California team leader, Mike Haque, has over 20 years of experience in real estate. He joined us to share his journey in the business and how he's found success using online leads to grow and scale.
You'll learn about the challenges he faced, how CINC's user-friendly platform made a difference, and why trust and patience are key in this business.
Mike's journey is packed with insights on nurturing leads, the importance of personalized client service, and the power of sticking with your strategies. Whether you're a new agent or you’re in a position to grow through online lead generation, Mike's experience offers valuable tips to help you succeed. Watch the full video to learn more.
Mike Haque: So I would say about 80 percent of my business in the very beginning was coming from that.
My name is Mike Z. Haque. I'm with EXP Realty in California, and I have a team of about seven agents in total. And my team is, we're under Desert Cities Home. It's in the greater Coachella area, also known as the greater Palm Springs area in California. One of the things that sets us apart, I think, as a whole is our knowledge in the industry. And I've been doing this for almost 20 years closing almost 20 years and the agents that we do have in our team, they are able to take advantage of that and knowledge is power, no matter what.
And I think another biggest asset that we have is trust. I think if you don't have trust in this business with your clients and vice versa. This could be a business disaster waiting to happen, but this is something that we value ourselves on very much.
Jennifer O'Connell: And were you doing anything before jumping in with CINC for lead gen or a CRM?
Mike Haque: I started back in 05, 06 and then jumped into the .... And so I was very successful at that and did that for almost 5 years, got burnt out quite a bit. And then I took a bit of a, I don't know, stepped away from real estate and back in 2012 for just about a, I don't even want to call it like a year, maybe a year and a half at the most. I was still doing real estate, but I took a step back because I was just so exhausted from the REO industry.
And then I came back full-time as a traditional real estate agent because that's what I love doing traditional real estate. And I joined the team at the time who I was introduced to coaching, real estate coaching with Tom Ferry. And so at that moment, I still didn't have Commissions Inc. But my team leader at the time was involved in other sorts of lead generation Zillow and realtor. com, that sort of stuff. Then I took a step back from the team and the team went away on its own team leader moved out of the area.
I went on my own on coaching and my coach recommended that I come to Commissions Inc. And that was it I made the choice and at the time I had options for other platforms similar to yours. I found your platform to be the most suitable for me and it has been amazing and very fruitful for me for the last nine years.
I'm happy exactly where I'm at and I'm not changing. And the website that I have you with you guys, I, now I can a lot of natural, on the Google platform. So I have no intention of going anywhere. And if anything, I want to grow even further. So as my team grows further.
Jennifer O'Connell: Do you mind sharing, like maybe something that set CINC apart then, or even now?
Mike Haque: Going back nine years. I gotta go back to my memory here. I think when I looked at the other platform, your platform looked way more user-friendly to me for myself at the time. And I thought it was going to be user-friendly for our clients as well. Especially they're going to be browsing through and everything you guys had, and us being able to see what the clients were viewing properties and how many times and letting us know every time somebody views a property more than five times and you get a ding on that. And so we get to follow through on those and those made a huge difference at the time. Now, this is a little different story because your platform has evolved in many different ways, just like everybody else has right then in the industry. But yeah, I would say the platform itself was the biggest key. Like it was more user-friendly than most that I found at the time.
Jennifer O'Connell: I know you've had good success. If like roughly how much of your business you can attribute back to either a direct CINC lead or. Some kind of connected CINC lead
Mike Haque: Going back to where I was coming from in the business because I didn't grow up in this area. So when it comes to that, I didn't have a network already built up. So when I moved here back in 2005, 2006, the business it was ground up. And when I went to bank on industry, I didn't really build up a network of clients or referral-based because I was strictly working with banks at the moment.
And so when I came out of it, and I went back to traditional real estate, it was tough to find like how to meet clients. I think anytime we started the real estate or any new agents started real estate, we always try to figure out like, how are we going to. Get the next buyer, the next seller. So this platform would allow me to meet the people that I would never meet. Even though our area, it's a very resort-style area. Even though we think everybody knows everyone, but that's not the case, especially if you're coming from Oregon or Washington or Canada, you'd be surprised how many people they're not represented or they don't know another agent, so being able to capture them and be able to nurture them. And I was able to take advantage of that quite a bit in the beginning. So I would say about 80 percent of my business in the very beginning was coming from that.
Now, having said that success didn't come overnight with that. These leads sometimes because of where we are, it doesn't, it's not a necessity. It's a luxury for most, so they can easily wait a couple of years, but I would say my first sales that are coming from conventions, like within about seven to eight months. And after that, it just started happening one after another. And. As you are representing a client and you do a great job, you get a referral from those clients. And so I have created a referral base just from the clients that I represented, that I met through Commission Inc.. So that has become a big part of my business.
Like today it's almost hard to say like what percentage come from that. I really have to go back and check, but initially it was 80%, but still to this day, my, my agents are getting a lot of leads through Commissions Inc. as we speak. And they're able to convert them. And I'd like to believe my conversion rate is fairly decent or higher than most because we're, super, I don't want to say aggressive. We're nurturing and understanding of our clients needs especially if your client tells you, hey, listen, I don't want to be bothered for the next 3 months. Okay, we're not going to bother you for the next 3 months. But in 3 months, we are going to touch base with you and see where it goes. So it's a big portion of our business did come from it and it still is.
I'll tell you where I've met developers through this platform which I'm getting ready to do a big development of 72 homes in Palm Springs. Which average home price would be anywhere in $2.5 to $3 million. And this particular client did come through this platform a Canadian developer who was seeking out local real estate agent. I was one of the ones since I was interviewed and was hired to do this job. But I wouldn't have met them if it wasn't for this platform. I can guarantee you that.
And I have so many success stories that... I'm currently working with another client who. Is getting ready to purchase a 25 million home who I met four years ago. Having said that I met them four years ago, but like I said, this area is not a necessity. It's a luxury. So when you're ready, And we're right now we're actively looking for a home in the area and believe it or not, our area still has some high end properties like this, but in a only small portion of the area. That is something we're working with.
I'm working with another client who I met through this platform about two and a half years ago, getting ready to do multiple commercial projects in the area and other developments as well. So I can go on and on about. Who I have met and how I nurtured them.
I think this platform, at the end of the day, you guys can only do to a certain point, so much. The rest is up to us because you are basically taking us to the water, and now you're telling us to drink it. So we just got to be able to drink it. And how much, how little, that's all up to us. But that's, where I think the success comes in.
And even in my team members, initially, when they first joined, I tell them, listen, this is a gold mine. And I think in my platform, since I've been with you guys for a very long time. Yeah. I have nearly 9, 000 plus leads altogether. It was getting to a point I could not handle everything myself. So that's when I started generating teams or team members where I needed help with. And initially a lot of these team members, they did not believe that this was a good source because you get a lot of Nos, which is okay. But we live for the yeses, right? Or we live for the people that need help.
Cause there are a lot of people out there, including myself, when I know I'm not looking for something - a car or some other product I accidentally sign up somewhere and I have no intention of buying, but I'm just looking. And you have people like that in the industry as well.
But those agents are now big believers as a majority of those, their business right now is that. Because you run out of your friends and family very quickly. And you can't base your business based off of that. So you have to have other sources coming to you because otherwise, nobody's going to pick up that phone and just call you because, oh, I heard you're a real estate agent and I want to do business with you. So this has, this platform allows us to reach out to those people and it has been the most successful part for us.
Jennifer O'Connell: Specifically pay after close is a question that comes up a lot and how, like, why would I use CINC or do pay-per-click leads when I can pay once the transaction is closed? Do you have a hot take on that?
Mike Haque: Yes, and okay, I'll tell you why I don't like that option. When Somebody sent me a referral. I'm like, Hey, we're referral-based only, and 9 times out of 10, it's not as straightforward as it makes it sound like, I get those phone calls almost every day. As a real estate professional, believe me, we get more spam calls than anybody else in the industry.
And when I get those calls, the first thing is, what do you want me to pay upfront? That's when they go let me tell you. They always want to avoid this subject But immediately when once I get to that point, There's always an upfront fee. Or if you want to get that lead before anybody else.
I'll give you a perfect example - sold.com. Yes, doesn't matter how qualified you are, but if you're the one paying them, you get at the top of the list, right? Yeah, otherwise it's free. But if you are a hundredth on the list, you'll never get that lead, right? The people that are paying and they usually have two agents per and they said we're referral-based only and they'll always tell you, okay you're going to pay instead of 35 percent referral, you pay 30 percent referral. I'm not a big fan of those. I would rather pay and own those leads myself. And pay per click have more control over on my side and have a way I want to disperse that in the future along within my team that's up to me.
But and yeah, you do pay a little bit of price up front for that. I think there's always a price to be paid, but you are also paying the other ways as well. It just doesn't make it sound like it in the beginning, but you are, always paying. And when you're going pay at closing, nobody can guarantee closing. Even though I've heard that over and over. Oh, we guarantee closing. Nobody can. I've seen closing fall apart at the very last day of closing. And had nothing to do with the buyer or the seller or the property. This unusual circumstances happens and there's no guarantee for that.
I'm not a fan of that. And including my teammates, they always get those phone calls too. And I'm like, Hey, listen you're, welcome to take those on. Just remember, ask them. What is the upfront fee and that's, and there's always a catch and they don't tell you that. I'm not a fan of that and they all still get a big commission your check that you pay. But I think at the end of the day, you lose money that way, rather than going this route where PPC, you get to keep most of your money and disperse it any way you shape or form you like.
Great business model. Don't get me wrong. If some agents are comfortable with that, and that's great, that's good for them. And not every agent out there can afford in the beginning to pay platforms like Commissions Inc.. Let's face it. This is not a free platform. This is not a cheap platform. It's a platform that provides value and value comes with the cost. Right, you just have to deal with the cost because this is a value. Just like when we go to our clients, we're asked for a commission amount, whatever it is, we're providing a value and we want to get paid for what we're valued at. So it's no different
Jennifer O'Connell: With everything going on with the NAR settlement and people, I don't know, sometimes being nervous now about buyer leads versus seller leads. Why are you still bullish on online buyer leads?
Mike Haque: So I'm bullish on both. I do buyer and seller leads. Cause obviously if you go back ages listing is the name of the game, right? And that was. That was a tagline we always believed in but, not always the truth, but you do need listings, but you also need buyers in the industry.
I go on both sides of it. And at the end of the day, you need both. Yeah. One can't be done without the other. Buyers are still going to need help and sellers are still going to need to sell. And all the settlement issue that we have going on, to be honest I'm not too worried about that because At the end of the day, some things are going to change and some things does require change because I don't think it's good to wait good to continue to move forward with what we have going on right now, because some adjustment needs to be made.
I deal with agents on a daily basis where I wish that they had more training. I wish they had proper mentorship and and I try to bring them on or I try to help them as much as I can. But you do get a lot of brand new agents, they're representing their clients, not to best of their ability and all it makes other people's job even harder, including someone who has been an industry for a very long time, like myself.
So those settlements, I think, it was due sooner or later, but some good things are coming off of it. And also some bad things are coming off of it, but you know what? We'll take the best of what we can and just move forward and just make the change. Everything's always going to change. That's one thing that will always happen in our business. And as a real estate professional, we know. Change is inevitable. And not only that, there's nothing ever guaranteed. I always joke around and say anytime you sell a listing, you just got fired. Now you have to go get a new job or represent a buyer. It doesn't matter, right? You literally did your job and now you're fired. You have to go get a new job, but meaning new clients. So we're always looking for new options, new projects, new clientele and best way that we can serve our people. So how we represent ourself is going to bring in more clientele in the future. So those NAR settlement there's some, I don't want to go into details about that. I think everybody's being very vocal about that. But at the end of the day, I think some changes were needed regardless.
Jennifer O'Connell: If somebody is new to lead gen, what is your advice to them?
Mike Haque: Don't give up six months or even a year. It may not sound like it's working, but believe me, it's working. And not only that, more leads are coming your way, more conversations you're having. At bare minimum, you're getting a practice of practicing or whatever it is, or being able to practice your sales pitch or the elevator pitch, whatever you want to call it, you get to practice that.
And as you do it, you get better each time and you get to learn how people behave because on those platforms, you get to meet all kinds of people like, CEOs from from, a fortune 500 companies to somebody that's buying a hundred thousand dollar property, a mobile home. So you get to meet everyone and everything in between. So you have to be able to be versatile and be able to communicate. So be patient, continue with it. And it does pay off.
And I couldn't even tell you, I think I should literally do this and sit down and when I have a little bit of time, or have somebody do it for me the ROI that I've had with Commissions Inc. It's at this point it's way beyond what I've paid without a doubt. It's way beyond what I've paid. And I've had the situation where the other examples I gave $25 million and the other developments are coming through because of this and those are creating residual income. And those sales are going to be $150 to $180 million just from that 1 project.
But through these other clients, just 1 client that I met in 2015, right after I actually started this in Commissions Inc., This particular client has offered me or sent me so many referrals. I think we're over 20Million today just from this 1 particular client. She's from Canada and they love being in the desert, the heat, and she refers all her family members, all her friends, and she will continue to do I know that without a doubt.
And you never know where this ends up. Just because it may not work right now, because a lot of times we're like, Oh, it's not working because I've been with him for three months and all these phone calls are crap. Sure. That could happen. But you never know one of those phone calls. Even though they're buying something for $300,000, $400,000, they may know someone even bigger or something. You never know that where that can particular transaction can take you. So I never say no to, I don't care what it is, a mobile home or a multimillion dollar mansion. I don't care. Cause everybody has the right to get service, first of all, and we provide that to everyone and anybody.
For places like us, most clients are not buying for at least a year and a half to two years. So we're used to that, and I think when you go somewhere, coastal areas in California, or somewhere where people need to live, versus a luxury, it's a different situation. And for us, it's definitely not a must. It's a luxury all the time.
So we, I'll tell you, I just put a client in on the contract who I met back in 2016 through this platform. So it's been over 8 years. Finally, put it on the contract. It was the right timing, right? They would come down twice a year from Washington, and they finally decided on something and it worked out.
So it's all about nurturing and that's the whole thing about the PPC, right? It's not, they're not meant to stay there forever. Cause you gotta take over and give them that personal service. But if you're hoping CINC is going to sell for you, that's probably not the right mindset because CINC is bringing the people to you. After that, it's up to you. And if you can't convert, it's not the client or it's not the platform. It's you. You need to get better at converting. And if you're not good at it, get some mentorship, get some help. And try to find out what you're saying may or may not be working on how you're saying it. So get better at that rather than blaming everything else around you. Because there's so many agents out there who are like, Oh, I was with this brokerage. It didn't work for me. This brokerage didn't work for me to me. Brokerage doesn't matter at all. At the end of the day, people come work with me because of me. It's not because of brokerage. Most of my clients in the last 20 years, you can ask them, hey, what brokerage are you with? They probably don't even know. They don't even care who you're with. They work with you because of who you are. That's the mindset we need to have. It's not, instead of just blaming the platform or this doesn't work, that doesn't work.
Because at the end of the day, PPC, what comes through, it's not controlled by anyone. I can sign up through PPC and have absolutely no intention of buying or giving a fake number because I don't want to be bothered. Because I just wanted to look at something. But if I'm serious, I am going to give the right information because at that moment I want that information, and we do get a lot of those and we're able to convert them.
So you got to look for the right ones. Just don't worry about the bad ones. You're going to get a lot of bad ones. It's just the reality. And I have this conversation with my teams every week on a team meeting because they'll be like, Oh my God I just get hung up on or people don't answer. I'm like, that's okay. Then I remind them like remember the two closings that you had last month. Where did they come from? It was from Commission Inc. And so, I always talk about, focus on the right clients because there's going to be plenty. Out of a hundred if you've got capture five good ones and you're nurturing, and one of them ended up buying in the next three months, it's a win. And you just convert them over and over. And before you know it in a couple of years, you're going to have so much business.
And that's what ended up happening to me. Why I had to grow a team because I could not manage these leads anymore. And it was one of those things, I keep increasing the leads amount because I'm not going to lie, it becomes addiction. I'm like, Oh, I want more. Then next year you realize I can't handle more by myself. Then that's when you need help. And that's where everybody gets to,
You can find us at desertcitieshome.com and you can find us on social media, any platform you go to desertcitieshome, just one home, not two. desertcitieshome on Instagram, Facebook, tiktok. Find us anytime.
Also, if you are in the desert, come say hello. And if I can help educate anyone in the industry or just in our general area in California, I'm always happy to do, or just be a phone call, doesn't have to be here.