26 Connecting to Win More Home Sales - Quint Lears Sep 16 2020

 [00:00:00]Greg Bray: Hello everybody. And welcome back to another exciting edition of the Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast. I'm Greg Bray with Blue Tangerine 

Kevin Weitzel: and I'm Kevin Weitzel with Outhouse. 

Greg Bray: And we are excited today to welcome Quint Lears to the show. Quint is the founder of NewHomeSales.com, along with a whole other list of exciting things. He's a trainer, he's a coach, he's a speaker, he's just an exciting guy to be around. So welcome Quint. Thanks for coming. 

Quint Lears: My pleasure. It's a great opportunity. And I'm excited about what you're doing. [00:01:00] Appreciate it. 

Greg Bray: Well Quint for those, uh, you know, few people out there I've never heard of you or met you yet. Um, cause there's probably not many. Um, you know, why don't you give us that quick introduction of who you are and kind of what you've been doing? 

Quint Lears: Yeah. My name is Quint Lears. I enjoy long walks in the woods, no I'm just kidding. I, I, uh, I love new home sales. I think it's the best, most exciting, um, fastest-growing sector of the real estate economy and, uh, people are interested in, in real estate. You know, I love my family. I love, uh, coworkers. It's an exciting time to be alive. And with all the changes that are happening, it's an exciting time to be in this, uh, this, this industry. 

Greg Bray: Well Quinn, tell us a little bit about how you got started in new home sales.

Quint Lears: Uh, so I kinda got thrown. I was in the air force in, uh, from 99 to 2003. And when I was getting out of the air force, I just, I knew it wasn't in the right job. I was working flight line, filling jets up with gasoline, and I'm a people [00:02:00] person. So it's like if you work at 12-hour shifts in Saudi Arabia, driving a field truck, wasn't like my aspiration.

And they were telling me, you know, you'll be banging on the gate trying to get in. So I was scared, like getting out of the air force cause they said, you know, people try to leave and then you're walking away from, in retirement. You walk away from this. I God, other, I started, I read a book called time tactics of very successful people.

And in that book, um, it said if you read an hour, a day on any specific field that you could become an expert three to five years. And that was fascinating because I was not an expert at anything. I didn't specialize in anything. I was just kind of a. I didn't. I mean, one minute I'm fueling jets, like speeding, you know, play video games.

I just had no real aspirations are, I didn't have any direction. So I thought, what am I specialized in and think about it. If you read an hour, a day on poodles in three years, you're going to be like a foremost authority on poodles so I did, what, what should I read about? And the thought to be said money, I want to read about money.

So I kept reading about [00:03:00] investing in books and money, and they kept talking about real estate. So I thought, well, why am I reading about money? If everybody keeps talking about real estate? So I started reading about real estate. Now it was walking by a century 21 century, 21 in Alamogordo, New Mexico. And I said, Hey, what does it take to become an ex to do, become a licensee?

Cause in this book, house buying for dummies was the one I was reading. Just an hour a day. And they said, Hey, we're starting classes next week. And I said, well, I'm reading an hour a day. Anyway. So when I take these classes, I took a summer class. This is really interesting. Um, I actually was like coming from Alamogordo New Mexico to Las Cruces, and I'm not gonna make it super long, but I'm like, I'm not going to become a real estate agent and I'm not gonna invest a ton of money.

So I would literally camp out in a tent and then go to class and whole story around that. But it was, I wasn't homeless or anything. It's just that I was like, I'm not going to drop a hundred dollars for a hotel room when I can know sleep in a tent. And, uh, but I passed the class and then I was like, one might as well take my exam.

I got my license. Long story short, I sold a house like the first week, now, this is a [00:04:00] guy in the air force I was making six bucks an hour. Up until that time, I was labor, literally shoveling snow. You know, I'm pulling weeds for people, you know, I got to chainsaw cutting trees, cutting grass. It's that kind of work.

And now I sold a house and made several thousand dollars, but this is incredible. So it was kind of like the gambler that goes to Las Vegas and wins that, that jackpot and their hook. So I was hooked and a long story short, my broker threw me into a community where nobody knew what they were doing. It was right during the boom.

And then it went through the collapse and that's a whole nother story, but that's the short term, um, of, you know, how I got into the business. And so, um, It's been a long ride. So, 

Kevin Weitzel: you know what you're, you're kind of selling yourself a little short though. I gotta be honest. I've been, when I first met you, I first met you and I was just like this guy's a little bit of an odd duck.

I really did. I had that kind of at that. My first impression was just like, this is an odd dude. 

Greg Bray: Okay. Now let's see. Who's saying this. This is Kevin.

Kevin Weitzel:  This is pot and kettle. Hey, kettle, how are [00:05:00] you doing, I'm pot? But you are a ridiculously dynamic dude. I mean, in addition to being the 2012 national home sales of the year, you've been builder, magazine's 40, under 40, uh, multiple times, right?

Quint Lears: Yeah. At least I think so. 

Kevin Weitzel: Um, you know, the brilliant you bring to the sales process and program at Hakes brothers, uh, I mean, you're a juggler, I've seen you ride a unit. I say you shoot a zoom video. On a unicycle showing off a new neighborhood for Hicks brothers. That's ridiculous. I think you are selling yourself short being, not really an expert, anything.

I think you're an expert at a lot of things. I think you're way more dynamic than what people you're so dynamic. That is what people should aspire to be. To be honest with you. 

Quint Lears: Yeah, but it goes back to where was I in 1999 and 2000, you know, um, and a lot can change. And that's what I was taking. The difference was I said, you know, I need your help.

So when I got into real estate, my idea was I want to become an expert at something. I was [00:06:00] completely overwhelmed. I'm looking at this, this city and people have been in the business for 30 years. I don't know anybody. I've got this little old Nissan Frontier pickup truck and everybody's got their Lexus and like, Oh, who's this new kid.

And I went from the new guy to the new guy. Get it. So I was the new guy in this town. I didn't know anybody. So I said, I can't compete against these real estate agents that have been here for 30 years, but I can drive my little pickup truck to this plot of land. And I would start asking questions like, who's the builder what's happening here.

And I literally started gathering information on stuff that was not an MLS that wasn't on Zillow that wasn't Trulia, or that wasn't on Google maps. And I was the first to know about it. And then when people would come to me, I would say, Hey, are you tired of looking at used. And they say, what do you mean?

I said, look, I've got homes that nobody else knows about that. And I started creating when I called the QLS, I actually got in trouble with my local realtor association because they thought I was creating my own database, which it wasn't, it was a plastic box with files, just outlining the different communities ahead prices.

But very [00:07:00] quickly I had agents like, Hey, I can't find anything quint. Do you know where I could sell a house for 175? I'm like, yeah, you need to pick them up, ask for John. And so. I made it, you know, an hour a day, you can change your entire life just by picking one thing and becoming the expert. And that's why I keep hitting people saying, look, if you want to be terrific, you have to be specific.

I think our industry has become much too generalists, and all of our industries will follow the medical industry. You know, back in the day, a doctor did surgery and brain surgery and just did everything cut your arm off. And now we have doctors that specialize just in the eyeball or just in the foot or just in the liver, you know, and that's how we're going to be.

I believe that the trajectory that the real estate is going to follow, and it would be wide served for people to say, number one, I want to specialize, but what are you going to specialize in?  Used? 

You can't do you, do you know that literally you're there's, um, trainers selling, that are doing training for resale homes.

I call them used by the way, but, uh, that [00:08:00] they're training you not to sell. And the reason let's say, if I tell you, Kevin, look at this beautiful home isn't this amazing brick, you know, the thing about brick, it is it's a quieter, stronger, more beautiful home. It's fire-resistant and just the craftsmanship. And you're like, wow, I love brick.

But then your wife says, you know, but I just don't like the floor plan. Then I'd take you to another home and you say, Wow. This home is perfect. I love the floor plan. I love the area, but then Kevin goes out, but it's not brick. I really like what you said about a brick. So you, the resale agents are literally trained not to sell that's different in new home sales.

I know that we're using foam insulation, or we're using a carrier brand refrigerated air I'm using Mo and plumbing fixtures. And I can get very, very specific. I like to say, if you want to be terrific, you have to be specific. 

 

 Greg Bray:  So let's just take a moment and talk about the upcoming 2020 home builder digital marketing summit virtual series. It's going to be starting on October [00:09:00] 29th. 

Kevin Weitzel: And if you don't want to be a knuckle dragon mouth breather like myself, then you better register now. 

Greg Bray: That's right. I think it doesn't matter if you're an experienced chief marketing officer, or if you're brand new to the home building industry, we are giving you a chance to take your marketing and sales to the next level, by learning from the top home building digital marketing experts. 

Kevin Weitzel: You're going to be able to do more and sell more homes by learning from the industry's best. And when we say the industry's best, we mean it. We're talking Jimmy Diffee, Angela McKay, Bassam Salem, Spencer Powell, Dana Kovach, Chris Hartley,  Eric Martinez, Stuart Platt,  Greg Bray, a builder panel. And of course myself, Kevin Weitzel. 

Greg Bray: It's truly a star-studded lineup, Kevin.

And for that, tell him how much it's going to cost. 

Kevin Weitzel: $15,000. Now we're just kidding. It's only actually going to be nothing it's free. So get your whole team together buildermarketingsummit.com. It's all virtual. So you can learn from your home, your office, or your home office. 

Greg Bray: We know you're busy. So we're trying to [00:10:00] accommodate your schedule.

The home builder digital marketing summit virtual series will be two hours once a week on Thursdays for 40. 

Kevin Weitzel: It definitely won't wreck your schedule, but you'll still learn a ton of tricks that you can put into practice right away. 

Greg Bray: So go to buildermarketingsummit.com today and register and

remember it's free and now let's get back to the podcast.

 Quint, I love your enthusiasm for learning, you know, this idea that, that we can all just set aside a little bit of time. It really doesn't take that much if makes it consistent. You know, that whole idea just a little bit every day. And, and frankly, I think the same thing applies when people start looking at, you know, improving their marketing, improving their sales, improving everything. If you just make a few incremental changes every day, uh, I mean, it doesn't take long before you've got a, a much-improved system ready to go.

Quint Lears: Yeah. And everybody tries to go Mike Tyson and everybody, if you don't, we don't got to knock people out. Malcolm Gladwell has an amazing book called tipping point. And he says just that [00:11:00] slight edge, just that little 3%. Like, so the analogy is if I have a board like this, okay. And um if I go here, we're all trying to go here, but you don't need to go here.

Well, I gotta do it. Just be a little bit different and then, or a little bit better. A little bit.  and it'll always fall in that direction. So I would encourage people what, a specialized, and then don't try to knock people out, just get a little bit that slight edge difference. And, uh, and then what I do is I'll say something like, Hey, you know, what makes us different? A big study done, they said the number one complaint of home buyers. Of both the builder and the salesperson, they said sameness. So if we know that that's the number one complaint, why wouldn't we want to be different? And, um, you know, that's why I do. I try to do things that are different, a little bit unique, a little bit, you know, whether it's the unicycle or the thing, you know, uh, but if you just start off with, Hey, if somebody comes into your model, this, if you get nothing else from it, this is a great technique.

Somebody comes in and says, Hey, what's the standard dialogue. Oh, we're just looking, Hey, [00:12:00] thanks for looking here. By the way, would you like to know what makes us different? What are they going to say? No, that's okay, I don't care what makes you different? Like I said, yeah, I'm curious. And it's going to transition, right?

Let me show you what makes us different. This makes us different. This makes us different. And then I tell people, look, this isn't big, I'm going to share the small things. But then I transitioned to that, you know what the small things can actually be the big things. And when I, when I hear somebody talk about their automobile, they say, I love this car to say, what do you love about it?

They don't tell me about the transmission. They say I love the cup holder. I love the way that the steering wheel feels. It's the little things. And you'll find that, you know, whether it's your computer or your home or your this. So I think we need to be terrific at it, highlighting, demonstrating, and, um, specializing in the small things, the differences to create that slight edge difference.

Kevin Weitzel: When I was in the motorcycle world, I used to start off my day walking through the backlot, where we had repairs and stuff. And I look for the hottest, super coolest bike we had. And then when somebody, cause [00:13:00] I used to be driven nuts by the just looking thing and I really, it was brand new on the, on the motorcycle side and I really didn't have a technique on combating just looking. So I'd go, Oh, you just look at, you gotta come to check this out. So I'd walk them all the way through it. I don't know if you've ever been with Harley, but they're gigantic nowadays and I'd walk them all the way through the entire dealership. Way back to the backlot. I'd say, look at this customized bike that we just did.

Look at the bags that we put on the paint job. We lowered him. He did all this and blah, blah, blah, blah. And what did I achieve? Number one, I made it to where it wasn't about me trying to sell him something. And two, I made them see something because they were just looking. So I followed their rules of just looking.

But anyway, so that brings me to, you've actually worked both sides of the equation. You've worked both the real estate agent side, and you've also worked the new home sales side. How do you tie those two together? 

Quint Lears: Uh, well, I believe that the, by the way, real quick technique, also, if somebody comes in and says, Hey, do you guys have a package?

And usually, they want to grab a package and go back into the car. And I, I actually don't do this, but I've heard this. It was a really clever technique. They kept them in [00:14:00] the far home in the bathroom, you know, like, Oh yeah, follow me. And just by doing that, you walk them around the first home, around the other one, back into the past the kitchen and.

Um, when people say, I want to go home and think about it, just a bite that the dynamic of time. So I've spent two minutes with them where the other people straight five seconds, and then they have just that, that space. So there's a technique about walking them, you know, besides just showing them that bike, you made them walk past and get them inside.

 It's an interesting thing I know with, with that's an old technique now with them with online research and stuff, but, so the thing with, with, with real estate agents, I think 1 million plus or minus, um, licensed real estate professionals, A realtor organization is a very powerful organization.

Um, a lot of influence on the home building industry is a very powerful organization. So as a broker to the definition of a broker is to bring people together. The definition was, I think it was sales professionals to bring buyers, sellers, together. You're connecting. And if it's not just [00:15:00] buyers and sellers, I'm bringing the buyer with the right product.

I'm a connector. Um, And so if you're connected, remember that the video, I talked about the specialized connect, you want to be that person that's not connected, but that's doing the connecting. Um, you're bringing people together and I would go to a realtor conference and that would go to the home builders conference, but I'm like, how come they're not connected with each other?

And it's because of, of, I think a lot of egos, a lot of fear there are, um, there are, unfortunately, real estate, real estate brokers that are like avoiding new homes. And why do they avoid new homes? they position themselves as the expert like come to me, I'm your local expert, your local endorsed provider or whatever.

And then you drive by and you see a bunch of flags and then the buyers go what's that over there. And they go, I don't know, then they'd walk in. And, you have to give up your control. So number one, you look less special. You look like you're, don't know what you're doing. Cause now you have to, you know, you give up control to the salesperson that you don't know anything about.

And maybe they're going to cut you out of the commission. Maybe your [00:16:00] buyers are going to come back the next day and not get paid. So there's that fear. And then from the builder side, I always there, I said, Hey, how do we cut these brokers that we're paying a lot of money? And I was thinking, what if we go in the opposite direction?

What if we actively you know, work with the real estate brokers and doing an effective way.  but the bottom line is that we are supposed to be connectors. And this is a very disconnected industry. The home building industry and the, licensed real estate professionals should be working.

They should all be there. I mean, if you go to the home builders association, it should be 60% real estate brokers. Hey, how do I get in a new home sales? If I do a new home sales training, the first thing I try to do is to get people excited about new home sales. Look, it's new. It's a home it's it's.

I mean, it's like, think about the word new is if you, if you just put new on something like, Oh, what's that it's new. I'm excited about it right now. The new computer, the new car, the new anything is you're excited about it, right or wrong. 

Greg Bray: Absolutely

Quint Lears:  Right home is the second most emotional word next to [00:17:00] mom in the English dictionary.

Look, it's tragic. When soldiers get shot, they don't want to go see uncle Bob. They don't want to be like, I want to go to my apartment. No, they say I want to go home and I want to see mom. Right? There's just like, it's tied. And when we go to play baseball, we hit a home run. We have the homecoming and we're in the center of that.

So it's exciting. It's emotionally significant. And then the word sales is. Is a powerful word. It's exciting. A lot of people try to run from sales. I like John Palumbo. He says the real pros. He's like, they don't, they don't hide from it. They put sales on it, you know because they know what we do. I it's very obnoxious.

I think when somebody says, I'm not here to sell you anything and just like, what are you doing here? You know? Um, so instead of that, what if instead somebody comes in and says, Hey, look, I'm the sales professional for Higgs brother's homes. You give me five minutes. Your name is Kevin. Greg. I'm going to make it my goal to convince you, you got a shadow of a doubt that we have the best homes at the best price and the best community, the best process, the best warranty.

Do you have five minutes? I'm going to show you what makes me different. You're gonna be like, yeah, I do. You know what I mean? And [00:18:00] so instead of like, Oh, I'm not here to sell you anything. I'm just going to build a relationship with you. Here's another tip. Nobody wants to be, nobody wants to be my friend.

Okay. They're not. They don't man. I think there's too much emphasis on relationship building Grant Cardone says, look, if I'm trying to get car insurance. Like if I'm trying to get, um, I don't want to make friends with some, I just want insurance, you know, I think that's why a lot of is going online. Um, we're, we're flexing our friendship muscles for the wrong thing.

Does that make sense? We're trying to, I think about it this way. It sounds lovey-dovey and good, but it's actually very bad because it's,  I'm going to make friends with you so I can sell you stuff. That's the wrong approach, right? What if that's where it goes back to being a specialist? Kevin, are there names somebody famous that you know, or that you're associated with a doctor?

A lot of times we're like, oh, I know dr. Johnson. Oh, I'm friends with a professional baseball player. I'm friends with the guy. So we are drawn to people that are competent. So if you make it your goal to become competent, people will want to be a friends with you. You're going to have the influence. But if you try to make [00:19:00] friends to sell people, stuff, you get neither and getting nothing.

So I think as an industry, we've gone in the wrong direction with that we're brokers specialists. And by that, we're on tons of friends. Kevin, I consider you a friend, you know, we are friends and Greg, I can see, you know, when we see it, you know, I'd love to have a cup of coffee, but it's, it's in the right order or move order matters in this business, you know?

So. Well,  that's a lot to process. All right. 

Greg Bray: But there's so there's so much great stuff in there. Um, and, and I think this idea of, of trying to be a connector and bringing people together, and you've taken that idea, you've combined it with your love of reading and learning, and you actually went and wrote the book.

Right. You know, partnering with brokers to win more sales. Right. We're gonna, we're gonna let you talk about that for a second because you know, um, the, the idea that, that you've learned so much, just from reading a little bit, and here you are trying to give back, um, by putting that out there, what, what made you decide to actually take the leap of writing a book?

Cause that's not a five-minute endeavor, you know, to put all those thoughts [00:20:00] together and collate them, put them in order and get it all published out there. So, so tell us a little bit about that process and what you were going for with that. 

Quint Lears: So, uh, I forget the quote. I forget who said this, but I always like to give credit, but it says the leaders of every field.

They do two things. They write and they speak. So they write and they speak. And so, um, I thought, how do I get involved with that. So I've always tried to like, Hey, like this morning, this is a great opportunity. You're allowing to be on your platform. You know, it's like, it's a great, and I would encourage, if somebody is young in the business, go down to your local.

Homeowner's association and say, Hey, can I please give a class on this? Just make it up. It doesn't matter. Even if you get one or two people there, just start doing classes on stuff. And then the writing part, um, you know, write a little article, you know, sales and marketing ideas magazine. They're always looking for contributors.

If you call them as a, Hey, I've got an idea. So I made it my goal to start to start to have that influence and to start to do that. Um, my [00:21:00] iPhone, everybody has an iPhone, right? You should have a tab. Oh, I turned my phone off on notes. Right. If I click notes every time I like it if I'm with a customer and I make a joke, like, um, somebody says, Hey, can you throw in the refrigerator?

And I think I can't even lift the refrigerator. I can't throw in the room that would totally void the warranty. And then they, they start laughing. Right. Then all of a sudden it's like, I didn't like stop and like, Can't throw in there. So like I have a whole thing on new home humor and literally, I just have pages of pages of like, anytime I do something that makes somebody laugh, um, I'll write it down.

And, uh, and so I started doing that and I started compiling this information and I went to, uh, the home builders thing. It was like a classroom book. And it was like, you know, basically, um, you know, the opposite of my approach of connecting people and I felt like it was the wrong perspective. So I was like, you know, I want to influence this and I want [00:22:00] to, so I started writing down my ideas.

And so back to the word, new home sales new means it hasn't been done before. Right. And it means that it's changing. It's adapting. So if anybody's listening right now, you have ideas you're on the front lines. It's amazing to be in a part of an industry that's so dynamic that has such an impact on the economy and all these.

Yeah. And that you have, you have the ability to influenced that. Does that make sense? Like Greg, you can come up with an idea, teach a class at the home builders, the next thing it ripples down. I created the term and I, all the people who've used it, don't let social networking turn into social notworking.

And I shared that with a couple of people, then somebody wrote an article on, and then all of a sudden it went through like the reverberations. I was like, Holy cow, I did that. And it was, it was a feeling of like influence and powers. Like, wow, we can affect change in this industry. So, um, for every composer there's 10,000 fiddlers.

And so if [00:23:00] you're a new home sales by definition, you're an innovator, you're a composer. You're composing a new song with every new customer that comes in. Um, and so then and by the way, I made it my goal, I'm not going to use this opportunity to promote my book. But that is available and builderbooks.com. That would be wrong of me. This is your platform. I'm not going to do that. Okay. 

Greg Bray: The title is called Partnering with Brokers to Win More Sales, it's 

Quint Lears: Terrible title, by the way, it's a terrible title. 

Kevin Weitzel: I got to call you out on something. I think your quote is incorrect. Yes, there are for every one composer there's not 10,000 fiddlers.

Don't follow composers, violin practitioners follow composers because although they are technically the same instrument, one is played by hillbillies and the other one is played by musicians. 

Quint Lears: Kevin, I love it. 

Kevin Weitzel: You know. 

Quint Lears:  I stand corrected, but I just make it your point. Everybody feels like they have to follow.

Right. And you're, you're the front line. You're the one. [00:24:00] And okay. Being in the air force, I learned something. I was at Holloman air force base, and this is not like confidential. This is 20 years ago. They had like 20 jets. It was the F117 no, I'm sorry. They're about 50  and they had some other ones the F4's and these other ones, but a few f15, but there's 5,000 people in that base.

So there's 5,000 people with just like 50 pilots, think about that. Now you take a home builder organization. I'm a big national company or a local company. You have draftspeople you've got tile cabinets, granted paint, trim carpenters you've got roofers, stucco, paint people. You've got marketers, in-house website design, and you've got cost accountants, um, purchasing on and on.

And they all follow the pilot, which is the sales professional. So there's a lot of pressure and you're controlling that there's a, a weighty responsibility. And I think to understand that and to say, wow, there's literally hundreds of people not to mention the reverberations.

I think [00:25:00] Tom Richie sales legend. He says that for every new home sold 278 related goods and service services are positively affected. And so you have all these people like, um, waiting to see if, if Kevin you're the new home salesperson. Yeah. If you do your job and you do it in an excellent way. So I think we have a duty, obligation responsibility to be great to become this specialist.

Um, and then to lead. 

Kevin Weitzel: So I view the new home sales. I view new homes, not new home sales, but I view home builders as a gift to real estate agents because you've just expanded their product offering. They don't have to sell the five-year-old appliances and the 20-year-old carpet anymore, they can sell a brand new, new smell, no bo home.

So what do you say to home builders that look at that scenario and say, you know what, we'd rather do that ourselves? You know, we don't want to have to pay, those commissions. 

Here's what I would say to them. I would say, you know, you really want to save money besides cutting the real estate agents. You know what we should do?

We should cut the roofers out. I mean, guy, you [00:26:00] have a hammer, you have nails, let's do the re and you know what else we could plant trees and we could do that. Or you could be the president, the owner of a company that delegates and, and maximizes. And so look. By the way, um, I wanted to name it how to smoke your competition.

You know what I mean? Um, by leveraging brokers, but you don't get to pick the title. It was actually called builder broker synergy, but it's a, it's about delegation. It's about, okay, what are they, what are the player's room right now? And I am a licensed real estate broker, but I'm telling you I'm watching the market.

And when they stop having the market, when they stop having the buyers. And right now, nine out of 10 of the buyers are being represented by brokers. But when that changes, I'm writing the sequel, which is stop working with brokers. Here's why 

Greg Bray: we'll have you back for that one quint when that one comes out. 

 Quint Lears: it's not like it's like, I've got this love Fest with realtor.

No, it's just the facts of the matter. Or they have the buyers. And let me tell you why you, even with online stuff, you fly to a new city and you're like, look, I've got two weekends to find a house, you're going to get that broker's going to drive you around.

I'm a [00:27:00] real estate broker. And if I go to a different town and be like, Hey, you know, connect with somebody that knows the deal that finds the person. And so there's, there's, um, there's just that dynamic they have the buyers right now. And that's, and with that, let's leverage them lets leverage them the same way as we do a landscaper or the paint professional or the trim carpenter or any of the trades that we work with.

We factor that in. And it is a, uh, dynamic, you know back to creating differences. There are three kinds of differences, differences that are clearly superior, uh, differences that are, uh, important to the buyer, and differences that are difficult to reproduce. And this one, the goal is to create a difference that's absolutely difficult to reproduce if you're a builder and you're dynamically working with the brokers, you can't see that in billboard. You can't put your finger on that. And everybody goes, how in the world are they making so many sales and helping so many families? When we don't see any advertising, we don't do any of this.

So it's, um, and, and by the way here's the dynamic I tell people, like, I don't want to be number one [00:28:00] on Google. I just want to know who is. And I want them to bring me their buyers. Does that make sense? I want them to fight over every lead and I want them to bring it to me. I want them to drive people, pick them up from the airport and prequalify them, and bring them to me.

So that's, that's the a and I do want to be number one on Google, but I'm just making the point, right. look at, look there's Walmart, right? And then around every Walmart, what do you see a taco bell? Uh, you know, you see a McDonald's because they're like, Hey, you know what I'm going to grab and that's, that's kind of like on the taco bell, maybe of, uh, the home building industry, you know, 

Kevin Weitzel: quote you on that, I'm going to I'm putting the quotes, I'm going to social media share that Quint says he's a taco bell. 

Quint Lears: Listen, we should make that the title of this, how to become a taco bell of the home building industry. Yeah. 

Greg Bray: Then, then we'll go after sponsor dollars from them 

Quint Lears: and then we'll just shut down or so, 

Greg Bray: but, um, you know, I want to be mindful of your time today. You know, you've shared a lot already, but, um, but before we. Before we kind of wrap up a couple more things, I wanted to touch on. Tell [00:29:00] us, tell us just briefly about, you know, your, your events with new home sales.com, and some of the video work you've been doing there as well. We haven't talked much about that.

Quint Lears: Yeah. So I just love new home sales. Like it just said sounds good. I remember like, okay, now I felt like I'd made it, you know, I'm pulling weeds, pumping gas, um, you know, all these odd jobs. And then I get into real estate, but I'm lost in this crazy world. And then I started to specialize and then I'd become, you know, my goal was to become an expert, become a specialist.

And, and then I would just like, look at the word new home sales. I was like, wow, just, it sounds so cool. It's, you know, it's just, uh, I loved the way it looked. New home sales. And, um, I thought that that's the name of my industry. I know, uh, I just, I said, I want to get that name, you know, it's not like once a month, I would like, look it up.

And of course, it was taken, you know, it's, it's one of the oldest URLs. It's like 20. No registered 1996 or something like that. So it's super old. Well, some lady and, uh, uh, Virginia had it [00:30:00] for years and I just called her and I was looking, um, you know, you have new home sales. I think it's a very good URL.

And, um, Tom Richie's use to tell me nothing confounds more than plain and honest dealings. And I, and I love that. And, uh, so I wasn't like, Hey, you know, uh, you know, I'll give you, I just was like very blunt. I think it's a valuable name. I think, you know, you've owned it. And I really, I mean, new home sales, this is what I want to do with it.

Would you ever consider selling it? And she goes, well, I don't know. I'd have to. I'd have to look at it and I'm so we went back and forth. She said, what do you think it's worth? And I'm like, I think it's worth a lot more than this, but would you take this? She goes, let me do some research. So she goes to all these URL places and they told her, Oh, we think it's worth no 5,000 bucks or 10,000 bucks.

Cause they thought they were going to buy it from her. You know, so then they came back to me and they said, she goes, well, they said it was worth this. Do you want to sell it? I said, yeah, I'll buy it. And I said, here's what I'm gonna do I'm going to send you a check. Once it clears, then you can, we'll worry about how to transfer the URL.

Cause I could tell she's nervous and didn't know what you know, and I could have gotten lost money, but I just trusted [00:31:00] her. She calls me back when they, when they, when the domain brokers found out that I was buying it. And she was just trying to cost it. Then they said, Oh, they flipped it. And they said, well, we could broker and sell it.

And they said, Oh, it could be worth a hundred thousand and 50,000, 250,000 and she calls me and I was heartbroken. She goes, you know, they call me and they said, we think we can sell it for a hundred thousand dollars or this much. And I'm like, ah, dude, such an idiot. You know what I mean? And she goes, and I told them it was already sold.

And I thought, wow. You know, and so a good friend of mine, Jonathan Andrews, I'm like, I got this name, man. And he's like, what are you going to do with it? I'm like, I have no idea. And, and then he goes, why don't you just start interviewing people? I'm like, how do I do that? And I have a friend named Sherman Lau.

Literally I went to the nationals with a $5 clip, a $20 Amazon basics tripod with clipping my cell phone with this cord that comes around and I put a suit and tie on. I said, Hey, I'm going [00:32:00] to run out, grab the national winner, say, Hey, do you want to do an interview with Newhomesales.com and the like newhomesales.com?

Yeah, that sounds great. 

Kevin Weitzel: And it sounds legit. 

Quint Lears: Right. Um, but they didn't have any idea. And I just started interviewing people and, um, Yeah. There's some other people like Jeff Shore is one of the first people I interviewed and that gave some credibility. Cause once they see like other people, like, well, you get on this and it just kind of built.

But, um, I learned this, that, uh, when I first got on it was like, wow, it's me. I'm on camera. And, and people want to see me and this is what I've learned. Nobody wants to see me. And I think as an industry, there's way too much ego. And, and what I've learned is I do so much better if I can decrease and then turning the person to help them to increase.

And, um, Uh, I just think it, like, it's been, it's been an exciting journey for me. And, um, I really love learning. It's given me the platform. Michael Hyatt wrote a book called platform. That's been very helpful to me. Um, all of us are influencers. All of us have a platform. We just might not label it. And I've been [00:33:00] very fortunate to be able to label it something very prestigious and have the URL to back it up.

Uh, but, but like going to Bob Schulz and saying like, I would love to have coffee with Bob Schultz or talked about, it shows a lot of these, these people are very busy, but if I say, Hey, would you like to be on newhomesales.com? Yeah. And, uh, and it's given me through that I've made friendships and then being able to be a speaker.

And, uh, and so I would encourage people to become a specialist, but fall in love with your industry. And I, I think we've, we've gotten too much into the numbers that. As an industry, it's like, okay, what are your numbers? What is your quotient? I went to this one builder and that guy says, how many traffic units have you had?

And I was like, what is the traffic unit? Like, are we counting? He's like, Oh, do you mean like human beings? Like, um, and so imagine a surgeon, and if you met a surgeon and he says, wow, this guy seems pretty motivated. He said, what are your goals? She says, yeah, I'm the, I'm going to be the best surgeon.

My goal is to be 50 heart surgeries a month, that's it. [00:34:00] I'm going to hit that goal. I'm going to smash that goal. Do you want to work with that surgeon with that surgeon or if there's another surgeon that says my goal is to become the best absolute specialist to learn my craft and to help people and to possibly change the destiny of their life in a positive way.

Now, who do you want to work with to have heart surgery? The guy says I'm gonna do 50, um, heart surgeries a month. The guy says, Hey, I want to be the best if we'll keep learning and never, you know, and help people. So I think if we make it our goal, um, you know, we all houses, we changed the destiny of people's lives in a positive way.

Uh, we affect change. We affect the economy. Um, we have, uh, enormous stewardship, uh, then that would drive me to continue to learn and to continue to grow and to be excited and passionate about our industry and Kevin, the reason why people followed you back there is because of passion. You said, even when you were describing the story, you said, wait, I got to come to check out this bike, right?

It's because facts inform, but passion persuades. [00:35:00] And, uh,  we've lost our passion as our industry. We'd be, you know, unfortunately, I think there's too many generalists, I think we need to become spirit specific just to say that new home sales is, in fact, different set apart from and superior to the other specialties that we are.

Um, we're a specialty within the real estate industry and it's worth specializing in and we need to be proud of it. And, uh, to own it an end to take it to the next level and to lead. 

Greg Bray: Quint that's some, that's some amazing advice. I mean, that just sounds like a great place to kind of wrap up because, because there's, there's a lot there and I love the, I love the idea about passion, right?

Especially when you think about what home means to people, you know, what it, what it really represents for them, and kind of the passion that comes along with that from the buyer's side. You know, of all the emotion and feeling that goes into this purchase, you know, for, for you to mirror that back and to share that with them as, as the sales professional, getting them in the right home for them, you know, is, is just amazing.

So yeah. So could you just, just to, to clarify where if somebody wants to get a copy of the book, where [00:36:00] do they go? Where, where can they get a copy of the book.

Quint Lears: Um, builderbooks.com you can buy it directly from, and by the way, it is published with the National Association of Home Builders, um, which is important for me, cause I wanted just the credibility of that and even though they messed up my title, um, because you don't get to pick the title, um, you can get it on Amazon and, um, yeah, get that book, but, but the main thing is become a student of your craft and continue to learn. And, uh, and the new home sales.com. I try to feature other real estate professionals.

Greg, you've been on there. Kevin, we've got to get you on there for sure. And you're, you're leading and doing some amazing things. And Kevin, you have a radio voice, buddy. You're I like listening to you. It's very good, man. 

Kevin Weitzel: Speaking of a radio voice. Your charity of choice. The next time I see one of your Facebook posts that has like you playing the piano. And I love hearing him beat by the way. Uh, again, I was apprehensive and I'm like, he's going to play the piano. And then I'm like, Whoa, this is beautiful. You were actually very talented by the way. But the next time you [00:37:00] post one of those, if you can slot my name in there in any way, shape, or form, I will vow to put $50.

In your charity of choice. You'd tell me the name of the charity. I will post that $50 check, right to them that day. 

Quint Lears: Let's do it. Yeah, go ahead. And I'll match it

 

Kevin Weitzel: Alright!

Quint Lears: Will challenge some other people and I'm going to end with this. And again, this is another good quote, but it says if you partake of an industry, you need to partake in that industry.

I think that's what you're saying. That we, um, you know we have to give back, we have to, we have to see where we can give and, and, um, so don't, don't forget that aspect of what we do. 

Greg Bray: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Quint. If somebody wants to reach out and connect with you, what's the best way to get in touch.

Just a new home sales.com. Um, and uh, if you, if you accidentally put the S new homes sales, we have that one too. 

great domain management there. All right. Good job. Good job. 

Quint Lears: Can't mess it up. 

Greg Bray: Well, thank you so much for your time today. We really appreciate it. Thank [00:38:00] you everybody for listening and please join us again next time on the Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast. I'm Greg Bray with Blue Tangerine 

and I'm Kevin Weitzel with Outhouse. Thank you.