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Transcript
Greg Langhaim: I'm in the Boise Idaho market. I parachuted into this market not knowing anyone. In 2018, I had my own brokerage over in Bend, Oregon for a while. And so yeah, I've been doing real estate since 2005 and really I've never done real estate the way I'm doing it today, which is completely different, and it's the most exciting thing I've done in a long time in the industry. So I'm super excited to be in the Boise market doing real estate here and just helping people. However I can.
Jennifer O'Connell: What has shifted? What are you doing differently now that you weren't doing before in Oregon?
Greg Langhaim: Yeah, so I'm connecting with people on a very personal level. So I've discovered the ability to create content and reach people in their living rooms, in their kitchens, on their mobile devices via YouTube.
And so I have created a YouTube channel here in Idaho, and I have just been sharing everything I can about making a move to Idaho. The houses in Idaho, the neighborhoods, the pros and cons, the good, the bad, the ugly. And it's really been eye-opening because I've been able to create these one-way relationships with people I had never, I didn't really know I was creating. And so when they call to come to Idaho and they feel like they know me. And so it's the best type of client you can ever have.
Jennifer O'Connell: So we've seen the YouTube, we've seen your TikTok and that's awesome. But one of the things that we hear is if you have a super strong like organic social presence, then I don't need to pay for leads. So can you speak to us a little bit about how your online marketing spend, how that supplements what you're doing on your own organically?
Greg Langhaim: Yeah, absolutely. So we have a team, I have a great team here in Boise, Idaho. Not everyone can work the YouTube client because I have a one-way relationship, and so we have to have some paid leads coming in order to feed the rest of the business because we do have that power Hour where we have to be on the phones making calls.
If we're only calling the people who reach out via organic. We're gonna go through that Power Hour very quickly. Yes, those clients are good, but we have to have those paid leads driving into a system to create those accountabilities for the team so that they're productive and they're moving the needle on the relationships that they're trying to create.
And once we have those paid leads coming in and those relationships are connected, then we can backfill those with. Video content or whatever that the agents on the team can send them to get that organic relationship even more anchored between the two of them. So we definitely need to have those paid leads coming in on a day-to-day basis in order to keep the business moving forward.
Jennifer O'Connell: Got it. Okay. So you were with CINC before and then you transitioned to a competitor.
Greg Langhaim: Yes.
Jennifer O'Connell: And then came back.
Greg Langhaim: Yes, I did.
Jennifer O'Connell: Can you walk us through that? Why did you come back?
Greg Langhaim: Yeah, so the reason why I came back to CINC was because the platform itself, even though it's a robust platform, it can do a lot of things, the day-to-day filtering the day-to-day system, it's very, it's a very simple system to use as realtors in order to get paid. So the team at CINC has spent so much time on the backend creating ways for us agents to be able to go in and know who we need to call that day. Who should we text that day?
It's just so simple, and that's one thing I missed. The training the online support that we get from CINC is world-class compared to the other competitor that we went to. It just was very frustrating. And then it was just like, you know what this is, there's, we want to keep building, we wanna keep growing, we need to CINC as our teammate to help us move that needle.
Jennifer O'Connell: How big is your team? I'm not sure we touched on that.
Greg Langhaim: So we have today, at the time of recording this, we have 11 agents on the team. And so that's where we're at right now.
Jennifer O'Connell: Okay so when you're using CINC... do you use it basically from a training and accountability standpoint? Like how do you use that to create those predictable processes with your team, especially from newer, greener agents?
Greg Langhaim: Yeah. With the outline, the training that is provided by CINC, we follow that to a t to make sure that we're maximizing our efforts, but we're also utilizing it in ways to create engagement through our lead system. Sometimes we do fun stuff here at the office and we will take a picture of it and we'll send it out via text and have our leads respond or email back and say, oh, we like, this Valentine. Or whatever. I don't even know what I'm saying. We try create some engagement in other ways than just picking the phone and calling the lead.
So we kind of use it as a tool beyond just a power hour call it and hang up. We look at this as more of man, we really massage this and try and use it in every way that we possibly can. Whether that's sending out newsletters, whether that's sending out texts campaigns, our blogs, stuff like that to really create people, keep them on the system, and then the open house app, which we love, when we post open houses. And then the mobile app, keeping people on, having them heart the properties and keeping engaged that way it's just been, the best way for us to utilize it. So it's almost been more of not just a database, but just the way that we operate on a day-to-day basis as part of our thing.
Jennifer O'Connell: So If I switch and talk about the lead gen part of it? Yeah. Have you noticed any difference in, in lead quality or lead volume from platform to platform?
Greg Langhaim: Yes, I have. I've definitely noticed the platform that we were previously on before CINC, the lead quality was less. Now their online leads are Google. But for some reason, CINC, I felt like this does a better job at getting the better data the, email, the phone number, all that stuff.
And so we did notice a shift in that quality of lead and that we were able to just have more conversations and people were more open to us talking with them. The other lead qualities that we were having before just it felt like just they were data collecting and sending us the info. It wasn't really any rhyme or reason why we get this lead coming through. It really wasn't a lead.
Jennifer O'Connell: Do you have any memorable online leads stories that CINC either generated helped you nurture to close?
Greg Langhaim: Yes, I do. Yeah, so I was fairly new to the Boise area running CINC, and I got this lead for, it was a crazy amount. I've never seen just an online lead come in and it was like the average property was like $2.7 million, and I just thought it was a scam. I just a they're like up, they're like looking at all the million dollar property, whatever. Yeah. But followed the process. Followed the everything out. Sure enough, that was the lead that came through. We ended up closing on a $3 million property. He had ties to Hollywood, has worked with a lot of actors and moved up here cause he could work remotely. We closed him and it was the best relationship. And off that one closing, he then bought multiple houses for his family. And so it generated not just one deal, but four deals out of it all completely. And they were fantastic clients.
Jennifer O'Connell: I don't know much about the Boise area, but Richard was sharing an article with me that's something like one in every five home buyers that's buying in Boise is from an out-of-State market.
So can you speak to how you leverage the online paid leads to connect you with those out-of-state buyers, like you just mentioned, and then how you approach those differently than people who are familiar with the Boise area.
Greg Langhaim: Yeah, so Boise has really exploded, as that article probably mentioned, with a lot of people coming from the West coast coming into the Boise area, leaving states for whatever reasons they decided it wasn't a fit for them anymore.
Boise was still a safe haven because it has some of the values that I think people looked for. They wanted to feel safe raising their kids and letting them play Wiffle ball in the street . So Boise really came on the market for that and also was a, it's a great. landing spot for people to get back to visit family from in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, stuff like that.
So, yeah, so when people have the leads come in, they're from out of state inquiring about Boise, we know that this person may or may not have been here or know someone who has moved here. And so we take that angle. That's one of the first questions that we ask a lead that comes in and looking in the Boise area is like, Hey are you thinking about? Do you know someone who's moved into the Boise area? And that opens the floodgates for conversation. Oh yeah. My uncle moved there, or my friends, they were the first ones to move there. Now we've been up visiting, so we want to come. We're serious about it.
It's been really nice to have these articles like this are published because it's bringing more awareness to our market and so our conversation, our flow for the leads coming in, especially the paid ones, is just really what do you know about the area? Who do you know who's moved here and what can we do to help you? It's more of how can we help? We look at ourselves as a concierge desk for people to get, if they need a food restaurants, to check out, food guides, if they need hot things to do while they're here for only twenty-four hours. And so we just take that service first mentality and really try and help them. And real estate naturally comes up in the process of the conversation. But really we're just trying to figure out, how much do they know about the area and who do they know who's moved here? And, take it from there.
Jennifer O'Connell: And if they're doing, if you end up doing showings or something we've talked to some people that are, say they're literally on FaceTime doing these like walkthroughs. Is that. Something that you're doing, or usually people come in and check it out.
Greg Langhaim: No, we do a lot of FaceTime tours because it's expensive for people to fly back and forth to, to relocate here.
And we do face-to-face Zoom meetings with the builders if they're interested in doing new construction. Or we're just walking houses and doing a lot of touring and then they're making the purchase site unseen usually. And going from there. So that's where that concierge helpfulness comes in that we kind of embrace with our team. We'll do videos of streets, neighborhoods, fly the drone up, whatever we have to do. Help get 'them appointments with the schools if they have questions about relocating their kids into the school district. We try and bridge that gap and just be helpful and really be a partner in the process.
So sphere of referral leads, obviously knowing that person or having some kind of second degree, third degree connection, a little bit different than online leads.
Jennifer O'Connell: So how do you and your team use CINC or the CRM you were using before to prioritize the right leads to call and when to call them? Do you just go through the training and use those filters or what?
Greg Langhaim: We do. Yeah. No, we stick with what Lance and Steve have taught at CINC U. It's proven and so we're not reinventing the wheel. Once we go through our priority leads, then yeah, we'll step out and maybe do our own filters based off of registration date, or when it was on the site last, but really we stick to what has been proven to work. And we just go write down those pre-built filters. You guys, CINC, has spent so much time and energy and studying how the leads flow in and how the system best applies. So that's what we do. We just stick with that. And then if we get wild and crazy, we'll create some random filters for fun and just have a contest and say, okay, let's do this filter. The first person make an appointment gets lunch on me or something like that.
Jennifer O'Connell: And then when you finally get those leads on the phone what talk tracks have you found work? You talked about just taking that approach of do they, do you know the Boise area well? Is that kind of your classic approach or what works well for an online versus maybe sphere or referral?
Greg Langhaim: Yeah, just how well do they know that the Boise area. If they're local, that's a different conversation. If they're a local lead coming we talk to them about are you renting here? Are you buying? Or do you already own here? Have you seen a lot of the appreciation if you do own? if you're renting here, you know, gosh kinda scary with the way the rents are going. We dig into like their motivation of what's driving them out. And that's the same thing if we have a relo, we get to that point as well. What's the pain that they're feeling of why they're looking online and looking at houses and why they filled out the form with their email, their contact information for us to call them. What is it driving them here? And so we just hit that as hard as we can and and see what we can do to help.
Jennifer O'Connell: In 2024, whether it's the interest rates or the recent lawsuits, agents are reacting differently. So when it comes to buyer leads specifically, can you speak to why you are still bullish in investing in leads online, despite the current market and everything that's changing?
Greg Langhaim: Yeah, I think for us it's an opportunity to get more because there's a lot of realtors who are hesitant, or a lot of realtors who can't afford their dues, and so they're, out or they're gun-shy. For us, it's let's double down right now because people still need housing.
We have a shortage nationwide. We all know that inventory. There are people who really need homes. Whether that's move up, move down, separation, death, all that stuff. There's demand. And so we feel like we, that's our duty is to help these people as best as we can. And yeah, we're not letting up. We think it's a great opportunity and we love it when there's a little bit of chatter and people get nervous and realtors get nervous 'cause they're most likely to leave the industry or be hesitant to grab more leads. And that's, yeah, that's the opposite for us.
Richard Kaiser: On that with CINC, so one of the things we've heard from the market and something we've been working on, but trying to enhance is how we're incorporating AI into our product, so in terms of AI messaging back and forth, I'm curious your interest in that and how you imagine you, you've either used in the past or how you might use that more in the future with your team.
Greg Langhaim: Well, I think it's it's interesting and I think it can serve well. I think there's a great benefit of having that. And so I think speed and knowing what predictability of a behavior and a response, a quick response, it is phenomenal. I think that's great. If we're helping more people through ai, I'm all for that.
Richard Kaiser: I think the follow up on, I guess what Jenn was asking there, right? I think it's really interesting, like your perspective, right? I think you guys have the been, you're in a great market right now, and you've been in there for a while, it's great to hear you guys are having success.
One of the things, right? We hear people with different. Views, right? With some of the NAR lawsuit stuff of the value of buyer leads slash what does the future of buyer's agents look like? I'm curious if you've got a hot take, what your outlook is for buyer leads and what the future of buyer's agents look like.
Greg Langhaim: I think buyer's agents are always gonna be in demand. And as long as housing's in demand, real estate's in demand. However that is cut up and shaken out, it's not up to me to decide. But for now, we are one track, one mind that we have a goal of helping so many people. And we're focused on that. We're focused on helping. And it sounds like so cliche to say as a real estate agent. But we genuinely feel that because a lot of my team is made up of people who have relocated, who were realtors in other markets who have relocated, who can relate to the emotion of leaving family. The emotion of leaving friends, the emotion of leaving the comfort of just getting to the store and where that's all located. And so we really take that to heart in service.
So with the NAR lawsuits, with the, buyers, all that stuff, man it's just noise in the background for us until it really affects us. But it hasn't at all. There's still so many people who want and need help in getting a home here in Idaho, and that's what we're here to do.
Richard Kaiser: That's awesome. I think Jenn had mentioned this a little bit earlier, in terms of if, you're talking to another realtor who might be on the fence of jumping into, is looking at CINC, but thinking about jumping into like online lead, paid lead generation for the first time or somebody who might be using a competitive platform. What advice would you have for them when considering their decision?
Greg Langhaim: You gotta jump in with anything. Whether that's YouTube... I just was asked that the other day. Saying, Greg if I start a YouTube channel, like when can I expect to get something? And the answer's always like, when you decide to commit and when you follow the process step by step, day by day, that's outlined for that platform or that lead source, you're gonna get results.
Realtors I think on average, will only call lead up to 29 days and they stop. And most incubators hang out for, I think, was it between three, two hundred and seventy nine days to 400 and some days is the average lead conversion. So if you're looking for just a quick hit, they'll happen. They do come. But really you're building that pipeline so that in the future you're not gonna be just wasting money, spending money, chasing money, chasing the next silver object that comes through. You have to have a foundation, CINC provides that foundation. Online leads provide that foundation. You have to have a pillar and also will allow you to be able to, if you want, build out a team or make great referral partners.
So it's a great opportunity for someone who is looking to grow. But it's also a great opportunity for someone who's just looking to supplement their business while they're waiting for that sphere to go through their divorce or get married to buy the home. You have to have those online leads, those paid leads coming in because those are people who are looking just like you and I we're looking on Zillow, Redfin, and other markets for fun or whatever. These people are serious because they're filling out their information. They're giving out their phone number and email, and now it's up to you to do your job and to reach them and see how you can service them. So I would not hesitate one bit. I would jump in, start scooping up as much as you can right now and just start going to work.
Richard Kaiser: I think the one other thing that I just wanted to make sure people have a sense for is we had reached out and got in touch with you because your team is a leader in the market. You guys have been successful and grown just to kind. Some proof here of Greg knows what he's talking about, could you speak to briefly where you're at roughly from a production standpoint right now and how you guys have grown over the past three to five years?
Greg Langhaim: Yeah, so we've been the number one team in, Idaho, in the state of Idaho. And so we crush it. So it was really for the past three years we've just dominated and really it's just been consistent following the system that you don't have to reinvent anything, it's all laid out for you. You just have to show up and get through it. Sometimes it is just getting through it for the day, but you start having those successes and those little successes start to snowball into bigger successes. And once you have those big successes, the momentum just keeps rolling. It's just like when you know anyone who's watching this to make that first a hundred thousand, it is a grind to get there. Once you hit the hundred thousand, it's easy to make that again. It's now you're working for the 200 or 300, 500, million, whatever. So it's always hard. You always gotta get that work in first, and then reward comes after that.
So that's what we, just, we know what we have to do. It's laid out for us. It's really easy. That's the best part, is you just open up CINC, you log in, and there's your call list. That's what you're doing. There's your filters already built out for you. You don't have to hunt and pack and find who's who should I call today? It's all right there. Then if you've gone through that list, then you can have some fun, and like I said earlier, create some different scenarios and have at it, but it's really all right there for you. And that's just been our biggest success is just following the plan, sticking to it, not chasing wild things, and just being focused.
Jennifer O'Connell: We talked a lot about your channels. If you wanna share where we can find you if somebody was looking for an agent in your area. All your sites.
Greg Langhaim: Yeah. So you can you can check out the YouTube channel. It's just Go Idaho on YouTube. You can follow us on Instagram at Go Idaho official and you can find us online at GoIdahoNow.com.