How Online Real Estate Leads and Automation Tools Helped Mike Glass Boost Business in Two Markets

Transcript

Mike Glass: [00:00:00] And so probably two of the most memorable would be one actually just happened. A gentleman texted me and says, okay call me. And I did. And he says, I'm ready to sell my house. And I'm like, okay, now who is this guy? So the first thing I did, I went and looked in CINC. I'm like, oh my God, there's his name. And this guy has actually been in CINC for six years. And I have never talked to him. He just gets my stuff. It's the alerts from him when he registered, and he just watches the market. And so I listed their home. We sold it for $429,000, and I thought that was pretty cool. I didn't do anything. CINC did it. 

[Intro]

Richard Kaiser: Hey there, my name is Richard Kaiser Director of Demand Gen and Sales Ops here with [00:01:00] CINC. And today we are joined by a longtime CINC client, Mike Glass. And we wanted to introduce you guys to Mike. Mike, could you give people a background on yourself in real estate? Why you ultimately chose CINC and what your experience has been since you've been working with CINC. 

Mike Glass: My background is I've been in real estate for only 47 years now. And I, actually got in real estate before Century 21 came to Georgia. And so I was just a door knocker for many years, just knocked on doors and in a farm area. And that's all we did. But as the years went on, I've owned real estate franchises. 

And it was actually back in 1998. I had joined a startup company that became a pretty good brand over the years. And I actually owned the state of Georgia for the company for 14 years [00:02:00] and during the end of that time period. I was actually at a conference and we were talking about lead generating systems. And I really, I had been looking for a different system because I've been with... never did realtor. com. I'd been with Zillow and Market Leader and all the other biggies that were out back in the late nineties.

And somebody mentioned Commissions Inc. And I just like, why are we talking about a advanced commission company? Because that had been big at that time as well. And one of our top brokers said no, that's a lead generating system. And I'm like that's weird.

So, it was a brokerage in South Florida that did very well with CINC. And, they said, we'll have somebody call you. I said, okay. And so after they talked, within no time I joined. And started with the [00:03:00] system, and I was actually still owning the region with the franchise I was with. And the big thing is after I sold it, I eventually moved from Georgia to Florida.

And the next question was, okay, I don't know anybody. I had lived in Florida years ago. How do I get my business started? And I mainly just took CINC and just let the system work. And back then CINC was nothing like it is now. It was owned by a gentleman. Wasn't a big name, but I just let the system work and the leads came in and I called and worked it like they told us to.

Richard Kaiser: That's great. And I think that part of transitioning into a new market, that's questions we get from different realtors who are either just getting started in the real estate [00:04:00] business or making that transition of, hey better for my lifestyle, my family, we want to move to a new market, but I don't have those relationships already there. Can you speak to what some of your challenges were in terms of building a pipeline and then how you were able to overcome those when you transitioned to Florida? 

Mike Glass: The first thing is you just go okay, what did I do? And you just get started. And not only was I working CINC, you have to start. From the old days back in the, I started in the seventies. All we had back then was again, you knocked on doors or you picked up the phone and cold called, and you do that hours and hours a day. This time it's like I didn't want to do that again. And so I felt like going the system of having a system that works for you, but also you have [00:05:00] to go out there and network and talk to people. And I started making sales that way as well. But I just started with CINC by you pay the pay per click and you let the leads come in and you just start every day when the leads come in, you instantly pick up the phone and call the people and you talk to them.

And you, I have an affirmation I taught years ago, and it's everybody has a story, and it's my job to find out what it is. And so every time I talk to somebody, I recite it. And so when you get somebody on the phone they don't want to answer the phone and talk to a realtor, and you don't want to make calls, but you just get on like they're your friend and find out their story, just chat with them find out some common interests somewhere. And before you know it, you got them as a customer. That's what I did. And you just do what you're supposed to do. Send them information. [00:06:00] I analyze all the listings to send them the right ones. And you make sales. 

But then when the system with CINC that came out with behavioral messaging. That's when the system starts sending stuff out to people, texting them. You're not doing anything. You're still working, but the system is working for you. And it was amazing how people started responding to me like I was working at 10, 11, 12 o'clock at night. And I wasn't. But if they responded, I picked up the phone and called them right away. And so if you work people, then I got referrals from the, leads that came in. And it's been cool over the years to, see the referrals. People online, they're not really looking for themselves sometime. They're looking for a family member or a friend. And if you bond with them, they're going to send you to their friend, to their family. And I've got that numerous [00:07:00] times that it's not that person I'm talking to, but somebody else, and then I sell them a piece of property.

Richard Kaiser: That's really interesting. How the person looking may not be looking to buy, right? I think that's a key point that some realtors miss sometimes. Is it's the connections of who they're looking who they're looking for. 

Mike Glass: And the other thing I do on the system with the the connections is I use the the mass texting and emailing, and whenever I see a good deal, I don't think about... some people get too detailed. They're looking for something $400,000 or $500,000, I'm not going to send them something for $250,000 or $800,000, and that's not what they want. But I don't think that way. I always put in my text and emails, I know this might not be for you, but you might know somebody who this is for. And[00:08:00] I might get a, I don't know, I might get a lead because of them seeing and go, Oh, I know my, neighbors down the road are looking for something like that. And so put it in their head more of who do you know?

I was in network marketing years ago. And that's what they taught us there is that if I look at somebody and go, do you need a part time job? They're gonna go, of course I don't, but you throw out I just want to share something with you that might not be for you, but you might know somebody. And that strategy works.

Richard Kaiser: Yeah. Cause even the person there, maybe they're also interested as well, right? But because your approach is a little bit different, they're a little more open to what you're saying. 

Mike Glass: Exactly. Yeah, you got to keep it low key with people on the phone because the second they feel like you're pushing them or you're a salesperson, they're not going to talk to you. And I love when people say, because you get it about 90 percent of the time, when they say, I'm just browsing.[00:09:00] The one thing I teach my agents is, All right, so if you're driving down a busy road, like I always did in Atlanta when I lived there, and you see a furniture store. Now, if I stopped and went into the furniture store and you have to make a U turn to get to it and you walk in and the salesman jumps on you and goes can I help you? I'm just browsing. Yeah you took a U turn in Atlanta traffic, go to furniture store, browsing? So that's the same attitude, I think, with people on the phone. When they say, I'm just browsing. Yeah, everything you could do today in your busy life, you say, and you went on the internet looking for houses and you're just browsing? No, you're really looking. And I, take that attitude. So it's no, you're not going to win. And I've turned many times people from just browsing to telling me their whole story.[00:10:00] So it's a mindset of us on how we're going to deal with the people. 

Richard Kaiser: How do you find, so we're up in the Atlanta area as well. And this market, right? Somebody looking to buy a home in the Atlanta area, maybe recently got married, right? Or trying to get in the right school system with their kids.

I guess in the Panama City area, right? In Florida, there is that, but then you've also got people getting 2nd homes and people coming in from not just moving 5 miles down the street, but moving in from different states. Can you speak to how lead generation and I guess building pipeline has been different? Down in the market you're in now versus maybe Atlanta in your prior experience. 

Mike Glass: Believe it or not, even in Atlanta, I've sold properties that the people have never come to town. They've transferred. Never come to town, never met me, never met the house and they bought. And I [00:11:00] do a lot of that down here.

The days of being in a suit and whatever are gone I'm in gym shorts and a t-shirt and that's my life. And Oh, I sell a lot of property of people that they want condos or a second home, and they don't come down to closing. Maybe they don't even do that. We'll do FaceTime tours, a lot of FaceTime tours. And that's what I teach my agents. I know that CINC does training saying get a buyer appointment, well our buyer appointment is let's do a FaceTime tour. And that's what one of my agents called me a couple of days ago, well we talk every day, but they said, Mike they want us to do buyer appointments. How do we do it? And I'm like, just keep doing what we're doing because our appointment is a FaceTime tour. So we do that way. And the people see us, we find out their story. We talk to them through FaceTime while we're at that first property.

Richard Kaiser: Do you find for your first appointment, it's almost helpful, you [00:12:00] guys have a property there and you're almost, you're running the appointment getting know them, but at the same time showing them that house they're interested in.

Mike Glass: But you could do the same thing in Atlanta. Because with traffic and delays and a lot of wasted time and showing. I know that a good friend of mine. She's one of my best friends now. She was on my team years ago. She does a number of FaceTime tours in Atlanta.

Richard Kaiser: That's really cool. That's, a good little nugget that I know not, all realtors are leveraging. 

One of the things we hear from a lot of the realtors we talk with is, okay, building a business to where you can exit for what your long term goals are and your lifestyle. And so you were able to successfully do that in Georgia to get down to where you wanted to be in Florida. Can you speak to how CINC and maybe other [00:13:00] things and how you manage your business that afforded you the opportunity? like what were some of the things you found put you in a position where you were able to do that?

Mike Glass: Besides CINC and then last year was the last, ever since COVID it's been like, off the chart. My production, I never thought in my life I'd be producing what I am. And for the last three years It's been that way. And and I live down here, but I have a place in Michigan also. And I live there in the summer. 

But I, besides CINC, remember that I mentioned at the very beginning that all I did when I was a kid was I knocked on doors and I did farming well I own a condo on the beach that I rent out, and I market that through Facebook and I farm. And I get a good portion, [00:14:00] actually I get close to just that neighborhood, probably six figures just in that high rise every year. And it's just farming, and that's what agents need to go back to also is a lot more farming, direct mail, talking to people in the community, and build your brand right there. 

But I get now down here, because I've been here a few years, a lot of repeat business. People owning. I do a lot with condos that I'm like, Hey, you can make $100,000. You want to sell it? And so I resale stuff. I get a number of resale business, and then I get repeat customers coming back.

Jennifer O'Connell: Do you think to keep up with those repeat customers? Do you have people on regular cadences and auto tracks to check in every six months to a year, or that's just natural? 

Mike Glass: A number of the people I talk to, I chat with people [00:15:00] I'll call 'em or if I remember, I have it in, the computer, but I remember a lot of the people that I've sold here. And so whenever I see, especially in condos, if I see a new listing, and it's a good price, I'm always sending them like a market update. And so they see what's going on. And so that's how I keep up with them. And I give people great customer service and they all become my friends. I've got a closing next week that I sold to some people, a condo, because I knew of their mother from the high rise where I farm. And she referred me to their daughter. And so they've only owned it a little over a year, and they just called me and said we want to sell. We're buying something in Tennessee. So it's just keeping up with the people. I think that's what we're supposed to do. Follow up. And [00:16:00] when most of us fall down on that job.

Richard Kaiser: Yeah because you've been in it a while, right? You got a big database. And so you got people over time or big network. They're selling a home every 5-7 years. That's a lot of repeat business. 

Mike Glass: And if they trust you, they're going to come back. I have one person here, a family that I sold them their first property for, it was in, probably been about 13 years ago now for $199,000. And three story home with a pool. And they've been buying from me for the last 13 years. I sold that for them last year. For $872,000 and then sold them another house and I list and sell their investment properties. And this year I sold each 1 of their kids. They bought a house for each 1 of their kids actually.

So I get a number of them. In [00:17:00] fact the, couple on my team, I sell them. I sold them five properties, and I said, y'all need to get your license and we've become good friends. And we just had our first closing about a week ago. 

And they work CINC because I stayed on their case. I'm strict on putting in your notes, pinning them. Stand up with the people texting, doing everything. And Heidi has Probably six real good buyers. Some have made offers, didn't get them. But the problem is inventory. And when the property comes up, she'll sell them, and she's right on it. And people call her back. So she's doing like I taught her what you're supposed to do and working the system.

Richard Kaiser: If you don't mind me asking, you mentioned it's really been big kind of the past three years for yourself, either just in Florida or maybe in past years, Georgia, what is typical transaction volume look like for you?[00:18:00] 

Mike Glass: I always did back... you have to keep something in mind... in the old days my average price range used to be like $85,000 to $100,000. I would do 50-60 homes a year, but I would only do what? $4 Million dollars? Yeah, but now I don't work full time. 

Okay, so the classification of full time and part time, I probably put in a lot of hours, but I don't show much property anymore. I have other people show property. So I just mainly do listings. Because I'm gone a lot. I'm in Michigan three, four months of the year. I go on cruises so I'm doing a lot of stuff. So I'm not really here all the time working like most realtors are supposed to be doing. So that's what I'm saying. I'm a little bit rare there. I've been doing the last three years, like $12 - $13 million. [00:19:00] And so I was like, God, what if I really worked? 

Richard Kaiser: That's fantastic. 

Jennifer O'Connell: Mike, I know you shared it in the mastermind group and everything, but even if it's not one that you've shared, can you share your biggest CINC win off the top of your head? 

Mike Glass: Okay let's just start 1st with price range because last year I had 1 that is a CINC lead and they were a challenge to work with, and and I sold them a condo at the beach and that was like $865,000, and one sale like that pays for your CINC for the year and more. So your return's great already. 

And then I had a couple, actually just the lady that called me, and she hit me up in CINC and I think I sold them within 30 days. And it was $1.5 million all cash, and that one like really freaked me out. [00:20:00] 

And then I had others last year $400,000 and $500,000, and not only do I get buyers, but some of these buyers have other properties. And there was a couple last year that I listed their home, and sold it, and they had some land and I sold it. So I get listings. 

And so probably two of the most memorable would be one actually just happened. A gentleman texted me and says, okay call me. And I did. And he says, I'm ready to sell my house. And I'm like, okay, now who is this guy? So the first thing I did, I went and looked in CINC. I'm like, oh my God, there's his name. And this guy has actually been in CINC for six years. And I have never talked to him. He just gets my stuff. It's the alerts from him when he registered, and he just watches the market. And so I listed their home.[00:21:00] We sold it for $429,000, and I thought that was pretty cool. I didn't do anything. CINC did it. I never spoke to the guy. And his wife. I don't know what's going on with the family, but his wife is gonna probably about a condo from me. Yeah, so the system works.

And the other one that I know I shared years ago was I was actually asleep in my recliner in Atlanta, my office at home, and it was about 10-10:30 pm, and my text went off, some people asking about a piece of property. And so I immediately called them. And she goes Oh, my God, a realtor works this late?

And I had that was like on a I forgot a Thursday or Friday. And I told him about some property and I had them sold on Sunday. It's happened more times than that. Because a lot of my leads are [00:22:00] because of people reaching out to me after being on the site. Now I don't recommend to people to do it all the way I do it because I used to, I guess we'd call it you paid your dues. I've done it. You really, you hit it hard and you call everybody and you stay on them, and you do your texting, and you match things up and you do everything you supposed to do. I used to do. And now that I teach it. I don't do that like I used to. If I did, I'd probably be doing $20 something million. But I'm okay with what I do. But that's what I teach, and to me it's exciting to see Heidi doing exactly what I teach her. And I watch, and I'm strict and if she didn't do good notes, I make her redo it. But it works.

Jennifer O'Connell: Thank you. I don't have anything else. I don't know if you want to share your site or [00:23:00] where people can reach out to you. 

Mike Glass: Yeah. So, thank you. So if you wanna buy a condo or a second home or whatever at the beach, the website is www.panhandlehomelistings.com. You can go to my other website, which is just Team Le Chef. teamlechef.com. My slogan is I'm really cooking hot properties. 

Jennifer O'Connell: Thank you so much. 

Mike Glass: Thank y'all. Bye. Bye