Case Study: Real Estate

From $58 to $180 Million
in Sales in 18 Months
with No Budget Increase

258

sales growth

282

increase in lead flow

3

locations added

Business:

Professional Services

Industry

Real Estate

LOCATION

Texas

Strategies used
  • Brand Overhaul
  • Positioning and Messaging Overhaul
  • New Conversion-Focused Website
  • CRM, Sales Funnel, and Marketing Automations
  • Updated Content Strategy
  • Social Media Strategy for Company and Team Members
  • Webinars, Workshops, and In-Person Events
  • Paid Social Media
  • Email Campaigns and Cold Outreach
  • Account-Based Marketing and Strategic Sales 
  • Gamified Referral Program
  • Recruitment and Territory Expansion 

The Challenge:

This Texas-based real estate team had unknowingly hit the wall at $58m in gross property value sales volume. With a high burn rate and steadily increasing staff turnover levels, they’d exhausted the potential of the current business model and systems. In order to get to the next stage without imploding, they needed a new strategy, new tools, and new systems for growth.

The real estate team was successful, but had been experiencing serious growing pains after a strong initial 7-year run fueled by a booming local real estate market. As the boom slowed, holes in their business model became painfully obvious.

Their ad-hoc systems combined with little accountability created an environment where they were constantly reacting to the market versus having a strategic, proactive approach. As such, each team member was in “survival mode” and had their own way of doing things, causing interpersonal friction and bogged-down infrastructure. 

This created a situation where the wheel was re-invented for each new client or inquiry every day of the week. As a result most of the company resources were geared toward putting out fires and treading water instead of increasing efficiency and charging toward the next goal. The booming local real estate market had allowed them to succeed in spite of this – but it wouldn’t be enough to get them to the next level.

The Solution:

After an in-depth analysis of their past business, current infrastructure, and future goals it became glaringly obvious they needed to get back to basics and focus on building a strong foundation that could sustain future growth. 

Phase I: Define Goals and Revenue Targets

After a deep-dive into the past client history to determine revenue history and product/service fit, we were able to identify both the short-term and long-term goals to hit our goal of 100% revenue growth in one year. 

Customer Insights Research:

  • Customer communication
  • Deep-dive customer interviews
  • Win/Loss Analysis (Top 5 Wins/Losses)
  • Firmographics
  • Buying Committee
  • Account Qualification
  • Account Segmentation

Phase II: ICP Teardown & Account Segmentation

The real estate company viewed their ICP as “anyone looking to buy/sell real estate”, however, after a deep dive into their past performance it quickly became evident they had four key ideal client profiles that were each being served very differently by the team.

  • 1st time Homebuyers – potential for high LTV
  • Past Clients/Experienced Homebuyers – established trust/relationship
  • Relocation Partners – multiplier effect, 1 contact could create 10 sales opps
  • Referral Partners – transactional in nature so less time-consuming/low-touch

Here’s a detailed ICP breakdown illustrating the key differences between the first-time homebuyers versus the more experienced buyers.

Homebuyers

First-time Homebuyer

Demographics:

  • Age: Likely between 25-40 years old. This group is typically in the stage of life where they are considering homeownership for the first time.
  • Occupation: Young professionals, possibly in tech, healthcare, education, or other industries prominent in Austin. This could include engineers, healthcare workers, educators, entrepreneurs, or those in creative sectors.
  • Family Status: Often single, married, or engaged couples, with or without young children, who are seeking to settle down and build equity.
  • Education: College-educated, with many holding at least a bachelor’s degree. Austin has a well-educated population due to its major universities and industries.

Financial Profile:

  • Income Range: Likely earning between $75,000 to $150,000 annually, depending on the size of their household. Austin’s cost of living and property prices suggest this income range is appropriate for first-time buyers.
  • Credit Score: Typically good to excellent (680+), as they would need to qualify for favorable mortgage terms.
  • Savings: Some level of savings, often for a down payment (between 5% to 20% of the home price).
  • Debt-to-Income Ratio: A manageable debt load, such as student loans or car payments, but well within the limits that mortgage lenders require.

Geographic Location:

  • Austin Metro Area: The buyer likely works in or near Austin, especially in tech hubs like downtown, East Austin, or tech-heavy areas near the Domain.
  • Preferred Neighborhoods: Popular neighborhoods for first-time homebuyers might include East Austin, North Loop, South Lamar, or Round Rock and Pflugerville for more affordability.

Psychographics:

  • Lifestyle: Enjoys Austin’s vibrant music scene, tech culture, outdoor activities like hiking and swimming, and values the city’s “weird” yet inclusive culture.
  • Home Preferences: Likely interested in single-family homes, townhomes, or condos. Buyers might prioritize proximity to work or public transportation and might also seek modern, energy-efficient homes with outdoor space.
  • Motivation: Driven by the desire to stop renting, build equity, gain financial stability, or settle down in a community. They may also be motivated by rising rental prices and the relatively favorable mortgage rates.

Challenges:

  • Affordability: Austin has seen home prices rise dramatically in recent years, so affordability is a concern for many first-time buyers.
  • Limited Inventory: There might be competition for available homes, with some buyers being priced out or needing to act quickly in a competitive market.
  • Down Payment: Saving for a down payment is often a hurdle, so first-time homebuyer assistance programs may be attractive.

Relationship to the Realtor:

  • Unsure and Cautious: First-time homebuyers are new to the homebuying process and are understandably cautious considering it is most likely the largest investment they have made to date.
  • Education-Heavy: These first-timers need a patient and empathetic Realtor who is happy to explain the process and give them time to do their own research as they consult with family members and other influential people in their lives.

Future Plans:

  • Undecided: With so much unknown, first-timers are generally more focused on purchasing their first home, not future investment properties. If they have a positive experience and enjoy being homeowners, the likelihood of additional property purchases and referrals for the Realtor greatly increases. 

This profile provides insight into what a typical first-time homebuyer in Austin, TX might look like, as well as their needs and challenges.

Experienced Homebuyer

Demographics:

  • Age: Typically between 35-55 years old. This age range reflects individuals or families who have likely gone through the home-buying process before and are looking for either a larger home, downsizing, or relocating within Austin.
  • Occupation: Often established professionals or business owners in fields such as technology, real estate, healthcare, education, or law. Some may even be remote workers attracted by Austin’s thriving tech scene.
  • Family Status: Likely married or with children, but could also include single professionals. This segment is often driven by family needs (e.g., proximity to better schools, more space, or specific community amenities).
  • Education: Typically college-educated, with some holding advanced degrees. Many in this demographic have stable careers and are focused on long-term financial growth through real estate.

Financial Profile:

  • Income Range: Likely earning $100,000 to $250,000 annually. Higher income allows for greater purchasing power, especially in Austin’s competitive housing market.
  • Credit Score: Excellent credit (700+) is typical, enabling them to secure the best mortgage rates or even consider paying more significant cash down payments or purchasing outright.
  • Equity & Investments: They’ve likely built equity in their previous homes and may use this as leverage for a new purchase. Some may also be investing in real estate for wealth-building purposes or rental income.
  • Debt-to-Income Ratio: Generally low debt-to-income ratio due to financial maturity. They may still have student loans, but they are better managed, and mortgages or other investment debts are seen as strategic.

Geographic Location:

  • Austin Metro Area: While they might still work in or near downtown Austin, many are looking at suburban areas or more affluent parts of the city for lifestyle upgrades.
  • Preferred Neighborhoods: Likely to focus on established and higher-end neighborhoods such as Westlake, Lake Travis, Tarrytown, Zilker, or Barton Hills. They might also be considering suburban areas like Bee Cave, Lakeway, or Cedar Park, depending on their lifestyle preferences.

Psychographics:

  • Lifestyle: Values lifestyle amenities such as proximity to excellent schools, parks, dining, entertainment, and outdoor activities. Many in this demographic are looking for homes that provide a balanced lifestyle with ease of access to both work and leisure.
  • Home Preferences: Typically looking for larger homes, more amenities (pools, modern kitchens, large yards, etc.), and potentially luxury or custom-built homes. They might be interested in eco-friendly features, smart home technology, or homes with the potential for appreciation.
  • Investment-Savvy: This buyer is more informed about real estate as an investment. They might be looking for properties with good appreciation potential, rental opportunities, or homes in areas with high resale value.
  • Motivation: Motivated by upgrading their current home, moving to a better school district, or making a long-term investment. They often have a clear vision of what they want based on prior experience and might be more selective.

Challenges:

  • Inventory Constraints: Austin’s housing market remains competitive, and even experienced buyers may face challenges in finding the perfect property due to limited supply, especially in desirable neighborhoods.
  • Rising Home Prices: While they may have built equity from previous home sales, rising home prices could mean a more significant investment for their next home.
  • Expectations: Given that they have a trusted Realtor and past experience, they have higher expectations in terms of the quality of service, negotiation, and overall buying experience.
  • Timing: They may be timing their purchase with selling another property or may want to wait for the right home to appear in a very specific neighborhood.

Relationship with Realtor:

  • Loyalty: They’ve likely worked with a trusted Realtor in the past and will either return to them or require a Realtor who offers a similarly high level of service and market knowledge. They value expertise, market insight, and a personalized buying experience.
  • Referrals: This buyer is often more likely to rely on referrals or personal recommendations due to their established network and the desire for a smooth transaction.
  • Negotiation Skills: Given their experience, they expect their Realtor to have strong negotiation skills, understand complex transactions, and provide advice on maximizing their investment.

Future Plans:

  • Real Estate Investments: Many experienced buyers might also be looking into expanding their portfolio through second homes, rental properties, or vacation homes around Austin or nearby areas like the Hill Country.
  • Family Growth or Downsizing: Depending on their life stage, they may be either upsizing to accommodate a growing family or downsizing as their children grow up and leave the home.

This ICP provides insight into an experienced homebuyer’s more nuanced needs, expectations, and motivations in the Austin real estate market. They are financially stable, investment-minded, and rely on trusted relationships to make significant purchasing decisions.

As you can see, although they’re both homebuyers, their wants, needs, and expectations are vastly different.

Experienced homebuyers want a tough negotiator, first-time homebuyers want a patient educator. 

This similar, yet different wants, needs, and expectations is also true for the two types of Partners that were generating business for the team. 

Referral Partners

Relocation Referral Partner

Demographics:

  • Title/Position: Typically a Senior HR Executive, HR Director, Talent Acquisition Manager, or Relocation Program Manager. They are responsible for managing employee relocations, onboarding new hires, and ensuring a smooth transition for employees moving to Austin, TX.
  • Industry: Likely works for a mid-size to large corporation in sectors like technology, healthcare, finance, education, or government. Austin’s booming tech sector means many HR executives could be from companies like Dell, Apple, Tesla, Google, or other prominent employers in the area.
  • Experience: 10+ years of experience in human resources or talent management, with a focus on employee well-being, retention, and talent acquisition.
  • Company Size: Likely works for a company with 500+ employees, many of whom are being recruited from out of state, due to Austin’s status as a tech hub and desirable location for professional talent.

Professional Needs & Responsibilities:

  • Relocation Program Management: Responsible for overseeing or managing employee relocations, including home search assistance, moving logistics, and financial aspects like corporate housing or temporary accommodations.
  • Employee Satisfaction: Focused on ensuring a positive relocation experience for employees to help them settle quickly and comfortably, which in turn improves job satisfaction and retention.
  • Talent Acquisition: Plays a key role in attracting high-level talent, including helping to make the transition to a new city seamless, especially when relocating senior-level or high-demand employees.
  • Partnerships: Interested in establishing trusted partnerships with real estate professionals (Realtors), relocation specialists, and other service providers to streamline the process and minimize relocation friction.

Company & Financial Profile:

  • Relocation Budget: The company may have a significant relocation budget, often offering full or partial relocation packages, which could include home-buying assistance, moving expenses, and temporary housing.
  • Frequency of Relocation: The company frequently relocates employees, either due to rapid growth, opening new offices in Austin, or because they are consolidating operations in a central hub like Austin.
  • High-Value Clients: The HR executive is looking to refer high-value clients (employees) to a trusted Realtor. These employees are often mid to senior-level professionals, earning $100,000 to $300,000+ annually, with the potential to purchase homes in competitive or higher-end markets in Austin.

Geographic Focus:

  • Relocating to Austin: The majority of the referrals will be for employees relocating to the Austin metro area. This includes tech hubs, downtown Austin, North Austin (near The Domain), and surrounding suburban areas like Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Bee Cave, and Lakeway.
  • Workplace Proximity: Many employees might be interested in living close to their new workplace or major commercial centers, so the HR executive values Realtors who are knowledgeable about these specific areas.

 Psychographics:

  • Efficiency-Driven: HR executives managing relocation programs are driven by efficiency and ease of transition. They want to ensure the Realtor partner can handle multiple relocations simultaneously, provides timely updates, and delivers a frictionless experience.
  • Employee Experience-Focused: They are heavily focused on the well-being of the employee and their family. A smooth home-buying process and relocation experience can significantly improve employee morale, so they seek Realtors with a high-touch service approach.
  • Trust & Reliability: The HR executive wants a Realtor who is trustworthy, experienced, and has a deep understanding of the local market to recommend only the best options to their employees. They value reliability and professionalism because the success of the relocation program reflects on their department.

Challenges:

  • Competitive Housing Market: Given the competitiveness of the Austin housing market, the HR executive needs a Realtor who can help relocating employees navigate inventory shortages and rising home prices, especially for those unfamiliar with Austin.
  • Volume of Relocations: Managing a high volume of relocations can be challenging, so they need a Realtor who is organized, has a team to handle the workload, and can manage multiple clients without sacrificing service quality.
  • Tailored Service: Each employee has unique housing needs—some might need temporary housing before purchasing, while others are looking for family homes or luxury properties. The Realtor needs to provide a wide range of services and housing options to cater to various employee profiles.

Key Expectations from Realtor:

  • Relocation Expertise: The Realtor should have experience working with corporate relocation programs and be familiar with the unique needs of relocating employees, including timelines, temporary housing, and navigating new market conditions.
  • Custom Service Packages: The Realtor should offer tailored services like virtual home tours, neighborhood orientation, school information, and relocation counseling to provide employees with a smooth transition.
  • Quick Response Times: The HR executive expects the Realtor to be highly responsive and accessible, as they are often managing tight timelines for moving employees, some of whom might need to relocate on short notice.
  • Streamlined Process: The HR executive values Realtors who can provide a smooth, end-to-end service from initial consultation to closing and even after-move support, including helping employees get settled in their new community.

Relationship & Communication:

  • Frequent Updates: The HR executive expects ongoing communication with the Realtor to ensure they are updated on their employees’ progress throughout the home-buying process.
  • Established Trust: Once the HR executive finds a Realtor they trust, they are likely to refer multiple clients over time. They expect a consistent level of service to maintain that relationship.
  • Referral Incentives: Some HR executives may appreciate a formal partnership or referral program that offers their company additional benefits, whether in the form of financial incentives, priority services, or discounts for employees.

Future Opportunities:

  • Long-Term Partnership: HR executives are often looking for long-term partnerships with Realtors to create an ongoing pipeline of referred clients as their company grows or continues to relocate employees to Austin.
  • Corporate Housing Solutions: The HR executive may also look for Realtors who can assist with corporate housing or temporary rentals for employees who need short-term housing while they finalize their permanent home purchase.

This ICP paints a picture of a corporate HR executive who is responsible for a large-scale employee relocation program. They need a reliable, experienced Realtor who can provide tailored, high-quality services to relocating employees, ensuring that the home-buying process is as smooth and efficient as possible.

Realtor Referral Partner

Demographics:

  • Title/Position: A licensed Realtor, Broker, or Real Estate Agent operating in another city or state. They may specialize in residential or commercial real estate.
  • Location: Based in regions outside Austin, likely in large metropolitan areas such as Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago, or even smaller markets across the U.S. where there is a frequent migration or relocation of clients to Austin.
  • Years of Experience: Typically, this Realtor has 5+ years of experience in real estate and has a well-established client base. They are familiar with the dynamics of relocation or out-of-area transactions.

Professional Needs & Responsibilities:

  • Client Relationships: This Realtor has a strong local client base and is trusted by clients looking to relocate. They are often asked for recommendations when their clients need to buy or sell homes outside of their local area.
  • Referral Opportunities: They recognize the opportunity to generate referral income by connecting clients who are moving to Austin with a trusted local Realtor.
  • Revenue Growth: Motivated to generate additional income streams by referring out-of-market transactions while maintaining their focus on local business.
  • Cross-Market Expertise: While they may not be experts in the Austin market, they are knowledgeable about general real estate trends and want to partner with someone who is highly experienced in the local Austin area to ensure their clients are well taken care of.

Financial Profile:

  • Income Range: Their earnings can vary widely depending on their market, but they typically generate a stable income through their local transactions. Referral commissions, which are usually 20-30% of the final agent commission on the referred transaction, are an attractive supplemental income.
  • Referral Goals: They aim to build a network of referral partners in high-demand cities like Austin, where the housing market is competitive, and property values are high, leading to higher commission payouts.
  • Referral Volume: They may handle multiple referrals a year, depending on the volume of clients relocating to Austin, and view referrals as a steady and passive income stream alongside their direct transactions.

Geographic Focus:

  • Primary Market: The Realtor is based in a different city or region but serves clients who are relocating to or from Austin. They might operate in major relocation hubs or cities where professionals are frequently moving to Austin for tech jobs, government roles, or other opportunities.
  • Migration Trends: Familiar with migration trends where their local clients often relocate to Austin due to factors like job transfers, family moves, or lifestyle changes (e.g., leaving expensive coastal cities for more affordable living in Austin).
  • Referral Area: They want to refer clients specifically moving to Austin and the surrounding areas such as Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, or Bee Cave.

Psychographics:

  • Trust & Reputation-Focused: Since this Realtor is sending their clients to another agent, they are highly concerned about the reputation, trustworthiness, and professionalism of the Austin-based Realtor. They want to be confident their clients will be in good hands and receive excellent service.
  • Long-Term Relationships: They value building long-term relationships with referral partners in Austin. Once they find a Realtor they trust, they prefer to keep referring clients to them consistently.
  • Service-Oriented: They are motivated by the desire to maintain high standards for their clients, even when they are not directly handling the transaction. They need to ensure that their clients receive the same level of care and expertise that they would offer in their own market.

Challenges:

  • Limited Local Knowledge: Since they are not based in Austin, they may not have an in-depth understanding of the local market or the nuances of different neighborhoods. They rely heavily on the Austin-based Realtor to provide expert advice and market insight.
  • Maintaining Client Relationships: Referring clients outside their market means they are handing over a portion of the client relationship. They want to ensure that the referred Realtor communicates well and reflects positively on them.
  • Referral Follow-Up: They need a Realtor partner who will keep them informed about the progress of the referral and ensure a smooth transaction so that they can confidently continue sending clients.

Key Expectations from the Austin Realtor:

  • Professionalism & Expertise: The Realtor expects the Austin-based Realtor to be highly professional, reliable, and knowledgeable about the Austin real estate market. They must be able to provide timely responses, detailed market insights, and smooth transaction management.
  • Seamless Client Transition: The referring Realtor wants to ensure their client is seamlessly handed off and experiences no drop in service quality. This includes everything from the initial introduction to post-closing support.
  • Clear Communication: Regular updates on the referral’s progress are crucial. They want to know when the client is contacted, how the search is progressing, and when the transaction is nearing closing.
  • Referral Agreement: The Realtor will expect a clear referral agreement upfront, including a specific percentage of commission they will receive upon the successful closing of the transaction. Usually, this is formalized in writing and often processed through the respective brokerages.

Relationship & Communication:

  • Trust-Based Partnership: This Realtor is looking for a long-term, trust-based relationship with an Austin Realtor who understands their need for transparency, strong communication, and client-focused service.
  • Follow-Up Systems: They expect the Austin-based Realtor to have robust systems for tracking and managing referrals, ensuring no details are missed, and following up with both the client and the referring Realtor throughout the process.
  • Reciprocal Opportunities: In some cases, the referring Realtor might expect opportunities for reciprocal referrals, where the Austin Realtor might send clients moving to their market in return for a referral commission.

Future Opportunities:

  • Ongoing Referral Partnership: Once they establish a successful working relationship with the Austin Realtor, they are likely to send additional clients over time. They may even formalize a partnership where they consistently refer any clients moving to Austin.
  • Expanding Referral Network: This Realtor may be looking to build a network of trusted referral agents not just in Austin but in other key markets as well. Success with the Austin Realtor could lead them to recommend the Austin Realtor to other agents within their own brokerage network.
  • Referral as an Income Stream: They may develop referrals as a steady source of income, especially if they frequently have clients moving to high-demand cities like Austin.

Key Motivators for Referring to an Austin Realtor:

  • Competitive Market: Austin is a hot real estate market, meaning higher commission potential on successful transactions, making it a lucrative referral market.
  • Client-Centered Focus: They want to ensure their clients moving to Austin have a smooth and positive experience with a local expert, which reflects well on them and encourages future referrals.
  • Efficiency in Partnership: They value a referral partner who makes the process seamless, allowing them to focus on their own local market while trusting that their client is being taken care of in Austin.

This ICP highlights the professional and financial motivations of an out-of-market Realtor interested in generating referrals to an Austin-based Realtor.

They seek trust, professionalism, and smooth collaboration to ensure their clients are well-served, and they can maintain and grow their business through referral commissions.

Once again, while both Partners expect a high level of professionalism, one is undoubtedly more high-touch and time-consuming than the other. A Relocation partner could easily want weekly communication, whereas a Referral partner only cares about deal threats and a closing date. 

Phase III: Positioning and UVP for Each ICP

1st time Homebuyers

Goal: Education and empowerment 

We want them to feel confident making what would most likely be their largest purchase to date AND inspire them to become lifelong real estate investors with our firm.

Tactics: 

  • Educational Workshops hosted at high-traffic areas near apartment communities where renters were most likely paying comparable rental rate to potential mortgage payment. 

  • Campaigns targeting the newly engaged showing how much home they could purchase for the average wedding cost. 

Past Clients/Experienced Homebuyers 

GOAL: Build Trust and Reinforce Expertise

Tactics:

  • Content strategy that emphasizes the importance of home ownership to build net worth and financial stability for your family.
  • Investor Workshops and Meetups to introduce real estate investing to past clients with equity in their homes as a way to build passive income and genrational wealth.

Relocation Partners

GOAL: Build Relationships with HR Execs and Become Trusted Partner

Tactics: 

  • Create and execute an Account-Based Marketing strategy targeting the Top 10 Employers in the Austin, Texas area to introduce Relocation services and explore partnership opportunities.
  • Build custom Relocation Programs for Employers that includes educational materials about living in Austin, current state of the real estate market, guidance on schools and lifestyle-focused neighborhoods to support their recruitment efforts by selling potential employees on the benefits of relocating to Austin.

Agent-to-Agent Referral Partners

GOAL: Become “Go to” Referral Partner for Realtors outside the Austin area. Identify areas with a high level of referral activity for potential satellite locations.

Tactics: 

  • Educational Webinar series highlighting top-performing agents and back-office team members to share knowledge and winning playbooks designed to inspire and teach fellow agents how to grow their businesses profitably.
  • Exclusive invites to industry events, private parties, and special recognition in marketing outreach to thousands of agents across the country looking for Referral partners.

Phase IV: Go-to-Market Strategy Highlights

Messaging Overhaul to Stand out in Heavily Saturated Market

  • Re-defined brand messaging to emphasize investment philosophy and how the team could serve as a trusted partner at each of their clients life stages.
  • Leveraged strategic storytelling and user-generated content such as professional family photo shoots at clients’ new home that served as both a closing gift for the client and promotional content for the team.

Become the Expert and Community Leader for Real Estate Investments

  • Engage Current Investor Clients And Establish Relationship With Investor Community Via In-Person Events 
    • Attendance for educational seminars averaged 125+ and informal happy hours averaged 25+
  • Leveraged experts and influential members of the real estate community to share their expertise regarding fix-and-flips, financing strategies, property management, etc to help expand brand awareness and reach more prospects.

Positioning Update and New Conversion-Focused Website

  • Built a new website that mapped to the buyer’s journey with personalized lead magnets guiding prospects down the sales funnel until they were ready to engage. 
    • 374% increase in traffic (unique visits to site)
  • Implemented Lead Generation System For Home Valuation And “Come List Me” Seller Leads promoted both through organic social and paid ads.  
    • 2016 Leads: 56 vs. 2017 Leads: 214 for a 282% Lead Growth Rate

Built Agent-to-Agent Referral Engine and Doubled Referral Lead Flow

Created and launched an Educational Webinar series to increase Agent-To-Agent Referrals and recruit for expansion teams. We actively engaged agents across the country to suggest topics, participate as a guest, and share their thoughts to ensure the audience was highly engaged.  

  • Webinars consistently generated 500-1000 RSVP’s with 60% show-up rate
  • Built a gamified incentive program that provided added benefits to Partners that made the most referrals.

Agent-to-Agent Referral Programs Helped Identify Ideal Locations for Expansion

Within 9 months, we had identified three ideal satellite locations with a high percentage of residents relocating to Austin and a pool of talented local Realtors eager to join our rapidly growing team

  • 3 Satellite Locations and Expansion Teams Created

Gamified Referrals from Past Clients to Dramatically Increase New Business

In real estate, it’s very common to choose your Realtor based on a strong referral from a trusted friend or family. However, all too often those recommendations come after a potential prospect has already been looking for help and has quite possibly already engaged with another agent. 

We knew we needed to make referrals top of mind if we wanted to significantly improve this valuable lead source. To accomplish this, we utilized the following tactics: 

  • “Friends of” program that incentivized past client referrals. In some cases this was simply free popcorn at a client appreciation movie night, other times it was an invite to an exclusive event with influential members of the community. 
  • Community Discount Card that gave the past client exclusive discounts and various other perks at local establishments. The more referrals they made, the more perks they could receive. 

Trained and Empowered Agents to Build Personal Brands to Support Company Brand

  • Developed and consistently implemented optimized 33 Touch program with daily, weekly and monthly outreach 
    • In 2017 had 112 Closed Transactions categorized as “Sphere/Past Client” vs 97 as of July 2018 – a year’s worth of closings in just 6 months.

Implemented CRM, Marketing Automations, and Omnipresent Outbound Campaigns

  • Email Strategy Overhaul Results
    • Subscribers grew by 244%
    • Open rates increased from 17% to 29%
  • Designed and created all marketing, sales funnels, text message campaigns, etc. while training Admin & Agents on their use.
  • Strategized and managed paid media campaigns on Google Adwords, Facebook Ads and Instagram to generate more Listing leads. 

The Results:

In 18 months, this organization has gone from struggling to get out of its own way to being flush with cash and on the verge of opening several new branches and ancillary businesses.

Annual property sale volume increased from $58 million in 2016 to $75 million in 2017 and $75 million in the first half of 2018 alone—ending up with 258% growth in about 18 months.

 

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