you know. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:17.680 But it's okay. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:21.519 There's gonna be days where you have your cheek days, and right, that ab disappears for a second. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:23.759 Whoa, hold on, where'd he go? 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:28.639 Your your fat, they're like, Come on, let me let me find it again. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:30.879 But yeah, that's kind of the progress of life. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:37.279 You got to keep going and then get the sale and get another and get now three at a time, and now get five, and then all of a sudden lose three. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:38.799 Oh, now lose another. 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:40.399 Oh, that's that's a deep pain. 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:41.440 You don't want to feel that again. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:44.639 How do you get ten so that when you do lose three, it's okay? 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:47.519 Or if you have one and you lose one, it's not okay. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:48.399 So get more. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:49.200 How do you get more? 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:51.519 Find your systems, and so on and so forth. 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:53.600 But I love that. 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:55.279 Okay, so great. 00:08:55.279 --> 00:09:01.279 I I the mindset, I can feel it, like the resilience that you've you've endured and and the positivity. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:11.279 You're like, like just everything you said in the last few moments definitely is more of that half-glass full mindset, uh, which is very, very important in our space and for those that are listening. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:22.000 Second question that comes into mind, you had very little, you mentioned uh at that time, yet you invested in yourself by pouring into uh a get getting a coach. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:23.519 What what was the reasoning? 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:28.879 I mean, most people in that scenario where they don't have much really wouldn't have done that. 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:35.039 I would say more than half uh that are listening, and myself included, would have not taken that step. 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:38.000 What was it that made you say, okay, you know what? 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:42.960 While I do have very little, I'm willing to invest into myself by getting a coach. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:44.000 What did you see? 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.159 What did you feel, or what did you know at that time that made you make that decision? 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:58.480 I think feeling pain is something that needs to be experienced in order to know that is the time to make the pivot. 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:00.720 It could be an emotional pain, mental pain, whatever.

00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:01.519 It's a pain. 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:04.000 And you don't want to feel that pain no longer. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:05.440 So you got to make a change. 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:08.879 Mine was simply I wasn't moving moving forward. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:18.559 There was no progress being made with sales, I wasn't getting the traction I wanted, the lead generation, the lead conversion, the focus, the expansion, the exposure, the advertising, marketing. 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:20.080 Like, why am I not? 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:22.000 What's wrong with me? 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:25.120 That's what people feel, and that's I still feel that till today. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:28.000 My god, imposter syndrome is a very normal thing. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:31.039 So I feel it from time to time, and that's fine. 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:33.840 Just don't let it kill you, let it grow you. 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:39.200 So I got to a point where that pain was really not pretty. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:41.200 I walked into my broker's office. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:45.039 I remember, like it was yesterday, walked into my broker's office. 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.840 I said, Hey, do you have a coach? 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:49.039 Just like that. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:50.720 He's like, I do. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:53.600 I'm like, can I connect with them? 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:55.759 They're like, what do you want the coach for? 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:56.799 Like, I don't know. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:10:58.399 I'm just seeing it all over social media. 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:00.480 People are saying, get mentorship, get coaching. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:02.399 And I'm like, I think I should. 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:03.120 I don't know. 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:04.559 I know school didn't work for me. 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:07.679 That was a different level of coaching and mentorship that I did not ask for. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:08.399 I didn't want that. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:09.279 My parents did. 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:11.919 Now I'm asking for it in my own taste. 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:15.919 I want to be tasting coaching, but for real estate, I think. 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:17.919 So, like, can I connect with your coach? 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:18.480 And he did. 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:20.240 He said yes, connected me. 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:24.240 And then about a week or a half, so later, I get on a call with the coach. 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:30.159 He interviews me, he talks to me, he asks me questions, and then he hits me with a $7,000 bill. 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:33.519 He said, This is what it's going to cost you for the remainder of the year. 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:35.759 And at that point, I'm like, $7,000. 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:39.679 I'm making barely that with a sale, which I'm not getting. 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:41.759 So where do you expect me to get $7,000? 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:44.080 And I was ready to just say no right there. 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:49.360 And then I connected with one of his other coaches because he didn't have time for me. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:50.639 So he connected me to another gal. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:51.840 Her name is Kim. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:53.519 Kim gets on the phone with me. 00:11:53.519 --> 00:12:01.519 She talks to me, and then she says, I could do a payment plan and I'll reduce it to like 65 or so 100. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:04.320 So now, okay, went from seven to 65. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:05.759 But I'm like, you know what, Kim? 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:08.480 I'm gonna do something that I've never done before. 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:12.080 Because if you want different results, you got to do different things. 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:16.080 So I did, and I said, I don't know where I'm gonna get the 6,500 from. 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:18.720 I have like a closing coming up for 4,000. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:20.399 I'm gonna ask my parents for the rest. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:21.039 I don't know. 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:24.000 I'm gonna try to figure it out, but like I'll get it to you. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:30.159 Pretty sure I got it to her in a matter of four weeks or so because I sold something, I got money some, I don't know. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:32.000 But I had nothing in my account. 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:35.759 So I gave it to her and I said, let's do this thing. 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:41.840 Fast forward, that was seven years ago or so, six or seven years ago. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:43.519 I still have Kim. 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:47.039 She is still in my back pocket, and I'm still working with her. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:48.879 She's helped me that much. 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:54.879 So I am very glad that I did something different to get a different result that I never thought I would get or accomplish. 00:12:54.879 --> 00:13:00.720 So my point to this story is sometimes you might not have it, but like to figure it out. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:02.320 I love that. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:03.679 Yes, I love that. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:09.919 And figuring it out, especially when it comes to investing in yourself, which is the the key component there that I love. 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:25.279 And I'm happy that you you personally made that decision because fast forward, you know, we're you're 10 years in, now you have dozens of employees, people that rely on you, people that you're pouring into, just like Kim poured into you. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:28.000 Now you're pouring into others. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:33.440 And um, if you didn't make that decision seven years ago, that wouldn't be the case, right? 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:43.519 So that that's what like sends shivers up my spine a little bit is that these key little things can have really big impacts you may not see until many, many, many years later. 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:44.879 So thank you for sharing that. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:48.639 Now we're we're about

providing value as well on this show. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:56.000 So let's talk about you know, you you you being you know in real estate for um over a decade now, I would say. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:08.000 Um, let's talk about building a team because we probably have some listeners right now that are doing a few deals that do want to scale and they are starting to realize they can't do it all for themselves. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:17.759 So for someone who's a solo peneur right now, who's like, okay, I do need uh to give a little bit uh uh give a little that responsibility. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:20.639 And yes, for those that are listening, you're gonna have to eventually do that. 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:25.360 I know you want to do it all yourself, but trust me, it takes a village to get where you need to get to. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.000 So Ed, I'm gonna put you on the spot. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:37.600 What advice would you give to those that are just starting as a one-person team and getting to that next level when it comes to scaling? 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:39.120 What's your what's your best advice for them? 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:43.120 You're gonna have to wear all the hats in the beginning, sorry to say. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:47.679 And if you don't like that, sorry, you're gonna have to in the beginning. 00:14:47.679 --> 00:15:03.200 You're gonna have to be the janitor, you're gonna have to be the face, you're gonna have to be the HR, you're gonna have to be the marketing department, you're gonna have to be the advertiser and the phone caller and the call, everything that you probably don't want to, you're gonna have to. 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:11.279 Once you go through those pains, because there are pains associated with all of those hats, you're gonna find which hat you fit best. 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:14.399 And you like this hat because it feels right, it fits right. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:21.600 And I hate the accounting hat, I despise the janitorial hat, I despise the marketing hat. 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:24.159 You'll find your hats that you don't like and it looks bad on you. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:25.120 Good. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:29.919 Get to that point because now you know which hats you need to delegate. 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:34.799 And now my accountant, I said accountant for a second. 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:36.720 I hate accounting, I hate numbers. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:38.799 It's funny because I'm a realtor, I should like them. 00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:39.600 Nope. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:41.039 I don't like them. 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:46.799 I got my accountant, I reached out to him, buddy of mine from high school, and his name is Mike. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:50.000 Mike, um, I I like his little thing. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.720 It's it's um save uh save cash with dash. 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:54.240 So his last name is Dash. 00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:55.039 He's funny. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:56.559 So I reached out to Mike. 00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:59.519 I'm like, Mike, you we went to school together. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:00.720 Can you do my accounting? 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:01.519 He's like, sure. 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:02.000 What do you need? 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:02.960 I'm like, I don't know. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:04.000 Numbers, run them. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:05.679 I have no idea what to ask for. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:06.879 I don't know nothing about it. 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:09.360 How much do you charge to like manage my books for the year? 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:17.440 And then he gave me a you know a price, and then I looked back, I said, How important is this delegation right now? 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:36.159 Do I want to spend 20 hours getting my numbers together last minute when the taxes are due, or should I delegate that to someone that knows how to minimize 20 hours into I don't know, 10, and I'll pay them a nice little price, but for those extra 10 hours that I save, I can go make more money. 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:40.320 So, how do I delegate what I don't want to do? 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:44.159 And there's a book that I read called Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris. 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:51.360 He said, I'll read the book for you in a in a nutshell version if you don't want to do something yourself, automate it. 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:56.080 If you cannot automate it, delegate it, and if you cannot delegate it, eliminate it. 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:58.000 That's the book. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:06.400 Can I delegate it? 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:07.119 Yes, I can. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:07.599 Great. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:08.480 Let me delegate it. 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:09.039 Boom. 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:09.759 Marketing. 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:10.960 Do I like doing marketing? 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:11.839 I love doing marketing. 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:12.720 I'll do it all day long. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:13.359 Okay, cool. 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:14.720 That's a hat Ed will wear. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:16.400 Does Ed want a cold call? 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:16.880 Nope. 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:19.200 Can I automate cold calling? 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:23.200 I won't get the best results, but what else you got? 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:25.119 Can I delegate cold calling? 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:26.000 Yes, I can. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:26.799 Beautiful. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:27.839 I got a team. 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:29.680 They're starting tomorrow. 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:31.839 Do I want to go ahead and do? 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:37.440 I don't know, for example, I don't know, like open houses, you know. 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:38.960 Can I go ahead and do that? 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:39.440 Sure. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:40.160 I don't want to. 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:40.960 Can I automate it? 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:41.359 Not really. 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:42.319 Can I delegate it? 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:42.960 I

can. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:46.799 Or maybe sometimes I'll just eliminate it from one of my properties because I don't need to do it. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:51.359 Like you have to figure out what fits best, what do you want to do and what you don't. 00:17:51.359 --> 00:18:01.279 But the point is that if you do happen to delegate, and let's just say you don't have the money for it, get smart and creative with how you can delegate something like that. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:03.279 And let me give another example. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:06.319 For example, I like to wear suits. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:06.720 Okay. 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:08.319 I'll just give an example of this. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:14.000 And the user or the the listener can utilize this however you want to. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:20.880 But in the beginning, when I didn't have money for suits, which I know is part of my attire as a realtor, I gotta dress up nice. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:22.799 Well, people will beg to differ. 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:24.079 Some will, some won't. 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:25.359 But I like to dress up nice. 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:26.240 That's me. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.839 So I know that costs money. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:29.920 Now, do I have the money for a suit? 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:30.480 No. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:34.079 Can I go ahead and get creative with getting a suit? 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:34.720 Sure. 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:35.599 How? 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:38.559 So what I did, I had this one guy reach out to me. 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:42.240 He was a tailor, and he said, Hey, I want to make you a suit. 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:46.240 Because all your you know, off-the-rack Macy suits, they don't look good on you. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:46.960 That's what he told me. 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:48.319 I'm like, wow, thank you. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:50.960 Then I said, Okay, I'll meet with you. 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:51.599 So we did. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:57.039 He shows me his whole books, his fabrics, his cloths, and then he hits me with a $3,000 bill. 00:18:57.039 --> 00:18:59.440 And I say, dude, thank you. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:03.279 But like I barely made that like this this year, right? 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:03.920 With my sales. 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:04.880 This is earlier on, right? 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:06.400 Seven years, eight years ago. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:12.319 So instead, I told him, How about you make me a suit for free? 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:13.200 Right. 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:17.920 And I'll promote you and I'll get you five other sales that can bring you 3,000 each. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:21.119 So do you want 3,000 for me or 15,000? 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:24.079 Like it was so hard for him to say no to. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:26.079 So he immediately said yes to that. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:28.240 And that's been our partnership since. 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:44.799 So I guess my point to that story is that

for the solopreneur, get creative with how you can get collaborations like that, partnerships, get vendors to work with you, get assistance, get transaction coordinators, get assistance, whatever you need in that sense. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:48.640 Figure out a valuable asset to give them, asides just monetary. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:50.960 It doesn't always have to be monetary, it could be something else. 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:52.880 I scratch your back, you scratch mine. 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:59.680 But that's my super long-winded answer that no, very, very great answer. 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:06.240 I mean, if we were if I were to pull that apart, I think several things that you said were very key and very important. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:09.759 I love the whole can it be automated? 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:11.279 Can it be delegated? 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:14.240 And you know, if not, then it needs to be eliminated. 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:17.359 But before that, you said something very important. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:28.799 And it's uh, I think a very common mistake a lot of people go through when they start scaling or start trying to grow, is that they grow too fast and they don't know why. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:40.240 And then the company gets bloated, and all of a sudden your overhead is is is pretty high because you have salary you have to worry about and benefits, uh, and the company's not producing. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:50.400 And what I love that you mentioned, which is a reality, is that before you even start hiring and and growing, you need to know your your your reasons as to why. 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:59.039 And I love that you you mentioned go through all the pains, experience it, know where your strengths are, know where your weaknesses are. 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:07.519 And once you identify those and and each of those departments and within your company, then it's the automate, delegate, and eliminate. 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:08.480 I love that. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:12.640 Very, very, very important that uh information that you just gave. 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:14.480 And I love the creativity part. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:18.559 Um, I love that you don't even go into the eliminate process right away. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:20.000 It's like, can I automate it? 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:20.240 No. 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:21.839 Can I delegate it to somebody? 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:22.319 No. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.519 Before I go to eliminate, what can I do creativity? 00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:30.960 Uh what create what create a way can I do that can I can come up with to delegate? 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:36.559 So I would call that the delegate 2.0 method and then your uh eliminate, right? 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:38.000 Because there really isn't. 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:43.839 I I think you're right, elimination should be the last thing you want to think about because there is a way, you just gotta go find it. 00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:45.039 So thank you, Ed. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:46.960 Very, very powerful stuff. 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:50.160 Um social media. 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:51.519 You mentioned that. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:57.440 I mean you go on your social page right now, it is very dominant. 00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:59.440 Like one can read between the lines. 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:02.240 You are Really good when it comes to social media. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:07.759 As a matter of fact, you mean you're so good at it that you're even an author of an amazing book. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:09.039 I took the time to read it. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:10.480 It's called Expose Yourself. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:12.640 Uh, very valuable information. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:18.559 So if you guys um are listening in on this, I'll have my team put a link down below so you guys can get your copy. 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:20.079 I highly encourage it. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:28.319 Um, there's uh a lot of very information uh key information there, and I love that you've included um activities that the reader can engage with. 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:32.000 Uh so make sure you have a pen out as you're reading this book. 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:38.400 So, Ed, let's talk about this book because I have a lot of really very powerful questions when it comes to the book. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:45.839 Uh, and and again, don't want you to give out all of the recipe because I definitely want to make sure these guys read the book themselves. 00:22:45.839 --> 00:23:02.400 But you know, you talk about viral trends in this book and how agents, real estate professionals should be aware of these viral viral trends uh and when to maybe incorporate it or not to incorporate it. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:15.039 But how do you distinguish the lines between writing a viral trend for views versus creating content that actually converts uh a viewer into sign listening agreements or whatever they're doing in the real estate space? 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:17.039 Solid thought. 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:24.079 And the answer, which I'm hoping is also solid, is that virality. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:32.319 I think it's almost going back to the the concept of any exposure is good exposure, like bad publicity, good publicity, it's publicity. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:38.799 When it comes to content creation, make it good, make it quality, all right? 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:50.559 But personally, I'm not in a headspace of Ed, time to get into the mode of creating content for leads, versus Ed, let's get in the mode for creating content for fun. 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:54.319 I only create content for fun. 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:58.480 And if it turns into leads, cool, that's a bonus. 00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:02.000 But I'm a content creator, I'm a marketer, I expose myself. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:03.680 That's the whole point of the book. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:06.079 It's like I'm getting out there, I'm doing it myself.

00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:08.240 I'm not waiting for an article to talk about me. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:12.000 I'm not waiting for someone else to put me on a podcast, for example. 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:14.400 I'm not waiting for anything, I'm gonna do it myself. 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:16.000 But what's the best way to do it? 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:21.440 The best way to do it is just do something that is valuable to the world and you enjoy doing it and creating it. 00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:25.359 Like an artist creating a you know, like a portrait on the skateboard, for example. 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:29.680 That's my buddy, also his name is Bash Sebastian, and he created that, right? 00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:31.599 Like he loves doing it, it's fun. 00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:33.519 And from that, it turns into money. 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:36.720 Because now I'm like, Bash, I want to buy one of your artworks. 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:39.759 I want to invest into it, I want to hang it in my office, I want to. 00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:41.920 It becomes a popular thing. 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:45.039 So when it comes to content creation, I do it because I enjoy doing it. 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:45.839 Number one. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:51.200 Number two, I know it's gonna get me exposure because of the value that it provides. 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:53.440 Now, what value does it provide? 00:24:53.440 --> 00:25:10.319 Most of the time, I'm creating funny stuff, humorous, entertaining, things that will make someone pull aside for a second, get out of their reality and say, oh, that was funny, or like, wow, that is so shareworthy, or I'm gonna send it to my best friend, or um, you know what, that Ed, he's you know, he's cool, he's funny. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:12.000 That made me laugh, that made me chuckle. 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:13.039 That's value. 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:20.480 And if I can do that and make your day in that little two-second, 20-second, 30-second video that you watch, awesome. 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:23.119 Let me do it again and again and again. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:25.599 So that's my premise with content creation. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:29.279 I'm not doing it for business, it happens to turn into business. 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:40.880 So I think if you do it for business, you're gonna treat it like a business, and eventually you're not gonna have you know a good time doing it because now it's a job, it's not a job for me. 00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:43.519 I can't wait to pull out the phone later on and create some content. 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:45.839 I'm excited, and if it gets me leave, great. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:54.720 And if it doesn't, great, you know, and I think that is maybe one of the secret variables to uh good content creation is just enjoy it, enjoy it. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:56.079 It won't feel like a job. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:00.240 Yeah, I love that, and and that's a very great answer because you're right. 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:09.359 I sometimes I see real estate professionals, they see a trend, uh, they feel like they need to chase it because the business requires them to get more viewership and whatnot. 00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:17.119 But like you said, that now falls into that box where you're doing it uh for business reasons, not doing it for your personal reasons. 00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:19.519 And so I truly believe that's a great answer. 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:31.440 Um, that you know, creating content for personal reasons, for for fun in this case, for because you want to, is really going to be the the the converting, uh the reason that you're they convert to leads. 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:32.240 I love that. 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:40.400 Um and actually your your answer talked about something uh that's very uh dominant in in the book itself. 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:48.160 You talk about authenticity, uh, but real estate can be ugly, it can be stressful, you know, especially behind the scenes. 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:59.839 But where is the line between being authentically like vulnerable online and oversharing to the point where like you may accidentally hurt your professional credibility? 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:02.720 Um what's your answer on that? 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:18.240 You want to be real, but you want to also walk a fine line because we're real estate professionals, so like across the line sometimes a little bit, just because it's so unheard of. 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:38.880 So when you do walk the fine line, which I would say 90% of the industry does, that's fine, but now you're 90% of the industry versus the 10% that's a little controversial, causes debates, causes you to raise an eyebrow, causes you to scratch your head and say, Whoa, what why would he she say that? 00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:42.480 Why would they, you know, like and I like to be that 10%. 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:49.920 So I like to walk the fine line, but be careful with how far I cross it. 00:27:49.920 --> 00:27:56.880 So now I'm not getting into religion, I'm not getting into politics, I'm not getting into those aspects because I know that is far past the line. 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:06.799 I will get a little, you know, a little fun, a little raunchy, a little I'll curse from time to time because curse words they cause attention to spark, right? 00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:07.759 Like, oh, that's different. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:08.559 Why would they? 00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:10.240 Some people like it, some don't. 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:10.960 That's fine. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:20.799 But point is is be careful, but also don't be careful, like cross the line a little bit, just a little bit, not a lot. 00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:23.359 Yeah, and I know that some people probably don't want to hear that. 00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:25.039 Professionals don't want to hear that. 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:31.440 I I'm sorry, I'm speaking truth, so you know, you the listeners choosing to listen to

this. 00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:33.200 So you're listening to us. 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:34.960 This is my opinion, you know. 00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:35.839 I love it. 00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:36.559 And you know what? 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:49.759 I I from what I observed over the last few years regarding social media and real estate professionals, I am seeing people get closer to that edge that you're referring to as content has become more personal. 00:28:49.759 --> 00:29:01.920 Um, heck, just the other day I saw a real estate agent, I think out in the northwest, um, who's really into like emo rock music, and he's adapted that into his social media. 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:09.599 He actually does open houses on his social media while singing uh songs that are relatable uh to that audience. 00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:20.240 So I again social media um and and what real estate professions are doing to cap to captivate the audience, to to convert them into leads has definitely changed. 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:29.039 And I love that you're you're you understand that and and in this book, you're definitely um sharing a lot of valuable information and how to how to do that just right. 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:51.599 So my my next question that I have, um, for someone that's listening, if you were a brand spanking new agent entering you know a very highly competitive market, uh, especially today, with like zero budget and let's say zero followers, what does your 30-day content calendar look like to get your first inbound lead? 00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:52.960 Like what would you do? 00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:55.440 I would be super niche specific. 00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:01.839 So, whatever town, city, area that you're in, focus like crazy on that area. 00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:08.640 Know everything about that area, and then spit it out like a newscast or whatever you want to call it. 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:16.240 Be the the local mayor of that area with the content that needs to be given to those that want to hear it. 00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:19.359 Like, I'm in a town of 13,000 residents. 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:24.319 I'm doing what I can to be considered like a local guy. 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:29.839 So I'm creating all the content about the cafes, and here's four reasons why you should move to this area. 00:30:29.839 --> 00:30:32.559 Here's four reasons why you shouldn't move to this area. 00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:36.400 Here's things that you don't know about secret spots of this area. 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:42.799 Like, all that type of content is what I would be pumping out to show the locals that I know everything about this area. 00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:45.680 And people think of you as the go-to guy. 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:47.359 So that would be my 30-day plan. 00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:50.319 That's super, I guess I don't want to say super simple. 00:30:50.319 --> 00:30:53.119 It's it's a big pillow to swallow. 00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:58.640 I don't want to lie to you

and say, oh, yeah, just go and start creating content for the next few hours about all of that. 00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:03.039 Like you got to learn, you gotta study, you gotta meet some people, shake some hands, ask around. 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:05.119 But there's ways to get that done. 00:31:05.119 --> 00:31:10.799 So I think I would choose that to really generate leads and business sooner than later. 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:19.920 If I'm not looking to generate leads sooner than later, and I'm just looking to get brand awareness up through the roof, I'm creating entertaining content. 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:23.920 I'm creating stuff that is going to make the locals share my content. 00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:26.240 So maybe I add a little spice to it. 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:28.319 Maybe I collaborate with some of the locals. 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:33.200 Maybe I grab coffee like I did this morning with another agent in my area. 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:35.200 Never met her before. 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:41.279 I saw her on social media and I couldn't believe that I never connected with her or collaborated with her. 00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.759 The second I saw her stuff, immediately reached out to her and said, Can we grab coffee? 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:46.240 And we did. 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:50.480 This is I took the same coffee with her from this morning, been drinking it since then. 00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:52.559 Because I said, Let's connect and let's collaborate. 00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:54.000 Why aren't we doing that? 00:31:54.000 --> 00:32:01.680 You know, so I think that's my my response to that is just do hyper local type of content. 00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:03.759 That's probably the best way to go about it. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:04.799 Yeah, I like that. 00:32:04.799 --> 00:32:17.200 And you kind of sprinkled in and maybe some some advice in there that may actually be the answer to this next question I want to ask you because most agents actually treat social media like a digital billboard, right? 00:32:17.200 --> 00:32:21.359 Like they'll put their listing on there, maybe a few photos of it, and then that's it. 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:25.200 It's it's really it's very uniformed. 00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:29.279 I I don't I don't know if that's the appropriate word, but it's it's uh it's boring. 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:41.119 It's like because me when I go on social media, um, someone said this to me uh a long time ago, and I remember we had a conversation after, and and you you gave a third avatar. 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:46.880 But someone said to me, when it comes to social media, you're either a uh producer or consumer, right? 00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:53.519 And then we had a conversation, you're like, yeah, but you're also both because you in order to be effective, you need to be both consumer and a producer. 00:32:53.519 --> 00:32:56.480 And I had this aha moment when we were having that conversation. 00:32:56.480 --> 00:33:01.440 So, but again, we're same point, producer, consumer, maybe even both. 00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:09.839 But most agents when they post, they don't realize that aspect, and so most of the posts are boring. 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:14.400 It's the listing price, a little bit of the property description, and then a few photos. 00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:19.279 So let me ask you this, Ed, because you when you look at your stuff, it's it's it's it's fun. 00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:38.079 What are some key things that you would consider when it comes to a real estate post or a reel that you know is gonna spark conversation or DMs rather than get what you know I call the passive double tap, which is like grandma going, oh good job, you know, grandson. 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:38.640 That's right. 00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:44.640 So, like what what advice would you give to those to to get more than that passive double tap? 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:46.319 Gotta be valuable content. 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:50.160 Whatever value looks like to to the creator of that content. 00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:51.119 Is it educational? 00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:52.240 Is it entertaining? 00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:55.119 Is it what is what is it? 00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:55.839 What is it? 00:33:55.839 --> 00:34:00.799 Like there's several aspects of quote unquote valuable. 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:02.319 It could be emotional. 00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:24.159 It could listen, there's so many social media accounts that are only talking about motivational things and sad things and like happy things, and like that's an emotion, and that's a it's valuable to someone, or there's those accounts that just have like the carousel type of posts where it's uh a paragraph, and then you scroll and it's another paragraph, and then you scroll again, it's another paragraph. 00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:26.559 Like, all right, maybe horoscopes. 00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:29.119 Oh my god, like that's value, right? 00:34:29.119 --> 00:34:30.320 Is it entertaining? 00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:31.360 Is it educational? 00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:36.480 Yeah, I would say educational in a little bit, but like that's value to the right avatar. 00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:40.079 So in my case, I'm making funny stuff. 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:42.400 I want to really spark that emotion. 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:45.679 I want someone to laugh and remember me and say thank you. 00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:48.719 I go to sleep and I watch stand-up comedians. 00:34:48.719 --> 00:34:51.760 I love that because it feels good, it feels great to laugh. 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:53.119 It's best medicine. 00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:55.039 They say it for a reason, it's a medicine. 00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:57.119 So I like to give that to others. 00:34:57.119 --> 00:35:00.079 So that's my source of value to the next person. 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:01.039 It could be education. 00:35:01.039 --> 00:35:03.920 So you got to figure out your own and then give that, you know. 00:35:03.920 -->

00:35:04.880 I love it. 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:16.000 Well, Ed, I'm gonna we're gonna, I have a few more questions, and then I'd like to kind of talk about like your past a little bit because I mean you've shown me a lot so far. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:25.039 Half-class full mindset, you know, your resilience, your go-getter type of a uh of behavior or characteristic, I should say. 00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:26.320 Very impressed. 00:35:26.320 --> 00:35:31.920 But um what I also love about you is you're very blunt and you just give it straightforward. 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:34.960 So I'm gonna put you on the spot right now, okay? 00:35:34.960 --> 00:35:47.760 What is one piece of conventional social media advice that's currently given right now to real estate professionals today that you think is absolute garbage and is actually hurting their business? 00:35:48.159 --> 00:35:49.280 Quality content. 00:35:49.280 --> 00:36:13.440 I would rather see an agent post 500 different pieces of content throughout the next six months versus the agent that invests a lot of time, energy, money into only 14 posts, but like each single one is like really quality and looks like a cinema, like a movie. 00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:20.639 I don't I only see 14 posts from that person, but I see 500 times of the other one. 00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:32.800 So you tell me, do you drive down the road and remember one billboard from that one random company, or do you remember the billboard that is plastered everywhere? 00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:35.920 Tell me which one's more effective. 00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:40.800 Oh great, great response. 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:49.360 No, great, really, because again, most people are probably in that mindset of quality over quantity, but you're on the opposite side. 00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:53.760 You're like, no, no, no, no, quality over quantity, and you gave a really good example of that. 00:36:53.760 --> 00:36:54.559 You're absolutely right. 00:36:54.559 --> 00:37:09.039 Like, if you're driving down from like Orange County to LA County and you only have one billboard, what are the chances I'm gonna remember you versus you know, let's say in and out, they have a billboard almost like whatever, right? 00:37:09.280 --> 00:37:15.599 So and it could be the like that, it could be the most creative, beautiful, colorful billboard ever. 00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:17.519 It could be as big as you want it to be. 00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:19.199 I'm not, I don't know. 00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:25.199 I might have not been in the mindset when I drove past it to remember your really pretty billboard. 00:37:25.199 --> 00:37:27.679 Been in a very emotional state. 00:37:27.679 --> 00:37:30.000 I might have been, oh my god, I'm on a time crunch. 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:35.360 I gotta go to a meeting, I gotta go to a family party, I gotta go to this event, I gotta, I'm not even looking at it. 00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:44.480 But what are the odds for my mental capacity to open up a

bit and bandwidth to minimize for me to take in the next billboard that I see? 00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:46.320 Because I see it 13 other times. 00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:48.000 Now I'll be like, oh, there's that. 00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:49.199 All right, cool, moving on. 00:37:49.199 --> 00:37:50.159 And then I see it again. 00:37:50.159 --> 00:37:54.400 There it is again, and then I'm driving up like this guy is everywhere. 00:37:54.400 --> 00:37:56.000 What are they doing? 00:37:56.000 --> 00:38:00.320 So I think that is the answer to this segment. 00:38:00.320 --> 00:38:03.360 Is that quality over quantity? 00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:09.760 I think that is the thing that is constantly being preached out there, which I'm very quantity versus quality. 00:38:09.760 --> 00:38:11.280 Throw it out there, see if it sticks. 00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:14.239 If it doesn't, great, you have another opportunity to recreate another one. 00:38:14.239 --> 00:38:15.840 Do it again, go, go, go. 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:29.840 You know, and I'm I'm laughing at because I'm like picturing a team listening to this right now, marketing team listening to this, and they're just like erasing everything on their whiteboard. 00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:40.320 They're like, uh they spent like the last two weeks making this elaborate little content and just hearing what you said, they're probably like, dang, he has a point. 00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:43.519 He's just back to square when we go, guys. 00:38:43.519 --> 00:38:44.079 I I love it. 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:45.199 All right, guys. 00:38:45.199 --> 00:38:46.960 That's amazing. 00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:47.760 Well, you know what? 00:38:47.760 --> 00:38:54.000 This is the last question, and this I think is very important, especially to our space and and where we're at today. 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:56.159 AI tools, right? 00:38:56.159 --> 00:38:59.760 I mean, you have a lot of this generative AI now. 00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:05.280 Uh, it's making it very, and I mean very easy to automate a video. 00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:07.679 Heck, Ed, you've seen it, I've seen it. 00:39:07.679 --> 00:39:14.639 I'm seeing people like it's not even them, it's their AI avatar doing videos of them. 00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:19.280 Um, so the the video editing is being automated by AI. 00:39:19.280 --> 00:39:24.239 Uh, the content itself is being automated, the scripting and even the posting. 00:39:24.239 --> 00:39:37.519 Uh, what is it that what what's one thing that you truly believe AI content cannot replicate that agents must double down in our generation today to stay revel relevant over the next few years? 00:39:37.519 --> 00:39:38.719 What's your answer to that? 00:39:39.119 --> 00:39:40.400 Personal touch. 00:39:40.400 --> 00:40:08.480 The personal touch, the personal handwritten letter, pen on paper, the video that I send with my phone, the door knock that I come, the gift basket that I send, the personal invitation to your to my cousin's birthday party, the like that stuff is just not going to be replaced. 00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:14.639 I don't think maybe, but I don't think it's ever going to be to a level you you see what I'm saying. 00:40:14.639 --> 00:40:21.760 Like, would a postcard that is just designed real quick and sent out to 500 people, does that work? 00:40:21.760 --> 00:40:27.679 Or does a personal card that says, hey Burton, thank you for having me on the pot. 00:40:27.679 --> 00:40:29.519 I appreciate the conversation. 00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:32.960 I am so glad that I hope it's nice and warm in California. 00:40:32.960 --> 00:40:39.440 Like, if I'm having those personal things in there and you know it's coming from directly me, I don't know. 00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:43.199 I like I'm trying to say that in the best way possible. 00:40:43.199 --> 00:40:52.159 But the personal touch is so important that so many people are starting to neglect and strive away from because oh, look how easy it is to do it with AI. 00:40:52.159 --> 00:40:54.400 If it's easy, everyone's going to do it. 00:40:54.400 --> 00:40:56.639 The harder it is, the less people are gonna do it. 00:40:56.639 --> 00:41:02.400 And the hard thing is what I want to do because that is not going to be something that more people will do, and I will. 00:41:02.400 --> 00:41:08.159 So I will be the one doing the hard work, but in a smart way, and I think I will convert higher. 00:41:08.159 --> 00:41:11.519 I think I could be completely foolish for saying that, but I don't care. 00:41:11.519 --> 00:41:12.880 That's my philosophy. 00:41:12.880 --> 00:41:26.400 So the next person that hears that, they could be like, Oh no, AI will do 5,000 times more than that, and maybe you're right, but I think that personal touch will be remembered so much deeper from that person that receives that touch. 00:41:26.639 --> 00:41:43.039 So, Ed, throughout this entire conversation so far, lots of things again, I'm I'm getting from you the half-class full mindset, um, the perseverance, the understanding what role to take, your strengths and your weaknesses. 00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:47.760 I want to time travel a few years before real estate. 00:41:47.760 --> 00:41:52.880 Um for those that know your story, I I'm again a huge fan. 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:54.800 You have a hockey background. 00:41:54.800 --> 00:42:04.239 You've played hockey, and I'm not talking about just like playing hockey like in your backyard, but no, you played hockey at a very high level, near professional level. 00:42:04.239 --> 00:42:10.000 And I'm I'm sorry to bring that up because I know it it didn't go as planned, but I'd like to talk to you about that. 00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:21.760 Do you believe that your your history, your experience, uh the things that you went through in your your hockey past play a role in what you're doing today? 00:42:22.079 --> 00:42:23.679 It did, for sure. 00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:33.920 The hockey player hat that I wore for a long, long time and still wear

till today has taught me a lot about team team player. 00:42:33.920 --> 00:43:00.559 You know, I'm uh learning how to communicate, learning uh new something different off off the I don't know, on ice, off ice, like it's a it's a community, it's it's just different world, and it also teaches me when to completely remove every other hat that I wear in life when I step onto that ice because that is my escape go and it's amazing. 00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:02.239 I love it, it's my paradise. 00:43:02.239 --> 00:43:06.800 I put on my ice skates, I get on that ice and I forget about the whole world that's behind me. 00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:08.559 That's important. 00:43:09.440 --> 00:43:11.119 I agree a hundred percent. 00:43:11.119 --> 00:43:23.920 The reason I wanted uh to bring that up is earlier in our conversation, you know, when you talked about you know having to experience the things that you're not good at and then you know automate, delegate, and and then eliminate. 00:43:23.920 --> 00:43:30.079 Um when I when I when you were saying that, I I've I thought about the hockey pass. 00:43:30.079 --> 00:43:34.480 And the reason for that is because you can't do everything on a hockey team. 00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:43.519 You can't be, you know, the the guy up I I don't know positions, but you can't be the guy up at the front and then be the goaltender at the same time, right? 00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:58.880 Like you have to trust in others to do what they're extremely good at, whether that's again uh being a defender or being the guy that actually you know is in charge of making the goal or the guy that's actually preventing goals from happening. 00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:10.719 And so I I wanted to talk about that, wanted to bring it up because you know the whole reason Propture Pros was even created is because I want to a share value. 00:44:10.719 --> 00:44:14.079 And you've done nothing but that since the start of this conversation. 00:44:14.079 --> 00:44:32.320 But to remind everyone that, you know, your stories, your experiences, you know, all the things that you have accumulated over time, all the you know, the wins and losses, if you will, play a vital role in what you're gonna be doing um in life, especially in the real estate space. 00:44:32.320 --> 00:44:37.679 So thank you for for allowing me to bring that up and and thank you for for sharing that. 00:44:37.679 --> 00:44:40.639 Um you say you still play hockey today. 00:44:40.639 --> 00:44:46.320 How for those that want to maybe line up against you or something, like where are you where do you play? 00:44:46.320 --> 00:44:47.119 How do you play? 00:44:47.119 --> 00:44:48.639 Like, is it is it really on ice? 00:44:48.639 --> 00:44:52.880 Are you doing street hockey or just you're a purist, it has to be on ice only? 00:44:53.760 --> 00:44:54.480 Ice hockey. 00:44:54.480 --> 00:44:56.320 Yeah, there's a little community around the corner. 00:44:56.320 --> 00:45:00.079 I play with uh a bunch of guys, and

we just it's a men's league, you know. 00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:10.159 We call it beer league in hockey, so I cruise afterwards in the locker room, and we just you know BS with one another, but it's a fun time, it's it's cool, it's fun, and it's business. 00:45:10.159 --> 00:45:14.880 Shoot, I've already sold three homes to some of the players on the team, you know, and I'm working on more. 00:45:14.880 --> 00:45:16.320 So like it's it's cool. 00:45:16.320 --> 00:45:22.559 I just I branded the and uh sponsored the team, so we got new jerseys without the our logo on the corner, you know. 00:45:22.559 --> 00:45:31.199 So it's like you know, I like that, it's fun, and I get to you know, really share a passion with another community that I can't share with everyone every day. 00:45:31.199 --> 00:45:33.920 So yeah, I love that. 00:45:34.159 --> 00:45:40.639 Uh you know, I what I like about what you just mentioned right now is that uh and I'm guilty of this. 00:45:40.639 --> 00:45:49.599 Sometimes we put aside our our our our habits, our our our our hobbies, I should say, the things that we love to do to pursue our businesses. 00:45:49.599 --> 00:45:58.079 Um and I love that you still do what you're doing, and it led to in this case three deals, you know, sponsoring the team, brand awareness. 00:45:58.079 --> 00:46:09.360 Uh so for those that are listening, if you've put aside your hobbies, you might want to reconsider because there is a community out there for mostly every hobby, and that community could be your next seller or buyer. 00:46:09.360 --> 00:46:10.239 I I love that. 00:46:10.559 --> 00:46:19.119 Yes, who do who do you connect with more when I'm a random person at a bar, and let's just say we're at a networking event, happy hour, and I bump into you. 00:46:19.119 --> 00:46:24.159 Um, I'm talking to Uber and we're chatting, we're talking, talking, and all of a sudden, like we just cannot find anything in common. 00:46:24.159 --> 00:46:28.719 Like, I'm how's the market or how's your business or like uh give me more? 00:46:28.719 --> 00:46:34.159 The second that I feel like oh soccer, dude, I love soccer. 00:46:34.159 --> 00:46:38.239 Oh my god, the change the mood changes immediately, right? 00:46:38.239 --> 00:46:40.159 FIFA, you've been watching the World Cup. 00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:41.519 Oh my god, who's your team? 00:46:41.519 --> 00:46:45.199 Immediately, the rapport is like maximized to a whole nother level. 00:46:45.199 --> 00:47:03.679 So I think if you do lean into your hobby, you will find your people that will help you expedite that rapport building at such a much rapid pace, and they will be comfortable with you, which means they'll converse with you, which means there's a better opportunity for you to do business with that person because they like you, they like what you say, you know. 00:47:03.679 --> 00:47:05.679 So yeah, hobby lead into it. 00:47:05.920 --> 00:47:06.559 Yeah, absolutely. 00:47:06.559 --> 00:47:10.559 Lean your

hobbies that could definitely lead into new listing and new investment property. 00:47:10.559 --> 00:47:13.039 That's a very great, very good advice there. 00:47:13.039 --> 00:47:16.320 Um, did the social media come during hockey? 00:47:16.320 --> 00:47:19.599 Like, when did you start picking up being a social media master? 00:47:19.599 --> 00:47:25.039 I would say, like, when did you go head in on the on the social media part? 00:47:25.039 --> 00:47:29.039 Was it was it during your hockey experience or was it after? 00:47:29.360 --> 00:47:30.639 Uh before, a little before. 00:47:30.639 --> 00:47:32.159 So call it 2010. 00:47:32.159 --> 00:47:35.199 I got onto Facebook and I was already on MySpace. 00:47:35.199 --> 00:47:43.440 I was dabbling with that stuff, but I didn't see anything of it until high school came around and I started posting on Instagram. 00:47:43.440 --> 00:47:54.079 And I remember this one specific instant where it changed my entire perspective, uh, per perception, perspective, perception on social media. 00:47:54.079 --> 00:47:56.159 I was playing ice hockey. 00:47:56.159 --> 00:47:57.039 There you go. 00:47:57.039 --> 00:48:00.800 I was playing ice hockey with my buddy at his house. 00:48:00.800 --> 00:48:04.400 He has a pond right next door, and that pond was frozen. 00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:06.000 That happens in Jersey sometimes. 00:48:06.000 --> 00:48:08.960 I know it's not common in California, but it happens here. 00:48:08.960 --> 00:48:11.440 Pond froze, and we played hockey on it. 00:48:11.440 --> 00:48:14.639 So we took out the hockey net and all that stuff, and we were playing all day long. 00:48:14.639 --> 00:48:16.159 Fun time being kids. 00:48:16.159 --> 00:48:18.880 I took a picture of one of my hats that I had. 00:48:18.880 --> 00:48:21.840 It was like a nice, cool little beanie, and I took a picture of it. 00:48:21.840 --> 00:48:23.760 I posted it on Instagram. 00:48:23.760 --> 00:48:28.960 The second I posted it, I I don't know, a few hours later, I look back at my notifications. 00:48:28.960 --> 00:48:33.280 And back in 2010-11, different Instagram looked very different. 00:48:33.280 --> 00:48:34.159 Yes, it did. 00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:35.760 And at the filters and all that. 00:48:35.760 --> 00:48:38.320 But the picture I took got two likes. 00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:52.239 And in my mind, something told me, whoa, if those two people that just saw that hat bought that hat, that could have been like a $30 profit for me with zero dollar marketing. 00:48:52.239 --> 00:48:58.719 It was then that I said, How the heck do I grow a following so that I can sell something? 00:48:58.719 --> 00:49:01.519 It doesn't have to be hats, but it can be something. 00:49:01.519 --> 00:49:04.320 And now I'm like, all right, it's time, time to start building. 00:49:04.320 --> 00:49:09.360 And so I started growing my following and just like getting people and creating content and posting this, posting that. 00:49:09.360 --> 00:49:10.880

And I'm like, what gets more engagement? 00:49:10.880 --> 00:49:11.519 What gets this? 00:49:11.519 --> 00:49:12.239 What gets that? 00:49:12.239 --> 00:49:19.840 Started growing it, and I think it was college that I grew up to 8,700 followers organically, naturally, just connecting with people. 00:49:19.840 --> 00:49:22.480 And I'm like, 87, that's crazy. 00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:30.079 And then I started growing more, and then I found my spiel of my style, my voice, my brand, my personal brand. 00:49:30.079 --> 00:49:32.159 At that time, I didn't know what a personal brand was. 00:49:32.159 --> 00:49:34.880 I was I was just a one trapreneur. 00:49:34.880 --> 00:49:36.320 I just wanted to be something. 00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:44.639 And so I started posting more consistently and more precisely of what I want to talk about, which eventually got into real estate and social media. 00:49:44.639 --> 00:49:48.480 And then my following just took off like crazy, like a ski slope. 00:49:48.480 --> 00:49:56.159 It went upwards because now all of a sudden 8,700 that took me about six years to grow, went to like 25,000 in a matter of a year. 00:49:56.159 --> 00:49:58.320 Because now I was very niche specific. 00:49:58.320 --> 00:50:01.199 So and then it just started, you know, growing that way. 00:50:01.519 --> 00:50:02.239 I love that. 00:50:02.239 --> 00:50:11.119 Again, I can't comment enough the half-class full because most people would have seen two likes and they're like, uh, what's that about? 00:50:11.119 --> 00:50:12.320 Like, that's not enough. 00:50:12.320 --> 00:50:16.719 I I'm I don't have enough friends, I'm not popular, my content must be boring. 00:50:16.719 --> 00:50:22.079 But you saw opportunity, you're like, hold on here, there's diamonds somewhere in here. 00:50:22.079 --> 00:50:24.000 And and and I love that. 00:50:24.000 --> 00:50:36.559 Now, you know, 16 years uh of of trial and error and and tweaking and and turning knobs here and there, uh you've I would say nearly mastered it, in my opinion. 00:50:36.559 --> 00:50:39.840 Uh great stuff, really great stuff. 00:50:39.840 --> 00:50:49.039 Um, when would you say out of out of the 16 years, what when would you say you like peaked as a social media uh expert? 00:50:49.039 --> 00:50:53.119 And and what would you say is the reason? 00:50:53.119 --> 00:50:56.800 Like what what would you say makes you very proud of yourself? 00:50:56.800 --> 00:51:08.559 Again, all different levels of of experts out here, but like in your case, 16 years, if you look we look back at it, would you say you're 11, you're 12, maybe this year, and and why would be your reason? 00:51:08.559 --> 00:51:09.840 What would be my question to you? 00:51:10.079 --> 00:51:11.920 I'm so far from an expert. 00:51:11.920 --> 00:51:17.920 Like it feels good to know that I am doing something different than most. 00:51:17.920 --> 00:51:22.400 A proud moment, a proud year, a proud day. 00:51:22.400 --> 00:51:23.920 Tough to say. 00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:34.880 I think it's the it's moments like this getting on a podcast with a person that just genuinely enjoys what I have to say about the thing that I love to do. 00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:36.559 Like, that's a good moment. 00:51:36.559 --> 00:51:41.760 That's a pat on the head's back, like, dude, what you're doing is loved. 00:51:41.760 --> 00:51:43.199 Keep doing it. 00:51:43.199 --> 00:51:51.679 Like, it's not just it doesn't matter if it reaches a million people, make sure it reaches one right person, make sure it reaches two right people, make sure it reaches 20 right people. 00:51:51.679 --> 00:51:56.320 And when they acknowledge that and love you for it, you love on them back. 00:51:56.320 --> 00:51:58.639 And like those are proud moments. 00:51:58.639 --> 00:52:18.159 So maybe an article, like if there's an article on my wall here, it was I made some ridiculous TikTok dancing in my parents' closet, and that was the cover photo that they ended up choosing as the article to put in Realtor Magazine, which is a very big magazine, and like they chose that, it was awesome. 00:52:18.159 --> 00:52:21.679 I'm like, that video really, that's what wreck it okay. 00:52:21.679 --> 00:52:23.599 So I don't mind it. 00:52:23.599 --> 00:52:27.440 I I like it's uh it's more of like a reassurance. 00:52:27.440 --> 00:52:33.760 It's a yes, what you're doing works, and then of course, there's days when they don't work, and I appreciate those too. 00:52:33.760 --> 00:52:42.800 Because I need to experience what a downfall feels so I can really love the up line, you know, the upward trajectory of where it's gonna go next. 00:52:42.800 --> 00:52:44.400 I make a bad video, all right. 00:52:44.400 --> 00:52:45.440 We'll make a better one, Ed. 00:52:45.440 --> 00:52:46.480 Like, I don't know what to tell you. 00:52:46.480 --> 00:52:50.719 That one got bad views, get better ones, you know, and so on and so forth. 00:52:50.719 --> 00:52:52.800 So did that answer? 00:52:53.840 --> 00:52:58.239 Yeah, no, it answered a lot, and it gave a lot of information as well. 00:52:58.239 --> 00:53:07.840 Um, we had a conversation off-air a while back, and you said something to me that I thought was very eye-opening. 00:53:07.840 --> 00:53:13.519 You said something about everyone has a brand, but not I don't know. 00:53:13.519 --> 00:53:15.119 Am I am I close to that? 00:53:15.119 --> 00:53:17.440 Um, can you finish that statement for me? 00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:20.400 Everyone's got a brand, whether you like it or you don't. 00:53:20.400 --> 00:53:24.719 Gotta learn how to expose it and get it in front of the right audience that you want to attract. 00:53:25.039 --> 00:53:43.199 And that's very important because again, in in our space, you know, with with nine out of ten people, even just in general, having a smartphone and and jumping on social media, I I truly believe this space does require you to be very aware of your brand, whether you're utilizing it or

not. 00:53:43.199 --> 00:53:49.280 So I'd like to kind of talk about an experience that you had, I believe it was in 2023. 00:53:49.280 --> 00:53:57.119 We talked about um how social media really kind of paid its dividends in 2023. 00:53:57.119 --> 00:54:01.920 Can you talk a little bit about that that that scenario in 2023 and how social media helped you? 00:54:02.880 --> 00:54:06.400 So we started off the podcast with talking about a little bit of it. 00:54:06.400 --> 00:54:09.039 So this is a nice little circle back, right? 00:54:09.039 --> 00:54:10.239 A callback. 00:54:10.239 --> 00:54:16.559 And that is that my first three to four years of real estate were very discouraging. 00:54:16.559 --> 00:54:38.239 I thought eventually it was gonna go upwards and work, and it just for some reason was not until the one thing I've been working on for so long, which was the social media side of things, the personal brand buildup, the exposure that I've worked on, creating for myself, finally seemed to kind of peek through the blinds. 00:54:38.239 --> 00:54:42.800 And it was with a DM that I got from this realtor, and her name was Bela. 00:54:42.800 --> 00:54:48.000 I always give her love because she without her, I sorry, I don't think I would be where I am today. 00:54:48.000 --> 00:54:50.480 So I'm very appreciative of her. 00:54:50.480 --> 00:54:58.719 She reaches out to me with a DM and says, Ed, I got these guys that are doing some big project out in a town called Somerville, New Jersey. 00:54:58.719 --> 00:55:00.239 Do you know where that is? 00:55:00.239 --> 00:55:05.199 Now, as an entrepreneur, I'm gonna say yes, regardless if I don't know or know. 00:55:05.199 --> 00:55:07.440 I said, Of course I know where that is. 00:55:07.440 --> 00:55:09.519 As I'm Googling Somerville, right? 00:55:09.519 --> 00:55:11.599 Like, oh, okay. 00:55:11.599 --> 00:55:13.920 And so I say, Yeah, of course, I can help out. 00:55:13.920 --> 00:55:14.639 What's up? 00:55:14.639 --> 00:55:21.519 And so she essentially says, Hey, can you meet us at this project on Thursday morning? 00:55:21.519 --> 00:55:22.000 Okay. 00:55:22.000 --> 00:55:24.400 Fast forward, a few days goes by. 00:55:24.400 --> 00:55:31.440 I meet her and these guys that are building this big 180 unit apartment complex. 00:55:31.440 --> 00:55:45.519 Now, at the time, I was selling just your single-family home, your condo, townhouse, maybe a rental from time to time, but otherwise, a four-story 180-unit apartment complex. 00:55:45.519 --> 00:55:46.800 Excuse me. 00:55:46.800 --> 00:55:48.559 But I said, okay, sure. 00:55:48.559 --> 00:55:51.920 And I had to act the part like I knew what I was doing. 00:55:51.920 --> 00:55:53.519 And so I met them. 00:55:53.519 --> 00:55:55.039 I had my little folder. 00:55:55.039 --> 00:55:58.960 I came in there with a listing appointment, thinking it's a single-family home or something. 00:55:58.960 --> 00:56:06.960 They didn't warn me it was gonna be a dirt site with a

trailer in the middle of it, all saying, Hey, we're gonna interview you for this project. 00:56:06.960 --> 00:56:09.280 But I put on my big boy pants. 00:56:09.280 --> 00:56:10.000 I said, Let's go. 00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:11.679 I'm gonna say yes to this regardless. 00:56:11.679 --> 00:56:13.119 If it turns out great, great. 00:56:13.119 --> 00:56:14.239 If it doesn't, great. 00:56:14.239 --> 00:56:15.360 At least now I know. 00:56:15.360 --> 00:56:21.920 So I go into that trailer, they sit me down, these developers, they are hardcore New York City developers, all right. 00:56:21.920 --> 00:56:26.320 Inside, I'm frightened like a little girl. 00:56:26.320 --> 00:56:29.039 On the outside, cool, calm, and collected. 00:56:29.039 --> 00:56:29.440 What's up? 00:56:29.440 --> 00:56:30.480 What do you guys got? 00:56:30.480 --> 00:56:35.599 Right, and so we're we're going at it, they're interviewing me, they're asking me 21 questions. 00:56:35.599 --> 00:56:38.559 Ed, tell us about the demographic of this area. 00:56:38.559 --> 00:56:41.199 Ed, what is your marketing campaign gonna look like? 00:56:41.199 --> 00:56:44.800 Ed, what do you think is gonna be your what's your absorption rate? 00:56:44.800 --> 00:56:47.360 And they asked me my absorption rate, Burton. 00:56:47.360 --> 00:56:56.239 I swear to God, when they asked me my absorption rate, immediately without hesitation, I said, um, 10%. 00:56:56.239 --> 00:57:00.320 And they looked at each other and they were like, Okay, not bad. 00:57:00.320 --> 00:57:03.599 In my mind, I said, What the hell did I just say 10%? 00:57:03.599 --> 00:57:05.760 I was just gonna say the same thing. 00:57:05.760 --> 00:57:07.920 I was like, What's an absorption rate? 00:57:07.920 --> 00:57:10.480 What did I just say 10% to? 00:57:10.480 --> 00:57:15.199 But I'm again cool cool con collected because they obviously like that answer. 00:57:15.199 --> 00:57:24.400 So I'm like, and now let me tell you where I get 10% from because that's a common question when I say when I tell this story, which is not often, but they were like, Why 10%? 00:57:24.400 --> 00:57:35.119 Because when I was in the music industry, which was a little bit you know, years before real estate, I was in the music industry for like a second, the booking fee was 10%. 00:57:35.119 --> 00:57:42.079 If you ever cold call and you have to call a hundred people because 10% will actually convert. 00:57:42.079 --> 00:57:44.719 So my mind, I'm like, 10% is a good number. 00:57:44.719 --> 00:57:46.159 I'm like, 10%. 00:57:46.159 --> 00:57:50.000 That's literally why I answered that. 00:57:50.000 --> 00:58:04.880 But my I guess the story to this is that I got an actual deal from Instagram that changed my entire life because that 180 unit turned into another several hundred over the years because of turn. 00:58:04.880 --> 00:58:05.679 Wow. 00:58:05.679 --> 00:58:09.519 And owners were looking to sell and move into the apartment complex. 00:58:09.519 --> 00:58:14.239 Tenants that were living in the apartment complex were ready for their next chapter of ownership. 00:58:14.239 --> 00:58:21.280 And I just went under contract last night with a tenant that has been there for three years, and now they're like, we want to buy something ourselves. 00:58:21.280 --> 00:58:23.199 I just got a deal yesterday. 00:58:23.199 --> 00:58:27.920 Like, it's so cool to know that I'm helping so many families move around. 00:58:27.920 --> 00:58:34.400 So, like, when someone tells me Instagram doesn't work, I'm like, boy, do I have a story for you. 00:58:35.280 --> 00:58:41.599 Let me tell you, you know, yeah, that is definitely a story, and thank you for sharing that. 00:58:41.599 --> 00:58:48.320 Because when you told me, I was like, 180 units social media, and that's that's insane. 00:58:48.320 --> 00:58:57.199 But again, you would have never experienced that if you would have never doubled down on, you know, really studying social media, uh, being authentic. 00:58:57.199 --> 00:59:01.360 I think that's the important part here because they did interview everybody. 00:59:01.360 --> 00:59:04.559 Um, they saw your authenticity, they saw just who you were. 00:59:04.559 --> 00:59:08.480 Now I get you're kind of frightened on the inside, but I'm gonna be real with you. 00:59:08.480 --> 00:59:10.639 I think that's normal for everybody. 00:59:10.639 --> 00:59:17.920 I think everybody that would have gone into that little um developer or developer mobile thingy, yeah. 00:59:17.920 --> 00:59:20.480 The trailer, I think they would have all experienced that. 00:59:20.480 --> 00:59:23.440 But but you knew you had value to bring, and you did. 00:59:23.440 --> 00:59:25.519 Fast forward, here we are today. 00:59:25.760 --> 00:59:26.159 You know what? 00:59:26.159 --> 00:59:32.400 I don't know which video it was that Bela said, Oh, that's the one that I'm always gonna remember Ed for. 00:59:32.400 --> 00:59:33.840 I don't know which one it was. 00:59:33.840 --> 00:59:35.360 I really don't remember. 00:59:35.360 --> 00:59:46.800 And honestly, back to what I was saying before, I don't care which one it was because I'm posting so much, and that's what my quantity over quality is gonna beat out everyone because I posted a lot. 00:59:46.800 --> 00:59:51.280 So I'm not I'm not gonna ask her which video was it that made you think of me. 00:59:51.280 --> 00:59:54.719 No, you saw that one, you're gonna see a thousand more. 00:59:54.719 --> 00:59:55.599 Watch. 00:59:55.599 --> 00:59:57.440 I love it. 00:59:57.840 --> 01:00:00.159 Man, that's a good story, a great one. 01:00:00.159 --> 01:00:02.320 And and again, kudos to you. 01:00:02.320 --> 01:00:06.880 Kudos to you for for not walking away seven years ago. 01:00:06.880 --> 01:00:19.679 Kudos for you for doubling down, uh, really investing in yourself by getting Kim, your coach, uh, learning, you know, through experience, the ups and downs of and the do's and don'ts in social media.

01:00:19.679 --> 01:00:22.960 Uh that obviously led to the 180-unit deal. 01:00:22.960 --> 01:00:35.599 Uh, but prior or even after, you know, the team that you're building now, the brokerage, uh, the pouring in the book that I'm sure has inspired thousands, maybe hundreds, maybe even millions. 01:00:35.599 --> 01:00:38.239 Um amazing work, Ed. 01:00:38.239 --> 01:00:40.960 And that's all because you know, you you didn't give up. 01:00:40.960 --> 01:00:41.920 I love that. 01:00:41.920 --> 01:00:48.880 So, my last question I'm gonna ask you, and then I'll give you an open mic because I'm sure you have something to give to the audience as well. 01:00:48.880 --> 01:00:52.000 But I want to hear your advice to someone listening. 01:00:52.000 --> 01:00:59.440 Uh, what would you say to them to help them remain consistent when the momentum isn't there at the moment? 01:00:59.679 --> 01:01:05.840 I'm gonna go back to my favorite artist in this world, which is Pablo Picasso. 01:01:05.840 --> 01:01:14.239 I like his it's not even the artwork that I like, I like his persistency and his brand that he's built up for himself that remains hundreds of years later. 01:01:14.239 --> 01:01:17.840 Pablo said, good artists copy, great artists steal. 01:01:17.840 --> 01:01:28.159 Pablo stole his style from another artist, but the one thing that that other artist didn't have was a personal brand, it wasn't strong enough. 01:01:28.159 --> 01:01:30.000 And why is Pablo remembered? 01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:30.480 I don't know. 01:01:30.480 --> 01:01:36.880 Maybe it was one thing that he did that made him really shine through everyone else out there. 01:01:36.880 --> 01:01:38.960 I don't know what it was, I didn't live in that time. 01:01:38.960 --> 01:01:42.639 I'm just going off of books and what the what social media tells me. 01:01:42.639 --> 01:01:46.320 But Pablo said good artists copy, great artists steal. 01:01:46.320 --> 01:01:56.239 Now taking that concept, when I ever get into a point where I hit writer's block, I get discouraged. 01:01:56.239 --> 01:01:59.679 I'm not interested in doing content. 01:01:59.679 --> 01:02:09.119 I look at what other artists are doing, I see what works, and then I go and steal it, but I do it in my own way. 01:02:09.119 --> 01:02:11.280 I know that sounds really like blunt. 01:02:11.280 --> 01:02:15.280 It's not stealing, it's not like I'm copying and like exactly. 01:02:15.280 --> 01:02:18.960 It's the it's the style, it's the concept that I'm stealing. 01:02:18.960 --> 01:02:53.679 For example, the other day I was watching a video of this this kid, he's uh he owns a roofing company, and he made a funny little video, it's like 16 seconds long, of him putting some money down on the front of a door, knocking on that door, running away for a second, having the owner answer that door, look down, see the money, and then when they go to grab the money, the roofer comes back, grabs their hand and says, Hey, let me show you what's wrong with

your roof. 01:02:53.679 --> 01:02:58.719 Funny, funny door knocking strategy, right? 01:02:58.719 --> 01:03:00.079 I saw that. 01:03:00.079 --> 01:03:04.559 I'm like, oh my god, I'm gonna steal that, but spit it out in real estate terms. 01:03:04.559 --> 01:03:07.280 And I did the exact same thing two days ago. 01:03:07.280 --> 01:03:09.039 I filmed one with one of my colleagues. 01:03:09.039 --> 01:03:17.119 We did the same thing, put some money down, hid, and did the whole little skit, grabbed her hand, and was like, hey, let me show you how much I can sell your house for. 01:03:17.119 --> 01:03:19.280 I stole that idea. 01:03:19.280 --> 01:03:21.440 I gave love to the to the roofer, right? 01:03:21.440 --> 01:03:24.239 But I and it was so fun to create. 01:03:24.239 --> 01:03:26.800 And I don't even know what views I have on it now. 01:03:26.800 --> 01:03:27.679 I'm gonna check. 01:03:27.679 --> 01:03:29.519 We're gonna do a live check real quick. 01:03:29.519 --> 01:03:30.400 Let's do it. 01:03:30.400 --> 01:03:31.199 Let's do it. 01:03:31.199 --> 01:03:42.320 Let's see how YouTube is doing because yesterday, I saw it was 25. 01:03:42.320 --> 01:03:46.639 Today it's got uh 26,000 views. 01:03:46.639 --> 01:03:47.920 So that's amazing. 01:03:47.920 --> 01:03:53.280 So like they that's motivational, that's cool because I haven't been feeling like a content creator lately. 01:03:53.280 --> 01:03:57.840 I'm not gonna lie, and I needed to see do do something, something fun, have fun with it again. 01:03:57.840 --> 01:03:59.280 And that was that was that. 01:03:59.280 --> 01:04:08.960 So, like that took me out of my writer's block, that made me have fun with it again, and now I posted it, and now people are talking about it a little bit, and it'll die down, but then I have to post again, right? 01:04:08.960 --> 01:04:12.239 And that's where the quantity over quality beats every single time. 01:04:12.239 --> 01:04:16.000 So, um, I think good artists copy, great artists steal. 01:04:16.239 --> 01:04:18.000 Yeah, I love that, and you're right. 01:04:18.000 --> 01:04:21.840 I mean, as they say, no no thought is original, right? 01:04:21.840 --> 01:04:26.000 Right and and so very and and I'm guilty of that. 01:04:26.000 --> 01:04:43.840 Like there are tons of times I'll watch an actor or I'll listen to a song or I'll see something and be inspired because of it, and then again, either mimic it in my way, uh, or or use my my life, my experiences, and kind of mold it into something new. 01:04:43.840 --> 01:04:45.199 So good advice there. 01:04:45.199 --> 01:04:48.079 Ed, thank you so very much for joining our show. 01:04:48.079 --> 01:04:52.239 Before we let you go, I'd like to give you an open mic. 01:04:52.239 --> 01:04:56.639 Um, so for for anybody out there that's listening, what would you like to say to them? 01:04:57.039 --> 01:04:58.239 What would I like to say to them? 01:04:58.239 --> 01:04:59.679 Go buy my book. 01:04:59.679 --> 01:05:00.960 Number one. 01:05:00.960 --> 01:05:03.679 Read the book if you want to. 01:05:03.679 --> 01:05:06.000 It's not just for realtors, it's for everyone. 01:05:06.000 --> 01:05:20.159 Uh, number two, don't worry about what people think of you when you go to be your authentic self online because you don't know who's watching, who knows who, and who knows what, and what opportunity can come of it. 01:05:20.159 --> 01:05:30.400 So go online, have fun, create content, post it, expose yourself, and truly cool opportunities will come of it. 01:05:30.400 --> 01:05:36.719 But have fun doing it because I never expect business to come from it, and somehow business always does. 01:05:36.719 --> 01:05:37.599 Oh my god. 01:05:37.599 --> 01:05:38.480 I love that. 01:05:38.480 --> 01:05:41.360 Uh no, that that's I love that. 01:05:41.519 --> 01:05:42.159 I love that. 01:05:42.159 --> 01:05:47.039 So again, Ed, thank you so much for joining our show today. 01:05:47.039 --> 01:05:55.199 Uh, you gave tons of amazing advice and value to our audience, and thank you for sharing your story. 01:05:55.199 --> 01:06:08.880 Thank you for showing you know our audience members that you know sometimes the experiences may be tough, but hang in there and and those experiences will definitely become your ammunition to your success. 01:06:08.880 --> 01:06:10.960 So thank you again for being here. 01:06:10.960 --> 01:06:12.800 Um, how can people get a hold of you? 01:06:12.800 --> 01:06:13.679 Social media. 01:06:13.679 --> 01:06:17.440 I obviously we we saw that you have YouTube and and Instagram. 01:06:17.440 --> 01:06:21.519 Is there do you have a website or any other besides the book, Expose Yourself? 01:06:21.519 --> 01:06:23.440 Any other ways people can get a hold of you? 01:06:23.679 --> 01:06:29.840 You can find me everywhere online, all the social media platforms that you probably have downloaded on your phone. 01:06:29.840 --> 01:06:34.000 It's at ed Stulak, E-D-S-T-U-L-A-K. 01:06:34.000 --> 01:06:34.800 Awesome. 01:06:34.960 --> 01:06:36.159 I also know you're a public speaker. 01:06:36.159 --> 01:06:39.760 Are you speaking at any events soon that people can come come see you at? 01:06:40.159 --> 01:06:42.159 Working on a few, working on a few. 01:06:42.159 --> 01:06:45.679 So 2026 kind of I don't want to say ended for me. 01:06:45.679 --> 01:06:51.360 We always have little pop-ups that happen from time to time, but the first half of 2026 was quite busy. 01:06:51.360 --> 01:06:54.719 Definitely traveled all around the country and Canada. 01:06:54.719 --> 01:07:02.320 And so I took a little pause because now I got to get the real estate sales hat on and focus on the clients here because they're all like team fully speaking. 01:07:02.320 --> 01:07:03.360 Yeah, exactly. 01:07:03.360 --> 01:07:04.800 So I got to work on that part. 01:07:04.800 --> 01:07:06.320 But no, 2027. 01:07:06.320 --> 01:07:12.719 Um, I just got off the phone this morning with my um you know assistant for that side of things, and she's gonna start working on a lot of events for the 27th. 01:07:12.719 --> 01:07:13.760 So I'm pumped for that. 01:07:13.920 --> 01:07:14.159 Okay. 01:07:14.159 --> 01:07:19.679 Well, for those that are listening, make sure you follow Ed on social media and all of his other uh outlets. 01:07:19.679 --> 01:07:24.079 That way you can uh maybe meet him in person at one of his next speaking engagements. 01:07:24.079 --> 01:07:29.760 But thank you again very much, and thank you, listeners, for tuning in to another episode of Prop Street and Pros. 01:07:29.760 --> 01:07:30.800 My name is Burton. 01:07:30.800 --> 01:07:32.079 Until next time. 01:07:32.480 --> 01:07:35.199 Thanks for tuning in to the PropStream Pros podcast. 01:07:35.199 --> 01:07:39.519 Subscribe for weekly insights and real strategies to help you close more deals. 01:07:39.519 --> 01:07:41.039 See you next time.