I am passionate about helping my clients work through the process of buying or selling their home. With years of experience in sales, I know how to finalize deals and ease the transition of one home to another. Moving can be very stressful.
[Podcast Transcript Using Artificial Intelligence]
Umar Hameed 0:01
Are you ready to become awesomer? Hello everyone! My name is Umar Hameed, I'm your host on The No Limits Selling Podcast, where industry leaders share their tips, strategies and advice on how you can become better, stronger, faster. Just before we get started, I've got a question for you, do you have a negative voice inside your head? We all do, right? I'm gonna help you remove that voice and under 30 days guaranteed, not only remove it, but transform it. So instead of the voice that sabotages you, there's one that propels you to much higher levels of performance and success. There's a link in the show notes, click on it to find out more. All right! Let's get started.
Umar Hameed 0:40
Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of The No Limits Selling Podcast today. We have Adam Healey with us today. A realtor on the East Coast Canada. Welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me, Umar, how many years have you been in real estate?
Adam Healey 0:55
So too, this is my second year in real estate. So a little bit fresh, still.
Umar Hameed 1:00
Nice. So when you what made you decide to come into this profession?
Adam Healey 1:05
Well, I've always had a knack for customer service. I worked in bars. You know, growing up, I've worked in retail, I love serving people. And somebody ran the idea of coming and doing real estate at their brokerage with me and I tried it out and I had a lot of success. So I left my part time job. And I started doing real estate full time.
Umar Hameed 1:30
Brilliant. Actually I know a lot of highly successful realtors that were waiters or barkeeps. Because that same skill set of making sure people are okay, connecting with people talking with people is basically real estate, it's about human beings and helping them get what they truly want.
Adam Healey 1:46
Absolutely.
Umar Hameed 1:47
How many transactions have you done?
Adam Healey 1:50
So you know, we in the business, we like to call them ends, like each end is one side of buyer or a seller. And sometimes you can get two ends in one deal. So ends right now on somewhere between 45 and 50 ends.
Umar Hameed 2:03
Which is pretty good for being year two in the business.
Adam Healey 2:05
Yeah, I mean, I know a lot of friends who had one or two ends in their first year, any first two years. So I have been very fortunate. Yeah.
Umar Hameed 2:16
So what do you think made the difference? What allowed you to actually become highly successful in that short period of time?
Adam Healey 2:22
Work, I mean, at the end of the day, it was on work, you can get lucky, you can be at the right place at the right time. But like any other business, or you know, if you don't work, you're not going to see the success that you can get in other places as well, right? It's it's at the end of the day, it comes down to knocking on the doors, doing the cold calls, and talking to the people. And if you don't do that, if you if you sit back and let it come to you, you know, it may not.
Umar Hameed 2:48
And will not pretty much. So it's that work ethic that is really, really critical in how well you do in life. So one of the things that I hear from a lot of successful realtors, is that not losing that work ethic as you become more successful.
Adam Healey 3:03
Yeah, the best in the business. I mean, we see a very, you know where I'm from, it's not a, an urban center. It's not like Toronto, it's not. So we do older practices, something I've been very successful is door hangers. I mean, I tried to go a few times a month hit the doors, either door knocking or leaving a door hanger. And I see sometimes I see agents who have been doing it for 30 years on some doors I will go up to and there will be a veteran agents door hanger on it. So you know people think that when you're 20 years in the business and business will come to you well, it may but the big sharks out there are still working, like the new guys are trying too.
Umar Hameed 3:47
Brilliant because as you get more seasoned, you know, you may decide to get a team and you can't be a team leader that doesn't walk his talk.
Adam Healey 3:55
Absolutely.
Umar Hameed 3:56
So what have been some of the biggest lessons you've learned going in these two years?
Adam Healey 4:01
Oh, biggest lessons. When I used to do retail I found overly energetic, overly pushy salespeople, you know, they're, they're trying to learn the business and and I found, before I even did real estate was that people don't want to get sold to they don't want to feel like they're being taken advantage of. So I find just honesty and match reality just conveying that you you have the confidence and that you know what you're talking about, but not in a way that you're presenting yourself as salesy and that you're not connected to the consumer, I think so. So being connected to the consumer is definitely probably the biggest lesson that I've learned so far.
Umar Hameed 4:43
You deal with a lot of other realtors that are you know, starting out in the business or have been in the business for 4,5,6 years. What are the biggest stumbling blocks that you see that realtors have?
Adam Healey 4:54
Well, that's a good question. I mean, you kind of mentioned it before getting comfortable getting comfortable. your own skin, you know, these big realtors are still working, they may say that they're not, but they are. And it's getting comfortable with having four deals follow one after another or a lot of deals for that matter and getting comfortable taking your foot off the gas, and not being as aggressive that I think is the biggest mistake that all realtors can make either big or small is getting comfortable with the success that they've been having.
Umar Hameed 5:26
Yeah, complacency is death.
Adam Healey 5:28
Yeah.
Umar Hameed 5:29
So what are the lessons that you're still trying to learn to perfect your craft?
Adam Healey 5:34
I hope to learn every day until I finish being a realtor as the wooden box? The lessons that I'm still learning, or continue to learn? It's tough question, because there's so much, there's so much that I continue to learn every day. I think being in the office, you know, a lot of realtors, and a lot of people work from home, especially in the COVID era,
Umar Hameed 5:56
Right.
Adam Healey 5:56
COVID has impacted the workplace like no other event has ever impacted. But being around seasoned veterans who walk the walk, but talk the talk as well. Being close to them and listening to everything that they say the advice that they give. That's the most important lesson that I learned every day is just hearing other realtors talk what they have to say and what they think. Because when I say similar things over and over again, that they have taught me it becomes natural, and then it goes to your clients and...
Umar Hameed 6:33
Becomes yours. Yeah.
Adam Healey 6:34
Exactly. It's your own.
Umar Hameed 6:36
So who's somebody in real estate you look up to and what's the attributes they have that inspires you?
Adam Healey 6:42
So I will give a shout out because unfortunately, this man, he was a mentor to me, he passed away last night.
Umar Hameed 6:49
Oh, wow.
Adam Healey 6:50
Very, very close family friend, Glen Larkin was his name. And I've looked up to that man for a very long time. And he's taught me a lot of good things, a lot of bad things. He was a very big personality. And we don't see big personalities like him as much anymore. So he was a realtor as well. He was a very, very successful realtor. And he taught me a lot about life and as well a lot about real estate. Because, you know, I thought of him as a mentor, almost as a father figure as well. He had a lot of fun. He had a lot of jokes, and it was just so natural. And he could talk to anybody, you could sit down in a room with anybody. And by the end of that conversation, somebody be laughing, and everybody will be happy leaving...
Umar Hameed 7:34
Comfortable in his skin.
Adam Healey 7:35
...no matter. Yeah, it's a natural gift. Yeah. So that's somebody I've tried to mirror myself after a very long time and rest in peace, go American.
Umar Hameed 7:43
Sorry, I didn't know him actually.
Adam Healey 7:45
Yeah.
Umar Hameed 7:46
So he sounds like a guy that was really comfortable in his skin.
Adam Healey 7:52
Yeah, yeah.
Umar Hameed 7:53
Are you there yet?
Adam Healey 7:55
I like to be, you know, I've always tried to be natural at this stuff, you know, try to get the center of attention in the room. And I'll be the emcee at the wedding or the class clown kind of thing. You know, I've always tried to kind of live by that. And that's me. So I will say, Yes, I think I can always get better at but I think, you know, some things you can learn and some things you can't, this may be not something that you can't learn. I mean, there's people who teach this kind of stuff. So maybe you can, but it's a lot easier when you're born with it. And you have people like him to look up to.
Umar Hameed 8:30
Absolutely.
Adam Healey 8:31
Right? So I think that's helped a lot to you know, shaped me in the way that I am.
Umar Hameed 8:36
So people starting out in real estate that are, you know, still a year one or year two, what are five pieces of advice you'd give them to help them be successful?
Adam Healey 8:46
So just starting out, did you say?
Umar Hameed 8:48
Been in the business for like six months a year, and they're trying to figure it out, and just they need, if they can have that conversation with you and take what you tell them to heart that their second year would be way better?
Adam Healey 8:59
Right. Don't get discouraged. I think it's number one, you're going to lose, you're going to lose, eventually you're going to lose a client, you're going to lose a deal, you're going to miss out an offer. So take it on the chin, that it's the perseverance that make the people in this business. So persevere through the hard times, the good times will come. It's not about the money. I would say number two, you have to love what you're doing. You have to love the high stress of this job. You know, play hard, work hard. The highs are high and the lows are low. So you know, you really do have to love this. It's not just for the money, the money will come and go. Three, you don't you know, you don't necessarily have to have the big personality. You don't need to be the funniest person in the room. You have to have the drive. You have to have the drive. You know, that's when you can be funny. You can be natural, but you have to have that drive if you want to be successful. And that's something that I've learned is that it will not always come to you. So drive and determination is probably the most important thing. The five things stuff.
Umar Hameed 10:02
Yeah, the three, though actually the three are frickin amazing. It's all about mindset, right?
Adam Healey 10:08
Yeah.
Umar Hameed 10:09
How you show up?
Adam Healey 10:10
Yeah. And and you know, because three of those things you can branch off and say a million things about the determination. And the biggest thing is hitting the doors as talking to people, you know, don't be afraid to talk to people, don't be afraid to put yourself out there in a position and make yourself uncomfortable. Because the more times you do that, the more successful you're going to be.
Umar Hameed 10:29
Absolutely. And I'll add a fourth piece of advice to your three. So few people in this world feel like other people are listening to them. Even people that love them, as they're thinking about, you know, kids going to school, I'm going to do at work, that if you can just be in their presence and pay attention to them, it's huge. And when you listen, you actually pick up the cues, you need to be a great realtor.
Adam Healey 10:55
Absolutely, absolutely. As customer service one on one, you need to know the needs of your client, your purchaser or your seller, you know, you can't assume that everybody wants the same thing. And everybody wants to be treated the same. So absolutely, you need to you need to listen, and you need to engage and see what they need and what's going to serve them best.
Umar Hameed 11:14
So real estate should be simple, but it isn't because somebody throws a grenade in the middle of the transaction, or some unforeseen issue with the house or finances or whatever comes in. So one of the things we need to do as realtors is to be flexible, and also set expectations for our clients. So some realtors don't set the right expectations. This is going to be an easy transaction, you're going to get the money you want this is going to happen. How do you set expectations especially, you know, later on, you might need to do a price adjustment depending on what the market. So how do you handle expectations? What do you say? And how do you prepare people for what might come up?
Adam Healey 11:57
Well, I'll tell you, we never use the word easy in this business because nothing is nothing is easy in this it doesn't it rarely comes through the deal start to finish has gone completely smooth.
Umar Hameed 12:08
Yes.
Adam Healey 12:09
Setting expectations is very important from day one, when you meet that client. I mean, I know lots of realtors, you think, "Oh, well, we need to do so good that the client won't fire me," you know, but in a lot of cases, you hear realtors firing their clients, because we are the professionals, we are the one who have the raw data and see what houses are selling for in the area. And we give our best recommendations. But sometimes, you know, people won't accept that they'll say I want to get this much I don't care, I'm going to take any less. And they'll say you know, well, you can list with this person at this real estate brokerage, right? If you if you really think that you can get that, you know, I just know that you can. So setting expectations from day one is very, very important. Because you can get 20 listings, but if none of them sell, you're not gonna have any money.
Umar Hameed 13:01
You just wasted 300 hours of your time.
Adam Healey 13:03
Exactly. Pictures and others costs associated with everything. Alright, so...
Umar Hameed 13:08
Absolutely. So how do you get referrals from your clients? So you do good transaction? When do you ask for a referral?
Adam Healey 13:16
I think, you know, doing a great job is the best way to ask. A lot of people do it in emails, like have their email caps and never too busy for for referrals. I have found that being honest and you know, hitting a home run from day one, a lot of my clients, you know, they're thanking me at the end of the transaction when you know, I really I'm so thankful for them for giving me the trust. So you know, they are always so engaged to come back later and say, "Hey, listen, this guy did really good knockout job, you really should use him. And you know, after a long time of doing a good job, it's people base their entire business sometimes off of referrals just continue repeat business. So short, you can't ask, I mean, like I said, you got to make yourself uncomfortable, you can't be afraid to ask for business. And asking for business is the same thing as asking for referrals.
Umar Hameed 14:09
Absolutely. And what I advise realtors to do is right at that first conversation. This is how this transaction is going to go if we start working together, and I'm going to do a phenomenal job for you. And one of the reasons I'm doing it is I want you to win and also if I do a phenomenal job, if you can recommend me to other people would be and just start setting the stage right up front with expectations and people are more than happy to do it is just sometimes realtors are scared to ask.
Adam Healey 14:37
Yeah. And scared to manage those expectations. They want to say what the client wants to hear sometimes and that's it could be your best friend or your worst enemy. Because you can't make everybody happy. Price at the end of the day is the price. It's not sentimental value, it's not what you think it's worth, it sells for.
Umar Hameed 14:54
Absolutely. The market wins out every time.
Adam Healey 14:57
Exactly.
Umar Hameed 14:58
Brilliant. So I How do you handle homeowners that have unrealistic expectations?
Adam Healey 15:04
It's a common one sentimental value is something that we struggle with a lot. You can show people statistics, you can show people numbers, I think you was a question how to deal with this?
Umar Hameed 15:16
Yeah. So you know, sometimes they get, you know, the wallpaper is fantastic and it's like...
Adam Healey 15:21
Yeah. The wallpaper. Yeah, I haven't heard of that one yet. But how to deal with it, I guess it's confidence. I mean, confidence in your ability. A lot of new realtors think that people are doing them a favor, but then they they do deals, they get good at the business and realize I'm doing my clients a favor by showing them and doing what I'm paid to do at a high quality level, right? So having the confidence to deal with those clients. And like I said, firing clients, I mean, it's not what we want to do at the end of the day. But it's something that if you want to get a reputation of listing, overpriced listings, and not selling them, be my guest, but it's not going to help your business. So being upfront, managing expectations, you know, like we've previously talked about, I think it's the most important way to deal with clients who won't listen.
Umar Hameed 16:13
Brilliant. So what are you learning next, to become better at your craft?
Adam Healey 16:19
I come in every day trying to learn something new. One specific thing is hard to put a finger because I'm open to learning new things every day. Negotiation tactics, prospecting for new business, you know, it's, it's just a continuing learning curve. It could be exponential, but but really, I mean, it's, it just seems like it's piling on top of each other, each thing that you learn leads to something else. So it's just a continuing learning curve. You know, commercial is not something I've been exposed to a lot, but I love coming. And we have a really good commercial, licensed realtor in our business, you know, gives presentations, he gives learning, learning seminars, and all this kind of stuff. So that's something you know, new for me that I haven't been exposed to a lot that I'm learning a lot about now.
Umar Hameed 17:04
So Adam, what makes you happy?
Adam Healey 17:07
Besides from, you know, moving away from real estate, family, friends. Being able to do what I want, I can even get getting back to real estate, I guess is, it's busy. And it's not a nine to five, it's a 24-hour thing. But if you time block, if you do stuff properly, you can do what you want to do. So, you know, I've had to nine to five, I've done this and moving into sales, I've realized that it allows me to do what makes me happy, being active seeing relatives, and my dad got married this weekend. And you know, being able to go to his wedding being able to MC and stand in the wedding, it was just a great weekend. So you know, that's what makes me happy, real estate makes me happy, I love it. I love doing what I do but it's not everything.
Umar Hameed 17:54
So what is one technique that you use a mind hack or a technique to be more productive, more effective, live healthier? Like what's one thing you want to share with the world?
Adam Healey 18:03
Time block management is everything it really is and I just spoke about it. If you are not giving yourself time, or if you're not booking out time for a Zoom call, for example, you're going to be lost, you're going to be juggling and you're going to be playing from behind at all times. So a healthy mind, a healthy lifestyle healthy schedule, I think is the most important aspect of this job because it's very easy to forget something and when you forget in this business,
Umar Hameed 18:31
It's expensive.
Adam Healey 18:32
It's expensive.
Umar Hameed 18:33
Adam, thank you so much for being on the show. Really appreciate it.
Adam Healey 18:37
No problem. I'm happy to be here. Thank you for having me.
Umar Hameed 18:44
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to iTunes and leave a five-star rating. And if you're looking for more tools, go to my website at nolimitsselling.com. I've got a free mind training course there, that's going to teach you some insights from the world of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and that is the fastest way to get better results.