The Lissa Slade Team: Top Realtors in Jacksonville & Ponte Vedra Beach

REE #251 Full Audio

[00:00:00] Lissa Slade: Mentoring is critical. As a new member or as a new agent, you should have a mentor in your life. I say that you should have a peer mentor and an adult mentor in every area of your life—professionally and personally, by the way.

Hey, welcome back to the Real Estate Excellence podcast.

[00:00:47] Tracy Hayes: In Northeast Florida's competitive real estate market, only the best rise to the top. Today's guests are part of one of the most respected and high-performing teams in the region. With a deep passion for real estate, they've built a reputation for exceptional service, expert negotiation, and an unwavering commitment to their clients.

One has over a decade of experience, transitioning from a career in leadership, business development, and marketing into building a powerhouse real estate team. The other brings a background in business, home design, and customer-focused sales, ensuring every client experience is nothing short of A+ service with an A+ attitude.

Together, they dominate the Northeast Florida market, helping buyers and sellers navigate every aspect of the home-buying and selling process. Their expertise, combined with their drive to exceed expectations, has made them top producers and trusted advisors in the industry.

Let's welcome The Lissa Slade Team—Lissa Slade and Heather Lewis.

ChatGPT has been pretty good there. I think I liked that actually. Yeah.

[00:01:49] Lissa Slade: Um...

[00:01:50] Tracy Hayes: I'm actually going to use that all the time now. It makes it easier. It makes me look a little more sophisticated.

Ladies, welcome to the show! I'm glad to get you on, and hopefully, our listeners are going to hear a little bit about where you guys come from.

I think it's important because real estate agents come from all over. We have a lot of teachers, some women who were single moms just trying to figure out, What do I do next to earn a living?—and they got into real estate and became very successful.

So, I think it's very important to talk about previous experiences, life experiences, and how those translate into real estate—especially in building relationships, which are so critical.

So, Lissa, kick us off a little bit. Tell us about young Lissa—where you grew up and what your initial aspirations were because, obviously, it wasn’t real estate.

[00:02:43] Lissa Slade: So, in 1986, I got on a Greyhound bus two weeks after graduating from high school. I got off the bus in downtown Jacksonville, and my friend—who had moved here two years prior—picked me up. I put my toes in the sand, and I never went back.

Didn't have a job, didn't have a plan—just came to Florida to figure it out.

[00:03:03] Tracy Hayes: What were some of the initial things that you did?

[00:03:05] Lissa Slade: Initially, I worked at... oh my goodness, what was that restaurant in Jax Beach? I think it was Quincy's. I worked there for a very short time—maybe four or five months. Then I went to Regency Square, and I worked at The Children's Place.

A manager from another store came in, bought some items, and said, You should come work for me. So, I went to work for her. That store was Vogue Body Shop.

I worked there for ten years and was one of their executive managers. That manager took me under her wing and said, You don’t need to go to college. I had planned to try to figure out junior college or something at some point, but she told me, You don’t need to do that. You’ve got a gift for managing. Just come learn from me.

So, I was at Regency, and then I went to The Landing. At the time, The Landing was a big deal. To be promoted to an assistant manager in that store was a huge accomplishment. The manager who found me and started that whole process had been transferred as the head manager, and I went in as her assistant.

I grew with Vogue Body Shop and eventually took over the Regency location, which was the number one store in the company after my time at The Landing. That was a wonderful time where I grew, blossomed, and really learned managerial and marketing skills.

[00:04:20] Tracy Hayes: So, when you look back now at what you're doing, what are some things—whether it was training or interactions—that you reflect on and pull from those early days in retail?

[00:04:32] Lissa Slade: Marketing and managing. I fell into having an eye for things, and they recognized that. Before I knew it, they created a position for me.

When all the clothes would come in for, say, the spring season, I would set the floor. They would come in, take pictures, and the whole company—at that time, I think there were 110 stores—would follow that layout.

But it wasn't just that. Vogue Body Shop was very competitive. You had the top store for the month, the top employees for the month—there was recognition happening all the time.

That became a big passion and blueprint for me because, to me, making the leaderboard is important. It has transferred over—not always the most important thing, but it is important because it recognizes your hard work.

[00:05:15] Tracy Hayes: Sounds like they gave you a little bit of ownership in setting up the store the way you felt was most effective.

[00:05:23] Lissa Slade: Exactly, yeah.

[00:05:24] Tracy Hayes: And obviously now, you go into someone's listing…

[00:05:27] Lissa Slade: Exactly.

[00:05:28] Tracy Hayes: …and kind of take that same control.

[00:05:29] Lissa Slade: Yeah, definitely. I feel like, although I didn't have a home background when I went into real estate and became interested in it—probably around 2010—I started to get more involved.

[00:05:45] Tracy Hayes: The market was starting to recover a little bit.

[00:05:48] Lissa Slade: Well, I was a mom at that point, and I knew somebody who was in real estate. I was helping them very part-time, and I just thought to myself, I could do this.

[00:05:55] Tracy Hayes: All right, so we're going to pause before we jump further into your real estate journey. Let's jump over here to Heather.

Tell us about young Heather and how you got started.

[00:06:01] Heather Lewis: Okay, so I came to Jacksonville, Florida, about 28 years ago. I'm from North Carolina.

[00:06:11] Tracy Hayes: You can tell! For those who can't tell at all… it's Statesville, right?

[00:06:14] Heather Lewis: Yes.

[00:06:15] Tracy Hayes: Did they get affected by the hurricane at all, or was it further out?

[00:06:18] Heather Lewis: I think it was more to the east.

[00:06:21] Tracy Hayes: You were far enough away?

[00:06:22] Heather Lewis: Yeah, far enough away.

[00:06:23] Tracy Hayes: Got it.

[00:06:24] Heather Lewis: So, I came here because I absolutely love the beach, and I had some family here. I went to work at Regency, which is funny, but I was an Estée Lauder girl—so, you know, makeup, perfume, all that kind of thing.

But I really excelled on the sales board and thought, Okay, I'm pretty good at this. I stayed with them for a while, then moved into outside sales with hair products and that type of thing. Then I landed at a trade furniture store, doing design work for clients.

So, I've always had an interest in design and beauty.

[00:07:00] Tracy Hayes: How long were you with Estée Lauder doing that kind of work?

[00:07:04] Heather Lewis: Probably about four years.

[00:07:06] Tracy Hayes: They do a lot of training, right?

[00:07:07] Heather Lewis: Oh, a ton.

[00:07:08] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, and the fact that you're up close and personal with people… You’re reminding me of a couple of other guests I’ve had on.

There’s intense training that they put you through in product promotion, but really, at its core, it's about how to handle the personalities of the people you’re working with—sometimes for an hour or two while doing their makeup.

[00:07:31] Heather Lewis: I will say, out of all the cosmetic brands, we kind of had a joke that when the higher-ups came in, they would run us around like crazy people. I mean, they were very intense.

So, the training was great, and it prepared me for outside sales.

[00:07:47] Tracy Hayes: You just made me think—was it mostly women in that environment?

[00:07:50] Heather Lewis: Yes.

[00:07:51] Tracy Hayes: So, women pushing other women?

[00:07:53] Heather Lewis: Yes.

[00:07:54] Tracy Hayes: Were they pushing you like a coach might push a player on the field or the court, or was it a more draconian push?

I'm just curious how the women treated other women in that corporate environment.

[00:08:11] Heather Lewis: There were some really nice account managers, and then there were some who were… let’s just say, purposely intimidating.

[00:08:20] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, they had to hold their place in the corporate structure.

[00:08:23] Heather Lewis: Exactly.

[00:08:24] Tracy Hayes: Interesting.

[00:08:26] Heather Lewis: So, I realized I was good at sales and decided to go into outside sales.

I worked for a manufacturer distribution company in the hair care industry. I would go into salons and sell products—color, perms, equipment—that type of thing.

[00:08:43] Tracy Hayes: So, still in the beauty industry, but in outside sales.

Same question I posed to Lissa, because I always find this fascinating. You’re out there in real estate now, but throughout our lives, we compile all these little learning lessons.

I'm sure there are interactions with clients today that remind you of your time at the Estée Lauder counter or your time in outside sales.

What are some things you learned about yourself that you've carried forward and built upon?

[00:09:12] Heather Lewis: Well, I think you have to see yourself as the expert.

Even if you’re working in skincare, there are so many different brands and products. People are coming to you because you’ve been trained—you can look at their skin and recommend the right products.

Or, if you're working with a salon owner, you help them choose the best retail product for their business and train them on how to sell it.

[00:09:35] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:09:35] Heather Lewis: Then, when I moved into the trade furniture store, I worked with a lot of designers.

Sometimes they would come in with their clients, and sometimes they’d just send their clients in. When that happened, I was the expert—helping them map out their room space, pick out fabrics, things like that.

People trusted me because they don’t do that kind of thing every day.

And how that translates to the home-buying process is that people don’t buy and sell homes every day. They’re looking to us to be the experts and really guide them in the right direction.

[00:10:03] Tracy Hayes: Right.

During your time at the furniture store, obviously, you must have had a passion for it.

Now, when you go into a listing appointment, do you talk about staging?

[00:10:16] Heather Lewis: Oh, it’s huge.

[00:10:16] Tracy Hayes: Rearranging furniture, decluttering—what are some things you’ve pulled from that experience that you apply today?

[00:10:23] Heather Lewis: When I walk into a house, I want it to look as perfect as possible.

When a buyer comes in, they want to envision themselves living there.

So, if the windows are dirty, if it's too crowded with too many knick-knacks, or if the paint color is obnoxious, you have to be bold enough to say, You might want to change this.

Of course, you say it tastefully and tactfully—you don’t want to offend your client. But I feel like some agents are afraid to approach those things.

For me, I feel like I’d be doing my client a disservice if I didn’t tell them. Because otherwise, they’re in a bad position.

If they have hideously colored walls, how much does it really cost to paint them a nice neutral palette?

[00:11:15] Tracy Hayes: We’d like to think buyers can figure that out, but they don’t.

[00:11:18] Heather Lewis: It’s not that way. And if a room is overcrowded, it makes the space look smaller. Sometimes, just removing a couple of items can make all the difference.

I mean, it doesn’t always have to be a big, dramatic change. Or if you have a beautiful view, but all your windows are dirty, then the buyer isn’t seeing that beautiful view. Instead, they’re just focused on the dirty windows.

[00:11:37] Tracy Hayes: Right?

[00:11:37] Heather Lewis: I don’t think people consciously think about that, but that’s where my mind goes.

[00:11:41] Tracy Hayes: Right, because you're the expert.

You used the word bold earlier—the agent has to become bold. I’m going to ask you the same question, Lissa.

At what point in your career did you realize that you are the expert?

Did you catch it early on, or did it take you a couple of years in real estate to say, You know what? I am the expert. I’ve sold more houses than they have.

Did you eventually just step into it and say, I need to take a bolder approach? Or was it a gradual realization?

[00:12:19] Heather Lewis: I think it took a little while.

I was in real estate for a couple of years, then I stepped back to help my husband launch his business. When I came back into it, I think I had a different perspective.

You do need a little time. There’s the contract side of things, which is a whole separate learning curve. You have to get really comfortable knowing the contracts, discussing them, and going over everything with your clients.

So, I think becoming the expert does take time.

[00:12:44] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:12:44] Heather Lewis: I mean, I’m sure it’s different for everyone, but I didn’t feel like I could just step out of my licensing exam and say, Okay, here I am, I’m the expert.

Your confidence grows as you sell properties.

[00:12:58] Tracy Hayes: Right.

Lissa, same question—when did you come to that realization that I am the expert in the room?

[00:13:03] Lissa Slade: It was a slow process for me as well.

I’d say it happened around 2019 or 2020. The transition to Engel & Völkers was definitely when I felt like, Okay, I’m different, and I know I’m different. I’ve reached this new level, and it’s time to elevate myself even further.

And I would say, for Heather—I’ve watched her for years—and I think she came into that realization much more quickly.

Once she came to Engel & Völkers, I really saw her elevate in 2021 into a more experienced, confident professional.

She’s so wonderful, and I really feel like that was the moment when she stepped into it.

[00:13:42] Tracy Hayes: Bold is the word of the day.

[00:13:45] Lissa Slade: Yeah, but it was definitely a process.

And I do feel like Engel & Völkers played a big role in taking us to that level.

Would you agree with that?

[00:13:53] Heather Lewis: I absolutely agree.

[00:13:55] Tracy Hayes: Do you think—whether from your own experience or just in general—that agents struggle with imposter syndrome?

Even after doing multiple transactions, they still think, I’m not good enough. I’m not as good as Lissa.

And because they measure themselves against others, they don’t walk into a client meeting with the confidence they should have.

But in reality, they are the expert. That client may be buying or selling their first home, while the agent has done this process many times before.

Do you think new agents hesitate to take control of the situation because they don’t see themselves as the expert?

And if you were talking to a new agent today, how would you help them reach that confidence level sooner?

[00:14:57] Lissa Slade: I think it’s incredibly important to have mentors.

Heather and I have been friends for over 20 years, and I still learn from her all the time.

I believe in the mentoring process. Heather’s known me since way back in my church days when I was on staff at Redeemer Church. Mentoring has always been part of my framework—it’s embedded in everything I do.

So, when I came to Keller Williams in 2014, Debbie Tufts took me under her wing. I watched her, I studied her.

Sian Goodwin, Lori LaRue—there were a few agents I specifically chose to observe and learn from.

I don’t know if I ever felt imposter syndrome exactly, but I watched and studied them. I asked questions. I learned from how they carried themselves, how they walked into a room, how they handled listings and buyer appointments.

I think mentoring is critical.

As a new agent, you must have a mentor in your life.

I believe you should have a peer mentor and an adult mentor—in every area of your life, both professionally and personally.

[00:15:58] Tracy Hayes: Are you going to ditto that?

[00:16:04] Heather Lewis: Yeah.

Because honestly, you don’t know everything at the start. Instead of comparing yourself to others and feeling not good enough, study someone who is successful in real estate.

[00:16:20] Heather Lewis: And then that gives you confidence, you know?

[00:16:24] Tracy Hayes: All right, that brings us back to your journey.

We’ll break this into two parts because I want to know—you said you started getting a feel or an interest in real estate around 2010, but you didn’t officially start until 2014.

What was it at that point? Did you meet somebody? Or what caught your interest in real estate? And then, obviously, what led you to go and get your license in 2014?

[00:16:41] Lissa Slade: As I mentioned, I was helping someone on the side. At the time, I was an assistant pastor at a church.

By 2013, I knew something was coming for my family, and in 2014, I realized, I need to step up and be the breadwinner. So, I went into real estate.

Even years earlier, when I was in retail, people would tell me, You should sell real estate.

Oh! I totally forgot—I also worked at Adam C. Davidson for five years.

[00:17:11] Tracy Hayes: I knew that! I couldn’t remember—I should have written that down.

[00:17:14] Lissa Slade: That was a big part of my journey.

Because we opened several stores in the three years that I was there.

[00:17:20] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:17:21] Lissa Slade: So, I had to make a decision for my family, and I thought, Oh, I can do this part-time, no problem.

[00:17:30] Tracy Hayes: Your initial idea was to do real estate part-time?

[00:17:32] Lissa Slade: Yeah. My kids were in high school, I was going through a divorce, and I wanted to be present for their high school years. That was super important—there's nothing more important to me than my children.

So, I thought I could do real estate part-time.

Nope.

[00:17:45] Tracy Hayes: Did you realize that quickly?

[00:17:46] Lissa Slade: Oh yeah.

[00:17:47] Tracy Hayes: Just quickly, the business picked up to a point where you thought, Oh my God…

[00:17:50] Lissa Slade: Well, the first two years were tough.

I was on a team very briefly because I always wanted to be part of a team—I knew that was something I wanted.

[00:17:57] Tracy Hayes: The camaraderie?

[00:17:59] Lissa Slade: Exactly.

That first team didn’t work out, so I started over—studying, working hard.

I wanted to reach that KAP experience at Keller Williams because that was a big deal.

Once I made it, I thought, Okay, next year, I need to do even more.

So, for those first five years at Keller Williams, I had steady growth—going from $1 million to $2 million, then $3.5 million to $4.4 million in sales.

[00:18:22] Tracy Hayes: You and Heather were already friends, so I imagine you started at Keller Williams because she was there?

[00:18:28] Heather Lewis: Yes.

[00:18:29] Tracy Hayes: What made you choose Keller Williams as your first brokerage?

[00:18:32] Lissa Slade: The training.

And the person I had worked with previously was there. I also knew Nancy, and I had a lot of respect for Debbie Tufts.

I didn’t know much about the rest of the leadership team, but I knew Keller Williams had a great training program—and that’s what I needed at the time.

I’ll forever be grateful for those years at Keller Williams.

The team model there wasn’t ultimately what I wanted, and I eventually felt like it was time to elevate to a company where every agent was full-time.

[00:19:02] Tracy Hayes: All right. You both have been in real estate long enough now to see other agents come and go.

I’ve said on this show many times—I believe the choice of that first broker is so important.

We know 80% of real estate agents fail, and a lot of them drop out within the first few months. We don’t see that data immediately because they don’t renew their licenses, but they’re already out of the business.

If a friend came to you today and said, Hey, I’m looking to get into real estate, what advice would you give them?

What should they do before signing with a brokerage to make sure they’re choosing the right one?

[00:19:39] Heather Lewis: Training is huge.

You hear about people joining a brokerage and feeling like they’re on an island—they have no idea what they’re doing, no support, no direction.

I can’t speak for other brokerages, but Keller Williams, in particular, is known for having an excellent training program.

So, a new agent should definitely find a brokerage that offers solid training and support from day one.

I also think it’s a great idea for new agents to join a team early on.

Being surrounded by experienced professionals allows you to learn faster. Too many agents get frustrated when they don’t have a listing or closing right away, and they end up walking away from the business.

[00:20:28] Tracy Hayes: Right.

That transition from a structured job—like corporate America or teaching—into real estate is tough.

A lot of people come from careers with a set schedule, where they know exactly when and where to be each day.

Real estate, on the other hand, requires you to build your own structure.

How important is it to have a team or a support system that holds you accountable—where you know, Hey, we’re all going to be in the office at 9 AM, making calls together?

[00:21:02] Lissa Slade: Radical.

I believe strongly in accountability, structure, and processes.

You have to be in the office—you’re going to get more work done there.

Collaboration is key. Growth happens when you’re surrounded by others who are pushing forward with you.

[00:21:16] Heather Lewis: Absolutely.

And systems are just as important.

If you don’t have a CRM, or you’re fumbling around trying to figure out how to get everything set up, that’s a huge barrier.

Joining a brokerage like Keller Williams or a structured team within the company can help new agents get those systems in place right away.

[00:21:35] Lissa Slade: Exactly.

Keller Williams did a great job equipping us with training and resources.

But as you grow in your career, you start to realize what you need next.

For me, by 2020, I knew I needed more.

I wasn’t looking for the traditional team model that Keller Williams offered—I wanted something more organic. A true partnership.

I looked at people I respected, like Lissa Barton and Gwen Volyn—agents who were growing structured teams with clear direction and momentum.

[00:22:25] Tracy Hayes: Right.

Because once you lose that daily routine of coming into the office, it’s easy to slack off.

At first, you think, Oh, I’ll be there at 9 AM.

Then suddenly, it’s, Well, I can be a little late. I need to run an errand first…

And before you know it, that structure is gone.

[00:22:40] Tracy Hayes: You know, maybe you come in at 10 or 11 o’clock, but suddenly, half the day is gone already. And I think a lot of agents fall out of the business because they lack that structure.

You guys mentioned mentoring earlier.

So, they're looking for a brokerage—obviously, Keller Williams has a strong reputation. There are a couple of others that are especially good for brand-new agents just coming into the industry.

But beyond training, there's the mentor piece.

I think agents should find a mentor before they even choose a brokerage.

A lot of brokerages have training, but in my experience—after talking to almost 250 agents—the mentorship piece can be huge. It can really accelerate a new agent’s success.

What are some ways a new agent—or even an agent who’s been trudging along—can find a mentor to help take their business to the next level?

[00:23:37] Lissa Slade: Well, it’s interesting—I haven’t even told you this yet.

[00:23:41] Tracy Hayes: Oh, breaking news!

[00:23:42] Lissa Slade: We talk all the time, so it's rare we go a day without seeing or talking to each other.

[00:23:47] Tracy Hayes: It was low on the priority list, huh?

[00:23:50] Lissa Slade: I got a call yesterday from someone who just got her license. She said, I really need to understand my next step.

And the first thing out of my mouth was about mentoring and teaching.

Then she asked, I don’t suppose I can come work with you?

Now, that’s a bit of a conflict because we only hire agents doing a certain volume. You can come onto a team, but it would have to be in an administrative role.

[00:24:10] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:24:11] Lissa Slade: Cory’s blessing.

We’ve actually had a couple of people come in that way before, and it's been a little bumpy at times—but bumpy is good because you learn.

[00:24:23] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:24:23] Lissa Slade: But yeah, she called, and my first response was mentoring and teaching.

She asked, How do I do that? And I said, Let’s have coffee.

I’m going to encourage her to pick a brokerage, and I actually have a list now that I use when guiding new agents. It has evolved over the last three years because of changes in the industry.

But I’ll do my best to help her find her way.

[00:24:43] Tracy Hayes: Was this someone you knew through church?

[00:24:46] Lissa Slade: Yes.

[00:24:46] Tracy Hayes: You're going to tell me later, huh?

[00:24:47] Lissa Slade: You’re going to laugh when I tell you!

[00:24:51] Heather Lewis: I used to homeschool with her.

[00:24:53] Tracy Hayes: Oh, wow!

[00:24:54] Heather Lewis: I also think the piece about going into the office is important.

Not everyone is the right fit for each other, but when you go into the office, you start meeting people. You naturally connect with certain individuals.

If you’re drawn to someone, and they’re willing to mentor you, that’s huge.

[00:25:09] Tracy Hayes: And don’t be afraid to ask.

Obviously, this person wasn’t!

[00:25:13] Lissa Slade: No, she wasn’t at all!

And I respect that. I’ve had other people call me and say, I’ve got my license—what should I do next?

I almost always have the same answer—it’s practically a script at this point because I believe in it so much.

I love to mentor—the more, the merrier.

[00:25:30] Tracy Hayes: Well, you love to mentor people who are willing to accept it.

[00:25:34] Lissa Slade: Correct.

[00:25:34] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:25:35] Lissa Slade: But I also have peer mentors.

I absolutely adore Laura Bishop—she’s an incredible professional.

We talk on the phone and run things by each other all the time. She’s at a competing brokerage, but I respect her so much that I consider her a peer mentor.

We got our licenses within a year or two of each other.

[00:25:53] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:25:55] Lissa Slade: That first year…

[00:25:56] Tracy Hayes: Let’s talk about that.

I’m going to start with Lissa since she went first, but Heather, I imagine you leaned on Lissa immediately.

Lissa, did you have someone right away when you started?

You mentioned earlier that you had been talking to someone. When you joined Keller Williams, did you know enough to tag along with or shadow someone?

[00:26:22] Lissa Slade: Yes, Tracy—I knew I wanted that.

So, I joined a team right away.

But it wasn’t the right fit.

I studied the team leader for about four months, but then I realized, This is not the right fit for me.

[00:26:34] Tracy Hayes: Was it just the way she was doing business?

[00:26:36] Lissa Slade: She’s a great agent, but… there were other things.

I had just come from working on staff at a church, and I was going through a divorce. It just wasn’t the right environment for me at that time.

She had a great reputation, but it wasn’t the right fit.

[00:26:46] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:26:48] Lissa Slade: Mark Dilworth was very gracious.

I went into his office and told him, I’m an ordained minister, and I just feel like this isn’t the right fit for me.

I did learn a lot from her in those four months, but I knew then that, one day, I wanted to build my own team.

From that day on, I started structuring what would eventually become The Lissa Slade Team.

I brought in administrative support and began acting like a team—even before it was official.

[00:27:22] Tracy Hayes: You did that fairly early.

[00:27:23] Lissa Slade: Yeah.

[00:27:24] Tracy Hayes: Fourteen or fifteen months into the business?

[00:27:26] Lissa Slade: I mean, I had a…

[00:27:28] Lissa Slade: I had a marketing person by late 2015.

I knew I needed a transaction coordinator (T.C.) and admin support around me.

[00:27:33] Tracy Hayes: Was your production up to that level yet? Or were you just taking the leap?

[00:27:36] Lissa Slade: No, I was only at about $2.5 million in production, but it felt real.

I just hired someone part-time and made it work. It was kind of crazy—I took a lot of risks back then, but honestly, I would still take those same risks today.

[00:27:47] Tracy Hayes: We’re going to revisit that because I think one of the biggest challenges for agents is breaking through that initial ceiling—when they get too busy to do everything themselves.

[00:27:55] Lissa Slade: Yeah. And I believe you have to spend money to make money.

That mindset has been ingrained in me since I got my license.

Back when I wasn’t making enough money to even live, I still had people working with me to help me get there.

[00:28:08] Tracy Hayes: All right.

Heather, you get started, and at least you know Lissa—you walk into the office, and you already have a familiar face.

But what were some of the challenges you faced that first year? Were there any personal obstacles you had to overcome?

[00:28:20] Heather Lewis: Okay. So personally, everything was fine.

[00:28:22] Tracy Hayes: Well, when I say personally, I mean—you’re stepping into a new career.

It’s intimidating.

You were working before, but now you’re in real estate, and suddenly, you are the expert.

That shift is a personal transformation—you have to step up and take charge.

[00:28:42] Heather Lewis: Oh, of course.

[00:28:43] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:28:44] Heather Lewis: It’s funny—I was saying this earlier.

So many people don’t pass their real estate exam on the first try, or even the second or third.

There’s so much information to absorb.

And once you pass, you think, Okay, I did it. I’m a real estate agent now.

Then you realize—oh wait, now there’s all this training.

You have to set up your CRM, learn marketing, figure out how to do a CMA—it just keeps going.

[00:29:20] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:29:21] Heather Lewis: I don’t know if I missed this class or what happened, but...

I ran into a lady outside of Marshall’s, and we were chatting.

I mentioned that I had just gotten into real estate, and she said, Oh, we’re thinking about putting our house on the market.

It was in Nocatee.

I said, Great! I’d love to do a listing presentation for you.

She agreed, and I was so excited.

So I called Lissa and said, Can you come with me? I’ve never done a listing appointment before. I just want to make sure I say everything right and have some support.

She was like, Sure! Swing by and pick me up.

So I went to her house, and she asked, You have all your listing paperwork, right?

And I just looked at her like a deer in headlights.

I had nothing.

No paperwork, no materials—just me.

[00:30:24] Tracy Hayes: Oh, wow.

[00:30:25] Heather Lewis: She was like, Oh my gosh.

So, she printed everything out for me, and we went to the appointment.

We got the listing, so it all worked out!

But looking back, it’s so funny because I thought I was so ready.

I had taken my test, done the training—but in reality, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

[00:30:40] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

There are so many training sessions out there, but sometimes they miss the practical steps—like, How do you actually put rubber to the road?

Maybe there should be a Listing Appointment 101 class that just says, Hey, bring some paperwork!

[00:30:46] Heather Lewis: Yes!

The training focused a lot on, Who do you know? Get all your contacts into your CRM!

Which was great, but…

[00:30:51] Tracy Hayes: Besides bringing a bottle of wine.

[00:30:52] Heather Lewis: Right!

It was more about setting up your database and making sure you’re networking.

But somehow, either I missed the how to show up training, or maybe I just ignored it—I have no idea.

[00:31:09] Lissa Slade: I think it just happened fast.

I remember that situation really well.

She got her license and jumped right in, so she may not have had that class yet.

[00:31:18] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:31:19] Lissa Slade: Or maybe it was covered, but it just happened too quickly.

I remember thinking, Oh my gosh…

[00:31:24] Tracy Hayes: But whether you had the class or not, having a mentor who has done it before makes all the difference.

We don’t know whether you would have gotten that listing without Lissa there, but having a mentor gives you that immediate confidence boost.

It’s helpful to have someone who can step in, finish your sentence if you fumble, and guide you through the process.

[00:31:40] Lissa Slade: Absolutely.

[00:31:41] Tracy Hayes: Let me take a quick pause here to promote these.

I’ve got a nice hot pink one in that bag for you down there, but I want to give a shoutout to Remi Graphics.

They do these laser-engraved mugs for me.

For our guests, we’ve got one with the show logo on it.

Remi Graphics is local, and they can do one-off custom pieces—so if you want to make a personalized gift, like a Welcome to your new home! mug with the client’s address, they can do that.

I love personalized gifts because people never throw them away.

So, check them out at remigraphics.com—they have lots of laser-engraved options.

[00:32:30] Tracy Hayes: So, we’re still in that first year.

At the end of your first year, looking back, did you feel like it was successful?

Obviously, you continued with real estate, so something must have clicked.

But is there anything you look back on now and think, I could have done that better?

[00:32:36] Heather Lewis: Hmm.

I don’t know… That’s an on-the-spot question.

There’s just so much information coming at you. It’s like drinking water from a fire hose.

I do remember feeling like, This is just so much.

People think it’s simple—Oh, I’m going to be a real estate agent. Just get a license, sign up with a brokerage, and that’s it.

But there’s so much more to it, especially if you want to be a really good agent.

[00:33:01] Tracy Hayes: Right?

[00:33:01] Heather Lewis: So, I don’t know if there’s one specific thing… That was just my biggest challenge—trying to absorb everything.

[00:33:07] Tracy Hayes: Lissa, do you remember mentoring her at this point?

I think the key takeaway for listeners is that you probably helped her filter or prioritize what was most important.

[00:33:20] Lissa Slade: A little bit, yeah.

But honestly, she was one of those better students because she wanted it so badly.

I’m thinking of that listing you had on Third Street—your fourth or fifth listing, right?

[00:33:34] Heather Lewis: Yeah, it was early on.

[00:33:36] Lissa Slade: It was in that first year.

I remember walking in, and you were painting walls.

And you got a lot of flak from people in the office, but you handled it like a champ.

[00:33:52] Tracy Hayes: Slack or flak?

[00:33:53] Lissa Slade: Oh, sorry—flak.

[00:33:57] Tracy Hayes: I figured that’s what you meant.

[00:34:04] Lissa Slade: She always knows what I mean!

I have my Lissa-isms—sometimes I get excited and talk too fast.

I’ve been working on it, and she helps me.

But I remember that situation clearly.

She was painting walls, staging that house by herself—just figuring it out and making it work.

And everyone in the office was saying, You’ll never sell that listing. It’s overpriced.

[00:34:33] Heather Lewis: Yeah.

I had suggested they paint because it was just a little ranch at the beach, and it felt so dark inside.

The wife started painting but then didn’t want to finish.

So, I went in and finished it myself.

My husband thought I was crazy.

But we sold the house for about $400,000, and they turned around and bought another home for $700,000—so I sold $1.1 million total.

[00:34:53] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:34:54] Heather Lewis: I wanted to sell it, and I wanted it to look right.

[00:34:59] Lissa Slade: Can I say something?

[00:35:00] Heather Lewis: Yes.

[00:35:01] Lissa Slade: You added value.

And that is key—new agents have to learn to add value to every single situation.

[00:35:13] Heather Lewis: That’s true.

Because anybody can walk in with listing paperwork—if they remember to bring it.

But what are you going to do that makes you different?

How are you going to stand out and make your client feel like they’re everything?

Because that’s what gets their home sold for the most money possible.

[00:35:31] Tracy Hayes: I was cutting a reel a few days ago with Bailey Burnside from Keller Williams St. Augustine.

She was talking about finding that thing that wows the customer.

Sometimes, you have to look for it.

[00:35:36] Tracy Hayes: But going back to the take charge mindset—you took charge of that situation.

I don’t know if the people in the office motivated you by saying you couldn’t sell it for that much, but you took control.

It’s like, Hey, the faster I sell it, the faster I get paid.

You can stick a sign in the yard and sit back and wait, or you can actually do something to move it faster.

[00:36:08] Heather Lewis: Yeah. And both of us are huge on urgency.

[00:36:13] AUDIO: Mm-hmm.

[00:36:14] Heather Lewis: You don’t diddle-daddle.

You get it done.

If you’re talking to a new agent—get it done.

Don’t wait for someone to tell you, Do this, do that.

Don’t just stick a sign in the yard and wait for something to happen.

Be proactive.

[00:36:30] Tracy Hayes: Well, that leads into something else.

When you’re going out on listing appointments, some houses are perfect.

Others? They need painting, decluttering, maybe even a full cleanup.

How important is it to have service providers in your network?

Or, in some cases, do the work yourself?

How much does taking charge of that situation impact your success?

[00:37:00] Heather Lewis: Right.

Because for sellers, this is exciting, but it’s also stressful.

They don’t move every year.

[00:37:05] Tracy Hayes: And they don’t know what to do.

[00:37:08] Heather Lewis: Exactly.

They don’t know what they need, so you go in and say, You need to do this, this, and this.

But instead of just telling them—what if you do something?

Like, I know a guy who can pick up this junk for you.

Or, I’ve worked with a professional organizer who can come in and get your space in order.

[00:37:21] AUDIO: Right.

[00:37:24] Heather Lewis: Having those resources ready is huge.

It’s about adding value.

[00:37:32] Tracy Hayes: Exactly.

Consumers don’t always know what services are available.

They’re hiring you for expertise—even the expertise they don’t realize they need.

You have to show up as a resource.

[00:37:45] Heather Lewis: Right.

[00:37:46] Tracy Hayes: I’ve been working on structuring a book lately.

If you’ve listened to some of my recent episodes, I’ve been talking about Grit by Angela Duckworth. Have you read it?

[00:37:55] Heather Lewis: Yeah.

[00:37:56] Tracy Hayes: I’ve talked to a lot of real estate agents, and some of them have come from nothing.

I think of Sarah Rocco—she was in the middle of a divorce when she got into real estate.

There have been so many stories like that.

Sometimes, in business, you get punched in the gut.

You fall on your face.

Whatever analogy you want to use, you hit roadblocks.

But eventually, you overcome them. And now, looking back, you probably laugh about it.

That’s why my LLC is called The Grit & Real Estate Agent.

It stands for Love, Laughter, and Consistency.

[00:38:40] Heather Lewis: Love it.

[00:38:41] Tracy Hayes: So I’m going to ask—why do you love selling real estate?

But also—can you think of a time when something went wrong and now, looking back, you laugh about it?

And finally, what’s something you do consistently to keep your business moving forward?

Lissa—why do you love real estate?

[00:39:16] Lissa Slade: Does it have to be one reason?

Because there’s no way I can give just one.

[00:39:20] Tracy Hayes: As long as you don’t go on for 10 minutes!

[00:39:22] Lissa Slade: My love for real estate comes from the relationships.

I genuinely love my clients.

I don’t just want to do a good job—I want to do a great job.

I want them to be lifelong customers.

That’s my business.

My business has always been referral-based.

I have never paid for a lead. Not once.

And I love when my clients come back.

I have clients who have done seven, eight, or nine transactions with me.

One client from 2020 has sent me over 15 referrals.

That’s what I love—knowing that I’m their go-to.

The Lissa Slade Team is their team.

[00:40:10] Tracy Hayes: And that’s your goal with every new client—to turn them into a lifelong client?

At what point in your career did that mindset click for you?

When did you start thinking, I have this client in front of me right now—how do I turn them into my biggest advocate?

[00:40:35] Lissa Slade: I can tell you exactly when it happened.

I was sitting at a table with Sarah Rocco at a Keller Williams event—Bold Week.

We were both pretty new in the business, and we had similar stories.

And I remember—it clicked for me at that event.

I had already started building relationships, but that week took it to another level.

And shortly after that—just a couple of years later—I made the big change in my career.

[00:41:07] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:41:08] Heather Lewis: Yeah.

[00:41:09] Tracy Hayes: Heather—why do you love real estate?

[00:41:11] Heather Lewis: Well, I have to add to what Lissa said—because that was such a great answer.

[00:41:16] Tracy Hayes: But…

[00:41:17] Heather Lewis: But…

[00:41:20] Heather Lewis: The way I treat my clients—I think having a customer service background and sales experience—it’s just intrinsic within me.

I want to do a good job. I want everything to be right. I want everyone to leave the table happy.

But I will say, one area where I could have done better—and this is advice for new agents—is making sure my clients shout from the rooftops about the great job I did.

I should have cultivated those relationships more.

I think, in the beginning, I just assumed they would remember me.

And a lot of agents do that.

But if you’re not constantly staying in touch, they do forget about you.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked with someone and later asked, Who sold you your house? and they go, I don’t remember.

[00:42:09] AUDIO: Mm-hmm.

[00:42:10] Heather Lewis: They just don’t remember you.

So, that was a weakness of mine early on.

Now, I’m all over it.

But at first, I think I was a little shy about reaching out, following up, and asking for reviews.

[00:42:25] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, it’s like dating—Do they like me or not?

Can I ask them, or is that too much?

But now, you’ve built a different mindset.

Now, it’s I’m going to wow them. There’s no reason for them not to like me.

[00:42:40] Heather Lewis: Right.

[00:42:41] Tracy Hayes: All right—laughter.

Lissa, what’s something that set you back?

It doesn’t have to be recent, but something that hit you hard, and you thought, Oh my God, I have to deal with this again.

But because of your experience, you just laughed through it and pressed on.

[00:43:04] Lissa Slade: I have to work on that one—I’m going to be honest.

[00:43:06] Heather Lewis: Okay, well…

[00:43:07] Lissa Slade: I think it’s having clients who won’t listen to you.

[00:43:09] Heather Lewis: Oh yeah, that frustrates her.

[00:43:12] Lissa Slade: We’re the experts!

[00:43:14] Heather Lewis: I know!

[00:43:15] Lissa Slade: And you almost have to laugh because some clients—bless them—they think they know better than you.

But they don’t do this every day!

And nowadays, they’ve seen it on the internet, so they must be experts, right?

[00:43:50] AUDIO: Yeah.

[00:43:51] Heather Lewis: We see what’s actually out there. We know the comps.

Just listen to us!

[00:43:59] Tracy Hayes: So how do you handle that now?

Because this isn’t a one-time thing—it’s going to happen every so often.

How do you deal with that person who thinks they know more than you?

[00:44:13] Lissa Slade: I think that’s always evolving.

We’re constantly thinking about how to manage those situations.

And honestly, I love being part of a team because sometimes it’s like playing good cop, bad cop.

It helps to have someone alongside you who can reinforce what you’re saying.

But at the end of the day, all we can do is present the facts.

I recently had to say to a client, Look, this is what’s happening in the market. These are the facts. Let me know what you want to do.

They met me halfway, and I was happy with that.

[00:44:44] Tracy Hayes: Do you guys ever intentionally play the good cop, bad cop dynamic?

[00:44:48] Heather Lewis: We’re more good cop, good cop.

But one great thing about having a team is that sometimes, hearing something from a different person makes a difference.

People don’t always believe you the first time.

But if another trusted person explains it in a slightly different way, suddenly, they get it.

[00:45:11] Lissa Slade: Right?

[00:45:12] Heather Lewis: We all hear things differently.

And sometimes, personalities clash.

Most of our business is relationship-based—we’re working with people we already know.

But sometimes, we get a referral from someone we don’t know personally.

In those cases, having a second voice can help.

[00:45:29] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, I learned that early in sales.

I was in telecommunications 25 years ago, back when we were handing out cell phones like candy.

We’d be at county fairs, setting up booths, trying to get people to activate new phones.

And sometimes, you’d be talking to a potential customer, but you wouldn’t get the right read on them.

You weren’t sure if they were ready to say yes.

So, you’d step away, and another person would step in and simply ask, Are you ready to move forward?

And suddenly, the customer would go, Oh yeah, yeah, let’s do it.

Sometimes, they just need a push from someone else.

We called it the T.O.—turnover.

It’s just a different voice delivering the same message.

[00:46:34] Tracy Hayes: Heather, what’s something that gut-checked you?

Something that made you stop and question, Am I really meant for real estate?

[00:46:40] Heather Lewis: Okay, tell me.

[00:46:42] Tracy Hayes: Have you ever had a moment where you thought, Is real estate really for me?

[00:46:50] Heather Lewis: Of course!

[00:46:46] Heather Lewis: Everybody has.

Because there’s good and bad in this business.

You have great experiences, and you have some that aren’t so great.

[00:46:53] Tracy Hayes: Tell us about one of those—that’s what I’m talking about.

[00:46:56] Lissa Slade: Your first year back, you were frustrated.

That first year, she was pretty frustrated.

But she wanted to get back into it.

She knew she had missed some things over the two years she was gone.

And, I mean, we went through COVID—COVID changed everything in the industry.

But that first year back, she was willing.

And we know that it ended up working out really well.

She kind of just acted like an assistant at first—relearning everything. Not technically an assistant, but she was doing all the listing input, all the backend work.

At that point, we had three people on the team, and she had to start swinging the bat again.

And she did start swinging, but I remember—she was frustrated.

[00:47:36] Tracy Hayes: Because there’s always the comparison, right?

Why is it happening for them and not for me?

[00:47:38] Heather Lewis: Right.

[00:47:39] Lissa Slade: And a ton of people are way better at just keeping their head down and not comparing themselves.

[00:47:40] Heather Lewis: But…

[00:47:41] Lissa Slade: You pushed through that.

[00:47:43] Heather Lewis: I did.

[00:47:44] Lissa Slade: You pushed through that frustration.

And the next year, you had that $5 million sale! So, come on!

[00:47:47] Heather Lewis: Yeah, yeah.

I do think one of the greatest things about having a team—or even just a mentor—is that if I’m feeling a little down, she can pull me up.

And vice versa.

If one of us is facing a challenge, the other one can talk it through and help work through it.

[00:48:00] Tracy Hayes: That’s grit.

The fact that you persevered—you came back, even though you were frustrated, and you kept pushing forward.

That’s the important part.

All right, I want different answers for this next one.

What are you doing today, consistently, that’s helping move your business forward?

And I know it’s always evolving, because the market changes.

But what’s something that you do—daily, weekly, or monthly—that’s making a positive impact?

[00:48:44] Lissa Slade: For me, it’s organization.

100%—daily, weekly.

I’m a time-block girl.

It’s super important to me that everything is planned out and organized.

[00:48:55] Heather Lewis: I love her for that.

[00:48:58] Lissa Slade: She hates that, but I love her for it!

But organization—especially with all the industry changes in late 2023 and going into 2024—is critical.

If you don’t have an organizational system, I wonder what’s going to happen to your business.

Because that system can make or break you.

And I’m talking about everything—drop-bys, contacts, follow-ups, phone calls, coffee meetings.

[00:49:20] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, you can get lucky and just trudge through the business…

[00:49:28] Lissa Slade: You can get lucky!

[00:49:29] Tracy Hayes: …and make a decent living.

But what you’re doing takes it to the next level.

You can really scale your business by time-blocking and making sure you’re not skipping the little things.

Because a lot of agents—I don’t know if you’d agree—only think 30 to 90 days ahead.

[00:49:55] Lissa Slade: I’m so glad you brought that up.

Growth is huge for me.

And I know some people don’t like the word goals, so I’ll say growth instead.

Every year, we should be taking some risks and doing things differently.

That’s part of organization, too.

So this year, we brought in the big-ass calendar.

[00:50:13] Tracy Hayes: Yes, I’ve seen those!

[00:50:14] Lissa Slade: You know what I’m talking about—the giant wall calendar?

[00:50:18] Tracy Hayes: Yep!

[00:50:19] Lissa Slade: And now, the calendar is holding us accountable.

[00:50:22] Tracy Hayes: So, organization. You’ve got your big calendar, mapping out the entire year.

[00:50:26] Lissa Slade: Yep!

Thank you, Debbie Tufts—I have to give her credit.

I’m 11 years in, and I still watch her and take ideas from her.

I’ve always planned marketing, drop-bys, and follow-ups, but now, the calendar puts everything on the wall.

So we can visually check it off—January was awesome!

And Heather really wanted to work on organization last year.

So we made sure that in 2024, we’re staying on track and moving forward with the industry.

[00:51:01] Tracy Hayes: All right, Heather—what are you doing consistently?

[00:51:03] Heather Lewis: Well, the big-ass calendar!

And also, our marketing.

We do a content planner—Lissa and I both add to it, but she’s the driving force behind a lot of our organization.

And it’s really helped me be more mindful about what we’re marketing, how we’re presenting it, and how we’re engaging our clients.

And another thing we’re doing? More videos!

At listing presentations, open houses, broker opens—just putting ourselves out there.

[00:51:38] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:51:39] Heather Lewis: That’s been a big focus for us.

[00:51:40] Lissa Slade: It’s a huge goal for us this year—to do it together.

Because we have fun.

[00:51:47] Tracy Hayes: Well, that’s part of the deal.

If you’re not having fun, what’s the point?

That’s one of the great things about this industry—we can have fun.

We’re creating content, people are learning about us, and it’s all part of building relationships.

We can even take this podcast and put it on your YouTube page, so people can tag in and learn more about you.

All right, this is a new segment I’m adding to the show—starting today, episode #251.

Obviously, lending is what I do.

But real estate agents—you guys are pivotal.

Housing is such a critical part of the economy, and you are the connectors.

You’re the ones making things happen.

You’re referring clients—to lenders, to home inspectors, even to restaurants!

You’re like a concierge for your clients.

So let’s talk about that—when it comes to referring service providers, like lenders and inspectors, how do you handle that?

Because I’m sure you’ve had clients who want to go their own route, even when you’ve recommended someone you trust.

How do you manage that referral process?

[00:53:14] Heather Lewis: Choices.

[00:53:15] Tracy Hayes: Choices?

[00:53:16] Heather Lewis: Yep—choices.

[00:53:17] Tracy Hayes: Okay, tell me more.

[00:53:20] Heather Lewis: I actually learned this early on at Keller Williams.

Give them a couple of choices—your preferred inspectors, your…

[00:53:20] Heather Lewis: Preferred lenders, that type of thing.

And you ultimately let the client make the decision.

[00:53:30] Lissa Slade: And you have to be really careful.

I learn something new every transaction.

Last year, I had a learning moment—a situation came up, and even though I thought I was handling it correctly, a small problem happened.

So, I looked at it and thought, Okay, what do I need to do differently?

Because I thought I had covered myself, but maybe I need to put things in writing moving forward.

You want them to make the choice, because if something goes wrong—guess what?

You’re going to be in the middle of it.

[00:54:00] Tracy Hayes: Well, I’d argue that you’re in the middle no matter what happens.

[00:54:02] Lissa Slade: Yeah, you’re always in the middle.

[00:54:03] Tracy Hayes: Even if they pick their own lender or inspector.

[00:54:06] Lissa Slade: But when it implodes, you’re really in the middle.

[00:54:07] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:54:08] Lissa Slade: And when it’s a big implosion, that’s not good.

[00:54:11] Tracy Hayes: Right.

You’ve done enough transactions—give us an example of a situation that went wrong, whether it was with your referral or not.

For any consumers listening, how did you work with the lender or home inspector to fix the issue?

[00:54:28] Lissa Slade: Well, it’s really hard when they don’t even pick up the phone when things go sideways.

That was an eye-opener for me last year.

I was shocked.

I thought, Wait a minute—I’ve trusted these people for years.

So, I think you have to be really careful.

I’m learning to put everything in writing.

I mean, I’m pretty good about that already.

[00:54:40] Heather Lewis: Setting expectations.

[00:54:41] Lissa Slade: Exactly—setting expectations.

But after that experience, I sat down with my transaction coordinator and said, Okay, let’s tweak our process.

We now make sure that clients fully understand that they should review their options and make an informed choice.

Because even though I wasn’t blamed in that situation, the person wasn’t happy.

And I never want that.

[00:55:02] Tracy Hayes: What would make you, as a real estate agent, feel more comfortable making referrals?

What do you need from the lender, the inspector, whoever it is, to confidently recommend them?

[00:55:07] AUDIO: What…

[00:55:07] Tracy Hayes: What ammunition do you need?

Because you’re approached by all kinds of service providers—lenders, home inspectors, insurance agents.

It’s like referring a restaurant—you don’t just say, Go there! You say, I ate there last week, and the chowder was amazing.

So, when you recommend a lender or inspector, you’re endorsing them.

What do you need to feel confident in that recommendation?

[00:56:11] Heather Lewis: I think it’s just experience.

If we’ve had a good experience with a lender or an inspection company—if we’ve had great experiences with an insurance company or a title company—then we can confidently say, This has been our experience with them.

And hopefully, if something does go wrong, that relationship we’ve built means they’ll do their best to make it right.

[00:56:43] Tracy Hayes: Well, it starts with picking up the phone, right?

You just mentioned that earlier.

[00:56:47] Heather Lewis: Right.

[00:56:48] Tracy Hayes: If they don’t return calls, or they ghost you for three days…

[00:56:51] Lissa Slade: Exactly.

And these were people I knew—people I trusted.

It was disappointing.

But in business, you get disappointments, and you get learning moments.

I learned from that transaction.

Even though I wasn’t blamed, it still made me reevaluate things.

So, I went back and tweaked my language when making referrals.

Just yesterday, I was updating our recommendation list—adding disclaimers and clarifications—because the industry is changing.

[00:57:20] Tracy Hayes: When I look at agents’ numbers, I can see who they’re doing transactions with.

And I see a lot of top agents with a bunch of one-offs.

Like, they’ve only done one transaction with each lender—meaning there’s a disconnect.

They haven’t had 10 bad transactions, but they also haven’t built a consistent partnership.

[00:57:43] AUDIO: Right.

[00:57:44] Tracy Hayes: It’s about setting expectations.

Just like you set expectations with buyers and sellers, you need to do that with the lenders and inspectors you work with.

Because sometimes, it’s not even a bad experience—maybe the lender thought they did everything right but didn’t realize they dropped the ball somewhere.

If there’s no feedback loop, they won’t know what they need to fix.

[00:58:54] Lissa Slade: I was just about to say that!

We all make mistakes.

I’ve made them, and I’ve learned from them.

But you have to admit it and make it right.

[00:59:01] Heather Lewis: Yes!

Own it, fix it, move forward.

[00:59:04] Tracy Hayes: Exactly.

All right—put you on the spot question.

Whoever answers first wins.

What’s unique about The Lissa Slade Team?

Why should someone work with Lissa or Heather?

[00:59:20] Lissa Slade: Gosh, that’s a really…

[00:59:23] Tracy Hayes: It’s your elevator pitch!

Your 30-second chance to sell yourselves.

[00:59:28] Lissa Slade: Commitment to excellence.

We work hard.

We want our clients—whether they’re buying or selling—to know how hard we’re working for them.

This is a major decision in their lives.

Selling or buying a home is one of the biggest stressors people go through—right up there with marriage, job changes, and loss.

So, our commitment to excellence is what sets us apart.

[00:59:51] Heather Lewis: And to tag onto that—

For us, communication and processes are key.

One thing that first attracted me to Lissa when I joined Keller Williams—beyond our personal friendship—was her communication.

She keeps her clients so informed.

And I think a lot of agents assume, Oh, they don’t need to know that.

But in reality…

[01:00:17] Tracy Hayes: They do.

[01:00:18] Heather Lewis: And because this isn’t something that people do every day, they really don’t know.

So, just having that constant communication—I really learned to love that.

Even if you feel like you’re over-communicating, it sets their mind at ease.

[01:00:32] Lissa Slade: I definitely over-communicate, and I’m working on refining that.

[01:00:38] Tracy Hayes: Consolidate it a little bit?

[01:00:40] Lissa Slade: I don’t want to take it away because it’s what sets us apart.

But I’m trying to find the balance.

I’m a talker. I am a communicator.

[01:00:48] Tracy Hayes: With buyers, were you doing buyer broker agreements before?

[01:00:52] Lissa Slade: No.

[01:00:52] Tracy Hayes: Not at all? Okay, so this is all new.

A lot of agents are saying they’re actually making more money and getting better situations because of this time they now have to sit down and explain their value.

Now that you have to do it, how are you approaching it?

It gives you the chance to tell them why they should work with the Lissa Slade Team before showing them through your actions.

[01:01:31] Lissa Slade: Well, we have the book.

The listing box is so clear.

They know as soon as they open that box and look at that book—

[01:01:40] Tracy Hayes: This is something that Engel & Völkers provides?

[01:01:42] Lissa Slade: Yes! They have this box—we call it the box, the white box.

It’s very professional.

When Corey met with me about it, I was like, Okay, sign me up! Where do I sign?

Because it’s so professional.

It’s a book inside the box that lays everything out:

Who we are.

What we’re going to do for you.

What you can expect.

[01:01:58] Tracy Hayes: And it’s tailored to your branding?

[01:01:59] Lissa Slade: Yep! It’s got our bios, our accomplishments—

We always include our Jacksonville Business Journal results, our processes…

We tell them everything at that first meeting.

I think we’ve only lost two or three listings in all of our time.

[01:02:16] Tracy Hayes: Probably because someone came in with a super low commission offer.

[01:02:18] Lissa Slade: Exactly!

I mean, I can count on one hand how many listings we’ve lost.

So, I know that box sets us apart.

As for buyer broker agreements—we’re still learning.

Almost everyone we work with is a referral or a friend, so that part is extra hard for me.

[01:02:37] Tracy Hayes: Because you’re assuming the sale or assuming the relationship?

[01:02:40] Lissa Slade: Yes!

[01:02:46] Heather Lewis: There’s already a built-in trust.

[01:02:56] Tracy Hayes: Right, because your reputation has grown based on the service and value you’ve provided.

What’s your approach as listing agents when a potential buyer calls and asks, Has the seller set anything aside for buyer compensation?

Are you immediately transparent and say, Yes, they’ve set aside this much?

Or do you say, Make us an offer, and we’ll work from there?

[01:03:25] Lissa Slade: I’m not going to take a listing where they don’t compensate the buyer’s agent.

[01:03:32] Tracy Hayes: But when the buyer’s agent calls you—do you immediately disclose the compensation?

Or do you hold back and let the negotiations happen first?

[01:03:42] Lissa Slade: We disclose it immediately.

[01:03:43] Tracy Hayes: Okay.

[01:03:44] Lissa Slade: That’s what we’ve been instructed to do.

[01:03:59] Tracy Hayes: All right, last thing I want to cover—

You started a team fairly early.

Some people might even think prematurely, right?

You dove in.

Was that structured, or did you just fail forward?

[01:04:09] Lissa Slade: Absolutely failed forward.

I mean, I know my customers love me, but I’m sure there were people who questioned me pushing the envelope.

[01:04:20] Tracy Hayes: You were pushing it?

[01:04:21] Lissa Slade: Maybe.

But when I have a dream, I’m going to do it.

You’re not going to tell me no.

There were no options for me.

I had to take care of my kids, including my special needs son—there was no one else around to do it.

So I had to make it work.

And I know there were people who criticized me.

That’s okay.

They don’t live my life—I do.

[01:04:40] Tracy Hayes: Right.

Speaking to agents who are hitting their lid—that point where they’re selling six to nine million a year but are maxed out…

What’s your advice for them?

Should they hire a transaction coordinator? An assistant? Partner with another agent?

[01:05:37] Lissa Slade: TC was first for me.

Marketing person was second.

[01:05:42] Tracy Hayes: Did you hire a TC directly, or did you use a per-transaction service?

[01:05:49] Lissa Slade: Keller Williams had per-transaction TCs available back then, and I immediately took advantage of that.

They get paid at closing.

[01:06:02] Tracy Hayes: And then you hired a marketing person?

[01:06:04] Lissa Slade: Yes, very part-time at first—late 2015 or early 2016.

I had three different people from church who had marketing backgrounds, and they each helped out a little.

[01:06:27] Tracy Hayes: Because marketing for a single agent isn’t a full-time role, right?

[01:06:33] Lissa Slade: Exactly. One of them worked 10 hours a week, another did five.

[01:06:50] Tracy Hayes: What were they actually doing?

Because when people hear marketing, they think of everything—social media, billboards, print ads…

[01:06:58] Lissa Slade: They managed my social media, created posts for new listings, and handled graphics.

[01:07:12] Tracy Hayes: Were you using a CRM from day one?

[01:07:15] Lissa Slade: Oh yeah.

I’ve used a CRM since day one.

[01:08:10] Tracy Hayes: Are people actually opening your emails?

[01:08:15] Heather Lewis: We have good click rates.

[01:08:16] Lissa Slade: Really good.

Mine dropped a bit last year, but I think it was because I sent out so many broker open invites.

[01:09:02] Tracy Hayes: Debbie Tufts was saying her team monitors who opens emails.

If someone stops opening them, they call them.

They don’t let the connection die off.

[01:09:06] Heather Lewis: That’s smart.

[01:09:16] Tracy Hayes: Well, ladies, this was a jam-packed show!

I appreciate you coming on—I think our listeners got a lot from it.

And now they know a lot more about you.

We’ll cut some great reels from this.

[01:09:29] Heather Lewis: Thank you so much for having us!