Bailey Burnside: New Agent Capper

REE #231 Transcript

[00:00:00] Bailey Burnside: I'm not looking at another agent as my enemy. Like, I don't get that. We all have to be able to work together because, at some point, we're probably going to be on either end of the transaction together.

[00:00:09] Bailey Burnside: Yeah.

[00:00:10] Bailey Burnside: Let's be cordial.

[00:00:11] Bailey Burnside: Yeah.

[00:00:11] Bailey Burnside: Let me learn something from you. I guarantee I can learn something from every single agent I come across. Hey, welcome back to the Real Estate Excellence Podcast. Today, I have a recent capper. She is coming up on her two-year anniversary in real estate, so everything is fresh in her mind. For those looking to get into real estate or who just started, you need to tune in. She has the credentials to be a dental hygienist, but her life path has taken her to real estate.

[00:00:55] Tracy Hayes: She has recently capped as part of a real estate reality show, which we'll talk about. Her motto is "turning houses into homes." She is the agent that will provide a high-class, personalized, and professional experience for your home buying and selling needs. Let's welcome Bailey Burnside to the show.

[00:01:12] Bailey Burnside: Hello.

[00:01:13] Tracy Hayes: Thank you. Welcome to Real Estate Excellence. I'm glad you made it up today. I'm really curious because you're off to a great start in your career. You're coming up on that first renewal, your two-year anniversary, and where many have fallen out at this time. Statistically, it's roughly 80-something percent of those who got in at the same time as you aren't renewing with you.

[00:01:37] Tracy Hayes: I've seen it.

[00:01:38] Bailey Burnside: Yeah.

[00:01:38] Tracy Hayes: So we really want to reach out to those who are listening. Today is October 14th. Tomorrow, we have Ricky Caruth, and one of his passions is to reduce that number. He did coaching for like seven years, sharing his experience and helping other real estate agents. Hopefully, we'll do a little bit of that today with your quick success and capping in your first year. I imagine you're not thinking about doing anything else but real estate now.

[00:02:17] Bailey Burnside: Raising kids.

[00:02:19] Tracy Hayes: From that standpoint. Alright, I always want to kick off the show by mentioning Remy Graphics, who makes these laser-engraved mugs for me. They’ve got the show logo, Remy Graphics on the back, and they do personalized gifts. You can go to remygraphics.com if you're looking for unique closing gifts. Thank you, Remy Graphics.

[00:02:59] Tracy Hayes: So, where is Bailey from?

[00:03:00] Bailey Burnside: I am from Dallas, Texas. Born and raised.

[00:03:04] Tracy Hayes: Did you graduate high school there?

[00:03:05] Bailey Burnside: Yep. Graduated high school. Fun fact: before the dental field, I was in the entertainment industry. That’s what brought me to Florida. I got a record deal.

[00:03:14] Tracy Hayes: Oh really?

[00:03:14] Bailey Burnside: And then, after 21 years in the entertainment industry, I realized it wasn’t what it used to be.

[00:03:23] Tracy Hayes: So, you started at a very young age?

[00:03:26] Bailey Burnside: My dad was in the entertainment industry as well.

[00:03:31] Tracy Hayes: Acting or singing?

[00:03:35] Bailey Burnside: I did some modeling, but I stopped growing, so modeling was kind of out of the picture.

[00:03:39] Tracy Hayes: So, what brought you to Florida? A lot of people would assume Disney. Was it something like that?

[00:03:46] Bailey Burnside: There’s a documentary on Netflix called This Is Pop, and one episode talks about Sheeran, the label where the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and Britney Spears started. They were bringing it back a decade ago with some of the same names from the '90s. I got signed to Sheeran, and they brought me out from Dallas to Orlando.

[00:04:24] Tracy Hayes: So, when that came to a close, did you decide to go to school or...?

[00:04:30] Bailey Burnside: I had gone to school prior. I graduated high school a year early, did my junior and senior year together. After that, I went to the University of New Mexico for a semester, then moved back home to community college. I’m one credit shy of my degree.

[00:04:47] Tracy Hayes: One class away? That’s crazy! Should’ve finished?

[00:04:57] Bailey Burnside: Definitely should’ve.

[00:04:57] Tracy Hayes: Was there any family connection to the dental field?

[00:05:02] Bailey Burnside: No. Honestly, I’m a jack of all trades, master of none. My high school sweetheart’s aunt was a pediatric dentist, and she needed a new assistant. I was like, “What’s the pay?” She trained me from zero knowledge. I worked with her for a year, then quit and moved to Florida.

[00:05:29] Tracy Hayes: Did you get certified for that?

[00:05:30] Bailey Burnside: Yes, I was certified.

[00:05:39] Tracy Hayes: I noticed on your LinkedIn you had experience with Bo Coop Homes and Spirit of America Productions. And then, there’s Central Florida Jet Ski and Marine. Is that something you and your husband did?

[00:05:57] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, Bo Coop was a boutique in Dallas, my very first job. Spirit of America—I was a personal assistant, which I loved. And yeah, we owned a jet ski company in Florida.

[00:06:14] Tracy Hayes: But I didn’t see the entertainment part on your LinkedIn. You’ve left that off?

[00:06:15] Bailey Burnside: A little bit. I probably should add some of that now, but I didn’t want it to play into my professional career. There are so many thoughts behind that, like, “Oh, she was in the entertainment industry.”

[00:06:41] Tracy Hayes: The entertainment industry is tough. You have to deal with some characters trying to take advantage. Was your dad involved in that side of things?

[00:06:55] Bailey Burnside: My dad was a radio DJ and TV personality in Dallas.

[00:07:29] Tracy Hayes: Looking back at your experiences, what are a few things that have carried over to real estate?

[00:07:35] Bailey Burnside: Definitely dealing with people. Every person is different, and that’s a daily reality in real estate.

[00:07:55] Tracy Hayes: That’s relatable to a dental office too—getting up close and personal with clients, asking personal questions. In real estate, you’re asking financial questions to make sure they’re in a position to buy.

[00:12:00] Bailey Burnside: Exactly. It’s about ensuring they comprehend the process of buying or selling.

[00:14:47] Tracy Hayes: Most people have no clue about the home-buying process.

[00:14:57] Bailey Burnside: I didn’t know anything when my husband and I bought our house years ago. I’ve learned so much since then.

[00:15:37] Tracy Hayes: And I imagine you’re constantly evolving, learning with each transaction.

[00:15:43] Bailey Burnside: Absolutely. Every woman in my family, except my sister, is a realtor. So, I grew up around it—I just wasn’t paying attention at the time.

[00:15:59] Tracy Hayes: So real estate is in your blood!

[00:18:16] Tracy Hayes: I saw you passed your test. Yeah, exactly.
[00:18:19] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, I called, talked to them, and told them I probably wouldn’t sign with them because I was leaning towards working with my mother-in-law. But I hadn’t met with any other brokerage yet. So I went in to meet with them, and Brandy wasn’t part of that meeting. There were two other people. By the end of it, I was like, "Oh no, now I’m in a dilemma."
[00:18:41] Bailey Burnside: Now I have to tell my mother-in-law that I’m not going to work with her. And I was like, "I’m in a dilemma. How do I tell my husband I’m not going to sign with his mother?" It was stressful.
[00:18:52] Tracy Hayes: Let's dig into that a little more. Now that you’re two years past that, I’m going to guess, and correct me if I’m wrong, your mother-in-law's brokerage isn’t an incubator for new agents, right?
[00:19:10] Bailey Burnside: You’re correct. I didn’t realize the importance of that at the time. I didn’t know the value of being at a brokerage where you’re essentially thrown into the deep end to learn. DJ & Lindsey was a phenomenal starting point for me, personally.
[00:19:32] Bailey Burnside: They covered everything. You had mentors, leadership, and you could talk to someone about anything at any time. I can’t tell you how many phone calls I was on with customers where a mentor was standing in front of me, guiding me through the conversation.
[00:19:51] Tracy Hayes: That’s what we used to do at Quicken Loans when talking to people about refinancing. We’d have someone listening in, not on a three-way call, but just giving us guidance.
[00:20:02] Bailey Burnside: It was so beneficial for a new agent. I haven’t been with that brokerage for over a year, so I’m not sure if things have changed, but I assume probably not.
[00:20:12] Tracy Hayes: I imagine they still have strong support for new agents. Brandy’s been on the show, and they’re evolving. They realize the importance of retaining people long-term, especially with the investment they make in you upfront—buying leads, providing training, and having staff on hand.
[00:20:31] Bailey Burnside: Exactly. The training was exceptional. My mom has been in real estate for over 20 years, and within my first six months at DJ & Lindsey, she told me, “Bailey, you’ve experienced more in six months than I did in my first 10 years.”
[00:20:57] Bailey Burnside: A lot of it comes down to how much you hustle. DJ & Lindsey expects you to put in the work—making phone calls, talking to people, and staying on top of tasks.
[00:21:10] Tracy Hayes: It sounds like you benefited from that and started seeing paychecks pretty quickly.
[00:21:15] Bailey Burnside: Yes. I had my first transaction under contract with a buyer two months in. I did over $10 million in volume my first year in real estate.
[00:21:27] Tracy Hayes: And you’re not even from St. Augustine, so you didn’t have a big warm circle of people to rely on.
[00:21:35] Bailey Burnside: Exactly. My first listing was one of my husband's new construction homes. DJ & Lindsey starts you on the buy-side, and you have to reach a certain point before you can join the listing team. But thanks to my husband, I got to list one of his homes, which allowed me to join the listing team much quicker than most agents.

[00:21:59] Tracy Hayes: I agree with you. I’m a fan of how they run their business. They’ve really got it down to a science.
[00:22:09] Bailey Burnside: Absolutely.
[00:22:09] Tracy Hayes: They keep evolving, like Quicken Loans did. When I started there, they mainly did refinances until they realized they needed to diversify into purchases. They always focused on mastering what they were doing, which I admire.

[00:22:33] Tracy Hayes: The importance of getting at-bats, as I call it, is crucial. Your mother-in-law said you learned so much in six months versus her 10 years. Explain the importance of actually doing the work.
[00:23:28] Bailey Burnside: DJ & Lindsey really does throw you in with the sharks, but they’re there to help. They require you to submit your offers for review, which is smart. Now, if I had to do that, I’d be pulling my hair out. But back then, they would point out what I missed, and I learned from that. Now I can write a killer offer, but back then, I was clueless.

[00:24:17] Tracy Hayes: That's interesting. So you were learning in real time because they were catching your mistakes. With the new NAR requirements, if you don’t word things correctly, you might find out weeks later that you didn’t ask for the buyer’s comp.
[00:25:03] Bailey Burnside: Exactly. A couple of months ago, I had a closing that took four hours because I made a mistake. I wrote “seller to cover buyer's closing costs and rate buy-down,” but I didn’t specify prepaids. The buyers had to bring an additional $300 to close. Had I written prepaids in, it would’ve been a done deal.

[00:26:08] Tracy Hayes: That’s interesting. Who caught that mistake?
[00:26:20] Bailey Burnside: I did, at the closing table.
[00:26:21] Tracy Hayes: You caught it when you saw the ALTA statement?
[00:26:29] Bailey Burnside: Yes, I realized prepaids were missing when I reviewed it with the title agent.
[00:26:39] Tracy Hayes: Builders often play hardball like that. It amazes me. Instead of being understanding, they could’ve said, “Hey Bailey, we’ll cover you this time. Just bring us another client next time.”
[00:27:23] Bailey Burnside: Exactly. But instead, it was a nightmare from start to finish.
[00:27:36] Tracy Hayes: You managed to hold it together.
[00:27:38] Bailey Burnside: Yes, but it was tough.

[00:28:00] Tracy Hayes: Builders used to not even want to talk to agents, and now they’re sponsoring events and hosting you at their models. It blows my mind how things have changed.
[00:28:23] Bailey Burnside: Right, but that experience was so bad that I probably won’t work with them again.
[00:28:26] Tracy Hayes: I don’t blame you. It’s incredible that some agents are already warning others about them.

[00:29:16] Tracy Hayes: Have you realized the importance of focusing on the client in front of you? Whether they refer someone next week or in five years, it’s essential to provide high-level service.
[00:29:26] Bailey Burnside: Absolutely. I have a listing in Palm Coast, and the seller is a mortgage broker from Ohio. He told me, "I’ve never had a realtor handle things like you do." I even went and pressure-washed his front porch. I go the extra mile because it’s their property, but also because I’m representing them.

[00:30:00] Tracy Hayes: In a large office, you always have a few agents who do things like take photos with their cell phones. But taking the time to pressure wash, rearrange, and re-shoot photos—those little things set you apart.
[00:30:51] Bailey Burnside: Exactly. Being a listing agent is harder than being a buyer’s agent because the property has to be maintained. With my Palm Coast listing, the seller is out of state, so I have to make sure everything is in order. We had photos done, but I went back to clean and retake some. It’s not cheap, but I’ll do it because it’s the right thing to do.

[00:31:56] Tracy Hayes: That’s what separates great agents from those who are struggling. It’s not rocket science. It’s about wowing your clients and doing things that make a lasting impression.
[00:32:15] Bailey Burnside: Absolutely.

[00:34:28] Bailey Burnside: I want to say I went through it fully like three times in a row. I read it word for word, every single page. So, I did the same thing with the new documents because that’s ingrained in me now. Like, if I’m going to understand something, if I’m having somebody sign something, I need to understand it.

[00:34:47] Bailey Burnside: If I’m just like, "Oh, it’s just another real estate document," and I don’t know what’s in it...

[00:34:51] Tracy Hayes: Or the fact that, you know, everyone’s told, "Hey, take the contract class. Take it several times. Know how to read it upside down," that kind of thing. You hear people telling you that, but—

[00:35:00] Bailey Burnside: Yeah—

[00:35:01] Tracy Hayes: You don’t realize how important it is until you’re actually doing it enough times.

[00:35:05] Bailey Burnside: Right. Then you have a customer that’s like, "Hey, it says this here." And I’m like, "It does?" I don’t want to be in that situation. I want to know exactly what they’re talking about.

[00:35:14] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:35:14] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, yeah. So that was something I carried over from them. I think they trained us really well.

[00:35:19] Bailey Burnside: They train their agents really well to get past objections, any objection at all. Sometimes, I’ll think, "Man, what would DJ do? What would Lindsay do? What would Brittany do?" I’m still new, so I don’t always have that grit to me. They’re not afraid to put a customer in their place, whereas I still kind of am. I never want to be seen as disrespectful. That’s a huge fear of mine. I want everyone to know I respect them.

[00:35:55] Bailey Burnside: But now, I’m having to be much more direct and forward with certain customers, and that’s been hard. That’s something they instilled in me—like, "Okay, I’ve got to use this. They want it sold, we’ve got to get it sold."

[00:36:12] Tracy Hayes: Well, I mean, right now, you’ve probably experienced this a lot in the last year. Holding deals together, the negotiations, picky sellers, and you're trying to mediate between two parties. Hopefully, you have an agent on the other side that’s cooperating. But there comes a point where it’s like, "Hey, dude, you’re arguing over $500 on a $500,000 home. Are you really ready to walk away from this? This is everything you wanted, in the neighborhood, the right bedroom count." Sometimes, you just gotta—

[00:36:44] Bailey Burnside: Yeah.

[00:36:45] Tracy Hayes: Reality check.

[00:36:47] Bailey Burnside: I’ll never forget Brittany saying, when I was at DJ and Lindsay’s, "Are they willing to walk away from this deal over $1,000?" That stuck with me. Things like that, I’ve never forgotten. And I’ll say it to a customer, like, "This is $1,000. It’s a lot of money, I get it, but in the grand scheme, you’re purchasing a $349,000 house. They want $350,000. Pay the extra thousand and get your dream."

[00:37:14] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, check the egos at the door. Right now, there are a lot of egos—buyers, sellers. And then, hopefully, you don’t have an agent on the other side with an ego, because that can make a transaction even more difficult.

[00:37:31] Tracy Hayes: So, you’re reaching a level now—you’re getting busy. You’re already over $9 million for the year so far. You’re trending toward what, $11, $12 million? It’s October, almost November, and you have eight pending transactions right now.

[00:37:50] Tracy Hayes: Wow, girl, you’re on fire! So, what are you doing to take some of the load off? I imagine you’ve had a sit-down with Russell. What are you doing?

[00:38:01] Bailey Burnside: At this point, I am at maximum capacity. Yes, you’re right. I’ve considered a transaction coordinator. Honestly, full transparency, I need to go sit down with Russell. I haven’t yet—I’ve just been so busy all year.

[00:38:14] Tracy Hayes: Hi, Russell!

[00:38:17] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, I do need to sit down with him for sure. My busyness picked up over the last two or three months, so I’ve been steadily busy. It’s not just like a transaction every couple of months. A transaction coordinator would probably be great. At DJ and Lindsay’s, I had a transaction coordinator for every deal, so coming to Keller and handling every single aspect of a transaction was a culture shock. But now I know how to do it, and I’m fine with delegating.

[00:39:00] Bailey Burnside: I’ve also considered bringing on a buyer’s agent, but...

[00:39:02] Tracy Hayes: I’m not a fan of that, but go ahead.

[00:39:05] Bailey Burnside: Oh, okay...

[00:39:05] Tracy Hayes: Well, having interviewed 200-plus top people in town... Melissa Ricks, for instance. She had a staff to take care of all that other stuff, so she was able to focus on being front-facing. I think you need to be the entertainer, showing houses, doing buyer and seller consultations. You don’t need to be bogged down by the other tasks. You’re the face of the business.

[00:39:58] Bailey Burnside: Russell, if you’re watching, find me an executive assistant!

[00:40:00] Tracy Hayes: Well, there are transaction coordinators that are pay-for-play—you don’t have to put them on salary.

[00:40:57] Tracy Hayes: Do you want to train someone or bring on people? Sharing commissions can set up a situation where someone doesn’t pull their weight.

[00:41:44] Bailey Burnside: You’re not wrong. That’s my worst fear.

[00:41:49] Tracy Hayes: And hiring a friend? Not a great idea.

[00:41:49] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, I don’t think I would ever hire a friend to join my team.

[00:42:06] Tracy Hayes: The mix of friendship and business can lead to issues. You’re still in an amazing learning stage, taking everything in so rapidly that trying to teach or manage someone else might take away from your energy.

[00:42:19] Bailey Burnside: That’s true.

[00:42:20] Tracy Hayes: What are two or three things you would have done differently? Any failures, or something you wouldn’t do again?

[00:42:28] Bailey Burnside: There are probably two customers I just so badly wanted to work with. One was my very first million-dollar buyer. I wanted that sale so bad.

[00:42:50] Bailey Burnside: It was like month six or seven of real estate. I was so excited. Now, I would’ve told those people to go kick rocks. They were so difficult.

[00:43:19] Tracy Hayes: Were they just draining you?

[00:43:29] Bailey Burnside: Absolutely. They were buyers, selling in another state, and would text me at 10 or 11 at night asking my opinion on things unrelated to our transaction.

[00:44:18] Tracy Hayes: You’d fire them today.

[00:44:19] Bailey Burnside: Oh yeah. I’d probably show them some homes and then tell them to find another agent. Or refer them to someone else.

[00:44:35] Bailey Burnside: They cost me over $2,500 because I spent my own money to keep them happy—ordering custom curtains, paying for junk hauling, deep cleaning...

[00:45:11] Tracy Hayes: Wow. And these people walked out of a million-dollar home without cleaning?

[00:45:19] Bailey Burnside: Per Florida contract, the house only has to be broom-swept. It wasn’t dirty, but it wasn’t to their standards.

[00:46:00] Tracy Hayes: That’s why it’s so important for agents to have a cleaning crew ready.

[00:46:34] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, I always pay for move-out cleaning for my sellers or buyers. It’s part of my closing gift.

[00:46:54] Tracy Hayes: It would be more advantageous to include professional cleaning as part of your listing package, especially in the luxury market.

[00:49:46] Bailey Burnside: Yes, yeah. And like, I don't know, it just bothers me.

[00:49:50] Bailey Burnside: Like, people are paying for the service that you're going to provide.

[00:49:55] Bailey Burnside: And the expertise, not just the service, but the knowledge.

[00:49:57] Tracy Hayes: So, like you said, you're absorbing everything at a high level right now. Right in the middle of this, we have settlement. Now you've got to go out and do the buyer-broker agreement.

[00:50:05] Tracy Hayes: You actually have to do a lot of little selling, but you also have to show your value a little more. Think about what you were doing in January or February and how those presentations—listing or buying—are going now. Tell us what you're doing differently.

[00:50:21] Tracy Hayes: And I imagine you're evolving every time you sit down. You think, "Oh, I should mention this next time," right?

[00:50:27] Bailey Burnside: I don't know how the majority of other agents are doing the agreement, but specifically for the properties I’m set to show, I do it for a three-month timeline. I don't want to lock in a buyer if we're not going to mesh. If you don’t like me...

[00:50:44] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:50:44] Bailey Burnside: ...or if I’m not your favorite, and I’m not dying to work with you. I'll work with anyone, but if we're not meshing, I don’t want you to feel like we have to continue the transaction. We don’t.

[00:50:58] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:50:59] Bailey Burnside: So, I don’t like holding people to a tight timeframe. I’m not going to have you for a year or six months—three months max, two months, really.

[00:51:07] Tracy Hayes: So, are you going for the full agreement? Or are you doing, as David Heaton calls it, the "dating" approach, like, "Hey, I’m going to show you these two houses this weekend"?

[00:51:16] Bailey Burnside: I do that. I’ll talk about the houses we’re going to see. We’ll see two or three houses, but I don’t get the documents signed until the day before, maybe the morning of. I just explain to them, "Hey, you know, it’s a thing."

[00:51:32] Tracy Hayes: The whole thing?

[00:51:32] Bailey Burnside: Yeah. I had someone ask me why they had to sign it when all I’m doing is just getting them into the house.

[00:51:41] Tracy Hayes: Well, that leads into my next question. What are some things you're talking about now with clients? You know, like photos, cleaning the house—things that they don't see below the surface. That question probably made you explain a lot to them, right? What other things are you doing that they don’t notice?

[00:52:00] Tracy Hayes: Have you been taking more time to explain that? Ronald Russell mentioned that there are like 180 things on a list that agents do.

[00:52:18] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, like a services list. I’m basically trying to be an advocate for them, ensuring they’re not being taken advantage of, not signing incorrect documents, or getting bad information. You know, it’s not hard for a seller to lie.

[00:52:37] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:52:37] Bailey Burnside: And buyers can lie too, but sellers especially.

[00:52:39] Tracy Hayes: There’s no seller who tells you every single thing, no matter how small it may be.

[00:52:47] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:52:48] Bailey Burnside: Exactly. I had a buyer who said, "You’re just opening doors for me," but while we were at a showing, there was a patio, like a lanai or pergola attached to the house, and I told him, "Hey, let’s see if it’s permitted." He was shocked that I knew it needed a permit and could look it up right there.

[00:53:30] Bailey Burnside: I said, "See? I’m not just opening doors."

[00:53:34] Tracy Hayes: You’re fresh and bringing in all this stuff. People from out of state, especially New Yorkers, find the process here way more efficient, but then they realize things like tax stamps and insurance tricks.

[00:53:57] Bailey Burnside: We have a mandatory flood document that has to be signed now.

[00:54:00] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, that started October 1st, right? You should be getting the flood insurance policy from the seller because if you assume it, there are discounts. You could save thousands by assuming the policy instead of getting a new one.

[00:54:17] Tracy Hayes: And your insurance agent can look at the coverage. It’s important to have an insurance person in your back pocket, especially for out-of-state clients who don’t know Florida’s insurance market.

[00:54:32] Tracy Hayes: They might think, "Oh, I just need a homeowner's policy," but it’s much more complicated now.

[00:54:53] Tracy Hayes: Have you dealt with anything like that in areas like the beaches or the shores where it floods?

[00:55:10] Tracy Hayes: There’s a look-back period for claims on flood-prone houses. If there have been too many claims, you can’t make another one, even if it’s something unrelated like a roof repair.

[00:55:18] Bailey Burnside: Right, like hurricanes.

[00:55:20] Tracy Hayes: Exactly. And now they want you to raise the elevation and make other expensive changes.

[00:55:41] Bailey Burnside: There’s a reason I picked real estate, not insurance.

[00:55:46] Tracy Hayes: Right. Which one’s easier?

[00:55:54] Bailey Burnside: I don’t think it’s easier. It’s just about how people’s brains work. I’m not doing mortgage numbers or homeowner’s insurance. I’m just not good at it.

[00:56:11] Tracy Hayes: Where’s your business coming from today? You said you have eight clients. Where did some of those come from?

[00:56:15] Bailey Burnside: Honestly, referrals. I closed over 27 transactions last year, over $10 million in volume, and a lot of those clients have referred me to others. Also, my husband builds houses, which helps.

[00:56:35] Tracy Hayes: What percentage of your business comes from him?

[00:56:41] Bailey Burnside: About 25%.

[00:56:42] Tracy Hayes: So, 25% from him, and what about the rest?

[00:56:48] Bailey Burnside: Another 25% is new clients, and the other 50% is referrals.

[00:57:00] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, and some of those referrals come from agents who aren’t practicing anymore.

[00:57:29] Tracy Hayes: Interesting. Another area for agents to focus on is interacting with other agents at trainings or socials. Do you think that’s helped you?

[00:58:00] Bailey Burnside: Oh, for sure. There are a lot of houses, agents, and customers. I don’t view other agents as a threat. We all have our own niche and circles. I’ll be friends with anyone—agents aren’t my enemies. We all have to work together because we’ll be on either side of a transaction at some point.

[00:58:34] Bailey Burnside: Let’s be cordial. Let me learn something from you. I guarantee I can learn from every agent I meet.

[00:58:49] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, collaboration is key. You’re going to work with them eventually, so it’s better to collaborate than compete.

[00:59:12] Tracy Hayes: The settlement documents are actually just cheat sheets for explaining your value. They hold agents accountable and force us to explain what we do.

[00:59:40] Bailey Burnside: There's no more lazy real estate. I think some agents used to just skate by, very lazy.

[01:00:00] Tracy Hayes: Right, like the cell phone pictures and not doing anything extra. It’ll be clear who put in the effort as the market changes.

[01:00:22] Tracy Hayes: Are you noticing multiple offers on really good homes, maybe not like in

[01:02:42] Bailey Burnside: Freak.
[01:02:42] Bailey Burnside: So, like, and I kind of want that too. I even said that sometimes people buying homes...
[01:02:46] Tracy Hayes: Especially a new family, maybe they just got their first home.
[01:02:49] Tracy Hayes: They may have just had their first kid, now they're ready to get their first dog, right?
[01:02:52] Bailey Burnside: Best dogs ever. So, I told you, I want that to start being part of my image per se. I’m going through like a marketing revamp right now. But yeah, I mean, I definitely need to do like...
[01:03:05] Bailey Burnside: A day every week for social media.
[01:03:09] Bailey Burnside: There are definitely things I need to get better at.
[01:03:10] Bailey Burnside: YouTube channel...
[01:03:11] Bailey Burnside: I didn’t even look. I do, but there’s nothing on it. Like, I have a YouTube channel, but I haven’t posted anything. There are tons of private videos, like virtual walkthroughs, that you can only access with a link.
[01:03:22] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, so I think that's one of...
[01:03:24] Tracy Hayes: There are two places I think are the easiest to get the greatest impact. You're not the only agent I lecture on this: one is having your LinkedIn squared away. You're not too far off. I would add your entertainment stuff.
[01:03:38] Tracy Hayes: You could brush that up. LinkedIn feels static, but it's there. Right now, if you want to post on LinkedIn, there are people who post their listings there. I would definitely post my luxury stuff because people think LinkedIn is for the executive market, right?
[01:03:55] Tracy Hayes: But you're shooting videos; you look great in your videos. Watching your Instagram stuff makes you look shorter...
[01:04:02] Bailey Burnside: Well, when you...
[01:04:06] Tracy Hayes: When you walked in today, I was like, “Oh, you're about six inches taller than I thought!”
[01:04:09] Bailey Burnside: The heels.
[01:04:11] Tracy Hayes: But you're already shooting the videos for the houses. You just have to think about tagging them and using a little Canva. But I think the most effective videos—talk to people who are killing it, like the Gallup group up there.
[01:04:25] Tracy Hayes: They're big YouTubers.
[01:04:26] Bailey Burnside: YouTube is huge.
[01:04:29] Tracy Hayes: Your face in the thumbnails, and the fact that people search for houses on Zillow, and they see your video pop up, helps. You're already building that relationship. Like this guy in Palm Coast—where does he live?
[01:04:55] Bailey Burnside: Ohio.
[01:04:56] Tracy Hayes: Have you met him in person?
[01:04:59] Bailey Burnside: One time. Yeah, just once.
[01:05:00] Tracy Hayes: But people moving down here, they see you and build that connection. So, when they meet you, it's huge.
[01:05:10] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, I agree.
[01:05:10] Tracy Hayes: I'll give you all the assets from this, so you can cut more reels. Another underutilized asset.
[01:05:17] Tracy Hayes: Yeah. The comments you make here about how you serve your clients are great for your website. People open a website, and they see a video.
[01:05:28] Bailey Burnside: They’re going to click it.
[01:05:30] Tracy Hayes: They want to hear someone talk, move...
[01:05:32] Bailey Burnside: Especially if it's their face on their website, my face on mine, yeah, I want to know what the video is about.
[01:05:37] Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Sure. So, I'll give you these assets, and I know some video professionals who manage YouTube for you.
[01:05:46] Tracy Hayes: Are you having someone shoot your videos?
[01:05:50] Bailey Burnside: I have someone sometimes. Other times, I just drag my husband around.
[01:05:53] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.
[01:05:54] Bailey Burnside: It’s easy.
[01:05:57] Tracy Hayes: And free.
[01:06:00] Bailey Burnside: But, like the video I made for the reality show—I did all of it myself. It took five hours, but it looks great, and I actually enjoy doing it. But should I be spending my time on those things? Probably not.
[01:06:19] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, I get it.
[01:06:21] Bailey Burnside: But I need to get better at delegating tasks.
[01:06:29] Tracy Hayes: Your entertainment and acting background—it gives you an advantage.
[01:06:30] Bailey Burnside: I need to get better at it.
[01:06:37] Tracy Hayes: There are a few people, like Josh Rogers, who are always shooting videos and putting out education.
[01:06:52] Tracy Hayes: The Gallup group has a media background, and their videos get tens of thousands of views and referrals.
[01:07:00] Tracy Hayes: Downtown St. Augustine is your home turf. You could be down there talking about it all the time. People are Googling.
[01:07:07] Bailey Burnside: It’s interesting because there are tons of St. Augustine Instagrams...
[01:07:12] Bailey Burnside: But how many YouTube videos are there that are genuine? You know, showing what it actually looks like, not just drone shots.
[01:07:19] Tracy Hayes: Josh is consistent, and that's key. The Gallup group likes shooting videos, so they’re consistent.
[01:07:28] Tracy Hayes: A lot of people start and stop—like with podcasting.
[01:07:36] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, six is the magic number.
[01:07:47] Tracy Hayes: I hired a coach before I started mine, and it’s paid off. It's connected me with a lot of people.
[01:08:06] Tracy Hayes: You have to be consistent. YouTube is totally underutilized.
[01:08:27] Tracy Hayes: Videos that pop up when someone searches are those that people are watching—not necessarily today, but recently.
[01:09:06] Bailey Burnside: Let’s finish up.
[01:09:08] Tracy Hayes: Here’s a tough question: What three things must real estate agents be doing right now in their business, in the current market? You're obviously doing something right.
[01:09:19] Bailey Burnside: Number one: Transparency. Just be transparent with every party you're working with. I’m very transparent with every customer. It’s different depending on who the customer is, but I’m an open book. You ask me a question, I’ll give you the answer. If I don’t know, I’ll find out.
[01:09:46] Bailey Burnside: That’s what I mean by transparency—giving them every single piece of information they ask for.
[01:09:48] Tracy Hayes: So, transparency means keeping them updated, like saying, “I’ve done this for you today”?
[01:09:55] Bailey Burnside: Correct. Or, like with an offer, being honest that the seller won’t take it if it's 30K under asking.
[01:10:03] Bailey Burnside: People don’t always like that, but I tell everyone upfront—I’m blunt.
[01:10:14] Tracy Hayes: They might not even respond.
[01:10:16] Bailey Burnside: Right. But I tell them, “I’m blunt, I’m honest.”
[01:10:23] Tracy Hayes: So, you're transparent with your clients from the start?
[01:10:26] Bailey Burnside: Yes, completely transparent.
[01:10:36] Bailey Burnside: I mean, I’ll tell you if you’re 30K under, there's a chance the seller won’t accept. But if that’s what you want to offer, let’s do it.
[01:10:44] Tracy Hayes: What’s number two?
[01:10:53] Bailey Burnside: Be yourself. Be authentic. I mean, it took me a while to figure that out. I started out trying to be what I thought a realtor should be. You know, very serious, not saying “like” too much, things like that. But once I started to be myself, that's when my business really took off.
[01:11:14] Bailey Burnside: I have pink business cards because I love pink. I have a pink phone case because I love pink.
[01:11:21] Bailey Burnside: Just do what feels authentic to you, and the clients who appreciate that will come.
[01:11:30] Tracy Hayes: That’s a great one.
[01:11:36] Bailey Burnside: It really works.
[01:11:43] Bailey Burnside: What’s the third thing? Oh, you have to give me a second here.
[01:11:47] Tracy Hayes: You’ve got two solid ones.
[01:11:52] Bailey Burnside: Number three? Oh, um... How do I say this? Be resourceful.
[01:12:01] Tracy Hayes: Resourceful?
[01:12:02] Bailey Burnside: Yeah, like knowing what tools and resources are available to you.
[01:12:07] Bailey Burnside: That could mean taking advantage of continuing education, keeping up with market trends, learning new strategies—whatever.
[01:12:18] Tracy Hayes: So, the third one is to keep learning and improving.
[01:12:20] Bailey Burnside: Yes, exactly. There’s always more to learn. The market is constantly changing, and if you’re not staying on top of it, you’re falling behind.