This is real estate church, and we’re preaching some truth! Early on in her real estate career, Kim Knapp learned what it takes to be successful. It’s very simple: Just be above average. After selling $6 million in her first year, Kim landed among the stars and now instructs other realtors on how to do the same. Powered by hustle and grit, Kim discusses the importance of doing what it takes – even if that means popping 99 red balloons. Tune in to hear what it means to be “above average” and what it takes to become a true leader.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:00 – Background

• 01:06 – Kim works in Jacksonville, FL in Clay County, has been in real estate for 18 years, has a background in ministry and original had planned on working in counseling
• 1:40 – That background has been very useful in her work now; she knows that it’s not about the money in real estate
• 02:20 – In her first year in real estate, she didn’t know anyone but sold $6 million; Kim has had a strong work ethic since she was young
• 03:40 – She read and followed all the instructions in Danielle Kennedy’s book “How to List and Sell Real Estate”
• 04:30 – Kim asked her business-owner friend for the one most important piece of advice and it was, “Just be above average,” and to do a little more than everyone else

• 05:45 – Kim’s CSIRE story

• 06:00 – She went to a woman’s house that she had listed that was closing in 4 days; she hadn’t packed at all and was like a “crazy cat lady” with only one cat
• 06:50 – Kim and her family helped pack the lady’s belongings while she and a friend sat folding and pumping up balloons
• 07:05 – They put the balloons inside a cabinet so the glass shelves don’t break – it didn’t work – and Kim was left popping balloons and cleaning up glass
• 08:00 – She had 4 neighbors help pack and clean up this woman’s home, but in the process Kim lost a pair of Chanel sunglasses and a diamond out of a ring

• 08:40 – Doing what it takes but having boundaries

• 09:05 – When she first started she would drive across town for a $65,000 trailer; she gets agents that don’t want to drive far for an $80,000 trailer
• 09:30 – Treat everyone the same and be above average; you must hustle and do what it takes

• 10:00 – Kim now works in leadership and instructs realtors

• 10:15 – Be deeply invested in knowing what’s happening in the industry and educate yourself constantly
• 10:45 – Realtors are the voice for property owners; they aren’t banded together like realtors are
• 12:05 – People will respect and value you if you put in the work to become a true leader
• 12:45 – How to reach Kim and Team Knapp: Office Phone Number (904)637-0285, Cell Number (904)334-7425, or by visiting her website teamknapp.com

3 Key Points

1. Just be above average; do more than anyone else.
2. Treat everyone the same and do the right thing.
3. Know what’s going on in the industry and educate yourself constantly; the learning is never over.

Kynse Leigh is a trooper. In 2014, she opened her own brokerage –just to find out two years later that she had a failing kidney and would need a transplant. That didn’t stop Kynse from documenting her journey with Facebook Live videos, continuing her work, spending time with her son, and creating awareness around the transplant journey and the importance of being a donor. Tune in to hear how Kynse was supported by her community of realtors, how she connected with her donor’s family, and why she’s got not one, but three kidneys now! 

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. 

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:00 – Kynse’s background
• 01:10 – Kynse started as an assistant with ReMax in 2000, was licensed in 2003, and opened her brokerage Remax Dream in downtown Fort Myers, FL in 2014
• 01:50 – She had two agents and was the short-sale queen for a while
• 02:00 – Her health journey
• 02:45 – In October of 2016, she was told she had a failing kidney and would need a transplant
• 03:25 – She would need a kidney and pancreas transplant so she would avoid kidney failure and no longer be a Type I Diabetic; she’s 37 years old and has a 9-year-old son
• 04:55 – She grew up as a Type I Diabetic and went through everything that comes with that
• 05:20 – She feels blessed because she still has her eyesight, limbs, and has no other diabetic issues; she actually has 3 kidneys now, including the new one
• 06:50 – She refused to start dialysis; she wanted to be there for her son and realtors and be doing things
• 07:49 – She documented the whole transplant process to share the journey, starting with the first call from the transplant team
• 09:53 – Her documentation shows people what the process is like; Leigh Brown and her son have watched the videos because he has kidney issues as well
• 11:05 – Her son has been very supportive of her; Kynse is happy her journey has helped Leigh’s son in his own
• 13:30 – Being real, authentic, and yourself goes a long way; Kynse has connected with incredible realtors going through their own health challenges
• 14:40 – The community of realtors has been amazing and supportive
• 15:22 – The transplant family and the connection
• 16:20 - Most people write letters that go through LifeLink to connect to the donor family; her donor was named Elijah and was 15 when he passed
• 16:53 – She didn’t receive much information about the donor, and the donor didn’t receive much information about her
• 17:30 – She comes up if you Google “Florida kidney and pancreas transplant” because of her work in raising awareness around it
• 18:08 – They found his GoFundMe page and the donor’s family found her
• 19:00 – Become a donor: Only 45% of Americans are registered organ donors; 115,000 people in America are waiting for an organ and an average of 21 people pass away each day waiting
• 20:20 – Her organ donor saved 6 lives, he has a page and hashtag #sixisgreaterthantwentyone
• 21:50 – On the iPhone Health App, you can sign up to become an organ donor in minutes; or go to org if you don’t have an iPhone
• 22:58 – Let your family know your wishes; they could say no
• 24:50 – You could be a living donor; you only need one kidney to live and you can donate a portion of your liver (it grows back)
• 26:15 – Being a broker through all this change
• 26:45 – Her office management and agents are amazing; she lost a few agents and realized who she chooses to spend her time with
• 28:00 – Use hashtag #dontburygoodorgans when you sign up to be a donor and support
• 28:47 – Stay in touch
• 28:54 - Remax Dream contacts: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email, website
• 29:15 – Kynse’s contact information: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

3 Key Points

1. Remain optimistic.
2. You have the chance to touch lives; become an organ donor.
3. Support those that inspire you and connect with others that have a relatable journey.  

Stephanie White has worn many hats in the real estate world. She’s gone from realtor, to broker, to managing and regional broker, to working in the association world – and not necessarily in that order. Stephanie gets into the problem of new shiny things on the market when realtors should just focus on what’s tried and true. Tune in to hear how you can’t buy likeability, why authenticity always wins, and what it means to be proactive.

Please subscribe in Apple Podcasts or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes

• 01:15 – Stephanie’s background
• 01:20 – Stephanie is in Mobile, Alabama, has been there for 2 years, and was in Florida for 25 years
• 01:35 – She worked and volunteered at 5 different associations, started as a realtor, became a broker, then became a managing and regional broker
• 02:10 – She worked with a company that sold leads and measured ratios from call to close; the results were enlightening because she had no idea how it worked
• 03:28 – Understanding conversion rates was something she didn’t know for the first 10 years of being in real estate, and that was after getting out of the selling side
• 03:50 – It’s critical for realtors now to drill into their own markets
• 04:30 –Every realtor should have to go through the process of listing their own home and purchasing a home before leading a client through the process
• 04:50 – Before you’ve lived it, it’s hard to council and advise someone going thorough it
• 05:00 – Her cross-sale with her purchase was with a successful woman; Stephanie learned that it was about tenacity and staying with it
• 06:00 – Her association members are inundated with new things that want their money and time, but door-knocking, cold-calling, marketing, and authenticity still win
• 06:45 – Likeable realtors do well because they’re authentic
• 07:35 – There will always be someone who doesn’t like you; don’t take it personally
• 08:55 – Facebook groups: No one is who they are online
• 09:40 – Social Media
• 09:53 – Stephanie sticks to work and cat videos; there’s so much noise out there
• 10:18 – As an associate executive, you must be where your members are
• 10:45 – Mobile association: Big events, participation, and culture, but there were certain gaps
• 11:30 – Policy manual creation for Mobile
• 12:23 – Sending members and staff to national events so they are educated themselves
• 12:53 – They have credibility with members so they’ll listen
• 13:15 – New perspectives and people add value and engage members
• 14:36 – The importance of knowing the “why” behind what’s going on
• 14:48 – People fear change but need to be adaptable and proactive; you should anticipate change that is coming and make thoughtful decisions
• 15:48 – Talk to your association executive, get them to listen to this episode, and have a conversation about your involvement; consumers, too
• 16:15 – Associations give realtors comradery, education, and current happenings
• 16:37 – How to reach Stephanie White
• 16:42 – Stephanie Sharp White on Facebook or email Stephanie@gcmls.com 

3 Key Points

1. Experience what it is you are advising and counseling on.
2. Be outrageously authentic; people will see if you are trying to be someone else.
3. You won’t be liked by everyone – its ok – don’t take it personally.

Laura Fangman, realtor of 10 years and micro-farmer, gives us the dirt on some drama that ensued when she showed a home to a buyer who had recently gotten into a fight with the seller, unbeknownst to her. Laura reflects on her experience as a new realtor and how she learned to select her clients carefully from that point on. Tune in to hear how Laura insists on asking better questions, receiving better answers, and what she does if she can’t get them.  

Please subscribe to this podcast in Apple Podcasts or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:20 – Laura is in Virginia with a micro-farm outside of D.C., has been licensed in Georgia and Tennessee, and has been licensed for 10 years
• 02:25 – Laura’s CSIRE story

• 02:30 – 10 years ago, she got a call on her cell; it was an agent from a close market, from the same brokerage, calling to refer a client
• 03:10- She spoke to the people and was excited; they were working on selling a house before buying one they liked and said they were already working with a lender
• 03:48 – She took them out to see homes, the last home was the original one they were looking at; the sellers and their agent were there
• 04:40 –The agent’s male client starts losing his mind; he was shouting obscenities, trying to move past his agent to where her clients were standing, his wife started crying
• 05:30 – She leaves the house with her clients, apologizes, and walks back in to talk to their agent; something was going on
• 06:02 – She learned that the sellers and her clients had had an altercation and fight that involved police not long before the showing
• 07:00 – The clients and the realtor who referred them to her were friends and had set her up to show it, knowing that guy from the altercation was the seller
• 07:30 – The seller had just gotten his stitches taken out from the last altercation
• 07:40 – Laura learned that it is important to prequalify clients before taking them out to make sure they are serious about the purchase
• 08:18 – If that had happened now, 10 years later, Laura would’ve been better equipped to handle the escalation with the broker who referred the clients to her
• 08:35 – Real estate is a self-policing profession; oftentimes new realtors aren’t prepared for this
• 09:10 – Laura doesn’t know if that realtor is still in the business
• 09:28 – What Laura would say to a potential buyer/seller who doesn’t want to answer questions
• 09:43 – “I’d be more than happy to refer you somebody who might be more interested in dealing with this? Can recommend another agent?”
• 10:00 – She has lost clients over this, but she refuses to invest valuable time in people who aren’t serious about doing something and don’t understand the importance of it
• 10:30 – She insists on a lender letter (proof of funds letter if paying cash)
• 11:00 – How to reach Laura: her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

3 Key Points

1. As a new realtor, be aware that you may need to self-police; if caught in a scary or serious situation, make your safety top priority.
2. Make sure someone is prequalified before taking them out; not just to make sure that they’re at the right price point, but to make sure they’re legit and serious.
3. Select clients that understand and respect your service and time investment; if they don’t, it is okay to acknowledge that it isn’t a good fit.