In today’s episode of The No Limits Selling Podcast, we have Yann Rousseau with us. He started his career as a Real Estate consultant in 2013. For him, it is about supporting each and every client, regardless of his budget and intentions, to accomplish his Real Estate projects in full serenity and confidence.
Yann's tip: To become an A-player; An agent has to be constantly In touch with his clients. Establish a relationship, Follow up, and don't let the client slip
Guest Bio:
Yann Rousseau is a Managing Partner, BARNES New York. After working for several years in the development and humanitarian arena, Yann decided to move to the U.S. and embrace a new career. Originally settling down in Miami, he started his career as a Real Estate consultant in 2013. Yann has since been assisting clients from modest rentals to luxurious homes, new developments and profitable acquisitions for both cash-flow purposes and capital gain. He believes in long-term relationships gradually moving from tenant, to owner, and investor.
Find Yann Rousseau: Website, LinkedIn
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[Podcast Transcript Using Artificial Intelligence]
Umar Hameed 00:01
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 00:39
Hey, everyone, welcome to another episode of the No Limits Selling podcast where we talk to leaders in real estate on how they grow themselves, their people, the teams, and to really get a pulse on what's happening in the industry. Today. We have Yann Rousseau with us here today. He's from New York City. Welcome to the program.
Yann Rousseau 00:59
Thank you.
Umar Hameed 01:00
So that is, we're in an interesting time. Number one, the year flew by we're in December already and 2023 is coming. There's a level of nervousness with agents and home buyers and sellers. What are you seeing out there?
Yann Rousseau 01:16
As far as New York city is concerned for the market, its pretty calm, to say the least.
Umar Hameed 01:22
Nice.
Yann Rousseau 01:23
But it's, it's a good, it's a good period of time to recognize the strike for the New York market. Because basically, despite the fact that you have low activity on the buyer side, because of, you know, kind of extensions, because mortgage rates because you know, a lot of different things like seasonality, because but the reality is that the prices are not going down by that much just because particularly of the New York market is that the seller can wait. Like if it's if it's not the right time, it's just going to not list this property, we're going to take this property and the market is going to wait for better days, which will come most likely, hopefully, by spring or spring next year. So despite all this slowdown, we don't see much on pricing, on the pricing side.
Umar Hameed 02:09
Interesting, it's really kind of brings you the truth of the supply demand kind of equation, where you know, other areas are panicking a lot. And there's like major fluctuations, and it's okay, a lot of people want to buy here, and if buyers aren't getting the right price, like oh, I can wait. If they can't wait, that's the market determines whatever the price is. So you've got a French accent, is it French, French or French, Canadian?
Yann Rousseau 02:33
French, French.
Umar Hameed 02:34
French, French. So has that been an asset or a liability for you being here in the US?
Yann Rousseau 02:41
Well, I mean, it depends on the on the on the corporate level and say for my for my company, for my brokerage, it's definitely an asset because we are we are the local New York office for the number one brand in France. So basically, like we our bulk of our clientele comes from France or from New York. So that this and then as far as me as an individual salesperson, when I when I used to be one in Florida. It's not been challenging, to be honest, that is very, very rarely times that I feel like they liquidated an issue, kind of like piques the interest secure curiosity of people getting some sort of like a different approach to real estate, so.
Umar Hameed 03:31
I've seen this movie once with Matthew Broderick and Meg Ryan. And there's a French gentleman from France and him and Matthew Broderick become friends and the guy saying, you know, when I was in France, I was an ordinary guy. But with this accent, I'm a Superman in New York, this accent like really, really helps sets you apart, which is brilliant. So are you part of the team? Young?
Yann Rousseau 03:52
I manage the minors the office, we have 25 agents now.
Umar Hameed 03:57
So when you look at your agents, I suspect it would fall into two categories, a players and B players. Would that be a fair statement?
Yann Rousseau 04:05
I would go A, B and C to be honest, not that just the players.
Umar Hameed 04:10
But absolutely. Just a reality in any sales team.
Yann Rousseau 04:15
Yeah. But it's also like redshift commitment in our industry, the fact that they're all ICA I mean, independent contractors. Some of them like take it full time. Some of them taking part time. Some of them take you like kind of like a hobby, or they just you like to take care of like the family transactions or, you know, the random opportunity that you know, generates itself once in a while. But on the lead up to that on the ATM, the people that do take this as a full time occupation, then you might have like different different layers. But I don't see I mean, everyone has been full time it's kind of like successful in their own way. They just might have a different approach and a different kind of client that matches with them or not, as opposed to the others.
Umar Hameed 04:59
Here's my personal theory and please, you know, tear it apart, add to it, teams seem to fall into three levels A, B's, and C's. Let's say all full time players in any company real estate wherever. My hypothesis is this is that if you take a look at the skill sets of the A players, and the B players, oftentimes they're quite similar. The only difference is the mindset of the a player is slightly different. So they're more tenacious, rebound faster, utilize the tools more effectively, that it's not a matter of skills, this mindset, any thoughts on that theory?
Yann Rousseau 05:35
For me, like the different the difference that I see with our agents is more kind of like the long term versus short term perspective that they might have. More pressing needs, and that can be financially that could be patients, that could be also their age bracket. Because someone was like, you know, in the 60s, or, like, I don't really need that much to work this relationship on the long term. And I hope to get like third generation buyers in 20 years. So they might have like a virtue in that regard. Also, culturally, like a lot of our, our agents are freighters, like me. So they'll have like a different approach when it comes to sales, I feel. And some are more in the short term list. Like I like make sure I get like in my immediate book, because I'm not sure what's going to be in a year or two years, most likely, my client is going to meet another agent or something like this. And you're the others that were the client, like more or less, on a personal basis, the whole family for a long period of time. And so it's, it's kind of like a differentiation that I see within our team.
Umar Hameed 06:49
Interesting. So you have a different mindset, I would suspect than the average American, how does that change your relationship with sales? Is there a difference? Or is it like the methodology is the same? Or do you think you have a different way you show up to do a sales meeting than the average American?
Yann Rousseau 07:08
I would like, bring it down to the nationality itself more, perhaps the culture or the other continental Europeans because like, we have opened agents, and I feel like there's more. The main difference, basically, to me, and which has led to the detriment of the company, as when we talk to Europeans is that they are less focused on making the deal right now to the best conditions that they can have for themselves or for the company. There's like a larger, like decline distance and respectful approach to what the tire wear, we'll do this on your terms at your own pace. And sometimes, like, it's actually counterproductive to the to the success of that transaction at that time, and sometimes actually, against the the own interests of the client, because the clients, and especially the ones like the foreign investors, or the first time buyers or whatever, then if you have a little push it, sometimes they need to make sure that they see that you are confident in this transaction, and that you are going to take them there. Because if you're too conservative and too can defensive or, you know, cautious, actually like might not happen. And they will be working with someone that's like much more pushy, eventually.
Umar Hameed 08:18
Interesting. So leading a team is especially of salespeople is sometimes quite challenging, what would be five pieces of advice, you'd give new leaders on how to lead a real estate team?
Yann Rousseau 08:30
You have to build it, like in a diverse way, that's one thing. They kind of have like the same profile on your team. Because like the, our our industry, we have just the full spectrum of individuals that are that all by basically, we have the full spectrum of people buying so basically, you need your full spectrum of agents that can that can assist them wherever, wherever that is, that's one thing. Second thing you have to be in this in this industry, I feel that you have to be constantly on your, on your clients. And so you have on the on the on the client at the beginning to to establish that relationship, you cannot like let it slip at too much because basically they're being solicited by agents left and right. So you have to like establish yourself as their agent of God original record almost. And that's something that needs a lot of follow up and energy and that's the responsibility to team leader to make sure that his or their agents are like actually doing the job to qualify the leader to get it.
Umar Hameed 09:33
And number three?
Yann Rousseau 09:34
Be very try to be very cognizant of the of the client's origin culture behavior. Because again, like I feel like the and that's why I like still not to concern about you know, ibuying or, or our industry like being redundant because basically it remains for most of the people that the most important process the most important expenditure over all the life buying property, still need someone that they trust to be there at their side, just not going to go like, you know, buying a house online and everything I don't, I don't think it's coming. So my point is that everyone has a different again, anxiety or base or approach or sensitivity to details or, and that's something that needs to be able to read your client like very, very early on, and to adjust your approach.
Umar Hameed 10:33
And I'm gonna interject that. One of the ways to do that just really find out. So tell me about your last home purchase? Or tell me about your car purchase? How did they go? What did you like about it? How did you guys decide to move forward in the rapport stage of building that relationship asking those questions are perfectly legitimate, and you can actually get tons of information that lets you know how that customer likes to buy? And what they need and how they make decisions? And oftentimes, we get so excited to try and get the listing, we missed those early opportunities to gather the data we need, would you agree on?
Yann Rousseau 11:08
Yeah. Although it's like it's two different exercises, like I mean, radically opposite, you know, getting a listing and getting implanting a buyer. We are aware, I mean, when this this transfer in the US to be able to do both. Whereas in different countries, such as France and Germany on both sides, so it's very different. It's about getting the timeline or anything. But here, like the need, the approach that I was just discussing before was really about the buyer side. On the seller side, it's totally a different animal than the word confidence.
Umar Hameed 11:38
And the same thing on the buyer side, how did you buy in the past? What made you decide how did you make the decision? And people reveal a lot of that stuff quite easily, depending on how much they trust you and connect with you. And rather than trying to divine it and mind read, just ask.
Yann Rousseau 11:53
Yeah, I'm always very curious about the about the pace of people in the real estate transaction was like, are you? I'm gonna be here nonetheless. But are you just kind of looking around? Or are you like really committed to buy? And then you see, certainly a couple you're like, one is I'm very excited. The other one is, or no typical questions that you are the least when does it end? Oh, yeah, we just like, renewed for you like, Okay, so we've been to the bank and you like and look at your finances and everything. So the base is like a good indicator or like, kind of like the effort that you need to bring or like the level of commitment that you bring, because sometimes it's just about education at the beginning. So make sure that you educate them, and they trust you and then you keep in touch regularly with them, as opposed to like trying to show them exciting properties right away and pushing them to put an offer, because you see that they're not just already.
Umar Hameed 12:47
Brilliant, what was number four for you?
Yann Rousseau 12:49
in the space thing, another one, but it's about buying it by building the team, right? Talking about diversity based, I like to have teams that I that I can like complimentary in the way that it's it's an individual business somehow. But you want to be successful you want to be able to like be available most of the time. Available most of the time whether it is in terms of like time management or in terms of you know, your competence, your intellect.
Umar Hameed 13:25
Right.
Yann Rousseau 13:25
So you don't some people are very good at you know, first time homebuyers single family homes, some people are very good with coops. Some people are very good with multifamily. Some people do commercial some people don't. One of the of the assets of this profession as far as the agents of concern is that you have a lot of flexibility, so you don't want to be also at the same time. So I the two, you know, working like every day and every evening and every weekend, so I feel when you have a team that's working well then you have a lot of you know, kind of like transparency and honesty between the agents and they bring their own dynamics, at least you're able to do like a full service to the to the potential clients.
Umar Hameed 14:02
Brilliant. And so young, what's your biggest challenge as a leader? Like what's one thing you're trying to improve on yourself to just take your game up?
Yann Rousseau 14:11
Like incentivizing the agents to actually make more money because basically there is there's a fine line between motivating agents that are independent contractors and pressuring them on something that that it's not really your your your tutorial so it's the same as like this when with clients like you, you want to see where your agent is that and you want to be able to assist advise and and somehow push him or her a little bit to achieve his goal. But it's hard sometimes and frustrating because you're like you have a very good potential as an agent, why don't you just do more? Why don't you work more was more committed or more like consistent? And that's that's my biggest challenge. Somehow, like pretty much losing. I'm losing and they are losing business themselves, because they're less, they're less committed is what I would like them to be. But I can't push them because they know that.
Umar Hameed 15:07
Absolutely, it's kind of a fine line between, because ultimate leadership is leadership without power, it's like the power of influence. And one of the things that I found is leaders have to do is sometimes your confidence in one of your agents, helps them get confidence in themselves, like they kind of borrow your confidence to start moving forward. And then when they start doing, they start getting more confident, I was working with his jewelry store, the largest jewelry store in North America. And he was just seeing the path of his sales agents is like, at one point, $1,000 piece of jewelry is really big for them. And they kind of get that sale, if you get some coaching around it. And then they go to the 5000s attend the 100 to 500,000 pieces. But initially, it's lending the confidence from their manager that really helps them get to keep going and keep trying. And then before they know it, they're masters at it.
Yann Rousseau 15:59
Yeah, I mean, I've had exactly the same experience with one of my one of our agents here that she never did in multifamily. Never. And like the first one was like very intimidating and show like a lot of things to learn and to discover. And now with the same client, she's on number three, and we like we have tripled the budget for the first acquisition. And now she's like, I got this, let's see. So it was like the initial one. And then after that, it's like, hopefully the highway.
Umar Hameed 16:26
Nice. So Yann who's been a mentor for you in this industry? Somebody that you'd looked up to and gotten guidance from.
Yann Rousseau 16:34
It was actually outside of the industry to be honest, struggling.
Umar Hameed 16:36
Nice, thats it's even better.
Yann Rousseau 16:39
Because I was, I was in I started in South Florida and South Florida is very good, like individualistic in the way that they do real estate as opposed to New York, I feel really y'all can do both reg is much more integrated. Like, for example, everything in Florida, you're really going to take your license your way, wherever and then you're on your way. So but it was a friend of mine is a commercial commercial banker is the manager of a commercial bank. And is he's been doing private banking for primarily commercial banking for like four years and is really about this, like selling financial products, basically. So it's been very much advising me on how to talk to that level of wealth, because this kind of clientele that he has himself does when moving to New York was a different animal in terms of the purchase price and sacrifice, much wiser and much older than me.
Umar Hameed 17:39
One of the keys to being successful is finding that mentor, and there's mentors out there that are actually waiting for people to bring on protegees. And I think it's the fastest way to get better is to find someone that's already done it in the past. So Young, before we part company, a couple of things, what brings you joy in the work that you do?
Yann Rousseau 17:58
Mostly major success. And that's pretty much pretty much just I mean, I consider myself a facilitator more than anything. And guidance and supports, but you see, when we're actually closing the transaction, and when I'm cutting them their checks. That's..
Umar Hameed 18:16
..makes you happy. Nice. And what's one mind hack? One technique you'd like to share with people, our listeners, viewers that would allow them to be more effective, more productive? What's that one mind hack? You'd like to share?
Yann Rousseau 18:28
Something very basic, that I started doing a couple of couple of years ago, but it's it's changed, like, my approach when I was an agent, but then it's the texting app on my computer. That might be like super basic, but most people that I know around me like don't have this. But since like communication or analysis away like text or WhatsApp or whatever, I mean, like there's texting apps on the on the computer, and it's just like, such like it is more efficient. Oh, yeah. And also like those, you know, the software's that tell you if you're, the email you sent was open when he was open, how often was open all these things? So that.
Umar Hameed 19:11
Brilliant tools. Love that! Practical tactical stuff people use right away young before we parted company. Do you have a question for me? You get to be the interviewer for one question.
Yann Rousseau 19:22
How's it How's the market? How's the real estate approach different in Canada versus the US?
Umar Hameed 19:28
The biggest difference is you can deduct interest rates from the mortgage. So it actually limits buying power a lot. Other than that, Toronto is also a super hot market. And because it's super hot, it's kind of not seeing the major deviations that other parts of the country are but agents that are focused on prospecting, keeping in touch with the customers, looking after the customers best interests, or making money in this market and doing transactions and deals and it's down from where it used to be, but it's way better than everyone else. And I think that's the one thing I want our listeners to pay attention to no matter what you do real estate or outside, do the proven activities when times are tough, but especially do them when times are really, really good because oftentimes people get lazy in the good times, and they're starving in the bad times. And people that are great, stay focused, do the job for the right reason and do it consistently. Nice, brilliant young. Thanks so much for being on the program. I really enjoyed it. And I took down notes on how to help other people become better, stronger, faster. Thank you.
Yann Rousseau 20:36
Thank you very much.
Umar Hameed 20:42
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.