Erika Elliott and Dawna Cantway: Daughter-Mother Owner Brokers

REE#200
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Tracy Hayes: [00:00:00] I have a daughter and mom team that are running a successful boutique brokerage. Mom is a broker owner. She has been licensed real estate and also a licensed real estate instructor with over 20 years experience. She has experience in designing home with builders, home renovations, interior design, grandma to 11.

Tracy Hayes: Is it still 11? No, way more than that. Oh, no, that's an old one. We gotta update that bio. We gotta update that. The daughter finally decided to follow her mom's lead in real estate and is the managing broker. Her success comes from years of combined experience being a professional, proactive agent and problem solver.

Tracy Hayes: Let's welcome the leadership of the Florida Choice Realty mom to the stage. Broker owner Donna Cantway and the daughter managing broker, Erica Elliott to the show. All right, sorry about all that pregame and hopefully we sound good, uh, good enough for our fans anyway, they love us either way, but welcome to the show.

Tracy Hayes: Um, and I'm looking forward to getting, getting to know you guys and hopefully, uh, you know, your friends and family obviously going to see this, but this is going to be out there for all of you. [00:01:00] Uh, you know, in pod, in podcast world, but also in YouTube world. So they pull up Florida tourist reality or you guys individually, this is going to come up.

Tracy Hayes: So if, you know, as I always tell her, there's any good, good stories, just go on and tell them because your fans want to hear it. And hopefully when anyone listens to it, whether it's tomorrow or three years from now, they know something about you guys, uh, whether you're recruiting a new agent, we were just talking about, or our customer just wants to get to know you.

Tracy Hayes: So, um, but I do want to start off. Uh, the show here and, uh, point out, if you got, do you have your gift bag there? Yeah. In front of you? You will pull the mug out of there for me. 

Erika Elliot: Okay. 

Tracy Hayes: Um. We were 

Erika Elliot: told we get to fight over it. You get, you're told. This one? 

Tracy Hayes: That one right there. Yep. Nice. You can pull it closer to the camera for me.

Tracy Hayes: Uh, we were sponsored, you can turn it around. Uh, Remy Graphics, right, right in Nassau County in Fernandina, um, she is there and our co sponsor. She has made these beautiful mugs for me to hand out to our customers and, uh, she's on short term, um, and has no minimum. So if you want to order a quick mug for your, your, your, uh, [00:02:00] customers who are closing and put their names on it, uh, so they never forget it, of course, put your name on the back so they never forget you.

Tracy Hayes: Remi Graphics right there. So they're 

Erika Elliot: beautiful. Dunya. 

Tracy Hayes: Dunya Taylor with Remi Graphics. Reach out to her and Remi Graphics on Instagram and Facebook. So, but thank you Dunya for making those beautiful mugs. So ladies, I'm gonna start off. We'll start off with mom. Okay. So I always balance back and forth. So We'll give everyone, try to give everyone equal time, uh, since you are mom, tell us a little bit about the family, you know, and, uh, and you can tell us a little bit about Erica bringing up, but what, but you know, where did you start?

Tracy Hayes: What did you think as a career and what led you to real estate? 

Dawna Cantway: Oh, goodness. So, I'll start with the family. Um, I have four adult children, one stepdaughter, and her husband. So there's ten, total. And we have fourteen grandchildren. And then we have a little neighbor girl that we chose to kind of adopt several years ago.

Dawna Cantway: So [00:03:00] if she was here and I said fourteen, she would go, Hehehehe. Fifteen. So, yeah, fifteen. Um, grandchildren ranging from age eighteen to one years old. And, uh, so we stay really busy with that. Love it, love it, love it. Um, real estate, so my career started, so I, Erica and I both, we did not do things traditionally, and I'll let her share her story.

Dawna Cantway: Um, but for some reason she tried to imitate me in some things, um. 

Tracy Hayes: Good children always do. Yeah, 

Dawna Cantway: not, not necessarily all in the good ways. Um, but I became a mom at age 16. 

Tracy Hayes: Mm hmm. 

Dawna Cantway: And so, you know, I, I say that I graduated from the University of Hard Knocks. Um, my mom, my grandmother was a realtor my whole life, so I grew up with it and around it.

Dawna Cantway: And my mom told me for [00:04:00] many years that's what I was supposed to do. So we're three 

Tracy Hayes: generations now. We are. Okay. 

Dawna Cantway: Yes, we are. And hopefully four. Eric is oldest. Says he's gonna follow along. Yeah. You know, follow suit. So, um, mom kept saying I should go into real estate. I did. Did other things. Went into architectural design and drafting.

Dawna Cantway: Did some design work. Um, then when I got, I taught AutoCAD for a while. Here in Jacksonville, actually. Here in Jacksonville. Did that. I think back then it was FSCJ. Yes. Which is not what it is anymore, but yes. I don't even know what it's called now. 

Tracy Hayes: Is that the, um, The 

Dawna Cantway: community college? 

Tracy Hayes: The Forest State, um, Instead of Florida, uh, Florida State University, it's Florida State, I thought that's what they call it.

Tracy Hayes: They changed the name already? All right, anyway. Okay, I'm gonna try not to tell 

Dawna Cantway: anything untruthful, so. Well, so teaching is also 

Tracy Hayes: in your record, because you become, you are an instructor as well, so teaching has been part of [00:05:00] your background. Yes, yes. 

Dawna Cantway: And um, different sales won't go into all that, but, uh, married my husband, Did construction And so for many years swung a hammer next to him And then I decided that was too hard work Way too physical And uh, so finally I decided to listen to mama and got my license and it's just I mean It's just been a natural fit.

Dawna Cantway: It's like i've done it my whole life. 

Tracy Hayes: How many times did mom tell you that? I can't 

Dawna Cantway: even tell you. I don't even know. Did she tell you 

Tracy Hayes: more times than you told her? 

Dawna Cantway: Yes, actually I didn't have to tell her Um erica she came to that 

Tracy Hayes: conclusion on herself. She 

Dawna Cantway: did. She actually got her license a few months before I did and um, so She was kind of on that track and uh Then I jumped in and then I mean it's just been It really has been [00:06:00] like a natural fit, 

Tracy Hayes: you know, just doing a timeline.

Tracy Hayes: So you're in the early two thousands, you enter into reals before the collapse in oh eight. 

Dawna Cantway: No, no, no, no. I didn't get my license until actually 2016. Oh, 

Tracy Hayes: okay. Okay. 

Dawna Cantway: And then with the idea that I would get my broker's license as soon as I was eligible. And so I did that. So 

Tracy Hayes: tip a little bit on, you know, your initial first year.

Tracy Hayes: What was it like for you? What was it like at the brokerage that you had initially? And what did you learn or, like, know not to do now with Florida Choice? If you could, if you remember back in those, that initial 12, 24 months when you got going. 

Dawna Cantway: So, um, we worked for the same brokerage from the get go.

Dawna Cantway: We've always done this together. And, uh, what was it like? I think, so, it was a, a new brokerage as well when we started so there was a lot of learning [00:07:00] all the way around Not a lot of training just it just wasn't set up that way But that was fine with me because I wasn't 

Tracy Hayes: one of the major brands And I Definitely have 

Dawna Cantway: that entrepreneur type.

Dawna Cantway: I'm the person you know, I'm gonna jump in with both feet And we're going to sink or swim and sinking is not really an option. So we're going to swim, we're going to figure it out. And so again, podcast, YouTube, all the, all the videos, self taught, go on, watch anything that they say, do, do it. Um, you know, anything that somebody says didn't work.

Dawna Cantway: Okay. We're not going to do that. And so just a lot of trial and error. All 

Tracy Hayes: right. So Erica, let's, let's, we're going to go back in time a little bit for you. Yeah. So. Erica's, you know, out on her own post high school. What is certain? What? What? I mean, did you even envision what? What did you think about [00:08:00] doing at 18 19 20 years old in it for a career?

Tracy Hayes: Or was that even a thought? 

Erika Elliot: To be honest, I don't know if that was a thought. I knew. So as she mentioned, we have a huge family. So I was one of four. And I always dreamt of having a lot of kids, and I have definitely succeeded in that. I think I beat the rest of my siblings. I did, I did. I think they're all done.

Erika Elliot: I'm done now, too. I have five kids. So, I started, I had my son when I was 21, and then, since then, he just actually, um, got his driver's permit yesterday, which is terrifying and amazing and all the bittersweet feelings, but I've had, um, I have them from 15 all the way down to two. So that's what I knew I wanted to do.

Erika Elliot: The rest of it, I was going to figure it out. Like she said, kind of school hard knocks there. Um, I worked in collections for several years and that is a beast of its own. I mean, people just don't like you, you know, you're calling ask for money. They don't like you. Right. So you definitely learn how to handle [00:09:00] You know that That tent situation I learned that for sure doing no 

Tracy Hayes: is actually an easy 

Erika Elliot: No, it's an easy.

Erika Elliot: Yes. No, it's an easy. It's like, okay. Well, i'm gonna i'm gonna persuade you on how we're gonna get you to Yes, because that was my job right and I did very well at that Um, I also worked a lot in like the restaurant and sales business which then led me into doing a lot of promotional was a promotional model for a lot of different brands.

Erika Elliot: And then I got a sales position for liquor and wine. So that's kind of what got me. Jump it off into the sales. And so in sales with that. I actually hired her at one point She didn't want to touch base on that but my mom and I were kind of slinging liquor together for a little bit and Which was so interesting because she didn't even drink at that point in her life like at all And so it was just funny because I did, and I'm selling it, and I was like, okay, this is a great product, let's taste it together, whatever.

Erika Elliot: And she was selling the heck out of stuff, and she didn't even drink it or even know what it tastes like, so it was hilarious. Um, but, you know, [00:10:00] I was doing really well, and I actually, you know, at a very young age, I was, you know, running that liquor distribution company where I was hiring, I was training people, I would travel, hire people in other cities, um, had a great time doing it, but, you Didn't love it, you know, and honestly, there's not a whole lot of respect in that industry.

Erika Elliot: I feel like for women Um, and so it just kind of it got very Just I was getting very burnt out, but then my company just dissolved He wrote me two bad checks and then just disappeared off the planet And so I was in a horrible financial situation and my husband kept telling me he's like erica You could sell anything like go sell something that Is gonna be meaningful that's gonna be like, you know do something with your life, you know He's like you should get into real estate And so he kept pushing me and pushing me and I wouldn't do it because I was getting a paycheck Right because I was getting a steady paycheck.

Erika Elliot: I had an income So like why would I leave that and then that paycheck went away and so I was looking around like What am I gonna do? And I was like, oh. I mean, he did tell me I should get into real estate. So I [00:11:00] did. Which was actually, you know, we got into real estate four months apart. So like I jumped into real estate again.

Erika Elliot: Okay. I had no option to fail at that point. I had three kids. If I had 

Tracy Hayes: LinkedIn, I would've noticed. No, I know, I know. Don't. It's okay. 

Erika Elliot: But I'm working on it. As soon as I leave here, you're, I'm gonna send you the first invite to it. . Well, you, 

Tracy Hayes: if you, um, was a couple episodes, uh, ago or a few weeks ago. Keri Sauve from, uh, she's with eXp, but she's considered eXp's official AI and an AI leading into social media and so forth.

Tracy Hayes: And they, LinkedIn is the, is like the untouched territory and putting video, they want more video on LinkedIn. They like the article, but they also want some sort of short video. Like you'll see me, like I'll, I might take a reel from here. That might, you guys are talking about something about the market.

Tracy Hayes: And then add an article to it and put it on LinkedIn. That's a whole nother, yeah. 

Erika Elliot: I do a lot of video, so I'm gonna take you up on this challenge. I'm going to get it done, I swear. 

Tracy Hayes: Um, stay top of mind. Yeah. Go ahead. 

Erika Elliot: Absolutely, no worries. So I jumped [00:12:00] right into real estate. Like I said, I had three kids at that point.

Erika Elliot: So, again, failure has never been an option. You know, so it's like, I'm gonna get it. I'm gonna figure it out. You know, I'm gonna jump in and figure it out. As she mentioned, we work for the same broker, um, which he did not have an office in Jacksonville. He was someone that we went to church with and, you know, just kind of knew overall.

Erika Elliot: And he reached out to me. He's like, I, I saw you getting your license. He's like, can I just sit down with you and have coffee and talk to you? And, you know, presented, he's like, I'd love to open an office in Jacksonville and I want you to be that office. And I'm like, okay, well, let's do it. Because to me, I felt like there's nothing wrong with a bigger company is, you know, obviously they're doing something real well, but I was like, if someone is going to invest in me.

Erika Elliot: And if I'm the only person in this office, it's sink or swim for him too, right? So someone, if they're going to invest in me, like that, that was, that's the route I took. And so, 

Tracy Hayes: yeah, so, you know, again, going back, so she starts four months before you see what's going on with her. It was actually 

Erika Elliot: the opposite.

Erika Elliot: I started first. Oh, you [00:13:00] started first. Oh, okay. 

Tracy Hayes: I thought I heard. Okay. My, all right. So the overlapping time, but she's, she said a lot of trial and error. Um, where, where, what did you notice quickly with this brokerage? You know, as you were up here by yourself, basically. 

Erika Elliot: Yeah, no, I 

Tracy Hayes: Was it pouring into you as you saw it?

Erika Elliot: Yes, and no. Difference Um, so I asked this 

Tracy Hayes: question often, because I really feel, um, there's brokers out there. Sometimes they're, they're good at some point in time, their challenge, their greatest challenge is to stay somewhere good all the time. Some of them, some in the successful ones, you know, that we know we can name in town, they find a way to stay in front of their clients.

Tracy Hayes: People. So they're always adding value. I feel others are like flashes in the pan. There might be good and then they get, you know, either Sales team gets so big or they don't think it's important. They go off and do something else and They just leave [00:14:00] everybody and that's why people move from one brokerage to another that that's just my theory I mean, I think we'd apply it to some people who move from brokerage to brokerage because they're looking for that broker who Is going to pour you know pour into them as you as you thought that's gonna be that value why they go into that office And not just go out on their own with uh, you know with some of these you know Internet brokerages.

Erika Elliot: Right, right. So the broker, it's funny because I knew this question was going to come up. Um, so we actually still have a great relationship with him. Um, when we split, we, we worked for him with two different companies. So first he had a startup company, he had an investor that didn't work out and he was actually just going to go and hang his license somewhere and not broker.

Erika Elliot: And both her and I were like, Oh, At this point, we, we hadn't been in long enough to get our broker license, but we believed in him and we believed in ourselves. And so we were like, Hey, you know, why would you do that? Go start your own, like, we'll go with you and we'll make something happen, you know? And so that's [00:15:00] exactly what happened.

Erika Elliot: We did just that. He started a brokerage. We stayed with him. She got to like lead a team in Ocala. I led a team here. You know, I was recruiting. I was hiring. I was training She was doing the same and the brokerage was growing, you know, um, I wouldn't say a bad thing about him. Honestly I mean he is incredible.

Erika Elliot: Um, man, uh, he was an incredible broker Different very different from us as far as how we wanted to run a brokerage and how to run a team So that's kind of where things change 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah your way used because obviously he's been doing business for years you guys come on and And as you start to learn the business, do you start to take a different path?

Erika Elliot: Correct. So I feel like with him and again, with all, all respect, we, we love and adore him. Um, he's very backend. And that's where his priority is, is in the back end of things. So he was always available for phone calls, always available, you know, if we needed help with something, back end. He wanted to like, try to have things run [00:16:00] seamlessly as far as like, you know, the, the programs and things.

Erika Elliot: And he's developed some great programs. Like I've seen, you know, his brokerage, he's, he's designing some really cool things. However, Don and I are like the face of things and that's what we were also like with the brokerage and with our teams and what we wanted our own brokerage to look like is like we're very hands on.

Erika Elliot: We're one on one. We are actually, I show up at every one of, you know, my agents listings and I'm the one that's doing the video for them and videoing them and then I edit and then I give it to them, you know? So like when we meet someone, we're like, Hey. You know, this is going to be a one on one experience.

Erika Elliot: And that was that with him, you know, we, I did have that one on one, but I would say like, um, what we do is completely opposite than, you know, of course the admin stuff's taken care of there's back in whatever, but I just think we're much more in the front of things and like holding their hands, you know, versus just making sure that the, [00:17:00] Brokerage.

Tracy Hayes: Donna, you're looking at her. 

Dawna Cantway: I know, I was like, okay, I'm down to say something. Yeah, go ahead. Um, so I think, I think a great way to say it is we just all kind of came to some crossroads and realized that, you know, cause we really didn't have a plan to start a brokerage. That wasn't really I got my broker's license as soon as I was eligible, like I said earlier, but I did that because I knew I wasn't going to be one to bounce around, if that, you know, was the case.

Dawna Cantway: And so, um, I had a 

Erika Elliot: plan. 

Dawna Cantway: She did have a plan and I was like, I don't know if I want to do that. And then it just kind of evolved and got to that point and we did. One of the things that we've always been really, really big on is having an atmosphere and, um, a brokerage where a new agent or an [00:18:00] experienced agent.

Dawna Cantway: Can come in and be successful Because it's hard It's hard Especially the new agents. It's hard. You know, you're forking out all this money to get your license and for the association fees and all of this stuff and You know, sometimes it it just would be so overwhelming, you know, I talked to new agents at other places and you know They're like man.

Dawna Cantway: I'm just i'm bleeding here, you know, and i'm not making any money You And so when we did decide we were going to do the brokerage, you know, it was like, okay, how can we set it up to where a new agent can come in or an experienced agent and make money quickly. 

Tracy Hayes: So let's dig into that. Tell us a little bit about, you know, your mindset when that new agent comes in and just got their license.

Tracy Hayes: They they don't have mom selling your house right away. So they don't have that for what are some of the things that you guys are working with them? 

Dawna Cantway: so, um One of the thing that [00:19:00] I things that I heard a lot from other people Where they never even met the broker Didn't know what the broker looked like.

Dawna Cantway: You know, had never had a conversation. Okay, I was like, alright, we're not going to be like that. I don't, I don't want to be Charlie. If you know Charlie's Angels. I knew 

Tracy Hayes: exactly where you were going 

Dawna Cantway: with that. Sorry for those of you who don't know Charlie's Angels. Go look it up. And I had an agent that referenced their broker as Charlie.

Dawna Cantway: That's where that came from. I was like, oh no, I don't want to be that. Do you even know what we're talking about? Yes, I knew. Okay. Um So that was number one like we want to be present. We want to be there. We want to be available uh, and then two just Teaching training like come go with me see how I talk to sellers See how I show a house see how I [00:20:00] overcome You know, like, in person.

Dawna Cantway: I'm very much, and I think you are too, I'm very much hands on learner. Uh, like, you know, throw me in, show me how you do it, and then I can do it. Um, just sitting in a classroom, teaching me from a book, or from slides or whatever, like, Ugh, don't do that to me's Torture. Well, I mean, would torture agree that 

Tracy Hayes: most of these people, maybe they ha, maybe they own a home, but they've only done a transaction and were they actually really paying attention to what the agent was doing?

Tracy Hayes: All with all the stuff that you guys do below the surface that most people don't see anyway, that, you know, when they come in there, you, you could sit in a classroom and tell 'em all they want, but they don't have anything to stick it on the wall with. 

Dawna Cantway: So one of the first things when I interview somebody is I will tell them, look.

Dawna Cantway: We're not your typical brick and mortar traditional real estate company, and we're not for everybody and We are for those people that [00:21:00] do learn hands on like we're gonna we're gonna get you Showing we're gonna get you talking to people we're gonna get you writing contracts As fast as physically possible Because I mean I will even share a transaction with a new agent Just to give them that experience You know so that then because then they're going to catch the bug and then they're going to like Really want to go after get a paycheck Yeah, well get a 

Tracy Hayes: paycheck, but that's and that's part of it.

Tracy Hayes: Sometimes they just need that first little push, you know, i've been Uh, you know, when I first started my mortgage career, I was at, uh, Quicken Loans in the call center. And there were times where, you know, we all go through batting slumps and we just can't, no matter, we just can't close it. And all of a sudden something happens and all of a sudden you three or four deals in a row.

Tracy Hayes: Right. And I would, sometimes it was just handing it off to my sales manager or him coming into the call because everything was done over the phone and so forth and, and just saying a few words. And he knew that, and he was [00:22:00] smart enough like that to stick to it. Get them that first success and then you know, there's a difference confidence You know the way you speak and this is totally different to the next person in line.

Tracy Hayes: That's great leadership. 

Dawna Cantway: Yeah No, that's I mean, it's very much again how we learn and so And something that we've become rather good at is recognizing in individuals If they've got it or not and then talking to them about getting their license like we have a lot of our agents have been Our started as our customers our clients So we just hired a lady last week and she literally is one of my sellers right now.

Dawna Cantway: She's selling 

Erika Elliot: her house right now and she's already an agent for us. 

Dawna Cantway: And I was just like, Hey, if you ever thought about real estate and she's like, I haven't, I was like, well, I think you're gonna be really good at it. You know, come talk to me after you hear license, but even going the step, like here, here's a link, here's what I recommend to do.

Dawna Cantway: This is how you get your license. This is how like it starts way over here, [00:23:00] you know, and then, you know, one of the things that she said was like, I've never had anybody see vision for me. And, you know, and express that they believe that I can accomplish something. And so, you know, and that's something, I think that's another way that we really try to Go out of our way to make sure everybody feels Appreciated and believed in I mean we really do have a real estate family, you know, let's 

Tracy Hayes: toss it over to Erica So yeah, I'm gonna take what she's talking about in the mentorship 

Dawna Cantway: part 

Tracy Hayes: and you know some of those first things You know, I've talked about in the podcast before, some of the great agents were lucky enough or, or to have someone say, Hey, come tag along with me, or they were smart enough to say, can I tag along with you?

Tracy Hayes: Right. How do you. You know, uh, come across to these new agents, or even some of these experienced agents who may just be kind of just piddling along, and they're not really at the full potential that you see them at. [00:24:00] 

Erika Elliot: Right. So, I definitely agree with what she's saying. Um, very hands on, and I always tell people when I'm sitting down in like the interview portion, you know, just to like see if they're a fit, if they want to be a fit.

Erika Elliot: Um, we never get our feelings hurt if they decide it's not gonna fit because we don't want to force any relationship whatsoever. And we don't want a revolving door, like we just don't. So I always tell people like, we take you as you are, like very literally. So you know, some people come into real estate because they're just looking to do it part time.

Erika Elliot: I have referral agents. I have full time agents. I say, We have no time agents. I literally have agents that don't do real estate. They have full time jobs somewhere else and I'll get a phone call once or twice a year and here they are doing a sale. And you know, I'm like, Oh, it's so good to hear from you.

Erika Elliot: Um, but I take, like I said, we, we take them as they are and we build upon that. So someone may be experienced and kind of know what's going on, but never really had anyone that's investing time into them. Um, you know, for an example, I have one realtor and he'll know [00:25:00] exactly that I'm talking about him when I say this But you know what's cool is, you know, I have every every agent that comes out I'm like, hey, you know until you feel comfortable like if you get a listing tomorrow I'm gonna be there at that listing with you.

Erika Elliot: I'll help you put together the package I'm literally going to go to that listing appointment with you. We're going to talk to the seller together If you want me to lead it, even though it's your listing, let me lead it. So you can feed off of that. You can jump in when necessary, but you can start to learn, like she said, that conversation and how that dialogue goes.

Erika Elliot: And then if you want me to be there a second time, let me be there a second time. Maybe we switch roles. Maybe this time you lead it. And I chip in when I feel those holes are, you know, ready for me. Um, and then, you know, maybe the next time, you know, again, you just take over. I can be there if you want.

Erika Elliot: Well, one of my agents, you know, love him to death, truly. And it's funny because He's been in almost three years and he still wants me at every single listing appointment and I am but I think it's funny because I think he's Totally figured out that like this woman man dynamic that like the seller is either gonna like me or [00:26:00] like him But they're like one of us and we're gonna win it every time and we do you know Most of the time I will say you know I think some of them his clients have have loved me and then This one man threw me off once and I was like I left that appointment.

Erika Elliot: I was like Jeremy, I don't think I needed to be in that room. I, like, he really left you. Oh, I threw his name out there. Sorry. Now you know who I'm talking about. Now you know who I'm talking about. But, again, he's been in it three years, and so that's why I said, take you as you are, because That's okay. Like i'm totally fine with that.

Erika Elliot: I'm totally fine to go to every one of his listening appointments, you know 

Tracy Hayes: I don't think that's happening enough. 

Erika Elliot: No, that's why I think 

Tracy Hayes: the failure rate is so high Is is the even like after three years? I mean most sales managers sometimes did you gotta go? You gotta go do it yourself. 

Erika Elliot: Yeah, 

Tracy Hayes: but I, I think, um, some brokers, and this is not just in the real estate world, they, they quickly want to get away, or I always love this one, uh, where, where there's brokers say, we're, we're non [00:27:00] producing, but when you, you know, like, obviously, because I'm on social media a lot.

Tracy Hayes: I see, get a lot of real estate things and some of these experts. And I think it was one of the, I want to say it was George Guerrero out of Miami. He was at the re bar camp, but, um, here in January that if you don't have, uh, no, I'm sorry, it was Matthew Rathbun. He was from Virginia, but at re bar camp came down and he speaks nationally all over the world.

Tracy Hayes: He says, if you don't have a broker, who's out there doing. What he's trying to teach you or you know, I know some brokers here in town that aren't non producing but they are very active and So when they do get up in front of their agents respect what they're saying because they are Deeply involved in what's going on and I think too many brokers separate themselves too far and they say well, I'm not in production I'm not competing with you.

Tracy Hayes: Well, you then you don't really know what's going on What are these sellers saying at a listing appointment? What are these buyers saying? Talking to you about right now with this market, right? Yeah, 

Erika Elliot: exactly. I think we actually [00:28:00] preach that to be honest. It's like if you're feeling the struggle, we know exactly what it feels like.

Erika Elliot: We know exactly what it feels like because we're doing it too. And if things are, you know, kind of dry, we probably feel it too. You know, a lot of times the phone calls that we get from, you know, agents sometimes is when it's the feast or famine. And when it's the famine, You get a lot of those phone calls where it's like, I'm scared.

Erika Elliot: Nothing's happening. Blah, blah, blah. Okay. Well, are you doing all of these things? Then we're right there with you and it's gonna be okay because you know, it'll come in, you know So it's like a constant, you know, pick them up and pull them back up on the horse with you But like that's that's who we are, you know what I mean?

Erika Elliot: And so I think that's Kind of what sets us apart, you know as it's not about donna and I you know, it's it's kind of About each one of them and like I said, whatever their needs may be whether that's showing up at every listing appointment Or you know some of them take it and run one of she has two agents in Ocala That she just you know kind of promoted to take on like a training role there with and help her and I have an agent here in Jacksonville and She had [00:29:00] you know been going to this class for a couple years and really loved it And you know, I started seeing, you know, kind of just her focus and wanting to teach and, you know, facilitate whatever.

Erika Elliot: So now, you know, she's kind of been promoted to take on a different role. And so it's like, meet them where they're at. And when you start to see their strengths and see what they're capable of, okay, well, let's do this. You know, I want you to grow with us. And so that's how we are. Each of 

Tracy Hayes: you tap on, cause you're running two different offices.

Tracy Hayes: So, you know, you're seeing your people every day and you know, she's seeing her, um, obviously one of the greatest challenges is retention. people. We'll talk about that in a moment, but obviously, you know, that's staying, continuing to add value to your people to keep a brokerage together. And obviously, hopefully as the longer they're in the business, the better they get.

Tracy Hayes: That's hopefully, you know, and then that's the goal. Um, what, what is your, your mindset? Uh, Donna, we'll talk with you just, just on retention and, and, you know, You know, what are some of the little things that, you know, maybe some of your [00:30:00] people are listening that you go home and you're thinking about when you put your head on the pillow about how do I, you know, how I keep my team moving forward and how do I, how do they continue to follow me and say with Florida choice?

Dawna Cantway: So one of the things, you know, we have our yearly goal setting meeting, right? But, and I do it with each individual. So, um, Because I want it to be their goals. And so if they tell me, you know what? I want to sell to this year. Okay, let's look at that. What does that look like? What do you have to do? Um, you know, the two agents that she referred to that now are more in a training position, um, they both came to me, they were working full time jobs and they said, Hey, we really want to convert into full time real estate.

Dawna Cantway: They were both brand new. And I said, okay, that's what you got to do. Their goal was to quit their full time jobs. the following year. So do a full year, part time real estate, you know, full time job. And they both quit their full time jobs within less than six months. One was like three [00:31:00] months. I think the other was like five months.

Dawna Cantway: And we're doing full time real estate because they were that successful. So I think part of it is we don't put pressure Everybody like I don't we don't create a quota that you have to meet or you're out of here You know, it's more. I want to help you achieve what you want to achieve. And so that's that's a big one Let's 

Tracy Hayes: dwell on that right there because the word accountability is what you're talking about 

Dawna Cantway: It is and I will hold them accountable to what they set their goals.

Dawna Cantway: Okay, 

Tracy Hayes: um, that's a little pressure. 

Dawna Cantway: On me or them? If you've ever been in sales, that's 

Tracy Hayes: Well, because there's some leadership that can be uncomfortable with like going, Hey, you told me in January or December that this year you wanted to do X amount of homes and you're behind on your schedule. You know, [00:32:00] here.

Tracy Hayes: And so what are, what are you doing not to be too much pressure? Cause that you are, the accountability is some kicking in the butt. There's some pressure there. How do you do it? 

Dawna Cantway: I set the example. I set the example. I'm relatable. I'm easy to talk to. I have an open door policy, put it on top of the table.

Dawna Cantway: We can talk it out. We can deal with it. Keep it under the table. I don't even know it's there Um, I know them. I know their families I know their hobbies their likes. I know when their kids are sick. I know when they're sick um, we develop friendships like Yes, they are our employees, but they're our friends They're I mean some of them.

Dawna Cantway: They're kind of like a volunteer army, right? You're not giving them great benefits that they're staying 

Tracy Hayes: there for benefits. 

Dawna Cantway: It's you're 

Tracy Hayes: the benefit You 

Dawna Cantway: Yeah, yeah in a sense, you know, I mean we provide like [00:33:00] we don't make that we don't charge them fees We don't charge them desk fees. We don't charge. We don't do transaction fees Um, you know, so, and we provide marketing material, we provide signs, we provide, we, you know, more than just the training.

Dawna Cantway: So it is an atmosphere that they can come in and feel like, you know, they're not constantly dishing out money. Um, and so there's that, but I think more, like I think of, you know, I have one agent that she was actually renting a house that I listed and I got to know her through that and I signed her one day.

Dawna Cantway: Hey, you should get your real estate license and she's like I have it And I'm like, what? Why am I selling this? I was like, what? For the landlord. She's renting, has a real estate 

Tracy Hayes: license. So she 

Dawna Cantway: wasn't doing anything. She had parked it and was paying a fee every month to park her license somewhere and was doing full time massage therapy.[00:34:00] 

Dawna Cantway: And so I was like, girl, we gotta meet for coffee. And this was, oh, I don't know, seven, eight years ago. And we're, we're best friends, you know? And she will tell you if she was here, you know, she says things like, Oh, I will never leave you because, you know, But it was just a matter of, I saw it in her, But it goes back to what you said earlier, She was never really believed in, She was never, You know 

Tracy Hayes: shown that first shown 

Dawna Cantway: that first step like she had had some sales, but so anyways, you know, it's things like that I have another agent that she's been at a couple other brokerages and she's told me you do what you say you're gonna do, you know and and just We try to be positive.

Dawna Cantway: I mean, we're not gonna go over to Erica's 

Tracy Hayes: office in a second Do you do run your offices slightly different or do you guys? You know, whether on a weekly basis, whether like, when you have your sales meetings, when you know, who, do, are these agents, you [00:35:00] know, you expect them to be on, at least on Zoom or at the office for the sales meeting?

Tracy Hayes: So I will say Do you kind of have a different management policies there? 

Dawna Cantway: I will, I mean we run Not policies. Yeah, and I'll let you take it, but I will say, we do, um, quarterly. Zoom meetings for the company. Okay. And so that's the only time that we're all together. Every have like twice a year parties every, and then we have parties, four Zoom meeting and two parties 

Erika Elliot: a year.

Erika Elliot: There you go. That you ask 

Tracy Hayes: everyone to be at. Yes. Yeah. Yes. 

Erika Elliot: Yeah. Um, in Jacksonville we meet weekly and then sometimes more than, more than that. So, um, it is, our schedules are completely different, you know, because all of her kids are grown. I have five kids, right? So that's just that there's a different dynamic there, you know, and what our schedules will allow and what we're able to do.

Erika Elliot: And that's where, you know, again, I hired someone to step in and kind of, um, facilitate some meetings, but kind of touching base on like what they need and then like where our [00:36:00] office has developed. So even I think with our agents, we've set it to, I've always said, and I know that she said the same thing is like, if you don't tell us what you need.

Erika Elliot: We're never gonna know so don't ever be afraid to ask and i'm saying that now as we lead into the office talk Because one of my agents Wanted an office and so for the entire time both her and I had been in real estate to be honest We worked virtually, you know, I'm like don't stick me in an office. I don't want to be in an office I'm gonna work from the car.

Erika Elliot: I'm gonna work from the carpool line I'm gonna work on a boat if I'm on a boat, I'm gonna be in the house So, you know what? I mean? Like don't don't pin me down. That's just how I am. And so having an office. I'm like why? I don't know. I don't think it's necessary. One of my agents really wanted an office.

Erika Elliot: Like, she was meeting a lot of, you know, different locations to meet people. Panera, Starbucks, you know, all these places. And she was like, it would just be nice to really have an office. And so I started, you know, over time developing, like, it would be, it would be nice, but it's not a priority. Well, when she came to me and said that and was actually at [00:37:00] that point, Considering possibly going somewhere else just for the office.

Erika Elliot: I was like, well, I'll be darned. I'm getting an office You know, like i'm gonna make this happen as quick as possible And so I did, you know, and and I love it. I would not I don't regret it I now have like the dreams of the office that will come one day or like, you know, a grand grand scheme But again, like that was just a need she wanted a place to meet She wanted a place to be able to like, you know, have the folders have the the meetings, you know all the things and so You I got an office, you know, and we've been there, I think, at that office a year and a half, uh, maybe a little bit more.

Erika Elliot: And again, this one, this one's just like parking it for a short time. It's gonna be much bigger one day because now my, my dreams have grown. But, um, We meet there weekly and then a lot of times like we just get together just to We go to model homes together. And like I said, I will go and I will film everybody, you know As some of them have jumped in on the filming bandwagon.

Erika Elliot: Well, they'll like i'm filming one person They'll go over here and [00:38:00] take different social media shots of one another and swap out, you know And then the next person comes and I film them and so again, like I don't know any other broker that's doing stuff like that, you know, and and But that's how I think a lot of times even personally I add value, you know, it's like, okay I may not have you know this strict regiment Schedule of training but like come with me and i'm going to show you you know And then like come with me and i'm going to film you Um, even one of the agents that you have actually interviewed in the past I won't again try not to throw names that might come out accidentally But I even like went to one of her listings invited all of my I asked her I said, hey You Can we go film your listing and I was like and I got like at least eight or nine agents That'll come with me and they will all promote your listing like we will all promote it And she was like why not and but that's what we do in the office together all the time Like if one person has a listing I'm gonna go film it.

Erika Elliot: If they all wanna come, I'm gonna film each one of them. I'm gonna make them their own videos, and we're [00:39:00] all gonna go and promote it. 

Tracy Hayes: Do you feel you've, you've attracted similar, cause that's your ideology, that they, you know, cause I, obviously, we all attract like kind, you know, whether it's political, religious, whatever, um, that you're attracting like kind.

Erika Elliot: So what's funny is like kind but so, so different. So I think the one thing that all of our agents and both of us have in common is just our love for people and going beyond the call of the job. So that's our like kind is, you know, and even with one of the last interviews that we were doing is like, we are all very, very different people.

Erika Elliot: I mean, even in Jacksonville, we're very, very, very different people. The agents that I have. In Ocala put those two brokerages. I mean those two offices together. We're very different people just coming from all different walks of life But the one thing that like everyone does have in common is it's about the client It's about you know their needs above ours above the [00:40:00] amount of money that we're going to make, you know Above what it's going to call us to do.

Erika Elliot: I mean we're out there Sometimes cleaning houses pulling weeds mulching doing lawns going in and fixing the light fixtures, you know One of our agents the other day Um, the seller couldn't afford the plumber and she literally like in a dress went and fixed the faucet like the plumbing, you know, and went and did it, you know, one of my agents And I right before christmas this woman again She had the house on the market with a different company and it wasn't selling and so That agent reached out to my agent And said, Hey, can, can we like do something together?

Erika Elliot: You know, is there any way? Because she wasn't local. And so just by his, the way that he interacted with her and his professionalism and the way that he was just, you know, behaving himself. But anyways, we ended up getting the listing. We sat there with a seller who flew in from New York and she was just telling us how hard of a time she had in keeping up with the property, keeping up with the lawn and all this stuff.

Erika Elliot: And we said, you know, well, the first thing we need to do before we list this, because we got to take pictures. These pictures were awful before. You know, the [00:41:00] lights weren't even on, we're not even on in the picture. So we're going to have a professional photographer come out, which we pay for. Like we pay for all of the listing photos.

Erika Elliot: Again, that's not something else. Another brokerage is doing, we pay for the photographer and then, you know, the video, if it's, if it's, um, appropriate. But anyway, so first thing I'm going to do is we got to take new listing photos. So I'm going to need the lawn to get done. So I am going to ask for you to hire someone.

Erika Elliot: And I mean, literally tears. This woman just had tears because she was so spent, you know, on everything that she's putting out and putting out in the house. It's out on the market and all the payments and they're not even living here, you know? And so we get off the, you know, get out of the appointment and I get on the phone with Jeremy and I said, what are we going to do?

Erika Elliot: We're gonna go and do her lawn, you know, and so he literally dressed up in this crazy santa claus shirt And we just like rolled up. We saw their car leave and we snuck in and we just knocked it out I mean like literally we did everything

Tracy Hayes: It's not even my ring I'm, 

Erika Elliot: like is this like the moment? [00:42:00] Yeah 

Tracy Hayes: That that right there is a great video to have Hopefully you took some shots or whatever to have on your, um, your website. I mean, I don't think enough, uh, I'm going to tell you some things that I'm working on, uh, after, uh, the show, but I don't think enough agents, one, not enough agents are doing.

Tracy Hayes: That part, they're not putting, you know, the whole, and we're gonna lead into, you know, the current market and I, we'll bring up the NAR settlement and that sort of thing. 'cause as leaders, you guys have to have some answer for that Right. To, to, to go to your troops with. But, um, you know, the value of a real estate agent and it's these little things that they, you know, not, but not every agent's doing.

Tracy Hayes: That's the, you know, not, and you can't expect everyone to do it. There's always, there's always somebody who's not gonna do it. Right. And it's just bottom line. Yeah. You put enough people in a room, somebody's, you know, not. Doesn't have integrity. There's someone there, right? And so, but you like saying like pulling the weeds, uh, going in and, you know, fixing the little things that you know [00:43:00] That you know would be on the home inspection, uh that costs a couple dollars just go ahead and take care of them now So they're not on there.

Tracy Hayes: Yeah, you know, uh You're going in and retelling them. Hey, you know what? Having the hard talk and saying we really need to take you didn't even have lights on this is who took these pictures, right? Somebody somebody actually Taylor Allen who I had on a week or so ago. She posted something about You said how we can't believe agents are taking listing photos with their cell phones.

Erika Elliot: Well, then you catch them in the mirror. That's I mean Cameras on the phones are great these days, but if you're like if you can't even get out of the bathroom mirror We got a problem. Yeah, 

Tracy Hayes: or they're not they're not looking at what's in the picture. Yes, 

Dawna Cantway: like grandma sitting eating dinner 

Tracy Hayes: Something like that or just stuff on the countertops.

Tracy Hayes: Yeah, let alone some who knows someone's private stuff. That shouldn't be on anything But because they're because they're not they're not preparing the house for the professional photos and spending that few dollars to show hey Yeah, they're [00:44:00] You either pay the IRS or you can just show it off as a business expense.

Tracy Hayes: What do you want to do? You know those little little things and it sounds like this Ideology that you guys have it has spread through your people and you've attracted that that type of agent, 

Erika Elliot: right? Which is exactly I'm saying if we're alike in any way, it's that yeah, I mean, it's that it's just Every single one of them I have with without any doubt in my mind They will go above and beyond to make sure that their client is taken care of You Above all else, you know, I mean sometimes that means we're forfeiting up You know a little bit of commission to make something work because at the end it comes down to you You know nickel and dimes and okay.

Erika Elliot: Well, you know, we're gonna bridge that gap. I mean, you know, let's not promote that heavily across the internet, but sometimes it happens 

Tracy Hayes: well, I mean um I'm looking at my castle of my round table and my sword through it there behind you and i'm thinking of the square do you because as a Um A small boutique brochure, you're not Keller Williams.

Tracy Hayes: You're not Colwell Banker. I mean some of [00:45:00] these offices I don't know south side Keller Williams probably has I don't know a hundred something agents in there or more Every Listing every buyer every every closing is a another small battle itself and you've got to accumulate these You know wins to pick up a momentum for everyone in the office.

Tracy Hayes: They see other people winning. I've got to win You know, there's this internal thing that goes on in their head and it seems like you guys both have this attitude We're gonna help our agents win every single little battle even let's go out and pick the weeds or mow the lawn We're gonna win that battle today You That's what I'm reading out of you.

Tracy Hayes: Yes, absolutely. 

Dawna Cantway: We're very, we're very big believers in if everybody's successful, everybody's successful. And, um, I want to share a story really quick. Because it just goes to, so I had, uh, one of my clients I sold to, I think seven, six, seven years ago, calls me up and she's like, hey, I, I need [00:46:00] to talk to you about selling my house.

Dawna Cantway: And. Trying to buy another one and it was just a very unfortunate situation. I won't go into details. It's um, very unfortunate situation where she either sold the house to pay off a particular debt or was going to lose the house and So I meet with her it's her and her 15 year old son. They love the home.

Dawna Cantway: They don't want to sell it They've just been put In a situation where she didn't have a choice. So when I leave, like I'm just trying to wrack my brain around how to help her and I call one of my agents and I'm just, we bounce things off each other all the time. And so, um, you know, I'm bouncing things off of her and she's like, Hey, have you, has she looked into just refinancing?

Dawna Cantway: And I was like, that's a really good idea. Not for me, not for my pocketbook. But again, that's not Yeah, we have bills to pay and we have to get a [00:47:00] paycheck. But at the end of the day, we truly, you know, our motto is, we choose to put you first. And that is truly how we function and operate. And so, long story short, got her connected with my preferred lender.

Dawna Cantway: They started the process. Well, there's power of attorneys involved and all of this stuff. So then it was like, okay, it's not gonna happen because the other party's not available to sign. And I'm like, there's got to be a way. So I'm on the phone, I'm calling the witnesses to this power of attorney. So the lender and myself went over and above.

Dawna Cantway: To make this happen and got it done last week and she doesn't have to leave her house. 

Tracy Hayes: Awesome 

Dawna Cantway: So I basically talked myself out of two sales But you know what? I'll never forget that and she is so incredibly grateful And that I can go to sleep at night and feel [00:48:00] feel great about, you know? And so I bring that up, not, not kudos to myself, but it was my, one of my agents that even came up with that idea because that's how we do all think.

Dawna Cantway: That is how we are alike is because we truly do care about people. And that's why we have a very low turnover. You know, the people that we have, they want to stay because they see that we also, we put them first. And we teach them and they see us putting our clients first and they that's how they want to operate That's how they want to run their businesses, you know, and so 

Tracy Hayes: Each of you answer this question and with your own thoughts How important have you found in in your years in real estate?

Tracy Hayes: in the go off the story you just told that as to be a really great real estate agent, you have to be a um Involved, I don't want to say involved in the community, you have to be [00:49:00] a community leader in a way, you know What's best for this in this case? What was best for her? She didn't want to move It was that was gonna break her heart and you know Let alone the financial money she would have lost but closing costs and all the you know Commissions and all that other jazz where you know, you you know kept her in her home Which was really what she wanted and made You Her, I mean, who knows how, you know, made her life right?

Tracy Hayes: I mean, people are very involved in their home, in the, in the community. Her 15-year-old son probably going to a school would've had to change schools. Mm-Hmm. they want. But how important is the, for the, a real estate agent to take that mindset as being that community resource? I call it a concierge sometimes.

Tracy Hayes: Sure. Whether it's just referring a, a good restaurant or a good vendor. Mm-Hmm. to work on the house or something like that. How important is that in a, in a real estate agent's career? Erica, if you wanna. 

Erika Elliot: I mean, I think it's one of the biggest things. You know, I remember one of my recent transactions, the [00:50:00] inspector maybe had accidentally bumped plumbing underneath.

Erika Elliot: So when the homeowners got back, I was representing the sellers. So when they got back to the house, um, you know, she went to go wash her hands, hear some noise. And, you know, they're the water's coming under the faucet. So she immediately, you know, first they turn it off, obviously. And then they call me and I'm like, don't worry about it.

Erika Elliot: I got a plumber, like, It's not a big deal. I was like, I'll reach out to him. I'll take care of it. Not only did I take care of it, but like financially offer to, you know, cover it and everything. And the 

Tracy Hayes: inspector didn't step up to that one. 

Erika Elliot: He didn't acknowledge that it actually, you know, was his fault, but it

Erika Elliot: wouldn't 

Tracy Hayes: be anymore.

Erika Elliot: So, you know, anyways, I got a plumber out there, you know, that, He fixed it. He ended up having to replace, like, the entire component there in the sink, not just, you know, the pipe wasn't to come loose. Right. To do it right. Yep. And so, um, they didn't have to pay for anything, you know. And then she had furniture that she wanted to sell.

Erika Elliot: They're completely downsizing. Same person, you know, and I [00:51:00] Hey, I'll walk through here. I'm gonna take pictures. Tell me what you want for it I'll put it on marketplace, you know, and I coordinated all of that, you know And the pieces that were left when she didn't want it. There's some things I helped pick up Um, and then there's some things that I helped call the donation company that was local to come get it for her.

Erika Elliot: I mean It and just the praise at the end and which is not what i'm seeking for but she was just like Erica, you know, knows everybody, you know, she knows she can get, you know, in the same thing with buyers Like they know like I'm gonna have a home inspector for them I'm gonna have you know lenders if they don't have lenders I'm gonna have painters if they don't have you know And so on and so forth that you have to be able to have those connections for it to be seamless 

Tracy Hayes: You made you made a just made a statement that you didn't expect it and I think Um people do it Expecting it and when they don't expect they don't get it initially They don't do it again Where you and I will keep pressing on we're resilient and we're gonna get somebody it could be the third or fourth person on The list that finally [00:52:00] says oh my god.

Tracy Hayes: I can't believe you did that. That was so great You really helped me out and that's all they have to do 

Erika Elliot: And those little moments they will fill you up. I thought yeah, just just Occasional that like a seller will like gift me I'm gifting them, right? You're always buying them a gift and the buyers are buying them a gift.

Erika Elliot: And occasionally, you know, someone will give me a gift. And I mean, I'm like, this is just, it's just so unexpected, even though, I mean, if you talk to anyone around me, they're gonna, they're gonna tell you all the things that I do, but I don't expect, you know, and I'm like, I'm doing this because I love you and I want you to be happy.

Erika Elliot: And I want you at the end of the day to, you know. 

Tracy Hayes: Those are the wow moments. Yes. Yeah, when they, when they actually, yeah. importance of being that Community person. 

Dawna Cantway: I mean, I think the goal is and I tell people i'm like look Because people i'm just starting to look, you know, or I don't know what I want to do I might not sell for a year and i'm like i'm here whenever you're ready.

Dawna Cantway: I'm here I want you to like me 10 years from now I want you to call me [00:53:00] back when life has dealt you a really bad hand And you need advice or maybe a really good hand Right So I, I mean, I think it's huge. I, I wish, I wish real estate industry would be so different if, you know, the professionals would take a different look and really, I mean, any industry would be different if you were really putting that customer service first.

Dawna Cantway: Um, and I, I think that's, you know, we look to save our people money. If, you know, if, if, okay, so maybe the title wants to use this surveying company, but you know what? If you go over here, we can save you two or three hundred dollars. Let's, oh, that's great. As long as you're getting 

Tracy Hayes: the 

Dawna Cantway: The, yes, yes, yes. But we have found The home inspectors don't 

Tracy Hayes: like you to say that.

Tracy Hayes: You'll get them on here, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, no, no. 

Dawna Cantway: Well, we have found Well, the 

Tracy Hayes: lenders too. Lenders too, 

Dawna Cantway: but you know [00:54:00] what? I mean, we have just Yeah, okay, maybe we won't go there, but we No, I mean, there's, there are great people out there in all the facets of this industry that will put the other person first.

Dawna Cantway: Right. I mean, there's a Jacksonville inspector that sometimes he doesn't even charge if he doesn't finish the inspection. We won't mention his name. We won't mention his name. But, he literally, sometimes he's doing inspection and he finds something that's absolutely horrible and he just stops and he doesn't even charge him.

Dawna Cantway: He's like, just catch me on the next one, you know? Are they 

Tracy Hayes: still going to buy this house if I tell them this is wrong? Is that what you're kind of saying? 

Dawna Cantway: Yeah, like say he finds that it's, you know, eaten up with termites or something like that crazy. Then he stops and he calls and he's like, hey, this is what I'm seeing.

Dawna Cantway: Are you going to, you know, if you're not going to move forward, then I'm not even gonna, you're not even gonna pay me, just catch me on the next one. So, but we have [00:55:00] surrounded ourselves with people like that. Right. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, what bothers me the most, like I see on Facebook occasionally, is someone will post, hey, does anyone know a good, one of these vendors that are Right.

Tracy Hayes: commonplace? Not like, hey, a mold remediation person, which hopefully you never have to use. Yes. But we're in Florida. Um, But they post, hey, does anyone know a good, and I just immediately think of their leadership and they're, they're broken. Why are you not making sure that there's a Rolodex for everyone in the office?

Tracy Hayes: Now they may go and find their, their preferred person. Right. But these are, these are already good people that I know and I'm sharing you with them. I, that really bothers me when I see an agent post that because I'm seeing all of their friends and family In circle, other people are looking at why don't you know, a good flooring person, 

Dawna Cantway: right?

Tracy Hayes: You're that's what you, this is the things that you need to know as a real estate agent. 

Dawna Cantway: I mean, sometimes the people that we do know then don't do [00:56:00] a great job. And then, I mean, my vendor list started out like this and then it ended up like this. So it's like, 

Tracy Hayes: well, I think 

Dawna Cantway: that's the case. 

Tracy Hayes: We're going to switch into this, talk about the market real quick.

Tracy Hayes: I think one of the, one of the challenges in the marketplace, um, you know, our, our, Upper echelon from the lending side is like, Oh, you'll go after, talk about renovation loan, talk about renovation loans. The problem is, you know, there are some great places that can be bought with renovation loans and they could be super homes and, and add value to them and everything.

Tracy Hayes: The problem is getting the right contractor to show up to actually complete the job within this reasonable period of time. And that's what no one wants. You know, I'm, I'm hearing that really a lot of people are looking more for turnkey right now than, than projects. 

Dawna Cantway: Yeah, I'm not even going to go into my experience of the renovation alone, because it's not pretty.

Erika Elliot: Um, 

Dawna Cantway: but yeah, I mean, now I will say, we have a lot of, uh, people that don't mind some fixer upper [00:57:00] projects. You know, as long as the home is, you know, able to get a loan. Yeah. Initially. So we do, we do more, uh, just bringing it up to 

Tracy Hayes: speed updated versus actual livable. 

Erika Elliot: Correct. 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. 

Erika Elliot: I haven't dealt with a lot of renovation loans.

Erika Elliot: I feel like anybody that is buying a house that needs that much work for a renovation loan, they're paying for it in cash. Yes. You know, I feel like any of my buyers that are buying, you know, right now, or even in the recent past, last several years, If the home needs that amount of work, you know, they're either walking away from it completely Or we're negotiating it.

Erika Elliot: Well, there's enough 

Tracy Hayes: investment money in the area and because we have such a demand I think that's where the the investment comes in. They pay cash, they go and do it, make it turnkey, then hand it back. Right. Right. Let's touch on the NAR settlement just briefly, I don't want to go too deep into it, but, But, you know, just kind of, I think you probably do, you know, I assume you Have two different opinions, [00:58:00] but what are you, what are you, uh, 

Erika Elliot: we usually have the same opinion.

Erika Elliot: I'm, I'm 

Tracy Hayes: pretensing have different opinions, make it more interesting. Um, Erica, what are you, what are you, um, uh, informing your people? What are you coaching them on? What are you preparing them for? 

Erika Elliot: Yeah. So we're still preparing to prepare them. No, we're still, we're still in the process of preparing. We've already had two meetings, um, where we've tried to at least kind of like, Okay, let's shake it off, you know, it's going to be okay.

Erika Elliot: We really just tried to like, okay, here's all the Myths, here's all the things like start with the facts because we're gonna hear things and I won't even You know all the way up to the top. There's some false information, you know, i'm not gonna I'm, just gonna leave it right there if you know what i'm talking about.

Erika Elliot: Um, however, you know that I think that was the most important meeting that we had. Um, in a few weeks, we'll have another meeting to kind of go over like a buyer's agent agreement because, you know, hands tied, we're going to be all stuck there at some point. Um, [00:59:00] however, I think the first initial meeting was, okay, number one, let's get it through our minds and believe in ourselves that for us, for our brokerage, a hundred percent for us in our career overall, even before the brokerage existed, Everything has always been negotiable and going back to the fact right before this.

Erika Elliot: We've always put our clients first That's not gonna change. Yeah, that's not gonna change. So, you know, okay now that we're gonna be required a buyer's agent agreement You know, and maybe the listing appointment may have a little bit more questions and a little more education that we have to do to that seller in that meeting, but that's okay.

Erika Elliot: Like, we've already been doing this all along, you know, so I think that was like the first thing is like, yes, it will look different. Do we know what it's going to look like? No, nobody does. You know, is it going to be maybe a little disruptive? Yeah, possibly. However, I think it starts with us even you know as there's any other realtors watching it It starts with us.

Erika Elliot: It starts with us and us educating the seller in [01:00:00] that moment 

Tracy Hayes: I can sense you have one, but you're just giving me the broker belief 

Erika Elliot: my broker belief. Um, 

Tracy Hayes: no, what's your what's erica's? What does erica want to say? 

Erika Elliot: I think that as as we're looking like, okay the crystal ball and we're looking in the future, right?

Erika Elliot: You know i'm like Okay. If a seller comes to me and, and I, and I, all the sellers that are coming to me, I love you, . We're just gonna go ahead and put that out there right now. I love you. This doesn't change anything If you have an opposite opinion, um, however, my opinion is not going to change as this year develops.

Erika Elliot: Yeah. The seller should, in my opinion, in my opinion, always still pay for the real estate commissions. They should. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, and I, I totally agree with you and in reality. 

Erika Elliot: They still will. The buyer is always 

Tracy Hayes: actually paid for it. They pay for it in the 

Erika Elliot: price. Yes, that is true. That's why I think it's not going to change, it's just adding extra [01:01:00] steps on how we're going to get there.

Erika Elliot: So if the seller is going to say, you know, I I now don't want to pay a buyer's agent. I want the buyer's agent to, you know, I want the buyer to pay for their agent. Then I'm gonna say, okay, well let's talk about that. Because, you know, again, going back to, like, they should and they, you know, should continue to, the buyer has down payments.

Erika Elliot: The buyer has closing costs. The buyer has, you know, an interest rate that you don't even want to know about right now. You know, so let's talk about all their cost right now. Most of the sellers in in our areas especially are making a lot of money. You know, most of them are making a lot of profit on their homes.

Erika Elliot: Now there are off situations where maybe they bought it last year and they're not, but that's where we sit down and okay, we want to know What is the situation? What are your goals? Where are you going? You know, let's, let's figure that out together. If they're making nothing, you know, if they're literally not breaking even or going into a loss, we're most likely going to take cut on our commission just to help them out and make sure that they can get [01:02:00] into the next door.

Erika Elliot: That's where we're at. 

Tracy Hayes: To me, it's, it's one of these things. Um, does the tree make a noise in the woods if no one's there to hear it when it falls? 

Erika Elliot: Right. 

Tracy Hayes: And they don't, people don't realize the values have been driven by a five or 6 percent chance of overall Buyer seller agent commission split That's where the that's where the price point's been evolved.

Tracy Hayes: So if you're listing your house at a true Value with all the comps it's already built in it is already built in. 

Erika Elliot: Yes. Yes, and that's what i'm saying, you know, it's whether The buyer was paying it because or i'm saying whether the seller offered it here Okay. And they already had offered it up front or the buyer has to come in.

Erika Elliot: They know that they don't have the cash out of pocket to add that to the cash to close at the end. So now we have to get creative and we have to, okay. Now, instead of offering 300, 000, now we're going to offer whatever, 310, 000. And so it's just, it's going to become just this play [01:03:00] where again, it's all comes back to the same thing because the buyer's not going to have the cash to do it.

Erika Elliot: I mean, maybe if we're talking about, you know, the luxury listings and we're talking about completely different price range, that's different. That's different 

Tracy Hayes: price points because of their uniqueness. 

Erika Elliot: Exactly. But your everyday buyer is not going to have the cash out of their pocket to pay down payment, closing costs, interest rate, and now add on top of that cash, To pay the realtor they're not gonna have it.

Erika Elliot: I just don't think they're gonna have it So it's still gonna result in seller even if you said you didn't want to pay Hey, guess what if you want to take this offer you're gonna pay 

Tracy Hayes: Uh, was 

Erika Elliot: that politically correct? 

Tracy Hayes: No, you're right. I'm not you and I are I'm 

Erika Elliot: not politically correct

Tracy Hayes: How important though is it right now, Mourning, because Eric is saying to do a lot of video, but I mean, how important is it for an agent to, uh, in one way, shape, or form or another, it could be doing it through video, showing a lot of the other things, but, or having a proper buyer consultation saying, okay, this is what I'm going to [01:04:00] be doing for you or the seller.

Tracy Hayes: Hey, this is what I'm going to be doing for you. And we need to pay, you know, sitting down and actually showing. They're value versus I think, you know, we've gone through a period of time where, you know, you stuck the sign in the yard and, you know, and what still happens if you've got a great house in a great neighborhood right now, you stick a sign in the yard, it could be multiple listings in a couple of days and you're sold under contracted than three, but there's, we're seeing more and more set our inventories building up.

Tracy Hayes: Um, but when you're having those conversations that we really need to actually explain and how you know, again, whether it's through videos, whether, however you do it on, maybe you guys have some other creative ways that you're teaching your agents to actually express to these buyers and sellers your value.

Dawna Cantway: So I think this is where we have one up on a lot of people because we've always taught it. Thanks. You're gonna earn loyalty, respect, and show value face to face. So, um, I started my [01:05:00] career with online leads. And, and I was told, don't waste your time or money, those are junk. Okay. So within a month, I'm like, give me all the junk leads.

Dawna Cantway: Give them all to me. I'll take them. I've made a lot of money on those junk leads. Uh, so, you know, but I learned early on, my goal is to get face to face with you. I need to be able to look you into the eyes. You need to be able to see in my body language, as well as hear in my words, that I truly have. Your best interest at heart and I am going to go over and beyond to make that happen and make sure that you're safe You're taken care of you know, you get the best deal blah blah blah so on and so on so We have taught every single one of our agents You have to get face to face.

Dawna Cantway: I don't care where the client comes from. [01:06:00] I don't care if it's a family, a friend of a family member, a neighbor, I don't care who it is. Your main goal is to get face to face with them and then start talking about all of these things that we have to encompass. So in other words, they're 

Tracy Hayes: just words and you're rattling off phrases and words and they're like, okay, whatever.

Tracy Hayes: It's 

Dawna Cantway: words. And, you know, as. Americans and humans, we think we know everything and we don't, you know, and it's, if you're just talking on the phone or through text, it's just empty words and they think they know and they don't. So when you get together and then, you know, I've had so many, I don't even, I can't even tell you, people that I've met with in person and by the end of it, they're like, Oh my gosh, I learned more today than.

Dawna Cantway: I have in months or, you know, I mean, there's, we don't go, you know, we don't, we purposely try not to step on other realtors toes. There's been scenarios where people have been working with other [01:07:00] agents and then we end up with them because they're not happy or whatever the case may be. And they'll, you know, and those people will tell us, they're like, Oh my gosh, I didn't know any of this.

Dawna Cantway: And I've been working with so and so for six months. That breaks my heart. It shouldn't be like that. 

Tracy Hayes: Being face to face, you can, when you're having that conversation, explaining, you can tell whether the person knows what you're talking about or has a question mark going off. 

Erika Elliot: Exactly. And 

Tracy Hayes: you are reading their body language by saying, I need to go deeper, or, okay, they already understand this, I need to move on.

Dawna Cantway: Yes. Yes. So, you know, as far as the changes coming, it's more, like we, you know, Eric and I are actually meeting with an attorney, you know, we want to make sure we do everything on the up and up I think the hardest part for us is figuring out how to comply But still have that option to put your needs first You know, so that that's kind of I think our biggest hurdle right now.

Dawna Cantway: We were even talking about it this morning It's just making sure that in our buyer broker agreement We have some kind of verbiage in [01:08:00] there You Where we can still, if we need to, whatever we have to do to make it work, to make it happen, we can do that, you know, we're not tied in. Um, and I, you know, and I tell everybody, I've told agents, it's, it's gonna take about 12 to 18 months.

Dawna Cantway: to become the new normal, and to figure it out. 

Tracy Hayes: So it was, I don't know, it was a couple weeks ago, uh, NAR was in Washington, D. C. with a lot of leadership from around the country. You know, Florida Realtor was there, and, you know, I think NEFAR might have been even there, and so forth. And I guess the question was brought up in the room, uh, who's going to police this?

Tracy Hayes: And the answer was, Oh, you're going to police yourselves. And then there was a laughter. 

Dawna Cantway: Yes. Thank you. 

Tracy Hayes: Um, that kind of, if you don't, that doesn't summarize why I'm telling that story where I'm at with this. Yeah, I mean, it's, it's, Yes. People, it's, it's one of those things, uh, if you've ever been on a community board or anything like that, these people want to make rules, but they're not actually going and saying, okay, well, [01:09:00] how are we actually going to implement that?

Dawna Cantway: I mean, look at the domino effect that it's had. Nobody thought about, I don't think anybody thought about what does this mean for VA loans? I mean, just, that's just a small example. Like it's just, it's a huge domino effect. Um, But it's it's real estate in our real estate It's it's like this and it's like this and it you know, it's constantly 

Tracy Hayes: what in Mind boggles mean, you know with all the stuff going on in our country from the legal side.

Tracy Hayes: So here you have a a settlement Telling people and and using the term law. 

Erika Elliot: Yes 

Tracy Hayes: I no legislator made any law here And, um, and I think in, in, in the importance, just to give a tip to, um, RPAC in our, in our floor. It's now more important than ever to be supporting those people who want to, you know, be involved in those organizations and be part of, you know, uh, us on a national level or state level.

Tracy Hayes: Um, in all real [01:10:00] estate, as a mortgage side, mortgage bankers association, it's very important to be involved. Um, yeah.

Tracy Hayes: I want to just, okay, I just want a couple, I'm going to just narrow down to a couple questions. What, let's do, let's do this one. Um, what are, what are the markets changed in the last 24 months? You know, I think it was, it was really actually this time, two years ago, the rates started to go up. Um, So in 24 months the market, what do agents need to be doing now?

Tracy Hayes: We're seeing inventory rise housing sitting on the market, you know a little longer than some agents have ever seen Yes of our new agents only been in the business two years They've never seen houses sit for 60 days, you know type of things if they're priced, right? What are three things that agents need to be doing right now?

Dawna Cantway: Well, some of the things that, um, I've been talking to my agents about, because we've had a couple of those homes that are staying a little bit longer. A couple. [01:11:00] I'm like, we're having a hard time now. Hold on, hold on, 

Erika Elliot: get back up. 

Dawna Cantway: Um, uh, we're, you know, Um, gosh, and I'm terrible when I'm put on the spot for names, not my agent's names, but there's a guy that we follow a lot.

Dawna Cantway: And, uh, he Tom Ferry? You're one of those type of characters? No, it's, yes, one of those type of characters, but it's not Tom Ferry. Um, He did a class on epic open houses and Just really doing things that I had just wouldn't probably thought of myself And so we're gonna be implementing that here in a couple of weeks a little more 

Tracy Hayes: creative a little 

Dawna Cantway: more creative with that I'm one of my agents this morning.

Dawna Cantway: She sends me a link and it's just really cool. I gotta share it with you It's this really cool for cell sign that has the pictures on top And it lights up at night. You know, and just like, like it's not anything really big, but just Making ourselves, making our listings stand out a [01:12:00] little bit more. Um, you know, even with the changes.

Dawna Cantway: Mm-Hmm, , you know, they're not stopping us from sharing on all of our social media about hey seller's willing to pay a buyers agent. So it's like, gotta make sure we're on social media, gotta make sure you know that we're putting well from the listing, putting our listings out there. 

Tracy Hayes: Are you, are you strategizing the listing and saying, Hey.

Tracy Hayes: We're, you know, here I know we're in Jacksonville, like competing against new construction. Zocalo got a lot of Oh, absolutely. 

Dawna Cantway: Absolutely. You know, with all the incentives 

Tracy Hayes: they got going on by coming out and putting those in the listing. That, hey, we got incentives for a rate buy down or whatever. Yes. 

Dawna Cantway: So I just, two of my listings, I just, instead of, you know, moving that price to the left, I'm like, okay, let's do this.

Dawna Cantway: Let's offer incentives. contract this weekend, you know, just from doing that. And, and sometimes you got to work, you know, with the seller to get them to that point. But, um, you know, yes. Well, you're 

Tracy Hayes: having, uh, cause I thought you're, you were leading to, I was almost going to, [01:13:00] um, give you some words, but having some, Uh, straight conversations with some of these sellers.

Tracy Hayes: Oh, 100%. Like, hey, uh, you got, you got new construction in the neighborhood or down the street. This is what you're competing against. Uh, I know you want to make this much money and you want to list your house for this, but if you list it for that, no one's going to show up. So we need to list here and, you know, I'm suggesting we put some incentives right away if you want to sell this house in the next 30, 60 days.

Dawna Cantway: So we go into our listing appointments. We, I mean, we have. Like, we have printed proof. You know, this is your competition, this is where it's at, this is what's sold. And then I think, too, I take the same approach with them that I do our agents. I'm like, I'm, I'm pretty blunt and to the point. I'm gonna lay it all out on the table, and I'm gonna tell you what it's gonna take to get this place sold.

Dawna Cantway: If you don't like it, or you don't think we're a good fit, No hard feelings. Because you're pulling your hair out when 

Tracy Hayes: that house is sitting. Yes! They don't realize. I mean, we have 

Dawna Cantway: the same goal, right? Every night [01:14:00] you 

Tracy Hayes: guys go to bed and you know you've got a listing sitting out there and I haven't got a call.

Tracy Hayes: No one's showing it. Nothing in three days. You're pulling your hair 

Dawna Cantway: out. It's like, we have the same goal here. But I think there's just been, unfortunately, like in a lot of different industries, there's been so much Abuse, to be honest, people taking advantage of, people not being told the truth, a lot of greed, um, you know, has just gotten away and has ruined it.

Dawna Cantway: Well, 

Tracy Hayes: they didn't really have to have too much in conversation, would you agree? No, correct. It was more, like I said, hey do you want me to list your house, I'm gonna stick it in the yard, groom it, sold, you know, you're under contract, okay, you know, 30 days, I'm, I'm outta here, let me go find a moving truck.

Tracy Hayes: That's. 

Erika Elliot: It was worse than that, though. It was not just, it was not just you're under contract. You have 40 offers to choose from. Here, pick your best one. Which one looks, you know, which one, which one sparkles the most. You know, has no inspection, no appraisal, you know. I, I made this video, um, I don't know, probably like 8 months [01:15:00] ago now.

Erika Elliot: And, it, it literally was like I was, I was acting out the, You know, COVID timeframe and, you know, the seller and the agent relationship at that time. And it's like, Hey guys. Yep. We had another showing and we got 40 offers now, but I think we're just going to hang on the market a little bit longer so we can bump that up to 60 and then, and then we'll choose.

Erika Elliot: Yeah. Yep. Yep. Sounds good. And then you like fast forward to today and you're like, Oh yeah. Uh, yep, I'm looking out the window and someone comes by and I run out the door. I run out the door chasing this man. I think he worked for JEA and I'm like, where are you coming to see this house? You know, and so it's again, it's, it's funny.

Erika Elliot: It's funny now because I was in it before then and then during and then after, you know, you have a lot of agents that come in and they came into this. You know, and yes, I hated it. To be honest, I absolutely hated it. You know, I worked a lot with buyers. I work with listings too, of course, but I work with a lot of buyers.

Erika Elliot: And when you were writing 20 offers and you got beat out on 20 offers, [01:16:00] that is discouraging. That is defeating. You know, it's just and then even on the seller side, like, okay, this is ridiculous. Like how many that you're going That's not real estate that wasn't that was not that was not normal And so it's just like even today Having that battle and that's a part of like in my mind when you ask, you know, one, two, three I would just say education education education because you still have to sit there and like help a seller understand We are not there, you know, and i'll tell them some of them one of them in, um, jillington creek I'm living in st.

Erika Elliot: John's but I said, you know, we have unicorn situations and you have a pool And if we price it right you may go this weekend I have a feeling your home's gonna sell fast, but that's not the market overall anymore So I don't want to set you up to expect something that is not now Of course, I did get it sold really fast.

Erika Elliot: They were super happy with me. Um, But overall in general you have to have those conversations and educate the seller Of where things are at how long they're sitting there I have that conversation about new construction all the time in st John's county because i'm like guess what? I want you to understand [01:17:00] if I was working with the buyer I'm going to drive right past your house and I'm going over here because they're going to pay all your closing costs, they're going to buy down your interest rate, you're getting a brand new home, so you have got to show me why your house would even be something to be on their radar.

Tracy Hayes: Do you feel it's important if someone's buying new construction right now to have that conversation about you better plan to be in this neighborhood until this is entirely built out? Because you're gonna have a problem selling it early. 

Erika Elliot: I mean, yes, I've had those conversations I had an on site agent, you know back to no names at an on site agent and he was a bully He was a bully and he was literally trying to tell my buyers that he was like, well I just want to let you know the last one that I just sold He said, you know, just a few months ago, it appraised and they got 60, 000 equity, instant equity in their home.

Erika Elliot: And he goes, so if you buy this right now, and he was just, it was like sign now on this moment, you know, right here, dotted line. And he said, if you sell this, you have 60, 000, you can turn around in six months and you can sell this house and [01:18:00] you make 60, 000. I said, no, you won't. I mean, I literally almost like just had a heart attack right there.

Erika Elliot: I said, no, I just, I'm gonna stop you right now in front of them. I said, I'm going to stop you right now. If they put this house on the market in six months, their closing costs, the fees that they're going to have to pay, you know, and then to compete 

Tracy Hayes: with what you're selling the house for and the fees and the incentives.

Tracy Hayes: I'm like, they're 60, 000. They're not making 

Erika Elliot: anything. They will not profit. Do not tell them that they are not going. And, and I think also that's, That's a part of the the failure there in that system is like people think that you know Okay, i'm gonna buy it right now and I could turn around next year.

Erika Elliot: It's gonna be different. I'm like No that we're not there anymore. We're not there anymore We we went from two years from like, you know, 300 to 600 those people made a whole lot of money Anybody that bought before, you know 2018 2019 or before that they made a lot of money But if you buy a house right now, you're not going to turn around and make a hundred thousand dollars next year Like just get that out of your mind, you know so I think Again, that's like the most important thing is setting [01:19:00] the tone for what that listing is going to look like.

Erika Elliot: Setting the tone, setting the expectations, that's on us, that's our fault. You know what I mean? If that crumbles, and the house is sitting there. And they the sellers not doing well and you know, whatever of course that's gonna happen 

Tracy Hayes: Bruce breedlove made a statement. I had him on a few weeks ago talking about do you we know?

Tracy Hayes: There's a lot of buyers sitting on the sideline Do you believe there's actually a lot of sellers also sitting on the sideline because they know they want to move wherever it is, but they obviously with interest rates or whatever the reason is. But because we think the rates will drop, oh, the buyers will all, you know, go crazy again.

Tracy Hayes: But the reality is we've got probably have a lot of sellers who are also sitting there waiting to sell because of the market conditions. 

Erika Elliot: I agree with that a hundred percent. I mean, I personally would be in that same situation because My payment is comfortable, you know, I literally slid into home base before they shot up and I refinanced.

Erika Elliot: I got like a 2. 7 something, you know, I'm not going anywhere, [01:20:00] you know, but that doesn't mean that. Okay. Yes. We we definitely outgrew our home. We had to add on to it. You know, I got five kids I definitely could use you know, something larger bigger whatever. No, I'm not going anywhere So yes, I'm one of those sellers that would be sitting on the sideline like okay What's gonna happen, you know open 

Tracy Hayes: for suggestion if the markets turned, right, you know, whatever, 

Erika Elliot: right?

Erika Elliot: But even with that that's that's a two sided coin too Because if the interest rates go down then more buyers come in maybe more sellers come in But then you got the frenzy and then you have the bidding wars and you know so it's like 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Um, let's finish up with this one because you do, you do the video, you've talked about it, your mindset on, and I go to this because it's something I'm working on and I go to back again.

Tracy Hayes: I'm going to mention George Guerrero from Miami because he's got a large brokerage down there, nearly 500 agents. And he told me his, when I asked him what three things agents should be doing right now, he said, video, video, video. And his belief is that, uh, when he got in the business, which was just [01:21:00] right around is the tipping point of the market for, you know, seven and eight, uh, 2007, eight, nine period.

Tracy Hayes: Um, he, and he's of course in Miami, he wanted to create in, you know, in his description, a movie for every house. He felt the video was the, The place to go and he still believes it today You're doing video. What is your mindset? With your marketing and as far as out getting outreach out there and promoting the homes and that you're listing but also What are you trying to teach to your agents?

Erika Elliot: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think the more we can be in front of people um, not just the Putting the listing up there. That's super important because a picture is a picture It's not gonna give you that warm and fuzzy feeling necessarily as a video with music and ambiance And you know like okay, and then maybe you have a realtor that looks real nice

Erika Elliot: But you know I think that the presentation of the listing in general and then how do we get it in front of [01:22:00] as many people as possible? You know, so it's not just some random Let it do its job. No, make a video. We're going to put that video everywhere that we can, you know, and then, you know, again, if it's my listing, then all of them are still going to use it.

Erika Elliot: They're going to put it everywhere. 

Tracy Hayes: I went to your YouTube channel. What would I see there? 

Erika Elliot: Um, working on it. It is. It is an existence. It is an existence. Um, I definitely, um, and I'm Very much, um, on Facebook and then on, on Instagram, I do have a YouTube, I'm building it, I'm growing. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, I mean, it is next to LinkedIn.

Tracy Hayes: Yes. YouTube is, I mean, because I've gone on every single person's, I did not go on yours. Uh, for I don't know, whatever reason, I got distracted, I created my questions and then went off suddenly, but, um, majority of agents. Have old videos or they just have a half a dozen videos on their one year old two year old Whatever if they're not posting every day, but they're posting on Instagram.

Tracy Hayes: So why are you not dragging that video that same [01:23:00] video? And putting it in YouTube shorts. I've been challenging 

Erika Elliot: myself with that. I am. 

Tracy Hayes: And because they Google you, that stuff is going to pop up. Now your Instagram will pop up too. If you, you know, you're on there enough and there's recent videos, it'll pop up, but there's nothing more than if you look at someone's Google, when this video goes out for this, I guarantee you, if you Google each of you, it'll, it'll be on that first page.

Tracy Hayes: After those paid advertisements, you're going to see. The thumbnail of you guys, of course it's out live, so the live is going to go after, you know, uh, publishes. It, it, it's going to be there. And I think it's so underestimated. Take all your videos and be putting them to YouTube. I'm not talking just to you, I'm talking to everyone's listening.

Tracy Hayes: Yes, yes. 

Erika Elliot: No, I mean, I do 100 percent agree with you. And I have actually learned some of those methods behind it. And even just, you know, with a neighborhood. You can Google a neighborhood and first you're going to have a sponsored neighborhood. The next one might be sponsored and then you're going to have YouTube, you know, so I do know and I have made videos, you know, just to highlight different [01:24:00] communities and then when I highlight those communities, I'll put them on YouTube.

Erika Elliot: So if someone were to Google that or Google me, they are going to find videos, 

Tracy Hayes: whether it's tomorrow or three years from now, it'll come up. 

Erika Elliot: Yeah. Yeah. So I do know the method behind it. I, a lot of times to be honest, it's, you know, again, because I'm focused on my realtors. So it's just, there's, there's room for me to grow, you know.

Erika Elliot: We're going to talk about something after the 

Tracy Hayes: show. Anything else you guys want to add that we didn't talk about that you want to get across? Uh, I'm, I'm done with my questions. 

Dawna Cantway: I don't think so. You know, I mean, I shout out, we don't really market for agents. They've come to us organically. Either we've converted them from being our clients or agent or our agents convert.

Dawna Cantway: But I, you know, I do. I'm like. We do care. So if you're looking for a brokerage like that, that's more of a family and, and really has hands on. I think hands on's a great way to. Very much, um, you know, there for each other. Like, you know, call us up and, [01:25:00] you know, if you're looking to buy or sell and you want somebody that truly cares about you.

Tracy Hayes: All right. Ladies, I appreciate you coming 

Dawna Cantway: on. for having us. so much.