So interviewing, what questions should you be asking if you're an agent?

And then also, if you're a team leader, what questions sh- should

you be asking an agent to see if they're a good fit for your team?

Nobody in real estate is gonna tell you the real stuff.

So we will.

We're gonna talk about all the stuff that nobody posts about.

But everybody needs to hear.

We've been in this industry long enough to know what works.

And long enough to know what doesn't.

I'm Pam.

And I'm Mackenzie.

And this is Real Talk, Real Agents.

And this is Real Talk, Real Agents.

If you're a real estate agent that is so tired of the fake it 'til you

make it energy, this is your show.

We are two agents who are still in it every single day, and we are

not coaching from the sidelines.

We are in the trenches with you.

No filters and no fluff.

All right, Real Talk starts right now.

Da, da, da, da, da.

Absolutely.

I cannot wait to dive into this topic, especially if you're one, even

just interviewing a team, but also a brokerage and/or a firm, right?

Yeah.

You know, I think this industry is so interesting 'cause I think, um,

you know, it's if you have a pulse, um, you dress kind of cute Uh, you

look like you're okay Mm-hmm Then we, then just, you just get hired, right?

Right.

We see that all the time, without the intentional interview process

and what that, what that really looks like on both sides, right?

Well, it's an interesting topic for us, as we have been playing around with how

we want to get in front of different agents for our team and for our brokerage,

what feels most authen- authentic to us, what are we maybe not doing because it's

uncomfortable, but we can get better at.

And so I love this conversation a little bit for us, 'cause we've

learned some stuff throughout.

Yeah.

So we are hiring to our team, we are hiring to our independent brokerage for

independent agents, and we went down the route of some targeted Facebook ads.

Yeah, we did.

For sure.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And so what questions did we have kind of as filter questions for

that ad for them to then, you know, click, give us their information

so that we can reach out to them.

So we even had to be really intentional about- The whole

process … that whole process.

Yeah.

So maybe we'll share some of those questions, because we tweaked them

through the six months that we kind of did some ads and kind of what

that process looked like for us.

Yeah.

I mean, I think just generally speaking, if you're a team leader and you want

those questions or perhaps some good interview questions too, we're gonna

have some downloads, uh, where we can send to you that will, um, you know,

provide some of the insight that we've, we've learned in this journey of agent

attraction and interviews and then bring, bringing people onto the team too.

Yeah.

So they didn't have a prior relationship to them.

We were trying to be very specific, intentional about the questions

that we asked, you know, how many years have you been in the business?

What has been your volume?

Not count, but volume in the last 12 months.

You know, what is it that you're looking for to be different?

Yeah, and I'm forgetting the other two, and that's why we'll have a PDF to you.

Well, I know one was, are you coachable or not?

Mm. You know, sometimes people don't have that self-awareness about it, but it is

an interesting question to see, like, what the response is on that, and if that's not

something that they feel like they need some, some coaching and accountability- Mm

as well.

So we would get those answers, and so for somebody that we had no idea

who they were, it was great talking points to then get on a call with them

and just have them dive deeper into the answers that they shared with us.

'Cause I think you've talked about before that we actually learn the

most when they're talking and by the questions that they're asking.

100%. Like, we have learned through our process too, where before, like, I would

interview them or you would interview them first, and then we would flip, but now we

try to do it together so there's someone that's always in that observation role.

Um, because you pick up so, you know, you miss things sometimes

when you're in the conversation.

And someone else kind of watching can pick up on body language or just eye

diversions, just all these things, right, that are just a part of communication.

But it also helps you think of some good follow-up questions because

you're, you're not in the heat of it, you're just kind of watching too.

So that has been a change to our process, is to do a, a Zoom- Mm-hmm

or Google Meet or whatever, just to, to do that together.

And then we can, if we need a follow-up question or follow-up call to kind of go

over some logistics, we can do that too.

So we, we've almost slowed it down so you have a little bit more

intentionality on this person, and you also are not just in the moment,

like, get excited about someone.

You're like, "Oh, let's just bring them on," you know, and it's like, "Mm, no.

Was that a good fit truly?" Mm-hmm.

And we are finding that we might ask different questions to a newer

agent in the industry versus a more experienced agent, and also

the questions that they ask us.

So I think it'll be fun for us to share with a newer agent maybe

what questions to not lead with when you're interviewing at- Okay

a brokerage or a team, just to give-- People just, you

don't know what you don't know.

Well, that's the hard part.

I think when it is a newer agent, commonly they're like, "I don't even

know what to ask." So you feel like, in a way, you almost wanna lead them

as like, "Well, these are the things you should be asking," because we

wanna make sure it's a good fit, right?

I remember when I first got licensed, I didn't know how this worked.

I mean, I came from corporate America where you would go through

three rounds of recruitment and, you know, all these questions with

different rooms of management.

And so when you got a job, like, you really went through a process.

Mm-hmm.

You feel like you were really vetted.

And then I came to real estate, and I had, like, a five-minute conversation with

this firm, a five-minute conversation with this firm, and they were all like, "Please

come." I was like, "Am I Am I that good?

Or am I just breathing and they're like, "Fantastic, we'll hire you."

Mm-hmm.

And so I think it sets up the expectation probably pretty poorly for newer

agents, like right from the get-go.

So they don't know what to ask.

Mm-hmm.

They don't know how Keller Williams is different than Howard Hanna or Berkshire.

They just, they don't know.

They don't know the questions to ask.

And so they commonly can find themselves maybe later with a firm that's just

not 100% a good fit for them, and then they are not producing and they're not

making money, and then, you know, we're in this whole failure trap- Mm-hmm

for a lot of newer agents.

But then you get a somewhat experienced agent and they usually come to the

table with, they know now a little through fire- Right … of what was

not working and why you're different.

But still there could be some misses on the questions they ask as well.

For sure.

So a new agent, if you're listening to this, I think two things that I learned,

'cause I had it, I was blessed to have it, was what kind of training and

education are you gonna get after they hire you, and who is your point person?

So because just like with most things, when you go to a class to learn something,

to get certified, we got-- We all went to real estate school, and then you get

your first transaction, you're like, "Oh my gosh, I don't know anything." Right?

Um, they taught me how to set a deal, a real estate deal, but they didn't teach

me how to, like, run a transaction- Yeah

right from beginning to end.

And so for a newer agent, it's what type of resources do you have?

What's the training look like and are, you know, how quickly can

you help me get into production?

Yes.

I think that one's probably the most important thing is, 'cause every

firm, every team is probably a little bit different on that too, right?

Um, I think the adage when I first started, it was like, "Well,

here's a phone, um, here's a phone book, here's your, you know,

your contacts or your database.

Um, good luck.

You know, let us know when you get under contract and we'll help

you with that." And you're like, "Huh?" Uh, okay, uh, what do I say?

How do I say, how do I get people in my life that want to

transact, that want to buy or sell?

And there was, at the time, not a lot of guidance there.

And so, but you don't, you just think, I think as a new agent,

this company is just gonna give me people, or just gonna give me leads.

Well, and, and I don't know that every company says they're gonna

give you leads, but I think that they also, it's a sales pitch.

Yeah.

You know?

So the other, um, is that they obviously want you, but you get to then decide,

new agent or not, you get to decide if you're interviewing them just as

much as they're interviewing you.

Hopefully more so.

Right.

And so there is that whole, so that's why the question, okay, great, I joined

your firm, I joined your team, now what?

You know, you're in front of me now, you've been courting me for the last

month, two weeks, whatever it is, so now that I'm here, what does that look like?

I have bills to pay.

So an experienced agent knows a little bit more.

Mm-hmm.

'Cause they feel like they did buy the sales pitch.

Yeah.

And now they're like, "What the hell?"

Like, "I'm broke." Yeah, I'm broke.

Was it broke, bored, and Dang it.

Burnt out.

Burned out.

Burn out, that was it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But that can happen to you pretty quickly.

Mm-hmm.

So you learn that as a, as an experienced agent.

But the new ones, the ones that we typically get are the

question is, what's your split?

Mm-hmm.

What's your split?

It's always the number one, and I was just laughing with that where I was like,

you know, 100% of zero is still zero.

Mm-hmm.

So you can get the greatest split in the entire world, but what

does that really mean ultimately?

Mm-hmm.

Usually, when I get that question, and I understand, like you wanna

know what you're gonna make.

It, it's not that it's a awful question, but if that, that's the first question

out of your mouth or, like really early in the conversation, I'm usually like,

uh, how mu- You've been listening this long and you still haven't subscribed?

Uh, we see you.

Wanna do us a solid?

Please share this episode with an agent that really needs to hear it.

And that's a perfect example of the questions that the agent asks

tells us so much about the agent.

Yes.

So now they're leading with, what am I not making, versus how can you help me grow?

Because if an agent's growing on our team, an agent's growing at our

brokerage, they're not leading with how much they're investing, right?

It's an investment.

We're gonna invest in you, so therefore, this is an investment back

to the team, back to the brokerage.

Here's what we can, we will provide for you.

Here's what we will do.

This is how we will get you from 5 million to 10 million.

And a lot of it's… And I have learned to, to also, yes, here's the blueprint.

Yes, we will, we will create the community, but it's also what

are you going to do differently.

100%, girl.

That tells me- … what are you gonna do for me?

Right.

It's that question.

Mm-hmm.

Which I don't love that energy.

No, 'cause it will always be, that's the reason that you didn't get the

transaction, you're not making the money, you're having a slow month, right?

Yeah.

It's going to always be our- Somebody else's- … it's

that victim mindset … fault.

It's, right.

And so- At, when an agent comes and wants to know, an experienced agent, you know,

the first question, they're just like, "Oh, I just feel unsettled. I feel bored.

I feel like I need to change." Mm-hmm.

You're really good at asking the question, "Well, what would be different?

What is it where you are now that you don't like or that

you think you're missing?

How will that be d-," because you're the same person- Yeah … in

this room versus another room.

Yeah.

So what will the leadership do, and what will the different room

do for you to get you to where you think that you want to be?

Sure.

What is it you think that you maybe need to change, grow,

and develop about yourself?

Mm-hmm.

And if they don't think anything… We interviewed an agent yesterday,

and they're just like, "Yeah, I'm, I'm good." Like, there, we could,

there was no co- there was not a comfortable bone in his body.

Would you agree with that?

100%. Mm-hmm.

It was everybody else's reasons why he has not had a single

transaction and no prospects.

And we're like, "All right.

Well, you know, how are you gr- trying to grow your business?"

"Open houses, they're terrible.

They don't work." And I was like, "Hmm.

Okay." Mm-hmm.

Um, "I don't want Zillow leads 'cause they're terrible, too," but

saying that he wants hot buyer leads.

And I'm like, that is Zillow leads.

I mean, I hate to say it.

They're not great.

I mean, I understand there's, there's some negatives to them, but if that's

what you're asking for, you've had them and you didn't like that either.

Do you have a sphere?

Do you have some people that you know?

Nope.

And, uh, it was like, I mean, I don't know if we can help you.

But I mean, he l- uh, thank goodness he was honest and he was upfront.

I did appreciate that, and I think we were equally honest.

It was like at the, it, after 10 minutes we were like, "I just don't

think we're the right fit." Mm-hmm.

"I think we're not what you're looking for, and you're not really

what we're looking for either."

So I'm so glad that you brought that up because as, I don't ever want to interview

somebody and it not be a fit or just, you know, get whatever kind of feeling.

But it felt so good that you and I have gotten so clear on who we can help.

Yeah.

Support.

I don't help.

Uh, people can help themselves.

They don't need us to help them.

So I, I guess align-wise.

Mm-hmm.

I'm trying to find the right word there, but it just… We saved everybody

a lot of time, effort, and energy.

Oh, yeah.

We blocked an hour, we got 45 minutes back, you know, just from

like, we gave him suggestions.

The other thing too that I love is we have made such great friends

and colleagues in the industry, and so we know every team's different.

There's not one size fits all.

So I feel really good about being able to say, "Hey, have you interviewed with

this team, or have you spoken to this? This is, what you're saying, I believe

this is what this team can offer." Right.

"And we cannot." And just because again, no, I know it doesn't feel good me to have

an agent on a team and them not succeed.

Right.

No.

I'm not the scared one.

I don't want to do that either.

There's just a lot of wasted time, and it's stressful.

Yeah, it is.

And so I do love that, you know, we've gotten super clear and aligned

on what, who we know that we can, can align support with and, and help grow.

100%. I, I, I did, it did feel good, and I think a past version of us as

individuals, maybe when we first started, and maybe you're a team leader and

you're just looking for bodies, right?

In your mind.

Mm-hmm.

Like, I hate to say it that way, but you're overworked, you wanna build a

team, and so you meet someone, they seem to be pretty nice, and so you

just naturally you guys come together.

Now sometimes beautifully that works.

But I would say Please spend some time, I think, on really getting super clear

on what qualities it is that that person needs to have to work with you, what

you're looking for, um, vice versa.

Because the moment you know that super clear, then you can better identify is

this gonna work or are we just gonna waste some time and is this gonna be

a train wreck, and potentially we're not gonna like each other afterwards?

'Cause that's painful, too.

Mm-hmm.

So I would say slow down.

Ask, ask really good questions.

Don't just go into this just easy.

Well, that was a little bit of a, a trap that I was feeling that I had inun-

unintentionally maybe put myself in as I'm… We have both roles of recruiting-

Yeah … and sales training, and wanting to in- always increasing your numbers

does not, and production numbers, doesn't necessarily mean more agents.

Mm-hmm.

It means making sure you're also putting time into the agents that have aligned.

Let's hope, right?

Yeah.

But it can be hard to make sure that you are equally putting in time to an

agent, to new agents onto the team, and the agents who've already aligned with

us, and making sure that you're helping them with their production number- Right

and making sure you're helping them get to where they need to be.

And so that was a little bit of this trap.

And so g- that's kind of why I start asking the question.

The first way we tried to share was to add so less organic.

Mm-hmm.

Right?

And when I look back at who's on our team, it's 100% organic.

100%.

Even the independent agents that have joined us- Yeah … just joined

the firm and not the team, right?

'Cause that's an option with us now.

Right.

They have been people that we've known or people that we've

known through someone else.

Mm-hmm.

And have some sort of… But just like prospecting, when we tell

clients, excuse me, agents to make calls, there's more people that

you don't know than you do know.

Correct.

So our… We did wanna get ourselves out there.

As hard as it was for us to see these ads out there, we wanted to try it.

Mm-hmm.

Two things came to my mind for me is, number one, I need to get

better at having, asking better questions to somebody I don't know.

Right.

I lean so heavily on the relationship part- Right

which is a, a pro for me and the relationship I've already built, but

when I… When somebody doesn't know me, and I'm going into a c- you're

much better at, um, a cold interview.

You just, you have a little bit more of a skill set there to interview, right?

And so that was something great feedback for myself to say,

"Okay, this agent could be great.

Let's just don't, you know-" Yeah … d- don't be afraid to ask the right questions

or don't feel like because they don't know you that they won't see the value

in still joining your team, right?

'Cause there's that relationship's not there.

And then having the relationships that we do have in the organic and how many

agents that are on our team from other agents who have referred them too, and

leaning into that because those agents want to work with agents like them Great.

And so I just wanna talk about that a little bit.

I'm sitting here laughing because, you know, our agents are trying

to sometimes work with cold leads.

Yeah.

And then sometimes they're working with referrals or sphere, right?

Mm-hmm.

And so what we're both saying is we would prefer to work with sphere- Yeah.

and referrals, which is not a lie.

Um, but there's a different skill set between the two.

100%. So it is the trying to learn a better skill set for people

that we don't know, and we have to ask the same of our agents.

That if you're getting leads, you have to get better at having

conversations with, um, with, with cold.

It just is so funny.

Well, that's a- I was like, I was like, "Well, isn't that

interesting?" Well, yeah.

We're both-- we're selling just different, uh, different things.

And getting better at asking better questions- Yeah … just like we talk

to agents when there's somebody and just, "Well, why do you…" Instead

of going into, well, vomiting about how amazing our brokerage is and our

team is, what are you looking for?

Because I learned very quickly I'm never gonna assume why

somebody's leaving a team.

It could be for-- It's not always about the money.

No.

And people tend to lead with money, so we tend to put that, that

expectation on that conversation.

And so I'm always very curious how long I can get into a conversation

before splits are brought up.

Yeah.

It's like a little mental game.

It's like a little game, yeah.

A little game.

So if, if you and I talk about Capital Coast, just know the-- I don't know.

I'm, I need to go back and see- I was gonna say … how long it takes.

I don't know what the, what my, uh, the record is, but I think

one wouldn't even bring it up.

And afterwards I was just like, "Hey, do you wanna know what the splits are?" But-

Yeah … loved that about that person.

Well, yeah, 'cause I think they're leaning on, is this a good

cultural fit, you know, for us?

And maybe we can talk about the different categories of questions that we have.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, 'cause I think one is, like, around transaction, one is around, uh, a-

another set is around, like, mindset.

You know, how do you handle the ups and downs in this career?

'Cause it is mimey.

Ooh.

And then the cultural piece, which is really important to us.

Like, you have to fit in this.

If you're gonna be a cancer or a negative, then it's-- you could be a top producer,

and you're just not gonna be the right fit for us because of those things.

So we, we do have sets of, of questions that really focus on several buckets.

Yes, and like Pam said, if you would love to know what those different questions

are in the different buckets, you know, shoot us a message and we'll be happy

to send over that PDF to you and break it down- Yeah … you know, into the

different, into different categories.

Y- yes, the, the sales part is huge, but the mindset and the character of

a person Is I sometimes I think more.

Oh, yeah.

You know, um, we have an agent on our team who is newer.

Um, he's really having to do a lot of work around, like, mindset to stay positive.

Mm-hmm.

Um, just 'cause of some external factors and some pressure

there that I think he feels.

And if he did not have the, uh, fortitude to stick through some of those

things, he's making her calls, he's making expires, he's making dispos-

Mm-hmm … and cold leads there, too.

So I think we did a lot of work and conversations with him

before to kind of learn who, w- what he was made of in a way.

And so even though, um, you know, just getting things ramped up maybe it's,

it's taken some work, he's, he has the right, he has the right attitude.

Gotcha.

And now I think it's just working on skill.

Mm-hmm.

You know?

All right, so to wrap this up a little bit, if you were gonna be interviewing

at a brokerage or a firm, not that you're going anywhere since you do

own- … this independent firm, so if you go, then I guess we all go.

I mean, Lord knows I have interviewed at almost all of them

at, at one point in my career.

Mm-hmm.

Right.

So what, I guess, question, is there one question that would impress you

being interviewed and/or being the interviewee, um, at, at a brokerage that

would be most important to you for your business and, and what you would need?

So I think you just said it, business.

Mm-hmm.

So one firm, probably the one that more recently had my attention, was at this

point in my career, it was not about leads, it was not about a new training

class or some AI or any shit like that.

It was, I wanna sit and look at your business- And help you plan and

support you on how, how to grow that deeper and more robust, and bring

in resources to help you do that.

Mm-hmm.

Like, it was not just, I don't know, it was fuller.

Mm-hmm.

It was a, you know, I mean- Yeah … it was a, it was a much deeper conversation,

and it was literally around business.

I don't need to make you, I don't need you to make me feel a certain way.

I don't need a lot of gifts.

I want you to help me build a profitable business.

Mm-hmm.

And this person was wanting to be a partner in that, and that impressed

me because that was, that was a deeper conversation than what I've had.

Mm-hmm.

What about you?

Who am I going to be around and learn from?

Mm-hmm.

So I think a great question if somebody shares with me that I'm being

interviewed and/or a question that I'd like to try to get off into a

conversation is, this is who you'll be around, because we don't always wanna

be the smartest person in the room.

Yeah.

And if you do, then you're not a fit for us.

Yeah.

Because we all… So I wanna know how am I gonna elevate my business?

How am I gonna elevate my skills, my conversation?

Who, who am I gonna be around?

Yeah.

You know, is it, are there top producers?

You know, what is the, what is the culture of that part of the team in- Mm-hmm

or the brokerage so that I can get better?

I love that piece, and I think that's an important one for us to continue to

try to, um, interview for- Mm-hmm … is are you the type of person that feels

like you've got special sauce and you're just gonna keep it to yourself?

Mm-hmm.

Or do you want to share in the hopes of knowing that if I share here,

then, then I'll learn something down the road, knowing that none of us are

doing anything particularly special.

Mm-hmm.

We're just doing the work.

Uh, but I love that, um, I don't know, I just, I love that culture piece, and

I think we've been fortunate who we've brought along so far wants to share that.

Absolutely.

All right.

I love that.

For newer and experienced agents, and if you like some of the questions that

we've been asking and, I don't know, you're curious about Capital Coast,

you, uh, live here on the Triangle, we would love to talk to you, and also

the Coast, actually, I should say.

Not just the Triangle.

Sorry, Pam.

I know.

We need some coastal agents, so- We do need some coastal agents … reach out.

All right, Pam, are you ready?

I'm gonna do rapid fire off of my brain.

I don't have anything written.

LOL.

Yeah.

Here we go.

I'm gonna rapid fire from our conversation, what is the, the

worst question an agent can ask you in an interview Um,

what are you gonna do for me?

Mm. Ew.

Right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Mm. It splits or just whatever, but, you know, really it's the, the whole

intention of not, not team, not reciprocity, not we're in this together,

it's, yeah, what are you gonna do for me?

Mm-hmm.

Um, mine's very similar.

It's just, you know, what are the splits?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Right?

That would be the number one question.

All right.

Second rapid fire coming out of my brain immediately, what is your biggest

pet peeve when you're interviewing something like via Zoom or Google Meet?

Well, the first thing that came to mind is yesterday, uh, we had a-

Damn it, I'm gonna use that one.

I know.

I believe, I hope he doesn't listen to this podcast.

We have, we had our cameras on because typically when you say you're doing a

Google Meet, we- Or interview … we are expecting camera, right?

Mm-hmm.

And this mofo does not even turn his camera on, and I just

thought it's kinda rude, right?

Right.

So he, he accidentally turned it off for a hot second, so- I could see why, yeah

yeah.

Mm-hmm.

I mean, but if you don't show me enough respect to show up dressed and ready, it

just, it tells you a lot about the person.

Yeah, 'cause it's nothing to do with what you look like.

Like, that's not, it just, but I think it's a level of respect.

Yes.

And taking time to present yourself and however you wanna present

yourself, whatever that looks like.

Not for nothing, I'm gonna say, how do you feel about that on team meetings

when people don't have their cameras on?

Oh my gosh.

I, I don't love it.

I, I hate to call it out 'cause the people I really, really love.

So But sometimes how you show up really matters, right?

It just, it does.

So- I don't love it I don't love it either because it's hard to

interact with people that you're not sure are really there, right?

Mm-hmm.

So anyway.

Yeah.

Well, okay.

Um, the third rapid-fire question is, what is the number one quality that you

get fired up for in a good way with an experienced agent when they wanna talk

to us about the firm or the brokerage?

Mm. So I think you saw this very recently, Carla.

I did.

I saw, I felt it, all the things.

So I think what fired me up about her is you could tell, like, she has

drive, um, in such a positive way.

Mm. Like, it wasn't, like, a toxic, uh, competitiveness, which I've felt that

before from other people, but, um… And it's not like she has anything to prove.

She just, she loves to work, and she was ju- she just has drive and

determination and, like, a subtle confidence about her, um, that I

was just like, "Hell yeah, girl.

Let's go." Like, I was super excited about her immediately.

Oh, I'm pretty sure, 'cause we were doing the Zoom call together obviously,

and I think you texted me initially.

I, I do.

I, I think within the first f- I-- You usually tell pretty quick.

I was like, "Gotta get her.

She's awesome." Yeah, she, she was like, "Yes." I was like, "Um, yeah."

I do rem- And the drive with, but still coachable.

Oh, yeah.

100%. Mm-hmm.

Like, s- so g- She didn't come off like she knew everything- Mm, yeah … at all.

Yeah.

I, I just love that.

She was coachable.

Loved that.

You were-- Mm-hmm.

Absolutely.

And so I don't really have one.

I have to ask you a question, right?

So the question was, what…

Do you know what I do?

I, I then I go to the other end where you can tell that true team player.

Yeah.

Right?

So I do, I love that about somebody when they're here working in the community.

I don't know.

It's a, it's a big thing for me.

Yeah.

Right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

All right.

My last rapid-fire- Doing great with these, pal

question.

I, I literally, I, I just don't even know what I'm coming-

Oh, we are super impressed … coming from right now.

Two, two menopausal women coming up with questions on the fly, y'all.

This is, I mean, this is next level stuff.

All right.

And the last question, if we are, rapid-fire question

is… She's already forgot.

Yep.

I think that all of my- She's just- … genius is gone, and that's, we're

gonna end right there- Oh, my God!

… at three and four.

Put me on the spot.

I'm having a hot flash.

What happens?

Okay, I have no more rapid fire questions.

Okay, that was good though.

You're proud of me?

Like, there- there's nothing, I have nothing right here.

Um.

She even I was like, "What the fuck?" She comes out with answers.

That was awesome.

So I like this, I like this, um, I like this top- I like all of our topics.

This is a good topic, right, for people.

Yeah.

All right.

Okay.

So, um, Pam, I'd love to vibe check this week, right?

We're gonna talk about our vibe check for what's going on this week, and how

you're feeling, and- What's your vibe?

What is my vibe?

My vibe is that … I don't know.

I had, I had this, I had a word for it, but you go for it.

All right.

It's safe to say.

My vibe for this week is that I just need people to get out of their heads.

Yeah.

And I can't make anybody get out of their head, right?

But what is it about that?

Like, like for reals.

We care I mean, we talk about this is a great environment that we have, and

we have a great environment, right?

But I would also be disingenuous if I do not say that we are trying

to have somebody join a team and tell them that this is a safe

place, and they are bringing years of baggage and years of comparison

and years of the imposter syndrome.

We're just saying, "Hey, you've only known us for six months, but put

yourself out there and role play and do a listing presentation in front

of people that you really don't know, and we're not gonna judge you."

I know, but I mean, as a society, I mean, I'm not just saying this about

our people, I just… as a group, it's just, it's paralyzing to think-

Yeah … how much overprocessing that we do instead of just- Mm-hmm … and

making it very difficult mentally.

Mm. When I say this all the time, on role play, you're literally

having a conversation with someone.

Mm-hmm.

Like, don't be a weirdo.

Just ask, like, how would you converse with somebody?

Like- Right … she usually uses the word weirdo.

I didn't ask any questions.

Yeah, and it's just right.

I think I'm, my vibe is just the tire.

Like, I don't, there's just nothing else to say.

You just do it.

Like- You're either gonna do it or you're not.

Right.

So today was literally, and this is not- I want it for you so much that

just, it just, all of the sudden you do it … and I'm not, I'm getting better

at leader, just saying to somebody, looking them in the eye and saying,

"It's your turn to role play," and be silent and be uncomfortable, and don't

rescue them, and don't manage them.

And they did all the things, probably used all the curse words in their

brain about me, but you know what?

They started and they did it, right?

And how did they feel afterwards?

'Cause I know you made the phone call afterwards.

Amaz- amazing.

Proud of themselves.

Proud.

Right.

They, yes.

Already went to, "I should have done this."

I'm like, "Well, we're not, that's not why I'm calling." Yeah.

I'm just, you did it.

You did it.

That, that's it.

You did it.

That's all that we asked for yourself, that you did it.

And the world continued to spin.

We didn't die.

They vomited a little bit.

A little bit in their mouth.

I felt bad about that.

Hey, you know.

That's my vibe.

I'm just like, I, being kind and not nice, and you, this is what

you tell me you want, and I might drive you completely scream.

I would say that that's a higher form of love than just-

Yeah … than just encouraging.

Mm-hmm.

You pushed them out of the nest a little bit.

I do.

And I, and I encourage, and I'm working on that, like, what that fine line is.

Mm. And you know, you'll remind me too.

It's hard.

Mm, 'cause I'll say to you, like, you know what a good… This is

not, making this, um, question and in this vibe about me a little bit.

But sorry.

Um, the encouraging and… Shit, I forgot again.

I use so much brain power- I know.

Look … to try to auto flag to come up- That's happening

with questions that my brain's like, "Sorry, there's no more computing

happening." I'll think of it randomly like I did on the other, at the team meeting.

I'm like, "Oh, Nicole, I have a shout-out." My God,

I can't believe I did that.

I vibe checked you Um, vibe check for me is the whole finding motivation when

you don't feel the motivation sometimes.

It was interesting coming back from vacation.

That first week, I felt like I was on fire just because there

was a lot of just regular to-dos.

It was interesting.

It hit me the following week when I was like, "Ooh Okay.

Now I got past the fires, now I gotta get back into the routine-

Mm-hmm … of the hunt, and what is my day, what do I want it to look

like, where do I wanna spend my time.

And so it was interesting, just a little bit of a shift of, all right, girl, now

you're not on vacation, let's get going.

It's been interesting having a conversation with my, my coach, which

I shared on the past podcast too, of feeling like you're a little scattered

all over the place, and he's been like, "Well, you gotta find your clarity

on where you wanna spend your time."

I think I'm in this weird place of I've been so client-focused for the

last few years, and so I'm silently trying to shift away from, not less

clients, but I'm still doing the work, but doing it in a different way.

Mm-hmm.

And so I have two competing to-do lists.

I have follow-up over here- Mm-hmm … and then I've got projects for over here.

And so those are not in alignment.

So I think my body is like, "Hey, girl. Are you on the left side?

Are you on the right side?" Mm-hmm.

And so being intentional and thinking through priorities and where I do

wanna put my focus and, and face.

And that has been, it's been interesting.

So that's been my vibe check.

I've kinda- Left or right Right, yeah.

All right.

Sounds good.

All right, Pam, tool of the week.

Um, this one I think is gonna be, sound very basic, not even like a

tool, but you and I, neither one of us could literally survive.

I, I mean, I don't even know.

No.

It makes me, I'm like sweating thinking about not having it.

We're talking about calendars.

But it is kind of interesting.

I don't wanna come across like we're better than somebody else, because I

have been in that spot where you're like, "Well, I'm a paper person." So you walk

around with like a paper calendar, and then you screw it up 'cause you don't

have it with you and you're not digital.

Um, but I do think so many people are operating, they're missing things.

Um, they're just not diligent about putting, having a digital

calendar in their phones.

Y- yes.

I- there's just… You hear if it's on the calendar, it does not exist.

Yeah.

And, and it's not even for appointments.

It's, it's when I ask you, "What are you doing this week?"

Or, you know, "What did you work on in your business?" They can't answer me.

Yeah.

'Cause it's not written down.

And then they write it down, then maybe they don't do it.

That's probably- … a whole 'nother podcast.

But, and it's just, I mean, the moment somebody says, "Can you do X?

Will you do X?" I am either on my phone or on my computer saying, "What can I do?"

You and I have pre-blocked- things on our calendar Yes So like if,

because our calendars are so full all the time, so if we do have, we've

pre-blocked sections of the week, of the days when we're gonna interview.

So we try to keep that open, so then if I meet with somebody and I'm like, "Well,

let me see," we try to keep that open, and then we reserve the time for each other.

Yeah, each other's afternoons we block two hours.

Correct.

We block some time.

So a tool that if you just think you're gonna remember, and I don't

care if you're 25 or if you're 65, definitely at 55 we're not remembering

shit, but um Some, and if it's gotta start with the paper, then start with

the paper and just keep it around me.

I used to, what was that?

The Franklin- Oh, your Franklin Covey.

Yes.

I'm totally dating myself, but like when I graduated college- Franklin Plan it

was … I mean, I was just like- It's like fancy … it was just like all thick

and you had all your things in there and you turn it around and you have special.

It's so fancy.

Anyway, I have graduated from that and now have my computer and my phone.

But, um, please, please just block just stuff.

If I could, a plug for Google Calendars.

I'm sure there's other ones that do this, but Google, we, we run the whole

business off of Google anyway, but I love that you can have different calendars.

So like- Mm-hmm.

I do love that … I think for some people, especially when you're new

and you're not exactly sure how to spend your time, and their real

estate can just get out of control.

But to be proactive, like I usually can run like an ideal work schedule calendar.

So, you know, it's got everything on there.

It's got prospecting time, project time, interview blocks, all of those things.

Working out and personal time.

Yes, social media posts.

Mm-hmm.

All of those things that you're trying to accomplish every day.

So it's like my ideal, like if, if I could create and just had total control of my

time, that's what that would look like.

So it can run, and then your calendar that you're actually

doing can run alongside of it.

You just have different color blocks.

So the thing that we hear commonly, "Well, I can't go to that because

I've got an inspection." Well, probably that inspection should

not have been a surprise to you.

You know what days of the week and you know what times that you

should have your inspections.

Mm-hmm.

Because people want to not do the things that they need to do, which is calling

and, you know, connecting with clients and- Mm-hmm … prospecting, right?

So yeah, I mean, it's super simple.

Run an ideal work schedule, then have your schedule and there should be

some alignment there too if you're just intentional with your business.

And then really quickly, so for people who do have a schedule

and do have their calendar, you know what I've been playing with?

What's that?

Kinda cool.

So Claude Cowork, you can attach them to your Drive, your Google

Calendar, and your Google email.

And in a Google Drive, I have my three lanes that I want, of

my goals that I wanna focus on.

And so I'll say, "Go to my calendar," if I'm time blocking, um, "and also use

the three lanes that I'm working on for quarter three, and create a schedule

on the calendar for this week." And it takes all the information and puts when

I should be working on what and when- Love it … to make sure that I hit all

of my goals for my personal sales, for recruiting, and for production goals for

the team, and it makes sure that it's bri- breaking down And I also put in there

that I'm a morning person I was just gonna say, I know you've taken that test- Mm-hmm

of like when your ideal, um, time is or- And then, uh, I'm a morning person,

and so the things that are gonna t-take more energy, which I guess,

you know, that's everything right now.

Especially if she works from 6:00 to 12:00.

Correct.

And then I take a nap at 12:00 too.

With my eyes open.

But anyway, but yes, and so it's been really neat just to make, going back

to, because we were doing so much, I wanna make sure that the end of the week

I'm tired, but it's a good tired- Yeah

that I feel accomplished, and it's been really fun to do.

So if you're somebody who's already working on it, play around with them.

Don't be afraid to let- Love that … Claude be part of your Google

world, because it's been fun to see.

And you don't have to do it, but it was just been- Yeah … great to ask

it what to do and what to work on.

So everything I'm working on, that's telling me to do, so I'm

gonna see how I feel and what I've accomplished at the end of the week.

Love it.

That's cool.

Yeah.

All right.

Well, thank you so much for joining us for Real Talk Real Agents, and this

episode being one of the questions that we like to receive and that we like to

share during an interview, whether you're a new agent or an experienced agent.

So what's one thing you want an agent, if they're maybe thinking of making a

change- Yeah … so do you want someone to take away from this episode about

interviewing a team or a brokerage?

Yeah, I think just don't go into it asking really basic questions.

Like, really do a deeper dive into- Yeah … what do you need

in order to go to the next level?

And then if you, when you get clear on what those things are, then be

intentional with your interviews to see if you can find the right fit that's

gonna help you get where you wanna go based on what you feel like you need.

Yeah.

So that's internal, and that should be different for everybody.

Um, but again, we do have some, some great questions I think we've

seen over the years, whether you're the interviewer or the interviewee.

So if you have any curiosity on those, just let us know.

We'd be, we'd be happy to send those, uh, those videos to you.

Yeah.

And my last takeaway is go to a team meeting.

Go to a training.

Oh, yeah.

That's a good tip.

Right?

Uh, just- Feel it … feel it.

Because we might think you're a fit for us, but we might not be

a fit for you, and that's at any.

So that would be my takeaway to that.

So if you like what Pam and I have to say, which I don't know how you wouldn't, and

I don't know how you couldn't have already liked or subscribed to this- Right?

I mean, it's silly.

But I'm gonna ask you one more time to like and/or subscribe,

and we will be back for our next Real Talk Real Agents episode.

Bye.

Bye.