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Matt Mitchell did not come to real estate with a roadmap. He cycled through brokerages, tested nearly every CRM on the market, and spent years figuring out what actually moved the needle. What he landed on was not just a platform. It was a system, a process, and a mindset.
Today, Matt leads the Mitchell Home Group at Real, serving buyers, sellers, investors, and custom build clients across central Ohio. About 80 percent of the deals he closes trace back to CINC. We sat down with Matt to hear how he got there and what that looks like in practice.
Watch his full video here or read the Q&A below.
Tell us a little about who you are and what your business looks like today.
I'm Matt Mitchell with the Mitchell Home Group at Real. We operate in central Ohio, mostly the Columbus area, but really anywhere within an hour of Columbus. We have somebody on our team that can help. We work with people who are looking to buy, build, invest, or sell.
The niche I'm really working toward right now is custom builds on land that buyers acquire themselves. I think that's underserved in our market, especially in Columbus where inventory is low and jobs keep coming in. A lot of agents shy away from it because they're not comfortable with it, but I think that creates an opportunity.
How did you end up with CINC?
It really was not a straight line. I cycled through a number of brokerages and tried KV Core, Sierra, Brivity, and actually CINC, then Brivity again, and then back to CINC. But CINC is just the platform I felt most comfortable with.
I think the question everybody asks is: what's the best CRM? And the answer is the one you use. CINC is the one I use every day. I know how to use it, I'm comfortable with it, and I'm comfortable training other people on it.
What really sealed it for me is that it's a one-stop shop. I'm paying one bill a month and I have a website, a CRM, an app, AI, integrated ad spend, and leads coming directly into the system. It's an ecosystem. And beyond the tools, the training is genuinely interactive and valuable. That's not something you always get.
You mentioned the training made a real difference. What clicked for you?
The scripting. I mastered the opening script pretty early, but what really changed things was learning to lean into giving the objection upfront and disarming the lead before they even have a chance to put up a wall.
Once I started doing that, I noticed that in these initial conversations, I could step right over the objection because I had already handed it to them and softened it. The wall comes down. They stop seeing me as a salesperson trying to sell them something.
Even when someone says they already have an agent, that's fine. I go into that part of the script and make sure they know the website is still a resource for them. And now I know what they're looking for, I can set up a search, and even if I do not get an appointment today, I've made it to the next step. Some of those people come back around eventually.
"The best CRM is the one you use. CINC is the one I use every day. I know how to use it, I'm comfortable with it, and I'm comfortable training other people on it."
The Case Studies
We asked Matt to walk us through some of his bigger CINC wins. What followed was a masterclass in long-game lead nurture.
You mentioned a few deals that really stand out. Walk us through the first one.
Case Study 1: The Builder Rep Who Became a Referral Pipeline
This one came in as a CINC internet lead. She was a builder rep transferring from another state. You would assume a builder rep would want to buy something her company builds, but her husband wanted land, no restrictive HOA, something different. The area they were relocating to did not have anything her company was building, so they needed a different path.
I ended up helping them find a new build with a different builder. Half a million dollar sale. But here is what makes it a case study and not just a transaction: she now works in a community with a ton of walk-in traffic and a lot of unrepresented buyers who need to list their existing homes. She is sending them to me.
Right now I have one listing in contract from that referral stream. I'm listing another home next month. A new build in that same community is going to be ready in the fall. What started as one CINC lead has turned into multiple transactions and an ongoing referral relationship.
Case Study 2: One Lead, Up to Four Transactions
This one came in as a CINC lead about two years ago. The client wanted to relocate closer to Columbus, but they had their primary residence plus two investment properties on the same street. Effectively, three homes to sell before they could buy one.
Right now I have the first listing in contract. In a couple of weeks they're going to bid on an auction. If they win that, there's a purchase. And once they move, they'll have their current home to list. That's potentially three or four transactions off a single CINC lead.
Those are the opportunities I look for. Internet leads are not transactional by nature. The source does not define the relationship. Whether someone comes from my sphere, someone I meet on the street, or a CINC lead, the goal is always the same: build a relationship that leads to referrals and repeat business.
Case Study 3: Contact to Contract in 19 Days
This lead came in on a Sunday afternoon. They wanted to look at a condo. I got them on the phone, set up a showing for the next day, and also lined up an appointment with a builder rep for a new build condo. I just asked: if the numbers worked, would you want to see something new? They said sure.
We showed them the resale. While we were at the new build, the resale went under contract. That opened the door to looking at different locations and talking to different builders. We ended up finding a school district loophole that worked in their favor. Their son is a senior, so there was no reason to stay in the original district. They ended up buying a single family home in a completely different area.
Contact to contract in 19 days. And this person relocated from the UK to work as a nurse. Now she is telling me she has colleagues coming to Columbus who need to work with someone. That is now a referral pipeline from a single Sunday afternoon lead.
Can you tell us about your biggest transaction from a CINC lead?
The $1.275 million cash deal. I got a call on a Wednesday night to show a house. It was not going active until Friday, so that was the earliest I could get them in. Showed it Friday, wrote the offer Friday afternoon, went highest and best on Saturday evening, and by 10:30 Saturday night we had an accepted offer. Cash deal, no inspections, 10-day close.
That person had been in my system since the previous July. The consistent follow-up and nurture over almost a year is what put me in the position to be the person they called when they were ready to move. That's the whole game.
The Process Behind the Results
How do you stay in front of people over a cycle that long without burning them out?
When I first connect with someone, I gather the information I need to set up an effective search, confirm their email address, and set an expectation that they're going to hear from me again in about three days. I want to make sure whatever we're sending them isn't going straight to spam. People respond well to that.
Whether or not I get them on the phone three days later, that expectation is set. They know this is not a one-time thing. I tell them I'm not trying to sell them a house today. I want to be helpful when the time is right. Everything goes back to the training and scripting.
I'm a process guy. Everything I do needs to be a consistent, repeatable process that's scalable. There's only so many dials I can do in a day. That's why I've built a team. You hit a ceiling as an individual agent, and the system helps you get past it.
How do you bring new team members up to speed on CINC?
I encourage them to keep the bi-weekly training on their calendar. Every other Monday. That was really helpful for me early on, both for mastering the script and for hearing how other agents are handling the same objections we all deal with.
I tell them they do not have to make every session, but if it is on their calendar, they're more likely to show up when they have time. And sometimes one nugget from an hour-long training is what gets you back on track. Even when you're comfortable with the system, going back through the training, especially when you're really trying to master lead follow-up, is worth it.
Connect with Matt
Want to learn more about the Mitchell Home Group or get in touch with Matt directly? Find him here:
Email: matt@mattmitchellhomes.com
Serving buyers, sellers, investors, and custom build clients across central Ohio and the greater Columbus area.